st. mary's in the hills may newsletter
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St. Mary's In The Hills May NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
Easter greeting parish,
What a wonderful time of year it
is. There are little green things
poking up in the gardens outside
my office. Birds are dive-
bombing each other. The south
breezes bring humidity that feels
good on winter-dried skin. My
favourite though, is that I can
smell soil. I know that may
seem peculiar. Why would anyone take joy in sniffing dirt?
But to me the smell of soil tells me the frost has gone. The
earth is getting ready to bloom! What a glorious Halleluiah
it is when flowers open, the grass turns green again, and
the trees bud and flower. I feel better too when I can go
outside and take in long deep breaths of perfumed air. I
feel like I’ve shaken off the dank, colorless dormancy of win-
ter and am alive again. I wonder if that’s what it was like
for Jesus when he came out of the dark, cold tomb on Easter
morning.
Lent and Easter are perfect opposites, and the change from
one to the other is dramatic and quick. We spend a lot of
time and energy making Lent the penitential season it is.
It starts with the big event of Ash Wednesday, then ends
with the epic Holy Week. Easter, on the other hand, begins
with a bang – or a holy noise as we do it here – then kind of
May 2013
From Rev. Laurel From Rev. Laurel 1
From the Deacon’s
Bench
3
Liturgy 6
Icons Class 6
Garden Invite 7
Crossroads Volun-
teers Needed
7
The Easy Readers 8
2013 CROP Hun-
ger Walk
10
Spring Clean-up 12
Inside this issue:
Glad
Tidings
ebbs off. Easter is 10 days longer than Lent, which tells us that we’re called to
celebrate the risen Lord longer than we acknowledge his suffering. But do we? I
find myself wondering if we spend as much time celebrating our liberation in
Easter as we do acknowledging our wretchedness in Lent?
There ought to be a flip side to the coin of Lenten disciplines. Maybe we eat a
little more chocolate on Easter Sunday to make up for what we gave up during
Lent, but what about the rest of the 49 days? I think in general, people are bet-
ter at acknowledging their own wretchedness than showcasing how God has gift-
ed us. It feels too much like tooting our own horn, conceitedness, narcissism, and
ego centric behavior. And it is, when it’s removed from the fact that all we are
and all we are capable of doing is a gift from God. To assert that God’s love for
us is actually self-generating would indeed be conceited, narcissistic, and all
those other things. It would also be sinful along the lines of blasphemy. Paul
tells us, in his letter to the Ephesians, ―For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result
of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what [God] has made us, created
in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of
life‖ (Ephesians 2:8-10). In what ways can you celebrate daily, Christ’s gift to
you of salvation?
The purpose of Lent is to bring us to a place where we can receive the many gifts
of Christ’s resurrection. We do this using a variety of Lenten disciplines. Surely
there is some kind of spiritual discipline thank you note for it. Are we like
spoiled children on Christmas morning who unwrap a long-awaited-for gift and
then set it aside to unwrap the next one? I would be eager to try some daily
Easter spiritual discipline that brings Christians to the feet of our Lord the way
Lenten disciplines do. Perhaps the springtime world is on to something with the
daily flowering of new plants and trees that goes on and on and gets better and
better as we move toward summer.
May God shower you with blessings as the rain waters the springtime soil. And
may you blossom in the gifts that you have been given through Christ or Lord.
L+
PAGE 2 GLAD TIDINGS May 2013
From the Deacon’s Bench Dear Friends,
Certain memories don’t fade away with time; some of these are not really
all that big in terms of life events. One that pops into my mind every once in a
while is an interaction that occurred on the first day of my elective gym class
(Social Dance) the spring of my senior year in college [I hereby admit scholarly
quests were not on my calendar that quarter]. Nervous and shy, I stood by oth-
ers who were nervous, and the instructor, said to me, ―Come up here, Miss.‖ I
did, and he took me onto the gym floor, instructed the person to start the record
player [no media players, iPods, back then; these things played discs of black vi-
nyl!] The music started; he told me to relax and to follow him; then, he told the
class, and me, how he would guide my movement with gentle pushes from his
palm placed on my back near my side…well, you get the idea. When it was over,
and I had died a thousand deaths, fearing I’d walk all over his toes and insteps
though I didn’t once, he thanked me and said that I was a good follower because I
relaxed and gave up control.
