St. Paul s Epistle. November A Celebration of All Saints. St Paul s Episcopal Church Franklin, TN Our Doors Are Always Open

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1 St. Paul s Epistle November 2018 St Paul s Episcopal Church Franklin, TN Our Doors Are Always Open A Celebration of All Saints It is common practice to celebrate the rich liturgy of All Saints on the Sunday that immediately follows November 1. This year at St. Paul s, we commemorate the souls of Christians who have died on November 4. We remember those who have died by connecting with our theological doctrine of the resurrection of the body and the communion of all the saints. The opening collect for that Sunday will read: Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. Beautiful and comforting- knowing that we are knit together in one communion in the mystical body of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is balm for grieving hearts, as well, when we consider those ineffable joys where our loved ones now preside. The reading of names of the departed, ringing of bells, special prayers, and a commemorative concert are all ways in which we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints on November 4. The lectionary readings will include some of the most beautiful and comforting passages found in scripture. In the Gospel of John, Jesus conquers death in the raising of his friend, Lazarus. In John s Revelation, we will hear of a new heaven and new earth, God wiping the tears from the eyes of mortals, and that Death shall pass away and that there will be no more mourning, crying or pain! The readings of All Saints Day are a celebration of happy endings after the pain and mourning and death that affects every human being on earth. Indeed, it is not just a day for tears of remembrance, but it is a day of rejoicing! We celebrate all those who have gone before us and are now with God. But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-3 We rejoice in the Communion of Saints. We here on earth and those in heaven are connected through the grace of God, and we are all part of the Body of Christ, brothers and sisters in his loving service. Brother James Koester of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist says that the promise of triumph we celebrate [at all Saints Day] is for all of us, not some collection of stained-glass perfect people, but rather for those who have lived lives of hope, or even just attempted to do so. It is for all of us who have lived lives of faith or even just attempted to. Just as we teach our children in Christian Formation, we are all saints, some with a little s and others with a capital S. We have hope in the power of Jesus who brought Lazarus back from the dead, and we are promised new life and joy at the last day by God. So rejoice and be glad! We hope you will celebrate as one body with us at St. Paul s on that Sunday. Donna Stokes-Rogers

2 November Calendar of Special Events Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Franklin Art Crawl All Saints Concert & Newcomers Dinner 6:30 pm Election Day Evening Prayer WSP Event & Enneagram Workshop Enneagram Workshop Spring Street First Communion Coffee Hour Thanksgiving Gathering for Good: Advent Wreaths Social Graces Event Upcoming Events! Keep reading to find out more about each event! The First Friday Art Crawl is coming to St. Paul s! The Williamson County Convention and Visitors Bureau sponsors a First Friday Art Crawl each month in downtown Franklin. If you have never walked through town for this event, it is riot of color, food, and beautiful art! Vendors on Main Street stay open late, bands and local musicians are everywhere, and the sidewalks are full of laughing Franklin residents and tourists alike. On Nov. 2 from 6-9 pm, St. Paul s will take part in this event by hosting artists from our own church family in the Main Street Courtyard. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Music Ministry. We will offer homemade goodies and hot cider, as well as music and tours of the church. More information about the Art Crawl can be found here: If you are an artist, and would like to participate in the Art Crawl in November or December, please contact Donna Stokes-Rogers at donnastokesrogers@gmail.com

