May 2015: The Chronicles of Canterbury

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Chronicles of Canterbury

what’s inside

2 The Joy of Discipline

4 Back the (Back)Pack

5 Anna Order

6 Belize Mission, cont.

9 Garden Mission

10 Briefly

11 Education for Ministry

12 UTO Ingathering

See RECTOR on page 3

May 2015 From the Rector

What Does the Bible Mean by Resurrection?

Belize Mission 2015

Nine Years of Mission Bring Changes To San Mateo

See BELIZE on page 6

others, there will come a day of general resurrection. A great getting-up morning, when the faithful will rise up again. Like the valley of bones envisioned by Ezekiel, which one day came alive newly enfleshed to live again.

As written in the biblical book of Daniel and the apocryphal book of Second Maccabbees, the idea is that God will redeem the entire creation. The day will come when God will redeem the world, and those who have died in faithfulness to God will be raised up bodily to a new life, in a new creation. Those who have died apart from faithfulness to God will remain dead and gone.

There are just a few passages in the Hebrew scriptures and non-biblical Jewish texts that suggest the unfaithful dead go to a place of torment. And in the New Testament, there are even more passages which suggest that unredeemed sinners will go to a place of torment. Many Christians expound on these passages with great fervor. They speak of the promise of Hell, and offer it as a threat to the living to watch out and be sure they come to Jesus. Others treat these passages with great care and wonder if they are indeed what they have been made to be. I myself believe in a God of both justice and mercy, and that the God who

where hundreds of children once roamed the streets with no place to go to school.

Francis and Vernon had served under Bishop Sylvestre Romero for five years before discovering the poverty on Ambergris Caye — poverty that most tourists never saw. As they explored further, they found San Mateo, a community existing in a salt marsh with no roads, no electricity, no sanitary sewage, no clean water and no garbage pickup. Sometimes families of nine or more were squeezed into 200-square-foot shacks supported by rickety stilts. When Francis and Vernon were asked by the mayor to “build us a school,” they invited John and St. Michael’s to join the effort.

By the time St. Michael’s first team arrived in April of 2007, three tiny classrooms had been built to serve

When St. Michael’s parishioner John McHenry landed on the dock in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, in March,

he had visited the small island off the coast of Belize at least a dozen times. And in those years leading missions to both the island and mainland through the Diocese of Belize, he has seen many changes.

He learned of the island’s plight through Episcopal missionary friends Francis and Vernon Wilson. They told him of beach resorts hiding significant poverty, just a few streets away.

John has been committed to mission work since college days. He has led nine teams from St. Michael’s to Belize — some 140 people who have given time, money and energy to help transform the most impoverished the neighborhoods, San Mateo —

It almost goes without saying that Christians believe in life after death. We believe in “the afterlife.” We believe in “going to heaven.” These

are core hopes for Christians everywhere. And of course they are core hopes of mine, too. They keep me going. They help me to cope with the loss of people I love. The thought of afterlife and God’s mercy to sinners helps me to deal with the sufferings of this world, and its injustices, and my own sins. However, in comparison to what I’ve encountered over years of pastoral ministry, there is a difference between what the average Christian thinks, and what the biblical teachings on resurrection actually are.

Certainly, in human thinking beyond the biblical world view, there has long been a wide of range of views on what happens to us when we die. There are a range of afterlives envisioned in the numerous religions and ideologies of the human race. As well, among many non-religious modern people, some simply believe that the death of our mortal body is the end. Period. And nothing comes after.

Judaism has long held the basic ideas that when human beings die, their bodies return to dust, and their souls enter into a phase of existence akin to sleep. For some, this state exists for eternity. For

The People of St. Michael’s

OFFICE HOURSMonday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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Church Phone: (919) 782-0731All area codes are 919 unless otherwise noted.

