Spirit of the Eagle – May 2013
Rector’s Reflections
Spring has finally arrived. As I write this the sun is shining and the temperature is unusually high. There is nothing like sunny weather to brighten one’s outlook and gladden the heart. Our minds begin to focus on outdoor activities and approaching vacations which is understandable. However, please remember that your Church needs your year-round support and involvement. We all cherish time spent on recreation and fun but we should not allow them to distract us from our responsibilities to be faithful to Our Lord and to provide for His Church. I wish you all the happiest of times this spring and summer and look forward to seeing you at Church.
+++Yours-In-Christ, Fr. Bryan Newman+++
Fr. Neuroth’s 30th Anniversary Celebration
Please join us on Sunday, June 2 as we celebrate Fr. Neuroth’s 30th anniversary of being with St. John’s. His long tenure here as our Rector has seen numerous great events and played a major part in all our lives. Join us on the 2nd, after Holy Mass for a Coffee Hour when we will recognize and recall his great contributions to our Parish
Fr. Neuroth’s 48th Ordination Anniversary
Please join us Wednesday June 5th @ 6 p.m. for a special Mass which Fr. William Neuroth will celebrate in honor of the 48th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood! Please come and recognize Fr. Neuroth’s long service to the Church in general, and St. John’s in particular, as well as the great impact his ordination has had on the communities in Northern Kentucky!
Congratulations to Fr. Bill!
Vestry Meeting
Our Vestry Meeting for May will be held on Wednesdy, May 15th, at 7:00 PM, after Holy Mass. If you are a member of the Vestry please make plans to be present. All are welcome.
The Flight of the Eagle
In Fr. Stork’s original newsletter ‘the Spirit of the Eagle’ he had a section called the ‘Flight of the Eagle’ where he related his activities for the past month. Below are the visits and other events, I made in the month of April. I prayed with them and gave them Holy Communion and Anointed them when needed. +++Fr. Bryan Newman+++
4/7 attempted to visit Ethel Fahlbush @ Villa Spring but she was out with family
4/14 visited Ethel Fahlbush @ Villa Spring
4/21 visited Helen Lenz @ St. E’s Edgewood
4/28 visited Trudy Baur @ Carmel Manor
Rogation Day Blessing of the Garden – May 8
Rogation Days are the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, before the Ascension which is always on a Thursday, but is often transferred to the following Sunday. The English word ‘Rogation’ comes from the Latin word ‘Rogare’ which means, ‘to ask’. In the Middle Ages the people, led by their clergy, would process from the Church to their fields and ask for God’s blessings on their crops, which were essential to their survival. Of course, our survival does not depend on our Church Garden, but it is still important to us for its beauty and fragrance. Join us, on May 8th, Rogation Wednesday, after Mass, as we process through our Garden, asking for God’s blessing upon it. Come and join us and get to know your Church Garden and see it in a new light!!!
St. John’s Mother’s Day
Please come to the Parish Hall, on Sunday, May 19th as the Anglican Church Men celebrate Mother’s Day by providing a brunch for the Mothers of our parish. We are doing it a week after the normal celebration of Mother’s Day so as not to conflict with family celebrations. But we believe we must recognize the Mothers of this Church and their great efforts and sacrifices for their parish family. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!
St. John’s 140th Anniversary
St. John’s 140th Anniversary is Monday, May 27th! During the 1870’s Anglicans in Dayton/Bellevue had to walk or travel by horse to St. Paul’s in Newport. In those days it was arduous trip on dirt roads. A mission was established first, and finally on May 27th, 1873 St. John the Evangelist was granted Parish status. An empty lot was purchased by the end of that year on Mckinney Street for construction our first Church building. Fr. Newman and the Vestry will decide the day we celebrate our 140th Anniversary @ May’s Vestry meeting. We will make sure that it is an event worthy of the occasion.
Memorial Day Parade
We need volunteers to participate in the Community Memorial Day Parade! St. Johns will have its own entry in the parade, as we have done for several years now, and it has become a great fellowship opportunity, not just with each other but also our whole community. So join us on Monday, May 27th as we march together to proclaim our love of country and our love of God! This is a great time for St. Johns to communicate to this community that we want to be a part of it. So please participate! Please remember to start bringing in your donations of candy that we will be passing out in the parade… NO CHOCOLATE PLEASE!
Vestry Meeting
Our Vestry Meeting for May will be held on Wednesday, May 15th, at 7:00 PM, after Holy Mass. If you are a member of the Vestry please make plans to be present. All are welcome.
