November, 2014 • Volume 139, Issue No. 11

Inside this issue:Bishop’s Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Notes & Quotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Truckin' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Thanksgiving Tale . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Tales from the Golden Road . . . . .8Lynn Phillips-Gaines receives 2014Volunteer of the Year award . . . .12

By Hailey Wile Allin

What does it mean to be married?What does the church have to say aboutmarriage? What is the role of the church inmarriage?  In a rapidly changing culture inthe United States, what values does thechurch hold as indispensable to marriage?These are but a few of the questions stimu-lating conversation throughout the churchas we find ourselves in the midst of signifi-cant social shifts regarding marriage. ForSt. Andrew’s Cathedral, “now is the accept-able time for our cathedral to engage thisissue of marriage and the role of thechurch,” notes the Very Rev. Edward O’Connor, dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

“My desire is to faithfully engage thistopic with the Anglican lens of Scripture,Tradition and Reason/Experience so as to shine alight onto relevant topics that will aid in our unfold-ing understanding of marriage,” says Dean O'Connor.

In 2012, the 77th General Convention of theEpiscopal Church called for a task Force on the studyof marriage. 12 appointees — bishops, theologians,educators, and pastors — were charged to study and

consult broadly on the subject of marriage. Addition-ally, they were tasked to develop tools for discussionand reflection on the topic of marriage with consider-ation of the changing cultural norms and legal struc-tures of our time. “This task force is charged not onlyto take the pulse of our current theological under-standing of the meaning of marriage, but to assist the

faithful in conversation and discernmentabout marriage, in particular, what thechurch might hold up as ‘holy example’ ofthe love between Christ and his church,”noted House of Deputies president, theRev. Gay Jennings when announcing theappointment of the task force. “The Episco-pal Church’s theology and practice of mar-riage has changed significantly over thecenturies, and we need to understand moreclearly what we as a church mean when weuse that word.” In June 2014, the TaskForce on the Study of Marriage, which in-cludes the Rev. David Knight of Mississippi,released Dearly Beloved, a resource andtool kit designed to help engage people instudy and facilitate conversations aboutmarriage.

With Dearly Beloved as a guide, St.Andrew’s Cathedral embarked on its own study ofmarriage this fall. For five weeks in September andOctober, clergy, lay leaders, and guest lecturers pre-sented a range of topics that explored the historical,biblical, theological, and canonical dimensions of

By Sue Watson, Staff WriterTwo years ago, when Father

Bruce McMillan invited the BishopPrelate of the Episcopal Church of theUnited States to help Christ EpiscopalChurch celebrate its 175th anniver-sary, he said he did not expect his invi-tation would be accepted.

Nothing happened for a while,then he received acknowledgmentthat the Most Rev. Katharine JeffertsSchori had received his invitation.Then it looked like nothing was goingto happen.

The celebration was scheduledfor April 2014, but was postponed when McMillan said thechurch was asked to change the date to when the Prelate wouldbe in Mississippi.

Bishop Schori arrived to conduct the Eucharist and topreach the sermon to a group of 150 worshippers, September28.

Schori won over Holly Springs Episcopalians with her sim-ple presentation, her calm demeanor and her joyful personality.

Many who helped plan the event, including the ladies who

prepared the meal served at Kirk-wood after church service, were spell-bound by Schori’s approachability,her friendliness, her welcoming spirit.

Bea Green remarked on howeveryone was taken with the Bishop.

“She was just so super nice,”Green said.

Michele Stuber found it difficultto find the right words to express thegrandness of the celebration.

“A couple of things John and Iwere talking about is we did notknow what to expect from her,” Stu-ber said. “She was very approachable

and has a real genuine spirit about her. She had a moving andstrong spirit that you could feel – a reverence that you could feel.She had a very holy sense about her.

“It was very special to have her and Duncan Gray.”The anniversary celebration covered 175 years of bishops

and priests and acolytes, Stuber said. The continuity was palpa-ble with Steve Elgin, a former acolyte and his son, acolyteStephen Elgin, both participating in the celebration.

Study of marriageContinued on page 3

[MSE] Churches may apply for 2015 UnitedThank Offering grants in November of 2014, ac-cording to the diocesan UTO coordinator,Brenda Hawkins. Hawkins said that the UTOwebsite includes information about the grant ap-plication process. For complete information log onto http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/united-thank-offering.

In 2014, Trinity Church/Pass Christian received a $37,000grant that included a casket lift to the nave of the church to helprebuild the church and educational building. The lift was neededdue to new flood elevation guidelines that required the church tobe built 22 feet off the ground. To review a complete list of grantsapproved in 2014 please visithttp://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/united-thank-offering.

Hawkins noted that all grant applications must be completedand sent to the diocesan screening committee by Monday, Janu-ary 12, 2015. For further information please contact UTO Coordi-nator Brenda Hawkins at 601-638-4206 (home), 601-573-6962, oremail bhawkins@cablelynx.com.

In other UTO news, Hawkins said UTO Thank Offeringsshould be sent in by December 10 to her home: 330 LakewoodRoad, Vicksburg, MS 39180.

UTO grants may be appliedfor in November

Editor’s note: this article is reprinted with the permission of The South Reporter.

Presiding Bishop KatharineContinued on page 4

Presiding Bishop Katharine visited Holly Springs after consecration

Presiding Bishop Katharine gives communion to little ones at Christ Church/Holly Springs.

The Very Rev. Edward O’Connor helps lead the Dearly Beloved story at St.Andrew’s Cathedral.

St. Andrew’s Cathedral engages in a study of marriage

2 The Mississippi Episcopalian November 2014

ORDINARY CONCERNS

September 19 – In the office all day catch-ing up on a variety of matters.

September 20 – Join with Daughters of theKing from around the diocese who are gatheringfor a convocation at Chapel of the Cross in Madi-son. I preach and celebrate at their opening Eu-charist, then excuse myself to drive to Vicksburgto officiate and preach at the funeral of the Rev.Clifton McInnis, a friend and colleague whohelped shape the personality and culture of thisdiocese in so many ways.

My father and his sister, Ormond Caldwell,travel with me to the funeral. We tour Vicksburgafterwards as they share their many memories ofearlier times.

We eat dinner in a Vicksburg restaurant andreturn to Jackson late.

September 21 – In the morning, I drive toCollins for my visitation to St. Elizabeth’s. I meetwith the mission committee before the service toreflect on our journey together over the pastfourteen-plus years. At the Eucharist, I preachand celebrate, then join the congregation for awonderful lunch.

Saying my goodbyes, I drive to Gray Centerfor the closing Eucharist (Clausura) of the Cur-sillo weekend. I preach and celebrate and ex-press my deep appreciation for this ministrywithin the diocese for almost forty years.

In the evening Kathy and I host family atour house to celebrate my father’s eighty-eighthbirthday.

September 22 – Day off includes a trip tothe doctor to deal with some respiratory issues.

September 23 – Staff meetings throughoutthe morning. I leave the office midafternoon toenjoy a family celebration of my sixty-fifth birth-day.

September 24 – Morning appointmentswith the Rev. Luther Ott and the Rev. Dcn. BobbyWeatherly. In the office until late afternoon when

I pick up our Presiding Bishop Schori and BishopShannon Johnston (Virginia) from the airport.They have come to Mississippi directly from Tai-wan and are in need of some sleep and reorient-ing of their internal body clocks before thecelebration of this weekend begins.

September 25 – In office for most of theday. Kathy and I host Presiding Bishop Jefforts-Schori, Bishop-elect Seage and his wife, Kyle, atour home for dinner. It is a quiet, relaxing mo-ment before the celebration begins in earnest to-morrow!

September 26 – I pick up the presidingbishop at her hotel and take her to the Depart-ment of Archives and History where she andother visiting bishops are given a presentation onthe new Mississippi History and Civil Rights Mu-seums.

We then travel to St. James’ in Jacksonwhere the presiding bishop has a conversationwith clergy and lay persons about a variety ofmatters. Lunch follows in the St. James’ ParishHall.

I continue my role as chaffeur as we drive tothe Convention Center for a “walk-through” re-hearsal for tomorrow’s service.

In the evening, the Mississippi Crafts Centeris the site of an informal dinner with the dioce-san leadership and Presiding Bishop Katharine.

September 27 –In the morning, we ordainand consecrate the Very Rev. Brian Seage to bethe bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Missis-sippi and, ultimately, the tenth bishop of this ex-traordinary diocese. I am one of theco-concentrators as bishops from throughout thiscountry and Panama join in this wonderful cele-bration.

I never cease to be amazed at how wellthese massive worship services are coordinatedby our liturgical team of musicians, vergers, litur-gists, and sound crew. Thanks to them all!

The reception after the service is at the ArtMuseum. Following the reception, PresidingBishop Jefferts-Schori and I drive to HollySprings.

Dinner with the very Rev. Bruce McMillanand his liturgical team. Overnight in HollySprings.

In my rush to make everything right for thepresiding bishop, I discover I have left my vest-ments in Jackson! Father McMillan offers to sharehis at tomorrow’s worship.

