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St. Luke's Episcopal Church
1101 Bay Ridge Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21403
www.stlukeseastport.org
410-268-5419
e-mail: stlukes_2@netzero.com
The Rev. Canon T. Sutton, Bishop of MD
The Rt. Rev. John L. Rabb,
Suffragan Bishop of MD
Parish Staff
The Rev. John T. Smith, Rector
Karen K. del Real
Admin. Assistant
Dr. Iraida Poberezhnaya,
Director of Music
Our Mission
To know God in Christ
To make Him known,
And, to serve in His name.
Services
(Summer Hours)
10:00 am Sunday: Holy Eucharist, Rite II
3rd Sunday of the Month:
Holy Eucharist, Rite II with Healing Rite
Senior Warden
Sue Riley
Junior Warden
Fred Sandford
Treasurer
Shannon Talbott
Financial Officer
Louis Valentine
Assistant Treasurers
Margaret Eder, Jeanette Delgado
Registrar
Helen Leitch
Vestry Members
Dianne Crews
David Dent
Sheila Mackertich
Dawn Moorehead
Jay Munnikhuysen
Richard Smith
Chuck Suhr
Ministry Contacts
Altar Guild: Sheila Mackertich (443-717-4818)
Communications: David Dent (410-956-8839)
Education: Mary Beth Dent (410-267-9394)
Food Pantry: Shannon Talbott (410-798-7342)
Gardening & Grounds: Helen Leitch (410-263-2783)
Lay Ministries, Acolytes, Lay Readers: The Rev. John T. Smith (410-268-5419)
Light House Lunches: Mary Beth Dent (410-267-9394)
Memorial Garden: Helen Leitch (410-263-2783)
Nursing Home: Helen Leitch (410-263-2783)
Usher/Greeter: Jay Munnikhuysen (410-263-1984)
Office Open:
Tue - Fri: 9 am - Noon
Food Bank:
Tue & Thurs., 10-11:30 am
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Fall Ingathering
The St. Luke's Parish Fall Ingathering of the United Thank Offering will take place at the 10 am service on Sunday, October 5th. At this time we bring our offerings and thanksgiving for God's many gifts to us and join millions of others to assist in the proclamation of the Gospel.
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September Birthdays
1 Dawn Moorhead
5 Mary Lou Lindsay
13 Fred Sandford
14 David Graham
15 Bill Jabine
16 Ann Keller
23 Ed Stofko
30 Suzanne Skinner
September Anniversaries
12 John and Barbara Smith
25 Mark and Shannon Talbott
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Greeter Schedule
September 7
Ed Stofko, Jimmy Fruengel
September 14
Fred and Sally Sandford
September 21
Bill Jabine, Ed Stofko
September 28
Mark and Shannon Talbott |
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Prayer List
Prayers for Our Parish Family: Margaret Eder; Iona Ogilvie (Margaret Eder's sister); George; Peter Kushubar; Aiyana (Paterson's family); Philip Greig; Jim Bordes; Frazier Shulman; Tommie Scott.; Bill Stratton; Joan Visconti; Gordon and Billie Bedford; Hampton Keen (Valerie Robbins' brother-in-law); Sister Sharon Mary (Sharon Williams' niece); Robert Wright; Charles Nisewaner; Cindy Nethen; Kerry Hawthorne; Connie Harold; Cindy Lococo; Fr. Tom Clarke; Marjorie Marsh; June Durm; John Cozzoli; David Garland; Lillian Pickeron; Warren Abbott (friend of Jim Fruengel); Raymond and Rosie Sherman; Joanna Winebarger (friend of the Munnikhuysens); Shannon Eastman; Charles and Jane Blair; Ramnik Dhillon; Matthew Brodeur; Ned Hall; Woody Wetherhold; John Dummond (relative of Fr. John); Pug Victor; Marion Phillips; and Barbara Smith.
In Thanksgiving for Healing: Bill Jabine, Ed Stofko and Chloe Dhillon
For the Faithfully Departed: Danielle Fogle Copeland.
