1. Art and Diseño

the
Messenger
The Monthly Newsletter of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross
Tryon, North Carolina
February 201 5
www.holycrosstryon.org
From the Rector
Father Mickey Mugan
Paula Jordan requested that I print a recent sermon. So here is my sermon for the
First Sunday after Epiphany.
"You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
Not only can this be said about Jesus, but it can also be said about us. Yet too often
I do not think that we believe this. In the first reading today after God brought
order out of chaos and created light, the writer states that God saw that the light was
good. And as we know toward the end of this creation story, God created humans
and saw that they were very good.
Upcoming Events
Youth Sunday School continues each
Sunday during coffee hour
Coffee Hour University class: Looking
Within – A Journey of Discovery
concludes February 1
Discernment Committee meeting
February 3 at 6:30 in The Common
Room
Instead of believing this good news about ourselves though, I think that somehow
we think that we must earn this gift from God. Somehow we think that we should
be a good person, that is, think and talk only good things. Somehow we should
read a lot about God and hear a lot about God. Somehow we should have great
belief or faith in God. Somehow we should be pious. Somehow all our
relationships should be perfect. Somehow we should have unconditional love.
Somehow we should perform nothing but good deeds. Somehow we should not
have any negative thoughts or emotions. While all of the above can help us grow in
our relationship with God and with one another, all these endeavors miss the point
of the good news that Jesus came to proclaim: that it is all a gift freely offered by
God and we are called only to accept it. I am reminded of what my novice master
used to say to us when I was first in the Jesuits, "Quit should-ing on yourself."
Daughters of the King will meet at the
home of Hilary Giner-Sorolla on
February 4 at 3:30
The next verse in Mark's account of Jesus' baptism which is not included in today's
Gospel selection also is important. "And the Spirit immediately drove him out into
the wilderness." As we know, during this time in the wilderness Jesus receives his
temptations. I believe too often when we face difficulties and struggles, we fail to
see them as opportunities to grow. A quote which I once read from Elizabeth
Kubler Ross challenges this negative perception of difficulties and struggles. She
wrote, "The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known
defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out
of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an
understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving
concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."
Parish Valentine Weekend: February 1 3,
Dinner date; February 1 4, AValentine
for you
As we continue our spiritual journeys during this coming year, may we live out
more and more the realization that we were created very good, that we are very
good, and that all of life provides opportunities to grow more fully into all God
intended for us to be.
Namaste'
Mickey
Holy Cross hosts the Tryon Concert
Association's concert featuring Paul
Jacobs on Saturday, February 7 at 8:00.
Prior to the concert we are hosting a
dinner to benefit our music programs at
6:30.
Church of the Advocate visit Sunday,
February 8, noon - 4:00
Shrove Tuesday Dinner February 1 7 at
6:00 pm in the Parish Hall. Please sign
up on the bulletin board in the hallway
outside the Common Room
Stations of the Cross 5:00 pm on Lenten
Fridays, beginning February 20
Bishop Taylor will be working his regular
office hours at Holy Cross all day on
February 24
Scholarship application deadline March 1
Wednesdays at Noon Lenten Recitals:
February 25, March 4, March 1 1 , March
1 8 and March 25, 201 5 (see sidebar on
page 2 for details)
The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross seeks to welcome, love, and serve all people as we come to know God through Jesus Christ.
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the
From The Organ Bench
Messenger
Susie Mahnke
If you would like to observe the teaching of an
organ master, then please attend Paul Jacobs'
master class at Holy Cross on Friday, February 6,
2015, at 4:00 pm. Tryon Concert Association is
providing this opportunity, not only to TCA
subscribers, but to the community. The public is
invited to attend.
Make Music
The Holy Cross Chancel Choir
rehearsals are Wednesday evenings, 7:008:30 pm. New singers are always
welcome. If you are interested in singing
in the choir, please see Susie Mahnke.
She will be happy to meet with you for
an informal audition and to discuss the
responsibilities of singing in the choir.
Ringing bells is a fascinating way to make
music. Throughout the program year,
ringers commit to a period of five or six
weeks of rehearsals and then ring/play
during Sunday morning worship.
Rehearsals are on Tuesdays from 4:005:00 pm. If you are interested in joining
the handbell choir please contact
Margaret Leach or Susie Mahnke.
Organ performance majors from Furman University, Greenville, SC, will play for
Mr. Jacobs. These performers are students of Dr. Charles Tompkins, Professor of
Music at Furman. Charles Tompkins is recognized as one ofAmerica's most
outstanding organ teachers and concert organists. A member of the Furman faculty
since 1986, his students have gained admission to major graduate schools in organ
performance--including Yale University, Indiana University, and Florida State
University--and may be found in significant church and university positions.
You will hear these young, talented organists perform on the Holy Cross organ, and
you will be able to hear the words of guidance that Paul Jacobs will offer to each
student. What an opportunity! Please don't miss this!
Susie Mahnke
Susie has been organist and choir director at Holy Cross since June 201 0. She and her husband,
Kym, have been members of Holy Cross for seven years. Kym, an attorney with Nelson, Mullins,
Riley & Scarborough Law Firm in Greenville, is a dedicated choir member and a pianist. They have
two adult sons, Fritz and Byron.
Wednesdays at
Noon Lenten
Recitals
201 5
Susie Mahnke
February 25, Eun-Sun Lee,
violin; Elizabeth Child, piano
March 4, Amy Brucksch,
classical guitar
March 1 1 , Tina Broussard,
soprano; Caroline Rollins, alto;
Mark Schweizer, bass; Kymric
Mahnke, piano
March 1 8, Lori Corda,
soprano;Alex Nuesse,
soprano; Peter Kutt, piano
Stations of the Cross (Way of the Cross)
Fridays during Lent at 5:00 pm
Ambrose Mills
You can see the fourteen icons on the walls of the
Nave. Each represents an event which occurred on the
last day of Jesus’ life.
The History
Early Pilgrims to Jerusalem would follow the path
Jesus took from his condemnation, to the crucifixion,
to the tomb. They would stop at each site for prayer and contemplation. (Station is
from the Latin for stand). Later it was difficult to visit the Holy Land, so replicas of
the Way of the Cross were built throughout Europe. They became the Stations we
now know.
Significance
As we progress around the Stations, we are making a spiritual journey, following
the footsteps of Jesus. We can personally feel the pain, courage and dignity of his
Passion. We can share the grief of his Mother, Mary, as a sword of sorrow pierces
her heart. This touching journey ends at the tomb, but we see that it is a necessary
prelude to the resurrection which we joyfully anticipate.
Please join us for this meaningful Lenten discipline. It takes less than 30 minutes
from 5:00 pm on Lenten Fridays, beginning February 20th.
A Valentine Gift of God’s Spirit!
A Parish Weekend February 1 3 and 1 4
the
Messenger
Carol Newton
Come explore the blessing of God’s love this Valentine weekend. On February 13
and 14 the first Holy Cross parish family weekend will be held. We will have fun
and share the experience of God’s love in our lives.
The weekend begins Friday evening, February 13. Plan on starting at the Lord’s
table followed by a pot luck dinner. The program begins after dinner, followed by
entertainment provided by Pam Stone and Contra dancing.
On Valentine’s day, Fr. Bob Chiles from Christ Church Greenville, SC will help us
explore the gift of God’s spirit, learning about LOVE! We will use the blessing for
youth to understand how God speaks to us, His children, at our age. The goal is to
help us open ourselves more fully to experience God’s love.
