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Archdeacon Callie Walpole addressed the events of this past week in her homily this morning at Grace Church Cathedral by weaving together events from our own history in South Carolina and bringing them to bear upon our present day. Watch it at this link.
The text of the sermon is as follows: Pentecost—the gift of the Lord of the Holy Spirit to the people of God; that gift of the Holy Spirit is comfort and strength and love and grace and truth—but the gift of Pentecost is also the gift of unity. The Spirit is what allows us to feel connected to you all who are watching online and you to us; the Spirit unites us one to another—people from every tribe and nation, yet coming together as one people—one humanity—“one body”—as Paul puts it. We are one with one another and all humanity. This recognition can change our lives—as it draws us out of ourselves and into the world--that is the work of the Spirit:
I’ve just started reading a book I’ve been meaning to read, which is titled My Grandmother’s Hands—it’s written by a man named Resmaa Menakem. It is a different sort of book—perhaps that’s why it has remained on my shelf for a while. Menakem’s premise is that a lot of the racial work that’s been done in our country in the last while has been good—but, he says, our efforts have been focused in the wrong direction. He writes: “We’ve tried to teach our brains to think better about race.” “But” he goes on to say: “[racial thought] doesn’t live in our thinking brains. It lives and breathes in our bodies”—and that we must begin “with our bodies.” Yes, trauma happens in the mind but trauma happens in the body. Think about it: One serious injury to the body can cause a person to deal with the effects of trauma for years after the event—perhaps for the rest of an earthly life—and even beyond. You remember when Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection—what did he do?—he showed them his wounds. The wounds remain. Such is the nature of trauma—the body’s response to a harmful event—all in an attempt to protect itself—to survive. With regard to the coronavirus—haven’t we been hearing that sometimes a danger with people who are otherwise healthy who contract the virus is their immune systems go into overdrive—which turns out to be counter-productive and even deadly at times. These types of auto-immune responses just don’t seem right, do they? But we know this sort of thing can happen. It is all instinctive, involuntary, unconscious—the human body can bring about harm—not only to others—but to oneself. This book—that I’m just beginning to read—discusses the generations of trauma inflicted upon a people—and the effects upon an entire society—a citizenry—in desperate need of healing. You remember Sarah Grimke—of the famed Grimke Sisters—in the nineteenth century in the years before the Civil War. Did you know that our own Calvary Episcopal Church actually began in the halls of St Philip’s Church? As a young woman Sarah Grimke would teach Sunday school classes for the fledgling congregation of Calvary. It was in this capacity as a Sunday school teacher for members of Calvary that Sarah first began to question why enslaved peoples could not be taught to read the bible—instead of relying solely on oral instruction. Through this experience Sarah—together with her sister Angelina—began to challenge the contradictions—between a Christian faith and the laws and practice of a slaveholding society. You know the rest of the story: Sarah and her sister would become abolitionists and suffragists and leave South Carolina. Sarah would also become quite the theologian. The Spirit disturbed Sarah at her very core—and her life was changed. The Spirit used the good people of Calvary Episcopal Church to effect this monumental shift in Sarah’s sight—in her insight—in her action. For generations the Grimke Sisters would be mentioned only in hushed tones—if at all—in much of South Carolina until the last generation or so—when books began to be written about them. It was Sarah Grimke who would famously say: “I ask no favor. . .All I ask of my brethren is that they will take their feet from off our necks, and permit us to stand upright.” It’s the body again—meant to work together and with one another to build up, to heal, to restore—and not to harm—simply to permit to stand upright… The resurrected Jesus breathes on his disciples—an incongruous thought at the moment when we are entering stores and other settings with masks on—to protect others from the particles of our own breath—and us from those of others. It’s an incongruous thought because breath is life. Jesus breathes his very Spirit upon his disciples. While I breathe, I hope. While I hope, I breathe. While I breathe, I live… Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback for the Clemson Tigers, said this over the weekend: The injustice is clear. . .and so is the hate. It can no longer be explained away. If you’re still explaining it [away]—check your heart and ask why.” Clemson’s brilliant young quarterback is known for his gentle strength and humility. You notice Trevor is appealing not to the mind—but to the heart—where the Holy Spirit stirs within the body—in order to heal. We are a nation that was born in rebellion. And we tend to be proud about that—that we overthrew the oppression of the Crown. But imagine for a moment—if the British had really listened to us and not overarchingly viewed us—these colonies—and our own South Carolina chief among them—as primarily an economic venture?—but instead as real people with real grievances?—human beings trying to heal after generations of other forms of violence and strife in the lands we left behind… Imagine if we had been heard… How is the Spirit moving within you to see and to hear?—and not to explain away hard thoughts--
