March Epistle 2009

S T P AUL ’ S E PISCOPAL C HURCH † M ARCH 2009

T HE E PISTLE L ENT “T HEREFORE , SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES , L ET US ALSO LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT , AND SIN WHICH CLINGS SO CLOSELY , A ND LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US …” H EBREWS 12:1 Entering St. Paul’s Church, we are confronted with what the Epistle to the Hebrews calls, “a great cloud of witnesses.” The historical marker itself is a listing of some of the witnesses: Richard Wilmer, James Ticknor, Robert Philpot, Joseph Johnson, Joseph Hardee, John Forney, Catesby Jones, Henry Jackson, John Murray, Robert Barnwell, Clara Weaver Parrish, and Jonathan Daniels. Go inside and you are confronted by more of these witnesses. Chapter 11 of the Epistle to the Hebrews is a long listing of heroes of the Old Testament. It begins with Abel and concludes with Rahab. Then in almost an afterthought, the writer lists others who persisted in the midst of difficulty. These listings of names are memorials to them, but represent more than just a tribute. Their names encourage us to “keep the faith.” Each of these saints

encountered real difficulties and some lost their lives in the struggles in which they were engaged. We do not need to forget them and we should not forget their stories. Too many stories are lost because they are not retold and they are not written to preserve them for later generations. Who

are these people that are memorialized on the historical marker? Who are these people who are named on stained glass windows and listed on plaques at St. Paul’s Church? Knowing their stories can help us in our journey and encourage us when we face difficulty. Hebrews 12 makes clear that this is no listing of dead people, but ones who are alive. They are living wit-

nesses who watch and encourage us in our journey. Imagine if you will, that each decision is made with these saints looking down upon us. They are encouraging us to be faithful in our own generation. Do not see them as bound by the cultural limitations which they endured during their life times. The prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church prays that the departed may continually grow in God’s love and service. It also prays for us to follow the good example of all God’s saints that with them “we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom.” In these difficult days, these are ways for us to find encouragement. Ash Wednesday, February 25 will begin Lent. Let us look to “the great cloud of witnesses” and renew our commitment to run the race of life with renewed integrity.

Jim+

L ENTEN O FFERINGS •

Enquirer’s Classes

•

Evening Prayer

•

Lenten Lunches

•

Morning Prayer

•

Stations of the Cross

•

Meditation Book

I NSIDE THIS ISSUE :

S ENIOR W ARDEN ’ S M ISSIVE

2

D EACON ’ S B ENCH

2

L ENTEN NITIES

O PPURTU- 3

M USIC N OTES

3

K ID ’ S P AGE

4

F INDING N EMO

5

Papa Joe’s Journey

6

C ALENDAR

7

T HE E PISTLE

P AGE 2

S ENIOR W ARDEN ’ S M ISSIVE Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen BCP p. 818

I am happy to report that after several meetings the Vestry has selected the search committee. It was not an easy task to select a committee, as so many good names were considered.

The self-study subcommittee will do a survey of the parish, seeking everyone’s input as to each parishioner’s assessment of where we are and where you want us to go. After the survey is complete, the selfThe other good news is that all study group will put together a who were nominated have parish profile for our own use agreed to serve! We are all and to be distributed to potengrateful to them for their comtial candidates. mitment and we must keep them in our prayers as they go Those serving on the Self-study about their important tasks. committee are: Harry Gamble, Grace Hobbs, Mike SexThe overall Chairperson of the ton, Roberta Leach, Nancy committee is Harry Gamble. Bennett, Miller Childers, Patty He will be assisted by two vesDeBardeleben, Nancy Johntry persons, namely Grace son, Gerald Mange, and Miller Hobbs and Mike Sexton. Childers. Those three persons, along with Roberta Leach, will serve Following the completion of on both of the two subcommit- the parish profile, the discerntees, self-study and discernment subcommittee will rement. view and screen names re-

ceived from the Diocesan office. They will then interview certain candidates, travel to their home parish and select some to visit St. Paul’s for further discussion and association. Finally they will then recommend a name to the Vestry. The discernment committee includes: Harry Gamble, Grace Hobbs, Mike Sexton, Roberta Leach, Catesby ap R Jones, Lynn Kendall, A. C. Reeves, Manera Searcy, Jim Truax, and Becky (Mrs. Lee) Youngblood. Please keep these people and our search process in your prayers.

Bill

D EACON ’ S B ENCH WHAT ARE YOU each year. DOING FOR THE • We work to prevent malaria through the Nets for Life WORLD???

stoves to prevent water-borne illnesses and acute respiratory infections, and provide training in their use and maintenance.

program partnership by distrib-

Episcopal Relief & Development saves lives, promoting good health and fighting preventable diseases that kill millions of people

uting long-lasting insecticidetreated nets and educating communities in prevention and treatment methods.

