Grace Cathedral
Dear Friends,
As we make our way through this forty-day Lenten journey, I’m reminded of how this season invites us into a different rhythm—one that deepens our awareness of God’s presence in our lives. This path toward Easter offers us sacred space to reflect, renew, and realign our hearts with the divine love that sustains us.
Lent echoes Jesus’ time in the wilderness—those forty days of prayer and fasting that prepared him for his ministry. While the season has evolved over centuries from its early Christian origins, its essence remains the same: a time set apart for spiritual renewal through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
What makes Lent particularly meaningful is how it grounds us in embodied spiritual practices. Our liturgies during this season—with their more contemplative tone and moments of silence —invite us to participate with our whole selves. When we pray the Great Litany, process with palms, or wash one another’s feet during Holy Week, we’re not merely observing rituals but engaging our bodies in ancient practices that connect us to Christ’s journey and to countless faithful who have walked this path before us.
The simple act of marking the sign of the cross on our foreheads or tracing it over our hearts during prayer can serve as a physical reminder of who we are and the love that claims us. These embodied practices bypass our intellectual defenses and speak directly to our hearts, often in ways words alone cannot reach.
The Lenten liturgies also create a container for our individual spiritual practices. As we gather each Sunday, the familiar rhythm of scripture, prayer, and gathering around the table anchors us in the community while nurturing our personal devotion. The psalms we recite give voice to the full range of human emotion—from lament to praise—offering language for our own spiritual journeys. The scripture readings unfold the story of salvation, reminding us that our individual stories are part of God’s greater narrative.
Prayer takes on special significance during Lent. Whether through the Daily Office, contemplative practices like centering prayer, or praying with scripture through Lectio Divina, we create intentional space to listen for God’s voice. Many find that keeping a prayer journal during Lent helps track the movement of the Spirit in their lives. Others discover that walking a labyrinth or praying through artwork opens new channels of communication with the divine.
I encourage you to consider how you might incorporate liturgical rhythms into your daily life this Lent. Perhaps begin each weekday with Morning Prayer. Set aside a few minutes at noon on Wednesdays to pray for those in need at our midweek eucharist. Pray the psalms with us at Thursday’s Choral Evensong or break bread on Sunday.
As we journey through these forty days together, may our participation in these ancient practices open us more fully to God’s transforming love. May the rhythms of prayer and our liturgy ground us in the present moment, even as they draw us toward the joy of Easter morning.
Peace,
Joe Williams
Succentor
Dear Friends,
Next week marks the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday, a day when we gather to remember our mortality and begin our journey toward Holy Week and Easter. We will offer services with the imposition of ashes at noon and 6 pm in the cathedral. Each liturgy that day offers a powerful moment with which to pause, reflect, and begin this season of preparation together.
The tradition of Ash Wednesday dates back to the early Church, where, according to Marion J. Hatchett, in her commentary of the prayerbook tells us “[Ash Wednesday] originated in the penitential discipline of the early church when those whose notorious sins had caused scandal were excommunicated…the imposition of ashes were added to the dismissal in the 9th century.” Though the practice of using ashes as a sign of penitence appears throughout scripture, by the 11th century, the custom had become widespread throughout Western Christianity. The ashes we use are created by burning the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations (which we’ll celebrate this Sunday at the 6 pm Vesper light service!), a beautiful symbol of how our moments of triumph and celebration ultimately give way to humility and reflection.
Theologically, Ash Wednesday embodies several truths central to our faith. When we receive the ashes on our foreheads in the shape of a cross with the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” we acknowledge both our mortality and our complete dependence on God’s grace. This echoes Genesis 3:19, reminding us of our creation from the dust of the earth. Yet those ashes are formed in the shape of the cross—the very symbol of our redemption—showing that our story doesn’t end with dust but continues through Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.
The practice also connects us to the ancient tradition of public penance. In the early Church, as Hatchett explained, those who had committed serious sins began their reconciliation on this day. They would be sprinkled with ashes and dressed in sackcloth, beginning a period of penance that would conclude with their restoration to the community at Easter. While our observance today is less rigorous, it maintains this spirit of honest self-examination and communal reconciliation.
Ash Wednesday always reminds me of the beautiful paradox at the heart of our faith—that in acknowledging our limitations, we find freedom; in confronting our mortality, we discover eternal life. These quiet moments of truth-telling before God form the foundation of our Lenten practice, inviting us to examine what separates us from God and from one another.
