a twice monthly newsletter june 2019 st. lukes episcopal

i n s i d e t h i s i s s u e

st. lukes episcopal church • 435 peachtree st. ne • atlanta, ga 30308 • 404.873.7600 • www.stlukesatlanta.org

A twice monthly newsletterJune 2019

Parish News .................................. 2Announcements & Opportunities .. 3Calendar ......................................... 4Birthdays ........................................ 5Opportunities to Serve.................... 6REUNION Photos .......................... 7Confirmation .................................. 8

“This is Edwin-Bless-His-Heart” so say some of my extended family members when introducing me.

Southern U.S. custom adds “bless his heart” to a person’s name when the person under consideration is deemed to live with certain challenges or lives outside the norms of the culture of a particular group. In my case, many members of my Great Big Baptist Family (I have 26 first cousins, counting those in heaven and on earth) think I merit the bless-his-heart moniker because I am an Episcopal Priest, and a few other contextual idiosyncrasies like becoming a conscien-tious objector to war during Vietnam, marching in the Poor People’s

Campaign after Dr. King’s assassination, being an early proponent and practitioner of marrying same-gender couples, and other items.

And yet, I feel totally and unconditionally loved in my extended family. We’re a wild, gregarious, affectionate, hugging and kissing gaggle of laughers. And all of us love one another’s weird uniquenesses. I’m not the only one.

I think the key to feeling secure, safe, and accepted in my family is that there is an abun-dance of love and an abundance of playfulness. Once while trying on the idea of retiring to south Georgia where most of our family lives, a favorite cousin said tongue in cheek, “Well, Edwin, nothing would make me happier than for you to be retired down the road from me, but we would have to ship in a controversy or two each week just to make you happy.”

I often remember the teaching from one of my primary mentors, Rabbi Edwin Friedman, when he taught and wrote that the key to healthy congregational leadership is “systems thinking,” which he described in part as seeing the overlap of the leader’s family system with the congregation as a system and the individual family systems of the congregation’s members. “They all function as a congealed salad,” he often noted. “Press the grape on this side of the gelatinous system and the strawberry on the other side will jiggle.”

Rabbi Friedman also noted that congregational and family systems can indeed become more secure and thus more prepared for adventure. You could say that the formula is L+C+P=R+A+CS, which of course everyone knows (he wrote with his own tongue in cheek) stands for Love+Candor+Playfulness yields Risk+Adventure+Creative Solutions.

My job as interim rector is to crank up as far as I can the quotient of LCP=RACS.So, I want to use our June education hour to encourage some courageous conversations

with a high quotient of LCR about some controversial cultural topics that are in the news these days: gun violence, women’s reproductive health and abortion, and a couple of oth-er topics. I want St. Luke’s to be a safe space for affectionate disagreement.

So at the Forum on June 2, which will be at 9 a.m. before the 10 a.m. Eucharist, Lin-da and Louis McLeod will teach us the essentials for deep listening across the divide of disagreement. Then on the subsequent Sundays we will address a number of troubling controversies begging for the application of Jesus’ Kingdom of God values.

So, please come. Express yourself or silently watch the miracle and we ratchet up our Love, Candor, and Playfulness in our Big St. Luke’s Family where it is safe to have different opinions offered without recrimination. We just may find ourselves on the risky adventure of creatively solving some of life’s intractable problems in the spirit of Jesus.

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Staff InformationSt. Luke’s Episcopal Church

404-873-7600StLukesAtlanta.org

The Rev. Ed BaconInterim Rector

[email protected]

2019 Vestry

Clergy

The Rev. Elizabeth Shows CaffeyLiturgy and Education

404-873-7612 | [email protected]

The Rev. Horace L. GriffinPastoral Care and Outreach


Staff

Caitlin Dowling, Music Associate404-873-7634 | [email protected]

Beth Elliott, Rector’s Executive Assistantand Liturgy Assistant


Valerie Freer, Receptionist/Admin. Assistant404-873-7600 | [email protected]

Brianna Griffin, Administrative Assistant404-873-6711 | [email protected]

