Who We Are

February 2010 Epistle

Download the February issue of our newsletter: The Epistle, February 2010

Inside this issue:

• Like Running Water Contours a Rock by Wallace+
• Bonnie Anderson at Lent by Russell Palmore
• Lent, Like A Burning Ring of Fire by Kate+
• "This Do in Remembrance of Me" by Adrian Luxmoore
• Faith @ Work by Nancy O'Donnell
  
• Reflections on Prayer Yoga by Suzanne McWilliams
• A Stack of Pancakes, a Glass of Wine and You by Sue Bland

and much, much more! Download the PDF to read the full issue.

On the Cover:

Like Running Water Contours a Rock

I was recently reminded of my 9th Grade English teacher, Mr. Uhl, and his telling me, very earnestly, "Wallace, don't forget: Life is in the details." "Pay attention to the details," he said. And, while there is something to be said for "not sweating the small stuff," at the same time, isn't it true that most of life is in fact in the small stuff? Yes, of course, there are the big events: the weddings, the births, the deaths, the awards ceremonies, the moon landings, etc. But most of life-like today-is small, is in the details. As Sam Portaro says, in his book Crossing the Jordan, "What we do ultimately shapes our lives, like running water contours a rock."

Indeed, what we do ultimately shapes and reshapes our lives, forming and reforming who we are, slowly, but surely. As sacramental people, we know this truth. We know it in bread and in wine, in song and in prayer, as we do and say and sing familiar words Sunday in, Sunday out, year in, year out. We know the power, however consciously or not, of ritual, of repetition. We know the power of doing the same things over and over again.

We are not long past a prime time for rituals: Christmas. And we have even more recently passed through a time of the year when the secular calendar presents its own ritual in the form of New Year's resolutions. In truth it might be said that New Year's Day and its accompanying resolutions are a secular attempt to smuggle into the annual calendar something like Ash Wednesday and the Lenten experience: a consideration of where we might amend our lives, amendments usually made in the details of our lives, in the small things.

Of course any time of a year-any time of day, for that matter-is a good time to amend our lives. And the truth is that the smaller changes are a) more likely to stick, and therefore b) more likely to make a real difference in our lives. Like running water contours a rock, as Portaro says.

So, what about you? As Lent approaches, what might it be? If you're like me, Ash Wednesday always arrives sooner than I expect. So then, with a couple of weeks to spare, what small change or changes might you consider making, what details in your life might you change, and thereby change, by God's grace, the very contours, the very shape, of your life?

If you watch T.V. while eating supper, what about taking just the first ten minutes of the meal to talk with your spouse or child, or (if you eat alone) to read a daily devotional? Or what about going on a fifteen minute walk down the block while your coffee brews in the morning? Or what about attending the Adult Forum on Sunday morning, or one of our Lenten preaching services one day a week during Lent? Or what about helping to prepare the meal with our Emmaus Ministry, say once a month, with other St. Paul's parishioners? Or what about making a habit of listing five things you are grateful for when you turn out the light each night?

Let me suggest that, needless to say, you not try all of these things at once. And let me also suggest that you pray about whatever you choose to do, even just a little fleeting prayer here or there while you're on the go, asking God to guide you. Whatever you do, remember that the contours of your life are being shaped this very day, this very moment. And remember, in this new year, you do have it within you to make different choices, new choices.

And we can be sure that God is always looking for an opening.

And, with an opening, anything is possible.

Indeed, everything is possible.

With love, your brother in Christ,

Wallace+

Pictured: Volunteers pray before the first Lenten Lunch of the season on Ash Wednesday at St. Paul's, 2009

Bonnie Anderson

by Russell Palmore, Lenten Preaching Committee
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There is a unique and exciting aspect to this year's Lenten preaching series. As in the past, the quality of preachers for 2010 is superb. However, this year we welcome, for the first time in roughly 25 years, a lay person as one of our Lenten preachers. But Bonnie Anderson is not only a lay person; she is the most prominent lay leader in the Episcopal Church.

In 2006, Ms. Anderson was elected by the 800+ member House of Deputies as President. The House of Deputies is comprised of clerical and lay deputies from every diocese and, together with the House of Bishops, constitutes the General Convention. It is fair to say that Ms. Anderson is to the House of Deputies what Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori is to the House of Bishops.

The order, government and discipline of the Episcopal Church are vested in the General Convention. As the Presiding Officer of the House of Deputies, Ms. Anderson's canonical responsibilities also include the appointment of deputies to legislative committees; appointing additional legislative committees as necessary; serving as Vice President of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (the corporate entity under which the Episcopal Church operates) and working jointly with the Presiding Bishop in a number of areas, including a myriad of duties and responsibilities between meetings of General Convention.

