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A tale of two visitors.
One Sunday morning, at a big, beautiful Cathedral in the Midwest, two guests, one a single man and the other a small family, arrived for service with just enough time to find a seat.
The first, the single man, came in carrying two plastic grocery bags of what looked like clothing and an overstuffed backpack. It seemed reasonable to suppose he may not have a home to store his clothes, let alone lay his head. Some people who saw him were heard in hushed tones wondering with the usher, “Is he new? Does he need someone to sit with him and help him with the service? May I do that?” Then another congregant asked the guest, “Can I get you anything? How about some water?” Wow. Such a graceful approach. Welcomes like this come from a place of radical hospitality and a true and lively response to the meme, “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You.” The welcome by these parishioners was not paying lip service, but showed a community ready to open its doors, hearts, and arms in the name of Christ.
The second set of guests, a couple and what could have been an adult child of the pair, were approached on their arrival by several members of the community with hands outstretched in welcome, warm greetings, and invitations to stay for fellowship after the service. Again, the number of people who extended God’s welcome to these folk and who reflected the core values of the Episcopal Church was heartening. These guests were escorted and welcomed into the fellowship hall and made to feel ‘right at home.’
The only other words heard about this second group were invitations to return next week and how people felt honored that the ‘family’ had chosen to be with them that morning.
There were, however, other words directed to the first visitor. Approaching a pew to deposit his bags and to claim a spot for himself, someone approached him and said, “Can I help you? What are you here for? Do you need to speak to the priest?” Yet another whispered to the priest, “I don’t know what he’s doing here, but I don’t trust him.”
We only have to consider that both guests were treated with great care and welcome, but only one left feeling unsure about whether he belonged here or not. It is not up to us to speculate why there was a difference in the way these two were treated, but we do well to ask ourselves which welcome is the reflection of Christ, an extension of our Baptismal Vows, and of the ethos of the Episcopal Church.
The readings this past Sunday invited the followers of Jesus into a relationship with others that does not allow for a distinction in the way we see and treat one another. “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” When these stirrings from the Holy Sprit are first in our hearts, we will always say, “Are you new? Can I get you something? May I sit with you?” When it isn’t our instinct or if we are afraid or unsure, perhaps the best we can muster is a pause to think and to let someone else express welcome.
So whether actual or fictional, whether the instinct for grace is first or there is still fear, this tale is an invitation to every Christian Community to choose its welcome, to be aware of what your welcome conveys, and to keep close to your heart the passage from Hebrews (6:2), “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Christopher
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Readings for Next Week
July 6, 2025
2 Kings 5:1-14
Psalm 30
Galatians 6:(1-6)7-16
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
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Tapestry Farms:
We have tubs for your donations of cleaning supplies, household goods, personal items and non-perishable food for Tapestry Farms at the back of the pews in the Cathedral. Additionally, Tapestry Farms is seeking volunteers to transport children to a summer program at Madison Elementary and back home at noon. This program will run from June 16th to the end of July, Monday through Friday for more information, please check the notice on the elevator board.
Trinity Shirts:
We are coordinating an order for t-shirts and sweatshirts that showcase our logo and our mission to Do Christ’s Work. If you’re interested in placing an order, please let the office know your preferred size and style. The prices for these items vary from $13.00 to $28.00, based on the size and whether you select a t-shirt or a sweatshirt. We will proceed with the order once we have a minimum of 25 shirts.
Wednesday Night Dinner & Book Study:
Join us for Wednesday Night Dinner & Book Study on July 2nd. We are currently reading “The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our 'Correct' Beliefs” by Peter Enns (available on Amazon). Dinner begins at 5:30 PM. Everyone is welcome!
Coffee Hour:
Summer has arrived! And Coffee Hour continues each Sunday morning following the Service. This has become a "Highlight" of our Gatherings following church. A valuable way to visit and meet new people. And since it's Summer, we may have Travelers stopping through our community. This is another "Outreach" to others. Please consider Volunteering for a Sunday this Summer (June is complete, but July and August have openings!) Does not need to be a large amount of food. Work with a friend to provide some "treats". Come and prepare the coffee(s) and water and clean-up following the Coffee Hour. Any questions, please contact Cindy May at 563-650-1486 or email rmay2000@sbcglobal.net.
Church Office Closed July 3rd & 4th for Independence Day:
The Church Office will be closed on July 3rd and 4th for Independence Day. For urgent needs, call the office; someone will answer or return your call if needed.
Road Construction Closure:
Main Street is undergoing construction; please use alternative routes to access the Cathedral. For the larger parking lot on the south side, approach from Main Street to Palmer Drive (right turn) or from Harrison Street by turning left on W. 8th Street, then left on Main Street and right on Palmer Drive. The smaller north parking lot is still accessible via 12th Street. Please see map below to help with accessing the parking lots during construction. The yellow path shows paths to access the parking lots the red is road closure with no access.
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Music Notes for the Third Sunday after Pentecost
June 29, 2025
“Come, Holy Spirt, come.”
