The Word FROM THE CLERGY. St. Paul s Episcopal Church 1444 Liberty St. SE Salem, OR stpaulsoregon.org January 2015 Vol.

Transcription

1 The Word St. Paul s Episcopal Church 1444 Liberty St. SE Salem, OR stpaulsoregon.org January 2015 Vol. 53, Issue #1 FROM THE CLERGY HAPPY NEW YEAR! There are many new years to celebrate. The Muslim New Year moves around the calendar, most recently it was celebrated in October. The Jewish new year Rosh Hashanah was in September. The Chinese new year is in February; this year is the Year of the Goat for all of you who have told me you identify with goats. Should be a good year for you. And new we celebrate the New Year on the Western (Gregorian) Calendar: January 1, 2015 the day when everybody (including the Florida State football team) wants a new start. Why do we need a new start? We aren t always our best selves. We find ourselves in tight places. We are looking for new hope interesting that the new year is traditionally pictured as a baby that perfect sign of new hope. In the Bible, when Jesus was only a baby, after the Magi departed, an angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to flee with his family to Egypt. So, like Moses, Jesus spent his first months or years in Egypt. Existential Egypt The Arabic name for Egypt is Misr. The Hebrew name is "Mitzrayim". The Hebrew name has a story to tell. Mitzrayim stems from the root letters "tzr," (mi, "from," tzar, "narrow" or "tight"). Mitzrayim can mean narrow or constrained. Mitzrayim can mean "boundaries, limits, restrictions" or "narrow place." To the people of Israel, Egypt was a place of slavery limits, restrictions. God called Moses to lead them out of that narrow place into freedom. Egypt is a geographic place, and a historical place; it is also an existential place. We are always getting into tight spots. We have to break out of the limits. We seek our freedom. In order to leave Egypt, each individual must break out of personal narrowness, becoming free to achieve our full potential. There is a literal personal narrowness we all have in common birth from the womb. The narrow place has a kind of birth canal imagery. The narrow place is the way into our lives, into the series of redemptive experiences we encounter, New Year after New Year. Every time we encounter hope, especially at Christmas, the promise is renewed. Jesus as a child represents the promise, and the hope for better things, the promise that was fulfilled in the life of Christ. Most of the emphasis in the Bible is on Jesus as a baby or Jesus as an adult. In the narrative telling of the Flight to Egypt by the Holy Family, we have a rare mention in the Bible of Jesus as a young child It seems to me that like the Bible, the church puts emphasis on babies (baptism), and a lot of emphasis on adults, with much less focus on young children and youth. At least that has been true here at St. Paul s the music program is the notable exception. My hope, for this coming year, is that we can change that. My hope is that we will have more children and young people who are active in all areas of the Church Continued on page 2