Please sign up on the bulletin board near the office. On Saturday, lunch will be a
valentine for you, but a reservation is required.
“I Get By With a Little Help From My
Friends…Gonna Try With a Little Help
From My Friend…”
Judi Heim
These words come to mind as I look back on the last year and a half. Now, as I
officially come off of the prayer list in our church bulletin, this song, from the
Beatles, came to my mind (the Beatles are my favorite group of all time – after all
they did write a song just for me, you know…”Hey Jude” ☺ )
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Grace Notes
The DOK wishes to thank those who
contributed to their winter clothing
drive for school-age children.
A huge round of applause for our vestry
members that completed their terms Larry Newton, Pam Stone, Craig
Williams and Paul Zimmerman. Thank
you for your dedication and hard work.
Welcome to our newest vestry
members that were elected at our
annual meeting - Sharon Cargill, Happy
McLeod and John Rollins.
Many thanks to Bertie Phayer and Pat
Hale who coordinated our pot luck
after the annual meeting. Many thanks
to all that brought food and pitched in
to make the lunch a delicious and
delightful event.
ThankYou
I know that I would not have done as well as I did without the constant prayers
from you, my church family, from the blessings of Father Mickey to heal me – both
physically and keep me strong, emotionally, without the wonderful delicious
dinners, desserts, and snacks and without the encouraging visits and cards from so
many of you.
Note of thanks to the wonderful people
who brought meals when Jerry came
home from the hospital after his heart
surgery. Sharon Cargill, Katy Murphy,
Patsy Hanskat, Lucy Brannon all came
with delicious foods that helped us as
we worked to get some sort of routine.
It is a wonderful ministry. Blessings to
everyone.
I truly did get by with a little – actually a lot of help from my friends –And because
of you – I continued to try with a little help - your help.
Love,
Mimi and Jerry Pospisil
I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. I would like you to know that for
the last year and a half that I have been laid up and going through the different
surgeries, the recoup time, etc. that I used my time wisely. I said many a prayer of
thanks and praise; first to our Lord and to all of you. So many of you were
mentioned personally in my daily prayers – and, yes, everyone of you here at Holy
Cross – my entire church family - you were prayed for continuously.
Life and Loss
I am doing wonderfully now– I would put it at 90% complete so I will continue to
…”get by with a little help from my friends"…and I will continue to …”try with a
little help from my friends"… to quote another song from the Beatles – (this one is
MY song)… “Hey Jude…don’t make it bad…take a sad song and make it better”
Yes you all helped me to take that sad song and make it better. Thank you, dear
friends from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.
Hospice Third Thursday Chats meet
at the Hospice House once a month
on Thursdays. Please call Shannon
Slater for more information at 828
894 7000.
By Cam Lawrence
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the
Messenger
Advocate
Clothing Needs
Ruth Goodson
I received this update from Renni Brown
who runs the Clothes Closet at Church
of the Advocate on their latest priority
needs for clothes. We make our next
trip on February 8. As usual, your
donations are very, very appreciated
and do so much to help.
Kindly keep the blankets, jackets,
hoodies, sweatshirts and warm caps
coming--our homeless congregation is
feeling the cold, especially at night.
We're out of sleeping bags as well as
blankets, and our men need thermal
underwear, sneakers and boots, T-shirts,
belts, jeans, and white socks. ….Thanks
so much for all that you do.
(Please note that most of our women’s
clothing donations go to Thermal Belt
Ministries, so please don’t let this
discourage you from donating women’s
clothing too if you have it. We always
find a good home for it!)
AValentine Gift of
God’s Spirit
Explore, Take it to Heart, Enjoy!
Holy Cross Family
Parish Weekend
February 1 3 Potluck dinner with
entertainment 5:30 – 9:00 pm
February 1 4 Discuss the blessing for
youth at our age 9 am – 2 pm includes
lunch (reservations required)
Sign up on bulletin board near the office
by February 1 2
Reaching Out
News from the Holy Cross Outreach Committee
Craig Williams
Why do outreach?
From C.S. Lewis, “The Problem of Pain”, “It is good for us to know love; and best
for us to know the love of the best object, God. Our highest activity must be
response, not initiative. To experience the love of God in a true, and not an
illusionary form, is therefore to experience it as our surrender to His demand, our
conformity to His desire:……”.
Holy Cross strives to be a congregation of individuals who are actively concerned
about the multiple needs of our neighbors. We respond to the love our Lord bestows
on us by reaching out to others, as our Lord has reached out to us.
Thermal Belt Outreach
Please note that a few (but not all!) Holy Cross outreach initiatives are directly
involved with Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry (TBOM) in Columbus, as that
agency serves the whole community in a variety of critical ways. Currently, 9 Holy
Cross members volunteer at TBOM, including serving on the Board (2), providing
clerical support and data input (2), interviewing clients to determine eligibility (1),
folding bags and stocking food supplies, picking up food from the stores for the
pantry (3), and packing bags for the weekend back pack program for school
children. One of these folks has carried out several maintenance items and has
prepared a variance for the wood yard that was approved by the Columbus Planning
Board. About 17 Holy Cross members have provided short term support for
various TBOM projects, including acquiring wood from the community and
splitting it, wrapping Christmas gifts and handing out food boxes (or directing
traffic), teaching a class, helping organize the marathon brunch, providing
architectural advice and support, setting up and working on the school supply
distribution, and hosting a party for donors. Hoppy Long has been an Ambassador
for Outreach at Holy Cross, but has decided to step down from that role. THANKS,
HOPPY! We need someone who can serve as a liaison between TBOM and Holy
Cross.
Hunger Prevention
Believe it or not, some children and adults in our community go to bed hungry
some of the time or most of the time. Please pick up your Thermal Belt Outreach
Ministry food bag at Holy Cross or use your own bag and bring food items for the
TBOM food bank. These bags are printed with monthly “shopping lists” on them to
make it easy to contribute a few things each week. Consider bringing at least one
food item to church each Sunday that is appropriate for TBOM, or filling up one
bag with non-perishable items throughout the month and bringing it the last Sunday
of each month.
Thank you for your generosity in “food tithing” in calendar year 2014, as Holy
Cross weekly donations totaled 3,333 pounds or over 1,000 pounds more than the
total food donations for CY 2013. We have not yet set a goal for calendar year
2015.
If you need help getting food donations to church, please call Craig Williams at
859-3124 or Bill Kelly at 859-5518. A big thanks to Bill Kelly who takes the food
collected each week to Thermal Belt Outreach
Holy Cross Plus
HC + is an effort supported by the Outreach Committee to help connect Holy Cross
members to others through the ministry at TBOM. Volunteers are needed at TBOM
for stocking food items, shopping for food items, and interviewing clients, so please
call TBOM at 894-2988 for more information. Holy Cross member Carol Newton is
the Executive Director ofTBOM.
Holy Cross Woodcutters take donated firewood to TBOM, where it is cut and split,
if needed, and then distributed to those who need it in order to stretch a fuel budget.
Although our wood collecting and splitting slowed down in CY 2014, if you have
any firewood to donate or wood that might be appropriate, if you want to split wood
at TBOM, or if you just want to work with “woodcutters”, please call Barie Baker
at 859-2783 or Craig Williams at 859-3124. TBOM is now accepting wood
donations again, though there is currently a need for cutting and splitting wood at
TBOM, as the wood yard is being re-sited and reorganized.
Other Holy Cross Outreach Initiatives:
Crisis Funding
Individuals who seek direct outreach assistance from Holy Cross are first screened
by TBOM or Operation Hope. In FY 2014, over $25,000 of outreach funds have
been distributed to respond to a variety of needs to individuals and families in our
community.
