the Vicar
I can hardly believe the summer is nearing its end. It doesn't feel like it temperature-wise, but beginning of school events make it very clear that play and vacation time are almost over.
I tried to think of what I have learned during these summer months. I have learned, again, how good a cold glass of water or soda feels and tastes on a hot summer day. I have noted again how difficult it is for plants to live when water is scarce and the temperatures are over ninety. I have noted again how closely we are allied with all of God's creation. All creation has a need for food, water, oxygen in one form or another. And, all creation has a need for "TLC". Do you know what that means? I learned that acronym many years ago when I was first in nurses' training. It means "Tender Loving Care". How very much all of creation needs TLC, from the tiniest living creature and plant to the strongest.
Perhaps my most memorable experience of this summer was my walk with a church member as he took his final journey home to God. This seventy-two year old man was admitted to hospice care in late May. His wife died in 1993 of the same kind of cancer that was now taking his life. He had cared for her until the very end. Now, he needed someone to care for him. The members of St. Barnabas loved him and they came to care for and provide TLC in his last weeks of life. They visited, sent cards and flowers. They ministered to him with TLC.
It was easy to minister to this man. Why? He was always smiling. Each time I visited him, even when he was in pain, he smiled and welcomed me and wanted to know how everyone was in church. He always asked how many were in church that Sunday.
He was ready to die. He was curious and wanted to talk about what it would be like. He was a gentle man. He was a believer in God and in Jesus Christ as Savior. I share this brief story to help you see that.
He had received a lovely flower arrangement. He and I were tending to the flowers on one of my visits. He noticed the tiny white flowers called Baby's Breath and talked about how beautiful they were, but he did not know the name. When I told him he looked rather longingly at them and then he said, "Baby's Breath. When I die I will go to be with God and then I will be new again, just like Baby's Breath." Then he, as he continued smiling, said, "Tell the people at church that, will you?" I promised him that I would share his wisdom. I did, and I do now.
God bless each of you as you offer TLC to all around you.
Shalom from your friend and pastor,
Barbara+
Our Eucharist will be celebrated in memory of The Rev. Dr. Thomas Gallaudet, founder of the first Episcopal Church for the Deaf in America and the Rev. Henry Winter Syle, the first Deaf person ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. Their Feast Day on the Episcopal Church Calendar of Saints is on August 27.
Wednesday September 11, 8 PM
National Cathedral
"Voices from Ground Zero" Vigil
ASL interpreted
Saturday, October 5, 5:30 PM
Parish Hall
A celebration of the ministry of St. Barnabas' Mission of the Deaf, including a Festive Meal and Stewardship Information
Keynote Speaker:October 6, 13 and 20
The Rev. Dr. Roger Pickering
Retired Vicar of All Soul's Church of the Deaf, Philadelphia, PA
Sunday Morning educational program on Women in the Bible prior to the Holy Eucharist
November 1-2
A Mission Committee Retreat will be held in West Virginia on November 1st and 2nd. This will be a time to relax and refresh as we plan our activities and ministries for the coming year.
By The Dawn's Early Light
By Paul Simmons
Now was the big day, I was proud of the fact that I would be married in St. John's of Norwood, in Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA. When I first attended the St. Barnabas' Mission of the Deaf in St. Johns, I was surprised to find that this diocese of Washington had been a companion diocese to the diocese of Cape Town, South Africa. This Anglican diocese in Cape Town was headed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu who was also the head of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa in 1986 until his retirement in 1996. He has received numerous awards, prizes and honorary degrees from all over the world including the Nobel Peace prize that he received in 1984. I had personally met and spoken to Archbishop Tutu in 1993. Archbishop Tutu is a very warm man and we developed a rapport. We spoke about his hearing loss and the Deaf community in South Africa.
And now I stood by myself on the altar, looking down the aisle, looking out of the big doors of the church, onto the busy world going by on Wisconsin Avenue from within the tranquility of the huge church. Just standing there in the stillness, knowing that I would be married in a few hours was a surreal feeling and heightened my sense of anticipation.
All of a sudden, I was there on the aisle flanked by my best men, Alex Simmons and Slemo Warigon. Behind us were Rev. Roger Pickering, Rev. Barbara Allen, and Rev. Jay Croft along with my god-father, Father Cyril Axelrod, one of the first deaf catholic priests. The church was packed with many faces, some new, some old, and all of these faces belonged to dear friends and family members.
