The Light Parish NewsletterIn This Issue:
From the Rector
It seems like only yesterday that I was looking
forward to the distant arrival of summer and yet in
a few short weeks we’ll be into the fall! “Time
flies when your having fun”, the old saying goes,
but I think that it’s actually a little different:
“time flies as you get older!”
Nevertheless we’re rapidly approaching that time
that marks the beginning of a transition into a full
schedule of parish events and programs. The fall is
shaping up to be very busy, with workdays, Christian
Education programs, Long Range Planning, concerts,
and a myriad of other events.
Such activity speaks well of the involvement of so
many people in our common life - thank you, all of
you who commit your time and energies on behalf of
our parish community - and thank you, all of you who
participate: all of you are helping make St.
Augustine’s what it continues to be: a place of
openness and vitality.
God’s blessings to you all,
NigelIt’s hard to realize that Fall
is almost here. It’s time for the Fall Parish
Workday, too!MAJOR WORKDAY ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER
11TH FOLLOWING THE FIRST MEN’S BREAKFAST OF THE
SEASON 10:00 – 2:00 OR WHENEVER
- The deck alongside the Nave is desperately
in need of pressure washing followed by an
application of Water Sealer! It is very
expensive to have this done professionally, and
it is too great a job for one person. The long,
dry summer makes it a perfect time for this.
This will be a major workday project. The sealer
will be provided.
- The gutters require cleaning before the fall
rains begin. We even have things GROWING in the
gutters here and there!
- St. Augustine’s gardens need major cleanup
with weeding and blackberry removal (another
major workday project). This summer there has
been no garden crew to give even an hour a week,
and so the gardens are overgrown. Continuous
weeding is too great a task for one person.
These gardens have the potential to be extremely
beautiful, but not without many hands. A
spruce-up will be very beneficial to our
surroundings going into Fall and the holiday
season.
- We would be grateful for volunteers to
prepare and serve lunch for Workday. Please call
Junior Warden if you are so inclined. Thanks.
A note: If you see the drip hose
‘dripping’ in the small bed in front of the
education building, please do not turn it off. At
the slow drip rate, it requires about 48 hours at a
time of continuous drip in order to keep the bed
slightly damp. Rest assured, it is under control.
The ultimate goal of Habitat for
Humanity is to eliminate poverty housing and
homelessness by constructing adequate and basic
housing.
This spring, when we asked for applicants, we
received 19 responses, 9 of which qualified for our
help. These people live in rented houses that have
holes in the floors, leaking roofs, broken windows,
broken plumbing fixtures, unsafe steps---the list
went on and on! The landlords have told these people
that to fix these problems, they would have to move
out, but if they returned after the repairs were
made, the rent would be substantially higher.
To build affordable houses, we need to purchase
affordable land, which is scarce here on the south
end of the island. Lots that sold for $20,000 a few
years ago are now selling for $35,000 to $ 40,000.
Lots left that are priced at what we can afford turn
out to be steep, heavily wooded lots that would
require an additional $10,000 worth of bulldozing,
hauling and tree removal before we could start
construction. So we try to purchase property with a
partial charitable donation, which provides the
seller with some cash combined with a tax deduction.
The South Whidbey Habitat for Humanity group has a
goal of building two houses each year. To do this we
need donations of money and property. So I am asking
each of you to contribute 10 cents for every square
foot of your house that is over the basic 1,000
square foot Habitat home. A small token to help
those who may not have the surroundings we so
lovingly care for and call “home”.
Karol White
Karol White loves to sing and is a valued member
of the choir at St. Augustine’s, which will be ‘back
on the job’ this fall. Her other interests are
musical theater, dancing and watercolor painting.
She has a particular focus on sign language, as she
is a deaf education teacher at Langley Middle
School. Her husband, Tom, is a realtor on the
island.
Karol was born and raised in Corsicana, Texas and
moved to the Island seven years ago. The couple’s
son, Thomas, age 12, attends Waldorf School, off
Campbell Road in Clinton, where Karol helps on
various committees. Her oldest son, Rondi Bryson is
an actor and lives in Pasadena, California.
Karol says: “I have found it very comforting to be
at St. Augustine’s. My friends here are so welcoming
and supportive. I feel very lucky to be a part of
this church family.”
Jane McKay
Jane McKay, a Whidbey resident for three years, says
that she is especially grateful that her daughter,
Elizabeth, of Freeland, found her a house close to
St. Augustine’s, “a special Church to me”, when she
moved from Lake Cushman, on the Olympic Peninsula.
Jane is the mother of eight grown children,
grandmother of nine, and great-grandmother of six.
In addition to Elizabeth, Jane’s family includes,
Jim in Roseville, CA; Bill in Bellingham; Mike in
Martinez, CA; Caroline in Boise, ID; Kate in Port
Orchard; Mary in Maple Valley and Rory in Custer.
At the time of her retirement, Jane owned a gift sop
named Kit and Caboodle on Highway 101 between Port
Townsend and Olympia. She and her husband had moved
to the Peninsula from Seattle when he retired. Born
in Ellensburg, she lived in Aberdeen and Hoquiam as
a child.
