Author: Church of the Nativity

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From the Clergy

Better Days

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7

I love these words from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. I’ve always loved this passage. But what do we do with it when there feels as if there is not much to rejoice about? How can this scripture speak to us when it seems like any expression of gentleness in our culture these days is immediately run over by a mack truck? Do I feel the Lord is near? Don’t tell me not to worry. There is a lot to worry about. And forget peace. All I want right now is just a little bit of feeling normal again.

And yet, these words have sustained generations of Christians who have gone through equally difficult times. Maybe rather than believing them wholeheartedly right now, they need to be read repeatedly, like a mantra. Maybe praying these words over and over again will bring them into being, so we will see gentleness, we will see the presence of God, we will experience that peace that passes all understanding, and we will rejoice.

There is a reason why we say the same prayers over and over again. There is comfort in knowing that the words of scripture and the prayers written in our prayerbook have sustained and nurtured the faith of the generations who came before us. The prayers connect us with Anglicans around the world, and these verses of scripture are used as a final blessing at the conclusion of worship by priests and bishops everywhere.

We are connected to one another through prayer. We might not be able to be close to one another in worship right now, but we are still connected. May these words bring you comfort this week, and give you hope for peace.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

Categories
Glad Tidings

Voting by Mail and In-Person Early Voting

Last week, I encouraged everyone to make sure that they are registered to vote. This week, I want to discuss mail-in voting and in-person early voting. If you are concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic, give yourself the option to vote by mail by requesting an absentee ballot on the Absentee Ballot Tools page of the NC State Board of Elections (NCSBE) website. Do this soon because, according to the Vote by Mail page of the NCSBE website, it will take 7 to 10 days for your ballot to arrive in your mailbox after you request it. According to the FAQs: Voting by Mail in NC in 2020 page of the NCSBE website, once you receive and fill out your ballot, you can return it in person at your county board of elections office, in person at an open early voting site in your county, by commercial courier service (DHL, FedEx, or UPS), or by mail. If you decide to return your ballot by mail, the U.S. Postal Service recommends sending it in by October 27. To be on the safe side, submit your completed ballot as soon as possible.

If you are a registered voter or if you still need to register, in-person early voting may be a good option for you, as long as you do not vote twice. In-person early voting sites are open from October 15 to October 31, so make a plan to vote soon. Visit the One-Stop Voting Sites page of the NCSBE website to find in-person early voting sites in your county. Check out the Vote Early in Person page of the NCSBE website for more information.

I am more than happy to help anyone fill out an absentee ballot request form, answer questions about in-person early voting, and track ballots using BallotTrax. Feel free to contact me at bknapp4@gmail.com.

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Children and Youth

Youth and Children’s Programming Update

With Covid-19 still making its way into our everyday lives, Nativity’s Children’s and Youth programs kicked off the year in September virtually. Children’s offerings included a Wednesday night jungle-themed social, a worship service just for kids featuring the piano playing and singing of Jason Pace, a few Kids Club Formation lessons, and a Backyard Bible Club gathering to talk about how God created the world. With hopeful hearts, the children will be able to re-gather in November (depending on the Bishop’s recommendations).

The Youth program had some awesome Zoom-based gatherings and even some in-person ones as well. The youth dived into a three-week Formation series focused on exploring faith with games, activities, and small groups, in addition to being able to gather for their monthly Grub Group outdoors and socially distanced at North Hills, and played a few silly games on Zoom to recreate Youth Group. The Youth program has moved back to in-person weekly gatherings, with proper protocols and distancing, on Sunday evenings outdoors under the oak.

Congratulations to Berkley Sumner for being accepted onto the Chartered Committee for Youth for the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. This committee is a team of selected youth all across the Diocese who help plan, implement and run all Diocesan events

Categories
Glad Tidings

Caring for our Couple Relationship by Spending Quality Time Together

It is important to remember that spending some quality time together enhances our relationship. The pandemic has changed for many couples the availability or the amount of time that is possible to spend together. How can we seek out ways to enjoy and spend quality time with each other?

Remember what fun you had early in your couple relationship? How can you bring that back? Possibly you are both working, maybe from home or one at home and one not, helping kids with homework, taking care of the basic household tasks. When will we find time to be together, let alone have fun together? We are tired. We are anxious.

