1 September 2012 Vol. 13 - No. 9 The Epistle of Saint Paul’s: a Joyful Noise PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE CITY OF ALBANY church St. Paul’s EPISCOPAL THE PRESIDING BISHOP’S MESSAGE REGARDING GENERAL CONVENTION Page 1 NOTES FROM OUTREACH Page 2 GENERAL CONVENTION 2012 SUMMARY OF ACTIONS AVAILABLE Page 3 HISTORY OF ST. PAUL’S Page 6 DIOCESE OF ALBANY’S STATEMENT REGARDING GENERAL CONVENTION Page 8 ADULT FAITH FORMATION Page 9 Presiding Bishop’s Message to the Church on General Convention 2012 The General Convention which took place in Indi- anapolis in July offered new and creative responses to the call of the gospel in our day. We saw gra- cious and pastoral responses to polarizing issues, as well as a new honesty about the need for change. General Convention addressed a number of signifi- cant issues that will impact the life and witness of this Church for years into the future – and they include many more things beyond what you’ve heard about in the news. The way we worked together also represented a new reality, working to adapt more creatively to our diverse nature as a Church. It is that way of creative engagement that ultimately will be most transformative for The Episcopal Church and the world beyond it. On issue after issue, the resolutions addressed by General Convention emerged in creative responses that considered, but did not end in, the polarized positions expected as we went into Convention. People listened to the movement of the spirit and discerned a way forward that was mutually upbuilding, rather than creating greater divisiveness or win-lose out- comes. The hot-button issues of the last decade have not been eternally resolved, but we have as a body found creative and pastoral ways to live with the differences of opinion, rather than resorting to old patterns of conflict. There is a certain expan- sive grace in how these decisions are being made and in the responses to them, a grace that is reminiscent of the Elizabeth settlement. We’ve said as a Church that there is no bar to the participation of minorities of all sorts, and we are finding pas- toral ways to ensure that potential offense at the behavior or position of another is minimized, with the hope that we may grow toward celebrating that diversity as a gift from God. If we are all sinners, then each of us may be wrong about where we stand. Human beings, made from humus, become Christlike when they know hu- mility. Major issues addressed at General Convention included approval of a trial rite for blessing same-sex unions. It may be used in congregations beginning in Advent, with the approval of the diocesan bishop. Bishops are making varied responses to the rite – a prime example of this emerging reality of local adaptation based on con- text – something which is profoundly Anglican. Cont’d on Page 8
Transcript
1
September 2012 Vol. 13 - No. 9
The Epistle of Saint Paul’s: a Joyful Noise PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY
ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
IN THE CITY OF ALBANY
church St. Paul’s
EPISCOPAL
THE PRESIDING
BISHOP’S MESSAGE
REGARDING GENERAL
CONVENTION
Page 1
NOTES FROM
OUTREACH
Page 2
GENERAL
CONVENTION 2012
SUMMARY OF
ACTIONS AVAILABLE Page 3
HISTORY OF
ST. PAUL’S
Page 6
DIOCESE OF ALBANY’S
STATEMENT
REGARDING GENERAL
CONVENTION
Page 8
ADULT FAITH
FORMATION
Page 9
Presiding Bishop’s Message to the Church on
General Convention 2012
The General Convention which took place in Indi-
anapolis in July offered new and creative responses
to the call of the gospel in our day. We saw gra-
cious and pastoral responses to polarizing issues, as
well as a new honesty about the need for change.
General Convention addressed a number of signifi-
cant issues that will impact the life and witness of this Church for years into the
future – and they include many more things beyond what you’ve heard about in the
news. The way we worked together also represented a new reality, working to
adapt more creatively to our diverse nature as a Church.
It is that way of creative engagement that ultimately will be most transformative for
The Episcopal Church and the world beyond it. On issue after issue, the resolutions
addressed by General Convention emerged in creative responses that considered,
but did not end in, the polarized positions expected as we went into Convention.
