Remembering Mother Robyn Arnold

Rev. Robyn Arnold (Parish Photo)

Even though I arrived early, the small parking lot was already full and cars were lined up on the street. When I found a place to park, I had to walk a couple of blocks down to the church. The pews were filled as I and a handful of others entered the sanctuary and managed to find a seat. 

I was not surprised by the crowd. The Rev. Robyn Arnold, “Mother Robyn,” as she was known to the parish, had been a beacon of light in an impoverished neighborhood and a source of strength to a diverse and welcoming congregation. On this warm July morning, many came out to remember the remarkable life of a caring soul, gone too soon.

Grace Episcopal Church is an Anglo-Catholic parish, over 100 years old, located in the once-vibrant-now-declining community of Woodlawn. The needs of the community are great and Grace Church works to meet those needs with ministries that include a soup kitchen, a food pantry, a clothes closet, a warming station for the homeless in the winter, and a summer program for the children in the neighborhood. Known for its high liturgy on Sundays, Grace’s slogan is “Where Street and Altar Meet!”

Mother Robyn Arnold was an exemplary pastor to her parishioners and a source of hope to people in a transitional neighborhood. The church’s funeral announcement stated, “A soul filled with light and love, Mother Robyn Arnold changed Woodlawn, changed the world, changed the lives of so, so many. It is with great sadness, we announce her passing. May she forever remain in our hearts.” (Read her obituary here)

The eulogy by Deacon Kay Williams recounted Mother Robyn’s life from her childhood in rural Kentucky to a career as a Ph. D. environmental scientist to her transition to pastor and priest. 

In her memory, I am sharing my accounts from four of my encounters with Grace Church under Mother Robyn's ministry.  The first is from five years ago when during a low point in the world I made my way to Grace Episcopal Church for her pastoral guidance. That day she said, among other things, 

We must respond to hatred and injustice, but that response will differ with different people: some will respond publicly to oppose injustice, hate, and greed; others will respond more quietly to do small things in love right where they are.   ~ Rev. Robyn Arnold

You can read the full account at Grace in a Time of Hate.

In my essay, A Nurturing God, I found myself unusually moved at the close of the worship service with the post-Communion prayer. It was a prayer that called to mind the feminine aspects of God in a beautifully personal way.

Where Grace Abounds recounts my Advent experiences at Grace which included incense, the tolling of the bells, music, prayers, and thoughtful, heartfelt homilies delivered by the Reverend Robyn Arnold. I also share some of the parish’s rich history.

In Why Pray, I tell how a visit with my friends at Grace Episcopal Church, I was reminded once again of why we pray. I also recount how at an earlier time I discovered liturgical prayer at a time when I had been battered by circumstances and unsure of which way to turn.

These are just snapshots of the ministry she offered for ten years as rector of Grace Episcopal Church.

Grace Episcopal Church (website photo)

    

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