From the Rector: WE FIND OURSELVES IN CHALLENGING TIMES, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE WE FIND OURSELVES IN A CRUCIBLE OFPOTENTIAL HOLINESS AND GRACE AS A COMMUNITY  My Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Paul’s,   I write you right after our wonderful Christmas celebration and also our celebrations of the Epiphany and the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. All glorious and all resounding with joy and faith and love that is not only palpable but also magnetic. This is exactly “as it should be”! I can’t tell you how many times I hear at the back of the church following our worship how movedpeople are not only by the power of our worship but also by its authenticity. This includes long-time parishioners and first time visitors. I hope we can give thanks to Almighty God in all of this. As you have already been made aware by no doubt all too many means, this year 2012 is going to be a challenging year financially. The Vestry will have passed a budget on January 31st and on Sunday, February 5, at 3 p.m. in the dining hall there will be a meeting for anyone in the parish who is interested to hear about the rationale for that budget, its challenges and how the decisions have been arrived at. David Schnorrenberg, our Senior Warden, will chair that meeting and will make a presentation, and he and the Vestry will be available to answer questions and to have conversation. At the outset, let me give my thanks to David Schnorrenberg and his Stewardship Committee as well as to Ann Schnorrenberg, our Treasurer, for the huge amount of work they have put in for these now many months in adjusting our 2012 Stewardship Campaign. We now find ourselves in February and this campaign has been going since October. Four months of hard work. I have always said in my now nearly 34 years of ordained ministry that there must be a better way to do this! But it has yet to be discovered, at least in my experience. The clergy and parish leadership and vestry find themselves in a state of flux and anxiety for the course of one-third of a year prior to the following program year. That means that our energy is dissipated and not focused, and lots of energy goes to avoiding anxiety and putting complete faith and trust in the good Lord. I would like to see a change in this area but I have waited for 34 years without this event. Obviously, there is anxiety when any cut must be made in any budget. I will attempt to outline in broad sweeps and with simple facts how we have arrived at this situation. David Schnorrenberg will give a much more detailed account of where we are in his presentation on Sunday, February 5. How do we find ourselves in the position of having to cut our budget when in fact we are growing in terms of numbers and participation? One issue is the 2011 budget. That budget had a deficit of approximately $60,000. Again the numbers are general and not specific. David Schnorrenberg again will provide specifics in February. Why is there a deficit? Not because our income has failed. In the end, income has been consistent with its projected budgeted amount. What the Vestry underestimated were expenses. Expenses predominantly in two areas, the area of building repair and the area of utilities. These two categories represent the vast chunk of our deficit. In other words, it is nobody’s “fault” that there is a deficit. But obviously the deficit has to be corrected in the 2012 budget, so before we look at anything else, we have to raise an additional $60,000 to balance the budget for 2012 even if it were to stay at the 2011 level. We also received income from outside sources last year in the amount of $30,000 which will not be coming in this year. So that leaves a total of $90,000 to be made up in 2012 before we start! In addition to the deficit, we also have lost some pledges and the approximate amount of those pledges we have lost is $75,000. Why have we lost them? Among those definitely lost are two who have died, eight who have moved away, five who have become Roman Catholics, and three who are members of the parish who were formerly pledgers and who since their dismissal from the choir are no longer pledging at St. Paul’s. Another has transferred to another parish in the area. Obviously, each year we expect a certain number of losses through death, retirement and moves, but this year we have been hit particularly hard with losses to the Roman Catholic church and through the choir dismissals. This, then, I hope, provides the general background for the situation in which we find ourselves. In all this, there is also a great deal of good news. At the time of writing (January 7th) we have 249 pledges in the amount of $833,861.29. Many thanks to all those who have pledged and indeed those who, having pledged for 2012, have actually come back to increase them. Of those, 45 are brand new pledges and I know that all those figures have increased over this weekend. This means that we are both attracting new members and that members who have not previously pledged are now pledging. Further good news is that the Christmas offering was more than budgeted even if we do not include the offering on Christmas Day itself, which fell on a Sunday. Others have followed the lead of one parishioner, who gave an initial gift above and beyond their annual pledge of $5,000 to address the issue of the deficit and a total of some $12,000 has come in for that. Later this week, I and others are meeting with one of our parishioners who has taken the initiative to do some research for a