NEWSLETTER FOR FEBRUARY, 2012
ABSALOM JONES DAY AT ST CYPRIAN'S
On Sunday, February 19, at 4:00 o'clock, St Cyprian's will host the
annual Absalom Jones Commemoration for the North Carolina Diocese of the
Episcopal Church. Absalom Jones was the first African- American
ordained in the Episcopal Church, In 1804 he was ordained a priest and
called to be pastor of St Thomas Episcopal Church, established in 1794
as the first African-American Episcopal parish in the United States.
Bishop Michael Curry will be both Celebrant and Preacher for the festive
service.
The St Cyprian's Choir, assisted by a number of additional singers
and musicians, will lead the congregation in the Mass of St Cyprian, a
gospel setting to the liturgy commissioned by the Holy Comforter-St
Cyprian's Roman Catholic Congregation of Washington, DC. It uses call
and response throughout, making it easy for the assembly to join in.
Congregations from all over the state as well as Oxford have been
invited to this grand occasion. A catered reception will follow the
Service.
DIALOGUE ON RACE AND RACISM
Starting Tuesday, January 31, 7
PM and then continuing for five additional monthly sessions, members of
many Oxford congregations, black and white, will join at Penn Avenue
Baptist Church, Oxford for dialogue on race and racism. Participants
will be assisted by four facilitators from the North Carolina Diocese as
well as by ten or more local pastors as small group leaders. The
conversation will be honest and frank, but hopeful, to move us toward
reconciliation in Christ.
Over sixty persons are expected to attend, and St Cyprian's is now
working on bringing up to ten participants. This dialogue follows some
eight months of similar dialogue between the clergy of Oxford, both
black and white, last year, and culminated in a wonderful service at
Cornerstone Church last September. If you wish to attend, see Pastor or
Vickie Hammie, Harry Mills, Geraldine Green, or Francis Powell.
ASH WEDNESDAY IS FEBRUARY 22
We begin the holy Season of
Lent on Ash Wednesday, February 22, in a 7 PM Liturgy at St Cyprian's,
seeking the Sign of Ashes as we reflectively begin this 40-day walk with
JESUS to the Cross. On the middle Sunday of Lent, March 18, we will
dedicate a fine new painting done by local artist, Leslie Johnson,
depicting Simon of Cyrene (Africa), probably the same person known as
Simeon the Black, carrying the Cross of JESUS to Calvary. Pastor will
be preaching on the Old Testament lessons each Sunday, and we hope to
use one or more of the musical settings we will have learned on February
19 in our observance of Absalom Jones Day.
Lent is a time for additional offerings and prayer and fasting.
The special Noonday Prayer each Tuesday at 12 noon suggests itself, and
even more generous offerings, as well as the discipline of doing without
something that we truly enjoy during these 40 days. Then, of course,
during Holy Week (April 1-8) we gather each evening from Wednesday
through Saturday as we re-member the final blessed events in our
Savior's life, leading up to his glorious resurrection.
STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF BLACK EPISCOPALIANS
During February,
Black History Month, we will study the history of Black Episcopalians
in the Adult Bible Class, using the DVD series entitled "Mine Eyes Have
Seen the Savior: 400 Years of Black Episcopalian History." Wouldn't it
be great is we had to move into the sanctuary for this series because of
the numbers?
Children's stories from Black literature each Sunday, the Absalom
Jones Commemoration, posters around the place depicting Black leaders,
and perhaps some poetry reading on Sunday, February 26, will augment our
celebration of Black History Month.
YOUNG ADULTS SERIES
There are at least eight young adults
connected to St Cyprian's (between the ages of 18 and 30), and we are
going to try to convene them for some discussions on tough social issues
in the light of the Christian faith in the month of March. Adrienne
Koch will be the convener. Such questions as whether or not to meet at
the church or at some other venue, should a meal be part of the
gathering, what day of the week to meet and how often...will all be
decided by members of the group themselves. It will not be necessary to
be a member of St Cyprian's to attend. Right now Adrienne and Pastor
are trying to get a number of this age group together on the last Sunday
of February to set forth a plan.
