MAY 2014 THE WINDOW. A monthly publication of Trinity Episcopal Church. Page 1

Transcription

1 MAY 2014 THE WINDOW A monthly publication of Trinity Episcopal Church Page 1

2 TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH 81 Elm Street Concord, MA Phone/Fax: Window articles due the 15 th of every month to: macdonaldat trinityconcorddotorg TRINITY STAFF The Rev. Tony Buquor, Rector The Rev. Becky Gettel Assistant Rector Dave Woessner, M.Div. Director of Christian Formation Robert Barney, Music Director Anne Lynch Office Administrator & Pastoral Care Coordinator Susan MacDonald, Publications Nancy Marshall, Bookkeeper Ted Hull, Sexton Jim Boyd, Sunday Sexton VACANT, Sunday Childcare INSIDE THIS MONTH S WINDOW Bishop Elect... 3 Alan Gates of Ohio From the Rector... 4, 5 Construction Pilgrimage to Italy The Creeds Music Notes... 6, 7 Ascension Thursday Choir Recognition Youth Choral Evensong Robert Barney Elected Caring Connection... 8, 9 Parish Hall Update... 10, 11 Adult Forums... 12, 13 Come Journey With Me Seeing Divinity Spring Brunch Window of Opportunity NEXT WINDOW DEADLINE May 15, 2014 WORSHIP TIMES Holy Eucharist Tuesdays 7:30 am in the Chapel Sundays 8:00 am in the Chapel Sundays 10:00 am in the Church OFFICE HOURS Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Page 2

3 Alan Gates of Ohio elected Bishop of Diocese of Massachusetts The people of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts have elected an Ohio parish priest to be their next bishop. Gates, 56, has been the rector of St. Paul s Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio since He is a graduate of Middlebury College and undertook graduate studies at Georgetown University. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1988 and served congregations in the Episcopal dioceses of Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, and Chicago prior to his call to Ohio. He and his spouse, Patricia J. Harvey, live in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and have two children. Gates s election must now receive consent from a majority of the Episcopal Church s diocesan bishops and a majority of its dioceses. Pending that consent, the bishop-elect s consecration is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 13 at the Agganis Arena at Boston University, with the presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding. Page 3

4 FROM THE RECTOR by Tony Buquor Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Wow! Lots of changes at Trinity these days. We are well on our way toward demolition and construction of a new Parish House facility. This will be a challenging time for us, but it s important for us to remember that the ultimate outcome will be very good for us. We just need to keep our focus on the objective as we live with the challenges of transition. Construction This past week classroom 8 (the one at the bottom of the stairs to the undercroft on the right) has begun the transformation to become two family bathrooms. These bathrooms will be a permanent part of our new facility. They will also provide needed restrooms for interim operations. I stopped by the undercroft to see how the construction was progressing and saw the prayer that had been put on the wall by the last Journey to Adulthood group that met there. It s a wonderful prayer that I think applies to this time in our life together. Here s that prayer: Salutations God, who has been a good friend and we trust in you; please help us trust in each other so that we may bond, grow and help each other because we have faith in you. Amen Thanks to the youth who gave us this prayer for what it says not only for them, but for what we need for our parish right now. We need to have faith in God through all of this, and to trust each other as we rely upon God to guide us through the disruptive but exciting months ahead. Page 4

5 Pilgrimage to Italy One of the things that the Vestry committed to as we embarked upon this time of building was that we would not cut back on any of our ministries, and that we would instead reach out to new possibilities. One of those possibilities is a pilgrimage to Italy planned for November of this year. Details are still being finalized, but what we have for a general outline is this. We will be visiting the sites of very early Christian art and architecture in the cities of Milan, Ravenna, and Rome. The trip will be limited to 20 people. We hope it will be a time of discovery and devotion for those who participate in it. A brochure should be available in May with details of the pilgrimage. It s important to note that it is not just a trip but rather a pilgrimage a time of prayer and contemplation of the faith and witness of those Christians who went before us and established what we now receive as the tradition of our faith. The Creeds Recently I heard a broadcast of Krista Tippett s radio program On Being. It was an interview with Jaroslov Pelikan, professor of church history at Yale. He put forward a very interesting explanation of the importance of tradition and the creeds. Over the years I have had many conversations with faithful people who struggle with the creeds. This interview might be helpful for all of us as we consider the place of tradition in the life of the church. To listen to that interview go to: The months ahead of us will be both exciting and challenging. I hope each of us may find it to be a time of growth. May we have a new sense of hospitality for one another and may we come to share in a new way what it means to be part of the body of Christ. Faithfully, Tony Page 5

