Luke's log Dec. 2007

St. Luke's Episcopal Church
224 Northwest D Street
Grants Pass, Oregon 97526
(541) 476-2493

How things change! A month ago Pam and I were just arriving home from a month at the Maasae Girls School in Monduli, Tanzania. That month had a singular focus: getting the library in shape to once again be a useful and happy place for students and teachers. It was hard work, but you could see the progress day by day. We left deeply satisfied with what we had accomplished.

That reminds me of my days as a young Naval officer and noting that, though the deck hands on the USS Berkeley, whose days were filled with cleaning, scraping and painting, had jobs I was glad not to be doing, nonetheless those jobs that rewarded them every day and every hour by their visibility. They could see, and so could everyone else, what they had accomplished. The library was something like that. The changes were visible.

Now we are entered into Advent, a season of expectation, a new year; a season of hospitality and feasting; a season of giving and receiving. It can all get terribly busy – fun, joyful and taxing at the same time. Some of our holiday activities give us a quick sensory pay-off: the lights on the house, the aroma of baking, the greens in the church, the wrapped gifts, the melodies of carols. Yet those are only outward signs, little sacraments of more important things – things like faith and family and friendship.

The outward signs are useful means for us to affirm the things that most matter. They are means to more important ends. When we forget that, they can become idolatrous burdens that hinder our relationships with God and neighbor, not to mention our inner peace.

I’m an advocate of inner peace. Inner peace is not something we conjure up for ourselves, but something we ask of God. As we attend to God, as we think on Jesus, as we let the Holy Spirit move, we will have an inner peace, peace which, even in small doses, “passes understanding.”

So, treasure the outwards signs of Advent and Christmas, and let them lead you to deeper love of God and neighbor.

Some assorted counsels from your rector: (1) Come to worship. Come even if you have not been for a long time. You will be blessed and be a blessing. (2) Bring someone with you to church who has not been for a long time. Make it easy for them. (3) Include the poor and the church in your Christmas gifting. (4) Avoid using gifts to prove love for, or buy love from, others. (5) Listening to, and singing, Christmas music in home and car is permitted, and encouraged, in Advent and any other time. (6) Economy in the outwards signs and labors of the holiday may, or may not, help you to experience more of the inner joy. Frugality and excess each have their place. (7) Remember that God loves you, loves you so much that for you alone he would have taken our flesh, shared our trials, died for our sins, and won us heaven. Thank you, Jesus!

Noah Kelsey Calvert. Congratulations to the new parents Todd and Michelle Calvert. Noah was born at about 4:00am on Friday, November 23rd and weighed 7lbs 81/2oz and was 20 inches long.

Ben Widdison’s soccer team on winning the soccer championship by beating Rogue River (previously undefeated). Way to go Ben!

Duncan Fuller placed 14th in the state track meet. He runs the 3,000 meter race. He may be going to the nationals. Way to go Duncan!

If during the past year we have missed any child’s birthday, we apologize. However, we do need to update our birthday list. So, please call the office with the child’s name and birth date. Thank you.

            The annual St. Luke’s Christmas Basket program is getting underway! Last year the generous people of this parish provided baskets for over 20 families who needed some extra Christmas cheer and special gifts for 10 of shut-in members. This year there may be more. The baskets contain Christmas dinner ingredients and staples for several more days, along with toys and clothing for children. New toys are always welcome.
            Over the years, people have given in several ways. Some have sponsored a family, some have given food items such a ham, turkey or vegetables; others have chosen to give cash to be used as needed. If you wish to give cash, please make your checks payable to St. Luke’s with a notation in the memo line “Christmas Baskets”. Checks or food stuffs can be given to the office, Fr. Jim or me.
            Shopping day will be Friday, December 21st and the baskets will be packed immediately after shopping is completed. Distribution of the baskets will be on the Friday. This gift from St. Luke’s Family makes Christmas really special and a little brighter for some individuals and families in our community.
            If you would like to be involved in helping with the baskets or know someone that could use a basket and a bit of Christmas cheer, call John Kirschner at 474-2483, the office or Fr. Jim at 476-2493
            Thank you,
                        John Kirschner

Operation Bootstrap Africa, which is the US channel for support for the Maasae Girls Lutheran Secondary School (MGLSS) in Monduli, Tanzania, where Fr. Jim and Pam spent most of October, has an appeal called “Operation Underwear.”
The head of MGLSS made the need known in 2001, and the appeal has been ongoing, serving Both MGLSS and other girls in several other Tanzanian secondary schools.
Needed is “cotton underpants … sizes 5 to 8. Not fancy… just durable cotton briefs, which will wear well.” They need to be new. Tanzanian customs won’t allow second hand. So, watch for sales and bring them to St. Luke’s. Pam Boston will see that they are forwarded to Operation Bootstrap and on to Tanzania.