September 28 – With borrowed vestments,I join with the presiding bishop and the congre-gation of Christ Church in celebrating their 175thanniversary as a congregation in this diocese. Thechurch is packed as former members of the con-gregation, local civic officials, and friends in thecommunity join the Christ Church congregationin this great celebration.

Lunch afterwards at the Kirkwood NationalGolf Club – a wonderful setting!

After lunch, I take Presiding BishopKatharine to Memphis to catch her plane back toNew York.

It has been an extraordinary week. Every-thing has been so well-planned and executedand we have a new bishop!

All is well.Overnight in Holly Springs.September 29 – I have been given the gift

of a two-day golf vacation at Kirkwood NationalGolf Club in Holly Springs. I decide this wouldbe a good time to use the gift.

Golf throughout the day at Kirkwood.Overnight in one of the cottages on the course.

September 30 – Another round of golf be-fore heading home. Stop by Oxford for a briefvisit with grandchildren, then return to Jackson.

October 1 – In office for much of the day.Morning appointment with Mr. Duke Cain.Midafternoon, I leave for Starkville where I offici-ate at the ordination to the diaconate of the Rev.Laurence Wainwright-Maks at the Church of theResurrection. Laurence is serving as the Episco-pal chaplain at Mississippi State University andcurate at Resurrection.

Following the reception, I return home toJackson late.

October 2 – In the office all day. Late after-noon appointment with the Rev. Dcn. CarolSpencer.

October 3 – In office through lunch. Morn-ing appointment with the Rev. Greg Proctor. Inthe afternoon I travel to Oxford. After making apastoral visit to the hospital, I pick up our oldestgrandchildren — Harper and Sadie Gray — andreturn to Jackson where they will spend theweekend with grandparents.

October 4 – Kathy and I spend most of theday at the state fair with our granddaughters – awonderful and exhausting adventure! Returnhome in time to watch the second half of the OleMiss-Alabama football game. With the victories byboth Ole Miss and Mississippi State, our statestands in the center of the college football uni-verse – for at least one week!

October 5 – Up very early to drive to the

coast for my visitation to Christ Church in Bay St.Louis. Spend some time with an adult class re-flecting on the state of the diocese and answeringquestions about my future plans.

At the parish Eucharist, I preach, celebrate,and confirm six. During this service, it is an-nounced that one of the 100 year-old-plus oaktrees on the Christ Church property has beenregistered with the Hancock County HistoricalSociety in my name in thanksgiving for my min-istry. I am honored and deeply touched.

Great lunch cooked by the Men’s Club ofthe parish. I linger long as I say my goodbyes tothis special congregation with whom I havewalked many miles.

October 6 – Day off.October 7 – Breakfast meeting with Chan-

cellor Granville Tate, Bishop Seage, and CanonsJohnson and McCormick.

Staff meetings throughout the rest of themorning.

At noon the office staff is treated to lunchand a slideshow by Chuck Barlow, Molly Meeks,and the Rev. William Ndishabandi highlightingtheir recent mission trip to Uganda. A very spe-cial moment.

In the evening Kathy and I attend theFriendship Banquet sponsored by the InterfaithDialogue Institute.

October 8 – In the office all day. Early after-noon session with Bishop Seage and the Rev.Dcn. Carol Spencer. Meeting with the trustees ofthe diocese takes the rest of the afternoon.

October 9 – Morning meeting with PastorTom Clark of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Churchto give interview to Meridian Star reporter con-cerning a statement from the Mississippi Reli-gious Leadership Conference about prisons.

The rest of the day is spent in the office asthe Standing Committee meeting is cancelled.

Afternoon session with the Rev. LynnBarker.

October 10 – In office in the morning.Morning appointments with Ms. TammieStephens and, later, Mr. James Lueth.

In the afternoon Kathy and I drive to Oxfordfor the first in a series of informal goodbye/retire-ment events for the two of us.

Overnight with the Grays, IV in Oxford.October 11 – In Oxford through the day.

Morning spent with grandchildren. In the after-noon we are hosted by the folks at St. Peter’s to alovely reception as a part of our “Goodbye Tour.”A number of folks from across the northern partof the diocese join us for the occasion whichtruly warms my heart.

Overnight in Oxford.October 12 – Up early to drive to Tunica

for a last visit to the Church of the Epiphany. Iteach an adult class prior to the worship, thenpreach, celebrate, and confirm two at the service.

I say my goodbyes at a wonderful lunch af-terwards. Following lunch, I drive to Southavenfor a hospital visit with a member of the congre-gation.

Overnight in Oxford.

The Bishop’s Journal

Continually published for 139 years in the Diocese of Mississippi

Official news organ of the Bishop and the Diocese of Mississippi118 N. Congress Street - P.O. Box 23107

Jackson, Mississippi 39225-3107

The Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray, IIINinth Bishop of Mississippi

The Rev. Scott LenoirEditor

The Mississippi Episcopalian (USPS 024755) is published monthly by the Episcopal Diocese ofMississippi, 118 N. Congress St., Jackson, MS 39201. Periodical postage paid at Jackson, MS.POSTMASTER: Send change of address to the Mississippi Episcopalian, P.O. Box 23107, Jack-son, MS 39225-3107. In giving changes of address send the old address as well as the new.We cannot be responsible for the return of manuscripts or photographs.

A date to remember: Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Deadline for The Mississippi Episcopalian

November 2014

OUR DIOCESE

Notes from around the diocese:St. Paul’s/Corinth will have a dessert booth

at the Red-Green Market on Saturday, November22nd. They will be selling homemade pecan andpumpkin pies and pound cakes prepared by theirmembers as a fundraiser.

Thursday, November 20th is the date of theAnnual Harvest Bazaar at St. James’/Greenville.This is their biggest fund raiser of the year, and inaddition to the freezer/pantry booth and silentauction, they’ll have a raffle for a St. Louis Cardi-nals baseball package.

It is time for the major fundraiser of the yearat Mediator-Redeemer/McComb-Magnolia.They are selling greenery to fund their ongoingECW inreach/outreach programs. A minimum of20% of the proceeds will go to the community out-reach program immediately after the sale, andthroughout the year they will continue to con-tribute to many community and diocesan outreachprojects, including MICA, St. Andrews Mission,WINGS, the Camp Bratton Green ScholarshipFund, Children at Risk, the United Thank Offering,the Honduras Medical Mission, and others.

Ascension/Hattiesburg is set to make theirfamous gumbo again. Profit from the gumbo salescontinues to assist in funding for their outreach ef-forts and other aspects of operations.

On Sunday, November 9th, St. Peter’s/Ox-ford will celebrate veterans by displaying photosof the congregation’s family members and closefriends who have served our country. Veteranswill be honored again at their Veterans Day potluck supper Tuesday evening, November 11th.

On Saturday, December 13th, St. Peter's willpresent its annual lessons and carols service atParchman. Volunteers are needed - no qualifica-tions required other than a willing spirit and theability to commit a day.

St. John’s/Ocean Springs will celebrateChrist the King Sunday with King’s Kids Weekendfor kids aged 3-12.  There will be music, art, sto-

ries, food, and fun on Friday through Sunday, No-vember 21st through the 23rd.

On Thanksgiving Day, St. John’s is offeringdinner for those who are needy, those who arealone, and those who wish to share dinner withthe parish at 1:30 p.m.

Renovations are underway at St.Philip’s/Jackson. Contractors have begun tearingout the carpet downstairs in the EYC room andpreparing for the new flooring, and once the up-stairs is cleared out, construction crews will beginasbestos abatement before prepping and layingnew floors.

Grace/Canton is planning a columbarium tobe located in the east courtyard. It will provide aburial place for cinerary urns on church grounds.

The Sunday school Thanksgiving project atSt. John’s/Laurel is collecting items for the resi-dents of Comfort Care Nursing Center.  Membersare encouraged to donate gift basket items such assmall blankets or throws, manicure supplies andcosmetics, t-shirts, scarves, arts and crafts supplies,personal hygiene items, stationery, bingo prizes,and individually wrapped candies. As many bas-kets as necessary will be filled with the items theparish provides.  On Sunday, November 16th, thebaskets will be blessed at the 10:30 a.m. mass andthen delivered to Comfort Care in time for theirThanksgiving celebrations.

St. Peter’s by-the-Lake/Brandon hasadopted 20 elderly families in Rankin Countythrough the Rankin County Department of HumanServices for Thanksgiving.  They are asking for do-nations of $15 for a turkey and for non-perishablefood items to fill in and make a complete meal.

Something new is in the offing at St.Paul’s/Meridian. On Sunday, November 30th, at4:00 p.m., they are having an Advent Fair in theparish hall. There will be crafts, snacks, andwreaths to be made, all with Advent and the ap-proaching Christmas season as the focus.

St. Paul’s EYC is hosting Drop & Shop to help

parents with their holiday shopping. On Friday,December 5th, they are offering to entertain chil-dren at St. Paul’s from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.with movies, games, crafts – and even supper.

St. Mark’s/Gulfport and St. Peter’s by-the-Sea/Gulfport are supporting Gulf Coast Commu-nity Ministries (GCCM) this season. GCCM isdedicated to helping people facing challenges intheir lives.  They promote hope and a promise ofnew beginnings to those who are hungry, sick, orhomeless.  GCCM also has a food pantry that pro-vides emergency assistance to the Gulfport com-munity two days a week and a free clinic thatoffers care and medications to uninsured peoplebetween the ages of 18 and 24.  Finally, GCCMalso ministers to those without shelter by supply-ing hygiene items, food bags, clothes, tents, andblankets. 

