7401 Delmar
University City, MO 63130

MARCH 2004

SPECIAL EVENTS FOR MARCH

* Event details inside or call the office for more information.

From the Rector's Desk

In his usual cryptic and sometimes eerie way, Bob Dylan has written a new song the refrain of which goes: "It's not dark yet, but it's getting there." I doubt he had Lent in mind, but that line can speak to the journey the Church makes during its annual approach to Good Friday. Mel Gibson cuts directly to the chase in his new cinematic passion play and plunges the viewer into the deep darkness of Christ's torture and death. The headlines from Haiti, Sudan, Iraq, etc., testify to the ever-gathering gloom of strife and heartache in every corner of the world. The specter of a Social Security meltdown hovers over the Baby Boom generation. Toxin and disease increasingly lurk in the foods we eat. The gap between the planet's rich and poor widens. The pace of environmental destruction quickens. Need I go on? My point is: it's not too difficult to be aware of some kind of darkness.

Lent appeals to me for many reasons: childhood memories of parish cover-dish suppers on Wednesdays, the Great Litany, hymns like "O sacred head, sore wounded," a bit of liturgical austerity, the challenge of acts of self-denial and fasting, the surprising absence of flowers at the altar, Palm Sunday, the service of Tenebrae, and the Solemn Collects on Good Friday. But what appeals to me most about Lent is it's honesty: sometimes it really does feel like "life is hard and then you die." Much of our faith focuses on hope and possibility, as well it might. But during Lent we are given permission to banish Pollyanna for a season and acknowledge the pain and brokenness of our lives and our world. This darkening season shines a light on the fact that all is not well in Denmark, or anyplace else. It is bracingly direct and unapologetic about this hard truth. Lent keeps us from indulging in denial, from wanting to believe that God makes all things sweetness and light for the faithful, from thinking that all should be well all the time.

Far from being a morose and depressing time of year, I increasingly experience Lent as refreshing and resonant with my experience of personal, global, vocational, and physical life. In Lent I'm less tempted to assign my failures and disappointments to the faults of others, less facile about ignoring or disparaging someone else's despair, less desperate for good cheer. For reasons that are beyond human comprehension (or maybe for no reason at all), parts of the trip from cradle to grave are trod along a via dolorosa, a path of sorrow. Lent allows us to embrace darkness, not as an indication of God's absence or disinterest or impotence, but as part and parcel of the lives we lead -- lives shot through with grace, lives for which Jesus embraced and overcame darkness.

May the subtle and honest riches of this season attend you throughout these forty days.

From the Senior Warden

Phil Stanton

At the February 1st Annual Meeting, the congregation broke into small "focus" groups to discuss the possibility of revising Holy Communion's Sunday service schedule. The proposed new schedule was as follows:

The purpose of the proposal was not to take an up or down vote on a schedule change, but rather to serve as a starting point for discussion of two important issues: first, the needs and concerns of existing parishioners with respect to the Sunday morning schedule; second, and perhaps more important, how our schedule affects our ability to attract new members, including young families.

The discussions were very fruitful and gave the Vestry a lot of food for thought. It is probably safe to say that many of the young families in attendance were interested in the compressed schedule. A major concern among parents of young children was the "long morning syndrome" caused by arriving, in some cases, by 9:00 a.m. and staying until noon or later. By having the second service earlier, and allowing young children to participate in Sunday School while parents are in the service, the morning would be less taxing for children.

In addition, the earlier finish time for the service would ease the time pressure on families that have Sunday afternoon activities (chiefly, children's sports). A number of parishioners who had spoken with visiting families indicated that these families were concerned that the second service finished too late and thus conflicted with other Sunday activities.

A number of parishioners were concerned that the compressed schedule would take time from the valuable ministry of children's Christian education. Others were concerned that the earlier start time might be a difficulty for some families.

With respect to the proposed change in schedule for the Adult Forum, some parishioners pointed out that having the Adult Forum late in the morning would make attendance difficult for worshippers at the 8:00 service. Additionally, parishioners were concerned that having the adult forum come last, when no other activities were available for children, might hamper attendance.

