News from Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst August 2016 THIS THING CALLED LIFE Have you ever had a dream in which you seemed to have solved all your problems? In the dream, you seemed to have achieved intense clarity on things that were nothing but opaque in your awakened state. While dreaming, you may even say to yourself, “Now I get it! Now I understand!” It all makes sense. If you’re like me, you may reach for paper and pen on the night table to scribble down a few notes of this newfound enlightenment – capture it while it is still fresh on your mind. But then you wake up in the morning, and it’s all gone. The notes are gibberish and the dream evaporates faster than the morning dew. How many mornings you wake up thinking, “that was some dream”, but can’t remember one thing. All that is left is the haunting feeling that for a brief fleeting moment the secrets of life were unlocked for you. St. Augustine, one of the greatest Christian theologians, had something similar to say about fathoming the mysteries of God. “If you have understood,” he wrote, “then what you have understood is not God.” (Sermon 117:5) We can know God, we can love God, but we can never fully understand God – and that is a good thing! Imagine if God were fully and completely knowable. God would have an endpoint and everything would be finite – a limit to revelation, inspiration, and the unfolding mystery of God. How awful and terribly sad that would be. In the Old Testament, the inability to fully comprehend God is illustrated in the mystery of God’s name. In the Book of Exodus, when God calls Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses asks God what he should tell the people when they ask him for God’s name. God says to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:14). God is who God is; God will be who God will be. This most holy name implies there is no limit to God. Our God is a God who is known today, but who will be more knowable to us tomorrow, ever more and ever increasing, into eternity. The late artist, formerly known as, Prince wrote in one of his songs: “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today 2 get through this thing called life.” It seems we have two choices on how we will journey through this thing called life. We can live life frustrated because we cannot always make sense of life. We can let the things that are beyond our control and beyond our comprehension frustrate us. OR We can willingly accept the fact that not all our questions will be answered. We can never know or understand everything, but we can live each day with the purpose of, with God’s help, learning and discovering more. Living into the mystery of God is an exciting way to live. In the words of the psalmist: This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24). Now, imagine, dream if you will, what our ever-revealing and enlightening God has in store for us tomorrow. Grace and peace, The Rev. Tom Synan+ www.gracechurchamherst.org Ministry at Grace September is right around the corner and with it come many opportunities for service. Below is a list of all available ministries here at Grace. Acolytes, Altar Guild, Angel Choir, Lectors, LEMS, Lay Eucharistic Visitors, Music Ministry, Outreach Commission, Ushers, Counters, Haiti Ministry, Ramalla, Episcopal Peace Fellowship, Brother Lawrence Guild, Funeral Reception, Columbarium, Garden Ministry, Greening Grace, Iconography, Men’s Group, Over 60’s Gathering, St. Nicholas Bazaar, Christmas Pageant, Tea and Titles, Mutual Care, Prayer Circle, Stewardship, Archives Committee, Planned Giving, Finance Committee, Property, Coffee Hour/Hospitality, Sunday School, Adult Education, Rite 13, Sunday Bible Study, Contemplative Bible Study, Evensong For additional information on each ministry, visit this link to access A Guide to Grace Church. www.gracechurchamherst.org We are a community striving to be fully alive in the glory of God — in our life together, in our participation in the sacraments, and in our efforts to respect the dignity of every human being. Come worship with us, join our Music Ministry or the Altar Guild, help out with Sunday School, or join us in service at the Interfaith Cot Shelter, Craig’s Doors, or Not Bread Alone. Try knitting a prayer shawl, or grab a shovel and help us to plant our new gardens in the spring! We hope that you will join us and find a home where you can discover the life of Christ that dwells within you and that needs community to find its full expression. We look forward to seeing you in Church, at gatherings in the Parish