From the Rector
Happy New Year!

My dear parishioners and friends of St. Paul’s,

Happy new year! As you are all aware, the Church year begins on the First Sunday of Advent, this year Sunday, December 3. This new year should remind us, I think, of the fact that you and I march to the beat of a different drummer! The secular new year begins on January 1. The Church new year begins with Advent. This reminds us, I hope, that you and I believe that we live in time that has been sanctified. Indeed, the whole Church calendar itself stems from the Incarnation, the enfleshment of God in Jesus of Nazareth, that point when eternity intersects with time and space, and time and space forever change. Rather in the same vein, the Church year begins by looking at The End—not just the end of you and me, but the end of everything as we now know it, that moment when all things are consummated in Christ and in his second coming.

Advent addresses the Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. We begin with them because the kingdom of God is topsy-turvy, upside down, and inside out. Doubtless you and I will find ourselves going against the culture, which will from the moment you receive this, if not before, be plunging itself headlong into the materialistic orgy of a commercialized “holiday season”! As the world spends too much money on things that ultimately are not important and probably that we shall never really need, the Church calls us to attend ourselves to those things that are of ultimate importance. The season of Advent has wonderful, majestic themes that bring The End not only into the beginning, but also into the middle. As Bishop Michael Marshall is fond of saying, Christianity presents us with the end in the middle. Or we could say God, who is the beginning and the end, is at work in us here and now in time and space.

I am usually proud of the way that we keep the season of Advent in this parish, and I like to see it as a kind of oasis for all of us when we are overcome with the unrealistic and absurd expectations of a holiday season, that we can come here for refreshment and re-ordering.

Advent events

Here at St. Paul’s, the season of Advent is marked by two special services on the First and Second Sundays of Advent—namely Sunday, December 3, and Sunday, December 10—with the Procession of Advent Lessons and Carols at 6:00 pm. This is exactly the same service, reproduced two weeks in a row, in order to accommodate the huge numbers of people who like to attend. Indeed these services are some of the best attended that we ever have. This parish is also committed to weekly Benediction—one of the few places where that is still true, certainly in this country—and to that end Benediction will follow each evening the service of Advent Lessons and Carols.

On Saturday, December 9, I shall be leading our annual Advent quiet day. This year the theme is “Jesus, the Beginning, the Middle, and the End.” This is another opportunity to prepare ourselves to meet the end and to re-center our purpose in these days of December. The quiet day will take the usual format, beginning with Morning Prayer at 9:15 am and Mass at 9:30, with three meditations. The day will come to an end at 2:30 in the afternoon. I always think we should do better than we do in terms of attendance on these days, and I really do urge your considering making a commitment to this as a good start to the keeping of a holy Advent. Surely when we do this, the joy of Christmas and the reality of the Incarnation, on and not before the evening of December 24, takes on even more significance and magnificence.

On Saturday, December 16, one of our seminarians, Paul Francke, will be ordained to the diaconate in his home diocese of West Virginia. A Saturday ordination at this time of year probably means that most of us will not be able to be present, but I know that you will all offer your prayers for him on that day and we look forward to his reappearance among us. Paul Francke and Seth Dietrich, our other seminarian, officially end their work with us at the end of this calendar year, but I am of course delighted that they will be continuing to be part of our parish family to take part in things as they can. The period of time from the beginning of the year through graduation is a particularly busy and stressful time for people in their final year in seminary, as they not only prepare for ordination but also seek discernment as to their first job.

Looking ahead

I suppose I shouldn’t say it, but Christmas this year really is a nightmare scenario! Christmas Eve, December 24, this year falls on a Sunday. Let me please draw your attention here to the unusual schedule for that Sunday. There will be, as usual, Morning Prayer at 7:30 am and Low Mass at 7:45 am. At 10:00 am, there will be one combined Mass and that will be a Sung Mass. These Masses will obviously be Masses of the Fourth Sunday of Advent. That will give us a few hours to transform the church from the Advent to the Christmas setting. The First Mass of Christmas will, as usual, be a Sung Mass at 6:30 pm. The traditional Procession and Solemn Mass, the so-called Midnight Mass of Christmas, will begin at 11:00 pm, and this will be followed by a reception in the dining hall. Christmas Day, Monday, December 25, there will be Morning Prayer at 7:45 am, a Low Mass at 8:00 am, and Procession and Solemn Mass at 10:30 am. As last year, the Solemn Mass will be followed by Benediction, as it will not be able to have been done the evening before.

And by way of advance notice, I of course don’t need to remind you that Christmastide is kept between December 25 and the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6. And in between are all days of Christmas. Within those there always falls, on January 1, the Feast of the Holy Name; there will be a sung Mass at 11:00 am. Also, by way of advance notice, the Feast of Epiphany this year falls on a Saturday, always rather an awkward day liturgically for a big celebration. However, because of the importance of this feast and your traditional commitment to it, we shall have our principal celebration on that day at 11:00 am, with a procession and Solemn Pontifical Mass. I am delighted that Bishop James Montgomery will be the celebrant at that Mass, and my friend, the Rev’d Dr. Simon Jones, Chaplain and Fellow at Merton College, Oxford, will be preacher on that occasion. He will be a houseguest of mine for a week or so, so he will be singing for his supper! Please put both January 1 and January 6 in your calendars now so that you will be sure to observe these dates within sanctified time!

