June 2002
Vol. 4 No. 6

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Table of Contents for June 2002 [Vol. 4 No. 6]

     

Illustrated Talk on Christian Doctrine

In April, Angela and I went to Turkey with a group of clergy and others. This trip became for me a re-acquaintance with early church history, which I had studied in some detail as an undergraduate 35 years ago. I became familiar with such places as Constantinople, Nicea, Cappadocia and Caesarea and took slides in preparation for an illustrated course on the development of doctrine.

After 300 AD, the center of gravity for the Roman Empire moved from Rome, which was threatened by barbarians, to Byzantium. The Emperor, Constantine, made Byzantium his “New Rome,” and called the city after himself. He wanted to solidify the church by enforcing a uniformity of doctrine, so he summoned the bishops to Nicea (the modern Iznik) in 325. They condemned Arius as a heretic and approved that part of the Nicene Creed which concerns Jesus.

In Cappadocia, we visited the early monastic community at Goreme, where Basil the Great (Bishop of nearby Caesarea, modern day Kayseri) presided, supported by Gregory of Nazianzus, his brother Gregory of Nyssa and his older sister, Macrina. In the Chora church in Istanbul, I photographed early frescoes of these saints.

The Cappadocian fathers maintained the equal divinity of the Holy Spirit, which was incorporated in the revised Nicene Creed at the council of Constantinople (381). This was held at St. Irene’s Cathedral (the Church of Holy Peace), which is now in the outer courtyard of the Topkapi Palace and under the shadow of Haghia Sophia.

We had an audience with Bartholomew, the Patriarch of Constantinople, in his palace. His distinguished predecessors included John Chrysostom who had a falling out with the Empress Eudoxia and was exiled to Pontus, and Nestorius who was condemned at the Council of Ephesus (431). He denied that Mary was theotokos, “Mother of God,” because, he claimed, Mary was the mother of the human Jesus, while God was the Father of the divine Christ.

The final version of the Nicene Creed was ratified at the council of Chalcedon (451), which also bequeathed to us the Chalcedonian Definition of Faith. Chalcedon is now Kadikoy, a commuter suburb across the Bosporus from Istanbul.

I will show our slides of Turkey on Wednesday, June 5 at 7:00 p.m. in the Education Center and talk about the development of Christian doctrine. If you missed them in May, here is another opportunity. The evening will begin with soup and salad in the Parish Hall at 6:00 p.m. for those who can come early, and conclude at 8:30 p.m. with compline. All are welcome.

--Hugh Stevenson

 

Sundays in June

June 2

49 years ago on this date, Elizabeth was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth. She had been queen since February 6, 1952. British people will be celebrating this Golden Jubilee. We will welcome new members of St. Patrick’s on this Sunday.

June 9

On this day, we will recognize the Sunday school teachers and students. Bonney Philbin will be stepping down after 3 years as superintendent. The children will also make a presentation during the time of the sermon. We will recognize our graduating seniors. There will be special music. Once again we will welcome Raymond Skipp, who will lead us in familiar songs like “Here I am Lord,” and “Give me joy in my heart, keeping me praising.”

June 16

This will be the choir’s finale to a season in which they have worked hard and offered much fine music.

June 23

After the 10:00 a.m. service, the remains of Walter Niehoff will be interred in the Memorial Garden. Walt and his wife Dorothy were very active at St. Patrick’s until 5 or 6 years ago when Dorothy died and Walt moved in with his daughter in Arizona. 12:00-2:00 p.m., there will be a pool party at the Peters’ for acolytes.

June 30

The child of Dan and Cheryl Glivar, and grandchild of Shirley and Jack Hoey will be baptized. Dan and Cheryl were married at St. Patrick’s in September 1995.

Choral Evensong. On Sunday evening, June 9, at 5:00 p.m. Schola Gregoriana will sing Evensong at St. Patrick’s. Carol Menke, who was formerly Music Director here, now directs Schola. Bill Rhodes is the organist. There is no charge but there will be an offering to defray their expenses.

