Winged Ox January 2010

8/14/2019 Winged Ox January 2010

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The Memorial Churchof St. Luke,the Beloved Physician1946 Welsh RoadPhiladelphia, PA 19115215.969.3645 (office)[email protected]

SERVICESSundays:10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharistwith musicFollowed immediately byrefreshments and fellowship inthe parish hall.

Wednesdays:7:30 p.m. Healing Eucharist

ACTIVITIESContemplative PrayerWednesdays 6:45 p.m.

in the church office

Adult Forum- Mondays,7pm in the Church Office.Topic: World Religions

Inside this issue:

A New Episcopalian Looks

Back......................................5Birthdays............................... 4Calendar................................9From the Diocese..................6News.................................. 3,4

Old Joe & Mace.....................8Photo Gallery.........................7Prayer Requests......................4Rectors Message................1,2Reminders.............................2Those Who Serve..................3Welcome Visitors.................. 2Word Puzzle..........................8

The Winged OxThe Winged Ox is the Ancient Symbol ofSt. Luke, the Beloved Physician

A Newsletter for the People of The Memorial

Church of St. Luke, the Beloved Physician January 2010, Issue 113

Remember the days when you only received phonecalls if you were at home to answer the phone?No answering machine; let alone email, cell

phones or text messages. Now it seems there is alwayssomething or someone demanding our attention, andmany of us have become so accustomed to the intrusionsthat our technology makes possible that we cannot dealwith quiet, reflective time. But these facts

notwithstanding, I believe it is necessary for our mentalhygiene for us to regularly spend some time in quiet andreflection. Nor is it just a matter of our mentalwellbeing. Our spiritual wellbeing is also at stake whenwe fail to set aside quiet time for ourselves. I think it isinteresting that the more technology has advanced ourcapacity to communicate with one another in manydifferent ways, the lower the attendance has become atSunday worship.

This is a shame because it means that we spend

less and less time communicating with the One withwhom we most need to communicate. And as we allowthat distance to grow between ourselves and God wemay find that our lives more and more out of sync.Ironically our response to this situation is often to moveeven further from God, either because we believe thatGod is rejecting us or not answering us, or because wefeel that our lives have too many other demands that takeprecedence over our commitment to re-centering ourlives on God. Does this feel familiar to you?

In addition to the strain that these attitudes place

on our spiritual life, when we fail to attend churchregularly, it places a strain on our community as well. AtSt. Lukes this strain is evident in the decliningattendance at Sunday liturgy, and this decline threatensour future because parishes with attendance below 50persons per week are generally classified as parishes atrisk. (continued on Page 2)


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WELCOME VISITORS!Areyou a new reader? Come visit us! Were so glad thatyou picked up this publication; we hope you will findit interesting and worth your time and we hope youwill take the next step and worship with us sometime.If you are worshiping with us, we welcome you!Whatever your religious background, and howeveryou have come to be here, we welcome you to St.Lukes. Please let us know who you are by signingour guest book (by the door) or filling out a cardfound in the pews. You can hand your card to anusher, or put it in the collection plate when it comeslater.

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I know, as do you, that St Lukes has a number of devoted parishioners who, forone reason or another, are not attending as regularly as they might. I know that there aremany demands on your time that can easily draw one away from Sundays liturgy. But Ithink it is important for usindividually and collectivelyto take stock of our

priorities. Accordingly, I would like us to challenge ourselves during this new year andthe beginning of this new decade to attend Sunday liturgy as often as we are able. Ichallenge us to make the commitment to St. Lukes and to ourselves. As a communitywe should strive to have an average Sunday attendance that exceeds 50 people. Thisnumber is considerably less than our list of members but it would still mark aconsiderable advance over our average attendance for the past few years, which hasbeen in the low to mid 40s and declining. Lets commit to turning our averageattendance numbers around this year.

God bless and Happy New Year!

Father Tim +


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REMIDER:

Submissions for the

February WIGED

OXwill be due

January 22nd.

REMIDER:

The Annual Parish

Meeting will be

January 17th in the in

the Parish Hall after

Holy Eucharist.

Please attend and see

what St. Lukes has

accomplished in the

past year, and learn

how you can get more

involved in parish life!

Reports for the Jan

17th meeting are due in

the Church Office by

January 5th.

