THE GABRIEL
Parish Newsletter for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church May 10, 2021
Calendar Reminders
May 15 9:30-11:30 am AA Meeting
May 16 11:00 am St. Paul’s On-Line Worship Service—FaceBook Live https://www.facebook.com/StPaulsJeff /live_videos/
May 20 6:30 Vestry Mtg Basement
MAY 23 PENTECOST/REOPENING 10:15 AM HOLY EUCHARIST
In-Person Service Streamed live on FaceBook
Washington Cathedral on line 11:15 am and 7:30 pm daily: https://cathedral.org/worship/
Collect for Seventh Sunday of Easter (May 16th)
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory
everlasting. Amen.
The Lessons: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19; Psalm 1
1
OUR PARISH PRAYERS:
Deacon: Rejoicing in the mighty acts of God, who has given his people new life and hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Let us lift our voices and pray,
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us give thanks to God for the multitude of blessings he showers upon us: For our lives and for those whom we love,
For the beauty of this earth God has created for us,
For our families and our friendships,
Let us give thanks to the God of Life. Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for the Church, that it may carry forward the caring works of God:
For our clergy and our bishops Michael, Jennifer, and Mauricio; In the diocesan cycle of prayer we pray for St. John’s, Washington--The Rev. Dennis Latta. We also pray for our own faith community of St. Paul’s, for our vestry, and all the people of God. We pray that our work here may be life-giving for others and for us, and that the Holy Spirit will guide us to those for whom our community would be life-giving.
For the many lay people who serve through the church, And who serve God’s people in the world.
For those gathered here in worship and prayer.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for all the baptized, that the joy of Easter may ever grow within them, and that the Spirit may guide them in lives of active faith.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for the nations and peoples of the world, that the powers that oppress and destroy may decline. That through us and others who follow Jesus, justice, peace, and prosperity may be lifted up.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for those who are sick, those who suffer. We pray especially for Virginia, Beverly, Juanita, Gwen, Mary Sue, Delani, Nan, David & Michele, Patricia, Sonny, John, Fred, Laura and Michael. Tend the sick, give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous and help us minister to them in your love.
those who struggle:
and who have died,
That the hope born of Easter give peace, acceptance and renewal,
2
And that through their struggles they may come into closer communion with the God
who redeems and restores. Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for those of our church family who are away, especially for Jackie and Mike in Florida.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer
Let us pray for the remission and forgiveness of our sins and offenses; that we may receive God’s mercy and forgiveness and share it with those who have offended against us.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
FROM THE GABRIEL TEAM:
ONLINE MORNING PRAYER SERVICES: The next service will begin Sunday,
May 16th at 11:00 am. It will be on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/StPaulsJeff/live_videos/
Please join us, during or after the service, and tell others about the service. Also check YouTube for videos of past services: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCynD2CNlCMbJ5YOb1Euce5Q.
ST. PAUL’S IS REOPENING FOR IN-PERSON SERVICES!! The diocese has approved our reopening plan and our first in-person service will be at 10:15 am on Sunday, May 23rd. We will continue to broadcast our live morning service at 10:15 am from that date, rather than the present time of 11:00 am. Many thanks to Charles Renne, Dennis and Charlene, who have worked to install our new technology for broadcasting from the sanctuary. There is still much to be done to get ready, so please be prepared to assist where needed. Our reopening plan is at the end of this newsletter.
VACCINE REPORT REMINDER: THANK YOU to all who have reported in! To those who have not yet been vaccinated, please remember to let us know when you have been able to receive your vaccination. Our record of those vaccinated is excellent.
MANY THANKS for your continued faithful responses to the need for funds. We all will appreciate your prayers and contributions.
3
PARISH OFFICE HOURS : MTWF 10:00-4:30 and Thurs 10:00 to 1:00 pm.
If you have something you’d like to add to the next newsletter (including a brief update on what you and/or your family have been doing since last we met together), please email the team at stpaulsjeff@gmail.com by Sunday afternoon. Please put “newsletter” in the subject line.