CLERGYThe Rev. Samuel GReGoRy JoneS, Rector

ext. 117 • [email protected] (c) 559-2004

The Rev. holly Gloff

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(c) 612-7228The Rev. ChRiSTopheR W. hoGin

aSSiSTanT ReCToR

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Chronicles of CanterburyFrom the Associate Rector

The Joy of Discipline

Many Christians breathe a sigh of relief with the ending of Lent. The arrival of Easter concludes the somber penitential 40-day season. Winter has gone. Gentle spring breezes now replace the chill of northerly winds. The days lengthen.

Flowers bloom. Summer is on the horizon. Best of all, whatever we gave up for Lent, whatever discipline we assumed, can now be released. Gorge on that chocolate, gulp down that soda, and replace those daily Bible readings with a good spy novel.

Even within our church, a relaxed, joyous atmosphere pervades. We don’t emphasize the confession of sin as much. We often omit the prayer of humble access before Rite I during the 8 a.m. service (this often throws people off). Alleluias abound, and the color of white or gold drapes the altar.

Easter is about celebrating the resurrection of Christ, and the promise of our own resurrection. Lent prepares us for that time through discipline. Discipline attunes us to the deficiencies in our lives. It helps direct our attention to God, and to see more clearly the presence of God working in our lives. Lent is a gift because it intentionally asks Christians to assume discipline through penitential acts, such as fasting, or increased prayer or denying one’s self a pleasure. We do this for the purpose of moving closer to God. Disciplinary practices also help us become the type of person God wants us to grow into during our brief time here on earth.

And that is the point. Our lives should be moving in a steady, upward trajectory. Our lives should be about discovering the treasures God has buried deep within us. Our lives should be about recognizing the grace God gives us, and then reflecting that grace to others in the world. It’s about experiencing the presence of God more fully and more clearly, regardless of whether our earthly being exists in a state of turmoil or stability.

With the arrival of Easter, it seems that everything can fall back to normal, but should it? Should we end the practice of self-examination and discipline just because Lent has ended? Easter is about change and resurrection. Easter points to the resurrection of Jesus, and through his resurrected body, he changed brilliantly, so much so that not even his disciples initially recognized him. Once they did, they, too, changed. They changed their lives radically, devoting themselves to reflecting the brilliance of Christ to others through proclamation and deed.

Let us do the same. As disciples of Christ, let us continue assuming acts of discipline aimed at proclaiming Christ through word and deed. Discipline helps us do that. During this Eastertide, embrace an act of discipline. Commit yourself to a practice just as though it were Lent. But unlike Lent, assume a discipline, not out a penitential mindset, but out of joyous mindset that reflects the joy of this Easter season. It may be about reading more or praying more. It may be about assuming a physical discipline, such as exercise, or modifying food intake. Be creative. Seek out a new discipline. Seek out new ways to connect with God, whether it be joining a Bible study, or going to church more (yes, we do have church during the summer here at St. Michael’s).

Whatever it is, do it for the purpose of moving closer to God. Do it for the purpose of letting God take hold of you. Do it for the purpose of letting God transform you into a renewed creation that more brilliantly reflects God’s glory in this life, and in the resurrected life to come.

— The Rev. Christopher Hogin

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RECTORcontinued from page 1died on the cross for my sins and forgave me before I repented, does not appear to be the kind of God who consigns souls to eternal torments. I believe there is a reckoning which all will face, but that the God who gives that justice is the same God who in Christ offered his blood for the sins of the world.

It is clear from the Gospels that during Jesus’ ministry, none of his followers anticipated his death by execution, let alone his particular resurrection in the time frame when it happened. Indeed, while some of them would certainly have held the Jewish belief in a general resurrection one day, it was not something anyone expected to encounter. As such, when they experienced Jesus’ resurrection, they were deeply astonished and surprised. They did not see it coming. And to be sure, the experience left them overwhelmed and grasping for how to understand and explain it.

The earliest proclamations of the resurrection of Jesus in the writings of the New Testament bear the marks of shock, surprise and awe. As Mark’s Gospel concludes in its original version, the first witnesses “went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them.” But, over a season of time, the early church gained insight from their experience of the resurrection, and in rereading the Old Testament, and in remembering what Jesus had said before he died, they wrote down their understanding of God’s plan for life, death and beyond.

