THE PARISH VISITOR. From the Dean s Desk...p. 2. From the Canon s Corner...p. 3. Support Nativity Youth Camp! Spaghetti Dinner and Talent Show...p.

Transcription

1 THE PARISH VISITOR From the Dean s Desk...p. 2 From the Canon s Corner...p. 3 Support Nativity Youth Camp! Spaghetti Dinner and Talent Show...p. 3

2 I gather sunrays for cold, dark winter days. I gather colors for winter is gray. I gather words for winter days are long and many. Frederick, the Fieldmouse. (From Frederick, by Leo Leoni, 1973, Borzoi Book) I don t mind telling you that Christmastide around this cathedral community lives up to our naming. The feast of the nativity again was filled with glory and our celebrations I believe were pleasing to God. Handel s Messiah, Celtic Christmas Ensemble, Christmas with Craig and Nyke, Christmas Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve and Day services, Celtic Christmas Spirituality Night. Nearly 2,000 people attended and participated in these experiences that lifted our souls in thanksgiving to the greatest of gifts in our world. Love. This time gives way now. Culturally, Christmas things are put away and already you can find Easter décor in stores. The days are always grayer in January whether or not they actually are. This the reality of shortened colder days. I find that this very divisive and strange time in our country may be described as a winter time for us. I feel that way anyway. Anxiety, fear, uncertainty, judgment, chaos seem to paint in broad strokes a gray and cold picture. Things are uncertain for sure. None of us know how things will play out, turn out. This is a good time for us to turn to prayer and poetry. You remember Frederick, our favorite field mouse from Leo Leoni s 1973 children s masterpiece. One of a family of field mice who spends his time gathering images of sunrays, a diversity of colors, and a collection of inspiring words while his mates gather nuts and corn, and wheat, and straw for a winter s surviving. You remember of course on the longest, coldest, darkest days of winter when the staples of the winter s gathering ran out those field mice turned to Frederick in a prayerful longing for that which he collected. He calls them to close their eyes as if in prayer and he delivers to them the golden sunrays and calls them present in such a way they are warmed by it. He shares with them the vivid colors of flowers and trees that pull their longing souls toward an explosion of color filled contrast. He offers his words as if a psalm reminding his listeners of the promise of the cycle of seasons, the big picture of creator and creation if you will, the spirit to live for the next hope-filled season. Here we are I believe in our very strange time where the voices of division and the rhetoric that seems to invite it paint a gray, long winter. This is a time for prayer and for poetry. A time the faithful followers of a Love we celebrate in God s hatching in humility we know as Jesus. A gift given on a cold winter night that caused angels to sing, shepherds to leave their fields, wise kings to travel far and the earthy rulers of the time to be threatened by. I truly believe the wisdom of Ecclesiastes and Frederick, that for everything there is a season. I truly believe we are living in a gray season of divide and a gray landscape where the most vulnerable among us are at risk, and in fact the division among us puts all of us at risk. This is a time for the faithful to pray! Hear St. Paul s invitation and devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Watchful for God s spirit of justice, mercy, and reconciliation in all circumstances, thankful that in life s winters we are not alone. Truly, please pray. Let us open our selves and our souls to God discovering over and over again that as we pray it is not God we are asking to change, but we who in the praying our changed. May we be changed. This is a time to discover poets. Where words are transformed into strength needed, resilience longed for, hope promised. Words that bring present God s sparked up presence that helps us find courage to take action and a Love that transforms. Frederick our mouse, delivered his words that day to his cold, disheartened companions. He reminded them of the cycles of life, and gave them hope for the next day, the next season. When he finished, the story goes, they applauded. Frederick, you are a poet, they said. He bowed and said, I know it.

