News from the Congregation March 12, 2021
‘God Loves You As You Are…But too Much to Leave You That Way’ ; ‘Robert Deming Junior Warden Introduces Himself’ | Sunday Soup Kitchen Volunteers Needed, Harlem Inter-Parish Council Lent Services, Private Baptisms on Easter Eve | Sunday Programs (9:30 am Vicar’s Open Space, 10 am Genesis Bible Study, 11 am Worship Service, 11:45 Vicar and Friends, 12 pm Coffee Half-Hour, 12:30 pm Adult Formation-Liturgical Year |Weekday Programs (M-S Morning and Evening Prayer; Wednesday: 6:30 pm YESS Bible Study, 7:00 pm Vicar’s Open Space, 7:30 pm - Bible Study - Paul’s Letter to the Romans, 8:30 pm Compline; Thursday: 6:30 pm EfM Class, Friday: Midday Prayer and Meditation, 12:15 pm Vicar’s Open Space).
Canon Lee
There is an old church aphorism I've been thinking about lately: God loves you just the way you are… but too much to leave you that way.
During Bible study on Paul’s Letter to the Romans this past Wednesday night, we talked about the “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:6). What it means to make Jesus Christ the Lord of our life and the head of our church. How hard it is, yet so necessary in our journey as disciples, to say “Thy will be done,” as opposed to “my will be done.”
Admittedly, it is easy to confuse the two. It seems almost impossible to separate the subjective and the objective.
This is where the church can help. As the 19-century Anglican theologian Charles Gore notes, the church has a particular relation to objective truth:
First, let it be clear that the Church’s function is not to reveal truth. The revelation given once for all to the Apostles cannot be either diminished or added to. It is a faith “once for all delivered,” and the New Testament emphasizes the Church’s duty as simply that of “holding fast” and teaching what she has “received.” The apostle St. Paul claims that his converts should repudiate even him – should treat him as anathema – if he were to teach anything else than what he was taught at first. It is thus of the very essence of the Christian revelation that, as originally given, it is final.
The church’s role is to teach the faith that it has received. Vincent of Lerins famously defined this deposit of faith as follows: In ipsa item Catholica ecclesia magnopere curandum est, ut id teneatur quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est: hoc est etenim vere proprieque catholicum. [Now in the Catholic Church itself we take the greatest care to hold that which has been believed everywhere, always and by all. That is truly and properly Catholic.]
In our community, we are discovering the contents of this deposit of faith through a sustained and disciplined practice of Bible study. What we are discovering is not our personal subjective “truth” but God’s truth. With this practice, we have a chance of escaping our subjectivity and discerning God’s will for our lives.
***
Sometimes, though, God makes God’s will known to us in more direct ways. The final day of orientation week at the General Theological Seminary in Chelsea, I was called into my academic advisor’s office. She was an experienced priest who taught pastoral care. She explained to me that my desire to take an eclectic mix of classes, such as Akkadian at the Jewish Theological Seminary, rather than core classes like Introduction to New Testament, would not be possible.
“The Dean has turned down your request. You will have to take the standard classes like every other first-year student.”
“But I know ancient Greek. I won the undergraduate ancient Greek translation prize at Yale. I took graduate courses in ancient Greek prose composition at Columbia with Eleanor Dickey. I don’t need to take New Testament. I would rather take Akkadian.”
“That won’t be possible.”
I couldn’t believe it. This priest was the professor of pastoral care. She wasn’t being very pastoral!
I said, “In that case, I’m going to have to reconsider my decision to attend this seminary.”
My adviser looked at me.
“The answer is no.”
“You don’t understand. I already know…”
“No.”
I stomped out of her office. I was furious. I headed for the iron gate on 21st Street that led off the seminary grounds. As I pushed the button that would open the gate and lead me away from the seminary and a priestly vocation, I stopped.
Just open the gate, I told myself. Get out of this place. Go back to your old life. Dinners with hedge fund friends in the private dining room at Per Se. A weekend trip to Paris to buy shoes at Anatomica and ties from the Hermès shop on rue Saint-Honoré. Just open the gate. You don’t have to put up with these people.
