|
October 30, 2007
COVER
STORY
Reflections
by The Rev. Alvin C. Johnson, Jr.
 Dear
St. Michael's Family and Friends,
What a week!
Thank you for your prayers as your presence sustained Vickie and
me throughout the eight days of the "walkabout" experience.
Three things I'd like to share with you as a quick reflection.
First, we have a wonderful diocese. There are more powerful and
substantial ministries underway in our diocese than was visible
before and I consider myself fairly well informed. Our work with
youth and on college campuses is invigorating and evoked deep
hope within me. There is much more.
Second, the
candidates from outside our diocese are talented, faithful and
gifted people. Like you, my curiosity is piqued as to what the
Holy Spirit has in mind, but my look from the inside says that
it will be very difficult for us to go wrong in this election.
Each person brings a unique perspective on the Church and a unique
mix of spiritual gifts that will help serve God's desires here
in the Diocese of Chicago. Spending the week with this group was
spiritually and emotionally gratifying.
Third, one
gift that has come my way from saying "yes" to the Holy
Spirit in this process is a deep renewal of love for the Church…that
wonderful and great mystery. The Church has her faults and struggles,
but she is a beautiful place to live and move and have our life.
She is open, loving, engaging, progressive and biblical. She is
filled with people, like in our own parish, who seek, reach out,
need, laugh, cry, and love the Lord. She keeps her eyes, ears
and heart open to whomever needs a place to call home. She really
does try to be Jesus in this painfully chaotic world in which
we live…and I love her.
What's next?
The election takes place on November 10. All is, thank God, in
God's hands. Your prayers and comments mean more than you can
imagine. If you'd like to hear more about the questions, the process,
etc., just ask. Thank you for being willing to sustain both Vickie
and I in this process.
Love and Blessings,
Alvin+
OUTREACH
Five
Opportunities for Giving
While opportunites
for giving present themselves throughout the year at St. Michael's,
the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons offer even more possibilites
for sharing in the lives of others. Consider these possibilities
as a part of the enjoyment of the holidays...
1. St.
Cyprian Food Pantry: Gifts for Children
Once again
St. Michael's has the opportunity to help provide Christmas gifts
for the 700+ children of clients at St. Cyprian's Food Pantry.
The request for each child is two gifts: one for fun and one for
need.
On Sunday,
November 11, the names and wish lists will be available in the
Java Jam area after each service. If you would like to participate
in this fun project but won't be at church that Sunday, please
call Ruth Silver at 847-381-1871.
2. St.
Michael's Thanksgiving Community Dinner
St. Michael's
has a group of 75 from Maryville Academy attending the meal on
Thanksgiving day and the dinner committee is also in communication
with Great Lakes Naval Base among other organizations. The event
is also open to the community. With a large attendance expected,
your help is needed to:
- Cook turkeys
at home (turkeys will be provided)
- Donate
pies
- Prepare
the room and set tables for the event
- Provide
kitchen help preparing the fixings on Thanksgiving morning
- Serve and
greet guests
- Drive guests
who require transportation and deliver local meals
- Coordinate
fellowship
- Clean up
following the event
Please contact
Nancy Holmes in the Parish Office at 847-381-2323 or nholmes@stmichaelsbarrington.org
as soon as possible if you are available to help with this event.
All volunteers are also invited to stay and enjoy the meal!
3.
Cathedral Shelter Christmas Baskets
Although it's
still October and Halloween is yet to come, it is never too early
to think about the needy people in our area. The Cathedral Shelter
and Church of the Redeemer have once again asked the parishioners
of St. Michael's to participate in the Christmas Basket program.
This year St. Michael's will have about 50 families to sponsor
for Christmas. Although they come from many differing backgrounds,
all have very limited or no income. When you adopt a family, you
are asked to buy clothing and a toy for each child, a gift for
the adult, and a food gift certificate for the family.
You'll have
the opportunity to sign up to sponsor a family beginning this
Sunday, October 28. Family information packets which include gift
ideas, sizes, ages, etc. will be available outside the community
room after each service. All items will be due back at the church
on Sunday, December 2. This is a week later than in previous years
because Thanksgiving is so early this year. If you have any questions,
or want to sponsor a family and you won't be at church, please
contact Marie Schriefer at 847-719-1012.