The Flight of the Eagle
In Fr. Stork’s original newsletter ‘the Spirit of the Eagle’ he had a section called the ‘Flight of the Eagle’ where he related his activities for the past month. Below are the visits and other events, I made in the month of March. I prayed with them and gave them Holy Communion and Anointed them when needed. +++Fr. Newman+++
3/2 visited Geneva Schmitt @ St. E’s Edgewood
3/9 visited Geneva Schmitt @ St. E’s Edgewood
3/10 visited Helen Foster@ Baptist Towers
3/17 visited Geneva Schmitt @ St. E’s Hospice Ft. Thomas
3/21 visited Fr. Al and Kathy Hougham @ their home
3/21 visited Geneva Schmitt @ St. E’s Hospice Ft. Thomas
3/30 Dayton Easter Egg Hunt @ Gil Lynn Park
3/31 visited Fr. Hougham @ his home
Anglican Church Women
A retreat for the women of the parish will be held on Saturday, June 8th from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Judy Hulsey’s home. We would like to thank Judy for sharing her beautiful home with us. Father Butler and Janet have graciously offered to prepare devotionals and readings for the day to assist us on our spiritual journey. All women are urged to attend and they may also invite some special women in their life to join in on this day of prayer, reflection and companionship.
Thank you to all and especially the Vestry, for their recognition that it was time and their decision to donate funds to upgrade our kitchen. The ACW, all that prepare meals, assist with clean up, and do any work at all in the kitchen are very appreciative of this effort.
Looking ahead to summer, the ACW will be hosting a Father’s Day Luncheon for the men and fathers of our parish on Sunday, June 23rd, a week after Father’s Day. Thank you to all who participate and support the ACW.
May Birthdays & Anniversaries
Kevin Hess – Birthday – May 2
Abigail Evans – Birthday – May4
Kacy Robbins – Birthday – May 9
Bob & Carol Petrie – Anniversary – May 9
Donna Lipscomb – Birthday – May 10
Steve Marvin – Birthday – May 12
Judy & Rich Boughner – Anniversary – May 15
Natalie Evans – Birthday – May 16
Mike Murray – Birthday – May 16
Myrna Richtor – Birthday – May 16
Fr. Bryant – Birthday – May 17
Eric & Tina Smith – Anniversary – May 25
Judy Hiltenbeitel – Birthday – May 26
Frank Brady – Birthday – May 28
Spiritual Tidbits for May from Father Tim
“The number of those who pretend unto salvation and those infinite swarms who think to pass through the eye of this needle have much amazed me. That name and compellation of “little flock” (Luke 12:32) doth not comfort but deject my devotion; especially when I reflect upon my own unworthiness, wherein, according to my humble apprehensions, I am below them all. I believe there shall never be an anarchy in heaven, but, as there are hierarchies amongst the angels, so shall there be degrees of priority amongst the saints. Yet is it, I protest, beyond my ambition to aspire unto the first ranks. My desires only are (and I shall be happy therein) to be but the last man, and bring up the rear in heaven.”
Sir Thomas Browne, Religio Medici, lviii.
Born October 19, 1605. Died October 19, 1682.
Sir Thomas Browne was an English author of varied works which reveal his wide learning in diverse fields including medicine, religion, science and the esoteric.
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“Belatedly I loved thee, O Beauty so ancient and so new, belatedly I loved thee. For see, thou wast within and I was without, and I sought thee out there. Unlovely, I rushed heedlessly among the lovely things thou hast made. Thou wast with me, but I was not with thee. These things kept me far from thee; even though they were not at all unless they were in thee. Thou didst call and cry aloud, and didst force open my deafness. Thou didst gleam and shine, and didst chase away my blindness. Thou didst breathe fragrant odors and I drew in my breath; and now I pant for thee. I tasted, and now I hunger and thirst. Thou didst touch me, and I burned for thy peace.” Saint Augustine, Confessions B.C.D. — Comm. Conversion May, 5th
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April showers bring May flowers so they say! Thus far it has been a beautiful spring and the flowers abound. All the beauty we see in creation is simply a foretaste of the immense beauty we will be immersed in after the Kingdom of Heaven and creation have combined to initiate the eternal glory of the Kingdom of God. Then we will understand more clearly the beautiful lament of Saint Augustine above and be happy, as contemplated by Sir Thomas Browne, to simply be “the last man” in. I pray that God continues to shower your spring with beauty. ~Father Tim
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May Spirituality Class
“It is the teaching of One who knew in the wilderness the full temptation which comes with the possession of great powers, and in Gethsemane the awful face-to-face encounter with the forces of destruction, the horror and trembling of spirit before approaching agony, darkness, and death. So austere, so arduous is the Christian program, so real the struggle and so rough the journey to which the soul is called, that only when guided by a Spirit who knows the route better than we do, can we hope to get through without disaster.” Evelyn Underhill, Abba
Please join the Spirituality Class on the 26th of May after Mass as we begin our discussion of the Lord’s Prayer as we use the book Abba and the seven phrases of our Lord’s Prayer as a means to propel the self toward union with God. ~Father Tim
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“Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. Still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues.” Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (1614-1691) served as a lay brother in a Carmelite monastery in Paris. Christians commonly remember him for the intimacy he expressed concerning his relationship to God.
