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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Confirmation............................. 1-2 Jane Pearce......................................3 Book Review..................................4 Spiritual Practices......................5, 7 Wooden Carvings..........................6 Young Adults..................................7 UTO Offering.................................8

PARISH POST

MAY 2013

the magazine of holy trinity episcopal church | (336) 272-6149 | www.holy-trinity.com

Confirm Not Conform

The Process of Youth Confirmation at Holy Trinity What do lines of tape, balls of paper and crowns have to do with Confirmation? Plenty! These and other props were used to teach over 30 eighth and ninth graders core beliefs, history and practices of the Episcopal church to be ready for Confirmation. “The goal of the confirmation process is for youth to have an active faith, one that they build for themselves. To this end, we provide tools and education, offering lots of space for exploration and questions. Our desire is that youth discover their firm foundation and internalize their faith,” said Marjorie Donnelly, Director of Christian formation.

tape represented yes, and the other end of the tape was a no. For each statement (think “I believe in God; I believe Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, etc.), the members of the class would pick where on the line they believed. A student could be a firm believer that God made heaven and earth, but that belief may not be as strong that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. And it didn’t matter where on the spectrum they landed; what mattered is that they thought about their answer. And what about the Bible? Sure, there are plenty of books that we are very familiar with — their stories and themes, books that show up in our Sunday Learning the Faith, Youth-Style school stories and church lectionary, After reading about but there are plenty of books that Youth Confirmands attended five youth (and adults if we’re honest) youth Confirmation, weeks of class during Sunday school aren’t as familiar with. to provide the foundation for Confiryou may wish to take Could you give a brief synopsis of mation. These classes taught by the Leviticus? Lamentations? How about Rev. Virginia Herring and Marjorie the class yourself. Micah? Ecclesiastes? Donnelly, which could have been After their bible exercise, the dull and pedantic, were full of life youth did just that. Each person was and challenged youth to really think assigned a different book of the bible; some books were about their faith, not just recite the correct answers. familiar and some were not. They were asked to skim the Each week in church, we say the Nicene Creed, one of book in 15 minutes noting main characters, themes, and the Church’s most ancient statements of faith. But have emotions. Each person then presented their book to the you stopped to think about each statement and what you whole group. believe about it? The Confirmands did. How about 2,000 years of church history in 20 minutes? To help them process their beliefs about this ancient Sounds exciting, right? creed, a line of tape was placed on the floor. One end of the

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Confirmation (continued) magic takes place outside of the classroom. A vital part of the experience is the relationship between Confirmands and their mentors. Each youth chooses someone from the Holy Trinity community who has already been confirmed. For some it is a family member, for others a friend of the family. The pair then spend time getting to know one another, talk about their faith together, and perform a couple hours of community service. One of the most meaningful experiences the Confirmand and mentor do together is their story box. The boxes are used to tell each person’s faith story. It can be made using an old shoe box or in a favorThe Confirmands spent two days at Camp Caraway talking about their faith, playing games, and going on a low ite box. Inside the box are items like photos, baptismal candles, or ropes course. poems that represent different parts To be fair, the Confirmands may not be able to rattle off of each person’s life. It is a chance for youth and adults alike names and dates of all major church history events, but that to tell the story of their faith. wasn’t the point. The curriculum, Confirm Not Conform gives this as the purpose: “What’s important is that you get a In Their Own Words general sense of how the church has grown and changed — The last stage of the process is the Confirmation Retreat. and how it has handled conflict — over the course of almost This year, the retreat was held at Camp Caraway in Sophia, 2,000 years.” NC. How apropos that the retreat was held in the town of The Rev. Virginia Herring had the youth play an active “wisdom”, for this is the time when all the information is roll in describing the history, just as they play an active roll integrated within each person and they write their statein church history today. Some of the history covered the ments of faith. There is such wisdom to be shared by each early Christians being stoned with balls of paper, Conyouth as they write about what they believe. stantine (in his crown) declaring Christianity the official “Our desire was to create a space for them to genuinely religion, the Reformers splitting away from the church, and engage where they are on their spiritual journey,” said Greg denominations being formed. Farrand. And what Episcopal Confirmation class would be complete without a class on the Book of Common Prayer? The Big Day For this session, the class explored the lesser-known cran“In the course of their Christian development, those bapnies of the BCP in a scavenger hunt. Do you know the full title of The Book of Common Prayer? tized at an early age are expected, when they are ready and have been duly prepared, to make a mature public affirmaIt’s The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the tion of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of their Baptism and to receive he laying on of hands by the Together with The Psalter or Psalms of David. How about bishop” (BCP 412). what day we will celebrate Easter in 2020? April 20. On Sunday, June 16, Holy Trinity will welcome 31 youth The Sunday morning classes were informative, interesting who will be confirmed by Bishop Gregg at the 9 a.m. and a great start to the rest of the Confirmation process. service. These youth have been on a wonderful journey of But Wait, There’s More exploring and professing their faith, and they are now ready to engage that faith on a new level. While wonderful learning and instruction happened within the Sunday morning Confirmation classes, the real – Jo Owens page 2