Our “Garden Angel”
This past week Phyllis, Charles and Marylee were working in the office when we noticed that a strange man kept walking back and forth outside. When he had been there some time, our curiosity got the best of us and Marylee went out to ask who he was, and what he was doing. We all were amazed and blessed to learn the answer. Our strange visitor was weeding the yard and planted areas, generally seeing to the appearance of our property. Turns out he does this for a few of the churches in our downtown area on a regular basis and has done so for the past couple of years. We now realize he was responsible for planting flowers outside the parish hall last year—an act that left us stymied at the time. He did tell his name but asked that he be allowed to remain anonymous. He wants his gift to be done for God, and through Him for the churches and their membership. A “Garden Angel” indeed! Thank you, sir, for the beauty you have given us through your work, and through your intention.
The Covid-19 Report May 2nd 2021
From Kim Hedges
These are the numbers for Clark County, Indiana: +The recommended positivity rate is 5%.
+The recommended infection rate is 0.3.
Date
Cumulative Positivity Rate
Infection Rate
CoV Dashboard /100K
Vaccinated % 1st
2nd
3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 May
4.4% 0.90% 10.3 Med Med High
4.8% 1.03% 14.9 Med Med High
4.8% 1.02% 15.1 Med Med High
5.0% 1.03% 15.3 Med Med High
4.8% 1.03% 14.5 Med Med High
4.8% 1.01% 12.2 Med Med High
3.4% 1.01% 12.7 Med Med High
40.0% 34.7%
40.1% 34.8%
40.1% 35.0%
40.3% 35.5%
40.5% 36.0%
40.6% 36.1%
40.8% 36.4%
4
The Prayer Chapel
Now that we have moved back to the nave/sanctuary for our Sunday morning services and broadcasts, the Prayer Chapel has been restored to its original purpose: a quiet place for prayer and meditation, and a place to honor those whose ashes have been interred in the Columbarium. Feel free to visit and take advantage of this quiet place of restoration!
Erin Hill Video for your enjoyment:
https://youtu.be/zrTXThl3AkI
FROM DEACON JIM: SERMON FROM SUNDAY, April 25th What To Make Of It All?
Paths Forward 1 John 5:1-6 Acts 10:44-48
Welcome to the Sixth Sunday of Easter. It’s been almost 50 days since Christ rose from the grave and for almost 50 days we’ve been exploring what it means to ‘Live Into’ the Resurrection of our Lord and as these 50 days are coming to an end we look forward to the day of Pentecost, two weeks from now, when the Holy Spirit will come to us in a miracle of wind and fire, giving birth to Christ’s Church, the Body of Believers. And if we look in the mirror we see that by the Resurrection of Christ we, too, have been resurrected; we no longer see ourselves as ‘disciples’ sitting at the feet of Jesus; we now see ourselves as ‘apostles’ given the gifts and the charge to spread the Good News to those we meet, whomever they are, wherever they may be.
The Gospel readings these past few weeks have featured the magnificent words of John;
rich, fulfilling, sustaining words that define our belief, verses that speak the very essence of
5
our faith, sublime in their comfort, astounding in their truth. But as Post-Resurrection ‘Disciples turned Apostles,’ we see that in these 50 days between the Resurrection and Pentecost there is crackling energy and amazing power in our other weekly Scripture readings, and I’m referring these past few weeks to the 1st Letter of John (not John’s Gospel, two completely different pieces) and the Acts of the Apostles. Taken together, these readings re-define our purpose and potential in a Post-Resurrection world.
The letters of John take us to a small faith community, probably within Israel, probably early in the 2nd Century, long before the Bible had been formalized, long before John’s Gospel (again, the letters of John, the Gospel of John... two different texts, two different authors) took its place beside Matthew, Mark and Luke in the brand new New Testament. We can imagine this small band of believers, huddled together as they faced persecution from the Jewish society they’d separated themselves from now facing internal division over just what it is they were asked to believe. Did Jesus really rise from the dead? As non-intuitive as that question seems at that time the issue had not been fully answered. Was he really the Son of God? We sense confusion and dissension in these verses, and we sense the desire of the writer, who was most probably an elder member of the community respected for his wisdom, to instruct his community in matters of faith and keep them together at the same time. Remember, it took hundreds of years to go from Jesus the man to Jesus the religion and we’re privileged in these letters to witness a microcosm of those growing pains. As a faith community on the corner of Walnut and Market Is there anything we can learn from the problems faced by the good folks in 1st John? Can we understand how difficult it is sometimes to be a part of a community where people approach things differently, where they disagree, sometimes angrily? Can we see beyond the problems to the potential?
