The Sunrise ...at Episcopal Church of the Resurrection Starkville, Mississippi November, 2003 Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, As we enter November several things are happening in your parish: ongoing seasonal activities as well as events in world-wide Anglicanism. Seasonally, we experience Fall, literally the death of summer. We see green turn - if we are lucky - into bright yellows, reds and oranges, and - if not so lucky - into brown. We see fresh growth die as sap retreats into the ground as protection from the cold of winter. All this is necessary so that life not only continues, not only surviving winter, but so new life can begin. Fallen fruit and nuts will become next spring's new birth. Shell covered leaf buds created by this year's fallen leaves will be next sprint's new shoots. Dropped leaves will decay creating nourishment to support his new growth. Seasonally, we experience the end of the Season of Pentecost. From the end of the Easter Season on Pentecost Sunday until Advent, we have been continually reminded what it means to be a follower of Christ and what it means to live in Christian community. We can remain faithful in this call only so long without fully hearing the story of Jesus from the anticipation of Immanuel (God with us) and the Second Coming in Advent, to Jesus' birth in Christmas, to his revelation to the world in Epiphany, to his passion in Lent and Holy Week, and finally his resurrection and ascension in Easter. As nature needs its cycle of rest in order to explode next spring with new life, we need to deeply experience each of these phases of Jesus earthly ministry so that we can be sent into the world proclaiming the Good News. Seasonally, we experience a culturally significant time of year. We celebrate Thanksgiving, gathering with family and friends and offering thanks for all that we have received. While Christmas is obviously a significant part of our liturgical year, it is also a cultural time of gift giving, celebration, gathering - once again - with family and friends. Take time during this frantic period to truly be thankful and to truly become aware of Christ's birth and the new birth this event offers us. This particular year offers a unique perspective on our shared journey as a community of faith. While we as a parish have focused on our calling as a Christian community and continued to place our priority on telling the Gospel story, we still find ourselves occasionally distracted by the aftermath of the decisions of General Convention regarding the elevation to Bishop of the Rev. Gene Robinson, who lives in a committed same-sex relationship, and the decision not to condemn dioceses that have allowed the blessing of same-sex unions. As some struggled with, some celebrated over, and most simply accepted these decisions, we have moved through our season of understanding what it means to be a follower of Christ. However, a few within our parish family have decided this issue too decisive for them to remain within our family. Some parishes and diocese similarly decided the same and gathered in Dallas, calling on those who erred to repent and to make right the wrong done. Leaders of the provinces of the Anglican Communion have gathered in Lambeth and have acknowledged the importance of our unity but also acknowledged the difficulty in staying in communion during times of strong diversity over biblical interpretation (copy of the Statement is enclosed in this newsletter). I ask each of you to pray for the Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church, our Diocese, and our parish. I ask that you not pray by expecting God to do what you think needs to be done (remember Jesus' response to James and John, "You do no know what you are asking." Mk 10:38). Instead, I ask that you pray that just as God uses fall to bring forth next spring's new life, that we allow God to use these struggling times to create in us new hearts to carry afresh the Gospel into the world that so needs to hear the Story. Christ's Peace, NEWS & EVENTS November, 2003 Newsletter EYC News Wow! What a busy month for the EYC. Thank you to everyone who cleaned out their closets, attics, garages, and other corners of their houses and donated to the Garage Sale benefiting Habitat for Humanity. The EYC has raised about $730 so far to be donated to Habitat and the Apostles House. The EYC had a lock-in to prepare for the garage sale, helped with Blessing of the Animals, played a lot of fun games, and has dressed up in Halloween costumes to carve and paint pumpkins to take to area nursing homes. On November 15, Resurrection will be hosting a Convocational lock-in to help build fellowship with our neighboring church's, and also elect a youth delegate to represent our Convocation at Annual Council. Silent Auction and Stewardship Dinner This year's Silent Auction and Stewardship dinner will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2003. Wine