What is a bishop? - St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

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4 Summer at St. Stephen’s Summer ushers in a more leisurely pace of life for some people, but that doesn’t mean that the church closes up shop. Summer may be the perfect time for you to try a group or a class, read a new book, or adopt a new spiritual practice, such as attending Morning Prayer regularly. Here are some of the things you can expect at St. Stephen’s this summer: Summer Worship Schedule From June 3 through September 2, the Sunday schedule is as follows: 8 a.m. Holy Eucharist: Rite One 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist: Rite Two (child care available) 5:30 p.m. Celtic Evensong and Communion 8 p.m. Compline There is no Sunday school or Rector’s Forum in June, July or August. Weekday mornings: 8:10 a.m., Morning Prayer and Communion in Holy Spirit Chapel; coffee and fellowship following (year-round; when the office is closed for a holiday, there is no Morning Prayer). Wednesdays: Evening Prayer through June 27, 5:30 p.m. in the church. Saturdays: Centering Prayer is held the second Saturday of the month, yearround. Classes, Groups, Workshops Contemplative Prayer | Year-round offering; no registration or experience needed Tuesdays at 8:45 a.m. in the Lounge; led by Henry Burke and Millie Cain “Silence is God’s first language. Words are a poor translation.” –Father Thomas Keating We gather to sit together in silence. We have a short walking meditation and then a contemplative dialogue. We close with silence. Thursday Bible Study | No registration needed Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m. in the Vestry Room This weekly group, open to all, focuses on specific books of the Bible, and is led by members of the parish staff. This summer the class will continue its study of the Book of Revelation with Weezie Blanchard before beginning a new unit. Icon Writing Workshop | August 5-10 This workshop was offered for the first time at St. Stephen’s last August, and was a tremendous hit. Instructor Suzanne Schleck will return to guide students in “writing” these religious works of art using the traditional materials of egg tempera and gold leaf on wooden panels. The cost is $340 (includes all materials), of which $100 is due by July 13. Some scholarship assistance is available; please contact Gene LeCouteur or Janet Allen in the parish office. You may register at saintstephensrichmond.net/icon, or simply stop by the parish office to sign up. Read more about this offering on page 5. Yoga This class will continue this summer, Tuesdays, 6-7:15 p.m. New students are always welcome. No registration is required. Room 18 ($10 suggested donation per session) What Would Jesus Brew? | Saturday, June 30, 1 p.m. With Vince Dongarra No cost for class; you will purchase your own supplies. Limited to 12 participants. What would Jesus brew? We don’t know, but we do know that people have been enjoying beer for 8,000 years, and learning how to make it this summer will be a great opportunity for fellowship. We’ll have a demo on how to brew a proper pint of beer, then try it at home using supplies from a local homebrew shop. Look for the sign-up sheet at Information Central. For Children Vacation Bible School | July 16-20, 9 a.m.-noon Take Me to the Water: God’s Love Flows Registration remains open until July 1 (or until the maximum is reached). With Take Me to the Water, kids will dive into stories from the Bible that use water to show God’s gift of life and blessing. They will explore the use of water in Bible times, as well as water issues around the world today. As they participate in lively worship, music, Bible memory and creative response activities, children will understand that God is the source of life. Just as God provided life-giving water in these stories, God continues to be the source of life and sustenance for us today. This curriculum is a wonderful companion to St. Stephen’s outreach ministries, and a team of St. Stephen’s high school students will be using the same curriculum during the same week to offer a Vacation Bible School in Azua, Dominican Republic. Additional details about Vacation Bible School, and registration, are on our Web site at saintstephensrichmond.net/vbs. For Youth Our youth will take part in several outreach and volunteer activities this summer, including a trip to Azua, Dominican Republic to lead Vacation Bible School and basketball camp, and a youth mission trip to New Orleans, August 5-11. From June 22 until July 1, there will be a youth pilgrimage to Italy for a group of 9th and 10th graders who have been preparing for two years for this spiritual journey. Outings for youth in grades 6-12 are also planned. Make sure you are on the email distribution list for our youth e-news to get the latest information on these local day trips. (Contact Matt Johnson