News

Church Street News (see Past Issues)
The Newsletter of St. Lawrence Episcopal Church
Issue No. 3, Volume 97
March 2005

VESTRY RETREAT
On the first weekend in February, members of the newly-elected Vestry took some time out of their busy lives to go on retreat At least we call it a retreat, though that's a bit of a misnomer. While we do say our prayers and reflect a bit more deeply on God's call to us, it's more an extended orientation meeting.

Some of what we do in these sessions is just about fun and team-building. And that's right where we started, enjoying good food and playing games!

But most of what we try to do in these sessions is get our footing early on so we don't have to spend the first few months of the year trying to figure out what the job of the Vestry is (and that of the Vestry members). To that end, we review the canons of the Church that describe who is responsible for what. We go over the financials to make sure we have a handle on the business end of the management of the parish. We identify groups and committees and the parts they play in the overall scope of this busy parish.

Priorities for 2005
After getting somewhat oriented, we also talked about new directions for the coming year. We'll still continue working on ongoing proframs and projects, but it also seemed time to bring some focused attention on some specific areas of our life.

The two concerns that immediately emerged in our discussions were youth ministries and nurturing new relationships. A conversation on a Saturday afternoon couldn't work out all the details implied by these two priorities, so we haven't come up with a plan as yet, but we will keep these concerns in mind as we move into the year.

Nurturing new relationships
Your thoughts and suggestions, of course, are always welcome, but in the meantime, there are ways we can all support at least the second priority.

The cartoon above is the work of Jay Sidebotham, rector of Church of the Holy Spirit, in Lake Forest.

As the cartoon (above) suggests, coffee hour and other times of fellowship are great for nurturing our established relationships - giving us a chance to catch up on what's been happening since the previous week or to discuss upcoming plans and activities. But those same gatherings are also opportunities to make new relationships. If you reach out to someone you don't yet know so well (whether a first-time guest or just someone you've never really talked to), you can help us both to strengthen the bonds between us and to welcome new people into our parish family.

So next time you're enjoying a cup of coffee between our Sunday services, take a look around. If you think you see someone pondering one of those thoughts illustrated in the cartoon, consider leaving the huddle in the middle and walk out to the edge of the room and say, “Hi, how's the coffee?”

GETTING ORGANIZED!
Getting organized and staying on target are key elements in any endeavor or organization, whether it be as large as a Fortune 500 company or a much more modest concern.

During our recent Vestry retreat we did just that! We spent a great deal of time discerning our goals for the upcoming year and concentrating on how to be an effective and efficient Vestry. From an administrative perspective, we pledged to present clear agendas, setting forth a clear understanding as to the tasks to be addressed (and consistent with our overall goals for the year). We all pledged to participate fully and mentally and to prepare ourselves in advance of the meeting. In our interactions with parishioners at large, the three “C’s” —– clear, concise, communication —– will play a big part in our planned projects and events.

In one of her recent sermons, Deacon M-J reminded us that “There is no ‘I’ in ‘Team.’” This is especially true for our vestry members; they cannot do it all alone. We want your new ideas and we pledge to be open to them. We also want your bodies. We will be looking to you for your talent and your time in the coming year as we work towards staying on target for our various endeavors. Please be willing to step in and help make 2005 a truly great year for our parish and our common life together.

Members of the Vestry on retreat in February take a break for their annual photo-op.

For 2005, our ministry teams will be coordinated by the following Vestry members:

Parish Life – Jennifer Kanches (3 years remaining)
Outreach – Bob Klima (3 years remaining)
Facilities – Mike Matson (3 years remaining)
Communications – Erik Larson (2 years remaining)
Christian Formation – Tony Wolff (2 years remaining)
Pastoral Care – Barb Lewis (2 years remaining)
Worship – Mell Wishau (1 year remaining)
Invitational – Liz Halbert (1 year remaining)
Special Projects/Call to Action – Mari MacDonald (1 year remaining)

The Wardens will be working with each Vestry member, encouraging them to stay motivated and on target as the year continues.

Thank you to all, who donated their time and talents last year. On behalf of our current Vestry we look forward to working with all of you again in this coming year.

We want to specially welcome our new parish family members. We look forward to getting to know you better this year as we likewise welcome your thoughts, ideas, time and talent.

MARDI GRAS — A NEW TRADITION?
With our kitchen not up to the challenge of making pancakes this year, we opted to try something new for Shrove Tuesday at St. Lawrence. Thanks to everyone who pitched in to get things set up and to organize the activities. Thanks, especially to those who stayed behind and cleaned up afterwards. (Many hands do indeed make the job lighter!)

It was a Mardi Gras party. We kicked the night off with mask-making (and merry-making) for kids and their families. With music piped into the narthex, a festive mood filled the room. And there was even dancing!!

