September-October 2015 - Christ Church, Cooperstown

Christ Episcopal Church, Cooperstown
Christ Church Chronicle
September-October 2015
Volume XXIII Issue III
Exciting Summer of Change and Ministry
It was well attended, and well organized by Mike and Laura Page and
their team of helpers, including a supply of great food provided by parish
cooks!
Fr. Matt leads VBS students and families in worship in St. Agnes’ Chapel.
This summer has been an exciting
time of both change and continued
ministry here at Christ Church. While
the departure of our well-loved rector
was of course felt strongly by the whole
parish, the faithful people of the
church have come together to continue
the work of the church to love and
serve Christ and our neighbors.
On June 14, we had a wonderful
Youth Sunday with a play written
by Marly Youmans Miller, “The
Great Flood of All the World,” with
excellent acting and elocution by our
youth and our children dressed as
adorable animals. Peg Odell, Derek
Ratliff, and other Sunday School
teachers and parents led this effort.
Our Annual Church Picnic followed.
During the picnic we honored Parish
Administrator Linda Van Cleef, who
has taken a leave of absence for up to a
year. On June 22, April Stromberg and
Shirley O’Shea stepped in to share
Linda’s responsibilities. April is serving
as Parish Administrator. Shirley is
serving as Communications Director
with responsibilities including the
weekly bulletins and the Chronicle.
April and Shirley have benefited from
church volunteers’ help in cleaning and
organizing the church, making phone
calls, proofreading, printing and folding
Sunday bulletins, and more.
Two weeks after Linda Van Cleef departed, our rector Fr. Mark Michael
celebrated his last service with us on
June 29. He was honored with a Farewell Reception on July 1. Over 200 people came to honor Fr. Mark and thank
him for his faithful ministry at Christ
(Next Page)
From the Curate’s Study
By Fr. Matt Stromberg
My first Sunday at Christ Church
was June 1, 2014. On that day we
celebrated the life and witness of
our founder and first rector, Fr.
Daniel Nash. That experience
taught me how important understanding where we have come from
is to discerning where God is calling
us. Rereading my sermon from that
day, I found these words, “In every
age the task of the Church is to remain faithful to the faith entrusted
to them, to cling to it as their one
hope, and to point the world to the
merit of our crucified savior, Jesus
Christ, and the free grace of God to
all who have faith in him. Fr. Nash
was faithful to his charge…[We too]
are called each in our own way to
guard and protect this same faith,
carrying the torch of the Gospel into
the future.”
Recently, I began reading a volume of
sermons by the Rev. Ralph Birdsall,
another former rector of this parish.
In these sermons I’ve found a wise
and pastoral voice all the more
weighty for me because of his connection to our parish and village.
Shortly afterwards I conceived the
idea to preach those sermons from
the pulpit of Christ Church on Friday evenings. I believe the experience of standing in Fr. Birdsall’s
shoes has not only given me historical perspective but has also helped
me to grow as a preacher and pastor.
I’ve felt his presence with me as a
kind of invisible companion and
mentor.
(Next Page)
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V O LU M E X X I I I I S S U E II I
Summer of Change, Ministry, continued
Church. The reception was a outpouring of love and support from the community, with catered hors d’ouvres,
gorgeous floral arrangements, and
loving bulletin board displays from
parish youth celebrating our life as a
parish. Fr. Mark, Pr. Allison, Philip,
and Peter were sent off with a signed
copy of the Cooperstown photo book,
a farewell purse, and many cards,
letters, and fond wishes.
While Fr. Mark has been greatly
missed, the work of the gospel has
gone on. On July 3, our parish held
its Fourth of July outreach. A dozen
youth and adult volunteers came to
the church the day before to bake
cookies and parish volunteers
brought in homemade baked goods.
Fr. Matt added face painting to our
outreach. Over 100 cookies and at
least 50 flyers and brochures were
handed out to proclaim Christ’s love.
ture, nearly 70 volunteers from
Christ Church and other area
churches were working diligently to
create a memorable Vacation Bible
School for the children. VBS was
held from July 6-10, and 28 children
and their families attended. Volunteers created lessons and decorations, hung flyers, cooked dinners,
sang their hearts out and served heroically to teach our children that
“God’s Plan 4U is Jesus.”
On July 5 our church took responsibility for weekly services at the
Otsego County Jail for the month. A
small team of jail ministry volunteers
visited inmates and shared with
them the hope of the gospel.
Our prayer table continued on Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor
Day. Dozens of Cooperstown residents and visitors received prayer
and shared concerns with our prayer
warriors. Our tours went on in July
and August, and an average of three
people per weekend came to learn
the church’s history. Our Christian
Education programs continued, with
our David study, “A Man After God’s
Own Heart,” in July and August and
a class on Invitation in August and
September. Both classes have been
well attended, as have Wednesday
morning men’s Bible study and our
study of the Acts of the Apostles at
the Curate’s house.
