S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H
in this issue:
PENTECOST 2 | FALL 2020
A new rhythm of life for the parish; outstanding speakers; new offerings for families; and more
THE SUMMONS OF
YOUR SOUL
Dr. James Hollis is a world-renowned Jungian analyst who has written 16 acclaimed books that have been translated into 19 languages. Dr. Hollis has traveled around the world speaking to large audiences, and now he has written a brilliant little book, Living an Examined Life, which he has By Gary D. Jones described as a kind of summation of his life’s work. Rarely have I spent so much time underlining and writing so many notes in a book. But when I got to this vignette, I could only lay down the open book on my chest, close my eyes, and ponder: In walking through the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, I am always moved by a work of sculpture there. Titled The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly, it is the life work of a gentleman who was a janitor for the federal government. By day, James Hampton swept the floors and cleaned the toilets. By night, he walked with gods and the vision they had vouchsafed him. Slowly, with tinfoil from a thousand pieces of chewing gum and the fragments discarded by a bored public passing through the buildings in his custodial care, he assembled his grand vision. I know no other artist with a vision this grand—including Michelangelo, who at least had patrons with deep pockets. Slowly, privately, he worshipped at the shrine of his particular genius. This is a man I admire greatly. He did his work, honored his vision at home, in his garage, unseen by any until his death. He dialogued not with public support, or fame, or companionship, but with the really large. 2
In a footnote to the word “genius,” Hollis writes, “Remember that genius comes from genie, the inherent spiritual presence in each of us. We all have such a presence, though we may have lost contact with it many years ago.” This is the portrait of a man who devoted himself to the summons of his soul, instead of seeking comfort, rewards, security, or merely trying to fit in. True meaning in life is determined by our souls, not by our culture or other voices outside us. But too often we focus on our life’s circumstances, we see ourselves as defined by our history and upbringing, or we are driven by fears and insecurities which can make safety and approval our highest values. But that larger and often quieter presence within us isn’t going anywhere, and sooner or later, it protests and calls us to account. As Hollis says, “We have made enough excuses in our lives, offered enough rationalizations, and evinced enough evasions, but something inside persists, shows up, troubles sleep, and asks more of us—and sooner or later we all have an appointment with our soul. Whether we show up, remember the divine task, remains to be seen.” Many people have noted that one of the effects of the pandemic has been that the natural world has had a breather, has recovered somewhat from the relentless press of human activity and industry. The air is cleaner, and the birds seem happier. The pandemic has also taken many of us out of our familiar routines that can keep us distracted, moving in well-worn, unreflective, predictable patterns of life, day after day. When all of that suddenly stops, when the hamster wheel isn’t turning anymore, SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
an opportunity presents itself. A deeper summons can make itself known. It might come in the middle of the night in the form of troubled sleep, or it might come in the middle of the day in the form of an anxiety that is about something greater than just a hope that we’ll soon get back on the hamster wheel. Sometimes, anxiety is a symptom of inner unrest, a deeper calling to account for how we are going to live. What is the summons of your soul? What is the life that is uniquely yours to live, perhaps one you have neglected? What is your version of James Hampton’s work of art that he quietly assembled in a rented garage, with no public notice until his death? Is it your marriage or your family? Is it your gift for cultivating kindness? Is it your peculiar gift of wonder or exploring the natural world? Each of us has a unique calling or purpose. It usually is not anything grandiose; rather, it is often a calling to something humble and not particularly noticed or celebrated by the world, which makes the work of living a soulful life a courageous and arduous endeavor for many. The drive to fit in is powerful and often obscures our vision. Dr. Hollis says he often observes with a client, “Do you now see that something inside of you exists independent of your will, your conscious life? Do you not see that something inside of you sees you and asks something of you?” The pandemic has precipitated a well-documented rise in anxiety in the general population. But many seem to be probing the source of that anxiety, and they are determining that it is not a desire to return to old routines that kept us deaf and blind to the promptings of the soul. As Hollis says so succinctly, “In the end, we are not here to fit in, to be well-adjusted, acceptable to all, or to make our parents proud of us. We are here to be ourselves.” A janitor swept floors and cleaned toilets by day. By night he walked with gods and the vision they had vouchsafed him. He did not see the wealth, power, and prestige of those around him in D.C. as something to be envied. He just did his work and honored his vision. He didn’t need approval, because he was too busy and content answering a deeper summons that no one else needed to know about, until he died. We all have such a Presence within us, and now is a good time to reestablish communion with it. ✤ Dr. Hollis will present a five-part series via webinar on Thursdays, September 10-October 8, at 7 p.m. Details are on page 5.
PENTECOST 2 | FALL 2020 Issue Number 36
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A new weekly rhythm for the parish Thursday webinars welcome outstanding speakers Traveling the path to God as a child Emmaus Groups resume in late September Sacred Ground: resouces for talking about race Even in a pandemic, food ministries bring people together Outreach looks different, but it’s just as vital and important Just what is a vicar? Pastoral care in the time of COVID Ways to stay connected Heralds at home: proclaiming good news The home as atrium Parenting with reslience St. Stephen’s Preschool looks to the future Vacation Bible School, reimagined Youth Confirmation, now more than ever A different focus for youth groups Needlepoint kneelers enter a new phase The virtual choir: how do they do that? How is the church doing? New faces on the church staff
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Seasons of the Spirit Sarah Bartenstein, editor; Steven Longstaff, designer Above left: James Hampton, The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly, ca. 1950-1964, mixed media. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of anonymous donors Dr. Hollis remarks, “This sculpture is at least 20 feet across and perhaps a dozen feet deep. A twodimensional photo does not do it justice.”
Contributors: Janet Allen, Cate Anthony, Marie Carter, Gardner Campbell, Dan Currier, Briget Ganske, Anna Hurdle, Anna Jones, Gary Jones, James Hollis, Pico Iyer, Jan Locher, Jay Paul, Anne Pennypacker, Allison Seay, Blake Singer, Will Stanley, Brent te Velde, Erin Townsend, Betsy Tyson Cover photo by Penny Nash
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A new rhythm for the fall
Weekly offerings at St. Stephen’s
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completely different). It will simply be in a uring the past six months, St. different container. Stephen’s clergy and staff, parish leaders and dedicated volunteers You’ll find details about some of these have learned many new ways of keeping all opportunities in this edition of Seasons of us connected even as we are physically Zoom Sunday Forum featuring the day’s preacher of the Spirit, which is also in a different apart. Over these many weeks, we’ve container—after nine years, it has been reimagined as a magazine. learned what works well, what’s been most helpful to our parish and Look for articles about online groups and confirmation preparation for the community, and how to continue to exercise ministry in innovative youth; a series for adults on the gifts of wondering about God with ways while protecting the health and wellbeing of all our people. children; outstanding speakers; and more. The cliché that is so often associated with churches—“We’ve always Some offerings are available on demand; others are livestreamed or on done it this way”—has flown the coop. Zoom but also recorded. Some are online but not recorded, such as fellowship and small group gatherings. Zoom links and registration are And yet one of the things we have always done, marking the detailed in e-communications about each event; you may also call the beginning of a new program/academic year with a new line-up of parish office for help, 804.288.2867. speakers, groups, classes and more, will happen again this fall—as it always has. Thoughtful, engaging, in-depth offerings—the kinds of Here is an introduction to this new rhythm of our life as a parish as we things for which Stephen’s has become known and appreciated— look forward to the time we can be physically together again. will signal the beginning of a new school year (though school looks
SUNDAYS: Worship and Fellowship 6:00 a.m. Recorded worship video available to watch on demand, featuring clergy, choir and other musicians, and parishioners of all ages; this is a continuation of the videos we have been producing and sharing since Lent.
WEDNESDAYS: Prayer 6:30-7:30 p.m. Contemplative Chapel: Practicing Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer with the rector, livestreamed; not recorded (began in July; ongoing)
9:00 a.m. Livestreamed service from St. Stephen’s Church; also recorded for later viewing (beginning in October)
THURSDAYS: Education series 7:00-8:00 p.m. Webinars with renowned teachers from around the world; live and recorded; free; registration required for live webinars at ststephensRVA.org/Thursdays (September 10 through December)
10:00 a.m. Sunday Forum: Engaging with the homilist of the day, livestreamed/interactive; also recorded for later viewing (beginning September 20) 10:45 a.m. Virtual Fellowship Time, live on Zoom, interactive; not recorded (beginning September 20) 5:00 p.m. Middle School Youth Group; live on Zoom, interactive; not recorded (beginning September 13) 7:00 p.m. High School Youth Group; live on Zoom, interactive; not recorded (beginning September 13) 8:00 p.m. Compline and weekly wrap up, livestreamed; also recorded for later viewing (beginning in October) MONDAYS: Sharing what we have 1:00-3:00 p.m. Monday has traditionally been the day we receive neighbors from throughout the community who need our assistance to feed their families. TUESDAYS: Bible Study Noon-1:00 p.m. Panelists of clergy and parishioners reflecting on the Gospel appointed for the coming Sunday, livestreamed and recorded (beginning September 29)
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8:00-8:45 p.m. A special series for all ages: Entering the kingdom of heaven, “Listening to God with children,” livestreamed and recorded; registration required; contact Allison Seay, aseay@ ststephensRVA.org (beginning September 10) FRIDAYS: Art, music and the beauty of holiness Noon Musical performances by parish musicians, livestreamed from the church, as well engaging with icons, listening to poetry, and more (beginning October 2) SATURDAYS: Feed and be fed | Sabbath begins at sundown 8 a.m.-noon* The Farmers Market @ St. Stephen’s, a safe environment to shop for food, will remain outdoors all winter this year, to maintain the safety of all. Enjoy local, fresh, healthy food; support local farmers and businesses; help make it possible for vendors to share their products with our food pantry clients. *Hours shift to 9 a.m.-noon October 3 SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
Thursday webinars welcome diverse speakers
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his fall, St. Stephen’s will offer a new Thursday educational series open to all. The webinars will be presented live, allowing for participant to engage with the speakers, and they will be recorded for on-demand viewing.
This series will address: • our deepest spiritual needs and longings as human beings; • our relationships with God, each other, and our own souls; • the rich resources of Christian tradition, literature, and depth psychology; and • the peculiar stresses and opportunities of our time, with healing insights and practices With this series: Our role as a Village Green takes on new significance: This year, as we welcome speakers from around the United States and the world, our Zoom webinar format also allows us to welcome those who are “weary and carrying heavy burdens” (Matthew 11:28), people from across the country who consider St. Stephen’s Church to be their spiritual home. This is a sacred Village Green where everyone belongs, where we affirm the dignity and sanctity of every human being. Our role as a New Abbey becomes even more evident: In the midst of anxiety and crumbling institutions, we delve deeply into abiding witnesses of Scripture and Tradition. Drawing on insights and practices, both ancient and new (from psychology, theology, Christian practice, literature, and the arts), we are welcoming modern spiritual pilgrims who seek nourishment for their souls, guidance for their daily lives, and enduring wisdom and truth to accompany them on their journey. Our role as a Healing Community finds fresh expression: As the world makes its way through a withering pandemic, and as we struggle with severe loss, deep grief, uncertainty, and anxiety, this educational series is designed to tend what is wounded and help mend what has been torn in our social fabric. World-renowned teachers have been enlisted to promote the kind of personal healing that leads to wholeness and thriving in our families, our communities, our country, and our world. Each of these four compelling speakers and their topics are described on these pages. Visit ststephensRVA.org/thursdays to register for any of them—or all of them! The webinars are free and open to all (not just parishioners). But space is limited, so do register as soon as possible. S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H
The Summons of the Soul
September 10-October 8 | 7-8 p.m. BY JAMES HOLLIS
The unexamined life is not worth living. SOCRATES
A consequence of the necessary adaptations we make to the demands of family, the world around us, and the imbedded messages we all carry, causes each of us to get separated from our own truth, our personal authority. Initially accountable to the world around us, we adapt, repress, leave behind some of our best parts. Living a mature life is an ongoing summons of accountability to the soul, and the potential we are asked to bring into this world. The current pandemic has forced us out of longstanding routines and presented many people with the opportunity to re-examine patterns and assumptions about our lives. In this five-part series, I will identify some of the issues, and the tasks they raise for us, in living a mature, examined life. September 10: Growing Up: the Recovery of Personal Authority September 17: Stepping Out from Under the Parental Shade September 24: Getting Unstuck: Exorcising the Ghosts October 1: Freeing Your Children (from you) October 8: Mature Spirituality: Meaning vs. Happiness James Hollis, Ph.D., is a renowned Jungian analyst living in Washington, D.C. Dr. Hollis, who teaches and lectures widely, is the author of 16 books, the latest being Living an Examined Life: Wisdom for the Second Half of the Journey and Living Between Worlds: Finding Personal Resilience in Changing Times. ✤
James Hollis is the most lucid thinker I know about the complexities and complexes that interfere with living a full life. His broad background in literature, philosophy, and Jungian psychology is everywhere present in this important book, which, as it strips away illusions, posits the soul-work that’s necessary for the difficult task of making our lives meaningful. He’s one of our great teachers and healers.
