The Sea Net SPOTLIGHT. From the Rector. Schedule for Holy Week & Easter Day. April 1 Palm / Passion Sunday. April 4 Wednesday in Holy Week

Transcription

1 The Sea Net April 2012 ~ Volume 12 Issue 2 The Rt. Rev. Philip M. Duncan, II, Bishop of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast The Rev. R. Barry Crow, Rector, St. Andrew s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church The Rev. David S. Luckett, Priest Associate, St. Andrew s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church From the Rector These are exciting times at St. Andrew s By-the-Sea. There is a lot of energy and much participation in the work of the parish by our parishioners and our snowbirds. Sunday attendance remains high and much work is being done by our very faithful volunteers. But even as I mention the snowbirds, many are leaving us for their return northward. We said our formal good-byes to our snowbirds on Wednesday, March 7 th with a wonderful potluck dinner. Even so, the snowbirds remain in our hearts and in our prayers as they return to their homes, their families, and their home parishes. The writer of Ecclesiastes writes: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven... (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NRSV) And so as the snowbirds begin their departures, the springbreakers and spring vacationers are once again joining us. Indeed, the seasons are changing and we are thankful for those who share with us for extended periods and intermittently. When you see new faces in worship, be sure to greet them, welcome them to our parish, and invite them to Sunday fellowship in the parish hall. Please make a note of the service offerings for the remainder of the Lenten season, Holy Week, and Easter Day. The Liturgy for Palm Sunday will begin outdoors, weather permitting, with the blessing of the palms and a procession down the sidewalk and into the nave. On Wednesday, April 4 th, the Right Reverend Philip M. Duncan, II, will be with us to celebrate the sacraments of Holy Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist. Please join us as we welcome and offer our prayers for those who are being baptized and confirmed and as we greet our bishop. This will be a wonderful celebration! Then on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, we will also celebrate the proper liturgies for each day. On Maundy Thursday following the liturgy, we observe a somber time by stripping the altar and preparing the nave for the Good Friday Liturgy at noon. Also on continued on page 2... SPOTLIGHT Schedule for Holy Week & Easter Day April 1 Palm / Passion Sunday The Blessing of the Palms / Procession / Holy Eucharist 10:30 am April 4 Wednesday in Holy Week The Bishop s Visitation / Baptism / Confirmation / Holy Eucharist 6 pm April 5 Maundy Thursday Holy Eucharist 6 pm April 6 Good Friday Good Friday Liturgy 12 noon followed by The Stations of the Cross April 8 Easter Day Holy Eucharist 10:30 am Serving Christ in Everyone. Everywhere. Every day. The Episcopal Church welcomes you. St. Andrew s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church ~ 307 Harbor Blvd. (US 98 E.) Destin, FL Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1658 Destin, FL ~ (850) ~ Fax: (850) Rector s rbarrycrow@gmail.com ~ Parish Office admin@standrewsbtsepiscopal.org Website:

2 Usual Weekly Schedule Sundays Adult Sunday School...9:00 am Holy Eucharist...10:30 am Fellowship Time...11:45 am Monday through Thursday Morning Prayer...8:30 am Thursdays Motley Crew...9:00 am (bring a bag lunch) Regularly-Scheduled Meetings & Events Parish Breakfast (usually the second Saturday) April :00 am Vestry Meeting (usually the third Saturday, but the second Saturday in April) April :30 am Potluck Dinner (usually the third Wednesday) April :30 pm Worship Committee Meeting (usually the second Sunday, but the fifth Sunday in April) April :00 pm From the Rector...continued from page 1 Good Friday, we will walk the way of the cross with our Lord, using the Stations of the Cross in the nave. On Sunday, Easter Day, we will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. Please join us and please invite your friends, neighbors, and kinspeople who may not attend church to come with you as we experience, celebrate, and worship Christ our risen Lord. May we joyfully exclaim on Easter morning, Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! God s Peace! Barry+ Events to Note in April Sunday, April 1 Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday: The Blessing of the Palms, Procession, & Holy Eucharist Wednesday, April 4 Wednesday in Holy Week: Bishop Duncan s Visitation / Baptism, Confirmation, & Holy Eucharist Thursday, April 5 Maundy Thursday: The Washing of Feet, Holy Eucharist, & The Stripping of the Altar Friday, April 6 Good Friday: The Good Friday Liturgy; at the conclusion of the service, those wishing to walk The Stations of the Cross may remain Sunday, April 8 The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Day: Holy Eucharist The Sea Net is generally published monthly (except for January and a combined summer issue) and welcomes and encourages submissions from St. Andrew s one and all prayers, poems, artwork, photos, quotations, little stories, longer stories, meditations, book reviews, ideas for articles. The deadline for submitting material for The Sea Net is the 15 th of each month. Monday, April 9 The Parish Office is closed. Saturday, April 14 Parish Breakfast: coffee at 8:00 am, blessing at 8:30 am; Vestry Meeting at 9:30 am Sunday, April 15 The Second Sunday of Easter Wednesday, April 18 Parish Potluck Supper: hospitality at 5:30 pm, blessing at 6:15 pm Sunday, April 22 The Third Sunday of Easter Sunday, April 29 The Fourth Sunday of Easter; Worship Committee Meeting at Noon. Volume 12 Issue 2 Page 2 April 2012