Now if my family or certain co-workers, employees, or friends heard that,
they’d have a hard time believing it as I learned early that success in today’s
world comes to the independent, self-sufficient person. It wasn’t until I was older
that I learned independence is not the ultimate goal; interdependence is. Oh, one
has to become independent before one can achieve interdependence. Every rela-
tionship I have enjoyed and grown into became interdependent, that is reciprocal.
They did not all begin that way, but that’s where they are heading or are now.
For example, while I was in the hospital for all those weeks and even after I came
home for rehabilitation, I discovered what a great, capable, and reliable partner
my husband is! My pride, my independence, and my need to take care (read con-
trol) of things blinded me to his many talents not only as caregiver, provider, and
family man, but I realized I had stolen his opportunity to do these things for me,
for others, for himself. My healing was not only from the cancer surgeries but
from acute and damaging independence. I thank God for my life’s partner. I am
not proud to admit that even in situations where I found myself partnering with
God, I think I pretty much outright said or at least implied, ―It’s okay, God; I’ve
got this one.‖ I took the lesson—God helps those who help themselves—to heart.
Relationships can sour, dwindle, or suffocate in such an atmosphere. Dancing
PAGE 3 GLAD TIDINGS May 2013
will not happen.
Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, said, ―Life is a spiritual dance
and that our unseen partner has steps to teach us if we will allow ourselves to be
led. The next time you are restless, remind yourself it is the universe asking
'Shall we dance?‖
It was here, at St. Mary’s, during Lent in the middle 1990’s, I attended a study of
Julian of Norwich’s writings and her relationship with God. The study’s name
was based on a book about her called All Will be Well. It was through this study,
I felt and knew God was asking me to dance. Through her, I realized that God
yearns for me as much as I yearn for God. There was God’s work to be done, and
God was asking me, Marlyn, to work, yes to dance, for God, with God. The Joy
that entered my being that day has not left me. Have I stumbled? Tried to lead?
Not listened to the music? My Minnesota self says, ―You bet cha!‖ Yet, I keep on
trying to follow God’s direction, the push of God’s palm, the feel of God’s step.
Never, not once, has God left me on the dance floor alone.
Here I am, and here are you. We are invited to the dance. God yearns for
us as we yearn for God. CROP Walk is about to happen. See God walking to
eliminate poverty in the world. See the poor walking, and see God walking. God
is there in our neighbors both near and far; God is in us. Look, there is God!
See her crossing the parking lot, burdened by the load of worry she carries and
how she is barely able to hang on to her child’s wanting hand. Oh, and over
there, see God crying because he’s just received word his brother, his best friend,
died. Ah, there’s God running to help the woman with burden as you reach for
her child’s hand, and there is God again, walking up to you and wrapping God’s
arm around you as you weep for your friend.
Let Jesus lead you on to the floor, accept God’s invitation to the dance,
and with the Spirit dance until God’s work is done and the only resounding music
is God’s love that rings in our minds, hearts, and souls.
May it be so, Deacon Marlyn
PAGE 4 GLAD TIDINGS May 2013
We continue our
Easter season in
May, so make
your Alleluias
loud and bright.
The 8:30 congre-
gation is doing a
wonderful job
intoning the Eu-
charistic Pray-
ers. Well done everyone. What a won-
derful way to highlight the season!
Sunday, May 12 is Mother’s Day, and
we will have a special recognition of
the moms in our community.
Sunday, May 19 is Pentecost, and we’ll
have a special event to celebrate the in
-breaking of the Holy Spirit, the birth-
PAGE 6 GLAD TIDINGS May 2013
A 4-part course on Iconography will be offered in May. This
is free and open to the public. The course covers such
things as writing and reading icons, symbology, and histori-
cal and contemporary icons. Evening meetings will be
Tuesday May 21 from 7-8p; Thursday May 23, from 7-8p;
Tuesday May 28, from 7-8p; and Thursday May 30 from 7-
8p.
Liturgy day of the Church, and our mission for
the Kingdom of Heaven. Bring your
friends.
The Season after Pentecost will bring
some changes to our liturgy. We will
resume the Confession and Absolution.
