saint paul’s messenger
TRANSCRIPT
Saint Paul’s Messenger
Monthly Newsletter from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Bellingham, Washington
“Gathered by the Holy Spirit we worship God, and transformed by Christ’s love, we go forth into the world to love and serve with joy.”
The appointed Gospel for the Daily Office reading the
Monday after the Third Sunday of Easter gave me a re-
minder as to what faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead means for Christian living.
In the reading from the fourth chapter of Luke, we hear again how Jesus re-
turned from a wilderness sojourn after his baptism to his home town of Naza-
reth. Attending the synagogue worship, he was given the privilege of reading
the Scriptures. He opened to the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and read out loud:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to
the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those
who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Then, he told the congregation that he lived to fulfill those words. Now, in his
resurrection state, he shares that ministry with those who have faith in him.
That’s us.
In the season of Easter we claim the promise of Jesus that the same Spirit
that empowered him will empower us. Resurrection life is acting in trust that
the resurrected Jesus shares with us the work he laid out for himself when he
read out loud from Isaiah.
Resurrection faith is not easy, as I’ve been saying from the pulpit. Resur-
rection life requires of us transformation; change. It requires us to let go of the
control we think we have on life and receive what God wants to give us. What
God wants to give us is the ministry of Jesus; which is one of compassion and
service; a ministry of resistance to the powers of death that are obviously at
work in the world.
Now, if you think Resurrection faith is not easy for us, just think about
what it’s like for God to entrust to us the message he entrusted to Jesus. Look
Volume 28, Number 5 May 2013
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what we did to Jesus! Resurrection isn’t easy for God, either! God takes a big
risk!
Resurrection life is described in the rite for Holy Baptism, in which we are
united with Christ’s life.
In Baptism, we promise to continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellow-
ship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers. This is like Jesus, who in his
earthly life attended carefully to worship and teaching in the community of the
synagogue.
In Baptism, we promise to resist evil and turn to God. This also is like Je-
sus, who carved out time in his life for silence and presence to God.
In Baptism, we promise to proclaim by word and example the Good News
of God in Christ. This also is like Jesus, who proclaimed Good News no mat-
ter what the circumstance.
In Baptism, we promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our
neighbor as ourself. This is like Jesus, who did that.
In Baptism, we promise to strive for justice and peace among all people,
and to respect the dignity of every human being. This also is like Jesus, who
did that.
The Resurrected Jesus is in continuity with the Jesus the disciples knew
during the time before the crucifixion. His message is the same, and it is the
message he laid out in the synagogue in Nazareth that day.
Now Jesus entrusts that message to us. That’s a big stretch.
Try it out. Read the passage from Isaiah that Jesus read in the synagogue
that day in Nazareth. This time when you read the word “me”, put yourself
there.
That’s what Jesus is asking of us in his Resurrected glory.
— Jonathan+
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St. Paul’s purse…
The following is provided to up-
date you on the status of the finances
at St. Paul’s Church. If you have
questions about our finances, please
feel free to contact any of the finance
committee members.
Operating Statement 1/1/13—3/31/13
Operating Revenue: Stewardship $146,070.61
Supplemental Gift -
Plate and Holiday 10,391.85
Endowment 14,670.51
Other Revenue 5,077.98
Total Operating Income $176,210.95
Operating Expenses: Assessment $23,963.13
Clergy Pay. & Benefits 39,916.68
Staff Payroll & Benefits 50,190.56
Admin./Operating Exp. 10,183.67
Physical Plant Expenses 27,199.60
Outreach 1,560.00
Program Support 2,063.27
Total Operating Expenses $155,076.91
Operating Balance $21,134.04
The Verger
The Office of the Verger has its
roots in the early days of the Church
of England's history. Historically
Vergers were responsible for the or-
der and upkeep of the house of wor-
ship, including the care of the church
buildings, its furnishings, and sacred
relics, preparations for liturgy, con-
duct of the laity, and grave-digging
responsibilities. Although there is no
definitive historical examination of
the Office of Verger, evidence from
Rochester, Lincoln, Exeter and Salis-
bury Cathedrals points to the exist-
ence of Vergers even in the twelfth
century.
