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 happening now. Our second Parish Breakfast will be this Sunday, August 6, at 9:15 a.m. in Founders’ Hall. I hope you’ll plan to join us as we gather between both morning services. Also this Sunday, our Summer Music Series begins at 2 p.m. in the Nave with Music for Soprano, Harpsichord, and Organ. This is followed by the Saint Joseph Woodwind Quintet on August 13, the William Baker Summer Singers presenting Haydn’s The Creation on August 20, and the French Organ Music Festival at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on August 27. There are two seminars and workshops coming up as well: The Doctrine of Discovery seminar is tomorrow, August 5, and a three-day series on the Desert Mystics begins at the Cathedral on Friday, August 11. You’ll find more information on these events, and all events, in the weekly email, on our website, or in the Sunday bulletin.
Now, looking ahead, we will have our blessing of backpacks on Sunday, Sept. 10, the return of the Cathedral Cup Croquet tournament on Saturday, Sept. 16, and our Ministry Fair on Sunday, Sept. 17. As you can see, we have a lot to look forward to and get excited about, and August is just the beginning.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
July 28, 2023
I’m not sure how many of you follow Lesser Feasts and Fasts, the Episcopal Calendar of Saints, but there are two lesser feasts which occur within a week of each other that I find rather interesting. One, celebrated last Wednesday, is for the Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joachim and Anne, and the other, which falls on Tuesday, Aug. 1, is for Joseph of Arimathea. At first glance this may not seem like much, but within that week we move from what anticipates the birth of Christ through Mary to laying Jesus in the tomb at his crucifixion after Joseph received permission from Pilate to take the body of Jesus. We read about Jesus’ life from birth to death to resurrection to ascension in the Gospels. We read about the apostles carrying on the work of Christ in Acts and the Epistles. All these take place over the course of years, both in Jesus’ ministry and that of the apostles—even more as we continue that work today. All this to say it seems such a short time to move that quickly from the expectation of the coming of the Messiah to his death in just under a week. Dates of these feasts are typically fixed based on something having to do with the life of the person they celebrate, or when the Church decided to celebrate it, which just makes it so interesting and fascinating to me when timelines collide like this. The lives and ministries of those in the Church never cease to amaze me.
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that after some weeks of having the signs in front of the murals in the Common Room I would offer time to have an open conversation about them. I would like to do this during the formation hour, 9:15–10:15 a.m., on Sunday, August 13.
Don’t forget our Deanery Picnic tomorrow, Saturday, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Cathedral. If you are planning to brave the heat and come, please remember to bring a side or dessert to share.
I’d also like to congratulate one of our parishioners for her tireless service to our community. Last week, Nourish KC gave Carol Whitehead their Volunteer of the Year award, or LAVA award. This was their first time to give it and I share with all those who volunteer our sincere appreciation and thanks for Carol’s hard work and commitment to Nourish KC and to serving those in need. Congratulations, Carol!
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for the nation, and the world.
July 21, 2023
Every year it seems like time goes by faster and we’re so quick to move on to the next thing, whatever it may be. This seems especially true with stores and merchandising. It feels like summer just got here and school has barely been out, but back to school sales are already happening. It is still July, right? No sooner had July 4 ended and suddenly everything is geared towards fall. School supplies, fall clothing, and football, all signs pointing to fall. I would still like to enjoy my summer while it is summer. All kidding aside, I realize planning is a good thing, and getting ready for what’s coming makes sense. But, it also doesn’t hurt sometimes to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy what we have happening right now. Tomorrow will come, certainly, but let’s enjoy today, too.
Looking at what is happening now, you heard me say in my sermon last Sunday that we will be hearing a series of parables in Matthew’s Gospel for the next few weeks leading up the story of the feeding of the five thousand. This is exciting and gives us a focus as we look forward to hearing about that miracle of the loaves and fish…except we won’t actually hear it! Here is where time really slows down because we won’t hear Matthew’s account of feeding the five thousand until three years from now on August 2, 2026. Why, you may ask? Because the Feast of the Transfiguration (Aug. 6) falls on Sunday this year. When this happens, we skip the readings that would normally have been used on this day and instead use the readings assigned to the Feast Day. This year we skip what would have been readings for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 13, and will hear about the Transfiguration instead of the feeding of the five thousand. I doubt the stores are stocked with items to celebrate the Transfiguration, especially since they have moved on to fall.
In other events happening now, we have the Northwest-Metro Deanery picnic on Saturday, July 29 at the Cathedral from 12–3 pm. This is a great time to gather with our friends in the metro and just relax and enjoy the summer. Seating will be available outside in the courtyard and inside Founders’ Hall, especially if you want to enjoy summer but not the heat. Please register for the picnic so we know how much food we will need. I look forward to seeing you there, in real time, as we enjoy the present.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
July 14, 2023
I am looking forward to the Diocesan Ordinations that will take place tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Cathedral. We gathered together on January 7 to see Brittany Sparrow Savage, Ryan Williams, Ryan Zavacky, and David Wilcox ordained to the diaconate, and now we will see them ordained as priests. Thank you to all who have worked to put this service and reception together, I know it will be wonderful.
I have mentioned before in “From the Desk” that a committee is currently meeting to renovate the Common Room. Part of our conversation has been about what to do with the murals that are currently on the walls. These murals were part of a larger display and were painted and installed in 1940 when the Cathedral was set to host the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. They were painted to depict some history of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Many were removed when part of Guild Hall was renovated to what is now the Cathedral Bookstore and St. John’s Bible room. These murals are stored in the undercroft. What remains in the Common Room is somewhat out of context since the other murals were removed. Some of the images in the murals have been controversial. When I was at the Deans’ Conference in Sacramento last year, there was a panel discussion on problematic images in sacred spaces and how to address them. It was suggested that the best practice is to educate people on what the images were meant to portray and why it is found inappropriate today. When Brittany was with us as our Children’s Ministry Coordinator, I asked her to take on a project to examine and fact check the remaining murals and see why they may not be appropriate in a place where the gospel is preached. We now have signs in front of each of the murals with those findings. Please take time over the next four weeks to read about what each mural was meant to display and why we find it out of line with the gospel. At the end of the four weeks I would like to have an open conversation about the murals.
Don’t forget to register for the upcoming Deanery Picnic on Saturday, July 29 at the Cathedral. I hope to see you there!
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
July 7, 2023
It is nice to get away once in a while, to take a break, but, for me, it is also nice to come back. Over the last two weeks I was in town most of the time, moving to a new house. While it was a break from my everyday routine, I wouldn’t exactly call it restful. Moving is not easy. If you heard my sermon last Sunday you would have heard me use those exact words—it is not easy. I said how we tend to think it will be quicker and easier than it actually is, but maybe those are just my thoughts. I know better now! We are done, though, except for unpacking and arranging. It’s time to return to a normal routine.
We have a busy July at the Cathedral, starting with a parish breakfast this Sunday, July 9, at 9:15 a.m. in Founders’ Hall. Saturday, July 15, at 10 a.m. will be the Priestly Ordinations of Brittany Sparrow Savage, Ryan Williams, Ryan Zavacky, and David Wilcox. I will begin my class on Matthew and his Gospel on July 16 at 9:15 a.m. in the Common Room. To finish the month, the Cathedral will be hosting the Northwest Metro Deanery Picnic on Saturday, July 29 at noon.
It has been a while since I have shared a financial update, so here are our numbers through May 31, 2023:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $173,570; MTD Actual $235,170
YTD Budget $669,904; YTD Actual $760,728
Expenses:
MTD Budget $170,183; MTD Actual $178,426
YTD Budget $848,575; YTD Actual $805,609
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
June 23, 2023
Dean Andy is currently away from the office. His weekly articles will resume July 7.
June 16, 2023
Our Gospel this Sunday talks about the calling of the twelve disciples and their commissioning to go forth and serve. Matthew calls them both disciples and apostles as he writes about Jesus giving them the authority to do what he does: “cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons.” This reading seems fitting as we prepare to say goodbye to Brittany as she has been called to go and serve God’s people at St. Paul’s. Please join us after the 10:30 service as we say farewell and wish her all the best.
Speaking of apostles, the month of June celebrates three of them: Saint Barnabas (June 11, transferred this year to June 12) and Saints Peter and Paul (June 29). The term apostle comes from the Greek word meaning “someone sent out,” and tends to be used to mean any follower of Christ who goes out and serves in his Name. Disciple tends to only be used when speaking of the twelve disciples of Jesus, but it also means a follower or pupil of a great master. We learn about St. Barnabas in the Book of Acts. A contemporary of St. Paul, Barnabas introduces Paul to the apostles after Paul’s conversion. Barnabas was a missionary with Paul and is considered the traditional founder of the church in Cyprus. Saints Peter and Paul, the two greatest leaders of the early church, are commemorated together “in observance of the tradition of the church that they both died as martyrs in Rome during the persecution under Nero in 64.” (Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018) They also have their separate days of commemoration: Peter on January 18, known as the Confession of Peter, and Paul on January 25, the Conversion of Paul. This week is known as the Week of Christian Unity.
I will be out of the office over the next couple of weeks, so From the Desk will be on a brief hiatus. I will be in town part of this time and traveling part of it. From June 21–26 I will be with my family in Arlington, TX for Mary Mullis to compete in a National Dance competition. On Sunday, June 25, the Rev. Carol Sanford will preach and preside at both morning services and the Rev. Darrel Proffitt will preach and preside at the 5 p.m. service. If you have a pastoral emergency during this time, I will be available while I am in town. When I am in Texas, Deacon Barbara will be available, as will the Rev. Charles Everson, rector of St. Mary’s, should you require the services of a priest.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
June 9, 2023
Last weekend was a busy one at the Cathedral. Between First Fridays, Diaconal Ordinations, and the Parish Picnic we had a lot of people through our door. Many thanks to Holly Campbell, Cathedral Staff, and all volunteers who came to help in any way. Thanks, too, to all who brought food to share. It was a joyous three days and all went well.
PrideFest is this weekend, and we are joining with other Episcopal churches in KC to both march in the parade and work a booth in Theis Park. On Saturday there will be a Pride Mass before the parade at St. Paul’s at 10 a.m. The parade then starts at 11 a.m. More information about this event can be found on the St. Paul’s KC website. I hope you will join us.
As I’ve mentioned before, Deacon Brittany’s last Sunday with us will be next Sunday, June 18. There will be a reception following the 10:30 service in order to show our appreciation for Brittany and give her our thanks. We wish her well in her new position at St. Paul’s, and we look forward to her ordination to the Priesthood on Saturday, July 15, at the Cathedral.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, the nation, and the world.
June 2, 2023
Welcome (back) to Ordinary Time, or the seasons between the seasons, which are Epiphany and Pentecost. The season of Epiphany falls between the seasons of Christmas and Lent, and Pentecost, now, falls between the seasons of Easter and Advent. These in between seasons are mostly green, signifying growth and times for learning. The season of Pentecost is the longest season of the church year, roughly six months. Our first Sunday during this long season is Trinity Sunday, which we will observe this weekend. It is the second of our two Feast days at the Cathedral, the first being Pentecost.
In addition to the celebration of Trinity Sunday, we have many activities and events happening at the Cathedral this weekend. Our first First Fridays event since before COVID is tonight, the Ordination of Robin Rusconi and Jody Carroll to the diaconate is tomorrow morning, and then our celebration of Trinity Sunday and our parish picnic on Sunday. Because this is the first Sunday in June, we are also observing Wear Orange Sunday, in conjunction with the whole diocese, to promote gun violence prevention. With all of this going on, it is anything but Ordinary!
I’d also like to share some of what has been happening with the Vestry recently. At our last meeting, May 25, the Vestry passed a motion stating that “the positions of Finance Committee Chair, Treasurer, and Budget Committee Chair be held by three different individuals.” At one time these were three separate positions, but lately have been held by the same person. The Vestry has had a lengthy conversation about this, and currently 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 are that the Finance Committee focuses on the Cathedral’s revenues and financial health, the Treasurer focuses on the day-to-day financial operations of the Cathedral, and the Budget Committee focuses on expenditures and how they correspond with the Cathedral’s mission. For a full job description of each position, please click here. If anyone is interested in any of these positions, please let me or one of the Wardens know. I will appoint the chair of both the Finance and Budget Committee, and the Treasurer is elected each year by the Vestry following the Annual Meeting. It is my hope to have the chairs appointed by the end of July in order to start our budgeting process for 2024.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
May 26, 2023
As we prepare to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost this Sunday, I am reminded that it also comes at the same time we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day on Monday. Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit given to all believers and Memorial Day celebrates all those who gave their lives in the service of our country, and whose spirits now rest in the light and presence of the Almighty. Our prayer book commemorates those who gave their lives in a prayer found in the Rite One Burial Office:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead: We give thee thanks for all thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence; and give us such a lively sense of thy righteous will, that the work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.
May we all continue to give thanks for those who have given their lives for our freedoms, and who now know the perfect freedom of everlasting life with Christ.
We will celebrate the Holy Spirit, the National holiday of Memorial Day, and our celebration will continue next week as we come together on Saturday, June 3 for the ordinations of Robin Rusconi and Jody Carroll to the diaconate. We are still looking for volunteers to help with food for the reception. If you are interested in helping, please contact Deacon Barbara. June 4, remember, is our parish picnic, so the celebration will continue even then.
June 4 is also our second Feast Day, Trinity Sunday. In addition to the usual service for Trinity, we will be adding elements from a Diocesan service for Gun Violence Prevention. Known as “Wear Orange Sunday,” this service helps promote Gun Violence awareness and advocates for gun safety. It was created by the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music and comes from a resolution at the 80th General Convention directing them to find a pastoral response to mass shootings in our country. People are encouraged to wear orange for this service, including clergy who will have on orange stoles.
Please remember to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
May 19, 2023
Graduation season continues this weekend for many in our Cathedral family. Congratulations, especially, to Robin Rusconi who will graduate tomorrow from the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry with a Certificate in Diaconal Studies. Please join me in keeping Robin in our prayers as she draws closer to her ordination to the diaconate on June 3. The day after the ordination will be our Parish picnic on Trinity Sunday, June 4. Between now and the parish picnic we will celebrate Memorial Day, so lots of activities happening this time of year. Congrats to Robin and all those who have graduated or will graduate soon.
Our snapshot this week looks at where we are on YTD Budget and 2023 Stewardship.
Here are our finances through April 30, 2023:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $108,452; MTD Actual $106,958
YTD Budget $496,334; YTD Actual $525,559
Expenses:
MTD Budget $163,715; MTD Actual $155,245
YTD Budget $678,392; YTD Actual $627,183
Our 2023 Annual Giving Campaign goal is $500,000. As of May 18, 2023:
We have 117 Pledges for a total of $440,551
There are 31 Pledges not yet renewed from 2022 for a total of $58,940
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
May 12, 2023
It seems as though giving thanks is in order for this time of year, especially to all mothers whom we celebrate this Sunday. Thanks are also in order for Clare and Dani and all our youth and young people who helped make our Youth Sunday a success. We give thanks for all who are graduating this month from all levels of learning, congratulations! Thanks to all who have participated in our Strategic Planning process and recent focus groups. Your input will help us paint a bright picture for the future. And, as always, thanks to all who give to the work and ministry of the Cathedral, to all who volunteer for any ministry, to all who serve on Sunday mornings or other service times, and to all who worship with us in person or online.
Here’s some exciting news—next Sunday, May 21, at the 10:30 service, I will be installing Glen Wesner as Verger. You may have noticed Glen serving in this capacity during Christmas and Easter, but now we will make it official. A verger is a lay minister who assists the clergy in the conduct of public worship, especially in the marshaling of processions. Glen is a member of the Vergers’ Guild of the Episcopal Church, which supports and encourages this ministry. Other parishes, especially Cathedrals, utilize the ministry of vergers. Please help me congratulate Glen next Sunday.
Let us continue to give thanks, for our mothers and for all the blessings of our lives. Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for the nation, and the world.
May 5, 2023
I had a great trip to Washington, DC for the Deans Conference, but it is always nice to come home. It was nice to be with so many Deans from across the US, Canada, and elsewhere 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 from me as I continue to process all that went on at the Conference. Next year we will gather in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada where Christ Church Cathedral will be our host. But, for now, my focus is here with all of you. Washington, DC was very rainy, but rain is a sign of spring. Spring is a busy time, as is the month of May, full of end of school year activities, graduations, lawn and garden projects at home, and spring cleaning. It is a time when we begin to think about what the summer might bring, and it is also a time when our thoughts turn to our mothers as we pause to honor them and give our thanks.
Speaking of spring, I’m looking forward to Youth Sunday at our 10:30 a.m. service this week. We will celebrate all the young people at our Cathedral and, especially, all those who will be graduating from any school this year (young and young-feeling alike!). Thank you to Clare and Dani for their work in putting this service together.
Congratulations to all who are graduating this spring, including our own Robin Rusconi, a Candidate for Holy Orders, on her upcoming graduation and ordination to the Diaconate. Robin will graduate from the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry on Saturday, May 20, at 10:30 a.m. at Grace Cathedral, Topeka, KS. Her ordination is set for Saturday, June 3, at 10 a.m. here at the Cathedral. Robin will serve as a Deacon for the first time with us on June 4 and, after that, I’m happy to announce that she will be serving as a Deacon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Kansas City. Many blessings to her in her new ministry!
It was one year ago this week that the full choir returned and moved out of the chancel and into their current configuration on the floor of the Nave. We returned to receiving communion at the Altar rail and things started to feel a bit back to normal again. Now, a year later, we continue that return to normal as the choir will once again move back up to the choir gallery starting next Sunday, May 14.
This is a busy time, but please continue to pray. Pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world. Pray also, in this busy and beautiful month of May, for our mothers.
April 28, 2023
I bring you greetings from the 68th Annual North American Deans Conference at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. The Conference is made up of current and retired Cathedral Deans and their spouses/partners from the United States, Canada, and beyond. We began yesterday evening with a service of choral Evensong in the great Choir of the Cathedral, offered by the Boys Cathedral Choir. Today, we have already had a busy day. The theme of the conference is The Sacred and the Civic: Voices of Faith in the Public Square, and it focuses on faith and democracy. This morning we heard a presentation on “How Christian Nationalism Threatens Democracy and Christianity” by Amanda Tynes, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Freedom. That was followed by Jon Meacham, Cathedral Canon Historian, and his presentation on “The Civic and the Sacred.” This afternoon we heard from the chaplains of both the US Senate and US House of Representatives, the Rev. Dr. Barry Black and the Rev. Dr. Margaret Kibben, respectively. As you read this, I will be on my way to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This is truly a wonderful conference in a wonderful city. I look forward to sharing my experience with all of you when I return. Tomorrow will include Cathedral tours and free time to explore Washington. On Sunday, we will all gather to join the procession and worship at the Cathedral. Another great part of this conference is the time we get to spend with other Deans, having the opportunity to share ideas and build relationships.
I ask that you hold all the Deans in your prayers as we are gathered this weekend in Washington, and please continue to pray for one another, our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
April 21, 2023
A lot has happened in our community this past week. A week ago last night a young man was shot for mistakenly going to the wrong house to pick up his siblings. A week ago tonight we celebrated Pete’s Garden with a wonderful fundraising event at the Cathedral. This past Wednesday, in Jackson County’s temporary offices across Washington Street from the Cathedral, a ceremony took place to celebrate a county ban on conversion therapy for minors, prohibiting any attempts to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Emotions are all over the place as we express our outrage for senseless acts of gun violence, our joy for those who operate food rescue ministries to provide for the hungry, and our relief for our siblings in the LGBTQ+ community who no longer have to be subjected to harmful methods of therapy. These three events are very different, they speak to different needs, and illustrate how we need to be aware of what is happening around us at all times so that we can reach out in love to others. How we respond to these needs makes a difference as we offer our prayers, our involvement, our action, and our support. This is what ministry is all about. Responding to the needs of others and always working to show the love of Christ to all. There is always more we can do, more ways we can help, more support we can give, and I urge us all to look for opportunities to minister to others. Our help and our involvement make a difference.
Here’s a snapshot of our finances at the Cathedral through March 31, 2023:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $108,952; MTD Actual $148,499
YTD Budget $387,882; YTD Actual $418,601
Expenses:
MTD Budget $168,638; MTD Actual $171,211
YTD Budget $514,677; YTD Actual $471,938
Our 2023 Annual Giving Campaign goal is $500,000. As of April 14, 2023:
We have 108 Pledges for a total of $424,051.
There are 17 new Pledges for a total of $26,270.
There are 40 Pledges not yet renewed from 2022 for a total of $73,020.
A big thank you to all who helped make For Pete’s Sake a great success. It truly was a lovely evening, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of everyone involved. Next week I’ll write to you from Washington, DC as I will be attending the North American Deans Conference, hosted by the National Cathedral.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, the nation, and the world.
April 14, 2023
Alleluia, Christ is Risen! It was truly wonderful to be with all of you who came to worship during Holy Week and to celebrate Easter. I cannot thank everyone enough for all your time and effort at making Holy Week and Easter a great success! Special thanks to Joan and the Altar Guild, Paul and the choir, our extra musicians (brass and cello), the Property Staff, Cathedral Staff, Janet and Ric, Livestream team, readers, ushers, acolytes, Eucharistic Ministers, Easter Vigil reception team, and all other volunteers. It truly takes a lot of people doing many tasks to make it work, and I am grateful to all of you. I also want to thank Bishop Diane for joining with us for the Easter Vigil. Congratulations to all who were baptized, confirmed, reaffirmed, and received. I’m looking forward to a wonderful Easter season!
Now, right on the heels of a wonderful Easter celebration, we have another celebration and fundraiser happening tonight. For Pete’s Sake: A tasting event benefiting Pete’s Garden will take place tonight from 6–8 p.m. in Founders’ Hall and Courtyard. Tickets are still available, or you can buy them at the door. This will be a great way to get to know Pete’s Garden who run their hunger relief through food rescue operation out of the Lower Founders’ kitchen. There will be live music, food, and great company! More information and tickets are available on our website.
I hope the event tonight opens the door for more events at the Cathedral, both fundraisers and parish activities. It is always a great time to gather together for worship, service, or fun. I hope to see you there!
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
April 7, 2023
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 “half-way” 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 four adults, Reaffirm one, and Receive one. There will also be two baptisms. It will be a great way to usher in Easter! Sunday morning will be festive with a brass ensemble joining with our organ and choir to celebrate the Resurrection, complete with the singing of Handel’s Hallelujah chorus from Messiah.
There may be some parking headaches during the weekend due to the volleyball tournament at the Convention Center, so I ask for your patience as we do our best to keep the parking lot clear for all of you. Gates will be closed overnight and reopen in time for our people to park. Please remember the parking garage on 13th Street will be open and we are free to park there without a pass. If you park there, please mention you are attending services at GHTC and they will let you in.
I’m looking forward to finishing the Triduum with all of you and finally coming to the light and joy of Easter Day! May you continue to be blessed in this Holy time, and may the light of Easter shine out as we get set to shout Alleluia!
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, the nation, and the world.
March 31, 2023
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 you are able to join us for all or part of the services offered.
