East Range Episcopal Churches

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Reflections on Communicating
(February 2001)

Our history tells of who we are in our relationship to Jesus Christ, to our community, and to each other.  The following articles from back issues of The East Range Epistles (July/August 1996 through December 2001/January 2002) remain of interest and serve as a witness of what our congregations have been doing, thinking, planning.

On January 1, 2007 at the request of St. John's Episcopal Church, the covenanted cluster of the East Range Episcopal Churches ceased to exist. In the course of the next months all articles of historical from The East Range Epistles will be archived here.

On November 1, the Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints. This is a day to remember those who have died. Each year (from 1997 through 2006) we list all those in the East Range Episcopal Churches who have died since the previous November 1.

The Bishop of Butare, Kenya, has offered his former home in Nairobi for use as a medical center by Mobile Outreach International. The Dr. Mock Memorial Medical Center opened in July 1996, named for the founder of Mobile Outreach International, the late Dr. Chic Mock of St. Paul's. The center will provide services to nearly 500,000 needy people living in the slums of Kangemi, Gatina, Dagoreti, Kibera, and Kawangware.

Mail from another world? Whenever God turns towards mankind, everything always happens "wonder-fully" from our perspective -- whether it is the Child of Bethlehem, the Risen Lord, or the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He does not send us a package, but rather the divine helper, comforter, a guest, the creative spirit, which works in us and through us giving us light and strength. God is the sender we, the receiver. But does the transmission really reach its destination? This is where the questions arise. The sender has even set up the receiver with excellent "extras" to enhance reception: reason, intellect, desire, and many other capabilities. These "extras" are not hooked up only at Baptism, Confirmation, or during the Eucharist. Wherever responsibility, hope, and love are alive, the Holy Spirit is also working and there is no total failure to experience God.

Electricity always needs two poles -- otherwise it cannot flow. Radio waves need not only a sender, but also a receiver -- and both must be on the same frequency. The receiver must also be turned on and tuned in. It is not enough that the sender transmits on a specific frequency in a specific direction.

If the mailman delivers a letter in my mailbox as quickly as possible, I must go to the mailbox, take out the letter, open it and read it. Otherwise the message – whether special delivery or Express Mail – will never reach me.

An airplane takes off with a specific destination. If it cannot land there, the pilot will ask permission to land elsewhere. This often happens in the interaction between the grace of God (a spiritual transmission) and the freedom of mankind. Even after receipt of this grace, the individual can simply let it lie there "unused".

What does mankind do with its great inventions? Let us look at the computer. Within moments after the election polls close we can see the first estimates and projected winners – a wonder; but a widow must often wait three months (or more) to receive death benefits from Social Security (also a "wonder"!).

There are people who will wait until the last possible moment before they will turn on their receivers. Some, like Camus' character of Caesar in his drama Caliqula, never turn on their receivers.

The life and words of Jesus point unanimously to the duty that the receiver of the grace of God has to accept the grace and to pass them on to others. The receiver becomes a witness of faith – less through education and speaking as through the daily acts of living the faith. Receiving is important, but the receiver becomes a transmitter. Receiving is only the beginning, which – as with all living things – must grow.

+ This article originally appeared in the October 1987 issue of European Episcopalian Epistles.

On Sunday, August 18, 1996 Dr. Loisruth Bartel presented a wonderful concert together with appearances by the local group Loony Tunes. For the small but enthusiastic crowd this was a special show, with extremely professional and impressive performances by all. A good sum of money was collected to be used for burned and desecrated churches through the auspices of the Presiding Bishop's Fund for restoration of these churches. Those who were unable for various reasons to attend can recapture some of the excitement and contribute to the cause by purchasing a video made of the concert. Copies are available from the Morellos at $8.00 each (or $4.00 if you bring your own tape). All income above the cost of the tapes will be turned over to St. Paul's for processing.

St. Paul had a tumultuous career as the first Christian missionary. Observes Father Bill Tully, he may have invented the very idea of congregations.

As he moved on to new challenges, he never forgot the people and places he left behind. A good chunk of the New Testament is Paul's correspondence. He bares his soul agonizing, reproving, rejoicing, giving thanks and praying for God's people.

Even when he honestly expresses his anger or disappointment with them, he always has great hope that things will turn out well. In Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, he hopes for a truly wonderful thing for the members of that congregation: that in the end they will be "guiltless in the day of our Lord" (1 Cor 1:8).

No priest could want anything better for his or her people. For while guilt may positively be understood as a mature acceptance of responsibility for wrongdoing, guilt, for most of us, is corrosive. As Frederick Buechner says, "The danger of our guilt is less that we won't take it to heart than that we take it to heart overmuch and let it fester there in ways that we ourselves often fail to recognize. We condemn in others the wrong we don't want to face in ourselves. The sense of our own inner brokenness estranges us from the very ones who could help patch us together again."

Paul must have known how the force of guilt got in the way of his work as well as the health and happiness of individuals and congregations. We know something of that power, too. It gets in the way of harmonious relationships, fosters judgmentalism and undermines the hard-won foundations of self-acceptance. Anxiety, hostility and self-doubt dominate.

As Episcopal Church Christians, our hope is in the discipline of confession and absolution. Nothing can be more dynamically freeing than the words from the Prayer Book Service of The Reconciliation of a Penitent, "The Lord has put away all your sins." And the heartfelt response, "Thanks be to God." Or, as Paul says as he continues his letter to the Christians at Corinth, "God is faithful" (1 Cor 1:9).

+ This originally appeared in European Episcopalian Epistles, February 1988, when Father Norman Cram was a US Navy Chaplain stationed in Naples, Italy.

One of the things that most impressed me when I began to attend services in the Episcopal Church was the ministry of acolytes, those young people who assist the priest at the altar. From my perspective as a worshiper in the pew, it seemed to me that acolytes were involved in a beautiful and complex sort of choreography as they moved about the sanctuary in their various capacities. Now I see it not just as beautiful liturgy, but as an indispensable part of our worship together.

The ministry of acolytes has its origins in the Old Testament, where we find the Prophet Samuel assisting Eli, the priest, and of Elijah being assisted by Elisha. As Christianity evolved through the New Testament, the practice of setting aside those who would assist in the conduct of worship continued. Acolytes assist priests and deacons in order that the Eucharist and other rites of the Church may be celebrated with simple dignity, making it possible for all to worship fully.

+ The Rev Sara Chandler, as excerpted from The Answer, the newsletter of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Woodbridge, VA.

On Sunday, May 18, the Church celebrated her birth. The Feast of Pentecost recalls the moment when the quickening Spirit of God came to the Disciples. The story in the Acts of the Apostles portrays this extraordinary moment. Jesus kept His promise not to leave desolate those who loved him.

The teaching of the Church, based on the biblical witness, is that the Holy Spirit came as an advocate, enabler, counselor, and guide. He came to stand, in the world, in place of the historic Jesus, in order to continue his ministry. Jesus was an enabler of people. Through the majesty of His presence, and the effect of the divine witness he conveyed, people rose above selfishness, to love God and neighbor. God came as man, when that was necessary and the time was right. God came as Spirit to continue the work of the Messiah, and to bring us to understand that Jesus is Lord.

Something we must grasp is that Pentecost was not a one-time thing. The gift of the Spirit was a gift for all generations. The promise in John (14:15-21) was that Jesus would pray to the Father, and the Father would give another counselor, to be with us forever. There is, in the minds of some Christians, a heresy called dispensationalism. This holds that the work of the Holy Spirit ended with the close of the biblical age. This theory contends that when the Acts of the Apostles ended, the Holy Spirit quit. If that is so, then we are, in this world, alone. If that is the case, Jesus did not keep his promise; he did leave us desolate.

Our experience tells us differently. We feel the love of God, His grace, and His forgiveness daily. It seems that the harder we try to deny or defy Him, the more desperately He reaches out to reconcile. It is not so much that we turn to God, as God comes to us. That coming, that experience of unmerited and unexpected grace, is the Holy Spirit working in our lives. When we acknowledge Christ as our Savior, it is the Spirit who made us wise. When we repent and return to God, it is the Spirit who prompted penitence. When we love the unlovely, comfort the afflicted, visit the sick, or share our presence with the lonely, it is the Spirit that brings us to know neighbor as sister or brother. The Holy Spirit is our experience of God in this world.

+ The Rev Ronald Johnson was priest-in-charge, St. Andrew's Episcopal Congregation, Stuttgart, Germany, when this article appeared in the June 1988 issue of European Episcopalian Epistles.

The Rev. J.J. Enmegahbowh was the first recognized Native American priest in the Episcopal Church in the United States. In 1859, he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Jackson Kemper and in 1867, a priest by Bishop Henry Whipple. Enmegahbowh, whose name means "The One Who Stands Before His People" served many years at St. Columba's, which he and the Rev. James Lloyd Breck founded together, at Gull Lake in 1852. The mission was later moved to White Earth, where Enmegahbowh served until his death on June 12, 1902.

Since the middle 1980s, the Diocese of Minnesota has honored Enmegahbowh in our Diocesan Calendar of Saints on June 12. The 138th Annual Diocesan Convention passed a resolution in 1995 to commend Enmegahbowh for inclusion in our National Calendar of Saints. Since then, a committee of the Liturgy and Music Commission of the Diocese of Minnesota has been working towards this goal. The National Episcopal Church has tabled all additions to the national calendar of saints until the convention in the year 2000.

The Collect for Enmegahbowh is:
Almighty God, you led your pilgrim people of old with fire and cloud; grant that the ministers of your Church, following the example of blessed Enmegahbowh, may stand before your holy people, leading them with fiery zeal and gentle humility. This we ask through Jesus, the Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. AMEN.

The Prayers of the People are:
Creator and Redeemer, we approach you in prayer
Make us straight in our paths
Make us straight in our minds
Make us straight in our hearts
Make us straight in our speech.
We pray first for your Community, the Church, the Body of Christ.
(Specific Petitions offered)
Father, love is something we must have. We must have it because our spirit feeds upon it. We have it because without it we become weak and faint. Without love, we weaken and our courage fails.
Father, you declared that love in your Son Jesus Christ. Help your Church to declare that love in your world.
Lord, hear and have mercy.
For that world we now pray.
(Specific Petitions)
Great Spirit, we feel you in the buffalo, the moose, in summer, with the mist on the lakes and in the blue water, in the cry of the loon. It is beautiful. You tell us heaven is still more beautiful. Injustice and suffering will be gone. We rejoice and look forward with hope as you help us to build your kingdom in our communities. Those who have worn out their shoes know where to step. Help us to follow the footsteps of Jesus.
Lord, hear and have mercy.
We remember those who suffer, those in special need.
(Specific Petitions)
Father, after the winter cold and icy winds, life again glows from the bosom of Mother Earth. Mother Earth throws off dead stalks and withered limbs; and new strong saplings arise. We ask such new life for those who suffer, and that they be sustained by Your Spirit.
Lord, hear and have mercy.
Let us remember those who have gone before.
(Specific Names)
Father, the faces of the past are like leaves that settle to the ground. They make the earth rich and thick, so that new fruit will come forth every summer. We give thanks for the wisdom the elders have brought down to us, and we ask that it may bear fruit in us.
Lord, hear and have mercy.
Finally, let us give thanks.
(Specific Items)
Creator, you saw the world and declared it good. The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the grass speak to us. The summit of the mountain, the thunder of the sky, the rhythm of the lakes speak to us. The faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning, the dewdrops on the flower speak to us.
But above all, our heart soars, for you speak to us in your Son, our Brother, Jesus Christ, in whose name we offer these prayers.
Amen.
NOTE: Bishop Kemper was the 31st Bishop in the Succession of American Bishops and the last bishop to be consecrated bishop by one of the four original bishops of the Episcopal Church, Bishop William White.

A couple of months ago, our priest had the members of the Stewardship Committee writing personal "money biographies." We found the task called for self-examination, particularly in regard to our relationships with money and God. After all, God is "there and then" and money is "here and now", or so it seems. The material things we want appear immediate and persuasive, the spiritual things we need can be put off to a more convenient time.

What we discovered with our autobiographies is that we in this country are rich and often act as if we don't know it. We probably let ourselves think that we "deserve" the little luxuries we buy. Worse still, we convince ourselves that the luxuries are necessities, when we really know that's not so. And if we can't get these "necessities" we might feel deprived and end up with the sense of being poor.

If our standard of rich/poor is based on our ability to buy all that we want, then we will always be poor, for there is always something a bit too expensive for us. But what if we have another standard? What if our standard is that possessions are transitory and that what we want is a life with our family, our friends, our church and our God? In that case, how much material wealth we have is not important, for it is enough.

