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From the Rector Dear Friends, A major issue of our times, both in our society and within the Church, is the nature of same gender unions and the place of gay and lesbian people among us. I have appreciated the conversations which have arisen in our parish in response to my letter in the September Cross Roads reminding people of the actions of the 2003 General Convention, summarizing Bishop Curry's Pastoral Statement of July 2004, and articulating my own convictions on these issues. Such conversation has been encouraged by the General Convention and now by the Windsor Report. I want to enlarge that conversation and give us more opportunity to engage this issue. In dialogue with both the Adult Education and Liturgical Advisory Committees, I have invited several fellow clergy to speak with us in April. (I had hoped for January, but schedule conflicts prevented that earlier time.) The series is entitled "A Conversation about Gay Unions," and it will include three presentations. (See page 25 for a more detailed description.) The first will be Dr. Richard Pfaff, Priest Associate of this parish since 1967 and well known to most of us for his scholarly and insightful addresses, often marked by wry humor. The second will be the Rev. Gray Temple, Rector of St. Patrick's Church in Atlanta and author of the recent book, Gay Unions in the Light of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. Mr. Temple graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1965. Some years ago he came to different conclusions about the Church's ministry with gay people than his charismatic and evangelical roots had suggested; and he will articulate those convictions for our response.Finally, I will expand upon my earlier letter, speaking not only about my own thoughts shaped over thirty years of priestly ministry, but also looking at the present situation in the Church and helping us to listen for the Holy Spirit's presence and guidance. We will offer this series the first three Sundays in April in the chapel in both the morning and the evening to engage as many of us as possible. The morning session will be an abbreviated one, due to time constraints. Since Mr. Temple will be at his own parish in the morning on his Sunday, Barbara Day will offer instead a summation of his book at the earlier session. I encourage those who can, to come to the evening sessions when there will be ample time for questions and discussion. We will advertise the evening sessions in other Episcopal congregations in the Durham and Raleigh convocations. Anyone is welcome, but I intend this conversation primarily to be among Episcopalians. Given strong feelings from many different perspectives, this is a challenging conversation to have - for all of us, no matter what our sexual orientation. But we are not only encouraged by our Church to do so, we are called by the Holy Spirit to listen to each other and to speak the truth in love as it is given to us. We will not find all the answers; perhaps we will only identify some of the questions to struggle with. But in so doing we will be living into who God calls us to be - the Church. -Stephen Vestry Actions - February 17, 2005 At its February meeting, the vestry:
attic, basement, closet Sale - April 23 Betsy Elkins-Williams and Katherine Dauchert The largest outreach ministry of the Chapel of the Cross is our annual ABC Sale. Thanks to generous donations of used goods, we have an enormous rummage sale, with last year's net proceeds exceeding $23,000. These proceeds are then donated to charitable causes. Taking part in the ABC Sale gives all of us an opportunity to make a difference in so many people's lives. If you would like to help, but work full-time and are unavailable during the day, there are some important roles you might consider:
Please consider being a part of this event. We need your help to make the ABC Sale a success. Every job counts - everyone has a role! From ABC to FUND: How do the funds from our ABC Sale make their way to worthy charitable organizations? Peggy Pratt Perhaps the ABC Sale is a series of many miracles. With our individual attic, basement and closet discards, we join together to create something much larger. It is rather like those few loaves and fishes feeding 5000! What wonderful things can happen when we stand and work together. The ABC Sale is part of our parish's social outreach, part of what we are called to do as witnesses to the presence of the living God. But what happens after the goods are sold, the leftovers distributed, the tables put away and the parish hall is once again readied for Sunday morning? How does the money raised get distributed and where does it go? Who can receive ABC Sale Funds? The guidelines set by the Social Ministry Committee for distribution of ABC funds are as follows:
How do organizations request funds?