So what does the New Testament say?

On the one hand, in a few places, some New Testament passages suggest that when we die we enter into a phase akin to sleep before we enter into our own resurrection life. On the other hand, Jesus said to the man crucified with him that today he would enter into paradise with Jesus. Jesus also said in John’s Gospel that his “Father’s house” has many rooms, and he goes there to prepare us a place. Paul says that he plans to depart this life to be with Christ. Paul also indicates that there will come some future time of total restoration when Christ will restore the entire Creation and all those who join with Him will be given new bodily existence. Heaven and earth, this age and the next, all time and space, will be joined into one — and the dead will be given new bodies like the ones we were created with. As Romans says, “He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.” As Philippians says, “the Lord Jesus Christ will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

So, what happens when we die? Well, in Christ, the answer is, “We will be well.”

Very well indeed. What will it look like? I’m not sure. But I believe that in the End of Time, when God’s will is fully all in all, that the faithful will have a kind of new bodily existence, in a restored and redeemed Creation in harmony with God’s will forever.

As Paul writes, “Therefore, beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.”

— The Rev. Samuel Gregory Jones

If you have designated the Holy Michael Foundation in your will, or if you have already made a donation to the Foundation, you are a member of the Canterbury Circle. Our annual Canterbury Circle dinner, will be held on Thursday, June 4, at 6 p.m.

The Holy Michael Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors. The duties of the Board are to preserve and grow the Holy Michael Foundation to benefit St. Michael’s for its lifetime. The board is comprised of St. Michael’s members, the majority being Vestry appointed, and the remaining members appointed by the Board. Board members bring financial expertise, other non-profit board and fundraising experience, in addition to their dedication to the success of this endowment.

When the fund reaches and maintains a minimum $1 million two-year average balance, 4.5 percent of the funds can be used to fund the mission and ministries of St. Michael’s each year thereafter. As of the end

Holy Michael Foundation Board

Have You Thought of the Holy Michael Foundation?

Audrey Black, Secretary; Will Rideout, President; Charlotte Griffin, Director of Development; Kip Meadows, Treasurer; The Rev. Samuel Gregory Jones, ex-officio standing member; Garland Radford; Pansy Morton, Vice President; Harold Hall; Tommy Malone. Not pictured: Amanda Carson.

of March, the balance of the Holy Michael Foundation’s invested funds is $660,680.03. Please contact Charlotte Griffin, Director of Development, to learn how you can give now to the Holy Michael Foundation and help us reach our $1 million goal.

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wonderful seniors who help make St Michael’s the place that it is.

Lunch will be catered by TheSquare Rabbit. At signup, you may choose between Eggplant Parmesan and a chicken dish. More details will be available soon. Sign up at the front desk by May 20.

There is no charge for this event – once again, our anonymous donor has graciously given us the resources, so we can say thank you to all of you who make our church so special. We want you to know that you are all loved and cherished.

So please come out and help us celebrate you on May 28.

— The Rev. Holly M. Gloff

St. Michael’s ECW

It’s Not Too Late!Join Us May 1!

The OWLS will be winding down for the summer, but of course, we will end our year flying. On Thursday, May 28, the annual Spring Fling for those 65 and older will be held in the Parish Hall. A wine reception begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by a noon luncheon.

Entertainment will be provided by Megan Crosson and friends. Kevin Kerstetter will be at the piano, so you know the music will be wonderful. Megan will be singing a collection of songs including some show tunes, romantic songs and pop songs that we don’t seem to hear often these days.

We will honor our “Senior of the Year.” There will be a ballot box in the lobby, and ballots must filled out by May 20. So please put on your thinking cap and recall who the hardest worker has been this year! It’s difficult, we know, to narrow down the “best of the best,” as we have so many

OWLS: It’s Time for the Spring Fling!

