Dear Friends,
We have been praying through some difficult things together. Many of our beloveds in the parish and in our
circles of connection, and many of us ourselves, are experiencing illness and difficulty in our bodies, in our
mental health, and even in our relationships. Today I want to say a few things about pastoral care.

Happy Easter! We’ve only just begun to celebrate. You might know that Easter is the pinnacle celebration of the church year. At the Easter Vigil, we ended the fast of Lent and welcomed Easter light and life with great rejoicing. Now, amidst the Great 50 Days of the Easter season, spanning from Easter Day to Pentecost, we are invited to embrace the transformative power of resurrection in our hearts, through our lives, and for the whole world.

Today is first of three of the holiest days in the Church year, traditionally known as the Triduum (Latin for “three days”). This evening, we’ll begin to walk with Jesus toward the promised life of Easter. It is not an easy road, and best traveled with friends. I invite us to walk together.

Dear Siblings in Christ,
Recently, we have enjoyed some glorious sunshine and warm weather. Though I don’t much mind clouds, cold or rain, I am nonetheless delighted! It turns out I had forgotten about the power of changing seasons to inspire new possibilities and hope. Every turning brings its own farewells and greetings, but none perhaps more striking than Winter giving way to Spring.

You may know that I play the piano a little bit. I’ve never considered myself a serious musician, as I play almost entirely by ear, and I’m more interested in making music improvisationally than by playing anything already written down or recorded somewhere else. In my own style of music-making, I’ve found a unique relationship with the word “yes,” because of the creative energy involved with listening closely, feeling deeply, and playing courageously (even when not knowing exactly where it all will go).

Originally focused on highlighting culture and contributions to society by members of the African diaspora, the emphasis has taken on new urgency and importance in recent years. As culture warriors and politicians attempt to erase histories that are unfavorable to dominant (white) narratives, and roll back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout society, it is important to educate ourselves beyond the myriad contributions of Black folk.

In recent months, a Newcomers Committee has been formed to help think through the ways we welcome folks to St. Michael’s and walk together into greater connection and involvement in the parish community. I am grateful to the convener and members of this group as well as the Junior Warden for the People and the Senior Warden of the Vestry.

While transportation and technology connect us readily to the other side of the world, commercial and political forces work relentlessly to cordon us off from a next door neighbor, luring us into silos where we can be with people who like what we like, have what we have, and think like we think.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s word of the year in 2023 was “authentic.” I’m not surprised.
Merriam-Webster publishes the annual “word” from among the most looked-up within a given year, filtering out more common five-letter words that appear in countless games and crossword puzzles. In 2023, with the arrival of popular AI apps (like Chat GPT and Google’s Bard), a surge in charges of fake news, and a rise in “deepfake” photos in news and media, it seems there was a big increase in the interest for what is real, true, and even—if it exists—original. We all have to ask ourselves, more and more it seems: “Is that the real thing?”

I believe joy is integral to our resilience as human beings. It is something essential to our lives, even though at times joy can be difficult for us to access or even accept as being possible.