Brian Hummel, Manager of Facilities Support404-873-7647 | Cell: 404-291-0059

[email protected]

Michelle Jemmott, Manager of Office Admin.404-873-7616 | [email protected]

Colleen Kingston, Assistant for Children’s Music404-735-1933 | [email protected]

David Lowry, Parish Administrator404-873-7663 | [email protected]

Mark Simmons, Director of Membership and Stewardship


Dr. Arlan J. Sunnarborg, Director of Music404-873-7620 | [email protected]

David Hendee, Bookkeeper404-873-7617 | [email protected]

Hala Hess White, Director of Communications404-873-7630 | [email protected]

Richard Lee, Senior WardenMelba Hughes, Junior Warden

Mignon Crawford, Treasurer Scott Inman, Finance ChairPat Brumbaugh, Chancellor

PARISH NEWS

C.J. CashJimmy CushmanCaroline FoosheeBruce GunterLivingstone Johnson

Sara KennedyAnn KimseyCarolle PerkinsNeil SchemmDrew Vann

Gratitude: “May the road rise up to meet you”

It is with hearts filled with gratitude that we acknowl-edge the contributions to the life, worship, and music of St. Luke’s of longtime choir staff singers Karl Wicker and Renée Wilson-Wicker, who will retire on Pentecost, June 9, after 18 and 20 years of service. Our congregation also knows them for their dedicated service as Lay Readers and Lay Eucharistic Ministers. Both are alumni of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and between them are rep-resented no fewer than 75 years in church music.

In New York, Karl performed at the Metropolitan Opera in the auxiliary chorus for productions of Porgy and Bess and Parsifal. In Atlanta, Karl has become one of the most celebrated recording engineers in the State of Georgia, sought after by choirs at Emory, Georgia State, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, among a host of high school and regional choirs.

Renée is one of the most celebrated music educators in the State of Georgia, whose high school ensembles have received highest ratings season after season. Blessed with perfect pitch and musicianship par excellence, Renée’s track record as a per-former is all but flawless. As a vocal soloist, she has performed throughout the East and Southeast, and will be remembered at St. Luke’s for the premiere performance of Arlan Sunnarborg’s Pie Jesu (https://vimeo.com/296595390) and for the performance last Christmas Eve of Brahms, Wiegenlied (https://vimeo.com/308209474).

Renée and Karl look forward to spending more time with their adorable grandchil-dren in Phoenix.

From the bottom of our collective hearts, we thank you, dear friends! God’s grace go with you, and manifold blessings be yours.

Submitted with gratitude on behalf of the choir and congregation byArlan Sunnarborg, D.M.A., Director of Music

ANOTHER BITTERSWEET GOODBYE

After almost eight years of dedicated ser-vice to St. Luke’s, Beth Elliott has accepted a position as assistant to the head of school at The Walker School. A number of years ago, Beth served in several capacities at the school. When the school recently made this unsolicited offer to her, she felt like it was an opportunity that she could not pass up. The position has the added benefit of being a very short drive from Beth’s home in Marietta.

As executive assistant to the rector, Beth has played a pivotal role in so many aspects of St. Luke’s. In fact, because of her can-do approach to life, her job description continued to expand to include a wide variety of activi-ties for our parish.

We will dearly miss Beth’s presence as a staff member but are excited about this new phase of her life. Her final day with us will be Friday, June 7. We invite you to celebrate her time among us on the morning of Sunday, June 9.

— Announcements and Opportunities —

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Kickball is back!!! Beginning Sunday June 16 at the Piedmont Park Active Oval, our co-ed recreational league will have a seven game schedule played on Sundays at noon or 1:30 p.m. New this year… Each game we will have a picnic for our fans, families, and friends!!! Email [email protected] or [email protected] if you are interested in playing (must be 21) or joining the fan club!

Faith and Film gathers on Friday, June 14 at 7 p.m. to watch "A Man Called Ove," which tells the familiar story of the curmudgeonly old man whose grumpy life is brightened by forces beyond his control. Faith and Film is a monthly opportunity for St. Luke’s adults to share a movie, snacks, fellowship, and a lively discussion of issues of faith raised by the film. Those who attend bring a snack to share and a beverage. All St. Luke’s adults are welcome. For informa-tion, contact Donna Church (404-522-3889 | [email protected]).

