1 May 2008, Ascension Day

The Living Church

 

I have been blessed to visit Washington National Cathedral many times, but few of these visits were as significant as the trip our family made this past weekend.  On Saturday, surrounded by the pealing of bells and the prayers of the saints, we laid to rest in the crypt walls of that majestic cathedral itself the mortal remains of my childhood priest who mentored me through the ordination process before leaving to become the 7^th Bishop of Washington.  Our family is grateful for the prayers and generosity of all at Beloved who made it possible for us to make this trip and for the blessing we received there as we reconnected with sisters and brothers in Christ we had not seen in many years. 

 

If you have never visited the Cathedral in our nation’s capital, please put it on your “to do” list next time you are there.  In 1791, when Congress selected the site to be the capital of the United States, President George Washington commissioned Major Pierre l’Enfant to design an overall plan for the future seat of government.  Included in his plan was a church “intended for national purposes.”  Yet the idea of such a church’s construction lay dormant for just over a century.

 

On January 6, 1893, Congress granted a charter to the Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia, allowing it to establish this national cathedral along with institutions of higher learning.  Signed by President Benjamin Harrison, this charter was the “birth certificate” of Washington National Cathedral as a “house of prayer for all people.”  In 1896 the first Bishop of Washington secured land on Mount Saint Alban—the most commanding high ground in all of Washington—for the construction site. 

In 1907 the foundation stone was laid.  President Theodore Roosevelt and the Bishop of London spoke to the crowd of ten thousand.  The stone itself came from a field near Bethlehem and was inset into a larger piece of American granite.  On it was an inscription taken from the first chapter of the Gospel of John: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”   Construction of this beautiful gothic masterpiece was completed in 1990 as my mentor began his ministry as Bishop of Washington.

 

Since the laying of the foundation stone, many national events of significance have taken place in this holy place.  President Woodrow Wilson was buried here in 1956.  The Rev’d Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. preached his last Sunday sermon from its pulpit in 1968.  The funerals of Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan were held here.  It was also here that our nation gave public thanks for the freeing of American hostages in Iran and offered up our grief at the National Prayer and Remembrance Service for the victims of 9/11.

 

Throughout the funeral and during our journey home, as images and memories passed through my mind, the Holy Spirit began to draw my thoughts to our Beloved community and these words from the Apostle Peter:

 

“Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.  Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.  For the scripture says, ‘I chose a valuable stone, which I am placing as the cornerstone in Zion; and whoever believes in him will never be disappointed.’” (1 Peter 2:4-6)

 

You see I am convinced the Holy Spirit is calling us to build a majestic cathedral in Charlotte.  It won’t appear modern like Calvary Church on Rea Road or be exacting in its Gothic details like the National Cathedral.  For it isn’t to be built of American granite, but of people…the living stones we call Church of the Beloved.  This cathedral won’t change the landscape but it will change lives.

 

Will we allow the Spirit to build such a living church in Charlotte?  I believe that this is our heart’s desire.  Will it be easy?  It most certainly will not.  But that is the journey to which we are called…the adventure that will transform us and will transform our community with the brightness of God’s light. 

 

God’s call to build such a church will take each of us to places beyond anyone’s wildest imaginings or expectations.  Yet we will travel on that journey together with a twinkle in our eye and with joy and expectancy in our step.  For no matter what the adventure our Lord has in store for us, we know we have nothing to fear.  We have placed all our trust in Jesus, God’s living, risen cornerstone.  For whoever builds on that foundation will never be disappointed.

 

J. Derek Harbin, priest

 

 

Seven Stanzas at Easter by John Updike

 

Make no mistake: if He rose at all

it was as His body;

if the cells' dissolution did not reverse, the molecules

reknit, the amino acids rekindle,

the Church will fall.

 

It was not as the flowers,

each soft Spring recurrent;

it was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddled

eyes of the eleven apostles;

it was as His Flesh: ours.

 

The same hinged thumbs and toes,

the same valved heart

that — pierced — died, withered, paused, and then

regathered out of enduring Might

new strength to enclose.

 

Let us not mock God with metaphor,

analogy, sidestepping transcendence;

making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the

faded credulity of earlier ages:

let us walk through the door.

 

The stone is rolled back, not papier-mache,

not a stone in a story,

but the vast rock of materiality that in the slow

grinding of time will eclipse for each of us

the wide light of day.

 

And if we will have an angel at the tomb,

make it a real angel,

weighty with Max Planck's quanta, vivid with hair,

opaque in the dawn light, robed in real linen

spun on a definite loom.

 

Let us not seek to make it less monstrous,

for our own convenience, our own sense of beauty,

lest, awakened in one unthinkable hour, we are

embarrassed by the miracle,

and crushed by remonstrance.

 

 

Around Beloved…Beloved’s Ascension Day Worship Celebration will be held tonight, Thursday, May 1^st at 7pm to be followed by a “Death by Chocolate” reception (please bring a yummy chocolate dessert to share).  If you have the time and ability to participate on a Volunteer Angel Army Team (for 5:30pm set up and tear down afterwards) we would welcome your assistance! 

