Dear Friends,
Each week, Bishop Mary writes an ‘unofficial letter’ to the clergy of the Diocese. This week, I shared it with Dr. Filsell, Mr. Haigh, and Mr. Quardokus because she wrote beautifully and encouragingly to them as musicians at a time when choirs cannot gather and sing together. For Saint Thomas Church, to be without our choir for so long is so hard and, yet, imagine how wonderful it will be when we are able to sing again! Jeremy suggested that I share some of Bishop Mary’s letter with you:
“Music has always been the key to unlocking my soul. As I was growing up, there was nothing that I loved more than Thursday night Choir Rehearsal when I got to sing with others and attempt, together and with much practice, to make beautiful music through which to praise God. American composer and teacher Alice Parker (b. 1925) writes this: ‘Singing is the most human, most companionable of the arts. It joins us together in the whole realm of sound, forging a group identity where there were only individuals and making a communicative statement that far transcends what any one of us could do alone. It is a paradigm of union with the Creator. It is what the words talk about. We need to sing well.’ (from Melodious Accord: Good Singing in Church by Alice Parker, copyright 1991 Archdiocese of Chicago, Liturgy Training Publications.)
“Perhaps you can guess where I’m going with this. During this time of pandemic, public assemblies for worship in churches is forbidden. Articles by epidemiologists and others caution us about churches being petri dishes for the coronavirus, because of even asymptomatic people being together in closed spaces for longer periods of time breathing the same air. . . Small wonder that many Church Musicians, both professional and volunteer, fear for the future of Church Music. That is why I want to say to my sister and brother Church Musicians and to all who love church music: Please! Do not despair! It may be a longer time than any of us wants before we are able to safely gather in our churches and not worry about being vectors of disease – but we will get there! We must get there! Music is a sacrament, and we are a sacramental church. In the sacred meantime, be creative. . .There’s a traditional Quaker hymn which begins thus: ‘My life flows on in endless song, Above earth’s lamentation. I hear the real though far-off hymn, That hails a new creation. Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear the music ringing; It sounds and echoes in my soul; How can I keep from singing?'”
Thank you for those beautiful words, Bishop Mary.
Speaking of Bishops, this Sunday was to have been Bishop Allen Shin’s visitation to our parish and he was due to confirm and receive a number of new members of our church who have been attending our Pilgrims’ Course. Sadly, of course, all that is postponed but I am delighted to tell you that Bishop Allen will be joining us for coffee hour on Sunday. Please do come and meet with him; he will be available to answer any questions that you have. On Tuesday, he is going to join our Pilgrims as they meet together via ZOOM; appropriately, the next session is on ordination, vocation, and ministry so it will be good to have Bishop Allen meet the group.
After this letter, you will find a third installment on the theme of ‘silence and stillness’ written by Sr. Promise. I am pleased to tell you that Promise will be leading a quiet day for us on Saturday, May 30 which will begin and end with ZOOM sessions and use audio webcast during the rest of the day, in the same way that we worshipped on Good Friday.
Thursday, May 21 is a principal Feast day of the Church – Ascension Day. We have prepared a Solemn Mass to celebrate and the video-webcast will be broadcast at 8am and, then, available on-demand. There will be no Shrine Prayers on that day. We will have a special preacher – Bishop Andrew St. John.
There is an old tradition in the Church of keeping the nine days between Ascension Day and the Feast of Pentecost as a time of prayer and waiting. Jesus said to his disciples that they should wait in the city until they received power from on high (Luke 24:49). The practice of holding a novena or nine-days of prayer has become popular again in some parts of the Anglican Communion. In England, it has become a way for the Church to pray for strength and for renewal. We will mark the nine days with a short scripture passage and prayer which we will email each morning. For those who have more time, we will also include a psalm to recite. Our hope is that the parish is united in prayer from Ascension Day until Pentecost.
Finally, I want to tell you about a little project that Rhonda Shearer has initiated in partnership with our friends at Frank Campbell Funeral Home. The ‘Lazarus Project’ is inspired by the parable of Jesus about the rich man and the poor man, Lazarus, who was homeless and destitute. (see Luke 16:19-31). For some time, Campbell’s have been honoring homeless veterans who die on the streets with a dignified funeral and they have agreed to expand this to other homeless people who die on our streets near Saint Thomas Church. Every week in New York, people die homeless or in poverty with no family and, often, no friends. While some are suffering from addiction of some kind, others have mental illness or suffer from post-traumatic stress. Many of these homeless are buried on Hart Island because nobody claims their bodies. It is poignant to recall that the Lord Jesus was laid in someone else’s tomb when Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus came to claim his body.
A week or so ago, very tragically, a young man died who was in one of the city’s homeless shelters. With the help of Trinity Wall Street, Rhonda has been able to obtain a grave where we can inter his body and Campbell’s are making the arrangements. This may be a tiny gesture but we hope that it will raise awareness of the plight of many who find themselves in desperation on the city’s streets. One of the traditional prayers said as a body is carried out of church is, “May the Choir of Angels come to greet you, and where Lazarus is poor no longer, may you have eternal rest.” May Andrés rest in peace.
Affectionately,
Carl,
Your priest and pastor
