News from the Congregation October 1, 2021
‘New Offices and the Spirit of Adventure’; ‘What is the Price of Peace?’ | St. Francis Day on the Cathedral Green, Global Mission Fair; Volunteer at CCC’s Sunday Soup Kitchen, Rev. Bowie Snodgrass Instituted at Short Hills| Sunday Program: St. Francis Day 10:30 am Worship Service - In-Person and Online |Weekday Programs: M-S Morning and Evening Prayer
Canon Lee
We are moving.
Specifically, several Cathedral departments are moving offices in the coming weeks, including the pastoral care office. I have felt sad to pack up boxes and to go through the files that have accumulated over many years. It is strange no longer to have a key to my workplace home for the past few years. It is strange to be temporarily working from home again, while these office spaces get renovated.
But the dis-orientation of the moment has also been energizing. In this liminal time, I am reminded of this quote from Rabbi Ed Friedman:
When any relationship system is imaginatively gridlocked, it cannot get free simply through more thinking about the problem. Conceptually stuck systems cannot become unstuck simply by trying harder. For a fundamental reorientation to occur, that spirit of adventure which optimizes serendipity and which enables new perceptions beyond the control of our thinking processes must happen first.
A Message from the Wardens
Senior Warden Marsha Ra on Home Coming:
Our Junior Warden Bob Deming on his Sunday worship experience:
Due to the pandemic, there have been a few changes instituted in the 10:30 AM in-person service that just commenced. Attendees arrive in masks, must show proof of vaccinations upon entry, and sit where the seats are spread out for the purpose of social distancing. The service bulletin is located at the seat. There are also two stations set up with tripod and camera for the AV crew to livestream the service. None of these alterations seem at all problematic, from my view.
Over the years, my favorite part of the service has been the sermon. Indeed, I like it so much that I take notes, usually keywords and phrases that I jot onto the service bulletin.
My former affiliation was with the 9 AM service. Now that I go to this new 10:30 service, there is a hidden benefit. The sermon is also reproduced online, a day or two afterward at the Cathedral website at the bottom of the section, Spiritual Life.
Let me describe what happened on September 19th and the days following. Reverend Paul Daniels was the preacher that Sunday. Shortly into his sermon, I became intrigued because he was talking about peace, a theme I have connected to the Cathedral and that I had written about previously. This seemed custom made for me, but a problem eventually cropped up. Paul’s thinking has nuance, and I knew, even with my note-taking in the service bulletin, that I was missing some key parts of his message. On Tuesday September 21st, I was able to access the archived recording of the sermon which enabled me to listen again and to sort out the parts that continued to resonate.
Paul Daniels had opened his sermon with a poem. I could tell because of the rhyming and the fact that he ended with an amen. But I did not recognize the source, and Paul did not make explicit the author. So, I googled a few of the lines and discovered that this was Langston Hughes’ “I Dream a World.” I reproduce the poem here:
“I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom's way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind-
Of such I dream, my world!”
After the poem, Paul asked, “Peace, peace, peace, what is the price of peace?” He delved into disturbance, which is the opposite of peace. I noted his statement that disturbance is the givenness of life itself. I also noted his advice that if you can make peace, make peace.
My revelation, if that is not too strong a word, is that I can now be present at the Sunday service in the Cathedral and have access to an archived recording of the sermon later in the week. I appreciate having the dual opportunities to experience and, when desired, to revisit.
(For engagement or for communication about something of note, my email address is available in the Realm Directory, under my name Robert Deming.)
NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE
Episcopal Diocese of New York - 5th Global Mission Fair
Saturday, October 16, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
In-person at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine (also available via Zoom)
Featuring: The Rt. Rev. Dickson Chilongani, Bishop of the Diocese of Central Tanganyika in Tanzania; A Conversation Between The Rev. Paul Anthony Daniels
Assisting Clergy at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and The Rev. Ranjit K. Mathews, Canon for Mission Advocacy, Racial Justice, and Reconciliation. The Episcopal Church in Connecticut; Voices of the worldwide Anglican Communion including a performance by the renowned Youth Choir Young at Arts and a presentation of international music by the Choir of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Click here for more details and to register!
OTHER NEWS
The Rev. A. Bowie Snodgrass will be instituted as the Twelfth Rector of Christ Church in Short Hills, New Jersey on Saturday, October 23, at 10am. She is the first woman to be called as Rector of this historic Episcopal church.
All are invited to view the livestream at
https://www.youtube.com/christchurchINshorthills.
Mother Snodgrass was a member of the Congregation of Saint Saviour and was sponsored for ordination from our community. Congratulations, Bowie!
VESTRY MEETING NOTES
At the September Vestry meeting this past Tuesday, the Vestry discussed a proposal to amend the Congregation's bylaws so that three Vestry members are elected for a term of three years, rather than four members. This would mean a Vestry of 12 members rather than 15 members.
If you have any feedback about this proposal, please contact the Wardens, Marsha Ra or Bob Deming. The Vestry will vote on the amendment at the October Vestry meeting on Tuesday, October 19 at 6:30 pm on Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
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. Please CLICK HERE to sign up! Shifts are open through November. Thank you so much for volunteering!
THIS SUNDAY, Oct 3, 2021
St. Francis Day — Please click here for a detailed explanation of this year’s celebration, to be held both on the Close and in the Cathedral.
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 (No meeting on Oct 6. Next session is Oct 13)
Sunday 8:30 am Bible Study | Genesis Congregation Zoom Link (No meeting on St. Francis Day, Oct 3. Next session is Oct 10)