“The Angelus” - St. Luke`s Episcopal Church

“The Angelus”
Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church
The Rev’d Dr. David Zwifka, Interim Rector
www.stlukeslebanon.org 717-272-8251
Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God.
Volume 6 No. 6
June 2016
Rector’s Corner
The Arts and Culture as a means of grace.
One of the products of our recent efforts at Appreciative Inquiry is the discovery that many parishioners highly value what some call the fine arts. Some
might think that this is a product of a certain kind of education or an endeavor
undertaken by a privileged few in our society. Nothing could be further from
the truth.
The Church and the arts have had an on-again off-again relationship for a couple of thousand years. At times, the Church has been a patron of the arts, supporting and encouraging sculptors, painters, and musicians. At other times, the
Church has been standoffish toward the arts, seeing them as a waste of time,
or worse, an expression of hedonism and sensuality.
Today, although many churches could hardly be called artist-friendly, few
Churches can afford to be patrons
of the arts in the old style. However, there has been a bit of a resurgence of interest in and advocacy
for the arts. Look at the popularity
of arts communities and festivals in
many of our cities and towns. The passion for encouraging the arts is understandable and in large part commendable as all the arts the can be a means of
grace for individuals and for communities.
I think we need some basic principles to guide our efforts in this important
area. Here are some gleaned from an article by Kevin DeYoung.
We must allow art to be art. Sometimes Chr istians make the mistake of
thinking that for art to be valuable it must share the gospel or try to point
people to Jesus. Such an approach usually makes for bad evangelism and
bad art. Art is valuable because it can be beautiful and full of truth. We
should not expect art to communicate in the same way that discourse
does.
Art is valuable, but so are a lot of other things. Chr istians don’t always
know what to do with art. We think, “Is there really any value in a beautiful dance or a hard to follow poem?” But done well, the fine arts can inspire us, comfort us, disturb us, and cause different parts of our brain to
start firing. Art reminds us that “usefulness” is not the measure of worth.
Art can do some things, but it can’t do everything. Chr istians often str uggle with art because it can be so ambiguous, so open to interpretation. It
PARISH EVENTS
Senior Warden Update—(pg. 23)
Calendar—(pg. 4)
Liturgy and Life—(pg. 5)
Seasons: The Lessons of Life
Committee News—(pg. 6)
Picnic Information—(pg. 7)
June 12 at North Lebanon Township Community Park located at
75 Kimmerlings Road, Lebanon
ECW—(pg. 7)
Ladies Night Out at the Timbers
information and registration slip.
Page 2
doesn’t deal in propositions. It does encourage us to
think, but perhaps more importantly, it encourages us
to feel. It forms more than it informs. In this way, art
can “teach” us about our God who is creative and mysterious.
Our worship should strive for artistic excellence, but
our worship will inevitably be “popular” and propositional. I never want to encour age an attitude that
mediocrity is a spiritual virtue. We want, as John Piper
would say, “undistracting excellence” in our worship. Our goal should be to have excellent music,
sound and instrumentation, just like we want excellent
preaching. While it is an opportunity for those who
labored hard at a craft to serve God with their labors,
we also need to realize that the goal of the worship service is not to display the talents of artists. Its goal is for
the congregation to be edified and to worship Jesus
Christ to glory of God. How we do this in our community should be determined by the people who worship
here – with guidance and training in our traditions.
Churches can learn to welcome artists, but artists and
those who love them should not expect the church to
be a museum or a gallery. Ther e is something
unique about the visual arts that are well-suited for inclusion in “sacred space.” Talented artists in our community can find appropriate space for their work to be
displayed. But artists need to realize that the church is
not a gallery. They need sensitivity to realize that not
every piece can be used, and the manifest humility
when they hear “thanks, but no thanks.” Some art does
not fit the context or mood of the church. Art sometimes gets “dated.” Sometimes it is simply distracting. And sometimes it just isn’t very good. Besides all
this, it is highly unlikely that the church will ever be
able to support (at least financially) the arts as it once
did.