During the service itself, a ver-
ger's main duty is ceremonially to
precede the religious participants as
they move about the church; he or she
does not typically take any speaking
part in the service itself. It could be
argued that a verger's main pride dur-
ing a service lies in his or her incon-
spicuousness; vergers often play a
very prominent role "behind the
scenes" — helping to plan the logisti-
cal details of service
The office's title comes from the
ceremonial rod which a verger car-
ries, a virge (from the Latin virga,
branch, staff or rod.). The Maces of
State used in the House of Lords and
the House of Commons of the British
Parliament are examples of another
modern use of the medieval virge. In
former times, a verger might have
needed to use his virge to keep back
animals or an overenthusiastic crowd
from the personage he was escorting
or even to discipline unruly choris-
ters.
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Dear St. Paul's family,
This will be my last time to write
to you as your seminarian, and what a
wonderful journey this has been! I
am currently in the process of tying
up the last of the loose ends before
graduation and working through all
the details of moving across the coun-
try one more time. My seminary
graduation will be on May 14 in Aus-
tin - and of course you're all invited! -
and I will be leaving here for Seattle
around May 20.
The next major step is my ordina-
tion to the priesthood, which is sched-
uled for June 13 at 7:00 PM at St.
Mark's in Seattle. After that, I will be
starting my job as a curate at St.
Mark's on the second week in Ju-
ly. Our family is very excited - both
for the move and for the new commu-
nity we will be joining.
It is difficult to describe the mix
of emotions we are all experiencing
as we approach this tremendous life
transition. We have really enjoyed
the seminary community and the great
personal formation (even transfor-
mation) we have experienced during
our time here. It's hard to believe it
has already been three years! It will
be hard to say goodbye to all of the
friends and happy places and memo-
ries here in Austin. That being said: I
can't wait to come back to the North-
west! I miss the rain and the moun-
tains. We look forward to being clos-
er to all of you again and all the won-
derful new experiences the future
holds.
Thank you all for supporting me
and my family through semi-
nary. Our life is different because of
this experience, and I appreciate the
role that St. Paul's has played. You
have been a great community to be a
part of and to receive support from -
what a blessing! I hope that you are
able to continue this ministry into the
future.
I can't wait to see you all next month!
Peace,
Michael Carroccino
Alms Stories:
He'd heard of a job, but didn't
have enough money to get to the in-
terview.
She needed to pick up her Medi-
caid prescription, but didn't have
money to get to the pharmacy.
He'd been given free glasses, but
didn't have money to get back to the
optometrist.
She just got an apartment, but she
now needed transportation to her job.
The family had been sleeping in
their car for a week. While the chil-
dren went to school, the parents dealt
with the errands of being homeless.
They had many appointments with
social service agencies as they strug-
gled to get food stamps, to get on a
housing list, and as they searched for
work. They came to Alms because
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they needed gas. That vehicle was
their home, as well as their transporta-
tion. A small check and a list of re-
sources like First Baptist, Assumption
Catholic, St. Vincent de Paul, and
Love INC helped get the family to
their next step.
Thanks to St. Paul's Alms Minis-
try--and with your support--each of
these people was given a monthly bus
pass or a little bit of gas… no major
heroics but a small gift to make
change happen. Thank you.
Each Tuesday morning, Maple
Alley Café provides a filling, deli-
cious brunch in a pleasant, hospitable
atmosphere. Music from the piano,
flowers on the tables, resources in
binders, and friendly volunteers make
the day bright. Alms clients, neigh-
bors, and those who have heard about
Opportunity Council's Maple Alley
meals come for the morning.
Hope House Glimpses: St. Paul's has been a sturdy sup-
porter in both "stuff" and in volunteer
hours for HH. The Chancel Guild's
rummage sales provide shoes, dishes,
bedding and towels, clothing and mis-
cellaneous items. Weekly, the HH
box in the foyer is filled with diapers,
canned foods, and household items
like spatulas or pans, coats, and cloth-
ing. St. Paul's people share shifts on
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from
9 to 11 and on Friday from 1 to 6.
They are helping at the front desk and
intake, sorting and organizing the do-
nations, and distributing baby items
and household necessities, such as
toilet paper and dish detergent. Thank
you for being part of this community
service.
