Liturgy & Living - May 6, 2018

What is the BHCA? And why did we change the name? 

Join us after Church as we are joined by Linda Rittleman, President of the Bolton Hill Community Association (formerly the Mount Royal Improvement Association) who will tell us a little bit about what prompted the name change of the Bolton Hill Community Association and what their vision is for the future here in Bolton Hill and in broader West Baltimore. As you may be aware, the original MRIA was founded out of Memorial and has quite a colorful history with the Church and the neighborhood.  

So come and hear Linda talk about the mystery of lots 18 and 19, the evocative prose of Mary Paulding Martin, the battles over Urban Renewal, corner stores, and the surprising role State Center has played in our Church and neighborhood’s history.

Bruno Reich reflects on his time at Memorial

Reflection on my DOV internship at Memorial Episcopal

by Bruno Reich

I want to thank everyone at Memorial again for having me over the past 8 months as a DOV (Discerning Ordained Vocation) intern. It has been more rewarding than I could have imagined and I shall always hold this experience close to my heart. I made many new friends and felt so at home with the people I met. It was enlightening to be involved in an urban church in a completely different context.

The purpose of the internship is to be exposed to all of the different aspects of the work of the church and in possibly new and challenging ways. The Tuesday morning Peace and Justice service meets in the West Transept side chapel and is regularly attended by a group of 10 to 15 people who are long time members of Memorial. Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall follows the service - a great time to talk to the regulars and get to know the last 50 years of history of Memorial, the politics and workings of city life and social justice issues that Memorial undertakes. The Faith at 8 Service in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday mornings is attended by 10 to 20 and is a amore diversified group. The service includes a discussion time inspired by the readings and questions posed to the group by Fr. Grey. I was often impressed by the deep faith, insights, experiences and knowledge of the group. I heard poetry recited, off the cuff speeches on racial issues, scriptural exegesis and many other moving exhortations from this group. I so much enjoyed listening to the workings of the minds of the people at Memorial – the atmosphere there seems to allow a real freedom of expression.

I was part of the regular altar crew at the Sunday 10:30 worship services in the Sanctuary. I haven’t spent that much time on the altar since I was a 13 year old acolyte. I love the ancient traditions that we keep. The procession, the order of the worship, the readings, the hymns, the Eucharist – all of this leading us back through countless generations connecting us to ancestors and to the life of Jesus. From the altar I can see how attentive the entire congregation is. I thought that the Blue Mass before Christmas was especially moving, but I was sorry that, in a city that has so much pain, that it wasn’t attended by more. The incredible space of the Sanctuary with the grand gothic arches, byzantine columns, limestone altar, stained glass and heavy timber trusses is such a perfect setting for the high services on the holidays.

Much of the work at the altar was new to me and many procedures at Memorial were different than I was used to but I was very lovingly guided in all of it by the others and learned so much more about the detail that goes into organizing services. Although much of my professional life is work in the public realm, I had never given a sermon before. I’m sure that I both overworked my preparation and still made mistakes – but the congregation was very understanding and encouraging, realizing that these were my first attempts. However, I do feel that I have the ability to articulate the important messages of our faith and to do it in ways that inspire and motivate. My life experiences have brought me to a point where the message to me is so much more than words. I would say that preparing for and delivering the sermons was the most challenging part of the internship and the place where I learned the most.

I was very impressed by the number of other ministries at Memorial and by the dedication of the people in them – The Samaritan Community, Strong Schools, Sustainability, the work with Brown Presbyterian, Corpus Christi and other local churches, the various programs on racial reconciliation and diversity, etc. I was fortunate in my childhood to be involved in many of these same efforts and it was enlightening to see how our church is working on them in places that make a difference. My career has concentrated on designing and building churches. I think that God has given me the unique opportunity to work with many faith traditions, all forms of mainline Christianity, Judaism, Orthodox Christianity, Unitarianism, fundamentalist groups, and others. But I have to say that I continue to love the Episcopal church even more and the inclusivity within our own community. To me Memorial is a real gem in the center city – it and our faith have so much to offer that is underappreciated and underutilized. I will continue to pray for them and the good work they are doing. I came to love the people there and was very sad to leave.

