Christian Formation ..............p.2 Music.....................................p.3 Youth Events .........................p.2 Outreach, ..............................p.2 Calendar ........................(insert) Thoughts from the Rector ....p. 1 May Highlights ...................p. 8 Young at Arts ........................ p.4 May our story together bring life and love to many. Faithfully, The Rev. Michael A. Bird, Rector To Contact us: Dear Friends –
At a Glance Christian Formation .............. p.2 Music..................................... p.3 Youth Events ......................... p.2 Outreach, .............................. p.2 Calendar ........................ (insert) Thoughts from the Rector .... p. 1 May Highlights ................... p. 8 Young at Arts ........................ p.4 To Contact us: 914.337.3544 Monday-Thursday 9 AM to 3 PM www.ccbny.org A Newsletter by and for the people of Christ Church Bronxville Dear Friends – Last week I realized that you have said goodbye to 4 priests in the last 3 years – a Rector, an Interim, and two Curates/Assistants. That is a significant amount of transition in a condensed period of time. This change is even more unsettling when we look to the Church as a place of permanence in our lives, as stable as the rocks with which it is built. How do we reclaim that stability in the face of all of this transition? Let me begin my apologizing for not recognizing this reality sooner. Although I have only experienced my own transition, and now Daniel’s exciting move to Wilkes Barre, I should have put it all together much earlier. So what do we do? As Christians, we have a long-standing tradition of finding stability during times of change in the permanence of our story – the story of a life lived out in community, the story that reminds us again and again that we are loved and are called to share that love with our lives. This Spire is filled with the beauty and permanence of that story. We recognize God’s love in the celebration of Easter, in the acting out of the Biblical tales of heroes, heroines and beasts, in the excited exclamation of “Bingo”, in saying “Never again” at the Holocaust Commemoration, in sharing meals together in each other’s homes. Our story continues with Communion Sunday on May 14, Confirmation and Bishop Sisk’s Visitation on the 21st, with the beautiful music created by our choirs and the American Boychoir, and the Charis Chamber Voices. Our story yearns to be lived out in new and wonderful ways, and in each moment of the story we find our permanence and truth in God’s selfless love for us. That no matter what life brings, our story is not told in isolation, but in the context of a loving and caring community. Please enjoy what is on offer here, and if you want to see even more pictures, or these pictures in color, please visit our website – www.ccbny.org. And if you have suggestions for new ways and new opportunities for us to come together, please let us know! May our story together bring life and love to many. Faithfully, The Rev. Michael A. Bird, Rector
Transcript
At a Glance
Christian Formation ..............p.2
Music.....................................p.3
Youth Events .........................p.2
Outreach, ..............................p.2
Calendar ........................ (insert)
Thoughts from the Rector .... p. 1
May Highlights ................... p. 8
Young at Arts ........................ p.4
To Contact us:
914.337.3544Monday-Thursday 9 AM to 3 PMwww.ccbny.org
A Newsletter by and for the people of Christ Church Bronxville
Dear Friends –
Last week I realized that you have said goodbye to 4 priests in the last 3 years – a Rector, an Interim, and two Curates/Assistants. That is a significant amount of transition in a condensed period of time. This change is even more unsettling when we look to the Church as a place of permanence in our lives, as stable as the rocks with which it is built. How do we reclaim that stability in the face of all of this transition?
Let me begin my apologizing for not recognizing this reality sooner. Although I have only experienced my own transition, and now Daniel’s exciting move to Wilkes Barre, I should have put it all together much earlier. So what do we do?
As Christians, we have a long-standing tradition of finding stability during times of change in the permanence of our story – the story of a life lived out in community, the story that reminds us again and again that we are loved and are called to share that love with our lives.
This Spire is filled with the beauty and permanence of that story. We recognize God’s love in the celebration of Easter, in the acting out of the Biblical tales of heroes, heroines and beasts, in the excited exclamation of “Bingo”,
in saying “Never again” at the Holocaust Commemoration, in sharing meals together in each other’s homes. Our story continues with Communion Sunday on May 14, Confirmation and Bishop Sisk’s Visitation on the 21st, with the beautiful music created by our choirs and the American Boychoir, and the Charis Chamber Voices.
Our story yearns to be lived out in new and wonderful ways, and in each moment of the story we find our permanence and truth in God’s selfless love for us. That no matter what life brings, our story is not told in isolation, but in the context of a loving and caring community.
Please enjoy what is on offer here, and if you want to see even more pictures, or these pictures in color, please visit our website – www.ccbny.org. And if you have suggestions for new ways and new opportunities for us to come together, please let us know!
May our story together bring life and love to many.
