Dear friends,
During our annual meeting in January, we began to reflect on what a future vision for our parish might look like. And I found myself thinking on much of what I’ve recently learned about the history of our community. Part of what this exercise is for, is to think about how the different stories of our parish’s history inform the way we engage with our community today. And then, to consider how that connectivity between past and present might inform the way envision the future of our parish, and, more specifically, how we pray together.
Not long after I arrived at St. John’s, Fr. Robert Edson, Rector of the parish from 1981 to 2007 and now our Rector Emeritus, took me on one of his much beloved tours of our church. We discussed everything about the place: from the building itself to the furniture; from history to the stained-glass windows; and of course, the stories of the families whose memory rests within each artefact, generously given so that our building might inspire worship to the glory of God for years to come. During the tour, Robert then pointed out the stone altar behind the altar we usually use for the Eucharist. And two things struck me.
First, was a liturgical custom. I was reminded how, as per tradition, altars in churches were originally made from stone rather than wood, and St. John’s was no different. Furthermore, stone altars were built into the reredos (the screen behind the altar) and the priest would face east whilst saying the mass. The reason for this is that, according to scripture and tradition, the Kingdom of Heaven and indeed the very light and love of God, like the sun, will first shine forth from the east. The whole congregation, including the priest, therefore faced east during the mass, as everyone prayed together in the same direction, expectant of the same divine encounter. However, during the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, Roman Catholic churches sought to democratize the mass by having the priest face the congregation, thus using a west-facing altar separate from the wall, so to allow people to see one another and the elements on the altar more fully. Reformed churches, like many other traditions also, followed suit.
Nevertheless, east-facing worship has remained in many churches, not because of tradition for tradition’s sake, nor because the priest is trying to elevate their status. (To the latter point, I will always happily speak about why priests are just ordinary people!) But the idea is that we are all facing the same direction, praying together, and, again, the priest is just another person yet called upon to help nurture a congregation as they pray.
Still, since 1970 when the west-facing altar and steps were installed at St. John’s, they have barely moved. And then, something else historical occurred to me. I saw on the side of the altar the tribute to Ezra Ripley Thayer, one of the founders of our church. I will write more on this another time, but for now, it was following Thayer’s tragic death at a young age, that his wife, Ethel, having been so well cared for by their parish, decided to devote much of her family’s life and resource to building the current stone church—following the original wooden building—and indeed creating many of the windows and materials for our worship to this day. One of these is the altar, given in her husband’s memory, by Ethel’s mother, Mary Vinton Clark. Thus, at our annual meeting, I remarked on how pastoral care, healing, love, and compassion are at the heart of our community’s history, and they still are today as we witness in the beautiful stories etched and established among our ministries for the good of our neighbor and to the glory of God.
So, during Lent this year, which indeed is a season of reorientation, prayer, and renewed focus, I hope you will join me in praying at this magnificent altar. This will serve as part of our Lenten meditations and study series this year—more news on that shortly—as well as being an opportunity to experience part of our building that we don’t usually see, yet which we always encounter as we pray. As we connect more deeply with our parish’s history, we might reimagine our own stories that we share here, as we all face the same direction, look to the future with hope, and worship the God who will one day make all things new.
With love and every blessing,
Ed.
The Rev. Edward Thornley
Rector of The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist