Messenger - July 2008
514 E. Argonne Kirkwood, MO 63122 (314) 821-1806
www.gracekirkwood.org
Transitions of Healing and Health
Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing;
from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness
For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever;
you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens. Ps. 89:1,2
A recent NPR article talked about small things that are indicators of large changes in the economy, something like a “butterfly effect”. One of the markers of a downturn in the economy is a rise in the sale of lipstick. As the economy begins to shrink, the sale of lipstick rises. Seems that women feel they need to cut back on unnecessary (luxury) expenses. However, a lipstick is an inexpensive and useful “indulgence”. Lipstick purchases have risen in the order of about 25% in recent months. How will the sales of lipstick impact on the future of Grace over the next couple of years?
Tim Conder, in his 2006 book, The Church in Transition: The Journey of Existing Churches into the Emerging Culture, explores seven “Seven Deadly Fears and Essential Conversations”. As postmodernity continues to evolve, the movement of society and the church away from the Enlightenment model we have known for some 500 hundred years is exhilarating for some, and profoundly threatening for others. I list the “Fears” without comment, except to observe that while they may appear as “conservative” statements, they are rather areas in the church’s life and its future that need to be explored. :
1. The emerging culture’s attachment to postmodern thought leaves no room for the truth of the gospel.
2. The emerging culture’s emphasis on community minimizes the importance of personal faith.
3. Attempts to do culturally relevant ministry in an emerging culture causes the gospel message to be softened and distorted.
4. Ministry in the emerging culture leads to the devaluation of the Bible.
5. Ministry in the emerging culture means abandoning Christian ethics and accepting immoral behavior.
6. Transition to ministry in the emerging culture means the loss of the traditions and practices we hold dear.
7. Transition to ministry in the emerging culture demands that a church abandon its distinctive theological identity as liberal or conservative.
Finally, Conder observes that, “The emerging church seeks to be an authentic contextualization of the gospel within the values and characteristics of postmodern culture…. Emerging churches are committed to a “rule of life” that includes:
The pursuit of the gospel expressed and explained in community
A passion for living out of the values of Jesus’ kingdom in the present
Comfort with mystery and uncertainty
Spiritual holism that calls forth a radical and comprehensive discipleship
A reading of Scripture that intersects with local stories and contexts
An experiential approach to both worship and the pursuit of truth [and]
A ministry that honors the beauty of God’s creation and the creative spirit found in humanity.
The call of Jesus to his disciples, and to we who are now his presence in the world, is to accept the challenge of the society that is around us, We can, with open love, acceptance and patience, bring into being the kingdom of God, in our time and place. The future of Grace knows no boundaries, if we but pursue the call.
John+
June 27, 2008
Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness, I plunged into the lovely things that you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet, if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.
St. Augustine
Letter from the Bishop
Michael Hampson, an English priest, has written a sobering, though not despairing, analysis of the Church of England. The title is a giveaway about the tone of sobriety-Last Rites: The End of the Church of England. Hampson brings insights and challenges a-plenty in this book of strong medicine for Anglican Christians.
I put before you one telling paragraph about the linkage between worship and mission, a perception I recognize intuitively as correct. Hampson writes:
A wise archdeacon once suggested that you can learn almost everything you need to know about a church by observing its liturgy. Is it dominated by one person, or is it a genuinely corporate event? Is the singing bored and functional, or confident and sincere? Are the clergy treating the laity like children, or like adults? Are people participating in the liturgy with all that they are, or just reading it from a book or a sheet and doing as they are told? Is it awkward or wholesome, a chore or a privilege, a habit or an unmissable event? (Last Rites, 94)
These seem the right sort of questions to ask, when it comes to talking about transformative worship. The issue, mind you, is not about texts. Liturgy that sustains lives and changes them can be spoken in Rite I language, or it can be set in the optional texts of Enriching Our Worship. Worship that transforms can be formal or not, ritually complex or not, in large gatherings or small. The setting is less important than the care taken with the actions themselves.
Transformative liturgy tells all the participants with unmistakable clarity: As you are fed in the life-giving meal of Christ's body and blood, so you must feed the hungry. As you have heard the word of hope, so you must be ready to speak a word to the hopeless. As you have sung the songs of Zion, so you must make a place for other voices.