Artists can help us see our idols, and artists have idols
of their own too. Banker s may idolize money. Moms
may idolize their kids. Academics may idolize the intellect. Pastors may idolize preaching. Artists can idolize self-expression. What’s more, we can all be wrongfully proud that we don’t bow down to other people’s
idols. Good art can help strip away both pretension and
pragmatism. Good artists will always be humble about
their own limitations and besetting sins. And good
Christians will always be eager to see truth and beauty
wherever they can find it.
St. Luke’s has a longstanding relationship with the arts,
especially with music and visual arts. Our church building
is itself a testament to this core value within our community. As we look to a new vision in our mission and ministry,
we mustn’t forget this important part of our life and history.
We need to be practical, yes. But we also need to remember
the deep mystery of our God – a mystery that is often most
effectively presented in the arts.
Seeking with you, the beauty of holiness,
See Kevin de Young, The Church and the Arts: Some
Common Ground and Some Common Sense, October 2009.
Senior Warden Update
Hard to believe it is June already and summer is around
the corner. Time passes quickly when there is a purpose
and goal. But the colder weather of spring lets us know
that changes do not always transition smoothly. It takes
time and adaptation. We have completed part three of the
Appreciative Inquiry. It is time to design and deliver on
VISION 20/20 for St. Luke’s Parish. Where do you see
yourself in this vision and what are you willing to do to
help achieve our ‘destiny’?
When we had our Regional Pilgrimage Gathering on May
7th Bishop Sean reminded us that at the convention the
theme was adapting to our world and the need for a vision
in this changing world. Within the Bethlehem Diocese we
were to start on a pilgrimage to find that vision leading to
our destiny. Sound familiar? Those of us who participated
in this workshop felt we had a ‘heads up’ on some of the
other parishes because we had already completed two steps
of our Appreciative Inquiry. We realized that the Diocese,
other parishes, and St. Luke’s had more in common than
we all thought. Some of the visions that came out of the
workshops were the same ones St. Luke’s had expressed
early in our process. So St. Luke’s is not alone on their
VISION 20/20 but has others to help along the way in this
inclusive pilgrimage.
As a swimming coach I ask each member of the team …
“What do you bring to the pool and how does that help our
team function as a cohesive unit?” That means finding and
knowing your role and using your talents to help work as
ONE … a TEAM. Along the way, and with each season,
it also means roles might, and will, change and we must
adapt to those changes. As we continue with our design,
find your role within St. Luke’s. ENGAGE. It takes a
TEAM to achieve our destiny, not one or a bunch of individuals. How are you willing to adapt to become a TEAM
member along this pilgrimage? Are you willing to engage
in change?
Most of our committee missions have been approved by
the vestry. Father David will now lead vestry members in
the summer months through the process of understanding
how to be responsible and effective leaders as he shares
with us the results of the parish work on discovery and
dreams, AND how we design and find a destiny. Be patient as we follow and adapt to the learning curve so we
can lead St. Luke’s to VISION 20/20.
Page 3
On Stewardship
As always, keep the Search Committee in your
thoughts and prayers. They are working as a TEAM to
Back in October, Father
find a rector that will, with all our help, lead us to our
David wrote to you about
destiny. It is a tireless process but with our pilgrimage
our 2016 Financial Pledge
in mind, each member has stepped up to the challenge
Campaign. We called it
to keep us moving forward. Respect the process as it
New Beginnings. That
continues.
theme was chosen because we had begun an important process to
discover the “deeper, broader directions in which God is leading
The vestry will also be looking to fill a spot as Liam
us” even as we undertook the challenges involved in finding new
Nieman will be attending college this fall. He has
brought some great thoughts and insights to our discus- leadership for our parish community. By now, we have begun to
sions this year, and is mature far beyond his years. We realize that we are certainly not the parish that existed 30, 20, or
thank him for the courage to volunteer in this capacity. even 10 years ago. We have begun to consider the needs of our
It is a role that is not suited for everyone but someone community, our passions, our resources and capacities and how
else among our membership might also find that they they may intersect with what God is doing right now – in this time
and in this place. We have begun a journey, a pilgrimage, of dishave the courage to serve.
