One of my strongest recurring memories about my father, who died nearly 20 years ago, is of driving back with him from a day of fishing. I must have been 10 or 11. There was this long, long period — most of the trip, as I remember, where not a word was spoken. No bad feelings; we just didn’t have much to say to each other. Finally, at one point, he reached over and gave me a pat on the shoulder and asked, “How are you doing?” I said “Fine,” or something equally lame, and then we fell back into silence until we got home.

I don’t know why that memory stays with me — something about the way he said it that made me really appreciate those four words at that time. Sometimes I’ll find myself doing the same thing with Abby. It’s like a weird Horn trademark. Don’t ask me why.

I don’t remember a lot of one-on-one conversations with my dad, though he was a very good, committed and hard-working father. We talked about the usual things, but I just don’t recall a lot of close heart-to-hearts. Like many people of my generation, my father was the breadwinner. He was in a competitive field — the then embryonic computer operations end of the oil business — and there were a lot of late nights and business trips. We moved every two years. On one occasion while I was a junior in high school, he spent six months in London while we stayed in Texas.

There was a distance that inevitably developed, and it was as much my fault as anybody, especially when I moved into my dark teen-angst phase.

I had a good father, but even still when Abby came into our lives, I swore it would be different. There wouldn’t be a distance between her and I, and I would make family, not profession, the top priority.

My father would take at least a little pleasure in hearing me say this: It’s not so easy. Despite the best intentions, too often I have to fight to make time for Abby. And the pressures of bringing home a paycheck and trying to make sure you’re still worth keeping at work eat into all the grand plans for being the better father. Most frustrating of all, there are periods in our children’s lives when they long to share everything with us. But those periods do not last.

This is not a problem we need face in our relationship with God through Christ. Our Father is always longing to hear from us, and to deepen His relationship with us. It’s we who struggle to find the time and the will and the courage to make the most of that relationship. He is always there for us — for a pat on the shoulder and so much more.

Richard Horn

Senior Warden

We are now heading into the summer months when many church activities slow down a bit. Church School will be over for the youth, but Vacation Bible School plans are proceeding.

Father Randy has been on vacation but is back and has hit the ground running. In his absence Rev. Jerry Benjamin preached at Morning Prayer on April 28 and May 5, and Father Jim Phinney celebrated Eucharist on May 12. I find it enjoyable to occasionally be exposed to other clergy and their ideas on Sunday mornings and hope the worshippers attending those services felt the same.

We celebrated seven years of Randy's ministry to St. Paul's with cake after the 10:15 service on April 28. Randy unfortunately was not there to share in the festivities, being on vacation as mentioned above. We had forgotten to take that into account when the cake was ordered. Even so we managed to eat the cake and I’m sure thoughts of Randy filled our hearts.

We presented long stem carnations to all the mothers at both services on Mother's Day. This practice started with our Wardens just past and with our continuing it may soon become a tradition.

The "Captain Smartypants" event on May 10, co-sponsored by Out Kitsap, was a success with over 90 people in attendance.

As summer progresses and vacation and outing opportunities increase, I suggest we try to attend services at local Episcopal churches in the areas where we are vacationing. There is a very helpful website that locates Episcopal parishes around the country and even gives driving directions. Check out and bookmark www.parishfinder.org.

Also remember to make use of our updated website to keep up with news of the parish when out of town or unable to attend services.

In closing, please feel free to contact myself, the Junior Warden, any vestry member, or Father Randy if you have any concerns or suggestions for improving parish life or ministry. New things are happening at St. Paul’s and we need the continuing feedback from all members of the Parish.

Peace and Love,
John Winesdorfer

Junior Warden

Spring Cleaning is a familiar saying at this time of the year. Once the warmer weather comes, and the sun begins to shine for more than a few hours, we all have that urge to get things done. The same applies for our Church. If you have noticed, the grounds have been cleaned up lately, just in time for the beautiful spring flowers to peek out.

Please take time to walk around the grounds inside and out. We have had a lot of building and rearranging going on. We have a much needed storage room off the Oliver Room to house our many supplies for various hospitality functions, making available more room for office supplies etc.