Our walk begins on Palm Sunday with the Liturgy of the Palms. This will take place in the Nave for the 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. service, and in the courtyard for the 10:30 a.m. service. At the end of the service, after the final hymn, we will process out in silence as we enter Holy Week.
We will have midday services Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Monday and Wednesday will be at 12:05 p.m., Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Tuesday, at 11 a.m. in the Nave, will be the Diocesan Chrism Mass and Renewal of Ordination Vows. Here, the new oils will be blessed, and Vows renewed before the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. There will be one service on Maundy Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Nave. This service includes the Maundy (Foot Washing) and the stripping of the Altar. We will have two services on Good Friday, 9 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. The 9 a.m. will meet in the back of the Nave at the Healing Altar and will include Holy Eucharist from the Reserved Sacrament. The midday service will be the Good Friday Liturgy with the Veneration of the Cross. The Holy Saturday Liturgy will be at 9 a.m. in the Nave, followed by decorating the Cathedral for Easter. The Easter Vigil takes place at 7 p.m., will include two baptisms and six confirmations/reaffirmations/receptions, and is followed by a festive reception in Founders’ Hall. Easter Day will have two festival Eucharists, with Brass, at 8 and 10:30 a.m. There is no 5 p.m. service on Easter Day.
Congratulations to those being baptized, confirmed, reaffirmed, or received at the Vigil: Mason Schmidt, Sarah Lagergren, Nigel Jones, Steven King, Cliff Dubroc, Daniel Welch, and Bob Packett. Bishop Diane will be with us for this service, and I am looking forward to a wonderful evening.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation—especially those affected by the school shootings in Nashville and those recovering from tornadoes, and the world.
March 24, 2023
Greetings from Monteagle, Tennessee! I am here with my family for Spring Break, enjoying some down time on a lake and visiting The University of the South in Sewanee. It has been restful and fun, and I am ready to head back to KC tomorrow and prepare for the last couple weeks of Lent. I look forward to being with all of you again on Sunday.
Thank you to all who have helped while I’ve been away and, even before, when I was sick after returning from Jacksonville. Special thanks to Deacons Brittany and Barbara and the Rev. Darrel Proffitt for all their help.
Spring is here which means Easter if not too far off. I’m looking forward to my second “live” Holy Week and Easter at the Cathedral, it will be a busy, but wonderful, week.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
March 10, 2023
Greetings from Jacksonville! Clare, Julie, Candy 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 will head back to KC. 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 as a Cathedral, a congregation, and a diocese. We are the Church, the Body of Christ, and we all have need for one another. It is so helpful to hear how others are continuing to emerge from this pandemic time and share our story with them. We have also discussed empowering local ministry and facing the challenges of today as the church in the public arena. Together we can help make everyone better and stronger as long as we remember to care for one another, love one another, and make space for one another. We will come back with good ideas in all aspects of our work and ministry at the Cathedral. Over the next few weeks, you will hear more about what we’ve learned, and I look forward to sharing these ideas with you.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
March 3, 2023
If you were present at the 8 a.m. service last Sunday you heard me say, erroneously, that Daylight Saving time begins this Sunday, March 5. It doesn’t. I said the same thing at the 10:30 service and, fortunately, someone kindly let me know during communion that it starts next week, March 12. I was able to correct my mistake at that service, but not after the 8 a.m. service. So, 8 o’clockers, please don’t change your clocks this Sunday or you’ll be an hour early. As I mentioned in both services, most of us have phones which automatically change the time so we don’t have to remember. Gone are the days when I have to put a sticky note on my bedside alarm clock saying I have already changed the time!
Not only is it the time of year for the spring time change, but it is also time for the EPN Conference (Episcopal Parish Network, formerly CEEP). This year’s conference is in Jacksonville, FL, March 8-11, and hosted by St. John’s Cathedral. I will be attending along with Candy McDowell, Julie Toma, and Clare Stern-Burbano. The theme is Serve & Lead: Empowering Local Ministries. Keynote speakers include The Rt. Rev. Dr. Vicentia Rofiloe Kgabe, Bishop of Lesotho; Mari Kuraishi, President of the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund; William H. Lamar IV, Pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church; The Most Rev. Thabo Cecil Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town and Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of South Africa; and Jon Meacham, Canon Historian, Washington National Cathedral, Author, and Teacher (and fellow Sewanee alum). We will report back with our learnings and any ways we feel we can put those learnings to use at the Cathedral. Until then, I’ll see you this Sunday when I’ll be sure to announce Daylight Saving time again, but for real this time.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
February 24, 2023
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 is something we would like in all aspects of our lives, I’m sure, as well as in the world. I trust whatever you are doing in this Lenten season can, and will, bring you peace.
Here’s a snapshot of our finances through January 31, 2023:
Revenues: MTD Budget $122,324; MTD Actual $123,328
Expenses: MTD Budget $177,277; MTD Actual $144,687
Our 2023 Annual Giving Campaign goal is $500,000. As of February 10, 2023:
We have 104 Pledges for a total of $361,441.
There are 16 new Pledges for a total of $26,270.
There are 42 Pledges not yet renewed from 2022 for a total of $100,860.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
February 17, 2023
How did Epiphany go so fast? Epiphany is one of those seasons which can be shorter or longer based on where Easter falls that year. If Easter is early, there can be as few as four Sundays in Epiphany, and if Easter is late, there can be as many as nine Sundays in Epiphany. This year we fall somewhere in the middle with seven Sundays, this Sunday being the Last Sunday after the Epiphany. We will hear the stories of Moses climbing the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments and Jesus climbing the mountain to be transfigured before his disciples. All have something to do with light. As I wrote in my Angelus article, we need to hold on to this light as we move through the darkness of Lent, only to find light again on Easter Day. At the 10:30 service this Sunday the children will help me bury the Alleluia, another indicator we are about to enter Lent. This Sunday is also our Shrove Sunday pancake coffee hours after both the 8 and 10:30 services. Choral Evensong will be offered by the choir at 5 p.m. Then it’s on to Lent.
Lent begins with our services of Holy Eucharist and the Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday, February 22. We will offer services at 7 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 7 p.m. All three services are the same, so you only have to come once (unless you feel like keeping Deacon Barbara and me company!). If you come on Wednesday you will notice the Stations of the Cross will be up as Deacon Barbara and Deacon Brittany will offer Stations on Fridays at 6 p.m. during Lent. Please check The Angelus for all our Lenten activities and schedule for Holy Week and Easter. I hope the light we receive this Sunday is bright enough to see our way through Lent to the joy of Easter.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
February 10, 2023
It looks like the world’s best weather advisor has predicted six more weeks of winter which, if you go by the official date of when the vernal equinox will happen, seems about right. It hasn’t felt that way of late around here, until we got some snow the other day. Actually, Phil’s official proclamation was last week, so I guess that means only five more weeks now. I’d rather not think about winter when there are better things to think about, such as the Kingdom. Yes, the Kingdom has been on my mind a lot, lately. Not just because of certain events that may or may not happen on any given Sunday, or Saturday if it’s in January, but more than that. The Kingdom includes all people at all times, reaching out to one another in love, and caring for one another when we are in need.
We celebrate the Kingdom every time we gather together as a community to worship, pray, learn, serve, or break bread. We celebrate the Kingdom when we gather to remember loved ones and celebrate their lives and ministries such as we will do tomorrow at the services for Ann Matheny (11 a.m.) and Matt Lancaster (2 p.m.). We celebrate the Kingdom when we give of our time and resources to help others such as those affected by the recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, those affected by war, or those who face oppression of any kind. We celebrate the Kingdom when we take the time to listen to one another, respect one another, even when our opinions may differ, and see one another as children of God. There are many reasons to celebrate the Kingdom, today, tomorrow, and especially on Sunday.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, the world, and the Kingdom.
February 3, 2023
I have been enjoying teaching my class on Wednesday evenings on Sacred Space. This class is being taught through our partnership with the William Jewell Center for Faith and Culture. Last week we discussed the overall concept of sacred space and particularly how we experience it in buildings and architecture. This past Wednesday we discussed sacred space in nature. The Cathedral fits in both of these categories: our beautiful Nave and chapel buildings and our green space and gardens. Over the next two classes we’ll discuss unusual and unexpected places where we find sacred space. The discussions have been lively and engaging. Thank you to all who have attended. Our next class in this series will be on four Wednesdays during Lent. The class will meet March 1, 8, 22, and 29 and will be taught by Dr. Ian Coleman, Professor of Music at William Jewell. I will step in on March 15 for a Lenten-themed discussion.
Thank you to all who came to the Annual Meeting and helped to elect our newest members to the Vestry. Congratulations to Julie Brogno, Sara Copeland, Blain Lagergren, and Mathias Nichols. I am looking forward to working with all of you. At our brief meeting after the Annual Meeting, the Vestry re-elected Michael Thomas as Junior Warden and Valerie Johnson as Clerk of the Vestry. I announced at the Annual Meeting that Steven Moore would remain Chancellor and Candace McDowell would remain Senior Warden for 2023. Thank you to all of you for your willingness to serve.
Please continue to pray for one another, our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
January 27, 2023
I’m looking forward to joining with all of you this Sunday for our Annual Meeting. We will have one service only at 10:30 followed by the meeting. As I said last Sunday, I’ll have you out in plenty of time to get ready for the Chiefs game that evening! Immediately following the meeting, I am also looking forward to working with the newest members elected to the Vestry. Since we have six members running for four spots on the Vestry, we will need to have an election. Ballots will be given out to those who are attending in person and a link will be put in the comment section if you are joining via livestream on Facebook or YouTube. All eligible members joining in person or online will have the opportunity to vote.
Even though we are only having one service on Sunday, I will be starting my Episcopal 101/Inquirers class at 9:15 in the Common Room. This class is for anyone who would like to learn more about the history, worship, and sacramental life of the Episcopal Church. It also prepares those who wish to be confirmed, reaffirmed, or received at the Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 8. Classes will run through March 12. This leaves us plenty of time to make up classes for anyone who might have to miss a day or two. It is a fun class that teaches us a lot about who we are as members of Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, in the Diocese of West Missouri, in the Episcopal Church USA, and in the worldwide Anglican Communion. It will be a great day on Sunday and I’m looking forward to all of it.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
January 20, 2023
Our Annual Parish meeting is coming up on Sunday, January 29. We will have only one service this day, at 10:30 a.m., so all three congregations can join together to approve our minutes from last year, hear about our 2023 budget, and elect four members to the Vestry. Vestry members serve a three-year term and are eligible to run for another three-year term when their first term expires. Every year we elect four members to replace those who are rolling off the Vestry. Many thanks to the Vestry class of 2023 who will be rolling off this January: Amy Cornwell, Ken Stewart, Bill Colvin, and Nick Smith. This was the first Vestry class elected after I became Dean and I so appreciate their commitment to serve. Thank you, as well, to those who are standing for election to the Vestry class of 2026: Sara Copeland, Ken Stewart (2nd term), John Braum, Julie Brogno, Mathias Nichols, and Blain Lagergren. Immediately following the Annual Meeting, the new Vestry will meet to elect the Junior Warden, Clerk, and set a date for our Vestry Retreat.
In other news, I want to welcome one new member and re-welcome another member to our Cathedral Staff. Please join me in welcoming Holly Campbell as our new Cathedral Events Coordinator. Holly will help schedule and facilitate both our events and outside events at the Cathedral and will serve as the on-site liaison during those events. We have been discussing hiring someone to help coordinate these events for some time and are so glad we now have Holly as part of our staff. Welcome, Holly! The re-welcome is for our own Deacon Brittany Sparrow Savage. Bishop Diane has just assigned Brittany to the Cathedral for her time as a transitional deacon. Brittany will continue to serve as our Children’s Ministry Coordinator during this time, but will also function, along with Deacon Barbara, as a deacon at the Cathedral. Welcome, again, Brittany!
The Annual Parish meeting, Vestry elections, staff additions and changes are all normal parts of the life of the Cathedral which I have the honor and duty to oversee. These duties, however, never overshadow my greatest duty which is to serve all of you first. Please know that I always have time for you. I’m always happy to meet, have a meal, listen, grab a beverage of your choice, answer questions as I’m able, or just pray. The Cathedral is the people, and I was called to serve you in this place. Being the Dean comes with many responsibilities and can mean making difficult decisions at times, but I take it very seriously and it is always my pleasure to serve. I ask for your prayers as I continue to pray for all of you.
Let us all continue to pray for one another, our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
January 13, 2023
The holiday season is over, the new year has come, and the light of Epiphany is upon us. We get the Epiphany light for almost seven full weeks this year. In addition to the theme of light, the season of Epiphany is also about growth. This is why the color for the rest of the season is green, a color associated with growing and growth. Our Gospels during this season focus on the calling of the first disciples and Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. There is much still to learn from what Jesus has to say, for the disciples and even for us.
I’d like to remind you that tomorrow, January 14, will be our Diocesan service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The service begins at 4 p.m. with a special video prelude of a Dr. King interview with NBC News at 3:30 p.m. This coming Tuesday, January 17, is the National Day of Racial Healing, focusing on restoring individuals and communities to wholeness, repairing damage caused by racism, facilitating trust, building authentic relationships, and bridging divides. This is especially timely as it follows our Nation’s observance of Martin Luther King, Jr Day. The Cathedral will be open on Tuesday for prayer during the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bishop Diane will be present and available from 9–11 a.m if you would like for her to pray with you. January 18 (The Feast of the Confession of St. Peter) also starts the traditional Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that goes until January 25 (The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul). These days from MLK Day through Jan. 25 give all of us a time for prayer and growth, a time for hope and healing, and a time to make a difference in our lives and communities. Please take the time to pray.
Our choir will offer Choral Evensong this Sunday at 5 p.m. which will include music from Sumsion and Mendelssohn. I hope you will join us for this service of music and prayer. The light of Epiphany is with us now. Let us walk in that light and take the time to prepare ourselves for the chance to grow in this season.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral Family, our nation, and the world.
January 6, 2023
Happy New Year and Happy Epiphany! I hope everyone had a blessed and merry Christmas and happy start to 2023. January is a busy month at the Cathedral as we have lots going on to start this new year. Tomorrow, January 7, the Cathedral will host a diocesan service of Ordination as four Candidates for Holy Orders will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons. This group includes our own Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Brittany Sparrow Savage. The service will be at 2 pm and I hope many from the Cathedral will come join us to celebrate with Brittany and the other candidates.
On Sunday, January 8, we will bless and distribute Epiphany chalk for marking the entrances to your homes, and also ingather and bless all the pledges and gifts we have received to date. Of course, this doesn’t mean our 2023 stewardship campaign is over. We will continue to accept pledges for 2023 well into the new year but like to take the time to acknowledge and give thanks for what we have already received. Thank you to all who have already given. You will see at the end of this letter a stewardship update.
Next Saturday, January 14, we will be hosting a special service of Celebration and Holy Eucharist remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bishop Diane will join with me and other clergy of the diocese as we welcome The Rt. Rev. Kimberly Lucas, Bishop of Colorado, as our speaker. The service itself begins at 4 p.m., but a special video prelude of a 1967 interview between Dr. King and NBC News will begin shortly after 3:30 p.m. We will also have a video message during the service from the Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Michael Curry.
Rounding out January, our Strategic Planning Committee will resume its work, and our Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, January 29 following the 10:30 a.m. service. We will need to elect four new members to the Vestry at the Annual Meeting. If you are interested in running, please let me or a member of the Vestry know of your intention. Nominations are due by Jan. 16.
Here is an update on Stewardship for 2023:
Our 2023 Pledge Budget is $500,000. To date we have received 84 pledges for $310,221. I am looking forward to a wonderful new year at the Cathedral.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation and the world.
December 30, 2022
December 23, 2022
It looks like we’ll have snow for Christmas this year. It is always so magical and special to me, the idea of snow at Christmas. I love it, I just don’t love the reality of having to deal with it: shoveling, salting, driving … It doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any more snow, so the roads will hopefully be safe enough for you to join us for one of our services on Christmas Eve (5 p.m. and 10 p.m.) or Christmas Day (10 a.m.). It will also be very cold, so bundle up. As wonderful as it is to have snow at this time of year, it is also a reminder of those who may not have adequate clothes or shelter from the cold. As you go about your last-minute Christmas preparations, please consider donating to a local charity or shelter who can help those in need stay warm and safe this winter. Christmas is about sharing the greatest gift given to us by God. We share that gift, Christ Jesus, by helping one another and loving one another.
Speaking of helping and loving one another, we have discovered a need within our Cathedral family. We have been made aware of parishioners who have not been coming to services because they don’t have a way to get there. We are looking for volunteers who might be interested in giving rides to those who wish to come join us for worship. If you are interested, please let me or another member of the staff know and we will pair you with people in your area who would like a ride.
If you join us in person or online for one of our Christmas services, you will notice a rose on the Altar. You most likely have heard me talk about this before, but it is there in honor of the anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. I was ordained on December 21, 2002, at St. James Cathedral in Chicago. This year marked my 20th anniversary. Much love and thanks to my mother, Mary, who always sends the rose to remember this special occasion. Thanks, Mom!
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world. Have a blessed and merry Christmas!
December 16, 2022
If you are counting down on your Advent Calendar you may have realized that we are more than halfway through the season, meaning Christmas is almost here. For some this may not come as a shock but, if you still have shopping to do, the days are getting shorter. Officially, there are nine days until Christmas, but saying there’s still more than a week left makes is seem like more time, at least to me. There are still plenty of things to do in this time leading up to Christmas. This Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Bishop Diane Bruce will be with us at all three services. There will be a Q & A session with the bishop between the morning services at 9:15 in Founders’ Hall with coffee and refreshments. A reception will follow the 10:30 service, also in Founders’. The William Baker Singers will perform that afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Nave, and the bishop will be back to preach and preside at our 5 p.m. service. We will have three services for Christmas: 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 10 a.m. on Christmas Day. The bishop will be back with us for the 5 p.m. service on Christmas Eve, which also includes the Children’s Pageant. Again, we have a lot of offerings in these last few days of Advent, I hope you will come join us.
Since Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year we are following our normal Christmas Day schedule (10 a.m.) rather than our usual Sunday schedule. The following Sunday is January 1, New Year’s Day, and we will only do one service at 10:30, one of our regular Sunday scheduled service times. Usually, the Sunday that comes after Christmas Day is known as the First Sunday after Christmas, but this year it is different. January 1 is a Feast Day, the Feast of the Holy Name, and since it is on Sunday it takes precedence over the regular Propers of the day. Holy Name celebrates just that, the day Jesus was given his name, eight days after his birth. We will return to our regular schedule of three services the following Sunday, January 8.
In other news, here is a snapshot of our financial picture through the end of November:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $154,914; MTD Actual $155,232
YTD Budget $1,583,112; YTD Actual $1,682,788
Expenses:
MTD Budget $143,379; MTD Actual $181,649
YTD Budget $1,686,875; YTD Actual $1,693,093
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
December 9, 2022
I was amazed, once again, by the wonderful offerings of the Nativity Puppets and Advent Lessons & Carols last weekend. Many thanks to all who helped make the Nativity happen, and to Dr. Paul Meier and the Trinity Choir, and all the lectors, for the beautiful music and readings. Even though we’re almost two weeks into Advent, it still felt like a festive beginning to the season … and there’s more to come. Tonight we’ll have a performance by the Kansas City Chorale and next Sunday, Dec. 18, the William Baker Festival Singers will be with us. Also, tomorrow is both an Altar Guild work day starting at 9 a.m. and the Women of Grace Luncheon starting at 10:30. For the season of Advent to be a quiet time, there sure is a lot going on!
This is a special time of year as we continue to prepare ourselves for welcoming the Christ child into our hearts and homes. Even with all of the activities going on, may we always be mindful of the need to reach out in love to others, to help others, and to thank others when they do something kind for us. I’m thankful for all the offerings we have at the Cathedral, and for those who contribute to making them possible.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
December 2, 2022
I look from afar: and lo, I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth. Go ye out to meet him and say: Tell us, art thou he that should come to reign over thy people Israel?
These words, sung by our choir, begin our service of Advent Lessons and Carols. We seek the one who is to come and be our great shepherd, and our salvation. Throughout the season of Advent, we hear the prophets foretell the coming of the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Please join us at 5 p.m. this Sunday for this beautiful service combining readings, hymns, and anthems for the season. Christmas is coming, but before it does, we take this time in Advent to prepare ourselves to receive, once again, the Christ child into our hearts and lives.
Another way to prepare is to join us at the Cathedral for the Nativity Puppets’ presentation of the story of Christ’s birth. The Nativity will be presented Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are available on their website nativitypuppets.org.
These two annual traditions at the Cathedral are a great way to celebrate the Advent season and make room to receive the light that will come into the world again at Christmas. Advent gives us time to really think about how Christ works in our lives. It gives us the opportunity to reflect on the things for which we give thanks to God, for remembering those special people in our lives who bring us joy, and for making an extra effort to be kind and generous to others. We are preparing ourselves for Christmas and for the hope that comes into the world in the form of a child. The amazing thing about it, however, is that at this time of year as we focus on the coming of Christmas, we become more focused on being Christ to others. We love more, give of ourselves more, and truly make the world a better and brighter place. Let us continue to be this way even after the holiday season. Let us continue to be Christ to one another come January, February, and all through the year. Advent is a gift in that it allows us the time to focus on Christ and his coming. What a special gift it is. In Christ the day never ends, the light never dies, and the joy never goes away. A new day is coming … let us embrace it and enjoy the endless gifts it brings.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
November 24, 2022
November 18, 2022
Thanksgiving is upon us, but there are a few things coming up before we can focus on the one day a year specifically set aside for giving thanks as a nation. This Sunday, following the 10:30 a.m. service, will be our Stewardship lunch. I hope you will come and join us as we use this as another opportunity to give thanks—thanks for all the many blessings God has given us. Our 2023 Stewardship theme is “A Good Foundation for the Future,” and is based, in part, on what St. Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy. We sum it up in our Stewardship prayer this year, asking God to give us grateful hearts and help us to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share. Doing all this helps us to build that good foundation for the future … our future and that of the Cathedral. Later that afternoon, at 5 p.m., our choir will offer their final Choral Evensong for the year, resuming again in January.
I wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving, especially those travelling or welcoming travelers to your home. May you be blessed by the love surrounding you, and may you reach out in love to bless others.
Please continue to pray for one another, for those on our Cathedral prayer list, for our nation, and the world.
November 11, 2022
I’m looking forward to my first “real” Kirkin’ service this year. What I have experienced in my time here has had just one piper, so I’m excited to get the full complement of several pipes and drums. I think one piper can be fairly loud, so I’m not sure what to expect with many of them at once—but I’m ready.
November has already been a busy month with our Diocesan Convention last weekend, All Saints’ celebration last Sunday, and Kirkin’ this Sunday. On November 20 we will have a Stewardship Lunch following the 10:30 a.m. service. I hope you will plan to join us. Then, to close out the month, we will have our Thanksgiving Day service on the 24th and Advent starts that same weekend on the 27th. It is hard to believe we are only two weeks away from Advent and what will seem like a very short time until Christmas. This Advent is actually the longest time it can be at 28 days. Next year will be the shortest time it can be, 22 days, with Advent 4 and Christmas Eve falling on the same day. Let’s rejoice this year in the extra six days, I know I will appreciate them.
