Around the Office Update #1 February 13, 2013

Where did January go?!

Worship
Lent is upon us! Lent is the season of recalling and repenting of our sins and striving through renewed disciplines to worship God from Monday to Sunday.  Remember that as your pastor I am hear to help in that capacity.  If you need spiritual direction, listening, or help with prayer give me a call or come by the office.

Also keep in mind that during Holy Week I will keep hours in the chapel for the Rite of Reconciliation (p. 446 in the Prayer Book).  This service is our ability to confess our sins privately to a priest.  Sometimes getting things off your chest is the only way to move from feelings of guilt to forgiveness.  If you would like to offer your confession privately I am always available.  But also be on the alert for special hours for this sacrament during Holy Week.

As we walk together through this Holy Season remember that now is a great time to be listening to the spiritual concerns of friends and families.  They need the Love of God as much as you do.  Encourage them to worship!  Invite them to worship with us.

Love
Our Lenten program telling God Stories and Jesus Touching our Lives is gearing up.  Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 20th at 6:30 we'll meet in the parish hall for soup (a light meal).  Then adults and children will part ways for different programs.  Children will strengthen friendships with one another and their relationships with Jesus!  While adults will head to the church nave to share in music and ways that Jesus has touched their lives this week.  I feel the awesomeness already!  Soup is free for everybody, so bring a friend and share God's Love.

The last two weeks in our Family Formation hour we've seen more church family members show up; y'all keep coming.  Last Sunday we were visited by a prison guard and cell mate of Joseph's.  We're expecting a visit from Joseph anytime now, don't miss it.  Along with these visitations we're learning about how God was ever present with Joseph through his tribulations and blessings.  Just as he is present with us today in our struggles and joyful moments.  The arts and crafts have also been a lot of fun.  We'll see you there!

Service
As the semester continues on we've invited some new friends from Dulles High School National Honor Society to help us in our Emily's Pantry renovation.  Don't worry they're not painting or reflooring.  They will be helping us move food and furniture to another room while we paint and re-floor the pantry.  All this is in an effort to have a facility that meets with the standards of the Houston Food Bank.  We're excited for them to join us.  And we are hoping to take the opportunity to extend invitation for them to fellowship with us.

Blessings, Fr. Stephen+

Around the Office Update #4 (12.18.12)

A lot to do this week,. I can't wait for Christmas to come!

Worship
We're working on Christmas service sheets.  We're very excited about the emphasis on children and youth for the early Christmas Eve service.  While both services are open to all generations we hope that parents will feel that the early service will be engaging for the younger children.  The Island carols are lively and fun to sing.  And of course we'll include our traditional carols as well.

Also relating to worship, I've been asking around about ways to make our worship better.  Trying to balance musical and liturgical tastes within the structure of Anglican worship is a daunting task.  But there is flexibility within the structure.  We are looking to find the balance of these things that makes our worship so beautiful.  I'm always open to your feedback, so send me an email with your thoughts or grab me for a conversation.

Love
Get on board with us!! After months of faithful prayer, planning, and preparation Kari Richardson has joined our staff to help us with our Family Ministry.  We have mapped out a plan for Christian formation for children, youth, and adults.  Family ministry is a multi-generational faith formation that will enrich the lives of our children and parish family!

Kari has prepared a written protocol for our nursery.  This is help that ministry continue to be a safe and enriching environment for our youngest disciples.  For our families with older children and youth, we'll spend January orienting everyone on how this new ministry will unfold.  Family Formation will take place on first, second, and third Sundays.  Fourth Sundays are our service day at Emily's Pantry.  It's a great time to be at All Saints!

Service
Last week Sarah, Miguel, and I drove over to Dulles Middle School to pick up a first attempt at the school's food drive.  The offering from the middle school was well received.  I've written thank you notes to the departments in appreciation from the church.

Also, Tracey Spiller and I visited the Houston Food Bank for an orientation.  We'll have to go back in January to complete our paperwork. By teaming with the Food Bank we're going to be able to stock Emily's Pantry for drastically reduced prices on food.  We're still needing more volunteers.  We encourage everyone to invite a friend to help stock or distribute food.

Thank you for the continued support.  Blessings, Fr. Stephen+

The Narthex: First Impressions

Next to the parking lot, the narthex at All Saints is the first place of contact for our guests.  When they come to worship with us the narthex is a lively place, and as most of you know it is the focal point of information for and about All Saints.

Pronounced N (are)- thex (thex) like the letter "X"  The word is Latin for "great fennel" or seed.  As such the word is fertile with meaning.  A quick study of the word finds that it's meaning had to do with organic growth.  In ancient and medieval church architecture the narthex was the entry point of the church. It was a place for people outside of the community to catch a glimpse of what goes on inside.  In that way the people in the narthex themselves were seedling plants looking for spiritual nourishment.