The Acts of the Apostles, on the other hand, present us with an entirely different Christian experience. Here we see the twelve Disciples turned Apostles as they recover from the Crucifixion and Resurrection of their Lord and Master and, now empowered by the Holy Spirit, go out into the world to fearlessly spread the Good News to any and all. We see Peter, once the stalwart but stumbling disciple, by the presence of the Holy Spirit live into the identity given him by Jesus himself, Peter, the ‘Rock’ upon which the Church is being built. We see him confidently speaking before the seats of power, performing healing miracles in Jesus’ name, converting people by the thousands. God is giving notice through the Apostles that the growth and spread of the Church will not be defeated. Last week, the reading from Acts related an act that would’ve shocked Jewish and Christian communities alike, Phillip baptizing outside the faith, in this case an Ethiopian eunuch. Think about it; wrong skin color, wrong sexuality, wrong religious upbringing, no formal training, yet because of his desire he is welcomed into the Body. What’s going on here? Is the world suddenly shifting on its axis? What wild and untamed energy seems to surround these guys, an unfathomable power channeled through them by none other than the Holy Spirit. Now, listen to today’s reading:
‘When Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even upon the Gentiles. Then Peter said, Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy
6
Spirit just as we have? So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.’
Again, can you feel the electricity in these words? They literally jump off the page. Can you feel the power of God’s will opening the faith from Jesus the Messiah to Jesus Light of the World!? The possibilities contained in this new and uncurbed energy are far beyond the capabilities of people; it’s obvious the Holy Spirit is in charge here; it’s an aura and an energy that will inspire and protect the Apostles through hair-raising adventures and times of great peril.
Obviously, we could’ve gone into a lot more detail with any one of these passages, but today I’m asking that we look at the larger picture and consider all scriptures together; although the Gospel and the Letter from 1st John and the story from Acts and, yes, even the Psalm all differ in tone and content, they combine to give believers suddenly facing the challenges in a Post-Resurrection world an incredible amount of support and reason for hope. The Gospel is the Good News, the sustaining, nourishing grounding of our faith. The lovely poetry in the Psalms comforts us. The Epistle reading takes us inside a real faith community that we might understand and learn from the problems and possibilities inherent in joining together with others in a common faith expression. And the Book of Acts inspires us with what even one person can do in the witnessing of God’s love to others.
Now, it’s easy to look forward to the incredible challenges in an increasingly non-Christian world and become overwhelmed by the sheer size of our mission, to go out in the World and proclaim Christ’s Resurrection. We ask ourselves if there are indeed mountains too tall to climb, oceans too wide to cross, problems too complex to tackle. Our faith tells us that in just a few days Jesus will ascend into heaven to sit at the Right Hand of God, and with him goes God the Son, the man Jesus, and what once perhaps comforted us, the thought of Jesus gently knocking on the door to our hearts or walking peacefully through the Galilean hills, perhaps those images now fail to calm our fears or steady our nerves. Do we feel alone, isolated, unequipped for the work ahead? Do we feel abandoned as we cast around for spiritual strength? In those times of doubt we must think beyond the comforting reassurance of the man Jesus to the irresistible strength of the Holy Spirit; that’s the power at work in us and the World right now. We must visualize and take ownership of the Holy Spirit’s ability to move mountains and move people. We must visualize and take ownership of the enormous power of the Holy Spirit working through us. Yes, God comes to us as a still, small voce but he also is liable to come like a whirlwind and we need to allow for that in our spiritual lives. It’s like the tornado in the Wizard of Oz that picks up Dorothy and her house and sets them down in a new reality, a different reality, a reality that no doubt takes us out of our comfort zones and challenges our faith and our courage; ‘Yes, Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore!’ but even in a post-COVID reality where there will most certainly be a ‘new normal’ there is still the protective aura of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and with it comes the self-confidence and focus and strength to effect change in a world still God’s Creation.