Lent is not merely about giving something up—though that discipline has its place—but about making space for God’s transforming presence in our lives. The forty days reflect Jesus’ time of testing in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry. Like him, we are called to use this time for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—the three traditional Lenten disciplines that help reorient our hearts toward God and neighbor.
I hope you will join us not only for Carnivale, our annual gala that will be held on Tuesday, March 4, but also for Ash Wednesday services. We’ll have Morning Prayer at 9 am on Zoom, Confessions from 9:30 – 11:45 am and from 1 – 5:45 pm, in addition to our two eucharists with imposition of ashes at noon and 6 pm.
As we begin this journey together, may we support one another with compassion and walk with open hearts toward the mystery of Easter. Each of us travels this path differently, bringing our unique gifts and challenges, but we move forward as one community bound by grace and love.
Peace,
The Rev. Joe C.Williams (he/him)
Succentor
Dear Friends,
We’ve reached that special time of year when the waning autumn light spills into our magnificent cathedral, and the sound of laughter and crinkling candy wrappers can be heard on the Plaza as the Cathedral School for Boys and the Community Preschool celebrate Halloween. We also approach the sacred days of All Hallowtide – that beautiful triduum of All Hallows’ Eve (October 31), All Saints’ Day (November 1), and All Souls’ Day (November 2). This ancient observance invites us to explore the thin places where heaven and earth draw close, and to remember not just the saints remembered on the calendar each year, but those whose lives have illuminated our own paths of faith.
On Thursday, All Hallows’ Eve, we welcomed our youth and their parents to dress up and go from office to office to enjoy the time-honored tradition of trick-or-treating. It was a joy to see the costumes, laugh, and recall our own childhood. While this modern custom might seem far removed from church tradition, it embodies our commitment to being a place of warmth and welcome in our community. As little superheroes and race car drivers collected their treats, we were reminded of the joy and wonder that bridges sacred and secular celebrations.
Sunday, we will celebrate All Saints’ Day, we’ll gather for baptisms at 8:30 am and 11 am, and remember the great cloud of witnesses – those extraordinary ordinary people whose lives have shown us what it means to live in Christ’s love. We’ll renew our own baptismal promises and welcome the newest members of the church into the household of God.
We will celebrate All Soul’s with a beautiful Requiem service on November 10. Accompanied by a full orchestra, the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys will sing Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, Op. 9, in the full ceremonial context of the liturgy.
Duruflé’s sublime work focuses on the peace of heaven and takes away all fear of death. Duruflé’s impressionistic harmonies give flight to the eternal melodies of the church, as choirs of angels lift our souls to paradise. The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young will preach.
In this season when the veil between worlds becomes thin, we’re reminded that love transcends the boundary between life and death. Whether you’re carrying fresh grief or cherished memories, know that this community holds you in love and prayer.
May this All Hallowtide triduum allow you to remember joyfully, love tenderly and without exception, and rejoice in the knowledge and love of those who have gone before us.
Peace,
The Rev. Joe C. Williams
Succentor
Dear Friends,
For some time now, our cathedral community has been experiencing an abundance of joy! Last week, the plaza was filled with twenty-seven ministries encouraging participation and sharing each of their unique missions; later that evening, we celebrated as 8 people were confirmed by the Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios on the Labrinth. Grace Cathedral has been blessed with an abundance of joy that has lasted for generations—joy that radiates beyond Nob Hill and into the world.
This year’s theme for Stewardship recognizes our gratefulness for the abundance we receive from each other, and from this sacred place.
God’s abundance is poured out on us daily, and, with your help, on those we serve through the over two dozen ministries that were represented last week on the plaza. We continue to share our abundance by helping create a community for those who need it most, and I hope you will consider joining us in this worthwhile endeavor.
Last year, we engaged over 500 households and met our increased fundraising goal. Because of you. Your gift is vital, helping us open doors of opportunity for people who seek the fellowship of the church. Your gift could enable those in our community who need it the most to buy groceries or maybe nourish their soul by attending one of our formation opportunities. Your gift could help provide the resources and community needed to overcome obstacles standing in the way of becoming all we are here to be and do. It is impossible for the cathedral community to share God’s graceful abundance without your commitment of time and financial resources. The unmet needs of our neighborhood and world continue to grow and can only be met through our actions together.
