Dear Friends,

On a recent weekday I had a meeting in my office with a prospective new member, who arrived early and spent about 15 minutes sitting inside the church. “Wow,” he said, “I was surprised by how many people were there in the pews.”

He’s right. The church is open to the public Monday through Saturday from noon to 5 pm and on Sundays from 8:30 am to 5 pm. The hours are longer, of course, when evening services occur. If you go into the church during the open hours when no liturgy is scheduled, you will usually find anywhere from four to forty people scattered throughout the nave. Some are sitting quietly, some are strolling about taking the cell phone tour, others are kneeling in a pew deep in prayer.

I’ve written many times before that the first line of ministry is to keep the building open as much as possible. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit and the sacred space will conspire to make a positive difference in people’s lives. We trust that those who come inside tired, anxious, and overwhelmed will leave in some measure refreshed, renewed, and reassured of God’s living presence. Indeed, even those contemplating some wrong may rethink their ways and leave resolving to do the right thing.

Yes, it’s expensive to open the church even when no services or concerts are on the calendar. Not only do we have to keep it heated in the winter, cooled in the summer, and lighted when the public is welcome, we also have to keep eyes on the building to assure that it’s safe. The expense is well worth it.

Some time ago I was leafing through our old parish history book (published in 1923), and came across a memorable quote from William Reed Huntington, who was the 6th Rector of Grace Church from 1884-1909. Apparently, when Huntington took office the church was closed during the week, but one of the first moves he made was to open it. He met with resistance but defended the new policy with an interesting argument: “The exemption of ecclesiastical property from taxation by the State can only be defended on the score of the usefulness of the Church as a bulwark for public morals. The Church would seem, therefore, to owe it to the citizens to make her sacred buildings as accessible as possible. Even if no prayer be said by the casual visitor, the influence silently exerted upon him by the architecture and symbolism of such a church as Grace Church can scarcely fail to be a wholesome one.”

My prayer is that God always gives Grace Church the will and the way to keep this place open – not just for ourselves, but for anyone who would come inside.

See you in church – and you don’t have to wait till Sunday,

Don

Dear Friends,

What really happened?

A few summers ago, my family and I were on vacation in Texas. Something I had always wanted to see was Dealey Plaza, the site where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. It was a day that stunned the world. Those who were old enough at the time to understand what was happening would never forget where they were when they first heard the news. The authorities quickly zeroed in on Lee Harvey Oswald, a lone gunman who fired the fatal shots from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository.

Touring the site was moving and meaningful. What I was not prepared for were the unofficial “tour guides” in the vicinity who were offering their alternative versions of what really happened. Conspiracy theories abound. Harvey could not have acted alone, they claim. It was a vast collaboration between Cuba, the Soviets, the C.I.A., and organized crime. A second shooter fired from the grassy knoll. Despite numerous, exhaustive investigations beginning with the Warren Commission, the conspiracy theories persist, to the point where it is hard to answer the question: what really happened?

My point today is not to delve into the last days of Kennedy’s life, but rather to draw a comparison with the last days of Jesus’ life. A week ago we began a Lenten Sunday Forum series that examines the crucial events leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. What really happened? It is a question worth asking, not only from the standpoint of faith, but also from history because the world would not be the same after these things had come to pass. As you might imagine, the alternate, even conspiracy theories began almost immediately, so early in fact, that some of them are even addressed in the Gospels. On March 9, the Rev. James Morton helped us look at Palm Sunday. This week the Rev. Harry Krauss will take us to the room in Jerusalem where Jesus and his disciples ate the Passover meal – the Last Supper. In subsequent weeks we will ask what really happened on Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and finally Easter Day.

This Lent, make a point of travelling toward Easter by digging into the events of Holy Week. What really happened? Join us at 10 am in the reception room for coffee, breakfast treats, and a fresh look at the week that changes everything.

