NEWSLETTER OF THE CHAPEL OF THE CROSS - February 2007

Caring for our Clergy

In This Issue:

CARING FOR OUR CLERGY
From the Rector
Vestry Actions
Vestry Election Schedule 2007
No Electricity but Powerful Energy
SO, WHAT ARE YOU "GIVING UP" FOR LENT THIS YEAR?
El Hogar Reaches Out to Girls
Help Improve the Parish Web Site!
LENTEN RETREAT WITH J. PHILIP NEWELL
JOIN US for the Attic, Basement, Closet Sale-April 21,2007
Adult Education Opportunities-February 2007
Join a Contemplative Prayer Group During Lent!
2007 Lenten Prayer Group Schedule and Form
February Programs & Meetings
February Service schedule

CARING FOR OUR CLERGY

By Frances K. Widmann

Priests are people. Now there's a revolutionary thought to contemplate at the start of a new year, near the start of a new century and a new millennia. After centuries and millennia of revering priests as larger-than-life and holier-than-thou (or, more often…than-we-are), lay people are learning to accommodate the idea that ordination neither identifies persons who are intrinsically saintly nor confers instant saintliness on previously imperfect ordinands.

A consequence of placing priests on an automatic pedestal seems, all too often, to be malicious satisfaction when clay feet are revealed. The failed priest, the sinning cleric, has long been a staple of popular imagination, literature, and entertainment. To name a few: Lucifer, the fallen angel; Peter Abelard, the man of intellect undone by the flesh; Reverend Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter; the whiskey priest in The Power and the Glory; the pastors-Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and other Protestant-who enliven the novels of writers as diverse as Victor Hugo, Sinclair Lewis, Morris West, Colleen McCullough, and Susan Howatch; the beleaguered Episcopal priest in NBC's exceedingly short-lived series "The Book of Daniel"; and the gallons of ink devoted to recent scandals among the Roman Catholic clergy.

What makes titillating grist for the mills of novelists, playwrights, and journalists can only be considered as personal tragedy for the individuals involved, not to mention their families, their flocks, and their faith communities. Clerical vocation, if interpreted as a lifetime of ministering without being ministered to, will inevitably create huge personal burdens. Hosts of dedicated clerics have fulfilled this role while keeping to themselves the strains that result. If stress and conflict cannot, however, be confided to some potential source of assistance, the first outward indication of unease may be spectacular and irreversible failure, so that the first action of church leadership becomes imposing disciplinary measures. This not only inflicts pain and tragedy on all concerned but wantonly squanders human resources.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is a hoary cliché, but sayings become clichés because they are widely and repeatedly found to be true. In the 1990s, church and lay leaders recognized the tragic personal and institutional consequences of clergy failures and began addressing ways to forestall problems before they resulted in the need for discipline. The concept of clergy wellness arose from efforts to chart patterns of clergy life and identify areas where intervention might prevent progression to the crash-and-burn phase. In the Episcopal Church USA, the Church Pension Fund provided organizational and financial backing for what eventuated, in late 1997, in the initiative now known as CREDO. This is an acronym that embodies the spirit of the project: Clergy Reflection, Education, Discernment, Opportunity.

CREDO describes its mission as promoting "…a four-step life cycle process of identity, discernment, practice, and transformation," by means of residential conferences for 30 participants at a time. In their June, 2006 report to the Church, CREDO staff and their consultants referred to "a Theology of Wellness," using as an epigraph a passage from the third letter of John: "Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul." While CREDO is the largest and most visible of the institutional resources for achieving and maintaining clergy wellness, other activities and policies, both national and local, also help clergy to reach and maintain optimum effectiveness.

From the initial three conferences held in 1997-98, CREDO offerings have expanded to 26 conferences a year. As the complete program is envisioned, priests will attend three conferences at approximately 10-year intervals over the course of their careers. Our rector, Stephen Elkins-Williams, took part in the very first CREDO conference, in November 1997; and in November, 2006, he attended one of the first CREDO II conference, inaugurating the second-phase gatherings.

CREDO conferences are not intended as therapy or rehabilitation, and participants are not selected because they or their colleagues or superiors have detected problems that need correction. Attendees are selected at random from all the priests and bishops in our church. The eight-day program includes

· plenary sessions with presentations by authorities in varied disciplines;

· small-group sessions in which a group of four priests meets on several occasions to address a range of topics;

· sessions in which each priest meets one-on-one with experts from the CREDO staff and consultative organizations;

· communal worship as well as opportunities for spiritual counseling and for individual worship and contemplation;

· recreational activities available at the resort or conference center housing the group;

· creature comforts-especially good food and comfortable accommodations-that promote a sense of well-being.

These conferences provide a relaxed setting, but participants are not there to relax. This is self-help of the best possible sort. With staff assistance in each sphere, the priest formulates and brings home defined goals in the areas of physical health, spiritual wellness, financial soundness, and vocational well-being. Defining the goals is only the beginning; the rest of the task is to identify what person(s), institutions, or regimens will help to achieve them, what specific steps will be necessary, and how the priest will be accountable for showing progress.

Two of our four full-time priests, the two who have been longest in the parish, have now attended CREDO conferences and found them intensely rewarding. Tammy Lee, our Associate for University Ministry, was a CREDO I participant last year, and described it as "…the most helpful continuing education experience I've ever had." Tammy observed that she came away from the week "Certain that [parish ministry] is where I need to be." The eight-day week left her much clearer about the reasons for doing what she does and more confident of attaining a better balance of work, leisure, and prayer. Stephen, now one of the few priests to have the second, follow-on CREDO experience, especially valued the self-examination involved in completing the 92-item pre-conference questionnaire, and the realistic and practical feedback on areas of strength and those in need of strengthening.