3 Junior Warden s Notebook submitted by Tom Hanlin A Daily Gift Recently I read about a prize in which every morning $86,400 is deposited into a person's account. What a phenomenal gift! But the prize has limitations. Everything not spent is lost each day. It can't be transferred or deposited, and can end without warning. What if you won the prize? It's a windfall. You'd probably buy anything and everything for yourself and your loved ones. You might help the less fortunate because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself. There really is such a prize and each of us has such an account, but it isn't financial. It's more precious. It's time. Each morning we get an allotment of 86,400 seconds as our gift of life. When we go to sleep at night, we can't carry it over to the next day. Our account can be closed without warning, and that time will surely come. Those of us who serve St. Andrew s By-the-Sea give not only our financial treasures, but also those from our time chest. God created all of us for a purpose. We may not be financially wealthy, but we have the gift of time. We are His hands on earth. Respectfully submitted, Tom Hanlin Junior Warden St. Andrew s By-the-Sea Vision Statement In Christ s name, St. Andrew s By-the-Sea, Destin s oldest church, is a dynamic Episcopal congregation, sustained by sacramental worship. We intentionally welcome and respect the dignity of all and serve those in need both within and beyond our walls. Diocesan Convention 2012: Reports from our Delegates The 41 st Diocesan Annual Convention was hosted by Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile, from Thursday, February 2, to Saturday, February 4, Following are comments and observations from the three delegates from St. Andrew's: Tom Hanlin, Pittman Watson, and myself. I hope you read, enjoy, and learn about your Episcopal Church in action. Kathy McGee Senior Warden 2012 Convention Resolutions Resolutions are submitted by clergy and laity within the Diocese in advance of the convention each year. They are reviewed by members of the Resolution Committee who are appointed by the Bishop. A report from the Resolution Committee Chair is given to the delegates with the recommendation from the committee to approve or disapprove each resolution. There were five resolutions presented at this convention. They were as follows: Change the Diocesan Canons for the purpose of calculating the number of delegates permitted for each congregation. Change the wording from "confirmed communicants in good standing" to "communicants in good standing". 2. Encourage and request all agencies and congregations to use Beckwith Camp and Conference Center for off-site activities. 3. Urged prayers and advocacy for the persecuted Christians of Sudan. The Bishop of Kadugli was present at convention. He has sought and been granted political asylum in the United States for his and his families safety. 4. Declare opposition to capital punishment in Florida and Alabama. 5. To enable and facilitate structured reform pertaining to streamlining and reducing the cost of General Convention, held every three years. All five of the resolutions were adopted by both clergy and laity. Kathy McGee continued on page 4... April 2012 Page 3 Volume 12 Issue 2