See you in church,

Don

Dear Friends,

We begin today on a sad note. On Wednesday morning, word reached the parish office that John Berringer had died just after midnight. John was 71 years old, and had been battling a stubborn cancer for over five years. He lived long enough to hold his first grandchild: Sanford Albert Berringer, born on February 19. He was in church as recently as February 23. In the words that follow I don’t mean to paint a portrait of John as if he were a perfect person, because none of us are. But John was decidedly one of the good guys. The world needs more people like John Berringer, not one fewer.

John trusted deeply that the church could be God’s instrument for healing in the world. Therefore, he gave generously of himself to the ministries of God’s people. At Grace Church he served over the years on a host of committees: Outreach to serve our neighbors in need, Newcomers to welcome the seekers, and Discernment to help those considering what might be God’s call to the ordained ministry. As a volunteer he was an Open Door Greeter, a 6 pm Sunday Altar Team member, an usher, a lay reader, and an occasional chalice bearer. John devoted many a Saturday morning to the GO Project, the joint ministry between Grace Church and School, tutoring public school students who were falling through the cracks. 

Most recently, John served for six years on the Vestry, the governing lay body of Grace Church. As an attorney, John proved instrumental when complaints alleging sexual abuse in the 1990s were brought against us. John was among many on the vestry who helped us respond in a way that was compassionate, sustainable, faithful, and fair. John cared deeply about the world, and was always eager to talk politics. He never complained about the ways things were – at least not that I heard. Rather, he rolled up his sleeves and gave himself to the places where he thought he could make a positive difference.

We will give thanks to God for John’s life one week from today, on Friday, March 14 at 4 pm with a memorial service in the church, and reception following in Tuttle Hall. John’s family – Bonnie, Ben, Katy, and Val – request that gifts in memory of John be directed to our recent Grace Church capital campaign, Making All Things New. 

Here we are, coming up on the First Sunday in Lent. The season prepares us for Easter, and offers many opportunities to serve, connect, study, and worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. See below for how you can roll up your sleeves and get involved. This year, let’s have John Berringer as one of our role models in faith. The world needs more people like him

See you in church,

Don

Dear Friends,

The New York Times featured an article yesterday with an encouraging title: “Christianity’s Decline in U.S. Appears to Have Halted.” The author, Ruth Graham, cites recent survey results that are significant. It is true that over the past 30 years, the percentage of Americans who identify as Christian has dropped. But over the past several years the downward trend has leveled off. What accounts for it? 

I’ve been a parish priest for 36 years now, and I confess that I gave up long ago trying to understand the patterns of church attendance. Is it the weather? Is it a long weekend? Will the street fair on Broadway bring them in or scare them away? Nevertheless, I do pay close attention to our numbers, and I have noticed that over the past two or three years our attendance is growing. Across the board, at all three Sunday services, and at our Wednesday 6 pm Eucharist, more people are coming to Grace Church than they were before the pandemic. 

Graham points to a surge in interest among young adults who grew up with no faith tradition. I have wondered if the pandemic itself has something to do with it. Five years ago we all received an uncomfortably close look at our mortality, and how fragile human life is. Now that it is safe again to be in large crowds, people of all ages – but especially young people – are searching for human connections and answers to the meaning of life that are deeper than what they can find online, or along secular pursuits. 

Whatever the reason, we have in our midst these days people who are unfamiliar in the ways of church. The questions we receive are as basic as they can be: Am I allowed to attend one of your services? (Yes) Is there a dress code? (Not really, although we do ask that you be sufficiently attired). I want to come to church; what do I do next? (Come to church). Then add to these initial questions our own particular customs at Grace Church. How do I open that pew door? How do I juggle the Prayer Book, the Hymnal, and the bulletin? What is Communion? Am I allowed to receive, and if so, how do I do it?

These last questions about Communion will be the subject of our Sunday Forum this week at 10 am in the reception room. The Eucharist – the Holy Communion – is one of the sure and certain ways that we encounter the presence of Jesus. But even those who have attended church for years may have experienced a great variety in how to receive. It ranges from kneeling to standing; from wine to grape juice; from the common cup to little shot glasses; from tasteless wafers to tasty unleavened bread; from sipping to dipping; from receiving the bread in the hand, on the tongue, or palming it for now and eating later in the day (not encouraged). 

