February 26, 2015

Saint Andrew's-on-the-Tundra!
Whipping wind and piles of snow!

This coming Sunday, March 1st and the Second Sunday of Lent, we will have ONE service only at 9 am, at which new Vestry members will be commissioned.  Coffee hour following the service will be hosted by the Altar Guild. No precipitation is forecast for Saturday night or Sunday morning – so... sun or light clouds and a high of 32 degrees! Practically summer weather !!! Hope to see you then. Our paths are well-shoveled. don't miss more snow-at-St. Andrew's pix at the bottom of this post.

Readings for this Sunday: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16. Psalm 22:22-30, Romans 4:13-25, Mark 8:31-38.

DON’T FORGET: WE WILL BE HOSTING A QUIET DAY FROM 9 TO 1 TOMORROW (FEB 28) LED BY THE REV. ELLIE MCLAUGHLIN. Our explorations together of Lenten hymns promise to deepen our Lenten journeys. Please email me [frantzdale@gmail.com] today if you plan to join us so we can be sure of having sufficient handouts and lunch.

Wednesday Simple Lenten Suppers will continue this coming week on March 4^th, gathering at 5:30, eating at 5:45, and out by 7. Our readings and conversation will explore the sacred gift of TIME – how we think about with it, how we use it, how we waste it, how we struggle with it. So whether you feel like you never have enough time or it drags so much you wish it would go faster, this conversation is for you!!! Genesis reminds us that “God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it,” which is to say, God made it holy. What might that say to us about time?

 
Who will win The Golden Halo? If you haven’t logged on yet to Lent Madness [lentmadness.org], your missing out on some good fun … and a painless way to pick up a lot of fascinating church history … not to mention have your mind opened to an amazing array of ways to live as a committed follower of Jesus. Sign up for the daily email posting and voting, and pick up a Brackets Mini-poster in the Parish Hall. Your Lenten Journey will not be boring! (And if you have the time, check out people’s comments and/or make your own.)

Update from the FUN-Raising Committee: For a variety of reasons, our annual Murder Mystery Dinner has been rescheduled to Friday, May 1, so mark you calendars. It will be better weather for the leprechauns. If you are interested in in taking part in the play, contact Chris Mills at alba4me@yahoo.com

Food for thought: 11 Things I Love about the Episcopal Church.

Nine of us gathered this week for our first Wednesday Simple Supper and explored the blog post by Ben Irwin, entitled “11 Things I Love about the Episcopal Church.” Ben is a 30-something Episcopalian who found his way to the Episcopal Church from contemporary Evangelical Protestantism.

For those of us who may wish we had more opportunities for conversations with young adults who find the church life-giving, and wish we could be more comfortably articulate about our faith, I find his reflections insightful. Whether you were part of the conversation Wednesday evening or missed it (Quite a number of you emailed me requesting any details since you were unable to join us.), here is the link to the portion we discussed. http://benirwin.me/2015/01/22/11-things-about-the-episcopal-church/
You might want to sign on to receive his blogs, or just be interested in sleuthing around and reading other posts of his.

I challenge each of us to make our own list! What would be on yours, and why? Ben’s reflections respond in part to how he experienced Evangelical Protestantism. It would be interesting to gather comparable lists that respond to other contexts – science, “spiritual but not religious,” secular humanism, consumerist capitalism, popular culture…. When my Internet guru gets back to town, I’d like to figure out how to activate the “comments” possibility with this MEMO so that we’d have an easy way to share our thoughts. In the mean time … make your own list and stay tuned… And, of course, we can always engage the old-fashion, face-to-face way!

And here are the Ten “Loves” that Ben Irwin names:
1.  The way the liturgy soaks into your being.

