May/June 2015
In the Company of St. Luke’s Saints
On May 16 and 17, St. Luke’s welcomed the Right Reverend Alan Scarfe,
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa. On Saturday, Bishop Alan met with the
Rite 13 youth who are beginning preparation for confirmation. In a special
commissioning service, he Alan blessed the young people and their parents as
they promised to support one another. The students are shown here in front of a
St. Luke’s classroom wall that they and their mentors, Karen Franczyk and Bill
Witt, designed and painted. They are (left to right) Alayna Ritter, Maddy Doeden,
Sophia Schillinger, Nick Goodwin, Alex Curtis, Mack Eastman and Joey Dunning.
On Sunday, Bishop Alan blessed more St. Luke’s saints, confirming four
adults and receiving another four into the fellowship of the Episcopal Church.
More photos, courtesy of Bill Witt, are on pages 2-3.
Commissioning Confirmands
On May 16, Bishop Alan commissioned young
people preparing for confirmation, blessing them
and their parents:
Left: Alayna Ritter and her parents, Curt Ritter and
Mary Donegan-Ritter
Mid-left: Alex Curtis and Nick Goodwin and their
parents, Kim and Karen Curtis
Mid-right: Sophia Schillinger and her parents,
Suzanne Freedman and Dean Schillinger
Bottom left: Mack Eastman and his mother Anne
Eastman; Joey Dunning and his father Matt Dunning
Bottom right: Maddy Doeden and her mother
Dawn Doeden.
Confirmation and Reception
May 17, 2015
During his visit, Bishop Alan confirmed and
received eight adults into the Episcopal Church.
Those who were confirmed are: Gail Callahan,
Karen Curtis, Troy Field and Patricia Schmolt
(mid-right photo). Those who were received
are: Kim Curtis, Julie Davies (lower right), Chris
Opsal (top left) and Jim Schmolt (top right).
3
All About Bishops
A Brief History: The earliest organization of the Christian
Church, in Jerusalem, was—not surprisingly—similar to that of Jewish
synagogues, but with a council of ordained “presbyters” (presbyteros in Greek,
meaning “elder” or “priest”, a leader of the local congregation). Presbyters
were not yet distinguished from overseers (episkopos), a term later used
exclusively to mean “bishop.”
Around the end of the 1st century CE, the Church's organization
became more settled and the role of bishops more important and more clearly
defined. At this early time a single bishop was expected to lead each separate
parish or Christian congregation, supported by a council of presbyters and one
or more “deacons” (diákonos”, meaning “servant", "minister" or "messenger").
As the Church grew, new churches in important cities gained their own
bishops, and churches in the regions outside important cities were served by
“chorbishops” (chorepiscopus”, or “rural bishop”). In time, however,
presbyters and deacons were sent out into rural areas by the bishops of the large
cities, and gradually these “priests” or “ministers” replaced chorbishops. Thus,
bishops changed from being leaders of churches in single urban areas to being leaders of the churches in a wider
geographical area.
Augustine, "Apostle to the English,"
was appointed as the first
Archbishop of Canterbury in 597
In the 4th and 5th centuries CE, as the power and authority of the Roman Empire diminished, the Church took
over much of the Empire’s civil administrative functions and structure; the Empire’s efficient organization actually
became the template for the growing organization of the church. “Diocese”, for example (from the Greek for
“administration”), which now designates the wider geographic areas of bishops’ authority (their “bishoprics”), was the
term for similar larger geographical administrative units in the Empire. As the structure of the Church became more
complex, groups of bishoprics (“episcopal sees”) were organized in larger units in which the bishop of one of them
had certain powers and duties of oversight over the others. This bishop was known as the “metropolitan archbishop”
or simply “archbishop” of that larger see.
During the Middle Ages bishops and archbishops came to occupy “temporal,” that is, secular, administrative
offices outside the Church in addition to their spiritual functions. After the 9th century, they served as chancellors—
chief governmental officers—to monarchs. The Lord Chancellor of England was almost always a bishop up until the
time of Henry VIII (16th c.). Today the senior bishops of the Church of England still sit in Parliament’s House of
Lords as representatives of the established Church of England and are known as Lords Spiritual.
Laws passed in England at the time of Henry VIII established royal authority in all matters temporal and
spiritual, and since the time of Henry’s daughter Queen Elizabeth I. the English monarch has been "Supreme
Governor” of this realm. Nonetheless, within Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion, official
ministry remains with the “threefold order” of ordained clergy: bishops, priests and deacons.
