This week's message is in the form of a news update.

Firstly- it will be obvious to everyone that some rather major renovation work is now being carried out on the St. Martin's chapel window and the church tower. The vertical pillars of the St. Martin window on the south wall of the chapel have corroded (a combination of corrosion of the metal rods and erosion of the concrete supports) to the point where the window structures now must be rebuilt. The lancet frame of the window is constructed from steel reinforced molded concrete and over the years condensation caused by moisture becoming trapped between the window and the protective sheeting on the outside of the window has led to considerable corrosion.

The Vestry has contracted with two companies, New England Stained Glass, and Lombardi Construction to carry out the work. New England Stained Glass has begun the process of removing the window. The glass will be taken away and cleaned. Lombardi will rebuild the concrete lancet structure for the window and then New England Stained Glass will restore the window.

In the process of further examination of the tower stonework we found that there is considerable cracking in the mortar and the stone tiles of the tower windows on the south and west sides. This is the source of the water damage you can see on the inside of the door and the inner roof of the side aisle around the door into the Church. The water seepage has also exacerbated the condensation issues corroding  the window.

With the onset of winter we needed to move quickly to address these issues. Our Church looks very robust in appearance. Yet it is constructed from sandstone, which is notoriously vulnerable to water erosion. As one architect put it, it is as if our church was made to leak!

Secondly- we now enter the season of Advent heralding the new church year. We have returned to using the Nave Altar and have moved to Rite I for the Sundays of Advent. The purpose of alternating between using the High Altar once again, and the Nave Altar is to allow us to experience the feel of worshiping in both positions in preparation for a parish discussion in the New Year about the way forward. The current arrangement of the Nave Altar was intended to lead the way to a more permanent solution. I am keen that we now begin to move toward making a decision on the permanent placement of the altar.

Some people have questioned the necessity of using Rite I. Like using the High Altar (incidentally, a practice that seems to be returning in many churches built along gothic lines), some feel Rite I is a return to a more remote and less intimate style of worship. Rite II and westward facing celebration have been the norm during the 30 years of my ministry. Because both feel more natural and comfortable to me, I feel it is all the more important that we experience the full range of liturgical expression envisioned in the Book of Common Prayer. In Rite I, we reconnect with the ancient feel of our Anglican liturgy. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the compiler of the first two Prayers Books of 1549 and 1559, is alongside William Shakespeare the greatest wordsmith of the English language. Both Cranmer and Shakespeare have contributed to the particular way the English language has shaped our Anglican soul. Might it not be beneficial for us to drink from this deep well, if only for brief intervals during the longer course of our liturgical year?

Thirdly- I would like to report on the results of our Annual Renewal Campaign to date. In 2014 we received $307,866 in pledges. To date we have received $320,612 in pledges for 2015. We have received 17 new, 54 increased, 8 decreased pledges. We have lost 15 pledges; however, the increase in revenue is greater than the amount represented by lost pledges. This week, a letter went to all who have not as yet returned a pledge card for 2015, representing $32,634 of income still to be realized. The letters will be followed up with individual phone calls after 15th December.

The sermon for Advent Sunday can be found on the parish website stmartinsprov.org  and at relationalrealities.com. See you - in church - on Sunday!
 

Mark+

Linda Griggs

Director of Christian Formation

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Sunday, December 21st

December's Youth and Family Dinner Church is going on the road! Join us on December 21st at 5:00 at ECC for their annual Advent Service in the Barn followed by a simple supper. Speak with Linda Griggs for details.

Peace and Cheers,

Linda