Ms. Anderson is from the Diocese of Michigan where she has served in many capacities. She has been an adjunct lecturer at the University of Michigan and has been awarded honorary degrees from the Episcopal Divinity School, the University of the South, Sewanee, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and General Theological Seminary.

She has been married to Glen Anderson for 44 years. They have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Since her election as President of the House of Deputies, Ms. Anderson has traveled extensively throughout The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. She has enormous knowledge of the Church and is a person of great warmth and humor.

Beginning Ash Wednesday, she will preach the first three days of Lent.

Lent, Like A Burning Ring of Fire

by the Rev. Kate Jenkins, Associate Rector
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It is common to think of heaven, God's place, as ordered and harmonious. Countless Christian poets, prophets, and mystics have envisioned the holy spheres as ever-widening concentric circles; shining, light-filled and reflecting the Divine Intelligence in their circling unity. As with heaven, so with God. Our most common imaginings about God are of peace, beauty, fullness, wholeness, completion, order and design. By extension we often assume the spiritual life to be the same. If, however, we allow the liturgical season to carry us, we will discover that the season of Lent ushers us into a movement that is not so clearly ordered. It most certainly is not like a leisurely and ordered walk toward our appointed goal. The season of forty days can draw us into a movement that is at once both creative and chaotic. Lent is, more than anything else, meant to be a season of disequilibrium-even dying -which is essential to the formation of new life.

I remember going to see "Ring of Fire" in IMAX several years ago. The film documents, in a vivid way, the activity of the volcanic range that rims the entire Pacific basin. We were auditorially and visually submerged in the hot, fiery eruptions that make up the Pacific ring of volcanoes. What the film made abundantly clear was that this tumultuous, destructive energy was the very energy that seethed at the core of our earth, the very energy at the root source of all earthly life. Creation itself was not ultimately stable, not orderly in some static way; rather order (or temporary calm) alternated with this chaotic dance of shifting energy, destruction, emergence, and upheaval. If we allow the created world to speak analogously to us, then God is as much like this tumult of flaming lava and bursting steam as God is like a lush, fruit-filled garden watered by crystal streams.

The forty days of Lent celebrate (yes, celebrate) the dismembering, disequilibrium, and dying that are preludes to the creative transformations of Easter. It is a season of being changed and emptied so that new life might come to birth in us. Most people do not immediately associate Lent with fiery eruptions. More often, the season is seen as an opportunity for self-discipline or spiritual enrichment. Lent is also seen as a time of seriousness. We strive to deepen our faith through study, prayer, fasting, charitable activity, or contemplative exercise. These may not be activities of volcanic proportions, but their practice has much in common with the molten energy seething under the Pacific ring of fire. Both change things. And Lent is about change; of heart, of perspective, of focus, of the death that precedes new life.

"This Do in Remembrance of Me"

by Adrian Luxmoore, Worship Committee
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There is an inscription carved into the marble above the high altar and below the Tiffany mosaic depicting Jesus and his disciples at the supper they shared before his betrayal and crucifixion. It is an inscription that is easy to overlook as it is normally obscured behind the candles, flower vases and cross that stand on the altar. And it is devoid of decoration itself, white letters carved into white marble.

A command that is obeyed, at least once, six days out of seven at St. Paul's. A command quoted from the Authorized Version (known to most of us as the King James Version) of the Gospel of Luke, 22:19b.

The phrasing seems awkward to our modern ears. We are more accustomed to the phrasing "Do this in remembrance of me" (used in the New Revised Standard Version) or the words "Do this for the remembrance of me" (used in the Eucharistic Prayers in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer).

But what is the "this" that Jesus commands us to do? The words are taken from Luke's description of the supper Jesus had with his disciples. The whole verse reads:

In the next verses of the Gospel, Jesus repeats the action with the wine:

We have been doing it ever since - taking bread and wine, blessing them, breaking and pouring them and sharing them in the Eucharist service. As one writer on the Eucharist wrote: "Was ever a commandment so obeyed?" We do it to remember Christ. We do it to remember Christ in the normal meaning of the word - to bring him to our minds. We do it to re-member Christ. To bring the Christ in us, the Christ in our community of fellowship, the Christ in the church; to our lives, our selves and bodies. To make Christ whole, to make ourselves members of the body of Christ resurrected in world, whole and holy.

It is the one commandment Jesus gave us that we can and do obey. We struggle, sometimes more successfully than others, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to treat others as we would treat Jesus, but we can and do "Do this in remembrance of me."

Being Quick to Listen

by Nancy O'Donnell, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

When Fletcher called to ask about a visit to my workplace, I thought, "what a lovely gesture." As we chatted that day I thought about some of the work I had done in TEE (Theological Education by Extension), the forerunner of Education for Ministry (EfM). Later as a mentor for an EfM group I did much of the same work with those folks. Never for a moment did I think that I would be writing an article for The Epistle. That was for long-time members of St. Paul's not a newbie like me. I was soon to be disillusioned of that notion when Fletcher called to ask me would I, could I write an article for this month's Epistle.

