2020 Pentecost Southern Cross Magazine

VOLUME 51 | ISSUE 2

PENTECOST 2020

Southern Cross MAGAZINE OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

An Ever-Present

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IN OUR TIME AWAY

• THE OBJECT OF GOD’S GRACE

REIMAGINING WORSHIP • PARISH PROFILE: ST. BEDE • CONFRONTING HISTORY

YOUTH SUMMER CAMPS Our campers participate in a Christian program designed to deepen their faith and strengthen their friendships through a variety of activities. Campers learn team-building skills and are challenged on our ropes courses, enjoy canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding on the Manatee River, and get a chance to just be themselves playing games and creating arts and crafts. Come experience God’s love through great music, worship and food this summer! Three sessions are planned for 2020: for the latest updates and more details, head to

CAMP

WWW.DAYSPRINGFLA.ORG

2020

ADOPT-A-CAMPER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Support our diocesan youth ministry by participating in the Adopt-A-Camper Scholarship program! Your donation sends a child to a camp session they may otherwise be unable to attend, and gives them memories which last a lifetime. You’ll receive a thank you note from your camper, and if you choose, you can inspire them with a note to your camper ahead of their camp session. For more information about this program, contact Matthew Bowers, Camp Director / Director of Youth Ministry & Programming at

mbowers@episcopalswfl.org

BEST. SUMMER.

EVER.

From the Bishop THE BETTER CHARACTER OF OUR ANGELS My Dear Friends, This has been a difficult time for the Church and for our blend of global cultures. I called one of my good friends a month ago to simply process our thoughts as he is a scholar. John Bauerschmidt, the Bishop of Tennessee, helped me think about the distress of the Pandemic through the pages of global history. I asked him what he thought about the Church's response in previous times of plague and pandemic. He remembered a particular book titled Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages by R. W. Southern. He noted that the account is eerily familiar to our present state: the level of infection varied from place to place; the economic impact was huge; and that social disruption was a major factor. The response of the Church in the Middle Ages was mixed. Some fled; some stayed at their posts. There was terrible blame and tremendous suffering. Southern wrote, "But it is important to remember how frequent they were in medieval Europe, how easily popular expectations were stirred, and what an essential part these expectations played in making life tolerable for large masses of people whose only hope lay in a sign from heaven.”

I am reminded of a statement from another writer who simply said it is like taking a test that we didn’t study for. As we continue to look forward in hope, we also seek the healing of humanity. In this time of great uncertainty it remains difficult to plan for the future. There is protest in the streets and violence raised against one another. The Church’s voice continues to speak out about racial injustice and the need for reconciliation.

I have to say that I am immensely proud of the congregations of Southwest Florida and pleased with the creative energies of the clergy and lay leaders. People are being fed; worship is wonderfully offered; and trust in the midst of uncertainty is being realized. I think that you will agree with me that the faithful here have stayed at their posts! It is clear that every particular century can raise the spectre of fear and global disease and yet God’s Love can, and will, prevail.

This particular issue of the Southern Cross will remain an archived piece of historical record of what we’ve been through and who we are…as we learned how to take a test for which we didn’t study. This time will end. In the meantime, we hold each other in prayer and try to form the better character of our angels.

Bishop Dabney Smith Fifth Bishop of Southwest Florida

SOUTHERN CROSS

YEAR 51 | ISSUE 2 | PENTECOST 2020 FIRST PUBLISHED AD 1970

Matthew Bowers | Director of Youth Ministry & Programming mbowers@episcopalswfl.org Geraldine “Jerry” Buss | Bookkeeper jbuss@episcopalswfl.org Marilyn Erfourth | Receptionist merfourth@episcopalswfl.org The Rev. Martha Goodwill | Director of Congregation Support mgoodwill@episcopalswfl.org The Rev. Christopher Gray | Canon for Stewardship cgray@episcopalswfl.org

Bishop | The Diocese of Southwest Florida The Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith Assisting Bishops The Rt. Rev. J. Michael Garrison, The Rt. Rev. Barry R. Howe Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Canon Richard H. Norman Canon for Finance & Administration | CFO Anne Vickers SOUTHERN CROSS

Michelle Mercurio | Administrative Assistant mmercurio@episcopalswfl.org

Editor & Director of Communications Garland Pollard

The Ven. Dr. Kathleen Moore | Archdeacon; Dean, School for Ministry kmoore@episcopalswfl.org

Managing Editor & Creative Director Shannon Weber

The Rev. Richard H. Norman | Canon to the Ordinary rnorman@episcopalswfl.org Carla Odell | Executive Director - DaySpring execdirector@dayspringfla.org Garland Pollard | Director of Communications gpollard@episcopalswfl.org Greg Randall | Director of Youth Ministry & Programming grandall@episcopalswfl.org (through 7/31) Tana Sembiante | Administrative Assistant to Canon Norman tsembiante@episcopalswfl.org Anne Vickers | Canon for Finance & Administration | CFO avickers@episcopalswfl.org ADJUNCT CLERGY The Rev. Ann Dieterle | DaySpring Program Coordinator adierterle@episcopalswfl.org The Rev. Carol Fleming | Diocesan Missioner, Parrish cfleming@episcopalswfl.org The Rev. Adrienne Hymes | USF Chaplain, Missioner Church Ext. ahymes@episcopalswfl.org The Rev. Michael Todd | State College of Florida Chaplain mtodd@chsosprey.org

Contributing Writers The Rev. Lenny Anderson, the Rev. Edward Gleason, Ayana Grady, the Rev. Virginia Herring, the Rev. Charles Mann, the Rev. Carla McCook, the Rev. Vickie McDonald, the Rev. Bryan O’Carroll, Donald Scott, the Rev. Robert Vaughn Advertising Inquiries Garland Pollard | 941-556-0315 | gpollard@episcopalswfl.org Subscriptions | The Southern Cross is mailed free of charge to parishioners of the Diocese of Southwest Florida from member parish lists. Contact merfourth@episcopalswfl.org to subscribe or update delivery preferences.

Editorial Submissions | The editors welcome submission of articles for every section of the magazine, including features, news and departments. Please submit articles to gpollard@episcopalswfl.org 2020 Submission Deadlines Advent Issue: October 23 On the cover:

Clergy from the Diocese of Southwest Florida meet March 31, 2020 via a Zoom teleconference. Operations of the diocese continued throughout the pandemic, albeit virtually.

Facing page: The St. Bede Anglican library.

FEATURES

22 IN OUR TIME AWAY

Clergy from the diocese shared their hearts during quarantine. A few select pieces from parishes that include St. Edmund, Arcadia; St. Margaret of Scotland, Sarasota and St. George, Bradenton.

34 THE OBJECT OF GOD'S GRACE

In a first-person account, Donald Scott - a parishioner at Trinity-bythe-Cove and former Air Force pilot - reflects on the instances in his life when God's grace was revealed to him.

38 REIMAGINE

Without regular assembly at our church buildings, the diocese was forced to reimagine what church was, and is, about. A report on music, outreach, ministry, book clubs and Bible studies.

DEPARTMENTS Mission | Food Pantries Rise to the Occasion Episcopal Charities | Mid-Year Grants Meet the Deacon | The Rev. Bill Gilmore My Favorite Hymn | Mari Reive Church Cookbook Love | Summer Fare Community | Local Groups work to Confront History Events | A Record-Setting Retreat

FIRST PERSON | AYANA GRADY, ST. JOHN'S DaySpring | (re)Welcoming Our Guests Briefly | Hurricane Season Parish Profile | St. Bede Books In Memoriam Transitions Looking Back

6 9 10 11 12 14 15

16 18 19 20 46 48 49 50

Mission

FOOD PANTRIES RISE TO THE CHALLENGE

Our network of food pantries has worked double-time over the past few months, meeting increased need in their areas while reinventing themselves to keep their work at a safe distance.

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hroughout this time of navigating COVID-19, food pantries nationally have been under stress: responding to increased need from clients due to unemployment combined with fewer volunteers, as many have had to stay home due to health concerns. Here in Southwest Florida, our food pantries are staying ahead of the challenge, but just barely.

“We have not had to turn anybody away,” said the Rev. Micheal Sircy, the deacon at St. George’s, Bradenton, which is one of the busiest food pantries in the diocese, serving the area between Sarasota and Bradenton, near SRQ Airport.

While close to the water, it also has nearby communities in need, and many elderly on fixed incomes. But the Lord has been providing. At a recent food giveaway, they literally “ran out of food with the last person,” Sircy said.

During the months of the virus, St. George’s saw a large increase in clients needing help. In April 2019, the food pantry saw 326 families, representing 1,014 people. In April 2020, they saw 420 families representing 1,192 clients, or 178 more. In May there was a similar increase, from 316 in 2019 clients representing 978 people to 455 families, representing 1,343 people. That’s an increase of 135 families.

At St. George’s, as with other food pantries, the community has stepped in to help. Manatee County has been calling them weekly to ensure that they have what they need, and they have donated masks, gloves and hand sanitizer on hand. The United Way stepped in with a $5,000 donation to assist them in meeting needs across the area.

One issue with many of the diocesan food pantries during these unusual times is the age of the volunteers. While

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youth can step in to help over the summer, they are not able to be there weekdays during school hours. Volunteer activities like pantries are enjoyable for the congregation, who often use time in service to others as a time of fellowship. At St. George’s, they have been blessed by volunteers from the nearby Oak Pointe Presbyterian Church, which supports the nearby retirement homes, Presbyterian Villas. St. George’s has been providing 80 bags of food regularly to residents there, and those outside volunteers have been a welcome sight. Sircy says that even with help, it can be a challenge to meet demand, and he steps in frequently to load cars alongside volunteers.

His usual job is directing traffic.

All Souls, North Ft. Myers, maintains a large food pantry operation and also partners with the Harry Chapin Food Pantry. To accommodate health concerns, they also transitioned their operation outside to allow for social distancing. The parish deacon, the Rev. Sandy Johnson, said that they were permitted by the partner agency to give away food without registration, which kept interactions between volunteers and staff to an absolute minimum.

Congregations that do not have their own in-house food pantries have all been able to steer aid within their own communities. The Cathedral in St. Petersburg’s outreach committee is working to support the efforts of Cathedral members, many of which who have donated time and money to the St. Petersburg Free Clinic and Daystar Life Center, which provides food and other services to the needy. St. John’s, Brooksville, has been collecting food for the DayStar food pantry.

Even well-established food pantries have had to adapt.

The St. Giles Food Pantry in Pinellas Park, which has been serving the community for over 40 years, had to transition from a one-day-a-week pantry. Bill Masi, manager of the pantry, said that he has adjusted from a one-day pantry to being open daily, in order to not have too many people in one place at one time. Currently, as the clients have driven through, they are just checked in via a clipboard list in the drive-through, asked to pop their trunk, and supplies are loaded in, which saves on close-contact interactions, Masi said.

St. Giles' has employed a creative approach to their food procurement as well. Often they have been able to source food from Aldi, which has regularly been the most inexpensive source for a variety of packaged goods. However, Aldi has limits on purchase quantities, so they have come up with alternative solutions for what they can provide clients. While they have plenty of eggs and USDA commodities because of their affiliation with Religious Community Services, they had also relied on a yearly USPS postal food drive, which had provided yearly over two tons of donations: a drive which was discontinued this year due to health concerns.

St. Margaret of Scotland in Sarasota has stepped in to help the food pantry operation at St. Wilfred. St. Wilfred has a strong food pantry operation, but as of late, the relative age of the volunteers who regularly serve has been a challenge: among the volunteers is a 93-year-old former Tuskegee Airman. “St. Wilfred is not a young parish; finding people with a heart for service is easy, but often the physical aspects of the job can be an obstacle,” said Coleman Knott, the St. Wilfred parishioner who manages the St. Wilfred program.

St. Margaret’s provides volunteers and food donations, and the Rev. Carla McCook, who is dean of the Manasota Deanery, has encouraged her congregation to actively support the effort.

In the midst of continued food operations, they have completely reinvented the process by which it is executed. The parish had a meticulously-planned giveaway inside the parish hall, but because it was not safe to be inside in close contact with volunteers, food had to be sorted with a minimum of volunteers inside, and brought to individual cars in a drive through line. The parish purchased a tent for protection from direct sun and heat, and are adapting to this new environment as best they can.

“It’s very difficult to do it this way,” said Knott. “Because of the virus, we can’t put people in the church buildings.

Everything is done in the back parking lot. It’s a lot of work, and being outside doesn’t make it easier.”

The changing nature of the community needs also creates challenges. While the first Friday they were open they saw around 160 families, attendance has dropped during the period of time they had to take to adjust the operation.

Presently, the need has climbed back to around 95 families served weekly. Knott believes that the government is helping, but because the needs are inconsistent as the human crisis

unfolds, they find it difficult to plan well, especially with fresh goods and frozen goods, which St. Wilfred’s has encouraged.

There have also been new efforts that have expanded. At Holy Innocents’ Valrico, their Transforming Lives for Christ Feeding Ministry seeks to spread the Gospel, feeding souls while providing nourishing hot meals to those in need in the Brandon/Valrico/Dover areas of eastern Hillsborough County.

Due to the pandemic, TLC has increased its feedings from one to three times per month, increasing meals provided from 50 to 625 meals from March to April 2020. Volunteer and parishioner Bill Cox says the program has been essential, literally, bringing God's love to his people in need, feeding souls and bodies.”

Facing page, the parking lot distribution of the All Souls Food Pantry. Top, setting up bags for distribution ahead of time. Above, meals were still offered to clients.

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Mission FOOD PANTRIES NEED YOUR HELP!

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ncreased need in Southwest Florida will continue through the summer. Because our economy is tourism-based, Deacon Mike Sircy of St. George’s says the recovery will be delayed, even if some things do return to a partial normal.

Even parishes that have only donation baskets can still play a part. Every parish in the Diocese collects food and supports local food needs. The diocese also has a network of food pantries directly operated by parishes. Below are some of the larger on-site pantries.

