Clergy Notes — March 8, 2026

Evensong was the name given to the evening worship of Vespers in medieval England. It was the office (service) that took place before dark, and which in earlier times had included the lighting of candles.

We are extremely fortunate to be holding this act of worship now on a monthly basis at St. James’, as well as other places. As a lapsed chorister, this was a weekly joy in my formative years. It is different in character to the Eucharist, and includes the reciting of psalms and canticles. These include the Magnificat (sung by Mary when her cousin Elizabeth greeted her as the mother of the Lord), and the Nunc Dimittis (the song of Simeon when he encountered the Christ child in the Temple). Both are thanksgivings for the coming and arrival of Jesus. Whenever I get the chance to be at Evensong, I’m there.

The office is dignified, musical, and enables us to enter more deeply into prayer and spiritual reflection. The psalms and canticles are sung by the choir but there are parts of the service where the congregation takes part. There is a reading from both the Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament) and the New Testament. We say the Apostles’ Creed, sing a couple of hymns, and there are brief prayers as we prepare for the evening and the night ahead.

Evensong concludes with Benediction. This dates from the 11th century as an opportunity to reflect on the mystery of the Eucharist. Christ makes himself known to us in the forms of bread and wine and we take this moment to contemplate and celebrate the meaning of the gift of Christ. In this liturgy the sacred bread of the Eucharist is reverenced before it is used to bless the congregation.

Please come on March 15 at 4:00 pm for Evensong and Benediction; to pray, reflect and feast on the music and the liturgy. It is an excellent way to end the day and be ready for the week that is just beginning.

Father Stephen Rowe

Click here to find the Liturgy at Home for Sunday

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Clergy Notes — March 1, 2026

There are a number of encounters in the Gospel of John between Jesus and those he comes across; encounters quite unlike those recorded in the other Gospels. They are not brief moments of healing or admonishment, but sustained interactions characterized by deep, theological conversation through which the person is transformed, and goes away to proclaim the Good News. Although the word ‘apostle’ doesn’t actually occur in John’s Gospel, these people nevertheless become apostles through word and action.

Nicodemus is just such a person. Jesus engages him in a deeply theological conversation, according to the pattern. But unlike the others Jesus encounters in this way, Nicodemus is not immediately transformed. In fact, it seems he never reaches a point of understanding in this conversation at all. We don’t know what he does after this, but we see him twice more: first defending Jesus in front of the temple leaders, then preparing Jesus’ body for burial. His transformation is not immediate; it takes time.

So why does this matter for us in Lent? Perhaps because – like Nicodemus looking for logical answers – we too are often looking for a quick fix. On the outside we do all the ‘right’ things, but then we give up when we aren’t suddenly holier, or hearing God’s voice or feeling God’s presence the way we expect to. We get frustrated when things take longer than we want them to. We know what we want, and we want it now.

But discipleship doesn’t work like that… not much in life does, for that matter.

Thankfully, Jesus has experience dealing with human impatience, and does not give up on us. During those periods when nothing seems to be working, when all our prayers seem to fall flat, and when God seems very far away, we may be reminded by Nicodemus’ example that we cannot grow in discipleship through our own will: not by saying the right prayers, performing the correct rituals, or even faithfully executing our Lenten disciplines. Flesh does not give birth to Spirit: only God can do that. And when we are ready to be content with waiting on God, we discover that God was always there, waiting for us.

Mother Amanda

Click here to find the Liturgy at Home for Sunday

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