potential grant for our music program. Others, too, are coming forward with ideas for increasing our income and have generously and compassionately taken upon themselves the pursuit of such possibilities. All this is enormously heartening as I observe the parish reacting with care and concern to the challenges ahead of us. We find ourselves, of course, in the first month of the new fiscal year, so that the Vestry passed some continuing Resolutions that allowed payments to be made in this month of January before a budget is adopted. Those authorized payments obviously had an immediate impact on our life, since they are based on what we are projecting our 2012 budget to be. There are already some casualties, therefore, with the potential budget cut. Michael, who has been our two- day- a- week help from Labor Finders to help Murdock with our maintenance, was let go at the end of last month. Those of you who come regularly to the 9 a.m. Mass will find that the choir at that Mass has been one of those casualties. I and the Director of Music are working hard at trying to find ways where we can afford to not only maintain some sort of choir at 9 a.m. but also to avoid the other possibility of combining the 9 and 11:15 Masses into one Mass at 10:30, which could from time to time be a congregational setting. The latter seems to me to be the most drastic move, as I am quite sure that we will lose both attendance and even membership as a result of that. It may be that we can only afford one choral service on a Sunday morning, and thus a joint 10:30 a.m. service may be inevitable. But I very much don’t want the 9 a.m. Mass to be some sort of third-class citizen and I am aware of the work that needs to be done to make that happen. Again, I am very grateful to those who are working very hard behind the scenes to address that. We have also, unfortunately, spoken to John Bohl, Assistant Director of Music, and to Fred Murdock, our Maintenance Manager, to warn them about the possible elimination of their positions in the 2012 budget. Obviously, this is heart-wrenching for me as the Rector to lose two very good, capable and important members of my team. And I know that our parishioners share the same sorrow. I am gratified that in the discussions in the Vestry thus far we have managed to avoid the usual trap of everybody on the Vestry fighting for their favorite segment of the budget. The good news, in a perverse way, is that in fact everybody suffers. Cuts are potentially in place across the board. So when I feel concerned for our music program and the impact it might have on our liturgies, especially in the light of my opening paragraph, my heart also goes out to those school children who will be affected by cuts at St. Saviour’s school in Zerka in Jordan, as well as those in Northern Malawi who will also be affected by similar cuts in our Mission budget that may occur in our new budget. Obviously, the staff will receive no salary increases, and I would point out that in the case of one member of the staff, the current rate of that position is at 75 percent of what the minimum salary should be, so while there may not be cuts in staff salaries, I do want everybody to understand that the staff is already underpaid and overworked, and also in a very real sense happily so for love of this place and of their work here. It is likely that we will have no budget for hospitality or Christian Formation, among other areas. And again, one is reminded of how dependent we are on the fantastic volunteers who provide first-rate programs with no financial resources. Obviously in all this, I am also concerned for the extra burden and stress that we put not only on the paid and volunteer staff, but all our volunteers. As we take a realistic approach to our financial resources, we must also at the same time look at the impact of all this on our human resources. These are sometimes overlooked in our concern for the financial. While all of this is a challenge, and while all of this requires Grace-filled efforts to remain focused on our life and mission and on our trust in God, I believe that drawing ourselves in to the more realistic will provide a stability that will enable us to continue to grow not only in numbers, as we are doing, but also in our financial resources. Obviously, in all this, too, is the general condition of the economy, and in talking with other clergy I can’t think of any parish that is not wrestling with this in some shape or form. I believe there are all sorts of opportunities for growth here, and not least of all in our compassion not only for one another but also our compassion for the ministries in which we are involved at home and abroad. In these circumstances, there is always a danger that we become very self-consumed and inward-looking. And so it is perhaps fitting that I write to you in the season of Epiphany. The season of Epiphany is very much a season of looking out and of evangelization and mission. You will notice this in the thrust of the readings at Mass and, I suspect, in much of the preaching and teaching that will be going on. And so I draw your attention to our Lenten programs which are described elsewhere in the Epistle. These are all wonderful opportunities that provide us with Grace-filled possibilities to look inwardly at our own spiritual lives individually and corporately but also, as you will see, to look up and to look out. From my own selfish point of view, I would call your attention to two offerings: The Rector’s Forum is centered in Lent on some of the work of Jean Louis