St. Paul's News - June, 2009

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St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Lansing Michigan

Volume 34, Issue 6

St. Paul's News

June, 2009

Calendar 12

Prayer List 7

Upcoming

Activities2-3

Treasurers

Report9

Inside this issue:

By The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

The Prime Directive

In the television series Star Trek and movies that followed, therewas a rule known as Star Fleet General Order #1 called The Prime

Directive. It was the guiding principal for all the exploration done bythe Starship Enterprise and any other ship operating on behalf of TheUnited Federation of Planets.

With this short introduction, I am sure many of you remember what that

Directive was. For those who dont, the law stated that there was tobe no interference with the internal affairs of other civilizations discovered in the universe. As theprime directive, it governed every thought and action of Captain Kirk and his crew as they wentwhere no man had gone before.

As we complete the season of Easter, having heard all the resurrection stories and the Gospelsadmonitions about how to behave in response to Gods greatest gift, it is easy to become confusedas to what to do. Matthew 28:19-20 says Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptiz-ing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them toobey everything that I have commanded you. Mark 16:16 says, Go into all the world and pro-claim the good news to the whole creation.

(Continued on page 10)

The Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller

Standing in the Tragic Gap

By Martie Repaskey and Millie Ericson

Members of St. Pauls Prayer Group have been moved and inspired by lessons learned in thecurrent issue of Weavings, a bimonthly collection of articles related to spirituality, which we

have used as our textbook throughout this year. Last month, we read an article by Parker Palmerin which he discussed the experience of standing in the tragic gap. He describes the gap as aplace of tension, between what is and what could and should or will be, or the interval betweenthe reality of a given situation and an alternative reality we know to be possible because we havealready experienced it. The tragic gap is so named because it is inevitable, inexorable, inescap-able.

This concept resonated with many of us, as we were able to review many times in our own liveswhen we have faced this experience. Parker states that to live in this world we must learn how tostand in the gap with faith and hope. When finding ourselves in the gap, we are faced with alter-native responseseither caving in to the tyranny of the primitive brain (fight or flight) or holdinglifes tensions in the responsive heart, where we may encounter social and cultural creativity.Parker asserts that when the primitive brain predominates, humility, compassion, forgiveness, andthe vision of a beloved community or relationship do not stand a chance. He states that the de-struction that occurs causes humans to forget that their first calling is to love one another.

In another article, in the same journal, we learned about one man who stood in the gap for many


Monday-Thursday

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Office closed Frida

thru

September 4, 200

Summer

Office

Hours


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June 2009

St. Paul's NewsPage 2

Activities at a Glance

Ongoing Activities

St. Aelreds Guild, resumes in September

Book Cart, resumes in September B&PW, Tuesday, June 9, 6 PM at the home of

Debby Pierce ECW, Monday, June 15, 6:30 PM at the home of

Lyn Zynda Family Night Dinner, resumes in September 4 Fs, resumes in September St. Pauls Library, open every Sunday Prayer Group, resumes in September Mens Breakfast, resumes in September

Mission/Outreach, resumes in September Mid-Week Eucharist, Tuesdays, noon

This Month at St. Pauls and Elsewhere

Committee Leaders Training, Sat., June 6,9-11:30 AM

Special Parish Meeting, Sun., June 7, after 10 AM Sunday Eucharist & Picnic in the Park, Sun., June 14 Vacation Bible School, June 15-19

Looking Ahead

2009 Youth Mission Trip, July 26-31

Graduation Sunday


On Sunday, June 7, at the 10 a.m. service, St. Paulswill again celebrate the accomplishments of many

who are involved in academic pursuits and celebrategraduation. Because we wish to acknowledge everyone,please notify the parish office if anyone in your familyis graduating this spring.

All Parish MeetingBy The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon F. Weller

On Sunday, June 7, immediately following the 10a.m. service, we will hold an All Parish meeting to

discuss the shortfall in the budget. At the January An-nual Meeting, a motion was made to ask the Vestry toconsider the problem and report back to the parish (byMay 31) with some solutions. By now you should havereceived a report from the Vestry with some thoughtsabout how we might solve the problem. Please makeevery effort to be in attendance on June 7.