We’ll use Eucharistic Prayer A. Since
this is a long season, we may change
up the Eucharistic Prayer so that we
don’t slip into automatic praying.
There are also several special services
that will take place for such things as
Independence Day, Father’s Day,
something for back-to-school, and oth-
ers.
Icons Class
Got Sandwiches??
It's time once again to start thinking
about Crossroads. We will be heading
downtown on June 9Th this year. I
anticipate that we will have to make
about 2,000 sandwiches and 120 gal-
lons of soup to feed approximately
1,000 people. To be sure, it is a task
that will require a lot of helping hands.
We need two crews of people. Each
crew must have about 16 people. Some
people may want to stay the entire
day, but others will want to help with
the prep work in the morning from
8:30 until about 11:30 and some may
want to be there to serve the meals to
our guests from 11:30 until a little af-
ter 3:00. In addition, we will prep all of
the vegetables on the morning of the
8Th at the church. Four or five people
will be needed for that task.
If you have questions, please contact
me at 248 628-4428.
A sign up sheet will appear in the fel-
lowship hall soon!
Bobbi Patton
Crossroads Volunteers Needed
The Garden Group invites you to spend time with us, on Thursday morning,
April 25th, from 10:00 – noon, working in our parish gardens. We met on April
11th to plan the upcoming season and enjoy a potluck luncheon. In addition to our
returning, dedicated gardeners from last few years, this year we have three new
parishioners joining us. Inspired by the Book Group, we have chosen a name for
ourselves - The Easy Weeders. We will begin our season by cutting back the orna-
mental grasses, weeding, and tidying up the beds. Bring your own garden tools, if
you have them, and a container for weeds. If you don’t have any garden tools, or
even any knowledge of gardening, join us anyway! We’ll show you what to do on
the second and fourth Thursday mornings of the next five months, through Octo-
ber 10th. Our meeting dates will be on the website calendar. Contact Susan Suter
with questions at 248-620-6524.
PAGE 7 GLAD TIDINGS May 2013
Garden Invite
The Easy Readers, the St. Mary’s book group, have selected The Meaning of
Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity, by Cyn-
thia Bourgeault, for our May meeting, and our last book of this season.
Mary Magdalene is one of the most influential symbols in the history of Christi-
anity, yet, if you look in the Bible, you’ll find only a handful of verses that speak
of her. How did she become such a compelling saint in the face of such paltry evi-
dence? In her effort to answer that question, Cynthia Bourgeault, an Episcopal
priest, author, lecturer, and leader of workshops and retreats across the U.S.,
examines the Bible, church tradition, art, legend, and newly discovered texts to
see what is there. Was Jesus’ most important disciple a woman? This book is a
thoughtful and provocative analysis of the evidence. The Most Rev. Dr.
Katharine Jefferts Schiori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, wrote of
this book, “A remarkable invitation into the origins and wisdom of Christianity,
through the apostolic witness of Mary Magdalene. Expect a challenge, perhaps
more than you’re ready for. This book should change something, as it invites you
to deepen your capacity for love, through the witness of Jesus’s beloved disci-
ple.” (From Amazon.com book review)
Pick up a copy of the book and meet with us on Tuesday, May 21st, at noon, for
lunch and discussion at a member’s home. Join us even if you haven’t read the
book - our review may trigger an interest in reading it, after all!
We will not be meeting during the months of June, July, and August. Our Sep-
tember selection is Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett. It tells the tale of a 12th-
century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic
cathedral the world has ever known in 12th century feudal England. Says a re-
viewer, ―The research was excellent, the characters are engaging, and the story
moves at a surprisingly quick pace for a novel of this length.‖ At 973 pages, it
will make a good summertime read.
Please contact Susan Suter with your questions.
PAGE 8 GLAD TIDINGS May 2013
The Easy Readers
Spring is here! It is time to put away
the snow boots and take out your walk-
ing shoes and start training for the
31st Annual Lake Orion/Oxford Area
CROP Hunger Walk. The Walk has
been scheduled for Sunday, May 5.
CROP Hunger Walks are community-
wide events sponsored by Church
World Service (CWS) and organized by
local congregations, raising funds and
awareness to combat hunger at home
and around the world. Visit
www.churchworldservice.org to see
how you are making a difference.
