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Are You Enjoying the Air-Conditioned Church?
Thanks to the generosity of those who have contributed to St. George's Capital Campaign, we can all enjoy comfortable, air-conditioned services and, even more important, we can continue outreach through the summer, providing shelter for the homeless, programs for children and making our space available to the community.
Next step: cost-saving, energy-efficient windows. If you have pledged, thank you! If you would like to pledge, act now. No amount is too small. Contact Lindsay McHugh or Clint Rataczak for more information, or download a pledge card now. |
 Sunday, July 8
& Sunday, August 12:
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.
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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 September issue of Dragon Tales is Monday, August 20.
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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Was this email forwarded to you?
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Greetings!
With summer now here many of us will be on vacation. As Bernie notes in his message, prayer, mediation and fellowship can follow us wherever our travels may take us. For those remaining in the Maplewood area, St. George's will be especially welcoming to parishioners by offering air conditioning throughout the church building. Services will be offered at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.; Family Services will be held on July 8 and August 12 at 9:15 a.m. Community outreach continues this summer as St. George's will host up to four homeless families as part of the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). Sharon McSorley reflects on St. George's legacy and what initially brought her and her partner, Cheryl Notari, to St. George's, inviting others to share their stories in upcoming Dragon Tales issues. And in the spirit of keeping cool, Aleeda Crawley will help us all to celebrate National Ice Cream Month on July 15. Wishing you a relaxing and restorative summer! |
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Rector's Message
 | The Rev. Bernie Poppe,
Rector |
Winding down the program year at St. George's always corresponds to the end of the school year. Sunday School and the Youth Choir conclude. The Adult Choir had its last Sunday performance June 17 and does not return until September. Confirmation Classes have ended, as well as Adult Bible Study.
Vacation time is upon us; a time to travel and enjoy the beautiful bounty of God's nature. The days are long and the evenings balmy. Cookouts and camping, games, and swimming and more capture our attention. God rested on the seventh day of creation, and we look to summer as a time of rest and relaxation. And so it is. And it is good!
In the past several summers, we've held our services in the downstairs Parish Hall to take advantage of whatever coolness we could find on those hot summer Sunday mornings. This year, however, we'll be upstairs enjoying the air conditioning that was installed late last year. We've already had a couple Sundays with it on as a preview, and it works splendidly.
There's so much to look forward to this summer as we all make our plans. When you pack your suitcases for a trip, plan on where you'll go to church. Worship in new and different places, and please bring back bulletins. Send us post cards! It's fun to see where people are vacationing, but it's also a witness to God's wider church and the communities of Christians wherever we go. Meeting new people in new places expands our vision of God beyond our own beloved walls. We discover how other people find God in their communities, and worship or study in ways that we haven't thought of and might find helpful.
Summer is a time of refreshment in so many ways, and our spirits also need refreshment in the community of faith in our own church and beyond. Whether in Maplewood and the surrounding neighborhoods, or in wonderful places around the country or world, take time for prayer, meditation and fellowship. You don't have to worry about packing God in the suitcase; God will be at your destination to welcome you and offer you rest for your bodies and your spirit!
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Music Notes
My Dear Friends,
 | John Ayer,
Organist & Choirmaster |
Greetings! By the time you receive this summer issue of Dragon Tales, two very important events will have already taken place pertaining to the music program: first, the youth and adult choirs will have been recognized publicly for their outstanding service and dedication to the St. George's community; secondly, the special jazz service commemorating Juneteenth, and organized by our own local jazz connoisseur, Richard Berggren, will have taken place. In fact, after that service on June 17, the choirs are officially on summer recess. So please do let these devoted choristers know just how much their work is valued! Thank you.
The summer is a good time to reflect on the previous year's musical activities, and, at the same time, look forward to developing new ones. Already on the calendar for next fall is a special Chamber Music Concert, scheduled for the second Sunday afternoon in October. This concert will highlight our own parish musicians, young and old alike, in performance. The title of the event will be Music at St. George's. Look to the September issue of Dragon Tales for more details. In the meantime, if you know anyone who sings or plays an instrument, please encourage him or her to come talk to me, and I shall be all too happy to add him/her to the list of performers.
As always, we are looking for fresh new blood to serve in our choirs. I shall be making my recruitment pitch from time to time during the course of the summer. So don't be surprised (or offended) if I accost you at coffee hour with the express purpose of signing you up! But, in all seriousness, I do hope you will consider joining our choir ranks next fall. And, again, no audition is necessary. Come as you are, and bring your voice with you....
May each and every one of you have a wonderful, relaxed and spiritually uplifting summer!
In peace and friendship,
John Ayer |
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Hosting Homeless Families for IHN
 During the week of July 1, we will join with the members of Wyoming Presbyterian of Millburn in hosting up to four homeless Interfaith Hospitality Network ("IHN") parents and their children at Wyoming Presbyterian Church. Volunteers are needed to serve as meal preparers, greeter/servers, evening hosts and overnight hosts. Two volunteers are needed for each nightly task. Please check the IHN chart in the Parish Hall during coffee hour, or call Martha Gardner for additional information. |
Ice Cream Social
 On Sunday, July 15, we'll celebrate National Ice Cream Month in our usual way with an ice cream social organized by Aleeda Crawley.This year parishioners can choose one of the flavors (particularly those French-style custards!), prepare the provided recipe for the ice cream at home, and bring it to the kitchen at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 14, where we'll have the ice cream machines ready to run non-stop.
Those who make a batch get to take home what's left of their favorite flavor on Sunday. Contact Aleeda before July 4 to get dibs on YOUR flavor!
