GRAINS OF SAND October 6, 2009
GRAINS OF SAND
October 6, 2009
VICAR’S MESSAGE
The past several months some of us have been putting a good amount of time and thought into our Peace and Justice efforts at St. Andrew’s. Now that we are back in our building, and the renovation is behind us, it’s essential that we turn out attention and energy outward to to offer God’s healing love locally and globally. It’s not that we didn’t during our building project. Remember collecting the 100 Gifts for our 100th Anniversary - that were given to local women begin their lives again after coming out of abusive relationships. Remember the 5K Walk/Run last December — where we raised over $6000 to help sustain elementary schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Central Asian Institute - directed by Greg Mortenson who wrote Three Cups of Tea). Remember the lunches we made and took to CHUM, so those without homes and food like we have, would have a meal on a day when local agencies were not serving food. The teens still raised money for the homeless, and spent a chilly night last Fall on the lawns of St. Scholastica, sleeping out to raise awareness of homelessness in our city. Remember the Pennies for Peace project our Tweens did last Fall? Remember collecting shoes - Soles4Souls?
Most of us at St. Andrew’s live fairly comfortable lives - which gives us an opportunity to offer others out of our wealth, some of the basics that we enjoy every day (a home, food on the table, nice clothes to wear, easy transportation). The Gospel of Jesus (the Way of Christ) continually calls us to pray, reflect and act - as Christians. Praying and reflecting are the easy parts. The acting can be a challenge. That is why we have a Peace and Justice Group at St. Andrew’s — to offer us opportunities to act together as a community of faith, walking in the Way of Jesus.
This year, we are beginning a new focus. The theme is: FOOD and WATER: QUENCH and SUSTAIN. This theme is so broad and has so many implications for reflection and action, that we could go until our 200th Anniversary, and never complete all there is to do. It provides openings to look at many issues that are interconnected. For example, for several years now we have been raising our own awareness about racism — locally and nationally. We’re not done with that. A question to ask is how does racism affect the choices of where landfills are located (affecting ground water) or how does racism affect choices about where supermarkets are located and local neighborhood stores going out of business. Food and water are political and spiritual issues — they are moral issues — tied in with economics.
The planning group for Peace and Justice are working to find a local, ‘hands on project’ where we can make a difference in the lives of others — making food and water easier to get, maintain, and use. Ideas are circulating about becoming more involved in community garden projects, addressing the issues of getting water available to community gardens, then helping people store and use the food that is raised. As we understand it, most of the community gardens to not have water sources nearby — and water has to be brought in. Ask Karen Nichols, Patti Peters and Cindy P-W about our experience one year in a community garden.
If you just begin to imagine, the spin offs from the theme of Food and Water: Quench and Sustain, are immense - -and exciting. Anyone who is concerned about creation and our environment, could easily be engaged in offering time and energy to projects that will arise. Just think: gardening with others, beach clean-up, planting beach grass to stop erosion, baking together and providing bread to others, canning, SHARE Food Drive (something our youth have done), Postal Carriers Food Drive (again, something our youth have done). fishing (care of rivers, streams and lakes), participating in the CHUM Rhubarb Festival in June (raises money for Chum’s work with people who are homeless). And globally, what about helping to provide wells for villages where women have to walk miles to get drinking water.
Ellie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate, speaks clearly and strongly about how the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. Indifference - our human tendency to turn minds and hearts away from the needs, dignity and rights of other people and even nations - strikes at the very heart of human relations — and our relationship with God. He says, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.“ The greatest sin of all is to remain silent and indifferent.
A thousand years after the time of Moses, Jesus simplified the Ten Commandments into two laws: “Love God with all you’ve got, and love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.” Remember, that in Jewish understanding, a ‘law’ is not a ‘rule’, like we think of laws typically — but rather, the ‘law’ is a way of life — and the choices we make about the style of life we live. Won’t you consider being part of a way of life that helps provide food and water for others. The spiritual implications are deep and enormous — as are the practical, day to day, life considerations. FOOD AND WATER: QUENCH AND SUSTAIN.
Peace, Cindy
OCTOBER EVENTS at SABTL
October 7 - CnC (Confirm not Conform)
October 10 - Art Exhibit Opens (3-6 p.m.)
October 11 - Acolyte Olympics and Tweens Youth Group (11:30-3)
October 12 - Bishop’s Committee (5:30 p.m.)
October 12 - Laramie Project: Tten Years Later (Duluth Playhouse)
October 16-18 - TEC (Teens Encounter Christ)
October 18 - Liturgy Planning Meeting (after worship)
October 18 - 5K Walk/Run Planning Meeting (after worship)
October 20 - Peace and Justice Planning Meeting (Porters, 11:45 a.m.)
October 20 - St. Andrew’s Stitchers (6:30 p.m. at Nan Stubenvoll’s)
October 21 - Bible Study (Book of Proverbs) 7-8 p.m.
October 22 - Music Group practice (7 p.m.)
October 23 - Walk About with Bishop’s Candidates (7-9 p.m. at St. Paul’s)
October 24 - Eucharist with Bishop’s Candidates and Entourage (7:30 a.m.)
October 25 - Tweens Youth Group (11:30 a.m.)
October 30-3 - Diocesan Convention (Minneapolis)
November 1 - All Saints Celebration (and Pancake Breakfast)
November 3 - Food and Faith Book Study (7-8:15 p.m.)
