The Harvest, March-April 2012

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Inside The Harvest From the bishop

Bishop Wolfe describes how a threemonth sabbatical he’ll take this year will help usher in the third phase of his episcopacy. Page 2

Conference center renovations start, thanks to Crossroads campaign By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest

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Convention deadlines

Aug. 15 is the deadline for nominations for offices to be elected at diocesan convention, along with proposed debatable resolutions and changes to the diocesan constitution or canons. Page 4

EWARM

The Episcopal Wichita Area Refugee Ministries is seeking volunteer help for a variety of tasks before they can help resettle refugees from Burma. Page 4

Cathedral murals

Murals that had been in storage for more than 50 years were uncovered in March at Grace Cathedral, Topeka, revealing panels depicting the Ascension and adoring angels. Page 5

Community garden

St. Paul’s, Kansas City, is preparing to plant a garden on its property to serve the neighborhood and those who use the church’s food pantry and Saturday morning breakfast. Page 6

Women’s ordination

Thirty years ago the first woman was ordained in the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. Several women who have served here in that time reflect on their experience as priests. Page 7

Around the diocese

Read how people across the diocese helped girls in south central Kansas go to their high school prom and about the first baptism in the diocese’s newest congregation. Page 8

St. Stephen’s, Wichita

To help the church celebrate its 50th anniversary, one of the founding members who now is the vicar of Trinity, Wall Street, is coming home to preach. Page 9

Ordinations

Six people from across the diocese will be ordained to the diaconate in a morning service June 2 at Grace Cathedral, Topeka. Page 9

Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has announced that he is stepping down at the end of the year to take over as Master of Magdalene College in Cambridge. Page 11

Photo by Melodie Woerman

Bishop Dean Wolfe on April 14 helps break a hole in a potion of a wall that will be removed as part of renovations at the Bethany Place Conference Center in Topeka. The upgrade of the center into a 20-bed facility to accommodate students at the Kansas School for Ministry comes from donations made to the Crossroads campaign.

Bishop urges study of samegender blessings By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest

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ishop Dean Wolfe on March 15 urged clergy in charge of parishes to spend time between now and July’s General Convention talking with their congregations about the possibility that trial liturgies to bless same-gender unions will be authorized by that body. In addition to his message, Bishop Wolfe offered a variety of materials to help clergy engage in such a discussion, including a one-day curriculum, extra resources, and theological statements prepared by an advisory group he appointed last fall and by diocesan Canon Theologian the Rev. Andrew Grosso. His message was prompted by the release of a proposed trial liturgy for such a blessing by the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, to be debated at General Convention when it meets in Indianapolis July 5-12. The commission was responding to a mandate from the 2009 General Convention to create such a rite. Bishop Wolfe said that while nothing has been decided yet, it seemed to him to be “prudent to prepare for the likelihood that some form of trial liturgies will be approved.” He said acting as though nothing is happening on this matter would be the “easiest but least helpful thing we can do” (Please see Blessings, page 4)

ith one big swing of an ax, Bishop Dean Wolfe helped poke a hole in a wall to mark the beginning of the renovations of the Bethany Place Conference Center, made possible by contributions to the Crossroads capital campaign. The ceremony was dubbed a “plaster breaking” instead of a groundbreaking because most of the work will be to interior spaces. The event took place on Saturday, April 14 and was attended by about 40 people, including students at the Kansas School for Ministry and those involved with the Crossroads efforts. The school currently is based at the conference center. The renovations will provide sleeping space for 20 people, up from the 12 beds currently available. Two additional bathrooms will be added, and all the interior spaces will be refurbished and upgraded. The living and dining rooms will provide common space for students and others using the building for meetings or retreats. (Please see Center, page 3)

Good Friday:

one building, two faiths Jewish Seder and Holy Week service share space at St. Thomas the Apostle in Overland Park By Melodie Woerman Editor, The Harvest

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or many Jews, Good Friday has meant centuries of anti-Semitic backlash from Christians centered on the day Jesus was crucified. But this year, for the people of Temple Israel of Greater Kansas City, it meant a welcome return to St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in Overland Park, which offered them a place to meet when the congregation first was formed and where friendships blossomed. This year marked a rare occurrence when Good Friday and the first day of Passover fell on the same day. So while the Episcopal congregation was in the church marking the solemn events around Jesus’ death, the Jewish congregation was in the parish hall hailing the defeat of Pharaoh and the deliverance of the Jewish people.

A friendship is born

The Rev. Gar Demo, St. Thomas’ rector, and Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn, Temple Israel’s leader, got to know each other when they jointly officiated at a wedding. They quickly struck up

Photo by Melodie Woerman

The congregations led by the Rev. Gar Demo (left) and Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn shared space on Good Friday, April 6, at St. Thomas in Overland Park, where Demo is the rector.

a friendship, based in their shared occupations as religious professionals and children of similar ages. When Cukierkorn organized his new Reform congregation a little over a year ago, they found themselves without a place for weekly worship services. He asked Demo if they might use St. Thomas, and (Please see Building, page 6)


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