Around the time of Fr. Mark’s depar-
During the Baseball Hall of Fame’s
Induction Weekend, our volunteers
again came out to support the church’s
ministry by donating and selling hot
dogs, chips and other goodies to some of
the 45,000 fans in our town. Over
$1,000 was raised to support the Dominican Republic missions trip in
February 2016.
On Sunday, Aug. 16 we celebrated the
baptism of Aurora Chiodo, daughter of
Francesco and Halley Chiodo. We also
prayed for and honored our graduates
as they prepared to head off to college.
On Aug. 23, we hosted a “Music Together” preschool event, in which 18
attendees, mostly including visitors
sang and danced, and got to know our
church.
Now preparations are underway for our
Fall activities. Meetings are being held
for Children and Youth Sunday School,
choir rehearsals are starting again, and
fall-related outreach events are being
planned. None of this work is possible
without the faithful ministry of the
people of Christ Church who continue
to love and serve the Lord here in
Cooperstown.
From the Curate’s Study, continued
Those interested in local history will
no doubt be familiar with Birdsall’s
wonderful book, The Story of Cooperstown. Birdsall was rector here at
Christ Church from January 1, 1902
until his death in September of 1918.
Among his many achievements as
rector was the founding of this very
periodical, The Christ Church Chronicle, which began in the summer of
1905. James Fenimore Cooper, grandson of the novelist, in the forward to
The Story of Cooperstown, described
Birdsall’s contribution to the community this way,
“Rarely does a man in fifteen years
become so closely associated with a
village and its people, as did Ralph
Birdsall with this village and its inhabitants. He came here just at the
threshold of the best years of his life,
and took up the work of Christ
Church parish with enthusiasm
and great ability; he grew to love
the church and its surroundings;
the village, its people and its history and traditions; and in return he
won the devoted affection of all
those who knew him.”
Birdsall was one of just many fine
and distinguished men and women
who helped to make Christ Church
the community it is today. Among
them is another rector, W.W. Lord
who was an accomplished poet, and
whose epic poem “Christ in Hades”
is on my reading list with all those
James Fenimore Cooper novels I’ve
been meaning to get to. Others lived
closer to our own day and are still
remembered fondly by many members of our Congregation. They in-
clude Fae Malania—author of the
beautiful book The Quality of a Hazelnut and contributor to our current
Book of Common Prayer—and of
course Fr. George French who was
rector from 1955-1988. Fr. French’s
daughter Tiers is still involved in
our parish and has kindly leant to
me a whole box of her father’s sermons. I have enjoyed browsing
through those as well.
As we as a church community discern together who we are as a parish, let us remember those who came
before us, and seek to be faithful to
their legacy. My prayer is that our
next rector will continue to feed and
enrich this community and village
with the everlasting gospel.
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Upcoming Events—A Season of Opportunities to Grow
Fall Launch
Worship
Fall is coming to Central NY - mornings seem crisper and gold and crimson foliage will soon appear. Students
and teachers are returning to school.
It is also a time of new beginnings at
Christ Church. The choir returns on
Sept. 13. Our Sunday school and
Youth Group will resume on Sept. 20
during Back to Church Sunday. I
hope you will see our Fall Launch as
an opportunity to share with others
what excites you about belonging to
our Christ Church community and to
invite them to “come and see” (John
1:39). Please pray about who you
know that you can invite to church.
The fall months contain some of the most
beautiful and mysterious feasts on the
Church’s calendar. At
our Sept. 9 Wednesday
morning Eucharist we
will observe the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
This feast originated
in the 5th century to
celebrate the Basilica
of St. Anne, which was
erected on the spot
believed to be the
home of Mary’s parents, who according to
tradition were Sts. On Youth Sunday (June 14), children and young adults performed Marly Miller’s verse play “The Great Flood of All the
Anne and Joachim.
World,” a retelling of the story of Noah and the ark.
In anticipation of Back to Church
Sunday, we will reach out to Cooperstown’s students, starting Saturday,
Sept. 19, at 9am by bringing flowers
to Bassett residents and inviting them
to worship with us. If you would like
to help us bless the residents please
join us. Children and youth are encouraged to participate. We are seeking donations of flowers and vases.
This year, in partnership with our
Ecumenical Council, we also hope to
host a welcoming dinner for the
Cooperstown Graduate Program on
Friday, Sept. 25 at 6pm.
Succeeding Wednesday
Eucharists feature other feast observances. Sept. 16 is Holy Cross Day.
