THE REJOICE
Newsletter of St. James’ Episcopal Church, Bristol
225 Walnut Street, Bristol PA
19007 Tel:
215-788-2228
Website:
www.stjamesbristol.org
May, 2008
Vestry:
Horace Schmidt, Rector’s Warden
schmidtsflowers@yahoo.com
Sue Marion, Treasurer
irisheyzpa@comcast.net
Linda Jones, Accounting Warden
lmjones@pennsbury.k12.pa.us
Dee Baus
mombaus@comcast.net
Dave Bevan
bresnia@aol.com
Donna Dernoski
noski24@comcast.net
Denise Ciambrello
jdciam1@verizon.net
Joe Ciambrello
jdciam1@verizon.net
Betsy Schmidt
betsyhospice1@yahoo.com
Staff:
Interim Rector
The Rev. Barbara B. Rivers
stjamesbristol@verizon.net
Secretary
Linda Priebe
office.stjames.bristol@verizon.net
Organist
Joanne Kunz
Housekeeping Georgette Miller
Parish Picnic, Sunday, June 1
Summer Schedule begins Sunday, June 8
One Service at 9:00 a.m.
We will bring our spring season to celebratory conclusion
with our annual parish picnic on Sunday, June 1, following the 10
a.m. service. Come and
bring your friends and family.
Grills and picnic tables will be set up along the west side
of the Parish Hall following the 8 a.m. service, and hamburgers &
hot dogs will be provided by the parish.
Bring side dishes and desserts to share.
There will also be fun and games for the children.
The following Sunday, June 8, we begin our summer schedule,
with one Sunday service at 9 a.m.
1
The Holy Spirit
On Sunday, May 11, we celebrated the Feast of
Pentecost. This is the
day we acknowledge the gift of the Holy Spirit.
There are two scripture accounts of the Holy Spirit’s coming.
In John’s gospel, the risen Christ encounters the disciples
in the upper room, and says “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
He breathes on them
and says “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Here,
the Holy Spirit is associated with a deep sense of peace, and also
as the force that enables us to carry on Christ’s mission in the
world.
The other account is from the Book of Acts.
All the disciples are together, celebrating the Jewish feast
of Pentecost, when suddenly there comes a sound like the rush of a
violent wind. Tongues,
“as of fire,” rest on each one of them. They began to speak in
different languages, and are understood by peoples from many
different nations. Here, the Holy Spirit is revealed as powerful and
unpredictable. It is
also shown to be universal – not limited to people of one language
or culture.
Although the
Holy Spirit cannot be contained or controlled, we in the Church can
perceive it working when, as is written in our Prayer Book, “we are
brought into love and harmony with God, with ourselves, with our
neighbors, and with all creation.”
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 852)
When the Holy Spirit is truly
present, it is a force that unites us, in Christ.
It overcomes the walls that separate us from others, from
God, and from God’s creation.
The Holy
Spirit’s presence in our community is also expressed in the many
gifts that people bring to build up the church.
St. Paul wrote of the varieties of gifts that have a common
source in the same Spirit.
Everyone has some gift to offer to build up the Body of
Christ.
The Holy Spirit
is that aspect of God that enables us to live out the Good News of
Christ’s resurrection and spread the Gospel to others.
It gives us new life, one in which we are reconciled to God
and our neighbor. It
gives us the energy and wisdom to carry on Christ’s mission.
May this Spirit strengthen and guide us during the summer
months.
Faithfully yours,
Barbara Rivers
2
A Note from the Rector’s Warden
Greetings, fellow parishioners!
Well, here we are,
well into the month of May 2008.
This last year seems to have passed fairly quickly, since
Rev.Barbara has been here to help us along our
journey at St. James. It has
been a blessing to have her here and a pleasure to work with her.
She has agreed to renew her contract and stay with us another
six months. We do thank her for that.
We, the search
committee, have gotten together and developed our parish profile. It
is being put together now so it can be available in print and also
on our
new website. We will forward it to the diocese to help move along
our process in finding a new priest to lead us here at St. James.
