Quick Notes

• Of course we are all watching the weather as closely as you are! Please stay tuned to email and our social media pages for any changes in our schedule. Please stay safe and use your best judgment and let us know if you need anything!
• We’ve received $1,450,730 in pledges toward our Nurturing Faith and Cultivating Community Stewardship Campaign. We are so close to our goal. Thanks for pledging today so the Finance Committee can make any adjustments. Pledge online here.
• Join us this Sunday at 9:00 am for breakfast while Bill kicks off our next Adult Faith series with A Journey through the Book of Acts over the next few weeks! Sally Parsonson's class Faith and Fiction also resumes this week.
• Don't forget to signup for the Parish Retreat Feb. 14-16 at Kanuga!
• If you missed the latest Good News Newsletter with our Vestry Candidates' Bios, please read it online now.
• Read more notes below including articles by Ruth and Sean and an invite to the Women's Vision Board event tomorrow night.

Polishing Silver: Reflections on Worship and Treasure

What with Christmas dinner, an engagement party for my daughter Caroline, and preparing the bit of sterling I like to tuck into my (grown) children’s stockings, I’ve been deeply immersed in the meditative practice of polishing silver this season. And now that I’m in, seems I can’t stop.

I’ve unexpectedly become fascinated with some well tarnished silver-plated flatware.

I’ve never polished it, but kept it rolled up in the hand embroidered protective felt pockets that have held them for more than a hundred years. I can see my dad’s hands unrolling them, just to take them out of their sleeves and look, and to ponder that he doesn’t remember which were his mother’s and which were his grandmother’s. But you could sense his honor, even adoration for those women, and for the beauty of the silver itself. Sometimes, I dare say, he seemed transfixed. And I knew this was something important.

They are not complete sets by any stretch of the imagination. Oddly, there are more than ten very large serving spoons, which I’m deciding were for eating soups and stews. They really would be perfect for all that steaming goodness, and who needs 10 serving spoons with table settings that would scarcely seat six? I plan to send one spoon to each granddaughter as a token. A token of family dinners we all love, heritage, and ancient grandmothers they never knew, celebration and gathering, pristine beauty, their grandpa’s treasuring. And even, as a token of reverence for the silver plate, because not everyone can obtain sterling, but still, we invest in beauty. And work! Did I mention the 4 tubs of Wright’s silver polish paste? And the patina that takes years to develop deep and rich.

I share all of this, because of a conversation we had in Adult Formation on Sunday, about the three wisemen who feature large in our Epiphany story, and the season named for this story that lasts for 8 weeks this year!

They opened their treasure chests and gave him Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. They paid him homage. They worshipped him.

Our conversation led to wondering about that, about worship. And what is it? And how do we do that strange thing? We puzzled. What makes for good worship?

Whether individually, such as when we see the grandeur of God in creation on a hike, on the golf course, or in the birthing of a baby.

Or, corporately, such as when we pray elbow to elbow with the people of God and raise our voices, or when we orchestrate liturgy or rehearse an anthem, and act out this grand drama of God incarnate being born to us.

What does it mean to worship, like the Wisemen, who opened their treasure chests?

And why do others do it differently? Why do we do this in the way that we as Episcopalians do, with the repetition of language, the sameness of our liturgical practices, rather than like some, who re-write it all every week or craft images to project on a screen or hologram.

It’s tricky, trying to define or describe worship, to capture the awe and wonder that lifts us to rapture or crumbles us at the knee. As I pondered this throughout the day, I came up with a metaphor for good worship that works for me.

You probably guessed it!?

Polishing Silver.

Good worship is polishing silver.

Think about it:

Why the repetition of words? The patina. The rich patina, that comes only by way of the polishing.

Why the place settings? Because each is welcome at the table, and we prepare for you to be there at this family feast of bread and wine.

Why the ancient practices and paraphernalia? To connect us to the grandfathers and great grandmothers we never knew, but who brought us into being; and to one another, because we are kin, and we’re looking for a spoonful of steaming goodness.

Why well tarnished and rolled up in felt cloth? Because sometimes it takes us awhile to come round to valuing deep treasures for what they are.

This, our Holy Innocents.

A community at worship. Feasting. Our polishing, our treasuring, our hard work, for Good Worship. Come to the table!

Eight Sundays in this Epiphany season. Unroll that felt cloth and discover your treasure.



The Rev. Ruth Pattison Associate Rector

DID YOU KNOW…? by Dr. Sean Vogt

…that this Sunday’s prelude was composed by Mose Murray with guidance from Amy Vogt? Composing for handbells is not as easy as simply putting notes and rhythms on a page. Handbells have their own unique markings and techniques that must be indicated in the score.

This Sunday’s communion anthem, “King Jesus Hath a Garden” by Charles Wood, contains references to all kinds of flowers. As you read the bulletin/liturgy guide, find the communion anthem and see how many flowers you can identify in the flower arrangements. We all work together – the word “liturgy” in Greek literally means work of the people – and this Sunday’s floral arrangements represent sight and sound coming together. Thanks to Maidee and crew for ordering and securing those that were available this time of year.

If you’d like a chance to research these flowers in advance, so you know what you’re looking for, here’s the text. How many will you identify?

King Jesus hath a garden, full of diverse flowers,

Where I go culling posies gay, all times and hours.

[REFRAIN]

There naught is heard but Paradise bird,

Harp, dulcimer, lute,

With cymbal, trump and tymbal,

And the tender, soothing flute.

The Lily, white in blossom there, is Chastity:

The Violet, with sweet perfume, Humanity. [REFRAIN]

The bonny Damask-rose is known as Patience:

The blithe and thrifty Marygold, Obedience. [REFRAIN]

The Crown Imperial bloometh too in yonder place,

'Tis Charity, of stock divine, the flower of grace. [REFRAIN]

Yet, 'mid the brave, the bravest prize of all may claim

The Star of Bethlem-Jesus-bless'd be his Name! [REFRAIN]

Ah! Jesu Lord, my heal and weal, my bliss complete,

Make thou my heart thy garden-plot, fair, trim and neat.

That I may hear this musick clear:

Harp, dulcimer, lute,

With cymbal, trump and tymbal,

And the tender, soothing flute.

[Rev. George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848-1934)]

Click here to watch Bill's sermon from Sunday!

Pastoral Notes 

If someone is in the hospital, has died, or has some other pastoral emergency, we hope you will contact our clergy directly. Please call the church office at 410-255-4023 and follow the prompts. This will connect you directly with the clergyperson on call for the week. 

If you have joys to share, new births, grandbabies, graduations, or job announcements, we will gladly share them in our weekly Hi-Lights email if you send a note to communications@holyinnocents.org

Warning about email scammers

When you receive an email from a Holy Innocents staff member, please check if the sender's email address ends with 'holyinnocents.org'. If it does not, it is likely not from us. Unfortunately, some individuals are attempting to scam various church members, posing as clergy and requesting gift cards. We never ask for money in this way. If someone claiming to be Bill, Stewart, Ruth, or another staff member contacts you, please let us know immediately. Report the email, block the sender, and delete the message. If you have any doubts, please give us a call.