Calendar


June is when we begin to place the activities of ourvarious Guilds, Committees and activities on the cal-

endar for the upcoming September through August pe-riod. If you are involved with or in charge of any parishgroup, please be sure you calendar events are turnedinto the parish office as soon as possible.

B&PW

By Libby Richardson

The last meeting of B&PW for the 2008-09year will be a bar-be-cue, June 9 at 6 p.m. at

the home of Debby Pierce. The main course isPulled Pork and each member is asked to bring anappropriate dish to pass. For additional informa-tion please call Debby or myself.

Thank you, Thank you. . .By Kathleen Johnson, Office Manager

Iwould like to thank everyone at St. Pauls forall their prayers and thoughtfulness during my

recent medical leave. I truly appreciate all thecards, flowers, gifts, meals (I love A Catered Af-faire!), and phone calls that I received. I wouldespecially like to thank all the wonderful parishion-ers, ECW, and B&PW for taking over the officeduties while I was away. A special thank you toLibby Richardson, Debby Pierce, and Chris Strukel

for making sure everything was organized andtaken care of. And, of course, a BIG THANK YOUto my boys (Gordon, Ron, Steve, Bill, and Doug)who did everything possible to make sure I didntworry about the office and could recuperatepeacefully. Ive truly been blessed with a wonder-ful St. Pauls family. I appreciate and thank all ofyou.


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June 2009

St. Paul's News Page 3

St. Pauls News Available On Line

By Lyn Zynda, Layout Editor

The June issue of SPN will be the last to be mailed out Parish-wide. Beginning in September the newsletterwill be available at our new and improved web site, www.stpaulslansing.org. We are taking this step for a

variety of reasons: production and paper costs, staff time to prepare and mail, and the negative impact print-

ing the newsletter has on the environment to name a few.

For me this is an exciting evolution. Currently we struggle to gather the articles (its deadline, people, not sug-gested deadline) edit, layout the issue, and proofread in an effort to get the issue in your hands before the firstof the month. This causes lots and lots of stress for everyone involved, especially Christine Caswell, our editor,and myself. An additional bonus for being online is the ability to use color in each issue and hyperlinks to addi-tional information and related sites.

There is still the option of requesting a mailed, hard copy of each issue for those in the parish who arent con-nected to the internet and copies will be available in the tract rack in the Cloister. If you still would like a copyof St. Pauls News sent, please call Kathleen Johnson at 517-482-9454.

Annual Sunday Service and Picnic in the Park

By Millie Ericson, Vestry Member

With a red, white and blue theme to honor Flag Day, the Annual Sunday Service and Picnic in the Parkwilltake place on Sunday, June 14, beginning with Eucharist at 10 a.m. The location this year is Hawk Island

Park, 1601 Cavanaugh St. (between Pennsylvania and Aurelius) in Lansing. Parishioners are invited to join in thefestivities of the day by wearing flag colors!

Hawk Island offers many activities for all ages, including swimming, fishing, a paved trail for walking or biking,a splash pad, sand volleyball and a community-built playground. No dogs are allowed in the park but theSoldans Dog Park is available nearby.

Sign up is available by the Merrifield Room to bring one of the following: potato salad, baked beans, salad,veggies, fruit dish, chips, dessert. The church will provide hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks and picnic ware. A mapto the park and a coupon for parking are available with the sign-up sheet. Donations will be collected at the

picnic to cover the parking fee and offset the cost of hot dogs, etc.

The 10 a.m. service will take place at the Park, in lieu of a service at the church. The 8 a.m. service will be atthe church as usual.

Staff Vacations


T

hroughout June, July and August, the staff will be taking well deserved

vacations at various times. Be assured that even if several are on vaca-tion at the same time, the pastoral responsibilities of the parish will be main-tained. If you have a need or situation to report or discuss, please be diligentin trying to contact us. We will try to leave appropriate reminders on ourvoicemails, etc. but may be out of contact for periods of time. Please be sureyou actually talk to someone rather than just leaving a message. If you cannot contact one of the clergy, con-sider contacting one of the Wardens: Martie Repaskey, Senior Warden, or Stephanie Van Koevering, Jr.Warden.


