FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE Volume 64 Number 2
FEBRUARY 2014
The Episcopal Church of Saint Michael Pacific View Drive at Marguerite
Corona del Mar
California 92625
...From the Desk of the Rector
BELOVEDS IN CHRIST,
& All Angels 949.644.0463
www.stmikescdm.org
PARISH NEWS AND NOTES
This is Epiphany Season. What does that mean? What might its challenge be? My dictionary defines “epiphany” as “as appearance or manifestation, particularly of a divine being.” That makes my eyes glaze over! I suggest we think of Epiphany as God peeling back layers so we can see what we’ve never seen before. Epiphany is God helping us to see something new. I picture Epiphany as God standing next to her latest work of art, getting ready to pull the tarp away so we can see what he has created. God would give that tarp a good pull and there it would be: God’s latest creation. That unveiling would be, for us, an epiphany, a glimpse of something new from God. As a Californian, I equate “epiphany” with “eureka!” James Marshall discovered gold on January 24, 1848, at Captain John Sutter’s mill along the south form of the American River and shouted “Eureka!” In ancient Syracuse, Italy, Greek mathematician Archimedes stepped into his bathtub and discovered his principle about volume and buoyancy and exclaimed, “Eureka!” “Eureka” equals “epiphany.” Another way to think of an “epiphany” comes from my second favorite section of the newspaper, the comics. Cartoonists create brightly lit bulbs above characters’ heads telling us that they suddenly understand something and “Get it!” That’s an “epiphany,” an “Aha!” moment, the light bulb turning on. What kind of “Aha!” moment, what “unveiling,” what “Eureka” discovery, what new understanding is The Epiphany? Holy Women, Holy Men tells us that some Anglican Prayer Books interpret the word “epiphany” with an alternative title, “The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.” This is a reference to the story of the Wise Ones from the East in Matthew 2:1-12. The Magi were Gentiles. Such battle lines were drawn that if Gentiles were found in the inner courts of the temple in Jerusalem they were put to death. And, of course we know that in Jesus’ time and place, women and the poor had places in society subservient to places reserved for men and the rich. Dividing walls were taken most seriously.
FINANCIAL UPDATE THROUGH DECEMBER 2013: Preliminary year to date Income is $525,801. Our YTD Expense is $559,883. The parish Net Ordinary Income is ($34,082), which is $15,899 more than we planned as we had an operating a loss of $49,982 for 2013. Our YTD Pledge Income is $420,958 which is $4,041 less than we planned through the end of 2013. SO WE DID NOT END THE YEAR IN THE BLACK, as we had hoped. During the Annual Parish Meeting we will address this and the budget for 2014. Our total operating cash balance is $263,223 of which $255,664 is designated gifts leaving a net balance of $7,559. The net cash has been reduced by $49,982 from our savings to meet our 2013 operating expenses. The Endowment Trust has a balance of $174,650, but this can not be used for operating expenses. Again, we encourage everyone to make there 2014 pledge if they have not done so, and to consider increasing their pledge to help make up the shortfall from 2013.
Epiphany’s witness is that from the very beginning of his life, Jesus came to tear down walls that divide Gentile from Jew, women from men, poor from rich, and to make God equally accessible to everyone. Epiphany’s message is that God embraces all who come into faith relationship with him and that we are to do likewise.
Annual Parish Meeting
The challenge of Epiphany is to recognize walls that divide us from others and to do what we are able to tear them down. The message of Epiphany is to be honest about who we do not like and ask, “What would it take to get me to open my arms to those people?” and then to ask God to help us do that.