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Dear Friends,
I'm taking this opportunity to thank Rosa Cortez for her work and ministry in the front Parish office. As many of you know, Rosa agreed to "fill in" for Karen Comi when she was first diagnosed with cancer and went on leave. At the time, the severity of Karen's illness was not known and as the time of treatment increased, Rosa generously agreed to stay on. After Karen's death and the hectic activity of Holy Week, Rosa agreed to stay even longer.
Now that the pace of parish life is slowing for the summer, and with her own family responsibilities, Rosa has concluded her time with us in the office and is looking forward to returning to the pew!
I'm very grateful for her willingness to be of help to us and am personally appreciative of her continuing to do this work far longer than she originally agreed. We'll be welcoming another person in the office while we conduct our official search for a permanent Parish Administrator. But for now, thank you, Rosa!
Bernie
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Cloister Garden Gift
Thom Cunningham and Lorenzo Martinez donated a unique garden sculpture to be placed in the Cloister Garden. The sculpture was dedicated on Sunday, June 11. If you missed the dedication, do take a look. Thom and Lorenzo's generosity has motivated the investigation of re-landscaping the slope where the sculpture is located -- a project that has not been undertaken since the initial creation of the garden in 1976. Thom and Lorenzo, many thanks for your generosity! We wish you well in your new home in Houston!
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Thom Cunningham, the Rev. Bernie Poppe and Lorenzo Martinez in front of the sculpture in the Cloister Garden (the sculpture can been seen between Bernie and Lorenzo).
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Gaudeamus Igitur! Congratulations to Our Graduates
 At this time of year, we take delight in honoring our recent graduates. We join proud parents, family and friends in congratulating all our graduates on their hard work and accomplishments. Here are some graduates we know about:
- Duncan Fisher graduated on June 17 from Stanford University with a degree in Management Science and Engineering and a minor in Computer Science. He plans to make his home in California.
- Mary Jameson was awarded her B.A. degree from Hobart & William Smith Colleges in May with a major in Sociology and NYS teacher certification. Mary will be heading to Baton Rouge in July to teach for the City Year program, an AmeriCorps program.
- Nicole Varner graduated on May 20 from the Columbia School of Arts and Science, George Washington University, Washington, DC, with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology, minors in Business and Spanish.
- Hannah Rose Yi Hart graduated from Columbia High School on June 20, 2012. Hannah will be attending Hanover College, Hanover, IN, in the fall.
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Our St. George's Legacy
At a recent 'Dinners for Eight,' a conversation came up with fellow St. Georgians that is common at the dinners. For the uninitiated, Dinners for Eight is an awesome dining club that runs fall through spring and is a 'must do!' The conversation that often arises is how/why we found St. George's. Being a common theme, I got to thinking about how incredibly unique each person's story is. Our stories are as individual as our fingerprints. And then I got to thinking more. I wondered, 'What would it be like if we knew what drew someone to St. George's back in 1925 or 1948 or 1960 and so on? What is it about St. George's that draws people to us even in 2012? What would our tapestry of history look like if many of our stories are told?'
I have often looked at our stained glass windows that contain the names of our foremothers and forefathers. Most of the names are not familiar to us. Clearly they were bonded to our parish many years ago. How I wish we could all know their stories. How did each new member eventually become the very fabric of who we are today? Names like Spiotta, Mangasarian, Andersen, Emerson, Seward, Oravetz, Sidford, Bigelow, Pierson, and so many more have influenced who we are. What was it like the first time they came to St. George's? What was it like the first time you came to St. George's? What we become is influenced by all of us today. But where did it all originate?
While we can't resurrect all the stories of how St. Georgians came to be at our parish home, we can certainly tell our stories now. Our legacy is not only our past. It is a spirit and a purpose that continues to evolve.
That being said, I propose a regular column be published in Dragon Tales that illustrates our legacy through the stories that we tell of how we came to call St. George's home and what keeps us here. I'll even begin.
Read Sharon's story.
If you are willing to share your story, please contact the Dragon Tales Team or Sharon McSorley and use 'Legacy' in the Subject line.
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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. |
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Gay Pride March Photos
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L-r: Ron Garner, Aleeda Crawley, Kirk Petersen, Nina Nicholson, the Rev. Chris Carroll,
David Gorman, Bill Jaglowski, Bruce Lyons, Kevin Clark and Tony Bousanti.
(Not pictured: Chris West, photographer.)
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St. George's was represented by 11 members, gay and straight, who waited over four hours to take part in the Gay Pride March in NYC on Sunday, June 24. See the photo album here.
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June Guest Speaker & Preachers
 | | Joan M. Garry |
Joan M. Garry
To mark the beginning of St. George's celebration of Gay Pride Month, on Sunday, June 3, noted civil rights leader Joan M. Garry gave a special noon forum entitled LGBT People, Bullying, and the Deeply Held Religious Belief Card. If you missed this event, you can read Joan's remarks here.
 | | Dr. Louie Crew |
Dr. Louie Crew
On Sunday, June 10, Dr. Louie Crew was the guest preacher at both services. A long-time advocate for greater acceptance of lesbians and gays within the Church, Dr. Crew was a founder, in 1974, of Integrity USA, a gay-acceptance group within the Episcopal Church. Read his sermon here.
 | | Brother Josias Morobi, OHC |
Brother Josias Morobi, OHC
During Bernie's sabbatical in 2009, he stayed for part of the time at Mariya uMama WeThemba Monastery in Grahamstown, South Africa. On Sunday, June 17, St. George's observance of Juneteenth, a member of that monastery, Brother Josias Morobi, OHC, was guest preacher. Read his sermon here.
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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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