You’re Invited to the Interfaith Coalition Choir
Festival on May 4
Enjoy a concert of spiritual music
by attending the Interfaith Coalition
Choir Festival on Saturday, May 4 at
1:00 PM at Assumption Catholic
Church, 2116 Cornwall Ave. in Bel-
lingham. Individual performances by
ten church choirs will culminate in the
performance of two compositions by a
combined choir of over 200 voices.
Each year, the Interfaith Coalition
choir festival offers an opportunity for
singers and audience alike to rejoice
in the voices of our many faith tradi-
tions. An offering to benefit Interfaith
Coalition programs, which provide
homes, healthcare and shelter for all,
will be gratefully accepted.
Laura DeRose Harker
Executive Director
Interfaith Coalition
Mt. Baker Toppers Concert to Benefit Interfaith Coalition
The Mount Baker Toppers, a
men's a cappella chorus, will perform
a concert to benefit Interfaith Coali-
tion’s homeless housing program on
Tuesday, May 21 at 7 pm. at First
Christian Church, 495 E. Bakerview
Road in Bellingham. Following the
lively concert of popular, barbershop
and gospel music, enjoy homemade
pie and an ice cream social. First
Christian Church is sponsoring this
benefit. Tickets are available at the
door for donations starting at $5.00
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each.
Proceeds support Interfaith Coali-
tion’s emergency housing for home-
less families.
Library notes...
Happy Spring! I have been pa-
tiently waiting for spring to arrive.
The telltale signs were starting in
March and somehow April was so
blustery, I didn’t think we would ever
get to the beautiful flowering trees,
the tulips and daffodils popping out,
and the robins running about. But, we
made it!
I will be out of town for a few
weeks during May, but the library will
be buzzing along with Bea Walton
manning the librarian’s desk.
Have you noticed that three-
fourths of the library now have labels
on the spines of the books for easy
location? This enormous project is
one that Bea has been working on for
a year. Thanks Bea!
May and June will see a major
movement of books into circulation.
Over 100 new books will be on the
shelves. That in and of itself is a ma-
jor project. Most of these books are
from the kind and generous donations
of fellow parishioners.
The books cover Fiction; Theolo-
gy; Biblical Commentary; History; or
every category in our library! The
children’s library is set to grow too!
Obviously, with this number of books
about to be put into circulation, I can’t
list them all here… the only way to
introduce these books is to invite you
to visit and see all of these books
yourself!!!! THIS IS AN AMAZING
COLLECTION and I am so excited
to share all of them with you.
The library has purchased a few
copies of Proof of Heaven for the
Workshop scheduled by Jack Gor-
such. Reservations are on a first
come, first served basis. Because of
the brevity of the book, it is important
that a TWO WEEK check-out be al-
lotted for each person. Please kindly
follow this schedule. FYI: The book
is available at Barnes and Noble for
approximately $10.00 per copy for
members.
Beginning in June, our Video
Library will be ready for check out.
This will include family videos, plus
DVD format programs from The
Great Courses, by The Teaching
Company. Many thanks to Gary and
Elizabeth Young for purchasing re-
placements for our outdated VCR
programs. We have diligently been
working to get these programs into
our library. It is only through the
generosity and thoughtful plan by
Gary, that these programs will now
be available.
Watch for more news in June!
I continue to be amazed how peo-
ple manage to find the library. When
they do, Parishioners are surprised
with the number of books on the
shelves. We have just passed the
5,000 mark! Enjoy!
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Blessing to all!
Diane Moore, Parish Librarian
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A book that has been creating great interest is Proof of Heaven, by Eben Alexander, MD. Dr. Alexander, a neurosurgeon (and an Episcopalian by the way), had a near-death experience. In spite of the fact his neo-cortex wasn’t functioning and he was in a coma for seven days, he re-membered his experience of life after death while in the coma. He also saw we are one with larger consciousness - rather than consciousness just being a product of the brain as so many think today. Our great mystics have been saying this for centuries and it has huge implications for our spiritual journeys. For four Wednesdays, May 15 – June 5 Fr. Jack Gorsuch is hosting a
group to discuss Dr. Alexander’s book. It’s limited to fourteen people. This class is full and there is a waiting list. Interest for a second group may evolve up ahead (maybe fall?) You can get on the list by calling the parish office, 733 -2890. Required: read the book, bring your impressions and questions (it’s a discussion group), attend the sessions.
