A Newsletter by and for the people of Christ Church Bronxville

TheSpire

Feb. 2008 VOL. LXIII, No. 5

Contact us:914.337.3544

Monday-Thursday

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Fridays9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

www.ccbny.org

Children’s Formation 2

Adult Formation 3

Youth & Confirmation 4

Music at CCB 5

Parish Life 6

Ash Wednesday 7

February Highlights 8

At a Glance

Dear Friends in Christ,

Some of my fondest memories of growing up and into the Christian faith are memories of the season of Lent. There was (and remains) something about the barren church, the simple chants, the overall sense that something is very different, that has a power to call me—and us all—back to what is truly important.

In its beginnings, Lent was the season during which adults preparing for baptism stepped-up their efforts, and became more visible to their faith communities. Rites were celebrated to mark their gradual incorporation into the Body of Christ, leading to their baptisms, confirmations and first communions on Easter Eve. It was also the season in which those who had become separated from the church, whether through their own sin or through laxity in faith, prepared for reconciliation and homecoming. Although we often think of Lent as a time of personal growth and personal devotion, these origins testify to a different angle: just as Lent was a time for people to grow more deeply into relationship with their faith communities, so for us Lent can be a time to take stock and enter more

deeply into our common commitments to love God and neighbor through shared faith, shared prayer and shared efforts at making the world a better place for all God’s creatures.

One way for us to get in touch with the early origins of Lent is by reclaiming it as a time for baptismal preparation. For most of us, who are already baptized, this means making use of Lent as a time to prepare ourselves to renew our baptismal covenant on Easter Eve or Easter Day. I want to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in our Lenten “Sunday Short” series this year, in which we’ll focus on the Apostle’s Creed that stands at the heart of our Baptismal Covenant. We’ll meet on March 1st, 8th, 22nd and 29th at 11:15 a.m. in the Crispell Lounge, to explore what it means to believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and how this makes a difference in our world today. I hope to see you there!

Peace be with you,Fr. Cody Unterseher

Lent

Annual All Parish Meeting Vestry Election Resultsfrom Annual Meeting January 2009

Serving Three Year Terms

Sarah KraemerKen RichardsonRuth SingletonRich Whitney

Serving a One Year TermAmy Freed

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Children’s Christian Formation

Godly Play (Pre-K-1st Grade)Feb. 1st Follow Me-Jesus Chooses His DisciplesFeb. 8th Youth Sunday, Children’s Chapel at 9:45 AMFeb. 15th No Church SchoolFeb. 22nd Combined classes

Second GradeFeb. 1st Eucharistic Prayer A Feb. 8th Youth SundayFeb. 15th No Church SchoolFeb. 22nd Combined classes

Third GradeFeb. 1st RuthFeb. 8th Youth SundayFeb. 15th No Church SchoolFeb. 22nd Combined classes

Fourth GradeFeb. 1st The Prodigal Son and LazarusFeb. 8th Youth SundayFeb. 15th No Church SchoolFeb. 22nd Combined classes

Fifth GradeFeb. 1st Thomas Cranmer and John KnoxFeb. 8th Youth SundayFeb. 15th No Church SchoolFeb. 22nd Combined classes

Sixth GradeFeb. 1st HinduismFeb. 8th Youth SundayFeb. 17st No Church SchoolFeb. 22nd Combined classesFor more information please contact:Barbara PotgieterChildren’s Christian Formationbpotgieter@ccbny.org

Church School Calendar Youth Sunday

If your child (in grade 4, 5 or 6) would like to be an usher on one of our Youth Sundays, and they are not in the Sing ‘n Ring choir, please contact Barbara Potgieter or Deborah Ross. Upcoming Youth Sundays: February 8th, March 15th and May 3rd – we need 4 volunteers for each Youth Sunday.

The Spire

The Circus is Coming to Town!The Circus is Coming to Town! Come One! Come All! To the Greatest Little Show on Earth! On Friday, February 6th at 6:00 PM, Taylor Hall will be transformed into a Big Top when the Amazing Grace Circus comes to town.

Amazing Grace CIRCUS!, the Tri-state’s only year-round, all-youth circus, headquartered in Nyack, NY at Grace Episcopal Church, will amaze and astound you with their ‘Ambassadors of Mirth’ when they present their signature event “Enter the Circle: Take Center Ring” at Christ Church Bronxville.Children and parents will learn how to juggle balls, balance on globes, work the rola bola, perform classic clown routines, master acrobatic adagio acts, walk on the tightwire and perform human pyramids in their very own circus.AGC! youth troupe members and Ringmaster Mr. Amazing, will teach everyone everything they need to know to have an unforgettable evening of merriment. Then, at the end of the evening, AGC! Troupe will perform selected acts from their upcoming new show.This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for parents to participate WITH theirchildren and teens in an exciting and fun evening. Learn some valuable lessons of life from the lessons of circus.See you at the circus! Amazing Grace CIRCUS! is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization designated by the IRS for educational and charitable purposes. Our mission is to build C.I.R.C.U.S. into the lives...and education...of children and teens: Confidence.Imagination.Respect.Cooperation.Understanding.Spirit of Success for all.

