The St. Paul's Epistle
December 1-15, 2005
Contents
Letter from the Curate for Family Ministry
Christmas Stockings
Vestry Highlights
Save 2006 Calendars
A Meal and More
Gifts for the Children in the Sudan
The Christmas Pageant
SPY Corner
Christmas Memorial Flowers
Advent Series
Advent Lessons & and Carols
Chritian Dialog on Contemporary Issues
Christmas Dinner
Stephen Ministry
Parish Hall Policies
Rochester City Ballet
Handel's "Messiah"
Liturgy for New Teens
Join the Fun!
Decorate the Mitten Tree
RAIHN's First Anniiversary Dinner
Keeping RAIHN Rolling
Diocesan Convention 2005
Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul's:
"Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:26-27)
Sort of a funny way of saying things isn't it? The word of the Lord "came" to someone? I remember as a little girl hearing this phrase and conjuring up an image, in my very active imagination, of all these words running along a path to the people for whom they were intended. An especially funny image, I think, for sacred scripture, imagine all those words running helter-skelter to reach each of us and then to move us to respond.
Well….that image is really not too very far off the mark although the translation of the word "came" is off the mark. In the Hebrew the word is "vayomer" which quite literally means to "happen" so in the text above one would more appropriately say: "Then the word of the Lord happened to Jeremiah…" The word "came" has no dynamism to it, it is a static word and therefore lends a static rendering to our understanding of the action of the Word of the Lord (even if we can imagine words marching around to choirs of angels); but happened, is happening, will happen, has happened, here we find movement, creation, power, and transformation. The word "happened" to Jeremiah, and he was moved.
In Romans 10:17 we read, "so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." We might translate this into "happening language" - "then faith happens by hearing and hearing by the word of God." It is through our participation in the happening of the Word of God that our faith is born. Our Christian lives are lives of faith; we live lives centered in the belief that God can and will do the impossible. To have living faith we must live in the "happening" of the Word of God in each of our lives. Our lives in faith are active, they begin with the action of Gods words upon the world.
Here at the beginning of December we turn our attention to the "happening" of the Christ child. We anticipate with joy the birth into our lives of the Word made flesh. We wait breathlessly for God to do the impossible, to come and walk with us, Emmanuel. I invite you to a "happening" Advent. To experience the word of the Lord as it happens, is happening, will happen and has happened. To let those words happen to you and for you to happen with them, changed, renewed transformed.
In Anticipation of Christ's Mass,
The Reverend Leslie M. St. Louis
Youth and Family Minister
Christmas Stockings
As in years past we shall be collecting Christmas stockings for the Young Men of Sudan. This year we are looking for 42 stockings. Some items that have brought much joy in the past include: gas and grocery gift cards, day timers, calendars, toiletry items, socks, wallets, etc. Let your imagination soar! Please call Ann Marie DeLuccio at 582-2648 or email if you are able to help. There will also be a sign-up sheet in the Parish Activities book or you can call the church office.
With gratitude,
Ann Marie DeLuccio
Vestry Highlights
The Vestry met on October 18. These are the highlights of that meeting:
- Met with Peter Harter, a candidate for ordination.
- Met with Jim Blake, St. Paul's Outreach Coordinator, and accepted his resignation with thanks for his ministry.
- Heard reports on the progress of the parish hall renovations and on the assessment of the condition of the organ.
- Voted to move forward with assistance to a parish in Mississippi affected by the hurricane.
- Granted a request from Water for Sudan to hold a one day garage sale on St. Paul's property.
Save 2006 Calendars
In the most recent Episcopal Life, there was a request to save all the free 2006 calendars one receives for the benefit of the Seamen's Institute in New York and New Jersey. Noting that life at sea can be very monotonous, and, thus, easy to lose track of time, the Seamen's Institute will distribute these calendars to seafarers. Hopefully this will help seafarers keep track of their days at sea, and connect with special days and events at home.
The ECW will collect your calendars if you will drop them off in the Church Office or the Sunday Office. We would like to mail them before the end of the year, so please bring them in soon.
It is also a great pleasure to inform you that over 30 hand-knitted scarf and hat sets have been mailed to the Seamen's Institute for their holiday distribution to seafarers. Many thanks to the wonderful knitters of St. Paul's, some of whom are: Caroline Lee, Mabel Coleman, Dorothy Phillips, Gloria Weller, Fran Kerr, Ann Clarke, and our youngest knitter, Heather Manly. If you would be interested in joining in this project, please contact me at 248-0393.
Mary Jane McKnight
A Meal and More
A Meal and More depends on St. Paul's to provide the turkeys and roasts for their Holiday meals. We can do this again this year if you will please write a check for $10 or more to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, with A Meal and More in the memo line. It is nice to know that we help make it possible for others to enjoy a festive meal this holiday season.