Fr. Gorsuch was rector of Epiphany, Seattle, then trained as a spiritual di-
rector and founded with Beverly the Center for Spiritual Development in Seat-
tle. They wrote a book, An invitation to the Spiritual Journey, and later lived
in an East-West community for eight years to deepen their spiritual awareness.
They are retired, living in Bellingham.
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Thank you for supporting In-terfaith Coalition
Thank you for your congregation-
al participation in the Interfaith Coa-
lition 2013 Auction of Hope, held on
March 23. Our member congregations
always amaze us with their creativity
and generosity in creating their con-
gregational gifts. This annual auction
raised a record amount to support
homes, healthcare and shelter for all
of our neighbors in need.
Congregational gifts are tradition-
ally some of the most popular items I
our silent and live auctions. 2013 was
no exception. We appreciated your
congregational gift of children’s
books and a garden gift basket. It was
clear that your congregation put much
effort in creating a gift that would ap-
peal to our supporters. Thank you.
The congregational support of the
auction is inspiring. From donating
gifts, to volunteering, to attending,
you, our member congregations are
the backbone of the annual Interfaith
Coalition Hope Auction. Thank you
for coming together for our most vul-
nerable neighbors. Thank you for the
gift of hope.
Laura DeRose Harker
Executive Director
Interfaith Coalition
From our parish nurses
THE ABCs OF HEART HEALTH
The CDC is introducing the Mil-
lion Hearts initiative this year.
Their goal is to prevent a million
heart attacks and strokes over the
next five years. Here are their ABCs
to help keep you healthy.
A: Stands for taking a daily aspirin.
Right now only 47% of the people in
the U.S. who should be doing this are
doing it. It’s definitely beneficial if
you’ve already had a heart attack or
stroke. For people at low risk, it’s not
clear that there is a benefit. To find
your risk score look up million-
hearts.hhs.gov
B: Know your blood pressure and
get it under control. 67 million Amer-
icans have high blood pressure and
most of them don’t have it under con-
trol. A lot of them don’t even know
they have it. For most people, treat-
ing high blood pressure means taking
multiple medications every day for
the rest of their lives. To do this, you
need access to consistent medical care
and the means to buy the medica-
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tions. You should have your blood
pressure checked regularly and fol-
lowed up with proper evaluation and
treatment as needed.
C: Stands for cholesterol. Anyone
who has had a heart attack or stroke
should have cholesterol well within
the healthy range. If it’s not, diet and
exercise can help, but most people
will find it difficult to get cholesterol
within the normal range without tak-
ing statins.
S: Stands for quitting smoking. The
adult smoking rate in the U.S. overall
is about 20%. But it’s still going
down in California and N.Y., which
continue to invest in tobacco control
by making public places smoke-free,
increasing the price of tobacco, and
running hard-hitting antismoking
messages. Washington is also encour-
aging the same.
Also two very important dietary
changes you can do are :
Reduce sodium intake. One way is to
cook for yourself using less salt. And
check food labels for “hidden”
sources of salt. Government and in-
dustry can still do a lot more to re-
duce sodium in the food supply.
Reduce the consumption of artificial
trans fat in processed foods, because
it increases bad cholesterol and reduc-
es good cholesterol. Trans fat is still
present in many food items, unfortu-
nately, including many that are la-
beled as having 0 grams, because the
government allows that label for
foods with less than half a gram per
serving. (adapted from Consumer Reports on
Health, Vol. 24, Number 12)
F i n a l Ta i z é P r a y e r o f t h e S e a s o n
May 26 at 5 p.m.
Our final Taizé Prayer until next
September will be based on a Pente-
cost theme “Come, Holy Spirit, Com-
forter”. In our increasingly violent
world we need the presence of God
more than ever. The Holy Spirit is
God within and among us, empower-
ing, prompting, warning, and com-
forting. The “Hymn For Terce” at-
tributed to St. Ambrose gives expres-
sion to the yearning of our hearts:
Holy Spirit,
Come upon us in this hour without
delay:
Pour out your graces on our souls.
Let tongue and soul and mind and
strength proclaim your praise.
Set our love aflame by the fire of your
love,
And may its warmth enkindle love in
our neighbors.
