The St. Paul's Epistle
June 1-15, 2006
Contents
Fire, Fear and Ministry
Share My Nepal Trip
100 Hear Dr. Quill's Presentation
ECW
Celebration of Pentecost
Recognition Service and Parish Picnic
Shalom Picnic and Cookout
Caroline Moore - Graduating Senior
What Witness Will We Make?
Becoming a Lector at St. Paul's
The Good Bookstore
Children and Youth Participation on Summer
Sundays
RAIHN News at St. Paul's
Thank You from Trinity Church
SPY Corner
Thank you SPY
Go see The DaVinci Code
Fire, Fear and Ministry
Many Episcopal priests come to their vocation in mid life. A midlife crisis you might say, a 'crisis" that pushes them to leave all that they have known and done before and come to a new land, to a place that God leads them to "pitch their tents" and do the work the Lord lays before them. As such these midlife priests come with an entire history, what we refer to sort of jokingly as our "former life." I am a mid-lifer and sometimes that former life floods me with lessons that made no sense then, but now they color everything, bringing into focus that which in the past may not even have been seen. Such is the case with fire.
In May of 2000, Los Alamos, New Mexico was engulfed in fire. Raging, windswept fires surged and licked and danced their way into high desert canyons, along windswept valleys and river gorges, destroying at whim anything that came in contact with the storm. Some 50,000 acres of land were destroyed, countless homes and myriads of lives, the two-footed variety as well as the winged and the four footed ones. Now let me make it clear, I do not like fire. Well, the bonfire at the camp or fire in the fireplace is ok but even that has a mind of its own that leaves me feeling anxious. I saw a home destroyed by fire as a little girl and that has stayed with me. So I was rather content to watch the smoke and ash in the air making its way to Albuquerque from Los Alamos some 90-100 miles north of us, and I was content to lament the plight of the firefighters as I saw the slurry bombers head out, flying mission after mission from the Air Force base near my home until late in the night, and I was really quite content to care for the patients who came to Albuquerque for care. Just leave the fire there and leave me right where I was thank you very much. And then the "crisis" came. The hospital for which I worked was putting together a team to go give aid. Oh, look, there's my name on the list to lead one of the first groups in. Have you ever prayed so hard and so fast that the "Amen" meets the "Dear God" coming and going with barely a breath in between?
Well, you know in the midst of being called into fire there is God and there is guidance and there is redemption. For me the redemption came in the form of severe life-long asthma (not something I usually count as a blessing) but there was no way I could go into the fray. I went home that day feeling "rescued" from something. But that night was a fitful night of sleep; in my dreams, fire rained from every corner, it danced in the sky, it surrounded me and tongues of flame spoke to me with words that called to my soul, calling me to the task that had been given me, to go and be with these people whose very world was being rendered ashes and dust. I woke in the morning with the words of John's Gospel burning to be incarnate. "Peace be with you, As the Father sent me I am sending you." Through fear and fire the "Paraclete" the Holy Spirit was calling me. Me?
There is a fire coming. It will swoop and dive, it will dance across the sky filling every corner with flames, it will render everything in its path dust and ashes. And then something amazing will happen. Out of death there will be life, the wind of the spirit, the Paraclete, will come and breathe the Holy Spirit into those who have died, and they will raise up and be a great army, as we hear in Ezekiel's story of the Valley of Dry Bones (Ez 37:1-10). Out of fear and fire, out of crisis and chaos, God will bring about new life, and it will be good. That is what happens with fire. Soon in the ashes of the wood of the old forest will spring forth new green shoots, and then the birds will slowly return and the squirrels and the deer and so on.
There is a fire coming. Pentecost, you know that day once a year when the church is festooned in red and the Bishop comes, and we speak in tongues. That day when the church receives new members through baptism, confirmation, reaffirmation and reception. That day when the church is born anew, when the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, breathes life into each of us. Moving us from our own place of fear and crisis to a new place that the Lord has made especially for us, into a fire that is colored by passion, passion for this faith, this church and this people. Passion that will move us into ministries that will change our lives, be they mid-life, young life or beyond. Pentecost is so much more than a day when we celebrate the "birth of the church." It is a day when we are surrounded by tongues of fire of the Holy Spirit and that spirit breathes into us the life-giving breath of a God who has loved us from dust to creation through eternity.
I went into the fire, actually to Santa Fe, not far from Los Alamos and walked with people and sat with people and prayed with people who had been licked by the fire. People who now only had dust and ashes to call their own. And I was blessed. In August 2001 I left everything I had known and had done, driving in the early morning light up through the high mountains out onto the plains to a place I had been called. Seminary. On June 6th of this year I begin my third year here (heavens!) The flames still dance and lick, and the prayers come fast and furious. Come Holy Spirit, come.
