questions, get your feedback, and invite your friends to come join us at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church. Exploration Evenings

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1 THE E-PISTLE January 2019 EPIPHANY INVITATIONS Facebook: /holyspiritwaco House Blessings Hosting a house blessing provides an opportunity for us to talk more about Holy Spirit s mission and direction. In this context, it is also an intentional form of evangelism, of recognizing the specific image and likeness of God in others and table-making. We invite people into our home to join us in worship, to share where God is leading Holy Spirit, and to invite them to join us. We will provide you with a step-bystep how-to as well as wording for invitations so no one feels baitedand-switched. But, I want to come to your house, answer your questions, get your feedback, and invite your friends to come join us at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church. Exploration Evenings - Fr. Jason Is God calling you to deeper faith at Holy Spirit? Designed for newcomers and oldtimers alike, Exploration Evenings dig into Holy Spirit Episcopal Church s identity and beliefs. Dinner and conversation begins at 5:00 pm on Jan 12 with a service of Holy Eucharist to follow at 6:00. Childcare is provided. This is the first of three-monthly sessions that orient us to Holy Spirit s life and ministry and invite us to grow into a deeper life of faith with this church family. CONTENTS From the Rector 2 Calendar 3 Parish Life 4 Christian Formation 5 Worship 6 Parish Health 7 w w w. h o l y s p i r i t w a c o. c o m

2 FROM THE RECTOR ARE YOU CALLED? Paul opened the bulletin and a blue flyer dropped into his lap. It was twenty years ago. He sat next to his wife Laura in a pew at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, Waco, TX. Paul had died in a tragic car accident. He heard Jesus telling him that his work wasn t done. Paul woke up in the hospital with two shattered legs. Paul couldn t get out of the house for a long time. He struggled with Jesus in prayer. When he could finally get out, he and his wife Laura visited Holy Spirit. Into his lap dropped a flyer for the Seminary of the Southwest he felt God calling. He enrolled the next semester and became a Lutheran minister, serving churches in the Midwest for eighteen years before retirement. Paul and Laura (not their real names) told me their story on Christmas morning this year. As near as I could tell, it was their first time back to Holy Spirit since he heard God calling him all those years ago. I tell this because Holy Spirit Episcopal Church has always been a place where people have heard God calling them by name to become and share the good news of Jesus Christ as lay and ordained people. From Paul to Travis Smith (and now Suzanne Smith) to John Soard, God has called ordained ministers out of our parish to serve God s kingdom in Waco and beyond. God continually calls you and me to become and share Jesus good news in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and homes. In Epiphany, we remember how God revealed his surprising purpose to save the entire world in Jesus Christ. If God has put a bug in your ear about lay or ordained ministry, if the proverbial blue flyer has dropped in your lap, don t ignore it. Reach out to me so we can discern together where God is calling you next. Yours in Christ, - Fr. Jason+ 2 Becoming and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ

3 CALENDAR UPCOMING IN JANUARY Tuesday, January 1 - Feast of the Holy Name Holy Eucharist, 10 am Sunday, January - Feast of the Epiphany Holy Eucharist, 7:30 am, 9 am, 11:1 am Thursday, January 10 Financial Peace University Starts, 6:30 pm Saturday, January 12 Exploration Evening, 5 pm Friday, January 18 - The Confession of St. Peter Holy Eucharist, 12:15 pm Saturday, January 19 ECW Gathering, 10:30 am Sunday, January 20 Annual Parish Meeting, 8:30 am and 10:15 am Friday, January 25 - The Conversion of St. Paul Holy Eucharist, 12:15 pm Saturday, February 2 - The Feast of the Presentation Holy Eucharist, 6 pm BIRTHDAYS Sharlie Guthrie 1/1 Marc Filgo 1/3 Ainsley Guy 1/3 Rich Guy 1/8 Brenda Wachtendorf 1/10 Suzanne Acevedo 1/14 Danny Pryor 1/18 Grace Randall 1/23 Paul Thronburg 1/28 Faye Ousley 1/30 ANNIVERSARIES Mike & Karen O Bric 1/7 Steve & Terry Randall Wong 1/10 Mark & Lisa Long 1/12 Harlan & Nancy Williams 1/14 FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY This nine-week class will show you how to get rid of debt, manage your money, spend and save wisely, and more. Class begins on Thursday, Jan 10 from 6:30-8:30 pm and runs for nine weeks. You can register online at: financialpeace.com/purchase/ financial-peace#register w w w. h o l y s p i r i t w a c o. c o m 3