As our Dean said in his ingathering sermon a few years ago, “Giving makes us human. Giving is how we experience ourselves as we were made to be, in the image of God.” I pray you will consider a gift this year if you’ve yet to pledge—or continue if you’re a long-time financial supporter. Coffee hour this week is a great time to speak with members of the Stewardship Committee. I encourage you to have a conversation with committee members (they will be easily identifiable by name tags!) after church on Sunday. Ask questions—see how the cathedral community has shaped them and formed their spirit. Gifts made by generations of our cathedral family have ensured we are the beacon of hope on the hill. Won’t you help continue that legacy?
Dear Friends,
One of my favorite things to do growing up was to dig through my grandmother’s cabinets and pull out old photographs. Each time I would open the cabinet door, stacks of albums would tumble out and I was greeted with just the slightest puff of dust and the familiar smell of memories imprinted on thick paper. It was always one of my favorite things to do – I’d spread them out on the floor, ask questions, and watch my grandmother think about these fleeting moments that had been recorded. More often than not, many of the people photographed were no longer with us – keeping their memory alive and speaking their names aloud always made it seem as if they were closer and still a part of our lives.
That’s what I love about photographs. Their ability to make us remember. To think about the past and, sometimes, how the past can shape our future. Photographs can lead to stories, to memory. My family photographs inadvertently led me here, to this place. The conversations were had while remembering, the sharing of stories, and faith. Those moments on the floor with granny, looking at generations of others in that familiar but somewhat different place that was captured in hundreds of aging photographs, made conversations easy.
Here at Grace, we’re embarking on a similar journey. Grace Cathedral’s Congregation Council, our many active ministries, and the Office of the Congregation are happily preparing for Congregation Sunday on September 8 after the 11 am service. Congregation Sunday is an opportunity to meet and socialize while learning about the many ways Grace Cathedral gathers together in ministry and to learn how you can get involved in new ways. Groups are working together to create a slideshow of memories to be displayed that day. I hope you’ll enjoy that stroll down memory lane as you see the completed project.
There are so many wonderful things happening soon at the cathedral, and I pray you can join us for one (or all!) of these events. The Town Hall Meeting will take place this Sunday at 9:30 am. Join us for a conversation with the Dean and hear updates about cathedral life. The following Thursday, August 29 at 5:30 pm, the Choir of Men and Boys return from summer break. Enjoy music by Seattle composer Jessica French, winner of the 2023 American Prize. Jessica has a rare ability called synesthesia, in which various senses are linked to one another, mainly in the form of colors associated with notes, timbres, and words. The choir will sing her Preces and Responses, painting the service with her unique voice, which has been described as having “lyrical, sweeping lines…atmospheric…shimmering harmonies.” The anthem will be one of the monuments of Western music, the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah.
Memories can be triggered by photographs and places – even smells can make a wave of memories come rushing back. I hope you experience this through photographs of this beloved cathedral and those who contributed to our success through the years, or making new memories by attending a service or event in this sacred space.
Peace,
The Rev. Joe C.Williams
Succentor
Dear Friends,
For nearly a century, Grace Cathedral has been a beacon on the hill, drawing people from around the world to pray, be in community, and delight their senses with art. We have been a leader on issues at the forefront of society; from women’s ordination, same-sex marriage, and the AIDS crisis, advocating for just treatment of all. The cathedral isn’t just a grand structure that sits atop the hill; our members live out their baptismal promises, giving of themselves, empowering the community, respecting the dignity of everyone, and striving for justice and peace.
That tradition of giving continues, and you’re invited to participate! We have several opportunities available:
You can contribute to our backpack drive through our Amazon Registry. Each year, Grace Cathedral collects backpacks and school supplies for Bayview Mission. This drive removes a source of financial hardship for families struggling to make ends meet in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Beyond easing a financial need, the drive is designed to contribute to the emotional flourishing of our precious young people. The difference that starting a school year with the necessary materials makes to a child’s confidence and sense of belonging is profound. Each backpack we send to Bayview Mission has a personal note for the child who will receive it. If you would like to participate, please contact Steph McNally, Formation Programs Manager for Children, Youth, Families, and Adults.
If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to become a pledging member of Grace Cathedral. Your gift will open the doors of opportunity for people who seek the fellowship of the Church, enabling those in our community who need it most to buy groceries, or maybe nourish their soul by attending one of our many formation opportunities. I invite you to learn more about giving opportunities by visiting our website.
