Holy Innocents and St Columba Episcopal Churches

Synergy Quintet Sunday Aug. 28 at 4pm

It's official! Synergy Brass Quintet returns to Holy Innocents on Sunday, August 28th at 4pm, with a dessert buffet to follow the concert. Tickets will soon be on sale, and this fundraiser will benefit Holy Innocents, so please tell friends and family to mark their calendars and save the date.

Synergy's dynamic concert performances are not to be missed! These fine young musicians present classical and popular music for everyone to enjoy, and they are at a very exciting point in their career. They'll also be performing at Ravinia on August 21st, so consider attending both concerts to show your support for good music, good food, and good friends.

I'm sure that more than a few of us will be wearing our Synergy T-shirts at one or both appearances, and of course shirts and CDs will be available for purchase at the concert as in previous years.

Elgin Opera June 19 3pm

Another date to save - Father's Day is Sunday June 19th, and on that day an opera group from Elgin will perform in concert at Holy Innocents at 3pm!

More information will be forthcoming.

Last Week, This Week

The readings for the previous week for the first Sunday in Trinity are here.

The readings for this Sunday, May 29:

Deuteronomy 11:18-21,26-28
Romans 3:21-25a,28
Matthew 7:21-27
Psalm 31 or 31:1-5,19-24

The Gospel reading:

Matthew 7:21-27

Jesus said. "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' Then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell-- and great was its fall!"

Let us all look to our own foundations (literal and spiritual) in preparation for this reading!

Classic Car Show July 10 9am to 330pm!

Save the date - the second annual Holy Innocents Classic Car Show returns Sunday, July 10. The event begins at 9am (car exhibitors arrive earlier than that to pick out a good spot). Car entries will be parked on our capacious lawn, and there will be food, prizes, activities, and surprises galore. This fundraiser will benefit both the church and the Schaumburg Food Pantry.

Services that day will take place, though possibly at a special time, so check back for updates. If you can't be there to volunteer, there will still be plenty of ways to contribute your time or talents. We're looking for food and prize donations, baked goods to be sold, and volunteers willing to contact the neighbors to let them know about the event so they can possibly plan to hold a garage sale.

If you're interested in entering a car, leave a message at the church office at , or watch this space for registration information. Last year we had 40 cars, and this year we could easily double that number, so act now.

Episcopal Day at Six Flags August 16

Save the date: August 16 will be Episcopal Day at Six Flags Great America.

Event Date:Aug 16, 2005 - Aug 16, 2005 12:00 AM
Location:Gurnee, IL
Contact:Sue Cromer at
Web site:Visit http://www.epischicago.org/DownloadResource.cfm?RecID=285 for more information

Come join us for a day of fun for: families, youth groups, campus ministries, young adult groups, and parish organizations! Bring your friends! Tickets Only $25.00 (same price as 2004) (a $20.00 savings off the main gate price!) A special "Meal Deal" may be purchased for 9.50, redeemable for any one of four meal packages.

Additionally, the Schaumburg Flyers have a number of "promotional events" at their games this season, and also they are sponsoring something called "Pray Ball" where a small donation (3% of our total ticket sales) might be made to the church, based on the number of Flyers that get on base safely during a specific inning at a game we attend as a group. This would need to be set up in advance through Carolina at the Flyers sales office, and they would let us know what inning is "ours." It sounds like a fun outing, and many dates are available now.

The Chocolat Pentecost

Somehow, we managed to do the Pentecost readings in our many different languages, even though a person or persons unknown had moved Father Ted's reading marker, and he began reading something completely other than we were expecting.

After a few seconds' tense silence on our part, wordless communication was exchanged somehow and he began with the words "Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." That was our cue.

All was well; very quickly a torrent of languages grew around the sanctuary. Some spoke more quickly and finished earlier, and some had more of a mouthful to pronounce and trailed off at the end.

