Evil Is Not Greater Than Life

A sermon preached by the Rector on Tuesday, September 10, at Solemn Evensong offered for the employees of Citibank, N.A. who were killed on September 11, 2001.

There is something profoundly unnatural and evil in the death of any human being by violence.  There are no words that can begin to express the enormity of the evil done to those who were killed on September 11 and the enormity of the evil done to their families,

From John Beddingfield: Requiem aeternam

Some years ago, while I was away at school, my grandmother died.  I had been fortunate in knowing all of my grandparents, but she had lived longest, and had watched me grow up.  When she died, I felt what I now recognize as typical aspects of grief.  I felt helpless in being so far away, I felt guilty for not having seen her more recently or been there when she died.  I was a little angry; I was sad. 

From Father Smith: Spending Time with Cyril

Since I joined the staff last summer many people have asked, “What exactly do you do when you are not here at Saint Mary’s?”  As many of you know, I am working on my doctoral dissertation and once the dissertation is finished, read, and approved by a committee of readers, I will be able-- at last-- to attend the Yale graduation, wear a doctor’s hood, and write the letters “Ph.D.” after my name.  The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (not the Divinity School) will grant the degree upon the recommendation of the Department of Religious Studies.  That is not just a bureaucratic detail.  My field of study used to be called “patristics,” the study of the writings of the Church Fathers, who lived and wrote in the post-New Testament period up to about AD 600.

From Father Weiler: Joy in Christ

Joy is that delight in life that runs deeper than pain or pleasure; biblically it is not tied solely to external circumstances.  Rather, joy is a gift of God, and it can be experienced even in the midst of extremely difficult circumstances.  Joy is a quality of life, not simply a fleeting emotion, but a consistent mark of both the individual believer and the believing community.  It is grounded in God as God, and flows from him.  Psychologically, one cannot experience joy while being preoccupied with one’s own security, pleasure, or self-interest.  Indeed joy flows outward towards others. It is simply too good to keep to one’s self.

A Mother’s Hope

My mother is never more happy than on those rare occasions when her three children are together.  This doesn’t happen very often.  My mother and stepfather live in Maryland.  My sister and her family live in Virginia.  My brother lives in Sweden.  But when we are together the particular bonds we share are so very apparent.  The love and relationship I feel with my sister and brother even when we are apart have become a model to me of the relationship all Christians are born into, through Baptism.

Fountains

 New York City’s reservoirs are at just over eighty percent of capacity.  The city is not in immediate danger of running out of water but adjustments must be made.  Sidewalks cannot be washed every morning.  Car rental agencies do not wash cars as frequently.  Restaurants do not automatically pour water for customers.  There are signs everywhere urging people to conserve water.  These are small inconveniences, even the dirty sidewalks.  What I really do miss are our beautiful fountains.

Prayers of the Assembly

The Prayer Book begins with a title page, a page with our Church’s certificate stating that it is The Book of Common Prayer.  (We use a certificate because the Church has never copyrighted her book in the United States.)  Then, there is a Table of Contents (widely overlooked), and two historic documents: the text of the Ratification of The Book of Common Prayer from the first American book and the Preface from that same book, adopted in 1789.  Next is found the really new and important restatement of the work of the Church today: “Concerning the Service of the Church.”

Perspective

I’ve been jogging on the bridle path and around the Central Park reservoir a lot this summer.  For the first time since the summer of 1998, my knees and feet seem to be cooperating with my desire to jog.  I’m sure the gentle tracks of the bridle path and the reservoir are helping.  It takes me about 50 minutes to do a little more than 4 miles outside.

Always the Leader

The weekday guests were from the University of the South.  Observing the Calvary Shrine, with candles blazing before it, the visitor remarked, “That’s very catholic.”  Your rector responded – with a smile, “We think of it as very Episcopalian.”  The person’s eyes had the “new data” look in them.  I love it when someone suggests to me that the world is a bigger place than I had imagined it to be; I love it when I as a Christian can suggest to another that the world is bigger than he or she thought it was.  I hope our guest realized that the Episcopal Church is something larger than what she thought when she arrived.

