OUTWARD & VISIBLE SIGNSS T . M A R Y ’ S E P I S C O P A L C H U R C H W A Y N E , P A

JUNE 2016

WELCOMEStephanie Walker has another excellent article in this issue - this time examining the thorny issue of refugee resettlement and how we, as Christians, might respond. Stephanie looks at a local effort that has gathered real community and ecumenical support.

And be sure to check out what our graduating high school seniors have to say as they move into the next phase of their busy lives. We will miss seeing them week by week.

And finally, we’re offering a new feature in this issue that is designed especially for writers, painters and any of the artistic among you looking to offer your work to the wider world.

Shadow & Light is an online place for conversation and expression; a place for beauty and creativity. We hope you’ll feel inspired by what you see and read in these pages and want to take part. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Please let us know: OVSstmaryswayne@gmail.com.

A special thanks this issue to Robin Smith, a gifted photographer. Many of the beautiful photographs that accompany a number of articles in this issue are his. You can see more of his excellent work at artbyrobin.com.

Many thanks as well to Bridget Lanouette, Frank Tatnall and Janis Adair-Satterfield our new, sharp-eyed proofreaders, Father Chris Bishop, rector at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Radnor, PA, a fine photographer as well, and The Rev. Heather Hill, rector of All Saints Episcopal Church, Parma, OH for contributing an excellent article.

May your summer be safe and restorative! And may God bless you.

Mark Butler, Editor

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IN THIS ISSUEWELCOME ___________________________________________________________________________ 2THE CHURCH DEFINED IN RHYTHM The Rev. Joseph K. Smith _________________________ 3A TRAGEDY IN ORLANDO ___________________________________________________________ 5BORN TO SERVE, SHAPED BY FAITH Mark Butler _____________________________________ 6MOBILIZING TO AID REFUGEES Stephanie Walker _____________________________________ 10 CAN I GET A WELCOME? The Rev. Heather Hill _______________________________________ 12TAKE THE NEXT STEP _______________________________________________________________ 13SHADOW & LIGHT ___________________________________________________________________ 15

Challenge in all its guises can make a parish stronger. Likewise, it can overwhelm, tear at or destroy. Such is life in communities large and small. But the question endures: How do we respond to the challenges or burdens that weigh us down?

“It begins with hopeful possibility,” says Father Daniel G.P. Gutierrez, who will be ordained and consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania on July 16, 2016 in Philadelphia, PA. “If you begin from a negative point, it is impossible to arrive at a positive.” That, he says, is the difference between a “theology of scarcity and one of abundance.”

In two recent interviews with us, Bishop-elect Gutierrez reflected on the path that led him to the Diocese of Pennsylvania and his vision for the diocese as we move ahead. He encourages us all to be fully present in our relationships with God and each other, to engage in “sacramental listening” and ... to “hold power gently,” an interesting man with a heart for God and His People. You can read more about his insights and views in two articles in this issue as he prepares to lead one of America’s oldest dioceses.

†A question has emerged in this, our second issue of Outward and Visible Signs and it seems appropriate as many of us set off on summer travels: Can there be a church without walls?

Father Joseph Smith weighs in on the topic and there are other features as well that examine what seems to be a straight forward query. But is it? Read on and tell us what you think.

ON THE COVER:Whitby Abbey is a ruined Benedictine abbey overlooking the North Sea on the East Cliff above Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. It was abandoned in the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII. Photo © by Robin Smith

T HE C HURCH

The Rev. Joseph K. Smith

Most of us were probably taught as children the rhyme, “Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people.” And no doubt, after a little fumbling around, most of us can remember the hand motions that go with this rhyme. For children, it perfectly illustrates a theology that understands people to be as much a part of church as are the walls and the steeple. This is an important lesson for children to begin learning at a young age because so often, church is synonymous with a fixed location constructed with stone, mortar and stained glass.

Don’t get me wrong. I love church buildings. I love the stained glass and the smells of a hundred-year-old church. I love the creaking floors and the unique architecture that help proclaim the Gospel message. I love the history and the stories you can find sprinkled

throughout a church. And most of all, I love the fact that as one walks into most any Episcopal Church, the first thing you trip over is the baptismal font, the entry point into the body of Christ.

But equally as important as the font _ prominent, front and center _ are the altar and the Cross. Baptism and Holy Eucharist, the two dominical sacraments are dominant in the church building and as a church, we reinforce our priorities through architecture and furnishings.