PARISH POST | MAY 2013

Jane Pearce Serves with a Huge Heart Helping Out Where There Is A Need When Jane Pearce sees something that needs doing, she steps up. For years, Holy Trinity’s Episcopal Church Women chapters cooked, delivered and shared a weekly meal at Higher Ground, a resource center for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. About seven years ago, it became difficult to find and coordinate volunteers to do the meals, so Holy Trinity considered discontinuing the ministry. “I thought that was awful,” Jane said. “Higher Ground was right in the shadow of the church. How could we not keep doing those meals? I said I’d coordinate it.” “Jane’s heart is huge, her approach is practical,” said Ginny Herring, former assistant to the rector. “These lunches needed to continue, the people needed to be fed, our doing so was an important witness, so Jane simply made it happen. She found people to work with her, and they’ve been doing it ever since. I watched in awe.” Jane grew up Methodist in Marion, N.C., but went to St. Mary’s School in Raleigh for high school. “That’s where I learned to love the Episcopal Church,” she said. When she married Edwin Pearce, a Catholic, and moved to Greensboro, she joined a Methodist church. Every Sunday, their children, Ed and Polly, went to a Catholic Church with Edwin, and Jane went to a Methodist Church. “Going to church alone got to be hard,” she said. Jane said Methodist ministers move frequently and she felt that as soon as she got to know a minister he transferred. When her minister was called to another church, he contacted Jane. “He said, ‘it’s time for you to be Episcopalian,’” she said. She started at St. Francis, where she knew lots of people, and was confirmed there. At St. Francis she worked on the book sale — a yearround job — and was in charge of all PARISH POST | MAY 2013

the flowers in the church. After about 12 years at St. Francis, Jane transferred to Holy Trinity, where she has been a member for more than 20 years. Edwin formally joined about five years ago. When their son Ed got married, he and his wife, Jackie, became Episcopalians. Ed, Jackie and their three children are active members of Holy Trinity, also. “I used to be by myself at church and now I have the whole family,” Jane said. One of the first things Jane did at Holy Trinity was join the Alter Guild, serving as chair for two years. “That was a big job,” she noted. “Every funeral, every wedding, every service — it was all the time. But it was a good job because I got to know so many people in the church.” Jane’s love of flowers comes from her mother, who grew and arranged them. Jane has never had formal training in flower arranging, but learned from watching her mother and others. Now she’s a member of the Greens Guild. That group cuts and arranges greens on the altars during the week. They use greenery from their own yards or the church property. “Jane is a valuable asset to the Greens Guild,” said Denny Crowe, who helped start the group. “She’s so knowledgeable about plant material, and we all have such a good time together.” Jane puts her talents with flowers to work every Monday at Randy McManus Designs, making small flower arrangements for Friends With Flowers, a non-profit organization that delivers fresh flowers to terminally ill patients. “That work has been really meaningful to me,” she said. “We once got a note from a woman who said she’d tried to make her husband’s life nice to the end, but she never thought of getting him flowers and how much they’d meant to him.”

