Reflections - St. Margaret`s Episcopal Church ~ Belfast, Maine

Reflections
Reflections
The Voices of St. Margaret’s
Volume 1, No. 4
Summer, 2010
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church • Belfast, Maine
From Our Rector
Faith is the assurance of things hoped-for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
Dear People of St. Margaret’s,
W
e have just come through several weeks of exciting times in our life
together. We celebrated the jubilant season of Eastertide and the mysterious Spirit and fire of Pentecost. We hosted an incredibly successful
Vintage Bridal Gown Show, which captured the imaginations of people throughout
the community. The high energy, creativity and enthusiasm – not to mention hard
work – of many people in our parish brought these events to their spirit-filled and
successful conclusion.
Now, post-Pentecost, we enter that time the liturgical calendar calls
“Ordinary Time.” It is a long stretch that basically runs from Pentecost Sunday to
the start of Advent, with no major Feast Day in sight for a while. Just as its name
suggests, Ordinary Time is a period when we practice the daily routines of the
church. Ordinary. Time. Routines. The very words might tempt you to “z-out” and
look for some place where
something is “happening.”
Big events, celebrations,
mountain-top experiences,
these highs energize and
encourage us for a while. But
they are to the life of the
church what romance is to
marriage: on their own they
can’t sustain us. The work
and blessing lie in the love
we embrace in daily life. In
a world where we are bombarded with images and information and on sensory
overload much of the time, it
helps to remind ourselves
that it is in the daily work of
life that God surprises us
with unexpected glimpses of
the Holy.
We can be intentional
about observing ordinary
time by recognizing and appreciating ourselves and others for the daily work of our
parish life: keeping our building and grounds well-cared for, tending the altar, baking bread, reading, greeting
and serving, making coffee for our fellowship and hospitality to visitors, including
children and youth in our worship and mission, preparing the leaflet, practicing the
anthems. In our daily life together we ritually narrate the life of Christ, proclaim the
Gospel and break bread together. These “quotidian mysteries” are the foundation
of St. Margaret’s. We see God in the day-to-day if we look.
The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green, the color of hope, the color
of new growth. Ordinary Time is also “the Season of Discipleship,” when we carry
the preparation and learning of Lent and the blessedness and hope of the Resurrection into our communities and the wider world. As we proclaim the eternal hope
of Christ in the midst of the everyday, Ordinary Time reminds us that our common
life is a blessed gift. Thanks be to God.
Inside:
St. Etienne’s Struggle · 2
Faithful Flock Returns · 3
Summer Concerts Need Director · 4
page 2
T
Voices of St. Margaret’s
St Etienne’s Struggles with Quake’s Legacy
tuition, yet Père Louis was still bound by
hough the earthquake hit Haiti far from
agreement to pay the teachers. Thus he fell
our partner parish in Limonade, there
were still repercussions that continue
further behind in paying salaries, which resulted in the teachto affect the lives of
ers essentially goour brothers and
ing on strike.
sisters at St. Etienne’s. One is that
Another problem
has been the growpeople throughout
Haiti have relatives
ing concern for security, not only beor close friends
cause the prisons
from Port-au-Prince
in
Port-au-Prince
where the earthbroke open during
quake hit. It has
the
earthquake,
been a terrible time
but also because
of mourning for
of the thousands
the entire counof homeless people
try. For that reason
roaming the counthe
government
New security gate at St. Etienne’s, Limonade, Haiti.
try, looking for help.
closed all schools for
We knew that it retwo months. While
ally was time to fund a project Père Louis
schools were closed, parents didn’t pay
has been requesting for a long time—a security gate to fit in the new security wall
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church
that was built a year ago. St. Margaret’s
95 Court Street
and St. Thomas’s, Camden each chipped
Belfast, Maine 04915
in $1,000 towards this project. Only a few
phone: (207) 338-2412
weeks later, Père Louis sent us photographs
email: [email protected]
of the new gates. A smaller pedestriansized gate was an extra gift provided by
STAFF
the gate maker. They are both very attracThe Reverend Martha Kirkpatrick, Rector
Shelley King, Parish administrator
tive and effective.
Randy Curtis, Treasurer
Now turn to another building projLinn Johnson, Organist
ect close to home – Habitat for Humanity
of Waldo County. Last summer St. Marga2010 VESTRY
Doug Mayer, Senior Warden
ret’s contributed $5,000 from the Trauger
Peter Taylor, Junior Warden
Outreach Fund to our new Habitat affiliate.
Peter Clain
It’s now poised to build its first house this
Linda Dunson
Susie Kraeger
summer on donated property, and the first
Amanda Littlefield
Partner Family has been selected. Please
Paul Mazur
join this exciting project by volunteering
Kathy Sticht, Vestry Secretary
(lots to do this summer and fall!), contribPeter Walker
uting financially and spreading the word in
We’re on the Web!
support of providing affordable housing.
www.stmargaretsbelfast.org
John Arrison
R
Voices of St. Margaret’s
page 3
Faithful Flock Returns Again
eturning swallows set hearts aflutter at participating in work at the food pantry, and –
Mission San Juan Capistrano in California, new this year – working in the garden. And I
while in Hinckley, Ohio, folks can hardly love the fact that our collective arms reach all
wait to see their buzzards come back. In Bel- the way to St. Etienne in Limonade, Haiti.”
