Saint David s Enrolls in Kroger Community Rewards Program

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1 Microsoft Saint David s Enrolls in Kroger Community Rewards Program by Norman Gillis, Vestry liaison for Worship A HUGE thank you goes out to Shelley Gotterer for presenting the Vestry with the idea of enrolling in Kroger s Community Rewards. Kroger s Community Rewards sends a portion of their earnings to service organizations that customers assign to their Kroger card. The Vestry recently voted to enroll in this program. Funds that come to Saint David s through this helpful program will be earmarked for our Service ministries, such as Room in the Inn, Saint Luke s Community House, etc. Want to sign up? It is a fairly straight-forward program. Parish members (or friends) simply use their Kroger Plus card to register at krogercommunityrewards.com, using St. David s NPO number (if you don t yet have a Kroger Plus card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger). Click on Sign In/Register. If you are a new online customer, just click on Sign up today in the New Customer? box, and follow directions. When you get a message to check your inbox, click on the link within the body of the . If you currently use your phone number at the store register, call , and select option 3 to get your Kroger Plus card number. You must swipe your registered Kroger Plus card, or use the phone number that is related to your registered Kroger Plus card when shopping for each purchase to count. The more of us that do this, the greater the benefit to Saint David s, without any extra contribution! If you have any questions or problems registering, please contact the parish office. First Friday Fire Night Friday, May 5 6pm??? on the hill Let s gather on the hill at our new fire circle on the first Friday night of the month for a fire and conversation. While the primary purpose for this is to relax with friends as the sun goes down, our conversation may turn into other things just depends on where we want things to go! We ll see how this goes on May 5 before we decide to make it a regular thing. In any case, we ll close out our evening together with the beautiful service of Compline. Compline by firelight divine! Bring a lawn chair or be prepared to sit on a log or stump. If you have a guitar, bring it! Or fireside stories or songs to share, please bring those too! You re welcome to bring munchies and soda. If you re willing to help schlep a few 5 gallon buckets of water to the top of the hill, please let Rev. Carolyn know. And bring a headlamp or flashlight for the trek back down in the dark! May 2017 Page

2 Worship In returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength First Wednesday Healing Services, 6pm in Chapel Beginning May 3, Saint David s will hold a monthly healing service on the first Wednesday of each month. Healing services are opportunities to be present to the hurts in our lives and the lives of those we love. Scripture readings offer comfort. Prayers offer strength. The laying on of hands invites the works of the Holy Spirit in the healing of oneself or another. You may participate as much or as little as you feel comfortable. The healing you seek may be for yourself, for a friend or family member or for issues in our world or strangers who share our human family. If you have questions about this kind of service, please talk with Rev. Carolyn. Seeing Visions and Dreaming Dreams Pentecost Sunday, June 4, 8 am and 10:30 am services Lore has it that last year was Saint David s first time (in a long time?) to hear the Gospel read in different languages during Pentecost Sunday. What a spooky, fascinating and mysterious thing to be part of this and witness aurally the diversity of human culture, knowing that the Holy Spirit reaches all people of all languages. Let s do this again! Do you have command enough of another language to share it during our Pentecost service this year? The Gospel is short this year John 20:19-23 so your reading would be short, unless you speak Russian, which almost always takes twice as long to recite! We ll read from where we are seated at the same time the Gospel is read in English from the aisle as is our tradition. If you can do this, please contact Carol Hornberger as soon as you can so we can list the various languages in the bulletin. The Cross on the Hill Johnny Erwin is a skilled wood worker. Knowing this, Marc Pearson thought to inquire about his ability to take a piece of downed cedar from the hill above Saint David s and fashion a cross from it. Marc was able to use his chainsaw to cut a length of cedar log into two halves. The red lined wood is beautiful and undulates from the chainsaw s cutting. Johnny put the two piece together with those skills and fashioned an equidistant cross, the meaning of which points to taking the Good News of Christ in all the directions of the earth. Easter week, Howard Fox and Johnny hung the cross on the tree above what will eventually be a Communion table that stands next to the fire pit in the middle of the hill s clearing. A very warm and heart felt thank you goes out to Johnny for sharing his gifts with Saint David s. And deep thanks goes out to Marc and Howard for their assistance in this special addition to Saint David s worship life. Page 2 May 2017