In other news, here is a snapshot of our financial picture through the end of October:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $130,844; MTD Actual $181,755
YTD Budget $1,428,198; YTD Actual $1,519,557
Expenses:
MTD Budget $157,228; MTD Actual $123,166
YTD Budget $1,543,496; YTD Actual $1,504,824
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
November 4, 2022
I have some exciting news to announce. As of December, the Cathedral will welcome a new tenant to our campus who will lease space in the Lower Founders’ kitchen to expand their growing ministry. Pete’s Garden, a food rescue organization, will be using our kitchen space to receive, repackage, and distribute meals to families in need. Pete’s Garden has been around for three years, operating out of the Operation Breakthrough offices. They have grown significantly and need more space to meet their needs. They reached out to me a few months ago and I’m so glad they did. It is exciting to know a ministry helping to feed those in need in the Kansas City area will once again be operating out of Lower Founders’ Hall. Volunteers work Monday-Saturday to repackage the meals and distribute them. There will be a need for more volunteers, so I am excited we can join in this much needed ministry in our community. Pete’s Garden collects unserved prepared food from caterers, restaurants, and food service operations. They then portion and redirect the donated food. In 2021 they delivered 45,000 meals and hope to reach 60,000 this year. Groups receiving the meals include Operation Breakthrough, Community Linc, Amethyst Place, St. Mark’s Center-UICS, and YMCA Headstart. In case you were wondering, Pete’s Garden does not compete against NourishKC but is a nice compliment to help all those in need of meals. We are currently getting the kitchen ready for them to move in following Thanksgiving. Please feel free to visit their website for more information: petesgarden.org.
To help prepare the kitchen for Pete’s Garden, the Vestry recently approved a motion for the Cathedral to use funds from a recent gift given by Helen Cavanaugh in honor of her parents The Very Rev. Earl and Nancy Cavanaugh. This will help repair some equipment for Pete’s Garden use and make the space usable once again. I called Helen the other day to let her know about how the money was to be used and she was thrilled. She said it captured the spirit of her parents.
In other news, the 133rd Convention of the Diocese of West Missouri will meet tonight and tomorrow at the Cathedral. Please keep all the clergy and lay delegates and alternates, clergy spouses, and all ministries of the diocese in your prayers. Also, don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour when you go to bed on Saturday night.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation and the world.
October 28, 2022
We have a busy weekend coming up at the Cathedral, full of music and fun. I mentioned last week that we are cleaning out storage rooms in Lower Founders’ Hall and will have items available for anyone who would like to take them home or donate them. I will be in the Lower Founders’ Café from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday with all the items up for grabs. Please park in the Lower Founders’ lot and enter the Café via the ramp. If you are not able to attend this Saturday but would like to have a look, just contact the office and we can set up a time for you to see what is available before we dispose/donate what is left on Nov. 12 and 19. Later on Saturday, the Friends of Chamber Music will be presenting Vox Luminis in concert in the Nave at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, following the 10:30 a.m. service, is the Fall Festival. Please join us for lunch and enjoy fellowship with our Cathedral family. Thank you to all who have helped plan this event and to those who have volunteered to help cook and offer up their trunks for trick-or-treating in the north parking lot. Sunday at 3:30 p.m. will be our hymn sing in the Nave. I had a lot of fun at this event last year and am looking forward to it. We will have all the submitted hymns placed in a jar to draw out to see which one we will sing next. If we cover all the submitted hymns, we’ll go to requests. I hope to see you there. Of course, after the hymn sing, we will have our regularly scheduled Holy Eucharist at 5 p.m.
This weekend will end the month of October with many activities, but we certainly won’t slow down from there. Coming up in November is All Saints’ Sunday on the 6th, Kirkin’ on the 13th, Thanksgiving, and the start of Advent. Also, the Cathedral will host the 133rd Convention of the Diocese of West Missouri on November 4-5. A lot is happening, a lot to be thankful for, and a lot to look forward to as Christmas is right around the corner. Take a deep breath and enjoy the ride!
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
October 21, 2022
If you attended either of the morning services last Sunday, you heard me talk about the healing portion of the service and how it was the first time I had done the laying on of hands and anointing in a public setting since I started at the Cathedral in December of 2019. I have done it in private settings and pastoral visits, but it is always special to do an intentional public service of healing. It was very moving for me. I also mentioned that I would like to add a healing element from time to time at our Wednesday Eucharist. From now on, the first Wednesday of the month will include the laying on of hands and anointing as part of the service. Also, please know that this is available apart from our public offerings. You may request the laying on of hands and/or anointing by a member of the clergy or by one of our healing ministers at any time.
The Cathedral Staff and I are working to do a big clean-up to Founders’ Hall, particularly in the storage spaces in Lower Founders’. I want to make you aware of three upcoming dates: October 29, November 12, and November 19. On October 29 we are inviting anyone who would like to come take various items we no longer need, i.e. seasonal decorations, vases, and maybe some dishes. Then, on November 12 and 19 we will throw away or donate anything that is left over. This will allow us to consolidate our storage space and free up other space to use toward our mission and ministry, including the possibility of a new tenant in our Lower Founders’ kitchen space. Stay tuned for more information on that as we work out details of the arrangement.
Thank you to everyone who filled out a survey for our Strategic Planning committee, we appreciate you feedback and comments as we work to put together a strong plan for the future.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, the nation, and the world.
October 14, 2022
Early this week, Canon Ryan, Deacon Barbara, and I joined with our fellow clergy in the Diocese for our 2022 Clergy Retreat at Conception Abbey. It was wonderful to be together and take time to rest and reflect on our various ministries. The theme was “Retreat” and focused on dedicated time for spiritual devotion and renewal. We worshiped together, dined together, and were even invited to join with the Benedictine monks to pray the hours in the beautiful St. Joseph Basilica. Group spiritual devotions included Stations of the Cross, Centering Prayer, and a hike to the Grotto on campus. We ended each day with social time to simply catch up and enjoy one another’s company (and the Chiefs game). Our final day included conversations about our work in the diocese and what I like to call “Bishop Time” to hear from Bishop Diane and how we can support her in her ministry. Many thanks to the deans of the three deaneries for putting this retreat together: The Very Rev. Robin James (North-west Metro Deanery), the Very Rev. Isaac Petty (Central Deanery), and the Very Rev. Chandler Jackson (Southern Deanery).
This Sunday, October 16, we will add a healing service to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at both the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services (Evensong will be at 5 p.m.). We have traditionally added this element to the services on the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist (Oct. 18). In addition to writing his Gospel and the book of Acts, Luke was also believed to be a physician and includes many stories of healing in his writings. In place of the Prayers of the People we will say a Litany for Healing and offer the laying on of hands and anointing for anyone who would like to receive it.
In other news, here is a snapshot at our financial picture through the end of September:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $85,350; MTD Actual $152,082
YTD Budget $1,297,354; YTD Actual $1,390,198
Expenses:
MTD Budget $168,255; MTD Actual $176,910
YTD Budget $1,386,268; YTD Actual $1,381,659
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
October 7, 2022
Please join me in welcoming our new Deacon to the Cathedral, the Rev. Barbara J. Wegener! Barbara will begin her ministry with us this Sunday at both morning services. Deacon Barbara is currently fulfilling her Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) requirement at Saint Luke’s Hospital and, due to that schedule, will keep office hours at the Cathedral on Wednesdays. I look forward to sharing in ministry with her!
I would like to update all of you on the choir’s migration back to the gallery. I have heard some complaints about the choir not being back in the gallery already, but it simply is not safe. As you are well aware, this has been a slow process due to the COVID risk levels in the metro counties. In the spring I asked Paul and the choir to move out of the chancel and into the Nave. By doing this we were able to start using the communion rail again at our morning services. At the time, COVID risk levels were dropping, and I had stated that the choir would remain in the Nave until the end of July when they would return to the gallery. As we neared the end of July, risk levels began to go back up until all metro counties were at the Red, or High, risk level. I made the decision to keep the choir in their current configuration until all counties were at Green, or Low, risk levels. Having the choir in the Nave allows them to space out more and lowers the level of risk for contracting COVID. The gallery is simply not big enough for them to safely sing together in that space without putting themselves in harm’s way, even masked. Again, this was my decision to have them remain in the Nave and not force them into a potentially dangerous situation. I realize it is not the most ideal set-up, and that some of you have been displaced from the pews, but it is the safest way to still have the full choir with us at the 10:30 service. nce all eight metro counties are at Green, or Low, risk levels for 14 consecutive days, I will instruct the choir to move back to the gallery. We consider the eight metro counties to be Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte Cos. in Missouri, and Johnson, Wyandotte, Leavenworth, and Douglas Cos. in Kansas. The good news is that six of the eight counties have been Green, or Low, for the last week. Only Leavenworth and Wyandotte are still in the Yellow, or Medium, risk range. I believe we will be there soon. Because it has been a bit more disruptive with the choir in the Nave, I have once again asked Paul to adjust how the choir is seated. Starting this Sunday, they will continue to utilize the first few pews on the far North side but will also sit in the very front pews in both middle sections of the Nave. This will free up all but half of the pew in the second row of the middle section on the Font side. My hope is to return as many pews as possible for general seating. It is my responsibility as Dean to look out for the health and safety of all who work for or worship with us. I realize I can make decisions that are not popular with everyone, but I make them in order to keep people healthy and safe. Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate the realities of COVID. I do hope there is a day when everything seems back to normal.
Please continue to pray for all those affected by Hurricane Ian, for one another, for our Cathedral family, the nation, and the world.
September 30, 2022
Every Christian is called to follow Jesus Christ, serving God the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit. God now calls you to a special ministry of servanthood directly under your bishop. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are to serve all people, particularly the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely … do you believe that you are truly called by God and God’s Church to the life and work of a deacon?
With these words, three candidates for ordination to the diaconate will be examined tomorrow morning. Our own soon-to-be deacon, Barbara, will be one of them. I hope as many of you as are able will join me for this service at 10:30 a.m. at St. Andrew’s. Barbara will then join us at the Cathedral on Sunday, October 9. She will not be with us on October 2 so she can be with the parish family that raised her up for the diaconate, St. Matthew’s in Raytown. Congratulations, Barbara.
My thoughts turn quickly to all those who have suffered in the path of Hurricane Ian over the last several days. Not only did Ian affect those in Florida, but also Puerto Rico, Cuba, and areas in between. This hurricane is projected to make landfall again today in South Carolina. Please keep all people in your prayers, and especially our Episcopal families in the Dioceses of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Southwest Florida, Southeast Florida, Central Florida, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Upper South Carolina, and East Carolina. As I learn about relief efforts and help that we can give to the affected areas I will make it known.
Prayer List for the Pet Blessing: If your animal is not able to attend the pet blessing, and you would like for us to pray for them, please add their name to the following prayer list.
Please continue to pray for one another, our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
September 23, 2022
Now that fall has officially arrived, I’d like to take a moment to focus on three Feast days coming up which will affect some things we do at the Cathedral. The Feasts are St. Michael and All Angels (9/29), St. Francis of Assisi (10/4), and St. Luke the Evangelist (10/18). We don’t have any specific events around St. Michael, I just find it an interesting day. Our annual Blessing of the Animals is coordinated with a date close to St. Francis, and we will add a healing portion to the services on the Sunday closest to St. Luke.
I’ve always found angels interesting. St. Michael, one of the four named Archangels, is most likely best known along with St. Gabriel. The other two, St. Raphael and St. Uriel, seem to be less familiar. Angels are a particular order created by God as protectors and messengers. There are nine orders, or choirs, of angels: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels. Seraphim are considered the highest order and angels the lowest. As the lowest order they are the closest to humans. That is why scripture tells us that Jesus was made “a little lower than the angels,” that is, human.
Our annual Blessing of the Animals will be on Saturday, October 8, at 1 p.m. on the North lawn. Feel free to bring all kinds of animals and join us for this short and spirited service. I would like to start a prayer list this year for any animals who cannot physically be with us but are in need of prayer. More details on how to add names to that prayer list will be coming soon.
St. Luke the Evangelist was a gentile, a physician, and a companion of Paul. He is the author of both the Gospel and the Book of Acts. Prior to COVID we had added healing elements to our services on the Sunday closest to his Feast. This year that will be on Sunday, October 16. As a physician, Luke was a healer and often included healing stories in his writing. It is even more special this year since we are in Year C and read mostly from Luke’s Gospel.
In the spirit of healing, please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
September 16, 2022
I have found all the media coverage on the death of Queen Elizabeth II very interesting. At least in what I have seen and read, barring posts and texts from other Anglican clergy, it has been mostly about her 70 year reign and service to her country and the commonwealth. Her service to the people has been exemplary, she was a remarkable person. What I found interesting, however, is that there was next to no mention of her connection to the Church. As the monarch, she held the title of Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. That title now passes down to her son, King Charles III. As we all know the Church of England is the Established church in Great Britain, something we decided not to do in this country. But, we may forget the Queen/King’s place within the Church. It was Henry VIII who, through an Act of Parliament, created the Church of England, and called himself the Head of the Church. When Elizabeth I became Queen, she declared that Jesus Christ was the Head of the Church, the English monarch was simply the Defender of the Faith. Still, to this day, the monarch names the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Archbishop crowns the monarch. What does all this mean to us as Episcopalians in the United States? Since we are a member of the Anglican Communion, we see the Archbishop as a spiritual leader of the Faith, and the monarch as a strong example of one who serves the people, following the example of Christ. The Queen had always been open about her faith, a true example for us all.
Thank you to all who helped set-up and run our Ministry Fair last Sunday. I was pleased with the turn out and the many volunteers who signed up to serve. I look forward to working with all of you.
Here is a snapshot at our financial picture through the end of August:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $150,726; MTD Actual $165,870
YTD Budget $1,212,004; YTD Actual $1,238,116
Expenses:
MTD Budget $148,542; MTD Actual $178,726
YTD Budget $1,218,013; YTD Actual $1,204,749
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
September 9, 2022
Calling all volunteers! I’m looking forward to our Ministry Fair this Sunday after both the 8 am and 10:30 am 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.
The timing of the Ministry Fair is good because you should have just received, or will soon receive, an email with a link to a survey to help inform and create a new Strategic Plan (read more here). The Ministry Fair will help you see what we currently offer and perhaps lead you to write in the survey what more we could be doing. The Strategic Planning Committee is looking forward to reading everyone’s responses so we can build an effective plan for our future at the Cathedral.
This past Sunday, Canon Ryan shared a story about how your generosity to the Clergy Discretionary Fund allowed us to help a family in need have their utilities turned back on after their power had been shut off and their landlord was threatening eviction. This is one story, of many, of how this Fund has helped several people in different ways. Here are some ways this generous offering has helped in our community. During the first half of the year, $4,252.66 was given in the following ways:
- $240 to help with childcare assistance
- $218 to help with debt assistance
- $112.07 to help with food
- $1,102.14 in gas cards to help with travel assistance
- $1,965.84 to help with rent and housing assistance
- $97.85 to help with transportation
- $516.53 to help with utilities
Thank you all for your kindness and willingness to care for those in need who come to us seeking our help. Thank you, as well, for your continued support.
Please remember to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
September 2, 2022
Happy September, and happy Friday on a long holiday weekend. As we approach Labor Day, you may not associate the prayers of the church with this particular national holiday. The Book of Common Prayer actually contains two Collects that fit our observation of this day: one For commerce and industry, and one For Labor Day itself. Here are the two prayers:
For commerce and industry
Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ in his earthly life shared our toil and hallowed our labor: Be present with your people where they work; make those who carry on the industries and commerce of this land responsive to your will; and give to us all a pride in what we do, and a just return for our labor; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
For Labor Day
Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Both prayers show a respect for those who work, show care for others, and concern for those unable to find work. They remind us that we are called to serve others in all that we do.
In this spirit of serving others, I am pleased to announce that Barbara Wegener will be joining our Cathedral family on Sunday, October 9, as a Deacon. Barbara was raised up for ordination and sponsored by St. Matthew’s, Raytown. She was graduated from the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry this past May and has completed an internship with St. Andrew’s, Kansas City. God willing, and the people consenting, she, along with two others, will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons at 10:30 am on Saturday, Oct. 1 at St. Andrew’s. “A deacon is a baptized person called and empowered by God and the church to be a model of Christ’s servant ministry for all people. As agents of God ‘s compassion and reconciling grace, deacons are missionaries to the world and messengers to the church of the world’s needs, hopes and concerns.” (www.episcopaldeacons.org) Please join me in welcoming Barbara to this new work, new labor, to which she has been called.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
August 26, 2022
Kids are back in school, football is starting (I’ll be attending a High School game tonight), and pumpkin spice everything is available in stores. These are sure signs of Autumn. So when do the cooler temperatures kick-in? Technically, Autumn doesn’t start for another four weeks (from yesterday), but we all think of this time close to Labor Day as the end of summer and start of fall. Maybe the cooler weather will come by October!
These last two Sundays before Labor Day are our “last” days of summer before all of our fall activities begin on Sunday, September 11. We will have a Ministry Fair after both morning services so everyone may have a chance to see all the volunteer opportunities we have at the Cathedral. Also, after the 10:30 service, we will have our Back-to-School Bash for children and youth. We will have a few changes as well to the liturgy. I usually make these changes when we start a new season but, since the season of Pentecost is so long, I like to make a change right after Labor Day. We will sing different settings of the service music, switch to Eucharistic Prayer A, and add a doxology at the 10:30 service. These are ways to help keep us engaged in what we do in the service. The next change will be at Advent.
I’ve recently checked the metro county COVID numbers again to see when it is safe to move the choir back to the gallery. Jackson County (MO) remains at a high-risk level, so the choir will remain where they are for now and Ryan and I will still wear masks for the Eucharistic Prayer and administration of communion. The good news is that some of the other metro counties that were high risk a month ago are now a medium risk, so at least we’re moving in the right direction. I will continue to check this on a regular basis.
I look forward to all the fall will bring, especially cooler weather.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
August 19, 2022
As schools get back into full swing, I ask your prayers for all teachers, administrators, and students. Pray for parents, as well, as they deal with getting their children all squared away for the new year. I love to use the Collect For Schools and Colleges at this time of year. Found on page 824 of the BCP, it reads:
O Eternal God, bless all schools, colleges, and universities, that they may be lively centers for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. I believe we all continue to teach and learn even after we have finished school. Let us always ground ourselves in God as we continue the pursuit of wisdom.
Here is a snapshot of where we are month to date and year to date on our budget through July 31, 2022:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $95,550; MTD Actual $87,759
YTD Budget $1,061,278; YTD Actual $1,072,247
Expenses:
MTD Budget $160,556; MTD Actual $142,544
YTD Budget $1,069,471; YTD Actual $1,026,022
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
August 12, 2022
If you tune in to our livestreamed Noonday Prayer on Wednesdays, or come to our Wednesday Eucharist, you are aware of the many saints we talk about from our Lesser Feasts and Fasts calendar. If a saint’s day falls on a Wednesday, we read Propers picked for that saint and talk about their lives and contributions to the wider Church in general or the Episcopal Church specifically. It is a great way to learn more about the women and men who have faithfully served in the Name of Christ. If you aren’t aware of the Lesser Feasts and Fasts calendar, I’d like to share some info about the people we commemorate at this time of year.
Yesterday, August 11, was the Lesser Feast of Clare of Assisi, Monastic. We tend to hear more about another well-known saint from Assisi, Francis, but not as much about Clare. In the year 1212, Francis preached a sermon at a gathering of his new monastic order of Franciscans. Upon hearing this sermon, an 18-year-old Clare was inspired to serve God and give her life to following the teachings of Christ. With Francis’ help, she formed and became the Mother Superior of an order known as the Poor Ladies of St. Damian. On her deathbed in 1253, she is said to have blessed those who were weeping by her bedside by saying, “Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he that created you has sanctified you, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be God, for having created me.”
Today, August 12, is the Lesser Feast of Florence Nightingale, Nurse and Social Reformer. Born in Florence, Italy, in 1820, she was later trained as a nurse and moved to London in 1853 to become the superintendent of a hospital for invalid women. In 1854 she was called by God to a life of service. She volunteered for duty during the Crimean War and recruited 38 nurses to join her. With their help she organized the first modern nursing service in the British field hospitals, and later formed an institution for the training of nurses at St. Thomas’s Hospital and King’s College Hospital. Lesser Feasts and Fasts writes about her religious life saying, “An Anglican, she remained committed to a personal mystical religion which sustained her through many years of poor health until her death in 1910.” When she died, she was regarded as a healer and holy person of mystical proportions.
This is just a glimpse into what we share about the lives of these persons when we commemorate them on their feast days.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
August 5, 2022
I’ve started seeing on social media many pictures of my friends’ children heading back to school. It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year already, time to head back to school. I know some of our area schools don’t begin for a couple weeks yet, but they are in full swing already with groups practicing and/or rehearsing for the new year. Why does it seem it happens earlier every year? It’s not just the schools gearing up for a new start, it is the Cathedral as well. A new edition of The Angelus will be coming out soon with information about all the activities we are lining up for the fall. It is an exciting time all around and I hope you will join with me and all those working hard to get things ready to go.
In addition to new activities happening soon, we also have a new person working on our property staff. Please join me in welcoming Farzana Farzad to the Cathedral. Farzana will be working with us on Sunday mornings. She is currently working with RhiAna, who will soon leave us to return to college. Farzana comes to us from Afghanistan and works during the week with the Kansas City School System. Welcome!
The Vestry met last week on July 28 and only had one action item. We approved our list of eight Diocesan Convention delegates and one alternate. Our delegates are Christine Morrison, Chris Morrison, Joyce Morrow, Sara Copeland, Ric Sweeting, Janet Sweeting, Dani Montoya, and Nick Smith. Our alternate is Kim Smith. Thank you to all our delegates and alternate for your willingness to serve. Convention will be Nov. 4-5 at the Cathedral.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for teachers and students returning to school, for our nation, and the world.
July 29, 2022
Pulling up to the Cathedral last Sunday morning I thought, this doesn’t look like the beach! I had a good time away with my family, but it’s also good to be back with all of you. Thank you to Michael and Candy for filling in for me on From the Desk while I was away.
Since I last wrote to you, the 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church finished their meetings in Baltimore, MD, and the 15th Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops has convened in Canterbury, UK. If you would like to know more about either of these events and what took place, or is taking place, please let me know. I will be happy to discuss with you or direct you to various websites with more information.
In other news, I had written a few weeks ago about moving the choir back to the gallery for the 10:30 service. It is so nice to have the full choir back and their singing from the font has been for distancing reasons due to COVID. I initially picked July 31, this Sunday, as the day they would move back to the gallery, based on COVID numbers. Most of the metro counties are in a high risk category and numbers have been up lately. Moving the choir into a smaller space with less distancing doesn’t make the most sense right now. I have told Paul to stay at the font for the time being and we will continue to monitor the situation. I have also noticed that more places are emphasizing wearing masks again, and more people are doing it. I am not putting a mask requirement back in place, it will remain optional, but we will say that we recommend it. For this reason, I will again wear a mask during the Eucharistic Prayer and administration of communion. I, like you, look forward to the day we don’t need to worry about these precautions but, for now, it is better to be safe.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
July 22, 2022
Awed, elated, inspired, amazed, dazzled, humbled, small, encouraged, precious, insignificant, joyful … These are some of the words I have heard and read which describe how others have felt when they first saw images sent from the James Webb Space Telescope. At first I too struggled to put into words the feelings that were evoked as I looked at images of distant—both in time and space—matter with names and descriptions like Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula, WASP-96b, Stephen’s Quintet and Southern Ring Nebula.
