OCTOBER Rev. Carolyn Coleman in her own words by Vincent Troia

Transcription

1 OCTOBER 2016 Rev. Carolyn Coleman in her own words by Vincent Troia The congregation will welcome the Rev. Carolyn Coleman as St. David s new rector on Sunday, Oct. 16. Her arrival is a bit of a homecoming for the Nashville native who cut her spiritual teeth in the pews of Woodmont Baptist Church before heading to the University of Tennessee-Knoxville to earn a degree in religious studies. Her adult years had her journeying to Ohio, Massachusetts, California, and Maine (where she was ordained as an Episcopal canon pastor in 2007) before returning to Tennessee in 2010, subsequently leading the congregation at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Murfreesboro a year later. She completes her duties there on Oct. 2. Rev. Coleman holds a Master of Arts in Religion from Miami University, Ohio, and a Master of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology. She completed her Anglican Studies at the Episcopal Divinity School. Presently, she serves on the Diocesan Commission for Ministry, and as a clergy mentor at University of the South s School of Theology in Sewanee. Carolyn lives in Sylvan Heights with her family. She recently took some time from her busy schedule to candidly share her thoughts on St. David s, her religious experiences, the new role as rector, and her personal life, which includes an ongoing battle with cancer. Q: Has coming back to Nashville after 30 years been somewhat serendipitous for you, or has it been difficult? You traveled quite extensively since high school. Did you have a sense that you would eventually find your way back? A: It s a little bit of all of that. I had been uprooted in 6 th grade, and it was very heart wrenching for me. I had a wonderful childhood here. And so, my whole life I had asked myself, How can I get back to Tennessee? I really missed the mountains.

2 In 2007, I was ordained in Maine, had my second child in 2008, and my contract was up in 2010, so it was then I started looking for a position. When my then-husband accepted a job at Vanderbilt we moved here and I was really excited to be back. It was hard to leave Maine because I had grown to love it -- mainly because it was a lot like the Tennessee of my childhood with an ocean. Even the winters were good. I loved the snow. I remember once cross-country skiing my way to Walgreen s. To be honest, I didn t think I d ever get back to Nashville. As a matter of fact, in my closing sermon at the cathedral (in Portland, Maine) I said I feel like I m one of those turtles going back to the beach of their birth. And landing here at St. David s is even stranger because it was my first experience with the Episcopal Church. Jennifer Proctor (Margie s daughter) was in the choir here as a child and I came here maybe three or four times. But it stood out in my head because during the Eucharist the wafer and the wine were radically foreign to me. And the fact that they let me have it was even more impressive. Q: St. David s has been blessed to some degree during our year-and-a-half search for a permanent rector in that our congregation largely has stayed together at a time when many churches are seeing a drop in membership. In your years at Holy Cross, you helped mend and grow a parish that had been decimated over the issue of gay clergy. Can you share some of that experience? A: First of all, let me just saying that since interviewing for the position here I have heard on several occasions (from clergy) that St. David s is the healthiest congregation in the Diocese. By congregational health, you all operate well together. You work together to fulfill your mission and are able to avoid the in-fighting and the distractions. And it s a beautiful thing. That was one of the things that were attractive about St. David s to me. Holy Cross history is marred by the split over the ordination of gay and lesbian persons. It was an event on Jan. 1st, (2008), the Vicar got up and said we are moving to our new church today. Grab everything you can carry, except for the hymnals and the BCPs (Book of Common Prayer). They physically took the Stations of the Cross off the walls, the chalice, and patens So, seven people, one of whom was on the Mission Council (vestry), didn t know this was coming and remained seated. They were blind-sided. The trauma psychologically in addition to spiritually that was done will always be part of that church s DNA. But that seven grew, deciding the Vicar s action was not the Episcopal way, and it is not Jesus way Jesus welcomed everyone. So as a result, Holy Cross now has radical right-wing Tea Partiers sitting next to Libertarian lesbians that own guns sitting next to Emory-trained feminist paralegals sitting next to single-mothers. It is the gamut. I can probably count on two hands the number of cradle Episcopalians, and it wouldn t be two full hands. Holy Cross mission is unique. Ninety-five percent of the people there have been squashed by a church in some way; meaning they were Catholic who got divorced and weren t allowed Communion, or they were gay and were told they were going to hell, whatever. Theological abuse is really what most of the hurt is. For some people the doors at Holy Cross was the last path to enter. Even as the church welcomes everyone, the Bishop brought me in for a specific reason. His words to me were, They are a mile wide in welcoming everyone, but an inch thick in terms of understanding their spiritual health. They were so wounded and they felt good to be there, but that s not all there is. I was brought in to bring a little administrative structure as well as grow them down rather than out. 2

