Parish Sun Winter 2015
Transcription
Parish Sun Winter 2015
ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, HENRICO PARISH THE PARISH SUN Richmond, Virginia Vestry Leaders Chosen for 2015 At its January 13 meeting, the St. John’s Church Vestry chose leaders for 2015. Senior Warden – Bruce Duffy Junior Warden – Karla Hunt Registers – Al Allen and Pattie Tobler Treasurer – Diane Moran Communications Committee – Pattie Tobler, Vestry Liaison; John King, Chair Fellowship Committee – Phinella Weatherspoon and Sue Schutt, Vestry Liaisons; Shelia Arrington, Chair Education – Teresa Houck, Vestry Liaison and Chair; Teresa Houck, Children; Carol Wharton, Adults; Mariah Dudley and Alex Liverman, Youth/Teens Finance – Bruce Duffy, Liaison; Lynn Anderson, Chair Inreach – Patty Soileau and Barbara Bayler, Vestry Liaisons; Reeves McCune, Chair; Karla Hunt, Prayer Group Outreach – Barbara Baylor and Karla Hunt, Vestry Liaisons; David Curtis, Deacon’s School intern, Chair Property – Al Allen, Vestry Liaison; Ashley McCune, Chair Stewardship – Sue Schutt, Vestry Liaison; Marshall Schutt, Chair (804) 649-7938 www.saintjohnsrichmond.org winter, 2015 COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS St. John’s Priest Associates, Deacon and Intern St. John’s Priest Associates, Deacon and Intern St. John’s Church is greatly blessed by four priest associates, a transitional deacon and a Deacon’s School intern who serve God in ministry within our parish without compensation. All of these individuals participate widely in the life in our parish and support our parish with their pledges. Here is a little information about each of these remarkable and gifted people. We are grateful for the presence and ministry of each of them. The Rev. Dr. Sandra M. LevyAchtemeier Sandi has been a priest associate at St. John’s for over ten years, now. In addition to her liturgical roles as preacher, celebrant, and clergy assistant during worship, Sandi provides our St. John’s Forum with engaging programs and participates in one of St. John’s two book clubs. Sandi was ordained to the priesthood in 1995. Her Ph.D. is in Clinical Psychology, and before entering Virginia Theological Seminary, she held the position of 1 Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine and Associate Director of the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. She has two grown sons, Kevin and Brian, and four grandchildren. Sandi is a widely published author. Her most recent work, Flourishing Life, was published in 2012 by Cascade Books (Eugene, Oregon). Sandi also wrote Imagination and the Journey of Faith (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008 and Behavior and Cancer, written in 2004, and newly republished. Sandi is well into her next book, which she describes as “The Fiction of our Lives”—be sure and ask her about it! A work of fiction Sandi recommends is An Interrupted Life by Etty Hillisum. Sandi recently cited a book of poetry by Charles Peguy, titled God Speaks. Sample his poetry at www.sandralevy.net/Blog/TabId/ 112/ArtMID/501/ArticleID/11/Sle ep.aspx. Check out a moving story about a WWI Christmas truce with German soldiers on her BLOG, also.http://www.sandralevy.net/Bl og.aspx. Sandi will be providing a program at the Chrysalis Institute in the fall of this year: Telling Your Story: The Fiction of our Lives. It’s based on her current writing. Learn more about Sandi LevyAchtemeier at her website: http://www.sandralevy.net/. The Rev. Dr. Lindon J. Eaves Lindon is an Episcopal priest who, for 45 years, has combined a full-time research career in human genetics with an active ministry in the Episcopal Church. He is currently Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Human Genetics and Psychiatry at the Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, where he directed the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics. Before moving to the United States in 1981, he was on the faculty of the University of Oxford, England. Prior to joining the community at St John's, he has served as priest-in-residence at the Church of the Holy Comforter, St James's and St Thomas’ Church, Richmond. He continues to preach, teach and celebrate regularly while continuing his scientific research and teaching at VCU. Lindon obtained the Ph.D. and D.Sc. Degrees in Genetics from the University of Birmingham, England, and trained in Theology at Cuddesdon College, Oxford. Since ordination, he has worked simultaneously as a priest and scientist studying the genetic basis of human behavior. Lindon is known internationally for his research in statistical and behavioral genetics. Lindon has received numerous awards for his scientific research, including the James Shields Award, the Dobzhansky Award, the Paul Hoch Award and an honorary doctorate from the Free University of Amsterdam. If Lindon could travel anywhere without concern for health, safety or length of travel, he would go to Syria. In the meantime, we continue to pray for that country, with hope that peace and justice can be established there. An aspect of Lindon’s ministry lies on the intellectual frontier between science and theology, having served on a NIH-funded research group to examine the theological implication of the Human Genome