PENTECOST 2 | FALL 2020
STEPHEN DUNN, PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING POET
Webinars, continued on page 6 5
Thursday webinars
continued from page 5
The Way of the Hermit
Hope in a Time of Uncertainty
BY KAYLEEN ASBO
BY PICO IYER
Throughout human history during times of upheaval and social collapse, there has been a surge of contemplatives drawn to following a path of the heart where they discovered a life of inner awakening, beauty and balance, despite outer confinement and austerity.
How can we find light at a time when we don’t know what tomorrow will bring? What, if anything, can we gain from the extended Lenten season of the coronavirus, now stretching into autumn? How can closeness to death move us to live with more purpose and even joy?
In “The Way of the Hermit: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Our Times,” I’ll point out the commonalities of the “hermetic path” of wisdom traditions across the centuries that can help inspire and empower us in the days and months—a pattern that can transform the experience of “lockdown” to “breakthrough.”
At a time when most of the world is living every day with uncertainty, I’d love to consider what we might learn during this shared experience, and what doors are being opened even as so many are being closed.
October 15-29 | 7-8 p.m.
October 15: The Archetype of the Hermit: From Pythagoras and Parsifal to the Jedi Knights October 22: From Egypt to France and Ireland: Mary Magdalene and the Cave of La Baume, The Desert Fathers of Mothers of Egypt, Skellig Michael and Early Christian Celtic Monasticism October 29: Hermit Time as a Source of Renewal and Inspiration: St. Francis, John Muir Kayleen Asbo, Ph.D has been praised as “a brilliant teacher who integrates the head and heart, combining brilliant scholarship with blazing passion—her classes are life-changing experiences of inspiration and revelation.” She’s been called a “master weaver of art, music, spirituality, psychological insight and history. Beyond that she does what is the rarest thing of all these days: she gives you reason to hope.”
November 5 & 12 | 7-8 p.m.
On two consecutive Thursdays this autumn, I’m looking forward to sharing thoughts about the seasons of our lives, as they play out across the sea, in my longtime home in Japan, and for all of us at this strange moment that has upended the regular cycle of seasons we know. Last year I brought out a book, Autumn Light, about the autumns in every year and life: blazing blue, very often, and sharp, even as it speaks for days growing shorter, afternoons getting colder, leaves falling from the trees. In my home of 28 years now, near the 8th century Japanese capital city of Nara, I see how the seasons are a lesson in humility, in community and in bowing before those
She visited St. Stephen’s in 2019 to lead a tour de force, pre-Holy Week retreat on Dante’s Divine Comedy. We are thrilled she has agreed to “return” for this webinar series. Kayleen holds a Ph.D in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Depth Salomon Koninck’s ‘The Hermit’ Public domain Psychology. A leader of international pilgrimages and retreats to the sacred sites of Europe, she is a faculty member for Pacifica Graduate Institute, Dominican University, Ubiquity University and the cultural historian for the Santa Rosa Symphony. ✤
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SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
forces much larger than we are. And as I play ping-pong every day, often with my very elderly neighbors, and watch my Japanese parents-in-law grow older, I think of the cycles we all pass through as elders age, hair turns grey and children scatter.
A Promise Fulfilled
In my second talk, I’d like to think about this season we’re all passing through together, and the fresh habits, the new inwardness and the greater depth and intimacy it may bring us in the midst of so much loss. My visit to St. Stephen’s last year was one of the highlights of recent years for me; as I get to see you all again in November—though only virtually this time—I’d love to address what hope may sit within reality and how the fact that all things must pass may move us to cherish everything a little more.
No War, or Battle’s sound Was heard the World around…. But peaceful was the night Wherein the Prince of light His reign of peace upon the earth began….
Pico Iyer is known for his travel writing and novels, but he has also gained attention writing and speaking about quiet and stillness. All of these things have something in common: Iyer’s astute observations of human nature. Born in Oxford, England to parents from India, Pico Iyer was educated at Eton, Oxford, and Harvard. His books include The Joy of Quiet, The Art of Stillness, and the novel The Lady and the Monk, to name just a few. For years, Iyer has split his time between California and Nara, Japan, where he and his Japanese wife, Hiroko, have a small home. But when his father-in-law died suddenly, calling him back to Japan earlier than expected, Iyer began to grapple with the question we all have to live with: how to hold on to the things we love, even though we know that we and they are dying. ✤
December 3-17 | 7-8 p.m. BY GARDNER CAMPBELL
So the English poet John Milton imagines the birth of our Savior, in one of the most beautiful poems ever written: On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity—a poem Milton composed when he was just 21 years old. This three-part Advent series explores Milton’s great “Nativity Ode” in all its splendor, drawing on the questions, conflicts, and assurances the Ode encompasses. We’ll think together about art, theology, cosmology, and the shape of time itself. Our pandemic days bring with them uncertainty, fear, and doubt. Growing up in a large city periodically ravaged by plague, the young John Milton William Blake’s watercolor of the Nativity. Public domain knew these sorrows too. Yet he kept the faith, and in this poem, shares that faith with all of us so that we, too, can lift our eyes to the promise of deliverance—a promise fulfilled in a humble birth in a stable. Links to the text and a reading of the poem are available on our Web site at ststephensRVA.org/thursdays. I look forward to experiencing this extraordinary poem with you, as together we await the coming of Emmanuel.
Jay Paul
Gardner Campbell is associate professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University and a popular speaker at St. Stephen’s. His topics have ranged from John Milton’s Paradise Lost to the parables of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone. He has presented online forums on C.S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles, and led discussions of classic films during our summer film series. ✤
S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H
Pico Iyer at St. Stephen’s in 2019
PENTECOST 2 | FALL 2020
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Anna Hurdle (left) and Allison Seay in one of the atria at St. Stephen’s Church
Carriers of God’s secret Traveling the path to God as a child Help us, O God, to enter into the secret of childhood, so that we may know, love and serve the child in accordance with the laws of thy justice and following thy holy will. DR. MARIA MONTESSORI, THE ABSORBENT MIND
When Maria Montessori articulated a vision for how best to companion children in their formation, she insisted that the power of silence was far greater than a facility of speech, that observation was profoundly different from supervision, and that the work of being with children was work requiring “the spirit of the scientist”—that is, patience, persistence and humility— rather than the mechanisms or machinery of the scientist.
Maria Montessori, 20th century Italian physician and education reformer, offered this prayer as “an invitation, By Anna Hurdle a kind of syllabus.” What could she mean when speaking of the “secret” of childhood she had discovered through In her book, Listening to God with Children, Montessori educator her work and observation of children? Why is she asking God’s and trainer Gianna Gobbi offers a prayerful reflection on a lifetime help to enter into it? Perhaps Jesus knew of this secret. of experiences with children. She shares her observations of prayer in children, of how children hear God speak to them personally and At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the with profound simplicity. As adults, we are invited to enter gently greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he and respectfully into the child’s joyful encounter with the mystery put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change of God’s silent self-revelation made tangible through ancient biblical and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of images, liturgical signs and celebrations. heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” MATTHEW 18: 1-4 In collaboration with Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, biblical and Hebrew scholar, Gobbi was instrumental in applying Montessori’s principles When Jesus implores us to become as children, what does he to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a method of religious mean? What characteristics and attributes of childhood are we to formation wherein the mystery of the child meets the mystery of rediscover, change and become? God in joyful, often silent encounters. It is within this mystery that we might begin to respond to Cavelletti’s question: “Might not the To “enter into the secret of childhood” requires a willing spirit and pathway of the child open unknown perspectives of the religious a particular discipline that comes as a result of patient observation world, capable of enriching us as adults? Can only the adult be a of children and careful preparation of ourselves. theologian?” 8
SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
Briget Ganske
St. Stephen’s Church has offered Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as our primary means of children’s formation for nearly 15 years. As Catechesis spreads throughout the world, there is a danger of reducing the work to scholastic formulas and didactic skills. In reminding us of what is truly essential in offering this work to children, Gobbi points the way for every one of us to enter the secret of childhood, the way of becoming like children ourselves and thus entering the kingdom of heaven. This is work undertaken with deep seriousness and sincerity of heart in which adults and children alike are discerning the inner voice of the True Teacher, sensing that we are all, as Cavelletti says, “a carrier of God’s secret.” As adults, our own spiritual formation is informed by the desire to enter more fully into the Kingdom of God, into union with Jesus. It’s a bit of a radical notion, but it is precisely what Jesus taught, that the model of a child listening to God can be fruitful in our own lives, and it can actually show us the way. You are invited to read and further explore Listening to God with Children. In a collaborative offering between St. Stephen’s and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte, we will delve into the secret of childhood, of how the child models the listening stance of prayer as a response to God’s initiation of prayer. We will seek to be better attuned not only to the spiritual lives and potential of children but to the Inner Voice in each of us. With an emphasis on creating sacred space and time in the home, we hope this experience will indirectly prepare parents and the broader parish for virtual offerings in the extraordinary and challenging year to come.
In reminding us of what is truly essential in offering this work to children, Gobbi points the way for every one of us to enter the secret of childhood, the way of becoming like children ourselves and thus entering the Kingdom of Heaven. I will facilitate this offering with St. Stephen’s staff member Allison Seay, on Zoom, Thursdays, 8:00-8:45 p.m. beginning September 10 and ending on October 22. For more details and or to register, please contact Allison at aseay@ststephensRVA.org. To purchase a copy of the book, visit the Web site of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at https://tinyurl.com/y3lqwnhm or go to our Web site for a link, ststephensRVA.org/gobbi. ✤ Anna Hurdle is the director of children’s formation at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte, where Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has been offered for more than 25 years. Anna is wellknown throughout the country for her expertise and regularly works with our staff and trains our catechists.
