News from the Congregation May 7, 2021
‘The Church Calls Us Out of Ourselves;’ ‘Serving Sunday Morning at CCC’ |Episcopal Charities Sunday, Diocesan Lecture Series on Reparations, Volunteer at CCC’s Sunday Soup Kitchen, EfM Open Meetings | Sunday Programs (9:30 am Vicar’s Open Space, 10 am Genesis Bible Study, 11 am Worship Service, 12 pm Coffee Half-Hour Conversation with Marsha Ra and Cathy Roskam on Aging in Place) |Weekday Programs (M-S Morning and Evening Prayer; Wednesday: 6:30 pm YESS Bible Study, 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
In his book, World Upside Down: Reading Acts in the Graeco-Roman Age, C. Kavin Rowe describes the culture-forming power of Scripture:
[I]n its attempt to form communities that witness to God’s apocalypse, Luke’s second volume is a highly charged and theologically sophisticated political document that aims at nothing less than the construction of an alternative total way of life—a comprehensive pattern of being—one that runs counter to the life-patterns of the Graeco-Roman world. His literary work is thus, in the terms of Frances Young and others, a culture-forming narrative.
The retired Episcopal Bishop of Georgia, the Rt. Rev. Scott Benhase, recently described the role of clergy as "stewards" of this culture-forming narrative:
Years ago when I was recruiting at one of our seminaries, I ended each interview by doing a role-play with them. I’d play who I was (minus being a bishop), a 50-something, over-educated, occasionally-pissant, straight white male. I asked each seminarian to tell me why I should join their church. They all mentioned community. I said I attended AA. I had all the needed support. They mentioned outreach opportunities. I replied I was an active member of Rotary. I was already fully involved in helping needy folk. Lastly, they mentioned the glorious music program at their church. I responded I had season tickets to the local symphony. I already enjoyed plenty of great music. I waited patiently for some mention of how their church could meet my greatest need, namely, to be reconciled with God through Jesus by his cross. Never came. One did mention Jesus would be a good exemplar for my life, so I gave him points for that.
Parish clergy aren’t social directors, community service providers, or music impresarios. We got one thing and one thing only: God’s grace in Jesus. We’re stewards of the Great Narrative of Redemption.
This narrative is found in Scripture and “handed on” (literally: “tradition-ed”) by clergy to their congregations. But the Great Narrative of Redemption is met elsewhere too.
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A couple weeks ago, there was another brutal attack on an elderly Asian man in our city. This attack occurred on 125th Street, just blocks from the Cathedral.
By chance, it was two Sundays ago that the Rt. Rev. Allen Shin, Bishop Suffragan of New York, introduced Mother Kyrie (pronounced “Key-Rhee”) Kim to the Congregation. She is the new Diocesan Missioner for Asian Ministries. In the coffee hour conversation, we learned that Mother Kim’s work will include starting Korean and Japanese worshipping communities here at the Cathedral, as well as participating as an assisting priest in our common life.
The pandemic has delayed for over a year Mother Kyrie’s arrival from the Diocese of Seoul in the Anglican Church of Korea. But it happens that the beginning of her ministry among us could not be more timely. Several of you have reached out to ask how the Congregation can welcome these new communities to the Cathedral. It is inspiring to see this spirit of hospitality among you. Here is a sign that the narrative of redemption is also inscribed on the hearts of our members.
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I close with the words of another retired bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dan Edwards of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada: Spiritual consumerism means: we want our spiritual needs met. We go to Church to get our spiritual needs met. But here’s the Catch 22. We can never get our spiritual needs met as long as we’re trying to get our spiritual needs met. Mohandas Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." Just so, the Bible says over and over: The way to happiness, wholeness, and completion, the way to be born all the way is to forget about yourself in the love of brother, sister, neighbor, and even enemy. Have you heard people say, “I stopped going to Church because I wasn’t getting anything out of it”? If we go to Church to “get something out of it," we may get something but it won’t be the gospel of Jesus Christ, because his gospel is about taking up our cross and living for the broken, bleeding world. The Church is here to call us out of ourselves, to break the chains of bondage to self, to set us free to live a life that counts for something, something big enough to survive our own deaths, something so big we call it the Kingdom of God.
EASTER SEASON: COFFEE HOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE VICAR
Conversations begin approximately 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM
Sunday, May 9 - The Rt. Rev. Cathy Roskam, retired Suffragan Bishop of New York, and Marsha Ra, Senior Warden, in conversation about Bloomingdale Aging in Place
Sunday, May 16 - Vestry Meeting
Sunday, May 23 - The Rev. Canon Dr. Titus Presler, vicar of St. Matthew’s Church in Enosburg Falls, Vermont; convener of Green Mountain Witness, the evangelism initiative of the Diocese of Vermont; and president of the Global Episcopal Mission Network.
Sunday, May 30 - Join the clergy and staff from the music and liturgy departments for a conversation about the Cathedral's re-gathering plans.
Marsha and Bob
Junior Warden Reflection: Volunteering at CCC
I share my experiences volunteering with Cathedral Community Cares (CCC) on the last two Sundays in April. This was my first time helping downstairs in the food preparation at the Sunday morning soup kitchen, so I happily pass on impressions and encourage others to take part. It is a great experience, one that I will continue to volunteer periodically.
The sign up on Realm advises volunteers to arrive at 8:30 AM for a three-hour work stint. On both Sundays that I worked, I was free to depart by 10:30 AM. The description also reinforces the importance of arriving on time because there is plenty to do the first hour when fewer volunteers are present. The first activity is to get outfitted: putting one’s coat in the locker and putting on an apron, a hair net, and gloves to go with the mask one is already wearing. The next task is to bring out eight tables into the gym area, clean them, and set them up as food preparation and bagging stations. Two tables are designated for making peanut butter sandwiches; two tables are for making tuna fish sandwiches; and four tables are for packing the lunch bags with an assortment of items, including yogurt, nutritional bar, fruit, juice, water, napkin and utensils. Within the kitchen area, the hot food is also being prepared, and that too must be apportioned, placed into containers and bagged. The culminating task is to transfer the bagged food—cold and hot—up the steps and outdoors to tables near the security booth, where staff members and volunteers distribute to CCC clients.