Jesus had this to say about possessions, "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ...I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but who are not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16-21)

Sometime, when you're looking at your budget and feeling the strain of rising costs and maybe putting off your pledge to the church, why not take a look at your "necessities." How much do you pay for your cigarettes or beer? What does it cost to go out to dinner or take a vacation or rent a video or join a bowling league? Did you really need that new dress or would hamburger have been just as satisfying as steak? Total up your "necessities" and compare their costs with your church and charitable contributions. Do you feel good about it? Are you "rich toward God?"

+ Walt McIntosh chairs the Stewardship Committee at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church , Woodbridge, VA. This originally appeared in the August 19, 1997, issue of The Answer.

Why is it that so many of us, myself included, have difficulty in communicating our faith? Much less do we really share that faith, that is, transmit it so it takes root in others. I live in Washington, DC, where for most of us our livelihoods depend on our ability to work with words, to communicate ideas, to sell other people on course of action. We live in an age where words abound. Yet, when it comes to something so basic as being able to tell others about our relationship with Jesus, who we call our very Lord, we suddenly are inarticulate. Why?

Let me tell you a story. A couple of years ago, I was assigned to the multinational peacekeeping force in the Sinai, and I had the opportunity to travel around much of Egypt and Israel. My wife joined me for a holiday, and we headed up the Nile to Luxor, the site of ancient Thetes, the Temples of Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings. The relics of Egyptian civilization were all very fascinating, but of even more interest to me was the "modern" city. It was exhilarating to open the hotel room balcony doors to the rising sun, to see the lush palm fed by the Nile and the barren shimmering desert just a mile away, to smell the animal dung, strong coffee, and cooking lamb in the streets below, to hear the sounds of the sukh -- or market -- beginning to come alive, and the piercing call of the muazzin from the corner mosque, summoning the faithful to morning prayer.

As we wandered through the back streets of the city, we came upon a small Coptic Christian church. There were a couple of Arab men sitting on a bench in front of it, and as we went in one of them joined us, presumably to show us around. At first I suspicious, because the constant payment of baksheesh for the most trivial service is very tiresome. Besides, he was dirty and tattered, and he spoke no English, while my Arabic vocabulary was about a dozen words. Still he persisted, so we dutifully followed him around the tiny church, looking at the various artifacts.

It wasn't what one would quite picture a Coptic Church to be (I had seen others in Jerusalem). The icons were all very 19th Century and hardly the ascetic pieces you'd expect, and the place was seedy. As we worked our way around, our guide kept jabbering away. I don't know what it was that caused me to make the connection, but all of a sudden I realized that he wasn't talking about the church or the paintings, he was talking about himself. Though he spoke no English, and I, no Arabic; he was witnessing to me, telling me the story of his own conversion to Christ. Through his body language and use of the pictures, I pieced together the facts of his life. He was about 40, was born a Moslem, and lived as such for 30 years. The Christians he knew were social outcasts, but he did make the acquaintance of a few in his daily commerce in the city. One day he was struck with some infirmity in his eyes -- whether one or both I didn't understand -- and he feared blindness. One of his Christian acquaintances visited him, prayed for him, and laid hands on him for healing. He regained his vision. In thanksgiving to God, he made a vow to become a Christian, and at about age 30 he was baptized.

What he could not say, but I understood, was the radical restructuring of his life that this meant: an utter break with his family, becoming a social pariah to his old circles of friends, a barely tolerated minority in a Moslem world. I was deeply moved.

He took us behind the proscenium, behind the altar, to his favorite icon -- a large madonna and child. It was set on the floor against a wall. He knelt down and kissed the image of the baby "Jeshua", and looked at me quizzically. "Where are you?" he seemed to say to me. I knelt down and did likewise. The he pulled for a bind of tabernacle a vial of aromatic chrism -- I recall it smelling something like wintergreen -- and anointed himself liberally on head, face, chest, and hands, symbolizing (to my understanding) the washing of his sin and his chrismation at baptism, his new life in Christ. He offered me the vial. I did the same, though more moderately.

As we left the church, I placed a large bill in the alms box and offered him a small one. He took it without a show, and we said "Salaam" to each other.

I have come 6000 miles to receive a lesson about sharing the faith: if the news is good enough to us, we'll find a way to tell it. I'll remember that man long after I've forgotten King Tut's tomb.

+ The Rev. James D. Chipps is a priest in the Diocese of Virginia. This originally appeared in the February 1985, issue of Answer, a publication of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church , Woodbridge, VA.

During Advent the box is brought down from the attic. The original packing straw is put out on a low table and the figures are unwrapped from their layers of tissue. The original Italian-made figures are handled with awe and reverence -- even though two of the camels' legs have been broken and glued. Some pieces are later additions: the yellow plastic "young" camel, the flat plaster of Paris sheep, two paper angels from a Christmas card from Scotland, a wooden shepherd from a foreign exchange student and an assortment of dogs. Gabriel is hung with almost invisible fish line from a nail above the curtain rod to twist and fly whenever the heat is blowing.

Only Mary and one dog are placed on the straw the first day. Other figures are added daily. With a family of four children, it didn't take long for the figures to find their places on the straw. Did each child put out one each day or did they take turns, each having one day? I don't remember.

We have a large house, so the Three Wise Men, camel boy and, now, two camels start from far away slowly making their way over the piano mountain, rounding corners by doors, traversing tables and book shelves. After all, they can't arrive until Epiphany, January 6.

The children all knew the Christ Child figure was in the box. He would have been unwrapped while searching for other pieces. Christmas morning he would be found nestled between Joseph and Mary. They never asked how he got there. One daughter, when she was grown, told me she could always imagine him flying through the air. Another one said she thought Santa Claus put him there.

Years have gone and although no children live at home, the Crèche is still put out one figure at a time. There are sometimes young friends who carefully place the shepherds and angels in their places. Last Christmas our two young grandsons made the long trip from Iowa to spend Christmas with us. The whole family was together -- all eleven of us. Early Christmas morning, Robbie took my hand and we walked together to the low table. In his clear, excited, three-year-old voice, he said, "Look, Gramma, Baby Jesus came!"

+ Ginny McBride provided this article based on her special experience with the Crèche in 1994.

I answered the same questionnaire about stewardship that Walt McIntosh wrote about in "A Money Autobiography", but I must admit I had never seriously given a great deal of thought to some of the categories in it. At some point in my life, I just knew by the examples set by my parents that in order for any organization to function especially the church , I must make and fulfill a commitment to God in terms of the money, time, and talent He had given me.

As a child, I do not recall ever hearing my parents discuss their contributions to the church. I always saw the pledge cards, but I never knew the amount they gave to the church. The one exception was when the building fund drive started for the new church and there was some discussion of the amount of money each family was asked to donate over a period of time. I know through their actions, however, that my parents took their financial and other obligations to the church seriously. No matter what other financial demands were made on our family, my brothers and sisters and I were always given money by our parents which was specifically for Sunday school and church.

When I finished college, I realized the time had come for me to start seriously thinking about pledging regularly to the church. The question was, of course, how much should I pledge? After all, my annual salary was less that $4,000; what could I afford? Seeking counsel from my dad, as I usually did on important matters, I asked him if he thought a weekly pledge of a dollar was sufficient. I do not recall his exact words, but I do remember him saying that if that was the best I could do, it would be better for me not to pledge. Well, I thought maybe I should have kept my intentions to myself and simply dropped a dollar into the collection plate weekly as I had observed many other gainfully employed adult members doing. I'm sure his intention was not to embarrass me, but rather to cause me to think about why I should give back to God some of what I was blessed to have, not only monetarily, but in other ways. So I started contributing, not that I think about it in terms of a percentage, about six per cent of my salary, which was not as "painful" as I had initially thought.

That conversation with my dad took place more than 30 years ago, but the significance of that conversation is as relevant today as it was then. The following words to one of my favorite songs sum it up and keep me focused on my commitment to God: "...all that I am or ever hope to be, I owe it all to You."

+ This originally appeared in the July 1997 issue of Answer, a publication of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Woodbridge, VA, where Winnie Gilmore is a parishioner

This small part of your body consists of only five fingers, but you hold your destiny in the palm of this hand. With this hand I could be of service for I have seen others without a hand. But what could I create? Of what use would you be without your hands? This fingered object can control life; it takes only a point to push a button that will destroy the world, but it takes a hand to lead or guide a baby's faltering footsteps.

This five pointed form which we call a hand can feel the richness of red velvet, the coarseness of golden brown straw, the smoothness of a baby's cheek, the dew on a silvery flower petal, and the sticky prickle of a puppy's tongue. Your hands, my hands, can feel so much, can hold so much, but what are you doing with yours?

These strong hands will mold a world; they can clinch in a fist for fighting, open wide for giving, reach out in possessiveness and curl gently around a baby's hand for leading. With these hands I will cling to life and I will build a world strong and free. This is their purpose and will create for good. But the world you may build can be selfish and unsatisfied. Your hands look at them what do you see? Do you see lazy hands or choking hands. Do something with these hands. Do not fold them in your lap and be satisfied with hands that do nothing. Your hands may never carve a statue or mold a country. I realize that. But, they can write a letter, light a candle, grasp another's hand with yours. They have many duties, many tasks to perform. What type of work will these hands be doing? Hands mean so much to those without and you take yours for granted.

I know my hands have never felt heavy jewels or the coarseness of a cross. They are not hands of might or strength. But, my hands will work for me to create something of which I will not be ashamed. I cannot bear the agony of creating a masterpiece of evil.

Hands can be looked on in so many ways. They can be ugly, dripping with another's blood, filled with stolen jewels, clinched into a tight fist, red with the sting of a slap. Hands can be beautiful; covered with mud of an honest days work, stained with chalk after a day of teaching, covered with soap and water after the simplest task of washing a dish and marred with scars of suffering or a strife for the right. As you look, are these hands filled with ugliness or the hands of beauty?

Look at your hands hard and think of what use they will be: to paint a magnolia blossom, to mold a statue, to sew a seam, to throw a ball, to create a dream, to eat a cake, to light a candle, to extend a hand of welcome. Your hands may do anything you desire, and your desires will make your hands create an idea. Do what you will with your hands, but if the only use you can find is pushing a button or pointing a finger, then you deserve to be without hands. These hands are a gift of creativity as you came into this world with your fists clinched, craving everything. Remember to leave this world with your hand open, giving everything.

Stare at your hands, because they will be your life and then these same hands must fold at the end of everyday to thank the Lord that you and I are not without two hands, to guide us on our way.

+ The author of this is unknown. This was found in a collection of anonymous writings the Morellos came into possession of in 1986. If you know who the author is, please let us know.

This is the headline of an important article which appeared in a 1996 issue of Christianity Today.  I must say, I didn't need to read the piece in order to discover why the devil takes VISA.  As in most of the things the devil does, the purpose is to separate us from the true source of our joy, God.  The article points out that Americans are twice as rich and a little less happy than we were 40 years ago.

Many years ago, John D. Rockefeller was asked, "How much money is enough?", to which he replied, "Just a little bit more."  Believing that (and we all do), have we become happier as our income doubled?  We have not.  Research also shows that the number of Americans who describe themselves as "pretty well satisfied" with their financial situation dropped from 42 to 30 percent.  The devil's work has been done.

In his book, The Lost City, Alan Ehrenhalt concludes, "Too many of the things we do in our lives, large and small, have come to resemble channel surfing, marked by a numbing and seemingly endless progression from one option to the next, all without benefit of a chart, logistical or moral, because there are simply too many choices and no one to help sort them out.  We have nothing to insulate ourselves against the perpetual temptation to try one more choice, rather than to live with what is on the screen in front of us."

In the midst of this ongoing three-ring circus, Our Lord calls us to a different standard, one which puts God in the center ring.  We are told that the way to begin that process is by tithing, giving God the first fruits.  Deuteronomy 14:22-23 calls on us to tithe because tithing teaches us to put God in first place.

Many of us have gotten so accustomed to the life of consumerism that we find it impossible to consider giving God 10%.  If so, you may want to figure out exactly what percentage you are currently giving and enter into the discipline of proportionate giving.  For example, if you are currently giving 2% of your annual income, plan to give 4% next year.

Or perhaps you, having considered your relationship with God, will move to the tithe in just one step.  Commit to tithing for just three months and see how it goes.  You just might be surprised at what happens.  Here is what I have learned about tithing over the years.

You will be surprised:

• at the amount of money you have for the Lord's work.
• at the deepening of your spiritual life in giving the tithe.
• at the ease in going from the tithe to larger giving.
• at the preparation this gives to be a faithful and wise steward over the nine-tenths that remain.
• at yourself for not adopting the plan sooner.

+ The Rev Dr. Sarah Chandler was rector of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Woodbridge, VA, when she wrote this for the October 1996 issue of The Answer.

