The Turning Point

June, 2016
St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church
PO Box 711, Ellsworth ME 04605
Phone: 667-5495 e-mail: stdunstansellsworth@gmail.com
Website: www.stdunstansellsworth.com

I KNOW I PROMISED BUT..

At Vestry yesterday, a couple of decisions were taken for which an understanding of the mind of the
parish at large is needed.
The first decision regards moving the Annual Parish Meeting to the first Sunday in August, so that
long-time summer members of the parish may attend. We have summer members who both pledge and
contribute to St. Dunstans in prayer and service. They truly are members of the spiritual body of St.
Dunstans and therefore the members of the Body of our Lord. Should they not have the right to vote
on parish matters? This motion was voted on and accepted by the Vestry. Now we need to bring this to
you, the larger body of the parish.
The second issue it a little more complicated and arose out of the day the active clergy of our area met
with Bishop Lane. The history of the number of delegates each parish is allowed to send to the annual
Convention of the Diocese of Maine is long and somewhat confusing. For as long as I can remember,
the number of delegates a parish could send to Convention was based on how many communicants-ingood- standing were on the rolls of any given parish. Last year, the Convention of the Diocese voted
that the number of delegates a parish could send would be based on their average Sunday attendance.
(NOTE: Because of the growth of St. Dunstans, three (3) delegates were seated at the October 2015
Convention. The good news is, even with the change to average Sunday attendance we will still be
able to seat three (3) delegates. They will be Barbara Clark, Diana Gazis and Marion Frehill with Dave
Wells as the Alternate Delegate. Yours truly will be attending this coming Convention as your Clergy Delegate (sigh).)
It has always seemed to me that any Convention attendance scheme which is based on numbers is
sound neither theologically nor spiritually. But of more concern to me is that number-based Convention attendance guarantees that small, rural, mission or struggling churches consistently are underrepresented. They therefore have a smaller voice on difficult or financial decisions brought before
Convention. In this way, the Church is mirroring the secular political world rather than standing in a
prophetic position which values all voices, however small.
So, I am considering writing a resolution to the 2016 Convention asking the Diocese to adopt a One
Church Two Delegates policy. This would mean each parish would have the same weight when voting at Convention. Obviously, this will not make some parishes happy. They may complain that it
would not be fair. They will probably say that if a church has more members, it should, like the House
of Representatives, have more delegates. But I believe and experience the Church as one Body. I believe that we are not a Church of us and themof disparate bodies. If we are one Body, we eat from
the same table presided over by the same Lord and that Lord Jesus.
Continued.

Frankly, I dont expect this Resolution to be adoptedat least not the first time. But in a time
when more and more people are being marginalized and muzzled due to little and/or poor representation, I believe the Church should stand in a prophetic position in the face of power and principalities.
Finally, on this issue, I am your priest and as such, I am, first and foremost, a resource for you.
What I mean is that I will not pursue this resolution unless most of you are on board with it.
To these ends, your Vestry and I would value your participation in an All Parish Meeting, Sunday, August 1st after a (I know, I said we wouldnt but) 9:00 am Eucharist. Offerings of easy
finger food would be welcome for coffee hour but this would be a business meeting not a usual
St. Dunstans blowout party!
Please consider attending this gathering.
In His love,
Mother Johanna+

Blessing
During a Vestry meeting several months ago, Mother Johanna said that she wanted to bless members of our congregation at the Altar railing during Communion, but how would they let her
know? After some thought it was proposed that by holding your hands with palms together and
fingers extended, in the traditional praying position, this would be the signal asking for a blessing. If a parishioner feels the need for a blessing, please use this sign PRIOR to receiving the
Sacraments.
At the time of this discussion and having determined a blessing "signal," I had no idea that I
would be in a position to ask for blessings in a very short time. As a member of our congregation, I have found peace during our services, and now receiving an individual blessing from our
Priest has given me a greater source of strength during my time of need.
During a service in late May, Mother Johanna was moved to ask "ALL who would like a blessing
to please move forward to the Altar rail." At least half of those in attendance at this 10 o'clock
service came forward to receive a blessing and forgiveness of sins. I think all of us are truly
blessed.
In Faith,
Dave