3 Formation Youth Ministry News by Sommer Pearson, Interim Youth Director We've just finished up another successful Youth Sunday. Many thanks to all the parents and leaders who helped our young people shine (as always) on this special day, and a special thank you to the Rev. C, who came to Youth Group and taught us about the structure of collects and prayers of the people. Without her help, we would've been lost when it came to crafting our own Prayers of the People for our big day. As our year comes to a close, please remember that it's a hectic and stressful, but exciting time of year for our youth. Many are involved in sports and the arts. They're searching for summer jobs, and they're facing standardized testing in the coming weeks and final exams. Please keep them (and their harried parents) in Youth Sunday, April 23, Clockwise from top left: Bryce Troia, your thoughts and prayers. Gillian and Lexi Spivak, Olivia Cass and the Children s Choirs. sixty, some thirty. Every week, we have sown the seeds of faith by sharing God s Word, through His stories. May 28 marks the end of our program year and our garden is beautiful with lots of blooming flowers and smiling faces. Although we take a break from Godly Play classes and Children s Worship during the summer we know that the children will continue to Bloom Flourish Thrive and Progress with God in their hearts! Our garden could not have grown and prospered without the help of our Volunteers. I d like to thank them all for their dedication and the love they have for this program and to our children. Godly Play News Many, many thanks to: by Jennifer Sanders, Godly Play, Children s Ministries Director Flourish Thrive Progress Bloom! If you have been in the Undercroft lately you may have noticed the wonderful BLOOMING bulletin board. It s not just flowers, it s our children. All year we have been following along with our theme from Matthew 13:8, Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some Alison Brown Julie Burnstein Kristen Frevert Allison & Owen Grimenstein Laurel Jamison Sarah Riebau Zac & Corinne Tureau Edie Wear And, of course, Laura Duke and Carol Hornberger! I d also like to recognize our Graduate from Godly Play, Oliver Jamison. Many blessings to him and his next venture with the Grape Gang! May 2017 Page 3

4 Formation Sunday Night Live! Sunday, May 7 at 5pm in Sanders Hall by Heather Cass Our May Sunday Night Live event on May 7 will feature Andrew Marannis, author of Strong Inside, the story of Perry Wallace who was the first African American to play basketball in the SEC (Vanderbilt). Maraniss will discuss the story and parishioner Snake Grace, former Vanderbilt player and coach, will share his insights. To pique your interest please find the trailer for Marannis's book here. If you would like to purchase your book ahead of time, please click here. Books will also be available for purchase at the event. The program will be held in Sanders Hall beginning promptly at 5pm. We will not serve dinner but will have snacks! Please RSVP to hcass@comcast.net. Please note if you will need childcare. Adult Forum in Easter Exploring Spiritual Gifts Sundays, April 23-May 28 9:15am 10:15am in Sanders Hall Spiritual gifts are those talents and aptitudes with which God equips us in this life. Do you know what your gifts are? If so, are you using these gifts? Perhaps you need confirmation about some nudges to do or be something you may already be feeling drawn to. You are invited to join the Adult Forum during Easter for an in depth exploration of your spiritual gifts and those of others. This forum is cumulative and you will be having weekly small group discussions. It is important to commit to attending each week of this forum because your small group partners depend on it. Questions? Please contact Rev. Carolyn or Rev. Molly. A Summer Reading List Shout Out Have you read any good books lately that you d like to share with Saint David s folks? The Adult Formation Committee is compiling a list of summer reading books to publish in the June Wild Onion. Please send your submissions to Carol Hornberger at stdavidschurch@bellsouth.net. Be sure to list the following: Title, author and a very brief description (maybe two to three sentences) of the book and/or why folks at Saint David s would appreciate this read. Deadline for submission is May 22. Summer Stories Returns to Saint David s on June 11 Summer Stories returns this summer for children during a portion of the 10:30 a.m. service. During the reading of the Psalm, children who wish to participate in Summer Stories will be invited to process to Sanders Hall. Children will return to their families in the nave during the Peace. The components of the program include a story, song, craft, and most importantly lots of FUN! All children are welcome to participate in Summer Stories and we hope see you all each Sunday from June 11 through September 3. If you have any questions, or would like to VOLUNTEER to help, please contact Betty Lentz. Page 4 May 2017

