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October 9, 2007
COVER
STORY
Choosing
a Bishop
by The Rev. Alvin C. Johnson, Jr.
 Dear
St. Michael's Family and Friends,
Your prayers
in the process of discerning our next bishop for the Diocese of
Chicago and my part in that process are greatly appreciated. Besides
praying every day, the next step in the process begins on Sunday,
October 21. That afternoon Vickie and I will be picked up at our
home and driven to Resurrection Retreat Center in Woodstock for
a two-day retreat with all the nominees and our spouses/partners.
Following the retreat we will begin a combination of a tour of
the diocese and her several ministries as well as a series of
six meetings with delegates and members at large of our diocese
at six different locations. At these gatherings participants will
be invited to ask questions of each candidate and learn more towards
discerning who best to serve as our next bishop. We will all stay
at a hotel in Chicago for the remainder of the week, returning
home on Sunday, October 28 assuredly exhausted and probably exhilarated
at the same time.
The opportunities
to meet the candidates or "walkabouts," as they are
called, are open to all persons who wish to attend. You can find
out more information about dates, times and locations below or
by going to the website at www.bishopforchicago.org.
Please take advantage of this opportunity to attend one of the
gatherings and learn about all eight of the candidates for bishop.
There are
many substantial issues facing our convention when we gather this
year on November 9 and 10, besides the election of a new bishop.
We are represented by Irene Brown, Sally Smith, and Diane Zinn
as well as by several of our clergy including Judy, Leigh, Mary,
Mark and myself. We each have a vote. The discernment question
facing all of us from our parish as well as for our diocese continues
to be seeking the will of the Holy Spirit in all that we do. The
Spirit certainly acts independently of humanity, but also works
through people. Here is where all of you become more deeply involved.
Please pay attention to The Sword and The Sunday Sword
this next week for an opportunity in the near future to meet in
conversation and discernment with our delegates prior to the convention.
And remember to pray. Discernment is an active process of the
Holy Spirit, ever-changing, ever-probing, ever-releasing. Please
remember to pray for our diocese, the nominees and our families,
and for our parish.
Love and Blessings,
Alvin+
*
* * * *
Resources
"Walkabout"
Schedule
| Date |
Location |
Arrival
& Registration |
Welcome
& Presentations |
Tuesday
October 23 |
St.
Mark's
393 N. Main St. Glen Ellyn |
5:30
p.m. |
6:15
p.m. |
Wednesday
October 24 |
Church
of the Redeemer
40 Center Street, Elgin |
5:30
p.m. |
6:15
p.m. |
Thursday
October 25 |
Church
of the Holy Spirit
400 E. Westminster Rd., Lake Forest |
5:30
p.m. |
6:15
p.m. |
Friday
October 26 |
Church
of the Transfiguration
12219 S. 86th Ave., Palos Park |
5:30
p.m. |
6:15
p.m. |
Saturday
October 27 |
St.
Edmund's
6105 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago |
8:45
a.m. |
9:30
a.m. |
Sunday
October 28 |
St. Luke's
221 W. 3rd St., Dixon |
1:45
p.m. |
2:30
p.m. |
OUTREACH
This
fragile earth, our island home
by The Rev. Martha Gillette
We live
on one planet, we are bound as one in the body of Christ, and
it is up to each one of us to envision a world where poverty
is history (143).
 The
sixth chapter of the book we've been reviewing over the last several
weeks, What Can One Person Do?, shifts focus slightly —
away from the previous chapters' discussion of the Christian moral
and spiritual imperative to be engaged with poverty reduction,
and toward the assertion that we as Christians are called not
only to care for our fellow human beings, but for the rest of
the created order as well. Noting that one thing each of us —
no matter how rich or how poor — shares in common is our
single planet, the authors discuss what it means to say we are
the body of Christ, consider the question of how that body can
serve humanity, and remind us that human health and wholeness
are intimately connected to the health and wholeness of our earth
and its air, water, and other resources.
The twelfth
chapter of 1 Corinthians is where we find the famous analogy of
the people of God as the body of Christ. We are, Paul explains,
inextricably bound to each other, whether we care to acknowledge
it or not. Each of us has an indispensable place in God's realm,
and God's intention is that we care for one another equally. In
the same manner that a toothache or blister can make an individual
generally miserable, Paul says, when one of us suffers, all of
us suffer. Paul exhorts us, therefore, to work together as a healthy
body does, in a cohesive and unified fashion, with respect and
appreciation for the life and gifts of each 'member'.
