PASTOR'S NOTE
This Spring I am looking for time without words. I want to look for God not only in the silence of Lent but in the fiery new dawn of Easter. I want to discover God's creation with my eyes. I want to taste and touch and smell what is real and what is holy about the life we have been given.
We talk about ministry of Word and Sacrament. Both are important, even necessary, for us. Those who know me know that I love words, almost to an obsession. But for now I want to live in the Sacrament.
So, in early Lent, I found myself at the Monastery standing in front of a series of photographs by Sister Annette Brophy. Her gift is to frame with her camera lens that timeless moment when one can glimpse the beauty of God reflected in creation. Her photographs are alive and speak volumes without words. Rather than "capturing" a tree or a bird, she has with her camera lens somehow set it free to enter into relationship with others. It is a holy moment.
As I stand before an image of a garden gate I am suddenly given a new vision. Out of nowhere, like staring at one of those odd ‘magic pictures,' I see my own face in the holiness of the garden. It is, of course, only my reflection in the glass over the photograph. Yet I know it is a true vision. I live in that garden. I have known its tears and its spring blossoms. You, too, standing there, would see your face and know the garden also.
This is a what makes a sacrament. We see the truth of our lives reflected in something: in bread and wine, in water or in oil or in hands resting upon us. This, too, is the cross on Good Friday and Easter. Look closely, wait in the silence, breathe in the holy, and you will see your soul reflected there. There, before the cross during this holy season, may the lens of your heart discover new life.
MEET OUR MINISTRY TEAM
Johanna Morrigan The Peace of Jesus Christ to all of my sisters and brothers in the Spirit of the Heartland.
It hardly seems possible that our ministry team will be ordained and commissioned this coming fall, and the Spirit of the Heartland will indeed be Episcopalians in Total Ministry. It just doesn't seem all that long ago that some of us attended a meeting held in the basement of the Church of Our Saviour in Little Falls to talk about something called "total ministry" - whatever that was. Where has the time flown?
It has been a time of excitement and confusion, joy and fear, hope and discouragement, laughter and tears. Some days I've wonder why I ever started down this path called total ministry. And then something happens that reminds me why I'm here and doing what I'm doing: a child smiles with delight and understanding during a children's sermon; someone reaches out to someone else in love and the world is enriched; a Lay Eucharistic Minister glows with the love of Jesus as s/he gives the cup; people take an enormous risk and step out in faith to build an accessible addition to our church in Little Falls; I hear new ideas and dreams being spoken aloud with hope and faith; new hymns are introduced bringing new zest and life to our worship; and love continues to grow among us.
Jesus' final commandment was that we love one another as he loved us. I see the evidence of people seeking to fulfill that commandment every week. A few years ago we were tiny, struggling, isolated little churches wondering how we could possibly survive. Today we are still small - but growing. We are still struggling - but not alone. And we are wondering how to grow and thrive, not just how to survive. We are growing into a community of parish families that reach out and help one another. We are increasingly committed to spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ by allowing the Spirit to blow open the doors, sweep away the cobwebs, and send us out those doors to do God's work in the world.
As I come closer to ordination, I find myself seeing more and more of the needs of God's children: especially the marginalized - Hispanic people and other people of color; people who are mentally ill; people who are old and forgotten; people who are developmentally disabled; people who are in our jails; people who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgendered; latchkey kids who are lonely and scared; people who are physically disabled; people who live with chronic illness and chronic pain... "What ye do for the least of these, ye do also for me..." Jesus is calling us to find him in our communities and minister to him. He's not just calling those of us on the ministry team, he's calling all of us to become his eyes and ears, his hands and heart. Jesus has need of us all, and I see us rising to his challenge and his call.
So far it has been a remarkable journey - these past four years. I have begun to know and cherish you, and to increasingly recognize and appreciate the remarkable gifts and talents that you each have to offer in the service of our God. I eagerly anticipate the coming months and years as we continue to journey together in responding to God's call.
By the time I write another update for this column, I will, God willing, be an ordained deacon. The word deacon comes from the Greek work, diakonos, which means servant. A deacon is ordained for the work of serving and loving the Christ in all of God's children, especially the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely; and for leading and training lay people in such service.
