Theme and Variations
The common compositional form of Theme and Variations develops a melody, through the use of several smaller compositions which develop the them in different ways, yet they still fit together as a whole. Such is our life together. The full spectrum of our collective life at Saint George’s is very much a Theme and Variations and our theme is most definitely Love. Let me “play” some snippets of a few of these variations for you.
We remember our loved ones who have gone before us with our annual All Souls Evensong next Sunday, November 1 at 4:00 pm. While online this year, scripture, prayers, and beautiful music still mingle together to create a holy offering of love and praise to God. As a part of this service we invite you to light a candle at home in memory of your loved one as we light candles at the altar. We read our Parish Necrology and name those who have passed away among the saints who surround us. See the announcement below to have your loved one included.
On November 1st we are invited to return our 2021 Annual Fund pledges. Our generosity springs from our deep love of God and the gifts God has given us. In this variation, listen for the joy our children and youth feel about their church home and for the tremendous gift of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Sunday School.
Transfigured Jesus (the big stained glass window) is getting some love. A crew from Bovard Studios in Iowa arrived this week to take Jesus back Iowa for restoration. They will return in about three months with a fully restored transfiguration window. The Rose window has been repaired, cleaned, and a new gutter installed to prevent future leaks. We are grateful for the work to preserve these icons which not only grace our holy space, but shape us in light and color.
Our Nave is getting some more love, too. Renovations are continuing on the Nave in preparation for our new organ and to complete those from our 2016 “Making a Space for All” renovation. We know the church is not the building, yet our holy spaces shape our faith, provide sanctuary, and gather us in community for praise and prayer. We are grateful for this continued to work to make our Nave a holy place of community and for worship, as we look forward to the day when we return in person. If you would like to contribute to our organ/window project, you may do so at www.saintgeorgeschurch.org/windows. We have roughly $140,000 left remaining to fully fund this project.
We are still singing God’s all-embracing love. A tiny virus may have changed how we go about our work and our worship for now, but we are all still doing holy work. It is really amazing to me that amidst the chaos of the world there are still many moments of God’s grace and love - of God’s beauty - all around us and many flow out of this Parish.