Christ Church will operate a night run.Your help is needed in this outreach activ-ity. Below is some information on how you can help.Volunteers :Adult chaperone to go on the run and help in the preparation are needed.Please contact Pg Costa at 914-9614050 or [email protected] Clothing: Here’s what we should collect and have for a typical run:donate gently used and clean clothing. It would be even better if you could purchase some of the items listed at your favorite discount store. Durable pants:Large sizes are preferred, waste sizes between 32 and 40 and above. Blue jeans are preferred over khakis. Mostly men’s sizes needed, but bring few pairs of women’s pants as well.Socks:Tube socks,White or dark. ONLY NEW. Underpants: Jockey style. Sizes 34 through 42. Bring a few pairs of women’s briefs as well. ONLY NEW.Sweatshirts and long-sleeve shirts: Large and extra large. Dark colors pre-ferred. Hooded sweatshirts are especially useful.T-shirts: Medium through extra large. Any color.Hats: Baseball caps.Shoes: Sizes 9 through 12 and above. Lightly worn sneakers or athletic shoes (no spikes), soft-soled shoes and work boots are preferred.Backpacks: Not essential, but coveted by folks on the street.Coats: Ski jackets, parka, outdoor coats large and extra large.Toiletries: If you can add to your shop-ping list the following items: (Travel and/or small sizes only) soap, toothbrush, tooth paste, shampoo, razor [disposable], shaving cream, deodorant, feminine nap-kins.
Please deliver your donation at Christ Church before Friday May 12th so that we’ll have the time to sort them.
-P.G. Costa
Domestic Mission Trip
Father Gunn will return to lead the DMT from June 24 to July 1 We need more adult chaperones, otherwise some children may not be able to go. Please contact Dorothy or Scott Thomas.
May School Calendar
May 14th, 9:45 AM, Communion Sunday
May 21st, No Children’s Chapel, Class for 3-6 year olds in Taylor Hall Confi rmation
May 28th, 9:45 AM, No Sunday School
Pre-K through Grade One May 7, “The Good Shepherd and the Lord’s Supper 1”
May 14, “Ascension”
May 21, Youth Sunday
May 28, Combined Church School Class
Third Grade May 7, Daniel
May 14, Daniel
Fourth Grade May 7, Paul’s Journeys: Part 1
May 14, Paul’s Joureys: Part 2
Fifth and Sixth Grades
May 7, Other religions: Confucianism, Baha’i Faith, Shinto
May 14,Other Christian religions
Nursery
Located on the third fl oor of the Child Center, this resource is staffed by two loving and caring professionals from 9:45 A.M. to noon each Sunday so that parents can take full advantage of the Adult Forum after the 10:00 A.M. service. Parents are also welcome and en-couraged as extra volunteers.
3
Progressive Dinner Appreciation!
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this year’s Progressive Dinner such a lovely evening. We had a glorious cocktail party at the home of Paige and Art Nagle. The hors d’heuvres were delicious and graciously served by Tad and Lee Fa-biaschi (with style) who had volunteered to help with the evening. It was a beautiful night and the Nagles were wonderful hosts to us all.
We then “progressed” off to our various dinner parties. I am so grateful to all our dinner hosts who gave everyone such a good time. They are: Mieka Armstrong, Mary and Chris Behrens, Catherine and Michael Bird, Patty and Andrew Garvey, Margaret and Hershell George, Barbara and “Wink” McKinnon, Paige and Art Nagle, Steve Palfrey and Teresa McRob-erts, Johanna and Jim Redpath, Sarah & Sheldon Reynolds and Karen & Chris Bowen, Letizia and Brian Seirup and Dorothy and Scott Thomas.
We then moved on to the Dessert Party which was given by Betsy and Bill Goodell. Those desserts were simply wonderful and very much appreciated by all. There was a delightful feeling in the air - all due to the warm hospitality of our hosts! Thank You!
As always, I thank my wonderful com-mittee who makes these things happen: Karen Carpenter, Margaret Conaton, Kim-berly Easton, Maria Hayes, Betsy Howard, Tracey Minich, Shruti Philips, Barbara Potgieter, Lea Kelsey, Bea Welch, Nancy Whitney and Letizia Seirup. We all thank all of you who came, supported the event and made it such a special evening.