The Apostolic Succession is the means whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is held to be
derived from the original Apostles of Jesus by a continuous series or succession of bishops. Michael Ramsey,
Archbishop of Canterbury (1961–74), identified its three meanings: (1) One bishop succeeds another in the same
“see” (bishopric), thereby maintaining a continuity of church teaching and authority. (2) Bishops are successors of
the Apostles in that their functions of preaching, governing and ordaining are the same as those the Apostles had
performed. (3) Grace is transmitted from the Apostles to new bishops in each generation through the “laying on of
hands” by bishops whenever a new bishop is consecrated.
4
All About Bishops, cont’d.
The Apostolic Succession is said to have begun in the earliest Church, where the original Apostles appointed
successors to continue their work wherever they planted churches. These successors in turn appointed others in order
to assure the truth and continuity of teaching as transmitted by Apostles. The term “bishop” was used to refer to such
appointees. Today we understand Apostolic Succession to mean the entire series of bishops, from the beginning and
regardless of “see” (bishopric), each consecrated by other bishops themselves similarly consecrated in the succession
going back to the Apostles. “Consecration” is the term traditionally used for the ordination of a new bishop, though
the term "episcopal ordination" is now becoming more common.
Churches that claim some form of succession dating back to the apostolic era include the Catholic Church, the
Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion, the Moravian Church and some Lutheran churches. The Anglican
Communion has never officially endorsed any one particular theory of the origin of the historic succession or the
sense in which it should be thought of as God-given and tolerates a wide variety of views on these points. Instead, its
claim to apostolic succession is rooted in the Church of England's evolution as part of the entire Western Church.
Apostolic succession is viewed not so much as conveyed mechanically through an unbroken chain of consecrations,
but as expressing continuity with the unbroken chain of Christian commitment, beliefs and mission begun with the
first apostles, thus emphasizing the enduring yet evolving nature of the Church.
A Bishop’s Duties: Bishops in the Anglican Communion are ordained to be shepherds of Christ’s flock
and guardians of the faith of the apostles. They provide the leadership for the Anglican Communion. Most bishops
oversee a diocese, some are consecrated as “suffragan bishops” to assist diocesan bishops in large or busy dioceses,
and some are relieved of diocesan responsibilities so they can minister more widely (especially primates such as our
Presiding Bishop, who concentrate on leading a member church of the Communion).
Legislative authority in the Episcopal Church as to doctrine, discipline, and worship resides in the General
Convention, which is composed of two houses, the House of Deputies (laity, priests, and deacons) and the House of
bishops. Both houses must approve any legislative action of the Convention, thus the power of the bishops is
significantly less than in the Church of England. The Episcopal bishops, as a group, can take no action without
approval of the House of Deputies except to the extent that the General Convention has previously delegated authority
and responsibility to the bishops. Those delegations of authority and responsibility are found in the Book of Common
Prayer, the Constitution, and the Canons.
The Outline of the Faith in the Book of Common Prayer (p. 855) answers the question, “What do Bishops
do?” The bishop “is to represent Christ and his Church, particularly as apostle, chief priest, and pastor of a diocese; to
guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the whole Church; to proclaim the Word of God; to act in Christ’s name for
the reconciliation of the world and the building up of the Church; and to ordain others to continue Christ’s ministry.”
Thus, bishops are the chief priests and pastors of their dioceses, and all other clergy derive their ministry from them.
They are responsible for seeing that the full truth of the Gospel of God in Christ is proclaimed. They administer the
discipline of the Church and see that the official worship of the Church is used in the Churches under their care.
The Ordination Rite for Bishops (BCP p. 517) states that a bishop is “called to guard the faith, unity, and
discipline of the Church; to celebrate and to provide for the administration of the sacraments of the New Covenant; to
ordain priests and deacons and to join in ordaining bishops; and to be in all things a faithful pastor and wholesome
example for the entire flock of Christ.” Furthermore, bishops are to share with their fellow bishops in the leadership
of the Church throughout the world.
The Book of Common Prayer restricts the administration of the rites of Confirmation and Ordination to
bishops and also gives bishops great authority over any variations in the liturgy to be permitted within the bishop’s
diocese. When a bishop presides at baptism, he or she represents the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church in its
broadest sense. It is also in this capacity that bishops administer the Confirmation and ordain persons to the ministry.