Those Who Serve

Sunday, January 3Chalice Bearer: L CarterReaders: C Martino, J BrambillaUshers: T Truesdale, J ShaheneAltar Guild: K. Kenny, S. NesbitCoffee Hour: J & J Litzke, JOxenford, R Williams

Counters: D & B Shifflet

Sunday, January 10Chalice Bearer: J GardnerReaders: B Kaufold, S CamodyUshers: K Gibson, J LitzkeAltar Guild: J. OxenfordCoffee Hour: The Esposito Family,A Thorpe & G Gulley

Counters: R Dalton & R Whaley

Sunday, January 17

Chalice Bearer: J GlennReaders: C Rodriguez, L CarterUshers: J Shahene, T TruesdaleAltar Guild: S. CarmodyCoffee Hour: B Kaufold, R Dalton,G Shahene

Counters: J Brambilla, A Thorpe

Sunday, January 24Chalice Bearer: B KaufoldReaders: J Brambilla, S CarmodyUshers: J Litzke, K GibsonAltar Guild: R. Dalton, Gail H.Coffee Hour: H Rolland, S

Remick, R Shaley, J Glenn,N Hurley

Counters: See Schedule

Sunday, January 31Chalice Bearer: J LitzkeReaders: B Kaufold, L CarterUshers: J Shahene, T TruesdaleAltar Guild: L. CarterCoffee Hour: L Woods-Kriss, GHair & Families, K KennyCounters: See Schedule

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NEWS

Church School/ urseryewsThe Church School will be

celebrating the Epiphany onJan. 3 and Jan.17 with lessons,singing, and art. Students willmeet in the hall at 10:20 a.m.and join the church service forcommunion after class.Nursery care will also beavailable during that time.

Covenant Care BagsBeginning in January Joyceand Barbara will be starting anew W.O.W. outreach project.

We will be working in tandemwith the Girls' FriendlySociety to provide toiletriesfor teens at Covenant House.Covenant Care Bags will begiven out in church andcongregants will be asked topurchase one requested itemper month to add to the bag.We will be asking fordeodorant during the month ofJanuary. In June the bags willbe collected and given to the

Girls' Friendly to deliver.There will also be a box fordonations in the hall. Pleasehelp by participating so thatthese homeless teens atCovenant House will the basictoiletry supplies that they need.

Christ is here!Heavenly voices

RejoiceIn praise,

Singing

Throughout the land; ourMessiah hasArrived; the

Savior is born!

-submitted by

Barbara Kaufold


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PRAYERS PLEASEPRAYERS PLEASEPRAYERS PLEASEPRAYERS PLEASEMembers: Joyce, Dorothy,Elaine, Ruth B., Nancy H.,Edna, Alan, Mabel, Joshua,Ruth L., Virginia, Len,Louise, Nancy, Ruth F., Lina,William, Don.

Friends and Family:Jeanette, Robert, Betty,

William, Alice, Robert P.,William L., Robert, Karen,Megan, Burt, Tina, Sharon,Michael, Joe, Lee, Nancy,G.A. Jonah, Yolanda, GeorgeAnn, Bill, Kathy, Kristyn,Jeannine, Anne, David. Alice,Michael, David, Robert R.,Christian, Robert, Beata,Gregory, Gene, Michele,Frances, Arthur, Kathy.

Those Serving in theArmed Forces: William

B., Billy S., Chris G.,Kevin M., Alex G.,Andrew R., Chris K.,John R., Chris R., EricB., Rob D., Jerry F.,Thomas H., Tom B.,Casey R., Jermaine, Bradley,Michael.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYHAPPY BIRTHDAYHAPPY BIRTHDAYHAPPY BIRTHDAY

January7- Elsie J.8- Ruth Ann N.

14- Karen K.17- Matthew H.22- Ryan G.28- Dick J.30- Ruth L.

NEWS (continued)

Mission Statement Ideas Wanted!

St. Lukes is in need of a new mission statement! Ifyou think you can come up with a brief statement thatcaptures what St. Lukes is all about, please write itdown and submit it to the vestry or Father Tim.

150th Celebration

Its not too early to start planning our 150th celebrationin 2011! Ideas for a theme are needed. See RuthDalton if you are interested.

Fish Fry

Carlos Rodriguez would like to host a Fish Fry inMarch to raise money for replacing the stage curtains

in the Parish Hall. Please see him if you are interested.

Cereal

The Food Bank still needs cereal. Please continue to

bring cereal in to help the Somerton Food Bank.

Vestry

If youd like to serve on the Vestry, please contact

Barbara Kaufold.

Chalice Bearers, Acolytes and Crucifers:

Please tell Father Tim the size alb you wear. We are inthe process of organizing the sacristy closet andeliminating the albs we do not need.

