The BLESSINGS BY REV. MARY HUDAK THE NEWSLETTER OF ST. MICHAEL S EPISCOPAL CHURCH NOVEMBER 2014 VOL. 44 ISSUE 11

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1 The MESSENGER THE NEWSLETTER OF ST. MICHAEL S EPISCOPAL CHURCH NOVEMBER 2014 VOL. 44 ISSUE MISSION AVE. CARMICHAEL, CA STMICHAELSCARMICHAEL.ORG BLESSINGS BY REV. MARY HUDAK To bless means to ask for God s favor. Often we receive blessings from God that we don t ask for, pray for, expect, or even want. When my son Casey turned two years old, he opened a birthday present from his favorite aunt and breathlessly exclaimed, Thank you Auntie Judy, it is exactly what I never wanted! He loved that toy for quite some time. Sometimes we work very hard and through that hard work, we say blessings flow. The really cool thing about blessings is that they are all around us and also very much inside us. In the Jewish tradition, the purpose of blessings is to acknowledge God as the source of all blessings. That rings true in the Christian tradition as well; at least it has for me. God s favor is in my life in many different areas. I have been blessed with good health, healthy children, great friends, and rewarding work. I have the skills and gifts to continue to grow into my call to the priesthood. I love my job as a priest and as a rector. I often feel the favor of God in the work we do together. I also have been blessed with financial resources that exceed what I ever thought I would have. Many times I ask myself, why? Why has God blessed me with this kind of resource? I believe it is for a reason. God s reason. I believe strongly in the spiritual practice of giving back to God first, before all other needs or desires. Because God is the origin of all my blessings, internal and external, I practice a biblical response: I do this by tithing to the church. When I first pledged to the church, I gave what I thought was a generous amount because that was how I was raised, to be generous. But as I learned about God and thought about the blessings in my own life, I increased my pledge every year by 10% until I was tithing. Even after reaching the point of tithing, I continue to increase my pledge every year by 10% because it has become my practice and served me well. This practice is rooted in the knowledge that God is truly the source of allgood in my life. Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, I was firmly rooted in the socio-economic culture of lower middle class. I made enough money to pay my bills and saved enough to repay a loan. The ideal most valued was hard work; saving for what you want to buy rather than going into debt. Over night, I went from lower-middle class to upper class. The culture was very different. Education was the number one value, money was available but time was scarce. I don t know what I did to deserve the blessings that came with this socioeconomic move; nothing really. But I immediately knew things had changed and money gave me different options. I wanted to go to school full-time without working for a long time but could not afford it. Now I could and did. I could have children and stay home to raise them, and I did. I enjoyed privileges that come with money; dinners out, vacations, and the ease of paying my bills. But I also felt that there continued on the next page

2 was more that I was supposed to do with this blessing that came upon me. I needed and wanted to give back. I always felt that as fast as wealth came into my life, it could be gone from my life. Instead of making me fearful and wanting to hold onto it tightly, this feeling led me to a different place. I was led to the spiritual understanding that all blessings come directly from God. My gut and heart response is to give back to God what God has freely given me. So I do. I still do. This is what we mean by God working in us, and through us, and with us. Give to God first and from there blessings will come. I believe this and live it daily. Faithfully, Rev. Mary JOIN US FOR BIBLE STUDY EVERY THURSDAY AT 10AM IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM! COFFEE HOUR IN NOVEMBER 11/2 Greeters 11/9 Consecration Sunday 11/16 Virginia Henry, Allison Flower, & Billie McPhillips 11/23 Daughters of the King 11/30 - Suzanne Phinney ST. MICHAEL S STAFF & OFFICE HOURS: The office is open M-F 9am-1pm Rev. Mary M-Th 9am-5pm Father Rod W, F 9am-12pm Deacon Cindy M, W CONSECRATION SUNDAY NOVEMBER 9 Please fill out your RSVP card in church to attend a catered meal after each service 8am: Breakfast 10am: Lunch 5pm: Wine & Cheese Ellen T-F 9am-5pm Glenn M-F 8am 4pm Bookkeeper M 9am-12pm Treasurer M 9am-12pm page 2

