Volume 5, Number 13                                     Second Sunday of Easter                                      March 30, 2008

Opening Day

Am I the only one who can't figure out when "Opening Day" is this year?  Maybe I'm the only one who cares but this is weird.  I'm talking about baseball, of course, and I think it started on Tuesday… in Japan… hello?  Japan? 

There were times in my past when I would celebrate Opening Day by flying an orange and black flag next to the church sign and wear Orioles appropriate clothes on the Sunday before.  O.D. was on a Monday.  I had tickets for 10 consecutive years.  A couple of times it was on my birthday such as "Opening Day Opening Day" at Camden Yards in 1992.  Over the years I saw two Presidents, two vice-presidents and the first woman Secretary of State throw out the opening pitch.  Tom Boswell, sports columnist for the Washington Post wrote a book which summed it up for me each year, "Time Begins on Opening Day." 

Last year and then this, the Orioles have opened up out of town (someone has to be the away team, after all).  The excitement just isn't there.  Everything has changed.  The season has actually started (I repeat, I think) and Spring Training is still going on.  I guess I could get up at 6:00 a.m. to watch the second game of the season in Japan but I probably won't. 

I was Confirmed on Palm Sunday in 1962.  April 15^th.  In those days, you couldn't receive Communion until you were confirmed or fully prepared for Confirmation.  It was a big deal.  It was such a big deal that my Dad took me to church every day in Holy Week (they had a daily Eucharist) so I could receive.  I will always remember those days with my Father, and I was honored to celebrate Eucharist each day at Immanuel last week. 

These days, you receive Communion from the earliest age.  Confirmation is now oftentimes "graduation from church school" rather than the beginning of adult Christianity. 

Things change:  Opening Day takes place in Japan, our children will never remember a time when they didn't receive Communion.  Are the old days better or the new days?  I'm not sure. 

I suspect I will be following the fortunes of Villanova and Michigan State this weekend rather than the Orioles.  I'll catch up with my team when the damn Yankees come to town, and I've signed up for my every-game subscription audio on the Internet. 

This year, Time Began on Easter for me.

                                                                        Fr. Thom

Maundy Thursday Food Drive:  Thank you to all who donated food to St. Stephen's Food Pantry for our needy brothers and sisters and their children in Wilmington.  We collected 16 bags of much needed groceries!

                                                                                    Sue Welles, Outreach

Immanuel’s Easter Breakfast Leftovers (they were plentiful) were gratefully received by Mary Mother of Hope House #3, part of the Ministry of Caring.

                                                                                    Janice and Joe Stoeckle, for the Breakfast Clean-Up Crew

THIS WEEK AT IMMANUEL: 

Sun     30      Second Sunday of Easter

                      8:00 am        Holy Eucharist in Chapel

               No Sunday School (see Sunday School Notes, below)

                    10:30 am        Sung Eucharist, followed by Coffee Hour downstairs

Mon - Fri      7:30 am        Morning Prayer

Tue    4/1       7:00 pm        Al Anon (Common Room)

                      7:45 pm        Coro Allegro (Music Room)

Wed  4/2       6:30 pm        Quiet Prayer (Common Room)

                      7:30 pm        Healing Service (Chapel)

Sat     4/5     12:00             Al Anon (Common Room)

COMING SOON (save these dates):

Sun    4/6       4:00 pm        Evensong for Eastertide by the Women of the Choir

Fri    4/11 and Sat 4/12      Diocesan Convention

Sun  4/13       c. noon         Annual Parish Meeting

Sat   4/26                           Parish Clean-Up/Fix-Up Morning with Lunch

Sunday School Notes:  No Sunday School March 30

April 6              Presentation of quilts

May 10            Pentecost rehearsal 10 a.m. – 12 noon

May 10            The "Sistine Chapel" painting – 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

May 11            Pentecost service rehearsal 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. and

                        Pentecost service at 10:30 a.m.

Upcoming: do you know your New Testament books?  Coming to a service near you is soon the great New Testament quiz, brought by the Grade 4/5 class.  Bone up while you can!

