Bishop Townsend Appointed Priest-in-Charge at Emmanuel Church

Emmanuel Episcopal Church of Keyser, West Virginia, is pleased to announce that the Right Reverend Martin G. Townsend, D.D., has accepted the call to become the new Priest-in-Charge of the parish. His first Sunday Holy Eucharist will be celebrated on May 11, 2008, at 8:00 and 10:00 in the morning.


Bishop Townsend, the retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Easton, Maryland, was born in England and immigrated to the United States in 1957. He was graduated from Notre Dame High School in Elmira, New York, and received his bachelor’s degree from Hobart College in 1965. In 1968 he received his Masters of Divinity Degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), which is located in Alexandria, Virginia, and in 1993 and 2000 he earned the Doctor of Divinity and Doctorate in Ministry degrees from the seminary. Bishop Townsend also served as a professor at VTS for several years. He has taught at Virginia Tech and St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where he lectured in English literature and philosophy.


He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood for the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York in 1969, and from that time he served the people of the Episcopal Church as Rector in several parishes. In 1992 he was consecrated as the Bishop of the Diocese of Easton (ECUSA), a ministry he exercised until his retirement in 2001. After his retirement from the active ministry of the episcopate, Bishop Townsend served the Church as being the Interim Rector for a number of parishes in Ohio, Virginia and Maryland until permanent Rectors had been called. He remains a participating member of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church.


In a statement to the people of Emmanuel Church, Bishop Townsend said, “Thank you for inviting me into your lives, allowing Barbara’s [my wife] and my path to join with yours. It continues to amaze and delight me that after being a deacon, priest, and bishop for forty years, I still get excited as God guides me into new stages of my life.”


He and his wife Barbara reside in Fort Ashby, West Virginia, where they have been steadily working on building their retirement home known as “Shepherd’s Croft,” a name that was decided upon because Bishop Townsend is “a shepherd of sorts” and Barbara was an actual sheep-breeder and shepherd. Barbara Townsend heads up the restoration of the Ashby’s Fort 1755 Museum, which is one of the forts established during the French and Indian War on the orders of the future General George Washington.


Emmanuel Episcopal Church was established in 1910 by the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, and is located on 301 South Mineral Street, Keyser. The parish website is www.emmanuelepiscopalchurchwv.org. Following Bishop Townsend’s first Holy Eucharist at the parish, there will be a special luncheon held at the Parish Hall for the congregation and guests of the church.

The Vine Newsletter (April 2008)

A Message from Our New Priest-in-Charge:

The Right Reverend Martin Townsend, retired Bishop of Easton, Maryland. Courtesy of Dr. Lewis Crew’s “Unofficial Anglican Pages”.

Editor’s Note: My apologies to Bishop Martin for the woefully inadequate photo, since that was the only one I could find on Google at such a late hour approaching the publishing deadline.


Dear People of Emmanuel Church,

The past week seems to have been a gracious time of hopes and opportunities coming together. Bishop Klusmeyer had talked with me about Emmanuel Church, asking if I might be interested in working with the church community in Keyser. He spoke of you with affection and understanding. I talked with Kim Pifer and sent her my resume. She arranged for me to meet with the Vestry on Saturday, April 5th. After an energized two hours, we had formed a shared hope for the opportunities ahead. Shortly, on behalf of the Vestry, your Senior Warden called me to ask if I could come to Emmanuel as your priest and pastor. Both humbled and excited, I have accepted the Vestry’s invitation to become your Priest in Charge.
That is what has happened recently. Let me go back to when he groundwork for our meeting was laid. In 1972 I was the rector of a parish in the Maryland suburbs of Washington. Barbara, my wife, had grown up in a small town as had I. We needed an escape from the beltway, so we bought some land in the hills just east of Fort Ashby. The next year, with the help of lots of friends, we built a vacation home on the land. Ever since, we have been adding to that house, growing it in stages and calling it Shepherd’s Croft. Most of the work we have done with our own hands, learning how to be carpenters, plumbers (not very good ones), stone masons, painters, and all the other things you have to be as a home builder. We have so loved being here and have enjoyed our neighbors that Mineral County has become home.

Over the years I have served as Rector of St. Christopher’s Church in New Carrollton, MD, Trinity Church in St. Mary’s City, MD, Christ Church in Blacksburg, VA, and Bishop of The Diocese of Easton on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. After retiring from Easton I served for two years as the Interim Rector of the Church of the Redeemer in Cincinnati, OH, Assisting Bishop in Newark, NJ, and then for two years as the Interim Rector at Trinity Church, Upperville, VA.

Thank you for inviting me into your lives, allowing Barbara’s and my path to join with yours. I believe the Holy Spirit is at work in this coming together. It continues to amaze and delight me that after being a deacon, priest, and bishop, I still get excited as God guides me into new stages of my life.

Your wardens and Vestry described something of the challenges that you have recently faced and what some of your dreams and strengths are. I liked what I heard and I greatly look forward to knowing all of you. My first Sunday at Emmanuel will be May 11th, which is the Feast of Pentecost, also Mother’s Day. It is an auspicious day for giving thanks and for new beginnings. Winter and late frosts are past. It is a time for planting our gardens with a confidence that they will yield fruit. “Now the green blade riseth… Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.”

You have bid farewell to The Rev’d Joyce Wilkinson, and elsewhere in this newsletter she bids you peace in her own farewell. May God bless our partings and our meetings.

See you on May 11th.

In Christ,

+Martin G. Townsend

A Note From Joyce
From a reflection on the gospel of the 2nd Sunday of Easter, John 20:19-31:
"Whenever we're afraid and hiding out, all locked up,
God comes to us in the midst of our fear
and says, 'Peace be with you.'
Whatever doubts churn in our minds,
whatever sins trouble our consciences,
whatever pain and worry bind us up,
whatever walls we have put up or doors we have locked securely,
God comes to us and says, 'Peace be with you.'"
[But it doesn't stop there. - my note]
"Whatever hunger and need we feel deep in our souls,
God calls us to the table, feeds us well,
and sends us out into the world to be justice and peace,
salt and light, hope for the world.
We can do it, if we keep our eyes open, our minds limber,
and our hearts soft and willing to love.
As God sent Jesus, God sends us, this day." (from ucc.org)

Dear People of Emmanuel,

I enjoyed being with you, and I pray Christ's peace be with you on your journey.

Joyce


THE EASTER SERMON OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
If any man be devout and loveth God,
Let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast!
If any man be a wise servant,
Let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.
If any have laboured long in fasting,
Let him how receive his recompense.
If any have wrought from the first hour,
Let him today receive his just reward.
If any have come at the third hour,
Let him with thankfulness keep the feast.
If any have arrived at the sixth hour,
Let him have no misgivings;
Because he shall in nowise be deprived therefore.
If any have delayed until the ninth hour,
Let him draw near, fearing nothing.
And if any have tarried even until the eleventh hour,
Let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness.

For the Lord, who is jealous of his honour,
Will accept the last even as the first.
He giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour,
Even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour.
And He showeth mercy upon the last,
And careth for the first;
And to the one He giveth,
And upon the other He bestoweth gifts.
And He both accepteth the deeds,
And welcometh the intention,
And honoureth the acts and praises the offering.
Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord;
Receive your reward,
Both the first, and likewise the second.
You rich and poor together, hold high festival!
You sober and you heedless, honour the day!
Rejoice today, both you who have fasted
And you who have disregarded the fast.
The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously.
The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.
Enjoy ye all the feast of faith:
Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.
Let no one bewail his poverty,
For the universal Kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one weep for his iniquities,
For pardon has shown forth from the grave.
Let no one fear death,
For the Saviour's death has set us free.
He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.

By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive.
He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh.
And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry:
Hell, said he, was embittered
When it encountered Thee in the lower regions.
It was embittered, for it was abolished.
It was embittered, for it was mocked.
It was embittered, for it was slain.
It was embittered, for it was overthrown.
It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains.
It took a body, and met God face to face.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.
O Death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life reigns!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead,
Is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To Him be glory and dominion
Unto ages of ages.
Amen.

“Alleluia Aerobics” Makes a Comeback…
Thanks to the volunteering spirit of the indomitable Ginny Poland, we’re pleased to announce that the “Alleluia Aerobics” classes for women will once again be offered at Emmanuel Church.
The classes will be held on Monday nights each week, from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the church, and there will be a nominal fee of $1.00 per class. All the women of the parish and the community are invited to come to work on physical fitness in a comfortable and relaxed environment.
For additional information about “Alleluia Aerobics”, please contact Ginny Poland or Marcy D’Elisa.