LOAVES AND FISHES FOOD PANTRY NEWS

The month of May has ended, and once again our effort
to serve the Pantry has been another outstanding success
story. The ministry of helping others could not have happened without all your
support in so many ways. Harvey and I wish to thank all 32 members of our
parish and 5 additional "friends" who helped pick up and prepare the food from
Walmart and Hannaford's, stock the shelves, serve the clients and the many other
duties on the 12 days the pantry was open. In addition we sorted and stored
food from the Post Office food drive as well as the normal monthly Good Shepard
and USDA food orders. This year we served 238 families, which was a slight
increase from last year.
Again this year we had several new faces join the volunteer brigade. Our
volunteers span all ages from 7 to 80 plus. Yes, there is something to do for
everyone! As in any endeavor, there is a turnover of folks so new faces are
essential to our success. We hope it was rewarding for you all. Our manager
Marien Hand makes it a very satisfying place to volunteer.
Our next effort as a parish will be the annual pie booth at the Blue Hill
Fair. Stay tuned for details and an opportunity to once again help out. In the
meantime don't forget the "Little Red Wagon". Special needs continue to be non
perishable food items as well as all the used plastic grocery bags you can find.
Please place those items in the wagon and we will see that they get to the pantry.
If you have any questions or comments just let Harvey or me know. Thank you
once again for all your help.
Joe Stockbridge and Harvey Kelley

LENTEN CHAIN FAST 2016

Lent may seem a distant past at this time of year, but by now the Fast money
representing what the participants would have spent on food, had they not
been fasting, has all come in. We are pleased to report that the 2016 Lenten
Chain Fast has raised $615, which has been donated to the Loaves and Fishes
food pantry.
Diana Gazis, Chain Fast coordinator

From your Treasurers

We are pleased to note that the Endowment is finally gaining value at St. Dunstan's as it
is everywhere. Income is pretty close to projections and our cash balance at the end of May was
$7,767 which continues to be healthy. Expenses are staying in line, and the extraordinary roofing
cost coming up has been anticipated and hopefully will be more than covered by the $40,251 currently in our ING savings account, so we will not have to take anything from the Endowment. The
Vestry voted in May to give Ann Blood a raise to $15 an hour.
As always, we are pleased to see our summer parishioners returning, bringing great energy and we
look forward to a summer of fun!
Thank you all for everything you do for St. Dunstan's
Mary DeLong and Muffet Stewart, your Treasurers
Jan - May 16

Budget

% of Budget

Ordinary Income/Expense
Income
Building Use

400.00

1,600.00

Investment Income

7,695.91

18,725.00

41.1%

Outreach Income

1,234.01

4,340.00

28.43%

32,616.53

80,600.00

40.47%

41,946.45

105,265.00

39.85%

Plate and Pledge Income

Total Income

25.0%

Expense
Building Expenses

5,256.64

9,050.00

58.08%

Diocese Expenses

6,856.25

17,235.00

39.78%

937.93

2,360.00

39.74%

1,028.52

3,440.00

29.9%

330.00

10,500.00

3.14%

Miscellaneous Expenses
Office
Outreach Expenses
Personnel
Priest
Worship
Total Expense
Net Ordinary Income

6,558.12

17,207.00

38.11%

15,539.77

43,696.00

35.56%

900.90

1,700.00

52.99%

37,408.13

105,188.00

35.56%

4,538.32

77.00

Other Income/Expense
Other Income
Endowment Income/Gain

6,684.29

Episcopal Church Women

113.00

Interest Income Music Trust Sav

RDF Outreach Income
Total Other Income

0.44
1,741.89
8,539.62

Other Expense
Capital Improvements

265.00

ECW Expense

274.53

Endowment Expenses/Distribution

3,019.51

RDF Outreach Expenses

2,697.21

Total Other Expense

Net Other Income
Net Income

6,256.25
2,283.37
6,821.69

77.00

A Few Snapshots of Our Parish Life

Celebration!
June 19:
The last day of the Sunday School year.
Sunday, June 19 is the last session of
Sunday School for this year. We will
practice our song, "On Eagles Wings" to
sing when we join the service upstairs
and we will have a party for the children
with games and treats. At the end of the
church service we will make a special
presentation to each child. We hope all
the children, their parents and all teachers who have attended Sunday School
this year can be with us.
Barbara Clark

When we, like our predecessors in the faith, live in a world where the line
between this life and the next is thin and permeable, we can learn to live in
hope because what we see was possible in their lives we can know is
possible for us as well.
-Br. James Koester
Society of St. John the Evangelist
Cambridge, Mass

