News from the Congregation September 10, 2022
‘‘‘ Community at the Crossing’ ; ‘God Is With Us in the Pain’ ” | Fall Holy Cross Retreat w/Brother Ephrem, Funeral Service for Percy Lambert, UN Sunday, Homecoming and Congregation’ s 30th Birthday, Other Dates to Remember| Sunday Programs: 10:30am Worship Service - In-Person and Online, 4:00pm Evensong | Weekday Programs: M-S Morning and Evening Prayer (Zoom)
Canon Lee
In November 25, 1919, the trustees of the Cathedral formally adopted the Cathedral bylaws. The preamble to the constitution states the Cathedral mission:
The Cathedral is the Church of the Diocese of New York. As a house of prayer it is for the use of all people who may resort thereto, especially of the Christian folk dwelling within that portion of the country covered by the spiritual jurisdiction of the Bishop of New York, and besides, it is an instrument of Church Unity and a center of intellectual light and leading in the spirit of Jesus Christ.
In September 1922, three years after the trustees adopted the bylaws, the Living Church published an article with the headline, "Constantinople Recognizes Anglican Orders." The article reveals what Church Unity meant at that time.
The most momentous chapter in ecclesiastical history in a thousand years, scarcely excepting the chapters written during the Reformation period, has just been completed in Constantinople. The Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in session in that city on August 1st, pronounced in favor of the validity of Anglican orders... Thus, after centuries of questioning, the validity of the Anglican episcopate and priesthood is established by the Patriarchal See of the most ancient branch of the historic Catholic Church.
One hundred years ago, Church Unity meant recognizing a different tradition as having validly ordained priests and bishops. Today, in our secular age, Church Unity must mean something different to be relevant and meaningful.
The Community at the Crossing is one way for the Cathedral to reclaim its historic mission to be an "instrument of Church Unity." The Community offers a compelling vision of Church Unity for the 21st century.
The Community will model a way of life in which self-sacrificial love is stronger than denominational loyalties, fears of difference, and the temptations of tribal identity. Rather than worsen the culture wars, the Community will show how Christianity can end them. For a culture poisoned by acrimony and political violence, the Community will provide hope that a different way is possible.
A Message from the Wardens
Senior Warden Marsha Ra on "Considering pain"
At the daily office we have been reading from The Book of Job—a disturbing book in which God allows Satan to torture Job, a righteous and faithful man, with all sorts of ailments and tragic losses. God does this on a wager with Satan that Satan cannot shake Job’s faithfulness. This book does not include a description of a loving God, but one that is distant, strangely vain, and not at all caring about how his child, Job, is suffering. The Book of Job is often cited as a description of how (not why) bad things happen to good people, one of life’s deepest mysteries. Just about every disaster possible in a human life, every tragedy befalls Job: he loses his wealth; he loses all of his children; he is struck down by every terrible disease. At the end, because he never loses his faith, God restores to him his health, his wealth and….my favorite illogical action—new and presumably better children.
Yet some of the most familiar and comforting lines in the Bible come from Job. Think of those lines we hear at funerals--lines of faith spoken by Job in his suffering: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” Like many of the Psalms, The Book of Job includes descriptions of ailments that many of us suffer at some point in life. If we wonder what terrible things can happen to us, Job is a catalog of just about all of them. One that I most relate to is the description of chronic pain: “The night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest."
