The Journey

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Volume II, Issue 6 – February 20–March, 2012

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

161 East Ravine Rd.

Kingsport, TN 37660

423-245-5187

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From the Rector

The Ash Wednesday Gospel is Matthew 6:1-6:6-21:

Concerning Almsgiving

6‘Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

^*Concerning Prayer

5‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

^*Concerning Fasting

16‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

^*Concerning Treasures

19‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust  consume and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust^* consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the three primary devotions of Christians, a carry over from Judaism. Prayer is self explanatory. Fasting, a lost art in our time, is the abstinence from food and/or drink for spiritual purposes. Almsgiving is giving money to the poor.

I suggest that you think about taking on one or more of these disciplines for Lent. If you need help understanding any of them please feel free to talk to me. But these are the primary disciplines of catholic Christians historically. The Church has found them to be valuable in shaping our souls. And much done in Lent is fluff, not concrete spiritual discipline.

I particularly suggest you consider almsgiving. This is the discipline that “hurts’ the most. Our sense of wellbeing is wrapped up in our wealth and letting go of it is difficult. Disciplined giving to the poor can teach us to let go and trust God – as well as the obvious help given to the poor. I suggest you donate to either the Food Pantry or to Episcopal Relief and Development (which provides our yearly Lenten meditation booklets), though this is up to you.

Remember the words of Jesus above: 19‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust^* consume and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust^* consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jay

Family Reunion Game nights continue!

For February and March, we will continue to have Game Nights on the 4th Monday of the month, from 6:30 – 8:00. Bring along your favorite game, a great gaming snack, (and, if you need to – your dinner!) Mark your calendars for Monday, Feb. 27 and Monday, Mar. 26.

More Volunteers Needed for Shepherd Watch

Shepherd Watch is a new program being developed at Holston Valley Hospital to insure that dying patients without family or friends do not die alone.

We presently have seven people from St. Paul’s and four have become hospital volunteers and have completed their training. To provide a workable team we need a few more volunteers. Shepherd Watch is a ministry of presence to those who are alone. Those who serve will serve on sacred ground. Please contact Ann or Jack VandeVate if you are interested or have questions.

A Look Back 40 Years–Our History

The following article appeared in the July 30, 1972 newsletter, (Ellie Moore, Chairman; Violet Hendrix and Dee Lawton, summer editors.
St. Paul’s Church Altar

This week take a real look at our beautiful altar. Dedicated in 1955, it was made in the studios of Louis F. Glasier in New York, of the finest of Appalachian white oak. The four carved figures of the evangelists were hand carved from lindenwood by a German carver from Oberammergau, the place of the great Passion Play. At the feet of the evangelists are their symbols: The head of a man for Matthew, which stands for intelligence; the lion for Mark, which means courage; the ox for Luke, which symbolizes patience and strength; the eagle for John, which means keen vision and prophetic insight. The central symbol, carved on the front of the altar, means Spiritual Enlightenment. Superimposed upon the blazing sun, the letters IHS refer to Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness.

 The word altar comes from the Latin word which means “to nourish.” Altars seem to have existed for as long as man has been man. Primitive man never separated the idea of the god from the altar. Some altars were simple, such as a fallen tree or a stone; many were ornate and beautiful, but used for human sacrifice to grim gods. But the purpose of our altar is to draw us away from the worship of foolish, man-made gods, to nourish us with God’s immortal life. It is not just a beautiful piece of furniture, but the center of creative grace.

 After you have studied the altar anew, notice the depiction of the four gospel writers in the stained glass window above. They are featured again in the glass, with representative symbols.

February, 2012

21- Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at 6:00 p.m. in Berndt Hall.

22- Ash Wednesday- Imposition of Ashes. Services are 9:00 a.m., 12:10 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Join us each Wednesday in March [ 7, 14, 21 & 28] at 6:15 p.m. for our Lenten Supper and program in Berndt Hall. There is a sign up sheet in Berndt Hall for those wishing to bring soup for our Lenten suppers. Questions? Please contact Cricket Malcolm.

Sunday, April 1 — Passion of the Palms at 8:00 a.m. & 10:15 a.m.