February 2, 2014
Yours, in Christ -
Sunday
11:30 am All Angels’ Court
BUILDING OUR F AITH: L OVING CHRIST AND SER VING OUR COMMUNITY FAITH: LO SERVING
FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE
FEBRUARY 201 4 2 2014
(MORE) PARISH NEWS AND NOTES CONTRIBUTIONS WERE MADE TO THE RECTOR’S DISCRETIONARY FUND most recently by Barbara & Wally Paulson and Jack & Marilyn Towner in celebration; and, by Andrea Voight, Jeanne Rees and Ben Card in thanksgiving. These funds extend our Parish’s mission of outreach, providing for such needs as can be helped by financial assistance. SUPER BOWL OF CARING
Sunday, February 2nd “Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat.” With this simple prayer at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1990, the Souper Bowl of Caring began. Its purpose was to use Super Bowl weekend, a time when people come together for football and fun, to also unify our nation for a higher good: collecting dollars and canned food for those in need. In 1990, 22 churches collected $5,700; in 2013, 8,154 participating groups (including Saint Michael & All Angels) contributed $7,514,749! Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush are National Advocates. Please, bring $5 on February 2 for the Souper Bowl of Caring. “I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.” --Matthew 25:35
LEST WE FORGET: There have been 4,489 American military casualties in Iraq and 2,170 in Afghanistan. "Lord hear our prayers for those who are dead and for those who mourn." Senior Warden...............................Lynn Headley [lynnheadley@earthlink.net] 714.963.5932 Junior Warden........................................[Open] Christian Education.......................Barbara Black [syblack@sbcglobal.net] 949.375.3048 Clerk of the Vestry...................... ...Karlene Miller [karlenemiller@gmail.com] 949.336.6215 Building and rounds.................... ..........[Open]
FEBRUARY Anniversaries
St. Mike’s Facebook Page facebook.com/ SMAACDM
“Like” us! Read us every day for latest parish news, diocesan, TEC and AC updates, personal devotions, sacred music. A community within our community
* * * PLEASE CHECK THE DISPLAY RACK ON THE WALL IN MICHAEL'S ROOM. Pick up a pamphlet or two to share with family and friends. A donation box is provided. We all can benefit from "The spiritual practice of decluttering," a pamphlet written by Dr. Donna Schaper, senior member of Judson Memorial Church in New York and author of thirty books. She gives us five tips to declutter time and space: 1. Resist the temptation to buy things we do not need. 2. Give away what is cluttering our lives. Give "left-overs" to those in need. 3. Be a brilliant recycler. 4. Start cleaning and clearing away a cluttered space. 5. Get a partner and exchange help. A warning: "We are emotionally exhausted by the very connections that used to feed us." “Connecting is good; overconnection is exhausting." Discipline yourself in use of email and social media. "Cyberspace is a sneaky new form of clutter. We can manage it, if we want. It can manage us, if we want to let it."
VESTRY MEMBERS Communications...........................Clyde Dodge [clydedodge@cox.net 949.375.1530 Evangelism.................................Melinda Rader [melinda.rader@roadrunner.com] 949.230.3644 Fellowship......................................Teri Corbet [hbangel49@msn.com] 714.964.5505
Birthdays 2nd - Sharon Perry 6th - Pauline Benjamin Myrna Ireland Libby Keating 10th - Dina Mead 11th - Robin McDowell 18th - Michael Robertson 19th - John Ireland 21st - Dottie Cole 23rd - Wally Paulson 24th - Sally McCulloch 26th - Julianne Powell 27th - Donald Alser 28th - Mike Draffin Baptisms 13th - Joseph Benjamin Pauline Benjamin 14th - Amanda Corbet 16th - Gracemarie Dell Angelo Doug Little 24th - Peter Haynes+ Maria Solomon Weddings 16th - Victor & Olive Rumbellow 26th - Terry & Catherine Lee
* * * LOAVES AND FISHES: In February we will collect large cans of ground coffee. Monetary donations are always welcome, too, and checks should be made payable to Saint Michael & All Angels, with Loaves and Fishes on the memo line. (Tax ID #95-2123746) FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE is a publication of Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, Corona del Mar, CA. Copy deadline is the second Wednesday of the month. We welcome letters and articles. Editor: Susan Beechner 949.644.0463
Finance...........................................Jim Palda [paldajim@gmail.com] 626.533.8037 Mission......................................Gail Haghjoo [gail.haghjoo@gmail.com] 714.553.7120 Stewardship...................................Joan Short [joanshort@earthlink.net] 949.644.0719 Worship.The Very Rev’d Canon Peter D. Haynes [phaynes@stmikescdm.org] 949.644.0463
FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE
From the Urwin Family Dear People of Saint Michael & All Angels, We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the welcome you gave all of us on Ray Urwin’s first Sunday with you! We felt enveloped by the spirit of caring both for your new musician and the music itself. We are all delighted Ray has found such a perfect new spiritual family to be a home for his musical gifts. Many thanks to all of you from all of us, Cecilia Urwin, Amelia, Regina, Glenn, Carla and Donna
February 22 is Women's Spiritual Day for Deaneries IX & X Women of Deaneries 9 and 10 will gather at St. Clement's Church, San Clemente, on Saturday, February 22 for the fourth annual Women's Spiritual Day, led by Bishop Suffragan Diane Jardine Bruce. The theme for the day will be "Pilgrimage." Keynote speaker will be The Rev’d Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook, professor at Bloy House (Episcopal Theological School at Claremont), vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty and professor of practical theology and religious education at Claremont School of Theology, and author of many articles and books, including, most recently, “Pilgrimage The Sacred Art: Journey to the Center of the Heart.” The day will begin with registration at 8:30am, followed by the keynote address at 9am. Several workshops centering on the pilgrimage theme will follow, and the day will conclude with lunch and worship. Further information will be made available in future issues of the Diocesan Update. NURSERY CARE IS AVAILABLE on Sundays from 9:30-11:30am. PLEASE CHECK the lost and found box next to the tract rack in Michael’s Room.
