November serving God by serving others

Transcription

1 November 2014 Dear people of St. Alban s, How does God form a community to be his people? During the last few months the Old Testament lessons on Sundays have told the stories of how Abraham was called to go, to leave what was familiar behind, to venture forth where God would lead. God would bless the faithfulness of this childless old man by bestowing generations of offspring who would be as plenteous as the stars in the sky. And so it happened. Hundreds of years later, these children of Abraham had descended into slavery in Egypt. God called Moses, who overcame his own resistance to the plans of God for his life and led the Hebrew people out of Egypt and into the desert. There they struggled with their longing for the comforts of what once was and began to experience the miracle of God providing food and water for them in the wilderness where they wandered. Having indulged in worshiping a golden calf, they were instructed by the 10 commandments in how to be the people of God in the promised land toward which they were being led. During the last few weeks, we have been remembering how God has formed the community of people who have been and now are St. Alban s. In the Fellowship Hall, a timeline shows us some of the markers on the journey of the people of God in this place. Inside Youth Room Restoration... 2 Social Ministries... 3 Coverlet Raffle... 3 All God s Creatures... 4 Kids Music Program... 5 Calendar New Music Director... 8 All Saints Sunday... 8 Changing Our World... 9 News & Happenings10 & 11 November 2014 serving God by serving others We have been telling stories about the saints of St. Alban s who, like living stones, let themselves be built as spiritual dwelling places. Offering sacrifices of praise through gifts of time, talent, and treasure, they contributed to the building up of the community of faith that we are today. Our timeline extends also into the future to 2050, to How will St. Alban s be serving God by serving others then? How will St. Alban s be acting as the heart and hands of Jesus Christ in this place? Now is our time to serve as the living stones upon which the future of St. Alban s may be built. November is a month for giving thanks. As people of the United States, we will celebrate a day of Thanksgiving for the (Continued on page 2)

2 (Continued from page 1) many blessings we enjoy as a nation that began with pilgrims, who left everything behind to venture forth into the unknown in response to God s call. With the help of the native people, God provided for their survival. We give thanks for God s provision then and now. How does God form a community to be his people? We can look to the past for examples, and we can see what God is doing among us at St. Alban s right now. We are being blessed. Let us offer our sacrifices of praise. Peace, Paula+ From November 6-29, I will be on vacation (traveling to the Himalayas). Hal LeHayak, former Dean of the cathedral, will [reside at eucharist on Nov. 9 and 23. Youth Room Restoration is Taking Shape! The heavy rain on August 12 that made national news with videos of cars flooded in the parking lots at BWI airport also dumped water into our Youth Room. Fortunately insurance is covering the cost of cleanup and restoration of the room including replacement furniture, less $500 deductible. Our youth have picked out paint color for the new walls and tile, and are ready to select the new furniture. We will be having a blessing of the new area and celebration when they move in. Stayed tuned. Clean up right after the storm New sheetrock is installed

3 Social Ministries WINTER RELIEF: St. Alban's will be providing a dinner for the guests of the Winter Relief Shelter at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Linthicum on Tuesday, December 9th. The Social Ministries Committee is pleased to announce that Victoria Murphy will be in charge of the Winter Relief Dinner this year. Victoria will be coordinating all aspects of the dinner as a high school special project. Thank you, Victoria. ANGEL TREE HOLIDAY SHARING PROGRAM: Our church will be sponsoring a number of families for the Holiday Sharing Program, providing Christmas gifts for the children, and Giant gift cards for the mothers for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Look for the Angel Tree to be in the back of the church on November 30th, the first Sunday in Advent. More details to follow. Raffle for Large Coverlet A coverlet, measuring 78 by 100, will be raffled by St. Alban s Prayer Shawl and Stitching Ministry. The beautiful blocks were crocheted by Irene Lipin and donated by her daughter, Mary Wilcox. Irene Ross, of the Prayer Shawl and Stitching Ministry, assembled all of the 35 blocks into a beautiful coverlet. Tickets will be available on November 2, Price will be $2.00 for each ticket or 3 tickets for $5.00. It was decided that proceeds from the raffle will go to the Ladies Guild because Irene Lipin is a long time and beloved member of the Guild. Drawing for the coverlet will be held at the Guild Christmas party. All women of the church are invited to the party at 6:00 pm on December 16th. November

