September 2015
Journey to Adulthood
Mission Trip to Dallas
This summer, five young people from St. Luke’s journeyed to Dallas, Texas to
participate in a service mission. Together they repaired houses, sang, talked,
prayed, spent a lot of time riding in a van, and also took time for sightseeing.
See their reflections on the experience on pp. 1-2.
Tiffany Farrell, James Ritter, Sam Schillinger, Jack Dunning, Ben Eastman
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed
away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of
reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is
making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so
that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
J2A Mission Trip to Dallas
Sue Smith, J2A mentor
The trip began Thursday June 11, 2015
at 6:30 a.m. It was pouring rain, not a good
omen for our trip, but we – Jack Dunning, Ben
Eastman, Tiffany Farrell, James Ritter, and Sam
Schillinger accompanied by Kristina Kofoot,
John Zauche, Daryl Smith and me – loaded the
van and were underway before 7:00. We were a
happy, nervous, but excited little group. We
had never experienced a trip like this before,
and I wanted it to go perfectly. We were in and
out of rain showers for about five hours.
Ben Eastman, Sue Smith, James Ritter, Jack Dunning, Sam Schillinger,
Tiffany Farrell, Daryl Smith, Kristina Kofoot, John Zauche
We arrived at dinnertime at our first
camping spot, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Edmond, OK. A large contingent of St. Mary’s youth and adults
greeted us and treated us to a fantastic dinner with great conversation. The next morning, we were given a
wonderful breakfast. We were back on the road by about 8:30 and decided, since we were going through
Oklahoma City, we would stop at the Oklahoma Bombing Memorial before heading on to Dallas.
We camped for three nights at St. Matthews Episcopal Cathedral in Dallas. We were on our own for
meals, so we bought breakfast food and snacks and ate lunch and dinner out. Saturday and Sunday were our fun
days before the real work began. We went to Six Flags Over Texas on Saturday (thunderstorms cut short our day
– bummer!). Then on Sunday, we spent the morning on the JFK Trolley ride and at the JFK Museum on the 6th
floor of the Book Depository. The kids really enjoyed learning more about this historical event. In the afternoon,
we went to the Dallas Zoo and ate lunch in the rain. Sunday night we had dinner with a St. Matthew’s youth
mission group who were coming in to start their week of service.
Monday morning we took off for South Dallas to begin our week of mission in a group of 150 people.
We were working with World Changers, an ecumenical group with a strong emphasis on finding the Lord and
sharing the gospel with others. The St. Luke’s contingent was divided among several work groups who worked
on fixing up homes in one of the neediest areas of the city. We started our days early, with breakfast at 6:00 am.
Each work group was on its way to their job site by 7:00 am, usually finishing at 4:30 or 5:30 pm. Each group
was assigned a home where we painted, installed vinyl siding, cleaned up yards, weeded and trimmed bushes.
Prayer walks were also part of the work groups’ agenda. Small groups of students, with an adult, would go for a
walk in the neighborhood and talk to the residents about Jesus. This seemed to be Dallas’s monsoon season: it
was hot, rained a lot, and we worked for 6 hours in the rain and mud as Tropical Storm Bill passed through. The
work was hard and dirty, but a lot of friendships were made and the experience was a life changer for all involved.
In the evening, we had worship services with testimonials, lots of singing and usually a sermon.
Afterward, the St. Luke’s group met to discuss the day, and we closed with Compline. It was a wonderful way for
our group to express their feelings on the day and to center ourselves in an Episcopal way. This experience
allowed us to listen more carefully to the words and prayers in Compline and gave us a new understanding of and
an appreciation for this special service.
We left for home on Saturday June 20th, heading for Olathe, Kansas and St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church.
We had our last campout there and a nice visit with Fr. Shawn Streepy.
The mission gave us a unique opportunity to experience other Christian denominations and accept their
differences while working on a common mission. Our group became very close to one another. They shared
some deep thoughts and gained memories that will last a lifetime. Daryl and I cherish the time we spent with this
awesome group of young people. It was a life changing experience for all of us.