Come Holy Spirit, come, and kindle in us the fire of your love. Amen. On Sunday, May 31, churches throughout our diocese celebrated the Day of Pentecost with online services of worship, as the suspension of public worship services continues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here for the lessons appointed for use on Whitsunday, the Day of Pentecost. Find the links to the services below: All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Island All Saints offered a Weekend Worship Service for May 30 and 31. Watch it at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. The Episcopal Church in Okatie, Ridgeland Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. The Episcopal Church on Edisto, Edisto Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Summerville Watch the first half of the Sunday service at this link. Find the second half of the service at this link. Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston Watch the Sunday Choral Eucharist at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church, Pawleys Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Church of the Holy Communion, Charleston Watch the Said High Mass from Sunday at this link. Church of the Messiah, Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Conway Watch the Sunday Morning Prayer at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Florence Watch the Sunday service on Zoom through Facebook at this link. St. Francis Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. George’s Episcopal Church, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Port Royal Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Standing Committee appreciates the collaborative efforts of our congregations and deaneries during this two-week period of intentional planning. The overall sense during this time is that while there is a desire to return to in-person worship, there is also great care, concern, and effort occurring in how to do that safely and with integrity.
At this point, the Standing Committee recommends continuing online services as the primary means of worship. If after developing a plan and assessing the current state of the virus in their region, congregations have discerned that they are adequately prepared to safely regather for in-person worship (either outdoors or indoors), they are to proceed with great caution and care in doing so. Wherever possible, it is recommended that meetings, services, and other in-person gatherings are held outdoors, while still adhering to proper social distancing protocols. These recommendations are based on what we know today. It is also advisable that all plans be flexible and reassessed on a continuing basis to ensure the safety and health of everyone. Our diocese—our people and congregations—will continually strive to follow the advice of public health experts and best practices in planning the activities and worship of our diocese. The Standing Committee will continue to offer updates and addendums to the Best Practices for Planning a Return to In-Person Worship that was shared on May 15.  The Rev. Dr. James Yarsiah has been called to serve as priest-in-charge of St. Michael the Archangel, Wall Township, and St. James, Bradley Beach, in the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey. Fr. James has served as Chaplain of Voorhees College and Vicar of St. Philip’s, Denmark, since 2012 and in the Diocese of South Carolina since moving to the United States from Liberia in 2004.
During his tenure, he has served in many roles in diocesan leadership including as a past member of Standing Committee and a current member of Diocesan Council. Of the transition, Fr. Yarsiah said: “We are extremely excited about this new ministry and pray that the Lord leads and guides my family and me as we serve his people. To God be the glory.” Fr. James, his wife Ophelia, and their family will be moving to New Jersey in June. We bid the Yarsiah family farewell and thank them for the many years of ministry in our diocese.  On Sunday, May 24, churches throughout our diocese celebrated the Seventh Sunday of Easter with online services of worship, as the suspension of public worship services continues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here for the lessons appointed for use on the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Find the links to the services below: All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Island All Saints offered a Weekend Worship Service for May 23 and 24. Watch it at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. The Episcopal Church in Okatie, Ridgeland Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. The Episcopal Church on Edisto, Edisto Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston Watch the Sunday Choral Eucharist at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church, Pawleys Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Church of the Holy Communion, Charleston Watch the Said High Mass from Sunday at this link. Church of the Messiah, Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Conway Watch the Sunday Morning Prayer at this link. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Florence Watch the Sunday service on Zoom through Facebook at this link. St. Francis Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. George’s Episcopal Church, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Port Royal Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday service at this link. On Sunday, May 17, churches throughout our diocese celebrated the Sixth Sunday of Easter with online services of worship, as the suspension of public worship services continues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday, May 15, the Standing Committee announced that this suspension is extended at least through June 1.
