Beloved Community,

I have been re-reading Henri Nouwen's Life of the Beloved in preparation for our first Reading with the Rector gathering this Sunday.  This is a book with much wisdom, a bit of which has been particularly relevant this week.  Nouwen talks about how living a life of belovedness prepares one to be a gift to the world long after one's physical life has ended.  

Although I did not know Rev. Tarplee personally, I know how much he meant to so many of you and his impact on this parish.  His certainly was a life lived in service to God and others and, if the conversations I have had with some of you and the tributes I have seen on Facebook are any indication, his love of God and of God's people will continue to be felt by generations to come.

Please feel free to continue to share your stories of this beloved pastor and child of God with each other and me.  And know that I am here for you if you would like to talk to me privately. 

Paula+

A Tribute to Cork

We were saddened this week to learn of the passing of our former rector, The Rev. Cornelius Tarplee. Cork, as he liked to be called, touched countless lives during his long ministry here at St. Stephen's. Those of us who were privileged to know him remember him as a kind, gentle, and compassionate shepherd and an unparalleled preacher. Even if you didn't have the opportunity to know Cork personally, you benefit from some of the work he did, including the establishment of our preschool, and the building of the church narthex and the mausoleum.

As a colleague, Cork was always supportive of my work, first as children's choir director, and later as music director. Knowing that I had a full-time teaching position, he was very respectful of my time constraints, and voluntarily drove to West Caldwell where we would meet after school at Panera to hold our periodic planning sessions over a cup of tea. If I wanted to try something new and different, he always had my back and would take the heat if things didn't go well!

Cork loved and nurtured the people of this congregation in many ways, through his pastoral ministry, and through his teaching in adult forums and Education for Ministry classes. Some people came to this parish for the sole reason of hearing his sermons, which were well-crafted, inspired, and uplifting. The children here knew that Cork loved them, too. At the end of the service as he came back down the aisle, the kids all ran up to him for their weekly "high fives." The youngest ones were even known to sometimes try to hide under his chasuble.

I'm sure each of us has stories to tell and memories to share of our experiences with Cork, and I hope we will continue to do that today and in the weeks to come. I want to end with this one: Cork used to proudly say that the babies never cried when he baptized them because he knew just how to hold them so they felt safe and secure. I would go so far as to say that Cork held all of us in his heart in a way that made us feel loved and cared for. And that love and his memory will live on in our hearts always.