2
Youth mentor Kristina Kofoot comments:
I had an amazing time getting to know these incredible young people while we traveled and worked
together. Although we didn't all work on the same sites, it was great getting to hear about everyone's different
experiences at the end of the day after our group Compline time. Despite dealing with some inclement weather
and lots and lots of heat, we were all able to walk away with a sense of accomplishment and pride at having been
able make a lasting impact in the community and with the people’s houses that we worked on. I feel incredibly
blessed to have been given the opportunity to share in this experience with the youth.
Below are the J2A members’ reflections on their trip:
It was a fantastic experience. I especially enjoyed learning the differences in the other denominations of
Christianity. It helped me understand the Episcopalian beliefs even better.
Jack Dunning
The Cathedral stay was very fun because of the history at the church. When we arrived at the mission trip
church, I was nervous, but excited to meet the new people. When I met my group members, we connected pretty
quickly and I could tell that we would be a good group. Throughout the week, I enjoyed meeting new people and
my homeowner. The evangelism was something new, and it took me out of my comfort zone. Working on the
house and talking to the neighbors was a really cool experience. But at the end of the day, my favorite time was
when our church got together and did Compline and talked about our day together. It gave me closure and made
me feel good about myself.
Ben Eastman
I enjoyed my time in Dallas doing mission work. I learned to trust in God and it deepened my faith. I
enjoyed serving him through construction work and praying with the neighbors. It definitely opened my eyes to
the hurt in the world and the need for disciples.
Tiffany Farrell
The mission trip to Dallas, Texas was an experience that I will never forget. I not only grew in my own
faith, but also in my understanding of other denominations’ beliefs and the importance of God in people’s lives.
It was hard to predict what we would learn through this experience and how much of an impact we would make
on other people’s lives, but I can say with pride that I left there a completely changed person. Seeing the
reactions of the homeowners after each day of work and getting to know the man we were serving and his
daughter was truly incredible. I found it very interesting being immersed in different types of worship and was
very impressed with the music we sang. I found the sermons quite engaging and, even when I was losing focus, I
was always drawn back in by the powerful final message delivered to us. Although there were certainly many
differences between our church and the other denominations (the emphasis on getting saved), I was very content
in the fact that we were all there to spread God’s love to those who need it most.
James Ritter
I thought the mission trip was an amazing experience, and I don’t think I would change any part of it. I
learned a lot about mission and the gospel. I thought the worship time was very meaningful, and it really felt
special to me every night. I really enjoyed the music portion of it. That was very powerful for me, and I really
felt close to Jesus at that point. The sermons really got me engaged and made me think hard. The preacher made
them easy to understand and really got his point across well. When the work began, I could just feel God working
in me. It was really cool to meet the homeowner and go around the neighborhood meeting other people and
spreading the good news. I really felt like I was an ambassador of Christ. It was amazing to meet all of the other
wonderful people on the mission trip. They were all very nice and it was nice to have a strong biblical
community that met every day. I remember the great feeling we experienced when we finally finished the house
and saw the look on the homeowner’s face. I really enjoyed every minute of the trip, even the working, and it’s
an experience I will never forget. I hope I can go back some day, maybe as a counselor.
Sam Schillinger
3
Journey to Adulthood (J2A)
Mission Trip to Dallas
St. Luke’s J2A team and their work groups
Brush Bunch
Dandy Sanders
Hard Hats
Drips and Runs
Cool Caulkers
4
Conflict in South Sudan
On August 10, Bishop Alan Scarfe sent an urgent request to Iowa Episcopalians for aid to
the people of our companion diocese, Nzara, South Sudan.