BRADENTON | THE LORD’S PANTRY A mission of Christ Episcopal Church that is supported by the Christ Church Thrift Shop. Food is donated by members and the students, faculty and parents of Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School. 415 42nd St. W., Bradenton, FL 34205; 941-747-3709

ENGLEWOOD | JUBILEE CENTER AT ST. DAVID The parish’s Englewood food pantry is a key mission of the church; it is supported by the parish, the wider community and St. Andrew, Boca Grande. 401 South Broadway, Englewood, FL 34223; 941-474-3140

FT. MYERS | ALL SOULS FOOD PANTRY The parish operates a food pantry supported by the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Other churches support All Souls, including St. Therese Catholic Parish. 14640 N Cleveland Ave, North Fort Myers, FL, 33903; 239-656-6229

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH | BEACH COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY The pantry has been providing food for anyone who comes in since 2008. The pantry is run by parishioners and many neighbors from outside the parish, including the Rotary Club, local restaurants, the city of Indian Rocks Beach and local fire and rescue units. They also offer holiday meals to single mothers and the elderly. 1615 1st Street, Indian Rocks Beach, FL, 33785; 727-595-2374

BRADENTON | ST. GEORGE’S FOOD PANTRY St. George's pantry serves many of the people in the Bayshore area between Sarasota and Bradenton. They are supported by the Food Bank of Manatee County, as well as a wide variety of community groups and neighboring churches. 912 63rd Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34207; 941-755-3606

2 3 CONNECT

GIVING? IT'S AS EASY AS...

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VOLUNTEER Food pantries need youthful volunteers, and many of them are home this summer. Families, which have been together, are good for volunteer efforts as they have been already been in close contact and pose less of a risk.

Still don't know where to begin? Contact your church deacon or vestry about what giving opportunities are available near you.

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The diocese has a network of pantries in each deanery.

If your church does not have its own program, seek out the other pantries in the diocese, and help out where you can.

GIVE

Each parish has a food basket, and every little bit can make a big difference. Locate the food basket in your parish and ask if there are any specific areas of need to keep in mind as you give.

PALMETTO | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH The parish operates a food pantry in a section of its parish hall.

1010 24th Avenue West, Palmetto, FL 34221; 941-722-5292

PORT CHARLOTTE | ST. JAMES FOOD PANTRY The parish provides critical assistance to those in need within Charlotte County.

1365 Viscaya Dr, Port Charlotte, FL 33952; (941) 627-4000

SARASOTA | ST. WILFRED FOOD PANTRY A weekly ministry of the parish and neighbors. 3773 Wilkinson Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233; 941-924-7436

ST. PETE | ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S FOOD PANTRY The parish, on a visible corner of Route 19 in southern Pinellas, operates a food ministry out of their parish hall. They are also supported by other parishes in the St. Petersburg deanery, including St. Thomas, Snell Isle. 3747 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711; 727-867-7015 PINELLAS PARK | ST. GILES EPISCOPAL CHURCH The Pantry came into existence in 1977 when a member of the church expressed her need for food to the priest. They have fed over 500,000 hungry people in the Pinellas Park area.

Perishables & non-perishable foods, fruits, and vegetables at this longstanding food distribution point. 8271 52nd Street North, Pinellas Park, FL; 727-544-6856

Episcopal Charities

HELP IN TROUBLED TIMES

When COVID-19 blindsided our parish ministries, Episcopal Charities was ready to assist.

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n the last decade, the Diocese of Southwest Florida, through the annual Bishop’s Appeal, has grown the endowment of Episcopal Charities from $36,000 in seed money to almost a $1 million, providing over $35,000 in annual support to congregation-based ministries. This has created a yearly Episcopal Charities donation process, with applications submitted in the summer and awards announced at Diocesan Convention in the fall. Awards are distributed to projects that help to address human need across the diocese.

It goes without saying that 2020 was a different year for need across the nation, and in Southwest Florida as well. That need came this April, between award cycles, and the diocese was there to step in. During his work at Trinity Church in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, Bishop Dabney Smith experienced firsthand the importance of being prepared to provide when critical needs arise. In New Orleans, vestry were so used to planning and saving for an emergency - that inevitable “rainy day” - that they were initially reticent about responding. His response? “It’s raining.” And the church jumped into action, with help from an endowment that was designed precisely to be there in case there were unmet needs, especially during an unforeseen catastrophe.

As soon as the magnitude of 2020’s need was discovered, Bishop Smith asked our archdeacon, the Ven. Dr. Kathleen Moore, and deacon, the Rev. Martha Goodwill, reached out to congregations across the diocese to help find out immediate needs and how Episcopal Charities could help. They identified a dozen food-related outreach efforts. Bishop Smith approved the final list and checks were distributed the same week to those responding to critical need within their areas: All Souls, North Ft. Myers | $1,000 St. Michael & All Angels | $250 St. Giles, Pinellas Park | $1,000 Church of the Ascension, Clearwater | $250 Resurrection Episcopal | $250 Calvary, Indian Rocks Beach | $1,000 St. David, Englewood | $250 St. Mark, Venice | $250

St. James, Port Charlotte | $250 St. Andrew, Tampa | $1,000 Holy Innocents', Valrico | $1,000 Christ Church, Bradenton | $1,000 St. George, Bradenton, $1,000 St. Wilfred | $500 Church of the Redeemer Latino Ministry | $500 St. Boniface, Siesta Key | $500

INTERESTED? Applications are being taken for the fall Episcopal Charities Grants process. Contact The Ven. Dr. Moore at 941-556-0315 for details about the application process.

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Meet the Deacon BILL GILMORE, ST. MARY'S Q: How did you meet your wife Susan?

A: My wife and I both served in the Army and were stationed on a small base in Schwaebisch Hall, Germany, called Dolan Barracks. I was assisting on a rifle range and was responsible for picking up an ambulance and a medic each morning. Sue was the medic and we got to know each other driving to and from the rifle range.

Q: How did you find and join St. Mary's when you moved?

Current and former clergy at St. Mary, Bonita Springs. From left, the Rev. Bob Douglas, rector of St. Mark Tampa, with the Rev. Bill Fauple, current priest-in-charge; Gilmore and the Rev. Michael Rowe, recently retired from the parish as rector.

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he Rev. Bill Gilmore moved to Southwest Florida in 2000, and for the next 15 years he worked with his brother in the construction materials supply field. They built a house, and began attending St. Mary’s. He later began the discernment process for ordination to the diaconate of the Episcopal Church. After the attending diocesan School for Ministry, he spent an 18-month internship at St. Hilary’s in Ft. Myers. He was ordained in December of 2018 and was assigned back to St. Mary’s. In addition to his duties there, he also performs services once a month at Church of the Good Shepherd in Labelle. He began working at First Presbyterian, next door, after he began attending St. Mary’s; creating a partnership between the two churches and becoming one of a rare breed of neighboring churches where there are no parking disputes.

Q: Did you grow up in the Episcopal Church?

A: My mother-in-law moved to Bonita Springs in the ‘80s and we would take our military leave (vacations) in Bonita Springs and would occasionally visit St. Mary’s when we were here.

After I retired from the Army, we built a house in Bonita in 2006 and started attending St. Mary’s.

Q: When did you decide you wanted to take the next step and become a deacon?

A: I don’t know if I could give a specific date. There had been a desire for a deeper service in Christ for several years. Interest in ordination in the diaconate started when Father Durning visited Saint Mary’s in 2015 and spoke to a group of us about Deacons in the Episcopal Church. It was strengthened during discernment, and by the second year in the School of Ministry, it was truly imprinted in my heart.

Q: How have you managed the increased preaching and activities since Fr. Rowe retired from the parish?

A: I have not had to face that much of an increase yet, mostly because of the stay-at-home orders. Thankfully, I was already experiencing an increase in preaching as we prepared for Father Rowe’s retirement.

Q: How have you adapted to the technology needs at the church during this time?

A: I was very young when my family moved to California. I was baptized in a small Episcopal church in Palmer Springs, Virginia, but I do not remember anything about the church.

My parents and grandparents are buried there.

A: It is a continual learning curve. I feel that we have adapted well with live streaming and posting services online. I am fortunate to have many very adept technicians around me that can provide me sound advice and guidance in the use of technology.

Q: When you moved to California, where did you attend church?

Q: You manage the Presbyterian church facilities next door.

How do you manage both?

A: The Church I remember best was St. Elizabeth, located in Linda Vista, San Diego.

A: The Presbyterian Church and Saint Mary’s share a wonderful working relationship as brothers and sisters in

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MEET THE DEACON (continued from page 10)

MY FAVORITE

Christ. This relationship predates my employment at the Presbyterian church. My office is literally 300 feet from my office. When I am needed at St. Mary’s, the Presbyterian church allows me as much time as I need. Saint Mary’s respects my responsibilities next door and does not encroach on them. It’s all about time management, boundaries, and being centered in Christ. I also have a fantastic staff.

Hymn

Q: What needs does the Bonita Springs community rely on the church for?

A: There is a large migrant community in Bonita Springs. Helping that community includes tutoring programs, food assistance and affordable housing.

Q: What do you see as the potential of the Episcopal Church?

A: The Episcopal Church offers a beautiful and rich heritage of worship and liturgy that can fill the heart with joy. The church is welcoming and loving and inclusive for all. If we stay true to ourselves and to Christ moving forward, the Episcopal Church can be a shining example of Christ’s love, bringing people together and providing a foundation for a caring and loving community.

Above, Reive as a baby with her father, the late Robert Setzer.

Mari Reive | "For the Fruit of All Creation"

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ari Reive retired from active church work as an organist and choirmaster at the end of 2018, and is now full time with The Florida Orchestra. However, she hasn’t thrown in the musical towel completely as she’s an active chorister in the Cathedral Chamber Choir which sings a monthly Evensong through “the season” under the direction of Dwight Thomas. She has come home as well to the Cathedral, as her father was the late Robert Setzer, who led the Cathedral Choir for 35 years. Mari has chosen “For the Fruit of All Creation,” #424, set to the tune East Acklam. It is a perfect marriage of tune and text.

About the Hymn

Which hymn is most important to you? What church leader should we get to know? Tell us! We would love to hear your recommendations for our regular features in Southern Cross. send submissions via email at eeditor@episcopalswfl.org

"The three-stanza text was written by F. Pratt Greene in 1970. He was a well-known hymn writer and wrote many of the hymn texts we are familiar with. He was an ordained Methodist minister. The tune, East Acklam, was written in 1957 during his tenure at York Minster. It wasn’t originally composed for this text, but was later paired with it."

Why this hymn?

I love this hymn for a number of reasons. For a start, it’s in the key of D, which always has such a bright sound. The text is very “Fall,” i.e., on the theme of harvest, and Thanksgiving. I loved using it as the Hymn at the Presentation all through the fall months. At St. Bartholomew’s, the congregation sang it well. Particularly thrilling for me was the build-up both musically and text-wise, to the last verse and the phrase “most of all that love has found us, Thanks be to God.”

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Church Cookbook Love A QUICK DIP

Summer is here, and there's no better time to gather your favorite dunkable snacks.

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ummer is finally here, and although some of us haven't noticed as much of a shift into the season as we would in a more ordinary year, the uptick in heat is a good reminder that we have, indeed, changed seasons once again. Summer isn't my favorite time of year, but I look forward to it for what it is: a time to kick back, feel the sun on my skin, and relax a little.

Maybe you're trying to grow a garden this year; maybe you're taking up a new hobby, or maybe you're just trying to have a little fun. No matter what your summer holds, at some point, you'll need to make a dip. I suggest these dips: each one of them can be dressed up or dressed down, perfect for small gatherings or hanging out around the pool. Parish cookbooks are good for all sorts of things, but when it comes to creative appetizers, they really excel. You get nostalgic family favorites, creative spins on things you may already make, and new ideas to try. Best of all nothing is ever fussy; simply whip an one of these recipes up ahead of time and they're ready for you to pull out at a moment's notice, leaving more time for you to enjoy whatever it is you're doing this year. Stay well, stay safe, and I wish you a wonderful summer.

Homemade Boursin Cheese Spread

by Sue Szen from Fruit of the Spririt: St. Paul's Episcopal Church Cookbook Serves | 6 to 8 | Boursin cheese is great on everything - crackers, salads, you name it, I'm here for it. I go without only because I'd need to make a special trip to the store: this recipe fixes that competely. Mix it together, roll it up, and let the flavors blend overnight, and you may never need to buy the storebought version again.

3 oz cream cheese, softened 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely grated 1 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped 1 Tbsp dry white wine 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp dried thyme 1/8 tsp marjoram dash cayenne pepper dash white pepper | Preparation | Blend cream cheese and butter together until completely combined and smooth. Add in remaining ingredients; stir until incorporated. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and twist ends to form a thick log with the mixture. Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors.

Serve chilled.

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Crab Spread

by Anne Dalton (Sarah's Mom) from Butter n' Love Recipes, St Mark's Parish Day School Cookbook Serves | 6 to 8 | Our family has made a version of this forever; always in the summer, and always a welcome addition to a party. I like it with celery sticks; others like it with crackers or pita chips. Either way, it's delicious, and dead simple to throw together.

1 8-oz block cream cheese, softened 1 large can crabmeat, drained and picked through for shells 1 bottle cocktail sauce | Preparation | Mix cream cheese and crabmeat together in a medium bowl until incorpoated: shape into a ball and chill until firm. When it's time to serve, pour cocktail sauce over - as much as you like - and serve with assorted vegetables, crackers, or pita chips.

Cucumber Dip

by Unknown from Angel Food for the Flock, Christ Church Samaritans Serves | 8 to 10 | Cucumber is a cooling ingredient, which makes it a perfect alterantive to standard ranch dip for vegetable trays in the summer, or grill up some chicken or beef kebabs and serve with pitas dressed with this.

1 large english cucumber 1/2 cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar 1 tsp kosher salt 2 8 oz bricks cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 tsp garlic salt, divided 2 tso chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish pita chips or vegetables | Preparation | Combine cucumber with vinegar and salt; cover and chill for 8 hours. Drain well in a strainer and press out all liquid. Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic salt and chives together; add cucumber and stir to blend. Chill one hour and serve.

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Community

LOCAL GROUPS WORK TO CONFRONT HISTORY Local initiative to memorialize lynching victim; Sacred Ground event inspires regular meetings

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his fall, a coalition of groups that include St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church will help install a memorial to the victims of lynching in Pinellas County.

“I really recognize and value the importance of knowing our history,” said Gwendolyn Reese, co-chair of the Community Remembrance Project Coalition. “Understanding our history is the bridge to close the gap.”

