From the Dean

I had a great trip to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada for the Deans Conference, but it is always nice to come home. It was good to be with so many Deans and spouses/partners from across the US and Canada who share the same passion for serving Christ from their Cathedrals and, not only that, serving the communities and dioceses in which they are located. You will hear more about what I learned this Sunday as it fits nicely with our readings. Next year we had hoped to be in Jerusalem for a week but opted to postpone that trip to a…

I hope everyone had the opportunity to see some portion of the solar eclipse this past Monday. I realize we were not in the path of totality, but it was still fascinating to me to look through my special glasses and see at least a partial eclipse. I was at the Cathedral while it took place. While it didn’t get completely dark, the light definitely changed, and the offices grew darker during the eclipse. It was neat to be a part of this celestial event as we joined with others from Mexico, the US, and Canada to see what we…

Alleluia, Christ is Risen! It was truly wonderful to be with all of you who came to worship during Holy Week and Easter. I cannot thank everyone enough for all your time and effort at making Holy Week and Easter a great success! Special thanks to the Altar Guild; to Paul, Lucas, and the choir; to our extra musicians (brass and cello); the Property Staff, Cathedral Staff, Janet and Ric, Livestream team, readers, ushers, acolytes, verger, Eucharistic Ministers, Easter Vigil/Easter reception team, and all other volunteers. For all who helped decorate, brought food, helped hide eggs, or whatever you did…

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.” (BCP, p. 281) This is one of the anthems recited during the Veneration of the Cross in our Good Friday liturgy. We are “halfway” through the Triduum (the three days leading up to Easter). Tomorrow we will celebrate the Holy Saturday liturgy at 9 a.m., decorate the Cathedral for Easter, and start the Great Vigil at 7 p.m. Bishop Diane will be with us for the Vigil where she will Confirm one adult and Receive one. It will be a great…

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. This is the Prayer over the People for Palm Sunday, starting us on our long walk with Christ to the cross. It signifies our joining with Christ in that walk and asks that we might know God’s strength as we enter this Holy Week. We have a lot happening this coming week, and I hope…

We are in the home stretch as Easter is almost here. This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday in Lent, and I feel like this day is kind of like the last Sunday in Lent for me. In the same way we have Last Pentecost and Last Epiphany, I feel like this should be Last Lent. Of course, it’s not, because Lent is not over until Easter, but it sure feels like it. Next week is Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week and Jesus’ Passion. It is something wholly “other than” what we have been doing through Lent to this…

Greetings from Houston! Julie, Dn. Barbara, Fr. James, Steve, and I have had three great days of meetings, seminars, and gatherings, with one more day to go. We conclude our time here tomorrow morning and most will head back to KC. I will be taking some time off in Sewanee and will be back for services on March 17. In addition to all we have been learning, one of the benefits of these gatherings is the connections we make with the other people attending. We quickly come to realize that we are not alone in what we are going through…

If you enjoy watching the weather, then this was a great week for you! How do we go from a record high in the seventies to snow and ice—in the same day? Well, we did, and you all got a chance to experience it. This time of year can be a volatile time, weather-wise, but this seems more unusual than normal. Please remember in your prayers all those who experienced the most extreme conditions, heavy snow, tornadoes, and wildfires, and all who are responding to those in need. As we draw closer to the end of winter and start of…

Here’s to a fulfilling, thought provoking, and not too miserable Lent! I looked back at what I wrote last year as we started Lent and realized there’s no good greeting that makes sense at this time. Happy, as I mentioned, doesn’t seem right, but woeful doesn’t seem right either. Perhaps Peaceful Lent works. Whether you are giving something up or taking something on during this season, I hope it brings you peace. It’s hard to know what others are going through in their lives at this time, let alone anytime, but we can always pray that they have peace. Peace…

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen (BCP p. 264) With this Collect for Ash Wednesday, the observance of a Holy Lent begins. Some of you were with us as we prayed this Collect,…

Our current Green Season is coming to a close, that is, the season of Epiphany. We will wear it this Sunday, the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, but this time we can’t be accused of supporting a certain football team who also happens to be green. It is the color of the season, however, and that’s what we’ll wear one last time before we switch to purple for Lent. Last year, we had some fun switching to red vestments mid-service to support another football team that, like us, speaks of the Kingdom. Well, the problem with that is more than…

Thank you to all who came to the Annual Meeting and helped to elect four members to the Vestry. Congratulations to new vestry members Steve Moore, Nigel Jones, and Charles Shipley, and to reelected member Pat Decker. I am looking forward to working with all of you. At our brief meeting after the Annual Meeting, the Vestry elected Valerie Johnson as Junior Warden, Blain Lagergren as Clerk of the Vestry, and Chip Buckner as Treasurer (non-Vestry member). I also appointed Steve Moore, former Chancellor, as Senior Warden. Thank you to all of you for your willingness to serve. We have…

It’s that time of year again and, no, I don’t mean watching the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game (though that is nice), but rather time for the Annual Meeting. It’s the one time per year we gather as a body to hear what we have done over the past year and look forward to what we are called to do in the year to come. It is always nice to hear where we’ve been and where we hope to go. Notice I said what we are called to do. We’ve been hearing about our various callings during this season…

