March-April 2017
TheChronicle
The
ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL
CHURCH
Founded 1835
47 West Afton Avenue
Yardley, PA 19067
Tel: 215.493.2636; Fax: 215.493.3092
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.standrews-yardley.org
The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutierrez,
Bishop of Pennsylvania
Parish Staff
The Rev. Paul Briggs, Interim Rector
The Rev. Lloyd H. Winter, Jr.,
Priest Associate
Mark Dolan, Music Director
Sheila Hughes, Parish Administrator
TITAR Commercial, Cleaning Service
Bob Ebert, Sexton
Office of the Rector
Accounting Warden
Jennifer Duffield 917-846-1120
Rector’s Warden
Joan Thomas 215-369-8141
The Vestry
Angela Grady 215-860-8268
Porter Hibbitts 215-550-6791
Dave Richardson 215-295-3235
Steve Rupprecht 215-428-9568
Kathleen Johnson 215-321-0555
Dorothy Schrandt 215-337-9025
Doug Riblet 215-321-7920
Beryl Moore 215-736-3608
Gerry Yarnall 215-295-1589
Marilyn Slivka 215-321-3524
Write to The Chronicle:
Reviews, Voices: Maximum 500 words.
Letters: Maximum 200 words.
News: Maximum 200 words.
Send via e-mail to editor Robin Prestage at
[email protected]
or call 215-295-7346.
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FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Holy Week at St. Andrew’s
April 9: Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday
8:00am. Palm Sunday Liturgy
10:15am. Palm Sunday Liturgy
8:00pm. Compline
April 10: Monday in Holy Week
7:00pm. Evening Prayer
April 11: Tuesday in Holy Week
7:00pm. Evening Prayer
April 12:Wednesday in Holy Week
7:00pm. Evening Prayer
April 13: Maundy Thursday
7:30pm. Maundy Thursday Liturgy
April 14: Good Friday
12:00noon. Good Friday Liturgy
Stations of the Cross on Good Friday
6:00pm. Stations of the Cross
April 15: Holy Saturday
8:30am. Holy Saturday Liturgy
8:00pm. The Great Vigil of Easter
Don’t forget to bring a handbell!
April 16: Easter Day
8:00am. Holy Eucharist with Hymns
10:15am. Festival Choral Eucharist
Get The Chronicle at home
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information contact the editor Robin Prestage:
[email protected].
Photo credits: Diane Currie, Mary Morse, Sabrina
Profitt, Alex Villasante, Mark Baldwin, Paul
Yanushis, Peace Baxter, Marcie White, Robin
Prestage.
Cover: St. Andrew’s women (plus one spouse) on the march in
Washington, Doylestown and Trenton in the days following the
Presidential Inauguration in January.
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
IN BRIEF
Inquirers’ Classes
THESE classes, from March 12
through May 7, are designed for
people new to the Episcopal Church
and those who have been around
for some time and want a “spiritual
lift.” For information, contact Fr.
Briggs at: [email protected]. Each class will be on
Sunday evenings and begin at
7:00pm in the Rector’s Office
(unless otherwise noted). We will
conclude our time by going across
the street to the church for the
office of Compline (the last prayer
of the day) at 8:15pm.
Lenten Book Study
FROM March 7 through April 11, With a renewed emphasis in our
parish on cooperating with people
we will be holding a weekly
of other faiths, this will be a timely
discussion on Brian McLaren’s
discussion. Sessions begin at
book with the provocative title:
Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha 7:30pm and end at 8:30pm. On
April 11, the discussion will be
and Mohammed Cross the Road?
In his introduction McLaren writes: preceded by Evening Prayer at
7:00pm. Contact John Poole at
“It’s not the beginning of a joke.
[email protected] or 215
It’s the start of one of the most
important conversations in today’s 860 3430.
world. Can you be a committed
Christian without have to condemn Parish forums
or convert people of other faiths? Is STARTING at 9:00am on Sundays,
it possible to affirm other religious the schedule for parish forums in
March and April is:
traditions without watering down
March 12: Anti-racism. Where
your own?”
now? Speaker:
George Vosburgh,
Diocesan Anri-Racism
Commission.
March 19: Offering of
Letters to fight hunger
Above: Noor Phillips from the Zubaida
Foundation (back row second left) visited
the February 28 meeting of the Prayer
Shawl Ministry and showed group
members how to make plarn, plastic yarn
from plastic bags. The plarn, which repels
insects, is then used to knit or crochet sleep
mats for the homeless.
(Bread for the World).
March 26: Rabbi Elliot Strom
April 2: Bishop Lee Visitation.
April 23: Bible Jeopardy!
April 30: Stewardship Campaign.
Stewardship appeal
VESTRY has announced the start
of our annual appeal this Easter
season, asking all parishioners to
submit written pledges.
This is a time when we can look
with gratitude on all we are as a
thriving parish which provides
purpose and nurture to all our
members.
It is also a time to look forward to a
Left: Bob Anderson and
Steve Leo (on his birthday) bright future as we seek to call a
bringing a touch of Mardi new rector. The goal is to provide a
Gras to the Shrove Tuesday degree of abundance to give us
pancake supper in the
financial stability.
parish house.
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
3
OUTREACH
MLK Day: Standing up for refugees,
interfaith peace and kids in need
FOR many, the Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. was the voice of
the civil rights movement. His
voice is needed now as much as
ever. Dr. King followed in the
example of Jesus Christ: he loved
all God’s children, he was a gifted
and powerful orator, he was a
revolutionary. In the beginning of
each new year, Outreach Group
turns to the teachings of Dr. King
as a pole star to help us chart our
course.
Once again, this year the youth
from J2A and Rite 13, along with
Meredith Twardowski and Alex
Villasante, made MLK Day of
Service a rousing success! The
youth group did a wonderful job
with lunch, proving many healthy
options for the 40 volunteers. They
also helped with greeting
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volunteers at the door and making
sure that they signed in.
They focused on collecting art
supplies and making cards with
cartoon outlines that could be
colored by the younger children (or
the young at heart). The church’s
overwhelming generosity came
through again when we collected
enough supplies to help make 66
one-of-a-kind Valentine’s, St.