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The following was published in the December 2009 issue of Episcopal Life, the nationalnewspaper of the Episcopal Church.A ew Episcopalian Looks BackBy Stacey Carmody

Inow have been an Episcopalian for more than three years. I am still a "new" Episcopalian,yet I am able to look back and reflect on my "birth" as an Episcopalian.My entrance into a denomination was surprising. I never had been religious growing up; to

my peers, my religious affiliation was nonexistent, or ambiguous at best. I never let others knowwhat I believed, perhaps because I still was trying to figure that out myself.One thing I didknow was that once I walked into a church, I felt different it was a good kind of different. But

it took a long time for me to do anything about it. Finally, I mustered up the strength to walk into my localEpiscopal church on a Sunday. Before I made my trip, I researched the liturgy online so I wouldn't look like a fool.It was love at first sight the beauty of the church, and sounds, too, since I loved the sermon, the prayers and thehymns. Most of all, I loved the people in this small parish. I felt very welcome and sensed that they were veryaccepting. The stereotypes I had of "church people" were shattered. I used to believe people who went to churchwere judgmental, humorless, rigid and had nothing in common with me. How wrong I had been. It was the end ofEpiphany and the beginning of Lent. Somehow, this seemed an appropriate time to begin a new faith journey. I

studied the prayer book, read up on the history of the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church, got anNRSV Bible and became acquainted with the liturgical calendar, the saints, the rituals and signs of inner andoutward grace. I discovered that I loved "bells and smells" and that questioning the Bible was not only allowed,

but also encouraged. I jumped in with both feet. It was almost like a whirlwind romance: the kind where peoplemeet, connect, feel giddy and are headed to the altar in a matter of weeks. This was a place where I was supposedto be. So, with a sponsor from the parish, I was baptized on Easter at 37 years of age by my new priest, who was

becoming a spiritual guide for me. I never even knew a priest before I met him, and now I was seeing one on aregular basis.As a new Episcopalian, I thought it was important that I follow the news of the Episcopal Church. I was so naivethat I knew nothing of the "controversies"; I didn't even know who Gene Robinson was. So, I began to educatemyself through various media outlets, and I followed the General Convention of 2006.Almost two months after Iwas baptized, the Episcopal Church elected its first female presiding bishop. Since part of the appeal of the churchfor me was its inclusion of women in the priesthood and episcopate, I was absolutely thrilled at this news.Unbeknownst to me at that time, I would get to meet this presiding bishop almost three years later and tell her in

person how joining this church was the best decision I ever made. I learned about all the debates, the

disagreements, the talks of "walking apart." I would not be truthful if I said that this chaos did not affect me insome way. After all, we are all "one body" with many members. But I could not imagine walking away andleaving the church that had so enriched me and introduced me to so many wonderful ministries and people on alllevels. I do hope that after this chaos will come peace and that the Holy Spirit will do its work to ensure this.. Atthe parish level, things have been peaceful, but we have other worries. We are small and worry about growth.Sometimes I don't know if my church needs me more or if I need it more. In any case, we need each other. I'vethrown myself into parish life, with goals to support the church in any way possible: I am involved in serving,vestry, outreach and exploring new ways to draw people to our church. More than three years have passed since Itook those baptismal vows. Have I kept those vows? I'd like to think that, yes, I have made a good start by doingwhat I've just mentioned, but I still have more work to do. That's the thing about vows sticking with them is alifelong process. I always had been one to care about and value peace, justice and the dignity of my fellow man. I

had been identifying with Christian values through most of my life, well before I even realized they wereChristian values. Christianity teaches us that these values were brought to us in human form this iswhat the incarnation was all about, and we are to carry on these values. have been an Episcopalian foronly three years, yet it seems like the church always has been a part of me. My faith now comes asnaturally to me as breathing. I look back on my journey with gladness. I am in awe of it all. I lookforward to continuing on.


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2010 Diocesan Choral Workshop

When:

Saturday, Feb 6, 2010

Where:

Philadelphia Cathedral

Description :

Philadelphia Cathedral is pleasedto announce that it will be hostinga Treble Chorister Festival onSaturday, February 6, 2010.

Dr. William Bradley Roberts willbe the Music Director for theFestival. He is currently teachingat Virginia Seminary but spentmany years working withchoristers in several churchesincluding St. Philips in the Hills,Tucson, AZ, where he had anoutstanding chorister program.