covery. As with every journey, we need to take stock from time to
So let us all continue to engage and adapt, just like the time to see where we have been and how far we have come. This
changing summer weather (warm temps we hope). We is particularly important with regard to our stewardship of God’s
must move forward with VISION 20/20!
gifts.
NOON MEAL VOLUNTEERS
Mark your calendar … LCCM will be celebrating the
noon meal program with a dinner honoring the volunteers on Thursday, September 22 at 5:00 PM. The site
will be the Midway Church of the Brethren.
SUMMER SERVICE SCHEDLES
JUNE, JULY, AUGUST … please check the website
and bulletins for announcements/updates about the
summer service schedule. We will also do a ‘blast
email’ when the need arises. If you have not received
this form of communication up to now and would like
to be included contact the church office.
Please pray for our shut-ins:
Frances Arthofer, Joe Dowhower,
Betty Gates, John “Pete” Gates, Doris Kern,
Sandra Kessler, Grace Reich, and Janet Zimnoch
Lebanon County Christian Ministries
Donations ...
The item from the LCCM wish list for June is
Canned Fruit
The Angelus, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 22 S.
6th St., Lebanon, PA 17042-5338 June 2016, Published 11 Times a Year, Volume 6, No. 6
% of
Annual
Budget
Budget Year
to Date
Actual Year
to Date
Pledges
$
64,044
$
61,664
Plate Offering
$
1,668
$
2,127
$
65,712
$
63,791
$ (1,921.00)
33%
$ 116,298
$ (9,106.00)
34%
Total
Total Expenses
$ 125,404
Difference
$ (2,380.00)
32%
$
43%
459.00
In this space each month, there will be a brief report on our stewardship efforts, based on what is reported by the Treasurer to Vestry. The figures above represent totals as of April 30, 2016 –the
first four months, or one-third, of our fiscal year. That means that
our benchmark figures should be 33.3% of our totals. As you can
see, we are “right on the money” as it were. Our pledge and plate
revenue is at 33% of our annual budget and our expenses are holding at 34% of the annual budget. Additionally, this year we have
not had as yet to borrow from our reserves to assure a proper cash
flow. In contrast, we had to take a loan from these funds in February of 2015.
It is important to note, however that our pledge and plate revenue
accounts for just over 50% of our expenses. This means we are
increasingly dependent on revenue streams other than our stewardship support. While the budget figures in these areas are also “on
target”, these represent revenue streams that are subject to factors
beyond our control. The best financial stewardship approach is to
cover our operating expenses as much as possible from our pledge
and plate revenue. So, as you can see, we have a way to go! Nonetheless, we are grateful to members of the parish for their faithful
participation. Frequently, during a period of transition as we now
experience, revenues and attendance tends to wane – but this is not
the case at St. Luke’s. All we can say is, “Thanks be to God!”
5
6
26
27
28
21
14
7
8:30 AM-Mail Newsletters
Tuesday
8
1
29
10:00 AM-Midweek Service
-Chapel
10:00 AM-Midweek Service
-Chapel
22
10:00 AM-Midweek Service
-Chapel
12:00 PM-Agenda MeetingLng
15
10:00 AM-Midweek Service
-Chapel
7:30 PM-Choir
10:00 AM-Midweek Service
-Chapel
11:00 AM-Prayer Shawl
Wednesday
FREE NOON MEAL
Thursday
LOCATION ABBREVIATIONS : Fellowship Hall: FH; Auditorium: Aud.; Page Room: PR; Choir Room: CR; Lounge: Lng; Sunday School: SS
8:00 AM-Said Eucharist
9:15 AM-Adult Forum-Lng
10:30 AM-Sung Eucharist
with Gwedolyn Bowers as
special guest soloist.