"And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered and His raiment was white and glistening" (Luke 9:29)

We all have a fascination with faces.  As little children we would hide our faces and play peek-a-boo.  If we went out on a blind date we couldn't wait to see what our date looked like.  The TV and magazines offer a parade of candid pictures of people's faces.  Faces tell us something of the character of an individual.  We often hear people say, "I have a difficult time remembering names, but I never forget a face".

In the case of Jesus we may have just the opposite case.  Jesus has a name we cannot forget, but a face with no description.  It appears the Gospel writers had little or no interest in this.  In spite of not knowing what Jesus looked like, we still know of His countenance.  The countenance of an individual is like the sunshine or shadows falling upon the rocks or mountains.  Sometimes they appear friendly and inviting; other times. hard and threatening.  Their moods and ours seem to be constantly changing.

In the Gospels we get glimpses of the countenance of Jesus.  We see the indignation on His face as He cleanses the temple.  We catch His humor as He makes His enemies appear ridiculous in their challenges.  We see His sincerity as He fascinates the crowds with His teachings.  His thoughts, His sentiments, His determination, His love, are all revealed by the fashion of His countenance.

We see in the account of the Transfiguration the fashion of His countenance was altered and His raiment was white and glistening.  Charles Lamb once said, if Shakespeare came into a room, everyone would stand; but if Jesus came into a room, everyone would kneel.  The countenance of Jesus brings awe to our hearts.  In Matthew's account we read, "His face did shine as the sun" (Matt. 17:2).  His countenance communicates His power.  In 2 Cor 4:6 Paul writes, "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God is in the face of Jesus Christ".  The glory of God is revealed in the countenance of Jesus.

Maybe we can see the face of Jesus clearer than we think.  The knowledge of the glory of God and all His glory are seen in the face of Jesus.  He reveals God.  His countenance is the light of the world.  Take time to look and see His face.  His glory can be revealed in you as well and your countenance will be forever altered.

+ The Rev. Raymond Bradley was Division Chaplain, 1st Infantry Division (Forward) in Göppingen, Germany when he wrote this for European Episcopalian Epistles in August 1989.

Until a month ago I had a cat, Jingles by name, which was short for Jingle Bells because he was a Christmas present from friends.  My wife and I fought over whose cat Jingles was, and the common refrain usually was, "He's not mine, I let you have him." Jingles was really a horse in cat's clothing, weighing 20 pounds at one time. And he was probably the most affectionate cat ever.  He thought laps were intended for sitting on, and his usual sleeping spot was curled up against my neck or under my arm.  For nine years I kept wondering why I woke up stiff.  I loved that cat mightily.

For perhaps the last two years of Jingles' life, maybe longer, he suffered from diabetes and in the last few months this meant frequent trips to the vet, daily insulin shots, a couple incidents of insulin shock, massive weight loss, and worst of all a loss of control over his bladder.  Whether caused by his disease or his own perversity, Jingles began, as males often do, to spray urine about the house, most frequently on my stereo equipment and classical record collection, the very things I was most possessive of.  Toward the end it became an almost daily occurrence.  Not surprisingly, my love for the cat was sorely tested, though his affection for me only increased.  We tried everything to force a change in what seemed to have become habit.  More trips to the vet, more drugs, hormones, and the like failed to alter his behavior – either his spraying or his affection.  Finally it came down to this: the smell of cat pee overcame my love for the cat, and I just couldn't live with him any longer.  I took Jingles to the vet to be destroyed.  My wife waited in the car.  That euphemism, "put to sleep," is just that, a euphemism.  I felt like a murderer.  I still have nightmares about it.

For a month now, I've been reflecting on this: is there a point for all of us that no matter how much love we have for someone or something or country or whatever, it just can't survive some adversities?  Do we inevitably fall back on ourselves and protect our own identities and comforts, protecting ourselves from pain, when we are forced to choose?  I don't have any pat answers to that, but I've come to understand something about hard moral choices.  Before the choice is forced, no one is capable of answering for himself.  One can take the most rigid moral stance possible before the fact – "I would never kill my pet"; "I would never have an abortion"; "I would never pull the plug on my comatose mother" – but until I am faced with the reality I cannot answer for myself.

Peter said to Jesus, "Lord you know I love you.  I will even lay down my life for you."  That was in the glow of the Last Supper.  A few hours later when the arrest was a reality, he was denying he ever knew Jesus.

This has given me a new sympathy for the people I had always considered moral "untouchables", the aborters, the euthanasiasts, the plug pullers, the collaborators, and all the others who show "weakness" under stress.

Paul said, "That which I would not, I do, and that which I would, I cannot do."  As perfect a definition for original sin as there is.  Behind this understanding of our fallen nature lurks a fear.  If I, created in the image of God, have a point in which my love can no longer survive the pains caused by others, what if God is the same way?  It is not exactly popular to talk about God's judgment or wrath, conditioned as we Episcopalians are to speak always of God's lovingness.  But Paul, who speaks more eloquently than any of God's love, also tells us to work out our salvation in fear and trembling.

It is at such times I feel almost hopeless.  And the only hope I do have is that the same Jesus who knew Peter would betray him also used Peter to build his Church.

Cats can teach you a lot about Grace.

+ The Rev James D. Chipps wrote this as a student at Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, VA, in 1984.  The Rev Chipps later became Rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Casanova, VA.

When did you first learn about stewardship? Are you still learning? When have you talked with your children about stewardship? And what have you taught?  Are they encouraged to give from their own resources and time? Or do they just pass money through from you?

In a Sunday School one of the teachers spent some time talking with children and writing down their thoughts about stewardship.  When this was completed, the teacher had collected comments from the children and offered a challenge to them.  We'll get to the challenge later.

First, some answers to the question, "What does stewardship mean?"

• From a Kindergartner: "A boat?"
• From a First Grader: "Helping other people, like the people at the homeless shelter."
• From a Junior High School Student: "Giving back to the Church, giving back to God."
• From another Junior High School student: "It's when you put money in the offering plate."
• From a Senior High School student: "Too much for words.  I just can't verbalize it."
• From another Senior High School student: "Helping God's people."

One child, working with the thought that the stewardship of money was from his money said, "but if I give the money to the church, I won't have enough for my Power Rangers."  When it was suggested that he could earn more, to get the Power Rangers, he said, "but if I earn more, I want that for some Silly Putty." (Now think 20 years later and substitute "new car", "new dress", "new computer" – in the things "I want").

And now for the challenges:

Children: At Hallowe'en, for every piece of candy that you receive, give one penny back to God.  That way you have "tithed" your income.

Adults: For every piece of candy you give at Hallowe'en, pray that the child receiving the candy may become a better steward than you are.  That way you will strengthen God's will in children.

+ Debra Finney is the Sunday School Coordinator at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Woodbridge, VA.  This appeared in the November 1997 issue of The Answer and was modified for The East Range Epistle.

One of the books that I find myself continually returning to over the years is Richard Foster's The Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Money, Sex & Power.  In the section on money, Foster describes the biblical stance of God's ownership of everything.  The Bible makes perfectly clear God's absolute rights as owner and our relative rights as stewards: God declares to Job, "Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine" (Job 41:11).  To Moses, he says, "All the earth is mine" (Exodus 19: 5-6).  And the psalmist confesses, "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof" (Psalm 24:1)

Many of us find it difficult to identify with this teaching.  We feel that we worked hard for our houses, our Dodge Rams, and our haberdashery and it belongs to us (and sometimes the bank!).  It's a definite move toward mature faith when we are able to see that God's ownership of all things actually enhances our relationship with him.  When we deeply and truly know that it all belongs to God, then property itself makes us more aware of him.  To stay in someone else's vacation property is to be daily reminded of that person simply by virtue of living in her house.  It's the same thing in my relationship with God.  The house I live in is his house.  The car I drive is his car.  The garden I putter around in is his garden.  I just have oversight of these things for the time being.

Having this in mind colors my attitude as we approach the season of considering our financial commitment to God and his work in our congregations.  Rather that asking, "How much of my money should I give to God?" I learn to ask, "How much of God's money should I keep for myself?"  The difference between these two question is one of life and death.  I encourage you this year to at least experiment with the question of how much of God's money you should keep for yourself as you consider his ministry in our congregations.

+ The Rev. Dr. Sara Chandler is rector of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church.  This originally appeared in the September 15, 1998 issue of The Answer.

Christmas has a variety of meanings.  To some it means family reunions, a tree lit and decorated, the singing of carols, the giving and receiving of presents and cards, good food and a host of other things.  All these activities are pleasurable and enjoyable trappings.  But even though we welcome Christmas each year as a family-centered festivity; a time when we also reach out to help others, we must not forget its real significance.  Nowhere is the significance of Christmas better described, I believe, than in the Third Chapter of St. John's Gospel: "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son."  Thus, from a Christian point of view, there really can be no Christmas without the gift of Christ.

A Christian, when he or she thinks about Christmas, remembers what God has freely given to him.  And hasn't He blessed us all?  God has given us life with its abundance, opportunities and many relationships.  He has also given us the world in which we live.  A world in which we can have the capacity to face and overcome obstacles that would turn us from his face.  Above all, God has given of himself in the person of Jesus Christ.  He has given us that precious Life to emulate.  Christmas then is the time when we remember and celebrate what God did for us, what he has given us.

Another thing a Christian remembers about Christmas is that with each gift or blessing there comes responsibility.  We have an obligation to use, develop, and share every talent we possess.  What a tragedy it is to see those with great ability who prefer to bury their treasure by refusing to share it.  They accept their gifts but not the responsibility that goes with them.  The same is true for the gift of God himself in Christ Jesus.  As we found in Him our identity and the meaning for our lives, we have the responsibility to share this life and blessing with others.

I recall coming upon a story once of a group of GI's who paid a visit to a little church in an Italian town during World War II.  Inside the church the soldiers found an armless statue of Jesus, badly damaged in the war.  Underneath the figure a note was found with these words: "You are now my arms".  Yes, because of his blessings to us, we are able to be God's messengers, his arms, hands, feet, and eyes in this turbulent, changing world.  We are to carry his message and love with us.  We can begin in our homes, where we work in our communities.  For each of us this year, Christmas will be different from what we have ever experienced before. We are part of a turbulent, unpredictable world.  However, the message of Christmas, of God's love and our response to his love remains forever the same.  In this holy season and throughout the coming year, let us pray that we may go beyond the trappings and take another look at the central event of Christmas and its meaning for us and the world in which we live.  The gift of Christ and our responsibility to share him with all the world transcends all.

A blessed Christmas and New Year to you all!

+ The Rev. Alston Chace was the Dean of the Episcopal chaplains in Europe when he wrote this for European Episcopalian Epistles in December 1987.

In January and February we are given the opportunity to reflect on the lives of two African-American clergy and to consider how the faithfulness of these two men has impacted on all our lives.  The first, Absalom Jones, is one of our own.  Born a house slave in 1746 in Delaware, Jones was able to buy his freedom in 1784.  His active ministry in the church led to his ordination as deacon in 1795 and priest in 1802.  Jones is remembered for his preaching and his denouncements of slavery.  To him, God was the Father, who acted on "behalf of the oppressed and distressed."  But it was his constant visiting and mild manner that made him beloved by the members of his church and community.  Absalom Jones is remembered on February 13.

The second, though not an Episcopalian, is probably better known to most of us.  Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta.  As the son and grandson of Baptist preachers, he was steeped in the Black Church tradition and in 1954, King became pastor of a church in Montgomery, AL.  It was in Montgomery that Black indignation over inhumane treatment on segregated busses culminated in the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat to a white man (December 1955).  King became an increasingly articulate prophet whose words had power to move both Blacks and Whites and to change the lives of all.

King has been compared by some to Moses, another powerful leader whose vision moved people but who was, himself, unable to enter into the Promised Land.  Both men clearly felt God's hand on them and found both comfort and strength in their faith.  The night before he was assassinated, Martin Luther King, Jr., addressed a crowd with these words: Well, I don't know what will happen now.  We've got some difficult days ahead.  But it doesn't matter with me now.  Because I've been to the mountaintop.  And I don't mind.  Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.  Longevity has its place.  But I'm not concerned about that now.  I just want to do God's will.  And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain.  And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land.  I may not get there with you, But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.  And I'm happy tonight.  I'm not worried about anything.  I'm not fearing any man.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

King's challenge to us, both Blacks and Whites is to recognize that no one is in the promised land until all are in the promised land.  The days set aside for Martin Luther King, Jr., are April 4 or February 15.

February is Black History Month and is a time when we honor our African-American heritage and traditions and both reflect and act on King's challenge.