Nursery Care is available for babies and children too young

for Church School.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Christ Church Bronxville “Green Christmas: Gardens in Malawi” fundraiser this December. We met our goal to plant a Permaculture Priest’s House Garden at St. Michael’s Parish in Lilongwe, Malawi. Our parishioners purchased seeds, tools, labor, irrigation

equipment, training and a teaching circle to make this dream come to life in 2009. Acknowledgment gift boxes were prepared for our parishioners to give to their loved ones in whose honor the gifts were made.

The demonstration garden will serve the congregation at St. Michael’s as well as those in need in the local community. If you would like to support the work of Christ Church Bronxville in Malawi but missed your chance in December, please contact Mo. Kate Malin at kmalin@ccbny.org. To see the video of last summer’s trip, visit www.lovesharvest.org.

Seminarian Jennifer Brown Lanier will be ordained to the DiaconateOn Saturday, March 7th, Jen Brown Lanier will be ordained a deacon at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine at 112th and Amsterdam Avenue. Mo. Kate Malin will be one of her presenters. You are cordially invited to attend the service, and we ask that you please keep Jen in your prayers as she prepares for this momentous event. For more information, contact Mo. Malin at kmalin@ccbny.org.

Our Lenten Sunday Short Series begins on Sunday, March 1st.Fr. Cody Unterseher will lead a series on the Apostles’ Creed as we all prepare to renew our Baptismal Covenant at the Easter Vigil or on Easter Sunday morning. Join him in the Crispell Lounge following the 10:00 am service on March 1st, March 8th, March 22nd and March 29th. You may come to one or all of the presentations. For more information, contact Fr. Unterseher at cody@ccbny.org.

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Adult Christian Formation

Green Christmasa holiday blockbuster!

Working Mothers’ Fellowship Wednesday February 4th at 7:00 pm in the Crispell Lounge

If you are a mother working outside the home who could use a little “time out” for the soul, you are not alone. Please join us for Working Mothers’ Fellowship on Wednesday, February 4th. Note that WMF has a slightly new format: we will begin at 7:00 pm in the Chapel of the Guardian Angels (through the Kensington Doors to the right and down the hall across from the library) for fifteen minutes of reflection and silent prayer. At 7:15, having made something of a transition from the stresses of the day, we’ll move up to the Crispell Lounge for conversation, comfy chairs, wine and other refreshments. So if your train is late, just come right to the lounge! No commitment is required and all are welcome. For more information, contact the Rev. Kate Malin at kmalin@ccbny.org.

Festive Tea honoring Bette MacGregory’s 90th Birthday

Snow and sleet and freezing rain did not prevent 40 revelers from gathering in the Crispell Lounge on Saturday January 10th for a festive high tea honoring Bette MacGregory’s 90 years. Her birthday was January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany. There was delicious food, lovely music, an enormous cake and very high spirits as all present en-joyed the warmth of fellowship on a chilly winter’s day. Thanks to all who prepared food and helped clean up afterwards, and a special thank you to Bette’s family who traveled many miles to make sure the party came off without a hitch.

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EYCPilgrimage to the Taizé MonasteryKrista Miller and Father Bird will lead members of the Episcopal Youth Community on their annual pilgrimage to the Taizé monastery, February 14th- 22nd. Taizé is a monastery for all Christians, focused on peace and reconciliation, that draws tens of thousands of youth between the ages of 14 and 30 each year. It is a place where teenagers from around the world gather to spend time in prayer and silence, build friendships and learn about other cultures.

When Christ Church was at Taizé last February, there were teenagers from thirteen different countries present. We learned the same game and its accompanying song in four languages! Many teens on the trip went home feeling that Taizé was the place where they truly discovered their personal relationships with God and began to under-stand the things we all have in common.

In addition to their time at Taizé, the teens will spend two days in Paris. While in Paris they will have a chance to recover from their jetlag and see all the sites that Paris has to offer.

EYC Mission Trip to GeorgiaAugust 8th-16thRegistration and $500 Deposit Due March 1stFor Information Contact kmiller@ccbny.orgTotal Cost $1200

The purpose of the EYC is to practice Christianity, and one of the most important parts of that practice is loving others as Christ loved us. We spend one week each summer putting that love into action through a mission trip. Our original plan, to return to the Diocese of Costa Rica, was tabled because of the current domestic and interna-tional economic crisis.