The effort is a project of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice of Montgomery, Alabama, part of the Equal Justice Initiative, which aims to change the narrative around incarceration and punishment, and challenge racial and economic injustice in order to protect human rights for the most vulnerable in America.

The Alabama museum is involved in a process whereby identical markers are being placed across the country to memorialize the victims of lynching.

The museum finances the marker and the shipping, while the local group determines location of the installation.

The first Florida marker was installed in Orange County, and other jurisdictions are in the process; the group hopes to place markers in counties across Florida.

Local co-chairs Gwendolyn Reese and Jacqueline Hubbard of St. Augustine’s became interested in the project independently while visiting the Peace and Justice Memorial: Reese happened to be in Alabama during a three-day opening of the Peace and Justice Memorial, while Hubbard had previously been to Alabama with a separate group. Reese has worked on history projects in the county before, including the African American History Trail, and writes a history column for The Weekly Challenger. Hubbard had been interested in remembering for the 14

community the 1914 lynching of John Evans, a laborer charged with murder.

Instead of waiting for a trial, a mob took Evans from the jail, and in front of 1,500 people in St. Petersburg, hung him from a light post.

The first part of the effort was to secure a location. The actual site of the lynching was at 2nd Ave South and Martin Luther King Boulevard. The site belonged to the City of St. Petersburg, which was eager to support the effort.

“It’s been great. We have not had any opposition or negativity,” said Reese. “It’s been a wonderful process, as horrific as the story is. Everyone has been very pleased about how much more they have learned.”

Reese and Hubbard are both involved in history groups, Reese with the African American Heritage Association and Hubbard with the St. Petersburg Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. While the subject is difficult, the history is now permanently marked in time.

A dedication is planned for fall, though the exact date has not yet been determined. Participation by the Evans family is hoped for. Reese says that they are “reaching out to them to be involved in whatever level is comfortable to them.”

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uring the pandemic, a group called Sacred Ground has been holding a film and readings-based dialogue series on race that is grounded in faith.

In it, groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of their own family story, economic class, and political and regional identities.

Last fall, a group from across the Diocese of Southwest Florida gathered with Katrina Brown, the curriculum developer for Sacred Ground. As a follow up, a group from the St. Petersburg Deanery formed a group that began regular meetings in February which have continued through spring, moving online during the pandemic. Sacred Ground participants hail from St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, St. Petersburg; St. Thomas Episcopal Church, St. Petersburg; St. Bede’s Episcopal Church, St. Petersburg; and The Cathedral Church of St. Peter, St. Petersburg.

The Sacred Ground study groups are part of the church effort entitled Becoming Beloved Community. These programs and efforts are part of a longterm commitment to racial justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society.

GET INVOLVED Sacred Ground groups and gatherings are just one of the ways that the diocese and wider church are responding to racial injustice.

To join one of the circles that will soon be forming, or to learn more about forming your own circle with Sacred Ground, please contact: The Rev. Canon Paige Hanks phanks@spcathedral.com 214-704-9430

The Rev. Martha Goodwill mgoodwill@episcopalswfl.org 941-556-0315 33

Events A RECORD-SETTING VESTRY RETREAT

It was a very good year for the annual Vestry Retreat, which saw a big boost in (virtual) attendance.

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ach spring, leaders from across the diocese gather for our Diocesan Vestry Retreat. It is a time when members from our congregations spend time together as a group to solve problems, and gain some insight into the overall health of their parish, and the diocese. The retreat was held online via Zoom conference on May 2. A record 309 attended the event; numbers which made the event a “mini-convention” of sorts. Attendees were mailed the Finance Resource Guide published by the Episcopal Church Foundation prior to the retreat, which assists vestries in better understanding their roles and opportunities.

The theme "What's Next? And Why?" was selected last summer - what seems like eons ago in 2019 - with no knowledge of what lay ahead. What was originally planned as an in-person event was moved online as new topics were added to address issues relevant to our current environment. One of those topics - Financial Sustainability in an Unprecedented Time - included discussion and a report on the Payment Protection Program (PPP) stimulus loan process for congregations, as well as a check-in for all of diocesan leadership facing this once-in-a-generation crisis.

A portion of the regular program at Diocesan Vestry Retreat looks at many of the metrics that the diocese collects, which illustrate the overall health of the diocese. A select cross-section of those statistics are below.

DID YOU KNOW?

$1,112,101

THE INVESTMENT ASSETS ENDOWMENT OF OUR 77 CONGREGATIONS HAS GROWN 77 PERCENT OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS, DUE TO BOTH POSITIVE RETURNS IN THE MARKET AND $19.6 MILLION IN CONTRIBUTIONS. FOR A FULLER SET OF STATISTICS, VISIT EPISCOPALSWFL.ORG/RETREAT.HTML

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First Person

TRANSFORMED BY FAITH

Ayana Grady of St. John's, Tampa on her journey with the church and the youth that inspire her.

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by Ayana Grady

y history with the Episcopal Church is Episcopal liturgy for me at the time, and it offered the more long and varied. On my mother’s side of modern worship style that I preferred. the family, our family patriarch was the My father became a priest right after my second year of first Bahamian Episcopal priest on Andros, college. Becoming a “PK” (Preacher’s or Priest’s kid) as an Bahamas in 1874— a “cradle Episcopalian”. My dad was adult is a different experience. There are a lot of running PK raised in a Baptist household, so when I was born, my jokes out there about kids that either become a “wild child” parents were still undecided on where we would worship as or super pious as adults - no middle ground. Happily, those a family. My mom won out, and I was baptized at age five stereotypes don’t really hold any truth for me in my life. I at the Chapel of Incarnation Episcopal Church (now UF am a PK without the unintentional baggage and pressures Chapel House) in Gainesville. of growing up as one. I’ve Growing up, I was the never had to live up to the It still surprises me that I have worked expectations of a congregation, quintessential Episcopal church kid. I acolyted on a for almost 20 years in Youth Ministry; or reconcile a public vs. private regular basis, was a leader in family persona. I feel lucky but year after year, in church after my youth group, and went to to benefit from the positives Happening. My church (St. church, I have continued to see God’s of being a preacher’s kid - it Michael’s Gainesville) didn’t definitely sets you apart in amazing love for us at work in the have many other youths my most conversations with hearts of young people. I have seen age, but I was mentored and friends! - without the weight of encouraged by numerous the negatives.

Youth transformed by their faith, adults within the Church— I officially decided to inspired to change the world. adults who saw potential in pursue Youth Ministry as a me, even when I didn’t always profession during my third see it in myself. They were the year of college. That summer, ones who made me want to come to church each week, and I worked as a counselor at Camp Weed (the Diocesan Camp to go deeper in my faith as I matured into a young adult. of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida) in Live Oak. In one of In my senior year of high school, my dad (the Rev. our staff devotions that summer, our Camp Director asked Richard Grady) began his studies at Virginia Theological Seminary to become an Episcopal priest (yes, he had come a long way from growing up Baptist—but that’s his story to tell). In some ways, it was a little odd, but my dad had been very involved at St. Michael’s over the years. He had also taken leadership roles both within our church, as well as in ministries like Kairos—so his call into ordained ministry wasn’t altogether unexpected.

In the midst of my dad studying to becoming a priest, and me starting college at the University of Virginia, my journey with the Episcopal Church hit a crossroads. My childhood church was a very different kind of Episcopal Church to grow up in (especially in the style of worship), and so when I started college, the contrasts in the two services threw me for a loop. I pushed through my first year, attending regularly, eventually deciding to switch to the local Catholic Church with my friends (which I did for my second and third years of college). The Catholic Church felt close enough to the 16

a powerful question: “Are you a church member and leader, or are you a church consumer?” The question struck me, and helped me realize that one of the primary reasons that I had left the Episcopal Church was because it wasn’t giving me what I wanted at the time—and in a way, that was selfish. I decided to go back to the Episcopal Church in my 4th year, and to actively serve instead of just passively consuming what I was given. It was a great decision—I signed up as a lector, and I got involved with the Canterbury Club (basically the young adult group of the church). My dedication and love for the Episcopal Church was renewed that year, and I left college ready to serve in full-time Youth Ministry in the Episcopal Church.

It still surprises me that I have worked for almost 20 years in Youth Ministry in the Episcopal Church. When I first began, I gave myself an out—‘I’ll just try this for a few years, and if it doesn’t work out, I can switch to teaching’. But year after year, in church after church, I have continued to see God’s amazing love for us at work in the hearts of young people. I have seen Youth transformed by their faith, inspired to change the world. It has been a blessing in particular to serve at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Tampa for the past 3 years: the children and youth of St. John’s have challenged me to think more creatively, and to continually try new things. St John’s continues to be a supportive, encouraging community whose primary goal is to help others, and the youth reflect those values through service projects, feeding the homeless, and mission trips. It is such a gift to serve with them each day.

Another gift that I have received by working at St John’s is serving in the same Diocese as my dad. Until I moved into the Diocese of Southwest Florida in 2017, most of my friends (even within the church) didn’t know that my dad was a priest.

I am so thankful to be in the same Diocese with my father as a retired clergy person—even just to be able to see my parents at Diocesan convention, or to meet up with them occasionally at DaySpring. What a blessing for both of us to serve in the Episcopal Church, in the Diocese of Southwest Florida.

I am so proud to be a lifelong Episcopalian—to have a deep faith that is fostered through reason, and enhanced by the liturgy. It has been such a joy to have grown up in the Episcopal

Facing page, Ayana Grady at St. John’s. Top, with her mother, Ella Grady and the Rev. Richard Grady. Center, with Bishop Smith. Bottom, a Zoom youth group at St. John's during the pandemic.

Church and to have been taught and been inspired by so many amazing priests, teachers, and parishioners. My spiritual journey and history with the Episcopal Church has not always been easy, but it has always been fulfilling and real. I look forward to all of the faith adventures to come. Thanks be to God.

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DaySpring

A (DAY)SPRING CLEANING DaySpring staff have been hard at work (safely) preparing to welcome guests back to campus.

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t the end of May, the first group came back to DaySpring Episcopal Center: the group - Footprints - is a recovery group who visits regularly and uses an overnight retreat at DaySpring as their end-of-period celebration, a reward for the completion of a 30-day residential recovery program.

For DaySpring, which has been hit with dozens of cancellations due to coronavirus mandates, it was a celebration; perhaps not only for the attendees, but for the DaySpring staff itself, which has spent the last three months renovating, deep-cleaning and updating the campus in preparation for a return of guests. The group came to be together and to do the ropes course. For DaySpring, they were the perfect “first customers,” as they had been sequestered for 30 days, and therefore posed no new risk to each other as they arrived.

While there are many challenges for staff as they have to rethink every aspect of the DaySpring experience and facilities, they keep a positive outlook about welcoming guests. Spacers have been added to keep people a recommended distance apart at the entrance to Curry Hall; rather than tape on the floor, there are signs greeting visitors which read “Welcome back, we miss you” when observed from across the space.

Food is served cafeteria style with staff members serving guests to eliminate contact transfer from utensils. Seating arrangements are limited to two persons per table, which allows everyone space while still being able to communicate.

Across DaySpring, there are changes. There is hand washing outside of buildings, as well as sanitizer 18

stations at each door. “It’s not pretty, but it gets the job done” jokes Carla Odell, Executive Director. Bunks are appropriately spaced with empty beds in between. DaySpring has also purchased ultraviolet wands, which like sunlight, sanitize things which can be difficult to clean, like quilts or keys. “Visiting DaySpring can be done safely,” said Odell, “You just have to think ahead and strategize how to best maintain cleaning standards in this new environment.”

Through the preparation, one group that had encouraged DaySpring staff was a small craft group, the last visitors to DaySpring, at the beginning of the pandemic. They came to DaySpring, even as the pandemic began, because in the retreat center’s secluded environment they felt safer and less exposed to the world than they did at home.

Cancellations continue for the time being, as they do for any retreat center, out of an abundance of caution and fluctuating guidelines for gathering

Above, at left, Carla Odell at the front desk at DaySpring with Diana Rojas; at right, in the dining room, with the new serving line.

safely. Groups are continuing to book for 2021, eager to return to the campus in the upcoming months. Colleges and schools, most of which have not yet determined how or if they will return to normal activities in the fall, have delayed or cancelled. “People are wanting to come back,” said Odell, “but are fearful and waiting to make decisions.”

There have been blessings. While most hospitality and restaurant staffs were laid off because of coronavirus, the Diocese of Southwest Florida kept the staff on, supported by the Paycheck Protection Loans of the 2020 CARES Act. Staff members have been crosstrained, so every person is able to do multiple jobs as needed, with the exception of the maintenance staff.

While the kitchen has been closed, with the staff bringing their own meals, they have been cooking for each other, once a week, when Odell buys lunch supplies for the group.

During the shutdown, the dormitory bathrooms near the Bishop Haynes Meeting Room were fully remodeled to match renovations at both the Old Pavilion and the new Program Center. Assorted docks, steps and the Canopy Walk were all repaired as well, and DaySpring added new flooring in the kitchen pantry - a challenge during busy times, made easier by the pause

in visitors - and installed a new, electric salad bar which no longer requires ice to stay cool.

A big project has been relocating the ropes course, which was aided by generous donations from the Sarasota Community Foundation’s Giving Challenge, raising a total of $5,265 from 51 donors. At the beginning of the virus, Diocesan Council, the governing board of DaySpring, approved a plan to

take advantage of the break in visits to begin the transition of the course to a new location on campus, and the added boost from the Challenge has made that improvement a happy reality.

Odell has been communicating with other Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers, sharing ideas on how they have coped with Centers for Disease Control guidelines. Because many of them completely shut down

during the last few months, they now face a dual challenge - planning for how guests can return, and also dealing with refreshing and restarting facilities which have largely been abandoned for several months.

“A lot of retreat and event centers furloughed their staff. They are all asking advice,” said Odell. “We know that groups are going to come back, and we are fully prepared to welcome them.”

Briefly

HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE As if we needed one more thing to concern ourselves with. And yet, here we are.

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hile we have been in the middle of a different sort of disaster, it does not preclude the fact that we are in Florida, and are at risk for hurricanes. As a reminder, June 1 is the official beginning of the hurricane season.

“Get prepared, because with Covid-19, it is inevitable that some of the shelters which would normally be available are not going to be open: if they are, expect them to be operating at a limited capacity,” said the Rev. Micheal Sircy, deacon at St. George Episcopal Church in Bradenton, and our Diocesan Disaster Coordinator. “People have got to prepare this year for the possibility of riding it out on their own.”

