I sit on the edge of the island. It's windy and gray and rainy and lower forties. I'd guess I am about five hours of wilderness travel from the nearest other human being. Good Girl Scout that I still am, I am prepared: several layers of clothing under my rainsuit, so I am not cold. The unclothed elkhound curled up at my feet looks up at this bundled-up human, as if she can't figure why God didn't bother to make me with the proper fur to live in Minnesota. She moves closer as if to share her warmth.
Through the rain, we watch the whitecaps dance on the lake. Then I see it: a fine thread, about ten feet long, blowing in the wind. Some insane spider is out spinning in the storm. She's trying to span what would be an impossible distance even on a calm day. The thread is blown horizontally from the tiny cedar and it's still another four or five feet to the nearest tree. To my astonishment, she makes it all the way across and attaches her seemingly fragile thread to a big pine. I smile and head back to camp wondering if she'll spin all night so that I'll have to haul my canoe across the island to get to the water without breaking a spectacular, guiness-book-of-records-size web.
In the morning there's no gargantuan web between us in the lake. But the lone thread survived the night's storm and catches the morning light. I follow it into the cedar where the spider began and find the incredible long thread is a necessary anchor for a small, ordinary web.
Extraordinary means for simple, ordinary necessity.
It can be like that in our churches or our personal lives. Sometimes having or maintaining the ordinary necessities seems impossible. We wonder why God didn't give us the "fur" we need. Those willing to risk spinning in the storm know how it feels to be out on the end of the thread when the goal seems impossible. Or we may have hoped for a spectacular, gargantuan web and ended up with ordinary basics.
Yet our insane spinning spider caught breakfast and the morning light in her ordinary web. That's far superior to an extraordinary web that catches a hapless human and her canoe, destroying the web. And the bundled up Girl Scout stayed as warm through the night as the furry elkhound.
Extraordinary means for simple, ordinary blessings.
God of insane spiders and comfortable elkhounds, God and lover of us all, you have given each of us all we need to live out your hopes for us. Help us to risk spinning in the storms of our lives, to share our warmth and our gifts, and to live our ordinary lives in the morning light of your glory.
MEET OUR MINISTRY TEAM
St. Stephen's, Paynesville
Called to Evangelism and Communication Coordination
Born and Raised in the U.K. I was baptised and confirmed into the Church of England. I moved to the States in 1994, and went to college in the San Francisco Bay Area. I transferred to school in Chicago to study Scenic Design, where I met my Husband, Erin. Three years later Erin graduated and we moved to Minnesota to be near family. We somehow ended up in Paynesville, with two very badly behaved Basset Hounds, and I went to SCSU to complete my degree in English.Now we work in St. Cloud at the Paramount Theatre, for the three resident theatre companies. My husband designs and builds the scenery for ten shows a year, he is exceptionally talented, at least I think so! And he is actually practicing what he got his degree in. I assist him in his job, drafting, painting scenery and doing props. We keep really weird hours and work alone a lot so our life style is a little bizarre, but in spite of the long and irregular hours, it is a really fun way to earn money.
I have been a member of St. Stephen's for a little over a year now, and am excited to return to the church after a hiatus during my college years. I have been acting as the team's Communications Coordinator in a support staff capacity since January, and I am very happy to become a team member in both Communication Coordination and Evangelism. While I was not sure about the evangelism part for a while, talking with the discernment committee helped to clarify my calling and I am looking forward to the new opportunities open to me in that direction.
WHERE'S OUR TEAM
What a glorious day! Fortified with new recruits, the Spirit of the Heartland ministry team met with renewed vigor on Saturday, September 9 at The Church of the Good Samaritan in Sauk Centre to do what we all have been called to do. Four welcome additions to the team were discerned over the summer and have joined the other eight team members on this important journey.
The day started with prayer as the preachers met from 9 to 12:00. The whole team met from 12 to 2:00 starting with prayer and covering some of the issues facing us during this time of formation and training. Open formation time from 2 to 4:00 continues with prayer and an invitation for all interested in what we are doing to come and see. Join us! This spirit filled day ended with Eucharist and song.
Please join us for the next Team Meeting in Paynesville on November 11th, from 2-4pm.
MEET OUR PARISHIONERS
Pete Wilson
Good Samaritan, Sauk Centre
Senior Warden
Hi, I'm Pete Wilson Although we are 30 years semi-natives at little birch lake, last year was our first in full time retirement - albeit as snow birds. we winter in mesa, arizona.