LECTORS
Adapted by Herbert Beckwith from an article by Pamela Lewis in The Anglicam
Digest, Autumn 2014
One of the most important lay ministries in a church is that of lector. The lector
must be aware of and keep always in mind that he or she is more than merely a
glorified narrator whose purpose is merely to take a few minutes to read the
scriptures during the church service.
The lector carries on the ancient tradition of reading the scriptures aloud to the
congregation. The lector sets the Liturgy of the Word in motion in doing so. In
Lukes gospel we hear how Jesus, a lay person, read in the synagogue from the
scriptures in accord with Hebrew tradition.
What is being read must be clearly heard by all, and be clearly understandable
by them. To ensure this the lector must read slightly more slowly than he or she
would normally speak in conversation as well as more loudly than might feel
normal to the lector. The lector is reading more than just words and must always
be conscious of and express the sense of the passage being read.
Careful preparation should be evident to all in this reading, yet it is done with
self effacing decorum. The lector in a sense hides himself or herself behind the
Word of the Lord which is being presented to the congregation.

United Thank Offering (UTO) to Kick Off June 26

The little blue boxes are back at St. Dunstan's! Join us Sunday, June 26 for our UTO kick off.
UTO is celebrating over 125 years of ministry within the Episcopal Church. It is a
long-standing grassroots tradition in many parishes for members to use the UTO
offering as a daily spiritual practice to thank God for His blessings. Participants put
a coin each day in their blue box as they reflect on how God is showing up in their lives.
After collection, UTO offerings are then distributed via grants to worthy causes across the Episcopal Church with many grants being awarded over the years to groups in Maine.
Boxes and accompanying information will be available June 26 for us to use over the summer.
Our collection Sunday will be August 21.
FAREWELL, HOLY GARAGE
In March 2014 my item about the first St. Dunstans Church, apeared in the Turning Point. This first St. Dunstans was a wooden garage on Spruce Street which we
rented for $12.50 a month. In 1952 we spent $890.16 enlarging it. It was fondly
called the holy garage. It served us well until we moved into our present church
in 1957. Now it will be replaced by a small storage building for the phone company
according to workers on the site.
A poem written by a parishioner when we left spoke of the old building as this
small garage, though now an empty shell. When I moved to Spruce St. several
years ago it was still literally an empty shell although it had become sadly dilapidated, with a big hole in one side, a sagging roof and a generally forgotten appearance..
I had wanted to include photos of its present appearance both on the outside and
hopefully the inside for my article but didnt know how to get permission to enter to
photograph the inside and my lack of a camera made any photos impossible.
Sadly, the holy garage no longer exists. On the morning of May 2 it was torn
down. Nothing now remains but some empty bare ground. However, its spirit remains as we Episcopalians who first made a church of the building have gone on to
bigger things in another church building . As a Frenchman might say (if I remember my college French): plus sa change, plus cest le meme chose.
Herbert Beckwith

WAIT
Wait, for now,
Distrust everything if you have to.
But trust the hours. Havent they
carried you everywhere, up to now?
Personal events will become interesting again.
Hair will become interesting.
Pain will become interesting.
Buds that open out of season will become interesting.
Second-hand gloves will become lovely again;
their memories are what give them
the need for other hands. And the desolation
of lovers is the same; that enormous emptiness
carved out of such tiny beings as we are
asks to be filled; the need
for the new love is faithfulness to the old.
Wait.
Dont go too early.
Youre tired. But everyones tired.
But no one is tired enough.
Only wait a little and listen:
music of hair,
music of pain,
music of looms weaving all our loves again.
Be there to hear it, it will be the only time,
most of all to hear
the flute of your whole existence,
rehearsed by the sorrows, play itself into total exhaustion.
Galway Kinnell
1927-2014

DO YOU REMEMBER THESE?