Forain. You will remember that my study of Forain was a major part of my recent sabbatical leave. In the Rector’s Forum on the Sundays in Lent, I will be taking one of Forain’s works each Sunday, looking at the work to invite your own responses and to give my own meditations on those images. Similarly, the Lent Quiet Day on Saturday, March 10, will focus on two images from Forain’s work. The Wednesdays in Lent series will begin on February 29 under the title “Ite, Missa Est.” – “Go, it is the dismissal,” these are the Latin words of the dismissal in the Roman rite and words from which we derive the word “mass” itself. “Dismissal,” “mission,” “mass,” “being sent,” “go,” these are all essential to the dynamic of the Mass and therefore to the dynamic of Christian living. Why do we go to church? In order to be sent from church, as Timothy Radcliffe states in the last sentence of his book “Why Go To Church?” Members of the Commission on Mission will join me in making presentations about our mission, the whys and wherefores from theological, historical, liturgical and practical points of view. I like to think it is not by accident that when I returned from my sabbatical I received the suggestion of a member of the Commission on Mission to make our mission work the focus of our Wednesdays in Lent program. Perhaps it is providential that this looking out occurs at a time when the temptation to stop and look inward is all too real. I commend to you the wonderful Fridays in Lent series that Fr. Humphrey has been leading—and this will be the 7th year—when he enters the world of Narnia and the fantastic (literally!) work of C. S. Lewis. Again, you will find details of this elsewhere. We find ourselves, then, in challenging times, but I also believe we find ourselves in a crucible of potential holiness and grace as a community. I hope we can hold onto a Grace-filled vision in the weeks and months ahead and remain faithful to the mission of this parish, which is “to restore all people to God and to each other through sacramental worship and Christ-like living. I thank you in advance for your prayers for those in decision-making positions and for all of us as we seek to be faithful to Christ and to one another in the ministry and mission that are His through us in and from this parish. This also comes with every blessing for a most holy Lent.   With love in Christ,   Father Andrew     A New Member of the Ministry Residents Program: Mr. Jean Beniste Note: Jean Beniste will come to St. Paul’s in the Ministry Residents Program, supported by the Lilly Endowment in the fall of 2013   Born in 1970 in Haiti, I was raised in Jean Rabel, Haiti. I am now a Master of Divinity student at Virginia Theological Seminary. I am a junior from the Diocese of Southeast Florida. I am married to Monica and we have two daughters: Annelise Clara and Solange Chiara. I am a former Roman Catholic Seminarian, member of C.IC.M. (CongregatioImmaculatiCordisMariae) or Missionary of Schuet, an international religious missionary institute of 1330 religious men. It is dedicated to the work of evangelization, especially among the marginalized and poor. In Jean Rabel, I attended St. Dominic's Savior Catholic Elementary School, and the first years at College Bethel, High School where I was an active student leader involved in church activities, youth movement, and soccer. Later, I attended the Petit Seminaire St. Pie X in Port-de-Paix, (College Notre Dame de Lourdes), and then in Port-au-Prince I attended College Saint Jean de L’Evangelist and Centre de Formation EmilleRoumer; where I received my high school diploma. During this time I applied to become a priest. Upon graduation, I became a postulant of the Missionary of Scheut (C.I.C.M) a missionary Order located at Port-au-Prince Haiti, starting my Novitiate with the Missionary in 1993. At the end of this period, I pronounced my religious vows, and became a member of this international and multicultural religious Order. I then studied for my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy at the Grand Seminaire Notre Dame. During my studies I was in charge of youth, pastoral care and liturgy in this community. In 1996, as part of our spirituality as a missionary, I had to undertake an internship in a mission land—a mandatory requirement of the Order just before Theology studies or ordination. The Internship is international, cultural, pastoral, religious and social. I chose the Dominican Republic because I wanted to give a testimony, to start a dialogue with the Dominican people for both nations to have a better understanding and knowledge about their situations, and to share my faith. This experience gave me a chance to grow spiritually and socially and put in practice my leadership skills. As a missionary-religious, I was very lucky to be there, and that presence also permitted me to develop a particular kind of spirituality: the Spirituality of Presence. It is just Being there, being witness and present with the people in their daily life, listening to God’s voice, discovering God’s image through the face of the people, sharing our faith, slowly learning to know the people, and understanding how God revealed himself among them. And at this time too, the word of the prophet Jeremiah made sense to me: “Do not say, I am only a child. You must go to everyone I send you …” (Jeremiah 1, 7-8), and it gave me strength to work very hard with the community in church activities and in pastoral care. I worked with youth and adults, through catechism. I helped in the formation of youth ministry