Bishops travel throughout their dioceses during the year to be present in parishes at scheduled Confirmation services
and at other times as appropriate or as invited. In addition, the bishop might play an important role when a parish is in
transition, in resolving conflicts at the parish level by a pastoral consultative presence or a disciplinary intervention.
5
A Bishop’s Dress and Insignia
Traditionally, a number of items are associated with the office of a bishop, most
notably the mitre, crozier, cope and ecclesiastical ring. Other vestments and insignia
associated with the bishopric include a cassock, purple zucchetto, and pectoral cross. The
traditional choir dress (garb for public prayer and administration of sacraments) of
Anglican bishops also includes a long rochet, which is worn with a chimere.
MITRE: The mitre piece of clothing most often associated with bishops. If you have seen
a chess set, you’ll know that even the chess pieces called bishops are topped off with
mitres. Mitres are usually white, gold or red, sometimes quite beautifully embroidered,
and have two tails, called “lappets,” that fall from the back. The shape of the mitre is
Archbishop Justin Welby
supposed
to represent the tongues of fire that rested on the heads of the disciples gathered
in mitre and cope
in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost, when God sent the Holy Spirit to the Church.
During church services, bishops take their mitres on and off, depending on what is happening in the liturgy. For
instance, the bishop always removes the mitre when offering prayer to God.
CROZIER: The stylized staff of office of a bishop. It has a curved or hooked top, similar in
appearance to staves traditionally used by shepherds, hence is also known as a crook.
ECCLESIASTICAL RING: Bishops wear a special ring that symbolizes their authority as a
bishop. The style of the episcopal ring has usually been large and gold, sometimes bearing
the diocesan shield and sometimes set with a stone, usually an amethyst.
COPE A ceremonial cloak or cape that is semicircular and richly ornamented, with a clasp in
front and a hood in back. It is worn over the cassock or alb and stole. The shape is derived
from the outdoor overcoat worn in the Roman Empire. The bishop may wear a cope at the
Eucharist during the entrance procession and even during the liturgy of the word and when
performing Episcopal functions such as ordinations and confirmations.
CASSOCK: The cassock was for centuries the basic garment of the Christian clergy. In its
Anglican form it is an ankle-length garment, sometimes double breasted, with buttons up the
front, gathered at the waist either with a band of the same material or with a leather strap.
While variations in color may be seen, the usual colors for bishops are black and purple.
Presiding Bishop
Katharine Jefferts
Schori in cassock,
rochet, chimere, tippet
ZUCCHETTO: A small, hemispherical, form-fitting ecclesiastical skullcap.
PECTORAL CROSS: A cross that is worn on the chest (“pectoralis” is Latin for “of the chest”), usually suspended from
the neck by a cord or chain. A bishop’s pectoral cross is usually large and may incorporate stylized designs and
religious symbols.
ROCHET: A vestment of white linen or similar material that replaces the surplice (the tunic of white linen or cotton
fabric, reaching to the calf and worn over a cassock by clergy, acolytes, and choristers at Christian church services).
The rochet has long sleeves that often end in ruffles or pleated cuffs, wide or moderately wide sleeves, and is
generally used only by bishops. It usually is worn under a chimere.
CHIMERE: A robe without sleeves worn over a rochet. Traditionally black, in recent times it is usually red.
TIPPET: A black ceremonial scarf which is worn over the chimere. Tippets are often worn by bishops in place of a
stole although priests may also wear them. A tippet may sometimes bear the symbol of the seminary from which its
wearer received his or her degree.
6
The People of St. Luke’s
Of course we all know one another over coffee, or from chats in the narthex, but in this
section each month we’ll be asking our members to tell us a little more about themselves in
brief biographies.
Suzanne Freedman
I was born in Brooklyn, but grew up on Long Island. I have a brother two years younger
than me and we have loving parents who love traveling. I fondly remember many summer
vacations spent in our station wagon driving out West or East.
Many people think of Long Island as being primarily Jewish. I’m Jewish—I went to Jewish
Sunday School and my brother had his Bar Mitzvah at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem—but I
grew up in a neighborhood where most of the people were not. Many of my friends were Catholic, and at times, it was
difficult being in the minority—not necessarily because of religion per se, but more so because of the holiday celebrations.
