AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
THE TRISAGION A JOINT NEWSLETTER OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCHES OF HUNTINGTON, WV
The Stewardship Edition
Sowing While Weeping DAVID JOHNSTON, Trinity Lay Pastoral Associate Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. Psalm 126:6 In seminary, my Old Testament professor, Dr. Ellen Davis, told us she was long puzzled by why those in Psalm 126 would be weeping while sowing seed. She would occasionally teach for short periods in Sudan, and it was one of her Sudanese students who shed light on it for her. The seeds being sown come from one’s food reserve. The grain one sows is the grain one could also eat. So to sow the seed is a risk and might require lean and hungry days ahead, hence the weeping.
Psalm 126, a staple of the noon prayer office in the Book of Common Prayer, is a psalm for a time like the one we are in. We are unsettled, grieving loss, disrupted and uncertain of when we will see God restore our fortunes and when our mouths will be filled with laughter again. We know God has acted for us in the past. We have seen God’s goodness and faithfulness. We pray in hope “Restore our fortunes, O Lord” (Psalm 126:4) while anxiously waiting for some decisive break in this pandemic. In times of loss and uncertainty, God is faithful even when we cannot see it. We have assurance from scripture that whatever famines, wars, and plagues may come, that Jesus Christ will be victorious in the fullness of time. We live each day empowered by this hope. So much more than shirking responsibility because it’s in God’s hands, God invites us to faithful and hopeful living in light of God’s own faithfulness and assured victory. In the words of Psalm 126, we sow in tears now in hope that we will reap with shouts of joy later. We make use of the resources we have for the sake of God’s kingdom knowing that we will harvest in joy when the kingdom comes in its fullness. Few of us are probably relying on sacks of grain for the future, so how do we live this out? We continue to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us, things such as Continued on page 2 1
THE TRISAGION Around the Diocese and Beyond
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
Sowing While Weeping Continued from page 1
time and money. The pandemic has disrupted our worship, our economy, our savings, our leisure, and our jobs, and yet in difficult times God still summons us to be faithful with our time and money. To give of our money to our churches in difficult times is an act of faith and hope. This may mean going out to eat less or cutting back on other parts of our spending. It may mean self-denial, which is part of what Jesus calls us to in carrying the cross. I’m not suggesting anyone forgo paying bills or providing for themselves. I am suggesting we examine our budgets and how we spend our money as a reflection of our spiritual life. How can we make more room to give to our churches so that the worship of God and the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ continues? Some of the seed must come out of the stores for planting next year’s harvest. By sowing seed now, by giving of our money now, even when it might make us weep, will bring a harvest of joy in the fullness of time. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Introducing our Bishop Coadjuter, The Rev. Matthew D. Cowden The Rev. Cowden is the Rector of St. Michael and All Angels in South Bend, Indiana. He was born and raised in northern Virginia and has family roots in West Virginia. He received his Master of Divinity degree at Virginia Theological Seminary in 2006, after an early career as a college theatre professor. While serving as a trainer for Congregational Development Ministries, Fr. Matthew has led both rural and suburban congregations in developing a shared vision for implementing new ministries. He currently serves on the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church, connecting church resources with local congregations.
BOOK REVIEW: The Power of Half The Salwen family embarked on “a remarkable family adventure” instigated by their 14 year old daughter Hannah. They decided, as a family, to sell their 2M house on Peachtree Circle in Atlanta and give half the proceeds away to a cause they would choose together. The Power of Half, by Kenneth and Hannah Salwen, records their journey together as a family which led them to “fund the development and empowerment of two clusters of villages” in Ghana that would last “at least until Hannah and Joseph finish high school and begin college”.
He is married to Melissa Cowden, an Early Childhood teacher with a Master’s Degree in Multicultural Education. They have three young-adult children: Meghan, a nurse; Nicholas, a ballet dancer, and Joshua, a Computer Science major. Continued on page 3
At first I told Vivian I was not the person to review this book for our stewardship issue. I believed the story it offered was too far outside my experience for me to do it justice. The talented writing of Kevin, a reporter and editor at “The Wall Street Journal” for 18 years, drew me into the compass of the story. Who has not experienced the pressure of doing and being MORE in our society? I vividly remember my daughter’s stories of the teasing she received because we picked her up at her private Houston elementary school in the family Saturn. Continued on page 3 2
THE TRISAGION
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
Introducing our Bishop Coadjuter Continued from page 2
The following is an excerpt from a letter from Bishop Coadjuter Cowen to the Diocese of WV: [There is a teaching from Luke 5:1-7] “where Jesus finishes an early morning sermon, preaching from Peter’s boat, and when he’s done preaching he tells Simon Peter to push from shore and to set out into deeper waters to cast their nets. Peter’s tired and discouraged from fishing all night without a catch. Yet, says Simon Peter, if you say so Jesus, then this we will go do. Jesus is still calling us to deeper water, even when we feel weary, when we feel like our work is done and we are ready to go to shore and hang up our nets. Our call is to be faithful to his voice, if you say so, Jesus, the this we will do. I am excited to follow Jesus’ voice with you, to set out into deeper waters with you and to faithfully cast our nets together. I look forward to faithfully fishing with you and discovering the great, unexpected, wild and wonderful catch that awaits us and fills our nets in West Virginia.”
