The Week of October 29, 2023

On a recent late September day, I was walking down County Line Road to pick up dry cleaning near Bryn Mawr Hospital. I was feeling particularly nervous about an event later that day. I was lonely and vulnerable. I offered up a prayer to God, and then as I passed Bryn Mawr Hospital, I remembered that my former spiritual director, who died within the past year, had been born in that very hospital. And so, I asked him to pray for me, too. In that moment, I was feeling quite alone, and I knew that what I had to face later in the day would need more than my own stamina or courage. I needed, first, God’s help. And I needed the prayers of the saints and of those beloved of us who have gone before us. I’m sure that my late spiritual director heard my prayer and offered one for me as well.

This may sound strange to you if you are not familiar with either praying for the dead or with asking for their prayers. But it’s not strange at all, and it certainly is not strange within the Anglo-Catholic tradition. While it’s true that Anglo-Catholics have long made a habit of praying for the dead, it’s also true that that practice is solidly within our prayer book tradition. Consider, for instance, this prayer from our funeral liturgy: “Grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go from strength to strength in the life of perfect service in thy heavenly kingdom” (The Book of Common Prayer 1979, p. 481). Or note the following from prayers for the dead: “Into thy hands, O Lord, we commend thy servant N., our dear brother, as into the hands of a faithful Creator and most merciful Savior, beseeching thee that he may be precious in thy sight. Wash him, we pray thee, in the blood of that immaculate Lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the world; that, whatsoever defilements he may have contracted in the midst of this earthly life being purged and done away, he may be presented pure and without spot before thee; through the merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord. Amen” (BCP 1979, p. 488). These prayers certainly suggest that one’s life in Christ and spiritual journey continue beyond the grave. This latter prayer implies a purgation or cleansing by which God’s beloved children are drawn, over time and in eternal time, into God’s loving arms.

If, as we profess, we believe in the communion of saints, then when we pray, we never pray alone, although we might be alone in our room. At Mass, we are rejoicing in the fellowship of a whole company of holy men and women who are in the nearer presence of God. They pray, just as we pray. The Good Shepherd parishioner who died in 1896 prays with us still in 2023. We pray for one another. We are united in bonds of fellowship and are bound together by baptism, and we share in that same hope of the resurrection from the dead in which have access to eternal life. In the collect for All Saints’ Day, we are reminded that we are “knit together. . . in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of. . . Christ our Lord” (p. 194).

Next week, we will celebrate, first, All Saints’ Day, on Wednesday, November 1, with a Procession and Sung Mass at 7 p.m. All Saints’ Day is a principal feast of the Church year, so if at all possible, I strongly encourage you to attend Mass on that day. On All Saints’ Day, we rejoice in the great company of holy men and women who have died but now live in Christ and who continue to pray for us and with us, just as we pray for and with them. On All Saints’ Day, we think especially of those people recognized as “saints” by the Church, although many unnamed individuals are in that heavenly company. On the following day, Thursday, November 2, All Souls’ Day, we pray by name for the particular souls of those beloved of us. We also acknowledge liturgically on All Souls’ Day that the Christian journey of sanctification and purification continues into the next life, and that is why we can rightly and effectively pray for the dead. As is our custom and with the permission of our bishop, the Mass will be a Requiem Mass from the American Missal, with a choral setting by Josef Rheinberger (1839 - 1901) sung by our wonderful choir. The Requiem Mass is poignantly beautiful, in my opinion, because it doesn’t feel self-conscious; its focus is purely on the saving grace of God in Christ, by which the souls of the departed are assisted in drawing nearer to God’s presence in heaven. The vestments for a Requiem Mass are black. A catafalque is set up in the crossing and covered by a black pall, to stand in for those souls for whom we will pray. Rather than finding All Souls’ Day depressing, I find it deeply encouraging. It reminds me that even though I will mess many things up in this earthly life, when I die, I can still have the benefit of the prayers of those still living on earth to aid me in my continuing journey. In other words, when I die, the story will not be finished. This doesn’t mean we don’t feel the wrenching loss of those loved ones who die, but it means that we can always rejoice in our bonds of ongoing communion with them.

This time of year, as we draw near to All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, feels like a thin time of year. We have those moments throughout our lives, where the presence of the dead is palpably with us, and when we might even sense the prayers the dead are offering for us. All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are important for us to embrace the unchanging reality of death, as well as the glorious hope that we have for spiritual purification and perfection in the life to come, as God draws us and the whole world to himself in boundless love.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of October 22, 2023

Over the past few weeks, our Advancement Committee has been inviting all of us to prayerfully consider the financial commitment that God is asking us to make to support ministry at Good Shepherd. Financial support is, of course, crucial to the existence of Good Shepherd and to the support of God’s mission here. But it is also only a part of what God invites us to give back to him as a token of gratitude for his enduring love. It’s St. Paul who gives us the wonderful image of the Body of Christ, because each of us has particular gifts that are not meant to be hidden under a bushel but, rather, shared with the world for the benefit of all.

The author of the Letter of the Ephesians (although probably not Paul but someone writing in the vein of Paul’s theology) suggests that God bestows gifts on each of us in order for the Body of Christ to be built up and for the maturation of our own spiritual lives (see chapter 4). Just as giving back to God sacrificially the money that he has given us is essential for our spiritual health, so, too, is sharing our gifts. Giving is not an alternative to sharing our gifts, nor is sharing our gifts a reason not to give money. They are both critical for mature spiritual lives in Christ.

Ministry at Good Shepherd is flourishing because so many of you have chosen to share your gifts and money for the good of the Church and the world. Some of you might be discerning how you want to share the gifts God has given to you. Others of you might not know the specific opportunities for sharing your gifts in this parish. It’s one thing to generically ask for people to offer their gifts in service; it’s another thing to ask for specific ways of helping God’s ministry. Maybe you need assistance in discerning what gifts God has given you. I’m always eager to help you with that.

To that end, I’ve drawn on the theme for this year’s stewardship campaign to invite you to consider the many specific ways of serving God at Good Shepherd. As you may recall, this year’s pledge campaign theme is “How Firm a Foundation,” taken from the great hymn found in The Hymnal 1982 (nos. 636 and 637). To riff on that hymn, the firm foundation of faith is laid for us in God’s word, vividly expressed in the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Christ is our foundation, but we are to build upon that foundation so that the Body of Christ can mature and strengthen and the Gospel be proclaimed to the ends of the earth.

One way of building on that foundation is by giving of yourself. Whether you know it or not (or want to accept it or not!), God has given you gifts to be used. Indeed, I will make an even stronger statement: God has specifically connected you with Good Shepherd not only to help ministry here but so that you might be strengthened in faith by using what God has given you.

As part of the 2024 stewardship appeal, would you consider prayerfully reflecting on how your own gifts and passions align with needs in this parish? Please take some time to review and complete this survey, which is based on the “pillars of our common life” that I shared in my message back in August. Those pillars are 1) worship; 2) formation; 3) music and the arts; 4) outreach; and 5) fellowship. The survey gives you a chance to indicate areas of parish life in which you are interested or with which you might like to assist. If you are new to the parish, it might be appropriate for you to take some time to simply be before involving yourself in ministry. Again, I would be happy to talk with you further about your own personal discernment in that regard. And plan to attend a February 11th Sunday adult formation on this topic by our theologian-in-residence, Dr. Ellen Charry.

Hardly a week goes by when I don’t find encouragement in a note left in the basket for prayer intentions at the back of the church or in something that someone says about how Good Shepherd has touched their lives. These encouraging words usually express something about how Good Shepherd meets an acute need in their lives. We should never underestimate how an open church during the week or a formation class or a music selection or a weekday service on livestream can give great meaning to someone’s life, perhaps someone you will never meet in person. And thank you for your continuing support of all that makes Good Shepherd a vibrant proclamation of and witness to the Gospel.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of October 15, 2023

In January of 2016, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land with a group from my seminary. For two weeks, we stayed at St. George’s College, Jerusalem, an “Anglican center for pilgrimage, education, hospitality, and reconciliation.” The trip was both a January-term course, which included a significant educational component, as well as a prayerful pilgrimage. We traced the steps of our Lord, from Bethlehem to Nazareth, even venturing as far afield as the Golan Heights. Needless to say, the experience was a profound one for me.

Since that trip, I have never read Scripture in the same way. Once I visited Jerusalem, I truly understood why someone in Syria could go “up” to Jerusalem. “Up” had nothing to do with cardinal directions and everything to do with the topography of Jerusalem, which is situated on a large hill. I still get chills thinking about walking on the remaining stones of the Temple, where Jesus’s feet trod, or kissing the stone on the spot believed to be the place of Jesus’s birth.

In preparation for that trip to the Holy Land, I and other seminarians were required to take a class on Christian mission, and through that class, my eyes were opened to the complexities of the historic and present tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. I learned that the seemingly intractable problems in the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians could largely be traced back to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which ambiguously attempted to parcel out land between Israelis and Palestinians but was, in reality, heavily colored by British national interests. I was reminded that fighting over land, which, ultimately, is God’s land, has been a stain on the integrity of humanity since Biblical times. We see that stain currently in the Middle East, and in the past history of the oppression of Indigenous Peoples in the Americas, and in the way in which modern powers have assumed control over land to the detriment of the weak.