According to legend, the true Cross
of Christ was uncovered by St. Helena and was brought for consecration
to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
on Sept. 14, 335 A.D. Holy Cross Day
is a time to glorify the Cross by
which Christ purchased our Salvation. Sept. 23 is the Feast of St. Matthew. Matthew, a tax collector
named Levi, was called by Jesus to
be one of His
Twelve Apostles.
Sacred tradition
names him as
author of the first
Gospel. Sept. 30
is the Feast of St.
Michael and All
Angels.
Falling
near the equinox,
this day is associated with the beginning of autumn and the
shortening
of
days. St. Michael
is the greatest of
all
Archangels
(Jude 9) and is
Ben Miller, Phillip Michael and Xander Dickey get ready to play
honored for his
balloon stomp at the Parish Picnic on June 14.
role in defeating Lucifer during the War in
Heaven (Rev. 12). On Oct. 28 are the
Feasts of Saint Simon and Jude. Little is known about St. Simon the Zealot but he is named in all the synoptic
Gospels as being among the 12 Apostles. St. Jude, also named among the
12 Apostles, is usually identified as
the same person as Thaddeus and
Jude the brother of the Lord and author of the Epistle that bears his
name. Tradition suggests that Simon
and Jude went together as missionaries to Persia and were martyred
there.
St. Francis of Assisi
Sunday, Oct. 4 is the Feast of Saint
Francis of Assisi, known as the patron
saint of animals for the kindness and
Please see page 5
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C HR I S T C HU R C H C HR O NI C LE
V O LU M E X X I I I I S S U E II I
From the Music Director’s Bench
By John Cannon
It has been a wonderful summer musically at Christ
Church. We had excellent soloists from both the Glimmerglass Young Artists Program as well as members of the
church and community. Also, in early August the church
hosted Katie Lewek, one of the leads of the opera Candide,
as she prepared for a performance of Berlioz’s Benvenuto
Cellini this fall in Barcelona. This fall I will be travelling
to both the east and west coasts for several concerts. Of
particular note is a September 11 memorial organ recital
at National City Christian Church in D.C. Our choir returns to sing beginning on September 13. On October 11,
the choir will sing a
service of Choral
Evensong for the
Feast of St. Luke’s. I
hope to see you there!
Music director and organist John Cannon with guest soloist
Steve Carroll, who performed at 10 am worship on July 19.
VBS focuses on wonders of creation and God’s love
By Shirley O’Shea
Christ Church hosted this year’s
Cooperstown Ecumenical Vacation
Bible School from July 6-10, with 28
children attending and 62 volunteers,
including 11 teens, participating in
the programming.
The curriculum, “Son Spark Labs,”
combined science investigations and
principles with a survey of God’s creation of the universe and man, man-
kind’s separation from God through
disobedience and sin, and God’s redemption of humanity through the
sacrifice of his Son. Children in
grades K-6 observed science demonstrations, made crafts, and received
instruction in God’s plan for the
world and for them.
Students and families ate dinners
provided by participating churches
before going to the chapel for an
introduction by Fr. Matt. Then attendees enjoyed singing and entertaining
instruction provided
Paul Dickey
and Becca
Odell got big
laughs in
their wild
and goofy
science
demonstrations at VBS.
Helpers
make VBS
decorations with
a science
theme.
by a wacky science professor, aka
Paul Dickey, and his common sense
assistant, our own Becca Odell. BOCES science educator Peter Pollock,
aka Mr. Science, performed demonstrations which engaged the children.
The natural world is filled with wonder, and a reflection of the nature of
the Creator, and as one of the VBS
teachers, I hoped to help the children
make this connection.
Children gave donations to support
Holy Cross School in Grahamstown,
South Africa, and a total of $169.69
was collected. Both children and their
families seemed excited about the
program, and the children seemed to
be genuinely engaging with their
faith.
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V O LU M E X X I I I I S S U E II I
Upcoming events, continued
compassion he is known to have
shown them. We will have a service at
2pm at the Susquehanna Animal
Shelter, 4841 St. Hwy. 28. to remember God’s love and care for all his
creatures. There will be free St. Francis collar medals for all pets and refreshments will follow for both twoand four-footed servants of God.
Please bring a leash for your animal
friends. If your pet is unable to attend, feel free to bring a picture.
Sunday, Oct. 18 we will honor The
Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist with
an Evensong at 5pm. Tradition names
him as the author of the third Gospel
and the Acts of the Apostles. Scripture describes him as “the beloved
physician” (Col. 4:14). His feast is an
appropriate time to honor and bless
our community’s medical professionals. This is a great opportunity to invite your own physician or friends in
medical fields to come to church! This
year our speaker will be Dr. Patricia
Mower who will speak about the intersection between her Christian faith
and vocation as a physician. Medical
professionals are invited to bring their
bags, badges, or other equipment for
blessing.