Sharing the journey of faith with others Emmaus Groups begin September 28 by Cate Anthony and Allison Seay
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taying spiritually connected with people who are committed to care for each other has never been more important. At St. Stephen’s Church, groups of six to 10 parishioners, called “Emmaus Groups,” meet weekly for the purpose of tending to their spiritual lives and growing in authentic community. Each group has one or two leaders who have received training in facilitating small groups, and the core of the gatherings is attentiveness to the spiritual growth of participants and the experience of authentic community. These groups have been gathering at St. Stephen’s for many years now, and while we cannot meet in exactly the same way we have met in the past, Emmaus Groups will be offered this fall. We live in a world so overwhelmed by sound and fury—especially in these days of pandemic and national unrest. Emmaus Groups are a radically counter-cultural means of reorienting our attention toward God within our hearts and our community. Like the disciples who encountered and traveled with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus, so we are always traveling with each other and with Christ. Sometimes it is necessary to stop and join in attentive hospitality with each other, in order for our eyes to be opened and the voice of Jesus to be heard. In these days, it is our particular hope that these groups will offer a safe space to seek God in the midst of collective isolation, anxiety, and sorrow. The co-journeying of the life of faith has taken on renewed urgency. As we all know all too well, the pandemic has radically changed every facet of human life—and Emmaus Groups are no exception. While we are aware of some ways that the groups might change in format for this time, we also believe that their importance will only increase. It is the spirit of these groups to offer safe space for members to delve deeply into the spiritual life, accompanied by trusted peers. This kind of community-making and companionship remains the heart of the Emmaus Group ethos. Emmaus Groups gather during 10-week “Covenant Periods,” one in the fall, one in the winter, and one in the spring. The fall 2020 Covenant Period begins the week of September 28 and ends the week of November 30. We anticipate that Emmaus Groups will meet primarily on Zoom for this covenant period. Clergy and staff are in conversation about the possibility of allowing small groups to reserve space on campus to meet masked and at a physical distance, but we are still working through the logistics and potential risks of doing so. We know that Zoom is not an ideal format for the kind of intimacy and vulnerability so integral to Emmaus Group gatherings—and yet we still believe that such intimacy can take place in this format, especially when undergirded by a strong desire to connect with one another that so many of us feel in this time of physical distance. To join an Emmaus Group, please contact Cate, canthony@ ststephensRVA.org or Allison, aseay@ststephensRVA.org. ✤
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‘Sacred Ground’ introduced at St. Stephen’s
Churchwide program offers opportunities to reflect on race in a ‘safe space’
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For the first offering of this program, 70 parishioners, eginning in August, a group of parishioners and 12 facilitators and 10 staff members, are taking part staff of St. Stephen’s Church began a program in 10 sessions which began in August and continue called Sacred Ground: A Film-Based Dialogue until Advent. Series on Race and Faith. This program, published in 2019 by the national offices of the Episcopal Church, Cheryl Blackwell says that she and her small group invites small groups to walk through chapters of have found the “in-depth history as to ‘how we got America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and By Cate Anthony here’ and the various resources the program uses very helpful and informative.” She appreciates the emphasis regional identity. Over the course of 10 weeks, participants on the small group time and work as being “Sacred Ground,” peel away the layers of cultural, historical, and political narrative where all are meant to feel safe and welcome as they tell their that contribute to the challenges and divides of the present day. own stories. She also points out that the group members strive to set aside the need to always be right. The curriculum is composed primarily of films and two main texts: Waking Up White by Debby Irving and Jesus and the “Everyone has a story to tell and each one is important to Disinherited by Howard Thurman. Participants read and watch hear and respect,” she says. session materials each week before joining their small group to discuss what they’ve seen and read. Conversations in Sacred Cheryl reflects, “We’re learning we have to do more INNER Ground revolve around personal experience, curiosity, and work first before we can do the outer work.” emotions. Facilitators join the group in reflection and learning, ruminating on questions such as, “What one thing do you Steven Dalle Mura adds, “The participants so readily engage remember learning and one thing do you remember not learning with the rich materials and are quite unafraid to come to about Indigenous People growing up?” At all times, the program grips with difficult questions raised by those materials.” seeks to promote self-examination and reflection, to broaden the stories of America we each carry, and to inspire commitment to We hope that you will consider joining us in this work. If honesty in how we tell the story of ourselves and our nation. you were unable to join the pilot round of Sacred Ground, please know that we anticipate offering the program again in In the work of combatting racism and engaging with the difficult early 2021, as well as additional forums for conversation and topic of race, St. Stephen’s Church hopes to serve as a model for learning about racism and injustice in the larger church and the city of Richmond and beyond. The topics addressed in Sacred in the city of Richmond. We look forward to thinking with Ground are challenging and fraught. Yet we are committed to you about these things, and growing in faith together. ✤ engaging fully with them anyway, to leaning into the discomfort and tension so that we might be made more fully alive before The Rev. Cate Anthony joined the staff of St. Stephen’s Church our Creator and our human family. St. Stephen’s has a reputation as a transitional deacon in June 2020, after graduating from for modeling a generous love and an expansive faith that can Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. She was ordained priest demonstrate a gracious and respectful way of healing–something September 5. the world could use these days.
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SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
Jay Paul/Richmond Magazine
the dozens of small, local businesses who vend here and need customers more than ever. In fact, many vendors reported recordbreaking sales in the early weeks of the pandemic, as many customers stocked up on fresh produce, meat, and prepared items. The coronavirus pandemic has also revealed the dangerous working conditions of some meatpacking facilities, which were hotspots for COVID-19 outbreaks. Shopping at the market allows customers to support smaller cattle, pork, and poultry farmers who operate safely, as well as to have the peace of mind that their meat has not been produced at the expense of someone’s health.
Food ministry still brings people together Our café, market, and pantry have adapted and flourished Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced us into isolation in midMarch, the food ministries at St. Stephen’s followed By Anna Jones a predictable rhythm: seven days a week, friends gathered in the café to talk over coffee, breakfast, and sandwiches. Some lingered for hours to work or read, and parishioners stopped by daily after Morning Prayer or yoga. On Wednesdays and Sundays, many more gathered in the fellowship hall or on the lawn for community meals lovingly prepared by volunteers. On Saturdays, hundreds returned to the fellowship hall, often accompanied by their dogs, for the indoor, winter farmers market, once again connecting with friends and strangers over food. These ministries were a source of community, nourishment, education, and fun for many. Then, in March, our lives turned upside down and our food ministries had to adapt. The pandemic has been a stark reminder for many of us that human beings are social creatures who need each other, and the food ministries here have responded. The café took a hiatus to rethink and regroup, and then opened in April for simple curbside pickup twice S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H
a week. Since then, the café has become an outdoor gathering space, open five days a week with coffee and new menu items. An expanded patio allows for physical distancing, and café staff follow all guidelines for masks, gloves, and handwashing to ensure safety as much as possible. Friends are able to see each other in person once again, some for the first time in months. The café provides a safe place to get out of the house and see others in person, not just on a computer screen. While safety is taken very seriously, the café is also glad to provide a greater sense of normalcy for its customers. Those who enjoyed the Wednesday and Sunday suppers can still dine together, albeit on a smaller scale, outside the café. The farmers market’s mission to connect community members with fresh, local, sustainable food had only intensified during the pandemic. Customers are not able to bring their dogs or relax over cups of coffee at the market now, but the market has shifted to being an essential service for the community to safely shop for groceries in an open-air environment— an alternative to crowded grocery stores. The market has stayed open weekly, except for one week in mid-March. This has been a difficult time for many small businesses, who have had to close temporarily or permanently. The market has been an important way for customers to support PENTECOST 2 | FALL 2020
Since our food pantry continues to provide much-needed support to those who had come to rely on us before the pandemic, we are especially grateful that our farmers are here to donate unsold produce, eggs and other fresh, local foods to augment the non-perishable items parishioners donate. Not surprisingly, the need for our food pantry has only grown as the economic impact of the pandemic has affected our community. Before this crisis began, our food ministry was a web connecting people, producers, and food in a variety of life-giving ways. It still is. As the world adapts to norms such as keeping physical distance, wearing masks, and using more caution in general, food ministries at St. Stephen’s are adapting, too. We have found our stride in community, safety, and joy: safe food production, safe gathering spaces, and the joy of connecting over good food. ✤ Anna Jones is the manager of the Farmers Market @ St. Stephen’s and a barista in the Café @ St. Stephen’s. Previously she worked at Shalom Farms, a local ministry that provides produce to those in need. Top photo: Our farmers market; below: food pantry distribution
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Dan Currier
residents remain. As Janie Satterfield said, “We may not be able to see the residents face to face, but we know what they like and what they can and cannot eat. We are trying to make sure residents know we care.”
Diana Vasquez (standing) with a ReWork member
F
or decades, St. Stephen’s than we expected that food Church has taken to pantry volunteers packed 15 heart the legacy of extra bags during their shift. our patron saint, Stephen, who during the early church FeedMore has been a key exercised a diaconal ministry, partner in our ability to having been appointed by the respond. Because we have apostles to provide for the needs By Erin Townsend been declared an emergency relief of the “least of these.” In recent pantry during the pandemic, years, our outreach ministries have grown St. Stephen’s volunteers and staff go in breadth and depth, with more and to FeedMore at least once a week for more parishioners engaging in this work. supplemental food—some of it is provided free, some at a very low cost. Many of the “hands on” outreach Stan Barnett, our coordinator of kitchen ministries of our parish have necessarily ministries, and the May Fair House, had to be revamped or even suspended have been providing the food pantry temporarily during the pandemic, to with a delicious assortment of items assure the safety of all. We continue to seek for our clients. Stan has been making ways to minister to all who seek our help. hearty soups to distribute, made possible because of generous donations from our FOOD MINISTRIES congregation to food ministries. While the client choice (grocery store) model we’ve used in our food pantry has Our fruit ministry is going strong, too. had to revert to the former pattern of pre- Each week we serve about 135 people packing bags of food and pursuing new with bags of fresh fruit. Recipients are avenues for reaching the people who need residents of public housing developments it, our food ministry continues to grow. in the downtown Richmond area. This Throughout the pandemic—which has ministry—the longest continuous local had economic as well as health effects— outreach ministry at St. Stephen’s— we have seen more and more people each has had to adjust its distribution week. On a Monday in late August, for model during the pandemic, but the example, so many more people arrived relationships between the volunteers and
Our relationship with Virginia Supportive Housing continues to grow; it combines affordable housing and case management services. Every two weeks, we deliver 145 bags of groceries for this organization, serving roughly 260-270 people. All of these efforts are made possible by generous donations from members of the parish and community, and visitors to our farmers market. The symbol of this generosity is the grocery cart that sits outside the entrance to the parish house. Staff member Larry Bidwell monitors the cart, and brings the food donations into the pantry periodically. He is amazed by this experience: “Every time I empty it, I turn around and it’s full again!” We thank you for your generous and ongoing support of this ministry. EAST END PARTNERSHIPS Different approaches to a new academic year are affecting our work in the East End. Like all Richmond Public Schools, Fairfield Court Elementary School is using an all-virtual model this year. This means we are not able to send mentors, tutors, classroom assistants or lunch buddies to the school. We did hold our annual school supply drive for Fairfield, assembling individual kits for students. Thanks to all who donated so generously. Suzy Blevins, the site coordinator for Communities in Schools at Fairfield Court Elementary School, said, “St. Stephen’s is awesome! Thank you for all you do for our students and community.”
Outreach may look different, but it’s more vital and important than ever 12
SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
Anna Julia Cooper School, the tuitionfree, Episcopal middle school which St. Stephen’s helped establish in the East End, has adopted a hybrid model of in-person and virtual classes this year. As with Fairfield, we collected school supplies for their students and took them to the school before classes began. Peter Paul Development Center’s work will be all-virtual this year. They would love to have adult volunteers to serve as mentors and tutors. Please contact me for details, etownsend@ststephensRVA.org. ReWork Richmond is the public-private enterprise founded by St. Stephen’s, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, the City of Richmond, and other partners. The major outreach initiative funded by St. Stephen’s centennial capital campaign, ReWork help adults in the East End find
paths. ReWork staff are doing all they can to help members continue to pursue the education they need to advance and at the same time balance other Covidrelated challenges. (A longer summary is available at ststephensRVA.org/rework.) CARITAS, which is focused on long-term solutions to homelessness, has opened a transitional sober-living center with 47 apartments, and St. Stephen’s parishioners helped furnish one of the apartments. These apartments provide dignity and independence to people navigating the road to independence. On Wednesday, September 2, St. Stephen’s staff and volunteers helped set up the apartment we furnished. Thank you for your generous support for this project. We continue to work with our partners to discern how we can be helpful and
INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH Heidi Schmidt and Monica Vega, our missionaries in Argentina, live amidst some of the poorest people in the world. Heidi reports that Jujuy, where they live, managed to stay free of Covid-19 infections until the end of June; then cases increased to the extent that the area is now one of Argentina’s “hotspots.” The province’s already fragile medical system has collapsed. With increasing numbers unable to work due to the strict quarantine, families are unable to put bread on the table. Proyecto Guadalupe, one of the ministries with which our missionaries work, provides emergency food parcels and supports the two main soup kitchens in the area. They check on families affected by Covid-19 and
Everything we do in outreach is made possible by you, through your donations of food, supplies, time, expertise, and of course, your donations to our annual budget. Thank you for your continued support. long-term, family-sustaining careers. Those served through this program– ReWork refers to them as members, not clients–have been significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many members have either lost their jobs, had their hours significantly reduced, or have needed to leave their jobs to care for children as child care centers and schools have closed or gone to virtual instruction. ReWork has helped members find shortterm employment opportunities and other resources while focusing whenever possible on post-pandemic career paths. Half of ReWork’s members were pursuing some form of education when the pandemic struck, and the virus has disrupted these goals. In response to the pandemic, ReWork’s partners at the Community College Workforce Alliance shifted to online courses for the fall and three ReWork members have been able to enroll in courses that will earn them certifications integral to their career S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H
engaged while we’re observing health and safety protocols. As volunteer opportunities arise—and they will likely look different from those we’ve done before—we will let you know through the eSpirit and social media. NATIONAL OUTREACH Hurricanes have already begun to add to the human misery in areas of the country struggling with the pandemic. For nearly 15 years, St. Stephen’s has sent teams of volunteers to areas ravaged by hurricanes and other natural disasters and we have learned a great deal and become adept at providing this assistance. Covid, however, presents new challenges. One thing we do know is that rushing into an area immediately after a disaster is nearly always unhelpful; it’s important to know what’s needed directly from those affected. We are monitoring these situations; when we know what is needed and how we can provide it, we’ll let you know through the eSpirit and social media. PENTECOST 2 | FALL 2020
provide kits with personal hygiene and cleaning materials, nutritional support, medications and blankets. They support primary health care centers that serve families on the margins, with priority to the pediatric division, with medical equipment and supplies, and transport for families to visit those in hospitals and prepaid phone data to be able to communicate with loved ones and health services. Heidi reports that Agustina, the young girl Gary Jones wrote about on his blog, remains in stable condition, and has recently been moved to a regular ward. They hope she will be able to return home soon to her family and community. “The prayers for her have mattered,” Heidi says. “Your prayers, support, company, they matter so very much!” A longer summary of Heidi and Monica’s work is at ststephensRVA.org/outreach. ✤ 13
What’s a vicar?
