A Farewell and Thank You
The Still Point
... At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance... T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton
Opening Prayer
O Lord, when your Son ascended into heaven, he sent down upon the Apostles the Holy Spirit, as he had promised, that they might comprehend the mysteries of the kingdom: Distribute among us also, we pray, the gifts of the selfsame Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Saying Farewell to Still Point
Still Point has fed our contemplative hearts for over 3 years, thanks to the dedicated leaders who have kept this fire burning. Still Point has continued through the departure of Mother Elizabeth, the interim period with Mother Anna, through changing budgets and diminishing resources, and so much more. Still Point has been a touchstone, a source of calm and stillness, a well-spring of wisdom and solace for all of us. But now, we come to the moment when Still Point comes to a close. Those faithful stewards who have kept this light burning need to move forward, and so we say farewell to this beautiful service.
We offer our deepest gratitude to Frank Nowell, Matt Bentley, Kathleen Schmidt, Jim Fittz, Tim Krueger, Maryella Morley, Linda Mack, Bob Yandrofski, Scott Coulter, and all of the staff singers who have contributed to this service through the years. And we offer special thanks to the Rev. Terri Hobart, Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church who generously offered her time as celebrant/homilist during the interim, and provided many ideas for the contemplative and musical aspects of the service.
As we look to the future, we anticipate the creation of a new monthly contemplative service at St. Andrew’s. And in his role as Minister of Formation, Scott Coulter is planning to bring further opportunities for contemplative practice, with the hope that we can find avenues to offer contemplative practice to not only those already within our parish walls, but offer it even more broadly to our neighbors. The contemplative Spirit is strong at St. Andrew’s, and it will find the openings for new life, as the Spirit always does.
And so, as we say farewell, let us give thanks. Thanks for the stillness, for the inspiration, for the music, for the wisdom, for the solace, and all of the tremendous gifts of the Spirit we have received through Still Point. Amen.