After masks were created, everyone was invited down to the Parish Hall for more music —– and lots and lots of good food and good fellowship. Congratulations, again, to the host of wonderful chefs.

The night ended with a bonfire in our courtyard. In addition to helping keep us warm, the fire burned last year’s palm branches and turned them to the ashes that were used at our Ash Wednesday services the next morning.

All in all, most folks reported it a great success and a great time. So next year, we might do the same — only bigger and better — even IF the kitchen is ready for something more subdued.

ART IN THE SANCTUARY
Last fall, we began a deliberate process of evaluating possibilities of liturgical art in our new sanctuary. It’s been an ambitious undertaking. Thanks, again, to Anne Malecki — our artist in residence — for sharing her creativity with all of us.

The large cross suspended above the choir risers is the most obvious component of the art for Lent. Anecdotally, the cross would seem to be a very popular choice.

Some have wondered, however, about how to reconcile this exposed cross with the traditional practice of veiling crosses during Lent. (Note, for example, that the cross in the entryway and the processional cross both feature purple veils.) It seems likely that the practice of veiling crosses has to do with a feeling that brassy and/or decorative crosses are incongruous with the solemnity of Lent. The very rough construction of the cross currently in use hardly evokes the same incongruity. Its starkness reminds us that Lent leads us inevitably to Good Friday before we turn to Easter joy.

Art in the baptismal font
A complementary piece to the cross is the sculpture in the font. Using the same materials as the cross, this sculpture is a provocative piece. When asked what they see in it, some have offered the following observations:

• It looks like a mountain.
• It reminds me of fire.
• It feels a bit hostile. I come in and want to dip my fingers into the water, but I can’t because of the wood.

Take a moment and consider your reactions. What do you see? Does your reaction offer a lesson for you to take to heart as you ponder sacred mysteries this Lent?

HOLY WEEK AT ST. LAWRENCE
The services of Holy Week and Easter are the most significant to our faith. The experiences from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday are dramatically enhanced by immersing yourself in all that comes between. To help your understanding of the services offered during Holy Week, a booklet called “Keeping Holy Week” will be available again this year for your perusal.

To further enhance your liturgical experience, take a more active role. Sign up to be a lector, chalice-bearer, usher or greeter. Call the office, sign up on the special bulletin board for Holy Week or speak to either Deacon M-J or Father Jed.

Palm Sunday: March 20 —– Services at 7:30, 9:00 & 11:00 am
On “The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday,” we celebrate with triumphant joy the day Jesus was hailed as “King of Kings” and remember with horror his betrayal and death on a cross.

Prior to each of the services, we’ll gather outside (weather permitting) or in the Narthex for the blessing of the palms and then process into the church as we hail Jesus as “King of Kings”!

As we enter the church, the tone of the service changes from celebration to betrayal and finally to horror. The dramatic reading of the Passion Gospel from Luke (with individual members of the congregation taking various parts) follows. A sign-up sheet for the various parts is posted on the bulletin board.

There will not be Sunday School or Adult Education offered on this day, but special activities for people of all ages will run throughout the day’s observances.

Maundy Thursday: March 24 —– Service at 7:00 pm
The Proper Liturgy for Maundy Thursday recalls Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist as the “Last Supper” and his commandment that we love one another. The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word for commandment, mandatum. Jesus gave us an example of the loving service he envisioned when he washed the feet of his disciples and he encourages us to follow that example.

On this night, we share a simple supper in remembrance of the last meal Jesus ate with his disciples as part of the liturgy itself, retiring to the Narthex to enjoy dried fruits and cheeses, as well as the essential ingredients of bread and wine (grape juice for those who prefer).

Following the meal, the congregation returns to the sanctuary for the stripping of the altar. The sanctuary will stand undecorated and empty until Easter, symbolic of the desolation felt by Jesus’ disciples during the days from Jesus betrayal until Easter.

All-night watch begins at 9:00 pm
Jesus asked his disciples to be in wait with him in prayer on the night before his death. In remembrance of that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, an all-night prayer watch will be kept at an “altar of repose” in the Fireside Room.

The watch begins immediately after the stripping of the altar and continues through to the noon service on Good Friday.

Good Friday: March 25 —– Services at 12:00 and 7:00 pm
“Behold this your family, for whom our Lord was willing to be betrayed.” These words, from the liturgy for Good Friday express the theme of this day’s service. It is a day for us to commemorate the crucifixion and to consider the enormity of God’s love for us.

We offer two distinctly different services on Good Friday. To observe the service at noon is to connect it with the hour of Jesus’ crucifixion. This service features the reading of John’s account of the Passion, read by members of the congregation. Communion from sacrament reserved the night before is administered.