Auction items:

• Dinner for 12 with Greg & Melanie Jones

• Reserved Sunday parking space for one

year

• Front row reserved seats at all three

Christmas Eve services

• A long weekend at Figure Eight Island and

a week at a cozy mountain cabin

• Tickets to UNC, Duke, N.C. State and

Carolina Hurricanes sporting events

• Art by parishioners Lyle Dunnigan, Michele

Murphy and Martha Crampton

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When we lived in Atlanta, I was blessed to become a member of the Society of St. Anna the

Prophet, a community of Episcopal women over 50 dedicated to prayer, creativity, simplicity and balance, and to the support of the aging. Begun by an amazing Episcopal priest who saw that the church could do more to reach the aging folk in our congregations, SSAP also provides community and learning to us as we age, through study, retreats, etc. When I was active there, we led regular communion services in several nursing/assisted living homes. We grew to know each other and the residents and had great fun. SSAP is a diverse community. Some lay, some clergy, some married, some divorced, some working full time, some retired and some of every other option. We are all active members of Episcopal congregations.

Anna, an aging woman who worshipped at the Temple, was present when Mary and Joseph presented their newborn son to God. “Hers is a public, prophetic ministry, recognized by the community of faith,” according to the Society of Anna the Prophet’s website. Their motto is percipere et proclamare (to perceive and to proclaim).

When my mother was dying, I often visited her nursing home and eventually became the activity director there. I so enjoyed observing the many different ways people journeyed into their aging. One beautiful lady had been a model. She had no idea where or who she was, but when the Catholic priest came in each week to give her communion, she looked him straight in the eye and joyfully said every word with him.

St. Michael’s has the wonderful OWLS which, thanks to the Rev. Holly Gloff and others, provides interesting speakers and trips. Might that ministry be expanded, joining in community with our members who are caregivers to aging parents or who now reside in assisted living or residence communities? Could we take weekly communion to those who no longer drive? Do you know of someone who would like to play the piano for a service? Do you know of Episcopal women in other parishes who might enjoy sharing in this ministry?

The most helpful part of my journey with Annas is the requirement to stop and think about my life as a Christian, to learn about my aging and to journey with others as we age. We each write on Simplicity, Creativity and Balance in January and then revisit our writing in the fall to see how we are doing.

My dear Anna friends in Atlanta have suggested that I might discern if there is any interest in starting a group here. Do you know any Episcopal women 50 and older who might want to get together with a small group from Atlanta to check this out? Let’s do this thing! Pray and think about it!

— Joyce Hunn [email protected]

Luke 2:21-39 …After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb…in the temple Simeon blessed them and “there was also a prophet Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of great age, …lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. She began to speak about the child to all who were looking

for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Is the Society of Anna the Prophet Right for You?Women 50 and older Who are interested in joining the society of anna the ProPhet attend introductory meetings and agree to an aPPlication Process that includes an intervieW With the society’s council and a background check.

those Who meet the introductory requirements are invited to enter a year of discernment as Provisionals in the society. the Provisional year is one of reading, reflection, Prayer and conversation, as Well as service in an eldercare community as time Permits. they are invited to exPlore the challenges of simPlicity, creativity and balance and to reflect With mentors on Ways their gifts fit With the mission of the society. those Who hear a clear call to this ministry continue into a novice year of Practice, in PreParation for taking voWs in another year.

Joyce Hunn, center, second row from top, and her Anna Order in Atlanta. Annas dedicate their lives to simplicity, creativity and balance as they serve the elderly population in their communities.

Society of Anna: Simplity, Creativity & Balance in the Service of the Aging

mailto:[email protected]

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60 students. In the years since, St. Michael’s and teams from more than 30 Episcopal churches throughout the US and Canada have worked with the Anglican Diocese of Belize to develop the school, which now serves close to 500 pre-K through 8th grade children. Yet not all children are being served.