+ The Rev Dr Sara Chandler was Rector of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Woodbridge, VA, when she wrote this for The Answer in January 1999.  Text has been adapted from the original.

Those little words – "one another" – have great significance for anyone involved in following a New Testament lifestyle.  In Scripture there are 30 "one anothers" that are used to characterize the people of God.  Reviewing the list makes it apparent that God intends His Church be built with a strong relational emphasis:

• Love one another
• Forgive one another
• Be devoted to one another
• Forebear with one another
• Encourage one another
• Build up one another
• Don't judge one another
• Accept one another
• Counsel one another
• Greet one another
• Wait for one another
• Care for one another
• Serve one another
• Pray for one another
• Fellowship with one another Mutually depend on one another
• Outdo one another in showing honor
• Submit to one another
• Rejoice with one another
• Weep with one another
• Stir up one another
• Be hospitable to one another
• Minister gifts to one another
• Be clothed in humility to one another
• Don't speak evil against one another
• Don't grumble against one another
• Be kind to one another
• Confess your faults to one another
• Bear one another's burdens
• Have the same mind toward one another

+ From The Searchlight, a publication of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Spring 1990.  The author is unknown.

Life is like playing in an orchestra.  First, God gives you your instrument and some music, and you sit down to play, but you say, "God, I've never played this piece before!  Look at all of those notes!!  I'll never be able to do it!"  But God gets up on the pedestal and holds His baton in His hand.  He winks at you and says calmly, "Just follow me." You say, "But God, that will be too hard ... can't we play this other song? It looks a whole lot easier and a lot more fun to play", but God says, "No, follow MY lead."

Well, you decide that it doesn't matter what God says, you want to play the other song.  So, as He raises His baton and begins to conduct, you ignore Him and begin wailing away at the piece you wanted to play. However, it just doesn't quite work.  The music doesn't sound beautiful at all, because it's not the way God wanted you to play. After a little more playing and a whole lot more frustration, you realize that it would be better just to listen to your Conductor.  So, with a red face you silently search for the piece God wants you to play.

"But God, it looks so hard" ... But God just smiles caringly and taps the baton on His stand.  "No matter what, follow Me. Just look up at Me, and I will lead you," He whispers.  So, you begin to play.  In the beginning, it seems as though you will never be able to play this piece. All you can see are those notes rushing by.  Then you remember what God said ..."LOOK UP"... so you look up and see God carefully counting out the beats for you, and if you listen really carefully, you can hear His Voice humming your part.

The song is the most beautiful song that you have ever heard, and you find that as long as your eyes are fixed on the Conductor, you are able to play along.  All you have to do is look up!!!

Sure, some parts are REALLY tough, but as long as you follow the Conductor and listen to His steady rhythm, you can make it through.  All you have to do is LOOK UP......

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going.  After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him.

It was a chilly evening and the pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.  Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited.  The pastor made himself comfortable, but said nothing.

In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.  After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone.  Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.  The host watched all this in quiet fascination.

As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more.  Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail".

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.  Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire.  Immediately, it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon.  I shall be back in church next Sunday."

+ the Rev Glenn Derby wrote this for the November 1998 newsletter of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Brainerd, MN.

"Trimming the mailing list" is not as simple as it sounds!  We have to consider the audience we need to reach – those who regularly participate in the services and need a schedule of what and when they need to be prepared; local area people who need to keep up on events and service schedules; family and friends who live out of the area but like to keep in touch; those who may never attend services due to distance or other barriers but who contribute financially; etc., etc.  And who would like to be in this position to chop names?  Besides, with a postal permit, it is often cheaper to send out more items.  There are a lot of angles to this seemingly simple solution and Carol and Chuck Morello have put an amazing amount of time and energy into tracking data and sorting facts out into charts and explanations that have allowed us to make more informed decisions – let's be appreciative of their outstanding efforts!

The issue of content can be a very sticky topic – there are so many different opinions.  To this point, any item submitted to the editors has been printed, so if any group or parish feels they haven't been heard, it is only because they haven't submitted it!  My personal thoughts about keeping the 3-Point arrangement intact have a lot to do with strength in numbers and a feeling of connection.  It is very easy to slip into dis-connection and isolation in today's world – everyone is so busy.  With our parishes geographically challenged, I feel the Epistle is the thread that can pull us closer and we should all make an effort to contribute and be active.  Nearly every table's comment after the discussions at the meeting on November 21 was that we need to do more things together.  But how can that happen or be coordinated without communication? – let's use our Epistle space wisely!

One comment was that if there were not River Notes from Roger or a "local" inspirational message, there should be none in the issue at all because we can all find our own from a number of sources.  But, I wonder, how many of us really would – because of busy, busy schedules or we don't have the capability to find theses sources either?  And, for me, it is again the issue of "connections" – if I were to encounter a fellow "3-Pointer" somewhere, we'd immediately have a current topic in common, for example.

Another comment overheard was in questioning why we need notes included about environmental issues.  Maybe this is an area that could be trimmed some, but I'm afraid the question implies that some may think there is no connection or responsibility between our faith and our world with its issues.  I find that really scary – and almost unbelievable for anyone who's been a part of Roger's special ministry style.  We just can't be so narrow-sighted or count on others to take care of those issues.  That will surely guarantee our demise – from this parish to God's awesome creation as well.

All "deliberations" are now complete and I think we've established a workable budget for 2000.  I hope the decision is not seen as win/lose but as a fair compromise for everyone's common good.

  In summary, I'd just like to urge each of us to put more effort into our common goals without quick judgement and uninformed opinion – be kind and warm!  Let's do our part to spread the spirit of this holy season through all the days of the New Year.

November 1997:

In late October members of St. Paul's were treated to an unusual experience. Mr. Tom Blanck, an architect who lives in St. Paul, MN, was visiting the area on a project and desired to see the "Episcopal Church" in Virginia. It turns out that St. Paul's was originally designed by Cass Gilbert , Minnesota's most well-known architect. St. Paul's is one of only 12 existing churches he designed. St. Martin's by the Lake in Minnetonka used the same plans.

During an afternoon and evening of discussion and looking, members of St. Paul's found out that while Cass Gilbert was designing the Capitol in St. Paul, he drew up the plans for St. Paul's in Virginia! Cass Gilbert also designed the Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC, the Woolworth Building in New York City (then the tallest in the world) and various buildings on the campus of the University of Minnesota.

Mr. Blanck will visit Virginia on Nov 4 and participate in the Ham Dinner. On Nov 5, he will be at St. Paul's doing an architectural study of the building to help the renovation team know which parts of the building have historical or architectural significance. About two weeks after this study visit, Mr Blanck will return to present his findings. We will hold a pot luck supper at that time.

After his first visit, we will provide more details on the pot luck supper. If you want to know more about Cass Gilbert, there are numerous web sites you can visit.

December 1997:

Mr. Thomas Blanck visited Virginia on Nov 5 for an architectural study of the building.

Now all of you will have the opportunity to hear him give his report to the parish. The Vestry of St. Paul's hired Blanck to do measured scale drawings and an historic survey, including original drawings and pictures. He will report on the age, character, and condition of all important parts of the building. He will provide us with strategies and techniques for restoration and conservation of the building to extend its useful life into the second 100 years.

Mr. Blanck will report at an all-parish potluck beginning at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, Dec 10, in the Guild Hall. Our restoration project has become an exciting adventure. You will catch this enthusiasm when you hear Mr. Blanck. He is a "walking text book" of Cass Gilbert, distinguished architect and designer of St. Paul's Church. Don't miss it!

January 1998:

Many were able to be at the potluck supper to hear architect Tom Blanck give his report to the parish regarding the historical significance of each part of the church and the Guild Hall, as well as the mandated codes that must be met for handicap accessibility , fire codes, etc. We videotaped his presentation. Anyone wanting to review this can obtain the tape from Marlene Munig (218-741-3077).

The Vestry has approved insulating the roof of the Guild Hall as Tom Blanck discussed in his presentation. We are awaiting a report from him on the weight of the insulation and whether further support rods will be required in the Guild Hall to support this weight. The ceiling does not need to be lowered to obtain sufficient insulation, so we expect to proceed with this part after the Christmas Holidays.

Next Spring we will be removing the asbestos siding to view the condition of the original cedar siding under it. When the siding is removed, we will be able to insulate walls at that time due to new technology in insulating materials.

The Renovation and Restoration Team hopes to present a long-range restoration and repair plan to the congregation at the Annual Meeting. Please direct any suggestions or inquires to Marlene Munig (218-741-3077), the team chairperson.

July-August 1998:

The Vestry has approved the following items to be completed this summer (some of which have been done, as noted):

• Stabilizing rods are in place in the Guild Hall.
• The ceiling of the Guild Hall and the kitchen has been insulated.
• The deteriorated back porch will be removed and replaced with a smaller entry area.
• A separate shed will be built to house lawn equipment, snow removal equipment, and flammables.
• The rear entry doors will be replaced to be wider and open outwards (meeting fire codes).
• The sidewalk to the rear door of the church will be redesigned and replaced.  A fence will be placed between the rental property and the church.
• The back yard will be graded so that water flows away from the buildings.
• Siding on the back part of the Guild Hall will be replaced.  Places where this occurs will also have insulation installed.
• Soffits and gables on the back of the Guild Hall will be aluminum and all exposed wood will be clad in that area.

July-August 1998: Restoration and Repairs for 1999

The architect was asked to address the following priorities in redesigning the front of the Church and the Guild Hall:

• Provision of handicap access to the front of the church.
• Provision of two means of egress from basement classrooms.
• Redesign of roof system to make it functionally waterproof and solve the ice problem.
• Steps to be enclosed to provide further safety and a more maintenance-free entrance.

A preliminary sketch is available, if you would like to see it.  The architect, Tom Blanck, is presently drawing a detailed blueprint that will be presented to the congregation this fall.  Tom Blanck will also meet with the congregation later this Summer.

The blueprint is expected shortly.  The Building and Grounds Team and the Restoration Team will provide cost estimates, so that over the Fall and Winter we can being our fund drive.  This will determine how speedily we can do restoration and repairs.

A Restoration Fund was begun in 1995 at our Centennial and presently has about $10,000 in it.  This fund paid for the labor in putting in the Guild Hall windows, the materials for the sheet-rocking in the guild Hall, the replacement of the light fixtures and the architect's fees.

Donations to the Restoration can be made to the Restoration Fund, of which Joanne LaPatka is treasurer.  People have begun giving memorials to this fund.

We also have a Buildings and Grounds Fund that is in our yearly budget.  This fund has paid for the insulation at about $1,300 and the rod installation at $350.

The Vestry welcomes questions and the Restoration Team will be reporting to the congregation on Sundays to keep everyone abreast of our progress.

The Junior Warden and the Building and Grounds Team will be joining forces with the Restoration and Repair Team.  We welcome anyone to the team who wants to be involved with this project.

The architect has designed part of the 1999 project so that kids and everyone can get involved in the collection of stones for facing on the front of the church, as seen in the sketch on the next page.  A description for rocks needed is also available.  We will need about 400 rocks by this time next year.

Tom Blanck has submitted a draft concept for a reworking the front entrance.  The Restoration and Renovation Team has requested a detailed plan from him, which will be used to solicit bids for the work.  We hope to have more details in the next Epistle.  If you have concerns or questions, contact Marlene Munig (218-741-3077) or other members of the Restoration and Renovation Team.

September 1998:

The Vestry has voted not to replace the back entry foyer to the Guild Hall.  Storage of the lawn mower, snow equipment, flammables, etc., will be in a separate utility shed which will also be built.

To help finance the utility shed, the ECW are raffling off a miniature furnished cabin of collector quality made by Audrey Olson and given to St. Paul's Mercantile.  A $1 donation puts your name in once and $5 gives you 6 names for the drawing.

The back door from the kitchen will open out, have the necessary panic bars and be wider for handicap access.  This project will be done by Stig Edwardson and begin on Aug 31.

From the back door a sidewalk will go straight back to the garbage container and also to the side of the avenue.  A fence will divide the church lawn from the rental property.

It was necessary to have our lot surveyed, as the front steps are partially on city property.  The city is cooperating fully, but needed to ask the City Attorney for a legal opinion before the Planning and Zoning Commission could approve our going to the City Council for an easement.  This process should be completed by mid-September and is necessary to obtain the needed building permits for future work.  It was felt that this piece of the puzzle needed to be in place before going any further with the present plans.

It has been determined that the church itself can be insulated, however, there are openings between some of the wood ceiling seams that need to be caulked and have quarter-round applied so insulation will not sift into the church.  Junior Warden George Munig has begun this task and he welcomes help with this project.  Contact George at 218-741-3077.

The yard work such as sidewalks and grading will be done when the back door work is completed and the attached shed is torn off.  Volunteers will be needed here also.