4 Caring for All God s Creatures It was a beautiful autumn day on Saturday, October 4 th, the day St. Alban s held its first Blessing of the Animals Fair. For two hours people wandered around sipping cider, checking out the vendors, and having their pets blessed by Reverend Paula. We had lots of humans and dogs attending, one cat, and one bird, Nancyjane s Quaker Parrot, Tommy. We were late deciding to have a pet fair this year instead of our usual outdoor Blessing of the Animal Service; however, with the help of Michelle of Healing Paws Veterinary Clinic, we found some vendors who were able to attend: Tommie s Tailwaggers Pet Sitting Service, A Tail Above Dog Trainers, Fieldstone Inn Boarding Kennel, and Trish Willis (our own yoga instructor) animal acupuncturist. In addition, there were pet blankets available for a donation, made by our own St. Alban s Prayer Shawl and Stitching Ministry. Thanks to Kim Cluney and Louise Izat, we had 2 rescue organizations, Animal Safe Haven and Sanctuary, and Maryland Animal Sanctuary Rescue, who came with adoptable kittens, dogs, and a puppy. Happily, we were able to donate $140 to these organizations from the proceeds of the pet blankets and vendor space rentals. Thanks to all who helped with the fair: Nancyjane Bailey, Octavia Carter, Bonnie and Bill Carter, Peg Davidson, Kevin Gish, Paul Izat, Barbara Phillips, Bonnie Taylor and her grandson, Nick, and, of course, Reverend Paula. It was heartwarming to learn that pet owners, who might not go to church themselves, will bring their beloved pets to be blessed by a priest. One woman even brought her little dog all the way from Bowie for a blessing. Whenever we have a Blessing of the Animals event, (Continued on page 5)

5 (Continued from page 4) St. Alban s is doing a nice thing for our parishioners and their pets, and for the pets and pet owners in our community as well. Some people feel the success of a pet fair is measured not only by the donations to rescue organizations, but when a rescue animal is adopted into a good home. By that standard, our Blessing of the Animals Fair was a tremendous success because our rector adopted a puppy! Meet Henry, the newest canine member of our parish. Adorable, isn t he? Kid s Music Honors Figherfighters! On Sunday, October 12 th, in honor of National Fallen Firefighter s Day, members of Kids Music took a walk to our local Fire Department, #33, with bells in hand. After introducing ourselves, we told them why we were there and in remembrance of fallen firefighters everyone rang their bells joyously. We finished our visit by singing the song we learned for the Blessing of the Animals, All God s Critters Got a Place in the Choir and had a picture taken in front of the fire truck. We also paid homage to fallen firefighters during the 10:30 service. Many students from our Sunday School, accompanied by Sharon Weaver, Joann Cherrico, Danielle Seiler, Mary Wilcox and myself marched down the aisle prior to the procession ringing bells and again giving a performance of our song. Kids Music meets the 2 nd and 3 rd Sunday of each month at 9:30am. Please feel free to join us. No experience needed, we re all about FUN! November

6 November 2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 ALL SAINTS DAY 2 ALL SAINTS SUNDAY 8:00 am Holy Communion 10:30 am Holy Communion 3 4 9:30-12 am Christmas Crafters 5 6 6:30 pm Handbells 7:30 pm Choir 7 Youth Group Game Night 8 9 8:00 am Holy Communion 10:30 am Holy Communion VETERAN S DAY 9:30-12 am Christmas Crafters 12 2:00 pm Prayer Shawl/ Stitching Ministry 6:30 pm Handbells 7:30 pm Choir 13 10:00 am Eternal Quilters :00 am Holiday Bazaar 2:00 pm Turkey Dinner 16 8:00 am Morning Prayer 10:30 am Morning Prayer :00 pm Social Ministries 7:30 pm Ladies Guild 19 6:30 pm Handbells 7:30 pm Choir 20 7:00 pm Vestry Meeting :00 am Holy Communion 10:30 am Holy Communion :00 pm Evening Prayer Thanksgiving Service 27 THANKSGIVING Office closed 28 Office closed :00 am Holy Communion 10:30 am Holy Communion November

7 Introducing St. Alban s New Director of Music R. Lee Adams Mr. Adams will begin working at St. Alban s during the week of November 10, with Morning Prayer on November 16 as his first service. He brings a decade of experience serving Episcopal and other churches as Organist and Music Director in Ohio and New England. He recently moved to Maryland to become Director of Liturgy and Music for St. Pius X Parish and School in Baltimore. There he oversees several staff organists, leaving him available to come to us on Sunday mornings. Besides earning a Bachelor of Music degree at Oberlin s Conservatory of Music, he also earned a certificate in performance from Yale University s School of Music and certification as a bell ringer. Along the way, he has served as a music educator, director of choir camps, director of musical theater productions, and as a pastoral volunteer in an Alzheimer s center. Ask him about living in Israel, or about his time in a monastery in Ethiopia. As we wel- All Saints Sunday On November 2, we will celebrate the commitments of all the saints of St. Alban s, including our own. Please bring your pledge card with you to the worship service, during which you may offer your commitment on the altar of the church and light a candle to spread the glow of your gratitude. Please also bring written names, ideally including some stories, of people who have in some way served as a saint in your life. "I sing a song of the saints of God,...and I mean to be one,