Equipment “Library.” Laurie Raess has a quantity of equipment for a handicapped person. She has two electric wheelchairs, 2 ramps (for steps), hospital bed, walker, transfer board and handle for bathtub and Canadian crutches. She is willing to donate them to St. Patrick’s for members and friends of the congregation. Do you know of anyone who can put them to use?

Congratulations to our graduates.

    Katie Cercone is going to Carlton College, MN.
    Andrew Long is going to Dominican College.
    Elizabeth Johnson is going to UC Davis.
    May Boeve is going to Middlebury, VT.
    Michael Wizorek is graduating from UC Davis in Chemical Engineering.
    Nick Philbin is graduating from University of Colorado, Boulder in Business & Finance.
    Ann Morell is graduating from University of Arizona in marketing.
    Kai Harris is graduating from UC Davis in Psychology.

Congratulations

    To the Brigham/Philbin family on the wedding of Peter Brigham to Shannon Hill on May 4 in Charleston SC

Deepest sympathy

    To the Phillips/MacLain family on the death of Joe Phillips on Monday, May 13th.
    To Joan and Bill Mills on the death of Joan’s mother, Sally Francis on May 15th.
    And to Mary Alyce and Mark Stephens on the death of their infant son, Chase Edward.

Women’s Breakfast

Body movement and Breakfast in the patio is the theme for the June 8th gathering.  The June women’s breakfast will begin at 8:30 am with easy body movement exercises similar to those enjoyed by all at our March retreat. Sharon Traeger will lead us in some simple stretching and cardiovascular movements to further bring us into the day. This will be followed by our traditional potluck breakfast. Weather permitting we will eat in the patio area.  Come join us for fun, food and fellowship!

 

April Vestry Report

We made a number of major decisions at this meeting

  • We voted not to purchase antiphonal speakers for the church out of memorial funds. A number of people had expressed concern over the loudness of the music. Instead we considered upgrading the sound system in the Parish Hall.
  • The Boy Scout association about sponsoring a troop at St. Patrick’s approached us. We tabled this proposal till next year.
  • We moved to terminate our relationship with Layten Heckman as our Director of Music. We have invited back Robert Young to be our Director, pro-tem.
  • The Once de May fund raising dinner was planned. It was great success, thanks to Hutch Gibb and his helpers. There will be another fund raising dinner in September.
  • Hutch also reported that 93 household have so far signed up for the eScrip program and we will begin to see income for the parish in June.
  • We have postponed the Faith Alive renewal weekend at St. Patrick’s till next spring after the Rector returns from the first half of his sabbatical.
  • We are contracting with Pat Garmy to be our sexton. He will move into the upper room after it has been refurbished. Walt Boden will move his stuff out by the beginning of May.
  • Bill Perry spoke about the need to re-examine our parish communications. In early May he convened a committee of Joan Mills, Judy Kimsey and Jill Hunting, who came up with a number of ideas.
  • We are pursuing 2 new candidates for the position of youth leader.

Outreach Committee

The Outreach Committee at their recent meeting on May 2nd approved the following grants payable in May:

  1. Episcopal Relief & Development Project for Hope "Sudanese Refugees living in Kenya for high school scholarships"-$440.00.
  2. Hospital Chaplaincy Services, Sebastopol - $500.00.
  3. Law Enforcement Chaplaincy Training for Police & Fire Departments, Santa Rosa - $500.00.
  4. Doctors without Borders, New York  $1000.00.
    Doctors without Borders is a world wide activity supplying medicines and equipment, health clinics and staffed by USA doctors on temporary leave.
  5. Bread for the World, Washington, D.C. - membership - $50.00.
    Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian movement seeking justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision makers.
  6. Elizabeth Johnson, St. Patrick's Youth Pancake Breakfast to benefit Valley of the Moon Children's Home - $100.00.

 

Twenty-fifth Annual Unique Boutique

With the Unique Boutique on October 19th, only four months away, there is still time for everyone to become involved in preparations.

Woodworkers, glass workers, stitchers, painters, all artists, men as well as women, are urged to contribute one piece of their work to the Artists’ Corner. Each contributor is asked to put his/her own price on the item and any thing that does not sell will be returned to the artist.

