GOOD NEWS. St George s Anglican Church, Clarksburg. Stephen EASTER Serving the Blue Mountains

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1 GOOD NEWS St George s Anglican Church, Clarksburg Serving the Blue Mountains EASTER 2014 Letter from the Rector Dear Friends We are fast approaching the season of Lent, the time of fasting, self-reflection and prayer that precedes Holy Week and Easter. Are you going to do anything this Lent? Will you use the time to prepare for Easter or look at your life in any way? Recently, in a sermon, I offered my thoughts on the issue of sin. As a result of reading and a conversation I had with Georgina, I began to look at the issue of sin in a different way. Sin can be seen, not just as the wrong I do, but as the ways that I inhibit the flourishing of creation and humanity. I don t always know what is right or wrong in certain situations, but in all situations I can ask: is this going to help me, humanity or creation? By asking this question I open myself up to alternate ways of responding and living; by questioning whether my actions promote flourishing, I can find my way in God s world. This year during lent, rather than futilely trying to change who I am, instead I am going to focus on how I can live my life in a way that helps me to flourish, helps those around me to flourish, and helps the world. That to me makes more sense and it opens me up to being and becoming the person the Divine wants me to be. What about you? Many have tried to do things (or not do things) in lent, with varying degrees of success. Your Easter Offering envelope is enclosed with this newsletter St George s Anglican Church thanks you for your generous donation to our Operating Fund. This lent, if you have not felt the positive effects of lent in previous years, look at one thing that would help you to flourish; just one! Then, prayerfully, ask God to give you the strength and courage to address it and to live it. I will do the same; I want to flourish and I want to help the world flourish also. The last week of lent, Holy Week, is that time when the church walks with our Lord during the most difficult time of his life. We again will hear the passion and the commitment that he had, we will witness his pain and his death, and then we will sit waiting by the tomb for God to do God s work. On Easter we celebrate the promise of life, new life with God. By raising his son, God reminds me that I too have a place with God, both now and when my journey comes to an end. This year, I invite you to open yourself up to the possibilities of Lent and Easter; open yourself up to God being a part of your life again; open yourself to experiencing a closer walk with God. Below and elsewhere in this newsletter you will see a list of Lenten and Holy Week activities. I pray that they will assist you as you walk with, and walk for, God. May God give you a holy lent and a blessed Easter season. I remain your Priest, Pastor and Friend EASTER SERVICES Palm Sunday April 13th Maundy Thursday April 17th 5.30pm Seder Supper 7.00pm Foot washing & Eucharist Good Friday April 18th 10.30am at Grace United church Easter Sunday April 20th St. George s Anglican Church Stephen Sunday school available at the 10am service

2 WARDENS REPORT While it is hard to imagine spring ever arriving in this never-ending season of winter, we know that eventually it will. Planning for the Lenten season and Easter gives us hope that the temperature will rise above zero, the snow will melt and the birds will return once again. Now that is something to celebrate. The season of Lent in our Anglican church is often a time where you give up something or sacrifice something you really like. Maybe for you it is chocolate, French fries or wine, those guilty pleasures in which most of us indulge. Here s a challenge - if you are reading this and you are NOT a regular church attendee, why not give up all those excuses that keep you away from your Anglican community and come to church. You asked to be on our Parish list, so we know you associate St. George s as your church but you re not here. We miss you!! You will be greeted by a friendly smile at the door, inspired by our beautiful choir and music from our organist, challenged with the sermon and enjoy the fellowship of friends after church, in our gorgeous Parish hall, over a coffee and cookie. What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning! You are part of our community, our family at St. George s, and