The Sacredness of Each MomentThe Sacredness of Each MomentThe Sacredness of Each MomentThe Sacredness of Each Moment

The Song of Saint FrancisThe Song of Saint FrancisThe Song of Saint FrancisThe Song of Saint Francis

It’s a Date!It’s a Date!It’s a Date!It’s a Date!

1/6 Taizé service

1/27 ECW Bunco

2/9 Pancake supper

1/27 Prayer Shawl

ministry

1/13 Art gallery opening

1/13 Prayer Shawl

ministry

2/10 Ash Wednesday

3/25 Good Friday

3/24 Maundy Thursday

3/20 Palm Sunday

3/27 Easter

This New Year is traveling at warp speed. Before any of us are ready, major events on the church calendar will stare us down. Ash Wednesday, for example, will be on February 10, Palm Sunday on March 20, and Easter Day will be on March 27.

Those are the scheduled events that claim their places far in advance. Unscheduled events will lay claim to our time as well. They will be just as fast, just as slippery. We will pencil them onto our calendars, some welcome and celebrated, some sources of anxiety and fear.

Kathryn Hudson and I talked about that recently. Actually, we were discussing how some parts of our liturgy come alive for me on one Sunday, and the next Sunday another whole area could seem most fluid and energetic. She acknowledged that we may be more aware of the sacredness of some moments, but all of time is sacred. No moment is more sacred than another. The more open we are to Spirit, the more we search for the presence of God in each tick of the

clock, the more we find that Presence and miracle are constantly at work in our lives.

I hope that in this New Year we will become more aware of the sacredness of each day, and the opportunities that we have to do the work God is calling us to do.

Whether the days come at warp speed or as slow as molasses, I hope we can know the grandeur and magic of each day as it comes to us, and that in each day we will know love and joy, Presence and Spirit.

And, because we are a community named for St. Francis, I hope that whatever season of the year we are in, we will use that time to know the importance of

humility.

I have high hopes for our parish as we begin another year together. I love being here, it is wonderful that Rob Skirving is our bishop, and I love it that you are here. We greet the New Year as a family.

Much love, Everett+

Saint Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church ● Salter Path, North Carolina January 2016

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As we started planning for the new year, I reflected on what I consider one of the more necessary elements of a healthy parish. In any group it is natural and expected to have times when members have different

solutions for an issue. On those occasions, the ability to work together to find compromise is fundamental to a successful resolution.

This ability is especially important with a church’s vestry. I will encourage discussion more in the future before and during monthly meetings. We are blessed with a varied group having different ideas and perspectives. I ask that all these views be brought forward so the best decisions can be made when we set policies for the benefit of our parish.

There will be times after deliberation that all will still not agree with the majority. That is when acceptance and support of decisions made will be needed from those that dissent. And there will be

times when the majority will err. I pray we have the courage to admit that error and then correct it. If our guiding objective is what is best for the church, its people, and the ministry; then with God’s help we should not fail.

I have been guilty of building imaginary walls that were guarded at all costs without consideration of how much better my life would be without them. Pride, arbitrary timelines, outdated beliefs, and unfounded fears were things I stubbornly protected. I’ve learned we can tear down those walls by simply changing our mind and what a relief it can be. Compromise and acceptance are readily available and conflict is never necessary when we keep an open mind.

To me St. Francis is a gift to its members. A very special place that God has provided and we are fortunate to be the current stewards of its safekeeping. Let’s move forward as a family united so we may pass this treasure to those that will be its future keepers.

A United New Year by Stover MorrisA United New Year by Stover MorrisA United New Year by Stover MorrisA United New Year by Stover Morris

Angel Tree Success! by Phyllis MakuckAngel Tree Success! by Phyllis MakuckAngel Tree Success! by Phyllis MakuckAngel Tree Success! by Phyllis Makuck

Thanks to an outpouring of support from St. Francis by the Sea, the Angel Tree site we manage in partnership with Shepherd of the Sea was a tremendous success. We provided gifts for 256 angels, 19 of which St. Francis took and parishioners shopped for. In addition 16 parishioners actively helped manage the Shepherd of the Sea site, setting up, calling families,

processing applications, signing out angels, signing gifts in and out, delivering gifts as well as shopping with donations, some of which came from St. Francis, and wrapping gifts that were bought. Seeing the joy on faces of families as they received their gifts made the hundreds of hours we together devoted worth it.

