Notes

As most everyone knows, our parish is making immediate preparations for a $7 million building construction and renovations project. Storage pods (nicknamed Paul, Silas and Timothy) now stand on the east lawn waiting to be filled, and every picture and plaque has been removed from the walls of Blaisdell and Greenwood.  This is the assigned week for the music ministry to pack up and vacate. Last Sunday our choirs vested in the vesting rooms and retrieved their music folders... Read More

Christian worship in denominations that follow liturgical practices is rich with symbolism and tradition. Growing up as a Methodist, with moderate (not conservative) Baptist on the side, I was familiar with solid liturgical traditions, thanks to John Wesley, who “was an Anglican priest all of his life,” as my grandmother continually said. When I arrived in graduate school and auditioned for five part-time church positions (two Congregational, two Lutheran, one Episcopal), I took ... Read More

We have all heard the jokes, as inspired by Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be in the midst of them.” Likewise: Where two or more Baptists are gathered, a chicken must die and be fried. Where two or more Methodists are gathered, there will be a covered-dish supper. Where two or more Presbyterians are gathered, a vote will be taken.  Where two or more Episcopalians are gathered, there will always be a fifth. Have we noticed that c... Read More

In 1968, I was attending kindergarten at the Presbyterian church in my small hometown in South Carolina. The next school year, my first-grade class was the first integrated grade in our school district. I knew there were differences with black people and white people, but other than going to different churches at the time, I do not remember any other real differences. My preschool best friend and I used to walk together up Main Street to the county library branch for Tuesday morning sto... Read More