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+ Deepening Holy Week
+ Guardian Angels
+ Our Partnered Family
+ A Spiritual Pilgrimage
+ Fruits of the Sister Parish Relationship
+ Heaven is a Giant Watermelon
Spiritual Life Committee
Tim West, Chair
Consider joining our Holy Week Spirituality group. A group of our parishioners would like to form a community for mutual support during the three-day Passover, lasting from sundown Maundy Thursday until sundown on Easter Sunday. We invite anyone who wants to keep these three days in an intentional and communal way to join us.
We will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Maundy Thursday, April 12, with a bread and soup supper in the dining room, before the 7:30 p.m. service. We will have a chance then to get to know one another, discuss prayer, fasting, and other spiritual disciplines that are possibilities during the three days and begin praying for one another. We will have other chances to gather after the three-hour service on Good Friday and the brief service in the Chapel on Holy Saturday morning. Finally, we will begin our Easter celebration together just before the Easter Vigil.
Please call the church office if you will be attending the supper on Maundy Thursday, (919)929-2193. For more information, contact Tim West or Tim Hinton.
Lynne Wentworth
Like many of you reading this, I think a lot about suffering. What good is suffering? Should I try to avoid suffering ... could I ... will it make me a better person, or only if I do it right? Why does God allow children to suffer?
Most of my life's work has been with children. I was a babysitter before I was a teenager. As an adult, I've been an edu-cator, an elementary school coun-selor, and a preschool director.
After being a volunteer Guardian ad Litem for five years, I took a job as a program supervisor of the agency in Orange and Chatham Counties ... a job I've had for another five years. All of my jobs to some ex-tent (but particularly this one) have brought me back to the question of suffering children.
The Guardian ad Litem program provides trained, independent volunteer advocates to represent and promote the best interests of abused and neglected children in the court system. This program investigates the facts to determine the child's needs, identifies resources in the community to meet those needs, and makes recommendations in a written report to the judge. The words I've just written, like the name Guardian ad Litem ("Guardian for the case"), are cool, bloodless, and remote from the heart of the work. What do Guardian ad Litem volunteers really do? They visit the 14-year-old in a group home, the 17 placement for the child since he entered foster care at age 10. They talk with the child, whose father burned him with cigarettes. They review medical records of the baby with six unexplained fractures in various stages of healing. They help locate a therapist for the little girl that was sexually assaulted by her mother's boyfriend. Those children cry, rage, run away, curse, steal, hunger, and lie. It's easy to understand why, but (and this is harder to understand) they also heal sometimes. They smile or play soccer or write poetry or get adopted.
My job as program supervisor is to help the volunteer Guardian navigate the court system, Social Services, and other community agencies. They tie many loose ends of information together to formulate plans; and hardest of all, they face despair without it immobilizing them. The miracle I'm privileged to see on a regular basis is what happens when one human being is willing to sit still in another's world, and genuinely connect. In the case of a Guardian ad Litem, it's the world of an abused or neglected child, and it can be full of despair; but that act of being there, that simple willingness to see and hear the child's story, can change both lives. That subtle, mysterious connection has the power to take away pain and alienation and open hearts. Children often refer to their Guardian ad Litems as their "guardian angels." This is more than just the way children have of turning unfamiliar words into something they can grasp. It happens because something spiritually significant, something greater than any words we know, happens between a Guardian ad Litem and a child, that eases suffering in two hearts.
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Joanna Hiller Doherty
Social Ministry Committee
In January 2000, the Social Ministry Committee and our parish ventured into new uncharted waters by "adopting" a needy family through the Work First Family Partner Program and Winnie Morgan. Although we had never taken on such a project before, we considered this to be an opportunity for social outreach at many levels.
The choice of the family was my decision. Winnie Morgan provided me with information about families that had been struggling and could use some help. When she mentioned a single mother with six children, who had just relocated from Project Homestart, I knew ... this was the family for us. They had the greatest needs needs that a large parish with many resources could fulfill. It helped to know, as Winnie put it, "The mother is a pleasure to work with." And so our relationship began.
