The
Monthly Newsletter
of St. Luke's Church
May 2006
(Click for pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
(Stewardship Corner))
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Alleluia! He is risen indeed!
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You may notice
that in many of the Gospel readings for Easter, the disciples find
Jesus hard to recognize at first. Strange, isn’t it? Someone they
came to know so well during an intense three year preaching mission
becomes, after the resurrection, more difficult to recognize, at first
glance. And then, when the disciples do recognize him, he tends
to vanish, as he did after breaking bread with the two disciples on the
road to Emmaus.
There are many insights to draw from this, one of them being that
seeing Jesus involves a willingness to realize that he is hidden in
plain sight in our everyday lives. Jesus walks in our gardens where we
sometimes walk with sadness as well as joy. We may get a better look at
Jesus if we take time to travel away from comfortable locations. Jesus
may be found back at our schools and work sites, which for some of the
disciples was a lake for fishing. And even then, an encounter with the
Risen Lord will usually just be a glimpse, a flash of recognition, more
internal than external, that the promise of a new life is available
this moment and in this life as well as in the life to come.
So peruse this newsletter and see if you don’t find a flash of
recognition, an invitation that speaks to you, a call that invites you
to leave the empty tomb. Search for the Risen Lord. He is standing
right next to you. And he has also gone on ahead: calling back to us
from beyond those hills in the distance.
Yours faithfully,
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Please Note
The
Right Reverend Michael Curry
will visit St. Luke’s on
Wednesday, May 3rd, 7PM
For Durham Convocation
Confirmation
Seventeen St. Luke’s young people and adults will join other candidates
from five area parishes for this glorious occasion. You do not want to
miss this. There will be a reception following the service.
For years now, St. Luke’s has had the privilege of playing a part in
the ordination process for many men and women. We are about to add more
history to that legacy. Jan Lamb will be ordained to the Sacred
Order of Deacons on Saturday, June 3rd at Church of the Good Shepherd
in Raleigh at 11 a.m. And the good news just gets better: Bishop
Curry has assigned Jan to serve here at St. Luke’s. Thanks be to God!
In further ordination developments along this line, both Joe Hensley
and Lissa Smith are continuing to progress in the ordination process.
Joe has been accepted as a Candidate for Holy Orders and Lissa is now a
Postulant for Holy Orders. Congratulations to all three and to their
families.
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Adult Forum
The Adult Forum will meet on May 7, 14 and 21 at 9 a.m. in
the Kramer Room. The subject will be “Preparing for the General
Convention 2006”. Booklets are available in the Sprague Room if
you would like to read ahead.
Sunday School
The last Sunday of Sunday School for 2005-06 will be May
21. All ages will meet together during the Sunday School time and share
highlights from the year. Parents are invited to come and share
the exciting lessons and events of the “year in review”. This
will also be an opportunity to say a special “thank you” to the
teachers who have worked with each class this year.
EYC
(Episcopal
Youth Community)
Calendar for
May
7th – 5 p.m. Durham Bulls Game
14th – Mother’s Day – no meeting
21st – 4-6 p.m. at St. Luke’s
28th – Memorial Day – no Meeting
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Episcopal
Church Women May Meeting
The last ECW meeting of the season will be a luncheon at the
Fearrington Market Café at Fearrington Village on Wednesday, May
17th. We will meet at 10 a.m. in the circular driveway at church
and will car pool from there. Our reservations are for 12
noon. The set price for lunch is $15.25 including tax and
tip. (It would help if you had this amount in exact change on
you.) All women of St. Luke’s are members of ECW and are welcome
to join us, but I need to know how many are coming by Tuesday, May 9th
at the latest. If you can come, please call or e-mail me at
471-6405 or ntwyman@nc.rr.com.
Thanks, Nancy Wyman
Men’s Lunch
Club
The Men’s Lunch Club will meet for the Wednesday Eucharist
on May 10th at 12:10 p.m. and then go to a local restaurant for lunch
and fellowship. If you plan on attending, please contact Al
Wellauer at 383-8937.
