2014 february lion's mark
DESCRIPTION
The monthly newsletter of Saint Mark's Church, PhialdelphiaTRANSCRIPT
1
S A I N T M A R K ’ S C H U R C H
2
Saint Mark’s was built as part of a
movement. It wasn’t just the latest addition to an
expansionist Episcopal Church. The founding of
this parish and the erection of this parish church
happened in the confluence of several important
movements. There was the movement of the City
of Philadelphia west across Broad Street to a
frontier of the growing city. There was the
beginning of the Arts & Crafts Movement, and
increasing implications of the Industrial
Revolution. And, yes, there was also the Oxford
Movement – which sought to reclaim the ancient
catholic heritage of the Anglican tradition and to
express that heritage with all the complexity,
extravagance, and mysticism of the medieval
church.
Saint Mark’s was never just the newest branch of
the strong Episcopal franchise in Philadelphia.
This Parish was established to represent all these
movements and their impact on the world – and
the building our founders built was meant to
express something about the movements from
which it sprang. Amidst all these movements,
our church was built to tower above the western
side of the city, and above all these other
movements, and stand watchfully for Jesus’
return, ready to receive him into our arms, and
carry him in our hearts. Notice that there is not a
cross atop our steeple, there is a golden rooster
waiting to rouse the Parish and the City at the
first sign of Christ’s coming, reminding us of our
mission to proclaim the hope of Christ above all.
Buildings these days are seldom asked to carry so
much meaning, to express so much of the
movements from which they spring, nor are
buildings these days expected to last quite as long
as our has. You can build a hi-rise on property
for which you hold a 99-year lease without
having to worry very much about what you are
going to do when the lease expires. Our founders
knew that there is no lease to expire here, and that
Saint Mark’s was being built for the ages.
It is tempting to question the wisdom of the
founding Vestry and of the architect John Notman
in choosing to build the church of brownstone,
which is a kind of sandstone. It was very
fashionable at the time, but sandstone has some
inherent weaknesses, and in hindsight it’s easy to
think they might have known better. The more
time I spend among the sandstone walls of this
place, however, the less the choice of brownstone
worries me. It was 165 years ago that these
stones were first laid, and, on balance, I have to
say that for a material whose fragility is easy to
see, the stone walls of our church have proven to
be remarkably sturdy. I’d venture to guess that
165 years from now a Rector may be able to
make a similar claim, as long as we take care of
the gift that has been given us in these stones and
wood, and slate, and glass.
A great deal of work has been done in the past
few years to care for, restore, and preserve the
church buildings that our ancestors built here
amidst the swirl of all this movement. I have
been immersed in more details of copper, slate,
sandstone, and glass than I care to bring to mind.
Committees have planned, and interviewed, and
studied, and reviewed, and revised, and
investigated all manner of things to be sure we
are well informed, adequately financed, and as
prepared as we can be for the unexpected.
During years of work and planning, it could be
easy to forget that Saint Mark’s was built as part
of a movement – a confluence of movements, all
of which invested meaning into its stone, wood,
glass and slate.
3
We are now poised to begin a very significant
project of restoration and preservation-
addressing the walls and roofs and windows of
the church that are in urgent need of attention.
This is the most significant restoration project we
have undertaken in nearly thirty years, and
perhaps the most expensive. It follows a period
of five or six years in which we have already
completed $750,000 of restoration on the
buildings. It is true that our buildings require
careful funding and lots of attention, so it’s
important to remember why it’s important to
spend all this money and attention on them. We
do it for the movement of which we are a part,
which is the Christian enterprise of proclaiming
the salvation of Jesus Christ from day to day. We
do this in prayer and worship, in service and
hospitality, in proclaiming reconciliation and
hope.
We are extraordinarily blessed to have inherited a
building that says so much about the Christian
enterprise. The building bids us make a
pilgrimage from west to east, toward the rising of
God’s glory. It bids us recall the meaning of our
baptism every time we pass the Font on our way
into church. It bids us come to the altar for the
heavenly food of God’s sacred banquet in the
Mass. It bids us lift up our eyes to the heavens
and never be cast down. The building in which
we worship serves us well in all these ways, and
facilitates our life as a community that is defined
not by its building, but by its movement – the
movement toward salvation and hope that is the
Christian cause.