•

We educate new mem-

bers on sanitation and hygiene practices, nutrition, maternal and child health and basice first aid.

•

We train clergy, educa-

tors, youth leaders and community health workers to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and

Joanie

provide care to those affected by the disease.

•

We build wells, latrines,

water stations and smokeless

(If you would like to learn more about reaching out to the needs of the world through ERD, talk to your deacon.)

L ENT

P AGE 3

L ENTEN O PPURTUNITIES Lent is the forty day liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the desert where he was tempted by Satan. Those forty days begin on Ash Wednesday and end on Holy Saturday. However, the six Sundays in Lent are not counted as they represent “miniEasters”, a celebration of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through practices of prayer, penitence, selfdenial, alms-giving and discipline as we approach Holy Week and Easter. St Paul’s has a number of offerings to enrich your Lenten disciplines or practice of prayer. On Tuesday evenings we will offer Evening Prayer at 6pm. Wednesdays bring Lenten

lunches with the Rev. Dr. Barry Vaughn. Thursday mornings join Nancy Bennett for Morning Prayer at 8am. Friday afternoons at 5:30pm, walk the Stations of the Cross with Liz Taylor and Barbara Pritchard. You should also have received a Lenten Meditation Book in the mail. These meditations were written by parishioners and edited and published by Grace Hobbs and Nancy Bennett. They follow the Daily Office Year One and are a great discipline to undertake during this time. There are changes around the physical space of the church as well. You might notice that the hangings on the lectern and pulpit as well as the cloth on the altar have been replaced with burlap. All the beautiful brass candlesticks have

been removed and replaced with wrought iron. The cross is now made of wood. The church practices a period of self-denial by not using the “A” word, Alleluia during the season (even on Sundays). And by observing certain fast days such as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Even the clergy dress a little differently replacing their brightly colored chasuble and stole with one made of burlap to match the altar cloth and hangings. Whatever way you observe Lent it is important to remember that this season of grief ends with the great celebration of Easter. And because of this is often referred to as the season of “Bright Sadness” in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

M USIC N OTES I love this scripture. I learned it along with the rest of the chapter and used to say it to myself as I was out walking. The writer of this passage had a knack of making great analogies to make things abundantly clear. Carrying a heavy weight

while walking is something many of us do to maximize workouts, but if you were training for a marathon, you would find it counterproductive. The same goes for our Christian walk. Sin is a cumbersome weight that is in direct opposition to getting us to our goal: closeness with Jesus.

God won’t do everything for us; He expects us to do some “throwing off” as an act of obedience, so as Nike says, “just do it”! In Christ,

Patti

He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Mark 1: 13

P AGE 4

J

T HE E PISTLE

t s u

Esther

r o F Find-A-Word P S M Z P P N U P E S E Y O U L H V I Z Q X W A R R L J D W P R O V I D E N C E Q E L C M P E S T U Z X H A M O N C N W G I I W D K K D A C Q R E H T S E N K I

Esther

Mordecai

Purim

Hamon

Providence Xerxes

Esther was a beautiful, young girl who becomes queen and by using her gifts and talents saves her people. Esther is a story in the Old Testament, though it sounds a lot like a Disney story with a common girl who marries her prince and an evil villain who tries to destroy her family. But this is no Disney story, instead it is a story of learning about who we are as God’s people and how we must take a risk in order that God can act through us. She is taught these principles by her cousin, Mordecai, and when the evil Hamon threatens to kill all the Jews, Esther risks her own life to go before the king and saves her people.

Find out more about Esther at the Rotation Rodeo each Sunday morning at 9:10am

L ENT

P AGE 5

S T P AUL ’ S M EMORIAL H ISTORY W INDOW

Got a Historic St Paul’s Ancestor? ~ St Paul’s Memorial History Window Contact James Hammonds 412-3131 for details

T HOSE

ALREADY MEMORIALIZED INCLUDE :

T HE R T R EV R OBERT W B ARNWELL

Or just tell Joyce you are interested OR

Want to honor a famous Rector or Parishioner?

W ILLIAM J OSEPH H ARDEE

Like Captain Jones The Reverend Edward Gamble Governor John Forney Johnson

T HE R T R EV J OHN G M URRAY

Clara Weaver Parrish General John Forney The Reverend Ellison Capers

T HE R T R EV L EONIDAS P OLK J OSEPH E J OHNSTON

The cost is $500. To view the window, look in the Lower Hall Kitchen.

F INDING N EMO This year, the PB&J Club has spent a great deal of time under the sea, searching for Nemo and learning about how God has worked through some of our favorite characters in the Bible.