3 One of my favorite saint s days which we just celebrated in the church calendar is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. It has long been a favorite day because I find Paul s conversion so powerful and compelling. In the midst of adversity, his faith in Jesus gave him the strength to endure hardships and allowed him to persevere and spread the gospel despite the persecution he experienced. If you are not familiar with the reading, Saul (later named Paul) is a Pharisee who has been persecuting Christians after the death of Jesus. In fact, he witnessed the death of St. Stephen and stood so close, that some who stoned Stephen laid their coats at Saul s feet. Saul had a notorious reputation for having Christians arrested and executed but on his way to Damascus, he was blinded by a brilliant light and heard Jesus voice asking why Saul was persecuting His Church. For three days, Saul lived in darkness and was led to safety and cared for by Christians he had been perceiving as his enemies. For three days he was unable to do anything but reflect on his actions and how he was responsible for the deaths of others. He reflected on Jesus words and the kindness of those who cared for him. And at the end of the three days, scripture tells us that something like scales fell from Saul s eyes and he was able to see once again. But this time, Saul s vision was different. His vision was as changed as he was from this experience. Jesus gave Saul a new name and called him Paul. He gave him a new mission which was to spread the Good News of Jesus to the gentiles. At the end of the three days, Paul had a zeal for Jesus, he was baptized and he would tirelessly spread the message of Christ crucified to the world. But Paul had to begin again and start anew. His life was reborn as he traveled through a three-day darkness before emerging into light. Paul had to begin afresh with new acquaintances and partners in ministry. The very ones he once sought to persecute were now the same with whom he was forced to develop relationships and needed to trust. His life was remade with new purpose, new direction, and a new hope. Paul became the apostle to the gentiles and spread the gospel message to any who would listen. Most of us never have a drastic conversion experience such as Paul s. Many of us are born into the Christian faith and learn it from childhood. But even if we are Christians from childhood, we may still experience an event in which the reality of God is so tangible that our Christian faith takes on new meaning. Through this experience, we learn that Jesus is present and his promises are true. Our faith becomes stronger and we realize that we too are able to endure hardship and adversity. We realize we can tackle that ministry to which we feel called and we can face the trials that living in a fallen world bring because we are not alone. And when we truly recognize that Jesus is beside us in all things, peace follows. The trials may not go away, the work of God s kingdom will always need to be carried out, but we have the knowledge that our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer will strengthen us and see us through. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I think of Paul and what he accomplished; and the story of his life brings me peace. -Canon Michelle Got Talent? Or, how about an appetite? Either way, you are invited to Nativity Cathedral s Spaghetti Supper and Talent Show February 19, 2017 following 5:00 PM Evensong. If you would like to share a talent that evening, please contact Joe Mozingo at stjlm22@moravian.edu. Campers and parents of campers who are able to help with the dinner, please contact Marie Mauro at 4mauro@gmail.com. The Spaghetti Dinner is an evening of fun and fellowship for both campers and adults. Proceeds from the Spaghetti Supper benefit Nativity Youth Camp which will be held at Camp Lackawanna from June 17, through June 24, 2017.

4 February 5 February 12 February 19 February 26 Dr. Connie Andrejko: Born Addicted: Understanding the Impact of the Heroin Epidemic Rev. Dr. Riddick Weber: Rock and Theology The Very Rev. Anthony Pompa & Ms. Connie Gilbert: Poetry as Prayer Annual Parish Meeting; No Adult Forum Classes begin Wednesday evening March 8 and run each Wednesday through Lent. Mass at 5:45 followed by Pot-Luck dinner and class from 7:00 8:00 PM for both confirmand and mentor. For more information, contact Canon Michelle at the church office. MARY MAGDALENE Canon Michelle will be leading the study starting Tuesday, Feb. 28th at 9:30 AM in the dining room. Sessions end at 11 AM. The last session will be Tuesday, April 4th. Call or Barbara Iannelli to let her know you are planning to attend: biannelli@me.com or She will see that you get a book. You are to read the introduction and chapter one for the first day.