Without the missional perspective in the liturgy, our manners of worship turn stale, and they become precious or lackadaisical or routinized.
Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." (John 6:51) The purpose of Eucharistic worship does not end with the participants themselves; the purpose of the Eucharist is nothing less than the life of the world.
May our manners of worship be so lively, so enlivening, that Jesus' passion for the life of the world becomes our chief concern.
The Rt. Rev. George Wayne Smith
Youth Led Worship ‘Cathedral Style’
Sunday, July 13
10 AM Choral Eucharist — 4 PM Choral Evensong
The Royal School of Church Music Choir returns to Grace Church for two services on July 13. Choristers from Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee (including 6 of our choristers) will be spending the week prior at Todd Hall preparing for these services. Special music for the day will include Mozart’s ‘Veni Sancte Spiritus’ and the ‘Latin-American Evening Canticles’ by English composer Bryan Kelly. I encourage you to be a part of this day, and trust that you will be truly inspired.
Phillip Brunswick
Organist & Choir Master
PERSONALITY DIMENSION WORKSHOP
Discovering Temperament and Who You Are
Do you value being free and spontaneous – love to play and create?
Do you value belonging to a group or community?
Do you value developing yourself and facilitating growth in others?
Do you value striving to learn, to know, to predict the next big thing?
FIND OUT: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2008
9:00 – 12:00 a.m.
If they are a gold, I know they want details... and
if they are blue, I am more careful …
HEADLINE:
I was in the hospital and no one from Church visited me!
Have you had this happen to you? Or to one of your family members or friends? It has happened to some of our parishioners in the past several months. And it is not only true for Grace Episcopal Church; it happens all the time in hospitals all over the St. Louis area. The reason? In the past, when we entered the hospital, we had the option to list our religious preference, such as Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Methodist, etc., and the chaplain on duty or an administrator was notified and a call went to your particular parish.
Churches also were allowed to call the hospitals – as we did at Grace for many years – to see if they had any Episcopalians in their hospitals. This is also no longer allowed.
This is no longer the case due to the privacy law enacted in 1996 and further strengthened in 2003. This is referred to as the HIPAA Law that restricts the distribution of a patient’s health information. Here is a brief summary of the law:
Required Disclosures. A covered entity must disclose protected health information
in only two situations: (a) to individuals (or their personal representatives)
specifically when they request access to, or an accounting of disclosures of, their
protected health information; and (b) to HHS when it is undertaking a compliance
investigation or review or enforcement action.17
What this basically means is that if you are admitted into the hospital it is your responsibility to notify your church parish. We know this is not practical, especially if you go in as an emergency case. This is one of the basic reasons we have established the CARE-NET/24 Voice Mail System. This system is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Just have someone call into the church – anytime of the day or night and someone will respond within 12 hours! You have several options of visitation or notice to the parish:
• Request a Lay Eucharistic Visit for prayers and/or Communion
• Request a Clergy Visit – in cases of severe health concerns
• Ask to be put on one or more Prayer Lists: Sunday Bulletin Prayers of the People, Prayer Chain (confidential prayers from several parishioners)
• Requests cards, phone calls or visits from friends.
PLEASE pick up or request a copy of our CARE-NET/24 flyer that outlines the system and how and when to contact the church office at 314-821-1806 EXT. 24 When you call, please leave your name and address for us to mail it to you.
Note that it would also be helpful if you (or someone) notified the CARE-NET/24 line when you are released from the hospital; please let us know if you will need some special assistance, such as temporary meals, transportation to church or other requests.
We hope you don’t have to use CARE-NET/24, but please know it is available 24/7! For more information, contact Dick Corbet Pastoral Care Ministry Chair at 636-778-0271.
OUTREACH UPDATE
Has the price of gasoline affected Grace’s Outreach program? Or could it be that many of our faithful givers were out of town over the Easter holiday? Whatever the cause, the Easter Sunday offering, which is a major source of our Outreach funds, was disappointingly low this year. Easter envelopes contained only $753.00 compared with $1,827.00 contrbuted in 2007, a shortfall of more than $1,000. Obviously, this severely restricts our budget for funding the Outreach projects we support.
