The Chaplain Chatters

At  a recent celebration of the rich tradition of African American spirituals, our chaplain emeritus Gurdon Brewster heard the Dorothy Cotton Singers sing the incomparable Moses Hogan’s setting of We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace. It so moved him that he arranged to have it sung in his parish church, Epiphany Trumansburg, on Palm Sunday this Holy Week. Sadly Gurdon died before hearing his beloved community sing this wonderful piece of music, but we sang it with spirit and love, and then sang it again at his graveside service at Greensprings Cemetery.

This past Thursday night, the Anabel Taylor Chapel Choir, led by our director Ms. Anna O’Connell of the Cornell Roman Catholic community,  sang Hogan’s piece at their regularly scheduled Choral Compline service led by ECC chaplain Clark West. Here is an audio recording of their song, dedicated to the memory and legacy of Gurdon Brewster and the beloved community.

After the sermon, we sang “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” which Gurdon writes about in the chapter “Singing Hymns” from his book No Turning Back. And.yes, we sang the first verse again right after finishing the hymn because it is indeed that good.

Church of the Epiphany in Trumansburg is blessed to have local musician, songwriter, and Irish music lover Mark Bickford as one of its music ministers. This Good Friday he sang his original text and setting of the Passion Gospel. It moved most of us in attendance to tears and we share it here in thanksgiving for the gift of music to soothe our souls in times of grief and sorrow.

https://stringfellowproject.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/palm-sunday-epiphany-trumansburg-20171.mp3Audio of Sermon for Gurdon’s beloved community

I am so thankful to have been able to be with Gurdon’s church family at Epiphany Trumansburg this Palm Sunday. We sang loud and strong and wept with joyful sorrow in the Eucharistic feast over which he presided for so many years.

20160115GH GURDON BREWSTER Sculptor Martin Luther King Jr. Sculpture

A sermon preached at Church of the Epiphany in Trumansburg on April 2, 2017. My children Cecilia, Annie, and Amos were sitting in the first row. Cecilia tells me that she listened but that the other two misbehaved. Amos, 6 years old,  seemed puzzled by that interpretation of his piety. [That’s my mom Judith Wallace West standing and my Aunt Mary Hall crouched below]

Preached on Second Advent at The Episcopal Church at Cornell, 2016. Its quite a bit longer than usual so be forewarned! One sweet parishioner re-assured me by saying, regarding sermon length,  sometimes its a ditty, sometimes its Mozart’s Requiem!

Preached at Anabel Taylor Hall chapel on Sunday, November 14 a few days after the U.S. presidential election. I may have gotten a few of the details of the chaplains meeting I describe incorrect, but I believe I capture the tenor of the discussion.

Preached at the Episcopal Church at Cornell 10/30/16