FEBRUARY 2014
HOLY WOMEN HOLY MEN
C
Norm Ewers
ornelius was a Centurion (Captain) in the Roman Army in charge of a company of 100 men. A centurion was a Roman citizen, a military career man, well-paid, and generally noted for courage and competence. Some centurions, such as Cornelius were also men of deep religious piety. All that we know about Cornelius, however, is found in Chapters ten and eleven of the Book of Acts; other centurions were also noted favorably in the Gospels of Mark and Luke. In New Testament times, an estimated ten per cent of the population of the Roman Empire consisted of "God Fearers," Gentiles who recognized that the pagan belief in many gods and goddesses was not a religion for a thoughtful and moral worshipper, and who accordingly embraced an ethical monotheism-belief in One God who had created the world, and was the upholder of the Moral Law. Although few of them took the step of formal conversion to Judaism, most of them attended synagogue services regularly. Cornelius was part of that ten percent: a monotheist, a Gentile who worshipped the One God. The Jews traditionally recognized that such Gentiles had a place in the Family of God, and they are mentioned along with the priests (House of Aaron), the Levites (House of Levi), and the Jews or Israelites ((House of Israel in Psalms 115, 118 and 135.) Cornelius and his household were the first Gentiles to be converted to Christianity (by Peter). Luke, recording this event, clearly regards it as an event of the utmost importance in the history of the early church, the beginning of the Church's decision to admit Gentiles to full and equal fellowship with the Jewish Christians. Although he is not mentioned again, he and his household presumably formed the nucleus of the Christian community we find elsewhere in the Book of Acts (A 8:40 and 21:18) Sources: '"The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and Fasts 1997". "Biographical Sketches of memorable Christians of the past."
3
Innovative, free formation resource for Lent 2014 [The Society of Saint John the Evangelist press release] For Lent 2014 the Brothers of The Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE) have developed an easy-to-use video series and accompanying workbook “Love Life: Living the Gospel of Love.” The daily series runs from Ash Wednesday, March 5th, to Palm Sunday. Subscribers will be emailed each morning with a mobile-friendly video and evocative question. The daily email subscription is free, as are all the supporting materials which are available to download for free. A printed version can be purchased through www.SSJE.org/lovelife. “Love Life: Living the Gospel of Love” is an offering from the Brothers of SSJE that delves deeply into the gospel that shapes their community life. The Brothers believe that spending time praying and pondering with the Gospel of John can help us all to live more abundantly the life of love to which we are called. John’s message of love can unlock our own hearts and transform the communities where we belong. This series is designed so that everyone in a community can participate. Churches can offer “Love Life” for groups that meet in person and for people who prefer to access the series electronically, via a smart phone or computer. The Episcopal Diocese of Texas and the Anglican Church of Canada will be featuring Love Life during Lent. “When I learned about “Love Life,” it was a natural decision to coordinate our Lenten issue of the diocesan magazine, Diolog, with a similar focus. We are promoting the 5-week program and videos to our membership and churches as well. Our Christian Formation team is also very excited about the program, which can be very personal or approached from a group standpoint. I have found that collaboration with SSJE allows us to expand what my small staff can provide with quality programming while modeling what being part of a broader Church is all about,” said Carol E. Barnwell, Communication Director of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas Continued on Page 6
FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE SAINT MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
FEBRUARY 2014 4
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Susan Caldwell
PRAYERS
A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION
Our mission is to seek and share Jesus Christ as spiritual food for life’s journey.
3233 Pacific View Drive Corona del Mar, CA 92625 949.644.0463 949.644.9247 FAX www.stmikescdm.org The Very Rev’d Canon
Peter D. Haynes, Rector [phaynes@stmikescdm.org] Susan Caldwell Director of Christian Education [scaldwell@stmikescdm.org] Ray Urwin, D.M.A. Minister of Music [rurwin@stmikescdm.org] The Rev’d Fennie Chang, Ph.D., Canterbury Irvine The Rev’d Canon Ray Flemming Assisting Priest The Rev’d Jefferson Hulet Assisting Priest The Rev’d Barbara Stewart, Ph.D., Assisting Priest Susan Beechner, Parish Secretary [sbeechner@stmikescdm.org] Donnie Lewis, Bookkeeper [dlewis@stmikescdm.org]
WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sunday Holy Eucharist 8am Choral Eucharist 10am Nursery Care from 9:30-11:30am Adult Education 9am Sunday School 10am Tuesday HE, MP, alternating Tues. at 7:30am Wednesday Holy Eucharist with Prayers for Peace and Healing-12 noon ABOUT SAINT MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS CORONA DEL MAR
We are a Christian Community of the Anglican Communion who come to hear God’s word and receive and share the Lord Jesus Christ. Our purpose is to have Christ live in us in order that in Christ we may live faithful and productive Christian lives. Our commitment to the Gospel is evangelical; our liturgical tradition, catholic; our theology orthodox but open to thought, reflection, and spiritual endeavor. We care about the world and strive to serve Christ in it.