Grace’s Outreach program helps ten different groups serving the needs of our less fortunate neighbors. Although you are probably familiar with these groups, the list bears repeating: Habitat for Humanity, SPROG, Episcopal City Mission, KirkCare, Trinity Hot Lunch, Episcopal Relief & Development, Task Force for the Hungry, Rebuilding Together, Annie’s Hope and the annual birthday party for young residents of the Juvenile Detention Center.
Ninety-seven percent of our Outreach budget is spent within our own Diocese and community. Only 3% goes worldwide through Episcopal Relief & Development. So, you can see that the major portion of your contribution helps our neighbors right here around us. Traditionally, offerings from Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter go to Outreach, but contributions can be made at any time. If you missed the Easter season, it’s not too late. Outreach envelopes can be found in your pew. Please remember those who need our help.
GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS 2008
Congratulations to our new high school graduates! Here are some who have shared their plans with us.
Susie Compton University of Richmond, VA
Ashley Elliot Mizzou
Charles Fliss William & Mary
Edward Grossman University of Mississippi
Andy Haddock Mizzou
Erica Hunt Drury
Ryan Jennings Mizzou
Andrew Jolley Dayton, Ohio University
Noah Logue Rochester Institute of Technology
Scott Smith Indiana University
Mandy Stricker St. Louis University
Jackson Suhre Mizzou
Matthew VanConia Missouri State
Chelsea Warren Arizona State
If you know of others who have graduated, please notify our secretary Lois Russell, so that we can include them in the next issue of the Messenger.
O gracious Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in our creation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Ten Steps to Calling our New Rector
After meeting with Canon Dan Smith, our Diocese CDO (Church Deployment Office) resource, members of the Search Committee are enthused with the Diocese’s resources and commitment to help us succeed. Below is our condensed ten step overview of the search process.
Step #1 – Define what makes us unique. This involves a parish survey, strategy sessions, and planning meetings. This work is nearly complete.
Step #2 - Prepare Parish Profile and Diocese Search Form. These documents define what makes Grace unique, and will show candidates who we are. This work is now in process.
Step #3 - Approach prospects. Canon Smith’s office (diocese) scours the national church database and networks with CDO representatives in other dioceses. Grace parish members are also encouraged to identify candidates. All candidates must reply through the national church CDO system (i.e. Diocese).
Step #4 - Interview and visit candidates. The Bishop and Canon Smith will provide resumes of candidates that appear compatible (hopefully 40+ names). The Committee will review candidate resumes, reducing candidates to approximately a dozen resumes. Phone interviews are conducted. Three committee members will visit remaining candidates for a personal interview, and experience a service and sermon.
Step #5 – Committee selects final candidates. The Committee shares findings, and following candid and open discussion, will vote for final candidates.
Step #6 - Diocese background check. Canon Smith speaks with peer CDO representatives, and Bishop Smith speak with the Bishop in each final candidate’s diocese. These discussions are very open and honest. Canon Smith will report back to the Committee.
Step #7 – Committee recommends final candidates to the Vestry. The Committee recommends two to four final candidates. Committee comments are provided with each candidate.
Step #8 - Vestry elects final candidate. The Vestry considers Committee recommendations, invites each final candidates (and spouse, if applicable) to quietly visit Grace Church and Vestry. The Vestry will vote for the rector they feel is the “best fit” for Grace at this time.
Step #9 - Obtain Bishop approval. Final candidates meet with Bishop George Wayne Smith when in St. Louis to visit Grace Church. Bishop final approval is required.
Step #10 - Vestry issues the call to the new rector and negotiates letter of agreement.
This process is a delicate dance between God’s will and our best intentions. We will get to know each candidate as well as possible, and allow them to know us. We will not rush the process.
Please continue to keep Grace, the Vestry, and our Committee in your prayers.
“A Journey of Faith”
As we approach the completion of the first year of our year round stewardship program, I am reminded that our journey can be considered as just beginning. As we learn about our own individual journey of faith, we may begin to realize that this journey will have no finite end…..it may, and in all likelihood will, take our lifetime to complete.
By this I mean that we should take the time to reflect upon just where we are on our own journey and maintain the commitment to continue it into the future.
This journey may begin with the understanding that all that we have in this life comes from God…….our spiritual gifts have been freely given. These gifts are unique to each of us and, as we recognize them and develop them, we will be more successful in their management. Congregations that create an environment where these gifts can be developed and perfected are more successful in faithfully serving Christ and their membership.
