The East Range Epistle May 2004

“these are written so that you may come to believe ...”

      All of the gospels were written long after the Resurrection.  When Jesus’ followers wrote or heard about his life and death, they knew already how the story ended.  The whole story looks different from that perspective.  Suffering and death look different, and death really has lost its sting.  Life will win.
     “Easter people” see something different in the Passion of Christ, whether the story is told by Luke the Evangelist or Mel Gibson.  Easter cannot happen without the Passion; the Passion is not complete without Easter.  The truth of the Cross requires both.  For every human being but One, the Passion is unbearable.  We can only endure it if we know Easter.
     So I waited until we had celebrated the Resurrection to offer an opportunity within our churches to discuss Mel Gibson’s controversial and powerful presentation of the Gospel.  To begin to understand how the gospels differ, we will have studied the Resurrection stories on April 21, reflecting on how each gospel offers a slightly different perspective.  On Wednesday, May 19, at 7 pm at St. Paul's, we will gather to look first at various gospel perspectives on the Passion story, and then to reflect on the Gibson movie.
     Because of this movie people are talking about Jesus, people who before would not have given him a second thought.  This movie, however you respond to it, is an opportunity for us to reflect on our own faith and to talk with others, inside and
  outside the church, about our faith in a context that is freed by Hollywood from the discomfort of the usual forms of evangelism.  It is an opportunity for growth and for God to touch lives through you.  Receive it as a gift.
     Perhaps the Story is told by ancient evangelists and modern movie makers for the same reason:
 

East Range Churches' News

    At the dismissal from the liturgy, "our worship is ended and our service begins." Strengthened by word and sacrament, we are sent out into the world to serve God and God’s children. “B4 We Go” is an informal Bible Study lunch gathering – four "B’s": Brown Bag Bible Bunch –  to reflect on Scripture and how it applies to our lives in the world. B4 We Go gathers after coffee hour at St. Paul’s, from noon until 1 pm, bring along your own lunch.  During the “Great Fifty” days of Easter – Sundays, April 18 to May 23 – we will discuss the readings we heard in worship. If there is interest, the group may continue to study specific Bible Books or themes of the group’s choice.

   Ideas to enhance the worship experience of guests.  Saturday, May 22 from 10 AM to 3 PM at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Duluth.  Seminars are free of charge. Luncheon will be provided.
    Interested in going?  Let Pat know so she may register us.  More details from Pat or online at www.episcopalmn.org/AroundDiocese_031004.htm

    Seeking growth in your spiritual life? Wanting to know more about scripture and tradition? Education for Ministry (EFM) is an opportunity to grow, learn, and worship with a small community of Christians. EFM is a program of theological reflection and spiritual formation offering a basic seminary curriculum for lay people for which Pat is a trained mentor. A commitment to regular attendance is expected.
    Group size is limited so contact Pat now about registration for a group beginning in the fall. There will be an information meeting about EFM at St. Paul's, Wed, May 26, 7 pm.

    If you are interested in how good preaching happens, whether you sense a call to preach, to wrestle with God’s word, or to sharpen your “ears to hear” the Good News, you are welcome. Monthly meetings, beginning in May, will be scheduled according to the needs of those involved. The two-year program, led by Pat, meets the requirements for diocesan licensing, provided the preachers to be licensed are also EFM students. Preachers, experienced or potential, whether desiring to be licensed or not, and auditors, from our congregations or others, are encouraged. Let Pat know (218-638-1206) that you are interested before Saturday, May 8.

    Does anyone need an extra driver on trips to Minneapolis?  Barbara Strickland of St. Paul’s tries to get down for a weekend visit once a month in the summer but her car is not up to taking long trips.  If you need to get to the Twin Cities area and have a car and want company or to have Barbara do all the driving, give her a call (218-666-3114).
    Barbara is available to drive in the day time (down on Friday, back on Monday).

The liturgical-year, seasonal version of the “After Pentecost?” discussion group for April and May, with a focus on new life, living as “an Easter people.”  A time of study, prayer, fellowship, and reflection on God’s activity in our lives.  Scripture, spiritual writings, or movies will focus our reflections. First and third Wednesdays. 7-9 pm:

•  May 5 – Tradition: Celtic Spirituality
•  May 19 – Scripture & Movie: The Passion: the Gospels & Gibson  (Discussion will be enhanced if participants have already seen the movie.)

