All Saints' Episcopal Church
Roanoke Rapids, NC
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The Messenger, September 2009 |
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Let Us Play
One of my favorite theologians, Fred Buechner, used this at the bidding at the prayers during a service and it has always stuck with me. For some reason I keep gravitating to the sixth chapter of Isaiah like a compass spinning to true north. The phrase “Here am I, send me” has been tugging at my heart for quite some time. As you know, I have accepted the call to All Saints’ and, later this month Bishop Michael Curry will preside over a special service installing me as your new rector. What could better reflect a sense of powerful commitment than to say with Isaiah, “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I, Lord, send me.’” This is such a powerful biblical passage that it’s hard for me to say it without tears. Can there be any greater words of devotion, commitment, or dedication? There is nothing like the emotional tug of God calling someone to carry out the mission of love in this world. Here I am Lord, send me… We are on a mission together to welcome the lonely, the needy, those who are alienated from one another, and thus, alienated from God. That is the mission on which we are all sent. The installation of me as your new rector brings this mission closer to all of our hearts. On this mission, we will continue to laugh and cry together. We will continue to learn and grow together, and most important of all, we will continue to play together… So the question becomes: “Send who?” Not just “send me,” but, “send us.” I hope you know how privileged I feel to have received God’s calling among you, a most deserving parish. On this great occasion, let us play... Margie 
Our Fall Schedule will begin on
The Messenger
Book Reviews
American Lion: Andrew
Jackson in the White House This book is about our seventh president. He turned our young country into a land that is truly run by the people and for the people. Jackson’s election in 1828 transferred the power from the elite and put it in the hands of everyman (no women!). The author shares all aspects of this fascinating character, form his inner circle of friends to the women in his life to his private life. For someone we don’t know much about, Andrew Jackson had a remarkable presidency that helped to shape this country; into what it is today.
Shanghai Girls This book is about the bonds of sisterhood. It is a powerful story that takes us back to 1937, where Shanghai is the Paris of Asia. Two beautiful sisters have a wonderful life until their father gambles away their futures and sells them to suitors who have traveled to Asia to find brides. As the Japanese seize their city, the sisters set out on a perilous journey to find a new life among strangers, who eventually become their husbands. In the face of discrimination, the sisters must make sacrifices and face a life-changing secret. Through the good times and bad, their special bond gives them the strength they need.
Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend This biography is a wonderful portrait of an American hero. This is a great story for all Americans, not just baseball fans. Leroy “Satchel” Paige started playing baseball in reform school. He had a hard childhood, but once he found his true love, he invented his trademark hesitant pitch while throwing bricks at rival gangs. Satchel was a legendary pitcher, showman and philosopher. This is a fantastic book. Larry Tye rewrites our history of the integration of baseball, with Satchel Paige in the starring role.
Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace
This book was written by a gifted story teller as she finds the grace of
God in the most unexpected places throughout the world. Through her
stories, one can actually feel and experience the audacity of free and
unmerited grace. She made a wonderful reference to Fred Buechner about
singing in the car,
Respecting the dignity of every human being… The issue of respect concerns people in all areas of society. Studies reveal that people in the hospital have better clinical outcomes and express more satisfaction with their treatment when they are treated with respect. One study asked patients what it means to be treated with respect and found that it includes having one’s needs attended to, sensing empathy from the professionals, being treated as an autonomous human being with freedom to make decisions, being kept informed to and being treated with dignity. The study detected a subtle gender difference: men were more concerned about autonomy, women more about care and empathy. Journal of Medical Ethics, July, 2009.
“Pay attention to the things that bring a tear to your eye or a lump in your throat, because they are signs that the Holy is drawing near.”
Note from your Senior WardenI hope all of you had an enjoyable summer! It has been a busy few months at All Saints Church. This summer we made some exterior repairs to the Parish House. All of the trim was painted; the facia boards and gutters were repaired, as was some damage to the roof over the front door.
At the same time we looked at the flat roof over on our Administrative building. That one has a few serious leaks that we have patched in the past. We have estimates to repair and replace that roof for which the costs will run from $24,000 to $50,000 based on the scope of the work that needs to be done. In the next month or so we will review the estimates and try to make a decision on the Administrative roof repairs. I want to commend all of the people who worked so diligently on Vacation Bible School this summer. It was a great success! We were the talk of the town for having a rock-climbing wall on our last evening. This is the type of program, I believe, that brings new people and new memories to All Saints. Thanks go out to Marvin and Sadie Carol Ward for agreeing to work again with our All Member Canvass for 2010. We will start working on our canvass the first week in October and we thank all of you who supported All Saints in 2009. We are currently preparing for Margie’s installation to become our permanent Rector. This ceremony will take place at 4:00 pm Sunday, September 20th. Look for more information about the Installation service in the Messenger and future church bulletins. I hope all of you will want to participate in this joyful event. Please let me know if I may serve you in any way.