But soon words came to my mind and heart that were written long before the Webb Telescope was launched into space on Christmas Day 2021. The first are thoughts expressed in the title and text of a hymn familiar to me in my pre-Episcopalian youth – “How Great Thou Art”. And next are the words of Eucharistic Prayer C (BCP 370): “God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, you are worthy of glory and praise. Glory to you for ever and ever … ”.
Grateful.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation and the world.
Candy McDowell
Senior Warden
July 15, 2022
The Buildings and Grounds committee met this week in the Common Room. I came away from the meeting with two realizations that to many may seem obvious on reflection. First, just how fortunate we are to have the staff that we do. One realizes that particularly in the Dean’s absence. These professionals support the clergy and the various ministries of the Cathedral with great insight into what is needed to prepare for and execute the tasks of the various committees. Without them, the work would founder.
Second, I thought of just how much the care of our buildings, gardens and grounds were acts of stewardship. Over the last several years, I have often heard people exclaim that the place itself feels like a sacred space. I have thought that myself while sitting in the Nave. To care for the place is to honor and keep faith with the generations who have passed it all down to us. It also implies that it must become a sacred space for subsequent generations of parishioners who will carry the work forward after we have left. Stewardship does not mean that we preserve the space just as it is for all time. It should not be a museum, but a living, welcoming place to incorporate all of the diverse perspectives of those who will choose to join us. I recall from my student days a pamphlet published by the British Historical Association in which the author defined history as “the study of change over time”. Our task is to preserve all of the sacred spaces of Grace and Holy Trinity while assuring that they are accessible and welcoming to all who enter our doors.
Michael Thomas
Junior Warden
July 8, 2022
As you are reading this I will be somewhere between Tupelo, MS and Gainesville, FL on my way to Juno Beach, FL for some time away with my family. Juno Beach, located on the SE Atlantic coast, is a special place for us as we have been going there since our children were babies. We know it well and look forward to being back there for the first time in five years. I’m sure it will feel like no time has passed as we do all the things we’ve always done while visiting, but we’ll also be excited to see anything new that has come along since we were last there. We arrive tomorrow.
This particular beach is one of my thin places, where I feel very close to God. Staring out into the vastness of the ocean, seeing sea turtles come forth at dusk to build nests for laying eggs, and even thunderstorms remind me of the beauty of God’s creation and my responsibility to care for it. I have heard God speak to me while standing on the beach, looking up at the clouds, reminding me of my care for all of God’s people. It is a time of renewal and refreshment and self-care. In addition to being away from the Cathedral physically, I will also not be writing From the Desk for the next two weeks. Thank you to our Wardens, Candy and Michael, for filling in. You’ll hear from me again once I’m back.
I haven’t given a financial snapshot in a while, so here is where we are on YTD Budget and 2022 Stewardship.
Here are our finances through May 31, 2022:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $156,014; MTD Actual $150,199
YTD Budget $659,628; YTD Actual $661,907
Expenses:
MTD Budget $145,381; MTD Actual $124,851
YTD Budget $763,830; YTD Actual $742,067
Our 2022 Annual Giving Campaign goal is $456,512. As of May 26, 2022:
We have 135 Pledges for a total of $458,826
There are 19 new Pledges for a total of $32,195
There are 18 Pledges not yet renewed from 2021 for a total of $14,540
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
July 1, 2022
It has been an interesting week. A lot has happened in our nation in this past week: actions by the Supreme Court, more public hearings in the January 6 Committee proceedings, our President in Madrid to meet with other nations at the G7 Summit, and word that we will send more troops to Europe as the war in Ukraine continues. All this as we are set to celebrate our nation’s independence on July 4. All these events seem to share a common theme of liberty, whether protecting it, creating it, challenging it, or removing it based on how one views it. There are two Collects in the prayer book that speak of the liberties of our nation that we celebrate on Independence Day: one for the day itself (p. 242) and one “For the Nation” (p. 258). One talks of winning our liberty through independence and the other talks of using our liberty in accordance with God’s will. Liberty, to me, brings to mind freedom but, as we can see with all that is happening in both our nation and the world, freedom is not free. It comes with a price.
Last week I was with my family in Branson, MO, for a national dance competition. I experienced a different kind of freedom—freedom from being connected as WiFi and internet were spotty and I wasn’t able to connect to anything with my laptop or phone. That is why I didn’t have an article in last week’s email. I remember a time when it was easy to disconnect and have “freedom” from the world for a bit, something we now find very rare. My article, if I had written it, would have come before the Supreme Court handed down it’s decision ultimately overturning Roe v. Wade. The email would have come out Friday but I wouldn’t have commented on that decision, only that I was proud and happy to share in the hard work and accomplishments of the young women and men at the dance competition. I would have talked about the liberties we enjoy to be able to travel and celebrate our children. I would not have talked about things that divide us such as Supreme Court decisions, or actions of January 6, or nations at war. I would have talked about what unites us and brings us together such as the love we feel when watching our children dance, and the friendships we share with others as we come together in Branson, Kansas City, or numerous cities and towns throughout our nation.
In the days since I have not commented on the decision of the Supreme Court, but many have. Our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, gave this statement. Here is more information on the official position of the Episcopal Church.
There will be more interesting weeks ahead, for sure, but I pray that we will face these days and weeks with love in our hearts for one another as we try to come together as a nation and seek “liberty and justice for all.”
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
June 16, 2022
The longest day of the year will soon be upon us. I suppose I should say the longest amount of daylight, since the day is still only 24 hours long. It also happens to be the day when summer officially begins in our part of the world. Given the current high temperatures we’ve been having it’s hard to believe we’re not already well into July! But, as they say, if you don’t like the weather, just wait. I’m waiting for cooler temps to prevail.
While the weather might not be changing any time soon, some other things will be as we settle into the season of Pentecost and what is known as Ordinary time. According to the Episcopal Dictionary of the Church (ed. Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum), “Ordinary time can be understood in terms of the living out of Christian faith and the meaning of Christ’s resurrection in ordinary life.” What we do each day, how we live, still bears the marks of our faith and our belief in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. This time, then, becomes a season of growth, thus the use of the color green. Since we’re entering a new season, we typically change up a few things in the Eucharist such as the service music, Prayers of the People, the Eucharistic Prayer, and adding back the Confession. These are not changes to the service itself, just the particular setting of music or form we use. We also have a choice in our lectionary readings during Pentecost and we will follow Track 1. A few other changes will involve the choir. Their current position by the font is part of their eventual transition back to the gallery. The plan is to have the choir return to the gallery on July 31. This is, of course, dependent on COVID numbers staying low and feeling it is safe for our choir members to return to that space. Also with the choir, you may have noticed that the procession out at the end of the 10:30 service has been during the organ voluntary and not the final hymn. This was originally done to allow the sound for our livestream to pick up the choir better when they were in the chancel. Now, we have simply held this over for a while as they adjusted to a different space. This Sunday we will return to having the procession out take place during the final hymn. My thanks to Paul and the choir for being flexible during this pandemic time.
In addition to these modifications for the Season of Pentecost, please keep all fathers in your prayers this Sunday as we celebrate Father’s Day. We will also gather following the 10:30 service for the visitation, funeral, and interment of Nancy Cavanaugh. The visitation will take place during the regular coffee hour and the service will follow at 1 p.m. Please note our offices will be closed on Monday, June 20, for the Federal observance of Juneteenth, which commemorates the events of June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, announcing the end of the Civil War and that enslaved persons were free.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
June 9, 2022
“O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.“ (BCP p. 824)
This Collect, #28 In Times of Conflict, comes from the back section of the prayer book under Prayers and Thanksgivings. In light of recent shooting tragedies in Ulvade, TX, Buffalo, NY, Tulsa, OK, and numerous other towns and communities across our nation, it seemed fitting. We are bound together in a common life because we are all children of God and, because of that, we ought to have mutual respect for one another as we work together to find some solution to gun violence. I wrote to you a couple of weeks ago and said prayer was not enough, we need action. Please plan to join with us for a diocesan wide Prayer Vigil against Gun Violence on Tuesday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Cathedral. This service will also be livestreamed. It is a start. A start to move people to action to go out and help in any way we can, and to reach out in love to all people.
We have a few other upcoming events to keep in mind during this already busy summer. PrideFest is this weekend, and we are joining with other Episcopal churches in KC to both march in the parade and work a couple booths in Theis Park. The lineup for the parade begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, and you must be in line with us by 10:30 to march. We are Entry #53 and will be lining-up at Pennsylvania Avenue and 40th street. This is the corner NE of the large Sun Fresh/Mill Street Shopping plaza. Look for the Episcopal flags! More information about this event can be found on the St. Paul’s KC website. I hope you will join us.
Also, if you haven’t had your picture taken for our new directory you are not too late! We will be taking pictures this Sunday, June 12, starting at 9 a.m. You may sign up on Realm for a time slot. If you forget to sign up, just show up, I’m sure we can work you in.
Many thanks to all who helped make our Parish Picnic last Sunday a success! Special thanks to Julie Toma for organizing the picnic, as well as to our property staff, Clare Stern-Burbano and volunteers, Brittany Sparrow Savage, and all who helped set-up, clean-up, inflate, bounce, or anything else to make it a great picnic. It’s nice to be able to gather again.
Please continue to pray for one another, and to “work together with mutual forbearance and respect.” Pray for our Cathedral family, the nation, and the world.
June 2, 2022
It is almost summertime! I realize we have a few weeks of spring left, but we tend to shift into summer mode after Memorial Day. We make the same shift after Labor Day into fall, even though it is technically still summer. Most school years have ended and the days already seem hotter and longer. As we gear up for summer we have several events happening at and around the Cathedral. This Sunday, June 5, is the observance of the first of our parish Feast days, Pentecost, with celebrations of the Holy Eucharist followed by our Parish Picnic. Please bring a side or dessert and join us following the 10:30 a.m. service. Weather permitting, we will be outside in the courtyard and north lawn. The rain location is Founders’ Hall. June 12 is the second of our Feast days, Trinity Sunday, and is our last scheduled date to have pictures taken for our new parish directory. Please sign up online or by calling the office if you have not already had your picture taken. We hope to see all of your smiling faces!
June is Pride month! We are joining with other Episcopal churches in the KC metro to walk in the parade and volunteer at a booth at the Festival in Theis Park. The parade is on June 11 and will start line-up at 10 a.m. in Westport. You may park at St. Paul’s and walk the 5 blocks over to the line-up area. There is a $5 fee for entrance into the Festival. If you’d like to work at the Festival you may sign up to volunteer here. You may also find more information on St. Paul’s website. I hope you can join us.
For our snapshot this week I’d like to update you on actions taken by the Vestry from our last two meetings. During our April meeting two motions were put forward to:
- Allocate $5,000 to hire the Meriweather Group to prepare a Pathways Report highlighting requirements, limitations, and considerations of opening different types of early childhood centers at GHTC. The funds are to come from an unrestricted William T. Kemper Foundation grant. This motion was carried. As part of our mission to be a servant church in the city we have been exploring ideas of opening some sort of a Pre-K center at the Cathedral. This report will allow us to see what it would take to be licensed and/or accredited for operating a program. We are currently looking at Haden Hall for these programs.
- Allocate $8,000 to enter into a partnership with the William Jewell College Center for Faith and Culture for their inaugural 2022–23 teaching season. Funds are to come from the Trinity Fund for ministry. This motion carried. We were approached by William Jewell to be one of the first partners to join in this program. We will have four classes taught at the Cathedral by both faculty of the College and the clergy of the Cathedral, two each semester. The four-week classes will be offered to all alumni of William Jewell in the Metro area and all members of the Cathedral. Classes will meet on Wednesday evenings at the Cathedral from 6:30-7:30 p.m., and will run between September 14–November 9 in the fall and January 25–March 29 in the spring. More details will be available soon.
During our May meeting two motions were put forward to:
- Allocate up to $2,500 to install WiFi Assisted Listening equipment to our current sound system in the Nave. The funds are to come from the Grace Fund for Property. This motion was carried. Adding this server will allow anyone with Bluetooth technology in their hearing aids or other listening devices to hear better in the Nave.
- Allocate up to $3,100 to install a security camera and timed locks on the playground. The funds are to come from the Grace Fund for Property. The motion was carried. As part of our mission serving downtown KC, we would like to open the playground daily for public use. Signs would be posted with hours and other requirements. The timed locks allow us to unlock and lock the gate without having to be present. The camera will tie into our current security system.
If you have questions about any action of the Vestry, please don’t hesitate to contact me or a member of the Vestry. Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
May 25, 2022
Dear Cathedral Family,
It is with great sadness that I am writing in response to yet another senseless school shooting in our country. My heart breaks for the children and adults who were killed in Uvalde, Texas, and for their families and classmates. My heart breaks, as well, that another occurrence of gun violence has taken place within such a short time since the tragedy in Buffalo, NY and the church shooting in Laguna Woods, CA, where more lives were lost, and others injured. While we continue to mourn these losses, we also mourn losses to gun violence in our own city as homicides have risen to over 150 deaths in metro KC this year. We must pray for an end to this violence, and we will, but we also must act. Please pray, certainly, but we need more than thoughts and prayers.
I have met with Bishop Diane, our Bishop Provisional, and Ms. Shirley Bolden, President of the Standing Committee, to discuss what we can do as a diocese to respond to these tragedies. Bishop Diane has released a pastoral letter to the diocese to begin that process. She has included resources for us to use in our parishes this weekend, to pray for what has happened and to begin the process of healing. We have also set a date to hold a Diocesan Prayer Vigil against gun violence. This will take place at the Cathedral on Tuesday, June 21, at 6:30 p.m. We hope to make this an interfaith event as this affects all of us. We also hope this will jump start a call to action as we mobilize ourselves to do what we can to make a change. May we continue to reach out in love to one another, always asking the Almighty to watch over us. May we conquer hate and fear, not through power and might, but through love. May the love of Christ be with us all.
May 20, 2022
There is a lot to be excited about this weekend. First, congratulations to Brittany, our Children’s Ministry Coordinator, who will receive her certificate in Anglican Studies from the Bishop Kemper School of Ministry on Saturday. Please join me in keeping Brittany in our prayers as she continues on as a Candidate for Holy Orders. Then, on Sunday, we will have our first All Parish Breakfast of the spring/summer. It will be between the 8 and 10:30 services, so all are welcome to join in. Also on Sunday, we will begin taking photographs to update our Parish Pictorial Directory. We’ll be taking pictures from 9–10:20 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.–2 p.m. Other dates for pictures include Wednesday, June 1 from 4–7 p.m., and Sunday, June 12 from 9–10:20 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.–2 p.m. You may sign up for a time slot by going to the website, on REALM, or by calling the office. It has been several years since our last pictorial directory, so I hope everyone will come and add your smiling faces.
Our snapshot this week looks at where we are on YTD Budget and 2022 Stewardship.
Here are our finances through April 30, 2022:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $104,300; MTD Actual $110,395
YTD Budget $503,614; YTD Actual $511,708
Expenses:
MTD Budget $166,565; MTD Actual $180,043
YTD Budget $618,449; YTD Actual $617,216
Our 2022 Annual Giving Campaign goal is $456,512. As of May 4, 2022:
We have 134 Pledges for a total of $456,746
There are 18 new Pledges for a total of $29,695 There are 18 Pledges not yet renewed from 2021 for a total of $14,540.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
May 13, 2022
I have had some time to process what I experienced at the Deans’ Conference and wanted to share a bit with all of you. Our keynote speaker for the conference was Sister Simone Campbell, SSS (Sisters of Social Service) and former executive director of NETWORK, leader of the “Nuns on the Bus” campaign bringing attention to income disparity. Looking specifically at a Cathedral’s role in the community, Sister Simone shared with us some ideas about a Cathedral being both an anchor and an innovator. She said our role as leaders in community means we need to nourish imagination and innovation rooted in the Gospel. She went on to give five points as to how we can be an anchor, drawing from Walter Brueggemann’s book Prophetic Imaginations.
For a Cathedral to be that anchor, it needs:
- a long and available memory—of what it has been and continues to be.
- to touch the pain of the world as real—let our hearts be broken by the reality around us.
- to have an active experience of hope.
- to create effective discourse across generations and cultures (and politics)—listen, learn, help others to be seen.
- a capacity to sustain long-term tension with the dominant culture—there has to be a radical acceptance of and care for others, even when we disagree. We need to bring a spirit of compassion.
This gives us a lot to think about and consider as we grow in our role as a Cathedral firmly rooted and grounded in our community. These will certainly be on my mind as we work on our new Strategic Plan. We have been an anchor in downtown Kansas City for a long time. The question now becomes how do we continue to be that anchor as well as an innovator? What new ideas can we form and foster as we continue to grow into our mission of being a “servant church in the heart of the city?” That’s what our conversations will be about as we look to the future, and we will seek your input along the way.
In other news, I had to have a tooth pulled yesterday. Not exciting news, I know, but a necessity of life sometimes. If I sound funny to you on Sunday, you’ll know why.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
May 6, 2022
I had a great trip to California for the Deans’ Conference, but it is always nice to come home. It was nice to meet so many Deans 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 from me as I continue to process all that went on at the Conference. Next year we will gather in Washington, DC, where the National Cathedral will be our host. But, for now, my focus is here with all of you. The weather was rainy when I left and rainy when I returned—so is spring! Spring is a busy time, as is the month of May, full of end of school year activities, graduations, lawn and garden projects at home, and spring cleaning. It is a time when we begin to think about what the summer might bring, and it is also a time when our thoughts turn to our mothers as we pause to honor them and give our thanks.
Speaking of giving thanks … thanks to Clare and our youth and young adults for their help and participation in Youth Sunday last week. I enjoyed watching live on my laptop and was proud of everyone who took part. Thanks, too, to Clare and Elvarea for your wonderful sermon. We have more to look forward to from our young members as our children’s choir will sing at the 10:30 service on May 15.
You will notice a few changes to our service this week, May 8. Our full choir will be back starting this Sunday and they will be sitting in the pews and coming up to the font to sing. I’m excited to have them back with us. Special thanks to our Chancel Choir for helping us during this pandemic time. Since there will not be a choir in the chancel, and since the instruments have been moved out of the chapel, we can once again return to the Altar rail for communion. At both the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services we will receive from the rail (if we remember how!). We will continue to offer wine by intinction only.
This is a busy time, but please continue to pray. Pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world. Pray also, in this busy and beautiful month of May, for our mothers.
April 29, 2022
I bring you greetings from sunny Sacramento, California where I am attending the North American Cathedral Deans Conference. This group is made up of Cathedral Deans, Spouses, and Partners, from the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. This is the first time I have been able to attend due to COVID and, so far, it has been great. Our theme this year is “Conversations that Matter.” We’ll be talking about the importance of a Cathedral in the public square, how we’ve changed and adapted through this pandemic, and how we move forward. We had an opening service of Evensong last night before a wonderful dinner which was cooked and served by volunteers from our host, Trinity Cathedral in downtown Sacramento. The choir opened Evensong with an Introit setting of a prayer written by Alcuin of York (735-804), an English scholar, clergyman, poet, and teacher. The prayer reads:
Eternal light, shine into our hearts,
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil,
Eternal Power, be our support,
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance,
Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I found these to be fitting words to begin our time together and guide us through our conversations. This afternoon we will have a conversation on Faith and the Public Square with former Governor of California, Jerry Brown. Later we will go to the Crocker Art Museum for a presentation and panel discussion on historically problematic art and monuments in public and sacred spaces. Tomorrow we’ll discuss liturgical issues coming before us at General Convention this summer as well as have our Deans Conference business meeting. We’ll end Sunday gathered together at Trinity Cathedral for Holy Eucharist and a final Dean’s Forum Conversation. I believe I will have much to share when I return.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
April 22, 2022
Happy Easter, let Alleluias ring! It was truly wonderful to be in person with all of you who came to worship during Holy Week and to celebrate Easter. I cannot thank everyone enough for all of your time and effort at making our first in-person Holy Week and Easter in over two years a great success! I mentioned this in the services last weekend, but I wanted to give particular thanks to Joan and the Altar Guild, Paul and the choir, our extra musicians (brass and cello), the Property Staff, Cathedral Staff, Janet and Ric, Livestream team, readers, ushers, acolytes, Eucharistic Ministers, Easter Vigil reception team, and all other volunteers. It truly takes a lot of people doing many tasks to make it work, and I am grateful to all of you. I also want to thank Bishop Diane for joining with us for the Easter Vigil, and to Clare for preparing the youth for confirmation. Congratulations to all who were baptized, confirmed, and received. I’m looking forward to a wonderful Easter season!
Our snapshot this week looks at where we are on YTD Budget and 2022 Stewardship.
Here are our finances through March 31, 2022:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $98,750; MTD Actual $107,396
YTD Budget $399,314; YTD Actual $401,313
Expenses:
MTD Budget $145,028; MTD Actual $144,569
YTD Budget $451,884; YTD Actual $437,174
Our 2022 Annual Giving Campaign goal is $456,512. As of April 1, 2022:
We have 131 Pledges for a total of $453,916
There are 17 new Pledges for a total of $29,545
There are 19 Pledges not yet renewed from 2021 for a total of $15,740.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
April 8, 2022
This Sunday, Palm Sunday, we will end the service with the Hymn “O Sacred Head, sore wounded,” then process out in silence and into Holy Week. It is a solemn moment as we begin our walk to the cross with Christ, culminating in the joy of Easter. It is an emotional week, to say the least, for all of us. There are opportunities for worship and prayer every day this week and I hope you will check this Sunday’s bulletin or our website for the full schedule. I’d like to draw your attention to some highlights for the week.
Starting Sunday, we will be mask optional at all services for those who are fully vaccinated. Even though masks will not be required, there will still be masks available for any who would like to wear one.
Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. will be a Diocesan service for the Renewal of Vows and Blessing of Oils. Deacons, Priests, and the Bishop will renew their ordination vows by order. Also known as a Chrism Mass, Holy Oils will be blessed by Bishop Diane for use in our parishes and worshipping communities. All are welcome to attend.
As I mentioned last week, we will have three baptisms and 13 candidates for confirmation and reception at the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening. Those being baptized are George Lagergren, Freya Lagergren, and Grace Schmidt. The candidates for Confirmation are Patrick Bennett, Brend Eichman, Henry Galus, Daniel John, Ava Kahn, Deborah Carr, Blain Lagergren, Kim Smith, and Daniela Valencia Montoya. The candidates for Reception are Greg Coffey, LeeAnne Hays, Morgan Rezaei, and Rebecca Rezaei. Congratulations to all! The service starts at 6 p.m. and there will be a reception in the courtyard following the service.
Easter Day will be festive as we’ll have brass at both the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services. I remind you that there will not be a 5 p.m. service on Easter Sunday. If you would like to pick up communion for Easter Day, please contact Janet Sweeting by this Sunday, April 10, to coordinate what you will need and pick up times.