3 events, cont d Requiem Music by John Rutter All Saint s Sunday Memorial Concert Performed by the Adult Choir of St. Paul s and Orchestral Ensemble Sunday, November 4, 2018, 4:00 P.M. John Rutter s Requiem, written in 1985 and first performed in the United States, contains seven movements which are meditations on themes of life and death: the first and last movements are prayers to God the Father on behalf of all humanity, movements two and six are psalms, movements three and five are personal prayers to Christ, and the central Sanctus is an affirmation of divine glory, accompanied by harp and glockenspiel, as is traditional at this point in the Mass. It is an intimate mass setting rather than grand and contemplative and lyric rather than dramatic. It contains some of John Rutter s most well-known melodies. The Adult Choir of St. Paul s will be joined by flute, oboe, harp, cello, timpani, and glockenspiel for a performance of one the most lyrically beautiful choral works of the twentieth century. There will be a reception for musicians and guests immediately following the concert in Founder s Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Memorial Contributions If you would like to help sponsor this event in thanksgiving or in memory of a loved one, please contact Donna Stokes- Rogers at donnastokesrogers@gmail.com or call the church office. Newcomers Dinner Sunday, Nov. 4 from 6:00-8:00 pm The Church Rectory 608 Fair Street, Franklin If you are new to St. Paul s we would love to get to know you a little better. The staff of St. Paul s is hosting a Newcomers Dinner at the home of The Rev. Rusty and Laura McCown. This will be a time to get to know each other a little better and answer any questions you might have about St. Paul s. If you would like to attend please send a reply to: shannon@stpaulsfranklin.com or call the office We look forward to seeing you on the 4 th.

4 Discover the Enneagram November 9-10, 2018 Friday 6:00 pm-9:00 pm, Saturday, 9:00 am-6:00 pm led by Dr. Burns Rogers and Donna Stokes-Rogers St. Paul s Episcopal Church, Franklin, TN burnsrogers@gmail.com What is the enneagram? The enneagram is a tool to discover who we are at our essence, our core, our true selves. This is often at odds with our personality type. Ego and personality are developed as we grow and adapt to conflict. In our essence, we are perfect and fearless, without conflict between our mind, body, and spirit. The study of the enneagram is a powerful tool to learning our true motivations, discovering the hidden pitfalls in our personality type, and healing emotional wounds. Once you register for the event, the Howell Enneagram Profile will be sent to you with your confirmation. The profile will take approximately minutes to complete. Please bring your completed profile with you to the Friday session, where we will start our discussion with an introduction into Ego Types. Saturday will be spent delving deeper into enneagram study. Cost for the session is $50.00, which includes opening reception and lunch on Saturday. You can pay for the event upon arrival Friday evening. We will be using Dr. Joseph Howell s book Becoming Conscious: The Enneagram s Forgotten Passageway, available in paperback and Kindle version at Amazon. Having a copy of the book is not necessary, but it will be the primary source of our weekend study. Registration can be found at SignUp Genius: or you can Burns for a link. First Communion Coffee Hour Sunday, Nov. 18 at 10 am in Founders Come celebrate with our children who received their first communion with cake and coffee. This will take the place of children s Sunday school and adults can join their Sunday school classes afterward. Gathering for Good: Advent Wreaths Wednesday, Nov. 28 6:00-7:30 pm Please join us as we kick off the season of Advent by sharing a meal and making advent wreathes together! This event will take place in Otey Hall and is open to all ages.

