Volume 3, Issue 5

August 2011

The Greek word for attendant/minister/servant is “diākonos”. In our

Episcopal tradition, this service is embodied in the form of our

Deacons. A deacon is, by definition, a bridge or conduit to bring

the Church to the needs of the world and the world to the Church.

At St. James’ we are blest to have the presence of Deacons Pat and

Fritz Huls to assist in our liturgical life. Thanks to your loving and

prayerful support I have moved through the deacon formation stages

of applicant to aspirant to postulate and now to candidate. My

discernment has included my own spirit-filled introspection,

working with and listening to my Discernment Committee, and the

support of the Vestry (now the Bishop’s Committee) here at St.

James’. A vocational or liturgical deacon is (in my words) “a

volunteer on steroids” and is not an expense to the parish. In fact

most of the deacons maintain a ‘9-5’ job and all deacons have a

‘worldly’ ministry. Mine is focused on our youth and music.

In the AZ Diocese we have a 2 year program (not including the

initial discernment process) and as a member of the Deacon

Formation Academy Class of 2012, I am in the last stage of my

candidacy. As part of the Academy, DITs (Deacons-In-Training)

will spend a 6 month internship at another parish. This is a way for

us to grow in our ministries and in understanding how we can better

serve our home congregations. My internship will begin September

2011 at St. Augustine’s in Tempe. I will be working for Father Gill

Stafford and under the deacon mentorship of Deacon Becky

Williamson there. I will continue to keep Father Rick and the

Bishop’s Committee updated on my progress.

As I transition, I am pleased that our young people will flourish

under Heather Erwin, Dave Faymon, April Culbertson, Audrey

Spence, Ashley Czarsty and our awesome and active parents. I look

forward to a strong and thriving youth community when I return in

March 2012. This incredible journey would not be possible without

the spirit-filled support of my own family, my St. James’ family,

our awesome clergy – Father Rick, Father Steve, Deacons Pat and

Fritz, and my mentor, Father Kerry. And finally a very special thank

you to my Discernment Committee: Phil Flodin, Jim & Carrie

McCullough, and Audrey & Nick Spence. I ask your prayers for a

successful and spirit-filled internship journey. Thank you for this

blessing! God Bless and keep you.

Robin Hollis,

Deacon Candidate

God Never ChangesGod Never ChangesGod Never ChangesGod Never Changes

I saw the internet blurb about the woman who hired a pilot to fly a plane with the tag that said, “Thanks for the downgrade—you should all be fired!” She meant the words for the politicians in Washington on both sides of the aisle for putting us in our current financial pickle. We Americans are indeed in a national bind when it comes to the economy. The USA has had to raise the debt ceiling ten times in as many years. It’s very scary.

With all the moving I’ve come across a lot of old things. One was a diary account written in 1992. I wrote about our terrible national debt, and my fears for the future of the country. It looked like we were about to go under. Things were bad then. Our national debt equaled our GNP. But then things got better. Eventually we had a six trillion surplus in revenue, and the future looked very bright. Now, things are bad again. I know that a lot of people are hurting right now with the economy being so awful.

The economy, like everything else, goes in cycles. But one thing that does not change is God. The Lord is always the same, always available, and always loving. He wants to guide us, and strengthen us. The Psalmist wrote, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. His greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another. They will tell of your might acts.” God is not a god of the years, or decades, or even centuries. God is eternal, and the ways of God are eternal. We can take comfort in this during the difficult but nonetheless transient struggles of life.

Father Rick +

Diākonos – My Journey to the Sacred Order of Deacon

St. James has completed a financial and operational audit for 2010. The last audit was in 2005. We selected an internal audit team comprised of Marylou Edwards, McKee Lundberg, and Dave Faymon with Audrey Spence in the role of financial consultant to assist with and answer any question about financial issues. Diana Bowie, Tom Lewis and I were the resources that supplied documentation and information that the team needed to complete the audit. The audit will be presented to the Vestry and then submitted to the Diocese before the September 15 deadline.

The team used the Episcopal Policy for Audits as the guide for the St. James audit put considerable time into looking at the finances and operating process of St. James. I found them to be very responsible and professional in their approach and a joy to work with. As you see each of them in or around church Please thank them for volunteering their time and diligence in completing this four month task.

From me to each of the team members …. THANK YOU.

Jim Disney

DEACON'S DISCOURSE. . . StewardshipDEACON'S DISCOURSE. . . StewardshipDEACON'S DISCOURSE. . . StewardshipDEACON'S DISCOURSE. . . Stewardship

The word stewardship comes from the Greek oikonomia, from which we also get our word for economy. Last week

Pastor Rick reminded us about God's economy. This week we continue that discussion (and we are not going to be

through with it, either)!

The substance of this concept resides in the management of a household - here, the household of God. The job

description is that of administrator, its scope is all-inclusive and it rests on using whatever God has given

us...faithfully.

