The Beacon

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February 2012

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The Beacon, February 2012

Father Jesse's Message

THE LIGHT OF CHRIST

            I really enjoy the Church’s holy days. It’s one of the reasons I’m an Episcopalian. I like the liturgical calendar!  One of my favorite holy days is the Feast of the Presentation, celebrated on February 2.

            It commemorates the day when Mary and Joseph went to Temple with the Christ Child to present him to God and to offer the customary sacrifice required by the Law. Chapter 2 of Luke’s gospel tells the story.

When they arrived at the Temple, they encountered Simeon and Anna, two people God had used as prophets.  Both had long awaited the coming of the Messiah and recognized the infant Jesus as the one they had been waiting for. That’s when Simeon exclaimed the prayer we called the Nunc Dimittis canticle: “These eyes of mine have seen the Savior…a Light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of your people Israel!”

The old nickname for the feast is Candlemas, because it became a tradition to bless the candles for the year on this feast, when we celebrate that Christ is “the light to enlighten the nations.” 

I remember fondly the Candlemas celebration I participated in while I was studying in England. My parish, St. Bene’t’s, always joined with the folks at nearby Corpus Christi College for the event. (St. Bene’t’s Corpus Christi Guild had actually founded the college centuries before.)

We began that evening in the dimly lit college chapel with hand-held tapers. We gathered and blessed the candles, and then began to process from the college over to the parish church for the rest of the Eucharist. It was amazing, the darkness all around dissipating with the light emanating from the many tapers that we carried into a church filled with lit candles.

Today, we still encounter darkness in the world around us. Worry, guilt, shame, evil, and sadness seem to be everywhere. In this season of Epiphany, may our lives be a light to the world, bearing forth the Light of Christ so that it may pierce the darkness with God’s goodness.          
       
Fr. Jesse+

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From the Editor's Desk

Well, the yo-yo weather season is upon us: 8 degrees one day; 50 degrees the next. I’m happy for the warmer days, but I empathize with those who rely on snow and inclement weather for their livelihood.

January has been a month of varying degrees of frustration. Sharyn and I are in the process of refinancing our house in Tallahassee. Those of you who have gone through this know what I mean. To make this refinancing work, we are also refinancing our Northborough home. So– trying to deal with two refinancing deals, one 1300 miles away has been challenging to say the least. Add to that the forms that were returned because they were incomplete or for some other reason and you can see why there’s even less of my hair than there used to be. But we finally (we thought) had all our ducks in a row. Closing dates had been set for both houses. We breathed a sigh of relief.

Then this morning, the lawyer’s office called and said we had to change the day for the closing on the Northborough house, which means we have to change the date for the Tallahassee house.

You know the sound Charlie Brown makes when his kite gets stuck in a tree? AUGHH!!. Picture me making that same sound.

But there have been some good things happening as well. On Saturday, January 21, a number of parishioners braved a snowstorm and journeyed to St. John’s, Millville, for the ordination of Bob Williams. Seven singers and Marla were part of this group. We provided music for the service. We singers also came back with an appreciation for the space we have at Saint Stephen's in the choir loft. At St. John’s, there was room for eight singers and the organist, that’s it.

However, St. John’s has a wonderful pipe organ which filled the church with gorgeous sound. The ordination was grand; many clergy, including Fr. Jesse took part in the service, which ended with Bob giving the dismissal as his first gesture as a priest.

And then yesterday, (January 25), Yvette Kite, Anne Deysher, and I went with the Journey Home Singers to Clinton to visit a shut-in woman and sings songs of comfort and support. This was the first sing I have been able to attend in a while, but I soon realized what a blessing the singing gave me.

Sometimes, especially with all the frantic goings-on in Sharyn’s and my life, it’s nice to stop and recall that through all the turmoil, God is working in our lives. We try to remember that God has a plan and that God’s time is not our time. I remember how fond the late Bishop Stewart was fond of saying, “God, give me patience, and give it to me NOW!”

Just remember, February is a short month –albeit a day longer this year. Already the days are noticeably longer. And soon we’ll be saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” I used to ask the kids in my classes that if indeed this was the case, what did Mayflowers bring? The answer? Pilgrims! Sorry! I get this way sometimes in the dark of winter.

Peace,
                        frp

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Prayerful Notes

 While reviewing the latest financial statement on my I.R.A., I took note of the graphic scale at the bottom of the page. It reflected the ups and downs on Wall Street this past year and how it had affected me personally.