                                                                                    Simon Jeynes, Christian Education

3 !       Annual Meeting       3 !

The Parish Annual Meeting will be held in the Dining Room on Sunday, April 13, after the 10:30 service.  Lunch will be provided.  We will elect vestry members, and vote on revisions to our bylaws.

Copies of the bylaws and proposed changes are in the foyer and have been emailed to the parish list.

The updated slate of candidates is:   Carl Burnam

                                                            Ryan Day, as youth candidate

                                                            Andy Fairchild

                                                            Tom Greer

                                                            Phyllis Harvey

                                                            Byron Hobson

                                                            Simon Jeynes                (added this week)

                                                            Barbara Volko

Others are still considering.

Additional candidates may be nominated by petition signed by two eligible voters, given to the Vestry secretary Simon Jeynes, at least 14 days prior to the Annual Meeting (by Sunday, March 30).

Also due Sunday, March 30, sent to the Parish Office email (kwack@immanuel-highlands.org); paper copies will be accepted, if you do not have email (put into Parish Secretary mailbox across the hall from her office):

·        By leaders of groups: remaining annual reports of ministries, committees, etc.

·        By each candidate: a statement of background and interests.

                                                                                    Carolyn Gibson, Junior Warden

Dear Parishioners and friends,

     To hear this week's sermon, click on http://drop.io/Easter_Sermon/interactive.  It will begin to play automatically.  There is also a button to download the file in case you want to save it or put it on your iPod.  It is a plain .mp3 file.

              Best, Thom

P.S. I popped back to the church on Easter to get some pictures inside the church.  I added new ones to the gallery posted earlier at http://tinyurl.com/3dxhdy.  (Seeing the pictures using the "carousel mode" is probably the best.  Look in the lower left hand corner.  You can thumb through the snaps just by rolling the wheel on your mouse.)  So, the Holy Week / Easter pictures are complete.

Diocesan Convention will be April 11 and 12 in Laurel, Delaware.  Complete information can be found on the Diocesan website at http://dioceseofdelaware.net/news.html.  Immanuel's delegates are: Marcia Lynch and Alan Dages; alternates are: Marian Wilson and Don Hobson.  Don is running for Lay Deputy to General Convention.

Everyone in the Diocese is invited to the Convention Banquet where the guest speaker will be The Rt. Rev. Bud Shand, Bishop of our neighboring Diocese of Easton.  These are always good times and it is great being able to hob-nob with other Episcopalians in Delaware.  If you wish to go to the banquet in Laurel on April 11th, go to the website referenced above and click on the "registration" link.  You can register on-line and pay by check or credit card.  I'm sure car-pooling can be arranged.  Laurel is about 1 1/2 hours south on Rt. 13.  Deadline for registration is March 28th (so they say!)

The Bishop will give his annual Convention address at the Eucharist on Saturday morning in St. Philip's Church, Laurel at 8:30 a.m.

                                                                              Fr. Thom

Boerger Update:  As of March 26, we are still at $1500 of our goal of about $3000.  We are trying to help purchase one airfare and lodging in order for the Boerger family to be present at the celebration of the New Testament for the Solomon Islands, now published.  The local culture makes it essential for them to be there.  Immanuel supported the Boergers for 15 years in this translation.  Let’s help them to finish the last step.

                                                                                    Sue Welles, Outreach

The Fabric Drive for the Sunday School’s Lenten Mission Project will still accept two-yard pieces of 100% cotton fabrics.  The quilts will be donated for at-risk infants and children, as well as adult cancer and dialysis patients, in Delaware.  Please call me at 302-737-0144, if you have donations or questions about the Project.

                                                                                    Eve English

Our Search Team is now prayerfully considering the candidates for rector who were recommended to them.  Members of the team will soon be calling the candidates to set up appointments for interviews and visits to their current parishes.  Please keep the team and the candidates in your prayers.

                                                                                    Eve English, Search Team Co-chair

Fr. Thom may be reached at his church phone, 302-658-7326 Ext. 14, during his normal office hours Tuesday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. He works from home on Fridays. Please feel free to call him on his cell phone 302-229-8449 or write to thomjensen@gmail.com at any time other than church office hours, if a need arises.

