Not long ago I found myself in the familiar, uncomfortable situation of being among a group of strangers who, until that day, had nothing in common. The first order of business before us was to introduce ourselves to one another. What followed was a bewildering array of names (a few of which I actually caught) and other bits of biographical information, more or less cleverly selected so as to reveal or conceal something about the person. A certain woman's introduction of herself, however, made the deepest impression on me: "My name is N.N., and I work at various jobs." Later, while conversing with her during a break in the conference, I deduced that "various jobs" was the post-modern description of a housewife who engaged in a variety of volunteer pursuits and whose children (if she had any) were in school all day. I am not too young to recall a time when "housewife" was a perfectly respectable vocation. But in the presence of assorted Ph.D.'s, doctors, architects, ministers, and social workers, she seemed apologetic reporting that her calling in life was homemaking.
Do not misunderstand me. I do not long for a return to the day when a woman's destiny was fulfilled only in the home. I've supported for years such things as the ordination of women to the priesthood and the Equal Rights Amendment. It was unfortunate, however, that the woman's movement seemed for the longest time to look unfavorably upon the more traditional roles of "wife" and "mother," which some women freely chose, and still do, often as a second career following a successful first one. The problem was not simply that the housewife at the conference felt like a third rate human being because she had no graduate degree, but that any human being at all would even think to assess his or her worth as a person by occupation alone.
"God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that every one who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life" (John 3:16). God loves the world. God loves and accepts every one of us unconditionally, without regard to gender, sexual orientation, race, creed, level of education, vocational prestige or (yes, even) moral rectitude.
God loves me - and God loves the man down the street who finished school in the sixth grade and hates his job and walks his dog after work - no matter what he and I do or leave undone. The crucial difference between the Christian and the poor man down the street is rather that she is aware that God loves and accepts her unconditionally.
Life is never the same after that epiphany, because only a person who stands in such a relationship knows true Christian freedom: I am free to accept myself just as I am; free from the feeling that I stand or fall with the praise and criticism of others; free from the necessity of proving my worth by reciting my achievements; free from maintaining a confident facade to conceal my lack of self-esteem; free from being threatened by somebody else's success. I am free to be whomever God has called me to be. I am a child of God, and that is all that matters.
Besides, this is not a "fair" world. The Bible does not teach that the world is a "fair" place nor, to my knowledge, do any of the other great religious traditions. My parents taught me fairness as a child when they gave me the same number of Christmas presents as my brother and sister (probably only the Kingdom is truly fair). I know doctors of philosophy who work in bakeries and bookstores, not to mention the scores of unemployed therapists, ministers and social workers engaged in a pursuit other than the one they trained for at such great expense (five figure student loan indebtedness is common today).
At the same time, incompetent and aggressive people without scruples or conscience can with seeming ease create successful practices and win prestigious positions. More often a job is gotten by political connection or just plain luck, rather than by experience and ability (or because one is religious). The facts are a testimony to the danger of seeking the purpose and value of life in one's accomplishments alone. While I do take pride in what I have worked hard to achieve, the way the world around me seems to work - this strange, beautiful yet unjust world that God loves so much - compels me to look elsewhere for the true measure of my worth. I am a child of God, and that is what really matters.
Peace,
Randy
Calling all Snow Bunnies
Join us on Monday, February 17 - President's Day - for a day of cross-country skiing or snow shoeing at Hurricane Ridge. There are a couple of great beginner trails with some beautiful views. Cross-country skis and snow shoes can be rented at Mount Constance (on Riddell, next to Redwood Cinemas) for about $12 - $15. Be sure to stop in Friday - Saturday before the trip.
If you are nervous about skiing, get the snow shoes. You may also want to rent ski poles to help with balance. A note of caution: You must be in better than average physical shape for either sport. For example, you must be able to walk for 2 hours, non-stop comfortably. All minors should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
We will meet at St. Paul's at 7:45 am on Monday morning and will leave at 8:00 am. Bring a sack lunch and we'll picnic either on the trail or in the lodge. For more information, contact Sean or Katherine Erfe-Johnson at ej-family@attbi.com. Carpooling is encouraged!
Thoughts from the Altar Guild
Flowers placed on the Altar or a Sanctuary candle burning for a week are both lovely memorials to the life of a loved one. A beautiful bouquet on the Altar is a great way to announce your joy for an anniversary, a birthday or the birth of a new baby.
There is a new flower chart for the year in the nave as you enter and forms to fill out and turn into the office. Consider establishing a memorial or a celebration.
Jeanne Thune
Church Quiz
February continues the Season after the Epiphany.