Jane is also on the Pastoral Care Commission, helping to write condolence notes to parishioners, and has served on the Vestry. She also volunteers at The Barnabas Network, a non-profit that provides furniture for families in need. “I used to go every week and help answer the phones, but now I just do special events,” she said. In mid-May, Jane spent several days a week working on logistics for Barnabas’s annual fund-raising dinner. With new employees, lots of recent donations, and hundreds of people expected for a dinner, the ministry needed a good organizer. “It was wild, but it all came together and it was fun,” she said. “I like helping Barnabas because we’re helping people who really do need help.” Anybody who knows Jane will tell you she’s been a very involved grandmother — babysitting, driving carpools, attending athletic games and swim meets. Now that the three grandchildren are teenagers, she says they don’t need her as much. But chances are, Jane will find something or someone who does have a need, and she’ll jump right in to help. – Harriette Knox page 3

Hijacked by Your Brain

Summer Reading

In May 2014, Jon Wortmann, minister and co-author of Hijacked by Your Brain: How to Free Yourself When Stress Takes Over, will be with us for our Co-Creation conference. Jon teamed up with a clinical psychologist write about how to help us deal with the chronic stress in our lives. They explain how stress changes our brains and what we can do to more clearly handle high stress situations and people in our lives. They developed this practice, SOS, to help us move from anger and reactivity to compassion and peace. Wortmann advises: “When stress occurs you want to activate your thinking center. You don’t want the alarm (from your amygdala) to go away but to honor it, nurture it, and switch from the alarm signals to optimal response.”

The Sacred Garden Bookstore is holding it’s annual Summer Reading Sale throughout the month of June. All books are priced at 20% off. Each year the staff recommends books that might interest parishioners. Stop by to check out the titles listed below and all the other wonderful books found in the Bookstore.

A Book Review

SOS S: Step Back The first S is for “step back.” When stress occurs, pause and slow down, and step back for 10 seconds to clear your mind of the swirling thoughts threatening to overwhelm you. Six simple ways to step back: Literally slow down, moving slower; repeat a phrase like “slow down” as a mantra; breathe deeply; look intently at something, like the sky or a bird; count to 10; or sweep away all thoughts like an eraser cleaning a chalkboard. (We might check in with our three centers: head, heart and body.) Just for a few seconds, “step back” and bring yourself out of your panic and into the present moment. O: Orient Yourself Consider what is the one thought that expresses what is most important to you in your life right now. You might want to think of your family, moments that you treasure, or places you hope to visit, activating your thinking center and regaining control. A statement to help you orient yourself is: “I am a person of value because I ______________.” S: Self-Check Finally, you “self-check” yourself. Take your mental temperature by considering on a one to 10 scale how distressed you are at this point, with 10 high. Also, on the same numerical scale, rate how much personal clarity you feel at this moment. A 10 means that your mind is focused and clear and you feel a sense of clarity about your life again. On the other hand, one indicates that your mind is unfocused and your thinking center isn’t working at all. – Ruth D. Anderson page 4

Suggestions by Staff Members

Snake Oil : The Art of Healing and Truth Telling by Becca Stevens »»  Recommended by: Rev. Ginny Bain Inman

Return of the Prodigal Son

by Henri Nouwen »»  Recommended by: Rev. Greg Farrand

Hijacked by Your Brain

by Dr. Julian Ford and Jon Wortmann »»  Recommended by: Ruth Anderson

Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity by Keri Wyatt Kent »»  Recommended by: Marjorie Donnelly

The Most Beautiful Images from the Bible

by Katia Mrowiec and Frederic Pillot »»  Recommended by: Julie Buie

Hopes and Fears: Everyday Theology for New Parents and Other Tired, Anxious People

by Bromleigh McCleneghan and Lee Hull Moses »»  Recommended by: Jo Owens

The Chronicles of Narnia

by C.S. Lewis »»  Recommended by: Annie Slaughter

Help, Thanks, Wow

by Anne LaMott »»  Recommended by: Jane Cooke

PARISH POST | MAY 2013

Spiritual Practices for the Summer

How to Connect with God When Away from Church This Summer Mary Oliver’s poem about summer suggests that our attention is a kind of prayer. Many spiritual teachings suggest that our lives are awakened to a well-spring of beauty and love with the simple shift of our attention. Every relationship, meal, and task becomes blessed by extending our loving attention to the specific moments in our everyday lives. Jack Kornfield says: “It is just simple attention that allows us truly to listen to the song of a bird, to see deeply the glory of a leaf and to touch the heart of another and be touched. We need to be fully present in order to love a single thing wholeheartedly. We need to be fully awake in this moment if we are to receive and respond to the learning inherent in it.”