And Lo! The crescendo of the music started to soar upwards to the ceiling and she came walking down the aisle...
There was a collective gasp as she was walking down the aisle alone... in a black dress... I am sure that: Is it a new style? Why is she walking alone? Is it really her? were few of the thoughts that flitted through many of the guests.
But no, it was Amy, Emily's identical twin sister... Amy. Amy was followed by Jennifer Simmons, the bridesmaid followed by the ring bearers, Ivan Kurz and Cody Simmons, came walking down the aisle bearing the rings. Maxine Kurz and Alexa Simmons, the flower girls came scattering the rose petals, paving the way for her...
Only then, I started to feel energized waiting for her I started to recite to myself:
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light
Finally I saw her! And I started on the next stanza
Here comes EMILY!!! That I so proudly hailed at the twilight's last gleaming...
She looked really radiant on the arm of John, her father. From that point on, the rest of the wedding went by in a swirl. But I can daresay that all our guests at the wedding had a good time.
The meeting took place in the parish hall of Christ Church in Clinton, MD, and began with a Gospel reading from Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23. Then we reflected on the parable of the sower and the light it sheds on stewardship.
In the morning there were reports from participants in the TENS (The Episcopal Network for Stewardship) Conference, a discussion of stewardship problems and issues facing parishes. Then after lunch people shared their experiences with different solutions and resources.
I learned a number of things about stewardship. Stewardship is not simply a financial offering or a pledge. Stewardship involves an offering not only of our "treasure" but also our time and talent. As Christians we are asked to give all three -- time, talent and treasure. It is not right to "substitute" time for treasure, or treasure for time. How much we are able to give is our own prayerful decision.
Why is stewardship important? It is not only about the finances of a parish or mission, it is also about the spiritual growth of each Christian. Stewardship is about giving back to God. It is also about making a prayerful decision, which means that we reflect on our blessings and think about what is right for us to give to show our gratitude to God for those blessings.
Why is pledging important? Why not just show gratitude by giving without pledging? Pledging is a way of making a commitment to God. However, many people are concerned that they may lose a job or face financial difficulties which will make it impossible for them to keep their pledge. There is no need to worry about the ability to keep a pledge. At any time in the year you are free to contact me, the Assistant Treasurer, and adjust your pledge to meet your change in circumstance.
Pledging is also a practical matter of allowing the mission to do a better job of budgeting. Budgeting is also about good stewardship of the resources of the Church.
What is proportional giving? To some people, the point of proportional giving is not a number or a percentage -- it is about making a prayerful decision and expressing our gratitude to God, which is part of our spiritual growth. To others, proportional giving specifically means a tithe, which is a percentage of income. The Biblical tithe is ten percent of one's income, and is the standard officially adopted by the Episcopal Church.
As Assistant Treasurer, it is my job to keep your pledge information confidential. Now that we have a new software program I can do a better job of this.
Every parish has an annual stewardship campaign, usually in October and November. I learned that there are different models or approaches for an annual stewardship campaign, and that it is not effective to use the same model for two years in a row. Therefore this year we will be using a different model, and will have more information in about this year's stewardship campaign in a letter to the congregation and in the next newsletter.
See me if you have questions about funds, or how to pledge to more than one fund. In addition to pledging to the general fund, you can also pledge to special funds such as the Growth Fund, the Vicar's Discretionary Fund, the Syle Fund or the Gallaudet Campus Ministry Fund. In particular, Gallaudet students and alumni can consider pledging some of their time, treasure and talent to the Gallaudet Campus Ministry, which will support our Vicar in her role as Episcopal Chaplain at Gallaudet.
We really enjoyed the motorcycle ride with a Christian motorcycle club on the night of June 9th. We had lots of fun riding on the back of motorcycles for 30 minutes in and around the camp. Then we ate some cake at an "American Shortcake Party".