The point of that seminary class I took was to prepare seminarians who were to engage in study abroad classes, mission trips, or a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The underlying agenda of the class—and rightly so—was to challenge our easy assumptions about engaging with other cultures, especially when journeying from a first world country to a country that is not first world, or to a nation whose identity has been heavily formed by colonialism. I learned that church mission trips are fraught with power dynamics: the rich church seeks to “help” a less wealthy church, out of good motives, for sure, but in a way that could be patronizing and perhaps less than helpful, or even harmful.

Back in 2016, as I reflected on my upcoming trip to the Holy Land, I was excited and also a bit frightened. We were told that, although the State Department usually discouraged Americans from visiting Israel/Palestine, St. George’s College, Jerusalem, was experienced in providing safe pilgrimages in the midst of tense political and religious situations. And indeed, I felt safe on my pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was a wonderful trip. But I will never forget seeing machine-gun wielding soldiers in the various quarters of Jerusalem, or passing through tense checkpoints, or being cautioned about existing landmines in the Jordan River.

Despite all the wonderful memories of that trip, I left the Holy Land confused and troubled. I realized that it was, in many ways, very difficult to judge the situation there. There was so much pain, so much twisted history and interference by outside nations, that it was impossible to make sense of it all. But my takeaway from the trip was that the land was steeped in holiness. It’s hard to describe the palpable sense of prayer at the Wailing Wall or at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem or on the Mount of Olives. Undoubtedly, passions run high in that land because everything comes down to religion. In that Holy City, three Abrahamic faiths struggle for their “own” territory. They struggle for the truth in which they believe. In the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, at the site of Jesus’s crucifixion, I saw both some of the most pious behavior and most deplorable behavior.

With regard to the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel, I have no words. I know enough to know what I don’t know. If I learned anything at all from visiting the Holy Land, perhaps I learned some humility about assuming who’s right and who’s wrong in the decades-old conflict, having seen the dangers of devaluing the mystery of the other. I certainly know that any acts of violence and murder, no matter how invested one is in a cause, is wrong. We long for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but perhaps we despair of seeing it realized. And it reminds me that we should never take lightly the peace of God. At every Mass, we share Christ’s peace with each other. It’s the peace that passes all understanding. We can’t create this peace ourselves. We can only receive it and pass it on to others. The peace of God is ultimately what we must desire for the Holy Land. When humans try to enforce it or make it happen, it will fail. True peace will only be God’s doing.

The picture included here, which I took on that trip to the Holy Land, is looking out of a window from inside the Church of Dominus Flevit on the Mount of Olives. “Dominus flevit” means “the Lord wept” in Latin. It commemorates the site where Jesus looked out over Jerusalem and wept over its future (Luke 19:37-42). This particular window is moving because it is placed behind the altar and includes the outward signs of the Christian sacrament of unity, the Eucharist. Right now, we can only weep for the land where Palestinians and Israelis live. And as Christians, we are compelled to see the prospect of unity given by God through his sacrament given to his Church in which we find our deepest communion with God and one another. Bread, broken and blessed, is shared so that our own broken world might be put back together by God.

We are to believe that by God’s almighty power, peace and reconciliation are actually possible. At Good Shepherd, we are praying daily for this peace, for those affected, injured, and killed in the ongoing devastating tragedy. We pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters, and for our Palestinian brothers and sisters. We pray for the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. We pray for pilgrims at St. George’s College. We pray for an end to terrorism of any kind. The words of Psalm 122 say it best:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: *
"May they prosper who love you.

Peace be within your walls *
    and quietness within your towers.

For my brethren and companions' sake, *
    I pray for your prosperity.

Because of the house of the LORD our God, *
    I will seek to do you good."

May God give his peace to that holiest of lands, where he deigned to come among us in human flesh.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of October 8, 2023

“Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” These words from the Letter to the Ephesians, are also found as closing sentences for Morning or Evening Prayer. They are some of my favorite words from Scripture that are contained within the Book of Common Prayer. These exhilarating words also remind me of the Church of the Good Shepherd.

We could describe God’s power working in us as the movement and impetus of the Holy Spirit. And in recent years, the Holy Spirit’s movement in this parish has been palpable. Here’s some of what has happened by the hand of God working through all of us here:

• average Sunday attendance has nearly doubled since 2020, even given the challenges of a pandemic.

• parish ministry has expanded to include children’s and adult formation.

• the new retreat house ministry has flourished and brought many people, from across the country, into contact with Good Shepherd, Rosemont. It has also generated $14K so far this year in donations that serve as a source of revenue for the parish.

• the diligent work of staff and parishioners has enabled us to address significant deferred maintenance on campus.

• pledged giving has increased from under $50K in 2020 to $130K (anticipated) in 2023.

• people’s lives continue to be blessed by an open church during the week and regular public worship.

• our online presence has expanded to include a network of prayerful supporters across the country.

• campus ministry brings the Gospel to local college students on a regular basis.

These are only a few of the incredible things that God is doing at Good Shepherd through the hands and hearts of so many people. I dare say that at various points in the past decade, this would have seemed much “more than we could ask or imagine.” This past week, our Advancement Committee held two online Zoom presentations as we move through the 2024 pledge campaign. I heard much excitement from parishioners and new faces in our midst. What I kept hearing was expressed inspiration at the hopeful spirit in this parish. Many parishes, when they become anxious about survival or finances, try to “cut their way to success.” They slash programs (especially music) and withdraw into their shells. They are ostensibly doing the “right” thing, but I believe it’s for the wrong reason. What they can’t see (perhaps through insufficient hope) is that cutting usually has the opposite of the intended effect. But what I see happening at Good Shepherd is a courageous willingness to expand spending, even despite financial challenges, in order to invest in ministry that is part of God’s intended flourishing for this parish.

I don’t believe this is irresponsible. It is most definitely a balancing act. We can’t get ahead of ourselves in spending, but we have to take some risks. When the three-member vestry of Good Shepherd decided to call a full-time rector in 2020, it was a huge risk. They were willing to do it out of hope. They were able to do it with the generous support of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.

Now, as we enter the second year of our five-year plan for fiscal sustainability, we are not cutting our way to success. We’re investing our way to flourishing. We are setting an ambitious pledge goal in 2024 so that we can bring staff salaries to fair levels, because investing in our staff is investing in ministry. We are investing even more money (and trust!) in our music ministry through the calling of a new Director of Music, with confidence that this will be a part of our parish’s outreach and growth. Our five-year plan will not be a straight line, because ministry never is. I believe this is another moment (like three years ago) when we need to take another leap of faith in how we invest money in ministry. Once again, we are able to do this through the generous support of our diocese, which is giving us an even larger stipend to support the rector’s salary for campus ministry, trusting that this parish is being bold for the sake of the Gospel and basing that trust on what is already happening at Good Shepherd. But beginning in 2025, we need to begin weaning ourselves off diocesan support for our own financial sustainability and health. I encourage you to read more in the weekly email about why pledging is so important in the Episcopal Church, especially if you are coming from another denomination. In short, with the exception of our current diocesan support, we are a financially self-sustaining parish.

So, here’s the invitation: would you mirror the trusting spirit of Good Shepherd, Rosemont, by giving sacrificially towards ministry in 2024? First and foremost, sacrificial giving is an invaluable spiritual practice that teaches us to relinquish our grasp on the thing that so often becomes the center of our lives. What would it mean to take a bold leap of faith in 2024 with your financial gift to the parish? If you are like me, “trying out” sacrificial giving for even a year might teach you that everything does work out after all. My firm belief is this: God has given Good Shepherd everything it needs to carry out the ministry to which he is calling us. It’s a bit like manna: no more, no less. We are not aiming to be rich. We are aiming to be faithful. What we need is right under our eyes. Will you share what God has given you by giving a sacrificial portion back to God? With God, anything is possible. And the fruits of our investment will undoubtedly be infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of October 1, 2023

In her autobiography, The Long Loneliness, Dorothy Day recounts her experience with a priest named Father Roy, who had an unusually profound trust in God’s abundance, as well as an unshakeable conviction that Christians are called to live generously. I have shared these words before with the parish and vestry, but they are so compelling, that I am moved to share them again. Dorothy Day quotes Fr. Roy, who said,

“Suppose you want to go to California and it costs a hundred dollars. You have fifteen. It is not enough. So give it away, give it to the poor. Then you suddenly have twenty-five, and that is not enough and the only thing to do is to give it away too. Even seventy-five. That is not enough. Tell the Lord you want more. Throw it away recklessly. You will get back your hundredfold. You will get what you need. Maybe it will come in graces. Maybe it will cover your spiritual needs, not just your physical. But sow, sow! As ye sow, so shall ye reap. He who sows sparingly, reaps sparingly.” [Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness (New York: HarperOne), Kindle edition, 252]

She continues:

“If we are rushed for time, sow time and we will reap time. Go to church and spend a quiet hour in prayer. You will have more time than ever and your work will get done. Sow time with the poor. Sit and listen to them, give them your time lavishly. You will reap time a hundredfold. Sow kindness and you will reap kindness. Sow love, you will reap love.” (p. 252)

The 24-7 message on television, social media, and in the accusing voices of our heads is that there is not enough. There’s never enough time. We’re never educated enough. There’s not enough money. And on and on. But this is a lie. While it’s true that many people lack the necessary resources to live a good life, that’s not because the resources are lacking in the world; it’s because those who have more than they need refuse to share what they have.