4 PARISH LIFE DAUGHTERS OF THE KING The Daughters, Holy Spirit Choir members and church members participated in singing Christmas Carols to those at area senior centers in December. It was nice to see smiling faces and how much it was appreciated by them. We had so many good voices join us and accompaniment by Margaret Sutherland was so appreciated. Thanks to all who brought goodies to share for our after party. Judy Bauer and Lisa Waldon attended the graduation for the CWJC women in December. Our loaded purses were in much demand and we wish these ladies many blessings in their new jobs. Our next Daughter s meeting will be on January 6 at St Albans. Location at the church will be announced. HOLY HOOKERS Projects we gave to this year: - Pam Ritch Nurse and Family Partnerships baby blankets - 21 American Heart Association red baby hats given to Hillcrest - 52 NICU Heart to Heart squares given to Hillcrest 48 sets of two, 96 squares Stillborn baby blankets given to Hillcrest 54 Washcloths given to Victorious Life Food Pantry 155 Scarves for Romanian children 93 Adult hats (50) and children hats (25) to Navajo Reservation Hats for school age children on Crow Reservation 70 Adult hats (103) and youth hats (15) for Project Homeless Connect Hats for The Cove, homeless high school students 30 Child size hats for Woodway Elementary - 20 PASTORAL CARE & SHUT-INS - Judy Bauer A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing,but a broken spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs17I:22 When your feelings are all over, this verse might help. Sometimes my bones are feeling dried up, sometimes I feel elated. So many things are going on in all our lives right now deaths, illness and such. Guess that just happens as we age. Where have all the people gone? I miss my friends, I can t get used to the loss. I have another friend that more than likely will be leaving within the next year. I hope not, but cancer is wicked. It s wonderful seeing all the cheery little faces, of the children, that belong to our young couples. Aren t we lucky to have them? Our Pastoral Care group has been working hard trying to reach people this month that we haven t seen. Some good news and some bad. I personally talked to some that I haven t seen in ages. Found out one just answers her cell phone, because it is more convenient. If you need help with anything, please call the office and let them know and if is something we can help with, Shari will pass it along. - Mary Gresham 4 Becoming and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ

5 ADULT SPIRITUAL FORMATION EPIPHANYTIDE Praying the Bible Sundays We will work through Fr. Mariano Magrassi s brief book, Praying the Bible: An Introduction to Lectio divina. Lectio Divina is an ancient Christian practice of reading the Bible prayerfully and intentionally. Each week s readings are small and after completing the book, we shall practice lectio divina together for several sessions. No cost for the book. If you are unable to meet during the scheduled class but are still interested in learning about the practice and incorporating it into your own daily life, please contact Preston Yancey at pyancey@holyspiritwaco. org Meets 8:30-8:55 in the Library. Led by Preston Yancey. Women in the Bible The Bible (including the Apocrypha) is about 1.1 million words long. There are ninety-three women who speak the scant 14,000 words of our NRSV Bible. We will get to know the stories of eight of them and see how their stories relate to our own during Epiphany. Meets 10:10-11:05 in the Parish Hall. Led by Mthr. Bobbi Kraft, Margaret Sutherland, and Karen Dobson. Literary Bible: The Life of King David Join an engaging literary study about the life of King David, following a thematic approach to his choices and writings, this class explores the literary development of David as presented in a variety of Biblical texts. Meets 10:10-11:05 in the Library. Led by Carl Spain. Tuesdays Tuesday Morning Bible Study We are following Beth Moore s study, James: Mercy Triumphs. Copies of the study book are $10 and can be obtained from the table in the narthex. Meets 10:00-11:00 in the Parish Hall. Led by Joyce Stokes. Food & Faith Wednesdays Stop by the kitchen before evening prayer or Eucharist to have a chat about any particular piece of our faith you would like to discuss. Or, just come to help chop vegetables. All skill levels are welcome, both in terms of theological and kitchen education. Drinks, little nibbles, and laughter will be on hand. Meets 5:00-5:45 in the Kitchen. Casual, come as you can. For more information, contact Preston Yancey. Faith & Fiction CHILDREN AND YOUTH SPIRITUAL FORMATION Babies and Toddlers Children Sundays Childcare in provided on Sunday mornings from 8:45 through the third service. Please stop by the nursery to learn more. 3-7s and 8-12s CHRISTIAN FORMATION Our children are working through a journey of the Scriptures and the themes of covenant, making places for God s Name to dwell, and the aspects and A conversation about how we encounter God in and through fiction. Readings are manageable week to week and follow the 6 PM Eucharist and dinner. In Epiphany we will begin with Shusaku Endo s Silence and will then read Graham Greene s The Power and the Glory. Please see the New and Notable each week for reading assignments. Meets 7:00-8:00 in the Narthex. Childcare provided. Eucharist at 6 and dinner at 6:45. Facilitated by Preston Yancey. intention of Episcopal worship. Meets 10:15-11:05 in the Education Wing. Led by Judy Bauer, Beverly Fallon, and Ellen Filgo. Youth Sundays We are in partnership with our sister parishes St. Paul s and St. Alban s to provide youth-appropriate activities throughout the month. See the Newsletter or New and Notable to learn more. - Preston Yancey w w w. h o l y s p i r i t w a c o. c o m 5

