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The Sunrise |
...at Episcopal Church of the Resurrection
Starkville, Mississippi
July, 2003
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In our June issue, I acknowledged that throughout the summer this newsletter space will be targeted to the subject of stewardship. I defined stewardship as the belief that all that we have, and the entire creation in which we live is truly "on loan" to us and that, eventually, we will be called to give an accounting of whether we have used God's gifts for God's purposes.
The Church's understanding of stewardship has too often been relegated to paying the parish bills and maintaining the church property. However, the Church (Church universal as well as individual congregations) will never be successful in its calling as the Church unless it understands the biblical concept of the "steward". The root meaning of "steward" is house keeper. Stewardship is a vocation and notes a position of power - to have oversight on behalf of another person. The steward has authority and power but not ownership. We are the "house keepers" accountable for God's creation and responsible for the work God has given us to do. Biblically, the steward becomes a metaphor for humanity, and the Bible is an account of humanity's successes and failure as a steward of God. The Bible contains over 1400 references to "servant" or "steward". Clearly, the Bible references the concept of tithing and defines tithing as 10%. However, Jesus clearly talks about 100%. Christ was the chief steward. We are to consider all that we have as a gift of God and to be instruments for bringing about God's kingdom. As stewards, we are co-creators with God to bring about God's kingdom.
We live in a world which operates on a theology of scarcity - acquiring more and more things to meet our desires (which we translate as needs in scarcity theology) and hoarding what we have for fear there won't be enough (an ever-changing target as we acquire more and more). Scripture offers us a theology of abundance: we have been blessed; God has given us the resources to meet all needs if we share what we have; and we share by giving back to God from the abundance received.
However, too often, influenced by scarcity thinking, what we offer to God financially is what is left over - after we have paid all other bills, after we have set aside money for future needs, after we have we have spent acquiring most of the things we want, after we have spent money for entertainment and recreation. Rather than what is left, God invites us to offer our best: "The choicest of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God (Exodus 23:19, NRSV)."
We are invited into stewardship with God through the grace of Christ as we enter into a shared stewardship community. However, we have allowed stewardship to be privatized so that giving is independent of our relationship with God and with fellow Christians. While what one pledges to the parish is a private matter, our understanding and practice of stewardship is not a private matter. It reflects our relationship to God, our commitment to living within a corporate Body of Christ, and our desire to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth as in Heaven.
As I said last month, the reason the Lord bids you and me to make an offering of our money is for one reason alone - so that we can fall in love with the Lord. It has to do with where our treasure is, and where we want our hearts to be. Inherent in this is the belief that such giving is "thanks giving": Giving can only proceed from our sense of gratitude for all that God has done and is doing for us and for all people.
I asked last month and continue to ask you to consider how your pledge to Resurrection symbolizes your relation with God and the role of money in your life.
Christ's Peace,
SUNRISE NEWS & EVENTS
July, 2003 Newsletter
Vestry Meeting Summary
June 16, 2003
As the opening devotion, Bill read from the Psalms an account of the Israelites journey out of Egypt. He then talked about that our heritage from Judaism and in Christianity is having a common story. Vestry members were asked to share the stories which they had experienced and had heard in Resurrection's formation.
Old Business
Swimming Pool: Dolton Reported the swimming pool was up and running. The broken filter had been replaced with a new one. Quality Pools, our maintenance contractor, has not yet been able to determine the leak in the pool. There was some discussion about how we were going to get users of the pool to pay up! If you are using the pool and have not paid your summer fees, please do so immediately to Nelda. Remember, the pool is self-supporting and receives no money from the church budget.
Audit Committee: No report from the committee. It has met, just not completed the task.
Vacation Bible School: James McCormick reported VBS was a go with Trinity Presbyterian Church. The theme is "What It Means To Be A Disciple." The group will meet on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 - 7:30pm beginning June 18. The first sessions will be held at Resurrection, the 2 & 3 sessions at Trinity and the 4th back at Resurrection. At the moment about 17 participants from Resurrection are registered and approximately the same number from Trinity. A great time will be had by all.
Canterbury Advisory Council: After some discussion about the makeup of the CAC, the Vestry formally adopted the proposal presented by Elizabeth at our May 19 meeting. The makeup of the CAC will include both parishioners and Canterbury students. The Vestry will be represented with at least one member.
Bishop's Visit: It will be impossible for the Bishop to combine a visit with another church to consecrate the Canterbury Lodge and Columbarium. A date will be negotiated once the Columbarium and Labyrinth are complete.
Vestry Information Dissemination: Thanks to technology, information will be sent by email. The church staff is still working on how to send the Financial Report.
