Parish Office 140 W. Liberty St Rome, NY

Transcription

1 GLAD TIDINGS Parish Office 140 W. Liberty St Rome, NY Website & Newsletter Staff: Editor: Information, Copy & Assembly: Newsletter Items Inside this issue: A Word from Our Priest...1 Zion Staff...2 Vestry...2 Birthdays & Anniversaries...3 Our Homebound...3 From the Organ Bench...4 Zion Happenings...5 Vestry Minutes..7 Our Worship Schedule...10 A Word from Our Priest The Child Now Born for Us and Now What? In leaving the season of Christmas too quickly behind, the calendar moves ahead. Steadily onward, always forward.leading us to The Epiphany. The Epiphany is one of the major feast days of the church, with the word epiphany begin derived from a Greek word meaning manifestation or appearing. Others also use the alternative title of The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, which references the story of the wise men from the East. Actually, The Epiphany, from as early as the 2nd century, combines three separate events: (1) the visit of the Magi, led by the star of Bethlehem, (2) the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, and (3) the first recorded miracle of Jesus by changing water into wine at the wedding of Cana all thought to be manifestations of the incarnate Lord. Notice that all three are proclamations by way of action. Testimonies of activities that were observed for a bottom line conclusion. The Epiphany is the process of manifestation of Jesus as the Christ. The process for us of recognizing Emmanuel, of God being with us. The Epiphany is the starting point of the transformation of our vision, allowing us to know the presence of God. Scripture asserts that no one has seen God within the common understanding of what we define as seeing. But to witness and know God s loving presence more and more often, and in more and more ways, are the very blessings that we live for as children of God and the world is so starved for. It is one thing to be present and then being able and open to observing, or seeing the signs. It is another thing altogether to make that transition, the transformation, and naturally see those signs as the reality of God s greatest gift for us in coming to bail us out, so to speak. Imagine yourself starting out on a months-long journey. But, without making any motel or other accommodation reservations in advance. Having no map, or Google application, or GPS to guide your way to a fixed point that you could identify before starting out.and, why? Because you, like the wise men, were drawn by your heart to go and find the manifestation of the God who has appeared visible and present for your praise and worship. We celebrate the Baptism of our Lord in the River Jordan as another manifestation. But think of how many baptisms you have witnessed in celebration. We all love baptisms, especially of the very young. Why? We may not be too sure of the theology. But there is a very seminal emotion from the gut witnessing the familial love of promise for that new child of Christ. Glad Tidings 1

2 A Word from Our Priest (con t) And the wedding at Cana? The manifestation was for the joy of life. Recognizing that, in what would otherwise be a hard and tough existence on this earth until burial, life is meant to be celebrated as the true blessing from God that it is. That life actually becomes abundant when we enjoy what we have in the company of those we love, and who love us, in the name of Jesus. So, now that the process of seeing and knowing God s manifestation among us goes on, what do we do about it? Time on this dear, old planet for us is ticking away getting shorter every second. So, the Child is here, born among us and what do we do about it? That is the continuing challenge of faith that God presents us with. That also gives us an opportunity to make a proclamation, if you will, of our own as a statement of faith that those in relationship with God by being involved and engaged within the continuing process of The Epiphany manifest the very presence of God through Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God. May we continue to know God s presence in this parish, and the world beyond. In the Love of Christ. Fr. Jim Priest in Charge Senior Warden Junior Warden Treasurer Parish Secretary Financial Secretary Music Director Facility Maintenance Fr. James K. Heidt Sandra Latimer Jane Padron Michael Rescigno Annette Clark-Hani Malinda Abraham Christian Broughton Carl Grinnell Sandra Latimer, Senior Warden ( 16) Jane Padron, Junior Warden ( 18) Donald Washburn ( 16), Kirk Millington ( 16), Rick Weltz ( 16), Charles Abraham ( 17), Sue Lee ( 17), Willie Talmadge ( 17), Emily Morisette ( 18), Jennifer Swinney ( 18) Annette Clark-Hani Clerk of Vestry Glad Tidings 2

