St. Matthew s Online Newsletter

Transcription

1 Episcopal Church of St. Matthew January 2017 An Invitation to a Peaceful 2017 By Fr. Rick Wilson Well, 2017 is here! Thanks be to God! Many people believe that 2016 was the worst year ever. A lot of celebrities who were admired died; the country was severely divided by political perspectives; and violence continued to grow. It would seem that we experienced only one half of Charles Dickens perspective found at the beginning of his novel, The Tale of Two Cities. Guess which half? The quote reads: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. (Continued on page 2) The Online Newsletter is a production of lay ministers and the clergy. Please all articles or photos to the editor, Julie Neff-Encinas at jneffencinas@cox.net Inside this issue: Dream Study 2 Beautiful Christmas 4 Beautiful Christmas 5 Vestry Candidates 6 Vestry Candidates 7 Annual Luncheon and Meeting on Jan. 22 Who We Are 8 Be sure to mark your calendar for Sunday, January 22 at about noon (after the 10:30 liturgy) for the Annual Luncheon and Meeting in Matt s Place. This is when we share a summary of all the accomplishments of the parish ministries, we elect the delegates who will attend the Diocesan Convention in the fall and we elect new members to the Vestry. Come join us for fellowship, sharing and fun If you d like to offer to help with the luncheon, please call the church office or Trisha Galvin.

2 Page 2 An Invitation to a Peaceful 2017 (cont.) (Continued from page 1) So with the beginning of a new year, our hope is that the optimistic half of the quote above might be realized or at least we can move into that direction. But if it is to happen, it will require work. Each year during the 12 Days of Christmas, we have an excellent opportunity to think about the belief that the Word of God became one with us in the person of Jesus. I myself see the gift of this presence as an infant and growing to be an adult as a sign of God s commitment to us. In the ancient story of the prophet Isaiah approaching Ahaz, king of Judah, the prophet offers a sign from God of hope and God s continuing presence. The sign is an infant. The Christ child is also a sign of hope and of God s continuing presence. But unlike the Isaiah and Ahaz story, this sign is not for one people but for all people. Not long ago, I was talking with the Senior Warden from another Episcopal Church. We talked about the world in which we live and our concerns about it. In the process of our conversation, I realized and shared with her the conviction that the world needs followers of Christ to live as fully as possible the message of God revealed in Jesus: to love (to extend oneself for the good of others), to be compassionate, to be just, to be forgiving, and to encourage others to be the child (Continued on page 3) Dream Study Welcomes Interested Dreamers Do you wonder what your dreams are saying? Did you know we have an ongoing Dream Study Workshop based on Jungian dream interpretation at St. Matthew's? We meet twice a month in the library. We share our dreams in the hope that they will reveal what they're trying to tell us. Everything discussed is kept in strictest confidence. Join us at our next session on January 14th at 10 AM. The following meeting will be January 28th. For more information contact Nancy Haugh at or at fratuc@q.com.

3 Page 3 An Invitation to a Peaceful 2017 (cont.) (Continued from page 2) of God they are. Not exactly a new revelation but one that is needed in a world so full of anger, fear, hurt, and violence. At Christmas, we hear a great deal of Jesus as the Prince of Peace but then this perspective seems to fade until the next Christmas. Yet Jesus the Christ remains the Prince of Peace. And we as his followers, well we are to be people of peace as well. In the Prayer, Make me an instrument of your peace attributed to St. Francis, this is powerfully expressed. The prayer is as follows: Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life. As a follower of Christ, we have the trust that God remains committed to humankind. This trust can help generate a peace within us. It can give us the strength necessary to live the teachings of Jesus and to be instruments of peace in a violent world. It can empower us to stand with others who are victims of hate and oppression and speak with them their right to be and to be treated with dignity. Having been enlightened by Christ to the love God has for everyone, we are to see the beauty that belongs to every human person even when the beauty is disfigured by words and actions that reveal an inner torment. So what will 2017 be like when we look back on it next year at this time? May our actions help make it better, more wise, and more hopeful. We may not be able to do this on a global scale but we can try to do it within the worlds of our influence.

4 Page 4 Christmas is Beautiful at St. Matthew On December 18, a dedicated group of about 20 remained after the 10:30 liturgy for the traditional greening of the church. It is always a happy group doing a happy chore. George Choban kept the workers motivated by playing Christmas tunes on the organ and then all went to lunch together afterward. We thank each of you who participated for giving us such a lovely space in which to celebrate this special season. Parishioners were overheard saying how the sight of the church took their breath away and brought them to tears it was so lovely.

