Teaching the Good Word

All Saints Episcopal Church, South Burlington, VT

All churches—if they are at all effective—teach the Word of God. Spreading the message is the very purpose of the Church, after all, according to “The Great Commission”.  “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded of you.” Yet some churches take the
second part much more to heart. Then Christian Formation and Education becomes a paramount mission. Such is the case with St. Andrew’s Church in Colchester and All Saints’ Church in South Burlington, albeit in rather different manifestations.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Colchester, VT

The drive to St. Andrew’s Church takes one along the shore of Malletts Bay on Lake Champlain and by views heartbreakingly lovely. The church itself celebrates its proximity to the lake and its resources with its very iconography.

St. Andrew's Church cross

The cruciform in the sanctuary, rather than being imagery of Christ’s death, is representative of Christ’s life and mission—to make fishers of men.  The cross is made of two large branches of Lake Champlain driftwood found by a parishioner who organized the youth of the parish into twining the pieces together. Draped over the cross is a remnant of an old fishing net.  That net transcends time and cultures to connect the fishing communities of upper Vermont and of Jesus’ disciples. From a distance, the cross appears rough and crooked.  But as one approaches the sanctuary and comes closer to the cross, it straightens and becomes a like a pointer pointing to “the light” (symbolically represented by the recessed lighting). The cross is a conversation piece that leads to prime educational opportunity. Incidentally, the March 24, 2013 issue of Vermont Voices, which you can read on the diocesan website, tells a story about this very special cross.

images of St. Andrew's, Colchester

The curiosity of the cross is one lead into St. Andrew’s education program.  On Wednesdays, a Bible study class is offered to delve into the lessons prior to Holy Eucharist that is celebrated at 12:30pm.  Tuesdays is the “big” day for educational opportunities at St. Andrew’s.  Currently, the Tuesday group is learning is studying a program called “Decoding Christianity” which examines the symbols, icons and rituals of Christianity through the ages.  Primary among Christian symbols is (of course) the cross and the fish—a direct conversational line back to their sanctuary cruciform.  As seasons change, so do the topics of study for the Tuesday programs.  As with adult education, St. Andrew’s also has a strong children’s program with their Sunday School during the regular season (read that as “the academic year”) and Summer Sunday School which is somewhat special. The regular Sunday School teachers are adamantly freed from teaching during the summer.  So other adults in the congregation are asked to volunteer in pairs to teach one Sunday.  (Notice the significance of the pairing! As went the disciples, so go the magisters.)

Christian Ed. rooms at St. Andrew's

Incidental educational opportunities abound at St. Andrew’s.  Along with the contemplative atmosphere in the Memorial Garden and St. Francis Pet Memorial Garden, there are a number of options for introspection and learning.  Several self-improvement groups that meet at the church, including the ubiquitous AA, al-anon, and weight watchers groups, but also, there are two grief counseling/support groups that meet at St. Andrew’s. The congregation gives 6½% of their pledge income to outreach programs.  Leaders of these programs come in from time-to-time to talk about and educate about their programs. Currently, among St. Andrew’s outreach programs are several emergency shelter organizations, Project Warm (emergency assistance for winter heating), Brookhaven School for Boys (in the form of Christmas gift giving), and Rock Point Summer Camps. Of course, the staples of Episcopal Church giving are also represented: UTO, ER-D, local food shelves, etc. Upon completion of the major renovations and building of the new parish hall, paid for in spite of having no endowment from which to draw, these various groups have a lovely and inviting place to meet  and learn in St. Andrew’s Church.

images at All Saints Church, South Burlington

Like St. Andrew’s Church, All Saints Church in South Burlington has a special mission for education.  Only they have a slightly different approach to educating. While St. Andrew’s favors regular structured classes and meetings, the folks at All Saints prefer a more a more randomly creative style, accessing education through the arts and theatrics venues. The creative bent has been articulated in the very walls of the church.  Some of you may recognize All Saints as the “blue church” with its blue glass walls that infuse the sanctuary with a soothing blue cast. The enormous exterior cross has been taken down due to safety concerns (the cross bar was so rotten and riddled with woodpecker holes that it threatened to fall on visitors to the Memorial Garden), but plans are in the works for an 18-foot high replacement cross. 