Please everyone, gather at least one rock this Summer and Fall for the front of the church.  We will need about 400 rocks.  Refer to the July-August Epistle for rock dimensions or pick up a description from the stack next to the church model in the Guild Hall.  If you need someone to pick up rocks you have collected, contact Marlene Munig (218-741-3077).

The completed blueprints will soon be in hand along with projected costs.  They will then be presented to the congregation.

It is expected the financing of this project will be over a 5-year period.  Several ways to contribute will be available so everyone can be a part of the Second Century Congregation in some way.  Memorials are being given to the Restoration Fund by families now.  Gifts are also being received for specific parts of the project.  Joanne LaPatka is the Restoration Team treasurer. A permanent record will be designed to list all people who have contributed to our Second Century at St. Paul's.  Anyone who would like to help in finding addresses for past members and friends of St. Paul's, please contact Marlene Munig (218-741-3077) or Joanne LaPatka (218-741-7167).

October 1998:

A Restoration and Repair Funds Column will be offered each month to post items, service, classes, anything you'd like to offer that can raise funds for the restoration and repair projects.  Turn in items for the Funds Column to Carol Morello (218-744-1615).

A variance has been received from the Virginia Planning and Zoning Commission, and we have been granted an easement by the City Council for our planned restoration and repair throughout.

The new door on the back of the Guild Hall is in place and meets all fire codes.  The back shed can now be torn off and the separate utility shed constructed to hold yard equipment and flammables.

Presently the church ceiling is being prepared for insulation where possible.  Screening on the bell tower has been repaired so we will no longer be a home for the pigeons.

Volunteers are needed now for removing the back shed and readying the back yard for the sidewalk.  Contact George Munig (218-741-3077) if you can help.

Everyone should pick a few rocks before next Spring.  We are keeping them in the old part of the basement.  Contact Marlene  (218-744-3077) if you need rocks to be picked up.

A breakdown of costs is being compiled that will be presented to the Finance Team so they can present a funding package to the Vestry and congregation.  We are looking at a 5-year plan.  The sooner the funds are there, the sooner we can make the necessary repairs and restoration.

November 1998:

The next step in the restoration, repair and renewal of historic St. Paul's Church will be a Congregational Meeting to be held at 6 PM on Wednesday, November 11, 1998 in St. Paul's Guild Hall.  The meal (ham sandwiches and bean or pea soup) will be served by the ECW from the leftovers from the Ham Dinner.

After the meal, we will let the dishwashing wait until after the presentation by the Restoration, Repair and Renewal Team.  The team will present a 5-year plan for restoration, repair, and renewal with a cost and funding plan approved by St. Paul's Vestry.  This could be one of the most important meetings in the history of St. Paul's Church, so please come, ask questions, express your opinions, etc.  Every person who is part of St. Paul's and looks towards its second century, needs to be involved.

The project has been broken into phases, so that we can do one phase and stop, etc., until we have the funds to continue.  It is possible to finish most of the project next year if funding is available.

We did not get as far into the project this year as we had hoped, due to delays in obtaining the needed permits from the Virginia Planning and Zoning Commission and Virginia City Council, as these required preliminary sketches by the architect with enough detail for them to understand the projects.  Our architect now has also provided us with a breakdown of costs as he would estimate them in the Twin Cities' area, so we can make informed decision.  The delays gave us a late start on contracting some phases of this year's plan.  We chose not to do the cement work this Fall, as concrete needs 28 days of mild temperature to complete curing and get optimal results.  We then made the decision not to tear off the back shed until we were ready to lay concrete.  Fall and Spring could be muddy times in the back of the church before the concrete slab for the utility shed could be poured.

Items that used to be in the back shed (porch) are being placed in safer areas volunteered by parishioners for the Winter.

The back door is in place and meets all codes.  The electrical service was moved to the basement.  The insulation has been installed in the Guild Hall ceiling and several of the areas between the Guild Hall and the church.  December 1 the insulation contractor will insulate the ceiling of the church as much as can be done at this time.  Other areas of the building are being examined to see where we could place insulation.  We hope the insulation will result in large savings on our heating bills, as these have been huge in recent years.

Everyone, please attend the meeting and find areas where you can be involved.  Are you collecting your rocks?

Anyone needing a ride to the meeting and supper on November 11, please call Marlene (218-741-3077).

December 1998:

A good attendance at the Ham Sandwich and Soup Dinner and Congregational Meeting on November 11 ensured a lively discussion regarding planned Restoration and Repair of St. Paul's Church. A recommendation from the Vestry and Restoration and Renovation Team was brought to the congregation for five phases of work and a 5-year funding plan.

The congregation approved this recommendation and increased the amount of money to be raised to $85,000 over a five-year period.  This will be raised through pledges, gifts, and memorials.  An expanded mailing list has been compiled and there will be mailing in November to all parish members and friends that will describe in more detail what work will be done in each phase, and the costs involved.

The Restoration Fund has about $10,000 in its account and has been paying for some of the repairs and restoration work in the first phase.  A $1000 gift was received the night of the dinner from a parish family.  The ECW has pledged $1,000 a year for five years.

A silver coffee urn was introduced to be used as a symbolic container for Restoration and Renovation pledges, gifts, etc.  At each Sunday service it will be brought up at the offering.  These monies will be tabulated by the Restoration and Repair Fund Treasurer, Joanne LaPatka, and will appear on your quarterly statement of gifts to the church that you presently receive for your records.  All gifts will be acknowledged by a note to the giver, if an address accompanies the gift.

Names of donors will be listed on the Second Century Roll Call.

The symbol of the Coffee Urn as a symbol for Restoration, Repair and Renewal of St. Paul's Church was explained by Marlene Munig, Restoration and Renovation Chairman, and the following poem was given:

  
A six-inch diameter Christmas Ball is being painted of the proposed church.  The names of those who have pledged or given gifts to the Restoration and Renovation Fund by that date will have their names in a drawing on Sunday, December 20, for that ornament.

February 1999:

We are progressing nicely with the Restoration and Renovation project.  Gifts, pledges, and memorials have been coming in regularly, and we have reached $31,000 in pledges and funds received at this writing.  If this continues, we may be able to finish the project ahead of schedule.

We've had great teams of volunteers working on the Guild Hall walls and insulation, and this project is near completion.  This has been a combined effort, and paid for by both the ECW and the Restoration and Renovation project.

Tom Blanck, the architect, is preparing the final working blueprints.  George Munig will coordinate volunteer teams.  We'll have a job for everyone if you'd like to lend a hand.

A thermometer is located at the entrance to the church to keep you posted on fund raising.  A notebook is also there listing the names of people who have given pledges, gifts, and memorials, and also a growing list of volunteers.

Joanne LaPatka is serving as Restoration and Renovation treasurer.  Dorothy Parish will be in charge of mailings and responses.  Many, many thanks to everyone's efforts with this project.

June 1999:

Work has begun on the North end of the church.  The back shed has been removed by a volunteer crew.  Site preparation work has begun for the concrete work for the separate shed and the sidewalks to the avenue and the alley.  A fence will then be put in place to divide the rental property from the church yard.  Grading will be done to allow the water to drain away from the foundation of the church.  When the North entrance is ready for use, the front will be started, if the money is available for this Summer's work.

There is something for everyone to help with the project.  Please contact George or Marlene (218-741-3077) if you would like an assignment.  It could be baking treats for the workers, cleaning up the back yard and side of the church, cheering the crews on or saying a prayer each day for the project and St. Paul's future.

Much of the work is being done by church members who have volunteered their expertise.  These gifts will enable us to keep the costs for our project down, thus making our goal achievable.

The money is steadily coming in. Wonderful gifts have been received from former parishioners or their families.  Specific items or areas are being developed for those who wish to establish family memorials.  Presently our pledges and gifts are at the $37,000 mark.  Please contact Marlene if you would like more information about the Restoration and Repair Project.

September 1999:
General information

Dorothy Parish now heads the Color Committee of Dennis Olson, Dorothy, and Kathy Weaver.  This is a large task as it involves many materials to be coordinated.  Our architect has offered suggestions to help us with this matter.

Dennis Olson and George Munig have built an impressive storage shed.  Drainage pipe has been laid across the back of the church and the sidewalk sloped to enable water to be kept away from the foundation of the church.  Insulation is being placed in all areas as they are repaired.

All persons contributing $100 or more over a five-year period will have the opportunity to be listed.  There will be non-specific plaques also, and more areas will be identified as we move into the third, fourth, and fifth phases.

Some persons have been adding to the funds by sending a gift of thanks for kindness done by one of our parish.  What a nice idea!

Our wish is that every man, woman, and child in our church will become a part of its second century.  Pledges at this time will help us decided when we will proceed to the next phase of repair and restoration.  Please consider this prayerfully.

For the first time in 16 years, the Season of Epiphany runs its full possible length – 9 weeks.  In the church calendar it will be 11 years until the season is as long again.

Christmas flows into Epiphany – the seasons of stars and light in the darkness.  At Christmas we celebrate the light of the world (Jesus Christ) coming into the world.  At Epiphany we greet the light as Isaiah sings praises to the light and usually there are but a few weeks until Lent.  This year it is different.

In the last weeks there have been two incidents involving light that have drawn mankind's attention heavenwards and focused my thoughts on the Epiphany Event – the witness of the Magi in following the light.

This past December exactly at Winter Solstice, the moon was as close to the earth as it had been since 1866 for a Full Moon. There was a special brightness that reminded me of a light that drew the Magi to Bethlehem. Isaiah's call across more than three millennia contrasts the darkness of the world with the brightness of the Messiah.  Looking at the full moon on Dec 22 I thought of the light of Christ some 2000 years ago reaching across the vastness of the universe to again brighten the glories of God's creation today: the light wisps of snow on grass and lakes; the frosty snow-edges on roof-tops and tree limbs.  They all echo the brightness of the light of new hope, the light of Christ across the years.

Then, in January there was a full lunar eclipse – another experience of light in the darkness of an especially cold Minnesota night.  As I looked at the color of the fully eclipsed moon I could not help but notice the contrast of the vivid color of that moon against the Black and White of all the other stars in the sky.  I wondered what the Magi – on their way to Bethlehem or the many years before or thereafter – felt when they saw that kind of magnificent color display.  Were they called to change or to action?

Epiphany is a season of changes.  In the closing readings this Epiphany, Isaiah again calls for building roadways and starting things anew, Mark talks about breaking with the old ways, and Paul writes about a new covenant through the Spirit.  In a long Season of Epiphany, we on the East Range have become like the Magi on a journey – but ours is a journey of change, of new starts, of the Spirit.  Are you ready to make the journey?

At the Region 2 Meeting we were talking about what we were looking for in a new vision statement for the diocese.  One of the participants quoted the Prayer Book "to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ" (pg. 855).  It struck me that several years ago this quote from the BCP was selected as the mission statement for the East Range Episcopal Churches.

While I was contemplating that, another participant mentioned that this is part of living out our Baptismal Covenant.  This caught me by surprise as I had never associated the idea of restoration with the Baptismal Covenant.  When I got home, I looked at the Baptismal Covenant (pp 304-5) to see what we should be about in restoring people to "unity with God and each other in Christ".

As a tourist area, we have looked at this restoration to be providing visitors a place to relax and recharge their physical and spiritual "batteries" before returning home.  In reading through the post-creed questions, I came to understand that the Covenant also pertains to those of us who live here full-time.

So what does this mean for us?  The first of the questions has three distinct parts and is based in the fundamentals of being a Christian.  In the first part, we agree that the teachings of Christ are important to our spiritual lives.  This connects us through the apostles and those who came before us directly to Christ.  Further, it means that we follow His teachings and minister to all, regardless of what they have done or are rumored to have done or not done.  This is the uniqueness of Christianity over the last nearly 2,000 years: "Love one another as I have loved you" (that means to love all unequivocally, not just those who look or think or act like us or will only be here a short period of time so they can be "tolerated").  As Christians, we open our doors to all in our community, visitors as well as long-time residents.

This is only where it begins.  This love is more than being together for services; we are called to break bread together and pray together – not just the Eucharist and prayers we say corporately, but at other times as well.  This means taking the breaking of bread and the prayers beyond the walls and time of our corporate worship.

Our affirmation ("I will with God's help") is our pledge to carry the teachings, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers, out into our community and the world, to be Christians "24-7" (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).  It is a challenge we all face; it is the challenge of being a practicing Christian.

The second of the affirmations of the Baptismal Covenant fits nicely into Lent ("Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?").  The Bible is full of stories of temptation and resisting evil, of giving in to the evil (committing sin) and contrition for sinning.  Over the centuries scholars have written volumes on these themes and delivered hours of sermons.  I can't contribute anything of substance to those scholars' words.