Initiative, and on the Presiding Bishop's commission on the "New Genetics.” He served on the board of advisors of the John M. Templeton Foundation and has held numerous named fellowships and lectureships in the area of science and theology. Lindon can be heard on Krista Tippet’s website: On Being, in a fascinating episode, Science and Being: http://www.onbeing.org/blog/seei ng-religious-creeds-as-scientifichypotheses-with-lindoneaves/6057 We are grateful to have Lindon’s gifts at St. John’s. He and Sue are shepherding our Young Adults group that meets the first Sunday evening of each month. Lindon’s additional talents lie in teaching, data analysis, and cooking. We could add many more to that, but those are all he will claim publicly. He also enjoys cricket and chemistry. He and Sue have three grown children and three grandchildren. One of Lindon’s favorite childhood memories is playing outside with neighborhood kids on long summer days. He holds close to his heart the experience of seeing the evening sun on a Cotswold town on his and Sue’s wedding day. Another profoundly moving memory was of giving communion to his dying father-inlaw. The Rev. Susan N. Eaves A native of England, Sue has lived in the United States since 1981. Sue and Lindon have three grown children and three grandchildren. Sue and Lindon have lived in Nottingham, Birmingham, and Oxford England, and since moving to the U.S have lived in Richmond Virginia. They are both U.S. citizens. Sue Eaves was ordained in 1991 after a career in education. She served as Director of the Upper School at St. Catherine's Episcopal School for Girls in Richmond, VA. She served as Rector of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church for twelve years. Sue and Lindon joined us as priest associates in 2013. On February 8, Sue will return to St. John’s Church after having served as interim associate rector at St. Paul’s Church, here in Richmond. Sue has been quite active in the Diocese of Virginia, having served as president of the Standing Committee, chair of the Committee for Women in Mission and Ministry, first alternate to General Convention in 2000 and deputy to General Convention in 2003 and 2006. A lifelong Anglican, she has a particular appreciation of the ability of the church to walk the "via media" (the middle way) honoring the centuries old traditions of the church with the call to be the Kingdom in our current age. Sue enjoys reading, photography, and theater. A reliable source reveals that she is an excellent cook! When asked about a childhood imaginary scenario, Sue revealed that she imagined meeting the Queen! As a child, she loved reading in the orchard at the bottom of the garden Sue recommends a meaningful book: A Lesson Before Dying, written by Ernest Gaines. When asked where she would go for pleasure, presuming that cost, travel time, sanitary conditions, safety, and health were not issues, she said she would like to travel to Morocco. We are looking forward to having Sue back at St. John’s Church. The Rev. William Pickering Bill Pickering came to St. John’s Church as a priest associate last year. He and his wife Lee Ann live just a few blocks away with Lucy, their terribly spoiled Cockapoo, who is twelve years old. Bill grew up in Fox Chapel, a suburb of Pittsburgh and received his Bachelor of Arts in English from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. Shortly thereafter, he felt called to the priesthood; he received his Master of Divinity from The General Theological Seminary, in New York City. He was ordained a Priest in Pittsburgh in 1971 and served within that diocese in Murrysville, PA; Greensburg, PA; and Mt. Lebanon, PA. Bill and Lee Ann then left Pittsburgh when Bill was called as Rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, New Canaan, CT. Bill retired for the first time at the end of 2004. Shortly thereafter, he and Lee Ann came to Richmond, where they have made their home. In 2006, Bill was called to serve “shortterm” as priest-in-charge at St. John’s, Tappahannock, and was there until 2013—a long time for that kind of position; they loved him! Bill and Lee Ann have three children and five grandchildren, very soon to be six. Bill loves photography, and he’s good at it! He also enjoys swimming and reading. He’s an inveterate beach comber and loves spending time at Narnia, their beach house in North Carolina. Travel has been a passion for Bill and Lee Ann— they have been to all 7 continents! They still want to see South Africa, Iceland (especially in the winter to see the Northern Lights), Israel, more of the Hawaiian Islands, Patagonia, Costa Rico and Brazil. They need to stay healthy! When Bill was young, he was befriended by a retired Admiral and a good friend of his family, who shared stories about the Navy. Bill would pretend that he was the captain of one of those submarines, but other adventures called him. Bill shares a profound memory: “At the moment of my ordination as a priest, when the clergy all gathered with the bishop, laying hands on my head– it became dark and the weight of the hands was awesome. Then the bishop said, ‘Therefore, Father, through Jesus Christ your Son, give your Holy Spirit to William, fill him with grace and power, and make him a