The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island Blog

Calling All Episcopalians: TEC Strategic Planning Committee Wants Your Opinion

2009-06-24T11:04:00.003-04:00

The Episcopal Church
Office of Public Affairs

[June 24, 2009] A newly named Strategic Planning Committee has already set to work, announcing that its first step will be to solicit opinions from throughout The Episcopal Church.

The Strategic Planning Committee was established by Executive Council in January 2009 to develop a strategic plan for the Episcopal Church Center and the Executive Council which addresses mission and ministry, growth, finance, challenges and opportunities, issues and concerns, and to map a way to address all these topics.

To do so, the Strategic Planning Committee has developed a survey and, encourages all Episcopalians to complete it. The survey is currently in English; Spanish and French will be available shortly.

Among the areas addressed in the survey are: evangelism; multicultural issues, worship, music, and liturgy; youth and young adults; mission; leadership; congregational development; church administration; stewardship; advocacy and social justice. Additionally, there are a series of options and possible responses to the question: “To achieve your vision of a vital Episcopal Church in 2019, how much effort needs to be given to each of the following paths or strategies?"

To access the survey visit : http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Wu5I75KPqOhmGku87xaL6A_3d_3d

The survey will also be available to be completed at the Episcopal Church Center booth at General Convention in Anaheim, California July 8-17.

The deadline to complete the survey is July 28, 2009.

Proposed Budget Completed

2009-05-22T16:55:00.003-04:00

The proposed narrative budget for 2010-2012 is now available for download. This document will form the basis for discussion at the upcoming Program and Budget area meetings. As a reminder, those meetings are scheduled for:

Wednesday, June 3 at Trinity, North Scituate 7 pm
Tuesday, June 9 at St. Matthew’s, Jamestown 7 pm
Saturday June 13 at the Cathedral, Providence 9 am

St Francis’ Episcopal Church; A New Name for the Coventry Mission

2009-05-22T12:09:00.004-04:00

You may recall, in July of last year St Matthias and Christ Church in Coventry merged to become one worshiping body. To signify the church's new joint mission and fellowship, it was suggested that they select a new name together. Bishop Wolf mentioned that a Saint's name might do, and so St Matthias and Christ Church set their Church School to the task of finding the mission's patron Saint.

The kids took to the task with gusto, and after careful consideration of the many different options, they presented a list of 8 names to Bishop Wolf, with “St Francis' Episcopal Church” as their first choice.

The name seems particularly appropriate. As St Francis' self-defines on their website:

"We are a small church, which means that our worship gives a sense of intimacy. We are a community that knows and cares about each other. We are a people who honor, cherish, and celebrate God’s creation, and seek to be good stewards of the earth. We are a group that is committed to deepening our spiritual lives and a people who believe that God calls us to a place of deeper compassion, creativity, and love. Our life together is centered around the Holy Eucharist, with communion services held every Sunday. As a response to our faith in Jesus Christ, we strive to make our parish a place of hope to the despairing, of growth to the spiritually hungry, of healing to those in pain, of comfort to those in need, and a place of empowerment so that we may serve Christ in the world."

It is, therefore, with great pleasure that Bishop Wolf announces she has renamed the Coventry mission “St. Francis' Episcopal Church”, in accordance with their Church School’s request. The name change is effective as of May 1st 2009. St. Francis’ will continue to worship at the site of the former Christ Church, an old English Tudor style structure on rural Peckham Lane, in Coventry. Their website can still be viewed at www.christchurchrocks.org

Parish Administrators Luncheon

2009-05-22T12:07:00.002-04:00

From Liz Crawley, Executive Assistant to Bishop Wolf:

The Annual Parish Administrator/Secretaries Luncheon was held at Christ Church, Lincoln, on Wednesday May 20th. The day brought [finally] beautiful sunshine and warmth, both outside and indoors at our gathering. Dianne Papineau and Linda Gorman graciously hosted 28 administrators from around the diocese with a delicious lunch, providing their own homemade salads and desserts, along with sandwiches. We had a first-rate tour of their beautiful church, office facilities and parish hall. Ruth Meteer, our Diocesan Communications Officer, gave a brief presentation on resources for Parish administrators on the Diocesan website, as well as with eRISEN and RISEN magazine. Thank you to all who attended and we look forward to seeing you next year!