But Dorothy Day’s interpretation of sowing and reaping also suggests that we can sow one thing and reap another. We might be moved to sow all the money we have, and this doesn’t mean we’ll then reap more money by winning the lottery. We might reap such intangible things as a greater sense of charity within ourselves, or perhaps more trust in God, or perhaps stronger patience towards others.

Going out on a limb by being generous is in no sense a testing of God. Scripture warns against such dangerous behavior. When we are sacrificially generous with whatever we have—time, material possessions, money, love—we are ultimately placing our trust in God’s love and provision, as well as the conviction that God always gives us what we need. Always.

During this 2024 pledge campaign, I want to encourage all of us to take a chance on God’s generosity by summoning our own generosity. I also want to say that I believe God has given us exactly what we need right now to do the work to which we’re called. I believe that all the financial resources, time, and talent we need to sustain the vibrant life of ministry at Good Shepherd are in our midst. They are not on the outside of the parish; they are already here. Practically speaking, however, we seem to have a need. We seem to lack sufficient pledging to support ministry (which is why we have set an ambitious goal this year!), and we could use more helping hands in ministry. And so, this is why the pledge campaign is first and foremost about asking us to give to God first. We are asking because we are convinced that what we have is right before our eyes. It may not all be given, but it’s there. The question we’re all invited to prayerfully considered for the benefit of our souls as well as for the well-being of Good Shepherd, Rosemont, is this: can we trust God enough to be abundantly generous with what we’ve been given?

In some sense, we’re inviting you to echo what this parish and its leadership have done in recent years. This parish has taken bold leaps of faith, trusting in God’s generosity, by investing its limited financial resources in ministry, calling a full-time rector, supporting music, formation, and outreach. The results are the amazing things that God is doing among us. Now, we are asking you to consider doing the same with what God has given you.

If you were not able to attend the Advancement Committee’s presentation on September 17, please join one of two 30-minute Zoom presentations on Tuesday, October 3 at 7 p.m. ET and Thursday, October 5 at noon ET. The Advancement Committee is keen on ensuring that everyone understands our financial challenges at Good Shepherd as well as the realizable plan for achieving fiscal sustainability in the near future. Please take some time out of your busy schedules to join the committee for these discussions. There will be opportunities for you to ask questions, too.

And please pray for all who minister, worship, and serve at Good Shepherd as we seek to be faithful to God’s call, to know Jesus Christ, and to make him known in all that we do. Thank you!

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of September 24, 2023

Discernment rarely happens in a straight line, at least it rarely does for me. Periods of discernment require patience and can be confusing. Looking back upon the paths after reaching the “destination,” one would probably see winding, circuitous routes through unexpected places. This time of transition in our music ministry has been such a time for me.

Shortly after Easter, nearly six months ago, our former Organist & Choirmaster Matthew Glandorf told me that he had accepted a church position in Germany. After the initial surprise and then sense of sadness at seeing Matt go (as well as genuine happiness for him), I immediately set to work devising a plan for how to proceed through the coming months. As you might know, I am action-oriented and strive for efficiency, and yet this is not always how God works in our lives! With the approval of the parish vestry, we called Jack Burnam to be our Interim Organist & Choirmaster to see us through the end of the calendar year. Jack has been such a gift to us. He has already done so much in his brief time at Good Shepherd, and our new program year is off to a great start under his leadership. Back in April, I knew that we needed the gift of time to undergo proper discernment of whom God would send us as our next Director of Music.

A music advisory committee was formed to assist me in reviewing application of candidates for the position. A great deal of time was spent crafting a position description and envisioning how the parish should support a new Director of Music. Applications were received from a number of candidates, and they were carefully reviewed. Then, we invited two of the most promising candidates to audition and interview in person.

But meanwhile, God was guiding our whole process, which meant that we should have been prepared for some surprises. As much as I, the vestry, and music advisory committee could plan, we were also praying. And I believe that by setting a foundation of prayer, the task of discernment involves paying attention to what’s occurring in everyday life. What was occurring was that God seemed to be inviting us to consider my husband Robert as a candidate for this position. I should say that shortly after Matt’s departure was announced, several parishioners (including vestry members) asked whether this might be possible. I readily dismissed those suggestions, thinking about a possible conflict of interest and other practical matters. But over the ensuing weeks, God seemed to continue to bring the possibility before me and Robert, and then, ultimately, before the vestry and music advisory committee. There were, of course, many practical details to work out, but I realized that I needed to be open enough in the process of discernment to consider something that I had initially dismissed. I spoke with the vestry and music advisory committee, with our bishop (who offered his complete support), and with my spiritual director. Seeing no immediate objections, we decided to entertain the possibility of Robert becoming a candidate for the position.

At this point in the process, I agreed to step back from it so that some objectivity could be possible. Anne Hallmark, a member of the advisory committee, agreed to assume a leadership role. I’m grateful to her for leading the remainder of the search process with such grace and aplomb. Robert auditioned and interviewed like the other two candidates who interviewed in person, and the committee unanimously recommended to the vestry that Robert be called as our next Organist & Director of Music.

I realize that I am in a somewhat biased position, but I also believe that the music advisory committee and vestry have called the right person to this position. Robert has done tremendous work in his current position at Saint Mark’s Church, Locust Street, in Philadelphia, one of our sister Anglo-Catholic parishes in the diocese. This included expanding an already strong music ministry, working with a parish choir of staff singers and auditioned volunteers, and nearly doubling the number of child choristers. The expansion of that chorister program has been an engine of growth for Saint Mark’s, to which I can testify from my time there as an assistant rector overseeing children and family ministries.

Prior to serving at Saint Mark’s, Robert served as Director of Music at two other Anglo-Catholic parishes: The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, New York City, and St. Paul’s Church, K Street, in Washington, DC. There he built excellent programs and ministries as well. Robert is an exceptional organist and well-known for his ability in improvisation. Above all, he brings a commitment to the Gospel as expressed in the Anglo-Catholic tradition and always seeks to foster a spirit of community within the choral programs that he directs. So, Robert brings ideal experience to his future work at Good Shepherd.

In our previous experience working together at Saint Mark’s, Robert and I found it to be a wonderful time of mutual ministry. We intend to continue that at Good Shepherd. I believe this is a moment of great excitement for this parish. We are looking towards possibilities that will expand our parish choir to include capable volunteers and also begin to build a chorister program, within the reasonable limits of a 25-hour a week position. I am hopeful that this will lead to growth in our children’s ministry. Additionally, Robert is excited about integrating some of his work with our retreat house, and indeed, this is the second year that he is leading a retreat on hymn-playing and liturgical improvisation.

I am most grateful to the parish vestry (Don McCown, Ellen Charry, Sarah Austen, Jenny Dee, and Brett Hart) for their support in this entire music transition period, as well as that of the music advisory committee (Anne Hallmark, John Burrows, Mitos Hart, Sarah Austen, Don McCown, and Ellen Charry). One of the most remarkable things about Good Shepherd, Rosemont, is its sheer openness to being bold for the sake of ministry, and the discernment during this music transition has been no exception. This willingness to be open to new possibilities has allowed us, I believe, to respond faithfully to the Holy Spirit’s surprising direction in the past few months.

Robert’s first Sunday with us will be on January 14, 2024. In the meantime, I am sincerely grateful for all that Jack Burnam is doing to lead us confidently through the next few months. Let’s pray for Saint Mark’s Church as it navigates its own time of transition, and please pray for Good Shepherd as we continue to strive to respond courageously to God’s call.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of September 17, 2023

When I first became an Episcopalian, the concept of pledging was new to me. I had grown up in the Roman Catholic tradition, and I remember (and I’m still grateful for this!) watching my parents put an envelope of money in the collection basket each weekend at church. But at some point, I came to learn that the Episcopal Church (and many other denominations as well) base much of their ministry and operations on pledges, which are different from plate contributions.

For the past three years, we have been talking a lot about pledging and why it’s important for the sustenance of Good Shepherd. A pledge is a financial commitment to the life of the parish for a year. A pledge can be any amount: $50 or $5,000. But pledges are the most helpful means of sustaining ministry in a parish because they are predictable sources of income. Other sources, such as special gifts and plate income (which has its own budget line item) are less predictable. In short, if we at Good Shepherd want to build a responsible budget for each fiscal year, we need to know what amount of pledged income we can hope to receive in any given year. As I’ve mentioned, plate and pledge income are distinct. Ideally, people will contribute to plate income at various services and also make a pledge for the year. Our budget planning assumes this will be the case.

In the Episcopal Church, each parish is more or less self-sustaining. Episcopal parishes don’t typically receive outside support for operations. So each parish must pay the salaries of clergy and staff from their own generated revenue. Good Shepherd is fortunate to have some financial support for my salary from our diocese because of the campus ministry in which I’m engaged. That is a rare gift, and although we are deeply grateful for diocesan support of my salary, we must gradually wean ourselves off this support in order to be fully sustainable. Our five-year plan for fiscal sustainability includes such planning. In short, the money that is given to Good Shepherd stays here to support operations and ministry, with the small exception of our annual required gift to the diocese.

