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March 2010
Vol. 12 No. 3
Archive of Previous Issues
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The Grapevine is published monthly
(except for a combined July/August issue)
by St. Patrick's Episcopal Church
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Table of Contents for March 2010 [Vol. 12 No. 3]
Miroslav Volf's brother, Daniel, was killed in a senseless accident at the age of five. His father, a Pentecostal minister, not only did not press charges in a court of law but also forgave those whose negligence led to the accident. Volf describes the tragedy in his book, Free of charge: Giving and forgiving in a culture stripped of grace (2005). When he asked his parents why they forgave, they quoted Ephesians 4:32, "Forgive one another as God in Christ has forgiven you."
To forgive was extraordinarily painful. So when he asked them how they could forgive, they said it was only possible because they belonged to a community (p. 213). In the community: they prayed, listened to preaching about loving their enemies, celebrated Christ's death in communion, sang about God's love, their children were welcomed in baptism, and they mourned the dead in the hope of the resurrection. Inevitably there were Job's comforters who said their son had died as God's punishment for things they had done wrong. Some said that it was because they had become too friendly with the Baptists!
Obviously being part of a community is a powerful experience. I wonder what belonging to St Patrick's makes possibly for us? Hopefully it provides the context in which good prevails over evil. In practical terms I believe that it makes possible the following:
When we suffer personal tragedies: sickness, conflict in our families, financial anxieties, or bereavement, members of our community will minister to us and comfort us in our affliction.
Our community encourages us to be giving people in a culture of takers. There are members of St Patrick's who set a powerful example by their generosity. They give without counting the cost: their money, their time and energy, their love and concern.
St Patrick's is a community where people pray. This might sound obvious, but it is not true of every church! It is through our fellowship with one another that our faith and love of God is deepened.
Within the community we learn the difference between right and wrong and our values are reinforced. We learn to recognize temptations and receive the grace to overcome them (sometimes!). Paul tells us the "rules of the community" (for example in Romans 12:16, "Live in harmony with one another.")
We live in a place of great natural beauty and we kneel in a place "where prayer has been valid" (T S Eliot). We are blest to have people around us to whom we can express our awe and wonder and with whom we can praise God, the Creator of all things.
Like the "saints" in the church in Corinth about whom Paul says, "Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise" (1Cor 1:26), we are ordinary people. In the church there is a place where we who are out of step with the world are at home.
All of this is possible because of the community to which we belong-a community that is not a human creation but a spiritual fellowship. And we are all members of one body, the Body of Christ.
Hugh Stevenson
All find a welcome:
The Bogel family was here on February 7 to celebrate what would have been Walt Bogel's 100th birthday.
Carol Moller of Oakmont Gardens was here on February 7.
For this, much thanks:
Thanks to all who brought toiletries for the homeless for the Daughters of the King ingathering. These were distributed after the services on February 7 to the SR Homeless Shelter on Morgan Street and through The Rose, a shelter for kids.
Thanks to the new Vestry Officers:
Sarah Phillips is the Senior Warden
Wes Cazel continues as Junior Warden
Charlie Chapman continues as Treasurer
At the Annual Meeting:
Sarah Phillips was the Parliamentarian and Jean Derum was the clerk.
Thanks to the 9:00 a.m. musicians:
Judy Buff (coordinator)
| Dennis Studebaker | Kathy Littman |
| Raymond Skipp | Marshall Ward |
| Peter Rosser |
Thanks to Robert Young for the romantic music during the Valentine's Day coffee hour and his "Suites for the Sweet" recital on February 21.
Congratulations to St Andrew's Monte Rio!
In 2009, the food pantry distributed 4001 bags to 5772 people. A remarkable effort!
We will exalt you, O God, our King:
We celebrate the births of:
- January 21, Madeleine Juelle Zacherle (6lb 5oz), daughter of Whitney and Niles, grand-daughter of Juelle and Fred Fisher.
- January 28, Maya Natalie Hall, daughter of Angela and Casey, granddaughter of Jane and Rex Hall, sister of Alissa.
- November 22, Zoe Anne Crouse, daughter of Chelsea and Jamie and great granddaughter of Marge and Bob Ruehrdanz.
May they know God's healing power:
| Greta MacLeod | Peg Robins |
| Shirley Pippin | Ed Dill |
| Evie Borger | Conner Johnson |
| Harry Fry | Mark Kirkland |
| Judy Rose | Marge Ward |
| John Orb | Michael Craigie |
| Rennie Babington | Matt Harris |
Gordon Rosser, Pete's father
Deepest sympathy:
to the family of Allen Treat who died January 24. Allen and Buffy joined St Patrick's in 2001
We ask God's protection of:
those serving in the military overseas
Jamie Crouse grandson of Marge and Bob Ruehrdanz, in Afghanistan and Frederic Cazel in Haiti.
Blessings on:
Dashell and India Jaynes, children of Randall & Ela, grandchildren of Audrey Jaynes, baptized on Valentines Day (February 14).
