For two weeks of my vacation this summer, I visited with my family in Westchester County, New York. During that time I spent a wonderful day with my brother. After meeting up (I was staying with my sister further up county), we drove down to the area of the Bronx where we were born and raised. Once the car was safely parked, we walked up and down East 204th Street, otherwise known as "the old neighborhood." Since we moved out of the "old neighborhood" in 1957, there was a huge amount of change for us to take in. In fact, not a single store or soda fountain or movie theater was the same. The signs were now all in Spanish, which told us that the neighborhood no longer consisted of mostly Irish families (even though the parish church is still named St. Brendan’s!). My brother, being ten and a half years older than I, remembered so much more – but I was able to insert my own memories into the conversation every once in a while. We walked into our old apartment building (actually, someone had to let us in, the door now being locked for security purposes) and the first thing my brother noticed was that the lobby still had the same floor. And it was possible to look at that floor and be five years old again, as wonderful memories of our life together in that place came flooding back. (When you are a child, even sharing your small apartment with mice is not a bad thing!) It’s just that everything looked so much smaller!
A few days later, I found myself just ten minutes north of that neighborhood in the Bronx, but in a different city in a different county. We moved (literally, up the same street) to Yonkers when I was in the fourth grade and lived there through my graduation from high school. I drove past our apartment building (and, once again, it seemed that someone had shrunk the street!) and then went on to the shopping center where I spent many afternoons after school with my girlfriends -- ok, it’s where we went to run into the boys and where the boys went to run into us! Again, the shopping center looked familiar, but all of the stores had changed. Except for one, that is. Sam Goody’s, the record store, stood exactly where it had when my friends and I went in to pick up the most recent vinyl 45's of the Beatles or the Shirelles or Frankie Avalon. I bought a CD for old times sake, but mostly so that I could go up to the young cashier and tell her that I had frequented her store some forty years ago.
The first Saturday evening after arriving home, upon invitation from Renee and Tom O’Brien, I was at Wolf Trap singing along with Peter, Paul and Mary. For someone who was in college in the late sixties, it was pure nirvana. Thirty-five years seemed to melt away to the tunes of "Blowin’ in the Wind" and "If I Had a Hammer." And we knew the same was happening for all those bald and graying heads sitting around us. Alice in Wonderland never had it this good!
This summer was full of nostalgia for me. During times of nostalgia we often wish we could click our ruby slippers together and go "home," to the way things used to be. I was certain that if I had the opportunity to do it all again, I would do so. But when I returned to 2003, I realized a couple of other things too. The first is that nostalgia remembers the good things; it sometimes even makes up the good things. As wonderful as all those days were, they were also tough times and it was only by God’s grace that we came through some of them.
The other thing I realized was this: the most wonderful part of my nostalgic tour of "the old neighborhood" was not the memories it evoked, but spending the day with my brother. I cannot remember the last time we did that, or if we ever did that, just the two of us. I realized how differently we relate as adults than we did when the difference in our ages seemed to preclude a meaningful relationship. And I realized just how much I love him. And the best part of the Peter, Paul and Mary concert? Sharing it with Renee and Tom O’Brien. Singing along to those same songs in the car on the way to the hospital is just not the same.
The circumstances of our lives may change. Neighborhoods change and there is no time machine that can take us back to the way things were. World situations change and so do the issues for which we once fought so hard and which once gave purpose to our lives. Even shopping centers change. And we cannot go back.
But God does not call us to go back. God calls us to go forward. And He provides us with all we need to do so, the greatest of which, as I have discovered, is a community of people with whom to share the important moments of life together.
And so we now go forward. We begin the 2003-2004 year together in this place even stronger than the year before. We remember the past fondly and we build toward the future. And here in this present, we do what we have been called to do in this time and place which we have been given, under God’s gracious guidance and protection. And we give thanks that God has so graciously put us in this community and given us each other with whom to share this life.
Welcome home! And may the Lord keep each of us strong for the journey.
As many of you know, I was privileged to serve as a Legislative Aide to the General Convention this past summer. Legislative Aides are among the less-visible aspects that make the Convention run as it should. Their major responsibility is to ensure that the chairs of the various legislative committees have the correct paperwork for each resolution, and that the paperwork winds up in the right pair of hands. I was assigned to three committees: Miscellaneous Resolutions, Privilege and Courtesy, and Committees and Commissions. They aren’t as large or as glamorous as the ones which received all the press coverage, but they did consider resolutions that included creating a staff position at the national level for health care, asking for consensus from the wider Anglican Communion on the issue of same-sex unions, and officially thanking various individuals and groups associated with General Convention. A great deal of running back and forth to get carbon-copy forms, make copies, and obtain signatures marked the first two days. Committee meetings, Eucharist, open hearings, time with friends, waiting to hear what had transpired in the House of Deputies -- it seemed endless.
