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October,
2004
Rector’s
Message
Dear
Friends,
During
these last few weeks, for any number of reasons, I have found myself
brought up
rather short by repeated encounters with the mysterious nature of this
journey
that is ours and the fact that it demands our attention lest we miss so
very
much that is important and that offers glimpses of the eternal in the
midst of
the temporal.
Just
in our own family, we are in the midst of struggling with the reality
of my
Mother’s failing health while at the same time we have been allowed to
rejoice
at the marriage of one child and the impending marriage of another and
the
expected birth of a grandchild. This ceaseless coming and going…ebb and
flow…enlivening and stilling…goes on all around us, and it is everso
easy to
become so wrapped up in the minutiae of life…in an equally ceaseless
trying to
control, understand, and dictate that which goes on around us…that we
miss the
revelation of something grand and glorious overarching all the daily
bits and
pieces of life. We miss the glory of glimpsing the power that brought
all this
into being and does, in fact, grasp its order and reason and
reality…that sees
eternity as if it were an eyeblink.
I
wonder at the astonishing experience of, just last week, having a page
in the
history of Saint John’s turn fully as Richard Busch arrived here and
assumed
the post of Organist and Choirmaster while on, literally, the same day,
Priscilla Porter arrived in my Office bearing the spoils of some
extensive
house cleaning she was doing…Saint John’s Newsletters from close to 45
years
ago; pictures of children who are now grandparents in this Parish and
of adults
at whose funerals I have presided; and the script, handbills, and cast
pictures
of a marvelous chancel drama done here in the early 1960’s…one of the
pictures
showing my predecessor twice-removed as a young man early in a career
that led
eventually to a Bishop’s mitre.
There
is so very much that surrounds us that hints at and, even occasionally,
reveals
the warp and woof of eternity…not veiled or residing just beyond the
edge of
today…but right here and right now…and unmistakably reassuring that
there is an
order in much that seems random and, even, chaotic. It is an order that
God
knows…and it is an order into which we can, if we will allow ourselves,
relax…and with which we can become one…allowing it to carry and support
us
rather than fighting and struggling against it.
It
is an order with which we can become a part…and, in the becoming,
discover a
peace which passeth all understanding.
Faithfully,
Bob
The
Revd RL Ficks III, Rector
2005
Stewardship
As
you are aware from our Parish meeting of last November and numerous
references
over the course of the year in the Eagle, there is a very active
Stewardship
Committee at work at Saint
John’s. Its
members are
making concrete efforts to help educate members of Saint
John’s
regarding the
Parish’s financial needs and the possibilities of their being able to
help fill
those needs by generously supporting the work of the Parish. This
year’s
campaign will begin with a very important meeting for brunch on October
24
beginning at 11.30 in the Parish House. We are told that the menu
includes
quiche, salad, and mimosas. It is, truly, a most important meeting for
this
Parish. Please mark your calendar now, and plan to attend.
A New
Childcare Initiative ~ A new
development this year in the Undercroft is the addition of young
childcare in a
nursery setting. Robyn Wheeler, the nineteen year old daughter of a
Parishioner
who has considerable experience caring for children and is a graduate
of Wamogo
High School, has been employed to be in the Undercroft on Sundays from
9.00-11.20am. The idea here is for her to offer care from 9.00-10.00am to the
children of
choir members or those attending the Adult Forum and from 10.00-11.20am to
provide nursery
care for the littlest of our members during Sunday School. The space
the
nursery is to occupy is now stocked with pampers, wetones, playpens, a
bassinette, a crib, etc. and has been childproofed. We hope that this
new
initiative will allow you the opportunity to become involved in some
aspects of
life here at Saint John’s that might, previously, have been unavailable
given
your need to deal with your child(ren), and it ought also make it less
complicated to be in Church during the entire service.
Adult
Forum ~ We
are fortunate that the Reverend Rowan
Greer has agreed again to lead the Autumn Adult Forum at Saint
John’s. The
Forum begins
on Sundays at 9.00 AM in the
Parish
House Library and allows those who have attended the 8.00 AM
service to be in this gathering as well as those who will be attending
the 10.00 AM
service. The Forum ends about five minutes of ten and coffee is
available for
those attending. This year’s Forum will be offered through November 21.
Father
Greer’s topic is “Reform and Renewal: Evangelicals and Tractarians.”