Each of these spiritual practices simply shifts our attention so that our minds are more open, our hearts are relaxed and our bodies are engaged. This summer, may we all take some time, as Mary Oliver says, to fall down into the grass, watch grasshoppers and be idle and blessed. Our attention becomes our prayer. – Ruth D. Anderson

Three Spiritual Practices that May Help to Shift Our Attention this Summer Time in Nature When outside this summer (particularly if at the beach or the mountains), give yourself some time to take a walk— without a goal to get anywhere or to accomplish anything. Let your senses be your guide as you walk. If you see something interesting, like a flower or an interesting tree, then go over and take a long, close look. Be present to the shape and the size and the intricate details. Allow the sounds to draw you in one direction or another. The main idea is to move gracefully without any rushing or destination. Notice how your mind calms down, your heart relaxes and how your body feels nourished. Time at the Computer During your time at the computer, particularly during this differently paced season, notice how you respond to the name of the person in your email inbox. Simply observe your “Liking” or “Disliking” the person who is writing to you. See if you can sense the changes in your body as you watch yourself “Liking” and “Disliking.” After you notice your response, simply “relax your heart” to those who you label “disliking.” See if you can shift your attention to the energy of your heart and notice how your heart expands. Time with Family This summer, when with a family member, look and then interact with this person as if it is the first time you looked at them. Simply notice the quality of energy you bring to this interaction when you have this new, curious attention. Notice the details in the sound of their voice, in the color of their eyes and skin and in the content of their words. Shift your attention from your old way of being with this person to a possible discovery of a new way to interact with them. PARISH POST | MAY 2013

The Summer Day Mary Oliver Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean— the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down— who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don’t know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

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Holy Trinity’s History Hangs in Wooden Carvings Rectors of the Church Have Profiles in the Narthex Holy Trinity’s wood carvings are central to the beauty of the sanctuary. The pulpit, altar rail, choir rail, lectern, and hymn boards — all carved by a parishioner and friends of the church — are some of the most prominent examples. Less noticeable are the carved profiles of former rectors and bishops that hang in the narthex near the Fisher Avenue door. There you’ll find mahogany profiles of former rectors Reginald Mallett (1928-1931), Robert Roe (1932-1943), John Linsley (1944-1945), Robert Cox (1945-1950), John Mott (19511963), Thomas Smyth (1964-1966), Howard Hickey (1966-1972), and John Broome (1972-1994). There are also profiles of Bishops Edwin Penick (1932-1959), Richard Baker (19591965), Thomas Fraser Jr. (1965-1982) and Robert Estill (1983-1994). A profile of current Rector Tim Patterson was recently hung. Most of what we know about the profiles is in the Holy Trinity history book, published in 1980, and through parishioner memory. Margie Allen, a parishioner who serves as sacristan, remembers re-hanging the profiles in about 2000 on a special frame designed by Virginia Zenke, who has decorated most of the rooms throughout the church. “Sidney Paine and Ben Wilson did them,” Allen said. “I think some of them were done from old photographs and I think the project was generated when all the wood carving was going on.” The sanctuary was first used on Easter Sunday 1950, so the carving was done around that time. Of the 12 profiles of bishops and former rectors, Sidney Paine’s initials are on five, and Ben Wilson’s on two, but Allen is fairly certain all were carved by one of the two men. The Holy Trinity history notes that Paine got interested in carving as he approached retirement in the late page 6