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Stewardship Conference
The Diocese of Easton will be sponsoring a Stewarding Conference on September 13th on Kent Island. Reservations are requested. For more information, call 410-643-5921 or e-mail Christ Church, christchurchkentisland@verizon.net
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Daily Faith
We are alive not for ourselves but for one another. Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own, not only as individuals, but also as a community, we become the living Christ, taken, blessed, broken, and given to the world.
Henri Nouwen
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September Social
A Potluck Dinner and Performance of "Such Fine Folks As These," will take place on Thursday, September 18th. The Potluck Dinner will be held at the home of Mat and Tricia Herban from 5:30-7 pm at 55 East Street, followed by the performance at 186 Prince George Street on the garden terrace of The William Paca House. The entrée will be provided. You are asked to bring a side dish, hors d'oeuvres/appetizer, salad, vegetable, dessert or beverage. The cost is $20 (make checks payable to Historic Annapolis Foundation). Complete reservation forms are in the vestibule of the Church. Deadline for reservations is September 14th.
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Celebration at Claggett
Meet Bishop Eugene Sutton at Claggett on Sunday, September 14, 2-6 pm at a picnic. There will be games, music, entertainment, children's crafts, displays on the environment, tree blessings, farmer's market and a Praise Worship and Gift Presentations at 4 pm. Car pooling will be arranged for those who would like to attend. Call Fr. John or Karen in the office.
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FROM THE RECTOR
Did you know?
The vestry suggested that at Sunday announcements, we might add information in the context of "Did you know?" For instance some of the first comments were "did you know" about the rubrics (footnotes) in the Book of Common Prayer about how to baptize one who may or may not have been baptized previously. That information resulted in one baptism and another being planned.
We also noted "did you know" how many attended the summer picnics? There were 33 at the first picnic sponsored by the vestry and more than that number at the last picnic sponsored by Pastoral Care. We are looking forward to the next picnic September 25, which will be sponsored by the choir.
Did you know the impact and changes in what we can provide at the food pantry? That information has been listed almost weekly in the Sunday bulletin. The need of the community and our ability to help with those needs is outstanding.
Did you know how effective the new office/ meeting room has become on the lower level? It seems to me that there have been more individual meetings requested in the past two weeks than all of last year. There is now a dedicated space for private discussions with the rector. In addition, that space can be used by parents with young children when necessary during Sunday worship.
The whole idea behind "Did you know?" was to keep our congregation kept up-to-date on events happening. Your vestry and rector are emphasizing effective communication.
Did you know a new sign is to be installed on Bay Ridge Avenue to replace the one that is falling apart? And, we are in the process of arranging for that new sign and the cross in the open field to have lighting so that we might better be identified as a place of worship.
We want all to know the achievements and blessings surrounding life at St. Luke's. So we will continually review what we are doing with the question "did you know"?
John+
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FOOD PANTRY UPDATE
We are charged to be the body of Christ and our mission at St. Luke's is to serve in His name. Through our various ministries, we have been blessed to provide furnishings for a young couple's new apartment, to help children make Christmas gifts, and to entertain our neighbors with beautiful music.
Our food pantry is also such a blessing and opportunity to fulfill our purpose. As with most ministries, the benefits are often intangible and further reaching than we may realize. However, it is possible to quantify the growth of this outreach in terms of families served, as illustrated in the following graph showing 740% growth since January 2007 and 165% growth since January of this year.
Each bag of groceries typically includes two cans of fruit, two cans of vegetables, one can of tuna or meat, one can of soup, stew or pasta, and one box of macaroni and cheese. Peanut butter, jelly, cereal, and bread are given to families with children.
Currently, there are only two major sources that keep our pantry stocked: donations from the participating congregations and Food Link, Inc. In addition to St. Luke's, participating churches include Eastport United Methodist, John Wesley United Methodist, and Mt. Zion United Methodist Churches. Thanks to the efforts of Patricia Herban, the Kiwanis Club of Annapolis also recently contributed financially to the food bank, and Ed Stofko has made a commitment to be their luncheon speaker on September 17th to speak about this outreach program.
Tuesdays and Thursdays continue to be "distribution days." Tuesday is "Food Link" day, which supplies perishable items from local supermarkets like eggs, milk, fresh fruit, bread, cakes, and pies. Thursday is "bag day" when we meet our clients over coffee and cookies and distribute the canned items like tuna, vegetables, fruit, pasta, soup, macaroni & cheese, etc.
