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St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
Winter 2014/2015
St. Barnabas Memorial
Episcopal Church
91 Main Street
P.O. Box 203
Falmouth, MA 02540
508-548-3863
www.stbarnabasfalmouth.org
office@stbarnabasfalmouth.org
Banner editor: Sheryl Seyfert
Upcoming Events
December 3,10, 17
Advent Evening Services
5:00 PM, Chapel
December 6
Christmas Fair
9 AM, Parish Hall
December 7
Advent Processional
5 PM
December 21
Blue Christmas Service
4 PM, Church
January 4
Writing Workshop
Time to be Announced
January 11
Epiphany Pageant
10 AM Service
January 25
Worship and Annual
Meeting, 9 AM, Parish
Hall
Christmas Services
December 24
5 PM Family Service
10 PM Festival Eucharist
December 25
10 AM Holy Eucharist
Rite II
The Banner
Advent: Waiting Together
By The Rev. Patti Barrett
It is Advent, the time of year when we are asked to stop and to just be. Yet, the
world around us is saying, “Hurry up, you don’t have time!” But I hope you get to
take the time to rest a bit, to sit with Christ this Advent. Perhaps you will be able
to come to our “Mary” services at 5 PM in the Chapel on Wednesday evenings
during the first three weeks in December. Then we will have meditations given by
women in our parish to go with the readings about Mary, quiet music, and much
candlelight.
I love the story of Mary visiting Elizabeth. It always makes me wonder how these
two humble women must have felt about what was happening in their own lives.
Henri J.M. Nouwen says, “Who could ever understand? Who could ever believe it?
Who could ever let it happen? But Mary says, ‘Let it happen to me’ and she immediately realizes that only Elizabeth will
be able to affirm her ‘yes’. For three
months Mary and Elizabeth live together and encourage each other to
truly accept the motherhood given to
them.”
As Nouwen reads this story, neither
woman had to wait alone for the
amazing events to unfold, slowly, as
pregnancies do. “They could wait together and thus deepen in each other
their faith in God, for whom nothing
is impossible. Thus, God’s most radical intervention into history was listened to and received in community.”
I think we in the church are aware that
we wait in community for the promises of God to unfold in our lives. Here, in
community, we hold each other up when one of us needs support. We help each
other search for meaning, rejoice with one another, and walk alongside each other.
Just as Elizabeth must have listened to Mary and helped her prepare for what was
to come, we help each other look to the future.
Continued on Page 4...
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Winter 2014/2015
Pilgrims Along the Way by Will Barrett
In September I went to Spain and, over the course of 25 days, walked about 500 miles on the pilgrimage route
known as the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
There are so many wonderful aspects to this trip that it’s difficult
for me to summarize the most important features in a few words.
But when I think back about the experience, when I look at the
maps and the guidebook and my notes and pictures, I realize what
I think about most is the people I met along the way.
Pilgrims, for the most part, are a friendly lot so, providing that language was not an insurmountable obstacle, conversation happened
easily, especially among those of us travelling alone. I met many
people travelling with friends who often reached out to strangers,
but solo walkers, I believe, have an easier time meeting new people.
In the airport terminal in France I met three fellow pilgrims: Greg
(Poland), Sarah (Ireland), and Becky (Canada). I was jet-lagged and
tired and all of us were super-excited. We would not see one another again after the first day but that initial joy of meeting likeminded people would recur often.
At the end of Day 2, at a dinner table with a dozen pilgrims I met
Ambra, an Italian medical student taking time off before starting Day 20: Will on the long climb to O’Cebreiro.
her residency. We met often over the next 30 days and spent one
day walking together. Hearing the views of a European student about health care in the USA was interesting.
As I arrived at a village one afternoon a couple sitting outside motioned me over. They insisted that I sit down
with them and help them eat some food they had bought. They would not take no for an answer. The man helped
me out of my pack and found a chair for me. I don’t remember their names but their kindness will not be forgotten.
One day early in my walk I met a man named Neil, from Australia, who struck me as someone more interested in
his telephone than in chatting with other pilgrims. We
were walking about the same speed so I began running
into Neil often at hostels and roadside cafes. It turned
out that the Australian football playoffs were going on
and Neil needed to be informed. Eventually we became
pretty good friends.
