The Window

[James]

The Window

Our Church is going through a period of turmoil at this time. Our new building is just days away from final completion and occupancy. Our Minister of Music has lung cancer and looks worse every time I see him. He is very weak and cannot fulfill his duties in running choir rehearsal and playing the organ. In normal practice, he has other pastoral duties, but not at the present. Our senior pastor and our associate for children and youth are working overtime to fill in.

Tomorrow morning we will have a guest organist. We, in the choir, do not know who it is. So we will meet him at 10:30 in the choir loft in robes to rehearse the 11:00 service. Normally we have our in-house back-up, but our backup organist is recovering from knee surgery and a severe virus which kept her hospitalized for a week after surgery. This delayed her PT/rehab for her knee and has left her weak. She will need time to heal. Our in house director will fill-in to direct.

In the midst of this, some plans have changed at the last minute leaving those of us in choir in the dark. Music rehearsed is set aside for something different. Wednesday night rehearsal was interrupted by our associate pastor with last minute changes. She apologized. I said, “We are all mushrooms.” This in reference to the well-known mushroom theory of management which is to keep your people in the dark and feed them BS. At this point, the choir is weary too. We keep praying for our director, but we do not know what his prognosis is at this time. Judy and I fear he is dying, but it may be that he is just battered by chemo. (He has an inoperable tumor close to his spine.)

So this sets the stage for what I experienced at our sunset Maundy Thursday service. My service folder was filled with the wrong music, because I was a few minutes late for warm-up in the choir room. So without hymns or anything else, I find myself in the choir loft to sing tenor for the first time in years. I sang the whole service from memory matching pitch with our one and only tenor.

Our service was a Tenebrae with scripture read by the youth in costume reading the words from the Gospels in character.

One of our stained glass windows is only visible from the pulpit and the choir loft. It is a triptych of the Transfiguration with one panel for Moses on the left, Jesus in the middle with Peter, James and John at his feet. Elisha is in the right panel.

The service started as the setting sun came into perfect alignment with the top of the middle panel which represents a red tapestry. I have never seen it more red. As the service progressed the full light of the sun fell on a lower portion of the window. After each lesson and music selection, the bell tolled and a candle was extinguished. The window got darker as the sun set, but not without lighting up Jesus’ face, then his red stole, then his feet. At the service concluded, the window was dark, but the light in the sanctuary reflected off the lead between the pieces of glass. It was like looking at an underexposed film negative. If you knew what to look for, you could still see the image. The light had gone out on Jesus. He was in the tomb.

Tomorrow is Easter and the light will shine again.

Alleluia!

[Dave Roberts]

James, I know this is a difficult time for HBC. Tom's illness is a painful reality, and from what I am hearing, his prognosis is not good. My prayers are lifted for all of you that this time of Easter may draw the church together. I can't wait to see the building you all have brought together. May it open new avenues of ministry. My prayers continue for Tom and Wanda in these days.

Thank you for sharing all the joys of the window. I remember it well from the pulpit area. The beauty of that old sanctuary is something to be enjoyed and shared. May Easter be a day of renewal for all of you.

[Haruo]

Maundy Thursday and Tenebrae seemed a bit dissonant, but the story of the window was powerful and comforting after the story of your church's vicissitudes. Just reading about the situation was traumatic, and it's painful to think what you all are going through. You all, including your organist, are in our prayers.

[Tim Bonney]

Thanks for sharing James! Your testimony shows how we can continue to celebrate new life even in the midst of loss and tragedy. That is so much a part of the gospel message!

[James]

Thank you all for your comments.

We had good news on the building yesterday. We have a provisional occupancy permit on the new building. We will have supper and prayer meeting in our new building Wednesday night. This means I may have to start next Monday back at the soup kitchen. I do the salad every week. It is something I can do and be gone well before our guests arrive. Being aspleenic (no spleen), I cannot be around the homeless because my immune system is compromised. I also have a severe concave rib cage which makes my lung capacity about 85% of a normal person of my size. This makes any kind of respiratory ailment very bad news for my. The new kitchen has a dedicated area for non-cooked food prep. Plenty of counter space w/dual sinks. No more knocking elbows w/other soup kitchen staff.

This has been a long time coming. Delays imposed by the city drove the cost up by 1mill plus. The city did not want us to build. They wanted us to move out of downtown so the property could be sold to someone who would have to pay real estate/property taxes. The city is in deep financial trouble. People who can afford to move are leaving the city of Hampton for nearby communities which have modern amenities and good schools. Those who are left are, for the most part are lower middle class and below and institutions which do not pay taxes.

[Chris]

James, as you know, I am church-shopping. Where IS your "new" building? What time is Sunday morning service?

[James]

Chris, we are at 40 Kings Way directly across from the old Hampton court house & St Johns Episcopal Church. Most people come into the church through the Wine St (back) entrance. There is parking on King's Way (street), the old police station public parking lot, and the public parking lot across Wine St.

Services are at 8:30 and 11:00. Sunday School is at 9:45. If you want to try my class, just ask anyone where the Little Brown Fox class meets. I would love to see you there. The Sanctuary Choir sings at 11:00.