From Monday to Thursday morning, to start the day we had a Bible Workshop. We had lots of time for outdoor and inside activities. The activities for each of us to choose included wall climbing, hiking, tubing, boating, massage and biking for Monday and Wednesday (morning and afternoon). For "Arts and Crafts" we worked on American wreath and flag projects and with mosaic tile. We had support group meetings on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. We had lots of fun with swimming and games in the pool on Wednesday afternoon. I had never been wall climbing until that Wednesday afternoon. I just wanted to try it. I finally climbed the wall and knew I MUST KEEP going up to the top. I finally got to the top of the wall. Then I climbed back down from the top. WOW, I really had to be brave. My legs just shook with fear. I really enjoyed the wall climbing. Other Deaf-Blind people and SSPs wanted to try. We had lots of fun climbing.
On Tuesday we went on a field trip at the Six Flags in Largo, Maryland. We had lots of fun there. A few Deaf-Blind people and SSPs stayed at the water park all day, including my SSP and me. Then my SSP and I went on some water tubing in the Water Park. We returned to the camp from Six Flags. We had lots of fun at outdoor water games and then at an ice cream party.
We had another field trip at the Annapolis Mall on Thursday all day. Some Deaf-Blind people and SSPs wanted to stay in the mall all day. Others wanted to go to the historic district of Annapolis. We had a wonderful time at Annapolis. Back at camp we had lots of fun square dancing and at an "American Bandstand" party that included dancing, music and snacks. Finally, we had awards. I was surprised to get a Certificate of Achievement for "Most Patriotic Male." I really enjoyed to meet my new Deaf-Blind friends and SSPs. Next year, I will go there again!
(Note from the Vicar: We at St. Barnabas are blessed to have persons who can serve as interpreters for those who are both deaf and blind. Michael is faithful to our church, as are several other deaf/blind persons in our community. We are blessed to have them with us.)
Good News from Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington!
Mr. J's Story
Mr. J had a good job and lived with his girlfriend and their two young daughters until the relationship took an unhappy turn. His girlfriend found someone else and asked Mr. J to move out. Mr. J ended up assaulting his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend and soon found himself in jail. After his release, Mr. J was homeless and out of work. When he arrived at the Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington, he had no high school diploma, his reading skills were limited and he needed assistance with job application paperwork. With the encouragement and support of Samaritan Ministry caseworkers and employment services volunteers, Mr. J found temporary shelter and began rebuilding his life.
As a participant in Samaritan Ministry's Next Step program, Mr. J developed a resume and job search plan that helped him find and apply for jobs. He learned how to interview for jobs with a positive attitude, describing his time of incarceration as a period of growth. Samaritan Ministry supplied him with bus tokens to get to and from job interviews (and later to and from work until there was a paycheck), food to eat and toiletries for personal hygiene. Eventually, Mr. J was re-hired by a previous employer, found a room to rent with a friend and was successful in buying a car.
Now Mr. J often comes by Samaritan Ministry's office just to say hello and to let the staff know that he is doing well.
* Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington is a partnership of 40 Episcopal and other churches in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. For information about this ministry and its Next Step approach to self-reliance, go to http://www.samaritanministry.com or call Gina Gatto at 202-722-2280.
104th Archbishop of Canterbury
Dr. Rowan Williams will succeed Dr George Carey, who is retiring at the end of October after eleven and a half years as Archbishop.
Dr Williams, aged 52, is currently Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Monmouth. He is expected to be enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury in the early part of 2003.
He has said: "An enormous trust has been placed in my hands, and I can only approach it with a degree of awe as well as gratitude that I have been thought worthy of it. Archbishop Carey has set a very high standard in his selfless work for unity and understanding within the Anglican Communion; I shall have a fine example to follow as I learn how to approach this task.
"I hope with all my heart that I can serve to nurture confidence and conviction in our Church, and to help Christian faith to capture the imagination of our people and our culture.
"My wife and I have been supported by the generous prayers and good wishes of so many people, and we want to express our thanks for such support: this is not a job to be undertaken in solitary splendor! I have much to learn, and hope that I shall discover how God is leading the Anglican Church, and how I can best co-operate with that leading."
Dr Carey had greeted the news that Dr Rowan Williams had accepted Her Majesty's offer of the post of Archbishop of Canterbury "with joy".
"Rowan will bring to this demanding office great abilities as a theologian and as an experienced Primate of the Anglican Communion. He and his wife, Jane, can count on my support and that of my wife, Eileen, as well as our prayers and good wishes in the days ahead."
The Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, has said: "I look forward to working with Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury and assure him and his family of my prayers at this time.
