St. Luke's header image
VOICE of St. Luke's - # 28
March 30-April 6, 2014

How to have fearless conversation

 in the church

(but not during the Peace)


      

    One of the characteristics that people who don't attend church say they want is "fearless conversation". This is in contrast to what they say they have experienced in churches as having church members talk AT them, telling them what they should believe, without bothering to ask what they think or how they feel.

      I don't know if St. Luke's members are guilty of this or not (I'm honestly NOT pointing fingers here), but what I am aware of is my own tendency to get nervous when talking to people I don't know well, and then talk too much. I then project onto the new person -- the guest at church, the new member at coffee hour, the visitor from out of town -- my nervousness, and try too hard to make them feel welcome. This involves more talking on my part, until I realize as I am walking away from the conversation, that I don't know much about the people I just met!

      I have had to consciously work at not doing this, and to ask more questions, at a slowly increasing level of intimacy, looking for cues that people want to talk at a deeper level.

      But these are probably not the kind of fearless conversations that the unchurched are talking about. What they want is a place where they can talk about and question spiritual concepts such as life after death, the meaning of suffering, and maybe even the church's view of divorce, homosexuality, and political issues. You know: the stuff we avoid talking about so we don't offend anyone.

      But one of the Episcopal church's strengths, when we HAVE responded to controversial topics that we inevitably face, is that we can tolerate a wide spectrum of  beliefs, especially when they are grounded in the speaker's own faith and understanding of the church's teachings. Our responses tend to be well thought out, and incorporate the three tenets of Scripture, Reason, and Tradition. We don't try to come up with bumper sticker slogans, and easy sound bytes about complex issues that have many sides to them.

      If we can agree that everyone need NOT agree on any issue, and do so respectfully, cherishing the idea that God created each person and may be speaking through that person (with some exceptions), we can have fearless conversations, while still maintaining our own points of view. And sometimes we are even moved by the Spirit to change our minds.

 

- Madre Liz  

 

In This Issue
How to have fearless conversation
Weekly Calendar
Easter Flowers
4 LENT Mothering Sunday
Adult Forum
CHURCH SCHOOL
Selling Water by the River
Soup Supper -
Spiritual Overnight for Youth
Relay for Life
St Susan Center Basket Fair
Quick Links
Join our list
Join Our Mailing List

Weekly Calendar 


SAT, MARCH  29
10 am - 1 pm
Thrift Shop Open 

5 pm Holy Communion, Rite I, Chapel 

Sunday, MARCH 30
8 am HE - Chapel  

9 am Adult Forum & Church School -undercroft

10 am HE, Rite II - church

No Youth Choir today

4pm Selling Water by the River - stage area

MON, MARCH 31 
 
TUES, April 1 
9 am - 12 noon
Thrift Shop receiving


WED, April 2
7:30 am
Men's Bible Study

6 pm Lenten Soup Supper and Program 

7 pm Youth Group -
3rd floor parish house

THURS, April 3 
8:30 am Women's Bible Study

9 - 11 am 4th Street Cafe - undercroft

10 am - 2 pm Thrift Shop Open

12:05 pm Healing Service - Chapel

7 pm Choir

FRI, April 4
10 am - 2 pm Thrift Shop Open

SAT, April 5
Selling Water by the River, author, Shane Hipps @ D Center, Tonawanda NY

10 am - 1 pm
Thrift Shop Open

5 pm Holy Eucharist, Rite 1 - chapel

SUNDAY, April 6  
5 LENT
8 am -HE, Rite II - Chapel

9 am Church School & Adult Forum

10 am - HE, Rite II - church

4 pm Selling Water by the River - stage area

5 pm CONFIRMATION with Bishop Franklin



Prayer Requests 


Tristan Stormer; Pat Martonis; Martha Herbst;  Cheryl Hill; Peter Bumsted;  Kim Mann; Nancy McKenzie;

Mary O'Connor;

Kirk Cardone;

Linda Carlson;

Ellen Peterson;

Annie Shailer;

Jeff Hopkins;

Richard Meier; Daniel, Mike,  AJ, and Pat, Patrick  

EASTER FLOWERS

Submit your Easter flower memorials and thanksgivings now through Monday of Holy Week. Envelopes are available in your pledge envelope box, and will also be in the pews.  

 
4 LENT - Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday Weekend .... please enjoy a piece of simnel cake made by the St Agnes Altar Guild in remembrance of mothers and your Mother Church.

 

Mothering Sunday is a Christian holiday celebrated throughout Europe that falls on the 4th Sunday in Lent.  During the sixteenth century, people returned to their mother church, the main church or cathedral of the area, for a service.  Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone "a-mothering", In later times, Mothering Sunday became a day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother church, usually with their own mothers and other family members. Mothering Sunday remains in the calendar of some Anglican churches, particularly those with strong English connections.   