Although I love running now, as a child I wasn’t involved in any school sports. My passion was horses and horseback
riding. With my parents’ help and a small inheritance from my grandmother, I was able to buy a horse when I was 15 years
old. I rode English and participated in many horse shows. Every spare minute outside of school was spent at the barn. I
had a paper route, did a lot of baby-sitting and worked at the barn to pay for the upkeep of my horse, Choicee.
I wanted to continue riding during college, so I selected a college that had an equestrian team and became a Fighting
Blue Hen at the University of Delaware. I majored in Psychology and soon realized that graduate school was in my future.
My mentor was a developmental psychologist who influenced me to study child and adolescent development. I was
accepted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I still remember the comments I received when telling people on the
East Coast that I was going to Wisconsin for graduate school. Many asked where Wisconsin was and why I wanted to go to
the Midwest.
I earned masters and doctoral degrees at Madison and stayed an extra year to complete an internship in counseling. I
studied the psychology of interpersonal forgiveness and completed a dissertation on educational intervention using
forgiveness as the goal with incest survivors. Forgiveness education then became my research agenda for the next 25 years.
I became more seriously involved in running when I committed to a marathon-training program while on the job
search. I figured training for a marathon would help me cope with the stress of looking for a job in academia! I completed
the marathon in May 1994 and started teaching at UNI in that fall.
I remember crying when I moved into my rental house here in Cedar Falls, I was so excited to be living on my own
after 11 years of living with roommates, but I was also very sad about leaving Madison. But I quickly grew to love Cedar
Falls and the wonderful community of people here. Although I met my husband, Dean Schillinger, in Madison after my
first year of teaching, he soon moved here and we were married in July of 1996. Sam was born in 1998, Sophia in 2001 and
Ruby five years later in 2006.
Our monthly weekends to Madison became less frequent as we embraced life in Cedar Falls, meeting new friends and
becoming involved in new activities and organizations. I became a member of the Iowa Women’s Foundation and joined
our local “Chicks for Change” group in the Cedar Valley around 2000. We had the first “Run Like A Mother” 4-Mile
Run/Walk in 2003 and just completed the 12th Annual Run/Walk. [Editor’s Note: On May 13, the Iowa Women’s
Foundation honored Suzy with an Ovation Tribute Award.]
Our religious journey has led down many paths, but eventually led us to St. Luke’s, where we are so fortunate to have
found such a welcoming and supportive community. Coming from different religious backgrounds, Dean and I decided
that we would expose our children to both Judaism and Christianity. Although neither of us was very religious, neither of
us wanted to give up the religion we were born into.
We began to celebrate the Jewish holidays with a group of friends and still do so today. After Sophia was born, Dean
started attending St. Stephen’s Catholic Church with Sam and Sophia and I would join them occasionally. I also took Sam
and Sophia to the synagogue in Waterloo for Sunday school for two years when Ruby was a baby. We visited the Unitarian
church and for several summers attended the Midwest Unitarian Universalist Summer Assembly in Lake Geneva,
Milwaukee, and Missouri.
We had friends who attended St. Luke’s and I knew Ben Webb. We attended the Christmas Pageant and Lasagna
dinner and slowly began to get to know the St. Luke’s community. We were not really shopping for a church, but St.
Luke’s became the spiritual family that we did not know we were missing. We started attending regularly the year before
Elizabeth became our rector. We love how open, accepting and child-focused the St. Luke’s community is and feel so
comfortable and welcome here. We are truly thankful for our life in Cedar Falls and all the blessings it has brought to us.
7
Episcopal Church General Convention to be held in June
By ENS staff | May 1, 2015
The Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has announced the
names of the bishops it will nominate this summer to succeed Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.
The Rt. Rev. Thomas Breidenthal, 64, Diocese of Southern Ohio. Breidenthal was dean of
religious life and of the chapel at Princeton University in New Jersey when he was elected on
Nov. 11, 2006, to be the ninth bishop of Southern Ohio.
The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, 62, Diocese of North Carolina. Curry was
the rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church, Baltimore, Maryland, when
he was elected on February 11, 2000, to be the 11th bishop of North
Carolina.
Thomas Breidenthal
The Rt. Rev. Ian Douglas, 56, Diocese of Connecticut. Douglas was the
Angus Dun Professor of Mission and World Christianity at Episcopal
Divinity School when he was elected on Oct. 24, 2009, to be the 15th
bishop of Connecticut.
Michael Curry
The Rt. Rev. Dabney Smith, 61, Diocese of Southwest Florida. Smith
was rector of Trinity Church, New Orleans, Louisiana, when he was
elected on Dec. 9, 2006, to be the fifth bishop of Southwest Florida.