For further information, call Barbara Fry (538-2164) or Dorothy Pierce (537-9159).

Stitchers, cutters, stuffers, and painters mark June 14th and 28th on your calendars as the Workshops are continuing apace in the Common Room. There is something for everyone to do. All supplies, instructions and tools are provided as well as good conversation and delicious refreshments.

Those of you who are working independently at home, please let Rosie Speight (538-3885) know what you are making so there will be no duplication.

For the Outdoor Gardeners, this is a good time to start Shop. If you need pots, cuttings and seedlings call Connie von Loben Sells at 833-5381.

Jam and jelly makers, now that berry season is upon us, it is time to begin preserving them for the Gourmet Pantry. Jars are available in the choir room.

Quality items are needed for the Silent Auction. Marilyn Schlangen or, in Oakmont, Kathryn Gary will pick them up, polish or launder and iron them and do what ever is required to prepare them for auction. Kathryn can be reached at 539-7932 and Marilyn at 833-5011. Both have forms for you to fill out for income tax purposes.

For those who are embroidering or appliquéing tea towels: if you have run out of ideas, Joan Ingold will provide patterns. Call her at 539-7631.

 

Ordinary Time

Digging in the dirt has a certain romance about it.  Working on an archaeological dig is like entering into a big jigsaw puzzle or an Elizabeth Peter’s mystery. Yet, we all know that any work has its rhythm, a pattern of movements that eventually set in.  This is called ordinary time. On an archaeological dig ordinary time is prefaced with the excitement of planning and preparation. Creative thinking and innovative maneuvering is often needed to gather people and equipment, to obtain funding and acquire the necessary permission to break ground. Whatever headaches occur, all irritations dissipate when the field crew walks over the site. Our imaginations kick in as we enter into wondering what might unfold in the days ahead.

The second phase of the dig eventually appears.  You never know when the shift will happen.  This is the space of time when the excitement wears off and people settle into the routine of digging, taking notes, dealing with the elements (too many bugs, hot muggy days, cement like dirt) and your dig partner’s mannerisms! We have arrived at the place of ordinary archaeology. Forgotten is Indiana Jones or King Tut’s Carter. There are moments when our excitement is revived. Discoveries launch us back into wonder.  With new vitality we venture back to our digging rhythm, to the ordinary work.

Living into the ordinary routine and rhythm of our lives is where we live most of the time.  We live the in-between life, the between place of highs and lows. Our church life too has a rhythm of celebration, remembering and just living the ordinary.  The rich festivities of the winter and spring have now come and gone. Now we settle into the season of post Pentecost, called Ordinary time, which extends this year from May 20 until December 1, 2002. But there is nothing ordinary about this month, June! Many of us find ourselves in transition. There are good-byes and hellos.  During this month some of our members will be moving and many of us will go on vacation to meet new members of the family (grandchildren and in-laws). And there are graduates completing one set of course work and looking forward to a new one.

How to live the days of coming and going, of just plain living is central to our spiritual life. Finding the holy in the routine of domestic chores, the daily walk, the airline flight, or waiting in line!  It is also a chance to look purposefully in unexpected places for the Holy. Or more importantly to be the Holy in places that tend to shut God out like conflict, abuse, and oppressive acts.

Our spiritual journey and our life together is a long and steady process.  Taking the time to enter into holy space in the ordinary routine is a gift that we give ourselves and a gift that God invites us to receive. We are a people of the in-between, of the already and not yet of God’s kingdom. And because of this we are to be God’s light in a too often dark world.  Let your light shine in the ordinary spaces and places so that God’s justice-love may be made known!

--Julie Wizorek

 

Hildegard of Bingen Class

Have the notion to visit Germany and the Rhineland this month? Well, if all the flights to Frankfurt are booked come join us! The Wednesday Morning education group is venturing off to Disibod and Bingen to meet Hildegard, an exceptional twelfth century German nun.  No need to pack your bags, but do bring your seat belt as we follow this wild scholastic ride through mystical dreams, ethereal music, natural cures and rich illuminated visions. Hildegard was a mystic, artist, writer, theologian, preacher, musician, scientist and advisor to abbots, dukes, kings and popes!  Following the Wednesday Eucharist and healing service, we will meet in the Education Center at around 9:50, finishing up at 11am.  Please sign up in the Parish Hall.  For more information contact Julie Wizorek.

