The View from Bolton Street
Monthly Family Dinner - May 16 at 6:00 pm in UFH
Calling all families!
All families of tots, tweens and teens are invited to join us on May 16 at 6 to 7 pm for our 2nd family dinner. Grey and Dads will be working on a mother’s day surprise.
Please RSVP with the number of adults and children in your party so we know how to prepare. RSVP to Amy Rial, rialster@gmail.com.
Thurgood Marshall Commemoration
You are cordially invited to
The Annual Thurgood Marshall Commemoration
Let Justice Roll…
The Honorable Shirley M. Watts,
Judge, Court of Appeals, 6th Appellate Circuit, Speaker
Mr. Stuart O. Simms, Esquire, Moderator
Wednesday, May 16, 2018 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Cathedral of the Incarnation
4 East University Parkway
Baltimore, MD 21218
Ta-Nehisi Coates coming to the Baltimore Museum of Art May 17 at 6 pm
Ta-Nehisi Coates is talking on the subject of “Afrofutures”. What’s Afrofutures, you might ask?
From the BMA Today: “The cultural movement (afrofuturism) envisions alternative futures and new possibilities unapologetically root in black culture and technology. The event includes music by Ancestral Duo and DJTrillnatured…(etc.), and community conversation.” Coates will discuss his work on the “Black Panther” comic series and the same-name, recent film.
Doors open at 6pm. The BMA Auditorium seats 250 or 300. I expect there will be overflow into adjacent rooms with TV monitors. To get a good seat, one would have to line up well in advance of door opening. Bring a book or readiness for a conversation while standing (sitting?) on line.
For full information, please click here to go to the BMA page for this event.
The View from Bolton Street
“Into the Woods, and Out of the Woods” ..... And Just in Time for Pentecost!
First of all, a hearty round of applause to all of our actors, stagehands, stage manager, producer, costume mavens, director and all of the volunteers who baked goods, brought snacks, helped with costumes, and sets and music and all of the other pieces that came together to make “Into the Woods” happen.
Two things I loved about this show. First, that nearly every time I looked at the stage, I saw at least half the people were active members of our congregation. Second, In addition to the 30-40 members of the cast who aren’t members, we also had the opportunity to share a little bit about Memorial with 150 or 200 people every night. Some of whom may actually come back.
So the question for us is now that we are “Out of the Woods.” what happens next? The altar is slowly coming back into view, the stage is going back into storage, The acolytes are re-rehearsing the procession, and the choir is figuring out where their seats are. Throughout the show I introduced Memorial to the audience by saying that “we don’t mind having this stage in here because we as a congregation are more concerned with the mess of the world out THERE, than the little bit of disorder here.”
Which is true! Memorial has always been a church very concerned about its community, sometimes in really negative ways, but mostly in really positive ways. It was wonderful to see so many people out for the No Boundaries Clean Up last Saturday, and even more exciting to hear how excited folks are for future “field trips” into our local communities. So I hope, if you invited someone to church for the musical, you will invite them back for Pentecost on May 20! Or really for any service.
As we continue to explore the Book of Acts this Pentecost season, we continue to see the Early Church grow from 12 scared lonely disciples into a large church spanning three continents, many languages, races, genders, identities and ethnicities. At the same time, we can begin to imagine Memorial’s own growth and transformation as we become a church more in keeping with the end of the Book of Acts than the beginning.
The cast and crew of “Into the Woods” were a wonderful example of that diversity and the benefit of embracing such diversity along racial, ethnic and economic lines — it is my prayer that Memorial, and all of God’s Church, can follow suit.
Liturgy & Living - May 6, 2018
What is the BHCA? And why did we change the name?
Join us after Church as we are joined by Linda Rittleman, President of the Bolton Hill Community Association (formerly the Mount Royal Improvement Association) who will tell us a little bit about what prompted the name change of the Bolton Hill Community Association and what their vision is for the future here in Bolton Hill and in broader West Baltimore. As you may be aware, the original MRIA was founded out of Memorial and has quite a colorful history with the Church and the neighborhood.