I am looking forward to being with all of you throughout this Holy Week. Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for the nation, and the world.
April 1, 2022
I have always thought of Lent as a time of self-evaluation in preparation for Easter. We give things up or take things on as part of our Lenten discipline. The idea of “slowing down” always comes to mind but, in reality, it seems to be quite the opposite. Everything seems to speed up in Lent, especially as we get closer to Holy Week and Easter. Perhaps “speed up” is not the right term. I believe “gets busier” is more accurate. When things get busier there is no time to slow down. This makes it sound frenzied, but another way to look at it is that there is so much to get done before Easter comes and not much time to do it. The first half of Lent may have been slow, but this last half certainly is not. Buckle up … Holy Week is coming, and here are some things that will be happening at the Cathedral.
Our Palm Cross workshop will be this Sunday, April 3, after both the 8 and 10:30 services in Founders’ Hall. Please come and learn how to make the crosses we will bless and use on Palm Sunday. You may contact Janet Sweeting, jsweeting@kccathedral.org with any questions or for more information. The following Sunday, April 10 (Palm Sunday), following the 8 a.m. service we will gather in Founders’ Hall to pack Easter Baskets for the kids at Crittenton, Sheffield Place, and Kaw Valley. Please contact Terri Curran, tcurra2@yahoo.com, for more information.
During the start of Holy Week our children’s playground will be getting a facelift, of sorts. We are having a new surface put down under the equipment to make it more even and safer for all who use it. It will be ready to go for Easter Sunday!
Even though we will be in-person for Easter this year, some of you may still decide to join us online. If you would like to have Easter Communion at home, please contact Janet Sweeting no later than April 10 so we know exactly how many kits to prepare for pick-up or delivery prior to Easter.
It is a busy time, for sure, but also a time for remembering Christ’s journey to the cross. I hope you will join us for our many offerings and activities leading up to and during Holy Week and Easter. Good luck slowing down.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and for the peace of the world.
March 25, 2022
As we get closer to Holy Week and Easter, I am thrilled that we’ll get to be in-person for these services. For two years now I have done these services online, with the exception of our 1 p.m. outdoor service last Easter which was wonderful! It has been interesting planning these services this year. I feel like it should be old hat since it is my third go around at the Cathedral, but there is a newness and excitement this year since it will be the first time we’ve all had the opportunity to experience it live together. I’m especially excited about the Easter Vigil as we will once again have baptisms and confirmations as part of the service with Bishop Diane. We will present two young children for baptism, five youth for confirmation, and eight adults for confirmation/reception. Holy Week and Easter will have other special moments as well as we will, again, experience some traditions we have not had in a few years such as the foot washing (the Maundy) on Maundy Thursday, the chanting of the Passion Gospel on Good Friday, and the brass ensemble on Easter Sunday. I am looking forward to sharing all of this with you, but first we must continue in this season of Lent.
In other news, the Vestry adopted the 2022–23 Vestry Covenant at our regular meeting last night. Also, I continue to work closely with the Staff and Vestry to determine when we will be able to be mask optional at all services and events at the Cathedral.
I’d like to share a couple snap shots this week to show where we are on YTD Budget and 2022 Stewardship.
Here are our finances through February 28, 2022:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $166,222; MTD Actual $172,139
YTD Budget $300,564; YTD Actual $320,932
Expenses:
MTD Budget $145,079; MTD Actual $117,658
YTD Budget $306,855; YTD Actual $226,441
Our 2022 Annual Giving Campaign goal is $456,512.
As of March 10, 2022:
We have 122 Pledges for a total of $433,416
There are 17 new Pledges for a total of $29,545
There are 21 Pledges not yet renewed from 2021 for a total of $36,240
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world, and especially for peace in Ukraine.
March 18, 2022
We are almost to the half-way point in Lent, if anyone is counting. We technically won’t be there until next week, but I always think of the third Sunday in Lent as being about half-way. Why is the half-way point significant? Well, if you are observing a Lenten discipline, it means you are almost half-way through. If you’re not observing one, it means there is still time. Remember, a discipline doesn’t always mean giving something up. It can also mean taking something on. Discipline or not, Lent gives us a long period of time to think. Think about our lives and how we’re doing: physically, mentally, and spiritually. Lent, to me, is scheduled time to slow down and look at ways to better ourselves so that we may be more open to listening to what God is continuing to call us to do. We tend to think of Easter being an end to these disciplines, but there is never an end to reflecting on how we might be better people … Easter people. People who live fully into the resurrection and share that love and joy with others. Lent is a way to remind us how to be Easter people. How to live and love more fully into our lives in Christ. You are almost there, only about half-way more to go!
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world, especially all those affected by the war in Ukraine.
March 11, 2022
It’s time to Spring Forward! Today, as I look at the snow that came in the last day and a half, it’s hard to imaging spring anything. We know it’s coming, but it sure doesn’t feel like it now. Just wait a few days, though, when temps in the 70s return and it will feel more like spring. Snow or spring, the clocks will still need to be changed ahead one hour this Sunday, March 13. This time of year is the hard one as we lose an hour of sleep which always seems so hard to make back up. At least with cell phones we don’t have to think about making the change as they change automatically. No more “I forgot to change my clock” as an excuse.
In other news, many of you have asked me if we are putting together any efforts for humanitarian relief for Ukraine and those affected by the war. We are still in talks with the Diocese and local groups about how to help, especially if some of the refugees come to Kansas City. In the meantime, Episcopal Relief and Development has a way to support those in need. The following is from the ERD website:
Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) as it provides critical assistance to support people affected by violence in Ukraine. Working through ACT member Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) and other local organizations, ACT Alliance is providing emergency assistance such as food, shelter, water and basic supplies to refugees and people displaced within Ukraine.
The UN Refugee Agency estimates that as of March 8, more than two million people have left Ukraine since Russian forces invaded the country, making this the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II. Damage to civilian infrastructure has left thousands without electricity or water. Homes have been damaged and destroyed, displacing hundreds of thousands within the country. People are fleeing to neighboring countries such as Poland, Hungary and Romania and their long-term destination is unclear.
On February 27, HIA set up a refugee support point on the Ukrainian side of the border at Beregsurány where volunteers are providing hot tea, sandwiches, refreshments, blankets and basic hygiene items for refugees, who often wait long hours to cross the border into Hungary. These refugees include many children and older adults. HIA is in contact with its network of churches and organizations, as well as local governments in Hungary, to coordinate cash assistance, shelter, food and medicine for people who have been displaced.
ACT Alliance is setting up similar support points at other border towns to assist people as they leave Ukraine. It is working through local partners to provide aid for refugees in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Poland.
Episcopal Relief & Development is also working with The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, the Diocese of Europe, the Anglican Alliance and United Society Partners in the Gospel as the churches prepare to mobilize on potential immediate and long-term responses to assist Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Romania, Hungary and other parts of Europe.
Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Crisis Response Fund will help the organization and its partners continue to provide assistance to people displaced by the crisis in Ukraine.
Please consider making a donation to this cause, and I will keep you informed of other local efforts that arise to offer assistance.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for the nation, and the world, especially those in Ukraine and others affected by the war.
March 4, 2022
Happy Lent! I had a conversation with Ryan and other staff about what to say when wishing someone the best intentions during Lent. Happy seems a little too upbeat, but it also feels strange to say “have a woeful Lent,” or “here’s hoping you’re Lent is miserable!” Suffice it to say, there just isn’t a good Lenten greeting. Maybe we can change that. Lent does not need to be a miserable or woeful time, or even sad. Lent is about growth, personal growth. What can I do to make myself better during this deliberate season of self-examination and reflection? I realize we all tend to think about giving things up as a miserable sacrifice. You might think, “if I give up something I don’t like it won’t be so bad.” Remember, if your Lenten discipline is to give something up, or take something on, it should be a sacrifice, but that doesn’t mean it has to make you miserable. Perhaps you are giving something up or taking something on to improve yourself in a way that will have lasting benefits for yourself and others. I like to think of Lent as an exciting time to do something good for myself, not be miserable for six weeks. These disciplines can also be thought of as Feasts and Fasts. What do we Feast on or Fast from that makes us better? Of course, there is no requirement to participate in a Lenten discipline at all, but it is a special time we enter into each year that gives us another opportunity to do something we might not otherwise do. I hope whatever you choose will make you neither miserable nor woeful but, well … happy.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world, especially the people of Ukraine and Russia and all those affected by this war.
February 25, 2022
Greetings from Atlanta! Brittany, Julie, Candy, Ryan, 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 will all head back to KC. 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 as a Cathedral, a congregation, and a diocese. We are the Church, the Body of Christ, and we all have need for one another. It is so helpful to hear how others have been dealing with this Pandemic time and share our story with them. Together we can help make everyone better and stronger as long as we remember to care for one another, love one another, and make space for one another. We will come back with good ideas in all aspects of our work and ministry at the Cathedral. Over the next few weeks you will hear more about what we’ve learned … but first there’s Lent.
This Sunday is the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, which signals Lent will start later in the week on Ash Wednesday. At the end of the 10:30 service we will have some of the children come up and bury the Alleluia. This will remain buried until we proclaim Christ risen at the Easter Vigil. We will also have pancakes at coffee hour following the 10:30 service for Shrove Sunday. Services on Ash Wednesday for the imposition of ashes and Holy Eucharist will be at 7 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 7 p.m. The 7 p.m. will also be livestreamed. I hope to see you there, or online, as we begin the observance of a holy Lent.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world, especially at this time for the people of the Ukraine and Russia.
February 18, 2022
Next week a group of us will be heading to the CEEP (Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes) Conference in Atlanta, GA, for a few days of workshops, seminars, worship, and fellowship. The theme of the Conference is The Hopeful Journey: Exploring God’s Path Forward. The Conference website says: “Please join us in Atlanta as we navigate our way forward in our changed and changing church — and world. Month after month, we have seen how the Church is nimble and resilient responding to the unique ministry challenges resulting from the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, racial inequities, and economic uncertainties, among others. It has been a daunting task to master technology and to pastor to our congregations. How do we continue with momentum with so much uncertainty in our future? At the 2022 Annual Conference we will gather for a hopeful journey to explore God’s path forward. Together we will learn from influential thought leaders and consultants to chart our course. We will watch, listen, and learn how to move forward. And we will enjoy the fellowship of friends and colleagues who always strengthens us for the journey.” For my part, I will attend the Rectors & Deans’ Pre-Conference discussions, workshops on Leadership in the Moment, Stewardship, and Strategic Conversations, and take a tour of the National Center of Civil and Human Rights. Our other attendees—Canon Ryan, Candy McDowell, Julie Toma, and Brittany Sparrow Savage—will join in other workshops and discussions about moving forward.
Keynote speakers include, in part:
- The Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Ellison II—Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
- The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr.—Canon Missioner and Minister of Equity and Inclusion, Washington National Cathedral
- Dr. Bernice A. King—CEO of the King Center, Atlanta
- Natosha Reid Rice—Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Habitat for Humanity International
- The Honorable Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock—U.S. Senator, Georgia, and Senior Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta
The Conference will end with a prerecorded conversation between Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and Gay Jennings, President of the House of Deputies. On another note, I am sorry to announce that the Rev. Kevin White has resigned from his appointment as Deacon at the Cathedral. This was always meant to be a short appointment and it has gone by quickly. I’d like to express my thanks to Deacon Kevin for his service with us and I know you will join me in wishing him all the best as he moves forward. For us, the plan is that Bishop Diane will appoint a new Deacon for us in time for Easter.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
February 11, 2022
I hope by now you have received and read the latest edition of The Angelus, highlighting what is coming up in Lent and Easter. As I said in my article, I feel like we just finished putting away our Christmas decorations and already Lent is almost upon us. I have commented before that with Christmas and Easter being the two biggest holidays in the Church, it seems like they should be more evenly spaced apart in the calendar. My mindset is that they are about 6 months apart while in reality they are only 3-4 months apart. You would think I would be used to this by now. I am excited that the Bishop will be with us on the Tuesday of Holy Week for a Diocesan service for the renewal of baptismal and ordination vows and blessing of oils. Bishop Diane will also be with us for the Easter Vigil to baptize, confirm, reaffirm, and receive members of the Cathedral. Of course, another highlight is that we will get to be together for Holy Week and Easter this year, something we haven’t been able to do since 2019! I am looking forward to that very much.
My snapshot this week is highlighting two ministries of our sacramental life together at the Cathedral: Altar Guild Sacristan and music. As you know, our Sacristan over the last three years has been Kristy Moore. I am very grateful to Kristy for all she has done and am thankful to have worked with her. Now, I’m happy to announce that we have a new Sacristan starting with us, Joan Bergstrom! I have known Joan ever since I started here as she was a member of the Dean Search Committee and is a volunteer in the office. I’m looking forward to working with her in this capacity and welcome her to the Cathedral Staff.
The other highlight is music and, in particular, our current group of choristers we call the Chancel Choir. Since our shutdown started in this time of pandemic, we have been unable to have our full choir up in the gallery for services. We began with one singer who joined with us on our online only services but wanted to expand to allow for a fuller choral sound. I am grateful to Paul and the members of our Trinity Choir who join us in the Chancel every Sunday to help lead us in worship. Please help me thank our current roster of choristers: Rebecca Ballinger Clark, Will Brubaker, Penny Citro, Katie Crawford, Ehan Hartung, Warren Huffman, Stephanie Meyer, and Joe Warner. It is wonderful joining with you in our worship services, and I look forward to having the full choir back again once it is safe to do so.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
February 4, 2022
When I was in seminary, the first Sunday in February had, for more than ten years, always been observed in the Episcopal Church as Theological Education Sunday. Even though this had been in practice for a while, the General Convention of 2006 passed a resolution (2006-D008) that the Presiding Bishop continue to “designate the first Sunday in February each year as Theological Education Sunday to share the work of theological education at the seminaries as well as the initiatives within congregations, dioceses, and other networks through the Church.” My seminary would send us out to parishes in our Middler and Senior years. I had the privilege of preaching at two parishes: Grace Church in Anderson, SC (Diocese of Upper South Carolina), and Christ Church in Macon, GA (Diocese of Atlanta). This Sunday we will continue that tradition at our 8 and 10:30 services as our own Brittany Sparrow Savage will preach. She will not be able to join us at the 5 p.m. service as she will be taking part in the Diocesan service celebrating Absalom Jones at St. Augustine’s that afternoon. I will preach at the 5 p.m. and do my best to incorporate some of what Brittany shares that morning. It is exciting to hear from those who are in the formation process for both deacon and priest.
Thank you to all who helped with the Annual Meeting. Congratulations to our newly elected, and re-elected, Vestry members: Paula Livingston-Lewis, Valerie Johnson, Sharon Cheers, and Michael Thomas. At our short Vestry meeting following the Annual Meeting, the Vestry elected Michael Thomas as Junior Warden and Valerie Johnson as Clerk of the Vestry. We also set our Vestry retreat for Saturday, March 5.
Also at the Annual Meeting you heard me ask for volunteers. We are particularly in need of ushers at the 8 a.m. service and looking for new members to join the Altar Guild. If you would be interested in becoming an usher, lector, or Eucharistic Minister or Visitor, please contact Janet Sweeting. If you would like to join the Altar Guild, please let me know. We are also looking for people to join our Strategic Planning Committee, to start work in March, and the Stewardship Committee, to work on our upcoming 2023 plan. As always, there are many ways to serve, and I am happy to explore those with you. Thanks for all you do!
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
January 28, 2022
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 of Epiphany and will continue to hear stories of calling in the weeks to come. We, too, are called as a Cathedral parish to do the will of Christ in this place and beyond. It is exciting to see where that might lead us. You will hear my Dean’s report at the sermon time during our one service only at 10:30 a.m. I try my best to recap the year and lay out hopes, wishes, and goals for the year to come. I promise you will hear some exciting things as we look to live fully into our Mission of being a servant church in the heart of the city.
Another part of the Annual Meeting will be to read reports from all of our ministries at the Cathedral to get an overall picture of what we are able to accomplish, and have accomplished, together. Because all reports are in written form, we will not present each one. Our Treasurer, Dave Barker, will present the budget because I believe it is important to take the time to explain how we are being good stewards of all that has been given to us. We will also elect four members of the Cathedral to the Vestry for a three-year term. This year we have three new people standing for election: Valerie Johnson, Paula Livingston-Lewis, and Michael Thomas; and one person standing for re-election: Sharon Cheers. I’m excited about the prospect of these members joining in the work of the Vestry and working with me to help strengthen all we do at the Cathedral. Thank you, very much, to those who are rolling off of the Vestry this year: Richard Morse, Jeff Johnson, and Phaedra Fahnestock. I have enjoyed working with all of you and look forward to your continued involvement in the life of the Cathedral. Immediately following the Annual Meeting, I will meet with the newly-elected Vestry members and current members to elect two new officers: Junior Warden (held by Richard Morse for the last two years) and Clerk of the Vestry (held by Phaedra Fahnestock for the past year).
So I’ll see you there, either in-person or online, and I promise to have you out in time to see the other important thing happening that day … the Chiefs! Please remember to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
January 21, 2022
When I began writing these From the Desk … emails, back in March of last year, we had not yet returned to in-person worship. Now that we have been back in person since last spring (April for the 5 p.m., May for the 10:30 a.m., and June for the 8 a.m.) it seems strange to remember back to that time. We thought everything would be back to normal soon and masks, social distancing, etc. would be behind us in no time. Here we are, still fighting something we can’t see, and still hoping for all of it to be over. I know it continues to be a frustrating time, but I’m still happy we can at least be together for worship, both in-person and online. For now we will continue to wear masks and take precautions where we are able to keep people as safe as possible. This is why our Annual Meeting on January 30 will be a hybrid meeting, allowing you to join either in-person or online. This is the same way the Diocesan Convention was run last November. Those online will still be able to be a part of the meeting and vote for Vestry.
I am beginning to discuss with the staff what Lent might look like this year in terms of a Lenten program. As of right now I am planning on having something on Wednesday evenings, but don’t know yet if it will be fully in-person, a hybrid, or all online. Lent aside, I am greatly looking forward to my first Holy Week and Easter with people present in the Cathedral! Last year everything was prerecorded except for the outdoor service at 1 pm on Easter Day. Needless to say, I believe we are all ready to be together this year. For now, though, let’s be joyful in what we can do. Let’s be joyful we can still come together as a Cathedral family and worship, pray, learn, and act. Let’s be joyful for all the blessings we have been given, and may we go on blessing others.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral Family, our nation, and the world.
January 14, 2022
As I write this, the last bit of ice and snow from our last storm has finally melted away. Just in time for the possibility of more ice and snow to come tomorrow. Yes, that sounds like winter, but let’s not let winter win just yet. The light of Epiphany is still with us and I, for one, plan to continue to rejoice in that light. In addition to the theme of light, the season of Epiphany is also about growth. This is why the color for the rest of the season is green, a color associated with growing and growth. Our Gospels during this season focus on Jesus’ teaching to both the people and the disciples. We’ll hear from John this Sunday as Jesus focuses on the disciples seeing and believing in him. Then, hearing from Luke for the rest of the season, Jesus will teach in the Synagogue to the people and, later, to the disciples he has called. There is much still to learn from what Jesus has to say, even for us.
If you came to the Bishop’s seating last week, or watched it online, you heard in the sermon of an upcoming event in the life of the Church in which we can all take part. Tuesday, January 18 is being observed as a National Day of Racial Healing, focusing on prayer and fasting. This is especially timely as it follows our Nation’s observance of Martin Luther King, Jr Day. The Cathedral will be open on Tuesday for prayer during the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bishop Diane will be present and available from 9-11 a.m. if you would like for her to pray with you. January 18 (The Feast of the Confession of St. Peter) also starts the traditional Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that goes until January 25 (The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul). These days from MLK Day through January 25 give all of us a time for prayer and growth, a time for hope and healing, and a time to make a difference in our lives and communities. Please take the time to pray.
We may not get much in the way of ice and snow tomorrow, but we will certainly take the time to prepare just in case. I ask that we also take the time to prepare ourselves for the chance to grow in this season of Epiphany.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral Family, our nation, and the world.
January 7, 2022
Eternal Father, you gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
This Collect ushered in a new year for us in 2022 and, in fact, begins every new year. It is the Collect for the Feast of the Holy Name of Our Lord, celebrated each year on January 1. The first day of the new year is also the eighth day of Christmas or, put another way, the eighth day after the birth of Christ, the day on which he would have been named Jesus. It is also a reminder to us to have that love of Christ planted in our hearts. In Advent we were asked to prepare a place to receive Christ, born anew for us each year at Christmas. We receive that light at Christmas, have the love planted in our hearts at the new year, and then show that light to the world in Epiphany. It may seem like a lot to ask, but it is exactly what we need right now, light and love.
We experienced that light and love as we gathered last night as a Diocese to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany and to welcome our new Bishop Provisional, Diane. It was a beautiful service in which Bishop Diane was officially seated in her Cathedra, or chair. I look forward to the wonderful work we will all do together in this Diocese.
As we begin this new year, I would also like to make you aware of some upcoming events and changes.
- Our mask requirement will stay in place for now. I had hoped to make this Sunday, Jan. 9 the start of “mask optional” worship for those who are fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, with the rise of cases, particularly due to the new Covid variants, I believe it is better to keep our mask requirement in place. I thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
- The funeral for Nancy Cavanaugh has been postponed. Originally scheduled for tomorrow, Jan. 8, it will now be rescheduled sometime this spring or summer.
- New adult formation classes begin this Sunday, Jan. 9, at 9:15. Canon Ryan will lead a class along with Valerie and Jeff Johnson called Journey through the Old Testament and will be a hybrid online/in-person class in the Multipurpose room in lower Founders’. Dean Andy and Deacon Kevin will lead Episcopal 101, an inquirer’s class and Confirmation/Reaffirmation/Reception prep for adults in the Common Room.
Happy New Year! May we carry the love of Christ, planted in our hearts, forward in this new year. Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral Family, our nation, and the world.
December 17, 2021
Christmas is almost here! One of the things I love most about the time leading up to Christmas and the Christmas season itself is the music. In particular, the music of the church. I love both Advent and Christmas hymns and enjoy singing them at this time of year. In light of that, I thought it would be fun to share information on Christmas and the Anglican Church.
We all have favorite stories and hymns at Christmastime, and we have many Anglicans to thank for them. I remember reading an article a few years ago written by the Rev. Timothy Matkin, SSC, and published in The Anglican Digest, in which he told of many in the Anglican world who have contributed to our Christmas celebrations. Here is some of what he printed: “Twas the Night Before Christmas” was written by Clement C. Moore, a professor at the General Theological Seminary (Episcopal) in New York City. “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” text by the Rev. Phillips Brooks, rector of Trinity Church, Boston, and later Bishop of Massachusetts, and music by his organist, Lewis Redner. Anglican priest John Mason Neale provided our English translation for the hymns “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” and “O come, O come, Emmanuel.” He also penned “Good Christian men, rejoice” and “Good King Wenceslas.” Another Anglican, Charles Wesley, wrote “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and fellow priest Isaac Watts gave us “Joy to the World!” Good Anglican lay persons got involved as well. Christina Rossetti has two poems we know well as carols, “In the bleak midwinter” and “Love came down at Christmas.” Cecil Alexander, the wife of an English Bishop, gave us “Once in royal David’s city” and Nahum Tate, son of a priest, gave us “While shepherds watched their flocks by night.” Finally, layman William Chatterton Dix gave us “What Child is this.” Enjoy this season and all the wonderful poems and carols that help us celebrate this holiday in fine Anglican style.