HEALING
Hildy Sally John Jack Dottie Rosemarie Nancy Pat Norm Bob Mary Betty
One Hour a Day Welcome to 2014 and a new year with wonderful beginnings. Please take time to consider The Bible Challenge. The Rev’d Marek Zabriskie, creator of The Bible Challenge, Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania would like to encourage one and all to participate. What exactly is The Bible Challenge you may ask? The Bible Challenge is a commitment to read the Bible completely through in one year. There are several ways to go about reading the Bible through the year. You can start on January 1st or begin at Lent, March 4th. Also, jumping right into Bible reading can begin at anytime. The Bible Challenge is formatted so that even if you fall behind, you can still pick right back up where you left off. Orange County is a great place and opportunity for busyness. Schedules get filled quickly and days fly into weeks and months and years. Time passes quickly. Just as sand in a sieve, our best intentions can be lost in the current of busyness. Taking time during the day to read the Bible is one way to slow down and order one’s private world. Reading the Bible is a way to grow in faith and relationship with God. His words are ever present, comforting and ever true. Murry McClaren has given a wise and practical suggestion regarding The Bible Challenge. “You need to set a specific time of day when you are around the house or home by yourself and set aside one hour per day to read your Bible. Commit that particular time to read The Bible Challenge. Just know that you will be rewarding yourself by doing it. “ The Bible Challenge participants in 2013 were Norris Battin, .The Very Rev’d Canon Peter Haynes, Stacie Tibbetts, Lynne Ruedy, The Rev’d Barbara Stewart, Tami Chapin,
Continued on page 5
GUIDANCE Sue Debbie REPOSE Elaine Redfield Marion Smith THANKSGIVING - for Susan Beechner’s birthday Call Esther McNamee for prayer requests 949.640.1749
U
nited Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through United Thank Offering, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the UTO monies to support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world.
Calendar of Ev ents At Saint Mic hael & All Ang els Events Michael Angels
Basketball, 3:00-4:00 p.m., 4:00-5:00 p.m., AAC House of Speed, 5:00-6:30 p.m., AAC St. Mike’s Basketball, 7:00-9:00 p.m., AAC
Holy Eucharist, Morning Prayer, alternating on Tuesdays, 7:30 a.m. Whiz Kids, 9:15 -5:00 p.m., AAC (not 2/18) JOURNEY , 7:00-9:00 p.m., NW Basketball, 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., AAC
AA meeting, 7:00-8:00 a.m., SW Yoga class, 9:00-10:00 a.m., NW (not 1/1) Holy Eucharist with Prayers for Peace and Healing, 12:00 Noon Whiz Kids, 1:45-5:00 p.m., AAC (not 2/19) Confirmation Class, 4:00-5:30 p.m., CR Basketball, 5:00-8:00, 8:00-10:00 p.m., AAC
Men’s Group, 7:30-9:00 a.m., DL AA Big Book Study, noon-1:00 p.m., SW Whiz Kids, 1:45-5:00 p.m., AAC (not 2/20) Basketball, 5:00-8:00 p.m., AAC Children’s Choir Rehearsal, 5:00 p.m., NW Parish Choir Rehearsal, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Yoga class, 9:00-10:00 a.m., NW Whiz Kids, 9:15-11:30 a.m. AAC (not 2/21) Basketball, 3:00-4:00 p.m., 5:00-8:00 p.m., AAC AA meeting, 7:00-10:00 p.m., SW
Basketball, 8-10:00 a.m., 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 4:30-5:30 p.m., AAC
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
IN THE COMING MONTHS
(
47th Annual Parish Meeting, 11:30 a.m., AAC Vestry Meeting immediately following, CR SOUPer Bowl Sunday Vestry Meeting, 7:00-9:00 p.m., CR Staff Meeting, 9:30-11:00 a.m., DL Adult Education Commission, 11:30 a.m., CR Hutchins Consort, 5:00 p.m., CR Senior Ministry, 2:00 p.m., CR Deadline for March 2014 For the Love of Mike, 5:00 p.m. Friends of Music present: Harana Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, 4:00 p.m. Worship Commission, 11:30 a.m., CR Office closed for Presidents’ Day The Bible Challenge, 11:30 a.m., DL Women’s Fellowship, 7:00 p.m., Bianchi’s Home Spyglass Hill Homeowners Board, 6:00-9:00 p.m., CR Confirmation Classes begin, 4:00-5:30 p.m., CR
IN THE COMING WEEKS
Meeting Rooms: AAC - All Angels’ Court MR - Michael’s Room CR - Conference Room
DL - Davis Library NW - North Wing BR - Blue Room, AAC
SW - South Wing PC - Parish Center RR - Red Room, AAC