3 Q: The mile-wide, inch-thick concept is interesting. Where are we in that thinking? A: Well, there are no Bibles in the pews; we hear it orally in church. It s as if there s no need to read it when we hear it all the time. But the Bible requires study. The Episcopal Church is getting better about Bible study, getting much better about understanding where we get the ideas in the BCP that we do. We re getting better at EFM (Education for Ministry), and we re just getting better at talking about it. Q: Is that something you plan to emphasize at St. David s? A: That s one of the gifts I bring from the Baptist church (laughs). I can t quote scripture; I m not one of those, but the Bible is such a beautiful thing. There are amazing stories in it, and yes, I love to teach so if y all are wanting to do things like that, I really want to do things like that. I think we should be doing things like that. Q: How important is it to draw the link between scripture and what is happening currently in the world? A: Very. Though I think it s less important to find the scriptural parallel in those events. I think what s more important is to see the broad stroke of what the Bible says about violence, about what answer you find on the cross, about loving your neighbor. So, how can we love our neighbor? If love your neighbor is the answer to terrorism, how do we do that? Do we show up at an interfaith dialogue, do we take in a refugee family from Syria? How we can actually do that is, honestly, what I am most interested in. I love seeing the Bible in action, and seeing people literally put their money where their mouth is. In my interview I told a story about a school shooting where a secretary talked down the shooter. Because she was taking a class at her church where the pastor was teaching on how to diffuse conflict, she used the skills she learned in that class, and she was the face of love for the shooter that ended the situation. I want to be that kind of person who equips parishioners with real-time tools in dealing with real-time situations. Q: You have studied and researched diversity issues, and have worked with diverse groups and congregations. St. David s efforts at diversity have come in a few, small steps. Is diversification part of the Episcopal Church s future? A: In a big picture way the Episcopal Church is becoming less blueblood and more on the ground, and I think it s only a good thing. Young adults are looking for what the Episcopal Church has in terms of spiritual experiences -- what it has to offer in terms of a place of quiet, and a place of predictability. Our liturgy offers that. A lot of Episcopal churches have the problem of we ve always done it this way. And because of our predominantly white, educated, upper-middle class population there are some cultures and tastes that are often oft putting to people from other traditions. For example, if you have someone who grew up in the African-American Episcopal Zionist church come visit here, our very beautiful, very clean classical-style music here is not going to feel like home to that person who grew up bopping and hopping to gospel tunes in church. So there are ways where you can extend welcome in other parts of the liturgy. The Episcopal Church has four or five official hymnals but we only use one at St. David s. While that is not a problem, it could translate into one for people who are welcomed here but might not feel at home. That sense of I m not at home gets in the way of spiritual growth and a wanting to get involved. 3

4 Q: You have described yourself as an introvert who is much better in one-on-one situations than in large groups, but you now have been called to a place where you have to stand up in front of a congregation every Sunday. Doesn t that scare you? A: That s the great thing about preaching -- nobody s going to interrupt you (laughs). Some day I want to experience preaching in an African-American church where the congregation talks back to the preacher because I think there s something really invigorating about that. As far being scared, there s a difference between being expected to be the life of the party and getting up in front of people and talking from the Lectern. I love the latter. I m a little bit of a ham and really love the Sunday service and leading that. Some of my very favorite, fun, and meaningful moments are when everybody in church is on the same page with God on a Sunday morning. It doesn t get any better than that. Q: But as an introvert didn t you have to venture out of your comfort zone to be able to deliver sermons? A: Yes, definitely. But there s a big difference between, say, a large crowd at the Renaissance Festival versus a big crowd at Easter. I really thrive under structure, and I think that parties, for example, have no structure. I don t do well there. I was at a conference once and the hosts said all the extroverts on this side of the room; introverts on that side of the room. Everyone then take out a piece of paper and write down all the things you like about parties. All the extroverts wrote the food, I love meeting new people, dancing, the music that sort of thing. And on the introvert side, it was the kitchen, the bathroom, the bookshelf. And I wrote down saying goodbye (laughs). Q: What can you share with St. David s about your family life? A: Well, I have two daughters Iris, who ll be 8 by the time we arrive, and Ava, who is very much an extrovert by the way, who s 13. Ava plays cello; Iris piano. My husband left me in a magnificent crashand-burn midlife crisis in 2013, and without getting into the details of that, let s just say it was a pretty painful experience from which I am still recovering. But, you know what doesn t kill you only makes you stronger, right? At the end of the day, the experience helps me help people. Q: Your battle with cancer has taken a lot of your time and energy. How much of that are you planning to share with the congregation? A: I have been, and plan to continue to be, transparent. I theoretically do not have cancer anymore, but I have not been declared cancer-free. Originally, I had three tumors removed. They were determined at the time to be what s called low-grade, slow-growth. However, when the final pathology report came back, the diagnosis was the exact opposite. I had what I called kudzu of the boob. And what I had was highly bizarre looking; it was a high grade of cancer, extremely fast growing. Because of that, my oncologist recommended that I go through chemotherapy in the event that one of the cells escaped. In five years, if they find a lesion somewhere, I want to know that I will have done everything that I could have done. As for sharing, I m not going to stand at the pulpit (and discuss it). This is something I will share if people ask me, likely in conversations like this. I know this is a weird thing to have a new rector come in just after chemotherapy. While I would love to come into St. David s hopping and skipping, the truth is after weeks of chemo I ll probably be limping a little bit. 4