The Vestry and Search Committee
are discussing and exploring all our options for our future.
The Vestry will be
going on a retreat May 16-17th to Wapiti, a camp run by our diocese.
Our plan for this time together is to do some visioning and develop
some short term goals for our parish. We are all looking forward to
this time together to pray, worship, and discuss our future. Please
keep us in your prayers,
that this may be a fruitful, meaningful time together and help us to
move forward here at St. James.
With Christian love & respect,
Horace Schmidt, Rector's Warden
St. James’ has a Website
We are pleased to announce that St.
James’ Church has a new website, created by one of our new members,
Joe Griscavage. Go and
visit it at www.stjamesbristol.org.
We are still making some editing
changes and corrections, so if you find any mistakes, please let the
office know. Thanks.
3
St. James’ Financial Report
January – March, 2008
INCOME:
Actual
Budget
Difference
Plate Offering
$ 2,069
$1,500
+$ 569
Pledges
$ 10,195
$8,750
+$1,445
Trust Fund Income
$ 13,350
$7,500
+$5,850
TOTAL
$25,614
$17,750
+$7,864
EXPENSES:
Salaries
$ 14,688
Insurance
$ 4,164
Utilities
$ 7,232
Repairs
$30,660
Other Operating
$14,342
Expenses
TOTAL
$71,086
DIFFERENCE
-$45,472*
*A total of $48,000 was transferred from the
Investment Fund to date to cover
expenses and repairs, since expenses exceed income.
Bristol Borough Veterans
Memorial Committee
This group is trying to obtain the names of all men and women
who entered and honorably served in any branch of the military while
living in Bristol Borough, from 1940 to the present time.
If you or a member of your family did, you may contact them
at
www.bristolborough.com
for an application.
Copies of the application may also be obtained from the church
office.
4
Sunday School & Youth Group News
The Sunday School
is very happy to report that they collected $240.00 in their Lenten
“Hope Chests,” which is enough to purchase 20 insecticide-treated
nets to help fight malaria.
Since each net covers three people, they are helping prevent
malaria for a total of 60 people.
We celebrated Pentecost Sunday on May 11with some of
the children leading the 10:00 congregation in singing a special
song: “The Fruit of the Holy Spirit.”
That, along with red, helium-filled balloons, created a
festive atmosphere.
Thank you, Horace Schmidt, for filling our balloons!
Sunday School classes continue through May 25th,
as we finish up our lessons for the year.
Then on June 1, all the children are invited to be in
church to receive their attendance certificates.
The service will be followed by our annual Parish Picnic,
where there will be games and activities for the children as well as
good food and good company.
Parents are asked to bring side dishes and/or desserts to
share. Come join us!
This year, we had a total of 41 children attend Sunday School
at various times. Our
average attendance per Sunday was 9.6 kids.
Our best attendance was in
Dec., Jan., and Feb.
Our Youth Group
participated in a “yard clean-up day” this spring, to help
make our grounds look more beautiful for Easter.
Also, we participated in National Youth Service Day in May,
working with other youth in the Germantown section of Philadelphia,
weeding areas to be used by senior citizens for gardening.
Many thanks to all who helped out with the Sunday School and
Youth Group during the past year.
God Bless.
Jo Marley,
Sunday School & Youth Coordinator
5
The Women of St. James’
Flea Market & Thrift Shop
On the first Saturday in May we held our first Flea Market of
the summer. This was a
modest beginning, and we are hopeful for growing interest as the
summer progresses.
The next Flea Market dates are June 7 and July 5.
The Thrift Shop was also open, bringing in many visitors.
We are making plans to expand the number of days the Thrift
Shop will be open. If
you are able to help, the first organizational meeting will be at
the church on Sunday, May 18, 9:15 a.m.
For more information, speak to Lynda Bevan or Donna Dernoski.
