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A Glimpse of Heaven in Sawyerville

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A Glimpse of Heaven in Sawyerville THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF ALABAMA July/August/September 2021 • Vol. 106, No. 3 A Glimpse of Heaven in Sawyerville See page 6 dioala.org THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH In the Diocese of Alabama A community of about 32,000 baptized members in 87 parishes and worshiping communities and 8 college ministries. Established in 1830. Bishop The Rt. Rev. Glenda S. Curry Carpenter House 521 North 20th Street Birmingham, AL 35203 205/715-2060 In the United States A community of about 1.9 million members in 109 dioceses in 16 nations. Established in 1789. Presiding Bishop The Most Rev. Michael Curry Episcopal Church Center 815 Second Avenue New York, NY 10017 212/867-8400 The Anglican Communion A community of 80 million members in 44 regional and national member churches in more than 160 countries. Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Rev. Justin Welby Lambeth Palace, London England SE17JU The Alabama Episcopalian Kelley Hudlow, Editor Miles G. Parsons, Art Director Georganne Perrine, Circulation Secretary Volume 106, Number 3 July/August/September 2021 USPS 070-910 ISSN 1041-3316 Periodical postage paid The Alabama Episcopalian is published four times a year (March 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1). For the most current news about recent and upcoming events, please visit our diocesan website, www.dioala.org. Please send stories and photographs (full color, at highest resolution possible) to Editor Kelley Hudlow at [email protected] or 521 North 20th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203-2682; the submission deadline for each issue is February 1, April 1, July 1, October 1. Postmaster, parishes, and individuals, please send all address changes or additions to Circulation Secretary Georganne Perrine at [email protected] or Carpenter House, 521 North 20th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203–2682. Keep up with the latest news from around our diocese between issues of The Alabama Episcopalian on our diocesan website, www.dioala.org. If you are not already receiving our “DioAla News Update,” you can sign up to receive a weekly email containing headlines with links to the latest news, photos, and videos about and from around our diocese. Simply send an email with your name and e-mail address to [email protected] and put “Headlines” in the subject line. You can “opt out” anytime. All address corrections or additions should be sent to Georganne Perrine at [email protected] or Carpenter House, 521 North 20th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203-2682. POSTMASTER: Please send address corrections to Georganne Perrine, Circulation Secretary, The Alabama Episcopalian, 521 North 20th Street, dioala.org Birmingham, AL 35203-2682. 2 | The Alabama Episcopalian The Alabama Episcopalian THE MAGAZINE OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF ALABAMA IN THIS ISSUE 5 Love Transforms Us 6 A Glimpse of Heaven in Sawyerville NEWS FROM OUR SHARED MINISTRIES 12 Faith Formation and Resources 14 General Convention Preparations: Diocese of Alabama Contributions 15 The Fruits of Keeping Sabbath 16 Doing Church: Liturgy and Music after the Pandemic 6 17 Nic Scheff, subject of the Movie Beautiful Boy, to kick off The Journey for the Department of Recovery Ministries A Glimpse of Heaven 18 Dioceses to offer Virtual Celebration of the Life and Work of in Sawyerville Jonathan Myrick Daniels 19 2022 United Thank Offering Grants 20 COMING HOME NEWS FROM OUR PARISHES 24 Food Truck Festival Raises $4,500 in One Night for Student Meals 25 Unlock Your Soul: The Enneagram and Living the Real Life Conference 26 Thirteen Participants from Around the Diocese and Beyond to Graduate Metagem Institute’s “Holy, Whole, and Bold: The Contemplative Path” Two-Year Program 27 Saving the Windows of St. John’s 18 28 CLERGY NEWS Dioceses to offer BOOK REVIEW Virtual Celebration 30 New Book Invites Us to Revisit a Familiar Story of the Life and Work of Jonathan Myrick 31 UPCOMING EVENTS Daniels dioala.org | 3 4 | The Alabama Episcopalian Love Transforms Us The Rt. Rev. Glenda S. Curry Dear Friends: friends, though some started as strangers. God’s love was changing us forever. wo years ago, I had the privilege of officiating at Love transforms us. Jesus knew that, and so he a graveside service for a person I had never met. made that a great commandment and assigned it as our TShe was the sister of a longtime member of All purpose. “Love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus Saints, and I was honored to say prayers at this woman’s was a teacher, a rabbi. History tells us that teachers were graveside for them. I met her family and friends at their prevalent in