Parish News. Father Donald Lowery

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1 The Bell Tower The Church of the Holy Innocents Newsletter Volume 8 Number 12 December 2012 Inside this Issue From the Rector Mary Parish News Youth Group Healing Service Lessons & Carols for Advent Deacon s Bench December Schedule of Events Parish News...cont. ECW The Feast of Our Lady. Vestry News... Sr. Warden s Report Parish News...cont. Treasurer s Report Diocese News... December Birthdays and Anniversaries Remember in Your Prayers Special Dates Unified Serving Schedule Special... The Church of the Holy Innocents 210 South Chestnut Street Henderson, North Carolina Telephone: hinnocent@ncol.net Church Web Site Address: Visit us on Facebook from the Rector The Rev. Donald Lowery Mary I don t know if you have been to Ollie s, the new discount store in Henderson. They mostly sell off remaindered stuff, that is, good stock left over from stores that could not move all their merchandise or that went out of business. I almost never begin newsletter articles with what sounds like an advertisement, but I am fascinated with their book section. It is large and has a very significant religion section and a notable history section as well. I have to warn you, a lot of religious publishing in the United States is a tragedy. Trees died to make paper and ink was spilled to publish pure garbage in the name of God. A fair number of the books at Ollie s religion section are of that sort. However, mixed in with the books that never should have seen the light of day are some wonderful, serious books about our faith at bargain basement prices. I must confess, book lover that I am, I rarely leave the store without an armful of religion and history books. I recently purchased a book about Mary, the Mother of our Lord. I bought it for the artwork, if truth be told, but it From the Rector cont. pg. 2 ADVENT & CHRISTMAS SERVICES in addition to normal Sunday schedule: ADVENT LESSONS & CAROLS Old St. John s, Williamsboro Sunday, December 16 at 5:00 p.m. CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES - Monday, December 24-3:00 p.m. Misa in Espanol 5:30 p.m. Early Christmas Eve (Children s Sermon) 11:00 p.m. Midnight Mass, Choral Eucharist with Incense CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE - Tuesday, December 25-10:30 a.m. Quiet said service to keep the day.

2 DECEMBER 2012 has turned out to be a wonderful read, discussing the evolution of the Church s faith in Mary not only as the mother of our Saviour, but as a servant of God. Mary is a remarkable person. At the beginning of the Christian story, she appears as a brave and audacious young woman. Those who would oppress women and grind them down under male power have sometimes presented Mary as a model for the meek and mild sort of woman who is forced into being a doormat for demanding and oppressive men. Nothing could be further from the truth. Her YES to God was an act of courage. Engaged but not yet married, to be with child in her days could have meant death. In some ways, it was in defiance of the norms of the day in which women were expected to be under the protection and control of a man. She says YES without consulting Joseph first! Her action is one of faith in the service of God s plan to redeem the whole human race. Mary is a person I admire, as a model for what it means to be a faithful disciple. She has faith, she has courage, she will challenge the norms of her society and her obedience is not that of one crushed into submission but of a person who willingly embraces God s will. We can learn from Mary. Even living in the United States, and in the American South, which remains the most church-going part of the nation, it is not always easy to be a Christian. Being an Episcopalian can require an extra dose of courage. Our denomination prides itself on being cutting edge when it comes to official views on the controversial issues of the day. There are times when our church is captured by the slings and arrows of political correctness, but sisters and brothers, sometimes we are exactly where God wants us to be. If I might cite historical examples; the Episcopal Church embraced Civil Rights when it was very controversial, and that was the correct decision. We embraced women s rights early on, and again it was an embrace that was controversial, yet I am convinced we did the right thing. It takes courage to step out and be counted when the matters facing our society are controversial and clarity of 2 vision is lacking. Yet, I am convinced that only those with the courage to love others, even when they are not just like us, will find themselves in the center of God s will as he works in Human History. I am also convinced that if we find ourselves in the wrong place, that if we have acted with sincere love, courage and a desire to live into God s call that we love every human being, then God will make sure we come home to the place where we need to be and that we will find ourselves back in the center of his will. Mary inspires me. I am by nature cautious. I am not one for taking risks unless I feel pretty sure of what the outcome will be. Mary reminds me to have courage. Mary reminds me to have faith. Mary reminds me to obey God and seek where He wants to lead the church, even when the future is not clear. God did not forsake Mary in her risky obedience. God will not forsake us. Parish News Our official meeting time will be at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings except on December 16th when we have Lessons and Carols at Old St. John s. We ll discuss what we want to do for that night at our first meeting in December. Also, several major flicks of interest, including the Hobbit movie come out in December, so we may rearrange meetings to accommodate trips to the movies. Watch your and messages for changes of schedule. Healing Service Our monthly healing service will be held on Wednesday, December 5th at 7:00 p.m. We will keep the day as the Vigil for the Feast of St. Nicholas of Myra, the REAL Santa Claus. As always, the service will be held in the parlor of the Hughes House. Lessons and Carols for Advent On December 16, you are cordially invited to attend the Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent at Old St. John s Williamsborough, North Carolina. The service will be held at 5:00 p.m. in the oldest wood frame church surviving in North Carolina. This pre-revolutionary building warms with the glow of candles and the joyous singing of traditional hymns and carols. Beginning with Advent themed music, we hear again the story of our Savior's birth and end with Christmas Carols in anticipation of the celebration of Christmas. Please, plan to attend and bring a friend. Also, because this time of year is very dark, it is good to bring along a flashlight to help getting around the parking area before and after the service. Family Time I will be spending time with my family on the days immediately after Christmas. Given my mother s recently emerged health issues, the Lowery family has not made a decision as to whether they will come south on the 26th of December or if I will go to see them in Maryland. I will keep you posted. Thanks for your patience. Tabitha Guild Betsy Catlett & Janet White REMEMBER Tabitha will not meet during the month of December. See you in January!