and Hors d'oeurevs will be served during the Silent Auction and social hour beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Student Center. The City Bagel Café will cater our dinner in the Parish Hall beginning at 7:00 p.m. We hope everyone will be able to attend this evening which will be full of fun, fellowship and delicious food! Please call the church office, 323-1783, and make your reservations by Friday, November 7, 2003 so you won't miss out on this great evening! This is also the time to turn in your pledge cards so they can be presented to God with our thanksgiving during the worship services on the following Sunday, November 16, 2003. If you have any questions, or can help with the set up or the clean up, please call Sherrie VanLandingham, 323-3483 or e-mail, dsvan@futuresouth.com November 13 will be here before you know it! Do you have too many old quilts? An extra tea cup/saucer from your collection? A piece of art, sculpture, painting or antique that odes not fit your new decorating scheme? A special recipe you can prepare, for which you are famous? Do you have a special skill or talent that you can donate are willing to share with the lucky bidder? Can you baby-sit, rake leaves or run errands? Do you have available time in your vacation home? These are just a few suggestions for donated items to the Silent Auction. Resurrection needs your donations! The "bid bag" items that have been mentioned will be "raffle bags" and you will know which item or items for the drawing you are entering. Remember the ticket prices: 12 tickets for $10.00 and 25 tickets for $20.00. The tickets will be sold the night of our Auction. Please call Mary Lee Beal 323-8748 or Melinda Myers 323-6678 to list your items. Naturally we will help with pick up or you may bring them to the church beginning Monday, November 11, 2003. Any quality item will be accepted, this is not a garage sale. Items can also be in coupon form for the lucky winner to pick up at a later date. Mary Lee Beal and Melinda Myers Thanks A special thank you to all who made the reception on Oct. 12th. such a wonderful success. Beth Batson for making the hall look so special, Helen Polk who solicited desserts and helped with lots of serving, Kathy and Steven Brandon who donated and served the wine, Meredith Roberson for the punch, James McCormick who did the clean up work, and to everyone who made desserts and hors d'oeuvres. Everything was splendid and we gave Bishop Gray a warm welcome and Elizabeth a great send off. Thanks, Mary Eleanor Eve of All Saints' Sunday Service Commemorating the Departed On Saturday, November 1, at 7:00 p.m., we will offer a service which commemorates the dead. This 30 minute candlelight service allows us to reflectively remember those who have died as we prepare to celebrate All Saints' Sunday. Those who attend will be invited to list names of the departed which will be read during the prayers and to bring pictures or memorabilia to be displayed during the worship. This service offers an excellent opportunity to experience how the beauty of our liturgy also serves us pastorally. Please come and invite non-Episcopalians whom you know who would like to somehow remember a departed love one, especially someone who has had a loved one die during the past year or who continues to actively grieve. October Vestry Notes David Foote reported on parish outreach activities. Accepted the Audit Committee report and appointed Vestry committee to review and develop plan for the report recommendations. Bill Livingston reported that an additional bid has been requested for the telephone system and that other local and long-distance providers are being investigated. Bill Livingston reported that Mary Lee Beal, Babs Deas, Nancy Christiansen and he will be meeting to draft a job description for Nelda's replacement. Approved a compensation schedule for Diane Livingston as Interim Chaplain to Canterbury at half the compensation of Elizabeth Wheatley. Still waiting for the Bishop's appointment of Diane as Deacon to Resurrection. Bill Livingston reported that the Diocese has temporarily halted the plan to secure the consultation services of Kevin Martin. Approved a loan from the Memorial Fund to the Columbarium Committee for the unpaid balance of the columbarium construction costs, to be repaid at 2% interest. Approved the Diocese pledge for 2004 to remain at 15%. Bill Livingston distributed suggested topics and questions to be considered at the November meeting to evaluate the parish operation: including his leadership as rector and the functioning of the Vestry. Approved that costs for this year's Stewardship Ingathering be covered by the Silent Auction. Approved an amendment in the parish Wedding Customary to include a fee schedule for the organist and approved the fee for the organist's services for funerals. Bill Livingston reported that Bishop Gray's 2004 visit will be March 28, and