Thank you!
Special thanks to Beverly Davis and Anita Johnson for the beautiful wreaths on the doors. If anyone would like to decorate the doors for a special holiday or occasion, you are welcome to do so. Please contact Kim Pifer for more information.


Reaching Out to Our Parish Family…

We have many people at Emmanuel Church who have illnesses and other concerns in their lives, and they need not only our prayers but more tangible signs of our love and support. So we’re asking for volunteers to do one (or more) of the following:

1. Get together and send out “get well” or “thinking of you” cards to those who have been ill and/or haven’t been at church in a while;

2. Give a telephone call to sick and shut-in members to see how they’re doing and if they should need anything.

3. Visit members who are in the hospital or nursing homes to see how they’re doing.

4. Volunteering your time (and automobile) to help people get to medical appointments.

Please pray about serving as the hands, feet and heart of Jesus Christ to our fellow believers who are in need. If you’d like to help in this important ministry, or if you’d like to get more information, please see Kim Pifer, the Senior Warden of our parish.


MESSAGE FROM THE SENIOR WARDEN:

The birth of spring is upon us and Keyser is starting to bud with a renewal of life. We have just celebrated the mysteries of Christ and the Resurrection. I feel Emmanuel is very much a part of this rebirth. I see growing pains, anxiety of the unknown and excitement for what is to come. We give thanks for Rev. Joyce’s time with us. We became stronger during her time with us and seek to continue our growth in Christ. During our next growing spurt, the Rev. Canon Donald Vinson will be working with the vestry and congregation to strengthen the life of Emmanuel Church. How will this be done?

Rev. Vinson will be meeting and sharing with us two segments that are quite different from one another. The first is a Fresh Start module called "Transition." It is based on the idea that change and transition are two different things. Change is inevitable, and it happens whether we respond to it or not. It is just part of life. But transition is adapting and responding to that change. We will have discussion about how these things impact on us and on our church. Second, we will do an assessment of the congregation in terms of where it is in its life cycle. Also, determine what this congregation's gifts are, what the church does well, and discuss how we can do even better.

This will be a time to begin conversation and a time for reflection. Where have we been? Where do we want to go? Most importantly, how do we intend to grow spiritual in ourselves and with the congregation? Rev. Vinson will help get us started with giving us the tools to expand our minds. He will give us some time to try them out and then will return with other topics for us to explore.

With spring upon us and the beginning of the growing season it is a perfect time for Emmanuel to dig in our hands and minds and get busy with new growth. I thank each one of you. We, as the vestry, continue to ask you to help with this process and make this the best year that Emmanuel has seen. Will keep you posted!

God’s Blessings to each of you.
Kim Pifer, Senior Warden


Pricket Stand from National Cathedral

Praying with Light…

In the not-too-distant future you’ll notice that a rather compact piece of furniture has been added to Emmanuel Church, and its sole purpose is to assist us in remembering in prayer our family and friends (those living and departed) as well as our own personal prayer concerns according to a tradition that reaches back to the very beginning of Christianity. The furniture in question is a votive candle stand, which in the Anglican/Episcopalian tradition is known as a “Pricket Stand,” and the members of the Vestry – during the special Vestry Retreat in January and after the advice of Rev. Canon Donald Vinson – voted to have a pricket stand constructed for Emmanuel Church by a local woodworker (to match the wooden furnishings in the parish), and several members of the Vestry contributed their personal funds for its creation (no money from the church was used for this purpose).

The practice of lighting candles for prayer remembrance has been a common element throughout the history of Christianity, and is most likely based upon the ancient Jewish practice of lighting special lamps or candles (called Yahrzeit) in order to remember deceased family members and friends. In Christianity, this practice was adopted and expanded to include all prayer needs one might have, and one can read accounts of how the persecuted Early Christians would light candles before Altars and the tombs of the martyrs as a symbol of their prayer intentions. This practice has been maintained in the Anglican/Episcopal, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches through the centuries, and because of the “Emerging Church” movement, you can see that numerous Protestant churches are adopting it as well.
In case you’re not familiar with the practice of lighting candles in prayer, here are some helpful ideas:
1. The lit candle reminds us of our Baptism, and the way that we share in the life of Christ by sharing in the life of the Church. The light also symbolizes the Light of Jesus Christ in our midst, and that He dispels the darkest times of our lives.
When we go, leaving the burning candle behind, we are reminded that our souls never leave the presence of God, in company with His Saints.
2. Prayer is not self-centered, it is God centered, and an important element is prayer for other people and causes. When lighting your candle, it is a very good idea to light a candle for those others you want to pray for. One can even light a candle as a sign of thanksgiving and praise to God for the blessings that have been received.
The candle will not be a substitute for the prayer of your heart, but an accompaniment. It is traditional to give small offering for the candle which, in and giving glory to God, speaks both from the heart and to the heart. All the offerings given will be collected to assist those in need in our community.
May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ give a greater sense of peace and an increased sense of His Presence in our midst as you use this little spiritual tool for grace and comfort.


A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR…

Because I'm a perennial glutton for punishment, the Vestry of Emmanuel Church has appointed me as the new editor of The Vine newsletter. I look forward to keeping this important ministry of our parish moving into the future.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Rev. Joyce Wilkinson for turning The Vine into a monthly publication that has become a vital tool for keeping our church family and friends informed about all of the many things going on at Emmanuel, along with providing the weekly schedules for those who have volunteered to assist during the Holy Eucharist and during our fellowship brunches. Of course I cannot possibly forget to thank the person who started the tradition of The Vine in the first place -- Sue Riley. Sue created the very first edition of the newsletter, and so she's kind of the "mother" of this entire venture.

The Vine newsletter is YOUR newsletter, a publication of the people of Emmanuel Church. I want to encourage everyone to submit poetry, inspirational articles, old photos from the church's past, recipes, and so forth to me. We have such wonderful personalities and diversity at our church, and I believe that it would be great to show everyone who receives a copy what we're about.

May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to bless us, and may you and your families experience His love and transforming power especially during this Easter Season.

In Christ,


Michael Summers, Editor




Wisdom from the Rule of St. Benedict
This, then is the beginning of my advice: make prayer the first step in anything worthwhile that you attempt. Persevere and do not weaken in that prayer. Pray with confidence, because God, in his love and forgiveness, has counted us as his own sons and daughters. Surely we should not by our evil acts heartlessly reject that love. At every moment of our lives, as we use the good things he has given us, we can respond to His love only by seeking to obey His will for us. [Prologue to the Rule of St. Benedict]

The Vine Newsletter (March 2008)

H o l y W e e k
Palm Sunday, March 16, through the Sunday of the Resurrection, Easter, March 23
Join us and bring friends or family members to commemorate the last week of Jesus’ earthly life.
Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, March 16, 8 and10:00 AM
8, 10 AM Procession of Palms, Passion of Jesus, Holy Eucharist
9, 11:30 AM Make Palm Crosses in Patchett Hall

Maundy Thursday, March 20, 7:00 PM
7 PM Celebration of the Last Supper and institution of the first Holy Eucharist
Agape meal of breads, cheeses, olives, and fruits with the reading
of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples.
Stripping of the altar by the Altar Guild
8:30 PM -12 Watch by the people in the church. (Come and go.)*
Good Friday, March 21
Noon Stations of the Cross: Walk the Passion of Jesus, Patchett Hall
7 PM Good Friday Liturgy
Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter, March 23, 8 and10:00 AM
8, 10 AM Festive Eucharist of Christ’s Resurrection
Resurrect "Alleluia", bring bells to celebrate the joy
11:30 AM Easter Pot Luck luncheon and egg hunt

*As the disciples stayed with Jesus in the garden before his arrest, we spend time in
quiet. The church will be open for you to reflect, pray, read, meditate.
Good Friday Offering is for the Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East [See page 2.]
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered by appointment throughout the year.
*****************
Prayers for Peace marking the 5th Anniversary of the War in Iraq
Palm Sunday, March 16, 5 PM