Eastertide Confirmation Photo Galleries

2009-05-13T12:06:00.009-04:00

The Episcopal Diocese of RI held its annual Eastertide Confirmations at the Cathedral of St John in Providence these past two Saturdays. About 150 people were confirmed or recieved into the Episcopal Church this year! Click on the links below to view a slideshow photogallery for each deanery session.

May 2, 2009 10:00am: Narragansett & West Bay Deaneries

May 2, 2009 2:00pm: Aquidneck & East Bay Deaneries

May 9, 2009 10:00am: Central & Blackstone Deaneries

May 9, 2009 2:00pm: Overflow

Our Standing Commitee's Vote on the Bishop Elect of Northern Michigan

2009-05-13T09:59:00.005-04:00

From Fr. Bill Locke,
Standing Committee President

"After a careful review of materials provided by the Diocese of Northern Michigan and their bishop-elect, as well as other commentary from around the church, and after an extensive discussion at their May 12th meeting, the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Rhode Island has voted 5-1 not to consent to the election and consecration of the bishop-elect."

Program & Budget Area Meetings

2009-05-13T09:52:00.002-04:00

The Diocesan Program and Budget Committee has the task every three years of drafting a proposed Triennial Budget for the diocese. The committee has been meeting for the past six months and now presents its proposal for review and comment by the diocese. The following area meetings on the budget are scheduled:

Wednesday, June 3 at Trinity, North Scituate 7 pm
Tuesday, June 9 at St. Matthew’s, Jamestown 7 pm
Saturday June 13 at the Cathedral, Providence 9 am

The relevant documents will be posted as they become available. Some hard copies will be available at the meetings.

Swine Flu Preparedness

2009-04-29T12:57:00.005-04:00

The newest variation of the Flu, the Swine Flu, has been receiving a remarkable amount of press in the past few days. According to the Associated Press, two days ago President Obama said that the outbreak may be cause for some concern but is not yet cause for alarm. See the full article here. As of today, the World Health Organization (WHO) seems to concur with President Obama. Daily updates on the worldwide situation are posted on the WHO swine flu website, along with other helpful information.

We in the Episcopal Church need to be prepared both for the best and worst case scenario in this, just as we need to be prepared in other threats. If down the road the swine flu does become a cause for alarm, we must be ready to be the face of hope and the force for good that we are called to be. In the spirit of this mission, Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) has collected some informative and helpful resources on the swine flu and what to look out for. To stay informed, follow this link to their comprehensive listings.

RHODE ISLAND SEMINARIAN RECEIVES TACHAU AWARD

2009-04-28T10:09:00.002-04:00

Alexandria, VA (April 27, 2009) – The Jean B. Tachau Memorial Biblical Languages Prize for study at St. George’s College in Jerusalem, was awarded today to second-year student, Patrick Greene (Diocese of Rhode Island.) The award is given each year in recognition of academic excellence and proficiency in the study of the Biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek.

“Virginia Seminary has seen the study of scripture and Biblical languages as central to its mission of raising up leaders for the church to ‘go into all the world and preach the Gospel,’” said the Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, dean and president of Virginia Seminary.

The Jean B. Tachau Memorial Biblical Languages Prize was established 1992 by the Venerable Archdeacon Charles B. Tachau, VTS ’63, in memory of his mother, Jean B. Tachau. At the end of each academic year, the Prize is awarded to second-year students preparing for Holy Orders who have shown the most progress or proficiency in the study of the Biblical languages of Hebrew and/or Greek. The award provides financial support for study at St. George’s College in Jerusalem or for independent travel and study of biblical languages in the Holy Land.

Founded in 1823, Virginia Theological Seminary is the largest of the 11 accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church. The school prepares men and women for service in the Church worldwide, both as ordained and lay ministers, and offers a number of professional degree programs and diplomas. Currently, the Seminary represents more than 42 different dioceses and 5 different countries, for service in the Church.

