The Parish of
St. Mary and St. Jude
|
 
A MESSAGE FROM THE RECTOR, DAVID J. LUCEY IS ANYONE AMONG YOU SICK? During the last few months I have become more acutely aware of the issue of sickness and healing. Now, there has always been a part of the call of the priest to minister to those who are sick. It goes with the priestly calling and the sacrament that goes with this is unction. The reason for this name is derived from the Epistle of James: Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. James 5: 14-15 The part about anointing the sick with oil is the unction part, better known from the Roman Catholic tradition as "extreme unction," or the anointing done when someone is dying. But unction was never just intended for that moment. It was intended for whenever we are ill. Unction, or anointing with holy oil, is also something done at baptism or done at confirmation. By anointing we reach out to touch the sick person and thus connect them to the whole community of faith in Jesus. So, the sacrament we know as healing involves a symbolic reuniting to the whole community of Christ in the prayers of the elders and the anointing with oil. My recent experience of all of this involved my broken leg. I had to spend time in two hospitals while my leg was being set for healing. And even though the hospital staffs were quite proficient, they weren't my community. No, my community came in phone calls from parishioners, cards and well wishes, and visits from my family. Nothing, in fact, meant more to my being connected and healing than Katherine showing up and holding my hand. Being united to the community doesn't take a priest, it doesn't take holy oils, and it doesn't take a bishop. Although all of those things are nice and effective, all it takes is another Christian, the desire to pray, and faith in the spirit. Are any among you sick? The call to community: it's a ministry open to the ordained and laity alike. Yours in Christ, David+ A Message from the Senior Warden VOLUNTEERISM VERSUS VELLEITY During this period of time in which I have had the privilege of serving as your senior warden, I have been immensely impressed with the willingness of our parishioners to meet the challenges and opportunities that face us with enthusiastic energy and commitment. This is in marked contrast to an attitude of wishing for something but not making the effort to obtain it. The examples of this volunteerism are multiple, and I offer a few: Our rector's devastating lower leg fracture from a skiing accident (he remains after three months in a cumbersome external fixation device and still requires occasional narcotics for pain control) has called upon the lay community more than ever to maintain the pace, organization, and services of the parish. Our Lay Eucharistic Minister, Kathy Suminsby, has accelerated an already busy schedule to provide outreach service. Our parish assistant, Kerry Kenney, has somehow found and shifted into a higher gear. The Altar Guild consisting of Carolyn Drew, Sandi Myers, Sally Merchant, Phyllis Partridge, Karol Hagberg, Jackie Agnese, Maude March, Nancy Nimick, and Kathy work tirelessly to oversee the elements of the liturgical service. Simply wishing for a successful occasion doesn't make it so. The Events Committee, chaired by Jean Fernald, and including Martha Bucklin, Judy Norwood, Dorothy Clunan, Heather Frazer, Louisa Kennedy, and Marion Peckham, plan each reception or other social gathering with great attention to detail. They are so caring I would not be surprised to find a lagniappe at each place setting. We all wish for growth in our membership. Some parishioners are actually doing something about it! Last Sunday I was very pleased to see several of our parishioners introducing their guests for worship service. If you have a friend or acquaintance who is "unchurched," why not take that marvelous step of inclusion? Those of you who have made your pledge for 2005 also are volunteering - not just wishing that the parish continues on a sound financial basis. Thank you. Because of your generosity we are near our goal for the year; the number of parishioners pledging and the amount pledged has doubled over the last three years. Congratulations. We may need volunteers this summer to help with the preparation of the stone church for Sunday services. If you have been following my articles in this publication, you are well aware of the efforts currently underway to restore/renovate Saint Mary's-by-the-Sea. Our first service of the year was held there on June 19, and, despite the fact that it is a "construction site," we and the neighbors found it quite comfortable - thanks to the workmen who are susurrant and tidy, to the Altar Guild previously mentioned, and to Lois Leavenworth, our sexton, who cleans the church as she would her own home. It has been suggested that we move to the winter chapel for the summer, which would obviate the need for the crew to break from their work early on Friday to remove their debris, relieve the Altar Guild from a burdensome task, and eliminate our exposure to dust. On the other hand, it has been a tradition for generations to worship there during the summer months. The scaffolding within the interior of the tower has been made as unobtrusive as possible. There is a ten-foot wide access to the transept and altar. Yet, as I write this, there is a discussion among the architects and general contractor as to whether additional support needs to be provided for the southeast corner of the transept which would impede access from the choir room to the right nave aisle. Confused? I can empathize having been dealing with this for months. During the next three weeks we will be polling the congregation to determine whether we stay at Saint Mary's-by-the-Sea or not. If we do, I encourage you - particularly among the summer population - to step forward and assist with the cleaning and placement of kneelers and hymnals prior to the service. We are accepting volunteers 24/7. I have no doubt that no one wants to be a victim of velleity. While we are not in a position to offer a signing bonus as does the National Guard, there is a certain satisfaction in knowing that you are moving onward, Christian Soldier. With much appreciation for the opportunity to serve, Michael T.B. Dennis, M.D. Senior Warden ORDINATION Lynda Zoltai Tyson was ordained by Bishop Chilton Knudsen to the Sacred order of Deacons with colleagues Shirley Williams Bowen and Molly Field James on June 11th at the Cathedral Church of Saint Luke in Portland, Maine. Lynda was presented by the Reverends Charlene S. Alling, Gary DeLong, Vesta Kowalski, Claire Wolterstorff, and David J. Lucey. The following St. Mary and St. Jude parishioners attended the very moving service: Jim and Dorothy Clunan, Phyllis Partridge, Karol Hagberg, Kathy Suminsby, Barbara Iselin, Sheila Smallidge, Moorhead and Louisa Kennedy, Ted Fletcher, Sandi Myers, Sally Merchant, and Sydney Roberts Rockefeller. The Rev. Lynda Tyson has accepted an appointment as The Episcopal PLSE Coordinator at the Episcopal Church Center in New York. PLSE (pronounced "pulse") stands for Pastoral Leadership Search Effort, which is a program for encouraging young people to participate in the church and fostering their pursuit of vocations in ordained pastoral leadership. Lynda and Charlie will make their parish home at St. Luke's Parish, Darien, Connecticut, where Lynda will serve as Assisting Clergy. Charlie will continue his volunteer work for not-for-profit organizations on MDI and for the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. RECTOR'S FORUMS This summer we will have another best seller as the basis for our discussions, Rick Warren's A Purpose Driven Life even attained national attention last year when a woman in Atlanta, Georgia, who was being held hostage by an escaped convict talked her captor out of his flight and abduction by the precepts of the book. Rick Warren is the founder of the Saddleback Church in Saddleback, California which now has over 17,000 members. So he is familiar with the results of a churchy life driven by purpose. The book is meant to be read over forty days and breaks down easily into weekly sections. Join us in the Winter Chapel on July 3 for the first of the series. You can read along or join us for the day. We look forward to seeing you there. |
Home | About Us | Calendar | People | Ministries | Vestry at Work
Lectionary's | Newsletter | Getting Involved | Links | Contact Us
The Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude
P.O. Box 105, Northeast Harbor, Maine 04662 Tel: 207/276-5588 Fax: 207/276-3220