Meals on Wheels - Holy Cross members drive one of the MoW routes on a weekly
basis. Even if you can only drive a route one or two times a month your assistance
in this vital community ministry would be helpful, so please call Pam Doty at The
Meeting Place at 894-0001. Holy Cross members who were involved in 2014 with
MoW included Bill Kelly, Jean Boggs, Lesley Huntley, Michael Jordan, Nancy
Ernst, Hoppy Long, Bertie Phayer, and Joan Lonnes in addition to chef
extraordinaire Renee Duval. What a crew!
HC Corps of Engineers - Bill Kelly 859-5518 and other handy volunteers are
involved with projects that make small home repairs and fix things, especially if a
relatively straightforward repair can help someone to stay in their home safely or
avoid accidents.
Safety Net Project for Young Mothers - Each month, disposable diapers and other
infant care supplies are collected for distribution to community members
Church of the Advocate (CoA) - The CoA is a diocese-sponsored congregation in
Asheville for the homeless population. On the second Sunday of every “even”
month a group of Holy Cross members takes clothing items and a prepared lunch
for 120-150 to the CoA and then we participate in the Eucharist and serve lunch.
Please bring clean and intact clothing items for men and women to Holy Cross and
leave them on the bottom floor on the tables in the hallway, an area called “Mary’s
Table”. Winter clothing is still needed now, as well as blankets, jackets, hoodies,
sleeping bags, thermal underwear, sneakers and boots, T-shirts, belts and white
socks. In 2014, Holy Cross members who participated in CoA included Ruth
Goodson, Toya Hegwer and her neighborhood cooking crew (Ann Mebane and
Rachel Bohenberger), Gail and Lee Stockdale, Penn Dean, Claire Carey, Hoppy
Long (and her neighbor Tom Strayer and his children), Ellen Carey, Geoffrey
Carey, Rosemarie Gerstenberger, Paula Jordan, Boyd Correll, Jacque and Craig
Williams, Cam Lawrence, Paul Zeese and possibly a few others. Additionally, Ruth
Goodson serves on the board at CoA. We need more volunteers for this ministry,
even if you can only make it to one of the six trips that Holy Cross makes each year.
If you can’t make the trip to Asheville, please consider helping to prepare the meal
for that day or helping to sort clothes.
Please consider joining the next Holy Cross trip to CoA on February 8th, following
the 9:30 service. Contact Craig or Jacque Williams (859-3124) for details.
Local Clothing Needs
A portion of the clothing that is collected at Holy Cross for the Church of the
Advocate, particularly items for women and children, is donated to Thermal Belt
Outreach Ministry. In calendar year 2014 Holy Cross members donated several
hundred pounds of clothing items to either CoA or TBOM
.
Hospice of the Carolina Foothills - A few Holy Cross members are actively
the
Messenger
Spring Foyer Groups
The Lilies of the Field
Gay Patton
Nancy Ernst
Greg Wright & Peter Franklin
Carol & Larry Newton
The Amaryllis
Katy Murphy & Ben Davis
Marie DuLong
Libbie & DickWright
Paul Zeese
Michael Roeske
The Birds of Paradise
Kenneth Alexander
Katherine & Craig Gillie
Jean & Gene Moore
Gary & Judi Heim
Harry & Harriet Sams
The Forget Me Nots
Jay & Sharon Cargill
Leslie Brooks
Claire Carey
Mimi & Jerry Pospisil
Liz Beam
Cam Lawrence
The Edelweiss
Penn Dean
Jacque & Craig Williams
Pat Hale
Mickey & Maggie Mugan
John & Jane Hart
Happy McLeod
The Hyacinths
Hillary Giner-Sorolla
Leslie Huntley
Lori & Todd Walter
Susie & Kym Mahnke
Neil & Eileen Barton
The Jasmines
Kathy Alyea & Jim Livesey
Hoppy Long
Jean Boggs
Wanda Doar & Glenna Ayers
Charles Breuer
The Mimosas
Faith Weathington
Crys Armbrust
Toya Hegwer
Duncan & Beth Ely
Ruth Goodson
Barbara & John Salmon
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the
Messenger
Looking Within –
A Journey of
Discovery
Larry Newton
Looking Within – A Journey of
Discovery, the Coffee Hour
University Class will conclude on
February 1. How do Christians look
within to their inner selves? What
are they likely to find there? Our
instructor’s answer: What God put
there. What is that? How do we
connect with it? How does looking
within help us enhance our
alignment with and connection to
God and the world around us? Larry
Newton is teaching this class. Larry
has taught courses in Episcopal
churches on Spiritual gifts, MBTI
styles and prayer, and MBTI styles
and ministry. This course is
designed to assist participants in
enhancing their relationship to God
and lessening burnout through
ministry, by looking within and
using scripture as a guide.
involved in volunteer work for HoCF, as there are a variety of types of volunteer
needs. In addition, toiletry and hygiene supplies are collected at Holy Cross for use
by HoCF. Holy Cross members are encouraged to prepare and package soups that
can be used for hospice resident family members. Bring these to the church where
they will be collected and delivered to HoCF. Please note that the next announced
soup collection date is 2/1/15, but if you are cooking a bit extra and want to donate
it to HoCF, please let Katy Murphy know. If you have questions about or are
interested in doing volunteer work for hospice, please contact Cam Lawrence at
457-4469 and/or make a donation to HoCF in memory of long-time Holy Cross
member Ann Curtis, who died 1/12/15 and was a devoted HoCF volunteer and
advocate.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - Craig Williams and Leslie Huntley
conducted a Bridges of Hope program last year for Grace Foothills Church. This
program is designed to help faith communities be more aware of mental illness and
how to be welcoming to community members who have mental health issues. If
you are interested in NAMI or have suggestions about how Holy Cross can be more
supportive or responsive to individuals with mental illness (or their families), please
contact Craig Williams at 859-3124 or Leslie Huntley at 894-3507.
Crop Walk On a Sunday afternoon each November - Community members gather at
Harmon Field to promote efforts to decrease hunger in this country and abroad and
also make a financial support towards this effort, including support ofThermal Belt
Outreach Ministry. Our former deacon, Delores Zeese, was instrumental in helping
to bring Crop Walk to Polk County. This past November, Holy Cross had our
biggest walking crew at Crop Walk in a number of years, totaling about 15 people
and 2 dogs.
For the Future
In addition to the above ongoing initiatives, Claire Carey (457-5171) is facilitating
a “Going Green” project in 2015, designed to help our congregation develop to
being more responsive stewards of God’s creation. We live in such a beautiful area,
and our church can demonstrate more leadership in environmental awareness and
values, possibly better connect with individuals in this area who share similar
values, and maybe even save a few bucks in the process.
If you have any ideas for Holy Cross outreach in 2015, please contact any member
of the vestry or Cam Lawrence at 864-457-4469.
From
The Vestry
Greg Wright, Senior Warden and Cam Lawrence, Junior Warden
Bring a Can to
Wednesday Dinner
In addition to a donation of $5 to cover
the cost of the meal, bring a can of food
to help fill the pantry at Thermal Belt
Outreach. We will have a nice meal
together and help provide food for
those in need.
At the annual meeting on January 25 we installed our new vestry members Sharon
Cargill, Pat Hale, Happy McLeod and John Rollins and we are delighted to have
them as a part of our leadership team. We are so grateful for the continued service
of our returning members Claire Carey, Ruth Goodson, Hugh Key, Muriel
Lunsford, Bob Morgan and Katy Murphy. Everyone not serving on vestry should
be feeling a little bit jealous about missing the chance to work so closely with such
a great group of dedicated, loving, caring folks…you don’t know what you are
missing!