Father
Greer notes, “We shall examine the message, method, and impact of two
attempts
to revive the Church of England. The Evangelicals of the 18th
through 19th century appealed to the 16th century
church;
the Tractarians of the Oxford Movement to the 17th century
Church.
Is reviving the past in the service of the present and with an eye to
the
future a good thing?” We cordially invite you to attend these meetings.
It is
not essential that you attend all of them but certainly are urged to
come to as
many as possible. You are assured that your time will be time very well
spent.
We are graced to have so fine a teacher as Father Greer in our midst.
An
Invitation to Join Saint John’s Choir
With
the arrival of our new choirmaster, Richard Busch a new chapter in our
history
began. We’d like to invite anyone who has thought about singing with
the Choir
to go ahead and give it a try. Whether you’ve joined the church just
recently,
or sang in a chorus many years ago and feel a bit rusty, or simply
wonder if
singing is a skill you might like to develop, the Choir is a wonderful
place to
be.
Members
of the Choir work hard, keep a brisk pace, and give substantially of
their
time, but we also enjoy each other’s company and have a lot of fun
together. In
addition to the camaraderie and achievement of any group activity, the
Choir
offers a unique worship experience. Saint
Augustine wrote,
“The person
who sings, prays twice.” Singing sacred music in a choral setting also
offers
the chance to pray more deeply. The singer joins together in worship
not only
with other choristers and the congregation, but, in spirit, with
composers and
singers from other times and places—through music spanning the early
works of
William Byrd and Thomas Tallis, the romantic strains of Joseph
Rheinberger, and
the contemporary tones of Ned Rorem. Sacred music expresses not only
feelings
of joy and worship, but doubt and conflict as well—particularly through
the
rich tradition of the psalms, sung in four-, five-, or six-part
Anglican chant
at every service.
If
it has seemed daunting in the past to join a group that’s been together
for so
long, please be assured that is not the case. It is our deepest hope
you will
come and join us in this musical journey we share. Please know that,
even if
you decide that singing isn’t for you, we would be pleased to have you
with us
to “give it a try.” Our rehearsals are at 7.30pm on
Thursday
evenings in the Choir Room of the Parish Hall. If you have questions or
concerns about this matter, we urge you to speak with a member of the
Choir or
with our Choirmaster, Richard Busch (868-2527).
Our
warmest best wishes,
The
Choir of Saint
John’s
Layreaders,
Chalice Bearers, Acolytes and Ushers ~
Please be aware
that any member of the Parish who is interested in becoming involved in
any of
these ministries should feel free to contact the Rector and let him
know of
that interest. You would be most welcomed and your gifts received with
gratitude.
We
have a special need this year for new Acolytes. A number of our more
senior
corps members have gone off to college. Any young person in fourth
grade or
above would be welcomed to become involved in this ministry in the life
of Saint
John’s. Please
contact
Father Ficks (868-2527) for additional details.
Youth
Group ~ Enclosed
on the yellow sheet of paper is
news regarding upcoming event and activities involving the Youth
Group.
Youth
Group Needs
For
a number of years, Frances Chamberlain has given freely of her time in
a
ministry to the Youth Group as its leader. This has been a most
gracious and
overwhelmingly generous gift, and we are deeply indebted to Frances for
giving it. It
is, however, time to begin the process of relieving her of this
commitment, for
her last child has now moved on to college, and it is time for another
generation of the Parish to step forward into this responsibility. We
don’t
anticipate this change being precipitous, but it is imperative that a
person
or, preferably, persons step forward and begin working their way into
the
leadership of the Youth Group in order that one year from now the
transition is
able to be made smoothly and effectively and to the benefit of the
young men
and women of this Parish. Please take some time to consider this
possibility
and give the Rector a call with any questions you might have in this
regard. He
also looks forward to hearing from some of you to the effect that you
are
willing to move forward into this ministry.
SAINT
JOHN’S BAZAAR
This
Year’s Bazaar will be held on
Saturday, October 30th from 10AM-2PM.
The
Preview Party will be Friday, October
29th from 6:30PM-8:30PM.
Please
mark your calendars now to be part of this important event in the life
of the
Parish.
Laura
Daly and Chris Boshears will again be in charge of this year’s planning
of the
Bazaar. Please take a moment to review what our needs are for this
year. The
sign up sheet will be in back of the Church every Sunday starting in
September.
Thanks to all who have already agreed to help us again this year. We
still need
lots of help and look forward to adding new volunteers to the list. Not
to be
pushy, but we would like to know as soon as possible if you are willing
to help
out. This will allow us to organize the work in the most effective way.