People preparing for baptism (catechumens) or penitents (people ex-communicated for a time) were allowed to listen and participate in church services from the narthex.  At an appropriate time baptisms would take place at the door between the narthex and nave and new believers were welcomed into the family of Christ!  Likewise those penitents who had separated themselves by notorious sins could also be restored through penance to the community of the faithful.

Things have changed in the last few centuries; the narthex has become simply our front door.  We no longer restrict guests from entering into the nave and so the narthex takes on new purpose in our time.

As I've observed our narthex over the last few months there has been this emerging definition of space.  I've noticed that certain tables and walls are evolving into specific purposes that fall under "Worship, Love, & Service."  I want to encourage this to continue!  And I want to join in on what God is revealing in this very simple process.

Narthex Schematic: All Saints Episcopal Church

Our name-tags, the Sunday prayer sheet, and our new Parish Bible all sit underneath the heavy wooden cross.  Worship! The first of our core values is the one that is seen first as guests enter the door.  The open bible proclaims the primal authority of God's Word and name-tags declare our willingness to know and be known by our guests.

Over the last few months another area has become the focal point for our many Service ministries.  In that location we've been dropping off food for Emily's Pantry.  We've used that table to sign-up for Family Promise and the CPS Christmas gifts.  As we approach the time for Kairos prison ministry there will be a designated place to buy tickets for the barbecue chicken.

Finally, as we have renewed our emphasis on Christian Formation and Fellowship a space is emerging as the focal point of Love. Sign up sheets for Lenten suppers and information on Family Formation are coming and are already here.

Along with our core values we are experiencing the need to have a focal point for our guest ministries.  When you invite friends and acquaintances to visit us we will be ready to greet them and orient them to All Saints.

As these things have emerged we are beginning to give them a more defined place.  The attached schematic above shows how the architecture of the narthex is beginning to be shaped by our core values.

As we continue to thoughtfully use our space in ways to reach out and welcome our guests this layout may change.  We're always doing it in an effort to use our space more efficiently and to the Glory of God!

The Courage of Youth

God sends little moments of grace on our walk with him.  A few Sundays ago I arrived home in the afternoon, after a conference. Kate handed me a visitor card from a young girl that had been our guest at All Saints.  She was invited by one of our youth.

The young lady wrote her name on the card but left all of the contact information blank.  On the back she checked only the box marked, "I'm visiting" and crossed out the rest of the sentence which read, "...from out of town."

In the "I have a question:" box she wrote this:

How come girls get to carry things?  Like Sarah? [name changed]  My church is only boys.  I wanted to but they said no. [sic] Just wondering.  (sorry if my hand writing stinks. I can't write on my knee)

What a simple question that requires a simple response, I replied and have had  the note delivered:

Dear Elizabeth, [name changed]

Thank you for filling out a visitor card when you visited our church with [Sarah]. We're glad you worshiped with us!  You asked the question...I assume you mean why do we allow girls to be acolytes who carry the candles, crosses, or gospel book in our service.  This must be different in your church.  The answer is that in some churches only boys are allowed to become ministers or priests.  And so then only boys are allowed to carry the crosses or candles, because some of them may want to be priests some day.  Although that is different from our church we all love Jesus; we just have different customs.  In our church the children may or may not become priests when they grow up.  So it does not matter if they are boys or girls.  If you would like to come and visit our church and be trained to carry the candles and other things we would be happy to let you try.  You will need to talk to your parents though to make sure it's okay.  We hope that you'll give it a try. God bless you, Fr. Stephen+

You never know what questions people have.  This encounter makes me thankful for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, I'm proud of our youth who are unafraid to invite their friends to All Saints, even if the friend has her own church. An invitation is evangelism.  Just because someone says they are from a different denomination doesn't mean that deep down there isn't an Anglican trying to get out!

All Saints is a great Christian community and worthy to invite your friends.  Adults! this is an inspiration to you.  You have friends who say they are one thing or another.  Don't let that stop you from inviting them to worship with us.  You never know, they'll probably like it!  There are lots of barriers that keep people from coming to church.  The first barrier is not being invited.  Only you can remove that barrier.

Second, I appreciate the young lady's question.  She wasn't afraid of asking the priest a very simple question.  It takes courage to acknowledge that we don't know something, and it takes more courage to step up and ask questions.  There's probably something that you don't know and that you're not asking.  But you want to ask.  So ASK!  Send me an email, write me a note.

Finally, I am grateful that this young person came to visit us.  There are lots of wonderful things happening at All Saints.  We want to include new friends to be a part of our fellowship.  Keep up the good work!  God blesses us with the visitation of strangers.  They see God and our church community with new eyes.

Holy ones,

In light of the recent shootings at the grammar school in Connecticut, we will begin Sunday service with prayer, silence, and the reading of Holy Scripture.