People listened to the movement of the spirit and discerned a way forward that was
mutually upbuilding, rather than creating greater divisiveness or win-lose out-
comes.
The hot-button issues of the last decade have not been eternally resolved, but we
have as a body found creative and pastoral ways to live with the differences of
opinion, rather than resorting to old patterns of conflict. There is a certain expan-
sive grace in how these decisions are being made and in the responses to them, a
grace that is reminiscent of the Elizabeth settlement. We’ve said as a Church that
there is no bar to the participation of minorities of all sorts, and we are finding pas-
toral ways to ensure that potential offense at the behavior or position of another is
minimized, with the hope that we may grow toward celebrating that diversity as a
gift from God. If we are all sinners, then each of us may be wrong about where we
stand. Human beings, made from humus, become Christlike when they know hu-
mility.
Major issues addressed at General Convention included approval of a trial rite for
blessing same-sex unions. It may be used in congregations beginning in Advent,
with the approval of the diocesan bishop. Bishops are making varied responses to
the rite – a prime example of this emerging reality of local adaptation based on con-
text – something which is profoundly Anglican.
Cont’d on Page 8
2
Who’s
Who at St. Paul’s
Rector
The Rev. J. Nixon McMillan
Rector Emeritus
The Rev. Leslie C. Hughs
Priest Associate
The Rev. Ned Dougherty
Deacon.
The Rev. Nancy Rosenblum
Organist-Choir Director
Steven L. Rosenberry
Sexton
James H. Noisette
Wardens
Judy Condo
Jeremy Feedore
Vestry
Candace Deisley
Dan Halloran
Mark Kellett
Lisa Kissinger
Sandy Lowery
Mary Jane McGuire
Perry Smith
Katherine Storms
Valerie Thompson
Delegates to the Convention
John Backman
Carol Diehm
Joan Pflieger
Treasurer
Denise Mason
Secretary
Sharon Kasman
FOCUS Community Harvest Garden at St Paul’s
A midsummer check on the FOCUS Community Harvest Garden at St Paul’s
finds that the two most recent deliveries to the FOCUS food pantry at Emmanu-
el Baptist Church on State Street have totaled about 75 pounds. This includes
green peppers, cherry tomatoes and those mega producing heritage toma-
toes. All produce is delivered washed and ready for distribution. This effort
assists in delivering fresh produce to inner city residents.
Just take a look at the
comparative picture of
that tomato grown on
Hackett Boulevard. It is
bigger than a standard
St. Paul’s coffee hour
cup. While it may be a
tad larger than average,
many of the heritage
variety are monsters.
If you have an extra
hour to lend to the usu-
al late afternoon har-
vesting let Lynnette
Noonan or Holly Mont-
gomery know. Thanks to those parishioners who have also provided their crop
knowledge to move this project along.
Haitian Bishop Honored at Cathedral of All Saints
on November 15
The Empire Haiti Coalition anticipates host-
ing informative and enjoyable sessions intro-
ducing visiting Bishop Jean Duracin of Haiti
to parishes of the diocese. On Thursday even-
ing November 15, a special event at the Ca-
thedral will allow guests to greet the Bishop
and learn about the work EHC is doing in the
communities of rural Haiti . Featured will be
the ways in which the St. Paul’s and St. An-
drew’s Partnership has brought improve-
ments to the lives of children in Lahoye. Look
for further details in St. Paul ’s Sunday bul-
letins and next month’s Epistle about the
speakers, entertainment, project displays, and fund-raising opportunities
planned for the evening. Mark your calendar now.