Gail Pearson
Gifts for the Children in the Sudan
Thanks from the Church School to all who made contributions to the care packs for the Sudanese school children. Andrew Machok had 35 filled baggies to take with him when he left for the Sudan last week.
Andrew accepting box from student Robbie Warner
The Christmas Pageant
Come to Bethlehem: Angels, shepherds, magi and others, come gather around the crèche! All children and adults are invited. Practice for the Pageant on Saturdays, December 10 and 17, from 10 to noon with pizza for lunch. Enjoy the Pageant on Sunday, December 18, at 4 p.m. and stay for supper and carols in the Parish Hall.
SPY Corner
Afternoon at the Movies,
Time and Film to be Determined
December 4
Look for details in the December issue of SPY News!
Please RSVP to Laura Hayden by December 1
(383-8808 or lhayden@rochester.rr.com)
Christmas Pageant and Dinner
December 18, 4:00 p.m.
We will attend the Christmas Pageant and then sit together for the Christmas Dinner in the Parish Hall.
Christmas Memorial Flowers
Each year we fill the church with Christmas poinsettias, wreaths and greens in memory of loved ones. Envelopes for donations to this year's Memorial Flower fund will be found on tables around the church on Sundays and in the office during the week. Please print clearly the names of those you wish to honor - we do not want to guess at the correct spelling of a name. Make checks payable to St. Paul's Episcopal Church and write Christmas Flowers on the memo line.
The deadline is Monday, December 19.
Advent Series
Competing or Completing:
Christianity in Dialogue with World Religions
December 7, 14, & 21 at 6:00 p.m.
Rector Frederic Reynolds recently returned from a sabbatical stay in Nepal, "land of sublime scenery and time-worn temples," where eighty-six percent of the more than 25 million people follow Hinduism; eight percent, Buddhism; and three percent, Islam (Lonely Planet).
Join Fred Reynolds as he shares his stories, slides, and reflections. How does life for the Nepalese reflect their beliefs? What is at the heart of their religions? How is Christianity different and yet the same? Where are opportunities for dialogue among religions? Why does understanding matter?
The Rev. Denise Yarbrough, Rector of St. Mark's Church in Penn Yan and candidate for Doctor of Ministry on World Religions, will be a guest lecturer at one of the sessions.
Advent Lessons & Carols
A service of Advent Lessons and Carols will take place on Sunday, December 11 at 4 p.m. The Senior Choir, soloists and organist Tim Pyper will be featured in a variety of seasonal carols, and the congregation will join in some favorite Advent hymns. Come and bring your friends to this beautiful service.
David Fetler
Christian Dialog on Contemporary Issues
In October, 2004, the 73rd Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester passed A Resolution concerning a Covenant with Rural and Migrant Ministries and Ministry with the Rural Poor which includes:
- Praying for RMM and the rural poor
- Nominating up to three persons to serve on the RMM Board
- Financial support in the amount of $1000 per year for four years, beginning in 2006
- Encouraging the congregations of the diocese to explore further ministry possibilities with the rural poor, migrant farm workers, and family farmers.
The Diocese has contributed financially for many years, so this is a step toward more personal involvement. The Christian Dialog on Contemporary Issues committee thought it would be appropriate for us first to discuss our feelings about farm workers and farmers in this area generally. A Forum is scheduled for January 22 at 11:30 a.m. The intent of this session is to have the opportunity to listen to all views before moving ahead with any further ministry in this area. One of the reasons for taking this action as a diocese was to allow individuals who wanted to get involved to do so even if their parish was not particularly active, as well as to explore opportunities at the parish level.
Deck the Hall
Christmas Dinner
The newly renovated Parish Hall will be the site for a gala celebration on Friday, December 2, 2005, featuring the rededication of the Parish Hall by Bishop McKelvey.
The Parish Life Commission provides the entrée (ham and turkey), wine, punch and desserts. We ask that those attending provide hors d'oeuvres, potatoes, vegetables, salads and breads.
This dinner is by reservation only with a limit of 175 persons. Please call Gail Bush at 377-5129 to make your reservation and to indicate what you will bring.
Don't delay! This event will fill up fast. Come and celebrate our wonderfully renovated Parish Hall.
Stephen Ministry
This month marks the first anniversary of our Stephen Ministry team. We give thanks for their continuing faithfulness, providing one-on-one Christian care to our St. Paul's family. Please pray for continued guidance for our Stephen Ministers: Anna Marie Fabrowitz, Beverly Vaughan, Jim Blake, Joyce Bogdanski, Kitty MacDowell, Nancy Frank and Sally McGucken. Please continue to pray also for those who are in training: Carol Panzer, Louise Moore, Donna Nash-Bayley and Floyd Bayley and our Stephen Leaders: Anne Refermat, Judy Carpenter and Tom McCart.
