The St. Paul's Epistle
May 16-31, 2003
Contents
Letter From The Rev. Thomas McCart
Newcomers Breakfast
Attention June Graduates
Join GEVA Theatre with St. Paul's
Experiencing the Eucharistic Prayer
Update on The Rev. Michael Lolweikoi
2003 "Faith in Action" Nomination
Outdoor Revival - Part II
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Blessings on the Marriages of
Elizabeth Caucutt and Lance Lochner |
Dear Friends and Members of St. Paul's,
One of my passions is the hymnody of the church (it's the subject of my one and only book). It is commonplace in Anglicanism to talk about worship as formative for belief (lex orandi, lex credendi, roughly "prayer shapes belief"). Yet given the crucial role of congregational song in the shaping of individual faith and understanding, as well as our corporate faith, it might be more appropriate to say lex cantandi, lex credendi. John Wesley certainly knew the power of hymns and once remarked that hymnals were books of theology for the laity.
Eastertide gives us wonderful examples of this. What more straightforward presentation of Easter theology can be found than this poem by Charles Wesley:
Love's redeeming work is done,
fought the fight, the battle won.
Death in vain forbids him rise;
Christ has opened paradise. (Hymn 188)
In another hymn, new to the Hymnal 1982, the close juxtaposition of contrasting images gives powerful voice to our understanding of the resurrection.
Look there! the Christ, our Brother, comes
resplendent from the gallows tree
and what he brings in his hurt hands
is life on life for you and me. (John Bennett, Hymn 196)
Hymns appropriate for Eastertide are not restricted to the section entitled "Easter" in the hymnal. For example, John Henry Newman succinctly summarized the whole of salvation history in this memorable stanza:
O wisest love! that flesh and blood,
which did in Adam fail,
should strive afresh against the foe,
should strive, and should prevail. (Hymn 445)
Anglicans have a superb musical tradition in our hymnody, one that we enjoy at St. Paul's. I urge you to read and pray (and sing!) the texts of our hymns. I believe you will find them a rich source to nurture your spirituality and to deepen your faith.
The Rev. Thomas McCart
Newcomers' Breakfast
The Newcomers' Breakfast which was scheduled for Sunday, May 18 has been canceled.
Attention June Graduates!!
June is the month that we celebrate, in The Epistle, the graduation of our high school seniors. Please send a picture and short biography to Rita Coulter in the church office by June 1 telling us what you've been doing and what plans you may have for the future so that all of us at St. Paul's can share in your success.
Join GEVA Theatre with St. Paul's
There is a group that attends GEVA Theatre for a Sunday matinee series. Tickets for the six-play subscription are more than $40 less than regular subscriptions. Won't you consider joining? If interested, please phone Carol Panzer at 586-6351.
Q: Why do some people stand and others kneel during the eucharistic prayer? Is one way right and the other wrong?
Professor James Farwell of General Theological Seminary, New York, responds:
The ancient Jewish and Christian posture for prayers of thanksgiving was standing. In terms of ritual experience, standing is corporate, celebratory and attentive. Standing is a posture well-suited to the majesty and sweep of "The Great Thanksgiving" for the salvation wrought for us in Christ, a prayer within which Christians ask the divine blessing on the assembly and on the gifts of bread and wine.
The canons of the Council of Nicea (325 CE.) made a point of requiring all to stand during the eucharistic prayer. The presence of this canon presumes that by the fourth century, while standing was the preferred posture for thanksgiving, some Christians chose to kneel during certain seasons. At the same time, it remained a common practice to stand during the Great Fifty Days of Easter - the period from Easter to the Day of Pentecost.
Over time, liturgies became more penitential. By the Middle Ages, this penitential tone combined with the practice of attending the Eucharist without receiving Communion: while the presider prayed, the people remained in the nave and practiced various forms of devotion. The eucharistic prayer, for its part, gradually was reorganized and lost its shape as a prayer of thanksgiving. Kneeling became the norm.
For example, the prayers of Rite I are more penitential in their tone. There is much more emphasis on our sin and unworthiness to receive except by God's grace, and the sacrificial language is repeated and emphasized in the rhetorical style of Cranmer's time. So, the rubric directs the people to "kneel or stand," suggesting that kneeling - a more introspective posture - might be the appropriate posture, although standing is acceptable as well.
For the prayers of Rite II, which acknowledge our sin and God's grace but are less penitential in their tone, the rubric reverses the order, directing people to "stand or kneel." Standing is perhaps the appropriate posture for prayers modeled on more ancient texts than Cranmer's.
Once upon a time, members of an Episcopal congregation tended to perform the same gestural practices in worship at the same time. Today, more diversity marks the practice of any local congregation. Some may stand, others may kneel during the eucharistic prayer. Neither is wrong, although standing has the precedent of ancient practice.