Individuals and families should be in the beginning stages for planning for hurricanes. Sircy reminds that much of the supplies sought in a hurricane run-up, such as batteries, water and a stockpile of food, are easily available in stores now.

“They just need to think strategically, and now is the time to get stocked up,” said Sircy.

During the current disaster, many of the things done at a parish level for hurricanes have prepared congregations for other disasters. For instance, having backups and remote storage of computer documents has allowed staff to work at home.

During this time, vestries have combed through parish mailing lists and telephone trees to check on parishioners, which is a key to successful planning for hurricanes.

LEARN MORE The diocese has a Disaster Preparedness page located at

dioswfl.org dioswfl.org the Disaster Preparadness topic is in the Congregations tab on the menu bar.

WANT TO CHAT? If you would like to talk about your disaster preparedness plan, contact our Diocesan Disaster Preparedness leader, Deacon Micheal Sircy, at Hurricane damage from Irma in Southwest Florida, in an area assisted by St. Mark’s, Marco Island.

941-779-4193 or sircymj@gmail.com 19

Parish Profile

NEW LIFE IN A GLASS CHURCH

St. Bede's looks toward a bright future under the direction of The Rev. Canon Paige Hanks.

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s a church design, St. Bede’s is arguably one of the more unique churches in the diocese. The church is a giant triangle shape which seems to float, with glass all around the sides.

There is no stained glass; rather, the congregation sits in a sanctuary with the feel of a terrarium, where lush greenery surrounds the perimeter. The area behind the altar is also all glass and many of the furnishings are custom turned ironwork, giving the whole place an airy effect.

Sitting in the nave, you may get the idea that St. Bede’s would make an elegant illustration in a geometry textbook, with its vaulted shape and arc-like interior beams, triangles which reprsent the Trinity, and squares housed inside the framework.

To that church came Rev. Canon Paige Hanks, a new priest-in-charge, last spring. Since her arrival one short year ago, the church has begun to grow and expand from about 35 regulars to around 50. And giving? It has flourished as well.

“Nearly everyone in the church has made a pledge,” said Hanks, who says that with an average pre-pandemic 50 attending, they have 48 pledges.

Now, as in the past, beloved parishioners have supported the Eisenhower-era church, which was first formed in 1952 during an era of explosive church growth in St. Petersburg as a mission of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter. By 1954, they had started work on their current building.

The architect, David Tudeen, created such a flurry of interest with the design that the church had to schedule an open house for all of the curious, designloving neighbors who wanted to come in and see it.

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When Hanks arrived last year, the attendance had dwindled to a strong core of supporters who, while devoted to the church, were experiencing a decline in number. Her office also needed a little help, as it was in disrepair, a result of long-deferred maintenance. The answer arrived in a partnership between the Diocese, the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Bede’s. Its creation offered a creative opportunity to cultivate and grow the Episcopal presence in the St. Petersburg Deanery, with St. Bede’s coming up with a portion of the compensation, the diocese and Cathedral making up the difference.

Early on, they took control of their own promotion and marketing within their community. “We beefed up social media,” said Hanks, “and we worked to update the website as well.”

One big asset is an engaged vestry that takes the future of the church very

seriously. Before Hanks arrived, they had a renovation plan in place, which would take care of many deferred maintenance issues and create a new parish hall in the old administration building. “They did a capital campaign without a priest,” said Hanks.

When she arrived, Hanks asked the usual question of small churches; the biggest of those being “If we disappear tomorrow, would anyone notice?” The parish has not employed a regular priest since the Rev. Boyd Carson. In the interim, there were challenging times, but vestry leadership continued. “With dedicated leadership and the help of the Rev. Fred Mann, the vestry began to understand its role and began to rebuild the coffers,” said Hanks.

St. Bede's has increased parish Christian Education during the pandemic. While not all the congregation attends classes on Zoom, they do call in for the book study, which is currently discussing Inspired by Rachel Held Evans.

To keep the parish connected, Rev. Hanks hand-delivers materials to those at home who cannot see her sermons on Facebook Live.

Additionally, they are being more intentional about reaching out beyond the church. The school has long supported the Community Preschool, situated behind them, that had once been a part of the church and is currently a United Way agency. They also just added a Little Free Pantry, which gives food to

any passers by. Modeled on the Little Free Library movement, you can leave food items in the streetside pantry, and anyone can take it, or leave it.

Through it all, the congregation has been there for the church. George Morgan, who is only a seasonal attendee, agreed to step back in and become senior warden. While he is away, he attends vestry meetings by Facetime.

“He is a rockstar,” says Hanks, who worked with the vestry on their first retreat together. It was held at St. Matthews in St. Petersburg; their mission was decided. It is “to know, love and share God with the world.”

There is much to do. Hanks is eager to get back to regular use of the building, not only for the congregation, but for the community, as Alcoholics Anonymous and Jazzercize are both tenants.

Hanks’ previous calling was as a school principal. While that is perfect training for running any sort of nonprofit operation, she says the role at St. Bede’s would not have been her ideal first

idea of her first congregation.

She believes that the model, where churches in a region cooperate, is one that could benefit smaller Episcopal Churches in areas where there are multiple churches within a close driving distance. The model is replicable, but it does require a lot of trust. For instance, the parish did not want it to feel like they were part of a “Cathedral North” and be absorbed.

In the process, she hopes that the cooperation can also bring clergy to thinking of collective efforts, even as each congregation keeps its own identity. “It has changed the way people see their Cathedral,” said Hanks. “It is their cathedral, a resource to God’s church in St. Petersburg.”

Facing page, St. Bede’s unique trinity-like front, and, inset, altar. This page, over the years the parish has held neighborhood events. Top right, the Rev. Paige Hanks.

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"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted in among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46:10

In our time away

from corporate worship, clergy from across the diocese kicked outreach efforts into overdrive. While almost every parish has a weekday email blast or newsletter and sermon, in this time of coronavirus, clergy had to reach out multiple times a week to communicate not only with notices about upcoming online meetings and worship, but also frequent missives to encourage parishioners at home, where they do not have the benefit of worship, Christian ed, small groups and book studies. In a sense, we all had to become our own monastics; setting up schedules for prayer and learning at home.

This time has not been a waste; in the midst of it, something has grown.

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Back to the World The Rev. John Reese | St. Andrew's, Tampa

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pace is what keeps the world in balance. Space is what defines matter. Without space, individual quantities of matter don’t exist. Our sense of self, our sense of community, our sense of reality, our sense of who we are in relationship to others, is all dependent upon space.

You may notice, now that you’ve been in quarantine for about two months, that you’re either seeking more space or less space, depending upon your situation. Too much of it, and you long to see the people you love. Too little, and you’re ready to flee to the hills for some alone time. Space is something we take for granted in our lives. But space requires constant awareness, because space, in reality, is a relational dance that we do with each and every object – and person— in our lives. Depending upon which partner we engage with, the dance looks different.

Ever come across someone who invades your personal space? Someone who likes to stand just inches away when they talk to you? Nowadays we’re more than ever aware of how close someone is to us, who is in our space, who has violated our boundaries. “Social distancing” has brought our awareness of personal space to an all-time high.

Space is defined partly by time. Right now, time has slowed down in a sense. We have been accustomed to fast-paced lives in our internet-driven world. Our days were filled with activities, with lots of choices, with busyness, with travel. Due to COVID-19, we now are spending our time differently. And our space has changed.

The more time slows down, the more we become aware of our changes. No longer can we go out to the movies, attend concerts or sporting events, or gather for parties. Home is our new hangout.

We talk to those who pass by the house just to engage with another person. And our families have suddenly been thrust into a pattern that our grandparents must have been familiar with but we have not been – spending evenings gathered around the news, sitting on front porches, playing board games, cooking food and gathering around the dinner table, talking about everything imaginable.

As we spend more time in close proximity to our closest family members – our spouses, parents, children, partners – we find our relational dynamics are changing. Families are spending time together and getting to know each other in ways we never have done before.

For some, this increase in time may mean our marriages and families may be drawing closer. For those in conflicted relationships, it may mean we are forced either to confront issues and resolve them or flee to separate rooms and risk

further isolation. We are learning more about each other.

We are forced into a shared reality, sheltering against a shared invader, and we are re-learning to value each other in new and surprising ways.

Love has taken on new meaning, as we see each other day after day in confined space. Limiting space, however, makes the dance of love more challenging, too. How can you create space within your household? How can you honor individuality and difference within an increased spacial environment? These are all questions that require loving responses, as we re-learn to respect each other in our family sardine can.

But love isn’t just about confined space. It’s also about distant space.

In WWII, as young men left their wives and lovers, sisters, and mothers to go to distant shores to fight on behalf of their country, they would often take pictures that they carried close to their hearts of their loved ones. Without Skype or Facetime, they were limited to occasional letters and even more occasional visits during their long time away.

Their family members had to spend months waiting, hoping they would be alright, longing to see them, biding time until they would come home. When they did, it was cause for celebration. When they couldn’t, people had to mourn without closure, grieve and hold memorials often without a body to view or a hand to hold. Some children only saw their fathers after they reached the age of 4 or 5. Families adjusted to new dynamics, and changes from distant to personal space.

Love is a dance that sometimes requires distance, and sometimes requires close proximity. How well you can dance that dance will reveal how well that relationship can manage through changes and adversity.

Our families have suddenly been thrust into a pattern that our grandparents must have been familiar with but we have not been – spending evenings gathered around the news, sitting on front porches, playing board games, cooking food and gathering around the dinner table, talking about everything imaginable.

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Jesus had spent three years in close proximity with his disciples when his death shocked them. He had been ripped away from their sides, and their small community had felt shattered. No longer would he be with them. They had just been in the midst of grief, in the midst of adjusting to a new kind of normal, when Jesus returned.

Jesus’ post resurrection appearances to his disciples required them to think of him in a new way, to readjust to him in ways they were not accustomed. He told them that he was not back to stay, but only here for a brief visit. Soon he would be returning to heaven to sit at the right hand of God. But he would send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, to be their guide.

In this way, he told them, he would be with them until the end of the age. But unless he would go, things could not progress.

Jesus told them he was going away to prepare places for all of them, and when the time came, they would know how to find him, how to follow him into the realms of eternity. Like a brief visit with a confined relative, through our screens or through a window, someone perhaps we can see or hear but can’t be close to, Jesus was there, and yet he wasn’t. He was alive, and yet he couldn’t be with them as he once was. No longer could he walk with them through the hills of Galilee or sit with them in a boat by the lake, or engage with them in laughter, or meals, or conversation.

And yet, he could. Yet, he would. Not in the way they were accustomed, but in a new kind of way. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, would always be with them, guiding them, comforting them, talking with them, infusing them with trust,

courage, and strength. They may not see him in the flesh, but he would always be there with them.

Our discipleship relationship with Jesus is much like the relationships we have with others. It’s a love dance. Even when we can’t see Jesus, we can feel the Holy Spirit with us, and we can trust that Jesus is merely away for a time, preparing a place, a space for us to be with him in close proximity when the right time comes. In the meantime, we share our love of Jesus with the ones we are close to – with our family, our loved ones, our children, our friends and neighbors. And we let them know he’s there.

For the thing about Jesus is this: He is always there, in our minimal space, in our distances, in our close quarters, and in our community. As the apostle John says in his first letter, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

While we wait in our homes and in our quarantines, we can know and trust that God is busy constructing a new reality for us. And when the time is right, we will emerge into it, and adjust to it. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is like extra insurance. He fills our space when it gets to be too much. He creates space for us when we begin to feel confined. And he can show us the way to dance. For Jesus is our dance partner, our destination, and our rest.

May our homes be filled with peace, with music, and most of all, with the exquisite dance of love. Make it a point to practice your steps, for someday soon, you will dance not only in your home, but you will take your dance out into the world.

Thursday, Jan 30, 2020 First documented case in US, passenger from Wuhan, China.

Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019 | Wuhan Municipal Health Commission reports a virus in Hubei Province.

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Waiting for the Spirit The Rev. Carla McCook | St. Margaret of Scotland, Sarasota

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ver the last 8-9 weeks, I have had a lot more time. I've had time to complete projects on my "to-do" list. I've had time to read more books and catch up with my backlog of journals and magazines. I've had more time to plan meals, and cook, and sit down to eat with my family. And I've had time when I stood or sat in the room and thought, "What should I do now?"

I freely admit: to stop, sit, and listen doesn't come easily to me if it happens at any other time than at the start of my day. To stop mid-day, sit on the porch with a cup of tea and listen...wow, I must be wasting time. I struggled with that feeling for the first several weeks of being at home.

Now in week eight or nine (I've lost count) I've come to really appreciate that time - what I’ve come to think of as my "daily reflection time." This is now the time I spend around lunch or mid-afternoon. I make a cup of tea; I stop from all work and I find the place I want to be quiet and comfortable - often that place is on my back porch. I breathe in the fresh air, look around, observe; I listen for the birds, squirrels, and wind. Then I reflect - sometimes on the beauty all around me, sometimes on the work I have accomplished and the good feelings that have come from that work; sometimes it’s on a deeper issue of life. I have stopped trying to "fix" problems during this reflection time; instead, I allow myself to just be free to think, feel, reflect, and breathe it I make a cup of tea; I stop from all work all out. and I find the place I want to be quiet This reflection - my “mirror” - has shown me that I do a lot of stuff that occupies my time and drains me of energy. My and comfortable - often that place is on mirror tells me I worry too much about all the things I have my back porch. I breathe in the fresh absolutely no control over in this life. My mirror has shown air, look around, observe; I listen for the me who and what are important to me. You may be tempted to ask, "What do I do with these answers I'm receiving during birds, squirrels, and wind.I have stopped my reflection time each day?" I don't have those answers yet. I trying to "fix" problems during this am patiently waiting for the Spirit to reveal those answers as I continue to spend time in the reflection pool. reflection time; instead, I allow myself God desires to spend time with each of us, daily, to just be free to think, feel, reflect, and penetrating our layers of denial, deflection, self-rejection and breathe it all out. blame, etc. God wants to show us a deep, abiding love that is for us. We must make time and allow ourselves to daily rest by the pool, dip our big toe in the waters, and allow God's Spirit to show us our true heart's reflections (desires) that align with God's heart’s desires for us.