Everything that constitutes the infrastructure at Holy Cross Anglican School has been donated by North American Episcopal churches. In years past, St. Michael’s teams of adults and youth have helped build bathrooms and living space for the school’s on-site carpenter, installed insulation, framed the foundation for the computer learning lab, erected walls for the composting toilet facility, built the sewing center, re-built sagging floors, installed roofing, and completed a myriad of essential maintenance tasks.

Teams have also run Vacation Bible Schools and after-school programs; assisted with in-class teaching; helped lead weekly prayer chapel, helped in the kitchen, sewing center and library, and assisted with administration and clerical tasks. St. Michael’s has also been instrumental in installing solar panels to provide energy to the school and made commitments to support scholarships for worthy graduates to attend high-school.

When the 13-member team returned in March, missioners performed necessary repairs and helped with new building projects to keep the school running efficiently and prepare for new classroom construction this summer. Several teachers in the group were assigned classrooms and assisted with teaching and tutoring — only a high school education is required in Belize in order to obtain a primary school teaching license there — so HCAS teachers benefit from having US professionals in class.

The team felt supported and sustained by the many parishioners back home who prayed, attended the Coffeehouse, and donated supplies and funds to contribute to this year’s mission to HCAS.

“I saw God in our daily work, getting rid of old, broken or rotten wood, metal, etc.

BELIZE

Continued on the next page

Continued ofrom page 1

Trent Ryden, Hayes Adkinson, Reeves Raley, and Paige Madtes

perform a puppet show during the after school Vacation Bible School program. The students

of Holy Cross loved the puppets so much that the puppets were

invited into the classrooms for encore presentations.

Paige Madtes takes a break from roof repairs to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Ambergris Caye. A small group removed and replaced rusted roof panels to make the office and computer lab weather-tight again.

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and repairing and replacing old boards,” says Hayes Jernigan. “I was surprised by how rewarding it was — a simple (but labor intensive) task, but very God-like, in that we cleanse ourselves of the burdens we carry that are old and rotten and weigh us down spiritually and replace it with the love of Christ that renews our spirit, and we feel lighter and healthier.

“I worried that I would come back to work more tired than when I left,” she adds. “The opposite was true. The physical labor and being outdoors with great people and new friends, and giving back to a community that really appreciated our contributions was 10 times more rejuvenating than sitting on a beach and doing nothing for a week. I returned to work on Monday with a lighter spirit and a much more positive attitude towards my work and my life.”

Our team also designed, wrote and performed a puppet show based on the importance of reconciliation and forgiveness for the school’s younger children. We also provided funds to purchase Easter candy, and helped conduct Easter egg hunts. The team donated more than $500 in new tools, which will make a big difference facilitating the classroom expansion coming this summer. We are very thankful for the many generous parishioners who provided these donations.

“I found it very uplifting to work with such a positive group of people united by a common goal of spreading God’s love at HCAS,” says missioner Patrick Jordan. “While our work may have been physically demanding, it was spiritually enriching and emotionally rewarding.”

HCAS continues to be challenged by the fact that there are still Continued on page 8

Paige shares her teaching skills with a class of Standard 2 (Fourth Grade) students at HCAS. Reeves Raley and Nancy Atkeson also split their time between teaching students and important construction projects.

Ed Finley surveys the new workshop area. The team cleared the area of debris and built the roof throughout the week. The area will be instrumental in this summer’s classroom building project.

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many youngsters on the island with no place to attend school at all. Many of its students still face very serious odds at home, even though the level of poverty in San Mateo has improved substantially in nine years. Yet during that time, St. Michael’s has “stayed the course,” even when hope was scarce. St. Michael’s has donated at least $60,000 in material goods and has provided the labor to enable those goods to be used for the growth and development of the school, and building lasting relationships with school staff, children and families. These relationships are vital, because our Belizean friends recognize that we are committed to them until HCAS can become self-sustaining. Well more than 120 different parishioners have donated at least one week in mission work at HCAS over the past nine years, and we are thankful for each and every one of them.