The Monthly
Lunch Thing
Anyone interested in
going out to lunch on Sunday, May 14th, after the 10 o’clock
service? Meet near the coffee pot in the Sprague Room
toward the end of social hour.
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Ladies Lunch
Bunch
The Ladies Lunch Bunch will meet for lunch on Tuesday, May
23rd, location to be announced. Watch Sunday bulletin for details.
Vacation Bible
School
Vacation Bible School will be held August 6-10, so hold
the date! If you’re interested in helping plan, have questions,
or just want to participate, contact Jill Hoffmann at
jillcoach@hotmail.com or 471-0970.
Parish Register
We pray for those who have died: Gladys Dills Owenby,
grandmother of Mark Owenby; Doris Hiller Lynch, mother of Jane Lynch;
Claudie Lassiter, father of Tim Lassiter.
We celebrate the marriage of Julie Smith and Robert Moore on April 8th.
Financial
Status
March
YTD
Income
$24,690.85
$146,142.17
Expenses
$25,873.72
$104,415.21
Offering counters for May
Hope Galunas and Randy Smith.
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Mississippi
Gulf Coast Mission Trip
Anyone interested in the mission trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast
July 22-29 should contact Jan Lamb (jlamb@verizon.net
or 489-9977) for more information. Please consider sharing your
skills and resources by being a part of this mission team.
Please have your name and $100 deposit to the church office by June 1
to secure your place in the group. Further plans will be made in
early June with the group that will be going.
Outreach at
St. Luke’s
St. Luke’s will be accepting recommendations for Outreach expenditures
from May 1-14. Recommendations may be submitted to Kathy Barnes
or Wayne Wagoner. Please provide as much information as possible
about the mission of the particular enterprise you are recommending and
their needs. In years past, St. Luke’s has supported Habitat for
Humanity, Urban Ministries of Durham, Interfaith Hospitality Network
and many other organizations. If you need additional information,
contact Wayne Wagoner or any member of the Outreach Committee.
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Gulf Coast
Needs Continue
Recent projections indicate that our continued support for
those affected by Hurricane Katrina will be necessary for the next
several years. Christus Victor Lutheran Disaster Response Center
in Mississippi has been helping close to 1,000 families per week.
They have requested commitments for a semi-trailer of food and supplies
per week so that they are able to continue this good work. St.
Luke’s, in conjunction with other churches in our convocation, have
agreed to take a week and we will be asking for both volunteers as well
as donations to meet our commitment. Additional information will be
made available as details are finalized.
Ministry of
Greeting
“Being a greeter is an action of ministry, not a social
task, duty, or job.” This important message from Andy Weeks, a
Magnetic Church leader, reminds us that greeting one another is a very
important activity, but it is perhaps the most important activity that
we can perform with newcomers. Please join us on Sunday, May 7th,
at 11:30 a.m. in the Kramer Room if you are willing to participate in
the special ministry of greeting. If you are interested but
cannot attend, please call Bill Gutknecht at 489-1123 or write to bill.grams@verizon.net.
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United Thank
Offering
Two far-sighted, mission-minded women began the legacy of
the United Thank Offering in 1889. Julia Emery and Ida Soule were
leaders in their day and the General Convention looked to them to begin
the Women’s Auxiliary as part of the Board of Missions. They
began the UTO to show the connection between giving thanks and giving
money, united sharing and giving.
Women throughout these many years have carried forth the
legacy and the UTO has grown and strengthened.
Every penny placed in a blue box in prayer and
thanksgiving is granted throughout the world for mission and in
response to compelling human needs. The integrity of our legacy
has been maintained for over 100 years. The UTO is strong and
firm as an important mission endeavor of the whole church.
The Blue Box on the kitchen table gives the opportunity
for all members of the family to give thanks for their blessings each
day.
Our next ingathering of the United Thank Offering will be
Sunday, May 14.
Calling all
Graduates!
Please contact the church office if you are graduating
from high school or college this spring. Please do not assume
that we know about it. (stlukeep@verizon.net
or 286-2273). |
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I was lost,
but now am found.
Have you wondered where that other glove has gone?
Are you missing an earring or cuff link? How about car keys?
There is a box full of “found” items in the lost and found box.