May they rest in peace:
Morton MacLeod, brother of George, died on January 24. He was nearly 86.
I invite you to the observance of Holy Week, which is the climax of the Christian year.
We have various services. Come to as many services as you can!
March 30. Holy Tuesday: At 6:00 p.m. there is a potluck supper; bring soup, bread and cheese or fruit. At 7:00 p.m. we view Quo Vadis (1951) with Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Glenn and Peter Ustinov. It won 8 Academy Award nominations and tells of Christians in Rome during the time of Nero. We conclude the evening with Compline.
March 31. Holy Wednesday: The 9:00 a.m. Midweek Eucharist and Healing.
April 1. Maundy Thursday: Washing of feet and Eucharist at 7:00 p.m. If you wish to have your feet washed wear easy to remove shoes and socks. This is followed by stripping the altar (while Psalm 22 is read) and a one hour vigil. Flowers in church remind us of the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus said to his sleeping disciples, "Could you not watch with me one hour?"
April 2. Good Friday: Good Friday Liturgy (Prayer Book, p. 276) at noon. We have invited the congregation of Kenwood Community Church to worship with us. The offering goes to the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem & Middle-East. The church is barren with no adornments and there is no communion on this day.
April 3. Holy Saturday: The Altar Guild will decorate the church at 9:00 a.m. Would you like to help them?
GUEST PREACHER
The Venerable Stephan Welch will be with us for Holy Week 2010, preaching at a number of the services. Fr Stephan has been Archdeacon of Middlesex since 2006. Before that he was the vicar of St Peter's, Hammersmith, where Linda and Jim Rawls worship when they are in London and where Hugh's brother, Willie, and sister-in-law, Bridget, have both been senior wardens. As Archdeacon, Fr Stephan is responsible for 148 Church of England schools and 46,500 children. He is married to Jenny and they have three adult sons. He is of mixed German-Jewish and English parentage and was brought up largely in Bedfordshire, where he supports the Luton Town Soccer Club. He also has a small yacht called 'Wistful Spirit'. Stephan is on sabbatical. He and Jenny will be staying with the Rawls. Fr Stephan says that since his job is now largely administrative he is looking forward to being back in a parish for Holy Week. March 28. Palm Sunday: Blessing of palms at all services. At 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., there is the procession of palms. At 10:30, the service begins outside the main doors by the St. Patrick's Cross (weather permitting). The reading is the Passion story according to Luke.
April 4. Easter Day:
- At 8:00 a.m. Lighting of the Paschal candle and the Easter vigil. We concludewith the singing of "Jesus Christ is Risen Today."
- At 8:45 a.m. The Flowering Cross. Please bring flowers for the children to decorate the flowering cross.
- At 9:00 a.m. Family Eucharist. The choir will sing at both 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 services.
- At 9:45 a.m. The Easter egg hunt.
- At 10:30 a.m. Festal Eucharist hopefully including Holy Baptism.
Do you know of children or adults to be baptized?
Easter Flowers. Will you give Easter decorations in memory of or in thanksgiving for a loved one? Please sign the Flower Book in the Church entrance by Palm Sunday (March 28).
Easter Parking - Overflow parking is on the "Front 40." Please do not block the entrance leading from the church driveway. There is also additional parking at the rear of the church.
MARCH AT ST. PATRICK'S
March 6 is the Congregational Leadership Conference at St Paul's Benicia. The conference begins at 9:00 a.m. and finishes at 3:00 p.m. During the morning representatives from two parishes will share what is working in their neck of the woods. Rick Harrison Smith, executive director of the Episcopal foundation, will make a brief presentation about legacy stewardship. After lunch there will be four workshops:
- Treasurers breakout with Bobbi Yeo, Canon for Admin & Finance
- New Vestry members meet with Bishop Beisner
- Newcomer Incorporation with The Rev. Canon Britt Olson
- Property and Liability Insurance with Canon Holly McAlpin
March 7 is Lent 3, Welsh Sunday. There are lots of Welsh hymns in our Hymnal. We will sing some of them like Cwm Rhondda. March 1 is St David's Day, the patron saint of Wales.
This is also Healing Sunday. At all services, any who wish can come forward for the laying on of hands and anointing with oil. You may seek healing for physical ailments, for emotional or mental pain or for another reason.
Daughters of the King meet after the 10:30 service.
March 13 (not March 6) is the beginning of Daylight savings time. We lose an hour of sleep while clocks "spring" forward.
March 14: Lent 4, the middle Sunday of Lent, is called Laetare Sunday (also known as Mothering Sunday in U.K. and Irish Sunday). We will sing Irish hymns in honor of our patron, including the popular song, You raise me up (based on the Londonderry Air).
ST. PATRICK'S DAY DINNER
Saturday, March 20, is the day the leprechauns will invade St. Patrick's! To honor our patron Saint, a traditional dinner will be served with one seating at 6:00 p.m. This dinner is a big fundraiser for our parish. Tickets will be on sale after Sunday services and in the parish office.
