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InOctober 2008, the Vestry announced that The Rev. D.Wallace Adams-Rileywould become the 15th Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in downtownRichmond. Wallace, age 39, comes to us from St. John’s Cathedral inJacksonville, Florida, where he served as Canon. He began his ordained ministry at ChristChurch in Alexandria. Wallace grew up in Columbia S.C., as one of fourboys. He is married to The Rev. Canon Gena Adams-Riley with whom he hasa four-year-old son named Nelson and newborn son named Fin M'Coul.
Any reflections about what you’ve read here that you’d like to share? A prayer or poem you’d like to pass along? Please click on the link below to contact our Rector, the Rev. Wallace Adams-Riley, with your thoughts.
Click here to CONTACT WALLACE!
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Posted by Wallace+
"In the mid-17th century, Spanish seafarers sailed up the west coast of the Americas to what is now known as the Baja peninsula. The cartographers of the time simply drew a straight line up from the Strait of California to the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Vancouver Island and Washington state. Consequently, the maps that were published in 1635 show very clearly that California was an island. For 50 years, then, the years of the most constant, most crucial explorations of the California coastline, those maps went unchanged because someone continued to work with partial information, assumed that data from the past had the inerrancy of tradition and then used authority to prove it. Finally, after years and years of new reports, a few cartographers, the heretics, the radicals and the rebels, I presume, began to issue a new version, and in 1721, the last mapmaker holdout finally attached California to the mainland. But - and this is the real tragedy, perhaps - it took almost 100 years for the gap between experience and authority to close. It took almost 100 years for the new maps to be declared official despite the fact that the people who were there all the time knew differently from the very first day." - Sister Joan Chittester, O.S.B. (from On Being with Krista Tippett)
Where are the gaps in our lives between experience and authority? Where do our "maps" not match up with reality, with the reality both within and around us?
For the adventure that awaits, may God grant us both imagination and courage.
Tags: on being, word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
Blessings to all of you who participated in "Moving Forward Together - In Remembrance of 9/11" at St. Paul's last Sunday and joined in our prayer service on the eve of September 11. It was a weekend of moving memorials and remembrances. I was especially uplifted by how many individuals, of various ages and faith backgrounds, came together at the forum we hosted at St. Paul's.
As the Rev. Jim Somerville said, "I think we can really begin to see that we have so much more in common than those things that divide us."
Tags: interfaith, september 11
Posted by Wallace+
"To love one's neighbor as oneself."
Okay, but do we love ourselves?
And, if we don't consciously work at loving ourselves, how far do we expect to get with our neighbors?
Brother Curtis Almquist, of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, has said, "We love our neighbors the way we love ourselves."
Curtis reflects further,
"The hallmark of solitude is being on good speaking terms with oneself. Solitude invites you to be a very good friend to yourself, to enjoy your own company...Unless I can be a very good companion to myself, I probably cannot be a good member of a community, because I'm going to externalize, I'm going to project, a great deal of my longing, unwittingly and unfairly, onto other people, who simply are never going to be enough...You have to first be reconciled to yourself."
To love one another as God would have us love one another, first we must love ourselves: we must spend time with ourselves; we must, as Curtis says, be on good speaking terms with ourselves.
It's for our own good, yes; and for the sake of everyone around us.
Your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
Post by The Rev. Gena Adams-Riley
On the morning of September 11th 2001, I was traveling north toward Washington D.C. on I-395 from our apartment in Alexandria, Virginia. I wrote a poem in the weeks that followed as I sorted through the experience of watching American Airlines Flight 77 crash into the Pentagon killing 64 people on the plane, 125 people in the Pentagon, and 5 hijackers.
I accelerate;
move left, the fast lane,
tune in my lifeline, NPR—
Terrorists
Attack
New York City
American Airlines
Towers.
What's this about?
I hear it,
then see it play out before me—
silver capsule
red letters
darting through the sky,
too fast, too low, the wrong way,
sharply veering.
Metal meets concrete,
strikes without warning.
The nightmare of a soldier-
a burst of orange,
cloud of black
gray is swallowed.
A mighty wound,
gaping hollowness
cannot be touched.
Steel, rubber, metal,
grind to a halt.
I'm not alone,
they see it, too.
Hands clutch shaking heads,
people bewildered,
stopped in a place we do not belong.
I stand in the roadway,
reaching.
My heart floods with tears,
my eyes are dry.
I shake with coldness,
my stomach burns.
I circle my car,
there is no safety in this place.
You are with them,
whoever they are,
I cannot know them,
they are gone.
Nameless to me—
mothers
fathers
children
sisters
brothers
lovers.
You call them by name;
call them by name!
Have mercy,
deliver them from evil.
They are dust,
to dust they return.
Give me a balm
to heal my sinsick heart.
- The Rev. Gena D. Adams-Riley, Revised September 2011
Pictured: A steel bench from the Pentagon Memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
Tags: 911, gena adams-riley, poetry, september 11
Posted by Wallace+
| The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina |
Recently, while visiting at Trinity Church, Wall Street, in New York City, Bishop Michael Curry was asked, "What do you see as the state of the Episcopal Church today?" His answer is worth reading more than once:
"We live in a profoundly pluralistic culture and world. We live in a world where we are interconnected in ways that we never imagined before. We know more about each other; some folks might say we know too much about each other. And I think one of the great challenges for faith is to live in this multicultural, pluralistic world, being people of faith who reflect the love of God and not the tyranny of God. I think that's one of our greatest religious challenges, and it has impact for different ages and generations of people. This is an Episcopal moment, a moment that is crying out for a way of being faithful that doesn't have to deny somebody else's way of being faithful. This is our moment."
Amen, brother.
I am reminded of a bumper sticker that one of you (a member of St. Paul's) saw and told me about: ENTHUSIASTICALLY EPISCOPALIAN.
It is indeed "a moment that is crying out for a way of being faithful that doesn't have to deny somebody else's way of being faithful."
Yes, it is an Episcopal moment.
So, let's claim it.
With grace, and with gusto.
Tags: bishop michael curry, trinity church, word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
All are welcome to visit St. Paul's for quiet reflection and prayer whenever we are open (daily, 10am - 4pm). However, next weekend, ten years after the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001, we anticipate some individuals may feel a special need for refuge. In response, we are reminding the community of our prayer presence and inviting them to visit anytime on Saturday, September 10 and join us for a service of prayer and music that day at 5 pm.
To help welcome any visitors, we are looking for volunteers who can help greet during the day and pass out bulletins during the 5 pm service. If you're available, please email John Taylor at taycamp@aol.com or contact me at rector@stpauls-episcopal.org.
If you'd like to know more about our offerings that weekend, visit www.stpauls-episcopal.org/911 .
Tags: 911, september 11, welcome
Posted by Kimberly Allen
While sometimes wandering aimlessly is good for perspective, sometimes it's also also good to be able to plug in your phone or laptop and read email from family and loved ones.
We welcome you to visit the church or parish house as a resting space when we are open. Our electricity is also working and we are set up for wireless Internet access for those who would like to bring in your laptop to check your email. For wireless access, you will need to visit Reception and give your name to receive the password. If no one is at the Reception, please call (804) 246-9384.
(Hat tip to ImageCPR for capturing the above tweet from Chad Ochocinco)
Tags: hurricane irene
Posted by Kimberly Allen
The latest issue of The Epistle, St. Paul's newsletter, is now available to read online. Highlights this month include: a letter from Wallace+ about the faith forum at St. Paul's on September 11th, some thoughts about the Christian life in 22 words by Kate+, an article about this year's annual giving campaign by Barbara Davis and Tom Smith, a new Faith @ Work column by Sarah Lageman, a photo essay about the recent J2A San Francisco Urban Adventure courtesy of Maureen Hains, the Eyes on Richmond 2011 schedule of speakers, a farewell letter to the parish by John Hirschman, and more!
Hard copies will be available to pick up in the Narthex, Gathering Space, and elsewhere throughout the church this weekend.
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by the Rev. Kate Jenkins
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks. The looming threat of Hurricane Irene. We often hear about earth quakes in California and hurricanes devastating island nations, but these events are in far away places with other people. This week, we experienced that vulnerability first-hand in the aftermath of Tuesday's earthquake.
To date, we have not heard of any parishioners that were hurt and the building had minimal staff at the time of the earthquake. Immediately afterward, St. Paul's Parish Administrator Mike Koschak (a former resident of California who has actually lived through a number of earthquakes) did a thorough review of the church and parish house with the sextons. They checked from roof to basement and found no sign of damage, structural or otherwise, that they could detect. The church bells were not even thrown off, which was pretty amazing. Not all churches have been as fortunate. The Diocese of Virginia issued this update about the impact of the earthquake throughout the diocese.
This earthquake, so close to home, reminded me that this earth we walk upon daily is still in creation and there is a fragility to everything that we take for granted. I'm still digesting the experience, but the words of our Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori come to mind:
"May we all be reminded that we live on a fragile earth, in continual process of creation and destruction, and that we share a common responsibility for healing wherever we are able."
Tags: creation, earthquake, hurricane
Posted by Kimberly Allen
In this week's Word from Grace Street, Wallace+ shares part of an interview with physician and author Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen. Dr. Remen recalls the case of a man riddled with cancer whose lesions disappeared without any discernible explanation:
Dr. Remen remembers the medical staff's reaction, "Now, were we in awe? Certainly not. We were frustrated. Obviously, someone had misdiagnosed him."
