Jan/Feb 2013 Newsletter PDF - St. Mary`s in-the

Glad
Tidings
Jan/Feb 2013
The parish Annual
Meeting will be held on
Sunday, Jan. 27th following the 10:00 service. Please save this
date and plan to attend
this important meeting
of our parish. We will
review 2012 and vote
on the 2013 budget as
well as elect the new
Vestry members.
Inside this issue:
Happy New Year
1
Book Group News
3
Youth Group News
3
Counting
4
Liturgical Year At-AGlance
6
Vestry Biographies
7
We’re Making a
Video!
9
Lone Ranger Code
11
2012 Website Stats
12
Happy New Year
Happy New Year friends,
I hope your holiday season was surrounded with
loved ones, and that you bid farewell to 2012 and welcome
to 2013 with hearts and minds open to the flow of the Holy
Spirit in your life.
I want to take this time to give you a sense of how I
would like to approach 2013 with you. First let me say that
a large part of my personality and style involves planning
and preparation. I used to be very involved with a martial
arts style called Jeet Kune Do in which my instructors always said, “Train hard. Fight easy.” I‟ve incorporated that
philosophy into my working life. I believe that if we do the
hard work of planning and preparation ahead of time, when
our go date arrives, it‟s all simply follow-through. If a lastminute problem arises it‟s far easier to fix it when all else is
in place than it is to wing-it and leave everyone wondering
what‟s happening. My goal in leading parishes is to help
people feel confident in our mission and ministry activities
by letting people know what the plan is ahead of time. I
hope you find this leadership style a good experience for
you.
I‟ve created a planning grid that I‟ve shared with
some of the other leaders in the parish. The grid looks at
all of liturgical year C, which started on December 2, 2012
and ends on November 30, 2013. I‟ve broken it down into
the seasons with details about each of the Sundays. I‟ve
also included holy days and other days with special signifi-
PAGE 2
G LA D T I D I NG S
Jan/Feb 2013
cance, such as Mother‟s Day, Father‟s Day, blessings of backpacks
and animals, etc. Our liturgy is dynamic and responsive to the world
around us. This is why it‟s important to include special services
that speak to the events of the world.
There is a meta-narrative of the life
of Christ in each of the three liturgical years where we learn new things
about our relationship with God in
different ways. This grid will give us
a hard copy look at how that metanarrative speaks to the parish, and
what kinds of things we ought to emphasize. The grid will evolve as we
move through the year and add special events and services that are important to the life of this community.
Your input is invited and welcomed!
In other articles in this issue
I‟ll give more detail on the seasons, and the plans I have for highlighting important aspects of our relationship with God in Christ through them. Our traditions and worship style are so rich and meaningful, and you all are so creative
and engaged, that together with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we can do
great things for the glory of God. With enough advanced notice, you may find
something new that calls to you that you may want to try. Let the Spirit move
you, sisters and brothers!
I opened this article with the hope for open hearts and minds for the flow
of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit does as she wishes, regardless of the best laid
plans. In my experience, when the Spirit breaks in, it takes those best laid plans
and makes them even better. Here‟s to a great New Year, everybody!
Yours in Christ,
L+
Jan/Feb 2013
G LA D T I D I NG S
PAGE 3
The Book Group News
The Book Group will be meeting
on Tuesday, January 20th at 12:30pm,
to discuss Caleb’s Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks. Inspired by a true story,
this novel tell the story of Caleb, son of
a chieftain, and Bethia, daughter of a
Calvinist minister on Martha‟s Vineyard in the 1660s. Ms. Brooks highlights this question: “What are the effects of attempting to Christianize an
already spiritual, established civilization?” Caleb becomes a prize in the
contest between old ways and new,
eventually becoming the first Native
American graduate of Harvard College.
Bethia's experiences and Caleb's
makes for a very compelling story.
We will read Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an
International Art Dealer, and the Un-
likely Woman Who Bound Them Together, by Ron Hall, in February. This
is a story about how hate and prejudice
can be overcome by love and grace.
Check the bulletin board in The Fellowship Hall for more information on
the date.