Two new offerings are being introduced atSt. John’s/Pascagoula. The first is Posada, statuesof Joseph and a pregnant Mary that will be passedfrom home to home from the beginning of Adventuntil December 23rd, as a reminder of what theseason is about in the midst of all the other activi-ties. There is a short service conducted as the stat-ues arrive at each home.

The second offering is the celebration of theFeast of St. Nicholas, a 4th century bishop whowas present at the Council of Nicaea. The servicewill take place on Wednesday, December 6th, andwill be followed by hot dogs and chili.

St. Pierre’s/Gautier will provide a holidayshopping opportunity for parents with Mother’sDay Out. For the first three Saturdays in Decem-ber, they will care for children from age 1 through5 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.Activities, snacks, naps, and lunch are on theschedule.

Christmas on the River is on the calendaragain this year at Holy Trinity/Vicksburg. Mem-bers will pack gift boxes for folks who work onour rivers. Last year they packed 44 boxes to pro-vide for 325 crew members. Each crew memberreceives a hand-crafted cap or scarf, plus candy,popcorn, tissues, hand lotion, lip balm, and othergoodies.

Resurrection/Starkville is preparing fortheir annual hot chocolate event, which comple-ments the annual Christmas parade. On Monday,December 1st, they will be giving a free cup of hotchocolate and a candy cane to friends who visit

them on the vicarage/church office lawn.On Sunday, November 30th, St.

Stephen’s/Indianola is offering Advent wreath-making and dinner.  Following dinner at 5:30p.m., members will gather to create Adventwreaths.

Quotes this month:The Rev. Ann Benton Fraser, St.

Paul’s/Corinth: “How am I telling the story ofwhat God is doing for me? Not the gospel ofprosperity, that I am somehow blessed becauseGod favors me. Not the gospel of fear, that God iswatching me, ready to pounce. But the gospel oflove, that I am able to love and forgive others be-cause God loves and forgives me. And life abun-dant flows from gratitude at realizing this truth.This is the story that brought you to God. Howwill you share it with others?”

The Very Rev. Robert Weatherington, Re-deemer/Biloxi: “On the 30th [of November], wewill enter into our season of waiting. We willgather in anticipation of the Lord’s arrival into ourlives. We begin this time on the first Sunday in theseason of Advent. We pour our gratitude into aseason of waiting for the arrival of Christ into ourlives. In a way, we might say that our season ofgratitude leads to the arrival of Jesus. When webegin with gratitude, we pave the way for healing,renewing, directing, discerning, inviting, welcom-ing, serving, all to enter into our lives. I wonder ifNovember has a message for us. If we are gratefuland patient, we make room for Christ to enter in.”

The Rev. Ann Harris, St. Paul’s/Columbus:“Should we pray for the dead? . . . Maybe the deaddo not hear us, but surely our loving God does!”

The Rev. Brandt Dick, St. James’/Greenville:“All too often, the reality of an event does not liveup to the anticipation. So why deny ourselves thesweet agony of anticipation, of experiencing long-ing for a hoped-for-event. We look back to the in-breaking of God into creation in the birth of ourSavior, but also look ahead to the Savior’s comingagain in glory. There is no need to rush the deli-cious anticipation . . . The point is balance. Weare Episcopalians, after all, we believe in the viamedia, the middle way. Virtue lies in the meansbetween the extremes.”

The Mississippi Episcopalian 3

St Andrews’s engages in a study of marriageContinued from page 1marriage. The topics and presenters in the Dearly Beloved series at St. Andrew’s included:

“Marriage and the Bible” with Dr. James E. Bowley and Dr. Bennie Williams, Professors of Religious Studies, Millsaps College

“Book of Common Prayer Theology of Marriage” with the Very Rev. Edward O’Connor, Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral

“History of Marriage” with Hailey Allin, Coordinator of Lifelong Formation, St. Andrew’s Cathedral “Marriage and Culture: What Makes Marriage Christian?” with the Rev. Jody Burnett, Canon for Parish

Ministry, St. Andrew’s Cathedral “Resources for Same-Sex Blessing” with the Rt. Rev. Brian Seage, Bishop Coadjutor of Mississippi

“My expectation is as anytime two or three of us gather, that we trust the abiding presence ofChrist’s Holy Spirit, as well as practice our baptismal covenant lives as we continue to seek, serve, re-spect and love others,” notes the Rev. Edward O’Connor. By faithfully engaging in the study of mar-riage, St. Andrew’s Cathedral hopes to take advantage of this moment in history to be informed andactive participants in discerning the way forward.

Hailey Wile Allin is a member of the staff at St. Andrew’s Cathedral/Jackson.

Pictured are members the Episcopal Church Task Force on the Study of Marriage that produced theDearly Beloved resource. The Rev. David Knight from Mississippi is seated on the right. Regarding hisexperience on the task force, Knight said, “It is an honor to serve on this task force and especially torepresent our diocese in this way. I am happy to hear from anyone with questions about the work wehave released. I do hope many of you will engage with the materials and will find the effort worth-while.”

4 The Mississippi Episcopalian November 2014

OUR DIOCESE

Wednesday, October 1Early morning work out. It’s hard to wake up but really nice to work out

with the rest of my team. It feels kinda normal.First day in the office after the ordination … I still feel really strange put-

ting on a purple shirt. During the morning hours I’m busy trying to catch upon emails and phone calls.

At noon, I attended the meeting of the Mississippi Episcopal AIDS Commis-sion. This committee does great things for men and women living with Aids. They are a committedgroup of Christians that I’m humbled to work with.

After the meeting, I head home to scoop up Betsy and get her to swim practice. After dropping heroff I head over to Cups for coffee and a place to work. Cups on Lakeland is quickly becoming my sec-ond office. I love their dark/bold blend!Thursday, October 2

Drive the girls to school and then set out for Jackson-Evers airport. I’m flying to DC today to attend ameeting at the National Cathedral along with Canons Johnson and McCormick. We will be attendingThe Reimagining the Episcopal Church (TREC) meeting. My flights are uneventful and on time.

After supper we attend the meeting where I run into an old seminary friend. Joining us for the meet-ing are Morris Thompson and Will Compton, seminarians from our diocese. The meeting starts on timeand was really interesting. This committee assigned from General convention in 2012 has done a greatjob. The meeting starts with Bp. Michael Curry leading a short Bible study. He is tremendous and is aremarkably gifted communicator. The various speakers leave me with a great deal to think about.Friday, October 3

Started the day with breakfast and getting some work done in my room in DC. I took a moment tocatch up by email with an old friend, Chase Ackerman, who is attending General Seminary in New York.The controversy there has left him, rightly so, a little worried but he is enduring and dealing with things“one day at a time.”

I head out to the Uder Halzey Air and Space Museum which is near Dulles Airport. It’s an awesomedisplay of some really great aircraft. I spent several minutes staring at a 707 on display in the commer-cial aircraft area. My dad flew 707’s for a number of years and I remember him complaining about thenearly non-existent head room in the cockpit! The other highlight for me is the space shuttle on displayin the space area. What an incredible piece of technology it is.

I left the museum with enough time to catch my flight. After getting to the airport I find that myflight is delayed due a storm in Atlanta. I finally got back to Jackson around 10pm. Nice surprise wasrunning into a good friend, Robert Mahaffey, in the Atlanta airport.Saturday, October 4

Easy morning at home. I manage to spend a little time catching up on emails and finishing prepara-tions for services tomorrow at St. Peter’s. This will be my first ever confirmation … I think it might be agood idea to look at the rubrics in the BCP.

Afternoon swim meet with Betsy. She did great. I was very pleased. Talked with Katie before she de-parted for homecoming at St. Andrews. Kyle is trying to balance helping Katie get ready while simulta-neously watching the Ole Miss/Bama game.

Supper time is quiet around our house as Kyle mourns the Bama loss. She consoles herself by admit-ting that at least they lost to a Mississippi team. After supper I head out for Gulfport where I will spendthe night. On the drive I have to deal with Southern Cal losing to Arizona State on the last play of thegame! Ugh! Thank God the Dodgers managed to beat St. Louis!

Sunday, October 5Official visit at St. Peter’s/Gulfport. I preach, preside, and receive 1 at the 8am service. At the 10:30

service I preach, and preside while baptizing 1, receiving 3 and confirming 11. It’s an awesome experi-ence to preside at confirmation for the first time with this vibrant congregation. After services there ispot luck lunch and great fellowship. I met with vestry after lunch and discussed the mission of theparish. I am excited to learn that they just started a Saturday night service.

While driving home, I am energized as the Saints come from behind to win against the Bucs. Itwasn’t pretty but I’ll take it.

Arrived home and enjoyed take-out supper with Kyle and the girls.Monday, October 6

Day offWorkoutEnjoyed an afternoon movie with KyleSupper with Betsy

Presiding Bishop KatharineContinued from page 1

“Now their children are up there,” Stuber said. “It was a really special occasion and lovely turnoutfor lunch. I am so glad Mayor Buck came and people from the community and from all over came out.”