But is all this necessary to be a church? Of course not. Walls, geographic boundaries, denominations; none of these things that Episcopalians use to distinguish our unique brand of Christianity make us a church. These are physical reminders. They merely mark our preferences of worship style and our preferences in

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D EFINED I N R HYTHM

physical things that make worship space sacred for us. As worshipping individuals in relationship with God, these preferences are important in assisting us to quiet our inner noise so that we may truly worship. But we should not confuse these preferences for our style of worship with what the apostolic fathers meant by church.

In mid-May we observed the feast of Pentecost, the day when Christians everywhere celebrate the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. With the gift of the promised Holy Spirit, the faithful were commissioned and empowered to be the Church _ our church’s birthday if you will. Looking at the catechism in the back of the Book of Common Prayer on pages 854 and 855, one sees how the Episcopal Church understands and articulates her responsibilities as the Church as she lives into being the community of the New Covenant. Beyond these words that our denomination articulates, and once we delve into the particulars of what it actually looks like to be the Church, that’s where the breath of life is breathed into what might otherwise be a lifeless structure. That’s when the Church becomes the Body of Christ “restoring all people to unity with God and each other in Christ” (BCP 855).

In a recent children’s sermon, while trying to illustrate the difference between looking like a Christian and truly being a Christian, the kids had fun seeing me try on different kinds of hats. I wore a fireman’s hat, a stethoscope, an army hat, a captain’s hat and even a tiara. Each time new headgear was put on, I asked the kids if wearing the hat made me a fireman, or a nurse, or a member of the military, or a captain, or a princess? Naturally, even the youngest knew the answer to those questions. But the follow up question was a bit harder for the kids, and the rest of the congregation as well. Does it mean we are a church because we look like one _ because we have a bell tower, stained glass, beautiful music and a committed group of people who come to this building regularly? What makes

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us the Church rather than just another group of people who want to do good in the world? What sets us apart and defines us...as the Church?

The answer to these and similar questions mark the individual and corporate journeys through life that we are all making. As we use our lives to be a response to the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, we are empowered and encouraged to be the Church. Each of us is given spiritual gifts to build up the Body of Christ so that we can do our part of God’s reconciliation. We do our part when we proclaim Jesus Christ through word and deed, using those spiritual gifts so that others may come to know and recognize the love of Christ through us, His Church.

And while we Episcopalians do love our buildings and our smells and bells, we are coming to realize that if we stay in our sacred space, we are missing the point of all that it means to be the Church. Yes, we need sacred space where we can come to sing, pray, learn and teach; where we can lay the troubles of the world aside for a bit and energize our souls. But if we stay in this sacred space and never venture out as the body of Christ, then we might as well be wearing a fireman’s hat or a tiara because we are pretending to be something we are not. It is when we venture out that the work of the Church begins. As the Good News of God’s grace found in Jesus Christ flows through us and out into the world, that is when we are truly being the Church. So to continue the teaching, maybe that age old rhyme could be updated a bit...

†

Here is the church and here is the steeple

Open the doors and see all the people

Go out the door, leave your perch

Go into the world, and be the church.

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St. Mary’s joined many other parishes in the Diocese of Pennsylvania on June 13th in tolling our bells fifty times _ once for each human life lost during the massacre in Orlando. Having received the email from the Diocese at 4pm and not even reading it until 5:30, I considered skipping this symbolic gesture all together. What good will it do, I thought? At this hour, it’s likely few will hear the bells, and if they do, will they know why they are ringing? I was bothered by the last-minute nature of the Diocese’s message and that I somehow did not read it immediately. My frustration has been building since the shootings early on Sunday as I’ve watched the different sides posturing and spinning this tragedy to benefit their agenda. Higher walls, a ban on certain people, certain religions, gun control, war, hate crimes, gay rights, extremist Islamic terrorism... Each of these phrases is enough to derail any real conversation, sending all sides to their respective corners, ready to come out fighting. Meanwhile, 50 human beings are dead and 53 others are wounded, some of whom will surely perish, doctors say. It was an act of terrorism. And we are rightly outraged and heartbroken. We feel powerless. There is a palpable fear in the air as these lone wolves continue to attack symbols of western culture. I imagine how our blessed Mother Mary and the disciple John may have felt as they witnessed Jesus’s death on the Cross. Helpless…Powerless...Hate…Anger…Resolve…Fear…Sound familiar? Fear not, the angel said on the day of the Resurrection. For as tragic as the Cross is, it is through the Cross that salvation was achieved for humanity as God, through Jesus, defeated death, as God through Jesus offered us salvation, and as God, through Jesus, ushered in His new Kingdom where His peace will reign until the end of time. Clearly we are not there. The Kingdom is here and yet is elusive. This is why I rang the bells fifty times

whether or not anyone heard them.