3 DATES TO REMEMBER SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 ALL SAINTS SERVICE AT 8 & 10AM ALL SOULS SERVICE AT 5PM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8 HIKING CLUB MEN S BREAKFAST SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 CONSECRATION SUNDAY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10 ST. MARGARET S GUILD LUNCHEON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED FOR VETERANS DAY NOVEMBER DIOCESAN CONVENTION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15 GOD S HELPING HANDS LAUNDRY MOMS GROUP SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 ADVENT FESTIVAL THE FORUM & POTLUCK WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 LOAVES & FISHES MESSENGER DEADLINE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 R.O.M.E.O.s SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23 FAMILY SERVICE SOUP POT SUNDAY THANKSGIVING SERVICE 5PM MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24 ST. MATTHEW S COMMUNITY DINNER NOVEMBER CHURCH IS CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING NOVEMBER 30 ADVENT 1 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 All Saints Service at 8am & 10am All Souls Service at 5pm followed by a potluck in the Parish Hall page 3

4 PARISH LIFE HIKIN G CLUB SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8 St. Margaret s Guild Luncheon will be meeting on Monday, November 10 at 1:00 p.m. They are meeting at Black Angus located at 7925 Greenback Lane. RSVP to Barbara Askew at Saturday, November 8 7:30 am St. Michael s Parking Lot Jim Dodds will be leading this day hike. Meet at 7:30am in the St. Michael s parking lot to gather and caravan! Saint Margaret s Guild R.O.M.E.O.s will meet for lunch on Thursday, November 20 at 12pm at Serritella s (6346 Fair Oaks Blvd). Daughters of the King will not meet in November, but will have a Christmas party on Monday, December 1. All women are welcome to join us. Questions? Please call Edie Decker ( ). God s Helping Hands Laundry Saturday, November 15 9am-12pm Lucille s Launderette Please continue to give generously to support food programs in our community: St. Matthew s, River City Food Bank, and Loaves & Fishes page 4

5 PARISH LIFE All are invited to come and get ready for the season of Advent Please join us in the Parish Hall for a festive Coffee Hour and Festival to prepare for the upcoming Advent season. You are invited to put together your own live Advent wreath and Advent calendar as well as learn about alternative gift giving with materials from Episcopal Relief and Development. We hope that you will join us in getting ready to have a more meaningful and holy Advent! He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 THE U FORUM POTLUCK Anne Lamott s Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers will be the topic for the November Forum and Potluck. This short and poignant book offers a simple way to pray, especially during the harried holiday season. Come at 6pm for a potluck, book discussion, and laughter as we watch another installment of The Vicar of Dibley. page 5

6 OUTREACH BACKPACKS LIFT SPIRITS BY SUE DAVIS For the past five years, St. Michael s parishioners have donated over a hundred backpacks annually to help students at Starr King K-8 have a good start to the school year. One of the teachers recently shared a photo of one of her students and his new St. Michael s backpack. Thank you for helping this little boy and 100 other children! Meet Namatullah, a refugee from Afghanistan who arrived in the US two days before school started. Spider is one of his favorite new English words because he loves the Spiderman backpack! Thank you so much for your generosity, St. Michael s! A CONGREGATION OF ANGELS BY MARY GROESBECK For the last several months, St. Michael s members have shopped, raided hotel bathrooms & cajoled dentists collecting soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouth wash, deodorant, razors, lotion, feminine hygiene products, washcloths, and more. On the Feast of St. Michael, we packed 150 bright-colored fabric bags, lovingly sewed by another angel. A generous gift allowed us to purchase extra items which were needed. Any items left after the bags were packed went straight to the outreach clinic at St. Matthew s. When a few more items are added, the Angel Bags will be presented to St. Matthew s to be distributed to the folks in need who come there for food, clothing, hygiene items, checkups by nurses, some hot soup, and a helping of Christian love. Many thanks to all of you for your generosity and thoughtfulness toward this worthy project. GROCERY GIFT CARDS, CHECKS SOUGHT FOR THANKSGIVING BY JOHN JERVIS As Thanksgiving approaches, parishioners are asked to consider donating, through grocery gift cards, checks or cash, in order to provide special Thanksgiving meals for about 25 families. We ll gratefully accept checks or actual grocery gift cards from now until the week preceding Thanksgiving. Safeway gift cards are the most often used, but any food outlet s cards are very appreciated. Recipient families will be chosen by River City Food Bank and St. Matthew s Church. The church has found from experience that the most efficient method of helping families in need is through actual donations, by check or through pre-paid gift cards which are given to needy families in advance. Donors can use the envelopes in the pews, marking them Thanksgiving food donation or marking a check in a similar fashion. More information is available from John Jervis, , or from Jim Sargent in the office. page 6

