The Tower Chimes. The Newsletter of. Episcopal Church + Goshen, New York. God speaks to our hearts beyond words

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1 The Tower Chimes The Newsletter of saintjames Episcopal Church + Goshen, New York stjamesgoshen@frontier.com Web-site: May 2016 The Rev. M. Carl Lunden, Rector God speaks to our hearts beyond words From the Rector Almost every week of the year I have to prepare a sermon or write something for the Newsletter or some Church related communication. I have been doing this for almost 19 years. In that amount of time I think that I have said everything I possibly can (from my own perspective) on Christianity and the Gospel and repeated myself numerous times. There is just so much that I as an individual can add to our corporate experience of Christ and the Church. Having said this, I do not absolve myself from the task of preaching and teaching as an ordained person, but I clearly see my own personal limitations and the vanity of the endless rounds of production and presentation that go into communicating the Gospel in the life of a parish priest. The obligation to preach the Word is a serious one; the fruit it bears is totally at the discretion of the Holy Spirit and the disposition of the hearers. I realize my part in the great commission, yet it is with humility that I see my work as having a very small mark in the work of Christ. In fact as I grow older I find that words are only so effective in communicating the Gospel. We call Jesus the Word, yet that is not really a full translation of what the Greek logos means. In classical Greek philosophy logos meant reason regarded as constituting the controlling principle of the universe and as being manifested by speech. Christian Theology borrowed it as representing the eternal thought or word of God, made incarnate in Jesus Christ. Logos became particularly significant in Christian writings and doctrines to describe or define the role of Jesus Christ as the principle of God active in the creation and the continuous structuring of the cosmos and in revealing the divine plan of salvation to man. It thus underlies the basic Christian doctrine of the preexistence of Jesus. Yet, logos is a term that mean more than just Word. Logos really describes engaging in the human process of the rational mind which seeks to attain universal understanding and meaning. Logos is conceptual in that it is experience and understanding in and beyond the bounds of human speech and writing. It is a mental and spiritual activity beyond mere words that cannot contain the depths of reality. In other words, the experience and Episcopal Charities Sunday is May 8th, Mother s Day

2 St. James Church THE TOWER CHIMES May 2106 understanding of God goes beyond words and language. Experiencing the Word of God, Jesus, is a complex process played out both on the level of our senses and deeper inside our being (mind, soul) on a higher level of reality. From a Christian-Platonic sense the Logos speaks to us horizontally in the physical world (i.e. words, speech, text, etc.,) and in a vertical spiritual intuitive way by non-inferential apprehension or cognition. Another way of saying this is God speaks to our hearts beyond words. In Romans Chapter eight, St. Paul writes,... the very Spirit (of God) intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit,.. The older that I get the more this speaks to me. Often I am asked what preachers do I like? I have a hard time answering that because I am seldom spiritually fed by preachers. I find that God s Word (or Logos) is conveyed to me on much deeper levels in non-verbal ways. God speaks to me in silence, quite meditative moments of prayer. I feel God s presence in stillness that penetrates my being with love and warmth. I feel God s communication in other human beings. Both kindness and unkindness help me to be more aware of God moving through the very messy reality of human relationship always calling me to see and feel the deeper realities just hidden below the surface. Beauty and art speak to me in ways that words cannot. Holy Icons communicate the mystery of God to me in subtle ways that transcend the broken human constructs that seek to communicate God but fail (just watch 10 minutes of many TV preachers/evangelists and you can understand my point -what are they selling?). And above all, I find the Liturgy speaks to me on the deepest level of Christ s presence and action in our midst. When we celebrate the Eucharist I am drawn into God. For in that moment we are standing on Holy Ground and the Eternal Word; the Logos is present in our gathered community binding us together in the life of the Holy Trinity, beyond word, thoughts and concepts. It is always a contemplative experience for me. Saint Gregory the Great at the end of the 6th century referred to contemplation as resting in God. In this resting, the mind and heart are not so much seeking God as beginning to experience what they have been seeking. This state is not the suspension of all activity, but the reduction of many acts and reflections to a single act or thought in order to sustain one's consent to God's presence and action. I understand in a profound way that God (the Logos) is communicating to us in so many ways besides words that we in our American-Protestant preaching/individual following culture need to expand our awareness to ALL the ways God is present and speaking to us. It requires a willingness to open our hearts beyond our ears and spend quality time in contemplation allowing the Spirit to speak to us in ways too deep for words. It is a reality that we can discover if we are open to it. The saints, the mystics, the contemplatives, all have experienced it. We can too! - Father Carl+ In the words of the Trappist monk Thomas Merton: Contemplation is also the response to a call: a call from Him Who has no voice, and yet Who speaks in everything that is, and Who, most of all, speaks in the depths of our own being: for we ourselves are words of His. But we are words that are meant to respond to Him, to answer to Him, to echo Him, and even in some way to contain Him and signify Him. Contemplation is this echo.