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“The growth of spiritual personality, that is to say, our gradual sanctification, is not achieved by some desperate spiritual splash, but by responding without hesitation, as nearly as we can, to the successive impulses we receive from the Supernatural. We may be sure that each time we make a heroic choice for God, we shall be given a further chance of making another later on. Risking suffering and efforts for others, the soul stretches until it is able to be filled with the divine will and love. The frictions and tensions of outward life, and our response in active service, are essential to this.” Evelyn Underhill
Women’s Retreat in June
Please continue to prepare for the Women’s Retreat the first of June at the home of Judy Hulsey. We will spend approximately 5 hours praying, reading, and contemplating the subjects of Love and Joy. Devotional material will be provided. Please let Judy or myself know if you are planning to attend so preparations can be made. And don’t forget, bring a friend!!! This is the perfect opportunity to introduce a friend (who may be intimidated by a formal church service) to our church family and bring them into a closer relationship with God. ~Father Tim
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St. Dunstan, Feast Day transferred this year to the 29th of May.
Born shortly before 910AD, Dunstan was the son of a Wessex noble, Heorstan, and nephew of the bishops of Winchester and Wells. Taught by Irish monks amidst the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, from an early age he developed a love of learning and of artistic craftsmanship. After being ordained, he retired to live the life of a hermit at Glastonbury, constructing a minuscule cell no more than five feet long and two and a half feet deep against the wall of the ancient church of St Mary. Here he practiced the harp and developed the skills of a craftsman while fighting off repeated demonic attacks (on one occasion he restrained the devil by holding his face with his craftsman’s tongs). According to one story, Dunstan (a skilled blacksmith) was asked to shoe a horse whose owner he perceived to be the devil, and he duly nailed the shoe to the hoof not of the horse but of the devil. In return for removing the nails (which were the cause of considerable pain) Dunstan made the devil promise that he would never enter a house where a horseshoe was displayed above the door, and this appears to be the origin of the idea of the “lucky horseshoe”.
Horseshoes anyone? ~Father Tim
End of Month Club
The St. John’s End of the Month Club will be holding their May get together at 1 p.m. on May 30 at a yet to be determined location. Please call Kathy Hougham at 331-2951 for further details. We look forward to seeing you at on May 30 to share some fellowship and have a good meal!
Jr. Warden’s Report
The kitchen renovation project is complete. We now have new stoves, counter tops, sinks, microwave and a matching paint job to boot. Speaking of the kitchen, please know there are now hairnets and plastic gloves that need to be used whenever you are in there handling food. Another new practice must be adhered to regarding the stoves: THERE IS NO REASON TO KEEP FLIPPING THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS ON/OFF ANYMORE BEFORE AND AFTER USING THE STOVES. ALL THIS DOES IS WEAR OUT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. JUST MAKE SURE THE POWER IS OFF TO THE STOVES BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE KITCHEN.
I would like to thank the Vestry and especially the ACW for stepping up to provide the funds to make the kitchen renovation possible. I would also like to thank Lori and Rich Seyberth for spearheading yet another major project, Jerri Lenz for her painting, and Tim Lenz for handling all of the plumbing and electrical work, saving us a whole lot of money. Lastly, I want to thank Bob Flake for the tremendous job he did installing the new countertops and for his generous donation of $50 to our spaghetti dinner cause.
One issue I want to address is a request to reposition the handicap bars in the ladies restroom. After further review, they have been found to be positioned properly and in compliance with ADA requirements. This allows the user to use both their arms and legs to assist them in getting off of the toilet. If the bars were even with the toilet, the user would be forced to use their arms only to get up. Think of it as doing what you normally do to stand up with your walker, using a rocking motion and your arms and legs as the walker is in front of your chair or sofa.
“Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting some on yourself.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Until next month,
Mike
Wonderful Mother
God made a wonderful mother; a mother who never grows old.
He made her smile of the sunshine, and He molded her heart of pure gold.
In her eyes He placed bright shining stars; in her cheeks fair roses you see;
God made a wonderful mother, and He gave that dear mother to me.