3 Happy January Birthday to: January 2 Eric Deeley January 5 Neil Wightman January 19 Annette Clark-Hani January 12 Everett Hall January 21 David Sroka January 13 Lucy Kousouros January 23 David Dutcher January 16 Michael Rescigno January 24 Kevin Lee January 17 Rick Weltz January 26 Rich Savery January 18 Jeff Foley January 30 Don Washburn OUR HOMEBOUND MEMBERS: Though you cannot be with us in person at Zion Church, you are with us in thought and prayer. Rome Memorial Hospital... Stonehedge... At Home... The Terrace at Woodland... Marjorie Babcock Ian Marwick Lillian Savery Charles O Neill Susan O Shaughnessy Everett Hall Annie Seymour Wanda Younglove Glad Tidings 3

4 From The Organ Bench - CJ Broughton, Music Director Looking back on 2015, it was a year filled with great music and new challenges for our choir. From Choral Matins during Lent, to Choral Evensong celebrating Ascension Day, to the service at First Baptist celebrating my father s 30 years in ministry, to Choral Eucharist on All Saints Day - Zion has been filled with wonderful music this past year, largely due to the hard work of our choir. Thanks to everyone who attended our service of Nine Lessons and Carols on December 6 th. It was a festive celebration of Christmas, with four of John Rutter s best anthems sung beautifully by our choir and familiar carols sung by all. Thanks to all our volunteer readers, and especially to Fr. Heidt for adding his great voice to the choir and leading the service from the choir loft. Our 29 th annual Messiah Sing on December 20 th was quite a success, and we are already starting to make plans for the 30 th anniversary celebration in Thank you to all the parishioners past and present who have supported this annual tradition for 29 years. It is a wonderful thing for Zion to host an event that has become such an integral part of the holiday season here in Rome. Here s to 29 more years of the Messiah Sing at Zion Episcopal. Many thanks are also in order to those who helped with our reception this year, either with food donations or helping in the kitchen. It is always such a wonderful feast for everyone who attends. On Christmas Eve, we were very lucky to have an angelic choir of eleven singers for our special Festal Eucharist service. Thanks to Josie Broughton, Joshua Taylor, Laura Taylor, Che, Eh Soe, KaBa Re, and Rain for lending us their voices from First Baptist. The service was a magnificent celebration of Christ s birth, filled with sweet-smelling incense (thanks to Kirk Millington) and joyous voices raised in song. As we start 2016, I would like to thank the dedicated choir members who have worked so hard throughout this past year: Sandie Latimer, Bill Moore, Emily Morisette, and Jennifer Swinney. I would also like to thank the other singers who have helped us on many special occasions throughout 2015: Colleen Cole, Jim Heidt, Jane Padron, Joshua Taylor, and Laura Taylor. If you happen to greet or talk to one of our choir members, please let them know how much you appreciate their service and dedication to the parish s music ministry. They work very hard to make worship a blessed experience for all of you who sit in the pews every Sunday. I wish you all blessings in the New Year, and greatly hope for a happier and healthier parish moving forward in the months ahead. Glad Tidings 4

5 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast - A Rome Tradition at Zion Zion Episcopal Church is pleased and honored to again be the location of the annual celebration in our area for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Prayer Breakfast, organized and led by the Rome Branch of the NAACP. The prayer breakfast is an open, public event which has historically featured a full pancake breakfast, followed by a diverse and energetic prayer service praising and thanking God for our inspiration and direction as well as the opening of further blessings from God to each of us by being with each other. Please join with us and the greater Rome community as we honor and celebrate our enrichment by attending this prayer breakfast beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, January 18, 2016, the national holiday honoring Dr. King. ANTI-RACISM TRAINING COMES TO THE DIOCESE It would be fair and accurate to have mixed feelings about the progression of the Episcopal Church in addressing matters of general social justice as we seek ways as an institution to carve out direction in moving within our Baptismal covenant. On the one hand, we may acknowledge that our national denomination had, by the year 2000, recognized the need for this greater church to recognize and then address this nation's systemic fracture over issues of race in all its forms. But, on the other hand, it has taken the greater church and even this diocese years to finally implement the procedure and training to respond to the mandates of General Convention so long ago. But, now that the seed is planted, it is growing...and growing quickly and with gusto! The bottom line is that ALL lay and ordained leaders of the Episcopal Church, including "all ordained persons, professional staff, and others elected or appointed to positions of leadership on committees, commissions, agencies, and boards be required to take anti-racism training and receive certification of such training." (General Convention Resolution 2000-B049) We are blessed in Central New York to have a dedicated team of anti-racism trainers, ready and willing to go out "on the road". Some from Zion have already attended, and our Utica/Rome District is arranging for a training session in our area this spring. Stay tuned! Glad Tidings 5