My first visit to the family helped identify a warm and friendly woman with lovely, polite children ranging in age from toddler to teen. Quickly, however, I was struck by their poverty. They had no furniture, little clothing, and no kitchen wares. The mother was in training to learn computer data entry work, with no prospects of earning an income for several months. Economically, they were dependent on social assistance and food stamps.
Now the process could begin. Our first parish project for our family was providing them with donations of furniture, kitchen items, and clothing. We had a wonderful outpouring from our congregation of beds, sofas, chairs, a table, kitchen supplies, bookcases, and desks. They even received some deck furniture! Next was a visit to the parishioner-subsidized ABC sale. The mother was able to buy a stroller for the toddler, pillows, shoes, clothing, and toys for the children; all for under $50.00. At Easter, each child received an Easter basket. During the summer, we had a picnic and visited the Museum of Life and Science. At the beginning of school, we hosted a school supply and back-pack drive to help the children start off the school year with the same advantages of our children. In the late fall we provided coats for the children. In early December, we helped the mother, (who was struggling with the Chapel Hill job market) get a job with Tar Heel Temps. At Christmas, there were gifts of toys and clothing for each child, under their first "real" Christmas tree, which provided incredible excitement for the whole family. The mother had some gifts under the tree as well. They also received several bags of groceries.
The shopping was done by our parishioners, to harvest the festive Christmas dinner that includ-ed a large turkey and a ham.
Having met some of their basic needs, cur-rent projects with the family include: assisting the oldest child in ninth grade to do well enough in school so he can attend college, helping the mother get a full-time job with benefits, tutoring the children in math and reading skills, and helping the family get a computer (an attempt to bridge the digital divide).
Spiritually, the family attends Rev. Manley's First Baptist Church in Carrboro. The daughter is a member of the children's choir there.
Each of the mentioned projects and accomplishments has happened because numerous parishioners helped in many different ways. The process of nurturing this family has brought joy not only to them, but also to the many young and adult members of Chapel of the Cross who have participated in the projects. Many have done so without even meeting the family. This heartfelt generosity reflects Christian teaching as expressed by St. Paul in Acts 20:35: "In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
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Susan Mann
Cross of Nails
Several years ago, I fulfilled a lifelong dream to travel by car from coast to coast. The trip was more wonderful than I expected. In fact, it turned out to be the beginning of a spiritual pilgrimage. I went to Memphis to enjoy the barbecue, blues, and riverboats. Half a day was spent in the National Civil Rights Museum, located in the former Lorraine Motel. Inside were compelling drawings of imprisoned Africans, packed like sardines in the gloom and filth of slave ships that were bound for the "New World." In another section of the museum, I boarded a former city bus, in which I was harassed and humiliated by a mechanical driver who threatened to call the police if I refused to move to the back of the bus. Later I stood within feet of where the Rev. Martin Luther King was assassinated and wept while Precious Lord played softly and soulfully in the background. It was a holy place, and I left it feeling both blessed and deeply troubled by our harsh history and the need for continued racial reconciliation in our great country.
Similarly, I explored the Southwest, eager to see the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, and other natural wonders. Along the way, I encountered the Pueblo Nations and visited the ancient Hopi settlement on First Mesa in Arizona. I was nurtured and awed by the ancient wisdom of these people, whose culture is based on harmony and balance with all of creation. I was appalled to learn that the first church of First Mesa was built by forced labor of the peaceful Native Americans, who were at the disadvantage of not being armed with guns or ideology with which to thwart an invasion. It was gratifying to meet the future chief of the Hopi. He is a college educated gentleman who lives with his wife and children in an ancient mesa top home, without electricity or running water, to preserve his culture and native spirituality.
When I returned home, Rev. Stanley told me about the Community of the Cross of Nails, an international community of faith that began at Coventry Cathedral during World War II. The Community of the Cross of Nails has become for me, the continuation of the pilgrimage begun on my cross-country trip. Here at the Chapel of the Cross, we have a faith based organization, committed to prayer, study, and action to promote reconciliation among the many divisions in our broken world. I found a local community that includes residents of Carol Woods, students at the University of North Carolina, and more recently members from our sister parish, St. Paul A.M.E. Our monthly meetings are rich in fellowship. I have come to cherish the new friendships that are developing.