Please join us in reading these
novels and discussing them in January
and February. The group enjoys meeting in our homes for potluck lunches
and book discussion. Contact Susan
Suter for locations or questions.
Youth Group News
Last Month the Youth Group celebrated the New Year together. The festivities started with several of our members volunteering at the Fifth Monday
Meal held at the Methodist Church in Lake Orion. Once the dinner was done the
Youth Group headed back to St. Mary's for an overnight party. The party was
fun as always, we had some movies to watch, some game to play and of course the
traditional ringing of the bell at midnight. Future Plans include a trip to the DIA
in January, Roller-skating in February and another overnight in March during
Holy Week.
PAGE 4
G LA D T I D I NG S
Jan/Feb 2013
Counting by Peggy Wenk
How much you pledge to St. Mary‟s operating fund, or to the building
fund, is your private decision. Only a very few people at St. Mary‟s have access
to this information, such as Janis our administrator, who prints out your quarterly reports.
The people who volunteer to count the money collected each week do not
know how much you donate to either fund. It is therefore very important, if you
are contributing to something other than your pledge to the operating fund, that
your cash or your checks clearly indicate into which fund the money is to go. Otherwise, all the money is assumed to go towards your pledge for the operating expenses. There are several ways you can indicate where the money is to go:
1)
Write out 2 separate checks, put in the same envelop (or 2 separate envelopes if you want but it‟s not necessary), and write the name of the fund
on the memo line (e.g.,”$40 pledge” on one check, “$10 building” on the
second check).
2)
Write 1 check, and write the names of both funds on the memo line (e.g.,
$40 pledge, $10 building)
3)
Put cash in 1 (or 2) envelope(s), and write on the outside how much
money is to go into each fund (e.g., $40 pledge, $10 building). Make certain your name and/or envelop number is on the envelope. Envelopes with
cash that do not have someone‟s name or envelope number on them are
considered loose cash, and will not be credited to you.
You can do the same with special offerings. For example, you could combine
your pledge with a donation to flowers, and write out one check for, say, $65,
with a note in the memo line: $40 pledge, $25 flowers. Or, write out 2 separate
checks, one for $40 with a note for pledge, and one for $25 with a note for flowers.
It‟s OK to put them in 1 envelope. If using cash, write on the outside of the envelope what funds you want the money to go into, and how much money for each
fund.
We appreciate your support of St. Mary‟s, and want your end-of-year statement to accurately reflect what you have donated. And the counters thank you
for making it clear where the money is to go. It makes counting so much easier,
and faster.
You’re Invited
to celebrate a
Renewal of Ministry
and
Welcoming of New Rector
at
St. Mary’s In-the-Hills, Lake Orion
Join Bishop Gibbs, The Reverend Laurel
Dahill, and the community of disciples at St.
Mary’s In-the-Hills at 7pm on Wednesday,
January 30, 2013 for an evening of joyful
worship and fellowship.
St. Mary’s In-the-Hills
2512 Joslyn Ct.
Lake Orion, MI 48360
248-391-0633
Jan/Feb 2013
G LA D T I D I NG S
PAGE 6
Liturgical Year-At-A-Glance
There‟s a LOT I can tell you about our liturgical year, and it would be like
drinking from a fire hose. There will be plenty of time to expand our understanding as we go along. For now, let me give you little sips of Year C and how we‟ll
look at it. I‟ll use some of the information from the planning grid.
Season
Theme
Color
Special Services
Advent
Lightly penitential
Blue
Gaudette Sunday (3rd Sunday)
Christmas
Festive, Joyous
White
Christmas Eve/Day
Epiphany
New Life
Green
Epiphany; Baptism of Our Lord
Lent
Penitential, austere Purple
Ash Wednesday
Holy Week
Christ‟s Passion
Purple
Palm; Maundy; Good; Holy; Vigil
Easter
Victory over Death
White/gold
Easter; Mother‟s Day
Pentecost
Gift of Holy Spirit
Green
Pentecost; Memorial Day; Father‟s Day;
Independence Day; Blessing of Backpacks; Labor Day; Blessing of Animals;
As we move through our year, we‟ll use the various forms of Eucharistic
Prayers in our Book of Common Prayer to further help us expand our understanding of Christ‟s gift of himself to us.