An intensive study of the case ensued, with expert opinion solicited from around the country. The conclusion of that inquiry was that the chemotherapy that had been discontinued eleven months earlier had suddenly had a delayed effect.
"The embarrassing part of the story," recalls Dr. Remen, "is that I believed this for the next 15 years."
"What do you think now?," asked her interviewer.
"I think that that was one of the purest encounters with mystery that I have ever had in my life. It makes me wonder about who we are, what's possible for us, how this world really operates. I have no answers, but I have a lot of questions. And those questions have helped me to live better than any answers I might find."
Click here to read the full interview on Krista Tippett's "Speaking of Faith."
Tags: american public media, krista tippett, word from grace street
Posted by Kimberly Allen
You may have seen the news that the First Fridays Art Walk has been canceled for September. However, many galleries and sites are choosing to remain open and St. Paul's is one of them.
Bob Wynne (whom many of you may have met at church) will show a new exhibit of paintings and photos of the Western United States and Western Europe. He will host an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Parish Hall and free guided tours of the church will be available. His Facebook invitation is available here.
This week, the church issued the following statement about our decision to remain open and our ongoing support of the art walk:
"St. Paul's Episcopal Church will remain open as scheduled on First Friday, September 2 from 5 pm to 8 pm. We helped launch 'First Fridays East' in spring 2010 in part to support a vibrant downtown community and we continue to believe in the importance of welcoming all those in the area to visit the heart of the city. We invite you to visit us on Grace Street where we have been proclaiming Christ since 1845; take a guided tour of the church; and enjoy a new exhibit of paintings and photos by artist Bob Wynne."
Visit www.stpauls-episcopal.org/firstfridays for details about our upcoming 2011 - 2012 season.
Tags: arts, downtown, first fridays
Posted by Wallace+
I am pleased to announce that our new Director of Administration and Finance, Mike Koschak, will be with us this Sunday, his first day on the job being this coming Monday. Mike comes to us as a business school graduate with over 25 years of corporate and law firm management experience. His experience includes financial reporting and analysis, budgeting, information systems, strategic planning, operations management, marketing, organizational planning and human resource management. "Motivated, innovative, and entrepreneurial" are the words he used to describe himself in his resume and they are spot on!
Mike earned his MBA at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California and his BA in Business Administration at the University of Minnesota. In his spare time, he serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Greater Richmond SCAN - Stop Child Abuse Now!, as Treasurer on the Parents Council at The New Community School, and has been a member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church since 1995.
I hope you will join us this Sunday for a reception welcoming Mike after the 10 a.m. service. We will also celebrate Andrew Terry's ministry with us as our summer seminarian as his residence with us concludes this Sunday. Look forward to seeing you downtown on Grace Street.
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Posted by Kimberly Allen
In this week's Word from Grace Street, Wallace+ reflects on the mystery and gift of the 25,000 purple martins ("bird-nados," as his son Nelson would say) that descend on Shockoe Bottom each summer.
"Even as you're standing right there watching, it's hard to believe. And it's beautiful. And a little hypnotic."
In this RTD video from the martin-watching celebration, you can hear an awed onlooker describe the birds' appearance as "a blessing."
Following is the family obituary for Robert "Butch" Griner, which was published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on August 7, 2011. A memorial service in his honor was held at the church on Tuesday.
GRINER, Robert Glen, affectionately known as "Butch" to friends and family, died August 5, 2011. Formerly of Norfolk, Butch was a resident of Richmond, Virginia, where he was employed by, and a member of, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church. As the church's coordinator for the Downtown Community Ministries, Butch was privileged to serve the homeless of Richmond through the Emmaus Feeding Program. For over 10 years, he coordinated the care and feeding of over 140,000 guests. This was Butch's ministry which he greatly loved!
Born February 25, 1952, the eldest son of the late Margaret Ray Knowles and Robert Kitchen Griner, he is survived by his loving companion of 13 years, the love of his life, Linda Pitts; a son, Scott Griner; two grandsons, Tyler and Logan Griner; a granddaughter, Brooklan Griner; siblings, David A. Griner and Kelly K. Midgett and her husband, Paul; an aunt, numerous cousins, and a host of family and friends.
A memorial service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond, at 2 p.m. on August 9, 2011. A reception will immediately follow the service in the Parish House. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society , or to the Richmond SPCA, 2519 Hermitage Road, Richmond, Va. 23220. Please share your love and condolences with the family at www.blileys.com.
Tags: butch griner, emmaus
Posted by Wallace+
It is with a sad heart that I share the news with you that Butch Griner died last night.
As the staff of St. Paul's prayed together this morning, we remembered and gave thanks for Butch's warm, big-hearted presence, and for his gracious service to God's children in need. In the nine years that Butch has served St. Paul's, he has touched thousands of lives through his ministry with the Emmaus Walk-In Lunch program and the St. Paul's Food Pantry, through his friendship to those in the St. Paul's community, and through his living example of patience, compassion, and kindness. We all will miss Butch terribly, and we will pray for Linda, his loving partner, and for all those who grieve.
Butch's service will be held at St. Paul's, on Tuesday, August 9, at 2:00 p.m. We hope you will be able to join us.
Grant, O Lord, to all who are bereaved the spirit of faith and courage, that they may have strength to meet the days to come with steadfastness and patience; not sorrowing as those without hope, but in thankful remembrance of your great goodness, and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. And this we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Tags: butch griner, emmaus
Posted by Wallace+
"Archbishop Desmond Tutu reminds us of the midrash that an angel walks in front of every person, no matter man or woman, young or old, straight or gay, black or white or brown, Jew or not, an angel walks in front of us and announces, 'make way for the image of God, make way for the image of God.'" -- Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater
That every person walking the earth, and every person who has ever been, was and is created to show the world the Divine nature. To show all people what love is. To show what mercy is. What kindness and generosity are.
That we all represent God.
That we are all God's own emissaries.
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Of course we forget this sometimes. We forget it, about others.
And we forget this about ourselves.
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And so God sends a messenger, (angelos, in Greek), to remind us, "Make way..."
Tags: word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
"The Gospels were written by simple men who earnestly and with a miraculous eloquence tried to report events which they themselves had never witnessed but of which they had been told. Even what these writers of hearsay set down we have never seen in the words they used, but only in the later Greek translations. Consequently the narratives of the four Evangelists as we read them are full of misunderstandings and contradictions and inaccuracies--as every lawyer knows any human testimony aiming at truth is sure to be--yet they throw more light than darkness on the heart-shaking story they tell. They are pitifully human and misleading, but drenched in a supernal light and their contagion changed the dreaming world." -- William Alexander Percy (1885-1942)
Will Percy was many things: a memoirist; a poet, with a hymn text to his credit (see The Hymnal 1982, Hymn 661); a lawyer; a planter; and the adoptive father to three of his younger cousins, one of whom was the novelist Walker Percy.
He was also a person of deep, and deepening, faith. In time, Percy grew beyond many of the conventions of the Roman Catholic faith in which he had been raised. Nevertheless, to the end, his faith was at the core of his life and, indeed, his being.
The passage above comes from a chapter in Percy's memoir Lanterns on the Levee. The chapter is entitled "For the Younger Generation." In that chapter, he, essentially, relays to his young cousins his faith and his hope. His hope for them, and his hope for the world.
More light than darkness. The heart-shaking story. Drenched in supernal light. The contagion that changed--and changes--the dreaming world.
Changed. And changes.
Amen, amen, amen.
Tags: walker percy, william alexander percy, word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
Thursday's NYT obituary, and Sunday's column by Nicholas Kristof, reflecting on the life, ministry, and leadership of the Reverend John "Uncle John" Stott, are well worth reading. Kristof's piece is golden.
I had the opportunity to meet Stott, and hear him teach, several years ago in Birmingham, Alabama. Reading about him now makes me all the more grateful for that privilege.
May he rest in peace.
Pictured: Photo by Richard Perry, The New York Times. The Rev. John Stott at Trinity Church in Manhattan in 2006. Mr. Stott exerted influence largely through his many books.
Tags: evangelical, john stott, new york times, nicholas kristof
Posted by Wallace+
If you haven't seen the Style Weekly article on river baptisms, it's a must read.
And, by the way, I'd love to baptize someone in the James. Let me know!
Pictured: Photo by Scott Elmquist, Style Weekly. Leah Mei Ward, 8, is baptized in the James River on July 17 by the Rev. Jim Somerville.
Tags: baptism, jim somerville, style weekly
Posted by Wallace+
"I can only say that segregation is wrong today, it was wrong yesterday. Segregation was never right. But it is one of the most lamentable frailties of mankind that when one's wrong is most grievous, his self-justification is most passionate, perhaps in the pitiful hope that the fervor of his self-defense will somehow prove him right. But this doesn't make it so. And he doesn't fool himself."
Richard Poff spoke these words, in the summer of 1971, as he looked back, with apparent regret, on his anti-civil-rights voting record in Congress, where he represented Virginia's Sixth District. Poff died last month and this passage appeared in his New York Times obituary of July 1.
Back in 1971, Poff was hoping for a U.S. Supreme Court nomination, thus the sincerity of his statement could be questioned. Regardless, there was and still is wisdom in his words, insight into the human heart, and the human condition, insight which, if indeed we are at all awake to our own frailties, we will recognize from our own lived experience.