Update on The Rev. Michael Lolweikoi
My husband, Bob, and I have thoroughly enjoyed Michael's company in our home, not to say all the help he gives to the family and house. In March, Michael and I went to Berkeley Yale's Open House for accepted students and learned much more about the school and its programs and facilities. He will be living in a one bedroom apartment which is located very close to the school itself and apply in different departments of the school for a part time job. (Michael's hoping for a library job.)
The apartment is nice-old, but will be newly renovated by the time Michael gets there in August. However, it only comes with a bed. So if you have any of the following items and could contribute them to Michael's American apartment, will you contact me as to whether I have yet found them? I admit it is a temptation to clean out our attics but could you please offer only items in good condition?
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Sofa |
Microwave |
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Color TV |
Laser printer, ream of paper, diskettes |
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Desk supplies |
Padded office chair |
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Kitchen table and chairs |
Coffee table |
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End tables |
Fans |
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Bookcase |
Several standing lamps |
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Couple table lamps |
Vacuum cleaner |
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Basic tool kit |
Large cutting knife |
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Heavy duty 1 quart saucepan and top |
Heavy duty 3 quart saucepan and top |
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Fry pan |
Single bed, bed pad, single bed fitted bottom sheet and bedspread |
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Ironing board |
Shower curtain |
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Bed pillow |
Butter knife |
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Very fine sieve |
Thermos |
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Paper towel holder |
Dish towels |
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Several bowls of different sizes |
Kitchen trash can and plastic bags |
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Bottle brush |
Much has already been found but can you help with any of these items? Call Nancy Frank at home 586-0037 or at St. Paul's 271-2240.
2003 "Faith in Action" Nomination
In recognition of the vision,
imagination, dedication and follow through of Dennis and Mary
Buchan in their role as visionaries, originators, chairpeople
and organizers of the School # 9 "Adopt-A-Kindergarten" program, St.
Paul's has nominated Dennis and Mary as our nominees for the June 3rd
"Faith in Action" Celebration, 2003. It is an annual dinner celebration
with nearly a hundred nominees sponsored by the Greater Rochester
Community of Churches.
This is a couple who years ago saw St. Paul's struggling before-and-after-school volunteer program at School #9 and asked, "How can we build and deepen the learning experience?" They spent nearly a year listening to the teachers' needs while researching what has been done in other parts of the country. They helped a committee of #9 teachers develop their own particular volunteer tutoring model. This is a couple who were asked to put their leadership skills to work in chairing the new tutoring model program. They stepped up to the plate and did just that.
At this point, Dennis will say that he became Mary's assistant. In the first year of the new "Adopt-A-Kindergarten" there were approximately 10 volunteers in one kindergarten classroom. The second year an Assistant Chairman, Judy McGrath, capably managed the paperwork part of the organization while Mary recruited and placed volunteers in a kindergarten AND a first grade. Other churches liked what they saw and came on board. St. Mary's Downtown, Christ Church Pittsford, St. Luke's Fairport, Incarnate Word, the Jewish Community Federation all provided volunteers. A challenge grant surprised and challenged us to cover all the kindergartens with volunteers. Last year, there were 80 volunteers covering all the kindergartens. This past year there have been about 100 volunteers with the addition of students from Brockport and the University of Rochester. They also worked into other grade classrooms.
Thanks to the creativity of kindergarten teacher, Nancy Schumacher, the program developed special one-on-one tutoring kits for each child's specific need. Children started reading earlier in the year having worked at least ½ hour to 1 hour per week one-on-one on his/her own particular learning need. Strong students were encouraged ahead. Evaluations at mid and end of year revealed extraordinarily positive results. In-classroom libraries and equipment were purchased by St. Paul's and supported each classroom teacher in his/her program and in the tutoring.
Dennis and Mary Buchan's hard work, recruitment and management of St. Paul's program has made possible superbly high quality targeted tutoring experience for over 100 volunteers. No detail goes unattended. Quality training is provided by the school but the organization of the program is no longer a small matter. Nurture of volunteers is an important part of Mary's concept of her job, as is the recruitment and training of her replacement. Volunteer retention year to year is remarkable, far exceeding expectation.
Yes, it is time to recognize Dennis and Mary Buchan and to celebrate their contribution to St. Paul's and to the City's children at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., School #9.
If you would like to attend this celebration of Mary and Dennis Buchan's ministry with School #9, please contact Nancy Frank. Tickets are $30 each.
Nancy Frank
Outdoor Revival-Part II
On Saturday morning, April 19, more than 20 parishioners joined in a super cleanup (dumpster load) of leaves, sticks, papers, etc. that had accumulated on the church grounds through the winter. In addition, four loads of mulch were spread in the gardens. A huge thanks to all who participated, especially Jack Pearson who organized the event and provided refreshments. It was a job that would have cost the church an estimated $1,000.
Bill Hosley