Who We Are

July/August 2010 Epistle

Download this issue of our newsletter: The Epistle, July/August 2010

Inside this issue:

• Elevation Celebration: An Update! by Wallace+
• Vestry Corner by Doug Callaway
• An Excellent Adventure by Joseph James
• Biblical Literacy by Roger Whitfield
• An Oasis to Recognize the Presence of God by Bryan Appel
  
• Community, Journey, and Transition by Bryan Appel
• Downtown Base Camp Team by The Rev. Fletcher Lowe
• Summer Connection with MCV by The Rev. Fletcher Lowe+

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

On the Cover:

Elevation Celebration: An Update!

My Dear People,

A year ago on Pentecost, we began our Such Great Heights visioning movement, asking two essential questions, "Who does God call us to be?," and "What does God call us to do?" Then, by the end of the year, with the help of the Spirit, we were ready for action; and so we rolled out a first round of action items in "Elevation," an array of plans for the year 2010. Now, just over half-way through the year, here follows a progress report; while not comprehensive (there's even more to celebrate!), here are some highlights:

Minister of Music: David Sinden (pictured) begins his ministry with us on August 1; his official installation will be on Homecoming Sunday, September 12. This is a huge and promising moment for us. Music is essential to who we are as St. Paul's Church, and I have every confidence that, with David's help, our music ministry will go from strength to strength to strength!

9:00 Service Refreshment: This spring, following on a series of open meetings, the Clergy and Worship Board designed and implemented a number of enhancements to the 9:00 worship service, "refreshing" our contemporary service.

New Summer Service: This summer, following another series of open meetings, the Clergy and Worship Board designed and inaugurated a new 10:00 Summer Service; a service that, on the one hand, manages to transcend the 9:00-11:15 dichotomy of previous summers, while also providing a worship experience that is distinctively of St. Paul's. Furthermore, as a part of the summer worship experience, we are also trying a number of new things on a trial basis (e.g., holding the welcome and announcements at the beginning of the service; offering healing prayers during communion; and having a "cleaner," simpler presentation in the chancel.)

New Bulletin: This spring we introduced a new more user-friendly 10:00 a.m. worship bulletin, designed to welcome newcomers to St. Paul's. In July, the 8:00 a.m. bulletin was moved to this new format.

Welcoming Ministries Enhanced: Newcomers' Coffees; our new, very successful "Exploring the Faith" class; new nametags for all the people of St. Paul's; and the first New Member Brunch. These are just some of the ways we continue to develop and enrich our welcome ministries. On an almost-weekly basis, I am told how warmly people feel welcomed at St. Paul's.

Downtown Mission Team: We are in the initial stages of developing a mission to connect with our new downtown neighbors. The team has gathered and further "adventures" are in the works!

First Fridays: Our first year participating in downtown Richmond's "First Fridays" has been a great success, developing yet another way to invite Richmonders to share in the St. Paul's experience. And our St. Paul's Youth Art Exhibition (Wow!) was a special joy.

Jazz Lunches: What needs to be said? Likely everyone has heard what a smashing success Jazz Lunches continues to be, so much so that we are considering extending the season in 2011. Still another way we're inviting new people to St. Paul's!

Our Online Presence: Through social networking, our evolving Web site, and a growing email list, we continue to connect with more and more people online. I am regularly told by newcomers that they came to us at least in part because of their experience of us through the web and through electronic communications.

Small Group Ministries Under Development: We have recently run two pilot small groups ("Bryan & Leslie's Excellent Adventure!") in preparation for expanding our small group offerings. Drawing on those experiences, as well as on the input garnered through a survey of what parishioners hope for in small groups, plans are being developed for more offerings. (Stay tuned!)

I could go on, but, for now, that gives a quick review of what life in our vibrant downtown parish is looking like. And I know even greater days are ahead! In the meantime, thank you for your prayers, and for all that you do, by the grace of God, and with the help of his Spirit, to make St. Paul's shine!

Your brother in Christ,

Wallace+

Vestry Corner: Report from Skylark

by Douglas Callaway, Junior Warden
dcallaway (at) stellarone (dot) com

The Vestry met together for their annual weekend retreat at Skylark Farm on May 14-16. This beautiful setting, the former country home of Mary Tyler McClenahan, now owned by Washington and Lee University, provided a comfortable venue for the vestry to undertake its duties of study and bond before it starts the new church year.