Our hymnal has been revised several times: in 1826, 1871, 1892, 1916, 1940, and
most recently 1982. New hymns are added in each revision but unfortunately some
are removed. Here are some of those that were removed in 1982. I can recall singing
each one of these hymns both as a yputh from both the 1916 and the 1940 hymnals. Perhaps many others here at St. Dunstans remember them also.
ADVENT TELLS US CHRIST IS NEAR In 1888 Katherine Hankey wrote this for
the Sunday school at a London church It entered our hymnal in 1916.The tune is
based on an aria from a Handel opera.
AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS Written by Isaac Watts as the conclusion of a
sermon on I Corinthians 16:13. The tune Marlow was arranged, possibly by Lowell Mason, from a psalm tune of 1718.
BREAST THE WAVE CHRISTIAN
This hymn entered our hymnal in 1874 and
remained until it was deleted from the 1982 edition.
FROM EVERY STORMY WIND THAT BLOWS First published in 1828 it was rewritten and republished in 1831. It entered our hymnal in 1874 and remained until it was deleted in the 1982 hymnal. The tune was composed for this text in
1840 and published in 1842. Another tune for the hymn was written by William
Bradbury and appears in Sankeys book of gospel hymns.
FROM GREENLANDS ICY MOUNTAINS Written by Reginald Heber on Whitsun
Eve in 1819, it was sung the following morning at Wrexham church. First published in 1821 it has been in our hymnal since 1871. The tune was composed by
Lowell Mason in 1823.
HE LEADETH ME! O BLESSED THOUGHT Written in 1862 this was published by
William Bradbury in 1864. It entered our hymnal in 1892, but was not included in
the current 1982 hymnal.
JESUS SHALL REIGN WHEREER THE SUN This hymn by Isaac Watts is possibly the earliest of missionary hymns in English. It entered our hymnal in 1826 and
has remained until 1982 when it was dropped. The tune first appeared in 1793.
LEAD KINDLY LIGHT Written June 16, 1833 by John Newman while becalmed
on a ship returning to France from Italy this became popular at the revival meetings held by Moody and Sankey. It was in the Episcopal hymnal from 1874 until it
was deleted in1982. John Dykes composed the best known tune in 1865.
NEARER MY GOD TO THEE
Words: Sara Adams Music: Lowell Mason
This hymn by Sara Fuller, based on Genesis 28:10-22, was written in 1840 and
published in 1841. The tune was composed for it by Lowell Mason in 1856. It has
become a well loved hymn entering the Episcopal hymn book in 1874, and remaining over 100 years deleted in 1982.
continued..

SUN OF MY SOUL THOU SAVIOR DEAR. This hymn by John Keble was written
in 1820 and published by him in 1827. It was part of our hymnal from 1874 until
it was deleted from the 1982 hymnal. The tune Hursley has been associated with
the hymn since 1855
Herbert Beckwith
UPCOMING WORSHIP SCHEDULE:
Sunday, June 19 Holy Eucharist, 8 and 10am, Mother Johanna
Wednesday, June 22 Feast of Alban, Martyr of Britain, circa 304, 6pm, Mother Johanna
Sunday, June 26 Morning Prayer with Communion, 8 and 10am, Bill Thomas, Homilist
United Thank Offering Launch
Wednesday, June 29 Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, 6pm, Mother Johanna
Sunday, July 3 Holy Eucharist, 8 and 10am, Mother Johanna
Wednesday, July 6 Feast of John Hus, Witness and Martyr, 1415, 6pm, Mother Johanna
Sunday, July 10 Holy Eucharist, 8 and 10am, Mother Johanna
Wednesday, July 13 Feast of Conrad Weiser, Witness 1760, 6pm, Mother Johanna
Sunday, July 17 Holy Eucharist, 8 and 10am, Mother Johanna
Wednesday, July 20 Feast of Adelaide Teague Case, Teacher, 1948, 6pm, Mother Johanna
Sunday, July 24 Morning Prayer with Communion, 8 and 10 am, Joan Preble, Homilist
Wednesday, July 27 Feast of William Reed Huntington, Priest, 1909, 6pm, Mother Johanna
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Sunday, June 26 ECW Meeting (Note date change!)
Sunday, July 10 Vestry Meeting
Sunday, July 17 ECW Meeting
Sunday, July 24 Sunday School Planning Meeting
MEETINGS FURTHER OUT
August 7 All Parish Meeting, 9 am Liturgy
August 13 Rotary Breakfast, Everybody Eats has a booth
August 21 United Thank Offering Ingathering
September 3 Loaves and Fishes Pie Day at the Blue Hill Fair
Priest In Charge
Rev. Johanna-Karen Johannson

Newsletter Editor
Ann Blood

Deacon
Rev. Joan Preble
Senior Warden
Dave Wells
Junior Warden
Dan DeLong
Treasurer
Muffet Stewart
Assistant Treasurer
Mary DeLong

Send news to: Ann Blood

Email: stdunstansellsworth@gmail.com
St. Dunstans Episcopal Church
P.O. Box 711, 134 State Street
Ellsworth, ME 04605
www.stdunstansellsworth.com
The deadline for the September 15 issue
is September 1.