So come and hear Linda talk about the mystery of lots 18 and 19, the evocative prose of Mary Paulding Martin, the battles over Urban Renewal, corner stores, and the surprising role State Center has played in our Church and neighborhood’s history.
Bruno Reich reflects on his time at Memorial
Reflection on my DOV internship at Memorial Episcopal
by Bruno Reich
I want to thank everyone at Memorial again for having me over the past 8 months as a DOV (Discerning Ordained Vocation) intern. It has been more rewarding than I could have imagined and I shall always hold this experience close to my heart. I made many new friends and felt so at home with the people I met. It was enlightening to be involved in an urban church in a completely different context.
The purpose of the internship is to be exposed to all of the different aspects of the work of the church and in possibly new and challenging ways. The Tuesday morning Peace and Justice service meets in the West Transept side chapel and is regularly attended by a group of 10 to 15 people who are long time members of Memorial. Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall follows the service - a great time to talk to the regulars and get to know the last 50 years of history of Memorial, the politics and workings of city life and social justice issues that Memorial undertakes. The Faith at 8 Service in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday mornings is attended by 10 to 20 and is a amore diversified group. The service includes a discussion time inspired by the readings and questions posed to the group by Fr. Grey. I was often impressed by the deep faith, insights, experiences and knowledge of the group. I heard poetry recited, off the cuff speeches on racial issues, scriptural exegesis and many other moving exhortations from this group. I so much enjoyed listening to the workings of the minds of the people at Memorial – the atmosphere there seems to allow a real freedom of expression.
I was part of the regular altar crew at the Sunday 10:30 worship services in the Sanctuary. I haven’t spent that much time on the altar since I was a 13 year old acolyte. I love the ancient traditions that we keep. The procession, the order of the worship, the readings, the hymns, the Eucharist – all of this leading us back through countless generations connecting us to ancestors and to the life of Jesus. From the altar I can see how attentive the entire congregation is. I thought that the Blue Mass before Christmas was especially moving, but I was sorry that, in a city that has so much pain, that it wasn’t attended by more. The incredible space of the Sanctuary with the grand gothic arches, byzantine columns, limestone altar, stained glass and heavy timber trusses is such a perfect setting for the high services on the holidays.
Much of the work at the altar was new to me and many procedures at Memorial were different than I was used to but I was very lovingly guided in all of it by the others and learned so much more about the detail that goes into organizing services. Although much of my professional life is work in the public realm, I had never given a sermon before. I’m sure that I both overworked my preparation and still made mistakes – but the congregation was very understanding and encouraging, realizing that these were my first attempts. However, I do feel that I have the ability to articulate the important messages of our faith and to do it in ways that inspire and motivate. My life experiences have brought me to a point where the message to me is so much more than words. I would say that preparing for and delivering the sermons was the most challenging part of the internship and the place where I learned the most.
I was very impressed by the number of other ministries at Memorial and by the dedication of the people in them – The Samaritan Community, Strong Schools, Sustainability, the work with Brown Presbyterian, Corpus Christi and other local churches, the various programs on racial reconciliation and diversity, etc. I was fortunate in my childhood to be involved in many of these same efforts and it was enlightening to see how our church is working on them in places that make a difference. My career has concentrated on designing and building churches. I think that God has given me the unique opportunity to work with many faith traditions, all forms of mainline Christianity, Judaism, Orthodox Christianity, Unitarianism, fundamentalist groups, and others. But I have to say that I continue to love the Episcopal church even more and the inclusivity within our own community. To me Memorial is a real gem in the center city – it and our faith have so much to offer that is underappreciated and underutilized. I will continue to pray for them and the good work they are doing. I came to love the people there and was very sad to leave.
I was an extremely busy 8 months. Besides work at the regular services, I organized bible study, adult formation, outreach efforts, went on pastoral visits and had regular meeting with the intern discernment committee. I took classes at St Mary’s Ecumenical Institute and Seminary, worked with the DOV group at the Diocese, was part of an EFM group at St Andrews, Glenwood, and stayed connected with the men’s group at my home parish, St John’s Ellicott City along with regular sessions with my spiritual director – not to mention designing a few new churches and running my business. It was challenging and exhilarating at the same time, really testing my ability to prioritize, delegate and keep my regular practices of prayer and meditation. Being in this new setting allowed me to grow personally and spiritually - a feeling of being constantly recreated. As energized as I am to be among other followers of Jesus I equally enjoy times of solitude, reflection and connection to nature – I was eager to escape to places where there’s no sound of cars or sirens only the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves - so I send my regards from the trail. I thank the diocese for this opportunity, Memorial for hosting me and God for every day of life.
