Church of St. James the Less

The text threads that keep me connected to my closest clergy colleagues are pinging like crazy this week. Even as I typed that last sentence--3 more messages (time to silence notifications!). We're all attempting to guide our respective congregations through a tense election season, and are seeking each other's advice on how best to do that.

This will be my seventh U.S. presidential election since being ordained in October 2000. It'll be my third here at St. James. The other four have been at other churches (in Ohio and New York) with different types of congregations and in different times. My own views have changed in various ways across 24 years, as one would hope.

In particular, over my years of ministry I've learned to appreciate and have tried better to cultivate diverse congregations. I'm proud to be the rector of what I think may be one of the most diverse parishes in our diocese. That includes our backgrounds, our socio-economic status, the communities we come from, our skin color--and also our politics.

I was reminded in a piece I read last week of the "law of group polarization," which posits that groups of like-minded people tend to grow more extreme. Every time someone comes into my office to say "I don't agree with you on this," whether it be an interpretation of a Scripture text, a political view, a decision made with the vestry, and such, I take a deep breath and remind myself that it's good we don't all agree. Disagreement, when handled wisely, helps keep us curious, humble, and gracious. It makes better people, and better communities. My admiration is extended not only (or especially) to people who agree with me, but to those who don't, and yet still choose to remain in relationship with their clergy and church family.

There are, of course, things we must agree don't belong in a Christian community and our wider society: racism, discrimination, acts of hostility and aggression towards others, hateful rhetoric, and the like.

But overall, I pray that we leave as much room as possible--almost to the point of discomfort--for differences of opinion. In his chapter on some of the disagreements roiling the Anglican Communion (that's the larger worldwide body of Christians we belong to as Episcopalians) some years ago, our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry wrote "Love makes it possible to disagree on bedrock convictions and yet stay in relationship. There is a valid concern that doing so forces you to compromise on principles. But sometimes you have to run the risk because of a greater danger: chaos and social self-destruction. I think we have to run that risk, especially in the church. We have to know that love can survive meaningful disagreements. The union can endure, and must endure." Then slightly later he says, "To love, my brothers and sisters, does not mean we have to agree. But maybe agreeing to love is the greatest agreement. And the only one that ultimately matters, because it makes a future possible."

I'm grateful to be the rector of this parish, and pray this community is both comforting and challenging in the ways that will make us better people and better Christians--and me, a better priest.

Many thanks to Sam Geer, the landscape architect from Urban Ecosystems, who was in town [two weeks ago] to meet with the Town of Scarsdale, members of the Renew and Revitalize Task Force, and the entire parish. Sam's presentation after the 10:30 am service was thorough, and exciting! For a video recording of Sam's presentation, click here. For the slide deck, which you'll definitely want to see, click here or on the button below. Comments can be sent by responding directly to this email, and Carol will make sure they get to me and the entire R&R Task Force.

Some highlights:

• Sam has refined the surface materials, which was an item of importance to parishioners during the first draft of his presentation in 2021. Rather than gravel, the proposal suggests asphalt for price, durability, and maintenance reasons. Similarly, the surface for the Arrival Court at the entrance to the church has been changed from the previously proposed bluestone to a more durable but aesthetically beautiful surface (see the slides for detail). It's important to note that sections of the entire space will marked off visibly with borders, not only for the aesthetics, but also to help make our parking lot more functional and easier to navigate.

• The accessibility ramp in Sam's plans has also been upgraded and brought to current code. Notice the new orientation of the ramp staircase in the slide deck, and the seamless flow into the lot and Arrival Court.

• Drainage remains a top priority in this project. The slide deck shows the water capture method proposed for our lot, as well as their proposed placement, as of yet (pending results from percolation tests). Other drainage solutions include: regrading the lot to run towards the capture tanks (and away from the building!), creating proper wells for the windows beneath the Great Hall (the Nursery School) to properly drain water away from (and not into) the building, and installing a new sump pump near the kitchen area--basically capturing all the main problem areas.

• The retaining wall, which will be necessary once the parking lot is extended fifteen feet westward, will be terraced. This is for both aesthetic and structural reasons. Weight-bearing studies are still being conducted by the engineer and will determine the final design.

• Please remember this is still a work in progress, but this slide deck contains some tremendous improvements based on your feedback from the prior set of plans. We want to keep hearing from you! Again, respond to this email with any feedback and your input will be conveyed to the R&R Task Force.

Thoughts on the Election

All Saints' Necrology/List of the Deceased

Renew & Revitalize Task Force Update

Join the Renew and Revitalize Task Force

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