If you
have any questions before you commit to helping, please call Laura
(868-9526).
As
was the case last year, the bidding for certain silent auction items
including
vacation homes donated for a weekend will be reserved for the Preview
Party
only. Invitations for the Preview Party have already been mailed. If
you are a
parishioner, you are already on the mailing list. If you would like to
be included
on the mailing list, please call Laura Daly (868-9526).
All
those who will be involved in the
Bazaar are invited to Tea
at the
Parish House on Thursday, October
7th at 3PM.
This
will be an
important pre-planning meeting.
SPECIAL
NEEDS
There
are some specific needs we
would like to highlight:
Please
consider donating valuable furnishings, decorative arts, china, silver,
etc. in
good condition (with a minimum value of $25). Also, we ask that you
consider
donating a service or use of a second home or apartment for a weekend.
Please
accompany all donations with your name, description of the item and
suggested
value (the Silent Auction Committee will assign minimum bids). This
will help
us to keep track of donations for our records and also for your
tax-deductions.
We have attached a form (please see ivory sheet) for your convenience.
If you
have any questions regarding a possible donation, please call Ann
Burton
(868-2003) to inform her of your intentions so she can stay on top of
the
inventory list for this all-important aspect of the Bazaar.
Last
year, we had great success with donated items that were not auctioned
off but
priced to buy. We will be doing this again this year. So, please bear
this in
mind when you are thinking of donating items for the Bazaar.
Donated
items should be brought to the Parish House as soon as possible in
October.
Call the Parish House to arrange for pick-up if they are too large for
you to
handle by yourself.
Lastly,
we
need volunteers to man the Silent Auction tables for both Friday’s
Preview
Party and Saturday.
Preview
Party
We
need helpers to get this party going, both in the kitchen and to serve.
Larder
Based
on last year’s success, we need baked goods, soups and chutneys. Single
serving
items or small packages of brownies etc. were excellent impulse
purchases last
year.
Call Ann
Hodgman (868-0583) if you will contribute goods to this booth.
We will
need people to help Ann sell items at this booth on Friday and Saturday.
Winter
Flowers
Thanks
to April Crumrine who will, once again, head up this very successful
booth at
the Bazaar. As in the past, we need lots of containers suitable for the
forcing
of bulbs. We encourage those wishing to help to bring the containers to
the
Parish House as soon as possible. This will give us ample time to get
this
ever-popular booth ready in time for the Bazaar. April will also need
helpers
to pot up the bulbs. The date for this is October 18th at 9.30a.m. in the
Parish
House. We will also need one person on Friday and Saturday to oversee
this
booth.
Raffle
Beginning
the last weekend of September, we will need volunteers to sell raffle
tickets
in front of the Washington Market.
Please
call Steve Schinke (355-8609) to volunteer.
Christmas
Crafts
We
really need individuals to help make holiday crafts for this booth. We
need
knitters and those who would like to decorate Christmas ornaments. This
booth
is quite successful and can become even more so with a few extra
helping hands.
Call Laura Daly (868-9526) if you are interested in helping.
Box
Lunch
Please
call Suzanne Shrady (567-5896) if you would like to help. We need
volunteers to
prepare and serve lunch.
Cheese
We
need someone to donate a scale in order to weigh the cheese and price
in
accordingly. We can also use volunteers to man the table for both
Friday and
Saturday. Please call Jill Nicolson (496-1341).
Set up
and Clean-up
Crews
We need
volunteers
to help set up the Bazaar a few days before the event, clean up after
the
Preview Party on Friday night and close down the Bazaar on Saturday
afternoon.
We
are looking forward to another grand Bazaar. We thank you all in
advance for
your time and effort in making the Bazaar the wonderful event that it
always
is.
Saint
Francis Day - Blessing of the Animals ~ On October 5 at 1.00pm, the
opportunity
to participate in the traditional blessing of the animals will be
offered on
the steps of Saint
John’s. All
manner of
creatures are welcome and the only caveat is that those that might need
it be
leashed or caged for their own good…and lest chaos ensue. Refreshments
will be
available for all attending.
Sunday
School ~ This
year’s Sunday School began
wonderfully on Sunday the 19th of September at 10.00 AM
in the Undercroft. During the first “term” running through November 21st
(the season of Pentecost) the Sunday School will be led by Jeanne Reid,
Dixie
DeLuca, and Tom O’Connor. The new format of the Sunday School is one
that
divides the year into three sections. Each section is lead by a
different group
of volunteers from the Parish.