This will be my last “From the Desk” for the year, I will start up again in January. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
Special Message
December 13, 2021
Dear Cathedral Family,
By now we are all shockingly aware of the destruction and damage done by multiple tornadoes across Kentucky and other nearby areas. We are also aware of the overwhelming need they have, and will have for some time to come, for relief and support. I’m sure the question has already entered your mind of “What can I do?” or “what should be our response?” I have contacted The Rt. Rev. Terry White, Bishop of the Diocese of Kentucky and former Dean of GHTC, to ask what we may be able to do for the people most affected. Bishop White said the best thing to do, at this point, is donate money through Episcopal Relief and Development. In addition to ERD, you may also make a donation to the Diocese of Kentucky Bishop’s discretionary fund found on their website. He mentioned that immediate needs for food, water, and shelter are being met and will soon be taken over by Federal aid programs. He will let us know of more specific ways we can help as time goes on. We must also pray. I ask your prayers for the Diocese of Kentucky, its Bishop, Clergy, and people, and for all those who need our help.
To give online, please look at the following websites:
Episcopal Relief and Development—US Disaster Response: www.episcopalrelief.org
The Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky—Bishop’s Discretionary Fund: www.episcopalky.org
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Home page photo courtesy of Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
December 10, 2021
Normally at this time of year I would reflect on how the days are getting shorter and colder as we get closer to Christmas. They are definitely getting shorter, but not colder. I know we don’t usually have snow at this time of year anymore, but a chill in the air would at least put us in a Christmas mood. I guess it is still better than a blizzard, we should count our blessings. Speaking of counting our blessings … blessings will abound this weekend at the Cathedral as we gather for several activities.
First, the Women of Grace will be having a luncheon on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. in Haden Hall. Please remember to bring canned goods with you for St. Mary’s Pantry if you have responded you are coming. On Sunday, between morning services, we’ll need as many hands as possible for the BackSnack Family Packing. This will also take place in Haden Hall, back near the Youth room. We will also have a guest Presider at the 10:30 a.m. service this Sunday. The Rev. Jim Robertson, former Deacon at the Cathedral, will be with us. Jim is currently a priest in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania.
Last Sunday, Dec. 5, I blessed the pledges we have currently received for 2022. Even though that has happened, you can still make a pledge if you would like, time for that does not expire. Here is another testimonial on giving, this time from our Senior Warden, Candy McDowell:
In his sermon Sunday before last Ryan told us of the first time he and Christina went to an Episcopal church. The church was Trinity Episcopal Church in Lawrence. The occasion was the baptism of a child of friends of theirs. The date was Advent 1 2013. Ryan went on to say that the following Sunday he and Christina went to Christ Church in Springfield where they were living at the time “… and the rest is history.” Ryan’s comments made me reflect on my own journey …what brought me here to Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral and what keeps drawing me in.
I am a Cradle Christian and since I was baptized at Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church in Minneapolis in January 1944, going to church has been a regular part of my life. My family relocated a couple of times before settling in Liberty and then had some difficulty finding a church home, but wherever they went, I was willing to go to church. Most of my friends were also Christians and whenever I had a Saturday sleepover, I would go to church with them the next morning. As a result, I had exposure to a number of different denominations. One of my friends was an Episcopalian and I vaguely remember going to church with her family. Then when I was a high school sophomore I started going to an Episcopal school. It was there I became intrigued by the Episcopal Church. At first I suppose it was the hats and the wine, but gradually I discovered that whatever it was that my parents had been seeking in going from denomination to denomination was available in the breadth of the Anglican Communion. I was confirmed in the Chapel of St. Mary’s Hall in Faribault, Minnesota in May 1960. My first time to go to church at the Cathedral was Christmas Eve 1959 and throughout the rest of high school and college whenever I was home I usually would go to the Cathedral. After graduation and getting a job in Kansas City I continued to go to GHTC and it is at GHTC that I met and married my late husband. It was soon after that – in the late summer of 1968 – that I was asked to teach church school. That was a turning point in my journey. It was then that I quit going to church at the Cathedral and began belonging. Soon after that I joined my new husband in making my first financial pledge to the Cathedral … and the rest is history.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
December 3, 2021
The season of Advent is a wonderful time of reflection and preparation as we get ready for the coming of our Lord, once again, into our hearts and lives. We are told by the prophets that a new day is dawning in our world, a new light is coming upon us, a new creation is on its way. We know that “new” day/light/creation to be Christ, our creator, redeemer, and savior. The season of Advent gives us time to really think about how Christ works in our lives. It gives us the opportunity to reflect on the things for which we give thanks to God, for remembering those special people in our lives who bring us joy, and for making an extra effort to be kind and generous to others. We are preparing ourselves for Christmas and for the hope that comes into the world in the form of a child. The amazing thing about it, however, is that at this time of year as we focus on the coming of Christmas, we become more focused on being Christ to others. We love more, give of ourselves more, and truly make the world a better and brighter place. Let us continue to be this way even after this holiday season. Let us continue to be Christ to one another come January, February, and all through the year.
But, before we move on to the new year, we have many opportunities to gather this weekend at the Cathedral. The Nativity Puppets are back and will have five performances: tonight at 7 p.m., tomorrow at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit nativitypuppets.org. Our service of Advent Lessons and Carols will be on Sunday at 5 pm. Please come hear readings, anthems, and sing carols in anticipation of Christmas.
Advent is a gift in that it allows us the time to focus on Christ and his coming. What a special gift it is. In Christ the day never ends, the light never dies, and the joy never goes away. A new day is definitely coming … let us embrace it and enjoy the endless gifts it brings.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
November 19, 2021
I’m looking forward to celebrating my first in-person Thanksgiving service with you next Thursday, Nov. 25. This will actually be my third Thanksgiving in Kansas City, but my first doing a live service. Two years ago my family and I were here in Kansas City, but it was during the week before I started as your Dean on December 1. Last year, due to COVID, we pre-recorded the service and I watched it at home on Thanksgiving. In both of these years I was grateful to be here, to be healthy, and to be able to spend time with my family. What I missed, however, was gathering together at church to give thanks. Yes, we can give thanks anywhere, but ever since I was young I have almost always been in church on Thanksgiving Day. I’m sure my father being a priest had nothing to do with this, going to church on a day other than Sunday. Now, it has become part of my Thanksgiving tradition and I am grateful my family has put up with it over the years! I know it is not everyone’s routine, but for those who are able to join us I hope it will bring a great start to your day of giving thanks. Two of the hymns we will sing at the service talk about gathering to give thanks. “We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing” (Hymn 433) and “Come, ye thankful people, come” (Hymn 290). Giving thanks, of course, is not reserved to just one day, it is something we should do at all times.
This week I’d like to share another Stewardship testimonial, this time from our Junior Warden, Richard Morse: Do you act on Jesus’ words in your life? Deuteronomy 30:11–14 “ the word is in us and on our tongues should we choose to obey it … .” When Jesus called to Simon and Andrew, and later James and John to follow him, they heard the word, and left their boats to obey Jesus by speaking the word. Isn’t this what God asks of us with his covenant—to open our ears and hearts to the word, to speak (preach) it , and to obey (act) on it? As Christians, we profess to love God, and love our neighbors. Jesus has shown us the way in Matthew 4:18–22, and it is within us all to listen, speak and act as apostles for Christ by loving God and our neighbors.
Thank you, Richard.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 12, 2021
I hope by now you have seen the video I put out yesterday, or at least have heard the news, about our mask requirements moving forward. As I stated in the video, we will continue requiring masks at all events and services through the Advent and Christmas season. I have set a target date of January 9 to be mask optional for those who are fully vaccinated. It is for our love of neighbor that I ask we continue to practice safe measures, especially since Christmas is a time for travel and for welcoming visitors into our Cathedral. I am most grateful, however, that we will get to be in person for our Thanksgiving and Christmas services this year, even with masks.
In other news, we had a successful Diocesan Convention last weekend and did vote to approve the nomination of the Rt. Rev. Diane Bruce as our bishop provisional. Please join me in welcoming Bishop Diane as she begins her ministry with the Diocese on December 1. Until that time, the Standing Committee remains the Ecclesiastical Authority in the Diocese.
In addition to Bishop Diane’s new ministry among us this Advent and beyond, there will be another new thing happening this Advent. Well, technically, it’s not really new as it is very old, 1886 to be exact. I am talking about the Eagle Lectern, and, after consultation with the Vestry and Cathedral Staff, I am bringing it back to the Nave to be used again in our worship services. Used mostly in Anglican churches and cathedrals, the Eagle, once believed to be the highest-flying bird, represents the Word of God being flown on its wings and carried to the four corners of the earth. There is a great history associated with the Word being read from an Eagle Lectern, and we are fortunate to have a beautiful one that has graced our Cathedral since its beginning. In his book The Glorious Masterworks of Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, Cathedral Historian, Randal Loy, writes that the Eagle Lectern is one of our oldest liturgical furnishings in the Cathedral. It was dedicated on Easter Sunday, April 25, 1886, as a memorial to Aileen March Wilson (1861–1885) by her mother, Harriet Antoinette March (1812–1916). The oak lectern was carved by Henry Lindley Fry (1807–1895) of Cincinnati. Old and New Testament lessons were read from the Eagle at Grace and Holy Trinity until 1986 when it was removed so that all readings could be read from the pulpit. It was refurbished in early 1995 and was returned to use in the Cathedral later that year. The restoration was done in memory of Herbert “Dick” Adams Sloan (1917–1995), a member of the Cathedral who was a lay reader and served on the Vestry. The Eagle Lectern remained in use until it was removed, once again, in 2007. Since late 2016, the Eagle Lectern has been on display in the Saint John’s Bible exhibition space across from the Bookstore. I am excited to be able to hear our Old and New Testament readings proclaimed again from this lectern that has been a great part of our history at the Cathedral. We will begin to use it at our service on Thanksgiving Day.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
November 5, 2021
The 132nd Annual Convention of the Diocese of West Missouri begins this evening with an Evensong honoring The Rt. Rev. Martin S. Field and Donna Field, and The Rev. Dr. Steven Rottgers and Mary Rottgers. This service is open to the public and will also be livestreamed via the Diocesan website. The regular business of the Diocesan Convention begins on Saturday with a Diaconal Ordination and celebration of the Holy Eucharist. In the business session we will vote to approve the nominee of the Standing Committee, The Rt. Rev. Diane Bruce, as Bishop Provisional for the Diocese. If approved, Bishop Diane will begin her ministry with us on December 1 and will join the Cathedral as Presider and preacher at our 5 p.m. Christmas Eve service.
We have a lot of exciting services and events coming up in November at the Cathedral starting with our celebration of All Saints’ on Sunday, including three baptisms. Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans will take place on November 14, as well as our Hymn Sing that afternoon at 3:30. We will have a service on Thanksgiving Day at 10 a.m. and begin our observation of Advent on Sunday, November 28. December will be full of events as well. In addition to remembering all these events, please also remember to set your clock back one hour when you go to bed Saturday night.
Our snapshot this week looks at our finances through September 30, 2021:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $95,042; MTD Actual $85,409
YTD Budget $1,291,539; YTD Actual $1,315,444
Expenses:
MTD Budget $138,047; MTD Actual $120,330
YTD Budget $1,298,332; YTD Actual $1,065,032
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
October 29, 2021
Halloween and the Church
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 with harvest time and the coming of winter, this festival was a reminder of human mortality and the delicate cycles of life and death. It was a time when the souls of the dead were thought to return to their homes and bonfires would be lit to frighten off evil spirits. The Church now celebrates over the course of three days: All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween), All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day (or, the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed). October 31 actually becomes a vigil to remember all the children of God, those alive and those who have gone before us, as saints. The official remembrance then occurs on November 1, All Saints’ Day, with a special remembering of all who have died in the faith on November 2. Many times we simply remember those who have passed on at our celebration of All Saints’. The Book of Occasional Services contains a service specifically for All Hallows’ Eve consisting of a service of lights with various readings and psalms. All Saints’ Day is one of the seven principal Feast days of the Church year. So give thanks to God during this festival time for all saints, known and unknown, and try not to eat too much candy!
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
October 22, 2021
I love how blue the sky is in the fall. A sunny day in the fall can be so beautiful, especially when the leaves are in full color. We’re not quite in full color yet, but you still can’t beat a sunny fall day. That’s the kind of day I hope we have when we gather for our Fall Festival on Sunday, Oct. 31 following the 10:30 service. These fall days begin to get me into the spirit of holiday time that will be here before we know it. Starting with our celebration of All Saints’ Day on Sunday, Nov. 7, we’ll soon be on our way to Thanksgiving and Christmas, but not before we have other events at the Cathedral that tie in with this time of year. In November we will have our Kirkin’ service on Nov. 14 with a piper at the 8 and 10:30 services. This will have to be a modified service, like last year, due to the full pipe and drum corps not being available due to COVID restrictions. Our Hymn Sing will take place that afternoon at 3:30. Next we will have our Thanksgiving service at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 25. In December we will have traditional presentations/services such as the Nativity Puppets, Advent Lessons & Carols, and our Sing-a-long Messiah. After a year off, it will be so nice to gather again for our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. There is a lot to look forward to as we celebrate this time together at the Cathedral.
As I mentioned last week, I’d like to share Stewardship testimonials in the coming weeks. This week we have one from Steve Moore:
In the dark days following the 2009 financial crisis, Dean White and I had a lot of discussions about stewardship, and specifically about the impact of the crisis on our stewardship efforts. The question came up, “Why do I give to Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral.” I will never forget his response: “I give to Grace & Holy Trinity because I HAVE to give.” His response forever changed my perspective about stewardship and I wanted to share it with you.
Dean White’s response was not a moral imperative. He was not talking about a responsibility or requirement of his job. He was not saying that giving is “the right thing to do.” He was not talking about a quid pro quo.
What Dean White was staying is that, once a person realizes, understands, and appreciates the gifts God (through grace) has given to us all, we have no choice but to give in return. True stewardship is our visceral response to the gifts God has given us. It goes far beyond a simple financial pledge; it is a blueprint of how to live out our faith. I invite everyone to join me in renewing our commitment to the life and mission of Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Steve Moore
Thank you, Steve.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
October 15, 2021
The Cathedral Cup is coming! I hope you will make plans to join with your Cathedral family tomorrow from 3‑6 p.m. for our reestablished croquet tournament. Teams of two will compete for the Cathedral Cup while the rest of us watch and cheer them on. The weather looks like it will cooperate and lend itself to a nice day for croquet. Also coming up is our Fall Festival following the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, October 31. Stay tuned for more information on this and how your children (and you, if you want) can wear a costume to church!
It has been so nice to gather, once again, for in-person worship, classes, gatherings and concerts at the Cathedral. We would like to add another event to our growing list of activities at GHTC, a Hymn Sing. This will take place on Sunday, November 14 at 3:30 p.m. in the Nave. This is purely a time to gather and sing all of our favorite hymns for an hour. We are asking you to submit hymns you would like to sing, from either the Hymnal 1982 or Wonder, Love, and Praise. At the event, Paul will draw the pre-submitted hymns out of a hat, and we’ll sing them. It’s that simple. If there is time at the end, we will take requests. I think this will be a fun time together and allow us to sing some hymns we might only get to sing once or twice a year. Look for more information to come soon.
Soon I will be adding a Stewardship section to this email with thoughts from some of our parishioners on giving. It is important to hear from our Cathedral family about why they give to the work and ministry of GHTC. If you would like to share your thoughts, either in writing or in a short video, please contact me or Steve Moore. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and sharing them with the Cathedral.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
October 8, 2021
My first in-person clergy retreat for the Diocese of West Missouri is in the books! It has been nearly two years since the diocesan clergy have been able to meet in person. I enjoyed meeting some people in-person for the first time and getting better acquainted with those I have already had the opportunity to meet. As I mentioned last week, our theme for the retreat was Reconciliation, Healing, and Renewal. During our time together we shared in some great conversations in both large and small group settings, prayed the offices, and celebrated the Eucharist. The Eucharists focused on the litany of penitence for reconciliation, the laying on of hands and anointing for healing, and the renewal of our Baptismal Covenant. It was a very positive retreat and I look forward to what lies ahead for our Diocese. Soon we will gather as the clergy and people of the diocese for our Diocesan Convention on November 5–6 at the Cathedral. I am also looking forward to our annual Blessing of the Animals this Saturday, October 9 at 1 p.m. I’m not sure who gets more excited, me or the pets! This is always such a fun service as we gather to give thanks for our pets and all they mean to us. I hope to see you all there.
Our snapshot this week looks at our finances through August 31, 2021:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $155,950; MTD Actual $141,683
YTD Budget $1,196,497; YTD Actual $1,230,034
Expenses:
MTD Budget $142,831; MTD Actual $138,509
YTD Budget $1,160,285; YTD Actual $944,702
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
October 1, 2021
Welcome, October! Not only do we welcome a new month today but, as of tomorrow, we get to welcome a new priest to the Cathedral. Ryan’s ordination to the priesthood will be tomorrow, Oct. 2, at 11 a.m. Feel free to come join us and be part of this festive service or, if you are not able to be there in person, please join us online as the service will be livestreamed. This kicks off one of many events happening in October, including the annual Blessing of the Animals on October 9 at 1 p.m., a celebration of life for Eric Cenovich on October 16 at 11 a.m. and, on the same day, our Cathedral Cup croquet tournament at 3 p.m. and, finally, a Fall Festival on Sunday, Oct. 31 following the 10:30 service.
October also signals another event in the life of the Diocese, the annual Clergy Retreat. This will be the first time we have met in-person in two years. Ryan and I will be in attendance from Monday, Oct. 4–Wednesday, Oct. 6. The theme of this year’s retreat is “Reconciliation, Healing, and Renewal,” and will take place at Conception Abbey in Conception, MO. This will be a time of spiritual renewal and growth as we focus on reconnecting as the body of clergy in the Diocese of West Missouri. We will spend time together in worship, prayer, workshops, and fellowship. We will also have quiet time for private prayer and reflection. I am looking forward to my first in-person retreat and deepening my relationships with the clergy of the diocese. Ryan and I will be back in the office on Thursday. Due to the retreat, there is a possibility the Wednesday Eucharist will not meet next week. We are trying to get someone to fill in, so please check the website for the latest updates on the service.
Reconciliation, healing, and renewal are good things for all of us to consider, especially as we continue to emerge from the pandemic. It has been hard, and continues to be hard, on everyone. I pray that reconciliation, healing, and renewal will soon come to us all.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
September 24, 2021
It is another beautiful fall day in Kansas City. I always seem to feel a little better when the sun is shining, and the temperature is below 90+ degrees. I’m sure hotter days will return for a time but, for now, I’ll enjoy the break from the heat. We can predict the weather, can know what is likely going to happen over the next several days. This allows us to prepare and be ready for what is coming. It has been a little more difficult, though, in this pandemic time to know what is coming. Even now, as we continue to slowly climb out of this pandemic, we’re never sure of what will come next. All we can do is prepare as best we can. We all want everything to be normal again so, little by little, we are trying to return to what we once knew, knowing full well that things will always be just a little bit different. We’ll take what we can get.
We have started to add back what is “normal” at the Cathedral over the last few months. All services are in-person with no capacity restrictions, though we are still requiring masks for everyone’s safety. We have upgraded our livestreaming equipment and will continue to use it for the 10:30 service in order to allow those who are not comfortable returning or who are unable to be with us for any reason to still join us in worship. Some of our formation classes are meeting in-person, as well as online, and soon we’ll be able to have formation classes for all ages meeting in-person. I have hired a new youth and college ministry director who will begin with us on October 10, helping to strengthen the youth program and build a new program with college students in the KC area. I am also bringing something else “normal” back … wine. I have been in conversation with others about the best way to do this and have decided to offer wine by intinction only. We tried it at our Wednesday Eucharist this week and it worked quite well. It will return in phases, starting this week with the 5 p.m. service. Next, we’ll add the 8 a.m. service and finally the 10:30 service. This also means we can soon add Eucharistic Ministers back to the schedule. I realize this is not a return to the way we administered communion prior to the pandemic, but it is getting a little closer. I do hope to be able to return to the communion rail sometime in the near future.
In other news, the Vestry met last night and passed three motions. First, they approved a recommendation by the Buildings and Grounds committee to replace the current light bulbs in Founders’ Hall with LED bulbs. These new bulbs will use less energy and save on our utility bills. Second, they approved a recommendation from me and the Cathedral Staff to upgrade our WiFi on campus. This is especially needed now that we are livestreaming Sunday services and conducting formation classes and numerous meetings online. Lastly, they approved a motion to move a small amount of money from the Outreach budget to the Clergy Discretionary budget, also a form of outreach. Requests for assistance, especially rent and utilities, have increased greatly during the pandemic and we are doing all that we can to meet the needs of those who ask for assistance. This increase has caused us to use up what discretionary funds we have, while the need is still there. Through the end of August, we have offered $5,459.58 in assistance to those in need. The additional funds will help us to continue to reach out in love and service to others.
It is another beautiful day, especially when we are able to share the love and light of Christ with all. Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
September 17, 2021
Autumn is almost here. It officially begins on the 22nd, but we always seem to associate the whole month of September with the fall. We do the same with the other seasons, too, wanting them to start earlier than they actually do. There are other events that make us think of fall, not just September. Going back to school, football, Labor Day, and the sudden arrival of pumpkins at the store — all make us think of fall. For me, though, there is another event, another day, that always makes me think of fall, and it happens every year on September 14. It is Holy Cross Day. If you pray the Daily Office, you already knew this and commemorated this day last Tuesday, but it can easily slip past us without notice. The day celebrates the 335 CE dedication of a group of buildings by the Emperor Constantine. These buildings, commissioned by Constantine, were to be “set forth as ‘an object of attraction and veneration to all, the blessed place of our Savior’s resurrection.” (Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2000, p. 362) Constantine entrusted this project to his mother, Helena. It was during this time that Helena discovered what was believed to be a piece of the true cross. Today, this site is known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is a place of hope for all Christians, symbolizing the transformation from darkness to light, from crucifixion to resurrection, from death to life. This day became even more significant to me after the events of September 11, 2001. The cross is more than just a symbol of Christ, it is a symbol of resurrection and eternal life with Christ.