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Memorial Plaque

By Martie Repaskey, Sr. Warden

The above graphic depicts the proposed bronze plaque for the Memorial Garden. This plaque, which willlist all interred in the Garden, will be placed below the windows of the Van Atta Room on the east side of

the Garden.

We were hoping to be able to install the plaque in time for the Homecoming, but we now expect the plaque to

be completed sometime in June.

St. Pauls Youth Group Can Attest Father Byrds BBQ is the BEST!

By Barb Heany

On May 3, youth group members and their parents gathered atthe home of Barb Heany to celebrate a year filled with fun and

accomplishments. And there couldnt have been a better way to cele-brate than with Father Byrds (a.k.a. Baby Byrds Q) World Classbarbeque ribs. Grilled and smoked to perfection, Father Byrds BBQ

ribs were everything they were hailed to be and more!Blessed with a beautiful day, the group was able to enjoy variousoutdoor games and activities and to make plans for their work week-end at Michi-Lu-Ca Camp at Stoney Lake in May and the YouthWorks Mission trip to Cario, Illinois in July.

From outreach projects to fun group outings, it has indeed been ayear to celebrate and be proud of. A special thank you to FatherByrd for all you have done for us! And your ribs are mighty good,too!


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Thanks to Stephanie in the InterimBy Christine Caswell, Editor

Lyn Zynda and I wish to thank Stephanie Van Koevering for jumping in last month to do the layout for theSt. Pauls News. As most of you know, our beloved layout editor, Lyn, lost her husband, Andy, in April, so

she had other matters to attend to. I was going to try to do the layout myself (without the appropriate soft-ware), but Stephanie (who has lots of software and creativity) volunteered to help me, and it was greatly ap-preciated. Lyn is back for the this last issue of the 2008-2009 SPN year, but we both wanted to acknowledgeStephanies contribution and thank her for helping us through a difficult time.

Calling All Committee Leaders

By Stephanie Van Koevering, Jr. Warden

St. Paul's is blessed to have an abundance of coun-selors to provide guidance and direction to the

parish. As we prepare to embark on the 161st year ofSt. Paul's, we wish to pause and reflect on where ourunited journey in faith is taking us.

This year, St. Paul's committee leaders are being in-vited to help develop strengthened plans for the fu-ture. The Vestry is preparing to embark on a long-termplanning effort and is offering practical suggestionsand training in the development of committee-levelstrategies. This will allow us all to better coordinate

our activities, timelines and expectations for the future.

Please plan to join members of the Vestry in the Merri-field Room on Saturday, June 6 from 9 - 11:30 a.m.for a training/work session. Please RSVP to the parishoffice by May 29. If you are unable to attend forsome reason, please plan to send an alternate fromyour committee. This will help ensure full representationand rich discussion at the event and beyond.

At the event, we will coordinate committee calendars,work on committee and parish action plans, and sharesome thoughts about effective committee and churchgovernance. This promises to be a collaborative, hands-on learning event that kicks off some meaningful think-ing about the ongoing life of St. Paul's.

St. Pauls Leaders Greet Archbishop

Desmond Tutu

By Stephanie Van Koevering, Vestry Member

Clergy and lay leaders from St. Paul's were amongthose who participated in an intimate gathering withArchbishop Desmond Tutu on May 7.

The event, which included Bishop Wendell Gibbs and ap-proximately 30 to 40 Episcopal leaders from around theLansing area, offered an opportunity to hear ArchbishopTutu's perspectives on the future of the worldwide church.

"When you consider the things we face together as aglobal communion, poverty, AIDS, suffering, it is a shamethat we should focus so intently on the issues that divide us," Tutu said. He went on to express his belief that thechurch will survive these challenges and continue to make a difference.

Archbishop Tutu also exhorted the young people in attendance to act with purpose and vigor in all areas oftheir lives. "Go and do," Tutu said. "God is relying on you."

Event details and photographs can be accessed by visiting www.stpaulslansing.org.