And of course we are very grateful for our members who completed their service on
vestry at the annual meeting. Larry Newton, Pam Stone, Craig Williams and Paul
Zimmerman. We will certainly miss their presence at our monthly meetings and
their huge contributions to our vestry work.
Over the last few months, vestry has concentrated on quietly working to appoint our
discernment committee. Last month we outlined our process in this column and we
are very pleased to have completed that work. Our process was consensus driven
and bathed in prayer so we feel confident that the folks that agreed to serve in that
effort are the perfect people for the job. Paul Zimmerman will serve as chairperson,
Larry Newton will be the group's spiritual guide, Katy Murphy will be the vestry
representative (serving on both vestry and discernment), and other members include
Sam Doar, Joan Lonnes, Ambrose Mills and Barbara Salmon. Alex Rollins will
participate as our youth representative when his school and activity schedule
allows.
Over the next few months the discernment committee will begin their work and it
won't be very long before you will be asked to get involved. The first phase of the
process involves information gathering as the committee puts together a parish
profile. That effort will help us as a parish explore the possibilities of our future
and clarify where we are headed. The profile will then be available to potential
candidates that want to know more about who we are. The second phase of the
process begins when the committee starts to screen and interview candidates. We
would estimate that the entire discernment process will last most, if not all, of 2015
but it’s important to note the committee will not rush the process. They will keep
you fully informed throughout via The Messenger and occasional forums. Please
keep the discernment committee and their work in your prayers.
It’s also important to remember that per the canons much of the work of the
discernment committee, particularly the second phase, will be done privately out of
respect for the potential candidates. Anyone in the parish will be free to give names
of potential candidates for rector to the committee, but to protect the privacy of the
candidates we ask that you not “follow up” by asking the committee about the
status of your suggestion.
So much of what happens at vestry meetings seems like "business". We make
decisions about money and building repairs, we plan events and all sorts of other
things. While the business of church doesn't feel like Sunday morning worship, it is
a necessary part of our corporate life. The "business" of a vestry meeting is indeed
worship.
Our vestry has been a very cohesive, caring, and consensus-driven group and we
would appreciate your prayers. If you want to know how we operate or if you are
just curious about the mysterious things that happen at our meetings, please feel
free to come and see. Our meetings are open and you would be welcome.
Paul Jacobs in Concert at Holy Cross
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Messenger
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Help Wanted
Claire Carey wants to establish an Earth
Ministry here at Holy Cross. Taking
direction from the Bible, we will explore
ways in which we can help the
environment, deal with climate change,
and honor God's perfect creation. "God
saw all that He had made and, behold, it
was very good." Let's help to make it
that way. Please call Claire - 864-45751 71 - if you are interested in serving
with this ministry.
Crucifers, Acolytes, Greeters and LEVs
for Benson Hall: We are always in need
of acolytes, crucifers, greeters and Lay
Eucharistic Visitors for Benson Hall. If
you would like to join this important
ministry, please call Kathy Alyea at 82881 7-9093. Children usually start as
acolytes at age 9-1 0. Adults are
welcome and training is available.
Flower guild invites anyone interested in
joining this ministry to contact Mimi
Pospisil or Katy Murphy to get involved.
And if you have unused vases, please
drop them off at the flower room.
Thermal Belt Outreach is in need of
volunteers for many areas. The need
never goes away and TBOM is helped
immensely by the many ways in which
Holy Cross supports them. See Carol
Newton or Craig Williams today to get
busy!
Susie Mahnke
World-renowned organist Paul Jacobs will perform in concert at Holy Cross on
Saturday, February 7, 2015, at 8:00 pm. This concert is sponsored by Tryon Concert
Association, and we are appreciative that we may work with TCA in order to make
this concert possible.
The long-awaited date is almost here. Holy Cross will host a pre-concert dinner for
TCA subscribers who are attending the concert. Sincere thanks to Greg Wright for
all that he is doing to plan, communicate, and orchestrate this dinner in order for it
to be a success. All proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Holy Cross Music
Program.
Many Holy Cross parishioners have subscribed to TCA's concert series this year.
Thank you for your support of all of our music programs.
"It is in community that we come to see
God in the other. It is in community that we
see our own emptiness filled up. It is
community that calls me beyond the
pinched horizons of my own life, my own
country, my own race, and gives me the
gifts I do not have within me." -
Joan Chittister
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the
Messenger
Discernment Process
Online
The Diocese ofWestern North Carolina
has a well-defined process for finding
and hiring a rector. If you would like to
understand that process, you are
encouraged to read the Rector Search
Manual which is located on the Holy
Cross website: www.holycrosstryon.org.
Choose the Parish Life tab, then the
Discernment Process tab where you will
find a link to the discernment manual. If
you do not have access to the internet,
contact Wanda in the office and she will
print a copy for you.
The Bishop’s Reflection
The Rt. Rev. G. Porter Taylor
Monday, January 26 I leave for India. This is my third
trip to visit our brothers and sisters in our companion
diocese in Durgapur. As always I don't look forward to
being in the plane, but I think about seeing Bishop
Dutta and our friends with great anticipation.
When we talk about the Anglican Communion
sometimes it seems ethereal. We know it's there but it
doesn't really touch our daily lives. We pray for the
Archbishop of Canterbury but few of us will ever meet
him or know much about his activities. In a world that
keeps getting more and more privatized and individualistic, it's vital that we are
connected to a worldwide communion. It's important to me that we have a common
prayer across the globe and share a common structure of being Church because it
roots us to a history and connects us globally.
However, without faces a communion remains an abstraction. When I think of the
Anglican Communion I think of Probal Dutta. I think of the children in the
Cathedral school and the women in the Daughters of the King. I think of the
women sewing to make hearth scarves to help stop human trafficking. I think of the
Medical Clinic. I think of my friends.
Being connected to the Diocese of Durgapur makes the Anglican Communion real
for me. We talk about a Book of Common Prayer, but when I go there I know it's
so. Sunday, February 1 I will celebrate the Eucharist using the Indian Book of
Common Prayer but I could say the Eucharistic Prayer with my eyes closed.
Seasons
of Grief
Cam Lawrence
The purpose of“Seasons of Grief” is to
provide a place to express the grief of
loss and move through the stages of
grief or bereavement towards a new life
honoring the loved one yet building a
new life without that person. Shown
here are four new graduates of this
program. Front, left to right Betsy
Hastings and Leslie Brooks. Back, left to
right Faith Weathington and Stan Gibson.
I will post a daily blog that you can access directly through our website. Because
India is eleven-and-a-half hours ahead (yes, not twelve but eleven-and-a-half) when
you are waking we will be preparing to sleep and vice versa. Thus, when you are
asleep we in India are praying for you and when we are asleep please pray for us.
It's what we call communion.
+Porter
Holy Cross Scholarship Applications Due
March 1 , 201 5!
Cam Lawrence
It is again time to reach out from Holy Cross and serve our own students and those
of the community who plan to further their education after high school graduation.
The Holy Cross Scholarships are awarded to students in our community who
demonstrate a serious attitude about academics, financial need, and community and
church involvement.
Applications for Holy Cross Scholarships are due March 1, 2015. The application
must be complete and turned in by 4 PM on the day due (March 1) to the Church
Office. If you are a past recipient of a Holy Cross Scholarship, please contact the
church office for a reapplication form. Upcoming graduates of Landrum and Polk
County High schools should contact their school’s guidance department for
applications.