6 Music notes by Robert Barney Ascension Thursday May 29 at 7:30 pm in Acton One of the most important feast days of our Church Year is often overlooked because it falls on Thursday, a weekday at a very busy time of year. This feast day marks the Ascension of Jesus to the Right Hand of the Father as we say in the creed, and is celebrated on Thursday 40 days after Easter. We traditionally have celebrated in a Eucharist with several other churches in the area and their choirs. This year our service will be at The Church of The Good Shepherd in Acton. Come join the festivities! Choir Recognition On June 1 at the 10 am service, choir members will be acknowledged for their ministry of music. The Parish Choir will be lauded for their time and commitment. The following presentations will be given to Youth and Junior Choir members: ONE YEAR Callie Garnett: a silver cross to wear with her vestment TWO YEARS Fletcher Bedford, Olivia Glover, Lydia Morris-Kliment: the Book of Common Prayer THREE YEARS Sebastien Najinski: the Hymnal 1982 FOUR YEARS Samuel Morris-Kliment and Sadie Webster the Hymnal Wonder Love and Praise Page 6

7 Let us give thanks for all of these singers and their offering of time to learn the music to lead our worship. It is not too early to start planning for next year to think about singing in the choir! Youth Choir Choral Evensong June 1 at 5:00 pm Our own Trinity Youth Choir will be singing the traditional Service of Choral Evensong in the Chapel. This small, young, but very capable group of singers will offer this ancient service of sung prayers and fill the chapel with musical settings by George Dyson and the Responses I wrote for them, as well as Psalms, Hymns, and an anthem by J. S. Bach. Many parishioners have told me how much the service of Choral Evensong moves them, so help me spread the word by telling your friends and neighbors about this service. Come and be transported! Robert Barney is Elected I have just received word that I have been elected to serve a 4- year term as Sub-Dean/Dean of the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Pray for my work in this new role. Ask the Music Director If you have any questions about the choir or music program in general, please do not hesitate to ask me. I can be reached at the church ( ext. 20) or the church at barneyat trinityconcorddotorg. Page 7

8 Caring connection by Anne Lynch A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened. Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young man in the Marine Corps uniform standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement. The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit alongside the bed. Nights are long in hospitals--but all through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest a while. He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital-- the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients. Page 8

9 Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son's hand all through the night. Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited. Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her. "That's not necessary... Who was that man?" he asked. The nurse was startled, "He was your father" she answered. "No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life." "Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?" "I knew right away that there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, I knew how much he needed me. So I stayed." The next time someone needs you... just be there. Stay. (This story has appeared in various forms in different publications. This version is from the internet.) Page 9

10 PARISH HALL UPDATE By Katharine Berger As of March 31, 2014, the Capital Campaign has received nearly $4.2 million in pledges from 216 families and parishioners. Over $3 million of those pledges have already been paid, representing more than 70% of the total pledged. Given that we have not yet broken ground, this is an impressive result which reflects both the parish s generosity and support for the Parish House Facility project. Since the Annual Meeting in February, we have carefully analyzed the cash flow needs of the project and have also prepared a 3-year operating plan. We put together a detailed Construction Loan Presentation, which we have submitted to the Diocese and distributed to several banks. We are currently working on securing loan proposals and will be selecting a bank and negotiating terms over the next several weeks. Diocesan approval is required when a mortgage loan is taken out and we are simultaneously working with members of the Standing Committee to ensure that they have all the information they need. During the construction period, the project will be funded by a combination of cash from pledges already received, drawing down on a construction loan, and borrowing from some Institutional Funds on Trinity s balance sheet. When the building is complete, the construction loan will convert to a fixed rate mortgage and a bank line of credit will also be put in place. The line of credit is anticipated to be used to help bridge the timing delay of current BfM pledges that are expected to come in after the building is completed. The line of credit will also provide us with flexibility in the event funds borrowed from the balance sheet are needed for currently unforeseen purposes. Page 10