Saints, on which we honor the whole
company of the great cloud of witnesses who inspire us with their heroic
faith. The following day is All Souls
Day in which we remember and pray
for all the faithful departed. Former
curate at Christ Church and Cannon,
Fr. Paul Hunter, will join us for a Requiem mass at 5:30pm to remember and
pray for those we love but see no longer
and all who have departed this life.
This is an especially appropriate time
to reach out to family and friends who
are grieving as well as a time to seek
solace from our own grief.
Adult Education
Beginning Thursday, Sept. 24 we are
excited to present the six-part documentary The History of Christianity: The First Three Thou-
sand Years with acclaimed author
and Oxford history professor Diarmaid MacCulloch. Bring a lunch and
join us on a journey from the earliest days of the Christian Church to
the present and into the future.
MacCulloch paints a unique global
vision of Christianity ranging from
Jerusalem, Rome, Baghdad, and
China. The series originally aired on
the BBC in 2009 and received very
positive reviews. We will meet in the
Parish Hall on Thursdays at noon. A
brief discussion period will follow.
Invite your history buff friends and
neighbors!
- Fr. Matt
Roxie Hansel and Kathy
Lloyd offer compassionate
concern and heartfelt prayers
to passersby in front of the
Parish Hall this summer.
Sunday, Nov. 1 is the Feast of All
Stephen Ministers: Support in life’s challenges
By Anita High
Why is Stephen Ministry a huge asset for Christ Church to have? Our
pastor is often the first person someone calls when they suddenly are
involved in one of life’s challenges
(illness, hospitalization, divorce, loss
of a job, death of a loved one, etc.).
Considering the number of people in
our congregation who might need
care all at one time, our pastor cannot possibly provide ongoing quality
care to each of these individuals.
That is why a Stephen minister can
be a wonderful solution.
When our pastor must go on and
help the next emergency, a Stephen
Minister can walk along side a person after the crisis, giving Christ-
centered care as long as needed. The
relationship is male to male or female to female and is strictly confidential. The Stephen Minster listens, prays and cares for their care
receiver, never making any judgments about the situation. It is a
comforting thought to know that
someone is waiting to care for you
when one of life’s challenges hits.
Another way Stephen Ministry is an
asset to Christ Church is the opportunity for members of our congregation to train and become a Stephen
Minister. A good candidate is emotionally stable, spiritual, dependable, trustworthy and has a caring
attitude and manner. Once accepted
as a trainee, you enter into an intense training program which in-
cludes several books to read and fifty
hours of classroom instruction. During this time you grow in your understanding of yourself, bond very closely
with your fellow trainees and acquire
the skills to give Christ-centered care
to a care receiver.
If Stephen Ministry sounds like something you might need in your life,
please contact Fr. Matt, Mary Bellew,
Anita High or David Vaules. If your
need is help in dealing with one of
life’s challenges, we are ready to offer
care. If your need is to find a meaningful ministry to share your talents,
we encourage you to join us in a new
class that will begin this fall.
V O LU M E X X I I I I S S U E II I
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Children and their families enjoyed music in fun new
ways at the Preschool Music Together event Aug. 23.
Fr. Matt performs the baptism of Aurora Chiordo, daughter of
Francesco and Halley Chiordo, on Sunday, Aug. 16.
New Consecration Sunday: It’s really about gratitude and faith
By Stewardship Committee,
Peggy Hymers, Chairwoman
many things: enter into the joy of
thy Lord.”
As you probably know, our budget at
Christ Church is based on the
amount our people pledge to give. But
congregations that approach financial
stewardship from a biblical perspective do not view the money Christians
give to their church merely as a way
to pay its bills and fund its programs.
Rather, such congregations see financial contributions as a way to help
people grow spiritually in their relationship with God by supporting their
church’s mission and ministry with a
percentage of their incomes.
New Consecration Sunday is based
on the biblical philosophy of the
need of the giver to give for his or
her own spiritual development, rather than on the need of the church
to receive. Instead of treating people
like members of a social club who
should pay dues, we will treat people
like followers of Jesus Christ who
want to give unselfishly as an act of
discipleship. Looking at our giving
to the Church in terms of the needs
of the church, parish, or congregation, we short-change ourselves. We
fail to give, do, and be all that we
can.
If we see stewardship as a thank offering similar to prayer for the great
mercy and bounty poured forth by the
Almighty into each of our lives, and
that all that we have and all that we
are comes from Him, in stewardship
we are being a conduit for those gifts
given to us. Stewardship allows us to
share our good fortune with our
neighbors.