In closing, I would love to extend an invitation to you to experience Grace as you may never have before by attending Summer of Awe: GRACE WINDOW. Illuminate, the organization that brought the Bay Lights to the Bay Bridge and Grace Light to Grace Cathedral, is presenting a laser installation that will shine from the roof of the Fairmont Hotel through the cathedral’s Rose Window from sunset to sunrise through Sunday, July 14.
The cathedral will be open each evening from sunset to midnight, and live music will be offered. Laser master Tim Anderson will orchestrate the lasers to gently respond to the music in real time.
I pray you’ll take advantage of these opportunities to help the community and experience the beauty of Grace in new and different ways.
Dear friends,
I remember my first time attending a service at Grace Cathedral. I had just been called as Succentor, and had just embarked on a new journey across the country. I was eager to get started as well as a bit apprehensive about mundane things like remembering names, learning choreography and all the particulars that can go along with a position that deals with liturgical practices. When I arrived, I was told we would have CircleSongs before the service. I had no idea what it was, but I looked forward to participating.
Before the service, Bobby McFerrin and Motion were verged out and began – their sounds filled the cathedral space, people stood and danced, participated in melodic calls and responses, and pure joy filled the cathedral. At that moment, I knew that I had come to the right place – a place that reimagined church and left open ways for the spirit to move. Bobby McFerrin and Motion have played an integral part in the cathedral during their time as Artist In Residence, teaching us to be free before the service, participating as guest musicians during special services, and leading a weeklong camp for those interested in walking with them on their artistic journey.
This Sunday, June 16, at 10:30 am, will be the last regular Circlesongs; please join us before the 11 am service to sing, dance, and show your appreciation for the wonderful gift Bobby and Motion have given to the cathedral community.
This Sunday, we will also welcome the Rev. Dr. Susanna Singer, another well-known figure, to the cathedral and diocese at the 8:30 am and 11 am service as our guest preacher. Susanna is an Episcopal priest, educator, and current President of the Board of Episcopal Community Services. In 2020, she retired from full-time ministry as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley. After Circlesongs (or before!), join us as we hear her prophetic voice.
There are always so many wonderful things happening at the cathedral each week. Please visit the calendar on our website to learn more about events you can be a part of. I look forward to being with you Sunday.
Peace,
The Rev. Joe C.Williams
Dear friends,
This week it was a joy to be reminded of an icon writing class I took wile in seminary. I was looking for a different way to pray and ground myself before my final semester of studies and jumped at the chance to participate. The experience remains one of the most sacred in memory.
We chose as our subject Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Indigenous saint in the Roman Church, and one of several in our own calendar. The process was slow, taking nearly a week for a small icon. We etched the outline on wood, used a mixture of clay and water to allow the gold leaf to stick and, using our breath, our very essence, gilded the halo. Using natural pigments blended with egg yolk and water, we pushed the color into position, going from dark to light, shadow, and highlight. Slowly, the image began to appear in front of us. In time each of us became one with Kateri, our individual stories blending, recognizing the divine in each other.
Icons have been described as “windows to heaven” – yet they’re not three dimensional. They are made to suggest depth and is not a representation of our world but suggest the beauty of the kingdom of God. Praying while writing the icon encourages us to become one with the subject; to know them more deeply.
Commemorating the saints with prayer each day is one of my favorite aspects of our tradition. Learning about their contributions reminds me to look around and see the contributions that are being made in our time and in this place. I invite you to join me in prayer and remembrance of those we remember in the church calendar, both ancient and modern, as we pray morning prayer on Zoom Monday through Friday each week at 9 am; join us in person or online for Evening Prayer each Tuesday evening at 5:30 pm, or for Choral Evensong on Thursday’s at 5:30 pm.. We also have a mid-week celebration of the eucharist in the Chapel of the Nativity each Wednesday at 12 pm in addition to our Sunday eucharists at 8:30 am, 11 am, and 6 pm.
These offerings of prayer are wonderful ways to build community, be in conversation with God and provide a brief respite during our often busy days. I pray you’ll be able to join me.
Grace also offers many other ways to engage, including our upcoming Earth Fair taking place on April 28. There, you’ll be able to learn about resources for green living and spirituality, participate in a treasure swap, view a mid-price EV demonstration, join in eco-crafts with our children and so much more.
With so many opportunities to pray and be in community, I hope you’ll look at the calendar on our website to find ways to connect.
I hope to pray with you soon.
Peace,
The Rev. Joe C. Williams
Succentor
P.S. Our annual Congregation Retreat at the Bishop’s Ranch in Healdsburg, California is coming up this Memorial day weekend on Saturday, May 25 through Monday, May 27. Learn more and book your room today!
