Letter from Emily: Pitching Our Tent
During the month of October as the Church of the Redeemer undergoes assessment, St. Lydia’s will worship in the homes of congregants who live in the neighborhood. Write stlydias@stlydias.org to find out where we are!
Dear Lydians,
Expect the Unexpected: News from the Diocese
We moved to Redeemer with the knowledge that the building presented significant physical challenges, which were in the midst of being assessed by the Diocese of Long Island. In a letter from the Diocese in August, the Diocese communicated that they were planning an “existing conditions report” of the building.
I received a phone call from Canon John Betit to inform me that the Trustees of the Diocese, having recently met and reviewed an initial assessment of the Redeemer that was done earlier in the summer, have become very concerned about the safety of the building. They have decided that after this Sunday, October 2, we will need to suspend worshipping in the building until the existing conditions report is completed.
I should know soon when the report will be scheduled. After learning the results of the report, we will know much more about how things will progress. The report may tell us that the building is structurally sound and that we may safely worship there as we work with the Diocese to address the leaks in the roof. It is also possible that the building will be found to have structural damage that the Diocese may not be equipped to address at this time. We may be back in the building in a number of weeks, a number of months, or we may find that Redeemer is not a tenable home for us.
God Is With Us in the Wilderness: Digesting the News
This news presents us with both opportunity and challenge. The Trustees are doing exactly what they are tasked to do: ensuring the safety of all those people who worship in the buildings of the Diocese. I am grateful that they are taking the worrisome condition of the building seriously, and join them in placing our congregations’ physical safety above all else. At the same time, the challenge of this moment is very real. Our new space at Redeemer offered us a physical layout that supported the movement of our liturgy, much needed office and storage space, and, most importantly, a place that we were just beginning to feel was home. It is daunting to think about embarking on yet another time of transition.
The bible is full of stories about God asking God’s people to move. The people of Israel wander in the wilderness for forty years. Jonah is called to Nineveh whether he likes it or not. Joseph and Mary set out on a journey to be registered, and Jesus calls his disciples to leave everything and follow him. We are a people on the move, and even as we long for a place to call home, we know God travels with us wherever we go. The church is not a place, but a people.
Pitching Our Tent: Options as we Move Forward
There are some options in front of us in terms of what happens next. We had some wonderful, intimate house church services in the month of August, and could take this opportunity to pitch our tent at different congregants’ apartments in Brooklyn, deepening our understanding and connection to the neighborhood. Also keeping us present and connected to our new neighborhood, there’s a possibility I’m exploring for a cheap loft space rental that I’m pursuing a few blocks away from Redeemer. You might know of other rental possibilities or creative space sharing options we might pursue. Finally, both the Diocese and the Synod have spoken of Brooklyn churches where we might worship, and I’ve already received a generous and gracious offer of hospitality from a nearby priest. I seek the wisdom of the community in weighing these choices.
All Shall Be Well
We will have a place to gather each Sunday night. We are surrounded by people who love and support us. We will keep being the church. And though this time may not look like what you or I might have imagined, it offers us incredible opportunity to be bold and creative in the midst of all that’s unfolding. Let’s sit in the not-knowing and see what God is up to.
Please keep our siblings at Church of the Redeemer in your prayers.
That’s what I have to tell you today, my nomads. Rachel and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. A recurring theme in our many discussions over the last little while has been how blessed and grateful we feel to be traveling with all of you on this journey. We have both experienced a surprising sense of calm and curiosity amidst all of this that has reinforced our faith that the Holy Spirit is moving, however swiftly and surprisingly, in the work we are all doing together. And we know that whatever comes next, it will continue to be a gift and a blessing to share this work with all of you.
Love,
Emily
What about the possibility of another temporary Church space? Maybe in Greenpoint? 🙂