How many groups receive funds? In each of the last three years the committee has funded about 20 of the 25-30 requests it has received. Last year $22,753 in sale profits was disbursed. Nine of those 20 requests were fully funded. The 20 groups funded last year included:
Thanks to all who share their many blessings and help make this ABC miracle happen each year. Annual Conference Reports The following reports are from parishioners who attended the annual conference of the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes. The conference was held in New York City February 23 - 26. Representing the parish were the rector, the wardens, the treasurer, the chairs of the Annual Giving and Special Giving Committees, and the hospitality co-chairs. The extent of the following reports is a reflection of the inspiration and enthusiasm with which the conference participants returned to the Chapel of the Cross. The Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes: An Introduction Paul Carew, Junior Warden The consortium was founded for two major purposes: to strengthen the life, stewardship, and mission of its member congregations, and to be a community for mission throughout the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion. The Rev. Dr. James B. Lemler The Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes (CEEP), founded officially 20 years ago, began in Indianapolis, Indiana at a time when a number of parishes in that city were the beneficiaries of large gifts, principally from Mr. Eli Lilly. The rectors of these parishes realized that the impact of these bequests on administration, structure, and stewardship would be huge, requiring education, collaboration, and sharing of information. Primarily, the rectors recognized the enormous responsibility of overseeing such large endowments. Soon the list of parishes was expanded to learn from those with experience and expertise in dealing with endowment management and disbursement. The group grew over time and in 1985 it was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization and CEEP began its journey. The principal criterion for membership in CEEP is a parish endowment of at least one million dollars. The Chapel of the Cross joined in 2003. The annual conference celebrating its 20th anniversary was held in New York on February 24-26. The conference began with a series of in-depth and comprehensive pre-conference sessions on February 24 that included Outreach, Parish Administration, Rectors, Stewardship Professionals, Stewardship Volunteers, Treasurers, and Wardens. The conference workshops beginning on February 25 included such informative and timely topics as Stewardship, Endowment, Outreach, Congregational Development, Leadership, and The Church in the World Today. Subsequent articles will address these topics more thoroughly. A wonderful opening Evensong at St. Michael's on the Upper West Side; keynote addresses by the Honorable Madeleine Albright and Archbishop Desmond Tutu; a grand banquet; and a closing Eucharist with a sermon by Archbishop Tutu at St. Paul's Chapel, Wall Street, literally next to the 9/11 Ground Zero, rounded out our New York Consortium experience. Most importantly, the informal networking that went on throughout the conference was both educational and extremely valuable. The time was well spent, rewarding, and oftentimes emotional for all of us who attended from the Chapel of the Cross. Address by Madeleine Albright Mary Frances Schjonberg, Episcopal News Service (with additions and modifications by Barbara Day) The people of the world can no longer afford to allow religion and religious leaders to divide them, former U.S. Secretary of State and U.N. Representative Madeleine Korbel Albright told the annual gathering of the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes on February 25. "Religion is not the problem," she told parish representatives and others at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, "but religion has always tended to fuel partisan strife. What is different now is the extent of the damage that can result. It is one thing to go after each other with clubs, but another thing to be able to go after your perceived enemies with today's high-tech weapons." The underlying problem is how to harness religion's unifying potential and block its tendency to divide people and nations against themselves and others. She compared the challenge to that of doing brain surgery: "It is a necessary task but it can be fatal if not done well." "The attacks of September 11 forced the world to look at the role that religion plays in politics, foreign policy and everyday life," Albright said. It is a "trend that was lying in plain sight" that we can no longer ignore. Albright called for all religions and nations to live and set their domestic and foreign policies from the basic principles of valuing individual life and seeking justice for all, which she argued are at the heart of all religious belief. She politely termed as "balderdash" the way some religious leaders, fundamentalist Islamic ones in particular, say that "the individual is a disposable pawn" who is in the hands of "an insecure and vengeful God" who wants killing to be done in his name. Instead, Albright argued for a foreign policy that values the individual. A nation with such a priority will not allow torture even out of fear for its safety or the knowledge that it is easy to get away with. Such a policy would do much more to help other human beings. Albright noted that the United States is last among developed nations in foreign aid giving. She argued that more avoidable deaths happen in the world from causes other than terrorism, but that strengthening the divide between "people of plenty and people with plenty of loss of hope" is a way to breed terrorism. "Nations ought to fight terrorism from a stance that both does not ignore the influence of religion and does not set it up as a battle between good and evil," Albright said. We must realize that all of our efforts to be good are partial and incomplete, and that it is tempting to misuse the power given to us. If we must make it an either/or choice, Albright suggested "evil and pretty good, evil and not bad, evil and doing the best we can. Perhaps we might consider the divide as evil and, in Abraham Lincoln's words, 'right as God gives us to see the right.' " "Leaders must stand for something but not believe that they have the sole claim on all truth," she said. Later, during