In our Gospel reading from Mark last Sunday, we heard Jesus say, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” This must have sounded strange to the people because the cross was a symbol of death and destruction, not exactly something they would want to pick up and carry. But, for us, to follow Christ is to take up that cross. It is to put aside selfish ways and be Christ by loving and serving others. The significance of the cross is threefold: it represents Christ, it represents our salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection, and it represents servanthood as we are asked to take up our cross and follow Jesus. The Collect for Holy Cross Day petitions God that “we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him,” follow Christ, who was lifted high on the cross in order to draw the whole world to himself. This day might make me think of fall but reminds me that we are to serve others at all times and in all seasons.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
September 10, 2021
Tomorrow will be the 20th Anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001. I remember the day well, as I’m sure most of us do. I was a senior in seminary at Sewanee at the time and Beth and I were group leaders for the University Catechumenate program preparing students for Confirmation. We met on Wednesday evenings and had a very powerful and emotional class on September 12. At first we were silent, all still reeling from the events of the day before. Then, slowly, everyone began to share their stories and feelings about what had happened. There were many tears, many prayers, and much healing to be done. I was glad we all had a safe place to share our feelings and begin to heal. It is hard to believe twenty years have passed. We continue to pray for all those who lost their lives on that day and in the days and years that followed. We continue to pray for all those who lost a family member or friend. We continue to pray for healing: of those affected and of our nation. The Cathedral will have a prayer vigil in remembrance of 9/11 this Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Nave. I invite you to come and sit in silence and prayer together as we pray for all who were, are, and continue to be affected by this event twenty years ago.
I have some other news to share about our own Cathedral family. Dr. Mark Stotler, our Assistant Organist, has resigned his position. Mark told me that after almost 50 years as a church musician he would like to have a break and see where the Spirit leads him. He expressed that it has been a privilege to serve at the Cathedral. Thank you, Mark! I have enjoyed your presence here and am grateful you were able to share your gift of making music for God with all of us. God speed on your journey, and may the Spirit lead you well. Mark’s last Sunday with us will be this Sunday, September 12.
Our snapshot this week looks at our finances through July, 31, 2021:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $108,542; MTD Actual $103,339
YTD Budget $1,040,547; YTD Actual $1,088,352
Expenses:
MTD Budget $155,344; MTD Actual $122,841
YTD Budget $1,017,453; YTD Actual $806,193
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
September 3, 2021
V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;
R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
These two petitions have been on my mind a lot recently. They come from Suffrages A in both Morning and Evening Prayer (The Daily Office, Rite II), and have been a part of these services since the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549. These prayers are timely given what has been happening lately in our world and nation. From the tension of the turnover in power in Afghanistan, the evacuation of our military and US and Afghan citizens, to the recent weather disasters in Haiti, the Caribbean, Louisiana and other areas of our country. We have flooding on one end of the country and wildfires on the other, and all while still reeling from a global pandemic. It all seems so overwhelming at times, but there is always hope.
Part of the beauty of the Book of Common Prayer is that it is always available to all people to offer their prayers in unity with others. This means that when we pray the Daily Office, or Daily Devotions, or celebrate the Holy Eucharist, there are others all around the world praying the same prayers along with us. It comforts me to know that I am not alone in my prayers and that these very petitions are being prayed by countless others, in many languages, asking for peace in the world and care for our (and their) nations. As I, and others, offer these prayers, I am forever grateful to the brave and selfless men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, those who have, and continue, to put themselves in harm’s way for the safety and security of others, those who have worked countless hours to care for the sick and suffering, and those who have pledged their time and support to help rebuild what has been torn down.
We all have a part to play in making the world a better place. We all have the opportunity to pray for the peace and care of the world and our nation. We all have the light of Christ within us to see a way forward, a way of peace and safety lived in justice and truth. The final petition in Suffrages A says Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit. With clean hearts we can freely and openly love others, care for others, and do our part, sustained by the Holy Spirit, to show Christ to the world.
Please continue to pray for one another, our Cathedral family, the nation, and the world.
August 27, 2021
It’s back to school time and back to settling into our “normal” routines that accompany this time of year. Part of returning to that routine is a new start to our Children, Youth, and Adult Christian Formation at the Cathedral. Well, by now you know that our plans have already changed slightly due to the Delta variant of COVID-19. I believe we have gotten used to this pattern: plan, wait, adjust, wait, adjust again. It is comforting, on some level, that we are not alone in playing this wait and see game. What we do know is that something will start on September 12 as we had planned, just not all of it in-person. We will also start something new in our services as well. I like to think of this time as the second half of the season of Pentecost, the time that leads us up to Advent. We will switch to different service music, a different Eucharistic Prayer, and Prayers of the People. It’s a subtle shift, but one that helps us remember we are winding down the end of one Church year and moving toward the start of another.
In addition to this I want to share with you one more new start that will take place in September. I have been in conversation with the Bishop about getting a deacon assigned to the Cathedral. With Deacon Ryan now about to be ordained a priest on October 2, I thought it would be good to have another deacon in place. I asked for the deacon to be a woman to help balance out the clergy. The Bishop assured me this could happen, but not until after the first of the year. In the meantime, however, he had another deacon in mind to assist us through the end of the year. I met with this person and am happy to announce that the Rev. Dn. Kevin White will begin his ministry with us on Sunday, September 5. Originally from St. Louis, Deacon White attended the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry and was ordained in 2014. He has worked as a teacher assistant, ACT Prep instructor, and recently served overseas in the Peace Corps. Deacon White currently works as the Student Advocate for Literacy KC.
Deacon White may be starting with us on September 5, but that doesn’t mean Deacon Jerry is going away anytime soon. Deacon Jerry will continue to teach Adult Formation classes at the Cathedral, including his upcoming class on September 12, and I would personally like to thank him for all his service to Grace and Holy Trinity. At our regular Vestry meeting last night, the Vestry voted to grant Deacon Jerry the title of Deacon Emeritus at the Cathedral. Please join me in thanking Deacon Jerry and welcoming Deacon Kevin.
Please continue to pray for one another, our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
August 20, 2021
Transitions can be both exciting and hard. Today we dropped our oldest child off at KU to start a new chapter in their life. It is exciting, for sure, but also hard to let go of what was and turn to what will be. The transition from high school to college is certainly a transition with which many of us can identify because we have experienced it ourselves or have known others who have experienced it. I think this makes it a bit easier. Other transitions can certainly be more difficult. I believe the whole world is in the midst of a great transition right now as we continue to deal with this pandemic. Our lives have been interrupted, in a way, and we are constantly having to adjust how we do things and how we live what has become the new normal. Making plans is hard because we don’t know what each day or week will bring. This Delta variant has thrown everyone for a loop as we seem to be backtracking instead of moving forward. Planning life at the Cathedral has become a challenge because as much as we want to be back together in all the ways we were before we know we can’t—yet. I do believe we will get there, it’s just hard to know when.
Hopefully you have heard of our transition to the start of in-person Christian Formation for the fall. We had hoped to have everything start on September 12 but, due to the rising cases of the virus, and with the safety of our children in mind, Children’s Formation classes will be online only. We hope to begin in-person classes on October 10. Both Adult Formation offerings will commence as planned on Sunday, September 12. My Praying the Saints class will be an in-person/online hybrid. Deacon Jerry’s Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time will be in-person only. I thank you for your patience as we navigate this difficult time.
I put a Facebook post out earlier this week asking your prayers for the people of Afghanistan and Haiti. The earthquake in Haiti has affected greatly one of the groups we are partnered with in our Outreach Ministries: Maison de Naissance. We have been told the perimeter wall collapsed in the earthquake and that the building itself is not safe and could likely collapse. The birthing center is currently closed until the damage can be properly assessed. Amazingly no one was hurt, and the staff is all safe. Please keep them in your prayers. I will update everyone on ways we can help once we know what they need.
Prayer is good, especially in times of transition. Please continue to pray for one another, our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
August 13, 2021
We are just over a month away from our kick-off for Christian Formation and what we had hoped would be our great return to the Cathedral. I have said all along that even though this has been our plan, plans sometimes have to be changed. There are questions about what, exactly, we will be able to kick-off come September 12 due to ongoing concerns with the Delta variant of the Coronavirus. I, along with the Cathedral staff, am doing my best to answer those questions and address all concerns. I do believe some part of our plan will begin on September 12, but maybe not all of it. We know that schools are opening back up, but is it wise to bring children, the majority of whom are not eligible to be vaccinated, together at the Cathedral? Outside of children too young to be vaccinated, there are even vaccinated adults who have said they will return to on-line worship because the risk is too great given how rapidly the Delta variant can spread. So, do we start with in-person learning or not? Do we start with only some portion of our plans in September and add the rest later in the fall? These are questions we are wrestling with right now and I promise to make a decision and have an answer soon. I want to be able to give everyone plenty of time to understand what we will be doing, why we are doing it, and adjust as needed to make it work. I thank you, again, for your patience as we all continue to battle a virus and learn to live as best we can in this pandemic time. We have exciting plans in place and I’m looking forward to when we can move forward and begin.
On another note, our snapshot this week looks at our current finances through June 30, 2021:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $303,692; MTD Actual $317,880
YTD Budget $932,005; YTD Actual $985,012
Expenses:
MTD Budget $132,676; MTD Actual $119,816
YTD Budget $862,110; YTD Actual $683,352
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
August 6, 2021
O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(BCP p. 243, Collect for the Feast of the Transfiguration)
Today, August 6, is the Feast of the Transfiguration, one of the Holy Days of the church year. Because it is on a fixed date it tends to be forgotten unless August 6 falls on a Sunday. Its observance is also oftentimes forgotten because we focus on the Transfiguration on the last Sunday of Epiphany every year, sometimes called Transfiguration Sunday, right before the start of Lent.
The transfiguration is a pivotal point in Christ’s journey to the Cross, for it reveals to the three with Jesus not only the truth of Jesus being the son of God, but it points to the truth of Christ’s return in glory—his resurrection. Of course, the disciples do not yet understand this, as evidenced by Peter’s comments on the mountain, but will soon be able to look back at this event as an important milestone in their own faith journey and eyewitness to Christ’s glory.
The word glory is something we may not think about much. What is glory? In looking at our own existence in this world, it would be pretty awful if there were nothing to give us light in our lives, to give us hope. That is precisely what glory is. Glory, or more specifically, the Glory of God, is that which brings heavenly events into our human lives, so that we have the opportunity to experience the nature of God on Earth. Most clearly, that glory is revealed through light, and to us that light is Christ Jesus.
Jesus takes Peter, John, and James with him up the mountain to pray, and is transfigured before them, revealing God’s glory and light, and giving them a glimpse into what their life will be if they choose to listen to him. The clouds cover them, they see the great pillars of the faith in Moses and Elijah, the Law and the Prophets, and they hear the voice of God saying this is my Son, the beloved, listen to him. Jesus talks to Moses and Elijah about his departure, his crucifixion, only to return in triumph and glory at his resurrection. We may not have been with Jesus and his disciples that day to hear God’s voice in the clouds but, in observance of this Feast Day, we, too, can learn a few things from what God said: Listen to my son, receive my light and glory through him. Be the light of Christ to others. That is our charge, it is now up to us.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
Dean Andy+
July 30, 2021
What do you do when the temperature is in the upper 90s and feels more like 105? You do the sensible thing and spend the day at Worlds of Fun! I didn’t plan it this way, of course, picking the hottest day of the year, it’s just the way it worked out. Mary Mullis works there and wanted to take a friend who is visiting from out of town. I just wanted to be a good dad and take my kids for some summer fun. Thursday was the day that worked the best for everyone. It was hot. There were times I literally felt like I was melting. When we got to the ride where Mary Mullis works they all asked “Why are you here?” We brought water bottles and kept ourselves hydrated, but it hardly seemed to make a difference, it was that hot. There were two silver linings, though, even in the blistering heat. One, because it was so hot the park wasn’t crowded and lines weren’t long and, two, Siras had to be at work that afternoon and we got to leave around 3 p.m. Mary Mullis and her friend stayed until the park closed. I came home and just enjoyed some cool air.
The heat certainly affects you. I noticed people moving much more slowly than normal, as if we were all walking in slow motion at times. I also noticed people’s tempers while in line. Waiting patiently in line is hard enough on any day, but the heat escalates the wait and boy did I hear some complaining. Did I mention the lines weren’t particularly long? All in all, though, it was a good day. Hot, but good.
Please remember to care for others during this heatwave. There are always those in need of water or a place to simply get out of the heat and cool off. We have become used to reaching out to others and checking on them during this pandemic, and we should do the same when other issues arise, apart from COVID, such as this excessive heat. Take care of yourselves and help take care of others. And, if you find yourself at Worlds of Fun on one of the hottest days of the year, drink plenty of water, wear plenty of sunscreen, and check out the water rides!
Please continue to pray for one another, our Cathedral family, the nation, and the world.
Dean Andy+
July 23, 2021
Today is the opening day of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Yes, you read that correctly, the 2020 Olympics. The Games were postponed due to the pandemic and, even now, there is controversy surrounding the Games because we’re still in the midst of the pandemic. The scene will look a lot like sporting events from a year ago as no spectators are allowed in the stands. As strange as that will be, we need to remember that athletes from all over the world still worked hard to earn their way to compete in the Games, fans or no fans. It is up to us to support these athletes and cheer for those who are representing their countries with pride. I’ve always felt the Olympics bring out the best in us. It is nice to see athletes compete against one another and then congratulate one another, win or lose. It doesn’t matter which country you represent; you are an Olympian. It is the spirit of the Games that is so much fun to watch, and yet, a year later, we’re trying hard to find that spirit. In some ways if feels like we’ve come so far in this fight against COVID, especially knowing there are three different vaccines available for anyone 12 and older, but, then again, one has to get the vaccine for it to do any good. It seems like for every step we take forward we are taking two steps backwards.
I feel the same about our return to worshiping in the Cathedral. One step forward, two steps back. We are in-person for all three services, we are singing, we no longer have pews blocked off, but we are still wearing masks. The Delta variant of the virus is continuing to spread at a rapid pace, especially in Missouri. If wearing masks can help one person from getting the virus, or one person from spreading the virus, we need to keep doing it, at least for now. I know we were looking forward to being mask optional by now, but, in the spirit of the Olympics, let’s cheer one another on by doing our part in stopping the spread of the virus. Even with masks we can continue to love one another, encourage one another, and help one another to reach the finish line.
In other news, the Vestry met last night to elect a new member to fill the term of Robin Rusconi who had to resign her position since she is now a postulant for Holy Orders. Please join me in welcoming and supporting our newly elected member, Kay Woolley.
Enjoy the Olympics, cheer on our athletes, and continue to pray for one another, our Cathedral family, our country, and the world.
Dean Andy+
July 16, 2021
This week I am writing to you from my daughter’s national dance competition. It has been a joy to watch these young women and men dance these past few days. They are so talented, and it shows just how much hard work and commitment pay off. I feel the same about what goes on at Grace and Holy Trinity, and not just from the staff, but from all who volunteer to serve in a variety of ministries. Hard work and commitment pay off in anything we do, and serving at the Cathedral is no exception. I know it has been hard since COVID hit. Many of our volunteers haven’t been able to do anything because it has been shut down. Even as we are starting to come back we see that not everything is back, but we welcome everyone who wishes to serve in any capacity as we begin to add our normal activities back. Positions are available now at all three services for lectors, intercessors, and ushers. I’d like to add a crucifer back to all three services who could also serve as an acolyte. Since we are not back to using wine it is hard to assign a Eucharistic Minister, apart from helping set the table and carry the cross/Gospel book in procession. Once the choir is able to return back to the gallery we will add more acolytes at the 10:30 a.m.service. I know that not everyone is comfortable returning to in-person services yet and I understand that. Please know that when you are ready to return we will be ready to welcome you back. I’m looking forward to all we have in store this fall as we gear up for a new year of Christian Formation for children, youth, and adults. I appreciate everyone’s hard work and commitment to our Cathedral in whatever shape or form your ministry takes. Thank you for all you do!
Our snapshot this week looks at our annual giving:
- We have 141 pledges for 2021 totaling $446,278.
- The average pledge is $3,165, which is an increase from the 2020 average pledge of $2,821.
- For 2021, we have 13 new pledges, with the average new pledge of $3,978.
- There are 21 pledges from 2020 that haven’t yet been renewed totaling $37,672.
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
Dean Andy+
July 9, 2021
Who could have guessed a year ago, while we were in full lock-down mode, that we would still be facing difficult decisions due to the pandemic? A year ago I was hoping we would be able to resume “normal” activities by late summer or early fall. A year later and we’re still trying to navigate this pandemic. I am very glad that we have been able to return to in-person services and am looking forward to being mask optional for those who are fully vaccinated as soon as we are able to do so. Extending our mask guidelines was certainly not what I was hoping to do, but feel it makes the most sense given the nature of the Delta variant of the Coronavirus. As I mentioned in my video, I am only extending through the end of July and will reevaluate then. My hope is to now be mask optional on Sunday, August 1.
There is something else that will be happening on August 1, and it has to do with an upcoming change to the time of our Children’s Christian Formation at the Cathedral. I have been meeting with Brittany, Deacon Ryan, Linda, and Paul to discuss how children’s formation will look when we return in the fall. Formation time will now be between the morning services instead of during the 10:15 a.m. service. To best accommodate this I am moving the 10:15 a.m. service to 10:30 a.m. Children’s formation will run from 9–10:15 a.m. and will include both Godly Play time and music time. Adult formation will continue to meet at 9:15 a.m., allowing for a full hour with the service moving to 10:30 a.m. More information on Children’s formation will be included in our next edition of The Angelus. We are making the move from 10:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. starting August 1 in order to give us a chance to get used to the time change before formation classes begin on September 12. I am excited about this new schedule allowing adults, youth, and children to have formation opportunities at the same time.
Our snapshot this week looks at our finances through May 31, 2021:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $154,650; MTD Actual $136,899
YTD Budget $628,312; YTD Actual $667,133
Expenses:
MTD Budget $139,280; MTD Actual $111,904
YTD Budget $729,434; YTD Actual $563,536
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
Dean Andy+
July 2, 2021
“Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.” (Collect for Independence Day, BCP p. 242)
This Collect frequently runs through my mind at this time of year as our nation prepares to celebrate the Fourth of July. I’ve always been struck by the words “lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn.” Not only do the words “lit the torch” make me think of fireworks that typically accompany July 4, but they also make me think of the torch as the light of Christ that spreads across the world bringing freedom to all. Perhaps our actions then led the way for other nations to be “born,” but I’d like to think that our actions now, as Christians, continue to help others see the light of Christ and to know the freedom from sin and death given to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is this light that allows us to “maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace.”
Next Sunday, July 11, is the day we hope to go to masks optional at all services for those who are fully vaccinated. Notice I use the word “hope.” Given the rise in cases due to the Delta variant of the Coronavirus, we may need to keep masks for a little while longer. The Cathedral Staff and I are monitoring closely the number of new cases both in Missouri and in the KC metro. It is my hope that we can be mask optional as of July 11, but I want to be clear that if conditions change in our area we may need to maintain masks for a few more weeks. I will be sure to let everyone know before July 11 if we can be mask optional or not. Please understand that I will not make this decision lightly but informed and with everyone’s safety in mind.
Normally I would include a Vestry snapshot this week but the Vestry did not meet in June. Our next regular meeting of the Vestry will be July 22 where we will be joined by the Bishop. This will be his regular visitation for the year and we will be glad to welcome him.
Have a happy, and safe, July 4! Please give thanks for all our many liberties and blessings, and be sure to do all you can to help promote peace. Continue to pray for one another, our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.
Dean Andy+
June 25, 2021
It is always nice to get away, wind down, and relax. My time away with my family allowed me to do just that, wind down and relax. We enjoyed our trip very much, including the, sometimes, long stretches of time in the car. We always seem to have fun no matter what, and that is what makes it so special. It was a good trip, but it is also nice to come back, settle back in, and look forward to all the opportunities we have in front of us. Thank you to all who helped cover everything at the Cathedral while I was away: the Cathedral Staff, the Rev. Darrel Proffitt, and our Wardens and Vestry. I appreciate all you do more than you know. Now to looking ahead…
This Sunday we will have our full schedule of worship services as we bring the 8 a.m. service back, followed by a coffee hour in Founders’ Hall Courtyard. I am looking forward to being with you at all three services this Sunday, but I won’t be alone. The Rev. Ryan Wiksell, our new Associate, will be with us for the first time. Please come help me welcome Ryan and his family to the Cathedral! Ryan started in the office this past Wednesday and is excited about his work and ministry with us. He was ordained as a Deacon in March and will serve in this capacity until he is ordained a priest this fall.
Speaking of deacons, I have another bit of exciting news to share. Our own Robin Rusconi has been in the discernment process for the diaconate and was just received by Bishop Marty as a Postulant for Holy Orders in the Diocese of West Missouri. This means she is officially on track to be ordained a Deacon in the Episcopal Church. Robin will begin her diaconal studies at the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry this fall with the intention of graduating in the spring of 2023. Robin’s discernment process included a vote of support and approval from me, the Dean, her Local Discernment Committee, the Cathedral Vestry, a Regional Diocesan Discernment Committee, and the Commission on Ministry. The final approval was being granted Postulancy by the Bishop. Please join me in offering our prayers and support to Robin as she continues in this process.
It is good to be back with all of you. Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
Dean Andy+
From the desk of Dean Andy … the Senior Warden
June 18, 2021
As you know, the Keyse family is on vacation this week so there isn’t a letter from Dean Andy. However, as promised you will see below a snapshot of the status, as of May 31, 2021, of the 2021 Annual Giving Campaign: Renew. Restore. Return. Thanks to the efforts of the of the Stewardship Committee—under the leadership of Chairman, Steve Moore—and the generosity of our congregation, pledges made exceed budgeted pledges by over $35,000.00. Additionally, both plate and pledges received through April 30 exceed what was budgeted for that period. We are hopeful that this trend will continue and that we will end this year in a much better income position than we have in recent years. We are especially grateful for your generosity during these uncertain times.
In March, at my first Vestry meeting as Senior Warden, I shared some thoughts with the Vestry about this unexpected new journey. For the previous 14 months I had been quite content to be out to pasture. From the sidelines I felt very secure in the knowledge that the Dean, Vestry and Staff were keeping the Cathedral on a steady if unpredictable course and thought that responses to whatever came along had been thoughtful and appropriate. When I went off the Vestry in January 2020 I thought I was done. I returned my Vestry Notebook and purged my computer files of related notes and documents. I was interested only in worship, fellowship, formation and pastoral issues. So, I have spent the last three months getting up to speed—rereading Annual Reports, Cathedral Bylaws, etc. and reading the previous 14 months of Vestry Minutes and financial reports. Most importantly I have refreshed old relationships and begun new ones. And now, at 100 days into serving as Senior Warden, I continue to feel that we are in good hands and on a positive course. Every time we pray the Lords Prayer we pray “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I am pleased to serve on the Vestry once again, honored that Dean Andy asked me to serve as Senior Warden, and I am humbled to be standing on the shoulders of the wardens before me in striving to discern and do God’s will as this part of God’s creation we call Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Fondly,
Candy
2021 Annual Giving Campaign: Renew. Restore. Return. Snapshot
We have 140 pledges for 2021 totaling $445,438.
The average pledge is $3,182, which is an increase from the 2020 average pledge of $2,821.
For 2021, we have 12 new pledges, with the average new pledge of $4,240.
There are 21 pledges from 2020 not yet renewed totaling $37,672.
June 11, 2021
Greetings to you from Augusta, GA! We are here visiting family on the first leg of our vacation. There will not be an email from me next week as we will still be traveling, but there will be a snapshot on Stewardship. I will be back on June 22, just in time to join Deacon Ryan for his first day in the office on June 23. I am excited about his ministry with us and look forward to him joining the Cathedral Staff. I am also looking forward to welcoming Ryan and his family to the Cathedral on his first Sunday, June 27. While I am away, the Rev. Darrel Proffitt will be with you on June 13 and 20.