Fr. Gordon Weller, Archbishop Desmond Tuto and

Bishop Wendell Gibbs


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June 2009


Rich in Heritage and Spirit!

By Nancy Sheldon

T

he year 2009 began with the acknowledgment

that we were 160 years old! That certainly was areason for celebrating, not just during the month ofMay, but throughout the year with a variety of mes-sages. Each week, Jean Shawver has put a historicalfact in the bulletin for us to think about, and our ban-ners (made by Mike Young) proclaim our pride in ourheritage to all who pass by. There will be other occa-sions, as the year continues, toremind us of our past that wehope everyone will enjoy.

However, the month of Maywas truly special. The after-

glow from the services willsustain us for quite a while.Each Sunday celebrated apart of St. Pauls which hassignificant importance to usall and for which we aregrateful. As different as eachSunday service turned out tobe, Gods love was abun-dantly felt as we worshipedtogether. Our choirs weremagnificent in their perform-ances as well as the selections

Dr. Lange chose each week.Having former parishioner Doug Austin accompanythe choirs for the several pieces he has composedthroughout the years especially for St. Pauls was areal treat. There were many new faces and there wereold friends whom we hadnt seen in a long time. EachSunday brought special gifts.

Music and Worship Sunday was celebrated by two ofour former women priests, the Rev. Carol Spangen-berg, a former assistant, and the Rev. Monique Elli-son, a former curate. In addition, two women from thefirst class that allowed female acolytes in 1972 were

guest acolytes to help us commemorate the role ofwomen in the Episcopal Church. They were Kathy Wil-son Banwell and Leslee Fisher. There were manysmiles and the tapping of feet as the choir sang a gos-pel mass throughout the servicea wonderful way tobegin our celebration!

Our Childrens Sunday (on Mothers Day), beautifullyorganized by Father Ron and Barb Heany, broughtjoy, hope and grateful hearts as they processed in withtheir Sunday school teachers, all waving 160th flags!

The children were in charge of the whole service: theygreeted everyone at the doors, helped the ushers, ledus in the Morning Prayer service, sang beautifully, bur-ied a Time Capsule, and prepared and served a birth-day party for our 160th during the coffee hour. It was

a busy, happy day and we all gave thanks in ourhearts for the wonderful children in our church andtheir teachers who guide them so caringly and ably!

On Mission and Outreach Sunday, we considered ourrole of mission in the Greater Lansing area by recog-nizing the senior wardens from All Saints EpiscopalChurch and St. Michaels Episcopal Church. St. Kathe-

rines Episcopal (to whom wesent lay readers 125 yearsago when they were still aprivate chapel and had nopriest) was unable to be

there due to a very specialcelebration it was having onthat same Sunday. Anotherimportant mission has beenour relationship to the statecapitol. Lt. Governor JohnCherry was present to talkabout the importance of thatrelationship. Deacon Bill Fine-out gave an interesting hom-ily about the history of theoutreach to which St. Paulshas been committed and the

vision that our Mission & Out-reach Committee has for its continuance.

Homecoming Weekend saw people from near and farwho gathered their families to celebrate our 160years of service and fellowship during four specialevents: (1) a confirmation service Saturday morning atSt. Pauls with the Rt. Rev. Wendell Gibbs, Jr., ourBishop, for our members as well as all the CapitolArea Deanery Episcopal churches; (2) a fun-filled eve-ning, beginning with a delicious Homecoming dinner;(3) moving to the Methodist Church to watchGodspell, presented by our high school choir; (4)

and lastly, Homecoming Sunday, a memorable servicewith former rectors participating, as well as recogniz-ing former senior wardens, and those who, throughoutour history, have served in the armed forces.