Stewardship

As I write this, we are still trying to “mop up” our stewardship campaign for pledges for 2007. I am very grateful to David Schnorrenberg and Matthew Leddicotte and the members of the Stewardship Committee for the huge amount of energy that they have put into this. At the time of writing, there are the usual number of stragglers who have not returned their pledge cards. All pledges should be in by the Feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday in November, and at its December meeting, on Wednesday, December 27, the Vestry will establish the budget for the parish for the year 2007.

Thus, if you are reading this and have not returned your pledge form, yours is an apparent shortfall that we can ill afford. As you know, our budget each year is very tight, since we are entirely dependent on the sacrificial and generous giving of our people. Please, if you have not yet returned your pledge form and have not even responded perhaps by this date to letters and phone calls, please do so at once so that we can make informed and faithful decisions for the mission and ministry of the parish, based on the resources that you have given us. In other words, you cannot underestimate not only the importance of your pledge but also the importance of getting it in in a timely fashion. Let me also remind some of you that just because you have pledged in one year, unfortunately it does not automatically roll over to the next year. Pledges are made a year at a time. I suppose we could see that also as being fortunate, since each year we will be in a position to actually increase the amount. I am always surprised by the number of people who say to me “Oh, I didn’t pledge for next year. I thought it would simply continue.” It doesn’t. So please get it in!

December is, I think, for faithful Christians, a quite difficult month. It seems that so often one spends a lot of energy swimming upstream against the current of a secularized and increasingly irreverent culture with regard to the astonishing truth of our faith that God was man in Palestine in the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. I have found that if I immerse myself in the corporate worship of the Church, if I relish the magnificent collects that are used at this time of year, as well as the rich hymnody in the Advent season, and if I dedicate myself to even the daily worship of the Church in this season, I find that I don’t have to battle in quite the same way that otherwise I might. The ongoing corporate worship of the Church lifts us up into the realities of heaven itself, and with these in mind to have our hearts prepared by grace to receive the real Lord of Christmas again, not only in the palms of our hands and on our tongues in our Christmas communions but, most importantly, born anew in our hearts.

This letter comes with a prayer of encouragement for a holy Advent as we look for the second coming of our Lord and Savior with great joy and expectation, even as we prepare to celebrate His first coming. This comes with prayers for a blessed and holy Christmas for you and your families, and for a peaceful Christmas for our broken, hurting and war-torn world.

This will also be a good opportunity for me to thank in advance all those who work so hard behind the scenes at times such as these. The commitment of the clergy and people of this parish is quite extraordinary and speaks powerfully of God’s work among us and from us. Just give a thought, please, to those who behind the scenes have already been preparing for some weeks for the celebrations of Advent and Christmas and the other feasts that are before us, and not only do we give thanks to God for their ministries but we also uphold them all in prayer, and I also hope that you and I by words and actions never take such people for granted.

As always, this comes with my gratitude and love,
Andrew Sloane +

Touching New Orleans

They told us in New Orleans this would happen. They said, “When you go back home people will ask; so . . . how is it? Give yourself some time and spend some time in prayer over your answer.” Well, I’ve spent some time and I’ve prayed, and the question still throws me off balance. I haven’t been able to find words that honestly describe the depths of hell. At the same time, I can’t really find a way to explain the beautiful sense of hope. And there are times that I just don’t want to explain it, talk about it, or think about it. Having been there, I too have learned to fear the floodwaters.

St. Paul’s has been tremendously generous in their response to the needs of those in Louisiana whose lives have forever been changed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the levees of New Orleans. So it’s important for us to know what kinds of things we have helped support.

Glimmer Inn

There is a huge, purple Victorian bed and breakfast that sits behind Christ Church Cathedral on St. Charles Avenue. On Thursday, December 15, 2006, the Diocese of Louisiana will own the Glimmer Inn and begin a new chapter in its urban ministry. Contributions from Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), the giving arm of the national Episcopal Church, and parishes around the United States, helped to purchase the Glimmer Inn, which will anchor the urban ministries of the Episcopal Church in New Orleans.

The Office of Disaster Response (ODR) will maintain an office at the Inn with Hope Community Credit Union (HCCU) and Grace Community Services, partners in ministry of the diocese. There will also be room to accommodate volunteers from around the country who are helping out in the city—people who give up their time, talent, and treasure to help cook meals or shovel out what used to be someone’s life.

