On February 16,
our Annual Council passed a resolution acknowledging that the sin of
racism continues to negatively affect the mission of our parishes in
Southern Virginia. The resolution also called for a Day of Repentance,
Reconciliation & Healing - a day in which our diocesan family can
gather together in worship - and that parishes will annually observe a
Day of Repentance, Reconciliation & Healing during the octave of All
Saints.
Our diocesan
Service of Repentance, Reconciliation & Healing has been set for
November 2 at Christ and St. Luke's, Norfolk. The service is intended to
be a liturgical moment in an ongoing process of learning. Click here for a flyer to post and share.
The Reverend Canon Stephanie Spellers will be the preacher at the November 2 service. Spellers is the Canon for Missional Vitality
in the Diocese of Long Island and the Chaplain to the Episcopal House
of Bishops. She is the author of "Radical Welcome: Embracing God, the
Other and the Spirit of Transformation" and is the Consulting Editor for
Emergent Resources at Church Publishing Inc. Spellers is the founding
priest for The Crossing Community, an emergent congregation based at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston.
Repairing the Breach resources
The sin of slavery
thrived in Virginia and the sin of racism continues to infect and
hamper the people and parishes of our diocese. How do we reach a place
of material and relational reconciliation and spiritual healing that
will lead us to new life in Christ? Our Repairers of the Breach Task
Force has prepared the Repairing the Breach study guide, together with
the accompanying video, for use in parish communities. We trust that it
provides a structure and resources to understand the past and present
influence of slavery and racism upon us as individuals, congregations,
and a broader community of faith in Southern Virginia. Click here to access these, and other, resources.
Diocesan Choir forming for Service of Repentance, Reconciliation & Healing
We are forming a
diocesan choir to sing for this service. This choir is open to all
singers who wish to participate. There are only two rehearsals for this
choir, which will be conducted by Kevin Kwan, music director at Christ
& St. Luke's. The rehearsals will be held at Christ and St. Luke's,
Norfolk, and will be on Saturday, October 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.,
and Saturday, October 26 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The warm-up on the
day of the service (November 2) will be at 10 a.m. The repertoire for
the service (two choral anthems) will be chosen shortly and sent out in
September. There is no audition for this choir, but it comes with the
understanding that singers will prepare the music before the rehearsals.
If you are interested, please email kevin.kwan@christandstlukes.org,
giving your name, parish, and voice part. Rectors and choir directors -
please forward this information to anyone in your parish who might be
interested in this opportunity.
