Volume 5, Number 19                              The Day of Pentecost                                             May 11, 2008

Pentecost 2008

After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, his disciples met in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish feast of Shabuoth, the day of First Fruits, or feast of Weeks (from the Greek pentekosta hemeras ), which falls fifty days and seven weeks after the Passover.  It was the anniversary of the law-giving at Mt. Sinai, thus the remembering of the Ten Commandments.

It is also the fulfilling of Jesus’ promise to the disciples: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:16, 17).  And, after the resurrection, before Jesus ascended to heaven, he gave this advice to his apostles: “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).

So this event begins with their waiting, in fear, in a locked room, in Jerusalem.  Feels a little like Immanuel over the past several years.  We have been locked into a situation that feels threatening, that has dispersed many from our midst, that is easily prey to despair, that seems to have no end, that has included false hope and grave disappointment, that has divided many, that has no obvious answer.  But our locked room this Sunday will also be filled with light for the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, was not promised to a few for a short while, but to all believers for ever.  And it will come among us again at this Pentecost and we will open our hearts and allow the Spirit to give us the spirit of truth and courage.  And we will be given the ability to break out of our locked room, to break into the streets, to witness to the love of God as a united group of Jesus’ disciples, to continue “steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).  It will not be a new Rector that accomplishes this miracle, nor the brilliance of any individual, but the power of the living God, present in our midst as a community and present in our hearts and minds.  “Do you love me?” Jesus asks.  At Pentecost, we answer (united) that we commit to live in “Ordinary Time”, personally and individually called to mark the activity of God in the midst of the ordinariness of the church and human experience.  Our locked room may look ordinary or even worse.  God’s action makes us extraordinary in being witnesses at Immanuel, in our families, and in our Wilmington community.  Happy birthday indeed. 

                                                                                    Simon Jeynes, Christian Education

Our Celebration of Pentecost, May 11, will include:

·        Festival Eucharist at the 10:30 service

            –  A new Pentecost Liturgy by Simon Jeynes

            –  Key roles for Immanuelites of all ages

            –  Parts for the congregation (no acting ability or prior rehearsal required) 

            –  Come to worship God and to celebrate!

·        Baptism of a young child.

·        A Pentecost coffee hour party with a special cake.

                                                                                    Kay Wack and Kathleen Kelley

THIS WEEK AT IMMANUEL: 

Sun     11                           Pentecost
                     8:00 am         Holy Eucharist in Chapel

                      9:15 am        Pentecost Service Rehearsal (Nave), to 10:15 am

                    10:30 am        Sung Eucharist, including a new liturgy for Pentecost and a Baptism,

                                              followed by a Pentecost party downstairs, with a special cake – everyone is invited!

Mon - Fri      7:30 am        Morning Prayer

Mon   12       6:30 pm        Search Team (Parlor)

                      7:00 pm        Stewardship/Finance Meeting (Library)

Tue     13       6:30 pm        Choristers (Music Room) final rehearsal; with ice cream party

                      7:00 pm        Al Anon (Common Room)

Wed   14       6:30 pm        Quiet Prayer (Common Room)

                      7:30 pm        Healing Service (Chapel)

Thu     15       7:30 pm        Mixed Choir final rehearsal

Sat      17     12:00             Al Anon (Common Room)

COMING SOON (save these dates):

Sun     18                           Trinity Sunday

Mon   19       7:00 pm        Vestry Meeting (Parlor) – reminder: these meetings are open to observers

Sun    6/1                           Bishop’s Visit to Immanuel, Highlands

Sun    6/8     10:30 am        Parish Picnic at Rockford Park (details in a future issue of the Highlands Voice)

Have you mastered the list of New Testament books?  Coming to a service near you soon is the great New Testament quiz, brought by the Grade 4/5 class.  Are you ready?

