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Table of Contents for January 2001 [Vol. 3 No. 1]
- Epiphany Revelations
- Historic Liturgies
- The Episcopal Shield
- Souper Bowl
- Turning Points
- Web Site Updated
- Parish Annual Meeting
- New Office Equipment
- Candidates for the Vestry
- Message from Don and Pat Jones:
- Arts Festival - March 3-11, 2001
- ECW Luncheon: Historical Valley of the Moon
- Youth Group Ski Trip
- As Light as a Pancake (Lesson)
- Satellite Broadcast
- Bishop's Visitation
- Re: Heifer Project
- Birth Announcement
EPIPHANY REVELATIONS
The church's year began with Advent Sunday on December 3rd. The secular year begins January 1st. January 6th is the beginning of a new season in the church's year, the Season of
Epiphany. Like Advent, many people do not know the significance of Epiphany, although I heard the word recently in a commercial for a brokerage house.
Epiphany comes from the Greek word meaning "manifestation" or "shining forth." What we
celebrate is the shining forth of God's life in the life and ministry of Christ. Only in knowing Christ Jesus and attending to his life do we fully know the character and being of God.
- We gaze in wonder as the light of Christ is manifested to the gentiles as the Wise Men follow the star.
- We see the disclosure of Christ's identity, as the well beloved Son of God, empowered by the Spirit from the waters of Baptism.
- We tasted the water-made-wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, as we become citizens of God's kingdom.
- We listen to his teaching, and follow him, as the Good News of God's kingdom is embodied in his ministry.
- And finally, before we descend into the dark valley of Lent, we ascent Mt. Tabor to behold him transfigured, a glimpse of the glory that we shall share with Christ for all
eternity in the Resurrection.
The first task for us this season is to attend in heart, soul, mind and strength to the manifes-tation of God's life made known in Christ. This season presents a renewed call to the
inward journey of receiving the light of Christ through our worship in Word and Sacrament. It calls us to deeper prayer and meditation upon the light manifested in us. If we attend to the light
of Christ, and receive Christ more deeply into our lives, then we are called to not only receive that light, but also to become the epiphany of God's glory in our ministry in the church and the world.
Manifestation leads to mission. We become the star shining to those in darkness. We are the baptizing community that announces that by grace all might become beloved children of God.
We share the wine which is the Blood of Christ. Our ministry together makes known the Kingdom of God, and our fellowship together becomes a foretaste of the glory of the Transfiguration.
May this Epiphany be a fruitful one that we may both receive the light of Christ and also become that light for the world.
--Hugh Stevenson
HISTORIC LITURGIES
On Sundays after the Annual Meeting we will celebrate the Eucharist using some of the historic liturgies of the Anglican Church. We shall look at the history of the contexts of the different
prayer books and how liturgy develops. We last did this eight years ago and many people have joined our church since then. The versions we will use are: 1549, 1552, 1662, 1928 and
1991. We will wear the vestments of the times and Robert Young will select appropriate music.
Thomas Cranmer published the first Book of Common Prayer in English in 1549. He revised it three years later because his first book was thought to be too Catholic. Queen Elizabeth I
made few changes to the 1552 book and it continued until 1662. The 1662 revision retained much of the structure and wording of 1552 0 a low-church liturgy. This was the official service
of the Church of England when I was ordained. There had been a revision in 1927 and again in 1928, which reverted to the more Catholic 1549 order. This was also the book with which
older Episcopalians grew up but it failed to win approval in the English Parliament.
The Scottish rite of 1637 was based on the 1549 version. When Samuel Seabury went to Scotland in 1784 asking the Bishops there to consecrate him as the first United States Bishop
of the Episcopal Church they did so only on the condition that he brought back their Prayer Book to the United States. Shortly after I was ordained in 1972, the first drafts of a new
Prayer Book were authorized for trial use. The final "new" Prayer Book was published in England in 1982. The General Convention had authorized the "new" Prayer Book of the
Episcopal Church, the red-covered book in our pews, in 1979.
Since then, in 1991, some supplemental liturgical materials using inclusive language were authorized for trial use. We will conclude using one of these Eucharistic Prayers in our series of
historic liturgies.
THE EPISCOPAL SHIELD
This is displayed on our sign on the highway and on the flag in church and marks us as Episco-palian. Each part of the shield has a meaning.
