This coming Sunday is the Honolulu Marathon. It is a great event, and I have run it twice in the past, and I had a great time. That being said, the marathon wreaks havoc on Sunday worship due to the transportation bottlenecks it causes within the city. It’s especially challenging that this happens on an Advent Sunday when churches are preparing for Christ’s coming. It is an example of how something good for the city has unfortunate consequences for other parts of the city. Some churches cancel worship altogether, as it is too difficult to get to their church on marathon Sunday.
Some of our 8:30 am parishioners recommended that we cancel the 8:30 am mass this coming Sunday, but as I live in the rectory, I am happy to celebrate the 8:30 am mass for whoever might still come. If you find travel difficult on marathon Sunday, consider attending the Solemn Mass on Sunday at 10:30 am or Vespers and Benediction at 4:00 pm. My hunch is that most runners finish the marathon around 9:30 am.
On an entirely positive note, thank you to everyone who donated gifts for Responsive Caregivers. The hall has a great collection of wrapped gifts, and your donations will make many very, very happy this Christmas. Thank you also to everyone who attended the presentation on Family Promise after the solemn mass. The presentation from Ryan Catalani, the CEO of Family Promise, was excellent, and we learned much about the diversity of their work in helping homeless families with children. Thank you to Jesse and Paige Wilson for coordinating the presentation, and I am grateful for the excellent turnout from the congregation for the talk. The sign-up sheet for the December Family Promise meal is posted in the Parish Hall.
Last Sunday Vespers (Evensong) and Benediction returned at 4:00 pm. It was what we might call a “soft opening.” It was announced only on the website and in the Evangel. I was pleasantly surprised to see such a faithful gathering when I exited the sacristy with the thurifer and server. The service was lovely, and I recommend it for everyone. It lasts an hour, and we are taking advantage of the flexibility of the Prayer Book, using the format that begins on page 109. After the psalms, there is one reading, and then the Song of Mary, the Magnificat, is sung. This understands that the Song of Simeon, or Nunc dimittis, is reserved for Compline (BCP p. 127), the night office prayed before retiring to bed. A bonus is that the light in the church is often the best in the late afternoon and early evening. The stained glass creates beautiful reflections.
Christmas will arrive in two weeks, and Advent comes to an end so quickly each year. I confess that Jayson and I put our Christmas tree (Advent Bush?) up in the rectory on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and I have been listening to Advent hymns and online carol services almost every day. This includes the mandatory listening of “Lo, he comes with clouds descending” as much as possible. This is one of the best times of the year for the Christian in my opinion. I hope you are enjoying your preparations for the coming of the Holy Infant of Bethlehem.
Happy Advent,
Father Paul Lillie +