In light of the affordable housing crisis New Orleans is now facing, the mission of the Glimmer Inn gives hope to residents who need help rebuilding their lives. Each ministry is designed to work in harmony by identifying needs to assist in rebuilding homes or in securing financing to rebuild or purchase homes. Hope Community Credit Union was originally established at Trinity Church, New Orleans, but will open a new branch in the Glimmer Inn. It was established to help high-risk borrowers secure financing to purchase a home.

Grace Community Services will provide Case Management expertise working with families to assist them in their recovery. "We shall undertake, in Christ's name, one of the greatest development and relief efforts ever attempted by a diocese in the Episcopal Church," said the Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins, Bishop of Louisiana, in response to the generosity of Episcopalians around the country and Anglicans around the world who donated money to fund the ERD grant.

Mobile Respite Care Unit

An RV that has been converted into a mobile distribution site with pastoral care, the Mobile Respite Care volunteers provide the kind of human contact and understanding that other ministries can’t reach. Driving from impact area to impact area, the volunteers distribute cleaning supplies, snacks, or personal hygiene items—the day to day things that people desperately need, but may not be able to mention when they ask for help. Perhaps the most important thing the volunteers pass out is Christ’s love. A common day for them includes some laughs, a lot of tears, a lot of listening, and a lot of hugs. New Orleanians are big on hugs.

St. George's Dragon Café

Since December 2, 2005, the Dragon Café has been a feeding ministry in uptown New Orleans. The café is open on Thursday and Friday evenings and is open to the public. It’s a huge undertaking feeding residents, the homeless, Disaster Recovery staff, police officers, doctors, and volunteers from around the country.

St. George's has for years opened the Dragon Café during Mardi Gras as a major fundraising event for the church, and when the Office of Disaster Response suggested that St. George's experience in feeding large numbers of people could fill a real community need, the parish responded with enthusiasm. With support from ODR and many generous donors and volunteers, the café expanded to Thursdays as well as Fridays. Plans are being made to expand to five nights a week, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

Mobile Loaves and Fishes

The Mobile Loaves and Fishes mission is to feed the hungry. By sponsorship of the Diocese of Louisiana and Trinity Church, one of the feeding trucks drives through the greater New Orleans area offering meals to people as they work to rebuild their homes and neighborhoods. Housed at Trinity Church, the mobile unit also features a pastoral care or counseling professional who can offer care and support as well as referrals for further mental health care.

St. Anna Medical Mission

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, a Mobile Medical Mission concept had value because of the culturally provincial mindset of New Orleanians and the free medical delivery systems that tended to de-humanize the poor. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans’ systems of health care have sustained a devastating blow: Its publicly funded health care systems are in ruins and neighborhood practitioners and clinics have disappeared. The goal of St. Anna’s Medical Mission is to identify and provide the resources and skills of health and faith to provide preventive wellness, medical services and spiritual guidance with dignity and respect.

The mobile unit rotates in providing mental health, nurse practitioner and general medical care throughout the week. They provide screenings and preventative care for a number of medical conditions and are quickly growing services in counseling and identification of at risk clients that will provide referrals to clinics now offering more extensive facilities.

The common thread in these projects is ministry. Each program provides volunteer clergy and laity who travel with the programs to provide prayer, support, an ear, some shared tears, and a message of hope in Christ. Even the volunteer teams there to muck out houses were constantly reminded that our reason for being there was the homeowner, not the home.

People need to tell their story, sometimes over and over again, in the hope that sharing the horror will somehow thin it out. They aren’t stories that are easy to tell, or even easy to hear, but they are important. Each one. And there are so many stories still waiting.

If you are interested in finding out how you can do something to help the rebuilding of New Orleans, contact Jeff Coulter at coulterndc@yahoo.com or 703-582-0851. [JC]

New Parishioner Profile: Marcia Withiam-Wilson

For Marcia Withiam-Wilson, education and learning have always been an important component of the practice of her faith. At St. Paul’s right now, she is taking the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training course for certification in June 2007 and is studying in the weekly Education for Ministry class. In addition, she is also a member of the PEO Sisterhood, an organization that helps raise money for women’s education.

Even though Marcia is involved in all this—plus the pastoral care ministry at St. Paul’s—she is actually a newcomer to the parish. Marcia started attending St. Paul’s during Advent of last year, after ten years at St. Andrew’s in Arlington, Virginia, where she was Director of Christian Education. She had heard about the beauty and Anglo-Catholic style of worship here and was happy to find the parish handicap-accessible, which would be needed for her mother, who is in a wheelchair.

“Everyone at St. Paul’s made us both feel welcome from the very start,” Marcia remembers, and she and her mother both attended the newcomer classes soon after.

Reflecting on the Anglo-Catholic tradition, Marcia feels drawn to the beauty and dignity of the liturgy because “it presents the very best of what we have to offer . . . to God.”

Marcia is also enthusiastic about the Education for Ministry class she is taking, saying, “I am so delighted that St. Paul’s is offering this opportunity, as I have wanted to take this course for quite a while.”