2. The way the liturgy invites me to worship with my whole being, bridging the false divide between body and soul.

3. The way it anchors my faith when no act of will on my part can.

4. The way it embraces orthodoxy without rigidity.

5. How it makes room for those who’ve been burned out, worn out, or otherwise cast out.

6. The way you can simply be, if that’s all you can do.

7. The way worship can be deeply moving without resorting to emotional manipulation.

8. How the “shared cup” matters more than “shared dogma.”

9. The way everyone is welcome as a full participant, even children.

10. How it reminds me that I’m part of something bigger.

11. How, at the altar, we’re all the same.

 

Lenten Blessings in this season of returning warmth and light.
See you in church!
Heidi+

 Saint Andrew's-in-the-Snow

Note distant 5 ft. birdhouse.

The glacier outside the Prince Room window!

Yes, for a brief hour this week we actually had a liquid puddle!

 

February 19, 2015

Ash Wednesday holy fire for the burning of the palms.
Special thanks to fire-tenders Jim, Tim, and Sarah,
and to Preston, crucifer.

Services for this coming Sunday, February 22 and the First Sunday of Lent, will be at 8 and 10 AM, with coffee hour following both services. With luck, the snow will stay away this Sunday, and we can return to our regular service schedule. If not, call the church before you set out. Postponement or cancellation messages are posted by 6:30 Sunday morning on the church voice mail and sent by email.

Readings for Sunday: Genesis 9:8--17, Psalm 25:1-9, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15
 

 
What 

are you 

doing 

for Lent?

Don’t miss our Lenten Quiet Day on Saturday, February 28: "Keeping Lent with the Church's Hymnody:  Hymns, Quiet, Reflection, and Prayer for our Lenten Journey," led by the Rev. Ellie McLaughlin. If you’d like, bring a favorite Lenten hymn. Please join us for a rich and encouraging exploration. We will gather at 9:00 in the Prince Room and close with a eucharist and a simple soup lunch. This mini-retreat is open to all, with an invitation extended to the other churches in the Lakes Region Convocation. [Please note: This is for everyone – singers and non-singers alike.] To register call the church office or send an email to frantzdale@gmail.com by next Thursday, Feb. 26. Questions?  The Rev. Ellie McLaughlin at 603-915-0051;  revmchess@gmail.com Don’t miss the Food for thought poem below.

Wednesday Lenten Simple Suppers resume this week, March 25^th. We will gather at 5:30 and eat at 5:45 – soup, salad and fresh bread. Each week is self-contained, so come to one or more. We will share a simple supper, eaten in silence while we listen to a reading that explores some aspect of holy living in the context of our regular lives. This week: How do we talk to others about our experience of church? That will be followed by open conversation reflecting on the passage. We will close with a simple table Eucharist. Sign-up sheet for food contributors is posted in the Parish Hall.

Subscribe by email to the daily offerings from the Brothers at the Society of St. John the Evangelist: It’s time to …Stop, Pray, Work, Play, & Love. [www.SSJE.org/time] 

Pick up an ERD (Episcopal Relief and Development) booklet of daily reflections.

Or a Journey through Lent 2014 poster, with daily activities for folks of all ages.

 

Last Sunday we were snowed out in the morning, but a lively, happy congregation of 25 gathered at 4 o'clock as we wrapped up Epiphany-tide and reflected on the Gospel account of the Transfiguration. While it’s a bit difficult to discern in the photo, the late afternoon sun shining through our magnificent icicles, focused directly on the image of Jesus “in raiment white and glistering” in the icon of the Transfiguration placed in front of the lectern.

 
Thanks to George Rau and his team of guys – George (& Grete) Plender, Tom and Tim Huckman, and Bruce Kennedy – for cooking up our Shrove Tuesday pancakes and sausages; to the Bootys and the Souths for contributing their home-grown maple syrup; and to the Frantz-Dales and Raus for homemade applesauce. Parish and community members welcomed an opportunity for fun and social meal-sharing in the midst of a snowy week, and our young people shared their enthusiasm for tattoos and pancake tossing! Don’t miss more pictures below!