Of course, this dinner could not be a success without the help of many people. Sign up sheets in the parish hall offer many opportunities to serve! Can you help decorate the hall? Can you donate items for raffle baskets and special prizes?
March 21 is Lent 5, The Sunday of the Passion. We make palm crosses in preparation for Palm Sunday. Please come and help.
March 26 is the Vestry supper at the home of Anne and Charlie Chapman.
March 27 is Mutual Ministry Review for the vestry. Canon Britt Olsen, the Bishop's assistant will once again lead us in this day of planning.
COMING SHORTLY
MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE! Saturday May 8, 5:30 p.m. potluck supper and sing-along
Dennis Studebaker will lead us in singing well known Folk songs, old- time Gospel tunes, Spirituals, and Standards, mixed with timeless favorites from the 50s, 60s, and 70s (and also songs that are just plain fun to sing!). Dennis has led sing-alongs with house parties and church groups for over ten years. He'll be joined by Kathy Littman on bass and other musician friends.
- All are welcome
- Lyric sheets are provided
Please sign up to bring food and help with setup and cleanup in the parish hall. Further info from Angela Stevenson (537-1440).
DAUGHTERS OF THE KING
The Daughters will meet on March 7 to prepare new members for their installation.
DoK will meet March 28 after the 10:30 service (transferred from April 4, Easter).
On April 11 new members of the Daughters of the King: Judy Rose, Tommie Cazel, Rosie Speight and Ninon Cabrales will be installed and given their crosses.
April 24 is the Diocesan Spring Assembly at St. Matthew's Sacramento. The Daughters will plan Quiet Days of reflection in May and November.
EPISCOPAL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT
One of the main charities we support at St Patrick's is ERD, the international relief and development arm of the Episcopal Church. It began life in 1940 as the "PB's Fund" (The Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief). Its initial purpose was to assist European refugees during World War II. It then supported Palestinian refugees, children in Estonia and displaced persons in Germany and Hungary. Its new name in 2000 emphasizes community development. Since General Convention's adoption of the Millennium Development Goals in 2006, ERD with other agencies has aimed at reducing extreme global poverty by 2015.
ERD comes to our attention when there is a disaster like Katrina or Haiti. We sent an immediate check for $1000 from our outreach budget for Haiti, and our members more than matched that with their personal giving. When money is raised, it is distributed through local congregations. Katrina showed us the local churches are first on the spot and more effective than the big national agencies. But ERD works with ongoing projects throughout the year:
- Alleviating hunger and improving food supply
- Creating economic opportunities and strengthening communities
- Promoting health and fighting disease (such as the malaria net project)
In 2007, ERD raised $20million and reached more than two million people in over 40 countries. With a paid staff of 34, it spent 87% on its programs, 5% on administration and 8% on fundraising. Because of investment income and support it receives in the form of contributed services from the Episcopal Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, 92% of cash donations go directly to ERD's programs.
Charity Navigator rates different agencies (http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm) and gave ERD its best rating. To donate to ERD, visit www.er-d.org or call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can put in the offertory at St Patrick's or mailed directly to ERD, PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058. Barbara Fry or Marge Ruehrdanz can provide more information.
More about other charities which we support in future Grapevines.
Hugh Stevenson
ECW HIGHLIGHTS
The women of St. Patrick's have begun their new year with new and old projects that will benefit both St. Patrick's and our community. We are focusing on fundraisers this year to benefit the Kenwood School Arts and Music Programs, Social Advocates for Youth (SAY), The Living Room, The Sierra Youth Center as well as St. Patrick's.
Our first 2010 meeting was a fun filled afternoon with a performance by the beginning band students from Kenwood Elementary and followed by our second annual Lunch Box auction. The children were very nervous as this was their first performance in a public setting. They did a wonderful job and we all enjoyed meeting these great students as we shared our 'lunch box' goodies. The auction proceeds ($301) were given to the music and arts program at the school.
The ECW has begun a fundraising campaign to replace the folding chairs in the Parish Hall. To that end, we hosted a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner on February 16. Thanks to all who helped decorate, prepare and serve the meal and especially those of you who attended. The fresh blueberry pancakes were a huge hit as well as the glass of champagne. The chairs for the Parish Hall have been ordered and should be arriving in time for the St. Patrick's Day dinner on March 20. Additional contributions to the chair fund can be made to ECW if you were unable to attend Shrove Tuesday.
Flowers always make for a sunny, festive outdoors be it in pots or in the garden. Why not buy a few bulbs to brighten up your home garden or patio and help St. Patrick's at the same time. ECW is selling flower bulbs that can be planted for summer and fall color in your garden. Half of the money raised by this sale comes directly back to St. Patrick's and the flowers are sent directly to your home. Check with Jean Meyer, Marge Ruehrdanz, Vicki Ward, or Jean Derum after services each Sunday between February 14 and March 21. Order catalogs are on a table in Parish Hall.
Plans are in the beginning stages for our annual Spring Fashion show and luncheon. Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 17 when once again we will be featuring fashions from Coldwater Creek of Montgomery Village.
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