The focus of the Vestry during that weekend was an introspection delving into how the Vestry views its role of leadership and what values does the Vestry reflect in its leadership of the parish. The retreat was led by Cary Gray Kelly a veteran church consultant who has served as a facilitator and moderator for numerous parishes and also for the Diocese of Virginia. Taking the mission statement "... Proclaiming Christ in the Heart of the City..." and implementing it in the form of a strategic vision for St. Paul's is where the Vestry began its introspection. Cary emphasized that the demeanor and action of the Vestry sets the mood of the congregation. The Vestry determined that its common values are:

Applying these principles and going forward with Elevation, the implementation of Such Great Heights, the Vestry determined that it must develop a measurement to evaluate whether it has achieved those goals across the board and whether or not the programs and ministries engendered by Such Great Heights meet the expectations of the parish. In accordance with suggestions from Cary a survey was established to measure, with input from the parish, the effectiveness of our programs and ministries in the future.

The weekend, albeit in an awesome setting, was one of hard, concentrated work for your Vestry. We believe tremendous value emerged from our efforts and we believe our work will ultimately be to the furtherance of Proclaiming Christ in the Heart of the City."

Pictured: St. Paul's clergy and vestry members with consultant Cary Kelly go hiking during the Vestry Retreat at Skylark. Kneeling in front, Senior Warden Wilson Whitehurst. Back row, left to right: John Davis, Helen Ilnicky, Anne Rusbuldt, The Rev. Kate Jenkins, Cary Kelly, Christie Montgomery, The Rev. Wallace Adams-Riley. Photo courtesy of David Wofford.

Leslie and Bryan's Excellent Adventure

by Joseph James, Small Group Member

The name of our small group is quite misleading, one gets the impression that we're off on a trip organized by the two youngest members of the team. On this trip we're expected to have quite a lot of fun, many unexpected surprises and maybe one or two near death experiences. The title definitely does not give a hint that we would be meeting in someone's comfortable home to socialize, eat good food and discuss issues of faith.

Leslie and Bryan's Excellent Adventure is part of what is currently described as Elevation 1.0, stage 1 of implementing our vision from Such Great Heights. A few parishioners signed up for a Pilot Small Group and are now meeting weekly to discuss issues related to our faith journey based on questions developed by the group. There are currently two groups and we meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for about two hours. So far (at the time I write this article in June), we've met for three out of a total of 8 sessions. In our group, which meets on Thursdays, we have developed the following questions and are currently having lively discussions.

Hopefully, as you read this summary you can consider these questions as they relate to your faith journey:

The small group concept is an excellent supplement to weekly worship. Initially it is somewhat unsettling and some people might find it intrusive. However, after a few meetings one will find that this is indeed an Excellent Adventure.

Biblical Literacy: Ezekiel

by Roger Whitfield, Bible Study Group Leader
sanrogwhit (at) aol (dot) com

Most Sunday mornings during the year (summer months excluded), members of St. Paul’s Small Group Bible Study meet in the Norwood Room between the 9:00 and 11:15 services. We’ve gathered in this way since 2003. So far we have studied 15 of the Bible’s 66 books. At this rate, we should finish in 2034, just in time for earth’s collision with a giant asteroid. We have it on good authority that only those who have studied the Bible will survive.

Joking aside, it is from our studies of Ezekiel this year that we can lay this summary of what we learned before you.

 

Cause and Effect?

Ezekiel was a prophet around 600 B.C. As one of Israel’s elite, he was among the first wave of exiles to Babylon. He began prophesying in Babylon and his message was that the predicament in which the exiles found themselves was their own fault; it was God’s judgment for their disobedience; and the situation was going to get worse – Israel would be conquered, Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed and the rest of the people sent into exile. Naturally, the
Israelites did not rejoice at this news. Ezekiel was about as popular as Al Gore at a Tea Party. The “uncomfortable” truth is that his prophesies came to pass, raising many questions about the way God works in the world. For Ezekiel, it was very clear: transgress and you will reap God’s wrath.

The authors of other books, Job in particular, are not so sure. In the New Testament, Jesus casts significant doubt on the cause-effect relationship between one’s deeds and one’s afflictions. In John 9:3 Jesus says people (and by extension, our situations?) are the way they are so that God may be revealed through them.

A further refinement of judgment is that actions reap their own rewards and that God taking particular action (other than having put creation in place) is not
necessary. Stepping in front of a train is a crude example of this notion, but more thought-provoking ones are: ignoring the plight of the poor, living beyond one’s means, overworking, ignoring signals of the earth’s stress.

To Be Continued...

Does this interpretation mean God is absent from such circumstances? We say ‘No’; that He always stands ready to welcome us back, but the question deserves more discussion.

A provocation from our group to you, the people of St. Paul’s, is this: The Bible represents the evolution of man’s perception of an unchanging God.

Be sure to join us in September when Sunday morning Bible Study resumes.

 

Pictured: Roger Whitfield (center) and wife Sandra sing from the Shrine Mont Songbook during the Parish Retreat. Photo by Jeanne LeFever 

An Oasis to Recognize the Presence of God

by Bryan Appel, St. Paul's Youth Minister
bappel (at) stpauls-episcopal (dot) org

We have all seen that movie, or cartoon, or image of a man or woman crawling across the desert, rags for clothes, whispering in a raspy voice ‘Water...Water...Water.' And then, seemingly out of nowhere, a miniature tropical paradise, with cool, blue water appears to the delight of the thirsty individual.