and leaders, and creation of some communities or small reflection groups. I helped organize the parish, for example building team work including volunteers and paid employees for the community. Also I had the opportunity to get involved in people’s social life by going to their celebrations. I took time to sit down with them, to think about things in their general or personal life. It also gave me another opportunity to make people both see and understand the reality. It was a very good experience. As they say in my country; “every good experience or story has a finale.” The end was devastating news for me when my superior provincial required me to leave the Dominican Republic and go back to Haiti to wait until Rome decided about my future in the mission. And Rome told me that I had to take a leave of absence for two years, and then after that I could go back to finish my studies. I did not want to wait so long, and I did not receive any further explanation of for the delay. I did not see the reason, so I decided not to renew my vows when they expired and went back to my family to re-evaluate my vocation. In October 1999, I immigrated to the US to start a new life and I got married. Now I live here with my wife and my children.   That decision was not only a separation from the C.I.C.M., but also it made me distance myself from the Roman Catholic Church. I developed a kind of resistance to church activities, taking refuge in my work, doing two jobs at the same time. I just wanted fill the void. I thought that if I worked very hard, got a career and lots of money, it could make me forget my vocation. I joined the Episcopal Church in Miami. That same year at Easter my wife and I were received by Bishop Leopold Frade. Since then, we have been very active members of the Cathedral in Miami, and it has become a spiritual refuge for us. As a church member and like all baptized, I thought it very important to make myself available and to listen the voice of God to see what we could offer at this place. That’s why, both my wife and I committed ourselves to several ministries and activities to make this place very welcome for others. I believe that during this time, at the cathedral in Miami and then at Virginia Theological Seminary, worshiping at various local communities, joining the Episcopal Church, studying Theology at VTS, and meeting and talking with order people, I have grown spiritually, socially, religiously, pastorally and intellectually. I have rediscovered my vocation and seen the need for the ministry to which I have been called. For that reason, I want to respond to God’s call to become a priest in this Church. In spite of everything, I have come to realize that God calls every human being in the freedom of love to be in relation with each other, because "every life is a vocation.” Today the Church needs our help as priests to serve God and his people to minister the sacraments and to proclaim the good news. It needs happy leaders who can work well with all peoples, healthy joyful preachers with a desire to make a difference in the world even in the midst of struggle and confusion. The Church is looking for people for whom God is significant and who have a burning desire to be of service to others. My calling to the ministry constitutes a special gift from God and becomes part of the great plan of love and salvation that God has for every man and woman and for the whole of humanity. Saint Paul in the letter to the Ephesians says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places …” (Ef 1:3-4). Attracted by him, from the beginning of our history, many men and women have left families, possessions, material riches and all that is humanly desirable to follow Christ generously and live the Gospel without compromise, which had become for them a school of deeply rooted holiness. Today too, like me, many undertake this same demanding journey of evangelical perfection and realize their vocation in the profession of the evangelical counsels. I have trust in God and follow Jesus faithfully and I will be witnesses to the joy that flows from intimate union with him. Look at Mary’s example in The Magnificat, whom all generations proclaim as blessed because she believed (Lk 1:48-49). That helps me every day in my faith, to commit myself with every spiritual energy, prayer, meditation, scripture, dialogue, and spiritual direction to realize the heavenly Father’s plan of salvation, cultivating in my heart, like her, the ability to be astonished and to adore him who is mighty and does “great things,” for Holy is his name. Let me give thanks to God, because even today he continues to call together workers into his vineyard from different social classes, sex, color, cultures, and of every age and invites them to follow him according to the mysterious plans of his merciful love.   