Food for thought ­– a poem by Ellie McLaughlin in anticipation of our upcoming Quiet Day…

 
Hymns: Quiet, Reflection and Prayer, for our Lenten Journey

Lenten Hymns,

Gifts of the Spirit,

the Church’s Tradition in words and music

     to nourish, 

          to bring joy,

  to direct hearts, mind, and will.

This time of reflection

by which we draw closer to God. 

We participate with Jesus in the Lenten Journey. 

We open our lives wholly to the Lord —

    temptations,

        forgiveness,

            the deadness in our lives as a result of things

done and left undone. 

Yet, by Grace we open ourselves to the Hope: 

    the Joy of Resurrection Life, 

        the Risen Lord by the Spirit,

now "again-making"

     our selves, our communities, our world. 

Together singing,

     listening,

          reflecting.

In the silence all is gathered into prayer –

our own desires and our thanks

    supported by the Church’s prayer and hymns of praise. 

Why Hymns?

Because music and poetry,

open windows of meaning.

Metaphor and images,

         visual and aural,

    speak,

not only to mind

but to imagination –

a Highway to the Heart, 

where we welcome the embrace,

of the “again-making” of  God.  

Blessings as we walk our Lenten Journey together toward the Easter light,

Heidi+  

                                                        

 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Picture Gallery

 You can't say we don't have fun here at Saint Andrew's!

February 12, 2015

Services for this coming Sunday, February 15th, will be at 8 and 10 am followed by coffee hour. This is the Last Sunday after Epiphany, and therefore the last Sunday before Lent. So it's is your last opportunity to sing alleluias until Easter! Don't miss the chance!

Readings for this Sunday: 2 Kings 2:1-12, Psalm 50:1-6, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, Mark 9:2-9.

Pre-Lent reminder: Please bring in your dried palms. There’s a collecting basket on the piano. We will burn them at the beginning of the evening Ash Wednesday liturgy.

Join us this Tuesday at 6 o’clock for our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. Enjoy community and fun as Mardi Gras meets Old England with traditional Shrove Tuesday merry-making, including a Pancake Toss, perhaps a pancake-flipping race, burying the Alleluias, and the Rector’s Discrete (Temporary) Tattoo Parlor … and, of course, delicious pancakes , sausage, homemade applesauce, and real maple syrup! $5 for adults, $2 for children. Spread the word. The men of the parish are the lead team on this. If you’d like to help out, get in touch with George Rau [367-8223].

On Ash Wednesday (this coming Wednesday, February 18th) we will have Morning Prayer at 9 AM, and two services of Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes, one at noon and the other at 7 PM. The evening service will begin with the burning of palms to create the ashes for the imposition of ashes.

FYI:  The Episcopal Journal will no longer be mailed to individuals free of charge due to the ever-increasing publishing costs.  Each parish will, however, receive an increased amount of 10 copies free of charge. They will be available for the taking on the parish hall table. I we would like more than the 10 copies, the diocese is happy to provide them, free-of-charge. Of course, if you would like to cover the cost yourself ($36 / year) and receive it directly by mail, subscription information may be found on their website www.epsicopaljournal.org and click on “SUBSCRIBE.”

Food for thought; encouragement to enter into a Holy Lent…

Lent 2015 at Saint Andrew’s-in-the-Valley

 Shrove Tuesday – Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 6 pm: Kick up your heals! Live on the wild side! Put on a mask! Get a (temporary) tattoo! And indulge in passage, sausage, applesauce, and maple syrup. Have some holy fun.

Ash Wednesday – Feb 18: Do yourself a favor. Press “pause” on your busy life and come to church next Wednesday at noon or 7 pm to receive ashes. Yes, that cross is a reminder that we are dust and to dust we shall return, but it’s also a reminder of the cross put on your forehead at Baptism – a sign that you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever – this side of the grave and the next!
       For centuries the church has invited her people to set this season apart for prayer, study, reflection, a journey that for most of us benefits from some communal support. I hope you will take time to consider which of our offerings might speak to you, and then step forward to participate. Check out the easel in the Parish Hall for sign-up lists and more details about these offerings.