    In the summer months, the After Pentecost gathering will reflect on our shared values - the basics of what it means to be Christian, to be Episcopalian, and what we love most about our churches. Look for more details in next month's Epistle.

    The Keynote Speaker at the Diocesan Convention was the Rev Charles Fulton, Director of Congregational Development for the Episcopal Church.  Last issue, we covered his “Reason #3 to Grown your Church: Attracting the Unchurched”.  This issue, we will look at Reason #2 from his speech (done in countdown fashion, like David Letterman’s Top Ten lists)

Reason # 2 to Grow your Church:  Our Children don’t attend our Church anymore

    This is the soft under-belly of Episcopalians. Even if we don’t care about the general population, we do care about our children.  And we all carry that pain that somehow the faith that has so filled our lives and transformed our lives is not being passed on to our children.
    We come to realize that we have taken for granted that we live in a world that would somehow reinforce all of these values and this understanding.  It is our job, as parents, to pass the faith on to them.
    The average Episcopalian is about 57.9 years old and the average age in the general population is 36.4.  In that gap are our own children.  We get concerned not just because it’s our children, but because some of us are lucky enough to have grandchildren. If our children aren’t involved in a faith community, our grandchildren are not likely to be involved.
    A couple years ago, while visiting an old college roommate, Rev Fulton saw a photograph of the friend’s granddaughter dressed in a baptismal gown.  When he asked where they go to church, he was told, “We didn’t have a Baptism, we just put the dress on and had the picture made.”
    In a generation this family went from being very “churched” to a family  that goes through the historical motions to take a photograph.  They have gone from  churched to totally disconnected from the church.
    The souls of our own grandkids are at stake here.

Next Issue: Reason #1: Jesus told us to go to church.

    Rogation Day this year will be celebrated at the beginning of our worship services on May 22 and 23 with drumming, chant, outdoor procession, and blessing of the soil.
    Rogation Day observances trace their roots back to the fifth-century church in France when special prayers were offered just before the Feast of the Ascension because of a devastating earthquake and poor harvests. The early Roman Church celebrated Rogation Days with a Christian procession around the fields on the Feast of St. Mark to suppress the ancient pagan Roman celebrations honoring the god “Mildew” and the goddess “Rust.”  The celebration became part of the liturgy of the ancient Church of England. When our English and Celtic ancestors arrived in the New World, they brought the observance of Rogation Day with them. The Rogation Procession moves from a recognition of the sacred earth and Christian roots to prayerful hope for fruits of the earth and fruits of the Spirit. The service celebrates the roots of the Church in the earth and in our life-giving groundedness in Christ.

    Training for those interested in the ministry of visiting homebound and hospitalized from our congregations. An opportunity to share the grace and blessing of our community with those unable to be with us on Sunday morning. Tuesday evening, May 4, at 6:30 pm at St. Paul's. Please let Pat know (218-638-1206) if you plan to attend.

     Are you one of those people who consider “chocolate” a vegetable (after all - it does come from the cocoa bean...)?  Do you believe that the five major food groups are ice cream, chocolate, pastries, sugar, and caffeine? Do you want to prove to yourself that there are NO calories in foods shared with friends? Then have we got a deal for you!
    Please come to the first ever “Just Desserts” night at St. Paul's on Thursday, May 6th at 5:30pm and treat yourself and your family to an evening of desserts.  This will be a potluck event, but one dessert can feed a lot of people, so call Linda Davis  any day after 2 pm (deadline is May 4th) if you'd like to contribute your favorite dessert (so we don't end up with 30 chocolate cakes!)
    Kids and Dads, bring Mom for a pre-Mother's day treat. Moms, bring the family to kick off spring and fishing season.  (For those of you who require  some nutrition at each meal, we will have homemade soup and bread.)
    Hope to see you there!

   Deadline for input to the June issue of The East Range Epistle is Wednesday, May 12, to your congregational contact.  Processing is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, May  19.

The schedule for the lead article for the next three issues of The East Range Epistle is:

• June:St. John's
• July-August: St. Mary's
• September: St. Paul's

St. John's News (Submitted by Jane Kingston)

    The April Vestry Meeting was held after the Epistle went to press.  Details will be in the next Epistle.

    As a reminder to those who would like to contribute towards the cost of providing Mother Pat's valued services on the first Sunday of each month, please make your special donation (specifically marked “1^st  Sunday Services”) to St. John’s if you have not already done so.  These costs – and your donations – are over and above your 2004 pledge.  Thank you very much!