5 Q: Was it frustrating to have two different reports like that? A: Not really. I was relieved that I had the truth. But let me tell you: all this experience is a big pain in the ass. I had big plans this year. I was going to start running again; run a half-marathon. I did go to California on vacation with my daughters as planned after telling my oncologist, I don t care what you say, I m going. He just said, OK, I guess we ll make it work (laughs). And I was going to have a big garden this year. Q: I almost hate to ask, but are you at all concerned that this will affect your ability to lead the parish? A: No, no, no. Mentally, I am not affected that much by any of it. In fact, this has been an exercise in comedy to be honest. I figured you can cry, wear lots of pink, or you can laugh about it and that s what I ve chosen to do. Where I sit now, I don t expect it to hamper me. I tend to be a little bit of a watcher, so I imagine that for a long while I ll be watching and getting to know people, understanding how relationships work, stuff like that. I am very much looking forward to coming here. Please plan to join us for Carolyn s installation on November 5th. You will soon be receiving an invitation via (or USPS if the church doesn t have an address for you) which has directions on how to RSVP for the Installation of St. David s next rector. 5

6 WELCOME LUNCHEON FOR ST. DAVID S NEW RECTOR ON OCTOBER 16 You are invited to a potluck luncheon after the 10:30 a.m. service on October 16, the Rev. Carolyn Coleman s first Sunday as rector. A signup sheet is posted across from the kitchen. THE SUNDAY SUPPER CLUB RETURNS ON OCTOBER 23 by Molly Dale Smith The popular Sunday night study and supper will return to St. David s on October 23. Guided by Adam Hamilton s book, Half Truths: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves and Other Things will be the subject of our conversations. The programs will meet from 5:30-7:15 p.m. every Sunday night through November 20. True or false: 1. Everything happens for a reason. 2. God helps those who help themselves. 3. God won t give you more than you can handle. 4. God said it, I believe it, that settles it. 5. Love the sinner, hate the sin. All true? Not so fast. We ve heard these phrases all of our lives, but in Adam Hamilton s new book, Half Truths, we ll learn that although they capture some element of truth, when compared to the wisdom found in Scripture, they re really just popular sayings. Each evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the program, followed by supper at 6:30. Lynda Christiansen will be organizing the suppers. The cost for supper will be $5 per person. It is not necessary to attend every session, but it is important to let the office know by Wednesday if you cannot attend on the following Sunday. Sign up on the church bulletin board, or call ( ) or the church office, stdavidschurch@bellsouth.net. If you have any questions, please contact Molly Dale Smith: mollydsmith@yahoo.com. All volunteers in church leadership positions and those who work with children and young people are required by the diocese to take Safeguarding God s Children, an online training program that supplements and broadens child abuse awareness and prevention education. Safeguarding Online provides training in short, focused courses that can normally be completed in minutes. These courses can be taken from any location where a high speed Internet connection is available. Please contact the church office if you volunteer at St. David s and have not taken Safeguarding God s Children. JUNIOR NURSERY VOLUNTEERS by Sarah Riebau The Junior Nursery Volunteer program, which began at Saint David's last year, is a chance for youth ages to help in our nurseries during the Sunday 10:30 a.m. service. The youth play with the nursery and cribbery aged children while helping our nursery workers and adult volunteers. If your child is interested in participating again, or for the first time, please contact me at sarahriebau@gmail.com. We look forward to another great year with our junior nursery volunteers and are so grateful for their help! HOLY BAPTISM Holy Baptism will take place at St. David s on Sunday, November 6. Anyone desiring to be baptized or to have a child baptized should contact the parish office at Youth Entertainment News: St. David s member Molly Duke will be performing in "School of Rock" presented by Street Theater Company s ClassAct Dramatics. Shows will be October 14-22, Fridays at 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at 4th Story Theater inside West End United Methodist Church. Tickets are available at www. streettheatrecompany.org.