a question and answer session, Albright drew loud applause when she argued that it is hard for the U.S. to claim to be a unifying force across the religious divide these days "when the president believes that God talks to him and not to the rest of us...we believe that God is on our side when in fact we ought to be on God's side." She also agreed with a questioner who asked her if "fervent moderation" ought to be the religious person's stance in the world. People of faith cannot base their belief on what they don't like in someone else, she said, lest "your pride in yourself curdles into hate of someone else." Albright, noting her party affiliation, said she was sad that words like "democracy" and "freedom" that the Clinton administration had used with hope are now interpreted as imperialistic. "I really do believe that the United States is an exceptional country but we can't expect the world to make exceptions for us," she said. Americans have the right to live as we believe, but we cannot expect everyone else to live like us. "You cannot impose democracy and you cannot impose religious faith," she said, and "we cannot live comfortably unless we believe in relationships with others." Albright was asked about the suggestion from the Anglican Communion primates that the Episcopal Church voluntarily absent itself for a time from the Anglican Consultative Council. She said she didn't want to wade into international Anglican politics, but Albright noted that her diplomatic stance has always been one of engagement. "You cannot get your point across if you are not there," she said. Albright challenged us toward "fervent moderation." We must be clear about what we believe, yet balance the part where we don't have to get our point across by hating someone else. It's hard to be altruistic and generous. There are voices that we should be listening to who are not making the front pages of the paper. We must encourage our leaders to practice moderation. "God is on our side," she said, "but I prefer to ask, not command." Albright became the first female U. S. Secretary of State in 1997, serving in President Bill Clinton's administration. She was also the U.S. representative to the United Nations and a member of Clinton's National Security Council. She has served on the National Cathedral Chapter in Washington, DC, and on the Board of Directors of the College of Preachers. She now teaches at Georgetown University, where she taught before her appointment as Secretary of State, and heads The Albright Group in Washington, DC. Her autobiography, "Madame Secretary," has become a bestseller. She is currently writing a book about the intersection of religion and politics. Its working title is The Mighty and the Almighty: God in American Politics. Episcopal Identity: Are We In Danger of Losing It? Barbara Day (Address by The Very Rev. George Werner) The Very Rev. George Werner, President House of Deputies, posited that the Episcopal Church's polity and theology were born out of a capacity to see the middle way. This has given the church the gift of embracing paradox, curiosity, doubt, and diversity of thought. Has this unique gift endangered our understanding of who we are? What are leaders called to do? Werner suggests that we "go lose your Episcopal identity and come follow me." The Episcopal church represents less than 1% of all Americans and 40% of all Americans claim no religion but are spiritual. We must put this into perspective. Today we are weary; we have had years of battering and struggles with power issues. We need to focus on the vision and mission of our church. Healthy churches make decisions by many. We must bring people to the table so that all are involved and understand. When we "come to the table" for new understandings several challenges occur:
Werner asked: "Have we focused too much on relationships and not on the mission of the Church?" (as in the Windsor Report). We all must "be the Church" and be spiritually fed as we serve. We are Christians by how we live our lives in the world. When we get witness and mission going with faith, God will work the miracles. Let us be joyful in our preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and common prayer. "It is grace that brought us safe thus far and grace will bring us home." Faith In The Future Barbara Day (Address by the Rev. Douglas Lawson) Douglas Lawson, Ph.D., along with Harold Roenig, M.D., is the author of Faith In The Future: Health Care, Aging, and the Role of Religion. An ordained Methodist minister, Lawson says that there is a crisis in American health care resulting from spiraling costs and an aging population. His passion is leading him to find ways to connect the healthcare world to the Church. His message focused on how congregations can form practical partnerships between healthcare systems, government, and philanthropic efforts to create inspiring systems of care and avert the looming healthcare crisis. He challenged the Church to be creative in responding to escalating healthcare costs that many cannot afford, especially the older population. "If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone", he said. We must be caring, loving, and other-centered churches. We are blessed financially; now let us share our resources to bring healing where there is hurt. (Dr. Lawson's additional publications include an award-winning bestseller, Give To Live: How Can Giving Change Your Life, and a video production: The Artful Asker: Give to Live.) His book contains many inspirational stories that people have shared regarding programs where "the power of religious faith has improved individual health and contributed to healthcare programs". There are 350,000 congregations with resources to tap for healthcare. Using Duke University as a model, Lawson praised the research coming out of Duke and pointing to the positive role that religious lifestyles play in heath benefits. He cited Dr. Koenig, Duke University's pioneering faith and medicine researcher. Giving inspiring examples of how faith communities improved the health of an aging population, he pointed to an effort of more than 70 churches with a college, a State Dept. of Health, parish nurses, and lay people who offered health education and screening opportunities to a rural population. Lawson challenged us to use our creativity and vision to find practical ways to use the resources of our religious congregations, government partnerships, and philanthropy, in helping healthcare and social service professionals provide care especially for the aging. His recommendation is: "to put faith into action". Begin now, he said, for there are great challenges ahead, to become very active in healthcare ministries: "1) train our children to respect, value, and care for the older adults in our society (through our example), and 2) work in our neighborhoods, towns, and cities to build links between our hospitals or healthcare systems and our faith communities". We can begin by investing our energy, our talents, and our faith. Address by the Rev. Dr. Loren Mead Barbara Day The Rev. Dr. Loren Mead, founder of the Alban Institute in Washington, DC, and former Episcopal priest at the Church of the Holy Family in Chapel Hill, spoke on the topic, "Endowments: Blessing or Curse". He noted that over the past two decades, the Consortium has learned some important things:
We have some unfinished challenges for endowed parishes:
(Loren Mead has published three bestselling books on the future of the church: The Once and Future Church, Transforming Congregations for the Future, and Five Challenges for the Once and Future Church. His most recent book is, Financial Meltdown in the Mainline?, a book about the financial and spiritual dilemma of church financing.) Endowments John McGee, Parish Treasurer The Endowment Tract covered the current state of the market with a forecast of the next few years for investments. The major concern was the possibility of an inflationary period, which could greatly dampen the market performance. The general view was that the Federal Reserve System had the tools to avoid such an occurrence absent a major calamity such as an energy crisis, terrorist activities, etc. Even given the best scenario, the optimum return on investment was pegged at only 6% on equities and 3% on debt, net of inflation and investment expenses. This indicated that the ability to grow endowments would be greatly moderated during the next few years, given a normal contribution to operating budgets or funds at a four or five percent basis. This is in line with the current Chapel of the Cross policy of limiting the Vanguard investment to a four percent annual contribution and the Diocesean Fund to the current three-year moving average distribution provided by the Diocese. Of more significance, there was a strong theme during the conference that in order to survive in the future, parishes would need to develop new programs to grow the endowment outside of investment return. The focus was on planned giving and targeted bequests and gifts as the major possibilities. These are areas of active discussion within the Chapel of the Cross and will be instrumental to the future of our parish. Other major discussions were aimed at the best practice in managing and governing the endowments of the parishes. A number of models were presented and depended on the size of the parish, size of the endowment and how active the diocese was in aggregating funds for its members. We are fortunate to have a highly competent Investment Committee directing a blend of a managed diversified portfolio and a low cost index fund for our major investments. There is a movement for aligning investment assets with the overall mission of the Church. Although we are not in a position to individually select investment instruments, the new ruling by the Securities and Exchange Commission may allow groups to be more active in pressuring fund managers to vote proxies in a more socially acceptable manner. Is Your Church Worth Supporting? Syd Alexander This was the question posed by keynote speaker Fred Osborn, the Director of Philanthropic Services for the Episcopal Church Foundation, to some fifty people attending his workshop recently in New York City. Fred, without any hesitation, proceeded to answer his own question by stating "No !" So began a most interesting hour and a half of interactive discussion making the case for special giving, bequests and planned giving for the work of the Church. Put simply, it is not the organization of the Church that we support. Rather it is the work of the Church that we are called to support. As Fred noted, "the value of the Church is the effort to change the world through the activity of bringing Christ and the love of God to the World." That is what is worth supporting. At the time of our regular annual giving campaign we are called to support the program of the Church. The question asked as one fills out a pledge card is generally, "What are you giving for?" And the answer should be couched in terms of equipping the parish to carry out the ministry of the Church. When faced with a capital campaign, the question is phrased somewhat differently. Under those circumstances the question is generally directed towards an inquiry into defining the specific needs of the Church and how the capital assets are going to meet or fulfill those needs. When the case is compelling, the average pledge for a capital campaign is between 5 and 10 times the average annual pledge. Special bequests and planned giving (generally through estate planning) presents a rather different set of concerns. The primary issues for planned giving have to do with whether the Church has sound investment policies that will protect the endowments and whether the Church has in place clearly delineated polices for the use of the endowments. These instruments must reflect the values of the Church community in order that the donor will want to be associated with that activity and remembered through it. According to Fred, the value of gifts received pursuant to a well-devised planned giving program range from 100 to 1000 times the donor's annual pledge! During the morning session representatives from churches all across the country shared their experiences with mission and vision statements. We talked of successes and failures of capital campaigns and the joy and remarkable generosity resulting from various legacy programs. Toward the end of our time together, Fred noted that our meeting was taking place in the Andrew Carnegie conference room. Mr. Carnegie during his lifetime gave away several hundred millions of dollars and left virtually his entire estate to religious and philanthropic organizations. He wrote in 1889 that one's assets, beyond the amount required to supply the needs of one's own family, should be regarded as a sacred trust to be administered for the benefit of the community. We closed in prayer, thankful for the opportunity