Sunday School: Sunday school is drawing to a close for the 2001-2002 school year. I would like to thank the many wonderful teachers who have contributed throughout the year to making St. Patrick’s a happy learning environment for our children. Appreciation goes to:

Marjorie MacLeod, Juli Lorenc, Janet Fisher, Robin Goerl, Lori Hunt, Vashti Papworth, Darci Alderson, Ann Peters, Shirley Flournoy, Barbara Rosenberry, Margaret Merchat and Dorothy Pierce.

Please join us in celebrating the end of our school year with a Youth service followed by our traditional ice cream social.

--Bonney Philbin

 

Bargain Faire – June 29, 2002

St. Patrick’s Bargain Fire, an ECW supported event will be held Saturday, June 29th in the Parish Hall from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Please sort through your “good junk” and bring it to the Parish Hall NO EARLIER than Wednesday, June 26th (from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) Our limited storage space is full. If you must get rid of items earlier than that date, or your large piece needs transportation, please call us.

Prime candidates for our faire are good items you no longer need. These include baskets, kitchenware, small appliances in working order, toys, games, linens, paperback books, china, garden and sport equipment and luggage. Please no clothing (including shoes).

On Sunday the 16th and 23rd of June there will be sign ups in the Parish Hall. Please sign up to help as many hands are needed!

Chairmen: Connie van Loben Sels (833-5381)
Marion Carlsen (838-7139)

 

Vacation Bible School

Hurry! Hurry! July 29th to August 2nd the Big Top is coming to St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church for Vacation Bible School. Step right up! It’s a Circus!

The five-session program is free, meeting every day from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Kids will learn how God sent Jesus as our Savior. How God works in us and through us to accomplish his purposes in the world! Activities include Bible stories, drama, music, games, and more. There will be visiting clowns, face -painting, a juggler and maybe an animal or two. Ages 4 through sixth grade are invited to the Big Top at St. Patrick’s. Mark your calendars now!

 

Daughters of the King

“Pray without ceasing.”  Ithess.5:17

At the Provincial Daughters of the King Assembly in April each attending Daughter was given an Anglican Rosary and a prayer. This form of contemplative prayer is a blend of the Anglican Rosary, the Roman Catholic Rosary and the Orthodox Jesus Rope Prayer. The Reverend Lynn Bauman of Praxis created the thirty-three bead design while in pastoral ministry during the mid-‘80’s. There are many prayers for the Anglican Rosary and the one that was given to us is posted on the Daughters of the King bulletin board.

Please stop to look at this beautiful prayer.

--Sharon Traeger

 

John Bogart Library

In May the library acquired four video tapes of the 33rd National Conference of The Trinity Institute. The theme is “How Then Must We Live.” Discussions centered on questioning who we are, who we love, and what we care about. The tapes are in the video tower on the left side of the room.

We purchased two books:

  • Volume 10 of he Church’s New Teaching Series: Christian Social Witness by Harold T. Lewis. Lewis surveys the teaching and witness of Anglicanism and the Episcopal Church concerning the Christian vision of a righteous social order and examines the challenges of the new millennium. This volume completes our set of the New Teaching Series.
  • The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Herself. This is Teresa’s autobiography translated from the Spanish by J.M. Cohen.
  • From an anonymous donor we have a beautiful volume of The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi. This is a collection of “wonder stories” from the lives of the followers of Saint Francis. It is an unusual and charming book.

And expect another Jan Karon book about Mitford. Reportedly to be published in June, it will be added to the shelves as soon as possible.

--Ronnie Leonard

 

A Wonderful Message

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, yet more problems; more medicine, but less well-ness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce; fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw-away morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or just hit delete.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones because they’re not going to be around forever. Remember – say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent. Remember to say, “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all – mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

--George Carlin
(Believe it or not)

 

 


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