August 8th - 16th the EYC will serve others through various organizations in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. The early part of the week will be spent repairing homes in the developing community of Covington, Georgia. The second half of the week will be spent in downtown Atlanta at Episcopal social service organization Emmaus House. While at Emmaus House the teens will serve the homeless, spend time with the elderly, work with area children and experience the culture of Atlanta’s inner city. There will also be plenty of time for fun activities such as an Atlanta Braves game, whitewater rafting or some “outdoorsy” thing like it, a trip to the Georgia aquarium and more.

This trip will be a wonderful opportunity for our teenagers to experience southern culture, develop a relationship with people who are different from themselves, serve others in need and gain some great practical skills. I hope that all of the teens will take advantage of this life changing opportunity!

Registration forms and a nonrefundable $500 deposit are due March 1st. Please send them to Director of Youth Ministry Krista Miller at the church. Registration forms are available for download at ccbny.org.

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EvensongWhat is Evensong? Choral Evensong is simply a fancy way of saying Evening Prayer—Sung. It is one of the great musical traditions of our Anglican heritage. There’s nothing else like itout there!

When Evensong is presented, as it is several times each year at Christ Church, it is sung by one or a combination of our choirs and/or visiting choirs. Often one of Christ Church’s children’s or youth choirs participates in Evensong. One of the benefits to young singers is that it affordsthem the opportunity to learn chants and canticles, and memorize creeds and prayers. It also offers the possibility of singing anthems in diverse stylesranging from traditional sacred music to world music from Latin America, Africa, Native American traditions and beyond. It’s a beautiful, restful service totally appropriate to the time of day and one of the somewhat under-valued “treats” offered by Christ Church Bronxville to the community.

EVENSONG

February 8th 2008

5:00 P.M. Magnificat and Nunc dimittis by Charles Stanford

Arise, shine for your light has come by William Mathias

Sung by the Christ Church Choir

Evensong

Music

Winter Variety Show is Back!Christ Church Winter Variety ShowFriday March 27th Start Rehearsing NOW!!The Third Annual All-Parish Variety Show ison! It’s back and better than ever!! Mark your calendar for the Third Annual All-Parish Variety Show. Dancing, singing, kazoos and juggling, jokes and Shakespeare and magic tricks, not to mention the CCB staff and clergy as you’ve never seen them before! Performers, start rehearsing. Audience, circle the date. For more information, contact Amy Axelson at aaxelson@ccbny.org.

Monday, March 16th Save the date for A Night at the Tonys, with Broadway performances and a silent auction benefiting arts educator Young at Arts

Join Drama Desk award-winning Broadway Music Director Mary Mitchell Campbell and stars from the stages of the Great White Way as they perform a concert of Broadway favorites in the intimate setting of the church itself.Performers at last year’s benefit included performers from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, the Wicked Broadway Tour, La Scala and The Metropolitan Opera. Cocktails and a silent auction will precede the show. Among the prizes up for auction is a dinner prepared by Mary Ruth Rera, chef to Ralph Lauren. All proceeds will benefit the after-school performing arts programs of Young at Arts. Young at Arts, the recent recipient of an “All Our Children” grant from the Episcopal Diocese of New York and Trinity Church Wall Street, is at the forefront of filling

in the arts education gaps left by the public school system. Tickets: $125 / $300. 6:30 PM Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres - 7:30 PM Performance. Tickets may be purchased online at www.youngatarts.us or by calling 914 337 3544, Ext. 124.

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FebruaryBirthdays

2: Catherine Foster; 3: Amy Freed, Paige Nagle; 4: Hendrik Kranenburg; 7: Brian Firth, Carter Callaway; 8: Stephen Howard; 9: Hanna Buendia, Jim Beit, Stephen Mordaunt, Victoria Mordaunt; 10: Beckett Johnson;11: Joshua Philips, Patrick Conaton; 12: Sophie Cappello; 13: Christopher Behrens, Robert Murray; 14:Mary Territo; 15: Elizabeth Harrington, Sophia Montero;16: Andrew Garvey; 17: Blanche Johnson, Patrick Bird; 18: Agatha Dunbar, James Rooney; 19: Daniel Normile, Rita Durniak; 20: Betsy Howard, Thomas Bender; 21: Peyton Elder; 22: William Anderson; 23: Camilla Seirup, Didi Romley, Lorenzo Seirup; R. Scott Thomas; 24: Alekzandra Thoms, Christian Welch; 25: Lucille Noone, Richard Fursland, W. Hollis Petersen; 26: Halloran Garvey, Lila Hely, Peter Holland; 27: Charles McKhann, Cherry Lawrence, Molly O’Neil; 29: Mary Turino

Parish EventsSave the Date

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Tuesday February 24thDon’t miss our traditional fabulous feast of fluffy flipped flapjacks, courtesy of the Men of Christ Church Bronxville.

We are doubling the recipe this year so there will be plenty for all. Join us at 5:30 pm in Taylor Hall for the Feast before the Fast.