3
The Summary of Actions, detailing the resolutions, elections and other matters from the 77th General Convention held in July
2012, is now available in English from the Episcopal Church General Convention office at
The Summary of Actions fulfills the canonical requirement of Joint Rule 15 in the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal
Church. The document reports on the 411 resolutions considered by the 77th General Convention:
167 from Committees, Commissions, Agencies and Boards (A Resolutions);
29 Resolutions from Bishops (B Resolutions);
120 from Dioceses and Provinces (C Resolutions);
95 Resolutions from Deputies (D Resolutions).
The Rev. Gregory Straub, Executive Officer of General Convention, pointed out that, in comparison, the 76th General Conven-tion in 2009 considered 192 A Resolutions, 32 B Resolutions, 87 C Resolutions, and 107 D Resolutions, for a total of 418 reso-
lutions.
Other matters = Additionally, the Summary of Actions lists the membership of the Executive Council and other bodies elected and appointed at General Convention 2012. It also outlines the different task forces as well as the committees, commissions,
agencies and boards (CCABs) of the General Convention for the 2013–2015 triennium.
The resolutions summarized by the Summary of Actions are available in their uncertified form on the General Convention web-site, and will be researched by the General Convention Office with the help of the Archives of the Episcopal Church in the prep-aration of a revised Constitution and Canons and the Journal of the 77th General Convention, which is the official record of the
proceedings (along with the Digital Archives on the website of the Archives of the Episcopal Church).
Next steps = Straub explained that the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops each adopted a procedural motion regard-ing to matters not completed at the General Convention on the last day of Convention, July 12. The House of Deputies directed that items not completed be referred to the Secretary of the General Convention, while the House of Bishops directed them to
“an appropriate interim body.”
However, neither House concurred with the other’s motion; therefore any matter not completed is considered rejected.
For more information on the Summary of Actions and the other publications of the 77th General Convention, contact Christopher
Barajas, Staff Assistant for Publications in the General Convention Office.
Becoming Better Off Peter Maurin
The world would be better off if people tried to become better. And people would become better if they stopped trying to become better off. For when everybody tries to become better off, nobody is better off. But when everybody tries to become better, everybody is better off.
Everybody would be rich if nobody tried to become richer. And nobody would be poor if everybody tried to be the poorest. And everybody would be what he ought to be if everybody tried to be what he wants the other fellow to be.
The Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs
General Convention 2012 Summary of Actions Available
swampy area called “The Bathtub”. The heroine is a six-year-old girl, Hushpuppy, played by Quvenzhane Wallis, a
child Zeitlin found in a school in the community where the movie was shot. Hushpuppy lives with her father (Dwight
Henry, another non-actor from the local community) in a couple of falling-to-pieces trailers. He is seriously ill but un-
willing to get the medical care he needs. The entire community is facing the threat of a storm that will flood the Bath-
tub. Do-gooders want to evacuate the residents who resist what they see
as interference with their lives and an attempt to make them into
“regular folks”. Much of the film is seen from Hushpuppy’s point of
view. She has learned in her tumbled-down school that the ice caps are
melting and she envisions prehistoric beasts, once frozen in ice, now
coming to the Gulf to destroy her home. Reality and fantasy flow in and
out of each other as we see at one moment the actual world that Hush-
puppy inhabits and in the next moment the fantasy world in her mind.
The people in The Bathtub need a leader. The adults are too drunk most
of the time (and many of them too sick) to fill that role. Hushpuppy be-
comes their leader and shows them the way to survive. She explains
“The entire universe depends on everything fitting together just right. If
you can fix the broken piece, everything can go right back.” Hushpuppy
sets out to do just that. There is a wild beauty in her life in spite of the
sordidness of the poverty in which she lives. Quvenzhane Wallis gives
an extraordinary performance that grabs the viewer’s attention and
won’t let go. She is not a goody-goody child – often angry and some-
times violent – but she is the voice of wisdom in a world that seems bent
on destroying itself. The film both stuns and haunts the viewer: an ex-
perience not to be missed.
SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE – AMERICAN STYLE
Hope Springs
Directed by David Frankel
Despite the funny scenes that fill the trailer and the TV spots for Hope Springs, this film is not a comedy. It is an unset-
tling exploration of a marriage that has died and the attempts of a couple to revive it. Meryl Streep plays Kay Soames, a
timid wife who wants her husband to pay attention to her instead of falling asleep every night in front of the TV set.
Tommy Lee Jones plays Arnold Soames, an accountant who dislikes his job and his life but dutifully, if grumpily, car-
ries on. The Soames’ marriage of 31 years is sexless and boring: just two people sharing the same house but living sep-
arate lives. Kay learns of a couple’s counseling service in Hope Springs, Maine, run by a therapist played by Steve
Carell (who plays the role straight, by the way, with little humor). She convinces Arnold to come with her for a week of
counseling. He hates every moment of it and it appears unlikely that the counseling will succeed in doing anything be-
sides driving them further apart.
ST. PAUL’S GOES TO THE MOVIES
REVIEWED BY DEACON NANCY ROSENBLUM
5
Streep does her usual workmanlike job of inhabiting her character but
Jones steals the movie. He makes us care about Arnold by showing
just enough of the troubled and hurt man behind the bitter exterior.
Years of repressing himself, of covering up his pain, have led him to
turn a cold shoulder to every opportunity for pleasure but we can see
that once he and Kay did have a real romance. The movie doesn’t give
any easy answers for how to re-establish intimacy once it’s lost. The
counseling scenes are sometimes painful to watch, as are the failed at-
tempts of the couple to make love. It is the triumph of the two veteran
actors that they make us care about these characters and root for them
to succeed. This is one of the most realistic movies made recently
about love and marriage. Despite the discomfort, it’s worthwhile see-
ing.
We are currently looking for a new person
to assume responsibility for the Epistle.
The current editor has been responsible for the
creation of this monthly newsletter, including sending
out an email reminder every month for articles,
formatting the submissions using page layout software
Microsoft Publisher, editing submitted articles for
spelling, punctuation and grammar, and creating 2
finished PDF files: one for office staff to print, collate
and mail, and another for posting to the web.
This position belongs to the Publications triad headed
by Lisa Kissinger. This is truly a great opportunity to
let your inner creative juices flow and be a part of a wonderful communications ministry.
If interested, please contact Lisa Kissinger or Debbi Regimbald in person or send email to
[email protected]. Training and support can be made available to assist in the transition.
Do you enjoy St. Paul’s Epistle?
Would you like to see some changes?
Would you be interested in BEING the change?
6
St. Paul’s Musical History
In July’s article, we mentioned that during the nineteenth century, St.
Paul’s choirs were dominated by a professional quartet, with a supporting
role played by a chorus. We can trace the names and careers of St. Paul’s
quartet for most of the century, but there is much less information availa-
ble about the chorus.
The first chorus in which we can identify individuals was under George
William Warren in the late 1850’s. Warren had operated a singing school,
and from those students he selected twelve boys to serve as a chorus. We
can name three of these boys; while two of the three were Episcopalians,
only one of the two had parents who attended St. Paul’s. This short-lived
experiment was the first boy choir in this area, although the Church of the
Holy Cross in Troy had had a girls’ choir as early as 1844. St. Paul’s was
not to revive the boy choir until 1906.
In the next three decades, we have full choir lists only for the Christmases of 1869 and 1875. The women were quite
young: most were single and no older than their mid-twenties. And there were family connections: in each of these
years, there was a pair of sisters. The men were slightly older, on average in their early thirties, and more likely to be
married. And among both men and women, only a few were members of the congregation.
Among St. Paul’s members in the 1869 choir was a young couple, Carrie Ross Sayles and her husband James Mason
Sayles. Carrie, age 29, had been St. Paul’s soprano soloist on and off since 1858. She was an Albany native, and was
much in demand as a concert soloist. James, age 32, had been confirmed at St. Paul’s in 1860. The couple had a
daughter, also named Carrie, who had been baptized at St. Paul’s in 1867. The young family lived at 309 Hudson
Ave.
