News from the Congregation January 14, 2022
‘Vestry Candidates’; ‘A Time of Trial’ | All In-Person Worship Goes Online, Adams Cram Society Meeting, Memorial Tribute for Desmond Tutu Hybrid Service, Volunteer at CCC’s Sunday Soup Kitchen, St. Saviour Annual Meeting| Sunday Programs: 8:30 am Genesis Bible Study (Zoom), 10:30 am Worship Service - Online |Weekday Programs: M-S Morning and Evening Prayer (Zoom), Wednesday: 7:30 pm Romans Bible Study (Zoom)
Canon Lee
G. K. Chesterton from his book A Short History of England: “I do not, in my private capacity, believe that a baby gets his best physical food by sucking his thumb; nor that a man gets his best moral food by sucking his soul, and denying its dependence on God or other good things. I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
In the spirit of Chesterton, I want to thank the nominees for vestry who will be presented at this year's Annual Meeting. You can see their biographies on the Congregation website. I am also grateful that our nominations committee, led by Sonia Omulepu, gathered such a strong group together. In this instance, it is easy to be grateful.
But even in the midst of the trying circumstances of this Omicron surge, it is possible to be grateful. It is still possible to find that happiness doubled by wonder, as Chesterton put it. The apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote the following words to the church in the Roman colony of Philippi. They are among the verses I turn to whenever I need encouragement:
For I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)
A Message from the Wardens
Marsha Ra, Senior Warden
Lead us not into temptation/Save us from the time of trial/Do not put us to the test--three translations of one line of the Lord’s prayer, each of which speaks to these days when we once again find ourselves in exile from in-person worship, in semi-lockdown. For me personally the first and third translations are particularly appropriate. I am tempted and I am being tested. I am tempted to be depressed; I am tempted to lose heart; and especially, I am tempted to be angry. But angry about what? Angry at whom? At God for allowing this virus to spring up, mutate at breakneck speed and make millions sick? At the governments and pharmaceutical companies that didn’t rush out and get vaccines distributed as quickly as humanly possible to all the ends of the earth? At those in this country and abroad who won’t get vaccinated? At the far-right media that has spread so many lies about the virus and the vaccines? Closer to home I have been frustrated by the decision to eliminate in-person worship at the Cathedral for a while. Yes, anger is the ultimate temptation and the ultimate test in this time of trial. I have failed that test, God. I have been angry. Like a child having a tantrum in the face of her own perception of injustice. “But it isn’t fair!”
I have since moved from anger at God, at the anti-vaxers, the government, the virus, to a kind of mental bargaining. “Well”, I tell myself, “this is certainly a bad situation but it isn’t as bad as …. The Black Death--- the plague that wiped out one third of the population of Europe in the 14th century. People contracted the disease and literally fell dead on the street. This isn’t that bad. For the individual for whom COVID is like a case of the flu, this isn’t as bad as metastasized cancer, ALS, massive stroke, you name it. And for us as a nation, it isn’t as bad as being thrown in internment camps, or subject to the madness of genocide, is it? So stop complaining, Marsha, and have some gratitude.” But this type of bargaining doesn’t work either. It’s wrong to be grateful for a disease that “isn’t that bad,” when it has hit so many people so hard, taken away so many loved ones and caused so much social chaos. No, it is that bad. This is definitely the “time of trial” we ask God to save us from.