New Fellow In Residence! – Fr Stephen Weissman  Stephen Weissman was born in Cincinnati. He received his degree in history from Kenyon College in 1962. While an undergraduate he served as verger of his college chapel andvolunteered for two summers at a mission on the Navajo Reservation. He received his theological education at the mother house of an English religious order, the Society of the Sacred Mission, at Kelham, Nottinghamshire, and at the Episcopal Theological School and Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, MA. While at Kelham, he also worked at a Church Army Hostel in Stepney, London. While at ETS, he marched in Selma, AL. He was ordained in 1966 in Columbus, OH, and was curate at urban and suburban parishes there '66 - '68. From '68 to '70 he directed an adult education program on the Navajo Nation. Returning to Ohio, he taught the histories of American minorities at a public high school in Columbus. In '75 he became rector of St. Andrew's Parish, Edwardsville, IL, in suburban St. Louis, where he served for 15 years and held various additional posts such as rural dean and treasurer of a half-way house for alcoholics. At age 50 he moved to Connecticut, where he served as vicar of Windham while studying for certification by the Connecticut Nurserymen's Association. After a year he returned to the Midwest where he continued his horticultural interests, raising vegetables for restaurants and at the same time serving as half-time vicar of a church in St. Louis' inner city until 1996. That year he was transferred to northeastern Missouri, where he served on a ministry team for five small rural churches along the Mississippi. He also continued working as a mentor for Sewanee's program of theological education by extension, EFM. In 2000 he retired from the ministry team while continuing as coordinator of the Diocese of Missouri's EFM program. Since 2005, Fr. Weissman has lived in retirement with his partner, Gary Ross-Reynolds, in Asheville, NC, where he serves as priest associate at St. Mary's Parish and at the Church of the Redeemer. His enthusiasms include gardening, swimming, and Native American arts. He is active in the Sierra Club. Having served all his active ministry in rural, small town, and inner city churches, he is looking forward to benefiting from the many people and ample resources of a large urban church such as St. Paul's.   Bishop Dawani’s ChristmasLetter from Jerusalem   Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to his People on Earth   And so we begin our Christmas celebration, with the glorious news of the birth of a baby and the hope that this holds for the world. In all things we are told to give ‘thanks to God’ and in all we do ‘give the Glory to God’. With this in mind we look back upon a year filled with thanksgiving and look forward to the wonder and splendor that God has in store for us. I am thankful for the productive Annual Majma that was held in Amman, Jordan this past November. Our theme for this Majma was ‘Serving to the Glory of God’. We focused on our institutions and the work we do to the Glory of God and in the service of our communities. Our schools, healthcare institutions and churches glorify God through the educating and teaching of our future generations, the caring for the sick and the needy, the elderly and the marginalized. We give glory to God through the example of our Christian principles and moral values, which are rooted in our faith. We look forward to working together to build future programs and projects that will benefit all people, both physically and spiritually. In Christ we are called to alleviate the suffering of our people, our friends and neighbours without regard to race, religion, gender or politics. The hope of the church is in Christ Jesus. Through Him we are working toward a stronger unity, greater love, and deeper faithfulness in our mission and ministry among all Christians and non-Christians. And so, just as Jesus embraces the world, so too does our community embrace the world. Living in the land of the Holy One, we open wide our doors to welcome the world into our midst. Our churches regularly greet the pilgrims who come to visit, see and learn of the work Jesus continues to do through us. As they come to Bethlehem to kneel at the foot of the manger, so too do we gaze upon the Christ child, small, vulnerable and innocent. In this land of so many passionate commitments and conflicts, we celebrate again Jesus’ ministry of reconciliation. It is through the courage and strength of the Holy Spirit that we can continue to serve to the Glory of God. It is with great honour and profound humility that I minister among you as your Bishop here. All I do is in the service and Glory to God. I pray that as you celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, this Christmastide, be full of the joy and deep peace that comes in knowing that you are dearly loved by our God who so loved the world that He gave us his only Son. Merry Christmas.   Bishop SuheilDawani Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem   Meet the Music-Makers: Scott Spaulding   I’ve been a member of St. Paul’s Parish since 2005 and have sung in the choir (decani or first bass) since 2006. When I moved to the DC area, I thought I’d “check out” several churches. I came to St. Paul’s the first Sunday I was here, and my search was over. The choir wasn’t the only reason I decided to stay, but it was a major part of the decision. My earliest memory of singing in a choir is of my school’s Christmas Pageant in 1969. I still remember the lyrics from the first verse: Jesus our brother, kind and good Was humbly born in a stable rude And the friendly beasts around him stood Jesus our brother, kind and good. I sang in the youth choir at my church as well as my elementary school’s chorus, and also took piano lessons. The piano and clarinet were my main interests form about the 7th grade until I graduated high school. I didn’t sing again, at least not in an organized group, until I went to college and discovered Evensong. I immediately joined the Chapel Choir, and I also sand in the University’s a cappella choir. Since then, I’ve always sung in a choir. I don’t really have a favorite composer or a favorite period of music. As long as the