Media Contact: Susan Shillinglaw
Tel: 703-461-1764 www.vts.edu

Bishop Wolf on NPR and the evening news

2009-04-03T15:04:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, April 2nd 2009, Bishop Wolf Interviewed with NPR as well as Channel 10 and Channel 12 news, regarding the deposition of Ann Holmes Redding. If you missed the broadcasts, watch and listen to them here!

Listen to NPR's Interview with Ann Holmes Redding and Bishop Wolf http://kuow.org/program.php?id=17255
Watch Channel 10's video of the Bishop http://www.turnto10.com/jar/special_sections/ap_video
Watch Channel 12's video of the Bishop http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/local_wpri_providence_episcopal_priest_defrocked_practicing_muslim_20090401

Also, for a well written article on the issue, read what reporter Janet Tu wrote for the Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008961581_webdefrocked01m.html

Bishop Wolf Deposes Ann Holmes Redding

2009-04-02T13:52:00.005-04:00

Effective April 1, 2009, The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Bishop of the Diocese of Rhode Island, deposed Ann Holmes Redding as a priest in the Episcopal Church. Dr. Redding lives in the Diocese of Olympia Washington, but was canonically resident in the Diocese of Rhode Island, where she was under the authority of Bishop Wolf. The determination came after a process lasting nearly twenty-one months.

In June 2007, the Diocese of Rhode Island learned of a public profession of adherence to the Muslim faith by Dr. Redding. Bishop Wolf conferred with Dr. Redding who acknowledged taking her Shahadah to become a Muslim. Bishop Wolf then issued a Pastoral Direction to Dr. Redding, directing her to undertake a period of one year for discernment of her faith commitment. After the agreed upon period, the status of Dr. Redding was considered by the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Rhode Island.

The Standing Committee determined that Dr. Redding had abandoned the Communion of the Episcopal Church, within the meaning of the Canons of the Church, by her formal admission into a religious body not in Communion with the Episcopal Church. The Bishop affirmed that determination and issued an inhibition prohibiting Dr. Redding from exercising the gifts and spiritual authority conferred on her by Episcopal Ordination, and from public ministry.

The Inhibition continued until March 31, 2009 during which time Dr. Redding had the opportunity to withdraw, or issue a notice of intention to withdraw, from the Muslim faith. Dr. Redding also had the opportunity to renounce her orders. Dr. Redding did neither and, under the Canons of the Church, Bishop Wolf was required to consider deposing Dr. Redding.

Bishop Wolf found Dr. Redding to be a woman of utmost integrity and their conversations over the past two years have been open, honest and respectful. However, Bishop Wolf believes that a priest of the Church cannot be both a Christian and a Muslim. Consequently, as a result of the abandonment of the Communion of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Wolf imposed a sentence of deposition in accordance with the Canons of the Church.

Come to the BUDGET BLITZ April 1-4

2009-03-23T15:01:00.005-04:00

Have you ever wondered what exactly the Diocese does with your Church's apportionment money? How much of our Diocesan budget is paid for by endowments? Where your church can go for financial advice?

Join the Bishop, Diocesan staff and members of the Diocesan Finance Committee to get some answers to your questions. We will be giving three presentations designed to let you know, transparently, how our Diocesan Finances have been put to work the past few years.

Come to learn about our current budget in preparation for the official hearings on our upcoming budget later this spring.

Wednesday, April 1
7-8pm at Emmanuel, Newport

Friday, April 3
7-8pm at St. Paul's, Wickford

Saturday, April 4
9-10am at the Cathedral of St. John

For more information e-mail Liz@episcopalri.org or call the Diocesan House at 401-274-4500

New "Did You Know" Video

2009-03-10T15:47:00.003-04:00

Thanks to everyone who attended Convocation this weekend! As promised, I have posted the video I showed in my workshop here on the blog. You can find it just below the older version of the video, which Bishop Wolf showed at Clericus. click here to see it.

CONVOCATION

2009-03-10T15:14:00.013-04:00

Thanks to all who came and made Convocation 2009 such a resounding success!

Our keynote speaker, The Rev'd Carol Anderson mentioned several resources which we will be making available.

