open door - october/november 2013
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Life at your Cathedral Parish
THE OPEN DOOROctober/November 2013
“MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE”
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STAFF & VESTRY
CLERGY
The Very Reverend Peter Eaton Rector and Dean, Ext. 7721 The Reverend Robert Hendrickson Sub-Dean, Ext. 7706
The Reverend Jadon HartsuffCanon, Ext. 7732
The Reverend Elizabeth Marie Melchionna, Canon, Ext. 7731 The Reverend Charles LaFond Canon Steward, Ext. 7711 The Reverend Elizabeth Costello Curate, Ext. 7704
SENIOR STAFF
Kim McPherson Director of Religious Education Ext. 7729 Mike Orr Communications Director Ext. 7730 Stephen Tappe Organist and Director of Music Ext. 7726 Tara Williams Director of Finance and Administration Ext. 7720
VESTRY
Tom Stoever, Senior Warden Frank Scott, Junior Warden Mary Ellen Williams, Treasurer David Abbott, Clerk Class of 2016 David Ball, Kat Challis, Jen Courtney-Keyse, Amanda Montague Class of 2015 Susan Chenier, Larry Kueter, Ned Rule, John van Camp Class of 2014 David Abbott, Newt Klusmire, Jim East, Mary Ellen Williams
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CONTENT
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CATECHUMENATE
23Yearning: A New Book
Planning For Death
14SUNDAY FORMATION GROUPS RobeRt HendRickson
YearningAuthentic Transformation, Young Adults and the Church
From the Dean: “MADE IN GOD’s IMAGE”
As our new program year begins, our parish leadership is
encouraging us to think of ourselves more attentively as those who are made in God’s image, and what the consequences of this self-understanding might be for ourselves as individuals and
as a community of faith.
As those who are made in God’s image, we have been given by God certain capacities that mirror that divine image. Just as God is the One who loves, who gives, and who creates, so we too can be those who love, who give, and who create. Our task is to discover the ways in which we can both do these things, and grow into a deeper understanding of their meaning. Loving, giving, creating are at the heart of what it means both to be divine and to be human.
One of the purposes of Jesus’ life was precisely to show us that we can respond to each other, to the world, and to God, just as God responds to us. We can meet God and our fellow human beings with a God-like love. We can give with the same self-emptying by which God gives. And we can create just as breath-takingly as God can create. We do all this, of course, not apart from God, but in closer and closer union with God and God’s divine will and purpose.
The chief way that Christians have found to be reliable in maintaining and deepening this union is in the sacramental life. There are seven sacraments (baptism, chrismation, the Eucharist, reconciliation, anointing, marriage, and ordination), but in the history of the Church, the meaning of sacrament has been much wider than this. For Christians who are nourished by the sacraments,
every moment and every part of our life is sacramental, because it has the capacity to show us something of God.
Material things and actions (bread, water, wine, oil, rings, the laying on of hands) are signs that something spiritual or mystical, yet nonetheless real, occurs when the faithful are gathered in community and prayer and with the intention to act in God’s name for God’s mission. Ever since the beginning of creation, God has assured us that what is human or earthly can show us the divine.
Money can be a sacrament, too, especially in the way that it is used. Money and the way we use it can say something about who we are and the values that we hold. Our money can reveal our inner selves. Money can be used for great good, and over the generations here at the Cathedral we have seen the wonderful things that money can accomplish, from the building of our cathedral church, to the founding of the Saint Francis Center, to ensuring the care of those in need.
We sometimes say that priests are “walking sacraments,” and we can say equally that money is a “working sacrament.” Just as priests embody some of the aspects and actions of God that we need for the well-being of a faithful community, so money can help to make God real for people in a whole range of circumstances, from worship for a hungry soul to sandwiches for a hungry stomach.
Every material thing, every person, that is placed at the service of God’s grace has the potential to be this sort of sacramental presence. As we explore during this season all that it means to be “made in God’s image,” let us remember that in our sacramental life we are given God’s grace and presence to enable us to do all that God calls us to accomplish.
CONTENT
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Library News
Online Library AccessSaint John’s Cathedral houses over 4,300 books in our collection! To view titles, authors, and book information in our library conveniently online now, please visit sjcathedral.org/Library.
As we move forward in our program year, Wednesday night classes, along with Sunday morning and Monday evening formation groups, are continuing to provide a time for discernment, enlightenment and commitment. If you are participating in “Living the Call”, “Living the Church Year”, “Bible in a Year”, “Everyday Spirituality” or Education For Ministry, you will find that our library has a myriad of resources to supplement your weekly study, with a variety of books that can provide additional insights for these thought-provoking sessions.
In our latest book order we have included two authors new to our library: Reza Aslan and Cynthia Bourgeault. Aslan is a Muslim whose latest book is Zealot: the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. Bourgeault is an Episcopal priest whose writing in her new book, The Holy Trinity and the law of three, earns praise from favorite author Richard Rohr in his comment—“Cynthia, with her acute mind and marvelous choices of words, communicates something that can rearrange your own mind—and because of that
your heart might just change too!”