Patrick’s Day and Easter cards.
These cards will go to members of
our parish who are physically
unable to come to church. The
extras will be handed out at local
retirement communities by some of
the youth members who made
them.
We also made birthday cards with
the donated supplies to go along
with our birthday boxes. Each
birthday shoebox was filled with a
cake mix, icing, candles, party hats,
party blowers and a small toy. It
was wrapped in festive birthday
paper and the handmade card let the
recipient know if the party was for
a boy, girl or if the toys and hats
could be for either one.
We made 40 boxes which will
make 40 kids in the Robert Morris
Apartments (Bucks County
Housing Group) very happy. One
can imagine that when you are
struggling financially, that a birthday party might seem a little out of
reach. However birthdays are a big
deal when you are a kid. It’s
wonderful that the MLK Day
volunteers could be a part of
helping to create so many birthday
celebrations.
The Day of Service also featured an
Outreach Table. Members of the
Outreach Committee were there to
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
OUTREACH
let people know about the yearly
and monthly events that the church
does to help those in need, highlighting Aid for Friends, TASK,
Penndel food pantry, our work with
the Robert Morris apartments, and
Guatemala.
The youth and youth
leaders really worked
hard to make the day run
smoothly. They prepared
and cleaned up the
lunch, helped with set up
and had a representative
at the card making
station and the birthday
box station to explain
what was going on. A
big thank you to the
youth leaders: Alex
Villasante, Sara Grady,
Laura Evans, Jon Rea,
and Beryl Moore.
Many have remarked that this
church does an extraordinary
amount of outreach in so many
different areas to reach people who
could use a little help or comfort.
The committee provided other
handouts with hunger statistics and
MLK quotes on poverty. They also
let people know that the outreach
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
committee is currently looking for
new members (contact Eric Laird if
you are interested)
The fourth project at the MLK Day
of Service was to promote awareness and acceptance of all faiths,
nationalities, races, genders, etc.
This table really captured the spirit
of Dr. King. We made posters that
were used at a small peaceful
witness at the corner of Main Street
and Afton Avenue.
Some of the children made signs, as
well as the adults. Within five
minutes of the witness beginning, a
young woman came by and wanted
to hold one of our signs. Her family
immigrated from the Middle East
eight years ago, and she became a
citizen last year. The Episcopal
group standing on the street corner
to raise interfaith acceptance had
suddenly become an
interfaith group. She
joined us for the full
hour of witness and for
coffee afterward.
MLK Day was a huge
success. Thank you to
this generous parish
who donated art
supplies and birthday
items and especially
those who came to
volunteer.
The MLK Day
demonstration was part
of a general
reaffirmation of our love for our
neighbors of all colors and creeds.
In the spirit of the Civil Rights
Movement, Outreach Group has
recommitted to bringing our parish
in closer communion with the
broader interfaith community.
Eric Laird
Chair, Outreach
Meredith Twardowski
5
VESTRY NOTES
Our Journey Together: Discernment, profile
groups going forward with search process
OUR journey together at St.
Andrew’s seems to be moving
more quickly now, borne along by
the spirit of so many who have
undertaken extraordinary
leadership.
At this writing, the Parish Profile
Committee
has provided
a first draft of
its report to
the Vestry
and will
conclude its
work over the
course of the
next few
weeks. It has
been a huge
undertaking,
and we are very grateful for all of
their work.
On March 5, the Vestry
commissioned the members of the
Discernment Committee. We are
blessed that everyone who was
asked to undertake the work of
discernment agreed. And so the
Vestry would like to thank
Jonathan Smith and Cindy Shaw
(co-chairs), Mike Drobac, Laura
Evans, Leah French, Sara
Grady, Randy Hill, Eric Laird,
Betsy Moore, Laura-Jean
Prestage, Jill Rea, Doug Riblet,
Kathy Royal, and Gerry Yarnall
for all the work they are about to
do. They will need our prayers.
From March 6-10 the Diocese of
Pennsylvania will participate in a
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conference on Transition Ministry,
and, soon after, potential
candidates will first learn of a
rector position at St. Andrew’s.
We are working on the Vestry portion of this profile and, when final,
the Parish Profile will go to the
The Discernment Committee gathers for its
first meeting, March 5.
Bishop’s Office for approval.
Once approved, the report will
remain on our website for 2-3
months, and it will be available to
potential candidates.
Through the spring, we expect that
the Discernment Committee will
learn about interested candidates
and do its work. In preparation for
that work and the calling of a new
rector, the Discernment Committee
and the Vestry will attend an antiracism workshop, as recommended
by the Diocese. When consensus
grows around a candidate, the
Discernment Committee will make
a recommendation to the Vestry
and the Vestry will meet that
candidate. If all progresses as
expected, the Vestry will call a
new rector. When will that be? It’s
difficult to say, but we pray that
the Holy Spirit will be present in
this place and inspire our progress.
We are grateful
always for the
wisdom and
guidance of
Bud Holland
throughout this
process.
And I’d like to
thank the tireless
Robin Prestage
for partnering
with the Vestry
so that we can
speak to you all often and keep you
informed during this transition.
I was struck by something Father
Paul Briggs said in a homily one
recent Sunday. He reminded us
that Jesus taught us to pray “Our
Father” not “My Father” and so
grounded us, at the very beginning,
in community. Put another way (as
in the prayer of St. John
Chrysostom) whenever two or
three are gathered together, He is
in the midst of them. While I do
believe that God is as close as our
next breath, I am never more aware
of His nearness than when I am
with all of you – in liturgy, in
common life, on our journey
together.