Advent
Christmas
Epiphany Lent
Holy Week Easter
Season after Pentecost
B
A
C
D
C & A (it‟s a long season)
B
A
The big differences between these prayers can be seen when you read the parts
between “Hosanna in the highest” and where Jesus blesses the bread and wine.
There are other significant differences as well.
PAGE 7
G LA D T I D I NG S
Jan/Feb 2013
In addition to using these materials in our Sunday worship, I will also offer a workshop where we can look at these prayers in detail and with discussion
for exploration and discovery. When I get that date set, I‟ll let you know (in advance, of course!). Until then, be attentive and present to the words of our worship, and pray knowing that God is just as attentive and present to us.
In peace,
L+
Vestry Biographies
Nancy Gutelius
Hello! My name is Nancy Gutelius, and here is a brief introduction to those who
would like to know more about me before I run for vestry.
I am a married (20 years this July), mother of two girls, live in Lake Orion, and
work in Clarkston as a portrait photographer. My daughters and I have been
attending St. Mary‟s 10 am service for eleven years. We found St. Mary‟s through
the recommendation of a dear neighbor, and have been grateful ever since.
Although I have assisted in many of St. Mary‟s youth programs, from Sunday
school, Lenten programs, Christmas Plays, Vacation Bible School, and Youth
Group, I tend to refer to my participation as “we”, as my girls were always a part
of these programs. However, my children are growing up and will be going forth
into the world. This development leads me to believe that it is time to move on
and take on different responsibilities within the church. St. Mary‟s has been a
blessing to our family, and I would like to help our church to continue to be such
a beacon for many others – for those who presently attend and those who are yet
to attend. What makes our church so wonderful is the sense of family that there
is – multiple generations attend and all give St. Mary‟s the beautiful depth and
richness that we can all draw upon. I look forward to many more years in service
together with you at St. Mary‟s.
Jan/Feb 2013
G LA D T I D I NG S
PAGE 8
Lisa McGeen
I began attending St. Mary in 2000, when David and I wanted to be married in
the church, David‟s grandparents were long time members and it felt right to be
married in their church. Shortly after we were married, we moved halfway
across the country to Kansas. We began attending St. Mary‟s again in 2002 and
both of our boys, Anthony and Brendan, were baptized here in 2003. We did not
attend regularly but that changed in 2009 when something clicked and St. Mary
began to feel like home. We have attended services regularly since then. Over
the years I have been asked to join a few of the committees. I am currently a
member of the Fellowship and Web Committees and one of the editors of Glad
Tidings, our church newsletter. I was surprised when I was asked to teach Sunday School but have embraced this request and learned a lot about myself while
helping teach our youngest members. One of my favorite times of year at St.
Mary‟s is Vacation Bible School which I have helped with the last 3 years, leading the children in crafts. The joy and learning that happens during this week
amazes me year after year. I look forward to seeing how much the children learn
each year. I feel humbled that I was asked to serve our church and look forward
to see what God had in plan for me.
Doug Shelton
I came to St Mary‟s from the Methodist and Southern Baptist traditions with
numerous clergy from those two denominations in my family history. I was
brought up in the Baldwin Ave United Methodist Church in Pontiac. I attended
Pontiac Central High School and the University of Michigan where my primary
fields were Classical Studies and Philosophy. After college, I lived in Galveston,
Texas for some years until Hurricane Alicia brought about my return to this area. I have been employed by the US Postal Service at the main mail processing
plant for this area since 1985. Later this month, my employment status will
change to "retired". I served on the recent profile committee for St Mary‟s and am
a member of Integrity. My life partner passed away several years ago and I
spend my time on my numerous hobbies and interests which include genealogy
and gardening.
PAGE 9
G LA D T I D I NG S
Jan/Feb 2013
Ann Kovl
I have been a member of St. Mary‟s in the Hills for 20 years. When we moved to
Lake Orion we sought the nearest Episcopal church after having been members
at St. David‟s in Southfield.
Dave and I have been married for 32 years and have 2 grown daughters, Alyssa
and Jessica. We now live in Metamora with our menagerie of pets (1 dog, 1 cat, 1
horse.)