 The main red cross on a white background is the cross of St. George
and indicates our descent from the Church of England.- The cross of St. Andrew in the top left hand corner is a reminder of our debt to the Church of Scotland who consecrated Bishop Seabury and gave us our Prayer Book.
- The nine small crosses in the cross of St. Andrew recall the original nine dioceses that made up the Episcopal Church and who met for the first convention in Philadelphia in 1789.
- The colors: red, white and blue, stand for the United States and remind us that we are an American church.
SOUPER BOWL
While some may be preoccupied with football on January 28, others will be concerned about the hungry. (It's quite possible to be both.) Souper Bowl was started by a Presbyterian youth
group in Columbia SC in 1990. Donors are asked for $1 per person, no more than that. Last year $175.00 was raised at St. Patrick's, which was sent to the Redwood Empire Food bank
for the Child's Portion program. On Super Bowl Sunday, soup bowls will be placed in the church entrance and the parish hall for those who wish to contribute.
TURNING POINTS
REST IN PEACE
Gene Friedrich died on December 4, 2000. He had been having heart problems, but his death was a great shock. He was our senior warden at St. Patrick's. Gene was married to Marjorie
and lived in Wild Oak. He had been a member since 1984. In the past, he had been John Bogart's senior warden and more recently treasurer. He also served on the Adult Education
and the Outreach committees where he was concerned about vineyard workers. He was concerned about the long-term financial stability of the parish and served on the Endowment
Committee. At Gene's memorial service, John Bogart pointed to our church building and said, "Here is Gene's memorial."
Elizabeth Nagle died on November 30, 2000. She was 94 years old. Elizabeth was the mother of Diana Estabrook who with Ray and their son, Peter, took wonderful care of her.
She had been having a number of health problems. She always appreciated the cards that were sent to her at Creekside Nursing Home, which were pinned to her wall. She was one of 5
founder members of the St. Hilda's Chapter of the Daughters of the King.
Laurie Beseda died on December 5, 2000. She had suffered from multiple sclerosis for a number of years. Though her body was failing, her mind and her memory were crystal clear. At
her memorial service her son, Scott, said that his mother had had to become a fan of baseball and football because her husband, Ruben, had the TV remote.
These three were all long time members of St. Patrick's. They will be greatly missed both by their families and by their many friends. All are interred close to the church in the memorial
garden.
WELCOME TO:
- Mary Ellis who is transferring her membership from St. Patrick's, Atlanta where she was a member of the Daughters of the King.
- Bob and Bonnie Dale who were members of Good Shepherd, Cloverdale.
- Paula Cook, Al's daughter, who has returned to Santa Rosa and is looking after her grandfather.
- Barbara Neiman, and her children, Angela, Chris and Tina.
Kevin Breining, who was brought to St. Patrick's by his bother, Mark and Mimsie Breining
BLESSINGS:
James Carlin, son of Bronwen Gulson and Scott Carlin, and Karen Wilson, a neighbor of Robin Goerl's in Kenwood, who will be married at St. Patrick's on June 16, and who are to be
baptized on January 7, 2001.
THANKS TO:
- To the Health and Wellness committee for the low-stress brunch on December 3rd and for the excellent performers.
- To all who took part in the Christmas pageant, especially the parents of the children in Greta MacLeod's Sunday School class whose brain-child it was.
- To Steven Goerl who risked a long ladder in the sanctuary to attach a line with which to hoist up the star of Bethlehem.
- To Robert Young, the choir and orchestra for offering Mozart's Regina Coeli during evensong on December 3rd.
- To Robert and the choir again for all the music during the Christmas season.
- To all of those who made contributions to purchase the wreaths, poinsettias and other Christmas decorations, and to the Altar Guild for decorating the Church.
- To the Sunday School for decorating the tree in the church entrance.
- To the acolytes, ushers, readers and to all who assisted our worship.
- To Robin, our hard-working secretary, for running off and folding so many bulletins and to those who helped her in the parish office.
- And from the Stevenson, very many thanks for all your cards and messages of good wishes and love.