2 Continued from page 1 I have two reasons for wanting more children and youth at St. Paul s: Children and young people need the church. This is a community where we seek to know Christ and make him known, where we vow to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. In this community we vow to strive for justice and peace among all people, to respect the dignity of every human being. What that means to children and young people is that the church is a community unlike sports, unlike school where they can be themselves without being judged or bullied. This is a multi-generational community that can support children and young people when they are going through narrow places in their lives. This is a place that runs on hope. The Church needs the children and young people. We need to learn from them. Young people are not empty vessels waiting for us to pour knowledge into them. We need them so we can listen to them what is important to them? What do they see God doing in the world? I have personal experience of this. At my former parish, I oversaw Sunday school, and once led classes about the Holy Eucharist, for classes grouped by age. I taught the little ones a song, and the slightly older ones were very interested to think of the service as how we pray, how we thank God, and how we share. The group I was worried about was the 5 th and 6 th grade class. I was afraid they would ask tough questions, or not even want to talk to me. As it turned out, they were very interested and thoughtful, and towards the end I spontaneously asked: In what way is the bread we have at Communion the Body of Christ? How are those two related? Long pause. Then one of the young men said: When I became rector at Saint Paul s in Cambria, CA one of the first things they mentioned to me was they had an outdoor labyrinth. Cambria s labyrinth was blessed and dedicated June 5, It is a replica of the classical elevencircuit design embedded in the floor of Chartres Cathedral near Paris, France around the year That impressed me and even more so after I saw it a stunning locale with surrounding mountains and adjoining pastures. My office overlooked that part of the campus and virtually any day during the week and often on weekends I would see people drive up and walk the labyrinth. The amazing thing is that I did not know the people. I do know that we received many notes from folks who said they were visiting in Cambria and heard we had a labyrinth and they visited us. Some Roman Catholic folks in Arroyo Grande (quite a few miles from us) sent a delegation up to get details so they could construct something similar. During my time as associate rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Menlo Park, CA we built a beautiful chapel with a labyrinth built into the wooden floor. I was chaplain for our school at Trinity and I found the labyrinth a handy tool for When Jesus was with people he fed them, he healed them, he strengthened them, he gave them hope, and he gathered them together into a community. The bread we receive at Communion can do the same thing for us. In three years of Seminary, I never heard a better explanation. When I returned to the service, while the children were still in their classrooms, I spoke during the announcements and told them about what one of our young people had to say. I told them I thought we must be doing something right if the young people in the church were able to be so thoughtful and articulate about their faith, and were so well supported in their spiritual journey. I want that for St. Paul s, and I believe it is possible. The Plan So here s the plan: at our retreat in March, the St. Paul s vestry (our governing board) is going to explore what we can do to engage children and youth more fully in the life of this parish. We will ask what we can do to be more welcoming, and how we can support their spiritual lives. Next steps will be announced after that meeting. If you want to help or have a suggestion, please be in touch with a vestry member or me. At St. Paul s you have been through the narrow place Mitzrayim and we are making a new start. This process began before I got here there were members of the youth group on the Rector Search Committee. Now, you have invited me to come and be the midwife for the infancy of the hope that is being born in this new year. We will come out of the narrow, restricted place, into a place of new life. God calls us out of Mitzrayim nothing is impossible with God. Grace and Peace, Mother Anne+ LABYRINTH UPDATE my weekly visits with the children. So what is a labyrinth? The labyrinth is a sacred place, a spiritual tool meant to awaken us to the deep rhythm that unites us to ourselves and to the Light within. Walking the labyrinth becomes a metaphor for our journey through life and builds a sense of relationship to people, to creation and to the Divine. The labyrinth has a meandering, but purposeful path, from the edge to the center and back out again. There is only one path, so there are no tricks or dead ends. As the path winds through the circle, it becomes a mirror for where we are in our lives. It should be walked with an open mind and an open heart. Participants take what they can from it, and leave the rest. Seekers and believers of all faiths are always welcome to visit the labyrinth. There is no Episcopal or Catholic way to walk the labyrinth. This Lent we will be featuring the St. Paul s Labyrinth. Please let me know if you are interested in helping reintroduce this wonderful spiritual practice to our Parish. ~Father Fred Heard