(In a pandemic)
Detail and vison are essential ingredients for any church, organization or community. I accepted this call because I felt I was both ready to lead and eager to learn. As one of the most dynamic and exciting parish churches in the country, St. Stephen’s gave me a unique opportunity to tend to both under Gary’s leadership— building upon the (very) sure foundation of the years, decades, and century past. All of this was true way back on my first official day, Ash Wednesday, and all of it is just as true today, half a year later. In many ways, we live now in a fundamentally different world. Physical distancing and masks have become ubiquitous. Fears of community spread continue. As such, one of our bedrock practices—of gathering together, in large, in-person groups—has had to be discontinued …for now. For me, this has meant I’ve met far more of you by Zoom, phone, and email than in person. And many of you I simply have not yet met. Yes, I’ll admit, it’s odd. It is not ideal and I long for the time when we’re able to gather again in person, knowing that time of true returning together in the flesh as we’ve known it, is likely far in the future. Yet as a person of faith, I am hardwired to ask continually: what new grace, what strange blessing of God, might be made manifest in the oddities of life? We preach a gospel which claims that true strength is found in perfect weakness, that the way the world is will not always be. Many have commented that the pandemic has only clarified, magnified, and exacerbated pre-pandemic realities, particularly ones of injustice: the unequal access to quality healthcare, the fragile employment and underemployment of many, and the sin of structural racism, to name a few. Uncovering that which was already present is perhaps the most faithful translation of “apocalyptic.” A word known well to us in the Christian tradition, this process of revelation is by its very definition unsettling. Yet the abiding truth of the apocalyptic is that God is always doing a new thing: “See, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5). 14
It is this perspective which provides me the deepest hope, the strongest faith “for the facing of this hour [and] for the living of these days” (The Hymnal 1982, #594). Gospel means “good news” and God is always doing a new thing, even now. Just as the pandemic is revealing, uncovering, and magnifying that which was already present, God may well be doing that which God has done “from the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), drawing us deeper into our true life, as beloved of God, so we might, in turn, answer the call to share that same gift with all creation. This is all to say, in these pandemic times, I believe we as St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church at the corner of Grove and Three Chopt are being drawn into a deeper, truer version of ourselves. Our clarion call to be a Sacred Village Green, a New Abbey, and a Healing Community could both not be more true, nor more needed than in this time. Nearly all of the specific forms and functions of how we embody these paradigms have changed, yet their deeper identity and value are being incarnated in new ways. Due to the realities of physical distancing, our ministries around food and feeding have shifted, yet your generosity has never been deeper. While we are not able to worship in person, our digital reach through high-quality worship videos and daily prayer services has allowed us to share our ministry of worship and prayer truly around the globe, farther than we ever could have imagined. And while we cannot share the healing touch of a hug or a hand on the shoulder, we have discovered that new platforms like Zoom—and decidedly old ones like calls and handwritten notes—can convey a renewed sense of connection and care: this community’s caring of itself in these times through initiatives like the parish calling project has been extraordinary. continued on next page
Sarah Bartenstein
“S
o what exactly is a vicar, anyway?” To say I’ve received that question a few times in 2020 is an understatement. From my southern California friends and parishioners, to folks here at St. Stephen’s, many were eager to learn more about my new adventure, beginning with its somewhat By Will Stanley perplexing title. In the announcement of my call to join you, Gary Jones gave his own answer: “A vicar is a trusted clergy person who functions as a kind of chief operating officer, who helps ensure both attention to detail and faithfulness to vision.” His words are as good a summation as any, as they had been the currency of our conversations and discernment over the weeks prior by email, phone and in person.
Will Stanley ‘on duty’ as the chaplain of the day at the farmers market, with market manager Anna Jones
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Ordinary Time in extraordinary times By Cate Anthony I have been reading the poem “Giraffe” by a British poet named Bryony Littlefair every day for the past month or so. In it, she says this: When you feel better from this—and you will—it will be quiet and unremarkable, like walking into the next room… When you feel better, you will take: a plastic spoon for your coffee foam, free chocolates from the gleaming oak reception desk, the bus on sunny days, your own sweet time. 1 The poem is, I think, a hopeful response to seasons of grief or anxiety: a reminder of what will come when the fast pace of an exhilarated or panicked heart is finally able to slow into a gentle thump thump thump. It is a reminder of the pattern of ordinary things which inevitably returns even after the most extra-ordinary experiences of our human lives. By the church calendar, we’re wandering our way through a season sometimes referred to as “Ordinary Time,” the part of the liturgical calendar that falls outside the major seasons such as Advent, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter. Ordinary Time begins with Pentecost and continues until Advent begins. It is the longest season of the church year. As a church-raised youth (and even as an exuberant seminarian), I tended to dread the long season of Ordinary Time. I found it boring, stretching on as it does month after month with none of the pageantry or emotional punch of Christmas, Holy Week, or Easter. During this season, we dive deep into stories about the life of Jesus and the many parables he tells—and these, too, bored
me. I never quite understood why we spend so long on the day-today moments of Jesus’ ministry when the good stuff was, well, so much more exciting (if not also much harder to understand). These days, though…well…Ordinary Time has taken on a new kind of meaning for me. For the past six months we have collectively been living in a global season of Extra-Ordinary Time, unprecedented and constantly shifting. And on top of that, the normal “extra-ordinary” aspects of human life continue to unfold for some of us in their usual random and up-turning ways. For me, it’s all a little too “extra.” In the midst of pandemic and national unrest and grieving for my father (who died just as I arrived in Richmond) and being so new in town, I yearn for the ordinary, for the boring, for the mundane tedium of unremarkable days and parables about wheat and Sunday after Sunday of something that might just recall a time when things were easier to predict. ✤ And perhaps that is the great learning for us people of faith in this particular extra-ordinary Ordinary Time: that the ordinary is actually anything but. There is a kind of everyday sacredness to the seasons of our lives when things just trundle along as usual. After all, they’re the seasons when faith can deepen, become steadier after the sensory overload of Easter or the death of a parent or a time of pandemic. At its heart, I think, Ordinary Time reveals to us the miracles of a spoon for our coffee, a bus across town, of shaking someone’s hand without thinking about it first. And so I wonder, for me and for you: how might we embrace the Ordinary in these extra-ordinary days, so that we might find ourselves steadied by the small graces of the usual, even in the midst of this unprecedented time? ✤ 1
Bryony Littlefair, “Giraffe” from Giraffe (Seren Books: Wales, 2017).
Vicar, continued All of this has been made possible through the grace of God made manifest through your continued generosity and the remarkable gifts of our staff and lay leadership. We have pivoted, we have reset…and we have pivoted and reset again. Let me tell you, it’s been quite the exercise of both faithfulness to vision and attention to detail! So in that sense, it’s been a busy time to be a “vicar.” Much of my work of late has been to engage with our staff to envision how we’ll organize ourselves for a year ahead unlike any other. That began by speaking truth, first to ourselves. There were losses to be grieved and changes to be weathered; there were staff teams to be restructured and new capacities to be recruited. And while God is certainly doing and revealing a new thing, it takes its toll. To that end, I’m proud of the fact that all of us have been able to take some time of rest and refreshment. It is essential, in all times, yet especially “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). We have a remarkable staff and perhaps my greatest joy in this role is to be one of their champions. S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H
Already, this has been a year like none other. And I wish I could tell you the year to come will be any more predictable. I cannot. What I do know is that grace is real and God is good and able and generous. God is in the midst of this place, St. Stephen’s Church, and God is doing a new thing through us. As co-workers with God, attention to detail and faithfulness to vision will be good companions to us, for they are outgrowths of grace at work in us. They will keep our eyes fixed on that which really matters. They will strengthen us as we are at times “wearied by the changes and chances of this life” (Book of Common Prayer, 133). It is a joy and privilege to serve as your vicar, to play just one small part of this holy, gospel work. I am so grateful to be in your midst. Even in pandemic, God is doing a new thing. Thanks be to God! ✤ The Rev. William S. Stanley has been vicar of St. Stephen’s Church since Ash Wednesday 2020. Previously he served at All Saints’, Beverly Hills.
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Taking Care Pastoral care is different during the pandemic— but no less important By Cate Anthony
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. I THESSALONIANS 5:8-11 So the Apostle Paul wrote to the early church in Thessalonica, a community begun by disciples of Christ and anxious about its future flourishing. In response to this anxiety, Paul commends the people of the church in Thessalonica to strengthen one another in their life together—for this is how the church flourishes even and especially in the face of an uncertain future. As we continue to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, we too find ourselves living in anxious and uncertain times. The parameters of physical distancing leave many of us feeling isolated from our communities of faith and our sources of support, and as the pandemic continues, this isolation can breed a difficult loneliness that is hard to bear. In this time, then, we at St. Stephen’s take more seriously than ever the work of pastoral care. While the primary way we offer pastoral care—in-person visits—is not possible at this time, we have been cultivating new means of caregiving that overcome the physical distance between 16
us. At the start of the pandemic, our vicar, the Rev. Will Stanley, and our senior warden, Allison Koschak, piloted a calling program. Members of the congregation joined teams to call over 1,000 parishioners simply to “check in,” asking how the pandemic was re-shaping their lives and offering encouragement and support. We plan to launch the second round of this calling program soon; if you are interested in joining as a volunteer, please contact Will Stanley or Cate Anthony. In addition to this new calling program, we continue to update and publish the parish prayer list each Sunday. Clergy and lay pastoral caregivers continue to call those in need each week, offering support and prayer over the phone. We send handwritten notes for a variety of
occasions, and also keep in touch by email and Zoom. These are new media for an ancient practice of mutual care, and while it is not the same as pre-pandemic times, we are so grateful for the ways in which technology allows us to continue the work of pastoral care in this time. Dear friends, this work is not for the clergy and staff of St. Stephen’s alone. Now more than ever, we are each called to strengthen one another in mutual love. If you would like to join the work of pastoral care at St. Stephen’s–writing notes, making phone calls, delivering food, making visits when it’s safe to do so–please let us know. If you are struggling in this time, let us know that, too–we are still here for you. We are still and always community, destined to live with God and one another in the sure hope of salvation. ✤
GOOD TO KNOW Staff members, primarily Liz Bartenstein and Becky Lehman, answer the parish phone Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Often they are answering remotely; since most staff are working from home, Liz or Becky will not be able to transfer your call to another staff member, but they’ll take a message and the person you’re calling will return the call as soon as possible. At other times, you may call the parish office and leave voice mail, 804.288.2867. You may request prayer for yourself or someone else by calling the parish office, or going to ststephensRVA.org/prayer-request to fill out an online request. Be sure to let us know, by phone or by online request, if you’d like the prayer concern included in the weekly parish prayer list. This list is emailed on Sunday mornings to parishioners who have requested it. (If you want someone other than yourself included in the printed/distributed prayer list, it’s important that you get the person’s consent first.) If you know someone who would like to hear from a member of our clergy, please let us know.
SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
Stay connected
Between issues of this magazine, be sure you stay in touch If you are one of the countless people who are staying in touch with colleagues, friends and family members through electronic means—Zoom, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, social media channels, video, email—you may well be tired of these platforms by now. We’re delighted to provide this print magazine as another means of communication.
By Sarah Bartenstein
When it comes to technology and print, though, it’s not either/ or, but both/and. It’s more important than ever to make sure that you’re taking full advantage of St. Stephen’s communications vehicles. We are excited about the new magazine you’re holding. Since the next one comes out in early Advent, be sure you’re visiting our Web site, that you’re subscribed to one or more of our email newsletters, and if you are a Facebook or Instagram user, that you’re following St. Stephen’s Church on those channels.
WEB SITE St. Stephen’s is on the Web at ststephensRVA.org. Our Web site is the place to find information about upcoming events (including virtual ones), to listen to past sermons, Celtic service reflections, and sung Compline services; to get information about vendors who will be at the farmers market in the coming week; to submit an online prayer request, a pledge, or a pledge payment or other contribution. You’ll find order forms for needlepoint kneelers, contact information for various ministries, the latest Weekly Bible Study guide and Wellspring poetry guide; names of current vestry members; links to prayer resources; a link to the latest worship video; and much more. Spend some time browsing the Web site.