From The Discernment Committee
Paul Zimmerman, chair
As commissioned during the Annual Parish Meeting last month your Discernment
Committee consists of Paul Zimmerman (chairperson), Larry Newton (Spiritual
Guide), Katy Murphy (Vestry Representative) plus Sam Doar, Joan Lonnes,
Ambrose Mills, Barbara Salmon and Alex Rollins as youth representative. Alex will
join the committee as his school and extra-curricular activities permit.
Since the committee has just begun there isn’t anything to report in terms of
progress. However, we’d like to take a few moments to talk about the process in
terms of how it proceeds, how long it may (or may not) take and privacy.
The process is divided into two main parts. 1. Pre-interview preparation and 2.The
interview process itself. The first part has no timeline other than to work
consistently and thoroughly. The committee will spend time in the early days
learning about the various facets of Holy Cross. This might include meeting with
the former discernment committee, the finance committee, current vestry and other
areas of the church. Learning about Holy Cross as a whole will help the committee
in their work in many ways.
The second part, the interview process, takes place quickly for two reasons. It’s
important to let candidates know if they have or have not been selected. Also, to not
let a good candidate get away. During the pre-interview preparation is when the
Holy Conversation takes place, and we put together our parish profile based in part
on what comes out of the former. We will have more details on the Holy
Conversation as we progress but the most important thing is that all of you
participate.
A logical question on the minds of many is how long will the entire process take.
Generally the process takes around a year but this committee is focused more on
making sure the process is done prayerfully, thoroughly and deliberatively than date
driven. We will keep the parish fully informed of the process when we are able to
reduce anxiety and keep the parish informed. So please keep in mind that the time
aspect is fluid.
Which brings us to privacy. We will discuss where we are in the process, what the
next steps are etc. What the Canons do now allow us to discuss is who we are
considering and interviewing. This is to respect the privacy of those being
considered. We know you understand and ask that you do not ask members of the
committee for names of potential candidates.
You can (and we encourage you to) suggest potential candidates. There are two
ways to do this. We will let you know when we are about to put the call out. At that
point you can suggest a name to a committee member or contact that potential
candidate and let them know the process has begun. However, after that please do
not ask about that person again. According to the Canons committee members
cannot answer you, so it’s best not to put them in that position. It’s also important to
remember that potential candidates have to be acceptable to the Bishop and The
Canon To The Ordinary.
Lastly, as has been discussed before, if we go through this process and don’t find
the person we feel is suitable we won’t just “pick someone”. We will then go
through what The Canon To The Ordinary calls “an empty net.” This simply means
we didn’t find someone suitable and the Diocese has procedures to help us during
that process. It doesn’t mean we start all over again - it only means they assist us
during the “empty net” phase. Hopefully, it won’t come to that!
As we begin this process we thank you for the trust that has been put in us. Rest
assured that we will do this work while always keeping in mind everyone in the
Holy Cross Family.
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9
Discernment
Committee Meeting
Paul Zimmerman
Canon Pritchett will speak at the first
meeting of the Discernment Committee
on Feb. 3 at 6:30 in The Common Room.
He will go over the process for calling a
new rector and take questions from
members of the Committee. Spouses
and partners are specifically invited so
that they can understand the nature of
the process their loved one is engaged
in and why the Committee member will
not be able to divulge the names of
candidates (even to spouses/partners!).
Interested members of the parish are
welcome to come and observe.
Prayers for the
Discernment Process
Please keep the Discernment process
and the committee in your prayers.
These prayers are suggested as places to
start your prayers:
O God, by whom the meek are guided
in judgment, and light riseth up in
darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all
our doubts and uncertainties, the grace
to ask what thou wouldst have us to do,
that the Spirit of wisdom may save us
from all false choices, that in thy light
we may see light, and in thy straight
path may not stumble, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, p. 832)
And:
Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with
thy most gracious favor, and further us
with thy continual help; that in all our
works begun, continued, and ended in
thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and
finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting
life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. (BCP, p. 832)
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Youth Sunday
School Continues
The class is called "Jesus was an
Episcopalian and you can be one too!"
Any youth or others interested in the
class are invited. Please remember that
those who want to participate should
come up for communion first during the
service. We will then go directly to the
classroom.
All Holy Cross youth are encouraged to
attend and bring friends.
Holy Cross Youth Happenings
Paul Zimmerman
The new year has once again seen the Youth back in Sunday School class. Sam
Doar found a great series called “Jesus was an Episcopalian…and you can be one
too!”. Kudos for Sam for constantly coming up with great new material. Because
we are having the one service, Sam begins the class right after communion so it’s
finished around the time coffee hour begins. Everyone is invited to join the class even if you’re just young at heart!
We congratulate Alex Rollins for being the youngest ever officer in Jr ROTC at
Landrum High School. Those of us attending the Christmas parade had the chance
to see Alex in action as he led the group down main street. Alex has also joined the
Discernment Committee as youth representative. Thanks, Alex! We know you’ll do
a great job.
It was great to see a lot of our college young adults during the Christmas season and
beyond. We certainly miss them but it was fun to catch up on what they are doing
and will be doing. Believe it or not Flynn Chapman and Madison Walter will be
college graduates this spring! Stephen Doar could also graduate but is considering
options to stay one more year to end up with a degree in Business and a minor in
Chinese and History. He also has one more year of football eligibility.
We invite everyone to join our Youth program. For more information please contact
Sam Doar or Paul Zimmerman.
Centering Prayer Comes to Holy Cross
Ruth Goodson
Another Royal
Bun in the Oven!!
Pam Stone
Because Holy Cross has earned quite
the reputation for throwing marvelous,
traditional English Teas, it looks as if
we're going to have another opportunity
to 'Wet The Baby's Head,Two!" in order
to raise more money, gifts and
awareness for the needy babies in our
community.
One of the many inspiring things that Maggie Mugan told of in her wonderful
Advent Quiet Day was Centering Prayer. In the past, I have personally experienced
it as a profound, meaningful, intimate deepening of my relationship with God and
very, very much regret falling out of the practice. So, I am most excited to invite
you (and myself back) to Holy Cross’ training program in Centering Prayer this
Lent. We are very fortunate to have Happy MacLeod to facilitate this dvd-based
program by the founder of Centering Prayer, Fr. Thomas Keating. Happy has 20+
years training and experience in leading prayer teams and ministries. More details
on where and when for this program will soon be coming.
In the meantime, here’s more to tell you of the Centering Prayer practice which is
offered to help you decide if you’d like to try it. The following, and more, can be
found at http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/
No fixed date as of this moment, but
probably April or May, after the
Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to
this 'spare heir!'
Centering Prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of
contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God's presence within us,
closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This
method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that
relationship.
We will be looking, once again, for
volunteers to 'adopt' a table (provide
china and decorations), flower arrangers,
and those who have been blessed with
baking talents and, of course, nattily
attired male waiters!
Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer. Rather, it adds depth
of meaning to all prayer and facilitates the movement from more active modes of
prayer — verbal, mental or affective prayer — into a receptive prayer of resting in
God. Centering Prayer emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God and
as a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Him.
More details, along with sign-up sheets,
to come soon!
The source of Centering Prayer, as in all methods leading to contemplative prayer,
is the Indwelling Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The focus of Centering
Prayer is the deepening of our relationship with the living Christ. The effects of
Centering Prayer are ecclesial, as the prayer tends to build communities of faith and
bond the members together in mutual friendship and love.
