Monday, July 25, 2011

RSCM schedule


The Royal School of Church Music, 200 plus choristers from the ages of Nine to Seventy Nine and from all over the United Kingdom and United States will be at St Stephens this week.

"Psallam spiritu et mente
I will sing with the spirit and with the understanding also"

Monday July 25:
6:45pm Instructed Evensong
(at King's if there's bad weather)
Tuesday July 26:
5:00pm Choral Evensong
9:00pm Sung Compline
Wednesday July 27th
5:00pm Choral Evensong
9:00pm Sung Compline
Thursday July 28th
7:30pm Faculty Recital
8:30pm Sung Compline
Friday July 29th
5:30pm Choral Evensong
Saturday July 30th
9:00pm Sung Compline
Sunday July 31
10:30am Pontifical Choral Eucharist
Bishop Paul Marshall, Celebrant & Preacher
3:30pm Festal Choral Evensong

Friday, July 22, 2011

Mary Magdalene


Today is the day set aside for Mary Magdalene, the first to see the resurrected Christ. The woman who was healed of seven (7!!) demons. What kind of demons they were we are left to speculate - mental illnesses maybe? Depression, psychosis, autism, dementia certainly are demons even today. Those demons are real enough, so are fear, pride, stubbornness and many more. Mary Magdalene went from battling demons to being the first to bear witness to the resurrection. We don't know how she was healed, but we do know her response: she traveled with him and the disciples and provided for them from their own means. She lived what she experienced and heard:

Matthew 25:35- "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’"

Her final act of caring for her savior was to anoint his body after his death. She was where her savior was (or where she believed him to be) at the tomb, to do the last act of caring that she could - regardless of the association being there would mean, regardless of soldiers, temple guards, or a large stone. She knew where she needed to be and what needed to be done.

May we all live what we have heard and do what we know needs to be done.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Everybody knows your name.......

"Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.
You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name."

Remember those lyrics? Cheers was about a bar where people hung out, talked about nothing and knew they were welcomed.

Not much different than REACH drop-in center was. Was because as of July 5th it was closed as the drop-in center for homeless, and those that had no place to go during the day. A place where they were known, by name. Where their troubles were not unusual. A place they were welcomed and looked for.

Isn't that what we all long for, what we as human's need. We join gyms, clubs, the Y. We attend churches, meetings, stop at favorite bars and restaurants. We look for places that we are welcomed, known and are known by our name.

The only thing that separates us from a group of people that may include the newly separated from abusive partners, recently released from prison, former foster children who have “aged out” of the foster care system, returning veterans, the unemployed, the addicted, the disillusioned, the lost, the delusional and the desperate is a safe place to stay during the day.

There by the grace of God...............