For more information go todiopa.org

From The Diocese

Nightwatch at Philadelphia Cathedral

When: Feb 5 6 2010

Where: Philadelphia Cathedral

Description:

The Youth Ministry Office is proud to offerthe opportunity for Nightwatch at thePhiladelphia Cathedral. This year there will

be 4 opportunities for youth to participate.The events will feature various prayerexperiences, music, games, a celebration ofEucharist, tour of the Cathedral and time tospend with old friends and opportunities tomake some new ones.

The event is $20 for each youth participantand $10 for adult participants. Please notethat for every 5 youth that a parish sends 1adult volunteer is needed.


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Photo Gallery- Christmas 2009

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Old Joe and Mace

A senior citizen named Joe lived with hishound, Mace, in a rundown shack on theoutskirts of town. He had no family and veryfew material possessions. Joe had a few toolswhich he used to do odd jobs in the village andmake just enough money for he and Mace tolive on. Mace was a normal bloodhound, withone exception, he loved grass. You know somedogs like to eat grass occasionally but Mace ateit all the time and he would lie in the yardgrazing away. One sunny day old Joe headed

into town to do a plumbing job. It was a big joband he knew it would bring enough money tobuy food for a week, so he had a spring in hisstep and a whistle on his lips. When he got totown he discovered that his pipe wrench wasmissing: without the wrench he could not dothe job, and without the job he couldn't buyfood. He explained his dilemma to the womanof the house but she had no compassion on him.He told her he would check at home and returnwith the wrench. When he arrived there wasMace chewing away on the lawn. When theblood hound saw his master, he came runningto greet him. Kneeling beside the hound, oldJoe began to pet him. Without money to buy a

newwrench, he had no idea what the futureheld. It was the loneliest, most helpless feelingever. Then he caught a glimpse of somethingshining in the grass. It was the wrench. The oldman had dropped it on his way out that morningand it would have been lost forever had Macenot eaten the grass around the house. The oldman grabbed the dog and gave him a hug andran into the house. Reaching for a pencil andpaper he wrote the following moving tribute tohis canine companion. You will recognize thewords in part. The old man never did get the

credit he deserved, but now you are privilegedto hear the opening line of his original poem

which began: "A grazing Mace, how sweet

the hound that saved a wrench for me."

WORD PUZZLE

N H K A B S B G

R E G S P T E L

S A L C S R I O

V V I R A E N R

L E G I L N G Y

O N A B M G S H

R L K E S T H ED Y A N D H T O

(Psalms 29:1) Ascribe to theLORD, O heavenly beings,ascribe to the LORD gloryand strength. (NRSV)

Word List

STRENGTH HEAVENLYASCRIBE PSALMSBEINGS GLORY NRSVLORD THE AND TO

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JAUARY 2010Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat

1 7:00P-AASpirituality

Meeting in Hall

2

3-2ndd Sundayafter Christmas

10:30a:Holy

Eucharist

11:45a: Coffee

hr in Hall

12:30p- GFSmeeting

4-7:00p-VestryMeeting in

Church Office

58:00P-AA

Meeting in Hall

66:45P-Contemplative

Prayer-Church

Office.7:30P -Holy Eucharist

with Healing in

Church

7 87:00P-AA

Spirituality

Meeting in Hall

9

101stSunday ofEpiphany

10:30a:Holy

Eucharist

11:45: Coffee

Hr. In Hall

11-7:00p- AdultForum-Church

Office

128:00P-AA

Meeting in Hall


Prayer-Church

Office.7:30P -

Holy Eucharist

with Healing in

Church


Meeting in Hall

16

17 2ndSunday ofEpiphany

10:30a: HolyEucharist

11:45: Coffeehr in

Hall/Annual

Parish Meeting

12:30p- GFS

meeting

187:00p AdultForum-Church

Office

198:00P-AA

Meeting in Hall


Prayer-Church


with Healing in

Church


Meeting in Hall

23

243rd Sunday of

Epiphany

10:30a: Holy

Eucharist

11:45: Coffee

Hr

257:00p-AdultForum-Church

Office

268:00P-AAMeeting in Hall


Prayer-Church


with Healing in

Church


Meeting in Hall

30

314th Sunday ofEpiphany

10:30a: Holy

Eucharist

11:45: Coffee

Hr


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The Memorial Church of St. Luke

1946 Welsh Road

Philadelphia, PA 19115

215-969-3645

[email protected]

www.memorialchurchofstluke.org

FIRST CLASS MAIL

Address Correction Requested


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Winged Ox January 2010