Jacob's Ladder
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Jacob’s Ladder Michaelmas 2013 Jacob’s Ladder A newsletter from St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Port Hope Photo by Anne Oram It was all smiles at Andrew Teague our Torah stitch-by-stitch. the ribbon cutting new organist in for the parish hall. 1,463 volunteer stitchers residence. from around the world plan Friends and neighbours St. Markers extended a to produce the whole of the joined parishioners at an warm welcome when Mr. five books of Moses to be Open House on September Teague played his first assembled into a Torah scroll 28 in celebration of the service at the harvest festival of 248 columns . completion of the Parish on October 6. Hall project. Page 3 Page 4 Page 8 Jacob’s Ladder Michaelmas 2013 Andrew will be with us for seven Sundays and Incumbent’s Word will then return to England for several weeks to meet commitments there and rejoin us for As the fall season begins we the New Year. Please make him feel welcome take time, both as a here at St. Mark’s and in Port Hope. As we community of faith and as a welcome him we also give thanks for the nation, to give thanks. We musical gifts of Peter Roe who filled in so ably have much to be grateful for over the past nine months or so. and so we come before God in praise and thanksgiving. This is also a time of change in the Deanery We ought to be thankful all of Durham-Northumberland with new priests through the year but it is in Newcastle-Orono, St. John’s, Port Hope, probably a good thing that we call each other to and St. Peter’s, Cobourg. Fr. Ed Cachia of a particular time of gratefulness because some of St. George’s, Grafton, is on medical leave. the news we hear could lead us to despair. But The Incumbent of St. Paul’s, Brighton has we have many blessings, too. announced his retirement, effective November 24. This is a lot of change for a Here at St. Mark’s we have just celebrated with deanery of only eight parishes! friends and neighbours the official opening of our renovated Parish Hall. What a glorious day It hardly seems possible but the Hollyberry it was! This amazing venture is something we Bazaar and Christmas at St. Mark’s are just could hardly have dreamed of a few years ago. around the corner! We are off and running And yet here we are, in the hall, enjoying its for another year of activity with great beauty and its practicality. As we continue to fellowship and a lot of hard work. It takes settle in it will become more familiar to us and many hands to accomplish all that we have truly feel like our ‘home’. planned so consider how you might get involved and make the load lighter for others. But we can’t simply stand in awe of its grandeur. We have a call to serve God’s people in this May God continue to bless us as we celebrate community and so we need to continue to the wonders of God’s love and the beauty of dream, to create visions of what can happen creation. here, what ought to be happening here in response to the amazing blessing this hall is. Scripture tells us that God calls us to offer the first fruits in thanksgiving and so we must be prepared to offer this space that has been created for God’s blessing and for service to many. Together let us listen carefully for God’s call to us for ministry in this place. Please remember that Bishop Linda Nicholls will be with us on the afternoon of November 17 to bless the Parish Hall and to share with us at a Parish Supper. We are also most grateful at this time for our new Organist and Choir Director, Mr. Andrew 2 Teague who arrived in the parish on October 1. 2 Jacob’s Ladder Michaelmas 2013 Meet Andrew Teague, Our New Andrew will be with us for seven weeks but Organist in residence then must go back to England for several weeks to meet commitments there. He then plans to return to Port Hope in the New Year. We are elated to have such an accomplished musician come to St. Mark’s and we look forward with great enthusiasm to his ministry among us. ____________________________________ *Tuesday, Tea, and Theology* St. Mark's Book Club After a lengthy search St. Mark’s has a new Schedule for 2013/2014 Organist in residence. He is Andrew Teague, 3 to 4:30, somewhere in the Parish Hall who played his first service on October 6. He comes to us from having been Organist and Oct. 29 -- John Spong, Reclaiming the Bible, Master of the Choristers at Bradford Cathedral New Testament section in England from 2003 to 2011. He has degrees from