News from the Congregation September 4, 2020
Welcome back!; (Sunday Programming: 9:45 - Visiting with the Vicar, 10 am Genesis Bible Study, 11 Worship 12 pm - Coffee Half-Hour 12:30 pm Adult Formation Class Eucharist); How to Be an Antiracist Fall Book Discussion, Volunteer Opportunity - Hope for Harlem
Canon Lee
***The Friday newsletter returns to its original 6:00am publishing time.
For the past two years, as your Vicar, I have encouraged us to say "yes" to many things: new members, new programs, new groups, even new and far-out ideas. When the pandemic started, this permission-giving culture helped us adapt quickly and creatively to the new world of digital church.
As we prepare to begin another program year together, my hope is that we continue to say yes. Not just to one another, but also--to Jesus. Say yes to Jesus! How is that for a theme? What happens if you make it your goal this year in church? If I make it the focus of my ministry this year? Say yes to Jesus!
Because, if you are anything like me, you don't have time or energy to spare in this season. Not with the pandemic, economic dislocation, political turmoil, righteous social protest, homeschooling, social distancing, quarantining, etc. No time for fluff, or superficial, or nonessential.
To paraphrase the spiritual writer Evelyn Underhill, Jesus is the interesting thing about church, and Christians are hungry for Jesus. What would happen, if our church community lived like this were true?
In the coming weeks, we will be rolling out a series of new programs and opportunities to Say Yes to Jesus!
One new opportunity will begin this Sunday at 9:45am, "Visiting with the Vicar." This will be a time to check in with me and other members of the congregation before the Bible Study at 10am. This week, the Sunday morning Bible Study returns with a look at Genesis 2 and 3, under the heading: "Bad Relationship Advice." I look forward to seeing many of you there.
The Rev. Canon Steven Lee
Canon Pastor and Vicar
THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
(To access each program on Zoom, click the link in the title.)
9:45 AM - Visiting with the Vicar
Join the Vicar fifteen minutes before Bible study to say hello and check in with other members of the congregation.
10:00 AM - In the Beginning: A Study of Genesis
Join the Vicar for a study of the first book of the Bible. Discover Genesis, not as a collection of ancient mythological stories, but as the Word of God addressing our fundamental and deepest needs. This Sunday, we will look at Genesis 2 and 3, under the heading: "Bad Relationship Advice."
11:00 AM - Congregation Watch Party for Cathedral Worship Service
Watch the Cathedral worship service on Zoom with other members of the Congregation. As a way to maintain a prayerful atmosphere, we will be turning off Zoom chat for the duration of the service.
You can also watch the Cathedral Worship Service
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/StJohnDivineNYC
On the Cathedral website: http://www.stjohndivine.org
12:00 PM - Digital Coffee Half-Hour
Join us at this week’s Digital Coffee Hour to meet members of the Congregation community.
12:30 PM - Adult Formation Class
Sub-Dean Malloy continues his class on the history, theology, and practice of the Eucharist. Access supporting materials for the course by clicking here.
HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST
FALL BOOK DISCUSSION
"The good news is that racist and antiracist are not fixed identities. We can be a racist one minute and an antiracist the next. What we say about race, what we do about race, in each moment, determines what — not who — we are."
The Reading Group is participating in the Diocesan-sponsored discussion of Ibram X. Kendi's highly-acclaimed book How to Be an Antiracist. Here is the diocesan program's official website. On it, you can find an exhortation from Bishop Dietsche, details on where to purchase the book (it is also available at NYPL), how the programming will work, discussion questions, and a host of other related resources.
SAINT SAVIOUR'S MEET TIMES ON ZOOM
To enable the greatest possible participation, we will be meeting on Sundays at 12:30 for three sessions:
Sunday, 9/20 12:30-1:30 Discussion I (Introduction, Chapters 1-6)
Sunday, 9/27 12:30-1:30 Discussion II (Chapters 7-12)
Sunday, 10/4 12:30-1:30 Discussion III (Chapters 13-End)
Diocesan-Wide Zoom Discussion with Dr. Kendi: October 22
(In addition, we hope to participate in virtual inter-parish discussion sessions, see the registration form for details. )
WHAT TO EXPECT
In recommending How to Be an Antiracist to the 200 parishes in New York's Episcopal Diocese, Bishop Dietsche writes that Dr. Kendi "offers an invitation to all of us and each of us to be transformed, to be enlarged, to be enriched, and to become better and more complete human beings, and more just communities." It is in this spirit that the Reading Group committed to hosting these discussions. They are not meant to be exhaustive, didactic, or judgmental. Simply come prepared, having read the assigned chapters and given prayerful thought to the discussion questions.