to change the world by bringing Christ and the love of God to the world. If you would like to learn more about the Consortium for Endowed Episcopal Parishes, please visit their website at http://www.endowedparishes.org. Parish Administrators: Re-Inventing the Church Mary Schoenfeld This pre-conference session was described as a discussion of "congregational development." Being vestry liaison to hospitality, I was very interested to learn whether hospitality could impact congregational development. The session was held at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City, and the speakers were The Rev. Bill Tully, Rector at St. Bartholomew's, and Ray McGarrigle, General Manager of the church. Mr. Tully discussed the concept of growth, what will contribute to growth, and what they have done at St. Bart's. They have offered a variety of programs and activities. For example, all the clergy stand at the door before and after services to welcome people; their programs have included Bible Study, and Inquiry into World Religions. There are concerts and space is rented out to various groups. (On Friday night, Barbara Day and I attended a play put on by the St. Bart's Players. Neil Simon's RUMORS, was hilarious - a perfect way to end a day of meetings and intense discussions.) However, St Bartholomew's still has a long way to go financially. On Thursday morning, I heard the Rev. Jerry Keucher, Comptroller for the Diocese of New York. He discussed the differences between the many ways of giving: endowments, capital reserve funds, capital campaigns, pledges, and plate offerings. He emphasized that people need to give themselves and not depend on other peoples' gifts. His point was that you give because you want to, and what do we really want? The answer to this question is that we want to love God, we want our hearts to be with God, and then we will want to put our money where our hearts are. I found this to be an inspiring way to view pledging and/or tithing. There were three Leadership Workshops, and participants were required to attend all three sessions. The sessions were: Summit on Leadership, Small Group Discussions about Leadership, and Creating an Action Plan for Parishes. In the first session, discussion centered on what constitutes vital congregations. Vital congregations have a clear sense of purpose, have clear expectations for the congregation, emphasize personal and public morality, work toward a common future and the values they hold for themselves and their communities, and finally, have intentional leadership formation. There was also discussion about the changes in leadership styles, that there seems to be emerging a new style of leadership. Previously, we required leadership for what was termed "The Scientific Age." Now we are entering into the "Relationship Age." Each has different skills, authority, methodology, strategy, focus, value, structure, metaphor, and leadership. There may be overlapping, of course, and there may be tensions as the two styles of leadership emerge and engage one another. However, several key questions should always be at the front of conversations about leadership: Who are we? (history), Who are we called to be? (mission), Who are we called to serve? (publics), and What does this call us to do? (vision). In other words, the most effective religious leadership has vision and clarity of purpose, builds the mission, deepens values, serves the community, calls for the best in others, and facilitates spiritual growth and development. I found the conference a wonderful and inspiring experience. It was well-organized, and well-run. It was also wonderful meeting and talking to so many interesting people from all over the country. Everyone was so helpful, so warm and friendly, it felt like one big, happy family, and I hope to continue this spirit at the Chapel of the Cross. Outreach Workshops Ann Henley "Obuntu." This Bantu word greeted us, blazoned on the folders we were handed as 40 or so Episcopalians from across the US boarded buses for the first stage of CEEP's Outreach Pre-Conference. As we drove uptown and into Harlem, we learned the meaning of "obuntu": "human community," or "I am because we are." We saw this spirit at work first in FoodChange, a community kitchen in West Harlem that, in addition to serving 770 healthy meals per week, is committed to improving lives through nutrition, education, and financial empowerment. In the South Bronx we visited the Nehemiah Project, neighborhoods of neat new row houses constructed through the efforts of the Industrial Area Fund and its affiliate, South Bronx Churches. These single-family homes, occupying blocks once blighted by burned-out tenements and derelict vacant lots, have turned renters - and in some cases the homeless - into homeowners with a real stake in their community. Both the Nehemiah Houses and FoodChange demonstrate that "obuntu," which really can't be precisely translated into English, can mean "building community partnerships for social transformation." For the next two days a series of panel discussions and workshops heightened our understanding of the possibilities of and challenges to outreach programs both local and global. Roger Ward from New Orleans described the success, despite initial resistance in the parish, of Trinity's Jeremiah Project, an after-school tutoring program for inner-city school children; Bill Bancroft and Tom Blackmon from Church of the Incarnation, Dallas, presented a video of highlights of that parish's five-year involvement in a town in Honduras; Catherine Roskam, Bishop Suffragan of New York, told of a transforming experience in Africa and her subsequent founding of the Global Women's Fund. She urged us to listen to our brothers and sisters in Africa, to be receptive to what they have to give us, to share with them what they need and want from us, not what we think they ought to have - to have what she calls "a Pentecost of the ears." Having begun by defining "obuntu," CEEP's Outreach program ended with another kind of definition, James Lemler's workshop reminding us that, as Episcopalians, "mission is our purpose, identity, and call." I left the series of sessions feeling proud of the way that the Chapel of the Cross lives out its identity as a "missionary" church - and feeling challenged by all the opportunities available to us to answer that call more fully. Archbishop Tutu's Opening Remarks Ann Henley I just hadn't expected an Archbishop of the Anglican Church, an