in the parish office.) Parish and Community Events Wonderful Wednesdays | through June 27 Our Wednesday parish suppers have become such an integral part of our community’s life, we will continue them through the first part of summer—the last Wednesday in June, 5:45-6:30 p.m. Suppers are informal and are for all ages. Give yourself a night off from cooking and washing dishes! ($7 adults; $3 ages 11 and under; $20 family maximum) Drum Circle | June 15, July 20, August 17, 8 p.m. This come-when-you-can, no-experience-needed gathering on the third Friday of each month continues during the summer. If you have a drum, please bring it; if not, use one of ours. There is no charge, though we like to take a freewill offering for Cory Blake, our leader. We will also offer drum circles during the Saturday Farmers Market from time to time this summer. Questions? Contact Dan Moriarty. Holy Baptism Saturday Baptism services are offered several times each year; the next service will take place Saturday, July 14, at 10:30 a.m. Please contact Gene LeCouteur in the parish office if you would like to be baptized or have your child baptized. 3rd Annual Bluegrass Bash | Saturday, June 17, 2012 This year, we’ll have THREE great bands for this fun-filled afternoon and evening: The Demolition String Band, Rattlesnake Creek, and the No Head Bottom Blues Band. Food will be available for purchase, as well. This is an allages event. Additional details will be available on our Web site, in the weekly Spirit and the Demolition String Band eSpirit. Farmers Market @ St. Stephen’s | Saturdays, 8 a.m. - Noon. In keeping with our commitment to environmental stewardship, St. Stephen’s Church hosts a Farmers Market every Saturday, May through October, from 8 a.m. until noon. Locally produced seasonal vegetables, fruit, herbs, eggs, poultry, beef, pork, pasta and other foods are available. In addition, the market features local artisans, locally roasted coffee, and much more. Volunteers are crucial to the Market’s success; if you can help with the Farmers Market, please contact Mary Frances Siersema in the parish office. Summer Reading During the 2012-2013 program year, our parish will enjoy visits from several published authors including Martin Laird (in Advent), author of Into the Silent Land and A Sunlit Absence. We will carry books by these speakers in our bookstore. We are also carrying Diana Butler Bass’s new book, Christianity After Religion. For more on our bookstore, see page 7. Continued on page 5 SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
Photos by Sarah Bartenstein Scenes from last summer’s math camp Volunteer St. Stephen’s is a thriving community with many ministries, and volunteers are indispensable. Volunteers are needed throughout the summer in a number of different capacities, including our food ministry, with local outreach programs, and with our youth ministries. One annual summer outreach opportunity is our Math Camp, Monday, July 30 – Friday, August 3, 9 a.m. – noon. Each year, St. Stephen’s hosts a math camp for students in grades 2 through 5 who come to us through the Peter Paul Development Center, our long-time partner in the East End. You can help with breakfasts and snacks. Please contact Deb Lawrence in the parish office to discuss this and other volunteer opportunities. New flower guild offers beauty and fellowship For many years, the tradition in Episcopal churches has been that an altar guild oversees not only the preparation of the sanctuary and the nave for worship (setting up the elements for Communion, changing altar hangings according to the season of the church year, laundering the linens used for Communion and so forth), but also the procurement and arrangement of flowers for the altar and other parts of the worship space. In cathedrals, however, there is often a flower guild that takes responsibility for those arrangements. More and more now, churches our size have established flower guilds to support altar guilds with their important work. At the same time, St. Stephen’s two recent flower festivals—which filled the church with beautiful arrangements made by several church volunteers in May 2010 and May 2011—seemed to bring people “out of the woodwork” who had an interest in flowers and wanted to contribute to the church through a new ministry. The result: St. Stephen’s Flower Guild was formed! These talented people have taken their interest in flowers and the creative outlet arranging provides, and organized a group which teaches its members how to arrange plant materials throughout the seasons: seasons of the church year, as well as spring, summer, winter and fall. Their arrangements grace our church with beauty and symbolism not only on Sundays, but during special services such as weddings and funerals. This makes for a great deal of work and dedication on the part of the members, 75 women ranging from age 35 to 75 (men are