Friday, Jan 31, 2020 Ban on flights from areas in China.

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020 WHO assigns the novel coronavirus its official name: COVID-19.

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God Intends to Redeem the World The Rev. Virginia Herring | St. Wilfred, Sarasota Editor’s note: This sermon was recorded on a Maundy Thursday for Easter Sunday.

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hope you are watching this on Easter Sunday. Some of us here at St. Wilfred have worked very hard to be able to celebrate with you on Easter Sunday morning. To make that happen, we are actually celebrating on Thursday – Maundy Thursday to be precise. Now there’s a time warp – at least it is me, a 30 plus years ordained person of very AngloCatholic liturgical mindset.

I have in fact, done exactly what I beg my parishioners NOT to do. I have skipped Holy Week completely and gone straight to Easter. I keep wanting to tell somebody “Look, I know this is wrong, but I had no warning, there was no time to plan ahead, and we didn’t know how to use the technology, and…” Well, you see. I’d like it all not to be my fault.

And of course, I keep forgetting that time is a human construct. We made it up. God tolerates it, but God’s time is a different thing altogether. God is already at Easter, just as God is also even now at Good Friday. We can’t explain and we don’t need to. God is God and we are not.

How we put the calendar together is therefore up to us.

We are here now. For me right now it is Thursday and I can say to you “Happy Easter!” Happy Easter! May the joy of this celebration lift your heart!

Life as we have known it may well be over, but the work of resurrection is not done in a single act. Resurrection is a process and it sometimes requires the help of many hands. God intends to redeem this whole world and we are part of that redemption.

We are needed. We have work to do.

In fact, whatever day this is we need the Easter message.

We need the good news today like never before. This virus with which we contend is a killer, and the numbers keep going up.

We were three feet apart, then six feet apart, now I’m told the proper distance is 15 ft apart. First they said masks won’t help.

Now we’re told to wear masks AND gloves. It’s hard to know who and what to believe.

People say to each other: Things will never be the same again. You cannot help but wonder, “Is life as we know it gone forever? Is this sort of like the end of the world?” The message of Easter is this: No! It is not the end. It is not the end of this world and life is NOT over. Life as we have known it may well be over, but the work of resurrection is not done in a single act.

Resurrection is a process and it sometimes requires the help of many hands. God intends to redeem this whole world and we are part of that redemption. We are needed. We have work to do.

God has hallowed this life by dwelling in it. Now God calls us to the heart of it all to be and to love from this moment forward.

Today is not an end but a beginning.

My friend Jay Sidebotham wrote in his weekly meditation about a grandmother who called her grandchildren to tell them that she would not be making her usual Easter visit, and they would not be able to go to church on Easter Sunday this year.

Her young granddaughter responded saying, “Well I guess Jesus is just gonna stay dead this year.”

Not so! That’s not what happened, nor what is happening.

Jesus did not and will not stay dead. The resurrection was not an event locked in a single time. The Resurrection was an event that transcended human measurement. It is beyond even human imagination except to know and believe it happened.

It was not the resuscitation of a corpse. The Resurrection was something that had never happened before. The Resurrection was the opening event of eternal life. In consequence of that event, we now leave the 40 days of Lent behind, and begin the Great 50 days of Easter. It is a time set apart by the church for us to study and practice the task of living resurrection, over and over and over again.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020 Letter to clergy on intinction and general anxiety over the coronavirus.

Sunday, March 1 , 2020 | First Florida cases reported in Manatee and Hillsborough counties.

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Easter is about transformation – the transformation of eggs into lively chicks, seeds into beautiful flowers, rainy days into glorious sunshine. By grace this year we pray the transformation will move us from sickness into health, just as we move from repentance to salvation. Easter is about the transformation of the Jesus born in Bethlehem into the Jesus born in us; about the transformation of the Jesus who rose from the dead in Jerusalem into the Jesus who rises in us.

There is much fear and anxiety abroad these days, and I’ve certainly had my share. But the Easter message bids us put such things aside. There is an old Easter hymn. I’ve never particularly liked the tune, and the poetry is rather pedantic. However, it makes the point: Jesus lives! Thy terrors now Can, O Death, no more appall us.

Jesus lives! By this we know Thou, O Grave, canst not enthrall us. Hallelujah!

Because of Jesus’ resurrection, death is no longer an issue.

I do not particularly want to leave this earth anytime soon, but I am not afraid to leave it. I know for sure that my move from this world to the next will be wrapped in God’s love. Today would have been my dear daughter’s fiftieth birthday. When I stood before my daughter’s body, I saw wispy streaks in the air around her. At first, I thought it was an effect of my tears, but than I knew. These were traces of angel wings. God did not leave her alone those long five days before we found her. Now she was safe, pain-free, and well. I knew that then, and I know it today.

And we are children of the same promise. None of us want the bad stuff about sickness and dying. We don’t want to be a burden, we don’t want pain, we don’t want to see our loved ones distressed. The truth is all of that is the stuff of life. At death it all falls away and we know love and love alone.

This is the message of Easter. May it lift your heart and bring you peace.

Rediscovering Prayer Life The Rev. Bryan O'Carroll | Holy Innocents', Valrico

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s I acclimated to my new practice of spending hours in a single space, making phone calls and participating in Zoom meetings, I often found myself looking through the many titles of my treasured books; the collection I have built over many years lines the shelves nearby. During "normal" times, they are always in reach, but too often overlooked.

In this new season of office dwelling, I have been reminded of the literary treasures that reside within the pages that are always so near. In recent weeks as I reinvent my work life, I have also found it necessary to seek a deeper prayer life.

Uncertain times usually have this effect on me. In my process of exploration, my eyes fixed on several books in my collection on Christian Mysticism. For those who may not know, a Mystic is defined as; "a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect." This is often accomplished through the practice of contemplative prayer.

Thumbing through this collection of old friends and reflecting on my prayer life, I reached for the book "Mysticism" by Evelyn Underhill. In this work on the practice of Christian Mysticism, she shared a quote from another Mystic, Lucie-Christine: "I saw before my inward eyes these words, God only....they were at the same time a light, an attraction, and power. A light which showed me how I could belong completely to God alone in this world, and I saw that hitherto I had not well understood this; an attraction by which my heart was subdued and delighted; a power which inspired me with a generous resolution and somehow placed in my hands the means of carrying it out." In these few words, I found something that, in recent weeks, has been missing in my prayer life.

In this time of much need and excessive unknowns, I have been busily praying to God and had forgotten to pray with God. You see, we belong to God; He knows the desires of our hearts. When we simply pray to Him, we can get caught trying to remember our list of needs. Many years ago, I discovered how to pray with God, and I am grateful to have been reminded in this unique time of how I first discovered the depth of the belonging that I have in God. In a troubled world, God is our refuge. How wonderful it has been to quietly sit with "God alone" and find shelter in this troubled world.

Thursday, March 12, 2020 Bishop Smith asks clergy to make attendance decisions based on the needs and concerns of their faith communities.

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Foretaste of Glory Divine The Rev. Lenny Anderson | St. George, Bradenton

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ur Lord Jesus Christ has broken death's strong bands! We no longer need to fear the devil, hell, or the grave! We are Easter people, who live in the reality that Jesus Christ has paid the penalty, won the victory, and equipped us with his Spirit to model the kingdom of God on earth until he returns.

That said, we are still living in the reality of this pandemic. We've attempted to provide streaming worship and encouraged everyone to touch base with each other even though we can't meet face-to-face. But it still feels unsatisfying.

As it should! We were called by Christ into one family through baptism, and the point of much of our worship is called holy communion. The Church's mission is relational, not merely educational or liturgical.

We've been preparing for times like this all along. We must remember that the Church is not bounded by geography, nationality, or even temporality. We are a gathering of people across time and space. We affirm in our burial liturgy that life is changed, not ended. We affirm our belief in the "communion of saints" - that we genuinely have fellowship with the most ancient saint or the most distant Christian in other parts of the world. We've been training for such a time as this, whether we know it or not.

Gratefully, modern technology helps ease the pain of physical separation. The apostles had to have letters hand

Our hope is make the most of this technology while we need to, and allow it to be a support to our broader mission once we can finally gather again. One day, we won't need this technology. "Every eye will see him," when our Lord returns.

In the new heavens and new earth, our communion with him and one another will be complete and glorious.

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delivered from church to church across the Roman Empire. Over the years, the Church has made the most of technology to keep contact, however. The printing press helped get the Bible and the gospel out through books and tracts. Postal services allowed for regular dependable communication with people in far flung places on the mission field. Telegraphs and telephones allowed clergy to call their people, not merely show up unannounced. Broadcasts on radio and television allowed for wider and wider audiences for evangelists, even in areas where the Christian faith was hindered by oppressive governments.

Today, we marvel that anyone at anytime can become a de facto celebrity via smartphone. Our hope is make the most of this technology while we need to, and allow it to be a support to our broader mission once we can finally gather again. One day, we won't need this technology. "Every eye will see him," when our Lord returns. In the new heavens and new earth, our communion with him and one another will be complete and glorious.

Until then we must endure incompleteness, foretastes of glory divine as we await the full heavenly feast. This brief season of separation drives home our need for one another and our need to take daily prayer seriously. We need a vital connection to God and living connection to each other in his Body. It also reminds us that until heaven comes to earth, we are always going to live in an incomplete state, works in progress, the tension of God's kingdom already here in our hearts, but not yet fully experienced and enjoyed. But our Savior is risen! And that is more than enough to rejoice with all the company of heaven in a resounding, "Hallelujah!"

Friday, March 17, 2020 At the Bishop’s request, the Standing Committee met electronically with the Bishop. All bars and nightclubs closed for 30 days. Letter sent instructing congregations to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer.

Staying out of the Building The Rev. Robert Vaughn | St. Edmund the Martyr, Arcadia

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’ve seen an advertisement for a t-shirt printed with the message “THE CHURCH IS OUT OF THE BUILDING” in response to the COVID-19 restrictions. It provides a perspective about the essence of being the Church. I think we know that the mission of the Church is not primarily about buildings or property. But as often happens, it’s easy to lose focus on our mission as followers of Jesus to minister to all people in all places. There is a temptation to see mission primarily as what occurs within a congregation as it gathers together for prayer, renewal, and community. Perhaps a blessing that may come out of the pandemic experience will be the opportunity to refocus.

Being “out of the building” constitutes the major component of being part of the “Jesus Movement”, as our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry likes to explain when he discusses who we are as the Church. It is when we are “out of the building” that we do a majority of our ministry: addressing needs, responding to fear, and sharing the Good News of Jesus in our words and actions.

The “out of the building” experience also brings new dimensions to one of the “in the building” ministries: prayer. Local churches across the nation are exploring new ways to engage in communal prayer. While those experiences may not carry the same level of satisfaction as gathering together as a community, they Local churches across the nation do demonstrate the importance of prayer - in any setting - for the are exploring new ways to engage Church. In our Episcopal/Anglican faith tradition, we especially in communal prayer. While those feel the loss of the Eucharist that is the center of our worship experience. I think it is good that there is an increase of use and experiences may not carry the same experiencing of Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline level of satisfaction as gathering services from the Book of Common Prayer.

We will eventually return to traditional “in the building” together as a community, they do experiences. That is something we all very much want. It is my demonstrate the importance of prayer prayerful hope that when we do, we will bring with us a renewed in any setting - for the Church. appreciation of those experiences as well as refocusing on the importance of “the church is out of the building” ministry.

Thursday, March 26, 2020 With Safer at Home and curfew requirements in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Bishop Smith extends the no-more-than-ten rule for all of the congregations through at least April 15.

Thursday, April 2, 2020 Bishop Smith sends letter to the diocese regarding executive order, reiterating the no more than 10 instructions.

Wednesday, April 1, 2020 | Gov. DeSantis announces statewide Stay-at-Home order Executive Order 20-91 regarding Essential Services and Activities during the COVID-19 Emergency.

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Come into the Light!

The Rev. Charles Mann | Church of the Nativity, Sarasota

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ave you ever been in a situation in your life that you didn't know where to turn, so you turned to the Lord for direction? We can all most likely answer "yes" to that question. Sometimes, we can find ourselves on autopilot; moving through life at a rapid speed, entangled in our priorities, chugging away on that hamster wheel of life going 100mph. Then something happens, and it forces you to stop and think: Who or what am I serving through this? Where is my direction coming from?

John 3:16 should be familiar to all of us as Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus. ("God so loved the world..."). But Jesus goes on to explain that He didn't come to condemn the world; it was already condemned. He came to set people free of condemnation. He goes on to speak of people who are lost in the darkness doing what is evil. But Jesus then says, "But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." Jesus is that light. It is that hope that many of us found as we were racing away on that hamster wheel.

As we look at Acts, we find the disciples moving out in ministry, and things are happening. People are being drawn to them. It is the light that is in them - Jesus’ light - that people are drawn to. We are told that they were in one accord: the Holy Spirit was, and still does, direct the body of Christ in His mission. We are told the Jewish leaders were jealous. Why? Because they couldn't do what the disciples were doing: God is moving, and they were missing it.

Today, people are hungry for that truth that only comes through Jesus and not the world. Those who were sick only wanted Peter's shadow to pass over them to be healed. There wasn't anything magical about Peter's shadow; rather, the hunger and faith for what the disciples had was so strong that even the shadow of Peter was enough for them as a point of contact, just as it was for the woman who touched Jesus' garment. They were being drawn to the light of Christ.

As we have been observing some things that have transpired over these past few weeks, we have seen and felt

people experiencing various degrees of panic and fear. Even everyday items like toilet paper have vanished through the panic of the darkness that seems to loom over many. I recently heard of another item that is disappearing off the shelves in some areas - Bibles. Yes, Bibles are leaving the shelves and landing in hands as people search for truth. There is something in the nature of mankind that longs for the oneness with God that only Jesus can fill. Even Bible apps and app prayer plans are being downloaded in record numbers. People are indeed searching.

When the world forces us to stop, it also forces us to think. Is there something more to life? Is there something missing? A lot of people are asking those questions. It is an awakening, especially since what we are experiencing is not confined to one corner of the globe, but has affected the entire world.