NIGHT WATCH IN THE BIG APPLE
Four of our Youth Fellowship
will join up with counterpart youth from an Episcopal congregation in
Alexandria, VA on February 3-5 and travel to The Cathedral of St John
the Divine in Manhattan (one of the largest church buildings in the
world) for a weekend of discussion, prayer, new friends, seeing New
York City, and just hanging out. It will be an unforgettable
experience, and the cost is only $66 per youth, matched by the
congregation as well as by the Alexandria congregation. Adrienne Koch
will be our chaperone. See her about departure times, etc.
CANDLEMASS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Forty days after his birth,
JESUS was presented in the Jerusalem Temple by his parents, Mary and
Joseph. Because he was there greeted by St Simeon with the words of his
being "a light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of God's people,
Israel," this day has traditionally been a day when the candles to be
used that year would be blessed and the acolytes reconsecrated for their
ministry, in a liturgy called "Candlemass." That is what we will do on
Sunday, February 5. Also, those four persons who found the little
figurines of the Baby JESUS in their piece of Rosca Cake on the Day of
Epiphany, January 6, will be the ones bringing cake for the coffee hour
following that Service. They are Kenyatta Gabriel, Harriet Thorpe,
Tomasa Gomez-Santiago, and Vickie Hammie.
Acolytes, listen up! You are all to be vested that morning and in
procession, and ready to recommit yourselves to your ministry of service
at God's Altar!
NEW SOUND SYSTEM INSTALLED
Now everyone
in the church can hear what's going on, including even overflow crowds
(as perhaps for Absalom Jones Day) in the Stanley Center. We have a new
sound system at St Cyprian's! Now we need to get training from the
installers, Hill Music of Henderson, of some technicians to work the
sound board, etc. Are YOU interested? See Harry Mills. AND, there is
opportunity for some special memorial offerings to take care of the
remaining $1,000 or so of costs!
DEACON HARRIETTE STURGES BEGINS HER MINISTRY
Deacon
Harriette Sturges, born in Savannah and raised in Atlanta, is now with
us in ministry. And she intends to follow Bishop Curry's admonition to
"get out of the sacristy and onto the streets" in her ministry. In
fact, the NC Diocese gave us and every congregation $100 at the recent
convention to support new outreach ministries in the local parish, and
that is what Deacon Sturges will be doing. You see her each Sunday
helping to lead worship, but you are also seeing her on the streets of
Oxford, meeting members and others as she prepares to lead up out into
the community in ministry. She is also teaching the Youth Bible Class
on Sunday mornings and will be preaching about every other month. And,
in addition, she is bi-lingual and will help tie the entire
congregation--black, brown and white--together in ministry! We are
looking forward to her being more formally installed by Archdeacon
William Joyner here at St Cyprian's some time perhaps in late March.
Welcome, Deacon Sturges! And thank you, Bishop Curry, for appointing
her to St Cyprian's! Deacon Sturges will represent St Cyprian's in a
mission trip to Nicaragua along with members of St Stephen's, Oxford.
CONGRATULATIONS, BETTY MOSLEY!
Betty Mosley, member of First
Baptist Church, and longtime resident of Oxford, has recently been
appointed to be the first African-American woman to serve on Oxford's
Board of Commissioners. She occasionally visits St Cyprian's and is
well known for her leadership in the community. Congratulations,
sister, and more power to you as you help lead Oxford into the future!
STRATEGIC PLANNING EVENT
On Friday, January 27, Canon Cathy
Caimano of the NC Diocese, worked with the Vestry in a strategic
planning process for this year ahead of us. A full report on the
outcomes of that meeting will be reported to the congregation, including
specific goals they recommend for ministry.
GIFTS IN KIND
Occasionally members or friends wish to make
material rather than financial gifts to the congregation's ministry. To
receive credit for such gifts, it is important than actual receipts be
forwarded to the treasurer of the congregation. IRS would certainly
expect such receipts to be produced in the case of an audit of a
person's charitable contributions. Normally, the best way to contribute
to the church is through tithes and offerings on Sunday mornings, but
all kinds of gifts are possible.