Tammy and Billy Cupp were co-chairs of the event.The Very Rev. Bruce McMillan’s presentation of a silver and agate cross that he bought while on va-

cation in England this summer was special, Stuber said.The cross, made in 1880, was found in the silver vaults in London long before, and it was pre-

sented to the Presiding Bishop during the service.Reflecting on the occasion, Becky Cupp remembers how much fun it was.“It was so much fun and it turned out so good,” Cupp said. “I enjoyed it, I enjoyed her, and her

sermon was great. It ap-pealed to everybody.She was so down toearth, everybody couldunderstand it.”

The presidingbishop brought greet-ings from the EpiscopalChurch and expresseddelight to be with thecommunity.

The Scripture read-ing, taken from the OldTestament, told thestory of Jacob who slepton a stone slab for a pil-low and had wilddreams.

He wrestled withan angel until the angelagreed to give him a blessing and awoke with a dislocated hip. And Jacob, who dreamed of a ladder toheaven, reminds us there are places that guide us to Heaven, she said.

Christ Episcopal Church has served as such a ladder, she said.A bishops’ meeting in Taiwan recently helped Schori to see how different Christians discover God

in their own context of places of worship.In days of old, God was found only in certain places such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Temple inJerusalem, or at the altar in churches, or the shrine in Mecca. These sacred places are considered win-dows to the divine. These windows point the way to God, Schori said.

“The temple is meant to be a house of prayer, a meeting place to be still and know that God isGod,” Schori said. “But the liturgical hubbub and riotous religious marketplace are drowning out thestillness and silence. Merchants of religion are exploiting the vulnerable in order to fill their own pock-ets. Some things haven’t changed a whole lot in 2,000 years.

“The scrum of the daily life and the noise of the marketplace still keep us from waking to the nearpresence of the Holy One.”

But God can be experienced in a beautiful sky, in nature, in the face of another, she said.“Christ Church exists to help us all wake from slumber,” she said.The church exists because it continues to prod people to awake and go out, she said.Schori pointed to the Yellow Fever Church, the first Episcopal Church building in Holly Springs

that now is a shrine. The slave dealers brought the yellow fever epidemic along with their human cargoto the nation in the 1600s, Schori said.

“Now, Ebola is this age’s yellow fever,” she said, “and it’s migrating across West Africa right nowlargely because of fear and endemic poverty.”

The Episcopal Relief Fund is responding to the Ebola epidemic with education and distribution offood. The collection Sunday was dedicated to the relief fund.

Schori said Christ Episcopal Church’s task is to reveal the Glory of God in a human being who isfully awake.

This community is one of the poorest in Mississippi, where half of the community is in poverty.God’s poor eat at the Garden Cafe and take food from the food pantry.

Jacob’s dream is a promise that all the people of the earth will be blessed by his descendants, shesaid.

“You have a goodly heritage in this place,” Schori said. “Stay awake, prod the people around youto be alert to the near presence of God. Truly, this is the gate of Heaven! For through you, ChristChurch is indeed meant to bless the world for years and centuries to come.”

McMillan described the celebration as a red letter day – created by having Bishop Schori andBishop Gray (of Mississippi) as celebrants.

“Sometimes it feels like we are standing in the gates of hell, but you remind us to keep hope,” hesaid.

“It is a great honor to be among you and to see what faithful leadership goes on for years and yearsand years,” Schori said. “I give thanks for you and your leaders.”

Editor's note: The paper doesn't have room to print both bishops' journals, but we thought you mightlike to read some of our coadjutor's entrees. You may read all of the coadjutor's journal online atwww.RtRevdeadhead.com.

Those serving at the Eucharist with the Presiding Bishop pose for a pictureto commemorate the event.

Truckin’

Bishop Coadjutor Brian Seage

Seage’s journalContinued on page 5

November 2014

GOOD READING

By Janet C. Nail

I have never been afraid of the dark, proba-bly because I can walk into a wall or trip over myfeet at noon as easily as at midnight, but I havenever questioned the metaphorical use of light anddark to represent good and evil, especially in theBible, seeing it simply as metaphor.

Barbara Brown Taylor sees it as more dangerousthan I ever did. In Learning to Walk in the Dark(HarperCollins, 2013), she decries the relentless sun-shine theology that implies that finding oneself in thedark (literally and/or figuratively) means that one lacksfaith and may just not be a true follower of Christ.

Knowing herself to be regularly a child of the night,Taylor decides to explore the much dreaded darkness. Shebegins by becoming familiar with the night sky. Because she lives inthe country, she lies out at night to watch the moon and its changingface. She becomes familiar with the stars, not a common thing. (Re-member the blackout in Los Angeles that precipitated panicky phonecalls to the police about a strange glow in the sky? It turned out tobe the Milky Way, usually hidden by the light pollution of the city.)

Taylor wants to show a child visitor a charming countrycustom, moving chickens from one coop to another,which is most easily accomplished in the dark. Talkingall the time to the child (or so she thinks), she comesout of the coop with three chickens in her apron andone under each arm, only to find herself alone. Shelocates the child by following the terrified sobs!

Who would deliberately seek the ultimatedarkness, blindness? No one, it seems. But anexhibit in Atlanta, called Dialogue in the Dark,offered the experience of being temporarilyblind. Sighted and blind people changeplaces. Leaving behind cell phones, digital

watches, anything that gives off light, and—oh, yes,your glasses because you won’t be needing them—and wait for a

blind guide. I really identified with her panic when she became separated

from her group while crossing the street (virtually). I know what itmeans to be unable to see where I am going in broad daylight.

Cave exploring is not something with which I can identify, butit is claustrophobia rather than the dark that affects me. Taylor wasinvited to explore a “wild” cave in West Virginia. (I enjoyed the vicar-

ious experience, the darkness minus the feeling that the ceiling wasgoing to slowly come down and crush me!) Reflecting that Jesus,Mohammed, and the Buddha had spent time in caves and that St.Patrick and St. Francis also dwelt in caves while wrestling with God,she settled in the cave to experience the dark AND the sound; itturns out that you can hear your nervous system and your circula-tion in the silence of a cave.

Then, of course, there is the dark night of the soul. We tend toregard this as a loss of faith and a time of deep depression. It actu-ally refers to the time when a person lets go of his own ego andwaits until he/she can experience God totally. It is the beginning oftrue faith, true union with God.

The book ends where it begins: Taylor and her husband lie ona hill to watch the moon rise. Together they experience the slow,very gradual movement that brings the full moon up into their view,marveling at the brilliant fiery orange that gradually becomes silver.“How long has it been since we watched the full moon rise?” heasks. Twenty years. To wait twenty years to see this is criminal, butwe were busy.

Read this book and you will never be too busy to enjoy thenight again.

Tuesday, October 7Busy morning! Early meeting at the Trust-

mark building with our chancellor, GranvilleTate, Bishop Gray, Canon Johnson and CanonMcCormick. Another helpful opportunity for meto learn more about some of the “administrativeintricacies” of my new position.

Back to the office for staff meeting. It’s been abusy couple of days so it’s really good to catchup with everyone. Various meetings continueinto the lunch hour. During that time Chuck Bar-low and Molly Meeks, from the Chapel of theCross in Madison, and William Ndishibandi of AllSaints in Jackson visit with the entire staff sharingstories about the Uganda Mission trip. This is areally interesting new ministry of our church. It isalso a mission field that we can learn much from.

I spend the rest of the afternoon planningand preparing for clergy conference.

In the evening, Kyle and I attend an awardsceremony put on by Youth Villages. The 2014award winners are the Revs. Janet and LutherOtt. It’s great to hear about the work of YouthVillages and Janet and Luther!Wednesday, October 8

Early morning workout. The pool is swampedas the high school swim teams from Brandon andSt. Joe’s are moving inside. It is kind of nice,though, as the commotion reminds me of myswimming past.

Morning meeting with Grae Dickson. He’s anold friend so it’s good to catch up and to hearmore about Gray Center.

I intended to begin working on a presentationfor next Wednesday at St. Andrews Cathedral butthe telephone and email conspired against me!

Afternoon meeting with Carol Spencer; itturns out to be a great opportunity for me tolearn about Hope Federal Credit Union. After themeeting with Carol, there’s a meeting of thetrustees of the Diocese. My head is swimmingafter hearing all the numbers fly through the air!

I am so grateful for and trustees and our invest-ment counselors!Thursday, October 9

Morning meeting with Stephen Stray, a mem-ber of the cathedral who has served in variousdiocesan ministries.

Today’s standing committee meeting was can-celled, so I am grateful for the time to work onsermon and preparation for my visit to St. Paul’sin Columbus.

Afternoon meeting with an aspirant for HolyOrders. We are blessed to have thoughtful andspiritual individuals willing to discern how Godis speaking to them.

Evening at home with Kyle and the girls.Friday, October 10

Early morning workout.Morning meeting with Tammie Stephens re-

garding the Storybook project. It sounds like agreat ministry where inmates are taped reading abook to their children! They hope to expand thisawesome ministry beyond Central Mississippi.

