News from the Congregation April 22, 2022
‘‘ ‘Praise for Dean Daniels’ ; ‘Coffee, Bitterness, Hospitality’ ” | May 1 Visit by London’s first female bishop, May 22 Dean Daniels’ Coffee-Hour Celebration, Volunteer at CCC’s Sunday Soup Kitchen, Aid for Ukraine, Columbarium Access | Sunday Programs: 8:30am Genesis Bible Study (Zoom), 10:30am Worship Service - In-Person and Online, 7:00pm Compline | Weekday Programs: M-S Morning and Evening Prayer (Zoom), Wednesday: 7:30pm Romans Bible Study (Zoom)
Canon Lee
This April marks four years that I have been your Vicar. For two years prior to my nomination by the Dean and appointment by the Bishop to this position, I worked part-time at the Cathedral as an assistant for children's ministry and outreach.
In these six years, I have never experienced a Holy Week as intensely prayerful as this one. There was nothing perfunctory or performative in any of the liturgies of the Triduum. I am so grateful to the Sub Dean for his vision in designing our remarkable services. We are lucky to have one of the Episcopal Church's leading thinkers in liturgy with us at the Cathedral.
We have also been fortunate to have one of the great leaders of the Episcopal Church as our Dean for the past five years. After a successful stint as the Bishop of East Carolina, Dean Daniel was asked by the wider church to take on several difficult assignments. He was made the Bishop Provisional of Pennsylvania, at a time when that diocese was experiencing intense conflict. He was brought in as chair of the Board of Trustees at the General Theological Seminary when that institution was also experiencing intense conflict. Finally, he was asked to become the interim and then the permanent Dean of our great Cathedral, when this institution needed steady leadership.
It has been the privilege of a lifetime to have watched the Dean up close during his tenure. Every week, the Cathedral clergy meet as a group, and the leadership lessons I have learned from Dean Daniel in these meetings will stay with me throughout my ministry.
I know that many of you have similar stories of how the Dean's wisdom, thoughtfulness, and unsurpassed kindness have positively influenced your lives. I hope you will join us on Sunday, May 22 when we have a festive celebration to say goodbye to Dean Daniel.
A Message from the Wardens
Senior Warden Marsha Ra on "Coffee, Bitterness, Hospitality"
Last week, as we walked step by step through Holy Week, things began to feel more normal every day. Good Friday especially spoke to me this year. Standing on the steps of the Cathedral preparing to venerate the Cross, holding hands with a dear sister in Christ, Sonia Omulepu, I was completely taken into the moment and felt such a deep love for the Lord. Saturday night the vigil seemed as well attended as ever and Easter Sunday was almost normal! We were drawn into the miracle of the Resurrection by the prayers, the music, the readings and the preaching, but no less by the fact that over 800 people were in the Cathedral! Not the thousands of the past, but a wonderful expression of hope as every seat was taken. I brought a friend with me who is not Christian and she was especially moved. Maybe it is not so strange that the service was even more meaningful to me because I could experience it a second time through her reactions. Sharing our church is a very satisfying act.
After the conclusion of Morning Prayer today, we had an interesting conversation about bitter drinks. This was in reaction to the announcement that starting this Sunday, the Congregation will embark on a coffee ministry after the 10:30 service. We talked about coffee, how it is prepared, and the proper method for preparing instant coffee in India and South America. We also talked about tea and the Argentinean drink yerba mate. John Felbinger, who officiates at Morning Prayer on Wednesdays, offered information on “posca,” the drink of sour wine that the Romans offered to Jesus on the cross. Was this offer an act of mercy, or was it to taunt him? From what we learned this morning about posca, it seems it was an act of mercy. Posca is what the army and poor people drank all the time. There are even recipes on the internet so that we can make our own, if we wish.
What do coffee, tea, yerba mate and posca have in common? Besides various degrees of bitterness, they are drinks that are often consumed in community. The tea party, the coffee klatch, wine tasting, even the Roman army, often a group enjoys the bitter beverage while relaxing and talking.
And now, dear friends, as things are so close to normal, we are ready to begin a very active ministry of welcome to the stranger and to those who are still slowly coming back to worship with us. For the next six weeks (and hopefully beyond) we will offer coffee, tea, juice, snacks and time to connect. (We will skip the yerba mate and the posca for now!) Having shared the Sacrament, we will have some time to be the Body of Christ together. What does this mean and how can you become involved? If you are seated next to someone you don’t know, be sure to invite them to come to the back of the nave and have a drink with us. Let each of us make the following resolution: “I will not talk to my friends until I have talked to a few people I don’t know. Then I will introduce them to my friends.” It gets easier the more you do it.