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Yes, accountability is essential to any healthy human community, be it a nation, a congregation, or a family. Compassionate and mutual accountability. But, of course, for accountability to go anywhere, anywhere at all; for accountability to bear fruit, there must be a receptivity, an openness to receiving new and uncomfortable truth about ourselves.
May it be. May it be so, dear God, in our hearts, and in our own lives. For our own sake, and for the sake of those around us.
Tags: accountability, compassion, new york times, richard poff, word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
Following up on yesterday's post, two items in today's RTD keep the question before us: how do we, as people of different faiths, live together?
M.P. Williams has it right. Of course Henrico should OK the mosque. Likewise, the editorial page has it right, the President should do as President Bush did and meet openly with the Dalai Lama. Granted, that's easy to put in a web post, and hard to execute foreign-policy-wise; nonetheless, it's the right thing to do.
In only a matter of weeks, we will arrive at the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001. With this mind, may each of us, and may each community of faith, do all that we can do to promote respect and compassion for people of all faiths. It's the right thing to do; and it's the holy thing to do.
Amen, amen.
Tags: 911, interfaith, michael paul williams, richmond times dispatch, september 11
Posted by Wallace+
Today's RTD editorial, "Say yes," is excellent.
And let us pray for a day when this sort of "yes" is as obvious to Americans as, say, voting rights for women, or desegregation of the schools.
God's will be done.
Posted by Wallace+
Rabbi Edwin Friedman, the late author and family systems therapist, has influenced countless people, among them legion upon legion of ordained ministers, across denominations and faiths.
Friedman wrote and taught about how human systems operate, be it a nuclear family, a nation, a baseball team, or an order of monks, providing deep and often witty insight for those interested in improving the health (the functioning) of those systems.
A very Friedmanian moment, from one of his lectures (a recording of which a friend passed along to me), has stayed with me for years: The rabbi remarked upon how, in many churches, people put up with a lot of unkind and unpleasant behavior out of a vague notion that it would be "un-Christian" to confront those behaving poorly. And, indeed, the rabbi continued, often in synagogues, people are unwilling to hold one another accountable for comparably bad behavior, out of the very same vague notion that it would be "un-Christian" to do so.
We get the rabbi's irony, right?
Of course there is no real community, be it Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or otherwise, without, among other things of course, accountability. Compassionate accountability, yes; but, nonetheless, accountability just the same.
In a word, the un-Christian thing is not to hold one another accountable.
Tags: accountability, rabbi edwin friedman, word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
My Dear People,
"So, what's the take away?"
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We had walked up the brook before, but probably only a matter of thirty or forty yards. This time we went, say, five or six times that far, planting our feet sometimes on the bank, sometimes on a straddling tree, but most often in the clear, jubilant water itself, which reaches two or, maybe, three feet where it pools.
Even with homes and a road just out of sight, there is a surprising and pleasing sense of remove, with a bluff sweeping up above. For stretches, small ferns blanket the ground.
Nelson would hold my hand at times, and occasionally I would lift him over a large tangle of woody debris, up onto the next rock, and we would continue on...
Tags: word from grace street
Courtesy of Elizabeth O'Leary, St. Paul's Tour Guide Ministry
(enlarge)
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has recently put on view the 1890 preliminary watercolor study for Moses Leaving the House of Pharaoh, the stained glass window designed by Henry Holiday for St. Paul's (LE3, third lower east window). Commissioned by the Stewart sisters of Brook Hill near Richmond, the window is one of a pair by the prominent British designer that were installed in 1892 in memory of Robert E. Lee.
The watercolor, privately owned, is on loan to the museum until February 2012. The watercolor won't remain on view beyond next February because, as a work on paper, it will have met the conservators' set time limitations regarding periods of light exposure.
Look for the watercolor in the British section of the Sydney and Frances Lewis decorative arts galleries on the museum's third level.
Questions? Contact Bety O'Leary, eoleary@verizon.net.
Tags: lee, stained glass, windows of st. paul's
On Friday evening, I gave a little coaching to the readers for Saturday's wedding of Kristen Gagnon and Dave Herman. Because we tend to have our own laypeople do lector (reader) training, I don't have occasion very often to coach readers. A wedding is the one regular exception.
And the counsel I give the readers is always simple: Take your time.
What I tell them is that, if they'll take their time, if they'll not hurry, then most everything else will take care of itself, most everything else will fall into place.
I have found that to be true.
For reading.
And otherwise.
Tags: word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
"In a mysterious fashion not completely understandable to us, everything moves the individual toward humility." -- Roland Merullo, author
In an interview printed at the back of one of his novels, the interviewer asks Merullo about the statement above, which the novelist had made at some earlier point, while explaining his own beliefs. Merullo elaborates, saying, "...it seems to me that life is a kind of boot camp, designed to break you down and build you up in a different way--if you let it. So you lose your ability to sprint a hundred yards, but maybe you gain something more important in the process."
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I can't help but be reminded of something that a spiritual teacher, a wise woman, once taught me: when there is something the cosmos would teach us, and which we resist learning, another opportunity to learn that same wisdom will, invariably, come back around and present itself to us; and, when it does come back around, the pain involved in the learning will be greater. And so on and so on and so on, until we learn what we need to learn.
That sounds about right to me.
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The good news is that we can choose.
We can learn.
And we can change.
Tags: word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
Laura Lafayette's RTD Marketplace column today is stellar. The following words lifted off the page as I read them:
"In fact, I would suggest that people of faith who are leaders in the business world have a theological imperative to recognize that the world is not as it was created and intended to be, to identify the changes needed to bring about healing and wholeness, and to work without ceasing for change that transforms lives."
Amen, sister!!!
Tags: richmond times-dispatch
Posted by Kimberly Allen
This week, Bekah Holbrook and Shola Walker added their voices to the Views from the Bottom Blog, launched in tandem with St. Paul's Views from the Bottom Covenant Group being led by Andrew Terry. They challenge the group (and their readers) to think about the meaning of place and story as they head out to experience Shockoe and Church Hill, two neighborhoods that make up and shape the downtown community.
From Bekah's reflection:
People often talk about what they like (or don’t like) about where they live. They cite real estate value, public transportation, quality of schools, public safety, proximity to work and recreation. Interestingly, what people miss when they move away is more often relational: friends, family, potluck groups, faith communities, neighbors, friendly landlords. Perhaps it’s because we seek to feel connected. We want to identify with others, be recognized and known. We want to have a sense that we belong to a place and that place belongs to us.
I had started to develop that sense living in the Fan, which is a neighborhood with a strong identity, one that I felt connected to. I was comfortable and secure there. I wonder if I can develop a sense of connectedness to Shockoe Bottom. What is the identity of my new neighborhood? Who are my neighbors? How and when will I know if I belong to this place?
And from Shola's poem:
The group will meet at Cafe Gutenberg this Sunday around 11:30 am.
Tags: covenant group, shockoe bottom
Shared by Charlie Diradour, St. Paul's Parishioner
Last month tornados and severe weather ravaged the Joplin, Missouri area. Many of us have wondered as we watch our nightly news what we can do to help. Locally, the Timmons Group has organized a collection drive (June 15 - 22) at its Corporate Headquarters in Richmond (1001 Boulders Parkway, Suite 300). Timmons Group employees will be on site during this time to collect, sort and box donations from 4 – 7 p.m. week nights. Estes Express Lines is providing a 28 foot freight trailer to collect the donated items and transport them to Joplin for distribution.
The following are immediate needs the community is trying to fill:
To view the Timmons Group press release on this effort click here.
Tags: disaster relief, faith in action
Posted by Wallace+
Earlier in the week, while on retreat, I came upon a salt marsh in the bend of a sunlit river; and out among the tall, wavy cordgrass sat a lone, squat boulder, roughly the size of a Volkswagen beetle.
It seemed like one of those occasions where, as they say, life imitates art. (So much so that I smiled as I stood there taking in the scene -- I may even have chuckled out loud.) It was as though the scene were perfectly designed to send a message, to ask a question: What sits waiting, plain as day, for you to see, in your own life?
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Open our eyes, dear Lord, and give us the courage to see what you would have us see: in the world, yes, but, first, in our own lives.
Tags: word from grace street
Posted by Sarah Lisk, Interim Youth Minister
School's out for summer... let the games begin! There are a host of opportunities for the youth of St. Paul's to meet up this summer.
First up is the Episcopal Diocese Youth Night at the Flying Squirrels on Wednesday, June 29. Details below...
Several Episcopal Churches in the Richmond area are coming together for an Episcopal Youth Night at Richmond's Flying Squirrels Wednesday June29th at 7 pm. Tickets will cost $10 each and an RSVP is required by June 22nd to attend. We encourage you to grab some of your St. Paul's friends and meet up with others at the game for this exciting opportunity! Parents and Mentors are welcome to join as well. Please contact Sarah Lisk, St. Mary's Youth Minister, Sara Grattan (sgrattan@stmarysgoochland.org) or St. Stephen's Youth Minister, Whitney Bender(wbender@saintstephensrichmond.org) for more information or to RSVP for the event.
Click on "Read More" for information about other church gatherings!!