Come to the Sunday Forum this week as the Rev. Julia Offinger leads a practical demonstration, but also a theological discussion about how to receive Communion. Coffee and breakfast treats will be served.  

See you in church. The Shrove Sunday feast follows the 11 am service!

Don

Dear Friends,

Those who pay close attention to the Prayers of the People on Sundays may have noticed that we have dropped “Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury” from our petitions. Why? The simple answer is that Justin Welby stepped down from the position last month, and the See of Canterbury is currently vacant. It will take some time to find just the right person to fill it.

The more complicated answer is that Archbishop Welby resigned under pressure. Welby’s critics claimed that his institutional response to an historic case of sexual misconduct was inadequate. While the Archbishop himself was uninvolved in any transgression, some think he should have done more to shine the light onto the dark deeds of one person in particular, and safeguard the church from further harm. Still others are claiming that the Archbishop’s resignation and the scandal currently roiling the Church of England are both signs of a declining institution.

I make no pretension to expertise in contemporary English church affairs. We have prayed for the Archbishop of Canterbury (and we will pray for whoever comes next) not because the occupant of the chair is akin to our Pope. Rather, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church in the United States is a member. Our historic, theological, cultural, and liturgical ties are deep. Our ongoing global partnership enriches our faith.

As for the Church of England being in decline, such was not my impression at all when I visited London last April. Admittedly, my sample size is small, but St. George’s Church, Hanover Square, our companion parish for two years now, is a bustling, urban congregation. They have a rich music tradition, a vital outreach ministry, and they are closely associated with a school that bears their name, as are we. This year they are celebrating their tercentenary – 300 years of ministry all in the same glorious, Georgian building. George Frideric Handel lived around the corner, and was an active parishioner for many years while he composed Messiah. President Theodore Roosevelt was married there.

This Sunday it will be our delight to have the Rev. Roderick Leece with us at Grace Church. “Roddy” is only the 13th Rector of St. George’s Church in its 300 year history. By contrast, I am the 14th Rector of Grace Church in our 217 years (yes, I am doing my part to raise the average term of service). Roddy will preach at the 9 and 11 am services, lead the Sunday Forum at 10 am, and hold forth at coffee hour after the 11 am service. At the Sunday Forum he will continue our series entitled “The Shape of the Liturgy,” and focus on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, which the people of St. George’s Church use every Sunday.

All “Book of Common Prayer” matters aside, since Roddy arrived at the rectory yesterday I have been pressing him for information about St. George’s Church – the building itself. At 300 years old, it is apparently water tight. Meanwhile, the name of the game at our beloved 179-year old edifice called Grace Church continues to be “Whack-a-Leak.” Tell us the secret, Roddy, of how to keep the water out. We’d like to know.

See you in church,

Don

Dear Friends,

Over the past few months, my son Luke and I have been indulging ourselves in episodes of Better Call Saul, a television series that ran from 2015 to 2022. The two main characters – Jimmy McGill (who later becomes Saul Goodman) and Kim Wexler – are complex people who descend from being ordinary citizens to unethical monsters. Time after time they reach a fork in the road. One path leads to light and life. The other path risks darkness and death. With few exceptions, they cannot resist the latter way. Remarkably, redemption often presents itself anew with another fork in the road, yet seldom do they follow the light. I’ve lost count how many times I have hit my forehead with the heel of my hand, as if the New York Giants had just fumbled again in the red zone. 

Lately, I’ve been feeling like we are all living in the television series, Better Call Saul. Indeed, the headlines are such that I’ve lost count how many times the heel of my hand has hit my forehead. People with seriously questionable, if not dangerous credentials are given vitally important cabinet seats. Vladimir Putin, plastic straws, and January 6 insurrectionists are returned to the mix as good elements. Meanwhile, the Gulf of Mexico, Canada, Greenland, Panama, our historic European allies, and others are on the outs – dismissed and disrespected. What is an appropriate Christian response to these things that are coming to pass? Perhaps you will indulge me for a few more paragraphs, as it is Presidents’ Day Weekend. 