First, let us have a conversation together about what that would look like.

What were some of those early fun times? Remember them. Laugh, even get out the pictures of those dates. Share what energized you, made you feel loved and cared for.

How do you adapt those experiences to now?

  • Walks
  • Holding hands
  • Kisses good morning, good night
  • Eating dinner in a special place other than the normal one
  • Enjoying a happy hour
  • Giving each other a massage
  • Watching a movie, holding hands
  • Snuggling on the couch
  • Making out on the couch or big chair
  • Playing games together
  • Dancing together
  • Listening to music
  • Having coffee together
  • Lunch dates
  • Take a ride together

Once you get started you can think of your own ways of loving and caring for each other in a special way.

Make a list. Take turns planning and inviting  what you will do together. Some couples have even written them on slips of paper, put in a jar, and then pull one out when you are ready for that special time.

Now commit to a day and time soon. It does not have to be long-range plans.  What can be done now, this week?

Recommended books:

Claudia and David Arp – 10 Great Dates to Energize your Marriage, and 52 Dates.

Categories
Glad Tidings

Online Services Survey Results

First of all, a big thank you to the 137 individuals and households who completed the survey distributed to Nativity’s parishioners over three weeks early in September. The survey asked for the congregation’s level of satisfaction with our current online services, and to weigh in on what you would like to see in the future within the constraints of the pandemic and Diocesan guidelines. It was good to hear that 84% of the respondents are satisfied with the current online services.

Many suggested changes have already been heard and accomplished, and are continuing. For example:

  •  In response to concerns about accessing the online services, the prerecorded services are now posted on both Facebook and YouTube, and this week there is a   third option to access the videos via  the Nativity website, which you can view without the requirement for a Facebook login.
  • Words of the readings and responses are now being projected in the videos to enhance your worship experience.
  • Words of the hymns are now being projected in the videos, to enable you to sing along with more familiar hymns.
  • Variety in musical styles and instruments is now being added to the online services.
  • 66% of respondents indicated they would like to attend outdoor in-person services, and 61% would be comfortable receiving Holy Eucharist. And it was so! Three communion services are now held outdoors each Sunday, with attendance limited by Diocesan rules.

The dominant theme of the respondents’ replies was that they are worried that the pandemic isolation is harming our congregation’s sense of cohesion as a community. Mostly, parishioners long to see and connect with each other and the clergy.

You can help enhance our sense of community. If you would like to sing in the online videos, contact our organist, Jason Pace. If you would like to read in the videos or outdoors, contact Megan, our church coordinator. If you want to sign up for Christian Essentials, the new Adult Formation group gathering online, contact Cuyler O’Connor.

Gail Christensen
Communications Team

Categories
Glad Tidings

Returning to Church

At Church of the Nativity, we are participating in a phased return to in-person interactions. Our return has been carefully planned by church staff and clergy under the direction of our Diocesan bishops. It has been wonderful to gather together and experience worship and communion! Please keep in mind that while the Diocese is continuously re-evaluating and easing restrictions whenever possible, we are still limited in the ways we are permitted to gather and worship. In particular, these are guidelines we are now observing:

  • Outdoor worship gatherings are limited to 50 people total, including clergy, staff, and lay ministers.
  • One-kind (bread only) communion is permitted with health and safety restrictions. Please return to your seat with your wafer before removing your mask to consume it.
  • We must stay socially distanced at all gatherings! Please keep a six-foot distance from all fellow parishioners and members of the clergy. This includes while queuing for communion and while fellowshipping before and after the service.
  • We are not permitted to pass offering plates. Please mail your contributions or use the PayPal and Venmo links on the church website.
  • We must wear masks at all times while on the church grounds. Reusable masks are available at services.
  • We must sanitize our hands frequently. Sanitizer is available at the outdoor services.
  • Congregational singing is not permitted at in-person gatherings.
  • Due to a lack of an outdoor covered area on our grounds, in-person services will be cancelled if it rains.
  • Limited indoor gatherings are now permitted. We will be planning, exploring, and experimenting within the Diocesan parameters for gathering indoors later in the fall and winter.

