St.Patrick Newsletter June 2017 Breaking Bread Edition Highlights: Holy Week Observance p. 2 April / May Events p. 5 Upcoming Summer p. 6 Participation Birthdays/Anniversaries p. 7 Three tree trunks Seeing what is right in front of our eyes is sometimes difficult. In 2003 we acquired a home on Lake Mary Ronan. It is just across the street from the water. Back then there was a great view from our porch. Over the years trees continued to spiral upward--then became invaded with thick mistletoe. We could only see little openings of light and water. For the last five years we could not envision any solution. The situation was out of our hands. God do something, I prayed! One day totally out of the blue, the power company came and removed two trees thick with mistletoe which had grown into the power lines. And then yesterday three more trees about 50 tall came down these beautiful trees died when their roots were cut for a septic tank. In the spirit of it all we are removing a tree too. And now we can see the lake! God accomplishes marvelous things when we are willing to wait. I am thinking about the wood so much wood huge rounds of trunk being taken away. What a waste but then again maybe not.. The three tall stumps left behind remind me of Shel Silverstein s classic book The Giving Tree Once there was a tree, and she loved a little boy very, very much..even more than she loved herself and the boy loved the tree.very much. There is more to those trees and I would never have seen it before not until they died. There is sadness; yet there is purpose and now renewal. The limbs and needles have become mulch to nourish other plantings, the big chunks will be split for fire wood to warm people in the cold, and those three majestic stumps will become something beautiful to love. The owners have invited a Wood s Bay artist to carve images out of the short trunks left standing. Nothing will be wasted. And other plants will flourish in sunlight they have not seen before!
Page 2 of 7 Pentecost is the season after the hard wood of the cross has been taken down. The sacrifice of love that took place at Golgotha, which most could not understand then, sparked something new and marvelous. Jesus lives and has received all the glory of God. We are forgiven and reconciled to our heavenly Father. There is abundant life for all who have faith in God. And that is not the end of the giving Jesus then shares his life by sending the gift of the Holy Spirit to us. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for the resurrection life of Jesus to be manifested in us. We have received this gift already. The question is this: Will we give ourselves to be used by the Spirit for the rest of the world to have abundant life too? As St. Patrick s celebrates our 40 years of being a church in Ferndale we remember so much of the Spirit s work through us for others. May we stay fit in faith for the Holy Spirit to keep putting us to work with the message of the Jesus Christ. In the steadfast love of the Lord, Louise+ HOLY WEEK OBSERVANCE Palm Sunday: Members of the congregation brought the Palm Sunday celebration to life with the reading of the scriptures. They were assigned various parts and we had full audience participation as the story of Palm Sunday unfolds. Many thanks to Rick Fowler who narrated this part of the service, and to all who did various readings.
W Page 3 of 7 Maundy Thursday: An Agape Meal was held in the undercroft. The meal concluded with a service of scripture reading, prayer time, personal testimony and sharing. At the conclusion of the meal, a communion and foot washing service was held in the Sanctuary. All of this is in remembrance of Jesus s last supper with his disciples in the upper room. Bread and wine for Agape meal Agape meal and scripture reading Good Friday: Friday we observed Christ s final march to Golgotha. We held a Good Friday service and then concluded with walking through the twelve stations of the cross. It was a very meaningful and moving remembrance of Christ s journey to crucifixion. We began and ended the service at the altar Holy Saturday: Observed with a service on Saturday
Page 4 of 7 Easter! ALLEUIA! Carol and Buz provided a wonderful lunch Three generations of Beyer women Doreen is in her Easter best Beautiful Easter decorations Lori, Joann, Abe and Buz socialize around the table
Page 5 of 7 April May events Ellie presents Louise a special laminated Alleluia bookmark United Thank Offering Lenten collection United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through United Thank Offering, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the UTO monies to support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world. At St. Patrick s we collected the UTO offering on April 23, the Sunday after Easter Sunday. We collected $100.00. Nancy collects a special United Thank Offering for Lent Bishop Brookhart Visit On May 7 the Rt. Rev. Dr. C. Franklin Brookhart made his annual visit to St. Patrick s. During this visit he reaffirmed Claudia Bielenberg Thorsrud s baptismal covenant. He also received Caroline Scheper into the Episcopal Church. It was great to have our bishop visiting during this wonderful spring service. The parishioners made sure that they welcomed him during the service and coffee hour following his visit.
