The Epistle St. Paul s Anglican Church A Parish in the Diocese of San Joaquin The Anglican Church in North America October, 2014 Parish Luncheon on October 6 The Anglican Church Women of St. Paul s Church are hosting a luncheon in Rivera Hall at 11:45 on Monday, October 6. Following the meal, Sue Nyberg and Betty Blackmon will offer a presentation on the recent deanery medical mission to Honduras. The luncheon is open to all men and women who enjoy fellowship with others. Reservations can be made by calling the church office at 732-4821, Betty Blackmon at 733-0723, or Maggie King at 688-9588. Cost is $10. Wendy Johns to Be Honored at Diocesan Luncheon St. Paul s Anglican Church Women will be honoring Wendy Johns as their 2014 Honored Woman. Along with other women from throughout the diocese, Wendy will be recognized at this year s diocesan Honored Woman s Luncheon, which will be held on Saturday, October 25. The event will be from 11:00 to 2:00 in the ballroom at Harris Ranch, located on Highway 198, just east of Interstate 5. St. Anne s Guild to Meet on Monday, October 20 St. Anne s Guild meets monthly for devotions and fellowship, and is open to all women of the parish. The next meeting of the guild will be at 11:45 on Monday, October 20, in the Guild Room. Maggie King is the leader of the guild, and she may be contacted at 688-9588 for more information. Daughters of the Holy Cross Betty Blackmon Daughters of the Holy Cross are women who have committed their lives to the work and service of our Lord. We pray daily for our Church, its clergy, the Order and others in need. At St. Paul s, the Daughters maintain a short-term prayer list where those who need prayers for surgery, injury, loss, etc. receive daily prayers. Names can be added to the prayer list by calling Betty Blackmon at 733-0723. If anyone is interested in providing prayers for others you do not need to be a member of Daughters of the Holy Cross. The next meeting of the Daughters will be on October 9 at 10:00 in the Guild Room. All are welcome. The luncheon is open to both men and women. Registration forms are located in the church office, and are due no later than Friday, October 10.
Page 2 October, 2014 St. Paul s Anglican Church 120 North Hall Street Visalia, CA 93291 Church Office: 559-732-4821 Rivera Hall: 559-732-4822 Email: spvisalia@sjoaquin.net Website: www.spvisalia.com Social Media: facebook.com/spvisalia Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:30AM to 3:00 PM Communion Services Sundays at 8:00 and 10:30 AM Wednesdays at 9:30 AM and 5:30 PM Clergy and Staff The Rev. Richard I. James, Rector The Rev. Paul Gibbons, Curate The Rev. Donald Seeks, Assisting Antoinette Horsting, Bookkeeper Melvin Morris, Sexton William Johnson, Organist Churchill Cooke, Music Director Cindy Sanders, Bell Choir Director Susan Robinson, Nursery Attendant Members of the Vestry 2015 Franco Bernardi, Reuben Garcia, Greg Romanazzi 2016 Monica Norton, Kim Robinson, Jim Siebenaler, Larry Wilds 2017 Jim Doe, Kashy Rowland-Smith Chet Smeds Delegates to Diocesan Convention Betty Blackmon, Lydia Castaneda Jim Doe, Wendy Johns, Kim Robinson, Chet Smeds
October, 2014 Page 3 Coffee Hour Schedule for October 8:00 AM 10:30 AM 5 Anne MacDonald Anne MacDonald Pam Hubbard 12 David & Catherine Francis Elaine Hord Jim & Becky Doe 19 Chet and Cheril Smeds Ed & Kim Robinson Maureen Martin Rory & Hayley McCarthy evocative music from Eastern Europe. The concert is free. Friendship and Fellowship Event Saturday, October 25 St. Paul s is having an informal gathering for adults Saturday, October 25, beginning at 6:30 PM. Sue Nyberg is the host for this event, which will be held at her home at 1336 E. Feemster Avenue in Visalia. Her telephone number is 733-8244. This gathering is for long-time members and newcomers alike. Visitors and guests are welcome, too! Those who attend are invited to bring an appetizer to share with others and their favorite beverage for themselves. Coffee and dessert will be provided. 26 Lawrence & Bonnie Chan Glen & Betty Black mon Bill Roach New volunteers are always welcome! Questions or changes may be addressed to Cathy Guadagni at 372-4447. St. Paul s Hosting Musica Viva Concert on Friday, October 3 Musica Viva will begin its twelfth season of chamber music concerts on Friday, October 3, with a 7:30 PM concert at St. Paul s. The concert will feature some of the exciting and
Page 4 October, 2014 Family Fun Day at Vossler Farms St. Paul s Church has planned a Family Fun Day for Saturday, October 18. Parishioners are invited to meet at Vossler Farms, 26773 S. Mooney in Visalia, at 10:00 AM. Everyone can explore and enjoy the farm s amazing pumpkin patch, which includes a corn maize and an old-fashioned hayride. Cost of admission, which is $6 per person includes a pumpkin to take home for carving or cooking. Questions about this special activity may be addressed to Fr. Paul Gibbons at 732-4821. Renewal of Wedding Vows Saturday, October 18 Remembering special moments is an important aspect of a Christian s life and faith. The Bible and the Church have many examples where the people of God are called to remember a special moment or commitment. For example, Holy Communion is a time of remembrance, and at baptisms members of the congregation reaffirm their baptismal vows. So, in renewing one s wedding vows, Christians are participating in the biblical and faithful traditions of the Christian Church. Fr. Paul Gibbons will lead the service in the church, which will be at 6:30 PM, and will be followed by a short reception in Rivera Hall. Parishioners are encouraged to bring wedding photos with them on this special occasion. Reservations need to be made with the church office or with Fr. Gibbons. St. Paul s Holiday Bazaar On Saturday, November 1, St. Paul s Church will be hosting its annual holiday bazaar in Rivera Hall from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Family and friends will delight in gifts you give them from the bazaar, which will include items hand-crafted by parishioners and by African Team Ministries. In addition, there will be a variety of silent raffle items. Baked goods will be on sale, and hot cider and sweet tweets will available for free! Parishioners are encouraged to make items for the bazaar, and to invite their friends and neighbors to shop at it. Anyone who can help in any way is asked to call Cathy Guadagni at 372-4447. Anglican Fourth Day Anglican Fourth Day (A4D) is the Anglican expression of the Cursillo movement that started in the Roman Catholic Church and spread to many other Christian churches. A4D is for those who wish to be a part of the renewal of the Church through personal commitment to a life of prayer, study and apostolic action. Participation in A4D begins with a three-day retreat where adult Christians are given a foundation to deepen their personal commitment to building up God s Kingdom, especially in the environments of their daily life. Following the retreat, there are small group gatherings at both the congregational and regional level that help provide fellowship and support.