both Oxford (Worcester College, M.A., Nov. 26 -- Robert Purdy, Without Guarantee: distinction in organ performance) and the Search for a Vulnerable God (published by Bob Cambridge (St. Catharine's College). He is a Purdy, 2013 ISBN 978-1-61813-088-4) fellow of the Royal College of Organists with Choirtraining diploma. For many years he has Jan. 28 -- Wade, Rowland, Moral In/sanity (in been an examiner for candidates studying Manuscript) under the programs of the Royal School of Music both in the UK and abroad. Feb. 25 -- Bart Ehrman, Peter, Paul and Mary Besides Bradford, Andrew has held major ***Mar. 25 -- Richard Rohr, Falling Upward church posts in the UK in Nottingham and Brighton and has run concurrent school music Apr. 29 -- Helen M. Luke, The Laughter at the positions. For five years Andrew was Organist Heart of Things and Choirmaster at St. Matthew's, Ottawa, which has a very strong music program. While May 27 -- Reza Aslan, No God but God there Andrew and his wife took out Canadian citizenship with an eye eventually to moving to Canada and settling in retirement in one of the ***In place of Roger Scruton, The Face of God lakeshore towns, where he could still keep some involvement as a professional church musician. 3 3 Jacob’s Ladder Michaelmas 2013 Parish Hall Official Opening Some Steps Along the Way September 28 will be remembered as a highlight in St. Mark’s long history. A large crowd of parishioners, friends and neighbours celebrated as the expanded and renovated Parish Hall was officially opened. Above: Paving the turning circle Below: building the pergola Former Rector Rev. Paul Walker and Suzanne Lawson, whose father was instrumental in the building of the hall as we have known it. Below: Marg Tandy, Interim Choir Director St. Mark’s Quilters show their skills. 4 4 Jacob’s Ladder Michaelmas 2013 Among Friends Shanly Palk has moved to the new Access house on Roseglen Road. Congratulations to Kaye Torrie who was one of eleven individuals who Bobbye Thorn is leaving us in November for Aurora. received the 2013 Attorney General’s Many thanks for all that you have done for St. Mark’s, Victim Services Award of Distinction, Bobbye. You will be missed! in July. Kaye began working as a child Dorothy Geale’s mother Milly Van Eyk is now witness advocate in 2006. Her work living at Extendicare in Port Hope. involves the support of child victims of crime and family abuse throughout the Betty Walsh is recovering from a broken hip. We Peterborough region of Ontario. Kaye wish her a speedy recovery. is the mother of Ellen Torrie and the daughter of Elemer and the late After almost twenty years Geoff Dale retired from Helen Bogyay. Fare Share in June. Over the years he has given outstanding service to that organization. His Liz Prower, David Brooks and compassion, understanding, encouragement and their son Dougie, now 7, enjoyed an determination in dealing with those who need to use interesting trip to Cape Breton Island the food bank are legendary - and so also his power of in July, where they visited Farley and persuasion. A suitable tribute to Geoff’s yeoman service Claire Mowat at their summer home from us all would be to keep the basket in the narthex in River Bourgeois. full to overflowing! Peter Stokes died in July in Port ____________________________________________ Hope at the age of 87. He was Canada’s foremost restoration Have you ever heard a song and architect, an advisor and an wondered what the words meant? inspiration to the custodians of heritage buildings throughout Canada. There was a woman who spent some months serving He was the author of many books on God in Kenya. On her final visit to a remote township the subject. Peter lived most of his life she attended a medical clinic. As the Maasai women in Niagara-on-the-Lake but when he there began to sing together, she found herself deeply was in his eighties he and his wife moved by their beautiful harmonies. She wanted to moved to Port Hope. The parish always remember this moment and try to share it with consulted him extensively when the friends when she arrived home. church building was last restored and redecorated. From time to time he With tears flowing down her cheeks, she turned to her attended church services here at St. friend and asked, “Can you please tell me the Mark’s. His funeral was September translation of this song?” 26th in St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Her friend looked at her and solemnly replied, “If you Niagara-on-the-Lake.