O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace,…

In the late summer we can easily tire of the phrase “hot enough for you,” but I believe we’ll be missing those days when we experience the brutal cold that is coming tomorrow and Sunday. “Cold enough for you” just won’t be enough to express how cold it is. Fortunately, we have the light of Epiphany to help keep us warm as we look for ways to share that light with others. Sharing that light is exactly what we’ll do when we come together tomorrow, January 13, for our Diocesan service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The service begins…

Happy New Year and happy start to the Epiphany season! I hope everyone had a blessed and merry Christmas and a happy start to 2024. January is a busy month at the Cathedral as we have lots going on to start this new year. Tonight, January 5, will be our first Parish event with our Twelfth Night Chili and Soup Potluck and Game Night at 6 p.m. in Founders’ Hall. Come join with your Cathedral family to share chili or soup and play games. It is an evening for all ages.    On Sunday, January 7, we will celebrate the Baptism of Jesus with…

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … this classic Christmas song was written by Meredith Willson in 1951 and first recorded by Bing Crosby. I’m sure most of us are familiar with it and, by this late in December, have heard it more times than we may have wanted … but, it is fitting for the Cathedral since we don’t fully decorate until Christmas. You heard me mention last Sunday that Advent is a time of preparation, and we reflect that in the Nave as we put up more decorations each week throughout Advent. Finally, come Christmas Eve,…

The Collect for the third Sunday of Advent begins with the words “Stir up,” and calls us to move past our sins which only slow us down. We ask that God deliver us from these sins so that we might move more freely and with purpose to do the work we need to do in the Kingdom. Christ, whose coming we anticipate in this season, calls us to that work, so we must be able to tend to it without anything slowing us down. The full Collect reads: “Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because…

Our busy Advent season continues this weekend as we have many opportunities to come together for worship, service, and beautiful music. First is the Women of Grace luncheon tomorrow at 10:30 in Haden Hall. In addition to lunch, those present will be packing treat bags for the children at Crittenton. Later tomorrow, at 4 p.m., come join with professional soloists, members of the Kansas City Baroque Consortium, and a chorus of the rest of us for our Messiah Singalong. Bring your own score (Novello preferred) or purchase one at the Cathedral for $10. Saturday evening, at 5 p.m., will be a College and Young…

I hope everyone had a joyous Thanksgiving celebration, snow and all. Now we set our sights on Advent and the many activities we have coming up at the Cathedral as we prepare, once again, to welcome the Christ Child this Christmas.  First up is the Nativity Puppets in the Nave tonight at 7 p.m., tomorrow at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are available here. Come see the story of the Nativity brought to life in this long-standing tradition at the Cathedral with puppets created specifically for our space. Next weekend will be the Women of Grace Lunch…

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Another Diocesan Convention has come and gone, and it was wonderful to be together with all of our siblings in Christ throughout West Missouri. We had a wonderful celebration of the Eucharist on Friday evening followed by a reception in Founders’ Hall. Saturday was filled with the business of the diocese where we adopted the 2024 budget and formally set all the rules and provisions for electing a new bishop. Now that the election process is adopted and in place, the search committee will meet in retreat this weekend with the Standing Committee, chairs of the Transition and Consecration Committees, and National Church…

Do you feel like, at any moment, the sound of bagpipes will magically be heard? Maybe some drums, too? Well, at this time of year that wouldn’t surprise me and, if you show up at 8 or 10:30 a.m. this Sunday, that feeling will become a reality. It’s time again for Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan where we celebrate our connection to the Scottish Episcopal Church as they consecrated Samuel Seabury as the first Bishop in the Episcopal Church USA in 1784. Seabury’s feast day is November 14, so we try to have our Kirkin’ celebration on the Sunday closest to that day. We will have…

As we approach All Saints’ Sunday this weekend, I hope everyone isn’t too full of candy from Halloween.  The Feast of All Saints’ was this past Wednesday, November 1, but can also be celebrated on the Sunday after, which is typically done when the first doesn’t fall on Sunday. I celebrated the Eucharist on All Saints’ since it was a Wednesday, but will do so again this Sunday at all services. It is a Principal Feast of the Church year, so we will have our Verger, Glen, and incense at the 10:30 service. In preparation for our All Saints’ celebration…

This is something fun I wrote several years ago about Halloween and the Church. I like to bring it back out from time to time. Long before there were ghouls, goblins, and witches out trick-or-treating on Halloween, there was a commemoration in the Church to give thanks for all saints in heaven and on earth. While the roots of this festival time come from pagan Celtic customs, the Church “adopted” these celebrations for Christian use. October 31 was known as the eve of Samhain and celebrated the beginning of winter and the first day of the new year. Due to the correspondence…

