Living into being the Grace Downtown Abbey

Yesterday I attended the Celebration of Ministries and Installation of my dear friend Sue Sommer.  She is the new rector at St. David's Episcopal Church.  I had never been to this church before and when going anywhere I have this lens that is looking for how hospitality is lived out.

Greeters outside, ushers with name tags with their actual names in big letters, and a wonderful usher who, when asked where the ladies room was surprised me.  She took a moment to introduce herself, and asked about what brought me there and then said, "Oh, let me show you where it is."  So off we go, down some stairs and into a hallway.  Lights were turned on for me and she made sure the ladies room was ready.  Let me be clear, she did not know that I am priest.

What would you have done? I know that I have pointed down the hallway to the parish hall and to other rooms.  In reality, how hard would it be to take someone myself or to find someone who could do it in the times that I am busy.

Many at Grace believe that we have this welcoming business down.  Others think we are awful.  I think the truth may be in the middle.  We do pretty well at worship.  Having said that, sometimes our passing of the peace leaves folks out or makes them feel uncomfortable.  Our most challenging location is in Coffee Hour. Many of us want to see friends or hold meetings, so much so that we often neglect someone who is a little bit more shy or who is there for the first time.  Often people will bring someone over to me and introduce the person and take off.  I wonder if that person feels like they have just been dumped onto the priest.

A Radical Welcome was what I experienced on my first visit at St. David's.  Calling ourselves Oak Park's Downtown Abbey brings with it the challenge of being a place that has open doors for quiet time and all people.  It means being a presence in the life of the community.

The ministry of Jesus was to all kinds of folks:  outcasts, sinners, and sometimes his friends.

How are we doing here at Grace?  Are we a Downtown Abbey?  What does it look like to be one?

While our East Garden received a most needed shower last Sunday, the DowntoWn Abbey Garden Party took place in our beautiful 19th Century Gothic Church.  Guests were awed by our beautiful church, the music, food, drinks, the activities, and friendliness of their hosts.  Several of our guest commented that they felt comfortable and welcomed because of our "diverse and openly loving and fun community." There are many volunteers to thank for making this event such a wonderful success and we will take a moment to recognize those people this coming Sunday.

As a fundraiser we were also successful in raising over $5,000!  This amount brings our community within $1,085 of our budget goal for fundraising income for the year.  It would be a really big day of thanksgiving if we could all dig a little deeper to reach our goal.

Once again thank you to all who attended, all who contributed, and all who volunteered!

-Karen-Jo Mensch 

Mark Your Calendar: An Evensong with Bishop Joseph Atem from Renk, South Sudan

An evensong has been set for Sunday, October 20th at 4 pm.  It is a joint venture with Saint Christopher's, Oak Park to welcome Bishop Joseph back this year to Grace.  After the Evensong, there will be light refreshments in the Parish Hall.  More information about the event is forthcoming.

Did you know . . . that 50.6% of the population of South Sudan lives on 50 cents a day?  In a UN report dated November 2010, 75.6% of the population of South Sudan live below the poverty level.  

Full details are available at the CSO website.

Greater Chicago Broadcast Ministries Presents

The Cross is Still Burning: A documentary in cooperation with Tim Frakes Productions and producer Jackie Rivet River

Hosted by Rev. Phil Blackwell

On the 50-year journey of a charred KKK cross

Set your DVR to record Sanctuary on Sunday, September 22 from 11:00-11:30 AM, ABC-TV, Channel 7.

Follow the journey of a charred KKK cross burned 50 years ago when civil rights activists tried to desegregate churches in Jackson, Mississippi. Today, it stands as a sculpture in First United Methodist Church, Chicago Temple, inspiring people of faith who continue to march in solidarity for racial justice.