music is good and is tastefully done, I’m happy. I absolutely love singing in the choir at St. Paul’s. I’m not sure I can adequately describe why, though. Part of it has to do with camaraderie. It’s a great group of people. Part of it has to do with the fact that we get to make some wonderful music; more so than at most other places. But there are much deeper reasons too. It’s a powerful thing. Even if you don’t sing in the choir, I think you can at least feel it when you walk through the choir on your way to the communion rail. It has to do with what St. Augustine said about singing and praying twice. For me, at least, it’s not a performance. It’s prayer. I am extremely grateful that I am allowed to sing in a place and with a choir that understands that, and does it so sincerely. And sometimes God does the most surprising things while you’re singing. A while ago now, I found myself singing Evensong at Wells Cathedral, in England, on a glorious afternoon towards the end of July. On that particular day prayers and petitions, submitted by the local townfolk and visitors, were read aloud—much like we do here at St. Paul’s during Shrine Prayers. They were such honest and heartfelt and difficult things, and we—the choir—were completely unprepared for them. There were thanksgivings, but there was also abuse, grief, loss, remove, sickness and suffering. I still vividly remember one, from a child whose prayer was that his parents would stop fighting. After the prayers, the choir stood to sing Bairstow’s “Blessed City, Heavenly Salem.” After hearing those petitions, most of the choir had at least a mild concern they’d be able to sing. But, it has a long organ introduction and starts out rather loudly, so we thought we’d be ok. Then again, there’s the last verse: To this temple where we call Thee, come, O Lord of hosts today; with Thy wonted loving kindness hear Thy servants as they pray, and Thy fullest benediction shed within its walls always. If you are familiar with the music and how the piece ends, you might be able to understand why, when combined with those words, our difficulties returned. Some might say it was a coincidence, or put it down to the skill of the choirmaster in choosing the perfect anthem for that particular Evensong. Perhaps. Most of the choir felt that Grace alone was the only reason we were able to finish—and to do it properly. That happens—Grace—and that’s why I ‘m still singing in the choir.   Stone from Jerusalem Joins Others from Holy Land   Dick van Os-Keuls   Without ceremony during a quiet week of Advent we were able to add to our growing collection of stones from sacred sites in the floor in and around the sacristy. The newest arrival is an ochre-colored, odd-shaped piece at the approximate center of its sixteen-inch square. It was found just outside the Lions’ Gate in the northeast wall of the old city of Jerusalem near the Pool of Bethesda and St. Ann’s house. Those responsible are much the same cast of characters who made possible the previously installed Bethlehem stone: Canon John Peterson, Bill Prather, Ted Pavlik, and Dick van Os-Keuls. Advice from Davis d’Ambly of Philadelphia helped us refine the design. Surrounding the stone is a slate circle in which Hierosolymais engraved – a Latinized form of Jerusalem. From it radiate the four equal arms of a (Greek type) cross, made of filled travertine. (Travertine is sort of the "Swiss cheese" of Italian marbles, with fissures in it that get filled up, if not with grout, eventually with dirt ; Washington’s Kennedy Center is covered with acres of it.) A circle of semi-precious stones form a ring; these represent the Gemstones (or Foundation Stones) of the New (or Heavenly) Jerusalem, starting with jasper in the approximately one o’clock position and proceeding clockwise to amethyst in the eleven o’clock spot. The stones are identified in Revelation 21 : 19-20. Scholars seem to agree that they are inspired by and loosely based on the twelve stones in the High Priest’s breastplate, a long-lost artifact described in Exodus 28 : 17-20. However, it is interesting that the menu of stones is somewhat different and the order is scrambled. Anyone interested in a detailed discussion of the subject might consult the entry "Jewels and Precious Stones" in Dictionary of the Bible, Hastings (Scribner’s, New York, 1963). Also of value is the entry "Gem" in the eleventh Britannica (Cambridge, 1910) which gives a diagram of the breastplate. The remaining background of the floor insert is rendered in slate pieces (leftover scraps from the previous large installments of the floor, to be honest) in a vaguely art-nouveau pattern.   Hymn Sing – Friday 10 February at 7:30PM  Announcing a Parish Hymn-Sing on Friday 10 February, starting at 7:30PM, hosted by the Commission on Evangelization. Come and join in, come raise your voices in a wonderful parish fellowship event asRobert McCormickand John Bohllead us in avariety of beloved Hymns—from traditional Anglican to Southern Gospel. It is sure to be arousing evening of fun and music. A modest reception will follow in the Atrium.   