But the body
of Christ as represented by the church is not as hale and hearty
as Paul might have wished. Fracture, division, acrimony, power
struggles, selfishness, greed, intolerance, exclusivity, and hypocrisy
abound. If the church stands as the body of Christ, it is perhaps
Christ's broken body, hanging on the cross, that is represented.
"Christ's brokenness," write Alkire and Newell, "symbolizes
our brokenness as a church, as a human community, as a planet...this
damaged body needs healing, and part of the healing is to rediscover
how to work together in building God's kingdom on earth."(128)
Because the church — in its global sense — is uniquely
positioned to reach the poorest of the world, the authors express
great hope that the requisite healing can begin to take place
as the faithful from broadly divergent theological perspectives
join with solidarity of purpose and clear sense of mission to
minister to the impoverished across the globe.
One aspect
of this ministry can be undertaken, at least in part, right where
we stand — environmental stewardship. What we do to either
nurture or desecrate our earth, water, air, and other natural
resources — here and now, as we live our lives day in and
day out — can directly and significantly impact the poor,
near and far. The Millennial Development Goal that is highlighted
in the sixth chapter of What Can One Person Do? is MDG #7, the
MDG most obviously in keeping with the act of environmental stewardship
— "Ensure environmental sustainability." The goal
has three distinct subtargets: (1) Integrate the principles of
sustainable development into country policies and programs and
reverse the loss of environmental resources, (2) Halve by 2015
the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking
water and basic sanitation (1.1 billion people do not drink safe
water, and 2.6 billion lack sanitation), and (3) By 2020, to have
achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100
million slum dwellers.
In addition
to being prayerful, thoughtful, and purposeful in his or her use
of natural resources, what can one person do to help heal the
body of Christ and improve the lot of billions of the world's
poor? One person can stand up and be counted. Direct action —
think of everything from the U.S. civil rights movement's nonviolent
March to Selma, to the lone Chinese youth who stood alone in Tiananmen
Square, facing rank upon rank of tanks — attracts media attention,
builds the political will necessary for systemic institutional
change, gives notice to those in the midst of the struggle that
they are not alone, provides a moral counterweight to indifference,
and speaks a truth to power. One easy direct action with specific
applicability to the MDGs and their international support organizations
is to wear the white wrist band that, in its U. S. incarnation,
bears the word "ONE." You can purchase a wristband for
yourself (and your family and friends) through the international
website www.whiteband.org,
the British website www.makepovertyhistory.org,
or the U.S. website www.one.org.
Or, you can seek me out — it just so happens I have a few
in my office, with which I could probably be persuaded to part.
"The
title of this book asks a question, What can one person do? The
answer is simple. One person can do as much or as little as he
or she wants."(125) AMEN.
This is
the eighth in a series of articles based on, and featuring excerpts
from, the book What
Can One Person Do? — Faith to Heal a Broken World
by Sabina Alkire and Edmund Newell, (Church Publishing, New York,
NY, 2005). To contact The Rev. Martha Gillette, call 847-381-2323,
ext. 39 Mondays or Wednesdays, or email her at mgillette@stmichaelsbarrington.org.
OUTREACH
Focus
on Outreach: CROP Walk
by Catherine Koelling
This is
the second in a series focusing on the many outreach ministries
at St. Michael's.
 CROP,
Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty, is a program of Church
World Service (CWS) that provides for a people to people network
of local and global caring through participation in hunger walks
throughout the nation.
CWS was founded
in 1946 as a ministry offering relief, development and refugee
assistance worldwide. With support from 35 U.S. Protestant, Orthodox
and Anglican denominations, CWS works in partnership with indigenous
organizations in some 80 countries to achieve their mission of
meeting human needs and fostering self reliance for all whose
way is hard. Additional information is available at www.churchworldservice.org.
