Thursday, January 26, 2012
THIS SUNDAY … Annual Meeting
January 29th after the 9:00am service,
***One Service Only***
Pot Luck Brunch following the Meeting
We are still looking for helpers to set up and clean up.
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The Presentation of Jesus
By Chris Pupke
On February 2, the church celebrated the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Over the generations, this has become one of the twelve holy days of the church calendar. This event is memorialized in one of the stained glass windows at St. Paul’s.
The Presentation of Jesus is based on Luke 2:22-40. Forty days after Jesus’s birth, Joseph and Mary came to the Temple in Jerusalem to present their infant to the Lord as was the Jewish custom. Joseph brought with him two turtle doves and two pigeons as sacrifices.
Upon arrival at the Temple, they are greeted enthusiastically by Simeon. Simeon was “righteous and devout” (Luke 2:25). When he saw Jesus, he exclaimed:
“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32
Needless to say, the parents were “amazed” by what Simeon had to say. His words today are known as the Nunc Dimittis. This canticle is found in several of the Daily Offices in the Book of Common Prayer.
This Holy Day is also known as Candlemas as it was once celebrated with a procession of candles to note Simeon’s declaration that Jesus was a “light for revelation.”
In England, a tradition started that this date could foretell the remaining winter weather. The old English verse is: “If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will have another bite. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter is gone and will not come again.” This is obviously a forerunner of Groundhog’s Day which is also celebrated on February 2 each year –or 40 days after Christmas Day.
At St. Paul’s, we have a beautiful stained glass window commemorating the Presentation. The Jacobi Tilghman Earle Window is on the north side of the nave up closest to the organ. It was installed at St. Paul’s in 1889 and restored in 2009 by Raynal Studios thanks to the generous gifts to the building and restoration campaign. According to John M. Raynal who oversaw its restoration, the window may have been manufactured in Germany.
This stained glass window, like many of the windows in our church, is a lancet window in five parts. The right hand lancet section displays Simeon holding the infant Jesus in the Temple under a lamp. The lamp represents Jesus as the light of the world. In the background is Anna, daughter of Phanuel, who praised God upon seeing Jesus (Luke 2:36-38).
Mary and Joseph are found in the left hand lancet section. At Mary’s feet are two flowers, one of which is an Easter Lily that represents her innocence and Jesus’s resurrection. The other flower is red, which symbolizes Simeon=s warning that “a sword will pierce your heart” (Luke 2:35). Joseph is holding a cage that contains the birds for the sacrifice.
The predellas (the windows at the base of the lancet sections) contain part of Simeon’s quote: “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people.” In the kite, an angel represents the presence of God.
The window is dedicated in Latin: “In dei Gloriam in Memoriam Jacobi Tilghman Earle.” It is my speculation that the “Jacobi” is plural for James (as Jacobus is the Latin for James). There were several James Tilghman Earle’s associated with St. Paul’s that passed away shortly prior to 1889.
The Parochial Report from St. Paul’s in the 1889 Journal of Proceedings of the Diocesan Convention includes a reference to a new window dedicated at the church to the memory of state Senator James Tilghman Earle (1814-1882). Senator Earle represented Queen Anne’s County from 1865-1874. He was a son of Judge Richard Tilghman Earle who helped build the current church building in the 1830's. Senator Earle also helped establish what is today known as the University of Maryland.
If Jacobi is plural for James, there are perhaps three other James Tilghman Earle’s who are remembered in this window. One was a grandchild of Judge Earle (and nephew of Senator Earle) who died in 1885 at the age of 19. Another was a great-grandchild of Judge Earle who died at the age of 6 in 1878.
The final candidate for multiple James Tilghman Earles is another grandson of Judge Earle who died in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864. He was serving in the 1st Maryland Cavalry Division of the Confederate Army under General Jubal Early. Another member of the St. Paul’s community was engaged in the battles in the Shenandoah at this time. Major General William Hemsley Emory commanded the XIX Corps of the Union Army.