The 2015 Belize Mission team appreciates all of the hard work, prayers and support St. Michael’s gave us. We look forward to what God has planned for us as we continue to support this vital school serving the poor of San Mateo/San Pedro, Belize.

“St. Michael’s commitment to the school has extended into the community and has made an incredible difference in the lives of so many who live in San Mateo,” says John. “We’ve done much to help the school grow from 60

students to nearly 500, now over a nine-year period. Yet so much more needs to be done to help the school realize its potential to become self-sustaining, and to be able to serve a larger number of children.”

— John McHenry and Ben Hopkins

The 2015 Global Missions Committee-sponsored trip to Holy Cross Anglican Primary School was an outstanding experience of mission, fellowship, and servanthood. Team members: John McHenry (Co-leader), Nanci Atkeson (Global Missions Chair), Ben Hopkins (Co-leader), Rebekah Hopkins, Reeves Raley, Meredith Upchurch, Paige Madtes, Hayes Jernigan, Ed Finley, Hayes Atkinson (youth), Trent Ryden (youth), Catherine Lambe, and Patrick Jordan. New team members included Patrick Jordan, Reeves Raley, Paige Madtes, Ed Finley and Hayes Atkinson.

BELIZEContinued from page 7

The 2015 Team proudly stands in front of the freshly painted workshop mural at week’s end. Hayes Jernigan and Meredith Upchurch designed and painted the mural after the team replaced the wall. The mural stands as a reminder of St. Michael’s commitment to HCAS and as a representation of the hard work done by all volunteers to build and sustain the school. Photos by Rebekah Hopkins

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Growing a New Relationship with Camden Street Learning GardenIn late April, the Episcopal Youth Community teamed up with the Young Adult Ministry to help serve Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s newest project, the Camden Street Learning Garden. Located at 315 Camden Street, the learning garden is just six short blocks from downtown’s Moore Square.

The one-acre garden owned by parishioner Lee Walker and his business partner will be used to build “food security” within Southeast Raleigh. “(We)made our first investment in that block in 2009 and were called to partner with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in 2013,” says Lee. “The Food Shuttle will use the garden as a community teaching garden, and we are in the final stage of completing a classroom and teaching kitchen facility in one of the apartment units on the property.”

The collective goal, he says, is to teach gardening and healthy eating, to combat food insecurity amongst the poor, “and to grow an all-inclusive community in one of Raleigh’s historically troubled, but rapidly changing sections of downtown.”

One of the most unique features is the “Food Forrest” complete with strawberry plants, blueberry bushes and fruit trees. Kids who live in the neighborhood have been working after school and on weekends to help plant the food, weed the garden beds, rake, mulch and play in the dirt.

Joe Lingo, a Jr. EYC volunteer, really enjoyed working with all of the other volunteers, especially the kids from the neighborhood. “Seeing the site gradually change and contributing to something that is very cool

and beneficial for the community”, was one of the best take aways from the morning for Joe. “I would definitely help again because there is always a job to do and it’s fun talking with everyone while you’re working. I also felt really good after it was over since I helped out,” he says.

Since June Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, with the support of many volunteers, has been working hard turning this vacant piece of land into a green space where fresh, healthy food, new friendships and a real sense of community are growing every day. And what a great community it is!

— Abby VanNoppen, Director of Youth Ministry

St. Michael’s will be cultivating a strong relationship with Camden Street Garden in the coming years. We look forward to providing many opportunties for parishioners of all ages to volunteer with this project, helping make a difference in our own community.

Dig It!

Youth and YAMS gathered at the Cameron St. Garden

on April 25 to help residents in Southeast Raleigh plant and distribute mulch. The garden was developed by

Lee Walker, pictured at right, with his children and a

Cameron St. resident.

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Men’s Breakfast

Tuesday

May 127 a.m.

br

ief

ly

Mark Your Calendar

Wake Interfaith

Hospitality Network

July 12-26

Mark Your Calendar

WIHN with Us AgainImagine what it would be like if at the end of your school or work day, you had no home to go to. No hot meal, no way out of the rain, no place to tuck your kids in at night. Sadly, many homeless families in our area face this fate. But Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network is trying to change that, by hosting families in transition from homelessness in area churches during the year.