Joan Thomas. Rector’s Warden
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
FROM THE INTERIM RECTOR
Lent-Holy Week-Easter: Rediscover
where God is calling us
DEAR Beloved of God,
I love worshipping with you at St. Andrew’s. You are
gracious, flexible, and willing to take risks. The
worship space is open, bright, and inviting which also
reflects something of the heart of this parish. I cherish
this quote from Annie Dillard:
Why do people in church seem like
cheerful, brainless tourists on a
packaged tour of the Absolute?…
Does anyone have the foggiest idea
what sort of power we blithely
invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no
one believe a word of it? The
churches are children playing on
the floor with their chemistry sets,
mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a
Sunday morning. It is madness to
wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet
hats to church; we should all be
wearing crash helmets. Ushers
should issue life preservers and
signal flares; they should lash us to
our pews. For the sleeping god may
wake someday and take offense, or the waking god
may draw us to where we can never return.
—Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and
Encounters
This is a long way round of saying we can sometimes
take for granted the power of worship and we can
even forget why we gather to worship in the first
place. The cycle of Lent-Holy Week-Easter offers us
a transformational season to rediscover who we are
and where God in Christ through the power of the
Holy Spirit is calling us.
I encourage you to pray daily. Use the Little
Chronicle, Lenten Meditations from Episcopal Relief
and Development, The Book of Common Prayer. All
these and more are rich resources to invigorate our
life of prayer.
Join a book study, such as Why did Jesus, Moses, the
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? or
Inquirers’ Class. Lend a hand at Trenton Area Soup
Kitchen, Aid for Friends, helping Syrian families get
settled in our town. Sign up for anti-racism training.
Be an advocate for justice and human rights (2 x 4
Fight for Refugees Campaign,
Bread for the World Offering of
Letters, or support redistricting
reform).
Check out the Thursday morning
Eucharist, sing Compline with us
on Sundays in Lent, come to Doane
Academy and hear our choir lead
us in Evensong. Mark your
calendar for Holy Week, especially
the Great Three Days from Maundy
Thursday evening to The Great
Vigil of Easter on Saturday night.
Start the conversation now with
others in your household; think
about how you can best prepare
yourself to enter fully into these
days that so dramatically celebrate
our faith and life.
Perhaps you know the words of this hymn from the
Iona Community:
Will you come and follow me
if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown
in you and you in me?
These words for me express the invitation and
encounter that awaits us as we draw close to the
Presence and enter that “thin place” where heaven
and earth meet. Come and see.
Faithfully yours,
Paul+
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INTERFAITH FELLOWSHIP
Historic dialogue explores links of
faith, charity and friendship
EAST met West in St. Andrew’s one Sunday in
January. The end result of that meeting is that the 131
people who met in the church found they had much
more in common than they possibly thought, including
football.
The East was Numaan Cheema, the American-born
Imam and resident scholar at the Zubaida Foundation
in Big Oak Road in Lower Makefield, and Syad Afzal
and Noor Phillips, the mosque’s outreach and
interfaith coordinators, and several other mosque
members.
The West was the Rev. Paul Briggs, our interim
rector, and parishioner Bob Anderson, who was
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instrumental in bringing together the two faith groups.
The discussion in the church (followed by a reception
in the parish house) was part of our weekly
parish forums.
Fr. Briggs said the purpose of the meeting was threefold: To learn about Islam; Discover ways we can
assist Syrian refugee families now being helped by the
Yardley mosque; Discover new friendships.
“We live in anxious times,” he said, “and our natural
inclination is to withdraw…(from) the world around
us…Fear dwells in the darkness…and God calls us out
of the darkness and into the light.” He said he hoped
this meeting would shed some light on the similarities
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
INTERFAITH FELLOWSHIP
of the two religions.
The Imam—who said he
was born and grew up in
America, lives in New
Jersey and is “an Eagles
fan”—summarized the
Islam religion and
answered questions from
the audience.
He reviewed the “core beliefs of Islam: Belief in
one God, belief in angels,
belief in prophets, belief
in scripture and belief in
the final judgment.” One
point of difference is that
Muslims believe that Jesus
is one of five messengers
from God but not a son of
God, he said.
In answering a parishioner’s
question about how terrorists quote
the Quran to defend their acts, The
Imam said it was a “perversion of
Islam. It is against everything that
(Islamic) scholars have told us.
They use it simply to justify their
actions.”
Ms. Phillips, an outreach
coordinator for the mosque,
discussed the mosque’s
support of two Syrian refugee
families and how St. Andrew’s
parishioners might help. The
mosque has found housing but
the families, who are learning
English, need a variety of
things, including household
goods. Those interested in
helping should call the Foundation at 215-736-1526.
After the presentation in the
church, the conversation and
developing friendship flowed over
to the parish house. Cookies and
pastries were provided by Ibrahem
Habib, owner of Cairo Cakes in
Yardley.
The Foundation was established in
2005. According to its website, it
“arranges and holds congregational
prayers, educational programs and
social activities, interfaith dialogues
and peace efforts of all faith in
conformity with the teachings of
Islam.”
Both St. Andrew’s and the mosque
share a large mutual interest in the
community and beyond through
extensive outreach programs.
Anderson said it was “a wonderful
opportunity to show St. Andrew’s
hospitality and to begin an
Facing page: Imam Numaan
interfaith friendship that can dispel
Cheema addressing the parish
fears and build hope and alliances
forum. Above: Imam Cheema
for charity and justice.”
with Fr. Briggs. Left: Parishioner
Art Mayhew
Thomas Friestad interviewing Noor
Phillips for his article in the Bucks
County Courier Times
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
(More photos, see pages 10 & 11)
9
INTERFAITH FELLOWSHIP
Interfaith Friends: Mother Teresa,
Jesus, and Muhammed Ali
MOTHER TERESA is a model of
Christian charity. When Mother
speaks, I listen. Here is the gospel
according to Mother Teresa:
"There is only one God and He is
God to all; therefore it is important
that everyone is seen as equal
before God. I've always said that
we should help a Hindu become a
better Hindu, a Muslim become a
better Muslim, a Catholic become a
better Catholic."
Practice hospitality, not hostility.
Make friends, not converts.
My Muslim brothers and sisters are
making me a better Christian.