One focus group felt that the breakfast program was a successful part of the Sunday schedule and that the parish should look at ways to build on it and encourage its growth as a way for families to take some of the rush out of Sunday morning.

These discussions at the Annual Meeting were merely the first part in the Vestry's evaluation of our Sunday schedule. If you did not have a chance to participate in this discussion, or would like to share your individual concerns, please talk to a Vestry member. We want to hear what you have to say! The next step will be an evaluation of how a changed Sunday schedule would affect Sunday School curricula, teachers and other volunteers. Thanks to everyone who participated in the discussions!

Summary of February Vestry Meeting

At its February 17th meeting, the Vestry:

• Discussed the need to reduce the operating deficit and empowered Butch Sterbenz and Mark Willingham to create a subcommittee to explore possible fundraising efforts to address the budget deficit and a possible new capital campaign, while also considering general stewardship activities.
• Decided to keep the altar gates open during Lent to determine whether or not this would improve the pacing of the Eucharist.
• Heard reports concerning committees, including that Jean Parker is now serving as chair of the New Member Ministry and that Community Ministry will have vacancies to fill in the near future.
• Scheduled a Vestry commissioning service for the new Vestry on Sunday, March 21. All Vestry members will be commissioned at both services.
• Recognized a recent award bestowed on Josephine Ezenwa by the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Vestry meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month and are open to all parishioners.

Report on Parish Finances

As you recall from the Annual Meeting, the 2004 budget contains a deficit of approximately $21,000. For the month of January, the parish had income a little under $43,000 and expenses a little over $35,000, for net revenue of approximately $7,700. While this is certainly good news, our budget picture has not improved, and we still project a deficit for the year as a whole.

The Vestry and the Finance Committee are monitoring our finances very closely and will continue to do so throughout the year. We are also looking ahead to next year's budget, which will be affected by debt service coming due with respect to our borrowings for the construction project. In addition to this monthly update, we will schedule at least one Sunday meeting at which the parish will be apprised of this year's and next year's budget situation.

Time for a Change?

Julie Farrar

Whenever any church attempts to change any parish tradition, it brings out an emotional reaction equal to suggesting we have a referendum to add or subtract commandments to the original ten. History has proven over and over again, however, that churches survive by refusing to stay static. When the Vestry, at the Annual Meeting, opened the discussion about changing the service time, they had several reasons for considering it. I would like to take this space to provide context from the perspective of the Christian Education program.

Ideally, Holy Communion would have an education hour between services when all of the parish-young and old-spend time learning how to deepen their faith or put it into action. However, that has not been happening for the past few years. The greatest impact has been on the Sunday School program as volunteers to teach have dried up and attendance has dropped. Part of the reason, as Phil Stanton explained in his column, has to do with so many distractions outside of church on a Sunday morning. Another consideration might be that the service time has gotten longer, making it difficult to get out of church by noon. It is hard for families to commit three or more hours to a Sunday morning when during the week they find it challenging even to have dinner together every night. What we see now is that some children might come to Sunday School but never actually attend the service. Others come to the service but never attend class. To change the schedule would give us a better opportunity to let the children see the relationship between worship and education.

To change Sunday School so that it occurs during the service would not necessarily mean that the children would become invisible and relegated to the basement. That only happens when a parish wishes it to happen. Instead, the children could process behind the cross (in a very visible way) after the opening collect and return in force before communion. Those who are attending with children for the first time would have a signal that church school exists, and could go to class on their very first visit. The new schedule would also be more beneficial for those with both toddlers in the nursery and school-age children because it would not be such a long morning for the babies. If we wanted to have the children participate in the service in any significant way for special occasions, then we would also have a better sense of how many would be involved. For those who are concerned that the education hour would be too short, I can confidently say that it would not be any shorter than it is now. If we adopted the new schedule we would have a minimum of 40 minutes for class. Right now class is not much longer than that because many of the students don't arrive on time.