What about the debates that happened? The rancor predicted beforehand was not present at all, much to my surprise and delight. The loudest shouting came from a group of protesters who took up residence outside the convention center on August 1. Even so, what wound up on CNN was not the whole picture. Yes, there were people who were very upset over what went on, and who walked out of both Houses. However, all parties involved made an honest effort to listen to one another, and to prayerfully discern God’s will. The media reported it as "civility." A better descriptor might be "love." One of the most grace-filled moments for me was during the hearing by the Prayer Book, Music, and Liturgy Committee on the question of the creation of rites to bless same-sex unions. Twenty people had spoken on each side when the committee chair stopped the hearing and called for prayers. The Rt. Rev. Catherine Roskam, Bishop Suffragan of New York, began the prayers by singing Ubi Caritas. Almost instantly all of the people in the room joined in, some with smiles and others with tears. With the whole world watching, and despite the deep division surrounding this issue, we turned to one another in love. (The resolution in question that night was later amended by Bishop Lee to call for additional study, rather than the creation of said rites, and was passed by both the Bishops and the House of Deputies.)
In a sermon preached on August 2, the Bishop of North Carolina said this: "We have gone to the mountain . . . and it’s about LOVING ONE ANOTHER." I hope we continue to remember that here in our own community, and as we engage God’s mission in the world around us.
Amy Spagna
The Rt. Rev. Francis C. Gray, Assistant Bishop of Virginia, will be at All Saints-Sharon Chapel on All Saints Sunday, November 2nd at 3:00 p.m. This is a time for the Bishop to visit with this congregation and to administer the rites of Confirmation and Reception. If you have never been confirmed in the Episcopal Church, or have been confirmed in the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Churches and would like to be received into this Communion, you may do so on All Saints Sunday.
All Saints Sunday is also one of the four Sundays during the year that the Church sets aside for Baptism. If you have not been baptized, or have a child whom you would like to be baptized, you may want to choose this day as we celebrate Baptism before the "great cloud of witnesses."
Please let the Rector know if you are interested in receiving these sacraments when Bishop Gray is with us. Inquirer’s Classes, necessary for those intending to be confirmed or received, and open to all who would like a "refresher," will begin in September.
Very soon, the children in our community will once again be filling their backpacks with school supplies, boarding the school buses and gathering in new classrooms – a sure sign that the seasons are changing and autumn is around the corner. Once autumn arrives, our parish Sunday School program will begin and the children of our parish can continue their journey in exploring their faith. You can mark your calendars, September 21, 2003, at 9:15 a.m., the church school year begins.
This year all of the preschool and elementary aged children will be taught in the Atriums, under the guidance of the Catechists and Good Shepherd volunteers. The teenage students will be meeting with two different leadership teams, divided by gender, to explore their spirituality in a comfortable, more conversational setting. Much promise abounds for the hours of learning throughout the 2003-2004 year.
With so much to look forward to for the children of all ages (preschool – high school), please complete and return your registration forms promptly to ensure an accurate count prior to the beginning of the school year.
As always, volunteers are needed for the 2003-2004 year. Simply call Tamara Gordon or Davette Himes.
From the July 9, 2003, Faith@Work "For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." – Matthew 20:28 A couple of years ago, I visited a fast-growing church in Minnesota to learn from their staff. It was a privilege to witness their passion for doing high quality ministry in Jesus' name. I left with some new insights and renewed passion for the Gospel. One of the phrases that I heard while I was there was, "We want our members to wear aprons, not bibs." Here's what they meant:
Bibs are for people who only want to be fed.
Bibs are for those who are not yet ready or willing to feed themselves.
Bibs are for those who are more interested in being served than in serving.
Bibs are for those who insist that the church exists for them and their needs.
Bibs are for babes in the faith, those who haven't caught God's vision for the church, or those who are not yet of the faith.
Aprons are for those who have a heart to serve others in Jesus' name.
Aprons are for those who know that they are the church.
Aprons are for those who don't mind getting their hands dirty.
Aprons are for those who take the time daily to feed their spiritual hunger.
Aprons are for those who are growing in faith, and hunger to help others grow.
Church growth consultant, Win Arn, interviewed thousands of Christians in America several years ago and asked them what they though the church existed for. Eighty-eight percent said, "The church exists to serve my needs and the needs of my family." In other words, 88% of Christians in America are still wearing bibs. On the night when He was betrayed, just hours before He was crucified, the very Son of God took off His outer garments, wrapped a towel around His waist, and washed his disciples' feet. When He was done he said, "I have just given you an example to follow." In other words, Jesus called His disciples to wear aprons, not bibs. In Matthew, Jesus is recorded as saying, "For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." He also said, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it." Jesus calls us to wear aprons, not bibs. Which are you wearing?
Bringing It Home:
1. How would you answer the question, "Why does the church exist?" Does your answer reflect your bib or your apron?
2. How can you help others in our Christian community to trade their bib for an apron?
3. If you're not already serving in a ministry in our church, make a commitment to begin this month. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for feeding me daily with your word. Fill me with your redeeming love. Open my eyes to clearly see the needs of those around me, and then open my hands to serve them. Each day, strengthen me with your Spirit, so that I might choose to wear an apron, not a bib. This I pray in your name. Amen. Jeff Marian Joy! Lutheran Church / Gurnee, IL www.joylutheran.org