From the Rector

There is only one absolute in Christian ethics: love. When we are trying to discern what is right, and what Jesus would do in our situation, we need only to look at these words for a solid guiding principle. Whatever we do, our actions must increase the amount of love in the world. It is a hard teaching. Particularly if we look to the Bible as a kind of manual for living, the assertion that the Law of God is fulfilled in love may create more than a little anxiety and confusion. We might prefer to be able to look up a verse that will match our situation and answer our questions more specifically.

Yet the Bible is silent on many of the issues that confront a Christian of the third millennium. The divinely inspired yet fully human writers of the anthology we know as scripture knew nothing of the ethical issues that a scientific and technological world such as ours would introduce. And it really is unnecessary. Everything we need to continue the work of Christ is given to us in scripture, through the living faith of the community of disciples, and a mind illumined by the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, Guide, and Christ’s first gift to those who believe.

In our Anglican tradition, we refer to these guides for the Christian life as our primary sources for spiritual authority. They comprise the proverbial “three legged stool:” Scripture, Tradition, and Reason.

Christ himself taught us, by example, how to use the Bible in a Spirit led way: not as a book of rules, but as a living witness left to us by our spiritual ancestors. He himself critically appropriated scripture in a dynamic way to meet the challenges of his own life. More than once we see him violating the traditions of his people when love and God’s will for the situation demanded it. He healed on the Sabbath, for example. He consorted with the unclean. He forgave sinners.

If he were doing his messianic ministry today he would doubtless be shaking up not only good and righteous Jews but many Christians. I always try to remind people that the picture of the Pharisees in the Gospels is somewhat distorted by the context in which they are presented to us, i.e., in a debate with Jesus on significant spiritual issues. But he himself is quite close to Pharisaic Judaism in his teachings. Some of their writings are available to us today. The great first century rabbi Hillel also taught the primacy of love in the religious life. The two great commandments are in fact from Deuteronomy and Leviticus. So Jesus’ arguments with Pharisees were a “lover’s quarrel.”

But Jesus’ point was that living in accord with the Ten Commandments and their several hundred corollaries was not going to save a person. Our hidden intentions, which God alone can see, will still convict us. Nothing less than an inner surrender and transformation will do, and that kind of life - the life of faith - will, as it did Christ himself, sometimes lead us into situations that appear to violate inherited religious norms. “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy” is one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus broke that one because of a call to do the loving will of the Father. And Abraham, father of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, a man justified by faith, was ready in intent to break another commandment: “you shall do no murder.”

Pharisaism has already been done. I believe it was G. K. Chesterton who once said that Christianity had yet to be tried. Jews are still God’s chosen, and Jesus and the apostles were Jews. The New Testament teaches that there is still a role for them to play in God’s plan for the human race. So I have nothing but the greatest respect for Judaism, which can still teach Christians a great deal about Christianity. But Judaism is not Christianity, and many Christians are trying to live the Law rather than the Gospel of Love.

Love fulfills the Law. The Christian life does not always fit into the rules. Paul wrote, in Galatians 3:23, “Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed.” Sadly, some Christians would still prefer the old dispensation rather than the liberty and radical freedom of life in Christ led by the Spirit and formed by love. Everyone reads the Bible selectively, even “Bible believing” Christians. In Catholic Christianity (Roman, Orthodox, Anglican) this has been a given, that not all verses of scripture are of equally binding authority in the Christian life, and that there are degrees of sin. Not all moral lapses are of deadly consequence. In our culture and time, “sins of the flesh” are what first come to mind when the concept of sin is invoked. I always think of a church going friend back east who use to tape movies for me and would always warn me if one of them had sexual situations in it. He never gave a thought to advising me that a certain movie showed people getting murdered.

Christians are not of the Old Covenant, nor do we have to become Jews before we become Christians. Read Acts 15. Much of the Jewish law was ignored (even circumcision) in order to bring the Gospel to Gentiles. Yet in some of our most serious moral discussions today we are still looking for ammunition in those same parts of the Old Testament that were abandoned by the Apostles in the first century as being irrelevant to the Christian life. Yet many Christians insist on reading the Bible like a driver’s license manual. Law is so much neater than Love. The Spirit led life is like the wind. It is messy.

The divinely inspired, yet fully human, authors of the anthology we know as Holy Scripture knew nothing of modern medicine or astronomy. It was not necessary. The authority of the Bible is not based on the same principles as science. It is not only absurd but tragic when some Christians try to make the Bible a scientific text. They reject contemporary theories about the origin and destiny of the universe and humankind, but accept modern medicine when they are ill. Accept all of the prescientific world view, or admit that it - and its spiritual implications for life - is expendable.