CREDO is now an independent entity, the CREDO Institute, Inc., supported by the Church Pension Fund and the Episcopal Church Foundation with the mission of "providing resources for Episcopal leadership and wellness programs [and] …open[ing] new avenues for educational leadership-based alliances within the Episcopal Church and ecumenically." One of its resources is a strong collaborative relationship with the Mayo Clinic, whereby conference participants receive individual health assessments and the opportunity for up to 18 months of assistance in achieving the personalized physical goals identified during the week. An institutional resource arising from this collaboration is statistical analysis. Not only has the survey provided the CREDO institute with important composite data about clergy participants, the Mayo Clinic, with its enormous medical data base, has been able to compare the aggregate profile of CREDO participants against aggregate profiles of comparable professional groups.

The complete Clergy Wellness Report is available at www.episcopalcredo.org/graphics/final.pdf. A few highlights are as follows: As compared with a Mayo Clinic benchmark population, the self-reported results for clergy indicated higher overall well-being and significantly higher sense that their work is meaningful. On a scale of 1 through 7, a third of the clergy respondents rated personal meaningfulness at 7. The survey also identified health risk factors for which targeted individual and organizational programs could be expected to have significant positive effects, notably elevated cholesterol (24% of clergy) and high blood pressure (21%). A less encouraging finding was the prevalence of self-reported depression, 12% higher among the clergy than the benchmark population. A significant gender difference occurred here: 27% of female priests reported depression, and 15% of males; highest percentages for both genders occurred in the 50-59 age group. For both clergy and comparative benchmark populations, the most prevalent lifestyle risk factors were, in order, nutrition, stress, safety, and exercise; but only for stress was the clergy group at higher risk than their peers in other professions. At age 30 to 39, clergy exceeded benchmark by 9 percentage points, but in the decades 40 to 49, 50 to 59, and age 60-and-over, the differences were 20 or more percentage points. While female clergy reported more depression, male clergy reported more stress.

Finding stress high among the clergy comes as no surprise and serves to reinforce our initial assertion that church and community need to offer resources for stress reduction. The two age groups at which clergy reported the most stress were under age 30 and the decade 40 to 49. Although many, both men and women, enter the priesthood at a wide range of ages, the under-30 category consists entirely of the recently ordained, and it's not surprising that stress runs high. No Episcopal Church USA program comparable to CREDO exists for seminarians and the newly ordained, but individual schools, dioceses, and parishes provide a range of resources. A major national resource is the religion category of the Lilly Endowment, founded in 1937 by the Indianapolis pharmaceutical manufacturer Josiah K. Lilly. It describes its mission as "foster[ing] the growth and development of Christian character," and it pursues this goal through a broad range of grants and initiatives. Further information is available at www.lillyendowment.org/religion.html.

Our parish is the first parochial assignment for David Frazelle, Associate for Parish Ministry, who was ordained priest here at the Chapel of the Cross in July 2005, after graduating from Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) in May 2004. David characterized the difference between seminarian and parish priest as the difference between task orientation and role orientation. The student encounters well-defined tasks that have a beginning, a middle, and an end, for which feedback is prompt and focused. The new priest coming into a new parish has to accommodate to a role that lacks clear definition, for which performance criteria are unspoken, and in which a range of other people will hear and interpret words and actions in diverse and often unforeseen fashions. His transition from seminary student to parish priest has been enriched by the "First Three Years Program" developed and carried out by Virginia Theological Seminary and funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment. The rationale behind "Three Years" is to establish, during the earliest and most formative years of ministry, constructive and effective habits to enhance an entire career.

Significant elements of this program are matching the recent graduate with both a professional supervisor and a spiritual director. David's supervisor is also rector of our parish, but other arrangements can be made for young priests assigned to understaffed parishes or non-parochial activities. In addition to these vertical relationships is a horizontal support system, a group of other recently ordained priests in the diocese who get together at intervals for mutual support and problem solving. Continuing education is another aspect; each participant develops continuing education proposals that can be pursued locally, and program participants also return each year to VTS for a week of group discussions, presentations, and renewal. For David, the individual initiatives included courses at Duke Divinity School and attending a retreat for Centering Prayer.

David has also experienced a uniquely individual educational opportunity. He and his wife Emily, pictured above, recently became the proud parents of Thomas, whose arrival has been a source of joy to the parish as well. Relieving David of pastoral responsibilities for a period of parental leave exemplifies the caring relationship that clergy and staff have for one another. In enumerating things that have enhanced his new-priest experiences, David expressed special appreciation for this opportunity to enrich their life as a family.

Vicky Jamieson-Drake, Associate for Pastoral Ministry, commented that, for her, the most important recent factor in maintaining personal and professional equilibrium has been parish support, through sabbatical leave and flexible coverage schedules, as she coped with the pressures of her mother's terminal illness. Diocesan policy is three months of sabbatical time for every five years of service, with relatively few constraints on how this time is used. Travel, academic course work, and individually meaningful service opportunities are the activities most frequently pursued. Vicky used much of her time ministering to the needs of her mother and other family members in this stressful situation. Time free from professional obligations made possible personal growth and grieving, as well as availability to family members. Especially strengthening for Vicky as a sabbatical activity was attending a program of Centering Prayer. Under Roman Catholic sponsorship, this eight-day retreat combined group and individual contemplative exercises with intervals of physical activity and times of simple, enriching silence. These exercises helped her achieve the strength to weather the demands and issues surrounding her mother's illness and death.