Thank you
in advance for sharing your blessings with those who have so little.
The love and joy that you give means so much to those who receive
it!
4. The
Little Red Wagon
For over 40
years, St. Augustine's Center has provided supportive services
for American Indians in Chicago. It is an Episcopal ministry that
depends solely on churches and benefactors. With a small staff,
the center continues its counseling and food pantry distribution.
In November,
St. Michael's sill be collecting food along with Little Angels
Preschool to help these native Americans have a happy holiday
season. Shopping suggestions include: canned fruit and vegetables,
pork and beans, rice, macaroni and cheese, cereal, peanut butter,
crackers, and cookies.
The Little
Red Wagon is located in St. Michael's narthex/main entrance on
Sundays and in the coat area near the parish office during the
week.
5.
Barrington Giving Days
Each December
the Barrington Area 220 School District invites disadvantaged
families residing in the School District to the Barrington Giving
Day . Families receive food, warm coats and gifts. Members of
Barrington churches, schools, businesses and civic organizations
have always been generous in their support of this day. Last year
616 families were helped.
Please consider
donating gently used or new winter coats, used toys and books
(in Spanish and English) for children and teens. Hats, scarves,
mittens, gloves and related items are greatly appreciated. A box
for donations will be located outside the Community Room from
Thursday, November 29 through Wednesday, December 13. Items will
then be sorted for the Saturday Giving Day.
Financial
gifts are also accepted and are used to purchase food, and grocery
food certificates, children's coats, blankets, and essentials.
Checks may be made payable to: Barrington Giving Day, c/o John
Paul Hills, Barrington Bank & Trust, 201 S. Hough St., Barrington,
IL 60010
Volunteers
for the Giving Day are always needed, and their time and effort
is greatly appreciated. Please contact Pat Karon at 847-382-2670
or pmkaron@sbcglobal.net
or Jeanette Muench at 815-444-1622 j.a.muench@sbcglobal.net.
WORSHIP
Thanksgiving
at St. Michael's
There will
be two worship services for Thanksgiving this year-one on Thanksgiving
Eve at 7:30 p.m. complete with choir, hymns followed by a wonderful
"pie fellowship". This is a new fellowship opportunity
for St. Michael's in which families are asked to bring a favorite
pie, cut into eight section with a (marked with name) pie server
or spatula. A little bit of help will be needed to set up and
clean up. Coffee and cider will be provided. Worship at 7:30 p.m.
then enjoy some pie and time with friends.
The second
service is on Thanksgiving Day at 10:00 a.m. with music and hymns.
Gratitude unleashes compassion in the human heart…come join
us as we give thanks to God for God's many blessings in our world
and in our lives…and unleash compassion. Remember, also,
the Thanksgiving Day Meal following the 10:00 a.m. service. All
are welcome. If you don't have a place to be that day, consider
coming here. Please call Nancy Holmes in the parish office at
847-381-2323 to make your reservation.
WORSHIP
Litany
of the Saints
by The Rev. Martha Gillette
On Sunday,
November 4, we will be doing something rather different for our
Prayers of the People. In the context of All Saints' Day (November
1-come to the service at 7:30 p.m.!) and All Souls' Day (November
2) we will be praying a modified version of the ancient Litany
of the Saints.
Our word "litany"
comes from the Greek lite, through the Latin litania, and means
"prayer" or "supplication." The model we use
for our litanies is Psalm 136. Take a look at it and you will
see a long listing of Divine actions for which the psalmist thanks
and praises God, each followed by the same response, "for
his mercy endures forever."
The Litany
of the Saints is one of the oldest recorded litanies, probably
originating in the 6th century. Any particular contemporary Litany
of the Saints is selective — the Episcopal Church commemorates
something on the order of 200 Saints and we will not be naming
them all individually! From earliest times, however, the Litany
of the Saints has included an introduction followed by a listing
of saints — sometimes named individually, sometimes invoked
in groups — and a closing composed of specific petitions.
