refresh, revitalize march 2014 volume viii number 3 ... t forget to set your clocks forward one hour...
TRANSCRIPT
T id ings
March 2014Volume VIII Number 3
O P E ND O O R S
O P E NM I N D S
O P E NH E A R T S
Renew Refresh, Revitalize
“...be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”Romans 12:2 Saint Paul’s Monthly Newsletter
Weekly Worship Services in LentHoly Eucharist Rite II Sunday Mornings
8:00 a.m.9:00 a.m.
10:30 a.m.Sunday Evenings
Taize and Evening Prayer5:00 p.m.
Wednesdays at NoonHealing & Holy Eucharist
Lent’s LengtheningLent begins with Ash Wednesday on March 5. Lent is an old English word that is short for “lengthen.” It reminds us that the days are getting longer. The weather seems to be lurching toward spring – a small glimpse of sun and relative warmth, then arctic cold and snow. The temperatures are somewhat disorienting. Which way are we going? Increasing weather forecasts attempt to give us some degree of control. But they appear with a kind of frenzy that belies this. People are starting to ask me, if only half in jest, “Is there something you can do about this weather, some prayer you can utter, some influence you can bring to bear?” Part of Lent is learn-ing to let go of control, allow the lengthening to happen.
In contrast to the frenzy of forecasts, the days continue to lengthen. They orient us reliably to spring. It is com-ing. There is nothing that can be done to speed up this lengthening or to slow it down. The growth in daylight, the lengthening of the day, will happen apart from any-thing we might do. There is no frenzy, just lengthening.
Spiritually we might imagine the days lengthening into eternity when Jesus comes at the resurrection that we cel-ebrate on Easter. Our moments can lengthen into the eter-nal when Christ comes to us in the Spirit. A moment of deep peace is such an eternity, a moment of sheer beauty, a moment when we are surprised by love. All these are eter-nal lengthenings, Lentenings, into which Christ comes.
Daylight Savings TimeDon’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour on March 9. It is the First Sunday in Lent. We call these Sundays “in” Lent because they are days of resurrection in Lent, not “of ” Lent themselves. Thus the 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays.
Sunday Evening Worship at 5 p.m. during Lent
Beginning with Evensong on March 9, following Sundays will include Taizé worship and Evening Prayer. The taizé worship tradition began many years ago in the ecumeni-cal French monastic community called Taizé. It is a quiet service of meditation, reflection, readings and music. The worship finds its true meaning in the active participation of all assembled by focusing and deepening our spiritual experience through the power of prayer. We have “busy” souls. Sometimes we find ourselves needing to be at work or else exhausted on Sunday mornings. The liturgy that has developed around the Taizé community is primar-ily for the worship of God, but it is also meant to quiet the soul. This quietness does not happen at once, but gradu-ally during the worship. There is repetition in the words of the music, there are many periods of silence, and the read-ings are read slowly – all so that we may have a deep quiet grow in our hearts. Then we may be still and be at peace in the presence of God. Following this worship there will be opportunity to walk the Saint Paul’s labyrinth. Guides will be present to offer suggestions on labyrinth walking.
Children & Family Events at Saint Paul’s
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Faith and Fun: Dakota 38
On the first Sunday of the month young people gather for Faith and Fun. The March meeting is on Sunday the 2nd at noon in the Swift Bird Room. Swift Bird was the Dakota name given to our second rector when he became bishop to the Great Sioux Nation. He moved from camp to camp like a swift bird. The award-winning film Dakota 38 will be shown. The story of the Dakota 38 is what turned our second rector into a staunch advocate for the Dakota Sioux Indians. In some respects it is why we travel with young people to the Standing Rock Reservation each summer. The film is full of reconciliation and hope. Watch and become familiar with how the history of Saint Paul’s and that of the Dakota are intertwined. Over the past several years, youth from Saint Paul’s have had the wonderful opportunity of travelling to North Dakota for a pilgrimage. In 1863 William Hobart Hare wrote to Saint Paul’s Church School seeking support and prayers for the Native Americans. Saint Paul’s response to that letter opened the way for us to initiate a relation-ship which has grown over time to an annual pilgrimage of our young people to North Dakota. This pilgrimage offers our young people the opportunity to grow their faith, building relationships with each other and among the many Indian youth who visit the camp this summer.