November 6 - The Whiffenpoofs from Yale (at Marshall School)
EVENT INFORMATION
Art Exhibit - Opens October 10th, 3-6 p.m.
This is a come and go event, however if you’d like to hear our speaker, Jane Fisher-Merritt, please be at St. Andrew’s by 3:30 p.m. Jane lives in Wrenshall, with her husband John, and they own the Food Farm, one of the large contributors to Whole Foods Coop. Jane is a textile artist and trained spiritual director. She will speak on “Art and Spirituality”. The art exhibit will remain up until early November - and open for viewing whenever the church is open. Close to 30 people have entered art exhibits under the theme of “Transformation” — speaking to how they experience spiritual transformation when they engage in their art medium. If you have offered to bring food for the opening, please bring it to the church no later that Saturday morning. Speak to Arlene Renken if you need to deliver something.
ACOLYTE OLYMPICS
All acolytes are invited to attend this event. The Tweens (9-11 year olds) will begin in their youth group at 11:15. Those who would like to be trained as an acolyte will meet with Peter Wlosinski during this time for training. At 12:15 we’ll all gather for the ‘olympics’ and lunch — then head off to the bowling alley (Country Lanes) for a few lanes of bowling. Cost: $10 - covers, lunch and bowling.
LARAMIE PROJECT TEN YEARS LATER - October 12, 7:00 p.m.
Ten years ago, Matthew Shepard was murdered for being gay. This production looks at the effects this violent act had on the town of Laramie, Wyoming - and how they are dealing with it ten years later. Sandy Carlson has reserved 6 tickets for those who might like to attend. Suggested donation is $10. Call her if you’d like to attend, or sign up in the Mission Hall.
5K WALK/RUN - December 5, 2009
If you would like to volunteer for this outreach event, speak to Mike Cheslak or Donna Elsbury. A committee has been working on this event throughout the summer, but now it’s time to ramp it up! There are many ways to be involved. The funds raised will be matched by Go Fresh — so we double whatever we bring in - in registrations. Walk it. Run it. Bring friends. Volunteer to help! THING GLOBALLY- RUN LOCALLY. Proceeds to towards sustaining elementary schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan)
WHIFFENPOOFS from YALE - November 6th
Our own Sam Bolen will be in town with the Whiffenpoofs from Yale – an outstanding performing troupe that will delight your soul and fill you with joy. Put the date on your calendar. Performance will be at Marshall School. More information to come in later Grains of Sand.
BIBLE STUDY - Book of Proverbs
For a great part of the summer and all Fall, we have been hearing ‘wisdom lessons‘ from the Jewish Scriptures on Sunday morning (Proverbs, Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Job). You are invited to a three session study of the Book of Proverbs on October 21, November 18, December 16. This could be called the World’s Most Dangerous Bible Study. Anytime we let scripture into our heart to transform us — life will change. So be ready. We begin at 7 p.m. and end by 8:15 p.m. at the latest (if not earlier). Bring your Bibles, please.
BOOK DISCUSSION - Food and Faith - Tuesday, November 3rd
We’ll gather at 7 p.m. for a discussion of whatever books people have been reading about food. What does food have to do with our faith life. This is one of the questions our Peace and Justice theme is addressing (Food and Water: Quench and Sustain). Christian Formation and Peace and Justice issues are closely intertwined — as is the way we worship together.
Read a book about food (four below are suggested, choose one or read one of your own interest) — come for discussion:
Take this Bread by Sara Miles
Food and Faith: Justice, Joy and Daily Bread (anthology of good articles)
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kinsolver
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Choose a book of your own.
ELECTION OF THE IX BISHOP OF MINNESOTA - WALK ABOUT
The Walk About (a time to meet the candidates for Bishop) will be in Duluth on Friday, October
23, 7-9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. All are welcome to attend. Each candidate will have five minutes to speak, 15 minutes to respond to questions, then there will be time for general conversation.
Candidates are: The Reverends Marianne Budde, Brian Prior, Bonnie Perry, Douglas Sparks, Doyle Turner. On Saturday morning, Oct. 24th, there will be a Eucharist at St. Andrew’s by the Lake at 7:30 a.m. (yes - morning). This is for the candidates and their entourage, and breakfast will follow. All Eucharists are open to anyone. The breakfast is for the candidates and those traveling with them as they prepare to leave for another day of events. Our music group (adults and teens) will be leading some of the music. The Rev. Steve Wlosinski will be preaching. The Rev. Helen Hanten will be serving as deacon. Alyson Lundberg will be helping to lead the prayers of the people. Our kitchen volunteers will be working behind the scenes.
ODDS AND ENDS
–In order to streamline the announcement time during worship, please try to refrain from making
any announcements that are already printed in the bulletin, unless you absolutely have to elaborate.
All announcements should be kept very short and to the point.
–If you are a lipstick wearer, would you please wipe it off before using coffee cups during coffee hour.
Our new dishwasher uses sterilizing agents — but the temperataure is much lower. Dishes come
out clean and sterilized — but we find that lipstick remains on the rims. Thank you.
–PLEASE do not bring things to church and leave them, thinking, ‘Oh, the church could use this’.
We end up with items floating around that we really have no use for - and don’t know where they
came from. If you have something to donate, please speak to Cindy P-W, Kinnan Stauber or Tim
White, first. Thank you.
Jesus, our joy,
you call us to follow you,
and we realize that
your Gospel can transform
our hearts and live.
Brother Roger of Taize
