CROSS ROADS - NEWSLETTER OF THE CHAPEL OF THE CROSS - February 2008
Liturgy
In This Issue:
- Dear Friends
- Vestry Actions
- The Revised What?
- A Variety of Liturgical Services
- Compline
- Liturgical Manners
- Epiphany, Candlemas and Lent: Some Thoughts on Time and Treasure
- Lent, Holy Week and Easter
- So, what are you "giving up" for Lent this year?
- The Preschool of the Chapel of the Cross
- ABC Sale - April 12
- Adult Education during Lent 2008
- Outreach at the Chapel of the Cross...Looking Back and Looking Ahead
- Vestry Nominees
- February Programs and Meetings
- February Service Schedule
Dear Friends,
In this issue devoted to liturgical life in the Episcopal Church and at the Chapel of the Cross, I want to articulate for you the role of the rector in establishing that liturgical life.
While the vestry has full financial authority for the parish and for its buildings and furnishings, the rector has sole programmatic authority, including liturgical. Acting under the direction of the bishop and within the directions of The Book of Common Prayer, the rector is to establish the liturgical schedule, including times and places and contents of services, assignment of specific roles (lay and clergy), and the use of music, vestments, flowers, and other elements of the services. In a parish of this complexity (see page 4, "A Variety of Liturgical Services"), obviously much of that is delegated to staff members and other parishioners, e.g. the altar guild, the lay readers, the ushers. But providing clear direction and guidance for our liturgical life is one of my most important, and cherished, responsibilities.
As I write this in early January, I am formulating the schedule of all services to be held in March, April, and May. A three month calendar is put together listing the times, places, and forms of each service for those three months, with slots provided for each needed role. For example, a weekday service only requires a celebrant/homilist, while a Sunday service in the church requires a celebrant, a preacher, several clergy assistants, two lay eucharistic ministers, two lectors, an intercessor, five ushers, four acolytes, and several greeters! (The altar guild schedule is done separately.) Then the schedule is sent out to the various people responsible for scheduling a specific category, e.g. acolytes. I assign the clergy and the lay eucharistic ministers. In doing so, I try to give you at the different services a variety of preachers and celebrants, but with needed continuity. Once all the assignments are received back in the office, the full schedule is published and sent out, and work begins on the next one!
In planning all of this, of course, especially in the implementing of major feasts such as those during Holy Week, I consult very closely with our program staff. I work particularly directly with our Organist/Choirmaster, Dr. Quinn, on the role of the music. Each week, after looking at the assigned scripture readings, he suggests the hymns and service music for that Sunday. I approve or modify these choices, and the bulletin begins to be put together. I am privileged to have as an experienced and competent a musician to work with as Van Quinn, as well as the gifts of Tammy Lee, Vicky Jamieson-Drake, David Frazelle, and Gretchen Jordan, who provide thoughtful and imaginative counsel in planning our liturgical life together here at the Chapel of the Cross.
I am also grateful for all of you and the way that you engage yourselves seriously - and joyfully! - in our communal praise of God. Leading you in worship is a deeply cherished privilege of being your rector.
- Stephen
Vestry Actions
At its meeting on December 13, the vestry:
- Received a report from the Capital Campaign Committee and endorsed a target goal of $20 million for the Capital Campaign
- Approved the recommendation of the Social Ministry Committee for disbursement of Discretionary Outreach Funds in the amount of $500 to the Orange County Department of Social Services Holiday Adopt-A-Family Program
- Accepted with gratitude a bequest of $5000 from the estate of Elizabeth Hazlett, $500 of this amount to be placed in the Social Ministry Fund as an outreach tithe and $4500 to be placed in the Program Fund
- Accepted the position description of Assistant Organist and Choirmaster for possible future use
- Received and amended a report from the Bylaws Committee
The Revised What?
David Frazelle, Associate for Parish Ministry
The Chapel of the Cross, following a mandate from the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, began using the Revised Common Lectionary on the first Sunday of Advent of 2007 (which fell on December 2nd). What does this mean? Is it a good thing? Does it matter? What is a "lectionary"? This article will seek to answer these and other related questions.
First, a "lectionary" is an arrangement of biblical texts. "Lection" is a less common synonym for a "reading," and a lectionary contains an arrangement of readings just as an aviary contains a collection of birds. The lectionary is truly our friend. It ensures that we hear a wide variety of biblical voices. It prevents preachers from preaching on their favorite texts, or on texts that fit only their personal agendas, to the exclusion of all the others. The lectionary unites us to other Christians who are listening to, meditating upon, and responding to the same God through the same texts at the same time.
In the Episcopal Church, we have two lectionaries - the Sunday Lectionary (beginning on page 888 of the Book of Common Prayer), and the Daily Office Lectionary (beginning on page 934 of the same). Predictably, the Daily Office Lectionary gives the readings for Episcopalians who do the Daily Offices of Morning Prayer and/or Evening Prayer. The Daily Office Lectionary arranges the readings on a two-year cycle (creatively named "Year One" and "Year Two"), so that one who follows the Offices reads through most of the Old Testament, all of the New Testament, and all of the Psalms several times over, every two years. The Daily Office Lectionary has not been affected at all by the recent move to the Revised Common Lectionary.
Our Sunday Lectionary gives us the readings that we hear in church every Sunday. The readings in the Sunday Lectionary are arranged on a three-year cycle, also creatively named "Year A," "Year B," and "Year C." Year A focuses upon the Gospel according to Matthew; Year B, the Gospel according to Mark; and Year C, Luke. The Gospel according to John works its way into each of the three years, especially in Christmas, Lent, and Easter. The result is that an Episcopalian who comes to church every Sunday will hear a broad, representative swath of the Old Testament and Psalms, and most of the New Testament, every three years.
None of the above has changed with the advent of the Revised Common Lectionary. What, then, has changed? Basically, the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) Sunday Lectionary (pages 888 to 931) has been replaced by the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL is more remarkable for its similarities to the BCP Sunday Lectionary than for its differences. Like the latter, the RCL also arranges texts according to a three-year cycle, and those three years focus upon the same three gospels in the same order, with the fourth gospel appearing in the same seasons. Also like its predecessor, the RCL offers four categories of readings in the same sequence - Old Testament, Psalm, New Testament Epistle (letter), Gospel. So close are the similarities between the BCP Sunday Lectionary and the RCL that most people would never notice the change.
