Herald. Saint Alban s. In This Issue: March, St. Alban s Mission: Christ-Centered, Radically Embracing People and Creation

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1 A M O N T H L Y N EWS L E T T E R F O R T H E M E M B E R S A N D F R I E N D S O F S A I N T A L B A N S PA R I S H, S A L I S B U R Y, M A R Y L A N D March, 2018 Saint Alban s Herald St. Alban s Mission: Christ-Centered, Radically Embracing People and Creation Safeguarding God s Children Training New Vestry Members In This Issue: AND MORE! Pilgrim Article, 1 st installment Senior Warden s Letter

2 2 Saint Alban s Herald, March, 2018 Saint Alban s Herald is published monthly in electronic and print styles by St. Alban s Episcopal Church, 302 St.Alban's Drive Salisbury, MD The Very Rev. Dr. Frieda L. Malcolm is Rector. Phone the parish office at , or e mail the parish office at stalbanssalisbury@gmail.com. The church Website is Submit ar cles and other informa on electronically to the parish office. Deadline is the 3rd Sunday of the month. St. Alban's: Christ-centered, radically embracing people and creation This is our identity as a parish, which we articulated with these words last year. We endeavor to follow Christ in welcoming all sorts and conditions of [humanity]. We offer baptism and eucharist to all, and the pastoral offices of reconciliation, ministry to the sick, and Christian burial to those who ask. We do not discriminate with regard to gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation or identity, or mental capacity. With regard to marriage, our policy is to meet all couples desiring a Christian wedding. The legal requirements, both civil and church, must be met. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender. However, the clergy may decline to officiate for other reasons. Worship Schedule Lenten Schedule There are two services each Sunday. Eucharist at 8:00 a.m., no music Eucharist at 10:30 a.m., with music Both services are Eucharist services. ALL ARE WELCOME. Maundy Thursday-March 29-Services Noon and 5:30 p.m. Good Friday-March 30-Services Noon and 5:30 p.m. Easter Sunday-April 1 Vigil, undecided 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS ON MARCH 11. SET YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD ONE HOUR.

3 Saint Alban s Herald, March, Frieda s Place The Sesquicentennial Diocesan Convention of Easton On February 23 and 24, the Diocese of Easton gathered in convention to conduct its annual business, but it wasn t business as usual. To be sure, much was according to the usual format, but we opened rather than closed with Eucharist, we prayed a new litany written especially for our diocese, we are getting used to our new bishop s style of calling for votes, we passed a couple of new canons, creating a Diocesan Real Property Committee and a Green Hill Church Committee; and we heard reports rather than enjoyed entertainment during the banquet. Above all, we were urged to look to the future, particularly the coming year, as we celebrate 150 years of our diocese. There are events planned for May 5 at the Harriett Tubman National Park, for October 27 at Camp Wright, and for March 1-3, 2019, at the Cambridge Hyatt. We will learn about slavery and our need for reconciliation with other human beings, creation, and our God; about the faith of our young people and their hope for the future, and about Jesus Christ, his love for us, and our need to share that love with others. As I looked around the room, I was struck by the new faces among us, not just on the platform but in many delegations, and missed quite a few familiar ones. As is true at St. Alban s, the changing faces bring changes of attitude and new ideas and energy to our church. And that is a very good thing! It can be a bit jarring, and sad, but change also is a sign of life and vitality. As we continue to move through Lent toward Easter and spring, look around, grieve the losses you notice and begin to embrace the new. God is continually renewing the face of the earth as well as the faces of the people around us. Let us rejoice in the new life that comes from God!

4 4 Saint Alban s Herald, March, 2018 Soup for the Soul Donna Parks

5 Saint Alban s Herald, March, Lenten Lunch Highlights This lenten season, there will be soup luncheon after the 10:30 a.m. services on Sunday, March 4, 11 and 18. There will be a 9:00 a.m. brunch on Palm Sunday, March 25. Sign up sheets are on the table in the Parish Hall. Please plan to attend these opportunities for fellowship and fun! Feeding the Homeless By Kim O Grady