Since the Middle Ages, pilgrims to Jerusalem have commemorated Jesus’ crucifixion by walking the Way of the Cross. This devotional service focuses on Jesus’ Journey to the cross beginning with his condemnation and ending with his burial. A series of meditations makes a connection between Jesus’ death and our life.

The Proper Liturgy of the day begins at 12:00 pm. Stations of the Cross at 7:00 pm.

Easter Vigil: March 26 —– Service at 7:00 pm
After sunset on Holy Saturday, we will celebrate the Great Vigil of Easter. We begin in the darkness with the lighting of the new fire.

From that fire, the Paschal Candle will be lit. The light then passes from candle to candle as we sing “The light of Christ.” By the light of the Paschal Candle, the Exsultet is sung reminding us of what makes this night so central to our faith.

Next, we will hear the record of God’s saving acts in history. Following ancient oral tradition, the lessons from the Hebrew Scriptures will be told as the stories they really are. A cadre of storytellers have been meeting since before Lent began to explore some of these core stories of our faith. They’ll stand and deliver them for our entertainment and edification.

This service marks the beginning of the Easter season, so we will hear Matthew’s account of the resurrection and share the joy of new life by celebrating Baptism (three baptisms are tentatively scheduled!) and the first Eucharist of Easter.

“On this most holy night, in which our Lord Jesus passed over from death to life, the Church invites her members, dispersed throughout the world, to gather in vigil and prayer. For this is the Passover of the Lord, in which by hearing his Word and celebrating his Sacraments, we share in his victory over death.”
—– Book of Common Prayer, p. 285

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

And then, having celebrated the Feast of Easter, we can rejoice in the end of our Lenten deprivations with a party to celebrate the resurrection! We’ll gather in the Narthex immediately following the Great Vigil, encouraging members to bring any of those goodies they gave up for Lent!

Easter Sunday: March 27 —– Services at 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
There will be our usual three services on Easter Sunday, but nothing ordinary about any of them. There will be music and congregational singing at our first service of the morning, our Rite I service at 7:30 am. Both of the later two services will feature our choir.

And, of course everything will be stunningly decorated with flowers.

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
St. Lawrence has a “Shawl Ministry.” It is quite a lovely idea which came from the hearts of women. We come together in prayer and love to create a gift for those in need.

Besides the obvious reasons of comfort during illness or grief, the shawls can be given in times of joy and celebration. We will ask the Pastoral Care Ministry Team, as well as clergy, for input on those in need of shawls.

Anyone who can knit or would like to learn, we welcome. There are also roles for non-knitters as well, readers, taggers and more. We will provide instruction for our beginners. If you are ready to begin a shawl you will need:

• Size 11 or 13 needles
• Three skeins of yarn that are six ounces net weight and 185 yards each
  (it is suggested that it be washable)

Our meetings are filled with information and sharing. We’re meeting in the Sanctuary, from 6:30-8:00 pm, on the first and third Mondays of the month. That’s March 7 and 21 this month. Feel free to bring a friend, a mother, sister or daughter.

ST. LAWRENCE BOOK GROUP
We are a group of people who love to read and to talk about what we have read. We meet the second Monday of the month at 7:30 PM in the Fireside Room to discuss books chosen by the group as a whole. Won’t you read the book and join us?

The selection for March is The Rich Part of Life, by Jim Kokoris. Here is a quick review: Teddy Pappas is an eleven-year-old boy forced into maturity before his time. He lives with his younger brother and their eccentric Civil War historian father, a man more comfortable with discussing Confederate footwear than what kind of day his sons had. Their lives have been quiet for a year since the real lifeblood of their household, Teddy's mother, died in a tragic car accident. On the one-year anniversary of her death, Teddy's stoic father plays his wife's favorite lottery numbers in a tender, uncharacteristic act. When it turns out that the family holds the $190 million winning ticket, their world is instantly transformed. As events spiral out of control, the family struggles to discover what "the rich part of life" really is.

NORTH SUBURBAN SYMPHONY
On Saturday, March 19, at 3:00 pm, members of the North Suburban Symphony will present a benefit Baroque music program here at St. Lawrence —– expressing appreciation to St. Lawrence and to raise funds for an organ.

Telemann's Don Quixote suite will start the program, followed by Vivialdi's Concert for 2 Trumpets in C, featuring Dave Hibbard and our conductor, Michael Poulos.  Max Raimi from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (and a personal friend of Erik Larson) will perform Telemann's Viola Concerto in G.  Our own flutist, Allison Duffy will play the flute solo on Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 2.

Tickets are available in the church office and at the door — suggested price is $10 for adults (children under 12 free with a paid adult). Questions may be directed to Jan Billings, 847 223-9379.