5 Formation Let your light so shine before all that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 By Julie Erwin, Vestry Liaison for Christian Formation Something is coming something really great...your opportunity to SHINE...a real FUN RAISER (not to be confused with Fundraiser which this is NOT)...it s our HOMECOMING WEEKEND, Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10. We invite you to participate in this weekend celebration of all that makes Saint David s a great place to shine and to give glory to God. We are in the planning stages and need everyone s help and input. Our vision is to feature a variety of ways to showcase our multitalented parish family. We hope to have exhibits of all types of arts and crafts; featuring 3 or so pieces representative of artists work. Maybe demonstrations? At two or more times during the day, and maybe evening, on Saturday, we d like to read poetry or prose, tell a story, tell jokes (Grated of course), perform magic??? Whatever! And for those whose talents are in the kitchen, something will be planned to feature you as well. Okay, so you don t feel you have a gift or talent to share? That s okay too, because you will have another role to play which is equally important that of cheering others on. We are all important members of the Saint David s faith family. The Christian Formation programming will kick off at 9:15 am Sunday, September 10. There are also many opportunities for worship, growth, and exploration of our faith during the week, both daytime and evenings. We hope you will take part as you are able. Contact information will be available and will be posted on the bulletin board across from the kitchen. Meanwhile, here are some ways YOU can help now: 1. Do you like to organize? Help with staging, exhibits, lighting, amplification, recruiting, advertising, set up, take down, clean up, greeting, ideas??? We need ideas and muscle! 2. Do you play an instrument, have a band, or are a visual artist? Are you a singer, dancer, martial artist, clown, gymnast, costumer, potter, woodworker, jeweler, metal worker, needlepointer, cross stitcher, juggler, ceramics, comedian, magician, dog trainer, writer, storyteller, poet, gardener, seamstress, bike racer, golfer, biker, baker, chef, beer or craft liquor brewer, livestock raiser? Other hobbies? If you have a unique gift, will you share that specialty with us? 3. We might have other ways to feature our talents/gifts/ uniqueness. Maybe compile a list of who does what. You never know when or where someone may need your particular expertise. Maybe we could have a contest of sorts featuring special attributes, such as person who has traveled to the most countries; or who has the most grandchildren; longest and shortest membership at Saint David s; who lives closer or further from church; most facial hair; ugliest tie; loudest Hawaiian shirt; longest ponytail...you get the picture. Suggestions? Maybe you can plan this? Let me know! 4. THIS IS NOT FOR ADULTS ONLY. I know of many, many talented children and youth among us. If they are willing, bring them on! 5. All participants welcome regardless if you are a professional or hobbyist. 6. This is for family fun, so please, all art, performance or visual, needs to be G-rated. So, MARK YOUR CALENDAR for SEPTEMBER 9 AND 10 and get ready to CELEBRATE! Saint David s always is thrilled to invite your extended family and friends to join in the celebrating and cheering on of all participants. We hope the neighborhood will join in the fun as well. Call or text me, , or 13bekem@gmail.com. I want and need to hear from you and what you would like to do. I will collect names and get back to everyone. Together we can make this HOMECOMING the most exciting RALLY DAY event ever!!! I hope my excitement is contagious catch it! Let s get started! Thanks and remember the secret word is SHINE! May 2017 Page 5

6 Community Change in Rector s Day Off by The Rev. Carolyn Coleman Because many diocesan meetings take place on Mondays and it also seems to be a good meeting day for folks at Saint David s, I ll be changing my weekly day off from Monday to Friday beginning the first week in May. Just a quick FYI! SAVE THE DATE! Summer Swim and Potluck Party! Tuesday, June 27, 5pm 805 Timber Lane Join us for a swim and supper party at the home of the Rev. Dr. Molly Dale and Dr. Richard Smith, anytime between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. Details to follow. Senior Warden John Kitch and the law firm of Cornelius & Collins, LLP, invite you to two free concerts on May 7 and May 9. The firm is hosting these concerts to celebrate its 75th anniversary. May Anniversaries & Birthdays May 19 Kristen & Drew Frevert May 27 Claudia & John Patton May 28 Amanda & Wayne Gibbs So that we can offer a prayer of Cathy Hinton & David blessing to yet another spin around Livingston the sun, we will take a moment after the announcements on the first May Birthdays Sunday of each month to recognize May 2 Emerson Schmidt anniversaries and birthdays. We ll May 3 Susan Gish invite folks to come to the front so May 4 Patrick Grimenstein that we can pray over them and ask Barbara Bowen God s continued blessing for another May 5 Tom Bolles, Sophie Johnson year. We will also print names and May 7 David Axford, David Green, dates here so that you may Jim Hornberger remember them in your daily and May 9 Dolores Rayhab, Anne Swift weekly prayers. May 13 Paula Wade May Anniversaries May 14 Lezette Thomason, May 6 Sue & David Strayhorn, Annette White Derrill & John McRae May 15 Tommy Tompkins, Page 6 May 2017 May 17 May 19 May 21 May 22 May 25 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 Zoe Garner Betti Lose Emmy Lou Tidwell Hugh McBryde Dash Long Howard Fox Oliver Jamieson Adam Spector Bob Erwin, Sam Cartozzo David Strayhorn Joan Green, Greg McNair, Jennifer Sanders