In Matthew 25:21 we are told, “Well
done, thou good and faithful servant:
thou hast been faithful over a few
things, I will make thee ruler over
New Consecration Sunday encourages people toward proportionate
and systematic giving in response to
the question, “What percentage of
my income is God calling me to
give?” During morning worship on
Consecration Sunday, we are asking
our attendees and members to make
their financial commitments to our
church’s missionary, benevolent, and
educational ministries in this community and around the world.
Every attendee and member who
completes an Estimate of Giving
Card does so voluntarily by attending
morning worship on Consecration
Sunday, 25 October 2015. We urge
people to attend who feel strongly
opposed to completing a card. The
procedure is done in such a way that
no one feels personal embarrassment
if he or she chooses not to fill out a
card.
We will do no home solicitation to ask
people to complete cards. We will conduct a brief period of instruction and
inspiration, climaxed by members
making their commitments as a confidential act of worship. We urge you
as you consider your gift this year to
think not in terms of the parish’s
need for funding, but in terms of our
own need to make a thank offering to
Him who has given each of us so
much.
Thanks in advance for your enthusiastic participation in Consecration
Sunday events.
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C HR I S T C HU R C H C HR O NI C LE
Vestry seeks diligently for Christ Church’s new rector
The Vestry would like to report to you
on the progress being made in the
search for our new Rector. Firstly and
most importantly, we wish each of you
to know that while we cannot tell you
the names or details of the persons
under consideration (we are prohibited by the diocese from divulging their
names or any other information that
could identify them), we welcome and
encourage your questions, comments,
and concerns on this and all other aspects of parish life.
The past few months have been extremely busy for your wardens and
vestry. We have met on two occasions
with Beth Strickland, Director of the
Diocesan Office of Clergy Deployment.
Fr. Mark’s announcement was surprising and distressing to most of us,
but as a husband and father he must
consider the needs of his family. We
are all grateful to the Almighty for the
joy and growth he brought to each and
every one of us.
We expect, based on the average
length of the search process for a
search and call to require 12 to 14
months. We have had two members of
the vestry resign to answer other calls
on their time, and we remain grateful
to them for their service and efforts
on the parish’s behalf. Fr. Matt has
grown and blossomed during the
past two months. By God’s grace, he
has grown to fill the need presented. Fr. Matt has agreed to remain
and will be assuming many more
duties and responsibilities.
We are extremely blessed in that
there are no divisions within the
parish to heal. Fr. Mark left the
congregation whole, strong, and
unified. The vestry has unanimously chosen to skip the process of calling an interim rector and concentrate our efforts on the search and
call for a new permanent rector. We
pray that the Holy Spirit will guide
the thoughts and actions of each of
us.
In the coming months you will be
asked to help us by completing a
survey similar to the survey you
completed in 2006, during the
search that called Fr. Mark. We will
also be completing a parish profile
to inform prospective candidates of
who we are and what we desire of
them. This will be sent to priests
who express an interest in being
considered for the post of rector.
Adult Education to
focus on the Trinity
Rose Craig and Kathy Jagels sell hot
dogs and other delicacies to passersby
for the Baseball Fall of Fame Induction weekend fundraiser.
A new class “Three Persons, One
God” will begin on September 20th at
our 9am Sunday school class will explore the absolute uniqueness of the
God we worship as Christians. Too
often Christians see the Trinity as a
kind of mind-puzzle or merely as an
obscure topic for theologians, but this
profound mystery is at the very heart
and soul of what it means to be a
Christian. What does it mean to say
that God is Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit? Do Christians worship three
Gods? How does knowing God as
Trinity impact our spiritual life? These questions and more will be ad-
Once vetted by Bishop Bill Love, we
will review the resumes of these candidates and compile a short list of
three to five candidates. Please be
patient with us and with the process,
as all of this will take time. The Vestry is not saying to you to sit back and
be quiet. On the contrary, please ask
questions and voice your concerns to
us. As in previous searches, other
than the names of the candidates and
where they now serve, we will share
with you all that we can. Your input
is of paramount importance to this
process. We will make this choice together.
Each of us asks for your prayers for
Fr. Matt, the wardens, vestry, congregation, our families and Fr. Mark in
his new ministry. May the abounding
love that flows forth from the Throne
of the Almighty wash over each of us,
aid us to set aside our prejudices and
preconceptions; fill us with His abiding love; and guide us to discern His
will and find the priest whom He has
planned to shepherd us.
Thank you,
Your vestry
dressed as we explore the Biblical,
spiritual, historical, and theological
bases for the Doctrine of the Trinity.
All are welcome.
Photograph of St. Agnes Chapel’s
steeple courtesy of Annadale Farms
Photography.
C HR I S T C HU R C H C HR O NI C LE
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Above: Ivy Bischof makes cookies for our July
4th outreach. Right: Kamryn, Juliet, Nicole,
and Emily bag the cookies.