“One result of the conflict between the Army and civilians is that civilians are
very frightened. People living in rural parts of the diocese are coming into town
seeking shelter and safety. Presently 15 to 20 people have moved into the bishops
home and about 50 are living in the cathedral compound. Feeding these displaced
people is putting a strain on diocese resources that is not helped by the general
inflation within the country. Where a single US dollar could previously feed about 15
people now it will only feed about 10. A note from Bishop Peni:
Greetings from Nzara. I just wanted to let you know that there have been some conflict in Yambio
between the army and the civilians which have resulted in about 7 deaths, some of whom are our
church members. It happened 21 miles south of Yambio [about 11 miles from Nzara]. Many people
have been displaced. But since yesterday we have been working with the local authorities to see how
we can bring calm and amongst the people. We need your prayers. Thanks – Bishop Samuel Peni.”
A July 28, 2015 N Y Times article below by Andrew S. Natsios, former U.S. envoy to Sudan, sums up the conflict’s history.
“For a year and a half South Sudan has been torn apart by a civil war. The multitribal coalition that ruled
the country after it gained independence from Sudan in 2011 — and that had governed the area for some years
before then — has collapsed. The conflict was triggered by the competing personal ambitions of the leaders of
various factions within the ruling party, as well as a dispute over whether the government of South Sudan should
cooperate with, or try to unseat, the Sudanese government in Khartoum. Although the conflict did not start as a
tribal war, President Salva Kiir, who is Dinka, and his rival Riek Machar, the former vice president, who is Nuer,
have both appealed to clan loyalties to rally supporters and recruit soldiers, giving the conflict a poisonous tribal
dimension.
Since the war broke out in December 2013, several tens of thousands of South Sudanese have been killed
and more than 2.2 million people have been displaced. A famine is ravaging parts of the country, especially the
states of Unity and Upper Nile. Unicef warns that 50,000 children may die. U.S.A.I.D. said last month that up to
4.6 million people would face life-threatening hunger within weeks.
Several rounds of peace talks have been held in Ethiopia since 2014, mediated by the bloc of East African
countries known as IGAD, as well as the United States and several European countries, among others. But the
negotiations have repeatedly failed, and so earlier this month the United Nations Security Council blacklisted six
rival South Sudanese generals (though neither Mr. Kiir nor Mr. Machar), freezing their assets and restricting their
right to travel. Current talks are stalling, stymied in part by disputes over power sharing. While in Addis Ababa on
Monday, President Obama pressed all parties to produce a peace deal by Aug. 17, or face more sanctions. [As of
Aug. 21, Mr. Machar has signed the agreement but Mr. Kiir has requested more time to consider it.]
As soon as a workable peace agreement is in place, local Christian churches and local civil society
groups should be encouraged to start grassroots reconciliation initiatives, especially to ease tensions between
the Nuer and the Dinka. The churches in particular, which claim the loyalty of 60 percent of the population,
are a rare indigenous actor with both moral authority and a reach that transcends tribe and region [emphasis
added]. Before independence in 2011, they provided a modicum of public services in disaffected areas and acted
as mediators in local disputes over, among other things, cattle rustling and grazing rights. International aid
agencies should fund the training of church leaders in mediation techniques and set up a pilot program to create
local dispute-resolution committees using church leaders, with a view to eventually extending it across the
country.”
Support for food relief in South Sudan can be sent to:
Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, 225 37th St., Des Moines, Iowa 50312
Please note “South Sudan relief” on the memo line of your check.
5
Action of the General Convention on Marriage
From the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music of the Episcopal Church, July 6, 2015
In the wake of the June 26 U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage for all Americans, the
General Convention of the Episcopal Church followed suit on July 1, 2015, with canonical and liturgical changes
to provide marriage equality for Episcopalians. The House of Deputies concurred with the House of Bishops’
approval of a canonical change eliminating language defining marriage as between a man and a woman
(Resolution A036) and authorizing two new marriage rites with language allowing them to be used by same-sex
or opposite-sex couples (Resolution A054). On July 2, 2015, the House of Bishops accepted a “Statement of
Clarification Regarding Marriage and Blessing Liturgies in The Episcopal Church” that reads, in part:
“The 78th General Convention (2015) authorized three liturgies for use beginning Advent I 2015
[emphasis added, ed.]