7 GODLY PLAY by Jennifer Sanders Fall is upon us, and God's garden is growing. Remember last month when I mentioned a garden and that there would be growth? It's true, there is growth and it's amongst us in amazing ways. As we stay focused on this year s theme, Matthew 13:8, Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty, we hear God's stories. I may not be speaking in a literal sense where there are gardens full of pink and purple flowers, but seeds are planted. And when those seeds are cared for and loved, a tender stem grows and continues its growth until it is ready to bloom in full. As this season is now in full swing I want to let you know that those seeds, aka our children, are beginning to rise and bloom. Rise and bloom in ways that amaze me. They are confident to lead/read during Children's Worship for a first time, contemplate and express themselves during a response time or help a friend with an art response. It is truly amazing how our children have grown and are continuing to grow. However, it wouldn't be possible if it weren't for those who take care of our "seeds". Blessings to those who minister to our children. Side Note: Are you called to work with the children? Please contact me at sandersjd@comcast.net or YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS by Sommer Pearson, Interim Youth Director Now that we re settling into our new class formats and have a youth outing under our belt, we re ready to take on the big leagues. It s time for our Fall Youth Retreat at DuBose Conference Center, Monteagle. This year s retreat will take place Friday, October 14 th - Sunday, October 16 th. The youth will meet at St. David s at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and will return to St. David s in time for Carolyn s first 10:30 service on Sunday morning. The retreat is open to all 6 th -12 th graders and their friends. Contact (sommerpearson@gmail.com) with any questions or to donate snacks for the trip. (Have you seen how much teenagers eat??!!?) ADULT FORUM NEWS by Julie Erwin All are invited to join Sunday morning Adult Forum classes. Classes begin at 9:30 a.m. in Sanders Hall unless otherwise noted. OCTOBER ADULT FORUM CLASSES October 9: Episcopal Relief and Development diocesan representative Paul Deepan shares an overview of how ERD works in the world. Youth Group Mini-Golfing, October 16: Vestry members John Kitch and Marc Pearson present Generosity. October 23: Welcome our new rector, the Rev. Carolyn Coleman! A chance to meet and greet! October 30: Vestry members John Kitch and Marc Pearson present Generosity, part 2.