But James was not just a member of the bass section. When he was not working as a bookkeeper at the National Al-
bany Exchange Bank, he was a busy composer. You probably don’t know most of his popular songs; “When Roses
Bloom,” “The Golden Grain Was Waving” and “The Trumpet Sounds the Challenge” all slipped into obscurity a cen-
tury ago. His most famous work, an international best-seller that went through fifty editions and was several times re-
arranged, was a verse he wrote in a young lady’s autograph book with a sketch, and for which he later, at her request,
wrote a melody. You might find the chorus of this work familiar, if I crooned it with appropriate Victorian portamen-
to:
Beautiful star, beautiful star
Star of the evening, beautiful, beautiful star
That’s right. James M. Sayles’s “Star of the Evening” is the sentimental song
parodied in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, when the
Mock Turtle sings:
Beau—ootiful soo—oop, Beau—ootiful Soo—oop
Soo—oop of the e— e—evening, Beau—ootiful, Beau—ootiful Soup!
Submitted by Paul Nance
7
CRAFTERS ALERT
Autumn is coming and with it a more brisk pace. It also means
garden produce is available, beautiful flowers and projects are on
the horizon – canning, drying blooms, needlework, card-making,
knitting, sewing, baking and on it goes.
If you have a talent that is looking for a place to be showcased I
would like to suggest the Silent Auction fundraiser for Healing a
Woman’s Soul. This ministry of the diocese seeks to assist
women who have been abused find a new way of life.
It was our pleasure to host this event last Fall and we will do it
again this October. We are always looking for donations for the
Silent Auction. Consider a hand-knit sweater or crocheted af-
ghan; a basket of homemade preserves or canned fruit. How
about a certificate for a home-baked pie once a month for a year
– or sixmonths, or home-baked bread? It could be a Christmas
tree skirt or a set of placemats. Wherever your creative juices take
you, would you consider a project that you could donate for the
auction?
For more information (or ideas) contact
Ann McMillan at 451-9549.
8
On July 10th, 2012 the 77th
General Convention of The
Episcopal Church authorized
A049, the Resolution to Au-
thorize Liturgical Resources
for Blessing Same-Gender
Relationships. Bishops Wil-
liam Love and Daniel Herzog
and the Albany Deputation to
General Convention were
united in voting against this
Resolution. By both our vote
and the testimony we sought to graciously oppose this resolution while at the same time speaking the truth in love as the
Church has received that truth. (Ephesians 4:15).
The Diocese of Albany, through its Bishops and Deputation, sought to uphold the biblical and traditional definition of
marriage as the union of one man and one woman. In doing so, we were obedient to Holy Scriptures, The Book of Com-
mon Prayer, The Episcopal Church Constitution and Canons, and own our Diocesan Canons. It is important to note that
the new rites are not to become part of the Book of Common Prayer or any other liturgical publication of the Episcopal
Church.
Bishop Love and other bishops, traditional and liberal, worked to include provisions in the resolution that protect bish-
ops and priests who cannot for the sake of conscience author-
ize or use the liturgy. Dean David Collum was able to speak
to the resolution in the House of Deputies before the limited
debate was terminated by pre-arranged parliamentary rules. In
his comments Dean Collum offered that, among other theo-
logical problems created by the resolution, its adoption by the
General Convention would further divide the Episcopal
Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion and com-
promise our ecumenical relationships.
On July 11th, 2012 a group of bishops including Bishop Love
and Bishop Herzog issued a statement which was read on the
floor of the House of Bishops. This same statement was read
from the floor of the House of Deputies on July 12th, 2012.
Those deputies who supported the statement stood in place as
it was read. The statement is available at :
http://www.albanyepiscopaldiocese.org/.
