THIS ISSUE:
OUTREACH
Hallows Part 2”
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY
From the Rector
The summer break always seems to pass so quickly, too quickly! As I lament at
the end of summer, I also look forward to returning to a regular schedule in September.
In fact, I like drawing up a weekly plan that will allow me to accomplish some new
things, while maintaining a normal balanced life. My normal balanced life may vary so
much from year to year that I should not refer to any new schedule as normal!
For many of us, the beginning of September is filled with New Year’s resolu-
tions. Then when the New Year comes in four months, the resolutions are modified or
expanded. The New Year then becomes a half-time break in for re-evaluation during the
program year..
While goals for work or school may be set for us, we have the other goals to set
ourselves regarding healthy eating, exercise, an appropriate amount of sleep, reading,
prayer, service to others, worship, relationships, hobbies, and relaxation. In spite of this
planning, too often our plans for a balanced year are derailed by things over which we
have no control. At such times, we may have to abandon our plans, and do whatever
requires our time.
For me, the peacefulness of a balanced life is often a dream for the future. Each
year, I try to improve the schedule, but too often pack so much into the times of day
when my good energy is already spent. As needed, each year, I cut back on time at the
gym, in pleasure reading, and in unproductive relaxation, in that order. I do this so that I
am able to deal with the daily “surprises of life”.
In the “surprises of life”, I often see God at work in the people around me, when
they are stressed or in distress. I see the grace of God giving them energy and peace for
the tests that they are facing. I see God guiding them to move beyond being right in eve-
ry situation. I see them being gracious with everyone they meet in every sort of trou-
bling situation. Anger is subdued by love, God’s love.
In the “surprises of life”, my mind returns to the schedule. I wonder what basic
things are included in the weekly schedule of a gracious person, which energizes that
person to reflect God’s face, to reflect God’s love in the world and to the world. I won-
der how many of these goals contribute to the loving reactions of the gracious people by
whom I am being surprised: healthy eating, exercise, an appropriate amount of sleep,
reading, prayer, service to others, worship, relationships, hobbies, and relaxation?
When such goals have to be abandoned due to things beyond our control, I hope
that the example of some other gracious people will be present, present when we need to
see God at work in others. May we be surprised by those whom God is changing! May
we move beyond just being right: may we be gracious as God is gracious!
Peace, Nixon+
Rector Emeritus
Priest Associate
Haiti Work Group Moves Forward
On July 27th, St. Paul’s Haiti Work Group continued its inquiry into joining with St.
Andrew’s Episcopal Church in mission projects in rural Haiti. After discussion with
two representatives from St. Andrew’s, the task force agreed to approach Vestry for
authorization to begin to outline a partnership. Action on this proposal is anticipated
at the September vestry meeting. In the meantime, the Work Group prepared to sup-
port the Action H20 fund-raiser held by the Empire Haiti Coalition at the Cathedral of
All Saints on August 30th.
ANNUAL AIDS WALK SUPPORTS LOCAL PROGRAMS
The Capital District AIDS Walk will be held Saturday, September 24th. Walkers
will step off from the Washington Park Lake House in the15th annual holding of the
popular fund-raiser for programs for persons living with AIDS and their families. St.
Paul’s walkers, including Pam Love, Kate Storms and other volunteers, will be solic-
iting donations on Sunday mornings from September 11th through 25th. St. Paul’s
AIDS Care Team continues to be an important part of the life and well-being of their
care partner.
What’s at the FOCUS Interfaith Food Pantry?
On a rainy July morning, Carolyn Burnworth and I followed directions to meet Rev.
Deb Jameson to tour the FOCUS Interfaith Food Pantry at Emmanuel Baptist
Church at 275 State Street on Albany’s Capitol Hill. For the last few years, St. Paul’s
has been collecting personal care items and designating the abundance of our annual
Christmastime Mitten Tree to support this well-established ministry. At the urging of
Pantry volunteer, Nancy Rodgers, and others, we decided to visit and get better ac-
quainted with Rev. Deb Jameson, Director of Community Ministry for the ecumeni-
cal FOCUS collaboration.
We opened heavy wooden doors and joined a few pantry guests seated waiting for
volunteers to help with registration, selection, and packing for each patron. Rev. Deb
quickly appeared and began a tour through the busy pantry space, where over 300
neighborhood families a month pick up a 7-day supply of food and personal items.