Men in Black

Last Sunday Father Weiler, Father Smith and I went to lunch after the Solemn Mass.  I think this is the first time the three of us have tried to do this on a Sunday.  We went last week because it was the opportunity for the three of us to talk about plans for the fall and winter.  Father Smith had just gotten back from vacation.  Father Weiler leaves on Monday, July 15.  Carpe diem.

Community Spirituality

At the heart of this parish community is the massive and beautiful high altar.  Daily, members of this parish community and others gather near it to pray.  There are a very, very few occasions during the course of the year when perhaps one member of the clergy alone is present.  This is the exception instead of the rule.  Normally the parish clergy pray the Offices together with the assembly.  The Eucharist, of course,

Confidence

I have confidence in the future of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin.  My confidence is born of my experience here that Jesus Christ is the center of the common life of this parish community.  I absolutely believe the Holy Spirit is present among us.  I also believe the Spirit will reveal to us new dimensions of the mission of this community and take us to new places.

Confidence

I have confidence in the future of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin.  My confidence is born of my experience here that Jesus Christ is the center of the common life of this parish community.  I absolutely believe the Holy Spirit is present among us.  I also believe the Spirit will reveal to us new dimensions of the mission of this community and take us to new places.

Episcopal Church Beliefs

Two creeds are regularly used in the worship of the Church, the Nicene Creed, during the celebration of the Eucharist on Sundays and appointed feast days, and the Apostles’ Creed, at Daily Morning and Evening Prayer and in the ministration of Holy Baptism.  The Nicene Creed also has a particular use in the liturgy for the ordination of a bishop.

Worship Fuels Mission

After Evensong last Sunday I overheard Bishop Taylor and Father Weiler talking about the Church.  My ears perked up when I heard Father say to Bishop Taylor, “Worship fuels mission.”  I wrote it down.  A+, Father Weiler.  These three simple, direct and good words articulate a primary and essential purpose of Christian worship.  Our worship is in tune with God’s purposes when worship “fuels” our mission as a Christian community and as individual Christians.

Trinitarians

Our parish will always be, I hope and pray, an explicitly Christian, and that means, explicitly Trinitarian community.  God has revealed himself to us in the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  I respect other faiths; but I am a convinced Christian.  This means that I believe and confess to others that Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God

FROM ROBERT McCORMICK: THE ASTOUNDING AEOLIAN-SKINNER

Parishioners, friends of Saint Mary’s and passers-by are all deeply appreciative of our Aeolian-Skinner organ.  It is truly something to treasure.  Not only is it an historically important instrument built by G. Donald Harrison, but also the match of this instrument and our incredible acoustic is hard to beat.  Beautiful, subtle, complex—and, can it ever make a lot of noise!  I have had numerous conversations with colleagues and organ enthusiasts who speak of our organ in hushed, reverent voices,

FROM FATHER SMITH: THE REAL PRESENCE

Shortly after I was ordained deacon in 1989, I began working at an Anglo-catholic parish in New Haven, Connecticut.  The rector there knew Saint Mary’s a bit and often talked about it.  On more than one occasion he recalled how, as a young Lutheran seminarian, he had gone to Benediction at Saint Mary’s one Easter Day afternoon and had never forgotten the experience.  Indeed, that hour at Saint Mary’s seems to have played a part in his decision to become an Anglo-catholic and a priest of the Episcopal Church.  He always ended the story the same way: 

FROM JOHN BEDDINGFIELD: WHO’S TO BLAME?

It happened again the other night.  We had just concluded Evensong & Benediction with the visiting choir of men and boys from Christ Church, Greenwich.  The service was glorious.  The singing was prayerful, the preaching was strong, the incense dense and mysterious.  But then, someone pointed out to me that we had not made a special sign made for the street, announcing the guest choir.