The Sunrise...
Starkville, Mississippi
July, 2002 Newsletter
Dear Resurrection Parish Family,
One year ago, the Sunrise Cover letter from our then Senior Warden Leigh Jensen Crawford began with the above quotation from the Vestry Resource Guide. Over the past year, we have walked, trudged, and danced through many a transition, some of which have been resolved and others of which remain open-ended. But the quotation remains and the question that beckons are ear centers on trust - trust in self, trust in one another, trust in the process and, ultimately, trust in God.
Bound up in the concept of trust are vulnerability, commitment, and hope. To "trust in" someone or something is to feel secure that whomever or whatever you "trust in" will be there when you are in need to provide protection, assistance and support, will fulfill commitments in thought, word, and deed, and will be present when all is said and done, when storms blow over and the sun begins to shine.
Experience tells us that there are times when it is difficult to "trust in" someone or something because in one way or another our trust has been hurt, violated, damaged, and/or broken. For example, a chair gets pulled out from beneath you, either by a person who is not paying attention or by someone who thinks they are being funny. Regardless of intent, the chair is removed and you are left sitting on the floor humiliated and possibly physically hurt. Trust in the chair is damaged and trust in the offending person is damaged. It takes a while to be willing to sit down in that chair or any chair again without looking behind you and checking to make sure that the chair is there. And it is likely that you avoid sitting anywhere near the person who removed the chair, even if it was an accident. Your "trust in" the chair and the person have been tested and it will take time for you to trust again.
During this transition period, some of you may have experienced something akin to the removal of a chair, the removal of something you had "trust in." Our church space has changed, our music has changed, our leadership has changed, our surroundings have changed - people and things have changed and are changing. Where will I sit next week? What will we sing? Who will preside and who will preach? Will we celebrate Holy Eucharist or Morning Prayer? Where will our meetings take place? Who will answer my questions? It is may be that you experience a desire to look behind you to make sure the pew is still there before you take your seat - metaphorically and literally.
My hope is that none of the so-called removal of chairs has been experienced as malicious or intending to cause pain, humiliation or lack of trust. As with the removal of chairs, the offending party may not be aware of the offense. If you have been left in a place of perplexity or humiliation by any of the changes, trust may be restored by addressing the problem and speaking to the leadership of our parish family - clergy, wardens, vestry, organist-choirmaster, teachers, youth coordinators, or other heads of committees and guilds. The work that we do to restore levels of "trust in" and relationship amongst and beyond the parish bears greatly on our levels of "trust in" and relationship with God. Rather than wait for a new rector to be faced with the challenge of picking us up off the floor, it is important that we tend to things as they arise, that we extend hands of trust to those who appear perplexed, humiliated or hurt, so that when we call a rector he or she may be invited to join with Resurrection in a place of trust and we may begin our journey into a new day together.
Ever-present God, You call us on a journey to a place we do not know. We are not where we started. We have not reached our destination. We are not sure where we are or who we are. This is not a comfortable place. Be among us, we pray. Calm our fears, save us from discouragement, and help us to stay on course. Open our hearts to your guidance so that our journey to this unknown place continues as a journey of trust. Amen.-- The Rev. Canon Kristi Philip,"A Prayer for Transition" in Women's Uncommon Prayer
Shalom,
The
Rev. Elizabeth
H. Wheatley,
Chaplain
More
about Elizabeth
July 2002
WORSHIP SCHEDULE:
SUNDAY:
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite (No nursery)
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II (Nursery)
WEDNESDAY:
5:30 Holy Eucharist followed by fellowship
THURSDAY:
12:05 p.m. Healing & Holy Eucharist followed by "Dutch
treat" lunch
(No weekday services the week of July 4th.)
BIRTHDAY SUNDAY - Birthday Sunday is Back! Join us July 7th in the Student Center to celebrate with those who have July birthdays. We need volunteers for Birthday Sunday. See James McCormick if you are willing to help!
4
Jessica Callahan 12
Don Emerich 26
Ellen Pearson
4 Amy Foote
5 Callie Hester
6 Matthew Clark
7 Colin Damms
8 Patsy Wilkerson
10 Joe Stockwell
11 Betty Rawlings
12 Joe Tom Mosley
14 Melvin Rhodes
14 Lady Rhodes
15 Dwayne Myers
17 Mary Eleanor Anderson
17 Nancy Hargrove
17 Leigh Jensen
27 Jacque Kennington
27 Mary Lou Hansford
29 Lucy Phillips
30 Clark Callahan
31 Beth Batson
ST. MARTHA'S GUILD will meet July 1st at 12:30 p.m. in the Student Center for brown bag lunch and fellowship. Visitors and new members are always welcome.