In its fourth year, St. Michael’s will be among more than 35 churches hosting families. This year, our guests will be at St. Michael’s from July 12 - 26. We will provide meals and lodging, plus evening activities for children.

Please mark these dates on your calendar and plan to volunteer. It takes dozens of hands to welcome them. Watch for more information coming your way soon!

Our Local Mission Collection for May will be items for the home for our Wake Interfaith Hospitality guests. Please consider donating the following items:

• Bath and hand towel sets

• Twin-size mattress pads

• Individual size packs of tissues

• Personal size bars of soap

• Small bottles of shampoo

• Small bottles of body lotion

• Individually packed toothbrushes

• Kitchen size trash bags

• Paper towels

• Powdered laundry detergent

Children Go ‘Under the Sea’ for VBS

The children of St. Michael’s this summer will experience a week “Under the Sea,” June 21-25 during our annual Vacation Bible School. Using Bible stories that take place on or around the sea, we will treat the children to a week of story and song and special activities that will draw them into the world of the Old and New Testaments.

Beginning with the story of Noah’s Ark, the children will take a voyage with Noah, then learn about his promise to all with the rainbow in the sky. They’ll travel with Jonah and the Whale, and escape through the sea with the Israelites and Moses. By mid-week, Jesus will calm the storm and calls the four fishmen into a life of spreading the Gospel.

The week begins on Sunday, June 21, at 5:30 p.m. with an Under the Sea carnival, complete with games, pizza and cotton candy. Closing ceremony will be held in the nave at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 25, with Kona Ice to follow.

Visit holymichael.org to register!

Wednesday Words & Wisdom

Why Christianty Makes SenseThe Wednesday Words & Wisdom book club will have our final spring meeting Wednesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. at the home of Scotty Steele, 3316 Marblehead Lane, Raleigh.

Christopher Hogin will lead us in the discussion of Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N.T Wright. According to Good Reads: for 2000 years, Christianity has claimed to solve these mysteries, and this renowned biblical scholar and Anglican bishop shows that it still can today. Not since C. S. Lewis’s classic summary of the faith, Mere Christianity, has such a wise and thorough scholar taken the time to explain to anyone who wants to know what Christianity really is and how it is practiced. Wright makes the case for Christian faith from the ground up, assuming that the reader has no knowledge of (and perhaps even some aversion to) religion in general and Christianity in particular.”

If the book is not available in our library, you can purchase a copy at Quail Ridge Books or on Amazon.com. An audio version is available on this subject by N. T. Wright, on YouTube. Looking ahead, on Wednesday, Sept. 9, we will discuss Constantine’s Sword: The Church and the Jews – A History by James Carroll.

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Illumination. If I had to sum up my four years in the Education for Ministry program in one word, that would be it. EfM has made me a deeper thinker, a more reflective person and a better Christian in the Anglican tradition. In the course of those four years, one covers the Hebrew Bible (aka the Old Testament), the New Testament, church history and theology, in that order.

The first year of study — the Hebrew Bible — was the most challenging of the four for me. I spent that year learning how to “do” EfM, complete with Theological Reflections, commonly called TRs. There was lots of reading, both from the Bible and from the EfM text. I got to “hear” the different voices of the writers of those beautiful ancient texts and attempted to discern what they were saying to me now, as well as what they were saying to the people then. I spent a lot of time saying things like, “Wow,” and “Really? I didn’t know that!” and “This is fascinating!” Illuminating.

The second year covered the New Testament, and I felt on sturdier ground. The text was more familiar to me, and it wasn’t as long! It turned out to be another year of in-depth exploration of text and discernment and much more illumination. What does this all mean? Where do I fit into this? What is this phenomenon called Christianity?

