 Sunday, June 10:
Second Sunday
Family Eucharist
On the second Sunday of each month, St. George's celebrates a lively Family Eucharist for small children at 9:15 a.m. The music, readings and homily are all child-friendly, and the children learn about one of the central rituals of the church through an instructed Eucharist.
All children are welcome, regardless of church membership.
There is no Children's Chapel or Sunday School on second Sundays.
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Healing Eucharists
Wednesdays 7:30 p.m.
All are invited to attend our regular Wednesday healing service at 7:30 p.m. A Holy Eucharist with healing prayers incorporated into the liturgy, it's quiet, beautiful and perfect for prayer support. |
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Submissions
Our article submission deadline for the combined July & August summer issue of Dragon Tales is Monday, June 11. We especially want graduation announcements!
Submission is easy using our online form. Longer articles can be submitted using this email. All submissions may be edited for brevity or clarity.
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Greetings!
In June we will join in solidarity to mark several special events, including a service on June 17 in observance of Juneteenth, the approximate date in 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas.  We will also celebrate Gay Pride with two wonderful speakers -- noted civil rights activist Joan Garry and Dr. Louie Crew, founder of Integrity USA, a gay-acceptance group within the Episcopal Church. The Friday Movie Night will feature Beginners, about a man whose terminally ill father admits his homosexuality. And finally, for the first time in five years, St. George's will send a contingent to participate in New York Pride's 2012 March on Sunday, June 24. In this issue of Dragon Tales we also feature a photo album from the May 6 Family Sunday at Cross Roads Camp. This month we can celebrate with pride our mission to love God and our neighbors -- as ourselves. See you in church -- and out in the community! |
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Rector's Message
 | The Rev. Bernie Poppe,
Rector |
We've had a wonderful spring with varied events that spanned our parish life in worship, outreach, and socializing. Lent and Holy Week culminated in an amazing Easter celebration during which we welcomed a record-breaking number of people from any year in our one hundred-plus years. Hosting the Holocaust Memorial Interfaith service was a moving tribute to those killed in the atrocities of WWII and kept us mindful of the genocide currently happening around the world. It was a call to remember the past and inspiration to intervene in the future. Our Parish Picnic day at Crossroads Camp was a lot of fun with intergenerational laughter, games and food.
June will bring some of these elements again in witness to justice, fellowship and solidarity. We often look to the mistakes and pain of the past to heal and improve the present and future. During this month we'll host events that have to do with Gay Pride and Juneteenth. At first glimpse the events seem to have little in common, except the calendar. But a closer look reveals the pain of prejudice and violence perpetrated by the majority over the vulnerability of the minority.
Juneteenth (June + nineteenth) is the term of the approximate date in 1865 in which the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas, a full two years after it legally took effect on January 1, 1863. Ironically, freedom from slavery led to the Jim Crow laws and an obscene increase in "lynching" that lasted for many more decades. The reminder is a recollection of the past with a determination of the future to keep fighting injustice and racism wherever they may be manifest. Our observance will take place on Sunday, June 17, during our morning services.
Gay Pride month evolved from the anniversary observance of the riot erupting on June 28, 1969, during a police raid of the Stonewall Inn gay bar in Greenwich Village. Repression and homophobia has led to countless episodes of gay bashing, torture and killing, injustices related to employment and family situations, and even teen suicides. President Obama's recent support of same-sex marriage shows a tremendous move forward, and the result of hard work and witness by so many who courageously share their stories and commitment to justice.
I'm proud of the leaders of the events held at St. George's that help us participate in the wider national and international witness to justice, freedom, peace and healing. Not all churches support these issues, let alone have services and events related to them. Part of our Christian mission is to love God and our neighbors.... as ourselves. Our witness and events affirm our love of self in our collective union as a congregation and our neighbors-the ones who haven't found us yet, but need this place to feel welcomed and loved by God. We love God through the love we show to all creation, ourselves and our neighbors.