3 Xxxx x The Tower Chimes is the official monthly publication of St. James Episcopal Church. Rector Deacon Tom Liotta Minister of Music May Greeters Schedule 2016: The greeters look forward to welcoming you to services on Sunday. This May you will be welcomed by the following greeters: 9 a.m. May 1 - Jackie Kessler May 8 - Diane Rainey May 15 - Jan Ptak May 22 - Meg Strobl May 29 - Malcolm Diaz June 5 - Bryan Giudice 10:30 a.m. May 1 - James Heslop May 8 - Kathy Martin Brown May 15 - LaWahna Search May 22 - Scott & Sharon Stark May 29 - Pat Spencer June 5 - Florence Stoveken - Jackie Kessler Altar Flowers for May VESTRY Debby Brown, Warden Ed Connor, Warden Dona Ash Jessica Ann Sutton Wayne Wilson Val Bynum LuAnn Haviland Malcolm Diaz Scott MacMillin Nan Gill-Wilson Mac Makuen Jerre Coleman, Treasurer Kathy Martin-Brown Clerk of the Vestry 1 Mayo 8 Lunden 15 Vesely 22 Hamilton 29 Thacker We will continue Bible Study On Tuesdays May 3, 17, 24, 31 7:00 p.m. In the Chapel We are reading The Psalms PLEASE JOIN US!

4 From our Wardens... We were blessed with the return of Mary Glasspool on April 10 th her first visitation as our new Assisting Bishop. As St. James is the parish in which she grew up, it was a heartwarming and emotional homecoming for Mary and her joy was obvious. The Vestry, as is customary, spent time with Mary discussing St. James and also the Episcopal Church at large. She mentioned that St. James and Father Carl are held in high regard by our diocese. Other topics covered in this meeting before the service were Fellowship activities in the planning, community outreach and how we each came to be members of the St. James Family. We all came away from the meeting with smiles on our faces and love in our hearts. Mary brings a unique and contagious enthusiasm to her position as Assisting Bishop and the entire congregation was enthralled by her sermon and touched by her genuine happiness for those she confirmed and received. After the service a well-attended luncheon was held in Mary s honor. Our new Assisting Bishop exudes warmth, approachability and a love of people and life. During the luncheon Mary had the opportunity to greet old-time parishioners as well as meet new members of our parish family. It s possible Mary made history by being the only Bishop to lick the cake server after making the first cut in her beautiful cake! FUN is an adjective that will always come to mind whenever her name is mentioned. After lunch many photos were taken of Mary with her family, friends and parishioners. We owe a huge thank you to all who participated in Mary s Homecoming Celebration. From setup to cleanup it was obvious just how capable we are of working together for the good of St. James. A very special thank you goes out to Ralph Rafferty for his nonstop work in the kitchen. You are a gem Ralph and we are very glad you chose St. James! In closing, Mary encouraged us to reach out to the world and our community to share our faith thereby encouraging people to join our parish family. It was a very special day for those who attended and for our parish. We are truly blessed to have Mary as our Assisting Bishop. Respectfully submitted by your Wardens: Debby Brown and Ed Connor

