SOUNDINGS The Newsletter of Saint John’s Episcopal Parish, Hagerstown, Maryland

January 2018Rector Ramblings on . . .

END OF YEARI’m going to be honest here – I pretty much dislike this time of year. It’s not that I dislike the holiday season or Christmas, it’s that I dislike this time of year.

Christmas, and the getting ready for Christmas, are all fine and dandy; it’s the year-end things that cause frustration/anxiety/apathy/annoyance or whatever other adjective you want to use. In the office, that means working on a budget, seeing that the annual report is in process and will be ready by the annual meeting, the reception of the parochial report in the mail, wrapping up the pledge drive, reminding people to get their reports turned in, and any number of other things that pop up.

At home this means beginning to gather up receipts and records for taxes, wondering why I didn’t do something this past year and promising to be a better adult next year, which never seems to happen. Mileage logs, professional expenses, doctor visits, prescriptions, W-2’s (or is it W-4’s . . . 1099’s?) and on and on.

Add to all of that the work of the season – Christmas cards, shopping, baking, visiting. The joy of the season can be squashed by bills, budgets, and taxes. So no, this really isn’t my favorite time of year.

And yet, even with all of that, it’s a good thing that when the date for Christmas was being sorted out, someone had the bright idea and foresight to infuse the year-end project of gathering receipts for the upcoming tax season with a bit of joy.

This really is a whiplash kind of season. On the one hand we are trying to organize our life for whatever agency demands we do so. On the other hand, we are working to create a celebration atmosphere that involves family and friends. The sun rises late and sets early. But we also fill the darkness with lights in and on our houses and trees. This is the time of year when we get pulled in many different directions. That pulling, those expectations from different people and groups, that whiplash, certainly can cause stress to increase, but luckily it isn’t often fatal.

There is a persistent myth that suicide rates increase in the winter months, especially during the holiday season. As it turns out, that is false, as suicides actually increase in the spring and summer while decreasing at this time of year. So we can cross that concern off our list of holiday/end-of-year stresses.

But it is still a stressful time for many people. What to do?

We probably all want to live in a Currier & Ives postcard scene, but that’s not realistic. We would probably all like to make it through this end-of-year season without any stress; but that’s not realistic either.

Maybe the answer lies in Scripture (a novel thought, I know). As I was thinking about all that needed to be done, and all that has yet to be done, and whether or not people will judge me negatively for my holiday failings, my mind recalled Matthew 6:25-34. This is the passage that begins, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,” and ends, “Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

This passage isn’t about doing nothing. It isn’t about not planning for the future. It’s about recognizing that we can get so carried away with worry that we forget to enjoy and appreciate today. For tomorrow will indeed bring worries of its own, and today’s troubles are enough for today.

As we come to the end of another year and begin looking forward to the next, understand that there are things needing to be done but try not to be overwhelmed by it all. Not everything needs to be done today, and what needs to get done today will get done today.

My prayer for you is that you had a blessed Christmas Day and are continuing to enjoy the Christmas season (just because the radio quits playing Christmas music and the stores have taken down their decorations doesn’t mean it’s over quite yet). I pray that the gifts of the wise men will inspire you to continually seek out Christ and offer gifts more precious than gold, frankincense, and myrrh – that of your selves, your souls, and bodies.

And I pray that in this whiplash season of endings and beginnings, of celebrations and collections, of darkness and light, you will take the time to focus on today.

Blessings,

Todd+

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ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual Meeting of St. John’s Episcopal Church will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2018, following the 10:15 service. Lunch will be served. New Vestry mem-bers will be elected. If you are in a position to write a report, i.e. chair of a Commission, lead a particular group or ministry, etc., all reports are due in to the office NO LATER THAN January 12, 2018.

2nd Annual Epiphany Party

The 2nd Annual Epiphany Party is scheduled for (of all things) January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. We will kick things off with Holy Eucharist in the church at 5 p.m. The party will continue in Trimble Hall at 6 p.m. with a potluck supper and the always enter-taining gift exchange/theft. Everyone is invited to come join the festivities as we celebrate the arrival of the Wise Men to the Holy Family’s home in Bethlehem. If you would like to participate in the gift exchange/theft, bring a wrapped gift ($25 limit, please) and place it under the tree. Following dinner we will then draw numbers to decide who gets to begin the gift selection and we will go until all the gifts have been opened.

