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April 8,
2008
COVER
STORY
U2charist:
Elevation for the Soul
by The Rev. Alvin C. Johnson, Jr.
 Dear
St. Michael's Family and Friends,
In the spirit
of the Great Fifty Days of Easter, I want to personally invite
you and your friends to a most unusual and exciting opportunity
for worship this coming Saturday. Perhaps you've seen the posters
around town or the notices in The Sword and Sunday Sword
about the upcoming U2charist? This is an inspiring opportunity
to experience many things. First, the worship itself will be different
and innovative. This service has been done many times in many
different places throughout the country; it is a service that
was, I believe, written and designed by Episcopalians. The liturgy
features a celebration of the Holy Eucharist with prayers and
music, but it's in the music and intention of the service where
excitement only increases.
This service
is called a "U2charist" because the music comes from
the rock band U2 featuring the singer/musician/humanitarian and
advocate for the poor, Bono. Our music on Saturday will be provided
by a live U2 cover band called Elevation.
This band has an excellent reputation for fine musicianship and
a commitment to offering their music occasionally for venues like
this. Our service will take place in the Community Room of St.
Michael's on Saturday, April 12, at 5:00 p.m. and you will want
to not only invite your friends to join you, but also get here
early as seats just might go quickly.
Finally, we
enter into this experience as a way of participating and supporting
the vision of the Episcopal Church to help achieve the Millennium
Development Goals as articulated by the United Nations. (Google
the above for more details). Our parish, in particular, is hosting
this event as a part of our support for the work in the Sudan;
work that focuses on education but also hopes, through education,
to improve all living conditions in the country both economically
and socially.
Again, come
join us this Saturday as we celebrate new life in a different,
innovative way for our community. Bring your entire family. Bring
an open heart and mind. Bring your willingness to join the community
of the world to help the poor.
Love and blessings,
Alvin+, an
excited pilgrim anticipating a new experience of life…
OUTREACH
Katrina
Care Campaign Continues With Spring Break Mission
by Ann Ryba
 Butch
Jones stands a burly 6'4," and by all standards, seems like
a man who does not tear-up easily. But tears welled up in his
eyes last week when I handed him St. Michaels' KCC donation of
$15,000 for Camp Coast Care/Mission on the Bay. I dropped in on
the Mission on the Bay offices unexpectedly for an update on recovery
progress. When I handed Butch your donation, he did that little
thing where you do a sideways glance to see the amount on the
check—I will treasure forever the look in his eyes when he
saw the amount and looked back at me. Your gifts STILL make a
huge impact on the work of Hurricane Katrina—please accept
the immeasurable gratitude of Camp Coast Care, the Dragon Café,
Pat Baird and North Bay School. Your support IS transforming lives
in ways we will never fully comprehend, and for that I am eternally
grateful.
 A
group of 20 volunteers ages 12 to 55+ traveled to Biloxi, MS and
New Orleans over the Spring Break vacation to labor at a myriad
of Katrina recovery tasks. Some "Tyveked" and sided
a new home, some restored a storm damaged home, some cooked food
and cleaned bathrooms for 70 other volunteers. We all spent 2
days working at Pat Baird's property, moving and building sheds
and preparing her site for construction this spring. She hosted
Easter dinner and an Easter egg hunt for the "kids,"
and we spent quality time around the famous fire-pit. Pat recognized
us as more than friends; "Ya'll are family, and I could never
have survived this ordeal without St. Michael's."
The "women
and kid folk" spent a day at North Bay School, delivering
a sign donated by a Crystal Lake firm that Principal Weiler had
requested. Our painting and gardening are touches that always
bring smiles and thank yous not only from the kids, but especially
the staff—they look forward to our annual visit as a reminder
that they are not forgotten. Two years, 6 months after Katrina,
the students remain housed in mobile trailers, and although the
flooded school building has been demolished, there are still no
firm plans to replace it with a permanent structure.
We moved on
to New Orleans to spend a morning of spring-cleaning at St. Luke's
Episcopal Church, and then dropped by the Dragon Café to
check on their progress. Deacon Lydia Hopkins and Fr. Jim Quigley
were delighted to receive your gift of $15,000 to continue the
work of the Café. They continue to serve between 100 and
150 neighbors dinner nightly and plan to make this a permanent
part of St. George's outreach efforts. Your financial support
is making that happen.