There would be some challenges to this new schedule:

• Those young people who are acolyting could not attend Sunday School some weeks. If our population grew, however, that would not be as big an issue because we could spread the load among the many.
• We would have to find a new time for the Youth Group to meet because we would want them in the sanctuary for the whole service, learning about the liturgy and growing into adult members of the church. It couldn't be the hour before the service because younger siblings wouldn't have to be here that early. We could do like many churches and set up a completely separate time for them to meet, such as late Sunday afternoon or Thursday evenings. This change in schedule, however, would require youth leaders ready and willing to commit to trying something new.
• We would need a hard-and-fast commitment from parishioners to teach even before the school year began. Right now, teachers are being asked to give only 2 to 3 weeks of their time to a rotation. Even with that small request, most Sunday mornings are covered by Hilarie Hunt, Phil Stanton and me. We value our time working with the children, but we also value our worship time. None of us mind giving up a small collection of weeks to teach instead of worship, but we should not be asked to miss every service. Without more teachers in the rotation, Sunday School will simply die.

I grew up in a church that, when I was very young, had its Sunday School two blocks down the street in the YMCA during the worship hour. I never felt like I was missing out on anything because I knew that everyone in that congregation loved me. Even after I married and returned to that church (in a newer and larger building), Mrs. Bowler, the Nursery Lady, could tell me stories about when I was little. They continued to have Sunday School during the service hour, with a large procession of children heading out of the sanctuary and down to the classrooms in the basement. Parents would make a mad rush in the spring to sign up to teach their rotations before all the slots were full. If we want to have a similarly vital education experience for our children, then we have to try something new. The proposed schedule change may not be the ultimate solution, but what we are doing now isn't either. I look forward to continuing this discussion throughout the spring.

Lent at Holy Communion

Wednesday Morning Program
Beginning March 3 and ending March 31 there will be a Eucharist in the chapel at 10:30 a.m., followed by a study of Thomas Cahill's How the Irish Saved Civilization. (See "Daytime Lenten Book Study.")

Wednesday Evening Program
There will be a brief service at 6:30 p.m., followed by a light supper at 6:45 p.m., and class from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. The class will concern itself with the book Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg. (See "Library Notes.") The last meeting will be March 31.

Wednesday in Holy Week, April 7
At 7:00 p.m. there will be a service of Tenebrae, which consists of readings from the Lamentations of Jeremiah, psalms sung and said, and the gradual extinguishing of candles.

Maundy Thursday, April 8
At 6:30 p.m. there will be a Footwashing Ceremony and Eucharist. There will be no meal this year on account of the construction project, which severely limits our space.

Good Friday, April 9
Liturgy and Communion from the Reserve Sacrament will be offered at 7:00 a.m., 12 noon and 7:00 p.m.

Daytime Lenten Book Study

Lucy Krieg

The Women's Guild will meet every Wednesday in Lent except Ash Wednesday and during Holy Week. In the weeks in between, we will worship together in the chapel and participate in a book study facilitated by Fr. Myers. The book we are using this year is How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill. Please bring a lunch for yourself, and we can eat together after the study. On March 3 we will be making sandwiches for the homeless after lunch. Because the first Wednesday in April is in Holy Week, we will not be making sandwiches but will continue the activity in May.

Please join us for this special time in the church year. Everyone is invited, including men.

Library Notes

Jean Davis

"Anonymous" has donated to the Holy Communion Library the largest number of books in the collection. One such donation is Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time. A short book, there are only 100 pages of text-plus 37 pages of footnotes and 10 pages for the index. Initially this book was put on the shelf by a librarian wondering about the odd title and thinking that the cover illustration was really bizarre. But the publisher had a strong reputation, the author's credentials were impressive, and the preface was interesting. So on the shelf it went, ready for anyone who wanted to tackle theology.

This thin book by Marcus J. Borg is very readable. Borg largely avoids theological jargon and does a good job defining the technical terms he uses. His book may change your understanding of Jesus, and may certainly help you understand his real message. Much of the material in this book will be familiar, but the interpretation is original.