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WEB SITE UPDATED
Many many thanks to Bill Cary who has updated our website. He has taken new photos of the
church, staff and the sign on Highway 12 and has changed the layout. Bill also will enter the Grape-vine each month so that you can read it before the mailed copy arrives. Check out the current website: http://www.stpatskenwood.org/
PARISH ANNUAL MEETING
Please plan to attend this important meeting on Sunday, January 21. There will be only one service this day at 9:00 a.m. - an opportunity for 8:00 o'clockers and 10:00 o'clockers to meet
and get to know one another. Will you please wear a nametag on that day? The meeting will be called to order at 10:30 a.m. and hopefully will end by noon.
The agenda will include the Rector's report about the Jubilee which we are celebrating this year in our diocese. By decision of the Diocesan convention, the Diocese will pay back to us 10%
(a tithe) of our assessment. The meeting will be given various suggestions (which were raised at convention) and you will be asked for your input as to how this money may be spent. The new
Vestry will be elected as well as Delegates to Diocesan convention. The accounts for 2000 and the proposed balanced budget for 2001 will be presented.
There will be time to hear the voice of the congregation. What is on your mind?
Packets of reports will be available in the church entrance and in the parish hall from January 7. Please read them before the meeting. If you have questions or comments, please bring them to
the meeting.
The first meeting of the newly elected vestry will take place after the parish meeting, to plan future meetings and to organize ourselves. The Rev. Ed Howell will facilitate the vestry
workshop that will be held on either January 27 or February 4 to build our new team and to establish priorities for the coming year.
NEW OFFICE EQUIPMENT
Thanks to the generosity of the Episcopal Women who are matching funds from the Memorial
Fund, we are purchasing a "riso" duplicator. This will duplicate papers at 5 times the speed and
one-fifth the cost of our regular duplicator. We hope that the annual reports and the bulletin and other "long runs" will be duplicated on our new machine. When we only need a few copies (20
is the break even point) we will use our photocopier. Thanks to Armand Russell for doing the spadework
CANDIDATES FOR THE VESTRY
Hutch Gibb retired last year after 36 years with Sears - he was a manager of the Santa Rosa store. He now works for Goodwill Industries helping them with their retailing. He and
Bernadette moved to Santa Rosa in 1989 and became members of St. Patrick's. Their son Eddie, is now 10. Hutch grew up in southern California and roots for the Chargers and the
Dodgers. He served on the Vestry from 1996-1999 and chaired the property committee.
Jean Derum works in the Piner School District where she is responsible for the computers. She is married to Dick. Their daughter Beth married Chris Eldridge in 1998 and graduated
from Sacramento State last month. They have a son Richard. Jean served on the Vestry from 1994-1997 and was the senior warden for her third year on the vestry.
With the death of Gene Friedrich we will need another candidate to make up our complement of twelve members. We will announce the name of the candidate as soon as we can.
--Don Allison
Message from Don and Pat Jones:
We have sold our Oakmont condo with mixed feelings. Because the trip across country has become too difficult for Don, we are relieved to not have the responsibility of keeping a second
home. We are sad because we will miss the warm welcome and support given by Father Hugh and all of you in the healing service, Sunday worship and the coffee hours. This past week
(October, 2000) we learned that Don's cancer has metastasized and we ask for your continued prayers. God bless you all as you continue your ministry under Father Hugh's inspiring leadership.
ARTS FESTIVAL - March 3-11, 2001
Share with us all your sculpture, photography, embroider, painting - whatever you do to honor and celebrate the beauty of the earth. Artists of all ages are eligible for this non-juried exhibit
that is not intended as a sale. Please sign up in the Parish Hall so we can plan display space. You will be contacted regarding the number of pieces to bring when we see what our total is. THANK YOU!
Dorothy Pierce (537-9159) or Judy Buff (539-2667)
ECW LUNCHEON: HISTORICAL VALLEY OF THE MOON
Have you ever wondered who were the first inhabitants of the Valley of the Moon? Or about Mr. William Hood for whom Hood Mountain is named? Perhaps you are curious about the
pioneers of our little village of Kenwood, or who the first vintners were in the valley, or what European country was the most prominent here at its beginnings. What businesses were here
early on and how did the little mall get its start? All of these questions and much more will be addressed by our speaker for the next ECW meeting on Tuesday, February 13, 2001. Dee
sand, a longtime resident of Kenwood, historian and the author of a book on the Valley of the Moon, is just the person to reveal to us the rich history of our area. Please plan on coming and
sign up for the delicious salad/dessert luncheon after the lecture. There is a sign-up sheet in the Parish Hall.