As we moved through the capacious 1871 church structure, it became clear that in
recent years the congregation of Emmanuel Baptist has made thoughtful architectural
up-grades and prioritized its resources to strengthen its ability to serve the communi-
ty.
The six FOCUS churches in covenant, together with additional faith affiliates, jointly
mount an impressive combination of worship services, pantry and hot meal pro-
grams, advocacy for just public policy, computer literacy for children and an annual
school supplies drive.
St. Paul’s notable contribution this summer and last has been the FOCUS Commu-
nity Harvest Garden flourishing beside our church. Thanks to Holly Montgomery,
Kate Storms and other volunteers, summer veggies, especially peas and tomatoes,
arrive at the Pantry fresh from picking on Hackett Blvd, for distribution to neighbors
in Capitol Hill, Center Square and South Park.
For more information, visit www.focuschurches.net, or ask any of the parishioners
mentioned above. Remember--the personal care items you bring to church every
week get packed for use immediately at the Pantry.
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Pre-homecoming gardening event at St Paul's. Let's
get St Paul's gardens tidied before Homecoming. Bring
your clippers, shovels, wheelbarrows and kneepads to our
Homecoming garden maintenance day.
The Final Conflict: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”
Directed by David Yates Written and Submitted by Deacon Nancy Rosenblum
It’s been a long journey and it ends with a bittersweet triumph: evil is
overcome but at the cost of many lives. The cute little wizard-in-
training has become a warrior capable of defeating one of the most pow-
erful and fearsome wizards in magical history. The dark, grim setting of
this movie is worlds away from the bright, fantastic images of the red
and gold Hogwarts Express and the magical Hogwarts Castle of the first
few movies in this series. Harry has grown up to find that the world of
wizardry is not so different from the real world from which he wants to
escape. In both worlds the desire for power leads to betrayal, oppres-
sion and conflict. As Harry discovers, even the saintly Dumbledore was
not immune from the corrupting influence of power disguised as plans
“for the greater good.”
Harry and his nemesis, Lord Voldemort, are bound together by Volde-
mort’s attempts to kill Harry: each shares the other’s blood and part of
his soul. They differ in their basic values. Harry is guided by love. He
is willing to die for his friends. Voldemort is driven by the desire to
dominate and control. In the course of his drive to power he has changed himself so drastically that he is barely hu-
man. Harry, on the other hand, has developed into a mature leader who is capable of sacrifice. It is this willingness
that gives him abilities that Voldemort can never understand: not only the willingness to die but the willingness to
give up power. At the end of the film, on the windswept heights of the ruined Hogwarts Castle, Harry destroys and
throws away the Elder Wand, the mighty magical object that Voldemort killed eight people to obtain. This action
symbolizes Harry’s triumph which is not merely to defeat Voldemort but to reject the value system that produced
him.
It is ironic that the Harry Potter novels and films that were denounced by conservative Christians as being “anti-
Christian” end with such a deeply Christ-like image and message: a man who rejects worldly power and is willing
to die for others is resurrected from the dead so that he can save his friends. It is rare for popular entertainment to
be focused on the concept that “greater love hath no man than this, that he give up his life for his friends.”
Even if you are immune to the magic of J. K. Rowling’s world, this final installment is worth a viewing. The film is
handsomely produced, featuring black and gray tones and shadows as befits the grim story line. As usual, the great
British actors Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman (whose slimy Snape is redeemed by his life-long
love for Harry’s mother) turn in bravura performances. It has been interesting to see Daniel Radcliffe develop from
a charming child star into a serious and capable actor. One hopes that he will avoid being stereotyped as a fantasy
hero. (His versatility has been proved by his fine performance as the sly corporate ladder-climber in the current
Broadway revival of “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.”) Good-by Harry and good luck!
GARDENING EVENT
NE W !
NE W !
dest day on the Jewish calendar
(Tisha b'Av) when the Holy Temple
in Jerusalem was destroyed. But
however much the Jews have been
battered throughout history, they
Here are the seven most powerful
ideas in Judaism that have cata-
lyzed Jewish renewal, time and
time again. I'll teach you how you
can apply them to your life.