Thursday, April 5 – Maundy Thursday Service at 7:00 p.m.

Friday, April 6 – Good Friday Service 12 noon and 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 8 – Easter Sunday Festive Eucharist 8:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.

Easter Egg Hunt following the 10:15 service sponsored by our youth.

Meals On Wheels:

February 26 Cooks: Garrett, Fleming, Godsey; Drivers: Stallard, Forrester, Shull, Spencer

Bishop Sanders Scholarship Fund for Racial Minorities is open for applications.

The Bishop Evan Sanders Scholarship Fund for Racial Minorities was established in 1991 by the Diocese of East Tennessee in honor of and in recognition of the spiritual leadership of Bishop Sanders. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide college tuition assistance to qualified racial minorities from Episcopal churches within the diocese of East Tennessee. While scholarship operations were discontinued in 2001, Bishop & Council of the Diocese of East Tennessee has recently authorized a resumption of operations with the first awards scheduled for May, 2012. The Application Form, Scholarship Guidelines and Recommendation Form are available at the Opportunities tab of the Diocesan web site http://dioet.org/, or can be requested by writing the Diocese of East Tennessee 814 Episcopal School Way, Knoxville, TN 37932 or calling (865) 966-2110. In order to be considered the Application Form and all supporting documents (Recommendation Forms and Transcripts) must be received in the diocesan office by April 15, 2012. Click here for the Bishop Sanders Scholarship packet: http://s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/3151021/SandersScholarshipPacket.pdf

Bits and Pieces

Articles for St. Paul’s Epistle Newsletter may be submitted to staff@saint-pauls.org  The newsletter will be published during the third week of each month.

Vestry meeting Monday, March 19 at 7 p.m. in Berndt Hall

Contact staff@saint-pauls.org or call 423-245-5187 to change/correct an address or phone number.

St. Paul’s Family Reunion Monday, March 26, 6:30 p.m. Join us in Berndt Hall for game night.

St. Paul’s Day School & Kindergarten held open enrollment for current students February 6 and enrollment for the general public/open house on Sunday, February 19, 2:00-3:00 p.m. This enrollment was for Summer Camp and the 2012-2013 school year. Visitors are always welcome at the school by contacting Glenna Depew, Program Director 423-246-9552; stpaulsdayschool@earthlink.net The next board meeting for the school will be Monday, March 19 at 9:15 a.m. in the office conference room.

Words cannot say thank you enough for all the prayers that have been lifted on behalf of Ryan (Potts). God has a plan for his life and I know our Father’s loving arms held him safe and tight through his deployment. Since he is back in the states, nestled safe and sound at Ft. Hood, you can remove his name from the prayer list. Please express my gratitude to the congregation! He started his TAP classes this week…Transition Assistance Program. He is SO excited. Planning to attend Charleston Southern University in the fall. Thanks, Becky Oliver

Rowan Aubrey Bradshaw-Bellamy born February 9, 2011. Weighing 8 pounds 13 ounces, the son of John Bellamy and Tim Bradshaw and brother to Rhys Bellamy-Bradshaw.

Thanks to your generosity on SOUPER BOWL Collection Sundays – the EYC collected $73 and 65 cans of soup to donate to our Food Pantry. Thanks for your generosity!!

Correction: Vanne & Jonathan Rogers telephone number is listed wrong in the pictorial directory. The correct telephone number is 767-4887.

 St Paul’s relies on volunteers to mow the grass, maintain the landscaping and keep the church grounds looking presentable. We have made a significant investment in lawn care equipment for this purpose. Unfortunately, in the last few years attrition has reduced the number of mowing volunteers by almost 50%, to the point where the burden of labor on a few is becoming unsustainable. The alternative of commercial lawn service, at a cost at least $4,000 a year, would not be a welcome addition to church expenses.

We desperately need at least four additional volunteers who will commit to 3 or 4 hours a month (April–November) mowing, trimming and raking leaves either individually or as a member of an existing team. Please contact Rick Snyder (245-6913) or Hal Yungmeyer (247-8911).