Our Catechism
states that "The communion of saints is the whole family
of God, the living and the dead, those whom we love and those
whom we hurt, bound together in Christ by sacrament, prayer, and
praise." In offering the Prayers of the People in the form
of the Litany of the Saints, we might recall that we share an
"everlasting heritage" as children of God, not only
with the mighty souls whose names and godly deeds have been recorded
in human history, but with "all those in every generation
who have looked to God in hope."
All
Saints' Commemoration of the Departed
If you would
like to have a loved one (or loved ones) remembered in the context
of this year's All Saints' services, please list their name(s)
on the sheets posted in the narthex/main entrance. To help those
reading the names during the service, please make sure you print
legibly. During the All Saints' Day service, 7:30 p.m. Thursday,
November 1, the names of all the beloved departed will be read
as we pray for the deceased. Additionally, if you would like to
bring a small memento (such as a small photograph) of your loved
one(s), it may be placed on a table in front of the altar as the
names of the departed are read. Please remember to retrieve your
mementos after the service.
During the
All Saints' Sunday services on November 4, the names of those
who have died during the past year (November 1, 2006 to October
31, 2007) will be read.
If you wish
to have your loved ones remembered but will not be able to write
them on the lists posted in the church, please email The Rev.
Martha Gillette at mgillette@stmichaelsbarrington.org
or leave a message call 847-381-2323 ext. 39.
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 this 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.
St.
Michael's to Host World Community Day
St. Michael's
will host World Community Day on Friday, November 2, at
10:45 a.m. This is an annual celebration offered by Church Women
United (CWU) to bring together Christian women of many denominations
to work for a just, caring and peaceful society. This year's theme
is "Embracing Justice under God's Tent" with guest speaker
Lisa Hassenstab, Director of Church and Volunteer Relations, Co-coordinator,
Lutheran Disaster Response-Illinois. Hassenstab will raise the
level of awareness of the responsibility of women of faith when
disaster strikes locally and how people respond in caring for
each other and any "strangers" in their midst. Men and
women from St. Michael's is invited to attend and friends are
also welcome!Bring a sandwich and fruit to share at the agape
meal that will follow the service. Child care will be provided
and a sack lunch should also be brought for each child.
In support
of CWU's Prison Ministry, please bring donations of new underpants
for women in sizes 6-12, new or clean gently-used bras in all
sizes, and small sample-sized toiletries (no soap please; the
most needed item is deodorant). If you have any questions or would
like to help in hosting this event, please contact Marie Schriefer
at 847-719-1012.
ECW
Talent Show and Fundraiser: The "Arch Angel Antics"
It is not
too late to make plans to come to the ECW Talent Show this Saturday,
November 3. Tickets will be available at the door for $20 each.
The price includes hors d'ouevres, drinks (beer, wine and soda),
and a great show. This fun-filled evening will take place in St.
Michael's Community Room starting at 6:30 p.m. The show will start
around 8:00 p.m. with performances by about 30 of St. Michael's
most talented (and not so talented) parishioners. This is the
evening you will turn back your clocks, so come and spend your
extra hour laughing at the Arch Angel Antics.
This event
will be the major fundraiser for the Episcopal Church Women this
year. The ECW will not be having its spring dinner/dance and auction
as in the past. Profits from the show will go toward supporting
ECW ministries and programs such as the "Sister and Friends"
fund to help local needy women and children, a Lenten retreat,
the Mother's Union in Renk, Sudan, etc. If you can not attend
the talent show but would like to support the work of the ECW,
we welcome donations of any size.
Affluence,
Privilege and Parenting
 St.
Michael's will offer a two-session presentation and workshop entitled
Affluence, Privilege and Parenting: Identifying and Responding
to the Effects of Privilege on our Youth and Families on Monday,
November 12 and Monday, November 19 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00
p.m. in the undercroft. The presentation includes an overview
of the recent publication, The Price of Privilege: How Parental
Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected
and Unhappy Kids by Madeline Levine, Ph.D. and a follow-on
workshop involving discussion and facilitated group exercises.
It is not necessary to have read the book to participate in these
sessions. The presenter is Alice Virgil, MA, LCSW, who is a practicing
psychotherapist in Chicago providing psychotherapy services for
adult individuals, couples, children, adolescents and families.