Centering Prayer is fundamentally two things at the same time: first, the deepening
of our personal relationship with Christ developed through reflection on Scripture;
and second, a method of freeing ourselves from attachments that prevent the
development of this relationship and the unfolding of the theological virtues of
faith, hope, one, and love. It reduces the tendency to over activity in prayer and to
depending excessively on concepts in order to go to God. In short, it reduces the
obstacles in us, especially selfishness, so that we become sensitive to the delicate
inspirations of the Holy Spirit that lead to divine union.
Centering Prayer does not "empty the mind" or exclude other forms of prayer. It is
not a "technique" that automatically creates "mysticism" or a means "to reach an
altered state of consciousness."
It is important not to confuse Centering Prayer with certain Eastern techniques of
meditation such as Transcendental Meditation. The use of the sacred word in
Centering Prayer does not have the particular calming effect attributed to the TM
mantra. Nor is the sacred word a vehicle leading to the spiritual level of one's being
as it is in TM. There is no cause-and-effect relationship between using the sacred
word and arriving at some altered state of consciousness. The sacred word is merely
the symbol of the consent of one's will to God's presence and action within based
on faith in the doctrine of the Divine Indwelling. The sacred word is simply a
means of reaffirming our original intention at the beginning of our period of prayer
to be in God's presence and to surrender to the divine action when we are attracted
to some other thought, feeling or impression.
Throughout the period of Centering Prayer, our intention predominates: the
movement of our will to consent to God's intention, which according to our faith, is
to communicate the divine life to us. Hence, unlike TM, Centering Prayer is a
personal relationship with God, not a technique.
The Watchful Eye
Hilary Giner-Sorolla
I am paying more attention than usual to my bird
feeder since I became housebound with a fractured
wrist.
The cardinals and chickadees are the main seed
eaters, the sparrows prefer to remain on the ground and scavenge
for dropped seeds. These sparrows are the humble ones who will nest almost
anywhere, eat almost anything and chirp rather than sing. Their plumage brown
gray is hardly striking.
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11
LEVs Needed for
February
Kathy Alyea
Attention LEV's: During February,
March and April we will have a shortage
of LEV's for Benson Hall. 3 of our
regular servers will be either out of
town, are injured or recovering from
surgery. If you are currently licensed for
LEV and are not yet serving Benson Hall,
we would love your temporary
assistance one Sunday per month. Some
people prefer to serve in teams and we
can schedule it that way. If you are not
licensed for LEV and would like to serve
at Benson Hall we can train you. Please
call Kathy Alyea at 828-81 7-9093.
Taking communion to Benson Hall each
week is a wonderful ministry, very much
appreciated by the residents of Benson
Hall and their families. Those that
participate on a regular basis feel it is a
true blessing.
The Order of the
Daughters of the King
is seeking women who might be
interested in our ministry. We are
empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our
vision as Daughters of the King is to
know Jesus Christ, to make him known
to others, and to become reflections of
God's love throughtout the world. All
women are welcome. Please contact
Hilary Giner-Sorolla at 859-2790 for
more information.
In like manner the apostles were made to realise that God would watch over them.
The Daughters of the King have changed
their regular monthly meeting time to
the first Wednesday of the month @
3:30 p.m. Anyone who is already a
D.O.K. or would like to take part in our
ministry of prayer, service and
evangelism is welcome to attend.
There is an American lyric which puts God's caring in a nutshell.
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me.
Our next meeting will be at the home of
Hilary Giner-Sorolla on February 4 at
3:30.
These negative qualities of sparrows makes it amazing that Jesus chose them to
demonstrate the caring and protectiveness of God. Jesus said that when a sparrow
falls and dies it dies upon the bosom of God.
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Birthdays
02/02 Pam Willis
02/03 Kathryn Gillie
02/05 Bernice Shields
02/05 George Baker
02/05 Wanda May
02/07 Edith Larsen
02/07 Emily Carey
02/09 Ned Dick
02/1 1 Kenneth Alexander
02/1 5 Caroline Chapman
02/1 6 Gordon Downe
02/1 6 Ann Viehman
02/1 7 Jackie Burke
02/1 9 Jane Schumacher
02/1 9 Barbara Salmon
02/1 9 Doug Price
02/1 9 Travis Aldred
02/23 Flynn Chapman
02/25 Erin Miller
02/25 Mandy Doar
02/28 Diane Lee
Anniversaries
02/06 Mike & Allison O’Steen
Dorothy Nann Memorial Service
Some of you who have been at Holy Cross for many years
may remember our wonderful parish secretary, Dot Nann.
Dot passed away on Friday, January 9, 2015.
She may well have had the longest tenure of any parish
secretary at Holy Cross. She was a gentle, loving soul
who served with two rectors over her career here. Her
daughter Beth sent this note to me to be sure that those
who knew Dot would be aware of the memorial service on
March 28.
My name is Beth Hanson. My parents, Frank and Dorothy
Nann, and I moved to Tryon in 1959. We lost my father in 1996 and he is interred
in the memorial garden at the Congregational Church. My mother moved away
from Tryon in 2001. I live in Rock Hill, SC and attend church at Good Saviour in
York, SC.
The reason I’m telling you all this is because my mother passed away last Friday.
We will be having her service at the Congregational Church at 10:00 am on
Saturday, March 28th with interment in the memorial garden.
Mom was the Holy Cross parish administrator for about 20 years from the 60s until
she retired in the 80s. She worked mostly for Father Lamar and a few years for
Father Reynolds.
02/1 1 Tom & Marti Smith
02/1 4 Bill & Frankie Hillhouse
02/20 Ambrose & Jean Mills
Life and Loss
Needs for Hospice
Home Patients
Recently we have lost two very special “young at heart ladies” at Holy Cross –
Eleanor Rogers and Ann Curtis, both Daughters of the King. Looking on the
Daughter’s webpage I saw this quote “Reflecting God’s love throughout the
World”. Not only is this a beautiful quote but so exemplifies Ann and Eleanor. I
went on to read the responsibilities of a Daughter - to Pray, Serve and Evangelize. I
suspect if we were asked to describe Ann or Eleanor we would mention many
examples of these three vows of a Daughter.
Jean Pearson, Volunteer Coordinator,
has asked Holy Cross to donate skin
moisturizer, 3 blade razors and
moisturizing body wash for use in caring
for patients at home.
We will miss the obvious about each of them - Ann with her love of Clemson down
to the tiger paw on her glasses and Eleanor with her beautiful hats and coordinated
outfits. These material things brought a smile to our faces as we greeted them each
Sunday. On a deeper level, their smiles showed us the love of God.
Katy Murphy
Almighty God, you proclaim your truth
in every age by many voices: Direct, in
our time, we pray, those who speak
where many listen and write what many
read; that they may do their part in
making the heart of this people wise, its
mind sound, and its will righteous; to the
honor of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer, page 827
Cam Lawrence
Loss is difficult but we can take the lives ofAnn and Eleanor as examples to follow.
As they did, we can pray, serve and evangelize to help us past our own losses and to
serve others who are experiencing a loss.
Grief Support
Our group meets monthly to visit and support each other in the journey towards
peace and comfort after loss of a loved one. Anyone is welcome to join us. Our
Grief Support Group will meet Monday, Feb 9 at 6:00 pm at the home of Leslie
Brooks. Leslie will supply soup. Please call Claire Carey at 457-5171 or Cam
Lawrence at 457-4469 if you can come and to volunteer to bring an appetizer, salad
or drinks.