that in future years Bishop Gray will visit one year on Sunday morning and on alternative years he will visit on a weekday, spending most of the day in the parish and celebrating at an evening Eucharist. We will discontinue having separate visits for Canterbury and Resurrection but will have one combined visit. Approved the proposed list of lay eucharistic ministers to bear the elements and to minister to the sick and homebound to submit to the Diocese for approval and the applications of licensed Lay Readers for submission to be re-licensed. Approved a request from Jennifer Damms for Girl Scouts to have a weekly meeting in the parish hall. Received the Statement from the Meeting of the Anglican Primates and Bishop Gray's response. Approved the minutes of the September meeting and accepted the September financial report. Community Thanksgiving Service The Starkville/Oktibbeha Ministerial Association has scheduled the Community Thanksgiving Service for Sunday, November 23, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church. This service is very uplifting. It is heart rendering to experience the community coming together in unity to worship and to express our thankfulness to God for our many blessings as individuals, and as churches. The offertory that evening goes directly to Helping Hands Ministries of Oktibbeha County to help those in our community who are in distress and in need of our assistance to help them during their time of financial crisis. This service is one of the major sources of funding for Helping Hands. If you cannot attend the service, please consider making a financial contribution to Helping Hands by mailing your donations to: Helping Hands Ministries of Oktibbeha County P.O. Box 2101 Starkville, MS 39760 Because Fr. Bill will be at a conference November 23 - 26, we will not be having a Tuesday Thanksgiving Service this year. As a way of offering thanks, was a way of worshiping with others from different faith traditions and as a way of supporting Helping Hands, please make every effort for you and your family to attend this service. Blood Drive - Successful Once Again! Thanks to the generous folks who participated in the last blood drive the Resurrection parish family is once again covered for blood needs for 6 months. Should you or your family need blood the costs will be waived. Call United Blood Services for details. Their number is in the church directory. Our Dedicated Donors include: Melinda Myers, Mike Vance, Tom & Frances Coleman, Debbie Nettles, Bob Ford, Jerry Williams, David VanLandingham, Carlton Polk, Robert Cox, Dolton McAlpin, David Callahan, Jim Parsons, Leonard Brandon, Cory Adams, Elizabeth Wheatley, Bill Hardin and Dixie Boswell. Can You Give To help us purchase a new telephone system? The current telephone system was installed in 1987, is becoming expensive to maintain, and is no longer adequate to meet the parish needs. Our current system has no telephone access to the Canterbury Lodge (a safety concern), no telephone in Leanne's workspace, no internet access in the bookkeeping office, no way to leave confidential messages (only one answer machine for the office which can be overheard in the office waiting area), requires the caller to listen to all the information about service times and office hours to leave a message, and frequently results in the caller receiving a busy signal because the call cannot rotate to the second line. With the possibility that with Nelda's retirement in December we may have to have less secretarial time, having an adequate telephone system becomes critical. Thus far, we have received one bid of approximately $5000 for purchase and installation of a new system and are securing another bid. While a lot of money considering our current financial situation, the Vestry has considered the inadequacies of our current system, the anticipated need for a better message system if we must have less secretarial time, and the future savings from reduced repair expenses and being able to eliminate one of the monthly line expenses, the Vestry has voted to purchase a new system. However, there are no budget funds for this purchase. A parishioner has graciously and anonymously offered to pay half the cost of the new system if the other half can be raised. If you can contribute (above your pledge) to assist the parish office to better serve you by purchasing a new system, please let Fr. Bill know or send your contribution to the parish office. Your Prayers are Asked For... ...Expectant Mothers: Paige Passons Simmons and Robin Passons Bryan ...Those serving in the military: Steve VanLandingham, David Callahan, Chris Livingston, Justin Van den Berg, Fran Miller, Bob Tipton, and Banks Waldrop ...Those serving as missionaries: Bob and Amy Little ...Special needs within the Church of the Resurrection: Katherine Hollister, Sally Stetson, Jeanne Ferris, LaVora Williams, Don Emerich, Edna Wilkerson, Jan Handy, Susie