Sunday, June 2 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.Tuesday, June 4 5 p.m.Wednesday, June 5 5 p.m.Thursday, June 6 5 p.m.Sunday, June 9 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.Thursday, June 13 5 p.m.

Details for sessions for the youth and at Canterbury Court are still being worked out. Please keep an eye out in the Shepherd’s Notes. Note: Sunday sessions will be held in multiple rooms.

Please register for the Focus Group that works with your schedule. Go to the Sign Up tab on the website and look for Focus Groups.

Save the DateMolly Carnes

returns to St. Luke’sAugust 17 and 18

to help us finish up the work we began during her last visit.

FOCUS GROUP MEETINGSSign up here to participate in our focus groups following up on our parish survey. This is your chance to help the Rector Search Committee explore important topics raised in our recent Parish Survey. Each group will be led by a facilitator, as-sisted by a scribe, to make sure everyone

is heard and all thoughts are captured.In addition to the meetings listed below, details are still being

worked out for a youth session and a session to be offered at Canter-bury Court. Please keep an eye out for more information about these two gatherings in The Shepherd’s Notes.

Still Alive in Atlanta MEETING WITH SUSAN LEAS MCDANIEL

In 1972-1975, Susan Elizabeth Leas wrote the definitive book on the history of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Atlan-ta, GA. Alive in Atlanta covers the history of St. Luke’s during the period between 1864-1975. Ms. Leas, now Mrs. McDan-iel, was able to use church records, newspapers, magazines, letters and recollections from parishioners to write the story of our church.

Recently, members of St. Luke’s Archives Committee met with Mrs. McDaniel to express our appreciation for her work in writing a book that still captivates and informs members of

St. Luke’s more than 40 years beyond the original publica-tion date. We were able to ask her questions about the early days of our church as well learning how a volunteer offer made to Rev. Tom Bowers grew into a book project. Mrs. McDaniel is a model for resource collection and professional writing when the time comes to proclaim once again that St. Luke’s is still Alive in Atlanta!

ST. LUKE’S ARCHIVES COMMITTEERaymond Keen is the Church Archivist for St. Luke’s.

Working with Raymond are St. Luke’s members Carter Fowlkes, Lori Rush, and Barbara O’Brien. This group is dedicated to the discovery and preservation of documents and objects that tell the St. Luke’s story. Our parish today is the result of the heritage created by earlier members of St. Luke’s. Our collection of records and objects builds the liv-ing foundation for future generations to worship and serve in this sacred space.

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From time to time, St. Luke’s publishes names,addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and photos of church members in the church bulletin, newsletter, directory and other church communications. As a policy, we will not use names with photos of children.

If you do not want us to use your information in communications, please email David Lowry, Parish Administrator at:

dav id@s t l uke sa t l an ta .o rg

1Scott InmanSusan BelmonteChris MorganMiranda TroyBo SchillKiki SchillLuz Culpepper2Marilyn GristBill GristRogers Toy, IIIAndy FordhamKailen GildeJack JenningsZach Massey, IIIBlake Young3 Warren WilliamsRichard TurnerJames VaughtThomas ClowerWilliam Bryan, IIIHollie HollisCaroline HowardSarah McDuffieElliot DennisDale Williams4 Susan DuckwallMark TurnerMitchell HarbinHannah LathamMcKay Johnson5Bob WickerChase Brock6 Jeff HopperFlavia GunterA. George Norman, IIIMatthew BoyerSarah CookScott McLeodTommy Davis7 Jennifer McCoy

