EPIPHANY STAR Church of the Epiphany March 2017 The little white church on the corner 1530 Lafayette Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23509 * www.epiphanynorfolk.org

epiphany.norfolk@earthlink.net * (757)622-7672

Clergy Clatter

The last Diocesan Council I attended was 2009. The National Church was in turmoil over gay clergy, bishops and marriage. Parishes were breaking away, leaving a divided church. Our Diocese had its own chaos after letting go in disgrace the previous Bishop. Bishop Hollerith was elected in the middle of all this contention. The nation and world were falling into an international financial crisis. What a mess.

At the time of this 125th Diocese of Southern Virginia Council we find our country and the world still a mess, with Brexit, terrorism, war and the largest refugee migration since WWII (all of which are creating disease, poverty and homelessness). Our domestic politics have gotten us to the point where we can’t agree on what facts are or what truth is.

In his address to the Diocesan Council Bishop Hollerith made the distinction for us from where the Episcopal Church was just a few years ago to where we are now. He noted that 1892, the first year of the Diocese of Southern Virginia Council, was also the opening of Ellis Island to European immigrants.

The Bishop finds a bright spot in this national and international uncertainty in parishes in this Diocese working “to maintain a non-anxious presence. and to be places of sanctuary for the perplexed, the downhearted and the disenfranchised.” (continued)

Notes on Council 2017 Submitted by Todd Bissonnette

O .K. God. We need to talk. When you designed this “vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island

home,” what in the world were you thinking when you put the human body together? I mean, we’re really interesting, amusing, sometimes beautiful, always a little off center, but you gave us a whole bunch of extra parts that we apparently don’t need, and did nothing but cause us pain and misery. Years ago I had my appendix removed right in the middle of exams. It was most inconvenient. The doctor told me that the appendix does nothing and I’d never know it was gone. Prior to that, there were wisdom teeth that had to be cut out. The dentist said they serve no purpose and needed to go, lest they become impacted. Then why did I have them? Last week it was the gallbladder. It had to come out, which is no piece of cake, even with laparoscopic surgery. The first thing the doctor said was, “Don’t worry. You don’t need it and won’t miss it.” Ahhh. And how about a few other little things, like our fifth toes? They apparently serve no purpose other than getting caught on the leg of a piece of furniture in the middle of the night, resulting in pain, misery, much cursing, and a lot of jumping around. If they are just a test for midnight balance, we can find a better way of doing that. When I was in school we were taught what was called, “selective evolution.” I have no idea whether or not they still teach it; but the idea was that we are continually evolving. Useless or unattractive things become dormant and disappear, while other traits become attractive or useful. So what’s going on here? There is nothing attractive about a gallbladder, especially full of stones. These things need to go! So God, can we have a little redesign of the current human model, and clean up some of this useless stuff? You will be saving all of us much grief and

misery if we don’t have to deal with these things. And by the way, I’ll also keep this in mind this Lent. Maybe I have a few wisdom teeth, gallbladders, fifth toes, and appendices in my spiritual life that could use a little redesigning. I’ll check it out, God. Maybe we can both clean things up a little. Richard+

Vestry

Highlights

February VESTRY

Agreed to contract with Womble Generator Service for purchase and installation of an emergency generator and authorized Ray Steckman to purchase a new sump pump. These actions will help prevent future basement flooding and safeguard the church's furnaces.

Delayed purchase of benches for the church yard

until spring, when some can be found locally to avoid high shipping charges.

Agreed to continue negotiating for a maintenance

contract for the elevator. Accepted plans for the Lenten season, including

the pancake supper on Feb. 28, headed by Mary Shaffer; Ash Wednesday services at noon and 6 p.m. March 1; and Lenten programs at 6 p.m. on Thursdays, starting March 9 with a fireside chat with Fr. Bridgford and the Rev. Ashby.

Approved the Parochial Report, which shows

Epiphany's active membership at 109 at the end of 2016, the same as it was in 2015.

1 Linda Armstrong 5 Lukah Fernandez 6 James Coaxum 6 Samantha Willis 7 Kitty Sizemore 8 Sharri Keller and

Dawn Blair 10 Carol Fernandez 16 Marcie Kidd 17 Chris Colburn 19 Eva Marie Hoffman 20 Sherry Pebworth 24 Dottie Isaac 28 Jimmy Eason

2 Susanna and Brian Wilson 26 Cheryl and Joe Turner 27 Sheila and Bobby Brinck

The Bishop touched on the “hand in hand” ministries of outreach and social justice; e.g. a soup kitchen for those in hunger while social justice asks why there is hunger and what can be done to alleviate it. We, as the Episcopal Church, are, as the Bishop says, “well situated to raising issues in local communities working for positive change.