 

Miss Annie Oates brought with her from England the tradition of Mothering Sunday and Simnel Cakes and introduced them to St Luke's in 1955.  St. Agnes Altar Guild took over the tradition of making the cakes in 1968 and continues today.   

On the 4th Sunday of Lent, enjoy a light repast of traditional simnel cake made with almond paste and currants.

 ADULT FORUM

On Sunday, March 30, the Forum will begin a series on "Mindful Living/Mindful Faith".  This "Mindful Living" is one of the latest crazes...or is it just a fad?  We will begin the series by looking at one more of Barbara Cawthorne Crafton's videos on prayer - yes - prayer DOES play a large part in "Mindful Faith"...!  Join us at 9:00 am on the stage area of the undercroft.  ON SUNDAY, April 6, the Forum will continue this series.

 

CHURCH SCHOOL 

Did you see what the kids did in Church School this past Sunday?! They made really cool 3-D Last Supper art project out of egg cartons!  Join in Sunday mornings Church School program for breakfast  beginning at 8:50 am.  Please offer your presence to Debbie Cardone and our church school children
as they work to solve the "Lent Mystery."   
Creative projects for Church School include "helping hands;" March 30th will bring the "Agony in the Garden" diorama, and a lesson in light and darkness.  We will discuss the struggles and sacrifices Jesus and his disciples went through, while examining our own struggles and sacrifices and what this represents to us as Children of God.

 

Selling Water by the River

Selling Water by the River

Sundays 4 pm -- March 30
Author, Shane Hipps, will speak at the Diocesan Center on Saturday, April 5th. 

 

SOUP SUPPERS on WEDNESDAYS

soup Only 2 more Lenten soup suppers, April 2 & 9, which are covered by the Bishop Overs Guild on the 2nd and the Women's Bible Study on the 9th.  Join us on Wednesday evening for Soup at 6 pm, program at 7 pm - How to Become the Church that People LOVE to attend - and ending with the service of Compline from the Book of Common Prayer.   

( If you've not ever checked out some of the other services in the Book of Common Prayer, this is a wonderful opportunity.  Compline is brief, thoughtful, and heart-warming way to end the day.)   Come! 

Spiritual Overnight for Youth!

New!  -- St. Paul's, Harris Hill--
Invites our Youth and All Youth to Attend a Maundy Thursday Spiritual Overnight.  St. Paul's, Harris Hill invites all youth in grades 9-12 from all over the diocese to their Maundy Thursday Spiritual Overnight. The event begins at 8:30 p.m. on Maundy Thursday, April 17 and ends at 8:00 a.m. on Good Friday, April 18.  The overnight consists of activities designed to explore our relationship with and connection to Jesus.  Participants should bring a sleeping bag, pillow, change of clothes and a toothbrush etc.  Air mattresses may be brought along as the group will be sleeping on the floor. Contact Pastor Vicki Zust atpaulsrector@gmail.com
 for a permission slip.

 

St Luke's Relay for Life Team

relay life St. Luke's For Life

Relay for Life Team

May 31, 2014

Frewsburg Central School

 Did you know that the Relay For Life really is not just a one-day event?

Did you know the money raised for the Relay For Life goes to help millions of people not just cancer research?

Fundraising goes throughout the year, and it helps millions of people in the many programs that the American Cancer Society offers.  Relay For Life is purplebecause purple represents all of the cancers, and purple is often called "uplifting," it encourages creativity, calms the mind and nerves, and offers a sense of spirituality.  You, too, can be a part of our

 St. Luke's For Life Team!

Go to RelayForLife.org/SoChautauquaNY

 to join St. Luke's For Life.

For more information about participating and supporting

Relay For Life, speak to Susan Schrader.

St Susan Center Annual Basket Fair

Saint Susan 11th Annual Basket Fair basket

at Jamestown Community College

 Physical Education Building, Curtis Street

Saturday, April 5, 2014  11 am to 3 pm

        Visit www.stsusancenter.orgor call

664-2253 ext 3  for tickets!! 

Sponsored by Jamestown Savings Bank and

Kids Power Company of Fluvanna Community Church

 

Driving Volunteer?

A volunteer with a car is needed to deliver the food and care items we collect.  Call the church office - 483-6405 - if you can offer to deliver to the local food pantries, and/or to the Safe House.  Once a week is all that is needed.

thank you!  

The Rt. Rev. R. William Franklin, Bishop of Western New York

 The Rev. Elizabeth Simmons, Interim Rector 

 The Rev. Cathleen Smith, Deacon 

 Kim Johnstone Mann, Secretary/Administrator  

Barbara Bumsted, Director of Adult Formation

Debra Cardone, Children's Church School Ministry 

Andrew Schmidt, Organist & Choirmaster 

Paul Johnson and Linda Dawson, Wardens.

Office: 410 North Main St., Jamestown NY 14701 

 

Phone (716) 483-6405 *  Fax (716)483-6406 

 

Learn more about us on our website: 

http://www.stlukesjamestown.org