6 6 Saint Alban s Herald, March 2018 Auction Party Arlene White Ruth Baker and Maarten Pereboom hosted another delicious "Evening in Paris" dinner on February 3. Co-hosted by Arlene White, and joined by Ani and Mike Mathers, Pat and Rod Layton, Greg Glass, Shelly Madsen, Kathy Hayne, Veronica Tomanek, Walt West, and Frieda Malcolm, participants feasted on a five course meal that was enjoyed by all. Assistance was also provided by Max and Ben Pereboom who expressed their appreciation for the auction donation which helped Students Helping Honduras. Safeguarding God s Children Safeguarding God s Children Training will be held at St. Alban s on Sunday, March 4 from 1-4 p.m. The training was updated as of September All Vestry members who have not had this updated training must take this class. All people that deal with children in the church must take this class. Please /call the office to confirm that you will be attending. There is no charge for the training. FREE SERVICE: HELP WITH BRINGING PATIENT HOME FROM HOSPITAL

7 Saint Alban s Herald, March, Jenny Buchanan, Vestry Member My name is Jenny Buchanan and I am one of your new vestry persons. I ve been asked to tell you why I decided to run for vestry, but that s very hard to do since I don t seem to have made the decision myself. I had said No to invitations to run at other churches several times, on the advice of a friend. Then last fall, two people I liked came running up after church and asked me, Have you ever thought of running for vestry? And I opened my mouth to say No. And then I thought, Why do you keep saying No? When are you going to start saying Yes? And said Yes! What I like about St. Alban s is that you will seriously ask someone like me to be on the vestry. Here a person doesn t have to be a CEO and a cradle Episcopalian and the chairman of the board to be on the vestry. You don t even have to have children. I was raised in Charleston, Illinois, a little university town 200 miles south of Chicago. We were not a religious family, and my childhood faith was all about traditional Christmas music. I was baptized when I was 25 in my first Episcopal church in Pennsylvania. Since then, I ve belonged to parishes in central PA, Texas, and southwestern Virginia. I started attending St. Alban s occasionally when I was living in Virginia and visiting my parents in Salisbury. Pretty soon I was arranging my 8-hour drive home for Monday so I could go to church, because this parish is something special. Every church says they welcome all people, but at St. Alban s you really do see everybody. And for a parish of this size to be so active is exciting solar panels, a labyrinth, concerts, a big annual auction, on top of the outreach, parish meals, off-site worship All the fellowship projects are a great part of building this community, and I m happy to be the vestry liaison for the Fellowship Committee. Thank you for putting your trust in me and for making me welcome in your community!

8 Saint Alban s Herald, March, Chris Sabas, Vestry Member I am quite grateful for the opportunity to serve the St. Alban s community as a member of the vestry. No doubt, for the next little while, I will primarily be a sponge, listening and absorbing as much as I can. As I continue to think on what I hope to bring to Christian Formation, I think it may be Brett helpful to explain the type of ministry that has influenced me, thanks in part to my Quaker upbringing and my continued formation within the Episcopal Church. The fourth decree of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), or faith that does justice, captures it best: Our faith in Christ Jesus and our mission to proclaim the Gospel demand of us a commitment to promote justice and to enter into solidarity with the voiceless and the Mark powerless. A ministry to oppressed and suffering peoples should extend beyond a personal level to promote structural changes to alleviate the sources of oppression and violence. I look to combine pastoral concern, biblical reflection and social analysis. While this can lead to accusations of substituting politics for the gospel, I keep in mind that Christ taught us by his own example. He taught first of all with his life, and only then did he preach (Dom Helder Camara). I look forward to walking with you.

9 9 Saint Alban s Herald, March, 2018 Senior Warden s Letter Arlene White We have heard in Frieda s recent sermons that many people have a particular Lenten discipline that they follow. It may be abstaining from a particular practice or it may include taking on an additional task. How might the Second Annual Penny Project fit into your Lenten discipline this year? You might decide to save all your loose change from February 14 (Ash Wednesday) to April 1 st (Easter) and donate it. You might decide to forego your Starbuck s coffee and donate that money to the project. You might be thinking about how the money collected might be used to support and / or extend St. Alban s influence in the community. Can you think of some worthy cause to which we could donate what we receive? Please let me know and check the bulletin board in the Parish Hall where a list will be compiled of possible options. I am continually impressed and amazed by the generosity shown by this congregation. Notice that I did not say surprised. The reason for that is that every week, I see evidence of the caring and the concern of so many people and how those blessings manifest themselves in the life of the parish, the community and often the world at large. The Penny Project is one more way that we can share how God has blessed us with others, how this Holy Lent might become so very real to us all. So if you think that this Lenten discipline is one you might wish to take on, be sure to get a bottle from the table near the sanctuary and fill it with pennies. If you have a larger container at home that you would prefer to fill, that is fine! If you need to come back and get another bottle, that would be great too! While our focus is on the PENNY Project, we are also willing to take any change that you might have as well as bills! Please keep collecting from February 14 until April 1 st ; please continue to suggest recipients to me during this same period of time. Then on April 15 th, please bring your contributions to church. We will ask for a special blessing during the offering. Plan to stay after coffee hour to roll the pennies, have a slice (or two) of pizza, and decide to which organization we should give what we have collected.