Sadly, many people who call themselves Christian have aligned themselves entirely with the current occupant of the Oval Office. Doing so is never a good idea, no matter who the President is, because the ways of God are often inscrutable to us. Perhaps a better mindset is to trust that despite broken systems and seriously flawed people, God still manages to work out the divine will. I realized this anew last Wednesday evening at our Bible study following the 6 pm Eucharist. We have been making our way through the great stories of Genesis, and the lot fell to me to present chapters 18 and 19 – the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Read the story for yourself. In the midst of it you will encounter Lot, a nephew of Abraham. Lot turns out to be the very last person you’d pick to be heading up your family. The decisions he makes are remarkably bad, yet God has a purpose for this deeply defective individual. God makes use of him in the drama of salvation history. 

Something else for us all to remember is the virtue of humility. I was not in Lot’s house or his mind when the violent mob was trying to break down his door. Likewise, I am not an international diplomat, a military strategist, an economist, or a politician. Certainly, we all have our opinions. In a free society we must be able to voice them vigorously, without fear of retribution, especially when those in power appear to be traveling the paths of darkness and death. On this Presidents’ Day Weekend, let us continue to pray for those who sit in judgement seats, and urge them to choose the ways of light and life. 

See you in church,

Don

Dear Friends

In my sermon last week, I noted the numerous titles we have attached to February 2. Not only was it the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, but principally the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple, a Christian feast day that used to be called the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In some circles, February 2 is also known as Candlemas, and of course, outside the church it is Groundhog’s Day. 

Here we are on the brink of another Sunday, and though February 9th does not come with as many titles as February 2, I can think of at least three: the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Super Bowl Sunday, and Choir Festival Sunday. Bear with me for a brief word about each one.

First, the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. The signature story of Epiphany (January 6) is how the star of Bethlehem guided the wise men to the place where Jesus was born. They saw the light, and then carried the light of Christ with them into the world. Likewise, our mission is to shine light into some of the world’s dark or obscure places. Some of these may be right under our noses all the time. Take, for example, our worship. For many, the Book of Common Prayer would fall into the category of obscure. Thus, at the Sunday Forum during these weeks between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday (the next big day on the calendar, by the way), we are trying to shine some light on the various components of our liturgies. This week I’ll be talking about the different prayers we use to bless the bread and wine of Communion, and why. We’ll keep it as simple and real as what page to find them on in the BCP, and how each one highlights a different aspect of Christian faith. 10 am in the reception room, with coffee and breakfast treats.

Second, it is also Super Bowl Sunday. At 6:30 pm the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will be going against each other, just as they did two years ago. Yes, I will watch some of the game. But the truth is, I really don’t care who wins. If the Chiefs win, it will be their third Super Bowl victory in a row, something no other team has done. Then again, perhaps, you’ve had enough of the Chiefs. If the Eagles win, the underdog will have triumphed. Then again, every Eagles’ win highlights just how far the New York Giants have fallen. So who cares? You can care by playing the Souper Bowl of Caring. At coffee hour you will find a number of pots, by which you can vote for your desired outcome: Chiefs, Eagles, the Halftime Show, or a Giants-Jets Super Bowl in 2026. We vote with our wallets, and all the proceeds go the Red Door Place, to help feed our neighbors in need. Read below for more information. 

Third, and finally, Choir Festival Sunday. The choristers of Grace Church have been working hard all week with guest conductor, Walden Moore. At 4 pm on Sunday they will offer a wonderful Choral Evensong to showcase their progress in perfecting our praises of God. A brief but tasty reception will follow in Tuttle Hall, where you can have one more chance of playing the Souper Bowl of Caring. Come out and support the choristers. You will be home in plenty of time for that other event, also known as the Super Bowl – that is, if you care. 

