Dear Friends,
The death of the Duke of Edinburgh has deflected the media interest in the claims of racist attitudes in the Royal Family of Great Britain and, instead, people are reflecting on living a life of service. I was talking to a friend in the UK today and he said that for some, there is puzzlement as to why there is such an outpouring of grief over the death of a 99-year-old man who has lived a remarkable life, and for whom there is much to be grateful for. Whether you see Prince Philip’s life as privileged or not, he certainly has given an example of dedication and commitment, not only to a nation and the Commonwealth, but to the environment and to young people in particular; the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme has challenged and encouraged many young people and will be a lasting legacy that will continue to foster the idea of commitment and service to others.
We have some good news to share and that is that the Department of Education in the State of New York has adopted the latest guidance from the CDC and has reduced the distance required for children to sing together to six feet. This does not sound like a big change, but it is! It means that, with clergy and staff now fully vaccinated, the choir of men and boys (albeit a small number of them) will sing together for the first time in well over a year this weekend. The pandemic has affected children and young peoples’ education hugely this year and I know how much the choristers have missed their singing. The last Sunday that the boys will sing will be Pentecost, May 23, and the final service that the boys will sing at will be on Thursday, May 27 which we will make a Valedictory Evensong this year.
We have begun the search for a new Associate Priest for Pastoral Care and I have reached out to the Deans of the seminaries with whom we have connections. We were deeply blessed by the ministry of Fr. Spencer and I would be glad to hear from parishioners of the kinds of skills and qualities we should be looking for in our new priest. Please do reach out to me or to Fr. Moretz or Mo. Turner if you have any thoughts to share.
Finally, if you missed any of Dr. Katherine Grieb’s powerful Holy Week sermons, they are available still online. We were truly blessed to have her open the scriptures to us. In a similar vein, I am delighted to tell you that Professor Andrew McGowan’s remarkable sermons that he preached on Good Friday, 2016, are about to be published. He has added seven more reflections of various people related to the crucifixion. The Book is simply titled ‘Seven Last Words: Cross and Creation”, is published by Cascade Books, and can be preordered.
Alleluia. Christ is Risen!
Affectionately,
Carl,
You priest and pastor