I found a website (kenboa.org/downloads/pdf/1-Stewardship.pdf) regarding stewardship (although it is 43 pages

long) with much fruitful discussion. In particular I was taken with retelling our "time, talent, treasure" to expand it to

THE 4 T'S:

∗ TIME - our loving God gives us life, our lifetime is our time to manage (foolishly or wisely)

∗ TEMPLE - yes, this is the "new" "t" - a reminder that God has given us all things, including our bodies - for us

to remember that physically we are the "temple of the Holy Spirit"

∗ TALENTS - God also gives us abilities, gifts, which are unique to each of us (and require a response)

∗ TREASURE - those material things which we administer or use... to the glory of self or the glory of God.

Stewardship is our "part of the deal" with God, arises from gratitude and informs our whole

existence. I have used one word "mindbodyspirit' for twenty years or more to indicate the unity

or wholeness of each of us as created beings of our God. As time goes on, I look forward to

developing these concepts among us all. ( learn as I go along and anticipate what you and our

interactions will teach!)

Blessings, Deacon Pat

A Word from Father Steve

The Sounds of SilenceThe Sounds of SilenceThe Sounds of SilenceThe Sounds of Silence

I spent some time earlier this summer in eastern Greenland. The landing strip (such as it was) where I landed and the barracks-turned-“hotel” (such as it was) where I stayed were relics of a long-abandoned Distant Early Warning base. It’s where tiny bands of freezing NATO conscripts used to watch the skies for incoming Soviet missiles. Nobody much does that anymore.

Kulusuk is a tiny fishing village of some 200 hardy souls, and there's precious little there to attract outsiders. Even St. Francis' Brother Sun doesn't turn up for months at a time in the winter. What passes for a "store" doubles as the Royal Danish post office. Stamps and stale junk food (both brought in from Denmark) are on offer, and it's open about three hours a week. There's no electricity or plumbing. Buildings aren't heated, since there's nothing to burn. And sea fishing can only be done during the very brief summer thaw. If the world were flat, this place would be somewhere off the edge.

Yet Kulusuk has one thing in abundance -- silence. It's quiet, with a capital Q. Local folks aren't even aware of it; for them, it's just the way the world is. No humming motors or engines. No planes or trains or automobiles. No birds, no wind -- no sounds at all, at least away from the store. Pretty creepy, it seemed to me at first.

Ours is a culture of unceasing sound. There are muffler-less motorcycles on the highways, and constantly blaring commercials from speakers in malls and at gas stations. Our homes are chock full of TVs and DVD players, and a car simply isn’t a car unless it sports an impressive sound system. Most of us aren't even aware of the noise that permeates our lives. For us, it's just the way the world is.

Our Judeo-Christian tradition, itself the product of urban cultures besieged by noise, has long held up the pursuit of silence as a worthy spiritual discipline. “For [God] alone my soul in silence waits,” says the Psalmist; in stillness and quiet the Lord of creation is encountered (Ps.61:1; 46:10a). “When I am silent,” observes Thomas Merton, the twentieth century Trappist monk, “I hear my true self and reach my soul. When I am silent, I hear with a caring heart. Silence teaches us to know reality by respecting it…” And that’s not very creepy at all.

So where do we look for this “sound of sheer silence” through which God is often known in the Scriptures (I Kings 19:12)? One place is Kulusuk, of course. But it’s easier to follow the Psalmist’s advice: to “think of [God] on my bed, and meditate on [him] in the watches of the night” (Ps. 63:6). Or to follow Jesus’ own example of finding a quiet place in the desert. We might even spend time at an Episcopal monastery or convent. Nearby is the Servants of Christ Priory in Phoenix, and in Tucson there’s the Convent of the Teachers of the Children of God. Silence is only interrupted in these places by the singing of God’s praises five times a day in worship.

God is indeed encountered in an intimate way through stillness and quiet. As Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel have put it so well, "The words of the prophets are… whispered in the sounds of silence.”

My focus for this newsletter is to create a new prayer chain ministry for

St. James Episcopal Church. Over the past several years we have had an

unofficial group of prayer chain ministry persons. The notification

includes whole families where sometimes I believe only 1 or 2 people in

the family intended to be on the prayer chain. The following information

should be considered when volunteering to be on the prayer chain

committee:

⇒ A personal commitment to pray for those requesting prayer.

⇒ A sense of confidentiality where required.

In a perfect world this would be done where one person informs the next via phone but in the

interest of expediency we will maintain the prayer chain through e-mail.

If you are interested in volunteering for this important ministry please submit your request to me

via e-mail. jhermstein@gmail.com I will provide you with the updated list when I get it finished.

Thanks,

John Hermstein

The Hymnal 1982

The first officially sanctioned hymnal with both words and music of the Episcopal Church was in 1916. Two previous editions of

the hymnal exist, 1874 and 1898. In these hymnals only the words were approved. They were printed with only the words by

stanza. This resulted in a much clearer picture of the intent of the hymn’s message. The music was left to the discretion of the

musician. There were five hymnals of 1874 and six of the 1898 published with suggested music, but tunes were not required.