As with last month, my concern is looking at this affirmation in the Baptismal Covenant and how it fits into our mission of restoring "all people to unity with God and each other in Christ."  At first reading, the latter half of the affirmation appears to be the main focus of our mission statement.  We are in the location where people come (tourists) to recharge the physical and spiritual batteries before returning to their "regular" world of temptation.  As Episcopal congregations on the Range, we keep our doors open to those who seek the Lord while on vacation.  But how do they know we are here and that we offer them something other than a "run of the mill" Episcopal service?  Why do they not stop in?  Why do they not return?  We can be passive or active in proclaiming our service to tourists.

As with so many people today, our time is overbooked with things to do at home, at work, at school, so that we often lack the drive to be mentally and spiritually open on Sundays (or during the week) to our visitors.  Often we sit with the same groups and talk while visitors are left to observe. It happens in all settings, not just at church events – we always feel more comfortable with that which we know.  Perhaps this is the evil we, as congregations and individuals, must resist: the sins of omission.

Not only as a Lenten Discipline (it is never to late to start) but also as regular personal and congregational efforts, we might take some time during the silent periods of the Prayers of the People to reflect on how to be opening the doors to others and to let them know that we are here to share Christ with them.  It is not an easy task in our busy, cluttered lives, but it is one way to resist the evil of passivity.  It is a way to recognize our shortcomings and enhance our strengths so that we can walk together in the love Christ has taught us.  Together we can accomplish so much more in Christ's name!

As we celebrate our Lord's resurrection, let us, with God's help, renew our affirmation to resist this evil and open ourselves to welcoming visitors.

Taizé Meditation on Proverbs 4: 18-27

    There is both a "path of the upright" and a "way of the wicked," and we have to choose. The choice of integrity is not a guarantee that we will succeed. But those who turn neither to right nor to left root their lives in a promise. Their life has a direction; it is like "the light of dawn that grows to the fullness of day." On the other road things become more and more narrow, and people can come to a dead end without even realizing it. 
    We need to be particularly attentive to the way we speak and look at others. "Turn your back on the mouth that misleads," speak the truth and keep your promises. Trust can only grow if we can have confidence in what people say. Lies, half-truths and deceitful words create a climate of mistrust and make people suspicious. "Keep your eyes fixed straight ahead." A transparent and generous way of seeing illuminates what it looks upon. It changes life around us, making it more peaceful and beautiful.  But those whose eyes are masked by jealousy and made shifty by envy trap themselves and others in the darkness and confusion of their own hearts.
    That is why "more than all else, keep watch over your heart." Here the heart stands for the deepest core of the person, their inner life, where everything comes into being before it emerges in words or acts. But the heart is above all the place of "the well-springs of life," where the Holy Spirit has hidden unsuspected resources. We do not create the well-spring, but we make sure nothing keeps it from flowing freely. "A good person,"  says Jesus, "draws what is good from the good treasury of his heart" (Luke 6,45). Keeping watch over our inner life as over a precious treasure, we will always have at our disposition a store of all kinds of good things.

    Q: What helps us to make the choices we need to make each day?
    Q: What kind of behavior enables us to foster trust? What attitudes are in danger of creating a climate of suspicion?
    Q: How can I keep watch over my heart? How can I be attentive to the wellsprings which the Holy Spirit causes to spring up there?

The third of the affirmations of the Baptismal Covenant (Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?) is, perhaps, the most difficult for Episcopalians to deal with on a daily basis.  For us Christians, however, this is where the rubber meets the road.

Each of us walks our own road, meeting people and opportunities unique to us.  For each of us, the question is how we witness by "word and example". I suppose the immediate image is that of the Bible-thumping preacher, the born-again fundamentalist, or door-knocking Mormons. This may be the road that some choose to travel, however it is not the only road.

When driving down the highway and we see someone in distress, do we stop? Do we drive on and call the police? Do we do something, or do we just pass by? When somebody at work or at home does something we don't like or into which we read a "hidden agenda", do we consider the words or actions in the context or do we immediately take the negative approach?  When somebody asks us if we are Christians, do we sidestep the question for fear of getting into an argument? Do we defer our Christianity in the name of "friendship"? Do we gossip or tear down people or groups who are different?

This list of opportunities to proclaim the good news is endless.  Christ's teachings are a daily challenge to follow his ways – and not just Sundays in church or when the priest is around or when we want to. As Christ is the unknown person we may meet (see: Matthew 25:40 and 45), Christ is also the unseen person who sees us as we assume the negative, don't stop to help, or avoid witness. The challenge is out there – daily, at every door, in everyone's lives, in nature around us. As practicing Christians we affirm that not just our words but our actions will be a witness to Christ.

This is not necessarily easy. It means stepping out of our zone of comfort and approaching others with the love of Christ in our hearts in all that we do and say. We need to remember that Christ is our example – His action of proclamation was done with love and in places not open to His words. His road had many obstacles but He stayed on the road proclaiming and preaching.

So, where is your road taking you and how do your tires grip the road?

The fourth affirmation of the Baptismal Covenant (Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?) is the cornerstone of our lives together as Episcopalians on the Iron Range. When Bishop Jelinek was here for a confirmation a few years ago, he spoke about "seeking Christ" in all with whom we come in contact. He put his stress on those with whom we do not get along easily or at all. His sermon came at a good time for me as I had several contexts in which there was friction between someone and myself. I began to ask about each situation "where is the Christ in this person?" and "How can I serve Christ if I cannot work with this person?"

These are not easily answered questions. While we may strive in the name of Christ to love everyone and serve everyone we meet, we often run into people who actively do not love us, who can only speak evil or negative about us, or who undermine the things we try to do. Maybe it is your supervisor who tells you to pad your hours of work done on a contract so the business gets more money; or an acquaintance who constantly expresses only negative ideas about you to others; or a co-worker who sabotages your projects so you look bad and the co-worker looks good. Can we find Christ in such a person? Or, Just how can I find and serve Christ in such a person?

It would be easy to say, "There is no Christ in her" or "He is evil incarnate" and then work at getting revenge in some fashion. When we move to vengeance, we are no longer serving Christ and loving our neighbor. It becomes necessary to constantly seek for where Christ is present in this person. However, we also need to look inside ourselves.

A key ingredient to seeking Christ in such persons is prayer.  One of my mentors told me of a prayer he uses to seek the Christ in someone where there is conflict. At least daily (and sometimes more frequently) he says something like, Lord, I lift up to you Sally. I ask that you heal the wounds that make her angry with me and strengthen your presence in her. I also ask that you give me the strength to be your witness in her presence.

With that prayer and God's help, you will find the Christ in anyone.

Skye and I were on our morning walk and heading southwest on highway 169, about one half mile from the Koskie Road turnoff, when we spotted what seemed to be a deer coming from the trees on our side of the road and crossing Koskie intersection to the other side of the highway. A car was coming from the west and the deer crossed down into the ditch on the far side of the road until the car passed. I couldn't see it anymore and assumed it made its way back into the woods. It seemed to be in no hurry. Then it reappeared from the ditch and crossed back toward our side of the highway. Again it just meandered its way across the highway, and I think it stopped in the middle to look around before it slowly made its way to our side. We were now getting close to the intersection and Skye saw the deer as well as I and had as much or more interest.

More cars were coming and suddenly the deer sprang off into the woods, and that's what made me doubt that I was watching a deer. The gait was wrong for a deer, and there was no flash of the white tail. The silhouette suggested deer or dog, or possibly a wolf. Yes, I thought that maybe it was a wolf. We both pressed on to the intersection cautiously keeping an eye off towards the woods. When we got to the intersection we found nothing. There were no tracks: not wolf, not deer, not dog, nothing. Did I imagine it? Skye was showing some sign of picking up a scent, but she didn't behave like she wanted to give chase, and her neck fur stayed down and relaxed. We finished our walk and came home without any conclusion as to what happened.

Later that same day I was driving northeast on Highway 169 and was about half a mile short of Tower. Suddenly, there on the right side of the road stood a great gray timber wolf. He was merely standing "statue-like" along the side of the road. I braked immediately, turned my head to follow him, and then I was past him. A car was following me and I kept going, unable to see what happened after I passed. Now I hesitate to tell you this, but once before when I was driving from Ely to Tower I thought I saw a gray timber wolf standing off the highway. This one was back off the road in a low swampy area, and my sighting was just a brief glimpse. At least I thought I saw one, or I could have seen one. "Ya, I know, it could have been my imagination." It happened so fast and there was no chance of verifying what I thought I saw.

But this time I swung my head around and followed for a couple of seconds and talked to myself trying to verify that I was seeing what I thought I saw. He was big; he was gray and he seemed utterly relaxed looking west at the oncoming traffic. It wasn't long after I saw him, that I again began to doubt myself. Wolves don't show themselves to humans, and they don't stand along highways. Except last Fall Kathy and I noticed very big wolf prints along the stretch of Highway 169 across from the Y-Store. For over a quarter mile the tracks showed along 169. They were definitely and clearly wolf prints, and I kept saying to myself, "wolves don't walk along highways." We also had a deer kill on the river ice not so far from us this winter, and there has been scattered wolf feces along our trails and roads. About a week after this last sighting, Skye and I came upon a new and large wolf scat right in the middle of the road into our house. It was almost like he was saying, "Hi guys!"

So I think maybe I really did see what I thought I saw. If I didn't, it surely was a clearly focused imagination. As I continue to walk the same route having nothing exceptional happen, with time growing longer from the sighting, I have less confidence about what I really saw. After all, I did bring something else with me when I walked the highway, and it could have influenced my vision.

That day I thought I saw a gray wolf standing along a side the highway, I carried a collection of stories with me. They were just part of my normal memory. And what stood out from the stories was the Image of the wolf. The book where I found the stories was published in 1968, the year I was ordained to the priesthood, and the stores were written and told by Martin Bell who was a priest in Ypsilanti, Michigan not far from my first parish. He played guitar, sang, and told these wonderful stories. I heard him perform on Sunday afternoon at the Cathedral in Detroit. The title of his book was The Way of the Wolf, and he features a Great Silver Wolf in three of his stories. The first one and his lead story was "Barrington Bunny."

Barrington was not much to look at as far as bunnies go, but he did have a nice fur coat and he could hop. On this particular Christmas Barrington was very lonely because He felt he was without family and that he wasn't good for anyone. He came upon the "Great Silver Wolf" who was "large and strong and his eyes flashed fire." When Barrington complained to the wolf, the wolf replied that Barrington was good because his ability to hop and to keep himself warm was a gift that he had been given. The wolf also told him that he did have a family because "All animals in the forest are your family."  With that the wolf disappeared.

Barrington continued his journey with new confidence in himself until he came upon a baby field mouse freezing in the winter snow. Barrington hopped over to the field mouse and warmed him with his fur, because they were family. Barrington froze that night in the cold, but the field mouse was saved by Barrington's warm fur. After the baby field mouse was found and returned to his home, the frozen body of Barrington remained in the snow in utter silence except for the howling wind. The wolf came and stood by the frozen carcass and stayed all Christmas Day without saying a word and then he disappeared "into the Forest."

The second story is about a boy named Joshua, whose companion is the Great Silver Wolf. They lived in the forest until Joshua was to enter the city of humans. The story began with Joshua asking, "How much longer can we wait?" He got no answer. When they were in the city only Joshua could see the wolf. After a time the wolf disappeared, and Joshua left alone began asking the people if they had seen him, and he would try to describe how he look: it was like trying "to describe the wind." His questioning made the people very uncomfortable. Also Joshua watched a boy named Simon being teased by the other boys who were taking his hat and playing catch with it. Joshua wanted to ask the wolf what sort of "creature would delight in another's anguish." Of course the wolf wasn't there so he asked the citizens, and since they were already tired of his question about the wolf they became angry over his persistent and also angry question, "Did you take Simon's hat?" It reached a breaking point and the citizens finally stoned Joshua to death.  The one who threw the first stone was Simon. Joshua cried out, "They taught you this, Simon!" The citizens stood at the body wondering why he had not gone home before this had become necessary. Someone made an attempt to say something when the "wolf's powerful body was in the air hurtling toward them, then suddenly the wind."

The story concluded as it began with Joshua and the wolf standing silently at the path leading out of the forest, and then Joshua asked, "How much longer can we wait?"

