Church of the Holy Comforter, 1864

Festive Eucharist

Let’s gather in McMaster Hall following the service to enjoy a celebratory breakfast brunch accompanied by wonderful music!

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall

Dearest Holy Comforter Family,

Today is the 6th anniversary of my start date at this amazing parish. I love that I celebrate this milestone in the fall. After living in southeast Florida for over 20 years, Sherod and I have reveled in the movement from one season to another; my most favorite season has become the fall. This morning was crisp, and it is still very pleasant outside mid-morning. On Friday, I did something I never used to do: I put up fall decorations around my house. I think there are two reasons this season matters so much. The first has to do with colors. I love the richness of colors as the season moves towards winter -the golden yellows, burnt orange, plum, olive green, rich and deep crimson. Each season’s colors are rich in their own right, but these tell the story of layers, many layers of life, growth, and experience that have brought us this far into the year. The other has to do with hardiness. The vegetables and fruit we harvest at this time of the year are more sturdy and last longer before they have to be used. They mix well with warm and fragrant spices. They are just pretty to look at! And if a patch full of ripe pumpkins doesn't sing to the heavens that this is what abundance looks like, I don't know what does.

Perhaps also, the joy of marking my time at Holy Comforter in October is a reminder of where I am in my ministry journey. Many days now, I am aware that I draw from about 45 years of living, making mistakes and falling flat on my face, learning to take on the hard things head-on, allowing life to give me the humility to get off my high horse whenever I start feeling too indignant or self-righteous. To be in this season of my ministry also means doing everything I can to make every minute count. Today I am home with strep throat because all of you know I tend to push too hard. I will work from home the rest of the week to give my body time to heal, to avoid bringing this bug to church, and because I think my body is saying, pay attention. I will be there on Sunday though, with bells on!

All that is good and well but what about a church? What about our church? Is Holy Comforter in the season of autumn? Yes. Yes, and, you can also see clearly how it is always in all the seasons of life. On Saturday, as I was vesting for Joe's service, I reached out to put on the stole that Katie Ufford gave to me on behalf of Saint Mary's Guild when I was installed as your rector. Her loss and the loss of so many others in these past years cut to the core, made it hard not to weep through the whole service that followed. Winter.

God willing, on December 22, which is the day after the winter solstice, and the days start getting longer, we will have a special celebration. Our assistant Bishop for the diocese will be with us and will baptize a delicious little boy named Patrick Gidiere. That moment will carry all the promise of spring and new beginnings. You've heard me say more than once that the silence that echoed down all the hallways at our church haunted me during the work week in my first few years with you. Now, I have to shut my door with some regularity because there is so much going on, such a hubbub of activity that I struggle to concentrate. Land that had been fallow, seeds that were planted and tended to, fruit as sweet and nourishing as a freshly picked peach still warm from the sun reminds us that Church of the Holy Comforter gets to experience the grace of harvesting and offering a multitude of blessings to others in our community.

As we prepare to celebrate the milestone of our 160th year as a community of faith, love, and generosity, a melody keeps humming in my mind: “Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there, yes I will. You have a friend...” That is what God has always promised and always delivered to God's people.

Join us, whether in person or online, this next Sunday. Let us rejoice and be glad! Rosa+

also streamed live on our Facebook page

  Michael Paul • Randy Woodland

Weekday Worship 

MONDAY

Compline | 7:00 PM facebook 

WEEKDAYS

Morning Prayer | 8 AM

National Cathedral 

 Please pray for

Parishioners — Kathy Albree, Walter Alvarenga, Ann Carlton, 

Barbara Dailey, Rob Dailey, Fred Earle, Sidney Hennessey, Scott Lollar,

Ann Montgomery, Eddie Norred, John Parker, Lea Russell,

The Rev. Larry Sharpton, Judith Granger Ward, Randy Woodland,

Evie Yonker, Barbara Zdanis

Friends — Amy Espinosa, Gay Curlin, Harry Curlin, Wayne Goble, Doug Huff and Family, Janet Hutto, Jon Kusa, Laura, Mike Lloyd,

Shelly McCown, Susan Ray

Students — Davis Dickert, Grayson Dickert, Matthew Franklin,

Will Franklin, Anna Hoffman, Addie Hoffman,

Sam Lee, Michael Moore, Aiken Via