6 Bishop "Skip" Visiting Zion/Rome on Sunday, January 17 The Rt. Rev'd. Gladstone B. Adams III, 10th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York...known to us as Bishop "Skip"...will be retiring effective October 31, Even though our diocese has commenced and is now actively and heavily engaged in the process of calling a new bishop, Bishop "Skip" is still hard at work in serving the people and parishes of this diocese. His last visitation as bishop with the people and parish of Zion Church in Rome will be Sunday, January 17, 2016, at the 9:00 a.m. service. As bishop, he will celebrate the Eucharist and preach during worship, and we will have plenty of time after the service during a reception being planned to jointly rejoice in our mutual ministries. Skip will also meet with the parish wardens and vestry members. We have plenty of time after the service to gather in visitation. On a very personal note: For one who has come to know his gentle faithfulness as a man of God, and who has heard him openly and unashamedly admit to outright, heart-centered love for this diocese and its people, it will be an extremely emotional day for me personally. So it is with great joy, as well as a request for your prayers of thanksgiving, that I ask you to be present with us on January 17 to experience this celebration together. Help us all to share one bread, one cup. May God continue to bless Skip, his wife Bonnie, their growing family, and all of us, as we continue in our life paths. Fr. "Jim" Heidt A Note from the Editor s Desk As we embark on a new year, many of us take the opportunity to think about what we want to accomplish in the coming year. For many of us, it is also a time to clean out anything that has burdened us and weighed us down. Numerous events in recent months have led me to thoughtfully and prayerfully look at my involvement in both the community and in Zion Church. These events have led me to make the painful decision to withdraw from my involvement in the activities of Zion, including being editor of Glad Tidings. I will still continue as the parish Financial Secretary and will continue to be with you on Sunday mornings. Please know that the 7 years that I have created and produced Glad Tidings have been years that I thoroughly enjoyed. It has been my sincere pleasure to share with you, not only the happenings in our church, but also the many blessings, achievements, and losses that have occurred in our larger church family. I am grateful to all of you for allowing me into your homes on a regular basis and for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I do not know what will happen in the future regarding the parish newsletter that will be up to the leadership of our parish. Malinda Glad Tidings 6

7 Members: Minutes for Vestry Zion Episcopal Church Meeting Date November 23, 2015 Present: Fr. Heidt, Sandie Latimer, Senior Warden, Jane Padron, Junior Warden, Willie Talmadge, Kirk Millington, Charles Abraham, Don Washburn, Emily Morisette Excused: Jennifer Swinney, Rick Weltz Also Present: Michael Rescigno, Treasurer, Annette Clark-Hani, Clerk Proceedings: Meeting called to order at 6:02 PM. Opening Prayer led by: Jane Padron Corrections to be made to the Minutes of October 23, 2015-Michael Rescigno was not present at that meeting. A motion was made by Willie Talmadge to accept Minutes as corrected; Second by Charles Abraham, Motion passed. Adjustments made to the Agenda to include Directory under Old Business, and add Housing Allowance under New Business. A motion made by Emily Morisette to accept Agenda as corrected; Second by Kirk Millington, Motion passed. Treasurer s Report: A few things had to be done for our deficit the following actions were taken; First we asked the Dioceses to forgive our staggered payments of our assessment to the Diocese; second a transfer of $3,000 from our Endowment to our operating checking account was done; third we increased our draw from Strategic to $1,000 a week; fourth we will try to take some of our bigger bills that are due quarterly and try to ask if we can change them to monthly payments. A motion to accept Treasurer s report was made by Willie Talmadge, Second by: Jane Padron, Motion passed. Glad Tidings 7