Let’s shine some light.  See you in church.

Don

Dear Friends,

Some years ago Bishop Roskam was making an annual visit to Grace Church for Confirmation. In her sermon she talked about how the outside world often looks askance at “organized religion.” Her punchline was, “The real joke is that they think we’re organized.”

This coming Sunday is the day we pay attention to the organization of Grace Church. Following the 11 am service, instead of coffee hour we will enjoy lunch together in Tuttle Hall, then the annual meeting of the parish. We’ll hear reports from various lay leaders who are overseeing many of our committees. Towards the end of the meeting I’ll share my observations, focusing this year on the nature of our community and the mission of the church as I saw it in 2024.

The annual meeting is also the time when vestry leadership changes. The vestry consists of two wardens and twelve vestry members. The vestry members serve three-year terms, with the possibility of being nominated for a second term. The twelve are grouped into three classes of four. Typically, a vestry class of four will have two members serving a first term, and two members serving a second term. Thus, when we arrive at the annual meeting, the nominating committee presents two new people to serve a first term, and two existing vestry members to serve a second term. We then give thanks for the work of the two retiring vestry members. At least, that’s the way it works on paper.

But life has a way of happening. From time to time, for various reasons, vestry members will need to vacate a seat in the middle of a term. What happens then is that the vestry goes to the list of names generated by the nominating committee, and appoints the person next in line to fill the unexpired term. When the term is expired, that person then can be nominated for his or her own first term. Or, in the nominating process, a vestry member might decline the offer to serve a second term. To cut to the chase, we can wind up with years like this year, when the staggered vestry class is altered.

The class of 2025 consists of four members, not two, who are serving their second term, and thus retiring from the vestry: Douglas Armer, Mary Cannon, Shingmin Lai, and Cathy Minuse. On Sunday we will give thanks to these four for six terrific years of service. The nominating committee then will present four new candidates for election to the vestry: Julia Bates, Carolyn Bennett, Austin Berger, and Grant Marani as the class of 2028. Also retiring from vestry service is Owen Boger, who is completing his third two-year term as warden. Grace Church owes Owen a huge debt of gratitude for his steady hand in helping to guide us through the stormy seas of law suits and the pandemic. To fill Owen’s seat, the nominating committee is presenting Sarah “Sally” Hines for a first term as warden. Because Sarah is a sitting member of the vestry (class of 2026), the nominating committee is presenting Ravi Chanmugam to fill the unexpired term she vacates to become a warden. Next year, Ravi will be eligible to be nominated for his own first three-year term. If all these names are coming at you too fast, you can see a photo and read a short bio for each, below.

There you have it: organized religion at is confusing finest. Join us on Sunday for the annual meeting and luncheon.

See you in church,

Don

Dear Friends,

A story that may be apocryphal is told of how President Reagan once took Communion at the National Cathedral. Being a Presbyterian, he wasn’t quite sure how to receive in an Episcopal church. When he confessed as much to his wife, Nancy, she replied, “Let me go first, then do what I do.” Kneeling at the Communion rail, Mrs. Reagan received the wafer of bread in the palm of her hand. It was her intention to intinct – to dip the edge of the bread into the wine, and partake of both elements together. Unfortunately, she lost her grip on the wafer and the whole thing fell into the chalice. Thinking quickly, she plucked the wafer out of the wine and ate it. When the chalice bearer moved along to the President, he, being a keen observer of his wife’s actions, tossed his wafer into the chalice, retrieved it, and ate it. My guess is that the President returned to his seat thinking that the Episcopalians have a strange way of going about their business.

