TIDINGS The Newsletter of Christ Church – St. Michael’s Parish (Episcopal) May 2013

Welcoming Back

The Rev’d Erv Brown Guest Preacher

Sunday, May 12th

Please join us in welcoming back to the pulpit of Christ Church, the Reverend Erv Brown. Erv served Christ Church as its 33rd Rector from 1995 until his retirement in 2002. Since retiring from Christ Church Erv has served as an interim rector in parishes in Massachusetts and Maryland and assists at Memorial Church in Baltimore. A gifted preacher and speaker, with a passion for the Holy Land, we are excited to welcome Erv back to Christ Church on May 12th where he will preach at both services.

Pentecost: From Fear to Proclamation Sunday, May 19th

resurrection appearances—the road to Emmaus, doubting Thomas, Peter on the beach. The Gospels are filled with stories of how the disciples and many of Jesus’ followers were so fearful in the aftermath of the resurrection: they hid, they were confused, and they went back to their prior vocations. Eventually, however, their behavior changed. The risen Christ continues to teach the disciples and leaves them with the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is this Spirit that transforms these disciples from fear-filled followers into followers who proclaim the news of Christ’s resurrection to all with ears to hear. We celebrate this transformation on the Feast of Pentecost, which falls on May 19th. Please plan to join us for this inspiring and spirit-filled celebration in the life of the Church. And wear RED!

Sunday Morning Adult Forum: May 12th

Ambassador Edward Gabriel

“Hail thee, festival day! Blest day that art hallowed forever, day when the Holy Ghost shone in the world with God’s grace. (Hymn 225, The Hymnal, 1982). On March 30th we moved from Lent and Holy Week into Easter as we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. From Easter Day until the Feast of Pentecost we live in that season of Eastertide—the fifty days between these two momentous events for all Christians. Throughout this season we hear stories of Jesus’ post-resction

Sunday morning, May 12th is a very exciting day at Christ Church. In addition to welcoming back our former rector Erv Brown, we also welcome The Honorable Edward Gabriel, former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco. Ambassador Gabriel will speak on the topic of “The Arab Spring and its Legacy for Christianity in the Middle East”

Memorial Day Weekend Sunday, May 26th at 9:00 AM

Combined Service of Worship

“Trinity Sunday”

Lemonade on the Lawn follows the service!

103 Willow Street, P.O. Box S St. Michaels, MD 21663 Tel: 410-745-9076 Fax: 410-745-5760 e-mail: info@christstmichaels.org Office Hours: 9:00AM – 4:00PM, Monday-Thursday Weekly Service Schedule: Morning Prayer – 9:00AM Mondays through Fridays Holy Eucharist (Londonderry) – 1:30PM 1st & 3rd Thursdays Sunday Services: 8:00AM & 9:30AM

Submissions to the TIDINGS monthly parish newsletter are due on the

10th of the previous month Please email items for publication to

peterhouck@aol.com or leave in newsletter editor’s mailbox

located at the parish house

Newsletter editor: Peter Houck

Prayer Through no fault of her own, my mother had trouble falling in love with me when I was an infant. Some of it was timing--I was born less than three months before her beloved father died. I am not sure he ever held me, and I know, being a mother myself, how watching your parent adore your child expands your heart, connects you differently with both your own parent and your child. She didn’t have that, and she was grieving her father’s death during the first year of my life. There were some days when my newborn demands simply felt too much, and though my diapers were changed with care and my tummy kept full, the affection and adoration that I might have had was swallowed by a deep grief for a beloved father.

Does this mean I don’t know how much my mother loved me? No, as if I hadn’t already figured it out, my mother’s stubborn clinging to life my last year of seminary underscored her commitment to my well-being. Five times those last nine months I was called to her deathbed, where she immediately rallied, once I arrived. My family nick-named me ‘the elixir of life.’ The evening of my graduation from seminary, my sister and daughters and I called to share the day’s joyful events, and the next day she stopped eating. A week later we were planning her funeral. As I learned about infant development, and how my infant experience of my mother affected my view of life, I began to understand that, like many others, I have translated my early responses to my mother into my standard response to God. In the parlance of infant mental health, I adapted to my mother’s limited energy by becoming an infant who perpetually “saved it for the big one.” We are the ones who, as babies, willingly signaled our caregivers about needs like wet diapers, empty tummies or gassy bellies. But boredom, desire for connection or other needs that did not risk survival--not so much. It turns out, babies are exquisitely sensitive to the energy level of their caregivers, and learn early on that when there isn’t much available, it is best to ask for only what is truly essential. So, guess what? Though in my head, and by past experience, I understand that God’s love, attention and energy for me are boundless, asking for God’s help usually isn’t my first thought when I bump into my own personal troubles. As a baby I got a PhD in self-sufficiency; and to take care of my needs myself is the knee-jerk reaction I have been working to unlearn for much of my adult life. But, thanks be to God (and I say that with great sincerity!), “I can figure this out” or “I can do this myself” have, over time, lessened as I have learned to ask “Help me understand,” and “Help me do what you want me to do.” Anne Lamott has a new book on prayer called Help, Thanks, Wow; The Three Essential Prayers. The title alone is an important reminder that we don’t need to be sophisticated in our prayer and that prayer begins simply by trusting that God longs to share our deepest moments. Like my mother, who I am sure also longed, but unlike her too, in that God’s capacity for meeting us in the midst of all the circumstances of our lives is unbounded. So, I am still learning to pray, learning to ask for God’s companionship and learning to recognize it when I have forgotten to ask, and expect to be learning that for my whole life. You too? -- Lynn+

Looking Back on Ten Years Ten years ago this month, I was interviewed via telephone by the search committee of Christ Church (this is before Skype and Facetime became the primary vehicles for search committee interviews). Afterwards, the committee arranged to visit me in Chicago; and Fritz Riedlin, who was then the Senior Warden; Helen Bower and Sandy King traveled to St. Chrysostom’s for an in-person interview. Shortly thereafter, Abigail, Asa and I flew to BWI, where we were met by search committee chairman, Chris Whyman, who told me that I was one of 106 candidates. Not to get too bogged down in the process, but in September 2003, we arrived in St. Michaels to begin our new ministries with you at Christ Church. Abigail served as associate

here for seven years, from 2003-2010. And on September 28th, I will mark my tenth anniversary as your rector. In many regards, this time has flown by; yet ten years, a decade, is a long time.

Clergy consultants often divide a rector’s tenure into distinct chapters or segments that seem universal, regardless of denomination or geographical location. The First Year is filled with excitement and challenge, and the primary feeling is “Which door does this key open?” It’s really a honeymoon of sorts, as you learn how the parish “works.” It is a time filled with coffees, teas and other small group visits and gatherings. The Second Year is an extension of the honeymoon, albeit here with a capital campaign and breaking ground on a new parish house. The Third Year is a time for finding one’s stride and getting comfortable in one’s role as rector. You have a sense of the parish, its history and goals, and a sense of the direction in which you wish to lead the parish. At Christ Church, this time coincided with the completion and dedication of the new parish house and establishing outreach, wider mission, and hospitality as the hallmarks of our parish. By the Fourth Year, many clergy become restless. It can be a time when clergy struggle to rediscover their passion for ministry, and many leave their parishes for new calls or enroll in D.Min programs. Fortunately, at Christ Church, this time in my ministry coincided with the fundraising and building of a dental clinic on the campus of El Hogar in Honduras and with our record-high average Sunday attendances and revenues pledged to the parish. The Fifth Year is often a latency year. People begin to trust you; some even like you. A core group has come to love you. It is a time for taking stock and looking ahead and contemplating a sabbatical, which is exactly what happened. After a wonderful fifth anniversary celebration organized by Chris Whyman and Alison Sanford, my family and I spent a part of our Sixth Year on sabbatical in Australia. This is also a period of ministry management and staff turnover as the parish may move into a new direction post-sabbatical. The pivotal years occur in years Seven and Eight, when an emotional shift happens. You are officiating at the funerals of “friends” rather than “church members,” and an entire generation of children who grew up in the church has moved into adulthood. The Ninth Year is marked by a transition from “management” to one of “relationships.” You realize that this is your church and your home and, as such, your relationship with the congregation becomes deeper, more honest, more intimate, and more vulnerable. Ministry becomes more about relationships and less about programs and management. And that is where we stand on the threshold of year Ten. By now, you know my strengths, my foibles, my shortcomings and my passions. And I know both the strengths and the growing edges of our parish. Our ministry has become more shared, more trusting, as we look to accomplishing new things together while nurturing our parish community. We know what we have done, but are not sure of what’s next. It is indeed an exciting time and maybe a little frightening. Nevertheless, now is the time when our ministry begins again as we pray about the life and direction of this parish in the years to come. --Mark Nestlehutt

A Lent, Holy Week and Easter Sunday Thank You – Carolyn Wasdyke, Senior Warden

PARISH LIFE 

As I reflect upon the extraordinary season of Lent, Holy Week and Easter Sunday, I wish to thank each person who participated in the multitude of services and events. Thank you to the Church Staff, the Acolyte Guild, the Altar Guild, the choirs, the eucharistic ministers, the Flower Guild, participants in the Passion Narration, those who sat vigil, as well as the greeters, readers, ushers, and members of the vestry. A special and heartfelt thank-you goes out to Mark and Lynn, who provided their spiritual leadership and extraordinary dedication throughout the entire season. Because of each of you, Christ Church offered a series of meaningful and spiritual opportunities to mark the sacrifice that Christ made for us, as well as to celebrate his Resurrection. The Lenten season was observed through our “Popcorn Theology” series, which examined the themes of pilgrimage and journey, with an engaging discussion following each film. The Covenant Church dinners provided an opportunity to share a meal and spiritual message, as we joined in fellowship with our neighboring churches. Palm Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week, which began by joining our neighboring churches with the distribution of palm branches in Muskrat Park. The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke narrative was enacted by our children and adults, a solemn event that concluded with the clergy and parishioners recessing in silence. Sharing an agape meal on Maundy Thursday with simple Lenten fare and scripture readings was a meaningful way to remember Jesus’ last supper. Following the agape meal, we gathered in the church for the Maundy Thursday Liturgy, which included the moving experience of the foot washing and stripping of the alter, leaving the church empty and barren, like a tomb.

Our parishioners volunteered to keep vigil for one hour of prayer or meditation throughout the night, just as Jesus had commanded his disciples to stay awake while he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Good Friday morning ended the all-night vigil and was followed by a 12:00 noon liturgy. The Stations of the Cross service was held that evening, an adaptation to local usage of a custom widely observed by pilgrims in Jerusalem. The Great Vigil of Easter was a beautiful candlelight service held on Saturday evening to mark Christ’s Passover from death to life, followed by a celebration of cake and champagne in Etherton Hall.

Easter Sunday brought the opportunity to attend one of four services, beginning with the Sunrise Service at the Maritime Museum. Children joyfully took part in the traditional Easter egg hunt in Muskrat Park. My hope for the future is that we can carry the spiritual messages from these special events with us throughout our year to help us bring meaning to our lives and the lives of others.

Scenes from Palm Sunday in Muskrat Park – Photos by Elizabeth Foulds

Maundy Thursday Agape Meal, Eucharist andFoot Washing Photos by Jim Proctor

Images from Easter Sunday by Jim Proctor

PARISH & COMMUNITY LIFETransformation -- The Spring Rummage Sale -- Judy Sandground

From the photos below taken by Bud Keiser, you can see that our physical space in Etherton Hall was transformed during the week of April 7 for our Annual Spring Rummage Sale. Our parishioners who were in that space during the week – bringing donations, dropping off food and snacks, unloading, sorting and folding, pricing and counting - were touched by the amazing process we experienced. Transforming all those boxes and bags of used items into a real store with departments and merchandise enticingly displayed is challenging and requires creativity. It is hard work but the friendships and reconnections made are very special and help us become closer as a parish family. When the shoppers arrived on Friday (in the rain) and on Saturday, our volunteers reached out warmly and with big smiles to make them feel welcomed and comfortable. During the traditional $2 bag sale on Saturday, it sounded like a great party with much laughter and conversation. The experience was a bit transformative not only for our volunteers but also for the shoppers who left with armloads of things that they can use or wear or give or play with. At the end of the sale everything that was left was transferred into big bags and taken away to support the work of three local charitable organizations. All the tables, racks, hangers and shelves were carried out, and Etherton Hall was transformed back to the space we all know. The ECW bank account grew (another transformation) by $9,697. This money will be dispersed to charitable organizations assisting children, families and the elderly, and we pray these gifts will have a transforming effect on the recipients. So the next time you think of the word “transformation,” please think of our rummage sales and of all the good that they do. Below: the volunteers, the buyers and sellers, and finally, the piece de resistance, displayed by the author.

St. Michaels Running Festival 2013 With the 2013 St. Michaels Running Festival – affectionately known by many as “SMRF” – just over a month away, race organizers Sparrow Rogers and

Peter Paris have once again reached out to the parishioners at Christ Church to help make this event a success for the community and local charities. The race already has over 2,200 participants signed up, with approximately 12 % of runners supporting one of our local charities. In 2012, the event raised over $10,000 for the YMCA, St. Michaels Community Center and Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts. This year, they are raising funds for many other community partners such as Habitat Choptank, the Humane Society, the YMCA, the Community Center, the Women’s and Girls’ Fund, the Yellow Ribbon Fund, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, the Lila Bean Foundation for Pediatric Brain Cancer Research, the St. Michaels Elementary School PTA – and others! Their goal is to raise twice as much this year as they did last year, and they need a lot of help from volunteers to make it all happen. If you are available to help at the race on May 18 or to help with pre-race preparations on May 16 and May 17, please contact Volunteer Coordinator BevLee Kegan at bev@runstm.com or 410-770-9000. Visit www.RunStM.com for all the event details and help us make this event great for our community!

The St. Michaels Community Food Pantry -- Beth and Howard Eckel Thanks to the continued generosity of parishioners, local residents, and community organizations, the Food Pantry’s shelves are nicely stocked, and there is chicken in our freezer. Our neighbors-in-need were grateful to be offered a small deli-ham, oranges, bananas and jelly beans during their visits the week before Easter. We’re fortunate to have several new additions to our volunteer roster: Bill Corba, Joyce Rall, and Neil Armstrong.

Above: Some of the hundreds of runners in last year’s St. Michaels Running Festival. These runners were competing in the half-marathon. Photos were provided by Peter Paris, the festival’s co-organizer.

Christian Formation for Children -- Lee Thomas (who also provided the image below.) Our Church School program year for 2012-2013 is coming

to an end – our last classroom day will be on Sunday, May 19th, so mark your calendars! We’ll spend time in the next few weeks to review and reflect on our time together since September, and share ideas for some possible summer activities. (We’ve decided to host our Open House in the Fall rather than in May, so we can look forward to that as plans develop.) For the past nine months we have been ‘stepping out in faith’ with our children, and I’ve so enjoyed the journey…and hope the other volunteer leaders and children have too! I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in our program – our children and their families, our volunteers in the classroom, our ‘guild’ of supporters, our felt cutters, gluers, and assembly teams, our paparazzi, our bulletin board designer, our classroom renovators, our classroom ‘custodians,’ and our vestry and clergy. I especially want to thank Reverend Lynn for her inspiration, encouragement, and seemingly boundless energy along the way. We are truly blessed to have so many involved in our children’s ministry – Alleluia! Above: Our Beulah Land Creation Story, created by our many volunteers.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION

Youth Group Painting Bowls -- From the left: Ashleigh Kerrigan, Chris Newberg, Mimi Sanford, Zoe Thomas and a friend, all working on (or contemplating) their bowls. The painted bowls are sold to raise funds to combat hunger.

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May Birthdays and Anniversaries

5/29 Don Bickert, Melissa Malcolm, Adison Parish

5/30 Diane Dinkel, Ryleigh Kealy, Leigh Nash, Barbara Wroth, Robert Zeigler

5/31 Jo Crouch

5/1 Jim McCloud, Susan Vail 5/3 Paul Makosky 5/4 Betty Jacoby 5/6 Gene Rall 5/10 Edie Huddleston 5/11 Timothy Magee 5/13 Ed Young

5/14 Darya Campi, Molly Taylor 5/16 Carol Carlson 5/17 Jim Campi 5/20 Norman Shannahan, Joan Zwemer 5/21 Karen Orem 5/26 Shirley Gooch, Alison Sanford

Birthdays

Anniversaries

5/11 James & Sherri Atkinson; Andrew & Robin Donald 5/14 John & Emily Miller; Fred & Linda Tompkins 5/12 John & Martha Austin 5/20 Philip & Louisa Parkinson

From the Parish Register: One Baptism: Elijah Matthew Mabe, April 7, 2013

Bear one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ… For all men must carry their own loads. Galatians 6:2, 5

Recently, at a Stephen Ministry gathering, the idea came up to share some of the concepts we learned in training that we have found helpful in our daily relationships. Before I became a Stephen Minister, I had already assumed the role of confident and hopefully, non-judgmental listener to various friends and family. I was usually inclined to try to “fix” the problem at hand. Sometimes solutions would be so clear to me that I would become frustrated with repeated conversations that never resolved the issue. I thought my role

as friend included problem solver. WRONG. Enter Stephen Ministry training. In one of our Stephen Ministry workbooks, there were three very effective illustrations. The first depicted a distressed person standing in the bottom of a deep pit. Looking over the edge is another figure wondering how to help. Then, an illustration shows both figures in the bottom of the pit, miserably stuck. The warning to the class was clearly “Don’t climb down into that pit!” You might become as overwhelmed and troubled as the person you are trying to help. Finally, illustration number three depicts the figure on the edge tossing a lifeline to our friend at the bottom. Empathy is defined as “feeling another’s problems WITHOUT actually taking them on yourself.” This was difficult for me. Stephen Ministry training emphasizes this simple fact. GOD is always the solution and cure for all that ails us. HE is the lifeline. We, as Stephen Ministers, as friends, as

parents, and as spouses, can listen, encourage and throw God-inspired lifelines to those in need. We can pray and care deeply, but we do not have the answer. Only GOD can “fix it.” – Susie Granville

Sunday, May 12, Will Be Our United Thank Offering Ingathering. For 124 years, UTO has been an active outreach arm of the Episcopal Church. In its early years, the Women's Auxiliary collected money at General Convention and used it to expand the mission of the church. Then the grants supported training church women to become missionaries at home and abroad and funded the building of schools, hospitals and churches.

Today, UTO supports new, innovative projects and programs all over the United States and around the world. These programs alleviate poverty and transform unjust structures of society. In these efforts, UTO continues its focus on women and children in need. In 2013, $30,000 was granted to the Virginia Diocese to establish a faith-based reentry program for incarcerated women in The Virginia Correctional Facility for Women.

REACHING OUT

That’s half of our story. The reason we contribute, because we are thankful, is the other half. On May 12, we will become prayers of thanksgiving in action. Our thank-you note to God will be written on May 12 in the form of a check or as a contribution in the collection plate.

Many of St. Paul’s letters opened expressing his need to give thanks to God. In his letter to the Thessalonians: he wrote, “I give thanks to God for you all;” to the Colossians, “We always thank God for. . ;” to the Corinthians, ”I thank my God always concerning you for. . ;” and to the Ephesians: “I do not cease to give thanks for. . . . How will we end that sentence? “I give thanks to God for____________.” Note: When writing check, please make Christ Church the payee, and on the memo line, please write United Thank Offering. Thank you. -- Carol Carlson

News of Habitat – John Hunnicutt “For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other.” -- Millard Fuller, Founder of Habitat for Humanity

Become a Habitat volunteer. There are many ways to get involved, and they don’t all require taking hammer or saw in hand. Of course, help with construction is needed, but also needed is service on a committee, lending a hand in the office, taking on a special project or providing guidance to an existing Habitat homeowner. What are some specific volunteer opportunities? -- Family Selection Committee: help identity future Habitat Choptank homeowners. -- Homeowner Support Committee: support and assist a Habitat homeowner. -- Mortgage Servicing Committee: help manage homeowner mortgages. -- Site Selection Committee: join in the responsibility for land acquisition, land planning and environmental and community impact. -- Partnership Committee: help guide partner families through the process of becoming homeowners. -- Faith Relations Committee: join in cultivating relationships and partnerships with the faith community. Essential to any Habitat construction project are the “Cookie Crew” and the “Lunch Bunch” who ensure that jobsite volunteers are well cared for with cookies and lunch. So ignore any apprehensions about your construction skills, and volunteer your culinary skills. If your aspirations include being part of the construction of a house or apartment and creating a home for a family, then volunteer in participating in the tasks of flooring, renovating, painting, tiling, insulating, framing, landscaping or weatherization. No level of construction experience or skill is unwelcome. If your talents lend themselves to a retail enterprise, the Habitat ReStore, an outlet that accepts donated household goods for resale, needs volunteers to accept the donations, organize and inventory the materials and goods for resale, greet and assist customers and manage checkout. There is work to be done and families to help. Consider joining some of your fellow parishioners in building a future for others in our community. Contact John Hunnicutt for more information.

Men’s Club: May Focuses on Our Veterans

We close our program year by celebrating the veterans of this great nation. Pictured at left is Anthony “Tony” Principi, Vice President, Board of Directors of the Wounded Warrior Project, will address the group on May 11th at 8:00 am. A Vietnam veteran himself, he was the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2001 to 2005 and brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and the current thinking on caring for our veterans. Make your reservation now! Call Ray Wasdyke at 410-745-8547 or e-mail him at: Wasdyke@gmail.com . Come and join us and bring a friend to join you for all these breakfast events. Have a good breakfast for only $10 and listen to a great speaker talk about our nation’s veterans, May 11th at 8:00 am in Etherton

Hall. If you have questions or ideas for future speakers, send me an e-mail: georgedixon@mindspring.com .

CLUBS  &  ORGANIZATIONS

Docents’ Guild – Linda Makosky The Docents' Guild Spring meeting took place on March 23rd. Twenty-two docents enjoyed companionship, coffee and crisp cookies provided by Chair Irmy Webster. We were happy to meet our newest docent, Julie Hart, seen at right. (Photos were provided by the author.) Julie introduced herself by giving an important credential; she is the daughter of the late Peg Tyler. Peg was the much-loved first scheduler of the guild, known then as the "Visitors' Guild." Julie went on to say that she is a retired Lutheran minister and we can think of her as a "Lutherpalian!" Another highlight of the meeting was the presentation by Lee Thomas of her draft of a revised Docents' Handbook. Lee, seen at lower right, led a lively brainstorming discussion, bringing out many useful suggestions for improving and expanding the handbook. With the advent of May, docents begin their scheduled shifts in the church. We look forward to many interesting experiences during the coming season. Anyone interested in becoming a docent is always welcome. To join the group, please call the scheduler, Lillian Watts, at 410-745-9999, or email her at lilliw@atlanticbb.net.

The Lay Weeders -- Lin Clineburg; Photo by Bud Keiser On a chilly Wednesday morning before Easter, the intrepid Lay Weeders began the annual spring clean-up at the Christ Church Parish House and churchyard. The pansies planted last fall had struggled through the winter with only a modest percentage in robust good health.

We weeded, raked, removed old growth from plants and prepared the ground for the new season with George Short’s help on the rototiller. New violas were planted for the Easter celebrations, and the Parish Garden was dressed for spring. If you would like the opportunity of serving your Church as a Lay Weeder, our group of merry gardeners would be glad for your company. We meet on Monday mornings at 8:00 am throughout the seasons, as the need arises. Please contact Lin Clineburg at 410-745-0025 .

CLUBS  &  ORGANIZATIONS 

Pastoral Care Is ImportantA short reminder; Pastoral Care is part of our individual relationships to the Parish. The Clergy want to reach out to us when we are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity. Our confidence and privacy are respected, but sometimes no one tells the Clergy of our needs. Pastoral Care is yours for the asking, and the Wardens hope you ask. -- George Dixon, Junior Warden

CARING for CREATION Living with a Warming Climate --

George Kaplan, Chair, Environmental Ministries Commission

I’m writing this during Holy Week, and up here in Cecil County we just had a 3-inch snowfall that closed the schools for a day. The daffodils look sad poking up through the snow, but they will survive. It seems as if spring will never arrive, although the songs of the birds in the morning and the frogs in the evening tell us otherwise. By the time you read this, spring will surely be in full bloom.

We complained a lot about how long this past winter seemed to last, but a look at local history books tells us that winters a century ago were a lot harder. Harvesting of ice from the Susquehanna River in wintertime was big business back then, and destructive ice jams in the spring were not unusual. On the left: ice blockage at Port Deposit on the Susquehanna in ca. 2004. (Source: Maryland State Archives) In the winter of 1852, railroad tracks were laid across the frozen river between Havre de Grace and Perryville. Scientific measurements tell us now that the planet is warming, and local evidence of that isn’t hard to find. As polar ice melts, sea level everywhere is slowly but

inexorably rising, perhaps by two feet or more by 2100. This is a problem for the Eastern Shore, because we have a lot of very low-lying land. Dorchester County will be the hardest hit of all Maryland counties, because much of its area is less than 10 feet above the current sea level. A few years ago, Old Trinity Church (Dorchester Parish) in Church Creek created a “living shoreline,” using a natural buffer of marsh grass to protect its property from wave action erosion as sea level rises. The shoreline also provides new shallow-water habitat for marine life. Camp Wright Director Dee Zeller wants to do something similar there. Another place where the encroaching water is being felt is the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, south of Cambridge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (which manages Blackwater) estimates that several thousand acres of wetlands have already been lost to erosion and sea level rise, at a rate of about 300 acres (about ½ square mile) per year. The marsh ecology is not able to adjust rapidly enough to this change, and areas of dead trees can be seen at Blackwater, evidence of the rising salt water level. Below: some of the dead trees at Blackwater Refuge. As announced at the diocesan convention, the staff of the Pickering Creek Audubon Center has been working with the Environmental Ministries Commission to arrange a Diocese of Easton “Day in the Marsh” event at Blackwater on April 27. This event will give us an opportunity not just to reflect on our call to be stewards of the Earth, but also to understand more fully the natural systems at work in the salt marsh, the threats to them, and how we can help. This event will soon be over, but there are opportunities in May to help plant some new marsh grass at Blackwater. Contact me for more information. The overwhelming scientific consensus is that our warming climate is primarily due to greenhouse gas emissions, like carbon dioxide, to which we all contribute. Sea level rise is happening, and it is affecting our diocese. How do we respond? With resignation and despair, or apathy? Or do we resolve to simplify our lives and leave smaller footprints on the planet? If you need some ideas, see https://www.bridgingthegap.org/five-green-things/ . And here’s one more: let’s press our political leaders to make reducing CO2 emissions an urgent national priority. (gkaplan@zoominternet.net)

~ May 2013 ~ Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Morning Prayer Monday – Friday

9 AM

1 9:30 AM Welcome Committee Meeting 11 AM Book Discussion 6 PM Youth Choir Supper 6:30 PM Youth Choir Practice 7 PM Chancel Choir Practice

2 1:30 PM Holy Eucharist at Londonderry 8 PM AA Meeting

3

Office Closed

4

5 6 Easter 8 AM Holy Eucharist 9 AM Coffee Hour 9:15 AM Adult Forum 10:15 AM Parish Family Eucharist 11:30 AM Lemonade on the Lawn

6 6:45 AM ‘Bridges Out of Poverty’ Breakfast Church School Review Meeting 7 PM ‘Saving Jesus Redux’

7 10:30 AM Wardens Meeting 2:30 PM Staff Meeting 6 PM Bell Choir Practice

8 11 AM Book Discussion 7 PM Chancel Choir Practice

9 8 PM AA Meeting

10

Office Closed

Tidings Deadline

11 8 AM Men’s Club Breakfast St. Andrew’s Society of the Eastern Shore Dinner

12 7 Easter Mother’s Day UTO Sunday

8 AM Holy Eucharist 9 AM Coffee Hour 9:15 AM Adult Forum; Church School 10:15 AM Holy Eucharist 11:30 AM Lemonade on the Lawn 12 PM Worship & Music Meeting

13 7 PM ‘Saving Jesus Redux’

14 10:30 AM ECW Board Meeting 10:30 AM Council of the Wise Meeting 11:30 AM ECW Meeting 2:30 PM Staff Meeting 7 PM Vestry Mtg

15 11 AM Book Discussion 7 PM Chancel Choir Practice

16 1:30 PM Holy Eucharist at Londonderry 8 PM AA Meeting

17

Office Closed

Carty/Gregg Wedding Rehearsal

18 3 PM Carty/Gregg Wedding

19 Pentecost 8 AM Holy Eucharist 9 AM Coffee Hour 9:15 AM Adult Forum; Church School 10:15 AM Holy Eucharist & Christian Formation Recognition 11:30 AM Lemonade on the Lawn 12 PM Prayer Chain Meeting 2 PM Baccalaureate Service

20 9:30 AM St. Michaels Art League Meeting 4 PM Pastoral Care Team Meeting 5 PM Stephen Ministry Supervision 5 PM Christmas in St. Michaels Meeting 7 PM ‘Saving Jesus Redux’