Pandemic time is unpredictable. Staff, vestry, and other parish leaders work hard to plan well—knowing all the while that circumstances beyond our control can change those plans. We love print, but technology is how we deliver news quickly. Here are ways you can stay in touch: EMAIL NEWSLETTERS The eSpirit If you want to receive just one email newsletter from St. Stephen’s Church, this is the one to choose. The eSpirit comes out each Wednesday at 6 a.m. and includes a wide variety of announcements. The eSpirit subscription list is also used to send the Sunday morning email with links to that day’s worship video and the accompanying PDF program. It’s also the primary list we use for special or late-breaking announcements. Other newsletters include: • Farmers market news • The Weekly Bible Study • Wellspring, the weekly poetry guide • Rector’s blog • Family ministry • Young adult ministry • Women of St. Stephen’s Read about all our email newsletters, and subscribe, at ststephensRVA.org/email. You do not have to be a member of St. Stephen’s to receive these free newsletters. We will never give your email address to an outside party, and you may unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time. S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H
SOCIAL MEDIA St. Stephen’s Church has a Facebook page and an Instagram account; search for StStephensRVA. Also on Instagram: the Café @ St. Stephen’s, the Farmers Market @ St. Stephen’s, Instagrove6000 (youth), the May Fair House. Also on Facebook: Compline, the Farmers Market @ St. Stephen’s, the May Fair House, Virginia Girls Choir, Young Adults. VIDEO St. Stephen’s has a Vimeo channel and a YouTube Channel (both are StStephensRVA)
When it comes to technology and print, it’s not either/or, but both/and. It’s more important than ever to make sure that you’re taking full advantage of parish communications vehicles.
PENTECOST 2 | FALL 2020
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Heralds at Home The Domestic-Majestic Life
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. JEREMIAH 1:5
This was going to be a big year for my son and for me. He was to start preschool at St. Stephen’s this fall and I was committed to bringing him with me to church Wonder is our birthright. It comes easily in childhood— every Sunday, starting soon. I kept telling myself the feeling of watching dust motes dancing in sunlight… that, any day now, we were going to get serious about religion. We were going to begin. Then, the world RICHARD ROHR changed, the preschool closed, and church as we knew By Allison Seay it is gone for a time. Now what? I can hardly get my child Motherhood is my deepest, purest joy. To say I fully to eat a square meal much less tune in to worship online. appreciate or understand what is at stake in loving my child (He’s two-and-a-half; we do what we can.) And that business well is, I think, to dishonor what is at stake. After all, it is a about being a herald of faith and his primary minister? It has holy charge, as overwhelming as it is inspiring: parents have never felt more important and it has never seemed more difficult. the distinct privilege of being the first heralds of faith for their What, anyway, is a herald to do at a time like this, when life and children, first witnesses of the Gospel, first ministers to these the news as she knew it feels forever changed? It is a beginning, mysterious, marvelous, God-formed human beings. Like other indeed, but not one I feel equipped to navigate well. honorable responsibilities perhaps, the magnitude of this one, if I am being honest, is daunting even while I remind myself that One thing that has anchored me during this pandemic seaI am not giving my son anything that is not already his and instorm is to return to my study of the child himself, return to dwelling, nor am I tasked with anything I am not already deepthe work that has been most formative in my own spiritual life. down equipped to offer. I recalled with interest that when scholars Sofia Cavelletti and Gianna Gobbi, after apprenticing with Maria Montessori in Another way I think about it: I am not responsible for introducing Rome, founded the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd—a rich, my child to God so much as I am for re-initiating and nurturing contemplative religious formation for children—they came to the relationship that already exists. The challenge for me is in consider the present and future of the child in terms of the child’s finding ways to nurture it by means worthy of both God and my past. That is, their conclusions articulate beautifully the ways in son alike; the challenge for me is in learning to proclaim without which the romance and sanctity of the mother’s womb can guide shouting, to instruct without speaking, to observe without presently and insightfully the way parents and ministers and surveilling, to shepherd without hovering, to guide without ego, teachers imagine and prepare a learning environment after birth and to get out of the way on time and with love, relinquishing and into childhood. each to the other in faith. I can paraphrase it like this: The womb is that sacred place— Ministry to my own child—to all children, really—is at the root place that Christ himself once knew—where the unborn first of what I believe is my most essential work on this earth. And, I knows safety and warmth; first encounters light and darkness, think it is important to note, one need not be a parent in order sound and music, taste and aroma; is the place of perfect union to be a herald: while the Bible teaches that all of us are ministers of self, environment, and the human being that sustains him. by virtue of our Baptism, it feels truer to me to believe we are all Remembering this can guide us, the Catechesis teaches us, in heralds of faith by virtue of our humanity. preparing an environment that honors the already-consecrated child’s dignity, sanctity, and religious capacity. Montessori called The deep desire I hold for my son is as simple and as profound as such a prepared environment for children the “atrium.” wanting this child I have made to love his life and love this world, not simply because it was I who gave it to him, but because his My son would have entered an atrium at St. Stephen’s this year, existence, the existence of any child, is evidence of the world’s every Sunday morning. And there he would find sacred objects abundance. I want a child to love and believe in mystery and (a chalice and paten, a Bible), beautiful materials (wood and miracle, to know that he has within himself the very pearl of God. silver and glass and gold), natural things (pinecones and flowers and shells and rocks), and a trained catechist who would witness Of course, I also want my child to be happy and safe and well, and him, listen to him, live alongside him a common religious I want him to grow up kind and loving and good-spirited and experience. And he would hear, as all children of the atrium do, compassionate. And with common sense and a moral compass, and that everything he did in that space would be his own perfect, some decent table manners, too. One must start somewhere. private prayer. He would find work to inspire his awakening senses, would begin to penetrate mysteries of time, of life and +++ death, and he would be offered ways to satisfy his capacity for 18
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new language. He would sing and move and celebrate and in the care of a catechist he would find his response to what Montessori believed was the silent plea of all children: “Help me draw closer to God by myself.” In the womb, with his mother’s oneness, a child is unaware of the possibility of separateness, is unaware that one’s own body and being ends and another’s begins. Outside the womb, we can take great care in nurturing Oneness of a different but no less holy order. What this teaches us about the importance of environment for children after birth is inextricable from the ways we think about the religious capacities of children as they grow. They are born with a particular knowledge, a holy vocation—as a sunflower seed knows to become a sunflower—and it is our privilege to witness their becoming. Our work, especially now, especially in the home, is to provide the fertile environment where the gifts and blooms of their spirit will be honored and celebrated. After all, the seed cannot become what it is without the right environment, without soil and sun. Our work includes adapting the way we speak with children, the work we offer them, the affirmation we give them, the respect we show them.
The work of the herald, I remind myself, is not to make the news good; the work of the herald is to deliver the news that already is.
The fertile environment is the work of the adult. The becoming is the work of the child. All this to say that the loving environment we offer to children— whether in the atrium or at home—particularly as it concerns nurturing and respecting their spiritual lives, is nearly as important as the good news we are here to herald. +++ When the “shelter-in-place” directives appeared last spring, they became for me intense spiritual instruction, a discipline which asked me to think anew: What is this place in which we shelter? How will we shelter here? What is it that we think we need? Ours is a small house. The dishes are chipped. A lightbulb is out. The animals are shedding. And which of us tracked this mud inside? What is this home we have made and continue to make? These days, it is church. S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H
One lesson I learned quickly from sheltering in place is that it is often easier to think abstractly and wistfully of the Sacred Home—what some call Domestic Church—than it is to practice what I preach. Like other noble pursuits, it is much easier to contemplate the idea rather than live the reality. There are plenty of days I can hardly communicate with my own spouse in the kitchen much less shelter in place with reverence. And all the while the current world news on television, even while muted, screams catastrophe in every direction. As if anyone could forget, this is not the womb any longer. The good news, of course, is that we have what we need. We do. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd reminds us that our domestic church is already church, even if we have not yet assigned it that way. There is nothing we need to do to make the home a sacred home; the difference is in our knowing that it is already so, and always was. For my part, one important adjustment I am making is in thinking that the gap between idea and reality is unbridgeable. I have spent months, I fear, fighting my own ego, figuring out how to make my home more sacred, how to make this a place of religious instruction that might hold us over until our “real church” reopens. Then, I kept telling myself, we’d really begin. We’d get serious about religion. It is six months later and I am waking up. This is home. This is church. This is what we have. What is it we think we need? The work before now came at some emotional cost and I am sure I am still paying. But, a shift in me happened when I realized that rather than preparing a home for religious instruction, I might instead prepare a home for religious life. There is nothing to do to make our home sacred; there is instead the work of claiming what already is and living here in ways that celebrate the truth. When the first century Christians used the term “domestic church” they understood that the home was holy and fertile ground, the primary place of gathering, prayer, safety, and Presence. They understood that parents were the first heralds of faith. And here we are. Everything ancient made new. How wonderfully strange to realize an invitation backwards, to something that has already been, our present and our future understood through an alreadyconsecrated past. As for me and mine who shelter here, it is a domestic-majestic life we are learning. Nothing here is without the holy. And nothing here is without the dust of us, the dust of our daily living. It is true for you and yours. May you believe it is so. ✤ Allison Seay, associate for religion and the arts, writes “Wellspring,” our weekly poetry guide, edits the Weekly Bible Study, and coordinates Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Holy Baptism, and helps oversee youth Confirmation preparation and Emmaus Groups.
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where they may meet and be grounded in the love of the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep by name. We say that everything we do in the atrium is a prayer and, likewise, every material in the atrium is meant as a means for pondering the mysteries and riches of our faith; just as the life and work of a monk centers on prayer, so the child’s engagement and experience in an atrium is considered prayerful work. Among the work the children are invited to explore are models of church architecture, vessels, and garments. Other materials relate to the proclamations of our faith, our liturgy, and our communal sacramental life.