Oasis.

Every two months or so, I get together with other Episcopal youth ministers from the Richmond area to discuss the celebrations and challenges of youth ministry in the Episcopal Church. Frequently, our conversation would turn to our mutual feeling that while trying to minister to the youth in our parish community, it often felt like we were simply adding to their already crazy lives.

There is, of course, a time and a place for a ministry that sets high expectations, regular attendance, and work. However, it is always important that we remember that we must also provide a place for the presence of God to simply be recognized...not forced. It is a challenge of meeting youth where they are, in their world, to give them an opportunity to rest in the presence of God, rather than working with the assumption that God exists in a particular time (Sunday mornings) and a particular place (the church building).

With this idea in mind, we began to develop a ministry that extends from our church buildings, but has nothing to do with the traditional time and place expectations of Youth Ministry. We had a notion that there should be few expectations associated with this part of our ministry, except for an expectation of presence. We decided we would begin the ministry at St. Catherine's (being the school that had the most youth from St. James' and St. Stephen's programs) and hope to grow it, little by little, over the next few years, looking at various schools throughout the Richmond area. We also worked hard to make sure that this ministry would not conflict or compete with the many ministries of the other organizations that have relationships with the schools.

A New Ministry is Formed

We called the ministry ‘Oasis,' with the idea that we would meet with the youth during the course of their week, in the middle of the day, to provide them with Episcopal styled spiritual refreshment. Each Oasis is a simple gathering of being, a checking in conversation, and a short reflection offered by one of the youth leaders. Nothing more, nothing less, and through it we hope to point to God.

A few weeks ago, one of the 7th graders came in and seemed to be in the middle of a sentence as she walked through the door. I quickly realized that she was intending her words for our ears, although she began the speaking before the door was even opened. She had tests, and papers, and quizzes, and homework, and practice, and fighting siblings, and had gotten in trouble for being late to school to top it all off.

"I just wait all week for Oasis, for this break from everything. I don't have to think about stuff during this time, I can just be."

Maybe she didn't use any of the words and phrases that we have to represent God, but I think this is what Jesus had in mind when he said ‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' Most often, outside of volunteering and striving to make changes in the world around us, faith is about finding rest in community, not about the flurry of activity we put into it, not about the numbers of bells, whistles, and candles we have trying to capture it. Faith is about the Oasis that God provides for us through other people and the Oasis that God calls us to provide for other people.

Pictured: Bryan Appel with students in February. Photo courtesy of St. James.

Community, Journey, and Transition

by Bryan Appel, St. Paul's Youth Minister

A couple of weeks ago I was at a conference for Youth Ministry. In a conversation at one of the sessions, we were all sharing program successes that we had each experienced in the last year. Having gone to this conference the Monday after our very successful Youth Art Offering First Friday opening, I shared about the experience of having four very talented artists in our community (Margaret Benson, Olivia Fabelo, Nena Huss, and Joy Whitehurst) host an Art Show. I explained how they were responsible for every aspect of the show, from building an audience, to developing a theme of their collection, to hanging their art, to picking the menu, to writing an artist statement, to greeting people as they walked through the door. The looks I got as I finished my description were unsettling if not confusing.

‘Did you talk about God at all?'

‘Um...I mean, yeah, God and all, well, God, ah, was right there with us.'

It is always important for us to seek an awareness of God's presence in our midst. However, sometimes we seem to feel the need to verbally ‘throw God in there.' It is not in our words that we legitimize God's presence in our experiences, it is in allowing ourselves to be fully present in our experiences that we have a truly unique encounter with God.

Being Present to God

The Youth Art Offering First Friday reception was one of those moments. In the experience of community, journey, and transition we were all aware of the fullness of God. I am sure we had different words for what was going on, different understandings of what was happening, but the common denominator was that by whatever words we might use, it was God. The powerful thing was that God was in our midst without even being mentioned. We, instead, simply allowed ourselves to be present to God through our awareness of the uniqueness of the event itself.

First and foremost was the work. Each of the artists displays important relational aspects in her work and shows deep appreciation for the interconnectedness we all share. It is both subtle and loud within their work, but it is vital to the power that their work possesses.

Beyond their art itself, we glimpsed the deep connections that the St. Paul's community has within itself. There was a steady stream of St. Paul's members coming through to view the art the entire evening.