What, then, are the differences? The differences between the RCL and the Sunday Lectionary that it replaced are threefold. The first and primary innovation is that the RCL offers a new, optional track of Old Testament readings. This optional track features the Old Testament readings in sequence during the long season after Pentecost, rather than matching the Old Testament readings to the Gospel text for the day. For example, if a rector chose this optional track, the Old Testament readings from Year A would focus sequentially on Genesis and the story of Moses, Year B upon the story of the Davidic kingship, and Year C upon the major and minor prophets. The advantage of this option is that the congregation hears the narrative coherence of the sacred texts of the Old Testament. The cost of this option is that one loses traditional, thematic, theological, and homiletic (i.e. preaching) connections between these readings and the Gospel text of the day. Due to this cost, our rector has (wisely, in the opinion of this author) chosen not to use this new, optional track of Old Testament readings, at least not for the first three-year cycle.
The second difference with the RCL is that it prescribes readings from the Acts of the Apostles, rather than from the Old Testament, as the first reading during the Easter season. Since the Book of Common Prayer Sunday Lectionary already offered this emphasis on Acts as a possible choice during Easter, this second change with the RCL is far from radical.
The third and final difference is that the RCL includes more biblical stories about women or involving women. I will limit myself to one example. In Mark 14:3-9, a woman lavishly anoints Jesus with oil at Bethany. Jesus defends her actions to his disciples, explaining that the woman had prepared him for burial by this action; and he declares, "wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her." This story, nowhere to be found in the previous lectionary, will be read as part of the passion narrative on Palm Sunday of Year B under the RCL. Elsewhere, the RCL lengthens gospel passages in order to feature the women involved in them.
Where does this leave us in terms of what we, at the Chapel of the Cross, will hear on Sunday mornings? The large majority of the texts will be the same. Passages may be a bit longer or shorter; occasionally a different psalm or Old Testament reading might be paired with the gospel text; and you may hear about a woman of the bible with whom you were heretofore unfamiliar.
This leaves us with two more basic questions: Who devised the RCL, and who else is using it? Lectionaries have been around since the fourth century. In the 1960s, as part of the Vatican II movement, the Roman Catholic Church developed a new and greatly expanded lectionary. It moved from a one-year to a three-year cycle, and moved from reading just New Testament passages to reading Old Testament and Psalm selections, as well. The Episcopalians, along with many Protestant denominations, followed suit, hence the BCP Sunday Lectionary and similar documents in other churches. In 1983, several American and Canadian denominations, in an attempt to harmonize their various three-year lectionaries, devised The Common Lectionary. After gathering feedback, this same ecumenical (meaning "one house" out of many denominations) group revised The Common Lectionary in 1992. After many fascinating deliberations, they settled on the title, The Revised Common Lectionary. Following the leadership of the past four General Conventions of the Episcopal Church (tri-annual gatherings of bishops, priests and lay people), we now join the American Baptist Churches in the USA; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and in Canada; the Presbyterian Church in the USA and in Canada; the Disciples of Christ; the United Church of Christ; the United Methodist Church; the Anglican Churches in Australia, Canada, and South Africa; and the Church of England in worship and prayer through the Revised Common Lectionary.
To see the RCL passages and collects for any given week, visit http://www.io.com/~kellywp/index.html. To see the RCL's entire table of lections, visit www.episcopalchurch.org/liturgy_music.htm.
A Variety of Liturgical Services
Stephen Elkins-Williams, Rector
The Book of Common Prayer, as its name connotes, forms the basis of services held in common throughout the Episcopal Church. The present version, officially authorized in 1979, accounting for the growing complexity in our society and the increasing variety of circumstances, allows for the most flexibility and variety of services of any previous prayer book. At the Chapel of the Cross, blessed with manifold liturgical resources, we try to utilize the full scope of services allowed.
"The Holy Eucharist, the principal act of Christian worship on the Lord's Day and other major feasts" (emphasis added to highlight a phrase new to the '79 Prayer Book), forms the cornerstone of our liturgical offerings. Four Sunday services during the school year, at 7:30, 9:00, 11:15, and 5:15 (three during the summer, at 8:00, 10:00, and 5:15), offer the Eucharist each Sunday. The 7:30 and the 11:15 services are principally Rite I (historic language), and the 9:00 and the 5:15 services are principally Rite II (contemporary language). At the 11:15, Morning Prayer constitutes the Liturgy of the Word at least monthly. In addition, the Eucharist (Rite II) is also celebrated on the first Sunday of the month at 10:00 at Carolina Meadows and on the second and fourth Sundays of the month (Rite I) at 4:00 at Carol Woods.
The Eucharist is also offered on major feasts, e.g. All Saints' Day, The Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, usually with special music and the use of incense, connoted in the term "Solemn Eucharist." It is also offered in a simpler form every Wednesday at 10:00 am (according to the 1928 Prayer Book) and every Thursday at 5:15 (Rite II).
The other "Great Sacrament," Holy Baptism, is offered at various times throughout the liturgical year as part of a Sunday Eucharist. The Prayer Book specifies five occasions for Baptism: the Easter Vigil, Pentecost, All Saints' Sunday, the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord (the First Sunday after the Epiphany), and the bishop's visit. At the Chapel of the Cross, the number of baptisms requires additional dates.
Other sacramental rites are offered at various times. Anointing and the Laying on of Hands is available during communion at Sunday Eucharists in the church, before the Sunday 5:15 service, and during the Thursday 5:15 service on the first Thursday of the month. Times for the Reconciliation of a Penitent are offered on Ash Wednesday and at other times by appointment. Holy Matrimony can be arranged through one of the parish clergy (except during Lent), usually on a Saturday. The bishop comes for Confirmation once each year, generally just after Easter.
Portions of the Daily Office are offered regularly. Compline is chanted by a choir each Sunday evening at 9:30 in the church during the university academic term. Evening Prayer is led by a Lay Reader at 5:15 in the chapel Monday through Wednesday and on Fridays.
Services listed in the Prayer Book as "Pastoral Offices" are offered as needed: "Ministration at the Time of Death" (referred to as the Litany of the Dying), Funerals (Rite I or Rite II), Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of a Child, Commissioning for Christian Service.