Tags: flying squirrels, youth
Posted by Wallace+
...and as he stepped out through the front door, she called to her husband and said, lovingly, "Don't forget, honey! It's an ego holiday!" He smiled warmly, "Thanks, sweetie! I love you!" "I love you too!," she called. And he pulled the door behind him, and headed down the steps...
What would it be like to give our egos the day off? (I know my ego could use a day off.)
An ego holiday! What do you say?!
And what are we going to do to celebrate?!
Tags: ego, word from grace street
Looking for Friday night plans?
Artist Susan Lamson will host an opening reception for her new art show at St. Paul's, "PhotoImpressions on Canvas." It's tonight from 5pm - 8pm in the Parish Hall, part of St .Paul's participation in the First Fridays Art Walk. Best known for her painterly photo manipulation of scenes in and around Richmond, these new, one-of-a-kind compositions build on Susan’s love of color.
Below is a taste of her work featuring none other than St. Paul's!
Posted by Wallace+
In conversation on Sunday, as we reflected on church as our base camp, a comment by Steve Micas gave me a fresh perspective on the image. Steve spoke of the importance of lingering at the base camp. His reflection and, in particular, the word linger have stayed with me.
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To linger.
Who would have thought that life depends on it, that salvation depends on it?
On lingering.
But so it is:
When about to ascend Mount Everest, one must remain at the base camp for several weeks, even up to two months. This is to allow time for acclimatization, that is, for an adjustment to the altitude, to the oxygen content of the air. Not to allow that time is to endanger one's life. To allow that time helps ensure that one is ready for the hike.
To make the ascent, we must first linger. We must linger at the base camp.
I'll see you there.
My Dear People,
"So I end this book by calling you to live fully, to love wastefully, to be all that you can be and to dedicate yourselves to building a world in which everyone has a better opportunity to do the same. That to me is to be a part of God and to do the work of God. That to me is to be a disciple of Jesus. Finally, that to me is the way to prepare for life after death." -- Bishop Jack Spong
This week I was reading back through Bishop Spong's latest book Eternal Life: A New Vision and came across these compelling and refreshing words.
As he puts it, still more succinctly, "I prepare for death by living."
And may we all do so. This day and each day.
And, through us, by the power of God, may God's Kingdom come.
Your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
Tags: spong, word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
Below are a couple of shots I snapped, on Wednesday, in the youth room of St. John's Episcopal Church in Roanoke, Virginia. (I've been over here at a clergy colleague group meeting). Humor, including theological humor, is certainly a key component of a healthy, well-adjusted life.
And I can only imagine that God is amused.
Tags: humor
Jake Dell is now serving as the communication advertising and marketing senior manager with the Episcopal Church Office. He will handle the various advertising on the Episcopal News Service site and upcoming mobile apps. Additionally, Dell will oversee the affordable website program for dioceses and congregations, and discover new sources of ad revenue for other digital offerings.
According to the Church’s Office of Public Affairs, Dell said, “Everywhere I go in this church I hear such amazing stories - the kind of stories any major brand would love to be able to say its consumers are sharing. We need to tap this passion. It's not hard and when you tell your story online, it's very affordable and has tremendous reach."
Dell’s statement brings light to how we here at St. Paul’s want to capture more stories from different ministries. Our new Interim Youth Minister Sarah Lisk wants to share more information about our Youth Ministry via social networks as well. She has been busy building new Facebook and Twitter accounts dedicated to news about our youth.
In addition to these new avenues dedicated to our Youth Ministry, St. Paul’s shares news about its various ministries and national and local news via its existing social media pages.
St. Paul’s Social Media:
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Pauls-Episcopal-Church-Richmond-VA/105968809840
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/stpaulsrva
http://twitter.com/#!/stpaulsrvaYOUTH
YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/stpauls815
Tags: episcopal church
Since the loss of our friend Russ Palmore, the Richmond Times-Dispatch has run an article he contributed to our newsletter, the Epistle. In the essay, Russ reflects on how, even in the midst of busyness, his faith was a “port in the storm” for him.
Also, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published an editorial about Russ, which includes the following: “The good Russell V. Palmore Jr. made manifest is not gone but will enrich and guide those destined to seek the still proceeding star of royal beauty bright.”
Hear what Russell shared in our Epistle article and read the editorial.
Indeed, I got a note today, from a friend of Russ’, where the friend writes, “As you know, Russ was a baseball fan and, a few years back, a fine player. I trust that Russ is now playing shortstop, making no errors and battling 1.000... much like his life with us. His wry smile, his quick wit, his helping hand and his gentle spirit will be missed.” Amen.
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My Dear People,
Almighty God, by your Holy Spirit you have made us one with your saints in heaven and on earth: Grant that in our earthly pilgrimage we may always be supported by this fellowship of love and prayer, and know ourselves to be surrounded by their witness to your power and mercy. We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ, in whom all our intercessions are acceptable through the Spirit, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
--from Holy Women, Holy Men
Our friend Russ has gone on before us. He has joined that “great cloud of witnesses” spoken of in the Letter to the Hebrews. At the same time, we are still united to him, by the power of God’s presence, in the communion of the saints. We are bound to him, and he to us, for all eternity.
Meanwhile, we carry on, doing the work that God has given us to do, with our memory of Russ to inspire us, and with Russ’ prayers to strengthen us.
Your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
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My Dear People,
C. S. Lewis tells the story of a short trip he took in the sidecar of his brother Warnie's motorcycle. As they rode the short distance to their destination, Lewis reflected on a long, thoughtful conversation he had participated in, along with J.R.R. Tolkien and another friend, as they strolled in a college park in Oxford a few evenings earlier. Lewis remembers what happened on that motorcycle ride:
"When we set out I did not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and when we reached the zoo I did."
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Lewis' experience brings to mind another memorable line; this one from the poet Wallace Stevens:
"Perhaps the truth depends upon a walk around the lake."
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Maybe we can think of Lent as a walk around the lake, or through a park; or maybe even as a motorcycle ride. We need time and space and experiences that allow truth to emerge.
This is true, each Lent; and this true, each day.
Your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
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My Dear People,
A wise woman years ago told me that holding onto resentment, i.e., not forgiving someone, is like eating rat poison and expecting the rat to die.
I was reminded of those wise if sassy words while reading a little essay on forgiveness by the late José Hobday, a Native American and a Franciscan nun. José tells the story of her Seneca grandmother, who said,
"Do not be ignorant and stupid and inhuman as they are. Go to an elder and ask for the medicine that will turn your heart from bitterness to sweetness. You must learn the wisdom of how to let go of poison."
Reflecting on her grandmother's wisdom, José writes,
"Each recall asks for forgiveness, and you stay in the power of that act until you let go...No one, no memory, should have the power to hold us down, to deny us peace. Forgiving is the real power."
In this Lenten season, may we learn still more deeply the wisdom of how to let go of poison, may we learn and live into the power of forgiveness.
For the sake of others, yes. And for our own sake as well.
Your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
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My Dear People,
The moment you say so-and-so is wise or is cruel or defensive or loving or whatever, you have hardened your perception and become prejudiced and ceased to perceive this person moment by moment, somewhat like a pilot who operates today with last week's weather report.
--Anthony de Mello (1931-1987), S.J.
Flying with last week's weather report: sounds pretty dangerous, eh?
And yet, on a daily basis, it's challenging not to do just that.
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I am reminded somehow of the answer that God gave at the Burning Bush when Moses asked whom he should say sent him: I am. No name, no designation, no descriptor, would finally do, would do justice to who God was and is.
And so it is with us, made in the image of God: finally no descriptor, no label, no verdict can do justice to who we are, moment by moment:
We are. You are. I am.
Your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
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Members Jean White and Kia Bentley gave the following prayers at the Vestry meeting this March.
Jean White researched, found, and shared this translation of the Lord’s Prayer at the March Vestry meeting.
(FYI, this first one is thought to be an original of the Lord's Prayer we say today.)
The following translation can be found in the Global Library Online at http://www.global.org/Pub/LordsPrayer.asp. It owned, maintained and operated by the Diocese of Texas of the Old Catholic Church.
Jean White offered this translation while at the Vestry meeting in March.
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As our youth grow and give back to others while in New Orleans, we hold them in our prayers. Please leave your prayers and words of encouragement for them here.
Guest Post by Jenny Bliley, St. Paul's Social Worker
Could you do it? Could your family live off of $1,000 income for thirty days? How much is rent? Would you have money left over to buy food, pay for a field trip for your son, attend a family funeral out of town or get your car fixed? Urban Ministries of Durham has a great new educational game called SPENT that you can play on their web site www.playspent.org. You are given $1,000 to live off of for 30 days.
As a social worker I pride myself in understanding what it takes to stay within a limited budget and make ends meet. I certainly talk with families every day that are making these choices. So, I played the game and...
The following is Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori’s commentary, which was provided by the Episcopal News Service.
Are you traveling light on the earth? Presiding bishop's message for Lent
By Katharine Jefferts Schori
[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church observes Lent in solidarity with Christians throughout the ages. Lent has anciently been understood as a time of solidarity with those who are to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. It's a time to focus on prayer and study and fasting, and in some traditions, almsgiving. Each of those, when done in solidarity with those preparing to be baptized, is an invitation for us to deepen our own Christian spiritual practice.
I would encourage you this year to expand the realm of that practice; to think about your solidarity with those who walk the way of Christ, with those who walk the way of Jesus, in particular concern for those beyond your local community.
