Friends,

We should all be beyond thankful for Carol Bloom’s ministry to St. Luke’s over the course of the last couple decades (27 years I think). Her ministry, with just a couple of minor interruptions, has been a consistent and faithful presence at St. Luke’s. For more than a quarter of the history of our parish, Carol has been in the sacristy, getting the chalices, patens, wine, bread, water vessels, fine linens, candles, flowers, vases, and hangings ready for worship. We are a liturgical Church, and part of our identity is the centrality of the sacraments. The sermons are short, because we believe it is just the opening act. People gather not to listen to me, but to break bread together in the belief that Christ dwells with us in that moment. Because of this emphasis on the sacraments, the role of the altar guild is quite important. We could celebrate the Holy Eucharist on a plain table, but we are compelled to make it beautiful so it reflects the miraculous grace surging from it during worship, and the members of the altar guild are the stewards of this beauty.

From what I understand, Carol had big shoes to fill when she started this ministry. Adelaide Bolte was a force of nature in our community. She created the massive tapestries that hang from the wall in our Church, she made the kneelers that you can see in the narthex, and she ran the altar guild like a highly disciplined military unit. She was quite famous for her needle work, and it is not uncommon for the occasional person to visit St. Luke’s just to see her beautiful creations. When she stepped down from leading the altar guild there was not an obvious person to take her place, so the rector asked the relative newcomer, Carol Bloom, to take over, and she rose to the occasion.

When you inherit big shoes, how do you realize that you are leaving behind your own big shoes to fill? When we jump into positions that figurative giants held before us, we can assume that we will always pale in comparison to them. Carol, I think I have the history of the altar guild correct, but I may not, and honestly there’s not a lot of people to ask about it, because for most of us, you have been that giant of ministry. I am thankful that you are stepping down as the chair of the altar guild at a time, where you won’t be disappearing or riding off into the sunset. You will still be around to answer questions, continue to help in this ministry as it evolves, but know, you leave behind big shoes. It will take time for the altar guild to discover how take those shoes and make them fit for the future. They will, and they will continue to lovingly serve behind the scenes to make the altar reflect the innate beauty of the sacraments, but it will take time.

Carol isn’t going anywhere and she will continue to bless us with her ministry, but her role is going to change. The structure of the altar guild is shifting, and together we will learn what the new rhythm is going to be. Change is necessary, and when done well, it should neither be too smooth or too painful. All of that change and growth stuff is going to be my work with the altar guild. As a community, this is an opportunity to be aware of a wonderful ministry that has always been there, but does not get enough attention. For many of us St. Lukers, we’ve only known our Church with Carol being the driving force behind the beauty of the altar, and we need to pause and give thanks for her ministry.

This Sunday we will be acknowledging Carol during our worship services and giving thanks for her ministry, and I hope that you join us for the occasion!

-Nick