Individual parishes and dioceses play a major part in determining the well-being of their clergy. Each of our full-time priests has commented on how the presence of other priests on the staff and interactions within the group contribute to their individual achievements and satisfaction and permit a range of professional flexibility that would be impossible in a single-priest setting. This year, Chapel of the Cross parishioners have seen their clergy through life's major milestones-marriage (Tammy), birth (David and Emily), and death of a parent (Vicky)-and we rejoice that, as individuals and as a group, they have remained steadfast in their paths. As parishioners, we derive enormous benefit from their individual and collective strength, and we rejoice in the range of resources available to uphold them. We should not forget, however, that we-individually and collectively-are parts of both the problem and the solution of clergy wellness. It's easy enough to nod our agreement that "priests are people" and acknowledge, in tranquility, that clergy need time and space for themselves, but it's harder to remember this at times of crisis. Bad things do happen to good people, and our priests are a very refuge in times of trouble. What we don't want is our priests as the center of psychic or physical melodrama. The Church's institutional interventions go some way toward preventing meltdown, but each of us can and should play a role. It behooves us to remember the words of the Baptismal Covenant, in which we pledge to "…do all in [our] power to support these persons in their life in Christ."

Top: The Rev. Victoria Jamieson-Drake praying for healing during services in the church at the baptismal font. Right: The Rev. Stephen Elkins-Williams handing out candy canes to children of all ages after a recent Christmas pageant.

Photos by Jerry Cotten

From the Rector

Dear Friends,

In my annual address last year (mailed to you in advance of the Annual Meeting), I wrote in part of the importance of our staff clergy "being good stewards of our spiritual growth and of our health and of our family life." Continuing education, sabbaticals, and regular time off are all a part of that stewardship. In this issue, you will read more about the support our parish gives to make that stewardship fruitful and of efforts our clergy make to ensure that fruitfulness for a more productive ministry.

Recently I was privileged to participate in a week long CREDO II conference. Nine years ago I attended the very first CREDO conference, sponsored by the Church Pension Group. They reasoned that by actively attending to the vocational, spiritual, physical, and financial health of the clergy, they would not only improve the health of the whole Church, they would also make better use of the money needed for clergy disability and other payments that might stem from poor health practices. Since then, several thousand Episcopal clergy have participated in such a well-planned, engaging conference, and now CREDO II conferences are being offered for later follow up.

A direct result of my first CREDO program was to begin regular physical exercise and better eating habits. In addition to the challenge and encouragement I felt from fellow clergy participants, the knowledge and practical help I gained were invaluable. This recent second conference was also a very productive time of slowing down and evaluating and making decisions about new emphases in my spiritual and vocational life. I am, for example, setting up another clergy support group similar to one I had several years ago and being more intentional about taking regular time off each week. I will also begin planning soon for a three-month sabbatical in 2008. While I had originally thought of this coming summer, more time to plan and to integrate with changing family schedules make 2008 a better time.

The other clergy and I are most grateful to be part of a parish that takes seriously its stewardship of the clergy and staff entrusted to it. Opportunities for renewal and refreshment are essential to that commitment, and we pledge to you our best efforts at being fruitful stewards of these opportunities.

The Chapel of the Cross is an Episcopal Parish located at 304 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514.

For more information about the Chapel of the Cross go to www.thechapelofthecross.org or call us at 919-929-2193.

- Stephen

Vestry Actions

At its November 16 meeting the vestry:

· Met with consultant Whitney Bowes, the Master Plan Steering Committee, and the Parish Dialogue Committee for a preview of the material to be presented at the parish gatherings to begin in January

· Approved the recommendations of the Social Ministry Committee for disbursement from discretionary outreach funds in the amounts of $500 to Friends of Durham Guardian Ad Litem, $1000 to Ronald McDonald House; $400 to Friends of Orange County DSS, and $1000 to ARC of Orange County, project FAST

· Approved the nomination of Elizabeth Pfeifer to the Social Ministry Committee

· Accepted the Parking Committee report

· Approved the expenditure of $7,444.50 from the Cobb Fund for proposed renovations (new tile floor and painting walls and woodwork) to the dining room

· Learned that a second mission trip to Honduras is being planned for May 2007.

At its December 14 meeting the vestry:

· Adopted the 2007 pay plan

· Approved the recommendation of the Social Ministry Committee for disbursement from discretionary outreach funds in the amount of $1000 to Student Action with Farmworkers

· Discussed the possibility of a change in the parish by-laws governing vestry elections.

Vestry Election Schedule 2007

Sunday, January 21: Vestry nomination period begins.

Sunday, February 11, 6:30 pm: Nomination period closes.

Wednesday, February 14: Preferential ballots mailed to "bcc" members (if needed); there will be a notice on office door and in Weekly Announcements listing nominees.

Sunday, February 25, 6:30 pm: Deadline for returning preferential ballots; there will be a notice on the office door and in Weekly Announcements listing nominees.

Sunday, March 4: Annual Meeting takes place; vestry nominees will be introduced.

Sunday, March 18: Vestry election takes place; results will be announced in the March 25 issue of Weekly Announcements and the May issue of Cross Roads.

Sunday, March 25: Run-off vestry election is held (if needed). Results will be announced in the May issue of Cross Roads and the April 1 issue of the Weekly Announcements.

Friday/Saturday, May 18-19: Spring vestry retreat takes place at Avila. New vestry members' terms begin at the end of the first session.