In the coming months we’ll be talking a lot about
our building, as we launch and undertake this
project of restoration and preservation. My
prayer is that our talk about the building will
never be divorced from the movement for which
this church was built, nor from the One who is the
source and the goal of all our movements: Jesus
Christ our Lord.
S A I N T M A R K ’ S C H U R C H P H I L A D E L P H I A
1625 LOCUST STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103
WWW.SAINTMARKSPHILADELPHIA.ORG
4
The Pity of War: Suffering and Solace in Britten’s War Requiem
In 1962, the city of Coventry in England held a
grand arts festival to celebrate the consecration of
the new Saint Michael’s Cathedral, often called
simply Coventry Cathedral. It had been almost
twenty-two years since the original cathedral,
along with most of the city itself, had been
destroyed in a single night’s bombing during the
worst of the Blitz. Prior to the beginning of the
Second World War, Coventry was one of
England’s most important industrial centers, and
as such it was a prime target for Nazi air strikes.
The city had endured almost twenty smaller
bombing raids in the late summer and fall of
1940, but on November 14, 1940, the German
forces unleashed an unprecedented barrage of
explosives on the city. Hundreds of people were
killed, two-thirds of the city structures were
destroyed, and Coventry’s massive 14th
century
Gothic cathedral burned to the ground. Only the
tower and the eastern wall of the cathedral
remained, bleak reminders of the beauty and
glory that had once stood in that place.
And so, for the people of Coventry, the
consecration of the new Saint Michael’s
Cathedral was about far more than simply
providing a new space for worship. This new
building represented hope and endurance in the
face of great trials; it was a mark of new life, of
new growth among the wreckage. The new
Coventry Cathedral was a powerful symbol of
this resilience and also an important sign of
remembrance.
In fact, the design of the new building
incorporated the ruins of the original building as a
memorial to the dead and a reminder to all of the
enormous cost of war. The consecration of the
cathedral, then, was more than just a hallowing of
a building; it was a blessing and a new beginning
for the whole city, perhaps even for the entire
nation.
It was for this event of hope and remembrance
that Benjamin Britten composed his War
Requiem. This masterpiece of choral literature
was premiered at the cathedral on May 30, 1962,
as the culmination of the weeks of celebrations
surrounding the consecration. The War Requiem
is, as its name implies, structured around the
traditional Mass for the dead and includes the
Latin requiem texts. But, as its name also implies,
this work is not just a requiem. It is also a
statement – Britten’s statement – about war,
about the painful, ludicrous, horror of war.
5
In order to accomplish this dual purpose, Britten
wove together the traditional requiem texts with
the poetry of Wilfred Owen. Owen was one of
Britain’s most important war poets, a young
soldier who was killed just days before the end of
the First World War. Britten uses his poetry to
comment on and reframe the liturgical texts of the
requiem, and he translates all of these words into
music that is compelling and challenging, music
that is unafraid to ask important questions and to
leave them ringing in the audience’s ears long
after the final chord has ceased to sound.
The War Requiem is not a piece designed for a
liturgy. It is not music that would ever work
within a church service, but this does not mean
that this music does not confront head-on the
most existential questions of our lives. The War
Requiem is a piece that strives to lay bare the
soul-crushing brutality of war, a brutality made
all the more devastating by its utter futility. And
yet, it is also a piece that struggles, again and
again, to work through that devastation to find
peace, redemption, love, and new life.
For five Fridays in Lent, beginning on Friday, 14
March, I will lead Saint Mark’s in a deep
examination of this seminal work of Britten’s.
Together, we will explore what he is saying in
this piece, and what kind of an impact this work
might have on our own understandings of
humankind, grace, peace, and salvation. I hope
that you will join me for this rare opportunity to
delve deeply into a masterpiece of art and to
reflect together on what we find there.
Fridays in Lent will be held in the Parish Library,
beginning on March 14, at 6:30 pm (immediately
following Evening Prayer and Stations of the Cross).
Join us on Sundays at 10:00 am in the Parish
Library for our Schola class. In February, we will
be learning new pieces that will enrich our
experience of the upcoming season of Lent. We
will also share in Bible stories that we are hearing
each week in our 9:00 Family Mass, and we will
spend time each week in prayer, liturgical
preparation, and musical games.