“If we want to help the child draw nearer to God, we should with patience and courage seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things. This requires study and prayer. The children themselves will be our teachers if we know how to observe them. ” —SOFIA CAVELLETTI
The New Atrium
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in the Sacred Home By Allison Seay
An overview of the Montessori-based approach to the religious formation of young children WHAT IT IS The Catechesis (kat-i-KEE-sis) of the Good Shepherd is a religious formation approach for children ages 3 to 12. Based on scripture, liturgy and the educational and pedagogical principles of Dr. Maria Montessori, CGS began in Italy in 1954 under the guidance of noted theologians and educators Sofia Cavelletti and Gianna Gobbi. This manner of Christian education is not primarily academic but instead seeks to be a religious experience rooted in celebration, contemplation and joy. It depends on a gentle entrance to, and witnessing of, the child’s often-silent encounter with the Divine. 20
Montessori advised that we must “quit our roles as jailers and instead take care to prepare an environment in which we do as little as possible to exhaust the child with our surveillance and instruction.” Children, even from the earliest age, have an enormous capacity for wonder and a deep and vital desire to develop a conscious and intimate relationship with God. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd seeks to nourish what is already present and indwelling. WHERE IT HAPPENS
Traditionally, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd takes place in an atrium—a carefully prepared, sacred space for children
Though the atria are closed while we shelter in place, we are steady in our belief that the principles of our shared life in the atrium can translate to an environment at home where adults and children can live a common religious experience in what some call the Domestic Church. After all, it is in the home that the child’s moral and spiritual development is first formed by the nurturing she receives from those who love her. Just as in the atrium, home can be a place of exploration, creation, joy, prayer, and mystery. HOW IT HAPPENS The word catechesis means oral religious instruction and a catechist (KAT-i-kist) is the one who shares presentations (not lessons) and scripture with the child— parables and prophecies, geography, history, and the life of Christ. Importantly, the catechist is not a teacher but a cowonderer, a listener and facilitator who has prayerfully prepared the space and who has undergone formation and study herself in order to better understand ways that biblical and liturgical themes correspond to the developmental stages of children in her (or his) care. Every catechist works under the assumption that Christ is the only “teacher” and that all the wisdom one needs is already in the room. While this year children may not be receiving these presentations as we wish they could, parents still have the unique responsibility and distinct honor of being the first heralds of faith in the development of their children, the primary catechists. Because it is within the life of the family at home that Christian community is first SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
experienced, the Domestic Church or Sacred Home is one of the most important and privileged places for the faithful to gather. We believe that some of the greatest gifts a parent can offer are those of prayer, contemplation, wonder and joy. In this time of pandemic, parents’ roles as principal ministers have never been clearer. WHERE WE GO FROM HERE To begin, one simple but important ritual that many observe is the use of a prayer space at home. You might identify a central place to gather, such as the kitchen table or a corner in your family room, that is your sacred space for prayer. You might set a prayer table, even a primitive one— you can use a box, the seat of a chair (as shown in the photo), a coffee table—and include significant items such as a candle, a cross, a Bible, and perhaps a cloth or a scarf the color of the liturgical season (green for the season after Pentecost, purple for Advent, and so on). You might pick flowers
from the yard, find a pinecone or rock, and place objects like these on the prayer table. Often, simply lighting a candle and remembering aloud that “God is with us,” then observing a little silence, is a perfect nightly blessing. It might be that, at this prayer table, one shares the parables we present in the atrium—of the Good Shepherd, the mustard seed, the found coin, etc. Here can be a place of song and worship, silence and prayer. The catechists at St. Stephen’s are prepared to support you however they can. Other work that children are drawn to in the atrium, and which certainly translates at home, is in caring for their environment. Even very young children are capable of—and enjoy—dusting, pouring, folding, watering a plant. These tasks are meant to exercise focus, to satisfy a love of order, and to provide for control
of error. As the poet Mary Oliver put it, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” Every work in the atrium—even those tasks for practical life and caretaking—is a prayer. Maria Montessori reminds us, “The child is much more spiritually elevated than is usually supposed. He often suffers, not from too much work, but from work that is unworthy of him.” Depending on the age and development of a particular child, tasks like these—from washing dishes to polishing silver—do indeed tend fertile ground and inspire adults and children alike to honor the sacred in the ordinary. The notes below are taken from guides we use at St. Stephen’s Church to better prepare parents and visitors for our practices in the atria. Though originally intended specifically for our Sunday morning catechesis, they may inspire preparations for “the new atrium” at home. ✤
IN THE ATRIUM, WE… Speak softly, but do not whisper; we avoid chit-chat and small talk. Walk slowly and carefully, making sure never to step in the workspace—the rug or mat—of a child. Do not disturb or interrupt a child at work; we are careful to resist unnecessary intervention. Use good manners; we do not eat or drink in the sacred space; we make eye contact; we say “please,” “thank you” and “excuse me.” Respect the dignity of the child at work; we avoid child-talk, pat answers, and exaggerated or false responses. Model respect for beautiful material; we handle objects carefully, even reverently. Do one thing at a time; we do not talk and move at the same time; we avoid false hurry and multi-tasking. Take great care with language: • Specifically, we deliberately avoid the term “play” as it suggests recreation; while we do hope the children enjoy time in a sacred space, their work is beyond entertainment or amusement. The work of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is to attend to the silent plea of the child, “Help me draw close to God by myself.” We take seriously, not playfully, their religious experience. • Avoid “cleaning up.” Rather, we “restore” or “make it beautiful for next time.” Messes are to be cleaned; work is to be restored. • Articulate what should happen rather than what should not. For example, instead of “don’t run,” we say “please walk.” • Avoid giving “the answer” and allow children time and space for wonder and contemplation. For example, we do not tell the children that we are the sheep and Jesus is the Good Shepherd; we allow them to discover this good news for themselves. • Do not pretend to know what we cannot know. When a child asks something difficult or unanswerable, we respond with utmost respect for the child and for the question. We might say, simply, “I do not know. And I wonder about that, too.” • Value listening and discovery over “learning” or “fun.” Out of respect for the child’s capacity for religious experience, we suggest that rather than asking, “What did you learn today?,” ask instead, “What did you hear today?” Instead of “Did you have fun today?,” ask, “What was it like for you today?” • We do not exaggerate our affirmation or approval. Rather than, “Good job!” or “This is the most amazing drawing I have ever seen!” we say instead, “Thank you for sharing this! Please tell me about it…” Recommended reading: Listening to God with Children by Gianna Gobbi; The Religious Potential of the Child: Experiencing Scripture and Liturgy with Young Children by Sofia Cavelletti, Patricia Coulter and Julie Coulter; The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey by Sofia Cavalletti, Patricia Coulter, Silvana Quattrocchi Montanaro and Gianna Gobbi S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H
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Parenting with Resilience New offerings for challenging times
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wenty-first century families faced unique challenges even before a worldwide pandemic began. Now parents are experiencing an added and wholly new level of stress. St. Stephen’s Church remains committed to providing ministry not only for children and youth, but for parents at every stage of child rearing. Our church has invested significant attention and resources in this area of our life and works to be a place where caregivers of children from birth to early adulthood can find support, not only from staff and experts, but from one another. We do not promise quick fixes nor easy answers, but faithful companionship, expertise and tools in the most important ministry of parenting.
One particular need is a space shaped and facilitated by professional, clinical support within small groups of parents. These groups are designed to provide a safe place for sharing concerns common to many parents in our parish, and developing a series of conversations and presentations to address those concerns. In these groups, Meredith Southwell, LCSW (pictured) with the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care—VIPCare—brings both psychological and spiritual insights to bear on such topics as tending well to marriages, adults dealing with their own stress and trauma in healthy ways, and so on—facilitating constructive conversation in a safe environment, and offering 22
professional reminders about healthy parental care and reflection. Our vicar, the Rev. Will Stanley, is Meredith’s co-leader. While these are not therapy groups, participants will benefit from the insights and experiences of a trained clinician as they voice concerns in an intimate, safe, and confidential setting. Themes emerging from the various groups will inform topics for future offerings for parents (not limited to small groups). By the time you read this, the first round of groups will already be underway. However, we intend to offer subsequent groups. Visit our Web site at ststephensRVA.org/resilience to see what dates are available, and to register for an upcoming group. Once you’ve visited the Web site, if you have questions, please be in touch with Will Stanley, wstanley@ststephensRVA.org. ✤ REGISTRATION TIPS • I f you have children in multiple age brackets, sign up for the group that feels most helpful/where you currently desire the most support • If both parents are participating, only one parent/guardian needs to complete registration • When you register, you will be asked to sign an informed consent form in order to receive clinical support in your Zoom group.
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St. Stephen’s Preschool looks to the future with excitement
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t. Stephen’s Preschool, established in 1971, has been a valued part of the ministry of our church for almost 50 years. It is difficult to imagine that as September arrives, along with shorter days and crisp breezes, we will not hear the voices of small children echoing in the By Jan Locher downstairs hallways at St. Stephen’s Church. As is the case with schools throughout the area and across the country, the pandemic has made it impossible for us to ensure the health and safety of students and teachers who work and play in close quarters— and in turn, the health of their families. In July, parish leaders made the difficult but necessary decision to keep the preschool closed for this school year (as it had been since March). As sad as this is, preschool families have affirmed the decision.
School and parish leaders are now using the gift of time to consider ways to bring new life to what has been such a vital part of our parish and community for so long. We are engaged in a reexamination of the physical space, and ways to make sure it is safe when we do re-open, with air handling that meets or exceeds air quality standards that public health experts now say are necessary. At the same time, we are working with early childhood experts during this time to consider how we can build upon what is already great at St. Stephen’s Preschool and make it even better. We look forward to sharing our findings with you. Rest assured, when St. Stephen’s Preschool re-opens, it will be better than ever. ✤
Vacation Bible School, reimagined Virtual VBS emphasized compassion Like so many things this year, Vacation Bible School looked a little different this summer in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We had fun doing Compassion Camp and it sparked some nice discussions with the kids. I particularly enjoyed the evening Examen cards and the kids really liked the “God’s Story” videos and the songs.”— Whitney Robertson By Betsy Tyson
A week-long “Compassion Camp,” held in July, was in some ways very much like traditional VBS. Each morning, children from preschool age through grade 5 prayed and sang songs. They listened to Bible stories, joined yoga sessions, and created crafts relevant to each day’s theme. But they did it all without ever leaving home. Campers received camp bags ahead of time, stuffed with the materials they’d need for crafts and other activities. Then each day, they’d tune in to watch prerecorded videos for stories, songs and instructions. Comments from parents included these:
“Connor and Katharine enjoyed Compassion Camp this summer! Thank you for all the extra organization and virtual access. While we were sad we couldn’t be with our friends face-to-face, we felt connected again with St. Stephen’s and we can’t wait to get back!”—Emily Martin “I have never seen my son get so excited about the Bible stories and truly take their messages to life. We have already watched both full days of camp at least 3 times. Thank you for providing material that is so interactive and wonderful!”—Miriam Smith VBS is a beloved summertime tradition at St. Stephen’s which usually looks like a
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weeklong, in-person camp, and we were glad to be able to offer it in this form for families seeking ways to engage their children in meaningful and life-giving activities at home. We chose the “Compassion Camp” curriculum, developed by Illustrated Ministry, as compassion for one another is critical during this difficult time as we grapple with the effects of the pandemic and confront racial injustice. The children explored what it means to have compassion for others, ourselves, and the world. Families were also invited to participate in a “compassion in action” activity each day as a simple but important way to express God’s deep compassion for each other, ourselves, and the world. ✤ Betsy Tyson is the chaplain to Palmer Hall at St. Stephen’s. She taught first grade for 12 years before returning to our staff, where she had previously served as children’s minister. 23
Confirmation: now more than ever Preparing for Confirmation during a pandemic
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line of people stands near the steps of the chancel. Two by two, they step up and a bishop approaches each one, lays her hands on their heads, and prays that God will strengthen, empower, and sustain them as they continue the lifelong journey of Christian discipleship. If you’ve ever been By Blake Singer confirmed, or if you’ve ever attended a Confirmation service, you know that I’ve just described the moment we all wait for during this (usually) annual service. However, at a time when we must keep our distance from one another, this description probably sounds dangerous, a relic of pre-pandemic times, along with blowing out birthday candles, singing, and shaking hands, The characteristic marker of the Confirmation rite—the laying on of hands—doesn’t abide by the six-feet rule. This is why the confirmands who prepared for this transition last year are still waiting to complete their journey with the rite itself. As parish staff have approached the topic of Confirmation for this year, we’ve been acutely aware that we still don’t know when last year’s confirmands will be confirmed, much less this year’s. Why would we even begin a new round of Confirmation preparation without the finish line in sight? As I’ve wrestled with this and related questions, I’ve taken comfort in knowing we’re not the first people of faith to live through a pandemic and grapple with what it means to be a Christian during such times. I’ve especially been drawn to Christian mystic 24
Julian of Norwich, who lived during the “Black Death” of the 14th century. In Revelations of Divine Love, Julian describes a series of visions that she received from God on her deathbed. At one point, Julian says, “I saw our Lord scorn the [devil’s] wickedness and despise his lack of power, and he wants us to do the same. At this revelation I laughed heartily and that made those who were around me laugh too” (Revelations of Divine Love, LT 13). In the midst of a pandemic, staring death in the face, Julian laughs at the devil and all of the evil the devil represents, because she knows that Jesus is Lord and evil has no lasting power. One of my seminary professors, Amy Laura Hall, wrote a book devoted to this passage, where she claims that she “has come to hear Julian’s laughter as a call to holy audacity” (Laughing at the Devil, xii). As we discern how to be the church in the midst of a pandemic and wrestle with what to do with things like Confirmation, perhaps what we need most is to listen to Julian’s laughter and to hear her call to holy audacity. I’ve come to believe that beginning the process of Confirmation is more important than ever, even in the midst of uncertainty and no schedule for a visit from our bishop. Confirmation is an opportunity for Christians to affirm the vows made at their Baptism. The entire process leading up to Confirmation, whether in person, virtual, or any combination of the two, equips us to do just that. On the surface, this sounds rather tame, until you begin to examine some of the vows. For example, the examination of the confirmands begins when the bishop asks if they “renew their commitment to Jesus Christ” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 415). I find the word “commitment” to be somewhat misleading, because one can easily SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
be committed to a favorite restaurant or a football team. However, “renewing their commitment to Jesus Christ” refers to something much more radical—a series of questions in the Baptismal Covenant culminating in the candidate (or in the case of a baby, his or her parents and godparents) declaring that Jesus is Lord, a proclamation that lies at the heart of Confirmation. To say that Jesus is Lord is also to say that the nation, the pandemic, racism, wealth, and all of the powers and principalities of the world are not. The sole act of preparing young people for such a proclamation during seasons of great difficulty is anything but tame. It’s an act of rebellion and protest. It’s an act of hope. It’s nothing short of laughing at the devil. ✤
HOW WILL YOUTH PREPARE FOR CONFIRMATION THIS YEAR? Youth will prepare for Confirmation through three major components: • Online presentations and interactive discussions • Weekly small groups engaging the story of Scripture • Mentorship with an adult Online presentations are scheduled on the following dates: • Tuesday, October 20, 2020, at 6:30 p.m.; topic: Baptism • Tuesday, November 17 at 6:30 p.m.; topic: Prayer • Tuesday, January 19, 2021, at 6:30 p.m.; topic: Reconciliation • Tuesday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m.; Instructed Eucharist and tour of the church • Tuesday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m.; topic: Vocation/Identity To register for Confirmation preparation, the confirmand and his or her parents should attend one of two online information sessions: • Sunday, September 13 at 10 a.m. • Wednesday, September 16 at 7 p.m. Contact Blake Singer bsinger@ ststephensRVA or Allison Seay aseay@ ststephensRVA to sign up.