Our local Cross of Nails is an active and growing organization. In the past year, we have sponsored two local racial reconciliation projects among school age children. We have heard from speakers who heightened our awareness of reconciliation needs around the world. In March, we were visited by representatives from Coventry Cathedral and the CCN USA Board of Directors, who formally recognized our group and designated us an official center of the Cross of Nails. Recently, we have begun prayerful consideration and research
regarding a possible linkage with a Cross of Nails community in Africa. The pilgrimage continues.
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Two years ago, the downtown churches joined our two parishes in Faith on Franklin Street. The human chain, with a few missing links, stretched from one altar to the other. We stopped traffic on Franklin Street. Holding hands downtown together to announce our faith to the community sounds like what Bishop Curry has in mind for us. Our common bond, the love that holds our sister parish relationship together, is our common love of the Lord and of his people. "Jesus loves the little children ... " -- Laurie Alexander
On October 23, 1994, we entered into a sister parish relationship by writing a covenant. The Rev. Gaylord, pastor of St. Paul during the discussions that preceded that commitment., said that he knew what Episcopalians would do in response to the covenant. They would make a committee and outline things we can do together. What he thought we should do was worship together. Our relationship has meant joyous, foot stomping worship for me, as well as new friends to plan and work with.
I'll always be grateful for the monthly Sister Parish breakfasts we use to have on Saturday mornings; great grits, fun, and meaningful fellowship with such very special people as Frances Hargraves, Ethel Jean and Curtis Jackson. -- Sally Slack
One February around Valentine's Day, we held a "Tea" in our parlor for both parishes. The largely female gathering included such special women as Mary Arthur Stoudemire, Doris Cotton, and Rebecca Clark. The parlor was dotted with small clusters of well dressed folks listening as these ladies told stories to the next three generations. Growing up in the segregated south, I never could have imagined such a remarkable party.
The richness of the Sister Parish relationship was captured for me by the profound privilege of working, eating, sleeping, traveling and praying together as we rebuilt a church for our brothers and sisters in the Costa Rican jungle. -- Janet Turchi
I joined a group of women from both congregations to discuss Pauli Murray's Autobiography of a Black Activist, Feminist, Lawyer, Priest, and Poet. It was a frank, sometimes disturbing conversation that brought us closer to each other. I began to feel quite comfortable walking right into St. Paul's parish house, a place that seem-ed intimidating to me earlier. The Sister Parish relationship has meant an opportunity to meet a church family I might otherwise never have known. -- Rebecca Ashburn
For me, the fruits of the Sister Parish relationship came before my involvement in the Covenant Committee, the harvest before the labor, so to speak. I went to Costa Rica to help build a church, and was blessed with some of the richest moments and friendships of my life, thanks to the St. Paul people we were there with. -- Sandy Worth
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Reflections from the Youth Inquirers' Class
We asked the students in this year's Youth Inquirers' Class, "What does Confirmation mean to you?" Here are their responses.
When I was little, I made up religions, or rather, just altered Christianity. My sister and I would stay up late (9:30 was late) and ponder what heaven was like, what would happen when we died, and who God was. Though I was only five and she was only eight, we came up with numerous ideas and possibilities on the subject. I thought that perhaps God was a little boy, just floating in space, who got bored one day, took out his crayons, and drew a picture: earth. My sister thought that when we died, we would become the little faces we "see" when we stare at clouds too long. We both agreed that heaven was a giant watermelon that everyone lived in, and we'd feed on its fruit, drink of its juice, and, whenever we wanted something, all we needed to do was crack open a seed and there it would be.