During the last year, I have
attended talks and meals at
Zubaida, the Yardley mosque;
prayed often there; participated in
an Interfaith Food Alliance;
welcomed Numaan, Zubaida's
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Imam, and Noor and Syed,
Zubaida's outreach/interfaith
coordinators, to my church to
share Islam's positive and
peaceful message; eaten breakfast regularly with Khaled, an
Egyptian engineer; and
befriended two young,
beautiful, and courageous
Syrian families headed by
Moustafa and Weaam. My
neighbors have loved me as
Jesus commanded me to love
them. My Christian faith is
stronger because of their
Muslim faith and our shared
interfaith.
Jesus repeatedly said to wouldbe disciples: "Follow me." If I
follow Jesus, where do I go?
I go to a manger where a
baby is born in poverty to a
mother who conceived out of
wedlock (Luke 1:26-38, 2:7).
I flee as a refugee to Egypt
because a Middle Eastern tyrant
is slaughtering innocent babies in
my country of origin and is bent
on murdering Jesus (Matthew
2:13-23).
I honor my ancestors, including
Abraham, the common father of
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
(Genesis 17:1-22).
I go to a synagogue where Jesus
tells his hometown crowd that he
has come to bring good news to
the poor and that God's love
extends to foreigners and enemies
(including a Syrian general)
Speaking at the parish forum, above:
Fr. Briggs and Imam Cheema;
left:Noor Phillips
(Luke 4:16-20).
I help Jesus feed over 5000
hungry people, welcoming all to
the table without questions or
conditions (John 6:1-14).
I walk the Jericho highway where
Jesus shows me a Good
Samaritan from another country
and faith tending to an Israelite's
broken body (Luke 10:25-37).
I go to the temple where Jesus
lashes out at those who have
turned a "house of prayer for all
nations" into a marketplace
(Matthew 21:12-13).
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
INTERFAITH FELLOWSHIP
Right: Bob Anderson
introducing our guests from
the Zubaida Foundation.
Below: Peace Baxter talking
with Imam Cheema in the
parish house.
I sit at the base of a
mountain and hear
Jesus bless those
cursed by the powerful: the poor and poor
in spirit, the mourners,
the meek, the justice
seekers, the merciful,
the pure in heart, the
peacemakers, and the
persecuted (Matthew
5:1-11).
I help Jesus embrace
and heal lepers,
outcasts without health insurance (Luke 17:11-19).
I sit before a throne where nations and individuals
are judged by how they have treated "the least of
these," including strangers who are to be welcomed
(Matthew 25:31-46).
I go to a cross where Jesus suffers capital
punishment
(Mark15:2538).
I go to a tomb
where Mary
Magdalene—a
woman and
thus a social
inferior in those
times—is the
first person to
receive the good
news and the
one entrusted
by Jesus to
share it (John
20:11-18).
I go to share
this good news
throughout the
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
world, embodying the love of Jesus (Matthew 28:16
-20). “Enemies" become friends, not through creed
and coercion, but through
kindness and companionship.
In following Jesus, I come to understand what he
meant when he said: "I am the way, and the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me." (John 14:6). The way to the Father—the One
Father Christians share with Jews, Muslims, and every
blessed child on earth—is through life service, not lip
service—life service dedicated in the manner of Jesus
to loving one and all, equally and universally, just as
God loves one and all of us.
Muhammed Ali was a Muslim prophet of our times.
Ali speaks for Mother Teresa, Jesus, and me:
"We all have the same God, we just serve him
differently. It doesn't matter whether you're a Muslim,
a Christian, or a Jew. When you believe in God, you
should believe that all people are part of one family. If
you love God, you can't love only some of his
children."
Ali, you're still the Champ—this time of interfaith
friendship.
Shalom, Salaam, and Peace.
Bob Anderson
11
FORUM
Is interfaith engagement a
matter of faith?
THIS was the question before us during the parish forum
on February 12. We began by sharing our experiences of
exclusivity within Christianity, and the stories were
distressingly abundant.
Many told stories like mine, of a sixth grade Sunday School
teacher who announced that not only were all Hindus,
Muslims, Buddhists, and Jews going to hell because they
didn’t believe in Jesus as the Christ, but so were all Roman
Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians and any
others who didn’t believe exactly according to the Missouri
Synod Lutheran articulation of the faith.
That was a watershed moment in my own faith journey,
because I immediately knew I didn’t believe that, and if it
were true, then I wasn’t interested in going to heaven,
where none of my Southern Baptist or Methodist cousins or
aunts or uncles (or my DADDY) would be, nor my dear
Jewish friends David, Audrey, and Deborah.
Jesus tells Thomas “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:1
-7) what does that mean?
The Biblical witness is remarkably clear across the Old and
New Testaments. At this parish forum we looked at several
texts, beginning with our call to a ministry of reconciliation
(II Corinthians 5:16-21). St. Paul reminds us that “if
anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old
has passed away, see, everything has become new….We
are ambassadors for Christ.”
WHAT does such discipleship look like in relationship
with those of different faiths? Instead of hostility, Jesus
models hospitality over and over again: In Luke 7: 1-10,
Jesus heals the Roman centurion’s slave.
In Luke 17: 11-19, Jesus praises the gratitude of the
Samaritan leper. In Matthew 15: 21-28, Jesus heals the
child of the Syro-Phoenician woman, though his disciples
IT was an early experience of cognitive dissonance: I had
ask him to send her away. In Luke 10:25-37, he tells the
been taught from childhood that God is LOVE; that “Jesus parable of the Good Samaritan to teach that being a
loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red & neighbor means crossing barriers, embracing the Other
yellow, black & white, they are precious in His sight….”
with compassion and care. In John 4, Jesus engages in
I knew that there are different cultures and religions in the earnest conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well,
world, and good people everywhere. I knew that God had
much to her surprise and to the surprise of his disciples.
created the entire world, and that it was GOOD. I realized
that if I had been born somewhere else in the world, I could AND in case we still don’t get it, Jesus says plainly: “Not
have been Hindu or Muslim.
