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July 6, 2016
Volume 6, Number 45
In This Issue
 
 





This Sunday's Lections
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Join Our Mailing List
Register Now for Acolyte Festival
The August 13-14 Acolyte & Youth Leadership Festival (AYLF) open to 3rd through 12th graders. During the Acolyte Festival, participants will enjoy an Acolyte Olympics and can also expect to participate in acolyting and church leadership workshops facilitated by experienced practitioners; to meet other young acolytes and church leaders from across the diocese; to learn about other liturgical practices; to share their own church experience; and to have fun!

Participants should bring their own vestments (marked with a church name or participant's name) and their home church's banner, which will be processed during the 10 am Sunday morning Eucharist at St. Thomas Isle of Hope, Savannah, where the festival will be held (2 St. Thomas' Avenue, Savannah, Georgia 31406.

Check in starts at 10 am on August 13 and acolytes will be ready to pick up after the Sunday Eucharist (about 11:30 am) on the 14th. Those picking up acolytes are encouraged to attend that closing 10 am Eucharist. The cost is $40 and includes three meals, a t-shirt, and other event costs. Scholarships are available on request. Contact the Rev. Joshua Varner with scholarship requests at [email protected] If you have other questions about the event, please contact Misty Graham at [email protected]

Diocesan Office Update    

Bishop Benhase is on sabbatical through August 23.

Canon Willoughby is out of the office July 4-8 for vacation. 

Canon Logue is in the office weekdays through the Bishop's return from sabbatical.
Diocesan Community Update    

The Rev. Jason Haddox has accepted a call to serve as the next rector of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Norman, Oklahoma. Haddox is currently serving at Our Savior Martinez; he was previously the Rector of St. Augustine's, Augusta. Working with the Revs. Joshua Varner and David Rose, he has been a part of the group Crumbs Under Thy Table which provided the music for the outdoor Eucharist at Honey Creek during Convention 2014 as well as for Clergy Conferences. With a doctorate in Liturgy from Drew University, Haddox also served as the Examining Chaplain for Liturgy and Music for the Commission on Ministry. The picture above shows Jason with Shannon, his wife of 22 years.

Connect to God at the Fall Prayer Retreat 
The Gospel offers the possibility of metanoia, a change of mind and heart. But how might this occur? The Fall Prayer Retreat at Honey Creek will delve into just how that change happens and to begin to effect that change in mind and heart during the overnight event. Find the deep connections that will permit your life to be lived not out of a sense of never being or having enough, but in the power and presence of God. Come expecting God to be present to you. Pictured here is a breakout session from the Lenten Retreat.

The Rev. Liam Collins is teaming up again with Canon Frank and Victoria Logue to offer the Fall Prayer Retreat which will meet September 23 at 5 p.m. and conclude by 2 p.m. on the 24th.  

The rates for the conference including three meals are: Lodge 1 Single $144, Lodge 1 Double $99.50, Lodge 2 Single $133, Lodge 2 Double $94, Cottage $90, and Campers and Commuters $64. 


St. Athanasius' Celebrates 131st Anniversary
A cornerstone of its community for over a century, St. Athanasius Episcopal Church recently celebrated its 131st Church Anniversary. On Saturday, June 25, 2016, the congregation kicked off the anniversary celebration with a special presentation of The Bride Groom Cometh, a play written and directed by Vivian Stuart. The congregation followed the afternoon performance in the church with refreshments in the Parish Hall. On Sunday, the Rev. Canon Julian Clarke served as the guest preacher and celebrant. Canon Clarke is the former rector of St. Athanasius.
Integrity Georgia Fall Retreat Meets October 28-29
National Integrity President Bruce Garner will facilitate Integrity Georgia's Fall Retreat which will meet October 28-29 at Honey Creek Retreat Center. The retreat starts Friday evening at 5 pm and ends Saturday at 12 noon. During the retreat, participants will explore our visibility as LGBTQ people and how that impacts our personal spirituality, those around us, and ultimately our church and communities. Transgender and teen issues will be discussed in a concurrent session. 

Integrity is a nonprofit organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Episcopalians and our straight friends.  Since its founding in Ft.Valley, Georgia in 1974, Integrity has been the leading grassroots voice for the full inclusion of LGBT persons in the Episcopal Church and our equal access to its rites.

Cost for lodging, three meals and the social reception is $118 for a single in Lodge 2; $129 for a single in the renovated Lodge 1 rooms. A double room is $79 per person in Lodge 2 and $84.50 per person in Lodge 1. Commuter rate is $49. Call Carolyn at Honey Creek to arrange to arrive early or stay later (912) 265-9218. For questions about Integrity Georgia, contact Clayton Gagne-Thomas (912) 655-6986 or [email protected]

Order of Saint Helena
Explore a Possible Monastic Vocation at the Convent
The Episcopal Order of Saint Helena sponsors an annual retreat for single women who wish to explore the possibility of monastic vocation. Their Come-and-See retreat, held over Labor Day weekend, will provide women the opportunity to learn about and experience monastic life in the 21st century and to gain clarity about a possible vocation. 