8 St. David's hosts Room in the Inn on the second Saturday of each month November-March. Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve supper, set up and break down tables, spend the night with our guests, and do laundry. This is an excellent chance to spend time with and learn from our homeless friends, and volunteers always have a lot of fun! Our first night to host is November 12. If you would like to join us, sign up on the board outside Sanders Hall or contact RITI coordinator Josh McGuire, joshua.a.mcguire@vanderbilt.edu or Future dates are December 10, January 14, February 11, and March 11. More info from the Room in the Inn website: In the beginning, December 1986, four congregations committed to shelter homeless people through March By the end of that winter, 31 congregations had joined. Now we have over 190 congregations in Middle Tennessee and over 6,500 volunteers, in addition to our downtown campus, sheltering almost 1,400 men and women from November 1st through March 31st each season. 365 days a year we offer emergency services, transitional programs, and long-term solutions to help people rebuild their lives. The heart of Room In The Inn remains its hospitality. In 1995 we moved from Demonbreun Street to 8th Avenue South to make way for Bridgestone Arena. In 2010, we opened a new 45,000 square foot building and began offering permanent supportive housing for the first time. We now can walk with people on their journey out of chaos, through periods of great change, and continue to support them as they rejoin the workforce, seek education, and work with partner agencies. We do this work with an emphasis on one-on-one relationships and a commitment to serving all those who call the streets of Nashville home. ST. DAVID S BEST EVER HOLIDAY BAZAAR! Saturday, November 19, 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. FALL IS HERE AND BIZARRE THINGS ARE STARTING TO HAPPEN AT ST DAVIDS! It is time for St. David s Best Ever Holiday Bazaar! Our holiday Bazaar is a wonderful chance for all of us to come together and to have a lot of fun! And funds raised at the Bazaar have contributed to needs such as new choir robes and the recent chancel renovation. Won t you join us as a COOK, CRAFTER, VENDOR or VOLUNTEER? You will have a great time and you may even make a new friend or two! The Bazaar will be the Saturday before Thanksgiving from 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. in Sanders Hall. We need everyone to lend a hand and help create the Bazaar! COOKS: prepare and freeze an entree or dessert. It is not too early to start cooking! There is a list in the kitchen for you to sign as you put items in the church freezers. CRAFTERS: we welcome your donations of handcrafted items for sale at the Bazaar and we can t wait to see what you have made. VENDORS: host your own booth selling items that you have made and keep your earnings. If you are interested in doing so please let Joan Green know ASAP. VOLUNTEERS: we need your help behind the scenes before, during, or after the bazaar. You help us stay organized and you represent the many smiling faces of St. David s. WATCH FOR SIGN UP SHEETS AS WE GET CLOS- ER TO THE BAZAAR! CRAFT DAYS ARE COMING! As always, NO SPECIAL SKILLS ARE REQUIRED, ONLY HELPING HANDS and a good sense of humor! We will provide everything and be very glad to 8

9 see you. Volunteers on past craft days have made: holiday decorations, gift baskets, bird houses, marshmallow shooters, and even church mice! This year we may even have a cooking craft day. Watch for announcements in church and on our bulletin board. BEHIND THE SCENES: The Godly Play children will be making something very special and Mary Leigh Rayhab has organized a weekly knitting group. Carol Hornberger is also helping in many, many ways! Lezette Thomason, Annette White, Mary Carl Roberts, and Eleanor Gibbons have already been very busy creating their one of a kind treasures! Derrill McRae, Betsey Duggan, and Joan Green are gathering supplies, lending helping hands and trying to keep things on track! This is a wonderful time for all of us to come together and we can t wait to see you at ST. DAVID S BEST EVER HOLIDAY BAZAAR! Saturday Nov. 19 from 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Joan Green, jellisgreen@gmail.com, Betsey Duggan, ec.duggan@comcast.net, Derrill McRae, derrill.mcrae@comcast.net, DOING WELL BY DOING GOOD by Michael Cass Raising Money for Education Ruthie Huggins was honored this summer for her impressive accomplishments in Nashville s nonprofit sector. Ruthie, the director of development at LEAD Public Schools, was named to the Center for Nonprofit Management s 30 in their 30s list of young leaders in the field. She was honored at the organization s Prelude to Excellence event at the Bridge Building on September The 30 in their 30s are a diverse set of individuals who have excelled in serving our community, reported The Tennessean, which collaborated with the center on the list. They range from advocates and program managers up to chief executive officers, and they come from a wide scope of organizations, including social services, education and the environment. Ruthie said being included was a tremendous honor. Each of us works diligently to better our community, and to be recognized for supporting one of my deepest passions, education, is truly a gift, she said. LEAD Public Schools has given me so much in the time I have worked here, and each day I get to know that my work is creating a pathway to college for more and more students. That is the truest reward, so for me to be recognized by The Tennessean and the CNM for this effort makes me deeply proud as a representative of quality education in Nashville. Ruthie, who graduated from The University of Georgia with a bachelor s degree in history in 2004, started her fundraising career at Harpeth Hall School, her alma mater, in She worked on the school s $35 million capital campaign until it ended in She then moved to LEAD, a group of five schools serving more than 2,000 students, many of whom are vulnerable and underprivileged. She became LEAD s first director of development and started building a program of philanthropic support. Since she started at LEAD, Ruthie has been able to increase fundraising from $350,000 in to $1.1 million in Ruthie, whose parents are Susan and Bill Huggins, also enjoys cooking, hanging out with friends and family (especially her niece and nephew, Charlotte and Emory), walking in the park with her puppies and being outside as much as she can. Congratulations to Ruthie on being one of the 30 in their 30s! SUNDAY BREAKFAST: There is a new signup sheet for Breakfast Hosts on the Sanders Hall bulletin board. Please consider signing up to host one Sunday, expenses are reimbursed.

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