Four Invitations to Observe a Holy Lent   Wednesdays in Lent “Ite, missaest”February 16—March 16 During Lent the parish clergy lead a special five-week evening program of prayer and study, with a simple meatless potluck dinner. In 2012 the series will be titled “Ite, missaest” (Latin for “Go, it’s the dismissal”), led by Fr. Andrew Sloane, members of the Commission on Mission and Dr. John Orens. We shall look at the essential and authenticating link between Anglo-Catholic sacramental worship and the ministries of outreach and mission. ”I THIRST,” The Cross – The Great Triumph of Love (foreword by the Archbishop of Canterbury) is written by Stephen Cottrell who is now Bishop of Reading and formerly Canon Pastor of Peterborough Cathedral in the UK. He is one of the authors of Emmaus, the Christian basics course, and many other books. “This is a picture of God thirsting on the cross, sharing the world’s suffering, experiencing our humanity. The words of Jesus from the cross can be a window into God’s purposes, leading us into a deeper appreciation of his overwhelming love for us. ‘I THIRST’ helps us explore what the death of Jesus means and how it relates to our lives today. “Stephen Cottrell follows the passion story in John’s Gospel, penetrating the deep mystery of a God who loves humanity no matter what the cost. Readers will discover a different layer of meaning in the simple cry, ‘I thirst.’ This book’s devotional format helps us review our spiritual lives and think again about what it means to be a follower of Christ in the modern world.” (From the book cover)   Feb. 16: The God Who Shares Feb. 23 The Word That Shapes Mar. 2 The Call To Be Thirsty Mar. 9 The Tenacity of Love Mar. 16Enduring Thirst, Living Water    Family Fridays in Lent Continues with C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia For the past six years, Fr. Humphrey has taken us on journeys into Narnia during Lent, through the Wardrobe and aboard the Dawn Treader, on quests in The Silver Chair, Prince Caspian, and The Horse and His Boy, and through The Magician’s Nephew, which tells the story of Narnia’s creation and fall. This year, Fr. Humphrey will lead us on a Lenten journey as we contemplate the end of Narnia—and of our own world—through the apocalyptic vision of The Last Battle. Beginning on the second Friday in Lent, March 3rd, Fr. Humphrey will be leading this family-oriented program over five Friday nights 7:00 to 8:30 pm. It will follow Mass and Stations of the Cross in the church, beginning in the Dining Hall with a potluck supper and continuing with an hour of multimedia presentation and intergenerational activities, including drama, discussion, crafts, and small group interaction. Fr. Humphrey will select readings and gear activities to all developmental levels, keeping younger children particularly in mind. At the same time, even though the program is oriented toward families with children, knowing that past programs have attracted a wide spectrum of participants, Fr. Humphrey will again be designing this year’s program so as to have the broadest possible appeal. Though not strictly necessary to enjoy the program, Fr. Humphrey recommends individuals and families read the first three chapters in advance of the first session. Please bring your book with you to the program. Fr. Humphrey is grateful for the able assistance for the fifth year of Kristin Davidson, as well as the creative vision and talent of other parishioners, who will be transforming the Dining Hall into Narnia! To volunteer to help with any aspect of the series, please contact Fr. Humphrey.   Five Sundays in Lent: — Rector’s Forum February 26 – March 25 Sensual Spirituality: Bodies Broken and Bodies Glorified Fr. Andrew L. Sloane, Rector Fr. Andrew will lead reflections and meditations on some of the religious works of Jean Louis Forain – as well as non-religious works with religious surprises! –and invite responses from the forum.   Lenten Quiet Day: March 10 On Saturday, March 10, 2012, 9.00 AM to 2.30 PM, Fr. Andrew will lead the parish LENTEN QUIET DAY, with the same title, “Sensual Spirituality: Bodies Broken and Bodies Glorified”, and will lead us in meditations of other religious works of Forain for our silent reflection during the day.   Invitation to Contemplative Prayer   All are invited to join a contemplative prayer group that has begun meeting Friday mornings at 8:15 am at St. Paul’s under the guidance of Robert Druecker. The contemplative prayer group met for the first time on January 20, 2012. Anyone may participate in the prayer group whether or not they came to the first meeting and whether or not they can commit to attendance every Friday. Simply email Robert Druecker in advance to participate in a meeting: RDruecker@aol.com The Friday morning group meets to engage in contemplative prayer as it is outlined by St. John of the Cross in his major writings on the spiritual journey and, following him, by Thomas Merton in his book Contemplative Prayer. The whole time is spent in silent contemplation. There is no discussion of the writings of either author. Instruction in contemplative prayer is given to all participants the first time they attend. There is no need to have read St. John or Merton in order to participate. According to Merton Contemplative Prayer is the effort we make to open our hearts more and more, so that we may be filled with the realization (in both senses of the word) of our true creaturely relation to God—one that goes beyond feelings, words, images, or knowledge by analogy. Contemplative Prayer is essentially an unfocused listening in silence, in which we are not listening for anything in particular. Rather we cultivate a general emptiness that is totally open to whatever God’s message may be for us in the moment. Contemplative Prayer is in a way simply the preference for this emptiness, or darkness, in which sensible objects and spiritual objectives are not “seen” in the sense that we orient ourselves to them. John of the Cross called this darkness the active