 

 

Beloved’s faithful and loving Controller, Laurel Houser, has been diagnosed with a serious and rare immunological disease and has begun treatment. Though her prognosis is good, she is taking this opportunity to simplify her life a bit.  The Advisory Team has accepted her resignation from her accounting duties (she was invited to remain as a member of the Advisory Team and happily accepted) and has appointed Liz Wilson as Beloved’s new Treasurer and Dave Wilson as Assistant Treasurer.  (Thank you Liz and Dave for your faithful servant hearts!)  The transition of responsibilities will begin this month and will be completed by the end of the summer.  Words cannot express our thankfulness for Laurel’s faithful service to our community.  We know you will continue to pray for her complete healing. 

 

 

 

The Gathering of the MOB (Men of Beloved) have two upcoming events planned.  We will serve dinner at the Charlotte Rescue Mission this Friday night, May 2.  For those who are planning to participate, please show up at the Charlotte Rescue Mission location at 907 W. 1st Street no later than 4:45 p.m.  The mission is located just north of the Bank of America stadium near S. Cedar Street and 1st Street.  Our last visit was a blessing to both those who were served and those who served.

 

One way to get there is 77N, take Trade St. exit going into uptown, turn right on Trade-4th street  connector (just before Johnson & Wales), left on W. 4th Extension, right on Cedar and then right on 1st.  Please check link from Google maps pasted here.  For more information, contact Lauren Dygowski here. 

We will serve dinner from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., with some time afterwards for cleanup.  If you choose to bring any children along, they must be at least 10 years old.  Dave Cash is caravanning from Beloved Garden with seats for three more people if one wants to save gas and have a visit while commuting.  Contact him here.

 

On Saturday, May 10 the MOB will tour a local brewery, The Carolina Beer & Beverage Co. in Mooresville… an adventure that promises to be an eye-opener for those who have never observed how this oldest of libations is made.  This is a particularly good opportunity for the MOB, plus friends, to get together and enjoy the company of each other.  What we need to know is how many are interested so that we can arrange a group tour. This will have some advantage over the normal public tour, in that we can arrange for a tour time to best suit our needs.  This promises to be a good chance to become better acquainted, to invite friends, to meet other guys at Beloved…the more, the merrier!  To repeat, please feel free to invite a friend who may or may not be familiar with Church of the Beloved.  As desired, we can carpool and arrange for designated drivers.  Please respond to this invitation by May 2.

 

 

 

Women, Beloved’s Katie Shaughnessy recently asked, “why not something for the women?”  So.….not to be outdone by the MOB, please be watching for your personal invitation to be part of the creation of WWOB (Wild Women of Beloved).  We will gather for the first time either for coffee at 10:30am or dessert at 7:30pm on Thursday, 29 May at the home of the Harbin Family (childcare will be provided if necessary).  No wrestling skills required!  But do bring your playful heart.

 

 

 

Anyone interested in participating in a monthly playgroup for preschool age children? Join in the fun with your children, get to know some new Beloved friends and even invite someone who has a child but no church home.  Playtime will be at homes, area parks and any other fun, family friendly places we can think of! Please contact Marie Duty if interested.

 

 

 

Tennis anyone?  The Cash and Shaughnessy households are planning a Tennis Social event for Church of Beloved adults who are interested in gathering together for some social tennis, some light refreshment and some fellowship.  It will be a “mixer,” that is non-competitive, and will be open to people at all skill levels. Tennis is optional, of course, for those who prefer to socialize.  We have reserved two tennis courts at Hunter Oaks on Saturday, June 7, and will gather from 10:00 to 12:30.  The courts have an adjacent playground for young children, so that parents can play tennis while their children are being watched.  Tennis players need bring only a racquet and have proper shoes.  RSVP!  Please let us know if you expect to attend, how many in your household will attend and how many are interested in tennis, so that we can complete our plans and prepare a schedule.  For those with interest, please contact here by May 24.

 

 

 

Constant Contact will soon deliver Beloved eNews to your computer’s email inbox, resulting in more reliable service and substantial cost savings for Beloved.  Though we have been promised a smooth transition, last week’s eNews delivery problem reminds us that technical transitions are not always as effortless as we desire.  Let us know if for some reason you don’t receive eNews in the next few weeks and we will track down the problem!  Remember also that each edition of eNews is posted on the Beloved website.   

 

The next edition of Beloved eNews will publish on May 8^th.  News and calendar information should be submitted via email by Monday, May 5^th.

 

 

 

April 27…Attendance: 111, Worship Offering: $3,399.  Income needed for ministry each week: $5,500 (fully funded) à $4,400 (requiring other funding sources i.e. fundraising events).  The financial goal of Church of the Beloved is to reach self-sufficiency (i.e. pay all expenses without income from outside sources) by 12/31/2008.

 

Scripture Readings for May 4…1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 & John 17:1-11

 

 

Serving at God’s Altar on May 4…Setup/teardown: Angel Army Team #4; Acolytes: Cecilia Atwood, Trinity Atwood, Daniel Dygowski; Offering Basket Passers: Deagan Burgie, Lauren Widener, Connor Armstrong, Ashlyn Armstrong; Presenters: Brian & Stephanie McCarthy; Altar Bread Baker: Catherine Atwood; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Penny Crawford & Brian McCarthy; PowerPoint: Joseph Nichols; Reader: Brent Brower.

 

 

In our Prayers…click here

Upcoming Calendar…click here