SECOND SUNDAY SHARING is July 14th. Please bring school supplies so every child has a chance to start the year with new crayons, notebook, and pencils.
WRAP IT UP WORKDAY - Let's try something new!
There are lots of little jobs that need to be done to "wrap up" the renovation project...pictures to hang, paint to scrape off windows, dead bushes to remove, finishing touches to apply... you get the idea. On WEDNESDAY July 10th at 5:30 p.m. we will meet in the Canterbury Lodge (aka Scales House) for Holy Eucharist, work for one hour (6:30-7:30) and have a potluck supper at the pool or in the Lodge. Wear work clothes, bring a swimsuit, bring a dish to share and come wrap it up! Those who want to help but cannot do chores may set up for supper or supervise at the pool!
TRANSFORM THE SCALES HOUSE - On Saturday, July 20th beginning at 10 a.m. there will be a work day to do some major sprucing up, repairs, and renovations to transform the Scales House into the Canterbury Lodge. We will need strong backs and willing bodies to do some ceiling work, to knock out a wall, and to paint, paint, paint! Lunch and drinks will be provided for our work force. Contact Elizabeth for details. Y'all come!
COMINGS AND GOINGS - Elizabeth will be playing at Camp Bratton-Green July 1-8 and several of the Jr Hi campers are from Resurrection. Nelda will have a well-earned vacation the week of July 15th. If you have business that only Nelda can do, keep those dates in mind. Office hours will be kept by volunteers! Leanne Fazio will be on vacation July 9-16 and Dolton McAlpin will be our guest organist on the 14th.
NURSERY NOTES from Jay McCombs: Many thanks to those who have volunteered to keep the nursery this summer. Gail Foote, Alyson Hardin and Jennifer Damms took turns in June and Margaret King, Alyson Hardin, Jay, and Michelle Ray all have Sundays in July. August volunteers are still needed. If each family takes a turn it should not burden anyone. Contact Jay to volunteer.
YOUTH NEWS - EYC has gathered twice this summer for fun and fellowship and will gather one last time before Amanda Yates bids us farewell. On July 19-20th the EYC will camp-out at the Simmon's Land, play hard, celebrate Amanda's graduation, and bask in the sun and fun of it all! Contact Amanda for details, aly2@msstate.edu.
HAPPENING #52 in Mississippi will take place the weekend of August 2-4th. All youth entering grades 10-12, as well as freshmen in college and youthful adults are encouraged to attend Happening. Applications are available at the office. Don't procrastinate. Mail applications today!!!
LAY EUCHARISTIC MINISTRY is a vital ministry in the Episcopal Church, not only within the weekly liturgies but in reaching out to people who are ill or homebound. Recently, we trained and added three new LEMs to our team: Pamela C. Collins, Leigh Jensen-Crawford, and Lynn Phillips. We will have another training in early August for those who are interested in serving as LEMs at any of our weekly services or as an LEM to make eucharistic visits after Sunday services. Contact Elizabeth to discuss the possibility of joining the LEMs at Resurrection.
ALTAR GUILD is another vital ministry at Resurrection and, with folks moving, schedules changing and additional services, we are in need of Altar Guild members. The committed service of the Altar Guild is part of what makes our services so inviting and move so smoothly. As an Altar Guild member, you will be trained in the various responsibilities and asked to serve on an Altar Guild team one month each year. Please consider this servant- ministry and contact Marsha Williams.
BAPTISM DAY - In addition to the traditional days for baptism - The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, the Easter Vigil, Pentecost, and All Saints Sunday - and the Bishop's Visit, during the long stretch between Pentecost and All Saints' we will be adding a baptismal day. The next Celebration of Holy Baptism at Resurrection will be Sunday, September 8th. If you or someone in your family would like to be baptized, please contact Elizabeth to schedule catechetical teaching sessions for baptismal candidates, parents and godparents before the baptism.
SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE from John Beal: The committee has visited three candidates for the rector