4 Diocesan Convention Reports...continued from page 3 Impressions of a First-Timer The 2012 convention was the first I've attended as a delegate. We were provided advance study materials which included pre-filed resolutions, reports, financials, and rules of order. Having read them, I had a pretty good grasp of the goings-on which actually surprised me. Christ Church Cathedral is a beautiful building complex consisting of the church itself and several administrative and classroom buildings and former parsonage connected by a warren of hallways. The cathedral is architecturally spare but with stunning stained glass windows (two by Tiffany), a wonderful altar of beautifully finished wood, and a fine painting. The resident congregation completely devoted itself to supporting the convention, worked long hours, thought of so much, and did an exemplary job. Meeting and talking with resident parishioners, I realized how much we have in common. First, they're people just like us, with the same concerns. Second, their church experienced an awful split, as did we. And then there was the service in which the hymn boards displayed a hymn number which had been inadvertently transposed. That happens in all our parishes. How great to see a goof up in otherwise majestic proceedings. I found it just endearing. We're not going to be perfect as we do the Lord's work. The point is to do it. The convention brought together a completely full sanctuary of true believers with palpable energy. It reminded me of my Cursillo experience where Bill and AnnaBelle James were among the staff who changed lives. Without question, the Lord was in that place. We saw Him everywhere. We worked together and played together. We had our business sessions; workshops on Planned Giving, Disaster Preparedness, Human Sexuality, Companion Diocese, Ageing, and Beckwith; and we enjoyed dinner and an absolutely great nighttime Mardi Gras parade from an overlook at the Mobile Carnival Museum. I think we all left with charged batteries, refreshed dedication, and improved understanding of the missions, activities, achievements and concerns of the national church and diocese. It was an absolutely wonderful experience. I remember Jennifer Lee saying that we should send at least some delegates to convention who haven't been there previously. I would regret not having the opportunity to return, but I gained so much enlightenment from it that I can only echo Jen's sentiment. We need to have others share in this. It is so worthwhile! Tom Hanlin Notes from a Returning Delegate I can tell you that serving as a delegate having power to vote on decisions, learning how the system works, being a part of our diocesan talk makes me feel Proud. I was in awe of the strength of our voice in representing the congregation at St. Andrews. Our voice was heard and documented. The workshops were very informative. I was especially interested in the Human Sexuality workshop. It had nothing to do with SEX! I was ready to pounce on this one. I was assured that my relationship with my partner does not impede my relationship with Christ. I'm Good. Then Bishop Duncan's theme, "Refuge and Shield", hit home because of the outreach we have at St. Andrews. I was amazed by the Right Reverend Andudu Adam Elnail, Bishop of Kadugli in the Sudan, and by what I learned of the persecution in his country. How much persecution must we endure? The U.S. has given him and his family political asylum, and our Convention passed a resolution urging prayers and advocacy for the persecuted Christians of Sudan. I would like to go to convention again, but I would encourage any of you interested to put your names in nomination next time to be a part of working with your other partners in Christ to make decisions that will impact our living and our service to others. Pittman Watson P.S. The Oysters at Wentzell s are to die for! Volume 12 Issue 2 Page 4 April 2012

5 Social Justice / Outreach Update on Noisy Change Sundays On February 26 our first Noisy Change Sunday you donated $ in change for Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD). When the children passed the buckets on March 25, you gave $146.50! ERD is the arm of the Episcopal Church that provides disaster relief in the US and around the world. Although St. Andrew s Outreach program was a recipient of two ERD grants in 2010 as a result of the BP oil spill, we had not had a giving plan for our congregation. Our Noisy Change Sundays (always the last Sunday of each month) are the first step toward intentional congregational giving to ERD. On April 29, bring all of your loose change that s lying on your dresser or rattling around at the bottom of your purse and make a joyful noise as we fill the buckets. The noisier the better! Jennifer Lee Social Justice Ministry Summary for March 2012 Outreach Program Monday lunches: # served Lunch Bags: # recipients Food Pantry: # bags / # people Gas Cards: # families helped / $$ [petty cash] Bicycles: # bikes given out Showers: # towels used *Other Assistance: # people helped Total for Mar. Previous Month (02/12) YTD (through 03/12) Total Last Year (2011) / / / / $30 1 / $20 [1 / $30] 4 / $60 [1 / $30] 202 / $22100 [5 / $100] * Other Assistance may include: toiletries, clothing, shoes, backpacks, blankets, sleeping bags, prescription medications; assistance with Florida Food Stamp & Medicaid applications; assistance with obtaining birth certificates; rarely, small amounts of cash (from Petty Cash) if we have no gas cards and someone has an urgent medical transportation need; even more rarely, financial assistance for bus tickets home...utilities...rent... car repairs. A Social Justice Quiz Thirteen Questions by Bill Quigley and Sam Schmidt [answers on page 7] Question One. The combined pay of the 299 highest paid CEOs in the U.S. is enough to support how many median salary jobs? 45,000? 83,000? 102,325? Question Two. The median net worth of black households in the U.S. is $2,200. What is the median net worth of white households in the U.S.? $4,400? $44,000? $97,000? Question Three. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development issues a national survey every year listing fair market rents for every county in the U.S. HUD also suggests renters should pay no more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs. In how many of the U.S.A. s 3068 counties can someone who works full-time and earns the federal minimum wage pay 30% of their income and find a one-bedroom apartment at the fair market rental amount? 19? 368? 1974? Question Four. How much must the typical U.S. worker earn per hour to rent a two-bedroom apartment if that worker dedicates thirty percent of his income, as HUD suggests, to rent and utilities? $9.39? $14.63? $18.46? Question Five. The wealthiest 1 percent of the U.S. has a net worth which is how many times greater than the median or typical household s net worth? 50? 150? 225? Question Six. Which of these countries puts the highest percentage of their people in jails and prisons? China? Iran? Iraq? Germany? Russia? U.S.A.? Question Seven. In 2012, the U.S. will pay out about $620 million for old age Social Security benefits to 45 million families. How much is budgeted for military spending by the U.S.in 2012? $310 billion? $620 billion? $836 billion? continued on page 6... April 2012 Page 5 Volume 12 Issue 2