Announcing Party of Prospect III!

Please mark your calendar for an evening of jazz in Trimble Hall on Friday, February 2. Dr. Mark Cook and accompanists will provide live jazz entertainment to soothe the winter blues! More details to follow.

Attention all Openers/Closers, Ushers, Acolytes, LEMs, and Lectors

Please remember to log onto the service schedule program and indicate which days you are not available to serve AS WELL AS when you are available (including special services such as Holy Week). Melonie is dependent on this information to ensure we schedule people properly and have the correct number of people serving on any given Sunday. She is currently working on scheduling through March, so the sooner you do this the sooner you will help make her life that much easier. Please contact Melonie if you have any ques-tions or problems. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and thank you for serving as you do.

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Christmas Boutique a Grand Success

The 2017 Christmas Boutique raised an amazing $425, all of which will be used to support the Youth Group’s Mission Trip to NYC this year. A huge Thank You to Mrs. Young and the youth themselves, who not only did a spectacular job of cleaning up the stage before the boutique, but also manned the “cash register”. Of course, without dona-tions to sell there would have been no Boutique, so many thanks to all who donated. And last, but certainly not least, many thanks to the kids, parents, and others who were enthu-siastic purchasers of our wares. With great teamwork we all had fun, enjoyed the fellow-ship, and accomplished wonders. Kudos to all involved!

Melissa Hutton

Giving Envelopes for 2018

Giving Envelopes for 2018: New giving envelopes will be available on December 31st. Please note your envelope number may have changed to simplify record keeping and re-duce the envelopes purchased. A list will be located at the back of the church with names and numbers. Use of these envelopes and numbers are helpful to the counters as well as record keeping for contribution statements. If you are not listed and would like envelopes, please contact the office.

Adult Education OfferingsSunday Adult Forum

Before We Were Christians…Beginning on January 7th, the Sunday Adult Forum will be starting a trip through the Hebrew Scriptures with Prof. Amy-Jill Levine, professor of New Testament Studies at Vander-bilt University. Dr. Levine is a much sought after speaker and Biblical scholar, author of numerous books, articles and essays on topics as diverse as Second-Temple Judaism, Christian Origins, and Biblical Women’s Role and Representation. Join us on Sundays at 9:10 a.m. in Saint Mary’s Chapel for a look at our pre-Chris-tian history and legacy.

Monday Night Adult Education

The series on the Book of Common Prayer concluded in December, and a new series (topic TBA) will begin on Monday, January 8. The Rector leads this educational series from 6-7pm on Monday evenings in St. Mary’s Chapel.

St. John’s Week at REACH

St. John’s week at the Reach cold-weather shelter for homeless adults is February 25 through March 4. We are looking forward to fulfilling our commitment during our week.Throughout the week approximately 70 volunteers are needed NOT including meals & kitchen help. Carla Charles has graciously agreed to coordinate all of the meals and kitch-en help. Please contact Carla directly if your interests lean toward the culinary services. Even if you’re not a cook, she can find a place for you in the kitchen. 301-991-7934For the remaining chores, coordinators Missy McCray and Linda Gray Jones are setting up in the Antietam Street entrance most Sunday’s between services in January. Please stop by and chat and sign up for a night or two or more. Copies of the various duties and requirements are available. Reach is requiring that ALL volunteers MUST fill out the ONLINE volunteer application PRIOR to their chosen shift/day at the shelter Missy and Linda are happy to assist with this for those who require or desire help. For more informa-tion or to sign up: Missy 717-420-7118 nmmjj101119@gmail.com or Linda 301-302-9810 pharmalinda83@aol.com.

Saint John’s silverware info needed – help!

