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February 2012
FROM THE INTERIM PASTOR Dear Friends, One of the odd pieces of acting as your Interim Pastor is that while I am meant to help guide Christ Church during our transition time between rectors, I am most emphatically not supposed to have anything to do with the Search Committee or process. As a naturally curious person who is very interested in the future of this place and all of you, this has felt odd. I have complete and utter trust in Matthew Mumford, the Chair of our Search Committee, and in the skilled, faithful, and diverse group of folks on that committee. I know without a doubt that they are doing and will do an amazing job to help the Holy Spirit bring the right priest to Christ Church as our next Rector. Still, it feels a little odd. And that’s because preparing for the next Rector means that I must also be preparing to go. Even though both Tracey and I are sad at the thought of leaving Christ Church, Warwick, and all of you, that doesn’t mean that’s not the right thing to do. You see, ever since Father Scott hired me in April 2009, I knew that my time at Christ Church would be short. I knew that my first job coming out of seminary was to act as an assistant—traditionally called a “curate”—at a church where I could learn the art of being a priest. I had prayed and prayed that I would be called to a healthy, faithful, loving church to learn under a wise, faithful, courageous Rector. God clearly answered my prayers by calling me here to you all at Christ Church. You have shaped and molded me into the priest I will be for the rest of my life. You have taught me what humble, loving faith can look like in a parish. You have loved both me and Tracey in profound ways, so much so that I am certain that in fact it is *you* who are doing the lion’s share of the ministry in this place! Because of all that, because I came here as an apprentice of sorts; because it is accepted and expected that a new priest spend a few years as an assistant before moving on to a church of his or her own as rector; because you all have generously shaped me in my priestly vocation; and because I am serving now as your Interim Pastor to help prepare for the next rector, we must all accept that when Christ Church calls its next Rector, it is time for me to go. That is what I have prepared for and accept. Fortunately, that time is a ways away. Until then, we have much to do together! Lent is just around the corner, and we will prepare with our usual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on February 21 and a full range of Ash Wednesday services on February 22. To help us shape up our prayer lives during that season, we will offer a Prayer Workshop on February 25 (see page 4). And to help us all grow as Christian Disciples, we will offer the Basic ABCD’s of Christian Living: Anglicanism, Bible, Christianity, and Discipleship (see page 3); I hope everyone will take at least one of the classes! More follows about all of our Lenten offerings. Lent is coming—time to pray, fast, and give. Let’s prepare together. Faithfully, Mother Suzanne +
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5 The annual meeting of the parish will be held on Sunday, February 5 following the 11:00 AM service. The meeting is scheduled to begin at about 12:30 PM. As always, the annual meeting agenda will include the presentation of our parish financial reports as well as parish elections. This year we will be voting for a new class of vestry members as well as a new Senior Warden. If you would like an early look at our parish financial reports or our annual report booklet, please contact the Church Office.
LOOKING AHEAD TO LENT Tuesday, February 21 - Shrove Tuesday: All you can eat pancake supper & burning of the palms. Christ Church Parish Hall, 6:00-7:30 PM. $2/person, $5/family Bring your palms from last year! Wednesday, February 22 - Ash Wednesday: Imposition of Ashes at 7:30 AM. Services at Noon and 7:30 PM. Saturday, February 25 - Prayer Fair: Practicing the presence of God. Meet in the Church at 9:30 AM. See page 4 for more information.
THE BASIC CLASSES: GROWING IN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF OUR CHRISTIAN HERITAGE AND FAITH Each class meets for two to four sessions, and each session lasts about 75 minutes with time for prayer, teaching, and conversation. If you are interested in attending any or all of these classes, please RSVP to Mother Suzanne (mothersuzanne@christchurch.org or 845.986.3440) as noted below. Basic Christianity: The Story of Our Faith Thursdays, February 2, 9, and 16. 10:00-11:15 AM or 7:30-8:45 PM. RSVP ASAP! Basic Bible: Reading, Studying, and Praying the Scriptures Thursdays, February 23 and March 1, 8, and 15. 10:00-11:15 AM or 7:30-8:45 PM. RSVP by Tuesday, February 21. Basic Anglicanism: Citizenship in The Episcopal Church Saturdays, March 17 and 24. 10:00-11:15 AM. RSVP by Thursday, March 15. Basic Discipleship: Practicing What We Preach Thursdays, April 19 and 26 and May 3 and 10. 10:00-11:15 AM or 7:30-8:45 PM. RSVP by Tuesday, April 17.