8 Risk Assessment 5PM offerings are to be placed in a tamper proof evidence bag and put into Malinda s office; any other special offering will also follow this procedure. Time sheets must be signed by each church employee to verify that these are the actual hours that person has worked. A motion to accept the Risk Assessment as presented was made by Jane Padron; Second by Don Washburn; Abstained; Willie Talmadge; Motion Passed. Financial Matters Loan to Fr. Hunt being looked into by Bishop Skip and the Diocese proposed budget will not have imaginary pledge offerings but will show actual pledge. A motion was made to change next month s Vestry meeting from the December 28th to December 21st was made by Sandie Latimer; Second by Emily Morisette; Motion passed Budget discussion is being tabled until next month s vestry meeting. Motion to table made by Jane Padron; Second by Willie Talmadge; motion passed. Fr. Heidt appreciates the Pastoral Care given by financial committee, vestry and all of Zion. Committee Reports Care: Anne Seymour was in hospital for pneumonia but is back home and wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Outreach Meeting to discuss fund raisers has not taken place yet, but Wayne Towne is on board. Property Audio inspection was completed but the estimate was not ready by time of this meeting; will be ready by next vestry meeting. Snow removal will also be discussed at next vestry meeting. Worship Rite 1 and Eucharistic Prayer 1 along with Prayers of the People pg. 328 of the BCP will start with Advent. Will do the Prayer for the search of the new Bishop along with Prayers of the People. Junior Warden-No Report Glad Tidings 8

9 Senior Warden December 19th is the greening of the church and Sandie Latimer will prepare some soup for everyone that volunteers. Clergy Report Ask that during the Christmas Season and all the commercialism that we take a moment and slow down and remember why the season is really celebrated. Willie Talmadge then offered a prayer. A motion to approve all reports as presented was made by Emily Morisette Second by; Charles Abraham; Motion passed. Old Business CJ has offered to take the pictures for the Parish Directory; then the pictures would be sent to Shutterfly and made into a booklet with a marginal increase to be done as a fund raiser for the church. A motion was made to table until next vestry meeting was made by Sue Lee; Second by; Don Washburn; Motion passed. New Business Kiwanis has 2 opening for needy families to receive a basket; need to know by December 1st. Please let Annette know in the office. During Advent would like to take an offering for the Episcopal Relief Development and they would then supply a goat, mosquito netting, and clean water, for El Salvador. Had vestry look over the sheet that has the housing allowance for ministers that own their own home; just to think over and what should the amount be. A motion to table the housing allowance until next vestry meeting was made by; Sandie Latimer; Second by; Jane Padron; Motion passed. Next meeting will be December 21st at 6 PM. Meeting closed with Lord s Prayer. Meeting Adjourned at 7:40 PM. Respectfully submitted, Annette Clark-Hani, Clerk Glad Tidings 9

10 Priest Lay Readers Ushers Acolyte Altar Guild Priest Lay Readers Ushers Acolyte Altar Guild Priest Lay Readers Ushers Acolyte Altar Guild Priest Lay Readers Ushers Acolyte Altar Guild Priest Lay Readers Ushers Acolyte Altar Guild Sandie Latimer Annette Clark-Hani Jim & Pat Hoffman, Ann Gambier Dahal Burns Francesca Rescigno Harriet Brennan, Kathy Gambier Tina Rescigno Mike Rescigno Jim & Pat Hoffman, Ann Gambier Dahal Burns Tina Rescigno Harriet Brennan, Kathy Gambier Jane Padron Jennifer Swinney Kirk Millington, Wayne Towne Annette Clark-Hani Jane Padron Malinda Abraham, Jane Padron Sandie Latimer Annette Clark-Hani Rudy Reali, Charles Abraham Willie Talmadge Sandie Latimer Malinda Abraham, Jane Padron Rick Weltz Annette Clark-Hani Jim & Pat Hoffman, Ann Gambier Dahal Burns Rick Weltz Tina & Francesca Rescigno Second Sunday after Christmas January 3, AM- Holy Eucharist First Sunday after Epiphany January 10, AM- Holy Eucharist Second Sunday after the Epiphany January 17, AM- Holy Eucharist Third Sunday after the Epiphany January AM- Holy Eucharist Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany January 31, AM- Holy Eucharist Glad Tidings 10