You are cordially invited to an

ADVENT
OPEN HOUSE

Monday, December 10, 2007
3:00pm to 7:00pm

At the home of
Fr. Jim and Pam Boston
518 NE Dean Drive
Grants Pass

African Team Ministries crafts and jewelry will be on display after both services on Sunday, December 9th. Audrey Dawson and Amanda Sloan will be happy to help you chose just the right gift for Christmas. The crafts and jewelry are hand-made by East African people and the sale of these items makes possible the education of orphans as well as AIDS education and prevention programs.

STEPHEN MINISTRY
Those who are participating in Stephen Ministry training are excited about what they are learning and looking forward with anticipation to what is yet to come in their training. We are also looking forward to the caring we will be doing in the future. Please continue to pray for those training to be Stephen Ministers and for the leaders; Dan and Joan Collins.

HEALING MINISTRY
Our healing prayer team offers prayers for individuals and families each Sunday in the baptistery at the conclusion of both the 8:30 and 10:30 church services. Many have already found this prayer resource a blessing. Just approach them and ask.
If you are interested in joining the Prayer team, contact Lynn Hughes at 476-4671 or the Church office.

MUSIC NOTES
Choir
Choir rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 5:30pm. We hope to be able to do some a cappella pieces, as well as things incorporating other instruments, such as handbells, drums, strings, the praise band, flutes, guitars, etc. Please come and join us.

Bell Choir
The Handbell Choir rehearses at 4:30pm on Wednesdays. New members are welcome. We hope to get bigger and better. Children are encouraged to join us. If you would like to learn more as well as have a lot of fun, call Edla at 761-6490

Praise and Worship Musicians
If you are interested in participating, please contact Ulf Bjorklund at 476-5012 for practice times.

Children Choir
Our Children’s Choir has been learning together after the 10:30 service, and will continue to do so on most Sundays. New singers are welcome.

WHAT’S ON THE CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER:
December 7                 : Set up for the Christmas Bazaar 11:00am
December 8                 : Christmas Bazaar 9:00am – 2:00pm
December 9                 : St. Nicholas Party 12:00pm
December 10               : Advent Open House @ the Boston’s 3:00 pm– 7:00pm
December 19               : Artists Dinner @ the Boston’s 6:30pm
December 20               : Vestry Meeting/Dinner @ the Boston’s 7:00pm
December 21               : Family Caroling, meet @ Parish Hall 5:30pm
December 22               : Adult Caroling, meet @ Parish Hall 5:30pm
December 23               : Oregon Youth Authority Service
December 24               : Christmas Eve Mass @ 5:00pm & 11:00pm
December 25               : Christmas Day Eucharist @ 10:00am

St. Luke’s Guild Christmas Bazaar will be Saturday, December 8th from 9:00am – 2:00PM. We will have a light luncheon (tea from 11:00am – 1:00pm), baked/canned goods and the craft and collectible tables. There will NO White Elephant Table this year. Set-up will be at 11:00AM on Friday, December 7th. Please call Crista at 659-9208 to let her know if you will be able to help on either day or to donate items.

Sunday, December 9th following the 10:30 service, our Senior Youth will hold a St. Nicholas Day Party for the children of St. Luke’s. Nicholas was a Greek boy in the ancient world of Asia Minor, now Turkey. He became Bishop of Myra, beloved by children and all those in need. He continues that tradition of care for children. We know him today as Santa Claus.

There will be stories, crafts, a video of his life, and a special meal of foods the Nicholas would have enjoyed as a boy. We hope we might get a visit from the saint himself. All children are invited. Adults can come too!

Both parties will start from the Parish Hall at 5:30pm and conclude by 7:30pm with cookies, cider and coffee at the Boston’s. The Friday party is for adults, youth and children. Saturday is adults only, as we will be caroling at the Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility. Both evenings we will be caroling at a nursing home or assisted living facility, and at a few homes of our shut-in members.