3 December 2012 by the Rev. Harrel Johnson The Deacon s Bench In just four days, on the day after Thanksgiving, department stores and radio stations throughout our nation will begin their round-the-clock auditory avalanche of Christmas carols. You may find the constant repetition of Silent Night a soothing reminder of the reason for the season ; or it may annoy you to the point of giving you a headache. But whichever position you take, if you are Episcopalian, you know that the appropriate liturgical time to begin caroling is during the Christmas season, not Advent. You know that during Advent, we sing hymns about our longing for the birth of the Savior and our faithful vigil as we wait for God s light to shine in the darkness. For Episcopalians, the official singing of carols begins on Christmas Eve. On that holy night, we will gather in parishes across the globe, acknowledge the end of Advent the end of the long wait and give voice to the lovely songs we know by heart. We will sing Away in a Manger, O, Little Town of Bethlehem, and Joy to the World among others. There is another Christmas carol that, though it s known by the title, Do You Hear What I Hear? begins with the question: Said the night wind to the little lamb, Do you see what I see? Way up in the sky, little lamb Do you see what I see? A star, a star Dancing in the night With a tail as big as a kite Do you see what I see? A few Sunday s ago in our gospel reading, we find Jesus taking a break from hours of engagement and debate with an array of people who sought to trap him in his own words. But he brilliantly escaped the traps and turned the questions back on the questioners. He taught the crowds and then, after all that, he sat down opposite the treasury and watched. Just like some of us will sit in a shopping mall and watch others shop during the next few weeks leading up to Christmas. But Jesus didn t people-watch merely to entertain himself after putting in a long day at the temple. He focused his attention on those who were putting money into the temple treasury. When he turned his gaze to that place, who did he see? He saw a woman who was apparently invisible to everyone else around her. A woman who was invisible to the wealthy folks tossing their spare change into the tall jars that held the offerings; invisible to the crowds who had just listened to and delighted in Jesus teachings; invisible to his own disciples who had wandered off, who Jesus had to call over and say, Look! Look there. Do you see what I see? Understanding a little about the poor widow s social context gives us a different entry point into this story. Typically, Christians are taught that she is an outstanding model of sacrificial giving. But here s a funny thing: Jesus doesn t praise her or her offering. Rather, Jesus notices her and comments on her participation in a society that had turned its eyes away from her plight. It s instructive to bear in mind that God keeps a watchful eye not only on widows. In most of the verses about how we are to treat them, two other categories of people are usually mentioned: orphans and strangers or aliens. Exodus 23:9 You shall not oppress a resident alien. Leviticus 19:34 You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the house of Egypt. Exodus 22:22 You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. Deuteronomy 24:21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. Deuteronomy 27:19 Cursed be anyone who deprives the alien, the orphan, and the widow of justice. Do you see what I see? THE BELL TOWER December 2012 Schedule of Events Choir Weekly Practice Schedule Hand Bell Choir Wed, at 6:00 PM Parish Choir Mon. at 6:00 PM Saturday December 1 9:00 AM, ECW Christmas Bazaar Sunday December 2 9:35 AM, Adult Learning Group Wednesday December 7 7:00 PM, Healing Service Hughes House Sunday December 9 9:35 AM, Adult Learning Group Sunday December 16 5:00 PM, St. John s, Williamsboro **ADVENT LESSONS & CAROLS** Sunday - December 23 Monday - December 24 **CHISTMAS EVE SERVICES** 3:00 PM, Misa pol la Navidad 5:30 PM, Holy Eucharist -- Children s Sermon 11:00 PM, Midnight Mass - Sung Tuesday - December 25 **CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE** 10:30 AM, Holy Eucharist Sunday December 30 9:35 AM, Adult Learning Group 3