Kingsport Community Ministry Center- KCMC located at 618 Watauga Street, Kingsport needs additional volunteers to serve as host/hostess from 9:00 a.m.-12 noon three or four times a year. St. Paul’s volunteers are scheduled to host at KCMC the week of May 2nd. If you are interested in this rewarding Christian ministry outreach, please call Eleanor Ford at 288-9005.

　Applications now accepted for Scholarships from the Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs

Applications are now being accepted for the 2012-2013 awarding of more than 60 scholarships from the Episcopal Church. Scholarships are available for ethnic communities, children of missionaries, bishops and clergy, and other particular wide-ranging eligibility for education and training. The list of trust funds and scholarships is here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/scholarships Applicants are encouraged to read each trust and identify in the application those trust funds that best fit their own profile. All materials including application form and instructions for filing are: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/scholarships

Applications are reviewed by scholarship subcommittees comprised of representatives from throughout the Church. Their recommendations are then reviewed and announced by the Scholarship Committee of the Episcopal Church. Funding for the scholarships is derived from numerous trust funds. The amounts of the scholarships vary according to the availability of payouts from the funds.

Requirements for applying: the applicant must be an Episcopalian, must be a member of the Episcopal Church, and must have the endorsement of his/her bishop. For information contact Terry Foster, Mission Office Associate. Based on the high interest and number of applications for these scholarships, donations to these scholarships are invited to assist Episcopalians. For information in donating to these scholarships or in establishing a new scholarship, contact Margareth Crosnier de Bellaistre  The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ in 109 dioceses and three regional areas in 16 nations. The Episcopal Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Annual Parish Meeting Minutes, January 15, 2012
The Annual Meeting of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was held January 15, 2012 and called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Fr. Jay Mills, Rector.

Parish By-law Amendment

A proposed change in the by-laws was included in the meeting handout as follows: Article I, sec. 3: The Vestry shall consist of 12 adult Confirmed Communicants in good standing, who shall be registered communicants of the Parish at the time of the election. The members of the Vestry shall be divided into three groups of four (4) members each, with each group to serve three (3) years or until their successors are elected.

After discussion, a motion to approve the amendment was made by Eleanor Cwirko, duly seconded, and passed on a voice vote with all “yes” and no “no” votes.

Vestry Elections

The ballot for election of the Vestry members, which included the following nominees: Charlie Herron, Anjie Perry, Cookie Pickard, Mary Ann Stout, Jack Vaughn, Hal Yungmeyer were distributed to the congregation. The biographies of the nominees were included in the meeting handout and those nominees in attendance were introduced to the congregation. The ballots were cast and collected for counting by the outgoing Vestry members.

The meeting continued while the ballots were counted, then the results were announced, with the four new members of the Vestry being: Charlie Herron, Mary Ann Stout, Jack Vaughn, Hal Yungmeyer

1. 2011 Parish Financial Statements

Fr. Jay Mills referred the congregation to the 2011 financial statements included in the meeting handout.

1. 2012 Budget
2. Bob Jameson first thanked those responsible for cost centers for managing the budget in 2011. Bob then referred the congregation to the 2012 budget included in the meeting handout and noted that it was a balanced budget. Bob noted that the health insurance costs for the administrative and Day School staff had been changed from prior years where the administrative staff had an employee contribution of 0% and the Day School staff had an employee contribution of 33 1/3% to a consistent 16 2/3% for all staff in 2012. He further noted that the administrative staff wages had been increased to cover their additional costs and that the clergy had voluntarily forgone a wage increase to offset this. He also noted that the health insurance would be addressed each year as circumstances warrant.
3. Other Reports

Several reports were included in the meeting handout and the highlights of the reports were presented as follows:

Fr. Jay Mills, Rector, referred the congregation to his report.

Randy Dean, Sr. Warden, noted the sale of the rental properties, the purchase of the Hunt property, the Christmas Bazaar, that the photo directory should be available in February, and then asked Ann VandeVate to speak about the Shepherd’s Watch program. Ann described the program as being for those dying without family on the oncology unit at Holston Valley Medical Center, that St. Paul’s would be providing volunteers for this program for the month of March 2012, and she asked the congregation to contact her if interested in volunteering. Randy then stated that it had been an honor for him to serve as Sr. Warden.

Chris Harpster, Deacon, noted the 2-1-1 campaign, Happening, the Christmas Bazaar, and that the youth Pilgrimage would be this summer. He also thanked Anne McGinty for her creativity and making the posters.

Ed Cwirko, Jr. Warden, noted the costs for heating and air conditioning units, rodent control, and the storage shed. Ed reported that the total costs for 2011 were about the same as 2010 but that he expected these to increase. Ed thanked the volunteers for helping maintain the facility and grounds.

1. New Office Building Report

Dorman Stout reported that an ad hoc committee for the office relocation had been meeting and provided a summary status as follows:

Committee members were Ed Cwirko, Randy Dean, Bob Jameson, John McKinley, and Dorman Stout.

The Hunt property was purchased September 20, 2011. The committee considered renting this property but decided not to do so. The committee met with vendors and estimates that the total cost of renovating the property, relocating the office to this property, and demolishing the current office building will be less than $100,000. The Vestry has approved that the project continue.

A fund drive for the project is beginning with the Vestry and will then be presented to the congregation in about four weeks. The Diocese will provide a short-term loan for the project.

1. Other Business – Eleanor Cwirko asked for Meals on Wheels volunteers. Chris Harpster reported Kendra Seymore had been hired for the Nursery and volunteers were needed to help.
2. Adjournment- The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 a.m.

Respectfully submitted, Todd Dougan, Vestry Clerk

March 2012 LEM Schedule 10:15 Service

March 4, 2012 – 2^nd Sunday in Lent
Chalice: Randy Dean, Perry Crocker
Lector 1: Andrew Kramer (link to reading: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=194857261

Lector2: Rex Ward (link to reading: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=194857292

Prayers: Mickey Shull

Verger: Susan Herron

March 11, 2012 – 3^rd Sunday in Lent

Chalice: Preston Depew, Ann Vandevate

Lector 1: Chris Dougan (link to reading:http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=194857320

Lector 2: Mike Forrester (link to reading: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=194857363

Prayers: Alison Barton

Verger: Anthony Peters

March 18, 2012 – 4^th Sunday in Lent

Chalice: Mike Forrester, Leila Al-Imad

Lector 1: Eddie Cwirko (link to reading:http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=194857404

Lector 2: Kathleen Donnellan (link to reading: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=194857433

Prayers: Dorman Stout

Verger: Rick Ridings

March 25, 2012 – 5^th Sunday in Lent

Chalice: Alan Ragsdale, John Bellamy

Lector 1: Halle Yungmeyer (link to reading:http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=194857469

Lector 2: Hal Yungmeyer (link to reading:http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=194857493

Prayers: John Bellamy

Verger: Mickey Shull

If you are unable to serve as scheduled, please arrange for a substitute and contact Janet at 423-245-5187 to let her know who will be serving for you. Thank you for your time and commitment to serve.

Our Vestry

St. Paul’s vestry spent Saturday 2/18 in retreat at the Jubilee House in Abingdon, VA. Our twelve vestry members are: Randy Dean, Sr. Warden, Hal Yungmeyer, Jr. Warden/Facility Manager
Charles (Con) Cave Charlie Herron, Bob Jameson, John McKinley, David Nealy, Michael O’Neill, Anthony Peters, Mary Ann Stout, Treva Tarpley, Jack Vaughn

Churches, sacred spaces – easy targets for thieves?

The Rev. Pat McCaughan a correspondent for the Episcopal News Service based in Los Angeles

Several stained-glass windows at St. Paul and St. James Church in New Haven, Connecticut, were damaged by vandals during a break-in in 2011.

Google “church” and “robbery” together and the hits just keep on coming.

Recent thefts of copper wiring, mostly from outdoor air conditioning units, as well as other less frequent instances of break-ins, armed robberies and embezzlement, have taught church officials a painful lesson — that even sacred spaces may be easy targets for experienced thieves.

The trouble is, many unsuspecting church officials frequently don’t think about security measures, or that they might be victimized, until they are.

