The St. Paul's Epistle
February 16-28, 2003
Our Story and Our Hope
The season of Lent came into being as the time of final preparation for those to be baptized at the Great Vigil of Easter. The candidates, who had been solemnly admitted as candidates at the beginning of Lent, their sponsors and the whole Church spent the season in prayer and fasting, additional instruction, and in performing works of mercy.
The solemn character of Ash Wednesday sets the pattern for our observance of Lent: mindful of our mortality and our sin, and God's call to a renewed awareness of our need to change and be changed. At the heart of this re-focusing is God's Word, the record of the mighty acts of salvation for the entire human race. Each year we have the opportunity to discover once again that we are a part of that company of believers who, in every age, are on pilgrimage toward God's kingdom.
This story is set out, not in the gospel readings, but in the readings from the Hebrew scriptures. On the First Sunday in Lent we hear the story of the establishment of God's covenant with Noah and his heirs. Lent II recounts God's blessing of Abram and Sarai with the promise of a son. Lent III is the giving of the Ten Commandments. Lent IV draws our attention to the need for repentance, while Lent V is the prophetic announcement of a new covenant. These passages are our story and our hope. They are our heritage, and they are fulfilled in the dying and rising of Jesus.
Lent is not a depressing or gloomy time for those who are remembering what God has done for each of us. Our self-examination, which reveals our sins, prepares us to recognize our need for God. Then we gather Sunday by Sunday in the liturgy where our story as the people of God reminds us that God has met and still meets that need, especially in the making of eucharist _ of making thanksgiving, where you and I are made one with God.
The Rev. Thomas McCart
Lenten Series 2003: God, the World, and Evil
Christians have always struggled with the problem of evil. That struggle, however, has changed in the course of history. In the medieval period, the existence of evil was not regarded as posing a threat to the coherence of Christianity _ it was seen as an academic problem. The Enlightenment saw a radical change: the existence of evil challenged the credibility and coherence of Christian faith itself. In this post 9-11 period, perhaps it is time to ask again "How can the presence of evil be reconciled with the Christian affirmation of the goodness of the God who created the world?"
Our Lenten program this year, beginning March 12, will focus on several aspects of the problem of evil. Join us for a simple celebration of the Eucharist at 6 pm, followed by a soup supper at 6:30, and the program at 7:15 (we promise to end promptly at 8:15). To be good stewards, please sign up in the Parish Activities Book (there is a page for each of the five evenings). Child care will be provided upon request, as will supervised study hall for school age children. For either or both, please call the Parish Office to make a reservation.
Ash Wednesday Services
March 5
Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes
7 a.m.
12 noon
5:30 p.m. (A child-friendly service)
Begin Lent at the Altar
Altar Guild Annual Meeting
The Altar Guild held its Annual Meeting on January 19, 2003.
Linda White, Chair, welcomed the following new members to the Class of 2003: Anne Harrison, Nancy Kleintop, Sally Parmigiani and Theodora Scott.
The Rev. Tom McCart, Interim Associate Rector, Carol Panzer, Memorial Flower Director and Beryl Houpt, Flower Arranger Chair, spoke to the group. Following the business meeting, The Rev. Frederic Reynolds closed with a prayer.
From the Rev. Michael Lolwerikoi, Visiting Clergy
I'm happy to be here in St. Paul's family where I feel at home. I'm looking forward to participating in the mission of the church.
The strange phenomena is the white snow, white cold snow which is outside of my African life experience. I wish we had the ability to transport this snow and convert it into water in the African dry well springs. There mainly women travel six to ten kilometers to draw water with their twenty liter gerry cans. These are carried on their back or heads, or occasionally by donkey, often taking a full day. For the family drinking and cooking water the experience is quite different and a contrast to here in the Rochester village.
I'm grateful for the St. Paul's family for your commitment to eat Kellogg's cereal to assist me in continuing on my safari travelling now that I am in the USA. I promise to join you and to be a part of this "whole grain effort". This is a new kind cereal for me. It has different flavors and tastes but is part of my new experience. This is truly a process of inculturation for me!
The Rev. Michael Lolwerikoi
Attention Knitters, Crocheters and Wannabees
Come join us on the Second Thursday of every month at Incarnate Word! We meet from 7-8:30 p.m. making shawls for people from our own churches who have recently gone to a nursing home or are homebound and need a pick-me-up, etc. No skills? Come anyway. They have a very good teacher, I know! Call Kathy Schaertel for details at 288-6489.
REAPers Book Study
2nd and 4th Thursdays
10:00 _ 11:15 a.m.
Wainwright Hall Parlor
Read, Enjoy and Participate in this lively group. Discussions are based on the short selections in Listening for God, Augsburg Fortress, 1994, available at the Good Book Store. Discover or rediscover a variety of contemporary authors to stimulate the intellect and open the way for discussions of faith. After each meeting, those who are interested go to lunch at a local restaurant.
Christian Pathways
Sundays, 9:00 _ 10:00 a.m.
Church Conference Room
This on-going study group explores classic and current books for guidance on the journey of faith. All are welcome regardless of background or diligence. This spring, the group will read Varieties of Christian Experience by William James.
Phoebe Griswold to visit St. Paul's on March 30th
Phoebe Griswold, wife of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church USA, will address St. Paul's congregation on the occasion of the annual Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday collection. She will speak during the 10 a.m. service, and afterward, informally at Forum.