The last story is about a porcupine named Joggie who because of his quills and nearsightedness couldn't get close to anyone. When he would meet other animals they would ask him his name and he always replied that "his name didn't matter." Obviously the relationship wasn't going to go anywhere. Then along came Gamiel, the raccoon. While other animals avoided Joggi, Gamiel just started hanging out with him without pressing for a relationship. He was just there. He sat silently by Joggi for hours at a time and never even thought to ask his name. Then one day Gamiel was shot through the head and left in pain, blind and dying. Joggi found Gamiel and helped him move and eat: it was the severely nearsighted and cautious porcupine leading and caring for the fatally injured raccoon. After about a year of this partnership Gamiel died, and it was then that Joggi began to talk. He told Gamiel all kinds of things about himself, and why he was afraid to be close, he told him that he was his friend, and lastly he told him that his name was "Joggi."  With that he began to cry and did not see the "Great Silver Wolf standing statue-like in the shadows, fire eyes smoldering."

That's it! That's the three stories I hear in the background while I talk about the gray that I think I met on the highway. In some ways it was frightening. Was I about to die? Was this the wolf who called my name? As it happened Burt Strand did die on the morning that I saw the wolf. Was this about his death? I wondered if Martin Bell ever saw a "Great Silver Wolf standing statue-like in the shadows; fire eyes smoldering," or was this just a wonderful metaphor for trying to describe the divine. The stories are transparently Christian in that they work the great Christian themes of sacrificial death, and fellowship.  Also the wolf coming, as it does, from the forest represents that larger reality than just the human community.

It is here that we have that wonderful intersection between myth and reality: the story and the real thing. The story of the wolf coming from the forest represented the larger reality. The wolf that I saw coming from the forest was the large reality. This time he was really there. He did come from and return to the forest, he was from a larger reality than just our human community. The vision was brief, it was just an opening, a flash and a verification of life of the larger community – the larger reality.

There was rush for me as all this came together. It made story that I needed to tell. Now I hope that I walk the roads and trails more aware of this presence, and I hope that it is harder for me to see myself as making my journey alone. I hope that even though I may not ever see the great gray again that I will know that he is really there. And I hope that all of this was, in one way or another, a wonderfully imaginative invitation to faith.

The fifth and final affirmation of the Baptismal Covenant (Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?) falls in line with many of the sermons Roger has preached recently on the idea of community and communion.

If we've been listening to Roger, we should be able to easily answer the following questions:  How do I strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?

These questions have dogged humans for centuries. Part of the problem is that terms like "justice", "peace", and "dignity" carry a subjective value. To leaders, these terms are often synonymous with the status quo, while to those who are not leaders or who feel suppressed, these are goals not presently realized. I think the people who wrote the Prayerbook wanted to place their emphasis on the verb "strive" (with the implication that the status quo does not suffice) and on the fact that we have three concepts that work in together or not at all. If we think we have justice and peace but no dignity, we have none of the three. Only in Christ's teachings can we find the presence of all three. That is the goal.

There are many places in the world where people seek justice for old (from months to millennia) wrongs or injustices. The danger in seeking justice is that to seek it without a Christian application of love, justice becomes vengeance ("turning the tables").

Peace is the elusive term of our times. Peace is often seen as the absence of conflict. Again, if leaders are strong or controlling, there is no visible conflict, but there is also no peace.

Finally, dignity is more than "being worthy" (dictionary definition) but also a feeling of self-worth that comes when peace and justice are present.

So, how does this apply to our lives in Northern Minnesota as members of the Three-Point Churches? If we look around in our congregations, our towns and cities, and our county, we can see many indications of the lack of justice, peace, and dignity. As we continue our walk together in Christ, we need to look at our relationships and interactions. We need to look at being open, inclusive, and welcoming. We should strive for justice and peace and dignity in all of our lives.

Our futures in this life and the next depend upon it.

Recently while singing a favorite hymn of mine (For All the Saints) that I used for years as "musical accompaniment" to my running, and which we in the Episcopal Church usually sing for All Saints' Sunday, I was reminded of Chaplain Bill Noble's description of saints that he provided following his first time running the Marine Corps Marathon.

Bill and I enjoyed running, but he was a much more avid runner than I.  One year he decided to participate in the Marine Corps Marathon, which is held each October through the streets of Arlington, VA, and Washington, DC, ending at the Iwo Jima Memorial at the base of Arlington Cemetery.

The 14th Street Bridge is about a mile from the finish line of the race.  As runners approach the bridge, they are at the limits of their energy, rarely are they together – each one running alone, over the bridge and down the slope and along the river to the finish line. Approaching the bridge is the loneliest stretch of the race.  Most race-watchers have moved to the finish line to see who will win.  The slower runners have more space between each other, further contributing to the feeling of being alone.  It is a time when each struggling runner asks the question  "can I make it to the end?".

To Bill's surprise as he struggled over the bridge and came down the slope, he saw a sight of individuals shining in a silvery radiance, standing there cheering the runners on.  The runners who had completed the race received a reflective cover to help them retain body heat.  Many of these runners then moved back along the route towards the bridge to cheer the runners on, telling the runners that they had made it to the finish line which was not far away and that the runners could do it also.  These shining figures provided the extra incentive for many struggling runners to complete the race.

When we look at these runners who completed the race and serve as reminders for the runners that it can be done, we also see the symbol of what happens on All Saints' Day, when the Saints of ages past and times close remind us that as they ran the race of their faith, so can we run our race.

This past year ten of our parishioners or former parishioners have completed the race of their faith and stand, shining in glory for us, as reminders that we also can run the race to the end and, as faithful warriors for Christ, join them in resting in the communion of all the saints.

Winter is making its way in greeting card fashion. The daily snowfall is lightly gathering on the ground, balsam boughs, and on the blue tarps covering summertime things stored away for the winter. The quiet bound to the cold is seeking out every niche sequestered in the woods.

It is the beginning of winter. It's that in-between time coming after fall and before the deep-winter-of-heavy-snow-and-thick-ice. Like Advent there is a sense of anticipation of things to come, and as such it carries a burden of power that holds in balance the rest of winter. Once we are past Christmas, the next three months are a snap. Why in no time we'll begin to feel the February sun.

Even though the days are short and the season lasts for only four weeks, the time of Advent can be heavy as we make our way into the sacred time of the Silent Night. We do not make this journey without a history, but each step in the way carries stories and scenes of Christmases of yesterday. I can think of no other season that is so freighted with memories of people who made our lives full. They make for good company in a journey that grows in meaning and fellowship with each year. We do not need to bless this journey for it is already apparent on the faces of all our fellow travelers. We need only to embrace it, and let it carry us into new life.

Love,

Rog and Kathy

Recently I was reading some of the literature pertaining to the various congregational styles in our diocese and I was surprised to find out that one of the key factors looked at in the search process to replace a seminary-trained clergy is communication. It is said that as human beings, we need to communicate to stay alive, and as members of the body of Christ, we also need to communicate to be vibrant.

Generally, it is said that where there is no communication, people will create it. In some instances, we see that in the form of gossip and rumors – they seem to fill quite well the gap that is left when there is no structured means of communicating.

A few years ago, The Epistle ran a reflection entitled Sender and Receiver, which compared our communication with God to some of the ways humans communicate in this world. God was seen as transmitting to us all the time, but we are not necessarily receiving (or recognizing) the message. Recently, a Sunday reading (Nehemiah 8:2-10) gave us instruction on listening and communicating God's word. An extension of that idea is that each of us, as individuals and as part of a group (like our church or our group of churches) needs to listen and discern God's Word in and for our lives (individual and group). When we hear and communicate with others about what we hear, we are able to respond to God's message.

When I was growing up, I was taught that communicating is a two-way street (dialog). If only one person speaks, we are not in dialog with anyone. In discerning God's Word, Christians need to be in dialog with God (individual prayer) and with each other (corporate prayer and social contact). Without either of these, we feel incomplete; without both we are alone.

As we go through this season of celebrating the birth of our Savior, perhaps we should take time to reflect on how we communicate this joy with each other, and both individually and corporately with God. It will give us a good foundation for the Lenten Season to come.

At a recent meeting, the discussion turned to managing a complex project. One of the participants said she had assigned the responsibility to one of her workers (call her "Sally"). One of the other participants (call him "Greg") commented, "Oh, Sally" in such a way that it was evident to everyone in the room that Greg had no confidence in Sally's ability to complete the task. When asked about the comment, Greg said he had no further comment. The discussion then turned to what we can communicate without saying anything.

In the discussion, the group found that communications do take different forms. Sometimes we just tell stories of common events or heritage, as we retell a story relevant to the family or community (Roger has often referred to this when talking about the Old Testament readings). We do this today at family gatherings when we talk about our family history. Sometimes we communicate in metaphors, or stories, about someone or something else that relays a point about an existing situation. And other times we communicate without saying or doing anything.

Our three congregations communicate by spoken social contact (around our services as well as around town or on the phone) and by written communication (the East Range Epistle). Through the years the Epistle has served as a way to provide information to all members of our congregations. In information gathered for presentation about the Epistle at the December 1999 Three-Point budget meeting, two options with varying foci were identified: EXTERNAL (targeted to the local population and potential attendees), and INTERNAL (targeted to parishioners). The material covered aspects of what a congregation does in the name of Jesus Christ and whether a church newsletter is for information, evangelizing, education, proselytizing, or something else.

As we look to the future, we need to have a good idea of how we as a group want to communicate and what we want to communicate with each other (and others??) in the name of Jesus Christ. Elsewhere in this issue (and on the calendar) is information on a meeting location to gather to discuss the Epistle and its future. If you would like to be involved in this discussion, please attend.

At the recent Region 2 meeting we were working on another round of trying to establish some ideas for a new vision for the Diocese. As we discussed the three scripture readings and the seven questions, we kept coming back to a familiar theme: Communicating God's word and Jesus' actions.

Roger has often told us that communicating is perhaps the most important social function we do. We communicate not only over meals, but in all that we do and say everyday. In 1 Kings (19:9-18 – usually read on the last Sunday of Epiphany), we read of how God communicated with Elijah – not in giant cataclysmic events (earthquake, fire, storm wind), but in the sound of a gentle whisper, perhaps much like the wind we hear on a canoe in the BWCAW as it rustles gently across an almost mirrory lake. The voice of God is there and for Elijah was just as forceful as in the cataclysmic events; but it was not necessary for God to hit Elijah with a brick bat to get his attention. Elijah heard and understood that God is present.

In John (21:17-17– usually read for the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul), Jesus intensifies his communicating by repeating the same question ("Do you love me?") and in giving an answer pointing at the same result each time ("Feed/Tend my Lambs/Sheep"). This "feeding" can have several meanings. It is not just physical sustenance (food and drink) but also spiritual, through, among other things, what we communicate in the name of Christ with and to each other. Not communicating with others is akin to withholding nourishment. Christ nourishes us by his actions and words as well as in the Eucharist.

This Holy Week and Easter season Jesus speaks to us as He hangs from the cross. He does not say in an angry voice, "Father, thy wrath upon them who crucify me". Jesus says, "Forgive them". In the gentleness of His actions, Jesus has communicated volumes with us. His words move across millennia to feed us, his sheep, today. And so should we feed our sisters and brothers on this Earth with forgiveness for their faults and we should echo the words Christ said on that Good Friday long ago. As our churches journey together we need to nourish each other, communicate, and be forgiving where there are misunderstandings. We need to act as Christ would have us act.

We spent the Sunday after Easter in Iowa and heard an interesting sermon on the appearance of Christ in the locked room and the meaning of His words "Peace be with you". During this sermon the Lay Reader talked about the "Desert Fathers", who were hermits living in caves during early church history. They spent time in caves praying and meditating. It turns out that they were not doing this alone, as people would bring food and leave it at the entrance to the caves. This reminded me about the nourishment we all receive in communicating with each other and through Christ to God.

As humans, we need to live our daily lives in contact with others. We don't function well when we are off by ourselves. Without communication with others, we tend to go flat and stagnate. Some kind of communication is necessary for each of us to develop and thrive. Just like those "Desert Fathers", we derive nourishment (spiritual, physical, intellectual) through communicating with others. Sometimes this communication is in the form of words, or actions, or by the mere presence of someone.

In His appearance in the room with locked doors Christ communicated much before He said "Peace be with you", which provided nourishment to the frightened Apostles. The fire of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost again communicates God's presence in our lives without a word being spoken – but we are charged to speak in Christ's name. The Apostles and Martyrs since the time of Christ have written and spoken about Christ. Their words nourished our ancestors and nourish us today by providing the framework for what we believe in. In the Season of Easter, this nourishment allows us to sing the joyous song of Christ's victory for us.

This framework of beliefs is the food at the entrance to our personal caves which provides us with the necessary nourishment to continue our spiritual lives with a focus on Christ. Our lives together (on Sunday and during the week) provide each of us the nourishment to continue the journey begun by our ancestors so that we, when we gather together in the name of Christ, may proclaim His resurrection and take that proclamation out into the world with us. As we journey this Easter Season, let us take the nourishment and proclaim the joyous "Alleluia" to the promise of salvation that the resurrection gives us.