Calendar Luncheon
We still need people to sponsor tables for this annual event,
which is being held on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 11:30 a.m. until
2:00 p.m. If you can
help, speak with Denise Ciambrello or Dee Baus.
Diocesan Matters:
Upcoming trial of Bishop Bennison
The Dean of the Bucks Deanery, The Very Rev. Daniell Hamby, wrote a
letter in his parish newsletter, “The Chronicle,” of
St. Andrew’s Yardley. He has given us permission to print it
here. Following is the major portion of that letter:
Dear People of God,
If you have…read the Philadelphia
Inquirer, or any of a host of other newspapers, you know that the
Bishop of Pennsylvania, Charles E. Bennison, Jr. has been charged
with conduct unbecoming of a clergyperson, and was “inhibited” by
our Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts-Schori.
The inhibition was put in effect last November.
The time in which the Bishop is accused took place years ago,
and in another diocese.
I call this to your attention because
in early June a court will be convened in Philadelphia to hear the
charges against Bishop Bennison, and to consider his defense.
As in Civil Law, a person who is accused of violating a canon
is considered innocent until found otherwise by a duly elected
court. On the other
hand, the “presentment” (Canon-law for ‘indictment’) has 57 examples
of conduct unbecoming.
(continued on next page)
6
This matter is complicated because the
Standing Committee of our Diocese (the “vestry” of the diocese), for
an entirely different set of reasons, asked Bishop Bennison to
either resign or retire three years ago.
Their action has stirred the cauldron of controversy in our
diocese, and factions of all kinds have come into being because of
the conflict.
With all of the negative publicity …, I
think it is important to be as open and transparent as possible with
the inner-workings of these matters.
The conduct unbecoming a clergyperson of which Bishop
Bennison is accused, is covering up sexual misconduct by his
brother. It is further
complicated by bishops in California who were aware of the sexual
misconduct, and moved the brother from parish to parish before he
was finally deposed of his priestly orders.
There are a number of groups in our
diocese who, for various reasons either support or deplore the
Bishop. In addition
there are outside groups which are aware of the charge of covering
up sexual misconduct, and their goal is to put pressure on
ecclesiastical trial courts to keep these matters in the open, and
as honest as possible.
Furthermore, with all of the trials and tribulations of our sister
communions, the media will be extremely interested in this trial,
and its outcome.
I am not at all looking forward to
these early days in June.
I think all of us will be scandalized by what we see and
hear. The emotions are
running high, and anxiety over these matters, and the absence of a
seated Diocesan Bishop, is great.
I am, however, looking forward to having the trial over and
done. It is time for our
Diocese to get itself back in gear, and going about the real work we
have in front of us, the realm and rule of God.
…I [and many] clergy in our Diocese are
going to a day of prayer and reflection on the Thursday before the
trial begins. The day is
to be spent with God, laying our souls as bare as we can, in order
that reconciliation, recompense, and repentance can begin.
I ask of you several things.
First, to read and listen to media accounts with a careful
ear and a guarded heart.
Try as they might, reporters and commentators usually get the
important details askew.
Second, to keep your heart and your mind open.
No one can imagine what the outcome of this process will be.
Either eventuality is frightening in its own way….And
finally, I ask for your calm prayers.
This is a time to listen for the heartbeat of God, a time to
wonder about the past and the future God has in mind.
One way or another, several people have been wounded in this
process.
Grace, peace and hope.
Daniell
[The Very Rev. Daniell Hamby, Dean, Bucks Deanery]
7
Looking Ahead to the
Summer, 2008
Sunday, June 1:
Sunday School recognitions at 10 a.m. service;
Parish Picnic for all following the 10 a.m. service.
Sunday, June 8:
Begin summer schedule, one Sunday service, 9 a.m.
Month of July:
Shared Sunday services with Zion Lutheran Church
July 6 & 13 at Zion Lutheran (301 Jefferson Ave., Bristol)
July 20 & 27 at St. James;’ Coffee Hour on the 27th
for St. James’ Day
MORE INFORMATION IS UPCOMING
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