A cradle Episcopalian, baptized at St. Paul’s in Endicott, New York, Marcia grew up in different towns around New York: New Rochelle, Albion, and Pearl River. She remembers her family always being active in the parishes where they lived. Marcia moved to the D.C. area 30 years ago to work at the National Institutes of Health and retired from active duty as a nurse officer in the U.S. Public Health Service in 2003.

Marcia married Dennis Wilson on the special date of Christmas Eve, 1987, and they have been second parents to their 13-year-old nephew and godson, Steven, ever since his birth. In her free time, Marcia enjoys running, reading, traveling, and building a dollhouse.

Please say hello to Marcia at the 11:15 am Mass. [BK]

Remembering Carol Niswander

“We give thee thanks for the fellowship of those who have worshipped in this place . . .” —From the Collect on the Anniversary of the Dedication of a Church.

One of those special people who worshipped in this place was Carol Niswander, who died on August 7, 2006. She was a devoted and faithful member of St. Paul’s for over 52 years and loved by many near and far.

She and her late husband, Colonel John Niswander, were both truly pillars of the parish. One of their fondest memories was hosting our former rector, Fr. James Daughtry during his interview in 1974.

Carol was always willing to give of her time and talents, which were many. She was a member of the Altar Guild, and for 35 years she washed and ironed the linen purificators and lavabo towels every week. She excelled at needlepoint and made five of the kneelers for the High Altar and Angel Chapel, all given in memory of her husband.

Carol was elected chair of the Women’s Guild in the late 1950s, which later became known as the Fellowship Council, responsible for the lay ministries of the church—hospitality, outreach programs, missions, etc. These ministries are currently Vestry responsibilities of the evangelization, pastoral care and mission committees. Carol also served as senior warden of the Vestry.

Every year, Carol prepared one of the Wednesday evening Lenten dinners and was responsible for one of the Seder meals, popular during the ‘60s and ‘70s, for the entire parish. Her other regular kitchen duties included setting up and washing the vintage yellow Melmac cups, saucers, and plates that were in use at the time for the 9:00 am coffee hour.

During Carol’s active years in the life of the parish, there was never a bake sale, bazaar, rummage sale, or other similar activity without her influence and presence.

Carol was homebound for the past few years and not able to join with us in worship and fellowship. It is sad that many of you may not have had the opportunity of knowing her. However, we recognize, appreciate, and give thanks for her generous participation and contributions of her time, talent, and treasures to the fabric of our parish community.

May Carol, and all the Saints gone before, who have worshipped in this place, Rest in Peace and Rise in Glory! [MB]

Stewardship 2007

Who are we? Where are we going? Are we building?

As we opened this year’s stewardship campaign it was revealed that we are a $1 million parish in mission and ministry. Unlike other parishes in the diocese, we rely primarily on the generosity of the members and friends of St. Paul’s. It is through the tithing and sacrificial pledges of this community that we fulfill our mission and ministry commitments. The Vestry’s 2007 pledge target of $825,000 represents a modest growth of about 3 percent over last year’s total pledge commitment of approximately $800,000. The Vestry believes this measured growth is necessary to meet the level of ministry that the parish community deserves and has come to expect, bringing us incrementally closer to the $1 million level—the true value of what we aspire too in mission and ministry.

Over the past month, the clergy have given us the spiritual and theological underpinnings—why and how we are called to be good stewards. So where are we? Will we achieve or better still surpass the pledge target? Will we finish this vital work by the Feast of Christ the King on November 26? The Vestry would like to see the parish’s drive for fiscal solvency completed before the parish enters the preparatory season of Advent and in advance of the Vestry’s December meeting at which it sets the 2007 budget for salaries, building and organ maintenance, ministries, and other operating expenses.

The good news is that well over half the Parish responded and completed their pledge forms within the first weeks of the campaign. As of the end of October, 56 percent of last year’s pledgers have already submitted their 2007 pledge, bringing us to 67 percent of our stated target of $825,000. If you are among that number, thank you for your commitment and generosity. The majority of your pledge envelopes are already available for pickup in the back of the church.

If you are still considering your commitment, we encourage you to submit a completed pledge form as early as possible. If you need a pledge form, they are available at the back of the church or online at www.stpauls-kst.com/stewardship.htm. Remember, we are encouraged to commit to pledging the Biblical tithe of income. Where that is not possible, consider increasing the previous year’s pledge by 5 percent or more. The average pledge from last year was approximately $3,000. A 5 percent increase would be $150 or $3 extra per week. The Vestry hopes that last year’s pledgers will be able to make this kind of percentage increase, or possibly more to help compensate for those parishioners who, due to their circumstances, are unable to similarly increase their pledges.

Anyone with questions about the annual stewardship campaign should contact the co-chairs of the Stewardship Committee, Matthew Leddicotte (202-637-246; mleddicotte@whitecase.com) or David Schnorrenberg (202-624-2664; dschnorrenberg@crowell.com). Additionally, members of the Vestry and the stewardship committee are available at the back of the church to assist you following each Sunday Mass.

