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The Presiding Bishop's Easter Message 2004
Holly Bewlay Voice Recital
Vestry Highlights - March
Planned Giving/Arbor Society
Christian Dialog Forum
Spirituality "101" Report
The Merriel and Almus Thorp Lay Theological
Scholarship Fund
Vacation Bible School a Success
Letter from Michael Lolwerikoi
There is no evil that humankind can commit that Jesus has not taken upon himself and carried freely to the Cross. Through the Cross, evil has been defeated, and life in all its unimagined fullness—animated by God's mercy and truth, God's justness and peace—has been unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.
Such is the power of the resurrection. Such is the ground of our hope. Such is the root of our confidence. Such is the source of our courage and our capacity to wage reconciliation in the face of seeming endless cycles of violence, battle and murder that destroy life around the globe.
Alleluia is our Easter song. As we sing alleluia we are crying no to the poverty, disease, and injustice which afflict millions who, like ourselves, are made in God's image. We are refusing to accept things the way they are. As we sing Alleluia we are proclaiming an unequivocal yes to the vision of a world transformed, healed and reconciled in the One who has drawn all to himself. Alleluia is our acknowledgement that we have been caught up into Christ, and Christ's continuing work of binding up and making all things whole and new has become our own.
As we sing Alleluia this Easter may we do so willing to live the deep meaning of our Easter song not only with our lips but in our lives—for the sake of the world.
The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church, USA
Holly Bewlay, our soprano soloist from South Korea, will present a Benefit Voice Recital at St. Paul's on Sunday, April 25 at 4 p.m. Holly has been invited to sing opera in Italy this summer and this benefit voice recital will go towards her travel expenses. She has already sung opera at the Eastman School of Music and elsewhere, and with orchestras, and is one of the top singers at Eastman. We are fortunate to have Holly in our choir. She will present a wonderful variety of songs and arias. Admission is a $10 donation. Come and bring your friends.
The Vestry authorized the expenditure of $11,750 from the Property Reserve to repair the vacuum pump on the boilers that heat the church.
The auditors' report on financial information for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2003 was presented to the Vestry by Bonadio & Co., LLP. The auditors rendered an unqualified opinion with respect to the Church's financial statements. Copies of the audited financial statements and auditors' report are available for review in the Church Office.
The Vestry approved a grant from the Unusual Ministry Opportunity (UMO) Fund in the amount of $3,000, as financial assistance to Paul Majer during his final year in seminary in Berea, Kenya.
Jim Tedford has resigned from the Vestry, as he will be relocating to Tennessee.
Fred Reynolds reported on the progress in hiring a new curate and a new interim organist to succeed Chris Lane when he departs at the end of July. Two candidates for the curate's position have been interviewed. Progress has also been made on the hiring of an interim organist.
The Vestry continued to work on the strategic plan for the parish. Through June, the regularly scheduled meeting of the Parish Operations Council will be used as a special meeting of the entire Vestry, devoted almost entirely to the development of the strategic plan.
You have an estate. Do you have a will? Having a will puts you in control of your estate. In addition to providing for the needs of our own families, each of us can make a plan to share a portion of those resources to sustain the programs of St. Paul's Church. Bequest amounts received by the church have varied from a few hundred to well over a million dollars. These generous people have expressed their love in a tangible way that will benefit the church for years to come. We have a beautiful Arbor Tree mounted on the wall in St. Peter's Chapel. Many of the leaves bear the names of those who have remembered St. Paul's in their wills. A book lying on the table beneath the Arbor tree also includes those names. Every individual or family is welcome to have their name added to a leaf on the tree; all it takes is some simple estate planning that mentions the church. Once you have included St. Paul's in your will, you only need to call the Rector and let him know that you have done so. You need not mention the amount. Your word is your membership in the Arbor Society. Please join us in remembering St. Paul's in your will.
Joan and Dave Flint
The ordination of an openly gay bishop has caused joy, discussion and disappointment in the Episcopal Church.
Please join us in an open airing of how this will affect our church, our parish and ourselves. Come prepared both to listen with an open heart to others' opinions and to state your own views.
See you April 25, 2004, in the Vestry Room after the 10:00 a.m. service.
On Saturday, March 6, St. Paul's, Rochester, welcomed thirty-two people from four parishes to the first of what is hoped to be an annual opportunity for deepening one's personal spirituality. Sr. Carolyn Darr, Superior of the Society of St. Margaret (an Episcopal religious order of women, whose mother house is in Boston) led the workshop. Through a series of meditations, time for quiet reflection, and a host of handouts, Sr. Carolyn introduced participants to a number of "tools" for developing one's prayer life and "how to use them."
Several participants commented that Sr. Carolyn provided them with "thought-provoking questions" that enabled them to look at their various gifts and opened their eyes to new opportunities for improving their relationship with God. One person noted that "the idea of praying the Bible stories with myself as a character adds a totally new dimension to praying." Another person was surprised and awed to learn that the whole community of St. Margaret's had prayer for each participant in the week prior to the workshop. All agreed that Sr. Carolyn was an outstanding leader, and one person spoke for many in saying, "Thank you, St. Paul's, for doing this and inviting others to come."
St. Paul's has a wonderful scholarship opportunity open to all Episcopalians in the Diocese of Rochester. It was created to help support those who wish to seriously explore and further their Christian education as a way to expand their ministry in our community and in the world. The Merriel and Almus Thorp Lay Theological Scholarship Fund was established by the Vestry of St. Paul's to pay tribute to the Thorps and to their commitment to Christian formation and furthering leadership among the laity.