Your representatives
this Katrina trip were the Aidan, Caitlin, Ryan, Megan and Mike
Donohue, Dave Evans, McKenzie, Kelsey and Sue Jaekel, Madelyn,
Michele, Sam and Art Lanham, Katie and Ric Lindeen and Katie,
Ann and Rick Ryba. Joining us from Holy Apostles were Derek, Aline
and Dean Denges and Richard Taylor. They represented St. Michael's
well—acting with integrity, dedication and displaying a work
ethic unmatched by any. Please join me in thanking them for their
donation of time and elbow grease.
And, I too,
thank you, for allowing me the opportunity to be a leader and
a witness to these marvelous works that the Katrina Care Campaign
has wrought.
FORMATION
Faithbooking
by Nerissa Brueckbauer
Join Hilary
Schultz on Sunday, April 13 or Sunday, April 20 at 9:00 a.m. to
learn about a wonderful, personal expression of faith: Faithbooking!
Many of the
books of the Bible allude to the importance and power of memory
keeping, including, “But take care and watch yourselves closely,
so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor
to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make
them known to your children and your children’s children…”
(Deuteronomy 4:9). Faithbooking is a unique way to approach this
important work.
There are
several purposes to faithbooking:
- It increases
our faith. By keeping a record of the happier times in our lives
it can help us withstand tomorrow’s tests. We can remember
those times when God sustained, upheld and rescued us.
- It reminds
us how to teach our children – to give them help to stand
firm against pressure to conform.
- It glorifies
God by ensuring we don’t forget the amazing feats God has
performed in our lives.
- It shifts
the focus of your work away from the decorative craft. Faithbooking
is more cost effective than many scrapbooking techniques and
it focuses on fewer, more meaningful photos and on thought-filled
words.
- It helps
develop a grateful attitude in your life.
- It encourages
memorization of God’s word.
- It can
increase quality family time especially if all work on faithbooks
together.
There are
several types of faithbooks that we can make, including:
- An Amazing
Grace album captures a person’s most life changing events.
In this type of book journaling should be done first, and then
photos are added.
- Faithbooking
by month selects one spiritual idea per month to weave into
your family album.
- Christian
ABC album uses an ABC approach to citing Godly characteristics,
scriptures, Bible verses or inspirational quotes.
- Christian
Inspiration albums document your gratitude for God in your life
and share the impact He has had in your life.
- A Prayer
album collects special prayers or photos of people for whom
you are praying and annotations to reflect how prayers for those
people have been answered.
- An album
of favorite hymns or worship songs.
Hilary will
conduct this short workshop after the 9:00 a.m. service on both
Sundays in the Community Room. Please attend one or both of these
opportunities. Bring your own materials or materials will be available
for purchase.
U2charist
Benefits Renk Theological College
St. Michael's
proudly presents the band Elevation at a U2charist celebration
Saturday, April 12, at 5:00 p.m. in St. Michael's Community Room.
St. Michael's will celebrate its 10-year partnership with the
Diocese of Renk, Sudan, and kick off a fundraising drive to support
the Renk Theological College for the next three years.
Why a U2charist??
St.
Michael's and the Renk Ministry Partnership strive to make achieving
the Millennium Development Goals a reality through our efforts
to support the Renk Theological College. The U2charist is a way
to share the story of the RMP through a different medium. Worship
and music intertwined with the concrete story of our efforts to
restore peace in Sudan will make for a powerful spiritual event.
United
Thank Offering: Spring Ingathering
As the Easter
season continues and spring finally comes to Barrington, it is
a good time to reflect on the abundance of God's blessings in
our lives. When we think about all the wonderful and generous
things that have been provided to us by God, we realize that we
also need to give back to others. Donating to the United Thank
Offering is one small way to share our blessings. This ministry
of the Episcopal Church, started in 1889, encourages adults and
children to give thanks to God every day. The thanksgivings lead
to offerings to God, which when combined with the offerings from
around the nation, provides funds to support mission projects
both in the U.S. and abroad. 100% of the money collected is given
out in grants each spring. Projects have included kitchen equipment
for a homeless shelter, a school in the Dominican Republic, a
dental clinic for the poor, a library for a seminary in Africa,
handicap access to churches, and many, many more.
The ECW of
St. Michael's will be collecting UTO offerings on Sunday, April
20, at all three services. Please bring your checks or Blue Boxes
at that time, or mail your donation to the church. If you or your
children would like a Blue Box in which to collect your offerings
daily as you count your blessings, they are available near the
front door of the church or in the Sunday school area. Please
prayerfully consider your blessings and join us for UTO Sunday
on April 20.