Irene Mhogolo visited St. Paul’s, Sunday, March 6, engaging with us in conversation before our Mardi Gras service. She is an advocate for women’s causes and the wife of Presiding Bishop of Central Tanganyika, Mdimi Mhogolo. In rural Africa, she works with women to find new income opportunities, leadership roles, and education.
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Recently discussed on here, Parishioner Chris Tompkins is a parishioner who has been overcoming a great deal of adversity since an accident with the help of a group called Second Half. Learn more about Chris and this group of men who have greatly helped him in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch article.
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The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, delivered a conversation this past Sunday, injecting humor but also giving serious answers to questions from St. Paul’s parishioners. In addition to preaching at St. Paul’s, she also delivered a sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Church Hill, celebrating 400 years.
Tags: presiding bishop, rev. katharine jefferts schori, st. paul’s episcopal, st. john’s
When encountering a great deal of adversity, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. A real-life illustration of that is in a recent Fifty Plus article, focusing on one of our own parishioners, Chris Thompkins.
I heard the Bishop of Haiti, the Rt. Rev. Jean-Zache Duracin, and others talk about Haiti's suffering and Haiti's future; about not staying in death, but living into Resurrection. As the Bishop says, "Haiti, raise up and walk."
Tags: haiti, holy trinity episcopal cathedral, rt. rev. jean-zache duracin
Heard author Lauren Winner. (She is FANTASTIC!). Some notes:
How many of us are wondering what's going on? Do we feel safe enough to acknowledge that?
To welcome the questions: how far does that go?
God's hiddenness.
Tags: jane smiley, lauren winner, prayer
Listening to the Rev. Charles LaFond (a good friend from seminary) speak about "organic stewardship". He serves as a canon on the staff of the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire. Some notes:
Difficult to talk about money, pushing buttons (shame, grief). Living in a soup of shame and grief, with an awareness that our wealth comes at the price of poverty and suffering for others.
Effective + kind - nice = the best leadership
The difference between charming and changing lives.
Younger generations are not going to give to clubs, etc. They are going to give where they think a difference is being made, where lives are being changed. An institutional suspicion.
People are not greedy; they are scared. Greed is their screen.
We're terrified that our standard of living might change.
Middle ground between being pastor and being prophet. We must be a pastor first.
nhepiscopal.org Under "Stewardship". "No Gimmics."
Fall campaign to raise money; spring campaign to raise people. And both involve pledge cards.
Through all of human history there was room for silence in our lives; but not so since, say, World War II.
If the Devil's old strategy was to get us to sin a lot; the strategy now is to get us to do too much of ANYTHING.
What's the one thing we can do to improve stewardship? Deepen spiritual life.
We receive so much horrible input--TV, Internet, etc.--and so little good, deep input. That's the context we are working in. And then we offer a 12-minute response in the sermon.
The amygdala, the reptilian brain, the size of a kidney bean: it kicks in and overwhelms rationality and, for that matter, spirituality.
A cult of choice for people under 50: they want to keep their options open (delaying marriage; not pledging).
Spirituality: a relentless pursuit of the truth.
Before you speak: is it kind? Is it true? Does it improve on the silence?
Don't tip God.
Having compassion for those who might be/become givers.
"Jesus stared at him and warmed to him," from the story of the Rich Young Ruler.
If we focus on spiritual depth, we will open up the possibility that people will hear God say "I love you," and, further, "I like you." Sabbath, silence, simplicity make room for this. Until people know that they are loved, they will not give as they could.
The prophetic call out of the wilderness, the wilderness in which we are working is a wilderness of words, of exhaustion.
We must offer something better than overwork, etc, something for people to grab a hold of, in place of the overwork, etc. Sabbath, silence, simplicity.
Stewardship is not a logistical matter with pastoral/spiritual implications. It is a pastoral/spiritual matter with logistical implications.
Conversion of life and stewardship must be woven together.
People give because of guilt; or because God has inspired them; or because of the charisma of the leader; or because of the effects your church is having on the world, on the marginalized.
In Ware, New Hampshire, the sign in front of Holy Cross Episcopal Church, says "Ware Community Center," with "Holy Cross Episcopal Church" written underneath in smaller letters. To live, your church must be an outreach center, also with a place to worship.
The choices we are not making are still choices. Most of our sins are things left undone.
Tags: organic stewardship, rev. charles lafond, spirituality
Listening now to author Eboo Patel speak (Wow!). Some notes:
He just told a wonderful story about realizing, at the dinner table, that his daughter, a Muslim, was singing the Lord's Prayer in Spanish. It turns out, she had learned from her Latina nanny.
The Good Samaritan story = helping people from a different background.
Eastern religion is not Methodists in Pennsylvania.
Diversity as asset.
How do we sacralize (make sacred) our religious diversity?
Bonhoeffer: "Those who did not stand up for the Jews do not deserve to sing Gregorian chant."
For many people, all they know about Islam is the bad stuff.
Leaders making the difference with diversity: will it be conflict and cooperation?
Our congregations are positioned to rise up interfaith leaders. Interfaith leaders must have 1) a theology of interfaith cooperation, grounded in our respective faiths; 2) knowing shared positive values across religions; and 3) not believing in the clash of civilizations.
In Tahrir Square: Christians forming a human barrier to shield from sniper fire Muslims who were in prayer. And Muslims did the same five days later when Christians celebrated Mass.
Rabbi Heschel and Dr. King marching together in Selma. And the rabbi said, the soul of Judaism is at stake in the Civil Rights movement.
Are we willing to change the conversation for the better?
To think how accepted Jews and Catholics now are in America. Putnam ("American Grace") says this came simply from Americans building relationships, getting to know one another.
In America, we're better together. ("Better Together" campaigns.)
Dream your dream. Do your work. Be ready for the moment.
Tags: diversity, eboo patel, interfaith leaders
Listening now to a discussion about family systems theory, a la Rabbi Edwin Friedman and Murray Bowen: how human systems (families, congregations, cities, etc.) function and dysfunction. Emlyn Ott leads the session.
This school of thought has had and continues to have huge impact on clergy and their leadership and, therefore, on congregations.
Tags: anxiety, family systems theory, murray bowen, rabbi edwin friedman
Yesterday, It was a pleasure to hear author Lillian Daniel reflect on ministry and church life. She spoke about, among many other things, the difference between feeling lucky and being grateful: God isn't interested in our feeling lucky; he does want us to be grateful. Gratitude begets compassion, and action; luck, not so much.
Tags: gratitude, lillian daniel
An article in today's New York Times tells a compelling story about the Episcopal Cathedral in Port-au-Prince; the treasured murals there (some of which were lost, and the rest of which were damaged, in the earthquake); and the origins of the Episcopal Church in Haiti, when, in 1861, two thousand African-Americans emigrated to Haiti under the leadership of James Theodore Holly.
Tags: episcopal church in port-au-prince, haiti relief funds, mwitikira, tanzania
Posted by Wallace+
The February 2 edition of Style has, as its cover story, the first in a five-part series on the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War & Emancipation. This installment in the series is an interview with U of R's Ed Ayers and it's well worth a read. My favorite lines, an Ayers quotation, are as follows,
"The Civil War is woven into all the hard questions about American Society...The sesquicentennial gives us a way to see that this is all part of the same story."
Yes, indeed. As Dr. Ayers says, "History never stops."
May God give us the patience and the courage to attend to the hard questions, the hard questions of our day.
Amen, amen.
Tags: civil war and emancipation, ed ayers, sesquicentennial
Posted by Laura Woodard
"If you had to pick, what kind of Christianity would you rather have: a Christianity with the right answers that was dead; or a Christianity, loose around the intellectual edges, that compelled people to act in love?"
Diana Butler Bass, author of the provocative book, A People's History of Christianity, posed that question originally asked by one of her professors, Dr. Lovelace.
In yesterday's Word from Grace Street, Wallace+ considers how he might respond:
Which would I pick? If I had been there, I'd like to think I would have jumped up on my desk and yelled, "The love!"
Okay, maybe I wouldn't have jumped up on my desk. That said, the choice is an easy one, if you ask me. I'll take love over truth any day of the week.
But do we have to choose? Click here to read Wallace's full message.
Tags: diana butler bass, love, truth, word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
I hope you saw the Reverend Bill Sachs' Faith and Values column on Saturday, "Who Will Heed Call for Unity?" In the words of the United Nations General Assembly last fall,
"In a world of hatred and mistrust, only the world's religions can help."
In his column, Bill references an interfaith group of clergy that have been meeting and making plans for the establishment of a Faith Forum in Richmond, to help bring together people of all faiths and to help deepen understanding and a sense of shared community. That group of clergy met today, as a matter of fact; and we are looking at this fall, with the 10th anniversary of September 11th, as a natural and fitting time to hold the first annual Faith Forum. While we are still in the early stages of planning, I am a strong sense that we're working on something that will be important for the Richmond community. Please join me in praying for God's guidance and blessing as we continue in our planning.
May God lead us, his children; may God help us to love one another; and may God help our community become more fully the community that he would have us be.
Pictured: Flag at Ground Zero, photo by "snickup" at stock.xchng.
Tags: interfaith, reverend bill sachs, richmond times-dispatch, september 11
Posted by Wallace+
The other day I was handed a column by E.J. Dionne from back in December ("Don't spin the Civil War"). His wise and trenchant words are timely as we ease into the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War & Emancipation.
