St. Michael s Newsletter

Transcription

1 April 2009 St. Michael s Newsletter Photograph by R. Williams Inside this issue: Page 2 From the Music Director New Vestments Page 3 Important Dates: St. Catherine s Guild, Soup & Conversation, Parish Aid, Thrift Shop Page 4 Island Journeys Nursery School Options Page 5 Strategic Planning Objectives & Next Steps Back Cover Holy Week Services April Calendar Happy April Birthday to Isabella Renney William T. Hundahl Hannah Atkinson Kelsey Pruett John Capshaw III Rose H. Clark Timothy J. Clay Erodita A. Suarez From the Rector Near the window in my study this year is large potted plant, a Duranta. I ll admit that the only reason I know it is a Duranta is from the white tag Sue put in the pot with the name on it. I ll admit, too, as many know, that I am not the gardener in our family. Over the course of February the Duranta looked to be in grave trouble. Its leaves completely fell off and life seemed to have ebbed out. I knew better than to throw it out. Sure enough plump green buds are taking shape. Life, never completely gone, is springing forth anew. It is a joy to see. Each Sunday the church celebrates the Holy Eucharist. It is the principal act of Christian worship. In this sacrifice of bread and wine all that we do and are is joined by the Holy Spirit to the eternal offering of Christ on behalf of the world. It is the meal which intensifies our union with Christ, draws us together as a community, and nourishes us with the grace needed for our transformation and our mission. (From The Rule of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, p. 34) In the liturgy we acknowledge the mysteries of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Mysteries are those things or ideas that are unclear or unresolved. I don t think anyone has any uncertainty about death. It is a reality we know, difficult or unaccepted as it is. However, our faith in Christ s resurrection points us to hope and renewed life and tells us that death is not the final answer. I know on one level that the Duranta will come back, just as I know the same with the trees and plants around us. It is something a little different to think of our human life as such. Yet we ve all experienced those tomb times when it seems that the walls of darkness are overpowering us. At the Easter Vigil and on Easter Day we celebrate Christ s resurrection with festal services, a celebration of the gift of new life in and through him. These are the heightened, intensified celebrations of His resurrection. Each Sunday, and each celebration of the Holy Eucharist connects us again into the joy and hope of God s love. The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology notes, the core of resurrection faith is that already within the temporal order of existence a new beginning of life from God, and a living of life under God, are possible. (C.F. Evans, on Resurrection). This is the eternal offering from God. It is a joy to celebrate. It is a joy to live into.

2 St. Michael s Newsletter April 2009 Page Two From the Music Director - Douglas Major Holy Week and Easter offer us all an opportunity to reflect on the Passion and Resurrection of Our Lord. For church musicians, this is the most intense and satisfying liturgical season, for there is so much great music composed for these liturgies. Please join us for Evensong on Palm Sunday, April 5 at 5 pm; we will be singing a very beautiful setting of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by Thomas Tallis, the great 16 th century Tudor composer who is considered the father of English church music. Bring a friend as Bishop Shaw reminded us, we can only grow if we take the initiative to invite a co-worker or neighbor or friend into the church. A blessed and happy Easter to you all! New Vestments for Ordinary Time In January, 2009 a new green chasuble and stole were blessed. The chasuble is an oval vestment with a hole for the head that the priest wears when celebrating the Eucharist. It is worn over the alb, a white robe with narrow sleeves. The name comes from the Latin term casula meaning little house. Like most vestments the chasuble evolved from clothing worn during Roman times and is similar to a tent-like cape or poncho, worn over a tunic when outside. Our new chasuble is much lighter in weight than our older one, making it Chasuble more suitable during hot weather and more comfortable for the wearer. The stole is the long strip of cloth worn over the alb. The stole may have originated as a long work cloth used to clean and polish work items. Today it may be seen as a yoke of obedience to Christ. Like other liturgical fittings, the colors of vestments vary with the church season. Green hangings and vestments are used in the seasons after Epiphany and after the Pentecost, called Ordinary Time. Green is the color of growth and life. The new green chasuble was donated by Sarah Bates in memory of her godfather Bill Coe. Bill Coe was an active parishioner at the Church of the Advent, Boston and at the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Bowdoin Street, Boston. He was also a postulate at the Society of St. John the Evangelist which carried out their mission work at Bowdoin Street until Bill Coe was the best man at the wedding of Sarah s parents, Thomas and Margaret McCormick. The McCormicks are donating a veil and burse to match the chasuble. The veil is the cloth used to over the chalice and host when we celebrate the Eucharist at the high altar. The burse is a pocket that sits on top of the veil and is used to store extra linens used during the Eucharist. To celebrate their 70th anniversary, the St. Michael s Thrift Shop will be donating a matching altar frontal and super frontal - the cloths that hang in front of the altar and a pulpit fall, the decorative cloth that hangs on the pulpit. The Vested Chalice 1. Chalice 2. Purificator 3. Paten 4. Priest s Host 5. Pall 6. Veil 7. Burse