I was an extremely busy 8 months. Besides work at the regular services, I organized bible study, adult formation, outreach efforts, went on pastoral visits and had regular meeting with the intern discernment committee. I took classes at St Mary’s Ecumenical Institute and Seminary, worked with the DOV group at the Diocese, was part of an EFM group at St Andrews, Glenwood, and stayed connected with the men’s group at my home parish, St John’s Ellicott City along with regular sessions with my spiritual director – not to mention designing a few new churches and running my business. It was challenging and exhilarating at the same time, really testing my ability to prioritize, delegate and keep my regular practices of prayer and meditation. Being in this new setting allowed me to grow personally and spiritually - a feeling of being constantly recreated. As energized as I am to be among other followers of Jesus I equally enjoy times of solitude, reflection and connection to nature – I was eager to escape to places where there’s no sound of cars or sirens only the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves - so I send my regards from the trail. I thank the diocese for this opportunity, Memorial for hosting me and God for every day of life.

PAX ET BONUM,

Bruno Reich

Slow Flow Yoga - starting May 15 at 5:30 pm

Into the Woods - Strike

Into the Woods - Strike! - Once the final curtain descends (well, if we had one it would...) it is time to put away all the stuff. Just as it took many hands to raise the stage, it will take many more to reduce it to its constituent parts and put it away. Strike begins immediately following the close of the show on Sunday the 29th, and will continue on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday starting at 4 pm each day. Please consider lending your labor to this process so we can be finished by Thursday!

The View from Bolton St.

of Vines and Vinegrowers

In the Gospel this week Jesus introduces us to the image of the vine and the vinegrower. The vinegrower is judicious in his pruning, cutting back the branches that don’t bear any fruit so that the rest of the vine can bear much fruit. 

Now, as I have told you before, I do not have much of a ‘green thumb’ - that is, I’m not very good at keeping plants alive.  In fact some of you helped me with my Facebook rumination about how to rescue some bulbs and rose bushes from my parents house before it is sold.  Anyone who has had to go through a similar process with their family knows how difficult this can be.  Often something strange and kind of out of the blue becomes the focal point for your anxiety around grief and loss and for me it is certainly ‘Papa’s Roses.’  My grandfather, who passed away in 2015, was a quiet man who seemed to carry most of his own grief and worry from surviving the Great Depression and World War II in two very green thumbs. Which left us with beautifully timed gardens that stay colorful all spring and summer, and some very beautiful rose bushes.  

And while I may be able to recover some bulbs and planting’s from Papa’s Garden, the reality is  I did not ‘abide in him’ nearly enough while he was alive to maintain such a beautiful garden (nor do I have the space here in Bolton Hill!) and so in some sense, that part has been ‘pruned away’ and I will have to work awfully hard to get it back. 

Fortunately, I did abide in my Grandfather in other ways, particularly his faith, his devotion to his family, his patience with and care for others, his perhaps intense frugality, and his delight in taking things apart and putting them back together again. So I do not lament too much in the loss of the garden, because Papa’s roots still run quite deep in me.     

As Christians, we are invited into a similar relationship with Jesus the vinegrower and the large vineyard of the Christian tradition.  There is nothing wrong with trimming parts of the tradition off that have outlived their usefulness (or perhaps shouldn’t have been there at all!) There is no room in the Church for misogyny, homophobia, racism, sexism, or judgement of others based on their age, gender, or identity. I am grateful that Christ has worked very hard pruning back the Episcopal Church in order to allow a stronger vine to grow.  

But we also must ask how close we are to the vine, in order to ensure that we are not in danger of being pruned ourselves.  An important question to ask in this regard is ‘how central is Jesus Christ to your daily life?’ While some prefer the (in my opinion heretical) question ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ I prefer the query ‘Where is Christ in this?’

‘Where is Christ in this?’ When I yell at the guy running the stop sign for the umpteenth time. ‘Where is Christ in this?’ As I prepare to make a caustic remark to someone in person or on social media. ‘Where is Christ in this?’ As I contemplate skipping out on a community cleanup or neighborhood event because I’m too tired.   These questions matter because no matter how right our politics are - ultimately it is faith that people come seeking at church, relationship with Jesus and with other Christians.  That is the fruit they are seeking, and that is what Memorial is so very good at offering. 