5 Ministry Reminders St. Paul s Children & Families Dates Mark your calendars for the following events: October 28 and November 11-Holy Communion Class November am-special Coffee Hour honoring our children who receive their first communion November 25-No Sunday School- Thanksgiving Break November pm- Gathering for Good Advent Wreath Making December 14-Christmas Party at the home of Holly and Jackson Spain, Children will have their own party at the church with movies, dinner, and pjs! December 16-Pageant Practice During Sunday School December 23-only one am, pageant practice following December service-christmas Pageant Vestry Nominations Open The Vestry of St. Paul s consists of 12 members, each serving a 3 year term. We will have elections for new Vestry members in January at our Annual Parish Meeting. Potential candidates are anyone not less than 16 years of age who is a confirmed communicant at St. Paul s and actively pledges to St. Paul s. If you want to suggest a candidate for Vestry or if you are interested in serving please contact any Vestry member or contact Charles Carlisle at carlisle@bristoldg.com or at WITS in November For the month of November, we begin a new series Feeding our Faith Celebration of the Eucharist. Through videos and discussion, we will explore how we all, collectively and individually, feed our faith through the Eucharist. We meet in Barnabas from 9:30 11:00 am. For the month of November, we will meet on these Thursdays Nov 1, 8, and 29. Come join us. Somehow we always have coffee and something to nibble on! If you have any questions about WITS, please contact Monna Mayhall at monna@stpaulsfranklin.com or Social Graces Lunch and Special Presentation! Thursdsay, Nov. 29 in Otey Hall 11:30 am Catered Lunch 12:00 noon 1:00 pm Program $10 for lunch --- Please RSVP by Monday Nov 26 and note any dietary restrictions. Lunch and Musical Entertainment! Thursday, December 13 in Otey Hall 11:30 am Catered Lunch 12:00 noon 1:00 pm Sons of the Season Don Dicie and Iain Macpherson $10 for lunch --- Please RSVP by Monday Dec 10 and note any dietary restrictions. Dinner and the Symphony at Franklin Theatre! Monday, January 28, :00pm Catered Dinner in Otey Hall * 7:00pm Theatre Doors open * 7:30 pm Concert Begins This event is open to anyone! Gateway Chamber Orchestra: Magical Mozart For now, set aside the date and set aside $30 per person for the evening. RSVP for any event to monna@stpaulsfranklin.com or Social Graces is a ministry planned for people 55 years old and older, but anyone, any age is welcome to our programs and events. Women of St. Paul s Come on and join us at our next "Social!" All women who attend St. Paul s are welcome. This month our social will be hosted by Sarah Karpie on Friday, November 9, at 5:30 p.m. You are invited to bring an appetizer to share; however, it is not required that you bring anything other than yourself. Please join us. Our time together is spent laughing, caring, sharing and supporting each other. Below is Sarah s address and contact info: Sarah Karpie 508 Rafe Court Franklin TN Upcoming events (mark your calendars): December Our annual Christmas Gathering date location to be determined Saturday, December 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. The English Tea Friday, February 1 Sunday, February 3 heart and Soul Retreat at DuBose Conference Center in Monteagle, TN

6 A Dancing Monkey So What? came from a member of a small group I was attending and I was stunned by this interruption. Most small groups have an unspoken understanding that you don t interrupt, you allow some quiet time before another person speaks, you don t slam anyone s view point, you might ask for clarification but you do not slam the one sharing their thoughts. So, yes, I was stunned. I just sat there silently waiting for some calmness to return to myself and allowing the discussion to meander on. I shared some thoughts on this event originally before Lent. I was reflecting on what people give up for Lent and how shallow some theological thoughts have become. I kept thinking So What when I would hear another sacrifice given up for Lent. Reflecting on my Franciscan journey, Poverty, Simplicity and Humility, are important elements now as well as for St. Francis in his conversion relationship to God. Today, do we really think about what we give up what comes between ourselves and God? Poverty, Simplicity and Humility are words that have evolved to a point that they have lost their spiritual connection, their relationship with God. Do they have anything to do with what comes between you and God, that authentic relationship you were born into? Several weeks ago, we read about the wealthy young man who came to Jesus and asked, What must I do to inherit eternal life? The response was, Give everything away and follow me. This has become a very important parable especially around Stewardship Season. The focus has narrowed to money. Certainly Jesus was radical but wise as well as practical. I suggest that Jesus was talking about giving up whatever has become more important to you than God. When asked, most people respond that God is the most important thing in their lives but ask how they spend their days? It becomes evident they are serving themselves far more than serving God. The man in the parable was not willing to change who he was serving, what was most important, the lifestyle he had created, the world he operated in. Just like that man in the parable, we have created this busy I knew God through my head and through my hands. I didn t know God through my heart. I needed someone to question with me, So what? demanding world that dominates our day, our selfserving mind. So Poverty, Simplicity, Humility are not about money, not about stuff we want, not about maintaining our social status, it s about a relationship with God. If that relationship is most important, everything else starts to fall into place. It is a proven fact if you are serving the self, you will never have enough money, never have enough stuff and never feel good enough about yourself. A little bit more will always be required to satisfy. Fall break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, another year, So What? is being framed a little differently for me. I now realize So What? is a valuable tool to use in my activities at St. Paul s and elsewhere. I used to think in terms of, Who is this activity really serving? Is it harmful or helpful to the people I m trying to help? Are there broader consequences that I should consider? Is there already a program in place that I can plug into and add some energy? Excellent questions to ask of any Out Reach program. So What? is a tool I use in my personal activities, my journey, reaching in to my soul. What might this look like? What questions might this raise? Some examples; I go to Lectionary Bible Study on Tuesday morning, meditation on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. So What? If I am no closer to God when I leave, it was just a friendly visit. Several have asked why I started this Franciscan Journey. I wanted an authentic relationship with God. I had a relationship with God through many church activities. I knew God through my head and through my hands. I didn t know God through my heart. I needed someone to question me with, So What? It seems that this time of the year life accelerates to the point we just get caught up in an electronic flow until you wake up and it s mid-january. Remember, you created your world where you are operating out of your head and hands, so only you can change and start operating out of your heart. Only then will you find God. Only then will you be able to answer the question posed in the first sentence, So What?. G. Hancock, TSSF

