Dear Friends,

A few years ago on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon, former New York Mets’ pitcher Matt Harvey walked the streets of Manhattan asking New Yorkers what they thought about… Matt Harvey. Only, he wasn’t wearing his baseball uniform. Because he was in civvies, few, if any, recognized him. It was as if he had been transformed. Ordinary and anonymous Matt Harvey asked his interviewees if they thought baseball star Matt Harvey was any good. Did they think he was getting lucky, or did they think he had what it took to become a real star?

Watching the skit is a real joy for the in-the-know viewer. We see die-hard Mets’ fans talking smack about a person that is right in front of them. A player many had seen on tv or at in-person sporting events countless times. Almost all of them did not recognize him until, as they began to walk away, he revealed his true identity. The red-faced awkwardness that ensues is wicked delight.

This sketch reminded me of the “Road to Emmaus” story in the Gospel of Luke. In the story Jesus comes up to two of his followers and they do not recognize him. Why? We aren’t told. They’re on a walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus. A long walk, about seven miles in total, so there was a lot of time to talk. What were they talking about? Their dashed hopes about Messiah Jesus, of course. While they were walking, Jesus overhears their conversation and asks, “What are you two talking about?” Jesus, the one whom they loved and followed--upon whom all their hopes were placed--was right in front of them and they did not recognize him.

In his grief, one said, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days? The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was condemned to death and crucified. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”  

Reading this recently, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the Mets’ fan who told Matt Harvey that Matt Harvey was an “overrated bum.” There he is, so close, right in front of him in fact, but he couldn’t see him. 

“How can you stand next to the truth and not see it?” Bono sang. 

And yet, when my delight in the awkward, red-faced reveal was through, I thought about something more serious: how often this has been the case for me in my life. How often have I been blind to the truth that stared right at me? How often have I been unable to read signs that in hindsight were all around me? No, I’m not talking about regret over not putting money in Bitcoin last March, I’m talking about how often am I oblivious to Jesus and what he's done to set things right in me and the world? 

Most of the time I need someone to state the obvious--to completely ruin the joke--and oftentimes that doesn’t even work. Sometimes I need Kafka’s ice-axe to break my stupor in me. 

And the axe is exactly what fell upon these traveling disciples. Only, not in the form of a wrath or fire from heaven, but in the proclamation of Scripture and in the breaking of bread. In these ordinary means of bread, wine, and story-telling the disciples were able to see the stranger right in front of them. And this, my friends, is the same way that old stranger is revealed to you and me.

See you Sunday,

Ben  

Dear Calvary-St. George’s,

As we continue the solemn and sacred time of Holy Week, our faith calls us to contemplate those mighty acts whereby the cross we are reconciled to both God and each other. While our faith tells us this is already a reality, unfortunately we live in the tension of a tragic “not yet,” where we continue to see the sin of racial violence rear its ugly face against our brothers and sisters in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. As a church, this Holy Week we join our voice with the Psalmist and cry out, “How long O Lord? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all day?”  

The hateful rhetoric around the global pandemic, the senseless murders in Georgia, and the acts of violence in our own city are part of a long history of oppression and violence against AAPI communities in the United States. Amongst some there is a narrative that these communities are “perpetual foreigners” who do not really belong in this country. This is abhorrent to all we stand for at Calvary-St.George’s. Diversity and inclusion are anything but empty buzz words, rather they are actual fruits of the Gospel and are central to our mission. 

Therefore we as your clergy and wardens once again commit ourselves to this mission and in the name of Jesus will stand against the powers and principalities of racism, ethnic discrimination, and misappropriated privilege. Under God there is one race - Human. As your clergy and wardens we commit to stand in solidarity with the AAPI communities and like St. Simon of Cyrene help bear this awful cross by support and listening. Finally, we as your clergy and wardens commit to kneel in prayer and through the preaching of the Gospel, trust that Calvary-St. George’s will continue to be a community which lives into that already resurrected reality that Jesus, through his body, has torn down these dividing walls of hostility and by his blood made us truly one.

Peace,

The Reverend Jacob A. Smith, Rector

The Reverend Ben DeHart, Vicar

The Reverend James Munroe

The Reverend Nancy W. Hanna

M. Scott Peeler Warden

Jennifer Graham Warden

There is a HUGE - albeit risky - invitation in this upcoming Sunday’s gospel.

The invitation is to own up to places where you have been steering in one direction for a long time and have been trying to change course - and it’s just not happening. Perhaps it’s some habit or addiction.  You’ve exerted the power of your self-will lots of times.  You’ve quit that addiction dozens of times.  But your efforts are written on stone (that’s a hint to this upcoming Sunday’s Old Testament lesson as well). 

It could be some guilt over that thing you did twenty years ago.  And all your good deeds since then, written on stone (another hint), barely scratch the surface of that guilt.  You don’t feel any more forgiven at this moment than on the day you blew it. 

It might be some despair over all the suffering and all the pain in the world right now that never seems to end.  You listen to the news, and you despair that your own efforts, written on stone (another hint), can ever make the madness stop.

Maybe it’s a chronic yearning to break the mold – get a different job – start saying what you really mean – risk some great new adventure.  And day after day, the mold remains.  And that place in your heart just keeps on yearning.