you will always be welcomed and cherished as such. So, sacrifice some time and come back to St. George s this Lenten season and Easter. FINANCIALS As it is the beginning of our financial year, we are managing well but as you know from your own home expenses, Hydro, heat and water are all going up. We continue to carefully manage our use of all these utilities and look for ways to trim our budget expenses as well as adding income through rentals and special events in our Hall. We appreciate those parishioners who have agreed to give a little bit more this year to cover the rise in monthly expenses. Automatic deductions from the bank help give us a steady income, even when you take a holiday. If you require information on how to sign up for this service, please see Don Gauer or Lois Hollins for the form. As always, we are so blessed by the generosity of our parishioners. PERSONNEL As Bruce Whiteside, our fellow parishioner and caretaker extraordinaire, is taking a medical leave of absence, we will require the services of a temporary caretaker. Richard Griffith has agreed to step in for a few months. We wish Bruce all the best with his heart surgery and recovery. Please keep him in your daily prayers. The wardens would like to invite you and your family to join us at our special Easter services. Please see the schedule included in this newsletter for dates and times. Your Wardens Don, Sarah, Mike and Randy DID YOU KNOW Located in Vegreville, a town in Alberta Canada. The Vegreville egg is a giant Pysanka, a Ukrainian style Easter egg, it is the largest in the world

3 EVENTS PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR YARD SALE JUNE 21st. AM Sales start at 8.00am but the work of collecting, sorting, pricing and setting up start at the end of May and throughout the month of June until everything is moved up to the tables early on the morning of the day of the sale. This is a great fundraiser and fun to get involved in, even if it is hard work. FISH FRY JUNE 21st PM We commence serving our first customers at 4.30pm however the preparation of salads and other food has started two or more days ahead and thanks to our cold room these can be safely stored until serving. This year we have a new fryer as Howells, who had worked with us for years, are no longer in the business of on site frying of fish. This event is awaited with eager anticipation by the community at large and always draws a crowd in excess of 500. GARDEN TOUR JULY 12th Another crowd pleaser that is always popular with gardening enthusiasts and those who just like looking at beautiful places. Lois and her team are always pleased to accept new and return offers of help in making this once again a success. SILENT AUCTION AUG 22nd The silent auction gets underway on the evening of August 22nd and runs through until the evening of August 23rd after the Corn Roast has finished. CORN ROAST AUG 23rd Another community event that this year is paired with the Silent Auction. Visitors are served fresh local corn on the cob along with hot dogs. JOLLY HOLLY BAKE SALE NOV 15th This annual ACW sale and luncheon is always popular with the community and a good fund raiser. The ladies of the ACW work through the year on crafts to sell and in the days before the sale, bake up a storm of pies and cakes for the Bake Table. The lunch that they serve on that day is always popular. St. George s is a place of sanctuary, graciously sharing God s love NEWCOMERS REPORT As many of you read in my Vestry report, our Newcomers Committee is up and running successfully. We are very pleased with the success of our new approach to visitors who come to St. George s. If you bring someone new to church with you, please give us their name and telephone number. We have teams of parishioners who will make a casual visit with some information about St. George s and a gift of honey from the Honey House in Clarksburg. In the past year, we have welcomed the following new members to our congregational family at St. George s: Eric and Denise Carre, Fred and Patricia Chambers, Stewart and Judy Elkins (and their extended family!), Jill Gamble and her son Chad, Glen Hynes, John Jacques and Sheila Savage, Dyann Kaye, Sally Kaye, John & Ulla Leckie, Glen and Cynthia Moorhouse, Anne Murphy, John Prince, Sylvia Ridgley, John and Peggy Stevenson, Jo-Anne Sublett and Carol Young. We are delighted you have joined St. George s and are enriched by your presence in our church. At any time, should you require information or if I can be of any assistance please feel free to call on me or just call for a chat! Sincerely, Sarah Bedard Sarah s letter to the Venerable Richard Salt, organizer of the Lay Leaders Day was published in the Huron Church News in February. All these activities are open to parishioners and their friends as we together celebrate in fund raising. If you would like to help, be in attendance or need more details, please contact the church office: or check out our website