“1. ‘The Witnessing and Blessing of a Life-long Covenant,’ authorized for use under the direction and
with the permission of the bishop exercising ecclesiastical authority. This liturgy is only intended for use with
same-sex couples in jurisdictions where same-sex marriage is not legal.
“2. ‘The Witnessing and Blessing of a Marriage,’ authorized for trial use (per Article X of the
Constitution and Canon II.3.6) under the direction and with the permission of the Diocesan Bishop. This liturgy is
intended for use by all couples asking to be married in this church.
“3. ‘The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage 2,’ authorized for trial use (per Article X of the
Constitution and Canon II.3.6) under the direction and with the permission of the Diocesan Bishop. This liturgy is
intended for use by all couples asking to be married in this church.
“In addition, ‘Bishops will make provision for all couples asking to be married in this Church to
have access to these liturgies.’ How provision is made for this is left to the discretion of the Bishop.
Suggestions mentioned for dioceses where the bishop does not grant permission for the trial use of these liturgies
include making arrangements with a neighboring diocese for clergy to officiate using these liturgies in the
neighboring diocese, and/or inviting clergy from another diocese to officiate in the diocese using these liturgies
either in church buildings or other venues. Other ways in which provision is made might be shared among the
bishops.”
Prior to Advent I 2015, ‘The Witnessing and Blessing of a Life-long Covenant,’ authorized for
provisional use by the 77th General Convention (Resolution A049, 2012) remains in force. Bishops are to provide
generous pastoral response where same-sex marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal and before
Advent I 2015 they may authorize adaptation of the 2015 rules to meet the needs of the church.
With respect to different-sex couples, “The 1979 Book of Common Prayer ‘The Celebration and
Blessing of a Marriage,’ along with ‘The Blessing of a Civil Marriage‘ and ‘An Order for Marriage‘ from the
1979 Book of Common Prayer remain liturgies for use. ’ The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage 2‘ as
authorized for trial use by the 78th General Convention, is available for use by all couples beginning Advent I,
2015.
How will this change same-sex marriage ceremonies in Episcopal Churches?
From Religion News Service
Once states began legalizing civil same-sex marriages, many same-sex Episcopal couples were married in
Episcopal churches with Episcopal priests officiating. But they could not use an Episcopal liturgy for the service.
They borrowed from other denominations’ liturgies or wrote their own because no Episcopal same-sex marriage
liturgy existed. They had to settle for the “blessing.” Now, that second-class status is gone and there will be an
official Episcopal same-sex marriage liturgy. Kevin Eckstrom, spokesman for Washington National Cathedral, an
Episcopal church, said it is hard to overstate how important a move this is to church members. “Liturgy is part of
the Episcopal DNA, so that if something does not have its own liturgy it does not exist,” he said. “Liturgy defines
Episcopal life together.”
Continued next page.
6
Does this mean all ordained Episcopal priests must perform same-sex marriages now?
No. Under these changes, clergy can decline to perform same-sex marriage without incurring a penalty or
punishment, and bishops can refuse to allow same-sex marriages in their dioceses. So same-sex Episcopal
couples seeking a church wedding could find themselves having to go somewhere other than their home church or
even their home diocese. George Conger, writing for The Washington Post about the vote, described this as a
compromise and said it means that “same-sex weddings may occur after Nov. 1, 2015, with the full blessing of
the church in places like Washington, Los Angeles and New York, but likely won’t take place in more
conservative parts of the church, like Dallas, Albany and Orlando.”
So, what changes will Episcopalians see?
The main change will be to the existing marriage liturgy. There will be new liturgies for same-sex
marriages and language to the church’s laws regarding marriage will be more neutral — “man and woman” will
become “couple.” And there may be an uptick in same-sex marriages performed inside Episcopal churches.
Meanwhile, the controversy over religious same-sex marriages continues in the 80 million-member worldwide
Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is a member.
