Dan McKeon This Week at Holy Apostles

This Week at Holy Apostles – 1/26/2020

Sunday, January 26
Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. James Stambaugh

8:30a Morning Prayer
10:00a Holy Eucharist


Monday, January 27

Parish Offices closed

Tuesday, January 28

9:15a Morning Prayer
3:30-6:00p Choir School

Wednesday, January 29

9:15a Morning Prayer

Thursday, January 30

9:15a Morning Prayer
11:00a Bible Study
3:30-6:00p Choir School

Friday, January 31

9:15a Morning Prayer

Sunday, February 2
The Presentation of Our Lord
Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. James Stambaugh

8:30a Morning Prayer
10:00a Holy Eucharist

Dan McKeon Announcements

Announcements – 1/26/2020

Worship

† Are you friendly?  We need you! Our greeter ministry is one of the key ministries of our church.  Greeters welcome visitors, make people comfortable, hand out service leaflets and take up offering.  They make sure the service runs smoothly. Starting in October, we will be organizing a monthly Greeters breakfast with the Rector, probably at a local restaurant.  If you’re interested in serving God in this way, talk to Jim Jervis or Fr. James.

† Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30AM on Sunday mornings and at 9:15AM Tuesdays through Fridays.  Anyone can pray the service privately using the Book of Common Prayer or one of a number of smartphone apps!  See the last section of the digital edition of the “Acts of the Apostles” for details.

Outreach

† Our annual Connect by Night shelter program concluded last month. We made over 1,500 lunches and provided many different gifts to our guests, who were very thankful for the support. Thanks to all the many people who took part this month, and particularly to our weekly supply captains: Peter Patton, Lyn DeSilets, Michelle Gallagher and family (thanks also for the socks), Judy and Jim Jervis and Beth Johnson. Thanks also to the Philadelphia Bible Reform Church, the Woestmanns (who organized a book distribution), and the Gentiles (who covered Christmas and New Year’s Eve).

† There are lots of opportunities to participate in Holy Apostles Outreach through our various programs:

      – Delivering items to a food pantry in Northeast Philadelphia

      – Meals at Darby Mission (3/17). Other ideas are welcome.

Children and Youth

† Nursery childcare is available during the 10:00AM Sunday service for children ages 3 and younger in the Godly Play Room.

† The Holy Apostles Choir School is off and running.  If you have a potential student, apply today.  More information is available at holyapostlespa.org/choir-school/. Please forward this information to friends and neighbors who may be interested. Contact Deb Stambaugh if you have any questions.

Parish Life

† Next Sunday!  Please don’t miss the Annual Parish Meeting and luncheon after our 10AM worship next Sunday, February 2.  We’ll review our budget for the year, elect new vestry members, and praise God for all the wonderful things happening in this place.

† If you have an announcement to be included in Acts of the Apostles, please send it to holyapostlescomm@gmail.com before Thursday at noon of each week.

† Don’t forget to enter the church through the Parish office door and grab a “Church Member” badge from the office during Daycare hours (7:00AM – 6:00PM Mon-Fri)!

† The Cash for Causes Program at Giant Supermarket:

· Purchase through JT Wertz

· 5% of card value is given to Holy Apostles operating fund.

· Can be used in store or when ordering Giant groceries through Peapod online delivery service.

Education

† Join us for BASICS class, every 3rd Sunday at 9AM.

· Third Sunday Basics Class will continue February 16 with a class called “What is liturgy?”

† Bible Study on Deuteronomy, Thursdays at 11AM.  All are welcome.

† FacePsalm online study of the Psalms: bit.ly/2ndKq9o

Dan McKeon A Note from the Rector

A Note from the Rector – 1/26/2020

A Note from the Rector – 26 January 2020

Can you believe how good the floors look?  We can be grateful to NBC Environmental who removed the old tile, and to Smith Flooring Incorporated for installing the new tile.  They did a great job with a very tight schedule and they even finished with hours to spare. They are finishing up the project this weekend in the front area of the Parish Hall and the hallway outside the bathrooms and Memorial Room.  If all goes according to plan, we will have access to the bathrooms and Memorial Room for our Sunday morning services. The vestry with the help of the property committee and the finance committee have done a lot of work to make this project happen, and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed.  A special mention needs to go to JT Wertz and John Day for leading the planning and logistics. One or both of them were here the entire time that the contractors were working. Thank you very much for your dedication! Thanks also, to the huge crew of people who moved all furniture out of the Godly play room and back.   