PAX ET BONUM,
Bruno Reich
Into the Woods - Strike
Into the Woods - Strike! - Once the final curtain descends (well, if we had one it would...) it is time to put away all the stuff. Just as it took many hands to raise the stage, it will take many more to reduce it to its constituent parts and put it away. Strike begins immediately following the close of the show on Sunday the 29th, and will continue on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday starting at 4 pm each day. Please consider lending your labor to this process so we can be finished by Thursday!
The View from Bolton St.
of Vines and Vinegrowers
In the Gospel this week Jesus introduces us to the image of the vine and the vinegrower. The vinegrower is judicious in his pruning, cutting back the branches that don’t bear any fruit so that the rest of the vine can bear much fruit.
Now, as I have told you before, I do not have much of a ‘green thumb’ - that is, I’m not very good at keeping plants alive. In fact some of you helped me with my Facebook rumination about how to rescue some bulbs and rose bushes from my parents house before it is sold. Anyone who has had to go through a similar process with their family knows how difficult this can be. Often something strange and kind of out of the blue becomes the focal point for your anxiety around grief and loss and for me it is certainly ‘Papa’s Roses.’ My grandfather, who passed away in 2015, was a quiet man who seemed to carry most of his own grief and worry from surviving the Great Depression and World War II in two very green thumbs. Which left us with beautifully timed gardens that stay colorful all spring and summer, and some very beautiful rose bushes.
And while I may be able to recover some bulbs and planting’s from Papa’s Garden, the reality is I did not ‘abide in him’ nearly enough while he was alive to maintain such a beautiful garden (nor do I have the space here in Bolton Hill!) and so in some sense, that part has been ‘pruned away’ and I will have to work awfully hard to get it back.
Fortunately, I did abide in my Grandfather in other ways, particularly his faith, his devotion to his family, his patience with and care for others, his perhaps intense frugality, and his delight in taking things apart and putting them back together again. So I do not lament too much in the loss of the garden, because Papa’s roots still run quite deep in me.
As Christians, we are invited into a similar relationship with Jesus the vinegrower and the large vineyard of the Christian tradition. There is nothing wrong with trimming parts of the tradition off that have outlived their usefulness (or perhaps shouldn’t have been there at all!) There is no room in the Church for misogyny, homophobia, racism, sexism, or judgement of others based on their age, gender, or identity. I am grateful that Christ has worked very hard pruning back the Episcopal Church in order to allow a stronger vine to grow.
But we also must ask how close we are to the vine, in order to ensure that we are not in danger of being pruned ourselves. An important question to ask in this regard is ‘how central is Jesus Christ to your daily life?’ While some prefer the (in my opinion heretical) question ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ I prefer the query ‘Where is Christ in this?’
‘Where is Christ in this?’ When I yell at the guy running the stop sign for the umpteenth time. ‘Where is Christ in this?’ As I prepare to make a caustic remark to someone in person or on social media. ‘Where is Christ in this?’ As I contemplate skipping out on a community cleanup or neighborhood event because I’m too tired. These questions matter because no matter how right our politics are - ultimately it is faith that people come seeking at church, relationship with Jesus and with other Christians. That is the fruit they are seeking, and that is what Memorial is so very good at offering.
If we keep ourselves close to vine, and seek a deeper relationship with the vinegrower, I have no doubt we will bear much fruit.
No Boundaries Coalition - The Mayor's Kick Off 2018
Join Friends, Neighbors and Community Organizations this Saturday to take part in a Day of Service with the No Boundaries Coalition.
Meet at Laurens and Pennsylvania Avenue at 9 am or join Neighbors walking over — meet at Memorial at 8:30 am.
You can bring gloves and bags or just yourself and they will have everything ready.