On Sunday, 23 February, Mother Erika will lead
a special conversation for our parents on how to
live Lent at home as a family. We’ll talk about
what kinds of practices you’ve experienced in
Lent in the past. What kinds of holy habits have
you and your family taken on during Lent in the
past? What worked well, or not so well? What
kind of Lent are you hoping for? How might this
time be a holy time for you and your family? All
are welcome – this is the perfect opportunity to
invite that neighbor to church at Saint Mark’s!
And don’t forget – there is a very special family
event on Tuesday, 4 March, as we celebrate
Shrove Tuesday! I hope that you’ll join us for this
time to celebrate before the solemnity of Ash
Wednesday. We’ll have beads and bangles,
pancake races, and – of course – breakfast for
dinner! What could be better? Pancakes start
hitting the griddles at 6:00 pm.
The 20s/30s group here at Saint Mark’s has
begun a new tradition. Each month, we’ll gather
in someone’s home for a simple supper, worship,
and conversation. This month, we’ll be meeting
on Wednesday, 12 February at 6:30 at Brian
Alvarez’s house, at 2428 South Alder St. in the
heart of South Philly. These evenings will
provide us all with an opportunity to get to know
one another better in a relaxed setting and to
worship together in the holiness of someone’s
home. They are also the perfect opportunity to
invite a friend to come along. If you’re interested
in attending, please contact Mother Erika to
RSVP.
Also, the 20s/30s group is once again heading up
the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper on Tuesday,
4 March. We need your flapjack flipping, bacon
frying, OJ-pouring skills! This celebration on the
evening before the solemnity of Ash Wednesday
is always a lot of fun for the cooks and the guests
alike. Come along, and bring a friend. To help out
with the cooking, please contact Brian Alvarez or
Mother Erika.
6
Praying with Icons
“ICON” means “image” in Greek, and is the word
used in Genesis 1:27: “So God created
humankind in His image, in the image of God He
created them.” As an image, the icon is not
simply a mirror reflection of someone, but
conveys to you something of that very person.
Like the sacraments, icons have both a physical
and mystical nature. They serve as
intermediaries, as windows to heaven.
This Lent, we will have the opportunity to gather
at Saint Mark’s for a Quiet Day of prayer and
teaching with noted iconographer Suzanne
Schleck. Suzanne will lead us in an exploration
of icons as visual expressions of God’s love and
transforming power. (View some of Suzanne
Schleck’s work at www.schleckicons.com).
So what is it about that art form developed before
the year 1000 that allows it to be a quiet
invitation to meet God face to face? Why is an
icon painted by an anonymous monk or nun in
what some consider a primitive style considered
the equivalent to Holy Scripture, while a
Rembrandt is not? We will consider these
questions as we learn how, exactly, an icon is
formed, and how it becomes a companion in
prayer. Icons are calls to conversion, to the
acceptance of the fact that heaven is real, God is
real, and God yearns to meet us face to face. Join
us for a prayerful Saturday in Lent as we hear the
call. The day begins with the Sacrament of
Reconciliation at 9:30 for those who wish,
followed by 10:00 Mass and the Quiet Day
offering. Lunch will be included.
On Sunday mornings at 10:00 in the parish hall,
you are invited for coffee and discussion with
your fellow Saint Mark’s parishioners and a
series of terrific teachers. In the coming months
we will be covering topics that range from the
rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia to the history of
the Anglican Church, from theology and sexuality
to Biblical views of the final destiny of all people.
There is something for everyone at 10:00! Here
is the schedule for the next several weeks:
In association with the Bach Cantata Series by
Choral Arts Philadelphia, join Mother Nora
Johnson in a discussion of the music and text
being performed at Saint Mark’s on Wednesday,
19 February (www.choralarts.com/node/43).
We’ll talk about the Magnificat in settings by
Bach, Stanford, and Buxtehude.
“What do lust, greed, and politics have to do with
it?” with Barry Levis, Emeritus Professor of
History. The gestation of Anglicanism took much
7
longer than just the reign of Henry VIII. While
his effort to gain a divorce certainly proved
decisive, what becomes the Anglican ethos really
took shape over the following century. Through
the course of these discussions, we will follow the
path—at times tortuous—from the initial break
with Rome to the formation of a distinctive
Anglican attitude. Part one of a four-part series,
continuing 2 March, 27 April and 4 May.
Continues on 27 April and 4 May.
Join Roy Clouser, Emeritus Professor of
Philosophy, for a provocative look at the way
Christian scripture teaches us to think about the
afterlife. Part one of a three-part series,
continuing 23 March and 30 March.
