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June 2012 The(SBDF4UThe monthly newsletter for theBriefly community of 1BVMT Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 2331&1*4$01"-$)63$) E. Adams • Tucson, AZ 85719 520-327-6857 • www.gsptucson.org INSIDE THIS ISSUE... Liturgical Discussions Rector’s Letter (pg 2 & 3) t last month’s parish wellness meeting, our Senior Warden did a great job bringing us up-to-date on the many great things happening in our Summer Solstice Service beloved community. Near the end of the meeting that followed the (pg 3) A10 a.m. service, Dianne Bret Harte shared that she struggles with the amount Parish Wellness Highlights of background noise in the sanctuary, especially at the beginning of worship. She noted that this disrupts her experience of the service enough that she has (pg 5) considered attending the 8 a.m. service so that she can begin worship in a Sabbatical for Rosalind more contemplative way. Dianne is not alone. (pg 6) We are a community deeply bonded to one another, and it is The tension between lively Youth Mission to South L.A. natural for us to be enthusiastic when sociability and sacred (pg 7) we see each other. This is a great thing and we do not want to lose ‘ contemplation was one of the Vestry News our camaraderie. However, when first things I noticed at GSP.... (pg 8) socializing diminishes the sacred nature of what happens in worship or distracts us from connecting to God or participating in our beautiful liturgies, then we need to consider a new approach. The tension between lively sociability and sacred contemplation was one of the first things I noticed at Grace St. Paul’s. To address it, we added a statement on the first page of the 10 a.m. liturgy which encourages everyone to move into a quiet space before the service begins. We also changed when announcements are made so as not to disrupt the flow of worship. And while we have discussed this for awhile now, the noise level has not diminished. In fact, it might have increased. As I think about this, I realize that because I want to bond more closely with each of you I begin services in an informal manner, and that has probably contributed to the problem. Our liturgy committee has been considering this important matter. We want to ensure that opportunities to show our affection for one another continue. But we believe we can also create a situation where a Continued on Page 2 The GSP Choir sang the National Anthem at a University of Arizona baseball game at Hi Corbett Field on May 4. The Choir sang beautifully, and GSP parishioners had tons of fun at the game. Rector’s Letter come for silent meditation. A short silence Continued from Page 1 will follow the prelude and then the opening sacred quiet is honored as we move into the procession will begin. Throughout June verbal worship experience. To do that we are going to reminders will accompany the visual cues for experiment with a series of verbal and visual silence. cues this month. It is our hope that these efforts will be The office & Beginning on Trinity Sunday, June 3, you another improvement to our wonderful Joseph’s Pantry will notice a few changes right before the liturgies. As we carry out these changes, I ask will be closed service begins. A Vestry member and the you to share with me or any member of the liturgy committee your experiences. At the end on July 4th in Celebrant will share announcements as usual but, instead of processing from the back of the of the summer, we hope to make a decision observance of church, they will enter from the front. They about whether to continue this policy or try our nation’s will be accompanied by the acolytes carrying something else. My thanks to all of you for your thoughtful Independence unlit torches. As soon as the announcements are finished, the lights in the church will dim. comments about our worship. Your willingness Day. This will signal that the service is beginning to share them supports the beauty and strength and it is time to move into quiet. The acolytes of our worship experience. will light the candles, and the prelude will begin. This will reinforce that the time has BookSteve+ Collect of the Day, the Nicene Creed, and Liturgical Discussion the traditional Lord’s Prayer. Yet there remains some feeling that the differences between the of the Month two services are not great enough. By The Rev. Steve Keplinger There is no certainty about what might s you know, Grace St. Paul’s is on the be the best solution for our congregation. cutting edge of the liturgical movement Therefore, we would like to try another within the Episcopal Church and other experiment. Aemerging congregations within the mainline Beginning June 3 and lasting through the tradition. The overwhelming majority of you summer, we are going to offer an 8 a.m. service A very big thank have expressed great love for our liturgies. You that will be based completely on the Prayer you to generous have stressed how important it is to worship in Book. In addition to those prayers already volunteers! a place that creates services that hold on to our mentioned above, we will also use the Opening Not too long ago Episcopal tradition yet also touch your daily Prayer, the Eucharistic Prayer, the Post Dolores Gohdes, Miriam lives in the real world. Many visitors to our Communion Prayer and the Dismissal. We Huber, and Roger and Sue church take our liturgies home and share them will update the inclusive and gender language Pierce spent hours giving with their own congregations. issues, and—as the Prayer Book suggests— our kitchen a deep and The liturgical innovation at GSP is in our Prayers of the People will continue to be our thorough cleaning. They DNA and it is one of the major reasons that washed out drawers and own prayers. Otherwise, all language used will cupboards, cleaned all the your search committee and Vestry chose your be from the Prayer Book. utensils, scrubbed and present Rector. There is no question that We ask that everyone approach this liturgy polished everything they we will continue to stay on the forefront of with an open mind. As you experience it, we could get their hands on, liturgical innovation. But I have also become would like your feedback. Specifically, is this and threw away expired more and more aware that there are some who food items. alternative helpful to you in your worship We are very, very feel a sense of loss around the familiar. Some experience? Is it an offering we should have grateful for their initiative have suggested that a more traditional liturgical consistently? Always? and generosity! alternative should be a part of our offerings. I Thank you in advance for your willingness Another deep cleaning share this thought. to be a part of this experiment. Your responses session is being planned; When I arrived at GSP, the 8 and 10 a.m. to it will give your liturgy committee members if you’d like to join the Sunday services were identical. Since then, we crew and help out, please the data they need to make the best decision contact Sue Pierce through have made the 8 a.m. service more traditional. about our liturgical future. the parish office. That service almost always includes the Prayer 2 Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church you still can’t find your place. Your neighbor in Liturgy Discussion II the pew explains that there are different hymns, By The Rev. Steve Keplinger some with an S in front of them and some hose of you who have experienced other without an S. At this point, the hymn is over churches know what a gift our service and the congregation is singing another hymn bulletin is. It is one of the most readable, that you’re too discouraged to try to find. Tbeautiful and well laid-out documents I have What would help reduce the angst and ever experienced in a church. Admitting to confusion experienced by someone who isn’t bias, I think it is the best bulletin I have ever familiar with a mainline church? Having the used. We have David Wachter to thank for that. hymns printed in the bulletin. While this Joseph’s Pantry Given my enthusiasm for the bulletin, you open Saturdays! would be an advantage for a newcomer, it does might be surprised that I would like to propose create some costs. Hymn inclusion is the most Joseph’s Pantry has an experiment with it. There are at least two extended its hours time-consuming element of preparing the to include Saturdays. issues to consider. First is the amount of paper bulletin’s layout. Next, the tactile experience of Food and fellowship are needed to produce the bulletin—an ecological opening a book containing our musical history available from 9 a.m. to concern to this congregation. Second is the would be lost. Finally, printing the hymns is noon. hospitality issue. in direct conflict with our desire to reduce our Volunteers are still Grace St. Paul’s is working very hard to needed. If you are ecological footprint. interested in working at attract newcomers, especially those who All these considerations have been weighed least one Saturday per have little or no church experience. Imagine by your liturgy committee, and it has decided month, please contact the for a moment what it is like to enter a place that an experiment during the summer months church office at 327-6857.

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