Managers of the Vestry Election: Chris Bowes, Jim Crow, Steve Lackey, and Mary Schoenfeld whose vestry terms end in May 2006.

No Electricity but Powerful Energy

By Sally Slack

On Christmas Eve I parked at the church at 6:30 to vest and warm up with the Parish Choir. It was dark ... no lights in or outside the building. As I entered, some good soul handed me a lit candle poked through a hole in a plastic glass. The word was that the power had gone off at the end of the 5:00 pm pageant.

Organist Joe Khoury commenced directing the choir rehearsal with a pitch pipe. There were about ten of us, mostly women. The service was well attended. People were offered candles as they came in. No

organ, no microphones - but there was no sense of crisis. In fact, once the congregation had adjusted to the necessary adaptations, it was a splendid candle-lit service.

Before the service began, Stephen Elkins-Williams explained the adjustments and announced that the choir would receive Communion at the altar rail, the congregation at the standing stations, to avoid anyone falling up or down the steps.

Vicky Jamieson-Drake delivered the sermon in her loudest voice. Joe had us sing all the verses of the carols (plus an additional one during Eucharist.)

The power outage was another inconvenience, but everybody cooperated to make it a really blessed event. Thank you Steve, Vicky, and Joe. It was truly special.

Sam Jamieson-Drake with a candle at the service without electrical power.

Photo by Ted Pratt.

So, What Are You "Giving Up" for Lent This Year?

By Linda B. Rimer, Environmental Stewardship CommitteeChair

Traditionally, we observe the 40 days of Lent by embracing one or more of three practices: fasting, almsgiving, and prayer and meditation. During this time, we recall the period of Christ's fasting and meditation in the wilderness. By fasting or some other act of self-denial, we demonstrate discipline in our lives, as Christ demonstrated discipline in resisting the temptations presented in the wilderness.

For many of us, this Lenten self-denial takes the form of "giving up" something we like, such as going to the movies, watching television, or chocolate.

This year, the Environmental Stewardship Committee invites you to "fast from carbon," that is, to reduce the amount of carbon that you put into the environment. Why should you consider doing this? There are at least five reasons.

First: the carbon we are putting into the environment, in the form of "greenhouse gases," is changing the climate of God's creation, our planet Earth. Scientists are no longer debating the basic facts of climate change. In December 2004, Science magazine published an analysis of 928 peer-reviewed science papers on climate change from science journals between 1993 and 2003. The analysis found that not a single scientific article disputed the evidence that the climate is warming because of human activities.

Second: the sources of these greenhouse gases are human beings and the society we have created. The largest component of greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide which comes from the burning of fossil fuels, that is, from the generation of electricity and from the modes of transportation that we use.

Third: The impacts of these increases in greenhouse gases will be devastating for our planet as we know it and for the plants and animals that have lived here for millions of years. Many scientists are predicting that unless emissions of greenhouse gases are greatly reduced, average US temperatures could rise another three to nine degrees by the end of this century - with major consequences. Glaciers will continue to melt at a rapid rate, sea levels will rise, flooding coastal areas. Heat waves will increase in frequency and intensity. Droughts and wildfires will occur more often. Warmer weather is expected to bring an increase in the range and number of disease-carrying insects, such as mosquitoes which in turn, may cause a greater incidence of life-threatening diseases such as West Nile virus and malaria.

The most recent example of the impacts of global warming occurred on December 27, 2006, when the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed putting polar bears on the list of threatened species. The reason - loss of their habitat; the reason for that loss - the ice on which they live is melting.

Fourth: God created this earth. He declared it to be good, and expects us to care for his creation and to maintain its goodness for future generations.

Fifth: The typical American household generates 55,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.*

Because collectively, we are a source of many of the greenhouse gases that are warming our planet, we have many opportunities to reduce our "carbon footprint" and the damage it brings to God's creation.

But just as the Lenten fast rarely means giving up food entirely, we are not asking parishioners to give up carbon entirely. In fact, our use of carbon is so intertwined with our existence that it is virtually impossible for us to truly give up carbon. But we can use this Lenten season to assess the amount of carbon that we each generate, learn how to reduce that amount, and commit to taking actions that result in reductions.

On February 18, 2007, parish families will have an opportunity to learn more about what is involved in going on a "carbon fast". On that day, and again on February 25, grandparents, parents, and children will be able to measure their carbon footprint, learn about ways to reduce that footprint, and pledge to making those reductions during the 40 days of Lent.

You may be surprised to learn how simple many of these actions really are. In so doing, you will be helping to protect God's creation, our planet Earth.

If you have questions about this endeavor, or if you want to participate in the planning for February 18 and 25, please contact Linda Rimer at lbrimer@bellsouth.net.

*Low Carbon Diet, 2006

El Hogar Reaches Out to Girls

Ann Henley, Global Missions Committee Chair

Those of us who went to Honduras in May 2006 came back with our heartstrings firmly attached to the 85 little boys we came to know and love at El Hogar, the Episcopal Church-sponsored school and orphanage for boys in Tegucigalpa.

For 27 years El Hogar has been rescuing boys from wretched conditions of hunger, poverty, and abuse, giving them a safe place to live and learn, and empowering them with the skills and confidence they need to get good jobs and be good role models for those around them.

But what about little girls in similar situations? A recent El Hogar newsletter explains what we heard from the staff at El Hogar: The ministry began with boys because in Honduras they are turned out into the street in numbers ten times greater than girls. But we also heard from Claudia and Raul Castro, El Hogar program director and work team coordinator, respectively, of the despair and grief they often felt when they took little boys to the haven of El Hogar and left their sisters behind in the same conditions of hunger and poverty, facing bleak futures.