Sun., Mar. 2nd Last Sunday after the Epiphany Tues., Mar. 4th Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Supper 6-7:00 p.m., AAC Wed., Mar. 5th Ash Wednesday, the First Day of Lent Services at 7:00 a.m., 12 noon, 7:30 p.m. (with music) Sun., Mar. 9th First Sunday in Lent, Lenten Evensong, 4:00 p.m. Wed, Mar. 12th Wednesday Lenten Evening Suppers begin April 13-19th Holy Week Sun., Apr. 20th Easter
Wed., Feb. 26th
Sun., Feb.16th Mon., Feb. 17th Sun., Feb. 23rd Tues., Feb. 25th
Sat. Feb. 15th
Wed., Feb. 5th Thurs., Feb. 6th Sun., Feb. 9th Tues., Feb. 11th Wed., Feb. 12th
Monday
Sun, Feb. 2nd
Holy Eucharist at 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Nursery care from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Sundays-at-Nine, 9:00 a.m., DL Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. Godly Play, children 4-11, Yellow Room Formation, 5th-8th grade, Green Room
Sunday
EACH WEEK
FEBRUARY 2014
The Alternative Market on December 8th. We raised over $7000 for Outreach! Thank you to everyone for your generosity!
The Christmas Pageant in the Sanctuary on Christmas Eve.
Michael Kiper’s Eagle Scout Project at Saint Michael’s - adding a bench and cross by the Labyrinth.
Our Children (and Adults!) Enjoying the Season
S T. M I C H A E L & A L L A N G E L S W O U L D L I K E T O T H A N K T H E S E B U S I N E S S E S F O R M A K I N G O U R N E W S L E T T E R P O S S I B L E
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FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE
Christian Education Continued from Page 4 Linda Sevier, Ann and Steve Morris, Murry McClaren, Lynn Multari, Sam Horton, Frances Fukuda and Susan Caldwell. Tami Chapin finished The Bible Challenge early. The Rev’d Barbara Stewart committed to reading the Bible in Spanish last year. Lynne Ruedy carried her Bible Challenge book into China. Stacie Tibbetts took The Bible Challenge last year and will continue her reading of the Lectionary as a daily devotion. Presently, Sam Horton reads and studies faithfully. He has been focused to read the Bible twice in a year. He also reads the Psalter. “I do The Bible Challenge right after my morning prayer. I do it before breakfast because I want to carry those words with me thoughout the day.” Sam Horton and Tami Chapin have taken up The Bible Challenge again in 2014. Will you begin a daily practice of reading the Bible today? Bible Challengers rally together once a month in the Davis Library to discuss their readings, share insights and to cheer one another on. All are welcome! Please watch for the table with a blue and white poster displayed on every fourth Sunday of the month on the Saint Michael & All Angels patio. This is a reminder to all participants of The Bible Challenge that there will be a meeting in the Davis Library at 11:30pm. The Bible Challenge daily reading schedule is available in the church office. If you have any questions, please email me scaldwell@stmikescdm.org or give me a call at 949-644-0463 Ext. 12. The Bible Challenge website is http:// thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org/what-isthe-bible-challenge/
FEBRUARY 2014
5
(MORE) PARISH NEWS AND NOTES ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION SUNDAYS AT NINE: Eclipsing Empire: Paul, Rome, and the Kingdom of God continues. Each 20-minute video segment features Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan on a location significant for the study of Paul. The themes for the twelve sessions are: Empire, Jesus, Paul’s Mission, Paul’s Character, Paul’s Vocation, Cities, Paul’s Letters, Paul’s Ethics, Paul’s Theology, Paul’s Eschatology, Icons, and Eclipse. Join preeminent New Testament scholars Marcus Borg and John Crossan as they trace the Apostle Paul’s footsteps throughout the Roman Empire. Explore fresh insights into Paul’s message of the Kingdom of God, its challenge to Roman imperial theology, and the apostle’s radical relevance for today.
TIME AND TALENT If you are thinking about volunteering with one of our commissions at St. Mike’s, please review the “Parish Life” booklet on the back rail of the sanctuary, which describes these activities. We need greeters, acolytes, coffee hosts, and ushers, and have other interesting assignments as well. Volunteering is a wonderful way to meet new people at St. Mike’s. Please call Melinda Rader with questions at 949.230.3644.