We are all called to be the servants of God.. I feel blessed indeed to be called to serve with each of you as we seek to live out our Baptismal Covenant where we have pledged:
WHERE'S OUR TEAM?
Randy Welsand
St. John's
On February 9, the Spirit of the Heartland team gathered at The Church of the Good Samaritan in Saulk Centre for a "quiet day" of prayer and reflection. As luck would have it, this was the day of one of the few snowstorms of the season. The roads weren't too bad on the way up but got progressively worse as the day progressed.
The day turned out to be a wonderful and Spirit-filled one for us. For us to function well as a team, it is necessary to be able to communicate effectively. Imagine 12 different opinions on how to do something. It is not always easy to come to a total agreement on everything that needs to be done or how to do it. Sometimes we don't agree, sometimes we get angry. The glue that always brings us back is the Spirit. Prayer, meditation and reflection helps us to get beyond "us" and back to what we are all about. Service to God and each other. During this raging snowstorm, we were able to communicate our frustrations and expectations to each other and realize once again that we are all together in this and on the right path. As we approach the first of the ordinations in April, we are emerging as a stronger, better equipped ministry team, ready to tackle the challenges ahead. Oh, did I mention EXCITED?
Our meeting ended with a celebration of the Eucharist and all made it home safely.
May the peace of God be with each of you during this quiet time of Lent.
INVITATION
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The Right Reverend Frederick Putnam Assisting the Bishop of Minnesota will ordain Robert Charles Cavanna and Cedar Abrielynne Morrigan and Randy Arthur Welsand to the Sacred Order of Deacons in Christ's One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church in Spirit of the Heartland on Saturday in Easter Week April 6, 2002 at 3:00 pm.
The Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan
Your Prayers and Presence are Requested.
Reception immediately following the service. |
ORDINATION
The April ordination marks a new stage in our journey together in total ministry. Those who will be priests on our team begin a period of ‘field education' ministry as deacons, while our whole team shares in the deacons' servant ministry as part of their preparation for commissioning. In late fall, those who will be deacons or priests serving on the team will be ordained to their "permanent" vocation, and each team minister – lay, priest, or deacon – will be commissioned for the particular work for which they have been called.
DEACONS & PRIESTS
In the Episcopal Church it is required that before someone is ordained priest they must first have been ordained deacon. Those who will be ordained priests at our commissioning in the fall are being ordained deacons in April so they may have a time of servant ministry as part of their preparation for the priesthood. The word "deacon" means "one who serves."
For those who will be priests, it is usually called the "transitional diaconate" because their true calling is elsewhere (the priesthood). Those who are truly called to be deacons are sometimes referred to as "vocational deacons" or "permanent deacons." There is ongoing debate in the church about the nature of the diaconate and about the appropriateness of a transitional diaconate. What we want to affirm is the equal dignity of each order.
A deacon is the minister of "the dispersed church" at work in God's world. A priest is the minister of "the gathered church" at prayer. We see this reflected in our liturgy when the priest gathers or "collects" the people with the "collect" prayer at the beginning of worship, and when the deacon dismisses the people at the end of worship. Both priest and deacon have work to do at the altar, and each has responsibility for specific parts of the service: the deacon proclaims the Gospel, and the priest pronounces the Blessing. Some priests and some deacons are also called to preach.
Most of our team priests and team deacons will be locally trained and will be ordained "under Canon 9" to serve only in our three parishes. "Canons" are the rules and requirements of the church; Canon 9 allows for the ordination of clergy trained locally for a specific congregation or cluster. These priests and deacons are usually referred to as "local priests" and "local deacons." "Canon 9" or "local" clergy are "non-stipendiary," that is, unpaid volunteers. Other deacons and priests have been trained at seminary or in a diocesan program and may be called to serve in any congregation. They are sometimes called "diocesan clergy," and the priests are usually professional or "stipendiary" clergy, full or part time. In this diocese, most deacons are non-stipendiary and part-time.
A seminary-trained priest receives training and formation in all areas of ministry. A locally trained priest or deacon, as part of a ministry team, ordinarily receives training and formation only in the areas necessary for the ministry to which he or she has been called. All priests and deacons, whether trained locally or at seminary, and regardless of which canon governs their ordination, are full priests or deacons of the church. They may be addressed as "The Rev. (N)" or as "Father" or "Mother", and they do get to wear those funny clergy clothes if they like. The distinction is not in who they are as priests or deacons, but in the work they have been trained to do.