Archbishop expresses concern about gay marriage
From Religious News Service
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual head of the Anglican
Communion and senior primate of the Church of England, has offered a rare
public criticism of The Episcopal Church of the US after its bishops voted to
change the definition of marriage so clergy can conduct same-sex marriages. He
expressed concern about the stress that the Episcopal Church’s vote might cause
to some in the 80 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion.
The US Episcopal Church, which is part of the Anglican Communion, had already in 2012 become the
largest U.S. denomination to approve a liturgy for clergy to use in blessing same-sex unions. In July of this year
it voted overwhelmingly to let same-sex couples marry in the church’s religious ceremonies as well, thereby
reinforcing its support for same-sex nuptials days after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage
nationwide. Among the changes to church laws on marriage, gender-specific language will be dropped.
“Husband” and “wife” will be replaced with “the couple.”
The move by The Episcopal Church contrasts with the position of the Church of England, which secured
an exemption in law from ever having to perform a gay marriage ceremony when Parliament passed a law in 2014
making same-sex marriage legal in England.
While conceding that The Episcopal Church is entitled to address issues appropriate to its own context,
Welby said that the American church’s decision “will cause distress for some and have ramifications for the
Anglican Communion as a whole, as well as for its ecumenical and interfaith relationships.”
His statement marks his concern that the Church will once more seen to be looking inwards to its own
struggles while the wider world is in turmoil from terrorism, climate extremes, economic crises and other trauma.
"At a time of such suffering around the world,” he said, “This is a moment for the church to be looking outwards.
We continue to mourn with all those who are grieving loved ones and caring for the injured from the terrorist
attacks in Sousse, Kuwait and Lyons, and from the racist attacks in Charleston."
The Archbishop also urged prayer for the life of the Anglican Communion and for “a space for the
strengthening of the interdependent relationships between provinces, so that in the face of adversity and
disagreement, Anglicans may be a force for peace and seek to respond to the Lord Jesus’s prayer that ‘they may
be one so that the world may believe.’” (John 17:21)
7
Malcolm Boyd: activist, writer, priest
From Episcopal News Service
The Rev. Canon Malcolm Boyd, whose human rights advocacy
shaped most of his 30 books including the best-seller Are You Running with
Me, Jesus?, died February 27 in Los Angeles at age 91. Boyd was ordained
60 years ago in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. He became a deacon in
1954 and a priest the next year. Activism for gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered equality was at the core of the 31-year union between Boyd and
his life-partner Mark Thompson, which included their civil marriage in a July
2013 private ceremony. He authored 30 books and edited six, in addition to
writing numerous columns, essays, sermons and prayers.
Boyd’s decision to pursue ordained ministry, following his paternal
grandfather who was also an Episcopal priest, came after several years of
working in Hollywood and New York in radio and television. In 1944 Boyd
enrolled in a radio workshop conducted by NBC in Hollywood, where he was
hired thereafter by the advertising agency Foote, Cone & Belding and became
a junior producer of radio and television programs. In 1947 he left advertising
to begin work as a writer and producer for Republic Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Productions. In the course of
this work he met the actress Mary Pickford and her third husband, Charles “Buddy” Rogers, and joined the couple
to form, in 1949, the production company PRB Inc. In 1951, with Pickford’s support, he began seminary studies
in Berkeley at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (the School awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1995).
Following his 1955 ordination to the priesthood Boyd pursued further studies at Oxford and in Geneva at
the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Institute. He earned a master’s degree in 1956 from Union
Theological Seminary in New York. He wrote his first book, Crisis in Communication, and in 1957 traveled to
France to serve in the Taizé community. On returning to the US Boyd was called as rector of St. George’s
Church in inner-city Indianapolis. His second book, Christ and Celebrity Gods, tracing the development of the
Hollywood “religious film”, was published in 1958. In 1959 he became Episcopal chaplain at Colorado State
University and began a coffeehouse ministry known as “The Golden Grape.” He became identified in the media
as “the espresso priest” and his outreach to the “beatniks” drew criticism from church officials.