Wherever that place may be, the announcement in Sunday’s gospel (John 12:20-33) is to say to you and me, “Look out, because the Son of God has set his sights on exactly that spot.” 

Jesus says in this passage, “Now, the hour has come.”  And he means that the entire universe is about to narrow down to an abandoned rock quarry just outside the walls of a small mid-Eastern city. Jesus says, “Now, the hour has come.”  And he means that all of time itself is just about to narrow down to 3:00 PM on a hot Friday afternoon.

Then Jesus sums it all up by saying, “For this purpose, I have come to this hour.”

“For this purpose, to move from surface words on stone to deep down words on hearts, I have come to this hour.  For this purpose, to make possible that which you were convinced could never happen, I have come to this hour.  For this purpose, to love the hearts of the people of Calvary/St. George’s Church on Sunday, March 21,  2021, I have come to this hour.”

If that’s not a reason to come to church this Sunday, I don’t know what is.  See you there!

Blessings, 

Jim

Dear Calvary-St. George’s,

What a wonderful and inspiring annual meeting we had last Sunday.  Thank you to everyone who tuned in and participated. At the annual meeting, I made a big announcement: “I have decided, with the vestries full support, to appoint The Reverend Ben DeHart as Vicar of the Parish.” The title Vicar, although not widely used anymore in the Episcopal Church, recognizes and acknowledges the vital contributions Ben makes to our life as a parish. I know my own ministry is blessed and strengthened by his presence among us and I know this experience is widely shared.

At the annual meeting it was reported that even in the midst of a pandemic the parish continues to grow and thrive. Ben has served Calvary-St. George’s faithfully since 2014 as a gifted preacher, caring pastor, and a capable priest, and this was only further demonstrated in 2020. He has played a significant role in the parish's growth, especially in regards to Adult Education and the Community Ministries. As Vicar, Ben will begin to share in some less visible but critical and growing ministries of administration. Ben, as Vicar of the parish, will continue to use his tremendous gifts to help Calvary-St. George’s fulfill our call in Getting the Gospel Right and Getting Gospel Out. Please join me in giving thanks to and for Ben, and our shared proclamation of the Gospel.

With A Grateful Heart,

The Reverend Jacob A. Smith

Dear Cal-St. G Family,

This last week I binged two very interesting shows on Netflix and Hulu.  The first was the fifth season of Alone.  Alone is a reality show about ten professional survivalists, dropped in the middle of the Arctic, by themselves with a camera and ten survival items.  The last person standing wins.  The second is an Australian documentary about young adults on the autism spectrum entering the complicated world of dating entitled Love on the Spectrum.  I think these two shows have three things for us to ponder in regards to the human condition.  

In Genesis 2:18 God looks upon his creation and for the first time says something is not good: that man is alone.  Both of these shows convey the Biblical truth that many of us have been experiencing, aloneness is terrible. In one episode of Alone a contestant literally breaks as a result of aloneness and in Love on the Spectrum, the desire for companionship sends these adults miles out of their comfort zones in order to not be alone.

Second, these two shows illustrate how desperately we need to be loved. In Alone, those who make it past 40 days typically have family back at home rooting them on and this love carries them miles away through some challenging moments.  In Love on the Spectrum, the desire to be loved and to love is visible even if they know not how to do it.  

Finally, the real joy that comes from being someone’s beloved.  My eyes welled up with tears when at the last episode of Alone instead of being greeted by doctors to extract Jordan Jonas, he was joyfully greeted with an embrace by his wife and declared the winner.  In Love on The Spectrum the couple Ruth and Thomas demonstrate the real joy and security that comes from being loved as you are in the midst of all the difficulties and unfairness life throws at you.

This Sunday is Kick-Off Sunday. We will have our first in person worship services at St. George’s Church since March 15th at 11:00 am. I am very excited about this and there are still a few seats available so please register online below. We will also have our 11 a.m. service of Morning Prayer available on our website and Facebook page.  As we begin a new program year our mission as a parish is very clear.  We have a heavenly call to proclaim to the world the Gospel.  The Gospel reminds us that we are never alone, that you are a human and deeply loved, because the creator and redeemer of the universe has in Jesus declared you his beloved.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in person or virtually through our livestream service.  

Pax,

Jacob

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What’s New?

We are excited to announce that we are resuming In-Person worship at our St. George’s location on Sunday, September 13th with social distancing and limited seating.

Reservations are open until Friday, September 11th at 9am. Click HERE for complete details and reservations.

Youth and Family

Sunday School registration is OPEN!! This Fall we are launching into a brand new adventure: “The Stars”. We’re going to be talking about the promise God made to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky! It’s going to be a blast!

Click HERE to register and get your Sunday School Kit!

Devotion Groups

Staying connected with your faith and community is easier than ever…there is no commute and distance is no longer a problem. If you are looking to get plugged in, reach out to the Rev. Ben DeHart HERE.

Staying in Touch…

During this time, you can tune into our livestream events via calvarystgeorges.org. If you need pastoral care, please call the church office at 646-723-4178 or email us at info@calstg.org. Your clergy are here for you.