* * *
IN THE ABSENCE OF A VESTRY/ CHAIRPERSON for our Buildings and Grounds Commission, if you have a concern about our campus please put notes in cubbie/boxes in our Parish Office for both “Buildings & Grounds” and “Sexton” (parish * * * PLEASE REMEMBER . . . Saint custodian). Michael & All Angels has a Parish Emergency Fund funded by * * * parishioners and available to parishioners facing financial MEN’S GROUP: Each week we emergencies and needing economic discuss a chapter or two of a book, assistance. Requests should be typically on theology, philosophy and directed to our rector or any member science. We meet 7.30-9am each of our Vestry. Currently there is $5000 Thursday in the Davis Library. All men in this Fund. At one time there was are welcome regardless of faith or lack more than $20,000 in the Parish of it. Emergency Fund; so, if you are able to contribute, all gifts are welcome!
* * * FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE - ADS NEEDED! Our newsletter is printed at no cost to Saint Michael’s by C & M Publications, thanks to the support of the local businesses’ ads found on the back of the calendar each month. If you or someone you know might like to become a sponsor, please call Susan Beechner in the parish office for more information. 949.644.0463 x10.
* * *
DO YOU HAVE A NEW EMAIL ADDRESS? Please contact sbeechner@stmikescdm.org with changes or additions.
* * * IF YOU W OULD LIKE TO SPONSOR the Sanctuary Light or Altar Flowers in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving for a birthday, anniversary, or other special event, please sign up on the board in the Parish Center and indicate the person or occasion to be remembered. The suggested donation for flowers is $30; the Sanctuary Light is $10. Please mark your check for the Altar Guild.
FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE
Nothing New Under The Sun by the Rev’d George Clifford The week between Christmas and New Year's, I spent some of time digitally scanning 35mm slides that my father-in-law had taken over the course of about forty-years. The slides recorded his life's journey. They recorded places to which he had travelled, people he had known, his well-loved family, and his ministry. While I processed the slides, my thoughts drifted not only over the events and people he photographed but also over how dramatically technology has changed in the last two centuries. Before the Civil War, photography was rare; in the latter half of the nineteenth century, photography remained too difficult and expensive for most amateurs; professionals took the preponderance of photographs. Then, inventive individuals such as George Eastman, founder of Kodak, lowered the cost and simplified the process. Photography soared in affordability and popularity. Today, film is increasingly difficult to obtain. The Kodak Corporation is struggling to survive. Cameras are almost all digital; stand-alone cameras are increasingly rare as people use cameras built into a cellphone, tablet, or other device. A replacement bulb for a 35mm slide projector – if you can find one – is costly. A few of the sales clerks from whom I sought information about scanners with which to digitize 35mm slides did not know what a 35mm slide was. Unsurprisingly, I found more information and better prices for slide scanners on the internet. So, is the book of Ecclesiastes wrong? Are there some new things under the sun? People take and cherish photographs because human memories are fallible and incomplete. Furthermore, neuroscientists have demonstrated that human memory actually degrades over time. Yet, past moments and the memories of those moments define who I am, what I have done, and help me to recall people I love or who are important to me. Before photography, people treasured other mementos, items such as a painted portrait, lock of hair, article of clothing, or piece of furniture. People sometimes
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passed mementos from one generation to the next as a means of preserving their identity and heritage. With the advent of photography, such keepsakes became increasingly rare. Photographs are more affordable, transportable, and easier to share. Perhaps most important, photographs offer a fuller, richer, way to recall precious memories. This desire to cherish our links with the past seems constant. Technology has changed, but the underlying human motivation to hold on to cherished memories that shape and inform one's identity has remained constant. This is not new. The anamnesis – the part of the Eucharistic prayer that recalls Jesus' life, death, and resurrection – is important precisely because it preserves our link with Jesus. We have no photographs of Jesus and no keepsakes (unless one accepts as genuine alleged artifacts of the true cross, the shroud of Turin, or other such items of highly dubious historicity). Our connection to Jesus is verbal, perhaps fittingly so given the gospel of John's portrayal of Jesus as the Word of God. When Jesus seems distant, or unreal, the anamnesis (or, remembrance) that informs and shapes our Christian identity can helpfully center on the life of a saint, i.e., a person in whose life we, or at least some Christians, have seen or heard God's word en-fleshed. In our remembrance, we can experience anew God's presence and love, exactly as recalling other cherished memories enables us to renew that part of our identity and heritage. My father-in-law died a decade ago. His widow thinks that my digitizing his 35mm slides would have delighted him because the digital images are so much easier to store, see, and share than are his antiquated and deteriorating 35mm slides. I wonder if these changes are portents of the future. The information age offers hope that the next generation can live more fully at a lower environmental cost. Humans will still need shelter, clothes, furniture, and kitchens. But the cherished possessions that make us who we are – art, music, books, entertainment, memories, and much more – will all be digital, enabling people to live in smaller yet more comfortable domiciles. Perhaps a