5 Birthdays May: Joseph Fedrizzi 5 /1 Ryan Somlai 5 /2 Anne Mayo 5 /2 Malinda Niper 5 /7 John Lunden 5 /8 Greg Nicholson 5 /8 Gabriel Frazier 5 /11 Bethany Lunden 5 /25 Lucas Nicholson 5 /26 Trevor Coleman 5 /27 Jesssica Sutton 5 /29 Mahim Chellappa 5 /30 Bryan Alan Giudice 5 /30 Dunbar Gwen 5 /30 Anniversaries May: Deacon Don & Lola Lofman 5 /2 Roy & Jill Splieth 5 /7 Caroline & Chris Tippin 5 /25 The Newsletter Deadline is the 15th of May. Please send articles to stjamesgoshen@frontier.com If you would like your Birthday or Wedding Anniversary added to the Newsletter them to Jessica Sutton at: novwed@frontiernet.net Nursery Schedule 10:30 a.m. Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." May 1 Kim Pelfrey 8 Kathy Martin-Brown 15 Karen Fogerty 22 Karen Golding 29 LaWahna Search ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEER HELP IS NEEDED IN THE NURSERY. CONTACT: LaWahna Search It is with great pleasure that Boy Scout Troop 63 of Goshen, New York (St. James Episcopal Church) has the honor of announcing the following 6 scouts who will be presented the Eagle Scout Award on May 7, 2016 at 2:00PM at the Goshen Central High School, 222 Scotchtown Ave, Goshen, New York. We cordially invite you to join us this celebration of youth leadership. Vishnu Rao-Sharma Daniel Donovan Michael Sager Kevin Ward Charles Hawkins Mark Laaninen A reception will be held immediately following the ceremony in the school cafeteria. Yours in Scouting, David A. Donvan, Eagle Ceremony Coordinator

6 LADIES NIGHT AT THE RECTORY Join the fellowship and bring a friend. Friday, May 22, 6:30 pm 118 South Church Street, Goshen Please bring your favorite snack or beverage to share. Questions? Contact Sharon Lunden or mrsfathercarl@gmail.com A special thanks to all the members of Saint James that made Bishop Mary Glasspool s visit to Saint James such a wonderful celebration on April 11, 2016!

7 SACRISTY RENOVATION In 2015, the Altar Guild was awarded a grant to renovate and update the lower Sacristy. The grant was awarded by the New York Altar Guild in New York City. The grant was $ and we raised another $ from the congregation for the purchase of materials. The renovation is now basically complete. We replaced the old, rusty cast iron sink with a new stainless steel sink and new wood cabinet. The installation of the sink and cabinet and the finishing of the cabinet was done by Dave Meffert. The floor was repaired and a new floor cover was installed by Jeff Croucher and Bill Hanners. The electrical work, including installation of a new, modern light fixture that uses LED bulbs was done by Kevin Veseley. Clearing and cleaning were done by Marci Hanners and Ursula Degenhardt. The vintage prints were matted and framed by LaWahna Search. This completes phase 1. Our next project in the Sacristy is to provide extra shelving, a new countertop and to repaint the walls and ceiling. The Altar Guild is enjoying working in a clean, modern, light filled environment. We are so grateful for all the generosity that allowed this project to go forward. To all of you who supported this project, from all of us in the Altar Guild. THANK YOU! Two items from Jim Cassel, Buildings & Grounds Chair : 1. Does anyone in the parish have a wrought iron stair railing they would like to donate to the Church? See Jim if you do. 2. If you have any worn out or ripped American Flags that you would like to dispose of properly; the Boy Scout of troop 63 (that our Parish Sponsors) will be burning them at the Delaware River Campout at the end of May. Bring them to Church and give them to either Jim Cassel or Father Carl.

