Dear Friends,
Every Episcopal parish I’ve known has its “high holy days.” I’m not talking about Christmas and Easter. Those are the church’s high holy days. I’m talking about the days that, for a variety of local reasons, a parish observes in some special way.
Let me give you an example: the Sunday closest to the Fourth of July at St. Luke’s Granville.
It’s hard to capture in words the Village of Granville during the week of Independence Day. The central Ohio village of just under 6,000 residents delivers a quintessential Midwestern celebration of patriotism. Fireworks, a parade, a carnival midway that takes up two blocks of downtown (okay, so downtown is only two blocks long), pet costume judging, egg tosses, and a bandstand offering everything from rock and roll to kids’ dance troupes – it’s all there. Food vendors offer elephant’s ears, fresh squeezed lemonade, and every imaginable fried food. Oh, one more thing. . . the Pharaoh’s Fury ride is set up right outside the front door of St. Luke’s. You get the picture.
The church – adopting the attitude of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” made the Sunday closest to the Fourth of July it’s local high holy day. Since The Book of Common Prayer offers readings and prayers for Independence Day and Hymnal 1982 has a section called “National Songs,” the parish went all in. Because the Fourth of July in Granville is a time when many return to the village to visit family and friends, St. Luke’s billed the day as a parish homecoming. Terry and I were in charge of coffee hour and gave it an appropriately corny name – “Apple Pie with the Applegates.” The liturgical colors for the week were red, white, and blue.
Pride is one of Trinity’s high holy days.
This weekend’s colors are the colors of the rainbow, plus the five colors that have been added for the Progress Pride Flag – black, brown, light blue, pink, and white. Trinity’s celebration begins tonight with a picnic on the Plaza from 5:30–7:30 pm. Tomorrow – Saturday – parishioners will offer hospitality from 10:00 am–3:00 pm. Folks will march in the Parade that begins at noon, and staff Trinity’s booth in Promenade Park throughout the day.
Most importantly, we’ll offer thanks and praise to God on Sunday morning at 10:00 am. Because Pride is a high holy day, Bishop Anne has approved liturgical changes for this week’s service that gives the Trinity faith community the opportunity to pray with intention for the LGBTQIA+ community – for every person who is created in God’s image – and that means for everyone.
Happy Pride, Toledo! Happy Pride, Trinity! Remember that you are loved!
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate