Weekend: Earth Day Celebrations Set
Episcopal News Service. April 20, 2005 [042005-1-A]
On April 22, 1970, people across America celebrated the first Earth Day, at a time when American cities were buried under their own smog and polluted rivers even caught fire. Thirty-five years later, Earth Day is now a global holiday to celebrate the wonder of life on our planet.
Several Episcopal churches and congregations will honor Earth Day in actions, studies, and celebrations throughout the weekend. A selection of events is listed below:
Working with the National Council of Churches' theme of Sacred Oceans and Seas, St. Boniface Church in the Diocese of Southwest Florida has planned a Creation Weekend with something for all ages. On Saturday, April 23 they cruise on Sarasota and Roberts Bay, guided by a marine biologist from the Mote Marine Aquarium. On Sunday they will fill the font with water from many sources as they gather for Eucharist, and welcome a speaker from Southwest Florida Water Management to their adult forum.
At St. Matthew's Church in Sterling, Virginia (Diocese of Virginia) the environmental service focuses on their adopt-a-trail project, where clean-up took place last weekend. On Sunday, April 24, creation themes will be emphasized at all three liturgies.
At St. David's in Page, Arizona (Diocese of Utah) parishioners devote Saturday, April 23, to clean-up activities, joining with members of the wider community, and hosting a booth at the Earth Day fair in the City Park.
St. Paul's in Benicia, California (Diocese of Northern California) will extend their celebration over the fifth through seventh Sundays of Easter. Preachers will explore spiritual foundations of creation care, including those from Native American traditions. Adult forums will include a program on creation by children participating in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a presentation on energy resources, and a conversation on family and personal use of resources.
The Diocese of New Jersey will include a workshop, "Greening Your Church: Protect the Earth and Reduce Energy Costs" as part of an annual diocesan program "Equipping New Jersey For New Life and New Mission." The event at Trinity Cathedral in Trenton will offer practical help to congregations. Work has already begun on parish environmental audits, and the Environmental Commission of the Diocese will sponsor an audit of Diocesan House.
Coming up Friday, April 22, 2005...
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Japanese Taiko drummer Eitetsu Hayashi will visit Trinity Cathedral for a free lecture and demonstration at 12 noon on Friday, April 22. Hayashi will also play a prelude to the Cathedral's worship on Sunday, April 24, at 9 a.m.
Hayashi, a national treasure of Japan and the world's only orchestral solo Taiko artist, began his Taiko career as a founding member of the world-renowned percussion groups Sado-Ondekoza and Kodo. His breathtaking performance style and mastery of this traditional Japanese art have brought him countless honors and recognition on six continents.
Hayashi's visit to Cleveland is made possible by the Ohio Arts Council, Dublin Arts Council, and Playhouse Square Foundation.
Trinity Cathedral, the Episcopal Church in downtown Cleveland at 2230 Euclid Avenue, invites participation from people of all faiths, races, nationalities and walks of life. For further information on Trinity Cathedral and its programs, please call 216.771.3630 or visit http://www.trinitycleveland.org.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Christ Church Cathedral hosts its annual MusicFest April 22-25, featuring the organs of the cathedral. The PipeOrganFest repertoire includes:
Friday, April 22 at 12:05 p.m: Featuring music for two organs, played by Mary Ellen and Frederick Burgomaster.
Saturday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m: Three organs played in concert by David Schrader, organist of the Church of the Ascension and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Schrader has recorded a number of CDs, played concerts throughout the U.S. and Europe, and is a former assistant organist of Christ Church Cathedral.
Sunday morning, April 24 at 9:00 a.m: The Girls' Choir sings Josef Rheinberger's Mass in E-Flat Major. 11:00 a.m: The Choir of Men and Boys sings French composer Louis Vierne's Messe Solennelle (for choir and two organs).
Monday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m: The Indianapolis Festival Chorus, directed by Frederick Burgomaster, sings Messe by Charles-Marie Widor (for two choirs and two organs), Via Crucis by Franz Liszt (choir and organ), Statuit ei Domine by Arvo Pärt (choir and two organs), Messe Solennelle by Naji Hakim (choir and two organs). Hakim succeeded Olivier Messiaen at the church of La Trinité in Paris, and has composed a number of works for organ solo, as well as organ and chorus. Organists for the Monday concert are Marko Petricic and Charles Manning. All concerts are open to the public at no charge. The organs of the cathedral are built by Hellmuth Wolff (chancel), Taylor & Boody (gallery) and John Brombaugh (postiv organ).
For further information about Christ Church Cathedral and its ministries, please visit http://www.cccindy.org.
NEW YORK -- Continuing in the Episcopal tradition of honoring all of God's creatures, the Episcopal Church of St. Andrew on Staten Island, New York, will consecrate a special cemetery for pets at an 11 a.m. service on Earth Day, Friday, April 22. The Cemetery for All God's Creatures will include the interment of various pets and is located on the church grounds in the Richmondtown section of Staten Island at 40 Old Mill Rd. All are invited to attend.
"The Cemetery for All God's Creatures is an expression of our commitment to live into our mission statement which reminds us that we have been called ‘to be stewards of all God's creation,'" said the Rev. Michael Delaney, rector of St. Andrew's. "Pets are an important part of our lives, and this cemetery is one way of honoring what they have meant to us and to our families."
Joining Delaney during the service will be Bishop Suffragan Catherine Roskam and Bishop Vicar E. Don Taylor, both of New York. Also attending will be elected officials and government representatives, Staten Island veterinarians, parishioners, neighbors and pet-lovers.
NOTE: This event was originally scheduled for April 8 but was changed in deference to the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
For further information, please contact the Rev. Michael F. Delaney at 718.351.0900 or Neva Rae Fox, Episcopal Diocese of New York, at nrfox@dioceseny.org
Church of St. Andrew, 40 Old Mill Road, Staten Island, New York 10306. Tel: 718.351.0900. http://www.churchofstandrew-si.org or http://www.dioceseny.org.
STROUDSBURG, Pennsylvania -- A fully staged theatrical production of the play "Mass Appeal" by Bill C. Davis will be presented in the sanctuary at Christ Episcopal Church, 205 N. 7th Street, Stroudsburg, on Friday, April 22, at 8 p.m.
The production was originally produced in the spring of 2004 by Arts on the Mountain which is based at Trinity Church, Mt. Pocono.
Featuring the talents of John Vicich and Neal Johnson and directed by Vicich, Mass Appeal is the story of an older priest in the Roman Catholic Church and the young deacon who comes under his tutelage. Because of their very different backgrounds, their views inevitably clash regarding the interpretation of the faith and how a priest should relate to his congregation. Through an abundance of laughter and some tears as well, their relationship is changed as their convictions are challenged.
All tickets for the performance will be $10. Please call 570.421.7481 for reservations and further information.
Christ Episcopal Church, 205 North 7th Street, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania 18360. Tel: 570.421.7481. http://www.christchurchstroudsburg.org.
Coming up Saturday, April 23, 2005...
FORT WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania -- Professor Luke Timothy-Johnson, Woodruff professor of New Testament at the Chandler School of Theology at Emory University and one of the world's most distinguished Bible scholars, will lead a seminar titled "Acts of the Apostle -- Prelude to the Church" from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon on Saturday, April 23, at St. Thomas' Church in Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania.
The Acts of the Apostles is often read as a history of the earliest Church, and in some ways it is. But it is also a powerful prophetic voice to the Church in every age. As the second volume of Luke's Gospel, Acts presents as radical and prophetic a picture of the Early Church as the Gospel presents a radical and prophetic view of Jesus. Timothy-Johnson, will be the Barbara Bishop Baldwin Guest Speaker for the spring of 2005.
Onsite registration is $20.00 at the door. For further information please call the Parish Office at 215.233.3970.
St. Thomas' Church, Whitemarsh, Bethlehem Pike and Camp Hill Road, Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania 19034. Tel 215.233.3970. http://www.stthomaswhitemarsh.org.
HOUSTON, Texas -- The Roane State Community College choir from Harrimon, Tennessee, will join St. Thomas the Apostle's adult choir from Nassau Bay, Texas, in a performance of Vivaldi's Gloria at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, at St. Thomas the Apostle. The concert is free and open to the public.
The Roane State choir has toured Mexico and the United States and performed at the Carnegie Hall in New York. The choirs will be accompanied by Houston's Shades of Grey string trio and guest violinist Laurie Young Stevens. Stevens has been featured at the Carnegie Hall and has been invited to play this summer at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, after which she will be performing during the London Proms. She joined the St. Thomas choir on their England concert tour last summer, performing with them at Leeds Castle, St. John's Church in Kensington, and for the Lord Mayors of Dover and surrounding townships.
St. Thomas the Apostle, 18300 Upper Bay Road, Nassau Bay, Texas. For more information, please call 800.774.2233 or email stthomas@ghg.net.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota -- Bishop James Jelinek of Minnesota has announced that a special service of prayer in support of the Red Lake Nation will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, at St. Mark's Cathedral, Minneapolis. "This is an opportunity for Episcopalians and guests to demonstrate love and support for the people of the Red Lake Reservation following the tragic school shootings."
The service is open to the public and will welcome members of the Red Lake Nation who live in the metro-area. Special guest and principal speaker will be Judy Roy, secretary, Red Lake Tribal Council.
St. Mark's Cathedral, 519 Oak Grove Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tel: 612.870.7800. http://www.st-marks-cathedral.org.
ST. LOUIS, Missouri -- Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold will be the guest preacher April 23 and 24 at the 2005 Flower Festival at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis, Missouri. The annual festival is made possible by a bequest from Henry Shaw, founder of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The first festival was in 1890, a year after Shaw's death.
Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust Street, St. Louis, Missouri. Tel: 314.231.3454. http://www.christchurchcathedral.us.
WASHINGTON D.C. -- The Rev. Dr. Samuel T. Lloyd III will be installed as the ninth dean of Washington National Cathedral at an 11 a.m. service on Saturday, April 23, at Washington National Cathedral. The service will feature music by Performing Artists under the Lord, the Madrigal Singers of St. Albans and National Cathedral Schools, and the combined Cathedral Choirs. Dean Lloyd will preach and Bishop John Bryson Chane of Washington will celebrate the Holy Eucharist. The Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris, the Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray III, and the Rt. Rev. M. Thomas Shaw III (SSJE) will serve as concelebrants. The public is welcome to attend this special service.
Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues Northwest (Mount St. Alban), Washington, D.C., 20016; 202.537.6200; http://www.cathedral.org.
Coming up Sunday, April 24, 2005...
BOSTON -- This week's Trinity Forum, "An Albert Schweitzer for the 21st Century," will be presented by the Rev. Lawrence Bodley, missionary to the Republic of Vanuatu, at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, April 24, in the church. Lawrence Bodley shares will share the inspiring story of why he lives and works on the tiny Pacific island of Erromango, and the mysterious ways in which God has used his ministry to support the survival of the population on that desperate and isolated atoll.
This week's Sunday Afternoon Forum, "Radical Welcome" Series: "Becoming What We Imagine," will be held from 4:30-5:45 p.m. on April 24, in the Commons of Trinity Church, Boston, and presented by Stephanie Spellers, a Candidate for Holy Orders in the Diocese of Massachusetts. In this six-week journey, author and consultant Spellers will introduce the theology of radical welcome and Christian hospitality, and help participants to imagine God's radical dream for our community, anticipate and sit with fear of change, and create and identify the resources we need to move through fear to transformation and welcome. This series is open to all, and is offered particularly with Trinity Connection groups in mind.
Trinity Church, 206 Clarendon Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116. Tel: 617.536.0944. http://www.trinityboston.org/default.asp.
LOS ANGELES -- The Episcopal Commission on Peace and Justice and Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) will sponsor an address by Professor Richard Parker, titled "Making Sense out of What Doesn't: Looking at the World Economy Through the Lens of Christian Social Justice," at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, at St. James' Church in Los Angeles.
Parker, an Episcopalian, is a senior fellow at the Shorenstein Center at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. His new book, "John Kenneth Galbraith: his Life, his Politics, his Economics," has received strongly positive reviews recently in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers and journals.
In the fall of 2001, Parker addressed the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops on the topic of globalization, prompting a standing ovation, according to Bishop Jon Bruno of Los Angeles.
For further information, please contact the Rev. Canon Dick Gillett at 626.398.4146 or by email at dgillpas@mindspring.com.
St. James' Church, 3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90010. Tel: 213.388.3417. http://www.saintjamesla.org.
SAN FRANCISCO, California -- "Love Beyond Boundaries" will be this week's Forum at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, featuring L. William Countryman, Sherman E. Johnson professor in Biblical Studies, at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 24, at Gresham Hall, on the Crypt Level of the Cathedral.
"In recent years, the issue of sexuality has emerged as a pressing concern for various churches and ministries. The profile of this complex and controversial issue continues to increase dramatically in several denominations, particularly in the Episcopal and Catholic churches. In Love, Human and Divine: Reflections on Love, Sexuality and Friendship, William Countryman gets at the heart of the tension between sexuality and spirituality as it affects religious ethics. Countryman explores the common thread between our personal spiritual relationship with God and embracing the Bible as the guide of our faith."
For more information about this event please call 415.749.6360 or email Larry Bisagni at larryb@gracecathedral.org. Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St. (at Taylor St.), San Francisco, California 94108. Tel: 415.749.6300. http://www.gracecathedral.org.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- State Day prayers this Sunday will remember Montana in liturgies at Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues Northwest (Mount St. Alban), Washington, D.C., 20016; 202.537.6200; http://www.cathedral.org. The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III will be the preacher at the 11 a.m. service. Next Sunday, May 1: State Day prayers will remember Washington.
ANGLICAN COMMUNION -- Following the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, this Sunday (Easter 5) will give thanks for the Diocese of Nambale in Kenya. The Rt. Rev. Josiah Makhandia, bishop. The Anglican Cycle of Prayer can be accessed online at: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/main.cfm.