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the
Common sense suggested that in every culture God had
Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of
raised up witnesses to point the way to communion with
my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
Him and His creation, and that since cultures varied, the
And what is that will? In Matthew 25:31-45 Jesus explains
paths varied.
again that it’s not about words but deeds: It’s about
welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry, visiting the
NOTHING in my experience has changed that early
sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked.
intuition of God’s universal Love and inclusiveness. Yet
This is a consistent Biblical witness, from the Torah
our present world is plagued by religious exclusivity
(Leviticus 19:33-34) through the Prophets (Isaiah 58:1-11).
arising from oppositional religious identities that derive
In John 13:34 Jesus tells his disciples: “I give you a new
their strength from hostility to “others.”
commandment, that you love one another.” It is only a few
As theologian Brian McLaren asks in his book Why Did
verse later that he reiterates: “I am the Way.”
Jesus , Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the
The consistent witness calls us to understand that the Way
Road? is it possible to have a strong Christian faith identity to God through Jesus is the way of loving others —
without condemning other faiths? Indeed, is there a
especially the Other — unconditionally.
faithfully Christian imperative to embrace our neighbors of
different faiths and find community with them? When
Carolyn Lyday
12
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
FORUM
Wanted: A new kind of Christianity
to combat ‘falling away’ from faith
BRIAN McLAREN is an author, speaker, activist
and public theologian. A former college English
teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a
new kind of Christianity – one that is just and
generous, and works with people of all faiths for the
common good.” He is a prolific author and much
sought after as a speaker in a wide variety of
churches and retreats.
IN the lead up to the publication of the book,
McLaren wrote: “Today, millions of us — Catholic,
Evangelical, mainline Protestant, and Orthodox
Christians, share something in common that we
seldom verbalize: We believe our religious
communities have lost their way and have become
something very different from what Jesus would
recognize as an expression of his heart and passion.”
Quite a number of our parishioners are familiar with
his writings and in line with the new era upon which
St. Andrew’s is about to embark, it was suggested
that we have a forum discussion based on his latest
book – The Great Spiritual Migration.
prescribed rituals, now, as adults, had drifted away,
or made a deliberate choice not to be involved in the
church of their youth.
McLAREN believes that part of the answer to this
“falling away” will be found in what he describes as
the birth of this new kind of Christianity.
He believes that a spiritual migration is already
taking place that will reverse this trend and usher in a
different outcome. McLaren outlines three needed
conversions that are part of this change:



From system of belief to loving way of life (a
spiritual conversion)
From a violent supreme being to the life-giving
Spirit embodied in Jesus (a theological
conversion)
From Organized Religion to Religion
Organizing for the common good (a missional
conversion)
WE ended our time together by talking about the fact
that the author is not calling just for structural
ABOUT 35 people gathered in the parish house on
change, although that may be necessary.
February 5 to engage in a wide ranging and lively
But the key will be found in something deeper than
discussion. The conversation not only included
that – a spiritual change – a rediscovery of our own
reviewing McLaren’s introduction in his book and his personal spiritual foundations that will be
suggestions for an effective interfaith or multi-faith
demonstrated in love for God, love for neighbor, and
outreach to the community, but time was given for
even love for the enemy.
individuals to express their own personal feelings
about why the church in general is losing ground
THIS is what Richard Rohr calls – “the experiential
especially among 20- and 30-year-olds.
knowledge of spiritual things as opposed to book
After reviewing a number of alarming statistics that knowledge or secondhand knowledge.”
shows a dramatic increase in people in the US who
We ended with the prayer that God will guide us as
identify themselves as “unaffiliated”, the discussion we seek to find a future where we will be more
began with several people describing how their own effective as disciples of Jesus of Nazareth.
families have been touched with this change.
They described how their children, that were brought
John Poole
up in church and went through all of the
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
13
REVIEW
Jesus was a Jew: A figure of ‘true
peace and authentic justice’
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER was a pacifist pastor, jailed
and executed by the Nazis for plotting to assassinate
Hitler. Writing from his cell, Bonhoeffer asks: "What
keeps gnawing at me is the question . . . who is Christ
actually for us today?"
In Christ Actually, James Carroll rephrases Bonhoeffer's
question more starkly:
“What happens when traditional belief slams into the wall
of the Holocaust? When it plunges into the abyss of
Hiroshima?” (p.8)
These gospels were written in a post-Holocaust age. The
first Holocaust was the Roman War against the Jews,
beginning in 66 A.D., leading to the destruction of the
Temple in 70 A.D., and ending in 73 A.D. (only to be
periodically resumed).
AS the first gospel was being written, tens of thousands of
corpses on crosses ringed the Temple Mount. The gospels
were written in response to this horror and over time took
on an increasingly antagonistic view of "the Jews" and a
favorable view of history's winners: the Romans and even
FOR Christians, what makes these questions excruciating the murderous Pontius Pilate.
and essential is that characterizations of "the Jews" in the This is all bleak news, but there is also good news indeed
Gospels and a bloody tradition of Christian Anti-Semitism in Carroll's account. Perhaps even the "good news"
contributed to the Holocaust. Carroll has detailed that
actually proclaimed and practiced by the living Jesus.
horrific history in Constantine's Sword.
As a good Jew, Jesus pointed to God, not to himself.
I am writing this review as a Holy Week act of
Jesus preached "a God at home with human complexity, a
atonement for that history and for the continuing
God undefeated by death, a God whose love for creation is
unconscionable reading of Gospel texts castigating "the
prodigal." (p. 58).
Jews" without context, explanation, or apology. As a
Christian, I have much to confess.
HIS disciples followed him through his life because "he
fully lived up to the vital and creative function that had
CONFESSION and then redemption begin with this
been at the center of Jewish hope (p. 101); and they
unassailable truth. Jesus was a Jew. So were Joseph and
followed him after his death because they "saw the
Mary. So were his disciples. So was Paul. They were all
continuity between how he lived and died"—"a courage, a
Jews, their prayer lives and messianic hopes formed by the trust, a calm, and a love" that could not be killed (p. 134).
