All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Island, SC
May 20, 2004
Please make every effort to attend the special parish meeting on Sunday, June 6th, at 9am in Gordon Mann Hall. The purpose of this meeting is for the rector to share with you, and then receive your comments, concerning a new Sunday morning schedule for the fall. The ingredients for our current Sunday schedule will continue, and I am seeking parish support for an additional Eucharist that will be contemporary in nature, to be held in Gordon Mann Hall. The new fall schedule will include
three services
two adult education times
fellowship in the library for those attending the earliest Eucharist, and
Children’s education following the Contemporary Eucharist.
This is the result of several months in conceptual planning, with the idea that three important realities were necessary for Sunday mornings: worship (Eucharist), education (adult, children and youth), and fellowship. I shared my vision for this fall schedule with the vestry and they were enthusiastically supportive. Based on their input and a desire to reach out to young families, while maintaining the core of our current schedule, Sunday mornings will offer significant choices for individuals and families -- choices about the type of service they will attend, choices about educational offerings for adults, and children’s education at a time that is attractive for a family as we ask them to invest their lives in Christ and His church.
This is not about subtracting anything we currently undertake on a Sunday morning, and has everything to do with building up this body of Christ. I would appreciate your active participation, your thoughts and suggestions as I provide you with a very detailed look at the Sunday schedule for the fall.
Note that the third Eucharist will be an important addition to our Sunday morning schedule, and in a sense we will be building a congregation within the All Saints community. Treated as a church startup, members of the parish are encouraged to lend their talent and time in creating and sustaining this Eucharist that will hopefully draw people from beyond the walls of this parish. This service will be different from our Rite I and II Eucharist’s in very visible ways. It will be child friendly; less structured and will offer contemporary music led by keyboard, piano, and other instruments. Youth and adults will read the lessons, prayers of the people will be offered by individuals and families, and the liturgy will be more relaxed and receptive to our young people. It is meant to be inclusive and inviting, open and engaging and, I might add, contagious.
It is anticipated that we will have a “trial run” this summer, time to be announced, where we deliberately “introduce” this particular Eucharist to members of the parish.
By the grace God the rains held off for a day! Indeed, there was not a drop of rain for a great crowd visiting the five homes on the Garden Tour. Diverse and unique would be how I would describe the gardens, each with their own integrity and special character. The only problem I see with our Garden tour is visiting these spectacular gardens, wanting my own home to be surrounded with such grace and beauty, and knowing my green thumb just doesn’t have that kind of innate talent. But is was great fun to see the vision of a gardener and the graceful eye to create and set a mood, and to witness the incredible beauty of plants, flowers and the use of color and space. I walked from one garden to another simply grateful and impressed.
In the midst of all the people that I saw at lunch, and on the tour, and having a good idea of all the people who made this work, and work beautifully, I remember the four charitable organizations which will benefit from our labor. I am thankful for so many who pulled together for the cause of others, even strangers to us, who will be helped by our collective and united effort. Thank you, Jennifer Gajdalo, for your outstanding leadership, for your committees, and for their months of planning and attention to detail. It was quite evident that each group worked towards a common goal, to provide a great tour and to give to strengthen our community. Thank You!
Here are some titles of books I am currently reading, or have recently read:
Introduction to Theology by Owen Thomas; rereading an old classic by my Theology professor at Episcopal Divinity School
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold; not a book for classic summer escapism, rather a thought provoking look at life and death.
Lucky by Alice Sebold; an earlier work about the aftermath of a life horribly violated and almost destroyed. Hope within us.
Anglican Identities by Rowan Williams; incredibly gifted theologian who happens to be the Archbishop of Canterbury. Series of writings about the people who have shaped our Anglican identity.
On Christian Theology by Rowan Williams; want to have some idea where we are headed as a communion? This book offers Archbishop William’s critical thinking about faith and how we bring that to light as Anglicans.
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