Other services not specifically from the Prayer Book are also available, e.g. The Blessing of a Gay Union, Lessons and Carols (in late Advent), Special Worship for the Developmentally Disabled each third Monday evening, the Blessing of the Animals (near the Feast of St. Francis on October 4).
A special note should be made of Holy Week services. Starting with Palm Sunday (a week before Easter), then Maundy Thursday (including the washing of the feet and the stripping of the altar), Good Friday (when Eucharist is not celebrated), the Great Vigil of Easter, and Easter Day itself, each liturgy is characterized by moving, traditional elements. This sacred week constitutes the pinnacle of the liturgical year and calls forth our best efforts in implementing and participating in them.
Compline
Van Quinn
"Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord, lift up your hands in the Holy place." (Psalm 134)
On Sunday evenings at 9:30 pm (when the university is in session) the ancient rite of Compline is sung in our church. The service is sung in its entirety by a special choir (called a schola cantorum) that has been gathered solely for this purpose. While Compline is, in a sense, the simplest of services, our observance is perhaps the most radical of our liturgical offerings since it addresses one of the deepest and most urgent imperatives of our lives: the need for openness to the leading of God in moments of genuine transcendence. This openness is the only thing asked of those who come to Compline. Those who come seeking this deeper knowledge of God, from whatever place in their spiritual pilgrimage, are asked only to engage in active, prayerful, spiritual listening and the indwelling of sacred sound. In the extraordinary serenity of this sacred space and time many feel the presence of God despite doubts, and fears, and confusion.
The Office of Compline originated and developed in Southern Europe and the Middle East during the first six centuries of the Christian era. It was the last of the monastic "offices" of the day, "completing" the work of the day that had already gathered the community for worship at six specific times over its course. The quietness of the late evening hour, reflection on the course of the day, anticipation of the opportunities or threat of the coming day, and perhaps anxiety about the darkness and possible dangers of the night itself were all addressed by scripture, prayer, and hymns. The service consists as it always has in the singing of psalms, short passages of scripture called "chapters," an "office" hymn, the Song of Simeon (Nunc dimittis), collects, and a hymn extolling the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The music consists for the most part of "Gregorian" chant, ranging from simple psalm tones and strophic hymns to the complex unfolding of an entire musical universe in something like the Ave Regina Coelorum or Salve Regina. From time to time a magnificent flowering of polyphony interrupts the monophonic flow: one voice becomes many and then one again.
Our service is offered in a darkened church illuminated by candles and adorned as of old by the sacred smell of incense. All are welcome to this intensely spiritual service. It is hoped that this offering will be especially compelling, as it has been elsewhere, to many of the thousands of students whose lives are lived in close proximity to our church. The service of Compline lasts about 25 minutes and is followed by a brief organ voluntary or improvisation. If you are interested in singing in the choir or assisting with the service in some other way, please contact the choirmaster, Dr. Quinn.
Liturgical Manners
Rev. Tammy Lee
- I was confirmed at Chapel of the Cross in 1982 and have attended church here ever since.
- No.
- Children and Family Ministry Committee; ABC Sale Children's Clothing; Teen Girl Scout leader; teach Sunday school; help with Wednesday evening potluck
- Children and Family Ministry Committee; ABC Sale; teach Sunday school; led EYC; helped with Loaves and Fishes.
- Town of Chapel Hill Board of Adjustment and Inclusionary Zoning Committee; Red Cross trainer; Chapel Hill Day Care Board; Girl Scouts of Orange County camp director.
- I think it was about 1986 when I returned from teaching "ship's engineering" at the Royal Saudi Naval school in Jubail, KSA. I was married at Chapel of the Cross and my sons were baptized and confirmed here.
- Not on the Vestry, however, I suspect I have held almost every other possible position for a layman including choir (tenor).
- I'm currently a member of the lay eucharistic ministry team and assist with the middle school sunday school. I have previously been an usher, lay leader, lay reader and adult education leader.
- In the past, I have participated in clean-up after the "ABC Sale," work days at the church, adult retreats, and assisting the refugees, also Boy Scout Troop 9.
- I teach classes in natural sciences at Elon University and local community colleges, and participate with the civil air patrol cadet unit and search and rescue teams.
- I have been a member of the Chapel of the cross for ten years, along with my husband, Rhodes, and my son, John.
- No, I have never served on the Vestry in this or any other parish.
- My husband Rhodes serves as a member of a parish committee engaged in long-range planning for stewardship, and my son John was a member of the junior Choir and EYC, before heading to boarding school last fall. He participates as a lector and an acolyte when he is at home.
- I served as ABC Sale Chair in 2006, and as Volunteer Coordinator for the Sale in 2004. I participated in and graduated from the four year Education for Ministry Course, taught by Tammy Lee. I have been a church school teacher, and was an active volunteer with Junior choir and EYC during the years my son participated in these activities.
- I am the Vice-President of the Durham Library Foundation, and serve as a docent and Friends Board member at the Nasher Museum of Art. I am a sustainer and past President of the Junior League of Durham & Orange Counties, and recently served on the board of Directors of the Association of Junior Leagues, International. I have also served on the Board of the NC Museum of History, the NC Museum of Life and Science, the Volunteer Center of Greater Durham, and the Durham Academy Parents Council.
- We joined in 1989.
- No.
- I am in the Senior Choir and also a lay reader (Sundays and weekday Evening Prayer).
- I was on the University Ministry Committee for several years, including two terms as the chair. I've also worked with the Annual Giving campaign several times.
- I've volunteered at various times with the IFC shelter, Triangle Hospice, and A Helping Hand.
- May, 1992 as Harriet H. Matthews
May, 1994 Transferred to St Philips-Durham after marriage to Richard Gaillard
August 1999 Transferred back to Chapel of the Cross as Harriet H. Gaillard - No.
- Usher 11:15 service
Funeral Reception Committee - Stephen Ministry (when it was initiated)
Hospitality Committee - I just completed a three year term on the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill Board of Directors. I am currently on the Admissions Committee. I retired from my position as pediatric oncology social worker at UNC Hospitals in August, 2007.
- Attended since 2001; confirmed 2005.
- No, although I have held various leadership positions at other churches and in the community.
- Personnel Committee member, Lay Reader/Lector, frequent contributor to Crossroads.
- Lay Reader, Intercessor, ABC Sale, "The Edge of Adventure" group experience, Autumn Quiet Day.