Hebrew scriptures. Jesus never converted to Christianity. Jesus was a figure of "true peace and authentic justice,"
Never.
living out a profoundly Jewish mystery that holds together
For Carroll: "The post-Holocaust task is to make the Jew- both "Jesus" and "Christ" in the Jewish faith. (p. 140)
ishness of Jesus the first lens through which to view him.
...That means, perhaps, putting aside . . . the
DOROTHY DAY, a social worker saint of our times, was
viewfinders of the four Gospels, all of which are usually
a Christian who viewed her faith through the prism of
read to locate the heart of his conflict with "the Jews" in
Holocaust and Hiroshima. She gives us a benediction and
his rejection of Jewish cult and Law. Nothing we say or
an instruction:
believe about ‘Christ actually’ can be allowed to exclude "If we desire to have a true understanding of His Gospels,
the authenticity of his profound and permanent
we must study to conform our own life as nearly as we can
participation in the life of Israel." (p.58)
to His…to follow His teachings and His manner of
living."
THE separation between Jews and Christians did not
happen until decades after his death circa 30 A.D. and the This is the best answer we can give to Bonhoeffer's
writing of the gospels. Mark wrote the first gospel circa 70 question. Go and do likewise.
A.D.; the other three followed in the next three or so
Bob Anderson
decades, with John being the last.
14
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
ADVOCACY
Feeding Hungry Children: Charity
and campaigning for justice
WHO are we at St.
Andrew's? This is a
question that the parish
has been pondering as
we search for a new
rector. One clear
answer: We feed the
hungry. In this regard,
we emulate our namesake, the disciple
Andrew who introduced a child with five
loaves of bread and two
fish to Jesus. As a
result, over 5000 people were fed.
We feed the hungry through both
charity and justice.
needed to feed the
hungry. One in six
children live in
families experiencing
food insecurity. These
families depend on
the help of such
federal programs as
the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP),
Women and Infant
Care (WIC), and child
nutrition and summer
Single serving 100% juice boxes meals programs. These programs
Cereal boxes and bowls/oatmeal in turn must be funded through
budgetary processes.
packets
At the parish forum on Sunday,
Microwavable meals
March 19 (photo above), we
Charity
Granola bars/applesauce
This Lent the people of St.
gathered to write letters to our
Squeezable grape jelly
Andrew's will collect food to feed
congressional representatives
hungry schoolchildren in Trenton. GIVING generously to food banks, seeking adequate funding for
A pyramid of food will rise higher soup kitchens, and pantries is an
anti-hunger programs. Parishioners
from week to week at the front of essential and faithfully required
writing letters at home may put
the church. When Easter arrives,
response to hunger. The people of them in a basket on the back shelf
we will take the food to the Mercer St. Andrew's are faithfully and
of the church.
Street Friends Food Bank for its
marvelously generous in preparing We will deliver these letters to our
Send Hunger Packing program.
meals for Aid for Friends and in
new Congressman, Brian
Working in partnership with 23
bringing in food and cash
Fitzpatrick. On June 13, we will
local schools, the Food Bank
donations for the Penndel food
go to Washington D.C. to
provides over 750 at-risk children pantry, Trenton Area Soup
participate in the Lobby Day
with nutritious kid-friendly food to Kitchen, and Mercer Street Friends organized by Bread for the World.
take home on weekends.
Food Bank.
Please contact me at anderbobPlease be pyramid providers. Bring
[email protected] or 267-907-4009
in these items every Sunday:
if you'd like to go.
Justice
But the cold hard math is that
Let's give the last word to St. John
charity is woefully insufficient to Chrysostom: "Feeding the hungry
15oz cans of mixed vegetables,
meet the evil (yes, evil) of hunger is a greater work than raising the
carrots, and peas
18oz plastic containers of peanut in a rich country. Charity pays for dead." And let's prove him right.
less than ten cents on every dollar
butter
Bob Anderson
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
15
APPRECIATION
Andrew White: A gift for bringing
out God’s love in others
I AM GOING to tell a never-ending
love story about our Andrew White in
two parts. Part One is about his
teenage days when he was in good
health and full stride. Part Two is
about the second half of his life, after a
genetic disorder and mental illness
surfaced in his early 20s.
I can attest that Andy White remained
his beautiful God-given self at all
times and in all conditions. He was
blessed with the fullness of God's love
and he had the gift of bringing it out in
others.
I met Andy and his brother Philip
when I taught my first Sunday School
class circa 1990. No one else wanting
the job, I took on the DREADED
TEENAGERS of St. Andrew's.
Andy enjoyed the gatherings of
teenagers held at the Andersons — for
example, the spring picnics. In my
heart's eye, Andy is perpetually 16,
wearing this mohawk hat and a bathing
suit, holding our white standard poodle
Sandy safely and snugly in his arms,
and primed to launch Andy and Sandy
down our Slip N' Slide.
I also remember Andy as a pirate in his
school's production of Peter Pan; as an
acolyte; and as Pep White's grandson
sitting next to him in church. One of
Andy's proudest moments came when
David Budd took the youth group to
Nightwatch at the Cathedral of Saint
John the Divine. Andy was chosen to
be the acolyte for the midnight service
and thus to process down the long
cathedral aisle. Andy was also proud
of his days playing left guard for Notre
Dame high school.
Now we come to the second half of
Andy's life, beginning with his leaving
16
Eagles, with their great Philly fight
song: Fly, Eagles, Fly.
Pathfinder. Andy loved, loved, loved
cars. His favorite was the Pathfinder;
seeing one calmed all commotion. And
then there was the Philadelphia Car
for college in Florida and the onset of Show to which he went every year.
his bipolar disorder and physical
And that brings us to the last ‘P’ word:
degeneration.
Philip. It was Philip who took Andy to
As he grew sicker, Andy's vocabulary the car show and always stood by him.
decreased and his
Andy loved Philip as
acting out
Philip loved Andy and
increased. Luckily,
as Jesus loves us all.