Alice frequently provides lectures and trainings on mental health
topics, including child and adolescent development issues, parenting
and family resilience. There is no cost to participate, but but
pre-registration is requested. To register, contact Nerissa Brueckbauer
at nbrueckbauer@stmichaelsbarrington.org
or call 847-381-2323, ext. 33.
It's
Time for Foyers!
It's that
time of the year to sign up for fun-filled evenings of fellowship
and libations. Foyers is a series of "round-robin" dinners
that takes place over a few months' time and is great way to make
new friends at St. Michael's. Each group (usually four households)
picks a schedule that is convenient for their group and each household
in a group takes a turn to host a meal. Sign up Sunday mornings
through November 4.
Partnerships:
Holy Apostles Auction Dinner and Dance
Church of
the Holy Apostles Auction Dinner and Dance is scheduled for Friday,
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 be at St. Michael's this Sunday, October 28,
with dinner and raffle tickets available. For more information
contact Jim Pinder at 847-255-8444 (work) or 847-414-3430 (cell).
A
Bishop for Chicago: Sharing Your Thoughts
If you did
not have the opportunity to attend one of the sessions on Sunday,
October 28 with St. Michael's delegates to the Diocesan Convention
and would like to share your reflections on the nominees for bishop
of Chicago, the delegates would like to hear from you.
Please call
or email Irene Brown, monnetgy@aol.com
or 847-842-1684; Sally Smith, sallysplace@comcast.net
or 847-202-5996; and Diane Zinn, dizinnhome@comcast.net
or 847-420-3405. The Diocesan Convention will take place on Friday
and Saturday, November 9 and 10, with the election taking place
on Saturday, November 10.
Information
about the nominees is available by contacting the Parish Office
at 847-381-2323 or at www.bishopforchicago.org.
From
the Parish Office
Contribution
Statements for the third quarter of 2007 have been mailed to all
parishioners as of October 25. Please take a moment to review
your statement for any donation discrepancies between our records.
If you have not received a statement or find a discrepancy on
your statement after reviewing, please contact Kim Lessner at
the parish office, 847-381-2323, ext. 16 or via email klessner@stmichaelsbarrington.org.
Thank you!
Around
the Neighborhood
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
Deaths
Please keep
the Evans' family in your prayers following the death of Dave
Evans' father, Glen Evans on Saturday, October 20.
Also keep
the Sulak family in your prayers following the death of Julie
Sulak's mother, Barbara Hagar. A memorial service is planned for
Saturday, November 3 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Michael's.
Those for
whom prayers have been requested
This week
prayers are asked for: Jim, military troops still in danger, Bp.
Persell, Craig, Church of the Redeemer, Fr. Joseph, R.P. &
Charlene, Nancy, Aaron & Julie, Rae, Eileen, Connie, Joel,
Steve, Betsy, Steve, Joe, Larry, Michael, Amy, Phillip, Kim, Lois,
John, Jan, George & Anne, Wally, Priscilla, Frank, Carrie
Anniversaries
This Week
Birthdays
- 11.3 Craig
McCammack, Jenny Wickman, Greg Smith
- 11.4 Chelsea
Gallagher, David Sell, Don Wolters, Alexandra Chapdelaine
- 11.5 Catherine
Koelling, Meghan Stanton, Karen Malec, Kirk Chan, Karina Nance
- 11.6 Alice
Carrol, Susan Lanham, John Schnure, Cassie Brueckbauer, Rich
Waller
- 11.7 Alejandro
Aguiña, Joey Guss, Calla Beverly, Chloe Warner
- 11.9 Alexandra
Gallagher, Caitlin Hardy, George Sell, Jr., Kevin McCammack,
Capron Hannay
Anniversaries
- 11.6 Lee
Potter-Murray & Tim Murray, Robert & Marianne Anderson
- 11.7 Tina
& Richard Korzun
- 11.9 Stephanie
& Michael Brown, Margaret & John Gigerich
Deaths
- 11.5 Elizabeth
McLaughlin
- 11.6 Janice
Nagy, Sabra Capulli
- 11.7 Timothy
Crist, Norman Dally
|