But now, they say, "God is leading the way for us" to offer amor y esperanza-love and hope-to little girls.

The program began free in January with a pilot program for five girls, who will live in a rental house in a safe neighborhood near El Hogar and be brought to and from the school to take classes with the boys. After school El Hogar will provide supervision and activities for them in their group home. If all goes well, five more little girls will be taken in each year. They will be taught self-esteem, given love and attention, and shown the generosity of God's grace.

Though it may be several years before a Chapel of the Cross mission team returns to El Hogar, we continue to be involved in its extraordinary ministry. Global Missions funds and donations by generous individuals provided approximately one-third of the cost of the van needed to transport the El Hogar girls to and from the school. The Christian Education Lenten offering provides another opportunity for us to share our bounty by helping to furnish El Hogar's little girls' house.

Our experience at El Hogar showed each of us that "when we allow ourselves to be among the poor and oppressed, we go to where God dwells in a unique way." We made connections there that continue to bless us. May we all experience God's presence as we strengthen that connection through this Lenten offering.

Help Improve the Parish Web Site!

By Vivian Varner

The parish web site is being updated and redesigned. In order to make it most useful to the majority of parishioners, we ask you to fill out a brief survey about the web site and its use. Go to the home page of the current site, www.thechapelofthecross.org, and click on "Survey." Filling out the survey should take less than 10 minutes of your time and will provide the committee working on the web site with valuable information. Many thanks for your help.

LENTEN RETREAT WITH J. PHILIP NEWELL

March 2-3 at Camp New Hope

The New Birthing of Christ: A Celtic Perspective is the title of the 2007 Lenten Retreat featuring poet, scholar, and teacher, J. Philip Newell. Formerly Warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland, Newell is currently Writer Theologian for the Scottish Cathedral of Sol in New Mexico. He is internationally acclaimed for his work in the field of Celtic spirituality including his best-known titles Listening for the Heartbeat of God and his poetic book of prayer Sounds of the Eternal. He is a Church of Scotland minister with a passion for ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. Canadian by birth, Dr. Newell lives in Edinburgh with his family where he completed his doctoral research in Celtic Christianity. Since then, he has played a leading role on both sides of the Atlantic in the re-birthing of a creation spirituality for today. The Chapel of the Cross is sponsoring this event with University Presbyterian Church and Watts Street Baptist Church in Durham. It will be held March 2-3 at Camp New Hope, located eight miles from Chapel Hill off Highway 86 North.

The event will begin on Friday evening, March 2, at 6:30 with a reception followed by a presentation and discussion with Dr. Philip Newell. Saturday's program begins at 8:30 am and concludes at 4:00 pm. On Sunday morning, Newell will preach at University Presbyterian Church at their 8:30 service and at the Chapel of the Cross at the 11:15 service. The retreat cost is $40.00. Brochures, including the registration form, are available throughout the parish buildings.

Registration Form for LENTEN RETREAT WITH J. PHILIP NEWELL, March 2-3

Mail or return to the Chapel of the Cross attaching a check for $40.00 payable to the Chapel of the Cross with Newell Event on the memo line

Name__________________________________

Mailing Address__________________________

Phone_________________________________ Email__________________________________

Church Member at: ___Chapel of the Cross ___University Presbyterian ___Watts Street Baptist

Other Church ____________________

Registration is limited to members of the sponsoring churches until February 4.

You may send a registration and fee before this date, and you will be notified if spaces are available.

Lunch Choices: check one - ___ Vegetarian ___Fruit & Cheese ___ Ham & Swiss ___ Turkey & Provolone

JOIN US for the Attic, Basement, Closet Sale-April 21,2007

By Ellen Cole

For 45 years, the parish family of Chapel of the Cross has held a rummage sale. This sale is the largest outreach ministry of our parish. Originally started by the ECW (Episcopal Church Women), the purpose has always been to provide money for causes outside the parish. With thanks to earlier articles in Crossings and Cross Roads, it is interesting to look at how the sale has matured and changed along with our society.

The main mission of the sale has always been fundraising. At first, the money (less than $1,000.00) went to one organization in Africa. Last year, the Social Ministry Committee was able to recommend providing funds totaling $25,000 to 19 organizations. Another important mission of the sale is to provide quality goods at reasonable prices to our community. True, there are many bargain hunters who can easily afford full price at a retail store. It is equally true, however, that there are families in our community who need our sale. They need clothing, sports equipment, household goods, baby items, furniture that is in good condition and all priced for those on very tight budgets. These two missions of the sale have always been at the heart of the tradition. Another essential function of the sale that is taking on a new urgency in today's world is recycling. Thankfully, many Americans are beginning to consider thoughtfully the environment and their personal impact on it. The ABC sale is on the leading edge of many current environmental movements.

As the community recycling bins say, "Recycle, for the life of your community."

Finally, a mission of the sale that is close to the heart of this co-chairman is fellowship. In the 1980's the sale made a fairly drastic change that has done nothing but enhance it. The responsibility for the sale moved from the shoulders of the ECW to encompass the entire parish. Volunteers are male and female, old and young, preschoolers and college students! The ABC sale brings all of our very large parish together for one week of the year. For someone new to the parish, as I was in 2005, the ABC sale is a fun, welcoming way to get to know fellow church members, the staff, the facility, and the community.

Building on a tradition that is 45 years young, our theme for 2007 is "Join Us!" Join us in fundraising for worthy organizations. Join us in providing quality goods at reasonable prices to those who need them. Join us in our efforts to be good stewards of the earth. And, of course, join us for friendship, fellowship, and fun.

