Dear Friends,
It is my great joy to welcome you to St. Bart’s in the City of New York at Christmas time!
Today and tomorrow, please join us in whatever form is best for you. Come to one of the five in-person services offered in our sanctuary, watch one (or both) of the two live stream services from the comfort of your home, or participate in our “hybrid” option by joining us on the outdoor terrace to watch one of our live stream services, and receive Holy Communion in person from a priest. We will be exercising great care in terms of providing the safest environment possible for you and your family members as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and we appreciate your willingness to follow our various safety protocols.
We want everyone who worships with us to feel at home here.
This is a church that feeds the hungry, helps house the homeless, and advocates for those who have no other advocate.
This is a place where the ancient wisdom and the new knowledge dwell together.
This is a place where the biblical stories of old and the current issues of our day are brought together to challenge and inspire us.
In my imagination, the night on which Christ was born was so very quiet. Quiet like it can only be in a small town out on the edge of the world. Quiet like it can only be in the deepest part of a night.
And it was dark.
Dark in a way we seldom see night anymore; a great ancient darkness without any artificial illumination whatsoever. A darkness perforated only by an immeasurable constellation of twinkling stars.
And on a night so quiet... and so dark... the singular cry of a newborn child pierced the quiet and a nascent light broke through the darkness. It is a light that still shines to the nations.
A child is born; a son is given, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Over these coming days we will seek to welcome this Christ child into our world and into our hearts.
We will hear the old stories and sing the old carols.
We will allow ourselves, once again, to be moved by the old customs and the ancient tradition.
We will allow ourselves, once again, to be amazed by a new reality.
Faithfully,
The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe
Rector