eminent theologian, and a Nobel laureate to begin an address (in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria, yet) with a knock-knock joke. But that's just what this remarkable, magnetic man did. Tutu:Knock, Knock. CEEP delegates:Who's there? Tutu:Archangel Gabriel. CEEP delegates:Archangel Gabriel who? Tutu:Archangel Gabriel knocking on the Virgin Mary's front door. Now what if, instead of saying, "Be it done to me according to thy will," Mary had said, "You want me to what? You know what folks think about girls that do that. You better check next door!" This paradoxical beginning emphasized what Tutu calls the paradox of our faith, this miraculous conjunction of the divine and the human, the absolute necessity of human agents in carrying out God's enterprise. Tutu's message was "God has no one but you to be His partners." He thanked Consortium churches that had been partners in financing the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and the many others that support the Archbishop Tutu Peace Center. He spoke of the ways America's civil rights movement and our commitment to freedom of speech have inspired Africa. And then, in the most loving manner imaginable, he got down to brass tacks. Spreading his arms wide as if to embrace not just the ballroom and Midtown, but all of America, he said, "But we are surprised to find you so compliant. I never thought I would see the day when your government would use, as it does daily about Guantanamo and other prisons, the same arguments that we heard from the apartheid government of South Africa. As a member of your church and your family, I ask you: Why is there no outrage at such violent abuse of human rights?" He ended by challenging us to "communicate this extraordinary gospel": to say to the powerful that we must export our caring, our compassion, and our generosity, not our guns and "arrogant unilateralism." God, he assured us, believes that we can do this. "God is saying to you, 'Please help me to turn all kinds of wildernesses into glorious gardens. If you fail, I have failed. I have no one but you.'" Archbishop Tutu's Sermon - St. Paul's Chapel - February 26, 2005 Ann Henley Clad in snowy white vestments and a bright pastel stole, Archbishop Tutu addressed the more than 500 clergy and laymen who had gathered in historic St. Paul's Chapel for the Consortium's closing Eucharist. In his sermon he emphasized the importance of compassion and good works as "our response of thanksgiving for what God has already done." The sequence of the ritual of the Eucharist, he insisted, is essential: first God takes "divine initiative" in calling us and communicating His gift of himself to us through the bread and the wine; then, fortified by bread and wine, we can, as the deacon instructs us, "go forth to love and serve the Lord." The initiative is God's; the obligation - to move out and be God's friend, as Abraham and Moses did when they were called - is ours. Nor, said Tutu, does God wait until we are worthy of receiving it to pour out his grace upon us. "If Christ had waited till we were 'die-able' for," he joked, "He'd have waited till the cows came home!" But because we are God's children, "we are all loved unconditionally." Sensing perhaps that a largely Type A audience in a Wall Street setting needed to hear this particular message, he urged us to lay aside our feeling "faith of achievement," our feeling that we need to impress God and instead to "relax into God's acceptance of who we are." Cupping his palms in front of his face, he declared, "Your name is engraved on the palms of God's hands as He cuddles you to his breast." When we "luxuriate" in the certainty that nothing we can do can make God love us more or less than He does, Tutu continued, we will see more readily the worth of others and commit ourselves to ensuring that they have worthwhile lives - "lives of dignity befitting those who are loved by God." And so he sent us out: "Go and make this world a more compassionate place, please. Go out and make this place a more gentle and caring place, please. Go out and make it beautiful." The Primates respond to The Windsor Report Syd Alexander The final plenary session of the conference was held Saturday noon at St. Paul's Chapel which is located immediately adjacent to "Ground Zero" in lower Manhattan. The forum was that of a panel discussion led by the Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer, The Rev. Dr. John Westeroff and the Rev. William Sachs analyzing the response of the Primates to The Windsor Report which had just been released the night before. The Windsor Report, consisting of some 60 pages of text (along with 30 pages of appendices), is the work of a commission appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury to address the serious differences that have arisen in the Anglican Church as a result of the actions of the Episcopal Church in this country in affirming the consecration of Gene Robinson to be the Bishop of New Hampshire. It was released in October, 2004. Thirty-five of the 38 Primates met in Ireland for four days beginning February 21, 2005 to consider the report. The statement of the Primates acknowledges that the actions of the Church in the USA and in Canada with regard to same sex relations were taken entirely in accordance with the appropriate constitutional processes. Nonetheless, it is apparent that there is substantial disagreement among the Primates about the theological basis for the actions. The Primates ask that the representatives from the USA and Canada voluntarily refrain from participating in the upcoming meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) in light of the deep divisions among the Primates. (Here it should be noted that several of the African Primates refused to share the Eucharist with Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold on Monday at the beginning of the session). The Primates further request that representatives of the USA and Canada appear at the meeting of the ACC in June 2005, to provide a rationale for their actions. The report seeks a moratorium on the public Rites of Blessings for same-sex relations and on the consecration of a Bishop of anyone living in a sexual relationship outside of marriage. It seems to recognize the geographical integrity of the respective Provinces and Dioceses as it includes a pledge to "neither encourage nor initiate cross-boundary interventions". Unfortunately, within days of the release of the