I pray for each of you that the tongues of flame of the Holy Spirit call to your soul, that the Paraclete breathes into each of you the breath of new life in Christ Jesus and therein you find the peace-filled knowledge of living in the purpose and passion God has for you and you alone. Come Holy Spirit, come.
The Rev. Leslie M. St. Louis
Share My Nepal Trip
I look forward to sharing with you my experiences of traveling in Nepal and living among Hindus and Buddhists during my sabbatical.
Please join me in the Parish Hall on Wednesday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m. for pictures and discussion.
The Rev. Frederic Reynolds, Rector
100 Hear Dr. Quill's Presentation
The parish hall was filled Thursday, May 11th, with an attentive audience as Dr. Timothy Quill presented the medical, legal and ethical elements associated with the end of life. The Stephen Ministers of St. Paul's sponsored his presentation entitled "Discussing End of Life Issues Earlier, How Patients and Families Can Help." Dr. Quill provided the background and tools to enable families and friends to start the end of life discussion.
The audience included St. Paul's parishioners and members from at least six other area churches. His presentation was enthusiastically received. We received several sincere comments regarding Dr. Quill's lecture, including the following letter from Beryl Houpt.
May 16, 2006
Dear Anne,
I decided that I would like to write you a note about last Thursday's meeting with Dr. Quill. It was extremely helpful to me, and I was very glad to have had the opportunity to be there at St. Paul's and have heard him.
What a wonderful doctor Dr. Quill is! In addition to coming over as a very caring physician, he was a great speaker who connected well with his audience. He was easy to listen to, and he had a wealth of valuable information to share. I learned a lot, and he answered some questions I have had for a long time, quite apart from saying things which are very helpful for me (and Harold) at the present time.
It is so good that you and Judy organized this exceptionally valuable meeting, and I just wanted you to know how very much I appreciated being able to participate in this time at St. Paul's on Thursday evening.
With my thanks and love,
Beryl Houpt
ECW
All are welcome to join at our Annual Picnic June 1 The business meeting at 11:00 a.m. will be followed by our picnic at noon. It will be held at Carol Panzer's, 37 Country Club Dr. 586-6351. Please bring a dish to pass.
Gail Snelling
Celebration of Pentecost
Please join us for a celebration immediately following the service of Pentecost. A light luncheon will be served in the Parish Hall, as we welcome the newly baptized, confirmed and received into our St. Paul's parish family. Bishop McKelvey will join us on this festive occasion. All parishioners, family, friends and visitors are cordially invited. Anyone interested in making cookies or deviled eggs, please call Gail Bush at 377-5129.
Recognition Service and Parish Picnic
The Youth Choirs will offer their glorious music at the 10 o'clock service on June 11 as we celebrate our young people and all those who work with them. Our current fifth graders, moving to the Middle School and the Rite 13 Class, will receive Bibles thanks to the ECW (Episcopal Church Women). Following this service the Annual Picnic will take place on the church lawns -- or in the Parish Hall.
Come one, come all, to the Spring Picnic! We will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, rolls, chips, condiments and beverages. Please bring a salad or dessert to share. You can bring your food to the kitchen before the 10 a.m. service. Please call Gail Bush if you would like to help cook or can help the sextons set up and take down tables and chairs. Think good weather!!
Shalom Picnic and Cookout
Shalom, St. Paul's group for young families, will end its program year with a picnic and cookout in Paul's Cross on Friday, June 2 at 6:00 p.m.. Bring something to grill, and a side dish or dessert to pass. Shalom will provide hot grills, beverages, condiments, and tableware. After the picnic, the adults will gather in the Wainwright Hall parlor for an hour of relaxation and open discussion, while the kids enjoy supervised play outside. Nursery care will be provided for infants and toddlers. For more information about the picnic or Shalom itself, please contact the Shalom coordinators, Nancy Curtis or Angie Jones. See YOU at the Shalom picnic!
Caroline Moore - Graduating Senior
Caroline L. Moore is graduating this year from Fairport High School. Having been a member of St. Paul's since the age of seven months, she attended St. John the Evangelist elementary school, and then entered the Fairport district in the seventh grade. Caroline is known for her avid knitting, which she managed to squeeze into a very rigorous school schedule for the past two years. She will be attending Washington and Lee University in the fall.
Return to contents...What Witness Will We Make?
As the Episcopal Church, the most important question before us is not about schism or sexuality. It is about witness. What witness will we make?
Christian witness is the public affirmation of faith. It is how we let the world see that we practice what we preach. Today those of us in the Episcopal Church are being called on to make our witness. We have the opportunity to be what we say we are. The world is watching. What will we do?
The answer is a matter of faith. We witness to what we believe.