1940s. He had about 20 carving tools that had belonged to his grandfather, but couldn’t find anyone to teach him how to use them. He went to the public library and read about wood carving. Paine started carving using oak, but found mahogany the best medium. As his work became known, others expressed interest in learning, so Paine began teaching classes at Holy Trinity. He and his students — particularly Ben Wilson — contributed the carvings found throughout the sanctuary and chapel. Many of the carvings were designed by Robert Norfleet, a Greensboro architect. John Broome, who retired in 1994, was the last rector to have his profile done by Ben Wilson. When it was time to commission a profile of Tim Patterson, there were no parishioners who did carving like Paine and Wilson. Tammy McElroy, parish administrator, said Virginia Zenke suggested local carver and artist Paul Nixon. Nixon came to carving in a roundabout way like Sidney Paine. He grew up in Ireland and was exposed to wood working in his father’s cabinet shop, but he never thought about carving for a living. He moved to New York, married and moved to Greensboro with his wife about 15 years ago. A friend gave him some wood-working tools, including a lathe. He, like Sidney Paine, is mostly self-taught. His first two pieces — walking canes — brought their owners to tears. “It was the first time I did a job that was from the heart,” Nixon said. He is drawn to liturgical work, and has done pieces for Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, where he is a parishioner, and St. Pius Catholic Church, among others. Nixon said when he got a call from Holy Trinity about doing a profile, he visited the church and looked at the existing profiles. “They asked me if I could do it,” he remembered. “I said, ‘Sure.’ But I wasn’t really sure. I did know that if

Smyth Library is named for former rector Thomas Smyth (1964-1966) pictured above I start something, I stay with it and I get it done. I have a lot of patience.” The profile took several weeks to complete. “I talked with Tim, and took photos of him,” Nixon said. “Then it’s a matter of getting measurements and scale right. I think you really look into someone’s soul when you carve a face like that because you look at every little detail.” Nixon said a carved piece of mahogany is very light colored and details don’t stand out. “But it’s very rewarding when you put the stain on it and see it come to life. When I took it to Tim, his reaction was wonderful for me.” Doing the latest Holy Trinity rector profile “was a nice opportunity and connection with a church,” said Nixon. “I feel like my gift is a way of glorifying God.” Nixon’s carving continues the Holy Trinity tradition of honoring rectors with a permanent and personal work of art. – Harriette Knox

PARISH POST | MAY 2013

Space Created for Young Adults

Spiritual Practices

The Unitas Group Had a Successful First Year

for People on the Go

They talked, they laughed, they shared, they cooked, they learned — they became the Unitas group. The year began for Unitas with a low country boil where the first relationships in this new group began to form. That was a springboard for the times of study, service and fellowship to come. “It was our goal to create spaces for real, honest dialogue where folks can articulate their struggles with faith, life and God,” said Rev. Greg Farrand, minister for youth and young adults. And they succeeded in this goal. Throughout the program year, Unitas met weekly for Theology on Tap: Coffee Edition. This Sunday school class held in Broome Hall was led by Greg Farrand, assistant to the rector Ginny Bain Inman, and others. By moving the tables and chairs into a semi-circle and bringing in quality coffee from Starbucks, they hoped to create a coffee house-feel to the class. Creating the feeling of intimacy proved a challenge in some ways since the class was so well attended. “Sunday morning was the weekly glue that holds Unitas together creating authenic space for discussion,” noted Greg. As the Easter Term of adult Sunday school classes came to a close on May 5, the members of Unitas expressed great sadness that their class was over. In April, the group sponsored a

Ruth Anderson of the Servant Leadership School, has compiled a list of practices for people on the go. Below are just a few of these practices that any of us can employ.

retreat in Banner Elk, NC. The theme of the weekend, Running on Empty: Finding Balance in a Hectic World spoke to many who found themselves pulled in too many directons. The retreat offered space to reflect on finding balance when it so often seems elusive. They used contemplative spiritual practices to make space to rest. (See sidebar) The retreat was not all contemplation, though. Good food and conversation flowed through their time together as well. “There was so much laughter. We wanted to bring home all the joy and laughter and let that joy permeate our lives at home,” recalled Greg. Along with the Sunday school class and the retreat, Unitas gathers for Theology on Tap: Pub Edition and for service projects. Each month, a different speaker is invited to join the group at The Pour House. A 20 minute lecture is given on a topic, and then discussion follows. Most recently, Dr. Daniel J. Malotky of Greensboro College spoke on Retribution, Grace and Capital Punishment. Over the last year, the group has given of their time and energy to serve the community. They’ve held events such as Cornhole for Coats, made burritos for Burrito Bikers, and they were the servers for the Fine Dining for Friends event held recently. “Word is trickling out now that people understand what Unitas is. Members are coming not only from within Holy Trinity, but from the community as well,” said Greg. Expect great things for this ministry as it continues to grow. Gathered around the table on their retreat, Unitas members found space away – Jo Owens from the busyness of our hectic world to make space for God and recharge PARISH POST | MAY 2013