Join us the week of April 15-April 21, 2007, for the 45^th Annual Chapel of the Cross ABC Sale. Please contact us if you have questions about the sale or would like to volunteer to help.

Allison Worthy, aworthy@nc.rr.com and Ellen Cole, ehc430@aol.com, ABC Sale Co-Chairs.

Adult Education Opportunities-February 2007

Sunday Mornings

10:20-11:05 am

February 4

Our South African Mission

The Reverend Sharon Dennie

Rev. Dennie, Director of St. Peter and Paul Episcopal Parish in Springs, near Johannesburg, South Africa, will tell us about the school for young children that their parish sponsors. You will be filled with joy to hear the good work this parish accomplishes in helping children whose parents have either died or are very sick from the HIV-AIDS virus. The Chapel of the Cross Global Missions Committee has selected this church and their school as one of our missions. Along with the Rev. Dennie, you will meet the senior warden, a teacher from the school, and two children.

February 4

Parent Gathering to Meet the Educators and Children and Family Ministry Committee Members

February 11

Parent Gathering: "Living into the Baptismal Covenant" Gretchen Jordan

February 11

The Atonement: What does it mean?

Clergy Panel

St. Paul in Hebrews, 1 Peter, and 1 John all assert that Jesus' dying was a sacrificial event which for just that reason expiates or atones for sin. Confronted with the language of sacrifice, with its talk of death and blood, and its use of strange terms like "expiate" and "atone," contemporary people inevitably waver somewhere between bafflement and horror. A panel of our clergy will talk about what they think this doctrine means for us.

February 18

An Intergenerational Lenten Event

Ages 4 and up will gather in the chapel for an opening program before moving to centers to engage in activities and projects to help us more fully observe the Lenten season which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 21. Centers will be led by our Environmental Ministry Committee who will challenge us to decrease the carbon we put into the environment, by the Global Missions Committee who will invite us to support the new El Hogar program for girls with gifts of money to help furnish the home, and by the CFM Committee who will provide options to increase our spiritual disciplines for Lent.

February 25, March 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 1

Lenten Contemplative Prayer Groups

Three small groups will be offered on Sunday mornings in addition to many groups offered during weekdays and evenings. Registration is required. Because we can only accommodate three groups, persons interested in a Sunday morning group are encouraged to register early.

February 25

Fasting from Carbon

Lent calls us to a more intentional journey with Christ. One act our Ash Wednesday liturgy invites is fasting. You have been invited to decrease the amount of carbon your family puts into the environment. Join the Environmental Stewardship Committee to measure how much carbon your household actually is putting into the environment and then learn some simple ways to move towards a fast from this practice during Lent.

March 4

Annual Meeting

Weekdays

Tuesday Mornings, 8:30 to 9:30 am, library

Mary Harris Bible Study

New members are welcome! The group began years ago reading and discussing the Bible. They continue with New Testament letters which include: James, Peter, Jude, John and Revelation. Group members share in facilitating the weekly study.

Thursday, February 1, 10 am, library

Living the Questions, Clergy Staff

The final session of this four part series concludes on February 1 with a DVD showing and discussion on the segment called A Kingdom without Walls. Watch for details on the post-Easter dates of the final 4 lessons of the 12-part program, Living the Questions.

Lenten Contemplative Prayer, Weekday Groups

See the additional brochure on these 20+ groups offered everyday of the week at varying hours. Registration forms are due before February 4.

Weeknights

Mondays, 7:30 pm, parlor

Adult Inquirers Class

Sessions on Episcopal approaches to important Christian topics, led by the Rector and others.

Wednesdays, 5:30 pm, room 1

Centering Prayer

New members are welcome! Join a group of parishioners who gather to support one another in the discipline of centering prayer. The time includes discussion following silence.

Thursday, February 15, 7:30 pm, parlor

Short Story Reading Group

Faith: Stories, edited by C. Michael Curtis, is our source of short stories to contemplate and discuss, looking for good literature and an enjoyable read, but also for the insights of others in what it means to live a faithful life. February's story is "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Tuesday, February 6, 7:30 pm

Images of God

Sister Mary Margaret

Join Sister Mary Margaret of A Place for Women to Gather in Raleigh for this concluding class of three on our images of God and how they can enhance or stifle our prayer experiences.

Thursday: February 1, 7:30 to 9 pm, parlor

Living the Questions: facilitated by our Clergy Staff

See information above under daytime programs.

Lenten Contemplative Prayer Evening Groups, Sunday-Thursday

See the additional brochure on the evening small groups being offered. Registration forms are due before Feb. 4.

Tuesday, February 13, 5:45 Dinner, 6:30 Panel Discussion

The City of Passion: Jerusalem

Jerusalem, one city with three faith communities who call it holy. Join Stephen Elkins -Williams, Rabbi John Friedman and Mazhar Adli, representing Islam, to draw closer to this holy place. Our Campus Ministry group will host a parish night dinner at 5:45 in the dining room followed by the panel presentation and discussion. Please sign up in the office for the meal by February 11.

Special Lenten Program

Friday and Saturday, March 2-3

Friday, 6:30-9:00 and Saturday, 8:30 am- 4:00 pm

Camp New Hope, Fleming Lodge and Dining Room

The Chapel of the Cross, University Presbyterian and Watts Street Baptist Church in Durham are hosting J. Philip Newell, Scholar in Spirituality at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, for a Lenten series. Registration forms and brochures will be available in early January in key places throughout the church buildings.