In the Episcopal Church, we believe in Jesus Christ. We believe in the Bible. We believe in the Good News. In fact, we believe so strongly in all of these essential parts of our shared faith that we are not afraid to disagree with one another about what they mean to us.
We welcome difference as the active presence of God's Holy Spirit moving amongst us. Our witness is not to conformity but to community. As the Episcopal Church we are not concerned that everyone in the pews believes exactly the same thing, in the same way, at the same time. Instead, we are concerned that no one is left out of those pews because of what they believe, who they are, or where they come from.
Our witness is to the unconditional love of God through the grace of Christ Jesus. Therefore, we accept the risk of grace by not setting limits to love with our own judgment of others. There are no border guards at the doors of the Episcopal Church. We respect the dignity of every human being and are never ashamed of who sits next to us in worship. We are all the children of God just as we are all sinners in need of mercy.
There are no walls around the Episcopal Church. We believe that God is at work in the world. We are not concerned that this world sees us as perfect, pure, or powerful. Instead, we are concerned that people see us practicing justice, doing mercy, and walking humbly with the God we believe loves us all equally.
Our witness is to hope, not fear. We believe that men and women, no matter how separated they may think they are by religious conviction, cultural value, or social location are never truly apart unless they choose to be. We have nothing to fear from one another unless we allow fear to be our witness. While the distance between us may seem great and the path to reconciliation impossibly long, we have the guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we never despair of one another or deny one another for to do so would be to despair and deny the power of that Spirit.
Our witness is to mission. While the Spirit leads us to truth, we carry on with the task God has given us. We do not place pride before discipleship.
While we may have many disagreements between us, we have only one mission before us. We never question the faith of the person who seeks to do the work of God. We believe that it is not important to know if that person is "right" or politically correct. It is only important to know if she or he feels welcomed into the servant ministry of Christ. There are no loyalty oaths in the Episcopal Church, but there are many jobs for those who want to help heal a broken world.
Our witness is to the reconciliation of God in a time of fear. In the Episcopal Church, we stand together not even if we disagree, but precisely because we disagree. We practice the radical hope of God. We embody a faith that says there are many rooms in the house of God, but one home for us all if we choose to live together.
It is time to make our witness. In a century already marked by the terror of war, with zealots of all traditions inciting us into the patriotism of fear, what witness will we make? What alternative will we offer? What fresh vision will we share? Will we retreat into yet smaller factions of "true believers," whether from the Right or the Left, smug in our self righteous assurance that we have the truth? Will we struggle over property and power as though these things had lasting importance for us? Will we vilify one another and become agents of suspicion among the very people we love? Will we worry more about what people think of us than what God expects of us?
It is time to make our witness. It is time to take off our halos, our mitres, and our martyr's crown to stand up and be counted. What witness will each of us choose to make?
I can not answer for anyone in this Church but myself. I do not ask that you agree with my theology. I do not demand that you read your Bible exactly as I read mine. I know that you and I may disagree on many subjects and find it hard to live together. But I also know that you are as much in need of God's forgiveness as I am.
You and I need one another now more than ever because there are so many others who need us both in this hurting world. That world, the poor and the hungry, the captives and the prisoners, are depending on us to do more than argue with one another. For them, our witness is not a matter of church politics.
It is a matter of life and death. I am counting on the fact that you know that.
Now is the time for us to extend our hands to one another. We will not walk away from the Body of Christ.
Now is the time for us to use our hands. We will not place pride over mission.
Now is the time for us to raise our hands. We will not forget that to God alone goes the glory.
Are you a witness? Will you join me in this affirmation of faith?
In my life I have known many seasons in the Episcopal Church. This is the season for our witness. This is the time for us to do something totally unexpected and wonderful, to confound those who say we have lost our vision. This is our moment to show the world that we can practice what we preach and be who we say we are. Our finest hour will not be when we think we have won something from one another, but when we know we have nothing to lose by loving one another.
I am a witness. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in God's gospel of justice, compassion, and reconciliation. I believe in the community of God and I will work faithfully with every person to bring peace and healing to the world. I open my hands. I open my heart. I want the world to see that I am not afraid. I step gratefully into the unconditional love of God. I stand up to be counted not for what I think is right, but for what I believe to be possible.
How about you? Will you stand with me?
Are you a witness?
The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston is president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bishop Charleston is a member of the Choctaw Nation, has served as the Episcopal Bishop of Alaska, and as the executive director of the National Committee on Indian Work at the Episcopal Church Center. Over his career, Bishop Charleston has been deeply involved in exploring different models of theological training to meet the needs of a changing church. He is an advocate for theological education that is culturally sensitive and meets the needs and concerns of local faith communities.