1. "Every descent is for the sake of a
future ascent" (Hasidic wisdom).
as an isolated event. It's part of a
learning curve. Broaden your lens a
little and you will see this tempo-
rary setback as a tiny cog in a huge
engine of overall progress.
it comes to taking action is the fear
of failure. If you can program your
brain to see everything that hap-
pens, no matter how bad it seems,
as part of a process, then you can
neutralize that fear.
make. If you frame each
"descent" (regression) in your life
as a necessary phase of future
growth you will bounce out of eve-
ry problem with relative ease.
2. “Hard work is crucial to success.
No exceptions” (The Talmud). Forget
any dreams of your life miraculously
improving. Most people that win the
lottery lose all their money within
three years because they don't know
what to do with it. Judaism teaches
that you must work hard to succeed. It
sounds so simple, but in the back of
our minds we are all hoping for some
sort of major, unearned break. So just
forget about it. Something "free" is
always tempting but ultimately it is
"bread of shame": it compromises
your sense of dignity and adequacy. If
someone says, "I have worked hard,
and I have not been successful," don't
believe him. If someone says, "I have
not worked hard and I have been suc-
cessful," don't believe him. If someone
says, "I have worked hard, and I have
been successful," believe him!(The
Talmud). Obviously the world wasn't
created for your sake and this is not
an invitation to become a bigot. What
the Talmud is teaching you to say is: I
am totally responsible for my world.
It's always very relieving to blame
someone for your problems -- your
parents, boss or maybe just bad luck.
But that would mean that your life is
just a tiny, irrelevant footnote to the
real action on this planet, and that's
not true. You were built to cope with
whatever comes your way. In the Bi-
ble, when Joseph was reunited with
his brothers who had tried to kill him
and then sold him to slavery, he didn't
even get angry with them. He under-
stood that he was totally responsible
for everything that came his way and
that it's part of a bigger plan.
4. "“Action is the most important
thing" (Ethics of the Fathers). Do you
know everything about electricity be-
fore turning on a light? Do you study
aviation before getting on a plane? To
be successful in life you need to prior-
itize action over planning, practice
over theory. Obviously, I'm not sug-
gesting that you act irresponsibly; it's
just a question of emphasis. Don't
allow yourself to pontificate for too
long before actually doing something.
Always look for the practical rele-
vance of every idea.
God can only be found in the four
cubits of law" (The Talmud). Person-
ally, I hate following laws. I love to
be unhampered, free-spirited and au-
tonomous. But if you just do whatever
you want, whenever you want, you
will lack an important ingredient for
your success: personal integrity. You
know how the old joke goes, "I have
standards, and if you don't like
them ...
Article cont’d on page 4 3
“The Seven Most Powerful Teachings in Judaism” cont’d from page 3
then I have others." Well, that's a problem. If you know in your heart that you are not a person of integrity it
will paralyze you. As humans, we need to be convinced that there is something essentially good and upright
about us in order to function properly. So the "four cubits of the law" are crucial for our personal integrity.
6. "“Words that come from the heart enter the heart" (The Sages). You can best understand this one by inverting
it: "Words that don't come from the heart will not enter someone else's heart." Usually, we think that if we are
sincere but fail to get the intended message across then it's the other person's fault. After all, you were genuine
and you meant what you said, so it must be the other guy who is being a jerk. Judaism says no. You must judge
the sincerity of your words by the results that they evoke. The human heart is wonderfully receptive. If you pull
the right strings, it always responds. So when you fail to communicate, blame yourself. You can always enter
someone else's heart if you get it right.
7. "“All the days of your life are to bring the Messiah" (The Sages). Whether or not you believe in the idea of a
Messiah, you can benefit tremendously from this teaching. The point is: You must do whatever it takes to get
the job done. Commitment is the most powerful motivational tool that exists. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi
Menachem Schneerson (1902-1994), built the largest Jewish organization in the world through teaching his dis-
ciples the value of commitment. You stay the course. You do whatever it takes. The possible you do right
away, the impossible might take a little longer, but you will get it done. So ask yourself to
day: Am I just interested in my goals or am I committed to them?
HOW DID THIS
BOOK GET INTO
granted. We hear it read every
Sunday. It sits on our book
shelves. Some of us continue the
tradition of recording births, mar-
riages and deaths in it. But how
did it come to be? And how did
the texts originally written in He-
brew and Greek get into English?
The Sunday Bible Study Group
has asked these questions and
decided to spend some time this
fall looking at the history of the
Bible. We will study the textual
composition of various books,
and why certain books were
included or excluded) and the
story of how the Bible came to
be translated into English and
available to the general pub-
lic. This history is full of con-
flict and even blood. People
died so that we could have the
privilege of reading the Bible!