night of the spirit. Contemplative Prayer represents what we can do to prepare for the passive night of the spirit, which has two sides. One is that our self is undergoing a kind of emptying-out of our ego until it no longer knows itself apart from God. Insofar as we acquiesce in this passive purification, we come to call into question our previous motives for faith, for love, and for commitment to God. The other is that the passive night is also the necessary condition for the mystical experience of the reality of God’s love. So, in Contemplative Prayer we prefer emptiness not for the sake of emptiness but because we realize that in order to stop our obstruction of God’s transforming presence in us, we must “let go” of everything within, even (or, especially) of all spiritual desires—desires to see, know, to taste, and experience God’s presence.  Vestry Report: Difficult Budget, Difficult Choices Robert Eikel, Vestry Secretary    It will not be news to parishioners that St. Paul’s faces a difficult financial situation in 2012. As the stewardship campaign draws to a close, the Vestry is working to chart a course for the New Year that will maintain as much as possible of the worship, music, mission, and ministry that make St. Paul’s so special, while making judicious and careful use of the financial resources that so many generous givers have entrusted to the parish. The 2012 pledge drive has been more successful than the Vestry hoped. As of January 15, 257 pledges had been received —four more than in 2011—with 51 new pledgers. This is a heartening sign of parish growth, and a testament to the generosity of so many members and friends in this difficult economic climate. The Vestry expects a total of about $870,000 in pledges by the end of January. Unfortunately, the parish still faces a funding shortfall. The expenses of heating, cooling, and lighting the new building; repairs to the half-century-old physical plant; and steady increases in health insurance and other overhead costs have driven operating expenses in recent years to just over $1,000,000. Over the past three years, the parish has maintained its ministries at the same level by running a small but steadily increasing deficit. But given the small size of the parish’s “rainy day” fund, and the balance still outstanding on the new building mortgage, the Vestry believes that the parish cannot afford another deficit in 2012. Inevitably, the Vestry must cut expenses, trimming overhead and administrative costs. Parishioners likely will notice fewer paper bulletins, parish mailings, and a church that is warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. There will be more painful cuts, too; the congregation at the 9:00 Sunday Masses already is seeing the effects of a reduced music budget. The choir is likely to take a hiatus during the summer months and for some feast days as well. Some cuts will be invisible to the parish at large, but very apparent to our staff, whose take-home pay will be frozen for at least the next budget year—including staff whose pay remains below the diocesan minimum guidelines for their positions. The Vestry intends to make cuts across the budget, neither exempting any program nor making one program bear the brunt. These are very hard decisions. Maintaining any program means cutting others. Every cut to the music program takes away the professional support that enables our many volunteer singers to give their fullest talents to the glory of God. Every cut to the mission budget means that orphans in Malawi, or students in one of the roughest towns in Jordan, or underprivileged boys in Anacostia go without our support for the necessities of their education. Every cut to our diocesan pledge—already much reduced from past years—undermines the diocese’s mission and outreach in our community and our world. The Vestry has been discussing these decisions for several months, and will adopt a 2012 budget on January 31. If you have not done so already, please share your thoughts and concerns about the budget process with one or more Vestry members, whose names and email addresses can be found on the parish website at http://stpauls-kst.com/vestry or on the Vestry bulletin board in the hallway in Pillsbury House. The Vestry will report its budget decisions at a special parish meeting on February 5 at 3:00 pm, and in the March issue of The Epistle. The 2012 budget will not be the end of the story. God’s mission for us does not stop because of budget cuts. We face a challenge, but it presents an opportunity to regroup, refocus, and rekindle the energy needed to grow this parish and its mission and ministries. Parish growth—in numbers, pledges, and the generous giving of so many talented volunteers—is an imperative for 2012 and beyond. We must bring more people here, to know Christ, so that we all can go forth together to make Christ known in our community and in the world. This will be the work of everyone in the parish, and you can expect to hear more from the Vestry on this important topic throughout 2012.   SPECIAL SERVICES Thursday, February 2, 2012 | Presentation of our Lord in the Temple, or Candlemas   7:00 am: Low Mass   6:30 pm: Blessing of Candles, Procession and Solemn Mass, The Rt. Rev. Daniel Martins, Bishop of Springfield, Illinois, Celebrant and Preacher   Wednesday, February 22, 2012 | The First Day of Lent, Ash Wednesday   7:00 am: Low Mass   12 Noon: Low Mass   6:30 pm: Solemn Liturgy, Celebrant and Preacher The Rev. Andrew L. Sloane, Rector   Imposition of ashes at all Masses       ?? ?? ?? ?? 1