Who are we? Where are we going? Are we building? Through your continued support and financial generosity, St. Paul’s will continue to “build” in mission and ministry. PLEASE PLEDGE. [RB]

October Vestry Notes

The Vestry met on an unusual day—Monday, October 30—for its October meeting.

The parish music director, Mark Dwyer, reported to the Vestry on choir compensation and on the breadth and complexity of the choir's repertoire of sung Mass settings. From September 2005 through August 2006, the choir sang at 62 Solemn Masses and sang a total of 42 different Mass settings. Mark compared this to other similar Anglo-Catholic parishes. For example, the choirs at Church of the Advent, in Boston, and St. Mark's, in Philadelphia, sing at only 48 services a year, and there is no choral music in those parishes from the end of June through mid-September.

Treasurer Polly Peckham gave her monthly report. As of September 30, the parish has received 280 pledges for 2006, totaling $810,295. Seventy-two pledges are current, 97 are under, 65 are over, and 46 are annual pledges. Year-to-date pledge income is running about $24,000 behind the pledged amount.

Year-to-date income (as of September 30) is $610,295, which represents 74.2 percent of the income budgeted for the year. We are 75 percent of the way through the year. Year-to-date operating expenses are $595,854, which represents 73.8 percent of the budgeted amount for the year.

Polly also distributed the final 2005 audit report prepared by RSM McGladrey.

Junior warden David Schnorrenberg reported on the ongoing stewardship campaign. As of Sunday, October 29, the parish had received 161 pledges for 2007 in the amount of $549,788. The pledge goal for the year is $825,000. So far, 126 pledgers had increased their pledge amounts from last year, 13 pledges were the same as last year, and 15 pledges had decreased. There were 7 new pledgers.

Lynne Walker then gave the finance committee report. The finance committee recommended that the various line items in the budget under the Commission on Mission be combined into one line item and that the various special fund line items under the control of the Commission on Mission be combined, with the assistant treasurer of the Commission keeping internal records to separate the combined fund into the different Commission on Mission programs and reporting quarterly to the Vestry. The Vestry approved this recommendation.

The finance committee also recommended that the Vestry require the treasurer to transfer $15,710 to the Commission on Mission outreach fund (including $3,377 from the 2005 surplus) to meet the Vestry policy of pledging 10 percent of parish income to outreach programs. The Vestry approved this recommendation.

The Vestry reappointed various assistant treasurers: Linna Barnes, counters assistant treasurer; Ed Stephenson, Commission on Mission assistant treasurer; Ann Schnorrenberg, pledges assistant treasurer; Lynne Walker, Millennium Fund assistant treasurer; and Paul McKee, data entry assistant treasurer.

Matthew Leddicotte reported on behalf of himself, Ann Korky, and Brian Hoyle—a committee appointed by the Vestry to study the question of the use of absentee ballots at the parish meetings—that they recommended that the Vestry take no action on this question at this time.

Alistair Nevius reported that the parish had a display at the annual Foggy Bottom fair on October 1. Thanks to the hard work of Ed and Jane Stephenson and Deb and Ed Loucks, the parish was well represented in this successful evangelization project.

Senior warden Linda Wilkinson reported that the sign in front of the church that shows the Mass schedules needs to be refurbished and that Ken Springstead is looking into having that done.

Brian Hoyle urged the Vestry to consider, as the budgeting process starts up, that the parish needs to underwrite parish receptions—which have been increasing in number and which are largely funded by the volunteers who put on the receptions.

The Vestry appointed Ann Korky as the new co-chair of the Commission on Mission (replacing Deb Loucks, who has stepped down in order to serve as co-chair of the new Evangelization Commission).

Rhoda Geasland reported that the parish bake sale, held October 29, was a success. The early results show that the bake sale raised $2,484 for the mission in Malawi. That amount will be matched by the Carwithen trust.

Finally, Linda Wilkinson reported on the behalf of the building improvements committee (BIC). The owner's representative, RealCo, is now hard at work on the project. They have identified a new expediter to help in the process of getting permits. The Vestry authorized the BIC to engage a new expediter.

Linda also reported that we are in the process of applying for new permits, due to changes in the building plan. The architect has not delivered completed drawings yet, but should be finished by the end of November. The BIC anticipates being ready to send requests for proposals to contractors in December. [AMN]

Time and Talent Are Legacy as Well

Elsewhere in this Epistle (see above), Mary G. Brown writes a tribute to our parishioner, Carol Niswander, who died in August. Carol’s “legacy story” of generous contributions to the fabric of our community is a brief testimony that St Paul’s is not only about treasure—brick and mortar—but also about time and talent—the other precious legacy gifts.