We are happy to call attention to the upcoming exhibit of paintings by Elisabeth Spalding, to be held in Dagwell Hall at the end of October. Daughter of Colorado’s first Episcopal bishop, John Franklin Spalding, Elisabeth was not only a fine artist but also a major contributor to the development of the Denver art community. In 1893, she was a founding member of The Artists’ Club of Denver, whose defined purpose was “the advancement of the art interests of Denver,” leading eventually to the formation of the Denver Art Museum. Elisabeth is frequently mentioned in The First Hundred Years, a history of the Denver Art Museum, and also in Modern Art in Denver: 1919-1960, both available in our library.
For more information or to be involved in volunteering in the Library, please contact the Librarian, Ann Jones, at [email protected].
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All Saints’ Day EucharistFriday, November 1 at 12:00 pm NoonThe Daughters of the King of the Diocese of Colorado will hold their annual conference at the Cathedral.
All Saints’ SundaySunday, November 3 at 8:00, 9:00, 11:15 am, & 6:00 pm The WildernessPlease join us as we celebrate through worship the Communion of Saints. Holy Baptism at the 9:00 and 11:15 am services. All Souls’ RequiemSunday, November 3 at 3:00 pmThis year, we are delighted once again to be singing Duruflé’s Requiem for this Mass.
We are redoing our necrology, so if you have names of loved ones to remember, please email your names to [email protected] or write them on the Necrology lists in the Welcome Center, Memorial Hall, or outside of Saint Martin’s Chapel. No names will be carried over automatically from previous years.
Important Instructions for Submitting NamesPlease ensure that you submit the full name of the person you want remembered. We cannot use initials, titles or other abbreviations, though if the person was a priest or a bishop, we need to know this. If we cannot identify the person adequately, we may not be able to include that name on the list. Please also ensure that we can contact you if we have any questions about a name.
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Each week the people of Saint John’s send individuals out from the Eucharist to share communion with parishioners who are not able to attend. This Lay Eucharistic Visitor (LEV) ministry is comprised of lay volunteers, trained and licensed by the diocese, who partner with the Cathedral clergy to care for parishioners who are restricted for a variety of reasons – at home, in the hospital, or in a care facility. For more information, or to talk about serving as a LEV, please contact Father Jadon Hartsuff at [email protected].
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The CatechumenateNow through May 14Leader: Father Peter Eaton
The Catechumenate (pronounced “kat-uh-KEW-meh-nut”) is for those who have never been part of a church, those who are returning to church after a long absence, or those who have been members of another tradition. It is the heart of our formation process for adults, an exploration of what it means to be a Christian in the Anglican tradition, and serves as the principal process by which we welcome newcomers to Saint John’s Cathedral, the Episcopal Church, and the Christian faith. Each week, class members gather in the chapel following supper for brief devotional introducing classic Christian disciplines, then return to Dagwell Hall for a presentation and table conversation. For more information, please contact Michael Koechner at [email protected].
The Bible in a YearFacilitated by the Cathedral Clergy
Most vibrant and growing churches share something in common – they have a strong commitment to teaching and reading the Bible. There is a vast difference between attending church and listening to a portion of the Bible being read aloud and reading the Bible with others in a group. Understanding how the scriptures cohere and how the Bible can enrich our experience of God is a transformational experience. It also makes worship come even more alive. It is the difference between riding in a car as a passenger and not paying close attention to the route being taken versus driving the car and learning the roads that get you to your destination. We will read the
Bible in short daily selections over the course of a year. When we meet each week, we will have the opportunity to reflect on what we are reading and how God is speaking to us through the Scriptures. If you have been wanting to start reading the Bible, this is a great opportunity for you and if you have read it through and through, this is also an opportunity to delve even more deeply into it with friends.
Financial PeaceSeptember 11 through November 13Leaders: Mike Orr and Tim Dunbar
We all need a plan for our money. Financial Peace is that plan! It teaches effective ways of handling money. Through video teaching, class discussions and interactive small group activities, Financial Peace presents biblical, practical steps to get from where you are to where you’ve dreamed you could be. This plan will show you how to get rid of debt, manage your money, spend and save wisely, and much more! Financial Peace classes meet for around an hour and a half each week for ten weeks. Register and purchase class materials at sjcathedral.org/FinancialPeace.
Living the Call: Responding Authentically to GodOctober 2, 9, 16, & 23Leader: Mother Elizabeth Marie Melchionna
Throughout the Old Testament, people like Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Jacob, and Samuel all respond to God’s call: “Here I am!” How do we respond to God’s call in our lives? Vocational discernment is relevant to us at all ages. We will draw from the work of Frederick Buechner’s
Cathedral Nite Formation Groups (continued)
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book, The Hungering Dark, to examine our sense of call, identify our core values, and explore ways in which we might realign our life practices to follow God’s call more authentically.
Living the Church Year: Feasts, Fasts, and Seasons of IntentionOctober 30, November 6, 13, & 20Leader: Father Jadon Hartsuff
Each year, the Church lives out a series of days and seasons with different meanings, moods, and purposes – from liturgical seasons like Advent, Epiphany, and Lent to a variety of feasts and holy days. How did this calendar develop? What do all these seasons and days “mean?” How are we formed by observing and living into the Church’s calendar, and what are some ways that we can do that? Join Father Jadon Hartsuff for this four week exploration of the tradition and spirituality of the church year.