7 Community THE VESTRY VOICE The Vestry Voice offers a means by which parishioners can get to know Vestry members in a new way. Mary Jo Murphy (2017) 1. What is your favorite thing about Saint David s? Saint David's is part of my very being, of who I am. Saint David's has provided a community for my family and me for almost 50 years. This community and the opportunities for worship here are two of my favorite things. 2. What do you do for fun? For fun, I do things with Liz, my 8 year old granddaughter who lives here, and I read and play Bridge. Murph and I do a lot of fun things together. 3. What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness? I have been told that one of my greatest strengths is asking questions, also having the ability to organize. I like people and working with people, but I am constantly trying to be more tolerant of the intolerant. My third grade teacher wrote on my report card, "too bossy." 4. Name a time in your life when you felt God s presence in a profound way. I have felt God's presence in a profound way during some of the most difficult times in my life: during both my daughters' serious health issues and the illness and death of my mother. 5. What do you want to hear God say to you when you enter heaven? Do you know any new limericks? Marc Pearson (2017) 1. What is your favorite thing about Saint David s? More than anything, Saint David s provides me a place to recharge and find peace. My work life is rather hectic and my weeks are filled with travel, phone calls and oodles of s. However, my time at Saint David s is not about that. It s about being with a community of individuals that help me become stronger in faith and remember how precious our time on this Earth is. I also love our youth more than I can express. We have such an amazing group of kids. Leading, mentoring and just being there for them is part of who I am and something that I will be forever grateful for. 2. What do you do for fun? I love to work outside on our yard. I love seeing new plants bloom in the spring and maintaining the wooded areas around our house. When I m outside, my stress and other worries in life fade away and it s in these moments that I find a wonderful sense of peace. As Muir once stated, In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. When the rain prevents that, I find myself tinkering with wood working, building tables and other household items. I m grateful that we have so many talented people at Saint David s that I can seek advice from when it comes to this hobby. 3. What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness? This is always a challenging question to answer. I believe my greatest strength is my sense of humor and patience. These traits are so closely interwoven that I can t separate them. Together, these allow me to be a leader and mentor to others, but also help me make people laugh. One of my missions is life is to make people smile. Smiling is my favorite. My greatest weakness is my inability to ask for help. I love to help others and it brings great joy for me to assist others in times of need. However, I often stretch myself so thin that I am unable to accomplish all that I want to do. 4. Name a time in your life when you felt God s presence in a profound way. It was the evening that my Dad passed away. We knew he was close to death in the early evening and I had prepared myself to sit by his side all night. As the hours went by, a calm came over both of us. His pain and suffering disappeared and so did mine. I sat with him, holding his hand and watched as the last breath left his body. In that moment I did not sense tremendous grief, but an overwhelming sense of joy that he was going to find my Mom and that I would one day be with him again. I have no doubt that God was with both of us in that moment. 5. What do you want to hear God say to you when you enter heaven? There are two scenarios in my mind. The first is that knowing me so well, he will say, Marc have you heard the one about the corduroy pillow? It s making headlines! Or he will strike a more serious tone and reassure me that even though I often failed to be the person I wanted to be, he knows that my intentions were always good. It s one of the greatest fears that the people I love, especially my family, won t know that I m constantly asking God for help to be a better person, son, brother, husband, father and friend. May 2017 Page 7