   Just the day before, our Bible Study group had explored the subject of faith, specifically, how we can obtain more faith. If my faith were to be charted on a graphic scale, like my investments, I know the highs and lows would probably be a lot more dramatic. While I spend a lot of time in prayer, meditation and studying the scriptures, still in my humanness, old fears and insecurities often creep in. At such times, my faith seems to drop to that "mustard seed level," that initial deposit that I began my journey with.

   I readily identify with the Apostle Peter, who showed such great faith when he stepped out of the boat to walk on the water to Jesus. When the wind came up shortly afterwards however, fear overtook him and his faith dropped dramatically, as he sunk into the waters. He then cried out to Jesus, who lifted him up. Matt: 14: 28-31. Like Peter, my faith is stronger at some times than at others but it is always there. Sometimes it is small, like the tiny flickering flame of a candle, yet ever constant and a sign of hope. Faith gives us the hope that we will make it through the rough times in the midst of it all.

   Our lives do bear some resemblance to the stock market, unpredictable for sure and often times quite volatile!  I cannot know what the future holds for me but I can make an effort to prepare for it.

   Just as I need a balanced portfolio to maintain my financial security, I need a balance in my life to maintain my serenity and keep me on the right course. For me, my morning devotional time is an essential part of maintaining that balance.

   While quarterly visits with my financial advisor usually suffice in staying abreast of my finances, my spiritual life requires much more care. My daily visits with the Lord each morning are essential to my well-being. They provide me with the strength and guidance for the day ahead. These visits are the daily deposits that I make in my spiritual bank account. It is the safest investment I have, and the interest rate is immeasurable! Hebrews 11 : 1 - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Blessings Always,
               Phyl Endicott

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Announcements

The next Vestry Meeting will be held on Monday, February 20, at 7:00pm. All vestry meetings are open to the entire parish. Parishioners wishing to include items on the agenda are asked to contact one of the wardens or the rector no later than two (2) weeks before the meeting. Vestry meeting agendas and minutes will be regularly posted on the bulletin board between Fay Hall and the narthex.

CONGRATULATIONS to the newly baptized: Austin Klocek (son of Greg and Alicia Klocek) and Max, Ben, and Liesbeth Verheijen (children of Jeroen and Laura Verheijen). We welcome you to the household of God and to our parish family!

CHURCH CALENDARS: 2012 Church Calendars are still available. You may pick yours up in Fay Hall.

BOB WILLIAMS ORDINATION GIFTS: As you know, Father Bob Williams was ordained to the priesthood on Saturday. If you’d like to contribute to his ordination gifts, there’s still time! We bought Fr. Bob a chasuble to match the stole he received for his diaconal ordination, but he could also use a communion kit for taking the Sacrament to those who to hospitals and nursing homes. To contribute, make a check out to St. Stephen’s Church with “Bob Williams’ Ordination Gift” in the memo.

INCLEMENT WEATHER PROTOCOL: At its December meeting, the Vestry adopted inclement weather protocol for announcing the cancellation of parish events and services. In the event of inclement weather or the forecast of impending severe weather, the Rector, in consultation with the Wardens, may cancel or delay services or events. Cancellations or delays will be announced through Boston’s Channel 5 (WCVB-TV) and Worcester-based radio station WSRS 96.1. When possible, we will update the parish website and answering machine greeting and will send out a parish-wide email, but be sure to check with the radio and TV stations for the official word.

HYMNAL MEMORIALS NEEDED:  There seems be a shortage of hymnals in the pews so we need to order a few more. Each hymnal is $22 and is a wonderful way in which to remember loved ones or give thanks for a special event in your life. We will add a nameplate on the front page with the name of the individual being remembered or the donor. If you would like to order a new hymnal simply write a check made out to St. Stephen’s for $22 and note “hymnal” in the memo portion of the check. I will then be in touch with you at the appropriate time to get the pertinent information for the nameplate.

EPISCOPAL 101:  Are you new to St. Stephen’s or even to the Episcopal Church? Are you a longtime member who’d simply like to learn more about the Anglican/ Episcopal tradition, our history, and why we do things the way we do? Then this group is for you! Fr. Jesse would like to offer an Episcopal 101 discussion group in the new year. (This will be much like what has been called an “Inquirers’ Class” in the past). If you are interested, please speak with Fr. Jesse about what days and times would work best for you.

FUNDRAISING:  Some fundraising updates include:  first profits from the sale of Stop & Shop gift cards/shopping cards have netted the parish $85.  (Should grow a lot as we streamline the program.) 
-Continuing profits and gift cards from some restaurants for our patronage of them.
-Sales of beautiful calendars to support Sunday School.  Some still available: only $6!
-Cookbook to be available soon
-Planned fair with rummage sale.  Please up aside items you no longer need.