7 OUTREACH GOT BLANKETS? BY DEACON CINDY LONG With the cooler Fall days St. Matthew s Clothes Closet has had many recent requests for blankets. These requests come from people of all ages including families with children and seniors who are struggling financially. Some are homeless- sleeping outside or in their car; some have shelter but are cold due to broken heat systems or not enough money to pay SMUD and PGE bills. Clean, gently used blankets, comforters, and sleeping bags can make a tremendous difference for people in these situations. Tents, tarps, and ponchos are also very helpful items for rainy weather. Please bring donations ( attn: Deacon Cindy) to St Michael s office or to St. Matthew s (2300 Edison Ave) on Tuesday or Thursday mornings. Thank you! GIFTS FROM THE HEART MAKES A COMEBACK BY PAULA FRINK (MISSION AVENUE PLAYERS) St. Michael s Mission Avenue Players, in cooperation with the County of Sacramento Department of Health & Human Services, once again will sponsor 65 children and teens and 20 seniors for gifts this Christmas Holiday Season. MAP should have the names and basic details of all our sponsored children, teens, and seniors by October 20th at the earliest and November 14th at the latest. All gifts must be back to the church by December 1st for County pick-up December 2 thru 10. Our pick-up appointment date is not yet known. Please see after the 8, 10 and 5 services for further details beginning November 2nd. MAP thanks each and every one of you; who, over many years, have given so generously from your hearts. You give Christmas to those who otherwise might not know kindness and giving. by Deacon Cindy Long, Kate Muris, Bev Reed, Lisa Sargent & Tina Ferriot Our Vision: Create a culture where the people of St. Michael s Church pastor to one another with open hearts, healthy emotional attitudes, good boundaries, and a sense of God s presence in their work. Here is what is new with St Michael s Pastoral Care for November: Caring Hearts- NEW as of November 1st! - In addition to providing occasional meals and rides to appointments/errands, Caring Hearts will also be offering rides to Church and Church Events, which can be occasional or ongoing. Let us help you get to all the Church services and events which you would like to attend! Please request by ing caringhearts@stm-ca.net or by leaving a message on the Caring Hearts extension at the church office extension 12. page 7 MINISTRY UPDATE Thank you to Tina Ferriot, our new Facilitator, and to Bev Reed for her great work in setting up the Facilitation process. Pastoral Partners. Trainings continue on November 2nd and November 16th from 3:30-5:00pm. Interested in having a Pastoral Partner? Please see the gold Pastoral Partners information sheets in the church entryway. Recruitment for Pastoral Ministers and Bereavement Ministry is also continuing. Please speak with Deacon Cindy if you are feeling called to this ministry. There are now over 40 Pastoral Care volunteers! Thank you! There is always room for more. For information about how to join, or to request Pastoral Care Ministries, please contact Deacon Cindy.