On behalf of the Vestry it is my privilege to announce that St. Paul’s will once again open its red doors to gathered worship two weeks from today, May 23rd, the celebration of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit. By God’s grace, what was virtual will now become personal
7
and all are invited to put on their masks and join us. Father John Allen will celebrate the Eucharist, God’s eternal feast for us, and what a day of rejoicing it will be. But in the next two weeks we need to prepare; we’ve been apart for 14 months and the ties that bind us together have become strained. We need to Rejoice Always, Pray Without Ceasing, and Give Thanks in All Circumstances for that is God’s will for us! We need to draw strength from the tools God has given us in this Post-Resurrection time; the Good News of the Gospel, the loveliness of the Psalms, the lessons learned from a sister faith community, even one 2,000 years ago, and the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us and for us and for those to whom we proclaim God’s ultimate miracle:
Alleluia, Alleluia! The Lord Is Risen Indeed!
Let us pray for the Unity of the Church:
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one gift and bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [BCP P.818]
....even in a post-COVID reality where there will most certainly be a ‘new normal’ there is still the protective aura of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and with it comes the self- confidence and focus and strength to effect change in a world still God’s Creation.
---Rev. James Stanton, Deacon May 9, 2021
REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, GIVE THANKS IN ALL
CIRCUMSTANCES,
FOR THAT IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOU!
Quote for the Week:
8
A Reopening Plan for St. Paul's, Jeffersonville Projected Opening Date: Pentecost, May 23, 2021
(Subject to acceptance of this plan and favorable Clark County Covid Metrics)
St . Paul's Jeff is committed to reopening its space for in-person worship in a manner that is safe, consistent with diocesan protocols and sensitive to community health metrics. In conjunction with the Reopening Guideli nes, Version 5, April 7, 2021, Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis, the following plan is submitted for the Bishop's approval.
â—As fresh air flow throughout the sanctuary is of primary importance in mitigating the dangers of an airborne virus, the following steps will be taken :
• St. Paul ' s has an HVAC inspection scheduled for April 26.
• Air Conditioning will be operated as needed. Filters will be changed regularly.
• St. Paul's windows will not open but it has doors at three of the four corners of
the Sanctuary. These doors will be open at all times.
• Ceiling Fans will be on during the service.
• Floor Fans will be placed at entrances to the sanctuary and set up to direct a
consistent airflow to enter and exit the building.
• Other Considerations?
â—Building Use and Cleanliness
• Building spaces include the Sanctuary, Parish Hall and the Restrooms off the Parish Hall. The Kitchen will not be immediately available for use and in fact will need substantial maintenance work prior to use.
• Our sexton is experienced and will follow the spirit of the 'st andard cleaning efforts' as stated in Version 5.
• Hand sanitizer will be available at entrances and in pews.
â—AA will continue to meet in the Parish Hall following Version 5 guidelines.
Signage is deemed an important part of Building Use and will include the following: [ list signs of all kinds that need to be created and posted, cards with pertinent info, etc. ] The following general precautions will be taken each time the Sanctuary is used :
• Services will be open to all people, whether vaccinated or not . At present,
virtually 100% of our at-risk population has received both shots. A list of
vaccinated members is on fil e.
• All people will be encouraged to enter and exit through the main entrance.
Exceptions will be made for those needing to access the Sanctuary using the ramp.
9
• Masks will be required. A supply of masks will be available at the main entrance to the sanctuary . Persons resisting masks will be asked to worship with us online .
• Social distancing will be required. Our worship space can easily accommodate 30-35 persons (our normal attendance) with sufficient distancing so reservations for worship will not be required.
• Offering plates will be placed close to one or more of the entrances. Offering will not be taken up during the service.
• Paper Bulletins will be placed on tables at the entrances.
• Ushers and greeters will be friendly but will avoid physical contact.
• We will follow the Version 5 Guidelines as they refer to hymnals, BCPs, bulletins,
etc.
• Vestry meetings will continue to be in-person following mask and social distance protocols.