20s/30s GROUP:  There is growing number of adults in their 20s/30s here at St. Stephen’s. We’d like to get together as a group for fun and fellowship, maybe going together to the movies or out to dinner. If you are interested in joining us, please see Joanna Meek.

PEACE AND JUSTICE COMMITTEE UPDATE: I was thrilled to receive feedback from our adopted soldier in Afghanistan. The soldier is Capt. Leticia McGrady and she has 50 men and 50 women in her group. She writes to thank us for the care packages and letters, most of which were packed and sent out by Linda, Bev and Kristen. I am also pleased with the donations coming in to pay for the postage. We are caught up at this time and will have a bake sale the last Sunday in January, for the troops. Right now, we have a flat rate of $12.50 for the small boxes. If we send books and magazines, it is very expensive. To send a card it is 1st class rate. Or just place cards in care packages and they go for free. I also thank Tim, Liz, Yvette, and Peter for their help, too. Without their support, the care packages would not get out as quickly. Each care package has Capt. McGrady’s address and the necessary customs forms with it. There are protocols for packing. Capt. McGrady wishes us Happy Holidays and certainly knows we are thinking of the troops, too. – Ruth Beck

HOW DO YOU WANT TO GET YOUR NEWSLETTER?  We are re-evaluating how best to get The Beacon out to readers. Please let the parish office know if you would prefer to receive your edition by email or by regular postal mail.

AN EMAIL ADDRESS LIST UPDATE is underway. If you have not received an email about the past couple issues of the monthly Beacon, then we might not have your email address on file in the office. If you have a new email address, please email that information to the office at info@ststeph.com.

HELP OUR LITTLE RED WAGON: Let’s fix Don Shapleigh’s “little red wagon” by donating canned goods and non-perishables for the Westborough food pantry. The country is experiencing a significant increase in the number of families who need help putting food on the table. Please, NO SOUP as they still have much more than they need. You can be sure that your donations will be appreciated and put to good use. If you have questions about what is needed, please see Don Shapleigh.

A SPECIAL WELCOME to our new Parish Secretary, Marjorie Carlson. Marjorie is a member of the Church of the Nativity in Northborough and will be working in the office on weekday mornings from 9:00 AM to Noon. Please join us in welcoming Marge to the parish staff. 

NEW PARISH DIRECTORIES are available in Fay Hall. We’ve had a number of new families join the parish, so please pick one up. If you have any updates, changes, or corrections, please email them to info@ststeph.com and we’ll get them into the next edition.

ADULT AND CHILD CANDIDATES FOR BAPTISM are invited to talk to Fr. Jesse about the next steps for Baptism. Easter is the ideal time for a baptism, so if you know of an adult or a child who needs to be baptized, please see Fr. Jesse soon so there’s time to plan.

Women Of Faith Bible Study

   Now that the holidays are over, we will be resuming our regular schedule of meeting twice a month. We meet on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 A.M. at the home of Phyl Endicott, 15 Oak Street in Westboro. Our meetings last approximately 2 hours and coffee and snacks are served, prior to the study.
   Please note the following dates for our meetings:  Feb. 8th & Feb. 22nd, March 7th & March 21st, April 4th & April 18th.
   We are currently using the Upper Room daily reader, as our study guide. It is scripture based and includes questions that pertain to how we relate to that day's scripture within the context of our personal lives.
   The Lenten season will soon be here. If you are thinking of doing a little something extra in the way of Bible Study, within a comfortable, small group setting, we would love to have you join us. For more information contact Phyl Endicott at 508-366-9227

BOB WILLIAMS PRIESTED

On Saturday, January 21, the Rt. Rev. Gordon Scruton, Bishop of Western Massachusetts, ordained Robert Roy Williams to the sacred priesthood at St. John’s Church in Millville.

Bob and his wife Sharon were members of St. Stephen’s parish for over 15 years, and Bob was sponsored for ordination by St. Stephen’s. Bob has been serving the parish of St. John’s for the past five years, first as lay vicar and then as deacon.

The ordination liturgy involved a mixture of participants from both St. Stephen’s and St. John’s, as well as visitors from around the Diocese.  Though the morning was snow-filled and chilly, over 110 people gathered to join in the joyous celebration.

Bishop Scruton presided at the liturgy, with our rector, the Rev. Jesse Abell, serving as Master of Ceremonies. The Rev. Dr. Will Bergmann, dean of East and South Worcester Deanery (of which Millville and Westborough are a part) and rector of Good Shepherd, Clinton, preached the ordination sermon. Music was provided by the Choir of St. Stephen’s with our own Marla Farrow providing the organ accompaniment.