Please join us Sunday, February 8th as we honor the 35th Anniversary of the Eliza Corwin Frost Child Center.10:00 AM Family Service11:00 AM Celebratory Cake and CoffeeHosted by: ECFCC Steering Committee

Quilting Fever Hits Christ Church BronxvilleSince last October, about a dozen members of Christ Church Bronxville have been involved in an ambitious Outreach Project – making patchwork quilts for the residents of Fessenden House, a facility in Yonkers for men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction while dealing with major health problems. Guided by longtime CCB member Randy Frost, a fiber artist

and teacher, the enthusiastic participants have lent their hands to tear fabric into squares; pulled out sewing machines to stitch quilt tops together; and most recently, spent one Sunday afternoon tying knots where squares intersect to secure the quilt’s three layers. The final step will be to bind the raw edges before presenting these unique gifts in February. While it has been fun to watch quilt parts being exchanged on Sunday mornings, nothing will compare with the joy in seeing the 13 quilts completed and distributed. The quilters hope to provide each recipient bright color, warmth and a reminder that someone cares.

Thank you Ushers!

Thank you to the Christ Church Usher Teams for another successful year! We bid a fond farewell to Henri Gourd, a longtime faithful usher whose family relocated to CT during 2008. We welcomed Emily Simpson as a new usher. The participation of youth who ushered at many services was just wonderful, also! The usher team is grateful for all the extra duty contributed for the Christmas services and for special events all throughout the year. We are seeking people to join our teams: as there are four teams, ushers are on duty about once a month. We get to welcome and assist newcomers, collect and count contributions and enjoy being a part of the Sunday services. If you or your children or friends are interested in becoming an usher (even on a “back up” basis,) please contact Karen Carpenter at 667-1974. It’s very rewarding and we’d love to have you.

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Traditional Lenten Regulations:

The Book of Common Prayer indicates two days ofexpected fasting and abstinence from meat – AshWednesday and Good Friday.

For many Christians, Fridays in Lent have beendays of special observance, generally includingfasting. Traditionally, fasting has meant that onefull meal per day be taken. Two smaller mealshave also been allowed to maintain strength. Thetradition has also been to refrain from eating meaton Fridays.

Remembering Jesus’s death through some form ofobservance on Fridays is an important aspect ofany Lenten spiritual discipline. It is our hope thatthese Forty Days of Lent might be well used toset our hearts, minds and souls toward “things ofimportance.”

Ash Wednesday is February 25th

Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting and penitence, is the gateway to Lent. The ashes we receive remind us of our mortality. Our coming to receive them is a sign that we will make a sincere effort to cleanse our lives of sin and to put God first. Ash Wednesday calls us to put aside pride and choose humility. It calls us to acknowledge our failings and amend our hearts in the comfort of knowing that we are loved.

The Christ Church service schedule forAsh Wednesday is as follows:7:00 AM Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes12:00 PM Imposition of Ashes7:00 PM Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes

Ash Wednesday

Meeting for Malawi Trip Summer 2009 on Feb. 8th after 10:00 am serviceAre you interested in traveling to Malawi this summer? Mo. Malin is planning a trip with several other churches to visit our partner parishes and projects initiated and supported by Love’s Harvest. If you would like more information about the trip, come to a short meeting immediately following the 10:00 am service on Sunday Feb. 8th in the conference room. To see the video from last year’s trip, visit www.lovesharvest.org. If you cannot make the meeting but would like information, contact Mo. Malin at kmalin@ccbny.org.

Exploring Anglican IdentityJoin us over the next few weeks for a conversational study of Paul Avis’ recent book, The Identity of Anglicanism. We’ll meet on Sundays from 11:30 -12:15 in the Crispell Lounge [or the Conference Room, as space allows], on February 1, 8, 15 and 22, to discuss the text in light of our own experience of Anglican Identity as Episcopalians in the United States. Enjoy the book, and drop into the discussion sessions as you are able!

8 The SpireThe SpireChrist Church Bronxville17 Sagamore RoadBronxville, NY 10708-1599

Sunday Feb. 8th 10:00 AM Family Service Honoring the 35th Anniversary of the ECFCC 11:00 AM Celebratory Cake & Coffee 5:00 PM Evensong

Tuesday, Feb. 13th Annual Trip to Taizé (Feb. 13th-21st)

Sunday Feb. 15th 2:30 PM Counseling Center Chamber Music Series, music by Mozart and Chausson Monday Feb. 16th President’s Day-Church Office Closed

Wednesday Feb. 25th Ash Wednesday 7:00 AM Holy Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes 12:00 noon Imposition of Ashes 7:00 PM Holy Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes

Highlights

Healing Sunday Sunday February 1st is a Healing SundayThe sacrament of Laying on of Hands and Anointing with Holy Oil will be offered during the 10:00 am service of Holy Eucharist.