â—Covid Contact Tracing Protocol: a dated sign -in sheet will be available at all entrances and will be kept on file in case Contact Tracing is required .
â—Online Worship
• St. Paul's will institute a hybrid Sunday Worship service, combining in-person worship with Facebook Live streaming and the posting of our services on our website.
• Zoom will continue to be used for our Prayer Gro up , Bible St udy , Celtic Worship Service and other groups where appro priat e.
â—Communion, Baptism, Music: Version 5 Guidelines and Protocols will be followed.
â—Programs: St. Paul's will begin with in-person Sunday Eucharists or Morning Prayer. Other programs such as Adult Forums will be added as they are able to be done safely.
â—Publicizing the Reopening Plan : The approved Reopening Plan will be mailed to all
members and published in our church newsletter The Gabriel. Submitted April 18, 2012 by the Reopening Committee :
• Walker K. McCulloch, Sr. Warden
• Luke Stifler, Jr . Warden
• Charlene McAndrews
• Patricia Harding
• Ben Sapp
10
Attachment 1
April 9, 2021
Jennifer Phelps, Transition Minister 1100 W 42nd St.
Indianapolis, Indiana 46208
Dear Jen,
We are writing to ask for your assistance as we are in the planning stages for reopening our church, and have the following needs:
•
•
A long-term supply priest. Just prior to the COVID close down, we had interviewed Whit Stodghill for the possibility of having her fill this position. We are in no financial situation to pay a full- or even a part-time priest, and had determined that a long-term supply priest would work best for us. It appears that Whit is not willing to take that position, so we need for you to send someone to us. Since our Deacon is retiring as of July 1 this year, this is even more urgent than before.
Assistance with the transition process as it will include the reopening process. We have the latest edition of the reopening guidelines from the bishop, and just need some guidance and encouragement on this process. Meanwhile, our Reopening Team will be meeting Sunday, April 11th at noon to formulate a reopening submission to the Diocese.
We would be grateful for any and all assistance you can give us. We seem to be the only church in town that is not open now, and we are ready. Almost all our regular members are fully vaccinated, and we have a sexton who regularly cleans and disinfects the church. We are able to prop doors open to allow fresh air to enter the building. We do not have a choir, but our organist can provide music for the service. We are in the process of upgrading our technology in order to continue live broadcasts of our Sunday morningservice. Andthisisonlythebeginning.
Pleaseletushearfromyouassoonaspossible. Thankyouforyourassistance. In His Name,
W.K. McCulloch, Sr. Warden
WALNUT & MARKET STREETS â– JEFFERSONVILLE , INDIANA 47130 â– (812) 282-1108
11
Attachment 2
What:
•
Why:
• •
• • •
•
How:
• • •
•
•
Holy Conversations
A series of three discussions (or one longer conversation) about who you are as a parish , which involve telling the stories about:
• What you value
• Moments of hurt or disappointment
• Your dreams for the future of the Cathedral, and your commitments toward
helping bring those into reality
We are people of the story- we find our story in scripture, and God' s story in our lives Part of the work of your search is to tell the clearest story you can about who you are, as you discern who will be called as your next dean and rector
Table conversations with people who might not yet know each other well can help
break down what separates us and grow together as a stronger congregation Telling our stories honestly and listening respectfully can bring healing and reconciliation
Recognizing the patterns in narratives can help the search committee identify consistencies in: the gifts and challenges of Christ Church Cath edral, the skills and abilities most necessary in your next dean and rector
This is a transparent process of data collection: people at the tables tell the stories and make notes on handouts (including their names), search committee (and vestry?) members at each table record qualities on newsprint, qualities are shared in open conversation, newsprint and handouts are used by search committee as data to include in parish profile, OTM portfolio responses
Three 1 1⁄2 -hour discussions (or one long afternoon) One-two search committee/vestry member(s) per table
Parishioners sit at tables not with spouses/bffs/fellow ministry members - each
table should be as intentionally diverse as possible
Facilitator (KW) guide s the conversation : plenary, breakout conversations, report back... Search committee retains all materials for use in drafting profile & OTM portfolio
12