As a people of faith, we must take a stand that sometimes seems pointless. We must stand against evil in whatever form, be it terrorism, hate or the victimization of others for how they look or what they believe. We must live in this world and yet not be of this world. These are, of course, words you’d expect of a priest or pastor. They can also be action- action that manifests the good news of Jesus Christ in a world that now, more than ever, needs to hear God’s message of Love.

God’s Peace,

Joseph+

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, pg. 815)

A TRAGEDY IN ORLANDO

AP / David Goldman

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Daniel Gutierrez’s family settled in the desert southwest about 1500 AD in that region of blazing sun and cactus, mountains and endless sky that would become part of Mexico in 1821, a United States territory in 1850 and in 1912, the state of New Mexico. For centuries, they have worked, thrived, fought and died helping to shape southwestern culture, year by year pushing roots deeper into hard ground.

Gutierrez was born into the family and its long tradition of public service in 1964. Soon enough he took the mandate as his own, mindful of those who had gone before him.

That Daniel G.P. Gutierrez will be consecrated and ordained as the 16th Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania next month is testament to the strength of calling in a man whose dual passions for politics and faith have shaped a life of service to God, the Church, and His people.

At 52, Gutierrez may just be reaching his peak as he assumes control of one of the oldest Episcopal dioceses

in the US, a diocese that has only recently emerged from years of turmoil; a diocese for which more than 22,000 people in 155 parishes may feel only passing affection or affiliation.

And that, Gutierrez said in two recent interviews, is “not a challenge, but an opportunity. There was some mention that this diocese is individualistic and congregational,” he said. “I have not found that to be the identity of this hopeful place. The opportunity is to communicate our shared identity, mission, goals and potential. We are the diocese that gave the Church William White, Absalom Jones, and the Philadelphia 11,” he said. “We will demonstrate to the world _ and to one another _ the great work we are doing,” and will do.

Faith and PoliticsRaised by his grandmother in what then was one of the few integrated neighborhoods in Albuquerque, Gutierrez learned early the give and take of politics, the true meaning of dedication to purpose, of fair play and respect.

BORN TO SERVE,

Mark Butler

SHAPED BY FAITH

We would attend services daily, and I would serve six days a week as an Altar Boy,” he said. (Gutierrez was born a Roman Catholic and became an Episcopalian later). “In my youth and teen years, I wanted to become a priest and began the journey toward ordination. However, I realized that I wanted to be someone’s father more than I wanted to be a Father.”

A Kite on a String

Gutierrez graduated from the University of New Mexico with bachelor’s degrees in history and political science in 1987 and a master of arts in public administration in 1992.

Shortly after, he founded Cromwell and Williams, a political consultancy. The company specialized in television, direct mail, messaging and polling. “The intensity of a political campaign forges ‘a band of brothers and sisters’ that creates lasting friendships,” Gutierrez said. “It exposed me to numerous memorable experiences with national events and I was involved in meaningful work with national, state and local leaders,” he added. “In so doing, I found I could effectuate change in government and make a substantive difference in public policy.”

Gutierrez would later turn to “public service as a way to serve others while at the same time serve God,” when he moved to the public sector as chief of staff

“I was either in church or working politics with my grandmother,” he told Together, a publication of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande (DRG), in 2011. “Faith and politics have always run a dual course in my life.”

Gutierrez said his Grandmother Tonia, who passed away at the age of 91, had long been active in local regional and national politics. Gutierrez counts an early governor and senator, as well as former state and local officials among his lineage.

“My first memory in life is of Hubert Humphrey holding me at my grandmother’s house,” he recalls. “I was maybe four and I remember looking at his eyes and his smile _ a wonderful memory.”

Gutierrez’s community “consisted of Hispanics, African Americans, Anglos, Native Americans, Chinese, and various nationalities. I was formed in a multi-ethnic community of loving men and women; was moved by their endurance, strength, and unyielding faith. I learned the importance of hard work and keeping your word. I studied with, lived next to, and worked alongside both wealthy and poor Anglos. I received their love, support, and friendship.”

Gutierrez’s father, George Gutierrez, a US Marine, passed away in 1981. He “worked far too hard and died much too young,” he added. “My grandmother taught me about Jesus Christ, faith, love, and hope. She was steadfast in the belief that God was always near.

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© Connor Smith

to the mayor of Albuquerque and later as director of the Bernalillo County Economic Development Department.

“As I mentioned, my grandmother was a woman of great faith,” he said. “I also met this beautiful girl from Texas, (now his wife Suzanne) who came from a family of Presbyterian ministers. The beauty, the liturgy, and the community of the Episcopal Church was our home.