YOUTH GROUP SKI TRIP
We have been invited to join the youth group of the Church of the Incarnation, Santa Rosa, for the ski trip which is scheduled for Presidents' Week-end, February 16-19. We will be staying
in the church hall of the United Church of Christ in Squaw Valley, near Tahoe City. There are showers and the cost will be $15.00 per night.
We will greatly miss Kai Harris who has been our youth leader these past four months. Kai will be studying at U.C.-Davis beginning in January. We are actively seeking a replacement for him.
AS LIGHT AS A PANCAKE (LESSON)
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, age 5, and Ryan, age 3.the boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus was sitting here He would say, "Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait."
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus."
SATELLITE BROADCAST
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When:
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January 6, 2001
7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
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Where:
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Satellite Room,
Education Bldg.
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Please join us at St. Patrick's for a special service celebrating the Full Communion Agreement be-tween the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
This event will be broadcast live via satellite from Washington National Cathedral. Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson of the ELCA will preside at the Eucharist and Presiding Bishop
Frank T. Griswold of the Episcopal Church will be the preacher.
The program will begin at 7:30 a.m. PST with "Gathering Music and Processions. (They expect 700 people to be in the procession.) The Liturgy will begin at 8:00 a.m.
We plan to tape the program for future viewing if you cannot make it at this early hour. BYO coffee or tea. Rolls will be provided. If you have questions please call the office.
BISHOP'S VISITATION
Our Bishop, Jerry Lamb's next official visitation of our parish is scheduled for Pentecost, June 3, 2001. During his visit the Bishop will want to know what we have been doing at St.
Patrick's, for we are answerable to him. It will also be an opportunity for Confirmation (and also for Reception and the Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows).
Confirmation is the Bishop's recognition and sealing of a person's baptism, with laying on of hands and prayer for the increase of the Holy Spirit. Often, Confirmation involves a young
person or adult who was baptized as an infant. It is the time for them, after appropriate study and preparation, to make a mature and public confession of the Christian faith and to ask for
growth in the Holy Spirit.
Baptized members of St. Patrick's who have come to us from other Christian churches may want to formalize their membership in the Episcopal Church. They may do this through
Confirmation, or if they have been confirmed in another church, the Bishop may receive them into the Episcopal Church. The Bishop formally recognizes them as already members of
Christ's Body the Church, and welcomes them into the communion of the Episcopal Church.
Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows is intended for persons who have already been confirmed and/or received, and who h=now desire to make a formal recommitment to the vows of Holy
Baptism, and to receive the laying on of hands and prayer for the spirit by the Bishop.
There will be preparation classes for young people and for adults, which will begin in Lent. Will you prayerfully consider whether this is for you and talk to either Ed Howell or myself?
--Hugh Stevenson
RE:HEIFER PROJECT
Excerpts from a "letter to the churches" from Jo Luck (President and CEO of Heifer Project)."Every time I see hope reborn in the eyes of a mother or father who receives an animal
from Heifer Project Intl., I feel a matching joy. I am honored to share I that precious moment of dignity when the balance of the future swings from despair to possibility.
Such a sense of satisfaction cannot be new to you either, for it is your support of Heifer Project
that makes possible each and every animal we "pass on." The truth is that together we are changing the world. It is a slow process but no less wondrous for it is happening one family and
one community at a time.
You have our deepest thanks and appreciation.
Sincerely, Jo Luck - Pres. and CEO
Heifer Project, International
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
When God wants an important thing done in this world or a wrong righted, he goes about it in a very singular way. He doesn't release his thunderbolts or stir up his earthquakes. He simply has
a tiny baby born, perhaps in a very humble home, perhaps of a very humble mother. And he puts the idea or purpose into the mother's heart. And he puts it in the baby's mind, and then
God waits. The great events of this world are not battles and elections and earthquakes and thunderbolts. The great events are babies, for each child comes with the message that God is
not yet discouraged with man, but is still expecting goodwill to become incarnate in each human life.
--Edward McDonald
Happy Holidays
To one and all
May the peace and joy of this
Christmas Season be with us
all during the year and the
blessings of our Lord and Christ
be joyfully received.
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