We, the church, the body of Christ, need to be ready. We need to pray and keep praying, as many have been doing. We need to seek what God wants us to say when those questions are presented to us, because people will be asking. This is an opportune time for us, the church, to be ready to offer what many will be looking for as they are drawn to that light. Let us seek together how God would use us - right where we are at any given time - through these times of reflection and searching.

God is not in isolation. He is moving. He is moving in hearts and knocking on the doors of those hearts. May we be ready to stand with them, offer God's love, offer answers to the questions they have, and offer them the truth: that God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Sunday, April 12, 2020 Easter Sunday, online worship.

Friday, May 1, 2020 | Letter on reopening by Bishop Smith.

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The Boat Called Trinity The Rev. Edward Gleason | Trinity-by-the-Cove, Naples

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ou may or may not be surprised to know that on my computer desktop I keep an icon of Jesus in a boat with his disciples. The storm waves swirl around the boat, the disciples are panicked, and Jesus abides—asleep at first and then calming the sea. If you’ve ever had a cup of coffee with me, you’ve seen the huge painting of birds across from my desk and a verse from Matthew, “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?”

In my spiritual life and running the ship called Trinityby-the-Cove, I've needed these reminders. Reminders that there is so much outside of my control.

I cannot find a cure for Coronavirus.

I cannot prevent Saudi Arabia from fighting over oil with Russia.

But. I can respond to the many realities swirling around me.

I can wash my hands. I can pinch pennies. I can recall that the market goes up and down. Most importantly, I can remember that I am in the midst of a life that had a beginning, continues and will end. Each step along the way, God has been and will be there.

I know that the news and world are filled with worry with the unsettling reality of a virus that is making people sick, and governments making decisions that have placed our daily lives (and our investments) on an unwelcome roller coaster.

Telling you simply to believe that all will be okay—I’m not sure that’s helpful. So, three ideas: First, what are two concrete things you can do today that allow you to respond to the anxiety and worry in the world? The washing hands and pinching pennies were two examples. What does your heart and imagination tell you?

Next, prayer. Prayer changes us and allows us to experience God’s grace. The Prayer Book, which houses the prayers of generations of people (who have experienced the same worries we have today) offers us this prayer: Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Finally, go outside and look up. See and feel the beauty of creation--the birds of the air, the flowers in bloom.

God has blessed us all in so many ways; as your lungs fill with fresh air (okay, and the sound of a leaf blower from the neighbor’s house assaults your ears), give thanks for the blessings in life--God, family, friends, food, and the beauty of creation.

Saturday, May 2, 2020 Diocesan Vestry Retreat held online, with a record 309 in attendance.

Monday, May 4, 2020 | First phase reopening by Gov. DeSantis.

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Do Not Be Troubled The Rev. Vickie McDonald | St. David's, Englewood

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o not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me.” Can you hear the Risen Lord tell you, after living with the COVID-19 crisis for over two months, not to be troubled; to have trust in God? Can you be honest and tell Jesus just how you are really feeling right now? What do you imagine He is saying to you?

Thomas hears Jesus in a literal way, and yet cannot understand where Jesus is going; how can he begin to understand how to follow Him? With love and patience, Jesus explains that he is not talking about a physical place, but rather a way of living. The way is how He has shown them how to live, loving to the end, the way which will lead to truth and life. The way He is showing them is to be one with him, as he is one with God. Jesus' very identity resides in the oneness with God that He experiences and lives each day. Jesus invites the disciples, and us, to take on that same identity. This is called Imago Dei, and is the Latin translation of "Image of God" as found in the Genesis creation story. Humankind was created in the Image of God. Philip is as puzzled as Thomas. He needs another explanation and Jesus gives it to him, and to us. Can you empathize with how Thomas and Philip feel? Read Jesus words to Philip again. What do you notice about your own feelings as you allow these words to be addressed to you personally?

Seeking the oneness with God that Jesus experiences indeed, what makes Him who He is, does not end with who we become once we are are invited by Jesus. Jesus needs us - and wants us - to continue his mission on earth, even with the doubts, anxieties, and questions that we carry during these trying times.

He believes in you, and me, and all our brothers and sisters; those who want to be one with Him and with the Father. He never really leaves us; for The Holy Spirit enters in to enable us in carrying out his mission. A poem written by contemporary poet, Lynn Ungar expresses it well. The poem, entitled Pandemic, gives us a view of our current time as seen through the Jewish lens of Sabbath. I hear the faint suggestion of the Spirit which whispers, “Be still and listen.”

What if you thought of it as the Jews consider the Sabbath — the most sacred of times?

Cease from travel.

Cease from buying and selling.

Will you trust Jesus to help you to do the great work that we can do in the power of the Spirit?

Pandemic |

Lynn Ungar

What if you thought of it as the Jews consider the Sabbath— the most sacred of times?

Cease from travel.

Cease from buying and selling.

Give up, just for now, on trying to make the world different than it is.

Sing. Pray. Touch only those to whom you commit your life.

Center down.

And when your body has become still, reach out with your heart.

Know that we are connected in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.

(You could hardly deny it now.)

Know that our lives are in one another’s hands.

(Surely, that has come clear.)

Do not reach out your hands.

Reach out your heart.

Reach out your words.

Reach out all the tendrils of compassion that move, invisibly, where we cannot touch.

Promise this world your love– for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, so long as we all shall live.

You can find more of Lynn Ungar's poetry and purchase her book at lynnungar.com

Sunday, May 31 | Bishop Smith permits in-person worship to 25 percent of the fire department’s safe number certificate for the worship space.

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Letter to the Diocese from Bishop Smith | April 2, 2020

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had the distinct honor of serving the Church as Rector of Trinity Church in New Orleans before being elected the Fifth Bishop of our wonderful diocese. Every time I stepped into the pulpit at Trinity Church, I looked to my left and saw a marble grave marker that had been discovered and placed in the church as a memorial. It was dedicated to the Rector, The Rev. A. F. Dobbs who died in office in 1853, serving the congregation and ministering to the sick during the ravaging Yellow Fever epidemic. This virus, called Yellow Jack in New Orleans, was finally practically eradicated with vector control and vaccinations. I rarely think about Yellow Fever now.

The approach to medical care and eradication was not known in 1853. This priest served in uncertain times and gave his life in the Lord’s service. I saw that every time I preached.

We are in new uncertain times and in the midst of it, God’s people still serve empowered by the Hosts of Heaven and the Saints who have gone before us. As we now enter into Holy Week and the beginning of Eastertide, I am deeply mindful of the abiding commitment of so many to their faith in God and the practice of their faith.

I am immensely proud of the life giving and creative work being produced and offered in every area of the Diocese of Southwest Florida. Thank God for Technology! I am grateful for the loving energies being abundantly poured out by the clergy of this diocese. I am so humbled and proud of the thoughtful leadership being offered by our Standing Committee, the Diocesan Council, my staff working so diligently from remote locations, and the leadership of my friend and bishop, the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.

Please take every measure to reach out to those who are particularly isolated. Offer worship and prayer in safety and beneficial technology. Call on each other if you need help. Pray for those who suffer. Mary and I have a particular concern for a family friend who is a young pharmacist who is now in Intensive Care isolation with Coronavirus. I know all of us have particular concerns. In the words of St. Paul, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) For our family friend my heart weeps. For the love I see being poured out daily in this diocese giving deep compassion, my heart rejoices.

This time of terrible uncertainty will end. I never worry about Yellow Fever. Yet I personally think almost daily of the loving service of The Rev. A.F. Dobbs in the 1850’s giving his whole life because he loved Jesus. I am certain that he worships in eternity now!

For our time now of uncertainty we have better knowledge, better technology and the same challenge to live our faith in practice facing the unknown. And I am so thankful for your powerful expressions of faith.

Thank you and God Bless you.

Today.

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THE OBJECT OF

God's Grace 34

BY DONALD SCOTT

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n a sunny Sunday afternoon in October many years ago, as I sat in my condominium in Naples looking out over the Gulf, I reflected on my life: My beautiful, loving, self-sacrificing wife of twenty-four years, the mother of my two daughters, had died of lung cancer just two months before. I had sold our home and bought the sailboat she and I had been looking at before her diagnosis. Now I wondered what it was all about. Why had this happened? What was I going to do?

We had no warning. She went into the hospital for tests for pain in her left hip in early July. Twenty-eight days later, she was dead. We had no time to communicate our love and feelings. Yes, I was indulging myself again and was feeling sorry for myself.

I thought about the Browning 9mm I had bought for flights to Vietnam. It would be so easy to blow away the pain. But that was wrong. I thought about the implications for my family, what God had been in my life, what Sunday school and the Church had been for me. I came to the conclusion that either it was all true—or it wasn’t. Either God entered into the body of a man, suffered terrible torture and death, and rose again to tell us how much he loved and forgave us and wanted us to follow his lead—or it was a complete fabrication.

I began to look at some of the events in my life. I remember the time at age five when I slid into a muddy pit, where the water came up to my chin. I began to sink in the mud. I couldn’t swim. But, as I looked up into the sky, thought about God in a small boy’s way, I felt peace of mind after the initial panic and I slowly crawled out.

At age six I was unconscious for about an hour and a half after I fell more than twenty feet out of a tree, missing a wheelbarrow and piles of glass and stones on the ground.

It was only recently, after I heard about out-of-body experiences, that I understood why I was standing on the west side of the room watching people come and go while my mother was holding someone who looked like me in her lap on a couch on the east side.

I guess I was lucky both times.

I attended Sunday School regularly on my own, without urging from my loving parents who rarely went to church. I became head of the Youth Fellowship and the Hi-Y and even thought briefly about the ministry as

I headed off to college. But since I had always wanted to fly, I joined the Air Force ROTC upon entering college.

I became head of this and president of that, co-captain of the swim team, adjutant of the ROTC, and V.P. of the Protestant Youth Fellowship.

I also loved to party. Didn’t everybody?

Just as I passed off the two incidents I mentioned earlier as just lucky moments, I did so at another time, coming back to a friend’s house from a college party in my mother’s two-door Studebaker with no seat belts, my brother next to me in the front seat with my best friend and roommate on his right. It was a dark night and the road sign indicated only a slight right-hand turn, but we spun nearly ninety degrees. Over and over and round and round we went. The car was virtually destroyed, yet the only injury was a bump on my brother’s knee as he flipped into the backseat.

I was glad and I thanked God, but in an off-hand way.

I was lucky. I mean, He couldn’t have had anything to do with it. Could He? He had plenty on his plate with running the universe and all which that entailed. Besides, I didn’t deserve any special consideration.

When I went into the Air Force, it was more of the same: fly hard, party hard. I married my high school and college sweetheart. Again, I was lucky. We started a family.

But I rarely went to church, rarely was home. I flew all over the world. I loved my family very much but hardly ever prayed or read the Bible.

All during my flying career, I kept losing engines.

Fortunately, we usually had four to start with. On my initial checkride, we lost three airborne and number four just as we landed. On my checkride for aircraft commander over the Atlantic, we lost two engines and were preparing to eject ourselves into the ocean. Our first engine restarted and we managed to limp into the Azore Islands. Another time, we nearly crashed into the Pacific out of Wake Island when a gyro froze, showing us straight and level when in fact we were in an increasingly steep turn to the left. Again, I just passed it off as lucky.

But there’s one time I especially remember, because I’ve never been able to deal with it. At the time, I was a flight examiner for C-124s, a kind of heavy-duty cargo aircraft. The pilot examinee was in the left seat for his checkride for aircraft commander. We were returning from Europe through the Azore Islands to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware via Stephenville, Newfoundland, with some cargo and a crew of six. It was forecasted to be good weather in Stephenville, which is located at sea 35

level on the west coast, at the bottom of a valley which rises fairly quickly eastward into the mountains. As we began our descent down through the valley, we could see clearly the air force base twenty miles to the west. At about five thousand feet, we noticed some clouds coming in rapidly from the northwest. It was about five o’clock in the afternoon. The clouds were about at traffic pattern altitude, moving much like a time-lapse camera would show them in a Hollywood film. There was something very eerie about it all. We mentioned it to approach control, who had no forecast of any weather nor any reports from weather control.

Just after leveling off at a thousand feet for a righthand, downwind, ground-controlled approach, number one engine failed. We shut it down and I directed the pilot to continue the approach, but I would take over on final descent. From the middle of the downwind to base leg, we were engulfed in clouds, strong winds, and blowing snow. Because there was no report of increased wind on the ground, the radar controller had not compensated for it and we were blown off course, too high to make a safe

landing. I could see the field and the dim outline of the runway through the snow, although no lights had been turned on. I should have landed but decided to make a 360-degree turn and then land. As we turned right onto the downwind leg again, the controller asked us to extend the downwind leg to allow two KC-97s to take off.

I gave control back to the pilot and continued to look out the side window at the runway. He didn’t acknowledge me, and I turned toward him. The warning horn was still blowing, adding to the noise as I reset the throttle. The instrument lights were low, and light was fading as I looked up ahead. Materializing in front of us was the gigantic figure of the Grim Reaper. The bottom of his robe was just above the water, and his shrouded head was about a thousand feet above us. On his right side he carried a large scythe, which was moving toward us. I quickly looked toward the pilot who seemed frozen with his hands in his lap.

No one was flying the airplane.

I had always pictured myself looking in at a lively Christmas party on a cold, snowy evening, much like those kinds in a Charles Dickens story, doing what I thought was the norm but not knowing how to get in. As I sat there that Sunday afternoon looking at my life, I came to realize that it wasn’t that I was lucky, but that God had loved me all that time, that I had been the object of God’s grace. Not only was it true that he died for me on the cross, but he loved me when I was a sinner, so unlovable and so unworthy. I saw that I had been sitting on a pasture fence, wanting all that God had in one pasture but also wanting what the world had to offer in the other.

So

do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

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Isaiah 41:10

The airspeed was falling through 103, the gear was down, the flaps were full, and we were about to stall and fall into the icy water below. I swore at the figure, told him he was not going to get us, shoved the throttles forward, raised the flaps and the gear, and flew out of that impending stall.

The figure evaporated as quickly as it had come.

We continued with the ground-controlled approach and landed safely. I was so stunned by all of this that I never mentioned it to the crew, much less the pilot. Nor, frankly, have I ever been able to deal with it. What was it that I saw?

Why? Why? Was it something God put there to warn me that we had a problem, for surely without it, I would not be here today. Maybe he wanted to save someone else on that crew; it couldn’t be me. I didn’t deserve it.