“The silent calling to the ordained ministry became stronger and stronger. I was like a kite tethered to a string and caught by the spirit.”

He earned a master in theological studies degree from St. Norbert College and was ordained to the diaconate and the priesthood by the DRG in 2008. He served at the Cathedral Church of St. John and at St. Michael and All Angels before joined the diocesan staff as Canon of the Ordinary, the chief operating officer and chief of staff of the diocese.

In a wide-ranging interview via email and by phone, Father Gutierrez reflected on his life to date and where he feels led as he prepares to assume control of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. Here are excerpts of that interview.

How has your experience in the private sector and in public service informed your work as a priest?

“There were three important lessons: (1) We need to be “sacredly present. It is the understanding that the person in front of me at that moment is the most important person in the world. It gets to the root of loving God and loving one another. (2) We need to engage in the sacrament of listening. Not listening to one another is the source of a majority of our disagreements and conflicts. We must not demonize those with whom we disagree. (3) I became aware that

ORDINATION AND CONSECRATION

of

REV. CANON DANIEL G.P. GUTIERREZ

God willing and the people consenting,The Reverend Canon Daniel G.P. Gutierrezwill be ordained and consecrated a Bishop

in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church

and the sixteenth Bishop ofThe Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.

On Saturday the sixteenth of Julyat eleven o’clock in the morning

New Covenant Church7500 Germantown Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19119

Chief Consecrator:The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry

Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church

The Standing Committee requeststhe honor of your presence.

A light reception will follow on site.

Clergy: alb and white stole Bishops: Rochet, chimere, and tippet

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The Rev. Daniel P. Gutierrez, his wife Suzanne Fletcher Gutierrez and their son Jude

© Connor Smith

one should hold power gently, and that it is not about me.”

What has prepared you to take on the issues in the DIOPA?

“I will use my past experiences in management, budgets and, economic development to care for and protect the resources in the diocese. I am genuinely curious about the people I serve. I understand that the worst type of disappointment is when leadership has failed you. I pray for strength, love and more importantly, I pray for wisdom. What I can offer the diocese is love... In time, I hope to earn your love and trust through my life and our relationships.”

How do you envision the role of the deacon in this diocese?

“I believe in and support the vocation of the permanent diaconate. I want to envision together how we expand the ministry of the diaconate... including recruitment, discernment, formation,continuing education, placement, and support...I have often sat in discernment meetings when a postulant hears those infamous words ‘have you thought of being a priest instead of a deacon?’ It tends to negate the importance of the order. Deacons are essential to the life and growth of the church.”

You spoke recently of a ‘theology of scarcity rather than one of abundance’. If such a theology exists here, how do we turn that around?

“It begins with hopeful possibility. We have to believe that we will grow and make a difference in the world. It is easy to fall into the mentality that we will not grow; the Church is dying, and we must close churches. This is a theology of scarcity and I will fight against this belief. This is not who we are. Abundance is far more than that... We will teach, laugh, pray, eat together and inspire one another... “ †

The Way Forward: Five Points of Departure

Bishop-elect Gutierrez shared his vision for the future of the Diocese of Pennsylvania recently. He sees what many might call challenges, in a different light:

“...they are opportunities.

† The fundamental mission of the Church is preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. As a diocese, we have to place evangelism at the forefront. Evangelism is not a bad word. Let’s reemphasize spirituality, whether it is reading the Bible daily, renewed monasticism, sacred music or divine liturgy. Let’s include an active catechumen program... Let’s reawaken the reverence and awe for God.

† Our goals and ministry as a diocesan office are to serve the rectors, vicars, laity and congregations in our diocese so you can build the Kingdom. We will work to turn the pyramid upside down. Instead of ‘we are here if you need us’, we will always say ‘how can we serve you?’

† We have an opportunity to be relevant and claim our voice in the [wider] community. There is power in the Church... to show the world that we feed the hungry, visit those in prison, take care of the sick, find the lost and include the lonely. We must speak about virtue, how we conduct our lives, personal responsibility, accountability to society and one another. We are the body of Christ, not a social club or social organization.

† We have an opportunity to be creative... for the clergy and laity to think of the diocese as a ‘Hope Laboratory’ where people are challenged, excited and curious, where they will find Christ through service, liturgy, prayer, and love, where we challenge one another to be what we are called to be...[where] we live into the ongoing Incarnation.

† We have the opportunity to model a new way of interacting with one another through kindness and respect, where we are compassionate, authentic, and hopeful. We will create a safe place where everyone has a voice without fear of being attacked. We will be a diocese where we do all those things Jesus Christ asked us to do. Brennan Manning, a favorite author, writes ‘The greatest cause of atheism is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

_MB

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LOCAL FAITH COMMUNITIES...