The Episcopal Church has always been at the front of social issues. As disciples of Christ we can explore both social justice and outreach.

I came away from the 125th Diocese of Southern Virginia Council with hope. We were a fractured church just a few years ago. We can be a whole country a few years from now, by the grace of God.

Congratulations & Welcome

We congratulate those who were confirmed and received by Bishop Hollerith on February 5th:

James Coaxum, Jr. Randy Eason

Cassidy Fernandez Kaylee Fernandez

Sherri Keller Barbara A. Lester Nakiah Newsome Jaylah Newsome

Jonas Porter Angela Stein

Kedron Fix (Church of the Good Shepherd)

Claire Hoffman ( Church of the Advent) Ann Bolen Joan Feret

Karla Keelean Mary Turner

We would also like to welcome Lem Apperson who has transferred in as a confirmed communicant.

Lenten Program

Each Thursday from March 9 until April 13 we will share a pot luck dinner beginning at 6 PM which will be followed by a program at 6:30.

March 9 - Fireside Chat with the Revs. Richard Bridgford and Julia Ashby. This will be an opportunity to ask any questions you might have about the Bible, theology, history, ethics, the church, being a priest, etc. Julia and Richard will do their best to meet your challenges.

March 16 - Todd Bissonnette will discuss the history of early monastic prayer and Vivienne Alexander will talk about Marian Prayer and the rosary.

March 23 - Mary Shaffer will present a travelogue of her 2016 trip to the Holy Land.

March 30 - Virginia Van Horn will discuss the Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Born in Rome in 1593, she was the daughter of an artist. Like Caravaggio (last year’s program), her early years were filled with scandal and turmoil, and these were reflected in her paintings.

April 6 - TBD April 13 - Maundy Thursday Liturgy at 6 p.m. followed by an Agape Meal and stripping of the altar. An Agape meal is a meatless pot luck supper eaten in silence while a portion of the Gospel of John is read aloud. The choir will sing during the service.

The Epiphany Star The monthly newsletter of Church of the Epiphany,

1530 Lafayette Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23509 Priest in Charge: The Rev. Richard Bridgford

Assisting Priest: The Rev. Julia Ashby epiphany.norfolk@earthlink.net

www.epiphanynorfolk.org or (757) 622-7672

Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia

“Friend” the diocese at www.on.fb.me/diosova. Visit the Diocese website at www.diosova.org, and their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/TheDioSoVa.

Mar Lector Chalicer Usher

5 J. Cronin M. Scott C. Colburn

12 M. Kidd J. Cronin J. Rochelle

19 T. Bissonnette M. Scott D. Swain

26 A. Colburn T. Bissonnette K. LaPointe

Worship Volunteer Schedule

Epiphany Prayer List

Sheila Brinck Marie Maddox

Easter Egg Hunt

Candy Needed!

We’ll be hosting our annual Easter Egg Hunt after 11:00 worship on Easter Sunday! Please bring individually wrapped candy and place it in the container in the Narthex! Thank You!

Don’t forget! If you would like to dedicate an Easter lily to someone, please fill out a form and turn it into the office no later than Wednesday, March 29th so that it will appear in the insert on Easter Day.

Good Friday Offering Again this year we will join other Episcopal churches by designating our Good Friday offering to the Anglican Church in Jerusalem. This is a long-standing tradition in the Episcopal Church. Please be generous.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Office open 9 - 3

Choir 7:00

2

11:00 Susan Styron

funeral

3

Al Anon 10 AM-1 PM

4

5

Holy Eucharist 8 and 11 am

6 7

Office open 9 - noon

8

Office open 9 - 3

Choir 7:00

9

Vestry 6:30 PM

10

Al Anon 10 AM-1 PM

11

12

Holy Eucharist 8 and 11 am

13 14

Office open 9 - noon

HRRC 6

15

Office open 9 - 3

Choir 7:00

16 17

Al Anon 10 AM-1 PM

18

19

Holy Eucharist 8 and 11 am

20 21 Office open

12:30-2 Norfolk

Clericus at Epiphany

LWCL 6:30-9

22

Office open 9 - 3

Choir 7:00

23 24

Al Anon 10 AM-1 PM

25

26

Holy Eucharist 8 and 11 am

27 28

Office open 9 - noon

29

Office open 9 - 3

Choir 7:00

30 31

March 2017