Borg distinguishes clearly between the historical pre-Easter Jesus and the post-Easter Jesus, the Jesus elaborated by the Apostles and the Church Fathers. Borg makes a persuasive argument for understanding Jesus both as a spiritual man and as a teacher intent on subverting the established order with his aphorisms, parables and message of compassion.

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time is the book being read for the Wednesday evening program during Lent. Both the book and the discussion it should provoke will be interesting. Even if your schedule doesn't have room for the Wednesday evening discussion, Borg's book is enthusiastically recommended.

Thanks to Anonymous for giving this book to the Library. It is shelved with the theology collection, #230, and of course with "B" for Borg.

Book Club

Lucy Krieg

Because most of our members have signed on for the two Lenten studies and each requires a book to be read, we decided to see a film in March on the 14th. We will run an "olden oldie": Anatomy of a Murder with Jimmy Stewart and Lee Remick.

The books for the next three months are:

• April 4: Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
• May 9: The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy
• June 13: View from Pompey's Head by Hamilton Basso

All are available at Barnes and Noble at Ladue Crossing. Just ask for the latest Holy Communion Book Club selections at the desk.

Ladies Day Out

Lorraine Carlson

Ladies Day Out for April will be a visit to the Lewis and Clark exhibit at the History Museum on Wednesday, April 28. We will meet at church at 10:30 a.m., have lunch at the museum's café, and then tour the exhibit at 12:30. This is a great bargain; tickets normally cost $12, but because some of the church members who are also members of the History Museum have donated their tickets, we should have enough tickets for everyone to take the tour for free.

This is not a Guild-only or women-only activity. All church members are invited; everyone is welcome. Call Lorraine Carlson (721-5754) for reservations.

* * * *

Ladies Day Out for March has been changed. We will be going to the Boat House Restaurant in Forest Park. We'll leave after morning activities on Wednesday, March 14 at 12:30. Please sign up in the Lounge.

Movie Group

Rosemary Burrows

We are postponing the March Women's Movie group due to the Wednesday night Lenten Series. We will return April 14 with All About Eve. Please contact Rosemary Burrows (721-5479) with any questions. Remember to mark the second Wednesday of the month for the next round of movies: Under the Tuscan Sun, The Hours and Seabiscuit.

Episcopal HabiJam 2004

Claudia Moran

Circle the date, Friday, March 12, when thirteen churches in our diocese, including Holy Communion, will be boogie-ing til midnight at HabiJam 2004, a fundraiser for this summer's Habitat for Humanity build. Swing to the beat of The Committed, a sizzling band from Emmanuel in Webster, or just come to enjoy the fellowship and bring your friends. Watch out, though; this band is hot-you may not be able to leave the dance floor. Orlando Gardens at 8352 Watson Road in Crestwood is the site of this rip roarin' party. Appetizers will be served all evening long, from 8 until midnight, and the bar is open.

Check out our website at http://www.ehfhp.org for more details like the band's play list, or a map to Orlando Gardens. Babysitting will be available by the youth group at Advent Episcopal Church, a short 3 miles from the party. For more information, check out the Babysitting link on the website or call 843-0123. Tickets are $30 and are available from Claudia Moran or Liz Mills, who will be selling them after services each Sunday, or by calling Claudia at (314) 725-0575.

Did you know that we have a corporate partner on our builds? CitiGroup (including Smith-Barney and Travelers) has been splitting the cost of the build with us for the past several years. They also have provided Matt Wilson, the house leader, and several of the crew leaders. We share the volunteer slots with them as well. The construction costs alone are roughly $60,000. This means that between the 13 Episcopal churches we have to come up with $30,000. These funds are gathered through pledges (like $1,250 line item on our '04 budget), collection plate offerings and fundraisers such as HabiJam. So support this wonderful effort and buy a ticket and have a good time while you're doing it!

Trinity Hot Lunch Program

Hal Parker

The third Sunday of every month is a special day for us at Holy Communion, for it is our day to participate in the Trinity Hot Lunch program. This ministry involves preparing and serving a meal to needy folk, some of whom are homeless, at Trinity Episcopal Church in the Central West End. Volunteers cook the meal on Sunday morning between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m., and then other volunteers (sometimes the same ones) transport the meal to Trinity at 1:00 p.m. and serve it between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m.