The more honest we are, the more free we are. And we should settle for nothing less.
We cannot quote him often enough, when Jesus said, "The truth will set you free."
And that truth is a truth, not about battles and leaders of yesteryear, but a truth about today, and a truth about us.
Tags: civil war, sesquicentennial, washington post
Posted by Wallace+
President Obama's remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast are well worth a read (or a listen - see video below).
Let us pray for him and for all our elected leaders.
Tags: prayer, president barack obama
By the Rev. Canon J. Fletcher Lowe Jr., Priest in Residence
Cross-posted from the Diocese of Virginia Newsroom
The following article by St. Paul's Priest in Residence Fletcher Lowe was originally published in the Diocese of Virginia Newsroom on February 2.
"St. Paul's is at the epi-center of downtown Richmond."
-- Jack Berry, CEO/President, Richmond Convention and Visitors' Center
Within walking distances of St. Paul's, Richmond are the State Capitol and the General Assembly, City Hall, the Medical College of Virginia, the Fourth Circuit Court, the Virginia Supreme Court, the John Marshall City Court, Center Stage entertainment center, the Library of Virginia , the banking, legal and brokerage centers, the Federal Reserve, several non-profits and new residential communities.
So what is St. Paul's Christian mission at this epi-center? What about those 85,000 folks who come downtown every Monday through Friday to work, and what about the increasing number who are moving in? Those are questions that are challenging St. Paul's these days.
Click on "read more" below for the full article.
Tags: base camp, downtown, fletcher lowe
Posted by Kimberly Allen
This week, we have a special celebration as part of our ongoing effort to share good news. Roger Whitfield, part of our Global Missions Team, was named one of two recipients of the prestigious Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Award by Virginia Theological Seminary. He was recognized for his work with the Water Project in Mwitikira.
From the release announcing the winners:
This award celebrates the vitally important ministry of the laity in the church and beyond. The award is given each year by the Seminary to honor an Episcopal layperson who, over a significant period of time, has given leadership and unique witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ within his or her congregation, community, Diocese and in the world.
Congratulations, Roger!
You can keep up with the activities of St. Paul's pilgrims in Mwitikira on the "Live from Around the World" blog, with Roger's wife Sandra also posting about ongoing efforts to build relationships in Central Tanganyika.
Tags: carpenter's kids, good news, mwitikira, roger whitfield, water
Guest Post by Steve Micas
Cross-posted from the Richmond Times-Dispatch
On Sunday, January 30, a new "Faith & Values" column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch featured a guest article by St. Paul's parishioner Steven Micas, "Elected officials need your prayers." In it, Steve reflects:
"I prefer to see my job as an opportunity to project spirituality by engaging in a kind of quiet 'missionary' work. Each member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond, where I worship, has a unique way of 'proclaiming Christ in the heart of the city.' For me, proclaiming Christ works best in small public and private ways as I work in the 'fishbowl' of local government...
We all know that direct proselytizing in the workplace is inappropriate. More effective than proselytizing, I think, is the symbolic value of small acts of personal kindness, courage and decency that best reflect a life in conformity with the teachings of St. Paul.
Human examples such as protecting a female employee from sexual harassment by a powerful supervisor, finding a home for a 15-year-old Mexican boy who walked to Virginia from Guadalajara, or publicly correcting a purposeful misstatement by a politician all illustrate that Christian values do have a place at work.
On Sundays, just being in the collective presence of each of you sharing the sacraments is calming and renewing. The sense of community at St. Paul's uplifts me and supports me for the sometimes ugly conflict inherent in the political world."
Click here to leave an encouraging comment on the RTD Web site!
Click read more below for the full article.
Pictured: Steve Micas, recently photographed for the Progress-Index
Tags: faith at work, good news, steve micas
Posted by Kimberly Allen
Yesterday, St. Paul's hosted over 270 lunch guests and more than 30 volunteers as part of Homeward's 13th Winter Point-in-Time Count. The Point-in-Time Count, conducted by Greater Richmond region’s planning and coordinating agency for homeless services, is a twice yearly survey of the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single day.
As the central event site, service providers from around the region were also at St. Paul's offering free flu shots, blood pressure screenings, confidential HIV screenings, and hair cuts, as well as information about veterans services, offender aid and restoration, supportive housing, and more.
This morning's Richmond Times-Dispatch reports:
"Do you get treatment for mental illness? Do you have a problem with alcohol? Do you have a physical disability? Do you have debts? Were you homeless as a child? Knowing more about the approximately 1,000 homeless people in the Richmond region helps the agency and others who serve the homeless do their jobs more effectively, said Homeward Executive Director Kelly King Horne."
Click below to view more photos from the day!
Click here to view extensive data from Summer 2010 Point-in-Time Count.
Tags: emmaus, homelessness, homeward
Posted by Kimberly Allen
Yesterday, Wallace+ shared his experience at a gun show this past August during a briefing at the Virginia General Assembly about legislation to close the gun show loophole. He spoke along with Del. Jennifer McClellan, sponsor of the bill, and Lori Haas, whose daughter survived the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. Also supporting the measure are Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones and Police Chief Bryan Norwood.
In opening remarks, Wallace+ said:
"My experience at a gun show, and my faith in the Prince of Peace, compels me to pray for and work for an end to the "No questions asked" gun sales on the outskirts of our city. We can do better than the status quo of the any gun/any place/any time agenda...
For the sake of the Prince of Peace, and for the sake of our fellow citizens, we must no longer sit on the sidelines and wait for more Virginians to die; for more guns purchased in Virginia to find their way trafficked to other states where they are used to kill and maim our brothers and our sisters.
We know better. Our elected officials, who represent us, know better. So let's act like it and let our better angels prevail. May God give our lawmakers the courage and good judgment to do the right thing and close the Gun Show Loophole."
Click on "read more" for the full text of his remarks.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE COVERAGE ON CBS-6 (WTVR)
Tags: faith in action, gun show loophole, guns
Posted by Wallace+
"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind." - Mother Teresa
"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." - The Dalai Lama
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When I was a boy, an elderly man lived in the house over our back fence. His name was Mr. Rateree. We moved from that house while I was only in first grade. Though we went a mere six blocks away, that was far enough that I rarely again saw Mr. Rateree. What I remember, however, as though it were just yesterday, is Mr. Rateree coming to our fence on occasion, when he would see me and my brothers playing basketball, or chasing each other around the yard with sticks, or doing whatever we might be doing on a given afternoon, and he would call us over and stuff through the fence a candy bar for each of us.
Click here to read the full message.
Pictured: "Kindness 1" by "sveres" on stock.xchng.
Tags: dalai lama, kindness, mother teresa, word from grace street
Posted by Kimberly Allen
On Monday, the President of Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) was profiled in "HOME Leader Fights for Fair Housing," in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Speaking to the reporter, Connie Chamberlin explained what motivates her work at HOME:
"I work for an organization that has a mission that involves changing the world, and it's doing a good job step by step."
And change the world they do, showing up day after day and doing the unsung legwork necessary to fight discrimination in housing access and remain a force for justice in our city.
HOME, with St. Paul's roots, was founded in 1971 and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Tags: affordable housing, discrimination, home, housing opportunities made equal, richmond times dispatch, spong
Posted by Kimberly Allen
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| Photos: Gun Safety Vigil at the State Capitol Richmond.com Slideshow by Sarath Nathan |
| MLK Day: Photostream on Flickr |
On Monday, Wallace+ joined with other faith leaders from Richmond, youth from around the Commonwealth, and Virginia Tech families, to offer prayers in remembrance of all those hurt by gun violence.
In opening the vigil, Wallace+ prayed:
"Dear God, we thank you for this gathering, this day, in this place, on the grounds of our Capitol: to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and all those who have been injured by or lost their lives to gun violence. We remember their families as well; and all who still grieve and heal; as we pray for comfort, for relief, and for hope.
We also pray, Lord, that you would deepen and renew in us our commitment to bringing about a change in Virginia and, in turn, in America. May you give us the courage, and strength, and wisdom we need to persevere, and may you raise up others to join us. Lead us on, dear God, and bless our work, until we are delivered from the plague of gun violence that has lain over our land for so long, for far too long.
With hope, in faith, and with determination, we pray, in the name of God, Amen."
Click here to read the full text of the other prayers and readings presented during the vigil.
Video: The Gun Debate
Part of the prayer offered by Wallace+ and other coverage from Monday is included in this Richmond Times-Dispatch video by Chris young. Vigil coverage begins one minute into the video.
Tags: gun violence, mlk day, prayer
Posted by Kimberly Allen
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" In that spirit, last week, Wallace+ shared how he planned to celbrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a "day on" and invited the people of St. Paul's to share your plans.
In response, parishioner Susan Kalanges shared the following:
Susan is a leader within the National Alliance on Mental Illness - Central Virginia chapter. Thanks, Susan, for sharing your efforts!
MLK 25 Challenge
If you haven't yet shared how you spent the day, please do so! We'd love to pass along any reflections, photos, and inspirations you may have. And, of course, engaging in the community is a year-round ministry. This year, the Corporation for National & Community Service launched the MLK 25 Challenge on Martin Luther King Day, encouraging Americans to serve year-round.