BOOKSTORE

The Bookstore will be open for those who would like to do some holiday shopping for themselves or for loved ones. Every Sunday until December 23rd you will have a chance to choose from a variety of books and CDs. Fran Turney has published a lovely book of poems and it will also be available. CD’s from the Maasae Girl’s School are also available and the music is wonderful!

In 1949 Michael was born to a Belgian mother and a British father. They lived in Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) where Michael’s father worked for a large British tea company. Michael recalls having contracted a tropical disease for which he was treated and cured by a native medicine man. Mike remembers Sri Lanka as a beautiful tropical country which he would love to visit again in the future.
At age five Michael, his mother and brother traveled by boat through the Suez Canal to Marseille, France. They settled in a village outside of Paris near Versailles where Michael had a chance to become reacquainted with his French and Belgian family. He remembers watching the Tour de Franc, eating his first hot-dog atop the Eiffel Tower and watching television for the first time.
In 1958 Michael and his mother and brother immigrated to the United States, this time traveling by propeller airplane and settled in West Lafayette, Indiana. After another move in 1965, Mike and his family settled in the Chicago area where Mike finished high school and later met Audrey in college.
Michael and Audrey were married in the Chicago area in 1970 and their first son, John, was born in 1974. In 1983, Mike’s career with Hills Brothers coffee relocated them to San Francisco where they settled and raised their son, John and later added to the family with their son, David.
Almost five years ago Mike and Audrey became “empty nesters” and moved to Grants Pass to live on a small cattle ranch on the Rogue River. They have been busy remodeling their farm house and making improvements on the ranch. They care for a herd of 50 Angus cows, two horses, a dog, and 5 cats. Mike is also currently self-employed as a commodities analyst. In their spare time, Michael and Audrey enjoy traveling and recently returned from a month’s sojourn in the Mediterranean.
Their son John and daughter-in-law Amy are now settled in Sacramento where both are practicing medicine. Their son David graduated with a major in Applied Physics from U.C.S.C. last June and is now in his first year at Stanford University’s graduate school of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering.
When Mike and Audrey first arrived in Grants Pass, they were attracted to St. Luke’s because of the friendliness and acceptance of the congregation. Mike says, “St. Luke’s feels like family.” Mike is very active as Treasurer for St. Luke’s and other volunteer programs such as the Tsunami Relief Effort which raised money for the Sri Lankan Tsunami victims. Mike doesn’t hesitate to help wherever needed.
We enjoy Mike’s cheerful, pleasant personality and appreciate his continuing help in all kinds of projects.

The Bible
Deacon Joani’s Wednesday morning Bible study is meeting at 10:00am in the Guild Room. Joani and the group are working their way through the Bible. The class will be studying the prophets beginning this month. Joani’s class will not be meeting on Wednesday, December 26th or January 2nd. All are welcome.

Genesis
There will be no Bible Study on Wednesday, December 26th. The group meets at 7:00pm at the home of Dan & Joan Collins at 531 Crestview Loop. New comers are welcome. Call Dan and Joan Collins at 476-6169 if you have any questions or need directions to their home.

MEN’S MONDAY MORNING BREAKFAST
The Men’s breakfast meets on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month and occasionally on a 5th Monday. Breakfast is at the Gold Miner Cafe on the corner of 7th and “M” streets at 8:15. If you have any questions, you can call the office at 476-2493

FISH
Once again the holiday season is upon us and the local food pantries are low on food. If you are able to fill a shopping bag with non-perishable food please put it in the wooden box near the front doors of the Parish Hall. The local FISH program which is open to serve our community will be glad of your donation. Please contact Margaret James at 476-8126 for more information on how you can help this wonderful program that’s so beneficial to our community.

HELP WANTED
Call Fr. Jim to learn more:         Kitchen manager
                                                  Acolyte Vestment manager
                                                  FISH Food Pantry volunteers (an ecumenical activity)
                                                  Archivist/Historian
                                                  Typist (For a project, 5 to 8 hours)
                                                  Prayer Chain members

The holidays are with us once again. It seems as though I just packed the Christmas decorations away last week and now I am thinking about getting them out again. Christmas is such a wonderful holiday. We celebrate one of the most momentous events in human history. It has been the holiday that brings families and friends together and we celebrate our love of Jesus and of each other. This should be where our energy goes and not into an orgy of gift giving and eating.
That is not to say that preparing good food should be avoided. It should, however, be done in moderation. One small batch of very special cookies and one small simple meal perfectly cooked is better than a mountain of overly rich but not so interesting food. It has the added gift of being healthier and giving us more time to relax and enjoy our families and friends instead of living in the kitchen or spending the time looking at football games. How about a good game of Scrabble or Monopoly where everyone can participate and have fun. When you are all together there is more time for conversation and enjoying each others company.
Therefore, follow the often repeated advice of not just the Parish Nurse, but just about every expert on the subject of holiday entertaining including Martha Stewart. Relax, keep it simple and celebrate the birth of Jesus with family and friends.