So, what is a reasonable pledge? The 67th General Convention of the Episcopal Church passed a resolution affirming the tithe to be the “minimum standard” of giving for Episcopalians. A tithe is 10% of one’s income. It’s not clear whether that’s gross or net, but I would suggest that 10% of one’s net income is certainly in keeping with tithing principles. Undeniably, this requires great sacrifice. It requires giving to God first. In other words, we determine, based on our net income, what we give to God, and then we make everything else work out. Yes, I know this sounds foolish in the view of the world, but after all (as St. Paul reminds us), we are fool’s for Christ’s sake.

As your priest, if I’m going to encourage you to consider tithing (or intentionally building towards a tithe), I must lead by example. So, I’m asking you to join me in tithing on your net income in 2024. I have already made my pledge for 2024. And as you probably know, our Advancement Committee has just kicked off our 2024 pledge (stewardship) campaign. In fact, we’ve already received pledges in addition to mine! You can pledge online now. (Please note that pledging online does not mean you have to pay your pledge online.)

I will be honest that it has taken me many years to get to the point where I can tithe. I first pledged when I was working on my doctorate and accruing student loan debt. It wasn’t a large pledge, but it was a pledge nevertheless. Over the years, I would try to increase my pledge commitment, but I was usually only parting with what I had to spare. In recent years, as I have served as a priest in the church, I have realized the spiritual importance of sacrificial giving. I have also come to appreciate more fully how crucial sacrificial giving is to the sustenance of the Church’s ministry. I now do the following: I calculate what 10% of my net income is, and I make my pledge. Then, I have to pay bills and make student loan payments. I put money into retirement savings to plan for the future, and then if there’s money left over, I can buy things for myself. Recently, my husband, Robert, and I sat down with our financial planner, and we were very clear that our retirement plans must be contingent on giving sacrificially to the parishes we serve. So far, we have not had any problems making ends meet.

I share this only because I want you to know that it wouldn’t be fair or right for me to ask you to consider tithing if I didn’t practice it myself. I also know that we all have different demands on our money, and we are all in different situations. Sacrificial giving is a matter of conscience; it is also an invaluable spiritual practice. If you are not yet ready to tithe, do not feel guilty. Prayerfully consider how you might get to a tithe over the course of several years. God’s favor is, of course, not dependent on what we give, but from a spiritual perspective, I will say that I think my own spirituality has changed through giving to God first. Giving really is a spiritual practice, like saying one’s prayers or going to Mass. The more we can be grateful for all God has given us, the more sacrificial giving will become a joy for us.

This Sunday, I strongly urge you to stay after either the 8 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. Masses to hear a presentation by our Advancement Committee. Breakfast will be provided after 8 a.m., and lunch after 10:30 a.m. We are experiencing an incredibly exciting time in the life of this parish church. I hope we can celebrate all that is happening (and has happened) and then imagine and envision what can happen in the future. To make that happen, we rely, first and foremost, on God’s grace, but we also need your support: your time, talents, and financial contributions. Everyone makes a difference at Good Shepherd.

I give to Good Shepherd, not only because it’s good for my soul but because I believe that in this place, God is changing lives. We are proclaiming the Gospel vigorously in an age that desperately needs to hear it. Pledging to this parish is no small thing. It enables Christ to be known and made known in this community and beyond. Will you join me in supporting God’s mission in this parish?

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of September 10, 2023

In 1543, Nicholas Copernicus published his earth-shattering work On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, which posited a heliocentric model of the universe as opposed to a geocentric one. Despite its inaccuracies, we now know Copernicus to have been correct. The earth orbits around the sun. The earth is not the center of the universe. According to this “new” model, the sun is. If the sun isn’t exactly at the geometric center of the universe, we know the earth moves around the sun. In its day, this was a revolutionary shift in thinking. The Church certainly didn’t want to hear that the earth wasn’t at the center of things; remember how Galileo would later suffer at the hands of the Church. To accept that the sun was the center of the universe required a completely radical shift in orientation for the Renaissance mind.

When we enter into a relationship with God, and especially one where we know God in Christ, the priorities of our own personal universes are changed. We frequently fail to recognize this, but to be a Christian—and in 2023, no less—means putting God at the center of our lives, instead of ourselves, our work, our extracurricular activities, our money, and our possessions. Do you see how wild this is? Do you see how utterly confounding it may be? Isn’t this one of the most difficult things to do?

This is what we profess: our lives are not our own, they are God’s. Our acquired wealth is not our money, it’s God’s. Our talents are not of our own achieving, they are gifts from God. No matter how much our lives are vocational, and no matter how much our “work” may be fulfilling and a response to God’s call to us, the truth is that God is at the center of it all, and God invites us to see this and accept it in love. And so our week is centered not on Friday or on the day the big project is due or on the day of the soccer match; our week revolves around Sunday, the Lord’s Day. This is the day on which Jesus broke the bonds of death and gave us life and freedom. It is the day that shapes every second of our lives.

I’m writing about this now because we are entering into a new season. It’s not Advent, and we are not yet beginning a new Church year. It’s not a new calendar year. We are starting a new program year. A program year is hardly a theological construction, but it is, for better or for worse, the time in which we leave summer behind and commit ourselves anew to “life as usual.” But I want to suggest that this program year, you consider making God the center of all that is usual. Can you make what is ordinary extraordinary by letting God inform all of it? Here are some gentle suggestions.

• Make the Lord’s Day primary for you and your family. Come to church every Sunday. Let it be the norm rather than the exception. Attend adult formation. Bring your children to Sunday School/children’s formation. It may seem like a chore at times, but I don’t think you will regret it.

• Make time for prayer each and every day. Maybe your prayers are brief ones at key moments in the day, but invite God into your life so that it becomes unceasing prayer. Come to Morning or Evening Prayer at the church if you can, or pray with us online. Attend Masses on Major Holy Days to let the sacred rhythm of the Church’s calendar break into our other calendars.

• Consider doing something at church (or engaging in a spiritual practice) during the week. Make time for that and then fit everything else in. Maybe it’s the Wednesday evening contemplative prayer/mindfulness group or Pilgrims in Christ. Maybe it’s one of our online offerings through the retreat house or a Saturday day retreat. It could be helping with our retreat house ministry. We have many ways to grow in faith, hope, and love at Good Shepherd.

These are only a few suggestions, but I hope you get the point. At first, restructuring one’s life in this drastically different way might seem like a chore, a duty, or even contrived. Don’t worry about that; it will only feel as such because our lives have become so misshapen by the world in which we live. Spiritual practice is like athletic training or musical practice; it takes time and intention. And with time and intention, we will find the Holy Spirit drawing us into freedom and joy. The Holy Spirit will be more in control, and we will step aside. Our Christian calling is to put God at the center of all we do, and because God became incarnate in Jesus Christ, it means that even the ordinary can be imbued with the holiness of God.

I’m very excited for the beginning of this new program year. If you are a student or the parent of a student, bring your (or your children’s) backpacks to be blessed at coffee hour after Sung Mass. We will welcome back our choir at Sung Mass and have an official welcome to Jack Burnam (our Interim Organist & Choirmaster) and his wife, Jeannette, at coffee hour. I hope to see you in church this Sunday!

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of September 3, 2023

There was a sign on the door of the Anglo-Catholic parish of which I was a member when I lived in Washington, DC. It said in all capital letters, “THE MISSION FIELD BEGINS HERE, NOW.” This sign was a not-so-subtle caution against thinking we can go to Mass, receive the Sacrament, and then go on living our lives for the rest of the week as if nothing had happened. Believe me: plenty of people do this! But it is in leaving the Mass, having been fed with the Body and Blood of our Lord, that we are to go into the world to live as people changed by the Gospel and to live as if we are changed. In the words of Frank Weston, a former Anglo-Catholic Bishop of Zanzibar, in a sermon to a gathering of Anglo-Catholics in 1923, “you have got to come out from before your Tabernacle and walk, with Christ mystically present in you, out into the streets of this country, and find the same Jesus in the people of your cities and your villages. You cannot claim to worship Jesus in the Tabernacle, if you do not pity Jesus in the slum.” (http://anglicanhistory.org/weston/weston2.html)

And so it may be that the Dismissal of the Mass is at times the most neglected part of the Mass, when indeed, the Dismissal is the moment where the rubber hits the road, where what we profess with our lips must take shape in our lives. Beginning on Sunday, September 10, we will begin standing for the Dismissal of the Mass. We typically kneel for the Blessing, which is appropriate, but it seems most logical and fitting as we use our bodies in worship to stand and be sent into the world for the Dismissal. This is a seemingly small change (and reflects what most Episcopal parishes tend to practice), but it says everything about what we are being asked to do in the Dismissal.