My Soul Magnifies the Lord: Hearing the Blessed Mother TodayDecember 4, 11, & 18Leader: Mother Liz Costello
Dorothy Day once said, “Advent begins with Mary who presents to us the infant Christ.” Come reflect
on what Mary’s life might teach us about the Christian life. Mary, who followed Christ from cradle, to grave, to empty tomb, is commonly considered the first follower of Jesus. Historically, the Church has viewed her life as the pattern for grace and hope in Christ – a model for discipleship. To learn more about Mary’s life and what we might learn from it, we will look at the Magnificat in depth, with some reference to “Mary Grace and Hope in Christ,” an agreed statement produced by The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).
For more information about Cathedral Nite, please visit sjcathedral.org/CathedralNite.
“Catechumenate” may be hard to pronounce (kat-uh-KEW-meh-nut) and harder to spell. The name comes from Greek words meaning “teach by telling” and “learn by hearing” and ultimately from the word “echo.”
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Once again, a new Catechumenate goup will begin in September. The Catechumenate is a way into deeper engagement with the life of faith, and is especially helpful to newcomers to the Cathedral and those who want to engage adult Christian faith. We encourage all those who are new to Saint John’s or who are exploring their Christian faith as adults to be a part of this life-changing experience.
But the Catechumenate is also a wonderful exploration for those who have been members of the parish for years, or who have been Christians for a long time, who would like to renew their engagement with questions of faith and life. The Catechumenate flourishes because both
the “old” and the “new” in faith are part of this community.
If you are interested in joining the Catechumenate, speak to one of the clergy, or just show up on Cathedral Nite on September 11 at 5:30 for the Eucharist, followed by supper at 6:15 pm. At 7:00 pm, we shall have an introduction to the Catechumenate, and answer all your questions. At 8:30 pm, we go to the chapel for Compline and Benediction by candlelight.
Life-long learning and formation are a normal part of the Christian life. Join us for the Catechumenate, and grow!
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Sundays at 10:15 amFacilitated by Clergy
Most vibrant and growing churches share something in common – they have a strong commitment to teaching and reading the Bible. There is a vast difference between attending church and listening to a portion of the Bible being read aloud and reading the Bible with others in a group. Understanding how the scriptures cohere and how the Bible can enrich our experience of God is a transformational experience. It also makes worship come even more alive. It is the difference between riding in a car as a passenger and not paying close attention to the route being taken versus driving the car and learning the roads that get you to your destination. We will read the Bible in short daily selections over the course of a year. When we meet each week, we will have the opportunity to reflect on what we are reading and how God is speaking to us through the Scriptures. If you have been wanting to start reading the Bible, this is a great opportunity for you and if you have read it through and through, this is also an opportunity to delve even more deeply into it with friends.
BibleYearin a
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October 6, 10:15 am in Dagwell Hall Life Between “What is” and “What ought to be:” Making Christian decisions – The Tools Part IAs we explore the theme “made in God’s Image,” this Forum series will explore some difficult questions of how we make decisions about hard issues. What are the tools that the Christian tradition places in our hands? How do we as individuals incorporate the wisdom of the Christian tradition into the views we develop? What is the “conversation” that we have with the Scriptures, Tradition and Reason in moral choices?
October 13, 10:15 am in Dagwell Hall Life Between “What is” and “What ought to be:” Making Christian decisions – The Tools Part IIWe continue this week to explore the rich tradition of ethics and moral theology in our Anglican tradition, and how it can be is use to us in forming our convictions about complex moral questions.
October 20, 10:15 am in Dagwell Hall Life Between “What is” and “What ought to be:” Thinking through the Death PenaltyThe death penalty is still a legal form of punishment in Colorado, and the recent reprieve of a convicted murderer, along with the prospect of a couple of more cases in the next couple of years, has brought the subject of the death penalty back into the public arena. What does the Christian tradition say about capital punishment? What principles does the tradition offer us to decide whether in our day capital punishment is a reasonable option for the sentencing of those convicted of murder and other capital crimes?
October 27, 10:15 am in Dagwell Hall Will We Die? A Conversation about PossibilitiesToday we take a break in our series on current issues of morality and tackle death – our own deaths – as a theological and spiritual challenge. There is a sense in which we are both fascinated and repelled by death at the same time. Every year at this time our culture spends $8 million on Halloween. And look at the current popularity if vampire and zombie films. But what does the Christian tradition say about death? How might we be better able to discuss it? What planning might help us and our families? And how may our values and commitment live on in a legacy gift to the Church?
November 3 – All Saints’ SundayCathedral BreakfastPlease join us for our popular Parish Breakfast on this great festival Sunday between the 9:00 and 11:15 am services and spend time with your fellow parishioners over a hearty meal.
November 10, 10:15 am in Dagwell Hall Life Between “What is” and “What ought to be:” Can there ever be a “just” war?We resume our conversation with a discussion about war. The ongoing humanitarian crisis and war in Syria has raised urgent questions of the morality of certain kinds of military actions. In the first of two Forums on war and the moral issues it raises, we look this Sunday at the classical arguments of the “just war theory,” and ask how those arguments stand up to scrutiny in the 21st century.
