The Parish of
St. Mary and St. Jude
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RECTOR'S REFLECTIONS TRANSFORMATIONS IN NORTHEAST HARBOR This year, winter seemed to last forever. The snow came early and left late. The temperature was very cold. The daylight was shorter than I had ever known it. But, by the time March rolled around, all of us were getting into a pattern and more used to the rhythms of Northeast Harbor in the winter. There were also, of course, the issues of moving in and beginning to fit into our new home as well. We knew nothing about what really goes on in this place in the winter, what happens at school, where the stores are, or where kids play at this time of the year. And, by being "from away," we had no idea what the traditions of this town were. The traditions I am talking about are the ones so deeply ingrained that no one has to talk about them. And those are the kinds of traditions that you find out about when you step on them. I am constantly reminded that change can be uncomfortable and awkward. We also had the issue of unpacking - where did we put those essential cold weather items when we took them out of their boxes. Where were the important cooking items, or books, or tools that we need to cook that favorite dish, find out the answer to that burning question, or to fix up the house. Slowly, however, we began to adjust - to transform ourselves. We certainly have much more to learn, but I realized that the beginnings of transformation were happening when I found myself wearing only a sweater outside in twenty degree weather. Now, having grown up in Virginia I never imagined that a human could survive that temperature with so little clothing. I also found myself catching on to the Maine accent and some of the downeast colloquialisms - just a few. I have more changes to go through. The village and the island are waking up to the coming summer season - with its visitors and energy and chaos. The signs of change are in the gardens as shoots and stems begin to show some growth, they're on the buildings as winter shutters are coming down, and they're in the increased activity of Main Street as visitors come by and shops open up. Transformation occurs on a continual basis because very little remains precisely the same, even in a place with long and honored roots like Mount Desert Island. As I went through the beginnings of the changes that I needed to make, I found some of them quite uncomfortable. But I knew that if I wanted to be at home here, to live out this commitment to this parish, I needed to go through this adjustment. And now, the coming season will the summer, and our quiet little town and parish transform into busy, bustling places. Just as my personal transformation came with moments of struggle and awkwardness, so will this time of newness ahead. But transformation is so much more than these temporary discomforts suggest. Transformation is the very essence of life with Christ, our opportunity to grow into something greater, to grow into that life which God intends us to live. As we get to know each other, our traditions, our loves, our hates, we will see the signs of transformation - the cleaning out, the opening up, the growth. Spring is hopeful here. I pray that this new season together will be hopeful too. Faithfully yours, David New England Conference on Stewardship At the end of March, The Episcopal Church of New England convened their annual conference that we fondly to refer to as The Stew. This year we sent three representatives, consisting of the Rev. David Lucey, and Vestry members Alan Gregory and Dooney Iselin. The set up is exactly what you would picture: three hundred and fifty well-intentioned souls wandering around a mammoth convention center in Massachusetts. As Alan commented, "This is definitely 'Cruise Ship'." However, our representatives from the church had good luck at The Stew last year, and they turned it on again this year. The Church, our old Church, puts on a very spicy and thought-provoking show. As many churches are in decline nation-wide, we explored congregation development. The Stew approached the problem in novel ways. They had as key speakers: a slang-slinging holy-roller from a fat rural church in Texas, and an idea-driven energy-source from a desolate urban parish in Chicago. One was male, the other female. Between the two of them, they got the Cruise Ship steamin'. In this installment of the Harbor Chart, we are going to challenge you. We'll ask some of the questions they posed to us. In the next installment, we will attempt to answer them. Vision: What are the core values that hold our congregation together. Are we still central to the community. Are we just another cozy club. Mission: What are we called upon to do? Can we put our mission into a sentence, so we can get it done? If we did not exist, would it affect anything? Action: What can we afford not to do? How can we take new initiatives? Where do the unchurched generations come in? Dooney Iselin, Vestry Member EARTH DAY Friends Of Acadia and the DOT hosted Earth Day's roadside clean-up on Saturday, April 26th and Saint May's team came out in force. One group picked up trash around the Northeast Harbor Marina, theothers tackled Route198 and Sargeant Drive. The workers included the Rev. David Lucey, his eldest two children, Colbert and Carolyn, Robert Coolidge, Jim Clunan, Ann Marie Stanley, Nancy