Personally I have had a very easy life. Things have gone pretty well for me, and while I don’t have thousands of sheep and goats and no children at all, I have memories of good work, good friends, reasonably good health and a life span that is longer than that promised in the Bible. My life has been filled with art and music, good food, laughter, joy. I’ve never known hunger or economic insecurity. And I have lived to be old. The one bit of suffering I can admit to (and if you know me you know I talk about it much too much) is chronic pain. For the past 20 years I have suffered with arthritis and that condition has grown steadily worse so that often at night it is impossible to sleep. Perhaps I feel like turning over: I have to consider carefully if the pain that turning over will cost me is worth the action. Perhaps I went to church and stood in the coffee hour for 20 minutes or longer. That means no sleep tonight. All the joints will be singing to me. That’s how I think of it---a symphony of pain. I probably will get knee replacement surgery soon and I hope that reduces the experience of chronic pain, but even if it doesn’t, or even if hips and neck and back continue to plague me, I reject the Job story as a way to look at this. I am not in pain because God has decided to test me or to let Satan have his way with me just to see how I react. I don’t believe that. I am in pain because our mortal bodies break down—those are the rules of being alive. Miraculously, friends rally round, offering to help in a hundred ways, not asking me, as Job’s friends did, what I did wrong to deserve arthritis. Friends are a miracle sent by God to surround us with love when we could be angry or frustrated. And the greatest miracle of all in my view is that the sacrifice Jesus made by living among us assures us that God is with us in the pain and in anything else life may throw our way. Jesus-God experienced this and so we are never alone.
NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL - Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (stjohndivine.org)
Updated COVID Policy
Given current conditions in New York City and nationwide, the Cathedral will end our vaccination mandate for visitors and guests as of Thursday, September 1, 2022. While this change reflects a positive trend towards an end to the pandemic, we remain mindful that COVID-19 is still a very real presence in our community and around the world.
Although the Cathedral is no longer checking for proof of vaccination for COVID, all visitors to the Cathedral are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated. Masks remain required for all visitors over age 2 inside the Cathedral, even if fully vaccinated.
Dates to Remember
Sep 10 | Percy Lambert’s Funeral Service
Sep 16-18| Vergers' Conference
Sept 18 | Homecoming to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Congregation
Sept 21 | Memorial service for Joan Didion
Sept 23 | Funeral for Constance Coles, former Canon for Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of New York
Sept 24 | Episcopal Diocese of New York Service of Ordination to the Priesthood
Sep 25 | UN Sunday with the President of the 77th session of the General Assembly
Oct 2 | Saint Francis day. Blessing of the animals on the Cathedral Close. There will have a Congregation table outside to greet the many people coming with dogs, cats, birds, etc.
Oct 9 | Bishop Shin's episcopal visitation to the Congregation. He will preach and preside at the 10:30 AM service before meeting with the vestry.
Oct 12 | Installation of the Head of the Cathedral School
Oct 28-30 |Congregation of Saint Saviour retreat at Holy Cross Monastery led by Brother Ephrem on Community.
Nov 1| All Saints Day Service
Nov 2 | All Souls Day Commemoration
Columbarium Visits - Please Schedule in Advance
Due to cleaning and ongoing construction at the Cathedral, some areas may occasionally be inaccessible. Anyone wishing to visit a loved one in the Columbarium is strongly encouraged to schedule their visit in advance via this Columbarium Visit Registration form.
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOR UKRAINE
Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) as it provides critical assistance to support people affected by violence in Ukraine. Working through ACT member Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) and other local organizations, ACT Alliance is providing emergency assistance such as food, shelter, water and basic supplies to refugees and people displaced within Ukraine. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Crisis Response Fund will help the organization and its partners continue to provide assistance to people displaced by the crisis in Ukraine.
NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE Home - Episcopal Diocese of New York (dioceseny.org)
NEWS FROM THE CONGREGATION
NEWS FROM THE VESTRY
GIVE/SERVE
Questions about Realm, the Congregation’s Online Hub for Giving, Volunteering, and Reaching Out to One Another
The Admin team would love to hear from you. Whether you need help making the shift to online donations, setting up your account, or just want to know what Realm can do for you, please contact Laura and Bob at this email address: info@saintsaviour.org
THIS SUNDAY
In-Person Worship at the Cathedral
10:00 am - Doors to Cathedral open.
10:30 am - Eucharist Service (apprx. 1 hour)
11:30 am - All are Welcome Coffee Hour
4:00 pm - Evensong
The Cathedral requires those entering its buildings to show proof of vaccination and to wear a mask.
You can also watch a Livestream of the Cathedral Worship Service
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 (On summer break, returns in September)
Sunday 8:30 am Bible Study | Genesis| Congregation Zoom Link (On summer break, returns in September)