I want to thank a terrific Advisory Committee whoworked so hard for more than a year planning thiscelebration: Pam Irwin, co-chair, Ellie Doersam, SueLeDuc, Martie Repaskey, Susan Henderson, Dorothy


Leslee Fisher and Kathy Wilson Banwell, two of the first

female acolytes at St. Pauls


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St. Paul's News Page 7Choir News

We pray for those who are sick and in need: Cindy Robinson, Richardand Aaron Hegmon, Shelley Robinson, Mason Hill, Lois Caswell,

Erik Lindquist, Chance Collins, Barb Hacker, Marjorie Belles, Aleda, Dave,

Kathryn Senko, Barb Powers, Patricia Reno, Skip and Marsha Macholz,

Michael and Gwen Skinner, Edward Such, Judy Jones, Melinda Naumer,

Tom Foltz, Cheryl Ann, Vivian Hawkins, Perce Guilder, Linda, Kaema

Amachree, Bill, Mary Lindquist, Yvette Constan and family, Cris Plyler,

Brian French, Lynne, Donald Clark, and Roland Howes

We pray and remember those in the Military, serving in dangerous areas: Daniel Reno, Michael Benson, andSteven Johnson

We pray for comfort for the family and friends of: Katherine Pope, Andy Zynda, Ernie Hedburg, RussellHuber, and Kathryn Chlebo

We pray for all those whose jobs and livelihoods are in jeopardy

We pray for those expecting: Summer (Sleight) and Jake Stevens, Brooke and Ian Broughton, Susie andLuke Shaefer, Tara and Norman Farhat, Jill and Clif Schneider, Rochelle and Stuart Cullum, Allyson and

Jerry Parker, and Carrie (Kressler) and Charlie Smith

We give thanks for the birth of Elkanah Lagu son of Joseph and Hayat Lagu, and Gavin Theodore Alvarezdaughter of Amanda and Darrick Alvarez and siblings Erikah and Abraham

Did You Know?

By Jean Shawver

The altar in the Chapel of the Incarnation has special importance

for those of us who now celebrate the 160th year of St. Pauls.The cabinet encloses the original altar from the first church on Wash-ington Avenue. How thoughtful of those who chose to perpetuate thefounding of our church.

Going, Going, Gone!

By The Rev. Ronald C. Byrd, Sr.

Sales end soon. There are just a few weeks remaining to get youryouth group fundraiser discount card. Each card sells for $20 andoffers 15 incredible freebies and/or discounts to local area busi-nesses. Cards can be purchased on Sundays during coffee hour inthe Merrifield room or at anytime from members of St. Pauls YouthGroup. Please help our youth help others!


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St. Paul's NewsPage 8 Mission and Outreach

Marsh, Nancy Berger, Steve Lange, Debby Pierce, Mandy Lawton, Jean Shawver and Janie Wilson.

Others helped throughout the process on a variety of projects: Pat Smith, Mary Luginsland, Stephanie VanKoevering, Mary Rose Siebold, John Irwin, Max Pierce, Mike Young, Chris Couch, Matt Ferguson, KirkLindquist, Carol Ingells, Barbara Heany, ECW and church Guilds and the staff. Thanks to Gordon Weller, RonByrd, Bill Fineout, and Kathleen Johnson for her extra hours and patience with all of us throughout this process!Thank you to all of you!

(Continued from page 6)

Vacation Bible School


F

rom June 15-19, St. Pauls will take a few steps

back into the old west, when pre-school through6th grade students take A Wild Ride Through GodsWord. The wild ride begins each day at 9 a.m. withSing and Play Stampede. Through the course of themorning, children will experience Wild Bible Adven-tures, Horseplay Games, Chuck Wagon Chow, Cow-poke Crafts, and Chadders Wild West Theater. At theend of every morning children will gather for a show-time round-up and dismissal. On Friday, our final daytogether, there will be a carnival for the children andtheir families. If thats not enough to get our kids bootskicking, maybe our special twist on this years programwill!

In support of St. Pauls Millennium Development Goals(MDG)/Mission and Outreach Heifer project, we are

planning aPetting Zooon Friday. Wethink this willbe especially

fun for thechildren andhelp increasetheir aware-ness of St.Pauls MDGinitiatives. Now hows that for a wild ride!

To register your child for this awesome Bible-learningadventure, please complete a registration form andreturn it to Fr. Rons office mailbox.