Currently available is a Lenten Devotional Booklet, written by All Saints parishioners, and available on their website at:

http://www.allsaintsbh.org/lentenbooklet.html

Also, fill out the Convocation 2009 Feedback Form at the link below.
https://share.acrobat.com/adc/document.do?docid=7037b38c-d824-4351-911d-61c67a17ae33

when you are finished filling it out, click the submit button at the top of the form and your comments will be anonymously submitted to us!

Thank you all for a wonderful weekend!

RI in the NY Times: Smallest State Grapples With Oversize Problems

2009-03-04T18:39:00.004-05:00

Here is some recommended reading from Bishop Wolf and Dean Krauss of the Cathedral of St John. It is an evocative article, recently published in The New York Times, presenting an outsider's perspective on the past and future of Rhode Island. Is it right on? Way off base? Illuminating? Misleading?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/us/01rhode.html

True or False, this is how Rhode Island is being presented to the world.

How do we as a faith community react?

Comments are welcome.

Nearly 10,000 hits in first day to IamEpiscopalian.org

2009-02-26T14:51:00.001-05:00

[February 26, 2009] – In less than 24 hours, www.IamEpiscopalian.org – a website where people to share their stories - experienced nearly 10,000 hits.

“The great response to www.IamEpiscopalian.org shows that people want to share stories of how they have connected to our Church, and others want to hear them,” commented Anne Rudig, director of communication. “Lent is the obvious time to examine one's spiritual life and reconnect.”

IamEpiscopalian.org, which debuted Ash Wednesday, February 25, features dozens of video vignettes from people – representing the vast array of faces from throughout the country – to share the stories of what excites them about being an Episcopalian

“The traffic to IamEpiscopalian.org has been tremendous,” noted Mike Collins, director of digital communication. “It continued to climb throughout the day – so much so that now we are moving the site to a different server to accommodate the heavy load. Please bear with us as we continue to improve the user experience.”

Episcopalians are invited to submit a video to IamEpiscopalian.org, detailing their own faith story, and what excites them about being an Episcopalian. Video vignettes should be less than 90 seconds. To submit a video, follow the “upload” instructions on the right of IamEpiscopalian.org.

Collins added, “We look forward to expanding IamEpiscopalian.org as more videos are added throughout the Lenten season.”

"We also invite comments about IamEpiscopalian.org," Rudig said. "Tell us what you think."

Comments can be submitted to newsline@episcopalchurch.org.

IamEpiscopalian.org was developed by the Communication Office of The Episcopal Church.

"Did You Know?" YouTube Video

2009-02-19T10:27:00.005-05:00

At Clericus this Monday, Bishop Wolf showed the following Youtube video about the ways in which the world is shifting, and asked all to think about what this could mean for the Episcopal Church.

The above video was made in 2006. The video below is an updated version made in 2008 by the same people. This video was shown in the Communications workshops at our Diocesan Convocation this year. Notice the colossal change in numbers over only 2 years!

A New Rector for St Peter's-By-the-Sea

2009-02-06T11:55:00.005-05:00

On Tuesday January 27th, St Peter’s-By-the-Sea instituted The Rev. Casey Shobe, as Rector. The service was well attended; Casey’s family and friends, the Clergy of our diocese, and the congregants of St Peter’s packed the nave full of hope and excitement for the future of this new ministry. Casey was presented as a vibrant young answer to the prayers of that parish, and what was a rather large service felt as friendly and intimate as the candlelight reception which followed.

Casey Shobe was born in Virginia but was raised in central Texas, where his family still lives. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000, he hiked over 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail before returning to Texas to attend the University of Texas School of Law. A one year stint in law school ended when he recognized God’s call for him to pursue Holy Orders, followed by a year of discernment and three years at Virginia Theological Seminary. There he deepened his love for the church–liturgy, history, Bible, theology–and was also blessed to meet his wife, Melody, who was also a student pursuing Holy Orders from the Diocese of Virginia. They married after their second year in seminary, and following graduation in 2006 returned to Texas, where they have been serving in separate parishes since July of that year.