“Jesus goes to the cross for agape, not for Himself, but for the good and the wellbeing and the welfare of others. That kind of love has the power to bind us together as a human community, as a human family. It has the power to bind us together as societies through all of our differences. When unselfish, sacrificial love that seeks the good and the well-being of others is the way, then everybody finds their way.”
The Rev. Matthew Cowden +
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
BOOK REVIEW
Continued from page 2
As I was pulled into this family’s experience I found myself envious of their relationships. My family of origin was completely dedicated to the accumulation of MORE that Salwen ably described, but there was never any question of challenging or even discussing their commitments. That the course of a family’s life together could be changed by the questions and concerns of a 14 year old seems wonderful to me, and may be my lasting take away from this book.
the book intimacy and charm. I have lived the grace-filled joys and tribulations of giving at the level described in the book. The descriptions of this family’s experience underlined its authenticity for me. I undertook reading it for a lesson in stewardship, but it reaches a good deal farther than that to embrace our dreams of family life. The Power of Half, by Kevin And Hannah Salwen, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010.
Salwen’s careful, insightful and truth-filled descriptions of our contemporary life encouraged me to follow the rest of the story. His daughter Hannah’s contributions gave
3
THE TRISAGION
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
THE BIG FISHERMAN NEWS FROM ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH risk that returning health yet, and I have prayed about it every day.
Deep Water Fishers of Men
You may not realize it but being the leader of a church means being willing to stand up to pressure on several fronts and to continue to present a strong, fair response. St. Paul’s letters give a good approximation of the strains of church leadership. So I would say that I expect those stresses too. It comes with the territory. Add up all the stressors I have written about so far, and you will begin to appreciate why civility in our towns and neighborhoods has been strained.
THE REV. DEBORAH RANKIN, St. Peter’s I asked to write a pastoral article on stewardship for this issue because I have encountered a number of pastoral issues in the past two years that have affected my willingness to give. Just before COVID hit, my family suffered a financial setback, so for most of the pandemic we have been cooking and eating together. Then, of course, there was a broken pipe in the yard, a water heater and an air conditioning unit that needed to be replaced. All those repairs created quite a squeeze.
As a pastor I understand the problems all these issues present for giving. I believe in our work at St. Peter’s. We have continued to serve faithfully both in the Church and in the West End of Huntington throughout the pandemic. We have been open every time the infection rate dropped under 25 and have provided recorded services and Bible Studies every
In July I discovered it was the third month I had not paid my pledge. I was shocked. It was always among my first checks of the month. I paid it off with one of those offers from my bank for a no interest loan on my credit card. Besides the real challenges presented during this time, we have also been dealing with threatening ones like illness and lost work, a child returning to school in the pandemic, etc.
Continued on page 4
Apple Butter Making at St. Peter’s ECM's Apple Butter will be back on our schedule this year. Pints are $5 and quarts are $9. As it was in 2019, we will not make any sugar-free this year. Preparation activities will be on Friday the 22nd. We will cook apple butter in the kettles on Saturday the 23rd of October. It will be an alcohol-free event this year because some of the people helping us have recovered or are recovering from substance dependency. Due to the later than average date in October the fires will start before dawn.
For most of us threats like those posed over the past few years might have been enough to discourage giving, but the stretching out of the pandemic through 2021, together with the church closures have made it worse. St. Peter’s secured a PPP loan in 2020 which was forgiven, but the church was passed over for one in 2021. Like most of the churches I have served, StP has a few people who give as regularly as the sun in its courses and a larger majority who give when they come in for services.
Our Apple Butter planning this year took into account the pandemic. We have been monitoring the decreasing Cabell County COVID infection rate and we chose a later date to minimize risk of infection to our members and people we know. Please assist us by bringing in used mason jars and donating Domino brand sugar and Domino brown sugar. Domino brand sugar is cane sugar which works well in our cooking process. Other sugar has not worked out as well and seems to cause consistency problems late in the cooking process.
As a result, I have been feeling the pressure to open the Church, and some of you will agree that I should be feeling it. I’m not provoked by that. I have always chosen the risks I was willing to take at work. Over 14 years in medical and industrial labs, I took sizable risks in my 30’s and 40’s. But I’m in my 70’s now, newly recovered from double knee replacements. I have not been called by God to
You may call orders in or see Tim Curran in the undercroft before or after Morning Prayer to place an order. 4
THE TRISAGION
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
THE BIG FISHERMAN CONTINUES
men/women’s shoes, women’s shirts sizes XL and up, men’s shirts sizes small, medium, three XL, and four XL, pants for all genders and all sizes, as well as jackets and coats. There is also a need for boy children’s clothes and children’s jackets and hoodies.