The Barrington
Area CROP Walk (BACW) is this Sunday, October 14, 2007 at Barrington
Middle School-Station campus. This year we celebrate the 25th
anniversary of participation in CROP Walks. With this anniversary
potentially comes two significant milestones-over $1 million raised
and 10,000 walkers. There are a number of ways the St. Michael's
family can help make these goals reality: by signing up to walk
and raising funds; by sponsoring a walker; by providing chili
and cookies for the walkers after the event; by manning St. Michael's
rest stop along the walk route. Funds raised for the walk make
a difference in the world and in your neighborhood since 25 percent
of all donations stay locally. Historic recipients of these funds,
totaling over $17,000 in 2006, include Northern Illinois Food
Bank, FISH food pantry in Carpentersville, St. Anne's Catholic
church Project Hope, Barrington Giving Day, and Meals with Wheels
to name a few.
I became involved
with CROP for the first time this year when I answered the call
in The Sword for help on the planning committee. Attending
the meetings has awakened me to the stark facts of hunger, poverty,
and disease in the world due to the lack of basic necessities.
I find it unconscionable that more than 1 billion people worldwide
lack access to potable water and that when a U.S. elementary-aged
child responds to his teacher when asked, "Did you have breakfast
today?" his answer is, "It was not my turn."
For more information
or to sponsor a walker, contact committee members Lori Boice at
847-462-9195 or Catherine Koelling at 847-304-1284 and make your
commitment! Will you answer the call to help?
St.
Michael's Celebrates St. Francis With a Blessing for Animals
 Over
20 pets and their families were on hand on Thursday, October 4
as St. Michael's celebrated the feast of St. Francis with a blessing
of the animals. Director of Children's Education, Nerissa Brueckbauer
explained how St. Francis, who was born into a wealthy family,
turned away from his material goods and toward a life that was
rich in spiritual wealth and great care for God's tiniest of creatures.
Fr. Al Johnson, Mtr. Leigh VanderMeer, and Dcn. Judy Heinrich
joined in blessing each of the pets — including several dogs,
some rabbits, and even some treasured stuffed friends — and
the evening concluded with a special prayer and appropriate treats
for the animals and their human companions.
The
Little Red Wagon Helps Church of the Redeemer During October
During the
month of October, St. Michael's will continue to help provide
for the needs of the Families in Crisis and Soup Kitchen
programs at Church of the Redeemer in Elgin. Please help fill
those pantries with the following:
- Soup Kettle:
Instant potatoes, pork and beans
- Families
in Crisis: Diapers (sizes 3-6), baby wipes, toothpaste and tooth
brushes, bar soap, laundry detergent, dish detergent, shampoo,
rice, pasta, tomato sauce and pasta, spaghetti sauce
- Both: Peas,
green beans, corn, mixed vegetables, yams/sweet potatoes, pears,
peaches, toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex
- Children's
clothing is also welcome.
The Little
Red Wagon is located in St. Michael's narthex/main entrance each
Sunday and in the coat area near the parish office during the
week. Monetary donations are also accepted. Simply make a notation
on your check that the funds are earmarked for the Little Red
Wagon.
Barrington
CROP Walk is This Sunday
It's not too
late to be part of the Barrington Area CROP Walk. This year's
walk will take place this Sunday, October 14. Were you there last
year when 434 walkers participated in Barrington and raised over
$68,000 to fight hunger? Will you be there this year to keep hundreds
more children from going to bed hungry? Walkers won't stop walking
until enough awareness is built into the minds and hearts of all
people - until all learn how to share the abundance of God's gifts.
Hunger has a cure! Everyone must be part of that cure. Some will
use their feet, some will use their hands, and some will use their
wallets. Please stop by Java Jam today and ask, "How may
I be part of the cure?" Or call Catherine Koelling at 847-304-1284
or Lori Boice at 847-462-9195 or visit http://barringtoncropwalk.freehostia.com.
ECW
Elgin Deanery UTO Ingathering
The Episcopal
Church Women (ECW) of the Elgin Deanery will be holding its fall
UTO Ingathering on Saturday, October 20, at St. James Episcopal
Church. All women of St. Michael's are invited and encouraged
to attend. The guest speaker, The Rev. Gwynne Wright, will talk
about "English Cathedrals." St. James is located in
West Dundee at 516 Washington Street. Registration will begin
at 9:30 a.m. followed by the Eucharist at 10 a.m. and a luncheon
at noon. A $5 donation will be collected at the door. For reservations,
please call Lee Myers-Hickey at 847-824-3205 or Natalie Armstrong
847-340-7200 by October 19.