L E N T A T S A I N T M A R K ’ S
Special Music and Concert at Saint Mark’s
Matthew Glandorf, Choir Director
e are thrilled to be able to welcome the
Intergenerational Choir of Christ
Church on Sunday, February 16. A
member of the Episcopal Diocese of
Chicago, Christ Church is a vibrant, growing
parish located just steps from Lake Michigan in
Winnetka, Illinois. Under the director of Richard
Clemmitt the Choir will sing Evensong &
Benediction at Saint Mark’s on 16 February at 4
pm. Music selected for the 16 February
Evensong will include:
Ave Regina Coelorum
Francesco Soriano
Preces and Responses
Richard Ayleward
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis
Peter Klatzow
I will Not Leave You Comfortless
Anthony Joule
O Salutaris
Michael Sitton
Saint Mark’s has been hosting the Philadelphia
Bach Festival’s very popular “Bach @ Seven”
Cantata Series each month. On Wednesday, 19
February, Bach @ Seven will feature full chorus
and soloists, 2 Oboes, 5 Strings and Continuo,
performing:
Cantata #10
Meine Seele erhebt den Herren
Magnificat
Charles Villiers Stanford
Chorale Preludes
Dietrich Buxtehude
The Magnificat or Song of the Blessed Virgin
Mary was inspired by her visit with her cousin
Elizabeth, when she spoke of her pregnancy and
how God was going to turn over the world order.
The humble and meek will find favor, and the
rich and powerful will be sent away empty.
W
8
Cantata BWV10 is a paraphrase of the Magnificat
text in Chorale form which in turn is based on a
Gregorian Chant theme. The Irish composer,
Charles Villiers Stanford was known for a
revitalization of English Church Music,
composed his setting of the Magnificat in 1919
for double choir, inspired by Bach’s own setting
of the Latin text.
Please join me in making our guests of the
Intergenerational Choir of Christ Church feel
welcome and for the Bach @ Seven series of
performances at Saint Mark’s Church.
Radical Hope and the Narrow Gate
Donald Hopkins, Ministry Resident
n the past month I had the exciting
opportunity to visit The Crefeld School in
Chestnut Hill to organize a food drive for the
food cupboard and give a presentation on
poverty and the Saint Mark’s Outreach Ministry.
I always enjoy the chance to educate people on
the moral crisis of need in my home city and to
highlight what we are doing here at Saint Mark’s
to alleviate it, in hopes of provoking other people
to take part. I believe part of our ministry to the
poor should be to work to build up a community
devoted to service on the part of the marginalized
and vulnerable.
We live in an era in which cynicism and
complacency often seem to be the pervasive
mood of the time. I often find that the cure for
this heavy atmosphere of cynicism, which often
masks itself as realism, is to work with students,
who in the midst of their adolescence, still feel
free enough from the bonds of every day adult
life and toil, to engage in a search for authenticity
and are often still willing to take a chance and pin
their hopes on some sort of idealism.
Young people, trying to find their own identity as
distinct from their household, are often more
willing to take a chance and risk embarrassment,
disappointment, or failure in the pursuit of
something grand.
In this regard, Crefeld students did not disappoint.
They were very eager to learn about the nature of
poverty in Philadelphia, the rate of homelessness,
and the profound physical and spiritual hunger
that can be found all throughout our city. Not
only were they excited to learn, they were
inquisitive about ways they could get involved to
help.
Questions about where to volunteer, what kind of
items were in demand, and whether there were
larger, more abstract issues of justice and ethics,
were at play in our discussion of poverty and
need. Some might be a bit put off by their
willingness to dream up big ideas, considering
that poverty is a concrete concern for so many but
I was inspired by their enthusiasm.
It is easy to get cynical and bogged down by the
seemingly unending hunger in our city. With
rising costs from healthcare to housing, a public
education system that doesn’t seem to offer an
avenue of opportunity, and the ever growing
numbness to the pain and suffering of the
marginalized and vulnerable by those in positions
of power and wealth in our society, we can lose
sight of the call to us by Christ to pick up our
cross and follow him. To be a Christian is to
make one vulnerable and there is a great
vulnerability that comes with idealism, with
I
9
putting oneself out there for the sake of a big
idea, for a big dream.