We have lived almost everywhere in our nomadic family/career life. From Boston to Rochester, NY, to Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, and Northern and Southern Cal. I started in aerospace, gravitated to facsimile at xerox, then entered into the world of disk drive manufacture and repair for the computer industry. I've managed companies, big and startups. my last eight years were owning and operating a pool building business in Edmond, Oklahoma. I believe, finally, we are here to stay in our 50/50 locale selection. I grew up as a congregationalist, converted to Episcopalian (my wife, Lucia's original religion) in Rochester and have become active in church starting in oklahoma. I really find the Episcopal faith fits me with it's participative structure. My role in my church life has always been to do direct action to provide financial and facility support so the others - pat+ and Lay Litergists and Sacrementalists can freely guide us in our spiritual goals and pursuits. I personally find that the church - the building - is the very best place for me to communicate to God
Although originally discerned as part of the Total Ministry Team, Lucia and I decided that our call would be better fulfilled in Parish Ministry, and so we are now focusing our attentions on that.
COMPUTERS AND CHURCH WORK
Mystified by others who use email and seem to know church news even sooner than the more trustworthy and traditional word-of-mouth grapevine? Come and find out how to use your computer or the library's computers for church information and ministry. All are welcome at Our Saviour's in Little Falls for the November Christian Education program on computers and the church. Sundays in November after worship during coffee hour at 11 am and beyond. Hands on and individual support with lots of time for questions.
MUGGLE ALERT !
If you know what that heading means, you're already prepared for the next Book Study at St Stephen's in Paynesville. Having just completed a study of "Straight Tongue" about Bishop Whipple, this group of avid readers will discuss the Harry Potter books next. All are welcome to participate, especially muggle (meaning those of us without magical abilities) Christians, whether you've read all the books several times or are just opening the first page. Discussion will focus on themes rather than by individual books. All sessions are at 11 am, followed by an optional lunch at a local restaurant. Location, if not the church, will be posted on the St. Stephen's office door that morning (or ask Pat).
BIBLE STUDY
Good Samaritan offers Christian Education of a more traditional sort, though the discussion is always wide ranging. Bible Study on Tuesdays at noon. October 10 & 24 (and beyond) – The Book of Revelation
ANIMAL BLESSING
Encourage others to visit our churches with their pets for the Blessing of the Animals for the Feast of St. Francis in October. Save the dates and join us even if you don't have a pet to bring along.
Good Samaritan, Sauk Centre – Sunday, October 15th, at 2:00 pm
Our Saviour's, Little Falls – Sunday, October 22nd , at 11:30 am
VISITORS !
Spirit of the Heartland Churches will soon be welcoming an assortment of diocesan visitors.
Nov 12, Sun 11:00 am - Good Samaritan - The Rt. Rev. Dan Swenson
Oct 1, Sun. 10:00 am - Our Saviour's - The Rt. Rev. Don Hultstrand
Worship times are as usual, but please note that these visits will require rearranging of clergy schedules and some Morning Prayer and Eucharist exchanges as follows:
St Stephen's
October 1, Morning Prayer (usually Eucharist)
An overview of full schedule of changes, including October and November, can been found at http://www.motherflash.com/spirit/preachers.html or on our calendar at http://www.motherflash.com/spirit/calendar
LECTOR / LAY READER TRAININGS
If you missed the recent training in Willmar (or want something more than was offered there), it is time to license lay readers (who may lead worship services) and train lectors (who read the lessons). Join Roger Phillips and Pat Gillespie on:
Wednesday, October 4th, @ 7 pm at Our Saviour's in Little Falls (Faith Works night)
Wednesday, October 18th, @ 7 pm at Good Samaritan.
We will review the order for Morning and Evening Prayer, introduce our new officiant's notebooks, put together by Cedar Morrigan, and work on reading technique. Lectors will be done before 8:00 and lay readers by 8:30.
REFORMATION SUNDAY CELEBRATION
The Roman Catholic Bishop of St. Cloud invites us to a Jubilee
Celebration of Christianity at St. John's Abbey Church at 3:00 pm Reformation Sunday, October 29. Local Protestant clergy have been invited to participate. Pat will be coming back from Diocesan Convention in time to join the procession.
THEATER AND THEOLOGY
Like theological controversy and contemporary film? Join theater experts, Antonia and Erin Kehr, and theologian Pat to eat popcorn, view films, and reflect on the messages contemporary movies are sending about God and God's relationship with the world. This film series, including "The Last Temptation of Christ," "Dogma," "American Beauty," "Stigmata," and others of the group's or leaders' choice, invites open-minded thinkers and unchurched people into discussion and discovery of the relationship between art, culture, and theology. .
October Session showing "Stigmata" on Friday October 20th at 7pm at St. Stephen's, Paynesville.
This movie is rated "R".
A THANK YOU FROM LITTLE FALLS
Many thanks to all who helped with parking at the Sidewalk Art Fair. Special thanks to Bea Winkler and Dick Thomson for their
advice, and to Pete and Lucia Wilson for coming from Melrose to help. It was a most successful project with just over $1700 raised.
Your Vestry and Wardens appreciate your help Thanks,
Virginia Berguson, Jon Lovdahl and Vestry Members.
MINISTRY SCHEDULES
Good Samaritan
Our Saviour's
St. Stephen's
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