Life in Christ is a great adventure. It is not a program or clearly mapped out journey. It is filled with ambiguity and moments of doubt. It is not safe. But it is glorious. “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1).

Shalom, Randy

Mutual Ministry Review

The Mutual Ministry process is a continuous cycle of planning, ministry and review. Planning for ministry, accomplishing the work, and then reviewing or reflecting on what has been done constitutes a Mutual Ministry cycle. When there is a plan for ministry, based on a review of needs and goals, it is easier to accomplish the work and there exists a means of measuring its success in the next review cycle.

To begin our process, the Vestry decided to move into the cycle at the review/reflection stage. The first step was gathering information and perspectives from our worship family. The survey questionnaire you filled out on Palm Sunday was designed as a place to begin gathering that information.

The next step in this Mutual Ministry process will be a family meeting. On Sunday, May 2nd, after the 10:15 service, the Vestry invites the parish to be their guests for a meal. At that time, a summary of the surveys will be presented and you’ll have the opportunity to offer more of your thoughts, ask questions, and share your vision for our future work together.

Over the course of the next few weeks, a new Long Range Plan for St. Paul’s will be written based on the goals and vision you’ve shared with us. Your observations and concerns will offer clarity about how we are living into our Vision Statement and your discernment will help us identify how those ministries we choose to engage in can best serve our common goals.

Take a deep breath, hold hands and jump in! I believe you’ll find it a most revealing and rewarding journey.

Myra Battin, Sr. Warden

Vestry Update

The treasurer and the interim finance committee have been hard at work implementing changes in the financial management of the parish. Sharon Rios presented the vestry with a spreadsheet designed to assist the vestry in tracking the monthly expenses of St. Paul’s. The vestry continued the discernment process in order to reconstitute the finance committee. Nominations of those to be added to the list of potential candidates were made. Each vestry member then voted for his or her top four candidates. The clerk and Ann Horn tallied the votes, ranking them in order, according to the number of votes received. Interim finance committee members will approach candidates one by one inviting them to become part of the regular finance committee. The goal is to recruit five new committee members.

The vestry discussed the importance of an involved and visible vestry. Motions were made and approved to increase the vestry’s presence at various functions in and around St. Paul’s, including Friday Feast, Lord’s Neighborhood Diner, and all parish functions.

Rusty Holland reported that he and the Congregational Growth Committee were finalizing work on the Mutual Ministry Review questionnaire, which was subsequently distributed to all congregants on Palm Sunday. The next step will be analyzing the results, being taken on by a team headed by Sue Ahrens. The Review Analysis Day (RAD) was set for May 2nd. RAD will include a luncheon and a presentation of the findings to the whole congregation.

Myra Battin reported that she had a lead on a supply priest who will be in the area during Randy’s sabbatical leave. A motion of the vestry’s formal support of Randy’s sabbatical was passed unanimously.

There was unanimous approval of the treasurer and the finance committee’s move into the office space previously occupied by OUTKitsap.

The meeting adjourned at 9:08.

Respectfully submitted, Lisa Massey
Clerk of the Vestry

Pastoral letter from Bishop Warner

Tuesday of Holy Week

Dear People of God,

Christ is Risen!!

I trust your immediate response coming from a place of confident faith is:

“He is risen, indeed.”

Easter and the great 50 days is a wonderful time for us to be clear about the ministries in which we are engaged; to discern how the Holy Spirit is moving through the Call of our Bishop Suffragan; and, as Resurrection people, to speak the truth to each other.  

In this vein, I speak with you about our diocesan budget, the upcoming Bishop Suffragan election, and leadership opportunities in this time of change.

Thanks to the hard decisions of our diocesan council we have met the financial challenges of our 2004 budget. We will begin 2005 with a new bishop suffragan. My call for a bishop suffragan wasn’t meant to be a job interview for one new person. It was a call to a vision of ministry focused on faith formation, evangelism and changing the face of our church for the future. It was a call for change in our church. It is clear to me, to the diocesan council and to the leadership team that we need an entirely new kind of budget, a brand new staff configuration and a revitalized and shared commitment to ministry. To facilitate this change we are not going to have business as usual in the building of the 2005 budget. Instead the Diocesan Council and I will contract with the Alban Institute for a consultation that focuses our vision in ways that help us to clarify next steps, continue to identify the abundant resources and to define the staffing patterns that help us proclaim the Good News.