I believe that confirmation is simply a promise to do just that: a promise to decide what Christianity is and to believe in it, in an adult sense, of course. God has left so much of religion to interpretation and imagination, and I believe that confirmation is a covenant between God and ourselves that lets God know that we are going to try with all our might to understand all that he is trying to teach us, and to love him as unconditionally as he love us. -- Abby Jamieson-Drake
I think that this class is helping us make sure that we are making the right decision in being confirmed. -- Bo Reeves
For me, confirmation means being seen in the brighter light of God. The pathway to God comes in numerous forms, whether you are unsure or not of which way to go at the fork in the road. You can have confirmation to reflect on. -- William Davies
Each and every day, we are blessed with the presence of God, whether one acknowledges it or not. He is always there, and for me confirmation is little more than just looking back atGod and taking the time to say, "Thank you." -- William McLean
For me, the journey toward the day of my confirmation has been an odyssey; my mind has on many occasions changed its views toward Christianity. At one point, my belief in our religion as being "right" and concrete was very solid. Then, questions crept into my mind about how "right" we really were. "What if the Jews are right?" I have asked myself many times. Now, however, I have seen that to each person, there is a different set of questions, and for each person, the answers will be different. Confirmation, in fact, is a commitment to try to pursue the answers to these questions, and to continually come up with new ones. -- Drew Silton
It means to believe the information about Jesus and God even if you don't understand why and how everything happened. Confirmation is not meaning that you fully understand everything that they have told you, but it is a beginning of understanding. You are accepting that you do not know everything, but no one knows everything except God. You are accepting that not everything will be fully understood. You are accepting the Lord into your life. That is what Confirmation is, besides becoming part of the church. -- Christy Holland
It is hard to decide whether you are going to get confirmed when you have so much doubt. The more I hang out with my atheist friends, the more they explain their point of view, and the stupider believing in God sounds. But then sometimes it seems so true and right. I looked up "agnostic," and it means "not decided about religion." I'm considering it. But then my goddaughter makes me want to get confirmed too, so she can have a real role model. I know some doubt is just part of being faithful, but sometimes it's hard to know how much is too much. -- Beth Fiedorek
Confirmation is just the start of understanding Christianity because the youth are finally old enough to start comprehending sermons and the language of the church. I for one am just following through on confirmation, due to my parents' expectations. When a child, one doesn't seem to understand the true meaning of Christianity. Through confirmation, I feel that it opens new doors for a different viewpoint on life, and one can finally begin to create building blocks to the destination of what Christianity really is. -- Amy Christenbury
The Youth Inquirers' Class is ... learning more about myself and my Christian faith, a turning point in my life in terms of "adulthood," and helping others learn and grow while they, in turn, teach me. -- Katherine Kopp
For me confirmation is a way for me to examine my beliefs. I have learned more about the religion and where our church stands on certain issues. For me this has been and will continue to be a wonderful experience on my pathway to finding God. -- Emily Maginn
Confirmation is. . . starting your life as a Christian and being born again ... becoming one with God ... becoming an adult in the Church ... beginning my spiritual journey ... showing God that I am someone. All my life, I have wanted to be a Christian, and I will never feel like a full Christian unless I become confirmed. -- Andy Maginn
I think confirmation is something that at the time is not understood. It is done because it is expected of you. -- Kyle Mitchell
I think that we are all inquirers all of our lives and that really our whole lives are a big inquiry into who we are, who God is, what life is, what came before, and what comes after. This class helps us all understand that none of us has all the answers‹and we never will‹but that we are here to learn, not only about answers but about questions, and about each other. -- Rev. Bill Joyner; Co-teacher, Youth Inquirers' Class
Being an "inquirer" and also being a teacher of Inquirers is a challenge. How can I respond to questions for which I do not have answers? The only thing I know to do is to say that it is okay to keep asking. Sometimes I do not know how I am able to remain a Christian -- much less teach the class -- when I myself have so many questions. And yet, when I worship, I am uplifted and reminded of God's deep presence in my life.
One of the best things about teaching the Youth Inquirers' Class is that, when I am nervous about how the class is going, the kids speak with such depth and sensitivity that I am reminded God works not only through my strengths but also in spite of my weaknesses. -- Melynn Glusman;
Lead Teacher, Youth Inquirers' Class