Ian Douglas
The election will take place at the 78th General Convention of the
Episcopal Church being held in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 25 – July 3.
At that time, House of Bishops will vote on the nominees. The nominee chosen by the Bishops
will be recommended to the House of Deputies to confirm or deny the recommendation. The
presiding bishop-elect will preach at the convention’s closing Eucharist on July 3, and Jefferts
Schori will preside. The presiding bishop-elect’s nine-year term officially begins Nov. 1, 2015.
Videos of the candidates and an opportunity to ask them questions can be found at
www.generalconvention.org/pbelect
Dabney Smith
Other major issues to be considered at the General Convention are:
A proposal to enable Episcopal Church clergy in any diocese to officiate at same-sex marriages, if these are legal
in their state. The proposed revision removes gender-specific language from the canon that now requires couples
to “understand that Holy Matrimony is a physical and spiritual union of a man and a woman.”
The Task Force for Reimagining the Episcopal Church (TREC) report which recommends changes in governance
and administrative structures.
Bishop Alan Scarfe will attend as a member of the House of Bishops. Retired bishops also continue as members of
the House. The Diocese of Iowa deputation includes four other clergy and four lay deputies:
The Rev. Dr. Cathleen Bascom, Forest City
The Rev. Jan "Raisin" Horn, Iowa City
The Rev. Canon Kathleen Milligan, Dubuque
The Rev. Carl Mann, Spirit Lake
Ms. Margaret "Maggie" Tinsman, Bettendorf
Mr. William "Bill" Smith, Jr., West Des Moines
Mr. Mike Wagner, Iowa City
Dr. Brian Jones, Waverly
And from St. Luke’s: Tiffany Farrell has been selected from a pool of applicants from across
the Diocese to attend the upcoming General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Salt Lake
City in July. She commented, "After being a youth delegate to Diocesan Convention, I wanted
to observe General Convention to learn how the church governs itself on a larger platform. I
am very excited for this opportunity to represent St. Luke's and the Diocese of Iowa."
8
Magdalene Project and Thistle Farms
Reclaim Women’s Lives
From The Tennessean, Magdalene and Thistle Farms websites, other sources
The Magdalene Project in Nashville, Tennessee is a two-year recovery
program for women coming out of prostitution, trafficking and addiction.
Residents receive free housing, food, medical care, therapy, education, job training
and other services for two years without charge and without government funding.
36 women are enrolled in the program, with 80 to
100 on a waiting list.
The Project’s six homes function without
live-in staff, relying on residents to create a supportive community, maintain
recovery, and share household tasks. Women come to Magdalene from prison, the
streets and from across the Southeast and the country. They range in age from 2050, and many have been abused between the ages of 7-11, began using alcohol or
drugs by 13, have spent years in and out of jail, and have spent on average a decade
on the street. 72% percent of the women who join Magdalene are clean and sober 2
1/2 years after beginning the program.
Why “Thistle”? Thistles grow on the
streets and alleys where residents and
graduates of Magdalene previously
walked. Considered weeds, thistles have
a deep root that can shoot through
concrete and survive drought. In spite of
their prickly appearance, their royal and
soft purple center makes the thistle a
mysterious and gorgeous flower. Into
every Thistle Farms product goes the
belief that love is the most powerful force
for change in the world. The hope is that
people will come to see Thistle Farms as
a humble but powerful business
synonymous with women’s freedom.
Purchases of Thistle Farms products
directly benefit the women by whom they
were made. Thistle Farms products are
now available in over 400 stores across
the country and also may be purchased
online at www.thistlefarms.org.
After four months in the
program, the women find work,
return to school and/or enter
Magdalene’s job training program at Thistle Farms, a social
enterprise. Magdalene also offers a matched savings program to
help residents prepare for economic independence upon graduation.
Women who remain in recovery two years post-graduation are
eligible for a new-home-buying program administered by two local
congregations and Magdalene.
Magdalene was founded not only to help a subculture of
women, but also to help transform the culture itself. Its fundamental
purpose is to stand in solidarity with women who are recovering
from abuse, trafficking, addiction, and life on the streets, and who
have paid dearly for a culture that continues to buy and sell women.
The Magdalene project was founded in 1997 by the Rev.
Becca Stevens, an Episcopal priest and chaplain at Vanderbilt
University’s St. Augustine's Chapel. In the anti-human trafficking
movement, Stevens believes in a housing-first model with economic
independence for survivors.