V O LU M E X X I I I I S S U E II I
Opposite page: Father Mark poses with Avery Koffer and
Clayton Carpenter on their baptism day.
To the right Linda Van Cleef smiles at her going away party.
From Father Matt’s Bookshelf
Mindscape: What to Think About Instead of Worrying is a wonderful book
written by Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological
Seminary Dr. Timothy Z. Witmer,
which explores the ways in which our
habitual patterns of thoughts impact
our spiritual and emotional well being. It is not a tome on cognitive or
behavioral theory, nor is it self-help
pop psychology, but rather a biblical
and practical guide for everyday
people struggling with the anxieties of life. Dr. Witmer brings his
more than 37 years of pastoral ministry—as well as his expertise as a
seminary professor teaching the art
of pastoral care to others—to guiding his readers, chapter by chapter,
through a real world application of
Phillipians 4:8, “Brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is
noble, whatever is right, whatever
is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think
about such things.” Along the way
he offers helpful illustrations and
case studies from his life in ministry. Dr. Witmer, or “Pastor Tim,” as
I know him, served as the pastor of
Crossroads Community Church
(PCA), the church where I grew up,
and where my family still worships
today. I always found him to be a
warm and generous person as well
as a gentle shepherd of souls. Reading this book, I felt as if I was having a personal conversation with
him in his study. I believe you all
will find it as helpful and edifying
as I did!
St. Michael Vanquishing Satan is a
painting by the Italian High Renaissance
painter Raphael. Completed in 1518
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V O LU M E X X I I I I S S U E II I
An Excerpt from The Protoevangelium of James ( About AD 145)
And gazing towards the heaven,
Ana saw a sparrow's nest in the
laurel, and made a lamentation in
herself, saying: Alas! who begot
me? and what womb produced me?
because I have become a curse in
the presence of the sons of Israel,
and I have been reproached, and
they have driven me in derision out
of the temple of the Lord. Alas! to
what have I been likened? I am not
like the fowls of the heaven, because even the fowls of the heaven
are productive before Thee, O Lord.
Alas! to what have I been likened? I
am not like the beasts of the earth,
because even the beasts of the
earth are productive before Thee, O
Lord. Alas! to what have I been
likened? I am not like these waters,
because even these waters are productive before Thee, O Lord. Alas!
to what have I been likened? I am
not like this earth, because even
the earth bringeth forth its fruits in
season, and blesseth Thee, O Lord.
And, behold, an angel of the Lord
stood by, saying: Anna, Anna, the
Lord hath heard thy prayer, and
thou shalt conceive, and shall bring
forth; and thy seed shall be spoken
of in all the world. And Anna said:
As the Lord my God liveth, if I beget either male or female, I will
bring it as a gift to the Lord my
God; and it shall minister to Him in
holy things all the days of its life.
And, behold, two angels came, saying to her: Behold, Joachim thy
husband is coming with his flocks.
For an angel of the Lord went down
to him, saying: Joachim, Joachim,
the Lord God hath heard thy prayer Go down hence; for, behold, thy
wife Anna shall conceive. And Joachim went down and called his
shepherds, saying: Bring me hither
ten she-lambs without spot or blemish, and they shall be for the Lord
my God; and bring me twelve tender calves, and they shall be for the
priests and the elders; and a hundred goats for all the people. And,
behold, Joachim came with his
flocks; and Anna stood by the gate,
and saw Joachim coming, and she
ran and hung upon his neck, saying: Now I know that the Lord God
hath blessed me exceedingly; for,
behold the widow no longer a widow, and I the childless shall conceive. And Joachim rested the first
day in his house.
And on the following day he
brought his offerings, saying in
himself: If the Lord God has been
rendered gracious to me, the plate
on the priest's forehead will make it
manifest to me. And Joachim
brought his offerings, and observed
attentively the priest's plate when he
went up to the altar of the Lord, and
he saw no sin in himself. And Joachim said: Now I know that the Lord
has been gracious unto me, and has
remitted all my sins. And he went
down from the temple of the Lord
justified, and departed to his own
house. And her months were fulfilled, and in the ninth month Anna
brought forth. And she said to the
midwife: What have I brought forth?
and she said: A girl. And said Anna:
My soul has been magnified this day.
And she laid her down. And the days
having been fulfilled, Anna was purified, and gave the breast to the child,
and called her name Mary.