3 St. Michael s Newsletter April 2009 Page Three Important Dates Tom McNulty speaking at St. Catherine s Guild Thursday, April 2 St. Catherine s Guild will meet on Thursday, April 2nd at 6:30 pm after 6 pm evening prayer. Our guest speaker will be Tom McNulty. As a former Marblehead Town Clerk, Selectman, Abbot Library Trustee and proprietor of the Warwick Theater, Tom has visited every church and synagogue in town and greeted many others in his house of film. Guests are welcome! Dinner is $5.00 for guests, $4.00 for members and no charge for clergy. Nonmembers should RSVP by Tuesday, March 31 st by calling Jacqui Williams at The dinner committee is co-chaired by Aileen Day and Pat Spaberg with Kim Hunt, Peggy Bittermann and Gloria Dumas assisting. Jacqui Williams will be calling members. Bring food for the Food Pantry! Thrift Shop Closed But Reopening! The St. Michael s Thrift Shop is vacating its space at 72 Washington St. by April 1st. The owners are putting the building up for sale. Alternatives are being considered so we can continue this valuable service during tough economic times. Meanwhile the shop cannot accept donations at this time. One strong alternative is a move to the first floor of the Davenport House. This location has many advantages for greater visibility, longer hours, crossgenerational involvement and coordination with other church events. The Church School is exploring a move up to the second floor. Of course, this will require much juggling. It is our hope to be in residence by the Lobster Roll Luncheon weekend. Of course, we will be in need of new summer stock. Mary Williams Volunteer Soup and Dessert Fellowship and Nourishment! Tuesday, April 14 12:00 Noon Parish Hall, St. Michael s Church On the 2 nd Tuesday of each month, the Pastoral Care Group prepares a Soup and Dessert lunch. The group provides homemade soup, dessert, tea and coffee you provide the fellowship. At April s gathering we will have minestrone soup and a surprise dessert. There is never a charge for this, just the pleasure of your company. To all you work-at-home parents who might like some adult company during the lunch hour before the children come home please drop by! Bring a sandwich, if you wish. Call Pat Spaberg, or Sue Cool, , if you have questions, or would like to prepare or serve. The bridge from challenge to reality is built with inspiration. Parish Aid Tuesday, April 21 at Noon Bring a sandwich and join this lively group for fun and fellowship. A 3-person committee provides pickles, chips, dessert, coffee and tea. Parish Aid meets the third Tuesday of the month. The date for April is the 21st.