The hills are alive … with the sound of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Cathedral this Saturday from 10 a.m.–noon. Come join Community Conversations: Sing Most Anything and learn about the von Trapp family’s story of leading Austrian-inspired sing weeks, as well as a sing-along of favorites from The Sound of Music. Please RSVP at kccathedral.org/musicevents. This is just another exciting event happening at the Cathedral in October. It’s been a busy month so far, but still to come is our Costume Blessing and Fall Festival on October 29, as well as our month-long outreach Trick-or-Treat so Others Can Eat…

In the last few weeks, I have announced the addition of members to the Cathedral staff, namely Lucas as Associate Organist and Clare as College, Youth, and Children’s Minister. Now, I am excited to share one more announcement, the addition of the Rev. W. James Yazell (pronounced yay’-zel) as Associate Priest! Fr. James will begin in the office the week after Thanksgiving and his first Sunday with us will be December 3. Fr. James and his wife, Kelsey, will be moving here from Shreveport, Louisiana, where James has been the rector of St. James Episcopal Church. This is a homecoming for them as they…

I have some exciting news to share. It is my pleasure to announce that our own Clare Stern-Burbano, who has been our interim Children’s Ministry Coordinator, will now permanently fill the position and become the College, Youth, and Children’s Minister at the Cathedral. I, along with all members of the Children’s Ministry Coordinator Committee, am excited to officially welcome Clare to the position. I know she will share the same enthusiasm and joy with the children as she does with the youth and college students. Congratulations, Clare! In other news, the Vestry met last Thursday, September 28, and took action to adopt…

Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen. (BCP p. 244) This is the Collect for the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels which is commemorated today, Sept. 29. Lesser Feasts and Fasts reminds us that “Of the many angels spoken of…

Recently Joan Bergstrom, the Cathedral’s Sacristan and Volunteer Coordinator, asked many of our volunteers for short quotes about why they volunteer. I pondered that question and the short answer I came up with was “I volunteer as a way to meet and get to know other Cathedral members.” However, the full answer to that question is so much more it is the same answer I give when asked why I pledge. It has to do with belonging. When I give of my time, talent, and treasure it is an outward and visible sign that I don’t just go to Grace…

Calling all volunteers! I’m looking forward to our Ministry Fair this Sunday after both the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services. Please come see all the various ministry opportunities we have at the Cathedral, and feel free to sign up. We always need people on hand to help us reach our goals of serving both the people of the Cathedral and the community at large. There are opportunities in Formation, Music, Outreach, Hospitality, Worship, and many others. I hope you will take the time to see what all is happening and to feel free to ask questions. But, before the…

I’m excited about all we have coming up starting this Sunday, September 10, with our back-to-school blessing, formation classes, and presentation from Bishop Spencer Place. As I mentioned last week, I’m doing a seasonal shift this Sunday by switching our service music, using a different form of the Prayers of the People, and using Eucharistic Prayer A. Our next shift will be at the start of Advent. Also this Sunday, we will offer communion wine from the common cup. This is optional as we will still have a separate chalice for intinction if you prefer. At the 8 a.m. service we will have two…

There’s an old saying that says “everything old is new again.” We see this all the time in fashion, music, and advertising, just to name a few. Retro uniforms/helmets in sports are another instance where the old becomes new. I bring this up because starting September 10 we will be bringing an “old” tradition back to the Cathedral—receiving wine from the common cup. With the exception of recent diocesan services, we have not served wine from the common cup in over three years at Cathedral services. I realize three years is not very long in church time, but I believe COVID has made us…

What do you call change when you don’t want to call it change? Transition. I’m transitioning to a new position … We’re making a transition in our operation … We hope to have the transition complete by …Maybe some of these sound familiar. Transition is a type of change. I think we don’t like to use the word change because it sounds so permanent and is not always the best thing. Change can be good, too, and necessary, but still jarring. Transition sounds much smoother, less abrupt, but still has to do with change in some form or another. I’m at one of those…

The school year is about to begin for many of you, or it has already begun, or will begin soon. I ask your prayers for all students, teachers, administrators, coaches, staff, and anyone involved in making our centers of learning safe and ready to start the new year. I also ask your prayers for all parents, grandparents, guardians, and all those who care for anyone starting pre-K through graduate school. Here is one of my favorite prayers for this occasion, found on p. 824 of the Prayer Book: O Eternal God, bless all schools, colleges, and universities, that they may be lively…

I have some exciting news to share on the motion the Vestry passed at our May meeting stating that, “the positions of Finance Committee Chair, Treasurer, and Budget Committee Chair be held by three different individuals.” This past June I wrote that at one time these were three separate positions, but lately have been held by the same person. The Vestry had lengthy conversations about this and believes the goals of the committees are best met by having separate people hold these positions. Having three separate people adds perspective as well as expands leadership opportunities at the Cathedral. The roles of the committees…

August 4, 2023 Welcome to August, a time when we try to enjoy the last days of summer break, prepare for a new school year, or just continue our daily routine as we always have and hope the temperatures begin to cool down soon. It has always felt like a time to get ready for something new, whether it’s school, fall programming, or just feeling like everything gets back to normal again. It can be a busy time, for sure, but also exciting as we anticipate what the fall will bring.   Before we look ahead, however, there is still a lot…