In recognizing and remembering the contributions of time and talent of parishioners, we continue the Biblical tradition of recounting our relationship to God. We are reminded of our potential to live in love and charity with our neighbor and are inspired to share our many blessings, including time and talent, with others.

It is not unusual that the death of a long-time parishioner, who was homebound, not visible, and therefore not really known by many of the current St. Paul’s family, including the clergy, leaves his or her “legacy story” to the memory of others. As a result, the “story” may not even be known, let alone told. This specific information about the decedent is especially practical for the clergy responsible for the homily at the funeral Mass. As we know, the funeral Mass is a very important witness to the decedent’s family and friends, about his or her life, worship, and time and talent contributions to this Christian community.

Over the past few months, we have focused on the Anniversary of the Dedication of a Church and our annual stewardship campaign, remembered the parish benefactors, and heard about our Legacy Society. We have encouraged people to volunteer at our Ministries Fair, and in the past we have recognized that investment through an Annual Honor Roll listing of names.

Now, we need to think collectively about ways in which to capture, use, and celebrate this time and talent legacy information.

One such way to begin the conversation might be to introduce a “Long-Time Parishioner Profile” column, similar to the “New Parishioner Profile” one that appears in the Epistle. This would give our faith community the opportunity to read the “legacy stories” of parishioners who have been around for a while. Such stories have the potential of encouraging others to get involved, increase their involvement, and/or to think about their own “story.”

Other ways?

It is the giving of ourselves in the context of our parish community that we build the community, do the work of the community, and are ourselves transformed through that giving.

Jesus always talks about the givers’ need to give. Time and talent legacy represent another opportunity for parishioners at St. Paul’s to give. [CBW]

Our Time to Shine

I can’t imagine that being the Star of the East Diamond is an easy job. This 94.8 carat gem is one of the most valuable precious stones in the world. It has belonged to different royal families around the world and from time to time mysteriously disappears, only to resurface someplace new and exciting. During one of its sporadic appearances, it was placed on display in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, yet it rated little attention. The Star of the East had the misfortune of being displayed in the same room as its significantly smaller (45.52 carat) cousin, the Hope Diamond.

The Star of the East may be the more important gem, but the Hope Diamond has a better public relations team. It has intrigue, glamour, and glitz. To see the Hope Diamond one must stand in line between velvet ropes and wait to peer at it through a security window designed in the shape of a safe. Day after day, people walk past the Star of the East to view the Hope Diamond.

The 75th General Convention was my first Convention as a member of the faith. Each day, I checked the website repeatedly for the latest news. I read all the articles, watched the videos, and perused the presentations. I took a virtual tour of the exhibits and checked out all the links. I was completely captivated. Now that some time has passed, I realize that I too fell for “Hope Diamond Syndrome.” I let my attention be drawn to the flashier, better publicized, topics.

There were a number of wonderful, little-publicized, accomplishments at General Convention this year, and a number of actions taken that I hope will be the start of wonderful things, such as the Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight quantifiable targets designed to cut worldwide poverty in half by the year 2015. The MDGs envision rich and poor nations working together in partnership to combat poverty. Or the Comprehensive Children’s Policy, which urges the Episcopal Church to work to ensure that governments provide adequate funding for programs that combat social and economic conditions that place children at risk or diminish children's ability to achieve their full potential in the world. (For more information on the resolutions passed and the activities at the 75th General Convention visit www.episcopalchurch.org/gc2006news.htm.)

Like the Star of the East, these resolutions have weight, they have immense value, they are the “shine” of which our Church should be proud. And, like the Star of the East, they are being eclipsed by flashier, more marketable “gems,” if you will: The election of Katharine Jefferts Schori to the position of Presiding Bishop and the adoption of Resolution B033, which calls on bishops and standing committees to “exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.”

These two issues have had more video and print media than most other issues combined because they touch on issues that resonate with almost everyone. Like the Hope Diamond, they have been framed in a way to capture our interest. Because of that, we believe they have the greater value, and we have been waiting in line to take a look. We all have an opinion on these issues, we all have a “side” and we all have a label to apply to what is happening. Based on personal observation we are either “orthodox” or “progressive,” “conservative” or “liberal,” “affirming” or “traditional.” Fortunately, the media has avoided the labels we all privately use, “right” or “wrong” (though if you read between the lines in a lot of the accounts, the reporter’s biases aren’t difficult to detect).

No matter what our position on the issues, we must face the fact that they are the current reality and it is vitally important at this time is to determine what we should and should not do with this new reality.

Avoid safety

In a recent sermon, Fr. Humphrey spoke about a certain level of discomfort he experiences when he hears someone say they feel “comfortable” at their home parish. He pointed out that while safety is something we all crave and need, this Church, this body, is not designed to provide safety. Noted author and poet Annie Dillard once wrote in protest of a Church that works to paint a sunny picture of the path for Christians. In her words, “we should be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to the pews.” (Maybe that’s how Fr. Sloane sees us each week.) We aren’t supposed too feel to comfortable or too safe. We’re supposed to feel challenged and we’re supposed to grow. Keep in mind that diamonds are not formed in a comfortable environment. They are formed by pressure and heat. Without those two things, diamonds—and perhaps people—don’t grow.