Come and learn about the fasci-
nating history of the book that is
an annual best seller. The Bible
Study Group meets on Sun-
days at 9:15 through 10:15
a.m. in the Library. Deacon
Nancy Rosenblum leads the
aged to join in the discus-
sion. The Bible Study Group
begins its fall session on Sun-
day, September 18. We hope
to see you there!
4
Lectionary
Readings
(Alt: 1 Kings 19:9-18
ark fo
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Eulogy for My Mother
Recently, my family and I went out to Cincinnati to the family cem-
etery plot to celebrate my mother’s life and place her ashes in their final
resting place. My mother, Kay Smith, passed away in June at age 96. She
had moved to Lenox, Massachusetts, several years ago and visited St. Paul’s
with me several times. Since several parishioners here got to know her, I
thought I would share the eulogy that I gave. Here it is:
GayGay, as we family members nicknamed mother, was an extraor-
dinary person: a wonderful, loving mom, a steadfast wife, a devoted friend
to many, a teacher, a community volunteer, a swimmer, an arts lover, and a
lifelong student with an inquiring mind. But I don’t think that these things
are what she wanted us to remember about her today. So, I am going to
share my thoughts about what I think she did want us to remember.
GayGay gave us a good indication with her written instructions for
today. She wanted her funeral to be a celebration, a joyous occasion. Some
of her plans changed because she lived much longer than she thought she
would and her life situation changed. But changes are not something that
should worry us; change is something that GayGay believed in, which I will
come back to in a minute.
I think there were two reasons why she felt that her funeral should
be a happy celebration. First she was a very happy, joyous person herself
and did not generally let life’s trials and tribulations get her down. And se-
cond, she believed that her death was the beginning of an eternal, joyous
state, and of course this belief was based on her deeply held conviction and
trust that God has a higher plan for each of us.
So, first a few recollections of mother and her joyful personality. It
is hard to imagine a more innately happy person than GayGay. She had a
wonderful sense of humor, and most importantly, she knew how to laugh at
herself. In fact, I think she most enjoyed her own silly mishaps. For the old-
er members of the family, I need only mention the punch lines to her favor-
ite stories to bring a smile to our faces; for the younger members and non-
family, we’d be happy to recount the full stories later. But for now, who of
us can forget GayGay’s story about a visit to London during which she
found herself crawling on all fours on the floor of a bookstore near Bucking-
ham Palace; when asked by an impeccably dressed British gentleman who
inquired what was the matter, she replied, “Well, I’ve lost my crown!!”
GayGay can teach us all a lesson in life: enjoy every minute and don’t take
yourself too seriously.
She also had a philosophy of living that sustained her through life.
Once, when I was facing some of my darkest emotional hours after college,
she told me that there was a pre-classical Greek saying that she always
found comforting in difficult times. She wrote the phrase down for me in
Greek and translated it as “Everything changes.” GayGay herself did not
always have an easy life; she faced some horribly dark hours herself. But
she told me that she found it very comforting to know that everything
changes. As difficult as life can be, we need to live just one day at a time,
and we can get through to better times. She also, I believe, saw the wisdom
of this saying when times are good to us. It reminds us that when life is
easy, we need to remember and take strength from it for whatever comes.
We also need to remember that there are always others suffering even when
we aren’t. Article cont’d on page 6
5
son and believed and felt that life is
eternal. While she believed that all
things change on earth, she felt that
there were eternal unchangeable
can begin to get some sense of her
feelings and her message to us today
by turning to some of the music texts
that she chose for her funeral. Here
are the first and second verses of
Hymn 680:
hope for years to come, our shelter
from the stormy blast, and our eter-
nal home: under the shadow of thy
throne thy saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone, and our
defense is sure.”
sic also captures her joy in her belief
in eternal life. For example, here is
the second verse of Hymn 376, an-
other of her chosen hymns:
“All thy works with joy surround
thee, earth and heaven reflect thy
rays, stars and angels sing around
thee, center of unbroken praise. Field
and forest, vale and mountain,
blooming meadow, flashing sea,
call us to rejoice in thee.”
But it is her last musical
choice that speaks the loudest to me.