The current silverware we are using is silver plated, and there are some sets that have “Saint John’s Episcopal Church” engraved on the handles. We are trying to find the origin of these pieces. When did we get them? Did parishioners donate money towards them? These sets we currently have need to be hand washed, and in this day and age and with the number of people we serve, they are just not practical. We had a generous donation of new eating utensils that can be sent through the dishwasher. How glorious. There are also some pieces with the initials F.C.U.W. Does anyone have any idea what these initials rep-resent? Before we decide what to do with the current pieces, we would like to see if we can find out their history. If you have any clues or information, please contact Dusty Graham.

Liturgical Calendars Available

Liturgical calendars are available in the church office for $ 3 each. Please speak with Melo-nie Orr, Parish Administrator.

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Music Notes“Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord”

(Psalm 95:1)Come check out our musical opportunities!

Saint Francis Choir (grades 1-3): Rehearsals resume on Monday, January 8 at 5:00 p.m.Dinner for Saint Francis and Canterbury Choirs: Resume on Monday, January 8 at 5:30 p.m.Canterbury Choir (grades 4-12*): Rehearsals resume on Monday, January 8 at 5:45 p.m.Parish Choir (grades 9-12 and adults): Rehearsals resume on Thursday, January 4 at 7:00 p.m. *Youth in grades 9-12 have the option of singing in either the Canterbury or Parish Choir.

For more information about the choirs, contact Mark King: 301-733-2560 x 108, or mking.stjohns@myactv.net

Many ThanksWe would like to thank Mark Cook, Celie Gross and friends from the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, and David Smith for providing music during the Holiday Houses of Worship Tour.

January Carillon Recitals at Mercersburg AcademyJanuary 7 – Jim Brinson (Mercersburg Academy), January 14 – John Widmann (Freder-ick, MD), January 21 and 28 – Jim Brinson. Recitals begin at 3 pm, and are free and open to the pub-lic.

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Great Composers Anniversaries for 2018

Cecil Frances Alexander, b. 1818Leonard Bernstein, b. 1918Lili Boulanger, d. 1918William B. Bradbury, d. 1868Charles Converse, d. 1868Claude Debussy, d. 1918Jeanne Demessieux, d. 1968Johann Franck, b.1618Charles Gounod, b. 1818Edward J. Hopkins, b. 1818John Mason Neale, b. 1918Sir Charles Hubert H. Parry, d. 1918Gioachino Rossini, d. 1868Giuseppe Scarlatti, b. 1718Franz Schubert, b. 1768Leo Sowerby, d. 1968Rene Vierne, d. 1918William Walond, d. 1768Healey Willan, d. 1968

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Youth GroupIs always open to any youth in the church in 6th grade and up who is interested in attending. Our normal schedule of Youth Group activities is for the first Friday of every month. These will range from movie and discussion topics, board game nights, outside activities like skating or swimming, and moving forward, hope-fully an even broader range. We bookend and frame our activities with prayer, beginning with joining into the larger parish’s Evening Prayer at 5:30 pm on Fri-days, and concluding our own evenings with Compline. The Youth Group met on December 1st for a festive pot-luck dinner and discus-sion of the differences between the gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke’s portrayal of the birth narratives of Jesus. Kate Riley, the youth missioner from the diocese, came and had a chance to hang out with the teens in a more relaxed setting than at a larger diocesan event.

In conversation with youth and parents, it was noted that our January First Fri-day would fall on the night before the parish Epiphany party. I asked parents and youth, and we agreed that for January we would skip having a separate youth group event on that Friday in favor of celebrating the Epiphany with the larger church family.

We will be having a youth group planning meeting scheduled for Sunday, Janu-ary 21st, following the 10:15 service. All youth in grades 6 and up, regardless of whether they have attended prior youth group events, are invited to come and help determine where our youth group should go from here!

Youth Update

Upcoming Events

The diocese is hosting a MLK Jr. Service Lock-In on Sunday, January 14th-Monday, Jan-uary 15th, at Memorial Episcopal Church, Baltimore. All youth in grades 8-12 are invited to attend. The lock-in will discuss methods for dismantling racism, have a service project for those in need, and culminate in joining the MLK Day parade for equality in down-town Baltimore as part of the Episcopal Church delegation. And as with any diocesan lock-in, it will probably also feature sugar-highs, way too little sleep, and a lot of fun and fellowship. All of our teens are strongly encouraged to attend.