All Saints Community labyrinth

Recently, All Saints and the community installed an 11-course labyrinth in their back yard that is open all the time to the public.  When it was first installed as a mowed grass temporary version, people from around the community began to frequent it.  Upon receiving a grant to build a more permanent version, a brick-bordered version was installed and volunteers raked over 300 tons of Shur-pak over the pathways.  The installation includes a dolman that on the summer solstice casts a shadow that cuts directly to the center of the labyrinth.  This labyrinth is larger than most, allowing for group visits and simultaneous usage. In fact, future hopes for the labyrinth include self-guided prayer walks and the installation of an interactive project called “Odyssey of Light”.  The current capital campaign to raise funds for the labyrinth will apportion 40% to a maintenance program for its upkeep. The church provides a pamphlet and other resources that teach about labyrinths and offer suggestions for how to use one for personal spiritual guidance.

All Saints’ unique plan for Christian Education includes theater performed by “The All Saints Players.” One

images inside All Saints church

of the parishioners in the congregation is a particularly talented playwright who enjoys composing plays complete with music and dance that give humorous recounting of familiar Bible stories. Sadly, last year was the first time in a number of years that a play was not held due to a lack of a director.  But perhaps the Spirit will stir someone with talent who will see to the continuation of this unique way of teaching God’s Word.  Along with the plays, All Saints has received a degree of fame for their Christmas pageants. Each year, they are featured in an “above-the-fold” article in the Burlington Free Press as the Christmas show to watch! As part of the productions, music and dance are integral to telling the story.  All Saints has been the happy recipient of some very generous donations.  The baby grand piano in the church was a gift from a parishioner and is often used to accompany the productions. Another parishioner heard about an organ that needed a new home once the church where it lived in Winooski closed.  That church gave the organ to All Saints provided they found a way to transport it.  This lovely little Hook and Hastings pipe organ, circa 1880, now graces the nave of All Saints and periodically supplements the musical contributions to worship, the Players and more.

St. Andrew’s in Colchester and All Saints in South Burlington are two examples of how the Spirit of God uses the gifts and talents of a community to drive the same mission in completely different manners.  One hears the whisper, “Go and teach” and creates well-crafted classes, structured and organized for an optimal learning curve.  Another hears the same charge and goes singing and dancing and playing their way into sharing the Good News.  Both are significant and of utmost importance to their audience.  Neither method is better than another, and both serve God in just the manner they are supposed to. Sometimes God’s ways aren’t so mysterious after all!

A Quiet Progress

Lt. Luke's Episcopal Church, Fair Haven, VT

It was an after-thought to mention the renovation project.  For at St. Luke’s in Fair Haven, the renovation project is a means to an end rather than the end itself.  St. Luke’s is at the approval and fundraising stage of a project to install an elevator that will allow handicap access to their undercroft. But it is the reason behind these renovations—to welcome everyone to all parts of their church—that is important, not the renovations themselves.

schematics for elevator installation

The small congregation at St. Luke’s Church, Fair Haven has a much greater concern for reaching out to its community than to wax on about its renovation project.  In fact, building an elevator is in direct response to members of the community to whom they are reaching out.  Each month, St. Luke’s host a community breakfast which, as is typical of church community meals, serves a number of individuals and families in need. Right now because of the lack of access, those who cannot use stairs are fed upstairs in the church and are unable to join the company in the undercroft.  While they still enjoy the meal, it is not an ideal situation, for they are separate from the rest of the company.  The elevator will make it so everyone may partake of the meal together. Another idea in the works is that of ecumenical worship in the park (Fair Haven’s town green) celebrating God’s love.  This is

still a germinating idea with hopes for fruition this fall.  St. Luke’s has been for many years a combined congregation with St. Mark’s Church in Castleton. For the past two years, St. Mark’s has been closed and the congregation worships exclusively at St. Luke’s and the building in Castleton is to be sold. The congregation came to the understanding that maintaining two church buildings in separate towns for a single congregation was simply an impracticality that they could ill-afford. Several members acknowledged that making the decision has been liberating and has allowed for growth and flourishing in ways they hadn't expected.