10 Saint Alban s Herald, March, Mardi Gras By Kim O Grady Auction News Cristina Machin Join us for an Auction Interest Meeting on Sunday March 18th, after the 10:30 am service. Grab a bowl of soup and bring your ideas and energy to talk about the future of the auction for We need a new chairperson that will lead the discussion on what type of auction to have (Parties only? Potluck? At a different time?). But no need to fear that this new leader would be all alone! Another possibility is to have 2 co-chairs if there is enough interest. In addition, we already have a wealth of information on how to run a successful auction and there always has been a lot of support from the prior leaders. The auction has been very successful in raising money for very worthy causes, from local to international. But, as the chairperson for the last three years, my pleasure and pride has been the opportunity that the auction has offered to bring the church together in effort, donations and fellowship. Please consider participating in this interest meeting.

11 11 Saint Alban s Herald, March, 2018 Students Helping Honduras Ben Pereboom Greetings, Saint Alban s Family! As many of you know, I have been heavily involved in Students Helping Honduras since starting college in the fall of Over winter break I went on my third trip, which was perhaps my most memorable yet. My fellow Terrapins and I had the opportunity to stand alongside the children and community members of Proheco Progreso to inaugurate the high school that you all helped build. I was reminded of you all and your role in making that day possible when we brought out the plaque with the top fundraisers for the project. Max and I were both on that plaque because of the money that St. Alban s raised from the annual auction. To realize that some money from a church event all the way in Salisbury, Maryland had such a vital impact in making a school possible in a small rural Honduran village was a poignant moment for me. It s possible that I ll never see the children who will attend that school again, but our names being on that plaque is a reminder that Saint Alban s is part of the reason that school is finished and ready to serve the community. As we continue on to the middle school project at Cruz Roja, it is comforting to know that I continue to have you all behind me. While the incentive of providing an education to bright young Hondurans is always strong, it is the knowledge of your love and support that keeps me going when it would be so easy to give up. Thank you for all you ve done to grow SHH, as well as Max and me as people.

12 Saint Alban s Herald, March, Pilgrims in the Land of Jesus Part 1 Megan Pomeroy and Sam Hotton We were fortunate enough to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in January. Our fellow travelers were Christians, Jews, and non-religious people. The tour guide, Ofra, is a non-religious Jew who has been leading tours for 40 years and knows the answers to all the questions (although she declined to get into the issue of the capital of Israel and other political issues). The bus driver, Wahid, is a Turk who is a Druze, and is an intrepid driver who is not afraid to use his horn! The first night we stayed in a popular tourist destination, Netanya. Although the hotel was not especially fancy, it had the advantage of being right on the Mediterranean Ocean. In fact, because it did not have air conditioning and we were warm, we decided to leave the sliding door open so we could go to sleep listening to the waves of the Mediterranean and feeling the cool breezes. In the morning, we could look out from the balcony of our room and see the ocean, the beaches, and the playgrounds below. On that day, we went to Caesar s arena for sports and racing, Caesarea. We went on to stay at a kibbutz. This is a neighborhood in which everyone works together for the good of the community. It felt a bit like either being at summer camp or being in college, but we really enjoyed it! In Nazareth, where we went to the Church of the Annunciation. Here Mary was told by the Angel Gabriel that she would bear the Son of God. Also, it is in the church in which Jesus grew up. The church is also the home of the Virgin Mary. It features beautiful mosaics from many different countries. They are all very different, and very inspiring. We went on the church at Cana, at which Jesus performed the first miracle of the loaves and the fishes. Four couples elected to reaffirm their vows with a priest who was on hand for such, and it was a beautiful service. Because they knew Megan is a singer, she was requested to sing Schubert s Ave Maria, which completed the service. It was a very moving experience. Jesus ministry began in Capernaum, which now is, as one might expect, in ruins. This town had originally been a fishing village, as it is located on the Sea of Galilee. The synagogue in which he preached and taught retains some of its walls and pillars. St. Peter s house is also located there. A church has been built over top of the house, but one can look underneath and see part of the ruins and mosaics. We were fortunate enough to be in the church while a service was being held (in Latin, but we knew from our liturgy at which point in the service they were). Next, we took our bus to the Sea of Galilee. The lunch we ate featured tilapia, also known as the St. Peter s fish. After lunch, we went to the Mount of the Beatitudes and walked through its beautiful gardens, in which they have installed plaques with each of Jesus blessings (blessed are the poor, the meek, the peacemakers, et cetera). CONTINUED