Storytelling with youth By Blake Singer Over the past several months we have had to answer a call to innovate, to adapt, to discover new ways of being, and working, in a world that requires physical distance. As someone who is deeply invested in the lives of youth I have certainly felt this call. As a church, how should we innovate? How should we adapt to the ever-changing and evermore complicated lives of the youth whom God has entrusted to our care? I’ve started to suspect that the answer may be found in the past rather than the future, in something old rather than something new, in something that does indeed have a precedent: telling stories, and more specifically, telling God’s story. To modern ears, storytelling as a solution to anything other than how to make your children fall asleep may sound simplistic, but it’s a tradition handed down from our ancestors in the faith, the ancient Israelites. At every major point in their history, from entering the Promised Land to going into exile, they’re called to remember their story, the story of God’s faithful covenant with God’s people. In the seasons when God seemed absent, they consistently looked to the past and retold their story to their children and their children’s children (Deuteronomy 4:9). I think the Israelites understood something that we may have forgotten: that our lives are shaped by the stories we learn and learn to believe about ourselves, and that our past tells us something about our present and our future. Theologian Stanley Hauerwas has suggested that we live in a time when “we believe we should have no story, except the story we chose when we had no story.” At the heart of such a story is the assumption that we are free to become whatever we want, unfettered by the past in any way. But what happens when entire paragraphs or chapters of the story we chose have been erased? What happens when these stories that define us and give us value are stripped away? What happens to the student who believes he’s loved because he does well in school, when schools aren’t meeting in person? What happens to the athlete who believes she’s enough because she’s the star soccer player, when soccer season is cancelled? There’s nothing wrong with these parts of our stories, no shame in grieving these losses, but allowing them to form us at our deepest level is risky when something like the COVID-19 pandemic can expose their fragility and threaten their validity. As Christians living in difficult times we’re called to tell a different story to our children and to one another, to become formed and storied by another story. It’s the story of God, the story of creation, and the story of re-creation. It’s the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It’s the story that tells us that in unprecedented times God has set a precedent of not abandoning God’s people. It’s the story that we are loved unconditionally and that we are enough not because of who we are in a classroom or on an athletic field but because of who God is. In times of physical separation, the call to tell the story hasn’t changed, but the innovative work to be done is to find new and creative ways of telling it. The task of storytelling doesn’t belong solely to priests or youth pastors. It belongs to all who have been baptized into this story. Whoever you are and whatever connection you do or don’t have to children, I invite you to join us in this call, which is the same as it’s ever been; to remember the story, and to tell it to our children and to our children’s children. ✤ Youth Group Gatherings: Youth groups resume Sunday, September 13, meeting on Zoom, Middle School at 5 p.m. , High School at 7 p.m. Beginning in October, youth will sign up for an even smaller group-within-the-group in the hope that it may be possible for these smaller groups to gather in person for safely distanced outdoor sessions from time to time. Throughout the fall, in addition to playing games, making time for fellowship, and the occasional outreach opportunity, we’ll be talking about our stories, and the cultivation of Christian hope in the midst of hard times. Go to ststephensRVA. org/youth to sign up. Questions: bsinger@ststephensrva.org.
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One Stitch at a Time
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am a middle school English teacher by way of an early career in advertising, as well as part- time artist, lifelong Episcopalian, wife, mother, daughter of a faithful family. Several years ago, while attending an educational conference in Santa Fe, I chanced upon a museum exhibit of the St. John’s Bible. Completed in 2011, this handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible is thought to be the first such commissioned work since the Bible met the printing press in the 1400s.
And quite frankly at times, so has God. Covid, racial tension, a student death, supreme uncertainty—wouldn’t you just like to sit God down sometimes and say, “Really? What are you thinking?”
My venture began merely as a way to gain an air-conditioned reprieve from the Santa Fe sun, but a docent practically pulled me into the Bible exhibit.
Most of the kneelers are 58 inches long, and each inch of canvas to be stitched is a 14x14 grid. That’s 11,368 stitches across one inch of a 58-inch row. In order for a fiber artist to stitch the design, each letter has to be painted. Each strand of canvas needs to be counted, and each letter rendered to fit. In addition, it needs to be consistent across the project. It isn’t a quick process by any means. It requires thought and focus. I have to pay a great deal of attention to each word. There is no swiping.
Inside, large folios, spotlighted on acrylic stands in a dark gallery, appeared to be floating in air, and I found myself entranced by the effect. Cool and dark and beautifully lit, there was something enchanting about reading John 1:1 in an illuminated manuscript: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Seeing words so sublimely rendered was a way for me to see the face of God. This memory helped me imagine using illustrated scripture on kneelers in an effort to allow people to experience the beauty of the word in a tactile way, though I wasn’t really sure how this would happen. Interestingly, though, thanks to the genuinely supportive nature of our rector and this parish community, the way was revealed and I began to work on the designs. As I became caught up in the nuts and bolts of the project, and of life, I have at times found myself losing track of that face I saw in Santa Fe. At times, circumstances, distance, and current affairs have shrouded my inspiration. I sometimes find myself sinking into a place where words–my love–disappear from my awareness. I don’t pore over them like I used to when books were precious and scarce. I don’t send handwritten letters to friends anymore. I don’t linger over pages. I swipe through words. I glimpse more words in minutes than I used to see in months. And when they bore me, I surf, and scroll, and swipe again. For me, fleeting words have lost their power. 26
By Anne Pennypacker
I was at that point after a particularly long day of “Covid-ness” when I sat down to paint one of the kneeler canvases. On this particular night, it was an obligation, not a charm.
On this particular night, I found myself engrossed in each pixel of each letter of each verse to get across the line. After sustaining this concentration over several hours, I realized I was no longer yelling at God in my head, and I found myself experiencing a resurrection moment from my daily grind, experiencing “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.” I can’t explain it adequately. Covid grace—the unique opportunity to slow words down to a thread, the time to deeply contemplate “the word,” to think about it slowly, I don’t really know. But I hope that during the sustained work by the many artists who will stitch the designs over time, such mystic moments will replicate themselves in the cadence of the stitch, and that the people who select the verses, and the people who kneel and pray, and those who minister, and those who serve will also see the words as the face of God in worship. We are continuing to build the beauty of holiness in new ways in this ancient and modern village green. Thank you for this opportunity to work with you, and for your willingness to make it happen. ✤ Photo: One of the shorter kneelers recently completed by Anne, ready to be blocked and installed.
SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
Reserve a kneeler in memory of a loved one
How do they do that?
By Marie Carter
lthough not officially recognized as such, many have noted how music is like another sacrament of our worship and spiritual lives. In an Outline of the Faith in the Book of Common Prayer, we are reminded that a sacrament is an “outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace.” The inward grace that music signifies could be understood as many things, but surely among these are the reminder that we are all made in God’s image, and that all are members of the Body of Christ. All are given the ability to sing. And music has a cherished place in the worship life of St. Stephen’s Church.
During the church renovation in 2015, parishioner John Phillips encouraged a project to cover all the kneelers in the pews with hand-stitched needlepoint. The needlepoint guild formed in 2016 and the first phase of this vision launched with kneelers for the chairs in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. The canvases were painted by artist Nancy Lukoskie, who has designed and restored needlework art for the Washington National Cathedral; these were based on motifs from our stained glass windows. This group was completed in 2017 and work on the Chapel of the Good Shepherd kneelers began, with canvases designed by parishioner and needlepoint artist Jessica Tongel. Each Good Shepherd kneeler features a different spiritual symbol. Jessica is at work on canvases for the extralong first row kneelers, featuring Episcopal churches and other Virginia scenes. There are over 250 kneelers, and so we originally thought this project would take a minimum of 10 years. As it turns out, we have many talented and enthusiastic stitchers at St. Stephen’s! The Good Shepherd project is substantially completed, and we are excited to be starting the Nave phase of the project ahead of schedule. Anne Pennypacker’s vision for the Nave kneelers is unique and has been embraced enthusiastically by clergy, staff and vestry. While many churches have needlepoint cushions, St. Stephen’s is the only church we are aware of that will have well-loved scripture verses on its kneelers. Each kneeler is stitched in memory or honor of a loved one. A kneeler directory will be available at the Grove Avenue entrance when we return to worship in the church. But you don’t have to wait until then to take part in this phase of the project. Go to ststephensRVA. org/needlepoint to reserve a kneeler in memory or in honor of a loved one, to see examples of Anne’s designs, and learn how to volunteer to stitch a kneeler. If you have questions, please contact me at mdcarter27@gmail.com or 804.402.4003. ✤
The process behind our ‘virtual choir’
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By Brent te Velde
So several months ago, we faced the difficult question of how we would honor these gifts during the pandemic. Not only are we not able to worship together in person, but choirs cannot get together to sing, because the act of singing is an especially effective means of spreading a virus that affects the respiratory system. A solution that’s being used around the world is “virtual choir,” edited videos combining performances by individual singers. Before the pandemic, to be sure, such virtual choir videos were seen by many as novelties, used by some choral composers to increase their personal celebrity. While in-person, “live” singing continues to be severely limited, however, virtual choir has become a lifeline. I am very thankful that while we remain apart we have this tool to not only bring the choir together, but also provide another way to reach those most isolated by this crisis. Of course, making music through virtual choir videos is more complicated than it was before the pandemic. Before, 45 minutes was ample time for a choir to rehearse five hymns to be prepared to lead the congregation’s singing. Now, to record one hymn involves many steps. First, a score is prepared with detailed markings in order to unify breathing and declamation of the text. While singers formerly could rely on each other in order to sneak a breath here or there as necessary, this becomes much more noticeable in a virtual choir recording. A guide video is then prepared by recording the piece at the organ or piano. This is sent to Arts Laureate, a team of highly skilled sound engineers and editors, who add a metronome “click track.” Each singer then rehearses their part on their own at home. They must also record their part on their own, singing to a smartphone, iPad or other device while listening to the guide video in headphones and following the score on a second device. Their recordings are uploaded, and Arts Laureate synchronizes, edits, and blends all of the recordings together to form the finished product. These videos are then added to our weekly worship videos in the appropriate spots. I am very grateful to Greg Vick, Chris Edwards, and our whole team of musicians at St. Stephen’s who have committed themselves to these recordings and given their time to keep this music alive. Although the demands of recording are different from leading an in-person worship service, they have renewed our dedication to the craft of making music. Every step of the process is done in isolation, so it is incredibly encouraging and meaningful to see and hear the choir singing together in the finished videos. While we are separated, music continues to unite us in the love of God. ✤ 27
How are we doing? How are YOU doing? Thank you for your prayers and your generosity
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uring the challenging days in which we live, parishioners have frequently asked staff and vestry members, “How are we doing? And what can I do to help?” At the heart of their question is love, caring, and concern that the clergy, staff, parishioners and larger St. Stephen’s community are staying safe and well during this extraordinary time.
The uncertainty of this period has been difficult for many people. So has the sense of isolation, loneliness, and a sense of being adrift. As so many of you have noted, we have needed the ministries of St. Stephen’s Church more than ever during the pandemic. Parishioners who ask about the church’s well-being often follow up with another question: “How are the parish’s finances?” We know that in addition to the loneliness, stress, and other difficulties of the past several months, many people are also coping 28
with serious financial hardship as businesses and organizations deal with the economic effects of the pandemic. If you are among those who are dealing with this added burden, please know that we understand—and that those who are able to do more to support the church at this time are doing so. St. Stephen’s clergy, staff, and vestry are deeply moved by the generosity of each parishioner, giving as you are able. And if you are among those unable to fulfill your 2020 pledge, please remove that from your list of worries. We are here to support one another. We will get through this together. We will be all right. This edition of Seasons of the Spirit includes exciting offerings and ministries for this program year. While we will not gather in person as we usually do, we plan to continue as strong as ever. If you are able to make a pledge for 2021, please know that your support is as important as ever—and in fact, it’s even moreso! SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
These vital ministries can be understood in terms of three paradigms: a sacred Village Green, a New Abbey, and a Healing Community. A VILLAGE GREEN From ancient times and through the dark ages, Benedictine communities and parish churches have served as centers of village life, embracing friend and stranger alike. We seek to be such a presence today, offering hospitality and a place to belong—not only for parishioners, but for the larger community. A NEW ABBEY In a culture overly distracted and enamored with the new, we preserve enduring wisdom, spiritual insights, and ancient practices of prayer and contemplation that nurture the soul. In an age of electronic engagement, virtual connections, and increasing loneliness, we continue ancient practices that attune human beings to the Divine and one another. In the current crisis facing our country and our world, we are reimagining ways to deliver that ancient wisdom. A HEALING COMMUNITY Jesus was considered a prophet, a rabbi, and the leader of a movement. But he was known primarily as a healer. At St. Stephen’s we seek to incarnate the One who binds, heals, and nurtures, especially where forces in our society tear, wound, or divide.