5 7:30 A.M. Balloting Begins 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist 8:45 a.m. Pancake Breakfast Begins 9:15 a.m. Annual Meeting and Sunday School Begin (Balloting ends) ** There is no 321 Contact Service This Day. Please attend another service and join us for breakfast and the Annual meeting 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist This year at the Diocesan Convention, the assembly of delegates voted on a number of Canonical changes designed to re-structure and enhance uniformity of parish functioning and enhance our diocesan mission. One of those changes was to replace individual parish by-laws with revised canons that would ensure that all parishes were conducting their business in the same way. These changes as they effect and enhance our congregational life are as follows: 1. Annual meetings will take place in January of each year. (Our annual meeting typically took place after Easter. With the Bishops permission we moved it to February. Going forward the Annual meeting will take place in January). 2.Vestries will consist of not fewer than 5 and not more than 12 members. (Our vestry was 15, by the new Canon our vestry will now consist of twelve). The vestry determined that the nominating committee will present an even slate of candidates this year. This will accommodate continuity as the vestry shrinks to 12. (2 persons are rotating off, another is resigning). 3. We will be represented at Diocesan Convention by 5 delegates. Two of those delegates will be the wardens, three to be elected and serve two year terms. 4. We will continue to elect a nominating committee whose job it will be to recruit interested and gifted persons to stand for election to vestry, diocesan convention, and on future nominating committees. 5. Voting members of the congregation must be present at the annual meeting to cast a vote. (In the past a practice existed for absentee voting. This conflicts with the Canons and will no longer take place)

6 The Vestry met on January 17, Annual meeting/pancake breakfast February 26, 2017 at 9:15am The kneelers were purchased with monies from an estate gift left to the Cathedral by Virginia Bankhard. Thank you to all who made our Christmas season such a success. Next scheduled meeting February 21, Ash Wednesday March 1, 2016 Liturgy for Ash Wednesday with Imposition of Ashes 7:30 AM Good Shepherd Chapel 9:00 AM Good Shepherd Chapel 7:00 PM Cathedral Wednesdays March 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5 5:45 PM Taize Eucharist (Cathedral) 6:15-7:00 PM Covered Dish Supper (Sayre Hall) 7:00-8:00 PM Program and Confirmation Classes Adults Program: Jesus, the Christ? Who is this Jesus? A panel of guest speakers will survey with us who this Jesus is that all these years later we worship and follow as the Christ. Sessions I and II, Discovering the Jesus of history through the lens of the Gospels. Sessions III and IV. How this Jesus became for the early followers, the Christ whose following would establish a movement and a Church. Session V. Following this Jesus in our current context. DEATHS 12/14/ Ann Bickford February 5 Isaiah 58:1-9a, [9b-12] 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, [13-16] Matthew 5:13-20 Psalm 112:1-9, (10) February 12 Deuteronomy 30:15-20 or Sirach 15: Corinthians 3:1-9 Matthew 5:21-37 Psalm 119:1-8 February 19 Leviticus 19:1-2, Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 Psalm 119:33-40 February 26 Exodus 24: Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9 Psalm 2 or Psalm 99

7 Call for the Election of the Ninth Bishop of Bethlehem Bishop Sean January 5th, 2017 January 5, 2017 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ: When you gave me the honor of serving as your bishop provisional in March 2014, I pledged to spend several years working with you to discern the Diocese of Bethlehem s common mission and update and streamline financial, governance and administrative practices. With thanksgiving for your remarkable progress in assuring a faithful future for the diocese, today I am calling for the election of the ninth bishop of Bethlehem. In consultation with the Rt. Rev. Clay Matthews, the Episcopal Church s bishop for pastoral development, and Judy Stark, a consultant recommended by his office who is a daughter of the Diocese of Bethlehem, the Standing Committee will soon seek members for a search committee to discern a slate of nominees for bishop. In time, the Standing Committee will also name a transitions committee to oversee the new bishop s consecration and welcome to the diocese. Although the final calendar for the search process will be determined by the Standing Committee, I anticipate that we will elect the ninth bishop of Bethlehem in the spring of 2018 and consecrate and seat that person in the fall of that year. During my remaining time as your bishop provisional, I look forward to fostering the shared values and relationships that emerged from our recent diocesan pilgrimage and continuing to work with you on developing a mission strategy to unite our response to God s call. You will receive further updates about the search for your next bishop from the Standing Committee and, once it is named, from the search committee. I continue to be grateful for this opportunity to serve with you for a time, and I ask you to join me in praying for the leaders in the Diocese of Bethlehem who will participate the search for your next bishop. Faithfully, The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe, Bishop Provisional The Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa, Dean and Rector tpompa@nativitycathedral.org The Rev. Canon Michelle Moyer, canonmichelle@nativitycathedral.org Richard Guyer, Sr. Warden RichardGuyer837@gmail.com Kris Warner, Jr. Warden kristinaww@yahoo.com