Long Range Planning and Reassignment of Vestry Roles: A fairly lengthy discussion was held. There are some vacancies in key areas that need to be filled. Bill is working on those. Beth Batson agreed to coordinate Bulletin Boards and assist Jean Little about pastoral meals for parishioners. Tom Coleman agreed to be chair for the yet un-named rally day to be help on August 24. This will be held during the Sunday School hour and all chairmen of committees, etc. will be available to answer questions about their areas of responsibility. The Vestry hopes that when parishioners fully understand what opportunities are available, they will participate in the full life of our parish. There will be more information forth coming. This topic will be ongoing for awhile.
New Business
Sunday P.M. Worship Service: The Vestry gave its support and approval to Bill to begin planning a 7:00pm service that perhaps would reach out to members as well as the community who would be attracted to more varied worship services. The service will have the bishop's permission and will be less traditional but will conform to the Liturgy of the Episcopal Church. The Vestry was delighted that Bill & Elizabeth are willing to do this. This service will begin in the fall. Naturally there will be additional information.
Nursery Coordinator Volunteer: Resurrection is looking for a new coordinator. Jay McCombs is taking a break after serving Resurrection since Stella's retirement. Many thanks to Jay for keeping the Nursery open while using parent volunteers. It was certainly a big task and Resurrection truly appreciates her service.
National Church Issues: This year's General Convocation will contain several important issues. If any parishioner has concerns or questions, please make an appointment to see Bill. Our very own Anita George is one of the deputies representing Mississippi. Please keep her, our Mississippi delegation as well as the General Convocation in your prayers.
The May 19 minutes were approved. There was no financial report, Babs was out sick.
Closing Prayer and Dismissal
July Birthdays
4
Jessica Callahan 4 Amy Foote 5 Callie Hester 12
Don Emerich 25
Emily King
6 Matthew Clark
7 Colin Damms
8 Patsy Wilkerson
10 Julie Baca
10 Joe Stockwell
11 Betty Rawlings
12 Joe Tom Mosley
14 Melvin Rhodes
15 Dwayne Myers
15 Margaret King
17 Mary E. Anderson
17 Nancy Hargrove
17 Leigh Jensen
27 Mary Lou Hansford
27 Jaque Kennington
30 Clark Callahan
31 Beth Batson
Sunday Get-Togethers
Let's get together. Let's swim and eath together. Sunday afternoonas around 4:00 why not bring the family and something to cook on the grill and spend time with your church family. For more infromation contact Jennifer Damms 338-9022 or Jay McCombs 324-8269. SILENT AUCTION NOTES
Parishioners. It is time to begin thinking about what you want to donate for Resurrection's Silent Auction. The time and date have not been set but there will be one in the fall. Please consider what you have or what you might make in order for the auction to be a rousing success again this year. In addition to our silent auction, we plan to have "Bid Bags." Tickets will be sold. Following the silent auction, tickets will be drawn and some will be lucky winners. Call 323-8748, if there are questions.
EYC News
EYC will gather Saturday, July 12, for a day to play. We will meet at the church, travel to Mexico Tipico for lunch, venture to Bulldog Lanes and test our bowling skills, then back to the church pool for a pool party followed by a cook out. EYC is open to 6th grade through high school. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica.
CANTERBURY
Canterbury continues to gather this summer on Wednesday evenings at 5:30pm in the Canterbury Lodge Chapel for an informal Holy Eucharist followed by fellowship and "Dutch treat" dinner at one of Starkville's "fine dining" establishments. Although things have slowed down on the programming front, Canterbury is in PR-mode, that is publicity and recruiting at Orientation and making contact with our new and old students to invite and welcome! One of the modes of welcome being the Lodge, renovations are down to the details, and we hope to be ready to roll by the time students arrive in August. Your continued prayers, support and energy are welcome and appreciated!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Vacation Bible Schoool kicked off on Wednesday, June 18th with a successful evening of dinner, crafts, singing, praying, and a superb celebration of the first ever Biblical Academy Awards which introduced our theme of Disciples and Discipleship to a gaggle of nearly 40 children! Our journey continued Wednesday, June 25th, at Trinity with an evening of games, discussion and banner-making that proclaimed: "And I Want to Be One, Too." On July 2nd we will meet at Trinity, again. And our final VBS evening will be at Resurrection on July 9th at 5:30pm. All are invited to our Eucharistic Commissioning of our Young Apostles which will take place in the grassy area outside of the Parish Hall beginning at 6:00pm, followed by dinner and a pool party.
CANTERBURY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
At the June meeting, the vestry approved the establishment of a new Canterbury Advisory Committee (CAC) whose purpose will be to serve, much like the vestry, as a system of support, accountability, consistency, and vision for Canterbury. The CAC will be comprised of 7-10 folks, with representatives from both Canterbury and Resurrection, and will meet monthly with the chaplain to assure that we are addressing the needs and dreams of the Canterbury Community, as well as continuing to integrate our various ministries and to invite the University community into full participation in the life and ministries of Resurrection. If you have passions in the area of Canterbury and would consider serving on the CAC, contact our chaplain, Elizabeth.