Finally, on Saturday June 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,volunteers, will gather at St. Pauls to decorate and fora pre-VBS meeting. For more details, questions or tovolunteer please contact Fr. Ron. I look forward toseeing you on the ranch!

Countdown to Mission Trip


It is less than two months before St. Pauls YouthGroup heads off to Cairo, Illinois for a week of min-

istry and mission. Our 2009 mission trip is being

planned and coordinated through an organizationcalled YouthWorks, which is based out of Minneapolis,Minnesota. For more than 15 years, YouthWorks hasprovided life-changing, Christ-centered youth missionopportunities for junior and high school children. Sixcore values influence and stand at the center of Youth-Works mission trip planning and execution: YouthMinded, Servant Leadership, Relationship Oriented,Life Changing, Multi-Denominational and Ministry Fo-cused.

Our youth accompanied by Fr. Weller, Dr. Judith

Brown-Clarke and Fr. Ron will depart from the St.Pauls at 6 a.m. on Sunday, July 26 and return to thechurch at approximately 7 p.m. on Friday, July 31. Thefirst part of our week will include engaging youngerchildren through games and activities. The second halfwill be set aside for helping seniors and may includetasks such as house painting, residential cleaning and

some minor home repairs. Evening activities will giveour youth insight into the lives of local residents andculture. Activities might include costume bowling, wor-ship at a local church, a scavenger hunt around Cairo,and perhaps a community Bar-B-Q. Additional infor-mation may be obtained by visiting YouthWorks web-site at www.youthworks.com.

The reservation deadline is June 15, and there areonly seven spots remaining. Parents interested in hav-ing their child participate in this years mission trip areencouraged to pick up a mission trip planning packagefrom Fr. Ron.


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June 2009


Financial Information as of April 30, 2009

By Julie Young

At the May 19th meeting of the Vestry, your Vestry:

Had dinner together Did devotions with St. Dunstan as our model. (Did

you know we have a St. Dunstan's Guild?) Approved the minutes from the April 21st meet-

ing. Received the completed 2007 Audit. Acceptance

will be at the June meeting. Discussed the Recommendations and Implementa-

tion of same. Approved the withdrawal of an additional

$30,000 from the endowment funds as needed. Authorized the transfer of $365 from the organ

repair fund to the general account.

Accepted the treasurer's report. Received a report from the finance committee

about answering our financial shortfall. Discussed the implications of the plan (conduct a

Capitol Campaign) Discussed two major issues associated with our

budget shortfall (Diocesan Pledge & Curate'sprogram)

Passed a "Motion of Intent" to support our finan-cial commitment in full to the Diocese

Approved in concept the continuation of the cu-racy program (although a replacement for Fr.Byrd may not be available until June 2010)

Approved the presentation of that plan to thecongregation on June 7

Authorized additional employment for Fr. Byrdthrough December 2009 (if needed) Heard that the plaque for the Memorial Garden

will not be ready by the May 31 homecoming.Will be installed sometime in June

Discussed the Action Plan seminar scheduled forJune 6

Discussed the all-parish e-mail list Discussed the Vestry calling program. It would be

appropriate for those who have not completedtheir calling to advertise the General ParishMeeting on June 7

Reviewed the 160th celebration. So far it has

been spectacular! Made plans for Graduation Sunday and the Ves-

try sponsored breakfast on June 7 Discussed and began to implement a long-range

planning program for the parish that would en-compass program as well as finance

Received a report in the hiring of a new Sundaynursery attendant

Received Clergy reports

Vestry Highlights

Ninety-percent of the Thaman bequest, or $136,763.13, was deposited into the Perpetual Fund, with the re-maining 10 percent going into the Mission and Outreach Fund.

April 30 marks the end of the first third of the year. Pledge income in April was $25,804, bringing the year-to-date total pledge income to $105,474, almost 34 percent of the budget, so it appears that we are on targetwith pledge revenue. Overall revenue is at 34 percent for the year. There was a shortfall in April of $10,633,making it necessary to withdraw $10,000 from the St. Pauls Perpetual Fund.


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June 2009


Luke 24:47 says that Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations,beginning from Jerusalem. And John says in chapter 21:30-31, Now Jesus did many other signs in thepresence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come tobelieve that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in hisname.