The program has gotten off to a strong start in 2004, despite the departure of Gina and Terrence Brooks as coordinators. They have provided valuable leadership for a number of years and will continue to serve in the ministry. The goals of the program this year are (1) to find ways to expand interaction between those who eat and those who serve, (2) to increase parish participation in this important opportunity, and (3) to bring this ministry into the corporate spiritual life of the parish. Fr. Myers reminded us recently that relationships are transformational, and I can think of no more powerful way to have our own lives transformed than by serving a hot meal to hungry people. The profound presence of Christ in and among the poor will radically reshape our outlook and priorities, as well as ground us in what is real, when we give it a chance.

In order to increase interaction and participation, we have four Sunday coordinators this year: Derrick Coley (and his Venture Scout group that affiliates with our church), Karen Payne, Jean Peters and Hal Parker. Derrick and close to 20 Venture Scouts have handled January and February, and they will continue to serve, albeit in vastly reduced numbers to give others a chance to serve. If you are wondering how you might be able to participate, here are several ways: procure the food at Sam's on the Saturday before the meal (the church purchases it), help cook the meal on Sunday mornings, serve the meal on Sunday afternoons, purchase food items we use and deliver them to the church pantry (these include chicken broth, green beans, corn and stove top stuffing-all in the largest-size cans), and/or make a contribution to help underwrite the expenses.

If you think you might be interested in some aspect of this exciting ministry, contact Karen, Jean or me, and we will help you find a way to get transformed.

Being Transformed by Community Ministries

Rob Good

During the last Sunday of Epiphany, Fr. Myers preached about how we can be transformed by an encounter with the divine. Using the Scriptures' descriptions of how Moses' and Jesus' faces glowed after their conversations with God, he suggested that when we meet the divine, the evidence radiates from us.

I know from personal experience that I encounter God when I serve others in our community. Nevertheless, I often lose sight of that truth when I volunteer for the Trinity Lunch Program, Habitat for Humanity or the birthday parties at the county detention center. I find that I am often driven by a desire to transform the lives of others, to work for social justice by making a difference in their condition. While I believe it is important to honor our baptismal promise to strive for justice and peace, I also fear that by focusing on social change alone, I become self-serving, feeding my ego by doing "good works."

However, when I remember that the same baptismal covenant requires that I seek and serve Christ in all persons, I open myself to being transformed by the people served by our ministries. Seeing Christ in the face of a child at the county detention center has the power to change me far beyond my poor power to make the world into a more equitable and just place. Hopefully, though, my experience with Christ in that prison will strengthen my commitment and ability to work for justice and peace.

This year the Community Ministries Committee will be calling parishioners, asking them to volunteer for a variety of outreach programs. Please think of these calls as another invitation to church. Like worship, outreach can inspire us to fully recognize God's love. And, as outreach continues to transform us, God's love will only shine brighter in our faces.

Youth to Go on a Mission Trip

Karen Sterbenz

Donna Robey and Karen Sterbenz have been teaching the Youth Sunday School class since September. During that time, besides some serious discussion about questions of faith as well as some learning about the Bible and the Episcopal Church, we have been talking about a mission trip.

Everything is coming together beautifully. We will be going to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 200 miles away, July 14-17. We'll have to leave here early on that Wednesday morning (UGH!) so that we arrive for registration between 11:00 and 1:00. We'll spend the afternoon in orientation and the evening in fellowship with up to 400 junior and senior high youth and advisors from all over the United States.

We'll work on home maintenance and repair on Thursday and Friday. We'll be painting interiors and exteriors, building wheelchair ramps, fixing loose steps, dry-walling, and roof patching. In those two days, we will complete work on 60 houses. Poplar Bluff has a lot of elderly and disabled as well as impoverished people who need our help.

This short work camp is an introductory experience and one of more than sixty that are sponsored and organized by Group Magazine in the United States, the Caribbean and Mexico.