6 WORSHIP FROM THE ALTAR GUILD We bid farewell to our faithful Altar Guild Angel, Joyce Stokes, who is stepping down as a member and group leader. Her enthusiastic service will be sorely missed as our service load increases and members decline. We genuinely appreciate your untold hours of devotion and generosity to our parish, especially to Altar Guild. Longtime parish member and former Altar Guild director Nettie Starnes was unable to recall exactly when or who handcrafted all the ornaments on our tree, but she thought she may have made some. It was too long ago, she said. However, the years 1995 and 1996 appear on the oval and square ornaments on our Chrismons tree along with names of their creators. Regrettably, no names or dates were found on the large, sequined ornaments. Having written a piece about our Chrismon tree for the Advent 4 reflections, a reprise follows. Chrismons is a trademarked word that comes from CHRISt MONogramS. The Chrismon tradition began in 1957 at Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Virginia. In a 2012 YouTube video, Rev. Meredith Williams explained, The original Chrismons were the Greek letters that spelled Jesus and Christ but now they have become white and gold Christmas ornaments that tell the story of Christ One favorite is the pelican which represents the sacrifice of Christ. The legend is that in time of scarcity and famine the mother pelican will feed her babies on her own blood; a pelican represents Christ suffering in death for us, the children of God. Frances Kiko Kipps Spencer developed Chrismons originally back in the 1950 s. The child of missionaries, she became very frustrated with the commercialism of Christmas so she went to the pastor and complained about the way the Christmas tree looked. The pastor said, Frances, you can volunteer to do it any way you like. The next year she made all new ornaments which were Chrismons that were white Continued on pg. 7 JANUARY SCRIPTURE & PRAYERS January 6 First Lesson: Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm: Psalm 25:1-9 Second Lesson: Ephesians 3:1-12 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 Diocesan cycle: All Saints, Austin; Calvary, Bastrop; Christ Church, Cedar Park Anglican cycle: the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia January 13 First Lesson: Isaiah 43:1-7 Psalm: Psalm 29 Second Lesson: Acts 8:14-17 Gospel: Luke 3:15-17, Diocesan cycle: Church of the Cross, Lake Travis; Epiphany, Burnet; Good Shepherd, Austin Anglican cycle: the Anglican Church of Australia January 20 First Lesson: Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalm: Psalm 36:5-10 Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Gospel: John 2:1-11 Diocesan cycle: Grace, Georgetown; Resurrection, Austin; San Francisco de Asis, Austin Anglican cycle: the United Church of Bangladesh January 27 First Lesson: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm: Psalm 19 Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Gospel: Luke 4:14-21 Diocesan cycle: St. Alban s Manchaca, Austin; St. Christopher s, Austin; St. David s, Austin Anglican cycle: the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil Find the readings at: 6 Becoming and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ

7 Altar Guild, continued from pg. 6 and gold which represented the innocence, purity and majesty of Christ. She did not allow any kind of commercial element on the tree. Chrismons were to be made by hand and made with love and given with love, not sold or bought. York Pilson, Church Council president said they still had some of the original ornaments but that they were too fragile to hang on the tree. Those ornaments were made of materials that are not readily available now so they are shown in a display case. Rev. Wilson added, Chrismons have spread around the globe. Although Chrismons have been sent from foreign countries, only part of them are hung on one part of the tree and are made of materials that are peculiar to that country straw, seal skin, okra pod 7 SPIRITUAL PRACTICES FOR THE NEW YEAR Cultivating our faith life is an important part of wellness. Here are a few ways to gain new perspective of yourself, others and God throughout the year. 1) Try praying at different times during the day. You may notice that you pray differently at different times of the day. 2) Laughter and rejoicing need to be a part of our faith life. Think of something funny that has happened, and thank God for giving us humor in our lives. 3) Loving yourself is the first step in Love your neighbor as yourself. Spend a few minutes writing about what it means to love yourself. Remember that God loves you. 4) Meditation or listening is a part of our faith life that we often neglect. Consider taking five minutes to sit quietly and breathe. Try to quiet your inner voice and lapis lazuli (Afghanistan) but we try to limit the amount of color. Color is to be used sparingly and only for a particular purpose. The Chrismon tree really has something interesting for all ages. There is a children s side or children s corner that our children decorate and make the ornaments for; the international side, the gift side; there is a large ornament that shows the Christian year, the liturgical season. The evergreen swag, wreaths, crèche, the Chrismon tree and its decorations remain in the nave for the Twelve Days of Christmas. - Norma Thronburg PARISH HEALTH and just listen. 5) Go for a prayerful walk and remember that all of creation belongs to God, though it can be easy to forget that. The air you breathe and the ground you walk on belong to God. 6) Pray a movement prayer. Stretch out your arms. Touch your toes. Stretch your neck. Feel the brilliance in God s creation and the way that your body is put together. 7) Thankfulness comes in a variety of forms. Each day make a list of everything that you encounter for which you are thankful. At the end of the day, incorporate the list into a prayer. - reprinted from Church Health Reader w w w. h o l y s p i r i t w a c o. c o m 7

8 ANGLICAN COMMUNION NEWS NEW CHURCH PLANTS SEEK REFLECTIONS OF DIVERSE COMMUNITIES Part of the diocesan vision for church growth is planting three new churches annually. This year three clergy were named to begin work in northeast Houston, south Austin and Pflugerville. The Rev. Carissa Baldwin McGinnis, the Rev. Brin Bon and the Rev. David Peters will spend the upcoming months meeting people in the neighborhoods of their new communities and will build a mission team of eight or so people to be part of their leadership teams. Near Northside Houston It s a funky area, the near northeast side of Houston. The light rail has brought a bit of gentrification. It certainly brought change to the neighborhood of the small woodframe homes that line streets with no sidewalks. Mexican cafes dot the corners, used car lots and industrial buildings share the street with Fiesta supermarket. The area is culturally diverse, and I want a congregation that reflects that, culturally, racially and classwise, Carissa Baldwin said. There is a lot of need, Baldwin said, adding that there are also a lot of community organizations and a solid infrastructure in the original community. Baldwin s earlier community organizing work in the valley will come in handy. This area just connects with me in a special way, she said, adding that while the gentrification brings energy and investment, it is a very stable community and Baldwin first wants to know what the people in the area might need. Nearby areas of Kashmere Gardens, the Fifth Ward and Settegast, bordered by the 610 Loop and the old Beaumont Highway expand her view of the broader community. Baldwin, formerly an associate rector at St. Andrew s in the Heights, describes her priestly call as rooted in contemplation and social justice. Working for an international human rights organization in Washington, D.C. she was inspired by two Roman Catholic priests serving in Nigeria in the early 1990s. They led prayers, worship and Bible study, but also provided legal rights training to their congregants at a time of grotesque corruption and violence in the country, she said. They attracted me to this vocation by way of their living example. The message was about mercy and justice, spirituality and repair of the world. Baldwin graduated from Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. Married with two adopted children and a foster child, she added, I have a diverse immediate family that lives in the most diverse city in the nation. I seek a church that is reflective and inclusive of both. Pflugerville A native of Germany who lost everything in the Prussian War, Henry Pfluger, Sr. settled just north east of Austin in 1849 to begin anew. Pflugerville was platted in 1904 when the railroad completed its track between nearby Georgetown and Austin. And in 1910 because they were not allowed to live in town blacks who worked the cotton fields were allowed to purchase land west of town for $50 an acre, an area that came to be known as Pfulgerville s Colored Addition. Today, Pflugerville incorporates all of this original area and is a growing city of 60,000. Along the I-35 corridor that runs beside it, the first thing drivers see is a vast cemetery covering the hill from the exit and that suits David Peters just fine. When you believe in resurrection and follow Jesus, it s okay to talk about death, the former Army chaplain said. A large furniture store and Ethiopian restaurant just north of the cemetery speak to the rapid growth and diversity of the area. Peters knows it will take a while 8 Becoming and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ

9 to learn the community, but plans to seek out area religious leaders, veterans groups and join the local gym to begin meeting people. I ve had more spiritual conversations at my gym than a lot of places, he said, admitting his current knowledge of the area is not deep. I did a long run one morning about 3 a.m. through the community praying about it, he said. I want to know their hopes and dreams for community. When I was an Army chaplain, one of the main jobs is the ministry of presence, showing up where people are in their lives. That s where I ll start here. I want to meet anyone who knows someone here, I want to talk to them. I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me to the places where I need to go, Peters said. Divine interruptions are often the most meaningful, even when you have a plan and a schedule. Peters wants his new congregation eventually to reflect Pflugerville. It s a diverse community, but you can t manufacture it. That has to happen organically, said the father of three and former associate rector of St. Mark s, Austin. After leaving active duty in the Army, Peters was ordained as an Episcopal priest in Washington, D.C., having discovered the Episcopal Church in an Army chapel at Fort Jackson, SC. During a crisis of faith after serving in Iraq, Peters said the Episcopal Church saved him. No matter how I felt, God was consistent, and people accepted me. I like the sense that there is a heritage of struggle with science and faith, with politics and faith, he said. Peters has an active ministry with veterans in the Austin area and plans to continue that in Pflugerville. His experience of military chapels was one of beauty and transcendence amid the grit. When I came back from Iraq and caring for the dead and dying young people, I wanted to be a peacemaker. The more I heard about planting churches, the more I felt it was worth doing, worth giving my life for. I want to give people in Pflugerville a chance to do that, too to be changed and renewed by God. South Austin Drive down South First Street in Austin and you will pass the Trailer Park Eatery and El Mercado Café, you will go by a lot full of food trucks, with lines of hipsters and long time working class locals. It s Austin at its best vibe a little grimy, populated with upscale restaurants disguised as a bit earthy. Oat Willie would still be comfortable here. Brin Bon has started several communities beyond St. Michaels, where she served as an assistant rector until recently. One was Farm Church and one was Dinner Church taking prayer and practice out of church and building communities around shared experience and the table. The Salt Lake City native and mother of three said she never dreamed she would live in Texas. Seminary at Yale provided the opportunity for her husband to work in microbiology for the university and when the lab was reaffiliated with the University of Texas, the family came along. Bon was ordained at St. Matthew s by Utah s bishop, the Rt. Rev. Scott Hayashi in Bon attended a Cultivate conference hosted by the Diocese of Texas in 2017 to learn more about missional communities. She admits she hadn t thought about church planting until someone directly asked her. It was the opportunity to have the church I want to attend, she said. I ve loved the churches were I ve served, but there are things I wanted to do differently. She s excited to use liturgy as a tool to help people live the life of a disciple. There is not another Englishspeaking Episcopal Church in this part of town, Bon said. It was originally a working-class part of town but is changing rapidly. I hope we can maintain the diversity and that we will be a community that forms disciples in our tradition. The blessing is that there is no template, Bon said. South Austin is not one thing. I want to know where change has been positive and where it s been negative. How Continued on pg. 10 w w w. h o l y s p i r i t w a c o. c o m 9

10 Anglican Communion News, continued from pg. 9 has it affected the community? She s talking to as many people as she can who live in South Austin. It s word of mouth, people who read my blog, someone s cousin or co-worker. I ll talk to anyone!. Like Peters and Baldwin, Bon has met with local church leaders who have invited her to talk to their congregations. I was asked to share what I was doing at the Vine and they prayed for us, she said. Several people in her mission team are from Farm Church, one woman read her blog and has gone to the Episcopal Church previously. She is a real seeker and is attuned to the sound of God s voice, Bon said. She is compassionate and already doing God s work. With her mission team in place, Bon doesn t want to determine the character of the new church plant or what kind of worship they might have. I don t want to make those decisions by myself, she said. It s not MY church but I could not be happier. There is no more perfect fit. I get to do the things I like most, talk to people about where they are in their walk with Jesus and do something together. It s a bold statement that the Diocese of Texas is planting these new churches. It says God is speaking to people and we are following Jesus into the community. - reprinted from epicenter.org PARISH LEADERSHIP Rector, The Rev. Jason Ingalls Curate, The Rev. Bobbi Kraft Pastoral Associate, The Rev. Tom Rardin Senior Warden, Paul Thronburg Junior Warden, Jan Attaway Treasurer, Steve Fallon Christian Formation (all ages), Preston Yancey Communications, Ellen Filgo Community Life, Karen O Bric Music Coordinator, Margaret Sutherland Parish Administrator, Shari Pauley Acolyte Warden, Carl Spain Altar Guild, Norma Thronburg Bereavement, Nancy Banks Bible Study, Joyce Stokes Daughters of the King, Pam Ritch Episcopal Church Women, Carol Stukenbroeker Liturgical Ministry, Margaret Sutherland Men s Fellowship, Easton Allen Parish Nurse, Holly Lockhart Pastoral Care, Mary Gresham Vestry Clerk, Parker Lockhart 10 Becoming and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