To help me understand what these gifts are I turned to the letters of Paul to the churches of Corinth. He used these to define the traits of the Body of Christ: Administration, Apostleship, Compassion, Discernment, Evangelism, Exhortation, Faith, Healing, Helping, Interpretation of Tongues, Knowledge, Leadership, Miracle Working, Prophecy, Service, Shepherding, Teaching, Tongues, and Wisdom. Quite a list and some that I have little understanding about. But it is my hope that my own faith journey will lead me to a deeper understanding of these gifts, what spiritual gifts God has bestowed upon me, and how I might use these gifts to their greatest potential. I am not there yet!
Time/Talent/Treasure…….you have heard about these before and I use all three of these to help me measure how I am doing on my individual journey of faith. Am I using the talents (gifts) that I have been freely given to their fullest potential, does part of my time include spiritual development, and am I including the work of Christ in my treasure decisions? Just what am I giving back? Or to put it into the words of Ron Jones in his Stewardship article last month “how am I responding?”
The larger question might be….how are we responding as a faith community??
GRACE ON THE GO!!
On Tuesday, July 15, Grace on the Go will tour the Cathedral Basilica on Lindell Boulevard at 10 AM. This is the home of the world's largest collection of mosaics, and its history is quite interesting. A 11:30 AM lunch follows at Duff's (on Euclid in the Central West End). The tour is free; free-will offering accepted. Duff's will have a special Grace on the Go menu from which to choose, with a fixed price including gratuity and indivual checks. Watch for the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to reserve your place for the tour, lunch, or both.
POTLUCK SUMMER SOCIAL -
The Summer Social was held Saturday, June 28th, and a good time was had by all! We had 52 people, including quite a few younger ones, attend, and the weather was gorgeous! As expected, the Parish came through with some wonderful food!
May 28, 2008
HELP WANTED OPPORTUNITY – For you to share your Time & Talents.
The Grace Church Care Line was organized and has been operated by Phyllis and Dick Corbet for over the past 15 years. It is time to share this experience with others! Interested parties should contact one of them at 636-778-0271.
Experience needed: None. We will train you in about an hour and supervise the activity the first two weeks.
Time Commitment: Update 2 Prayer Lists, Events/Activities, Death/Dying lines once a week (Friday or Saturday). Update Church Hours for Easter, Christmas and other special events. Update Death/Dying line as needed. To listen to examples, go to 314-821-1806 Ext. 50 (after office hours) and listen to all 7 lines.
Compensation: Satisfaction in keeping parish members up-to-date on health and welfare of other members. This is Chairman position and is one of the eight Pastoral Care Ministry positions. Meetings are 2-3 times a year to discuss Pastoral Needs of the parish.
HANDBELL REFURBISHING
Our two octave handbell package at Grace was purchased in 1988, with an add-on octave in 1992. The bells have had a lot of use since then and are in need of refurbishing in order to maintain the prize that we have -- 20 years later. We have a little fund going to help pay for this refurbishing -- polishing, repair, retuning, etc., and wanted the Parish to be aware of this. If anyone wants to donate a little for this project, please make a check payable to Grace Episcopal Church, with the designation to handbells on the check, and put it in Fernando's or Ella Heigham's mailbox, or give it to them. Thank you for your support for the handbells over the years!
The Seventh Annual Lobsters on the Loose... Huge Success!
Thanks to the loyal lobster lovers, Grace's Lobster Fundraiser raised $3000.00 for Annies Hope. Annies Hope is a bereavement center for families that have lost a loved one and is one of Grace Church's outreach programs. On Saturday, June 14th, people from all over the St. Louis area came to Grace Church to pick up their live lobsters, or stopped to watch the steaming of their fresh lobsters. We were absoluetly thrilled with not only the support of Grace Church parishioners, but the entire St. Louis community. We want to thank all of you that participated in this very worthy cause, and we are extremely grateful to our volunteers: Lois Russell, Richard Feldges, Skip and Leah Giessing, Steve and Lisa Jianakopolos, Tim Cenova, Becky Englebrecht, Lora and Tom Schoeffel, Steve Mika, Tom Grossman, and Kim and Michael Nabor.
Sincerely,
Janet Mika and Julie Grossman