Fr. Ted's sermon enlarged on the theme of differences between people, and communication in general. Even the slight hiccup at the beginning, he said, caused an interesting tension and gave our several readings the feeling of pent-up energy released (and not a little relief that we hadn't messed up).

Fr. Ted took as his "text" not only the Gospel reading for Pentecost, John 14 8-17, but events and characters from the movie Chocolat. In that movie, outsiders visiting an otherwise charming French village were treated very badly, because it was run like a medieval fiefdom by a member of the old aristocratic class, a real French count. And even villagers were treated badly, because they had to toe the old man's very rigid line, and the local priest had to suffer the indignity of having his sermons written for him.

And then a dangerous newcomer moved to town andd a very threatening business, right in the middle of Lent: a gourmet chocolate shop.

This beautiful chocolatier didn't attend church, treated everybody the same, and didn't knuckle under to social pressure to conform. And it's a good thing, because she single-handedly reconnected the villagers with passion, whether it be for food, life, or love. Even the village priest was inspired to give a moving Easter sermon while his patron lay unconscious in the shop window, about how Jesus wants us to live our lives for ourselves and others, and not mindlessly following rules.

There was something magical in the chocolate - but it was not an easy or a quick fix. Some characters struggled with the way others saw them and as they saw themselves, but most emerged better for it (with the exception of the count, who ended up passed out in the display window of the chocolate shop after a disastrous attempt to destroy the shop). A new spirit of tolerance and acceptance filled the little village, and people were much happier and more content.

As it happens, the French passion for fine, rich chocolate and good food in general is explained a little further in the current best seller French Women Don't Get Fat. It's an interesting book, but places a little too much emphasis on drinking Champagne with nearly every meal (the author is an executive with a well-known French Champagne house).

The ultimate lesson learned from the movie, aside from always insisting on fine chocolate and savoring it in small but rich bites, is that life should be lived with passion and joy, and that change should be embraced. And that people who are different from us often have the most to teach. We certainly experienced the differences Sunday, as we all struggled to pronounce French, Estonian, Polish, Spanish, Norwegian, Italian, Latin and Greek...many languages, but all saying the same thing.

Stewardship Workshop

The date for this event was given incorrectly in Anglican Advance - the correct date is May 21.

Event Date: May 21, 2005 9:30 AM - May 21, 2005 2:30 PM Location: Grace Church, Oak Park Contact: Jo Anne Moore at

A program of year-round stewardship can transform the spiritual life of a congregation. This yearÂ’s stewardship workshop will feature presentations on stewardship planning, various ways to conduct a successful appeal, how to make stewardship a year-round process, and the theology of giving. Mike Stephenson, development director for the diocese, will lead the group presentations. Lay leaders from three congregations will present details of their most recent stewardship campaign, then lead small-group discussions on the specific needs of family-, pastoral-, and program-size churches.

To register, please contact Jo Anne Moore at the diocesan center, , or jmoore, by May 16. The cost is $15 per person, which includes lunch. Please make checks payable to the Diocese of Chicago, and note “Stewardship Workshop” in the memo line. -- Chicago Diocese -- Stewardship Workshop

Readings for the Day of Pentecost

The Gospel for this Sunday will be read in a variety of languages - so far we have readers for Latin, Greek, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and a variety of other European languages. I will have more readings with me for Polish, Arabic, and Estonian that I found online, as several more readers volunteered their services on Sunday. We will all begin reading after the first line of the Gospel, clearly and expressively, as if we are speaking to a friend.

Readings in more languages are available (Tagalog, Thai, Swahili, Maori, and a number of other Asian and African languages). If you speak one of these languages and would like to read, please contact the webmistress. This is a great opportunity to invite someone to church, and a great opportunity for someone who is looking for a church home to "take the plunge."

This is the Gospel that Father Ted will read (quite loudly, he assures us):

John 14:8-17 Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."