In 2001, she began Thistle
Farms social enterprise to employ
residents and graduates of Magdalene.
Thistle Farms employees produce
natural bath and body products such as
bath salts, body balms, healing oils, lip
balms, lotions, scents and soap that are good for the earth as well as
the body. They also create paper products such as notecards,
greeting cards, wrapping paper, bookmarks and gift tag and sell
“Love Heals” shirts, caps, candles, coffee and tea. The operation
includes the Thistle Stop Café and a global initiative, Shared Trade.
About 40 Magdalene residents and graduates work at Thistle Farms, which has annual sales of around
$1.5 million. The Magdalene Project was featured in the documentary “A Path Appears” shown on PBS in December
2014. (See the film online at www.pbs.org/independentlens/path-appears/)
9
Anika’s Story
Anika Rogers arrived at the Magdalene recovery community when
she finished her jail time on her 87th arrest. She had been repeatedly
assaulted, nearly killed in an alley, and was homeless and hopeless. The
Rev. Becca Stevens was there to meet Rogers when she arrived. And
Rogers was
dumbfounded.
Magdalene’s 24 Spiritual Principles
Magdalene’s programs are grounded
in its 24 Spiritual Principles, which advocate
living gracefully in community with one
another. Residents, graduates, staff and
volunteers share daily tasks, offer hospitality,
build on each other’s strengths, and provide
compassionate, disciplined support.
Magdalene’s spiritual principles are
deeply influenced by the Benedictine
monastic Rule. Rooted in fidelity,
hospitality, reverence, and love for all
humanity, the Benedictine Rule calls for a
balanced way of life in which “the heart
becomes broadened with the unutterable
sweetness of love.” Out of the experience of
living together, the Magdalene sisters,
developed their own guidelines for living,
describing practical ways we can love one
another without prejudice or judgment.
1. Come Together
2. Proclaim Original Grace
3. Cry With Your Creator
4. Find Your Place in the Circle
5. Think of the Stranger as God
6. Take the Longer Path
7. Make a Small Change and See the Big
Difference
8. Let God Sort It Out
9. Stand on New Ground and Believe You
Are Not Lost
10. Forgive and Feel Freedom
11. Unite Your Sexuality and Spirituality
12. Show Hospitality to All
13. Laugh at Yourself
14. Consider the Thistle
15. Listen to a New Idea
16. Lose Gracefully
17. Remember You Have Been in the Ditch
18. Walk Behind
19. Live in Gratitude
20. Love Without Judgment
21. Stay on Point
22. Pray for Courage
23. Find Your Way Home
24. Leave Thankfully
10
"I think I was
expecting somebody
with a tight collar
Anika Rogers (left) packs boxes of
telling you what you
Thistle Farms products
should and shouldn't do,"
she said. But "She hugged me and she said, ‘Welcome.’ She was
very humble. No show, no nothing. It was awesome. I felt love."
Ms. Rogers remembers being abused when she was 4.
Her mother was a drug addict and her father disappeared early.
Rogers ended up in seven foster homes in four years and was
molested in each. "I was feeling scared and alone," she said.
Rogers finally got adopted when she was 8, and her new
family moved her to Nashville. Soon thereafter, her adoptive
mother moved two male relatives into the home, and Rogers said
they molested her, too. The girl started lashing out, getting in
fights in school and landing in special education classes in middle
school. "I grew up feeling like something was wrong with me
because it happened all the time."
Eventually, Rogers struck out on her own on the streets,
often trading sex for money, food, shelter, and eventually crack
cocaine. When she was high, "all the pain and sadness I was
feeling went away," Rogers said.
In 2004 she was attacked in an East Nashville alley while
carrying drugs for a dealer. Multiple stabbings left her unable to
walk or talk for several days. She surrendered: "I got sick and
tired of being sick and tired.” In jail after her 87th arrest, she went
to a counselor in Metro Jail to ask for help.
That's when she found out about the Magdalene Project.
The Rev. Stevens is glad she did. Abused and beaten, Rogers still
arrived at Magdalene with a smile on her face. "There's so much
light and life in her," Stevens said. "It's easy to be friends with
Anika."
After therapy, parenting classes, computer classes,
recovery meetings, Rogers started to work at the project’s Thistle
Farms. She discovered she was a pretty good salesperson.