7:00 PM-Vestry-Aud.
20
19
9:00 AM-Newsletter
Deadline
13
4:00 PM-Growth &
Development-Lng
7:30 PM-Property
Committee-PR
Monday
12
8:00 AM-Said Eucharist
9:15 AM-Adult Forum-Lng
10:30 AM-Sung Eucharist
with Kathy Yohn
as special guest
soloist
8:00 AM-Said Eucharist
10:00 AM-Folk Mass &
Church Picnic
Blood Pressure Screenings
8:00 AM-Said Eucharist
9:15 AM-Adult Forum-Lng
10:30 AM-Sung Eucharist
May Counter:
Bryan Bowser
Sunday
June 2016
30
23
16
9
2
3:00 PM-Tower Roast
Coffee
Friday
24
17
10
3
4
5:00 PM-Vigil EucharistLady Altar
5:00 PM-Vigil EucharistLady Altar
5:00 PM-Vigil EucharistLady Altar
25
18
8:00 AM-Men’s Group-Lng
11
5:00 PM-Vigil Eucharist Lady Altar
Saturday
Page 4
Page 5
Liturgy and Life
Seasons: The Lesson of Life
By Father David Zwifka
Spring is here – finally!! The changing of the seasons
reminds us of the passing of time in our lives.
The Seasons of Nature
The most universal of the seasons are the seasons of the
year. In each season there is both a mood and an invitation to reflection, which has been part of the wisdom of
man from the beginning. Every age and every culture
recognizes the new birth of spring, summer’s strength,
the glorious decline of autumn, and winter’s death. The
seasons are tuned to the mysteries of life. Nature's cycle
brings a certain inevitable understanding—sometimes
joyous, often poignant.
The Seasons of Life
When we are young, we are often in a hurry to grow old.
During our summer strength, we are much too busy. In
our maturity, we agonize over lost purpose. And as we
decline, we so often wish to return to youth. It is part of
the difficulty of being human to struggle against the obvious: "For everything, there is a season, and a time for
every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
The key is to understand what matter or purpose suits
each time or season. This is extraordinarily difficult because it requires three very rare commodities: peace,
discernment and reliable instruction. We should at least
gain some inkling of the importance of nurturing the
young, of using our abilities to create and build, of directing others in our maturity, of distilling and passing on our
reflections as we age.
living, an intense effort somehow to be ready for the full
impact of the growing revelation of God’s love for us.
Then Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum of Maundy
Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday unfolds the
that revelation, point by difficult point. This culminates in
the celebration of Easter and the season of Eastertide that
follows in which the fullness of the truth of God’s
immense love for us bursts forth in intense joy because, at
last, our expectation of eternal life is fulfilled.
Now we know not only how to live each season of life but
why; and not only our purpose but also our destiny. The
renewed stretch of the “time after Pentecost” in which we
now find ourselves marks the last portion of the Liturgical
Year. It should not be perceived as “ordinary” in any
sense uninteresting, but “ordinary” in the sense that it
represents the regular rhythm of the weeks and months by
which we measure our progress toward the gift of grace
received in Christ. It is a reminder that we live day by day
in the power of the Spirit as God uses us to bring about the
redemption of the world.
Parents of Graduates
Call the Parish Office at 272-8251 or send an email to
[email protected] with the names
of your high school graduates. St.
Luke’s would like to give them a gift
at the Church Picnic on June 12.
The Liturgical Seasons
The Liturgical Year begins with Advent, usually starting
in late November. Advent is the period of preparation for
that revelation of God in Christ to which, we believe, all
nature points. The Christmas season follows, a time of
creative growth in which that revelation becomes more
visible. Through the period of Epiphany following
Christmastide, we become increasingly aware that this
marvel of birth and growth will mature into something
challenging, something for which we must train ourselves
as we look for the manifestation of Christ’s life among
us.