4 JANET WRITES ON THE KING OF INSTRUMENTS The Pipe Organ - Mozart called it the king of instruments - a complex assembly of musical pipes for one player. Modern organs have evolved over several centuries, and now, most are a combination of divisions, each managed by a set of keys [manual] or pedals. The 2-manual Keats-Geisler [Guelph] here consists of the Swell, Great and Pedal organs. The largest instruments can have up to 7 manuals + pedal boards and over 20,000 individual pipes, like totally tubular. The pipes may be either flue-type or reed-type - imagine the difference between a flute or whistle [flues] and a clarinet or oboe [reeds] without fingering holes. The length of the pipe determines the pitch; the design and construction material [metal or wood] determine qualities of the tone. Almost every orchestral wind or string instrument can be simulated by organ pipes. The façade pipes seen from the nave of this church are false, hiding what s behind in the pipe chamber. A row or rank of pipes will have similar design features but each pipe varies in length to produce the notes associated to a key or pedal. The stops - a series of knobs or toggle switches - let the player choose what rank to have air available. When a key is pressed, a valve opens to let air through the proper pipe. Before electricity was available, old tracker organs had a clumsy mechanical key action, often with a slight delay between when the key was pressed and the note produced. To make notes that match the pitch on piano keys [unison], the longest pipe in a rank would be about 8 feet long. Pipes in such ranks are called foundation - connected to a foundation stop on the console with a name to describe the tone quality eg. 8 flute. But here s the neat thing about pipe acoustics: by making a pipe twice as long, it sounds a note one octave lower; half the length - an octave higher, [try this with a plastic straw]. Ranks of these pipes are called mutations. By allowing air into ranks of foundation and mutation pipes, a single key pressed down can produce a rich, multi-layered sound with several octave pitches and even the higher notes of a triad chord. The air to make the pipes sound comes from a motorized blower - the Keats-Geisler organ has this built in the pipe chamber. Electric motors replaced human calcants who pumped huge bellows like a treadmill, and became rather costly! Since constant air pressure is required, the player cannot control the volume of pipes separately. Instead, volume is managed by adding or subtracting ranks i.e. opening or closing stops. Also, the Swell organ is so named because it is enclosed in a box with shutters like a venetian blind - opening the shutters from another pedal (this one looks like the accelerator of a car) allows the sound to swell. Many churches now find pipe organs difficult to maintain and decide to replace them with a digital organ. These are really elaborate versions of electronic keyboards, including the Clavinova piano here. For the organ sounds, real pipe organ stops are individually sampled and reproduced by digital electronics. Many other sounds can be replicated from the keys of these devices, musical instruments and otherwise. I tried to add the sound of wind once at a digital organ - the hymn was I feel the winds of God today for Pentecost. However, a rather unexpected flaw in the electrical contacts, likely because of some dust, made it sound like a gale instead! If you would like to see how some of this works I d be happy to try and explain it better at the organ. Janet