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Music Notes
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John Ayer, Organist & Choirmaster |
My dear friends, Greetings! I hope you're all enjoying our wonderful spring weather, as we're experiencing flora popping up all around us; such amazing natural beauty. Every year in the month of June, St. Georgians also experience the natural beauty of the human singing voice: On Sunday, June 17, we shall be recognizing both youth and adult choirs for their numerous artistic contributions to the liturgical life of our parish. This happens to coincide with our annual Juneteenth observance, as well. So you won't want to miss out on this special end-of-the-year celebration. Richard Berggren and his jazz ensemble will be back by popular demand to accompany great Afro-American hymns and service music. And the adult choir is now working hard at presenting yet another great spiritual anthem offering. All in all, the 17th of June is going to be a very special day. So bring all your friends, relatives and friends of relatives. Let's celebrate!!! Peace, as always, John Ayer |
Featured Speakers to Mark
Gay Pride Month
June is Gay Pride month, and this year St. George's will celebrate the achievements of the LGBT community with two noted speakers.
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Joan M. Garry
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On Sunday, June 3, civil rights leader Joan M. Garry will give a special Noon Forum about current topics affecting the LGBT community, including gay marriage. Ms. Garry is former Executive Director of GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and came to prominence in 1993 by successfully challenging New Jersey's second-parent adoption law to become the first lesbian in the state to adopt her partner's biological children. Dr. Louie Crew, founder of Integrity USA in 1974, a gay-acceptance group within the Episcopal Church, and a long-time advocate for greater acceptance of lesbians and gays within the Episcopal Church, will deliver the sermon at the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services on Sunday, June 10. |
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Potluck & Bingo Night
Save the date on Friday, June 8, at 6:30 p.m. for St. George's first ever Potluck & Bingo Night. The fun starts with a potluck dinner, followed by bingo.
Although we will not be playing for money, there will be prizes (gift cards to favorite stores) as well as a grand prize! Come for the fun and fellowship. Everyone is welcome!
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Movie Night: Beginners
 Celebrate Gay Pride Month on Friday, June 15 with the Academy Award-winning film Beginners.
From Netflix.com: Based on indie director Mike Mills's relationship with his father, this intriguing drama tells the story of Oliver (Ewan McGregor), a graphic artist coming to grips with the imminent death of his father (Christopher Plummer), who, at 75, has one last secret: He's gay. Both inspired and confused by his father's determination to find true love at last, Oliver tentatively pursues a romance with commitment-shy French actress Anna (Mélanie Laurent). The movie begins at 7:30 p.m. in St. George's Resource Center. If you'd like to bring dinner, please arrive at 7 p.m. Popcorn and a beverage are provided. Please RSVP by emailing Aleeda Crawley to ensure enough room for all attendees. |
Juneteenth Celebration
St. George's Absalom Jones Committee on Black History & Culture invites you to celebrate Juneteenth by wearing your "crowns" (church hats) to church on Sunday, June 17.
Juneteenth is the holiday commemorating June 19, 1865, when slaves in Texas learned they had been freed two and a half years earlier in the Emancipation Proclamation.
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Don't Rain on Our Parade --
Come March with Us!
Join us as we march in this year's Gay Pride March on Sunday, June 24, representing St. George's.  | |
2007 Gay Pride March
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We will embark for Manhattan right after the 8 a.m. service. Wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen. All are welcome to join us! Please RSVP to Bill Jaglowski. Rainbow Jesus Fish T-shirts
 Take part in the Gay Pride March wearing a T-shirt that features a rainbow Jesus fish with the message I'm a CHRISTIAN and I support EQUALITY. Available in men's, women's and kids' styles, in white, black and a handful of colors. Baseball caps (in white and khaki) and buttons are also available. Order online at cafepress.com/stgeo07040. (All items are priced at cost; St. George's does not receive any proceeds from the sale.) |
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Sunday School Update
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Sunday School Students
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This has been a joyous year for the Sunday School kids and teachers! Our final Sunday School class will be on June 3. Although Second Sunday Family Services continue all year, I want to thank the dedication of our wonderful teachers: Kristen Chamorro, Jane Bleasdale, David Gorman and Gina D'Eletto. Enjoy the green growing season of summer as we look forward to all joining together again in the fall with our Kickoff "Michaelmas" festival!