As part of the ordination ceremony, the newly ordained Fr. Bob was vested in a chasuble and stole provided by St. Stephen’s as an ordination gift.  He was also presented with a new communion set (chalice, paten, and ciborium) purchased by his family as an ordination gift. A reception followed immediately in the parish hall, with a second reception held that evening at St. Stephen’s.
 Bob presided at the Eucharist for the first time on Sunday, January 22, at St. John’s. He will continue to serve the people of St. John’s, Millville, as their priest and vicar.

Building Our Future - Update

The Stewardship Committee invites everyone to a meeting Sunday, February 12th at 10:45 in Fay Hall.  This meeting will be the first of four this year to update the parish on the results of your input during the 2011 "Building Our Future" meetings with Fr. Jesse.  The topic of the first meeting will be communications, what the parish members suggested, what has been accomplished to date and what are our future action plans.  Please come, enjoy fellowship after the 9:30 service and together we can build a solid future for St. Stephen’s.

Peace,
 David Small

St Stephen’s Episcopal Church Adopts a New American Solder in Afghanistan

St. Stephen’s continues to support our troops by its latest adoption of a new soldier stationed in the mountains of Afghanistan. The Peace and Justice Committee of St. Stephen’s has arranged for the adoption through a well-known soldier organization and committed to sending at least one letter a week and one package a month to the soldier.

The newly adopted soldier is a captain who has 50 men and 50 women in her group. She writes “We are doing great here in Afghanistan despite the location and environment. Yes, we have received some of the care packages you all sent and I would like to say thank you on behalf of the soldiers and myself.
…….The soldiers here enjoyed some much-needed down time during the holidays. We too have experienced snow since the 1st of November. Being located in the mountains makes for a cold winter and very unpredictable weather. I must say that any items sent will greatly appreciated. Thank you.”

The soldiers love to receive these packages and letters because they help keep their spirits up, brighten their days and remind them of home.  A list of the most requested items include toothpaste, Frisbees, sunscreen, batteries (AA and AAA), baby wipes to clean themselves when water is not available, basic hygiene items, muscle magazines, sports magazines, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, National Geographic and news magazines. Treats and snacks are always welcomed. Popular books, popular music on CDs and current movies on DVDs are also appreciated. In fact, the soldiers appreciate almost anything. The list is of requested items is available at the Church’s office or the Peace and Justice table set up in Fay Hall.

Anyone wishing to help support this project at St. Stephen’s can pick up a copy of the list and/or leave items to be sent to the soldiers at the Church office or the Peace and Justice table in Fay Hall. To help defray the cost to mail the packages to the soldiers, St. Stephen’s would be happy to accept donations, made out to St. Stephen’s with the memo “Soldier Care Packages” on the check. Please contact Ruth Beck at 508-485-5338 or the Church office at 508-366-4134 with any questions or go to St. Stephen’s website at www.ststeph.com for more information.

Dear friends

Thank you so much for the lovely flowers you sent for Wayne. It’s been so comforting to know that so many people were holding Wayne up on their prayers.
Thank you so much for your love and support through this very difficult time,

Love, Marla

On Saturday February 11th  at 10:00 am we will be putting together Valentine Care Packages to send to our college students and to parishioners no longer able to get to Church.  Please stop by in Fay Hall and write a prayer, a note of encouragement or a personal greeting (Warm Fuzzy!) to be sent with the goodie packages.   We know that these expressions of support are extremely welcome and comforting.

Anyone who would like to join the fun and help with the project is welcome to join us on Saturday February 11th.  Donations of cookies and wrapped candy would be much appreciated.   Please let Fr. Jesse or one of the undersigned know if you have a college student or know of a shut-in so that no one is left out.  Many thanks.

Ann Bartee            Anne Deysher       
Yvette Kite           Helen Panas

• New members were welcomed to the Vestry:
• Yvette Kite – Jr. Warden
• David Small – Stewardship
• Mike Cassata – Property
• Allyson Rottman – At-Large

• Personnel Updates:
• Marge Carlson has been hired as our new parish secretary.  She starts on Jan. 18th and will be in the office Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – noon.
• Dick Cerrasulo will be retiring as our parish Sexton.  He has agreed to stay on until a new Sexton is hired.

• A Vestry Retreat is planned for March 17th from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.  at a location to be determined.

• A Parish Picnic is being planned for July 22nd.  We will be checking whether Hopkinton State Park is available.

• We are looking to take part in Safe Church Training in the near future.  Our current Safe Church policy will be posted in various locations around the church.

• Two new committees will be formed soon – a Newcomer’s committee and a Fundraising committee.

• The next Vestry meeting will be held on Monday Feb. 20th.

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