Visit the St. Paul's Web site to get involved through St. Paul's outreach ministries or check out Hands On Greater Richmond for short- and long-term volunteer opportunities throughout the city of Richmond.
Tags: good news, martin luther king, mlk, susan kalanges, volunteer
Posted by Kimberly Allen
In today's Word from Grace Street, Wallace+ reflects on the following comment, made by novelist David Mitchell in an interview:
"Mid-life crisis, age, the heart gets more interesting than structure. I've got kids, I've got a wife, we're stuck together for a while. And, suddenly, there's an understanding that this is what life is. It's actually the mess, it's the mud, it's the tangle, it's not the clean, hygienic fireworks. It's the little invisible novels that get written between two people everyday of their lives."
Click here to read the full message.
Tags: relationship, story, word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
Following up on a recent Word from Grace Street, I wanted to share with you a recent and superb column by David Brooks, "Tree of Failure." The Niebuhr quotation he ends with is simply electric:
"Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore, we must be saved by hope...Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore, we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness."
Tags: david brooks, failure, forgiveness, new york times, word from grace street
Posted by Kimberly Allen
As blogged earlier, St. Paul's hosted the Third Annual Interfaith Service of Prayer & Music this afternoon, praying for our democracy and all elected leaders. Prayers were offered by a Hindu priest, a Muslim student leader, a Rabbi, and by Christian clergy from the Methodist and Episcopal traditions. You can listen to each of the prayers offered, as well as the Welcome and Benediction, by clicking on the links below.
3rd Annual Interfaith Service of Prayer & Music
A Prayer for All Humanity
Pundit Raja Gopal
Richmond Temple
A Prayer for Peace and Justice
The Rev. Pat Shipley
Centenary United Methodist Church
A Prayer for the United States of America
Charles Turner
President, Muslim Student Association, VCU
A Prayer for Virginia
Rabbi Ben Romer
Congregation Or Ami
A Prayer for Richmond
The Rev. Ben Campbell
Richmond Hill/St. Paul's Episcopal Church
A Prayer for All Public Servants
The Rev. Pat Shipley
Centenary United Methodist Church
A Prayer for Sound Government
The Rev. Wallace Adams-Riley
Dear God, the source of all we desire and all we need, we thank you for the great gift of our democracy, the great of our government: we pray for our leaders, that you would grant them all the wisdom and courage and strength they need to govern for the good of all your people. May they honor the public trust they have been given, that divisions may be healed, and that forbearance, respect, and unity would grow. And, together, may we become yet more fully that city upon a hill that we have for so long desired to be, for our own sake, and for the sake of all the nations of the earth. In the name of God we pray. Amen
Benediction and Sending Forth
The Rev. Ben Campbell
Technical difficulties? If you do not hear the correct forum after selecting a prayer, please click on the grey tab at the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. Then, select the tab on the player that says "Playlist." You will then see a full menu of audio tracks from which to choose the prayer you'd like to hear.
Pictured above (L-R): Wallace+, Pundit Raja Gopal, Rabbi Ben Romer, The Rev. Ben Campbell, Charles Turner, and The Rev. Pat Shipley
Tags: democracy, interfaith, prayers
Posted by Kimberly Allen
Thank you to all who attended the Third Annual Interfaith Service of Prayer & Music at St. Paul's earlier today. This community service was a time for people to join together in prayer for our democracy, elected leaders, and public servants as Virginia's General Assembly reconvened.
In his welcome, Wallace+ explained further:
We come together this week, as the members of our General Assembly gather, across the way, for a new session, to do the business of the people of our Commonwealth; and we come together this week as our nation continues to mourn and to pray over the events of last Saturday, in Tuscon, Arizona; as we continue to pray for all those effected, for those recovering, and for those grieving.
When Congresswoman Giffords was attacked she was, of course, doing the most essential thing that public servants do: she was meeting the people; she was listening to the people; she was asking the people what they need. And the others gathered there, with her, were doing their part, as well, in the essential practice of democracy.
The events of this week underscore for us the precious nature of human life, as well as the precious nature of democracy. Indeed, next to life itself, surely one of the very greatest gifts that we have been given, as Americans, is the gift of democratic government: government of the people, for the people, and by the people.
Today we join together to pray for that democracy, for our democracy, for our Republic; for peace and for justice; and, indeed, we come together to pray for all people, for all God's children, praying for justice and peace around the world.
For those who couldn't be with us, audio of each of the prayers offered will be posted shortly.
Tags: democracy, interfaith, prayers
Posted by Wallace+
Yesterday morning, as I watched Speaker John Boehner on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, making remarks about the tragedy in Tuscon, I found myself thinking about the importance of tears.
Speaker Boehnor, as perhaps we all are aware, is known as someone "easily" brought to tears. And, surprise, surprise, he has taken some ribbing, mocking, etc., for it.
Well, not surprisingly, he had a hard time making it through his remarks on the House floor.
And, while I have little, if anything, in common with John Boehner politically, I found myself grateful to him at that moment.
And I was reminded of something the poet Wallace Stevens said, that sentimentality is a "failure of feeling."
The irony is that usually we think of sentimentality as an excess of feeling. Which perhaps it sometimes is.
On the other hand, I think too often we are so afraid of our feelings, especially feelings of grief and sadness, that we don't allow them to find their natural and healthy expression.
And thus we experience, in Stevens' words, a failure of feeling.
As I find myself saying to people, from time to time, when they apologize for their tears, "God gave us tears to use them."
And we need to use them.
Tags: grief
Posted by Kimberly Allen
In today's Word from Grace Street following the tragic mass shooting in Arizona, Wallace+ begins:
Columnist Ross Douthat wrote this week about "a rush to declare this tragedy a teachable moment."
I was reminded of John Wesley's line, "Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry."
Indeed, the rush didn't work out very well. Many outrageous and ill-considered things have been said. Along with, thank goodness, some wise and considered things.
He continues:
Truth is, every moment is a teachable moment. And, often (very often), the difference between a teachable moment received and a teachable moment missed is rush: whether we hurry by the moment so fast that we miss the teaching.
Click here to read the full message.
Tags: word from grace street
Posted by Kimberly Allen
As Wallace+ often remarks, St. Paul's partnership with Homeward to help address, reduce, and end homelessness is central to our mission of proclaiming Christ in the heart of the city.
Just before Christmas, on December 21, Homeward organized a Memorial Vigil at St. Paul's to remember those who died without homes in Richmond in 2010. The service was one of hundreds that took place nationwide as part of National Homeless Persons Memorial Day. Wallace+ offered an opening homily, followed by a reading of the names of the deceased with The Rev. Tyrone Nelson, pastor of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, Richmond's cold weather emergency overflow shelter.
In her closing remarks, Kelly King Horne, Homeward's Executive Director, urged those present to recommit themselves to helping prevent and end homelessness in 2011. With the New Year comes a new opportunity to get involved. Homeward is currently recruiting volunteers for the 13th Winter Point-in-Time Count at St. Paul's later this month on Thursday, January 27 (9 am - 1:30 pm).
Click on "read more" to jump to additional information about the vigil and this volunteer opportunity.
Photos courtesy of Mark Gormus, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Tags: emmaus, homeless, homeward, memorial garden, richmond times-dispatch
Posted by Wallace+
On this Feast of the Epiphany, I gladly pass along an excerpt from Mary Oliver's "On Thy Wondrous Works I Will Meditate (Psalm 145)". Last night I finished Oliver's collection Thirst and began her latest, Swan.
For me, every reading of Oliver's poetry is an Epiphany:
I know a man of such
mildness and kindness it's trying to
change my life. He does not
preach, teach, but simply is. It is
astonishing, for he is Christ’s ambassador
truly, by rule and act. But, more,
he is kind with the sort of kindness that shines
out, but is resolute, not fooled. He has
eaten the dark hours and could also, I think,
soldier for God, riding out
under the storm clouds, against the world’s pride and unkindness
with both unassailable sweetness, and consoling word.
Tags: epiphany, mary oliver, poetry
Posted by Kimberly Allen
In December, parishioner Chip Jones took a moment to fill out our Good News form online - a new initiative St. Paul's launched last year to help spread the good news in parishioners' lives with one another.
The news? Chip 'celebrates another chapter in his writing life' as his third book, War Shots: Norm Hatch and the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Cameramen of World War II, arrives in bookstores this month. Below is his invitation to ALL of his friends at St. Paul's to a book signing this Saturday at Fountain Books (an independent bookstore at 1312 E Cary St. in Shockoe Slip).
From Chip: My third book will be in bookstores by early January, with a signing to which ALL my friends at St. Paul's are invited at Fountain Books, Jan. 8, Saturday, Noon. It's called War Shots: Norm Hatch and the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Cameramen of World War II, and tells about the life and times of the brave Marines who filmed combat from Tarawa to Iwo Jima. So I celebrate another chapter in my writing life, and hope anyone who enjoys history, Hollywood, or just a good story will come to Fountain Books on Cary Street at Shockoe Slip to join Debbie and me for the book's launch.
You can contact Chip directly at charlesvjones@verizon.net or (804) 747-7722.
Click to read more information from the publisher.
Tags: charles jones, chip jones, good news
Posted by Kimberly Allen
On this Eleventh Day of Christmas, we pass along to you (with permission) this friendly note from Amy Grigg about attending Christmas worship at St. Paul's:
Good morning, Rev. Adams-Riley,
Christmas was made richer for my daughters and me by attending the Christmas day service at St. Paul's. Later in the afternoon I paged through the New York Times and saw the following editorial with recipes for the Christmas tree. Perhaps you saw it, but if not, I've attached the link below.