“Safety” itself can be dangerous. Christ calls us to a community of like-minded individuals. We share a common identity as Christians. But he doesn’t make us clones. We don’t all think the same thought or believe the same thing. We have interpretation; we each examine the scripture against our own experience, we each process our Christian growth against what we believe to be right or wrong. This means that sometimes we are right, and sometimes we aren’t, but what’s more important is that God uses our individual differences to help us develop. Each of us needs the rough edges of the other to help polish us. Breaking into smaller, and inevitably smaller, groups of people who only mirror our limited understandings stunts our growth and leads to stagnation. Seeking the company of only those who are just like “us” always leaves “us” standing alone.

Seek safety

“Our help is in the name of the Lord. Who created Heaven and Earth.” This is a time of challenge and growth, and we must first, and foremost, focus on Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Matthew (14:28-33) St. Peter calls out, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat the wind ceased. Peter was in the midst of a miracle until he took his eyes off Christ. We must focus on him and trust.

Whether this is a time of excitement or of concern for you, it’s an excellent time for all of us to pray. Pray for understanding, pray for compassion, pray for healing, pray for unity. Pray that we might all listen to one another with love, respect, and an open heart. Pray that we all remember that each of us has flaws. God knows our thoughts before we have them, but that doesn’t lessen the importance of talking to God. We must speak, and listen, to God.

One of the primary concerns of this Convention was to determine how to remain in communion with the larger Church. With God’s grace, that will, in the course of time, be an outcome. But only by God’s grace! If we do emerge from this crisis unified, it will mean nothing if we cannot remain in communion with each other at the parish level. We must continue to love each other through our differences by staying in relationship and speaking the truth as we understand it, with the maturity and humility to recognize we may be wrong, and that God is the ultimate judge.

If gems could speak, it’s possible that the Hope Diamond might have said, “If you think this is great, take a look at my cousin to the East. Now there is something truly astonishing.” But it is the nature of gems to be silent and reflect the light that reaches them. It’s our job to look at each gem, judge the reflection, and determine the value. Each of us should spend this time focused on our reflection of the Light, looking for that which is bright and beautiful in each other. [JC]

Virginia Beach Youth Visit St. Paul’s

The youth group from St. Francis Church, Virginia Beach, came to Washington this summer to sightsee, and they visited St. Paul’s and helped out with Grate Patrol. They recently wrote to Tina Mallett and C.B. Wooldridge. (“Chester the Dog” is Marcia Stanford’s black lab, who always accompanies her on Grate Patrol.)

Dear Tina and CB,

Thanks so much for letting us stay at your church!!!! We had a bunch of fun looking at all the pretty cute houses in your neighborhood. It was so fun to see all the cute things in D.C. like the guard ceremony in Arlington and all the weird stuff and the big pretty diamonds in the Smithsonian. The “Mall” wasn’t what I was expecting it to be, but it was still awesome. How much do ya think it’d cost to build all those statues of the presidents???

Your church was so nice and pretty it almost made me jealous! The people were so kind and friendly and it was so nice of them to make all that food for us. Helping out the homeless was so much fun, and I got to hang out with Char – oops, I mean Chester the Dog!! But helping the homeless made me very grateful for a loving family and parents who care about my education. It made me realize just how much I take for granted, like cable TV and magazines and soap and showers and food and Starbucks. I didn’t realize how much of a difference an education made.

Thanks again!!
Luv always,
Melissa (and all those other goofy kids from St. Francis)

p.s. I’m the tall girl second from the left! JJ

Advent Quiet Day

Saturday, December 9, 9:15 am to 2:30 pm

with Fr. Sloane

Jesus, the Beginning, the Middle, and the End

Following Mass and a silent breakfast, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for the day and Fr. Sloane will address his meditations in that context.

Please bring your own bag lunch. Beverages will be provided, as well as refreshments for breakfast. If anyone would be interested in volunteering to provide such, please contact Fr. Sloane as soon as possible. The day will end with Simple Benediction at 2:30 pm.

Parish Baby Shower

To celebrate the upcoming arrival of a new Humphrey in our midst, there will be a parish-wide shower held on Sunday, December 17, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Room in Pillsbury Hall.

Those who wish to do so may contribute to a "purse" collected at that time for such needs as may arise—anything from a stroller to a college fund! Certificates will be available for offering one's services in babysitting, providing home-cooked “take-out” meals, or chores such as laundry or errands. All are invited to bring a small item such as a onesie, diaper, or lotion. Refreshments will be served.

Contact Laurel Radley at 202-333-7533 or pandlradley@alumni.unh.edu for further information.