Casey has served as Priest Associate at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, Texas, with ministry areas ranging from growing the 20/30s population, to directing the Cathedral’s communication department. At the Cathedral, a parish of over 3,000 members, Casey has had opportunities to learn about developing programs, supporting and empowering volunteers, managing staff, as well as preaching, teaching and presiding regularly. Melody has served as Assistant Rector at St. Thomas the Apostle in Nassau Bay, a suburb of Houston, and has been called to serve at Christ Church in Lincoln, Rhode Island, as Priest Associate.

Casey and Melody share a love of the outdoors, claiming cycling, hiking and gardening as favorite pastimes. In addition, Casey is an avid golfer and Melody has a growing list of fabric related hobbies: quilting, stitching and knitting. They love to travel, having made pilgrimages to Ireland, Ethiopia and Israel, and are actively seeking their next destination. They have a small dog named Susie.

The Ordination of Susan M Carpenter

2009-01-30T09:34:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, January 17th, at St John’s Barrington, Bishop Wolf ordained the Rev. Susan M Carpenter to the Sacred Order of Priests.

Susan was born in Providence, RI and grew up in Scituate, RI. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Education from Rhode Island College. She previously worked in the Scituate School system as a sixth grade teacher. Recently, she has graduated from The General Theological Seminary in NYC with her Master of Divinity degree.

Susan is married to her high school sweetheart, Brian Carpenter, and they just celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary. He owns Long Realty and is a specialist in selling country farms and acreage. They have two sons, Scott and Peter. Peter is married to Bethany Lawton and they are the parents of Nathan Bradford, born in July.

Susan and Brian lived in Glocester for 30 years on a 50 acre farm, and while the boys were young, she left teaching and opened “Cherry Valley Herb Farm”. She built a retail shop, greenhouse and display gardens where she taught classes and workshops on many herbal topics. She also founded and ran the RI Herb Festival, an annual event from 1998 – 2004.
Susan has been active for many years at her home parish of Trinity, North Scituate in many roles. She has been active in the wider church community in the Central Deanery as well as serving on the Diocesan Council and Executive Council.

Susan's personal interests include creating anything with glass –particularly stained glass— and making copper and glass jewelry. In addition to her fascination with all things herbal, She is interested in cooking amd traveling. Susan is also a voracious reader, as evidenced by her large collection of books and her Amazon.com statements!

Welcome Susan, and may God bless you in this monumental new phase of your ministry.

An Invitation from the Bishop

2009-01-09T15:37:00.005-05:00

Come Hear About Our Companions, The Diocese of Ezo

Thank you for your prayers which sustained Tom and I as we journeyed to and from the Sudan. As many of you know we had quite a trip. While the frustration of cancelled flights and the challenges of no electricity or running water, and bumpy dirt roads will be part of our memories for a long time, the beauty of faithfulness offered by the people we met is already providing gifts of spiritual grace far more nourishing and thought provoking than any inconveniences we experienced.

We have many pictures and video images that bring to life the personalities and Christian joy of the people of the Diocese of Ezo, and we created a power point presentation that we wish to share with you, followed by some personal reflections.

Our first presentation will take place at the Church of the Epiphany, East Providence, where the light of Christ’s hospitality is leading so many to a new understanding of the Christian message and its call to faithful response. We will gather there at 4PM on Sunday, January 18th to share some of our experiences, and to suggest some ways that we might offer hope to the people of our new companion diocese.

After the presentation, a sample of typical southern Sudan food will refresh our bodies and give us yet another way of sharing fellowship with each other and with the life of the people of Ezo.

Some offerings may be brought with you. We hope to send the diocese the following:

Black clergy shirts with tab collars. Some of our priests and deacons must have a few around.

Contributions towards purchasing bicycles for parish priests, who walk many, many miles to make pastoral calls (ten miles is not unusual).

Stoles and chasubles that you are no longer using, and maybe an alb. At Christmas they wore the two chasubles available; one black and one purple.

And then, looking toward the future, Bishop John Yawo and his assistant expressed a need for special assistance with education and communications. We will share with you some ideas for helping them help themselves in these areas.

Tom and I, and the people of Epiphany are very excited about our afternoon together and hope that you will join us.