Empower us with your presence
In the name of Christ. Amen. (Adapted
by Dwight W. Vogel, OSL)
St. Paul’s Taizé Prayers are pre-
sented as a love gift to the communi-
ty and are an excellent means of spir-
itual formation for both those who are
seeking a spirituality as well as per-
sons who are mature in the faith. The
prayers have also become for some a
doorway into St. Paul’s. Our prayers
have been blessed by excellent musi-
cal leadership including choir mem-
bers and instrumentalists.
The Labyrinth will continue to
be available during the summer on
the 4th Sunday of the month from 1
to 4 PM. Come, walk the sacred path.
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Youth News!
On Saturday, April 13, we had a
wonderful workshop and training for
Journey to Adulthood. Led by Heidi
Clark of Leader Resources, we spent
the day learning about the complete
program: from Junior High (Rite-13),
through the early years of high school
(J2A), all the way through the later
high school years (YAC). Heidi
shared her insights and gave us many
laughs. The event was well-attended,
with attendees coming from five dif-
ferent Northwest Washington Parish-
es. Special thanks to Laurel Cook,
Linda Ward, and Julia Findley for the
set-up and clean-up of our delicious
meals!
Have any questions about Jour-
ney to Adulthood? Have a teen who
might want to join in? Please contact
Nicole Pridachuk, our J2A coordina-
tor. [email protected]
Sunday School Volunteers needed
It’s that time of year again! I’m
looking for people who are interested
in volunteering to teach Sunday
School next school year. We ask for a
one year commitment of teaching, at
least, once per month. Training is
provided this summer. If you are in-
terested in being a part of this team,
please contact Lindsay at Lind-
An Introduction to Godly Play
WORKSHOP Saturday, May 11th
9:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
You’ve heard the words “Godly
Play” around this building a lot. But,
do you know what Godly Play is?
Join us for an introductory workshop
to learn about this beloved and amaz-
ing program for our children. The
morning will include an opportunity
to experience, first hand, what Godly
Play has to offer. And the afternoon
will include a series of workshops,
including doorperson training for
teens, a look at what “spiral curricu-
lum” is and how it works in Godly
Play, and a chance to go deeper in
your understanding of what Godly
Play is. Please fill out a registration
form that is included in the infor-
mation brochure to reserve your
space. Reservation forms are availa-
ble on the website. This workshop is
FREE for members of St. Paul’s.
Parent’s Night Out
Our next Parents Night out
will be May 24th from 5-
9pm. Cost is $10/child
with pizza or $5/child with-
out pizza. Enjoy a night out (or in)
without the kids! Email Lindsay to
reserve your space. Lind-
Cartridges for Kids (CFK) This is just a reminder to bring in your
used printer ink cartridges. CFK recy-
cles these cartridges and sends St.
Paul's money that benefits our chil-
dren and youth programs. There is a
collection box in the Great Hall.
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St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 2117 Walnut Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 (360) 733-2890
Website: StPaulsBellingham.org Email: [email protected]
The Rev. Jonathan Weldon, Rector
The Rev. Charles W. Whitmore, Assisting Priest
Robert Morse, Senior Warden
Joanne Clark, People’s Warden Todd Foster, Parish Administrator
Brad Howard, Parish Warden Wade Dingman, Music Director
Jim Beckwith, Treasurer Sharon Casey, Parish Secretary
Diane Moore, Librarian Lindsay Knight, Education Director
Bea Walton, Library Assistant Rocky Champagne, Facilities Manager
Bev Baldwin, “Messenger” Editor Alex/Svetlania Polishchuk, Housekeeping
Clip this out or make yourself a note!
St. Paul’s has NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES!
Church office: [email protected] Fr. Jonathan Weldon: [email protected] Fr. Chuck Whitmore: [email protected] Wade Dingman: [email protected] Lindsay Knight: [email protected] Newsletter/Messenger: [email protected] Website: [email protected] Facility/Operations Manager, Todd Foster:
Save these dates! July 22 to 26! Vacation Bible School
9 AM to Noon. Look for more details in your Sunday bulletins and next month’s Messenger.
DEADLINE for the combined JUNE/JULY issue of St. Paul’s Messenger
will be Noon on Monday, May 20th. Please remember to use the above