- Since 2004, I've been the Salaries and Benefits Analyst for the N.C. Office of State Budget & Management, with a focus on statewide personnel and budget issues representing the Office of the Governor. This includes position management, negotiating of State Health Plan and State Retirement System benefits, and training state employees in the new HR/Payroll software system. From 2000-2004, I was Assistant to the Manager and Budget Analyst for the Town of Chapel Hill, where I became involved in the Chapel Hill community and first started attending the Chapel of the Cross. I was blessed to find a welcoming church home with such a strong outreach mission.
From 1996-2000, I was Human Resources Director for Stanly County, near Charlotte. I managed all aspects of the county's human resources function, including hiring county staff, writing and developing personnel policies, negotiating benefits, and helping to develop the County Manager's budget. I also became involved in the greater community by joining the Albemarle Rotary Club.
Other interests and hobbies include: writer for Chapel Hill Magazine; President of the Seven Oaks Homeowners' Association in Woodcroft; Past President, Master of Public Administration (MPA) Alumni Association, UNC School of Government; Past Member, UNC General Alumni Association Board of Trustees.
An old seminary professor referred to the average person in the pew as Mrs. Murphy. When he wanted to make a point about the consequences of a liturgical change, he would always mention Mrs. Murphy - how the change might affect her or what she might say in response to it. He considered her authoritative on most matters that involved life together in Christian community, and it is her spirit that we consult as we delve into the topic of liturgical manners, that heretofore unmentioned set of rules that allow our worship life to be memorable and meaningful, and above all, not just another public gathering. In the spirit of Emily Post or Miss Manners, you are now invited to listen to the voice of Mrs. Murphy as she answers your questions from the pew. Send your own inquiries to Mrs. Murphy care of tlee@thechapelofthecross.org and see how she answers in future issues of Cross Roads.
Dear Mrs. Murphy:
Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am almost always late to church. While understanding that I must work harder at being on time, when is the best time for me to find a seat when I arrive after the service has started?
Running fifteen minutes behind in Carrboro
My dear child, I am curious what those circumstances are that are beyond your control, but I also appreciate your sensitivity that there are some moments where marching your family down the aisle just is too disruptive. A few guidelines to follow when those circumstances emerge: Never clomp down the aisle when the entire congregation is seated and someone is reading a lesson or delivering or a sermon or announcing instructions about what to do next. Given the attention span of most human beings, they are going to be more interested in you and your posse than in the person talking. Wait until a hymn is being sung, or the psalm is being said, or the peace is being passed, when folks are occupied and already standing. If in doubt, wait quietly in the back or have a seat on the back pew. No one has ever suffered harm from waiting until it is appropriate to move.
Dear Mrs. Murphy:
During the winter months, I seem almost always to have a cold. My childhood priest always told me that nothing should keep you from the blood of Christ and that no one ever catches a cold while drinking from the common cup because the wine is holy and doesn't transmit germs. Is this really true?
Sniffling in Durham
While I sympathize with your seasonal misery and your desire to partake of both sacraments, decorum and common sense require that you keep your hands to yourself. In fact, keep your hands away from the cup period and simply cross your hands over your chest when the cup passes. The priest can drop the bread in your hand without touching you. This is also true if you think you are getting sick or have a cold or canker sore or fever blister. Communion by bread alone is sufficient in the eyes of the Church, and God and your neighbor will thank you when it is their turn. As for your childhood priest, I am curious about other magical properties the communion cup might possess.
Dear Mrs. Murphy:
I sit in the same pew each week along with another family who prefers this pew too. It is great to see them every week but I long for them to be quiet during the service. They keep a running commentary going from the first hymn to the last, and I wonder why it is that they think talking is something one does when one is supposed to be worshipping? Dirty looks haven't deterred them and yet this doesn't seem to be limited to them. A mother did the same thing at the Christmas Eve service, never once observing how uncomfortable it was making the people around her.
Longing for peace and quiet in the fourth row
My dear man, liturgy is the work of the people and while some prefer to work in silence others do that best in community. An occasional comment here and there is sometimes necessary and certainly keeping a child invested in what is happening around them is important. Dirty looks are never okay. I lament the fact that we have lost a sense of sacred space and that most people can't tell the difference between a public performance in a concert hall and liturgy in a church. Our focus in worship should be on God first and then crafting a posture of prayer and thanksgiving that allows that to happen. It is best done in a state of silence, listening, and contemplation; but it can also be achieved in other ways.
Dear Mrs. Murphy:
I am on a limited income and sometimes find that I need to make change from the collection plate in order not to exceed my budget. I felt very uncomfortable the last time I did this and haven’t done it since but I believe God would understand even if his children found it peculiar.
Fair Share in Chapel Hill
Have you ever heard of getting change before the service or writing a check or giving your offering next week? This is not okay under any circumstances, if for no other reason than the fact that it disrupts the flow of the offertory and draws too much attention to you.
Epiphany, Candlemas, and Lent: Some Thoughts on Time and Treasure
Ann Henley, Junior Warden
The undergraduates in my British literature classes at NC State are often perplexed at the ways texts written before the 18th century express time. "Why do they say 'terce' if they mean 9:00 in the morning? And what is 'Whitsuntide' anyway? Or Michaelmas?" And so I often find myself explaining, as best I can, the intensely religious culture of the Middle Ages and much of the Renaissance to bright young products of a secular age that, having consigned the wristwatch to the trash heap of history, reads time digitally on cell phones and hand-held computers. How much easier a Christian's spiritual progress must have been in those ages when days and years were measured liturgically.
During this first week of February 2008, three special events of the liturgical year coincide: the close of the season of Epiphany, the beginning of Lent, and Candlemas, or the Feast of the Lighted Candles commemorating the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem. And I find myself wondering what significance a 14th-century Christian - who would have seen the objects in the world around her and the events of her everyday life as God's message writ in earthly script - might have found in such a coincidence.
Of course, Epiphany always ends when Lent begins; and Candlemas, February 2, coming 40 days after Christmas, always falls in Epiphany. But only rarely - by my inexact reckoning, about 8 times in the last century - do Candlemas and Ash Wednesday occur in the same week. What meaning can we 21st-century Christians find in this remarkable intersection of holy seasons?