Owings, Lorenzo Crowell, Dee, Guy Hargrove, Chris Brown ...Relatives and friends of the Church of the Resurrection: Luella Brand, Johathan Franks, Ophelia Luntrell, Robert McClain, A.C., Margie Cook, Melanie Pharo, Jay Keehley, Nora Ware, Stella Madar, Oma Lee Pierce, Kathy Harris, Ron Newell, Fred Faulk, Charley Belote, and Kate Hummel ...The departed: Bill McCann, father of Rachel McCann In thanksgiving for the birth of Henry Sawyers Zimmerman, son of Paul & Sykes Zimmerman About Making Prayer Requests To include names for prayer requests in the newsletter or in Prayers of the People, you may make an entry in the "Prayer Requests Notebook" on the shelves in the side narthex or entry into the church, call the parish office, or tell Bill or Elizabeth. While your clergy regularly pray for individuals within the parish, as well as for special requests, they consider information and prayer requests confidential. If you want clergy to include your requests in the corporate prayer requests, please let them know. In addition, if you are adding someone to the list, please have the person's permission and let us know how to list their name, first and last names or only 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 re-submit prayer requests monthly to have them remain on the list. (Again, this is only for those who are not members of the parish). November Birthdays 1 Matthew Christiansen 2 Stephen Brown 2 Allison Russell 5 Emily Brandon 5 David Evans 7 Wayne Reed 8 Janet Dewey 8 Jane Polk 9 Abigail Cathcart 11 James Chatham 12 Isobel McCombs 13 Gloria Bagwell 13 Becky Stockwell 14 Rachel Brandon 15 Jan Handy 18 Lillian Long 20 Lu Switzer 21 Kathy Dooley 22 Charles Jackson 24 James Newman A Statement by the Primates of the Anglican Communion meeting in Lambeth Palace The Primates of the Anglican Communion and the Moderators of the United Churches, meeting together at Lambeth Palace on the 15th and 16th October, 2003, wish to express our gratitude to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, for calling us together in response to recent events in the Diocese of New Westminster, Canada, and the Episcopal Church (USA), and welcoming us into his home so that we might take counsel together, and to seek to discern, in an atmosphere of common prayer and worship, the will and guidance of the Holy Spirit for the common life of the thirty-eight provinces which constitute our Communion. At a time of tension, we have struggled at great cost with the issues before us, but have also been renewed and strengthened in our Communion with one another through our worship and study of the Bible. This has led us into a deeper commitment to work together, and we affirm our pride in the Anglican inheritance of faith and order and our firm desire to remain part of a Communion, where what we hold in common is much greater than that which divides us in proclaiming Good News to the world. At this time we feel the profound pain and uncertainty shared by others about our Christian discipleship in the light of controversial decisions by the Diocese of New Westminster to authorise a Public Rite of Blessing for those in committed same sex relationships, and by the 74th General Convention of the Episcopal Church (USA) to confirm the election of a priest in a committed same sex relationship to the office and work of a Bishop. These actions threaten the unity of our own Communion as well as our relationships with other parts of Christ's Church, our mission and witness, and our relations with other faiths, in a world already confused in areas of sexuality, morality and theology, and polarised Christian opinion. As Primates of our Communion seeking to exercise the "enhanced responsibility" entrusted to us by successive Lambeth Conferences, we re-affirm our common understanding of the centrality and authority of Scripture in determining the basis of our faith. Whilst we acknowledge a legitimate diversity of interpretation that arises in the Church, this diversity does not mean that some of us take the authority of Scripture more lightly than others. Nevertheless, each province needs to be aware of the possible effects of its interpretation of Scripture on the life of other provinces in the Communion. We commit ourselves afresh to mutual respect whilst seeking from the Lord a correct discernment of how God's Word speaks to us in our contemporary world. We also re-affirm the resolutions made by the bishops of the Anglican Communion gathered at the Lambeth Conference in 1998 on issues of human sexuality as having moral force and commanding the respect of the Communion as its present position on these issues. We commend the report of that Conference in its entirety to all members of the Anglican Communion, valuing especially its emphasis on the need "to listen to the experience of homosexual persons, and...to assure them that they are loved by God and that all