Marcie and Derek
The gospel, at last, is
found Unity Villa
not about debating
in Germantown
creeds, but about
where Andy
loving each other. So
reigned at the
here's an image of
heart of the
God's love at work. In
community.
his aggressiveness,
As Andy's words
Andy often needed to
dwindled and his
be redirected back into
frustrations grew,
his seat. I was blessed
Peggy and I
to witness Roosevelt,
calmed Andy by
Kevin, and other
saying his favorite
Unity Villa staff gen‘P’ words:
tly yet firmly embrace
Andy and peacefully
Pizza, pepperoni
and pigging out.
prevail. They held
Andy enjoyed his
Andy as safely and
food and staff at every restaurant ensnugly as Andy held Sandy while flyjoyed feeding the always appreciative ing down the Slip N' Slide.
Andy.
Andy and the original Saint Andrew
Poodle. Andy had a special bond with are now teenagers again, fishing and
our poodle Sandy. And he revered
feasting by a heavenly lake and
Corky, the Whites' toy poodle.
responding with their characteristic
Phillies, Flyers and all Philadelphia
friendliness and impulsive faithfulness
sports teams. For his birthday each
to all who pass by.
year, Peggy and I took Andy and his
Andy's dad Derek has given up trying
friend Smitty to see the Phillies.
to supervise them and has joined in the
And heaven came to earth when Peace fishing and feasting himself. Eagles
Baxter gave Andy and Philip her front soar overhead. Fly, Eagles, Fly. Fly
-row Flyers tickets. And how about the United!
Andrew White died peacefully on
New Year's morning. Here are
abridged excerpts from Bob
Anderson's eulogy.
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
APPRECIATION
Charlie Dickert: Kind, dignified and
gracious
CHARLIE DICKERT died on January 9, aged 91. In
the ancient faith, Abraham had his Sarah. In the
gospels, Joseph had his Mary. In the 1930s, Fred
Astaire had his Ginger Rogers.
And at the early service at St. Andrew's, Charlie
Dickert had his Janice. They shared one heart and
danced to one beat.
For those of us who attended the early service, there is
no more indelible image than Janice and Charlie
processing in together, supporting each other, and
bearing all with the utmost graciousness.
In later years, that image became even more beautiful
as their granddaughter Erica grew into her own
graciousness and accompanied her grandparents up
the aisle.
It is not hard to see why Charlie adored Janice or why
she adored him. For starters, did you all see the picture
of Charlie accompanying his obituary? Now that's
handsome.
But Charlie was even more handsome inside. He was
the most dignified and gracious of men, even when
suddenly staggered five years ago this month by the
hardest of all losses and even in the face of all the
diminishments of aging.
As I age, I hope to grow in Charlie's kindness and
graciousness to all. Indeed, there were times when I
struggled to refrain from rubbing Charlie's forehead in
hopes of a transfusion. His kindness and graciousness
were reciprocated by the Chandler Hall staff in their
affection for him. There is a hole in Chandler Hall's
heart this week.
I close with a biblical passage that speaks of the divine
love that Charlie embodied and that God yearns for us
to share. This passage aptly applies when celebrating a
marriage for the ages:
"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or
boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its
own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not
rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things."
"Love never ends. . . . For now we see in a mirror,
dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know
only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have
been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love
abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."
The saints have gone marching in, with Charlie
certainly in that number. The mirror is no longer dim;
Charlie is now seeing both God and Janice face to
face. Their love abides and their love prevails. Strike
up the band!
Bob Anderson
Louise Metzger: Listen Up!
HEAVEN has gained the world's finest and feistiest waitress, Louise Metzger. Louise died on February 2, after decades
of serving breakfast and lunch crowds at Charcoal Steak and Things, the Squirrel’s Nest Cafe, and the Hampton Inn.
Listen up! That is what Louise used to bark at the rowdy Episcopalians (6-12 of us) as we poured into C, S &T after the
healing service every Thursday morning. Louise would then rapidly review the specials. Sometimes one of us (guess
who) would sassily ask her to repeat herself. Louise did not turn the other cheek. She always gave better than she got.
Listen up! There's a special place in heaven for the waitresses who care for us, as Louise did, with both tenderness and
spunk. But Yahweh, I caution you not to talk back. If you trade wits with Louise, you will lose. It's her way, not
Yahweh.
Listen up! Louise was one of the nine (nine!) fabulous Harris sisters. Her beautiful sister Annie still serves the healing
service crowd at Charcoal. We thank God for all the Harris sisters and for the communion of saints that keeps us
well-fed by the love of God and the love of Louise.
Bob Anderson
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
17
ART’S GALLERY
Paul Yanushis put his engineering
skills to work in war and in space
AS parishioner Paul Yanushis grew
began designing on the color
up in the Pennsylvania coal town of
cameras that would go into space
Exeter, he never dreamed he would
to help with NASA’a space
someday be part of the US space
shuttle program. He worked on it
program. In fact, when he was born in
for two years and then tested it in
late 1948 to a woodworker father and
1989 before it was put into use.
a seamstress mother, there was no
It was used for general video
space program. World War II had
shots from space and for guiding
ended three year earlier, and the
the main shuttle arm for work on
nation’s focus was on rebuilding.
the space craft. The shuttle
“I wanted to be a steam locomotive
program ended in 2011 after
engineer,” Paul says when asked what
about 30 years of work.
he wanted to be as a youngster. So,
Before retiring, Paul also worked
steam locomotives to space shuttles,
on the Orion program, which is
quite a change.
ongoing today with the goal to
He became the first member of his
ultimately send astronauts to
family to go to college and he took
Mars. That program’s goal is to
advantage of it. “Penn State tuition
send astronauts past the moon in
was cheap and its campuses (in
2021 and to Mars around 2030.
Wilkes-Barre and Scranton) were
Paul met his wife, Nancy, a
nearby,” he said. When he graduated,
trained psychologist and Morrishe had his associate degree in
ville native, at a Morrisville
engineering that would serve him well
Presbyterian Church Singles
in the years to come.
Group. They married in 1993 and
But when he graduated, the Vietnam
came to St. Andrews in 2009.
