St. Thomas. It s been an exciting 2 months in Minneapolis, and an incredible opportunity for growth.

Transcription

1 Episcopal Church News Volume 6, issue 3 ALL ARE WELCOME! March 2018 Reflections from our Rector: It s been an eciting 2 months in Minneapolis, and an incredible opportunity for growth. It started with relearning how to be in my own body. That s something most of us don t do very well. We inhabit our bodies, but we don t live in them. I ve spent 2 months rediscovering how everything connects, how everything moves (or doesn t move), and how things that don t move can be convinced to move. Then, how to own those movements and make them connect to other movements. At the same time I ve been seeing a chiropractor, a massage therapist, an acupuncturist and a physical therapist to keep my whole self strong and healthy. I wasn t a dancer anymore when I got here, but I ll be a dancer again when I leave. And I will never stop being one again. I ve also been able to see other things by being in Minneapolis. It s always been one of my favorite cities because of who it wants to be. Minneapolis (along with St. Paul) wants to define itself as a place where everyone is welcome and everyone should be represented. The Twin Cities have the largest Hmong population and the largest Somali population in North America, because they deliberately invite refugees to settle there. Don t get me wrong, Minneapolis has plenty of struggles over its choice to be a place of welcome and refuge. Nonwhites make up 35% of the population in Minneapolis. 3 to 5% is considered the tipping point for the majority to start feeling threatened. There are times in stores when white people clearly feel a little tense about the number of dark faces around them. But they want to live in the city they ve made, they want to make that stretch to a community that doesn t have to make everyone alike for them to be members. Read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L Engle for a vision of the worship of sameness. It is a truth lurking behind our dreams of people fitting into the melting pot. We live in a country that is divided, that in fact has always been divided. There are times when we have denied those divisions, and there are times, like now, when we cannot escape them. But until we are willing to do the hard work to embody the truth that we are all children of God throughout every level of our communities, our government, our laws and our economy, we will remain divided. And we will never live up to our potential as a nation. But we can live into that truth. It requires giving up our selves to God as we promised in our baptismal vows, and not secretly crossing our fingers behind our backs. It means giving up privileges that come at the cost of others lives. But it can be done. Melinda+ Rooted in the Liturgy that sustains us and inspires us to be Christ in our community and the world. 1

2 Episcopal Church P.O. Bo S. 1st ST Dubois, WY Phone: stthomas.wy@gmail.com Services Sundays: 10 am - Holy Eucharist, Sanctuary 2 pm - Holy Eucharist, Wednesdays: 5:30 pm - Evening Prayer, Sanctuary The Rev. Melinda Bobo Rector The Rev. Walt Interim Rector, January - March Twila Blakeman Senior Warden John McPhail Junior Warden Bicyclist/Hiker Ministry Coordinator Peter Gottfried Treasurer Lary Treanor Clerk Carol Petera Vestry Member Mandy Rose Vestry Member Ram Packs Coordinator Julia Royall Vestry Member Farmers Market Co-chair Please join us for Bible Study 2 more weeks: March 21 March 28 Our Adult Study Group is studying the Letter of Paul to the Philippians on Wednesday evenings. We meet for a light dinner at 6 pm, and the Bible Study begins at 6:30 pm, in the Coffee Room. Everyone is welcome! Mary Ellen Honsaker Farmer s Market Co-chair Jake Isaly Community Garden Director Rick Metzger Food Bank Director Connie Ticknor Office Manager Cindy Lewis Pianist Sue Bodar Choir Director Church Office Hours Tuesday - Friday 9 am - noon, 1:30 pm - 4 pm or by appointment Walt, Interim Rector, Office Hours Tuesday - Friday 9 am - 4 pm 2

3 Vestry Doings At the annual meeting, we welcomed Peter Gottfried and Twila Blakeman to our vestry. Twila was our Treasurer last year, but was not on the vestry. This year she will serve as the Senior Warden. Peter will be the Treasurer this year. We welcome them both. Also serving this year, to complete the rest of their 3 year terms, are John McPhail, Junior Warden; Lary Treanor, Clerk; Carol Petera, Mandy Rose, and Julia Royall. Reverend Walt has been stepping in for Melinda in her absence. We owe a debt of gratitude to our outgoing vestry members: Randy Lahr, who served as the Senior Warden last year, and Sandy Lahr, who served as our Clerk. They both spent countless hours in the service of. Thank you! A big thank you, also, to Mark Wingerson. In his time with the finance committee, Mark helped the vestry go over the past budget, and compiled draft budgets for us to consider. His epertise with budgets was greatly appreciated. The dead tree behind the office was safely felled by Ken Nattell, and now it can t blow over in the wrong direction in one of our breezes. Thanks, Ken! The vestry has approved the sale of the surplus freezer. The money will be used to put new flooring down in the porch between the coffee room kitchen and the sacristy, to match the new floor in the kitchen. Work on the budget continues, as does sustainability of our ministries, and maintenance of the physical plant. Congregation members are welcome and encouraged to attend meetings. Please call the office at if you would like to look at the freezer we have for sale. Maytag Upright Freezer 19.6 cu. ft. Frost-free Like-new $ March Birthdays Carol Petera March 2 Pat Ballinger March 18 Margie Cargill March 21 Please call the church office at to add your name to our Birthday and Anniversary list! 3