Stevens discovered Rogers also was good at telling her story and
telling the story of Magdalene, so she began taking Rogers on
trips to publicize Thistle Farms and its products.
The first trip was Rogers's first airplane ride. "I felt so
close to God up in the sky," she said. "It's how I grasped the idea
of a higher power. When you're way up in the sky, everything
looks perfect down there. That's when I realized that's how God
looks at me.”
The Rev. Becca Stevens
Episcopal priest Becca Stevens is Chaplin at Vanderbilt University’s St.
Augustine's Chapel in Nashville, Tennessee. She has received numerous honors for her
work with the Magdalene Project and her advocacy for women. In 2001, she was
named by the White House as one of 15 Champions of Change for violence against. In
2014, the Small Business Council of America named her Humanitarian of the Year and
she has been inducted into the Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame. She was awarded an
honorary doctorate by Sewanee: The University of the South.
She also is a prolific speaker and author whose work proclaims love as the
most powerful force for social change. Her books include: Finding Balance: Loving
God with Heart and Soul, Mind and Strength; Sanctuary: Unexpected Places Where
God Found Me; Hither and Yon: A Travel Guide for the Spiritual Journey; several
studies on Walking Bible (The Path of Peace; The Path of Love; The Path of Justice);
Funeral for a Stranger: Thoughts on Life and Love; Find Your Way Home: Words from
the Street, Wisdom from the Heart (co-written with the Women of Magdalene); The Gift of Compassion: A Guide to
Helping Those Who Grieve; and Snake Oil: The Art of Healing and Truth-Telling.
Of the lessons her work has taught her she says,
“One of the things I’ve learned is that whether we’re
successful, or we have setbacks, people want to hope
with you. If you’re talking about love, people want to
be on that journey. That is one of the most reassuring,
graceful things I can talk about, because all of us, all of
us within the world of social justice, are going to mess
up, all of us are going to have fears about our own
inadequacy, all of us are going to wonder, “Are we
doing enough?” “Are we doing too much?” We’ll need
love.
“The idea of love is so powerful that people
want to hope with us…that everyone in this work feels
empowered and hopeful. This isn’t a question of
success or failure, but a model of how we can live together in a new way. By nature, resurrection is a surprise. For
all of these years I have been doing this work, it doesn’t matter how much you talk about it, it doesn’t matter how
much you pray about it, it doesn’t matter how much you live into it, when you see this work and the fruits of this work
and you see new life on women’s faces it is a surprise. I’ve seen women do a cartwheel for the first time ever in their
life at Thistle Farms. It is a surprise. [R]esurrection in its best form is a beautiful, beautiful surprise. You never get
tired of looking and being surprised by love.”
Becca Stevens lives in Nashville with her husband, Grammy-winning songwriter Marcus Hummon, and their
three sons.
The Rev. Stevens was the
keynote speaker at two Iowa
conferences on the crime of
human trafficking held in
Davenport in January 2014. The
conferences, organized by the
Rev. Brian McVey, then rector of
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in
Davenport. McVey and Maggie
Tinsman, member of St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church in Bettendorf,
have championed the fight
against human trafficking in the
Quad Cities, an effort that has
been supported by the Episcopal
Diocese of Iowa. A future issue
of St. Luke’s Episcopal Voices
will feature more about the
efforts of the organization they
founded, Braking Traffik.
11
Episcopal
Voices
Holy Eucharist at St. Luke’s Church
Sunday 9:15
May/June 2015 issue
Nursery Care is available Sundays during the service.
St Luke’s Episcopal Church
2410 Melrose Drive
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
1-319-277-8520
The Rev. Elizabeth Popplewell, Rector
The Rev. Liane C. Nichols, Deacon
The Rev. Ruth Ratliff, Deacon
[email protected]
www.stlukescf.org
Sharon Anway, Music Director & Composer-in-Residence
Janet Sanders, Organist
Episcopal Voices is
published monthly.
Articles and suggestions are
welcome and encouraged.
Ken Cutts, Senior Warden
John Nocero, Junior Warden
Sue Daniels, Clerk
Mary Wieck, Editor
[email protected]
Vestry Members:
Diane Lyman, Doug Smith, Tom Riedmiller,
Curt Ritter, Wendy Brunko, Gail Callahan,
Tom Davies, Robert Hill, and Irv Rasmussen
Ruth Ratliff, Ass’t Editor
[email protected]
Jan Robbins, Ass’t Editor
[email protected]