Our water fountains that have not been in working condition for some time have recently been dismantled and the walls repaired. Do you remember the two bathrooms downstairs? The Women's was painted a canary yellow from top to bottom. They were both unsightly looking. They have now been completely redone with new paint, flooring and refurbished stall dividers.

A special “Thank you” to Tom and Terry Remick for keeping our Church neat and clean. We have such pleasant surroundings to worship in, please take a moment to notice.

Peace be with you.

Marilyn Pantano
Jr. Warden

Vestry Meeting Notes

The clerk read aloud a letter from Bishop Warner. He was writing to let us know of his upcoming trip Jerusalem with his wife Janice to show his support and visit with Bishop Riah, the clergy of the Diocese of Jerusalem, and their parishioners. He reported that he would be taking 10% of his discretionary fund with him to give to the Diocese of Jerusalem for basic human needs and asked the clergy of our Diocese to consider making a contribution as well. It was decided that we would contribute $100 to this great cause. The Bishop also asked for us to pray for him and Janice.

Terrie Remick passed out a copy of the treasurer’s report for all to look over. She suggested that we put all nonpledge offerings on a certain Sunday into the discretionary fund. Fr. Randy reported that this was already in the canons to be able to do so therefore we could put this into place without a vote. It will be up to the Finance Committee to decide which Sunday.

The restrooms have been broken into several times and are in great need of repair. They need to be painted and the floors and stalls need to be replaced. Marilyn Pantano got estimates to replace the floors which came to about $1483. It was decided to use LND grant money to replace the floors.

Ann Horn, Myra Battin, and Honi Matchell were special guests invited to talk about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. They reported that they have four more years left of training and will be attending the second level in August. At this point our catechists are able to train people for level one, but not certify them. The program has grown with an average of 15 children attending each Sunday and a high of 20 the Sunday after Easter. They commented that the vestry and parish have been very supportive and would appreciate continued support of the program.

On April 5, Peter Strimer and a member of the Executive Council reviewed St. Paul’s to become a Jubilee Center. Fr. Randy reported that we would be officially approved in June. As a Jubilee Center we would be linked up with over 700 other centers and have access to funds. The Bishop will present us with an official certificate when he visits us in October.

Fr. Randy asked how the new hospitality rotation is working for the vestry members. This is helping us to stay connected with visitors and hopefully gaining new parishioners. He will check in monthly to discuss what we have experienced.

Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Dueñas
Clerk of the Vestry

   Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."  

  Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God, and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter, and he began cutting it down.   

The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.   

At the second tree the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.   

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take this one," and he cut it down.   

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn.  She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.   

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts.  Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

May your day be blessed, and until we meet again, may God cradle you in the palm of His hand.

Author unknown
Submitted by Betty & Jerry Finton

Newsletter Deadline

Please note: Articles submitted after the due date will be published in the next month’s newsletter.

Stewards of the House

He asked the students again if the jar was full? They agreed that yes, it was. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. “Now” said the professor, “ I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things. Your family, your partner, your health, your children, anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent other things like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff.

If you were to put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important. Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to work, clean the house, give a dinner party, or fix the disposal. Take care of your priorities. Take care of the rocks first. The rest is just pebbles and sand.”

In Love,
Tom Remick

Friday Night Book Study

After the 10:15 service on April 21st a group of alums from the Wednesday night Lenten class got together to plan more classes based on books they will read. Here are the books they selected, in sequence:

Living with Contradiction: An Introduction to Benedictine Spirituality, Esther de Waal
Jews, God and History, Max Dimont
A History of God: The 4000 Year-Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Karen Taylor
Christ among other Gods, Erwin W. Lutzer
Meeting Jesus again for the First Time, Marcus Borg
The New Man, Thomas Merton
Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The first class will meet starting Friday, June 7th, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. and run for four weeks. We’ll start with Living with Contradiction. Buy or borrow a copy of the book (financial aid is available; see Randy), read the first three chapters, and come with questions and opinions!


Editor’s Note: We encourage everyone to offer for publication in the newsletter your suggestions, comments, ideas, or articles. We especially encourage those of you who would like to write a personal piece on some aspect of your spiritual journey. This is how we learn and grow in union with Christ. Please contact Ann Horn.