"The relationship between the two archbishops of Canterbury and York has traditionally been important. I hope that together we may develop a creative and collaborative partnership in the service of the whole church and for the fulfilment of the ministry and mission entrusted to us all."
Dr Williams will remain as Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Monmouth until the end of November.
Dr Carey does not cease being Archbishop of Canterbury until 31st October 2002.
10 Things You Never Knew About the New Archbishop * Rowan Williams is unable to drive. He is driven everywhere by his chaplain, so the chauffeur-driven world of Lambeth should come naturally.
* He is hard of hearing in one of his ears.
* He was a keen actor at Oxford, starring as Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons.
* He learnt Russian in six months. He speaks seven languages, including Welsh.
* He has had curious fashion tastes, with a particular fondness for black berets.
* He always travels second-class.
* He is married to Jane, the daughter of a former Bishop of Bradford, the Rt Rev Geoffrey Paul, in his day a prominent evangelical.
* Although he has taught at a number of theological colleges, Rowan Williams is the only bishop never to have gone through training for ordination.
* When a young schoolboy, Rowan Williams had a permanent note excusing him from all school sports.
* He is very fond of classical music, particularly Renaissance Baroque and Bach.
Here are their Mission Statements:
St. Barnabas' Mission of the Deaf:
To present the gospel of Jesus Christ to deaf people in the diocese and to promote the spiritual and temporal welfare of the deaf community.
The Episcopal Church: (per catechism in Book of Common Prayer, p 855)
To restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
Did you know that you are a member of a missionary society?
According to "Horizons of Mission" by Titus Presler, volume 11 in the New Church's Teaching Series: "Every Episcopalian is automatically a member of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society" which was established in 1821 by the General Convention.
Did you know that the Diocese of Washington has two companion dioceses?
They are the Diocese of Honduras (in Central America) and the Diocese of Cape Town (in South Africa). The Diocese is very involved in outreach to Honduras, one of the poorest countries in this hemisphere. According to the Diocese website, "Various housing, agronomy programs, church construction, clergy support, medical clinics and schools are all supported by parishes and individuals throughout the diocese. Construction, medical, youth and social work teams from Washington have continued to reach out to our Central American brothers and sisters."
Have you ever visited the Deaf community in Honduras or Cape Town? Do you have an interesting story to share, a trip you have taken, a visit you have made? If so, please see the asst. editor and we can discuss a newsletter article on the topic.
Are you aware that we have a weekly "rota" of worship responsibilities for which you may volunteer? We need persons who will read lessons, share the Prayers of the People and provide us with signed music for the service. We also need people will bring refreshments each week for our Coffee and Fellowship Hour immediately after our worship service.
Please sign up to share in these important duties of ministry. You will usually find the rota (sign-up sheet) in the Vicar's office. If you do not see it, ask the vicar, or a member of the Mission Committee, to help you locate it. These responsibilities are as much a part of your stewardship to God as your offering. Stewardship is not a commitment of money alone but of time and talent.
If you would like to provide food and beverage for Coffee Hour team up with one or two other members to make it easier financially. Because we have several members, including the vicar, who are on special diets it is helpful if you can provide some sugar-free items.
Chair: The Rev. Barbara A. Allen
Vice-Chair: Virginia Lindsay
Asst. Vice-Chair: Rudy Hines
Secretary: Tom Hattaway
Treasurer: Jim Lindsay
Asst. Treasurer: Ed Knight
Members At Large: Christina Duley, Marlene Hines, Steve Holst, Marshall Wick
2002
Schedule and Readings
Services are in Sign Language with voice interpretation for hearing persons.
Jeremiah 15:15-21; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:21-27; Psalm 26:1-8
September 8 Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 18
Ezek. 33:(1-6)7-11; Psalm. 119:33-40; Rom. 12:9-21; Matt.18:15-20
September 15 Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 19
Ecclesiasticus 27:30-28:7; Romans 14:5-12; Matthew 18:21-35; Psalm 103:8-13
September 22 Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 20
Jonah 3:10-4:11; Philippians 1:21-27; Matthew 20:1-16; Psalm 145:1-8
September 29 Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 21
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:28-32; Psalm 25:25:3-9
October 6 Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 22
Isaiah. 5:1-7; Phil. 3:14-21; Matthew 21:33-43, Psalm. 80:7-14