Mrs. Griswold's profile speaks of a woman committed to being a lifetime active lay member of our Church but also of significant service in a broad spectrum of topics: global peace, hunger, development and relief, women's spirituality, the education and nurturing of children as well as the importance of arts in life and faith. She is a trustee of the Jerusalem 2000 Executive Board which seeks to support schools, hospitals and churches in the Diocese of Jerusalem. In December 1998, she traveled to Honduras and Nicaragua with representatives of the Episcopal Church to observe and aid in the efforts of the Episcopal Relief and Development to alleviate the suffering imposed by Hurricane Mitch. This trip lead to the establishment of a new community, Faith, Hope and Joy, comprised of 200 homes, a school, clinic and church near San Pedro Sula, Honduras. She returned twice to Honduras in 2000 with groups of bishops' spouses to work on the site. Prior to that while living in Chicago, she was the Area Director for Heifer Project International for seven years. During her tenure HPI implemented their first urban projects in aquaculture, vermiculture and animal agriculture in Robert Taylor Homes and Cabrini-Green, two of the most impoverished communities nationwide at the time of the project.
The list of other dedicated commitments is too long to include here but clearly she is a woman of compassion, dedication and action. She has accepted our invitation to assist us in our efforts to support one of her passions. As well she is coming to visit her good friends, the Rev. Ed and Mary Hunt, Paul and Meg. Mary was Phoebe's assistant (as well as assistant to the Executive Secretary to the Presiding Bishop) at the Episcopal Church Center while Ed was in seminary at the General Theological Seminary. To quote Mary, "Phoebe is very much our friend and acted as mentor, mother and cheerleader throughout the Hunt's three years in New York City". The whole family looks forward to Phoebe's visit!
Linda Workman
St. Paul's Episcopal Relief and Development Chairperson
Church School Annual Report July - December 2002
Carol Miller, Director
(Due to an oversight, this article was omitted from the Annual Report)
During July and August we provided infant care and a church school program for children K thru 6th grade. This one room schoolhouse approach attracted between five and ten children every Sunday. Most were children of members of the choir and clergy.
The Sunday following Labor Day weekend we greeted friends at the Back to Church School Breakfast. Families were treated to bagels, juice, and coffee while we introduced our teachers and Youth Choir Director, Laura Dunbar.
We are using the Children's Chapel for our common meeting place. At 9:45 a.m. the children 3 yrs. thru 5th grade have 15 minutes of music (Joyful Noises). This gets the children together and builds community. At 10:00 a.m. the children go to their classes, or once a month each age group stays in the Chapel for a short service. The children have an age appropriate paper "Prayer Book" and follow along. Occasionally a member of the clergy joins us. The remainder of the morning is spent in class until the children come to church either at the "Peace" or Communion.
Currently, the teachers are all using a different curriculum. Sue Hall, (3 & 4 yr. olds), combines the "Episcopal Curriculum" with her own creative ideas. Sue is good at leading us in song whenever the need arises. The K &1st graders are taught by Tom Milliman, Sebastian Henshaw, and Peter Vandenbout, all graduates of St. Paul's Church School. They use the "Godly Play" curriculum. This Montessori based program is growing in popularity throughout the country and we are trying to grow our program too. Chris Curtis uses "Living the Good News" along with his abilities to connect one-to-one, with his 2nd graders. Karen Dodson, sometimes assisted by Mary Corcoran, teaches 3rd thru 5th graders from the Liturgical Readings. They select a reading, discuss it, and then write a play about the reading or its message. Their room is behind the stage, and if you come through the Parish Hall during church you will see them practicing their plays. Louise Moore and Mark Fitzstevens teach the 6th thru 8th graders. They meet in the SPY room in the basement where they have ample space to work on craft projects and a comfortable couch for conversation. They have been using both "Living the Good News" and the "Episcopal Curriculum" but will soon be teaching the J2A, Journey to Adulthood, program.
Nursery Care is provided by Missy McMillan, Becky Hall, Toni Novello, Kim Ross, and Andrea Ross.
Fall activities included a Godly Play workshop hosted by St. Paul's and attended by teachers from other churches in the Dioceses. In addition, we sponsored an Advent Wreath making opportunity the first Sunday in Advent, and the Church School families, and others, filled 20 decorative gift bags with personal care items for SEM.
Christmas Eve we recreated the Christmas Story at the 4:00 p.m. Service. Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the Angel, Shepherds, and Animals gathered in the Sanctuary during the reading of the gospel. All this was made possible with the help of Anne Harrison, Peter Doyle and especially our talented director, Karen Dodson.
Looking ahead, we are hosting a J2A, Journey to Adulthood, trainer on February 8th. Please join us for this full day workshop. In addition we are working with Incarnate Word Lutheran Church on a Vacation Bible School program titled "Brave Believers Old and New" to be offered during February school vacation (Feb. 17-21). The week will include lessons from the Old and New Testaments, activities, crafts, music, off site activities, snacks, and lunch. We are looking for interested children, and volunteers, both teens and adults.
Shalom: A Study of the Biblical Concepts of Peace
New Bible Study - Starts Sunday February 23, 2003
Peacemaking is a central concern of the church and the world today. Beginning with the Old Testament Hebrew shalom and the New Testament Greek eirene, the meanings of peace are traced and their relevance for today are explored. "Come and see" what Bible study is about and explore the biblical concepts of peace with your fellow parishioners.
For more information or to sign up for the Bible Study visit the Adult Ed table during the coffee hour on February 9 and February 16, or call Ann Buerschaper at 654-6803.