TIDINGS FLASH WHITE OUT One day last week there was a five minute snow squall that briefly caused a white-out. The wind was blowing the snow sideways, turning what had been a sunny morning into a wilderness of white. The snow was falling so fast it was nearly blinding. Spiritually, Lent is like a wilderness white-out. Visibility is blocked. There is nothing for it but to trust God. In the Bible we hear of wilderness stories – periods of time when it is hard to see our way forward. There is Jesus being tempted, the Israelites wandering, hungry, and thirsting. Lent is like a white-out that breaks into an otherwise sunny life. We find ourselves surprised and disoriented. What finally gives us our bearings is trust in God who can see beyond the squalls that disrupt our lives to where the sun shines again. The positive aspect to Lent and those wilderness times in which we find ourselves, is the recognition of our limits and the God for whom wisdom has no limit. Lent is a time for faith that orients us and hope that beyond the blinding wilderness of white, there is a future of light which will make things clear.—Cliff
Reflections & Recipes To Observe a Holy Lent Copies available in the church office VISITING YOUTH CHOIRS THIS SUNDAY MARCH 4, 2012 Saint Paul's will host two visiting youth choirs from the Washington D.C. area. Coming from Church of the Redeemer in Bethesda, MD and Christ Church in Alexandria, VA, both choirs use the same Royal School of Church Music Training program in use here at Saint Paul's. The two choirs are under the direction of M. Jason Abel (Christ Church, Alexandria) and Tom Smith (Redeemer, Bethesda) and will combine with the choirs of Saint Paul's Church to sing our choral services on Sunday March 4th. At the 10:30 a.m. Eucharist, the visiting choirs will join with our choristers and adult choir to offer music by Parry and Elgar. With all of the choirs together, there will be over 80 singers this Sunday (roughly 40 of them being children)! Later on in the afternoon of the 4th, all of the youth will return to offer a 5 p.m. service of Choral Evensong for treble voices only. The combined choirs will offer music by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Paul Boumann, and Malcolm Archer which will be a unique service that will surely be a highlight of this year's series.
CREATING SPACE FOR CELEBRATION The second all-parish meeting concerning the configuration of worship space in the church took place on February 13. The first was held on October 5. We are obviously taking our time and want to have comments from all our parishioners. The February 13 meeting suggested leaving the font in the baptistery and with the open space congregants can gather there to witness the baptisms that take place during our worship. The open space at back of the church can include a labyrinth based upon the church’s rose window design. With the fast pace of today’s society and accompanied stress, walking a labyrinth can slow us down so that we walk in rhythm with our breath. This allows us to be more effective in other parts of our lives. Labyrinths have been in churches for 800 years. At the front of the church there have been occasions when the altar has needed to be moved so far forward that it almost falls down the steps! When the altar is not in its forward position, the music director and the deacon are often eye-to -eye, one conducting while the other prepares the altar for communion. The February 13 meeting also suggested pews at the front and not chairs. The platform on which the altar would stand has been reduced in size to the width of the stairs; and instead of being the height of the chancel the platform height comes up to the second step. The platform extends the chancel and will have a surface of slate and sandstone to match what is in the chancel. Pictures can be found on the Dixon House Bulletin board. You may go on the website to let us know what you think. We are taking a lot of time to listen.—Cliff
NEWCOMERS RECEPTION AT RECTORY
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A newcomers reception will be held ―under the big-top‖ on the front lawn of the rectory 18 E. Chestnut Hill Ave. on Sunday, March 18 at 4 p.m.. Ministry chairpersons and Vestry members will be present to welcome those who are new to Saint Paul’s. There will be refreshments and plenty of good fellowship. All are welcome.
LENTEN HOUSE CHURCHES Christians in the Early Church developed a practice of meeting in individual homes to pray, read scripture and to break bread. As Carroll Sheppard noted in her sermon on Ash Wednesday that Lent is an opening of the door to Easter, we are encouraging parishioners to open their doors to other parishioners for an opportunity use the Early Church model of meeting at homes to pray, study scripture and break bread as our Lenten discipline. Please join us on March 6 at the home of Cathy & Gary Glazer,7705 Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia, 19118 at 7p.m. For further information and questions, contact Manny @ 215-242-2055
FRIDAY NIGHT BIBLE Meet in the Parish Hall on Friday, March 16 at 7 p.m. There will be childcare. The Bible study looks at scripture thematically. All questions are welcome. No prior Bible study experience is necessary. Refreshments include beer, wine, cider and soda plus home-baked goodies. All are welcome.