The following are some of the ways the
money raised has helped overcome pov-
erty:
1. Have you ever found something
floating in your glass of water?
It’s enough to make you sick,
isn’t it?
But sickness from dirty water is no
joke. More than 3.5 million people die
each year from waterborne illnesses;
that’s more people than live in Chicago
and Detroit combined. Across South-
east Asia, CWS provides families with
a simple sand filter made from local
sources that traps about 98.5% of pol-
lution, making the water safer to
drink. Last year alone our Walk raised
$23,755. This is enough to supply
PAGE 10 GLAD TIDINGS May 2013
2013 CROP Hunger Walk 1,187 filters to communities and fami-
lies. Next time you drink a glass of
water, think about the lives saved by
clean water made possible by our
Walk.
2. Have you ever struggled to com-
plete a project because you did-
n’t have the right tool?
Whether you are working on a home-
improvement or a sewing project, the
right tool can make all the difference
in the success of the job. Refugees liv-
ing in urban areas around the world
have the skills and desire to work but
often lack the necessary tools for such
trades as carpentry, plumbing, tailor-
ing, and embroidery. Providing such
tools complements the skills CWS
teaches, helping refugees find jobs to
support their families and integrate
into the new countries they will call
home. The Walk has raised enough
money to help roughly 11,000 refugees
secure the ―tools‖ to overcome their
own poverty.
3. How many of you would not be
able to perform your job or
many everyday tasks if you
couldn’t read?
For many of the more than 507 million
women worldwide who can’t read, liter-
acy is the difference between getting a
job and going hungry. Over the past
two years the Walk raised $42,096.
That is enough money to provide clas-
ses for 1,680 women!
4. Take a second and try to think
about the last time you were
hungry. I mean REALLY hun-
gry.
For many people around the world
hunger is a daily reality. The stakes
are even higher in disasters. Rather
than spending vital resources to ship
food across great distances, the CWS
Emergency Food Package uses sources
as close as possible to those in need. It
saves money and makes sure what is
provided is culturally appropriate and
nutritional. Over the past five years,
the Walk has raised $88,242. That is
enough to feed over 800 families of 5
for whole month.
5. Have you ever held a baby in
your arms and dreamed of her
or his future?
Proper nutrition is critical during a
child’s first thousand days of life, mak-
ing the difference between healthy de-
velopment and life-long physical prob-
lems for those who do survive. Last
year, the Walk raised $23,755. This
would provide a yearlong supply of mi-
cronutrients and vitamins for 2,639
babies and toddlers.
6. Walk monies also address hun-
PAGE 11 GLAD TIDINGS May 2013
ger and poverty right here in
the Lake Orion and Oxford are-
as.
Oxford FISH and Love INC each share
in 25% of the funds (Oxford Fish 15%
and Love INC 10%). Since the Walk in
1983, the amount of funds allocated to
local hunger-fighting needs here in our
community through the Walk is over
$137,700.
The CROP Hunger Walk does all these
things and more. Being a CROP Walk
Hunger Team Member makes a critical
difference in the lives of people who
live on the very edge of existence. Eri-
ka West (248-894-7154), and Deb Lun-
ney (248-391-0852) and I are the re-
cruiters this year for St. Mary’s. Our
goal this year is $3,000. Please see us
and sign up to be part of our team to
walk.
Please consider walking, strolling, or
jogging the 6.2 miles or do the shorter
route that is only 2 miles. If you are
unable to walk but would like to par-
ticipate, feel free to make a donation or
sponsor one of our walkers. Every lit-
tle bit helps. It is amazing what a
community of churches can accomplish
when we all work together in the name
of Christ.
God’s Peace,
Maxine Henderson (248-393-1906)
ST. MARY’S IN -THE-HILLS
EPISCOPAL CHURCH 2512 Joslyn Ct.
Lake Orion Mi. 48360 (248) 391-0663
Spring Clean-up Get your garden gloves, garden tools, mops, buck-
ets, and dust clothes and get ready for the Annual
Spring Clean-up. This year, the clean-up date will
be April 28, 2013 following the 10:00 AM service.
We will also serve lunch afterward, so bring your
appetite after working for a few hours.
Please join the Property Committee for this event
and help St. Mary's.
Thanks in advance!
The Property Committee