Click here for the lessons appointed for use on the Sixth Sunday of Easter. Find the links to the services below: All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Island All Saints offered a Weekend Worship Service for May 16 and 17. Watch it at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. The Episcopal Church in Okatie, Ridgeland Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. The Episcopal Church on Edisto, Edisto Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston Watch the Sunday Choral Eucharist at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church, Pawleys Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Church of the Holy Communion, Charleston Watch the Said High Mass from Sunday at this link. Church of the Messiah, Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Conway Watch the Sunday Morning Prayer at this link. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Florence Watch the Sunday service on Zoom through Facebook at this link. St. Francis Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. George’s Episcopal Church, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Follow along with the bulletin at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Port Royal Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday service at this link.  The Standing Committee continues to discern how best to serve and protect the faithful people and congregations of the diocese during this period of great uncertainty. At this time, the Standing Committee recommends continuing the suspension of in-person worship services through June 1.
In the meantime, the Standing Committee has suggested that the next two weeks are used as a period of intentional planning within congregations in preparation for when a return to in-person worship is possible. This document of Best Practices for Planning a Return to In-Person Worship (click to view and download the file) should assist Rectors and Priests-in Charge in planning. The Deans of our diocesan deaneries stand ready to assist and will offer opportunities for discussion. During the period between May 18 and May 31, small groups of 10 or fewer people may consider gathering (maintaining social distance) for planning purposes. More information will be shared as it is made available from from our government and public health officials.  The Rev. Jill Williams has accepted a position as the Head Chaplain at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, South Carolina. Rev. Williams currently serves as Vicar of St. James-Santee Episcopal Church and Lower School Chaplain at Porter-Gaud School.
In her announcement to St. James she said: “I believe that God is calling me to serve this community, and further my school ministry… St. James is such a wonderful community. I know that God has great plans in store for you. I am also grateful for how God has provided a wonderful ministry opportunity and new school for me and my boys. God is good in all things!” She will begin her new job in August and we wish her well in her new call. On Sunday, May 10, churches throughout our diocese celebrated the Fifth Sunday of Easter with online services of worship, as the suspension of public worship services continues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Standing Committee recently announced that this suspension is extended at least through May 18.
Click here for the lessons appointed for use on the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Find the links to the services below: All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Island All Saints offered a Weekend Worship Service for May 9 and 10. Watch it at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. The Episcopal Church in Okatie, Ridgeland Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. The Episcopal Church on Edisto, Edisto Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston Watch the Sunday Choral Eucharist at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church, Pawleys Island Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. Church of the Holy Communion, Charleston Watch the Said High Mass from Sunday at this link. Church of the Messiah, Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday Liturgy of the Word at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Conway Watch the Sunday Morning Prayer at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Florence Watch the Sunday service on Zoom through Facebook at this link. St. Francis Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. George’s Episcopal Church, Summerville Watch the Sunday service at this link. Follow along with the bulletin at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Port Royal Watch the Sunday service at this link. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Charleston Watch the Sunday service at this link. Click this link for the bulletin. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, North Myrtle Beach Watch the Sunday service at this link.  We need your voice! The Diocese of South Carolina is compiling a group reading of Acts 2:1-21 for Pentecost. We would love a diverse group of readers from across the diocese, no experience necessary.
To take part:
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- Home
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About Us
-
Ministry
- Prayer Calendar
- Commission on Ministry
- Title IV Concerns
- Outreach
- Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission
- Grants for Congregations
- Administrative Resources
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- Liturgy & Worship >
- Education & Formation >
- Church Connections >
- Ecumenical & Interfaith >
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