January BirthdaysJanuary BirthdaysJanuary BirthdaysJanuary Birthdays 17—Mike Hartman

18—Leann Sanders

20—Linda Laughton

21—Tanner Hahn

23—Alicia Ragsdale

23—Dick Watson

24—Kellie Ragland

25—Barbara Bagby

25—Mary Malhiot

28—Julia Burns

29—Ted Goetzinger

30—Martha Edwards

30—Renfro Sproul

6—Denise Sessoms

9—Landon Preswood

10—Bill Horton

13—Pam Horton

14—Sharp Kemp

16—Eric Fearrington

Prayer Shawl...Plus!Prayer Shawl...Plus!Prayer Shawl...Plus!Prayer Shawl...Plus! The Prayer Shawl Ministry will gather on Wednesday, January 13 and 27, Wednesday, January 13 and 27, Wednesday, January 13 and 27, Wednesday, January 13 and 27, at 10:00 in the

parish hall. Come and share your talent, whether or not your item is intended for the Prayer

Shawl Ministry. All are welcome to join the gathering to “knit one and pray too.”

Yarn is available free of charge. Beginners are always welcome!Yarn is available free of charge. Beginners are always welcome!Yarn is available free of charge. Beginners are always welcome!Yarn is available free of charge. Beginners are always welcome!

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Grace Notes by Linda Laughton, Music DirectorGrace Notes by Linda Laughton, Music DirectorGrace Notes by Linda Laughton, Music DirectorGrace Notes by Linda Laughton, Music Director

What a joy-filled Advent and Christmas we have expe-rienced! The Celtic Evensong and Communion Service, the Jennifer Licko Celtic Christmas Concert, caroling at Christmas Cheer, the Children's Nativity Pageant with a Service of Lessons and Carols and Eucharist, caroling to our homebound church family in Pine Knoll Shores, Christmas Eve Service, The Handel's MESSIAH sing-along and festive parties every weekend through the season. We certainly celebrate our savior's birth!

Musicians love St. Francis by the Sea! Participation in the 2015 Messiah Sing-along nearly doubled from 2014, which is what we had hoped, so we are planning the 2016 sing-along. We laud our gracious con-ductor, Lewis Moore; our organist, the dauntless David Leahey; and our impressive string ensemble: Chris Ellis, Dee Braxton-Pelligrino, Heather Barlow and Barbara Gates, who, we are very happy to say, have agreed to return for Messiah 2016 – December 26, 2016.

Thanks to our generous sponsors: Regina and George Hirasawa, Bobbie Hill and Harold O'Briant, Terry and Craig Griffin, Layne and Ron Helwig, Betsy and Jay Randall, Mark Laughton, Linda Davies and Charlie McCurry. Thank you to Linda Davies for acting as event registrar, and to all who provided food, beverage, time, effort and the spirit to make it happen.

Here are three things that make our events stand out among others:

1. The PEOPLE. Very simply, the folks at St. Francis by the Sea know how to make people feel welcome. From cheerful greetings to bountiful snacks and refreshments, our hospitality is second to none.

2. The PLACE. We refer to our sanctuary as a “perfectly tuned acoustic bowl” because it is. Not only is the sanctuary highly favorable for music, it is aesthetically lovely and a peaceful space.

3. The THING. We take great care to ensure that every event at St. Francis by the Sea is a “special”

event. Lewis mentioned in his comments to the Messiah assembly that St. Francis by the Sea is the only sing-along that goes cover to cover without skipping a thing. I share this from the evening: One pair informed me at sign-in that they didn't know we were singing the entire oratorio and that they would leave after the first section (the birth of the Messiah) but they stayed and sang until the end (the life, passion, death and resurrection). A good example of our unique mix of people, place

and “that special thing” we do.