(Roberts-Donaldson translation)
4:45-Evng Prayer
7:30-Acts Study,
Curate’s House
1
8-Morning Prayer
Tue
2 Martyrs New Guinea
6-Men’s Bible Study
8-MP 8:30-Eucharist
12-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Prayer
Wed
24
8-Morning Prayer
12-Church History
Class
1:30 - Women’s Bible
Study
1
8-Morning Prayer
12-Church History
Class
1:30 - Women’s Bible
Study
23 St. Matthew Obsvd
6-Men’s Bible Study
8-MP 8:30-Eucharist
4:45-Evening Prayer 10-Sisters in Christ
7:30-Vestry Meeting 12-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Pray- 8-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Prayer
er
7-Choir Rehearsal
30 St. Michael and All
Angels Observed
6-Men’s Bible Study
8-MP 8:30-Eucharist
10-SIC, 12-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Prayer
7-Choir Rehearsal
28
8-Morning Prayer
12-AA Meeting
12-Eucharist
4:45-Evng Prayer
7:30-Acts Study,
Curate’s House
27Pentecost XVIII
7:30–MP, 8-Eucharist
9-Adult Sunday School
10-Eucharist
10 Children-Youth
Sunday School
29
8-Morning Prayer
4-The Lord’s Table
4:45-Evening Prayer
8-AA Meeting
22
8-Morning Prayer
21
8-Morning Prayer
12-AA Meeting
12-Eucharist
20Pentecost XVII
“Back to Church”
7:30–MP, 8-Eucharist
9-Adult SS, 10Eucharist ,
10 Youth Sun School,
12-Potluck, 6-Yth Grp
16 Holy Cross Day Observed
6-Men’s Bible Study
8-MP 8:30-Eucharist
12-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Prayer
7-Choir Rehearsal
15
8-Morning Prayer
4-The Lord’s Table
4:45-Evening Prayer
7:30-Acts Study,
4:45-Evening Pray- Curate’s House
8-AA Meeting
er
7:30-AA Meeting
9-Building and
Grounds Comm.
5
Sat
12 7:30-AA Meeting
7:00 Youth Ministry Brainstorming
9:00-3:00 Jail Ministry
4:45-Evening Pray- Workshop
er
11
8-Morning Prayer
4:45-Evening Pray- 10-Prayer Table
er
4
8-Morning Prayer
Fri
3
7:30-AA Meeting
26
7:30-AA Meeting
Fall Rummage Sale
4:45-Evening Pray- Fall Rummage Sale
er
2
8-Morning Prayer
4:45-Evening Prayer
25
8-Morning Prayer
17 8-Morning Prayer 18
19 7:30-AA Meeting
8-Morning Prayer
12-Invitation Class
9:00 Flowers for Bas1:30 - Women’s Bible
sett Residents
Study
4:45-Evening Pray7-Stephen Ministers
er
8-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Prayer
14
8-Morning Prayer
12-AA Meeting
10
8-Morning Prayer
12-Invitation Class
13 Pentecost XVI
7:30–MP, 8-Eucharist
9-Invitation Class
10-Choral Eucharist
8
8-Morning Prayer
4:45-Evening Prayer
12-Invitation Class
3
8-Morning Prayer
Thu
7
8-Morning Prayer
12-AA Meeting
9 Nativity of Mary
Observed
6-Men’s Bible Study
4:45-Evening Prayer 8-Morning Prayer
7:30-Acts Study,
8:30 Eucharist
Curate’s House
12-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Pray4:45-Evening Prayer
er
8-AA Meeting
Mon
6 Pentecost XV
7:30-MP, 8-Eucharist
10-Choral Eucharist
Sun
Sept-Oct 2015
19 8-Morning Pray- 20
8-Morning Prayer
er
4-The Lord’s Table
12-AA Meeting
12
8-Morning Prayer
12-AA Meeting
13
8-Morning Prayer
4:45-Evening Prayer
7:30-Acts Study,
Curate’s House
4:45-Evening Pray- 8-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Prayer
7:30-Acts Study,
Curate’s House
6
8-Morning Prayer
Tue
26
8-Morning Prayer
12-AA Meeting
27
8-Morning Prayer
7
6-Men’s Bible Study
8-MP 8:30-Eucharist
10-Sisters in Christ
12-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Prayer
7-Choir Rehearsal
14 Sml Isaac Jsph
Scherereschewsky
6-Men’s Bible Study
8-MP 8:30-Eucharist
10-Sisters in Christ
12-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Prayer
21
6-Men’s Bible Study
8-MP 8:30-Eucharist
10-Sisters in Christ
12-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Prayer
7-Choir Rehearsal
28 Saints Simon and
Jude Observed
6-Men’s Bible Study
8-MP 8:30-Eucharist
10-Sisters in Christ
12-AA Meeting
Wed
4:45-Evening Prayer
4:45-Evening Pray- 7:30-Acts Study,
Curate’s House
er
8-AA Meeting
4
3
2All Souls Day
1All Saints Day
6-Men’s Bible Study