ACOLYTES
Please join us for acolyte training on Sunday, March 6, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. We will practice in the Sanctuary, working on special roles, like using the streamers and kites, incense, crosses and torches and more.

We welcome people of all ages, from 9 - 99, to learn and practice. This is a fun and rewarding ministry. And a pizza lunch will be served!

LENTEN PRAYER AFTERNOON
Lent is a time of prayer and reflection, so we’re offering a workshop on some different forms of prayer from 2:00-5:00 pm on Saturday, March 5.

Of course, everyone is welcome, so bring yourself and bring a friend.

We will be making Anglican Prayer Beads
Walking a Labyrinth
Sitting in reflective meditation

UPDATE ON COURT WILLIAMS
Over the first weekend in February, Court Williams attended the Diocesan Ministry Discernment Weekend at the Cenacle Retreat Center, in Chicago. The purpose of the weekend is to provide further discernment into an aspirant’s call —– through prayerful discussion, interactive activities and personal interviews.

At the end of the weekend, the weekend staff makes a recommendation to the Commission on Ministry (COM) of the Diocese of Chicago. In Court’s case, he was “enthusiastically recommended for postulancy” by the weekend staff. The COM will meet on March 1 and make their formal recommendation to the Bishop (who will make the final —– and official —– decision as to postulancy).

The difference between these terms can be confusing. An “aspirant” is simply what we call someone who is entering into a process to explore whether he/she might have a vocation to ordained ministry. To become a “postulant” means that the broader church (ultimately in the person of the bishop) has come to agree that they, too, perceive such a vocation.

In this case, the change in status from aspirant to postulant will allow him to begin attending seminary in the fall.

Please continue to keep Court, and all who are seeking to follow God’s path into ordained ministry, in your prayers as discernment and formation continue.

EASTER FLOWER OFFERING ENVELOPES
An envelope for Easter flowers and decorations has been included in this issue of the Church Street News. A list of all donors will be included in the Easter bulletins.

In order to be included, please write your intentions of the envelope very legibly (including your name and any specific information you’d like printed in our bulletins) and return them in the offering plate or to the church office by March 20.

PLANNED GIVING
At a Diocesan Workshop on Planned Giving, the speaker asked us the following question:
 
"Who would you rather leave your money to?  A place you spent 4 years at 50 years ago?  or the place that you have spent the last 50 years?"
 
That gave me pause.  It was even more striking when we learned that while people are living, they tend to donate 38% of every charitable dollar to the church and only 11% when they die.  Who does the rest of the charitable money go to then?  Those institutions who do a better job asking:  your university, the Art Institute, or your local hospital.  All of those are, of course, worthy institutions, but so is your local church.  Did you know that we offer all of the same giving opportunities as those institutions?
 
As many of you know, we do everything we can annually to raise enough money to cover the annual operating budget, and it's always a struggle.  What if parishioners were to leave us a bequest? or donate a highly appreciated asset so that they could reap some tax benefits plus an annual income, while still donating something to the church?
 
Would we then have enough to be able to hire another clergy member, or to purchase an organ, or to complete the new kitchen?  Would we be able to do more to extend our hospitality and help to worthy outreach opportunities?  Would we be able to do more for our youth groups and Christian formation?  Just think of the possibilities!! 
 
The Planned Giving Committee has been formed.  So far, members include:  Betsy Barnett, Carolyn Finch, John Griffith, Mike Hazen, and Nelson Weaver.  We are designing an introductory brochure, planning an Awareness Campaign, as well as presenting a "Final Affairs" workshop.  We meet the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month from 6:30-8:00 p.m.  We could still use a few more souls interested in helping to design and implement this worthy ministry. If you are interested in being part of this vital campaign, please join us!
 

THANK YOU:
It’s been a time of heavy hearts for so many this past month, following the deaths of Katie Kraus and Curtis Quednau. But the pain is made so much easier to bear in the midst of the loving hearts of others.

Members of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) have historically provided receptions following funerals. Julie Feely and Sue Vogg are coordinators of this effort. They express a heartfelt thank you to all the cooks and bakers for your generous donations. And heartfelt thanks, as well, for all the extra efforts with set-up and clean-up for the receptions hosted following those funerals.

As a special effort from the Pastoral Care Ministry Team, parishioners are also helped to offer care in the days before a funeral, as family members and guests arrive from out of town. BJ Jones is coordinating the care shown by providing meals and helping in other ways during times of crisis.

Blessings on you all.

Summer Schedule
Sunday Services:
7:30am - Holy Eucharist Rite I Liturgy
10 :00am - Holy Eucharist Rite II Liturgy
Thursday Service:
8:30am - Holy Eucharist