And now we take a deep breath in and out and enter into January.

“Consider the imagery of prayers floating up to God like smoke from burning candles while we await

illumination in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Consider being surrounded by the heart sounds of a congregation singing simple Taizé melodies in

the beautiful sanctuary of St. Francis by the Sea in the evening.”

The choir invites you to join us for this annual lay-led Epiphany Taizé Service of Light and Silence, Wednesday, January 6 at 6pm. “Bring only your hearts and prayers and prepare yourself for an infusion of God's peace.” I love that we offer this service in Epiphany following the busy-ness of the Advent and Christmas seasons; the tempo and texture of the music is in every way slower and softer than, say, a rigorous chorus by Handel! I hope you will plan to join us and “chill.” The service lasts approximately 50 minutes.

Stay tuned! -Linda Laughton

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For the Kids of St. Francis by Marian GoetzingerFor the Kids of St. Francis by Marian GoetzingerFor the Kids of St. Francis by Marian GoetzingerFor the Kids of St. Francis by Marian Goetzinger

I can’t get that song out of my head. “Pa rum pa pum pum…” I can’t get the images out of my head either, and why would I want to? I can see the little shepherds, Zane, Liam and Poole with their stuffed sheep looking at the baby in the manger with ado-ration just like we’d asked them to. Did they re-member to imagine Baby Jesus there? I be- lieve they did. Seven-teen year old Zach, who’d never participated in a Christ-mas pageant before, grin-ning from ear to ear, as John, lit the candles and pro-claimed the coming of the Lord. Those beautiful angels, Sydni, Ainsley and Andi look-ing very celestial could not have been more perfectly cast. Sydni’s solo was a beautiful opening for our event.

Sofia, Jackson, Tanner and Boston presented the readings clearly and succinctly and brought the story alive. Sofia as Mary and Marshall as Joseph looked for all the world like proud, yet worried parents. Sasha as King Herod and Tanner as King Ahaz were stun-ning in their fine royal costumes. The three magi, Tyler, Matthew and Nikolas brought gifts and pre-sented them lovingly to the baby. Boston, the Little Drummer Boy, knelt at the manger while keeping the drum’s rhythm perfectly. And then the prom-ised one, The Risen Lord in his shining white robe played by Jackson, completed the cast of the Kid’s of St. Francis Christmas Pageant and live nativity.

For me, the images and sounds of the Children’s pageant are the best part of Christmas. This year we had seventeen young people from age 3 ½ to 17 participating. It was special to have three teenagers among us this year. It gets a little bigger and better each year. We started with practices in November. On December 12th, we helped at Hope Mission then practiced. Then we had a sleep-over retreat at my

house on Friday the 18th and practiced. On Satur-day, December 19 the children walked in costume in the Pine Knoll Shores Christmas parade singing “The Little Drummer Boy” as they walked accom-panied by Charlie with his guitar. That event made the inside front page of the local paper. I have a feeling we’ll be asked back next year. By the time the pageant was over on the 20th I think all the chil-dren were ex- hausted. I

know I was, but it was a good ex-haustion.

Thank you all for your sup-port. So

many people do much to make this special

event possi-ble for our children. A special thanks to all the parents, Linda Laughton,

Meredith West- brook, Amy Hahn, and Charlie McCurry who put in long hours working on casting, music, costumes, and direc-tion, and to my husband Ted, who helped with everything and put up with me and a house full of children.

What do you think? Should we do it again?

We did it!

Thanks to the generosity of our

parishioners and a donor who topped us

off in December, we completed the

challenge match of the Nellie Seale

Endowment Fund. We appreciate the

support of everyone who stepped up to

help the church reach this important goal.