OUR TEAM: WHO are they? WHAT do they do?
Our team will include ministers in three orders – deacons, priests, and lay people – who have been called to do a variety of leadership work in our cluster. We can refer to them by who they are (deacon, priest, lay person) or by what they do (liturgist, preacher, evangelist, sacramentalist) or by both terms. For example, here are people who are in three different orders, all called to the same work: Jan (Zippy) Zeman will be a lay person, who serves as a preacher, so a "lay preacher." Johanna Morrigan will be a deacon, who serves as a preacher, so a "deacon preacher." Rob Cavanna will be a priest who serves as a preacher, so "priest preacher." A few team ministers have been called to work "double time." For example, Rob also will serve as a sacramentalist, so he may also be referred to as "priest sacramentalist." Here is our list of team ministers as it looks today. (We must allow room for the possibility that Spirit may blow us around into new vocations. You will notice that Doris continues to be open to the Spirit and will be changing ministries next year.)
| For Commissioning in 2002 | |
| Harriette Burkhalter | Lay Evangelist |
| Rob Cavanna | Priest Sacramentalist & Priest Preacher |
| Doris Dodds | Lay Administrator |
| Cynthia Evans | Lay Intercessor |
| Pat Gillespie | Priest Mentor & Priest Educator |
| Cedar Morrigan | Priest Sacramentalist |
| Johanna Morrigan | Deacon Preacher |
| Lu Tax Lay | Liturgist |
| Maren Kay Welsand | Lay Community Life Minister |
| Randy Welsand | Priest Sacramentalist & Priest Pastoral Care Minister |
| Jan Zeman Lay | Preacher & Lay Editor |
| For Commissioning in 2003-4 (?) | |
| Doris Dodds | Priest Sacramentalist |
| Roger Phillips | Priest Sacramentalist |
| Rosemary | Phillips Lay Administrator |
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULES
March 24 Palm Sunday Usual Sunday Service Times
March 28 Maundy Thursday
1:00 pm St. Stephen's
4:00 pm Good Samaritan
7:00 pm Our Saviour's
March 29 Good Friday
1:00 pm St. Stephen's
4:00 pm Good Samaritan
7:00 pm Our Saviour's
March 31 Easter Day
5:30 am Vigil at Our Saviour's
9:00 am St. Stephen's
10:00 am Our Saviour's
11:00 am Good Samaritan
April 6 Saturday in Easter Week
3:00 pm Ordination at Good Samaritan
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Spirit of the Heartland welcomes all to their events.
Good Samaritan in Sauk Centre will have Bible Study Series on the Psalms. Second and Fourth Tuesdays at noon.
St. Stephen's in Paynesville and Our Saviour's in Little Falls continue a series on world religions: "RELIGIONS: Encountering People of Other Faiths".
In Paynesville at 11 am (contact Pat for location):
March 7: Tribal Religions
March 21: Christian Denominations
Our Saviour's in Little Falls is on break until Pentecost, when they will continue the series with a session on Buddhism at 11:30 am on Sunday, May 26.
SUNDAY WORSHIP TIMES
9:00 am St. Stephen's in Paynesville
10:00 am Our Saviour's in Little Falls
11:00 am Good Samaritan in Sauk Centre
VESTRY HIGHLIGHTS
Good Samaritan
- February 17
NEED A RIDE TO CHURCH?
As part of field ed for me, the parish life minister, I am asking for your help. If you or some one you know would like to come to church but they need a ride or if you or someone you know would be willing to offer a ride to a parishoner let me know. My email address is r-mkwelsand@msn.com and my telephone number is in the church directory. God Bless You. - Maren Kay Welsand
MARCH BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
Church of the Good Samaritan, Sauk Centre
March 13th Will Schwaller
March 15th Pete Wilson
March 19th John Pelkey
March 20th Robert Schwaller
March 21st Lacy Schwanke
St. Stephen'sr, Paynesville
March 6th Gene Huber
March 13 Doris Dodds
March 18th Pat Hassenstein
March 20 Joan McMillan
Church of Our Saviour, Little Falls
March 6th Dick Berguson
March 7th
MINISTRY SCHEDULES
Good Samaritan
Our Saviour's
St. Stephen's
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