Late morning meeting with Sekila Argrett, aparishioner at St. Mark’s and Girl Scout leader.She invites me to be judge at a dessert contestthis spring! It’s the 40th anniversary of the Samoa(Girl Scout cookie) so all entries will incorporatethe cookie. My sweet tooth is already rejoicing.

Afternoon meeting with Whitney Robinson re-garding some Christian education ideas.

Annual visit with Deacon Scott Williams.I left the office early and I don’t feel remotely

guilty. It’s been a busy week.Saturday, October 11

Mental note! Today is Mom’s 84 birthday.Give her a call!

Morning swim meet with Katie and the St. An-drew’s swim team. I’m really proud of Katie asshe swims a couple personal best times. I alsohad a great time watching the competition andtalking with other parents.

My mom calls before I can get a quiet mo-ment to call. I wish her a happy birthday. Shetells me that she is speaking to me on her newiPhone. I’m in shock. She had an antique flip

phone until this moment. This is the first signthat something amazing is happening.

Home in the afternoon where I watch footballand take a short nap. I’m really excited for Missis-sippi State as they clobber Auburn. Kyle (theBama girl) appreciates State immensely! I leavefor Columbus before the Ole Miss game is over.Way to go Rebs! Two undefeated teams in Missis-sippi!

I spend the night at the home of the Rev.Anne & Marc Harris. Wonderful hospitality. Thisgreat day is made complete when USC holds onto defeat Arizona! My mom gets an iPhone, bothMississippi football teams win and SC wins.Whoa.Sunday, October 12

Morning meeting with the vestry at St. Paul’sin Columbus. After the vestry meeting I spendsome time talking with the 12 confirmands. Theytell me they’re “stoked” to be there. I’m still try-ing to learn all the liturgical stuff that a bishopneeds to know so I’m ever grateful that DeaconPam Rhea is able to show me around the nave.It’s a really pretty church. Deacon Pam is reallyhelpful pointing out some of the intricacies ofthe worship space.

Service goes great. I baptize 1, receive 1 andconfirm 11. There’s a real joy in the congregationthat I suspect is due to all the holy celebrationsrelated to Christian initiation as well as football.Wonderful festive brunch following the service.

I arrive home in time for supper. Over supperKyle told me about the wonderful “Goat Roast”celebration at St. Philip’s. It was a good day …and a great weekend!

And the season premiere of the Walking Deadis tonight! Yay!Monday, October 13

I slept a little later and went to a later work-out (7:30).

Attended the funeral of Scott Lenoir’sbrother, James. I golfed with James several times.Great guy. I know his family will miss him, butthey are thankful for his life. May the faithful de-parted rest in peace.

Lunch at home and working around thehouse. I actually caught up on my journal!Tuesday, October 14

Staff meeting first thing followed by a meetingwith Canon McCormick and a meeting with bothCanons and Bishop Gray. After the round ofmeetings, off to the Marriott for a luncheon withCatholic Charities. It’s a fundraiser lunch high-lighting the many ministries of this organization.I’m honored to be seated at the same table asJames Meredith.

In the afternoon I meet with the Rev. GatesElliott for his annual visit. Gates, the interim rec-tor at Chapel of the Cross/Madison, has done anoutstanding job. With the new rector coming onboard later this month he will resume his dutiesas the associate rector. Gates and I have similarstories given that both of us came to the diocesethrough marriage! It’s good to catch up.

I spend the rest of the afternoon working onvarious projects including an Advent meditationfor the Seminary of the Southwest.

In the evening Kyle and I dine at Ruth’s Chrisin celebration of our anniversary … 19 awesomeyears of marriage.Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Early workout.In the office I finish a meditation for an Ad-

vent publication at the Seminary of the South-west. In the late morning there is conference callwith the finance committee for the diocese.

Lunch meeting with Jan Gadow from St.Columb’s.

After lunch I spend time getting ready for anevening presentation at the Cathedral. Late after-noon meeting with the Rev. David Knight. Davidis a really helpful resource for my teaching at theCathedral.

In the evening I teach at the cathedral regard-ing a report put together by the Task Force onMarriage for the National Church. My segment isabout the resources for same sex blessings. It’s agood conversation. I appreciate their openness.

Seage’s JournalContinued from page 4

Who’s afraid of the dark?

Seage’s journalContinued on page 8

The Mississippi Episcopalian 5

6 The Mississippi Episcopalian November 2014

OUR DIOCESE

By Keith PettwayNovember is the month of Thanks-

giving when we take more time thanusual to give thanks for all our bless-ings. Not only humans have things tobe thankful for, but our four-leggedfriends, and in this particular case ourthree-legged friend, also have hugethings for which to be grateful.

This is the story of Reggie, a three-legged rescue mixed breed dog that hasfound a loving home with the Rev.Sylvia Czarnetzky, rector ofCalvary/Cleveland and her husband,John. Reggie’s story has many Episcopalthreads. His story begins when Mary Kathryn O’Connor was driving home from Camp Bratton Greenthis past summer. Mary Kathryn is the daughter of St. Andrew’s Cathedral dean, Edward O’Connor andhis wife, Deidra.

Mary Kathryn noticed a small, malnourished, crippled dog crawl on the road in front of her andcollapse. Her parents had warned her “not to bring any other animal into the house other than myself”.She could not resist, however, and took the dog to the emergency vet. It turned out that the pup hadbeen shot in a back leg and had been carrying a bullet for about three weeks.

The injury to the creature was such that, in order to save the animal, the vet had to remove a leg.Edward and Deidra, who are well known for their compassion for animals, took care of the vet bills,brought the dog, now known as Reggie, home to nurse him back to health. The O’Connor ark was over-flowing and even though the family came to love him, there was no room for Reggie.

Enter Sylvia. The O’Connors had placed Reggie’s picture on Facebook along with a plea for a lov-ing home for him. Sylvia’s much loved rescue dog, Billy, had died a number of months earlier andthoughts of finding a replacement had just started. When she saw Reggie’s photo, something clicked.“Who could resist such a sweet face?” she asked herself.

Shortly, husband John was brought into agreement. The call was made, but someone else couldnot resist Reggie’s face either and had gotten there first. Reggie was already taken.

Disappointment set in. As fate would have it, this first home did not work out. Sylvia got the calland arrangements were made to make the transfer and Reggie went to his forever home.

As is the case with most dogs who are rescued after being on the street and going through a lot ofadversity, Reggie turned out to be a very loving dog. He seems to not be able to get enough petting, orgiving and getting affection. This transfers to everyone he meets. It is so obvious he is grateful. The factthat he has three legs does not seem to bother him in the least. He can run really fast, loves his walksand can chase a squirrel with the best of them.

Before you get the idea that Reggie is a three-legged angel, well maybe he is, but his halo is a bittarnished. Like many young dogs he likes to chew things. He does mattress-ectomies (removes the stuff-ing) on his dog beds and only a few days ago, chewed Sylvia’s favorite pair of shoes. He is soon for-given. Sylvia said: “It’s my fault, I should have closed the closet door.”

We should all be thankful for those “descendants of St. Francis” like the O’Connors and Sylvia whocare for all of God’s creatures. Those rescued animals we bring into our homes cannot speak English,but from their actions they show how grateful they are and pay us back many times over.

Redeemer/Biloxi EYCer RebeccaFish gets ready to finish a SpiderMan mask on Jason Sherman,Jr. at the church’s annual FallFestival.

Cammie Switzer sells anotherpumpkin at Redeemer/Biloxi’sFall Festival. All proceeds areused to support the church’syouth ministry.

Team Captain Bishop Grayplayed golf with clergy confer-ence chaplain, the Rev. JohnFritschner, and the Rev. JodieBurnett at the annual Bishop’sOpen Golf tournament held atLake Caroline Golf Course be-fore the October 20th confer-ence. This was Gray’s last teamas the diocesan bishop and theyplayed valiantly, but werebested by Team Elliott, Lenoirand Sanders—all of whom havebeen transferred to a churchstart in Hushpuckena.

Scott Lenoir/Photos

David Johnson/Photo

Reggie the rescue: a Thanksgiving tale

Reggie, a three-legged rescue, makes friends with WilliamSly, a communicant at Calvary/Cleveland. Keith Pettway/Photo

The Mississippi Episcopalian 7November 2014

OUR DIOCESE

St. Columb’s/Ridgeland dedicated its beautiful needlepoint kneeler cushions on September 6, 2014.Stitchers include (seated) Bonnie Crocker; (L to R)  Tammy Vaughan, Debbie Hartzog, Deenie Grubbs,Sue Allbritton, Sharon Stewart, Sue Boykin, Anne-Marie Bromley, Emily Williams and PatMcIntyre. Stitchers not pictured include:  Betty Jo Mahaffey, Anne Derryberry, Sonja Baker, SherryVanlandingham and Kaye Spencer.