November 17, 10:15 am in Dagwell Hall Life Between “What is” and “What ought to be:” Current issues in the morality of warThe possibility of US action in Syria raises a set of complex questions about the morality of certain kinds of military intervention. Is it ever right for one country to act militarily in the affairs of another sovereign state? What, if any, are the moral (as opposed to the political or legal) grounds on which such action may be taken?
November 24, 10:15 am in Dagwell Hall Making Mission and Ministry Possible in God’s Image The mission of our Cathedral community is wide-ranging, both within our congregation, and beyond the strict confines of our parish community. Today some of our parish leadership will explain our budget, and how we administer our financial resources to accomplish all that we do.
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Join our Curate, Mother Liz Costello, each week this season for informal conversation about personal practices of prayer and piety for everyday life. Liz will begin each week by exploring a written prayer from the Anglican tradition, focused on topics such as hospitality, pregnancy and childbirth, desert and dessert times, death and dying, and other topics from our everyday lives. The specific prayer or reading will focus a more general conversation about the topic and how we might interact more spiritually with all that we encounter in day-to-day life.
Sundays, October 6, 13, & 20: Literary Deceit and the battle for Paul in the New TestamentJoin our Canon Theologian, Professor Gregory Robbins, and our Curate, Mother Liz Costello, for this great topic. Most New Testament scholars consider 2nd Timothy, and several other letters that bear Paul’s name in the New Testament, to be a literary forgery, a document written by a later author in Paul’s name, claiming Paul’s authority. These three sessions will introduce the practice of forgery and counter-forgery in early Christianity and its function in early church polemics. We shall focus on Pauline forgeries that refine Paul’s end-time expectations (e.g., 2 Thessalonians, Colossians, Ephesians, 1,2 Timothy, and Titus), those written to support Paul and his authority (e.g., Acts) and those written to oppose Paul and his message (e.g., James).
October 27: Desert TimesThis session will explore the desert times of our life of faith. Prayers and writings of Saint John of the Cross and Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be used as resources to guide us through the dark times of our lives.
November 3: Death and DyingJoin parishioner and Hospice Chaplain Terri Colburn as she leads a discussion around prayer during death and dying.
November 10: Spirituality of Pregnancy, Birth, and ChildrearingJoin Mother Liz Costello, as she explores prayers surrounding pregnancy, birth, and childrearing from the Anglican tradition.
November 17: Spirituality of Thanksgiving and GratitudeOn the eve of Thanksgiving, this session will explore prayers of gratitude and thanksgiving.
The Curate's Corner: Everyday Spirituality
Sundays at 10:15 am
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S.O.A.R. (Seniors On A Rampage) is a group of active seniors who gather ap-proximately once a month to partici-pate in a variety of activities. Although we have the word “Senior” in our name, the events are open to all adults.
Please join us for our next event on No-vember 13: A Salute To Our Veterans. All of our nation’s veterans are encour-aged to attend this special event. Fur-ther details for this event are online at sjcathedral.org/Seniors.
S.O.A.R. is managed by a committee of volunteers comprised of Basil Carpen-ter (Chairperson), Fred Applehans, Kate Demong, Carole Gibbons, Jerry Green-wald, Joan Jarboe, Jane Joukema, Mary McLean, Mick McPhee, Mimi White, and Barbara Wilder. The committee plans and executes the activities. These ac-tivities are sometimes planned around holidays, such as St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas. Other activities may be planned around specific venues, such as one of the local art museums or nature museums. Each fall, we plan a major event which involves traveling via bus to visit sites of interest. These trips are usually 4-5 days long and may include a short excursion by rail. This year, the group is going to tour the Upper Arkan-sas Valley with a train ride through the Royal Gorge.
For questions about S.O.A.R., contact Basil Carpenter at 303.399.4189 or [email protected] and to be on our mailing list, contact Fred Apple-hans at [email protected] or. 303.839.9821.
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The People Behind the PresentsKnowingly or unknowingly, you have probably helped them. If you have put cash in the collection plate, volunteered with a ministry or purchased a gift for the Giving Trees at Christmas, you have touched their lives. They are the people behind the presents.
From time to time, your gifts and donations may feel intangible or unrelatable, but they couldn’t be more personal. Behind every present you give is a person. They have hopes, dreams, families, fears, hurts and smiles, just like you and me. Some may be ill, may have struggled and suffered most of their lives or maybe they have temporarily fallen on hard times.
Over the next few months, we shall introduce you to some of the organizations who serve the people behind the presents, those who benefit from your kindness, compassion and generosity.
SafeHouse Denver is a domestic violence emergency shelter serving victims and their children. Everyone who comes to SafeHouse Denver has access to bilingual programming, counseling, education, intervention, and safety planning.
Domestic violence affects all races, cultures, religions, ages, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic groups. In fact, statistics show that 48 percent of teen girls who have been in a relationship say they have experienced verbal, physical, or sexual abuse by their boyfriends. Love, hope, and fear keep the abuse cycle in motion. Victims love their partners, hope the relationship will change, and fear that threats will become a reality if they leave the relationship.