An Unexpected Treat

Bishop Persell was unable to be with us last Wednesday as preacher and presider at our combined service of Ascension Eve, and our prayers go out to him and to his wife Nancy. She was recovering from a recent medical procedure and Bp. Persell felt he needed to be at home with her.

However, we were in for a special treat; the Rev. Randall Warren, diocesan pastoral care officer, stepped in to preach a dynamic and exciting (and quite funny) homily. He preached on the literal incarnation of the Word and the church; how God breathes out and we breathe in, being inspired by Him. And how we breathe out and God breathes in, taking our praise and supplication.

Fr. Randall preached without notes, and he prowled about the chancel gesturing and telling personal stories illustrating his points about "doing" church, "being" church, welcoming people and leaving plenty of room for discourse between people of different beliefs. Fr. Randall is currently vicar of Christ the King in Lansing, IL.

The service was conducted by members and clergy from Holy Innocents, St Columba, Incarnation, St Bede, and St Nicholas. Far from being a solemn, "churchy" event, it was a fun evening of laughter, music... and some truly awesome desserts afterwards.

Bishop Persell Visits Holy Innocents May 4

Bishop William D. Persell will be preacher and presider tonight, Wednesday May 4 at 7pm at Holy Innocents for a special service in celebration of Ascension Eve. The service is hosted jointly by Holy Innocents, St Columba of Iona, and the Church of the Incarnation.

Dessert will be served downstairs in the Undercroft (church hall) afterwards. Please join us tonight in welcoming the bishop to our communities!

For more information on Bishop Persell, see the his bio on the diocesan website.

Ministry Day May 7 St Mary's Park Ridge

Event Date: May 7, 2005 8:30 AM - May 7, 2005 5:00 PM
Location: St. Mary's, Park Ridge
Contact: Anne Cothran at
Web site: Visit the Resource Detail page for more information

The Ministry in Daily Life conference, sponsored by the Office of Christian formation, the Commissions on Ordained and Lay Ministry, and the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, will focus on living out the baptismal covenant. The conference brings together aspects of other diocesan discernment events: lay ministry, ordained ministry discernment day, youth vocations fair, and youth ministry. A Youth Vocation Event, Friday evening through Sunday noon, and a College and Young Adult Event, Friday evening through Saturday evening, will be held concurrently at St. Mary's, Park Ridge.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Timothy Sedgewick, professor of Christian ethics at Virginia Theological Seminary.

For a description of workshops visit Ministry Day Workshops
-- Chicago Diocese -- Ministry Day: I will with God's help

E-Mail Announcements List

We now have the ability to offer an announcements mailing list for those of you who have email. A number of you have included your email addresses in the church directory, so we may use that as a starting point.

This would be used strictly for parish announcements, and not for discussion. Email addresses will be confidential and will not be given to any third party for any reason without permission.

If you would like your email address added to the announcements list, please send a message to the webmistress with "MAILING LIST" in the subject line.

Ascension Eve May 4 7pm

Readings for Ascension Day, BCP

There are several choices for readings for Ascension Day. Bishop Persell will even have 2 choices for Collects:

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

or this

Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Whichever he chooses, it will be a memorable service. Don't forget to bring desserts to share.

In The Vineyard

Father Ted's sermon yesterday enlarged on the Gospel reading:

John 15:1-8

Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

Father Ted told us how years ago in Texas he planted a vineyard and described the years of committment that took in terms of allowing for growth, forming, and pruning in order to balance the needs of the plant with the maximum amount of yield. Watch this space, as the full text of the sermon has been requested.

Although Fr. Ted's favorite grape to sample (and wine) is chardonnay, these are probably cabernet. The photo was taken on a trip last September to the Napa Valley. And yes, there's nothing sweeter than a perfectly ripe grape plucked off the vine and eaten on the spot. Some winegrowers encourage visitors to do this by providing "tasting" vines; stopping at random in the wine country and tasting grapes without checking in at the winery first is not recommended.