Dear People of St. James’,
We all know that the Church is not the building; the Church is the people whom God’s Spirit draws together in strange and mysterious ways and some reasons unknown to us. Basically, the reason is love.
Over the last few weeks, I have been watching the Spirit draw us together in new ways. People have been calling and texting each other and lovingly shouting across yards at each other to check in. People have been trying out previously dreaded technologies such as Zoom or Facebook to be a part of holy conversations. People have been sharing online services with neighbors, family members in other states, members of St. James’ in diaspora. New questions that never before occurred to us have been asked: Can I sing with people over Zoom? [sort of?] Can I dine or have tea with people over Zoom? [yes] People have been figuring out how hands-on programs like Neighbor 2 Neighbor can continue to address food access issues in east Austin while attending to the safety of those gathered and volunteers.
It has become clear though, that it is going to be while before we can gather together in our own space again. Our bishop’s current estimate is May 10, but we may be celebrating the whole Easter season this way, so if you have not yet found a way to connect to your St. James’ family, please contact the church office, and we will talk through some options with you.
Church, maybe you remember when Jesus appeared to his disciples up on that mountaintop on that last Sunday of Epiphany before Lent, and Peter offered to build some sacred spaces, some booths, to remember and to dwell in that moment. At that time, Jesus said something like, “Nope! You get on down that mountain, and let’s get out there and do what I’ve been sent to do!” Well, the moment we are in has changed a bit. In order for us to “go,” we need some places to remember and to dwell. It is time to set up some sacred space in our own homes where we, and other members of our household, can pray and remember and encounter Jesus during the Holy Week that is coming.
Setting up a sacred space in the home is not just a project for families with kids. For each of us, it can be a creative endeavor that helps to bring order to the chaos, simplicity to the complexity, and clarity to the cloudiness. You do not need to order a bunch of stuff from Amazon; work with what you have.
Step 1: Choose your space. Pick out some raised surface (a small table, a window sill, a low bookshelf) that can be set in a fairly low-traffic (so you are not knocking things over) but high visibility area in your home.
Step 2: Set the space apart. Find some cloth for draping the space in order to set it apart. For Holy Week, you might want to use red, but have black on hand, and then white for Easter.
Step 3: Set the “table.” Work with other members of the household to choose some things that belong in the space. You will certainly want to have candles and a cross, scripture, maybe a Book of Common Prayer. Maybe you have a seashell that reminds you of St. James. Icons or objects for nature might find a place there. Keep it simple so that each item has the space to speak.
Step 4: Figure out some mode of collecting prayers. Maybe you just have a stack of sticky notes and a pen or a little bowl of cards. Whatever you do, make way for writing down the prayers and moments of gratitude that your heart wants to remember to the Lord.
Once you have set up your space, spend time there! We will be sending out a number of ideas over the coming week for ways to mark particular moments in the Holy Week journey, but try making a daily appointment with your spirit and God’s Spirit there in that place. It is your space to feel the feelings, pray the prayers, sing the songs, cry out, or simply fall silent.
As an encouragement to others in your church family, we invite you to take a picture of the space you set up (if you are willing to share) and to send it to us at office@stjamesaustin.org. We will share these photos in a gallery on our website and on Facebook.
I look forward to continuing to tell sacred stories with you and to share in the beauty of worship, even at a distance. May the space you inhabit be sacred for you and filled with reminders of a loving and living and present God!
Rev. Eileen
Added resources:
https://rowsofsharon.com/2020/03/24/making-an-altar-for-home/
https://www.cgsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/HowToSetUpPrayerTable.pdf