EarthLinks is a community of people who have experienced or are presently experiencing homelessness and who work together to care for each other and for the planet. Team members can join a work program to learn skills about how to create Earth-friendly, sustainable products.
“Fred,” an EarthLinks team member with a pale face and scruffy beard, had a history of meth addiction and other mental health challenges. He had recently relapsed and overdosed on meth, an experience that left him unconscious and in the hospital. Once Fred was out of the hospital, he returned to his community at EarthLinks to share his story, openly and courageously, and seek support. With EarthLinks, Fred had a safe community to return to when he had fallen on hard times.
Family Homestead provides emergency and transitional housing to homeless families with children. The organization believes that families with children do not belong in shelters, so Family Homestead provides individualized case management and support for each family’s unique situation.
A mother, Ellen, was already struggling to provide adequate housing for herself and her five children between the ages of 4 and 13. Then, she lost her job, and as a result, her family was evicted from their rental home. The family stayed in shelters, with family and in motels with agency motel vouchers. The children were missing school because they were moving around each day. Ellen had never been homeless before, and homelessness was taking a toll on her. Their family was able to find emergency shelter through Family Homestead and access resources to get back on their feet.
This winter, The Giving Trees will once again be organized by the Urban and Social Concerns Commission at Saint John’s. Many adults, children, and families associated with these agencies and those we will introduce in the next few months will be the recipients of your generosity.
USCC represents Saint John’s community outreach ministries, and in its work includes the Loaves and Fishes, Habitat for Humanity, and the Giving Tree programs. If you are interested in information about the USCC agencies, please visit us at sjcathedral.org/servinginthecommunity or email the USCC at [email protected].
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The history of Community Outreach at Saint John’s inevitably includes a mention of the United Way. The history
of the United Way starts with a meeting held in October of 1887 with Dean Hart of Saint John’s, Monsignor O’Ryan of Saint Leo the Great Catholic Church, Pastor Reed of the First Congregational Church, and Rabbi Friedman of Temple Emanuel. That meeting formed the Denver Charity Organization Society, which became the Community Chest, and finally evolved into United Way.
So too have the Outreach programs at Saint John’s continued to evolve. In the late 1980s, the Urban and Social Concerns Commission was formed and has served 84 separate community agencies with programs that have evolved over 25 years. More recently, outreach services have continued to expand with new programs, including Habitat for Humanity, The Gardens at the Governor’s Mansion, The Women’s Homeless Initiative, and the Cathedral Co-operative of Gardeners.
As the community around us continues to change, the needs increase and resources are stretched, each one of us at Saint John’s Cathedral now has the opportunity to be involved in the next evolution of Outreach to the people in need.
Outreach RetreatTo begin to explore what this next chapter might look like, please join Mother Liz Costello in an upcoming retreat where we will both review current programs and explore what the future of serving in the community will look like. The retreat, held on Saturday, November 23 from 9:00 - 11:30 am in Room 200, will focus on a theology of Outreach that is rooted in relationship and being with one another. A light breakfast and snacks will be provided. Please RSVP to Mary Beth Doubet at [email protected].
The New Beginning: Outreach at Saint John’s Cathedral
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In 1879, when Saint John’s Church in the Wilderness was looking for a new rector, the
thoughts of many turned to a young English clergyman, Henry Martyn Hart, who had visited Denver in 1872. The secretary of the vestry wrote to Mr. Hart, “On this side of the Atlantic all the indications of Providence point toward you and seem to favor your coming. You, an entire stranger and foreigner, visiting us briefly, have been held in most affectionate memory for six or seven years, and your name is first upon the lips of all those who then met or heard you, whenever the question of a Rector comes up. We knew not whether you were
living or dead, married or single, ‘High’ or ‘Low’, famous or obscure, but the feeling was unanimous and almost an ardent longing.”
The call was offered, and, according to Hart, “I do not wonder that when it came to my actual starting, the manager of...the largest bank in London, urged my dear friend and Churchwarden...to go with him to a Master of Lunacy and get an order to lock me up in an asylum for six months until I came to my senses! But I was a big officer in a big army and I became convinced that I had received orders to go to Denver and I was thankful that the order had not been to the centre of Africa.”
Meanwhile, in 1873, John Franklin Spalding had been elected by the House of Bishops as Missionary Bishop of Colorado and Wyoming, with oversight of Arizona and New Mexico. He envisioned a cathedral system as the best organization for his missionary district. When Saint John’s new rector arrived, Bishop Spalding found the solution to his need for a cathedral and a dean. The Bishop offered a building site to Saint John’s on condition that the parish church of Saint John’s be his cathedral. Saint John’s owned several lots at 17th and Stout Streets, but the parish voted 47 to 16 in favor of the site offered by the Bishop, even though some thought
OuT oF THe ARCHIVeSThe Birth of the First Cathedralby Robert “Woody” Woodward1931-2007, Cathedral Archivist for over 30 years
Published April 1990, Open Door
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it “out of town.”