Parish Hall Policies
With our newly refurbished Parish Hall, we will all want to do our best to continue to keep it looking "new."
Nothing should be taped or tacked to the walls or columns or any other surface. Moveable boards for notices will be in the hall, and we ask that you use them for sharing information.
Please help to keep the hall looking splendid by adhering to this policy.
Rochester City Ballet
The ECW is very pleased to announce that the Rochester City Ballet will be performing excerpts from "The Nutcracker" in the newly remodeled Parish Hall on Thursday, December 1. Following the 11 a.m. business meeting there will be a holiday luncheon at 12 noon. The performance will start at about 1 p.m. Reservations for the luncheon and performance are requested. Please call the office at 271-2240. All are welcome.
Handel's "Messiah"
Handel's popular Messiah with St. Paul's Choir, Festival Singers, the group that sang "Elijah" recently, will be presented with the Rochester Chamber Orchestra on Sunday, December 4, 7:00 p.m. at the Hochstein Music School, 50 N. Plymouth Avenue. Tickets are available at Wegmans or by calling 442-9778.
David Fetler
Liturgy for New Teens
On Sunday, November 20, at the 10 a.m. service, we celebrated an important rite of passage with some of our young people. This liturgy is formally called "The Celebration of Manhood and Womanhood." It is also known as "Rite 13" since it takes place near the candidate's 13th birthday - much like a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah.
During the ceremony, we recognize the gift of womanhood or manhood that God bestows on each one of us. This is a free gift that we cannot earn and need not prove. This gift is the essence of who we are. As we grow and mature in the journey to adulthood, our knowledge and skills increase, but the magical core of who we are remains the same, even as we accept new roles and responsibilities.
The teenagers who celebrated and were recognized are Emily Doyle, Rob Hayden, James Hiltunen, Caroline Marini, and Parker Moore. They appreciate the Bits of Wisdom offered by the congregation. Look in the Parish Hall for collages that these young people created.
Barbara Warner
Youth Participating in the Rite 13 Liturgy
Emily Doyle -
Emily will turn thirteen in December. She lives in Fairport, New York, and is a 7th grader at Martha Brown School. She and her family have been coming to St. Paul's for "as long as I can remember." Activities Emily enjoys are hanging out with her friends and acting in her school play Three Murders and It's Only Monday. Emily says, "Three words to describe me are funny, shy, and caring. I am these things and many more!"
Rob Hayden -
Rob is fourteen years old. He likes running track and cross-country and also skiing. His skiing includes both alpine and Nordic. Rob also enjoys golfing, water skiing, sailing and canoeing. Some of the "non-physical" activities he enjoys are animating with Macromedia Flash, eating, and playing the cello and the piano. Rob says, "I also love listening to rock and playing games."
James Hiltunen -
James McKenzie Hiltunen was born on September 16, 1992, in Rochester, New York. His family includes his sister Grace, his mother Kathy Hiltunen, and his father Geoff Lister. James is in eighth grade at 12 Corners Middle School, where math is his favorite subject. He likes to run cross-country and track and play basketball, and he enjoys hanging out with his friends. He is a huge Boston Red Sox fan. This year he went to see a game at Fenway Park. When James grows up, he would like to be a general manager or a special sports agent.
Caroline Marini -
Caroline is thirteen and in 8th grade at Pittsford Middle School. She has a mom, a dad, an older sister and a dog named Nick. Soccer is a favorite activity for Caroline. She has been playing since she was three or four. This year she is excited to play on the Mendon Freshman Soccer Team and the Mustangs A Team. During summer 2003, she went with her family and family friends to Kenya, Africa. She says, "It was the trip of a lifetime. I want to go back there so badly." Caroline also loves snowboarding with her friends and visiting with her dad's "huge Italian family" in Newton, MA. Caroline says she is a "pretty good student in school." She adds, "I work hard and do my best all the time."
Parker Moore -
Parker was born on September 10, 1992, at 4:38 p.m. He lives in Penfield with his father, mother and three sisters. His "Uncle" Salva Dut recently moved out of the house after living there for five years. Parker is in 8th grade at Martha Brown Middle School in Fairport. His favorite subjects are math and earth science. His hobbies are computer technology and drama. He is the stage manager in the fall show and his expertise is lighting. He has also been on stage. He sings in choirs at church and school. He is an acolyte and an active member of SPY (St. Paul's Youth). In the future he hopes to attend MIT and become an engineer.
Join the Fun!