The Sisters also ask From the Field readers to please help inform women who may have a call to monastic life in two ways:
  1. Post the enclosed flier in a prominent location for your parishioners to read. 
  2. Place a brief note about our free Come-and-See retreat in your church bulletin, such as: Are you attracted to monastic life in the Episcopal Church? The Episcopal Convent of Saint Helena in South Carolina is hosting a free Come-and-See retreat for single women during Labor Day weekend. Flier posted in church.
  
Two views of last week's Camp St. Joseph and Mary with campers in the Chapel and in the swimming pool. 

Register for the Remaining Summer Camp Sessions
Registrations are up for summer camp at Honey Creek, but there is still room in our upcoming camps to join the fun. Campers who completed 6-8 grade are now at Honey Creek for the first of two Camp St. Peter sessions. You can register online for upcoming weeks here:


If you have any camp questions, contact our Summer Camp Director, Thomas Greneker  at [email protected]
 
Remaining Summer Camp Schedule 
(with Registration Links for Individual Camps)
 


completed grades 3-5


Learning about food waste during the week, campers at Camp St. Joseph and Mary, pictured with Deacon Leeann Culbreath, ended the week with a zero food waste meal. 
Youth Programs
10-12 Grade Register for Happening
Happening Group PhotoHappening #97 will be held at Honey Creek September 16-18, 2016, and is open to those in grades 10 - 12.
During a Happening weekend, participants worship, play, sing, and talk about God's place in their lives. They make new friends who share similar concerns and questions - a reassuring discovery. A teenager who acts as "rector" leads the weekend with the help of a staff consisting mostly of young people. Some staff members give challenging talks, after which there's time for discussion and activity. Together, the staff and participants share in an exploration of the impact of Christian faith in their daily lives. Happeners who attend a weekend for their first time are called "Candidates." To be a Candidate, one must: 
  • Have completed the 9th grade and have not begun college.
  • Fill out the application:
Happening costs $101 to attend, and financial assistance is available. For more information, please visit the Georgia Happening website. Happening #97 Rector: Ashley Walker

Click here to register for Happening.

Upcoming Gospel
Clean Glasses - a Reflection on the Good Samaritan
by the Rev. David Somerville

John Seldon Whale, who died in 1996 at one hundred, left a significant wake of influence in both North America and the United Kingdom. He was a pulpit master, endowed with the charisma of authority. Whale once observed that "Faith without consequences is a lie. God does not need our sacrifices but has, nevertheless, appointed a representative to receive them, namely our neighbor".

Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan is one of the best loved of his parables-which is interesting, because it was not intended to make those who heard it feel good. It was supposed to make the lawyer who asked the question, as a sort of opening gambit, handle its answers with integrity. The question, of course, was cloaked with a thin veil of contempt. The lawyer's tone of voice probably had the sound of a sneer: "And who, my dear Jesus, is my... er...uh...'neighbor"?

And, of course, Jesus knew the calculating heart of the lawyer who posed the question. So he asks back, in not so many words, "Well, Mr. Lawyer, What do you think? Who is your neighbor anyway? Jesus could certainly read faces. So he saw that the lawyer's cold absence of compassion was the perfect launch-pad for what comes next: 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho...."

And we all know the rest of the story!
Or do we? Let's check it out.

We, who will hear of the Good Samaritan once again this Sunday, July 10th, will join the thousands of people to visualize the warm images already painted in our minds since childhood. But here is where there may be an unexpected challenge.
Start by considering something simple: reading glasses. For most of us, they make seeing the print of the story easier - unless the lenses are covered by the dust of sentimental familiarity. Do we need a reminder to wipe the lenses off? When we do clean our glasses, are we surprised by the light that comes in?

The next step is to consider another simple visual aide: a mirror. Parables and other really memorable stories have a way of reflecting back to us our evolving images as we progress through time in our pilgrimage to the spiritual maturity that comes with age. How we grow in our relationship to the parables of Jesus are like that.

Click here to continue reading the reflection: Upcoming Gospel for July 10
Prayers for Weekly Liturgies
Our one-year prayer cycle combines prayers for every congregation in the Diocese of Georgia with prayers for our ecumenical partners and for our Companion Diocese of The Dominican Republic. The 52 weekly prayers are available in one document: http://gaepiscopal.org/docs/oneyearprayercycle.pdf 

Prayers for July 3-9
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Pooler, St. Patrick's. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Garden City and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Port Wentworth. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Timothy's Church (San Timoteo) in Nizao.

Prayers for July 10-16
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Richmond Hill, St. Elizabeth of Hungary. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Richmond Hill, especially Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church and St. Anne's Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. John the Evangelist (San Juan Evangelista) in Piedra Blanca. 
Compline on the Beach

Our congregation on Tybee Island invites their fellow Episcopalians to join them for Compline on the Beach. The liturgy meets Wednesdays, 6:30 pm from June 1 through August 31. 

Meet on the beach at the 8th Street Crossover Take route 80 to Tybee, continue past two stoplights, past the sharp right curve, to 8th and Butler. Turn left on 8th. Park, cross to the beach and look for the All Saints banner. The service lasts about 15 minutes. Bring a chair if you wish. 
In case of rain, compline will be held inside the church at 804 Jones (Three blocks off the beach on Jones, between 8th and 9th). 
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Sincerely,                                       
            
Diocesan Staff                             
Episcopal Diocese of Georgia