St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Berkeley Springs, WV
ST. MARK’S
September 2015
Connections
Rector’s Reflections
The Rev. Brian Shoda
It is hard to believe that September is already here. This summer is really
going fast. Maybe it is a sign of old age, but the months have flown by. My thought is that the
quickly passing weeks must mean that we are having fun because we all know that good times
go by quickly and bad times take forever to go away.
This month brings back the sad memories of September 11, 2001, which is one of those
memories that stands frozen in time. Most people can recall where they were when they heard
or saw the tragedy of the attacks. It was a time frozen in terror at the fates of so many people
inside the towers being broadcast on live TV. We all sat around and worried what would
happen next as we heard of the crash of the plane in Shanksville and the plane that flew into
the Pentagon. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s words, “…a date which will live in infamy”
came to mind.
The original ‘day of infamy’ was a connection to another terrible day that happened on
December 7, 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. That event lead to the bloody
events of the Second World War that ended 70 years ago with the nuclear bombings of Japan
in August of 1945. We need to pray that such a thing will never happen again. The
consequences of both sneak attacks have lead to so many wars and conflicts, so many deaths
and widespread destruction around the world. As I said, we need to pray that such a thing will
never happen again.
One other reflection that I want to point out is that it is 70 years since World War II ended
and that means that all our veterans from that war are at least 86 years old. When I grew up
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The Episcopal Church
On November 1 Michael Curry
will succeed current Presiding
Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
and he will become the first
person of color to hold that
position.
“God loves you just the
way you are, but he
[doesn’t intend] to leave
you that way.”
Max Lucado
Diocese of West Virginia
Our 138th Diocesan Convention
will be held October 23-25 in
Pipestem, West Virginia. Linda
Lockhart, Dennis Durity, and
Fr. Brian will represent St.
Mark’s at the convention.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Berkeley Springs, WV
September 2015
Ordinary time
Opportunities to
serve
Morgan County
Interfaith Emergency
Care (MCIEC)
Donations of food and
money to MCIEC help
support families in need.
Items such as bath
soap, toothpaste, and
toilet paper along with
food items such as canned
vegetables, canned soup,
cereal, jelly, tuna, canned
kidney beans, macaroni &
cheese, beef stew, peanut
butter, pork & beans, rice
(1# bag), saltine crackers,
and spaghetti and sauce
are especially helpful.
This year-round
ministry is always in need
of help from all of us.
Contact Sally Berman at
(304) 947-7616 if you have
questions.
The seasons of our
liturgical year move from
Advent to Christmas, into
Lent followed by Easter. As
Easter season comes to an
end we celebrate Pentecost
and then we begin the long
period that isn’t part of a
season at all. We are now in
what is known as Ordinary
Time, coming from
“ordinal”, meaning simply
“counted time”.
Ordinary Time begins
after the Epiphany, runs
through Ash Wednesday
and starts up again after
Pentecost.
Depending on the year
there are either 33 or 34
weeks in Ordinary Time
making it is the longest
period of our year.
Seminal moments of our
Lord’s life, moments that
shatter expectations, are
remembered at Advent,
Christmas, Epiphany, Lent,
Easter, and Pentecost. In
these seasons we see purple,
white, red, and ever so
briefly, black before we
settle into the long days of
green.
It is during Ordinary
Time that we relax into our
Lord’s day-to-day life on
Earth. We are reminded
each week that God is with
us always, even in the
ordinary moments of life and
that is an extraordinary gift.
It is our time to grow and
mature in our faith as we
experience the mystery of
Jesus the man.
In the news
•
We received enough donations to replace all of the chairs
and tables in the undercroft. The vestry heartily thanks
all who donated to this effort. These considerably lighter
tables and chairs make setting up for events much easier!
•
A bid for altar kneeler cushions has been requested from
an upholsterer.