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in New Orleans was targeted not once, but twice last year by copper wire thieves, according to the Rev. Steve Craft, rector.

“They stole the copper wiring out of the office air conditioning units at first,” Craft said in a recent telephone interview from his office.

“When we got to work we thought that the unit needed to be recharged because that happens from time to time. That was a Friday. On Sunday somebody came and said, ‘Do you know the copper piping is missing from the air conditioning unit?’”

A week later the thieves returned, this time stealing copper wiring from a school air conditioning unit. “They came back in the middle of the night,” Craft said. “Within a week, we had about $10,000 worth of damage. They even took out the security lamp lighting in the school buildings.”

Preschool classes had to be cancelled for more than a week because “you can’t have kids inside in the heat,” Craft said.

When local authorities told him that “the amount of money they actually are going to make from this copper was probably about $100 to $150, while it caused $10,000 worth of damage,” he hung a sign that said ‘if you need money, knock on the door, please’.

“I’d rather just give somebody the $100 than to go through the hassle again,” he said.

Insurance coverage offset some of the losses and the church has undertaken some precautionary measures, such as beefing up lighting around the property and restricting access to the parking lot. They are now fundraising to purchase protective covering for the air conditioning units, but in tough economic times dollars are scarce and the church has yet to recover its previous membership numbers after Hurricane Katrina, Craft acknowledged.

He worries the thieves could return again. “It can happen again any day now. We’re just hoping we get everything done before that.” The ordeal amounted to “a whole lot of mess for a little bit of money,” Craft added. “It’s a very sad thing when people feel they have to desecrate a church or any other building, and to cause so much trouble for such a little bit of money. It really is amazing, and not in a good way.”

It’s not a problem only in the United States. Metal thefts from air conditioning units are also a challenge for the Church of England, so much so that the Rt. Rev. John Hind, Bishop of Chichester, raised the issue at a Feb. 6 meeting of the House of Lords.

Speaking in support of an amendment giving law enforcement officials the right to enter scrap metal yards to determine if metals were obtained illegally, Hind said “in the year from 2010-2011, thefts from churches went up by one-third, resulting in a loss to the church of 4.5 million pounds (roughly $7 million U.S.) in that one year alone.”

In January, British Home Secretary Theresa Mayannounced increased penalties for metal theft and the outlaw of cash transactions at scrap metal yards. The Diocese of Manchester welcomed the move. In a statement posted on its website, Anne Sloman, chair of the Church of England’s Cathedral and Church Buildings Council, said: “The Church has campaigned for a long time for legislation to outlaw cash transactions for scrap metal. We are still suffering the theft of lead from ten church roofs a day, and every weapon the Government and the police can use to help us combat this crime is greatly to be welcomed.”

Similarly, the Church Insurance Agency Corp., which insures about 86 percent of Episcopal churches for property and casualty coverage, reports that copper theft has quadrupled in the past three years. Thieves frequently target rooftops, gutters, and air conditioning units and, in some cases, new construction, according to spokeswoman Nancy Fisher.

Mike Marino, vice president for property and casualty claims said that the agency “will work with churches if they have questions about some sort of risk management prevention.”A lot of churches have brainstormed among themselves and with parishioners about these issues,” Marino said in a recent telephone interview from his office. “For example, on air conditioning units, they contacted maybe a contractor or someone in the parish knows about building fences and units that can make it more difficult or impossible for somebody to just strip it down to get the metal.”

The Church Pension Group also offers resources to help congregations assess risk management needs.

‘The 4 a.m. call every priest dreads’ Similarly, St. Paul and St. James Church in New Haven, Connecticut ramped up security after vandalism and break-ins last year, according to the Rev. Alex Dyer, rector.

While a cross was stolen and a candlestick dating back to the early 1900s was taken, Dyer said a troubling aspect of the incident was “that a bible was ripped, all the sacred spaces were disrupted or attacked,” including the stained glass windows, prompting his call for forgiveness for the perpetrator.

“I got that 4 a.m. call that every priest dreads. My first thought was, who would rob a church?” recalled Dyer, 32, during a recent telephone interview from his office. “But I guess it is becoming more common.”