interior images at St. Luke's

St. Luke’s recently welcomed their new Priest-in-Partnership, John Miller, and his wife.  In the same month, they made their farewells to two very important members of their parish—their co-senior wardens, in fact.  Prior to the Miller’s arrival, the congregation became used to worshipping with their interim’s dog, whom they affectionately termed their “Episco-dog.” They were happy to welcome the new priest’s pet, Leo, as their new Episco-dog.  One church member expressed how having the animals at worship(which another member interjected were better behaved than some of the human members!) expanded their understanding of God’s creation and family—that as our pets are members of our own families, so are they beloved members of God’s divine family. While they welcome Leo, they haven’t completely embraced the idea of welcoming the potentially hazardous distraction of pets on a regular basis! Even as they welcomed their new priest, they endured the difficulty of saying goodbye to two other very dear members and they journeyed westward to make their new home in Oregon. These transitions, welcoming newcomers and letting go of those who leave, are all part of the ongoing changes that life in a small parish brings.

St. Luke’s Church is a quaint and charming clapboard building with a warm interior that includes a distinct

sanctuary, nave, and chancel

nave, chancel and sanctuary. The nave, representing the present populous church, is the lowest level furnished with wooden pews and the floors covered by area rugs.  The chancel, representing the expectant church, is carpeted and sparsely furnished.  It rises above the floor of the nave in front of the rood arch and is bounded with a wooden railing.  The sanctuary, representing kingdom come or the future church, rises one more step and is tucked in behind the rood arch.  The congregation takes communion around the altar in the sanctuary rather than at the railing which would keep them out of the future.  This congregation prefers to take part in the future church and so offers themselves as the present church moving through the expectant church to be in communion with the future church. It makes a statement of how the Spirit is stirring at St. Luke’s! The stirrings may not be loud, and they may not be profuse, but they are forward-looking.

A Renewal of Space and Spirit

images at Gethsemane Church, Proctorsville, VT

A “sea-change” is defined by one dictionary as “a poetic term meaning a marked transformation brought on by tragic circumstances in which the form is retained but the substance is replaced,” and by another as “a striking change, often for the better”.  On August 28, 2011, the congregation of Gethsemane Church in Proctorsville experienced a sea-change.  When Tropical Storm “Irene” thundered through Vermont, most of the churches in our diocese were spared.  But not Gethsemane.  This small parish lost their parish house and nearly lost their church.  Yet, small as they were and daunting as the prospect of restoration was, they had the fortitude—and the community support—to put Gethsemane back together again.  But as usually happens with events such as this, the renewed church looks familiar, but has made substantial changes.

A natural disaster like this will really show what people and communities are made of.  While the

congregation had a great deal to contend with themselves, they first looked to their neighbors to see how they could help.  They had no place to distribute items people needed, but distribute, they did!  So when it came time to ask for help in return, Proctorsville showed up.  And so did Vermont. 

a tribute from El Salvadoran friends

And so did the world in the hands of our friends in El Salvador.  A group of people from the congregation of San Lucas, El Salvador came to Proctorsville to help with the rebuilding process.  They brought with them a number of gifts that now appear throughout the church and parish hall—especially the bathroom, which is was decorated in bright Salvadoran colors and Salvadoran folk art.  Those from San Lucas who could not be there physically to help remained at home and prayed for Gethsemane, dedicating the September 4, 2011 Holy Eucharist service to their brothers and sisters in Proctorsville. 