When I returned to my classroom on 9/21, I returned not to “normal,” but to an alteration of my COVID routine. I sit in the familiar environs of room 210, but the 32 student desks remain empty. My students continue to learn from home, and I have learned over the past two months how to interact with them through the computer. Staff meetings take place online, too, because it is not safe for compromised individuals to return in person. 

Likewise, our church building looks the same and is reassuringly familiar, but we interact with each other differently. Our primary service remains the 10:30 online video premiere, available on YouTube and Facebook. This is where you will enjoy musical performances, liturgy to participate in, hymns to sing along with, and a variety of familiar faces reading lessons! Because of the growing dark and cold, we plan to pause in-person outdoor worship when the Advent season arrives, after Sunday 11/22. During the Advent and Christmas seasons, our prerecorded services will provide a way for us to stay connected with one another through special music and familiar liturgies. In January, pending the easing of restrictions, we will re-evaluate another return to in-person worship. It has been difficult for many of us to feel like ourselves without the familiar routines of church, and it is even more difficult when we still do not know when and how things will return to “normal.” Through all of the uncertainty, separation, anxiety, and change, please remember that we are still together, because we belong to one another. 

In Christ,

Carrie Mash
Sr. Warden

 

Categories
From the Clergy

A New Rhythm of Life

“…for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

We all have rhythms in our life, or routines, or rituals if you prefer. Maybe you don’t think of them as particularly sacred, but order and structure to our daily lives are not only comforting, but also ground us in our identity. As an example, I call myself a knitter, so I make sure to spend some of my time knitting. Whether we realize it or not, the way we spend our time develops into something of a rhythm for us. Our sacred rhythm reminds us of our identity as God’s beloved children.

As Christians, a piece of that rhythm is our time in prayer, whether it be corporate prayer in Sunday worship, a simple prayer with family before meals, quiet meditation in the morning or before bed, or even just a quick intercessory prayer for a friend or loved one. Worship is another piece of the rhythm, as is the reading of scripture (study). You might be surprised to hear that vital to a sacred rhythm is what we do for rest and restoration – gardening might be part of your rhythm. Or running. Or cooking. Or…. Service to others is a part of your sacred rhythm. That might be serving in your community, or that might mean care of your family – those with small children or those caring for aging parents.

Living in the midst of a global pandemic has destroyed many of these rhythms. Even the simple act of going to church has been significantly changed by Covid-19! I say “destroyed,” because it has felt almost like an act of violence to have our lives so completely changed by this. We have been experiencing this loss for the past six months, and it still isn’t over.

Instead, we are in the midst of weird hybrid way of being. Some things have gone back to “normal,” except not completely. We need not fear the grocery store, but make sure to wear your mask! We have gone back to work, though not the way we worked before. Church is still online, even as we try to gather in small groups for outdoor worship. It’s just not the same.

How do we live during this strange hybrid time? I believe we are called right now to find a new sacred rhythm. As our routines have changed, what routine have we included to ground ourselves spiritually? What practices are helping you to stay rooted in God’s love?

I believe this new rhythm is going to be more flexible than before. We can stay rooted, but allow our branches to move with the wind that changes daily. I wonder if we might be more like trees that share their root systems – the deeper we go, the more connected we are to one another, which makes us stronger when the winds come.

God is feeding those roots, nourishing and sustaining us. Take some time to consider your new rhythm and find the sacred moments within it. Take some time as well to mourn the loss of the rhythm that gave you life pre-pandemic. There is no statute of limitations on being sad and grieving what has been lost. Ask God for a new rhythm, a new song in your heart, to sustain you during this time. And remember, God is there, always, to give us life and to wipe away every tear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyy7RWXAV9Q

Categories
Glad Tidings

Make a Plan to Vote!

On September 14th, Kate Fellman, the founder and executive director of You Can Vote, gave an excellent presentation during Sacred Conversations on how to make a plan to vote. It inspired me to help other people vote during this unprecedented election year.

My family and I were worried about the COVID-19 pandemic, so we decided to make a plan to vote. First, we checked our voter registration information on the NC State Board of Elections voter search website and made any necessary updates on the NC DMV website. In order to have the option to vote by mail, we requested an absentee ballot on the NC State Board of Elections website on August 21st and about three weeks later, we received our ballots in the mail. As the pandemic got worse, my family decided to fill out and returned them to our county board of elections office. Using BallotTrax to track our ballots, we found out that our ballots were accepted on September 17th.