Prayerfully, Special Crosses for Sale These crosses (example is in back of church) were made by my grandfather out of railroad spikes that he welded together. They will be sold for a $100 dollars, with a $15 dollar donation going to the EYC Youth Group. I hope yall take the time to look at them and think about buying one. They are special to me because my grandfather made them and they should be special to everyone, as they are a symbol of Jesus' sacrifice made for all of us.
Thank You,
Wall of Crosses We are putting together a Wall of Crosses in the upstairs conference room of the Parish Office Building. If you are interested in donating a cross for the wall, either in memory or honor of a loved one, please contact the parish office.
Confirmation Class
Have you been
confirmed in the Episcopal Church?
We love our
jobs!!!!
Outreach The Second Sunday in September (13th) is Outreach Sunday. We need to re-stock the food pantry at the parish office. Please bring extra nonperishable foods for the basket at the back of the church, keeping in mind that many of the families who need these items have children in their homes. You may also make a donation; on this Sunday, all loose offerings will be used for groceries for the food pantry. Thank you in advance for your contribution. Mary
Kiosk · Look for “Health Tip” articles on our Kiosk, located in the parish house. · Margie's sermons can be heard on the airwaves every Sunday at 10:45 am and again at 9:45 pm on WEZU 95.9 FM, which is a local public radio station. You can also find it on our web site at www.allsaintsrr.org. We would love to hear you your feedback.
Thank You Notes Received · Jack Scanlon appreciates all the packages that he has received over the summer. In anticipation of his return to the states, please do not send anything after Sept. 15th. · Thank you for the beautiful wall plaque from Kathy Plister (our seminarian). · Thanks from The John 3:16 Center for our donation of $195 plus the supplies left over from our VBS. · Thanks from St. John’s Episcopal Church out of Chester, Virginia for the use of our van this summer. · Thanks from the Penick Village Foundation for the Mother’s Day gift or $92. · Thanks from The Order of the Daughters of the King for the gift of $182 in memory of Ann Howard. · Thanks from Thompson Child and Family Focus for the gift of $189 toward programs of treatment, education and care.
PRAYERS The Laura June King Alston Order of the Daughters of the King will serve as our emergency/immediate prayer warriors. This prayer system is used for emergencies and/or confidential requests. If someone has an emergency and would like to have prayers in support of their need, the Laura June King Alston Order of the Daughters of the King will immediately lift those needs to God. Daughters live by a Rule of Life which requires a spiritual discipline of daily prayers, service, and evangelism. Prayer is the duty and the joy of all Daughters. You may call Frances Jones at 534-0911 any time with your prayer requests. She will then contact each member and prayers will begin immediately. *************** If you have loved ones on the Sunday prayer list, please keep the parish office informed of their progress. *************** Let us pray for those who have died over the summer months. Mary Scott (Mike’s mom) and Lena Hodge (Bill’s mom). Gracious God, by your mighty power you gave us life, and in your love you have given us new life in Christ. We now entrust all your servants to your keeping, in the faith of Jesus Christ who died and rose again, and now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit in glory forever. Amen *************** Please keep Frank Ralph in your prayers. He underwent a liver transplant on August 23 at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill. As of this printing, he continues to do well. Cards may be sent to their home: 12844 Hwy 903, Halifax, NC 27839.