the new, the gifts, the renovations

The community of Proctorsville also showed up.  In fact, the town made absolutely clear how vital they find this little Episcopal church to be.  Much of the contracting and labor was donated.  One artistic friend of the church reclaimed broken pieces of the colored glass windows and created a beautiful stained glass window piece that now graces a window in the parish hall.  The rubble needed to be removed, the foundation of the church was raised significantly, a whole new heating system needed to be built and of course, the parish house needed to be rebuilt.  The lovely memorial garden was completely destroyed and a new landscaping plan had to be drawn up.  In all the plans, the church also needed to meet FEMA codes and accessibility standards.  One of the most arduous tasks was building a ramp.  Because of the flood plain, the ramp could not enter the front door, which seemed at first to be so frustratingly degrading and not at all what they wanted to convey.  But they had little choice, so the ramp comes in through the parish hall and into the church through the sanctuary.  What started off as a disappointment turned into a special grace, symbolizing God’s blessings upon these “last” who shall be first.  In another example of community support, one parishioner offered to donate stones to provide aesthetic appeal to the newly raised foundation, but needed someone else to teach him how to lay the stones.  He got the help and the result is a lovely raised-bed flower garden.  Of course, space is of a premium in a little church like Gethsemane, so the tiny sacristy required special care.  What to do about hanging those very large, easily wrinkled vestments?  Why use a horse blanket rack and add extenders to each hanger so that you have as much hanger as is needed.  And the beauty of the thing is that is folds back against the wall out of the way!  These are the kind of ingenious gifts that have been given to this recuperating church.  The sink for the disposal of Holy water and wine was also a gift—a Vermont soapstone sink with a square of tin—probably from an old tin ceiling—to cover it adds a special touch to the sacristy.

Regardless of all the necessary renovations and repairs, life did go on.  The congregation continued to meet for worship and they continued in their community outreach.  One outreach event was the Blessing of the Animals service on the town green, just down the street from the church.  A gentleman with serious and significant physical impairments attended the service with his dog, a Labrador service dog who was literally saved in the last moment from being euthanized.  She was unstrapped from the table and sent to Vermont where this gentleman received her.  She supports him as he leans against her to keep upright.  To see his beloved Angel (the dog’s name) be blessed so moved the man that he offered help such as he could give.  The former carpenter helped out by doing some of the sanding and other “unseen” carpentry work.  There is love built into Gethsemane’s church!

Gethsemane Church opens its doors during the week to a number of community programs.  Twice a week one can take a tai chi class or Pilates.  Monthly, a homeopathy class is offered.  A community theater group has used the space to put on a Shakespearean play.  Gethsemane presented a series of “Raise the Roof” shows, beginning with a phenomenal African drummer and including a lively show by the singing group “House Blend.”  During the winter, folks from the community come in out of the cold to watch old black and white movies together.  The winter congregation is supplemented with transient folks from the ski industry—both skiers and seasonal workers. 

landscaping work and restoring the memorial garden
remains to be done

Though most of the building and interior work is done (there are still a few things that need doing), Gethsemane still has a great deal of work to do outside.  A dream of the congregation is to create a memorial garden that imitates a part of the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.   The possibility of a labyrinth is also in the plans.  Since the congregation moved back into their church just a few months ago, in March of 2013, they have had a baptism and two funerals, proving that as much as things change, so they remain the same.  They are not a fiscally wealthy church, but goodness, how rich they are in community, love and Spirit!