Epiphany and Candlemas have four elements in common: light, manifestation, recognition, and gifts or offerings. During Epiphany the Moravian star central to our Christmas observation at the Chapel of the Cross assumes greater significance; it represents the heavenly light that led the three Eastern sages to the manger in Bethlehem. And since 543, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple has been marked by ceremonies in which priests light the candles of worshipers. Hence, obviously, the name of the festival.
Additionally, in both biblical events, the Adoration and the Presentation, the Divine presence was manifest in human form and recognized by amazed witnesses, the Wise Men in Bethlehem and Simeon and Anna in Jerusalem. Matthew tells how the Wise Men, searching for the King of the Jews, recognized the august presence in a baby born in a cattle stall and, kneeling, paid homage to him. Similarly, Luke relates that Simeon, "guided by the Spirit," saw instantly in the six-week-old infant the promised savior. Taking the child Jesus in his arms he praised God, saying, "Mine eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
It is, however, the gifts central to both Epiphany and Candlemas that link those two seasons with Lent, our austere preparation for Easter, the greatest feast of the Christian year. The three scholar-kings from the East gave lavishly to the king they discovered in a manger: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Mary and Joseph, presenting their small boy at the Temple, gave too - a pair of young pigeons, a humble offering but one given in piety and devotion to "the law of the Lord." Lent also is a season of giving. As Christians, of course, we should perform acts of charity and mercy throughout the year, but Lent provides a season dedicated to fasting, praying, and giving alms.
Lent at the Chapel of the Cross affords many opportunities for giving. Pledges to annual giving are needed still; Christian formation leaders have special objectives for our almsgiving; outreach programs both local and global require funding; the capital campaign will begin its parish-wide appeal later in the year.
In his poem "Lent," the Anglican priest and Metaphysical poet, George Herbert, welcomes the "deare feast." He reminds his readers - as presumably he did his parish flock - that during this season "the Scriptures bid us fast" and the Church bids us "Give to thy Mother [Church] what thou wouldst allow / To ev'ry Corporation." Giving to the Church is then one of the holy tasks we undertake in preparation for Christ's Resurrection, his re-manifestation. Herbert ends his poem with the paradoxical image of fasting that results in physical and spiritual fullness: "ev'ry man...revel[ing] at his door," "Banqueting the poor, / And among those his soul."
Epiphany, Candlemas, and Lent intersect this year to remind us of light, of the manifestation and recognition of God in our midst, of gifts to the Christ child and to the church - his Body, his "Corporation" in our time. Whether our gifts are large like those of the Wise Men at the Adoration or small like those of Mary and Joseph at the Presentation, let us, as the Epiphany hymn enjoins us, "with holy joy" offer our treasure "Christ! To thee, our heavenly King."
Lent, Holy Week, and Easter
Van Quinn, Organist and Choirmaster
Ash Wednesday - February 6 - "Remember that you are dust"
The first day of Lent takes it name from the traditional imposition of ashes as a sign of mourning (for sins), an act of penitence, and a dramatic reminder of our mortality. Remembering "that (we) are dust" is not necessarily a depressing thing, but does suggest that we should be reflective, prayerful, and purposeful about our brief lives in this world, and Lent is the ideal time to do that. There is a specific liturgy prescribed for Ash Wednesday that begins with a salutation, the Collect of the Day, three lessons, a psalm, and a sermon. Then follows a formal invitation to the observance of a "holy Lent" and the imposition of ashes at the altar rail. The ashes are created by burning of palms saved from the last Palm Sunday. By long tradition Psalm 51, the Miserere is said or sung during this time. Then follows a Litany of Penitence, the Peace, and the Holy Communion. This service is offered throughout the day. The 5:15 service includes hymns and other music sung by the Junior Choir. The 8:00 service is solemn and includes music by the Senior Choir.
The Sundays in Lent
Just as Christians are told that they should be "in the world but not of it" the Sundays in Lent are, like all Sundays, feast days and not fasts. The liturgies are more restrained (no Gloria in excelsis, for example), the decoration of the church more austere, and hymns and other music reflect the deep seriousness of Lent. Theologically speaking, however, each Sunday is a "little Easter," in Lent but not of it. Rather than "giving up" some trivial thing why not make a "holy Lent" by bringing yourself and your family to church every Sunday, as well as to the especially soulful and powerful liturgies of Holy Week?
Palm Sunday - March 16 - "Then take, O God, thy power and reign"
The liturgy for this Sunday (also called the "Sunday of the Passion") is so rich and powerful that many people mistakenly conclude that they don't need the other services of Holy Week to prepare for Easter. The liturgy for the day falls into two starkly contrasting parts. The Liturgy of the Palms and the joyful music which surrounds it, and the preaching on and singing of the Passion Narrative from one of the Gospels, followed by the Holy Communion. In the opening rite the story of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem is read, the palms are blessed, followed by a joyful procession into the church during the singing of the ninth-century hymn "All glory laud and honor," a practice of the Jerusalem church first documented in the fourth century. Once the procession has arrived in the chancel, however, the mood swiftly changes. A sobering reading from Isaiah, Psalm 22 ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me") which Jesus quoted as he was dying, and a reading of the Passion Narrative (accounts of the sufferings of Jesus concluding with his death and the testimony of the Roman centurion who observed it) from one of the Synoptic gospels. At the 9:00 and 11:15 services the Passion is sung to a 6th century chant reserved exclusively for this purpose, with the choir and congregation playing the murderous crowd who first shouted "Hosanna" and then "Crucify him." All the crosses in the church and chapel are veiled in red.
Maundy Thursday - March 20 - "A new commandment give I unto you"
Maundy Thursday is perhaps the most beautiful service of Holy Week. White flowers and hangings adorn the church and chapel. The veils for the crosses are changed to white, and the Gloria in excelsis is sung. This day commemorates Jesus' institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, and his washing the disciples' feet. The name for the day is derived from the chants sung during the foot washing ritual in which both priest and members of the congregation wash one another's feet: Mandatum novum - "A new commandment give I unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you." The service ends with the stripping of the altar and the congregation leaves the darkened church in silence. The crosses have been veiled in black for Good Friday. This day is observed at the 5:15 service, and with music from the Senior Choir at the later service.
The observance of this day should not be missed by anyone committed to keeping a "Holy Lent."
Good Friday - March 21 - "Could you not watch with me one hour?"