Day 8: pilgrims Tobias, Henry, and Julie in Belorado.
High on a mountainous section I met Luke, a man in his
30’s from Washington, DC, who is a devout Catholic
thinking about becoming a priest. He was hoping the
Camino experience would help him discern the best way
forward. One of my favorite characters was an elderly
person known as the “pancake lady.” As I passed by a
farm one day a beautiful woman about 85 years old appeared as if by magic.
Continued on the next page….
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Winter 2014/2015
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Fredrick Graduates From Form IV!
Fredrick, one of the Tanzanian students we sponsor, has graduated from Form IV
at Diluti Secondary School. He is now awaiting the results of the Form IV National
Exam. If he passes, he will be able to attend two more years of advanced secondary
education, which will prepare him to attend a university. If he doesn’t pass this
exam, he will have the option of attending a community college.
Community college in Tanzania enables graduates to earn certificates and licenses
that will help them secure jobs that include primary school teachers, cooks, and
bookkeepers. A university degree enables graduates to secure positions in higher
paying fields.
Sadly, over 60% of the students who sat for the exam last year failed it. Fredrick
has his heart set on attending a university so please say a prayer for him as he awaits
the results.
Our 125th ~ Save June 11, 2015 to Celebrate!
We will be hosting a special celebration commemorating our 125th anniversary as a worshipping parish! It will be a
service and a dinner that you and yours will not want to miss. Details on all will be forthcoming but know that Bishop Alan Gates
will be with us on that day to preach and to bless the labyrinth.
After the service the celebration continues with dinner and dancing under the tent!
The 125th Committee is also planning events to start sooner
that will go along with our 125th. The first will be on Feb. 8 - an
organ recital followed by a “hymn sing” (of favorite hymns) by
our own Todd Beckham. Photo of St. Barnabas when the Chapel was
still a carriage shed and the Parish Hall had yet to be built.
Pilgrims Along the Way...Continued
She had a stack of crepes in one hand and a can of sugar in the other. When I paused in front of her she said not a
word, but just lifted one eyebrow. How could I resist? She shook some sugar onto the top crepe, folded it into
quarters and gave it to me. I fished some coins out and gave them to her. We were both happy.
My point here is that the intense shared experience of walking a long distance, meeting unusual people like the
Pancake Lady, coupled with the knowledge that we are unlikely to meet again may help explain why conversations
go from very casual to very personal very quickly.
Pilgrims on the Camino are easy to spot. The backpack, often decorated with a scallop shell, usually is the key. Another clue is the confused look on the face of a backpacker standing at an intersection. I can think of many times
when local people would stop their car, roll down the window and direct me to the right way. Or get up off a park
bench and walk down the street with me until they were sure I was back on track. These encounters with local residents and fellow pilgrims were an important part of an experience filled with wonderful features.
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Winter 2014/2015
Advent: Waiting Together...Continued
Sometimes we get the help of a spiritual director as you will read about below;
someone who can help us see where God is working in our lives.
The Magnificat
Often we sit in the dark with another, in the frightening parts of our lives, trustMy soul proclaims the great- ing in the promises of God and in hope. Timothy Mulder writes, “Here is a preface for Emmanuel. We humans are not meant to go through the tough or the
ness of the Lord!
wonderful alone. Both need to be shared.” Of course, we all know that Mary beMy spirit rejoices in God my gins to sing (the Magnificat) when she sees her older cousin and is filled with reSavior!
lief and joy. Mary’s song is music that comes from deep within. She becomes a
For He has looked with fa- prophet with her singing.
vor on His lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed!
The almighty has done great
things for me,
And holy is His name!
What will we sing? Can we begin the New Year with a new vision? What would
it mean for us to sing the Magnificat? Can we sing it together as we wait to celebrate our anniversary as a church community? Can we join together, in a world
that so longs for a gentle peace, a generous sharing of the goods of the earth, and
a time of quiet joy?
We stand by that window with Mary, expectant with hope and filled with joy because we have seen in every moment of tender love and forgiveness the promise
of what is yet to come.
