The Parish Messenger February 2017
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The Parish Messenger February 2017 The Newsletter of the People of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church State College, Pennsylvania With God’s help, we the people of St. Andrew’s seek to know and accept God’s love in Jesus Christ for all people and to witness to God’s love in word and action. LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER aka THE SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE SUPPER So, in New Orleans, it used to get really hot. Really, really hot. Just like today, but imagine it with no refrigerators. Now, imagine it is the day before Ash Wednesday and for the next 40 days at the stroke of midnight you are going to not only be on your best behavior, but you’re going to give up beignets, eclairs, macaroons, St. Honore cakes and well, basically, you’re not going to eat anything good. So, you’ve got hot, no refrigerator and nothing good to eat. Now what are you going to do? You’re going to party like it’s going out of style, and you’re going to use all the flour, sugar, eggs and butter you have because after 40 days (remember the no refrigeration thing), it ain’t going to be good. And what do you get when you combine those ingredients? Pancakes and king cakes! Therefore, St. Andrew’s will be doing its part to let the good times roll and host a Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday as they say in The Big Easy, pancake supper. It will be held on Tuesday, February 28 from 5 PM- 7PM in Canterbury Hall. The meal will be all-you-can-eat and will include pancakes, sausage, eggs, applesauce and the assorted King Cake or two. Tickets in Advance are $6 for adults and $4 for those 12 and under. Buy your tickets early because after February 26, they will be $8 for adults and $5 for those 12 and under. LETTER FROM THE SEARCH COMMITTEE The call has gone out for our new rector. The position was officially posted in mid-January and we are accepting applications from now until March 21st. If you have not had a chance to view our Parish Profile, it is posted on the St. Andrew’s website. At this point, the goal is for our profile to reach our new rector. In addition to the normal channels, spreading our story via word of mouth is often a great way to share the fact that we are looking for a new rector. Therefore, feel free to share our profile with anyone you know who may be interested or whom you feel may be a great candidate. We continue to work closely with the Diocese. Father Dan Morrow, the Diocesan Transitional Minister, will be visiting St. Andrews on Sunday February 26th. He will meet with the Search Committee following the 10:30 AM service to review the next steps in the search process once the application period ends. The Search Committee asks for your continued support and prayers. If you have any question or comments, please do not hesitate to reach out to anyone on the committee or email us at [email protected]. Andrea de Carle and Ford McNutt Co-Chairs of The Search Committee OUT OF THE COLD: St. Andrews will shelter and feed our homeless guests from March 6 - 19. We are expecting about 15 guests per night, so we need your help to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Opportunities to volunteer include: Meals: Serving breakfast (6:30 AM - 7:30AM): examples include cold cereal, juice and toast, McMuffins or a breakfast casserole. Serving dinner (8 PM - 10 PM): soup and a sandwich to chili or a casserole. Host: (8 PM- 10:30 PM): checking guests in and showing them the facility. Overnight chaperone: (8:30 PM - 7:15 AM): We need 2-3 males and 1 female each night. Laundry: After March 19, we will need people to wash the blankets we provide for the guests. Donate: Donations of socks and undershirts - how nice would it feel to put on a new dry pair of socks after spending all day out in the rain? There will be training provided for all who participate in the program. Pick a date that is convenient for you: February 12 at 9:15 AM in Room 324. This will be a quick retraining for those who have participated in years past. February 23 at 6 PM - Room 119, or February 25 at 11AM in Room 119. Click here to sign up to volunteer. KAI PAUL HRABOVSKY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND: Community Foundation for the Alleghenies Kai Hrabovsky, grandson of parishioners Tony and Vicky Ponish, was killed in a hit-and-run accident last May. His family has established a scholarship fund in his honor. If you would like to remember Kai with a donation, you can do so online (click here) or by check payable to "Community Foundation for the Alleghenies" with Hrabovsky Scholarship in the memo line. Checks should be mailed to Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, 116 Market Street, Suite 4, Johnstown, PA 15901. INTERESTED ADULTS: EPISCOPAL VISITATION, MARCH 26 Our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Audrey Scanlan, will be making a visitation to St. Andrew's on Sunday, March 26, and will preside at our worship on that day. Included in that worship will be the rites of Confirmation and Reception, which are required for full adult membership in the Episcopal Church. In addition, anyone wishing to renew the vows made at baptism also may be presented to the Bishop for Renewal. Unlike Confirmation and Reception, which only are undertaken and received once, Renewal may be undertaken and received as often as the Holy Spirit moves a person to do so. Adults wishing to be presented for Confirmation, Reception and Renewal on Sunday, March 26, should call the church office and express their interest to Allison. Those previously prepared though Episcopalian 101 will be provided with the necessary paperwork to be presented, and those needing preparation will be invited to join a preparation experience that will begin meeting this month. Questions? Please contact me. Doug+ LECTIO DIVINA All are invited to join in an opportunity of spiritual reflection through reading, meditation and prayer. Lectio Divina is a practice that invites us to slow down, dialogue with God through the Scriptures, and manifest this relationship in our lives. Whether you are a committed practitioner or are interested in exploring a new prayer path, all are invited to participate in this ancient monastic ritual. Lectio Divina will be held on the following dates this spring in the Library from 9:15 AM- 10:15 AM: February 19, March 19, April 23, and May 21. EVENING PRAYER Evening Prayer has been a major component in the prayer life of Anglicans since the 1552 revision of the Book of Common Prayer. It’s a simple service that allows us to decompress from the busyness and stress of the day. Reminiscent of the Eucharist, Evening Prayer incorporates prayer, scripture, and the profession of our faith through the Apostle’s Creed. Please join us each Wednesday at 5:15 PM in the chapel for 20 minutes of prayer, reflection and spiritual refreshment. Contact Kevin Barron at [email protected] with any questions. EVENSONG AT ST. ANDREW'S On Sunday, February 5th, at 5 PM, the Adult Choir of St. Andrew's will offer a service of choral evensong according to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. This book is still the official prayer book of the Church of England. Music in the service will include the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in C by Stanford, the anthem Ye That Do Your Master’s Will by George Dyson and a setting of the Preces and Responses by Thomas Tallis. The Rev. Douglas Daily, interim rector at St. Andrew's, will be the officiant. Prior to the Reformation, prayer in the early evening or late afternoon was known as the office of Vespers, one of the eight Canonical Hours of the divine office of the Western church. However, in 1549, a prayer book known as the Book of Common Prayer was adopted in the context of the English Reformation. Bishop Thomas Cranmer established the office of Evensong using elements taken from both Vespers and Compline, generally to be conducted in the English language, as was the case with the entire liturgy. After a series of slight modifications, the office of Evensong took its modern form in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, a form that is followed very closely throughout the whole of the Anglican and Episcopal Church throughout the world. Evensong, like all forms of liturgical worship, has elements of drama and ritual that nourish the spiritual life of all of us. It is based entirely on elements of Holy Scripture and it is scripted according to a long history, originating in Judaic and early Christian evening worship. Evensong is traditionally mostly sung by a choir, with the full congregation participating throughout in thoughtful prayer, allowing the music to soothe us and to draw us closer to the presence of God. The congregation also joins in the spoken parts of the liturgy: the reciting of the Confession and the Creed, as well as singing the hymns. Please join us for this service. A reception will follow in Room 325. ST. ANDREW’S VESTRY UPDATE JANUARY 2017 The first vestry meeting of 2017 held on Monday evening, January 16, opened with the welcoming of the four newly elected vestry members: Rose Bohn, Peter Chamberlain, Tom Dauler, and Steven Smith.