Thanks for sharing, Amy!
Transforming Christmas trees into a cooking spice... what a perfect entry for St. Paul's "Food for the Soul" blog category!
We hope to see you and your daughters again soon.
Pictured: Art by Ray Fenwick for New York Times
Tags: christmas, green team, new york times, recycling
Posted by Wallace+
On the eleventh day of Christmas, it's my pleasure to post a fine column by our good friend Ben Campbell. You may well have seen it (published a few days ago in the RTD and in the Richmond Hill newsletter); even if you did, it's well worth another read:
"...the secret of Christmas is the secret of locality."
Amen, amen.
Tags: ben campbell, christmas
Posted by Kimberly Allen
In today's Word (and second word) from Grace Street, Wallace+ writes about the Lord of Misrule, "appointed to preside over festivities marking the end of Christmastide" for centuries.
"On Twelfth Night, the world is turned upside down, the rules are suspended. In Shakespeare, a woman dresses as a man, and a servant acts as nobleman. In many cathedrals, a boy chorister is appointed bishop for a time, taking the bishop's seat as presider, wearing his miter and carrying his crosier.
Eventually the Church decided that the festivities had gotten out of hand and thus the custom was abolished. And yet perhaps we, the Church, were onto something way back then. After all, the one we call the King of Kings was born in a stable, in a little town, on the edge of the Roman Empire, with an audience of animals, shepherds, and foreigners.
"What are the rules that he, the original Lord of Misrule, might suspend in our lives? What are the things in my life and in yours that he would turn upside down?"
Indeed, suspending the rules a bit early, today Wallace+ wrote about Twelfth Night on the Fifth Night!
Click here to read the complete original message.
Click here for the follow-up note (with apologies for any confusion!)
Pictured: Mervyn Clitheroe's Twelfth Night party, by "Phiz" (c 1840)
Tags: christmas, word from grace street
Posted by Kimberly Allen
Today, the U.S. President signed historic legislation to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, saying
"For we are not a nation that says 'don't ask, don't tell.' We are a nation that says, 'Out of many, we are one.'"
Watch video of the signing ceremony online at WhiteHouse.gov or click on the video below.
Tags: don't ask don't tell, lgbt
Posted by Wallace+
The great wings were spread
Showing glory on the fields, and fire.
The whole air, singing, bore him up, and higher,
Unswerving, unreluctant. Soon he shone
A gold speck in the gold skies; then was gone.
The air was colder, and grey. She stood alone.
-- From Rupert Brooke's "Mary and Gabriel"
Like Mary, we now wait.
And as for Mary, so for us:
a time to trust.
A time to trust, as are all times:
be they bright and shining, be they cold and grey.
A time to trust, we pray.
So be it, Lord, this day.
Tags: advent, christmas, poetry, word from grace street
Posted by Wallace+
A few things in the current headlines that I am especially grateful for:
Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Wow! A major step forward in the name of justice. Comparable to the integration of the Armed Forces in 1948.
That the tensions on the Korean peninsula have, at least for now, relaxed. We pray for peace on earth.
That Pope Benedict is speaking more pointedly and, I would say, courageously, about the crisis in the Roman Catholic Church around the sexual abuse of minors. That he would ask the question of how it was that this was allowed to happen is very promising. Let us pray for him, for the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, and, of course, for those who have suffered abuse. Let us pray for healing, and for a new day.
As we say often, but not often enough: Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Amen, amen.
Posted by Kimberly Allen
Thank you to all those who attended this afternoon's Homeless Persons Memorial Vigil in the St. Paul's Memorial Garden, sponsored by Homeward. It was a poignant service as Wallace+ and the Rev. Tyrone Nelson of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church read the names of 17 individuals who died without homes in Richmond this year. The church bells tolled and candles were lit in honor of each life.
In his homily, Wallace+ described the importance of remembering each life:
We remember those who have died, and we hope that by remembering them, that we would also raise awareness—raise consciousness—in our community; that hearts might be moved, and that minds might be opened, so that metropolitan Richmond would become more the compassionate community that God yearns for us to be.
Words from the priest and poet John Donne speak to us now, reminding us of the unalterable bonds that all human beings share. With some gentle editing, Donne’s short mediation, “No man is an island”:
No man, or woman, or child, is an island entire to itself; every woman, every man, and every child is a piece of the continent, a part of the mainland; if a clod be washed away by the sea, America is the less, Richmond is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if any of one’s friends or one’s own family were; any man, woman, or child’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in humanity.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Click on read more for the full remarks.
Posted by Wallace+
A NYT editorial yesterday, with the above title, holds forth on the opportunity that the current Congress has to put an end to an unjust policy: discriminating against gay and lesbian Americans serving in our armed forces. If this Congress fails to do the right thing, surely another Congress will rise to the occasion. That being said, let's pray that this Congress makes the most of its last chance.
Also, in the name of equality, this week we released our next testimonial for the "It Gets Better/Faith Gets Better" campaign in response to suicides by teenagers bullied because of their sexual orientation. Lori Plumley, a member of Three Chopt Presbyterian Church in Richmond, reached out after learning about "Faith Gets Better" from her friend and St. Paul's parishioner Nita Jones. You can watch her video (recorded and posted with her daughter's blessing) below or on the St. Paul's YouTube Channel.
Tags: it gets better, lgbt, new york times
Posted by Wallace+
Yesterday, my brother Julian, who lives in Los Angeles, sent me the following picture of a man he's crossed paths with several times in the last few days, funny enough. Along with the pic, Julian sent the following message, "Just a normal day in LA, for Jesus. Gettin' his latte and off to work."
After snapping this shot, Julian then gave the guy a thumbs-up; and the fellow gave him a thumbs-up back, with a big smile.
As the Rev. John Claypool used to say, "God whose other name is 'Surprise'!"
Tags: This post has not been tagged.
Posted by Wallace+
Nelson and I attended a special preview of the Nutcracker on Friday, attended by busloads of children from all around Richmond. During the course of the performance, I discreetly snapped a few pics with my iPhone, which has no flash. The result was fascinating, as you can see.
Light will do things that we never could have predicted, never could have imagined. It's no wonder that light is the most essential, the most universal of all metaphors, religious or otherwise: light in the midst of darkness; light as surprise; light as mystery; light as life!
Thanks be to God.
Click on 'read more' to see the additional photos!
Tags: carpenter theatre, christmas, light, richmond ballet
Posted by Wallace+
On Saturday, the Rev. Bill Sachs, of St. Stephen's, kicked off a new weekly column in the RTD on Faith & Values. It was a good start and the series sounds promising. We'll have to keep an eye out.
Tags: richmond times dispatch
Posted by Wallace+
I commend to you the following video made by the Central Christian Church.
Tags: episcopal cafe, video
Posted by Wallace+
A TV special airing Friday evening sounds promising.
Nearly fifty years since the beginning of the civil rights movement in America, what is the status today of racism, religious freedom, equality for women, gay rights, access for people with disabilities, bullying among kids and more? Tom Brokaw Presents Bridging the Divide dives head first into these complex issues facing the nation's increasingly diverse population, and looks at the impact of the current economy, the rise of technology, social media and the 24-hour news cycle. Brokaw speaks to a wide array of experts to get beyond the salacious headlines and provide a truer and more complete picture of where the country stands.
Tom Brokaw Presents Bridging the Divide premieres on the USA Network at 7pm this Friday, Dec. 10.
Tags: civil rights, discrimination
Posted by Wallace+
The stars in the early morning sky, above Monument Avenue.
Six miles later the sun was well up as we swung back onto Monument from Malvern, my fleece around my waist.
The temperature read 19 degrees when I got home.
To get Nelson to school on time, I would have to hustle.
Another day, another thanksgiving.
Tags: thanksgiving
Posted by Kimberly Allen
Today is the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. With Lennon on the mind, Wallace+ recalls one artist's story about the famous Beatles member in today's Word from Grace Street. A young artist was grieving after the sudden and unexpected loss of her fiancé, who had been the original bassist for the Beatles. She then explained the different approaches of Lennon and George Harrison in responding to her:
"John had a very funny way of telling the people he loved what was going on. And one day he just said, 'You have got to decide if you want to live or die. There is no other question. And you think about that, then we'll talk about it again.' And George was just sweet, not like John, in a harsh way. But the thing that helped me was John."
Wallace+ then writes:
There is a time for gentleness, and there is a time for directness.
There is a time for the babe in a manger, and there is a time for John the Baptist.
Posted by Wallace+
I hope you've seen the following clip:
Guest post by Anne Snyder, a St. Paul's parishioner
A poem, inspired by watching the Rev. Kate Jenkins ever so gently place the "body of Christ" in the hands of a living blonde angel during communion.
On a Sunday Morning
Illuminated by a shaft of light
Untroubled faith capped with Tiffany gold and
Tested faith like the winter willow
Made to bend but never break
Small hands upturned receiving the gift
Of faith enduring through light and darkness
Older slim hands sharing the gift
Of love enduring
Tags: anne snyder, eucharist, kate jenkins, poem
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815 E. Grace Street
Richmond Virginia 23219
Phone: 804.643.3589
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