welcome, too!). This broad age range offers a unique opportunity for fellowship. Guild leader Preston Gomer says, “The emphasis is on fellowship, with flowers on the side.” In addition to the beauty of the flowers, the guild provides worshipers something intangible, as well. As the Rev. Bill Sachs put it, flowers “illustrate our hope in new possibility and our belief in eternal life.” “Flowers have been an important part of our tradition since the Garden of Eden,” says the Rev. Weezie Blanchard, vicar. “We are blessed to have so many people who are willing to devote their talent and time to such beautiful expressions of their faith, and enhancement of our worship.” It’s important to note that financial support for the Altar Guild and the Flower Guild comes entirely from individual gifts for flower memorials and dedications, as well as special memorials at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. If you would like to honor or remember a loved one with altar flowers, please contact Judy Kidd at jettt@verizon.net, or 285-1689. If you would like to join the Flower Guild, please contact Preston Gomer, ststephensflowerguild@gmail.com. See a color version of the photo above at saintstephensrichmond.net/flowerguild. ‑Elizabeth Bartenstein SAINT STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH PENTECOST 1 | SUmmER 2012 Icon writing workshop to return “I did something I didn’t think I could do. I found that working so prayerfully and intently on this icon of Jesus has left a powerful image in my heart.” So said a participant in last year’s first-ever icon writing workshop. As this response attests, it was a deeply enriching experience for the participants, and we are delighted that Suzanne Schleck, the instructor last summer, has agreed to return for another workshop, this August 5-10. Painting an icon can be a compelling experience. Using techniques developed at the end of the Iconoclast period (before the year 1000 A.D.), the painter sees a face gradually emerge from the darkness, a face glowing with an internal light. The process has less to do with your ability to paint than with your willingness to let go and trust. All are invited to experience this joy, with no art experience required. The language of icons is the language of prayer. God’s love and presence are revealed on a deeper, non-verbal level. “The process of writing an icon,” according to Suzanne, “is not about finding something new but about returning to your true being.” Icons will be made using the traditional materials of egg tempera and gold leaf on gessoed panels. (Last summer, the eggs came from parishioners Betsy and Bobby Fauntleroy’s chickens.) Students will have several choices from which to choose, based in part on their previous experience with icon writing. You may be painting the Holy Face, the Korsun Mother of God, or St. Stephen. Days begin at 8:10 with Morning Prayer and Eucharist in the Holy Spirit Chapel, followed by an anointing of hands in the studio. Each day ends around 5:00 p.m. The workshop cost of $340 includes all supplies. Reservations and a deposit of $100 are due July 13 so that supplies can be ordered in advance. Please contact Janet Allen or Gene LeCouteur, 804.288.2867, if scholarship assistance is needed. You may register at saintstephensrichmond.net/icon, or simply stop by the parish office with your deposit. Suzanne, a retired public school art teacher, has studied iconography for more than 20 years. Her work has been published in Episcopal Life and in several online exhibits with Episcopal Church and the Visual Arts, at the 2006 General Convention and Princeton Theological Seminary. We look forward to welcoming Suzanne back to St. Stephen’s. In February, a team of medical missionaries from St. Stephen’s visited our friends in Azua, Dominican Republic, to provide medical and dental care to them and members of the surrounding community. During their weeklong stay, they saw over 600 patients. They also delivered the many toothbrushes you donated for this mission, simple tools that are making a big difference. Our team enjoyed meals, fellowship and worship with our mission partners in Azua. To learn how you can be part of this endeavor, please contact Leigh Preston in the parish office. Teacher and students at last year’s icon workshop Photo by Melissa Schwarzchild Traveling mercies | St. Stephen’s groups on the road For many, summer is a time to travel. Several groups from St. Stephen’s will be traveling this summer; please keep them in your prayers. • Virginia Girls Choir tour, England (June 29-July 12) • Youth Pilgrimage to Italy (June 29-July 13) • Youth mission in Azua, Dominican Republic (July 14-21) • Youth mission in New Orleans (August 5-11) Photo by Doug Buerlein 5
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Page 7 and 8: Preparing for a new century Capital

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