7 Noted Author Patti Callahan Henry Visits St. Paul s On Sunday evening, September 30, approximately 75 gathered in Otey Hall to hear noted NY Times Best-Selling author Patti Callahan Henry present her newest release Becoming Mrs. Lewis. The evening was hosted by the St Paul's Book Club with groaning tables of heavy appetizers, wine, and drinks to those who gathered that evening. Ms. Henry was introduced by noted Franklin author Robert Hicks, a longtime friend of many at St Paul's as well as of Ms. Henry herself, which was an extra treat for our event. Ms. Henry spoke with passion about her first foray into historical fiction in the writing of this novel. The focus of Becoming is Joy Davidman, a prodigy, an established poet and writer, a wife and mother before she ever met Lewis. She became his muse, his editor, his friend, and, eventually, his wife. The novel (so much more than "Shadowlands Redux") was deeply researched and developed into a wonderfully engaging read. Ms. Henry held our interest as she energetically and humorously shared fascinating stories of her journey of research and writing, then of shopping the novel for publication. St. Paul's was one of her earliest stops on a lengthy book tour, after her appearance at Landmark Booksellers that afternoon. We were overjoyed to have her as our guest! Kudos for organizing food, author gifts, setup, clean-up, flowers goes to: Donna Honeycutt, Pat McCracken, Virginia Callicott, Kathy Berry, Donna Thomas, Sue Worrell, Kathy Ulezelski, Melanie Lampertz, Nell Henderson, and Sara Richter (our photographer!), plus those who supplied food & drink for our guests. Thank you as well to the many from St Paul's who participated in this up close and personal evening with Patti Callahan Henry. Parish Notes Congratulations! Newly baptized: Patterson Allen Brown Ann Lessley Brown Felix James Louis Laratta Newlyweds: Wesley Lynne McFarland and Dallas Truman McLaird Condolences on the loss of: Theron (Terry) Rice, Sr. Marie Kay Schaffer Sydney Robbins Transfers: Incoming: Judy Stockton Outgoing: Tom and Nancy Getten

8 510 West Main St. Franklin, TN St Paul s Episcopal Church (615) The Clergy and Staff of St. Paul s The Rev. W.R. Rusty McCown Rector The Rev. Monna Mayhall Associate Rector The Rev. Ann Van Dervoort Assisting Priest, Retired Donna Stokes-Rogers Music Minister Rick Jackson Organist AG Passey Youth Ministry & Communications Libby Sullivan Children s Minister Ana Enriquez Sexton Shannon Buttrey Parish Administrator Kristy Moore Financial Administrator The mission of St. Paul s Episcopal Church is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and care for all. Vestry Charles Carlisle, Senior Warden Debra Brake, Junior Warden Mark Hyssong, Treasurer Michael Walters Young, Assistant Treasurer Tim Armstrong Vanessa Bateman Russ Brown Bob Larson Chris McBrayer Lori MacDonald Sharmila Patel Mary Kate Brandon Bob Van Dervoort