8 St. James Sunday School The St. James Sunday School children had a very busy Lenten season. The bulletin board was a huge success with the children and members of the congregation writing meaningful notes on stepping stones to talk about their Walk through Holy Week. The feedback from the Palm Sunday Lessons has been wonderful! Activities included the viewing of a movie which told the story of Holy Week. During the movie various learning activities and fun treats were used to enhance these learnings. Many thanks to all who participated in helping to make the Easter Egg Hunt successful, whether you donated candy or helped to stuff the eggs your contribution is appreciated! The last day of Sunday school will be May 22 nd. The Teachers and parents will sponsor coffee hour to help the children celebrate the ending of a fun year! Please plan to attend. Thank you, Bryan Giudice & Jill Croucher

9 STEWARDSHIP I hope everyone took time to visit the various organizations of St. James during the EXPO held on April 17 th. It would be nice if everyone took the opportunity to join at least one organization of St. James. As part of your stewardship, get involved in the life of the St. James community. The upcoming St. James Garden Tours to be held on June 18 th is an important fund raiser and help is needed in many areas of this event. It is an excellent way to get to know your fellow parishioners. Get involved and have some fun. It was nice to see the church filled for the confirmation service and Episcopal visit by the new Assisting Bishop of New York, Bishop Mary Glasspool on Aptil 10 th. It was outstanding and a home coming for Bishop Glasspool. The fellowship after the service was excellent and well attended. The responses of the congregation during the service as well as during a Baptism are important for all of us to review. This is a good time for all of us to further strengthen our own stewardship by reviewing the Baptismal Covenants. They are found on pages 304 and 305 in the Book of Common Prayer. These responses we all make define what it is to be a good steward for St. James and our community. Let us all strive to put stewardship forward in our daily lives. YOUR TALENT IS GOD S GIFT TO YOU WHAT YOU DO WITH THAT TALENT IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD Ed Fritsche, Stewardship Chairman

10 Gardens of Goshen Tour & Luncheon on the Lawn Saturday, June 18, :00 am-3:00 pm Ticket Order Form Name: Address: Phone Number: AN CONFIRMATION OF YOUR ORDER WILL BE SENT UPON RECEIPT OF PAYMENT. Advance Tickets are $40.00 each NUMBER OF TICKETS ORDERED TOTAL ENCLOSED $ Day of Tour Tickets are $45 if still available. Make check payable to St. James' Episcopal Church Mail a self addressed stamped envelope with form & payment to Gardens of Goshen Tour 55 Wickham Avenue Goshen, N.Y ALL TICKET FORMS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JUNE 1

11 Saturday, June 18, The 2016 Gardens of Goshen Tour & Luncheon on the Lawn is a self-guided tour, consisting of local Goshen Gardens, starting at St. James Episcopal Church 1 St. James Place, Goshen, New York, Join us for a fresh Gourmet Luncheon, served under the tent on St. James front lawn. Tours run from 9am 3pm There will be two luncheons: 11am 12:30pm & 1pm 2:30pm The advance ticket price is $ Day of the tour tickets will be $45.00, if still available. You will receive a Tour Guide and Road map on the day of the Tour. This is a rain or shine event. To order tickets send a self addressed stamped envelope to: The Gardens of Goshen Tour, 55 Wickham Avenue, Goshen, New York Make your check out to St. James Church Garden Tour. All mail orders must be received by June, 1, To order tickets or for more info visit or call , or

