The Beacon, March 2008

Order out of chaos

I like my universe to be orderly. My dog and cat know, for example, that they will be fed every day between 6:00 and 6:10 in the morning, and again between 3:50 and 4:00 in the afternoon. Another instance - I get to church every Sunday at 7:05 to sort Saturday's mail, open the front door, turn on the lights, set up the lessons for the lectors, light the candles, and place the children's offering plates on the table under the memorial book. I then set out three glasses of water (at the kneeler, on the pulpit and on the altar) for myself. I deal well with orderly. I don't deal well with chaos - even little things! Why would anyone shut off lights, for example, by turning the outlet switch upward? Up is on, down is off. I spend a good part of my week, reversing other people's chaotic acts, and thus restoring order. I am, however, aware that other people may not perceive order in the same way that I do, so I am trying to learn patience. One way I do that is to deliberately allow a couple things in my life to be chaotic. Those who have seen the top of my desk in my office understand this. This article that you are now reading is deliberately four days late!

How's that for chaotic! Sorry Fred.

To be very serious for a moment - the very faith in which I deeply believe seems to be based though upon chaos, not order. It's certainly not easy to believe in the resurrection as an objective historical event.

The massive weight of ordinary human experience testifies that the dead stay dead. That's order. We're born, we live a certain number of years, and then we die. But the Christian faith was founded on the assertion that Jesus returned to life after being crucified, dead, and buried. Initially, the disciples did not expect to see Jesus again. Eventually though, they believed, not because they found it plausible that someone who was dead could live again, but because they saw, heard, and talked to the risen Christ. When confronted with this reality, they no longer felt the need to ask whether or not such a thing were possible. From chaos had come order. God was and is in charge. Happy Easter!

Faithfully, Fr Bill

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Cycles of life

Well, if Fr Bill can introduce chaos in his life, I guess I'm allowed to follow suit. (Don't try to follow the logic here. There isn't any.) So this month, instead of doing my column last, I'm going to do it before I do the Bulletin Board, How's that for chaotic?

Anyway, it's time for another cycle-of-life column; you know, one of those where I talk about one life beginning as another ends. Actually they are about two years apart, but when you live to 102 as my aunt Doris did, what's two years.

This particular cycle really began two years ago with the birth of our granddaughter Leah. As she approaches her second birthday, we rejoice at the joy she has brought to our lives and feel that God has especially blessed our lives with this adorable little girl.

At the other end of the spectrum is my aunt Doris who died a month ago at the age of 102. She had a long, productive life, and as I sat at her funeral I thought of some of the ways she had blessed my life over many years.

I remembered blueberry picking with the family up in Fitzwilliam, NH, when I was about nine or ten; it was a special time with aunts, uncles, cousins, parents. My cousin Harry and I had mixed emotions about picking blueberries. We were expected to fill our buckets, but somehow we always managed to eat more than we put in our buckets. Plus there was always the risk of biting into a blueberry bug which we thought tasted like the way a skunk smells. YECCH!!! But the day was always followed by an afternoon of swimming in nearby Laurel Lake. Harry and I always looked forward to the year when we would be able to dive off the deep side of the rock; it was a rite of passage.

Doris was always part of these outings, and in spite of her usual no-nonsense approach to life managed to have some fun.

I remembered swimming at Lake Quinsigamond where Doris' parents had a cottage and the rare times we had a ride in Grandpa Monroe's speedboat. Cousin Judy, Harry's sister, and I reminisced about these days at the collation after the funeral. We shared some tears and some laughs, especially when we tough of the expressions Doris used to use: "Land sakes!'"; "My stars!" and Judy remembered her favorite: "My stars and garters!" Neither one of us had the foggiest idea as to what that meant, but we had a good laugh over it.

Doris was what some people would call the typical stern New Englander. I understood this a bit more when the minister spoke of her Scottish ancestry. She belonged to the Munro clan, a small but influential clan in Scotland. I don't recall her ever talking about this, but it was apparently a source of pride for her.

The minister also spoke of her love for the church, and he enumerated some of the things she had been involved in: a member of the women's sewing circle for many years; activity in the numerous dinners the church sponsored; any way at all she could help.

The minister, who had not been at the church long enough to get to know Doris very well, nonetheless had an amusing anecdote to recount. Two or three years ago, Doris had a leg amputated below the knee. She had a prosthesis and wasn't afraid to walk on it; it gave her mobility that fit her strong sense of independence. When the reverend came to visit for the first time, the first thing my aunt did was to ask him to help her take her leg off. He was a bit taken aback, but complied with her request. The congregation got a chuckle out of this story.

