Dear Friends,
There is a lot going on at St. Bart’s this weekend and it’s starting to feel a little like old times again. More and more people are returning for in-person worship and education and St. Bart’s is beginning to look and feel a lot like its old self again. For some of you, it’s been a long time since you were a part of worship at St. Bart’s and I want to refresh your memory as to what’s being so lovingly offered each Sunday.
- We have Holy Communion at 8:00 am in the chapel using the sublime Elizabethan language of the traditional, Rite I Book of Common Prayer service. This is a quiet and meditative service with a brief homily and without music. It’s a great worship option for those who want an early start to their day (and for those who wish to avoid the crowds.)
- At 9:00 am we have an exuberant service of Holy Communion which uses contemporary and inclusive liturgical language and music. In the pre-Covid era, we gathered around the altar to celebrate the Eucharist at this service, a practice we hope to return to again soon. Bart’s Singers, our mixed volunteer and professional choir, sings beautifully at this liturgy and parents of small children often find this a comfortable service to attend.
- This Sunday at 10:00 am we will hold our Annual Parish Meeting (available in-person and on Zoom) where there will be an election of Vestry members and officers. The Wardens and I will discuss plans for the future and the strategic planning process in which the Vestry and staff have been so deeply engaged. (Usually, at the 10:00 am hour, we hold The Forum which features fascinating speakers addressing a variety of topics related to the Christian faith and life.)
- At 11:00 am we have our primary service, a traditional, transcendent, Holy Communion service accompanied by St. Bartholomew’s Choir, one of the finest church choirs in the City of New York. This liturgy features a full sermon and is live-streamed to those unable to attend worship in person.
- Finally, at 5:00 pm we have an informal and contemporary service of Holy Communion held by candlelight in the chapel; a perfect way to end your weekend and to begin your week.
At each one of these worship services, we will celebrate the Last Sunday of Epiphany when we will hear the extraordinary story of The Transfiguration of Christ.
Because of the pandemic, we have had nearly two years to develop very different habits with regards to worship. For some of us, this time has brought a deeper exploration of the spiritual. Worshipping in homes and apartments has brought a creative freshness to some of us and more time alone has allowed for a closer walk with God.
For others of us, this has been a time of wandering in the wilderness; a time of lonely alienation from old friends and deeply cherished patterns of worship developed over a lifetime. Life-long habits and relationships have been broken and will not easily be repaired.
I urge you to use the season of Lent as a time to begin to dust yourselves off and prepare to get back into the practice of worship. As the rates of infection decline, more and more of us will be able to safely attend church. More and more of us will be able to receive the Sacraments and participate personally in the vibrant life of this community of faith. We will, of course, continue to offer our livestream worship service and, for many people, that will be the only way they will be able to participate in worship at St. Bart’s.
Still, if you can safely attend St. Bart’s in-person, I hope you will.
We have missed you and we love you.
Faithfully,
The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe
Rector