Opportunity for Spiritual Direction
Have you ever wondered what God might be doing in your life? Would you like to explore where you are on your
spiritual journey in a confidential and supportive place? How is it with your soul this day?
Spiritual Direction might be just right for you! It is a one-to-one experience,
once a month meeting with a Spiritual Director, in which you notice the presence or absence of God in your life. It is a time of prayerful listening on the
part of the director. It is a time of learning how to discern and respond to
God’s presence on the part of the “directee.”
The Reverend Nancy W. Strickland is available to meet with individuals from
St. Barnabas who wish to explore this spiritual practice. Nancy is an ordained
minister in the United Church of Christ and completed her training as a Spiritual Director at The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington,
D.C. in 1991. She also completed the Clergy Contemplative Leadership Program at Shalem in 2010 and participated in a Pilgrimage to Iona, Scotland with
the Shalem Institute in 2011.
Nancy graduated from Andover Newton Theological School in 2002 and has
served churches in Massachusetts and Connecticut both as a settled pastor and
as an interim pastor. She has practiced the art of Spiritual Direction since 1991.
She and her husband reside in West Falmouth where they enthusiastically enjoy visits from their two children and six grandchildren.
Rev. Nancy Strickland
To schedule an appointment, Nancy may be reached by email at revnancyws@comcast.net or by phone, 508-2744875. The suggested donation for each one-hour session is $50.
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Winter 2014/2015
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Labyrinth Update
As you may have read in the Falmouth Enterprise, “Thanks to the parishioners of St. Barnabas...a labyrinth may one
day be located in Falmouth...(It) will be an extension of (the) memorial garden and offer another way to experience
spirituality.”
That is an excerpt of an article which appeared some EIGHT years
ago. Since then, and particularly during the last year, our church has
focused on building an appropriate labyrinth. Under the direction
of the vestry, a committee was appointed to explore a plan to build
a permanent labyrinth that will compliment the classic beauty of
our church buildings. For those who may have missed our informational sessions or the articles in prior editions of the “Banner” and
service bulletins, we take this opportunity to briefly review the past
year’s progress of the committee.
During the Vestry retreat last winter a new parish mission statement was created: “A pathway to God through prayer and service.”
Keeping in mind the pathway, the construction of a permanent
labyrinth beside the memorial garden seemed to be an ideal project to help celebrate our 125th anniversary as a
church.
Substantial research of labyrinth history, compositions, siting, town ordinances, stone suppliers, and installers has
been ongoing since March. Numerous paver labyrinths have been visited. Many parishioners have eagerly contributed both small and large donations to build a labyrinth this fall. An overall budget of $50,000 was established to:
(Phase I) build a paver stone labyrinth in colors complimentary to church structures; and (Phase II) construct a
walkway to the labyrinth from existing sidewalks, add landscaping that will be harmonious with both the labyrinth
and the memorial garden, and establish a fund available for future maintenance.
Please be mindful that no church funds will be used.
We are already over two-thirds of the way toward “A generous labyrinth admirer...will
achieving
match all future donations!”
the budget
goal and we
have yet to directly solicit contributions from parishioners. Additionally, a
generous labyrinth admirer has indicated that she will match all future donations!
Not everyone will use or even appreciate our labyrinth but many will
(classes will be available for those who wish to deepen their faith through
prayer and meditation). Others believe that the labyrinth will have a larger
purpose for our church family and the community. Our campus is a treasure. As a matter of outreach we should want to encourage our neighbors
and visitors to enjoy the peaceful refuge that is St. Barnabas. A trip to our
rear lawn with its beautiful memorial garden, large cross, soothing pond
and now, an active means to meditate and pray, will be a draw to those
families who see Falmouth as more than just beaches and T-shirt shops.
Lastly, we note that although we honor a faith steeped in tradition, positive change is necessary for the well being
of a church. The labyrinth is just one way, and we think an important way, to avoid parish stagnation while striving
to deepen our faith. -The Labyrinth Committee
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Winter 2014/2015
‘Tis the Season
Advent Evening Services ~ 5 PM Wednesdays, Dec. 3, 10, 17
We will once again hold our Advent evening services at 5 PM in the Chapel on the first three Wednesdays in December (Dec. 3, 10 and 17). These are simple services filled with candlelight and quiet. Meditations will be offered
each week, by Nancy Strickland, Heidi Stahl, and Ellie Shaver, based on the Biblical writings about Mary. We will
share communion and prayer.