I know it’s early, but if you want to have the option to vote by mail, it takes some time to request and fill out and return your ballot, so make a plan to vote soon. Visit the Wake County Board of Elections website for more information. You can also contact me at bknapp4@gmail.com or 919-812-1129.

Categories
From the Clergy

Meet Our New Intern

Phillip Bass joins Nativity for the next few months as an intern discerning a call to the priesthood. Phillip will be joining in on zoom calls, participating in worship, and being a part of the community as we help him learn more about his call and prepare for his next steps towards ordination.

Phillip calls North Carolina home.  He grew up in the Methodist tradition in Greensboro, NC.  Having made his way to the Triangle to attend UNC, this area has been home ever since.  Phillip completed his M.Div and Th.M from Duke Divinity School.  During his time at Duke, he found his way to the Episcopal Church and was confirmed at Church of the Good Shepherd.  Following seminary, Phillip worked at the Duke Cancer Center for several years while completing a Masters in Mental Health Counseling at NCCU.  Since 2014, Phillip has been in private practice for mental health counseling in Raleigh.  After several moves around the Triangle, Phillip’s family settled in Durham in 2013 and found a home at St. Luke’s.  Phillip enjoys spending time with his husband and 7-year old son.  They recently found a love of camping and look forward to time away together.

Categories
From the Clergy

The Endurance of Job

The Daily Office lectionary has, for the last 36 days (August 20-September 17), included readings from the book of Job – all 42 chapters. On some days, this does require the patience attributed to this Biblical hero. All that eloquent poetry can be heavy going; but it’s extremely worthwhile.

You know the story: Job, a godly man who has prospered in every way, is suddenly stripped of almost everything to prove a point to Satan, the prosecuting angel. God gives Satan permission to take away Job’s livestock, crops, and even his children to test Job’s faith and to cause him to curse God.

As Job sits in sackcloth and ashes, covered with painful boils, three “friends” come to console him. These three – Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar – assure Job that he is actually being punished for having sinned. They offer platitudes which provide more pain, and are definitely not comforting.

In response to each of them, Job offers his defense. No, he has not sinned! He does not understand why God, whom he has always worshipped and obeyed, would allow him to suffer so. Next a new character, a young man named Elihu, comes to weigh in. He helps Job realize that he has been so absorbed with self-pity that he has lost the ability to listen to God.

Finally, God appears in a whirlwind, reminding Job and his four companions of his total majesty and control of all things. Humbled, Job confesses his inadequacy, his complete surrender to God’s mercy; and the story comes to a happy ending as God rewards Job with a new family, new possessions, and a long life.

Of course, Job is about human suffering and the part that God plays in it – the problem that we call theodicy. It helps us realize how naïve and simplistic Job’s assumption is that God rewards us for our loyalty and causes us to suffer because of our sins. Suffering is inevitable. We can’t blame God for it. The book of Job never answers Job’s question of “why?”  But God does care, and God offers comfort.

An absolutely marvelous characteristic of this book is its description of God’s creation. In poem after poem, the glories of nature are celebrated in eloquent language. It is truly rewarding to read for that feature alone.

Scores, if not hundreds, of expressions enrich our language. One website offers 1,070 “most popular” verses from Job. To name just a few:

1:21:  “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

5:17-18:  “How happy is the one whom God reproves; therefore do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he binds up; he strikes, but his hands heal.”

12:11:  “Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food?”

14:1:  “A mortal, born of a woman, few of days and full of trouble, comes up like a flower and withers, flees like a shadow and does not last.”

As I search for meaning in Job, I can’t help but think in these terms:  Job’s persona (his ego, or “false self”) is the righteous man who has earned his good fortune. Tested through loss and suffering, his shadow side demands justification from God. Only when he surrenders completely, dying to his self-righteousness, is he able to receive God’s mercy and healing. Then he experiences individuation as his “true self” manifests itself.

The lesson to me is that I have to give up all pretense and open myself completely to God’s love.

My favorite quotation from Job is found in Chapter 19, verses 25-27:  “For I know that Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skins has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God. . . .”  George Frideric Handel set this eloquently in this aria from the Easter section of Messiah, completed this month in the year 1741:

https://youtu.be/Kg7aXEvCeXY