Pray for peace on Palm Sunday evening as we recall the triumphal entry 2,000 years ago of the Prince of Peace into the holy city of Jerusalem and the beginning of the war in Iraq nearly five years ago. Karen and Ed McDonald will be joining us again for this special time of prayer for peace and for the peoples and families affected by the violence.
You may bring a candle.
Good Friday Offering
For over 150 years, the Anglican Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East has helped maintain the Christian witness in the Holy Land serving all of God's people there in a variety of ministries, proclaiming the gospel and promoting justice, peace, and love, thereby serving us all.
Since 1992, Episcopalians here have supported the ministries of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East through the Good Friday Offering. It is vital that we continue to share in this burden, and not let our brothers and sisters in Jerusalem carry the cross alone. If you will not be present on Good Friday, write Good Friday Offering on the memo line of a check and place it in the alms basin on Palm Sunday.
Thank you to
 Tamela Rankin for leading the adult Lenten formation time at 9.
 Sonny Rhodes for taking on the responsibility of junior warden this year.
 Kim Pifer for being senior warden again this year. God bless and give her strength!
Jottings by Joyce
Spring and Easter fit well together as both are times of new beginnings. Trees and flowers will be bursting out with new growth and vibrant blooms after a time of bare limbs and dormancy underground. Like the barrenness of the winter landscape, we enter into the agony of Jesus’ suffering during Holy Week. Journeying with Jesus through the events of his last week help us to more fully appreciate the glorious joy of Easter, the most remarkable springtime new beginning – Christ’s resurrection. Join us on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Day. Wave palms, institute Eucharist, walk the stations, pray before the cross, and sing “Alleluia, Christ is risen indeed!”
May the glory of the Risen Christ fill you with deep peace and radiant joy, Joyce
    
May you be at peace.
May your heart remain open,
May you awaken to the light of your own true nature,
May you be healed.
May you be a source of healing for all beings.
May there be peace on Earth,
May the hearts of all people be open to themselves and to each other,
May all people awaken to the light of their own true nature,
May all creation be blessed and be a blessing to All That Is. by Joan Borysenko

The Vine Newsletter (February 2008)

Keeping a Holy Lent
The forty days of Lent are in preparation for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. They culminate in Holy Week during which Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph, celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples and friends, was crucified, died and was risen to new life. Join us as we prepare ourselves by the traditional Lenten disciplines of prayer and study, fasting and almsgiving.
Soup dinners with a reflection Wednesday nights, Feb. 20, 27, March 5, 12
Song and Prayer in the style of Taizé Wednesdays 7PM, February 20, 27, March 5, 12

Our first dinner with a reflection was Feb. 13. We invite you to share with us in this fellowship meal at 6:15 PM, an opportunity to grow closer to God and to each other. Reflections are from Pilgrim Road: A Benedictine Journey through Lent by Albert Holtz, O.S.B.
Let us know if you will provide food (reimbursement available) or help clean up.

Taizé prayer consists of music, scripture, prayers and silence for mediation.
Taizé songs are simple and repeated again and again so they become prayerful and meditative for worship of God and to quiet our busy selves.
Taizé is an ecumenical French monastic community founded after World War II which draws thousands of pilgrims from around the world, and is the inspiration for these special services.
Lenten study Sunday mornings at 9

Tamela Rankin facilitates a Sunday morning at 9 series, the City of God. Make a Lenten sacrifice to be present at 9! Who knows what you may learn and how your life will be enriched.

Holy Week Worship Schedule
These will be explained in more detail next month.
Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, March 16
8, 10:00 Procession of Palms, Passion of Jesus, Eucharist
9, 11:45 Make Palm Crosses in Patchett Hall
Maundy Thursday, March 20
7:00 PM Maundy Thursday Holy Eucharist
Agape meal* and stripping of the altar follows
9 - Midnight Watch by the people in the church. Come and go.
Good Friday, March 21
Noon Stations of the Cross: Walk the Passion of Jesus; Patchett Hall
7:00 PM Good Friday Liturgy
Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter, March 23
8, 10:00 Festival Eucharist of Christ’s Resurrection
Resurrect "Alleluia"; bring bells to celebrate the joy
11:15 Pot Luck luncheon and Easter egg hunt
*Maundy Thursday celebration of the Last Supper will be followed by an Agape meal
of breads, cheeses, olives, and fruits with the reading of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples.
KAMA Unity Meal, Friday, March 7, 6 PM, Keyser High School

On March 7 in honor of World Day of Prayer Keyser Area Ministerial Association is sponsoring an evening of food, fellowship, scripture study and prayer at Keyser High School with dinner beginning at 6:00 PM in the cafeteria. Area churches are providing meats, vegetables, fruits, salads, desserts, drink, and tableware. Everyone is welcome, bring a friend, your Bible, and a favorite food to share if you like.
Emmanuel is providing vegetables. Tell us you will help with them.

Prayers for Peace Sunday, March 16, 5 PM, for the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq war
Pray for peace on Palm Sunday evening as we recall the triumphal entry 2,000 years ago of the Prince of Peace into the holy city of Jerusalem and the entry into Baghdad nearly five years ago. Karen and Ed McDonald will be joining us again for this special time of prayer.

Helping Hands Fundraisers

Local residents in need of temporary assistance with utility bills, rent and medications are supported by Helping Hands. Since there is always more need for assistance than available funds, the group has planned a series of fundraisers for this important ministry.
In March there will be a hoagie sale. Hoagies (ham, turkey or roast beef) are $3.75 each; orders and money should be turned in by Wed., Feb. 26. Order forms are located on the “announcement table” in Patchett Hall, or order from Francine Shannahan. Hoagies will be distributed on Thurs., March 6 by noon. Order pick up begins at 9:30 AM in the Keyser Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.
April 10 is the annual banquet. This year it will be at the First United Methodist Church. There is usually entertainment and a choice of entrée. Details will follow next month.
In June the group will sponsor an auction. Donations of any household, personal, or gift items that ticket-holders may choose to own will be displayed at the event. Ticket-holders mark their selections and a drawing determines the winner for each item. So, as you clean closets this spring, keep in mind that we need that old crock, holiday decoration, piece of jewelry, or umbrella stand in order to have a really attractive array of choices for those in attendance.
July 26 is the date for the annual Helping Hands Golf Tournament held at the Polish Pines Golf Course. This fundraiser, sponsored in part by Nationwide Ins. and chaired by Sharon Floyd is a popular event, attended and supported by many area businesses and golfers.
Please mark these dates on your calendar and participate as you can to help those in our community whose need is great.


The Time Capsule will be sealed this week and placed under the altar to be opened in 50 years.

Thank you to
 Sonny and Donna Rhodes and their family for the delicious pancake dinner.
 All of you who took time to talk with Bishop Mike last month.

Regular Coffee Hour returning to breakfast foods; Easter to be Pot Luck luncheon

Coffee hour now has seven groups/individuals preparing food. Several have asked that the fare return to breakfast foods, so that change is being implemented. At the end of the cycle will be a Pot Luck luncheon with a fuller meal, unless a
special event causes a change in the schedule as the Easter Pot Luck luncheon.
Thank you for participating.
(Breakfast food can be pastries, egg casseroles, cold pizza or whatever your palate desires.)


Contact Michael Summers, Evangelism chair, for more information. Brochures are in the vestibule and parish hall to register. The brochure is also at http://www.wvdiocese.org/pages/pdfs/MagneticChurch.pdf
The church will pay for your attendance. Deadline to register is March 15. Hotel reservations are made separately from conference reservations. Rooms are also available at the Mineral Wells Amerihost Inn, 304-489-3111, for $67.19 per night. Attendees are asked to bring newsletters, bulletins, welcome brochure/visitor forms to the conference.

Jottings by Joyce

As I write this looking out the office window, snow is falling and the big, brown mountain is obscured. With a more vigorous and long-lasting snowfall, the large structure would be blanketed in white and blend into the gray sky and view-obstructing snow. How could something so large be hidden?
Now you know this is Lent, so I must relate this to the condition of our souls. Even though we may try to hide or pretend our bad habits, ugly attitudes and resentments don't exist, God knows they are present, as sure as the mountain of hard rock and trees. In Lent we are asked to name our faults, to bring them into full view, and to work on changing the bad into good.
Join us on Wednesdays for soup, a reflection, and Taizé song and prayer and on Sunday mornings at 9 to journey together purifying our souls, growing closer to each other, and honoring God. Lenten blessings be with you, Joyc
A prayer for Lent

Beyond the steady noise,
lead us to a dry, desert place –
a place for listening.
Beyond the jostle of chaos,
lead us to a place of open horizons –
a place for clarity.
Beyond our rigid falsehoods,
lead us to a place of ancient light –
a place for transformation.
Beyond the unyielding demands,
lead us to a place of dancing winds –
a place for freedom.
Beyond the endless distractions,
Lead us to a place of fiery mystery –
A place for encountering you alone.

by Keri Wehlander

Would you like to visit Ireland this summer?
The Companion Diocese Committee is hoping to plan a trip to Tuam this summer.
We would leave on Saturday, July 5th, and arrive in Shannon, Ireland, on July 6th.
Our group would spend 5-8 days exploring the Diocese of Tuam, located in the beautiful West of Ireland.
Hospitality is offered by the Diocese of Tuam.
We would like to have a group of 20-25 people for the trip. If enough interest is shown, we will proceed with plans and publish details as soon as they are confirmed. Please get your passport NOW!
If you want to join us on this trip to our Companion Diocese, please contact the Rev. Lisa Davis-Heller, chair of the Companion Diocese Committee, at ladh@frontiernet.net.