Around the Diocese

A Pre-Convention Gathering will be held on Saturday, June 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Benedict’s Church, Lacey. It will be an opportunity to discuss and explore issues which will be on the agenda of the fall convention. The convention will be held November 15 and 16th at the Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center. Delegates for St. Paul’s are John and Myra Battin and John and JoAnn Winesdorfer. Currently, there are two alternate positions open. If you are interested in serving, contact Randy.

Hole in One anyone?

The Bishop’s Open Golf Tournament is scheduled for noon Monday, June 17, at the Tumwater Valley Golf Course. Form a team and come and enjoy a day of golf, prizes, good food and fellowship. Registration forms are available in the church office.

Silent Solstice Retreat

The Priory Spirituality Center is sponsoring a Silent Solstice Retreat beginning Friday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m. through 2 p.m. Sunday, June 23rd.Take time to deepen your spiritual journey. Experience a contemplative monastic retreat in a lovely wooded environment. A spiritual director will be available for those who wish, to listen with you as you discern the actions of God in your life. You are also welcome to join the Benedictine Sisters for Liturgy of the Hours and the Eucharist. Massage and Healing Touch are available by appointment during this retreat on a limited basis for an additional fee. Register by Friday, June 14. The fee is $110 for the retreat without spiritual direction with spiritual direction $145. The Priory Spiritual Center is located at 500 College St. NE, Lacey, WA 98516. Call (360) 438-2595.

Six Day, Summer Camps and Nurses

Six Day will be held June 20-26 at Camp Huston, Gold Bar. The annual youth event is sponsored by the Office of Faith Development. Contact Emily Battin or the church office if you have questions.

Also there are brochures on the media table in the Narthex, as well as, the church office, that list the various camping sessions that will be offered this summer at Camp Huston.

AND, if you are a Registered Nurse, Camp Huston needs you! Come and stay for a week of camp in comfortable accommodations and enjoy wonderful meals while helping to maintain a healthy camp. Contact Bill Tubbs, Director, at (360) 793-0441 for more information.

Odds & Ends

Altar Guild
The Altar Guild will be having a meeting on Saturday, June 15, at 10 a.m. Please contact Gladys Berteaux or Jeanne Thune if you’re unable to attend.

Thanks
Many thanks to Rev. Jerry Benjamin, Chuck Compton and Sandy Stutey who led Morning Prayer for two weeks and Father Jim Phinney who celebrated Mother’ Day services with us while Randy was away on vacation.

ERT Visit
Denny Bacon and the Emergency Response Team from the Dioceses will be making their follow-up visit with Vestry leaders at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 20 during the regularly scheduled Vestry meeting.

Special Summer Newsletter Deadlines
The July and August newsletter will be a combined issue this summer. Look for an expanded edition that will contain the ministry rotation and building schedules for July and August as well as information about the upcoming events in mid-August. Deadline for the combined edition will be June 15.

News about plans for the new program year must be submitted by August 15 for the September issue. The issue will contain information about upcoming events this fall including Confirmation classes, Bishop Warner’s visit, the Russian Choral group that will perform at St. Paul’s as well as special services and Christian Formation offerings. The September issue of The Good Word will be delivered to homes in late August.

Topics for the 9:05-10:50 a.m. Adult Formation Hour
On Sunday, April 21st, the following topics were suggested by a group of interested parishioners (in no particular order:

• Discuss readings of the day
• Compare Buddhism and Christianity
• Concordat with Lutheran Church (ELCA); what do Lutherans believe?
• Yoga (doing some)
• Prayer and meditation (doing some)
• Understanding the conflict in Israel/Palestine
• Sexual abuse in the Church
• Substance abuse/addiction
• Music and Worship
• Social teachings of the Episcopal Church
• Sermon discussion
• Book of Common Prayer topics
• Creation spirituality/environment/”Earth Ministry”
• The political lobby of the Episcopal Church
• Liturgical topics (why we do some of the things we do)

Tom Remick (who will help coordinate the adult formation team) and I will be recruiting a couple or three more people to get the Sunday morning program up and running with a schedule and teachers for the different topics by September.