season of twenty-first century content focused humans will follow the twentieth century's season of conspicuous consumption. This is just one sign of hope that I discern for our creating a better, greener, richer, and more peaceful world. As the 2014 begins, many of us make resolutions of things we want to do (or not do!) this year. Our memories can transform life's moments from disconnected dots into a ray, a trajectory anchored by birth at one end. What is the trajectory of your life, i.e., toward what (or whom) is your life aimed? In other words, what is your spiritual anamnesis? George Clifford is an ethicist and Priest Associate at the Church of the Nativity, Raleigh, NC. He retired from the Navy after serving as a chaplain for twenty-four years, has written “Charting a Theological Confluence: Theology and Interfaith Relations” and “Forging Swords into Plows: A TwentyFirst Century Christian Perspective on War,” and blogs at Ethical Musings. This article first appeared on Episcopal Cafe’s Daily Episcopalian here: :http:// www.episcopalcafe.com/
Lent Resource continued from page 3 The series begins on March 5th with three short videos introducing John as the Gospel of Love and explaining their intentions and hopes for the series. After the introductory videos, the series explores five themes, which the Brothers find in John’s Gospel and in their lives: Revelation, Invitation, Participation, Collaboration and Vocation. Each Sunday there will be a video reflecting on the theme for that week, which will then be explored in five short daily videos (M-F) and in the worksheet that accompanies them. Each video ends with a thoughtprovoking question to be pondered over the course of the day, then answered on the worksheet or at www.SSJE.org/lovelife. On Saturday there will be a catch-up video with that week’s videos replayed together. More information is available at www.SSJE.org/lovelife. Resources for group and church leaders and educators are available at www.SSJE.org/loveliferesources.
FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE
Summer Camp is Young Adult Ministry, Too by The Rev’d Martha Korienek
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his past summer I had the joy of being the Spiritual Director for Camp Chicago, the summer camp for the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. My job description was three-fold: make sure that there is worship offered daily, work with the volunteer clergy to offer formation experiences, and be the chaplain to the staff. It was in this last role (as chaplain) that I heard repeatedly that camp matters a great deal to the staff, most of whom were young adults; camp was one of the few places where they could benefit from being in Christian community with their peers, since their experience is that communities of young adults are few and far between in the Episcopal Church. Nate (a staff member) put it this way: “Just being in a really Christian community, in a camp community, where you’re safe, it makes it really easy to see your own gifts and to see gifts in others, which is also very important as a Christian— seeing Christ in other people and seeing gifts in other people.” This is the church at its best—a place where people grow closer to God and others, and through that, grow into the person they were created to be. The young adults who staff summer camps are drawn to this kind of church, where people seek and serve Christ in one another. These staff members loved their ministries (being a counselor, teaching archery, etc.) but were also at camp because of what camp offered them: quality young adult ministry. They had a chance to “be church” with people who were more or less at a similar place in their discernment of what God is calling them to do with their lives. And so, they had access to countless conversations about calling and purpose, something for which they had been longing. Reflecting back on these conversations, one staff member, Anna, told me, “I believe the staff saw gifts or talents in me that I had not yet discovered and they did everything to help me grow and realize the potential I had.” For Anna, similar to Nate, being in Christian community had a direct impact on her self-understanding, especially when considering what Spirit-given gifts they might have, and
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how they can use these to become the person God has created them to be. And for Anna, who is not a regular church attendee, staffing at Camp Chicago was her only opportunity to explore these questions. And following a trend of other camps (thank you Camp Wright and Camp Stronghold for this idea!), we ended each week with a Bible study that helped the staff to see where God had been at work the previous week. Heather (a staff member) shared with me how our Bible study on Galatians 5:22-23 affected her: “When it came to actually communicating with God, building my own relationship, I felt that was hard because God wasn’t something that I could see… especially this year at camp we did a lot of ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ and took time to recognize where we saw God—the Holy Spirit working throughout camp, and that was helpful for me to take a step back and be like, ‘God is here.’” In conversations that I had with them after camp, they all said that this simple Bible study was a spiritually enriching experience, and helped them to connect their personal efforts with God’s building of the kingdom, which is a connection that they’ve hopefully learned to see in the rest of their lives. Let me be clear: these young adults were not at camp for self-serving purposes. They were dedicated to their ministry at camp, whatever it might be. And it was this combination of discerning gifts in community, as well as serving others, that really made camp an experience to grow closer to God through understanding better who God is calling them to be. Nate shared that serving at camp was crucial to his understanding of himself as a follower of Jesus: “Even though you’re in a place where everyone is loving, everyone is supportive, there’s no judgment, you’re still feeling yourself pushed to be a better person by the community…no one is pressuring you, other than yourself. You really feel an innate desire to serve as Christ for these kids.” And not only did these young adults desire to serve as Christ served, they also had multiple opportunities to serve other people, all of which they accepted and did with grace. Since this group of young adults had this kind of desire to serve others, they were grateful for the chance to do this at camp. As their chaplain, I learned a lot about Christ by witnessing the way they tried to be Christ-like in their service to others.