-Lucie Dean
Music
Tuesday, May 16-7:00 PM American Boychoir Concert
Our own choristers in Voice for Life and Sing ‘n Ring will combine forces with the renowned American Boychoir for an evening of beautiful music. Malcolm Archer’s The Lord’s My Shepherd will be featured on the program, along with standard repertoire from the American Boychoir
Saturday, May 20th-8:00 PM Charis Chamber Voices,
Directed by Susanne PeckAnimal Passion- Celebrating the beauty and soul of our feathered and furried com-panions. Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb will be featured, plus Hindemith’s Six Chansons, Stanford’s The Bluebird, Gibbon’s The Silver Swan, and Barber’s A Monk and His Cat. Sue Anderson, Piano; Christopher Wells, Organ.Tickets $25/ Seniors & Students $20 For Information and reservations, call 914-248-7113 or visit us online at www.CharisVocals.com
Sunday, May 21 Youth Sunday and Confi rmation
Tuesday, May 23 Music Open HouseAll are welcome! Come just to see the choristers rehearse, come to have din-ner with the choirs, come to learn more about the choirs at Christ Church, come to learn about how our choirs function, and PLEASE invite prospective choristers and parents.
Come to any or all: Observe VFL rehearsal: 4:30-5:30PMDinner and Presentation:5:30PMObserve Sing ‘n Ring rehearsal: 6:15-7:30PM
Thursday, May 25 7:00PM Ascension Evensong
Music by The Christ Church Choir, Schola Cantorum, and Voice for Life Trebles.
Thank Yous
A heartfelt “Thank You” to the following parishioners who ushered at the Holocaust Memorial Service on April 27th. I admit to contacting regular ushers and non-usher friends at the very last minute to help welcome community participants to Christ Church for this wonderful service. Particu-lar appreciation to Jane and Joe Kratovil, Mieke Armstong, Ruth Singleton, Brian Firth, Tom Ruhm and Kathy and Mike O’Guin. I also appreciated the numerous phone calls back from people, apologizing that they could not help out at this event. It’s people like these (and all the other times!!) that make me proud and happy to belong to Christ Church. - Karen Sheer Carpenter
Life Line Screening Radiology will be performing a day of preventative health screenings at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, May 25, 2006.
The tests offered include a state of the art ultrasound screening of the carotid arter-ies in the neck (most strokes are linked to plaque build-up in these arteries), another ultrasound screening of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (ruptured AAA’s have a 85-94% mortality rate and present little or no signs), a third test which screens for plaque build-up in the arteries of the legs (a strong indicator of coronary heart dis-ease) and a fourth bone density test which screens for signs of osteoporosis.
“Why not just go to my doctor for these tests?” you may ask. The answer, al-though surprising, is that your physician typically cannot order these tests without clear evidence of symptoms. Ironically, most people who suffer a stroke or ab-dominal aneurysm never show any signs that a major medical catastrophe is about to occur.
These painless, non-invasive tests take about 10 minutes each and are offered for just $45 each (all four for $129). YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER by calling 1-800-324-1851
Thank you to all who
participated in the
Farewell for Father Gunn!
Happy Birthday To..
May 1: Janet Barrett, George Brooks, Elizabeth Fol-berth, Charles W. Moore, Johanna Marie Rabsey; 2: Molly Wilson, Jeffrey Wisner,Stephen Wisner; 3: Donald Carey, Antonio Montero; 5: Gertrude Offerman, Jessica Palfrey, Lisa Rebecca Wolfgang; 6: Amber Alkins, Allison Devlin, Jennifer Gormley; 7: Russell Hogan; 8: Grayson Ledyard Elder, Richard Slade; 9: Erica L. Gourd, Cole-man Thomas Kraemer; 10: Andrew Callaway, Katherine Cochran Elder, Sally Blake Reynolds, Laura Elizabeth Wolfgang; 11: Grace Swift Devlin; 12: David Carpenter, Janet Hoover; 13: Hongxin Zhao; 15: Kimber Yerkes; 16: Thomas Randall Wolfgang; 17: Jane Strome; 18: Hondi Brasco, Robley E. Moor, Emily Folger Simpson, Madeleine Louise Slade; 19: Leon Potgieter; 20: Andrea Archibald, Michael Conaton, Elizabeth Phelps Harrington, Carla Lown, Charles Sorensen, Linda Zambelli; 21: Elizabeth Anne Villani; 22: Jess Henderson Tighe, Kathryn Whit-ney 23: David Archibald, Jennifer Ware; 24: Mary Stevenson Coe, Beauregard Duval, Willem Flohr; 25: Matthew Harrington, Isa-bella Montero; 26: Jennifer Barr, Mary Marvin, Richard Whitney; 27: Anne B. Campbell, Charles Hibbler; 28: David Otis Fuller Jr., Susan Lapham; 29: Eleanor King Bowen, Mary Anne Carey, Emma Chandler Clarke, Jake Sears, James A. Sutton; 30: Tyler Henderson Ahmuty; 31: Edwin J. Wang Jr.