HOW TO REGISTER
While registration is not mandatory, we urge you to sign-up. If we know how many people are coming, we can better plan how best to facilitate the discussions and send additional materials.
Please Click Here: Registration Form
WEEKLY CATHEDRAL CONGREGATION PROGRAMS
Tuesdays | 6:30 PM - YESS Bible Study
Wednesday | 7:00 PM - Congregation Reading Group
Preparation Sessions for How to Be an Antiracist.
Take a deeper dive into Kendi's book, or prepare to help 'usher' the Sunday discussions by joining in a pre-read of the book and a work-through of the syllabus.
Wednesdays | 8:30 PM - Congregation Compline
Reminder: you can find a directory of weekly programs with links to each program’s Zoom by clicking here.
SERVE
Join members of the congregation on Saturday September 12 at 9AM at 116th and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd for a service opportunity to feed Harlem families.
For more information and to sign up to help click here.
The event is produced in partnership with First Corinthian Baptist Church, a labor union, and a local elected official’s office, and is supported by a financial contribution from our congregation. If you know anyone who would like to register to receive aid from this event, you can direct them here.
NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL
Beginning Tuesday, September 8, the Cathedral grounds will be closed to the public all day Monday – Friday to facilitate the education and care of our young people, as ACT and The Cathedral School classes may be taking place on the Pulpit Green, in the Biblical Garden, and other spaces as needed.
The Cathedral itself remains open daily from 7:30 am - 1 pm for personal prayer, reflection, and meditation.
Marsha and Tim
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The summer has been long and difficult. The pandemic continues to rage across the country claiming more victims every day. Cries for racial justice have brought thousands of protestors to the streets and further exposed an ugly underbelly of intolerance in some parts of our nation. There is a troubling level of violence in several cities, and some of our leaders seem to be roiling rather than calming the waters. Corruption in our national government is rife and threatens our imperfect democracy. Millions of people are out of work and many small businesses are failing. The climate crisis continues and is ignored by those at the top. The first hurricane of the season tramples and floods our south east and fires rage in the hills of northern California. Perhaps the four horsemen of the apocalypse have actually arrived! And if we can count correctly, there are more than four of them! In the midst of all this the senior warden finds herself facing more health issues and a roller coaster of diagnoses and possible treatments. Your junior warden, like so many of our fellow citizens, worries about providing for his family as the economy flails. The Book of Job was the perfect choice for the first of the Vicar’s Bible studies.
Where is our hope? Easy answer: Our hope is in God and in each other.
As you can see from this newsletter, there will be many new opportunities for prayer and for learning, for connecting and deepening our relationship to God and to our church family. And it is the relationship to one another that we really want to emphasize. Less than half of our regulars find their way to daily ZOOM prayer, the Sunday worship and other opportunities to do church. For some this ZOOM stuff just doesn’t cut it, but they may be connecting to one another via email, Facebook, Instagram, or phoning each other. In the second half of August we organized a telephone reach-out/check-in to connect with those folks whose faces we haven’t been seeing online. We hear of other friends who are in touch and some beautiful examples of people looking out for one another emerge. Church does prepare us for being the hands of Christ in the world, but to a great extent that we find that world in one another.
The vestry didn’t meet in August, but we did make another important donation to our neighbors through a gift of $5000 to support “Hope for Harlem”—an event to provide groceries and hot food to those in need. The event will support 2000 families (see above for more information and how to volunteer!). We are also planning additional group activities, more classes, and an important chance for a deep discussion about becoming anti-racists, building a beloved community.
And, dear friends, we know this dark period will eventually come to an end and we will worship together in the beauty of the Cathedral, sharing the Body and Blood of Christ. We have been patient for many months now, and ask God to help us find the mental fortitude and financial means to wait further still. Surely, brighter days are to come.
Blessings from your wardens!
Marsha and Tim