Secondly, in the statements written by the artists about their work, we read about the journey of exploration and mystery each artist has plunged herself into. A journey in which they are asked to express and expose deep feelings that go beyond the ability for mere words to capture. It is through the vulnerability, fear, and joy that are a part of sharing such journeys that we find an openness with each other and to the mystery of life:

"While painting my friends, I always seem to understand something more about them and also how they have affected me." - Joy Whitehurst

"In photography you can capture moments that others don't see." - Nena Huss

"I try to include subtle symbols to reach beyond the subject matter to further express my ideas." - Margaret Benson

We see this sense of journey and mystery even in the word ‘Adventure' that is used again and again in the titles of Oliva Fabelo's pieces.

Finally, there was a deep sense of ‘transition' at the Art Show. This was an honest to goodness First Fridays Art Opening. There was no sense that we were pandering to art that was ‘pretty good for a bunch of kids.' There was only a sense that we were treating these youth as artists and as adults. Joy Whitehurst described the experience as ‘the first time I felt like a professional artist!' Transition is such a vital part of one's life. And having opportunities to express these transitions is about as important as the transition itself.

Around Us, Untouched by Mere Words

It was in these three elements, community, journey, and transition that the ‘Other' was overwhelmingly around us on Friday, June 4th. And, ignoring the church practice to seek a verbal connection between our experiences and God, it was our choice to leave it untouched by mere words and to open ourselves up to fully being present and aware of the power of God.

Thank God in our experience of God that evening, we didn't try to ‘throw God in there.'

Downtown Base Camp Team

by The Rev. Fletcher Lowe, Priest-in-Residence

The Faith in Action Committee's Downtown Base Camp team met in May and June to organize our efforts to explore ways that St. Paul's can expand and enrich our downtown non-residential ministry. From the six focus groups of non-St. Paul's members held over the past year, a number of possible opportunities surfaced, some of which have already been put in place.

To prepare for our next phase of work, the team spent our time breaking suggestions from those focus groups into several more manageable categories: Tours, Facilities, Programs, Marketing, Community Service, Spiritual, and Cultural.

Among the possible ministries for the downtown community are:

• Early morning gatherings: worship and bible study on weekdays, with one bible study group mainly for St. Paul's folks that already meets on Tuesdays
• An inviting "safe haven," watering hole, quiet space, away from the work place (the parish building and Memorial Garden are open daily, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
• Expand the topic-driven lunchtime opportunities
• Cross connect with others to join with them in their programs (much being done with First Fridays/Curated Culture, The Valentine Richmond History
• Center, and other museums... thanks Kimberly Allen, Lin Ferrell and members of the Tour Guide, Welcoming, and Education ministries!)
• "Paul's Place," coffee house
• Concerts at noon and/or after work
• Connect with MCV (see related article on this page), support families, patients
• Small group support groups by profession or geography
• General Assembly connections
• The development of a Grace Street corridor
• Promoting, communicating, marketing St. Paul's history, windows, events (many thanks, Kimberly and Lois!)
• Continue to expand network for promoting events, the 12:05 communion service, quiet space
• What about those downtown just beyond walking distance - use our van?

Two non-St. Paul's members, Jack Berry, CEO of the Richmond Convention and Visitors' Center and Brooke Hardin of the City Planning Commission joined six parishioners for this gathering: John Davis (Vestry), Jeanne Lefever, Nancy O'Donnell, Richard Lewis, Dick Ritsch (Vestry), and Philip Brooks, and Betsy Carr and Kimberly Allen as staff support, with myself as convener.

If you wish to join this team, please contact me at jflowe (at) aol (dot) com!

Pictured: Map by the City of Richmond for St. Paul's, a registered landmark.

Summer Connection with MCV

by The Rev. Fletcher Lowe, Priest-in-Residence

On June 1, several seminarians began a summer program of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU/MCV). Its primary purpose is to help the student understand his/her abilities as a pastor.

For the second year, we at St. Paul's will join with MCV in an innovative and unique aspect to this CPE program. This summer four of those seminarians will not only visit people in the hospital, but also will visit St. Paul's members where they work. Hopefully, this will broaden their understanding of parish ministry - that a key component is to support and empower the Baptized in their daily life and work. To make that happen they need to experience it first-hand to broaden their seminary education.

The traditional model has been entirely focused on visiting individuals in hospitals, mental hospitals or prisons, sharing verbatims from those visits in a small peer group format.

The St. Paul's Connection

This year we are expanding our involvement. As last year, a number of St. Paul's members will join in this effort, each to be visited four to five times over the 12 weeks of the program, sharing his/her faith/work connection and how that is lived out in decisions. In addition, each seminarian will spend time visiting with some of the guests during the Emmaus Thursday lunch program, and once during the summer s/he will preach the homily at a 12:05 Prayer and Communion service.

Although there is no financial obligation on our part, we offer the seminarians' hospitality via two meeting rooms two days a week and free parking. Cindy Wofford joins with The Rev. Fletcher Lowe in coordinating our participation, with Margaret Rush providing administrative support.

THIS WEEK: Free Glaucoma Eye Screenings in Richmond »

« June 2010 Epistle