4 DECEMBER ECW will meet on Tuesday, Dcember 4 at 10:00 a.m. in the Ladies Parlor. Members please mark your calendar and plan to attend!!! Saturday, December 1 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe At the request of the Hispanic Community, Holy Innocents will host the celebration for the Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe on December 11, Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 8:00 p.m. followed by a fiesta in the Lower Hall with wonderful, homemade Mexican dishes and hours of dancing. If this year is like last year, we will be graced with dance troupes that present traditional dances from different regions of Mexico. Many of these groups are professional or semi-professional and compete in special events. That means the presentations are of the quality of the Ballet Folklorico of Mexico City. While the service will be in Spanish, one does not have to be a Spanish speaker to attend or enjoy this special event. Our Lady of Guadeloupe Shrine VesTrY News Senior Warden s Report Nick Long, Senior Warden It has been a pleasure to serve you as your Senior Warden for the past year. The Church of the Holy Innocents has faced a number of challenges, but with the hard work of the current Vestry, I think we are in a better position to move forward next year. Our year began with a number of financial challenges which are a result of our rapidly aging congregation. The fact that we have had a significant portion of our members who were kind enough to remember the parish in memorial gifts made this year a little better, but the challenge to increase our pledges remains a significant one. Changeover in the office staff was made significantly easier by the hard work of our newly constituted Personnel Committee, made up of Richard Davis, Bill Stark, Nancy Whitt and myself. We identified some on-going areas of concern which will need to be monitored, but with the wonderful assistance of Susan Hartness through the spring, we were able to muddle through. Having Tricia Terry step in as Parish Secretary has been a blessing, which will continue into the new year. We began the Vestry year with a retreat. Returning to a past tradition, we traveled as a Vestry to Raleigh and spent a weekend, where the opportunity to break bread and spend time together as a group helped to form working relationships among the Vestry which we relied upon for the remainder of the year. The retreat also allowed the members of the Vestry to step back from the day-to-day operations of the parish and attempt some more strategic thinking. We recognized several areas where we were doing well, but we also added five goals to our agenda for the year. At the retreat we resolved: 1. To create an outreach partnerships with local organizations once a quarter, to do "hands on" outreach in our community. 2. To become more intentional in our evangelism within the church. 3. To collect food, clothing and toiletries and other supplies for distribution to migrant worker camps near Henderson, with an emphasis on getting new participants and offering opportunities to the Hispanic congregation to work with the Anglo congregation for outreach. 4. As a Vestry, to communicate better with the Parish. 5. To create one additional community event during the year to expose the church to the wider Henderson community. As a result, we have begun working with other local organizations, and hope to have more of a "hands on" outreach in the future. We have been much more intentional with our evangelism, and have seen a growth in average attendance at Sunday services. We collected food and materials for local migrant workers, and have at least begun a program which I hope will develop next year. We have made efforts to communicate more clearly with the parish and have added a number of community events to our calendar, including a Valentine's Day concert by Elizabeth Von Trapp, granddaughter of the legendary Maria and Baron von Trapp, whose story inspired The Sound of Music. Sunday school classes for both youth and adults have begun again, and although they are starting small, have good potential for growth. We have had sufficient time to begin understanding and utilizing Deacon Harrel's talents more fully, both in the worship service and in the wider community. The opportunity for Father Don to take advantage of a sabbatical was a chance for the Vestry to grow as well. The year would not have been nearly as successful if I had not had the support of Richard Davis, our faithful Junior Warden, and the large number of Vestry members whose terms end this year: Steve Flannagan, Dianne Floyd, Scott Hartness and Rick Palamar. Tom Church, Craig Clodfelter, and Alton Stainback are joining our remaining members to lead the Church of the Holy Innocents boldly forward in the coming year. Thanks again for the opportunity to serve you.