The site of the first cathedral was the triangular end of the block at the intersection of Welton Street and 20th Avenue where Broadway ended. On the same site, called the Cathedral Close, were Matthews Hall, the theological school where the Bishop lived; Jarvis Hall, a school for boys; a cottage for the principal; a gymnasium and the Deanery. This site looks quite different today. The streets have been realigned; Broadway continues north, the location of the cathedral is now a parking lot accupying a triangular island between 20th Avenue, 20th Street, and Broadway. Saint Andrew’s Church sits a little northeast of where Matthews Hall was loacted, where Sarah Spalding indicated (in 1959) there once was a tennis court.
For the new cathedral, a Victorian Romanesque structure was designed by Messrs. Lloyd & Pearce of Detroit, who had built a church for
Bishop Spalding when he was rector of a church in Eire, Pennsylvania, and who had made Romanesque architecture their specialty. The design was suggested by a Jesuit church in Montreal. The plan was to build a brick “interior,” which someday would be covered with a red sandstone exterior. It was reported, “The design for the stone finish indicates that when completed, the Cathedral will be an exceedingly satisfactory edifice, and not uncomparable with some of the ancient structures of the Old World.” But this cathedral was never finished.
The laying of the cornerstone on September 21, 1880, was a glorious affair. Seats were hired from a traveling circus and erected on high ground. The Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Fireman, the Artillery, the Police, and “a strong array of Churchmen” were there. Dean Hart later reported, “There must have been a crowd of ten thousand people. Bishop Spalding
laid the stone, the Stars and Stripes went up, the band played, the choir and congregation sang, the cannons roared and broke the windowpanes of the nearest cottages. There never was such enthusiasm, and Bishop Spalding was so elated that he made an address on Cathedral Systems for three-quarters of an hour.”
On November 7, 1881, the last service was held in the old frame church at 14th and Arapahoe Streets, the home of Saint John’s Church in the Wilderness for nineteen years. “The sentence of deconsecration was read and then the Bishop, the Dean, and clergy carrying the Bible, Office Books, and Communion vessels, were followed by 400 people and walked in procession up Fourteenth street to Welton to the newly completed Cathedral.”
Continued from page 21, The Birth of the First Cathedral
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One of the joys of working at Christ
Church, New Haven, was the emphasis we put on ministry with college students and young adults more broadly. It had always been a place of a disciplined spirituality and sacramental devotion expressed in a liturgy of profound beauty, but it recognized that there were opportunities for ministry that were as yet unexplored. Out of a series
of conversations, we developed the idea of creating a community of young adults who would live into the disciplined pattern of prayer, theological reflection, and liturgical participation that had long marked the parish but also serve in the community in a variety of new ways. We created Saint Hilda’s House (carrying on the name of an order of deaconesses who had served at Christ Church), a place for young adults to come after college to serve and discern how God was calling them to various kinds of ministry. There are now about 20 young adults living in community and serving the city of New Haven.
From that community and another community (Ascension House) came lots of reflections on the place of young adults in the life of the Church. We discussed their particular vocation as, in effect, the conscience of the Church – calling us to new life and a reimagined way of being and serving that was rooted in the most ancient of our traditions.
There are few materials in the Episcopal presses about young adult ministry. I went looking for resources and never found anything terribly satisfying. Moreover, as I got to know these young men and women, I became convinced that there should be a place for their voices to be heard more widely. They are able to articulate with thoughtfulness and
passion just how the Church and society are changing and how we can meet the needs of a changing world. After conversations with some of them, overall themes began to organically emerge and Yearning was born.
In writing this book, I wanted to create a platform for young adults to share their deepest longings for the Church and to tell the story of how each of them had found the Church and what kept them coming back. There are stories of faith and of doubt, loss and joy, challenge and newfound strength. They also share what it means to live in a community that works, prays, and gives together for the spread of God’s Kingdom. My reflections focus on the elements of the Church’s life that seem to have the deepest meaning for young adults – namely authenticity, tradition, service, vulnerability, beauty, and creativity. My hope is that the book offers a window into the spiritual lives of dedicated and faithful young people and helps us understand how that can not only be shaped by the life of the Church but the Church can be shaped, inspired, and led by them. To purchase Yearning: Authentic Transformation, Young Adults, and the Church, please visit Amazon.com.
“...a book that points the way to new hope for the church.”
The Reverend Susan Brown Snook, Vicar and church planter of The Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Phoenix, Arizona
“...changing the conversation from being about young adults to being with young adults.”
Dante A. Tavolaro, Director of Ministry at St. Peter’s by-the-Sea, Narragansett, Rhode Island
RobeRt HendRickson
YearningAuthentic Transformation, Young Adults and the Church
New Ministry brings forth a New Bookby Father Robert Hendrickson, Sub-Dean
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Strictly social, strictly fun—that’s what Foyer Groups are all about. Small groups of 6-8 people meet monthly to share a simple meal and relaxed conversation. Dinner? Brunch? Restaurant? Potluck? Each group has a coordinator to help determine when and where the group gathers. After six months, groups will change as new people join in and we’ll start again. We’ll kick off with a special reception in November, and groups will start meeting in December or January. Register online at sjcathedral.org, in Memorial Hall, or in the Welcome Center. Groups will begin meeting in mid-January.