8 CLERGY MESSAGES Each November our Anglican tradition blesses us with a lifesustaining reminder of our shared good fortune and allegiance as followers of Jesus Christ. We do this by observing All Saints Day; this year on November 2nd. While Roman Catholicism limits the celebration to honoring those who are in heaven, the observance of Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans is broader. We regard all true Christian believers as saints and therefore use the occasion to remember all Christians both past and present. The feast of All Saints, which we will observe at the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services, comes as a reminder that, as followers of Jesus, our primary, fundamental community is the crowd of saints, i.e., the believers in Jesus, of every nation and race, holy as well as sinful, physically dead as well as alive, those known to us and those known only to God. The feast is not just about famous religious figures. Last month I discussed some basics about grief and the emotions which can come when we personally experience loss. This article is about helping others who are grieving- knowing that while grief is a universal experience, it is experienced differently by each individual. Sometimes we may worry about how best to interact with someone who has had a loss, so we end up avoiding them. It is important for us as members of our church community to know that there are effective and caring ways we can be there and support one another. We cannot ease the pain of loss but we can be companions along the way. Please know that I, as your Deacon for Pastoral Care, am here to help and provide resources when these situations arise. Here are some basic guidelines for helping a person who is experiencing grief: Mention the loss. Often the most comforting thing to say is I am so sorry to hear. This allows the griever to know they are not alone in THE CROWD OF SAINTS BY THE REV. ROD DAVIS HELPING WITH GRIEF BY DEACON CINDY LONG page 8 The theologian Elizabeth Johnson calls it that feast of splendid nobodies. Through it we remind ourselves that our shared allegiance to Jesus and through him to one another is the source of our security, our sense of ultimate wellbeing, and our joy in the knowledge that God s love will be extended to each of us, despite our present faults, hardships, and pratfalls. On the same day that we observe All Saints, we will come together at our 5 p.m. service to celebrate The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, formally known as All Souls Day. In it we will hold up in prayer and give thanks for the lives of those who have died and are no longer physically with us. During this service we will especially honor all those in our Parish who have died during the last year. I hope you will join us so that together, as our part of the crowd of saints, we can celebrate these occasions. God bless you, Rod+ their experience. Leave room for the person s unique feelings by saying things that allow them to respond such as I know this must be very difficult. Be a good listener. A grieving person may find comfort in telling stories over and over. A rule of thumb for us is to listen 80% of the time and talk 20% of the time. Your caring presence, which allows for crying and not having to be strong can be a great gift. Advise cautiously. Avoid you should, which can make a person feel they are not grieving correctly and may increase their sense of being all alone in their experience. Encourage the grieving person to think about and do what will help them to cope rather than worrying about what others think they should be doing. continued on page 9

9 CLERGY MESSAGES continued from page 8 Offer specific, practical help such as I would like to bring you dinner tonight rather than vague offers such as Call me if you need anything which, as well meaning as those words often are, puts the burden of asking on the griever. Be aware of signs of serious depression and insist on getting help. Remember grieving can be a very long process. Sometimes several months or even years will have gone by and others may expect the person to be over it. This is often when a grieving person might feel most alone and need support more than ever. (Adapted from: ) The friend who can be with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is the friend who cares Henri Nouwen, from Out of Solitude Having just returned from my studies at Nashotah House in Wisconsin, I thought I d take this opportunity to share a few thoughts with you about my priestly formation here at St Michael s. I m so grateful for your warm welcome and how you ve helped me feel a part of the St Michael s community in such a short period of time. This is a testament to your hospitality, and I admit I m feeling very smitten with you. Hospitality is a foundation of Christian formation, including my formation for the ordained priesthood, and the formation for all our ministries flowing from the shared priesthood of our baptism. We are formed by the hospitality that we receive, and we are formed by the hospitality that we offer. Hospitality is about a lot more than being nice to new people. Hospitality is how we enter into loving relationships with each other. Hospitality is about respectfully welcoming others as equals, offering shelter and protection from life s storms, and setting aside our own agendas to try to meet the needs of those who present themselves to us. Hospitality is a lot about generosity. And generosity is a lot about gratitude. I m most generous, most able to extend hospitality, when I recognize all that supports me is ultimately from God and belongs to others as much as to myself. I hope I m not the only one who finds it easier to read these words than to live them! When I think of formational moments at St Michael s, I think of sitting next to Beckie Oleson THOUGHTS ON FORMATION BY SONYA REICHEL page 9 before a 10am service, listening to choir rehearsal. She didn t do anything in particular, other than slide over to make room for me in the pew. But being with her as we listened to the beautiful music evoked joy and peace in me. Maybe hospitality can be that simple. Maybe it s just about sliding over to make room for someone to be themselves with us being ourselves. I also think of watching The Vicar of Dibley during The Forum. I was really stressed out that day, with my monkey mind swinging wildly from item to item on my lengthy to-do list. But before I knew it, I was laughing so hard, something about a man and a horse ( what happens at The Forum stays at The Forum!), and laughing even harder at everyone else laughing. I relaxed, realizing I was in a family room watching Sunday night TV with my peeps. I needed that. I really need that. Opening up the family room and showing up is hospitality, and the experience of shared sacred silliness informs my priesthood. The most important experiences of priestly formation do not happen in the seminary classroom debating fine points of theology (though the church nerd in me loves that too!), they happen in relationship. They happen with you, as I learn more about what it means to be in loving community with each other in Christ. For the serious moments and silly moments, for the big moments and the little moments, for your role in my formation that you might not even realize you have, thank you.