◊  Subscribe by email to the daily offerings from the Brothers at the Society of St. John the Evangelist: It’s time to …Stop, Pray, Work, Play, & Love. [www.SSJE.org/time] The theme for this year’s teaching is ‘Time,’ We complain that it is flying by; we waste it; we seem totally unable to slow down; we stress about not having enough of it, or we’re bored to tears because we have too much of it. In short, our relationship with time is seriously disordered and out of whack! We have only one life to live here, so maybe it’s time to tackle the great give of time that god has given you. Each day in your email in-bin you will receive a brief reflection video, a word for the day, and a question relating to that word to ponder throughout the day. You might choose to do this as a personal commitment; you might choose to connect with others around the world who are also engaged in it by sharing your answers. If there is interest we create a parish email group and share responses with each other that way. It is completely adaptable to It is completely adaptable to your own schedule and time needs.

◊  We will resume our Wednesday evening "Simple Supper Series" gathering at 5:30, out by 7:00. Each week is self-contained, so come to one or more. We will not meet on March 11th. We will share a simple supper, eaten in silence while we listen to a reading that explores some aspect of spiritual formation and holy living in the context of our regular lives. That will be followed by open conversation reflecting on the passage. We will close with a simple table Eucharist.

◊  On Saturday, February 28 we will host a Quiet Day: "Keeping Lent with the Church's Hymnody:  Song, Prayerful reflection, Conversation, and Silence," led by the Rev. Ellie McLaughlin. Bring a favorite Lenten hymn. We will gather at 9:00 in the Prince Room and close with a eucharist and a simple soup lunch. This mini-retreat is open to all, with an invitation extended to the other churches in the Lakes Region Convocation.

◊  On Saturday March 21, from 9 to 12:30, a similar invitation is extended to us by our friends at Trinity Church, Meredith, when they will host a Quiet Day to be by Maryan Davis.

There are numerous series of Daily Meditations available – some hard copy and some on line:

◊  Copies of 2015 Lenten Meditations, provided by Episcopal Relief & Development are available on the Parish Hall Table in front of the bulletin board. Help your self to a copy.

◊  Daily Lenten Meditations from the Episcopal Church of NH: Starting next week, daily Lenten meditations to the diocesan Facebook and Twitter accounts. Become a follower! Share these links with your friends and family. [Go to “Episcopal Church of NH”, not Diocese of NH.]

◊  Then there’s “Lent Madness,” a somewhat zany and engaging way to approach to deepening your knowledge of the greater and lesser saints and their lives! Picking up on college basketball and the playoffs called March Madness, a fun-loving, church-loving priest (who happens to be Davis and Andrea Dassori’s rector in Hingham) has put this together. Each day during Lent, two saints face off, and you get to vote for your favorite. At the end of the season, one saint is crowned with the Golden Halo. Dare to explore and give it a try!

Go to www.lentmadness.org

Blessings in this season of lengthening light.
See you in church!
Heidi+

February 5, 2015

Our new banner!
Weaving Generosity into Our Lives!

 Services for this coming Sunday, February 8th, the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, will be at 8 and 10 am, followed by coffee hour.

Readings for this Sunday: Isaiah 40:21-31, Psalm 147:1-12, 21c, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39.