Stanley, Cuff Train (from Saint John's in Southwest Harbor) and your editor It was a cold and windy day but we had a lot of fun. In just 3 hours, 300 people collected 711 bags of trash. Join us next year! Working toward a common goal can be a very valable experience. IT'S ALMOST TOO LATE TO GIVE EARLY In the past the Stewardship Committee has published good stuff in the Harbor Chart about first fruits. You remember… the Old Testament tradition carried over into the New Testament reminding Christians to give thanks for God's many blessings by giving of their first fruits. The first and the best. The prime offspring of their flocks, the best wheat from their fields and fruit from the trees, even their own beloved first born. (Yes, human sacrifice did occur, but was replaced by animal sacrifice and finally financial, which today takes the form of annual giving to the church so that it can continue to do God's work.) You see, in the old days, folks believed that everything they had on earth was created by and given to them by God. A God who loved his people so much that he gave them His own Son to show them His love. The whole idea of first fruits has two components: FIRST, which means thanking God comes before taking care of one's own needs; and FRUITS, which means something meaningful, something sacrificial, not pocket change. Translation: we all owe God a big thank you around the first of the year. What a concept! Charlie Tyson, Stewardship Committee SEASONS OF THE HEART Here on Mount Desert Island, Spring is special, but Summer is spectacular! On Sunday mornings, the reverence and beauty of the liturgy is enhanced by a splendid array of carefully selected flowers, beautifullly arranged and presented on the altar, offered to the glory of God, in loving remembrance to our dearly departed loved ones. To make a special offering toward the altar flowers in memory of a loved one, in celebration of a particular event, in thanksgiving for a special blessing received, or perhaps in recognition of a special person or occasion, please use the enclosed form, indicating the Sunday of your choosing so that proper acknowledgment can be made in the Sunday bulletin. Kate Gile, Parish Administrator CALLING ALL SINGERS! We are planning a diverse program of music to accompany the 10:30 Sunday worship service at Saint Mary's this summer. Please consider joining us in making some wonderful music! Choir rehearsals are at 9:30 a.m.on Sundays. We also hope to schedule some mid-week rehearsals. To help us plan the best possible music program for Saint Mary's this summer, we need your help! First, we need to know (a) if you will be able to sing with us this summer and (b) which Sundays you will be here. It is very important that we have a good indication, ahead of time, of what our choral strength will be on any particular Sunday. We will then be able to ensure that the music is a good fit to the size of the group. Please contact me, Peter Vaux (vaux@acadia.net) or Kate Gile at the Church office (info@maryjude.org) or at 276-5588; let us know which Sundays you plan to sing withthe choir, which part you sing, and, if possible, your e-mail address. We would also like to know if there are any favorite anthems you would like to include in the summer program. If we do not have the sheet music at Saint Mary's, we may be able to obtain it from other churches in the area or from a local lending library. Please contact us as soon as possible with this information. We will have the summer program initalized by the last week of May and will then send it out to all singers and performers. The program will also be posted on the Church's website. This winter, we have been fortunate to have several youth voices sing with our choir at Saint Mary's. During the summer, these children will continue to sing with the choir (soccer, basketball, music and other camps permitting!). In addition to anthems by the choir, we are also hoping to have a number of talented local youth musicians contribute to our music program by performing instrumental or vocal solos. These musical offerings will be integrated into the structure of the worship service. A PIANO FOR SAINT MARY'S? Do you know anyone who would be interested in donating a piano (upright or baby grand) to Saint Mary's for use in the Stone Church? Although it is blessed with a very fine organ, some vocal and instrumental music is more suited to piano, rather than organ, accompaniment. Please contact Rev. David Lucey or Peter Vaux if you know of a piano that we could use at Saint Mary's. Peter Vaux, Choir Master and Organist A POSTULANT IN OUR CARE Effective March 15, 2003, Bishop Knudsen officially designated Lynda Tyson a Postulant for Holy Orders/Priesthood in the Diocese of Maine. Lynda entered Berkeley Divinity School at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut last July. She has since completed the diocesan Holy Orders application process and one third of her work toward a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from Yale Divinity School and a Diploma of Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. She expects to graduate in May of 2005. In the Episcopal tradition, a postulant's sponsoring parish assumes some responsibilities for what the Bishop calls their PiP, (shorthand for "people in the process"). The most important is our ongoing prayer for Lynda and her husband, Charlie, as they travel