1. What is the color for this Season?
a).Green
b). Red
c). White
2. When does this Season end?
a). Easter
b). Ash Wednesday
c). Palm Sunday
3. How many crosses are there on the Episcopal shield?
4. What do the two main crosses on the Episcopal shield represent?
a). St. George and St. Andrew
b). St. Peter and St. Paul
c). St. Matthew and St. Mark
5. How many original Dioceses were there in the Episcopal Church of the United States?
6. Where was the first Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States consecrated?
a). New York, New York
b). Aberdeen, Scotland
c). Baltimore, Maryland
Answers: 1a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5b, 6b
Epiphany Celebration
It was a lot of fun on January 12th as we celebrated the Feast of the Magi and folks helped with the degreening of the church following the Christmas celebrations. Many thanks to Sandy Stutey and Caro Dugan and their team for coordinating the Greening and Degreening activities. The nave was really beautiful throughout the holiday services.
Judy and Laura Wilkin baked this year's Epiphany cake. Laura, Judy's daughter, searched all year for just the right recipe for the perfect cake. What a delicious treat this dynamic mother/daughter duo shared with our church family.
The cake was chocked full of traditional tokens for all to munch on during coffee hour. Angie Holland, who was celebrating her 11th birthday, found the "Nut" in her slice of cake and will have the honor of being the baker for next year's celebration. Not to be out done, Ellie Holland, Angie's older sister, found the penny. The finder of the coin traditionally makes the coin grow over the next year and then brings it as an offering on the next Epiphany or helps in the baking of the cake. Not to be left out, young master Will Holland found the Thimble in his slice. This is perhaps a great sign for his parents, Rusty and Cindy, as the thimble promises satisfactory employment for the finder (a welcomed reassurance in these crazy economic times.) We will expect great things from the Holland children in the year to come!!!
The Cross was in Don Vanlue's serving, while Athena Williams found the Anchor in her piece and the Heart was in Ingrid McGinley's slice. These three significant tokens were added to the Epiphany celebration by Fr. Stockwell many years ago. The cross, anchor and heart which are symbolic of Faith, Hope and Love are all reflective of the long difficult journey of the Magi which ended in such a glorious reward by their willingness to follow the Star.
Rebecca Battin rounded out the celebration by finding the Ring. Tradition holds that the plain band foretells a wedding during the year for the finder or someone in his/her family. With mother, Myra, serving as the wedding coordinator for St. Paul's, it will be a beautiful event for sure!
Join us next year to find out how the traditions have played out in the lives of these recipients and munch on a great cake made by the Holland folks!
Ann Horn
(Sources: Hazel Kaufman's "The Twelfth Night" story, St. Paul's, Bremerton and
St. Antony's newsletter, "Epiphany Cake", February, 2002)
December Vestry Notes
After going through the discernment process concerning whether or not to house up to 15 men for a thirty-day period, a vote was held. There were two in favor and four against doing so; therefore, St. Paul's will not house the homeless men. However, everyone is still encouraged to help with this worthwhile cause by helping out the other churches in the area that are giving shelter to the men.
Dave Stomberg was in attendance as a special guest to discuss the 2003 pledge drive. Dave expressed the need to let the parishioners know that it should be a priority to increase their pledge amount from the previous year. This will help us pay more of the Diocesan Assessment. Dave presented a report with parishioners divided up into clusters by zip code. It was decided that vestry members would take different clusters and follow-up with the parishioners on the list. They would email or send a note to everyone who had not turned in a pledge card for 2003.
The 2003 budget had been distributed and reviewed at the previous meeting. Rusty moved and Don seconded the motion to approve the budget. The motion passed unanimously.
The committee reported that they had two candidates for the vestry so far. There are no nominees for convention delegates at this time. Fr. Randy noted that we need biographies for the candidates so that they can be published two weeks before the annual meeting.
Fr. Randy showed us mock-ups of metal Episcopal Church signs and it was the consensus that the traditional sign was the favorite.
Bob and Sandy Stutey want to make a gift to the church by paying for the installation of the new coffee maker. This would include the cost of plumbing and electrical work needed to properly install it. Geof requests that the installer be licensed and bonded. John moved and Marilyn seconded the motion to accept the Stutey's generous offer with the stipulation that the vestry have final approval of the installer as well as where it is to be installed. The motion was passed unanimously.
The clerk read aloud a letter to Fr. Randy from the Rev. Dr. Peter Strimer. He was writing on behalf of the Commission for the Church in the World of the Diocese of Olympia to tell us that the Commission had awarded St. Paul's, Bremerton, $1,500 for our support of the Lord's Neighborhood Diner. He also wanted to let us know that he will be leaving the Cathedral and joining Bishop Warner's staff as his Missioner for Communication Ministry.
We still need to call Olan Mills to find out what we have to get to them for the pictorial directory. We still need pictures of our shut-ins.