The operation is highly organized and orchestrated. As a newcomer and a returnee, it is straightforward to slip into an area and help as needs present themselves. A few showed me how to make the tuna fish sandwiches. Following their lead was easy, except with wrapping the sandwiches neatly. I was not nearly as adept, but that did not seem to matter, and I did get better over the two Sundays. The pace was busy and steady, and I found myself getting a little tired standing up making sandwich after sandwich. My solution was simple: I brought out a chair from the room where the tables were stored and that made the task much more comfortable. I offered my workmates the option of a chair, but no one chose to sit as they worked. My point in sharing this adjustment I made is that there is flexibility in the work environment. People work hard, yet there is friendliness and warmth in the setting.
I met Thomas and Robert, CCC employees. I also met Andrew who was one of the ones who trained me making the tuna fish sandwiches. There are other regulars, but I have yet to meet them. Most of my interactions were with fellow volunteers. On both Sundays I enjoyed speaking with Gerhard a fellow member of the Congregation whom I did not know beforehand, because he attended the 11 AM Sunday service whereas I attended the 9 AM service. I enjoyed getting to know Paul, a New York Cares volunteer, whose regular job is working for Citi Bike. Through our conversation, I learned that the New York City initiative has grown into the largest bike sharing system outside of China. The following week as I again made tuna fish sandwiches I enjoyed chatting with Jack, mostly about our shared interest in computers and technology.
There is one minor detail I share: I attest that the tuna sandwich tastes great. This is how I know. On my second Sunday I volunteered, we came to the bottom of the large silver mixing bowl, and there was only a small amount of tuna left. I scraped out every last bit and put it between two pieces of bread, but the amount was about one-fourth of the conventional amount in a typical tuna sandwich. My co-worker said that this last sandwich does not belong with the others, so rather than throwing out the incomplete one I wrapped it up and put it into my pocket. After I arrived home and watched the Sunday service on Zoom, I ate the sparsely filled sandwich and definitely enjoyed it.
During the service, Gail Felix, a Congregation and Vestry member who also volunteers at CCC, stated in the section where we express gratitude: “thank you to the volunteers of Cathedral Community Cares.” The small part of that contingent were the three Congregation members, while the biggest part consisted of approximately twenty people from New York Cares, a nonprofit organization founded in 1987 organizing New Yorkers in volunteer services. Many come together—from inside the church community and outside—to make the Sunday soup kitchen run smoothly and effectively. I echo Gail’s sentiment and thank the many volunteers who contribute weekly.
LEARN
Education for Ministry (EfM) Open Meetings 2021
By now we’ve all realized that 2021 is not like other years. EfM with the Congregation is no exception. This year, there will be three evenings when interested folks can zoom in and get a taste of what it is that we do: Thursday, May 20, Thursday, May 27, and Thursday, June 3. We gather at 6:30 and end pretty close to 8:30. It would be helpful to know if you plan to join us but not absolutely essential.
Donna Devlin, Mentor
sarahannb@aol.com
NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE
Voices Heard: A Diocese Explores Pathways Toward Reparations
A webinar series sponsored by the Reparations Committee of the Diocese of New York
The legacy of the transatlantic slave trade is deeply entrenched in the structural systems and legislative actions that govern communities today. This series of panel discussions organized by the Reparations Committee for the Diocese intends to broaden awareness and deepen our understanding of the pressing topics of an intractable nature of systemic racism on education, health, economics, gender, policing and the criminal justice system, the church and more that negatively impact people of African heritage.
Bringing experts, community organizers, civic leaders, clergy and laity into dialogue will help to inform us and make commitments for engagement in our own communities as we prepare our cause for action in making recommendations for the task brought forth through Resolution regarding the Reparations Fund.
All webinars are on Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Educational Opportunity Denied: The Legacy of Segregated Housing
Tuesday, May 25
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_goRIk0xDTW-9VLBLZQ44wQ
Medical Apartheid and Systemic Racism
Tuesday, June 8
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nFHMDwq8Tb-n1eP7l9VIrw
Reaching For a Better Tomorrow: The Work and Mission of Hudson Link Working For Higher Education in Prison
Tuesday, June 22
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_j5SokWcXRq-2Aj_VW1m-Ng
The Awakening of Unwoke People: Church, Religion and State
Tuesday, July 6
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O7p4u1B2RT6JOI8VH4F7lQ
Rectors of Color: Examining the Missed Opportunities of Deployment
Tuesday, July 20
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_We8dfFOxSrmEbPHnK1WZmA
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 first week in June. Thank you so much for volunteering!
EPISCOPAL CHARITIES SUNDAY
Last May, 10% of New Yorkers reported not having enough food to eat. In December, that number jumped to 14%. That means 2,723,000 of our neighbors lack the ability to provide for their basic needs. Please join us today in celebrating Episcopal Charities Sunday in support of the life-saving work of the 62 feeding programs Episcopal Charities funds. 100% of your donation will go directly to these crucial food pantries, soup kitchens, and brown-bag programs. To donate, visit ec-ny.org/ecsunday or text SUNDAY to 91999.
THIS SUNDAY, April May 9, 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.
11:00 AM - 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 or hear guest speakers, This week features Marsha Ra and Cathy Roskam discussing Bloomingdale Aging in Place.
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 | 7:30 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 - 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!