Mouse - Losing the Way
Judi Heim
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than
they?” Matthew 6:26
Most of us have heard of this passage and realize that our God will take care of
us just as we see him take care of the smallest of his creations. But how often
do we look at God’s smallest of creatures and realize that there are lessons –
Great Big God lessons - to be learned from the smallest of His tiny creations.
A dear friend of mine, during the recent snowstorm up north in Western New
York, was observing, with interest, and she saw signs of a tiny mouse who was
out in the cold, trying desperately to find his way back to his little home. I
would like to share her observations – and yes – the lesson she learned from
one of God’s most vulnerable. Here is her story. Here is her observation:
At this time of the winter season the snow cover can come and go around here.
We’ll have anything from a dusting to many inches in which the critters, large
and small, leave evidence of their travels. Recently we were graced with a
“many inches” cover that persisted for several days before a warm snap and
the winter sun returned us to the dull green of winter lawn. As the snow
receded, the travels of an adventuring mouse were laid bare to my eyes. A
narrow tunnel had been cut under the snow by this little fellow laying his
course from the gardens near the house towards a distant brush pile destined
for spring burning. It makes a wonderfully secure den for tiny critters in the
depth of winter’s harsh conditions and I was impressed to note the confidence
with which this fellow burrowed blindly and unerringly toward his unseen goal.
The path led a steady course for 30 or 40 feet before suddenly veering sharply
right for more than 20 feet and then made a sudden return to his original
course to finish the final 60 feet to the destination. That’s a lot of tunneling for
tiny little paws in the dark and cold, especially with that sudden, random
detour. It amazes me that Mouse was able to chart a course and find his way
under all of that snow and only lost his way that one, single time.
As we burrow blindly along the track of life, we, like Mouse, can easily find
ourselves seriously off the course we’d originally set out upon.
Sometimes it’s because of an unexpected life event, sometimes a personal
decision sends us in a different direction, and sometimes we just get lost.
Sometimes that’s just he way it is. The ‘snow pack of life’ can be heavy, difficult
to burrow through, and the signs that direct us along the way can be few and
far between. It’s easy to become lost. I can’t help but wonder if Mouse paused
to consider before changing direction and eventually turning back to the
heading that would lead him safely to shelter. I can’t help but hope we are all
able to stop burrowing for a moment now and then, taking time for reflection,
listening to the voice within and waiting for the nudges from God that will
ensure we’re traveling in the direction and manner which is meant for us.
Mouse set out with faith on his final destination. Should we do any less?
Thank you, to my friend, Beth, for this lesson - a beautiful lesson to be learned
from one of God’s smallest creations. I hope to stay open and aware of the
lessons that are always waiting for me from my Lord.
Yes, He will find a way to teach us and to guide us – if we are open to his
nudgings – even from a little guy named Mouse.
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13
Advent Quiet Day
a Success
Katy Murphy
30 people attended the Holy Cross
Quiet Day to learn about the power of
now and an introduction to centering
prayer. Maggie Mugan shared her
journey and experience of living in the
now. Participants also had
opportunities to practice quieting those
inner voices in order to hear what God
has to say to us. A delicious lunch made
the day perfect. The day demonstrated
that many parishioners are interested in
spiritual growth and deepening their
faith journey. Thanks Maggie and thanks
to the participants.
Property Brothers
and Sisters
This is an all volunteer group that helps
with those small chores that need doing
around the church. Things you might
normally call a “Handyman” for. If you
have skills and time to help please sign
up on the bulletin board or contact
Hugh Key via email at
[email protected]. Hugh periodically
circulates a list of what needs doing and
if someone has that skill and the time
they get the job done.
Holy Cross
Ground Force
The Holy Cross Ground Force does the
basic care of the church grounds.
Mowing, weeding, string trimming,
cleaning, etc is done by this all volunteer
group. We circulate an email in the
middle of the week to the entire group
and those who have time, chime in with
what they can do. If you’d like to join
this group please sign up on the bulletin
board or contact Paul Zimmerman via
[email protected]
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Next Wednesday
Night Dinner is on
Tuesday! Shrove
Tuesday, February 1 7
Greg Wright
Our Wednesday Night Dinners are all
about relationships and community. The
casual, low-key atmosphere at the
dinner table is conducive to catching up
with old friends and making new friends.
Our dinners will be held on February 1 7
(Shrove Tuesday); March 1 8; April 1 5
and May 1 3. Each dinner will be held at
6:00 pm in the parish hall.
Please let us know that you will attend
by signing up on the bulletin board in
the main hallway. In addition to a
donation of $5 to cover the cost of the
meal, bring some canned goods to help
fill the pantry at Thermal Belt Outreach.
We will have a nice meal together and
help provide food for those in need.
We are always looking for help in
producing the dinners. We have a great
time working together and building our
own little community. If you are willing
to help contact Greg Wright at
[email protected].
You can find program information, weekly
schedules, sermons, and more
at www.holycrosstryon.org
To receive the weekly email blast, please
email [email protected]
If you are a Facebook user, please like Holy
Cross Church Tryon.
“The Messenger” is published monthly.
If you would like to see an article on a
specific topic in future editions, have any
suggestions for further improving The
Messenger, or would be interested in writing
for the publication, please contact Greg
Wright (828-81 7-2538 or
[email protected]). We welcome
your thoughts and ideas.
Anglican History
Henry Moffit
As we progress through the 16th century, we find that the Anglican Reform did not
always have smooth sailing. In 1570, Pope Pius V, in many ways an excellent Pontiff
who did much to clean up the mess left by earlier Renaissance Popes, excommunicated
Queen Elizabeth I. This stems from a report brought to him by an English Roman
Catholic, that a huge rebellion was brewing against the English Reform; it turns out
that said rebellion was not very large at all and was a flop from its very start. Such
excommunication angered many English Roman Catholics to where they went over to
being Anglican. And it made it more difficult for those who remained Roman Catholic
to practice their faith. Such goes to show that loyalties were shifting from Church to
nation amongst Europeans. The Vatican, in tightening its injunctions against Catholics
attending non-Catholic services (something which persisted until the days ofVatican
II) put English Catholics in a quandary; they loved their nation but felt that their way to
God was through Roman Catholicism. Came the days when priests had to sneak around
and say Mass clandestinely; such alarmed the civil authorities that somehow the
Vatican was planning a subversion of the realm. Still, Elizabeth was open to
‘dispensing’ people from conforming to the Church of England, however, if a Roman
Catholic ‘conventicle’ was uncovered by local authority, said Catholics were in great
trouble. Walsingham also had a network of agents throughout the realm, and beyond. It
may well be that if his agency came upon the Catholics, they would have some
opportunity to get a writ of dispensation from the Queen, but if their activities were
uncovered by local authorities, then that avenue was cut off; the law of the land
applied, and their names added to the Roman Martyrology.
Then came the matter of Mary Queen of Scots. A devout Roman Catholic, she was
forced to flee Scotland during the somewhat tumultuous Reformation there, led by
John Knox. That country had a ‘good tiff’, as they would have said there. The infant
James VI (later James I of England), one year old, was put in her place. She had
somewhat of a claim to the English throne, equal to Elizabeth’s. It would have gone
well with her if she had lived quietly, but, as documents uncovered of late show, she
began a behind-the-scenes movement to displace Elizabeth and seize the throne of
England. Some historians say that she was unaware of such machinations, but her
involvement has not been shown. Elizabeth went to speak with her; she replied in
angry terms. Then, upon the uncovering of her plot, Elizabeth reluctantly had her
beheaded in 1587. Many in Scotland said, “Good riddance”, for she, growing up in the
French court, was somewhat extravagant in her lifestyle, which had angered many,
seeing that the Scottish economy was not doing well at the time. In a way, the Scots
were following a precept laid down some near 300 years before by their countryman
Duns Scotus who said that the king that the people choose is the rightful king.