The Three Hour service is divided into three one hour blocks. The first hour is essentially Morning Prayer, with hymns, and a sermon. The second hour alternates Biblical readings with appropriate choral music sung by the Senior Choir. The third hour is the proper liturgy of Good Friday from the Book of Common Prayer. It begins like a Eucharist (although there is no communion on this day) with lessons and a psalm, The Gospel is a dramatic reading of the Passion Narrative from the Gospel of John. After the sermon the Solemn Collects are read. Then a plain wooden cross (the same one that is adorned with flowers brought by children on Easter Day) is carried in as the choir sings one of the "Reproaches" - Popule meus - "O my people, what have I done?" Then the plainsong hymn "Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle" (one of only two hymns mentioned by name in the BCP) is sung. The service ends after a prayer, when the chapel bell is rung 33 times (once for each year of Jesus' life) and the congregation leaves in silence.
The Great Vigil of Easter - March 22 - "He has risen, as he said"
This service consists of four parts. The opening Service of Light begins with the church in darkness. Then the "new fire" is struck just outside the front door of the church. The paschal candle is lit and the choir and ministers process to the chancel as the candles of the congregation are lighted. A priest or deacon sings the ancient hymn Exsultet, with its dramatic repeated phrases - "This is the night..." Following the Service of Light, the Service of Lessons begins with readings from the Old Testament, each followed by a canticle or hymn. Then follows the service of Baptism. After the priests have returned to the chancel from the font and vested themselves for Easter, the celebrant makes the Easter Proclamation, the lights come on, the candles are extinguished, and the choir and congregation sings the traditional "Carolingian Acclamations" - Christus vincit! Christus prodiens! Christus imperat! - Christ triumphs! Christ leads! Christ commands!" and the first Eucharist of Easter unfolds.
So, what are you "giving up" for Lent this year?
By Linda B. Rimer, Environmental Stewardship Committee Chair
Last year, the Environmental Stewardship Committee invited parishioners to consider giving up something different for Lent. Instead of the more common "fasts" from chocolate, or going to the movies, or watching television, the committee invited you to "fast from carbon," that is, to reduce the amount of carbon that you put into the environment. Here are the reasons we gave for considering doing this:
First: the carbon we are putting into the environment, in the form of "greenhouse gases", is changing the climate of God's creation, our planet Earth.
Second: the sources of these greenhouse gases are human beings and the society we have created. The largest component of greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide which comes from the burning of fossil fuels, that is, from the generation of electricity (predominately coal-fired power plants) and from the modes of transportation that we use (predominately cars and trucks). In fact, the typical American household generates and puts into the air 55,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
Third: The impacts of these increases in greenhouse gases will be devastating for our planet as we know it, and for the plants and animals that have lived here for millions of years.
Fourth: God created this earth. He declared it to be good, and expects us to care for his creation and to maintain its goodness for future generations.
Today, this need to reduce carbon has become even more urgent. In November, 2007, the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Fourth Assessment Report that represented the work of 2500 scientific expert reviewers, 800 contributing authors, and 450 lead authors from more than 130 countries. Some of their conclusions: warming of the climate system is unequivocal; global air and ocean temperatures are increasing; average sea levels are rising globally; and reductions of snow and ice are being measured across the planet. (http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/presentations/valencia-2007-11/pachauri-17-november-2007.pdf)
So for the second year, the Environmental Stewardship Committee is again inviting you to "give up carbon" for Lent. Just as the Lenten fast rarely means giving up food entirely, we are not asking parishioners to give up carbon entirely. In fact, our use of carbon is so intertwined with our existence that it is virtually impossible for us to truly give up carbon. But we can use this Lenten season to measure how much carbon we are putting into the air, learn how to reduce that amount, and make commitments to those reductions.
During the five Sundays of Lent, you will be able to go to the parish office and have your "carbon footprint" measured. Next, you will receive information on ways to reduce the size of your footprint. You may be surprised to learn how simple many of these actions really are. In so doing, you will be helping to protect God's creation, our planet Earth.
If you have questions about this, please contact Linda Rimer at lbrimer@bellsouth.net.
The Preschool at the Chapel of the Cross
by Perri Kersh, Preschool at the Chapel of the Cross Board President and Chapel of the Cross Parishioner
If you've ever passed the parish playground or roamed the second floor hallway on a weekday morning, you're sure to find lots of bright eyed, energetic preschoolers laughing, playing and learning. They may be cuddled up in the lap of a teacher hearing a story; or painting, gluing, and drawing in their own world of creativity; or they could be building forts in the sand, swinging, climbing, or sliding outside in the sunshine. No matter what busy activity they're pursuing, they're having loads of fun at the Preschool at Chapel of the Cross (PCC).
The preschool, an outreach ministry of the Chapel of the Cross, operates each week day from 8:15 am to 12:15 pm, year round, and is considered by most to be one of the best half-day preschools in Chapel Hill. In fact, we always have a long waiting list of children eager to attend.
For those of you unfamiliar with our preschool, its history and relationship to the church, I thought I'd share a little of our story here. And for those of you who sent your children here years ago, we thought you might enjoy a little reminder of the joys of preschool!
History
The preschool was established in 1971 by co-founders Kim Sullivan and Christy Lee. In the beginning, only twelve children from nine parishioner families attended one day a week. In 1972, the school quickly expanded to a weekly, tuition supported preschool serving children up to age three. Tuition rates posted in a 1972 letter were $1.50 per morning per child, and $.75 for each additional child, with a $4.00 participation fee to cover juice, cookies and diapers. The co-founders primarily intended the preschool to serve the parish, with the ultimate goal of opening spaces for the community at large. Now, 37 children are in attendance five days a week, with a total enrollment reaching 49 children whose attendance schedules vary from either two, three or five days a week.
Our kids
It's clear from the faces of the children who come to school here each day that they love this preschool! Over 50% of our children are parishioners, and it's wonderful for them to be able to attend preschool in the same place where they worship each Sunday. For some children, the preschool has been a true blessing. Susan Prytherch, parishioner and mother of Elizabeth who was a four year old at PCC last year, had this to say about her experience at PCC,
"My daughter Elizabeth, who was three when she was adopted from Russia, was so very fortunate to attend PCC this past year. The preschool gave her a strong sense of belonging in our community. The staff is so loving, and are true professionals. This warm, nurturing, yet structured environment was exactly what Elizabeth needed to develop the confidence and social skills necessary for starting kindergarten."
