Sixty-eight worshippers gathered for Easter Day Eucharist outdoors. This felt like a “breakthrough” moment given that we haven’t gathered as a worshipping community in such numbers since the lockdown began in March last year.
Although numbers aren’t everything, they do tell their own story. This Sunday, resurrection hope was the binding story; and those gathered on the front lawn gave public witness en masse to hope emerging from darkness. It was truly a hopeful sign of things to come, in terms of what we can look forward to in the months ahead.
Going forward, the new liturgical pattern will be indoor/in-person church at 10AM, followed immediately by outdoor church at 11AM. This new pattern for Eastertide will incorporate those who would like to receive communion in the sanctuary and those who would like to gather on the back lawn overlooking the Hudson River. For those who prefer to join our service online, please know that this pandemic-driven adaption has become a permanent part of what we do.
Personally, I very much looking forward to developing “church on the lawn” as another enhancement to our worshipping life, and welcoming back those who feel comfortable returning to church over these coming weeks and months.
You’re Welcome! See more details here: Sunday Worship Calendar
Onward in Resurrection Hope.
This past Sunday in my sermon I leaned heavily on the wisdom of Anne Lamott as I explored the nature of mercy as it relates to the practices we immerse ourselves in during Holy Week. Here’s her definition of what mercy looks like: “Mercy is radical kindness. Mercy means offering or being offered aid in desperate […]
Back in the 50’s and 60’s, it was thought that 500-year-old church divisions could be healed if churches reached across denominational lines and got to know each other. This was an exciting time for the churches in Irvington, as all the fundamental theological issues between the Protestant, Catholic, and Anglican Churches were on the way […]
In my message last week, I wrote of an emerging sense of optimism shared by our church leadership that church life can once again take on the semblance of normality. This past week, Bishop Dietsche shared his own sense of optimism in a letter entitled, “Return of the Common Cup.” He wrote, “…with the waning […]