By Jennifer Deaton

Knitting andNeedlework in Ad-vent, an annual re-treat, invites us topause at the startof a season thatcalls us to quiet ex-pectation eventhough there is al-ways more to dothan can possiblybe done. While atour retreat we cer-tainly spend muchtime together inlaughter and con-versation, sharingpatterns and resources and learning new techniques as we sit around the fireplaces of Gray Center. We also spendmuch time reflecting together on Advent themes and stitching in prayer. This year our theme is What toExpect When You are Expecting a Messiah, and we will consider what it means to prepare our heartsfor the coming of the Christ child. Bring your needles and yarn, or whatever you stitch with, and a will-ingness to breathe deeply, laugh often, eat well, learn much, and pray quietly.

Returning as retreat leader is Susan Nix with many years of experience teaching knitting and shap-ing knitting ministries in Mississippi and nationally. The Rev. Jennifer Deaton returns as chaplain.

The retreat will be December 5-7 at Gray Center. The cost for the full weekend is $180 for a dou-ble room, $205 for a single room. Meals are included. While we hope participants can spend the fullweekend with us, we do welcome those who can only attend on Saturday, 9:00 am-3:00 pm – cost forSaturday only is $40. Some scholarship assistance is available.

You may read more about the weekend and register online at cffm.dioms.org (scroll to the bottomof the page for a link to this retreat) or print a paper registration form and mail it. If you have questionsyou can direct them to Caelin Hanna at caelin@graycenter.org or 601-397-4273. Please feel free toshare this invitation with others and to welcome even those who do not knit…yet!

The Rev. Jennifer Deaton is the Canon for Pastoral Care at St. Andrew’s Cathedral and a devoted knitting aficionado.

Scott

Lenoir/

Photo

Bishop Seage addresses the clergy of the diocese at the annual conference’s closing Eucharist. The four-day conference was focused on the theme of transition and was led by the bishop coadjutor.

Annual knitting/needlework retreatcoming in December at Gray Center

Susan Nix/Photo

The Episcopal Diocese of Mississippioffers

A Lenten Pilgrimage to Israel and JordanFebruary 23 – March 6, 2015

Hosted by the Reverend Canon David H. JohnsonVisit the Sacred Sites and Scenes of Scripture and History.

For more information, contactcanonjohnson@gmail.com

8 The Mississippi Episcopalian

PERSPECTIVES

Come Holy Spirit come.Come as Holy fire and burn in us.Come as Holy light and lead us.Come as Holy truth and teach us.Convict us, convert us, consecrate us andMake us wholly thine.

You may have heard me offer this prayer. I use it frequently before worship, meetings, presentations and gatherings. A mentor, Joel Keys,offered this prior to worship at St. Thomas in Diamondhead. I heard it a couple times and quickly committed it to memory. It is actually a short-ened version of a longer prayer from an anonymous source. The words, to me, are so familiar that they’re comforting, but more than comfort-ing, they are empowering. Empowering because this invocation is us, God’s people, reaching out to the Holy Spirit and asking the Spirit of Godto set our souls on fire! We don’t often reach out to the 3rd person of the Trinity, but perhaps we should.

It’s really difficult to articulate how we experience the Holy Spirit (or Ghost). I suspect that all of us have different ways of attempting to ex-plain its presence to newcomers, friends, children or parishioners. The Holy Spirit is indeed a holy mystery. Maybe when we seek to understandor explain the Holy Spirit we should simply refer to the words of this prayer and see the Holy Spirit as a fire that burns in our souls while provid-ing light and truth for our journey of faith.

As I continue making visits to the missions and parishes of the Episcopal Church in Mississippi, you will hear me offer this prayer over andover. Feel free to offer or use these words in your personal prayer life or when asked to pray before a meeting or even a meal. The spirit of ourLord is indeed with us, but it never hurts to invite that same spirit to guide us into mission and ministry while making us “wholly thine.” My con-tinued prayer is that our souls will be set on fire for doing God’s work in our families, missions, parishes, cities, state, country and world!

Peace be with you!+Brian

Tales from the Golden Road

November 2014

Bishop Coadjutor Brian Seage

To keep up with the activities of our bishop coadjutor, log on to his website http://rtrevdeadhead.com.

Thursday, October 16, 2014I spent the day working at home. The bulk of my time is spent

working on my presentations for Clergy Conference and the othersurrounding details. I also found time to make several phone callsand do laundry.

In the later afternoon I took Katie to swim practice.Friday, October 17, 2014

Early morning workout. In the office working primarily onclergy conference.

Lunch meeting with Barry Howell from St. Columb’s. Wespend most of the time talking about baseball and our children(not necessarily in that order).

Back at the office Octoberfest is taking place on the street infront of Allin House. It’s a festive environment!Saturday, October 18, 2014

Drive to Biloxi for the South State High School swimmingchampionship. Katie competes in 2 individual events and recordsnew personal bests in both events. Our family has really beencaught up in my transition over the last few months. I’m reallypleased that she has stayed focused on swimming and school. Wearrive home late that night.Sunday, October 19, 2014

Visitation at Church of the Mediator in Meridian. At the serviceI preach, celebrate and confirm 14. During the liturgy they pre-sented me with a beautiful chasuble made by parishioners. Wecelebrate the new members of the church and their stewardshipdrive with a banquet. It was a wonderful morning and afternoon!

Quiet evening at home with Kyle and the girls. I spend a littletime at night working on my presentation for Clergy Conference.Monday, October 20, 2014

Early workout.Last minute work on program for Clergy Conference. I head to

Lake Caroline for golf with the Bishop’s Open. My team doesn’twin but I’m very pleased with our performance!

After golf I head home to say goodbye to the girls before headingup to Gray Center for the bishop’s banquet and Clergy Confer-ence. The banquet was great … awesome food and fellowship!The evening closes with worship and a meditation led by our spir-itual director the Rev. John Fritschner.Tuesday, October 21, 2014

First full day of Clergy Conference! I’m scared. My morningpresentation highlights the obvious thing in our common life …the transition. I’m delighted with the response of the clergy. Fol-lowing my presentation, small groups spend time in discussionbefore reporting back to the large group. Feeling the healthyspirit in the room eases my anxiety dramatically!

After lunch we hear a presentation from Kathy Garner, chair ofthe Mississippi Episcopal AIDS Commission. This diocesan commit-tee is an outstanding outreach of our ministry and mission.

The evening program goes well with more discussion abouttransition and vision. We talk about revising “One Church in Mis-sion, Inviting, Transforming and Reconciling.” At that time I in-troduce looking at it as a command to practice our faith as weGather, Guide, Grow, Give and Go.

The day concludes with worship in the chapel. I’m relievedand thankful for the leaders in this diocese.Wednesday, October 22, 2014

In spite of being at Gray Center, I wake early and drive into Jack-son for an early morning workout. I feel “off center” when I skipmorning workouts with my teammates and fellow swimmers.There’s a guest from Chicago at the workout who, like me, has rootsin southern California. It’s nice to catch up with somebody whoknows some of the same southern California swimming locations.

Clergy Conference participants have the morning off withsome optional activities. I have several meetings with clergy in-cluding an annual visit with Peter Gray, rector at Nativity inGreenwood. I additionally have meetings with the Rev. Annie Elliott and a group of clergy who attended General TheologicalSeminary. An extended conflict at General has disturbed thealumni. I sensed a great deal of confusion and disappointment re-garding the difficult times at their seminary.

Seage’s JournalContinued from page 5

November 2014

OUTREACH

The Mississippi Episcopalian 9

By Tammie Stephens

Sections of the internationally-celebrated AIDS Memo-rial Quilt—the 54-ton, handmade tapestry that stands as amemorial to more than 94,000 individuals lost to AIDS—will be on display throughout Mississippi for World AIDSDay commemoration this year. How? The Episcopal Dio-cese of Mississippi, that is how.

These displays of the AIDS Memorial Quilt are beingsponsored by the Mississippi Episcopal AIDS Commissionand St. James Episcopal Church/Jackson. World AIDS Dayis commemorated on December 1st each year. Areachurches are encouraged to acknowledge World AIDS Dayas a part of their Sunday services during this time.

For several years, St. James’/Jackson and Trinity/Hat-tiesburg have displayed panels of the quilt as part of theiroutreach programs. This year St. James’, in partnershipwith the Mississippi Episcopal AIDS Commission and Mis-sissippi HeARTs Against AIDS, are sponsoring the hangingof 12 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt at Millsaps Col-lege. The panels will hang December 1-5, 2014. On De-cember 1 at 7:00 p.m. Millsaps College will host a WorldAIDS Day Interfaith Service with Dr. Joyce Turner Keller,Executive Director of Aspirations Ministry in Baton Rougeand bishop for the Second Baptist Church, as the speaker.All clergy are encouraged to participate. There will be HIVtesting offered earlier in the day at Millsaps. On December 2, Dr. Joyce Turner Keller will join KathyGarner and Tammie Stephens at the women’s satellite prison facility in Flowood where we will display apanel of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, worship together and Dr. Keller will present her play, “No, No, Ain’tNo AIDS in My Church.” We will end the week with the Dr. Trey Mangum Memorial Walk of Grace onSaturday, December 6th. The walk will begin at St. James’ with registration at 9 a.m. and the walk willbegin at 10 a.m. As in past years, the Friends of Fallen Riders will join in with us. Proceeds from thewalk will benefit Grace House.