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Planning for Deathby Father Charles LaFond
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What differentiates humans from the rest of life on this planet seems to be that we are almost as afraid of life as we are of death. We are so
busy thinking of security that we are sometimes indifferent to opportunity. Over and over again, Jesus said not to be afraid. He said that because God knows how fearful we are. We are so busy being scared that we can sometimes miss the good we could do if we lived differently and faced down our fear of death.
Living gently, kindly, slowly, and with a proper detachment from possessions, is the height of living a healthy life. Planning for our death is very hard to do and is part of the detachment of which the mothers and fathers of the desert tradition speak so often and so eloquently. Financial wills, powers of attorney, living wills – they all cause a bit of a wince and perhaps that is understandable. In fact, thinking about death may even be counter-intuitive. We are genetically programmed to cling to life. In moments of near-death, our bodies change chemically in order to hold onto life. Adrenaline pumps, blood is redirected, and muscles work miracles.
Dying and death can be so scary. Even Christians, who have faith in God’s promise of eternal life, have questions. However we imagine the promise of eternal life, life after human existence is bound to be different. And we Episcopalians are not so fond of change. So most of us still do not embrace death with any cheerfulness.
We look at the people around us and wonder if they will be with us “on the other side” and if so, in what form? We wonder what will happen to our clothes and our stuff. And we look at that chocolate cup cake with white icing and wonder if my “eternal self” will enjoy any more of those – the flavor of vanilla and butter and sugar together – the taste buds sending urgent and happy messages to millions of synapses in the brain firing them with pleasure.
Even Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemene, asks God honestly, tearfully, longingly if there is any other way to get done what God wants done. Even Jesus, in his full humanity, clings to life in Gethsemene’s garden.
We do not need to live lives bound by our fear of death. Indeed by preparing for our deaths in intentional and
meaningful ways, we can disarm death – at least a little. We can meet with a priest to plan our funerals, and we can make a will and other provisions for the people and the causes that claim our commitment. We have a tremendous opportunity if we will do this. Americans over age 55 account for more than 80% of all money in savings accounts – more than seven trillion dollars. But only 40% of Americans have wills and only 6% say they have remembered a charity in their will. For most people, big gifts to their church or beloved charity are impossible until death. Most of us live pay-check to pay-check. But at the end of physical life, a will or estate plan can make a gift to the Cathedral that can really make difference.
Here is some fun math which can set up a tremendous opportunity for our life together: There are 3,600 Episcopalians who are members of our Cathedral and on average we will each leave $30,000 - $600,000 behind. Some will leave much more. What could the Cathedral accomplish in Denver and throughout the world if only half of us left half of our estates to the church (on average)? Well, quite simply, we would double the endowment and double the capacity of the church to feed the poor, clothe the cold, heal the sick, and care for the outcast – the things Jesus asked us to do.
The Church is the body of Christ. It is not perfect. It is like a human body – strengths and weaknesses; scars and blemishes; fragrant parts and stinky parts. But the Church is the Body of the Risen Christ doing good work in our neighborhoods and in our world. Forrester Church said that “religion is the human response to being alive and having to die.” So is planned giving and making a will.
If you would like more information about making a planned gift to the cathedral, please contact Father LaFond at Charles@sjcatherdral or call his direct line to leave a confidential message at 303-577-7711. If you have or plan to remember the cathedral in your estate plan then you are a member of the Martyn Hart Legacy Society. If that is the case please let us know so that we may include you in events and materials for members of the Society.
Dying and death can be so scary. Even Christians, who have faith in God’s promise of eternal life, have questions. However we imagine that promise of eternal life, life after human existence is bound to be different.
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• Through our public worship, which included in this past year 198 Sunday services, 37 special services, 501 weekday daily offices, 330 daily eucharists, 58 baptisms, 30 confirmations and 8 receptions into the Church, 8 weddings, 42 funerals, and 5 Easter House Masses, we have kept open the channel of love that worship creates and sustains for thousands of worshipers. This includes many who are unchurched or estranged from the Church, and many of whom have come to a deeper relationship with God through worshiping with us.
• Over 60 volunteers cooked 644 meals for weekly groups of up to twenty homeless women and provided a safe, comfortable place for these women to sleep.
• Many in our city have told us that our Cathedral is a beacon of hope and encouragement to them in their daily lives as they see it from their offices or pass it in their cars.
• More than 120 lay Eucharistic visits were made by volunteers of the parish to members who could not come to church because they were hospitalized, ill, or homebound.
• Our Seniors on a Rampage program brought together more than 35 seniors and their friends for 8 events, giving essential support and community to our our older parishioners.
• The entire Capitol Hill neighborhood was blanketed with invitations to Saint John’s Day and our Neighborhood Block Party. Many of our neighbors who otherwise never come through our doors joined us for church, fun, games, food, and conversation.
• Our weekly Cathedral tours on Sundays helped us spread the message of the Gospel, which is written in our architecture, windows, and art.