The work camp experience, which promises to be most rewarding to all of us, is nearby, brief, and the most inexpensive experience offered-$199 per participant. Those who have committed to attending the work camp are: Alex Byrne, Maria Chapman, Jamie Coley, Tonya Currey, Madeleine Docherty, Larissa Gribat, Drew Parker and Jeremiah Steuterman. The Youth Leaders who will be attending with them are Matt Chapman, Donna Robey and Karen Sterbenz.

Quick math will tell you that we need $2200 just for the registration fees for this work camp. So far, we have only half of that, from selling Holy Communion mugs and other fundraising projects in recent years. Please support us in our fundraising activities over the next several months so we can earn all or most of the money we will need. Also keep us in your prayers and rejoice that we have such a vital and concerned group of young people here at Holy Communion.

Relay for Life

Pat Scannell

Washington University Human Studies staff will be participating in "Relay for Life" beginning Saturday, March 21, at Washington University Francis Field. The relay is a fundraiser sponsored by the American Cancer Society (ACS). If you are interested in sponsoring me, Pat Scannell, in the relay, any amount will be greatly appreciated. Your donation will provide support for lifesaving research and nationwide initiatives.

Also, luminary candles will be placed around the track, symbolizing the hope and perseverance with which we continue to fight. A luminary candle can be purchased for $5, and the name of your loved one will be read aloud at the Luminary Ceremony. This can be the name of a survivor or one who has been lost to cancer. For those you chose to honor and who are still living, please obtain their permission. I will be walking for my daughter, Julie, and my brother, Mick, as well as to honor friends and family members who are surviving the battle against cancer. You are welcome to join the HSC staff and me on the 20th for a night full of fun and events. For more information, please contact me. Your checks should be made out the American Cancer Society and given to Lucy Krieg or me.

Josephine Ezenwa Named to the 2003
Republican Chairman's Honor Roll

Josephine serves as a co-chairman of the committee's Business Advisory Council and is being recognized for service and support in keeping the White House and Congress in Republican control. As a member of the Honor Roll, Josephine's name will be on display at the Republican Headquarters building in Washington D.C. As a member of the Honor Roll, Josephine also qualifies to receive the committee's HIGHEST HONOR the prestigious Republican Gold Medal to be presented at a special awards ceremony in the nation's capitol.

International Mission on Medicine

Brenda Okpala is being recognized for her exemplary academic record and leadership potential, her commendable commitment to medicine and her desire to help others. Brenda's nomination to this elite group includes a visit to Australia, Brazil, China or South Africa where she will enjoy the privilege of interacting with some of the country's most important doctors, surgeons and traditional healers. Brenda will go to Australia in the summer of 2005.

Congratulations Josephine and Brenda!

If anyone has a used car to sell, please contact Kristi Mochow at 618-337-8239.

The Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion

Staff

The Rev. Brooke Myers, Rector
Judy Prange, Parish Administrator
Mary Carol Schlueter, Director of Music/Organist
Mary Chapman, Interim Choir Director
Jerome Harris, Sexton
Sondra Ellis, Treasurer
Julie Farrar, Church School Superintendent
Margaret Hvatum, Adult Education Coordinator
Burt Mayfield, Building and Grounds

Vestry

Phil Stanton, Senior Warden
Rick Simoncelli, Junior Warden
Helen Burton
Brad Currey
Josephine Ezenwa
Rob Good
Alice Kitchen
Butch Sterbenz
Mark Willingham

Parish Mission

To worship God, share our Christian vision with the world, and equip others for the work of ministry. We will: Glorify God with liturgy in the Anglican tradition; Support the making of music outreach placing our current emphasis on young people and the hungry; Encourage racial, cultural, economic and generational diversity in this congregation; Provide resources for this congregation's continued growth and ministry; Offer educational programs for children and adults, to nourish each person's growth in Christ; and Take an active role in the life of our Diocese.

E-mail: churchoffice@holycommunion.net
www.holycommunion.net
www.missouri.anglican.org

Published eleven times a year. The editor of this issue is Judi Bange. April issue editor is Claudia Moran; please have articles in by March 17 (claudia@obatadesign.com).