The Vine Newsletter (January 2008)

Annual meeting to be Sunday, January 20 at 9 AM
The annual meeting is to hear about the year past and the year to come, and to elect new vestry members and a diocesan convention delegate. Many thanks to committee heads who have turned in 2007 reports.

A short Epiphany season = an early Lent, and how we find the date of Easter
Ash Wednesday is February 6, and Easter is March 23 this year.

The season of Epiphany began on January 6, the 12th day of Christmas when we celebrated the Magi following the star and giving gifts to the child Jesus, and continues through February 5 as we read about and seek manifestations or revelations of God through the person of Jesus. The disciples heeded Jesus’ invitation to follow into the unknown. Jesus calls us also, and we can open ourselves to possibilities that may lie ahead.
Mardi Gras – Feast before Fast. Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday,” and the season begins on January 6, the Epiphany, and continues until Carnival, Shrove or Fat Tuesday, traditionally the last day for Christians to indulge before Ash Wednesday begins the weeks of Lenten fasting. "Shrove" is from the word "shrive" or confess. “Carnival” is from “taking away of flesh.” Lenten fasting involved both a decrease in the amount eaten and no meat, no dairy products, and no eggs in a symbolic renunciation of the world and giving up pleasures while turning to God. Thus pancakes were made on Shrove Tuesday to use all the butter, milk and eggs. Join us for pancakes on February 5 from 4:30 - 7:30 PM in Patchett Hall sponsored by the Men’s Fellowship.
The Ash Wednesday liturgy invites us “to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination
and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word” (BCP, 265). Take some extra time to be with God during the forty days of Lent and consider the magnitude of God’s love for us manifest in the life of Jesus. The Ash Wednesday liturgy will be celebrated at 10:30 AM and 7 PM on February 6.
During Lent our worship will take on a simpler and more penitential nature with the use of the Penitential order (The Great Litany on Lent 1), Eucharistic Prayer A, no hymn of praise, no alleluias, a pottery chalice and paten, no flowers, and a prayer over the people in place of a seasonal blessing.
See article on page 2 for Lenten activities to enhance our relationship with God and each other.
Rules for Finding the Date of Easter Day: (BCP, page 880) Easter Day is always the Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox on March 21, a date which is fixed in accordance with an ancient ecclesiastical computation, and which does not always correspond to the astronomical equinox. This full moon may happen on any date between March 21 and April 18 inclusive. If the full moon falls on a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday following. But Easter Day cannot be earlier than March 22 or later than April 25.

The Elevator is coming!

Good News! The Emmanuel Elevator is on its way! Progressive Elevators hope the elevator will arrive at Emmanuel around January 9th. Installation should take place around the 14th of January. This will truly help Linda, our cleaning lady and all of our parishioners that can no longer manage the stairs. We give thanks to God for this blessing.
Lenten preparation
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner will be on February 5th

The Men’s Fellowship at Emmanuel will sponsor the annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner. Preparing this pre-Lenten feast are Sonny & Donna Rhodes and Donna’s sister, Dottie. Come celebrate with us and enjoy the fellowship between 4:30 - 7:30 pm in Patchett Hall with delicious pancakes, sausage and sausage gravy following with a dessert. (Free will Offering)

We need your support for soup dinners on the 5 Wednesday nights after Ash Wed.

We'd like to have soup, a reflection, and Taizé song and prayer on five Wednesdays of Lent, but not if one person has to prepare food each week and clean up, even though it's only to be a simple meal. The church will contribute some money for food purchase. Let us know that you are interested in participating, in food preparation or clean up for this fellowship meal, an opportunity to grow closer to God and to each other. Dinner would be at 6:15 PM with Taizé at 7 on Wednesdays, February 13, 20, 27, and March 5, 12.


Lenten study to be offered on Sunday mornings at 9

Tamela Rankin will facilitate a Sunday morning at 9 series, the topic undecided at this time. [Gads, Lent is almost here already, and the Christmas tree needles are still green!] If there is a subject that you particularly would like explored, please let her or the office know. Her Lenten sacrifice will be to get here at 9! Join her in making the effort to be present. Who knows what you may learn and how your life will be enriched.

Daily Lenten devotional booklet, "Seeking to Serve” to be available
The Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) 2008 daily Lenten devotional booklet, "Seeking to Serve: A Lenten Exploration of the Millennium Development Goals" invites us to reflect on the role of God's grace in our lives and how we may act as instruments of God's healing in a hurting world.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori declared February 10 as ERD Sunday for almsgiving.
Diocesan Silent Retreat, February 21-24, Huttonsville
The eighth annual Diocesan Silent Retreat will be held at Bishop Hodges’ Pastoral Center in Huttonsville with “Benedictine Hospitality and Everyday Living" the theme. The retreat sponsored by the Diocesan Commission on Spirituality will be Thursday evening, February 21, through Sunday noon, February 24th with the Rev. Michael McKay, OSB, of Wheeling, the retreat leader. Brochures with a registration form are available at the church or http://www.wvdiocese.org/pages/pdfs/SilentRetreat2008.pdf. Registration deadline is February 10. Cost is $185 per person.
Time Capsule being prepared

Brian Smith has donated a time capsule for Emmanuel Church. Sonny Rhodes and Bev Davis are gathering the past of our church and are asking the congregation for pictures, church memories, or special events that have taken place. An example of a touching treasure to be found in our time capsule will be Sandy Wolfe’s confirmation bracelet given to her by Emmanuel. Another idea would be written information on those on our mural. This would be a wonderful tribute for future generations and make our mural come alive. The capsule will be sealed with instructions to be opened in 50 years. This way, the congregation can better understand the past of our church and also have the opportunity to include their stories. Please turn in information to Sonny or Bev. Many thanks to the both of them.

New trial 10:00 scheduling:
One person will read the 1st and 2nd lessons.
One person will lead the psalm and Prayers of the People.
Many thanks to
 the Men's Fellowship for the pine wreaths for the outside doors in memory of:
Don Bantz, Dave Brown, the Rev. William Davis, Bernard Dawson, John D'Elisa, Zeb Hepburn, Wayne Stewart, and Howard Tettenburn
 Arlene Keplinger for pine wreaths in the memory of her husband Russell and the Fazenbaker family
 Marcy and the late John D'Elisa for the youth Christmas tree purchased a year ago
We at Emmanuel give many thanks for the memories of fellow friends.
 Kim Pifer, Sonny Rhodes, and Rev. Joyce for decorating the church and parish hall for Christmas
 the many youth and adults who participated in the Christmas pageant on December 30
 Bill Pryor and family for donations of cabinets and counter tops for the lower level parish hall
 Sheila Dyche, last mentioned, but certainly not least, for the never-ending work as treasurer

We rejoice as we anticipate the baptism of Jasmine Marie Carlyle on January 13, the feast of the baptism of Jesus. Jasmine is the daughter of Michael and Christine and sister of Catherine.


Jottings by Joyce

As we begin our second year together, I express my gratitude to you for your ministry over the past year and the dedication and compassion shown by many of you. Much time and energy is needed to “be a church,” to offer ways to connect and grow in our faith. The last year also saw loss of participation through death, declining personal health or that of family members. Not all is negative as we did welcome new members and returning members, and we are grateful for their presence enriching our lives together.
Over the year I commented several times about the mountain across the street from my house as the foliage changed from the drab-looking brown
of last winter to the bright greens of spring and deep green of summer to the brilliant colors of autumn. This year as I look upon the seemingly barren mountain, I know its vibrancy is latent, as I trust new energy and life to be just beyond the horizon of our sight.
In this new year and Epiphany season we can ask ourselves where is God at work in our midst, and we can reflect on our lives and how we might better reflect the light, life and values of Jesus in our daily world.
Blessings of the New Year and of the Epiphany season, Joyce


Dates to Remember
Sunday, January 20 Annual meeting, 9 AM, to hear about the year past and the year to come, and to elect new vestry members and a diocesan convention delegate.
Saturday, January 26 Vestry retreat, 9-3, led by the Rev. Donald Vinson, Canon for Congregational Development, at Trinity Lutheran Church on Davis St.
Sunday, February 10 Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) Sunday, almsgiving for ERD
April 4, Friday evening – Magnetic Church Conference: practical evangelism to attract,
Saturday, April 5 welcome and retain new members. More information soon or see www.magnetic-church.com.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is between the Confession of Peter to the Conversion of Paul, January 18-25. The Week of Prayer began a century ago with an inspiration by two Anglican-Episcopal clergymen, and is observed by Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches throughout the world.
World Mission Sunday, the last Sunday after the Epiphany in which the Gospel is the story of the Transfiguration, is February 3.