If there is interest, we can follow the service with a simple soup supper. Let the office know if you are interested in
helping with this effort. We hope to see you on Wednesdays.
Christmas Services
There is a slight change in services this Christmas. We will have two services on Christmas Eve and one on Christmas morning.
Christmas Eve: We will hold the Family Service at 5 PM; all
are invited for an impromptu pageant. This is a great service to
invite your friends and neighbors to. We will also hold our Festival Eucharist at 10 PM in the Church. We regret that we are not
holding the 7 PM service because our numbers have been very
low for the past few years. We would rather have two full church
services on Christmas Eve than three services that are not full. If
we exceed our expectations this year we can always reinstate the
7 PM service next year. Thank you for your understanding.
Christmas Morning: We will have Holy Eucharist at 10 AM
in the church.
Christmas Pageant: We will have it on January 4 at the 10 AM service.
Toy Drive Until December 11
What could be better than knowing you’ve brightened a child’s Christmas?
As partners of the Falmouth Service Center, we’ve been asked to help with
a NEW toy donation drive for local children. Large blue bins are located
in the Narthex, Chapel, Parish House, and lower hallway outside the
Church Office. Please place unwrapped items in the blue bin. They will be
collected each week.
We are also collecting gift cards for teenagers (Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Walmart, etc.). Please drop the gift cards in the offertory plate (clearly marked)
or at the Church Office. Toys need to be collected no later than December
11.
Help Hand Out Toys, December 17-19
Want to take the next step and help the Falmouth Service Center by handing out the toys? Help is needed on
Wednesday, Dec. 17 from 4:30 PM - 7 PM; Thursday, Dec. 18 from 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM; and Friday, Dec. 19 from
8:30 AM - 2 PM (from 12:30 PM - 2 PM on Friday extra help is needed to clean up). Starting Dec. 1 you can call
the Service Center at 508-548-2794 or stop by to sign up. Last year nearly 1,000 excited children attended the
event!
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Winter 2014/2015
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‘Tis the Season
Christmas Fair, December 6, 9 AM—2 PM
Santa’s helpers have been busy getting ready for the St. Barnabas Christmas Fair, an annual event that is a great
opportunity to welcome visitors to our beautiful camIf you’d like to make a donation or help at the Fair,
pus.
please contact the following table chairpersons:
This year’s fair will feature lots of items for your holiday Baked Goods: Susan Bint
shopping list: themed gift baskets, hand-knitted and
stitched apparel and home furnishings, jewelry and ac- Corner Store: Sue Gnospelius
cessories as well as interesting items in the corner store. Christmas Decorations: Mary Beth Gale
You will also find beautiful things to decorate your Fresh Green Wreaths & Centerpieces: Doris Weeks
home including handmade Christmas decorations and
Gift Baskets: Cyndy Ogden
fresh green wreaths and centerpieces.
Handcrafts: Ann Bento
Be sure to check out the silent auction for unique items
that will make someone on your list (or yourself) the Jewelry & Accessories: Lois Ferreira
perfect gift. And don’t forget to stop by the baked goods Luncheon: Greg & Kim Strohm
table for a supply of homemade goodies for holiday gift- Mittens: Jane Hinckley
ing and entertaining. We welcome visitors of all ages;
youngsters will enjoy shopping in their own Kid’s Silent Auction: Jeanne Platt
Room.
A good way to get into the spirit of giving in this holiday season is to
bring some new mittens or gloves (hand knit or purchased) to hang
on the Mitten Tree that will be displayed outside the Parish Hall
door. Later the mittens and gloves will be donated to the Falmouth
Service Center to warm the hands and hearts of our neighbors on the
Cape.
And after your shopping is done in the Parish Hall, stroll over to the
Parish House where more of Santa’s helpers will welcome you for a
yummy luncheon of chowder soup, and sandwiches and desserts.
Please come - bring friends and family - and/or volunteer to help at
one of the tables. Thank you for your support! -Nancy Sherwood, Photo
of Mary Beth Gale at the Christmas decorations table by Merrily Crowley.