In Hattiesburg, a Service of Healing and Remembrance is held each year at Trinity EpiscopalChurch. The Rev. Marian Fortner, rector of Trinity, said, “We at Trinity have had the privilege of spon-soring panels of the National Quilt for the Hattiesburg area, including one that will hang in our churchthis year. The quilt reminds us that no one is lost to God and that all lives are precious. Each panel is asymbol of hope that there will one day be a cure and that no one walks alone in their journey. I en-courage people in our community to come and be changed.”

This year, due in part to funding provided to MEAC through Mississippi HeARTS Against AIDS, thediocese as a whole is receiving a record 20 panels that will be placed in a number of parishes in the

state. In addition to Trinity/Hattiesburg and Millsaps Col-lege in Jackson, panels will be hung at the University ofSouthern Mississippi, St. Peter’s by-the-Sea/Gulfport, andcongregations in Greenville and Oxford.

Established in 1987 the NAMES Project Foundation isthe international organization that is the custodian of theAIDS Memorial Quilt. The AIDS Memorial Quilt began witha single 3 x 6 foot panel created in San Francisco in 1987.Today, the quilt is composed of more than 48,000 individ-ual 3 x 6 foot panels, each one commemorating the life ofsomeone who has died of AIDS. These panels representfewer than 18% of those people in the United States whohave died of AIDS. Panels come from every state in the na-tion, every corner of the globe and they have been sewn byhundreds of thousands of friends, lovers and family mem-bers into this epic memorial, the largest piece of ongoingcommunity art in the world.

Awareness is critical for Mississippi in a time whenthe rate of new infections is up. Beejee Dickson, AIDSServices Coalition Board of Directors member, emphasizes,“We must reach those who are not conscious that their de-cisions about safe sex vs. unsafe sex directly contribute toMississippi being 6th in the rate of new HIV infections inthe United States. Many people with HIV don’t know itand, subsequently, infect others.”

Julie Rhoad, executive director of The NAMES ProjectFoundation, explains, “We are thrilled to have the chance to share The AIDS Memorial Quilt in Hatties-burg. These handmade blocks, created by friends and family, tell the stories of individuals who have losttheir lives to AIDS. We bring you their stories in the hope of inspiring compassion, healing and personalresponsibility. We thank the AIDS Services Coalition and Trinity for hosting this event and we invite youall out to see what wonderful art we have created together as a nation.”

Sections are continuously on display across the country in schools, churches, community centers,businesses, corporations and a variety of other institutional settings, all in the hope of making the reali-ties of HIV and AIDS real, human and immediate. To date, more than15 million people have seen theAIDS Memorial Quilt at tens of thousands of displays throughout the world.

For more information on the upcoming displays and events, contact Kathy Garner, 601.408.3816or asc@megagate.com, or Tammie Stephens, 601.982.4880 or tstephens@stjjax.org.

For more information on the NAMES Project and the AIDS Memorial Quilt, please visitaidsquilt.org or call the national headquarters at (404) 688-5500.

Tammie Stephens is a communicant of St. James’/Jackson.

By Cathy Halford

Over two thousand years ago, the birth of aking was celebrated. This celebration continuestoday as we approach the season of Advent andlook to His second coming. Because of yourgenerous donations, Episcopal Relief & Develop-ment helps to spread the same kind of joy andhope to those in need that the Christ child brought to the world.

Here are some wonderful ideas from the Episcopal Relief & Development Gifts for Life catalog thatwill help decrease disease by improving medical care, increase educational opportunities, and teachskills that will help moms and dads provide for their families.

To provide a source of food and income: buy a goat.

To provide life’s most basic necessity of clean water: pool your resources to purchase a village well.

To help communities prevent soil erosion and landslides: give the gift of trees to restore the land.

To provide necessities in times of crisis in the United States and other parts of the world: support disas-ter preparedness and response.

To help eradicate the threat of malaria: provide the distribution of nets and training of how to usethem.

Not only can you honor a family member, a friend, or a work colleague with a gift, you can contribute monthly to a specific program of your choice. The Gifts for Life catalog is available online oryou can order a catalog(s) for your parish with only shipping to be paid.

From assisting refugees who fled war-ravaged Europe in the 1940‘s to responding to those affectedby the massive 2012 earthquake in Haiti, Episcopal Relief & Development has empowered peoplearound the world, but only with your help can Episcopal Relief & Development continue to heal a hurt-ing world.

Please reach out to others and let them know that someone cares.

The Rev. Deacon Cathy Halford is the ERD coordinator for the Diocese of Mississippi and serves at All Saints’/Jackson.

World AIDS Day commemoration to help increase awareness of HIV/AIDS in Diocese of Mississippi

Spread the joy and hope of 75 years

10 The Mississippi Episcopalian November 2014

CHURCHWIDE

Churches have role to play in fostering civil discourse in society

By Mary Frances Schjonberg

[Episcopal News Service – Philadelphia] Americans are in-creasingly worried about the country’s polarized political de-bate and religious communities can help foster a return torespectful dialogue, said panelists in the Episcopal Church’scivil discourse forum here Oct. 22.

All three Abrahamic faiths — Judaism, Christianity andIslam — believe people are created in God’s image, Rabbi SteveGutow, president and CEO of the Jewish Council on Public Af-fairs, reminded participants, and so people of faith must en-counter each other as if they have a spark of God’s greatwisdom in them that others can learn from, even when they donot agree with each other.

Faith communities, he said, must act out of what he calleda passionate commitment to what they believe God is tellingthem to do as well as a passionate commitment to the idea thateach person is created in the image of God and thus must behonored.

Diocese of Rochester Bishop Prince Singh, noting that theforum had gathered on the Hindu festival of lights known as Di-wali, said that it is a spiritual discipline to resist the urge to de-monize opponents and instead to strive to bring light ratherthan heat to conversations on potentially divisive issues.

Produced by The Episcopal Church, the 90-minute forum,titled Civil Discourse in America: Finding Common Groundfor the Greater Good, was webcast from Christ Church inPhiladelphia (Diocese of Pennsylvania), the birthplace of theEpiscopal Church and the church that significantly figured inthe United States’ founding.

“Our conversations are limited by human frailty, but theycan also partake of divine and eternal possibilities,” PresidingBishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said in her keynote address,adding that the latter is possible when conservationalists ap-proach each other not as enemies but instead as a “gifted, blessed human being who might have a giftto give us.”

“I remain convinced that face-to-face conversations have more possibility of being life-giving thanthe disembodied ones we engage so much in by text, tweet and blog,” she said.

“When we fail to see the very human beauty and blemishes in our conversation partners, it is easyto injection venom rather than expect transformation.”

Before the forum’s two panels began, Robert Jones, the chief executive office of the Public ReligionResearch Institute, briefly summarized an overview of public opinion polls his organization conductedwith the Episcopal Church in conjunction with the forum. The overview, “Is Civility Still Possible? WhatAmericans Want in Public Leaders and Public Discourse,” concluded that “despite being divided by gen-eration, by religion, by race, and by political party allegiances, Americans express a strong preferencefor compromise” and the “public appetite for compromise is growing.”

The country’s fragmented and polarized media contribute to the lack of civility in public discourse,the report concluded, as media outlets “reward extreme rhetoric with political discussion that oftenaims to create conflict and drama at the expense of moderation.”

Yet, “the overwhelming majority of the public believes that the lack of civil discourse is a majorproblem for the functioning of our political system,” according to the report.

Religious institutions are hampered in their efforts to fos-ter dialogue because congregations continue to be segregatedalong racial and even ideological lines, the report concluded.“Religious bodies must also navigate the declining levels of trustin civic institutions, particularly among young adults,” the re-port said. “When religious leaders focus on divisive issues,Americans are more likely to perceive them as part of the prob-lem rather than as a potential solution.”

During the panel on civil discourse and faith, John J. De-Gioia, president of Georgetown University, agreed with JeffertsSchori’s focus on face-to-face conversations. One-on-one con-versations, he said, often result in far fewer disagreements thando larger discussions during which individuals rarely connectwith each other.

In those small conversations, the participants find there isfar more that hold them together than that separates them, hesaid, adding that churches need to emphasize the commonali-ties in the human community.

Elizabeth McCloskey, president and CEO of The Faith &Politics Institute, invoked what she called President AbrahamLincoln’s humility and conviction that each person has a voca-tion to try to achieve a more perfect union. She urged faithleaders to preach both that humility and that assumption ofhonorable intent.

Saying that many in the U.S. Congress want to compromisebut think their constituents do not want them to do so, Mc-Closkey said she would like to see faith leaders model civil dis-course “and then have people of faith … start to demandpolitical leaders who will compromise, who will engage in de-liberative debate.”

During the second panel, on civil discourse in politics andpolicy, Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, executive director of the Na-tional Institute for Civil Discourse, warned against believing thatthe country is truly as divided as the U.S. Congress. Instead, she

said, what Alexis de Tocqueville saw in Americans in 1838 is still true today: Presented with a problem,they quickly leave behind ideologies and look for solutions.

“That is an extraordinary asset about where we are right now,” she said.Addressing the media’s role in civil discourse, David Boardman, dean of the School of Media and

Communications at Temple University, said, “Americans use the media the way a drunk uses a lamppost – for support, not illumination.” While American “media monopolies” have been fractured in waysthat have often led to a loss of resources that support deep, investigative reporting, the fracturing hasalso led to the creation of very issue- and geographically-specific media that are providing willing con-sumers with reporting at a greater depth and breadth than ever before.