This process will begin at the Diocesan Council retreat April 30 and May 1. It will be the focus of my time with the clergy at their annual retreat May 3-5. The entire diocese will have the opportunity to work on this at the pre-convention meetings June 12, at St. John, Olympia, and June 19, at St. Margaret, Bellevue. our feedback will be acted on at the July Diocesan Council meeting.  The proposed budget will then be discussed in regional meetings in the late summer and early fall.  Everyone is welcome to participate. Clergy, delegates and alternates are expected because of their decision-making role at Convention.  This hard work builds on the work of ministry in this diocese as we continually evolve into wholeness in our budget and staffing configurations that brings out the best for the mission of this diocese and its congregations.  Nothing about our life together is about business as usual.

God creates abundance.  Our part of God’s creation lavishes us with the beauty and wonder of God’s world.  We are an abundant people blessed with skills, talents and faith.  Anything we choose to accomplish can happen.  Our challenge is to make the clear choices.  What are we called to provide, as the Diocese of Olympia, in program, staffing, funding, that will spread the Good News of Resurrection?

During the great 50 days we will engage with the five nominees for Bishop Suffragan.  The walkabout is a time to meet these wonderful folks.  Encourage the people of your congregations to get there.  Be there yourselves.  Ask those who attend to reflect together on what they learn, share your thoughts.  Remember, the work of the Bishop Suffragan is to be in the area of formation, evangelism and ethnic ministry.  These are primary places of change in our church and society. 

Change is present.  How we choose to live with change can be the measure of our values and our leadership. Will we be diverted from change and openness by fear, scarcity and status quo thinking?  There are two world views in which we live.  One sees the world as static:  nothing ever really changes, stability is the basic virtue, individualism and isolation are key qualities, God made things this way and creation is complete.  One sees the world as dynamic: change is real, growth and progress depend on it, movement is the nature of life, nothing can be fully understood in isolation. God is continually co-creating in conjunction with human beings.  To simply tolerate or even resist change will only lead us to anger and frustration.  Learning to live into the emerging world and being confident that we have the resources we need to greet change with enthusiasm really reflects the joy of Resurrected people.

The face of the Diocese of Olympia and all Dioceses on the West Coast is changing as cultures change because of the multi-cultural aspects of our population.  Growth in the future is going to be based on moving away from a racist hierarchical church system to a church with all cultures, all ethnicity and, what I like to identify as wholearchy rather than the old system of hierarchy known as patriarchy.  To say we are simply adapting to culture is to say God is not at work beyond the church, which I believe is a deep misunderstanding of God’s work in creation and of the work of the Holy Spirit.  The institutions of Jesus’ time were changed by the Holy Spirit moving from without to transform what was within.

We are the body of Christ.  In Jesus’ death and resurrection, Christ embodied the death of sin.  At least part of sin is separation from God and each other.  In the Body of Christ we experience communion - being one - not being separate.  Our task, wherever it is needed is reconciliation.  That is the ministry of all orders.  Our diocese, as others are, is experiencing the joy of people finding their walk in Christ , and the pain of people who feel separated because of the decisions made at the General convention and at a diocesan level.

At the recent House of Bishops meeting in Texas I made it my intention to enter in with the clear question: What would Jesus, the Christ, do in this setting?  So, as sessions convened I sat, not with my closest friends or Bishops with the same point of view but next to Bishop Robert Duncan, who has been a primary leader in the American Anglican Church (AAC), and with the bishops and dioceses known in The Network.  I asked him how he could help pastorally with the work needed in the Diocese of Olympia, and we prayed together and talked together.  Later I invited him into an expanded group of Bishops so we could talk face to face about our differences.  I respect him as a friend and a colleague.  We must have every view, every perspective at the table.

I am going to work with congregations that are in deep distress, having views different from mine, to invite bishops to come into our diocese and have conversations together about how to deal with the pain.  All of this will be in the context of my understanding of leadership as the Diocesan in times of great change.

Leadership is on the line these days.  Our values are on the line in this diocese in this moment.  It is our leadership - yours and mine.  Do we, as we rehearse every week as part of the Baptismal covenant, seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Are we striving for justice and peace among all people and respecting the dignity of every human being, as well as your own?  It is a time of testing for all of us.  You know it and feel it, as do I.  We are bombarded by requests for our time, energy and ministry.  Each of us must sort it for ourselves.  I know that for me, my hope is to spend time on the aspects of my ministry that will make a difference in the health and vitality both of the diocese and of the larger community.