5 THE BELL TOWER Treasurer s Report Bob Nelson, Treasurer At the Congregational meeting, it was requested that information of the different church funds be put into the newsletter. Due to the number of funds, this will be done over the next few months. This article will give a general overview of the funds, with details coming in subsequent newsletters. Our church has fourteen funds. All of these funds are restricted as to how the revenue can be spent. The revenue for these funds is generated as follows: Four funds receive their revenue from interest and dividends earned through our investments with the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina Common Trust. The principal on these accounts is never used. Revenue is received quarterly and is placed in the appropriate income funds for distribution. One fund is placed with Edward Jones. As with the other funds, the principal is never used. Income is derived from interest and dividends and is received monthly. One fund, the Davis Facilities Preservation Fund, is a hybrid. It is paired with the Legacy Fund. The original amount prior to the Legacy campaign is placed the EDNC Common Trust. Any funds remaining from the Legacy campaign after all the projects are complete will be placed in the Davis Facilities Fund so that any interest and dividends earned may be used for future needs. Seven funds receive their revenue from either cash donations, transfers from funds that have received revenue from the EDNC Common Trust, or quarterly funds received from an endowment which is managed by the Wells Fargo trust department. The last fund is where designated offerings, such as ACTS contributions, are held and then disbursed as they are accumulated. (To be continued next month) DIOCESE News Advent U2charist Service on December 9 at St. Philip's St. Philip s Episcopal Church in Durham is hosting an Advent U2charist Service on Sunday December 9th at 5:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall at 403 E. Main Street. This special church service is focused on lifting up those in poverty worldwide through the Millennium Development Goals. U2charist is a traditional communion service that features the music of U2 performed live by the Triangle-based band U2FX. The music, prayers, and liturgy share the message of global reconciliation with the truth that we are to be Christians without borders, called, in the name of love, to be neighbors to all and friends to the least of these. The music is uplifting and energizing for all ages and words will be provided. The Offering from the U2charist will benefit Bromley Mission School in Liberia, West Africa. Please spread the word and invite your friends and neighbors. For more information, check out the website at: or contact St. Philip's at Note from the Editor Marsha Nelson Please submit any news items either to the church office or them to: MJNELSON@nc.rr.com SPECIAL PRINTED COPIES OF THE NEWSLETTER IN COLOR (compliments of your editor) are located in the Bell Tower for you if you have problems with access. Click here to download: 5

6 DECEMBER 2012 Birthdays Emily Houle... 12/10 Tommy Roberson...12/10 John Palamar... 12/14 Keith Aiken... 12/16 Tom Church... 12/16 Harrison Ford... 12/18 Tricia Seitzer... 12/20 Mason Stewardson... 12/26 Linda Ellis... 12/26 Parkins Davis... 12/30 Anniversaries Meredith & Kermit Ellis... 12/09 Sharon & Bill Stark... 12/17 Mary & Jerry Cottrell... 12/19 Shirley & Chick Young... 12/26 Cathie & Craig Clodfelter... 12/27 Remember In Your Prayers Pray for Healing and Comfort: Cynthia Shaw, Helen Church Miles, Trayce Wheless, Gracia Bobbitt, Barbara Colins, Staci Barnett, Virginia Wester, Harry Collins, Jean Tilley, MaryAnn Hill, Barbara Madigan, Melody Shearin, Marie Young, Jan Strause, Frances Finney, Virginia Frank, Jim Ross, Carol Theodorou, Sam Parsons, Colt Moss, Lena Hogge, Bessie Edwards, Jane Fleming, Charlotte Sweeney, Mimi Adams, Carolyn Lowery, Belinda Catlett, Randy Palamar, Rorin Platt, Marion Devoe, Dora Hunt, Hazel Peck, Clarisse Schroeder and John Rogers, Sr. Special Dates First Sunday of Advent December 2, 2012 Second Sunday of Advent December 9, 2012 Third Sunday of Advent December 16, 2012 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 23, 2012 Christmas Eve December 24, 2012 Christmas Day December 25, 2012 Feast Day o f t h e Holy Innocents December 28, 2012 Dec. Acolytes Crucifer DECEMBER Unified Serving Schedule Lay Reader / Chalice Bearer Ushers Altar Guild Coffee Hour 2 Lehman Ford Uriah Ford 8:00am - Richard Davis 10:30am -Marshall Cooper Mariana Davis 9 Mason Stewardson Parkins Davis 8:00am - Hut Wester 10:30am -NancyWhitt Shirley Young 16 Matthew Williamson Genie Parish William Parish 8:00am - Bob Nelson 10:30am - Rick Palamar Shirley Young 23 Lehman Ford Uriah Ford 8:00 am -Lucy Gray 10:30am -Tom Church Anora Rainey 24 5:30 pm-william Parish, Genie Parish 5:30 pm Matthew Williamson 11:00 pm-sam Long 5:30 pm - Ruth Hartness 11:00 pm - Nick Long Anora Rainey MERRY 25 TBA TBA 10:30am -TBA CHRISTMAS! 30 Mason Stewardson Parkins Davis 8:00am - Steve Flannagan 10:30am - Richard Davis Anora Rainey Submitted by: Lucy Gray 6

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8 PHONE: THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS 210 South Chestnut Street Henderson, NC The Church of the Holy Innocents Join us for