ECW
Talent Show
Tickets for
the ArchAngel Antics, the ECW sponsored Talent Show, will
go on sale this Sunday! The price for this fun-filled adults-only
evening is just $15. You can purchase tickets after any service
at the table by Java Jam or by calling Marie Schriefer at 847-719-1012.
The ArchAngel Antics will take place here at St. Michael's
in the Community Room on Saturday, November 3, at 6:30 p.m. Along
with the entertainment, hors d'ouvres and beverages (soda, beer
and wine) will be served. This is a parish event that you won't
want to miss, so be sure to get your tickets soon!
Author
to Visit St. Michael's
 Bob
Thompson, author of the newly published book A
Voluptuous God will visit St. Michael's to offer a presentation,
discussion and book signing on Sunday, November 4 at 4:00 p.m.
From the author's
website: "Voluptuous is not a word most of us associate with
God. Yet God is delicious, says Thompson. God takes pleasure in
simple things. God knows “that laughter is the best medicine,
that only love can heal what ails us, and that only joy can cause
our hearts to sing.” Thompson calls us to worship a God of
intimacy rather than a God of distance. God and humanity hunger
for closeness, and so Thompson calls us to an intimate relationship
with the divine."
The book is
rooted in the Christian tradition but affirms that truth is found
in other religions and spiritualities, and in secular practices.
It offers an exploration of the place—which is here and now—“where
we belong to God and to each other.”
A Voluptuous
God questions, and offers insight into, many of the ideas
and experiences our minds and souls dance with daily. It allows
us to examine our personal spiritual needs and makes accessible
the larger spiritual truths that give shape and meaning to our
lives.
Partnerships:
Holy Apostles Auction Dinner and Dance
Church of
the Holy Apostles Auction Dinner and Dance is scheduled for November
16. Mark your calendars, and program all of your electronic gadgets
so that you will not miss a great night of fun. The Auction Dinner
and Dance Committee is in full swing planning this event and will
have all the details available in the very near future. In the
meantime please save the date and make plans to attend. Don't
keep this a secret, tell all your friends.
Nominees
for 12th Bishop of Chicago Announced
Biographies
and a statement on policy regarding the election process for Bishop
of Chicago are available at www.bishopforchicago.org.
If you'd like a printed copy, please contact the parish office
at 847-381-2323 or see Cam Sells (Communications) following any
worship service on Sunday.
Nominees will
be introduced at a series of presentation gatherings throughout
the diocese to he held October 23-28, including one on October
24 at 5:15 p.m. at Church of the Redeemer in Elgin, and the electing
convention will be held November 10 at the Diocesan Convention.
Nominations
for Vestry and Convention Delegates
Each year,
the vestry requests nominations for new vestry members and convention
delegates to serve during the next term. To recommend a nominee
for vestry or convention delegate, a nomination form must be completed
and returned to the parish office by November 12. To understand
the expectations for both roles and the nomination process, you
can obtain the nomination
process document along with the nomination form from the parish
office, in the narthex/front foyer of the church, or on the church's
website.
Around
the Neighborhood
Habitat
for Humanity Orientation Meeting
If you are
aware of families needing affordable housing, Habitat for Humanity
is conducting an orientation meeting on Saturday, October 13 at
10:00 a.m. at St. Monica's Catholic Church, 90 N. Kennedy Dr.,
in Carpentersville. At the orientation, prospective homeowners
will learn what Habitat for Humanity is about, where and what
type of homes are built, what is involved with becoming a Habitat
for Humanity homeowner, and the steps required to being considered
for a home. For more information, contact the Habitat for Humanity
office at 847-836-1432.
Episcopal
Charities' St. Nicholas Ball
Plan to join
friends from throughout the diocese on Friday, November 30, at
the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Avenue. Guests at the St.
Nicholas Ball (formerly the Bishop's Ball) will enjoy dinner,
dancing, silent and live auctions, and one of the first post-convention
opportunities to meet our Bishop-elect.
For more information,
contact your parish representative Ann Ryba at 847-358-5808 or
greeno51458@gmail.com;
or Doreen Baker at ECCS at 312-751-6721 or baker@eccsonline.net.
In
the Parish Family
A
Note of Thanks
Dear
Parish Family,
Many,
many thanks for the lovely sendoff you gave me on St. Michael’s
Sunday. Your good wishes and your wonderful singing will ring
in my ears for a long time!