Our theme is share your story, live your faith.  It is not imagine, project and create your own revisionist story of some else’s faith.  Let’s not make assumptions, let’s tell the truth.  Let’s not take things personally but do the best we can to proclaim God’s reign.  I love this diocese, and its people, as you do.  Please share this pastoral letter in any way you can in this holiest of times.

Faithfully,
Vincent W. Warner

H.O.S.T. Program

The sign-up sheet is now in the Narthex. Right now, we've been told to plan for 15 men. I will be able to give you a final count during the first week of May so please include your phone number when you sign-up.

Financial donations may be left at the office.  Last year, we were able to give each of the men a voucher for new shoes.  If you have any questions, please contact Barbara Moerler.

Church Quiz – May 2004

1. What color is the Season of Easter?

a) White
b) Green
c) Red

a) 30
b) 40
c) 50

a) 30
b) 40
c) 50

a) Green
b) White
c) Red

a) Rogation Sunday
b) Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
c) The Day of Pentecost

a) Easter
b) Whitsunday
c) Ascension Day

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!!!

This is it folks, this is what you've been waiting for: a chance to get together and enjoy a slice of summer heaven, USA style. So whether you're a sports fan or not, come on down! Bring your co-workers, your grandma, your local campfire troop! Bring that special someone, or meet a new one! The more the Mariner!!!

Meet at St. Paul's at 9:30 a.m. We will carpool to the 10:15 ferry, arriving in Seattle at 11:15. The game starts at 1:00 pm.

Tickets are $17. This includes excellent reserved seats and our name on the marquee!

Don't forget to bring money for crackerjacks, ferry, and to “kick in” for parking.

Reservation deadline is Tuesday, May 4 and tickets must be paid for in advance. Give payments to Ann in the church office. Make checks payable to St. Paul’s Church, and please write ‘Baseball’ on the memo line. Also please let Ann know if your car is available for carpool.

Have questions/concerns? Contact Alexandria Nichandros for more information

See you at Safeco Field!!!
Alexandria Nichandros

The Stewardship Corner

As each of us proceed with our individual stewardship effort and journey in faith, always keep in mind the frequent biblical message about the magnitude of God’s grace.

Faithfully, Dave Stomberg
Parish Stewardship Officer

Sunday Supper - May 16

Sunday Supper starts at 5:30 p.m. and winds up around 7:30 p.m. If you wish to attend, please call Carol on or before May 13 for reservations, directions to her home, and to let her know what dish you will bring.

Guests are also asked to bring one can of food (or jar of baby food) to be contributed to Bremerton Foodline.

Sunday Suppers are intended to provide fellowship and an opportunity to know each other better.

Let’s get together!

Interfaith Coalition on Homelessness

Sister Pat invited members of the Coalition to come to a Continuum of Care meeting, a consortium of service providers and agencies here in the county who deal with the homeless.  

At that meeting, it became very apparent that one of the most important things lacking is community advocates - those who are willing to speak up and write on this issue.

The federal, state, and county governments are all working on ten year plans to end homelessness; which means that, eventually, there will be increased funding for shelters and other programs. Community advocates can play an important role in seeking funding for local programs.  

If you would like to be part of this coalition, please come to our next meeting on Wednesday, May 12, at 2:00 p.m. in the Oliver Room or call Barbara Moerler.

Summer News Deadlines

Plans call for a combined newsletter for the July/August issue. The deadline will be Tuesday, June 8 and the newsletter will be placed in the mail in late June.

The deadline for the September issue of the newsletter is Sunday, August 8. This issue will contain information about the annual church picnic, new program year and up-coming centennial events, etc.

Please e-mail any information for the newsletter directly to Ann Horn (rhorn@tscnet.com). Any articles received after the deadline dates will be held and published in the following issue.

If you have any questions or concern, contact Ann (Church office: 377.0106)

April 18 Centennial celebration thanks...

Summer Office Hours

The office will be open on a reduced schedule from Wednesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Regular office hours (Tuesday- Friday) will resume on Tuesday, September 14 as the new program year gets started.

In the case of a church emergency, please contact Myra Battin, Sr. Warden (876.5165) or Don Vanlue, Jr. Warden (373.0649). In the case of a pastoral care need, please contact Deacon Cece (792.1589).

THE REV. JUDITH MCDANIEL, PH.D. TO PREACH @ ST. PAUL’S

The Rev. Dr. Judith McDaniel, professor of homiletics at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, will be preaching and celebrating at St. Paul’s Church while Randy is on Sabbatical leave this summer on all but two Sundays.

Randy will be in New England, West Virginia and Florida for much of his time away. His last Sunday will be May 23. He will return to St. Paul’s on Wednesday, August 18.