This morning we will bless the new set of green paraments and vestments that were commissioned in loving memory of Jane Sibley, and use them for the first time.  Paraments refer to decorative cloths that hangs on the front of the altar (called a frontal), the pulpit, and the lectern. Made to match these is a veil, the cloth that covers the chalice and communion paten before they are used; and the burse, which is a little envelope that holds extra linen cloths.  Those are the paraments. The new vestments that were created for us are a chasuble, two stoles, and a maniple. All of these were beautifully designed and executed by a liturgical artist named Davis d’Ambly. Davis lives in the Philadelphia area and is a parishioner of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Center City.  Without exaggeration, he is one of the most well-known and sought-after designer of liturgical appointments in the United States. He is frequently commissioned by Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches around the country and beyond for major projects including large-scale paintings, carvings, and liturgical furniture, in addition to sets of vestments.  I was overjoyed that he agreed to create this special set of vestments and paraments for us in honor of Jane. They were created prayerfully, and with the highest quality materials and craftsmanship, and are, I hope, a fitting tribute to Jane’s many years of service to the worship of God in this place.  

You may remember that last April and May I wrote a series of articles on the meaning and symbolism of vestments.  Those articles can be found on our website here, here, here, here, here, and here.  To end this week’s note in celebration of our new paraments and vestments, I will provide an excerpt of something I originally wrote about vestments for Sunday, April 28, 2019:

“Christians are set apart; made holy by virtue of our baptism into the life and body of Christ.  Scripture puts it this way: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).  All Christians are priests. Vocational priests and other ministers are called and ordained (set apart) merely as symbols and tokens of that fact.  

Priests, deacons, and bishops wear vestments in that capacity, as symbols and signs of the priesthood of all Christians.  Vestments are not about setting the minister apart from the congregation in some qualitative sense. They’re not just meant to be fancy clothes in order to make me feel fancy.  Rather, vestments are symbolic of the fact that liturgy itself is a time, place, and activity which is set apart, demarcated from other time and other activities. Liturgy, the worship of the church, is special.  It is holy. The priest is a symbol for the whole people of God, and vestments are symbols of the set apart-ness of the activity in which we come together to participate on Sunday mornings (and other times!).”

In Christ,

James+

Dan McKeon This Week at Holy Apostles

This Week at Holy Apostles – 1/19/2019

Sunday, January 19
Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Holy Apostles and the Mediator

Parish Offices closed
10:00a Holy Eucharist


Monday, January 20

Parish Offices closed

Tuesday, January 21

9:15a Morning Prayer
3:30-6:00p Choir School

Wednesday, January 22

9:15a Morning Prayer

Thursday, January 23

9:15a Morning Prayer
11:00a Bible Study
3:30-6:00p Choir School

Friday, January 24

9:15a Morning Prayer

Sunday, January 26
Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. James Stambaugh

8:30a Morning Prayer
10:00a Holy Eucharist

Dan McKeon Announcements

Announcements – 1/19/2019

Worship

† Are you friendly?  We need you! Our greeter ministry is one of the key ministries of our church.  Greeters welcome visitors, make people comfortable, hand out service leaflets and take up offering.  They make sure the service runs smoothly. Starting in October, we will be organizing a monthly Greeters breakfast with the Rector, probably at a local restaurant.  If you’re interested in serving God in this way, talk to Jim Jervis or Fr. James.

† Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30AM on Sunday mornings and at 9:15AM Tuesdays through Fridays.  Anyone can pray the service privately using the Book of Common Prayer or one of a number of smartphone apps!  See the last section of the digital edition of the “Acts of the Apostles” for details.

Outreach

† Our annual Connect by Night shelter program concluded last month. We made over 1,500 lunches and provided many different gifts to our guests, who were very thankful for the support. Thanks to all the many people who took part this month, and particularly to our weekly supply captains: Peter Patton, Lyn DeSilets, Michelle Gallagher and family (thanks also for the socks), Judy and Jim Jervis and Beth Johnson. Thanks also to the Philadelphia Bible Reform Church, the Woestmanns (who organized a book distribution), and the Gentiles (who covered Christmas and New Year’s Eve).