Sources:
“The Stained Glass Windows of St. Paul’s Parish; Centreville, Maryland” by Melissa N. Clarke; 1989.
Gospel of Luke Chapter 2
“Sailor’s Secrets” by Mike Badham and Robby Robinson; 1997; McGraw Hill.
Journal of Proceedings of the Diocesan Convention; Diocese of Easton; 1889.
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Forward Day by Day:
The new Forward Day by Days are on the table behind the organ bench.
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Parish Work Day:
We would like to thank the following people for coming out on Saturday for the parish workday. Your hard work is greatly appreciated .
Dan Rugg
Kin Larkins
Fr. Chris
C.J. Jubinski
Scott Hazuda
Doug and Laura Kaufmann
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We will be collecting your palms from last year to burn for Ash Wednesday. Please drop them off to the parish office.
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St Paul’s Youth Group
Ice Skating (6th grade and up) will skate from 4pm until 6pm on February 5th. We will meet at 3:00pm at the church to go to the rink. The cost of admission is $6.00 and skate rental is $4.00. Dinner to follow. We will fill in the details when they become available. PLEASE R.S.V.P. to the parish office at 410-758-1553 or michele_stpaulschurch.org.
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Parent Meeting
Sunday, February 12th following the 10:30am Service
All parents of St. Paul’s children from Nursery age up through 12th grade please plan on attending this VERY important meeting. We are looking to the future of the Nursery, Godly Play Program, Weaving God’s Promises, and the Youth Group. We need your support and more importantly your input. We would also like to invite adults of the parish who are involved or would like to be involved with our Nursery, Sunday School or Youth Program.
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Dinner and a show for the Second Sunday Coffee House
The MacGlashan family, Queen Anne’s County residents and fabulous bluegrass musicians, will be singing for their supper February 12th on the Second Sunday Coffee House stage. The Epiphany party with St. Luke’s was punctuated with bluegrass from these local boys. If you liked them or if you missed them at the Epiphany party, you will get another chance on February 12. Get ready for some toe tapping and yes a few sing along songs too. Be sure to bring your appetite also as the ECW will be making a scrumptious dinner of country pulled pork before the show. The doors will open at 5:00pm with a buffet dinner starting at 5:15pm. The show will start at 6:00pm. Donations will be accepted for dinner. Tickets for the show will cost adults $10.00 and those under 16 $8.00.
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Newsletter Deadline:
Newsletter Deadline for the Epistle is February 15th. Please email your articles to michele_stpaulschurch.org.
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Parish Work Day:
The next parish workday will be on Saturday, February 18th from 9:00 am until noon. Please plan on volunteering.
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Susan Whitaker Prayer Shawl Ministry
The next meeting will be Tuesday, February 21, 2:00 pm. at Dot Abbott’s home.
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Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Please join us on February 21st at 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. for a pancake supper
A freewill offering will be taken
Following the supper we will burn the palms for Ash Wednesday. We would love to see all the children there so they can see where the ashes come from.
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Ash Wednesday Services
February 22, 2012
7:00 a.m.—Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes
12:15 p.m.—Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes
7:00 p.m.—Holy Eucharist with Music and Imposition of Ashes
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The St. Paul's Book Clu b is reading The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf by Mohja Kahf. The book chronicles a young Muslim girl's experience in the America of Indiana "get back where you people came from" to her eventual realization that prejudice does not always come from the outside and that it resides often very close to home. The discussion meeting is on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 7:00 at Carolyn's house. If you have trouble getting the book, contact Carolyn as she has an extra copy.
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Newsletter Folding
We will fold newsletters Tuesday, February 28th at 10am in the coffee hour area. Please plan on joining us.
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Vestry Meeting
The next Vestry Meeting will be on February 28th at 7:15pm.
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Wednesday Holy Eucharist
Please join us for a simple Holy Eucharist service at 7:00pm on Wednesday evening.
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Bell Choir:
The bells practice on Thursdays at 6:15pm.