October, 2014 Page 5 The next A4D retreat is planned for January 1-4 at the diocesan conference center in Oakhurst. Anyone interesting in attending this retreat is invited to cal Kevin or Janet Robinson at 627-1783. take care of you. We Need the Cavalry! Churchill Cooke, Music Director I so remember as a kid watching westerns, when there s that point in a battle when the last of the good guys is surrounded by the enemy and you think the end is near. All at once you hear a bugle call, and just in time the cavalry arrives and saves the day. Our wonderful choir is at that point. Over the past eleven years that I have been here the choir had a wonderful habit of regenerating itself. If someone left the choir another person would miraculously appear and save the day. Recently this hasn t been happening. Those spots, especially in the soprano and tenor section, aren t regenerating. Altos and basses have been switch hitting some Sundays to fill in the gaps. I really need the cavalry, or at least a few reinforcements to take that big step from the congregation to the choir. If you don t think you have the voice to join us, I ll let you in on a little secret in the thirty-four years I ve been a choir director at various churches I ve never asked anyone to quit choir nor have I needed to! The Bible says: Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. It doesn t say anything about perfectly trained voices. My personal mantra is: There are no bad singers, only bad teachers. If you can t read music, I put you with people who can read and you follow them. We rehearse Wednesday nights from 8:00 to 9:00, and also Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:00. You are encouraged to attend both, but if you can only make Sunday mornings that s better than not being in the choir at all. No auditions. Just show up. We ll
Page 6 October, 2014 Deanery Pre-Convention Meeting Parishioners are invited to participate in the Sequoia Deanery s Pre-convention meeting that will be held in Rivera Hall at 3:00 PM on Sunday, October 19. During the meeting, the proposed diocesan budget for 2014 will be presented, as will any proposed resolutions or canonical changes. Also, the deanery s lay representative to Diocesan Council will be elected. Annual Diocesan Convention The Annual Convention of the Diocese of San Joaquin will be held at St. James Cathedral in Fresno on Friday and Saturday, October 31- November 1. Visitors are always welcome. Grief Recovery Group Those dealing with a loss in their lives are invited to participate in the parish s grief recovery group. The next meeting of the group will be at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, October 14, at the home of Kashy Rowland-Smith, 2743 W. Harvard Avenue, Visalia. From the Parish Records Births Ifunanya Allison Ikedilo September 24 Daughter of Gerald and Adanna Ikedilo New Addresses Larry Akey and Frances Levy 486 Kenton Court Paso Robles, CA 93446 805-369-2100
October, 2014 Page 7 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16:3)
In Celebration of St. Francis The Sermon of St. Francis Henry Wordsworth Longfellow Up soared the lark into the air, A shaft of song, a wingéd prayer, As if a soul released from pain Were flying back to heaven again. St. Francis heard: it was to him An emblem of the Seraphim; The upward motion of the fire, The light, the heat, the heart s desire. Around Assisi s convent gate The birds, God s poor who cannot wait, From moor and mere and darksome wood Come flocking for their dole of food. O brother birds, St. Francis said, Ye come to me and ask for bread, But not with bread alone to-day Shall ye be fed and sent away. Ye shall be fed, ye happy birds, With manna of celestial words; Not mine, though mine they seem to be, Not mine, though they be spoken through me. Oh, doubly are ye bound to praise The great Creator in your lays; He giveth you your plumes of down, Your crimson hoods, your cloaks of brown. Would I Might Wake Saint Francis in You All Vachel Lindsay Would I might wake St. Francis in you all, Brother of birds and trees, God s Troubadour, Blinded with weeping for the sad and poor; Our wealth undone, all strict Franciscan men, Come, let us chant the canticle again Of mother earth and the enduring sun. God make each soul the lonely leper s slave; God make us saints, and brave. Alien Mary Brent Whiteside He crouches in the chapel, on his knees, With matted hair that hangs in dusky strands; Apart and strange, among the little bands Of worshippers, for he is not as these. Alone! and yet a deeper vision sees That near this alien with his grimy hands, The Little Poor Man of Assisi stands, As Giotto painted him upon a friese. I know one luminous Italian spring! Your province? Is it Umbria? I ask. The weariness falls from him like a mask, And all his visage is a shining thing, As though some deathless master of his race Inscribed a sudden message on his face. He giveth you your wings to fly And breathe a purer air on high, And careth for you everywhere, Who for yourselves so little care! With flutter of swift wings and songs Together rose the feathered throngs, And singing scattered far apart; Deep peace was in St. Francis heart. He knew not if the brotherhood His homily had understood; He only knew that to one ear The meaning of his words was clear.