Featuring:               

Rev. Phil Blackwell, First United Methodist Church, Chicago Temple
Tom Armstrong, Freedom Rider
Ann Keating, Historian  North Central College
Rev. Martin Deppe, Civil Rights Activist
Rev. Otis Moss III, Trinity United Church of Christ
Brenda Russell, Chicago  Attorney
Rev. Julian DeShazier, University Church Chicago

James Cheney, KKK Cross, Chicago Temple

Below is the list of individuals and organizations along with the topics they will cover:

Austin Coming Together (ACT) - Rev. Reginald Bachus, Executive Director

    Strategies for Collaboration

Bethel New Life - Edward Coleman, VP, Community Economic Development

    Economic Development and Jobs

Central Austin Neighborhood Association (CANA) - Serethia Reid, President

    Neighborhood Revitalization

Chicago Police and Firefighters Training Program - Lieut. Frank Brim

    The role of youth programming - Issues relating to youth

Circle Family Health Care Network - Dr. André Hines, Chief Executive Officer

    Healthcare

Cluster Tutoring Program - Kathryn McCabe, Executive Director

    Education

8th District State Representative - Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

    The role of the state in serving the Austin Community.

Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry-Michele Zurakowski, Executive Director

    Access to healthy food in Austin

Prevail (formerly The Walk-in Ministry) - Christy Harris, Executive Director

    The challenges of poverty.

West Suburban P.A.D.S - Lynda Schueler, Executive Director

    Housing in Austin

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and other important milestones in the civil right movement, The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Mississippi will host a 90-minute forum, Fifty Years Later: The State of Racism in America, live-streamed from St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral in Jackson, Mississippi, on November 15, at 2 p.m. (EST).

Watch the webcast live or on-demand at this link.

Ray Suarez, PBS chief national correspondent, will moderate the event, and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will deliver the keynote address.

The first panel discussion, "Racism in America Today: Why Does It Persist?" features:

The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina

Ms. Myrlie Evers-Williams, journalist and widow of slain civil-rights leader Medgar Evers

The Hon. William F. Winter, former governor of Mississippi and founder of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

Panelists on the second topic, "Racism in America's Future: Where Is There Hope for Change?" include:

The Hon. Byron Rushing, Massachusetts state representative, civil-rights leader, and vice president of The Episcopal Church's House of Deputies

Dr. Randy Testa, author, Vice President of Education at Walden Media, LLC

Dr. Erma J. Vizenor, chairwoman of White Earth Band of Ojibwe, educator, and community organizer

Tim Wise, educator and author of Colorblind (City Lights, 2010), White Like Me (Soft Skull Press, 2008), and Affirmative Action (Routeledge, 2005)

On November 16, faith leaders and educators will gather at St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral to discuss and create curriculum and tools on the topics raised in the forum. Resources such as bibliography, on-demand video, materials for community and individual review, discussion questions, and lesson plans will be available.

Registration is available to attend the Friday webcast, the Saturday events or both here.

A video trailer of The Watsons Go to Birmingham, to be screened at the event is at this link.

For more information, please contact the Rev. Angela Ifill. 

September 22nd 10:30am Service:
ACOLYTES: Natalia Reniszewski
MC/LEMS:  Nadia Stefko; BobVogler, Sue Wells, Lascelles Anderson
LECTORS: Jim Prescott, Sally Prescott
INTERCESSORS: Linda Coberly, Grace Coberly
ALTAR GUILD: Joan Anderson, Heather Bovell, Flora Green, Hansi Kess, Kathy Onayemi, Al Papillon, Willie Polite, Sally Prescott, Natalie Ratz, Marie Rock, Jane Shirley, Mary Ann Urbashich
BREAD BAKER: Barbara Larsen
USHERS: Laura Morgan Day, Sam Love, Alan Harvey, Donna Anderson
GREETERS: Ade Onayemi, Gloria Rayburn, Jane Shirley
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS: 9:00am: Volunteer(s) needed
10:30am:  Volunteer(s) needed

September 29th 10:30am Service:
ACOLYTES: Natalia Reniszewski, Phoenix Sullivan
MC/LEMS:  Susan Hickey; Tony Dobrowolski, Cherryl Holt, Hansi Kess
LECTORS: Marilyn Wardle, Lascelles Anderson
INTERCESSORS: Barbara Larsen, Debbie Edwards
ALTAR GUILD: Joan Anderson, Heather Bovell, Flora Green, Hansi Kess, Kathy Onayemi, Al Papillon, Willie Polite, Sally Prescott, Natalie Ratz, Marie Rock, Jane Shirley, Mary Ann Urbashich
BREAD BAKER: Barbara Larsen
USHERS: Benjamin Daramola, Kweku Leighton-Armah
GREETERS: Carol Dorsey, Alice Leighton-Armah
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS: 9:00am: The Ratz family
10:30am: Marian & Stan Kaderbek