Presiding Bishop declares February 10 Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) Sunday

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said that ERD gives Episcopalians "the special opportunity to partner with the worldwide Church and people around the world who are addressing challenging issues in their communities." "This work is worthy of the support of all Episcopalians, and the beginning of Lent is an ideal time for us to renew our collective commitment to it." "Almsgiving is one of the traditional disciplines of the season and one of the ways in which we participate with Christ in walking to the foot of the Cross and into the light of Resurrection."
Jefferts Schori asked Episcopal congregations and members to dedicate a special Lenten offering and prayer February 10 for the work of ERD, noting that all money received will be designated for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Inspiration Fund. The fund focuses on fighting deadly diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS and providing basic health care, specifically achieving MDGs # 4, 5, and 6.
She added, “I urge you also to deepen your advocacy efforts for robust financial commitments from the U.S. government toward achievement of the MDGs. Faith-based institutions like Episcopal Relief and Development are proving that poverty can be eradicated if the proper resources and strategies are brought to bear. However, private action alone will not be enough -- collective action as a nation is necessary, and our voices are what will inspire our government to act. To get involved, visit http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ONE.
"It is a tangible way to live out Jesus' desire that we serve 'the least of these'," Robert Radtke, president of ERD added.
    


The Millennium Development Goals are
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability, and
8. Create a global partnership for development with a focus on debt, aid, and trade.



LEAD US INTO YOUR PEACE
Lord we pray that you will lead us into your Love. You sent Jesus as a token of that love.
Lord we pray that you will lead us into your Justice. You sent the Prophets and gave us The Law to show us your justice.
Lord we pray that you will lead us into your Reconciliation. You showed us how to forgive and reconcile.
Lord we pray that you will lead us into your Peace, your Love and Justice and your way of Reconciliation. Amen
(by Bishop William Davidson, past chair of Episcopal Peace Fellowship)


If you have not returned you Time/Talent and pledge forms, please do so soon.
Thank you to all who have returned them.







Sunday, January 27, West Virginia state day at Washington National Cathedral

More than 300 visitors from the Mountain State including invited clergy, elected leaders and parishioners are expected at Washington National Cathedral, which honors each state with a major observance once every four years. The state flag will be placed on the chancel steps in the Cathedral for the following week to further mark West Virginia State Day. The Right Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, will preside at the service. Rick Warren, senior pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest CA, which grew over 25 years to become the largest Christian church in the state, will preach at the service and also will be spotlighted in the Cathedral’s Sunday Forum program leading up to the worship. He also has written books including the best-selling ‘Purpose Driven Life.’
After worship, Cathedral guides will lead a special tour of the cathedral, the sixth-largest in the world, highlighting its ties to West Virginia. The state flag hangs in the cavernous nave, and the West Virginia state seal has a prominent location in the Narthex floor on the West End of the Cathedral and is represented on a needlepoint wall hanging in the War Memorial Chapel. Additionally, the Blenko Glass Company of Milton made the hand-blown glass in the Cathedral’s South Rose Window.


Cathedral Prayer for West Virginia
Shine, O Lord, upon the homely mosaic of West Virginia’s land: Upon her steep-hewn hills and angled draws, her maple-strewn valleys and ridges clad in mountain rhododendron.
Shine, Lord, upon her citizens, armed only with freedom, scrappers all for such measure of dignity as fearlessness and faith may win.
Shine, O God, into those deep recesses where Thou hast hidden abundant riches, that those who dig in the earth, and those who watch for their return, may know the radiance of Thy light and the safety of Thy love.
Bright be the cleansing fire of Thy truth in the hearts of the people, and in the public weal of their common life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Very Rev. Francis B. Sayre, Dean Emeritus, Washington National Cathedral

Petition For An Annual Commemorative National Miner’s Day For The USA
Sign the petition at http://www.rallycongress.com/minersdaymemorialassociationofwestvirginia/951/

A petition to the Honorable Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia and the Senate of the United States of America.
Around the clock, second by second, miners risk life and limb during their labors.
The foundations and trappings of civilization are constructed from, and sustained with, the materials procured with their sweat and blood.
Without these selfless and dedicated miners human society could never have progressed, nor continue to function.
And the miners of the United States have labored long and hard over the 231 years of our great country's existence.
They have achieved, provided, and sacrificed much in those two centuries.
On December 6, 2007, for the second time since its creation by the West Virginia State Legislature in 2006, Miner's Day was observed in West Virginia.
December 6, was chosen because of the great mining tragedy at Monongah, West Virginia, in 1907.
2007 is the centennial year of that dire event.
The tragic loss of hundreds of men and boys changed the course of mining in the United States forever.
From the Miners’ Day Memorial Association.

The Vine Newsletter (December 2007)

We are in the middle of the season of Advent anticipating and preparing for the bold proclamation “A Savior has been born.”
A story – A woman was Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two children.
She felt what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of year: overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, get that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping g list, make sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of responding to everyone who sent us a card.
Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two children in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."
From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry we already crucified him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. (Story is from an unknown source.)
As we hustle around readying our homes for company or thinking about what to pack in our suitcases and buying gifts to please, what are we
doing to ready ourselves to receive the perfect Gift, to please the Spirit of love asking for a
warm and welcoming reception? Spend some time preparing your heart and your spirit to welcome anew the real Spirit of Christmas, the Spirit of love, the Spirit of Jesus.
Keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. Think of how different this whole world would be if we all did that.

On Christmas Eve beginning at 11 PM we will receive and celebrate the extraordinary Gift from God, Jesus incarnate in our lives. What gift can we give the Christ Child? The gift of ourselves offered humbly and lovingly is pleasing to God. As we enter these final weeks of Advent, we anticipate this amazing exchange of gifts and prepare our hearts, minds and spirit to welcome again the presence of Christ within.

I give you, the people of Emmanuel, a large “Thank you” for your time and energy given to God and to the church this past year and for your fellowship and kindnesses to me. In thanksgiving I am giving donations in your honor to our local Helping Hands and Faith in Action food pantry and to Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) for their work throughout the world for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals to eliminate extreme poverty and preventable diseases that kill.
I will be in Texas Dec. 25 – Jan. 2 and have arranged clergy coverage for emergencies. Please contact Kim Pifer if there is a need.
May you have a blessed Christmas and abide in the peace, love and joy of Christ,
Joyce


If you would like to designate Christmas poinsettias in memory of, in thanksgiving for, or
in honor of someone,
please turn those in [printed] by Sunday, December 16.

Sunday, December 23 –Pot luck lunch and “greening” of the church
Advent Wednesday noon lunches continue at Emmanuel – December 12 and 19
KAMA sponsors the lunches with a message from Rejoicing in Hope by James A. Harnish continuing on December 12 and 19 at Emmanuel. Food and program are provided by other KAMA churches
Take a few moments for refreshment of both body and spirit during this busy, even hectic season.
Pass the word, especially to those who may be losing hope in this season.

Advent prayer study continues with Keyser Presbyterian Church
Advent is an opportunity to reconnect with what is holy, and since the pre-Christmas days tend
to be hectic, a time of quietness is especially appropriate during this season.
The four-part Advent study on the discipline of prayer sponsored by Keyser Presbyterian and Emmanuel continues:
 Tuesday, December 11th at 6 PM at Emmanuel: learn about prayer beads through the centuries,
create prayer beads and participate in a Taizé music and prayer service.
 Thursday, December 13th at 6 PM at Keyser Presbyterian: ways to approach prayer using
contemporary methods as well as the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to boldly pray.
Previous sessions included an introduction to the labyrinth and a labyrinth walk, breath prayers,
centering prayers, and the ancient practice of Lectio Divina.