Two Sundays ago we had a big crowd at the 11 am service due, in part, to four baptisms. When it came time to administer Communion at the altar rail, it was my turn to be a chalice bearer. Usually I administer the bread, so offering the wine afforded me a different perspective. It was quite clear that receiving Communion is hardly an intuitive thing. People did not know what to do. I could almost hear their questions. Do I fill in at the rail from the outside in, inside out, or just take a place anywhere? Do I kneel or stand? Must I eat the bread now, or may I take it with me? May I hold the chalice, or will you pour the wine into my mouth? If I am “dunking,” how much of the wafer should I submerge? How long may I stay at the rail after receiving? Will you dismiss me?

I don’t mean to be critical. If anything, the fault is ours for not providing sufficient instruction. The truth is, we live in what some are calling “a post-Christian society,” when many, if not most people did not grow up in a faith tradition. People are spiritually curious, even hungry. They want to participate and experience the presence of God. So it is up to us to offer guidance to those who wish it, and clear away as many unnecessary barriers as we can.

Beginning this week, at the Sunday Forum we will offer an Epiphany series that helps us understand the component parts of the Book of Common Prayer that shape the liturgy. How do we choose the Scripture readings? What’s happening during the Prayers of the People? What’s the difference between Rite One and Two and all the various Eucharistic Prayers? Finally, on the Sunday before Lent, we will offer a practical session on the do’s and don’ts of receiving Communion in bread and wine from the common cup.

Read below for more about this, and other opportunities to connect with God and others through our life in Christ.

See you in church,

Don

Dear Friends,

We have been hearing much in the news lately about Presidents. First came the death of Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States. Carter lived to be 100, and most people, regardless of their politics, experienced him as a person of humility and grace. Apparently, Carter revealed that in 1974, when he was the Governor of Georgia, he told his mother that he was thinking about running for President. His mother looked him up and down and replied, “President of what?”

Then on Monday we have the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. For us, the new administration means that beginning on Sunday, January 26, once again we will be praying for “Donald, our President.” Trump is a controversial, divisive figure. Very few people don’t have a strong opinion about him, positive or negative. But one thing we can all agree on is that whoever occupies the Oval office needs our prayers. I will be praying for President Trump: that he be filled with the Spirit of God; that he uses his power to promote justice and peace; that he respects the dignity of every human being. Like it or not, Trump is the leader the country has chosen. It is in all of our best interest to pray that he serves the nation well.

But perhaps you are not quite ready to pray for “Donald, our President.” If so, allow me to suggest an intermediate step (and please receive this with the spirit of humor intended). You can pray for me, “Donald, your President.” You may be asking, as did Jimmy Carter’s mother, “President of what?” Well, earlier today I appointed myself the President of a newly-formed organization that I just now invented: the Greenwich Village Episcopal Mets Fans, henceforth to be known as GVEMF. How do you pronounce Gvemf? It is pronounced, “Gvemf.” I note that when I say the word forcefully, it sounds like the noise my cats make when they are hacking up a hairball.

The mission of Gvemf is to acknowledge that in Greenwich Village, there are a few Episcopalians who are not actively rooting against the New York Mets. In pursuit of its mission, Gvemf will have no membership dues and no budget. Gvemf will have no meetings, no board of trustees, and ipso facto, no meetings to obsess over who will be on the board of trustees. The important thing is that I, Donald, be the President.

What are the requirements for belonging to Gvemf? We want this to be an inclusive community, so I am setting the membership bar low. You must live, work, or worship somewhere in the vicinity of Greenwich Village, Manhattan. Or, at least at one point in your life have wanted to do one of these three things. You must be an Episcopalian, which means that when you walk past Grace Church on Broadway, you think deep spiritual thoughts and declare, “Gosh, maybe someday I’ll actually go inside there.” Finally, you must be a Mets fan, which requires you to root for the Mets, unless they are playing against a team you like more than the Mets. So yes, Yankee fans, it may be a tough pill to swallow, but you can belong to Gvemf. Whoever you are, and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you can pray for “Donald, our President.” You can pray for me, and let God sort out who’s who.

Seriously, friends, when the time comes, let’s commit ourselves to praying for Donald Trump, our 47th President. God bless America. Let’s go Mets.

See you in church,

Don