There is one other ceremonial change that we will see on September 10 when we begin our new program year, and it also has to do with the Dismissal. (I do not call it a liturgical change because it is extra-liturgical in nature.) For the past several years, it has been the custom to recite or sing the Angelus at the end of the 10:30 a.m. Sung Mass, but this has not been a long-standing practice at Good Shepherd. The Angelus is a traditional prayer of the Incarnation recited at 9 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. At Good Shepherd, on weekdays, the Angelus is prayed as Morning Prayer begins and at 5:30 p.m. as Evening Prayer begins. When our Tower bells are once again able to ring in a timely fashion, the Angelus will also ring at noon. I love the Angelus, because like the rhythm of the liturgical year, it is a powerful sign of the sacred breaking into our quotidian lives, summoning us to pray. However, the Angelus placed at the end of Sung Mass has tended to obscure the liturgical thrust of what the Dismissal is intended to do. (Its addition at the end of Mass is a remnant of pre-liturgical reform tendencies to add more and more accretions to the Mass, when in fact, the Sunday Mass is primarily about the celebration of the Lord’s Day. The 1979 Book of Common Prayer emphasizes that the Lord’s Day and its focus on our Lord’s saving actions are of primary importance for the Sunday Mass.) When the Angelus is used to end Mass, we are sent ceremonially and ritually from the Altar not into the world but to a side shrine for an extra-liturgical devotion. So, it seems most fitting to move from the Dismissal at the Altar to the Tower doors, where we are visually being sent into the world. True, we may go to coffee hour more directly, but you get the point! Beginning on Sunday, September 10, we will no longer end Sung Mass with the Angelus but with a hymn and procession to the Tower doors as a visible sign of the heart of the Dismissal. This also allows me to be present at the church entrance to greet those leaving the church in a more timely fashion.

A few more thoughts: the Angelus will continue to be prayed publicly eleven times on weekdays at Good Shepherd. I realize that praying the Angelus is dear to many of your hearts; it is to mine as well. This change at Sung Mass does not mean that we are dispensing with a devotion but rather restoring it to its customary time of 12 noon and allowing it to have its own place, quite appropriately, apart from the Mass. Devotion to Our Lady is a major characteristic of the piety of Good Shepherd and of Anglo-Catholic parishes. We have an entire Lady Chapel dedicated to her, and I encourage you to ask for the Blessed Mother’s intercession in both that chapel and at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. And when our Tower bells are once again ringing correctly and as the Angelus bells sound at noon on Sunday, I would encourage us all to pause and say the Angelus together. Historically, this has been the custom at Good Shepherd on Sundays.

This Sunday change is not a change in devotional practice but an intentional shift to allow the Mass to be the Mass and to let our ritual action reflect the Eucharistic theology behind it. May we remember the crucial words at the door of the church as we leave: the mission field begins here, now. May our lives be the Dismissal in action.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of August 27, 2023

Some of the most comforting words in Scripture are from the mouth of Jesus: “[E]ven the hairs of your head are all counted” (Luke 12:7; see also Matthew 10:30). God does not simply love us; God loves us with a personal love, so personal that God counts the hairs on our heads. We, in essence, are more than just a number.

We live, of course, in an age of statistics. In society, in our jobs, and in our schools, we are reduced to percentages and numbers of people, and even with the Church, we can become so obsessed with numbers that we forget about the faces and hearts behind them. But with God, we are always more than just a number.

So, while we may be part of numbers that are counted (e.g., one of x number of people living in the state of Pennsylvania, or one of x number of Episcopalians, or one of x number of people in the parish’s list of active baptized members, we are more than just x. But being counted also matters. Being counted means both that we are more than a number and also that being an acknowledged part of a greater whole has profound meaning.

As Christians, we find our ultimate membership in our baptism into the Body of Christ. We are certainly “counted” before baptism, but baptism is the visible, sacramental expression of our adoption into the family of God, where we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and are bound to one another. This binding extends far beyond our biological families. We become members of a new family. I am often asked what being a member of Good Shepherd entails. In the Episcopal Church, membership is defined as follows: “All persons who have received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism with water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, whether in this Church or in another Christian Church, and whose Baptisms have been duly recorded in this Church, are members thereof.” This is why Holy Communion is open to all baptized persons, regardless of denomination or age.

But more specifically, our accountability as members of Christ’s larger Body happens most acutely in our parishes of membership. In these little microcosms of the Body of Christ, we come to know one another, sharing in our joys and sorrows, and it is in the parish that we most vividly find support when we’re in need and the encouragement to seek reconciliation when it is necessary. The rites of Baptism and Marriage in the prayer book demand vows from those present to support the candidates for baptism and the couple being married. This is accountability. And so, it is important, both from a statistical perspective but more importantly from a spiritual perspective that we acknowledge our responsibility to one another in the Church.

The canons of the Episcopal Church define aspects of our common life together, and these are supplemented by diocesan bylaws and parish bylaws. Each year, every parish in the Episcopal Church reports membership. “‘All persons who have received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism with water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, whether in this Church or in another Christian Church, and whose Baptisms have been duly recorded in this Church,’ are members thereof. (Canon I.17.1) Note: A person’s baptism, when duly recorded in the Register of Church Membership and Rites (also known as the Parish Register or Church Register) of the recording congregation, is his/her record of membership in the Episcopal Church.”  Our parish bylaws state that active baptized members who have contributed financially to the life of the parish are eligible to vote in parish elections. This is important: here we are accountable to one another. Those of us who are deeply involved in the life of this parish delegate great responsibilities for the well-being of this parish to others.

How does one go about becoming an official member of Good Shepherd?

• If you have previously been a member of another Episcopal parish, please ask that parish to transfer your "letter of membership" to Good Shepherd.

• If you were baptized in another denomination, you can simply let us know that you want your baptism recorded here at Good Shepherd, and we can record that. If you have a copy of a baptismal certificate, we would like to have that on file, too. Please contact Father Kyle if you have any questions.

But I also believe that our membership is more than just paperwork and numerical accountability. I encourage any of you who are new to the Episcopal Church (even within the past few years) to consider formation in the Episcopal and wider Anglican tradition. If you were baptized, especially at a young age, the Church expects that you will make a mature, public affirmation of that faith, which is called Confirmation. And if you are new to the Episcopal Church (from say the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or another tradition in which you were confirmed), it is appropriate to be officially received by a bishop into the Episcopal Church (called Reception into the Episcopal Church). Our Pilgrims in Christ class is appropriate and encouraged for those of you who may want to mark this particular year as an opportunity to deepen your faith and become a member of Good Shepherd. You can register here. Pilgrims is also intended for those who have been Episcopalians for years, too! This year’s class meets on the first three Thursdays of each month, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., and our format is hybrid in-person/Zoom. The first six meetings will be specifically an introduction to the Anglican tradition, and anyone is welcome to participate in just these first six classes.

If you feel that it is time for you to make Good Shepherd your “official” parish home, please contact me. Regardless of your decision in that regard, I am delighted that you are here. Both official members and others who are active in the life of the parish contribute significantly to God’s work here, and I am deeply appreciative of that. Each of you is counted as God’s beloved child. You are loved by God as more than just a number. Your gifts and presence at Good Shepherd are welcome, regardless of whether you vote in parish elections and are an active baptized member. And most of all, God has brought you here for a special reason, and for that, I am grateful.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of August 20, 2023

On Sunday, September 10, we will begin a new “program year.” For those new to the Episcopal Church, “program year” might be an unfamiliar term. But the reality is that most Episcopal parishes function with a more robust schedule during the standard American academic year (roughly September through May). Accordingly, on September 10, our children’s formation program (i.e., Sunday School/children’s education) will begin on a weekly basis. We will resume other regular adult formation/education classes. More special events will be happening. Our choir will return to sing at Sunday Mass on a weekly basis.

“Program year” can sound a bit corporate or businesslike, but I would argue that a look at our 2023-2024 program year calendar will highlight the pillars of the community God is forming at Good Shepherd, Rosemont. These pillars reveal how we understand our relationship with God in fellowship with one another. Here are the pillars:

1 ) Worship: Worship is the most important pillar of our life together in Christ. In worship, we simply adore God with no ulterior motive, with no agenda, with no need to be productive. In worship, we respond to God’s first love for us, and worship forms us as the people God is calling us to be. Notice how much worship is on our calendar, not just Sunday worship, but Major Holy Day Masses, Choral Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the Daily Office, and weekday Masses.

2) Formation: We use this word deliberately because it’s not mere education. Our minds are educated to some extent. We learn, but in doing so, mind is melded with heart, and an integration occurs, reminding us that, because of the Incarnation, what we do with our bodies is integrally related to what goes on in our minds. We are not simply people in our heads. We are people of body, heart, and soul.

3) Music and the arts: Our Main Line Early Music Concert series and music ministry are not supernumerary.They reflect our understanding of beauty in the world. Art echoes, to some extent, worship. Art is about the act of creating as our own fallible attempt to mirror God’s perfect creating. Art is not utilitarian. We are not a utilitarian parish or people. Art is worth making because it’s like our worship: we are not trying to get something out of it. It’s about reveling in the creative power of God.

4) Outreach: Our retreat house ministry is our primary means of outreach to the local community. We have just finished hosting a family through the Hosts for Hospitals program. Dozens of people from all over the country have stayed in our retreat house over the past year. The house is a place with open doors and a big heart. Outreach is the Dismissal of the Mass in action. Through our retreat house, Good Shepherd is extending its arms out into the world, moving from a closed to an open posture.

5) Fellowship: People new to the Episcopal Church often comment that our coffee hours remind them that we don’t just come to Mass to be fed and “get” something. Sunday worship is not a mere obligation. It’s about being in community with one another as we worship almighty God. Christianity is not for individualists. All of our fellowship opportunities flow from our worship of God. One can’t be a Christian in a bubble.