I am employed by the community college with the third largest nursing program in the Virginia Community College System. As the Coordinator of the Nursing Programs, I am responsible for the day to day minutia that goes with admitting, scheduling, and trying to keep straight three different nursing programs. For many, if not all, of our students we are a way to change their lives for the better. I love my job. No ‘ifs,' ‘ands,' or ‘buts.' I enjoy the interaction with the students, faculty and other colleagues within the college. They are all wonderful people and I feel blessed to have this opportunity.

However, there are times, when we discover that a student is not necessarily destined for a career in nursing. Not because of academics but because of all the other things that go into becoming a nurse and it is at this point that I believe I really have an opportunity to put my faith to work. I think the most important thing I can do is listen.

That They Will Know the Will of God in Their Lives

So, I listen. I don't offer suggestions unless I am specifically asked. I try not to react and sometimes that is the most difficult thing I do. And then I listen some more. My children tease me about this because they think I like to talk. But I have learned, with God's help, to overcome that need to fix everything. There are some things I cannot fix.

My prayer life has never been so active. I pray for students and faculty all the time. Not to ask for specifics but rather for them to know the will of God in their lives even as I believe I have found God's will in mine.

Pictured: Nancy O'Donnell volunteers at the St. Paul's information & hospitality table during the 2009 Anthem Stride Through Time.

Reflections on Prayer Yoga

by Suzanne McWilliams, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

I guess it all started with my early ballet lessons. While at the ballet bar performing slow repetitive movements my body relaxed and I noticed the chaos in my head slowed. Dance continued to provide me with an avenue to peace and joy throughout adolescence. I have been drawn to this delightful place ever since.

During my Creative Movement/Physical Education career I practiced yoga off and on always reaping benefits like feeling more comfortable in my own skin. This occurs as the mind, body and spirit connection develops. Several years ago I was introduced to prayer yoga while on a design team excursion for the National Episcopal Church in Estes Park, Colorado. Early each morning Ingrid Hurenik led our prayer time. Her gentle loving stretches and simple prayers unlocked places deep within me. I knew this was a prayer practice important for me to explore.

It has been my extreme pleasure to share this practice with a small group from the St. Paul's family for the past several years. We meet in the Chapel for an hour on Wednesday evenings. Taking time to be still and breathe in this sacred setting has been a gift to us all. Jane Baird has incorporated prayer yoga into her daily routine. Alton Ayer has noticed the numbness in his hands has improved. Lew Holley has become a dedicated yoga enthusiast too. If you are curious about this ancient practice give me a call and we can talk about your joining us in the New Year.

Pictured: Newcomers James Marshall Dixon at Prayer Yoga. Photo by Lew Holley

A Stack of Pancakes, A Glass of Wine and You

By Sue Bland, Christian Formation Committee
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February may be cold and short but at St. Paul's we are turning up the heat and packing it full of family fun and fellowship. Please join us and if you have any questions about participating, please contact Leslie Choplin or me:

Come listen to a sermon and readings from a fresh perspective as our young people lead us in worship on Youth & Children's Sunday, Feb. 7 at 9:00 & 11:15 a.m. Children will usher and sing. There is a role for every child wishing to join in.

A warm place, lights beckoning, wine breathing, aromas teasing as talk and laughter spill out as you open the door...This month's Moms' Dinner will be held Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bland/Holweger home. (RSVP to me by Feb. 10 at 741-2458 or by email.) We welcome mothers of kids from cradle to graduation age to take a moment and join us. Drop-ins after bedtime okay!

Find your beads; wear your purple, green and gold and join us Feb. 14 for the Mardi Gras Sunday combined 10:00 a.m. service with a pancake brunch following.

In Sunday School we have been exploring St. Paul's through a great range of learning experiences. In January, there was a scavenger hunt of St. Paul's; the kids made stained glass windows of their own and used digital cameras to photograph St. Paul's from their unique vantage point. During February, we build on our theme as the children use their work to show the people, spaces and traditions of St. Paul's that create their own story of What Makes My Church Special. The kids will bake Eucharist bread as they talk about Eucharist and Alton Ayer will discuss the music of St. Paul's as they make pan flutes.

Parents have formed a small group led by Lindsay Pruitt that meets at 12:30 p.m. during children's choir rehearsal. Our first conversations have centered on Elizabeth Caldwell's book, Making a Home for Faith as we use the time to consider how to share our faith with our families and strengthen each other.

Pictured: Children use digital cameras to photograph St. Paul's from their unique vantage points as part of "What Makes My Church Special?"Photo by Jeanne LeFever

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