The church had taken some security precautions to protect office space but not in the sanctuary, he said. “People think that office computers would be a popular target but this church — like a lot of churches — thought, who would dare attack the church? So there were no motion detectors in there.”

After his public call for forgiveness, the cross and candlestick were returned. Still, the church consulted a local private security firm and has “since done a huge upgrade to our security system. We put in more motion detectors, contact strips on doors and an upgrade around the church in general. This is the age we live in. It’s unfortunate, but we are trying to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, to quote Jesus.”

Afterwards, he conducted a liturgy from the Book of Occasional Services to restore things profaned, “not a service you want to have to do,” he said. But, Dyer added, while he feels the church is better protected, “no place is really protected. You do what you can, basically, but nothing is perfect.”

A lesson learned at gunpoint

The Rev. Chad Lawrence, a priest associate at the Parish Church of St. Helena’s in Beaufort, South Carolina learned that lesson at gunpoint. “I was rehearsing my sermon on a Saturday evening last June 25. It was about 8:30 p.m. when I locked up the church, shut off the lights, and began to walk back to my office to get my car keys.” A man jumped out of the bushes near the church, put a gun to Lawrence’s head and threatened to kill him. He took Lawrence’s MP3 player and demanded his wallet and car keys.

The thief forced Lawrence into his office to get the wallet and keys, tied him up and “he stood over me and said ‘I want to kill you, right now. Give me three reasons why I shouldn’t kill you. No one would ever see me.’ “I said, ‘I have a wife and three children who I love very much. I’m here doing God’s work and if you do kill me, you will have to answer to him,’” replied Lawrence, whose father is Diocese of South Carolina bishop Mark Lawrence. “I was praying the whole time,” recalled Lawrence, 37, during a recent telephone interview from his office. “You begin to wonder, at what point do you begin to struggle back. Then he took an extension cord and hog-tied me, my hands to my feet. He put the gun to my head again and said ‘I’ll be right back’ and he walked out of my office to my car.

“At that point, I was inclined to believe he was going to come back,” he recalled. “I learned later that he had put doorstops in every door along the way so they wouldn’t lock behind him.” Lawrence waited about 15 seconds, freed himself and called local police, who responded within minutes. The thief was still in Lawrence’s car but escaped on foot and was not apprehended.

St. Helena’s has since reviewed its security measures “making sure we have policies and practices so that we’re not by ourselves in the church area,” Lawrence said. “We put cameras on certain high traffic areas as a deterrent. We also use a magnetic key fob entryway into our main entrance and exit, so that door remains locked the majority of the time. In the past, at night that door was open, left unlocked.”

A security expert recommended that staff -including preschool and day-school teachers-not be on the premises late nights or weekends. “We are trying to encourage some general, safe practices,” he said. Consequently, no more late-night sermon practices for Lawrence — not in the church, anyway.

He recalled that after the initial shock “of him bursting out of the bushes with a gun, I felt very calm. It was almost a supernatural kind of peace and calmness throughout the entire episode, one that I can’t explain other than to say that I knew God was with me. I knew that if I were to die I would be with him. That wasn’t my hope or my desire, of course. At the same time, I felt very exposed and vulnerable, and in the presence of a real evil.”

After cycling through a lot of emotions, “I was able to pray for him,” he said. “The process of losing my wallet and having to go through cancelling credit cards and going to the Department of Motor Vehicles was very annoying and I was angry about that, but I dealt with it. But I look back and I’m grateful that God saw me through and that it turned out the way it did for me.”

‘Only as sick as our secrets’

A theft at Holy Faith Church in Inglewood, California felt every bit as sinister, but even more painful because the perpetrator was a trusted friend and associate. A parish administrator embezzled about $400,000 from the church over a period of seven years, according to the Rev. Altagracia Perez, rector for the past nine years.

“We had most of the usual safety factors in place.” Only one recommendation wasn’t followed to the letter. “We did have staff opening the mail,” she said during a recent telephone interview from her office.