From looking at our program year calendar, you will see these pillars of our common life together. Worship is the most important, and indeed it connects all of them. And to some extent, participating in our calendar of events is akin to adopting a rule of life. If you choose a bit of something from each of the pillars, you will find your entire body being formed and shaped by God. That’s the intent. I strongly encourage you to take note of our calendar so that now you can begin to structure your own busy schedule around the pillars of our common life together. Being Christian is a full body experience. I pray that this coming “program year” will be a rich opportunity for you to submit yourself to the ongoing creative and dynamic life of the Trinity, of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who is always inviting us into the divine life of love.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of August 13, 2023

In Scripture, we hear Jesus invite children into his presence. “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it” (Luke 18:15-17; see also Matthew 19:13-15 and Mark 10:13-16). Biblical scholars tell us that the point of Jesus inviting the children to him is not so much that little children are innocent but that they represented some of the most vulnerable in ancient society. So, Jesus lovingly welcomes the most marginalized and helpless. Point taken. But does this also have to mean that we adults can’t learn something profound from children? How many times have you seen a young child understand the mystery, joy, or humor of God more easily than an adult? For me, at least, I find it quite helpful to learn from the genuine openness and receptivity of children who have not yet been jaded by a difficult, harsh world. I think this has a lot to do with the posture required to enter the kingdom of heaven.

This past week at Good Shepherd was a reminder of what children can teach us in our lives of faith. Friday concludes our third annual children’s summer camp. Eleven children, more than half of whom were from outside the parish, spent five days learning about the ways in which God’s goodness is echoed in God’s good creation. Our theme was “Let All Creation Praise the Lord.” Each day, we began with prayer and then a story from Scripture, most of which were from our Godly Play curriculum. We sang, danced, made beautiful art, played games, and took field trips around the campus each day. The porch of our retreat house was a fantastic venue for art and play. The week culminated in a skit created and produced by the children that tells the story of creation, using pieces of music that represent the seven days of the creation story. It has been a delight to watch the children put their whole minds and heart into this imaginative enterprise.

Just three years ago, there was no children’s formation here at Good Shepherd. But with interest from a couple of families, and the support of the parish, we began a ministry for children and families at the height of the pandemic. It has grown by the grace of God over the past three years, and I pray this ministry will continue to flourish. There are many children in our neighborhood, and I often wonder if they have a church. Do these young children know God and his endless love and mercy? I hope so, and if not, I hope our parish might be a place where they can know God in Christ. Our annual children’s summer camp is just one way in which we reach out our hands to the local community to show God’s love to all.

I’m grateful to our camp helpers this week: Gail McCown, Heidi Kolberg, Sarah Austen, and Kit Apostolacus. Margaret Helminska and Anna Helminska provided snacks for the week, and our parish staff offered support to ensure that camp went smoothly. It’s a great gift that a parish of our size can support an endeavor like this week’s.

May God continue to bless this parish with children and families. May we always seek to be a community where children can see the love and joy of God visibly expressed in Christian witness. And perhaps it will be the children themselves who help us appreciate more fully the boundless forgiveness and compassion of a God who is always welcoming us home.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of August 6, 2023

A few months ago, when I announced that our beloved Organist and Choirmaster Matt Glandorf had been called to a new church position in Germany, I also announced that, with the consent of the vestry, I had asked Jack Warren Burnam to serve as our Interim Organist and Choirmaster at Good Shepherd while we conducted a thorough and prayerful search for a new Director of Music. I was thrilled that Jack accepted my invitation, after some consideration, and I’m happy to say that Jack is now officially on staff here at Good Shepherd as of August 1. He will be with us at least through the end of 2023.

You can learn more about Jack by visiting our staff page on the parish website. Jack comes to us with significant experience in church music in the Episcopal Church, retiring recently from Immanuel-Church-on-the-Green in New Castle, Delaware. Leaf through The Hymnal 1982 and you will even find some hymns harmonized by Jack! Jack is a published composer, a faithful Christian, and a wonderfully nice person. He and his wife, Jeannette, have worshipped at Good Shepherd on numerous occasions and, I feel, have already become a part of this parish community.

When Jack agreed to serve as Interim Organist and Choirmaster at Good Shepherd, he had already committed to a number of summer Sundays as a supply organist in other parishes. So, while Jack is officially on our staff, we will not see him regularly on Sundays until September 3, although Jack will be playing for us on August 20. However, Jack is busy at work already. He showed up for Morning Prayer yesterday morning to pray with me, and we have begun meeting and planning liturgies for the fall. I’m very much looking forward to serving with Jack.

I hope you will introduce yourself to him when you see him on August 20, and please join me in heartily welcoming Jack and Jeannette to Good Shepherd!

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of July 30, 2023

Some years ago when I was serving as Director of Music in a parish, I made a presentation at an adult formation hour to explain why the parish should fund staff singers to support the volunteer choir. This parish had no history of paid staff singers as section leaders, so it was a big step for me to push towards adding that expense to the music budget. As part of my presentation, I looked at John 12:1-8, where Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anoints Jesus’s feet with precious, pure nard and wipes them with her hair. To me, this passage explains why we can justify spending money on music, vestments, and other aspects of worship, especially when the temptation might be to cut corners. True, we could worship without music. True, a priest could even celebrate Mass without vestments (and certainly without nice ones!). We could even (shudder!) buy electronic candles for the high altar. But that’s not the point. The point is that in John 12:1-8, Jesus justifies what Mary did. Remember that Judas Iscariot is the first to condemn Mary’s actions. “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” And we know what he ended up doing to Jesus. Judas’s protest creates a straw man. It’s not either you anoint Jesus’s feet with oil or you give to the poor. It’s not about any of that. Jesus affirms that Mary’s act of love and devotion is beautiful in and of itself. Full stop.

I recently finished reading Art and Faith: A Theology of Making by the Japanese artist Makoto Fujimura (New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 2020), and I was pleased to see that Fujimura also looks at John 12 (and John 11) to argue how artists are theologians. Artists, Fujimura suggests, spend time on things that our culture considers a waste of time. Painters spend all day in their studios on one finger of a person’s hand. Musicians practice for months for one hour-long recital. Fujimura contrasts our culture’s impatience and utilitarianism with what he calls a “Lazarus culture” (see ch. 10). Lazarus, you might recall, was Mary’s (and Martha’s) brother who was resuscitated by Jesus after dying. Jesus waited two more days before visiting Lazarus after learning he was ill, and then he raises him from the dead. What was the point in raising him from the dead, Fujimura argues? No point except to show the hope of the resurrection, to show that there is something beyond death. So a Lazarus culture is not utilitarian; it’s a culture where “wasting time” on art and music are essential to being creative people who echo in their own fallible way something of the perfect creativity of God.

Why do we spend hundreds of dollars on real beeswax candles for the altar? Why do we have so much rich art in our church, like works of Samuel Yellin and Davis d’Ambly? Why do we remain committed to funding staff singers and Choral Scholars and increasing pay for our musician while still drawing far too heavily from our investments? Why do we continue to offer public liturgies of Morning and Evening Prayer even when I’m often the only one present? Why do we, as a small parish, hold Sung Masses on feast days, even if only ten people are in the nave? We do all of this because it’s about giving all we have—and the best we have and can give—to God. We don’t offer Mass because we need a full church (although I’d love a full church!). And supporting music and the arts is one of the best uses of our parish’s budget because it reminds us that each and every one of us is called to give extravagantly to God. God doesn’t need our gifts, but we give them anyway.

Precisely when we are short on cash, we give recklessly to God. Exactly when we don’t have enough time to meet with someone, we do it anyway because it’s the kind thing to do. And when others throw mean words our way, we offer an abundance of loving words in return. It’s foolish outside of a Lazarus culture, but in a Lazarus culture, it’s what we do as disciples of our Lord.

I’m thankful that Good Shepherd is a place that is fostering a Lazarus culture. I’m thankful that I’ve never had to argue for supporting music, supporting staff appropriately, and buying good-quality things for our worship. We are not being reckless; we are being faithful. And above all, we are trying to echo in some imperfect way God’s perfect and extravagant (should we say wasteful?) devotion to each and every one of us, no matter how many times we sin and run away from God’s love. Such a God deserves nothing but our very best.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of July 23, 2023

I have missed seeing you at Mass over the past couple of weeks while I was away on vacation. On Sundays, July 9 and 16, I was worshipping at two different Episcopal parishes in the Atlanta area while visiting my husband’s family and making my way to Savannah, Georgia, to spend some time in that beautiful city on vacation. In a previous message, I encouraged all of you to find the nearest Episcopal parish in which to worship while on vacation. And if that’s not possible, find some church! The Lord’s Day is still the Lord’s Day, regardless of summer schedules. In the Christian life, it takes precedence over all other obligations and activities. But above all, Christian worship is meant to be full of joy! Every Sunday is a little Easter in which we celebrate Jesus’s resurrection from the dead and our concomitant freedom from sin and death.

Over the past two weeks, I found myself reflecting on the breadth and diversity of the worldwide Church, even within the much smaller niche of the Episcopal Church. It was good for me to see other parishes engaging in their own ministries and continuing to celebrate the Sacraments and preach the Gospel, and I was impressed at how full both churches were that I visited. That is an encouraging sign in an age when we are consistently told of Church decline. As I’ve also said before, the more we preach that pessimistic narrative, the more it will become self-fulfilling. I was happy to see that, as with Good Shepherd, other churches proceed with ministry throughout the summer. Indeed, ministry never stops!

And yet, being away made me realize what I miss about Good Shepherd when I’m not here. I usually miss our liturgy, music, and of course, the people. And I’m also reminded that we may very well encounter our own visitors this summer at Good Shepherd, and I hope you will join me in warmly welcoming them to our own portion of God’s kingdom.