I had to put all this behind me so I could continue with life. Ten years later, after leaving the Air Force and some job changes, I was transferred to Clearwater, Florida, where I had lived once before. Coming from Connecticut, I expected to find what I was missing in life, the faith in which I became a lay reader, vestryman, Sunday school teacher, Diocesan Convention Delegate, and a recent applicant to seminary. I remembered that Christianity seemed stronger in the South, with more churches and active lay people. Locally and in my business travels of five days a week, I met men who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, men who had some kind of a personal relationship with Him, men who tithed and who were not afraid to talk about Jesus with others.

By now I had my own twin-engine airplane that I flew all over the thirteen southeast states, as well as up to New England. One day I was giving a lift to Connecticut to two friends and a child. Just after leveling off at six thousand feet, all hell broke loose as the aircraft began to vibrate ten to fifteen inches in every direction. I didn’t know that we had lost six inches off of one blade on my right engine. Every time I tried to shut it down, it got worse, so I reduced RPM to eighteen inches and 1800 RPM and with prayer returned to Clearwater Executive Airport, the whole time thinking the right engine would tear out of the right wing, taking the wing with it. But I was lucky again.

That same year my eighteen-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a likely malignant adrenal cancer, which was fatal. I prayed a great deal and handed her over to God, who gave her back to me. The tumor turned out to be benign. We were fortunate.

My understanding, my faith, my trust, and my love for God grew.

I had always pictured myself looking in at a lively Christmas party on a cold, snowy evening, much like those kinds in a Charles Dickens story, doing what I thought was the norm but not knowing how to get in. As I sat there that Sunday afternoon looking at my life, I came to realize that it wasn’t that I was lucky, but that God had loved me all that time, that I had been the object of God’s grace.

Not only was it true that he died for me on the cross, but he loved me when I was a sinner, so unlovable and so unworthy. I saw that I had been sitting on a pasture fence, wanting all that God had in one pasture but also wanting what the world had to offer in the other.

So yes, it is true: God’s grace and love abound. My life at the Christmas party began. I got down off that fence and really began my Christian walk toward God. Now I know what it means to have a personal relationship with God, a personal savior, my Lord and Father. I know what it really means to be a Christian layman, a Christian husband to a new wife and a Christian father. There are still problems and temptations occasionally from the devil, but my trust is in the Lord. There is no other. His grace abounds.

Journeys

FAITH

The faith journey testimonial is a custom at many of our parishes, often at coffee hour or at retreats and gatherings. Writer Donald Scott, featured here, is a parishioner at Trinity-by-the-Cove, in Naples. He has given a version of this faith testimony to the church’s men’s group.

We invite your faith stories in Southern Cross, and are grateful for his contribution. If you would like to share your faith journey, please email it to

editor@episcopalswfl.org 37

Choir: How

By Tim Sny

reimagine

/rēi'majən/ verb : to imagine again or anew especially : to form a new conception of

38

Choir: How It Came to Be y Tim Snyder

A Virtual Choir: a Look at How it Happened

By Tim Snyder

O

n May 2, the Cathedral Church of St. Peter posted their choir singing the Easter anthem, "Joy to the Heart.” The choir, along with the Cathedral Brass, has performed this anthem several times on recent Easter Sundays. This year, because of the stay at home advisory, the choir was unable to present the piece in church: rather than going without, Music Director Dwight Thomas and the choir decided to present the anthem using the virtual choir format.

The virtual choir concept — video recordings of individual singers assembled into one video — was pioneered by composer and conductor Eric Whitacre about 10 years ago.

The process of creating a virtual choir video has three parts: preparing audio reference tracks the members listen to while singing; recording the vocal parts and accompaniment; and assembling the audio and video components into the final video.

"The hardest bit of this project for me was finding information on how to accomplish it, because the things I read were intimidating and made it sound very challenging to pull it off successfully," said Dwight Thomas, the Cathedral’s choirmaster. "Luckily, Tim had the enthusiasm, expertise, and most importantly, the time to delve into it wholeheartedly and to help the rest of us along the way."

Thomas began the process by playing the music into his

computer using an electronic keyboard and music notation software. "Joy to the Heart" was written for brass, tympani, organ, and two choirs. Dwight recorded each of the parts, creating audio files for brass, tympani, and the four vocal parts.

"The most difficult part of the process was the data entry into music composition software - called Finale - to recreate all the brass, tympani, and organ parts,” though the finished organ part was later recorded on the Cathedral organ, Thomas said. “This software created accompaniment tracks so that each singer had something to listen to and sing against for recording their individual part."

Next, Dwight recorded himself playing the organ part while listening to the music track on his headphones. Similarly, each choir member created a recording — both audio and video — while singing and listening to an audio reference track using headphones or earbuds. Some members made the recording on a laptop computer; others simply used their smartphone.

This was a new concept for most choir members. The appeal of choir singing for most people is blending in and being part of an ensemble. Singing alone into a recording device presented a challenge that the participants overcame with practice, encouragement, and multiple takes. Elaine New submitted a video of Audie, the service dog she trains, since his presence at many choir rehearsals and Sunday services earned him status as an honorary choir member.

Once everyone transferred the audio/video files to me, I used video editing software on my computer to process each video and assemble them into the final composite. Because the videos were recorded on a variety of devices, I adjusted the color balance and the audio of each recording so the the visuals blended together as one.

To create the master video, I put all the videos and the brass audio track into one project and lined them up so the audio was synchronized. To be able to see everyone, I reduced the size of each video and arranged them on the screen.

To make these choir videos interesting to watch, I maneuvered the individuals around during the performance.

In one section I featured just the tenors and basses, and in another I grouped the descant-singing sopranos and tenors. As a bonus, I included the clip of Audie with his assessment of the performance. Finally I added the title and credits screens and Dwight added an introductory comment.

Tim Snyder is a member of the Cathedral.

See the performance at spcathedral.org/music-events

music 39

By Ruth Hill, Administrator

During the COVID-19 crisis, the Jubilee Center, with a thrift shop, food pantry and backpack program, has become a drive-thru operation for both food needs and supplies from their thrift store, open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. “Clients come into the drive-way, a volunteer asks what the needs are, makes notes, and a box is brought out to the car,” said the Rev. Vickie McDonald, the parish rector. There has been a steady growth in clients, due to job losses, but the center continues its work.

We are so blessed by the many organizations, residential communities and individuals that donate food and toiletry items that keep our pantry well stocked. Based upon the number of items in a bag or box, the value of the food provided to our clients for the year was $92,575. We served approximately 2,700 families last year, which broken down was 5,380 adults and 2,139 children. Before COVID-19, they were seeing a 10 percent increase in the number of families with children accessing the pantry, up from 2018, especially during

St. David, Englewood, occupies a busy location central to the southern part of Sarasota County and northern part of Charlotte County. This means a large need for their social services at their Jubilee Center. The Jubilee Center designation is from the Episcopal Church and designates parishes that go beyond simple food collection and instead function as hubs for neighborhood social services.

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outreach

Jubilee Center at St. David's

the summer months. As a result, we incorporated a “Summer Backpack” program to help offset food costs during the months when school was not in session. The Backpack Ministry provides kid friendly food for the weekend throughout the school year to 70 students at Englewood Elementary School.

Parents appreciated the much-needed extra help with food, and we are equally blessed to be able to provide this wonderful resource to our Englewood Community.

Additionally, the Clothes Closet has been open on Tuesdays from 10 to Noon. Clients are able to choose several items per family member plus a pair of shoes or sandals, all of which are free. The Clothing Closet sees an average of 40-80 clients/families each month.

Every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, each of our clients receives a bag or box filled with supplies for a complete Holiday dinner along with a ham, turkey or a gift card. This year, we held our Christmas Shoppe in the Community Building, partnering with several choir members from St. David’s and women from ECW, which was a wonderful collaboration. 61 families consisting of 151 children received toys and/or gift cards and a beautiful handmade quilt.

This year we participated in online #Giving Tuesday event, held annually on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving to raise funds on social media (Facebook) to benefit the Jubilee Center.

We netted $175. The Jubilee Center and the Clothes Closet could not exist without the 30 wonderful, dedicated, dependable and caring volunteers. They are the heart and backbone of our ministry. We are indeed blessed!

All Faiths Food Truck, overseen by Pat Knox, continues to come the third Saturday of each month. Participants receive canned goods, produce and frozen meat. All that is required to receive food is a photo ID. The average attendance varies between 130-180 each month. Volunteers are always needed; however, they must register to volunteer online with All Faiths to serve.

Restructure, Reinvent, Restore The time of coronavirus has been and is a time of reinvention, and congregations have had to rethink every aspect of ministry. Thanks to creative thinking, technology and a willingness to experiment, parishes have created new programs, or brought existing offerings to life online. Even with the difficulty of physical distance, ministry has thrived.

St. Catherine, Temple Terrace | In addition to regular worship online, St. Catherine began offering their centering prayer groups via Zoom, and both groups have grown as a result; our new members are from outside the parish. On Mondays they offer prayer and lectio divina, and centering prayer is held on Wednesdays from 6-6:30 pm.

Church of the Nativity, Sarasota During stay at home orders, Parishioner Helen Collins led a study on the Book of John Friday mornings via Zoom. Church of the Nativity has a longstanding tradition called Invitation to Prayer, a small group which gathers to pray for one hour at 7 pm. The small group resumed on May 31 in the main church, where there was enough room to safely spread out.

Cathedral Church of St. Peter, St. Petersburg | In May, Children’s Minister Hillary Peete delivered 53 goody bags to 29 families. She caught up with parents on the front porch and/or appropriately distanced in the driveway. Kids were excited to show off newly learned bike-riding skills and fresh sidewalk chalk art, while one student gave an amazing presentation on Venezuela for a school project.

Church of the Redeemer, Sarasota Parish-wide drive-throughs ruled the day at Redeemer during socialdistancing directives. The congregation created several drive-through themes, including a "Build the Church: The Great Redeemer Puzzle Giveaway," a "Crafts and Coozies" giveaway, a "Holy Week in a Box" giveaway and a "He is Risen" Easter giveaway. For Mother's Day there were flowers; at Pentecost, a swag bag giveaway.

Youth leaders from across the diocese stepped up with drop-offs, pickups and gifts in order to stay connected. At St. Thomas,Youth Minister Courtney Crosby dropped off packages. Inset, the Rev. Adrienne Hymes of Wesley Chapel Episcopal Church was one of four faith leaders tapped by Hillsborough County in a video to encourage faith groups to practice social distancing.

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St. Alban's, St. Pete Beach | On Easter Day parishioners brought flowers to cover the cross - a yearly tradition for the parish - and as they drove by, members of the vestry, altar guild and volunteer parishioners gave out gift bags.

St. George, Bradenton | Kelly Anderson, wife of the Rector, devised a new ministry to meet some of the challenges of need during quarantine.

She coordinated a group of individuals to make masks to give to members of the congregation, which included clients of the food pantry as well as the surrounding community. St. George’s has distributed these masks on two different occasions. In total, close to 400 masks have been distributed to the severely marginalized population they serve.

St. Mark's, Tampa | The parish produced a number of music features for online worship. Cantor John Robison plated Johann Wilhelm Hertel’s Sonata in C Major for Oboe and Organ. For the Postlude, Choirmaster Edwin Taylor played a portion of (insert composer name here) “Patterson Processional,” a piece Taylor was commissioned to pen for 50th anniversary celebration (played over the sound system aboard a fancy ‘barge’ on a river in France, as a surprise to his wife) of dear friends of the parish Carol and John Patterson, now of Bonita Springs, Florida; formerly of Ridgefield, Connecticut.

St. John's, Tampa | In addition to moving services online, the parish set up each of their small groups online, including John Edgar Men's Thursday Bible Study and lunch as well as Ayana Gregory’s online youth confirmation classes, where she planned a full set of confirmation class videos. Inquirers classes continued as well, under the leadership of the Rev. Michael Cannon.

Contemporary Women's Bible Study met with the Women’s Mid-Morning Bible Study, led by Sharon Stoll and Sally Thompson.

Clockwise, from above: Holy Trinity Countryside serves the Clearwater area. They work with the FEAST Food Pantry, which has served Pinellas County for over three decades. Parishioner Valarie Rizzo, used the Next Door app to win donations for the food pantry. Above, St. Mark, Venice youth Zoom; godly play group at Holy Innocents', Valrico. Far right, Malacy Wilson of Church of the Redeemer doing bedtime stories.

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ministry

PPP Loans: An Unprecedented Opportunity

A

s the economic fallout from COVID-19 became increasingly clear, Congress and the President created the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, including the Payment Protection Program (PPP). The program has expanded since inception, with the Small Business Administration guaranteeing a cumulative 4.6 million loans totaling over $513 billion through June 2020 to provide for extended restrictions on businesses which have had to cease or limit operations since the advent of COVID-19.

Congregations swiftly moved to action, and Diocesan staff began calling each parish. Canon for Finance and Administration Anne Vickers and Director of Congregational Support, the Rev. Martha Goodwill, created a dashboard and process to ensure that each church that was qualified to participate was able to, and that guidance on the process was clear and concise. "No one yet has seen the end or even the middle of what we're going to witness regarding financial [impact]," said Vickers.

To keep up with changing and differing interpretations of rules, the Diocese began weekly, then bi-weekly, Zoom gatherings of parish administrators. Beginning on April 1, these meetings served to educate churches on the basics of the program, and to sort out questions on the evolving interpretations on how the program would be administered. "Let's face it: This is going to affect everybody to some extent. It just depends on what kind of condition you're in" says Bob Kinney, who serves as a deacon and business manager at All Saints Episcopal Church in Tarpon Springs.

Working with 28 different banks, 52 of our 77 congregations received PPP loans, totaling $2,633,025 related to 480 jobs, with a median loan size of $29,257. These loans are expected to be forgiven through a subsequent forgiveness application process currently underway.

Above: 75 to 100 treasurers, administrators, and clergy of congregations attend each of the Zoom webinar series led by Diocesan staff.

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Islands in the Stream(ing) Parishes had almost no time to prepare for empty pews and streaming their services online, but they rose to the challenge as a group, with clergy and laypeople working together to make church-from-afar a reality.

