News from the Congregation December 30, 2022

Dec 30

Written By Steven Lee; Marsha Ra & Joan Adams

‘‘‘Christmas is 12 days’ ; ‘Christmas at the Cathedral’ ” | Dates to Remember | Sunday Programs: 10:30am Worship Service In-Person and Online, 11:30am All Are Welcome Coffee Hour | Weekday Programs: Wed Bible Study on Paul’s Letter to the Romans, M-S Morning and Evening Prayer (Zoom)

Canon Lee

An Episcopal priest once described to me a conversation she had with a rabbi about faith formation. How is it possible, the priest asked, to teach someone what it means to be Jewish, if that person isn't interested in going to synagogue or studying the Torah?

The rabbi replied, "Oh, that's easy. The liturgical year."

It has been years since the priest related this conversation to me. I still marvel at the brilliance of the rabbi's answer.

The liturgical year.

The rhythm of weekly Sabbath. The yearly observance of the High Holidays and the three Pilgrim Festivals. That is how a Jewish person is taught the basics of the faith.

The same is true for us. Weekly worship on Sunday. The yearly observance of Christmas and Easter, Advent and Lent. The liturgical year shapes our lives--what music we listen to, what foods we eat (or choose not to eat), how and when we gather with our family and friends--according to the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.

Thus, it is in a spirit of Christian formation that I remind you that Christmas is not just a day. It is a season that lasts twelve days. We have twelve days to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

This means there is still time to mail out Christmas cards that will arrive on time. The tree, the lights, and the ornaments can stay up for another week. Most importantly, we have time to experience the true meaning of Christmas.

Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, once said that “the whole aim of the church and of all spiritual practice is to become the kind of people who can receive what God wants to give.”

In these twelve days of Christmas, our joyful feasting is for the purpose of softening our hearts so that we might more easily accept the gift that God wants to give us. For nothing, neither our disbelief nor our lack of interest, not our failures nor our myriad sins, not even our death, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A Message from the Wardens

Marsha Ra on Christmas at the Cathedral:

Happy New Year!

What do we celebrate when we observe the passing of the old year and the start of the new? January isn’t a natural start to a New Year. It sits in the middle of winter well past the solstice and there is nothing much different between December 31 and January 1. Every two years a new Congress is sworn in, and every year we have to change the date on our checks, but that’s about it. So what are we exactly marking? Basically we are marking the passage of time. The wild celebrations strike me as a type of bacchanal because the passage of time reminds us of our own mortality. Wild parties and lots of alcohol cover this up because no one really wants to think about that. Whatever the reason for the excitement generated by a ball falling from the sky in Time Square to mark the beginning of a new date, I wish you all a happy New Year! May 2023 be a year full of blessings. May there finally be Peace!

In keeping with the theme of time passing, it strikes me that I have celebrated Christmas at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine for fifty years. Certain aspects of that celebration have stayed exactly the same, but many of them have changed and it is fun to think of all of the years at once. Some changes have been small, some quite dramatic. This year, the fact that we were actually celebrating in person (if we weren’t stuck at home for one reason or another) was a joyous change. Even if the bitter cold kept some people away, even if the numbers of people allowed into the Cathedral at once is still lower than capacity because of the pandemic, 1600 people came to services in person this year. Hallelujah!

My first Christmas after I was baptized was in 1973 and I was an acolyte. Lessons and Carols began as it still does with the voice of a Chorister singing “Once in Royal David’s City.” I had never heard that carol before and apart from the verse that encourages children to be as good and obedient as Jesus (are you kidding me?) I love that hymn. But the service in the 1970’s, based very closely on the British service, was very different from what we’ve seen in the past decade. For one thing, it was very sparsely attended. No more than 150-200 people sat in the Great Choir. After the readings and carols, the entire assembled congregation processed to the West Doors for the blessing of the crèche and the singing of Silent Night, the bishop and clergy all kneeling. That service changed several times over the years and grew to be quite popular. At some point in the 1980’s, a pageant was added complete with rented costumes. I remember being dressed as a shepherd and walking with Vivian Roston who was holding a baby lamb. This embellishment led to increased attendance so that at some point it was impossible for the congregation to join the procession to the crèche. They stayed in their seats as the bishop and clergy marched back to place the little statue of Baby Jesus in the crèche and to bless it. For a few years when Harry Pritchett was dean, a Mass was added—the Dean insisting that it was after all “Christ Mass!” This incarnation included liturgical dancers. Finally huge puppets were purchased and lessons and carols became something very appealing to children. Pre-pandemic over 1,000 people would attend.

The late service on Christmas Eve didn’t change much over the years, except for when the people in the pews held lit candles, and some of the music. The reading of the Gospel of Saint John was a welcome addition at the end of the service. Christmas Day in the 1970’s was a very modest affair. Canon West said Mass in Saint James chapel for less than 100 people. There was an organ, but no choir. When that exactly changed I don’t remember, but as the years went on attendance on Christmas Day grew and grew. For the most part the congregation consisted of tourists and visitors, but as the Cathedral is a place of pilgrimage so that feels right. Pre-pandemic over 1000 people would come and I see no reason why that won’t happen again. It is a good and joyous thing that the Cathedral is there for people who are away from home on Christmas and that we share the beauty of Christmas with them.

Happy New Year! Looking forward to seeing you in Epiphany.

NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL - Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (stjohndivine.org

NEW CATHEDRAL BOARD MEMBERS

At the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees held on December 13, 2022, several new trustees were elected:

Ms. Lucy Culver - External and internal marketing and corporate communications professional catering to both the business and consumer marketplace.

Mr. John "Jock" MacKinnon - Retired partner from Sidley Austin, LLP.

The Honorable Kevin Rudd - Former Prime Minister of Australia and current President and CEO of the Asia Society.

The Reverend Jacob Smith - Rector of the Parish of Calvary-St. George's.

The Reverend Jeanne Person - Interim Rector of Christ & St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and former Canon Pastor of the Episcopal Diocese of New York.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Dec 31 - New Year's Eve Concert for Peace
Jan 6 - Epiphany service at the Cathedral
Jan 14 - Funeral of Kristin Stanton Jones in St. James Chapel
Jan 22 - Religious Life Sunday with Dialogue Sermon at the Cathedral
Jan 28 - Diocesan Chorister Festival at the Cathedra
Feb 1 - Cathedral Planned Giving seminar on Zooml
Feb 5 - Annual Meeting of the Congregation of Saint Saviour at the Cathedral
Feb 14 - Renewal of Vows service at the Cathedral
Feb 15 - Mother Eva Suarez begins at the Cathedral

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)

NEWS FROM THE CONGREGATION

The Weekly Sunday Hospitality continues.

Research shows that the more you give the more you get. The more you help, the more invested you become in your church and the more it feeds you. Isn’t that amazing? Do you enjoy the coffee and the treats--the time together every week for conversation and welcoming of visitors? To keep this ministry going we need to expand the number of people involved. If you are on the list of helpers and providers of snacks, THANK YOU! If you haven’t volunteered yet— why not join the team? There is nothing exclusive about it. All are welcome to help out. If you can come once a month or every 6 -8 weeks to set up before the service and clean-up after the coffee hour, please contact Marsha Ra or Sue Sobolewski. Or talk to us on any Sunday. We will get you started on this ministry.

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

THIS SUNDAY

In-Person Worship at the Cathedral
10:00 am - Doors to Cathedral open.
10:30 am - Eucharist Service
11:30 am - All Are Welcome Coffee Hour

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