News from the Congregation October 23, 2020
‘But I am Grateful’; Judge Not?; Vote Faithfully Sunday, Tom Hurwitz Film on Bill T. Jones, Stewardship Video | Sunday Programs (9:45 am Visit with the Vicar, 10 am Genesis Bible Study, 11 am Worship Service, 11:45 Vicar and Friends, 12 pm Coffee Half-Hour, 12:30 pm Eucharist Class, 2:00 pm Kendi Wrap-Up) Weekday Programs (Wednesday Bible Study and Compline Service, Thursday YESS Bible Study, Thursday EfM Class, Friday Midday Prayer and Meditation)
Canon Lee
I am so pleased to share with you a poem written by Lucy Quoma as part of her youth confirmation class with Donna Devlin, the congregation's director of Christian education. Donna notes that "one of the requirements for my youth confirmation students is that they write a prayer after we finish reading the chapter in the text, My Faith, My Life and comparing styles in God of My Heart, Call On Me, and Are You Running With Me Jesus." I share with poem with Lucy's permission.
Birdee, Mom, Dad
School, Softball, Home
Friends, Family, Laughs
I don’t always show it, Lord
Gratefulness
But I am grateful
I am grateful that Mom and Dad are happy
I am grateful that I can hug my dog when I am sad
I am grateful that I can laugh when something is funny
I am grateful that I can see my friends
I am grateful that I can wrap my blanket around me when
I’m cold
I am grateful that I can write stories in ELA, and solve
problems in math
I am grateful that I can get lost playing violin
I am grateful that I can get new clothes
I am grateful that I can play softball on the weekends,
and exercise in PE
I don’t always show it
I can be bitter at some points
I be greedy, or selfish
But Lord, I really am thankful
I really mean it when I say thank you to my parents for
an ice cream cone
Or when I begrudgingly write thank you notes on my birthday
So thank you Lord
For everything I have
And I really do mean it
Marsha and Tim
Judge Not? - Junior Warden, Tim Dwyer
I am foolish enough to follow the “Episcopalians on Facebook” page, and frequently see defenders of one public figure or the other invoke Matthew 7:1-3 as a sort of get-out-of-jail card for all transgressions:
“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
Or, as the Bishop of Rome recently asked, “Who am I to judge?”
My family and I have been isolating for much of the past 8 months in my hometown of Huntington, Long Island, a little over an hour east of Manhattan. Though it is a bit more crowded than it was when I was growing up here in the ‘70s, it still feels like the sort of place where each person is just a few degrees removed from knowing everyone else.
This past week, the residents of Huntington have been astonished and badly shaken by the arrest of a beloved local politician in a sting operation. The accused is – forgive the cliché – a pillar the community, one of the good guys, a ubiquitous presence in town whose hand I have shaken many times. He’s a respected doctor, an ordained minister, a father and husband, a little league coach, and a tireless legislator who has accomplished much good for the community. I won’t detail the allegations here; suffice it to say that they are the sorts of charges that, if true, will scar his children, wreck his marriage, destroy his career, and likely result in incarceration.
I feel so many conflicting emotions. My heart breaks for his family, who must be so utterly shocked and numb and despondent. Their world is caving in. My heart also breaks for him; I can’t imagine the anguish and fear he is experiencing right now inside his jail cell, emotions which will inevitably give way at some point to the staggering realization of just how much he has apparently thrown away.
But I feel anger, too. Anger that he seems to have betrayed his family and friends, anger that his actions could have caused real harm to other people, anger at the loss of a force for good during these bleak times, anger that others in the political sphere will cynically use this tragedy to undo his legacy and discredit the causes he championed. Of course, I cannot think about this case without being reminded of those in the national arena who transgress with impunity and seemingly without an ounce of remorse.
Though I try not to dwell on them, I don’t have to think too hard to recall some of the more notable mistakes and regrets of my half-century on this planet (for an exhaustive list of my missteps, contact my husband). But even though we are all flawed human beings, we still must denounce some behaviors, right? Especially those behaviors that harm others. Racism? Violence? Exploitation? Children in cages? Seems like our failure to condemn them would leave us living in an unending, dystopian production of “Anything Goes.”
I will leave the interpretation of that passage from Matthew to our insightful clergy. But in this season of global crises, protests, conflicts, and elections, we are all being called upon to make judgments whether we want to or not. And when we do, perhaps we need to remember just how little really separates us from that man now sitting in the jail cell. God grant us the insight, humility, and empathy to judge wisely.
GIVE
Thank you to everyone who made Stewardship Sunday a success. To give or to make a pledge, please click here to access Realm. For more information and to view the Stewardship Campaign video, visit the website by clicking here.
CONNECT
A film by a member of the Congregation of Saint Saviour, Tom Hurwitz, premieres this November as a part of DOC NYC. For more information about “CAN YOU BRING IT: BILL T. JONES AND D-MAN IN THE WATERS,” click here. Congratulations to Tom.
VOTE FAITHFULLY
“It is a Christian obligation to vote, and more than that, it is the church’s responsibility to help get souls to the polls.”- Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
This Sunday the Episcopal Church observes “Vote Faithfully Sunday” to highlight the importance of the 2020 general election, which is now less than two weeks away. In New York we have three ways that we can vote in this important election.
Vote early in person starting tomorrow, Saturday October 24 and continuing through Sunday November 1. Click here to find locations and hours.
Vote in person on Election Day at your polling location, which you can look up here.
Vote by mail, and apply for an absentee ballot today by clicking here. The deadline for requesting a ballot is coming up soon, so be sure to request your ballot today and mail it back as soon as you can.
“Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
Isaiah 58:6-10
THIS SUNDAY, October 25, 2020
(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 continue our study of Genesis 4, under the heading: "The First (Dysfunctional Family, Part II."
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 Class
Sub-Dean Patrick Malloy continues his popular series on the history, theology, and practice of the Eucharist, starting with the Reformation.
2:00 PM - How to Be an Antiracist Wrap-Up Discussion
Join us for a wrap-up and to look ahead as the Congregation closes out the Episcopal NY Reads One Book program on Kendi’s “How to Be an Antiracist.” We will begin with thoughts/reactions to Kendi’s talk and the program more generally, including the inter-parish discussion. Then, we will solicit ideas for future antiracist activities to pass on to the clergy and lay leaders in our community.
WEEKLY CATHEDRAL CONGREGATION PROGRAMS
Wednesdays | 7:30 PM - Midweek Reflection and Discussion
Join the Vicar for a time of reflection and discussion about what the Church is and how it can provide us with spiritual resilience in these difficult times.
Wednesdays | 8:30 PM - Congregation Compline
Fridays | 12:15 PM - Midday Prayer and Meditation
The Angelus and 10 minutes of silent meditation. Stay afterwards to connect with the Vicar and others in the parish.
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”
Thursdays | 6:00 PM - YESS Bible Study
The Young Episcopalians of Saint Saviour continue their Bible study of the Gospel of Matthew.
Reminder: you can find a directory of weekly programs with links to each program’s Zoom by clicking here.