In 1961 Boyd joined 27 other Episcopal priests – black and white
– in a Freedom Ride organized by the Congress of Racial Equality
(CORE) in an effort to desegregate interstate transportation. In 1962 Life
magazine named him among the “100 Most Important Young Men and
Women in the United States.” From 1961 to 1964 he served concurrently
as priest on the interracial ministry team of Grace Church, Detroit, and as
Episcopal chaplain at Wayne State University. In the summer of 1965 he
assisted with voter registration in Mississippi and Alabama. Later in 1965
Boyd was present in Los Angeles when the Watts riots erupted, assisting
in local ministry.
Boyd (second right) with civil rights
Boyd’s Are You Running with Me, Jesus? was published in 1965. It workers before a bombed-out church
in Mississippi in the 1960s.
became a runaway national bestseller with one million copies in print and
translation into a number of different languages. Boyd gave many public
readings from the book accompanied by musicians such as Charlie Byrd (Columbia Records released two albums
of Boyd and Byrd collaborating). Boyd also read the prayers in San Francisco’s “hungry i” nightclub with Dick
Gregory headlining the bill through a one-month run. Boyd went on to assist until 1970 at the Church of the
Atonement, Washington D.C., where he also served as field director for the Episcopal Society for Cultural and
Racial Unity.
8
Boyd “came out” unofficially in 1965 with his eloquent prayer, “This
is a Homosexual Bar, Jesus.” He came out publicly in a 1977 Chicago SunTimes interview and became “the first prominent openly gay clergyman of a
mainstream Christian denomination in the United States.” He discusses the
difficulties of being a gay Episcopal priest in his autobiography, Take Off the
Masks (1978), and in Gay Priest (1986) he explores the painful spiritual
journey forced upon any gay man who would be a priest. At a 1999 San
Diego meeting of the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops Boyd and his
partner, Thompson, were present to comment on the depth of their relationship
and to advocate for marriage equality. On May 16, 2004, Boyd and
Thompson’s union was blessed in a ceremony at the Cathedral Center on the
20th anniversary of their life partnership.
In 1996, Boyd concluded 15 years as a parish associate priest at St. Augustine by-the-Sea Episcopal
Church in Santa Monica. During these years Boyd served three terms as president of PEN Center USA West, the
regional center of the international writers’ organization, and he was a frequent book reviewer for the Los Angeles
Times. From 1990 to 2000 he wrote a regular column for Modern Maturity, magazine of the American
Association of Retired Persons (AARP). From 1996 until his death he was a columnist for The Episcopal News,
newspaper of the Diocese of Los Angeles. In 2011, Boyd became a regular columnist in the Huffington Post’s
religion section.
The death of Boyd’s mother in 1997 prompted his book Go Gentle Into that Good Night (Genesis Press,
1998), a reflective commentary on death and dying. In it he wrote, “I hope I’ll have few regrets when death
comes. I would like to walk away hand in hand with death, feeling that I have struggled faithfully with the key
issues that presented themselves to me. I hope that I will not cry or whine for more time. If I have used my time
for love, and am eager to find what lies ahead, I won’t have to.”
In 2011, to coincide with his birthday, Seabury Books published Black Battle, White Knight: The
Authorized Biography of Malcolm Boyd by the Rev. Michael Battle, an African-American priest and now interim
dean of students at Episcopal Divinity School. Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote in the book’s
forward: “One is an octogenarian, and the other a late baby boomer. One is heterosexual, married with three
children, and the other is gay in a long-term partnership. One is black and the other is white. But the similarities
far outweigh the differences, the chief similarity being their mutual search for God here and everywhere.”
Late 2014 found Boyd preparing for the 50th anniversary, in spring 2015, of the 1965 release of Are You
Running with Me, Jesus? Anticipating this occasion, Boyd wrote: “I love prayer and am grateful it is a powerful
part of my life. I wish we could – or would – pray with more passion, greater sensitivity. I identify with what a
writer for The New York Times wrote about the prayers: ‘The eloquence of the prayers comes from the personal
struggle they contain – a struggle to believe, to keep going, a spiritual contest that is agonized, courageous and not
always won.’ I am grateful for his insight. I agree with him.’’