On the Border in the Kingdom Far, Far Away

left: St. Paul's, Canaan, Vermont
top right: St. Stephen's, Colebrook, New Hampshiire
bottom right: All Saints, Hereford, Quebec

Far away in the most northeastern corner of the state stand two of our diocese’s most remote parishes: St. Paul’s Church in Canaan and Christ Church in Island Pond.  Both churches have a congregation of less than ten on a regular Sunday.  Even as an outsider may think these parishes are too small to sustain themselves, to those who know, these small congregations are survivors and have not been neglected by the Spirit!

images from the three border churches

St. Paul’s in Canaan is the northern and eastern most church in the diocese. It is part of a Border Ministry Covenant with All Saints’ Church in Hereford, Quebec and St. Stephen’s Church in Colebrook, New Hampshire. Understand how remarkable this is: three dioceses from two countries form one covenant! All three of these churches have very small congregations, yet are rather close in proximity to one another.  About sixty-five years ago, these churches were on the brink of closing.  But they still served a purpose in their respective communities and no one wanted to see them close.  So the congregations pledged support to one another in a common ministry and the Covenant of the Border Ministry was born.  Around the early to mid ‘70s, they found themselves in the midst of another struggle in that none of the churches could keep a priest. With the help of the dioceses, several members of each parish enrolled in the Canon 9 ordination process. Today, the churches are in their second or third generation of locally ordained priests. The Spirit is still calling!

images from St. Paul's, Canaan

At St. Paul’s, there are only three regular members in the congregation, although the numbers rise in the summer.  In the winter, the church is closed and the congregation crosses the border to worship at All Saints’ in Hereford. It’s a little ironic, for the building in Canaan was actually from Canada to begin with.  It was built roughly around the 1870s and after thirty years, the original congregation abandoned the building.  The congregation in Canaan purchased the church and had it dismantled, moved and reassembled at its current location on Powerhouse Road in the early 1900s.  It must have been quite an undertaking as the interior is entirely paneled with wainscoting and the pews were numbered and reordered in the exact same positions. The current priest, Rev. Robert Lee, is descended from one of those early parishioners who made the move happen. As he related the anecdote, Fr. Lee quipped, “We may have the only church in the country that had to pay duty to get through customs!” His wife, Rita, is an artist who applied her talent to the walls of the undercroft where they meet for fellowship--even in the bathroom! She also painted murals on the walls of the undercroft at All Saints Church, but hasn’t yet made the attempt at St. Stephen’s in Colebrook.

It is in these small churches like St. Paul’s in Canaan and Christ Church in Island Pond where one sees the

Christ Church in Island Pond

Holy Spirit manifested in the grit and sheer determination to survive of their members. They are like “flag trees” that grow on the sides of windblown mountaintops whose branches all grow in the direction of the prevailing wind.  In these rural churches, the congregations do not grow big, but they grow sturdy.  And they are adaptive.  With the current “prevailing winds” of society, communication with one another is paramount. Christ Church in Island Pond is working with the other small congregations in the Northeast Kingdom to establish an interactive communications system in effort to better connect with one another.  Through the use of interactive TV and Skype, these congregations hope to share Bible Studies, prayer services and other interactions. As the Spirit moves, who knows?  Maybe these small parishes will be the vanguard for greater things to come in our diocese.  Imagine every one of the 48 parishes sharing interactively on a regular basis.

I learned two valuable lessons on my visit to St. Paul’s in Canaan and Christ Church in Island Pond. First, I learned that isolation and remoteness does not preclude the presence of the Holy Spirit.  God does not neglect anyone who seeks God.  Far away in the Northeast Kingdom, there is no God-forsaken place, for the blessings of God are everywhere, including small Episcopal parishes.  Second, I learned that isolation and remoteness are more a lifestyle choice than a geographic location. Any congregation who loves their church and wants to keep their church will find a way to do so. It is imperative for others of us in the diocese to recognize the value of these small and distant congregations and to support them in their endeavors. When we fail to do so, we risk becoming isolated and remote ourselves regardless of how centrally located we may be.