This is a beautiful, growing ministry that touches many lives in more ways than we may realize. Please be sure to thank its volunteers and keep the Food Pantry in your prayers and on your shopping lists.
(A chart of this information is available in the Church office.)
Richard Smith and Ed Stofko
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VESTRY HIGHLIGHTS, AUGUST 9
In attendance: Peter Gavian, David Dent, Sheila Mackertich, Dianne Crews, Sue Riley, and Richard Smith. ÷ Checking account has been opened at BB & T. ÷ Report was requested on special commitments pledged
following budget deficits.
÷ Fund raising needs were addressed. Sheila and
Richard are pursuing some ideas presented at the
meeting.
÷ Compensation committee will meet in August for salary
reviews. Participants: Louis Valentine, Shannnon
Talbott, Sue Riley, and Chuck Suhr.
÷ Unanimous vote passed to proceed with a new St.
Luke's sign on Bay Ridge Avenue and for lighting for
the sign and the cross in the front yard.
÷ Dianne Crews is chairing a committee for our 25th
Anniversary celebration and may need "seed money" as
the plans begin to develop.
÷ A vestry-sponsored paint party was scheduled for
August 23 & 24 to revitalize the undercroft Dianne
reported on the success of the food bank and the need
for continual support. ÷ David reported that Katherine Dowell is stepping down
as co-chair of Godly Play this year.
Vestry meetings are the third Saturday of the Month and begin at 9 am. All are welcome to attend the meetings in the undercroft of the church. The next meeting is September 20
Sue Riley
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STEWARDSHIP REVIEW
Yearly/weekly amounts given by 35 of 44 families who pledged specific amounts for 2008.
23 households (or 70% of the parish) pledged $1,000-
$2,900/year or $20-$59/week.
5 households (or 12.5% of the parish) pledged $3,000-
$4,900/year or $60-$95/week.
3 households pledged $5,000-$6,900 or $96-$135/week*
4 households pledged $7,000-$10,000 or $136-$200/week*
* The combined 7 households constitute 17.5% of the parish.
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PARISH MINISTRIES
The Pastoral Care Committee led by Sue Riley is engaging in many efforts to bring community, hospitality and joy to our congregation. Frequently on Sunday at coffee fellowship, you will see one of the members encouraging the signing of greeting cards to be sent to our members for a variety of occasions-birthdays, anniversaries, birth of a baby, get well, sympathy and/or missing you. During the week, the Lay Eucharist Ministers offer Holy Communion to those who are shut-in or ill. The Home Visiting Ministers arrange to call on parishioners at home, in the hospital or assisted living facilities. They often carry flowers from the altar, Sunday bulletins, House Call issues, Forward Day by Day, and other church publications or communications. The Casserole Committee has food prepared and frozen-ready for delivery when we learn someone needs meals due to illness or bereavement. Other members will provide cooked meals - hot and ready to eat. A couple of the committee members are available during the day to provide transportation for shopping or doctor visits.
If you know a member of St. Luke's who needs some loving care, inform Sue or Father John so someone from pastoral care can help.
Dianne Crews
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MULTI-GENERATIONAL CONFIRMATION CLASS
A new and exciting possibility will exist for a multi-generational confirmation class beginning October 12th from 9-9:45 am in the undercroft. The Episcopal Church has established guidelines for Confirmation and Reception. The details may be found on the website, www.ang-md.org/christian_formation/confirmation.php, and will be available in print form for those who are interested. "Candidates who have been baptized in any denominational background and who wish to affirm their faith as adults shall be presented for Confirmation. Candidates who have been confirmed previously by a bishop in the historic succession (Roman Catholic, Evangelic Lutheran Church in America or Eastern Orthodox) or have made an adult affirmation of faith (baptized as adults) may be presented for Reception into the Episcopal Church during a service of Confirmation." It is expected by our Bishops that "each person presented for Confirmation or Reception will have received quality instruction in the parish, will have attended one of the Bishop's Teaching Days, should be 15 years old or older (at the time of presentation) and be a regular participant in the life, worship, education and outreach of the congregation presenting them." This instruction will cover seven lessons over seven months meeting on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month. Classes will be led by a team, including Mary Beth and David Dent and Fr. John Smith. All persons desiring to participate in this class should contact the church office or one of the leaders before October so materials may be ordered for your use. John+
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CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Christian Formation classes for youth will resume on Sunday, September 7th at 9:45 am in the Sacred Space (lower level) of the Rectory. Intermediate class members should report to the Sacred Space also on that Sunday. Godly Play is open to all children age 3 to 5th graders. Children in 6th grade and up will be meeting as the Intermediate Class in the undercroft beginning September 21st. On Sunday, October 5th, Christian Formation leaders will be commissioned at the 10 am service, and those children moving into Intermediate Class from Godly Play will be formally advanced during the service.