8 How Your Loose Change Changes Lives On the 3rd Sunday of each month, whatever loose offering is received goes into the Rector s Discretionary Fund to help people in need. Ever wonder HOW that fund is used? Rev. Paula and I carefully and prayerfully consider many requests for financial help from people in our community. I often speak to them by phone or am in the office when they come for help. In the this section, I will share stories of lives changed by St. Alban s loose change. Charleen One Thursday morning, a gentleman named Elijah showed up at the door of the church looking for some financial help. He was a single dad, a college graduate and a military veteran, with a 14 year old daughter,. Through a series of tragic circumstances, including his wife trying to kill both he and their daughter, he had come to stay with extended family in Maryland. With his wife now in mandatory psychiatric care, he needed a fresh start for him and his daughter. Unfortunately, there are not many resources for single fathers and daughters in Maryland. He was able to locate and get accepted into a shelter program in Florida for victims of domestic violence. He came tearfully asking for gas cards to help get them halfway because he had a friend that would help them once they got that far. Elijah explained he felt like a failure as a dad and a man because he couldn t provide a safe home for his daughter. He went on to say he was not angry at his wife because she was mentally ill and he prays for her (she too, served in the military and suffered from post- traumatic stress disorder). Surely, God brought Elijah to our doors that day. In the midst of some other serious events going on, it was important to take the time to slow down, listen to and minister to this man. I shared with Elijah that humbling himself and asking for help showed how much he loves his daughter, and that is being a good father. We were able to help him with gas cards thanks to your generous support. I prayed with him for traveling safety for him and his daughter, and for his wife in her treatment. God wasn t done blessing Elijah yet. A member happened to be here that day and after hearing Elijah s story and meeting him, blessed him with an additional cash gift for his trip. May God continue to allow us to be His hands and feet in Glen Burnie, and may our church continue to live out Matthew 25:40, The King will reply truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least these brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me. November

9 November Birthdays Tyler Moore 11/4 Betsy Kramer 11/5 Nikole Fortner 11/6 Abigail Hunt 11/6 Annette Moneski 11/7 Harold Moors 11/7 F. William Kuethe, Jr. 11/7 Dorothy Moors 11/9 Tyler Johns 11/9 Ruth Myers 11/11 Harry Greenwell 11/15 Kosta Matsis 11/15 Stan McFarland 11/17 Dee Smith 11/17 Jennifer Hunt 11/19 Walter Morrison, Jr. 11/20 Jeanne Rezac 11/22 Richard Marshall 11/27 Nov. 2: Set your clocks back one hour Thank You to Stan and Lynn! During their 30+ years at St. Alban s, Lynn and Stan McFarland lent their time and talent many times over. Your St Albans family wishes you happiness in your new venture and thanks you for your years of friend- Would You Like to Help Serve Our Church? We currently have two pairs of ushers who serve at the 10:30 am service on Sunday s. Duties of an usher include, greeting parishioners, handing out bulletins, counting attendance, participating in the offering and communion. If you are interested in learning more Consider a Term on the Vestry Anyone interested in a position on the new Vestry please contact Rev. Paula or one of the Vestry members. Christmas Crafters These crafty ladies are busy making beautiful things for the Holiday Bazaar on November 15. They meet in the vestry room every Tuesday from 9: Bring your hot glue gun and join the fun! Please send your submissions for the December Beacon by November 20 to cedarpup@cablespeed.com or place them in the newsletter editor bin in the vestry room.

10 St. Alban s Ladies Guild Holiday Bazaar and Turkey Dinner You are invited to our annual Holiday Bazaar and Turkey Dinner on Saturday, Nov. 15, Ask your friends and neighbors to come with you. The bazaar is 9 am to 5 pm. We will have many handmade crafts, hand sewn gifts, football inspired items, jewelry, treasure table and bake items for sale. Come early for the best choices. Turkey Dinner with homemade pie for dessert, will be served 2 to 5pm. Get your tickets or reservations in advance, after church services or call church office , so that adequate food can be prepared. Tickets for adults are $12, children ages 4-12 are $6, under 4 are free. Carry out orders are available. Donations of baked goods for the bake table or canned vegetables for the dinner are welcomed. Call Becky at November Anniversaries George & Betty Smith 11/17 F. William & Beverly Kuethe 11/30 Save the Dates! November 15: Holiday Bazaar and Turkey Dinner November 26: Evening Prayer Thanksgiving Service January 25: The St Alban's Annual Meeting following the 10:30 service November

11 The Beacon of St. Alban s St. Alban s Episcopal Church 105 1st Ave SW Glen Burnie, MD Phone: , Fax: stalbans.church@verizon.net RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Sunday Worship Services 8:00 am - Holy Communion, Rite I (no music) 10:30 am - Holy Communion, Rite II (with music) Sunday School, K-8 and Nursery Church Office Hours Monday-Friday 9am-12 pm Rector Rev. Dr. Paula Datsko Barker