5 Lent 2014 Lent begins on March 5 th this year. We are offering a number of events to enrich your Lenten experience. March 6 th - 8:30am, Morning Meditation in choir pews, Tuesday through Friday during Lent March 11 th - 7pm, Bible Study, Tuesdays, in the small parish hall Holy week is still being planned but at this point we expect to have: April 17 th - 5:30pm, Seder meal, at St. George s 7:30pm, Maundy Thursday Eucharist with foot washing and stripping of the altar April 18 th - 10:30am, Good Friday Service at Grace United Church, Thornbury After the Friday Service we are expecting to hold a vigil where people are asked to read the bible (out loud) in one of our local churches. April 20 th - 5:40am, Easter Sunrise service at the Thornbury harbour April 20 th 8am and 10am, Easter Day Services at St. George s ST. GEORGE S WEB SITE Our web site has been totally refurbished and now will contain more relevant information and will be easier to navigate. Information is still be uploaded and if you have anything that you feel should be on there please let either Janet Karn or Louise Hollins know. A LIFE OF VALUE The story of Art Musgrave, Nan Maitland s father, was published in Authored by Rob Potter and Nan Maitland. In the dedication to her father, which is printed at the beginning of the book, Nan says that he taught me everything I know about life and living and loving. I believe that we owe this man a debt of gratitude for instilling such qualities in his daughter, which has, and does benefit us all in this community. It is an interesting and delightful read. Nan tells me that she still has a number of copies if anyone would like one just ask her. ST. GEORGE S PRAYER CHAIN The Prayer Warriors of the Prayer Chain continue daily to pray for you and your needs. If you or your loved ones need prayer, please contact Anne Storey or Lois Hollins at the church office. This ministry is strictly confidential. Ann Storey ANGLICAN CHURCH WOMEN - ACW Thanks to David Morgan we now have a brand new addition to the kitchen, a well designed island unit with storage and garbage/recycling bins underneath. Stools will come later. We were pleased to be able to make donations to Huron Church Camp [in memory of Michael Fleming], Beaver Valley Outreach, Home Horizons and Change Her World. Shannon Fry from Pharmasave came and spoke to the ladies at our last meeting. She gave us an interesting and informative talk about the different brands of 'over the counter products' and the interaction between certain drugs. She also answered all our questions. The ACW meets on the second Tuesday of every month from September through June; all women of the Parish are welcome to attend. Margaret Eldergill

6 Church Wardens Rector s Warden Don Gauer People s Warden Sarah Bedard Deputy Rector s Mike Seagram Deputy People s Randy Smith Parish Council Joan Liddiard Betty Harvey Garth Martin Jim Moore Ruth McWhirter David Morgan Doug McWhirter Caroline Bacher Dorothy Russell Gary Huber Groups & Committees Alpha Anne Storey Altar Guild Ruth McWhirter Altar Flowers Mary Sandell Altar Servers Sarah Bedard Anglican Church Women Joan Liddiard Bridge (Monday) Marjorie Martin Bulletin Lois Hollins Capital Fundraising David Morgan Children s Ministry Fatima Moore Choir Director Janet Cringle Organist Janet Cringle Envelope Secretary Margaret Morgan Fish Fry Ruth McWhirter Garden Party Mike Seagram Liturgy Venerable Stephen Haig Community Breakfast David Morgan Newsletter-Editors David & Margaret Morgan Parish Administrator Lois Hollins Prayer Chain Anne Storey Property Maintenance Mike Seagram P.W.R.D.F (position vacant) Screening Committee Garth Martin Sanctuary Lamp Judith Helston Synod Delegates - 1 Ruth McWhirter David Morgan Alternate Joan Liddiard Treasurer Carolyn Leonetti Web Site Janet Karn Coordinators for Service Participants Readers, Intercessors Church Office & Administrants 10am. Readers, Intercessors Hazel de Burgh & Administrants 8am. Sidespersons 10:00 a.m. Nan Maitland REGULAR SUNDAY SERVICES Holy Eucharist - 8 am & 10 am Services are normally from the Book of Alternative Services [BAS] Outdoor services held during the summer months follow the Iona format. UP COMING EVENTS EASTER SERVICES Palm Sunday April 13th Maundy Thursday April 17th 5.30pm Seder Supper 7.00pm Foot washing & Eucharist Good Friday April 18th 10.30am at Grace United church Easter Sunday April 20th St. George s Anglican Church CONTINUING EVENTS HELD AT THE CHURCH ANGLICAN CHURCH WOMEN Second Tuesday in the month Sept - May, 2:00pm June - Pot Luck Luncheon COMMUNITY BREAKFASTS Second Saturday in the month Sept - May, 8:00am BRIDGE Monday afternoons, 12:30pm all year St George s Anglican Church Clarksburg, serving The Blue Mountains, Including Thornbury, Craigleith and the Beaver Valley. P. O. Box 9, Clarksburg, Ontario NOH 1J stgeorge@stgeorgesclarksburg.ca web site For changes or additions to St George s web site 1