Becoming a Lector at St. Paul's
St. Paul's Church is blessed to have dozens of parishioners who enhance the Sunday 10 AM worship service by serving as lectors. As the lector coordinator, I am grateful to all my fellow lectors, and I also welcome other parishioners who would like to join the lector team. If you think you might be interested in reading Scripture lessons and the Prayers of the People at Sunday services and occasional special services, I would love to hear from you! Please contact me by phone (218-4236) or email to arrange for a brief orientation. Teens, you are welcome as lectors, provided you have adult support for your participation.
Also, I am always looking for a few multi-lingual readers who are willing to read the Gospel in foreign tongues on Pentecost. Please contact me if you or someone you know is proficient in a foreign language and might be willing to read.
Thanks once again to all the lectors at St. Paul's!
Nancy Curtis
The Good Bookstore
The Good Bookstore is holding a storewide pre-inventory sale. Everything in the store is at least 20% off. (Selected items even more!) Don't miss this opportunity to stock up on summer reading or gifts. The sale begins June 1 and ends June 22 when they begin their summer closure. The store will re-open August 22. Call for details or shipments-1-800-716-8634. Stop in Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 to 4 and Fridays from 10 to 12. The store is overflowing with many great items.
Children and Youth Participation
on Summer Sundays
Starting Sunday, June 18, young people worship with their families. During the 10 o'clock service, infants and toddlers are welcome in the nursery, and young children through Grade 3, for activities in the day care wing, next to the nursery. Classes resume on September 10.
RAIHN News at St. Paul's
St. Paul's will be hosting RAIHN families during the weeks of July 30 to August 6, 2006 and October 29 to November 5, 2006.
New volunteers are always welcome and needed. Volunteer training for RAIHN will be held on Wednesday, June 20 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Third Presbyterian Church (corner of Meigs & East). Anyone wishing to find out more about volunteering for RAIHN at St. Paul's is encouraged to attend. Please call Hank & Kathy Kingston at 385-3187 if you are interested.
Thank You from Trinity Church
May 15, 2006
Dear Barbara, Fr. Reynolds & St. Paul's Parishioners,
Yesterday, after our Sunday service, I looked through the wonderful photo album you gave to Trinity along with the fantastic cookies that we enjoyed. I said many prayers of thanks as I ate the cookies and know others did as well, knowing the love and care each of you put into them. What a wonderful feeling it is to know that others care - and all the way from Rochester, New York! Thank you so very much - your generosity was truly appreciated!
This stationary was designed and made by a former rector's wife (Fr. Durrie Hardin's wife, Jeani) and we thought you would enjoy seeing a "sketch" of our church as it was before Katrina.
We're in the process of having our architect draw up new designs for the church. I don't know how soon it will be finalized but we are making progress. Thank heavens we're slowly getting our parishioners back. We're anxious for Pass Christian to get on its feet.
Thank you for your wonderful support, cookies, pictures from your children - and your prayers.
God bless,
Wilma & Lou Rizzardi
SPY Corner
Parish Picnic and Spring Planting
June 11
We will meet at Paul's Cross at noon and plant annuals.
Bring a trowel and gloves. Pick-up time is 1:00 p.m.
Please RSVP to Laura Hayden
(383-8808 or email)
Save the date: Sunday, June 25
Pool Party at the Moore's for SPY members and their families.
1-3 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
Thank you SPY
We would like to extend many thanks to the following SPY kids who participated in the service project at St. Joseph's House in April: Emily Doyle, Julia Hayden, Chandler Hoffman, Madison Hoffman, Ingrid Krogstad, Caroline Marini, Elizabeth Marini, Leah Moore, and Toni Novello. These young people did an excellent job cooking the meal, serving lunch to the guests at St. Joseph's House, and cleaning up afterward.
With sincere thanks from St. Joseph House co-chairs Jane Smith, Mary Ellen West and Tim Davis.
Go see The DaVinci Code
The DaVinci Code movie is in theaters all over the country. The cries of "Not true," "distorts Christianity" and "Jesus married? You've got to be kidding," will certainly help promote ticket sales, and I hope they do. Like the "Passion of the Christ" of two years ago, The DaVinci Code will spark heated discussion among believers and non-believers. But the fact that popular culture is interested, intrigued, questioning religious beliefs, no matter how imaginative, is an opportunity for churches. Rather than being defensive, it is a wonderful chance to hear what is of interest to "unchurched" friends and strangers about faith and Jesus. There is a spiritual yearning in our culture, and we should ask ourselves if we are prepared to respond to that yearning.
So go see The DaVinci Code or read the book. It should tickle your fancy and perhaps raise questions of faith about the humanity and divinity of Christ. Come join Tom, Leslie and me on June 18 for a Sunday forum, as we have some fun in deciphering The DaVinci Code.
The Rev. Frederic Reynolds, Rector