this path together. Like any journey, this road has plenty of bumps, hurdles, and surprises that are navigated successfully only with God's help. Lynda and Charlie will be at home in Maine this summer. We look forward to seeing them at Saint Mary's. Editor's note: Postulant: n. from Latin postulare: to request, also a candidate for a religious order. GIRLS OF JUNIOR GIRL SCOUT TROOP 713 Emily Fernald, senior Girl Scout, and program aids Kayla Crockett, Courtney Seavey, Stephanie Leonardi, Carolyn Lucey, and Ashleigh Littlefield, and Troop Leader, Kathy Suminsby held an Investiture and awards ceremony on April 13th at the Parish House. They are working on outdoor skills in preparation for a spring camping trip to Campobello Island. THE SENIOR WARDEN'S MUSINGS In an ongoing effort to include and to reach out to more parishioners to ask for help in volunteer activities in our churches, we thought that a handy form might be useful. We have included one at the end of this newsletter. Please, please, please, please fill it out and send it back to us as soon as possible. Your information will help us on so many levels, not the least of which is an update of your addresses, etc. Thanks!! The Summer Fair : What do you think? Watch for meetings about this. Early reports indicate that only a couple people have expressed an interest in working to organize this Fair so that it can get off the ground this year. Perhaps we should take this year off and concentrate on 2004. Do we have your e-mail address? Sometimes we'd like to send messages and information to you quickly. E-mail is the ideal medium, assuming you would like to hear from us in this way. If you have a different e-mail for summer, please let us know that, too. Perhaps one day our Harbor Chart will be mailed to you electronically! Not insignificantly, this would save the parish more than $2,000 a year in printing and postage, not to mention many hours of administrative time. Speaking of the Harbor Chart, let us send up great thanks for Sydney Roberts Rockefeller's incredible creativity and work on the Harbor Charts. She has been its Editor for the past few months and is doing a fine job, we may add. Please thank her when you see her or send her a note of praise. Charlie Tyson continues to donate his expertise, as well. Thanks Sydney and Charlie. And, praise Martha Bucklin for her efforts to create a column of news about our parish families near and far. Please send her some news so she can fill her columns. We are getting a lot of encouraging and appreciative comments about Martha's gifts to the Harbor Chart. When you can, send belated birthday greetings to Reverend David Lucey. His birthday was in late April. And, the date falls on his and Katherine's wedding anniversary, so it is a sweet time for them. Happy Anniversary Katherine and David! Please note that in May, you will receive a statement of activity on your pledge account through the end of April. If you have not had a chance to make a pledge this year, our Parish Administrator, Kate Gile has forms available as well as envelopes if you would like them. We have asked everyone to assist us in our efforts to increase our general operating budget by making a pledge. Fondly, Sally Merchant NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK: APRIL 27-MAY 3 According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Vol un teer (vol! en tir!) n. any person who performs or gives a service of his/her own free will. Verb (vû:rb) v. A word expressing an action performed or state suffered or experienced. Sincere thanks to all who put their faith into action by freely giving of their time to help out in so may ways, at the church and at the parish office this past year. You know who you are and now you know you are truly appreciated! EASTER FLOWERS The spiritual splendor and glory of Easter morning was added a tangible dimension by way of the beautiful array of flowers and plants that adorned the Winter Chapel. Many thanks to all those whose contributions to our Flower Fund made it possible. Of course, offerings for the Saint Mary and Saint Jude Flower Fund are welcome at any time of the year! This is our Easter joy: We are all daughters and sons of the Resurrection. He is ever in our midst. We are the body of Christ! ...William H. Shannon Kate Gile, Parish Administrator A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR As the new editor of the Harbor Chart, I want to reiterate my thanks to Charlie Tyson for his enormous help and patience with my steep learning curve with technology and to all of you who have so enthusiastically submitted articles and suggestions. I am also very interested in receiving your thoughts about how we might enhance the bulletin. Some thoughts come to mind: a Sunday School column, an "artwork of the month," Northeast and Seal Harbor news, oral histories, descriptions of the results of Stroud Fund's generosity and MDI Tomorrow updates. Any additions and corrections to the Centennial History exhibit are very welcome! Both the Church and Harbor Chart are in need of photographs. Please keep us in your thoughts this spring and summer. They can be sent electronically, and as slides or prints. Sydney Roberts Rockefeller |
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The Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude
P.O. Box 105, Northeast Harbor, Maine 04662 Tel: 207/276-5588 Fax: 207/276-3220