Volunteer Opportunities!

We can always use more volunteers who want to interact and be present in the lives of our youth at St John’s. If you are interested in helping out, or want to know more about what types of volunteering are most needed, please contact Margaret Clinch and she will be glad to put you to work! A perennial volunteer opportunity is Children’s Chapel: explor-ing the Sunday’s gospel lesson with children in grades 6 and under during the first half of a Sunday service.

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VESTRY NOMINEES2018-2021

Here are the nominees for Vestry as presented by the Nominating Committee to be vot-ed on at the Annual Meeting. Any two Voting Members may nominate a candidate for membership on the Vestry by submitting such nomination, over their signatures, to the Registrar at least two weeks prior to the annual meeting of January 28, 2018.

KARLA DAVIS

My immediate family is my husband Bob. We have two children who grew up in St. John’s: David (in Winston-Salem, NC) and Katy (in Savannah, GA). We are blessed with three grandchildren: Lauren, Mason, and Oscar. I am a retired English teacher, and I presently work 20 hours a week as a board-certified Associate Clinical Chaplain at Meritus Medical Center. This spring will be the 40th anniversary of our moving to Hagerstown and joining St. John’s Parish. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been involved in many parish ministries includ-ing teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. Currently I serve on the Service and Outreach Commission, and I’ve been involved in many of their projects including facilitating the Learning Parties and Bester Shoeboxes. I was in the first group trained in Stephen Ministry, and I served in that capacity for 12 years. I love serving in worship as a chalicist, lector, and intercessor. I also am a LEM, taking Communion to parishioners not able to attend worship. I am an EFM graduate (2006), and I’ve been a member of the Daughters of the King since 2004. I helped found the Junior Daughters, and I’m co-direc-tress of JDOKS. Currently I serve on Regional Council, and I am in my second year of a three-year term on Diocesan Council. My community involvement right now is focused mainly on the hospital, but in the past, I was a member of Habitat for Humanity and the Maryland Symphony Orchestra Guild. If elected, I promise to continue to be an active member of the St. John’s Community. I am delighted to see our church growing under Fr. Todd’s leadership and welcoming new members. My vision is for us to reach out even more in service to the community. We need to be a vibrant witness to Christ’s love and the need for peace and justice in our world.

KIMBERLY HALSEYIn both my professional and personal life I strive to help people as they grow in knowl-edge, in love of their family and community, and in their ability to be the best they can be. Using my graduate degree in Multi-Cultural Education, I currently serve as Family Service Coordinator at the Judy Center, where I help families prepare for school (Kinder-

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garten readiness) and help Ruth Ann Monroe Primary School to support these families. My involvement in St. John’s was strengthened when I heard about the Church’s interest in supporting Learning Parties. I have worked with, and led, Learning Parties at various locations in Hagerstown, and it was exciting that St. John’s wanted to become involved. I was eager to help and lend my prior experience. These parties help families learn and also provide them with an opportunity to sit and eat together – something that can be missing from many of our lives. As a vestry member, I will work to support the many learning and outreach activities of our congregation and will help bring in new ones as we work togeth-er to build our church’s outreach to our community. I see St. John’s evolving into a vibrant downtown church that embraces diversity and all age ranges from children to the elderly. As a congregation, we need to spread the Good News of Christ’s love through our actions. And as we do so, our congregation of believers will grow.