Lent soon arrives and provides a time of disciplined
JUNE COFFEE GREETERS:
8:00 AM
10:30 AM
June 5 - Phyllis Reilly
Randy, Bernice & Ryan Schies
June 12 - No Coffee Hour
Church Picnic
June 19 - Open
Kathy and Rich Thrapp
June 26 - Open
Dolly Smith
Thank You
The family of Kathleen Faiola would like to express
their sincere appreciation for all the prayers, cards and
well wishes that Katie and they received during the
time of her recent illness and death.
ALTAR FLOWERS
June 5—Mr. & Mrs. Peter Gebhard, Deborah Harris
June 12—Mrs. Sue Gates & Mrs. Linda Sandoe
June 19—Sara Haak, Mr. & Mrs. Ernie Suguitan
June 26— Janet Zimnoch, Kathy Thrapp
CANDLES FOR JUNE
Sanctuary Candles given by Eden & Er nie Suguitan in thanksgiving for their wedding anniversary.
Eucharistic Candles given by Mr . & Mr s. J ames
Gates in memory of George & Etta Gates and brothers, Richard & G. Thomas Gates.
Cost for Altar Flowers-$26 and Candles-$10
Coffee/Tea Sponsor for May– Susan LeBaron-Tonini
Page 6
Growth and Development Committee News
In an effort to use our Parish’s gifts to affect the larger world,
we are happy to announce that we have begun the Saint Luke’s
YouTube Channel. The purpose of this resource is to house a
collection of videos from various aspects of our liturgy, ministry, and Parish life so that they may be seen by the world and
evangelize our mission. You may find this resource by visiting www.youtube.com and searching for The Episcopal Church
of Saint Luke’s Lebanon. You may also find a link to the channel directly from our website on the footer of the page. We are
most proud to feature several videos that were taken during Holy Week, including Bill Claxton’s Misere Mei Deus and selections from the John Stainer Crucifixion which were presented
by the Saint Luke’s Festival Choir on Passion Sunday. We encourage you to visit our YouTube channel and subscribe so you
are made aware when new videos are produced.
In preparation for the Diocesan workshop that occurred at Saint
Luke's in May, we created a bulletin board in the Auditorium
that displays our social media platforms. Here you may see
screenshots of the resources available on our website as well as
our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube platforms. Anyone who
would like assistance learning these resources is asked to speak
to a member of the Church Growth and Development Committee.
The Healer's Garden
Sunday School, Outreach, and Church Growth and Development have teamed up to create The Healer's Garden. We have
constructed a large raised bed in the Rectory Courtyard in
which the children will plant a selection of vegetables which,
when harvested, will be used for Free Noon Meal. Even though
the children's last Sunday School session was on May 22, everyone is encouraged to visit the garden and help weed, water
and harvest whenever they would like. We are so thankful to
everyone who worked on getting this project done and especially thankful to Layser's Nursery who donated all of the vegetable
and herb plants for the children!
Jason Yannuzzi
Outreach Committee News
Recently when I was walking past Harding School two teachers
waved across the parking lot to me because they recognized me
from times when they have come to help at Power Packs distribution. As we had hoped, Power Packs has increased St. Luke’s
presence as more than a building in the neighborhood. Similarly,
students now visiting Tower Roast Coffee have connections with
Power Packs. For them our image as an austere and closed church
is changing also. These are physical outcomes but they represent
spiritual changes in seeing the humanity of our church and they
are beginnings in the way we hope to move as we meet to discuss
the Outreach Committee later this summer.
Soon Slayman
Bazaar Update
At our meeting at the end of April, we set the
date for this year’s Bazaar, as in the past, on
the Saturday of the Holiday Parade, November
19th. We saw samples of a pillow and an ornament and discussed other ideas. We talked
about expanded publicity by using more signage and our enhanced access to the Internet.