                                                                                    Simon Jeynes, Christian Education

Children's Books Galore!!!  As many of you know I am retiring at the end of this school year, after many years of teaching.  Over these years I have collected a multitude of children's books.  I have rented a table this Saturday, May 10, at the yard sale at the Church of the Ascension (3717 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, DE 19703) from 8:00 am- 2:00 pm.  The books that I am selling are in great condition, and are at a very low price.  If you are interested in great bargains, I hope to see you there.

                                                                                    Janice Stoeckle

It was fun – let’s do it again!  We’ve had many positive comments on our Clean-up/Fix-up morning that was held April 26.  Much was accomplished; some enjoyed it enough that they chose to stay a while to work after lunch – and the lunch was great; thank you, Carolyn Gibson.  Thank you to everyone who worked.  We’ll plan to do another day like that in the fall.

                                                                                    Joe Stoeckle, Property Ministry

Boerger Fund – Current Total:  As of April 29, 2008, we have another $100, giving us $1771 of our goal of about $3000 for the Boerger’s airfare.  We’ve helped for the 15 years of translating; now we’re more than halfway to finishing the last step.  Let’s help them achieve this goal!

                                                                                    Sue Welles, Outreach Ministry

Desserts with Bach:  Immanuel musicians are proud to present an evening of Bach and his contemporaries, Saturday, June 14, from 7:00 to 9:00.  Come to hear piano, violin, cello, recorder, and voice playing/singing Bach and his friends.  Entry fee is a plate of desserts (finger food).  A thank offering will be received for our sister parish St. Luke's Church, New Orleans.  This is a great opportunity to bring musical non-church-going friends and introduce them to our wonderful community.

                                                                                    Simon Jeynes and Jack Burnam

The Katrina Mission Project invites you to join them next year for our third annual Katrina Mission trip to New Orleans in March, 2009.  Please contact Vicki Anthos if you are interested.  A new display board of our 2008 trip is in the church dining room.

                                                                                    Vicki Anthos

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:

Grace Church Flea Market, Saturday, May 10, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. with an with Antique Car Show, crafts and food. Rent a space for $15. For details, call 658-3251.

Church of the Ascension Yard Sale, Saturday, May 10, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Proceeds will help offset the medical expenses of one of our youngest church members. Donations welcomed! Tables available for $25. For details, call 762-6734 or 798-6683. Ascension is at 3717 Philadelphia Pike (at Darley Road).

(Highlands Voice Editor’s Note:  This is the sale Janice Stoeckle mentions on page 2.)

Strengthening Stepfamilies, Wednesday, May 14. The Delaware/Delmarva Healthy Marriage Coalition and Catholic Charities Diocese of Wilmington are sponsoring a program on Strengthening Stepfamilies: A Developmental Approach. Surveys of clergy and religious counselors indicate that support for blended families, that is, couples on second marriages and bringing children from first marriages, is a difficult task. We are presenting a program featuring one of the country's true experts on the subject, in Bear, DE. For details, contact DECCF at 225-1040.

Blessing of the Bikes & Pancake Breakfast, Saturday, May 17, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., at Church of the Ascension, Claymont. After breakfast, we will have a brief service in memory of friends, fellow bikers, and military personnel in recognition of Armed Forces Day, followed by the blessing of the bikes. All bikes are welcome! Breakfast is $8.00 for adults; one child (10 and under) is free with each paid adult.

Cathedral Choir School Book Sale, Saturday, May 17, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Cathedral Church of Saint John. If you enjoy finding a good book at a great price and don’t mind reading one that is gently used, you’ll find second hand books for sale – from used copies of bestsellers to rare items – as well as delicious baked goods. All of the proceeds from this event will benefit the Cathedral Choir School of Delaware’s upcoming New York City Choir Tour in June.

A Day in Old New Castle, Saturday, May 17. Join the parishioners of Immanuel Episcopal Church on this, the oldest house and garden tour in the U.S. This year’s beneficiary will be the Food Bank of Delaware’s “Backpack Program.”

Evensong, Saturday, May 17, 4:00 p.m., (Note corrected date!) Immanuel on the Green, New Castle. Featuring Immanuel's Choir of Women and Men, presented as part of A Day in Old New Castle. Details: 328-2413.