A Visit from Southeast Asia
Delegates
Sunday, April 23rd Christ Church hosted a visit of ten delegates from Southeast Asia. Coming from Indo-nesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, the group included Buddhists, Mus-lims and Christians. Their purpose was to experience the intersection of religion and society in the United States. The liturgy of Christ Church was the only Christian worship they experienced. They were very grateful for the experience and wish to thank all who welcomed them so warmly.
Children’s opera part of
Holocaust ceremonyOn behalf of Young at Arts I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to all those who helped at Christ Church to make Brundibar a reality. This wonderful production could not have been possible without the support and dedication of the Christ Church Community. I would like to share with you one of the articles that was written about Young at Arts’ participation in the Holocaust Commemoration.Warmest Thanks,Sharyn Pirtle, DirectorSheer blue curtains hide the pale-colored, run-down buildings. It’s dark.
The silence is broken by dozens of cheerful children who run out of the buildings playing. They are happy. They are innocent.
But they live in a world of hatred and violence. These are the children of the Terezin concentration camp.
That’s on stage.
Off stage, they are children acting in “Brundibar”-a children’s opera composed by Hans Krasa in 1938 showing how children viewed life during the Holocaust. Thirty-six children will put on the opera this week at Christ Church in Bronxville as part of the annual Interfaith Holocaust Commemeoration ceremony April 27th.
Krasa, a Czech composer, had been sent to the concentration camp in Terezin, Czechoslo-vakia, where many artists put on performances to make life a little better for the children. Krasa eventually died in Auschwitz-a Nazi dath camp.
“They used this play to survive”, explained Sharyn Pirtle, founder and artistic director of Young at Arts, a performing arts group that will put on the opera. “It’s a really uplifting piece that doesn’t get done everyday...and it needs to be seen.”
Though the children portarayed in the opera are faced with harsh conditions every day while living in the concentration camps, they are somehow able to fi nd color and happiness in their lives. “It’s their imagination in a bad situ-ation,” Pirtle said.
In 2003, a children’s book of the tale was created by Pulitzer Prize winning play-
wright Tony Kushner and children’s book au-thor Maurice Sendak. Pirtle directed “Brundi-bar” last year as part of the Houston Grand Opera’s 50th anniversary season, and she said she wanted to bring the story to Bronxville.
“As Sendak stated, ‘Brundibar’ is about how the children survive, which is an amaizing miracle in any place and time,” she said. “And so, with that thought in mind, we set out to cast a multicultural ‘Brundibar’. In many ways, as we traveled through the Bronx and southern Westchester auditioning students we witnessed art imitating life, children surviving and thriv-ing in all sorts of situations.”
The Young at Arts performers range in age from 8 to 18 and come from various ethnic backgrounds. The children are from Bronxville and Tuckahoe, as well as surrounding commu-nities such as Mount Vernon and Yonkers.
For Pirtle, it was important that the opera had a multicultural cast to express its strong message of hope.
“The story is about the human spirit, how it prevails even in the worst of circumstances,” she said. Samantha Sutton, music director added: “We are very happy to put on a multi-cultural ‘Brundibar....It just shows that this can happen to anyone.”
During a preview performance for the Bronxville eighth-graders, one student said the opera brought color to the story of the “Brundi-bar” book, which he read with his class.
“It added a lot of stuff to the book,” said Max Brown, 13. “It brought life to the book.”
An excerpt of the performance was held during the commemoration ceremony where Ruth Messinger was the guest speaker. She is president of the American Jewish World Service, an international nonprofi t organization that helps alleviate poverty, hunger and disease in the world. She is also a former New York City mayoral candidate and Manhattan borough president.
-Adapted from an article printed in the Review Press on Thursday, April 27th by Hope Sally
Note to Parents
Parents: the May 7th information session for young children (ages 3 through 1st grade) has been post-poned to June 4th in order that we may all join Daniel in the celebra-tion of his last Sunday with with us here at Christ Church.
Volunteers Needed
If you enjoy telling stories or be-ing with children, we are starting the process of looking for Church School teachers for the fall. There are differing levels of commitment available. Please communicate your interest to either Barbara Pot-gieter at [email protected] or Laura Villani at [email protected] or 337-2389, Thank you!
The Deadline to submit articles
for the June issue of the Spire is
June 9th.
7
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
White Plains, NY PERMIT NO. 7155
The SpireChrist Church Bronxville17 Sagamore RoadBronxville, NY 10708-1599Fri. May 8th-No First Friday FilmFri. May 12th-Midnight RunSun. May 14th-Communion Sunday for the Second GradeTues. May 16th-The Resident Training Choir of the American Boyschoir School 7:00 PMSat. May 20th-Charis Concert 8:00 PMSun. May 21st-Youth Sunday and Confirmation