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina The Right Reverend Michael B. Curry and The Vestry of All Saints’ Episcopal Church Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina
cordially invite you to a
Celebration of New Christian Ministry
shared between
The Reverend Doctor Marjorie H. Holm and the People of All Saints’
Sunday, the twentieth of September Two thousand and nine at four o’clock in the afternoon All Saints’ Episcopal Church on the corner of Roanoke Avenue and Seventh Street
Reception to follow Clergy: Red Stoles All Saints’ Parish House
St. Gabriel’s Guild I have established an email communication list for us to use to share news and information quickly with other members of All Saints' Church. It's called St. Gabriel's Guild, named for the patron saint of messengers! To join the group, simply send an email to: stgabrielsguild@yahoogroups.com You will receive an email from Yahoo groups that will give you instructions for joining our group. Once you become a member of the group, you can send email messages to all of the members of the group at one time by addressing your email message to: stgabrielsguild@yahoogroups.com I will serve as the moderator of this group (until someone else volunteers!) I have set up the following guidelines for participating in the St. Gabriel's Guild. 1)This group will be open to any member of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Roanoke Rapids with an email address who chooses to join the Guild. 2)This email group is intended to supplement our communication among All Saints' members, not take the place of any existing communication tools, such as the Telephone Committee. 3)The St. Gabriel's Guild has been established to communicate news, events, concerns, prayer requests, etc. of interest to members of All Saints' Church. Forwarding jokes, spam, junk mail, chain letters, or any inappropriate emails to the St. Gabriel's Guild email address is prohibited. Let me know if you have questions about the Guild. I hope St. Gabriel's Guild will grow into another important and meaningful ministry of All Saints'! Please join us! With blessings, Val Short
Music and Worship Notes Over the summer, I became a “fan” of the Episcopal Church on Facebook. As a result, I was able to follow all of the various goings-on at General Convention on a day to day basis simply by signing in to my Facebook account and clicking on the updated links to articles produced by the Episcopal News Service. It was an easy way to stay connected to events without having to sort through newspaper Web sites or blogs that might be slanted one way or the other in their views of the actions of our church representatives. I could also read the reactions of my fellow Episcopalians around the country and comment on events and engaged in lively debate, which for the most part stayed rather civil in tone and content. I have drawn the line at social networking at Facebook, though, and I have not fallen victim to having to be connected at all times through my cell phone. My wife and I own cell phones that are good only for making phone calls (what an antique notion!), and that seems to meet our needs. But I enjoy reading what is going on in my friends’ lives when I turn on my computer. I feel more connected to people I have known throughout my life as well. At one time I looked at my “chat” list of people I could, if I chose, have held a virtual conversation with friends from high school, college, law school, fellow musicians, fellow church-goers, and fellow teachers--people from every part of my life. One of the bulletin inserts prepared for Episcopal churches by Episcopal Life Media to inform parishioners of the issues discussed by the General Convention was entitled, “Who would Jesus tweet?” The insert went on to discuss ways to stay connected to the Church through online media and social networking sites. I have at least four Episcopal priests as my friends on Facebook. Many of you are also my Facebook friends. Are we close to the point where we won’t have to even attend church anymore to have fellowship? Can we worship through Twitter on our cell phones? I don’t think so. I still need to be a part of the worship experience. By the time I return to All Saints’ on Labor Day weekend, I will have missed Sunday services for several weeks due to, among other things, attending a golf tournament and visiting my daughter in South Carolina. I can replace some of the things I will be missing with a few clicks of my computer. For example, if you want to have your very own Morning Prayer, there is a great Web site that posts the readings, scriptures, and even the hymns (it can be found at www.missionstclare.com). But the Catechism on page 857 of the Prayer Book states that, “In corporate worship, we unite ourselves with others to acknowledge the holiness of God, to hear God’s Word, to offer prayer, and to celebrate the sacraments.” I’m looking forward to getting back to All Saints’ on a regular basis to be a part of all of that with you, and I hope I see you there. But if you want to “friend” me on Facebook, feel free.
Saints’-On-Wheels Saints’-On-Wheels provides an opportunity for church members and friends to explore God’s creation….the beautiful world around us… with fun and fellowship. Please call Vickie in the church office at 537-3610, if you want to go. If you need to be picked up, let her know. Cost per trip will be $10 to cover the cost of gas. Meals, drinks, admission fees, and other personal purchases will cost extra. Parents must accompany their children.
Thursday, September 17th Leave the Parish Office around 9 a.m. Stop 1: Visit the Raleigh Farmer’s Market and have lunch. Stop 2: Visit the North Carolina Art Museum. There is no cost for admission but there is for special exhibits. http://ww.ncartmuseum.org/visitor.shtml Stop 3: Visit Whole Foods Market on Wade Avenue.
Garden Guild
We are complimented all the time on our beautiful grounds!! Let’s keep
it that way.