South by Southwest Interactive Festival Director Hugh Forrest said the festival discovered that re-quiring diversity among the festival’s panelists resulted in a creativity that the gathering had lacked ear-lier.

Rabbi Gutow and Bishop Singh also participated in the first panel.Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, executive religion editor for the Huffington Post, moderated the

panel discussions.

The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg is an editor/reporter for the Episcopal News Service.

The Rev. Tim Safford, rector of Christ Church in Philadelphia, Oct. 22 greetsthose attending the Episcopal Church’s forum, Civil Discourse in America:Finding Common Ground for the Greater Good, while Diocese of Pennsylva-nia Bishop Provisional Clifton Daniel looks on.

Photo: Mary Frances Schjonberg/Episcopal News Service

Forum’s speakers agree people of faith can be catalysts for good in tough conversations

The Mississippi Episcopalian 11November 2014

EVENTSDIOCESAN CALENDAR

NOVEMBER• 8: Retirement Celebration for Bishop Duncan and Kathy Gray — St. Peter’s By the Sea —

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.• 9: Gray Center Sunday• 9: Bishop Gray visits Advent, Sumner — 10:00 a.m.• 9: Bishop Coadjutor Seage visits St. Alban’s, Bovina — 10:30 a.m.

Bishop Coadjutor Seage visits St. Mary’s, Bolton — 4:00 p.m.• 12: Mississippi Episcopal AIDS Committee Meeting — Allin House — 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.• 14-15: ECW Fall Conference with Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina• 14-16: Happening #80 — Trinity, Hattiesburg• 14-16: Happening #80 Reunion — St. John’s, Laurel• 16: Bishop Coadjutor Seage visits St. Christopher’s, Jackson — 9:00 a.m.• 16: Bishop Gray visits St. Thomas’, Diamondhead — 10:00 a.m.• 22: Gray Center Board Meeting — Gray Center — 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.• 23: Bishop Coadjutor Seage visits St. Pierre’s, Gautier � 10:30 a.m.• 26-28: Allin House closed for Thanksgiving

DECEMBER• 2: Fresh Start — Trinity, Hattiesburg — 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.• 2: Deadline for The Mississippi Episcopalian• 3: Bishop Gray visits St. Stephen’s, Columbia — 6:00 p.m.• 4: Fresh Start — All Saints’, Grenada — 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.• 5-7: Knitting & Needlework in Advent — Gray Center • 7: Bishop Gray visits Grace Church, Rosedale — 8:00 a.m.

Bishop Gray visits Calvary, Cleveland — 10:30 a.m.• 7: Bishop Coadjutor Seage visits St. John’s, Ocean Springs — 9:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.• 9: Standing Committee Meeting — Allin House — 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.• 10: Convocational Deans’ Meeting — Allin House — 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.• 11: Finance Committee Meeting — St. Andrew’s — 11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.• 13: Day on the Diaconate — Grace Church, Canton — 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.• 14: Bishop Gray visits St. Patrick’s, Long Beach — 10:30 a.m.• 14-16: Presbyter POC — Gray Center• 16: Executive Committee Meeting — St. Andrew’s — 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.• 23-26: Allin House closed for Christmas• 27-January 1: Winter Solstice — Gray Center• 31: Allin House closes at noon for New Year’s Eve

JANUARY 2015• 1: Allin House closed for New Year’s Day• 4: Bishop Gray visits Good Shepherd, Terry — 9:00 a.m.

Bishop Gray visits Holy Trinity, Crystal Springs — 5:00 p.m.• 4-6: Presbyter Discernment — Gray Center• 6: Deadline for The Mississippi Episcopalian• 11: Bishop Gray visits Chapel of the Cross, Rolling Fork — 10:30 a.m.• 11: Bishop Coadjutor Seage visits Holy Trinity, Vicksburg — 10:30 a.m.• 18: Bishop Gray visits St. Peter’s By-the-Lake, Brandon — 10:30 a.m.• 18: Bishop Coadjutor Seage visits Mediator/Redeemer, McComb/Magnolia — 10:30 a.m.• 19: Allin House closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday• 21: Bishop Gray visits St. Mark’s, Jackson — 6:00 p.m.• 25: Bishop Gray visits Church of the Redeemer, Biloxi — 8:00 & 11:15 a.m.• 25: Bishop Coadjutor Seage visits Church of the Incarnation, West Point — 10:30 a.m.

FAITHFUL DEPARTEDPlease submit Faithful Departed notices to your church for submission

Hugh Curry Redhead, 71, communicant of St. Andrew’s, Jackson, died June 1, 2014

Martha Lide Searcy Rice, 91, communicant of St. Paul’s, Columbus, died August 2, 2014

Frank Melancthon Leigh, 97, communicant of St. Paul’s, Columbus, died September 6, 2014

Juliaette Wise Sharp, 74, communicant of St. Paul’s, Columbus, died September 29, 2014

Alcide Reid Kimbrell, 68, communicant of St. Paul’s, Meridian, died October 17, 2014

Hazel R. Walker, 94, communicant of All Saints’, Tupelo, died November 6, 2014

Deployment ReportFor The Diocese of Mississippi

November, 2014

ResignationsThe Rev. Stanford Adams, as Curate, All Saints’, Tupelo

In TransitionSt. John’s, AberdeenSt. Luke’s, BrandonSt. Thomas’, DiamondheadRedeemer, GreenvilleSt. Paul’s, HollandaleSt. Mark’s, JacksonSt. John’s, LelandSt. Mary’s, LexingtonMediator-Redeemer, McComb-MagnoliaTrinity, Pass ChristianSt. Francis’, PhiladelphiaSt. Columb’s, RidgelandIncarnation, West PointSt. John’s, Leland

12 The Mississippi Episcopalian

AWARDS

By Lindsey Johnson

The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation namedthe Rev. Deacon Lynn Phillips-Gaines the 2014 Volunteer ofthe Year for her work with Starkville Bridges out ofPoverty. The Community Leadership Awards Ceremony, atwhich five advisors were honored as outstanding commu-nity leaders, was held on September 18, 2014, in New YorkCity.

The nomination for Phillips-Gaines to be consideredfor the honor was submitted by Raymond James FinancialServices, Inc. She is a certified financial planner and ownerof Phillips Financial in Starkville, Mississippi, which is affili-ated with Raymond James Financial Services.

Prizes for the award included being welcomed onstage for the ringing of the bell to open the NASDAQ themorning following the awards ceremony, the StarkvilleBridges logo displayed in Times Square, a feature in Invest-ment News, and a twenty-thousand dollar donation fromthe foundation to Starkville Bridges out of Poverty.

Since opening herown practice in 1984,Phillips-Gaines has animpressive record ofcommunity service. Shestrongly believes that it isher privilege to serve inher community, and shesays that she receivesmore than she gives.”Starkville Bridges out ofPoverty, a grassroots ini-tiative with the boldmandate to eliminatepoverty, has been a cata-lyst for the underprivi-leged in the Starkvillearea.

When asked whather inspiration was forBridges, Phillips-Gainessaid, “Over my years as afinancial planner, I havecome to recognize thateducation alone did not help people to become financially literate. When working with people with ad-vanced degrees who had a poverty-stricken background, I marveled at the mistakes they made finan-cially.

“I saw a disconnect between what their intellect toldthem to do and their actual behavior. After reading thebook, Bridges out of Poverty by Ruby K. Payne and PhillipDeVol, it all made sense. Those from poverty have a differ-ent mindset concerning all things financial. I used to seethose less fortunate make poor financial decisions andthink that it was because they were irresponsible or justdidn’t care. The Bridges out of Poverty book taught me thatthe lower class make decisions based on survival ratherthan basing it on achievement, as in middle class society.

“Additionally, I learned that those of us raised in themiddle class tend to build our programs based on our so-cioeconomic model of learning rather than basing it on theneeds of the population we are trying to educate. So infact, we also need to be educated. After uncovering all ofthese things, I believed an all-faiths-based charity would bemost effective, and so I set out to launch a Bridges out ofPoverty initiative in my community.”

Phillips-Gaines said the success of the program inStarkville is due to the overwhelming support from volun-teers, and a staff has been formed solely devoted to theprogram.

“I cannot even hazard a guess at the number of volun-teer hours that have gone into this initiative since it was founded in June 2011. All involved should beproud of the progress and recognition our initiative has accomplished in its brief life!

“Additionally, I’d like to express my gratitude to those at Raymond James who nominated me andthe Bridges initiative for this award.”

Lindsey Johnson works with Phillips Financial in Starkville.

Lynn Phillips-Gaines addresses the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation in New York.

Lynn Phillips-Gaines receives 2014 Volunteer of the Year awardby Invest in Others Charitable Foundation

Award includes large donation given to Starkville Bridges Out of Poverty

The Rev. Lynn Phillips-Gaines is presented Volunteer of the Year Award in New YorkCity in September by Mike Durbin, President of Institutional Wealth Services at FidelityInvestments.

November 2014