"Let's go out to the lobby. Let's go out to the lobby. Let's go out to the lobby to get ourselves a treat." Any one who ever ventured to a drive in, especially in the fabulous 1950's and 60's is sure to remember this little jingle. The screen came alive with colorful singing and dancing hot dogs, soft drinks, pop corn containers, ketchup and mustard bottles, too.   All the while these tasty treats were enticing us to get out of the car, visit the snack bar, and as the song says, get ourselves a treat! These are such simple, yet, wonderfully warm memories. Makes me want to get out of the house and go to the drive in right now!

 

I come from a rather large family. I've spoken about my five sisters, three older brothers and the drama created with so many kids with one bathroom. My Mom and Dad, wonderfully, lovingly and with a good dose of humor, kept us all safe, secure and alive. The Drive-In, or as my Mom use to refer to it, "the opener show," (open: as in open air...) for us was a very welcomed treat. Sandwiches and snacks were prepared earlier in the day. After my Dad returned home from work, he would clean up, we kids would get into our jammies and we'd all pile into the faux-wood paneled Ford station wagon. My Dad would park backwards, that is, so the back hatch of the car, which opened upwards, would allow us kids to see the movie in comfort, with all the car seats folded flat and all of us lying down with pillows and throw blankets to boot. My parents would sit on lawn chairs right next to the car, close enough to hear through the speakers that attached to the car windows. One trip to the snack bar for a treat was afforded all nine of us. Ice cream or popcorn...what was going to be my choice? Never was much of an ice cream fan, so I chose popcorn. Besides, I could always sneak a taste from my little sister's ice cream as she would share my popcorn.  After the movie, I remember hearing my Mom and Dad speaking ever so softly, so as not to wake us up. Once home, my Dad would carry in the youngest of us, with my elder brother and sister helping, too. Tucked into bed, my parents would see we were all set and they'd close our day with a loving kiss upon the forehead and cheeks. If I close my eyes...I can almost feel their kisses again...

 

As a community of faith, we form a most diverse and unique family. When we gather on weekends, we do so to celebrate our faith, to pay honor and due reverence to our Creator and God's greatest gift to us, Jesus, the Redeemer. We gather to share our faith with each other, too. To take part in the Eucharist which we receive and then are asked to share with others in acts of charity and love. However, we are called to gather for other occasions and not only on weekends. We are invited to come together to help build community, such as to raise funds for continued ministry and sustaining life. We gather socially and for simple, good fun, too. We seek to better acquaint ourselves with one another and strengthen the bonds that have already been forged. We make honest and heart-felt efforts to reach out, have a good time and make new friends while we cherish our friendships born long ago. This Community of St. Nicholas is special. It is sacred because our community is made up of unique and special human beings:  fragile and blessed souls, all doing the best we can with what God has given us.

 

Let's go out to St. Nicholas this Friday night and take in a movie. We'll have a good time, with laughs to share and popcorn to pass around. And while we share, we build a stronger community, grounded in faith and rooted in love for Jesus and one another, all the while, enjoying ourselves and celebrating friendship and faith. Community: one person at a time and all of us, special and sacred in God's eyes and our eyes, too.

 

-Manny 

manny@stnicholasepiscopal.org

On August 3rd, Friday night, 6:30pm, we will have another Movie Night.  This month's feature film: the 1966 hit, "The Trouble With Angels," starring Rosalind Russell. 

Bring along some pop and munchies. Pizza will be provided.  The movie is rated "G" for General Audience and is certainly a fun, family feature. 

On August 17 and 18, a Friday and Saturday, we will hold our annual St. Nicholas Rummage Sale, from 9AM - 3PM.  We will definitely need "all hands on deck" for this event.   Start gathering your unwanted items to bring in.  Ideally, we ask donations to be brought in starting August 1st.  Holy Innocents Hall will be the site for the sale, which also spills out into the Gathering Space and into the office area.  We will start setting up the Hall the week of August 13th, and need lots of help! 

Plan ahead to see if you have any time to help set up, assist at the sale and to help clear things out on Saturday afternoon.  4:30 Liturgy follows immediately after.

This weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 3rd, 4th and 5th, the Elk Grove Village Bicycle Race is set to ride through the streets. 
Consequently, we may experience some trouble getting to the church.  A suggestion:  drive south on Arlington Heights Road to Devon.  Go East on Devon to Ridge Avenue.  Go north on Ridge to the church.  This route may be our best bet.  Or, contact the Village Hall for any changes and/or updates.  Good luck and we sure hope to see you this weekend: Friday night for the Movie and Saturday and Sunday for Worship.

On August 31st, Friday night, 6:30pm, we will have a Crafts and Games Night.  Bring your favorite craft to work on and perhaps teach others.  Bring your domino set to play "train."  Depending if we have enough material, we can make more Prayer Blankets.  Or, just bring along some munchies to share as we play, chit-chat and enjoy the company of one another.  Coffee and cookies will be available, and if you'd like bring along some pizza, that's fine, too.

 

When I was a child, attending a newly established St. Nicholas Church with my family, a family friend and fellow member, Lois Smith, served as our church Historian. Working with the clergy of the church, Lois kept a record of Births, Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages and Funerals of all of our members in a handwritten journal. Today, the whereabouts of these early records at St. Nicholas are something of a mystery, however, Manny and the Bishop's Committee have recently undertaken to resume the creation and maintenance of a Parish Registry. The Registry has both practical value as a record of vital statistics of our members, and will also become an historical record in the evolution of our community of faith.

 

To gather this information, we have created a Family Registry form, containing a place to record sacramental information for every member of a household, as well as helpful contact information. We ask all of our parishioners to fill one out by any of several methods - they are available at the welcome table in the church, or you can download a form at this link, complete it online or print and complete by hand. Completed forms can be e-mailed to Bob DeHaven at bob@stnicholasepiscopal.org or you may leave it with Manny, Pat, Bob DeHaven or anyone on the Bishop's Committee.

 

Thank you for your help in creating this record of our community and ministry!

 

- Bob DeHaven

Thanks to:

 

Sarah Reed, 96, mother of Thelma Malecek, in thanksgiving,  is now home after a brief stay in the hospital.

 

Family and friends of Joanne: Melissa, who is suffering from M.S.; Don who is experiencing back pain; Steve who is experiencing anxiety and the effects of a stroke and Doug and his struggles with alcohol.   

 

Connie Kuffel, a niece of Marilyn, who is battling cancer again and is now undergoing chemotherapy, for her full and lasting recovery. 

 

Pamela Joy DeHaven, who recently underwent extensive surgery, that she regain full health and strength.

 

In thanksgiving and in joy for the successful leg surgery Maria Phetkhamphou experienced and that her therapy and recovery are equally successful   

 

Rachel: the sister of a friend of Donna Tamaski, who died in a head-on accident and Rachel's son who was seriously injured.  May Rachel rest in the full peace of Christ.  

 

Hope Smith, whose cancer has reappeared: for strength, peace and guidance. 

 

Bishop James Allan, Nancy Allan's late husband's cousin, who is seriously ill.

  

Our sisters and brothers at St. Bede's Church, that they know of our joy at having them join our family.      

 

Kathy Seghers, sister to our Jennifer Garcia.  Kathy is now home. Pray for her full recovery. 

 

Nathile Paul, Vernon Forde's sister.  Ms. Paul is recuperating from surgery.   

 

The Martin Family: Karen, Tom and Katie 

  

Ethel (Corkey) Stratton, the mother of Hal Stratton 

 

 

Paul Brouillette

  

For those in transition: those searching for work, those who are moving and those encountering changes in life.