How Grace Happens

Not too far from Hank Williams’ grave, on the downslope towards the back of Greenwood cemetery, there’s an area called the Paupers Annex. Quite regularly, people end up in the city morgue after their death and despite administrators’ best efforts to locate a next of kin, no one comes to claim them. After a certain amount of time, the city releases such bodies for burial. These people, whom no one called theirs, will be buried in that section of the cemetery. A number of years ago, the funeral home that receives the bodies for burial asked for help from Church of the Ascension to provide simple grave-side services for folks in this situation. A guild was formed called the “Children of God Guild”. Whenever a body is released for burial, the chair of the guild is notified and she, in turn, notifies the members of the guild of the time and day of the burial. About 10-25 people, mostly members of Ascension, gather around the gravesite and a clergy person officiates at the service.

This was one of my most meaningful, cherished duties at the Ascension when I was their associate rector. I officiated at the service for a tiny little girl who was stillborn and left behind in the hospital morgue. Someone had painted a beautiful picture of an angel on the outside of the shoebox she was buried in—one of the most beautiful gestures of goodness I’ve ever witnessed. I helped bury so many people in that annex, I’ve lost count. After almost three years of not participating in this ministry, yesterday I was asked to help. No other clergy person was available and Mr. Samuel Savage would be buried at 9:30 in the morning. It was my honor and privilege to be at Greenwood for that service.

There is something both haunting and redemptive about saying the name of each of these persons out loud. Who knows how long it had been since anyone had had a real conversation with Mr. Savage before his death. Who knows if he’d heard his name said with real love and affection for years before his passing. Does anyone remember him and wonder if he is still alive? I’ll never know. What I do know is that these services return some tiny bit of a person’s humanity, his or her uniqueness as a beloved child of God, to each of them. In commending Mr. Savage to the earth and to his Good Shepherd, we were reminded that he was us and we were he; that we are all bound together as God’s creatures and children. Dust to dust. Ashes to ashes.

After a long time not participating in one of these services, I was very happy to be joined by people I love and hadn’t seen since leaving Ascension to come be your priest. There were also some new people, I think from St. John’s, who’ve joined the guild. One of the people who attends regularly is also a marvelous gardener. He had a bagful of flowers with him. Another woman I had never met had a bunch of daffodils and camellias as well. After the service, those flowers were strewn around the casket already in its grave; several of them actually lay on the casket itself. In the midst of such a desolate situation, beauty, and color. We could clearly see about 5 layers of different colored soil and sedimentation from the ground down to the bottom of the grave, a reminder of the layers of mystery and wonder of this ancient Earth, that was once described as our crib, our home, our grave. The sun was shining and for that brief time, not only had Mr. Savage’s name been said out loud, he was not alone.

Scaling our work and ministry to what is sustainable is hard after all the years when Holy Comforter was a large, vibrant presence in Montgomery. I see bold, ambitious church programs unfolding around us in other congregations and I feel a tug because that’s what has defined successful churches in the past. Yet my deep conviction is, whether big or small, young or aging, resource-rich or not, the work of churches is to open space for people to engage in acts of loving-kindness, justice, and mercy that bless and help others know the grace of God. The size doesn’t matter nearly as much as faith that calls us. The spaces for loving-kindness that continue to open here at Holy Comforter are breathtaking in their beauty.  We keep worshipping, serving, and partnering with others in the light of God. We are the Body of Christ. The Church.

Being blessed, may we continue to bless. Rosa+

Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Holy Week

Here is our schedule starting on March 2nd.

March 2nd, 12 noon, Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes

April 10th, 10:00 am, Liturgy of the Palms and Eucharist

April 14th, 6:00 pm, Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar

April 15th, 12 noon, Good Friday Liturgy

April 16th, 10:00 am, Liturgy for Holy Saturday (Memorial Garden)

April 17th, 10:00 am, Lighting of the Pascal Candle, Holy Baptism, and Easter Eucharist

On Sunday the 27th, we will have some resources for you to bring home for Ash Wednesday. We’ll do the same a few other times during Lent and on Palm Sunday to help enrich your preparations for the glorious celebration on Easter Sunday.  Even once the latest surge finishes ebbing, Lent is a season for prayer, reconciliation, and reflection that can be deeply meaningful every day of the week. We hope they will be helpful. Additionally, we plan to livestream all the services of the season. As we start transitioning into this new church season, I pray for all kinds of light and life in your days! Rosa+

Please plan to join your Holy Comforter family for a garden workday this Saturday, February 19th. The simplest hospitality we can offer our neighborhood is the hospitality of outdoor spaces that invite folks to find a moment of respite, sanctuary, and peace in a small oasis called Holy Comforter. Together, we make this space both beautiful and holy!

And below is a terrific Dutch performance (approximately 15 minutes) of Bach’s Cantata BWV 137 based on the opening hymn tune Bach - Cantata Lobe den Herren... BWV 137 - Dijkstra | Netherlands Bach Society - includes fascinating views of the instruments and instrumentalists in the performance from the Netherlands Bach Society.

Food Pantry & Partners

Metropolitan United Methodist Church & Immanuel Presbyterian  

February Meals

Canned Vegetables (Family size or standard size)

yams, corn, butter beans, green beans, turnip greens, peas, sweet potato,  etc...

Bagged Rice or Pasta  (bagged or boxed}

Please leave donations in the bin with the yellow lid outside McMaster Hall.

Thank you!

Altar Flowers, 2022 Sign-up sheet

Please include your name and the name of the person you wish to honor.

The new sign-up sheet is hanging on the Bulletin board outside Terri's office.

Please send Diane your contribution.

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