Beginning October 5th, and on the First Sunday of each month following, one of the leaders of Godly Play or the Intermediate Class will offer a homily.
Mary Beth Dent+
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Lay Ministry Schedule
September 7
LEMs Andy McDowell, Mary Beth Dent
Lector Sue Riley
Intercessor MaryAnn Kushubar
September 14
LEMs Jay and Yvette Munnikhuysen
Lector David Dent
Intercessor Richard Smith
September 21
LEMs Dawn Moorehead, Hutch Robbins
Lector MaryAnn Kushubar
Intercessor Dianne Crews
September 28
LEMs Barbara Smith, Sue Riley
Lector Martha Odell
Intercessor Hutch Robbins
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Diocese of Maryland Fall United Thank Offering Ingathering
On Wednesday, October 29th, St. Luke's will host the Diocese of Maryland Fall United Thank Offering Ingathering. The day will begin with Registration at 10:30 am, followed by the Holy Eucharist at 11 am with Bishop John Rabb as preacher. A light lunch and program in the undercroft will follow. At least 8 volunteers are needed to host that day. In addition, we will need to: provide dessert for about 50-75 persons; handle registration; make coffee and cold drinks; provide lunches for approximately 6 persons (others are to bring a bag lunch); set up tables; and provide ushers, acolytes, etc. Please consider if you can help on that day. If so, please let Mary Beth Dent know at 410-267-9394 or mbdent@comcast.net.
Mary Beth Dent
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THE REV. CHARLOTTE MOORE
This summer I've been the supply priest and on-call emergency contact at Church of the Holy Apostles for my friend and colleague, Rev. Katrina Grusell, who has been on Sabbatical. My last summer Sunday with the Holy Apostles parishioners will be August 24th. As summer comes to a close and Rectors return from vacations and sabbaticals, the need for supply assistance lessens dramatically. So I look forward to worshipping with all of you at St. Luke's again, and it'll be great to see you.
Your Senior Warden gave me a call a few days ago and asked if I would write an article about being a supply priest. I think the richest benefit of being a supply priest is the chance to enjoy the unique vibrancy and vitality of so many parishioners in their own parishes and to experience the creativity with which each parish expresses our Liturgy. The combination of parishioners' personalities is as varied and colorful as wildflowers in a field. And kitchens vary in size, but all have the wonderful aroma of freshly made coffee (yes!). Sometimes there is music so grand somebody ought to be recording it, or music so sweet in its simplicity it is as timeless and soothing as a backyard breeze.
However elegant or simple the church, parishioners gathered in prayer and worship create that soul-space where minds are stayed on God's Word, alive through familiar voices of the Lectors; where, together, human weakness is acknowledged and seeks forgiveness; where the Mystery of our Lord's Presence among us at Table envelopes all. And throughout, all present have a part in the Liturgy, each and every one. Because a supply priest dances the Liturgy with many, many parishioners in many, many churches, over time a mental picture begins to form--a sense of just how long and wide that Banquet Table in God's Kingdom is. That's a really nice image for all of us to keep in mind, actually.
See you soon! Charlotte Moore+
Note: Charlotte+ is a member in good standing at St. Luke's who often is away serving other Episcopal churches as a registered supply priest for the Diocese. Occasionally, you will see her in the role as a supply priest for St. Luke's.