Hall, or at coffee hour after services, in the Connector. If you are new here, please fill out a blue “Welcome card” (found in the pews). Just place it in the collection plate, and indicate if you would like to speak with a member of the clergy. Interfaith Matters - A note from your ION rep. Eve Webster Did you know that Grace Church is part of the Interfaith Opportunities Network? In fact, our own Zina Tillona was one of the founders. Ion was founded in 2005 in order to “provide a lay interfaith network that strengthens communication, leading to education and collaboration among participating congregations.” There are representatives from Moslem, Jewish, and a variety of Christian communities. You will find their names and personal statements at www.interfaithamherst.org. Our June meeting was at Immanuel Lutheran Church where Pastor Steven Wilco was present as host. Reflecting on the meeting, he reminded us of three rules for religious understanding attributed to Krister Stendahl, former dean of Harvard Divinity School and Lutheran bishop of Stockholm. 1. When trying to understand another religion, ask the adherents of that religion and not its enemies. 2. Don’t compare your best to their worst. 3. Leave room for “holy envy”. Holy envy, according to Steve is “the deep appreciation of traditions and beliefs of other religious groups while remaining rooted in one’s own.” COMPOSTING at GRACE CHURCH! We have compost bins behind the Parke House on Spring St. Please consider bringing your kitchen food waste to add to them. Fruit, vegetables, tea leaves, coffee grounds, grass cuttings, flowers and any plant material (NO WOODY STEMS or WEEDS) are all welcome. PLEASE NO FATS, MEAT or PLASTIC BAGS! The worms are already doing their wonderful thing, so it would help them if all contributions could be put under the pieces of carpet. Thank you so much. Instructions are on the bins. Questions Mary Hocken 549-8773 or [email protected] for the Garden Committee. www.gracechurchamherst.org Archives The First Rector After the organizational meeting at Mary Jones' house, Sunday services were held for the next year and a half in the hall of the Amherst Academy building which stood on the site of the current parking lot across the street from the Jones Library. For a few months these services were conducted by the Rev. Andrew Croswell, who was a missionary priest in North Cambridge and a friend of Rev. Frederick Dan Huntington. But on 20 Oct 1864, just one month after the first organizational meeting, the parish voted to extend a call to Rev. Samuel P. Parker, D. D., to become the rector of Grace Church, offering him a salary of $1,200 per year, including $200 per year to be paid by the Rev. Frederick Dan Huntington. Instead of replying immediately, Mr. Parker hesitated. He was 59 years old in a time when the average life expectancy for a white male in the U.S. was 40.5 years. He was comfortably situated in the dual rectorships of St. Paul's Church, Stockbridge, and Trinity Church, Lennox, two of the oldest churches in western Massachusetts. His connections to Stockbridge went back over 30 years when he had been a deacon minister. He had planned to retire in Stockbridge and he had many friends there. Did he have the stamina to "uproot" and to start a new church? Fred Huntington thought he did, because he recommended Sam as his choice for the new rector. Did his wife have a say in this endeavor? Without formally accepting the call, he offered to serve on a temporary basis beginning the first Sunday in Advent, 1864. He occupied the pulpit throughout Advent, Christmas, and Epipheny and he must have liked the people of Grace Church because his letter of acceptance was read at a parish meeting held 15 Jan 1865. His rectorship started immediately. The church was coming together piece-by-piece... wardens, vestry, an enthusiastic congregation, and now, a rector. Next, some land... and a building? Samuel P. Parker, First Rector What was Samuel P. Parker's middle name? It was "Parker." His mother had married a second cousin with the same surname and they decided to use the popular naming convention giving the boy his mother's maiden name as a middle name... thus he became Samuel Parker Parker. Samuel Parker was born 10 Sep 1805 in Boston. He was the grandson of the late Rev. Samuel Parker (1744 - 1804), the second Bishop of the diocese of Massachusetts (for one year, 1804.) Having been prepared for college at the Boston Latin School, he entered Harvard in 1820. Graduating in 1824, he became an usher and, subsequently, sub master of the Boston Latin School.