8 Community Onion Rings These little reflections offer us insights into the lives of our brothers and sisters in the pews. If you would like to contribute, please submit your ring to the Parish Office by the third Sunday of the month. NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY VOLUNTEER Recently, Shelley Gotterer was recognized at the Nashville Public Library for her dedicated service with the Talking Library. Shelley has logged over 1,000 volunteer hours! Way to go! CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES! Mary Allison Sutinis, granddaughter of Dot and Grady Williams, will graduate from Franklin High School on May 21. She has been selected to participate in the Chancellor s Honors Program at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, this fall. William Theodore "Thad" Lentz, Betty Lentz s grandson, is graduating from Barrington High School in Rhode Island, and will be attending Kenyon College, where his parents met! And Simon Issac Lentz, another of Betty s grandsons, is graduating from Bronx Science High School in New York City, NY, and is taking a gap year, first serving as a senior counselor at Camp Lanikila in VT., and then as a teacher's aid in underserved schools in NYC. He will then attend Kenyon College with his cousin(s) the next year. His parents also met at Kenyon! SAINT GEORGE S ART FESTIVAL Parishioner Eleanor Russell recently had two paintings displayed in the juried annual Art Festival at Saint George s Episcopal Church, Nashville. Requirements for the show were that the works of art grow out of an engagement with a spiritual core and reflect the theme of Communion. The artwork was displayed at Saint George s through April 23, ending with a lecture titled, Why Should the Arts Matter to ( Christian Faith? by Jeremy Begbie, Thomas A. Langford Research Professor of Theology, Duke Divinity School. In her biography for the show, Eleanor shared the following information. As an active member of Saint Luke s Episcopal Church in San Antonio, Texas, for 45 years, I was a licensed lay reader and chalice bearer. As such, the Communion service was very important to me, and I loved participating in it. Because of ill health, I moved to Nashville, where I attend Saint David s Church. The services there continue to draw me to church. An active member of the San Antonio Calligraphers Guild for over 40 years, and now the Nashville Calligraphers Guild, I have been privileged to have been taught in workshops by some of the finest teachers in the United States and Europe. As an expression of my faith, I include hymns in much of my artwork. Communion This painting is a representation of what this rite of the church means to me personally, with its jewel-like and variety of colours. It expresses the purple of my repentance and the joyful red of God s forgiveness, as well as the gold of the richness of the service. The blending of the colours, as well as the texture, reflect the complexity of the service. The red of the Holy Spirit works through me to achieve the beauty of the combination of colours. Jerusalem Page 8 Communion Jerusalem This piece is one of several that are related to my interest in Hebrew life. One of my daughters is Jewish, and learning about her religion and language and culture has enriched my life, as they were the religion and language of Jesus. I have more understanding and appreciation of the Old Testament now. The landscape reflects my understanding of what Israel looked like during that time long ago. There are words to a hymn in part of the painting, but are only used as texture, not as writing to be read. Learning about the Jewish religion has deepened my faith and my appreciation for our Anglican rites. May 2017