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TIPS FROM DIANNE -- Beware of Falling I read a recent article that stated some interesting statistics on falls among seniors. About one in three people over 70 will fall each year. Between 1999 and 2005, the rate of fatal falls among those 65 and older jumped by almost 40 percent. In 2005 (the latest year for which figures were available) close to 16,000 older Americans died from falls. Another 1.8 million fell and injured themselves seriously enough to end up in an emergency room. A quarter were admitted to the hospital as a result.* The theory is our older population is not as physically strong as years gone by. We used to be laborers and farmers with non-sedentary lives necessary to cope with every day activities. However, our immediate access to automobiles, modern household conveniences, televisions, and computers has resulted in frailty and a higher risk of falling. Osteoporosis makes women twice as likely to break bones when falling. The most important thing one can do to lower the odds of falling is to improve your balance. Practice standing on one leg at a time (with your eyes closed if possible). Be sure to do this near a wall or counter to grab, in case you lose your balance. Do weight resistance exercises for your quadriceps (thigh muscles) and ankles. While sitting in a straight back chair, strap ankle weights on both ankles (or start with 1 pound bag of frozen peas and move up). Sit back in the chair with back straight (no slouching), knees and feet hip length apart, hands on thighs. Lift one leg at a time slowly until straight, hold for one count. Lower leg and repeat with opposite leg. Strive to do 2 sets of 8-10 repetitions. Other important tips are to increase protein in your diet. Take a Vitamin D supplement of 800 to 1,000 IU per day. Have your physician monitor your medications that may cause dizziness or sleepiness. The more drugs you take the riskier these side effects become. Have your vision checked. Keep your blood pressure stable. Make sure your home is free of hazards like clutter, loose electric cords, slippery bath tubs and area rugs.
Stay active, be careful and prevent falls. * Nutrition Action Healthletter, July/August 2008. |
Mark Your Calendars
September 7 Sunday, 9:45 am, Church School starts
with all classes meeting in the Sacred
Space on the lower level of the Rectory.
September 14 Meet Bishop Sutton at a Claggett
celebration, 2-6 pm (see notice).
September 18 Thursday, 5:30 pm Potluck Dinner and
Performance (see notice).
September 21 Intermediate Church School classes start.
September 25 Thursday, 6 pm, Potluck Picnic on the
lawn (rain or shine), sponsored by the
choir.
October 5 Commissioning of Christian Formation
leaders.
October 12 Sunday, 9:00-9:45 am, Multi-
Generational confirmation class begins
(see article).
October 19 Sunday, 10 am service, St. Luke's Day
Celebration, followed by a reception with
Bishop Rabb.
October 26 Sunday, 2-5 pm, GAIN Festival at Bates
Boys and Girls Club.
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THE UNDERCROFT LOOKS BRAND NEW!!!
Thanks to the 20 people who participated on Saturday and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th, the undercroft is beautifully painted, bright and cheery. On Sunday, lunch was provided for all the hard working painters and supervisors.
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Women's Views of the Lambeth Conference 2008
The following two articles were written by Sonya Sutton and Sharon Rabb, respectively, as they share their perspective with FOCUS (Families of Clergy United in Support).
It was a privilege to be present at the first half of the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Communion's gathering of bishops, which occurs every ten years. Nearly 700 bishops and their spouses are being housed and fed at Kent University just outside of Canterbury in England, and it is an amazing gathering of people from all over the world, many in colorful national dress and, of course, in various shades of purple. Several things became clear to me in my time there. Though the Anglican Communion may well be the last gasp of the British Empire, its value in bringing people of faith together from around the world is more important than I had realized. My respect for the Archbishop has increased as I saw more clearly the need for him to balance the power struggles between bishops and the pressures on him to do so. And I am far more fortunate to be an American than I had realized. I talked to wives of bishops from many countries, and they face hardships and expectations that I know I could not deal with. There are women who came to this conference hoping to learn how to sew their husband's vestments so that he would have some. I spoke to one woman from the Sudan who said the best thing about being married to a bishop is that she is now in a monogamous marriage. There were woman in various discussion groups I met with who had no choice but to go with their husbands for weeks and months at a time to visitations in remote rural village churches, leaving young children behind with other family members.