Page 6 of 7 Spring Cleanup Doreen Thigpen, the Junior Warden, has been very busy this spring getting the church ready for our summer crowd. The windows and floors were cleaned on May10. The gutters are in the process of being replaced, and that should be completed soon. Abe Serrato has been working in the flower beds getting them ready. Checking on the gutters Abe s spring flowers Historic sketch of the church Upcoming Summer Participation Community Garden The sun has finally come out in the Flathead and the work in our Community Garden has begun. Some optimistic gardeners have already planted their plots, hoping we have seen the last of our freezing temperatures. About half of the garden still needs weeding and we are always grateful for anyone who can volunteer for any amount of time. There are still plots available for anyone interested in joining us as we grow both food and friendships! We are on Facebook as Bigfork/Ferndale Community Garden and our new website (thank you, Karla S!) is www. bigfork-ferndale-community-garden.org. There is a link on our Church website as well. For more personal attention you can call Michelle at 406-871-3509. 4 th of July Float Our theme for this year s 4 th of July is 40 Years of Community Service. Details are still being worked out as to how that will play out on the float. Our Community Garden will certainly be a part, as will the Food Bank and possibly Camp Marshall. Again, volunteers are needed and a signup sheet is in the Undercroft with different ways you can help. 40 th Anniversary Celebration for St. Patrick s Our big 40 th Anniversary celebration will be held the weekend of July 29 th and 30 th. Saturday, July 29 th will be our Picnic and Ice Cream Social from 12PM- 4PM. Under a tent on our grounds, Paul S. and his band will be playing music from 12:30-2:30PM. I hear we will have some guest singers as well! Lots of great food will be available from 12PM until gone! Garden tours as well as Church tours will be available for those who wish to see how we have changed over the years. Did I mention we love volunteers? A very special Sunday Service will start at 10AM, as usual. Please plan on joining your church family for this wonderful weekend of celebration. - Michelle Patterson
Page 57 of 57 Our Family Leadership Team: Rector Rev. Louise : Rev. Baker, Louise Pastor Baker Senior Linda Edwards, Warden: Sr. Dick Warden Carter Junior Doreen Warden: Thigpen, Doreen Jr. Warden Thigpen Jerry Southwood, Treasurer Treasurer: Carol Beyer, Jerry Asst. Southwood Treasurer Clerk Nancy of Fowler, Vestry: Clerk Fran Beyer Lin Michelle Sultzer, Patterson, Michelle Patterson Community Garden Karla Smolen,Vestry St Secretary Patrick Episcopal Church 30631 Deb Roundy, Montana Pastor s Hwy 209 Bigfork, Secretary MT 59911 Marlys Anderson Hisaw, Phone: Minister of Music (406) 837 5249 Birthdays and Anniversaries June Birthdays Dodie Raborg-Law 6 Paul Sebesta 14 Laura P. d Aquin 15 Byron Whitney 15 Gloria Detwiler 23 Deb d Aquin 19 July Birthdays Kenneth Edwards 17 Winnie Greenshields 27 Joanne Mitchell 29 Happy Anniversary! June Gary and Barbe Brehllinger 18 July Steve and Joanne Mitchell 7 Mike and Carol Ward 27 E-Mail: St Patrick Episcopal Church stpatricksepiscopcalchurch 30631 Montana Hwy 209 @montanasky.com Bigfork, MT 59911 Phone: (406) 837 5249 E-Mail: stpatricksepiscopalchurch @montanasky.com Website: http://www.stpatricksbigf ork.org Rick receiving his birthday blessing Clive and Norma receive their anniversary blessing St Patrick Episcopal Church 30631 Montana Hwy 209 Bigfork, MT 59911