13 13 Saint Alban s Herald, March, 2018 The Jordan River, in which Jesus was baptized, was the next stop on our tour. In the gift shop, one can rent white robes and then go out into the river to reaffirm one s baptism. Megan chose to do so, as did many members of the group. After saying a prayer, we waded into the river and helped each other dunk ourselves in memory of our baptisms. Although Sam did not decide to do this, he did bring back water samples from the Jordan River, one of which he gave to Frieda so we can have some Jordan River water at St. Alban s. (He also collected water samples from the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.) The next morning, we travelled from the kibbutz to the Sea of Galilee. We all know the story of Peter and the fishers of men on the Sea of Galilee. Well, we went on a wooden boat on the Sea of Galilee. As we sailed, they played Hava Nagila (which Ofra said translates to Let s Party! ) and we did the hora. We also joined hands and prayed together. Fortunately, although it was rainy, no one fell overboard so we did not have to become fishers of men in the literal sense! In the afternoon, we went to the city of Beit She an, the ruins of which are now a national park. Next month we will write about the rest of the tour; a one-week tour to the Holy Land has so much to describe, words (and even pictures) can hardly do it justice!

14 Saint Alban s Herald, March, AmazonSmile Good News! Debbie Rossi, our treasurer, has registered St. Alban s with AmazonSmile. Now, anytime you shop on Amazon, you can designate St.Alban s to get a percentage of your purchase. Here is the link: AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice. Every item available for purchase on is also available on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) at the same price. You will see eligible products marked "Eligible for AmazonSmile donation" on their product detail pages. VBS Save the Date This year, The Wicomico Mission Cluster VBS, children (ages 3 through 5th grade) will venture onto an uncharted island where kids survive and thrive. Kids will be anchored in the truth that Jesus carries them through life s storms. Each day at Shipwrecked VBS, kids will travel through field-tested rotations that reinforce relevant Bible Points and immerse kids in new adventures. Please join us June 25 through the 29th from 5 to 8 PM at St Peters in Salisbury Maryland. We will be offering a family dinner from 5 to 5:30 each evening. Registration fees are $5 per child, not to exceed $20 per family. Registration will be open soon. Please visit our Facebook We are in need of volunteers for the imagination station, arts and crafts, music/av, skits, food, and much more. If you are interested in volunteering please let your church POC know. We look forward to seeing you there!

15 15 Saint Alban s Herald, March, 2018 Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls for Good Friday Offering to support ministry in Anglican Province of Jerusalem and Middle East The Good Friday Offering is one way we in the Episcopal Church help to support the ongoing ministry of love and compassion carried out by our Anglican sisters and brothers throughout the Province of Jerusalem and Middle East, Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael Curry wrote to the bishops and clergy of the Episcopal Church. Whether funding an eye clinic in Aden or women s programs, schools and medical services in the West Bank, the Good Friday Offering is making a difference in the lives of so many. Presiding Bishop Curry wrote in the annual Good Friday letter to all bishops and congregations asking them to consider providing assistance for the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. I believe our partnership with those who keep the faith of Jesus alive in the region where our Lord walked and began his movement is a significant aspect of our work as part of the church catholic, he wrote. Information on the Good Friday Offering, is available here. For more information, contact the Rev. Canon Robert Edmunds, Episcopal Church Middle East Partnership Officer, redmunds@episcopalchurch.org.

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