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Choir:
The choir practices on Thursdays at 7:00pm. Choir members will rehearse on Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 10:15.
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St. Paul’s Youth Choir: 1st grade – 6th grade
The Youth Choir will meet upstairs, in Donaldson Hall, from 10:00 to 10:20, every Sunday. Youth Choir is for children in 1st -Sixth grades. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call Laura Kaufmann at 410-758-3024.
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Coffee Hour Sign up:
We would like to thank everyone who brought an item to the potluck this Sunday.
02/05/12 - Chrissy Aull
02/12/12 - Diane Freestate and Susie Evans
02/19/12 - Sally & Dave Cooper
02/26/12 - Nancy Pippin
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FOOD FOR THE NEEDY
Please place non-perishable food items in the bin for the needy of our community. Just FYI Social Services will not accept soda, opened boxes, or items past their expiration date. The agency gets 10 or 12 requests a week for food. There were 52 items in the bin this past week.
Items Social Services Requested:
Peanut Butter and Jelly, Pancake Mix and Syrup, Dry Cereal, and Dry Milk
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St. Paul’s is collecting money for Stop Hunger Now please be generous and donate to this very important cause. You will find “Stop Hunger Now” containers in the church. So far we have collected $861.81
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VESTRY BIOS
Ralph “Pete” Gerdom
I was born and raised in Hartford County, Maryland. I came to the Eastern Shore 15 years ago through work; liked it and moved to Easton. My wife, Elsie, and I purchased a home in Ruthsburg and have been attending St. Paul’s since 2001. I studied at the University of Maryland, served in the Army and have worked in the construction industry for 40 years. The last 10 years, I worked as a Project Manager for Willow Construction in Easton. I served on the St. Paul’s Building Committee, until Willow Construction was awarded the St. Paul’s renovation contract. Due to the possibility of a conflict of interest, I resigned. January of this year, I retired. I am looking forward to having the time to give back to the community and to St Paul’s.
James McKinney (Kin) Larkins was born in Brewton, Alabama, a very small town similar to Centreville - but younger. He began his formal education with private lessons in elocution, followed by formal education in the "city school" system and a boarding school - Marion Military Institute (located in an even smaller town) from which he graduated high school. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alabama and commission in the United States Army in 1959. His military career included assignments on an Army missile in rural Georgia followed by a position with the Office of the Inspector General, United States Army Europe in Heidelberg, Germany where he met and was married to his boss's daughter. Subsequent assignments included two tours of duty at Fort Monroe, Virginia, Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam (1967 -1968), Office of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, Command and General Staff College, Deputy Commander, Armed Forces Recreation Center, Europe in the Bavarian Alps, the Defense Communications Agency from which he was detailed to the Ronald Reagan White House where he served as a Program Manager for the Crisis Management Center, National Security Council. He retired from the Army in order to remain in his White House position as a civilian. He then was lured to the former Digital Equipment Corporation where he held positions at the corporate headquarters, Digital, Germany (Munich, again), and back to the Government Systems Group in Washington, D.C. He retired from DEC and served for several years with Middendorf and Company, the Kreible Institute, projects for the Trade and Development Agency, the World Bank and other non-government activities with a focus on reconstruction and development projects and micro-enterprise development ventures in the former Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. After being based in Washington, D.C. for so many years, he was enticed by an old colleague from the White House and DEC to join a start-up company based in West Virginia. He retired for the fourth time and began to enjoy his rapidly expanding family. His daughter Julia has lived in the Annapolis area for over twenty years and has a daughter Jessica by a previous marriage, who graduated from Parsons School of Design last year and is employed as a designer for Urban Outfitters in Philadelphia. Julia and her husband Donald have three children Jack (9), Joshua (7), and Josie (4), with whom their "Poppy" spends a lot of time. His son Stuart and wife Karin live in Winnetka, IL and have nine year old twins, Maggie and Charlie.
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Got Bricks?
We are looking for red, solid bricks so we can continue the patio project.
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