12 St. James Church THE TOWER CHIMES May, 2016 The CommuniTy Dinner at ST. JameS SaTurDay, may, 28 at 5:30pm The Catholic Daughters Court Genevieve Walsh #918, from St. John the Evangelist Church of Goshen will once again host the May Community Dinner, from 5:30p.m.-6:30 p.m. in the St. James Parish Hall. Call John Strobl at to find out how to help. We open at 4:00 p.m. to get ready for the 5:30 p.m. meal. Goshen Ecumenical Pantry Inc. Distribution Dates May, 14 & 26 The next Saturday distribution date at the Goshen Ecumenical Food Pantry will be held May, 14 (the 2 nd Saturday of each month) from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall at 33 Park Place, Goshen. Please arrive by 9:00 a.m. Call John Strobl if you have any questions at The Goshen Food Pantry s Thursday night distribution will be held on May, 26 (the last Thursday of each month) from 6:30 to 7:15pm. Help is needed; all groups (Adults, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Youth Groups, Football Teams etc.) are welcome to give us a hand. Please arrive at the pantry around 6:00pm. Goshen Ecumenical Pantry Inc. Bagging & unloading of food dates Bagging is done at the Goshen Food 33 Park Place, Goshen, every Tuesday morning at 9:30a.m. To around 10:45am. Call Mary Sumter at for info. Unloading of Food purchased from the Food Bank in Cornwall is done on the Wednesday after the second Saturday of the month at 5:00pm at the 33 Park Place, Goshen. The next date for Food unloading is May, 18 at 5:00pm to around 6:00pm. Be part of this excellent opportunity for community service. Foods to donate to the food pantry are Peanut Butter, Spaghetti Sauce, Hamburger, Chicken or Tuna Helper, Jam/Jelly, Tuna Fish, Canned Meals, Macaroni & Cheese, Detergents, Hand Soap, Toilet Paper, Pancake Mix & Syrup, Rice, Canned Vegetables & Fruits, Soup, Canned Beans (all types), Pasta, Cake & Brownie Mix, Instant Potatoes, Coffee/ Tea/Cocoa, Oatmeal, Puddings, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, etc. Please place donations on the table inside the back door of the church each week when you come to church. The Goshen Post office Stamp out Hunger Food Drive. May, 14 Goshen residents please have your food donation bag out in front of your house Saturday May, 14 for The Goshen Ecumenical Food Pantry. Post Office Carriers will collect the bags and deliver them to the Goshen Ecumenical Food Pantry. Visit and like us on Facebook at Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, Saturday, May 14

13 St. James Episcopal Church May 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 7:00pm Troop Leaders 3 7:00pm Bible Study/ Chapel 4 12:00pm Eucharist/ Healing 12:30pm Fellowship 6:30pm A.R.T.S. 8:30pm AA 5 6:30pm Boy Scouts 7pm Stewardship Meeting 7:30pm Choir 6 2:00pm Ladies First Presbyterian Church pm Goshen Rotary Parish Hall 2pm Eagle Scout Ceremony Goshen HS 8 Mother s Day 9 OFFICE CLOSED ALL WEEK M-F Fr. Carl away 10 7:00pm NO BIBLE STUDY 7:00pm Camera Club 11 12:00pm No Service 6:30pm A.R.T.S. 8:30pm AA 12 6:30pm Boy Scouts 7:30pm Choir pm Tigers and Wolf Scouts Dens pm Friends of Goshen Library Parish Hall 9:30am Food Distribution/Presbyterian Church Office Closed 7:00pm Troop Committee 17 7:00pm Bible Study/ Chapel 18 12:00pm Eucharist/ Healing 12:30pm Fellowship 6:30pm A.R.T.S. 6:30pm Wardens 7:15pm Vestry 8:30pm AA 19 6:30pm Boy Scouts 7:30pm Choir 20 5:50 pm Den 2 6:30 pm Ladies Night At the Rectory End of Year Sunday School 12 noon Altar Guild Lunch 3:00pm V. Botta Recital 23 Office Closed Rector s Day Off 24 7:00pm Bible Study/ Chapel 25 12:00pm Eucharist/ Healing 12:30pm Fellowship 6:30pm A.R.T.S. 8:30pm AA 26 6:30pm Food Distribution/Presbyterian Church 6:30pm Boy Scouts 7:30pm Choir :30pm Community Dinner 29 1 pm Parish Hall Private Use Party 30 Office Closed Memorial Day 7:30pm Sons of Union Veterans 31 7:00pm Bible Study/ Chapel