baptized, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ"; and its acknowledgement of the need for ongoing study on questions of human sexuality. Therefore, as a body we deeply regret the actions of the Diocese of New Westminster and the Episcopal Church (USA) which appear to a number of provinces to have short-circuited that process, and could be perceived to alter unilaterally the teaching of the Anglican Communion on this issue. They do not. Whilst we recognise the juridical autonomy of each province in our Communion, the mutual interdependence of the provinces means that none has authority unilaterally to substitute an alternative teaching as if it were the teaching of the entire Anglican Communion. To this extent, therefore, we must make clear that recent actions in New Westminster and in the Episcopal Church (USA) do not express the mind of our Communion as a whole, and these decisions jeopardise our sacramental fellowship with each other. We have a particular concern for those who in all conscience feel bound to dissent from the teaching and practice of their province in such matters. Whilst we reaffirm the teaching of successive Lambeth Conferences that bishops must respect the autonomy and territorial integrity of dioceses and provinces other than their own, we call on the provinces concerned to make adequate provision for Episcopal oversight of dissenting minorities within their own area of pastoral care in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury on behalf of the Primates. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (USA) has explained to us the constitutional framework within which the election and confirmation of a new bishop in the Episcopal Church (USA) takes place. As Primates, it is not for us to pass judgement on the constitutional processes of another province. We recognise the sensitive balance between provincial autonomy and the expression of critical opinion by others on the internal actions of a province. Nevertheless, many Primates have pointed to the grave difficulties that this election has raised and will continue to raise. In most of our provinces the election of Canon Gene Robinson would not have been possible since his chosen lifestyle would give rise to a canonical impediment to his consecration as a bishop. If his consecration proceeds, we recognise that we have reached a crucial and critical point in the life of the Anglican Communion and we have had to conclude that the future of the Communion itself will be put in jeopardy. In this case, the ministry of this one bishop will not be recognised by most of the Anglican world, and many provinces are likely to consider themselves to be out of Communion with the Episcopal Church (USA). This will tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level, and may lead to further division on this and further issues as provinces have to decide in consequence whether they can remain in communion with provinces that choose not to break communion with the Episcopal Church (USA). Similar considerations apply to the situation pertaining in the Diocese of New Westminster. We have noted that the Lambeth Conference 1998 requested the Archbishop of Canterbury to establish a commission to consider his own role in maintaining communion within and between provinces when grave difficulties arise . We ask him now to establish such a commission, but that its remit be extended to include urgent and deep theological and legal reflection on the way in which the dangers we have identified at this meeting will have to be addressed. We request that such a commission complete its work, at least in relation to the issues raised at this meeting, within twelve months. We urge our provinces not to act precipitately on these wider questions, but take time to share in this process of reflection and to consider their own constitutional requirements as individual provinces face up to potential realignments. Questions of the parity of our canon law, and the nature of the relationship between the laws of our provinces with one another have also been raised. We encourage the Network of Legal Advisers established by the Anglican Consultative Council, meeting in Hong Kong in 2002, to bring to completion the work which they have already begun on this question. It is clear that recent controversies have opened debates within the life of our Communion which will not be resolved until there has been a lengthy process of prayer, reflection and substantial work in and alongside the Commission which we have recommended. We pray that God will equip our Communion to be equal to the task and challenges which lie before it. "Now I appeal to the elders of your community, as a fellow elder and a witness to Christ's sufferings, and as one who has shared in the glory to be revealed: look after the flock of God whose shepherd you are." (1 Peter 5.1,2a) Letter from Bishop Gray A letter from Bishop Gray was inserted into this month's newsletter.