Another temptation I succumb to is to see myself as in a much worse situation than I actually am. I have continued to enjoy and learn from the twice weekly Bible study that Canon Lee has been leading. Morning and Evening Prayer on ZOOM have continued and have developed their own small community. I live alone (well, I do have two cats) but I have I made up my mind that to the degree possible I will leave the apartment and do things, live and interact with people who are also willing to take that chance. For example, I’m going to the opera tomorrow. I have also been going to a church in the neighborhood which has been both a blessing and a little stressful. I feel a kind of disloyalty to the Cathedral and to Saint Saviour, but I am also so grateful that the Sacrament of Holy Communion is still available. I have been worshipping in a freezing cold church (they keep the doors open for ventilation even if the temperature is below freezing). I have been taking notes on how they welcome people (or not) and how this compares to what we might be doing—so I’m treating this experience as a sort of field trip. There are differences in the liturgy (some of which would probably make Canon Malloy tear out his hair), but it is basically the same BCP service, a little longer, more hymns, some odd additions. It’s not being home at the Cathedral where it feels like I know almost everyone, but it’s not exactly like being a stranger in the land of Egypt either. Then I go home and watch the Cathedral service on Face Book. I love to hear a good sermon and that’s something that we are not living without. But it is very sad to see the choir singing to an empty church and I feel for them and for the clergy preaching to empty chairs. How long oh Lord, how long?
Please Lord God, enough with the test; we want to go home!
NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL - Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (stjohndivine.org)
Ralph Adam Crams Society - Zoom Thank You with Dean Daniel - 11/19/22
Have you included the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in your estate plans? If so, you are a member of the Ralph Adams Cram Society! We would like to thank you by inviting you to a special virtual event for Cram Society members hosted by the Rt. Rev. Clifton Daniel III, Dean of the Cathedral, on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, at noon. Named for the Cathedral’s visionary architect, the Ralph Adams Cram Society recognizes generous individuals who are building the Cathedral’s future by including it in their estate plans. From the Cathedral’s beginning, bequest gifts have played a critical role in helping the Cathedral to nourish bodies and souls. We will be joined by Cathedral expert Dana Settles who will provide a fascinating glimpse into those Gilded Age New York social and business titans who brought Cram’s vision to reality – a tradition you have continued in this day! Please respond to Priscilla Bayley by January 14th at pbayley@stjohndivine.org. A link to the Zoom address will be provided upon response.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu Memorial Tribute 2/13 - Hybrid Service.
Join the Cathedral and the global community on Sunday, February 13 at 4:00 PM for a memorial in tribute to The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, anti-apartheid activist, theologian, rights advocate, and humanitarian (1931-2021). Joined by The Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, The Right Reverend Andrew Dietsche, Bishop of the Diocese of New York, and The Right Reverend Clifton Daniel, Dean of the Cathedral, this hybrid memorial service will celebrate Archbishop Tutu’s legacy and prophetic voice for justice.
Cathedral Closings — All GROUP IN-PERSON activities are temporarily suspended or have gone online.
Out of an abundance of caution, and following guidance from New York City and federal health experts, this year’s New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace has been rethought, and will be livestreamed from the Nave without an audience. No tickets will be needed to livestream the performance, which will be posted on our website, Facebook, and YouTube channel.
To further safeguard the health of our wider New York City community, all in-person events are suspended for the month of January, including:
The Cathedral’s weekday 12:15 pm Holy Eucharist services.
The Sunday afternoon 2:00 PM New Community services.
All in-person concerts, events and gatherings, including Great Music in a Great Space, outdoor groups using spaces on the Close, and group tours.
The Sunday morning 10:30 AM services will be a service of Ante-Communion, livestreamed from the Cathedral, but absent a congregation.
NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE Home - Episcopal Diocese of New York (dioceseny.org)
NEWS FROM THE VESTRY
* NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING *
The Annual Meeting of the Congregation of Saint Saviour will be held on Sunday, February 6, 2022 at 1:00 pm. At the Annual Meeting, vestry elections will be held.
For more information on the Vestry’s candidates, please click here.
GIVE/SERVE
Questions about Realm
Christopher Clowdus and Neil Reilly invite your questions about Realm, the Congregation's giving database, at this email address: stewardship@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 and to staff Saint Saviour's Table. Please CLICK HERE to sign up! Shifts are open through the third week in February. Thank you so much for volunteering!
THIS SUNDAY, January 16, 2022
In-Person Worship at the Cathedral has been canceled. Instead, there will be a livestream, online Ante-Communion “Service of the Word.”
Online Ante-Communion Service - 10:30 am
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