For over a decade the Diocese of Albany has been working to
persuade theological traditionalists to remain in the Episcopal
Church and to persuade theological liberals to remain in the
Anglican Communion. We remain committed to these efforts,
though they are made much more difficult by the adoption of
Resolution A049. We ask you to join us in prayer for God’s
One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Saturday, September 15 at 10:00 a.m.
St Paul’s homecoming garden cleanup.
Many hands make light labor!
Bring your garden tools.
HOMECOMING GARDEN CLEANUP
Statement of the Albany Bishops and Deputation
The Episcopal Diocese of Albany
9
LEARN!
GROW!
SHARE!
Opportunities for Adult Christian Formation
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY RESUMES THIS MONTH
The Sunday Bible Study group starts its fall session on September 23 at 9:15 AM in the Library. Our topic will
be "The Kingdom of Heaven." We hear this term frequently in scripture readings and in sermons but are we sure we
know what it means? Is it sometime in the future? Are we going to spend eternity sitting on clouds playing harps? Is
the Kingdom an actual place? The Bible Study group will look at passages of Scripture that describe the Kingdom
of Heaven. We invite you to join us as we explore what the Bible actually says about the Kingdom
NEW! A WEEKDAY BIBLE STUDY GROUP
An additional opportunity for Bible study will be provided this fall. Ann McMillian will be leading a Bible study
group that will meet during the day on weekdays. Details about dates, location and topics will be forthcoming later
this month.
LOOKING FOR A BOOK CLUB?
New to St. Paul’s this fall will be the start of a discussion group to explore in more depth topics to further adult for-
mation. Content will include books (theological, history, novels, spiritual works) based on participatory interest. A
short film on Celtic spirituality is under consideration. Other possibilities include DVD lectures such as “My God is
Too Small’ by Joan Chittister from the Trinity Seminar ”God at 2000”. The field for discussion is wide open. An
organization meeting is planned for late September to set up dates and times. Please call Valerie Thompson, coordi-
nator, at 518-439-6795 or e-mail [email protected] to express your interest and we’ll go form there.
THIS
FALL
Living the Slow Circles May Sarton
Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace. The garden door is always open to the holy.
Source: Gardening by Heart
10
Cont’d from the front page
The decision to provide a trial rite
for same-sex blessings was anticipat-
ed by many across the Church –
some with fear and trepidation, oth-
ers with rejoicing, and yet others
with frustration that more would not
be offered. The decision of General
Convention may not have fully satis-
fied anyone, yet it has provided
more space for difference than most
expected. The rite must be author-
ized by a diocesan bishop, which
permits bishops who believe it inap-
propriate to safeguard their own the-
ological position. Some of the re-
sponses by bishops with questions
about the appropriateness of such
rites in their dioceses show creativity
and enormous pastoral respect for
those who support such blessings.
The use of this rite is open to local
option, in the same way we often
think about private confession: “all
may, some should, none must.”
General Convention also produced
creative responses to a number of
other challenging issues – in particu-
lar, peacemaking in Israel-Palestine,
the Anglican Covenant, and the call
to restructure The Episcopal Church.
The resolutions adopted reflect a
higher level of investment in the
health of diverse opinions and posi-
tions in the Church than we have
seen for a long time. We can cele-
brate a bit of “growing up into the
full stature of Christ” and the kind of
welcome we claim to exemplify:
“The Episcopal Church welcomes
you,” whoever you are and wherever
you stand. As a Church, when we’re
at our best, we earnestly believe that
that diversity helps to lead us toward
the mind of Christ.
The call to restructure the Church is
a response to growing grassroots
awareness that we must change or
die. I’ve heard it put this way, “It’s
not a matter of tradition or change –
tradition IS change!” We live in an
age of rapid change, and if we are
going to be faithful to our baptismal
work of going into the world and
proclaiming the gospel, our methods
and support systems also need to
change. We need to be more respon-
sive and able to engage opportuni-
ties, more nimble.