11 The Vestry remains committed to continue fundraising until the loan and related financing costs are covered and borrowings from the balance sheet are repaid. Several parishioners have asked how we will address the impact on our operating budget. It is a good question and as Treasurer it is a key area of focus. First, expenses for the new building will be different, while switching to natural gas will likely save money, other operating costs may rise. Second, there will be costs associated with temporary operations and costs associated with financing during the construction period. Third, there may be some unforeseen one-of-a-kind event that Trinity needs to pay for. One of the benefits of the Building Project taking several years to come to fruition is that we have had time to build up and strengthen the balance sheet in several key ways. Over the last several years we have added substantially to two Maintenance Reserve Funds, one for the buildings and one for technology. These two funds now contain over $200,000. Next, we have $40,500 in cash already received and now in the General Fund designated by the Vestry to be allocated to fund the additional operating and financing costs incurred during construction. In addition, after 4 consecutive years of positive operating results Trinity s net surplus now stands at over $50,000. Please join us for the Vestry Forum on May 4 at 9:00 am, where financial updates, design drawings and interim operations materials will be available. If you are unable to attend, please contact any member of the Vestry or go to concord.org, and click on the hard hat icon for the latest information on Building for Ministry. Page 11

12 WORD WORSHIP WONDER WORLD WITNESS WORK May 11 Wonder Come and Journey With Me One of the recurring metaphors of all faith traditions is the journey. We make sense of our lives by understanding them as journeys, as the unfolding story of who we are and what we do in the world. In some deep way, journeying is an elemental part of who we are as human beings. In the sixth and final installment of this non-contiguous series, Patricia Kent will speak about important experiences from her own journey and how they inform her faith. Patricia received her Nurse Practitioner degree from Simmons College and is board certified in oncology and pediatric nursing. She works at Massachusetts General Hospital as a Hematology and Oncology Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She and her husband, John Ahern, coordinate the Trinity Bike Club, which is a great way for parishioners and friends to enjoy each other s company by riding local bike trails. Adult forums Page 12

13 May 18 World Seeing Divinity Within and Without Us As a Transcendentalist, Henry David Thoreau was always on the search to find God "in all of his lurking places." Thoreau believed that God was all around, as well as within him. In his essay "Walking" Thoreau explains his habit of roaming the fields and woods of Concord, in a daily exercise he called his "holy time." Join Henry Thoreau (portrayed by Historian Richard Smith) as he reads excerpts from "Walking", one of his most beautiful and spiritual essays. In it, he describes the Divinity he experienced all around him. After the reading, "Mr. Thoreau" will be open for questions and a discussion about his Transcendental views. Is Thoreau the "atheist" that many Concordians believed him to be? Or is he a deeply spiritual man? And what, exactly, is Transcendentalism? Richard Smith lives in Acton and has been portraying Henry Thoreau for 15 years with great success. He did 90 presentations last year at schools, colleges, libraries, churches and historical societies. While he "travels a good deal in Concord" as Thoreau, Richard has also done presentations all over the country, including Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, Burlington, Vermont and Atlanta, Georgia. Richard has appeared on the Boston TV show "Chronicle" and has portrayed Thoreau three times on C-Span. He can be seen regularly at Walden Pond. Page 13

14 SPRING BRUNCH ON SUNDAY, JUNE 1ST! The Welcome Committee will be hosting its Spring Brunch on Sunday, June 1st, after the 10 o'clock service at the home of Lucy and Brian Rosborough, 56 Elm Street, directly across from Trinity. If you would like to attend, kindly contact Anne Lynch, Parish Coordinator, in the church office by May 27th. (The earlier the better!) This occasion presents a great opportunity for newcomers and returnees to meet Clergy, Vestry, Staff and Parishioners for fellowship, conversation and a delicious meal in an informal setting. Questions? Contact Lucy At Or Anne at Children of all ages are most welcome! Page 14

15 WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY Keep up to date with building news at Just click on the yellow hardhat to read Hard Hat Herald Special Coffee Hour May 11 at 11:30 am Last Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall before demolition. Stop in for cake and coffee, and sign the library door, which serves as the Farewell Card to our Parish House Hearing assistance devices and LARGE PRINT bulletins are available. Please ask an usher if you d like either of these to assist you with worship. The church office is closed on Monday, May 25 Ascension Thursday May 29 at 7:30 pm (service in Acton) Pentecost Sunday June 8 WEAR RED! Choir Recognition June 1 at 10:00 am Youth Choir Choral Evensong June 1 at 5:00 pm (details on pages 6 & 7) Page 15

16 81 ELM STREET CONCORD, MA W E RE ON TH E W EB! TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH Following Christ, living our faith. M AY Page 16