priest in your Church.” Bill recommends that we read C. S. Lewis’s Narnia books, especially, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Bill’s favorite person in the Bible (other than Jesus) is St. Peter, and his favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:38-39:“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We are grateful to have Bill and Lee Ann in our midst. The Rev. Dr. Dorothy A. White Dorothy joined us in October, 2014, after having been ordained as a transitional deacon in the Diocese of Virginia. Every transitional deacon engaged in an institutional ministry must also have a parish in which he or she serves as deacon. Dorothy performs the deacon’s traditional role at worship: she reads the Gospel at worship, prepares the altar for communion and cleans up thereafter, and proclaims the Dismissal. In addition, Dorothy preaches, provides programs at St. John’s Forum, and serves on our Education Committee. Dorothy received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in Theology and Historical Studies from Oral Roberts University (“ORU”) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond. Dorothy serves full-time as the school chaplain at St. Catherine's Episcopal School in Richmond. She also chairs the Religion and Philosophy Departments and teaches Religion in the Upper and Middle Schools. Formerly, Dorothy was an instructor in the undergraduate Theology Department at ORU, then, director of Christian Education and Assistant Pastor at First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Dumfries, Virginia. We are glad to have Dorothy in the Episcopal Church. Growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee, Dorothy loved to play Hide and Seek, jacks, and marbles. Other places in which she has lived are Anchorage, Alaska; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Findlay, Ohio. Sometime, Dorothy would like to return to London, England, a city she enjoyed visiting. Dorothy enjoys singing and writing. In fact, she attained some celebrity as an R&B singer with a group called "The Precious Three." They recorded a 45 record at James Brown's Studio in Augusta, Georgia. The song can be found on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=47BqxUcNqio. In fact, the song is included in four R&B/Soul compilation albums! Dorothy quipped, “Considering my calling, the lyrics are hilarious!” Dorothy recommends the novel, Hinds Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard. Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 27:4: “One thing have I desired of the L���, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the L��� all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the L���, and to enquire in his temple.” Dorothy will be ordained to the priesthood (God willing) on March 21, 2015, at St. Catherine’s School. All are welcome to attend her ordination. Dorothy has expressed an intention to stay connected with St. John’s church after she is no longer a deacon. We look forward to a continued ministry together. J. David Curtis David Curtis has joined St. John's for 2015 to complete his internship for the Deacons' School, a joint partnership of the Dioceses of Southern Virginia and Virginia. David is a postulant for the vocational diaconate and will be ordained (God willing) in 2016. He comes to us from Christ Ascension Church where he served as Outreach Team Chair and member, Vestry member, Senior and Junior Warden, and Altar Guild member. David grew up in Clifton Forge, VA. He received a Bachelor of Science in Government and Politics from George Mason University in 1992. He lived in the DC metro area for 10 years before moving to Richmond in 2000. David works full-time as Assistant Director of the Office of Financial Aid at the University of Richmond. David married John Martin in October of last year. He and John live in Northside and have three dogs, Belle, Sadie and Luna, and three cats, Harvey, Simon, and Olive. David enjoys working in the yard and in the vegetable garden. Weekends can find David and John exploring the Northside on foot with the dogs. David relates, “I'm a fan of long, quiet weekends in Virginia's state parks, where I can leave the world behind and become lost (figuratively, not literally) in the woods.” David’s call to the vocational diaconate (David will be a “permanent” deacon) grew out of his commitment to ministering to the poor and the outcast. He has a passion for feeding ministries, including CARITAS and St. Thomas Episcopal Church's Second Saturday Drop-in program. Because some of our parishioners have expressed interest in CARITAS and in becoming involved in a feeding program, David is researching what other Church Hill churches offer, so that we can consider partnering with another church. More information about The Deacons’ School and what a vocational deacon is and does can be found at www.thedeaconsschool.org. David recommends this work of fiction: Charming Billy, by Alice McDermitt. When asked about a childhood game or imaginary scenario, David responded, “As a child, I was a huge Star Wars fanatic and still am. However, we shall not speak of Jar-Jar Binks.” Asked to relate a story about an experience he had, David wrote: “Several years ago, I was on a silent retreat at Richmond Hill. Some guests wear name tags; those on silent retreats are given ‘Silence’ badges to wear to alert others not to try to engage them in conversation. In the morning, I donned my Silence badge and went for coffee. Two ladies, both with name tags, were already in the refectory, getting their morning coffee. One turned to me and said warmly, ‘Good morning, Silence!’ to which the other lady responded, ‘His name ain't silence, ya fool!’ I was barely able to make it out of the refectory before I burst out laughing.” One of David’s favorite persons in the Bible is Habbakkuk. The book tells of a prophet who rails against God for all the injustice in the world but still remains faithful to and trusts in God. David offers it as good scripture for bad days. Asked about travel, David responded that he would like to tour Eastern Europe, especially the former Soviet Bloc nations. David was a host parent at University of Richmond for three Bulgarian students and a Polish student, and he would enjoy seeing their homelands. We are glad that David’s explorations have brought him to St. John’s Church. Outreach Committee meetings will be on the second Sunday of each month, in the Parish House Library, after Coffee Hour. PRESERVATION IN PROGRESS St. John’s Church Foundation has matched The Robert G. Cabell III and Maude Morgan Cabell Foundation’s $100,000 challenge grant to support Phase 2 of The Legacy of Liberty Preservation Project. It was a 1:1 match, which means that the Foundation had to raise $100,000 in order for Cabell to release their $100,000. “The response to the Cabell Foundation challenge grant has been tremendous,” said Sarah Whiting, executive director of the St. John’s Church Foundation. “Our supporters really understand the importance of historic St. John’s church and its place in American history. “Their generous donations to our preservation work will allow this site to be here for many generations to come,” Whiting said. “Five foundations contributed $43,500 to the match,” Whiting said, “the Titmus Foundation, the Garland and Agnes Taylor Gray Foundation, the Nocero Family Foundation, The National Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, and one that wanted to remain anonymous. The rest came from individual donors.” In 2013, the St. John’s Church Foundation undertook a fundraising campaign to address critical preservation issues at St. John’s Church, a National Historic Landmark that is an active Episcopal church. Under the Legacy of Liberty Preservation Project Phase 2, the Foundation has raised $462,000 to make the repairs at St. John’s Church and its surrounding historic site, including replacing the roof, painting the exterior, repairing and conserving the shutters, obtaining a conservation assessment of the sounding board (see related article), a structural analysis of the church, including determining the effect of the tie rods, and making any necessary carpentry repairs. The planned preservation work’s $395,260 budget includes: · replacing the church and parish hall roofs; · painting the exteriors of the church, parish hall and keeper’s cottage; · repairing or replacing the church shutters; · making repairs to the visitor restrooms; · making interior paint analysis of the church; · doing a conservation assessment of the church’s sounding board; · conducting a structural analysis of the church; and · removing and pruning trees endangering the parish hall roof and graveyard. Work will begin with the roof replacements as soon as weather permits. The plan is to begin with assembling the scaffolding on April 1, 2015. Because the scaffolding will be used by both the roofing and paint contractors, the project will start in the spring in hopes of avoiding the unpredictable weather of March. All daily operations will continue at the church, including church services and special events, and tours and reenactments. It will be exciting to share our progress with visitors! Should you have any questions regarding the project, please contact Sarah Whiting, St. John’s Church Foundation Executive Director at [email protected], Ashley McCune, member of St. John’s Church and volunteer Project Manager at [email protected], or Amy Swartz St. John’s Church Foundation Preservation Director and Project Manager at [email protected]. Amy Swartz YOUNG ADULTS In 2015 the Young Adults group plans to focus on three types of activities: service, spiritual growth and fellowship. Of course many of our plans will involve a bit of all three. The group is open to folks in their 20s and 30s. If you would like to be a part of the group, just show up to a meeting. All of our events are advertised in the church bulletin and in emails. Here's a look at our schedule for the first nine months of the year: February -- Spiritual discussion on a story or scripture, hosted by the Schutts March - Serve meals for Caritas or the Salvation Army April - Join other church members for Rebuilding Richmond, Sat. Apr. 25 May - Discussion on mission work in Lesotho, hosted by Keri Geiger June - Night out at a Flying Squirrels game July - Cookout August - Organize and lead ice cream social as part of National Night Out September - Movie night and discussion, hosted by Heather Jones FROM THE ARCHIVES