ANDRÉ AND FRIENDS OFFER POETRY AND MUSIC André Saunders will read his poetry with guitar accompaniment in the Dixon House on Sunday, March 11 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Andre Saunders is a music artist/ poet. Through his work he tries to capture the inner feelings and emotions of his audience. Knowing how powerful words can be, he uses them wisely as he reflects on honest moments of his life while also trying to be a positive influence to others. Through his words he touches on topics such as love, life, pain and joy among other things. His storytelling and honest approach has been successful as he continues to further progress as an artist. Andre is a member of St. Paul's church and is grateful to be able to display his talents to each of you.
Congratulations National Merit Scholar Maggie Olson
YOUNG ADULTS MINISTRIES: A couple of weeks ago, several of the young professionals met at Caffett for our first brunch meeting. It was such a great experience to see all the wonderful people who are part of the Saint Paul’s community enjoying each others company. The Saint Paul’s Young Professional Ministry is a tailored to serve the interest of young professionals which meet once-amonth for anything from brunch, to beer and other service projects. I invite all those who are young professionals and want to stay connected within the Saint Paul’s family and beyond to consider joining us for our next activity on March 23. For further information and questions about this ministry, please contact Manny @215-242-2055. 2
FAITH FORUM
FIFTH DIOCESAN VESTRY SYMPOSIUM
On Sunday mornings, a good number of parishioners gather in the Dixon House for Faith Forum. We just completed the Epiphany series of the Faith Forum where we discussed Free of Charge, a book by Miroslav Volf. The incredible nature of the book and the questions that it raised for us helped the participants to evaluate the response towards forgiveness and giving in general. According to Volf, forgiving is possible, if we know how to give. In other words, our ability to forgive depends on our attitude towards forgiving those who wrong us in anyway. Having thus completed the book, we are now delving into Paul’s Letter to the Romans for our Lenten series. Like the Epiphany series, this promises to be a little more challenging but fascinating. If you have not been to anyone Faith Forum, I encourage you to join us for a wonderful journey through the Book of Romans. For further information and questions, please contact Manny @ 215-242-2055
The fifth Diocesan Symposium will take place at Saint Paul’s on Saturday, March 17 from 8:30 a.m.– 12:30 p.m.. Congregational leaders from around the diocese will gather. This is a perfect opportunity for new vestry members and veterans alike to explore the role and ministry of the vestry—how this ministry can be fruitful for God and for God’s church.
IHN GUESTS WILL ARRIVE ON SUNDAY APRIL 29 – MAY 13, 2012 We are excited to host Northwest Interfaith Hospitality Network Guests into our newly painted space in the Crypt. Host a meal and provide companionship after dinner:. Volunteers are welcome and encouraged to bring their own families and an after-dinner activity for the children. Books, games, and art projects are well received. Please call the church office. 215.242.2055 http://www.philashelter.org/volunteer The schedule is as follows:
Arrive by 6 p.m. Prepare (heat up) dinner. Guests can also prepare food, set table, and serve dinner. Give 10-minute call to guests. Remind children to wash their hands. Eat dinner from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.. Join the guests eating. Parents serve their children. Hosts help parents keep children at the table. Set aside portions for latecomers. Supervise dishwashing and kitchen cleanup, which is done by the guests. Children should be in bed by 9 p.m.