•
Our weekly Bible study will resume on Monday,
September 14 at 1:00 p.m. in the church office, located in
the building just North of the church. Enter through the
front door. There is very limited parking at the office.
The St. Mark’s parking lot is between Warren and
Market Streets, just North of the church office.
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St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Berkeley Springs, WV
Getting to know you
Phil Redmond
September 2015
and was trained as a medic during this time
of his life.
Cursillo, a movement within the church
that tries to enable Christians to live into
their uniqueness, originality, and creativity,
made it possible for Phil to meet Katie.
While attending a Cursillo weekend at the
Claggett Center in 1990 they met and later
were married in 1996.
Estele Bull, or Aunt Essie as she was to
Phil, played an important role in Phil’s life.
Between his 8th and 11th years of age he spent
many weekends at his aunt’s and uncle’s
house. Aunt Essie was a Baptist and a woman
comfortable in the arms of Jesus. It was
during one of these weekends that Phil
accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior.
The opportunity to play lots of golf in a
beautiful mountain setting drew them to
The Woods and they now enjoy their sixmonths a year spent in such a lovely place.
Their six months in Florida each year
changes the rhythm of life, but means that
the harsh weather of winter has been left
behind.
Phil never really was a Baptist. He was
born and raised in Baltimore and attended his
mother’s Methodist church until she decided
the family needed to be united in one church
community. Phil’s father’s St. Mary’s
Episcopal Church became the entire family’s
church home and remained so throughout
Phil’s youth.
Phil has served on the St. Mark’s vestry
several times and has pitched in when there
was work to do. Building maintenance
engaged him for many years and he
continues to take a turn at mowing the grass
and maintaining the grounds. He and Katie
work together as volunteers at the
Community Kitchen.
After being eduated as a pharmacist, Phil
spent his career at Noxell (they were later
purchased by Proctor & Gamble) where he
worked in reasearch & development, quality
control, and standards & testing. He made a
6½-year commitment to the Army Reserves
Aunt Essie would give thanks to know
that Phil’s recent, life-threatening illness
reminds him of his great blessing in having
a good life and a loving wife, and to never
take either for granted. We give thanks for
this as well.
In a word: Ambry or Aumbrey
The Ambry is a closed recess in the wall of a church, usually in the sanctuary at
the Gospel side of the altar. It is used for reservation of the Sacrament or for
Holy Oil used for those unable to come to services. The Ambry is also referred
to as the Tabernacle because in the Old Testament the Tabernacle was the
portable dwelling place for God’s divine presence. In St. Mark’s the Ambry is in
the wall on the right side of the Chancel at the front of the church.
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St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Berkeley Springs, WV
September 2015
September 20 Outdoor Worship and Picnic
The August vestry meeting was cancelled, but that doesn’t slow down our life together.
Our annual Worship service and picnic in Cacapon State Park is scheduled for the 20th. A
recent conversation with the Rev. Steve Cuff confirmed that in 1994, his first year at St. Mark's,
the picnic was held at a parishioner's home, as it had been in previous years. In 1995 the
church picnic was moved to Cacapon State Park, making this our 20th year in the park!
We will gather at 10:00 a.m. for a Eucharist service in the Pavilion near the Nature Center
(the Nature Center is shown on the map below) and continue our celebration with a picnic
immediately after the service.
The church provides chicken, drinks, and place settings. We are invited to bring a side dish
or dessert and there are electrical outlets available. The important thing is for everyone to be
there, in what Fr. Brian has called "God's Cathedral", and there is always lots of food so come
with our without a food contribution!
Rector’s Reflections, continued from page 1
all my uncles were veterans and it seemed that they would be around forever. Today it is
harder and harder to know a living veteran of that war. We need to honor all our veterans, but
especially the veterans of World War II. We have a few in our church and they need to be
recognized. It is a time that we will never forget but yet it is a time that is slowly fading into our
past. God Bless and honor those who served.
God Bless! Fr. Brian
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