The
next Family Sunday (that Sunday each month when the young people of the
Parish
join us in the Church for the entire service) will take place on Sunday
the 31st
of October.
Vestry
News ~ At
its regularly scheduled meeting on September
19, 2004
the following received attention:
- The
minutes of the August
15, 2004
Vestry meeting were accepted as presented.
- The
Treasurer’s report was accepted as
presented.
- Assignments
for the upcoming Stewardship
Campaign. There was general and enthusiastic support for this new
undertaking
and the manner in which it is progressing.
- Great
joy was expressed at the arrival of
Mr. Richard Busch, St.
John’s
Organist and
Choirmaster. September 19th marked his first Sunday in this
new
position, and the Parish will clearly be well served in the years ahead
by Mr.
Busch. The Vestry formally welcomes him into our midst.
The
next meeting of the Vestry will take place on October
19, 2004
Music
Notes ~ I would
like to take this opportunity to
thank the many people of this parish who have made me so welcome since
my
arrival here on the 13th of September. The inevitable
horrors and
complications of house-moving have been greatly mitigated by the warmth
and helpfulness
of the members of Saint
John’s Church. I am
deeply
grateful.
The
first Evensong of the 2004-05 season took place on the 26th
of
September. We hope most sincerely that you will join us for the next
Evensong,
(and all subsequent!), which will take place on the 31st of
October,
the Eve of The Feast of All Saints. The Service will begin at 5:00 pm.
A schedule of all Evensong dates for the season is attached on the
purple sheet
of paper.
The Saint
John’s Concert
Series will open its Fifteenth season on
Sunday afternoon, October 17th, at 4pm with a
concert by
Lionhart, a most incredibly talented men’s vocal ensemble. Lionhart is
one of
the premier groups in this field, and we hope very much that you will
be in
attendance at that performance. Subsequent performances in the Concert
Series
will include Thomas Brown, the most talented pianist with which one
could hope
to share an afternoon. Tom Brown’s concert will take place on Sunday,
November
14 at 4:00pm. Later
in the
Winter, on Sunday, January 16 at 4:00pm,
Horacio Franco
will perform a solo recorder concert, and on May 8th, also
at 4:00pm, the
inimitable
Yale Whiffenpoofs will be performing. Enclosed with The Eagle is a
Concert
Series brochure which we hope you will review and from which we hope
you might
take time to order tickets or, even more desirably, to become a Friend,
Patron,
or Benefactor of this important part of the life of Washington and the
surrounding communities.
On
Tuesday, the 21st of September, the Saint
John’s Chorale
began
rehearsing for its annual Christmas Candlelight Concerts to be
presented on
Friday evening, December 10th at 8:00pm. and on
Sunday
afternoon, December 12th at 4:00pm. The
repertoire of
these concerts will include, among other works, the Pergolesi, Magnificat;
Byrd, O Magnum Mysterium; Brahms, Marienlieder;
Poulenc, Videntes
stellam; and Finzi, In Terra Pax.
Parents
of young parishioners who are interested in becoming involved as
singers with
the music program here at Saint
John’s, are
invited to
attend a meeting with me at 3 pm on
Saturday, the 2nd
of October in the Parish Hall. The formation of a Schola Cantorum, or Singing School for
young members
of the congregation will be discussed at this time, in an effort to
find the
best way to accommodate as many potential young singers as possible.
Just as a
reference point, members of the Schola Cantorum should be somewhere
between the
ages of 8 and 13, though, of course, slight variations on either end of
this
range are always open for consideration. This meeting is for parents
only, so
students themselves need not attend.
While
it would be difficult to miss, please be aware that on page 3 of The
Eagle is a
most cordial invitation to each of you to give serious consideration to
exploring the possibility of joining the St. John’s Choir. We hope you
will
take it to heart. Bear in mind that any personal scheduling problem you
may
have with respect to attendance at rehearsals is an issue that can
often be
worked around. If you are at all interested in singing with the choir,
but are
hesitant in coming forward due to time constraints, please
speak with
me.
Parish
Register
Transfer
Out
Nancy
Skilton ~ September
9, 2004
Marriages
Elizabeth
Upson
Ficks & Jeremy Robert Wilson ~ August
28, 2004
Burials
Sheldon
Wise ~ September
15, 2004
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