During Lent, there will be devotional resources for all ages, including activity packs for children and a new adult guide based on the Breastplate of St. Patrick, a prayer from this great saint. See article on page 9 and the form below.

Devotional Resources to Use During Lent for all ages are available in the dining room.

Special Offering

Throughout the weeks of Lent, we will collect monetary donations to help fill the new home for girls at El Hogar in Honduras. An empty doll house will be on display in the dining room symbolic of the new, empty house being built. Help us begin filling the house with beds, sofas, end tables, kitchen supplies, etc. In addition, the Environmental Stewardship Committee invites us to give up carbon for Lent. Please see the article on p. 7 and handouts around the parish to learn more.

Join a Contemplative Prayer Group During Lent!

In the early years of Christianity, Lent was the time to prepare for Baptism. Now it is thought of as a time to prepare - with thoughtful intention - to renew your Baptismal Vows at the Easter Vigil. Traditionally, the season calls for prayer, fasting, and penitence.

· Wondering what to "do" this year with true sincerity and honest humility?

· Feel like avoiding Lent all together and simply waiting for Easter?

· Recall too many memories of lack of discipline and follow-through?

· Frustrated with the "giving up/denying self" model of Lenten discipline?

· Want to approach, not avoid, the coming Lenten season with intentionality and personal commitment, but would welcome some structure and support?

Then join a small Lenten Contemplative Prayer Group for a refreshing alternative (or complement) to your personal Lenten practice. Join a few others, and commit an hour or so each week for Scripture reading, silent time for personal prayer and reflection, and an opportunity (but certainly not mandatory) to share reactions to the week's prayer experience.

In addition, meet and get to know a stranger, and/or deepen a relationship with a familiar face. This is a perfect opportunity to develop new relationships and broaden your Chapel of the Cross community.

There are many small groups available. Review the possibilities of time and place, and choose one that suits your schedule and convenience. Then, using this registration form or copying one from the Chapel of the Cross web site, fill it out, and return it to the parish office.

Ask God if this will be a meaningful Lenten experience for you!

Prayer Group Details

Times and Places

1) Make a sincere commitment for faithful and sustained attendance, with no more than two anticipated absences. This helps keep the continuity of group fellowship

and shared conversations among group members. If you discover that the format and experience are not to your comfort, please pray and ask God why you were inclined to join originally. It is possible that your presence there is not only to "take" but also to "give."

2) You will be notified the week before the groups begin specifically where your respective group will meet. So please include phone number(s) and email (if you have one) on the registration form.

Bible Readings

In 2006, the contemplative prayer group participants had the option of reading the text, Promptings from Paradise, written by J. Philip Newell. Dr. Newell provided us with a format of engaging with scripture which we will use again this Lent. Scripture passages will coincide with lectionary readings and themes of the Lenten season and are being chosen by our clergy and program staff.

Format

There is no lecture. Therefore, there is no teacher. Instead there will be a facilitator whose primary responsibilities include welcoming people to the group and keeping a steady eye on the clock to assure efficient time management.

Instead of a lecture, there is a group prayer process that has these elements:

· Invitation to prayer

· Centering/settling time

· Hear selected Scripture read

Silence to experience or apply a particular Scriptural study method, known by some as Ignatian (from Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits) where one uses one's senses to imagine the details of the passage in order to identify with the setting, the characters, and the story, followed by:

· Reflection on a question put forth by the facilitator

· Opportunity to share some personal insights

· Closing prayer

The formats will be the same for each group. However, given time constraints the Sunday options following worship services will have certain segments shortened.

2007 Lenten Prayer Group Schedule and Form

2007 Lenten Prayer Group Schedule
*DAYS*	MORNINGS	AFTERNOONS	EVENINGS
SUNDAYS (2/25,3/4,11,18,25,4/1)	8:45 - 9:30 am 10:20 - 11:05 am	12:45 - 1:30 pm	6:45 - 8:00 pm
MONDAYS (2/26,3/5,12,19,26,4/2)	9:00 - 10:15 a.m. +++	NOON - 1:15 pm	7:00 - 8:15 pm 6:30 - 9:00 pm ^^^ (N. Chapel Hill Residence)
TUESDAYS (2/27,3/6,13,20,27,4/3)	7:30 - 8:45 am	2:00 - 3:15 pm	7:00 - 8:15 pm
WEDNESDAYS (2/28,3/7,14,21,28,4/4)	9:00 - 10:15 am +++	4:15 - 5:15 pm +++	7:00 - 8:15 pm
THURSDAYS (2/22,3/1,8,15,22,29)	9:00 - 10:15 am 10:00 - 11:30 am (Carol Woods Residence)	NOON - 1:15 pm	7:00 - 8:15 pm
FRIDAYS (2/23,3/2,9,16,23,30)	9:30 - 10:45 am	NOON - 1:15 pm
SATURDAYS (2/24,3/3,10,17,24,31)	9:30 - 10:45 am
Note: All groups will meet at the church except those listed in italics. +++ Indicates childcare to be arranged. ^^^ Indicates pot luck.