9 Two Hospice Volunteers Reflect on Their Ministries Annette Pilcher My interest in hospice began in an unconventional way. Around 40 years ago, when Sam Hulsey was the rector of Saint David's there was a Lenten study group on death and dying. The leader of the group was Professor Charles Scott, a philosophy professor at Vanderbilt. Dr. Scott was an avowed atheist. I thought it was very strange for an atheist to lead a Lenten study. A gifted teacher, Dr. Scott taught a class on death and dying to Vandy undergrads and medical students. This was revolutionary in the mid seventies. The focus of the group was Albert Camus's The Plague. Dr. Scott led us through a five week discussion of this book. The basic plot is the bubonic plague comes to the city of Oran in Algeria. After it rages for months all of the characters are beginning to lose hope. The Catholic priest preaches a final sermon in which he says that the inexplicable deaths of innocent children force the Christian to choose between believing everything about God or believing nothing about God. Through the entire Lenten program, Dr. Scott wove in the issue of death and dying and the problems that society must answer. His solution: the hospice movement. He and his then wife, the Rev. Donna Scott were active in the beginning of the hospice movement in Nashville. Dr. Scott's conclusion was that, although death is a natural event, death was the end of everything and that is the worst circumstance. I believed at the time, and I do to this day, that there are many worse things than death. For me The Grapes of Wrath begins with a hopeless situation that only gets worse. There is no hope in that novel. I disagreed with Dr. Scott's hypothesis that death was the worst possible outcome because I believe in Resurrection. This Lenten series began my serious study of the dying process. Over a period of almost 30 years, I read extensively about 20 th century death in America and hospice practice. Elizabeth Kubler Ross's On Death and Dying and Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death were especially helpful. In 1975 two physicians, David Barton (Psychiatry) and John Flexnor (Oncology), along with many others including Charles and Donna Scott founded Alive Hospice. At that time it was the second hospice in the United States. The premise of hospice care holds true Service today. Patients with life limiting illness have the right to die at home in a familiar place with family and friends. In 1993 my father-in-law was diagnosed with a recurrence of lung cancer. He was in hospice for 15 months. It was during this time that hospice became personal for me. It was a relief to him and especially to my mother-in-law that he was getting the care he needed at home. As with all patients, there was a physician, an R.N., a home health care specialist, a chaplain and a social worker available to them at all times. In addition, all of the equipment he needed was brought to the home. Family came and went as we liked. He died peacefully in his own bed in August. In 2003, my father died under hospice care in East Tennessee. The care was phenomenal and our family was comforted that he had died peacefully at home. I retired from the TSU library in August of By that November, I was volunteering at the Hospice residence. My first job was care of the library. There are many ways to volunteer besides direct patient care. After I had been there for about four months, the volunteer director asked me if I would serve on a new telephone team. I was flabbergasted! I hate to talk on the telephone. However, I believe that some situations that fall in my lap are God given. My adopted child is the most important. Others have been involvement in prayer and share groups and the ability to accomplish tasks not in my wheelhouse. I thought the telephone possibility might be one of those. I agreed to try it for thirty days. Seven years later I am still doing it. I call patients on Wednesday afternoons from the hospice residence. I make somewhere between 12 to 20 calls per visit. The calls are very brief. I identify myself, ask about the patient and determine that they have all of the supplies and medications they need. Many times I get voice mail so I identify myself and ask that they call us if they need anything. However, the most meaningful situations occur when I can have a conversation with the care giver. I can tell how the care giver is coping by the sound of the voice. Sometimes there is a crisis and I determine what the situation is and notify the hospice staff. I do have some frustration. Many patients come to hospice just days or hours before they die. The patients and caregivers believe that hospice is a death sentence. They do not have the time to receive all of the benefits of hospice care. Unfortunately, I take this too personally. I know that the decision is valid for these families. I do know the benefits of long term hospice care. I had time to tell my father good-bye in person. It was one of the most difficult and blessed things I have May 2017 Page 9

10 Service ever done. The most meaningful interactions occur when I have the opportunity to develop a relationship with the care giver (and sometimes the patient). We develop a real friendship over the telephone. Sometimes the relationship with a care giver can go on for a year or more. A few times, after the patient has died, hospice reports to me that the care giver was so grateful for our brief moments that we had on the telephone. I am so thankful that I can help. I am very grateful for this opportunity. My connection to the care givers is a true gift. I began this journey to help someone; I find that I have received so much more than I have given. These conversations are grace-filled and I bless them. Mike Caver In June of 2014, I asked Annette Pilcher, who knew me well, to consider volunteer opportunities which could provide more client contact. I d spent fifteen years recording books for the sight-and small-motor challenged valuable I knew, yet at least one step removed from those we served. Almost before I finished my sentence she said it was important for her to brief me on Alive Hospice where she d volunteered for years but about which I knew nothing. Halfway through our lunch meeting I knew Hospice was just what I was seeking! Seventeen years of my business career had been in health care, and virtually all my career was focused on interviewing listening to others tell their stories, as I knew I would when meeting inpatients and their family visitors. A month later, after initial interviews, extensive background checks, and a tuberculosis test, I was on board. My initial assignment was to call on patients and their families at Alice Hospice s 30-bed midtown inpatient facility. Rather than move to another volunteer spot at Hospice, I ve found the work so satisfying I ve continued. I felt especially attuned to this as a result of a serious illness and extended rehab several years before. During a month in the hospital and six weeks in the nursing home I didn t pray to be spared, but did pray intensely that if I was, God would show me how to direct my time to better serve and better know Him. Page 10 May 2017 The midtown Alive Hospice inpatient is a state-ofthe-art facility that serves as an alternative to in-home care. It was built so hospice patients who can no longer remain in their own homes may have a comfortable environment in which to spend the remainder of their lives. In addition to providing 24-hour medical attention, the residence offers private baths, a sun porch, courtyard, sanctuary and family rooms for visitors. As with Alive Hospice s home care program, The Residence provides a full continuum of care, ranging from symptom control and pain management for patients, to bereavement services and education for their families. Each patient is provided with a clean, comfortable, secure room. While each room is furnished, residents are encouraged to bring treasured personal items to customize their living quarters. Medicines and medical equipment pertaining to the hospice diagnosis are also provided. Patients time with us is very special: most become thoughtful and introspective; many experience close communications with their family members; and yes many experience particular support from their faith traditions. I was immediately struck by how pleased most are to have someone outside their established relationships to tell their stories to, even reflecting on what has been important to them, their joys and disappointments. Just such discussions and the occasional errands I do leaves me with profound satisfaction to the point I never leave without having gotten much more than I may have given! Mother Teresa is often quoted as saying We can do no great things, only small things with great love. What I and my volunteer colleagues do is dwarfed by the work of our physicians, nurses, chaplains, social workers, grief counselors, and other professionals. Yet if those of us in direct contact with patients and their families perform with great love it illustrates to those most discouraged or upset that they are valued and respected, that we care for and about them. Another gift from God has been grounding: compared with what these folks are experiencing, I realize that my challenges are miniscule; important as they may seem to me, they are dwarfed by the needs of others.

