St. Peter’s

EPISTLE

May 2006

The Monthly Newsletter of St. Peter Episcopal Church in Ashtabula, Ohio

Summer Time

Summer time is almost upon is. The weather is getting warmer, sometimes even convincingly so. The daffodils are up along with the hyacinths and a few tulips. The weeping cherry is sobbing. The grass is green. Neighbors are enjoying the park. In the distance, one hears the hopeful rumble of lawnmowers (instead of snow blowers). We made it through another winter in northeastern Ohio.      

We will begin our summer schedule on May 28, and it will continue through Sunday, September 3. One Eucharist will be celebrated at 9am each Sunday. The regular schedule, including two worship services, breakfast, Christian Education for children and adults, and coffee hour will pick up again on September 10.

I look forward to sleeping in on Sunday mornings, though I do miss Rite One almost as much as Andrew misses breakfast at church. I recognize the summer schedule is not perfect. Nine o’clock is too late for golfers and sailors, and two early for some of the youngest and oldest members of the congregation. However, it allows for vacations and travels without too many headaches in scheduling – Chalice Ministers, especially. And as hard as it is to believe now, it will be downright hot in Ashtabula soon. Ending an hour earlier does mean that worship is significantly less uncomfortable. Best of all one service brings us all together as a parish for a while. You can take the opportunity to meet people you usually see leaving when you are coming in, or vice versa.

Don’t forget your prayers this summer. The Lord has not changed. He still longs for your company and desires your highest good. Stay in touch. Here are a couple favorites.

(For the Good Use of Leisure) O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment and peace; and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(For Travelers) O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel [in particular _____________]; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

What’s Happenin’ in May?…

 3^rd -  Executive Committee, 6:00 pm

         Prayer & Praise, 7:00 pm

 5^th -  Spencer Myer Concert,7:30 pm

         Dinner before concert, 6:00pm

 6^th -  Vestry Retreat

 7^th -  UTO collection

 8^th -  Renovation Committee,6pm

 9^th -  Game night (without kids),6:30 – 8:00 pm

10^th – Evening Eucharist, 7:00 pm

11^th – Mary Margaret Guild, 11:00am

         Mother/Daughter Banquet,6:00 pm

14^th – Connor O’Brien Concert

17th – St. Elizabeth Guild, noon

21^st – Epistle news deadline

         Food Pantry collection

         Youth Sunday

23^rd – Evening Guild, 7:00 pm

28^th – Begin summer schedule

         1 service only, at 9:00 am

29^th – Office closed for Memorial Day

         holiday

        Who’s cookin’ breakfast?…

 7^th – Youth Group

14^th – Roger Smith Group

21^st – Clayman Group

28^th – Grotto Group;

         Last breakfast until after  

         Labor Day!

                 Remember…

Just a reminder that May 28^th begins our summer worship schedule. From that day through September 3^rd there will be only one Eucharist service on Sundays. That service will be at 9:00 a.m. Our regular schedule of two services will resume on September 10^th, when there again will be services at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

You’ll know you’re an Episcopalian:

…if when you watch Star Wars and they say, “May the force be with you,” you automatically reply,”And also with you.”

…if your choir director suggests discussing something over a beer after choir rehearsal.

…if you ever find yourself saying,”Oh, but we’ve never done it that way before.”

…if you know that the nave is not a playing card.

…if your friend said, “I’m truly sorry…” and you replied, “and you humbly repent?”

…if you know that the Senior Warden and the Junior Warden are not positions in the local prison.

And finally….

…if you reach a point when you’re not sure about anything theologically but you still feel completely at home at the altar rail, and somehow know you’re meeting God there, even though you can’t begin to understand how.

Willard’s ten cents worth…

     ~ Fred Schroeder ~

In our family we started receiving an allowance when we were 5 years old. At 5 years old your allowance was ten cents for picking up your toys and setting the table for the evening meal. We received our allowance on Sunday, after breakfast and before church. One hour later, at church, half of that ten cents would go into the collection plate.