5 Page 5 Christmas is Beautiful at St. Matthew (cont.) All Christmas photos are courtesy of Susan Johnston.

6 Page 6 Vestry Candidates 2017 On Sunday, January 22, our parish will come together for the Annual Meeting. Among other business, we will select a new Junior Warden and three other vestry members. You are encouraged to get to know these candidates if you do not already know them. Two additional candidates are on Carl Genthner s professional career included 20 years in the US Air Force, earning a Master s degree in Human Resources prior to retiring in He worked an additional 21 years as a defense contractor supporting the Navy. He earned a reputation as one who took on any challenge, and through team work, imagination, leadership and persistence brought the project to a successful conclusion. Before moving to Arizona in 2012, Carl put his Christian values into action, founding a small community-based organization in Prince William County, Virginia. The Gainesville Group spearheaded food drives, collections of school supplies and a road adoption to improve the cleanliness of an area. While living in Virginia he was also a member of the local Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club and American Legion Post. Carl was active as a lector while June sang in the choir at Trinity Episcopal in Manassas, Virginia. Since joining Saint Mathew Carl has been a lector, usher, member of Matty s Men, and currently serves on the Vestry. His creativity, attention to detail, and experience will serve our church well as the Junior Warden. Carl and June have been married thirteen years and between them have six children, ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Carl is a candidate for the position of Junior Warden. Hello, my name is Harry Redman, and I am familiar to most of you. I have been at St. Matthew's for five years. During that time, I have served on the Vestry, which I really enjoyed. I learned a lot about St. Matthew's and the Episcopal Church in general. It was a wonderful experience to see the workings of the church first hand, and to be a part of the direction our parish travels. St. Matthew is a special and unique place. For a parish the size of ours, we have much being offered to us, something that is usually found in much larger parishes. Father Rick has been inspirational in bringing people together, sharing their own unique gifts for the benefit of us all. Currently, I am a Lector and Lay Eucharistic Minister and put together the schedule for us each month. I am also the Director of Music and a member of Matty's Men. I ask that you give me your consideration for another chance to serve on our Vestry.

7 Page 7 Vestry Candidates 2017 (cont.) Nancy Reynolds came to Tucson at the age of three with her family. Following her graduation from the University of Arizona, and a year of teaching 6 th grade, she combined her love of teaching with her love for dogs by training dogs with several local organizations. She had the opportunity to work with and learn from prominent leaders of this area of expertise. Nancy s teaching of human owners and training of dogs was a satisfying career for many years while she raised her two sons. Nancy served on the Board of Happy Tails Service Dogs for 7 years, with three of them as President. She also served on various other committees for Assistance Dogs International. Additionally, she was President, Training Director, Secretary, and Treasurer of Old Pueblo Dog Training Club. She also served as Show Chairman for 4 years and Show Secretary for 3 years. She was a Sunday school teacher for many years and was on the Church Vestry before her stroke. These leadership positions developed her ability to work on teams, collaborate with others and achieve goals and objectives for an organization. Nancy likes reading and studying animals, and nurturing herself spiritually. She also enjoys reading about the history of Southern Arizona, collecting dolls, and building doll houses. As daughter of the founding rector of St Matthew, Nancy has a unique perspective on the history and future of this parish and she is pleased to offer to serve on the vestry. I am Edwin Rodriguez and I was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. My aunt took me to the Roman Catholic Church when I was 7 years old. I was baptized and confirmed there. When I was 19, I was a postulant in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, OFM order. At age 20, I began to question and explore who I was. In talking with my spiritual director, he encouraged me to be myself, hence I decided to leave the order. I was taking classes in psychology, at that time, with a professor who was an Episcopalian deacon, my first experience hearing about the Episcopal Church. However, I was not, at that time, interested in any church. One Holy Saturday I was walking by an Episcopal church when I noticed the fire and the woman priest, Mother Rebecca. This was the first I had seen a female priest! I went in and stayed for the service. I went back the next morning, on Easter. I met my husband, Omar, and introduced him to the Episcopal Church, while we were in Puerto Rico. We moved to Utah, where we later married, and began attending the Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City. We moved to Tucson to be near family. St. Matthew s was the second church we visited and where we stayed. At St. Matthew, the people have been friendly and welcoming. They approached me and welcomed me. Rev. Nadine was preaching on our first Sunday here and she was very lovely. Father Rick sat with us at coffee hour and invited us to talk with him. We then became members. We started the Wednesday Evening Prayer in Spanish, more than a year ago. I became a Lay Eucharistic Minister and Lay Eucharistic Visitor. We are on Altar Guild and participate in the Coffee Hour ministry. I find the liturgy simple and easy to find the message. I would like to be on vestry and focus on reaching the young adults in the community. I have noticed that there are many young adults in the houses and apartments around the church.

8 Episcopal Church of St. Matthew 9071 E Old Spanish Trail Tucson, Arizona Phone: saintmatthewsrector@live.com Everybody Needs a Home! Who We Are We seek to be an assembly of people who are fully devoted to serving God; a people who are grounded, loving, welcoming, respectful and affirming; forever seeking to grow in the ways of Jesus in everything we do. Page 8 We re on the Web! stmatthew.azdiocese.org We are with God s help, an inclusive people of God, reverent in our worship, radical in our hospitality, and devoted to growing in the Spirit of Jesus, to boldly yet humbly love and serve our neighbors. Opportunities for Involvement Worship Fellowship Growth Sundays 8:00 am Meditative Eucharist 10:30 am Choral Eucharist Wednesdays 6:00 pm Evening Prayer in Spanish Thursdays 10:00 am Morning Prayer/ Healing Eucharist First Saturdays 5:30 pm Celtic Liturgy Sundays After each liturgy Coffee Hour 1st/3rd Mondays Sewing/Quilting Guild Tuesdays 2:15 pm Yoga 2nd/4th Wednesdays 10:00 am Knit/Crochet Group 1st Saturday 9:30 am Matty s Angels 3rd Saturday 7:30 am Matty s Men Breakfast 8:30 am Matty s Men Meeting Sundays 9:15 am Adult Education 10:30 am Sunday School Tuesdays 10:00 am Cursillo Reunion Academy Village Wednesdays 7:00 pm Cursillo Reunion Group 2nd/4th Saturdays 10:00 am Dream Analysis Class Quarterly Wednesdays 6:30 pm Speaker Series Exact dates TBA