The story of Boyd’s life – including marching in Selma for civil rights and publicly coming out as gay in a 1977
interview with the Chicago Sun-Times religion editor--is being chronicled in a new documentary titled Malcolm
Boyd: Disturber of the Peace, set for completion later this year.
It’s morning,Jesus. It's morning, and here's that light and sound all over again.
Where am I running? You know these things I can't understand. It's not that I need to have you tell me.
What counts most is just that somebody knows, and it's you. That helps a lot.
So I'll follow along, okay? But lead, Lord. Now I've got to run. Are you running with me, Jesus?
Malcolm Boyd
9
Adult Formation Opportunities
Church of Second Chances:
A Faith Exploration of Incarceration
This autumn, the Cedar Valley Episcopal Churches and the Waterloo Catholic
Parishes are planning to offer the JustMatters adult formation program Church of
Second Chances: A Faith Exploration of Incarceration.
By sharing the stories of incarcerated people through interviews, documentaries,
presentations by experts, dialogue, and reflection, Church of Second Chances widens participants’ circle of
connection. Exploring the lived experience of people behind bars and exposing injustices in the judicial system
through the lens of faith, this module inspires a prophetic revision of incarceration that invites restoration, mercy,
and reconciliation.
Church of Second Chances consists of eight 2 ½-hour sessions. The module
• Introduces participants to people in prison and extends the possibility of real relationships.
• Explores common misconceptions about people in prison and how such misunderstandings have shaped
our sense of responsibility.
• Considers the Church’s teaching on rehabilitation and restoration.
• Imagines a move from for-profit prisons to a prophetic vision of reconciliation.
• Reshapes our lives, communities, and systems to offer us a second chance, both for inmates as well as
those of on the other side of the prison walls.
Participants are asked to purchase individual program materials costing approximately $45. (Scholarships are
available.) We plan to offer two sections of the program scheduled (tentatively) for the following times:
Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m.; Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. except on Sundays when Canterbury Forums are held.
For additional information, contact deacon Ruth Ratliff at [email protected].
Religion and Violence: Views from Several Faiths.
The University of Northern Iowa’s Lifelong University is offering a four-week,
non-credit course “Religion and Violence: Views from Several Faiths.” Panel
members from Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths will discuss how their
religions respond to theological and moral questions related to violence.
Topics to be addressed include: the presence of violence in a divinely created
world; whether God uses violence against injustice; whether and when war is
justified; violence by the State; individual violence against other persons and
against oneself, violence against nature.
Panel members are:
Mr. David Cushing, Director of Adult Formation, Waterloo Catholic Parishes
The Rev. Joe Greemore, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waterloo
The Rev. Susan Janzen, Pastor, Cedar Falls Mennonite Church
Ms. Dema Kazkaz, Masjid Al-Noor Islamic Center, Waterloo
Ms. Erin Maidan, Sons of Jacob Synagogue, Waterloo
The Rev. Dr. Ruth Ratliff, a deacon at St. Luke’s, will facilitate the discussion.
The course will take place on the south campus of the Western Home in Cedar Falls. Classes will be held on
Thursdays, October 29, November 5, 12, and 19 from 10 a.m. until noon. [Note: this is a change in the time
previous announced by UNI. Some publicity may list the time incorrectly.] Registration is $40. For additional
information see http://www.uni.edu/llu/ or contact Ruth Ratliff at [email protected].
10
The People of St. Luke’s: Wendy Brunko
I was born in Miami Beach, Florida in September of 1965, right in the
middle of Hurricane Betsy, an intense and destructive hurricane more than
600 miles from edge to edge. My family lived in Florida for about two years
after that before moving to Decatur Georgia, 20 miles from Atlanta. I spent
the first few years of my life as an only child, pleading with my parents for a
baby brother, not understanding why we couldn't just go to the hospital and
pick one up. Finally after nine years of begging, my brother Shawn was born.