I am a dietitian and work at Beaumont, Troy, as their Director of Nutrition Services. Our department is responsible for the patient and retail food service for the
hospital. My 22 years at Beaumont has challenged me to be an effective and efficient manager. I consider myself to be an organized person (maybe because I
have so many things to keep track of!)
I have served on the Vestry at St. Mary‟s twice in the past. Each time I have
been more impressed with the way everyone works together to achieve common
goals.
I am particularly interested in joining the vestry at this exciting time of transition for the church. There seems to be even more of a sense of community within
our church family after working together to bring Rev. Laurel to St. Mary‟s. Our
church truly feels like an extended family. Even with some growth over the
years, we‟ve maintained our culture of community and compassion. I would welcome the opportunity to play a part of the continued growth as a member of the
vestry.
We’re Making a Video!
We are always looking for creative ways to reach new members. So, we would
like to make a video to use on the website. We have been tossing around some
ideas in the web committee meetings but we would love to hear from you. If you
have any experience or input that you think would help us with this project
please talk to Dan Tines, Kim Trumbore or Rev. Laurel. You are also welcome to
come to the next web committee meeting on February 7th at 7:00 pm.
Jan/Feb 2013
G LA D T I D I NG S
PAGE 11
Lone Ranger Code by Peggy Wenk
My brothers and I were having an email conversation about the Lone Ranger,
about Brace Beemer who was one of the actors who portrayed him on the radio
and who lived in Oxford, and Clayton Moore, who played him on TV. I was looking for information to back up my claim that the radio version originated from
WXYZ in Detroit (which it did). But along the way, I found the moral code that
all Lone Rangers conducted themselves by, as set up the writer of the radio show.
The actors who portrayed the Lone Ranger and Tonto took the creed very seriously, and lived by it as a role model for children when making public appearance. I thought it was a very good code for everyone to live by:
I believe:
·
That to have a friend, a man must be one.
·
That all men are created equal, and that everyone has within himself
the power to make this a better world.
·
That God put the firewood there, but that everyone man must gather
and light it himself.
·
In being prepared physically, mentally, and morally to fight when necessary for that which is right.
·
That a man should make the most of what equipment he has.
·
That „this government of the people, by the people, and for the people‟
shall live always.
·
That men should live by the rule of what is best for the greatest number.
·
That sooner or later . . . somewhere . . . somehow . . . we must settle
with the world and make payment for what we have taken.
·
That all things change but truth, and that truth alone, lives on forever.
·
In my Creator, my country, my fellow man.
For those new to the area (last 40 years), Brace Beemer lived in Oxford, MI, and
died in 1965. The Northeast Oakland Historical Society has a museum on Oxford
with some of his Lone Ranger memorabilia. He and his family lived on W. Drahner Road on a 300 acre farm called Paint Creek Acres. I remember seeing his
horse Silver in the pastures, along with other horses, when I was growing up.
The farm was sold years ago, and there is now a subdivision there, but one of the
ST. MARY’S IN-THE-HILLS
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
2512 Joslyn Ct.
Lake Orion Mi. 48360
(248) 391-0663
roads, Beemer Ct., between W. Drahner Rd. and Tanview Dr., off Chirco Dr.,
near the Polly Ann Trail, is named in honor of Brace.
My brother John remembers when he worked at Al Hanoute Chevy dealer in
Lake Orion (1970‟s), there were photos of Brace Beemer when he made appearances at the dealership to advertise the dealership. He would show up in the full
Lone Ranger outfit, and leave in the outfit, again, being a role model for the children.
2012 Website Stats
St. Mary‟s website had 14,000 pageviews in 2012, up over 54% from 2011. We
also had 2,700 unique visitors from over 71 countries and 49 of the 50 states, all
but Montana. We had over a 70% increase in mobile and tablet usage and this
year plan to redesign the site to be more mobile and tablet friendly. We also ran
4 different facebook ads; New Priest, Vacation Bible School, Veterans Day,
Christmas. Our ads where shown 1.8 million times with about 800 clicks. We
usually meet on the first Thursday of month at 7:00. All are welcome to join us.