A Letter from Pastor Tom Taylor,  Our Interim Pastor   Dear Members of St. John’s , The Violinist   Those who go into Penn Station often know that musicians set-up and play near one end of the station near the Red line (1, 2, 3 & 9 trains). They are usually quite good playing a host of instruments or singing various styles of songs.  These singers and instrumentalists also play on the subway platforms and tunnels throughout the city. .  Most of the time people seem to just ignore these free lance entertainers. Some will take a moment to listen and toss in a dollar or some change in gratitude for the performance. Others will just accept it as part of the background noise of the city.    On one humid summer day I encountered one of them.  It was on the E train that a violinist was entertaining going car to car.  People were talking, reading, or in their own world with headphones on. I don’t have very good “subway legs” which to me is the ability to stand and not stumble while the train jerks and stops along the tracks. But when this violinist walked into our car and planted his feet, it seemed as if he were standing on solid ground. I watched the virtuoso who with passion and determination struck the strings with the bow. I looked around the car and noticed a shift in attention.  For a few brief minutes people stopped talking. They paused in reading. They slide off their iPod headphones. Even the two young lovers across from me interrupted their fixation on each other.  This maestro was very good, playing mostly classical pieces. I was tempted to ask him to play “Amazing Grace” but refrained. Instead I closed my eyes and let the serenade wash over me.  It was wonderful.   After three pieces, he packed up and ventured to another car. People began to talk. The lovers again stared into each others eyes. The reading resumed and the headphones went back in the ears. But for a few minutes the world seemed to stop. All of our collective concerns took a back seat. The pace and craziness of life for a moment faded into the background.  A time of respite had come and I was grateful.   It may not have been amazing, but it was grace that tapped me on the shoulder that day. I think that’s how God often intervenes…..with a tap, a wink and many times just a subtle nudge. I give thanks for that violinist and for the visitation that I often recall.  It was another reminder to me to open my eyes and ears and take that time to just be still.   I hope you have some time this summer to be refreshed, relax and to let God wash over you. See you in church.   Blessings, Pr. Tom Taylor     Biography   The Reverend Thomas E. Taylor is an Intentional Interim Pastor for the Metropolitan New York Synod (ELCA) and recently served Ascension Lutheran Church, Deer Park, NY in that capacity.  Pr. Taylor has specialized training in Bowen Family Systems thinking applied to congregational life. He is a trained Bridgebuilder consultant and Healthy Congregations workshop leader, helping congregations refocus on their mission during times of transition and/or conflict.  A 1981 graduate of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia with a Master of Divinity degree (M.Div.), Pr. Taylor has served congregations in Liberty, Ellenville and North Bellmore, NY.  While in Liberty, he was a chaplain and firefighter with the Liberty Fire Department and was a volunteer fire investigator with the Sullivan County Bureau of Fire. Pr. Taylor was the chaplain and Deputy Chief for the North Bellmore Fire Department for 16 years and was also an EMT. In 1987, he was commissioned an officer, and served as a chaplain in the United States Naval Reserve for several years. Taylor was a coordinator and team leader and still is a mental health consultant for the Nassau County Fire Critical Incident Stress Management Team, helping firefighters and EMTs deal with the affects of trauma.   After 9/11, Pr. Taylor worked with many recovery workers and mental health professionals coping with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.  He volunteered as a chaplain: for the Red Cross at the Temporary Morgue (T-Mort) at Ground Zero, at St. Paul’s Chapel Respite Care Center, and at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (NYC). He is a Diplomat and Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress (B.C.E.T.S) by the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Pr. Taylor was also the volunteer Deputy Coordinator for Long Island for Lutheran Disaster Response of New York from 2003-2008 and a volunteer Assistant Director for Faithful Response (a 9/11 mental health recovery program) from 2004-2008.   Pr. Taylor is a graduate of Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work, with a Master of Social Work degree (MSW) in 2006. He is a licensed social worker, trauma therapist, grief counselor and pastoral psychotherapist. Taylor was named the Bellmore Herald’s 2007 Person of the Year, “…for his unrelenting service to those who help others in the community and beyond.”  He was also a 2008 recipient of the Lutheran Social Services of New York "Kujenga Jamii" Award for his post 9/11 and community service work.  For fun, Pr. Taylor enjoys painting in oils and photography. Married with two children, Taylor and his wife Sheryl, also a social worker, reside in Bethpage, Long Island.