DRUMMING GROUP STILL OPEN
After a splendid performance at
the Convention Eucharist of the Diocese of North Carolina, the St
Cyprian's Drummers resume their regular rehearsals on Tuesdays at 4 PM.
The group is now receiving new members to add to the nine who played at
the convention. No previous musical experience is required.
You should have seen these youths of Oxford in their new
dashiki's! You should have heard them fill St Paul's Church,
Winston-Salem with the sounds of Africa! And what compliments they
received from the 700+ crowd and from both our Bishop and the Presiding
Bishop of the Episcopal Church! It was wonderful!
We thank Vickie Hammie, John Ventra, Rosemary Easton, Helen Oakley
and her daughter and all the Drummers for their artistry!
CANDLES AND FLOWERS
Each week there is a Presence Candle burning in the sanctuary, in honor
of the Reserved Sacrament. Each Sunday there are beautiful flowers on
the Altar. How they add to the worship! But they need to be paid for.
Please note the flower and candle charts in the Stanley Center and sign
up for your contribution: $12 for a month of candles, and $10 for
flowers on a Sunday. All of these contributions can be made in honor or
in memory of someone dear to you. Let's fill those charts!
SPANISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE?
It is clear that we--or
someone in Oxford--needs to be offering English as a Second Language for
brothers and sisters who are new to the country. Right now there is
such a course offered at Salem Pentecostal Church ( next to ACIM in
northwest Oxford). What is also needed is for English-speaking persons
to be able to handle elementary conversational Spanish. We are hoping
to make such training available at St Cyprian's soon. Quiere aprendar
Espanol?
JOINT SERVICE WITH ST STEPHEN'S
Remembering the fellowship
we had with St Stephen's last September, both in worship and afterward,
Pastors Pahl and Heinemeier are now discussing dates for the next such
service, this one at St Stephen's, perhaps on April 29. Then the
tradition would continue: Fall at St Cyprian's and Spring at St
Stephen's. We have so very much in common!
FAMILY COUNSELING PROGRAM.
For almost three years St
Cyprian's has been offering much needed family counseling for families
with troubled children. Vickie Hammie coordinates the program, and Tony
Richardson is the counselor. The program has been funded by the NC
Diocese.
Now that fund has been almost entirely depleted, and new funding
sources need to be found. Do you know of foundations or other sources
that we can approach? There are a whole lot of children (and parents)
walking around Oxford who will thank you.
MEETING WITH STAFF FROM THE CENTER FOR INTERFAITH ACTION
Conor Hartman, Director for Strategy and Development for the DC-based
Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty (their offices are at the
National Episcopal Cathedral in Washington, DC) will be meeting with a
small group of clergy from both Henderson and Oxford at St Cyprian's on
Saturday, February 11, 10 AM, to discuss possible funded programming
that can be mounted for Granville and Vance Counties, two of the more
impoverished counties of North Carolina. In Oxford it has been very
easy to draw together such clergy, with the relationships that have been
fostered via an entire year of clergy dialogue. This February 11
meeting is entirely exploratory, but it could have great potential for
organizing action for the betterment of these two counties.
VICAR HEINEMEIER TO PREACH REVIVAL IN BALTIMORE AND PERFORM A MARRIAGE IN PENNSYLVANIA
On January 30 and 31, and February 1 Vicar H will be preaching for a
three-night revival at All Saints Lutheran Church, Baltimore. This
congregation is pastored by The Rev Churchill Wortherly, a Lutheran
pastor Vicar H mentored as he was preparing for Ordination.
Toward the end of May, Vicar H will be preaching at the wedding of
an Ethiopian couple in Lancaster, PA. The groom is a Lutheran pastor
who was an intern under Vicar H at Faith Lutheran, Baltimore, and who is
now ordained as a Lutheran pastor, having come to this country as a
political refugee.