Thank you to each of you who came last Sunday and participated so whole-heartedly in the life of this Parish and our Annual Meeting. For year-’rounders who were not with us, your Annual Report is in your Parish Hall mailbox; for affiliates, please email the office and we’ll be happy to mail yours’ out to you. Highlights of the meeting are included in the “Food for Thought” at the close of this MEMO, along with some pictures! For your viewing pleasure, slideshow of our year is available by clicking here:

http://dfdphotography.zenfolio.com/p158760629/h169c2147#h169c2147

Giving up chocolate isn’t enough! A group will be gathering this Sunday, Feb. 8, at about 11:20 in the Prince Room to make decisions about our Lenten programming and scheduling. Lent is traditionally a time to take on some form of spiritual practice that helps us draw closer to God. What approach will best equip us to be the people and the church we are called to be? Prayer? Book reading and discussion? Meal-sharing? A service project? Support for reflecting on our lives? On-line sharing? A simple, all-parish, at-home endeavor? What would make your heart sing for Lent? And if you can’t make it on the 8^th, let me know your thoughts asap.

It’s time to put the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on your calendar! Tuesday, February 17, at 6 PM. The men of the parish are the lead team on this. If you’d like to help out, get in touch with George Rau [367-8223].

FYI:  The Episcopal Journal will no longer be mailed to individuals free of charge due to the ever-increasing publishing costs. However, as a parish we will receive 10 copies free of charge. They will be available for the taking on the parish hall table. If we would like more than the 10 copies, the diocese is happy to provide them, free-of-charge. Of course, if you would like to cover the cost yourself ($36 / year) and receive it directly by mail, subscription information may be found on their website www.epsicopaljournal.org and click on “SUBSCRIBE.”

Eleanore’s Project chairs and equipment on their way to Peru! This is the ship that will carry the container to Callao, Peru, for the Eleanore’s Project session there in May.  In addition to the 140+ chairs selected in Sioux Falls, SD, the container will hold the 17 wheelchairs packed here in Tamworth, plus all the supplies made available by the support of Saint Andrews.  It is due to arrive in Callao on March 30, 2015.

Food for thought… Reflections from the Rector on last Sunday’s Annual Meeting

Well, three snowstorms in eight days made for a wintery week, but a spirit-filled congregation gathered for our meeting last Sunday. For the benefit of those who were unable to join us, and as a reminder of the good work done by those who were present, I’d like to share some of the highlights:

George Rau was this year’s recipient of Saint Andrew’s Special Recognition for the unique ways he has contributed to the life of Saint Andrew’s and models for us a life of Christian love and service.

The weaving we did last fall as part of our stewardship season – Weaving Generosity into Our Lives – has been made into a handsome processional banner, reflecting the diversity, beauty, creativity, and generosity of this parish. Thank you, Barbara Lord, for your handiwork.
Thanks to the generosity of this parish, we ended 2014 comfortably “in the black,” with excellent fulfillment on pledges. Our pledged total for 2015 is $137,333! Thank you! Thank you!  The budget we presented shows a deficit of $4,000 with total expenses at $191,069, so there’s room for additional generosity, but that’s a number we can work with.

We elected Jen Huckman as a new member of the Vestry and Sally DeGroot as our Jr. Warden.

The Vestry has agreed that it’s time for a “tune-up” on our parish mission statement, such that it reflects both our identity and our purpose. We want it to be memorable, pleasing, and accurate … and it might even excite! Once clarified, it should become a lens through which many decisions get made. The parish leadership generated a rich list of responses to the questions “Who are we?” and “What is our purpose?” then several people tried their hand at composing statements. These possibilities were posted on the church walls during Sunday’s service. We welcome your comments and suggestions! (See below.) 

As you will see if you have read the Rector’s Annual Report, we are at an exciting point of decision as to the possibility of moving forward with a modest capital campaign that would address a number of important building issues. There was considerable energy around an exercise at the meeting: each person was given a blueprint of the church building and grounds and asked to designate places you love with a heart and places that bother you with a frowny-face. If you missed the meeting and would like to participate, let us know and we’ll send you out a blueprint. Alternatively, just send us your responses. Our next step is for the Vestry to appoint two leadership committees – one that would take responsibility for the planning, designing, and contracting of the actual work; the other to lead the fund-raising. So stay tuned as we thrive into the future!

Blessings in this season of light.
See you in church!
Heidi+

How do each of these speak to you? Let us know!