Advent 2013
Hospitality
The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri 1210 Locust Street St. Louis, Missouri 63103 ph: 314-231-1220 online: diocesemo.org email: info@diocesemo.org
Bishop Wayne Smith’s message to the Diocese
continued on page 3
A new kind of convention Task Force imagining offers convention joyous opening Eucharist, space for Sabbath, small group discussions Last year at convention, Bishop Wayne got the ball rolling by imagining how an annual gathering that was not all business might look. In early summer, he appointed members to a task force charged with dreaming big: Lynette Ballard, just completing a term as member of the General Convention Deputation from Missouri and member of Grace Church/St. Matthew’s Kirkwood/Warson Woods; Simone Camp, Diocesan Council member and St. Alban’s Church parishioner; Pamela Dolan, Rector of Good Shepherd Church; Mike Kinman, Dean of the Cathedral; and Carolyn Spore from Rockwell House, campus ministry at Wash U. Make no mistake, this was a huge task. The team oversaw working groups for worship, Sabbath, and helped ease in times of “not-business” into the packed schedule. Evaluations, and the buzz during convention and in following days indicate that opening with Communion was a highlight. Music struck just the right feel between traditional and contemporary styles. Many thanks to musicians Mike Clark and Ben Schabelski (cathedral), Leslie Scoopmire (Holy Communion), Jon Hall (Rector of St. Martin’s), and Marshall Crossnoe (Vicar of St.
Alban’s and St. Mark’s Portland), all under the leadership of Eliza Lynn. Heard frequently that day, “you mean you just started playing together as a group this week?” On every table was a basket made by Mothers Union members in the Diocese of Lui, into which bread was brought. Convention attendees each brought their offerings forward individually, and one from each table brought forward the gift of bread.
The Sabbath planning team of Dolan, Emily Hillquist Davis (Vicar St. Thomas Deaf Church), Dan Handschy (Rector of Advent Church) and Lesley McIntire (Good Shepherd) were able to create an oasis in a modern day hotel setting. “Holy yoga” was offered between the business sessions, and an entire ballroom was set up with Sabbath seekers in mind: Lura Koch played Tibetan singing bowls, the cathedral brought a labyrinth to walk, there were prayers-to-go, and continued on page 6
the culture of our own Church, We are gathered around taand it may provide a useful word to bles, and gathered at a table, in the use alongside evangelism and, yes, presence of an icon showing the sometimes even to replace it. OfHoly and Undivided Trinity at a table. Perhaps the most famous Orten hospitality requires lavish and impractical offerings from us. The thodox icon in the world, Rublev’s ointment poured by the woman in Trinity re-tells the story from the the gospel would cost $41,140 in Genesis reading, Abraham and Sarour currency, a sum ah showing hospitalcourtesy of the Cenity to three strangers. Christian imagination Time and again, sus Bureau and some has it that they are simple arithmetic. Jesus accepts showing hospitality to Jesus accepted her hospitality, and hospitality and deGod, in the three persons—or as the case fended her against often from the is in the icon, God is those going berserk wrong people... over her so-called showing hospitality to us. The three persons, wastefulness. Time ethereal, other-worldand again, Jesus acly, belong together; in fact they are cepts hospitality, and often from the bound together through their body wrong people. What in the world is language and gestures. The openhe doing in the home of Simon the Leper that night? The paradigmatic ing at the table is toward us, the wrong kind of person was a leper. viewers, welcoming us into God’s Around these tables, gathered own feast and God’s own life. Our at a table, in the presence of an icon understanding is that at the heart showing the Holy and Undivided of God’s life lies an openness to the Trinity at table, we are going to pay Other, openness to the Stranger. attention to our manners of hospiHospitality, the offering of welcome, is deeply embedded in tality, the giving of it and the receivcontinued on page 6
Sabbath at Convention
Diocesan member Laura Leist Catalano blogs her family’s first visit to a diocesan convention On Saturday morning, I took all three kids (ages 1, 5, and 8) to the Diocese of Missouri Annual Convention. It was my first trip to a diocesan convention in 35 years as an Episcopalian. In the past, I had not paid much attention convention news because I am not interested in amendments, resolutions and whatever else I guessed went on there. This year, I heard (through Facebook, of course) that there would be Tibetan singing bowls, and freshly roasted coffee, and convention bingo, so I decided to check it out. I also was assured it was ok to attend even though I had neglected to register. The kids had a great time visiting the vendors, which was basically trick-or-treating for the kids since they all had candy to share. Then
we went on to the Sabbath room, where I tweeted about our activities with the #DioMo hashtag. Wa l k ing the labyrinth. My 8 yr old son really enjoyed walking the labyrinth and followed it closely. My 5 yr old son ran the pathway, and my 1 yr old daughter wandered all over. Coloring Prayers. My 5 yr old son enjoyed drawing with a variety of markers, pens and paper. continued on page 4
Photos: the Rublev icon; Dean Mike Kinman’s panorama of convention Eucharist; the Deacons of the Diocese with Bishop Wayne, courtesy Deacon Harry Leip; two images from Laura Catalano’s blog about Sabbath time at convention; convention Eucharist receiving the gifts, and the baskets from Diocese of Lui, South Sudan (photo from Evelyn Smith) on each table.