FAITH House is a Christian based home, started partly by St. Luke’s, which helps women and children restart their lives. The Wreath for the house is hanging in our Parish Hall. Please choose an ornament from the wreath and purchase the gift or gifts listed on the ornament. Return the gift with the ornament attached to the Parish Hall or Church office by December 15th. If you would like more information, you may call the office at 476-2493 or FAITH HOUSE at 476-6035.

DEREK SEALS
Please keep Derek in your prayers. Derek’s grandmother, Joanna Gullock, send updates by e-mail, so if you are on the church’s e-mail list, we will be sending out these to you. A web site is available for everyone to check on his progress. You can go to: www.caringbridge.org and click on visit and then type in derekseals and enjoy the site. Amy will be updating the site. If you would like to help the Seals family, an account has been set up at U S Bank in Derek’s name.

DAUGHTERS OF THE KING
There will be NO meeting for the month of December. Daughters of the King meet on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7:00pm. All women of the church are welcome. Please check the calendar in the Log or call the church office at 476-2493.

COMMUNITY RECYCLING CENTER
The Gospel Rescue Mission has been able to reopen their recycling center at 1010 SW Foundry Street. Their hours are Monday – Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm, Saturday 9:00am to 3:00pm. They accept the following materials:
Aluminum: such as beverage cans, pet food containers, pot & pans, pie plates, window and door frames. NO aluminum foil.
Clothing, linens, hats & shoes: in resalable condition. NO rags or items with paint or grease.
Copper, brass & bronze
Corrugated cardboard: moving boxes. NO waxed or greasy cardboard or paperboard items such as cereal boxes.
Paper products: computer paper, newspaper, junk mail or magazines.
Plastics: #1, 2, 4 containers such as milk jugs that are rinsed, pallet wrap, shopping bags. NO Styrofoam.

For a more extensive list you can call them at 955-1091.

FROM THE ALTAR GUILD
Thank you to all of you who have signed up for flowers and Sanctuary candles for 2007. The new 2008 flower calendar is up on the door to the Parish Hall. If you would like to give flowers for an anniversary, birthday, thanksgiving, or other remembrances, please sign on the date you would like to give flowers. The cost is $35.00. Please call the office at 476-2493 so that it may be noted in the Sunday Bulletin. If you have any questions about flowers or the candles, please call Flo Graham at 479-1493. Also envelopes are in the pews for donations for Christmas flowers.

TRACTS IN OUR NATHEX
Stop in the Narthex as you enter or leave the Church and look at the multitude of short publications available on the Tract Rack. You’ll see leaflets about church history, personal spirituality, and practical aspects of living the Christian faith. Some will answer questions about the Episcopal Church, some will address Christian marriage and parenting, and others are suitable for giving to someone in the hospital or may be going through difficult times. Also the November/December 2007/January 2008 edition of Forward Day By Day is available. Help yourself. Suggested prices are marked on each and you may leave your contribution in the labeled basket.

Response to Convention Outreach Projects
We give thanks to the people of the Diocese of Oregon for the incredibly generous response to this year’s convention outreach projects. 350 hygiene kits were shipped to Church World Service. Over $750.00 was contributed for shipping and handling of the kits. The bank is still counting the coin that came in the hundreds of water bottles that were brought to convention or have been delivered since. As of 11/30/07, our total deposit is over $17,000 and there is still more to be counted. All proceeds from the water bottle project will go to Episcopal Relief and Development to dig wells to provide clean drinking water for communities around the world. As you know, our original goal was to provide three wells – one each in India, Africa, and Latin America. Thanks to your generosity we will be able to do many more than that. We will keep you updated as we have more information.

Barbara Ross
Missioner for Christian Education and Lifelong Formation
Diocese of Oregon