--The Rt Rev. Geralyn Wolf, and Tom

Venue Change for the "30 Hour Famine" Planning Meeting for Youth Leaders

2009-01-09T14:14:00.004-05:00

When: Tuesday January 13, 2009 at 7pm
Where: The Diocesan Resources Center, 275 N Main St, Providence RI 02903
(NOTE: event is no longer at St John's Barrington RI)

Information: Millenium Development Goal #1 was to eradicate extreme world Hunger and Poverty. What can we do? To start, a group of parish youth leaders will meet to join together in planning a Diocesan participation in World Vision's 30 hour famine for youth. Visit http://www.30hourfamine.org/ for more information on this nationwide fast. If you are a leader of youth in your parish, come to join our effort!

Contact: For more information about the meeting, contact Becky Gettel 245-4065, becky_stjbar@att.net or Mary Ann Kolakowski 274-4500 ext. 247 maryann@episcopalri.org.

Bishop returns from the Sudan

2009-01-05T15:56:00.001-05:00

Bishop Wolf has returned safely from Sudan. The Sudan Debriefing will be led by Bishop Wolf and her husband Tom:

Sunday, January 18, 2009, 4:00pm
Church of the Epiphany, 1336 Pawtucket Avenue, Rumford, RI.

All are welcome to come and hear about their trip.

Rhode Island Interfaith Power & Light Conference

2008-12-23T09:24:00.009-05:00

Rhode Island Interfaith Power & Light
http://www.riipl.org/ presents:

Faith Lights Our Way…
toward a sustainable future

La SALLE ACADEMY, 612 Academy Avenue, Providence, RI
Thursday January 8, 2009, 5 pm - 9:30 pm

A conference for clergy, lay leaders, parents, educators, business people, students and others

5:00 pm – 6:55 pm Exhibits Open/Live background music by Lindsay Adler, environmental instrumentalist
7:00 pm , Opening Prayer and Introduction, Rabbi Amy Levin, Temple Torat-Yisrael, Cranston
7:10 pm – 7:55 pm "Signs of Hope: The Role of Religion in Climate Change." by Keynote Speaker, Rev. Canon Sally Bingham, President and Founder of Interfaith Power and Light.
The Interfaith Power and Light campaign and Rev. Bingham have received numerous awards including the 2007 U.S. EPA Climate Protection Award, the Purpose Prize, the Energy Globe Award and recognition as a “sacred gift to the planet” by the World Wildlife Fund. Rev. Bingham was recently named one of the top fifteen green religious leaders by Grist magazine and was installed as Canon for Environmental Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of California.
8:00 – 8:30 pm Refreshments and Exhibits
8:30 – 9:20 pm Concurrent Workshops

9:20 pm Closing Reflections

Special thanks to La Salle Academy for their support and cooperation.

For Faith Communities:

Tour of the Low-Cost Energy Landscape
Explore low-cost, high efficiency energy solutions suitable for schools, houses of worship, businesses and residences

Paul Jestings, Portsmouth Abbey School ”This Old House of Worship” Savings Through Energy Management program
Learn about a program that teaches teams from congregations to deal with the energy problems of their
buildings.

Wilson Educational Services Launching Pad: Developing a Mission Statement
Learn an effective technique to bring clarity to your congregation’s mission statement. This session will revitalize the congregation and will serve as a launching pad in developing a strategic vision and action plan. Elizabeth David, Performance Results Group

For Schools and Youth:
Becoming a Green School
How recent school greening projects fit into a larger vision of green schools. Students of La Salle Academy

“Our Faith, Our Youth, Our Earth”:
Educators teaching young children (that means all of us!), Brainstorm and experience activities you can bring to the younger members of your community

New Dawn Earth Center / St. Bernard’s Parish The Infinite Potential of Social Networking
explore the concepts behind social networking, examine case studies, and explore its potential when applied to education, community service, social justice, and grass-roots organizing. Matt Lynch, music industry marketing strategist

For Faith and Advocacy:
New England’s Down Payment on the Future: Five Steps in Five Years to Confront the Climate Threat
Actions that we can take now that are realistic, fair and commensurate with the scale and seriousness of the climate crisis. Cynthia Giles, Conservation Law Foundation