But I couldn’t. I couldn’t open the gate. Instead, as if controlled by a power not my own, I felt myself turning around. I walked back to my adviser’s office.
I was defeated. I was broken. My pride, arrogance, and sense of superiority had met their match in this priest.
“OK. You win. I’ll take the first-year sequence.”
She didn’t even look up from her desk.
“I’ve already signed you up. See you Monday.”
***
God loves you just the way you are… but too much to leave you that way.
Marsha and Bob
Our Junior Warden
I am the Junior Warden and am slated to remain so until early February 2022. This is my first time writing in this Warden’s section of News from the Congregation.
Let me begin with gratitude. I appreciate the opportunity for this position and, of course, the chance to grow in this new role. I also appreciate that this space exists to share thoughts. My compatriots, Steven Lee as Vicar and Marsha Ra as Senior Warden, have been the main contributors who have created a precedent of weekly sharing in News from the Congregation over the last few years. In that time, I have evolved the habit of looking forward to what would appear in my email inbox early on a Friday morning. Now, the truth be told, I am looking forward to the intermittent times when I will have the chance to share my contributions. There is one uncertainty I have, and I will explain that later just prior to finishing my first piece of writing in this Warden space.
I purposefully am following the lead of Marsha and Steven. Marsha said at the Annual Meeting that she writes in the personal memoir category. On February 12th, she shared a beautiful reflection on how communities develop and become strong. This resonated with me because my experience of worshiping at the Cathedral for over three decades has involved community. That refers initially to being part of the regular crew at the 9 AM Sunday service, and in the last seven years also to being part of the Vestry. I am not as naturally as social as Marsha, so it takes me a while to become comfortable in a new community. Gradually, with fits and starts, I am starting to become comfortable worshiping in this new virtual community through the Zoom link.
Steven near the beginning of Lent, on February 19th, shared an interesting perspective of Priest Henri Nouwen from his Genesee Diary: Report from a Trappist Monastery. I quote Steven’s writing where he quotes Nouwen:
The monastic life is indeed very unsensational. I keep catching myself with the desire to do something special, to make a contribution, to add something new, and have to remind myself constantly that the less I am noticed, the less special attention I require, the less I am different, the more I am living the monastic life.
Maybe—when you have become fully aware that you have nothing to say that has not already been said—maybe then a monk might be interested in listening to you. The mystery of God’s love is that in this sameness we discover our uniqueness. That uniqueness has nothing to do with the “specialties” we have to offer that glitter like the artificial silver balls on a Christmas tree, but has everything to do with our most personal and most intimate relationship with God.
When we have given up the desire to be different and experienced ourselves as sinners without any right to special attention, only then is there space to encounter our God who calls us by our own name and invites us into his intimacy.
Nouwen’s advice not to try to stand out but blend in is meaningful to me, as I begin my journey as Warden and try to keep spirituality near at hand.
My uncertainty regards writing these reflections in the context of community. Being part of the Congregation has ever meant being part of a community. Posting writing reflections periodically in News from the Congregation can seem like a solo endeavor, yet, as much as possible, I want to continue to reach toward the community. So, I am ever open to continued discussion or dialogue. If a Congregation member wants to follow up in some way or to bring something up of note, please do not hesitate. My email address is available in the Realm Directory under my name Robert Deming.
Wednesday March 10 | 1PM - 2:30PM - OPUS Lecture: “Climate Change and Sacred Ecology,” with Fr. Jeffery Golliher
We are delighted to invite you to an OPUS (Older People Up To Something) virtual event. One of our former canons at the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine, Rev. Canon Jeffery Golliher, PhD has agreed to speak with us about “Climate Change & Sacred Ecology.” It will be a real treat to learn more about this very timely topic from someone whose life, teachings and writings in this area have been his focus for years. Please click here to learn more about this exciting event from OPUS!
NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE
Sunday, March 14, 2021 | 1:00PM - 2:00PM - Absalom Jones Youth Gathering
All 6th-12th grade youth in the Episcopal Diocese of New York are invited! We will be discussing the life and work of Absalom Jones, the first priest of African descent in the Episcopal Church. How can we continue his work of helping people in need? Ms. Carla Burns from the diocesan Anti-Racism and Reparations Committees will be our special guest. Ms. Burns is also an ex-officio member of the diocesan Black Presence Project coordinating team.
Lenten Wednesdays Worship with the Harlem InterParish Council - Wednesdays at 7PM
March 17 The Rev. Terence Lee/St. Philip’s
March 24 The Rev. Mary Foulke/St. Mary’s
NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL
BAPTISM ON EASTER EVE Saturday, April 3, 2021
The Cathedral Chapter has decided to offer adult and infant baptisms on Easter Eve, the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Due to the pandemic, these will be private in-person baptisms, not open to the public. Anyone interested in having themselves or their babies baptized should contact the Vicar's assistant, Hope Chang. The Cathedral clergy will conduct baptism preparation classes during Lent.
GIVE/SERVE
CCC - Volunteer Opportunity at Sunday Soup Kitchen
Every Sunday from 8:30 am to about 11:00 am, Cathedral Community Cares needs 3 Congregation volunteers to help with preparing and distributing food, and, beginning this week, staffing Saint Saviour's own CCC table where clients can pick up winter wear, Bibles, and toiletries. Please CLICK HERE to access the new volunteer sign-up page on St Saviour's website. Shifts are open through the end of April. Thank you to all the volunteers from St. Saviour who have generously given of their time week after week!
CCC - February Clothes Drive
CCC requests warm hats, gloves, and coats for their Clothing Closet clients. The Clothing Closet accepts gently used, freshly laundered clothes. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, clothes MUST be laundered before donating. Drop-off Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
THIS SUNDAY, March 7, 2021
9:30 AM - Open Space with the Vicar
Join Vicar Lee and others for 30 minutes of conversation, community, and pastoral support. Come and go as you please!
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 will focus on: Genesis 8 “Re-emergence and Re-imagination, Part III”
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
11:45 PM - Vicar and Friends
Join the Vicar and occasional guests right after the service for a brief time to say hello and check in with other members of the congregation.
12:00 PM - Digital Coffee Half-Hour
Join us at this week’s Digital Coffee Hour to meet members of the congregation.
12:30 PM - Adult Formation - The Liturgical Year
Why do we celebrate Easter in the Spring? Was Jesus really born in December? What’s the difference between Lent and Advent? Canon Pat Malloy unpacks how the Christian calendar was developed and to what end.
WEEKLY CATHEDRAL CONGREGATION PROGRAMS
Monday-Saturday | 8:30 AM Morning Prayer | 5:30 PM Evening Prayer
Wednesdays | 6:30 PM - YESS Bible Study
Join the Young Episcopalians of Saint Saviour as they read through the book of Exodus. No preparation needed.
Wednesdays | 7:00 PM - Open Space with the Vicar
Join Vicar Lee and others for 30 minutes of conversation, community, and pastoral support. Come and go as you please!
Wednesdays | 7:30 PM - Wednesday Bible Study
Join the Vicar for a study of Paul's Letter to the Romans. The source of so many changed lives and pivotal moments throughout Christian history, Paul's greatest epistle invites us to transformation in our own lives and time.
Wednesdays | 8:30 PM - Congregation Compline
Thursdays | 6:30 PM - Education for Ministry
Education for Ministry is designed for lay people who want to delve more deeply but are not necessarily interested in ordination; EfM classes provide a more formal study of scriptures and the history of the faith. Current Topic: “Living into the Journey with God”
Fridays | 12:00 PM - Midday Prayer and Meditation
The Angelus and 10 minutes of silent meditation.
Fridays | 12:15 PM - Open Space with the Vicar
Join Vicar Lee and others for 30 minutes of conversation, community, and pastoral support. Come and go as you please!