Pancakes and Trivia on Shrove Tuesday
Trivia Night! Shrove Tuesday is on March 4 at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent. The name shrove comes from the word “shriven” that means to have confessed and been absolved. Typically, it was the day when all dairy products were consumed before the Lenten fast, hence the pancakes. Join the fun with pan-cakes and trivia. Are YOU smarter than a 5 year-old cher-ub? Shrove Tuesday is a truly intergenerational event where each is encouraged to intentionally sit with a younger or
older church member! There will be trivia questions for all ages!
Parish Suppers on ThursdaysEvery Thursday in Lent (beginning March 6) families and individuals will gather for supper in the Parish Hall at 6:15 p.m. Teams of parents of children in choristers and Godly Play will cook the meals. The theme is building community and bringing children and adults together from various ac-tivities and ministries of the parish. If it is Thursday, you don’t have to worry about cooking at home just come to church!
If you would like to be part of a meal preparing team or volunteer to support these suppers in any way, please fol-
low these three simple steps to sign-up:
1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/BjhXRF
2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on
VolunteerSpot) 3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you
an automated confirmation and reminders.
Upcoming Events:St. Paul’s Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday April 19th
Hershey Park St. Paul’s Annual Hershey Park Trip 2014!!!
June 7th Saturday (or order tickets for any day you want and get group rates!) Ticket includes : Hersheypark, Waterpark, Zoo, and Choco-
late factory tour! Rides and shows for ALL ages!! Order your Hershey Park tickets by April 12th through-
Cathy Davis , [email protected] or 215. 687.1022Tickets can be used for any day this summer! Buy more, since it is
a huge discount.
CampingYes, you heard right! St. Paul’s 1st annual, fun for all, camping trip! Come one, come all, and bring your gear. June 27th and June 28th at Mauch Chunk Lake Park. Only 90 minute drive to this beautiful County Park with lake to swim, boating, fishing and nature walks. Minutes from the historical downtown, Jim Thorpe. Arrive any-time after 2pm, Friday and check out at 11am, Sunday. Only $30 per reservation. (includes both nights, rain or shine) Cottages available at $100 (first come first serve). If camping is not for you… come join us just for the day!! Small park entrance fee required,
per person. Reservations required by March 30th. Contact Cathy Davis215. 687.1022 or [email protected].
For park information see www.mclpark.com.
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Observing Lent at Saint Paul’s
Ash Wednesday Worship begins LentAsh Wednesday Services will be held on March 5 at 7 a.m., noon and 7:30 p.m. Administration of ashes (made from palms blessed on Palm Sunday) will be offered to those who wish. They are a sign of our mortality and humanness in which God’s blessing, peace, and grace are made perfect. Ash Wednesday and Lent prepare our hearts for Easter. The one is as necessary as the other. Come and begin a most holy season on March 5 with 7 a.m. Spoken Service; 12 noon Service with Hymns; 7:30 p.m. Service with Hymns & Choir. Saint Paul’s will offer an Ash Wednesday service at the Hill at
Whitemarsh at 11:15 a.m.
Faith Forums in LentOn March 2, the Rector will introduce the Book of Com-mon Prayer as a spiritual guide for Lent. Next, Dr. Phillip Carey of Eastern University will speak on the theme of 40 days and fasting (not living by bread alone) and 40 years and manna, and bread from heaven which is the bread of life by which we live eternally. On Sunday, March 16 Bishop Allen Bartlett will lead a second deeper, discussion of the Book of Common Prayer. Bishop Bartlett was our diocesan bishop from 1986 to 1998. The last two Sundays in March will feature Professor Wil Gafney with a presentation en-titled, “Blessed is the One Who Comes in the Name: Jesus’ Preaching from the Hebrew Scriptures.” And next, “Pre-pare the Way: A Lenten Study on Exile and Restoration.”
Tuesday Evening House ChurchOne of the remarkable features of the early church was the devotion to house churches. The New Testament is replete with stories about Christians meeting in different houses for prayer, study, and fellowship and above all the breaking of the bread. These house churches became the places where Christians shared their new life together in Christ. The Lent-en House Meetings are about welcoming and celebrating the life of this community in your home. On March 11we will meet at the home of Jonathan Nidock, 228 Benezet Street; on March 18 we will be with Charlotte Kleis at the Hill at Whitemarsh; March 25 sees us at Joyce Klinefelter’s at Hill House, 201 W. Evergreen Ave.; April 1we will gather at the home of George and Ann Reath, 7 Rose Lane, Flourtown; and on April 8 we will be with Wilson and Ann Brown, 7946 Pleas-ant Ave. in Wyndmoor. In addition to communion we will discuss the book God of Surprises by Gerard W. Hughes. Ad-ditional information please contact Manny @ 215-242-2055.