Just to let folks know about our wonderful youth programs, on the weekend of October 30, St. Paul's was hopping with youth stuff! Saturday night we had some 20 or so folks gather for the opening dinner for our fall group of Rite 13ers; at the same time Shelley Munro, one of our very talented Eastman students, was giving her recital in the church to fifty or so folks. There was a quick change in the parlor as Shelley's recital let out and the Rite 13ers broke up and the room was set up for Shelley's reception, (boy do we need the parish hall back). Then on Sunday we gathered for our Eve of All Hallows Eve party. We had somewhere around 60 folks at that howling good time. Also on this none too busy weekend the Youth Group began selling wrapping paper and Christmas cards to kick off fund-raising for upcoming mission work, and they started to collect food for less fortunate families for Thanksgiving. These are busy and exciting times at St. Paul's; if you have not already done so, please come and join us soon!!
The Reverend Leslie M. St. Louis
Youth and Family Minister
Decorate the Mitten Tree
Please put mittens, hats, and scarves on your shopping list this Advent. Bring these items to the Parish Hall from December 4-18 to brighten the Mitten Tree for the holidays and to warm our neighbors this winter. The Church School appreciates your help with this outreach project!
RAIHN's First Anniversary Dinner
A dinner to celebrate RAIHN's first full year of operation was held at Christ the King Church in Irondequoit in May. About 250 people gathered for a celebration of hard work and happy accomplishments.
Karen Olsen from the national IHN organization was the guest speaker. She told the group how she was first exposed to homelessness living in the Metro New York City area and how she was impressed by how many people were concerned and wanted a way to get involved.
Susan Stanger from Temple Sinai spoke about the impact of RAIHN on her congregation - how the congregation has been brought closer together with new friendships that have been created because of the program.
Jacqueline, a graduate Mom, spoke about what it meant to her to have a place to call home and the warmth and comforting support she received from the congregations she stayed with.
The dinner was a wonderful opportunity for many RAIHN volunteers and supporters from across the area and across the faiths to meet each other.
Keeping RAIHN Rolling
One of the most critical links in the Rochester Interfaith Hospitality Network is our 14 - passenger bus and the team that drives it. The bus transports the families from the host congregations to and from the Day Center on Meigs St. each day. The morning pickup is at 7:00 a.m., and in the evening the bus picks guest families up at the Day Center and transports them back to their host congregation. This operation occurs every day of the year except for a few holidays. On average, the bus makes 56 trips a month.
It takes a group of very dedicated drivers who rise early or drive during evening rush hour regardless of weather conditions. The job of scheduling volunteer bus drivers falls to our bus coordinator, Dave Poland. Dave works with his team to prepare a monthly driving schedule that will work for everyone.
Most of the bus drivers are retired, but a few fit their driving around their work schedules. Seven out of nine current drivers have driven for the RAIHN program since its inception in the spring of 2004.
Diocesan Convention 2005
The Diocesan Convention 2005 was held at the Rochester Hyatt Hotel on November 18 and 19.
Kitty MacDowell was one of four people in the Rochester Diocese awarded the Bishop's Commendation as Diocesan Minister. Bishop Jack McKelvey recognized Kitty for her service to St. Paul's Church, the Diocese and the community. Last year Kitty volunteered at Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota and journeyed to El Salvador with Episcopal Relief and Development. According to the Bishop, "These experiences helped her understand a call to downsize in life, to serve God and God's people in far-off places." Next year, he said, Global Volunteers and Cross Cultural Solutions will make use of her skills and commitment. The Bishop asked Kitty to "accept our profound thanks for stopping along the way with us" and concluded, "Our sincere wish is that whatever God has in mind for you next, it will bring you back to Rochester."
Nancy Curtis was elected to a full-term as lay member of the Diocesan Commission on Ministry and Larry McKnight was elected to a one-year term on the Board of Trustees.
Nancy Frank presented successful resolutions:
- The Rochester Diocese support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to improve the daily lives of the poor.
- The Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music recommend the inclusion in the calendar of the Episcopal Church the Feast of the Martyrs of the Sudan on May 16.
Nancy also chaired a workshop at which those who traveled on the personal mission trip to El Salvador last spring encouraged others to take part in such a trip.
Gwen Cheney and Sally Tait staffed a booth supporting the Tip Top Gift Shoppe of the Episcopal SeniorLife Communities and Jennifer Marini, a display from the Diocesan Good Book Store. Elizabeth Marini and others represented the youth of the Diocese.
Clergy delegates Tom McCart and Leslie St. Louis and lay delegates Chris Curtis, Chris Moore and Barbara Warner participated in the work and prayer of the convention. At the Saturday morning celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, former Bishop of the Diocese of Alaska, and present President of the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA, spoke on the convention theme "Partnership and Possibilities: Food for the Journey." The most difficult work was the discussion and subsequent vote that the diocese dissolve All Saints' Episcopal Church in Irondequoit. Looking ahead, the Diocese plans to study the establishment of a mission congregation in Irondequoit; further develop Leadings -its education center; and introduce a process for creating deacons in the Diocese.
Additional information about the convention will be available in Living Water, the Diocesan newspaper, and on the Diocesan website.
Barbara Warner