War was being fought. He decided to
What appeals to him about our
enlist in the Navy and served six years
church: “I like the friendliness of
Above: Paul visiting the shuttle and its
(1969 to 1975). He was primarily on
the congregation and the
camera on display at the Johnson
destroyers, working in their engine
impressive outreach programs.”
Space Centre in Houston.
rooms, a great place for engineers.
He and Nancy worked on the
“Don’t ask me all the places I’ve been to,” he says but parish photo directory committee and he is a member
offers that he was stationed twice in Greece and
of the men’s group at the church.
“loved” his time there.
Since retiring, Paul does yard work on their
Once his military time ended, he came home and
Cadwallader Court home—“a short walk from the
began his professional climb that would take one of
church”—and honey-do projects for Nancy, who
his creations into space. Among the companies he
retired when Paul did. He also likes to do “trap
worked for were Martin-Marietta Corp, RCA, GE and shooting, fly fishing and traveling.” He and Nancy
Lockheed-Martin Corp., where he ended his career in also enjoy all the cultural attractions that are available
2010 at its facility in Newtown Township. It was
in Philadelphia and New York City.
while at RCA in East Windsor, NJ, in 1986 that he
Art Mayhew
18
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
FROM THE HISTORY CORNER
NINETEEN-FORTY-SIX was a
year in which major renovations
were made to the Parish House
basement. Prior to this the basement was just a basement with a
coal bin and storage. It was also the
place that Mr. Van Hart the
church handyman/janitor went to
sleep off his regular sessions with
Johnnie Walker, this from a reliable
longtime parish member.
The estimated cost of the
renovations was $1,721 but the
final accounting exceeded this
figure by $2,233. The electric
stoves were sold for $20 and
replaced with a professional gas
stove/oven, the same one in use
until the 1996 Parish House
renovations at which time the
kitchen was moved upstairs.
James Dilliplane loaned St.
Andrew’s $2,000 at four percent
interest for a three-month period in
order to assist in the remodeling
expenses. This note still had a
balance of $1,000 in October 1949.
IN September 1946 Rev. William
B. Stimson was called as Rector.
Stimson was born in New York
City, October 25, 1899, attended
Haverford Prep School and
graduated from Yale in 1922.
Following graduate work at the
University of Penn., he earned his
Bachelor of Sacred Theology from
Philadelphia Divinity School in
1930. During WWII Stimson
served as an Army chaplain and
ended the war with the rank of
Captain. A reception was held in
the Parish House on October 6,
1946 to welcome the Stimsons to
Yardley/St. Andrew’s.
THE CHRONICLE MARCH-APRIL 2017
Jaf Baxter continues his
series in which he
recounts the genesis and
subsequent history of St.
Andrew’s.
In 1947 the Vestry rejected a
proposal to start a nursery school in
the Parish House. In 1948 the
Vestry was in negotiations with
Col. and Mrs. Belleville, church
members, for the possible purchase
of three acres of land for additional
cemetery plots. This property was
not contiguous to church property
and nothing came of these
discussions.
Col. Belleville fought in WWII
which included his involvement in
the battle of Okinawa. He is
rumored to have had a “terrifying”
personality as seen through the eyes
of a youngster who was and is
today a member of St. Andrew’s.
THE challenge of space/ground for
burial plots was solved in July 1948
when the Bleachery offered St.
Andrew’s as a gift the land which
we now use west of the tombstones.
Also in 1948 the Vestry discussed
the possibility of redoing the church
basement for use as a choir robing
room.
In the summer of 1949 St.
Andrew’s entered into a formal
agreement with the Pennsbury
School District which permitted the
District the use of the first floor of
the Parish House for first and
second graders for the school year
1949-50. The agreement was year
to year unless canceled by either
party with 90 days’ notice. The use
fee was $850/school year. At its
expense the District made
improvements to the lighting,
toilets and cesspool.
The four Gothic Lanterns which
light the church were purchased,
installed and dedicated as
Memorials to ten former/deceased
parishioners whose names are listed
on the brass plaques fixed to the
west wall of the church.
One of the ten listed is Edith
Golding Leigh who was Kurt
Traub’s mother-in-law. Kurt was a
Vestry member and an active
participant in the life of St.
Andrew’s as was his wife. Edith
Golding Leigh was also grandmother to Katharine-Leigh Traub
Lemire whose daughter carries her
great-grandmother’s name – Leigh
Golding DeSantis.
The May minutes recorded the need
for an appropriate structure for the
reserve sacrament. This suggests
that the location of the housing for
the sacrament as we know it was
constructed in 1950.
The November 1950 Vestry
minutes note that the Vestry
approved the use of the Parish
House by AA each month.
19
GALLERY
Music Director Mark Dolan leads members of the choirs of St. Andrew’s and St. Matthew’s, Pennington, NJ, in Choral
Evensong in the historic Chapel of the Holy Innocents at Doane Academy, Burlington, NJ, on March 5.
EfM plans Open House for new students
Education for Ministry (EfM) has been an active program in Bucks County for more than 20 years at St
Jame’s Episcopal Church in Langhorne. It is for those who are looking to grow their faith and have
wanted more than a Bible study class. Through study, prayer and reflection, EfM groups move toward a
new understanding of God in their live. The EfM program is a four-year study and group reflection process
for the formation of Christian ministry through the development of knowledge, attitude, skill and identity
as Christians. Published texts and essays provide the primary knowledge content in the study of the Christian tradition. The first year studies the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). The second year offers a study
of the New Testament. Year three provides a study of Christian (church) history. Theology, ethics, and
interfaith encounter constitute study in the fourth year. The next session of EfM at St James will begin in
September 2017. It will be co-mentored by Mary Banecker (of St. Jame’s) and Beryl Moore (of St.
Andrew’s) and classes will run from September through May on Thursday mornings. There will be an
Open House on Thursday, March 30, 2017 from 9:00am to 11:30am in the Parish Library of St Jame’s to
provide information, an opportunity to see how the classes are conducted and meet the co-mentors/current
class.There is a fee for the class. Discounts are available for low-income parishioners. Contact Mary
Banecker, 215-757-7558 or Beryl Moore, 215-736-3608 for more information.