How the Cathedral Loved Others in 2013
Read more at sjcathedral.org/LoverGiverCreator
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When I moved to Colorado, I brought chairs, pottery, books, my dog Kai, a carpet
and two of my four bee hives. I have them with friends in Golden and we plan to raise bees together next spring.
Honey bees are, by their very nature, aware of their needs. Throughout the spring, the bees were wildly optimistic about life due to containers of sugar syrup which slowly leak into the hives as an encouragement from the bee-keeper. The presence of the sugar syrup stimulates optimism - resulting in the production of everything from wax cells to larvae to honey.
Under normal circumstances, a strong colony of 100,000 bees will collect considerably more honey than they need for winter. That extra honey is the last to be stored by bees and is the only honey which the bee-keeper collects in these last few days of summer. The bees are not making honey for “I.” The bees are making the honey for “WE.” They do not exist as individuals, but rather as a collective which seeks to meet each other’s needs. The notion of “I” seems not to have any power in a bee hive.
I love to travel. Recently, I noticed how many travel shows are on TV. And I noticed how many travel industry advertisements are in newspapers. I wanted to take the kinds of vacations I was seeing others take. Envy crept into my life and made itself at home. Executives at advertising agencies are paid handsomely to figure out what people want and to show us images which will lure us into purchases. The
advertising industry is seeking to take wants and make them needs. And it works on me. I wanted those trips! Every time I see an ad for a travel package, I turn into Gollum….. “We wants it! We needs it. Must have the preciousss. They stoled it from us. Wicked, tricksy, false! …..myyyy….preeeeeciousssss wants a trip to Disney World.” says my inner Gollum.
I once heard “hell” defined as “an eternity of getting what we thought we wanted.” I have yet to find a better definition of the barren place from which Christ seeks to save us all.
We live in a society which has confused “wants” and “needs.” It will soon be time for me to make my pledge again. I know that I could afford more toys and more trips and more things if I shave my pledge down. But if I can look at my needs instead of my wants, I am aware that I can, in fact, give back to God a portion of what God has given to me – while still having enough for the needs of housing, food, electricity and water. Giving my pledge back to God seems to keep my inner-Gollum in his cage.
My honey bees are modeling a way of life echoed in nature throughout the wild kingdom: “take what you need – leave the rest to other’s needs.” It seems only to be we humans who have confused our needs and our wants. And truth-be-told, as I look back on my new life in Denver, my bee hives, my pottery studio, friendship and my pledge payments to Saint John’s ministry. These things are not just what I need but also what I want. It is enough – on most days.
Making my Pledge and Raising Bees
by Father Charles LaFond
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Two men changed the way I view church, the way I serve God, and the way I strive to make a difference in the world. I want to tell you about them.
The first is Chester Olson. For 43 years he was a die shop superintendent at a machine metal forge. But for 88 years he was a lifetime member of his church in Bettendorf, Iowa. In his post-retirement years, my great-grandfather Chet served his church daily, cleaning
toilets, fixing broken things, and maintaining the landscape, among many other things, year after year. Without complaint, without judgment of others, and without expectation of reward, Chet worked hard at making his church a welcoming place in his neighborhood, a place that reflected his faith and values and, like Saint John’s, served the community.
Bob Snyder, a military man in his earlier years, and television repairman for a small company later on, volunteered over 30 hours a week. He operated copy machines, stuffed envelopes, and printed service leaflets for his church in Parker, Colorado. I served alongside him in a staff position and witnessed both his
kind heart and his commitment to his faith. Bob told me once, over hotcakes at the local McDonald’s, how blessed he was to be able to serve his church and how he planned to continue to volunteer until his last days on earth. As the years went by, his body began slowing and he was not able to stand for long periods of time. We had a special chair in the copy production room called “Bob’s chair.” There
Bob could fall asleep between periods of stuffing envelopes and copying service bulletins. Bob did eventually pass away, at age 92, after volunteering at his church faithfully for 6 years.
Chet and Bob are my heroes. I crave living the way my great-grandfather lived: working in the background without fanfare or accolade or complaint, with every ounce of energy dedicated to making the world a better place for others through the church. Someday, I hope to have a “Bob’s chair” in a corner of this church 60 years from now. I don’t know if I’ll be stuffing envelopes or writing website HTML code. But I know I want my life’s work remembered as one
of selfless dedication and an unflagging faith in God and in humanity. These energize me each morning to serve in whatever capacity I am physically able.
I know there are many people here, in this church, who desire to serve in a faithful capacity. I know too that it is sometimes difficult to stand up and volunteer, and sometimes we want to be asked. Please accept this eulogy to my heroes, therefore, as a call for you to explore serving at Saint John’s. The yoke is light. Just once a week for a morning or an afternoon, to greet visitors with a smile, to direct phone calls to staff and clergy, to stuff envelopes, to pray for our church and for the world through our words and actions by being an example to the next generation of what it means “to know Christ and make Christ known.”
Please call me at 303.577.7730 or write to me at [email protected] if you desire to explore opportunities for service at Saint John’s Cathedral.
by Mike Orr, Director of Communications
I want my life’s work remembered as one of selfless dedication and an unflagging faith in God and in humanity. These energize me each morning to serve in whatever capacity I am physically able.
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