When “Like Family” Means Family

One endearing aspect of rural and small town church communities is the familial atmosphere and the sense one has of being cared for as a member of the family.  At St. Thomas and Grace (the two parishes of Brandon and Forestdale have combined into one), that sense of family is more literal than many other churches, for virtually every one of the roughly 70 members is indeed related to one another. And those who are not literally related are quickly assimilated into the body and made welcome as part of the family.  So fellowship time after worship can become something of a glorified family reunion!

St. Thomas Church, Brandon

Grace Church, Forestdale

Like any family with the inevitable chances for squabbling and bickering, this family has learned to adjust and compromise. Perhaps the greatest compromise came when the congregations of St. Thomas in Brandon and Grace Church in Forestdale found it necessary to merge the congregations. Imagine telling a pair of sisters that they must now share a room.  You can predict the hue and cry over who will have to move into whose room!  In this family, a compromise was struck out of fiscal necessity.  During the warm temperature months, the congregation worships at St. Thomas. To reduce the cost of heating fuel, they worship at Grace Church in Forestdale during the winter months.  Grace Church, a quaint New England wooden clapboard building that is much smaller than St. Thomas, is significantly more conducive to keeping warm. So far, the congregation has managed to be able to afford the two locations, but there may come a time when they will have to consider closing one of the buildings. Grace Church is smaller and easier to maintain and has some property.  But St. Thomas is more conveniently located and has a rectory.  Both buildings have equally loyal and devoted proponents. Still, as yet, this is not an imminent decision, so we won’t borrow trouble!

images at St. Thomas...

St. Thomas Episcopal Church is a stately building that dominates the hill in Brandon, VT.  Like a number of other churches in the diocese, St. Thomas was designed by Bishop John Henry Hopkins. It is the only stone church in town and has an equally impressive rectory next door.  In fact, the rectory is the largest in the diocese. The building was left to St. Thomas Church by the Conant family with the stipulation that it be rented out to provide the church with an income stream.  Today, the Vestry is in the early planning stages for converting the building into apartments that can be leased, including an apartment for the rectory.  Currently, the rector shares the house with a small family who lives in the upstairs portion of the house.  Part of the planning will take into consideration the parish’s dedication to environmental stewardship and finding ways to make the building “green”. 

One step in the effort has already been taken.  A pellet stove has been installed in the rectory to reduce the

...and Grace

reliance on fossil fuels. In the other buildings, new low-volume bathrooms have been installed to help reduce the amount of water waste.  Energy saving lights have replaced the old fixtures and are already showing a positive effect on the electric bill.  St. Thomas is also committed to recycling, reusing and reducing.  They make every effort to ensure that all functions at the church are as near zero-waste as possible.  To that end, they’ve set up a composting system that includes a biodegradable compost for paper and most food scraps, and a compost bin specific for breaking down meat by-waste like fats and bones and other lipids and proteins. What cannot be composted—glass, plastics, metals—is recycled if it can’t be used again.

The results of all this compost is great topsoil that is used in their community gardens. The garden beds are on the rectory lawn and produce food enough for members of the congregation and community alike.  They are small gardens and require gardening from a number of members.  But the results are that each week produce is shared with the congregation and leftovers are given to the local food shelf.  By the end of summer, over ninety bags of groceries will have been donated from the gardens.

St. Thomas and Grace have adapted and are very accepting of change.  There are only about seventy members, yet they have a Sunday school of up to twenty children.  School-aged children’s schedules being what they are, there is the perennial problem of having acolytes.  Rather than scheduling acolytes, they allow anyone who is there on a given Sunday to be an acolyte.  So the church has plenty of torches to bear and they made fun red t-shirts with “acolyte” emblazoned across the front that the kids can wear when they serve.  One member built a set of wooden candelabras that adorn the ends of pews during Christmas thereby giving some acolytes an extra task in lighting all the candles.

St. Thomas and Grace offer the rest of us in the diocese a fine example of how a family should function together. They take care of each other; they take care of others in their community; they take care of the world they live in as if Earth itself is a vital member of their family.  They do all this secure in the comfort of God as the head of both their literal and figurative family.