report, two conservative Bishops violated this pledge by presiding without authority at services in this country and in Canada. Overall, the panelists found hope in the document that the world wide Anglican Church might be held together. The Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer, who helped author the Windsor Report, expressed guarded optimism that with time, the process prescribed by the Windsor report might be followed. In a recent interview, the Archbishop of Canterbury was asked whether the Anglican Communion was headed towards a divorce. He replied that he believed "we are more in a marriage counseling mode than divorce court." Fran Finney Honored with Pauli Murray Award Martha Hart, Deacon Longtime parishioner, Frances Finney, in recognition of her numerous contributions to the community, received the annual Pauli Murray Human Relations Award at a ceremony held February 27 at New Hope Elementary School. Since 1990 the Orange County Human Relations Commission has recognized persons who have served the community in the cause of furthering equality, human rights and justice for all. The award is named after Pauli Murray (1910-1985), a distinguished lawyer, professor, priest, writer, and activist who challenged discrimination, racism, and sexism throughout her life. She was denied admission to UNC because of her race and denied admission to Harvard because she was a woman! Born in Durham, she had ties to the Chapel of the Cross through her slave grandmother, Cornelia, who raised Pauli. Cornelia was baptized in our parish in 1854 at the age of 10. Our chapel lectern was given to the parish in memory of Cornelia's "owner", Mary Ruffin Smith. Following her years of work as a lawyer and activist for civil rights, Pauli went on to become the first African-American woman ordained an Episcopal priest in this country. She celebrated her first Eucharist in our parish in 1977. Hence it is fitting that one of our own, Fran Finney, was the recipient of the award this year. Fran's energy and accomplishments are many, not the least of which is being the mother of eight children and grandmother of seven! Over the past several years, her ministries have included the following, some of which she continues currently:
Fran is a longtime member of our parish Social Ministry Committee and is active in any outreach project the group undertakes. This includes assisting with housing homeless guests in our parish last summer; serving on a parish meal team that serves a meal each month at the Inter-Faith Council homeless shelter; assisting with Project 5000 food box collection for IFC and assisting with the December 2004 Alternative Gifts initiative. Fran serves the parish faithfully as a lay reader and 5:15 service coordinator, and she is a former lay Eucharistic minister. She is a model of commitment to service to all persons, especially the "least of these" in our community, and is a most fitting recipient for the Pauli Murray award. Experiencing God in Creation: A Quiet Earth Day Meditation Linda B. Rimer, Environmental Stewardship Committee Chair On April 22, 2005, our country will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the very first Earth Day. That first event back in 1970, was organized not as a celebration of the beauty and bounty of the Earth, but rather as a "call to arms" to protest the environmental degradation that was occurring across the country. Are you old enough to remember what it was like to be outside in many parts of the country back then? Businessmen in Pittsburgh who planned lunch meetings outside their offices, had to take a second shirt to wear in the afternoon. In just the time it took to walk to and from lunch, the polluted air of the city stained their white shirts and made them unacceptable for afternoon business. The Cayahoga River ignited spontaneously and burned for seven days because of the toxic chemicals that had been discharged directly into the water. Lake Erie was declared dead from insufficient oxygen to support aquatic life, a result of pollution and contamination. Earth Day worked! In the words of Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of that first Earth Day: My primary objective in planning Earth Day was to show the political leadership of the Nation that there was broad and deep support for the environmental movement. While I was confident that a nationwide peaceful demonstration of concern would be impressive, I was not quite prepared for the overwhelming response that occurred on that day. Two thousand colleges and universities, ten thousand high schools and grade schools, and several thousand communities in all, more than twenty million Americans participated in one of the most exciting and significant grassroots efforts in the history of this country. (http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/earthday/02.htm) Subsequently, Congress passed major environmental laws, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was created, followed soon by partner state environmental agencies; together these agencies enforced the new laws. As a result, our environment is far cleaner in 2005, with respect to visible pollution. Unfortunately, our clean-up has proven to be superficial in many ways. Today we are faced with far more sinister, less visible threats such as stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change from the buildup of 'green house' gases, loss of biodiversity, and the ubiquity of toxics, for example, mercury in human breast milk. It is time to focus on our earth in a renewed way. It is particularly an important time for us as Christians and as Episcopalians, to focus on earth as God's creation. So in honor of this 35th anniversary of Earth Day, and being mindful that the earth is God's creation, the Environmental Stewardship Committee and the Spiritual Life Committee invite you to participate in a "quiet day" on April 16, a time to experience God in Creation; an opportunity to remember that "the Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof" (Psalm, 24:1); to focus on the first part of John 3:16, "for God so loved the world". As the Gospel of John affirms, God loved all the world, not just the humans in the world. We invite you to remember that God made all plants and all creatures, not just human creatures. In the words of John: "all things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3). We will be spending this quiet day just 18 miles away at Camp Chestnut Ridge in Efland, NC. Here