MELISSA HUTTONI have been a member of St. John’s since 1995. I served on the St John’s Shelter for Home-less Families and was a facilitator on the Alternatives to Violence Project with our own Ron Williams (who still runs that program singlehandedly) at Roxbury Correctional Institution, both activities being many years ago. Since then I have served on the Vestry once, and been involved in lots of other St. John’s activities over the years, including as a member of the choir. This year and last I organized the Christmas Boutique as a fund raiser, first for Father Todd’s Transitional Expense Fund, and this year to help support the youth group with their mission trip to NYC. St. John’s is my beloved spiritual home, no question, where I am held accountable in my walk with Christ, and fed each Sunday through worship, sacrament, music, and fellowship. But St. John’s has also become my surrogate family, where I am not only welcomed but loved and supported, through good times and bad. Thus, St John’s has been a source of comfort and refuge for me. In a healthy church, as in a healthy family, the members must work together cooperatively to keep it healthy and productive. Now that I am retired I feel I have the time and willingness to make the extra commitment required of Vestry members. As one of the members of the body of Christ that is St. John’s. I humbly offer my time and talent to support our mission of outreach and love to our family within St. John’s, and the wider community around St. John’s.

MISSY MCCRAY

At the age of 15 I was the first female acolyte at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Hollidays-burg, PA. From that time on I have been a part of the Episcopal Church thru college years to the present. I spent 2 years in the United Brethren Church and 2 years in the Methodist Church as my children were growing up and I learned a great deal about the Bible and my faith during these years but always came back to my roots in the Episcopal Church. I

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taught Sunday school for many years as my children were growing up and, since becom-ing a member of St. Johns, have served as an Usher, participated in Mayfest for the past few years, served at the Reach Cold Weather Shelter and am one of the Coordinators this year. I have been employed by The Arc of Washington County Inc. for 17 years in many roles, first as a service coordinator for 5 Autistic children. I then developed a program for children with Autism. For four years I created self-employment businesses for people with disabilities and currently am the Director of Maintenance. I am honored to be considered as a candidate for the vestry and will serve to the best of my ability if chosen.

JANE ROZESI am a lifelong member of St. John’s Episcopal Church – baptism, confirmation, mar-riage, and someday, funeral. My son Charles, wife Connie and grandson Aidan(16) and Jason (14) live in London, England. Our daughter , Jennifer, lives in Hagerstown and my youngest son, Jonathan, wife Kathy and grandson Ben (12) and only granddaughter, Georgia (9) live in Portland, Oregon. In the past I have served on the Preschool Board, the Nursery Board and the Finance Committee. Presently, I serve on Fabric and Grounds, Altar Guild, Garden Club, Cashier, Mayfest, and generally try to help wherever needed. In the community, I am a life member of the Washington County Hospital Auxiliary – now the MeritusAuxiliary, where I have accumulated 40,000 plus volunteer hours of service. I started the Tree of Lights program at the hospital and served as president of the Auxiliary in the 1980’s. I am currently serving on the Board of Directors and on the Endowment Committee. I am a member of the Woman’s Club of Hagerstown serving on its Board of Directors. Lastly, I am a Stamping Up demonstrator and conduct classes teaching the art of paper crafting and card making. My hopes and dreams for St. John’s are to see our par-ish CONTINUE to grow within its walls—in numbers and in spirit and, in turn, I want to see the parish expand our presence in the community. Our numbers have grown but there is always room for more! And our presence in the community, with programs like Com-munity Café and Micah’s Backpack, should just be the starting point of our involvement in the greater Hagerstown area.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAYJudy Myers 1/2Phillip Barlup 1/3John Creager 1/3Priscilla LaGuerre 1/4Jan Wilcox 1/5Christina Argueso 1/6Bruce Massey 1/6Yolanda Velazquez 1/7William K. Jones 1/8Madison Smith 1/9James James 1/11Sue Murray 1/11Madison Dawson 1/12Valinda Detamble 1/12Bob Markle 1/13Alvin Massey 1/13

Ashley Myers-Brown 1/14Katherine Foreman 1/15Rob Slocum 1/15Haven Younger 1/16Linda Jones 1/19Ron Freitag 1/21Beth Kaetzel 1/22Bonna Nakopoulos 1/24Sareen Hebb 1/25Claire Kaetzel 1/27Reagan Ritchie 1/27Denise Foreman 1/29Benjamin Overcash 1/29Ron Myers 1/30Janice Seekford 1/31

Mark & Helen Cook 1/18George & Kathy Fuscsick 1/22Karen & Ron Freitag 1/24

Bill & Phyllis Sturtz 1/28John & Barbara Creager 1/30

HappyAnniversary!