21 2:30 PM Staff Meeting

22 11 AM Book Discussion

23 8 PM AA Meeting

24

Office Closed

25

26 Trinity Sun. 9 AM Holy Eucharist 10 AM Lemonade on the Lawn

27 Memorial Day Office Closed

28 2:30 PM Staff Meeting 4 PM Christmas in St. Michaels Board Meeting

29 11 AM Book Discussion

30 8 PM AA Meeting

31

Office Closed

Finances for three Months Ended March 31, 2013 Revenues Variances Actual – Current Month $ 42,198 Budget – Current Month 41,313 Over / (Under) – Current Month 885 Favorable Actual YTD *** 166,351 Budget YTD 173,613 Over / (Under) – YTD (7,262) Unfavorable Pledges Actual – Current Month 36,839 Budget – Current Month 38,577 Over /(Under) – Current Month (1,738) Unfavorable Actual YTD 150,975 Budget YTD 159,721 Over / (Under) YTD (8,746) Unfavorable Expenses Actual – Current Month 48,523 Budget – Current Month 43,009 Over/(Under) – Current Month 5,514 Unfavorable Actual YTD 154,621 Budget YTD 145,862 Over / (Under) YTD 8,759 Unfavorable Excess of Revenues over Expenses or (Expenses over Revenues) Actual – Current Month (6,325) Budget – Current Month (1,696) Over/(Under) – Current Month (4,629) Unfavorable Actual YTD 11,730 Budget YTD 27,751 Over / (Under) YTD (16,021) Unfavorable

Ministry Areas of Christ Church CHRISTIAN FORMATION Adult Forum Ray Wasdyke Adult Inquirers Mark Nestlehutt Church School: Ages 3-Grade 4 Lee Thomas Rite 13 Ann Roe Youth Confirmation Mark Nestlehutt OUTREACH & WIDER MISSION Back to School Project Gillian Whyman, Judy Sandground Children’s Home Found. Nance DuPont, Martha Austin El Hogar Project Bill Corba Environmental Issues Margie Steffens Episcopal Relief & Dev. Pamela McCloud Grants Committee John Hunnicutt Habitat for Humanity John Hunnicutt Honduran Dental Mission Jim Campi St. Michaels Food Pantry Beth and Howard Eckel Talbot Interfaith Shelter Pamela McCloud United Thank Offering Carol Carlson PARISH & COMMUNITY LIFE Coffee Hour Mike Clark Covenant Churches Mark Nestlehutt Disaster Preparedness Linda Norris Docents’ Guild Irmy Webster Episcopal Church Women Lynn Freeburger Kitchen Committee Mary Riedlin, Nancy Sipe Lay Weeders Lin Clineburg Lea Library Robert & Marilyn Barrett Lemonade/Cider in Hall Alison Sanford Men’s Club George Dixon Parish Paparazzi Bud Keiser Tidings Newsletter Peter Houck Welcoming Committee Cathy Mendenhall PASTORAL CARE Eucharistic Visitors Jessie Weddle Pastoral Care Team Mark Nestlehutt Prayer Chain Alice Utterback Stephen Ministry Ann Roe STEWARDSHIP Finance Committee Tom Orem Property Elizabeth Foulds, John Masone Stewardship George Dixon, Jim Vail Senior Teller Larry McCanna WORSHIP & MUSIC Acolyte Guild Sparrow Rogers, Ann Roe Altar Guild Helen Bower, Judy Hause Choirs: Chancel & Youth William Thomas Handbell Lynne Phillips Euch. Ministers & Readers Martha Austin Flower Guild Susan Armstrong Greeters/Oblation Bearers Sheila Vaughan Ushers Robert Burger

Staff The Reverend Mark S. Nestlehutt, Rector

The Reverend Lynn A. Hade, Associate Rector Mr. William R. Thomas, Director of Music

Ms. Carol A. Osborne, Parish Administrator Mr. George E. Short, Sexton

Vestry

Carolyn Wasdyke, Senior Warden George Dixon, Junior Warden

Larry McCanna, Treasurer Nancy Besso, Registrar

Elizabeth Foulds 2015 Tom Orem 2015 Sparrow Rogers 2015 Hanna Woicke 2015

Bev Kegan 2014 Lesley Moyer 2014 Linda Norris 2014 Tony Vaughn 2014

Bill Corba 2016 Phil Dinkel 2016 Pat Martin 2016 James Vail 2016