we will have access to more than 300 acres of forests with many trails for contemplative walks, a 10 acre lake, a labyrinth and an outdoor chapel. The important word here is "outdoor". The poet, essayist, social and environmental critic, and farmer, Wendell Berry, tells us that we are "holy creatures living among other holy creatures in a world that is holy". He further reminds us that "the great visionary encounters described in the Bible did not occur in temples, but in sheep pastures, in the desert, in the wilderness, on mountains, by rivers and on beaches, and in the middle of the sea". And so we seek to be out in nature, experiencing God in his creation. Our quiet day is planned for Saturday, April 16 from 9:30 - 2:30 (possible rain date of Saturday, April 30). We will be led by David Frazelle; we will end our day with a celebration of Holy Eucharist in the outdoor chapel with Victoria Jamieson-Drake. In preparation for this quiet day, we invite you to read a paper by Wendell Berry, entitled "Christianity and the Survival of Creation" (http://www.crosscurrents.org/berry.htm). If you have questions about this quiet day, please call Noel Dunivant or Linda Rimer. Bach's Lunch A Noontime Series of Recitals at The Chapel of the Cross Wednesdays at 12:15-12:45 Wednesday, April 6 Wylie S. Quinn III, organist Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill Wednesday, April 13 Ben Outen, organist Saint Peter's Episcopal Church, Charlotte, NC Amy Cherry, trumpet Western Carolina University Wednesday, April 20 Benjamin Hutchins, violinist New Hope Presbyterian Church Wednesday, April 27 Thomas Bloom, organist Watts Street Baptist Church, Durham, NC Wednesday, May 4 Brian Cash, organist Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Durham, NC Wednesday, May 11 Eddie Abernathy, organist Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill A Conversation about Gay Unions A series of three Sunday presentations/discussions focusing on continuing the conversation requested by our Diocese, the General Convention, and the Windsor Report April 3, 10, and 17 - 10:20-11:00
a.m. and 7:30-9:15 p.m. Brief morning presentations will be followed by evening sessions with more detailed information and time for discussion. All sessions will be held in the chapel. April 3 The Context of the Conversation The Rev. Dr. Richard Pfaff - Priest Associate, The Chapel of the Cross "Serious, probing conversation on the subject of gay unions requires an awareness of multiple contexts. The first, which will occupy much of our attention, is that of a careful use of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. This is, however, not a self-contained exercise; rather, it leads into and is part of a context that cannot be ignored whenever Christians consider any difficult set of issues (as has been the case with, for example, the use of alcoholic beverages), that of theological reflection. Such reflection has in turn to be pondered in the context of our overall experience of human life, in the present case taking into account such factors as the nature of sexual attraction and information supplied by modern science. Obviously, none of these contexts can be dealt with exhaustively, but they must all be kept in mind - and, as far as possible, in balance."(from the presenter) April 10 Gay Unions in the Light of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason The Rev. Gray Temple - Rector of St.
Patrick's Church, Atlanta, and author of the new book, Gay
Unions in the Light of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason.
Mr. Temple will lead the evening session; parishioner Barbara Day
will present a synopsis of his book in the morning session. "This
book is a 'must read' for all Episcopalians who are struggling with
the issue of gay unions. I say that not because it supports my
convictions, but because it offers a clear presentation of our
Anglican understanding of authority and therefore a basis for
conversation and reconciliation among those who differ on this
issue." April 17 Pastoral Reflections The Rev. Stephen Elkins-Williams - Rector, The Chapel of the Cross The rector will expand on his letter published in the September Cross Roads (available under "past issues" on the web site or from the parish office). Specifically he will: (1) address how and why he has come to his own conclusions about the importance and sacredness of gay unions, (2) assess the present situation in our diocese, the Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Communion, and (3) reflect on and raise questions about how the Holy Spirit might be leading us. EYC Mission Trip to Chicago A group of youth from Chapel of the Cross will go to Chicago this summer from June 26 to July 2. We will be working at homeless shelters and children's organizations, and participating in home repair programs for the needy. Leaders of the trip will include EYC leaders Caroline Williams, Dana Campbell, and David Frazelle. The cost will be $350. Scholarships are available. Spaces are limited. For more information, or to sign up for the trip, please contact David Frazelle, 929-2193, dfrazelle@thechapelofthecross.org. Splash into Summer with Thompson Children's Home April 25 - June 3 Shop for new clothes for a child's summer needs. Pick up a heart at the Thompson Children's Home table in the dining room. Buy listed item; return it (unwrapped) to the parish office by June 3. Thompson Children's Home regulations require that only new clothing, bed linens, and towels be donated for the residential facility for the children, aged 6 to 12 years. Gently used clothing can be accepted for infants to 5 year olds in TCH's day care child development facilities. Thompson Children's Home is affiliated with the three Episcopal dioceses of North Carolina. Its residential psychiatric treatment program provides a variety of therapeutic, educational, recreational, spiritual, and healing ministries in a nurturing care facility for some of our most abused and neglected children. In most cases the courts have terminated parental rights. TCH serves children from across the state who are in the care of departments of social services and mental health; it receives no private referrals. Financial contributions can be made to the Chapel of the Cross with a check notation of "Rectors Discretionary Fund/Thompson Children's Home clothes." For more information, or if you want to shop before the table is set up, please call Susan Thomason or Dina Urquhart. |