Angela BarringerRod GanskeAllie HorneAllie McFarling HorneZannie FoosheeBob Fooshee8 John LivingstoneBrett WilliamsJimmy SatterwhiteMegan Patterson9 Jodi WeymanEmery AlstonErin RaittRyan RasheedRegina FinanErin MuellerAllison Nihiser10 Margot GraettingerHarry SmithPhilip LamsonBobby MaysLaura GilesSeth Mellen, IVWestlin GiffordMary FieldsRiley Fields11Snow BenedictStuart AlstonJeff AshworthPam ShaheenDwayne TurnerSusanna RobertsWill HollemanHaley Carr12 Tom Claiborne, Jr.Denise NeelyLiz PortwoodPoncie AnsleyAustin BryanJohn O. IzlarChase Kiseljack, IV

13 Becca EilandFrank FernandezKim NelsonCaitlin McClurePrice O’KeeffeKate Lockett14 Carolyn HollingsworthMeg PrinceCJ Finan, Jr15 Elaine FendtStephanie HillhousePenson Sherrill16 Al SherrodAllison EzellDaphne Zintak17 Nancy AllstromMike WigginsKim BasingerJack GreshamRachel MedleyOwen Bryant-Moly-neauxHana Strack18 Roy Walton, Sr.Jim WinerSharla JacksonBeth ShorthouseAmy DuckwallWilliam FryGeorge Smalley19 Ginny Sikes

Erica BrownJeffrey GloverWytch RiggerSydney Marie JonesRyan NelsonPenelope Matthews20Jack Noland21Brad CurreyAnnie MableyAmy DoylePeter Duncan22Chris CopleyMarie HolbeinJudi HolleyDel HawkinsClaire Marie HuffSteely Hawkins, IIIHenry Portwood, Jr.23 Rachel WrightRussell CurreyLuke Hutchison24 Beau Weidman, IIIVincent Dobbs, Jr.Frederick BartelsRobert KennedyMaura GunterNick ZamboniElizabeth Temple25 Sam AllenRich GreeneDondra Hayes

Birthdays for June 2019

We celebrate the lives that make up the community of St. Luke’s Church.

Ashley RuysJessica TongeDavis Nunneley26Nancy HowardMichele SouthwellFielding ArnoldAddie Eiland27 Barbara Culmer-IlawMary Hair GrahamElizabeth MurphyDon Rigger, Jr.28 John Westerhoff, IIIMary BallSharon McClureJohn EarlesRichard Rowe, JrMarcus EvansMason TurnerNina Petiot29Austin BunchPaul IzlarElaine WardConner BallHolly ByrdKortney WatkinsGreg GunterJasmin CunninghamGrace Lockhart30Grif GriffithEmily HuieKinley RobertsVan Lanier

11:15 a.m.| Summer Fun on the Lawn11 a.m.| October Cuba Travelers | PRMONDAY, JUNE 248:30 a.m.| CCG | Room 2039:30 a.m.| Tellers | PR12:30 p.m.| Tai Chi Class | SLRTUESDAY, JUNE 258:30 a.m.| CCG | Room 2039:30 a.m.| CCG Foot Clinic | P 10:30 a.m.| Church Tour |CH11 a.m.| Liturgy Meeting | PR1:30 p.m. | Staff Meeting | PRWEDNESDAY, JUNE 268:30 a.m.| CCG | Room 20310 a.m.| Canterbury Court Eucharist|OS

10:15 a.m.| Dream Group | LI5 p.m.| CCG Common Stories | HRTHURSDAY, JUNE 278:30 a.m.| CCG | Room 2037 p.m.| Tower Bells Rehearsal | BTSATURDAY, JUNE 298 a.m.| Courtland Street Mission | CCM9 a.m.| B’Fly Girls | PH9 a.m.| Flower Guild |CHSUNDAY, JUNE 308 a.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite I 8:40 a.m.| Nursery opens 9 a.m.| Forum | PH10 a.m.| Holy Eucharist, Rite II 10 a.m.| Wiggle Church | HR/G 11:15 a.m.| On the Lawn6 p.m.| Loaves & Fishes |OS

CALENDAR CONT INUES

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— Opportunities To Serve —

Holy Comforter DinnerAll are welcome to join us at Holy Comforter to serve dinner Wednes-day, June 19 at 6 p.m. Holy Comforter is a parish in Ormewood Park in which about 60% of the congregation live with mental illness. In support of the work of the parish, St. Luke’s serves dinner one Wednes-day most months. It is a ministry not only of food but also of presence and fellowship. Questions? Contact Connie Wooten (404-432-0733/[email protected]) or [email protected].

