Spirit of Assisi Forum - April 12 8:30am - 1:00 pm at Shrine of St. Anthony, Ellicott City

If you are interested, please contact Dick Williams, who has already reserved a couple of spaces.

The View from Bolton Street

An Invitation to the Triduum

Tomorrow night begins the Triduum, an ancient tradition in the Church that allows us to recreate the last moments of Jesus’ human life, as we join him and the disciples in the Garden, in the upper room, at his arrest, trial, and finally his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. 

It may seem odd to come to Church Thursday, Friday, Saturday AND Sunday.  You may think it is hard enough to get there one day a week! Or perhaps that ‘we heard the whole story on Palm Sunday - what’s the big deal?’ But let me encourage you to consider making Maundy Thursday, Good Friday or the Easter Vigil part of your Holy Week this year.

Why? Because it is one thing to know the story. Another to read the story. And another entirely to re-enact the story. So please join us as we re-enact these last moments of Jesus. Washing Each other’s feet. Breaking bread. Carrying the cross. And finally staring into that empty tomb, scarcely believing it can be real.

Please Join Us. 7:30 pm on Thursday, Friday or 8:30 pm on Saturday Evening.

A Blessed Holy Week to you all.

March 23 Baltimore Ceasefire -Love and Light

You may have followed the news of the Baltimore Ceasefire efforts that call attention to Violence in the city and called for a successful 12 day ceasefire in January. They gather every time a person is killed at the site where it happened to pray and bring positivity back into the city. 

This week a man, George Michael Hill, was killed just a few blocks from Memorial in a place that can often feel miles away from our community but is just around the corner. 

If you are able on Friday join us at 7 pm at Laurens and Mculloh to pray for the life of George Hill and for an end to violence in our city. 

The View from Bolton Street

One time in college I visited a faith healer.

Not for me, mind you, at least not consciously. I was active in a Bible study, and one of the leaders said there was a faith healer in town and we might want to go and see what it was all about. 

I was skeptical, but once I was assured we could leave whenever we wanted, I decided to go.  It was an interesting experience. People were friendlier and more normal than I would have thought, and there were snacks, which is always important. And lots of big blown-up pictures of gold teeth (more on that later).

And then the healer came out -- I can’t remember his name – and he did have a certain appeal, acknowledging that most people don’t trust these kinds of things but saying that he was different and that the truth would reveal itself. In truth, not much happened; he identified a few “illnesses” in the crowd, people came forward, he prayed over them, some said they felt healed but none of them (in the three hours we were there anyway) exhibited the “sign” of healing he was known for: teeth with gold crosses on them. I hadn’t thought too much about that moment until this past week when news broke of “Cambridge Analytica” using stolen Facebook data to shift elections. 

The strategy this “faith healer” used and that “Cambridge Analytica” used are remarkably similar. You may think that all of the data stolen was used to change people’s minds and trick them into believing things that aren’t true, but it isn’t quite that simple.  No matter how much any company or individual knows about you, they can’t make you believe anything you don’t want to.  

What some faith healers, or some psychics do is essentially a low-tech phishing exercise. In a room of 300 people, all of whom are predisposed to be healed for something — the healer can say “Someone in this room is in pain!” And a lot of people will say, “Yes, me.” “Someone here has been in pain for a long time!” And a few less.“Someone has a pain in their knee, and pain that won’t let them walk, a pain that makes them feel LESS THAN,” and suddenly a few people are thinking “YES. THAT IS ME. GOD IS TELLING HIM ABOUT ME.”

Cambridge Analytica, or any big data-mining company, succeeds by identifying particular subsets of people and delivering messages specifically to them to which they will be receptive. Essentially they are very good at “building the room” for the faith healer or snake oil salesman to work.  

And boy did it work. 

But this is not all Facebook’s fault. At some level we as human beings have to be responsible for the information that we consume and our willingness to hear and digest voices we might naturally disagree with. The success of this particular effort was not only in “building a room” of people predisposed to anti-immigrant, pro-racist, anti-government, anti-intellectual attacks — but also to block out any opposing voices by convincing people that “only they” had the truth. “Only I can fix it” was, and is, an oft-repeated line. 

The Church is not always innocent in this regard.  While there was no Facebook 2000 years ago, many of the gnostic cults succeeded with very similar messaging – “we have a secret truth you need to hear” -- and at some level the structure of many churches puts one figure at the top who “alone can speak to God.” And faith healers and snake oil salesmen have successfully peddled their wares without the use of social media for generations.  

What does this mean for us? Quit? Pull back? 

How about Speak the Truth in love? 

One of my favorite reflections from the vestry retreat was the acknowledgment that we as a community need to be more open to opposing viewpoints. We are too “monochromatic” in race, color, political ideology and economic status. The danger is that we are in effect building our own room and blocking ourselves from differing perspectives and ways of seeing the world, and the Church. 