Overnight Spiritual Retreat, May 19-20. The Spiritual Companions of the Diocese of Delaware invite you to join them at the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Aston, PA. The Rev. Carlyle Gill, Priest Associate at St. Peter’s, Lewes, the retreat leader, is an experienced spiritual director, with a specialty in centering prayer. Richard Rohr in Everything Belongs wrote, “Prayer is not primarily saying words or thinking thoughts. It is a stance. It’s a way of living in the Presence, living in awareness of the Presence, and even enjoying the Presence. The full contemplative is not just aware of the Presence, but trusts, allows, and delights in it.” The cost is $55 per person. For details contact Barbara Tucker at 571-9457, or Phillip Stephens at 656-5443 ext. 109.

Memorial Day Weekend Organ Recital, Sunday, May 25, 5:00 p.m., at St. Peter's, Lewes. Organist George Bayley will be joined by harper and organist Margaret Love in music for two organists and music for Celtic Harp and Organ.

Conference on Aging, Wednesday, May 28. Delmarva Faith in Action and ShoreCan Volunteer Center invites representatives of the faith, health and social service communities to a conference that will address the needs of the fastest growing segment of our population, the elderly. It will be held at Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD. For details, contact Suzanne Johnson at 410-742-0505.

Out to the Ballgame, Friday, May 30, 7:05 p.m., in Philadelphia. We’re doing another Night at the Ballpark this year. The Phillies will play the Florida Marlins at Citizen Bank Park in Philadelphia. We’ll have burgers, dogs, all the fixins, potato salad, Philly soft pretzels, chips, assorted ice cream, soda and beer. The inclusive cost, food and game, is $50.00. This is a great price for what we are getting. We are limited to 80 tickets. Contact Jim Robertson at 215 836 0259 for tickets and details.

125th Anniversary, Cathedral Choir School of Delaware, May 31 - June 1. Click here for details of this two-day celebration of 125 years of music appreciation at the Cathedral Choir School. A history tour of the Cathedral and Brandywine Village will be given at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 31. There will be a Festal Evensong at 4:45 p.m., also on Saturday, May 31. Then, at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, there will be a Choral Eucharist Service. All events take place at the Cathedral Church of Saint John and are free and open to the public.

Carnival Midway for St. Michael's School and Nursery, Saturday, June 7, 6:00 p.m., at Christ Church Christiana Hundred. Click here to order tickets for this very special evening for grownups who like to play. Proceeds will benefit children in need of scholarships. For details, call 656-3389.

Lambeth Conference, London, England, July, 2008. Click here to learn more about this gathering of 800+ Anglican bishops from all over the world. Bishop Wright will be attending.

Delaware Day at the Washington National Cathedral, Sunday, September 14. For details, call your county representative: Kent County, Gale Thornbury, 698-9080; New Castle County, Pat Walbert, 656-6086; or, Sussex County, Bernie Brown, 945-9156.

Delaware ECW Annual Gathering, October 18, 2008. The Annual Gathering of the Episcopal Church Women of Delaware will be held October 18, 2008 at St. Peter's Church in Lewes, DE. This year's theme will be the Milennium Development Goals with a focus on women and poverty. Click here to see the ECW page on this website.

Caregiver Series Offered by Visiting Nurse Association (VNA), all year long. Christiana Care’s Visiting Nurse Association now offers valuable education through a Caregiver Education Series to assist those serving as caregivers. Whether you are caring for a spouse, parent, other relative or friend, you can benefit from this educational series led by experienced VNA professionals. The Caregiver Education Series is also ideal for a wide variety of health care professionals, community leaders and others in contact with caregivers. For dates, times and locations of VNA’s Caregiver Education Series or to register, click here.

(Highlands Voice Editor’s Note:  If you like to look at pictures, you’ll recognize some people as you go through this): Click on Photographs from the 223rd Convention. Take a look at the delegates who met in Laurel, Delaware, hosted by the generous members of St. Philip's Church, the Rev. Rita Nelson, Rector