A Midwestern farmer named Dan West was ladling out rations of milk to hungry children during the Spanish Civil War when it hit him. “These children don’t need a cup, they need a cow.” West, who was serving as a Church of the Brethren relief worker, was forced to decide who would receive the limited rations and who wouldn’t – literally, who would live and who would die. This kind of aid, he knew, would never be enough. So West returned home to form Heifers for Relief, dedicated to ending hunger permanently by providing families with livestock and training so that they “could be spared the indignity of depending on others to feed their children.” In 1944, the first shipment of 17 heifers left York, Pennsylvania, for Puerto Rico, going to families whose malnourished children had never even tasted milk. Why heifers? These are young cows that haven’t yet given birth – making them perfect not only for supplying a continued source of milk, but also for supplying a continued source of support. That’s because each family receiving a heifer agrees to “pass on the gift” and donate the female offspring to another family, so that the gift of food is never-ending. This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for over 60 years. Since 1944, Heifer has helped 8.5 million people in more than 125 countries. Every gift of an animal provides direct benefits such as milk, eggs, wool, fertilizer, as well as indirect benefits that increase family incomes for better housing, nutrition, health care and school fees for children. Recipients “pass on the gift” of offspring of their cows, goats and other livestock to others in an ever-widening circle of hope. For questions, requests and donations, you may call our Donor Services Department at (800) 422-0474, fax us at (501) 907-2902, or contact us via e-mail at info@heifer.org. You may also mail us at the following address: Heifer International P.O. Box 8058 Little Rock, Arkansas 72203-8058.
Thanks
to everyone that helped make this years VBS a huge success, couldn’t
have done it without your help.
Lori
Gowen,
A Note about General Convention Many important resolutions were passed during General Convention. They finalized full communion with the Moravian Church, launched a denominational health plan, created pensions for lay employees, shifted the national budget toward the ministry of the local church, condemned the use of torture, overhauled the disciplinary canons (Title IV) and broadened our ministry to Hispanic people, just to name a few. All in all, there were 419 resolutions that were addressed during this convention. But, as one would suspect, the media focused its attention primarily on resolutions dealing with same-gender issues. Let’s look at a couple of these issues. D025, "Commitment and Witness to the Anglican Communion"
This resolution has been inaccurately described as overturning the 2006
moratorium to “exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration
of any candidate whose manner of life poses a challenge to the” wider
Anglican Communion (B033). While the resolution does move beyond B033,
it in no way suggests that the Episcopal Church will automatically take
new action. The House of Bishops clearly understands that the moratorium
remains. The House also appears committed to upholding that moratorium
through the next General Convention (2012). Resolution C056 Substitute, Liturgies for Blessings and Pastoral Response. This resolution is one that was forged from two other proposed resolutions. It addresses the collection of liturgies for the blessing of same gender relationships and grants wide pastoral discretion to bishops in states where civil unions between same-gender couples is legal. It appears that the Episcopal Church is moving ahead in matters related to same gender relationships. I think this forward movement is inevitable and necessary. What remains to be seen is exactly how and when this forward movement will continue in the future. Timing is a particularly critical issue, especially in regard to our relationship to the Anglican Communion. As far as our life together in the Diocese of North Carolina and All Saints’ is concerned, nothing has been changed by either D025 or C056. We will continue to uphold the canons of the Episcopal Church, the moratorium as outlined in Resolution B033 (2006), and the applicable laws of State of North Carolina regarding marriage. In the future, it is imperative that All Saints’ and all the churches that make up the Diocese of North Carolina, find theological and pastoral ways to explore, interact and come to table regarding the issues of human sexuality. I hope this letter helps you to understand the dynamics of our church on the larger level. Please know that I am always available if you have any questions or concerns. Margie All in all, there were 419 resolutions that were addressed during this convention.
A Celebration of New Ministry A Celebration of New Ministry occurs when a new rector is formally installed in a particular church. This service is conducted by the bishop of the diocese as he gives his authorization of the priest to the church, the new rector and the diocese. Like all liturgy in the Episcopal Church, the Celebration of a New Ministry is a beautiful service. It can be found on page number 559 of the Book of Common Prayer. This service includes an induction ceremony in which the bishop, representatives of the congregation, and representatives of the diocesan clergy present symbolic gifts to the new minister. The Book of Common Prayer calls for presentations to include a Bible for proclaiming the Word, a vessel of water for baptizing, a stole to symbolize of the new minister’s order, a book of prayers, oil for healing and reconciliation, keys to the church, the Constitution and Canons of the Church, and bread and wine for the Eucharist. The Celebration of New Ministry for Margie has been scheduled for September 20, 2009, at 4:00 pm. Please come and join us!
Celebration Time
On Sunday, September 20, 2009, All
Saints’ will host a reception after the four o’clock service in honor of
Margie. |
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