Dear Friends,
We’ve finally arrived at a turning point of the liturgical year, a time we’ve been preparing for the last several weeks and that many anticipate annually—Holy Week. This week is full of symbolism and meaning as we go from Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem to his crucifixion, burial, and miraculous rising from the dead. For many, this is a deeply moving and emotional time, whereby we recall some of the most holy events in our history; this week also invites us to experience them as Jesus’ disciples experienced them, through acts of ritual remembrance.
By the time this message lands in your inbox, we will have already observed Maundy Thursday, washed one another’s feet, celebrated the last eucharist until tomorrow’s Great Vigil, and venerated the cross on Good Friday. These three days, or the Triduum, are meant to be one continuous liturgy. If you’ll notice, there was no dismissal after the consecrated elements were placed on the altar of repose in the Chapel of the Nativity on Thursday. The Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday has no opening acclamation or dismissal, and we arrive at the Great Vigil and are greeted by fire, a light in the darkness; we welcome our friends into the household of Christ through the waters of baptism, reaffirm our own baptismal vows and after, join together at the table.
The Great Three Days have always been a special time for me, a time of both focus and excitement. When I was in seminary during the height of COVID, the first opportunity we were able to gather as a community was to celebrate The Great Vigil, although distanced and outdoors. It remains one of my most cherished memories. Although we were in the heart of the city of Austin, our campus sat on one city block, with an enormous outdoor space at the center. Ancient and gnarled oak trees kept watch over us as we built the great fire, and friends sat around the fire on blankets and lawn chairs as we recounted God’s saving deeds through history. It was primal in a way. Our toes were in the dirt and grass, we renewed our baptismal vows in the living water that flowed near campus, and our shadows danced on the stone buildings that surrounded us. I was struck by how comfortable it felt, and wondered how centuries of believers ritually remembered these events that shaped our faith. In the early church, catechumens, or those preparing for baptism, were escorted out of the church before the eucharist, and, at The Great Vigil, were baptized fully immersed in water, and had oil poured over their heads – most likely shivering and feeling as if they had been born anew. They were then clothed in white robes and were invited to participate in the breaking of bread and prayers. We still embody this movement in a similar way, but on a smaller scale.
I invite you to come, join us for The Great Vigil, and our Easter services this weekend. Participate if you feel so called, pray with us, and join in the continuation of centuries of ritual that attempts to help us understand the great mysteries of our faith. If you’re unable to join in person, please join us online. There is always room for you at this table.
Peace,
The Rev. Joe C.Williams
Succentor
Dear Friends,
Last Sunday, we baptized new members into the household of God – it was a wonderful and joy-filled day. Each time we baptize, there is a portion of the baptismal rite that asks us: “Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers?” It’s a part we’re used to hearing, and may reflexively answer “yes” to, but this Sunday’s Gospel lesson reminds us of what that looks like.
Sunday, we will hear the story from John’s Gospel about the calling of Phillip and Nathanael; we hear of Phillip’s immediate “yes” to follow Jesus, and his subsequent proclamation of his faith by proclaiming this truth to Nathanael. This brief call story reminds us that discipleship is active, and not passive. We mustn’t sit back and simply offer our “thoughts and prayers” when we see a need around us, or injustice occurring. We offer thoughts and prayers because we care, and we want our neighbors to know that we care, to know that they’re seen. But this sentiment can often be hollow and short-lived. Heeding the call from Sunday’s gospel, we notice that Jesus and his new disciples, were always on the go.
“Jesus decided to go to Galilee,”
Jesus’ ministry was one spent on his feet – being in community. His ministry was that of prayer and movement. When we pray, we must also “go.” During the baptismal rite, we are reminded of this fellowship. This active call to pray, break bread together, and be in fellowship with all. Our baptismal covenant specifically calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Even those we may disagree with, or those who are different. We are to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being. We are to recognize Christ just as Phillip and Nathanael did; we are to recognize Christ in those around us.
During this season of Epiphany, may this calling of the disciples remind us of our own call – our own charge to “go.” To go into the world – to move our feet. It may look different for each of us, yet by doing so, we help bring the light of Christ to others who may be struggling in darkness. My prayer is that we will embody the light of Epiphany this season and go – go out into the world and rejoice and love in the power of the Spirit.