And Margaret Conrad, whose children attended PCC, had this to say about her children's experience,
"Our three children all grew up at PCC and loved it! They learned lots of things there: how to walk in yellow rain boots filled with sand, how to organize a pretend circus, how to sing at the top of their lungs at inopportune times, their letters and an introduction to Spanish. But most importantly they learned how to get along with and trust others. The teachers, director, families and philosophy of 'play nicely with others' provide about the best preschool experience anyone could imagine. We feel so fortunate to have been a part of the PCC journey."
Our teachers and staff
If you speak with any preschool parents, they will all share their love and adoration for our staff. Phoebe and Deborah, the devoted teachers of our two year olds, work with children who typically haven't spent much time away from mom and dad, and create for them a special, fun place to come and play each day. Connie and Emily, the teachers of our three year olds, creatively work to help them become independent preschoolers, navigating how to share, work together and play cooperatively. And Kris and Julie, teachers of our fearless four year olds, help prepare our children for kindergarten through art, reading, music, and more.
Our staff is led by Laura Gelblum, the preschool director who has served our school for more than 22 years. Laura's knowledge of the development of two, three, and four year old children could easily fill a book (I think we've all learned a thing or two about our own children from her.) Her years of dedication to our school make her a trusted leader that we count on to run an excellent program for our children.
How we operate
Over 95% of our budget comes directly from tuition. Additional funds are raised to provide scholarships for families who could not otherwise afford preschool. Our budget for scholarships for 2007 was $5,650. However, our generous parents raised over $8,000 to assist four families. In the past, the church has generously contributed to our scholarship fund through ABC Sale contributions and funds from the Social Ministry Committee.
The preschool is extremely grateful for all the Chapel of the Cross does to support our program. If you'd like to know more about our school, please don't hesitate to contact me (Perri Kersh, PCC Board President, perri@neat-freak.com) or Laura Gelblum (PCC Director, preschool@thechapelofthecross.org).
ABC Sale - Saturday, April 12 from 9:00am to 2:00pm
by Heather Benjamin, 2008 Sale Co-Chair
Tired of returning Christmas presents you can't use? Getting rid of older items you have now replaced? Re-designing your home? We can help! Save all your useable, good quality items for this year's ABC Sale. Drop-off will begin Monday, April 7, and we will be happy to take your donations to help raise money for community organizations. Last year the proceeds were such that, after paying sale expenses, we were able to give away $27,500. All of the profits were donated to well-deserving organizations in our community that really make a difference.
You can also help to make this event a success by volunteering during the week of the sale. We need lots of terrific volunteers to bring this wonderful event to fruition. We also need people with trucks who can help pick up donations of large items; we also need help from anyone who might have storage facilities that we can use from now until the sale week. If you're a gardener, we could certainly use your green thumb. Start some seedlings now and they'll be in great shape in time for the sale. Contact Kristen Carmouche at 928-0806 for more information on the garden shop.
Finally, if you haven't found a niche for yourself in the opportunities listed above, we have sponsorship opportunities for various one-time purchases we need to make this year. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact this year's chairpersons, Mindy Morton, mortons04@nc.rr.com and Heather Benjamin, habenjam@bellsouth.net. There are ways for everyone to be involved!
Adult Education - Lent, 2008
Educational offerings at the Chapel of the Cross are intended to reflect the parish mission statement and to give parishioners a variety of opportunities to discern their walk with God through Christ as a part of our faith community.
Members of the Adult Education Committee are Paul Carew, Ian Dunn, Al Guckes, Gretchen Jordan, Mary Ann Morris, Lila Wolff and Nancy Tunnessen, chair.
Please contact anyone on the committee with your questions or suggestions.
SUNDAY MORNINGS DURING LENT
On the first five Sundays of Lent, there will be two adult education offerings: a class in the Chapel lead by clergy members on The Baptismal Covenant, each week addressing one of the five questions. The second offering will be lead by members of the Environmental Stewardship Committee. Parishoners will have the opportunity to engage in a computer program in the parish office to measure their carbon footprint and make a pledge of self denial for the season in addition to receiving a packet of environmentally friendly tips. For those who registered, there is also a lectio divina prayer group in Room 1.
It has been reported that the current Archbishop of Canterbury was surprised on a recent visit to learn how central the Baptismal Covenant is to Episcopalians. In this series our clergy will explore the five questions that we, as individuals and as a church, affirm with God's help during the Baptism Service
The Baptismal Covenant
The Rev. David Frazelle
Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?
Measuring Your Carbon Footprint
Environmental Stewardship Committee
During the six Sundays of Lent, you will be able to go to the parish office and have your "carbon footprint" measured. Next, you will receive information on ways to reduce the size of your footprint. You may be surprised to learn how simple many of these actions really are. In so doing, you will be helping to protect God's creation, our planet Earth.
The Baptismal Covenant
The Rev. Tambria Lee
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
Measuring Your Carbon Footprint
Each Sunday of Lent, you will be able to go to the parish office and have your "carbon footprint" measured. Next, you will receive information on ways to reduce the size of your footprint. You may be surprised to learn how simple many of these actions really are. In so doing, you will be helping to protect God's creation, our planet Earth.
The Baptismal Covenant
The Rev. Susannah Smith
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
Measuring Your Carbon Footprint
During the six Sundays of Lent, you will be able to go to the parish office and have your "carbon footprint" measured. Next, you will receive information on ways to reduce the size of your footprint. You may be surprised to learn how simple many of these actions really are. In so doing, you will be helping to protect God's creation, our planet Earth.
The Baptismal Covenant
The Rev. William Joyner
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
Measuring Your Carbon Footprint
During the six Sundays of Lent, you will be able to go to the parish office and have your "carbon footprint" measured. Next, you will receive information on ways to reduce the size of your footprint. You may be surprised to learn how simple many of these actions really are. In so doing, you will be helping to protect God's creation, our planet Earth.
The Baptismal Covenant
The Rev. Victoria Jamieson-Drake
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
Measuring Your Carbon Footprint
During the six Sundays of Lent, you will be able to go to the parish office and have your "carbon footprint" measured. Next, you will receive information on ways to reduce the size of your footprint. You may be surprised to learn how simple many of these actions really are. In so doing, you will be helping to protect God's creation, our planet Earth.