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Dueñas
Clerk of the Vestry
Youth
HYC
(a huge success!!)
St. Paul's hosted the diocesan Spring High School Youth Conference (HYC) the weekend of January 17th to 19th. Many of you helped out by providing housing or transportation for approximately 120 young people who live throughout the diocese and attended the conference. More than 30 staff members spent both nights at the church, sleeping on the floor. Delsie Peebles fed all 150+ people following a full day of serving diners at the LND. The Saturday night dance was an ear-splitting, smoke-filled blast! All of us who attended worship at the 10:15 service on Sunday experienced a joyful celebration of music and community (it's always great to worship with Episcopalians when the house is overflowing!). Many thanks to all who helped to make this conference a huge success!
Music
The Many Gifts
The reason for the season is Jesus; the ultimate gift for the whole world. Advent, the season of preparation, reminds us of the legendary gifts of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra (Dec. 6th), the famed patron saint known by Dutch colonists' as Santa Claus. The progression of Advent brings other willing gifts: the life of John the Baptizer to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and Mary to become the Mother of Jesus to name just two. The Epiphany reminds us of the faithfulness of the Three Kings, who historians believe may have traveled for years with their valuable gifts to see Jesus. We are reminded of these gifts and many others during the three-year rotation of the lectionary, but how many of us know the dedication behind the songs of worship we sing each Sunday? While celebrating the gift of Christ's birth with a gathering of friends on the 4th Day of Christmas, the topic turned to the great hymns of faith and inspiration. These hymns have truly been gifts to us and I was amazed at how well informed my friends were about the origins of these pieces. I began to wonder how many others know about these inspiring gifts of faith. With your indulgence I will include the history of one hymn each month in the Good Word for those who may not know their origins.
Amazing Grace
In the summer of 1725, in the city of London, England, John Newton was born. His mother, a devout member of the Dissenters, taught the young boy to pray and filled his mind with the Scriptures. But it was John's father, an often-absent sea captain, who captured the boy's imagination. John dreamed of sailing ships and the wide, wild seas, of adventures and mysterious destinations.
Just before John's seventh birthday his mother became ill and died, leaving her son a virtual orphan. Taken in by distant relatives, the little boy was mocked for his belief in God, discouraged from praying and ridiculed for his childish faith. Unhappy and lonely, John turned again to his dreams of the sea and, at the age of eleven, ran off to become an apprentice on his father's ship.
If it was a close father-son relationship John desired he was sadly disappointed for, like his foster family, his father also rejected him. For years, the young fellow plied the Mediterranean on sailing ships, enjoying all the experiences and immoralities offered in each exotic port. He was frequently fired for insubordination, but just as frequently hired by another ship's master, eager for young seamen and not too particular about their character.
After a short stint in the British Navy, John deserted and ran away to Africa to seek his fortune and new adventures in the African slave trade. Signing on with an unscrupulous slave dealer, he found his situation had declined dramatically. In the slave trader's absences, John was left in the "care" of the man's vindictive wife, who imprisoned him to eat his food from the floor like a dog. Believing death was preferable to this kind of treatment, John escaped from his prison into the West African forests and eventually made his way to the Atlantic Coast. After lighting signal fires, John was finally spotted by a passing ship's captain, who sent a small boat to shore to pick him up.
The captain had hoped the lone man had gold or ivory to offer and was disappointed to receive, instead, a penniless runaway. Putting him to work as a mate, the captain learned later, was an unwise decision. Becoming bored during a particularly long watch, John broke into the ship's supply of rum and generously shared it with the crew. Again demonstrating his lack of discipline, John downed a goodly amount of the liquor, became totally disoriented, and fell overboard. One of the ship's officers, either out of pity or spite, saved John from drowning by spearing him in the thigh with a harpoon and reeling him back aboard like a flailing fish!
Painfully wounded and severely disciplined, Newton was relegated below decks where it was thought he could be no more trouble. It was a miserable journey from Africa to England in the stifling, stinking hold, and John had endless days and nights to ponder his empty life and unfulfilled dreams. Somehow, a copy of Thomas a Kempis'' book Imitation of Christ fell into his hands. Reading the book awakened his conscience to the things of God, and he began to recall some of the early lessons learned at his mother's knee.
As the slave ship neared Scotland, severe winds and rains battered her and she began to take on water. Desperate measures were taken to keep her from sinking and for days every able-bodied man, slave or free, bailed water from the foundering ship. Exhausted, frightened, and facing certain death, John Newton had a life-transforming experience with God. The assurance of God's love flooded his soul. Later he would describe it as a miracle, an amazing manifestation of God's grace.