A VITAL LEGACY Thanks to the generosity of previous generations—and people like you—our parish has become one of the largest and most vibrant in the country, a beacon of Christian life and ministry. The endowment at St. Stephen’s is key to the long-term health of our church and its ability to reach beyond our campus. The corpus of
Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. TERESA OF AVILA 16TH CENTURY
Now more than ever, we need you! Please prayerfully consider your pledge for 2021. You can make a pledge online today at ststephensRVA.org/pledge. Did you know that federal CARES Act offers a unique tax advantage* available now through the end of 2020? It’s possible that this provision can help you fulfill your 2020 pledge, prepay a pledge for 2021, or make an extra gift in 2020. As we deal with the economic effects of the pandemic, St. Stephen’s is likely to need extra help to maintain our ministries for the next year or so.
the endowment is protected, while interest provides a steady stream of support, in perpetuity, for the ongoing ministries of our church. Our endowment is substantially smaller than the endowments of other churches our size and able to support only a small portion of our operating budget. This keeps us perpetually behind in tending to the careful maintenance and upkeep of our beautiful facilities and grounds. The vestry recognizes that our endowment must be over $20 million in order for the annual income to cover the expenses of upkeep and repair, and as a beginning, the vestry recommends doing our best to double the size of the church’s endowment immediately (the corpus is currently just over $5 million). For more information about joining the Legacy Society and making a planned gift, or to make a current contribution to the endowment, please contact John Sherman at jshermanjr@gmail.com or 804.382.5109. This may be one of the most important gifts you ever make.
* I n the past, tax laws limited contributions to 60% of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income each year. For 2020 only, that limitation is modified and the contributions may be deducted up to 100% of the adjusted gross income. The contributions to qualify for the 100% must be made in cash in 2020 and cannot be made to a private foundation or to a donor advised fund. All donors are advised to consult their own tax advisors to determine the impact of this legislation on their financial affairs. The plaque shown at the top of the right column is newly hung on the outside wall of Palmer Hall; it remembers with gratitude the founders of St. Stephen’s.
S A I N T S T E P H E N ’ S E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H
PENTECOST 2 | FALL 2020
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New faces, and gifts, join St. Stephen’s staff And the parish bids grateful farewells to several faithful servants
T
he only constant is change, goes the adage…and during a pandemic, there seems to be even more of it. As our ministries adapt to new realities, staff needs adapt, as well.
Since mid-Lent, St. Stephen’s Church has been producing worship videos released each Sunday (as well as those for Holy Week). After nearly six months of creating these videos with a freelance videographer and editor working with our communications, music, and clergy staff, we have hired a full-time communications associate whose duties include video production. Dillon Gwaltney, a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University who grew up in the Richmond area, recently returned “home” after working as an editor in Los Angeles. He has worked for a majority of his career in action sports media where he produced high energy content for companies like RedBull and NBCSports. We know that even after in-person worship returns, we will continue to build on our new video and livestreaming ministry, so Dillon is an important addition to our team. “We’ve had talented freelance videographers work for us on specific projects over the years,” says Sarah Bartenstein, director of communications. “We’ve known for some time that we could be doing more through this medium, but it took a global pandemic for us to realize that having a videographer/producer on our staff wasn’t a luxury, but a necessity. Dillon is a tremendous asset as we reach our parishioners in exciting new ways, and expand the reach of our communications.” Another ministry that has adapted to current circumstances is the Café @ St. Stephen’s. When churches throughout Virginia closed to the public, the café (and the May Fair House and the bookshop) were also closed. When it became possible to resume operations in a limited way, the café began offering curbside service, and later expanded to include outdoor dining with additional café tables, umbrellas, and chairs on the terrace outside the café and in the courtyard. During the past several months, two cafés on Grove Avenue have closed, and we have been glad to be in a position to serve customers who have missed seeing one another and want to re-connect in a low-risk way. So we’re thrilled that a new, full-time café manager joins our staff on September 16, Tabitha Venditti. Tabitha has a background in food service, most recently as the kitchen manager at Mountain Run Farm in Sedalia, near Lynchburg. Her desire to move to the Richmond area coincided with our need for a new café manager, and all who interviewed Tabitha were bowled over by
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her skills, knowledge, enthusiasm, and her understanding of and appreciation for our mission. Parish administrator Betsy Lee was among those who interviewed Tabitha. Betsy says, “It was clear that Tabitha is passionate about food, the environment, health and people.” Betsy continues, “The more we told her about our various food ministries, the more excited she became. You could see it in her eyes. We are doing things she feels strongly about and it was evident that she and St. Stephen’s were a good match.” We announced the arrival of the Rev. Cate Anthony in a special edition of the eSpirit several months ago. This newest member of our clergy staff arrived over the summer as a transitional deacon, having graduated in the spring from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. In early September, Cate was ordained a priest at St. James’ Cathedral in Chicago, her presenting parish. (The Rev. Will Stanley, our vicar, represented St. Stephen’s at this small, safely-distanced service, and was also the preacher.) Cate has been coordinating pastoral care since the retirement of the Rev. Steve McGehee; working with Allison Seay on Emmaus Groups; coordinating our “Sacred Ground” program, a 10-week small group curriculum on race; and contributing homilies to our weekly worship videos. In other words, pandemic or no, she’s jumped into our life with both feet. Since Cate has not had the opportunity to meet (or be met) by many parishioners in person, we are working on a video introduction that will be available soon on our Web site and Vimeo channel. Erin Townsend is with us as interim outreach coordinator to ensure that vital ministries, particularly our food ministry, continue as we search for a full-time outreach director. The needs are growing all the time as people cope with economic upheaval brought on by the pandemic, and we are grateful to have someone with Erin’s enthusiasm, skills, and dedication. The 2019 graduate of James Madison University has been an active member of the parish for many years, and she is doing an excellent job in her role here. GODSPEED Dawn Childs, who had served for five years as a part-time member of our music team, departed our staff in June. Dawn said that with her family responsibilities as well as her expanding role at St. Michael’s Episcopal School where she is a teacher were SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
among the factors contributing to her decision to step down. Happily, she says that St. Stephen’s will continue to be her family’s church home. The multi-talented Wei-Li Suen left earlier this year as Sunday accompanist for the Palmer Hall service to fully devote himself to his career in medicine. As we announced in a parish-wide email communication over the summer, we also said reluctant good-byes to sextons Donald Clements and Chuck Dixon, as well as Sunday Community Supper coordinator Ben Nelson, who held the distinction of having been on our staff longer than anyone here! In addition to cooking and coordinating the Sunday supper, Ben printed liturgical bulletins, and served as a sexton. As we related in that special communication, the duties these valued employees performed were necessarily changing as our buildings remained closed to the public and in-person services and events were curtailed. We miss them! Deb Lawrence, who served as our outreach coordinator for nearly 15 years, accepted a job over the summer as director of development for the Underground Kitchen’s non-profit enterprise, Community First. Before the pandemic shuttered restaurants and events, Underground Kitchen staged “roving” experiential dinners. In March, when they put that business on pause in response to the quickly spreading virus, they shifted to providing meals for first responders as well as for those in need. That effort has continued to expand, and Deb is raising money and awareness for these efforts. Deb and her husband Rick remain members of the parish family. Josh Rockett, who joined our staff two years ago as outreach coordinator, working closely with Deb, has accepted a position with ACTS. ACTS is our long-time outreach partner and the organization to whom we refer people seeking assistance with rent, utilities and other needs. Initially, Josh will be working with those at risk of losing their housing as a result of pandemicrelated economic hardship. Josh did wonderful work here in Richmond, worked on two pilgrimages to the southern border, and helped expand our outreach volunteer opportunities for youth. He was also known here as an excellent preacher. We are sorry to lose Deb and Josh, but we know they are continuing to exercise important ministries in their new roles. A search committee chaired by parishioner Thomas Goode is at work to find our next director of outreach. ✤
Would you like to be in a video? Weekly worship videos depend on parishioners to be the ‘talent’ One of the things staff members hear from viewers of St. Stephen’s weekly worship videos is how much they enjoy seeing the faces of parishioners in those videos. Sometimes it’s because they’ve missed seeing one another. Sometimes it’s because they’re introduced to people they did not already know—this is not only a large church, but new members are joining all the time. If you’ve thought you might like to participate in a weekly worship video, perhaps you wonder how it happens. The first step is to indicate your interest. You can do that by sending an email to the Rev. Claudia Merritt (cmerritt@ststephensRVA.org), who has become our “talent booker.” Claudia will slot you in for an upcoming video. Then, you’ll come to the church—usually on a Friday or Monday—for videotaping. Your appointment will take only about 10 minutes. Sarah Bartenstein will explain the process to you, and Dillon Gwaltney will videotape you. You do not need to memorize your part; you can read from the Book of Common Prayer or the Bible. During your taping, you can read through your part as many times as it takes for you to be comfortable. You do not need to get all dressed up, either—unless you want to! We’re interested in children, youth, and adult participants. Typical parts are the Opening Acclamation and Collect for Purity, the Collect of the Day, scripture readings, the Lord’s Prayer, the Prayers of the People, and the Peace. You will read two or three of those things during your appointment, and we’ll choose one of them to use in a video. Putting the video together is a bit like solving a puzzle. We do our best to mix ages, male and female voices, and so on. Occasionally someone comes in to record, and we end up not using any of their recordings. This has nothing to do with the quality of their delivery! In fact, we do our best to make sure it’s usable before you leave your appointment. More likely it has to do with how the different pieces fit together. And if that happens, we will either use your part in a different video on a future date, or we’ll invite you to return to record something different, at your convenience. We are so grateful to all who have participated in our videos so far, and look forward to working with more of you in the future. ✤
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SPIRIT
Presorted First Class Mail U.S. Postage PA I D Richmond, VA Permit No. 320
PENTECOST 2 | FALL 2020 Issue Number 36
ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 6000 Grove Avenue l Richmond, Virginia 23226 ststephensRVA.org
Parish Staff To reach a staff member, call 804.288.2867 or send an email using the initial and name provided in parentheses, with @ststephensRVA.org. Janet S. Allen (jallen), Associate for Membership & Development The Rev. Cate Anthony (canthony), Associate Priest Stan Barnett (sbarnett), Coordinator of Kitchen Ministries Liz Bartenstein (lbartenstein), Hospitality Sarah R. Bartenstein (sbartenstein), Director of Communication Larry Bidwell, Sexton Barry Cleaton, Assistant Market Manager Smokie Crews (weddings), Wedding Coordinator Chris Edwards (cedwards), Director, St. Stephen’s Choir Dillon Gwaltney (dgwaltney), Communications Associate/Video Producer Melissa Hipes (mhipes), Finance Manager Chris Holman, Sexton Anna F. Jones, (ajones), Farmers Market Manager The Rev. Gary D. Jones (gjones), Rector Betsy Lee (blee), Parish Administrator Becky Lehman (blehman), Hospitality & Communication Assistant Jan Locher (jlocher), Preschool Director (288-6401) Christi McFadden (cmcfadden), Finance Assistant The Rev. Claudia W. Merritt (cmerritt), Associate Priest Allison Seay (aseay), Associate for Religion & the Arts Blake Singer (bsinger), Youth Minister The Rev. William S. Stanley (wstanley), Vicar Brent te Velde (btevelde), Director of Music Erin Townsend, Interim Outreach Coordinator Betsy Tyson (btyson), Chaplain to Palmer Hall Tabitha Venditti, Café Manager Greg Vick (gvick), Organist Tyronn Wilkins, Sexton
The Café @ St. Stephen’s 804.288.3318 Claire Hackley, barista Annie Ward Love, barista Brianna Maurice, barista Bou Zintseme, barista Our missionaries in Argentina Heidi Schmidt Monica Vega
Vestry Term expires 2021 Mary Bacon, Treasurer Orran Brown Sr. Robert Dibble Mollie Hines Mitchell Alston Williams Wesley Wright Term expires 2022 Bobby Fauntleroy, Assistant Treasurer L.H. Ginn Alice Goodwin Lynn Ivey, Junior Warden Allison Koschak, Senior Warden Shelley Spalding Term expires 2023 William B. Armstrong Alison Fauls Barbara Massey Benita Miller Blair Nelsen James H. Price, Register