4 St. Michael s Newsletter April 2009 Page Four Patti Marxsen s Island Journeys: Exploring the Legacy of France A group of old Haitian women tell author and world traveler Patti M. Marxsen that they remember a lake in a certain place, and in that lake would float baskets of rice. How could they float? Marxsen asks, innocently. The women roar with laughter. The answer, to them, is obvious: on the heads of the men submerged in the water, breathing through reeds. Marxsen wonders why these men did this. Again, consumed with laughter, the women explain they were waiting for ducks to come by, attracted by the rice, so they could catch the ducks for dinner. Lesson No. 1 about Haiti, says Marxsen is: In this place, things are never as they appear. Marxsen continues : This recognition of surfaces and silences goes beyond magic into the deep memory of old bones. Haiti s double reality is physical, visceral, spiritual. You need more than eyes to comprehend this place where so much is submerged in laughter or hidden in silence. This picture of layers of reality and submerged cultural information provide the metaphor for Marxsen s chapter on Haiti entitled Haiti s Heavenly Waters and its history and people. It might well provide the metaphor for Marxsen s entire book, for it is with Marxsen s expert eyes, deep intuition about people and places, and appreciation of art, music, spirituality, and history that we travel with her to seven islands with French connections and see them in a way few tourists would. Marxsen brings us to the Ile de la Cite in Paris, Tahiti, Grosse Ile in Quebec, Ile St. Pierre in Switzerland s Lake Biel, Lambarene in Gabon, Africa, and St. Helena. In its 122 pages, Island Journeys takes us not only into the world of art, history, French-connected cultures (many of them primitive ), but also into the hearts and souls of the people who lived and traveled there. It is far more than a travelogue. It is a profound little book. See Deirdre Robbins to purchase a copy for $12, all of which will be donated to the latrine project at the school of St. Thomas, Archaie, Haiti, or order online from alondrapress.com. --Deirdre Robbins Nursery School News Open House, More Choices Happy Spring! Happy Easter! No wonder spring is such a happy time; just the brightness of the sun and its warmth makes such a difference. The children are free to run on the playground without the confines and restrictions of all that winter gear and their eyes are wider and smiles brighter as they discover nature reawakening each day. In the classroom, projects, stories, songs and themes reflect the new season and the Easter holiday. Some activities include: The Pond, discussions and projects celebrating new life and life cycles; Baby Bunny s Overnight ; children have a sleepover with our class stuffed animal; and our annual Easter Egg Hunt, a favorite event and highlight for the children. Looking forward to May, it is hard to believe that this school year is nearing its end, but in the spring tradition of celebrating new beginnings, we look forward to September 2009 and have scheduled an Open House for Saturday, May 16, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Everyone is invited to attend to learn more about our Nursery School Program and our educational opportunities and options for children ages 2 years, 9 months to 5 years old. OPEN HOUSE Saturday, May am noon We have expanded our choices in order to better serve our families by offering 2-day, 3-day, 4 and 5-day options. Our goal, as always, is to provide a high quality, individualized experience in a warm and inviting setting and to instill in each child the values, behaviors and attitudes necessary for their future academic, social, emotional and cognitive success. Please call the Nursery School directly at 781/ if you have any questions regarding our pre-school program, fall enrollment, the Open House, or to schedule a visit. Wishing everyone a warm and joyous Easter season, From the St. Michael s Nursery School Staff

5 St. Michael s Newsletter April 2009 Page Five Strategic Planning Next Steps Forming an Action Plan A mission and vision serve no purpose unless we develop an action plan to fulfill our vision. The plan must have objectives with a measurable target, a set of initiatives to move us toward our target, and people to set, plan and implement. On Tuesday, March 17, Vestry members arrived early to review and agree on fifteen proposed objectives in four groupings: Stewardship By being good stewards of our resources Process With broader participation & better use of our infrastructure Parish & People We worship, form and grow Communities & Outreach To transform lives. The Vestry quickly realized that all the objectives work together to move us forward in our Mission and Vision. See the list to the right. The Vestry then took one of the objectives, and drafted possible initiatives with measure, target, and owner. Objective (what we re trying to accomplish): P5-Develop welcoming, caring, diversified membership reflective of Marblehead demographics Measure (what we ll measure to gauge success): membership Target (how much we want to increase by 2014): 10% increase [in membership] Initiatives (what we will do to meet our objective): -Implement greeting & follow-up program -Develop brochure/website info on programs -Create outreach program to non-members. -Promote new programs for target audience Owner (who will coordinate these): Welcoming Committee Next steps: The Vestry will be determining what teams should tackle each objective. They will be asking teams to identify initiatives and action steps to move us toward fulfilling these objectives. Teams may be existing ones, such as, Finance and Historic Church, or new ones such as a Welcoming Committee or Evangelism team. What would you like to work on? St. Michael s Episcopal Church Marblehead, Massachusetts Our Mission is to seek transformation in God s grace by worshipping God in prayer, song, and study; loving and serving our neighbor in and outside our parish Community; and being good stewards of God s creation. Our Vision is to be a Mission-driven Episcopal congregation that by 2014 will be widely recognized as a vibrant, open, and inviting community, known for liturgically-centered worship and music, for lifelong learning, for pastoral presence and service to communities near and far, for good stewardship of our resources, and for celebration of our legacy as an historic church. Communities & Outreach Transforming lives C1-Deepen relevant discipleship to transform lives C2-Achieve greater mutual impact in our local partnerships C3-Achieve greater mutual impact in our international partnerships Parish and People worshipping, forming and growing P1-Deepen understanding and participation in vibrant Episcopal worship and music P2-Expand participation in children s and youth [discipleship] programs P3-Expand adult formation for lay discipleship P4-Grow weekly attendance P5-Develop welcoming, caring, diversified membership reflective of Marblehead demographics P6-Increase cross-generational involvement in programs, commissions, and committees Process with broader leadership and better use of our infrastructure PR1-Broaden/expand leadership participation and development PR2-Provide mission-optimized space utilization and parking/transportation options PR3-Use technology effectively for communication and record keeping Stewardship and good stewardship of our resources S1-Achieve sufficient, sustainable funding. S2-Improve environmental stewardship. S3-Celebrate our history as it informs our theological understanding and spiritual development for the future. - Frances Stith Nilsson, Strategic Planning Committee

6 ST. MICHAEL S CHURCH 26 Pleasant Street Marblehead, MA Address Correction Requested Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Marblehead, MA Phone: 781/ Fax. 781/ office@stmichaels1714.org APRIL 5 PALM SUNDAY, DAY OF THE PASSION 8:00 am Blessing of the Palms and Holy Eucharist, Rite I 10:00 am Blessing of the Palms and Holy Eucharist, Rite II 5:00 pm Choral Evensong and Benediction APRIL 8 HOLY WEDNESDAY, Rite II APRIL 9 MAUNDY THURSDAY 7:30 pm Holy Eucharist, Foot Washing, Stripping of the Altar and Watch APRIL 10 GOOD FRIDAY 12:00 noon Children s Stations of the Cross & Lunch 7:30 pm Solemn Liturgy with Eucharist from the Reserved Sacrament APRIL 11 HOLY SATURDAY 9:00 am Holy Saturday Liturgy of the Word 7:30 pm The Great Vigil of Easter and Holy Baptism APRIL 12 EASTER DAY, SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION 10:00 am Festal Eucharist, Rite II St. Michael s Church Officers: Barbara Miller, Sr. Warden; David Bittermann, Jr. Warden; Laurence Pierce, Treasurer; Sarah Bates, Asst. Treasurer; Walter Haug, Clerk. Vestry: Jack Attridge, Vivian Bennett, Susan Cool, Louise Hunt, Anna Onishi, Paul Pruett, Avery Russell, Linda Smidt, Richard Wood. Delegates for Convention: Jan Barnett, Denise Shea. Deanery Delegates: Jan Barnett, Frances Nilsson, Denise Shea Staff: The Rev. Andrew J. Stoessel, Rector; Dr. Douglas Major, Music Director; Aileen Ryder, Church School Director, Jane Maihos, Parish Administrator; Ron St. Pierre, Sexton; Donna Hingston, St. Michael s Nursery School.

7 Saint Michael's Church April 2009 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1) 7:30 Lenten Study Program at St. Andrew s 2) 4:45 pm Youth Choir 6:00 pm Evening Prayer 6:30 pm St. Catherine s Guild 3) Movie Night for Youth 4) 5) PALM SUNDAY SUNDAY OF THE PASSION 8:00 am Blessing of the Palms & Holy Eucharist, Rite I 8:45 am Rite 13 Meeting 9:30 am Church School 10:00 am Blessing of the Palms & Holy Eucharist, Rite II 12:00 pm Rite 13 Lunch with Fr. Andrew 5:00 pm Choral Evensong & Benediction 6) 7) Final Deadline for Easter Flower Memorial List & Donations 8) 9) MAUNDY THURSDAY 7:30 pm Holy Eucharist, Foot Washing, Stripping of the Altar & Watch 10) GOOD FRIDAY 12:00 pm Children s Stations of the Cross (lunch to follow) 7:30 pm Solemn Liturgy with Eucharist from the Reserved Sacrament 11) HOLY SATURDAY 9:00 am Holy Saturday Liturgy of the Word 7:30 pm The Great Vigil of Easter & Holy Baptism 12) EASTER DAY SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION No Church School 10:00 am Holy Eucharist, Rite II 13) 14) 12:00 pm Soup & Dessert 7:30 pm Vestry Meeting 15) 16) 17) Newsletter Deadline 18) 19) 2ND SUNDAY OF EASTER 8:45 am Rite 13 Meeting 9:30 am Church School 10:00 am Holy Eucharist, Rite II 20) Patriot s Day School Vacation Week Begins. Church Office Open 21) 12:00 pm Parish Aid 22) 10:45 am Devereux House Nursing Home Visitation 23) 24) 25) 26) 3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER 8:45 am Rite 13 Meeting 9:30 am Church School 10:00 am Holy Eucharist, Rite II 27) 28) 29) 30) 4:45 pm Youth Choir