11 Service End Slavery Tennessee Silver Award Project Update by Emerson Schmidt, Saint David s Youth Have you ever received a gift from someone for no reason? It s pretty cool, isn t it? That s what my Girl Scout Silver Award project called Seasonal Surprises is all about. This project and these gifts are intended to be for the survivors of human trafficking being counseled at End Slavery Tennessee. I have received more than 100 donations from friends, family, church members and even strangers! THANK YOU to everyone who has already contributed! I need a few more items to complete the project. If you d like to contribute, visit this website ( SeasonalSurprises) and make a purchase like you would any online gift registry. The items come straight to my house. If you have something you d like to contribute that is not on the Amazon list, I will gladly accept it. I cannot wait to assemble these items into beautiful gifts. These (mostly) women have been through so much. With your help, their days will be brightened by receiving something that is beyond a basic necessity. End Slavery already provides them with things like toiletries and some clothing. The Seasonal Surprises gifts are intended to be extras to boost their self-confidence like a little bit of make-up or a cool scarf/wrap. This is an easy way to bless someone s day and let them know that people they ve never even met really do care about them. I hope it will be a small way to encourage them to stay on the right path in life. Thank you for your consideration! Questions? SilverAwardByES@gmail.com. Thank you to All Who Helped With Refurbishing the Trails by Cassidy Sullivan, Saint David s Youth Thank you to everyone who came out to help with the trail workdays. There are so many people who helped create a welcoming and sacred space behind the church building. I would like to personally thank Mr. Erwin, Mrs. Schmidt, Mr. Pearson, and Rev. Carolyn. They have helped very much. Mr. Erwin made the beautiful cross above the almost finished altar and pushed wheel barrows up and down the trail. Mrs. Schmidt helped spread mulch up and down the yellow trail and she was the last person on the second work day. Mr. Pearson cut down most of our dead trees and cut the wood for the cross Mr. Erwin made. Rev. Carolyn helped me plan everything I did and cheered me on the whole time. Again, I would like to thank all who helped. I am very happy that everyone is more engaged in our property and aware of what Saint David's has to offer. This is a great community and I'm glad to be a part of it. Trail Ribbon Cutting and Blessing, April 23, We held the blessing inside because it was pouring rain and felt that on both Youth Sunday and Earth Day weekend, it was too important to postpone. May 2017 Page 11