As to the country itself, it was the lowlands who went over to Presbyterianism; the
highlands, which had gone from the Celtic to the Roman Faith only on the eve of the
Reformation, stayed Roman Catholic some 200 years after the country had become
officially Presbyterian. But, fortunately, in the highlands, Presbyterian and Roman
Catholic generally had tolerance of each other, and amongst the hardy people there,
peace held forth. The official name of the Established Presbyterian Church in Scotland
is ‘The Catholic Church of Scotland, Reformed’, claiming a direct ecclesial heritage
from the Roman Church.
The beheading of Mary Queen of Scots caused a ruckus on the Continent, and was one
of the reasons why the Spanish Armada was sent to England. It was supposed to launch
in 1587, but Sir Francis Drake, a sea-dog who captured much booty from Spanish
treasure ships, boldly sailed into the harbor at Cadiz where preparations were being
made, and shot up all the warships in sight, delaying the Armada for a year. English
intelligence knew they were coming, and when they were spotted, the rather undersized
English fleet was able to keep them from landing in the Netherlands (to quell the
Calvinistic rebels there, as well as use it as a staging area for invading England.
England had been sending troops and assistance to help the Netherlanders.). As it was,
the Spanish fleet failed to reach the Netherlands; they sailed up and around the British
Isles, meeting a storm which sank most of the ships. One of the Armada’s ships carried
a large number of priests who were to convert the English back to Roman Catholicism;
Admiral Hawkings, himself a practicing (and dispensed) Roman Catholic, ordered it to
be sunk. Loyalty to country took precedence over loyalty to Church. At the Jesuits’
English College in Rome, when the sad news of the Armada’s defeat was announced,
the student body erupted in a three-day celebration. The English Reform was spared,
but at what a cost on both sides. In England, October 31 is the Feast of the Martyrs of
the Reformation (both sides). Maybe we should have it here.
One result of the Spanish Armada was to further anger English Roman Catholics and
cause many to conform (amongst whom was the 15-year-old John Donne, who gives in
his sermons a vivid picture ofAnglican life in the days ofWilliam Shakespeare). For
those who wanted to stay Roman Catholic, the days ahead were bleak, for somewhat of
a national paranoia grew up about the Catholic countries of the Continent out to take
over England and force their religion down their throats. An anti-Catholicism grew up
which was to reach a peak in the reigns of Charles II and James II towards the end of
the 17th century, and stay on a pretty high level into the 20th century.
The above shows how much politics was involved in the violence of the Reformation
era. More illustrations could be given, but there are plenty of examples given in
histories widely available, better written than I could ever express; the reader is
referred to them. The English Church was to undergo ‘growing pains’, or rather the sort
of pains encountered by people who are somehow bound by a physical or mental
condidtion, then suddenly let free of it. Some wanted more freedom for individual
parishes to function; others wanted more latitude in the order of worship services; yet
others thought that the Church was not pure enough; others wanted to hark back more
to the medieval practices of time gone by. From such movements stemmed the
Dissenters (or Non-Conformists on one hand, and the Recusants (i.e. Roman Catholics)
on the other. And a new player on the power scene had arisen: the wealthy business
classes. But all that must await a later tale. Pray for me a sinner.
Henry Moffitt has been a faithful member of Holy Cross for many years, serving in the choir, as a
lector and lay reader, and chalice bearer. As sacristan he assists the rector or visiting clergy in
preparing and conducting the mid-week services.
February Lay Schedule
the
Messenger
15
Do You Wish to
Receive Communion
at Home?
It is important to the life of Holy Cross
that all our members, if they wish, be
able to receive communion at home or
in the hospital when they are ill. However, in order for Fr. Mickey to
facilitate the Lay Eucharistic Visitors’
ministry of home communions they
need to be notified ahead of time. Please be sure to call the church office
by 3:00 pm. on Fridays to let the clergy
know that you wish to receive a home
communion on the following Sunday.
The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross
PO Box 279
Tryon NC 28782
Weekl y
Worship
Sunday Worship
Holy Eucharist with music 9:30 a.m.
Coffee Hour University 1 0:45 a.m.
Holy Eucharist at Benson Hall for
residents ofWhite Oak and Benson
Hall, led by Lay Eucharistic Ministers
1 0:30 a.m.
Wednesday Worship
Morning Prayer (Chapel) 8:30 a.m.
Holy Eucharist with Prayers for
Healing (Chapel) 1 0:00 a.m.
Holy Eucharist at Tryon Estates (1 st
and 3rd Wednesdays of the month)
1 1 :1 5 a.m.
Evening Prayer (Chapel ) 5:30 p.m.
The Episcopal Church
of the Holy Cross
is a parish of the
Diocese ofWestern North Carolina
The Rt. Rev. G. Porter Taylor, Bishop
Clergy and Staff
The Rev. Mickey Mugan, Interim Rector
Susie Mahnke, Organist and Choir Director
Wanda K. May, Parish Administrator
Lori Walter, Financial Administrator
Henry Moffitt, Sacristan
John Douglas, Sexton
Peter Fenn, Sunday Sexton
Vestry
Greg Wright, Senior Warden
Cam Lawrence, Junior Warden
Claire Carey, Sharon Cargill, Ruth Goodson,
Pat Hale, Hugh Key, Muriel Lunsford,
Happy McLeod, Bob Morgan,
Katy Murphy, John Rollins
Leadership Circle
Administration - Katy Murphy
Administrative Volunteers - Kathy Alyea
Altar Guild - Scheduling: Caroline Chapman;
Inventory: Jo Key; Organization: Faith
Weathington; Linen: Caroline Rollins
Budget - Bill Jenks, Lori Walter
Church OfThe Advocate - Ruth Goodson
Community Presence - Pam Stone
Daughters of the King - Hilary Giner-Sorolla
Non Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Tryon, NC
Permit No. 6
Discernment Chair - Paul Zimmerman
Discernment Consultant - Bill Livingston
Fellowship - Cam Lawrence
Flower Guild - Mimi Pospisil
Funds Disbursement - Bill Jenks
Funeral Coordination - Wanda May
Funeral Receptions - Wanda Doar,
Ruth Goodson, Joan Lonnes
Foyers - Jacque Brown-Williams
Grief Support - Cam Lawrence
Hospice - Katy Murphy
Inreach - Sharon Cargill
Investments - Bill Jenks
Kitchen Oversight - Ellen and Geoff Carey
Landscaping - Paul Zimmerman
Lay Ministry - Sam Doar
Lay Scheduler - Kathy Alyea
Memorials - Wanda May
Messenger - Greg Wright
Music - Susie Mahnke
Nurturing Newcomers - Pam Stone
Outreach - Craig and Jacque Williams
Properties - Hugh Key
Formation - Ruth Goodson
Safety Net - Claire Carey
Special Events - Ellen Carey
Stewardship - Larry Newton & Bob Morgan
Sunday Morning Coffee Hour - Peter Fenn
Thermal Belt Outreach - Hoppy Long
Treasurer - Bill Jenks
Wednesday Dinner - Greg Wright
Webpage - Lori Walter
Worship - Katy Murphy
Youth - Sam Doar