3 FROM THE STAFF CHILDREN MINISTRIES Sunday Morning, from the perspective of a 7-year-old at St. Paul's One of the first things Mother Anne asked me to do in November was to walk her through a Sunday morning the way a child would walk through a Sunday morning. I'd like to share that with you today, walking through January 4, 2015 as a 7-yearold. I'll leave off everything that has already happened: breakfast, arguing over clothing, being forced to wear a jacket, etc. 8:55 We walk through the entrance by the Chapel, are warmly greeted by the people hanging out there, walk over the bridge that goes over the gym, hang up our coats in the closet at the end of the bridge, go to the Narthex and get one of the fabric Worship Bags labeled "7-12". There is no way we would ever take one of the bags labeled "3-6" because, well, we're 7. We sit in a pew with our family just before the priests and acolytes and other altar people walk up the aisle. We look to see if it is one of our cousins acolyting today. 9:05 After the Gloria and the Collect, Mother Anne invites us to come up to go to Children's Chapel. We aren't entirely sure, but our parents encourage us, and we see other kids going up, so we go along to the front of the church and then back over the bridge to the Children's Chapel. There is a table of musical instruments in front of us, which makes for a hard decision. The xylophone? The lemon-shaped shaker? The spoons? Chris starts playing her guitar and we sing "Go Tell it on the Mountain" while accompanying with our instruments. We say the beginning prayers together. This week Megan asks us all to come to the front and we sit in a circle. Chris plays her guitar so quietly that we hardly notice. We close our eyes and listen to Megan read a story about God making everything with his words and coming to earth as a baby (John 1: 1-18). When the story is finished we are silent as the music keeps going and then we sing "Away in a Manger." Megan wonders if we saw any pictures when we were listening to the story. One boy says that he could see pictures of everything that was happening in the story. Another child saw two bright stars. Another girl says she learned about this in preschool - there was one tiny, tiny thing that got so full that it exploded and made stars and planets and everything, and that's how God made everything. We go back to our pews and some kids go to the front to lead the prayers. We say the Children's Creed, the Prayers of the People and the Confession of Sin. Then we sing more songs. 9:35 We left the Chapel a little bit early, so we get to take a walk around the hallways and see the classrooms and Megan's office and the Chapel again, and then we go back into the Church and sit with our parents. We all listen to prayers together and share the holy bread and wine and sing more songs. Our brother gets squiggly, but that's ok as long as he isn't trying to start a fight with us. 10:10 After the last song in church, we leave and say hello to Mother Anne, just before we dash over to the Library to get a cookie. Then we go to our classroom for Sunday School. We go to Godly Play, but our big brother goes to Seasons of the Spirit down the hall. Lena, the teacher, shares the story of Christmas and the Epiphany, and then we can choose a story or some art materials to work with... There's more, but I've run out of room. Believe me, I could go on for days about what happens in Sunday School. Megan Jones Coordinator for Children's Ministries Children s Chapel On January 11, Children's Chapel will consist of an informal Epiphany Pageant. The children always have a great time, so please make sure to get them here for this one. Wednesday Volunteer Needed A volunteer is needed to guide art projects two Wednesday afternoons a month. Projects are all prepared, so you just get to EVENSONG CONCERT SERIES Canadian pianist, Angela Cheng comes to St. Paul s to play the new 9 Yamaha concert grand piano on February 1 st at 2:00 pm. Her repertoire for the Salem concert includes Sonatas by Mozart, Schubert and Prokofiev. In addition to regular guest appearances with virtually every orchestra in Canada, she has also performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Houston Symphony, Saint Louis Symphony, and the Israel Philharmonic. In the spring of 2012, Ms. Cheng made her highly acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut with the Edmonton Symphony. She also made her debut at the prestigious Salzburg Festival in a recital with Pinchas Zukerman during the summer of In 2009, at the invitation of Pinchas Zukerman, Ms. Cheng toured both Europe and China as a member of the Zukerman Chamber- Players. An avid recitalist, Angela Cheng appears regularly on recital series throughout the United States and Canada and has collaborated with numerous chamber ensembles including the Takács, Colorado and Vogler quartets. Her festival appearances include Chautauqua, Banff, Vancouver, the Festival International de Lanaudière in Quebec and the Cartegena International Music Festival in Colombia. Angela Cheng has been Gold Medalist of the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition, as well as the first Canadian to win the prestigious Montreal International Piano Competition. Other awards include the Canada Council s coveted Career Development Grant and the Medal of Excellence for outstanding interpretations of Mozart from the Mozarteum in Salzburg. There will is no service of Evensong this day. ~Dr. Paul Klemme, Director of Music Ministries