Perez said she wanted to go public with the congregation’s experience of embezzlement because she hopes it will encourage others to break what seems to be a code of silence, of shame associated with being victimized. “We’re only as sick as our secrets,” said Perez, adding that when she shared her experience with colleagues throughout the church “there was not one person who didn’t have a similar story. They had either experienced it directly or knew someone who had been through this.”

Yet, “nobody wanted to talk about it,” she added. “Even the police, when I went to report what had happened, couldn’t even pretend to be surprised, although they were surprised at the level of complexity involved in our case. They told me that at least once a week a church or nonprofit reports a similar experience.”

Holy Faith, which celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2011, had been experiencing ongoing financial struggles, so much so that at one point Perez went unpaid and parishioners upped their contributions to try to balance the church’s books. Yet, “we could never seem to get ahead,” Perez recalled. They later learned it was because a parish administrator, who has been charged and is awaiting trial, had created a false set of books. “His professional experience was in banking, finance and computer systems, which was how he was able to create duplicate bank statements,” she said. Briefly, unbeknownst to Perez or the congregation, the administrator created a separate electronic account in his name and used church funds to pay the balance. When he opened the mail, he created new bank statements that omitted records of those purchases.

Eventually the church auditor became suspicious and decided to review “every single paper from an entire year to try to find an explanation for what was happening,” Perez said. He chose the year 2010 and “found one statement of an electronic transmission that we couldn’t explain. There were no receipts, no paper work for it,” she said. “It was insane, it was devastating to the church,” Perez said. “We had been struggling for so long. He had been stealing from the plate, from the investment accounts, from money turned in for gifts, everything.”

When confronted, the parish administrator admitted the embezzlement. “He was an active member of the parish, he was involved in everything; people trusted him. When I asked him how he could have done this, he didn’t really understand how he could have done it, either,” she said. A forensic audit followed, with church members stepping up to assist. Now, even more disheartening is that “nothing is being done with the case,” Perez said. It was transferred to the major crimes unit “but we’ve heard nothing. We are trying to find out what happened but nobody’s gotten back to us,” Perez said. Although some money was recovered through insurance and bank policies, it’s been a painful experience and one that Perez is eager for others to avoid, if they can learn from Holy Faith’s experience.

“Apparently smaller places get hit more often because they don’t have the human resources or the financial resources to do the extra things to protect people,” she said.

“I understand the guilt and shame,” associated with being victimized, she said. “But when I saw how prevalent it is and that nobody is talking about these things, that has to be the reason people get away with it. If people heard what happened in other places it would at least give them a warning of what to look out for, to be careful.”

“Vigilance is essential in following established fiduciary practices for the fiscal security of every congregation and church site,” Diocese of Los Angeles Bishop J. Jon Bruno told ENS.

“Here in the Diocese of Los Angeles we have proactive procedures in place to assure regular audits and provide professional financial consultation to all congregations and other church organizations. The Inglewood parish situation is a clear reminder to everyone of the importance of following these procedures consistently and thoroughly without exception.”

As a result, church leadership is more aware and are optimistic about the future, Perez added. “People feel more ownership in the church and they really do feel better knowing that there was an explanation for everything we were going through. “It’s made a big difference in the morale of the church. There’s a sense of God really working with us and through and being really present in the way that a crisis brings together. It has uncovered gifts and people have been trained to do things they never thought they would be doing.”

Litany of Penitence

The Celebrant and People together, all kneeling

Most holy and merciful Father:

We confess to you and to one another,

and to the whole communion of saints

in heaven and on earth,

that we have sinned by our own fault

in thought, word, and deed;

by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

The Celebrant continues

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and

strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We

have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.

Have mercy on us, Lord.

We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us.

We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved

your Holy Spirit.

Have mercy on us, Lord.

We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the

pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives,

We confess to you, Lord.

Our self‑indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation

of other people,

We confess to you, Lord.

Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those

more fortunate than ourselves,

We confess to you, Lord.

Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and

our dishonesty in daily life and work,

We confess to you, Lord.

Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to

commend the faith that is in us,

We confess to you, Lord.

Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done:

for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our

indifference to injustice and cruelty,

Accept our repentance, Lord.