Nimble is not a word usually associ-
ated with Episcopal churches, but
the passion and energy at our Gen-
eral Convention was certainly mov-
ing in that direction. Most of us
probably associate that word with
Mother Goose and Jack who is nim-
ble enough to jump over the candle-
stick. But there is a character to Je-
sus’ own ministry that has some-
thing to do with a flexible and crea-
tive responsiveness that might be
called nimble. It certainly character-
ized the explosion of his followers
across the Mediterranean world and
then to India, Africa, and Europe.
Nimbleness has something to do
with creative risk-taking; it may
have a playful character that is also
profoundly creative, and it partakes
of joy.
We’re looking for a 21st century
Episcopal Church that can adapt and
respond to a myriad of varied local
contexts and missional opportuni-
ties. We’ve begun to realize, pretty
widely across the Church, that the
way we’ve “done church” for the
last century or more no longer fits
many of our contexts. We haven’t
been terribly effective at evangelism
with unchurched populations; we
haven’t been terribly effective at
retaining the children born to Epis-
copal parents; family structures are
changing and our ability to address
the needs of those families has not
kept pace, whether we’re talking
about ECWs and women in the
workforce, or single-parent families,
or special needs children.
The General Convention decided to
address needs for structural change,
by looking at the ways in which we
live and move and have our being as
a Church. A task force will be ap-
pointed to listen broadly within the
Church and offer a proposal by late
2014. General Convention adopted a
budget for the coming triennium
based on the Five Anglican Marks of
Mission, which includes some crea-
tive initiatives in partnership with
dioceses, other parts of the Anglican
Communion, or those churches with
whom we are in full communion or
other relationships. One notable ex-
ample: “Mission Enterprise Zones”
will facilitate creative initiatives at
the diocesan level, funded in partner-
ship with the broader Church.
General Convention asked for a task
force to study our theology of mar-
riage. Remarkably, this happened
only a few days after the Anglican
province of Aotearoa, New Zealand,
and Polynesia did the same thing.
This may offer some very creative
opportunities for study across pro-
vincial boundaries in the Anglican
Communion.
The General Convention affirmed
the implementation of the Denomi-
national Health Plan, and offered
some greater flexibility and more
time to address health care parity
issues for lay and clergy employees
at the diocesan level.
Cont’d on Page 9
11
September 2012
Sept 2
(9:30 service) Paul Nance, French horn
Sept 9
(10:30 service; Choir re-
sumes)
Hancock - Gloria from Missa Resurectionis
Willan - A sacred feast
Sept 16
(10:30 service)
Psalm 116 - Anglican Chant
Viadana - O sacrum convivium
Sept 23
(10:30 service)
Terry - Prayer of St. Richard
Mendelssohn - To take our sins (Six Anthems)
Sept 30
(10:30 service)
Bloch - May the words (Sacred Service)
Shephard - O sacrum convivium
M usic Notes from the Music Director
Cont’d from Page 8 All of this creative work means that we emerge with abundant hope, better discipline for working together and
with partners beyond this Church, for our fundamental reason for being – engagement with God’s mission. We
have moved beyond the entrenched conflict of recent years. I pray that our growing confidence is a sign of new
humility, knowing that we are finite creatures who can always be wrong, that we can do God’s work only as part
of the Body, and that disagreement is a mark of possibility.
God still seems to have a use for this Church, if we can remember our central focus – to love God and our neigh-
bors as ourselves, wherever we go, and wherever we find ourselves. May God bless the journey, and may we learn
to travel light.
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
September Calendar
September 2012
Sept 1
Soup Kitchen (Grace & Holy Innocents Church)
(See Kate Storms)
Sept 8 Soup Kitchen (9:30 a.m. Grace & Holy Inno-
cents Church) (See Prudence Backman)
Sept 23
Bible Study 9:15 Library
“When we learn to read the story of Jesus and see it as the story of the love of God, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves -- that in-sight produces, again and again, a sense of astonished gratitude which is very near the heart of authentic Chris-tian experience.”