An Introduction to the Labyrinth in the Parlor
Gretchen S. Jordan
During Holy Week, our parish joins with nine other churches to provide a labyrinth meditation. The 40' x 40' canvas labyrinth, a replica of the famous Chartres Cathedral labyrinth in France, will be laid on the floor of the sanctuary at Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church. Watch for hours in upcoming publicity. Gretchen Jordan will present an introduction to this ancient practice.
WEEKDAY PROGRAMS DURING LENT
Monday Evenings, February 11, 18, 25 and March 3 from 7:30 – 9:00 in Room 4-5
"Christological Highs and Lows: A Theological Exploration of the Christology in the Gospel of John"
The Rev. Dr. Marcia Mount Shoop
The Gospel According to John distinguishes itself from the three synoptic gospels for many reasons not the least of which is that it tells the story of Jesus with a unique Christological slant. The text, as well as the conditions that gave rise to its context, are important windows into what it means to be a Christian. This gospel has helped to shape both the development of Christian doctrine and the dynamic that put some on the outside of Christian orthodoxy because of their beliefs about who Jesus was. This course will pay close attention to the Christological content of this gospel with an eye toward exploring its impact on contemporary Christian identities.
Participants will be encouraged to engage the material thoughtfully and prayerfully. This gospel invites us to enter into its Christological portrait with our hearts open to our own recognition of Jesus Christ. Your Lenten journey is sure to be enriched by an encounter with this distinctive gospel.
Dr. Shoop holds a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a PhD in Theology and Ethics from Emory University. She has served churches in the PC (U.S.A.) in Illinois, Florida and California. She has done work in incarnational theology, interfaith dialogue, world religions, embodiment theology, and multiculturalism. Dr. Shoop recently moved to Chapel Hill with her family. Her husband, John, serves as the Offensive Coordinator of the UNC football team.
Tuesdays, 8:30 - 9:30 in the Library
Mary Harris Bible Study
The Book of Revelation
February 21, 7:30 in the Parlor
Short Story Reading Group
The Jilting of Grandma Weatherall by Katherine Anne Porter
March 20, 7:30 in the Parlor
Short Story Reading Group
The Third Generation by Tova Reich
Outreach at the Chapel of the Cross...Looking Back and Looking Ahead
by Peggy Pratt, Social Ministry Chair
Jesus commands us to help the least among us and share our many gifts. The Chapel of the Cross, like churches across the globe, responds to this call, working to make a difference with contributions of time and money to provide relief to those in need and to advocate for those who have no voice. The Chapel of the Cross has a long history of outreach and social justice. As the New Year swings into motion, we have a chance to look at what we have done and where we are still led to go.
The Chapel of the Cross gives in many different ways. On the home front, the parish has been a strong supporter of the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service in Chapel Hill - the agency providing meals, shelter, crisis intervention services and other supportive services to those in critical need in our community. While funds from the parish help support IFC, we also have three cook teams at the IFC community kitchen and parishioners volunteering as receptionists, interviewers, and shelter monitors. Parishioners provide food that is distributed by IFC through our Sunday food gifts, the Holiday Meal program, and Project 5000 which this year collected 300 boxes of needed food for local families.
Adults and university students at the parish now have three meal teams for Orange House in Carrboro, a house for AIDS patients operated by Carolina AIDS Alliance, another agency supported with parish funds. Other parishioners participate with volunteers from other congregations in the prison ministry program at the Orange Alamance Prison in Hillsborough. They meet weekly with the prisoners to provide spiritual and social support. Our parish, along with other faith organizations in the community, supports the prison chaplain's salary, which is not funded by the state.
In 2007, our ABC Sale, a project which involves widespread parishioner involvement, distributed a total of $27,500 to area agencies. Last year the Chapel of the Cross committed to co-sponsoring another Burmese refugee family in conjunction with Lutheran Family Services, and embarked in the process of changing the lives of this family of eight. Parishioners have generously provided household goods, furniture, and clothing for the family while parish funds have paid for rent, utilities, and other essentials until they can become self supporting. We cannot forget the clothing drives for Thompson's Child and Family Focus which have received strong support from this parish since its inception and which continues to make a significant impact for the residents there.
A budgeted amount of the parish funds go directly to support programs in the community and the world. Internationally, this parish has committed 0.7% of its funds to support the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by supporting groups which combat poverty and promote opportunities for self-sustainability in nations suffering from severe poverty. We join our diocese and the national church in this effort. Global Missions, the Micah Group, Social Ministry, Christian Education, and our youth and university groups have given us ways that we as individuals can also join the battle against extreme global poverty by purchasing mosquito netting through Episcopal Relief and Development, making a Heifer contribution, putting together meal packets for the Stop Hunger Now/Million Meals Program, and participating in parish mission trips.
We have accomplished much this year at the Chapel of the Cross but our commitment to help the least among us continues. The needs are great and we stretch to try to do more. Our vestry has faithfully worked to increase the funds budgeted to outreach. Locally in the coming year we hope to partner with Orange County DSS, assisting when unmet needs arise. We want to strengthen our relationship with the local Latino community working with El Centro Latino, opening a dialogue with the Episcopal Farm Worker Ministry, and finding ways to partner with El Buen Pastor, the Episcopal mission for Latinos, in Durham. Additionally we hope to support the ecumenical effort to build a meeting and worship space, called The Peace Center, for the inmates at Orange Alamance Prison. A fall mission trip with other Carolina parishes to the Gulf Coast to help in the relief effort is in the planning stages.
If you are interested in learning more about supporting or participating in any of these projects, the parish office can connect you with the appropriate contact person.
"Almighty God, whose loving hand hath given us all that we possess: Grant us grace that we may honor thee with our substance, and...may we be faithful stewards of thy bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Vestry Nominees
The following parishioners have agreed to be nominated for election to the vestry. They were each asked to respond to several questions and their responses are listed below. Four vestry positions will be filled. The election will take place after each of the services on February 17. Parish by-laws prohibit absentee voting.
Questions
1. When did you become a member of the Chapel of the Cross?
2. Have you ever been on the vestry, either at this or any other parish? If yes, please note dates, parishes, and positions held.
3. What are your current activities (groups, committees, etc.) with the parish?
4. In what activities have you been involved in the past at the Chapel of the Cross?
5. In what activities are you involved in the greater community outside the parish?
Valerie Bateman
Sankey Blanton Ann Craver Doug Kelly Harriet Gaillard Bill Stockard