† There are lots of opportunities to participate in Holy Apostles Outreach through our various programs:

      – Delivering items to a food pantry in Northeast Philadelphia

      – Meals at Darby Mission (3/17). Other ideas are welcome.

Children and Youth

† Nursery childcare is available during the 10:00AM Sunday service for children ages 3 and younger in the Godly Play Room.

† The Holy Apostles Choir School is off and running.  If you have a potential student, apply today.  More information is available at holyapostlespa.org/choir-school/. Please forward this information to friends and neighbors who may be interested. Contact Deb Stambaugh if you have any questions.

Parish Life

† There is no access to the kitchen, memorial room, and parish hall from January 16, 5:30PM until January 21st, 9AM.  Asbestos remediation is taking place. Please do not try to use the kitchen door during this time!  The office hallway may be accessible starting Sunday, January 19th, but that is not guaranteed. Watch for signs on the door.  The church itself is still accessible through the main doors. Thank you!

† Our annual parish meeting will be Sunday, February 2, after the 10AM service.  At this meeting we will elect new members of the vestry, and approve a budget. Normally this meeting is held the 3rd Sunday of January, but necessary parish hall renovations have caused us to push the annual meeting back.

† In January 2020, we will see some exciting improvements to our building.  The office hallway is being refreshed, and along with the parish hall, it will receive a badly needed new floor.  Stay tuned for more information!

† If you have an announcement to be included in Acts of the Apostles, please send it to holyapostlescomm@gmail.com before Thursday at noon of each week.

† Don’t forget to enter the church through the Parish office door and grab a “Church Member” badge from the office during Daycare hours (7:00AM – 6:00PM Mon-Fri)!

† The Cash for Causes Program at Giant Supermarket:

· Purchase through JT Wertz

· 5% of card value is given to Holy Apostles operating fund.

· Can be used in store or when ordering Giant groceries through Peapod online delivery service.

Education

† Join us for BASICS class, every 3rd Sunday at 9AM.

· Third Sunday Basics Class will continue February 16 with a class called “What is liturgy?”

† Bible Study on Deuteronomy, Thursdays at 11AM.  All are welcome.

† FacePsalm online study of the Psalms: bit.ly/2ndKq9o

Dan McKeon A Note from the Rector

A Note from the Rector – 1/19/2019

Thanks to all who are travelling this morning to Holy Apostles and the Mediator either by bus or by car, and to all who participate in the service.  

Just picking up and moving our entire service is a really nerve-wracking thing for me.  Such an important part of our identity and ministry involves staying put: being present in the middle of the place in which God has put us, and providing a constant, dependable spiritual presence in a particular location i.e. this neighborhood.  That’s what being a parish church is all about. A parish is defined as a geographical area of spiritual responsibility.  

At the same time, God is always calling us out of our comfort zones.  God’s Spirit is always on the move, inside and outside the Church, crossing borders, and calling us to follow Jesus wherever that might lead.  This tension—between the principle of stability and the movement of God’s Spirit—creates a kind of dynamism and hopefully fills us with energy for ministry and mission and outreach, both in our backyards and beyond.

In Christ,

James+

Dan McKeon This Week at Holy Apostles

This Week at Holy Apostles – 1/12/2019

Sunday, January 12
First Sunday after the Epiphany
Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. James Stambaugh

8:30a Morning Prayer
10:00a Holy Eucharist


Monday, January 13

Parish Offices closed

Tuesday, January 14

9:15a Morning Prayer
3:30-6:00p Choir School

Wednesday, January 15

9:15a Morning Prayer

Thursday, January 16

9:15a Morning Prayer
11:00a Bible Study
3:30-6:00p Choir School

Friday, January 17

9:15a Morning Prayer

Sunday, January 19
Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. James Stambaugh

8:30a Morning Prayer
10:00a Holy Eucharist

Dan McKeon Announcements

Announcements – 1/12/2020

Worship

† Are you friendly?  We need you! Our greeter ministry is one of the key ministries of our church.  Greeters welcome visitors, make people comfortable, hand out service leaflets and take up offering.  They make sure the service runs smoothly. Starting in October, we will be organizing a monthly Greeters breakfast with the Rector, probably at a local restaurant.  If you’re interested in serving God in this way, talk to Jim Jervis or Fr. James.

† Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30AM on Sunday mornings and at 9:15AM Tuesdays through Fridays.  Anyone can pray the service privately using the Book of Common Prayer or one of a number of smartphone apps!  See the last section of the digital edition of the “Acts of the Apostles” for details.

Outreach

† Our annual Connect by Night shelter program concluded this week. We made over 1,500 lunches and provided many different gifts to our guests, who were very thankful for the support. Thanks to all the many people who took part this month, and particularly to our weekly supply captains: Peter Patton, Lyn DeSilets, Michelle Gallagher and family (thanks also for the socks), Judy and Jim Jervis and Beth Johnson. Thanks also to the Philadelphia Bible Reform Church, the Woestmanns (who organized a book distribution), and the Gentiles (who covered Christmas and New Year’s Eve).

† There are lots of opportunities to participate in Holy Apostles Outreach through our various programs:

      – Delivering items to a food pantry in Northeast Philadelphia

      – Meals at Darby Mission (3/17). Other ideas are welcome.

Children and Youth

† Youth Group will be today at 5pm, followed by Light & Peace at 5:45pm.  Youth group is for youth ages 12(ish) through 18. Everyone is invited to Light & Peace, which is a prayer service with interactive activities for all ages.

† Nursery childcare is available during the 10:00AM Sunday service for children ages 3 and younger in the Godly Play Room.

† The Holy Apostles Choir School is off and running.  If you have a potential student, apply today.  More information is available at holyapostlespa.org/choir-school/. Please forward this information to friends and neighbors who may be interested. Contact Deb Stambaugh if you have any questions.

Parish Life

† Wednesday evening, January 15, we need help moving some items from the parish hall and Godly play room in preparation for our parish hall floor replacement.  Contact John Day and/or JT Wertz for more information.

† On Sunday, January 19, we are headed to Holy Apostles and the Mediator (51st and Spruce Streets, Phil’s) for a shared 10am Eucharist.  We are exploring the option of renting a charter bus to make it easier to get there and find parking.  It’s going to be a lot of fun!  That Sunday, our parish hall, kitchen, and upstairs bathrooms will all be unusable due to our parish hall reflooring project.  

† Our annual parish meeting will be Sunday, February 2, after the 10AM service.  At this meeting we will elect new members of the vestry, and approve a budget. Normally this meeting is held the 3rd Sunday of January, but necessary parish hall renovations have caused us to push the annual meeting back.

† In January 2020, we will see some exciting improvements to our building.  The office hallway is being refreshed, and along with the parish hall, it will receive a badly needed new floor.  Stay tuned for more information!

† If you have an announcement to be included in Acts of the Apostles, please send it to holyapostlescomm@gmail.com before Thursday at noon of each week.

† Don’t forget to enter the church through the Parish office door and grab a “Church Member” badge from the office during Daycare hours (7:00AM – 6:00PM Mon-Fri)!

† The Cash for Causes Program at Giant Supermarket:

· Purchase through JT Wertz

· 5% of card value is given to Holy Apostles operating fund.

· Can be used in store or when ordering Giant groceries through Peapod online delivery service.

Education

† Join us for BASICS class, every 3rd Sunday at 9AM.

· Third Sunday Basics Class will continue February 16 with a class called “What is liturgy?”

† Bible Study on Deuteronomy, Thursdays at 11AM.  All are welcome.

† FacePsalm online study of the Psalms: bit.ly/2ndKq9o

Community Events

† On Friday, January 17th, at 7:30PM Mainline Reform Temple is holding a special interfaith Shabbat service in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.  This is a wonderful opportunity to worship together and show solidarity with our Jewish neighbors. Contact James or Nancy Haas for more information.