While summer is programmatically slower than the rest of the year, Good Shepherd continues to be a busy place. Consider all that has been happening this summer and all that will continue to happen in the remainder of the summer months:

• We are nearing the end of the time period for accepting applications for our new Director of Music position. Soon, we will begin in-person interviews and welcome Jack Warren Burnam as our Interim Organist and Choirmaster until a new Director of Music is called.

• Work has just been completed in the Lady Chapel to repair roof and plaster damage (this is being funded by money received from an insurance claim; otherwise, we would not have been in a position to fund this work).

• We have continued to address damaged roofing and leaking ceilings around campus, evidence of the extensive deferred maintenance on this campus, and we have more to do (perhaps some of you witnessed the torrents of water flooding into the church on July 9 and 16 during Mass). Unfortunately, for the present time, we are not financially poised to undertake major roofing work, but we are managing what we can to get us to a place where significant capital work can eventually be done. Thank you to Donald McCown, Rector’s Warden, for his helpful work in this regard!

• This week, the retreat house will host twelve participants in a summer institute sponsored by the Delaware Academy of Vocal Arts. Join us for Choral Compline sung by the participants on Thursday, July 27, at 8 p.m. in the church!

• We are finalizing our calendar for next program year, and we will soon be very busy with new retreat house offerings (day, program, and online), as well as children’s and adult formation and other parish events. Stay tuned! And it’s not too early to sign up for some of these events.

• We continue with the Daily Office and weekday Masses, in addition to Sunday Masses. Hallow the ordinariness of your day with the extraordinariness of prayer.

• We are looking forward to a new season of Pilgrims in Christ. Learn more about Pilgrims, and register here. You do not need to be new to the Church to participate!

And there is more. For a small parish that is growing, Good Shepherd is a busy place. And so as we draw closer to a new program year, I invite you to prayerfully consider ways of lending your time and gifts to ministry at Good Shepherd. If you’re already doing so, thank you! If not, please contact me, and I’d be delighted to assist you with discerning how God is calling you to serve his Church in this parish community. I hope you won’t be shy about reaching out. We always welcome the efforts of new hearts, minds, and hands in this place. For ministry at Good Shepherd to thrive, we need your help. I’m looking forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of July 9, 2023

Sunday, July 9, will be Matthew Glandorf’s last Sunday with us at Good Shepherd. For the past six years, Matt has served Good Shepherd faithfully, journeying with the parish through difficult times and seeing it through to the other side. As I mentioned at the farewell luncheon for Matt on July 2, Matt has played a major part in the revival of Good Shepherd, Rosemont. He has such a rare combination of gifts: musical brilliance, intelligence, and a passion for ministry. These three gifts, among many others, have been a blessing to all of us at Good Shepherd. And because Matt is confident in the gifts God has given him, he is also humble. It has been a great privilege to serve with Matt. As I’ve said before, at the end of Mass when Matt is improvising, I can happily stand at the door of the church with a smile on my face, knowing that great music is at the core of the vitality of this parish’s proclamation of the gospel. I will always be grateful for all Matt has done to strengthen ministry at Good Shepherd.

I’m sorry to miss Matt’s last official Sunday (I’m away on vacation until July 19), but my vacation was planned prior to my learning of Matt’s departure. So, I’m thankful that we could celebrate Matt’s time with us on Sunday, July 2. If you missed that celebration and will be in town on July 9, please send Matt off with your best wishes. And pray for Matt as he moves to Germany on July 10. Let’s give thanks for the gift of music, and especially for six wonderful years with Matt Glandorf on staff. May God bless Matt in his position as he continues to bless others with music.

O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 819)

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of July 2, 2023

If you have a piano in your house, you probably know when it goes out of tune. Often, this happens gradually, perhaps with a change of weather. To maintain piano health, it’s essential to have pianos tuned regularly, whether or not they are being played regularly. The piano tuner’s job is to bring everything back into tune and stabilize the overall tuning of the piano. This is a complicated process that requires tuning different notes in different ways so that when many notes are played at once, the piano will be “in tune.” As you are reading this message, I will be returning from a three-day retreat at Holy Cross Monastery in upstate New York. For me, a spiritual retreat once a year is like a spiritual retuning.

As I approach the date to begin a retreat, I’m always aware of how much I’m in need of one. My heart, body, and soul feel slightly out of tune. If I look back on the past year since my last retreat, I see much joy and also many challenges. I have navigated periods of intense work, losses of parishioners, farewells to beloved people, and numerous joys. And all of this combines to put my soul in need of a retuning. But here the analogy must cease, because my spiritual state is retuned largely through silence and slowing down.

If you haven’t visited Holy Cross Monastery, I encourage you to do so. It’s located on a beautiful parcel of land on the banks of the Hudson River north of New York City. It is an Episcopal monastery (yes, we have a number of them!) of men in the Benedictine tradition. These monks take vows of celibacy and poverty and agree to live in community together until their deaths. Each day, they chant the rhythm of the Daily Office and celebrate Mass. They eat together, and those of us who are their guests do the same.

When I’m on retreat, I spend time in contemplative prayer, and I read, take naps, and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the peaceful monastery grounds. I unplug, which means that I avoid technology other than checking in with family. I prefer not to talk to others much, and periods of silence are mandated in the monastery, although there is usually conversation at meals. Rooms are simple; they still have no air conditioning. And after a few days of settling into this rhythm, I find that my body and soul have been recalibrated. I have slowed down. I have begun to enter into the first language of God, which is silence.

I don’t need to tell you that our world is too noisy. Smartphones have made it incredibly difficult to find silence, either audibly or mentally. But spiritual retreats are not just for clergy. Many laypersons make regular retreats. For your own spiritual wellbeing, I would encourage you to consider making a spiritual retreat once a year. Obviously, our Rosemont Community Retreat House is based on the ministry of hospitality, and we offer a place for others to find spiritual solace. But you and I will need to find other places, where we can have a change of scenery. Vacations are wonderful and necessary. But spiritual retreats are something different.

If you are looking for an Episcopal/Anglican community within reasonable traveling distance, consider Holy Cross Monastery, the Community of St. John Baptist (Episcopal nuns) in Mendham, New Jersey, or the Society of St. John the Evangelist (Episcopal monks) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Retune your body and soul by making an annual spiritual retreat part of your own rule of life.

I pray for Good Shepherd on my retreats, and making my own annual retreat enables me to care for myself so that I can care for you and be a faithful priest and pastor. I’m looking forward to being with you this Sunday for Mass and for our farewell sendoff to Matthew Glandorf.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of June 25, 2023

We are well into the Sundays after Pentecost, or what in some denominations are called the Sundays in Ordinary Time. I have always thought this was not the most enticing way to describe the Lord’s Day, for there is nothing ordinary about a Sunday! In our children’s formation classes, our Godly Play curriculum calls the Sundays after Pentecost the “green, growing Sundays.” That’s more like it. In fact, the Sundays of summer are not ordinary; the lessons for Mass usually have to do with the nitty gritty demands of discipleship. In the green days of summer and into the fall, we meditate on the earthiness of walking the Way with Christ. We go back to our roots and trace the steps of Jesus in his earthly ministry. We become little seeds, planted and nourished by God to bear fruit in the world.

It’s a bit unfortunate and ironic that during the summer Sundays, when many people are traveling and Mass attendance is diminished, we hear some of the most challenging Gospel readings on discipleship. Every Christian needs to be reminded, constantly, that following Jesus is costly, hard work, and not for the faint of heart. And while our choir and children’s formation are on hiatus and worship seems a bit simpler in the summer months, I invite you to let the Gospel readings at Mass over the course of the coming weeks become part of your spiritual reflection and meditation.

I missed being with you last Sunday, as I was in Texas visiting family. As is my custom when I’m away, I found a nearby Episcopal church to attend. And although I always miss worship at Good Shepherd when I’m traveling, worshiping in other churches when I’m away helps me claim my membership in the wider Church. Every Episcopal church is a bit different from others, and it’s good for us to not to idolize our own type of worship at Good Shepherd. This emphasizes the catholicity of our rich Anglican tradition.

I always expect that attendance during the summer months will be less than during the program year because of people’s travel schedules. But nevertheless, at Good Shepherd, we carry on with our usual liturgical schedule, with some occasional exceptions to the weekday rhythm when I’m on vacation. (Please consult our website for the latest liturgical schedule.) Sundays are Sundays, whether they occur in the summer months or in September. They are always days to celebrate and feast on Word and Sacrament. The Anglo-Catholic tradition has sometimes referred to days of obligation or holy days of obligation. And while I feel that the word “obligation” can connote a perfunctory duty, it’s also true that our Christian identity comes with certain expectations. One of those expectations is that we will keep the Lord’s Day in worship. At times, we will not feeling like going to church, but those are the times when we need to go the most. So, while the Christian tradition does assume honoring the Lord’s Day, I hope that worship is, more often than not, a joy for you, not a mere obligation. When you are in town this summer, I hope you will attend either the 8 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. Mass. The Lord’s Day is never ordinary! And if you’re traveling, find the nearest Episcopal parish and go to Mass. You can search for any Episcopal Church in the country on this website. I hope that in doing so, you will be warmly welcomed at another parish and also be grateful for what we have here at Good Shepherd.