Check it out in the Sprague Room for the next few Sundays to see if you
can “find” what you thought was lost.
Need a good
recipe?
Check out “Feeding the Flock” St. Luke’s 50th Anniversary
Cookbook. You may purchase a copy through the church office for
just $12.00. All profit will go to feed the hungry of Durham.
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Church
Bulletin Board
Newsletter deadline
for the June Newsletter will be May 21st.
See the bulletin board outside the
Kramer Room for information on enrolling in Medicare’s Prescription
Drug Benefit.
We have ordered five large-print
hymnals for use at church. Until they arrive Kathy is printing
the week’s hymns in an enlarged format. Please see an usher if
you would like to use this new edition to our worship service.
Art and the Feminine Divine:
An Exhibit
The
exhibit will be on display in multiple Durham Venues through May
14th. The exhibit brings together 100 artists whose work
celebrates the many forms and faces of God the Mother, Lover,
Creatrix. Sponsored by the Resource Center for Women and Ministry
in the South, the exhibit reveals the many ways we celebrate and
demonstrate the feminine divine. The artwork is both abstract and
representational and includes pieces in fabric, collage, painting, and
sculpture. Musical events, storytelling, and a meditation session
will be held during the exhibit.
For more information,
see the flier on the bulletin board outside the Kramer Room.
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Thank
you
I want to thank everyone for their generous donation of blankets.
All 30 have been taken to Urban Ministries and they are very
grateful! I will continue to take them in as they appear in the
Sprague Room. If you would like a receipt, please see me at
church, or call me at 471-6405. Thank you.
Nancy Wyman
Meals on Wheels is Moving!
Beginning May 1, 2006, Meals on Wheels is joining the
Council for Senior Citizens and Senior PHARMAssist in Durham’s new
Center for Senior Life. A brand new 35,000 square foot facility
dedicated exclusively to Durham seniors! The new address will
be:
Meals on Wheels of Durham, Inc.,
406 Rigsbee Ave. Suite 101, Durham, NC 27701
Phone 667-9424,
fax 667-9458,
Volunteer line 667-9426
email info@mowdurham.org
web – www.mowdurham.org
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Stewardship Corner
This is the first of many Stewardship
Challenges that the Stewardship Committee will review monthly in our
St. Luke’s newsletter this year.
Frank A. DePasquale, A.I.A. Emeritus, has recently published a booklet
for the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina entitled “Caring For God’s
Creation – A Manual to Save Humanity”. This was recently
reviewed in the News & Observer. If you wish to buy this
booklet, please give a $10 check to Kathy Barnes written out to the
Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, c/o Environmental Committee, and
Kathy will make one available to you. We are all stewards of our
Parish and its environment. The following are excerpts from the
Introduction to his work:
“This handbook is dedicated to the Glory of God. To preserve His
Creation is to honor Him and to give Him thanks. The beautiful
description of His handiwork inspires us when we read, ‘In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth – and on the sixth day
the earth was finished and all the host of them?’ When God
finished His awesome work, our responsibility began.”
“The Bible has provided us with much inspiration to assume the fearful
task. In the first two chapters of Genesis, fifty-four verses
speak of God’s creation, His gift to mankind, and His passing of
responsibility by entrusting this special gift to our care – to respect
it and to be stewards of its well-being. As stewards we are
commanded to protect His Creation for all Humanity and all living
things, for without his Creation all His wondrous work would be for
naught.”
“Man is the only living creature on this earth that has become
susceptible to moral failure. Through greed and exploitation of
the world we are now faced with ecological disasters that are slowly
killing the planet – our home – and causing us to kill each
other. ‘The Time is Now!’ The Church, respecting and
assuming responsibility for God’s gift, is the only global force that
can bring about significant changes in the way we live and treat this
precious earth we have been given. Together, we can undertake
this task. Every congregation, every clergy leader, every
communicant – elders and young people – can play a part in this
transformation. We can be a responsible and ‘green’ Diocese,
gaining disciples, if we learn and act together. The presentation
of this handbook by the Chartered Committee will inform all of us as we
start down the road to transform our stewardship.”
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