7:30–MP, 8-Eucharist 8-Morning Prayer 8-Morning Prayer
8-MP 8:30-Eucharist
9-Adult Sunday School 12-AA Meeting
4:45-Evening Prayer 10-Sisters in Christ
10-Eucharist,
10-Children-Youth SS 4:45-Evening Pray- 7:30-Vestry Meeting 12-AA Meeting
8-AA Meeting
er
4:45-Evening Prayer
5-Requiem Mass
7-Choir Rehearsal
25 Pentecost XXII
“New Consecration
Sunday”
7:30–MP, 8-Eucharist
9-Adult Sunday School
10-Eucharist,
7:30–MP, 8-Eucharist
9-SS, 10-Eucharist,
10-Children-Youth SS, 4:45-Evening Pray- 4:45-Evening Prayer
7:30-Acts Study,
5-St. Luke Evensong er
Curate’s House
11 Pentecost XX
7:30–MP, 8-Eucharist
9-Adult Sunday School
10-Eucharist
10-Children-Youth SS,
4-Healing Service
6-Youth Grp
18 Pentecost XXI
5
8-Morning Prayer
12-AA Meeting
4 Pentecost IXX
7:30–MP 8-Eucharist
9-Adult Sunday School
10-Eucharist 10Children-Youth SS,
2-Blessing of Animals
4:45-Evening Pray-
Mon
Sun
5
8-Morning Prayer
12-Church History
Class
1:30 - Women’s Bible
Study
29
8-Morning Prayer
12-Church History
Class
1:30 - Women’s Bible
Study
15
8-Morning Prayer
10-Blood Mobile
12-Church History
Class
1:30 - Women’s Study
4:45-Evening Prayer
22
8-Morning Prayer
12-Church History
Class
1:30 - Women’s Bible
Study
9
8-Morning Prayer
8
8-Morning Prayer
12-Church History
Class
1:30 - Women’s Bible
Study
4:45-Evening Prayer
6
8-Morning Prayer
4:45-Evening Prayer
30
8-Morning Prayer
4:45-Evening Prayer
23
8-Morning Prayer
4:45-Evening Prayer
16
8-Morning Prayer
4:45-Evening Prayer
Fri
Thu
Oct-Nov 2015
7
7:30-AA Meeting
31
7:30-AA Meeting
24
7:30-AA Meeting
17
7:30-AA Meeting
10
7:30-AA Meeting
Sat
CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
69 Fair Street
Cooperstown, New York 13326
Phone: 607-547-9555
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.christchurchcooperstown.org
Curate: Revd. Fr. Matthew R. Stromberg
Senior Warden: Peggy Hymers
Junior Warden: Paul Hager
Clerk: Carolyn Elwell
Treasurer: Laura Page
Vestry: Antoine Bourbon-Parme, Ed Craig,
Bruce Harris, Ron Johnson, Laurie Kearns,
Georgia Meeter, David Meves, John Odell,
Dick Woodhouse.
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage
Paid
Cooperstown, NY
Permit No. 34
CURRENT RESIDENT or:
On the web:
www.christchurchcooperstown.org
Thank You!
David and Martha Vaules for serving as our delegates
at Diocesan Convention.
Ted Spencer for taking photos of the building for inBill Waller and Gigi Viek for transporting our visiting surance purposes.
bishop Fanuel Manganani.
Mike Miller for his help with our display case.
All who helped with Youth Sunday, especially Marly
Miller for writing our script, and Sunday School Those who volunteered their time at the Lord’s Table
teachers Peg Odell, Derek Ratliff, and April Strom- in Oneonta.
berg.
Those who assisted with services at the county Jail,.
All who helped to make our church picnic a success All who contributed food or helped to staff the table at
including Mike and Laura Page with set up, Steve the Induction Weekend fundraiser.
Ziglar for the many photos, and all who helped with
Georgia Meeter, Kristin Ratliff, Julie Ratliff, Carrie
set up and food preparation.
Southworth, Amanda Lionetti, Nicole Lionetti, and
All who helped with Father Mark’s Farewell Party, Linda Lionetti for working to organize our Sunday
especially the planning committee Antoine Bourbon- School supply room.
Parme, Carol Waller, Laura Page, Georgia Meeter,
and Pam Scurry.
Pat Spencer, Ed Craig, Nathan Dickey, Irene Parker,
and other office volunteers this summer.
All who helped with our July Fourth Outreach including Irene Parker, Anita Born, Kamryn Koffer, and the Steve and Sandy Gothard for donating kitchen applimany parishioners who contributed baked goods.
ances to the church and to Oaks of Righteousness.
Those who staffed the Prayer Table this summer.
The countless volunteers who made VBS such a success.
All of our summer music soloists.