We are looking for more volunteers to join our Sunday School staff. If you love to spend time with kids, please consider joining the Sunday School Teachers. It is a very flexible schedule. Or, if you would prefer to offer your special talents for a one-time project, this is also welcomed! See you in September, Sunday Schoolers!
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Summer time, and the living
is easy...
 Or at least cooler, thanks to all of you who have contributed to St. George's Capital Campaign. Your generosity -- $270,000 in pledges to date out of goal of $332,500 -- let us install heating and air conditioning throughout the church. That means no more sweltering through the Eucharist in August and, more important, it means we can continue outreach through the summer, providing comfortable shelter for the homeless, programs for children and otherwise making our space available to the community.
Next step: energy-efficient windows and the cost savings they bring. If you have pledged, thank you! If you are paying that pledge, a double thank you! And if you would like to pledge, act now. No amount is too small. The campaign runs through 2013 and payments may be made in a lump sum or in installments. Contact Lindsay McHugh or Clint Rataczak for more information, or download a pledge card now.
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Vestry News
During the March 13 meeting, Vestry members recognized Cheryl Thompson's dedicated service as she completed her final term. At the last Vestry meeting on April 17, Erik Soldwedel of NEWARK ACTS (Young Adult Urban Internship Program), part of the Episcopal Service Corp., was the invited guest. He is proposing to link a youth program between St. George's and St. Andrew's in Newark, a 102-year-old congregation with primarily Caribbean and African members. The Vestry also moved to employ a NEWARK ACTS intern to serve as a Youth Minister starting in the 2012-2013 program year. On June 16 the Vestry will hold a spiritual retreat at the Convent of St. John Baptist in Mendham. |
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To Infinity... and Beyond
 | Amity-Unity-Infinity Circles
MARY MANN PHOTO/PATCH.COM
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Last month a few parishioners at the 8 a.m. coffee hour noticed red, white and blue circles on Maplewood lawns that look like giant bubble wands and wondered what they were. Thanks to Maplewood Patch, we learned they are part of the Amity-Unity-Infinity Community Installation Project. This is a 4th of July art installation project led by local artist John Kaufman, who has executed other public art projects for our town. The project is jointly sponsored by 1978 Maplewood Arts Center and the Maplewood VFW. Kathy Carliner and Bernie loved the idea of parishioners decorating some of the hoops and installing them on St. George's lawn. Aleeda Crawley met with Mr. Kaufman, who graciously provided us with a number of circles to decorate in any way we choose; mounting supplies will follow. You are welcome to take a circle home to place on your own lawn as well; we just need your name, email and address. We'll decorate the circles in the coming weeks. The decorated hoops will then be displayed on our lawn until July 4, when community members will bring the hoops from lawns to Memorial Park for the larger installation. If you would like to participate in the project for St. George's, contact Aleeda Crawley, or for your own lawn, call 1978 Maplewood Arts Center at 973-763-2536 or contact John Kaufman. Participation is free. |
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Summer Choir Camp
For boys and girls who like to sing!
Choir Camp is an extremely important and wonderful opportunity for our children to be in the community together, get to know one another better, learn some wonderful music and further their musical skills. Choir Camp is open to everyone who wishes to join, including members of the community who are not a part or our parish.  Grades K-6
August 27 - 30, 2012
9 a.m. - 12 noon
Fee: $50 per child In addition to playing games and having fun together, the mornings will be spent in some type of rehearsal setting, learning music, working on sight-singing and music theory, or other related topics. We will also provide daily snacks and music supplies! For more information and to make reservations, contact John Ayer, Choirmaster. |
Cross Roads Photo Album
We're delighted to share the photo album from our May 6 trip to Cross Roads Camp in Port Murray, NJ. About 50 parishioners attended an outdoor Eucharist followed by a potluck picnic lunch and games for kids AND adults, including an egg toss and "wheelbarrow" race. It was a wonderful opportunity to worship and play together.  | | Click on image to see album of 87 photos |
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Thank you for taking time to enjoy Dragon Tales!
Sincerely,
Dragon Tales Team
St. George's Episcopal Church |
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