Although that voyage was not his last, John Newton's heart became drawn in other directions. Two years after his miraculous conversion, he married Mary Catlett, a devout Christian, and not long after that, John left the sea for good and became a minister. While he loved to preach and tended his little flock of believers with zealous care, his great joy was writing hymns to be sung at his weekly prayer meetings. He composed over 280 hymns, but the one for which he is most remembered came from his shipboard conversion and carries the message of his personal experience, "Amazing Grace."
Odds & Ends
Travel companion to share cabin aboard Holland American for a 14-day Panama Canal cruise. Board the ship on April 16 at Port (Cape) Canaveral with nine stops and debarking at Acapulco. Good price. If interested, please contact Carl Glaser.
2003 Pledge: Currently 46 pledge cards have been turned in for a total of $82,706. The 2003 budget calls for a balance of nearly $150,000 to support the various programs of St. Paul's, pay the Diocesan assessment and meet our administrative costs. Have you turned in your pledge card for 2003? Please bring your pledge to church or mail it to St. Paul's, c/o the Treasurer. If you need a new blue pledge card, more are available in the tract rack by the nave door. Boxes of pledge envelopes for all parishioners with a record of contributing are now available in the Narthex.
Communications Committee quarterly meeting and dinner is scheduled for Friday, January 31st at 6:30 pm at Richard and Ann Horn's home. Please RSVP ("Yes or No") no later than Tuesday, January 28th so Ann can plan the meal. You can reach Ann at home at the church office at 377-0106.
Liturgy & Arts Committee will meet on Sunday, February 2nd in the Library following the 10:15 am service. Please contact Sandy Stutey or Randy if you are unable to attend.
Christian Formation Committee will meet on Sunday, February 23rd in the Library following the 10:15 am service. Please contact Rusty Holland or Randy if you are unable to attend.
Youth Notes: Coming up - ice skating and lock-in at the church on President's Day weekend! See a group member for details and Randy for a release form.
Newcomer's Brunch has been rescheduled for later in the Spring. If you are interested in helping with this fun event please contact Myra Battin.
Vestry Retreat will be held Friday, February 28th through Sunday, March 2nd at the Seabeck Christian Conference Center. The cost is $95 and includes the cost of meals and housing for the weekend. Contact Randy for more information.
Missing: A 12-inch solid brass container with handles has been used several Sundays during the last few months to hold Altar flowers. The container was a gift to Jane Ahlquist by her grandmother and Jane has been kind to share it with her church family. Please contact the church office, Jeanne Thune or Jane Ahlquist if you have any information on the whereabouts of this treasured heirloom.
Valentine Gala Evening: Tickets are on sale for the Second Annual Valentine Gala Evening that will be held on Friday, February 14th. Activities start at 7:00 pm in the Oliver Room with a delicious hors d'oeuvre buffet followed by a dazzling Valentine Concert at 8:00 pm. There will be a wide variety of music, including concert piano and classical guitar, baritone and soprano solos and duets of local and regional performers. Childcare will be available with advanced notice. Pre-paid tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, 12 years old and younger. Tickets at the door are $15 for adults and $10 for children, 12 years old and under.
Outreach Opportunity
H.O.S.T Program
Outreach opportunity to serve in the H.O.S.T. program organized by Catholic Community Services. St. Paul's has been invited to assist the congregation of Kitsap Unitarian Universalist Fellowship as they house 15 homeless men in their sanctuary for 30 nights in April. More information may be found on our "media table" between the doors to the restrooms and Oliver Room.
Lectionary Discussion Group meets every Sunday from 9:00 to 9:50 am in the Library. Facilitated by the Rector, the group reflects on and reacts to the appointed readings for the day and the sermon.
Christian Teachings on War and Peace will be the discussion topic on Sunday, February 16th following the 10:15 am service in the Library. In this class the Rector will summarize the major Christian teachings on war and peace, including Christian Pacifism and the "Just War" doctrine, with an opportunity to reflect on recent and current wars and rumors of war. If there is sufficient interest more classes will be scheduled.
Book Study, Part Two - Jews, God and History by Max I. Dimont for six Thursday nights on January 23rd, 30th, February 6th, 13th, 20th, & 27th, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm in the Oliver Room. This is the second in a series of book studies selected by a group of parishioners (the entire list can be found on the web site under Christian Formation). This book is a very readable history of the Jewish people and can be found new in paperback for $8.99, and used (via Amazon.com) from $1.75. Participants are responsible for obtaining their own copy. This is must reading for understanding the current complex situation in the Middle East. The study will be convened by the Rector.
Plan to bring a friend and enjoy hors d'oeuvres and a show for less than you'd end up paying at a restaurant - without the show! If you attended last year you know you don't want to miss this evening! Tickets will be available on Sunday January 26th. We sold out last year and expect to do so this year at only $10 per ticket.