We are pleased and proud that the fund received a record number of applicants last year from all around the Diocese and was able to help support educational opportunities for many people and parishes, including several at St. Paul's. One letter of thanks to our Rector from a parishioner in our diocese said, "I wish to express my gratitude for this gift as it aids me in the effort of discernment of God's wishes for me….I am putting forth my best effort to make good use of this opportunity for the betterment of whatever ministry God has planned for me."
We are pleased that this opportunity has been so effectively communicated throughout the diocese as this is one of the goals of the Fund. If you are interested in learning more about the Fund, please visit St. Paul's website or call the office for a brochure.
The Scholarship Committee
We taught, learned from and played with more than 30 children during the February Break VBS. This year, half of the children were from Incarnate Word and half from St. Paul's. Led by Associate Pastor Craig Rhodenizer, the lessons and activities focused on Creation, The Good Samaritan, The Widows Offering, Jesus Feeds 5,000, and Seeing Jesus in Others. The adult volunteers from St. Paul's were Karin Balgrove, Mary Callaway, Nancy Frank, Catherine Loucks, Bonnie Martin, Carol Panzer and Meredith Smith. A special thanks goes also to Tom Lincoln and Louis Martin. We celebrated our success with a luncheon on March 25. We are beginning to make plans already for next February. Please keep us in mind when you are making vacation plans for your children.
Carol Miller
To all members of St Paul's Episcopal Church, Rochester
Grace and Peace to all the Clergy, Staff and friends and all members of St Paul's Church. Once again, I convey my gratitude to you all, for your continuance prayers and support as being one of you in the family of Christ's body. Your love and practical support is like "a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice". Brethren, it is never too late to say to you all thank you [hasante sana]. Why! I hope most of you still remember, Michael Motor Way, which eventually had it's "last checking point" at Yale in New Haven. Last December at the eve of X-Mass, the Michael Motor way once again was retrieved again into the long awaited thousand miles of American Airlines Kellogg's ticket. It was one of the greatest X-Mass Gift, from St Paul's members and friends. The AA flight, from New York to Nairobi, Kenya was indeed a special gift! Thank you!
The "AA Kellogg's points" is a practical love experience from St. Paul's members. At the beginning of 2003, many of you volunteered to be taking Kellogg's cereals as one of your main breakfast menu. I vividly remember that almost every Sunday after the Mass Nancy and Bob Frank were presented with "certificates" of Kellogg's cereals. The same case was also happening at Xerox office where Bob works. Almost every evening, Bob came with several "certificates" again from his workmates who have also been touched to join the Kellogg's AA flight team.
This was a practical sign of solidarity where every one at St. Paul's and beyond has joined the race to retrieve the AA 75,000 miles for a free Air Ticket. At least one person had a powerful and formidable dream which became a good cause to reckon with and that is why I compare with a fragrant offering because it was done in goodwill and Christian love. This was amazing! It was only made possible by your Good Samaritan spirit.
I took my first flight from New York [on 23rd], to Chicago-Brussels- Entembe [Uganda] and to the final destination, Nairobi Kenya Airport [arrived on 24th at 10:30pm]. It was almost 20 hours. It was long but good fun. Yes, home is home! At the Nairobi Airport I was met by my wife Christine and two brothers of mine and a family friend. Although it was too late at night, they decided that we must travel another 7 hours at this time by road to Maralal via Nakuru, a grueling trip to Northern Kenya. I tried to excuse myself that I was too tired to travel by night, given the condition of long rough and dirt road. They all gave a valid reason that we should at least join the members of the family for Church X-Mass celebrations. Christine had decided not to disclose to the children my coming. Finally we arrived at our home village in the morning of 25th at 9:30 am. It was a big surprise for my children, Roselyne, Justus and Victor, to see me again. After an hour break we went to the Sunday X-Mass celebration where we stayed for a three-hour service.
It was again good to be with my family and to celebrate X-Mass together in our home village, Kisima in Maralal town, which is in the northern part of Kenya. The children and all the family members were happy to see me again. They all asked questions about U.S: How cold is the climate? What kind of food? Who are your friends? Nobody asked about the snow and the simple reason is that most people have never experience snow unless reading from books. Mt Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro [Tanzania] have snow but very far from North of Kenya.
The big surprise was when we bought and installed a Plastic water tank, which was my gift to our family and the extended family members. We hired a water tanker truck to transport water from 20 miles away. It was another joy and celebration and a sign of hope especially for them to be assured that the 23,000 liters water capacity will be enough until the end of April when the rainy season starts. I am now at peace knowing that at this particular time of the year, my family members [20 people] are happy drinking the water from the Tank and they don't have to walk almost 7 miles each way to carry a container of 20 liters full of water on their heads or backs. It is a day's business. It does not fit into the western concept of time! But that is one of the many hard experiences in most parts of the Northern Kenya and Sudan. Until when! Only God knows!
Challenge: I am deeply thinking with a lot of pastoral concern the other families, almost 100 families who are in the same area, neighboring to our home village at Kisima who are being faced with the challenge of water shortage and they are forced to walk long distances to fetch water for their domestic use.
As we experience Easter, we all remember the passion narrative of Christ's love to humanity. He emptied himself so that we experience the fullness of his grace.
Yours Faithfully in Christ Jesus
Rev Michael Lolwerikoi