Women’s Quiet DayWe will meet at Saint Paul’s on Saturday, April 12th at 9 am. We will meet and share, then explore the lovely new laby-rinth and how labyrinths have been used by so many people for being present to God for centuries. After those who wish walk the labyrinth have finished and a brief meditation, we
will go to the Swift Bird Room, and have time for some Centering Prayer, another meditation and a simple lunch.
After lunch, we will have a quiet hour or so, when you could do handwork, read, have a cup of tea or just hang out with God. Then we will do some sharing and finish in the Chapel
for a time of worship. The Quiet Day would officially be over at 3 pm.
The cost would be $10 each, to cover morning snacks and lunch.
If this is something you might enjoy, e-mail Virginia ([email protected])
and register (name, e-mail address and phone number) and tell us you plan to come. Any special food needs?
Tell us that, too.
Saint Paul’s to host IHNInterfaith Hospitality Network April 27th - March 18
Contact Betsy & Jake, [email protected] & [email protected]
Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2014--Easter Day, April 20, 2014
Music at Saint Paul’s
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Choral Evensong: Sunday March 9th at 5:00pm
The Adult Schola of Saint Paul's Choir will be accompanied by professional continuo players Katie Riebman (cello) and Richard Stone (theorbo) in a candlelit service of Choral Evensong to mark the beginning of Lent. The Fifth Ser-vice and Preces & Responses are those of Thomas Tom-kins, a prolific composer of both sacred and secular music in the early 1600s. The anthem is Henry Purcell’s mag-nificent setting of Jehovah, Quam Multi Sunt Hostes Mei. All are welcome – please invite your friends to join you.
Duke University Chorale Concert: Tuesday March 11th at 7:30pm
We are pleased to welcome this mostly undergradu-ate 55-voice Chorale and Chamber Choir, on tour dur-ing Duke’s Spring Break. The group presents both sacred and secular music ranging from the Renaissance to con-temporary works, and from serious works to more re-laxed ones. Highlights of this year's tour program include works by Rachmaninoff, Bernstein, Morten Lauridsen, and Eric Whitacre, as well as spirituals and folksongs from around the world. The Chorale has toured China, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, England, Wales, Mexico, and many parts of the U.S. They are con-ducted by Rodney Wynkoop and accompanied by Mary Hamilton. The concert is free and will last about an hour.
4 groups, 11 concerts, 600 years of music
Saint Paul’s has partnered with three other organizations to promote fine classical music events right here in Chest-nut Hill. The Chestnut Hill Experience Series is an op-portunity to sample a concert from each of them. Pick up a brochure from Saint Paul’s or visit www.musiconthehill.us for details of spring concerts in Chestnut Hill offered by Five Fridays, Piffaro, Tempesta di Mare, and The Crossing.
Five Fridays IV: Friday March 28th at 7:30pm“One Piano, Four Hands” Our successful concert series continues with an unusual opportunity to hear music writ-ten or adapted for a piano duo. Stanislava Varshavski and Diana Shapiro, who began playing together in 1998, have captured the top prize at numerous national and interna-tional competitions, including the most prestigious com-petition for piano duos—the Murray Dranoff International Piano Competition in Miami, Florida. This talented pair will perform on St. Paul’s Steinway piano, with audience members seated around the labyrinth. The one-hour con-cert is followed by a reception to greet the artists. Tick-ets are available online and at the door. All proceeds go to benefit outreach organizations, Face to Face German-town and the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Northwest Philadelphia. Read more about it at www.fivefridays.org
Saint Paul’s News
The Nominating Committee Needs You!