Do you notice that on Sunday, the clergy concentrate very deliberately on the stranger? It’s not that they don’t love us--that is understood. It’s because people who walk in and have no connection may feel intimidated or lonely. I remember how it felt when I wandered in back in 1972. Even extroverts like me experience a certain coldness and sadness if they are ignored, especially after the intense power and beauty of the Eucharist. So let’s do our best to make walking into the Cathedral for a service on Sunday a warm and welcoming experience. If the people you talk to are just visiting New York, they will remember our Cathedral as a place where people care. If they are New Yorkers, they may be looking for a congregation, or just need some time in the presence of the Transcendent and they should know through how we receive them that have come to the right place.
NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL - Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (stjohndivine.org)
Sunday Evensong May 1, 2022: Over 1,600 years in the making - the first female bishop of London! Come meet her!
The Rt. Rev. and Rt. Hon. Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, Lord Bishop of London, is the first woman to hold this office, which goes back to the early 4th century. She will be preaching at the Cathedral for Evensong on Sunday, May 1st at 4:00 pm. Bishop Dietsche will formally seat her on the International Ecumenical Cathedra. All are welcome to come to this historic service.
Columbarium Visits - Please Schedule in Advance
Due to cleaning and ongoing construction at the Cathedral, some areas may occasionally be inaccessible. Anyone wishing to visit a loved one in the Columbarium is strongly encouraged to schedule their visit in advance via this Columbarium Visit Registration form.
GOODBYE TO DEAN DANIELS
Sunday, May 22: Coffee Hour Celebration for the Dean
When: After the 10:30 AM service; Where: Cathedral Nave
Sunday, May 29: The Dean's final Sunday service
The Bishop of New York will preach.
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOR UKRAINE
Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) as it provides critical assistance to support people affected by violence in Ukraine. Working through ACT member Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) and other local organizations, ACT Alliance is providing emergency assistance such as food, shelter, water and basic supplies to refugees and people displaced within Ukraine. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Crisis Response Fund will help the organization and its partners continue to provide assistance to people displaced by the crisis in Ukraine.
NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE Home - Episcopal Diocese of New York (dioceseny.org)
An Invitation from the Committee to Elect a Bishop to Share Your Thoughts
The Committee to Elect a Bishop warmly invites and encourages lay and ordained members of the Diocese of New York to share their thoughts on the characteristics and qualities they want to see in the next Bishop Diocesan the major priorities of the Diocese of New York. All responses will ONLY be shared with members of the Committee to Elect a Bishop. Please click HERE to go to the Bishop Search Website and complete the simple online form.
NEWS FROM THE COMMUNITY
NEWS FROM THE VESTRY
GIVE/SERVE
Questions about Realm, the Congregation’s Online Hub for Giving, Volunteering, and Reaching Out to One Another
The Admin team would love to hear from you. Whether you need help making the shift to online donations, setting up your account, or just want to know what Realm can do for you, please contact Laura and Bob at this email address: info@saintsaviour.org
CCC - Volunteer Opportunity at Sunday Soup Kitchen
Join us at CCC's Sunday Soup Kitchen (8:30 am - 11:00 am) to help prepare and distribute food.. Please CLICK HERE to sign up! Shifts are open through the second week in June. Thank you so much for volunteering!
THIS SUNDAY, April 24, 2022
In-Person Worship at the Cathedral
10:00 am - Doors to Cathedral open.
10:30 am - Eucharist Service (apprx. 1 hour)
7:00 pm - Choral Compline
The Cathedral requires those entering its buildings to show proof of vaccination and to wear a mask.
You can also watch a Livestream of the Cathedral Worship Service
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/StJohnDivineNYC
On the Cathedral website: http://www.stjohndivine.org
WEEKLY CATHEDRAL CONGREGATION PROGRAMS
Monday-Saturday | 8:30 AM Morning Prayer | 5:30 PM Evening Prayer
Wednesday 7:30 pm Bible Study | Paul’s Letter to the Romans | Congregation Zoom Link
Sunday 8:30 am Bible Study | Genesis| Congregation Zoom Link