If we keep ourselves close to vine, and seek a deeper relationship with the vinegrower, I have no doubt we will bear much fruit.

No Boundaries Coalition - The Mayor's Kick Off 2018

Join Friends, Neighbors and Community Organizations this Saturday to take part in a Day of Service with the No Boundaries Coalition. 

Meet at Laurens and Pennsylvania Avenue at 9 am or join Neighbors walking over — meet at Memorial at 8:30 am. 

You can bring gloves and bags or just yourself and they will have everything ready. 

Open Worship Committee Meeting

Join us for an Open Worship Committee Meeting Next Wednesday, May 2nd at 6 pm 

If you would like to be a part of helping us re-visit worship, join us on May 2nd for an Open Worship Committee meeting to discuss plans for Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, as well as Summer worship plans.  We need everyone’s input and energy.  

For more please see Father Grey’s Reflection: 

https://www.memorialboltonhill.org/blog/2018/4/18/the-view-from-bolton-st

Book Club - May 8

Next book club is May 8 at 7:30 in the Memorial Rectory. 

The book selection was made by Tiz  and is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility—a transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel.

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.

Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.
 

(Summary from Amazon)

If you are interested in dinner we will be eating at the Dizz again at 5:30 before hand.

Movies that Matter

Wednesday, May 9, 2018, 6 pm

Memorial Episcopal Church
1407 Bolton Street
Baltimore, MD 21217

An evening of films exploring powerful themes through the lens of some of Baltimore's finest youth filmmakers from Wide Angle Youth Media.

We will screen and then discuss each with the creative teens who made these films.

Void
Addresses the circumstances of teenage depression with a rare power.

Violence in Baltimore: A Community in Chaos
Provides insight into the ways young people are challenging dominant narratives and seeking peaceful, de-escalating methods of conflict resolution.

"Why Black Lives Matter"
Selection of short films that explore themes of intersectionality and how different systems impact race in Baltimore.

The event is free and open to the public. We will pass the hat to raise money for programs that support youth, so please come prepared to be generous.

Screening co-sponsored by the Public Justice Center and Memorial Episcopal Church.

Look Back: Earth Day at Memorial

By Dick Williams, Creation Care Team Co-Lead

Earth Day along the sidewalks of Memorial was marked by two colorful Planet Earth 22” Bubble balloons tethered to hand railings.  The idea included marking our W. Lafayette and Rectory entrances for neighborhood and other visitors who might be unsure of where to enter for Tom Pelton’s presentation at Liturgy & Living. 

Or, in the Rectory meeting room, for Lisa Schroeder’s pre-show reception and talk about some important projects at Parks & People Foundation which also included JoAnn Trach Tongson’s and my presentation about the butterfly micro-habitat/garden classroom at Mount Royal Elementary/Middle School.

In case you missed Tom Pelton’s presentation, his talk about the Bay and environmental regulations brought cheers and a standing ovation for his work.  Yeah, true!  A great turnout by Memorial’s tree huggers.  Many bought one or multiple copies of Tom’s new book, The Chesapeake in Focus: Transforming the Natural World.  I have a few copies that I’d sell to you at $20/ea. with all proceeds going to our Creation Care restricted account at Memorial.  Incidentally, I recommend you add Tom’s “The Environment in Focus” weekly radio show on WYPR to your list of news sources.  I find it valuable.

Lisa Schroeder talked about 6 new parks built by Parks & People in neglected East and West Baltimore, meant to help reconnect neighbors with one another.  Beyond the ubiquitous swing sets and the like in neighborhood parks, she told us surveyed residents wanted chess boards.  And, that’s exactly what’s been provided.  She described 8 Equity Goals of the foundation.  Goal #8 was important to me: “…implementing a performance management process that includes developing outcomes, indicators for success and program evaluation methods.”  While the turnout was small, much deeper networking among people who do green in Baltimore City was afforded.  My expectations are high for results from the networking.

Thanks to all of you who attended one or both presentations!  Much learning about Creation Care was offered.