If we have any intention for these coming summer months, may we see the Sundays after Pentecost (the “green, growing Sundays”) as opportunities for going deeper in our own discipleship. They are feast days and days of joy. Through the long, green Sundays of the coming months, may our hearts, bodies, minds, and souls be transformed by the glory of worship. May they be watered by God’s grace and nourished to bear good fruit. Worship on the Lord’s Day enables us to be fed for ministry and thereby to feed others. For that very reason, worship is never ordinary.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of June 18, 2023

I’m writing this message from Dallas, Texas, where I’ve been attending the annual conference of the Association of Anglican Musicians (AAM), the official organization for Episcopal Church musicians (and others within the Anglican Communion). I have been a member of this organization since 2011, and since then, I have attended a number of conferences across the country. And for the past three years, I have served as chair of the Professional Concerns and Development Committee of AAM. In this work, I have been reminded of the importance of healthy working relationships between musicians and clergy. You may recall that our new retreat house hosted a program retreat last fall led by the late former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold that was attended to explore the shared mutual ministry of priest and musician. Our retreat house was also the recipient of a generous grant from AAM of $10,000 towards our retreat house. Collaborating with AAM has been one way in which Good Shepherd has expanded its connections beyond the diocese and within the national Church.

Over this past week, I have attended stunning concerts of choral and organ music, workshops, as well as liturgies in a variety of Episcopal churches in Dallas. I have been moved many times at the outstanding quality of music-making, as well as by the evident power of sacred music not only to support the liturgy, but to lift it up, as conference participants were reminded by Mother Barbara Cawthorne Crafton, an Episcopal priest who was a guest speaker at the conference. Church music is not a job for most musicians; it is a vocation. Sadly, for years, the Church has, and continues, to undervalue this vocation, and there continue to be vast disparities between pension benefits (and other benefits) for clergy and those for musicians. It is time for the Church to address this inequity. Our own bishop of Pennsylvania, the Rt. Rev. Daniel Gutiérrez, flew to Dallas for this week’s AAM conference to participate in a conversation exploring how the Church can better support musicians who are in conflict with their clergy and who are not receiving appropriate compensation and benefits from the Church for which they so lovingly labor. Bishop Gutiérrez is willing to begin to address these issues within our own diocese.

I am grateful that Good Shepherd has chosen to do the ethical and just thing in treating its employees. We are providing pension payments for our lay employees who work at least 20 hours a week (as we should), unlike some parishes who violate the national Church’s mandate to do so. And in the ongoing search for a new Director of Music, the vestry has approved offering full medical benefits (not required for 20-hour-a-week positions) as well. This is a remarkable testimony of how much we value our lay staff. Despite our significant financial challenges, we are willing to do the right thing rather than the cheap thing.

I have several takeaways from this week at the Dallas AAM conference. First, when a group of people organizes itself and intentionally utilizes the gifts in its midst with gusto, anything can happen. AAM has effectively advocated for change within the Episcopal Church and has made a significant impact upon musicians who serve the Church, and it does so as a non-profit with one paid staff member. This is a reminder to me of what Good Shepherd can do to further Gospel ministry if we put our minds to it. In short, if you are not already involved in ministry in the parish, we need your help! Good Shepherd is heading in a positive direction, but we have much left to do to reach a place of enduring health and sustainability. We need all of you to help.

Second, in the South, I have seen a different way of being the Church. The church campuses here are huge, well endowed and funded by generous giving, and the churches themselves seem to be flourishing, too. Church attendance is strong, and there is impressive financial support of parish ministry. Many parishes have multiple full-time musicians in their employ. We can’t and shouldn’t compare Good Shepherd to such churches, but we can look at other flourishing parishes to remind ourselves of what it takes to support long-lasting ministry: God’s grace, of course, and human faithfulness, but also humanpower and money. Talking about money is not opposed to the Gospel; it’s something that enables the Gospel to be spread to the ends of the earth.

Finally, I have heard consistently over the past week how music changes the lives of people: both adults and children. I have seen the communities that are fostered within sacred music programs and how such vibrant programs can bring people to Christ. And I have seen how children and youth have anchored their lives in Christ through music, too. This is no newsflash to me, but this week, talking with colleagues and experiencing the Church in another part of the country, I have been reminded of why it’s important that we at Good Shepherd continue to support sacred music, as well as expand our investment in it. I’m grateful for your willingness to do so over the years, even when the easy answer to financial challenges would have been to make music the sacrificial victim.

As a closing thought, you may want to watch a livestream from a service of Choral Evensong at the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, part of this week’s conference. Listen to the congregational singing (especially at 1:48:33 in the video) if you have any doubt of the power of music. You will hear a room full of professional musicians singing their hearts out. Please pray for all church musicians, for our own musician, Matt Glandorf, as he prepares to begin a new phase in his career, for our incoming interim musician Jack Warren Burnam, and for our Director of Music search. May God continue to build his kingdom and spread Christ’s Gospel through the art and gift of music.

I will be away this coming Sunday, as I’m staying in Texas to visit family. Thank you to Father Tim Steeves, who will be filling in for me as celebrant this Sunday for Masses. I will look forward to seeing you when I return!

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle

The Week of June 11, 2023

As we approach the Feast of Corpus Christi (transferred) this coming Sunday, we might consider the great Anglican priest and poet George Herbert’s poem “Love (III).” In it, Herbert describes the inner angst of a Christian sinner being invited to feast with God. The sinner (who seems autobiographical to some extent) finds every excuse to refuse God’s gift to sit down and eat with him. I’m not worthy. I’m unkind. I’m ungrateful. I have marred God’s image inside me. I must serve, not eat. With each excuse, God offers a loving rejoinder about how his image can’t be extricated even from the sinner. And finally, God dismisses all the sinner’s excuses with the clencher of a line: “You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat.” No excuses, says God who is Love. I’m offering you a gift, and you must receive it.

Herbert’s poem reveals what all of us undoubtedly feel. To some extent, we must feel unworthy to come to Communion each Sunday because of the many ways we’ve messed up since last Sunday. We’re all too aware of how extraordinary Christ’s gift of himself in the Eucharist is, and so we may be tempted to find any excuse to avoid receiving his gift. The prayer book tells us that to receive the Eucharist, “[i]t is required that we should examine our lives, repent of our sins, and be in love and charity with all people” (p. 860). This is a tall order. We will never achieve it perfectly in this life, but it’s what we should seek after diligently. And God knows this, and our desire to achieve such a state of charity and reconciliation pleases God. There are no excuses to shun my gift, says God. Come and taste my meat.

Herbert’s “Love (III)” also highlights an insidious sin that can crop up within our souls. Refusing to receive God’s gifts, whether the Eucharist or any other gift, can easily be a way of refusing to let God into our souls, trying to shield ourselves from God, as if that could work. It simply ends up hurting us. The fact is that to properly receive the Sacrament of the Altar by being in charity with others demands that we do something about our states of estrangement or enmity with others. And refusing the gift because we’re unworthy can be a way of letting ourselves off the hook. It can be a way of trying to control the gift that only God can control. Indeed, the definition of a gift is something to be received, not controlled.

This Sunday, with the permission of our bishop, we will use the propers from the prayer book “Of the Holy Eucharist” and observe the Feast of Corpus Christi transferred from yesterday, its proper feast day. This is our parish’s custom and is the custom of most Anglo-Catholic parishes, and Roman Catholic churches observe the feast on Sunday as well. This feast reminds us that all of life is a gift, and this is epitomized in the Eucharist. But the Eucharistic gift is not simply to be received. By it, we are to be changed into the very Body that we receive. And by receiving God’s gift, we are to go into the world and honor Christ’s Real Presence in all whom we meet.

At the end of Sung Mass, we will process the Blessed Sacrament through the church, followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. But as we adore in this sacred devotion, remember that the Body of Christ is not intended, first and foremost, to gaze upon. It’s a gift of heavenly food, meant to be consumed. The physical act of eating should not be underestimated; indeed, it’s at the very heart of the gift of this sacrament. We find our Christian identity in our bodies by virtue of the Incarnation, and therefore, to abide in Christ, “that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us” as the prayer book puts it (p. 337), we must sit down and eat him. This is no less scandalous in our own day than it was in Jesus’s own day (see John 6). Gazing upon the Blessed Sacrament is a worthy means of adoration of Christ’s presence in the Eucharistic Bread, but Eucharistic adoration flows out of the act of consuming the Body of Christ. Incarnational living demands that we take Christ’s Body into our selves and then into the world. The objective presence of Christ in the Sacrament changes us and heals us in ways we can never understand. And then transformed by heavenly grace, we are to go out into the streets, our workplaces, our schools, and our neighborhoods to treat every person as if they were the Sacrament itself. There’s no time like the present to do so. Every day the image of Christ is slain in gun violence, and it’s daily abused in hateful, racist, anti-Semitic, transphobic, homophobic, and bigoted rhetoric that is being accepted with terrifying alacrity. With each Mass, our reception of the Sacrament is a radical call to honor the Real Presence of Christ in all whom we meet, including ourselves.

On Sunday, come to the feast, unworthy though you and I may be. Let it be a challenge for us to amend our ways and turn again to God. But let us sit down and eat. Love bids us welcome. Love is offering a gift. It is a gift that can’t be refused.

Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle