St. Mark s Newsletter. Sabbatical Edition. April 28, 2016

Transcription

1 St. Mark s Newsletter Sabbatical Edition April 28, 2016 Dear St. Mark s Family: Many people have asked questions about my sabbatical. This newsletter is an attempt to give some basic detail about why am I taking a sabbatical, what I am doing, and what will be happening at St. Mark s while I am gone. If this explanation doesn t answer all your questions, I encourage you to join me Sunday, May 1, from 9 to 10 AM for our Sabbatical Symposium where I will present this information in more detail and there will be the opportunity to ask questions. John Why is John Going on a Sabbatical? The Diocese of Maine encourages its priests and congregations to work out an arrangement to take off four months every five years for the sole purpose of renewal and rest. The purpose of a sabbatical is for rest and renewal not accomplishing any specific purpose such as study or continuing education. Having worked for all of my adult life, approximately 36 years, without having a sabbatical (that s the problem with eight career changes!), I was ready to take the opportunity. The Vestry agreed to not only my taking four months off in the summer of 2016 but to follow Diocesan recommendations for funding which means that while gone I receive my full salary and travel expenses during the sabbatical will be split equally among me, the Diocese and St. Mark s. The Finance Committee had wisely tucked away some reserve funds for this occasion so no sabbatical expenses are coming out of the 2016 operating budget. A $3,960 grant from the Diocesan Loring Fund was awarded to me for my sabbatical and we have already received the check. The concept of sabbatical comes from the word Sabbath. The beginning of the second chapter of the Book of Genesis tells us: Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. An editor in today s culture might suggest taking those lines out because frankly there isn t much action. Why do we have to describe God resting? When does God go back to work? Well God rests because that is part of the natural rhythm of creation. Our culture has upset that natural rhythm by continuously working. The average worker added 164 more hours (one whole month) to the work year between 1968 and It is not hard to guess what got eliminated in those 164 hours: leisure, rest, recreation,

2 family time, and church. Our culture of work demands more and more today. This can be doubly hard when the work done is meaningful, satisfying and helps other people. But there is still a time to work and a time to rest. Our culture is very challenged by the third commandment of keeping the Sabbath Day holy. Remember that everything you have received is a blessing. Remember to delight in your life, in the fruits of your labor. Remember to stop and offer thanks for the wonder of it. Remember as if we would forget. Indeed the assumption is that we will forget. And history has proven that given enough time, we will Wayne Muller, Sabbath While the main meaning of Sabbath is to keep one day holy out of a seven day week, Sabbath also has meaning on a daily basis, a yearly basis and beyond. A sabbatical is an extended four-month Sabbath a time to lie fallow, to find rest on a deeper level. I invite all of you to consider the meaning of Sabbath in your own lives by doing the following: Have a serious conversation with those in your family about the time you take for rest and renewal Think about the daily, weekly and annual Sabbath in your own life Some resources I found helpful in understanding the meaning of sabbath: Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time by Dorothy C. Bass How long will John be gone? John s sabbatical will begin after services end on Pentecost Sunday, May 15. John will return from sabbatical on Sunday, September 11 to celebrate and preach at that service. What will John do on his sabbatical? John had complete freedom to design his sabbatical which will alternate between some time at home (more during the first half) and travel. The travel portion of the sabbatical will include the following: May A Christian Buddhist Retreat led by Rev. Robert Kennedy. S.J., Jesuit priest and Zen teacher.

3 Shunryu Suzuki is famous for saying, Each of you is perfect the way you are... and you can use a little improvement. Zen is the art of paradoxically living these two truths simultaneously and meeting each moment exactly as it is with readiness and openness. June 6 to 13 Credo II Retreat, Delray Beach, FL CREDO II explores what it means to live an undivided and whole life, a life that is congruent with one s values, beliefs and faith a life that is whole and holy. In this holistic sense, the conference will help me to explore my spiritual, vocational, physical and financial health. This conference is sponsored and paid for mainly by the Church Pension Fund to contribute toward the long-term health and vitality of Episcopal priests. June 20 to July 1 John will lead a bicycle trip with some friends from Kittery to Fort Kent along the Maine East Coast Greenway which John helped to designate during his career at the Maine Department of Transportation. We will bicycle over 600 miles in twelve days. July 9 to August 18 Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage Hike, Spain El Camino de Santiago, in English The Way of Saint James, is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where legend has it that the remains of Jesus s apostle Saint James the Elder lie. The Camino has existed as a Christian pilgrimage for well over 1,000 years. In the Middle Ages there were three major Christian pilgrimages: to Jerusalem, to Rome, and to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The route I will travel is the Camino del Norte, not as well known or traveled as the Camino Frances which was featured in the movie, The Way. The Camino del Norte follows the northern coast of Spain beginning at Irun which is on the French border. The route is approximately 800 km or 500 miles. What will it be like along the way you ask? The Camino is a long walk. While underway, the peregrino (meaning pilgrim) needs support for food, lodging and direction. An infrastructure of hospices arose in the Middle Ages and this infrastructure still exists - and in fact, it is growing rapidly. There are still a few peregrino facilities run by religious orders, but much more common today are albergues or refugios. These are essentially operated like and look like youth hostels typically with bunk beds in dormitories and communal shower and toilet facilities. August 20 to 26 Retreat at Iona, Scotland Iona is a tiny and beautiful Hebridean island off the west coast of Scotland, cradle of Christianity in Scotland, where in 563 AD the Irish monk Columba (Columkille) established a monastic settlement that evangelized large parts of Scotland and the north of England and became an important center of European Christianity. In the Middle Ages it became the site of a Benedictine abbey, and over the centuries it has

4 attracted many thousands of people on their own pilgrim journeys. The Iona Community is a dispersed Christian ecumenical community working for peace and social justice, rebuilding of community and the renewal of worship. A commitment to Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation is an integral part of the Rule of the Iona Community. August 27 to September 5 Family vacation in Scotland details to be determined. How can we follow John during his sabbatical? John will be keeping a travel blog and you can follow his pilgrimage at Let Evening Come By Jane Kenyon Let the light of late afternoon shine through chinks in the barn, moving up the bales as the sun moves down. Let the cricket take up chafing as a woman takes up her needles and her yarn. Let evening come. Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned in long grass. Let the stars appear and the moon disclose her silver horn. Let the fox go back to its sandy den. Let the wind die down. Let the shed go black inside. Let evening come. To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop in the oats, to air in the lung let evening come. Let it come, as it will, and don t be afraid. God does not leave us comfortless, so let evening come. When can we say goodbye? There will be coffee hours after both services on Pentecost Sunday, May 15, to allow everyone who attends the service an opportunity to touch base with John.

5 Who will be here for Sunday services? With some Vestry input, John has selected two different supply clergy who will be here the majority of the time on the Sundays of the sabbatical. It was decided that two was a good number to provide a little variety while also providing some consistency of presence. The two clergy who will be here are: The Rev. Lynn Orville: Lynn Orville has been a priest of the Episcopal Church since 1998 and has a longstanding interest in and passion for Christian formation and for vocational formation for deacons and priests. An active supply priest, Lynn serves throughout Maine, supporting congregations during priests vacations, sabbaticals, and in times when parishes are between priests. Lynn and Doug are married 37 years and enjoy living in the country outside Ellsworth with their three dogs, Sophie, Ten-ten and Daisy. When not serving as Sunday supply, Lynn and Doug attend St. John s Church in Bangor.

6 The Rev. Jud Pealer: Judson (Jud) Pealer - raised an Episcopalian in central Ohio and earned a Bachelors of Fine Art from OSU. Married and moved to Vermont. After working for 10 years and while raising three children he perceived a call to priesthood. Moved to Chicago for seminary and was ordained in He served parishes in Vermont, West Virginia, New York, New Hampshire and Maine. Retired 2016 after serving as rector six years at Good Shepherd, Rangeley. He lives with wife, Sandra, in South Paris, Maine where they garden and create art. The Rev. John van Siclen from Newcastle who was the Diocesan Consultant to the Search Committee will be here the first two Sundays of August. Note that through the sabbatical period there will be one Sunday service at 9:15 AM. This is being done to bring everyone together during sabbatical time as well as for the convenience of the supply clergy who will have to travel some distance. Who will be in charge of St. Mark s while John is gone? Supply Clergy will only be here on Sunday morning and special occasions as needed. Senior Warden, Tim McFadden will be in charge of the parish while John is gone, similar to an interim period. Tim will be assisted by the Vestry which has divided into task forces (worship, pastoral care, mission and outreach, administration and sabbatical events) to help coordinate responsibilities. What do I need to do to contact the church or request a priest while John is gone? Two ways: Call , most likely you will get a voice mail but that voice mail will be automatically forwarded to: A new address: stmarkschurch60@gmail.com Wardens and Vestry members will split the responsibility of checking and voice mail from day-to-day, and they will either respond to that or forward it to the appropriate person in the parish to respond. This is a brand new address created

7 to facilitate those who need to contact St. Mark s and for the Vestry to be able to check messages and respond. What about Pastoral Care? Cathie Kimball is the Coordinator of Pastoral Care. Depending on the situation, she will find the appropriate priest, deacon, lay Eucharistic minister or other to visit the sick at home, in the hospital or to coordinate funeral services depending on the nature of the request. To contact Cathie please call the church or use the new . Summer Events and Programs will continue as in other years. We will volunteer on Thursdays at the July Lunch Program. We will participate in the August Evening Sandwich Program. There will be a Parish Picnic as in the past years, tentatively scheduled for July 24. Judy MacKenzie will coordinate the Welcome Ministry as new persons come to church on Sunday. What happens when John comes back in September? The vestry is planning a few different events on the weekend of September 17 and 18 to allow an opportunity for John to discuss what he experienced during the sabbatical. In October, there will be a series of cottage meetings, small group discussions which will give John a chance to reconnect with everyone as well as discuss the future directions at St. Mark s. More on these will be discussed in August and September. Update on Monty s Retirement Deacon Monty Henderson will be retiring this summer, probably at some point in June pending the closing of the sale of his house. There will be a special coffee hour on Monty s last Sunday to provide an opportunity to say good-bye. Concerns about anything? Please be in touch with either the Wardens or any Vestry member. Weekly Parish News We had a great day last Sunday which included a lively 10:15 service with our youngest parishioners encouraging everyone to read the Good News and the baptism of Gracie Lam. See photo below of Mom and Gracie helping me with the sprinkling rite after her baptism. We also had an outstanding concert in the afternoon thanks to the leadership of Don Kerr. Thank you s to guest musicians Fr. Stephen Crisp and Steve Witkin and the over 100 people who attended.

8 Here is Sherrie Holbrook s take on last Sunday Dear Families, What a celebration we shared on Sunday! Another joyful baptism, youth and children who helped us with various important church "jobs" including lighting candles and filling the font, and a funny twist on John's "spreading the Good News"-sermon! I think we all got a chuckle out of that "Extra, extra, read all about it!" skit. I enjoyed all of those things, and yet what thrilled me even more were the special moments of feeling like a united community - Andrew Higbie took a lot of time to guide Catherine Mansir through her job of carrying the cross. Andrew and Catherine didn't know one another, until Sunday, and yet they worked well together, and I heard that each of them thanked the other at the end of services. I noticed Barry Stewart showing Mei Lai's family where we were in the hymnal a few different times as they were distracted (in a good way) with watching two-year old, Gracie. Barry thanked Kirk at least twice for giving his service bulletin to him. It truly is the little things that make us United!

9 The children all seemed eager to pitch in and even tried new jobs - Gabe Sinclair had never lit the candles before, and none of the children had poured water into the font in preparation for a baptism. We asked Catherine, Sarah, Violet, and Gabe to be brave newspaper salesmen as they were asked to yell "Extra, Extra, read all about it" all around our congregation. They were tentative about yelling in church, and over John's sermon, but after his encouragement, and many smiles from adults in the congregation, they became louder and more enthusiastic. Then there was Gracie who kept busy waving her baptismal wand throughout the service. She was such a joy to watch! This Sunday Sara Roberts will be leading us in a lesson all about music in worship. We'll explore different types of music, and also talk about how it makes us feel. I hope you'll join us at 9:30am. Peace, Sherrie Dates to remember: May 1-9:30am - music!! With Sara Roberts May 8-9:30am - Family Eucharist, our last one with John before his sabbatical May 15-10:15am - Kids in the 10:15 - Pentecost Celebration! And here are a couple more pictures from last week:

10 Now on to this Sunday: Sunday, May 1, The Sixth Sunday of Easter 8:00 AM, Holy Eucharist, Rite I John Balicki s Sermon Title. Not as the World Gives Peace 9:00 AM Sabbatical symposium see information above 9:30 AM Make a Joyful Noise - for parish children and families to experience the joy of music as led by Sara Roberts. 10:15 AM, Holy Eucharist, Rite II, Choir and Nursery Coffee Hour after 10:15 service hosted this week by????. Openings exist for May 8. Please consider inviting a friend or someone new to join you. Wednesday, May 4 at Noon is the Martha Guild monthly meeting. Please bring your own lunch. On Friday, May 6 at 11 AM we will have a memorial service at St. Mark s for long-time Waterville resident, Frances King, who attended St. Mark s in the last few years. Sunday, May 8 United Thank Offering Spring Ingathering Just a heads up for all those who collect coins in the UTO Blue Boxes: our 2016 Spring Ingathering, will take place on May 8. Remember, this is one way we can give thanks to God for all His goodness to each of us by depositing a coin or coins in the Blue Boxes we have in our homes, or at work etc., whenever we have something we are thankful for. Please take a box home this Sunday. The money collected nationwide is then distributed through grants to worthy organizations within individual states, nationally and worldwide. If you wish more information, please speak to Pat Slater.

11 May 15, Pentecost Sunday will be John s last Sunday before his sabbatical. As has been our custom, we encourage everyone to wear something with red in it. There will be a coffee hour after both services as an opportunity to bid John farewell. On Sunday, May 22, we will shift to one service for the entire sabbatical period which will be at 9:15 AM. Sunday, May 22 Meeting for Lay Eucharistic Ministers at 10:30 AM. Anyone who might be interested in learning about this valuable ministry to our sick and shut-ins can come to this meeting or contact Cathie Kimball at cathiek@roadrunner.com. A big thank you to Rudy Landry who donated 10 bags of manure for our parish gardens. Names on Prayer List: We would like to do a periodic review of the St. Mark s Prayer List to try to keep the list at a manageable level and in anticipation of Deacon Monty Henderson s retirement. If you have submitted any requests in the last year or so could you please review them and if anyone could be taken off the list, please contact Deacon Monty Henderson at dhenderson41846@roadrunner.comor call the parish office at