Stephanie Walker

Since the first Arab demonstrations on Syrian soil in 2011, 12 million Syrian men, women and children have fled their homeland. More than 18 million dispossessed have fled _ and continue to flee _ sub-Saharan African nations including Somalia, Sudan, and the Central African Republic.

God calls us to care...and it can be a hard call for 21st century Christians to answer.

Christians are called to minister to the least among us. And surely those fleeing war-torn countries are in great need. But against a rising tide of fear, terrorism and hatred, it is not an easy step to make. Many in the US are hesitant, even resistant, and afraid.

When the notion of aiding refugees surfaced at St. Mary's in 2015, it was not well-received in some quarters. Objections ranged from the political and economic to

I remember standing outside US Immigration Review on Callowhill Street in Philadelphia with my mom on a cold, snowy day. It was December, 2010 and we were snapping pictures and talking about where we were going to get lunch. We wore red, white and blue. We stood with people from all over the world to watch a video of an all-American cowboy singing the hokiest version of the national anthem ever. It was a great day.

I was lucky. I was born in Canada, a country that has never posed a threat of any sort to the US. My parents started the immigration process when I was three months old and I consider myself American in every sense. But I wonder if this kind of future is possible for less fortunate children like Rima, a 7-year-old Syrian refugee whose journey to safety in Georgia was detailed in a riveting account published last month in The Atlantic.

MOBILIZING TO AID REFUGEES

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fears of importing terrorism. Father Joseph Smith, rector, took it all in and decided the issue required a parish-wide period of discernment. And that was not universally supported either.

A History of Helping

The plight of refugees was weighing heavily on Rena Counsellor one Sunday late last summer as St. Mary's Sunday School resumed and families gathered to share lunch. "I could not - and still cannot - imagine the horror these people were facing…what they’re going through with nothing but the clothes on their backs.”

Counsellor, a 21-year member of St. Mary’s, kept thinking back to a time 20 years before when the parish sponsored families from Vietnam and Poland. If there was ever a time to step up again, it's now, she thought.

After consulting with other parishioners, Counsellor reached out to Lutheran Child and Family Services (LCFS), which had assisted in the earlier effort, for current information on humanitarian efforts in the Philadelphia area. As it happened, LCFS was hosting an informational meeting in Allentown, PA for churches wanting to get involved, so she attended last Fall.

It was an awakening. "Not everyone wanted to help, she said. “There were people who were protesting the idea, asking ‘how do we know they’re not terrorists’, saying ‘we can’t take care of people in our own country.’” Those opposing made up just 20% of the group, but they were a vocal minority.

Fear makes sense. People want to protect their families. They worry over the changes that aid to refugees might force on communities and infrastructure and what other hard costs, might be for Americans, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck and believe they are underserved or ignored by the Federal government.

The reality, however, is this: Refugees are coming to the United States -- regardless. The US State Department decides who is granted refugee status and where they are sent to live. The State Department provides just $1000 per person and depends on private-sector agencies like LCFS to work with and support immigrants for 90 days, and assume that on

the 91st day, they will be self-sufficient. By all accounts, the government stipend is small and the time frame unrealistic.

First...and Formative

Meanwhile, Father Smith's call for a discernment was paying off. There was a growing consensus that the parish should reach out. Word of a possible refugee initiative at St. Mary's spread quickly and it wasn't long before he was on the phone with clergy from other churches that wanted to help.

Early in March, St. Mary's hosted a fact-finding meeting to gauge support among neighboring communities of faith. More than 50 members representing four congregations attended with questions and a powerful urge to help. And just that quickly, a community-wide project took root as the Main Line Refugee Resettlement Committee

“I’d really always felt like God was going to do something great with St. Mary’s," Counsellor said. "There’s an energy with these other churches and it's got to be the Holy Spirit leading us."

Among the attendees were two lawyers, a doctor, a priest who lived in the Middle East and speaks Arabic, along with ESL teachers, carpenters and others all representing a deep pool of talent and skill that could benefit newly-arriving refugees.

We pray every Sunday for the holy Catholic Church — that we all may become one. Counsellor says, “One of the coolest things for me is to be able to meet people at other churches who have a passion for this.”

At this writing, there are roughly 60 volunteers from six churches: St. Mary’s Episcopal, Wayne Presbyterian, St. Martin’s Episcopal, Radnor Friends’ Meeting, St. David’s Episcopal, and Wayne Baptist.

Getting Started

So the wheels were turning by March 17th...the day LCFS shut down its refugee resettlement program. The program had never raised as much money as it needed and LCFS was millions of dollars in debt to its parent company, Liberty Lutheran.