Peace,
The Rev. Joe C.Williams
Succentor
Dear Friends,
“Happy Advent!” is not something we hear with any regularity, usually. This time of year usually brings the familiar “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays,” coupled with impressive storefront displays, Santa visits, and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” playing on repeat. However, for those of us familiar with a liturgical tradition in our communities, the season of Advent isn’t just chocolate calendars; it’s a time of preparation and expectation. It’s a time of hope.
Most of our prayers for Advent recall darkness in some form, empowering us to cast away the mystery of the dark and embrace the power of light. This is especially relevant for us, as the nights become longer, and we experience the longest night of the year, just before the bright majesty of the Incarnation. In order to revel in the light of the birth of Christ, we must be acquainted with darkness; we must, for a time, live in that tension between light and dark. Advent prepares us to look ahead, toward the horizon.
Advent invites us to imagine a world as it could be, which, in turn, allows us to recognize the injustice that surrounds us. Imagining the world as it could be causes us to see the imbalances and exploitations of the world as it is. Advent is an invitation to hope, and hope can sometimes be tough; it can sometimes take grit. Hope means living with complexity and not settling for easy answers. When the world seems dark, when injustice, war, and persecution dominate the news, we can use the skills we’ve cultivated during Advent. The outside world with festive lights and chocolate may not prepare us to live through difficult times, to cope with the tensions of a world that is not as it should be. We need the capacity to look beyond the dark, our eyes firmly fixed to the horizon, to trust in the promise of God.
Some of my favorite times growing up in Oklahoma is when my dad would let us get on the roof of our house with a blanket and watch the stars. Sometimes we would see a meteor, though, often we would simply look at the moon peeking over the hills or name constellations. No matter what was going on in the world, at school, or even a silly argument with my sister, sitting in darkness and seeing glimmers of light in the sky, gazing toward the horizon, gave me hope that change was possible. It was a “mini-advent” of sorts.
Today, instead of sitting on the roof and looking at the sky, I like to remind myself of God’s promise by praying. One of my favorite prayers in the Book of Common Prayer is said during Evening Prayer, reminding us that God comforts and provides hope for all, regardless:
“Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angles charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake.”
May the God of light and peace keep watch over you during this holy season of Advent, and may your eyes be fixed on the horizon awash in hope.
Peace,
The Rev. Joe C.Williams
Succentor
Dear Friends,
We were able to witness history this week as world leaders descended just steps away from the cathedral as the city of San Francisco hosted the APEC Conference. Street closures around the Close, rerouting of public transportation, and the security that corresponds with world leaders staying just a few short blocks away didn’t quell the sense of community and joy we enjoy at Grace. Just as we do each week, we sang together, prayed together, and were present for each other. From our Thanksgiving celebration on Senior Wednesday, where nearly fifty people came to share a meal and stories of thanks culminating in gathering around the table at the noon eucharist, to poet Jay Hulme sharing his evocative poetry in the voices of saints with the Vine Congregation, the Spirit was active at Grace.
It’s weeks like these, gathering with friends old and new, that reminds me of going to church with my Granny. Walking down the sidewalk to the front doors each week, before we entered, she would always reach into her well-worn purse, hand me a hard butterscotch candy and a dollar bill, telling me to “put the money in the offering plate – we give because this place gives us so much.” That simple statement has stuck with me through the years and inspires my own theology of giving.
This Sunday at 11 am, we will celebrate Ingathering, where we recognize our Stewardship Committee and will bless the pledges of our congregation. We mark this season annually and remember our promise to support each other and our cathedral community. Our gifts make it possible to sustain programming and create a safe and healthy place for our seniors to gather, our youth to explore, and families to thrive. Over a century ago, those who worshiped at what would become this cathedral probably had no idea the fruit their gifts would produce or the legacy they would leave.
I pray you will consider a gift this year if you’ve never pledged – or continue if you’re a long-time financial supporter. Our gifts make a difference by ensuring Grace has the resources it needs to connect our community through meaningful prayer, offer compassion to our neighbors, and engage in social justice initiatives. If you have questions about giving, our Stewardship Committee will be at coffee hour this week and would be happy to talk with you to share our stories about why we give.
“Put the money in the offering plate – we give because this place gives us so much.”
This community has blessed me so much in my short time at Grace. I’ve made lasting friendships, celebrated, mourned, and have deepened my faith. Won’t you join me in giving to ensure future generations have the same opportunity?
Peace,
The Rev. Joe C. Williams
Succentor