―When I first came here, I was lost. Now I know that there are people in this world who have a heart and do things to help without getting anything in return. You bring your family and your children to play with my child. You treat us like your friends or family, not like somebody strange.‖ – Euscaris, Former Guest
The Rev. Tom Pumphrey, Associate Rector at St. David’s, Wayne, will draw on his studies of vestries and years of experience both as a lay vestry member and a parish priest. Tom will address important elements of effective vestries, such as transparent relationships, mutual accountability, and effective meeting norms—so that vestries carry out their ministries well. In addition there will be presentations on Audits, Parochial Reports, Property Maintenance, Healthcare, Demographic Resources for Church Growth, as well as presentations on Strategic Planning by the Rev. Paul Mottl and one on Finance by Jay Einspanier, Administrator for Church of the Redeemer, Bryn Mawr. To register online go http://www.diopa.org/news/ topics/diocese/fifth-diocesan-vestry-symposium/, or contact J.D. Lafrance at jdlafrance@diopa.org or call 215627-6434 ext. 151
SAINT PAUL’S BEVERLY GAST,
will present her recently published book, Angel in Black, Sunday evening, March 11th at 5.p.m.. Beverly’s story is of her sister, Elaine Shaffer, who was the only woman concert flutist in the world when she died at age 47. William Kincaid of the Philadelphia Orchestra and The Curtis Institute of Music was Elaine’s first and only flute teacher. A stunning career in too few years called her to perform in concert venues across the globe. You will hear some of her music played as well as striking tales of an artist’s life. Book sales will benefit The Choir School under Zach Hemenway here at Saint Paul’s.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR SHROVE TUESDAY Lent is a period where we reconnect with our own humanity and seek the face of the One who constantly reaches out to us. Joe Fafara and daughter Jasmine came up with wonderful questions from history, geography and pop culture to make this a wonderful and lively evening. Our deepest appreciation to all those who worked very hard to make this happen. We thank you for your support and for sharing your talent and treasure with the Saint Paul’s family.— Manny & Cliff 3
FIVE FRIDAYS PIFFARO TO PERFORM AT SAINT PAUL’S ON MARCH 9TH The fourth concert in the FIVE FRIDAYS benefit concert series will take place on Friday March 9 at 7:30 p.m. A delightful program entitled Follow the Pipers will introduce Piffaro: The Renaissance Band and its many different instruments. This hour-long performance features secular and sacred pieces, dances and arrangements of popular tunes from 16th century Europe, interspersed with engaging commentary about the music, the time period and the instruments. World-renowned for its highly polished performances as the pied-pipers of Early Music, Piffaro, The Renaissance Band has delighted audiences throughout the United States, Europe, Canada and South America. The ensemble, founded in 1980, recreates the elegant sounds of the official, professional wind bands of the late Medieval and Renaissance periods, as well as the rustic music of the peasantry. Piffaro’s ever-expanding collection of shawms, sackbuts, dulcians, recorders, krumhorns, bagpipes, lutes, guitars, harps, and a variety of percussion, are careful reconstructions of instruments from the period. Under the direction of Joan Kimball and Bob Wiemken, Piffaro tours extensively in the United States and Europe, and has performed for all the major early music series and festivals, as well as many college and community series, in the US. The ensemble made its European debut at Tage Alter Musik in Regensburg, Germany in 1993, and has returned to Europe each season for numerous festival appearances. In addition, the Band produces its own concert series in Philadelphia, with four to five programs per year, bringing to their series some of the finest talents in early music performance as their guests. Excerpts from these concerts are regularly broadcast nationwide on National Public Radio’s Performance Today. The FIVE FRIDAYS concert series is planned as a community benefit to local organizations serving the hungry and the homeless. All proceeds from the series will be directed towards Face to Face Germantown, The Interfaith Hospitality Network, and the Chorister Program at Saint Paul’s. Each concert is followed by a reception at which guests may greet the artists. Tickets $25 ($15 students and seniors). More information, directions, and online tickets at www.fivefridays.org or by calling 215-242-2055 x 35. CLERGY The Very Rev. E. Clifford Cutler Rector The Rev. Emmanuel Mercer Assistant Rector The Rev. Robert M. Davidson Deacon
215-242-2055 ext. 28 ccutler@stpaulschestnuthill.org ext. 24 emercer@stpaulschestnuthill.org 215.480.4732 Rob@4suns.com
STAFF Zachary D. Hemenway Director of Music and Organist Virginia A. Emlen Administrative Assistant Ian Howell Communications Coordinator Caroline J. Robinson Organ Scholar Karen Richter Music and Office Assistant Kalil Swinson Parish Bookkeeper Sonam Dhawo, Sexton
ext. 35 zhemenway@stpaulschestnuthill.org ext. 25 vemlen@stpaulschestnuthill.org ihowell@stpaulschestnuthill.org crobinson@stpaulschestnuthill.org krichter@stpaulschestnuthill.org ext. 27 accountant@stpaulschestnuthill.org Dolma Dhawo, Custodian
VESTRY Dale Lower, Rector’s Warden; Sarah Heckscher, Parishioners’ Warden; Pam Prior, Accounting Warden; Linda Boggs, Secretary; Stephen Camp-Landis, Mark Duckett, Betsy Evans, Rod Gagne, Steve Heimann, Alix Jones, Tracy Piatkowski, Jake Roak, Allison Romig, Paul Sehnert, Arthur Stokes, Jill Wemple