What Homeowners Can Do:
Sustainable Living, One Old House At a Time
A retired teacher describes the process of selecting and rehabbing an ordinary ranch house with a view to environmental sustainability and affordability of the long term. The approach taken to the project reflects a desire to “live lightly on the earth” and to “age in place”. Cindy Saksena, Homeowner, Warren, RI

Walking on the Way - Bishop Wolf

2008-12-21T15:52:00.002-05:00

"Vestries are worried about pledges and offerings, concerned that they may be less than last year. It is natural for us to be anxious, but anxiety and fear can paralyze the church, creating an atmosphere of stagnation and listlessness. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy he said, ‘God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
-- Bishop’s Convention Address, 2008

Many years ago, a woman gave me an envelope with money inside, and asked that I give it to someone in need. As I was serving in an inner city mission, there were many people who qualified as being “needy.” The neighborhood surrounding our small church was tightly knit, so choosing one person or family over another was difficult, and might have led to distrust and suspicion. In my heart I rehearsed the many people that I had visited, and the many needs that I had observed, and they were overwhelming. It took almost a week for me to remember the family who sold fruits and vegetables from their hand made cart, in a different part of the city. During the summer, I made it a point to purchase food from them. They couldn’t attend church on Sunday because they had to work, but their son sang in the local Episcopal church choir, and when the stand was closed they would attend as a family.

I didn’t know where they lived, so I drove around the neighborhood of the fruit stand, asking people if they knew where I could find Lem and Joan. I was directed to a run-down two car garage on the corner of the block. They sold their fruits and vegetables in the garage that was heated by a kerosene stove. Joan was happy to see me, and our conversation was animated. She pointed to the garage and said, “Times are tough, but God is good. We couldn’t afford an apartment but we got this garage to rent for the winter.” She led me to a corner, set apart by long hanging blankets. As she pulled back the blankets I saw two beds on the garage floor, a light hanging from the ceiling, a propane gas burner, and a few pots and some clothes. “This is home,” she said with a smile, “and we thank God for what we have. There was a young boy leaning on a bed to do his homework. “Remember my son, John, he’s ten now and he’s singing at St. Timothy’s, Christmas Eve, and Lem and I are going to be there.” John looked up and smiled.

Joan and I took a walk down the street, and I said, “Look Joan, a woman in my last parish handed me an envelope with some money to give away, and I want to give it to you and Lem.” As I reached into my pocket her breathing became heavy and her eyes began to well up. I placed the envelope in her small, calloused hands. She was almost afraid to open it, as though it would be empty. Slowly, she opened the enveloped with her rough and cracked fingers, and took a very quick look at the contents. Then she touched each bill slowly, silently counting with her lips. And then she counted again as if the money might not be real: “One, two, three, four, five.” Her shoulders began to shake uncontrollably as she grabbed my shoulders and wept on my coat. It was as if a terrible agony had been removed from her heart and she lifted her arms to the sky and with a wet face said repeatedly, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Jesus.” There were five crisp one hundred dollar bills in the envelope.

Joan was still shaking, when she admitted to me that they owed money for the electricity, and the garage. “We stretch our money to buy kerosene and food because that’s what we really need. But now we’re going to pay back everything,” she said softly, “and put some away for the rest of the winter. Wait ‘til I tell Lem.” With tears still falling upon her face she added, “but first we’re going to surprise John with a Christmas present, because we already told him we couldn’t afford one, and he said ‘that’s okay Mom, I don’t need anything.”

I had tears in my eyes, too, tears of gratitude for Sue who gave me the money, and tears for this extraordinary family. They allowed me to see my blessings in a new way. Indeed, this family rose above fear and timidity, and discovered power, love, and self-discipline in God—even before they opened the envelope.

Christmas is about the extraordinary grace of the Father, sending his son into an unfair and troubled world, to be born in the tents and garages and fields of the poor. However, poverty has different faces. Joan, Lem and John didn’t have much money, but they had abundant faith. There are those whose material treasures are envied by others, but whose spiritual poverty keeps them in despair. This is the season to pray for a rebirth in your life: the birth of Christ within your heart. This is the best gift of all, one that money can’t buy, but which love can give away.

+Geralyn Wolf

Ordination of Susan Carpenter

2008-12-21T15:47:00.000-05:00