News from the Congregation March 5, 2023
‘‘‘’ ; ‘Notes from the Senior Warden’ ” | Dates to Remember | Sunday Programs: 10:30am Worship Service In-Person and Online, 11:30am All Are Welcome Coffee Hour | Weekday Programs: M-S Morning and Evening Prayer (Zoom)
A Message from the Wardens
Warden Bob Deming reflects on a recent sermon.
I am replacing Marsha Ra as Warden. Such are big shoes to fill, as many of us know. She has been steady and strong in the last six years where she served as Warden of the Vestry. In this Warden’s space for sharing, I know that I will not be as steady as her, but I will try to be strong.
Let me reveal a bit about a method I sometimes employ. My favorite part of the Sunday service is the sermon. Ronald Melichar teases me that I will be a good warden because I take notes. I do jot down phrases or ideas from the sermon on my service bulletin. If something is not clear, I have another resource to turn to. A few days later, there is an audio recording of the sermon at the Cathedral’s website, located under Spiritual Life and Sermons Archive.
As an example, I liked the sermon of visiting Reverend Patrick Williams, the Priest-in-Charge of St. Martin’s and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Harlem, which was celebrating its 95th Anniversary of the Lenox Avenue property of St. Martin’s at the Cathedral on Transfiguration Sunday, February 19th. In his sermon, Reverend Williams encouraged his congregation and those of us listening to show who we are, as “not a perfect people but a transfigured people, trying our best to lead transfigured lives.”
I anticipate that another of these Warden reflections in the coming weeks or months will springboard off some words or a section of another sermon, but we shall see.
Blessings,
Joan and Bob
Wardens of the Congregation
NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL - Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (stjohndivine.org
DATES TO REMEMBER
Feb 22 - Ash Wednesday
Feb 26 - First Sunday in Lent. Adult Baptism and Confirmation class begins.
Mar 29 - The Congregation of Saint Saviour and the Cathedral host the Manhattan North IPC Lenten Service
Young Adults of Saint Saviour Bible Study (Meets once a month)
All members of the Cathedral Community and Congregation in their 20s and 30s are invited to a Bible study hosted by the Young Adults of Saint Saviour. Last month we discussed the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and his call for us to change our hearts.
Immediately after the service, we gather in the nave during coffee hour and walk over to the Chapel of Saint James in the Cathedral.
No preparation or prior Bible study experience is necessary. All young adults are welcome!
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.
Join Us for Lenten Madness
AN INVITATION TO MORNING PRAYER AND LENT MADNESS
For the past three years the attendees at Morning Prayer on ZOOM (ZOOM link: 557 741 3337) have been playing “Lent Madness” during Lent. Lent Madness is a bracket game much like March Madness except instead of basketball teams, 32 saints of the church compete against each other, two by two. It is sponsored by the Forward Movement (https://www.forwardmovement.org). Several writers and clergy in the church provide background information on each saint. Players vote to move their favorite saint to the next bracket. By Holy Week only two saints are left and the final vote results in the awarding of the Golden Halo. It’s fun, it’s educational, and must be the easiest, silliest Lenten discipline around. We learn a lot about saints we think we know and saints we don’t know at all.
Last year our recently arrived priest, Mother Eva Suarez, shepherded the winning saint through the process—Jose Hernandez, a doctor in Venezuela whom none of us in the Morning Prayer group had ever heard of. He actually won against Teresa of Avila--what an upset! If you are interested in playing on your own, go to www.lentmadness.org and sign up for daily emails containing information on the day’s competing saints. You can vote with the larger national group of players. Or you can start coming to the Cathedral’s ZOOM Morning Prayer where, after the office is complete, there will be a lively discussion of the day’s saints and an informal vote.
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
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 (On Hiatus until April)