Nicholas
Alvin Johnson Memorial Scholarship
Established
in August 2006 through the generosity of Friends of the Alvin
Johnson Family, this scholarship will be awarded to a high school
graduate, who has been and is active at St. Michael’s in
Barrington, Church of the Redeemer in Elgin, or Holy Apostles
in Wauconda, for the purpose of college or university fees. The
scholarship amount is $2500. The scholarship is renewable for
four years based upon meeting the standards established by the
Scholarship Committee.
Please call
the parish office at 847-381-2323 if your graduating senior has
not received an application packet. Completed application packets
need to be submitted to the Parish Office by May 1.
A
Note of Thanks
To all who
helped with our Easter receptions, Thank
you! Thank you! Thank you!
I can't begin
to express my gratitude for all of the efforts in baking, bringing
goodies to share, making dozens and dozens of deviled eggs, setting
up on Saturday and graciously spending part of your Easter morning
filling plates and punch bowls, washing dishes and just being
in the kitchen to lend a hand. We are so blessed to have such
loving and giving people in our congregation.
Thank you
from the bottom of my heart. Marti
Callahan
Derby
Day Progressive Dinner
The ECW is
organizing an adult, all-parish "Kentucky Derby Day"
Progressive Dinner on Saturday, May 3, starting at 4:00 p.m. At
the starting gate, there will be appetizers, drinks, and fun enjoying
the big race. Attendees will then gallop on to the half-mile post
(various homes) for a delicious dinner followed by a sprint to
the finish line (St. Michael's Community Room) for dessert and
coffee. If you would like to join the race and host part of this
event, please contact Marie Schriefer at 847-719-1012 or schriefer2@yahoo.com.
Food and beverages will be provided, so hosts just need to provide
a dining room table and a friendly smile. Entry forms (reservation
forms) will be available at the church starting on Sunday, April
13. Look for the "Race Table" outside the Community
Room!
Twelve
Who Changed the World
Vacation Bible
School (VBS) will take place from July 14 through July 17, 9:00
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This year VBS will, as so many have through
the centuries, examine the lives of the twelve men who were closest
to Jesus. Much has been written about them and many legends have
sprung up around the events of their lives and their deaths. Jesus
called very ordinary people to do extraordinary things. We, too,
are called to help do God’s work.
Part
Time Opportunity: Child Care Provider Needed for St. Michael's
Nursery
St. Michael's
is looking for an individual to work Sunday mornings from 8:30
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with the children in the nursery. Experience
with children birth to three years a plus. Provider's child is
also welcome. $10 per hour. A background check required. For more
information, contact Tammie Kennedy, St. Michael's Nursery Coordinator.
Vestry
Meeting Rescheduled
Due to schedule
conflicts, St. Micahel's April Vestry Meeting has been changed
from Monday, April 21to Monday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. in St. Michael's
Library.
The
Little Red Wagon
Each year
during April and May, we gather food for the Open Pantry at St.
Clement's Episcopal Church in Harvey. With less food available
from the Greater Chicago Food Depository, all pantries are in
greater need for donations to fill their shelves. Government commodities
are next to nothing. One item of great need at St. Clement's now
is peanut butter, an all-time favorite. Since food stamps will
not cover personal items, there's always a need for toilet paper,
toiletries, and dish and laundry detergents. This is just the
beginning of their wish list...it will be expanded in the weeks
to come.
Donations
of any kind may be left in the Little Red Wagon located in the
narthex/main entrance of the church each Sunday or in the coat
area by the foyer during the week.
In
the Parish Family
Baptisms
St. Michael's
welcomes those who were baptized on March 30: Miranda Amy Land;
John David Mathison (son of Steven and Mary Louise Mathison) and
Calvin Phillip Szarzynski (son of David and Christine Szarzynski).
Those for
whom prayers have been requested
Ray, Kevin
& Marti, Mary, Brad, Patrick, Margo, military troops in danger,
Mary Beth, John, Maurice, Wendy, Kate, Jo Ann, Kate, Chuck &
Gloria, Dick & Patricia, Laurie, Matt, Kim, Caleb, Kathy,
Jim & Katie, Peyton, Nancy, Mary
Anniversaries
This Week
Birthdays
- 4.12 Libby
Conners
- 4.13 Mary
Tudela, Al Qualiardi, Samuel Knox, Mark Pullinger
- 4.14 John
Kent, Richy Waller, Charles Clark
- 4.15 Dave
Evans
- 4.16 Dillon
Rejman, Isabella Miller
- 4.17 Debbie
Burton
- 4.18 Cole
McCammack, Mark McCrea, Julianne Schultz
Anniversaries
- 4.12 Judy
& Jeff Tolle
- 4.15 Denise
& Raymond Witczak
Deaths
- 4.12 Jacob
Guss
- 4.18 Julie
Manning
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