Our snapshot this week looks at our finances through April 30, 2021:
Revenues:
MTD Budget $104,142; MTD Actual $112,643
YTD Budget $473,663; YTD Actual $530,234
Expenses:
MTD Budget $167,907; MTD Actual $111,970
YTD Budget $590,154; YTD Actual $451,632
Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
Dean Andy+
June 4, 2021
I was very pleased with our Parish Picnic last Sunday, what a great day and a great turnout. Thank you to everyone who made plans to join us, it was nice to be together sharing a meal again. Special thanks to Robin Rusconi for putting it all together, it was a lot of fun. Now that our celebration of Pentecost and Trinity Sunday are behind us, it is time to move forward into Ordinary time. This time, called the season of Pentecost, will take us all the way up Advent. It is a time of learning and growth, thus the color green. According to the Episcopal Dictionary of the Church (ed. Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum), “Ordinary time can be understood in terms of the living out of Christian faith and the meaning of Christ’s resurrection in ordinary life.” What we do each day, how we live, still bears the marks of our faith and our belief in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. This faith and belief informs our lives and helps us to follow Christ’s commands to love God and love our neighbor.
There are other things that inform our lives, as well, including recent changes in COVID-19 restrictions. We have been making some changes recently in accordance with new guidelines that have come from the CDC and our local communities. Here are some new changes in accordance with those guidelines. Starting this Sunday, June 6, the congregation may join the choir in singing hymns with masks on. I believe this is a good place to start. We will continue this for a few Sundays and, on July 11, will make mask wearing optional for those who have been fully vaccinated. We will not check to see who is or who isn’t fully vaccinated, we will simply rely on your honor to be hospitable to all who come to worship at the Cathedral.
Last week I promised you “snapshots” with each email. Our snapshot this week is on Actions of the Vestry. At our regular meeting on May 27, 2021, we passed motions to:
- Adopt the 2021–22 Vestry Covenant.
- Allocate funds for the purchase and installation of two bicycle racks on Cathedral property.
- Allocate funds for replacing office computers. We also recommended reestablishing a budget line item for new computers so purchases can be staggered.
- Amend a previously adopted motion for purchasing new livestreaming equipment to include the purchase and installation of three additional microphones to pick-up the choir. This will allow live-stream feeds to hear the choir apart from the organ.
All other business of the Vestry can be found in the minutes posted on our web site. So Ordinary time begins, yet life these days seems anything but ordinary. Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world.
Dean Andy+
May 28, 2021
This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the summer season. I like how the summer season is sandwiched between two important holidays, Memorial Day and Labor Day. On the first holiday we pay our respects to all who gave their lives in the service of our country, defending our freedom, and giving the ultimate sacrifice. The other celebrates and honors those who put in hard work to achieve great things. Both have to do with people, children of God, working to the best of their ability to provide for others. Please be sure to take the time this Monday to pray for those who have died, and for the safety of those who continue to be put in harms way in order to protect us.
Starting today I am adding a regular series of “snapshots” of where we are as a Cathedral family. These will include a look at our current finances, stewardship efforts, and Vestry actions. Reports on all three are available for those who are interested in seeing them, but it’s nice to highlight where we are and give a quick overview of what is happening at the Cathedral. Today I’d like to highlight an action of the Vestry.
At our regular meeting last night, May 27, we adopted a Vestry Covenant. Creating a covenant is an idea Paula Connors had brought to the Vestry and it is something we have been talking about and working on for a few months. A Vestry Covenant is a document that lays the groundwork for how we work, treat, and respect one another as a vestry. It provides for accountability and allows us to build relationships in a safe and healthy way. This type of covenant is not exclusive just to vestries, but can be used with any group to foster the same ideals. Now that we have one in place with the Vestry, I also plan to create one with the Cathedral staff. Each year at our retreat we will look at the Covenant to see if we want to update it in any way. A copy of our current Vestry Covenant will be posted on our website so all may be able to read it and know how we operate as a Vestry. Once the Staff Covenant has been finalized we will post that as well. Thank you to the Vestry for your hard work and commitment to putting our Covenant together.
Enjoy the weekend and the start of the summer season! Please continue to pray for one another as we slowly emerge from this pandemic. Pray for peace in our own nation and around the world. Pray that we may all live in a covenantal way, treating one another with the love and respect we all deserve.
Dean Andy+
May 19, 2021
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you to the almost 30 people who showed up in iffy weather last Saturday for our Rogation Day clean up. It was, I believe, a huge success. The rain held off and we were able to get a lot done, both outside and inside. Special thanks to Ric Sweeting and Angie Graham for setting everything up and guiding us as we worked. Thanks, also, to all who joined us for Youth Sunday at the 5 p.m. service. We had a nice turnout, and it was wonderful to have some of our youth participate in the service.
This Sunday will be our first 10:15 a.m. service with in-person worship. This Sunday is the Feast of Pentecost, one of our Feast days and the birthday of the Church. What a great time to be returning. Because the Day of Pentecost is a feast of the Holy Spirit, it is appropriate to wear something red, so I hope to see a sea of red on Sunday as we celebrate this day together, both in-person and livestreamed.
Things will seem a little more like normal having people at the 10:15 again, but we will still follow our current COVID guidelines even though the CDC has issued new guidelines for fully vaccinated people. We just won’t know who has been vaccinated and who has not, so we’ll continue to wear masks and socially distance for now. In addition to masks and distancing, we will also refrain from congregational singing. Our current Chancel Choir will sing the hymns and we ask that you simply listen. Eventually we will begin to pull back on these restrictions, but for now we still want to do everything we can to keep you safe.
Our other Feast Day, Trinity Sunday, will be next Sunday, May 30. Please don’t forget that we will have a modified Parish Picnic following the 10:15 a.m. service with box lunches provided. (Register here.) The Parish Picnic has traditionally been on Trinity Sunday, so it will be nice to bring this tradition back in some form this year. Also coming back will be a live Coffee Hour following the 10:15 a.m. service. Starting Sunday, June 6, we will have coffee and lemonade outside in the courtyard after the service. It is nice to know some things are returning to normal, or at least close to normal.
I have one more thing for which I am thankful … your patience. Thank you for both your patience and understanding as we have done our best to bring the Cathedral to you during this pandemic time. Please continue to pray for one another. We will continue to move forward, continue to open up, and continue to thank you for being a part of our Cathedral family.
Dean Andy+
May 13, 2021
Please don’t be afraid of a little rain. As I look at the forecast for the next several days that’s all I see. Rain. We have a Rogation Day clean-up planned for tomorrow. Rain. We want to be able to work outside. Rain. But … rain. Please don’t be afraid of a little rain, there is still plenty we can do. Our Rogation Day clean-up will still happen, even in the rain. We can still do some planting and staining outside under the protection of cover, so we look forward to seeing you. We also have some indoor work for individuals or family units. The time will all be well spent. Thank you to all who signed up to come, I’m looking forward to being with you.
I’m also looking forward to joining with the youth who signed up to be part of our Youth Sunday this weekend at the 5 p.m. service on Sunday. I know it will be a little different than in years past, but I’m still thankful for your presence and involvement. I’m excited that our new Associate, Ryan Wiksell, will be here soon to help guide the youth program and plan for its future.
I’m excited, as well, for our return to in-person worship at the 10:15 a.m. service on May 23 and the 8 a.m. service on June 27. It will be good to see people again during those times on Sunday morning. For all who have been faithful in joining us online at 10:15, please don’t worry, that will still happen. We will continue to livestream services from now on, so know that will always be an option. Also coming in June will be a return to an in-person coffee hour. It will be a slow start at first, just coffee and lemonade outside in the courtyard, but it’s still a start. We have a lot to look forward to as we move into the next couple months.
Congratulations are in order for our two newest staff members, Brittany and Ryan, who both were graduated this last Thursday from seminary. Brittany received a Master of Divinity degree from the Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City with a focus in Church history, and Ryan received a Master of Divinity degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA. Here’s to you and all of our other graduates, congrats! Let us continue to pray, even in the rain. Pray for our Cathedral family and for one another. Pray for those here and abroad who are still suffering from this pandemic, and for all those who are working tirelessly to help bring it to an end. Pray for peace in the Middle East and an end to the violence between Palestine and Israel. Pray for our own nation that we may be a people of peace and goodwill, loving one another as Christ loves us.
Dean Andy+
May 7, 2021
I am writing this early in the morning today, looking out the window and listening to the birds welcome another beautiful spring day. There is a calmness, a peace, about it, but there is also the anticipation of all the busyness that will soon start. The month of May is a busy month, full of end of school year activities, graduations, lawn and garden projects at home, and spring cleaning. It is a time when we begin to think about what the summer might bring, and it is also a time when our thoughts turn to our mothers as we pause to honor them and give our thanks.
As we slowly continue to return to more “normal” activities, May is a busy month at the Cathedral, as well. We have our own version of spring cleaning coming up with our Rogation Day next Saturday, May 15. There are both inside and outside projects planned for this day, so come dressed to work. This is part of the Stewardship Committee’s efforts to care for our property by being stewards of our environment and all that we have been given. Many thanks to Angie Graham and Ric Sweeting for helping us plan this day. We ask that you please register so we know how many to expect.
Following Rogation Day is our Youth Sunday on May 16 at the 5 p.m. service. It will be a little different than in years past due to the pandemic, but we still wanted to do something to honor and involve our youth. Thank you to all who have said they want to be involved. If anyone still wants to be a part of it, please let me know and I’ll work you in.
Next, we have the celebration of our Feast Days on Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, May 23 and 30. Part of our celebration will be the reopening of the 10:15 a.m. service for in-person worship on the 23rd and our modified Parish Picnic on the 30th. I look forward to welcoming you back to one of our morning services and celebrating with you at the picnic. Our 8 a.m. service will reopen on June 27.
The month of May is a busy month, and I am grateful for all of you who have helped make it busy. For all who have helped plan these events and services, thank you. For all who serve, thank you. For all who come and participate, thank you, it is a joy to be with you. In the midst of all this, please continue to pray. Pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, for our nation, and the world. Pray also, in this busy and beautiful month of May, for our mothers.
Dean Andy+
April 29, 2021
I am sitting in my office as I write this and am seeing and hearing all kinds of activity going on around me. Our lawn service is here cutting the grass, there are cars driving along Washington Street, people are out for a jog or walking along 13th … all signs of what feels like normal activity for this time of year. It is nice to see activity again around the Cathedral, just as it has been nice to see activity in the Cathedral since we opened our 5 p.m. service to in-person worship. Now, we are about to get more active. In addition to our upcoming Rogation Day (May 15) and Parish Picnic (May 30), we are going to slowly open the 10:15 a.m. and 8 a.m. services for in-person worship.
The 10:15 a.m. service will be both livestreamed and in-person beginning May 23, the Feast of Pentecost. I realize it will not seem completely normal as we will still be in our livestreaming configuration with two podiums in the chancel. What you have been seeing on Sunday mornings will be how we will continue to conduct this service until the new livestreaming equipment is installed and we can return to normal movement in the Cathedral Nave. I feel it will only be in this configuration for a few weeks. Communion will work the same way as we have been doing it at the 5 p.m. service with two stations for bread only on the Nave floor.
After we have done the 10:15 a.m. for a few weeks, we will add the 8 a.m. for in-person worship beginning June 27. This will also be the first Sunday with our new Associate, the Rev. Ryan Wiksell.
Our hope as we move into the summer and fall is that we can slowly return to hosting outside groups, recitals, concerts, and be fully functional once school begins. That is the hope. Remember, we are still not quite out of the woods yet with the pandemic and we are continuing to closely monitor the situation.
It is exciting to think of things being back to normal, hopefully soon. Until then, please continue to pray for one another and be safe.
Dean Andy+
April 22, 2021
Ah, springtime. The trees are getting their leaves, the flowers are in bloom, and the snow is beautiful this time of year…yes, snow! I thought I left that behind in Chicago! Hopefully it was just a hiccup and we can get on with spring, and with slowly reopening the Cathedral. In addition to our 5 p.m. Sunday service being open for in-person worship, I’m going to add back the Wednesday 12:05 p.m. Eucharist starting in May. We will take up to ten people for this service and ask that you please register, just as you have been doing for the Sunday evening service. The Wednesday Eucharist will take place in the chancel at the main altar instead of the usual location of the chapel. Our chapel is currently full of instruments to accompany our chancel choir for the Sunday morning live-streamed service. If you have been following our Wednesday Noonday Prayer services on-line, they will continue. Noonday prayer will be pre-recorded and run at noon while the Eucharist will be live and start at the customary 12:05 p.m. This will be a good way to reintroduce those of you who are not quite ready to gather with a larger group of people. Wednesday Eucharist will begin on May 5.
There will be an area Diocesan Confirmation on Saturday, April 24, at 2 p.m. at St. Andrew’s in Kansas City. Please join me in congratulating nine members of the Cathedral as they will be Confirmed, Reaffirmed, or Received at this service: Zachary Baker, George Colburn, Jonah Fahnestock, Anne Morse, Richard Morse, Sheri Packett, Cynthia Pennington, Tiger Pennington, and Joe Ungashick. May the Holy Spirit continue to empower them for service.
Rogation Day has been moved to a later date in order to, hopefully, have some warmer weather so we can put new plants in the ground (remember the snow?). This will be a one day event on Saturday, May 15 from 9 a.m.–noon. More information will be available soon. This event is sponsored by the GHTC Stewardship Committee. Many thanks to Ric Sweeting and Angie Graham for helping to plan the activities for the day.
I ask for your continued prayers in what has been a difficult week. Our nation not only sat on edge awaiting the verdict of the Chauvin trial in Minneapolis but had to hear more news of shootings taking place in other parts of the country. It sometimes feels like there is nothing we can do to help. We can always pray and we can always reach out in acts of kindness and love. Please pray for continued healing in our nation, that divisions may cease, and that we may come to see Christ in all people, loving them as Christ loves us.
Dean Andy+
April 16, 2021
I was very pleased with our turnout last Sunday for our first in-person service in the Cathedral in over a year. We had 56 in attendance, including clergy and staff. It was so nice to have people in the Nave again and I know people were glad to be back. I commented in my sermon how strange it was to preach from the pulpit again! Strange, maybe, but good, definitely good.
I mentioned on Sunday that I would like to have a Youth Sunday this year and need your help to decide how we want to do it. Parents of youth, be on the lookout for an email from me with more information. If we could do it live at the 5 p.m. that would be great, but if it needs to be virtual to get more people involved, we can do that as well. The important part is that we make it a priority to have it. Also, if you have a senior graduating from high school or college, please let us know so we can properly acknowledge them.
We have a Rogation Day coming up soon (we are having to adjust this date to be better for planting). Much like a Cathedral Clean-up day, we’ll gather to work on all parts of the Cathedral campus. This is part of the Stewardship Committee’s efforts to care for our property by being stewards of our environment and all that we have been given. Many thanks to Angie Graham and Ric Sweeting for helping us plan. Please stay tuned for a more detailed description of the events of the day.
I thought you might be interested in knowing that I am slowly working my way through our parish directory trying to make a phone call to everyone. I need to emphasize slowly. I have made many calls so far, but if you haven’t heard from me do not worry, I promise I will get to you. Since we are still mostly separated because of COVID, I wanted to do something to reach out and see how everyone is doing. I look forward to having a chance to speak with you soon.
Dean Andy+
New Staff: Introducing Brittany and Ryan!
Brittany Sparrow Savage began work Tuesday, April 6 as the new Children’s Ministry Coordinator. The Rev. Ryan Wiksell will be joining the Cathedral in June as our new Associate. Here is a little more information about each of our new employees.
Brittany Sparrow Savage is excited to start her work as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral. Her wide range of ministry experience consists of serving as a children’s ministry volunteer, intern and pastor. In 2015 she graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University with a bachelor’s in Religion and a minor in Pastoral Ministries. After graduation, Brittany and her husband Cameron moved to Kansas City to pursue graduate studies. During her time in seminary, she fell in love with the Episcopal Church, and in October of 2020, Brittany and Cameron were confirmed. Brittany has since graduated from Nazarene Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity. She is humbled to be entrusted with assisting the congregation spiritual formation of our youngest parishioners. Her prayer is that through the dynamic movement of the Spirit and liturgy of the Church, the Children of Grace and Holy Trinity will encounter a God and community of unfailing love.
Ryan was raised in Northeastern Oklahoma, and moved to the Kansas City area with his family at age 13, where his parents still reside. After high school, a personal call to ministry led him to study music and theology at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri.
Doors were then opened for him to serve in various local churches, where he held positions in music leadership, arts and communications. Ryan married Christina in 2003, and shortly thereafter they pursued a call to plant a grassroots independent church in downtown Springfield, called The Front Porch. After this effort drew to a close in 2011, they sought out a new spiritual family, which they found in Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield.
Today, Ryan and Christina are blessed to be the parents of twin five-year-olds Asher and Anya. Ryan and his family are currently residing in Alexandria, Virginia, while he is completing his Master of Divinity at Virginia Theological Seminary. Ryan was ordained to the Transitional Diaconate on March 26, and will graduate on May 13. Ryan, Christina, Asher and Anya are thrilled to be joining the Grace and Holy Trinity community starting in June.
April 7, 2021
Alleluia, Christ is Risen! I wish you a continued blessed Easter. I very much enjoyed our celebration from the Cathedral, including our outdoor service on Easter afternoon. We had close to 130 people in attendance, and it was wonderful to be together. Thank you to the Cathedral Staff, volunteers, and all who worked so hard to prepare everything for Holy Week and Easter, it truly is a joy to work with you. I’m looking forward to starting our in-person services this Sunday at 5 p.m. in the Nave.
For those of you planning to come this Sunday at five, it might be the first time you’ve been back in the Cathedral since we shut down over a year ago. There are a few things that are new since then, and I would like to share what they are. We have a beautiful new (to us) painting hanging in the East end of the main floor of Founders’ Hall. This four-panel, oil on canvas painting was commissioned by Commerce Bank and completed by Kansas City-born artist Willard Dixon in 1996-97. It presents a pastoral scene of the area and fits so nicely in its new home. We were able to acquire this painting through Commerce Bancshares, Inc.
Something else that is new is a hand made holy water stand in the entrance to the Cathedral Nave. Bud McDowell created this stand to hold a bowl of holy water that we can touch to be reminded of our baptism. Due to present COVID restrictions, the bowl will not have water in it, but will still be visible inside the Nave. The pottery bowl on the stand is the work of a local artist, the late Deanna Nichols.
We have all the way up to the Feast of Pentecost to say “Happy Easter,” so make the most of the Great Fifty Days and let your shouts of “Alleluia” continue to ring out during this Easter Season!
Dean Andy+
April 2, 2021
Another week and another big announcement. Last Sunday I announced that I had called the Rev. Ryan Wiksell to be the Associate at the Cathedral. Ryan then joined us during Coffee Hour so people could get a chance to say hello. Ryan is currently a senior seminarian at the Virginia Theological School in Alexandria, Virginia. He will graduate in May and join the Cathedral staff in late June. I am so thrilled to have Ryan and his family—wife, Christina, and twins, Asher and Anya, (5)—join us! Ryan was ordained a deacon on March 26 and will be ordained a priest, God willing, in the fall at the Cathedral. More information about Ryan will be available on our website soon. Our other newest staff member, Brittany Sparrow Savage, begins with us this coming Tuesday. More information about Brittany will be up on the website soon as well.
I realize some of you were not able to hear my announcement about Ryan live last Sunday because of problems with our YouTube feed. I assure you the problem was not on our end, but an issue with the service once the signal left the Cathedral. We are doing all we can to make sure everything continues to work, so please bear with us. On that note, at the Vestry meeting last week, the Vestry approved a bid for updating our livestreaming capabilities. New equipment has been ordered and should take about two months to arrive and be installed. Once all is in place we will have three motorized pan, tilt, and zoom cameras mounted in the Nave, plus the ability to add a fourth camera when needed. This will allow us to move freely within the Cathedral and not be confined to our current livestream configuration. We will continue to livestream services even after we have returned in person. This equipment will also allow us to record events at the Cathedral such as weddings and concert recitals.
You will notice in our Sunday bulletins we list all staff members and Vestry members along with their committee assignments. In case you haven’t noticed, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to share the Vestry information with you: Candace McDowell, Senior Warden; Richard Morse, Junior Warden (Buildings and Grounds); David Barker, Treasurer; Phaedra Fahnestock, Clerk (Social Outreach); Steve Moore, Chancellor; Sharon Cheers (Security); Bill Colvin (Finance); Amy Cornwell (Children and Youth); Pat Decker (Social Justice); Jeff Johnson (Stewardship); Ron Michka (Community Engagement); Robin Rusconi (Children and Youth, Stewardship); Nick Smith (Newcomers); Ken Stewart (Communications).
Please continue to pray for one another, our communities, and our nation. I especially ask continued prayers for those affected by the shootings in Orange County, California.
I wish you and yours a blessed and joyous Easter! If you plan to come to the outdoor service at 1 p.m. on Easter Day I will see you there.
Dean Andy +
March 25, 2021
Well, actually, it’s from my laptop this week. I’m going to be writing a weekly column to keep you updated on important things and, at times, maybe not so important things that are happening at the Cathedral. I made a big announcement last Sunday about a new member soon to be joining our ministry team. I have asked Brittany Sparrow Savage to be our new Children’s Ministries Coordinator and she said yes! Brittany will start on Tuesday, April 6, and we are so excited to have her with us. Special thanks to Linda Martin for stepping in during the interim and keeping our children engaged.
There are other exciting things happening as well. We are getting ready to open our doors, once again, and hold in-person services starting Sunday, April 11, at the 5 p.m. service. But, before that, if weather permits, we’ll have an outdoor service on Easter Day! The service will be on the lawn at 13th and Broadway at 1 p.m. Please bring a blanket or chairs to sit on, wear a mask, and your best Easter bonnet. We are asking that everyone register for the service so we know how many are coming. Information for registration has been sent out, but you may always check the website or call the office for further assistance. We will take up to 100 people for the outdoor service. Should we get more than that we will add another service so as to accommodate everyone who wants to come. Bishop Field will be joining us for the service. We will still do a livestreamed service on Easter morning at 10:15 a.m., so that option will be there as well.
Don’t forget our Holy Week and Easter Drive Through this Saturday, March 27 from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. We will have palms available for pickup as well as Holy Eucharist for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter. We are accepting food donations as well.
Since we will be starting to open up again, we’re looking forward to other events that will bring us together. Stay tuned for more information about a Rogation Day(s) to help clean and spruce up our grounds, as well as our Parish Picnic.
Please continue to pray for one another, our communities, and our nation as we continue to face hardships during this pandemic. I especially ask continued prayers for those affected by the shootings in the Atlanta area and in Boulder, CO.
I am looking forward to entering Holy Week with all of you. I know that is a weird thing to say, but I mean it. This is a sacred time in the life of the Church and I am happy to be joining with you on this journey to the cross and the joy of Easter!
Dean Andy+