One Minute Sabbaths Each morning, set the intention to incorporate minutes of silence or Sabbath into your ordinary routine. You might observe one minute of silence, or Sabbath, before you eat your breakfast or before you turn the key in your car or before you watch the news at night. Or after you leave a meeting, or walk away from a conversation, or park your car in the driveway. Activating the Heart Focus your attention in the area of the heart. For a few minutes, breathe as if the breath is coming in and out through the heart. Now focus your intention toward sincere appreciation – for the good things in your life, the people in your life, appreciation for life itself. Allow your heart to awaken to feelings of appreciation, gratitude, compassion, love. Daily Noticing Simple Abundance Reflect back on the last 24 hours and write down five gifts from the previous day. Some days the list will come easy and then other days the list may come only after some thought. Try not to repeat gifts previously listed. Sarah Ban Breathnach claims: “Gratitude can lead you, as it did me, away from the darkness of complicated need into the light of Simple Abundance.” Ordinary Creativity Identify one activity that is boring or repetitive for you – such as preparing daily meals, laundry or sitting through meetings. Before the activity consider: “What might I do so this is more creative?” Become open to divine presence and to consider possibilities. Choose one simple change in the direction of fun or creativity for the activity and notice how this experience shifts for you. – Ruth D. Anderson, PhD

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HOLY TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH 607 North Greene Street Greensboro, NC 27401 (336) 272-6149 www.holy-trinity.com

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The Rev. Timothy J. Patterson Rector

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What is the United Thank Offering? How the Little Blue Box Changes the World The first United Offering was given in 1889. It began due to the efforts of the Women’s Auxiliary to the Board of Missions of the Episcopal Church. Julia Emery, secretary to the Women’s Auxiliary, and Ida Soule, were reportedly embarrassed by the meager amount collected for missions at the Women’s Auxiliary meeting which was part of the General Convention of 1886. As a result, they were inspired to challenge the women to pray and give coins with the idea of building a new church in Anvik, Alaska and sending a woman missionary to Japan. By the 1889 Triennial Meeting, the offering amount had increased to $2,188.64, achieving the amount needed to meet their goals. Since that time, the United Thank Offering has expanded. It is now a part of our heritage and an important part of Episcopal Church history. Today, the United Thank Offering is a ministry of the Episcopal Church that provides a way for men, women and children to show their thanks for God’s blessings by giving for missions and ministry. This discipline of giving starts in the home by encouraging family members to drop coins

into a special container, known as the “Blue Box”. When the UTO in-gathering takes place in church, some Episcopalians give the blue box and its coins and some put their offering in a blue envelope, but all give toward the same purpose and with the same sense of gratitude. Every donation is used to support grants for missions and ministry.

What is the focus of the grants? Over one hundred grants are awarded each year. Grant applications that strive to create greater equity in the status of women and children as well as ones that address compelling human needs and expan-

sion of mission and ministry are welcomed. Examples of grants funded include: »»  Expansion of an AIDS Interfaith Network »»  A missionary school in Kenya for language study and cultural orientation »»  Renovation of a parish hall for an adult care center »»  A van for an emergency food pantry that covers a vast rural area »»  A women’s development center in Uganda »»  Expansion of a home for abandoned, neglected and abused children How much of my contribution will go to meeting human needs and expanding mission and ministry? 100% of the money collected from the Blue Boxes and Blue Envelopes is given away in grants. This is possible because administrative expenses are supported through the general budget of the Episcopal Church allowing all income from the United Thank Offering to be given in grants for missions and ministry. – Ninevah Murray