4 January 11 th : SPY group 6:30-8:30 p.m. January 18 th : SPY After Christmas Party! 6:30-9:30 p.m. January 25 th : SPY group 6:30-8:30 p.m. FROM THE STAFF S.P.Y. NEWS Save the Date! The 2015 Melody of Love St. Paul s Youth fundraiser will be held on the evening of Saturday February 7 th. Ticket sales will begin Sunday January 18 th. Prices will be the same as last year $30/person $50/couple $200/table of eight. If you would like to attend, please do not let the price of a ticket stand in the way. Contact Amy Goerger for more information (goerger.amy@gmail.com). NEWS OF INTEREST & UPCOMING EVENTS Dear Parishioners - have you enjoyed church activities during the past year ~~ the ice cream social, potlucks, the St. Nicholas celebration to name a few ~~ Well, those are planned and overseen by your Parish Life Ministry. We invite you to join us. We need your ideas and your helping hands. If we all do a little, think how much we can get done! This Committee will meet on the Monday, January 12th., from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Room 116, to plan the calendar of events for We will even feed you lunch - such a deal! We meet once a month and are responsible for assorted activities during the year. No, you don't have to chair every event unless you want to! This is a fun group and Toni Phipps has organized this meeting so we will get a lot of decisions made quickly. If you can attend, please contact Lynda Bush at or nwnana1120@yahoo.com). We need an approximate head count for lunch. PARISH LIFE MINISTRIES Scores of parishioners gathered in Steinberg Hall on Dec. 7 for the annual Feast of St. Nicholas, a fourth-century saint known for his faith, holiness and charity. Although legend has it that St. Nicholas took nourishment only on Wednesdays and Fridays, the Feast at St. Paul s featured a light brunch generous enough that there were leftovers. We were delighted to have Bishop Michael Hanley with us, and children lined up to speak with our very own St. Nicholas (Dennis Fisher). In the spirit of Nicholas charity, people brought to the Feast their Christmas Share gifts, which on Dec. 11 parishioners delivered with grocery vouchers to members of 29 Salem-area families. Christmas Share was managed this year (and last) by Martin Loring, with many St. Paul s elves assisting.

5 Web: Liberty St. SE Salem, OR Telephone: (503) ; fax (503) Web: Liberty St. SE Salem, OR Telephone: (503) ; fax (503) FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS Scores of parishioners gathered in Steinberg Hall on Dec. 7 for the annual Feast of St. Nicholas, a fourth-century saint known for his faith, holiness and charity. Although legend has it that St. Nicholas took nourishment only on Wednesdays and Fridays, the Feast at St. Paul s featured a light brunch generous enough that there were leftovers. We were delighted to have Bishop Michael Hanley with us, and children lined up to speak with our very own St. Nicholas (Dennis Fisher). In the spirit of Nicholas charity, people brought to the Feast their Christmas Share gifts, which on Dec. 11 parishioners delivered with grocery vouchers to members of 29 Salem-area families. Christmas Share was managed this year (and last) by Martin Loring, with many St. Paul s elves assisting. GREETERS NEEDED If you are interested in being a Greeter at the Chapel entrance, please contact Barbara Larson at bblarson42@gmail.com or call We really need your help. TAIZE SERVICE Please join us for a Taizé Service at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, January 11, 2015: At Jesus baptism, a voice came from heaven saying, You are my Son, the Beloved, my joy is in you. Please join us in contemplative sung worship in the quiet candle light of St. Paul s Sanctuary as we join our voices in sung prayers led by the St. Paul s Taizé Musicians. We include a healing/ anointing service in our service as we continue to grow in this ministry. POINSETTIA ADOPTION After January 7, we will be taking down the decorations that adorned the church during Christmas. If anyone would like to adopt a poinsettia, please feel free to take one. They will be put in the Library for the taking. ~Altar Guild ANNUAL MEETING St. Paul s annual meeting will be held on January 25. We will have one service that day at 10:00 and meet immediately afterwards in Steinberg Hall. A light lunch will be served. The election of new Vestry members will occur along with discussion of the 2015 Budget. VESTRY NOMINATIONS If you are interested in running for Vestry for 2015 please submit you Statement of Interest form by Monday, January 12. Forms and Vestry qualifications can be picked up in the office or contact Kati at or ktarp2@gmail.com.

6