Blue Christmas Service at St. Barnabas, December 21, 4 PM
Some people have a difficult time over the holidays. They may have lost
a loved one. They may be alone or it may be the anniversary of a death
of a loved one. So many people are not cheered by the holiday season.
The Blue Christmas service addresses this. It is a time of quiet reflection
on our lives and a prayerful time to remember.
This year many local churches will join in the service, including the Falmouth Congregational Church, the Waquoit Congregational church and
others.
Join us in the church for some quiet time amidst the holiday season.
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Winter 2014/2015
Join Us in Contributing to a Lenten Booklet!
In 2015, St. Barnabas will offer a Lenten booklet for the six weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter Day — 40
days of meditations and reflections to support your contemplative life during this rich season. In keeping with the
theme for St. Barnabas this year, the guiding theme will be Pilgrimage.
Where will these reflections come from? You, the people of St. Barnabas!
Save Sunday, January 4, for a writing workshop designed to help you begin thinking about and drafting your contributions (250 words each). We will have pilgrimage-themed
prompts to help you get started, and warm encouragement
from writing group facilitator Heidi Stahl, MA. Check upcoming Weekly Updates for more information.
One of the rewards of writing together on a common theme is
seeing the variety of the responses.
To begin exploring this theme on your own, below are some
thoughts and questions to get you started:
Pilgrimage is also called journey, a ritual that involves a
search for meaning, connection or transformation. Formal pilgrimages may involve walking great distances to visit a sacred site. But people also undertake pilgrimages closer to
home, as we envision doing in the labyrinth on the grounds of St. Barnabas.
Sometimes the sacred site is a place in nature. Pilgrims also travel by ship, as did the people who left England
in search of religious freedom and who ended up settling the land we call home.
Sometimes a pilgrimage is involuntary, as when we lose a loved one or receive a troubling diagnosis. We are all
pilgrims of one kind or another, searching for meaning, freedom, a new home, inspiration, courage, love.
•
Reflect on your own life, how, where, and when have you
been on a pilgrim’s journey?
•
How has your pilgrim status changed?
•
Where did your pilgrimage lead you (or where is it continuing to lead you)?
•
What surprised you?
•
What did you struggle with?
•
Has your life been touched by someone else’s pilgrimage?
•
How does Lent offer you an opportunity to become a pilgrim?
•
What kind of pilgrim do you want to be?
You may also consider looking at the scripture for any day during Lent to consider how the idea of pilgrimage intersects with Lent.
If you have questions or would like more guidance, feel free to contact Heidi at heidi_stahl@hotmail.com.
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Winter 2014/2015
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Sunday School ~ Happy Birthday, Jesus!
Our Sunday School program has gotten off to a great start, with thirty-seven children registered. As of November,
we welcomed Colette Potts to our teaching staff. We have appreciated
the dedication of Dorothy Shepard's leadership of the Pre-K class. She
will continue to assist Colette or other teachers as needed in the classrooms.
After focusing on Advent lessons and activities there will be a celebration of Jesus' birth, on Dec. 21, when we will hold a "Happy Birthday,
Jesus" party where the children will bring in nonperishable food items to
be donated to the Service Center. Classes will not be held on Dec. 28
during school vacation.
On Sunday, Dec. 14, immediately following the 10:00 AM service, the
children and their families will be invited to participate in making Christmas crafts together in the classrooms. Refreshments will be served.
On Sunday, Jan. 4, the children will prepare for the Annual Epiphany Cyndy Ogden with students and assisPageant which will take place on Sunday, Jan 11, during the 10:00 AM tant.
service. All children, ages three and older, are invited to participate in the Pageant.
The Sunday School staff sends Holiday Greetings to one and all! -Cyndy Ogden, Sunday School Director
“Pilgrimage” Book Group with Rev. Matt
We've started our monthly book club here at St. Barnabas with two engaging and well-attended meetings so far.
The theme for the book club, in coordination with many other ministries at St. Barnabas, is pilgrimage. All the
books we'll read this year will take up the question of what it means to make a pilgrimage or to go on a spiritual
journey: what's gained, what's lost, and what's at stake along the way.