Throughout the Episcopal Church, summer camp has a strong tradition of being an excellent ministry for the campers (usually children and youth). Through the reflections of members of the Camp Chicago 2013 staff, it is clear that church camp is a critical ministry of the Episcopal Church, not just for the campers, but also for the young adults who staff the camp, so that they can grow in their faith and vocation, and fulfill their ministry in the church for the building of the kingdom and to the glory of God. After witnessing the transformation that took place in the lives of the staff members this summer through their intentional conversations about vocation with their peers, their considering what Scripture means in their individual and communal lives, and the ways that they lived out their Christian calling, I wonder: is it possible for the diocesan summer camps throughout the Episcopal Church to also develop a tradition of being an excellent ministry for the young adults who staff it? The Rev’d Martha Korienek is the Associate Rector at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Burlingame, CA, as well as part-time M.A. student at Virginia Theological Seminary, with a focus on ministry with young adults. She was formerly Canon Haynes’ Associate here at Saint Michael & All Angels. [This article first appeared on Episcopal Cafe’s Daily Episcopalian here: :http:// www.episcopalcafe.com/]
* * * SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE SUPPER: Celebrate Fat Tuesday on March 4th from 6 to 7pm in All Angels Court,with a pancake supper presented by the Evangelism Commission! If you want a night off from cooking and dishwashing, are looking for a datenight with the kids or grandkids, or simply need a place to practice your pancake flipping skills then this evening is for you!
* * * PHONE TREE MINISTRY: NEW MEMBERS NEEDED. Our goal is to contact every parishioner by phone once a month.This is a great opportunity to get to know others better and to share information, needs and suggestions about Saint Mike's. Please contact Ruth Poole at 949.644.9263.
FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE
Canterbury Cathedral to host first-ever girls’ choir [Religion News Service -Canterbury, England] Canterbury Cathedral, mother church of the 85 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion, will have its first girls’ choir perform since it was rebuilt nearly 1,000 years ago. On Jan. 25, worshippers will hear the voices of 16 girls between the ages of 12 and 16 at a historic Evensong service, which will include the music of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. Until now, only male voices have been heard at the cathedral’s services. Twenty years ago, Salisbury Cathedral was the first English cathedral to allow girls to sing in choirs at services. That set the ball rolling. There are now 765 girls in cathedral choirs across England, compared with 1,008 boys. Winchester Cathedral formed a girls’ choir in 1998, and Choirs Administrator Sue Armstrong said it is extremely popular.
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The cathedral is world-famous for its magnificent boys’ choir, which has made many recordings and toured most of Europe and parts of the Commonwealth. “I am delighted to hear that the mother church of the Anglican Communion is finally following suit,” said Armstrong. The formation of the girls’ choir at Canterbury comes as fewer boys show much interest in singing in church choirs. “What we need is a film that does for choral singing what ‘Billy Elliot’ did for ballet,” wrote Alan Titchmarsh, a former choirboy, in The Daily Telegraph. Some Church of England traditionalists insist choirs in cathedrals should be all male. The website of the Campaign for the Traditional Cathedral Choir insists it is not anti-girl but adds “ … cathedrals [that] use girls should take the opportunity of creating their own style, their own tradition separate from the historic all-male.” The CTCC was formed in January
1996 in response to the decline of the robed, all-male choir and the declining number of boy choristers nationwide. Its aim is to champion the ancient tradition of the all-male choir. In medieval days, all-girl choirs flourished in convents. Italian composers Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Claudio Monteverdi wrote for them. But those choirs never sang with men at church services, and CTCC would like to keep it that way. “At Winchester Cathedral, girls and boys sing together at Easter and Christmas,” said Armstrong. “We haven’t received any complaints yet.”
FOR THE LLO OVE OF MIKE Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church A Christian Community of the Anglican Communion 3233 Pacific View Drive Corona del Mar, CA 92625
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Inside the February Issue: Page 1: Epiphany-- What’s it mean? Page 4: One Hour a Day Page 7: Summer Camp with Martha
47th Annual Parish Meeting February 2nd, 11:30am, All Angels Court