ELECTRONIC EPISTLE ST. STEPHEN EPISCOPAL CHURCH August 2017 VICAR S MESSAGE Jordan Water A friend of mine told me about an incident from her seminary days. One year at the Easter Vigil the celebrant poured clear, fresh water into the baptismal font and then added water from the Jordan, the river where Jesus was baptized. As the river water flowed in, the water in the font lost its sparkling clarity. In that discolored water a baby was baptized, named, anointed, welcomed into the family of God. The next day my friend entered the chapel, dipped her finger in the font, and crossed herself. When she looked down at her black blouse, she discovered white spots wherever her finger had touched the black fabric. Someone had added chlorine to the baptismal font. That water from the Jordan was just too unsanitary. What a commentary on the way that we often interpret our baptismal call! We see baptism as a call to cleanliness, a call that separates us from the muck and the mess of the world. We try to live chlorinated lives, with chlorinated baptismal water. The earliest church stipulated that, whenever possible, Christians were to be baptized in living water. Though we may envision crystal clear water from a mountain stream, living water is simply flowing water. It is not sterile, and it is not necessarily clean. Living water is full of living things. In his book Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams says, You don t go down into the waters of the Jordan without stirring up a great deal of mud If being baptized is being led to where Jesus is, then being baptized is being led towards the chaos and the neediness of a humanity that has forgotten its own destiny. Following Jesus is not a chlorinated, sterile business. Our lives are not under our own control. They are messy and dirty and disorganized and mucked up with the real needs of real people. Things seldom go as we have planned them. People annoy us and disappoint us and hurt us. We disappoint and shame ourselves. Yet it is there, in the midst of human shame and human failures and the real-world messiness of life that Jesus joins us. When John the Baptist was calling the people of Israel to repentance, Jesus didn t keep himself apart, trying to keep himself uncontaminated by the muck. He stepped into the waters of the Jordan to be baptized with all the others who were standing there in the mud. It was not a sanitary business then, and it is not a sanitary business now. Still today he meets us there in the dirty baptismal water, calling us to be his disciples and to learn from him how to live and how to love. Still today Jesus shows us by his example that we don t love others by separating ourselves from them. Our baptisms call us to follow Jesus into the real world. There he meets us, in the mud and the mess.
Dear Friends of St. Stephens, Here it is, the week of Peace Village! The grants have been written and the money mostly spent. The children are actively engaged and wearing the T-shirts that were ordered. There is intensive activity and important work being done at Peace Village Newport 2017, just like there is every year at Peace Village! Then suddenly my work there will be over and this year s day camp will be all wrapped up. As your deacon, Peace Village has been a labor of love for me, as has preaching, assisting at worship, listening to the stories of (and praying with) the people that are homeless, interacting with the children of St. Stephen, and so much more! But just as with Peace Village, my time of activity and work is almost done here. As most of you know, I am relocating with my husband due to his employment. I will miss you all and will hold you and your ministries in my heart! I will pray for you regularly and ask that you keep me in your prayers as well! I am assured that Christ Jesus will walk alongside all of us, no matter where we are. Thank you so much for being my companions in faith, and raising me up in your congregation to be a deacon in God s Church! God Bless you all! In Hope and Peace and Thankfulness, The Rev. Dcn. Joyce Atchley DATES TO NOTE Every Monday: Stone Soup Suppers 5:30-6:30pm Every Wednesday Adult Study Group 10:30-11:45am Holy Eucharist noon Every Sunday Parish hall in use 5:30-7pm (AC.A) Thank you, Deacon Joyce, for assuming leadership of this year s Peace Village and making it a well-planned event. And thank you for your ministry with us as our deacon. We are sorry you have to leave us. You (and your puppets) have brought much joy to our congregation and especially the children! As you journey onward, may you remember always that our love and appreciation for you are etched on our hearts. As you begin your new life in Eastern Oregon and walk through good times and hard times, may you never lose sight of the shelter of God s loving arms. As you experience all the feelings of leaving and beginning a new life in a different place, may the peace of God reign in your heart. We know that God goes with you. ADULT STUDY GROUP This group resumed meeting on Wednesday, August 2. Currently being studied is the Book of Genesis. There is often much laughter drifting into the office while they are gathered, so while the study is serious, there are obviously lighter moments as well. This is not a closed group; you are welcome to join in. You just need to have a Bible and watch the weekly This Week. emails for the chapters that will be discussed. Among the lighter moments of the August 2 discussion about the flood and Noah s Ark, if we were to prepare for the flood today:
THE ECLIPSE BOOKS Ahh, yes, the great eclipse and all that it entails. You have undoubtedly heard many predictions as to numbers of people, traffic, etc. that will affect Newport. Because of all these predictions, the church office will be closed on Monday, August 21 and will be open instead on Wednesday and Thursday, 9am-4pm. BEACH EUCHARIST Yes! There will be a Beach Eucharist this year again at Ona Beach on Sunday, August 27, at 10am. Our focus will be on celebrating Eucharist with the members of St. Luke and fellowship, so the picnic portion of the day will be scaled back to potluck; no BBQ and everyone will be responsible for bringing their own chairs. If this will be difficult for anyone, please contact the church office for assistance. ALTAR FLOWERS There is a very simple calendar on the bulletin board by the 9 th Street door on which you are encouraged to write down dates when you would be willing to provide flowers either flowers from your yard or cash with which to purchase flowers. This is a great way to remember a special date or someone in your life; there is a form under the calendar that you can turn into the office so the reason you are giving flowers can be included in the bulletin. When you look at the calendar you will see mostly blanks. Please, won t you consider helping to fill in those blanks? Occasions you may want to honor: your own birthday, the birthday of a loved one, an anniversary, the memory of a deceased loved one, etc. If you have flowers in your yard that an Altar Guild member could use, please contact that person (who is named in the Monday This Week email). If you wish to provide cash for the Altar Guild member to purchase flowers, please make your check payable to St. Stephen s with altar flowers noted on the memo line. Due to Susan+ s generosity, we have some books to share with you free, which is a very good price! They will be available to view and from which to choose on the table in the library after the service on Sunday. Some of them are Bible study helps, some are spiritual reflections, some are stories of particular saints, etc. Please feel free to take whichever of the books are of interest to you. STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness. [-Dalai Lama XIV, (1935 - ), Buddhist monk] COMMUNICATIONS Please, please, please, won t you communicate? Items are sometimes left at the church with no explanation and we don t know if there is someone who should be thanked, if they are being left for someone else to pick up, if by someone who needs to know we don t maintain a clothes closet, etc. If you leave any item(s) it would be so much appreciated if you would leave a note (anonymously if necessary) with them that at least lets us know the intent behind the contribution. The latest example: two boxes of tall votive candles. From whom? Why? For our use? For someone to pick up? ON THE LIGHTER SIDE (Thanks, Hazel) A group of 8-year olds were asked to write a paper about their grandparents; what they wrote is priceless. Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people s. A grandfather is a man & a grandmother is a lady! Grandparents don t have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn t play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money. When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars. They wear glasses and funny underwear; they can take their teeth and gums out.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don t have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us. They know we should have a snack time before bed time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we ve acted bad. It s funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog. MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU AT ST STEPHEN S Our church honors and welcomes lay ministries. Here are some opportunities for you to consider as ways you can contribute: Serve as a Eucharistic Minister (talk with Judith+) Usher on Sundays Contact Bill Hoeflin to volunteer: 541-867-3126, 541-270-9517; whitomorn1@aol.com Become a member of the Prayer Chain to pray daily for those in need of prayer contact Jan in the office: 541-265-5251 Work with the Stone Soup Supper team on Monday nights especially needed is someone to be present to help the cooks locate items and to help make sure things are put away; that any leftovers are retained only if they can be used within the next day or two (identified and dated), and that boxes brought in be removed. Join the ministry of the Altar Guild Bring food on Sundays for Food Share Mission Statement of St. Stephen s: Following the teachings of Christ, Love God, Welcome all, Serve the Community St. Stephen s endeavors to be a welcoming church for people of all faiths, races, nationalities and walks of life: urban, rural, rich, poor, gay, straight, families, singles, young, old, and wherever you are on your faith journey. Hospitality is a very important part of our ministry and we hope you will find welcome here. ST. STEPHEN EPISCOPAL CHURCH, (414 SW 9 th Street; corner of 9 th and Hurbert Streets) PO Box 1014 Newport, OR 97365 541-265-5251 email: saint.stephens.newport@gmail.com www.centralcoastepiscopal.org SERVICE SCHEDULE Sundays Holy Eucharist, 11am Wednesdays Holy Eucharist, Noon OFFICE MANAGER & EPISTLE EDITOR Jan Sedlacek (541-270-8430; jaycee.sed@gmail.com ) Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 9am-4pm MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH The people of St. Stephen s Caroline Miller Organist Mary Lee Scoville Organist The Rev. Dcn. Joyce Atchley Deacon The Rev. Dr. Gavin Shumate Associate Priest The Rev. Dr. Judith Jones Vicar The Rt. Rev. Michael J. Hanley Bishop of Oregon VICAR S HOURS, until further notice: Mondays, 1-5pm; Wednesdays, 9am-5pm (other hours by appointment) Phone: 541-272-4939 email: judith.jones@wartburg.edu
DON T SUFFER IN SILENCE: Please call the church office (541-265-5251) when: * You are ill or a member of your family is in the hospital. * You learn of a death in the church family. KEEP US POSTED: Please call the church office (541-265-5251) when: * Your group plans to meet at the church. * Your address, phone number or email address is changed. * You learn of someone who may be interested in church membership.