Dan McKeon A Note from the Rector

A Note from the Rector – 1/12/2020

It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do.  For many months, various members of the property committee have been carefully planning several interrelated projects to freshen up parts of our building.  I want to thank everyone who has generously given of their time to make this happen. Phase I of these projects took place this past week. Two old heater vents that were not connected to our current heating system were taken out of the hallway by the offices, and then plastered over.  New trac lighting was installed along with a picture hanging system, and some wiring for our alarm system was moved out of the way, and then the whole hallway got some fresh paint. The new plaster will be getting some more paint soon.    

Next weekend, the carpet in the hallway will be replaced with vinyl tile and new baseboards will be installed.  The old tile in the parish hall is also being replaced next weekend, which is a huge and much needed project. This involves removing tile from the 1950s (which is underneath the current tile), and that tile has some asbestos in it.  To do it right, we’ve hired a professional asbestos remediation company who will seal everything off, remove the tile, and dispose of it properly. An industrial safety technician will come and test the air when they’re done to make sure there is no asbestos floating around, and then the flooring installation team will come and install new tile.  It is quite a job! As fascinating as their work process no doubt is, none of us want to be around for it.    

So, next Sunday, we’re going to worship with Holy Apostles and the Mediator.  As most of you know, Holy Apostles and the Mediator (affectionately abbreviated as HAM) is the historic parish that founded our Holy Apostles as an extension of their parish in 1950.  For 18 years, HAM sustained CHA financially and spiritually before we became an independent parish in 1968. With the proceeds of the sale of their original building, HAM built our current building, and filled it with treasures from the old church: altar, font, and pulpit.  For many years after we became a parish, the two parishes did not have much contact, but recently we have begun to develop a new relationship of mutual affection with HAM.    

HAM is in the process of calling a new priest.  The church is led by some extraordinary and inspiring lay leaders.  Those of you who were at CHA in October when HAM visited us will have met some of the warm, generous folks of HAM.  For the service on the 19th, they have invited our choir to join theirs for some special music.  They would also like a reader and an acolyte from CHA to help make this service a true collaborative work of praise and thanksgiving to God.  I will be preaching and celebrating the Eucharist.  

I know this sort of thing removes us from our comfort zone a little bit, and I know that it might be tempting to stay home rather than have our routine upset in this way.   But I want to encourage and implore everyone who is able to make this trip next Sunday. This is a very special and worthwhile opportunity. This is what the Gospel, what the Kingdom of God is all about.  On one level a joint service with HAM is pretty simple. But, think about it for a minute. There is a lot of division and disunity in our world, our country, and our community. We see it in the news every day.  It is all totally overwhelming and hard to know what any of us can do about it. Next Sunday is an extraordinary opportunity to do something about it. This simple church service is actual pretty radical. It is not very often that any two congregations can agree to come together and have a joint service, much less a suburban parish and a city parish, a parish that is predominantly white and a parish that is predominantly African-American.  In our fractured society, there are not many opportunities at all when people can meet each other across difference and recognize each other as fellow beloved children of God. This service is unique, and it is exactly the sort of thing that God tends to bless in a special way. Jesus said, “The world will know you are my disciples by your love for each other.” This is it. This is one of our golden opportunities to show the world who we are, and Whose we are.  Don’t miss it!

We are planning to leave the church at 9:15AM on January 19. Parking is difficult near HAM, so we are renting a “mini” charter bus.  HAM is also working on getting a nearby parking lot open for our use. I will be sending a special email next week with an update on our travel plans.

In Christ,

James+

Dan McKeon This Week at Holy Apostles

This Week at Holy Apostles – 1/5/2019

Sunday, January 5
Second Sunday after Christmas
Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. James Stambaugh

8:30a Morning Prayer
10:00a Holy Eucharist


Monday, January 6
Feast of the Epiphany

Parish Offices closed
6:30p Holy Eucharist

Tuesday, January 7

9:15a Morning Prayer
3:30-6:00p Choir School

Wednesday, January 8

9:15a Morning Prayer

Thursday, January 9

9:15a Morning Prayer
11:00a Bible Study
3:30-6:00p Choir School

Friday, January 10

9:15a Morning Prayer

Sunday, January 12
First Sunday after the Epiphany
Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. James Stambaugh

8:30a Morning Prayer
10:00a Holy Eucharist