In June and July, we're filling the Outreach Baskets

for

Midtown Assistance CenterKids are out of school, so the need is especially great.

M A C ' s M o s t R e q u e s t e d I t e m s

Mac & cheese Peanut butter & jelly Breakfast/snack bars

CerealCanned meat

Deodorant

A complete list of requested items is online:StLukesAt lanta.org

Music doesn’t take a vacation!

Music is central to worship! From Rally Day to Pentecost, our fabulous choir leads worship every Sunday. While it is wondrous, it is also ardous and choir

members often take a break during the summer months. Worship, though, doesn’t take a break and so we need a

“summer” choir. Do you love singing but you’re not sure if you’re ready for a full-time choir commitment? Do you want to step out of your comfort zone and try on something new for the summer? Do you love to sing, but aren’t sure your voice is “choir worthy”?

Join us in the Summer Choir this year. Show up at 9 a.m. in the Choir Room any Sunday from June 16 to August 11 and we’ll find you a robe, rehearse the hymns, and most important-ly make music together and enhance the worship of St. Luke’s!

If you love singing or if you just want to try it out, please join us this year! It’s a week by week commitment and we can’t wait to share the joy of leading worship and singing at St. Luke’s with you!

Please contact Arlan Sunnarborg or Caitlin Dowling for more details, or just show up! We look forward to seeing you very soon!

In 1986, St. Luke’s joined four other Midtown Atlanta congre-gations to strengthen the safety net for the working poor in our neighborhoods. The idea was to coordinate some of their outreach efforts under one organization. Each congregation be-lieved that many services offered to the impoverished in Mid-town were being duplicated by other congregations. Knowing that using their resources more efficiently would enable them to offer better service to more people, these congregations created the Midtown Assistance Center (MAC), a federally recognized, non-profit organization, qualifying under 501(c)(3) regulations.The Center opened with the mission of helping to sustain the working poor through a temporary financial crisis by providing assistance with rent, utilities, food, work shoes, tools, and public transportation.

“Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, St. Luke’s welcomes you.”

Pastoral Crisis or Concerns?Call Beth Elliott at 404-873-7610, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., weekdays: X To connect with our Pastoral Care staff for such things as illness, hospitalization, miscarriage, divorce, unemployment;X To add a name to our parish prayer list or;X To have someone placed on the St. Luke’s Intercessory Prayer list to be prayed for daily.

After-hours and on weekends, call the church at 404-873-7600 to get the name and number of the priest on call.

May God bless you and comfort you in your difficult times as well as your joyful ones.

X

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Permit 486 Atlanta, GA435 Peachtree St. NE

Atlanta, GA 30308-3228

To Submit Articles

E-mail Hala Hess White [email protected]

or call 404-873-7630 to submit articles.

Deadline for the July edition

Wednesday, June 12by noon.

There will be just one edition in June and July.

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Sunday’s this Summer

June & July8 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Rite 18:40 a.m. Nursery opens

9 a.m. The St. Luke’s Forum

10 a.m. Holy EucharistRite IIwith Wiggle Church in the Hamilton Room and Garden

11:15 a.m. On the Lawn an assortment of fun gatherings and fellowship

Streaming live online at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.

We welcome the newly Baptized:

Suzanne Elaine Eaton Ward

Confirmation Sunday 2019 | Congratulations

Confirmed Brittany Lisa Huet

Howard Stanley Morrell, Jr.Theodore Golden PoundGrace Maffitt Lockhart

Charles Elliott KyleLucia Fernandez

Received Jennifer Marie MoellerSuzanne Elaine Ward

Reaffirmed Cynthia Wheeler Cass

Emily Elizabeth Renfroe

Congratulations to our graduating seniorsand to the 5th graders moving on to EYC

a twice monthly newsletter june 2019 st. lukes episcopal

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