The Hymnal 1940 was the next publication after 1916. It was a full words and music edition, although some of the hymns have

more than one tune and may have additional tunes offered as an option. At the time of its publication, the Hymnal 1940 was

considered to be a “perfect” hymnal. Time marches on, thinking changes, and supplements are created. Supplements to the 1940

Hymnal were published in 1961 and 1973.

With the start of the major revisions of the Prayer book, completed in 1979, it became clear that the 1940 hymnal was inadequate to

meet the needs of congregations using the revised services. As successive services for trial use books were issued (the green book

in 1970 and the zebra book in 1973) companion hymnals were also issued to compliment the newer liturgies. A new Hymnal was

approved in 1982 and finally circulated for general use in 1985.

The Hymnal 1982 was developed by a committee (!), which should explain some it’s quirks. Generally, the Hymnal seeks to use

the oldest tune used with the words and provide inclusive language if at all possible. When the principle is violated, the results are

often amazing. Hymn 382, King of Glory, King of Peace is an excellent example. This hymn of George Herbert’s outstanding

poem of the early 1600’s is usually paired with the 1868 Welsh tune, Gwalchmai. In the hymnal 1982, the committee decided to

pair the words with a 1970’s tune, General Seminary. General Seminary is unsingable and unplayable.

Another good example is Jesus Call Us, O’er the Tumult (Hymn 549/550). It is paired with a new tune (St. Andrew) by David Hurd

(a committee member) and with restoration, a tune from 1835. Neither of these tunes have never been paired with these words

before in any hymnal of any denomination, although an older tune, also named St. Andrew, had been used. Galilee is the most

common tune. It was in the Hymnal 1940. While Galilee is a tad schmaltzy, it does not detract from the meaning of the words.

Studying Church music, the Hymnal, and the history of hymns is an interesting pursuit.

- - Jon Cox

Junior/Senior High EYC is having it's "Back To School" kick-off planning meeting. A swimming party and Ice cream Sundae Social will be help on Sunday, August 21, 2011 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Audrey Spence will host the event. Children are asked to bring swim suits, towels, sunscreen etc. Parents are asked to stay and help plan the year's events. Donations of ice cream and sundae toppings are also appreciated. The Spence Family lives at 15655 S. 6th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85045. Please contact Audrey, (480) 460-3259 or (602) 882-0580, with any questions.

Saturday, November 5, 2011 has been set for the fall rummage sale at the church, so keep saving items you can donate. Small appliances are good and sell well. Tools, books, music, movies (any format) are always popular. You may have a rare book that didn't appeal to you, but some collector will snatch it up. Don't forget men's clothing; our customers are shopping for husbands and sons as well as themselves. Children's clothing sells well, too. Also, sheets and blankets go quickly. Working electronics are good choices. If you have questions or want to help with publicity, pricing, or selling on the day itself, contact one of the committee members: Jackie Disney, Janey Studt, or Lissa Lundberg. Every little bit helps make a great big success.

SEPTEMBER 25TH IS MINISTRY FAIR SUNDAY!!!

September 25th will not be like other Sunday’s. It is Ministry Fair Sunday. What is this? It is a Sunday where the rector doesn’t give a sermon. Rather, various ministry leaders each take turns to give a very brief report on their ministry. Each report should be 1—2 minutes, which means that 10 to 12 ministries will be shared. These ministries may include such things as property, altar guild, band, youth, etc. Also, a table will be set up which will allow each ministry team to put out a small display. Property may wish to put out a ladder and a bucket. Music might put out an instrument or some sheets of music, etc.

This is the opportunity for everyone in the congregation to learn what everyone else is doing, and also to have the chance to solicit for

new helpers for their ministry teams. I’ve seen this done in other congregations, and it has been fun and also very successful. If you have any questions, contact Father Rick at the church office. If you are planning an offering, please contact the church office so that the presentations can be coordinated.

Thanks,

Father Rick

Cut and Paste these Links. . .

http://www.forministry.com/USNJECUSATEC2/VolunteeringatTrinity.dsp

http://www.stpeterschurchalbany.org/parish_ministries.htm

http://www.holytrinityclemson.org/?q=volunteer-opportunities

http://www.ecs-sf.org/getinvolved/parish_opportunities.html

http://www.christchurchgc.org/HTMLpages/Volunteering.html

Get the idea? Please help.

Tom

St James Preschool is having their first "St James Family Dinner Fundraiser" on Thursday, August 25, 2011. It will be at California Pizza Kitchen in the Chandler Mall and we will earn 20% of all purchases made by St James Family and Friends. Here's how it works: Grab a copy of the flyer in the Narthex and give it to your family and friends. Then, just stop by CPK anytime on Thursday, August 25 for lunch or dinner, and present this coupon. The coupon is good for dine in or take out. Alcoholic beverages are also included in the 20%. YOU MUST PRESENT A COUPON UPON ORDERING.