One of the features of the service was the presence of a piper who played the unofficial Scottish anthem, and later led us in the singing of "Amazing Grace," one of my favorite hymns. But the most moving moment came at the end when the piper struck up a tune and marched down the altar step, along in front of the pews and then down the side aisle and out the rears doors of the sanctuary. As the sound receded, I was moved at how appropriate that was. Doris was not really gone, she had just passed through another doorway. She was the last of my parents' immediate generation, so I am now the family patriarch.

So, one generation beginning, another ending, and God has played and will continue to play a role in our lives, giving us the joy of new birth and the sadness of death, but always with the reassurance that he is with us, even unto the end.

Peace and a Happy Easter, Fred Philcox

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Wonderful new beginnings

I like to think that I am a hearty New Englander.

However, by this time of year, I am eagerly looking for signs of spring and they are slowly emerging. My little snowdrop flower popped up through the cold ground this week and other unidentifiable green shoots are popping up as well. I spotted a robin in the back yard this morning, yet another hopeful sign. In contrast to that, however, the weather forecast is for 6-9 inches of snow tomorrow. I am kind of getting mixed messages here, but I am confident that spring will arrive eventually! As we move through the season of Lent, we anticipate the joyful celebration of Easter morning.

In the days leading up to the first Easter, hopeful anticipation was in short supply. While Jesus had tried to prepare his disciples for what was to come, they just could not seem to grasp it. He had predicted Judas's betrayal, Peter's denial of him and his death and resurrection. Despite all this, his death left them grief stricken, confused and frightened. After his resurrection, scripture tells us that Jesus first appeared to the women, Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James. We can only imagine their joy at being the first to see their risen Lord, yet when they shared their news with the disciples, their words are met with disbelief. But they did not believe the women because the words seemed to them like nonsense. Unfortunately, given the culture of that time, women were not considered credible witnesses, as indicated in Luke 24:11. When Jesus actually appeared to the disciples, that is when they believed. Jesus said:

"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" - John 20:29

As Christians, our lives are journeys of faith. When we go through difficult times, it can be scary. We don't know how things will turn out. It is a test of our faith to believe without seeing. My experience has been that God can bring unimaginable blessings out of the most painful situations. God sees the bigger picture. Just as in the resurrection, endings can herald wonderful new beginnings. Jesus' message to the disciples was one of hope, which is meant for us today as well.

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" - Matthew 28:20b

Happy Easter everyone, Phyl Endicott

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Fall Marketplace Update

The "Designing Women" of St Stephen's have been busy planning what crafts will be available at our St Stephen's Marketplace this fall. Although a definitive date has not yet been set, the marketplace will take place either late October or early November.

We've already had two meetings and we're planning to offer such items as fabric memory boards, tote bags, fleece hats and wraps, knitted items, hand-made puppets, placemats and aprons, Christmas ornaments, beaded jewelry, jewelry bags, fabric Advent calendars, fabric bowls and Halloween and Thanksgiving items, to name a few. And we've only just started!!!

We are hoping to provide instructions on several of these crafts for folks to take home and work on at their leisure. We are also planning a series of get-togethers during the spring, summer and fall where we can begin to work on some of the crafts as a group. Look for the first of these meetings in April.

Ideas, ideas, ideas, we need ideas!!!! Please keep a lookout for items that you think we could make and offer in the marketplace. Hilary Brigandi has graciously agreed to spear-head the crafts committee.

There are lots of opportunities for the men in the parish to get involved as well. Several of the men will be working on wooden crafts and help is always needed on the Silent Auction. We will be soliciting local businesses for items for the Silent Auction and encourage any and all parishioners to think about something that they could donate as wellÑa service, perhaps, or a week's stay in a summer cottage, sports tickets, etc.

The Marketplace is obviously a major fund raising event for the parish but we are also taking another approach this year. With more and more people experiencing financial difficulties in this troubled economy, we would like to be able to offer our patrons items of exceptional quality at exceptionally affordable prices. We believe that this can be part of our outreach to the wider community.

The planning committee is very excited about having a Fall Marketplace this fall and we have lots of opportunities for people to become involved. Keep an eye out in Fay Hall, here in The Beacon and the Sunday bulletins for updates and opportunities to become a "designing" member of St Stephen's.

Sharyn Philcox, Chairperson - (508) 393-6858

First Communion Class

Congratulations to Jared Boyer, Luke Boyer, Robyn Fitzgibbons, Aimee Holland, and Patrick Sylvester who completed First Communion Class and "officially" received Communion for the first time on February 17th.

Valentine Care Packages

Many, many thanks to the parish for all the delicious home made cookies, candy, hand knitted mittens, caring notes and prayers and to those who assembled the Valentine parcels and bags and who delivered them to shut-ins and students. They are much appreciated by the recipients. God bless you all.

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