We will not have regular announcements prior to the service.

I believe it is important for us to still gather together for fellowship and support on Sunday evening for the fellowship dinner. I will attempt to remember to announce this at The Peace on Sunday morning.

Please pray for the parents and families of school faculty whose loved ones were killed or injured. Most of us cannot imagine their suffering. They need the love and peace of God and support of those close to them.

Often our minds stray to questions like, “Why did this happen?,” or “Why does God allow these things to happen?” as if we can intellectually understand or find reason in these events. But these acts of evil are the antithesis of reason. There is no reason but evil alone that perpetrates this hatred of life. 

The taking of human life is a crime against God as we were made in his image, male and female, adult and children all were made in his image.

God reveals himself as Father and as a parent loves his children. He groans and suffers at the loss of his children just as we do. But as he is the creator of all he growns and suffers everyday when we hurt one another.

Take this time to be extra loving and caring to the people God has placed in your path. For those individuals may very well be his children too.

My love and blessing to you all,

Fr. Stephen+

Around the Office Update #3

Acolyte Masters meeting-We've updated our acolyte master protocol and have a procedure and time schedule for our acolytes as they arrive on Sundays to worship.  The acolyte team is working to provide an environment that will train our acolytes and help them to feel confident in their duties at the altar.  We've scheduled a training date in January to start this new process.  This is just the beginning for the reorganization of this ministry!

Dresses for Africa-Over 100 dresses for girls and shorts for boys have been prepared by nimble fingers.  Through sewing, cutting, and ironing your efforts will be a blessing to little children a world away. If you'd like to make a monetary contribution to help send the dresses please mark your check, "Dresses for Africa." It costs $2 per item to send.

Stewardship letters went out early October highlighting the various ministry possibilities for people to participate in at All Saints.  The double sided pledge card carries with it the financial components of stewardship on one side and the time components on the other side.  I hope you've found your calling in ministry and will take some time to serve in the All Saints Family.

Vestry elections are coming in December.  We still have time to receive nominations for 2013-15 vestry spots.  This is a great time to be on vestry.  The new staffing positions are helping us in communications and administration.  We are getting closer to our second goal of finding a Family Life Minister to help with multi-generational ministry while stressing children and youth!  The Family Life Minister will also help integrate new guests into All Saints life.  The vestry helps vision, guide, and support this process.

The long range planning group is ratcheting up and meeting more regularly in order to accomplish the goals of assessing our campus stewardship and visioning ways that we can better utilize our resources.  Our prayers and conversations continue to guide and reveal the possibilities for the future of All Saints as we discern the use of our campus.

Intincting (A way of receiving Holy Communion)

Intincting is the custom of receiving communion in which the communicant takes his communion host bread and dips (intincts) the host into the chalice in order to receive the wine without drinking directly from the cup.

This practice has become more accepted over time due to perceived issue over cleanliness. For one reason or another people seem to think that directly drinking from a silver cup (which has anti-microbial properties) with wine (which has anti-bacterial properties) is less sanitary than dipping fingers with cuticles into the chalice. Fingers and hands are just as likely to carry contaminants as the mouth that cause illness.  Hence we are encouraged to frequently wash our hands.

Here I'm going to give you a procedural rubric (rule) on how to intinct.  I know that it would be an impossible task to try to put everything back into Pandora's box; so I'm not going to try to convince you that intinction does nothing more than make the recipient feel less mentally squeamish about sharing the cup of Christ with her brother in the Lord.

As Anglicans we acknowledge the very real presence of Christ in the Bread and Wine.

"He was the Word that spake it; He took the bread and brake it; And what that Word did make it, I do believe and take it" John Donne

 and again in the catechism of 1604

Ques. What is the outward part or sign of the Lord's Supper?

Ans. Bread and wine, which the Lord hath commanded to be received.

Ques. What is the inward part, or thing signified?

Ans. The body and blood of Christ, which are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper.

And of course Jesus is recorded in the scriptures to say, "This is my body..." and again, "This is my blood..."  So in any scenario the sacrament is to be held with reverence and appreciation for Christ's presence.

So regardless of where your piety leads you on this issue of intinction here are few thoughts and rubrics about intincting.

1. When the communicant intends to intinct the bread she should receive the host in the same manner as one who is to drink directly from the cup.  The palm is open and extended upward for the minister to place the bread in the palm.
2. When the chalice approaches, the communicant takes her host and dips the edge of the bread into the wine. (Never should a communicant's finger be submersed in the wine.)
3. Gently touch the interior wall of the chalice to remove any excess drip of wine.  Rotate the host so that any excess wine on the host may permeate through the bread.  (It is inappropriate to shake excess wine from the host.)
4. At the words "The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in everlasting life," the communicate would affirm with a faithful response, commonly "Amen." (So be it.)