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Lay Ministry ScheduleLay Ministry ScheduleLay Ministry ScheduleLay Ministry Schedule

February 2/7 2/10

Ash Wednesday 2/14

2/28 Youth Sunday

Vestry

Lector KIDS

Prayers Carol Eaton Carol Eaton Carol Eaton Carol Eaton

Chalice Andy & Marilyn

Smetana

Altar Guild Meg Bradford

Meg Bradford

Crucifer KIDS

Torch Bearers Linda Davies

KIDS

Sound System

Nursery

Children’s Homily

X X X Amy Hahn

Children's Class Marian Goetzinger Marian Goetzinger Marian Goetzinger X

Children’s Class Assistant

Rita Roberts Mary Kurek Amy Hahn Ainsley Horton

Coffee Hour Jean & Jim Turner X Sharon & Rick

Watling Beth Beswick & Jolene McCann

2/21

Carol McVitty

Carol Eaton

X

Marian Goetzinger

Sandy Giovannini

Jeannie Baxter & Jan Corsello

January 1/3 1/10 1/17 1/24

Youth Sunday

Vestry Stover Morris Larry Castle Tim Bradford Terry Smith

Lector Libba Shelton Romaine Riddle Linda Davies KIDS

Prayers Carol Eaton Carol Eaton Carol Eaton Carol Eaton

Chalice Andy & Marilyn

Smetana Andy & Marilyn

Smetana Pat Jones

Jolene McCann Bob Gallo

Marian Goetzinger

Altar Guild Linda Davies Bobbie Hill

Meg Bradford Phyllis Makuck

Linda Davies Bobbie Hill

Linda Seale Pat Jones

Crucifer Pat Jones Pat Jones Beth Beswick KIDS

Torch Bearers Linda Davies Scott Shelton

TimBradford Scott Shelton

Linda Davies Pat Jones

KIDS

Sound System John Marriott Stover Morris John Clarke Larry Castle

Nursery Bobbie hill Sam Baxter Jeannie Baxter Beth Beswick

Children’s Homily

X X X Meredith

Westbrook/Amy Hahn

Children's Class Marian Goetzinger Marian Goetzinger Marian Goetzinger X

Children’s Class Assistant

Rita Roberts Meredith Westbrook

Mary Kurek Ainsley Horton

Coffee Hour Marion & Stover

Morris Betsy & Jay Randall

Romaine & Dan Riddle

Linda & Richard Seale

1/31

Heather Pace

Meg Bradford

Carol Eaton

Richard Seale Jolene McCann

Meg Bradford Betsy Randall

Tim Bradford

Larry Castle Beth Beswick

Kyle Venable

Bobbie Hill

X

Marian Goetzinger

Amy Hahn

Heather Pace & Kyle Venable

The Song of Saint Francis is a monthly publication of

Saint Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church.

North side of NC 58 between Mile Marker 10 and 10½

PO Box 7 ● 920 Salter Path Road, Salter Path, North Carolina 28575

(252) 240-2388 ● © 2016 All rights reserved

stfrancisbts@gmail.com ● www.stfrancisbythesea.org

Saint Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church

PO Box 7

Salter Path, NC 28575

The Rev. Everett Thomas, Ph.D. Phone: (252) 240-2388 Email: stfrancisbts@gmail.com Sharon Watling—Parish Administrator Phone: (252) 240-2388 Email: stfrancisbts@gmail.com Linda Laughton—Music Director

Vestry Class of 2016 Tim Bradford

Stover Morris, Senior Warden Heather Pace

Vestry Class of 2017 Larry Castle, Junior Warden

Harold O’Briant Romaine Riddle

Class of 2018 Beth Beswick

Pat Jones Terry Smith

Sharon Watling—Clerk of the Vestry

David Shapiro—Sexton

Adult Forum at 9:00 am; Sunday Service and Children’s Class for ages 4 and up at 10:00 am

Wednesday Celtic Eucharist at 12:00 noon

Saint Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church is a parish in the Diocese of East Carolina

The Right Reverend Robert Skirving, Bishop

First Class Mail

Save the dates!

Buy a brick to commemorate

something special to you! More info at www.stfrancisbythesea.org

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