The road of radical hope is through a narrow gate,
indeed. However, please remember, the words of
our Lord: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the
gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to
destruction, and there are many who enter
through it. For the gate is small and the way is
narrow that leads to life, and there are few who
find it.” (Matthew 7:13). May these words
remind us to remain ever hopeful for a better and
more just world. God Bless.
Saint Mark’s Calendar February 2014
2.9 Annual Parish Meeting, 9:45 am
Parish Hall
2.9 Confirmation Class, 1pm, Parish Hall
2.12 20s/30s Simple Supper, 6:30 pm,
Home of Brian Alvarez
2.16 Confirmation Class, 1pm, Parish Hall;
Evensong & Benediction sung by visiting
Intergenerational Choir of Christ Church,
4 pm
2.17 President’s Day;
Parish Office Closed;
10 am Mass
2.18 Meeting of the Vestry
2.19 Choral Arts - Bach at Seven
2.22 St. James Forum, 12 – 2:30 pm
2.23 Schola Families Lenten Discussion, 10 am,
Parish Library;
“Saving A Treasure” Special Gathering of the
Parish, 12:30 pm, Parish Hall
Faith in Film series, “The Chosen”
6 pm Parish Library
3.2 Confirmation Class, 1pm, Parish Hall
Evensong & Benediction, 4 pm
3.4 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, 6 pm
3.5 Ash Wednesday: 7:30 am Mass; 12:10 Sung
Mass; 7 pm High Mass
3.7 Evening Prayer, 5:30 pm
Stations of the Cross
3.9 First Sunday of Lent;
Daylight Saving Time begins;
Confirmation Class, 1pm, Parish Hall
10
ST. James Forum Episcopal Schools: touching Hearts,
Empowering Minds
Please join us on Saturday, 22 February 2014 for
the first annual St. James Education Forum. The
Forum’s theme, Episcopal Schools: Touching
Hearts, Empowering Minds illuminates the
School’s mission which is committed to
educating traditionally under-resourced students
in a nurturing environment. St. James provides a
challenging academic program and encourages
the development of the moral, spiritual,
intellectual, physical and creative gifts in its
students.
The first annual Education Forum is tailored for
faith communities. A number of Episcopal,
Lutheran and Presbyterian churches (including
Saint Mark’s), as well as individual church
ambassadors who have done exemplary work in
supporting the mission of St. James School will
be recognized.
Call for Nominations!
Church Leaders Awards
Deadline for Submission: Friday, 14 February
Submit your nomination to [email protected]
11
News from the
Choir of Boys and Girls Dr. Darryl Roland, Director
he Boys and Girls Choir includes children
and youth from a variety of Philadelphia
communities. In order to accommodate
choristers from a broad geographic area, we’ve
organized our rehearsal schedule to include two
locations, specifically Saint Mark’s Church and
Saint James School.
Choristers who attend schools other than Saint
James rehearse for 1 ½ hours on Mondays and
Wednesdays at Saint Mark’s Church. Students
from Saint James School rehearse for 1 ½ hours
on Tuesdays at Saint James and on Wednesdays
at Saint Mark’s. Consequently, the two groups of
choristers rehearse separately once a week and
together once a week. In addition, they
participate as a single group every Sunday
morning at their 8:00 a.m. rehearsal and the 9:00
a.m. Family Mass.
When the students come together on Wednesday,
they have an opportunity to enjoy a delicious and
nutritious meal in Gould Dining Hall at the Curtis
Institute of Music. Not only does this provide our
choristers with a healthy meal following a long
day at school and before a rigorous rehearsal, the
choir supper also serves as a time when our
children and youth can get to know each other in
an informal setting. Over time, the relationships
nurtured and built between our choristers play a
valuable role in their formation.
Our schedule also includes two weeknight
rehearsals for younger children, ages 7-8. These
choristers have their own 1 hour preparatory
rehearsal on Wednesday afternoons at Saint
Mark’s where fundamentals of vocal production
and music notation are introduced in fun and
competitive ways.
Our younger choristers also join our older
choristers at Saint Mark’s for the first 45 minutes
of the Monday rehearsal. The combination of
younger less experienced choristers with older
more experienced choristers enables the former to
assimilate many aspects of singing including
tone, repertoire and conduct through osmosis.
Since January, we’ve added four additional
choristers to our roster! Please continue to invite
family and friends to email or give me a call to
learn more about the program. We also have
flyers available for you to post in your
communities. Thanks again for your support!
SA I N T M A R K ’ S C H U R C H
T
12