I was such a proud big sister. My dad gave me the card with Shawn's
footprint on it and I showed it too everyone who would look at my card.
Later that year, we packed our small family and moved to Waterloo to
be close to my dad's family. My dad brought with him his skills as an
ironworker and spent his life in iron, construction work and welding. My mom worked as a librarian at St. John’s
Catholic School in Waterloo until she retired. I attended St. John’s and then Columbus High School. My brother
currently works at Best Buy and Bertch Cabinets.
It was 1983 during my senior year in high school when I began to understand that I had been called for
service. I volunteered to teach CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) classes at St. John's, starting out with
Special Education students my first year, and then over the next ten years, taught second, third, fourth and fifth
grade classes CCD classes.
In 1993, my calling for service ministry took a different turn, and I was introduced to the Catholic Worker
house as my CCD class collected canned food items for the Catholic Worker. A short time later, I moved into the
house as a live-in volunteer. I saw a different side of life and how the cycle of alcoholism, drug addiction,
prostitution, and mental illness inhabited people who came to our door. I also experienced the work of the Holy
Spirit many times. Often, we didn't know how we were going to feed people but someone would always come
through with leftovers from an office party or reception or canned food donations. I saw how people who were
homeless and living with conditions of mental illness and addiction took care of each other and watched out for
one another. Through this experience, I've come to learn that every life has value and every person deserves
dignity in their life.
These days I spend my mornings at the YWCA working as a lifeguard and water aerobics instructor. I’ve
been teaching water classes for over ten years and I love every minute of it. I can have anywhere from 5 to 15
people in class. It makes me happy when someone says," I feel better after your workouts,” or “I enjoyed your
class. What days and times do you teach." However, my favorite day at the Y is Friday when I have 15 four- and
five- year-olds in the pool. It allows my inner child to come out as we play a game called Everyone Grab Onto
Wendy as she pulls us around the pool.
I also work at Exceptional Persons Incorporated (EPI) as a Direct Support Professional working in their
home with nine persons with developmental disabilities. I support them in developing daily living habits as they
continue to work on skills such as laundry and hygiene, each person working on a daily goal. I also provide
transportation to appointments, administer medications and cook meals. I support people with social interaction
in the community, taking people to community events as well as St. Luke's Church. This by far is one of my most
rewarding and sometimes challenging experiences as I learn patience, humor and understanding.
A little over three years ago, after a very long absence from church, I ran into long-time friend Rose
Quirk who introduced me to St. Luke's. As Rose and I talked after church in the parking lot that first day, I felt
the excitement and joy that I remembered from my days of teaching CCD classes and working at the Catholic
Worker House. I knew then that St. Luke's would be the church that I came home to. I've met a whole
congregation of great people who have shown me what it means to embrace all of what St. Luke's is through
service, worship, acceptance, education and a lot of personal growth. I can't wait to see what God has planned
next!
11
Episcopal
Voices
September 2015 issue
Holy Eucharist at St. Luke’s Church
Sunday 9:15
St Luke’s Episcopal Church
2410 Melrose Drive
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
1-319-277-8520
[email protected]
www.stlukescf.org
Episcopal Voices is
published monthly.
Articles and suggestions are
welcome and encouraged.
Mary Wieck, Editor
[email protected]
Ruth Ratliff, Ass’t Editor
[email protected]
Jan Robbins, Ass’t Editor
[email protected]
Nursery Care is available Sundays during the service.
The Rev. Elizabeth Popplewell, Rector
The Rev. Liane C. Nichols, Deacon
The Rev. Ruth Ratliff, Deacon
Sharon Anway, Music Director & Composer-in-Residence
Janet Sanders, Organist
Ken Cutts, Senior Warden
John Nocero, Junior Warden
Sue Daniels, Clerk
Vestry Members:
Diane Lyman, Doug Smith, Tom Riedmiller,
Curt Ritter, Wendy Brunko, Gail Callahan,
Tom Davies, Robert Hill, and Irv Rasmussen