Items from the website of the Diocese of Delaware:

Musick to Delight the Ear: Musick from 18th Century London, Saturday, April 5, 7:30 p.m., at St.Peter's,Lewes. Brandywine Baroque, Delaware's award-winning early music ensemble, will perform music written by Handel, Dibdin, Arne, and Festing. There will be a pre-concert talk by musicologist John Burkhalter at 7:00 p.m.  Admission is $15 for adults and $6 for students.

Evensong, Sunday, April 13, 4:00 p.m., Immanuel on the Green, New Castle. Choir of Sts. Andrew and Matthew, Wilmington; David Christopher, director. Details: 328-2413.

Delaware Compline Choir, Sunday, April 13, 7:30 p.m., at St. Helena Church, Wilmington, 602 Philadelphia Pike. Details: 654-6279.

Friday Rocks II, April 18, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m., Church of the Ascension, Claymont. Five local high school bands; loud music; well chaparoned 'show' where teens can safely dance and enjoy each others' company. Earplugs provided. Snacks & beverages for sale. $5.00 admission. Proceeds benefit COTA YOUth Music Ministry and Zoe, our 5-year-old 'Rock Angel' who is undergoing treatment for leukemia.

Safe Church Training, Saturday, April 19, 8:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Immanuel on the Green, New Castle. Click here to see the Diocese's 22-page Safe Church Personnel Manual. It provides guidance for hiring employees, guidelines for employees and volunteers, a sample misconduct prevention policy, a sample anti-harassment policy, a sample form for those transporting children and youth, best practices for those working with children and youth, and incident reporting guidelines. Sign up for the April 19 training, please call the Bishop's Office at 656-5441.

Choral Evensong, Sunday, April 27, 5:00 p.m., at St. Paul’s Church, Chestnut Hill, 22 E. Chestnut Hill Avenue, Philadelphia. Cathedral Choir School of Delaware. Details: 654-6279.

Articles from The Net - A Weekly Newsletter For Delaware's Episcopal Clergy

St. David’s Day School Summer Camp

Great field trips, themed weeks, including arts and crafts, and new this year, Mad Science Week.  Full or half days are available.  Registration forms and more info is available in the Day School Office or at st_davids_day_school@verizon.net , or call 302-475-3747.

George Bayley: Music Beyond the Parish

George Bayley imports music (and musicians) from the world to St. Peter's, Lewes. Even more, he exports music from Lewes to the world. See the Diocese of Delaware website to read a profile of this extraordinary musician: http://www.dioceseofdelaware.net/profiles/bayley.html

Library and Vestments Available

The Rev'd Frederic Guyott, III is retiring from active ministry and for a variety of reasons is selling his library of about 600 volumes at very low cost.  He would like to offer these volumes to ministers and laity of the Diocese before seeking to liquidate them through commercial avenues.  He would like this process to be completed by the end of March.  He also has clergy vestments that he would like to sell; also at very low cost.  He lives in downtown Wilmington and would welcome inquiries at 302-428-1897 or by e-mail:  urbansquash@myexcel.com

Episcopal Diocese of Delaware seeks Part-Time Financial Consultant to assist the Diocese. From May 1 to August 31, 2008, the Business Manager of 14 years will take a four­-month sabbatical leave. We seek a Consultant to 1) assume some of the responsibilities, tasks and functions (other tasks will be shared by staff and volunteers), 2) make observations, comments and recommendations with a report to the Canon to the Ordinary and the Bishop in early September 2008. For additional information or to express your interest, contact the Rev. Canon Gary Rowe, garyrowe@dioceseofdelaware.net (302.656.5441 ext. 107).

Presiding Bishop's Message for Easter: Click here to read the Easter message from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.

Parishes in Transition: Please pray for our parishes in transition: St. Thomas’s Parish, Newark; St. Anne’s, Middletown; and four churches in Wilmington: Trinity Parish; Immanuel Church, Highlands; the Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew; and St. Albans.