I left that “faith healer” in 2003 feeling very strongly that I never wanted to do that again, and I never wanted to be guilty of the kind of manipulation I had just seen. Now after digesting much of what I’ve read about Cambridge Analytica, I am equally concerned about making sure that we don’t create communities where that kind of abuse andradicalization can take place. I hope you will join me and the vestry as we consider what kind of culture we have here at Memorial, how we make people feel welcome, and how willing we are to hear outside viewpoints and outside voices, to ensure that the only radicalizing force in our life is Jesus.

Look Forward: Holy Week Services - a primer

 

Welcome to Holy Week.  A sacred and holy time for Christians around the world.  The worship we experience this week has been a part of the Christian tradition from the very beginning.  Below you will find a summary of the services to come. 

When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.” ’ They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna!
   Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 
   Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. - Mark 11:1-11

Maundy Thursday. The day of the Last Supper. Jesus and the disciples gathered in that upper room to have a meal and so, too, shall we gather to commemorate that meal. A light supper at 6:30 with activities for children will be followed by the service at 7:30. 

Maundy Thursday is about recognizing Jesus' extraordinary love for all humankind and reflecting that love ourselves. We will have washing of feet, as Jesus washed the disciples feet, and commanded that they wash others'. We will sing Ubi Caritas which is translated as "Where charity and love are, there is God". The service concludes, but does not end, with the stripping of the Altar. This is the first service of the Triduum - Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil - which are considered to be a single service over three days. For anyone who has never been to any of the Triduum services, we cannot recommend it enough to deepen your understanding of Holy Week, and to heighten the joy of the resurrection on Easter Day.

Good Friday - the day of the crucifxion; the culmination of God's plan; the matriculation of the Christian faith. Good Friday is the middle service of the Triduum, and the most somber. The service includes the Passion Narrative from John and the adoration of the cross. The setting and liturgy are essential to fully understanding both the sorrow and the joy of Good Friday and Easter. Recognizing the sacrifice that was made for all of us builds in each of us a greater reward from Easter Day.

The Great Vigil of Easter. "The service begins in darkness, sometime between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter, and consists of four parts: The Service of Light (kindling of new fire, lighting the Paschal candle, the Exsultet); The Service of Lessons (readings from the Hebrew Scriptures interspersed with psalms, canticles, and prayers); Christian Initiation (Holy Baptism) or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows; and the Eucharist. Through this liturgy, the BCP recovers an ancient practice of keeping the Easter feast. Believers would gather in the hours of darkness ending at dawn on Easter to hear scripture and offer prayer. This night-long service of prayerful watching anticipated the baptisms that would come at first light and the Easter Eucharist. Easter was the primary baptismal occasion for the early church to the practical exclusion of all others. This practice linked the meanings of Christ's dying and rising to the understanding of baptism." - From the Episcopal Dictionary of the Church

Easter Day. The focal point of the entire church calendar. The day of which all Sundays are representative. Lillies and Handel and bells and fancy hats and new dresses. It is the day of joy.

From the Episcopal Dictionary of the Church - "The feast of Christ's resurrection. According to Bede, the word derives from the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess Eostre. Christians in England applied the word to the principal festival of the church year, both day and season. 1) Easter Day is the annual feast of the resurrection, the pascha or Christian Passover, and the eighth day of cosmic creation. Faith in Jesus' resurrection on the Sunday or third day following his crucifixion is at the heart of Christian belief. Easter sets the experience of springtime next to the ancient stories of deliverance and the proclamation of the risen Christ. In the west, Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Easter always falls between Mar. 22 and Apr. 25 inclusive. Following Jewish custom, the feast begins at sunset on Easter Eve with the Great Vigil of Easter. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Easter on the first Sunday after the Jewish pesach or Passover (which follows the spring full moon). Although the two dates sometimes coincide, the eastern date is often one or more weeks later. 2) Easter Season. See Great Fifty Days. (for those curious - you can find the Great Fifty Days here)

Pyjama Party Fundraiser has been cancelled - our apologies

We're terribly sorry - due to unforeseen circumstances the PJ Party has been cancelled for April 6. We have hope that it will be rescheduled at a later date - keep your eyes open.

Stage Rising and Set Rising 2018 - Into the Woods

On April 1, 2018 - Easter Day, from 1:30 pm until we're finished (but not into April 2, we promise) we will move the pieces of the stage out of storage in the garage and assemble the whole durn thing! It is an enormous, some might even say Herculean, task and it benefits from as many willing hands and strong backs as we can muster. It is also an enormous amount of fun as can be seen in the pictures below from last year's Stage Rising for The Secret Garden.