In mid-May, Carol and I were in Washington, DC, at the Environmental Justice Conference of the National Council of Churches (the main reason why this issue is a week late coming out). The conference had a focus on the environment and the concerns for active church participation in issues of social justice and human welfare that spin off of environmental concerns. The information we received, inwardly digested, and discussed was immense and could take up several Epistles with topical discussions. I will spare you that, but I am willing to discuss the conference or specific aspects of what we worked on with anyone interested.

One of the concerns which came up several times – and not just a concern of environmentally oriented groups – was the difference between listening and learning, and listening, learning, and doing. Often it seems easier to let others do the work while we stand on the sidelines and watch (or do other things). In some things happening in our lives, we need to step beyond watching or being a "pew warmer" in our congregations. As things change or move towards changing, we are faced with a moral or even ethical dilemma (do something or do nothing). History is full of people, nations, and even churches that faced such a dilemma and made a choice (sometimes good, sometimes bad).

The Bible is full of exhortations to action ("feed my sheep" [John 21:17], "love one another" [John 13:33-36], "to work the earth and take care of it" [Genesis 2:15], "heal every disease and sickness" [Matthew 10:1], "keep my commandments" [John 14:15]). These are calls to move our faith from thought and prayer to active demonstration of what our faith means to us. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came into the world so that "your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams" [Acts 2:17]. The Holy Spirit called us, as Christians to act the faith we profess to believe.

In March several of us got together and discussed some aspects of how we communicate our faith with each other among our congregations. Now, as Summer approaches, it is time for us to gather again (with anyone else interested) to discuss how the Epistle should express our faith in the communications among our congregations. Elsewhere in this issue (and on the calendar) is information on a meeting location to gather to discuss the Epistle and its future. You are invited share your visions and dreams.

In his sermon when Bishop Dan Swenson was here for Confirmation on June 17, he spoke about various types of Christian churches and their approach to spreading the Good News of God in Christ. Later, during the service, Bishop Swenson invoked the Holy Spirit to help us to perform the service that God has set before us (BCP-418). While each of our congregations has a different service to perform in the name of Jesus Christ, we also have common bonds that tie us together on the East Range.

A few days earlier several of us met at Kenny K's Lonely Loon in Biwabik to discuss how the Epistle should express our faith in the communications among our congregations and what role the Epistle should play in our future. It was a lively discussion, covering many aspects of our lives together and how we can work together as three diverse yet similar congregations. In looking at how we dialog and what we need to do to keep our communications open in the future, we examined whether the Three-Point should have a paid, part-time secretary position to take telephone calls, produce the newsletter, and provide a common face to the greater communities and visitors (lest anyone get ideas, several with experience underscored the necessity that such a person should not be a member of our congregations). We also discussed creating a lay reader pool from all three congregations and rotating lay readers among our congregations as a way to get to better know each other. For the Epistle, we discussed having each congregation appoint two persons (one from the Vestry/Bishop's Committee and one pew warmer) to be the focal points for information flow between congregation and Epistle (see more on this inside this Epistle – yes, there are several changes afoot here).

The matter that took up a good portion of our time concerned how we communicate and interact on a recurring basis. We agreed that we needed to look at instituting some changes now, so we can work out the problems before next January. The group consensus was that the next step together was to start gathering and worshiping together and that either St. John's or St. Mary's should host a Three-Point event yet this Summer where we can get to know each other better and help attend to each other's needs. It would be nice to start or end this activity with a joint service involving participation from all three congregations.

The feeling of the group might be best described as that the service God has set before us at this time is to come together in community and work together to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ among us and around us. Will you, with God's help, work together? The choice is yours.

Several changes in how the Epistle is produced will go into effect with this issue. Please read and prayerfully consider where you fit in.

The group attending the June 13 meeting at Kenny K's Lonely Loon agreed that each congregation should take up the responsibility of providing information to the Epistle editors each month. This should be a ministry that at least two persons from each congregation (the suggestion at the meeting was one Vestry/Bishop's Committee member and one non-member should make the commitment). This will be the way future issues will be prepared. Gone are the endless telephone calls and reminders to provide information for the Epistle.

Since none of our congregations has this ministry now and some vestries won't meet for several months, volunteers will need to step forward within each congregation ahead of the cut-off date for the September Epistle to gather the information and provide it to the editors. Articles of any length should be provided in writing, by fax, letter, or e-mail. The responsibility to get information into the Epistle will reside with each congregation and not the editors. This responsibility also includes the monthly calendar information and the schedules for acolytes, lectors, and lay readers (this may be submitted by voice). If information is not provided to the editors won't appear in the Epistle.

In December 1999, the Three-Point leadership expressed a desire not to have lead articles written outside of our congregations. Since then each month there has been a request for someone to write something. In that time, there have been only four such contributions. The remaining fifteen lead articles have been prepared by the editors. In the September issue there will be a list for each congregation on a rotating basis to provide the lead article for the Epistle. If no article is received, then the editors will select articles from available sources and resources.

We all need to take up and share the responsibility to nourish each other. Please prayerfully consider how this will impact on your spiritual lives and discuss these changes with your fellow parishioners and Vestry.

In the 70's and 80's when Carol and I attended an Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Virginia, there was one person who stood out: Bill. He was the unofficial "greeter and hugger" of the congregation. Every Sunday and at every church event he was there to say hello and give everyone a hug. Bill had achieved a level of personal spirituality that made him comfortable in sharing that spirituality with everyone. We used to joke that Bill was much more advanced in walking with The Holy Spirit, that he had reached a place in his spiritual journey that we "mere mortals" could only hope to reach.

This past weekend I was at a meeting of search consultants for the Diocese of Minnesota. At one point in the meeting we began discussing spirituality in and of congregations. One participant spoke about how leaders of meetings and events can be mindful of God's presence at the meetings. Often in the rush to go through the mechanics of a search – or any other activity of the church – we do not hear what God is saying to us in the dynamics of the activity.

This discussion got me to thinking again about Bill. His greetings and hugs were a small way of displaying the love of Christ at meetings otherwise filled with budget information or contentious issues. In taking that time to be hugged by (and to hug back at) Bill, we all were able for a moment to feel loved and give love – unconditionally. Bill did not care about our outward appearances. He was more interested in God's presence in what each of us brought to the event we were attending.

Our discussions at the meeting raised some questions about the presence of The Holy Spirit in all our lives (as individuals, as members of a congregation, and as members of a diocese). One of the participants asked the question of all of us: "What kind of a spiritual call experience have you had that you are willing to share with others?"

Again I thought of Bill. His spiritual call experience was to be the presence of Christ wherever he was, at church, at work, or at play. As I thought about Bill in this context, I began to consider where, in my life, I have felt a spiritual call and how I have shared that call and where our congregations have felt a spiritual call and how they have shared that call with others.

I ask you to prayerfully consider where your spiritual call is – individually and as congregations –, and to share these calls with others. As we continue our journey let us be mindful of God's presence.

In the August issue of Soundings, the diocesan newspaper, was an article by a young man reflecting on his experiences on a recent mission trip. He had enjoyed thoroughly his time spent with so many people of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, but was concerned that in "the church" we may find it more comfortable to be with people who are just like ourselves ... and he thought this was a bad thing. Of course, he is concerned that churches would consciously turn people away or make them feel unwanted if they were "different". That would be horrible and not the teaching of Christ, but, sadly, the church's history is punctuated with discrimination ... and much still exists today.

I do think, however, that we humans tend to search out places and people with whom we feel some sort of common ground. I like to imagine the early church meeting in each others' homes for worship after the death and resurrection of Jesus. "I like meeting at Paul's house because they study the scriptures and have deep discussions." or "We prefer Joseph's where there is always a lot of singing and music." or "I enjoy Mary's where we have a shared meal to remember our time with Jesus." My guess is that right from the beginning Christians were dividing themselves up by "style" of worship. I didn't see that as a bad thing ... until someone decided their style was the only true way and, well, we all know where that has taken us!

In the Soundings article, the writer also wondered if, in the church, we "actively seek out diverse representation on our boards, vestries, etc." and "Are we open to people of color, disabilities, young adults, youth and people who live alternate lifestyles?" Personally, I never felt any great need to "seek" diversity. It seems if an opportunity is offered to gather people together, diversity will arrive on its own. Just check out a TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) weekend sometime; or sit in on a vestry meeting. If you really want to know how diverse the East Range Churches are, visit each location during their worship and explore their different "styles".

I guess I would tell the young article writer that it is very commendable that he cares enough about the church that he wants it to be a caring, supportive and welcoming place for all who come there. But, I would also say that the whole point of being the church is to take all our different selves into the world to honor God and celebrate all that has been created for us. It is wherever we are in the world that we must live out our baptismal covenant. The world needs us more than ever to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. "Now, that would be "style"!

Legacy From a Friend
by Linda Davis, St. John's

"Imagine yourself," the workshop begins, "with one hour to live…" Now answer these three questions:

Who would you call?
What would you say?
What are you waiting for?

That premise and those questions – especially the last one – have haunted me through the many years that have passed since I first read them. It's hard to open up to people, to tell them, face to face, how much you appreciate them. We're afraid to reveal our own vulnerability, and we feel awkward when confronted with this kind of honesty from another.

This was brought home to me when a close friend was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). ALS rendered Frank's throat and facial muscles useless – he couldn't speak, chew, or swallow. It took only a few trips to the emergency room over a brief period of time for him to realize that any time he spent with a friend might well be the last, so if he had something to tell them he'd better say it now… but that meant opening up and making himself vulnerable. He was in a scary position – but what did he have to lose?

We all know that God is love, and that perfect love casteth out fear. Well, Frank loved us, and he decided to waste no time in letting us know it. He could make himself vulnerable or he could regret never telling us at all. Somehow, after that the choice wasn't all that hard. Knowing he was dying freed him from fearing the reactions of his friends… after all – we loved him, too. He wrote us long letters, detailing moments that were memories of time spent together that he cherished. He wrote them in front of us, and we had to read them aloud, so he could see and hear our responses…. This let his family know why he loved us, too, and it brought us closer to them as well.

You know how a parent looks upon a newborn babe? They memorize every little detail of their child, and that same look of wonder was on Frank's face as he looked at his family. He memorized their features - and flaws didn't detract. His acceptance – warts and all – was unconditional. He would stare lovingly at his wife, drinking in her presence, as she moved about the room, and his eyes would smile at her when his lips were no longer able to…

He made "stop signs" that he displayed proudly to all who visited. They were brightly colored pieces of construction paper glued to tongue depressors that he would wave frantically to get his wife's attention. Each contained a simple message:

"I LOVE YOU!!!" "YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL" "HUG!!!" "THANK YOU"
…and he'd wave them, unashamedly, in front of his many visitors.

My dictionary has 2,054 pages. It is a 4th edition, containing 10,000 words that were not included in the previous edition. All of those tens of thousands of words to choose from, and he knew that everything he needed to say to his family and friends; everything they needed to hear, to hold on to, to keep them going in the years that he would not be around, could be found in those 8 words.

Our lives can change in an instant, without warning - the events of September 11th certainly reinforced that.

Each of Frank's messages came straight from his heart and soul, without fear or self-consciousness. He spoke his truth. Can we face each other unafraid? Can we cast off our fears, and reach out to each other? Can we let the love of God that is within each of us speak?

Informal Worship
by Mary Catherine Brown, St. Mary's

In 1980 Roger Weaver became the priest for the four Iron Range Episcopal Churches – a forbidding assignment to say the least! To the Ely Episcopalians he proposed yet another commitment – a regular monthly Eucharist during winter months to be held in alternate homes. An immediate success! Each month after the service we enjoyed tea and goodies and shared problems, hopes, and dreams with a unique bonding of young and old.

Several years ago, to be more accessible to new members, we found a welcomed home (an upper room) in the Northern Grounds Café and began weekly Saturday services year around. Roger designed and printed into a folder a Eucharist based on a New Zealand liturgy. Instead of a sermon, we read and discuss the Sunday gospel lesson. We all take turns reading the liturgy and prayers.

For two summers St. Mary's Ely enjoyed a Diocesan grant which partially funded weekly visiting clergy for a resort vacation and a Northern Grounds meal in exchange for presiding at the Saturday Eucharist. We met many clergy, and many remain friends.

Our church spans ages. We all learn from one another and have gotten to know one another well through the years. It is a special joy to watch the children grow up. They are a constant source of amazement!

In April of this year, the Ely Presbyterian Church invited us to have our Saturday service in their Common Room. This new arrangement is working very well. Now that you know where we are located, please join us when you are in Ely on a Saturday afternoon… we'd love to see you. Come worship with us!