Our Nominating Committee is at work putting together a slate of nominees for our Annual Meeting on May 18. This is a discernment process where the church through this committee seeks the person who is right for a particular task at this particular time. That does not mean another person might be right at another time. The committee re-ally does try to pay attention to the guiding of the Holy Spirit. Your voice is needed to share with the committee the names of those you believe have gifts to offer our commu-nity. You may contact anyone on the committee with your recommendations. The Committee is chaired by Doug An-derson ([email protected]); Charlie Head ([email protected]) will chair the committee next year and will assist Doug as vice-chair this year. Charlie has an interest in welcoming, which is an area on which the vestry wants to focus. Sarah Heckscher ([email protected]) who chaired the committee last year will stay on for continuity. Mark Duckett ([email protected]) will be stepping down as vestry member and property chair person, so he will be on the committee with a eye to property. Pat Voigt ([email protected]) was on the committee last year and also has skill in capital campaigns. The church will under-take a capital campaign within the next four-year period. Finally Chesley Lightsey ([email protected]) is tied in strongly to newer and younger families. It is a great team . The Nominating Committee plans to have a completed slate of candidates (4 vestry and 1 diocesan convention) ready for the Tidings newsletter that will be sent out after Easter. Thank you for your participation in helping them choose a
strong leadership team to serve Saint Paul’s.
Partners in Outreach ConferenceHosted by Episcopal Community Services and the Epis-copal Diocese of Pennsylvania, the Partners in Outreach Conference at Saint Thomas’ Church, Whitemarsh on Saturday, March 8 is an opportunity for fellowship and collaboration to fight poverty in our region. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with a final worship over by 3 p.m. This conference is for anyone involved in parish outreach efforts across the entire Diocese of Pennsylvania. Partici-pants will learn how we can work together as a diocese to address the issues of poverty both regionally and in our own communities. The conference will feature: Oppor-tunities for outreach collaboration; Information about community resources; Outreach program best practices; Models for hands-on outreach. The ECS Keynote Address “Called to Caring” will be given by Jane Meier Hamilton, a psychiatric nurse whose published book is The Caregiv-er’s Guide to Self-Care (Infinity, 2011). Breakout Sessions will include: Resources for the Most Vulnerable; Care for the Caregiver; Engaging in Hands-On Outreach. Lunch and Learn will introduce ECS Consulting Services, Par-ish Resources for Those in Need, and a Diocesan Direc-tory of Parish Outreach. Closing Worship will be led by the Rt. Rev. Clifton Daniel III Celebrant and Homilist.
The Role of the US In Israel -PalestineCurrent Realities and Creative Responses
A Conference on the U.S. role in peace for Israel/Palestine, will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29 at the Friends’ center, 1501 Cherry Street, in Philadelphia. The conference will examine the role of the United States in Israel-Palestine and explore ways that Americans can effectively advocate for a just peace. Distinguished speakers will educate participants about the history and current realities of the United States’ economic, political, military, and religious involve-ment in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Workshops will provide time for discussion with speakers who represent advocacy organizations from Israel-Palestine and the United States.
The conference is designed to appeal to people with various levels of knowledge about the issues. Presenters will offer an historical overview and information regarding the facts on the ground in order to contextualize the theme of the confer-ence. Sessions will focus primarily on what is happening in the United States rather than what is happening in Israel-Pales-tine. Presenters will speak about current realities in the United States AND creative responses. Conference participants will leave with a wealth of specific avenues for action. Details at www.fosna.org On facebook at www.facebook.com/phillyfosna-conf
Labyrinth Hours The Saint Paul’s Labyrinth is open the second and fourth Monday of the month after work from 5 to 7 p.m. and during office hours. Other times by appointment.
Our Clergy and StaffClergy
The Rev. E. Clifford Cutler [email protected]
The Rev. Emmanuel A. Mercer Assistant [email protected]
The Rev. Robert M. [email protected]
Staff
Zachary D. HemenwayDirector of Music and [email protected]
Virginia A. EmlenAdministrative [email protected]
Joe RussellOrgan [email protected]
Sarah PundersonCommunications [email protected]
Karen RichterMusic [email protected]
Dale Lower, Rector’s WardenRod Gagné, Parishioners’ WardenStephen Camp-Landis, Accounting WardenLinda Boggs, SecretaryMark Duckett, Joe Fafara, John Faggotti, Bill Fikioris, Joyce Klinefelter, Richard Kolb,Tom O’Rourke, Allison Romig, Paul Sehnert, Rebecca Southwell, Arthur Stokes, Jill Wemple
Brennan & Associates, [email protected]
Sonam Dhawo, SextonDolma Dhawo, Custodian