An unsettling development but, not fatal. The US continued on page 19

CAN I GET A WELCOME? HOSPITALITY AND WELCOMING THE STRANGER IN OUR MIDST

The Rev. Heather Hill

I wanted to share a few stories of experiences I have had visiting other worshipping communities, both good and bad. Before I moved to my current parish but after I had finished serving at my last parish, my fiancé (now husband) and I worshipped with two other Episcopal churches. We decided to go without any indication that we were priests (incognito-no collars, etc.) so that we could just participate and worship without drawing extra attention. We chose the first church because they worshipped in a higher style than we usually did and thought it would be an interesting experience. The second church we chose because it was not far away from where we were and they had a service late enough for us to sleep in a little. Before we went I thought that we would experience people being too eager for us to become involved. We were on the surface what many churches said they were looking for: a young couple who obviously knew and loved the liturgy.

Boy was I wrong! At both parishes nobody spoke to us except for the priest! (One of them knew me because it was not far from the parish I had been serving.) The first service we sat through not knowing much of what was going on, but no one offered us help to understand. They worshipped in a very high church style and had extra special actions because a bishop was visiting that neither of us had seen before. The second church had worship similar to what we knew and we participated fully. The second one even had a time at the end for visitors to stand up and introduce themselves. The priest who knew me looked at me and I shook my head, “no.” My husband and I are both introverted and neither of us wanted to make a spectacle of ourselves. We just wanted to worship. So maybe nobody said hello there because we did not stand up in front of 100 people we did not know to introduce ourselves. At the second parish we then spent 15 minutes wandering around trying to find a bathroom and still no one said hello or asked if they could help. Leaving the second

week in a row with the only hint of welcome coming from the priests, I couldn’t help but think that it’s no wonder the Episcopal Church is losing members. I would not have returned to either place to worship.

In direct contrast to that experience was a worship service I attended recently at a convent in Tiffin, OH. I was attending a retreat there and as part of our schedule we had the option to join the sisters for Vespers, an evening prayer service. I enjoy praying with others in new ways so I went. Two of us from the retreat stepped into the door of the chapel looking around trying to figure out what we should do. Within a minute two sisters who had been sitting at different places in the sanctuary came over and offered to sit with us and help us through the service. Though a little unsure of being approached and wanting to blend in the back (I was at a Roman Catholic convent and was not sure how they would greet me), I agreed. The sister handed us their prayer books and pointed to numbers on a wall. They were code to find the different parts of the service. She turned to me and the other retreatant at each turn of the page to make sure we knew where we were. I finally experienced how even a heart desiring to pray can have trouble navigating multiple pages throughout a book without a guide. After the service, the two sisters thanked us for praying with them and invited us to come to another service they had. It felt so good to be thanked for praying with them, especially because half the time I had no idea what was going on.

I share these experiences with you to help all of us to work together to be a church with genuine hospitality sharing God’s love with those who honor us by praying with us. What can you do to help someone whom you do not recognize to feel welcome at your parish? How can we as a community make it so everyone feels like they can

continued on page 1912

THE BEST AMONG US. . .

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Sermons by Duchie Bale (left), Connor Smith (center), and Emily Steinhardt (right)

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The United States department of Education estimates that 3.3 million high school students will graduate this academic year. Think about that: 3.3 million high school seniors -- that’s more than twice the population of Philadelphia, nearly a million more than Chicago. And just slightly less than the City of Los Angeles.

And of that number, of that massive sum, St. Mary’s claims three of the best -- the very best.

Duchie Bale, Connor Smith and Emily Steinhardt are headed to college in the Fall. We will miss their voices in the choir, reading the lessons, seeing their smiling faces among the altar party on Sunday, their humor, their energy, their compassion.

We will see them again of course... at holidays and other special occasions. It is an exciting, bittersweet thing really, watching them step into the larger world. We

wish them well, and look forward to their stories when they return!

At the 10am service on Sunday, May 22nd, each reflected on the past, and their hopes for the future.

Here are excerpts from their senior reflections, delivered as short sermons:

Duchie Bale

Dr. Turk, St. Mary’s Choir, and song have always been the most reliable and rewarding presence in my life here since my arrival in 4th grade. Every Wednesday and Sunday I have spoken and sung the words of the Lord. Through the words and the musical notes in all of the prayers, hymns, and psalms, I have been able to learn and realize how important God is in my life...