During our time together, we watch a clip from the movie “Finding Nemo” and met a character from the Bible who shares a water-related experience with us. In January, we met Moses’ mom and learned about her faith and courage as she hid her baby boy in a basket in the bulrushes next to the Nile River in order to save him. In February, Noah came for a visit, fresh from the belly of the whale. He was very concerned that we might be from Ninevah and encouraged us several times to watch out for

whales! Noah shared his tale of being swallowed by the whale because he tried to run away from God and did not want to do what God asked of him. If you would like to help out as a Bible character, please contact Candice. We are always in need of those who would be willing to come and play with us the second Monday of every month.

T HE E PISTLE

P AGE 6

P APA J OE ’ S J OURNEY

Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us. So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won’t let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. Hebrews 12:1 Contemporary English Version

It appears to me that Paul must at some time in his youth been a runner. Perhaps he may even have competed in some kind of ancient sports games - similar to the Olympics - because he often refers to our journey in faith as a “race.” (I Corinthians 9:24, II Timothy 4:07 and Hebrews 12:1) Cer-

tainly Paul was aware that all runners must not carry any additional weight if one was to endure, to run the race well. Therefore Paul encourages Christians to divest ourselves of any “weight” or “sin” that may cause us not to finish the race or to run the race well.

drinking to excess, using vulgarity, and sexual immorality to name a few. This shallow and erroneous concept allows us the freedom to pick and choose the things in life which are socially unacceptable as sin and prevents us from recognizing and addressing those sins in our own lives. For instance, let us look at Romans 2:18-27, the centerpiece of much conflict in the Church today. If we are serious about sin, let us continue to read “the rest of the story” in verses 2:28-32. These verses don’t target just a few of us; they include all of us. We are included to some extent in the following: “Since these people refused to think about God, he let their unclean minds rule over them. That’s why they do all sorts of indecent things. They are evil, wicked, and greedy, as well as mean in every possible way. They want what others have, and they murder, argue, cheat, and are hard to get along with. They gossip, say cruel things about others and hate God.”

The question for us is: “What weight or sin is there in our lives that hinder us in our “journey in faith?” It is unfortunate that many Christians have reduced the term “sin” to HELLO!!! I know that I, mean only those areas in life along with all the Apostles, that are easily recognized -

Disciples, Bishops, Priests, and Parishioners, are also guilty of a few if not many of this same description. And it is because Paul was also guilty of many of these same sins that he writes in Romans 7:18-24: “I know that my selfish desires won’t let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot. Instead of doing what is right, I do wrong. And so, if I don’t do what I know is right, I am no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them. The law has shown me that something in me keeps me from what I know is right. With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God. But in every part of me, I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.” Our Lord has given us one commandment - to love one another, even as He has loved us.

Papa Joe+

L ENT

P AGE 7

S CHEDULE

OF

M ARCH 2009

E VENTS

•

1st Ultreya 6pm

•

1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th Enquirer’s Classes 4pm

•

1st, 8th, 15th, 29th EYC 5-7pm

•

2nd Daughters of the King 6:15pm

•

3rd Staff Meeting 3:30pm

•

3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st Evening Prayer 6pm

•

4th, 11th, 18th, 25th Choir 6pm

•

4th, 11th, 18th, 25th Lenten Lunches

•

5th, 12th, 19th, 26th Morning Prayer 8am

•

6th-8th Happening #54

•

6th, 13th, 20th, 27th Stations of the Cross 5:30pm

•

9th Peanut Butter & Jelly Club 3:30pm

•

11th Cedar Hill Holy Eucharist

•

12th-15th Cursillo #166

•

15th Epistle Deadline

•

17th Vestry 5:30pm

•

28th PLTE

Make plans now to join The Right Rev Henry Parsley and his wife Becky along with all your favorite St Paul’s parishioners for Easter Lunch in Parker Hall. Call Joyce and make your reservations today!

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

S T P AUL ’ S E PISCOPAL C HURCH † M ARCH 2009 210 Lauderdale Street P O Box 1306 Selma, AL 36702-1306 Phone: (334) 874-8421 Fax: (334) 875-7457 www.stpaulsselma.dioala.org The Rev Jim Elliot - [email protected] The Rev Joe Knight - [email protected] Joyce Dawson - [email protected] Joanie Hammonds - [email protected] Candice Frazer - [email protected] Miriam or Patti - [email protected]

Lenten Lunches Parker Hall Wednesdays at Noon Featuring: The Rev. Dr. Barry Vaughn Light lunches provided by: (Donations Accepted)

March 4 ~ Daughters of the King March 11 ~ ECW March 18 ~ Cursillo March 25 ~ Choir April 1 ~ Vestry