12 Rector s Note D ear Good People of Saint David s, I once heard a sermon that likened Jesus s time with the disciples after his resurrection to the season when lilacs bloomed. The title of sermon was Lilac Time. I heard this sermon while living in Maine and certainly lilac time is brief up there. Brief and beautiful, lilac time in Maine is spectacular as lilacs grow wild in addition to being a favorite garden member, so most houses have at least one lilac bush if not an entire hedge. In Maine these bloom for about two to three brilliant weeks in May. Then the lupine take over in June to bedazzle the tourists with their pink, blue and purple stalks growing wild everywhere the wind has carried their seeds. The Great Fifty Days, as we call lilac time in the Church, are the days that pass between Easter and Pentecost. During these weeks, we hear stories of Jesus s encounter with disciples after his resurrection and then stay for several weeks with Jesus s farewell discourse at the end of the Gospel of John. The last few weeks capture especially the sweetness and ephemerality of lilac time with Jesus. You can hear the apprehension in the disciples questions. You can feel Jesus s compassion in his responses. On Pentecost, all that worry and fear evaporates as empowerment and inspiration settle in and take over. In the Church there is a kind of sigh that happens after Easter. It is a rest from the increasing weight that is Lent and the maelstrom of feelings that come with Holy Week. It s as if we tell ourselves, Ah, I can stop for a bit. And we do, for a bit, until the week prior to Pentecost when we remember that there is another crescendo before the long season of ordinary time. (Ordinary time, by the way, refers to the ordinals or propers, numbered lessons, not to time that is nothing special.) We know that Jesus is always with us, that lilac time never really ends, but with the turn of the seasons, both liturgical and earthly, it seems that our sense of urgency to be close to Christ diminishes without the pressures of feast days weighing upon us. Is there a way we can harness our longing to move about after a taciturn winter with our longing to know Christ in ways that, unlike Lent, are gentle and slow? In these pages are many opportunities to slow down and encounter Christ through engaging with others inside and outside Saint David s. There are new liturgical experiences to take advantage of. There are ways of reaching out into Nashville too. Let these extend lilac time. This missive is more than just an extended advertisement for the goings on at our church. It is an extended invitation to come to Saint David s and just simply be more this spring and summer. The good work of Cassidy Sullivan and the myriad others who helped clear the trails presents you with an opportunity to come be at Saint David s with no agenda, no tick list and no time constraints. You are welcome to come sit in the nave and watch the sun scroll its way across the pews. You are invited to bring a chair to the clearing at the top of the hill and sit with the cedars and the limestone, the owl and the deer. Come and just be. Many at Saint David s have told me of their dream that our church would become a kind of community center for the West Nashville neighborhood. Community starts at home. Come home to your community and make our physical plant that community center for ourselves. More practice of this kind will engender a deeper experience of church that will spill out among our neighbors. It is always lilac time. We just need to be intentional about our choice to look for the bloom of being all around us. In peace, Page 12 May 2017

13 Sharing the Good News Reclaiming Hope Through Remembering A Memorial Service for the Victims of Lynching in Davidson County, June 7, 2017, 8am to 11am at Fisk Chapel and Saint Anselm s The Episcopal Church of Tennessee, in collaboration with Lipscomb University s Christian Scholars Conference, will conduct a sacred service memorializing the victims of lynching and racial terror in Davidson County, The service begins at 9:00 a.m. in Fisk Chapel, North Nashville. At the conclusion of the service, a permanent historical marker will be dedicated on the campus of Saint Anselm s Episcopal Church nearby. Following the service and dedication, refreshments, workshops on racial justice, a formal dinner, and a keynote speech by Dr. James H. Cone, Union Theological Seminary, for registered participants ($20.00 fee). Register at Children s Stations of the Cross, Good Friday, April 14, 2017 Streamers on Easter Day, April 16, 2017 A GLIMPSE OF APRIL 2017 AT SAINT DAVID S Children s Choirs sing under the leadership of Daryl Wilkinson on Youth Sunday, April 23, Easter flowers and Youth Sunday servers May 2017 Page 13

14 Lay Ministry Schedule Page 14 May 2017

15 May Calendar May 2017 Page 15

16 Cookies and Lemonade! Please host one Sunday this summer! Cookies & Lemonade is set up on the porch outside the narthex, weather permitting, after the 10:30 service each Sunday in the summer. Please join us and consider signing the appropriate sheet on the bulletin board across from the kitchen if you can host this ministry on a Sunday. Supplies are provided. Securing Our Future Loan Update! Since Mary Leigh Rayhab issued the challenge at the annual meeting to pay down the Securing Our Future loan this year, $34,229 has been given toward the principal of the loan. Current SOF balance: $70, Men of Saint David s Arise and Gather! Thursday, May 25 at 6pm At the Leathers Home by Gareth Aden and Raymond Leathers All of the men of the parish will meet at Raymond Leathers ranch (5807 Vine Ridge Drive) at 6:00 pm on Thursday, May 25, to meet, greet and plan our events for the coming year, including the Annual Layman s Conference this summer. Food will be provided and you are encouraged to BYOB. Do not miss this historic, gala event! You will be headed home by 7:30 pm or so and us guys expect to see you guys there! P.S. Don t dress up! Saint David s Episcopal Church 6501 Pennywell Drive Nashville, Tennessee Page 16 May 2017