THE BISHOP’S CHAIR In June 2014, St. John’s received an email from Pam Marshall of Lichfield, Staffordshire, England regarding the bishop’s chair and matching stall (bench) located in the dignitaries’ pew adjacent to the Colonial Altar. The British craftsman responsible for hand making this furniture for St. John’s was Denis Alva Parsons MBE, 1934-2012. According to Ms. Marshall, during the 1950’s Parsons was schooled in the British carving tradition. His training, a seven-year apprenticeship, concentrated on Christian symbolism, figurative sculpture, foliage carving and letter carving techniques. He worked in wood and stone, both figurative and architectural styles; his career spanned 50 years. Ms. Marshall was kind enough to forward clippings from two circa 1970’s newspaper articles. Parsons is pictured with the finished dignitaries’ chair made exclusively for St. John’s, a quote from the article reads: “The chair, in mock 17th century style, is carved in mahogany.” Pictured in the other article he tells the newspaper reporter “…a good deal of preliminary historical research plays an important role in (my) his creations”. Denis Parsons, according to his biographer, was “…a teacher, lecturer and demonstrated at the Royal Academy and the Royal Fine Arts Commission in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen”. During the 1970’s St. John’s Church underwent a major renovation. It is thanks to the far-sighted vision, and again, the archival research, of the individuals involved with that renovation that we are able to experience many of the historical elements present in the church today. As with other architectural and decorative components we enjoy, St. John’s is fortunate to have these two lovely, ecclesiastical pieces of reproduction baroquestyled furniture. Judith Bowen-Sherman RESTORATION OF THE SOUNDING BOARD In the fall of 2014, St. John’s Church Foundation was awarded a grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation from Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund to perform a conservation assessment of the colonial-era sounding board above the pulpit. The $2,850 grant must be matched with other funding on a one-toone basis. The assessment, to be completed by Conservator Carey Howlett in March, will include a careful treatment plan to evaluate the sounding board and determine the best course of action for conservation and care. The plan will include research, analysis of the construction and materials, microscopic paint analysis to determine the original surface coatings and, microscopic wood analysis to determine the wood composition. In addition, a study of the historic elements of the sounding board in context with the history of colonial Virginia and British prototypes may reveal the maker. Howlett visited the church in early January to determine his course of action for the assessment. He found that in order to assess the piece properly, it must be taken down. Church member and volunteer Ashley McCune and carpenter Chris McCracken will be responsible for removing the board and building an easel for it to rest on while it’s being inspected. It will sit in the southeastern corner of the sanctuary opposite the Queen Anne Bible. Parishioners and visitors will have the ability to get a closer look at this amazing artifact. After determining the best conservation method, Howlett will be taking three or four exposure windows of approximately ⅛" x 3/16"in size. This will entail removing the finish to inspect the hidden colonial layers and determine their actual color and chemical structure. IN MEMORIAL KEVIN GRANTZ Kevin Grantz, the talented actor who for many years portrayed George Washington in St. John Church Foundation's Reenactment of the Second Virginia Convention, died unexpectedly on Monday, January 13, 2015. “Organizations like St. John’s Church Foundation help to ensure that communities and towns across America retain their unique sense of place,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We are honored to provide a grant to St. John’s Church Foundation, which will use the funds to help preserve an important piece of our shared national heritage.” Amy Swartz, St. John’s Church Foundation Preservation Director Kevin was a nationally known interpreter of George Washington who enjoyed sharing his talent and his knowledge of history with school children. Kevin was known in Richmond theater circles as a versatile actor who had performed on almost every stage in the city as well as on television and in movies. A part of the St. John’s community, Kevin will be missed by all those who remember him as the stately George Washington and as a friend and a gentleman. Memorial contributions may be made to the St. John’s Church Foundation. The Staff The Vestry The Rev. Laura Inscoe Bruce Duffy Sue Schutt [email protected] The Rev. Dr. Sandra Levy-Achtemeier Karla Hunt Patty Soileau Website:www.sandralevy.net Pattie Tobler The Rev. Lindon Eaves Al Allen The Rev. Susan Eaves Barbara Baylor The Rev. William Pickering Patty Duffy [email protected] Diane Moran Robert Copeland THE PARISH SUN St. John’s Church, Henrico Parish Office: 2319 East Broad Street Richmond, Virginia 23223 Address service requested Phinella Weatherspoon Teresa Houck