From the Rector
Dear Calvary Parish,
There is a prayer in the service of Compline in the church that has a way of movingly ending each day:
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who
sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless
the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the
joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
We have known weariness, death, suffering, and affliction all too well this past year. And after last weekend’s Easter Service, we are also beginning to once again experience joy.
That prayer “shield the joyous” seems especially fitting and important for this tenuous time. The blossoms are blooming and 1/5 of our nation is fully vaccinated (1/3 has had at least one dose) and there is a palpable sense of hope and joy.
Let’s keep shielding our faces with those masks to protect the unvaccinated and vulnerable. Let’s allow our hearts to sing, but still yet refrain from jubilant congregational song until those numbers decrease more mightily. Let’s ask that God make us aware, whether we are weary or joyous, somewhere in-between or both, of the realities of those around us.
As we prepare this weekend offer a Virtual Family Service at 9:15 a.m. and open the doors to the church for weekly 11:00 Sunday Eucharist, we are keenly aware that we still have a journey ahead of us in this pandemic. We will take measured steps in our joyous return rather than moving with unshielded abandon.
Bring your faithful selves back to your virtual worship living quarters or in person with masks on faces this Sunday ready to be spiritually nourished and filled with God's grace.
Faithfully,
The Reverend Allison English
Rector