I have
tried to write each person who gave me a goodbye gift, individually,
but for those of you who contributed to the gift from the parish,
please know how very much I appreciate your overwhelming generosity,
as well as the cross.
A number
of people have asked about what my plans are now, and I am grateful
for your interest in keeping in touch. I would love to find
another church job, and am praying for a new church home that
will be a good fit for me, as St. Michael’s was for so
many years. “Split positions” with separate roles
for a Director of Music and an Organist are difficult to come
by in the Episcopal Church, but I do believe that is how I am
called to offer my talents.
In the
meantime, I will be substituting for musical colleagues at churches
in the Chicagoland area, and the Diocese of Chicago has invited
me to serve on a committee that will design the liturgy for
the consecration service of our next bishop. I am in my seventh
year as Music Librarian for the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and
I hope to continue in that part-time role, while also singing
in the chorus and in other ensembles in the area. In addition,
I have accepted an Adjunct Faculty position at North Park University,
directing the Women’s Chorus. I am blessed to be actively
making music while I search for a new church position, and I
would like to stay in Chicago.
Please
DO keep in touch and let me know how you are doing. My contact
information is listed below.
My final
Sunday with you brought out a lot of tears, but even more smiles
as I remembered the best gift of all — sharing in your
lives, both in and out of my role as Director of Music, over
the past eight and a half years. You have my enduring love and
thanks.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Johnston
Marjorie can
be reached by mail at 600 S. Dearborn St. Apt. 1008, Chicago,
IL 60605; cell 847-308-8780; email: mjohnston@onshore.net. Margie's
phone number at work is 312-294-3423
Those for
whom prayers have been requested
This week
prayers are asked for: Jim, military troops still in danger, Bp.
Persell, Luke, Craig, Minerva, Joe & Thelma, Amy, Ralph, Amity,
Church of the Redeemer, Bob, Jordon, Melanie, Elizabeth, Hugh,
June, Doris, Kirby, John, Fr. Joseph, Jim, R.P. & Charlene,
Nancy, Aaron & Julie, Bob, Jacki, Paul, Rae, Eileen, Connie,
Sally, and Joel
Anniversaries
This Week
Correction
Last week's
list of anniversaries was inadvertently omitted from printed copies
of The Sword. They have been included below.
Birthdays
- 10.6 Liz
Crews
- 10.7 Jack
Warner, Scott Segin
- 10.8 Phyllis
Raufeisen, Taylor Witczak
- 10.9 Madelyn
Lanham, Holly McQuestion, Bill Doran
- 10.10 Kevin
Callahan, Marcene Penhaligen, Hugh Robinson, Dayna Imhoff, Connor
McCammack, Jim Bullion
- 10.11 Denise
Witczak, Avery Jones
- 10.12 Rebecca
Bateman, Janet Bacher
- 10.13 Wes
Kimes
- 10.14 Bernard
Tresnowski, Philip Zinn, Kim Tomczyk, Rob O'Riordan, Sydney
Tucker
- 10.15 Bridget
Couch, Emily Mayberry, Nancy Wolters, Raymond Volkmann
- 10.16 Frederick
Eaton, Frank Cesario, Karen Dickerson, Emily Parr, Judy Myers,
Russell Miller
- 10.17 Kyle
Kazmier, Kathy Randolph, Keith Kampert, Vette Kell
- 10.18 Barbara
Harris, Courtney Lekai, Alex Napoleon
- 10.19 Ellen
Lindeen, Patrick Mangan, Jean Kamman, Annette Holzknecht
Anniversaries
- 10.8 Michele
& Dennis Campbell
- 10.9 Trish
& John Henry
- 10.11 Lisel
& Rob Ulaszek
- 10.13 Susan
& Arthur Lanham
- 10.15 Nancy
& Frank Pollard
- 10.16 Jennifer
& Ed Tilly, Vickie & Matt Marchioretto, Mary & Steve
Mathison
- 10.18 Carol
& John Schmidt
Deaths
- 10.6 Grace
Ehrlich
- 10.7 Wesley
Ewart
- 10.10 Anne
Munro, Nelson Forrest
- 10.11 Kenneth
Kehe
- 10.17 Ellen
Huss
- 10.19 Charles
Cormier
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