UPDATE ON THE TRANSITION What a great show of support at our recent Q&A Coffee Hour, with over 60 parishioners attending! Your feedback was valuable; your questions & comments were well taken. Many of the questions were “timing related,” such as “When will we start accepting applications?”, or “When will we begin interviewing?” I wish I had an accurate reply; I can only say that we are following the many steps in the diocesan search process, and we are right where we ought to be. I will soon post a very simple “visual timeline” somewhere in Parish Hall, so everyone can quickly see what step we are at, and how far we have yet to go. Our next interaction with the congregation will be a short questionnaire for all of you to respond to. Stay tuned! Peace to All! Matthew Mumford Search Committee Chairman PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD: A PRAYER FAIR Join us for a sampling of the many ways to experience God’s presence and be in communion with Him using practices you might never have thought could be prayer! You will:
Try five interesting and active prayer practices with five amazing facilitators, all of whom are Christ Church parishioners. You will rotate to a new practice every 20 minutes.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that you can slip off. If you cannot stand, all practices can be done from a chair. WHO: Everyone above the age of 5 is encouraged to attend! WHEN: Saturday, February 25 ~ 9:30am to 12:05pm WHERE: Christ Church Sanctuary FEE: None RSVP: By Tuesday, February 21 (office@christchurch.org or 845.986.3440)
END OF EARTHLY LIFE PLANNING: ESTATE PLANNING As we are all aware, our life here on earth is just the beginning of our eternal life with Christ. We live, we love, we work and we plan while we enjoy the time that we have been apportioned on this earth to develop a loving relationship with our Lord, our friends and our family. Since June 2011, we have offered two sessions in our End of Earthly Life Series: Funeral Planning and Medical Decision Making. Our funeral planning session included the theology behind our funeral liturgy; liturgical options, such as hymns and readings; funeral home and church arrangements; and internment options, such as cremation or burial. The medical decision making session dealt with how to prepare for the event of a prolonged terminal illness or accident so that your wishes for medical treatment are followed. This included creating medical directives and selecting individuals to make decisions when we cannot make them for ourselves. The final session - End of Earthly Life: Estate Planning - is planned for late spring and will focus on the need for each for us to plan how our estate will be used after our death. I’m sure many of us have already addressed this issue, but it can be overwhelming, causing us to put off dealing with it. Unfortunately, the events of our life don’t always flow in the smooth, orderly direction that we hope or anticipate. This is a complicated and serious issue that needs to be dealt with well in advance. During our Estate Planning session, we will hear from estate planning and legal experts about the various aspects and options involved with this process. It is our belief as well as one of the objectives of the Episcopal Church to point out to our parish family the importance of and comfort resulting from knowing that we have made provisions for those who will follow us on this earthly journey. As you think about the issue of estate planning, consider the following questions:
There are so many questions regarding what happens to our loved ones and our estate after our deaths, that only after prayer, conversation with our loved ones, and consultation with knowledgeable professionals can we feel comfortable that we have prepared well. Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions regarding this topic. Your input is most welcome. More to come on End of Earthly Life: Estate Planning! Yours in Christ, Fred Widman
ST. VALENTINE’S DAY I wanted to do some St. Valentine's Day research this month, but there is so much fascinating folklore out there,would invite you to “google” the holiday and find a great story on your own. Still, a memory comes to mind. When I was in first grade, I misunderstood the teacher's instructions and instead of bringing in valentine’s cards for the entire class, I hand-crafted one largefor the teacher. My mother helped me cut out a heart from red construction paper. We then applied LePage's glue with a brush and sprinkled Duz Soap Flakes onto the still-sticky paper. When dry, I wrote a valentine's greeting to the teacher. Arriving at school on the important day, I soon realized my mistake when the children began exchanging cards. I gave mine to the teacher, who pointed out to the students how I couldn't follow instructions. At least, this is how I remember it. I went home crying, but my mom was understanding and repairedown broken heartmilk, cookies, and kisses. I am tearing up writing this, but I think you get the point. Happy St. Valentine's Day, mom in heaven. Submitted by Mark Arnowitz Note: This column welcomes submissions from our readers. Please email Mark Arnowitz for details at arno485@gmail.com.
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