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