4 March 2018 Events, Services, Meetings Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 4 10a Holy Eucharist 2p Holy Eucharist at 11 10a Holy Eucharist 2p Holy Eucharist at 18 10a Ante-Communion 2p Ante-Communion at 25 Palm Sunday 10a Holy Eucharist 2p Holy Eucharist at 5 6 6:45a Kiwanis 9:30a Bible Talk at 4p Vestry Meeting :30a Bible Talk at 4:15 Kiwanis Board Mtg :45a Kiwanis 9:30a Bible Talk at :30a Bible Talk at 9:30a Food Bank Truck delivery 7 5:30p Evening Prayer 6p Bible Study 14 5:30p Evening Prayer No Bible Study tonight 21 5:30p Evening Prayer 6p Bible Study 28 5:30p Evening Prayer 6p Bible Study 1 4:30-5:30p Farmers Market :30-5:30p Farmers Market 22 6p Ecumenical Group Mtg; Coffee Room- 29 5:30p Maundy Thursday Noon Good Friday - Liturgy/Stations 2p Good Friday Stations at 5:30p Good Friday - Stations 31 4

5 March 2018 Worship Ministries March 4 3 Lent Jennet Ballinger Eucharistic Dick Hodge Mary Ellen Honsaker Nancie Vion-Loisel AltarFlowers Pam Buline March 11 4 Lent Mark Wingerson Eucharistic Sheryl Isaly John Angst Twila Blakeman AltarFlowers Plants March 18 5 Lent Twila Blakeman Lay Sylvia Crouter Mary Ellen Honsaker Freezer Plants Officiant/ Dick Hodge/ Sylvia Crouter March 25 Palm Sunday Carol Petera Eucharistic Randy Lahr Dalton Finley Freezer Plants March 29 Maundy Thursday 5:30 pm Dorothy Remy Eucharistic Mary Ellen Honsaker John Angst March 30 Good Friday Noon Lay Sylvia Crouter March 30 Good Friday 5:30 p.m. Lay 5

6 to all our wonderful volunteers Please remember to keep your pledge up-to-date so that St. Thomas can continue our work and worship. If you have not pledged but would like to, please contact Connie at or stop by the office for a pledge card. Shrove Tuesday Taco Dinner Report A delicious meal with all the trimmings was served to the community on February 13th in the Community Room in observation of Shrove Tuesday. Cindy Lewis organized the dinner and did a great job. Mandy Rose took over last minutes preparations when Cindy was called out-of town, and everyone pitched in to make it a dinner to be proud of. The fundraiser gate receipts were $262.00, with a light turnout. Similar fundraiser meals in town have also been having light turnouts. But all present had a good time and enjoyed the great cooking and ambience! Who is this masked bandit?? Some of The Crew 6

7 Christ for the Community The new ecumenical group, Christ for the Community, formed by the churches of Dubois, is off and running. Its purpose is to bring all of the members of the Body of Christ together to do the work we have been given, to love and serve one another. Holy Week Services will host the net meeting Thursday, March 22nd, at 6:00 pm in the Coffee Room. Everyone is welcome. Sunday, March 25, Palm Sunday: 10:00 am: Holy Eucharist 2:00 pm: Holy Eucharist at Easter Sunrise Service Come Worship With Us! April 1st, 6:30 a.m. Carol Petera s Home 57 Stoney Point Road Bring a dish for Brunch, as usual. Thursday, March 29, Maundy Thursday: 5:30 pm: Holy Eucharist Friday, March 30, Good Friday: Noon: Good Friday Liturgy and Stations 2:00 pm: Good Friday Stations at Warm Valley Lodge 5:30 pm: Good Friday Stations Sunday, April 1, Easter: 6:30 am: Easter Sunrise Holy Eucharist at Carol Petera s home, 57 Stoney Point; bring a dish for Easter Brunch if you would like to, as usual 10:00 am: Easter Holy Eucharist at ; followed by carry-in Easter Brunch 2:00 pm Easter Holy Eucharist at Warm Valley Lodge You can support the Episcopal Suicide Prevention Connection when you shop on Amazon!.5% of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases will be donated to the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming, all of which then goes to the Episcopal Suicide Prevention Connection. Just sign up with AmazonSmile! Wyoming's residents commit suicide at a rate that is almost twice the national average. The Episcopal Church in Wyoming and programs like Grace for 2 Brothers are working to change that unfortunate statistic. NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE: ( TALK) 7

8 Episcopal Church P.O. Bo 735 Dubois, WY Inward Activities During the Sabbatical During the time that our rector, Melinda, is on Sabbatical, our congregation has been doing their own renewal activities. We appreciate Reverend Walt for being our spiritual guide during this time. The poetry group is finished meeting and is working on compiling a book that includes poetry that they have read and also some poetry the members wrote themselves and shared. They feel that the poetry allows spiritual connections to be more readily epressed in words and inspiring feelings. At the suggestion of Reverend, the Bible Study group, using the Commentary by Rev. Drs. Jane Patterson and John Lewis, entitled: Love Overflowing, Paul's Epistle to the Phillippians, is thoroughly enjoying this study. Paul emphasizes "putting on the mind of Christ," and each of them have been encouraged to continue their Study well beyond the Sabbatical period. The congregation has enjoyed hosting Reverend Roanne Jimerson-Friday from Our Father s House Episcopal Church in Ethete, and also the North Bear Singers and drum group. From Dubois, we hosted Reverend Gordon Lindley of the Church of Christ. It is an opportunity for our own spiritual growth when we learn of other s spiritual practices. Thanks to all who ve visited and shared their journeys with us. 8