A

s congregational worship was forced to adapt to stay at home guidelines, across the diocese churches worked on how to take their services online. At the beginning of the year, there were 10 congregations that regularly streamed their services. By April 7, a full 59 churches were streaming their services. By Pentecost, nearly all churches werestreaming or sharing at least some of their services online. When parishes return to traditional in-person worship, most congregations will maintain some sort of digital outreach as a way to reach those at home, either shut-in, sick, traveling, or simply new followers tuning in from afar.

The diocese had its first training session at the 2014 Annual Convention to show people how to stream their worship; the Rev. Dr. Mike Branscombe, then of Church of the Ascension, Clearwater, worked with staff to stream their services as soon as it was technologically feasible. As the years have gone by, several churches began to share worship digitally. With the advent of the coronavirus, optional became essential, as it was the only way for people to connect with their churches.

There have been many interesting moments, as people not only had to navigate technology, but learn how to preach to a camera, and how to grow their online congregations on YouTube. Smaller churches using Zoom had different challenges, as the host in charge was also tasked with monitoring the “room.”

Even our largest, most resourced parishes have had setbacks, from lightning strikes to server crashes from too many visits. But as the pandemic has moved from home worship to mixed worship, our congregations are planning what is next, the challenges have been outweighed by the bold opportunity to reach out to anyone, at any time.

Programming

Copyright

Daily Facebook programming throughout the diocese began well before stay-at-home orders, but in quarantine, it blossomed.

These offerings include the Rev. Canon Dr. Thomas Williams of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter streaming the Daily Office (Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer) on a special Facebook page. There you can interact and forward prayers and comments with the Canon Theologian and Precentor at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, in St Petersburg. Daily “Pop-up Prayer” from the Rev. Canon Katie Churchwell of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, in St. Petersburg. She began this ministry during Hurricane Irma. Also included are video feeds from the Cathedral. Guests hosts of the prayer have included our presiding bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Curry.

Many of the old favorite Episcopal hymns have fallen out of copyright, which means that you do not have to pay any licensing to broadcast or stream them if they were created before 1922. And in current law, churches may perform any music without a fee, provided that it is not part of a paid performance, and the sheet music has been purchased.

That exception does not apply to recorded and streamed music, which requires a license, which was new to most parishes. During the pandemic, One License offered specials in getting signed up.

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Hymn Videos Ryan Hebert and Coleman Flengte of St. Andrew's, Tampa, have been creating a series of videos each week during the safer-at-home directives about different hymns from The Episcopal Hymnal, sharing information on both YouTube and the parish Facebook page. Each week, Dr. Hebert gives some background information on a hymn and plays it as it appears in the hymnal, and does an organ setting of the hymn on the mighty Fisk organ.

Hymns that have been profiled include “Christ is Made the Sure Foundation” and "Praise God from whom all Blessing Flow" sometimes referred to as the Doxology.

A New Way to Worship

Our traditional Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Compline and Holy Communion made the transition to digital, allowing parishes to bring church home. Clockwise from top, Church of the Redeemer; St. John's, Tampa; St. Anselm, Lehigh Acres; Christ Church, Bradenton; Easter in Boca Grande; hymns at St. Andrew’s, Boca Grande and Holy Trinity, Clearwater.

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Books BOOK CLUB BONANZA: OUR FAVORITE READS

A

cross the diocese, book clubs flourished, a result of a large amount of time at home combined with the availability of electronic readers and a strong desire to continue parish activities in a new way. In addition, parishes read the Gospel of Matthew during the season of Easter as part of Forward Movement's The Good Book Club. In The Good Book Club, parishes read a Gospel chapter together from Easter to Pentecost. Books read included:

THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS

BY RUTH HOGAN St. Margaret of Scotland, Sarasota, suggested The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan, which was found in their book library. Suggested by parishioner Penny Durham, the book was available using the Sarasota Public Library ebook app. They used it for an evening 4th Thursday Book Club. Durham called it “a heartwarming novel which I think we all can use” and even better, took place in England around where Hogan’s husband grew up. (Harper Collins, $25)

SENSE & SENSIBILITY: A LENTEN EXPLORATION

BY THE REV. SAM PORTARO St. Alfred, Palm Harbor read Sense and Sensibility: A Lenten Exploration, a book from the Rev. Sam Portaro, an Episcopal priest from Chicago. The book contained daily meditations that explored five senses in a search for a deeper experience of God. (Portaro, $12.95) 46

MOSES

BY ADAM HAMILTON St John's, Clearwater, read the book Moses: In the Footsteps of the Reluctant Prophet by Adam Hamilton. It traced the life of Moses from his modest birth and rescue as a baby to the courts of Pharaoh, from herding flocks in Midian to leading his people out of Egypt. Using historical information, archaeological data, and biblical text, the author Adam Hamilton guided them in the “footsteps of this reluctant prophet.” (Abingdon Press, $12.99)

SPIES OF NO COUNTRY: SECRET LIVES AT THE BIRTH OF ISRAEL

BY MATTI FRIEDMAN The St. Peter's Cathedral Book Club read Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel by Matti Friedman, led by parishioner John Sumner. The book concerns four Israeli spies who went undercover in 1948, as part of a unit called the Arab Section. They operated out of a newsstand, collecting intelligence and sending messages back to Israel via a radio with an antenna disguised as a clothesline. The group became the nucleus of Mossad. (Algonquin Books, $14.49)

OIL & MARBLE

BY STEPHANIE STOREY Church of the Redeemer, Sarasota, read a number of books throughout the stay-at-home directives. Oil and Marble by Stephanie Storey (Arcade, $10.99) brought early 16thcentury Florence alive in telling the story of the nearly forgotten rivalry between Leonardo de Vinci and Michelangelo. The book study, led by Karen Mathis, depicts the turbulent and competitive spirit of Renaissance Florence. In April, they read Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano (Dial Press Random House, $16.11). It was the story of 12-year-old, Edward, the sole survivor of a plane crash, which took the lives of 191 people, including his parents and older brother. After Edward heals from his physical injuries he goes to live with his aunt and uncle. Just before the full shutdown, the men of Redeemer had gathered to read The Spy and the Traitor: the Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben MacIntyre. (Penguin Random House, $13.95) 47

In Memoriam "For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death." -Psalm 48:14

Evelyn Smithwick Turner, 1925-2020 PORT CHARLOTTE - Evelyn Smithwick Turner, the widow of the late the Rev. Robert W. Turner III, died Sunday, May 17, 2020.

Born May 16, 1925, she was a member of St. James, Port Charlotte, where her husband served as vicar from 196473. At the time, Robert also served as priest-in-charge at St. Nathaniel's. They were married June 26, 1946; during their marriage they served parishes including Panama and many in North Carolina, including Townsville and Nags Head. The Turners were generous supporters of diocesan and parish charity efforts.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband Robert; she is survived by their children Isabel, Robert, Martha and Christopher, as well as an extended family.

The Rev. John McRae Wolfe, 1943-2020 TAMPA - The Rev. John McRae Wolfe, a former deacon at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, died April 26, 2020.

A lifelong resident of Tampa, he was a member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church for the past 50 years where he taught Sunday school, served as Sr. Warden on the vestry, and volunteered in various positions where needed. In 2004, he became an ordained deacon in the Diocese of Southwest Florida and served at St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Tampa from 2002–13 until he retired from active service.

He attended Gorrie Elementary, Wilson Jr High, H.B. Plant High ‘61, and graduated from University of Tampa with a B.S. in Economics, all on a full music scholarship. He later received his M.B.A. from the University of South Florida.

John was preceded in death by his parents Arthur Charles Wolfe and Elizabeth McRae Wolfe, and his grandmother Maude McRae. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Pat Rosendahl Wolfe, and sons John McRae II, Brian (Katy); his three adored grandchildren, Maggie, Emmy, and James. Other survivors include his brother Lester (Vicki); brothers-in-law Melvin (Madonna) Geithmann and Joe (Roxanne) Geithmann, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

The Rev. Jeffrey T. Liddy, 1952-2020 LOVELAND, COLO. - The Rev. Jeffrey T. Liddy, a priest who served churches in Illinois and Kansas, and also served at Church of the Ascension in Clearwater, died Friday, April 10, 2020.

He served as Assistant to the Rector at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Clearwater from 1985-87. He later served in the Diocese of Kansas at St. John's Episcopal Church in Wichita and the Diocese of Chicago at St. John's Episcopal Church in Naperville.

Kathleen Marie Scotto, 1949-2020 PUNTA GORDA - Kathleen Marie Scotto, the wife of the Rev. Vince Scotto, died June 4, 2020 after a long battle with cancer.

She was 71. She had resided in Charlotte County since 2001 and passed away at Tidewell Hospice House, Port Charlotte. Born March 11, 1949 in Weymouth, MA she was the daughter of Alvin Hicks and Mary Lockary.

She grew up in Weymouth and Rockland, MA. She attended Bridgewater State College and then North Adams State Teachers College, North Adams, MA graduating in 1972 with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and Certification as a Grade K-3 teacher.

A lover of life she dedicated most of her life to enriching the lives of children and helping them reach their full potential. She taught in Massachusetts and Florida. An active member of St. David’s Episcopal Church, Englewood, she enjoyed singing in the choir.

In 2004 she met her husband, Rev. Vincent Scotto. The two were married in 2005 in Punta Gorda. She is survived by her husband Vincent, step-daughter Jillian Scotto of Spring, TX, sister Elizabeth Lloyd of Hanover, MA. 48

Transitions

NEW DIRECTOR OF YOUTH MINISTRY

MATTHEW BOWERS LEADS YOUTH MINISTRY MARIETTA, GEORGIA - Matthew Bowers, formerly the Director of Youth Ministry at St. James Episcopal Church Church in Marietta, is the new Director of Youth Ministry and Programming for the Diocese of Southwest Florida and DaySpring Episcopal Center.

"I'm looking forward to building relationships with everyone here," said Bowers. "I'm especially excited to work with the summer camp staff and youth leaders of the diocese to build and continue an incredible and impactful diocesan-wide youth program."

Matthew Bowers is a lifelong Episcopalian who has been involved in Episcopal camps and youth ministries since 2007. He serves as the vice president and conference coordinator for the National Happening Committee.

In his work with the Diocese of Atlanta, he served as the co-lay director for Happening and hosted two Episcopal

podcasts, one in which he had the opportunity to interview Presiding Bishop Michael Curry about youth ministry.

He is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Religious Studies with a major focus on the Protestant Movement in America. Matthew and his wife Hayden both grew up in Florida; Hayden from Ponte Vedra, and Matthew from St. Augustine.

He is excited to return to an Episcopal summer camp after having served as the summer camp director at Camp Weed in Live Oak, Fla. The Bowers come with their two dogs, Oli and Luna, and a lot of excitement and love for Episcopal summer camps and diocesan programs such as Happening and New Beginnings.

NEW RECTOR IN ENGLEWOOD ENGLEWOOD - The Rev. Vickie McDonald has been called by the vestry to be the 7th rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Englewood. The Rev. McDonald moved to Englewood in June 2017 when she accepted the call to be priest-in-charge at St. David's, after graduating from The General Theological Seminary, New York, in May 2017.

Her title will be rector-elect until such time that St. David’s is able hold the Celebration of New Ministry service.

A native of Maryland, she earned her B.S. in Biological Science specializing in microbiology at The University of Maryland. She joined St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Tampa in 1998, which became her parish home. The parish subsequently sponsored her in the ordination process.

THE REV. DR. ROBERT BAKER AT CHRIST CHURCH BRADENTON - Christ Church has called The Rev. Dr. Robert Baker to the position of rector. The Rev. Dr. Baker was the former associate rector of St. John's Church, Tampa and chaplain at St. John's School. He has been priest-in-charge of the parish since December 2018.

To accomplish the search, the vestry formed a search committee with two parishioners, unconnected to the vestry, from each service, guided by their senior warden. After a unanimous vote, and later vestry approval, the Canon to the Ordinary and Bishop Smith were notified of the vestry selection and called Baker to offer him the position. Baker accepted the call April 2, 2020.

He holds an Anglican Studies degree from Nashotah House Seminary. Prior to his calling to the priesthood, he spent two decades as a critical care R.N. The Rev. Baker and his wife Evelyn have four children: Jeremiah, Henry, Helen, and Richard.

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L O O K I N G

50

History may not repeat itself exactly, yet it does often seem to rhyme. So is the case with pandemics, which have been a constant through the decades, including Southwest Florida. Much has been said about the 1918 Spanish flu, which peaked in Florida during October 1918, directly affecting our Episcopal churches.

The Episcopal Church was at a disadvantage during that time, because it had occasional eucharistic worship, different from other protestant denominations of Florida. The revenue of some parishes and most missions dropped to dangerously low levels, though services were still held, according to the history The Sound of Bells by Joseph D. Cushman. Then, as now, state health units closed schools and strongly discouraged meetings and attendance at public worship.

The services with communion were not popular; Bishop Cameron Mann, who had caught the flu himself, protested against what he called “the irreligious and unscientific hygenic fads which displayed themselves through the jurisdiction.” He said that the church was about the “safest place wherein to avoid people with contagious diseases” because an afflicted person would “consider it a duty” not to attend church. He asserted that the high alcohol content of the wine plus the metallic chalice would destroy most chances of infection: an alternative delivery of communion was simply not an option.

Hardest hit was the Cathedral School for Girls in Orlando. Because of the flu, the State Board of Health closed all schools and churches, and for several weeks, day students did not attend, while boarding students remained. At the Nov. 11, 1918 Armistice, there were no great public thanksgiving services.

Instead, the thanksgivings were celebrated at Christmas.

“Christmastide is the season above all others when we are keenly mindful of our beloved dead,” Bishop Mann wrote in his Christmas message.

“It was they who made so large a share of the joyance of those festivities wherein they shall never take part again.

It may be the gray head of our father or mother, it may be the golden curls of our baby, it may be the strong man or the gracious woman—but in most homes some person is missing and there is a spray of cypress twining in the holly wreath.”

BACK

This issue, we go back a century to take a look at the Spanish Flu pandemic in Florida.

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New at DaySpring: Here, Mark Lindsay of Common Ground Adventures, at DaySpring Episcopal Center this June. Lindsay, Common Ground’s founder and director, is supervising the installation of telephone poles for a new ropes course, located near DaySpring’s youth cabins and adjacent to the tree climbing area. The pandemic disruption provided a convenient opportunity to upgrade the elements of this natural learning environment used by schools throughout Florida.