Northport is the summer destination of
fast, St. Margaret’s celebrates its loyal return- retired
Episcopal priest Sam Ishibashi, from
ing flock of summer season parishioners.
These aren’t “drop-in” visitors. They’re Princeton, NJ, who has long been part of St.
an integral, very engaged part of St. Marga- Margaret’s. He recalls he was first attracted by
ret’s, a church which was, after all, started by the sanctuary, “its simplicity and its chapela “summer person, “ Maud Gammans, in 1915. like feeling. Then,” he said, “the people and
Many Maine churches expand with summer- the clergy have helped to make it my ‘home’
parish because there I
time congregants, but
could be just another
here we’re greeting
parishioner and not ‘the
so many vital mempriest.’ I- could sit in
bers of our own St.
a pew with my family
Margaret’s family that
and be a part of a worit’s almost like having
shipping community”.
Thanksgiving in June
Deirdre Good,
– without that difficult
professor of New Tesrelative!
tament
at
General
What
keeps
Theological Seminary
them coming back so
i n N e w Yo r k , a n d
faithfully? We interJ u lian Sheffield are
rupted a few as they
also hardy Northport
were getting ready
perennials. “What
to head our way, and
draws me back to St.
here’s what they said.
Margaret’s is the sim
“St. Margaret’s
plicity and beauty of the
calls us home each
St. Margaret’s welcomes summer parishioners home.
worship
and the wonsummer. Her people
derful care and friendliand clergy embody what we believe the church
should offer: openness, welcome, acceptance, ness of parishioners! Can’t wait to be back and
ecumenism and spiritual energy ,” said Priscilla Tate, stay longer this year, as I am on sabbatical in
shortly before she and Gary left Ft. Worth, TX, the fall,” Deirdre wrote. “Hooray!”
Way down on Oak Island, NC, where the
to come back. “The clergy preach and live the hurricanes
love to play, Muriel and Jim Nelson
gospel. Parishioners enveloped us with love at
a shattering time of loss, provided a peaceful had their sights set on St. Margaret’s “because
haven during stressful times in the Diocese of it’s home! You can’t imagine how it feels to
Ft. Worth, and always welcome our participa- know that at the end of our journey we know
tion in every facet of parish life. St. Margaret’s, that when we show up, we’re part of a special
her people, and her clergy are in our hearts’ community of people who have wanted our help
and our company, whether it was knitting or
core.”
From upstate New York Courtney Collins baking bread or working at the food pantry or
emailed: “I consider St. Margaret’s one of my contributing to coffee hour or going to meetings
anchors in Maine. Of course I look forward to or working on bazaars or reading on Wednesbeing on the pond with “my” loons (near Unity) days. Special people in a special place!”
These are just a sample of our summer
but I also so much look forward to being back blessings.
To all our loved ones – WELCOME
at St. Margaret’s every spring . . . What really
HOME!
impresses me is that, for its size, St. Margaret’s
Pat Griffith
is such an active, outreaching parish. I love
page 4
Voices of St. Margaret’s
Summer Concerts Waiting for a Director
“All things must come to an end,”
wrote English author and philosopher Geoffrey Chaucer in 1374. What he was writing about is debatable, but if he could have
been thinking then about the distant future
and envisioning the St. Margaret’s concert
series – Music for a Sunday Afternoon –
coming to an end – there is a modest group
of locals who would holler “no way!”
However, Mr. Chaucer might have
been right.
To move to today: the Series is indeed on hold, looking for a replacement for
Concert Director Bill Johnson, who served
for eight years until 2008 when he stepped
down due to health reasons. Overall, in its
13 years, the Series has had two other directors: its founder, Wendy Schweikert, and
Frances “Parky” Parkinson.
Now the job description: locating musical talent (aka artist candidates), develop-
ing contracts and negotiating fees, making
the sanctuary available for rehearsal, setting
up the Sanctuary for the concert, preparing publicity (news releases, poster, scripts)
and building a team to assist in handling all
that.
We currently have $1,000 in the budget and several supportive angels out there
who are good for some $500. Given that
three concerts per summer are sponsored
(with reception) at a cost ranging from free
to $1000 or more, it is obvious that discussion is required on hiking the admission fee
(currently $5, under 18 free) and perhaps
seeking additional angels.
Martha is ready to talk and help where
she can, the Vestry will listen, and hopefully
so will those in the congregation to whom
music is truly a surcease for our sorrows as
well as a reaffirmation of our joys and our
faith.
Bill Johnson
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church
95 Court Street
Belfast, Maine 04915
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church
WORSHIP SERVICES
Sundays Tuesdays Wednesdays Fridays Saturdays 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Eucharist
5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer
9 a.m. Eucharist and Healing Service
8 a.m. Morning Prayer
5 p.m. Contemporary Service with Eucharist
Office Hours
Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.-noon.