The third year covered church history. What an incredible story we have there! Some good things, some not so good things. But, my study illuminated so many things for me: how we got from one Jewish carpenter to where we are as Christians now. Very illuminating, indeed.

The fourth year has been spent studying theology, and I must admit, there have been times this year while reading the assigned text that I have uttered the words from the Great Litany: “Good Lord, deliver me.” However, I admire theologians who think about our faith in levels of the stratosphere that I will never reach. I don’t always agree with what they say or how they say it, but nonetheless, it makes me think about what I believe and why I believe it.

The component of EfM that, for me, has been the most important is the fellowship, the relationship and sense of community I’ve developed with my EfM cohorts. Many of us have been together for three to four years, and we have forged a very close relationship and bond that will not end when our time together in EfM is over. Every Monday during the academic calendar year, we

have prayed together, read together, laughed together, cried together, eaten together, conversed together, discerned together, learned together and grown together. How can you top that?

EfM requires patience, perseverance, an inquiring and

discerning mind and work. If you are looking for a course of study that requires no thinking and has more of a “sit and get” type of format, then look elsewhere. To get what you do from this exemplary course is worth putting in four years of your life to study, think, converse and discern. My EfM study has made me a stronger and better Christian. So, considering putting the four years of EfM on your bucket list. That is, if you are ready to be illuminated.

—Karen Wagoner

Education for Ministry is a unique four-year distance learning certificate program in theological education based upon small-group study and practice. Since its founding in 1975, this international program has assisted more than 80,000 participants in discovering and nurturing their call to Christian service. EfM helps the faithful encounter the breadth and depth of the Christian tradition and bring it into conversation with their experiences of the world as they study, worship and engage in theological reflection together. (from the EfM.sewanee.edu web page.)St. Michael’s has an evening chapter and a morning chapter. If you’d like to learn more, plan now to attend an EfM information session, Sunday, May 31, after both the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services in the Wall Conference Room. Visit http://efm.sewanee.edu to learn more about this unique program.

Illuminated by Education for Ministry

http://efm.sewanee.edu

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

1520 Canterbury Rd.Raleigh NC 27608-1106Phone: 919-782-0731

Fax: 919-782-5085www.holymichael.org

Chronicles of Canterbury is a monthly publication of St. Michael’s Episcopal ChurchEditor: Susan B. RountreePhone: 919-782-0731, ext. 122Email: [email protected]

Questions? story ideas? Susan Rountree, Director of Communications [email protected] • 919-782-0731, ext. 122 www.holymichael.org, Chronicles of Canterbury, ThisWeek@St. Michael’s & Rector’s Weekly Epistle: Susan Rountree, Editor [email protected]

Canterbury Tales/brochures/bulletins: Ann Garey, Publications Coordinator [email protected] Deadlines:• Canterbury Tales: noon Wednesday before Sunday publication• Chronicles of Canterbury: Wednesday, May 13

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PAIDRaleigh, NC

PERMIT NO. 696

UTO Ingathering Sunday, May 17Please join the women of St. Michael’s as we collect for the United Thank Offering. Your UTO contributions during the year, either in the blue boxes or at the special ingathering collections, help make a difference in God’s world. Through United Thank Offering, we nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering funds support mission and ministry throughout The Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world.

Faithfully for 120 years Episcopalians have been committed to the work and ministry of the United Thank Offering. It is important for us as the Diocese of North Carolina to support the United Thank Offering program administered by the Episcopal Church Women on behalf of the entire church.

St. Michael’s held its first Fall Ingathering on Oct. 18, 1952. In 1953, the Diocese of North Carolina suggested that women of the diocese collected old silver and gold to fund the purchase of an alms basin to be used for UTO collections. Five barrels and two boxes of gold and silver were collected within the diocese, and the alms basin was created. Each church within the diocese may borrow the alms basin at any time for the UTO collection.

Please give generously on Sunday, May 17.

May 2015: The Chronicles of Canterbury

Documents

Transcript of May 2015: The Chronicles of Canterbury