Lenten Prayer Groups-REGISTRATION FORM

RETURN TO THE PARISH OFFICE BY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Name: __________________________________________________

Day phone:_______________________________________________

Night phone: _____________________________________________

Cell phone: _______________________________________________

Email address: ____________________________________________

1st choice: Day/start time/place: _____________________________

2^nd choice: Day/start time/place: _____________________________

February Programs & Meetings

† Sundays Weekly

12:30 pm Social Hour, 5:30 pm Episcopal Youth Community, 8:30 pm Compline Choir Rehearsal

Mondays Weekly

7:00 pm Parish Choir Rehearsal
7:00 pm Edge of Adventure
7:30 pm Adult Education

Tuesdays Weekly

8:30 am Mary Harris Bible Study
9:30 am Staff Meeting
3:30 pm Girl Scout Troop 378
5:30 pm Episcopal Campus Ministry
6:30 pm Boy Scout Troop 9
9:00 pm Tuesday Night Worship

Wednesdays Weekly

4:00 pm Junior Choir Rehearsal
4:00 pm Cantus Choir Rehearsal
5:00 pm Junior Choir Potluck
5:30 pm Centering Prayer
6:30 pm Girl Scout Troop 47
7:30 pm Senior Choir Rehearsal

Thursday, February 1

Submissions Deadline for March Cross Roads

Friday, February 2

8:00 pm Candlemas

Saturday, February 3

† Sunday, February 4

11:00 am Children's Liturgy

Monday, February 5

8:30 am Children & Family Ministry

7:30 pm Adult Ed-

Tuesday, February 6

6:00 pm Personnel Committee

6:00 pm Environmental Stewardship

7:00 pm New Images of God

Wednesday, February 7

5:30 pm Buildings & Grounds

Thursday, February 8

Friday, February 9

Saturday, February 10

† Sunday, February 11

Monday, February 12

5:30 pm Adult Education

5:30 pm Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate

7:00 pm Global Missions

Tuesday, February 13

6:30 pm The City of Passion: Jerusalem

7:30 pm Finance Committee

Wednesday, February 14

Thursday, February 15

6:00 pm Vestry

7:30 pm Short Story Reading Group

Friday, February 16

5:00 pm Jr. Choir Sleepover

Saturday, February 17

12:00 am Jr. Choir Sleepover

† Sunday, February 18

1:00 pm Boy Scout Ceremony

Monday, February 19

7:00 pm Special Worship with People with Developmental Disabilities

Monday, February 19

5:00 pm Adult Education

7:30 pm Adult Education

Tuesday, February 20

Wednesday, February 21

Thursday, February 22

Friday, February 23

Saturday, February 24

† Sunday, February 25

Monday, February 26

7:00 pm Troop 9 Leadership

7:30 pm Adult Education

Tuesday, February 27

7:30 pm Spiritual Life

Wednesday, February 28

February Service schedule

Friday, February 2, (White) The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple

8:00 pm Candlemas Procession & Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church) Mr. Frazelle

Sunday, February 4 (Green), The Fifth Sunday After The Epiphany, BCP p. 912

Judges 6:11-24a; Psalm 85 or 85:7-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

7:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite I (Chapel) Ms. Jamieson-Drake

9:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church) The Rev. Ruth Harper Stevens

(University United Methodist Church)

10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I (Carolina Meadows) Mr. Smith

11:15 am Holy Eucharist Rite I (Church) The Venerable Sharron Dinnie (South Africa)

5:15 pm Holy Eucharist Rite II (Chapel) Mr. Frazelle

9:30 pm Sung Compline (Church)

Sunday, February 11 (Green), The Sixth Sunday after The Epiphany, BCP p. 912

Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26
7:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite I (Chapel) Ms. Lee

9:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church) Dr. Pfaff

11:15 am Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist Rite I (Church) Dr. Pfaff

4:00 pm Holy Eucharist Rite I (Carol Woods) Mr. Elkins-Williams

5:15 pm Holy Eucharist Rite II (Chapel) Dr. Morley

9:30 pm Sung Compline (Church)

Sunday, February 18 (Green), The Last Sunday after The Epiphany, BCP p. 913

Exodus 34:29-35, Psalm 99, 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13, Luke 9:28-36

7:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite I (Chapel) Mr. Frazelle

9:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I (Church) Mr. Elkins-Williams

11:15 am Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church) Mr. Elkins-Williams

5:15 pm Holy Eucharist Rite II (Chapel) Mr. Elkins-Williams

9:30 pm Sung Compline (Church)

Wednesday, February 21 (Violet) Ash Wednesday, BCP p. 913

All Services include Penitential Order & Imposition of Ashes

Joel 2:1-2,12-17 or Isaiah 58:1-12, Psalm 103 or 103:8-14, 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10, Matthew 6:1-6,16-21
7:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite II (Chapel) Ms. Jamieson-Drake

9:00 am Reconciliation of a Penitent (Church) Ms. Jamieson-Drake

10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I (Chapel) Mr. Frazelle

11:00 am Reconciliation of a Penitent (Church) Mr. Elkins-Williams

12:15 am Holy Eucharist Rite II (Chapel) Ms. Lee

4:00 pm Holy Eucharist Rite I (Carol Woods) Ms. Jamieson-Drake

4:00 pm Reconciliation of a Penitent (Chapel) Ms. Lee

5:15 pm Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church) The Rt. Rev. Porter Taylor

(Bishop of Western North Carolina)

8:00 pm Holy Eucharist Rite I (Church) The Rt. Rev. Porter Taylor

(Bishop of Western North Carolina)

Sunday, February 25 (Violet), The First Sunday in Lent, BCP p. 913

Deuteronomy 26:(1-4)5-11, Psalm 91 or 91:9-15, Romans 10:(5-8a)8b-13, Luke 4:1-13

7:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite I (Chapel) Mr. Elkins-Williams

9:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church) Ms. Lee

11:15 am Holy Eucharist Rite I (Church) Ms. Lee

5:15 pm Holy Eucharist Rite II (Chapel) Ms. Lee

9:30 pm Sung Compline (Church)

Last updated: January 28, 2007