She particularly enjoys reading and writing letters,
and belongs to the Freeland Library and Senior
Citizens. Jane walks a mile everyday and says “she
thanks God for how wonderful my family and friends
are”.
Jim and Nancy Langler
Jim and Nancy Langler are brand new to the Island,
having moved here less than three moths ago from St.
Paul, Minnesota. Although both were born and raised
on the West Coast, - he in Oakland and she in
Portland - they have lived in the Midwest for 35
years and feel they have truly come home.
The Langlers are currently living on Oceanside Drive
in the Lagoon Point area but hope to break ground on
their new home in Freeland “before the rains come”.
Jim retired as principal scientist in food product
development for General Mills; he has been in the
food business for 37 years. He is a member of the
professional organization, the Institute of Food
Technologists. He sang in the choir at their former
church as well as with the Valley Chamber Choir. He
was also a member of the Men’s Breakfast Group of
that church and that Group, once a year, catered a
meal at the church member’s home to raise funds for
seminarians.
Jim has a particular interest in English church
choral/cathedral music, in European cathedrals and
church architecture and in the relationship of
science and theology. He is also interested in
woodworking and furniture restoration, as well as in
the use of modern biotechnology/recombinant DNA
technology with agriculture as one solution to world
hunger.
Nancy is “an addictive quilter” she says and also
sometimes “dabbles in wearable art”. She worked in
quilt stores for 17 years prior to her retirement,
and belonged to four different quilt groups in
Minnesota – and has already joined one on the
Island! She was also active in AAUW in Minnesota as
well as participating in ECW.
The Langlers have two grown sons – David who lives
with his wife and two and a half years old son Evan
in St. Paul, and Michael, single who lives in
Seattle.
Nancy says:” Our friends in Minnesota can’t
understand why we came to Washington – they think it
rains all the time. Our answer to that is: You don’t
have to shovel snow!”
Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
ECW will meet at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 1. A short program with Carole
Hansen describing the Shawl-Prayer Knitting Circle and the beautiful responses
they have experienced will be presented. The remainder of the meeting will be
devoted to the planning and success of the upcoming Trash and Treasure sale.
Please bring a sandwich. Soup and coffee will be provided. See you there.
Men's Breakfast
St. Augustine’s Men’s Breakfast season kicks off its
fall schedule on Saturday, September 11, 2004. The
guest speaker will be the Rev. Morrie Hauge,
Diocesan Training & Consulting Services, who will
speak about the differences between pastoral and
program churches. Fr. Hauge was the very able
facilitator for our Vestry Retreat in 2003. As a
gentle reminder, the breakfast begins at 8:30 AM and
the guest speaker takes the podium at 9:00 AM. The
breakfast program normally concludes no later than
10:00 AM.We have a full slate of guest speakers
lined up for the first five months of this season so
mark your calendars accordingly. Each speaker brings
a unique speaking style and subject matter, which we
hope piques the interest of the entire congregation.
The guest speakers are as follows:
- Rev. Morrie Hauge on September 11, 2004
- Janie Kielwitz, RN, Life Center Coordinator
on October 9, 2004
- Richard Davis, Investment Manager on
November 13, 2004
- Rev. Suzanne Fageol on December 11, 2004
- Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton on January 8,
2005
Hope to see you all at the first breakfast!
Sincerely, Ted Brookes, Program Co-chairman
Housekeeping
Dishes that have been left at the church are on the
back table in the undercroft. Please pick up what
belongs to you. There are also large containers of
dishwasher detergent for sale.
Kitchen Crew
Housekeeping
Fr. Alexander Tkachenko of Children's Hospice in St.
Petersburg, Russia, will be in the Seattle area
September 5 - 20! We have requested that he be
scheduled to give a presentation on progress at the
Hospice on Sunday, September 12 during our 9:00
Forum. His schedule won't be decided until after
press time so we're asking you to plan to attend the
Forum on the 12th, and watch for further information
in the Sunday bulletins or email notices.
Carole Hansen 360-341-4812.
Mission Sunday Offering
The Mission Sunday Offering committee will have a September meeting on Sunday,
September 12 at 11:45 in the Undercroft to review and discuss the 2005 MSO
calendar and prepare a proposal to be submitted to the Vestry at their October
meeting. The 2004 MSO calendar is posted on the landing and parishioners'
comments are welcomed.
Jean Davis
321-7118
jmdavis@whidbey.com
St. Augustine's Preschool
St. Augustine's Preschool will begin the new school
year on Monday, September 13. This year's teaching
staff remains the same, with Joan Johnson, Felicia
Lindus, and Liz Habel. Currently there are 38
students enrolled, with approximately 10 more
expected by the start of school.
Classes are offered for children ages 3 (or almost
3) through 5. Four-year-old pre-kindergarten classes
meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings
from 9:00 to 11:30 and on Monday, Wednesday, and
Thursday afternoons from 12:30 to 3:00.
Three-year-old preschool classes are held on Tuesday
and Friday mornings and on Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons. Tuition is $80 per month for students
attending twice a week and $110 per month for
students attending three days a week.