For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward our

neighbors, and for our prejudice and contempt toward those

who differ from us,

Accept our repentance, Lord.

For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of

concern for those who come after us,

Accept our repentance, Lord.

Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us;

Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.

Accomplish in us the work of your salvation,

That we may show forth your glory in the world.

By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord,

Bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.

 Jay

Jay

28 Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters.^* It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters,^* so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹So Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ ³⁰They answered, ‘If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.’ ³¹Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.’ The Jews replied, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death.’ ³²(This was to fulfil what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)

33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters^* again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ ³⁴Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ ³⁵Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ ³⁶Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ ³⁷Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ ³⁸Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no case against him.

The “Jews” and Pilate are in a tug of war over Jesus in this story.  I put the word Jews in italics because its use here is a bit of propaganda going on here.  By the time of John’s gospel the church had broken from the synagogue and was trying to make its way into the Roman world.  One of the less than subtle things going on in John’s gospel is that it is shifting blame for the crucifixion from the Romans to the “Jews”.  The “Jews” here are really the Jewish leaders, or at least most of them.  But the church wants to blame them as a people and not the Romans for the crucifixion and this desire shapes how John tells his story.

Pilate ends with the question, “What is truth?”  The reader, or hearer,  is meant to think “Jesus” as the answer to his question.  It is human nature to lash out at the  truth, especially when it is so focused as it was in Jesus.  Everyone wants him dead and gone.  He, as the truth, was a troubler of men and women.  He challenged them.  And his end was death on a cross.  But that was not the last word.  God had something to say and did so in the resurrection.

Jay

15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, ¹⁶but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷The woman said to Peter, ‘You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ¹⁸Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing round it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself. <!– 25 –>

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, ‘You are not also one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it and said, ‘I am not.’ ²⁶One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with him?’ ²⁷Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.

How is it that Peter so quickly becomes a coward and denies Jesus?  How is it that a cocktail party or other gathering I turn coward and deny my faith when it would be appropriate for me to share it?  This tendency to betrayal lies in all of us.  It takes real courage to publicly bear the name of Jesus.

The good news is that Jesus came back from the dead and came looking for Peter specifically, to restore him.  He never denied him again, eventually dying for his faith probably in the persecution under Nero.

Jesus also comes after us when we have denied him, or failed to share the hope in him that lies within us.  His goal is to strengthen us to learn to really bear witness to Jesus.  Will we let him?

Jay

Unformatted version of the weekly mailer can be found below:

St Paul’s Episcopal Church – Kingsport, TN

Community Bulletin Board

February 17, 2012

19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. ²⁰Many of them were saying, ‘He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?’ ²¹Others were saying, ‘These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’ <!– 22 –>

22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah,^* tell us plainly.’ ²⁵Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; ²⁶but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.^{* 30}The Father and I are one.’

Jesus, or the topic of Jesus, will always cause division.  It has to do with the claims he made about himself, and consequently, the claims we make about him.  The crowd is divided by his calling himself the Good Shepherd, how much more will they be divided by his statement at the end of this gospel, “The Father and I are one.”

Jesus is no less divisive in our time.  As long as we are quiet about our Jesus things will go well.  But voice what the New Testament says about him and one will rarely fail to get a divided reaction.  It is just the way it is.  Our choice is whether we wish to be fruitless and not push Jesus on anyone or whether we will be honest with those around us (when it is appropriate, I might add) about who the New Testament says about Jesus, and who we have found him to be.

Jay

10‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. ²The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ ⁶Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

This teaching of Jesus is one of close intimacy between the sheep and the shepherd, and by implication, us and the Good Shepherd.  Ancient shepherds depended upon voice recognition and recognition of their name by the sheep in order to lead them.

We, likewise, are meant to live with the Good Shepherd with the same closeness and intimacy.  It is something we learn to do over time –  to recognize his voice in the clamor of all the noise and the cacophony of voices that come to us on a daily basis.  We are to learn to recognize his voice in the midst of life — at first only in moments of intuition or inspiration. Then eventually we are meant to recognize his voice and his calling us by name on a daily basis.  We are meant to live by his word on a daily basis.

Jay