    Our directory and mailing labels are out of date!  Please call Jane Kingston (218-744-3833) with any address corrections (this means YOU, Fayal Township residents!).  We also are looking for names and birth years of all parish children under 21 years of age (born after 1982), in order to include them in youth activities and news.  Also, if you'd care to submit your e-mail address and/or work telephone number for our directory, please contact Jane.

St. Mary's News (Submitted by Mary Groeninger)

        Summer services at the church in Tower are scheduled to begin on Saturday, June 5, 2004.  Check the next Epistle for more information or contact Pat (218-638-1206) or Mary Groeninger (218-365-3364).

    Mary Groeninger has volunteered to serve as the St. Mary's Epistle Contact.  As such, she will collect and submit all church news electronically to Carol/Chuck Morello.  Please contact Mary at 218-365-3364 with your input for St. Mary’s activities.

St. Paul's News

    On the first Pentecost of the Church, Jesus’ followers spoke in many different languages. This Pentecost, May 30, the Episcopalians in Virginia will speak in the Methodist tongue. The Rev. Ken Wellman will preach and preside at a Methodist service of Holy Communion at St. Paul’s regular 10:30 service.

    Unofficial Minutes of the Vestry Meeting of April 12, 2004:

• The Planning Committee recommended that highway cleanup take place on May 8 (with a backup date of May 15 in case of rain on the 8^th.) Commemoration of Rogation Day will be held on Sunday, May 23.  Cleanup work on the church grounds in preparation will be the previous day (May 22).  A training for those who have volunteered to regularly visit the sick and shut-in has been arranged by Pat who will also ask those participating in this work to attend the Safe Church training on April 29.
• David had received a feeler for assistance from the Niija Center but had been unable to contact anyone there. Ginny volunteered to check on their needs. The vestry approved expenditure up to $200 from general outreach funds for Ginny to offer depending on what is requested.
• The Restoration Committee reported that restoration of the old stained glass windows is nearing completion. Settling on designs and colors for the new windows continues.
• The vestry congratulated Gail, Dan Neff, and the Youth Committee for the successful TEC Weekend held the weekend of March 19 at St. Paul’s in Duluth.
• Finance Committee has determined that despite the continued willingness of the renters to live with the much deteriorated condition of the second floor bathroom in the former Rectory, we must insist on doing necessary repairs soon.  The Vestry approved telling the renters that these repairs will be made this coming summer.
• To the inquiry that St. Paul’s support the formation of a group for Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transsexual Christians (GLBT), the vestry will consider offering support (but not financially) of announcements, publicity and meeting space after consulting with St. Paul’s membership at large.  The vestry endorsed that Pat offer the group pastoral support on her own time beyond her East Range ministry.
• The vestry approved an AA group’s request to hold an AA Regional meeting at St. Paul’s on March 8, 2005.
• The sump pump has been installed and the problem with the kitchen sink fixed.
• St. Mary’s (both Tower and Ely) will want to be included in Pat’s first Sunday supply schedule for the three months of summer when the church in Tower is open.  Pat's basic supply fee will stay the same, and although the travel reimbursement will increase, St. Paul’s share ends up less because of the sharing of these costs with the other two churches.
• The vestry approved dropping AT&T as a long distance carrier from its telephone service and discontinuing the elevator phone
• The vestry has received a wealth of information from the national organization that might help them decide if and how to host a PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) group at St. Paul’s.  The vestry will invite the Regional Director to the vestry meeting of May 11, and invites church members and other interested parties to meet with him then as well.
• The Vestry has received the advertisements the Episcopal Church USA is making available.  Deanne will explore whether we could run such ads on our website.

“Being an Acolyte, Lector, or Lay Reader is a service of honor to God and our worshipping communities...”

    It’s time again to update our roster of members willing to serve during worship.  If you would like to be added to our list, we’d be more than happy to include you in our scheduling!  If you are no longer able/willing to participate ... we need to know that, too.  Pat periodically holds training gatherings to keep everyone informed of necessary duties or would be happy to guide anyone in between training sessions.  St. Paul’s is especially in need of acolytes – remember this duty is not limited to youth!  Please contact Rae Lynne Koivu with any changes (218-749-3922 or 218-749-8804)
 

• the Diocesan Commission on the Environment.
• the Episcopal Church.
• the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota.

This page maintained for the East Range Episcopal Churches by . Address comments on typographical errors to Chuck.