Alternative gifts – Birthday Gifts for Jesus
On birthdays we honor the one whose birth we are celebrating. To give to Jesus, we find him in the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned (Matthew 25: 31-46). We can help in our own community or aid people far away. You may give a donation in honor of family members and friends as a Christmas gift and for any gift-giving occasion.
Local and international organizations: Helping Hands, Faith in Action food pantry, the crisis shelter, Episcopal Relief and Development, Heifer International, and others will be represented to accept your gift for people in need on Sunday, December 9, and you may donate afterward also.

Dates to Remember
Sunday, December 16 Names for poinsettias due; vestry meeting at noon
Sunday, December 23 Greening of the church after pot luck lunch
Monday, December 24 Candlelight festive Nativity of our Lord Holy Eucharist, 11 PM
Sunday, December 30 Morning Prayer, 8 AM; Lessons, carols and pageant, 10 AM
Sunday, January 6 Epiphany; committee reports due for annual meeting
Sunday, January 20 Annual meeting, 9 AM
Saturday, January 26 Vestry retreat
Wednesday, February 6 Ash Wednesday



Christmas pageant of a different sort on Sunday, December 30 at 10 AM
There were these four angels … young people, although they had been around in Old Testament times … and the thing they most wanted to do was to sing in the heavenly choir. But they had bumbled around with all their angel-school homework and seemed to be stuck on this side of the clouds. And then came their really big assignment, location Bethlehem! Their story is the subject of a short skit which will be paired with scripture and congregational singing of beloved Christmas carols on Sunday Dec 30 at the ten o’clock service. Sharon Floyd cast the skit from Emmanuel Episcopal Characters Inc.
Come early for a good seat!

From your Senior Warden
Merry Christmas Friends! This year has been a challenging and enlightening time, yet much remains to be done. Our vestry will be losing two members, Phyllis Bruce and Andrew Rankin. Andrew has the opportunity to serve a regular three year term since he has only served a one year replacement. We appreciate the hard work this young man has done for Emmanuel and know he is only beginning his service to the Lord.
May we continue to pray for those suffering illnesses, loss of loved ones and times of loneliness and confinement. This year we ask each of you to help our church grow with love and support for each other and for those who lead us in our search for a closer relationship with Christ. I give many thanks to you for helping me with my duties as senior warden. I wish each of you a joyous Christmas and a healthy, loving New Year.
I received these holiday thoughts below in a Christmas card from loved ones. To me, they are a new look at an old theme, that of gratitude for the many mundane things that constitute our everyday lives.
God’s Love to you.
Kim Pifer

On Being Thankful
I love the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
I love the taxes I pay because it means that I’m employed.
I love the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
I love a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need
fixing because it means I have a home.
I love all the complaining I hear about our government because
it means we have freedom of speech.
I love a spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
I love my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
I love the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby,
and we have clothing to wear.
I love weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means that I have been productive.
And I love all the many cards I have to write over the holidays, because it means
I have friends and family that I care about deeply!




Triangulate or talk with the one involved?
In Family Systems Theory, triangulation is when one person has a problem with another, or two people have a problem with each other, and one or both "triangle in" a third member. This is not helpful; neither is it biblical. Matthew tells us that one talks with the other directly. For healthy communication, if you have a concern, complaint, recommendation, question, or compliment, please take those directly to the person involved, especially if it is the rector.

The Rector Search Committee Update

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
To the People of Emmanuel Church:

You have most likely been reading the monthly updates in The Vine Newsletter from the Rector Search Committee of Emmanuel Episcopal Church of Keyser regarding the process of searching for and calling the fourth permanent rector of our parish. Since many of you are anxiously awaiting the conclusion of this process, we felt that we should present our sisters and brothers in Christ with a more formal report.
The process has been a long and sometimes difficult venture for all involved, but it was entirely necessary since we wish to find the priest best qualified for our needs as a community of faith. We have read and analyzed numerous profiles and resumes of priests who are available, and all of us have been working together in a prayerful manner to find ordained men and women who exhibit the personal and pastoral characteristics crucial to sustain Emmanuel Church now and for growth in the future. Tough questions have been asked and even tougher decisions have been made.
We are pleased to announce to you that there are three highly qualified priests who have engaged in mutual discernment with Emmanuel Church, and we have been quite impressed with the evidence of their education, personalities, pastoral skills, compassion, outreach ministries, work with children and youth, and an abiding love for Jesus Christ and His Church. The telephone interviews that the members of the Rector Search Committee have conducted with both the priest-candidates and their ministerial references were very moving, spiritually uplifting experiences for all involved; we are confident that any of these individuals would be an asset to our congregation. Therefore, the Rector Search Committee has voted to end the consideration of any new candidates by December 15, 2007 so that we can focus upon the next steps in the endeavor.
During the months of December 2007 and January 2008 the Committee will observe the priest-candidate celebrating a Sunday Holy Eucharist in his/her own parish, complete with a sermon. Once these observations have been completed, the next step will be to prepare a final list of candidates from which the Vestry of Emmanuel Church will conduct the actual personal interviews here in Keyser. Then the priest-candidate who is deemed to be best suited for our parish will be called and installed as rector. It is our intention to conclude the liturgical/homiletic observations no later than mid-January, and we have committed ourselves to completing this very important venture by no later than Easter of 2008.
We want to thank you for your continued prayers and your patience in our work for Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Please be assured of our diligence in finding the next permanent rector for our church, and that we can now see the “finish line” in the days ahead. May our Lord Jesus Christ bless and strengthen Emmanuel Church as we strive to do His work in the lives of others.
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
THE RECTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE:
Ken Dyche (Chairman)
Sue Riley (Recording Secretary)
Michael Summers (Corresponding Secretary)
Beverly Davis, Spring Fertig, Andrew Rankin,
Francine Shanahan, Ralph Smith
        
If you have not returned you Time/Talent and pledge forms, please do so soon.
Thank you to all who have returned them.

Thanks – to Emmanuel from KAMA for sharing your Patchett parish hall with the Keyser community during
the KAMA Advent lunches [see top of this page]. (I’ve received many compliments on the hall from
people experiencing it for the first time. - Joyce)
- to Francine Shanahan, Marcy D’Elisa, Kim Pifer, and Ginny Poland for set-up assistance at the
KAMA lunches.
- to Kim Pifer, Karen Naylor and Francine Shanahan for leading Sunday adult formation
- to Sue Riley, David and Tamela Rankin, and Michael Miller for ministry with the youth
- to Sharon Floyd and Kim Miller for children’s formation and church school.
- to Karen Naylor for assistance at the labyrinth walk
- to the Ken Dyche, chair, and the rector search committee (page 4) for their time and discernment
- to Beverly Davis for the ECW presentations and Sonny Rhodes for the Men's Breakfasts
- to Michael Summers for the extensive website, leading the Guild of Sts. Peter and Paul, and newspaper
contributions
- to David Rankin and the choir for the fine music enriching our worship
- to the altar guild, coffee hour hosts, counters, and the many faithful Emmanuel parishioners who give of
themselves in innumerable ways and hours
- a special Thanks to Kim Pifer, senior warden who gives countless hours and energy to parishioners
and to the church buildings and grounds
- to June Cooper, parish secretary, for her work in the office

Christmas is for Healing
by Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr


Loving you, of course
I am not at all interested in how much money
you are spending on Christmas gifts this year
but rather, in how much blood, sweat, and tears
you are shedding
to make Christ a vital part of your life
for you and I will never be able to erase
the fact that he came:
to touch lives – to break bread
to heal hurt – to forgive sins
to wash feet – to calm seas
to walk on water – to give us the Spirit
and to care immensely

Yes, to care enough
to be born in our Bethlehem
to live in our land, and weep over our cities
and die and rise again.

So now it’s Christmas
and I am not sure what part of you is crippled
or where you need to feel God’s saving power
but with everything in me
I believe that Christmas is for healing
And he came to heal.

So if you can trust Jesus enough to
walk out on the waters of getting involved,
of washing feet and anointing people,
of breaking bread and working miracles,
I am almost sure his saving presence
will touch those blind and crippled parts of your life
and Christmas will come to you.

More than anything else
I want to give you Christmas this year
It’s a gift, an offer
You can take it if you like
but I can’t really give it to you
like a wrapped up package.
It is deeper than that,
It is warmer, brighter, holier,
It is more personal.
Christmas is more challenging
than a wrapped up package.