My life has had its ups and downs, but by coming to church every week and singing the words I am always

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assured that God is with me,

As I prepare to move on, to go away to college at California University of Pennsylvania, my thoughts waver from excitement to fear, back to uncertainty, and it is here that a favorite carol comes to mind...and I am reassured: The thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn (O Holy Night). †

Connor Smith

In 17 days I will be walking across the Villanova Pavilion stage to receive my high school diploma. In 89 days I will be starting a whole new and exciting chapter in my life at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. But who’s counting?

Growing up as a preacher’s kid, I’ve moved all around the south eastern United States. Starting off first in Columbia, South Carolina. Then to Sewanee, Tennessee. Then back to South Carolina. And now they’ve dragged me to the last place I ever expected to live -- North of the Mason-Dixon line.

In November [2015], God made it clear to me what his plan was. He wasn’t taking away my friends, family, and church family. He was just adding more people to the mix. Confirmation made me realize that everywhere I’ve moved, I have an unending support system to watch and help me grow in my faith. Whether it be 600 miles away back home in South Carolina, or even up here in Pennsylvania.

In three months, it’ll be time to do it all over again. I’ll be packing up, and moving to Virginia. Back to square one. But this time I’ll have a whole new outlook. I’m excited to add people to my unending support system. I’m excited to be a disciple on my college campus and to grow in my faith. And I’m excited to come back home to share with my church family everything that I’ve learned. †

Emily Steinhardt

I am graduating from The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School and will continue taking classes at

Delaware County Community College, pursuing my Associate’s Degree in Communications focusing on Journalism. This is my interim step in pursuing my ultimate passion of being on Broadway and getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Musical Theater.

We can only face one challenge at a time before becoming over whelmed. Jesus understood this, he knew that when the time was right the spirit of truth would come and explain to the disciples what they were ready to learn.

As I’ve gotten older and whats happening around me in the world gets clearer, that little spirit of truth is sitting on my shoulder. Thankfully I have not had to face this alone. Ever since my first days at St. Mary’s, I’ve always known I could come here when I need help understanding the new truths I’ve uncovered. Many times St. Mary’s was the one that uncovered them. You have all been my spirit of truth, filling me in on little bits and pieces when the time was right.

With every step I take towards the future I know each and everyone of you will have my back and that God will be there with the spirit of truth. College doesn’t end my journey here at St. Mary’s. When I’m ready for more truth and wisdom, I know all of you, my spirit of truth, will be here to guide me. †

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© Connor Smith

SHADOW & LIGHTTHOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS

No roof, no cedar walls would do – No sanctuary that would not constrain Him,Make Him chafe, longingTo be once more out in the air,In tent and tabernacle,Open to the wind and heat, mobile,A captain more at homeWith his soldiers and encampments,Unused to palaces and fine manners.A restless God, rough,Improvising, strategizingFrom an ark as yet untrammeled,And with a covenantFixed only on moving stones.

For then, even at night,His shifting presence buoyed his people,His dangerous tent pitched among them,Sudden light shafting outAnd piercing the unwary. And in the morning,His trail revealed to stragglers,Traceable by scorch marks

Etched on the sacred sand.

- Marylu Hill

Marylu Hill, Ph.D is the Director of Villanova University’s Center for Liberal Education, and director of the university’s Graduate Program in Liberal Studies.

GOD AMONG THE TENTS

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Should you build me a house to dwell in?” (2 Samuel 7:5)

Photograph © Robin Smith

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On restless afternoons we walked into an ancient river valleyscarred by crooked trails, its floor cut deep and flowing,studded with boulders, edged in shade and ice.

We climbed down the hundred steps and over the finger spanbridge to the deep pools where we looked for sleeping fish and were glad to see ourselves, our knit hats pulled low,our noses red and running.

I was the hand to be held and she was the lightthat brightened the paths that we walked along the valley floor.We collected stones, followed deer tracks frozen in mud andgathered leaves and sticks judged lonely and in need of love.

She was six and I was thirty six and we were contentto follow winding paths through dark trees,craning to see the high branches, to gatherwarmth from the light they filtered and bestowed upon the birds, the ferns, us.

She was thirteen and I forty three whenwe hiked the cut banks of an old river,gray -- breathing, it seemed, the cold air --patient with the promise of spring.

She is summer and I am winter. We follow our own paths as they call us,draw us along different riversinto deep canyons.We track the same moon traveling the night sky,trusting that come dawn, we willsee the high branches.

-Mark Butler

Published previously online in the journal Houseboat, January 2014.

A LONG WALK HOME

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Photograph: Joseph Smith

Photograph © Robin Smith

© Connor Smith

FOUNDATIONS

What lies beneath the soaring wallsBelies the light above,For what dark stones are buried thereWith deeper roots than love;

With deeper roots than memory, And sterner mortar laid,These stones that give my surface form,No architect’s design to scorn,And still they must obey –

Obey enough to hold with calmMy daytime self to light,For sun would never strike my walls

Without their endless night.