I think that as Christians we have a Prime Directive. That directive is To be Gods Healing Presence in theWorld. In some ways, our first rule is exactly opposite of the Star Fleet command to change nothing. Godhas no hands but ours, no eyes and ears but ours, no way to facilitate the changes we all pray for, except

we be present and allow it to happen. In any life situation, personal or social, if merciful action is needed, itwill happen through us.

I offer this because on June 7, we will have a parish meeting where we will consider how we will respond tothe budgetary shortfall that was evident at Januarys Annual Meeting. If our only concern is to survive, wewill fail to keep our Christian Prime Directive. If our only concern is to balance the budget, we will negatewhat we have become, a healthy agent of Gods love in the world. Indeed, we need to take care of busi-ness at home, but only in so far as it enables us to take care of business in the world.

To quote another science fiction, other-world series, May the force be with us! In my heart, I know He will.

(Continued from The Prime Directive, page 1)

years, witnessing to Gods love. John Woolman was aQuaker living in colonial New Jersey who believedthat slavery was immoral. He urged his fellow Quak-

ers to release their slaves and discovered that manywere not willing to do so, largely for economic rea-sons. Despite their varying views on this issue, his con-gregation supported him in true Quaker fashion bytaking care of his family while he toured up and downthe east coast, carrying his message to Friends. JohnWoolman stood in the gap for over 20 years, con-vinced that his belief about the evils of slavery was infact a message from God. Quakers were then, andare now, committed to making decisions on issues in-volving Gods will by coming to unity rather than byvoting and having majority rule. They consider major-ity vote a form of violence against the humanity and

integrity of the minority. Consequently, when facedwith a divisive matter, Quakers would talk and pray,talk and pray, talk and pray, listen to one another,then attempt to discern the will of God until they be-came united on the position. John Woolman held thetension throughout those 20 years, convinced in hisheart of the rightness of his position but always mind-ful of his faith community. Ultimately, the Quakers be-came unified, agreeing that slavery was immoral andan abomination. The Quakers were the first religiouscommunity to free their slaves, and they did so 80

years before the Civil War! That this community wasable to remain in faithful communication with one an-other until unity was reached is an inspiration, for itseems evident that they continued to love and respectone another despite their differences. It was yet an-

other reminder of how decisions can be made in acommunity in a peaceable fashion.

We in this faith community of St. Pauls hold the seedsof such discovery in our spiritual journeys! We canchoose to fight or flight over potentially contentiousissues that might result in a divided or embitteredcommunity, or we can choose to stand in the gapand seek to achieve a unity of spirit that can yield astronger and more unified community. With responsivehearts that promote trust in God and in each other,and with an ever-present willingness to listen deeplyto one another through the inspiration of the Holy

Spirit, we can tackle the challenges which come ourway, and we can be sure that Gods truth is workingin the process! In Christian communities, how we achieveour goals is at least as important as the goals we

choose to achieve.

If you would like to explore similar prayer-relatedtopics with us, please feel warmly invited to join theSt. Pauls Prayer Group, which meets on the first Tues-day of the month at 5:30 p.m. We will resume meet-ings next September in the choir room. Please join us!

(Continued from, Standing in the Tragic Gap, page 1)


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218 W. Ottawa

Lansing, MI 48933Phone: 517-482-9454

Fax: 517-485-8621

Choir Room: 517-482-0369

Website: Stpaulslansing.org

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Lansing Michigan

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TheSt. Pauls News is a publication of St. Pauls EpiscopalChurch, Lansing Michigan.

St. Pauls Episcopal Church Staff

The Very Rev. Dr. Gordon Weller, Rector

The Rev. Ronald C. Byrd, Sr., Curate

Dr. Stephen R. Lange, Minister of Music

The Rev. Deacon William H. Fineout

Ms. Mary Rodeck, Assistant Minister of Music

Ms. Kathleen Johnson, Office Manager

St. Pauls News Editorial Staff

Christine Caswell, Editor

Lyn Zynda, Acting Editor

Documents

St. Paul's News - June, 2009