I do not think my 5 cents was going to make or break the church budget, but I now had a vested interest in the church, and had I thought about it deeply, I would have wanted my 5 cents spent wisely.I did not need the money. Everything I needed – food, clothing, shelter and love (including a lot of parental discipline) – I already had. But now I had 5 cents that was mine to spend or save; now I had to make choices. The money wasn’t mine. National Distillers sold alcohol and chemicals and passed along some of the profits to my father. My father passed along the money to pay for food, clothing and shelter; bought insurance to provide for the unexpected, put some in savings for future plans, and passed on a little of the money to his children. But, first of all, he passed on some money to the church along with his time and energy. So I was just one more person passing this money on to someone else.

The best part is if you start your giving to the church at 50 percent, giving at 20 or 30 percent is easier and giving 10 percent is a gift.

    Just a reminder…

Don’t forget about the two concerts presented in May by the St. Peter’s Fine Arts Committee.

The first is on Friday, May 5^th. It is a free concert with Spencer Myer, medal winner in the Cleveland International Piano Competition. The concert will be at 7:30 p.m.

Prior that, at 6:00 p.m., a dinner featuring a Mexican menu will be available for $12.50 per person.

For dinner reservations call Lois at the church – 992-8100.  For the concert, just come. No charge.

The second concert will be on the afternoon of Mothers’ Day, May 14^th at 4:00 p.m. The performer for this Fund Raiser Concert will be Connor O’Brien, featuring show tunes, big band and Sinatra classics. Admission is $10.00. Tickets may be reserved by phoning Lois at the church – 992-800.  The cost includes a reception following the concert.

Cedar Hills in the summer…

From the Reverend Mr. Peter W. Nielsen, III, Deacon and Executive Director of Cedar Hills Camp and Conference Center (we call him Pete), comes a reminder of the summer camping experience there.

If you have children or grandchildren between grades 3 – 12 there are brochures available in the church office which tell about these wonderful days of summer.

Be assured that scholarship aid is available and Camp Cedar Hills is both safe and a program of great value in developing young leaders for the church and the world. Camp this year is $340 per session, with a $150 deposit due at registration and the balance due upon arrival.

Along with your interest in this program, please remember Camp Cedar Hills in your prayers.

        On the lighter side…

A man was telling his neighbor, “I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it’s state of the art. It’s perfect.”

“Really,” answered the neighbor. “What kind is it?”

“Twelve thirty.”

Correct your church directory…

Charles & Karen Webb have a new telephone number: 440-466-1631

 Biblical persons & their songs…

Noah: Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

Adam & Eve: Strangers in Paradise

Lazarus: The Second Time Around

Job: I’ve Got a Right to Sing the Blues

Moses: The Wanderer

Daniel: The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Esau: Born to be Wild

The Three Kings: When You Wish Upon Star

Methuselah: Stayin’ Alive

Elijah: Up, Up, And Away

   In Honor of Mothers’Day…

    You can’t fool Mother Nature!

Early May brought unusually warm weather. The planting instructions on the box of corn seed said, “Plant after all danger of frost, and after the ground is thoroughly warm.” I decided to chance it. Early corn would be wonderful. I lost! The ground was too cold. The seed rotted in the furrows before it could germinate.

Two weeks later it was warm again. The new box of corn seed said, “Earliest possible planting date: May 15.” I tried again on May 15. I wanted that early corn. I lost again! It was too early. The ground was still too cold and wet for the sensitive corn seeds to germinate.

Ten days later I was ready for round three. (It was going to be an expensive year for corn!) But the experts were right. One cannot rush the delicate balance of necessary weather patterns and soil preparation for sweet corn.

Human life is very much within that delicate balance of nature. We are neither above nature nor beyond nature. We are interwoven in nature. The marvelous and creative gift of human life is to be valued as part of creation itself. Know your strengths and your weaknesses. Know the rules for maximum quality of life. Know that God wants maximum bodily health through you for as long as life endures.

 ~ On A Wing and A Prayer, by

   Brian K. Bauknight in 1998 Dimensions for Living

My name is…

A teacher had just given her second grade class a lesson on magnets. Now came the question session, and she asked a little boy, “My name starts with an M and I pick up things. What am I?”

The boy replied instantly, “A Mother!”