Israel and usually gathered their students home on a rainy Saturday. from the best and the brightest. Jesus chose his students I pictured the service as simple and small, but people from the dropouts, rejects, and forgotten. The disciples of all ages filled the house. Wonderful food covered the were uncertain about Jesus’ teachings, but something table, and everyone was talking and laughing. When I inside told them they needed to learn. So, they followed came in, everyone greeted me with such warmth and the Teacher that led them to eternal life and abundant enthusiasm that before I knew it, I was enjoying myself. love. By calling the least among us to be his students, Je- A friendly cat joined me in my chair while a happy, sus showed us that all of us have a place in God’s school. lovable, fluffy dog roamed around among the crowd, The pages of this issue highlight the wonderful stealing treats. The decedent’s children began to tell me formation ministries around our diocese. I am amazed about their mother’s life. Her nieces and nephews talked at how our formation leaders have continued to offer about her sense of humor and her energy. She was so learning opportunities through the pandemic and reach alive in what they said that I began to expect her to walk new people. The love of Christ transforms us through the right into the room. miraculous ministry at Sawyerville, virtual book groups, When we got to the cemetery, it began to rain like intergenerational Vacation Bible School, the Journey cats and dogs. Everyone produced an umbrella, and Days Recovery Event, and the Virtual Celebration of we huddled together close to the grave, dripping and Jonathan Myrick Daniels. I want to thank all our dedi- bumping umbrellas with the wind howling. A few even cated teachers, formation leaders, clergy, Vacation Bible stayed in their cars and simply lowered their windows to School leaders, preschool staff. I want to thank all those hear the words I was saying. I stood as close to the car who serve on the many committees and departments that windows as possible and yelled. guide us to explore lifelong Christian formation. Each of We tried to spread the ashes gently, but they blew these formation leaders follows the Rabbi Jesus and leads all around us, like a cloud, but no one seemed to mind. us to transformation. Your gifts and energy are extraordi- We all got much wetter than expected, and not everyone nary blessings to us all! was able to hear the prayers, but at the end of it all, it Finally, I hope I see you at church! was a holy, extraordinary time. When I left the grave, waving goodbye to everyone, I realized how full I felt, Blessings, how much love I saw shared. It was as if that mother’s love for each of them was overflowing, splashing on each person, running over even to me. God’s love was pour- ing like rain all over us, connecting us as loved ones and dioala.org | 5 A Glimpse of Heaven in Sawyerville Claire Cotten, Sawyerville Director for Development & Communications n 2021 the Sawyerville Summer Learning program their grade level at the end of the school year. When we nearly doubled the number of students enrolled. This started planning for this summer, we planned to invite 40 Iyear, because of the implementation of the Alabama students and 12 teachers each week. By May, the program Literacy Act, we had to drastically change Summer had expanded to 76 registered students and 15 teachers Learning to accommodate the school’s and the students’ each week. needs. The Alabama Literacy Act requires schools to pro- Though the rapid growth was concerning, students vide summer learning, including 70 hours of reading, for benefited greatly from the 70+ hours of reading gained all students in grades first through fourth who fall below during the program. Students read in every way imag- 6 | The Alabama Episcopalian inable, such as reading independently, reading digital- place at the time of our planning, we decided to re-open ly, hearing books read aloud, and more. At the time of Summer Camp at half capacity. We are looking forward writing, we are still crunching numbers from the students’ to being back to our usual 750 campers and 300 staff in pre- and post-tests, but I am proud to report that students Summer 2022. These smaller numbers did not diminish had an average growth rate of 10.7%. the amount of positive energy and joyful noise at camp! Meanwhile at Summer Camp, over 340 campers, ages As always, campers created artwork, made music, played 6-13, participated in three one-week sessions hosted by games, learned Bible stories, and, in place of our normal more than 100 staff members. Due to Covid restrictions in swimming activities, enjoyed a water play day complete dioala.org | 7 with a giant inflatable water slide, dunk tank, and snow counselors from around the diocese stayed overnight at cones.
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