2007 Walsingham Pilgrimage Itinerary

St. Paul’s fourth parish pilgrimage to Walsingham is being planned for April 16 through May 1, 2007. The 15-day pilgrimage will visit Normandy in France as well as England, ending up at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. The following is the tentative itinerary. For further information, please contact Fr. Sloane or David Eld at DEld@MAGICglobal.com. The itinerary can be seen and reservation requests can be downloaded at www.stpauls-kst.com/walsingham-trip.htm.

Feast Days in December

St. Thomas the Apostle
Thursday, December 21
7:00 am Low Mass
6:00 pm Low Mass

Christmas Eve
Sunday, December 24
6:30 pm          Sung Mass
11:00 pm        Procession and Solemn Mass

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day
Monday, December 25
7:45 am          Morning Prayer
8:00 am          Low Mass
10:30 am        Procession, Solemn Mass, and Benediction                                                       (no Evening Prayer)

St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr
Tuesday, December 26
7:00 am                      Low Mass
6:00 pm                      Low Mass

St. John the Evangelist
Wednesday, December 27
7:00 am Low Mass
6:00 pm Low Mass

The Holy Innocents
Thursday, December 28
7:00 am                      Low Mass
6:00 pm                      Low Mass

Parish Notes

December Birthdays

1        Greg Capaldini
2        Elisabeth Braw
3        Anne Abbott
4        Jean Groves; Debra Loucks; Anne Stone
5        Philip Schlatter
6        Daniel Miller
8        David Schnorrenberg; Devon Hill
9        John Walker
11      Robert Bullock; Peter Yeager; Helen Zughaib
12      Martha Shoesmith
13      Douglas Purvance
15      Linnie Condon; Kalyn Bruin; Martha Baker; Joseph Manson; Mitaire        Ojaruega
16      Br. Michael Stonebraker, OHC
18      Ron Meekhof
20      John McKendrew
21      Robert Menzer; Beverly Dame
22      Thomas Hardy
23      Shannon Whitefischer
24      Seth Bruin
25      Lucky Ajueyitsi; Michelle Freeland
28      Lesley Cross
29      Gabriel Benn

If you have a December birthday that was not included, or if there are any mistakes, please contact the parish office. [MW]

Parish Statistics

Transfer In: Caitlin Breen from Christ Church, Greenwich, Conn.

Transfer Out: James Patterson to All Saints’ Episcopal Church, San Francisco, Cal.

Marriage: Allison Freeman and Preston Winter (November 18, 2006)

Updating Parish Records

Do you find that your birthday or anniversary of marriage, baptism, confirmation, or reception are not read at Mass or go unnoticed in the Epistle? Is your mail from the parish being forwarded? Do you fail to receive any of our important e-mails? Perhaps the records in our office database have not been updated (or—heaven forbid!—never entered). There is a handy form to advise the parish office of all pertinent information on yourself and your family members. Please pick up one of these forms on the tract rack and return it to the office with all of this vital information. [MW]

Mission Calendar—2006

Hunger/Homeless

Grate Patrol—every weekend

Preparation—Fridays, 3‑5 pm

Delivery—Saturday and Sunday mornings

Salvation Army dinner preparation—First Friday of each month, 5-7 pm

The Epistle
A monthly publication of St. Paul's Parish
K Street — Washington, D.C.

Editor Alistair Nevius
Assistant Editor Allison Freeman
Desktop Publisher John Walker
Designer David McGaw
Contributors Mary Brown, Roy Byrd, Jeff Coulter, David Eld, Benjamin Kong, Tina Mallett, Laurel Radley, Andrew Sloane, C.B. Wooldridge, Melva Willis

Submissions Invited
We welcome the submission of articles, comments, and suggestions. Manuscripts and correspondence can be dropped off at the church office or e-mailed to the editors at nevius@erols.com. Electronic manuscripts are preferred. Articles accepted for the Epistle are subject to editorial revision.

SAINT PAUL'S PARISH
Washington, DC 20037-1797
phone 202-337-2020
fax 202-337-7418
e-mail info@StPauls-Kst.com
Web www.StPauls-Kst.com

Parish Staff
The Rev'd Andrew Sloane, Rector
The Rev'd Nathan Humphrey, Curate
Mark Dwyer, Music Director
Scott Dettra, Assistant Music Director
Melva Willis, Parish Administrator
Frederick Murdock, III, Maintenance Manager

The Vestry
The Rev'd Andrew Sloane, Rector
Linda Wilkinson, Senior Warden
David Schnorrenberg, Junior Warden
Greg Capaldini, Secretary
Polly Peckham, Treasurer
Lucky Ajueyitsi, Rhoda Geasland, Matthew S. Leddicote, Lynne V. Walker; Alistair Nevius, Geoffrey Peckham; Roy Byrd, Catherine Eikel, Brian Hoyle, Ann Korky

Our Mission
St. Paul's Parish seeks to restore all people to God and to each other, through Sacramental Worship and Christlike lives.

Deadline for next issue
Monday, December 4