- Marylu Hill

Photograph © Robin Smith 17

I. A priestly Blue Heron steps softly on stilted legs, stepping and bowing, stepping and bowing, greeting and eating. A Benediction for the creatures he misses. Prayers of Thanksgiving for those he does not.

II. Silky in the film and bladed, tattooed in tree shade, carp and cats, bass and gills, their eyes to heaven, pray for a twitching green treat and wisdom enough to spit the hook.

III A dragonfly sweeps in low on a graceful arc, lighting on a stem at waters edge. Still as stone, bottle green and crystal, a gaze that soars past the tree line. A glassine flick and he is gone. Out into the lilies, out into the great peace of the pond.

--Mark Butler

Published previously online in the journal Houseboat, January 2014

Mark Butler is a free-lance writer and editor. He is the editor of Outward and Visible Signs.

AN EASTERN POND

Photograph © Robin Smith18

continued from page 16 “Can I Get A Welcome?”

be included in prayer at our church? The first steps are introducing ourselves to our guests, wearing our name tags so those who have attended a few times don’t feel bad about not knowing people yet. How about our bulletin, our website, our building? Let’s work together to welcome the stranger as a guest who honors us with their presence when they come to pray with us.

†

Heather Hill is the rector of All Saints in Parma, Ohio. When not leading their churches, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their preschool aged twins.

This article was re-printed by permission of the author and first appeared on May 29, 2016 online at the Episcopal Cafe. (episcopalcafe.com)

government is bringing refugees to the States either way. In the absence of LCFS, the only non-profit then working to resettle refugees in Pennsylvania, they would be settled elsewhere.

In short order, however, the Main Line committee linked up with Bethany Christian Services, an organization which has been helping resettle refugees in Michigan since 1998. Bethany was cleared to work in Pennsylvania on June 3rd.

Individuals and families approved for immigration could arrive later this summer, Rena Counsellor said. And efforts to secure employment, housing and household goods are underway. To date, the committee has reached almost half of its fund-raising goal of $20,000. The money will go towards rent, groceries, preschool, transportation, and medical fees.

"So often, in our quest to follow God’s call, we limit ourselves and only think parochially." Father Smith said. "Often, it never dawns on us to imagine that God doesn’t care if it’s “our” outreach effort or “their” outreach effort. God leads his people to do his work

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Coming Up...

Across the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania and around the country, parishes are struggling to patch their roofs, rebuild aged walls and plug or replace the boiler. With attendance flat or declining, it’s increasingly difficult for mainline churches, many of them cash-strapped, to restore and maintain aging buildings and grounds. In our September issue, Jill Cutler examines the challenges facing parishes with aging or historic physical plants, starting with St. Mary’s, currently in the midst of a costly effort to preserve its campus, where the church’s cornerstone was laid in 1889.

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Photograph: Joseph Smith

and any dividing lines are a human construct. I am so encouraged that the Wayne community has taken on this ministry with refugees in an ecumenical way." † Stephanie Walker, a marketing and communications executive, is also a free-lance writer.

continued from page 11 “Mobilizing To Aid Refugees”

Next Issue: September 2016

We welcome content suggestions and submissions.

What would you like to see?

Please send to:

OVSstmaryswayne@gmail.com

Content Deadline: August 15, 2016

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church104 Louella Avenue Wayne, PA 19087610.688.1313www.stmaryswaynepa.org

Editorial Board Editor: Mark ButlerDesign/Production: Allyson RadfordThe Rev. Joseph K. Smith, Stephanie Walker, Peter Busch, Bridget Lanouette Writers This Issue: The Rev. Heather Hill, MaryLu Hill, Emily Steinhardt, Connor Smith, Duchie Bale

Proofreading: Frank Tatnall, Bridget Lanouette, Janis Adair-Satterfield

VestryClass of 2017 Jill Cutler (People’s Warden), Susan Huck, Linda Noll, Laurie Buechle

Class of 2018 Jeff Alyanakian (Rector’s Warden) Chris Rhodes, Mark Butler, Allyson Radford

Class of 2019 Paul Acton, Ellen Buerklin, Neal Fulton, David Gardiner Mark Butler, Allyson Radford

StaffRector - The Rev. Joseph K. Smith

Organist & Choir Master - Dr. Gordon TurkParish Administrator - Janis Adair-Satterfield

Financial Administrator - Jeanne Griffin-GreeneSexton - Toshi Makihara

Copyright 2016, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Wayne, PA

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