The first novel we read Here are the books we’ll be reading for the rest of the
together was the Na- year. Time: 11:30 AM
tional Book Award December 21: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Howard Fry,
winner Middle Passage Rachel Joyce
by Charles Johnson, a January 18: A Mercy, Toni Morrison
fantastical historical February 15: The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene
novel about the midAtlantic slave trade. March 15: The Road, Cormac McCarthy
Your fellow St. April 19: Ironweed, William Kennedy
Barnabas readers were May 17: The Fish Can Sing, Haldor Laxness
moved and fascinated
by the book, its history, and its questions.
Don't miss the next meeting of our book club! Books will be available each month
at Eight Cousins Bookstore in Falmouth (or at your local library, or of course at
Amazon.com) and you don't need to come to every meeting. Please feel free to
drop in on whichever meetings you are able to make, even if you haven't had time
to read the whole book (though if you haven't finished reading, be ready for some
spoilers). We meet at 11:30 AM on the third Sunday of each month. See you there! -Rev. Matt
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Winter 2014/2015
Music Notes by Todd Beckham
This has been a busy fall season musically at St. Barnabas. On September 14 at 7 PM we had a very special
Compline service with a consort of violas (Renaissance stringed instruments) accompanying the Compline Schola.
This was made possible partially through the Behrens fund and by a
grant from the New England Viola da Gamba Society Silbiger Grant.
The church was filled and we were able to reach out to the community
bringing many area residents and musicians into our church for this
very special service.
On September 28, a service of Evensong was celebrated to mark
Michaelmas or St. Michael’s Day and was led by the St. Barnabas Choir
with Rev. Matt chanting the prayers. This service was a traditional Anglican Evensong with music from William Smith, Herbert Howells and
Barfour Gardiner. Evensong is a great part of our Anglican tradition
which has its roots in the monastic offices of vespers and Compline.
Our organist was Joseph Fort, the newly appointed director of the
Woods Hole Cantata Consort and director of the Collegium Musicum at Harvard.
We had a wonderful service of remembrance on All Saints Sunday Nov. 2 with music drawn from the Taize Community of France. Singers from throughout the community joined together to lead this ecumenical service in memory of our hallowed saints. Singers from Church of the Messiah, St. Patrick’s Church and a group that has sung
Taize services in Falmouth for several
Upcoming Musical Events
years joined members of the St. Barnabas
Choir. Most of the vestry attended and Dec. 7, 5 PM: Advent Candlelight Processional; A lessons and carols
many in the congregation asked when we service in procession with music of John Gardner, Orlando Gibbons,
might have another service like it again. Elizabeth Poston, Palestrina, and carols of the season.
Thanks to all who made our first Taize Christmas Eve, 10 PM: The St. Barnabas Choir will sing the cantata
service a success.
“In Dulci Jubilo” by Dietrich Buxtehude and other seasonal music
On another note, I had a great time sing- during the musical prelude before the service. The Cantata will be accompanied by Baroque string instruments and harpsichord. Please
ing and rehearsing with the Royal School join us for this service celebrating the birth of our Lord.
of Church Music in America choir over the
Columbus Day weekend. We met in Durham, NC in preparation for our trip to London after Christmas. Forty-one singers from across the country make
up the choir that will be meeting to sing Evensong services in Westminster Abbey Dec 29 through Jan 2. One of
the services will be lead by Andrew Reid the newly appointed director of the Royal School of Church Music and
former sub-organist of the Abbey. This will be a once in a life time opportunity!
Stewardship: Pledge Update
As of the 5th week of this year's Stewardship Campaign, pledge totals are tracking slightly ahead of last year's final
tally. Both total dollar amount and number of pledges stand at about two-thirds of 2014's participation rates. Still,
we have a long way to go. If you have already pledged, St. Barnabas heartily thanks you. For those contemplating a
pledge, be assured that St. Barnabas needs and appreciates your help. With the distractions of the Thanksgiving
and the Christmas holiday season, and only seven weeks left in the year, remember, it's never too early to pledge
your support. And the earlier we know what the campaign will produce, the better served our Finance Committee
is in preparing next year's budget.