VBS GRATITUDE
Many thanks must be extended to our team of VBS Planners: James McCormick, Jennifer Damms, Elizabeth Wheatley and Leslie Fye and Cecilia Crowson from Trinity. Our first evening, hosted by Resurrection, would not have been such a roaring festival occasion without the many who set up and decorated the space - Rachel Cox, Leanne Fiebelmann, & Kathy & Emily Brandon; those who nurtured us with food - Julie & Keith Baca, Steven & Kathy Brandon, Beatrice Tatem, Gail Foote, Susan Cook, & Jay McCombs; our VBS assistants - Emily Brandon, Katie Bullman, Sarah Parsons and Melissa Young; our brilliant MC, James McCormick and his able props assistant Corey Adams; and let us not forget the Resurrection players who helped fill out the cast of disciples - Tom Cathcart, Wendell Cathcart, Tom Coleman, Bob Collins, Mike Goree (also from Trinity), Tom Handy, Bill Hardin, John Lamb, and Frank Switzer (as Matthias, who replaced the rotten egg). Thanks to all who had their hands and hearts mixed up in the joyful event!
Pool information
The swimming pool is open this summer to all members of the parish and their guests. The pool is intended to be self-supporting, and maintenance expenses must be paid regularly. The suggested fees for pool use are:Family $75; Single $40. If you are using the pool but haven't yet paid the pool fee please register to use the pool and pay the fee in the church office.
Thank you
Our thanks to Jay and John McCombs and Jennifer and Richard Damms for a wonderful Pentecost Pool Party and to all of those who helped in any way to make this event a success. We appreciate all their work to make this a special event. It took a lot of work getting the pool ready. Thank you to James McCormick, David Lewis, Dolton McAlpin and Robert Cox for all of the hard work.
Also thank you to the St. Joseph's Guild for all of the fix-ups around the church. And thank you to Robert Cox for fixing the lawn mower.
Children's Choir notes
CHILDREN'S CHOIR is for children entering grades 1-6 this fall. We will start back up with the following activities:
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17: PARENTS MEETING: Children and parents will eat lunch together in the Parish Hall immediately following the 10:30 service. After lunch the children will stay in the Parish Hall for ice cream and games while the adults move to the Student
Center for an information/question session "What and Why Children's Choir?" All activities to conclude by 1:00.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 3-5 p.m. KICK-OFF POOL PARTY. For all children entering rades 1-6 and who are interested in making a commitment to the Children's Choir Program.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 3:45-4:45 p.m. Regular rehearsals for the choir begin.
Your Prayers are Asked
For:
Expectant Mothers: Wendy Van Landingham, Beth Woodcock, Kristin Cade and Maribel
Those serving in the military: Steve Van Landingham, David Callahan, Chris Livingston, Justin, Fran Miller, Kate James, and Bob Tipton
Those serving as missionaries: Bob and May Little
Special needs within the Church of the Resurrection: Jeanne Ferris, LaVora Williams, Don Emmerich, Edna Wilderson, Rae Brandon, Jan Handy, Susie Owings, Alice Franks, Ren Crowell, Dee, Melinda Gwin
For relatives and friends of the Church of the Resurrection: A.C. Margie Cook, Melanie Pharo, Dee, Betsy Selby, Jay Keehley, Nora Ware, Stella Madar, Oma Lee Pierce, Al Baca, Green Baggett
For the departed: Connie Beck, Mother of Donna Stark
To include names in either the newsletter list or in the Prayers of the People, you may make an entry in the "Prayer Requests Notebook" on the shelves in the entry way into the church, call the parish office, or tell either Bill or Elizabeth. However, while your clergy regularly pray for the individuals within the parish, because they consider information relayed to them confidential, when you request one of the priests to include something in their prayers, if you want this also included in the corporate prayer requests, please let them know. If you are adding someone else to the list, please have this person's permission to do so. You may list both first and last name or only the first name.
To keep our prayer lists current, names of persons outside the parish will be included in the newsletter only once and in the Prayers of the People for only one month. Please resubmit the prayer request to have them remain on the list (again, this is only for those who are not members of the parish).
Greeting Ministry at Work
It has been interesting to watch our congregation transform from a cool, distant church experience to a warm and inviting family experience. And, it is because each of you make the effort to help people feel welcome. Bravo!
Here is an excerpt from an email that Bill received from one of our most recent visitors. "I enjoyed the service and the fellowship afterwards. Everyone I talked to really made me feel comfortable and welcome. In fact, I felt like the whole experience affirmed my attraction to the Episcopal Church as a true calling rather than something I was doing to just satisfy my curiosity. It may take awhile for me to get used to the liturgical customs, although, I do recognize the significance and utility of these traditions, and I look forward to continued participation in worship at Resurrection."