Today is the day in our church calendar when we remember Julian of Norwich, a woman who could be the patron saint of our current circumstances. Julian was born in 1343, and lived in the English city of Norwich during a time of plague and the social unrest that followed. People were sick and dying. Religious dissent met with violent ends. Demands for justice went unheard, or were immediately and brutally suppressed. And while all suffered, those who were poor bore the worst of the economic fallout at that time.
Prayer in the Time of a Pandemic | The Rev. Susan E. Hill, Associate Rector
I’ve long been fascinated by a particular dynamic in many people’s prayer lives. They often don’t have time to pray, they tell me — but when I ask if they are able to pray more when they do have more time and flexibility (such as weekends, vacations, snow days, etc.), they sheepishly admit that they don’t pray then either!…
Peace vs. Anxiety | The Rev. Robert A. Jacobs, Deacon
Normally I would write a message based on this Sunday’s gospel but because of the abnormal times we live in, I decided to write a message based on the abnormal times we are now living in….
The disciples were locked up inside their house. They’d barricaded the door. Earlier that morning, they’d heard some outrageous news from some of their women friends. The women had traveled to Jesus’ grave. But when they got there, his tomb was empty! Peter and John ran to the tomb to check things out. They found it just as the women had said, Empty!…
New Life | The Rev. Dr. Anna S. Pearson, Rector
In my homily on Sunday I mentioned the anniversary during Holy Week of the devastating fire at Holy Apostles 30 years ago. Some parishioners were sharing photos of that time—before, after and after—and it was so moving to see the photographic record of new life rising (literally) from the ashes of what had once been….
Easter in the Midst of Pandemic | The Rev. Susan E. Hill, Associate Rector
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
This year we came through an especially challenging Holy Week to the grateful celebration of Easter on Sunday, and as we are now settling into Eastertide — the period between Easter Day and Pentecost – we may be feeling even more acutely a cacophonous mix of emotions. Holy Week occurred as the New York region was experiencing perhaps the worst week of the Covid-19 crisis, and we felt the sorrow of death especially in our church. And still, Easter Day arrived! We gathered together and celebrated the Feast of the Resurrection in our Zoom house church! And we remembered that even in the darkest times, God is with us, and helps us to find the places of promise, hope, joy, and new life…..
Beyond Words | The Rev. Dr. Anna S. Pearson, Rector
A few years ago, I attended a teaching day where one of the presenters was a seminary professor who talked about engaging the readings we share during Holy Week. One experience she described was a Good Friday liturgy where, after the Passion Gospel was read aloud, the response in place of a spoken sermon was a piece offered in mime. She spoke of how deeply effective this was, mostly because it pointed to the truth that the reality of the story is, both literally and figuratively, beyond words….
Palm To Passion | The Rev. Robert A. Jacobs, Deacon
As some of you may be aware Sunday has two names on the church calendar. Most know it by its more common name, Palm Sunday. It’s a day were it not for the Corona Virus, we would process into the church, waving palm branches and we as a congregation, singing “Hosanna,” remembering the cries of that first Palm Sunday crowd. The cry “Hosanna,” meaning, “Save us now!” It’s a picture of victory, of Joy! A procession fit for a king!….
LONGING… | The Rev. Dr. Anna S. Pearson, Rector
It has been wonderful to be in contact with so many parishioners over the last two weeks; people who care deeply for one another and who have committed to strengthening connections even as we must attempt to do so remotely. It is no surprise that our community is reaching out to one another with love and care. I dare say we will never again take for granted our ability to be with one another in person!….
Labyrinths In the Time of COVID-19 | The Rev. Susan E. Hill, Associate Rector
Last week, just before flying to New Zealand for my vacation, I wrote a meditation for this week about labyrinths. At the time, I didn’t realize how rapidly our life in the time of COVID-19 would change (and I certainly didn’t realize that my NZ trip would be cut in half, forcing my return to New York early this week!). But the concept of the labyrinth seems even more apt today than it did a week or two ago…..
Love In Action | The Rev. Dr. Anna S. Pearson, Rector
Last week I had the privilege of giving a chapel talk at an independent school on the Upper West Side. The students were middle-school aged, and despite some very real generalized anxiety about coronavirus, they listened closely and respectfully as I spoke about Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. They had studied HASK as an example in their “Love in Action” unit. I was there to make it real(er)…..