We discussed ways to make parking more
available. We are looking for folks with skills
in wood working, metal working, photography,
computer graphics, creating and using fabrics,
creating ornaments and wreaths with natural
materials and more. I will be scheduling a
Brown Bag lunch later this month to continue
the planning. Anyone who has a talent to share
is welcome. Those are equally welcome who
will support us with prayer for our continuing
good will, humor, creativity and joy in working
hard to open our church to the community for
fellowship and to support our outreach projects. Please contact Soon Slayman with
questions and ideas. 838-9612,
[email protected], or whenever we
have a chance to talk.
Soon Slayman
Thank You Note from Harmonia
Music Association
Thank you to St. Luke's for once again
welcoming the Harmonia Music Association for three of their concerts this year. Performers and guests have been warmly received
and they frequently express interest in the
beauty of the Church.
For those who do not know about Harmonia,
it was organized in 1860 and is part of the National Federation of Music Clubs and the Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs. It is the
third oldest club in our state
It's mission is to provide live music in our
county, to raise scholarship money for
outstanding high school performers as they
enter college, and, through the Musicians' Hall
of Fame, honor those artists who have contributed so much to our area.
Membership is open to performers as well
as those who love music and wish to support
the missions of the organization.
Page 7
Folk Mass & Parish Picnic
Computer Lab
Sunday, June 12
If you would like to donate to the new St. Luke’s
Computer Lab, classes will be coming in September,
please fill out the form below and return it to the
Parish Office. Please make checks payable to St.
Luke’s Church and in the memo line write
Computer Fund.
8:00 AM Liturgy at the Church
No Church School
10:00 AM Liturgy at Picnic
North Lebanon Township
Community Park
75 Kimmerlings Road, Lebanon
Your Name: _______________________________
Directions: Take 7th Street north past Sunset and turn
right onto Kimmerlings Road, park is on left side.
Amount enclosed: __________________
Park facilities include pavilion with sides that can be
closed if needed, kitchen w/stoves, refrigerators, sinks,
playground equipment, 2 volleyball courts, basketball
court, tennis courts, 2 baseball fields, horseshoes, shuffleboard and handicapped accessible bathrooms. Hot
dogs, sauerkraut, bar-b-que, buns, chips, pretzels,
drinks, and condiments are provided; also paper plates,
napkins, cups, and utensils. Bring your own lawn chair
and favorite covered dish. Cakes are needed for the
cakewalk and auction. Please mark cakes so we know
where you want the cakes to be used and if the plate
needs to be returned, tape your name to it. Ian and Hailey Bowser will be in charge of games for the children
this year. In case of rain, the picnic will be at the
Church.
Your Money Will Buy: 6 Desktop Computers with
mouse and keyboard each and a printer.
Will Benefit: Sunday School Children, Parishioners,
Class Participants, Surrounding Community and/or
Outreach Endeavors, to name just a few.
Thank you from Rose and
& Development
Growth
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND!
Contact Brian or Sharon at 273-3224 or e-mail them at
[email protected] with any questions.
ECW Ladies Night Out at
the Timbers
All women of the church and guests
are invited to join ECW for a Dinner
Buffet and Musical Revue –
“Everything Is Rhythm” at the
Timbers in Mt. Gretna on Tuesday,
July 19 at 6:00 PM. The cost is
$28.75 per person. If you need a
ride and would like to carpool, we
will meet at the church at 5:30 PM.
Please send the information form
and a check (payable to St. Luke’s
ECW) to Eileen Sidelnick, 42
Eastfield Drive, Lebanon, PA
17042. Contact Eileen (926-4238)
with any questions.
Ladies Night Out at the Timbers
Name & Phone Number: ____________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Number Attending: ___________________________
Check Amount: ______________________________
_______ I need a ride.
_______ I am willing to carpool.
*Reservations and checks are due by Tuesday, July 12.
Return Service Requested
Some items in this issue: JUNE 2016
Senior Warden Update page 3
Picnic Info page 7