Prospective students and their parents are
encouraged to visit. Please call the director, Joan
Johnson, at preschool, 331-4748, or at home,
331-4925, to make arrangements for a visitation or
to receive additional information.
For 19 years St. Augustine's Preschool has been
serving the families of South and Central Whidbey by
providing enriching educational experiences for
preschoolers in a Christian environment.
All-Parish Dinner October 21, 2004
Time to mark your calendars for the Annual
All-Parish Dinner. If you missed last year’s dinner,
you should talk to someone who made it. We really
had a good time. This year should be no exception!
We’re planning “A Trip Through Italy”: for dinner
and “bellisimo” entertainment courtesy of Susan
Sandri and her minions.
As usual, this year’s event on October 21st will
follow the Stewardship Campaign. We’ll gather for
wine and fellowship at 5:30 p.m., Dinner will be
served at 6:30 p.m., and Compline will follow.
You’ll no doubt be asked to help, as usual, so save
the date!
Lynda Anderson, Dinner Chair
by Isabel Neddow
- “Humble Pie – St. Benedict’s Ladder of
Humility” (242 BON) is a series of essays
structured around the 12 steps to humility of
the Benedictine Order. The writer, Carol Bonomo,
strives to achieve humility but the steps are
slippery and distractions many.
- Lesley Hazleton portrays “Mary” (B HAZ) as a
dark skinned young peasant girl in the time and
place in which she lived with a wonderful
feeling of realism and innocence. For more
details, a book review by Judy Yeakel is
featured in this issue of the Light.
- “The Vestry Handbook” (250 WEB) is just that
– a guide for church officers. It is written
with style and simplicity by Christopher L.
Webber, and is the newest revised edition.
- “The Enigma of Anger – Essays on a Sometimes
Deadly Sin” (242 KEI) by Garret Keizer certainly
touches on a timely problem. Keizer describes
anger as distorting the view of our place in the
world. It is an ugly sin that separates us from
our minds and best intentions. Worth reading and
located with the other new books on the rolling
cart in the undercroft.
by Judy Yeakel
Mary: A Flesh-and-Blood Biography of the Virgin
Mother by Lesley Hazelton (B-HAZ)
Who was Mary?
Lesley Hazleton draws on her years of extensive
research and vast experience in the Middle East, as
well as on anthropology, history, and theology to
provide an intriguingly new perspective on Mary,
“the most famous woman in the world”. She draws a
“fierce and inspiring portrait” of the girl and
woman who became the mother of Jesus, and, she
believes, a powerful, spiritual, and compassionate
leader in the early church.
Hazleton does not try to refute the traditional
pictures of Mary. But she presents a different
perspective that is entirely believable. The Bible
gives very little actual background on what life was
like for a female – girl or woman - in a peasant
village in Nazareth. But in this book we find a
vivid picture of what kind of life Mary must have
had. The narrative is pretty much limited to
describing Mary and her life. Theological
perspectives are not this novel’s primary purpose,
although I found many parts theologically
refreshing.
“The Mary who emerges is neither demystified nor
diminished. On the contrary, it is her very own
humanity that makes this such a powerful and
universal story, one in which women everywhere will
recognize themselves.”
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1 |
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Lois Lewis |
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5 |
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Kate Scott |
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6 |
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Jean Capps |
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9 |
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John Watson |
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10 |
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Anne Wickstrand |
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11 |
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Jerry Lubinski |
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11 |
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Kevin Sandri |
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12 |
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Sherman Wortman |
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12 |
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Bob Erb |
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16 |
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Paula Ludtke |
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16 |
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Anita Berger |
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18 |
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Elizabeth Kershaw |
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18 |
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Phyllis Haman |
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25 |
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David McClellan |
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26 |
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Jack Halstead |
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30 |
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Jan Mulder |
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3 |
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Dick and Yvonne
Werttemberger |
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6 |
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Channing Zabel and
Sarah Zabel-Gredvig |
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12 |
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Carole and Gary
Hansen |
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17 |
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Alan and Patricia
Hoelting |
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18 |
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Louise and T.K. Wegg |
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18 |
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Marie and Paul
Miller |
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20 |
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Mitzi and Wren
MacLean |
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29 |
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Elaine and Fred
Ludtke |
If your birthday or
anniversary has been left
out it might be because the
parish office does not have
this information. Please
call Rachel to
check.
July 20th & August 17th
From Claree Vandergrift, Clerk
- A letter of resignation was received from
Karen Jiles, our Christian Education Director.
Until Karen and family relocate, the resignation
will not be final.
- A letter of resignation was received by
Meade Brown.
- The 2003 audit was presented by Ron
McKinnell, Chairman. Ron McKinnel, Ted Johnson
and Jan Mulder signed the audit.
- The Long Range Planning Survey will begin
August 1st.
- The Christian Education Committee is
assessing needs and permit requirements for a
possible portable unit to provide space for
multiple uses.
- The college scholarship was awarded to
Daniel Sandri for his 2nd year at Western
Washington University.
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