It is an offer
It is a mystery
It is birth
It is hope.
It is Christmas and
God can never be born enough…

    
Sunday, January 6, committee reports are due for the annual meeting on January 20.


“O Antiphons" featured in 10 AM Advent Prayers of the People
and “O come, O come, Emmanuel”
An antiphon is a response, often chanted to a psalm or some other part of a religious service.
The “O Antiphons” refer to the seven antiphons for the Octave before Christmas, Dec. 17-23, with Dec. 24 being the Christmas Vigil. In the Church of England they have traditionally been used as antiphons to the Magnificat (the Song of Mary, Luke 1:46-55) at Evening Prayer during this period. Today the O Antiphons are most familiar to us in the hymn "O come, O come Emmanuel" with each verse of the hymn paralleling one of the antiphons.
The origin of the “O Antiphons” is not known, but they were mentioned around 500. Each one highlights a title for the Messiah from scripture (mainly from Isaiah) with praise, a petition and a call for him to come. They are in Latin: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord, Ruler of the House of Israel), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Morning Star or Rising Dawn), O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel (O Emmanuel, God-with-us).
The Benedictine monks arranged the antiphons so that the first letter of each taken backward form a Latin acrostic, ero cras, meaning, “Tomorrow I will come,” giving a joyful conclusion to our Advent preparation on Christmas Eve.

Sharing the bounty – Bring your clean jars and plastic containers: pint, quart, half-gallon to the kitchen so we can share leftovers.

The Vine Newsletter (November 2007)

as Advent approaches

Advent, the beginning of the church year and the four week time of spiritual preparation for the coming of Jesus, begins December 2. We will offer several opportunities to prepare our hearts for new life in Christ within, time for calm and thoughtfulness before and during the hustle and bustle of preparation for Christmas.


“Advent” Wednesday noon lunches at Emmanuel, November 28 – December 19

Keyser Area Ministerial Association (KAMA) is sponsoring four “Advent” lunches with the theme “Rejoicing in hope” on Wednesdays November 28, December 5, 12, and 19 at Emmanuel. Food and program will be provided by other KAMA churches. We welcome participation and your help in preparing sufficient coffee and tea for the attendees, set-up and basic cleaning afterward. Please let us know when and how you will assist.


Labyrinth and Advent prayer study with Keyser Presbyterian Church
Because Advent is an opportunity to reconnect with what is deep and holy and because the pre-Christmas season is so hectic, a time of quietness is especially appropriate during this season.
Emmanuel Episcopal Church in cooperation with Keyser Presbyterian Church is pleased to announce a four-part Advent study on the discipline of prayer.
 Thursday, November 29th at 6 PM at Emmanuel: an introduction to the Labyrinth, Breath Prayers, and Centering Prayers.
 Saturday, Dec. 1st, 10 AM to 3 PM and Sunday, Dec 2nd, Noon to 5 PM, at Keyser Presbyterian: a Labyrinth will be available for your pilgrimage
 Thursday, December 6th at 6 PM at Keyser Presbyterian: investigate the ancient practice of Lectio Divina.
 Tuesday, December 11th at 6 PM at Emmanuel: learn about prayer beads through the centuries, create prayer beads and participate in a Taizé music and prayer service.
 Thursday, December 13th at 6 PM at Keyser Presbyterian: conclude with ways to approach prayer using contemporary methods as well as the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to boldly pray.
Emmanuel is borrowing an 11-circuit labyrinth from St. John’s, Frostburg. Since it is too large for our facilities, it will be placed in the parish hall at Keyser Presbyterian across the street.

Advent Event – Sunday, Dec. 2: Wreath-making, alternative gift market, make cards
On the 1st Sunday of Advent, we will light the Advent wreath during worship. During the 9-10 Christian formation time and during and after coffee hour, you may make an Advent wreath.
Alternative gift market –December 2 – Birthday Gifts for Jesus
How will we celebrate Jesus' birth this year? To give to Jesus, we find him in the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned. You will have the opportunity to give a donation in honor of family members and friends as a Christmas gift instead of [or in addition to] another sweater, DVD, or dust-collector for a shelf. See page 2 for continuation.
Give “alternative” gifts year round; alternative gift market on Sunday, Dec. 2

Most of us have far more sweaters, ties, videos, CDs, and “dust catchers” on shelves, than we need. Instead of accumulating more, give alternative gifts for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, any gift giving occasion or just to give thanks from our abundance. If you must, give a small ‘real’ gift and also a contribution to help better the world. This is the time of year to stack up contributions for income tax deductions. Whatever motivation causes you to act! We can give a donation in honor of Uncle Ned or sister Joan. Some families discuss and decide on a recipient each year. If they like the outdoors, give to protect the mountains, to plant trees or to help the homeless. Is your family sports minded? Give to an organization for boys and girls locally or for AIDS orphans in Africa or for clean water to drink. Suggestions are virtually endless. Give to Habitat for Humanity for decent housing around the world. Give to Heifer International so people can have animals for food and a livelihood. As they become self-sufficient, they pass on the gift, an animal offspring, to another person, and the joyful story begins again. Give to Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) to help people in need from natural disasters, war, poverty, diseases as AIDS, for education, and more.
Local and international organizations: Helping Hands, Faith in Action food pantry, Energy Express, Episcopal Relief and Development, Heifer International, and others will be represented to accept your gift for people in need.


Our prayers go out to the families of Ralph Smith on the death of his wife for 57 years, Leona, and
Patty Redman and Thelma Stewart in the death of Susan Mitchell, respectfully mother and sister.

Thank you, Emmanuel, for $205 in support of the Rev. Joyce walking for Helping Hands. Total for Helping Hands Walk was around $2500.

Faith in Action food pantry needs for foods for Thanksgiving baskets and for every day. Thanksgiving foods include dressing mix, desserts as cake mix and icing, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables.

Angel Tree is gathering names. We hope to provide for some families this year. Details to follow.

Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) to begin the First Sunday of Advent
as mandated by General Convention 2006 and our bishop.
A Lectionary is a table of readings from Scripture appointed to be read at public worship. The association of particular texts with specific days began in the 4th century. The Revised Common Lectionary provides these new features: the option of semi-continuous reading of the great Old Testament narratives on the Sundays after Pentecost and the inclusion of women and their role in salvation history. The Revised Common Lectionary preserves around 90% of the Gospel readings in the Lectionary of The Book of Common Prayer 1979.
Why is the Revised Common Lectionary of value to the Episcopal Church?
• It is an ecumenical lectionary shared by most Protestant denominations and widely used throughout the Anglican Communion.
• It provides new opportunities for ecumenical Bible study and shared resources for teaching and preaching.
• It has improved the choice of appropriate texts for Sundays and Festivals.
• It incorporates most of the readings with which the church is familiar.
• Most new resources for preaching, teaching and the planning of worship are already being developed to support the Revised Common Lectionary.
[From the Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music.] The lectionary is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/RCL_pages_for_BCP-cropped.pdf and other sites.]
A brochure about the RCL will be available at the church and will be sent to our yahoogroups site.
Christmas Eve time[s] of service
We’ve had requests to consider the Christmas Eve worship time. Some of the young and the older and the in between say 11 PM is too difficult. So we are polling our readership.
Do you want one worship service or two: early only, late only, or one of each, realizing attendance would be split between two, if offered.
Return this form to 301 S. Mineral Street, Keyser 26726, or call the office [304-788-4475], or email us [withus@verizon.net] with your vote by Wednesday, November 21.

One service (select 1 time) Two services (select 2 times)
___ 5 PM ___ 5 PM
___ 6 PM ___ 6 PM
___ 7 PM ___ 7 PM
___ 8 PM ___ 8 PM
___ 9 PM ___ 9 PM
___ 10 PM ___ 10 PM
___ 11 PM ___ 11 PM
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All Saints’ Sunday, November 4

In commemoration of All Saints’ Day and All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day) on November 1 and 2, we welcomed James Scotty Hicks as a new saint of God through baptism and Sandy and Dennie Wolfe as new members by transfer. We also welcomed several long time attendees who were not entered in the parish register previously. A table of remembrance for living saints and saints who have died held pictures of our beloved, including a sonogram of a future grandson. During the Prayers of the People we remembered family members and friends who have died.

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As we remember the saints who have died, we also are reminded of our own deaths some day in the future. A funeral arrangements guidelines and workbook is available for preplanning.
The Minister of the Congregation is directed to instruct the people, from time to time, about the duty of Christian parents to make prudent provision for the well being of their families, and of all persons to make wills, while they are in health, arranging for the disposal of their temporal goods, not neglecting, if they are able, to leave bequests for religious and charitable uses. Book of Common Prayer, page 445.