We invite all to join us for as many hours as you can give us - there may even be pizza and other goodies in the evening to keep our energy up. edit: Paul Seaton, producer extraordinaire, assures your editor that there will indeed be Pizza and drinks for days at Stage Rising. So come build some muscle and eat your fill.

In the week after Easter we will level the stage and then begin assembling the set upon it. This is no less work than the raising of the stage, but requires fewer hands at any one time. John Seeley & Co. will be in the church every day from at least 12:00 (and possibly earlier) until around 10:00 pm. Have some time to donate within that window? Come lend your hands and we will find you good work to do. 

In the meantime - look at all these smiling faces:

Set Construction for Into the Woods

UPDATE: The stage is (mostly) up and leveled - now we need to put the surface on it, screw all of that down, and raise the upper platform, after that we need to raise the set. Any and all labor is welcome! Contact John Seeley ASAP if you have some hours to give.

For any of you who have ever attended a Memorial Players production, you may remember looking at the set and thinking, "how did they do that?" Well, wonder no more! Instead come join the wizard who makes it all happen, John Seeley, and help with putting together the pieces that make up the set. Right now John is confident that we will be finished before Easter when the stage goes up (and everyone is invited for that also!) but that confidence requires extra hands.

At this point almost all of the work left involves painting, which almost anyone can do, so have no fear for a lack of expertise.

Here is the schedule going forward (please be assured you are in no way committing to staying the entire time - any hours you can give are most welcome!):

Friday, March 23: 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm after which we'll take a break for Stations of the Cross, then reconvene at 8:00 until 10:00 pm

Saturday, March 24: 10:30 am - 6:30 pm - please note when you arrive that the Bolton Hill parking passes are being distributed from the LFH vestibule from 8:30 to 12:30.

After Saturday we are hoping that all of the work that can be done before the stage goes up will be complete, as we will not be working during Holy Week. 

Green Team: Faith Climate Event and a call to Mayor Pugh

In the days leading up to Earth Day, congregations and communities across Baltimore are celebrating their commitment to care for Creation! Join them (and us!) at these events and find out below how you can help us #StopOilTrains in Baltimore!

Solar & Clean Energy Workshop at Mount Lebanon Baptist Church

When: Wednesday, March 28, 6pm-8pm (Light dinner at 5pm) 
Where: Mount Lebanon Baptist Church
2812 Reisterstown Rd, Baltimore, MD 21215
How: RSVP HERE

Join us at Mount Lebanon Baptist Church for an interactive workshop and presentation on clean energy for your home and congregation. Hear from our Director, Joelle Novey, about the link between our energy use and climate change, learn from Baltimore Energy Challenge how to save energy at home, find out from Groundswell how you and your congregation can switch support clean energy through your energy bills, and explore the process of going solar with Retrofit Baltimore. RSVP here!

Join Faith Leaders across Baltimore & ask Mayor Pugh to #StopOilTrains! 

Last month, Rabbi Daniel Burg (pictured at right) testified before the Baltimore City Council in favor of banning construction of new crude oil train terminals, by calling on the councilmembers to listen to the words of Maimonides. "If there is any object which could cause mortal danger, one is required to remove it." He also delivered a letter with signatures from more than fifty faith leaders across Baltimore who support the ban. 

The City Council heeded the testimony of Rabbi Burg and his colleagues, along with many caring voices from across Baltimore and voted to pass the Crude Oil Terminal Ban! Now, it's up to Mayor Pugh to sign the bill and prevent the proliferation of Crude Oil Trains in our city. 

Can you call Mayor Pugh and urge her to sign the Crude Oil Terminal Prohibition? 

Call her here: 410-396-4900 and follow this script: 

"Hi, my name is ______, and I live in (Baltimore or your neighborhood) and attend (your congregation). I am calling today, as a person of faith, to ask Mayor Pugh to sign Bill 17-0150, the Crude Oil Terminal Prohibition when it reaches her desk. This bill will protect our congregations and communities from increased crude-by-rail transit and from the broader impacts of climate change. I hope that Mayor Pugh stands up as a climate leader and signs this bill." 

Look Forward: Palm Sunday Parade

Palm Sunday morning, March 25, at 9:30 AM, members of the congregations of Memorial Episocpal, Brown Memorial Presbyterian, and Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church will gather at the end of the park at the intersection of Park Ave. and McMechen St. At 9:45 the parade will begin to wind its way through Bolton Hill to the member churches, stopping at Memorial  in time for the 10:30 service. 

We've been doing this for a while now, and no one is exactly sure when it began, but it has been at least since the turn of the century. Congregants will process with the singing of hymns and a reading at each church. This year the youth of Memorial will join the procession with homemade tambourines (crafted at Children's Chapel this coming Sunday, the 18th). 

Below is a collection of photos from years past. We invite all to come be part of this year's parade.