And what of the one issue on everyone's minds? Namely, how will American bishops react to the continuing, vocal resistance by some to full inclusion of gay/lesbian clergy and, in particular, to the consecration of New Hampshire's bishop, Gene Robinson? It was the elephant in the room for the first few polite days of the conference, but things were beginning to heat up as I left and angry words were being exchanged. The sermon at Canterbury Cathedral last Sunday by the Bishop of Sri Lanka made it very clear that the Anglican Communion must find a way to resolve this conflict in favor of equal rights for all, and we know that he was speaking so bluntly with the blessing of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The American bishops that I heard discussing this topic will not back down from their full support of Gene Robinson.
But as a spouse, I was very much on the periphery of any substantive discussions. My experience of Lambeth was far more pleasant. Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral, outings to Sissinghurst and Whitestable on the North Sea, tea at several parish churches hosted by ladies surely straight from a Masterpiece Theater set, meeting the queen, lunch at Lambeth Palace, a side trip to see friends in St. Alban's and to attend a concert at the Abbey there. I am grateful for these experiences, grateful that I could witness the breadth of the Anglican Communion, and most grateful of all that I have my own corner of the Communion right here.
Sonya Sutton
This will be my only opportunity to participate in Lambeth, as John will most assuredly be retired by 2018. Like Sonya, I am in awe of the breadth and influence of the Anglican Communion, and humbled by the challenges faced by so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ, especially in countries where Christians are a persecuted minority.
Sonya and I played tag team at Lambeth with my arrival on July 23 and her departure on July 25. Thursday, July 24 was a memorable day. A Walk of Witness with 800 bishops, spouses and invited ecumenical guests took us through Whitehall, past Parliament, and over Lambeth Bridge to Lambeth Palace to publicize the Millenium Development Goals to halve poverty by 2012. Once at the palace, we heard Prime Minister Gordon Brown's words of support. It was a powerful way for me to begin my Lambeth experience.
The two morning sessions, the Spouse Plenary Sessions and Spouse Bible Studies, were the highlights of my day. Plenary Sessions began after breakfast. Each day presented an issue of major concern for the world community. We had speakers who talked about climate change, violence and peacekeeping, treatment of women, human trafficking, and world health concerns among others. We sat at round tables and after the presentations, we shared our experiences with others at the table. I usually tried not to sit with U.S. spouses whom I know well, but felt it was important to hear the variety of worldwide perspectives.
I hope you are not too shocked to hear that I am not normally a big fan of Bible study groups. Lambeth presented a new opportunity for me, and it was astounding! My Bible study group was composed of two women from Burundi, one each from Sierra Leone, Congo, New Zealand, and one other from the U.S., Ruth Councell, the wife of the Bishop of New Jersey. It was led by Margaret Sentamu, wife of the Archbishop of York and a native of Uganda. We delved into the Gospel of John-a challenge indeed for such a diverse group. The Bible Study is where the strongest bonds are formed. We were able to circumnavigate our differences and listen to one another without bias. Since coming back to Maryland, I have had a number of email exchanges with members of the group.
As the days passed, tension over differences faded to be replaced by a realization that the cares and concerns of the world are too great to be overshadowed by spite. In the end, it is the relationships with each other and the understanding that there is important work that we must accomplish together that I am sure will hold the communion together. There was loud applause in a joint session of bishops and spouses when The Rt. Rev. Naresh Ambala, Bishop of Eastern Himalaya, Church of North India, stood to say. "When are we going to stop focusing on the sins of homosexuals and start focusing on the sins of heterosexuals?" He was speaking of the tremendous amount of work that needs to be done to solve the crises of violence and suffering that reach into all corners of the world and needs our focused attention.
I am appreciative of Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, whose thoughtful leadership guided us to focus on building relationships among an incredibly diverse body of faithful Christians.
Sharon Rabb
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SEPTEMBER 2008 CALENDAR
The September calendar is available online at our website, www.stlukeseastport.org, or paper copies are always available in the office.
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NEXT ISSUE
The deadline for articles or announcements for the October 2008 House Call is Wednesday, September 24th. Your submission may be left at the office or e-mailed to Karen del Real at karen.delreal@verizon.net. | |
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