The Blessing of the Animals was held on the back parking lot with lots of life in attendance: 46 people, 26 cats, 14 live dogs + 1 large stuffed dog, 2 goats, and numerous pet pictures. The Humane Society and the group wanting a cat shelter were present. Pet lovers brought cat and dog food and donations for the Humane Society and for Mineral County Animal Control for bedding.    

Register for West Virginia Major State Day at Washington National Cathedral: January 27, 2008.
Go to the National Cathedral Website , and under programs, find Major state day info and registration. www.nationalcathedral.org OR http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/programs/stateday.shtml.
Our WV chair for this event is Hollie Mitchell, WMitch8315@aol.com, 304-776-8315.
World AIDS Day is December 1. 39.5 million people are living with HIV, including 2.3 million children.
Episcopal Youth Fellowship on the move


Episcopal Youth Fellowship continues to happen’! Our youth gather in the loft at 9:00 AM on Sunday mornings for Christian Formation and again every other week after school for “Manic Mondays!” Recently, the group has also enjoyed two trips out of town and has planned a third.
Six of our acolytes and four sponsors traveled to Washington National Cathedral last month for our church’s first-ever participation in the National Acolyte Festival: Codi and Shawnee Gourlay, Andrew and Ian Rankin, Alyssa Williams, Chalet Roy (acolyte-in-training), Kim Pifer, David Rankin, Sue Riley, and Joyce Wilkinson. Upon an early arrival, one of our youth, when looking up at the spires still shrouded in morning mist, said it must look like the school Harry Potter attended! Over a thousand robed young acolytes processed down the center aisle of the great cathedral while carrying church banners, candles & high-flying streamers from home; the colorful procession took an hour! The stained-glass window with the moon rock was not far from our seats and also drew our attention. As the morning worship drew to a close, we claimed our spot on the cathedral grounds to fuel up (tasty bag lunch) for afternoon workshops. Our kids elected to see how the celebratory processional streamers operated; they come with really long poles! And then off to a slide show and remarks about the famous gargoyles of the cathedral. Darth Vader? Who knew he’d be there?
Most of our teens had only read about the Lincoln Memorial, Viet Nam Wall, Washington Monument, the White House, and the Capitol. They never imagined they’d actually get to see them! But see them we did; just ask our feet! The weather was gorgeous and prayers from at least one of our parishioners back home helped us find not one, but two parking spaces downtown! “I didn’t really want to go, my mom made me go, but I never thought I would have this much fun”. That sums it up. We “did good” for our youth on that one!
So who wants to sign up to be scared half to death? Some of us did; some said “no” at the outset. The brave ones left for Cumberland’s CiCi’s Pizza and then off to Cumberland’s Emmanuel Episcopal Church for their youth-sponsored fund raiser in which the tunnels beneath the church were transformed into a haunted house for Halloween. “Three dollars a victim.” Some of our kids turned back at the chain saw!! (Seems like a good idea.) Participating were Alyssa, Ian and Andrew, Chalet, Codi and Shawnee, David Rankin, Michael and Carla Miller, and David Gourlay.
Coming up, some of us will stay overnight at the Cumberland YMCA. This event is sponsored by the Potomac Highlands Mission Community. Activities scheduled include swimming, basketball, playing on the indoor soccer field, devotions, climbing wall (that must be for the adults!) and pizza. Hanging out overnight with 75 youth! Imagine!
Thanks to volunteers who have helped our youth staff or plan to help our EYF. Sandy and Sheila will help Tamela with our “MMon!” meals. Carla was thrilled to accompany the brave souls in the tunnels. Thanks to all of you for keeping us in your prayers. – by Sue Riley

Jottings by Joyce

Originally, in the Eastern Church, Advent focused on the Annunciation when the angels told Mary that she would bear a child; but in the West it came to concern the first coming at the nativity, the future coming at the end of time, and the present coming, through grace, to our hearts. Thus the themes of the coming judgment and of joyful expectation.
From Growing together: spiritual exercises for church committees by Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley: Emmanuel, God with us, we rejoice in the opportunity to grow closer to you and to one another. Dwell with us as we meet, unite us as we work, and awaken us to your presence. Amen.
Questions from the book I invite us to consider: * What does it mean to grow spiritually?
* In what ways have you been spiritually nurtured by the Christian community?
* What can we do, both inside and outside the church, to help each other grow spiritually?
One Advent hymn begins “Sleepers, wake!” May we awaken to new opportunities to live as followers of Jesus.
Joyce

The Rector Search Committee Update


October has been a very busy month for the Rector Search Committee of Emmanuel Church. Thus far we’ve sent out 29 introductory packages to prospective candidates from the Church Deployment Office database, and as of this writing we now have three priests who have submitted their resumes and other documentation for our consideration. Believe me; it’s totally exciting to see the many months of our labors showing fruit! We will continue to send out information packages to CDO matches and other priests who express an interest in possibly submitting their resumes so they can be in the running as well.
Archdeacon Faith Perrizo came in October to instruct the Committee members how to conduct telephone interviews with the priest-candidates and the reference contacts they’ve submitted. The primary goal for November will be to review the resumes we’ve received thus far (and in the days to come), and then begin the process of conducting initial telephone interviews with priests we feel would be well-suited for our parish.
The telephone interviews are crucial because they will provide the Committee with greater insights into the personality and ministry of the candidates, not only from the candidates themselves but also from the personal references that have been provided. Each candidate must submit at least three names, addresses and telephone numbers of individuals who are current or past members of the candidate’s congregation, or who have participated in the candidate’s pastoral/ministerial endeavors. The Committee has prepared very specific questions for both priest-candidates and their reference contacts that are directed to the needs and goals of Emmanuel Church; of course, the members of the telephone interview teams will be able to ask questions of their own in order to clarify matters.
Teams of two to three Committee members will be assigned to conduct the interviews with the reference individuals, with each team handling only one reference. In this way all of the references can be contacted with greater efficiency. Detailed notes of the conversations will be prepared and submitted to the full Committee for review.
While the references are being interviewed, another team of at least three members (but may include the entire Committee membership) will meet at Emmanuel Church to conduct the telephone interview of the candidate via speakerphone. Again, the Committee members may ask questions that aren’t on the official interview question form, and the candidate will be encouraged to ask questions of the Committee.
Once the telephone interviews have been completed, the Committee will then meet together to discuss the results and determine whether a particular candidate is suitable for our parish. If it is the case that the Committee finds that the qualifications and ministry style of the candidate aren’t a good match with Emmanuel Church, we will notify the individual of our decision; otherwise we’ll continue the dialogue with candidates who have “made the cut.”
The next step following the telephone interviews would be to send representatives of the Rector Search Committee to visit the parishes of those candidates who are still being considered so that we can see the priest in action, as well as speak with the Vestry leadership of the parish for additional information. It is anticipated that the on-site visitations will not be scheduled until after January 2008. After the on-site visits the field of candidates will be narrowed, and those priests seriously recommended by the Rector Search Committee will then be invited to Emmanuel Church for interviews with the full Vestry.
The Diocese’s established procedures for selecting and calling the next Rector of Emmanuel Church may sound complicated and arduous – and they definitely are. However, when you consider that we are seeking out the next priest who will lead our parish into the future, bringing fresh insights and vision so that we can make the most of our great potential for the growth and expansion of our ministry, it is necessary for us to take such pains. The search process is designed to be a very thorough and prayerful time of discernment, and in the end Emmanuel Church will benefit from it.
The Rector Search Committee once again asks for the prayers of the people of Emmanuel Church during our work, that the Holy Spirit will direct and guide us in seeking the right priest for our community, and that the Spirit will inspire the right person to be attracted to us. Additionally, please remember that you may submit the names and contact information to the Committee of priests in good standing who you believe would be good matches for our parish – but make sure that you get their permission first. – by Michael Summers


We give thanks to God for all the blessings in our lives.
A Litany of Thanksgiving (Book of Common Prayer, page 837) – suitable for Thanksgiving Dinner
Let us give thanks to God our Father for all God’s gifts so freely bestowed upon us.
For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.
We thank you, Lord.
For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,
We thank you, Lord.
For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,
We thank you, Lord.
For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
We thank you, Lord.
For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
We thank you, Lord.
For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,
We thank you, Lord.
For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
We thank you, Lord.
For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
We thank you, Lord.
Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
For stewardship of creation (Book of Common Prayer, page 259)

O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.