Our sequence hymn this Sunday, “Like the murmur of the dove’s song,” serves as a great example of the tension between “text” and “tune.” As the Standing Committee on Church Music (SCCM) considered hymns for inclusion in the Hymnal 1982, committee members wrestled with the age-old question, “What’s more important: text or tune?” Members of the SCCM seemed to agree that the tune, Bridegroom, was appealing – likeable melody, comfortable vocal range, tuneful, etc. – and as such, should be included in the Hymnal. The original text, however, did not resonate particularly well with American Episcopal congregations. Many of the phrases used symbolic language like “King unto his realm,” and “keep unto the castle,” reflecting the original author, Peter Cutts’ British roots.
Because the melody was so highly revered, SCCM members subsequently asked another hymnwriter, Carl Daw, Jr., to write a new text for this attractive melody. Carl Daw, Jr., began by playing the melody on a variety of instruments to explore the “intrinsic tone and message” (Hymnal Companion, Volume Three B). As he played through the melody, Daw became convinced that the last phrase was a prayer of invocation to the Holy Spirit. With the final phrase, “Come, Holy Spirit, come,” already established, he went about creating each stanza.
Each stanza invites us to consider different aspects of the Holy Spirit: How the Spirit comes to us; Where the Spirit finds us; Why we need the Spirit’s presence.
The first stanza uses the dove as an aural and visual symbol of the Holy Spirit, along with the elements of wind and fire. The opening phrase, “Like the murmur of the dove’s song,” recognizes that the constant moaning of the dove (how) is like the Holy Spirit, constantly at prayer. Personally, I like this image quite a lot. At our previous home in Waukee (an American four-square farmhouse built in 1910), Nichole and I enjoyed, year after year, a pair of moaning doves that would sit atop the apex of the roof and sing their gentle moaning melodies. It was a reminder that the Holy Spirit is always near us, in constant prayer.
Stanza two helps us understand that we find the Holy Spirit (where) in community – the Church – as a divine gift. Daw uses the images of body, vine, and assembly, referring to each gospel writer’s understanding of the Church (respectively): Paul, John, and Luke.
The final stanza attempts to answer the purpose of the Spirit’s presence (why) among us. “With the healing of division, with the ceaseless voice of prayer, with the power to love and witness, with the peace beyond compare come, Holy Spirit, come. Raymond Glover, a contributor to the Hymnal Companion, describes this stanza as bringing together “…diverse images of both the Holy Spirit and the people of God in an attempt to suggest the scope of divine power and the depth of human need” (Hymnal Companion Volume Three B, Church Hymnal Corporation, NY, pg. 959).
It is interesting to note that Peter Cutts’ original hymn (and tune), “As the bridegroom to his chosen,” appears in The Hymnal of the United Church of Christ (Philadelphia, 1974) and The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymnal (Washington, DC, 1985). Daw’s text was quickly embraced for use in The Presbyterian Hymnal (Louisville, KY, 1990); The United Methodist Hymnal (Nashville, 1988), and Worship, 3rd ed., (Chicago, 1986).
My prayer is that we continue to embrace the hope-filled, joyful optimism expressed in the first stanza. Growing spiritually and doing Christ’s work is joyful, but not always easy. Our ‘flight’ may be a challenge, but ‘the new flame’s eager might’ gives rise to a bright future in Christ.
Like the murmur of the dove’s song, like the challenge of her flight,
Like the vigor of the wind’s rush, like the new flame’s eager might:
Come, Holy Spirit, come. (Carl P. Daw, Jr.)
Michael Elsbernd
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Schedule of Weekly Services:
- Morning Prayer: @ 8:30 AM. Monday - Thursday in the Chapel.
- Contemplative Prayer: Tuesday & Thursday @ 9:00 AM in the Chapel.
- Holy Eucharist: Tuesdays @ 11:00 AM.
- New Life Prayer Group Thursday @ 1:00 PM in the Library.
- Morning Prayer 8:30 AM & Bible Study 9:00 AM on Saturdays via zoom.
- Holy Eucharist: Sundays @ 10:00 AM.
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Thank you Note from Liam Healy
from Iowa Department of Health & Human Services
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Do you have a prayer request?
Drop a prayer card in the gold box at the back of the Cathedral.
Please Lift These Loved Ones In Special Prayer
Fred Berger, Marlin Whitmer, Marie Fair, Ginger Arp, Emma Blesz, George Witt, Mike Hoenig Judy Carpenter, Jim Wolters, Jill Stringham, Rosie Ginther, Denny Stierwalt, Amy Farmer, Sandra Glattly, Mary Williamson, Tony Loritz, Sue Wolters, Jeff Peterson, Kent Sidney, Jessica Irelan, Ann Green, Kay Ungurean, Rose Marie Wara, Marilyn Edwards, Donna Spies, Jerry Farmer, Lisa Whitmer, Kimberly Toll- Brown & Daryl Penner.
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| Sound Therapy In Community | Join the award-winning musician and certified sound therapist Lynne Stukart for a soothing Sound Therapy event aimed at alleviating stress and promoting well-being through harmonious vibrations.Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing.Feel free to bring a yoga mat or blanket for added comfort.Seating is available, and please note that this event involves no physical activity—it's solely for rest and relaxation. Everyone seeking peace and clarity is welcome to this free community event, and love offerings are appreciated to support the work. | | | |
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
121 W 12th Street
Davenport Iowa 52803
563-323-9989
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