6 April Birthdays & Anniversaries Social Justice / Outreach...continued from page 5 Question Eight. The U.S. is number one in the world in military spending. How much more does the U.S. spend compared to the top 15 countries in the world in military spending? More than any 2 other countries combined? More than any 5 other countries combined? More than all the rest of the 15 top military spending countries combined? Question Nine. How many people in the world live on less than $1.25 a day? 150 million? 500 million? Over 1 billion? Question Ten. How many people in the world live without electricity? 500 million? One billion? 1½ billion? Question Eleven. The U.S. government donates over $30 billion a year in official development assistance (foreign aid) to poor countries. Where does that rank the U.S. government in percentage of giving among the richest 23 countries? First? Tenth? Nineteenth? I f your birthday or anniversary is not included or if it s incorrect please be sure to let us know.. Birthdays April 1...Jerry McGee April 8... Steve McCown April 9...Art Driggers April 11...Dick Cunneen April 13...Walt Chidsey April 17...Peter Bocchino April Larry Griffin April 19...Brock Herren April Greg McKeown April 19...Camille Morgan April 21...Marina Bocchino April Suzanne Bocchino April Bill Kinser April 24...King Tway April Lauretta Hanlin April Nancy Skinner Anniversaries April Dick & Babs Westberry April Fred & Carol Fenn April Steve & Rosemary McCown Question Twelve. The U.S. government donates over $30 billion a year to poor countries. How much do U.S. consumers spend on pets and pet supplies each year? $10 billion? $30 billion? $67 billion? Question Thirteen. The poverty rate among children in the U.S.is over 20 percent. How does U.S. compare with the rest of the 30 nations surveyed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development? First? Tenth? Twenty-sixth? St. Andrew s on the Road isiting other churches while on vacation or otherwise away? Why not bring the bulletins or newsletters back, put your name on them, bring them by the parish office, put them in the offering plate, or mail them in? Thanks to: William & Jennifer Lee bulletin and newsletter from St. Paul s Episcopal, Selma, Alabama Jerry & Kathy McGee bulletin from St. Paul s Episcopal, Key West, Florida Happy traveling! V [answers on page 7] Volume 12 Issue 2 Page 6 April 2012

7 Answers to Social Justice Quiz 2012: One. The combined pay of the top 299 CEOs is enough to support 102,325 average jobs. Source: Corporate Paywatch. Two. The median net worth of white households in the U.S. is $97,900. Source: Economic Policy Institute. Three. Except for eleven counties in Illinois and another eight in Puerto Rico, there is no county in the U.S.where a onebedroom fair market rate apartment is available to a person working full-time at the minimum wage. Source: The National Low Income Housing Coalition. Four. The typical worker must earn $18.46 an hour to rent a two-bedroom apartment. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition. Five. In the last numbers reported, the top 1 percent had net worth 225 times greater than the median or typical household s net worth, the highest ever recorded. Source: Economic Policy Institute. Six. The rate of incarceration per 100,000 people is: U.S.A. 730, Russian 534, Iran 334, China 122, Iraq 101, and Germany 86. Source: International Centre for Prison Studies, University of Essex. Seven. $836 billion. Over $713 billion on military programs and another $123 for veterans affairs. Source: U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Fiscal Year Eight. The U.S. spends $100 billion more on our military than the next highest 15 countries combined. More than China, UK, France, Russia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Germany, India, Italy, Brazil, South Korea, Australia, Canada and Turkey combined. Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 2011 Yearbook. Nine. 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day. Source: United National Development Program, Human Development Report Ten. One and half billion people, more than one of every five people in the world, live without electricity. Source: United Nations Development Program, Human Development Report Eleven. U.S. government ranks 19th out of 23 countries in assistance to poor nations, giving about two-tenths of one percent of U.S. gross national income to poor countries. Source: Global Issues: Foreign Aid for Development Assistance. Twelve. U.S. consumers spend $67 billion each year on pets, pet products and services. Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2012 Statistical Abstract. Thirteen. The U.S. poverty rate among children ranks the U.S. 26th among 30 nations in the rate of poverty among children. Source: Poverty among children. OECD. Thanks to Art Driggers for the photos. April 2012 Photos from Shrove Tuesday / Mardi Gras Page 7 For more photos, see the bulletin board in the old church! Volume 12 Issue 2

8 St. Andrew s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church P.O. Box 1658 Destin FL (850) RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Vision Statement In Christ s name, St. Andrew s By-the-Sea, Destin s oldest church, is a dynamic Episcopal congregation, sustained by sacramental worship. We intentionally welcome and respect the dignity of all, and serve those in need both within and beyond our walls.