May 1, 6 pm : Feast of the Ascension

Please join us and our Suffragen Bishop Catherine Roskam for our 181st annual "name day" celebration this Thursday evening, May 1, at 6 pm, when we welcome new members into our community and liturgically mark the culmination of Christ's risen presence on Earth and his ascension to sit at the right hand of his Father in heaven.

He Is Risen! Alleluia!

TENDING THE SECRET OF NEW LIFE

In her ancient wisdom the Church placed the celebration of Eastertide in the springtime, to remind us of the reality of new life coming out of the death of winter. Think of the burst of colorful blossoms and vibrant greens which happens every spring. This natural resurrection, while eagerly anticipated, is usually quite a surprise to most of us. All of a sudden what was dry and barren explodes into tender leaves, fresh grass, and flowers everywhere! It's like a miracle, even if it is predictable and recurring. As we walk the streets of the Village, we discover spring bulbs blooming in the most surprising places. Just like that — it's the Resurrection!

But there is a tiny subculture of people who are never taken by surprise by the City's spring show. I mean the gardeners who are hidden throughout our community. There are people you know who are aware almost to the minute when the snowdrops first appeared. These are the ones who, even in the midst of March, start "working" in window boxes and tiny urban gardens. They are cleaning up, preparing the soil, fertilizing, planting, germinating new seeds, sprouting things on window sills, longing for the warm sun, dreaming of summertime. Springtime doesn't take these folks by surprise. They know all about it and are constantly preparing for the miracle of new growth. Just as these urban gardeners tend the mystery of new life every spring for us "bystanders," so it is that Christians tend the mystery of Christ's Resurrection for everybody else.

Every spring the Christians know what is coming, too. They know God's secret of life, death and resurrection. They believe the wonderful news that life triumphs over death — that eternal life is the destiny of God's beloved human creatures — that we are all part of a Divine Comedy with an unimaginably happy ending! And, like the diligent gardeners around them, they are very aware of all the hard work that needs to be done to prepare the ground for growth. While others live in sleepy, wintry ignorance, Christians wrestle with the mysteries of sin and forgiveness, doing what needs to be done on behalf of all the others who may not know about Easter — or, knowing, may not believe. Easter will arrive anyway. Just like that: it's the Resurrection! And it's for everyone, for the whole world, not just the church. Christians everywhere tend this mystery for God, on behalf of all the non-gardeners in the world.

— The Rev. Andrew W. Foster, III, Rector