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Winter 2014/2015
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“Chatterbox Café” by Kathy Wessling
Dear Parishioners, Friends & Families of St. Barnabas,
Welcome to our winter edition of the St. Barnabas “Chatterbox” Café column. Please give a hearty “Welcome
Back” to our WILL BARRETT after his 620 mile trek in just 32 days, through the Camino de Santiago. Will is in
the process of preparing a slide show of his travels, which will be shown when it is completed. He will also be
leading our own St. Barnabas pilgrimage in March of 2015, as part of our upcoming 125th St. Barnabas celebration.
If you see SALLY FERREIRA around and about, wish her a hearty Congrats!! Sally was the $500 cash prize winner in the Annual Falmouth Chamber of Commerce $10,000 Raffle. Her lucky ticket was sold by none other than
our own Property Committee Co-Chair, BILL SMITH. Bill is also the highest ticket seller for the cause, so if you
are going to buy a Raffle ticket next year, be sure to buy it from Bill!!
And proof that miracles do happen can be attested to by HELENA MCDONOUGH. Her nephew and his wife
have been trying to adopt a child for many years. Last year they were given an opportunity to adopt and brought
home a newborn baby. After two weeks living with them, she was claimed by the biological father. Despite this
setback, they persevered. When another baby came up for adoption, they were asked to write about themselves
and their desire for a child. They are very active in their local animal shelter, and wrote about this, against the advice of the adoption agency. Lo and behold, the biological parents read this, and both being employees of PetCo
and animal lovers themselves, chose them to become their baby’s adoptive parents. This is how baby Emily came
into their lives, forever. TBTG!!
St. Barnabas is stretching its connections far and wide. Recently, we were mentioned by THOMAS MOORE
(who spoke here last July) in the Nov./Dec. issue of “Spirituality and Health” Magazine. As quoted, “Recently, an
Episcopal Church on Cape Cod hosted me, and I walked up the steep steps to the high pulpit, looked over the full
church, and found a strong voice to deliver my teaching. For an hour or so that pulpit was a remarkable sacred
space, full of power and, for me, revelations about my life work. It’s satisfying when a building made for sacred
events truly shows its power, when places meant to be holy really are. You have to maintain the sacred and let it
shine.” How amazing is that???
Kudos to KRISTA HENESSEY, who, for the last seven years, has orchestrated the hosting of the AGM
(Alternative Gift Market) at St. Barnabas Parish Hall. More info on the results will be sent in our weekly email.
Last, but certainly not least, a BIG Shout-Out to ANN BENTO and her sister KRISTIN MELLO, for continuing the work their Mom, INGRID FRANK, started with the Salvation Army’s Dress-A-Live Doll Program. This
is their third year at the helm, and over fifteen years that the ECW has helped raise funds for Christmas gifts. This
year St. B was able to provide for five children and four teenagers!! Thank you, Ann and Kristin, for carrying on
this important ministry.
I would like to close out this month’s column with a poem that was published in the Falmouth Senior Center
Newsletter from one of our resident poets at St. B’s, ALICE BATCHELOR:
End of Year Decorations
Autumn’s coming into focus; First with costumed hocus-pocus. But the goblins at our door, Smash our pumpkins, spoil décor. We buy
new gourds for November. Dress a turkey we’ll remember. Change the front décor to holly. Soon there’s snow, let us be jolly!!
This is the news for now, but I know there is lots more going on with our parishioners.
Please contact me, in person, Email @ augustjm@aol.com, or phone at 508-540-4680, to help with this important
ministry and to share your news with your fellow parishioners!!
Blessings - Kathy
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St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
91 Main Street
P.O. Box 203
Falmouth, MA 02540
An Episcopal Parish in the
Cape & Islands Deanery
of the Diocese of Massachusetts
Take Time to
Be Aware
"Take time to be aware that
in the very midst of our
busy preparations for the
celebration of Christ’s birth
in ancient Bethlehem,
Christ is reborn in the
Bethlehems of our homes
and daily lives.
“Take time, slow down, be
still, be awake to the Divine
Mystery that looks so common and so ordinary yet is
wondrously present.”
—Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s
Almanac, page 196.
Join us at St. Barnabas as
we celebrate Advent!