She wanted the Hallelujah Chorus
from Handel’s Messiah played at her
funeral so that we all could experi-
ence joy on this occasion. Unfortu-
nately, the Hallelujah Chorus has
become so hackneyed through over-
use that we really don’t hear it for
what it is anymore. The text is joy-
ous enough:
God Omnipotent reigneth.The king-
dom of this world is become the
Kingdom of our Lord and of His
“Eulogy for My Mother” cont’d from page 5 Christ; and He shall reign for ever
and ever. Hallelujah!King of Kings,
and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!”
But it is not primarily the
text that conveys the message of joy
here. It’s the music, and its excite-
ment increases exponentially during
with the words, “King of Kings, and
Lord of Lords,” the music rises ever
higher and the exhilaration builds to
an almost unbearable climax, at
which point the chorus comes to a
close with repeated emphatic state-
ments of “for ever and ever. Hallelu-
jah!”.
first performance in1742 must have
experienced, never having heard it
before. I think GayGay could hear
this piece each time as if it was her
first hearing. No hackneyed piece of
music for her!
to imagine what it was like when I
first heard it. I think that is how
GayGay experienced it each time she
heard it, with its joy and spiritual
conviction fresh and new. And I
think that is how she would want all
of us to remember her and the joy
that she wished for us all today.
Submitted by Perry Smith
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Please return to the office:
St Paul's Episcopal Church in Albany
21 Hackett Boulevard
Albany, NY 12208
Mendelssohn - He is watching over Israel
(Elijah)
9/25
M usic Notes
Now is the time to join our parish choir. If
you have singing experience and some mu-
sic reading ability, speak to music director
Steven Rosenberry or call him (225-2490)
to arrange a simple, non-threatening audi-
tion. The choir rehearses on Thursdays at 7
p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
before the 10:30 a.m. service. Rehearsals
begin on September 8.
the 10th anniversary
10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., we will offer a
Musical Meditation to commemorate this national day of loss.
The program will include organ, choral, vocal solo, and
cello music as listed below:
Duruflé - Suite, opus 5 for organ: First movement
Fauré - Requiem - First movement
Erica Sparrow, mezzo soprano &
Storms)
9/8 Choir Rehearsals begin 7 p.m.
9/10 Pre-homecoming gardening event at St Paul's
9/10 Soup Kitchen (9:30 a.m. Grace & Holy Innocents Church)
(See Prudence Backman)
9/14 St. Paul’s Knitters (after 12:10 p.m. Eucharist)
9/18 Fall Bible Study Begins (9:15 a.m. in the library)
9/24 Capital District AIDS Walk
8
Liz Burnworth, daughter of Carolyn Burnworth, had a baby
girl, Alexsandra Lynn, born on Aug. 2 weighing in at 6 lbs
15 oz.
English Reformation (excerpt) Oxford's Diarmaid Macculloch in The Times
Journalists love to write about the present crisis of Anglicanism over women
and gays, for it makes a great headline. "Not All That Many Go Over To Rome"
or "Evangelicals End Up Not Making Quite Such a Fuss as They'd Planned"
don't pack a punch. Headline writers don't seem to realise that the Anglican cri-
sis began in 1533, and has not stopped since. That is why it is so
satisfying to be an Anglican. Anglicanism is a trial-and-error form of
Christianity; it has made mistakes in the past (losing the Dissenters and
the Methodists being two of the worst, not to mention killing Roman
Catholics), and it can feel honestly rueful about them. Anglicanism is an
approach to God which acknowledges that He is often good at remaining silent
and provoking more questions than answers. Anglicans are not afraid to argue
in public.
share in the Epistle ?
21 Hackett Boulevard
Albany, NY 12208
21 Hackett Boulevard
included on the back of each Sunday's Bul-
letin. We have Triads to help us plan and
organize activities for:
Buildings and Grounds
Hospitality
Outreach
Music
Altar
St. Paul’s celebrates the Holy Eucharist on Sundays at 8 a.m. (Quiet Holy Eucharist in the
Chapel followed by coffee hour) and on 9/4, 9:30 a.m., then, from 9/11 forward, 10:30 a.m.
(Holy Eucharist with Choir and Organ in the Sanctuary followed by coffee hour) and on
Wednesdays at 12:10 p.m. Daily Morning Prayer is said at 9 a.m.
Schedule of Services
birthdays and anniver-
stpaulsec@logical.net
membership database.
Office Hours
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calls and visits between