10 COMMUNITY presents A READER S THEATER December 6 & 7, 2014 St. Michael s Mission Avenue Players will present a Reader s Festival. Short plays, submitted by local playwrights from Sacramento s own Playwrights Collaborative, have been submitted and chosen for your entertainment and enlightenment. Please join us for an evening (or afternoon) of live theatre promoting local playwrights and actors! Proceeds will go to St. Matthew s Food Closet. Performances: Saturday December 6 at 7:30 pm Sunday December 7 at 2:00 pm Admission $5 per household St. Michael s Episcopal Church Johnstone Hall 2140 Mission Avenue Carmichael CA ANNUAL CELTIC CHRISTMAS WITH MOLLY S REVENGE RETURNS! SAVE THE EVENING of Friday, December 5 for this spectacular show, coming back to St. Michael s by special arrangement (the fiddler is Mark & Esta Wiederanders son) as part of the band s usually sold-out Christmas tour through California, the Pacific Northwest and Mountain States. The smooth but vibrant sounds of the longterm friends and band will be played on bagpipes, tin whistle, guitar, mandola, fiddle, and bodrahn. Renowned vocalist Christa Burch lends her rich folk voice, and the enchanting Rosemary Turco Irish dancers round out the display with both softshoe and hard-shoe step-dancing. Tickets will go on sale in mid-november at the church and can also be purchased online at mollysrevenge.com. page 10

11 YOUTH & FAMILY MOMS Please join us for this EXCELLENT fellowship group that meets every 3rd Saturday morning from 10am-12pm beginning November 15th. We have a really great curriculum that will be facilitated by Ellen, so all you have to do is show up with open hearts and minds. SUNDAY, A Y, NOVEMBER N R2 2 snacks + games + fun 3-5pm Grades 6-12 ST. MICHAEL S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 2140 MISSION AVE. CARMICHAEL NOVEMBER EYC Grades 6-12 NOVEMBER 2 We re hosting a Diocesan Youth Party! 3-5pm NOVEMBER 16 ADVENT FESTIVAL After the 10am service NOVEMBER 30 RSVP to Ellen by November 15 if you want to go to the Kings vs. Grizzlies game at 3pm! NuRsery for ages 0-3 is open 9:45am-12pm every Sunday Happy Birthday Collin Gerbitz Sam Wittaker page 11

12 S MICHAEL S 2140 Mission Ave. Carmichael, CA Phone: (916) Fax: (916) The St. Michael s Messenger (USPS ) is published monthly by St. Michael s Episcopal Church at the above address. Postmaster: Please send address changes to St. Michael s Episcopal Church, 2140 Mission Avenue, Carmichael, CA OUR MISSION St. Michael s Episcopal Church, centered in Jesus Christ, welcomes all who desire to grow in their relationship with God. WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday Eucharist 8:00 a.m.... Rite II 10:00 a.m.... Rite II 5:00 p.m.. Music, Prayers, and Eucharist PARISH CLERGY The Rt. Rev. Barry L. Beisner, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Northern California The Reverend Mary Hudak, Rector The Reverend Rodney Davis, Associate for Spiritual Formation The Rev. Cindy Long, Deacon for Pastoral Care Sonya Reichel, Seminarian 2014 VESTRY Jim Cole, Senior Warden Tammy Murray, Junior Warden Mary Ellen Ferguson, Clerk Vestry Members: Doug Davy, Jim Dodds, Kassie Donoghue, Selma Fields, Sarah Foley, Susan Johnson, Darcie Larkey, Christopher Lee, Huey Tidwell STAFF & VOLUNTEERS Melissa Lovin, Administrator Glenn Croy, Sexton Jim Sargent, Treasurer Utonomy, Accounting Ellen Coleman, Ministry Program Manager Shelby Thomas, Nursery Director Chuck Schaller & Ellen Coleman, Youth Directors Constance Weichert, Music Director John Cozza, Organist Deadline: Submissions for the December issue are due in the office or to ellen@stm-ca.net by Wednesday, November 19, 2014.