St. Peter’s Community Outreach Update Sequoia Ware St. Peter’s Episcopal Outreach helped host Cabell County’s “Save-Life-Day” which resulted in exactly 636 doses of Narcan Nasal Spray distributed in Cabell County alone. Together, 17 counties in West Virginia put their resources together to host a large Naloxone distribution for the beginning of September, which is also National Recovery Month. Along with handing out Narcan, volunteers also gave out CPR face shields, provided HIV Testing, and provided protection from HIV/STDs, like condoms. According to a study done by WVDHHR, in 2019, citizens in Cabell County used Naloxone 233 times before EMS was able to arrive. According to the DHHR’s data, Cabell County’s number are decreasing, and teams like ours are appreciated for hitting the streets to work frontline with people who know someone or could be added to another study or become a statistic.
For Save-A-Life Day, SPECO raised $17,000 for the event by just our community support. Our leaders worked vigorously to write grants for the event too adding another $8,300 from business donations. In total, SPECO helped raised just over $25,000. More specifically, Jennifer Reynolds, a church member and SPECO volunteer who helped with Save-a-Life Day at Milton Baptist Church, said their location gave out nearly 100 Narcan Nasal Spray. “The number of people who, I swear, more than 70 years old, who came and got Narcan was phenomenal,” Reynolds said. “To me, that was a demographic of people I don’t usually see seeking that out or using that, so I was so impressed by that.” Reynolds also said that the Giovanni’s Pizza store manager came and brought them pizza and got trained. “Throughout the day, the manager actually sent crew members from the store to our location to also get trained, while on the clock,” she said. “They also took Narcan back to the store to keep there and I feel like this is another place out in the community that sees lots of people that now have that resource available to them. If we hadn’t don’t Save-aLife Day, they would have never had done that.” SPECO will also be hosting a Clothing Drive Event on Nov., 6. The event will take place at St. Peter’s Church in the West End of Huntington, as a way to Jesse Maynard, SPECO volunteer, is taking lead on this project. Maynard says that for now, we still need the following for the event:
For donations and information on the event, please contact SPECO on Facebook or email at stpetesoutreach@gmail.com. Donations can be picked up or dropped off at SPECO Center or brought to St. John’s Office. Sequoia Ware can be contacted at ware53@marshall.edu. Outreach photos can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/4791449307591837 Deep Water Fishers of Men Continued from page 3
week since the first lockdown. The infection rate has continued to drop this week. I am hopeful we can open for live services of Holy Eucharist in a few weeks time. At the time of this writing, we are open at 10:30am on Sunday mornings for Morning Prayer led by a Vestryman, Mr. Brent Williams. The Vestry made this decision at its last meeting. Recorded evidence of our continued work as a Church is on our website and our Facebook pages. Outreach during this food crisis and regular worship have been sustained in a time of threat. It was not business as usual, AND we have risen to the occasion. God has given us grace to continue with other forms of worship and service like the Warming Shelter last winter. Thanks be to God! Our Bishop Elect, The Rev. Michael Cowden, wrote a letter posted to the WV Mission after his election. He referred to the daily office reading from Luke’s Gospel for Sunday, September 26. It is from Chapter 5, “where Jesus finishes an early morning sermon, preaching from Peter’s boat, and when he’s done preaching he tells Simon Peter to push from shore and to set out into deeper waters to cast their nets. Peter’s tired and discouraged from fishing all night without a catch. Yet, says Simon Peter, if you say so Jesus, then this we will go do. Jesus is still calling us to deeper water, even when we feel weary, when we feel like our work is done and we are ready to go to shore and hang up our nets. Our call is to be faithful to his voice, if you say so, Jesus, then this we will do.” Because we have functioned well as a Church during this crisis, I have felt affirmed in our calling. We have been following Jesus into the deep water and casting our nets there. We have never before been deep water fishermen, but with Jesus’ help we are learning. Mother Deborah + 5
THE TRISAGION
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
THE TRINITARIAN NEWS FROM TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Fall Comes to Trinity The season of fall in our church life brings us many exciting things: Christian education clas ses begin, attendance picks up when vacationers return, our choir numbers are increased by returning college students and we can begin counting the time left in the “long green” season of Sundays after Pentecost. Of course, we usually begin to hear talk of stewardship – dreaded by some, but a necessary part of church life. The term stewardship can be sliced, diced, cussed, discussed, ignored, and appreciated. The first thought that comes to most of our minds is “the church wants my money.” While to some extent that is true, we must also consider the phrase generally used of Time, Talent, and Treasure. Episcopal churches nationally and within our diocese share a disturbing fact that our membership numbers are declining. COVID-19 and the accompanying social distancing, closing of in-person services, and evolving new strains of the virus certainly exacerbated the problem. Less people in attendance generally equates to less participation in Time, Talent, and Treasure for our parishes. Our stewardship must also promote sharing of our Christian faith. As a denomination, The Episcopal Church is certainly diverse, yet the general memberships tend to follow the Via Media in our religious thinking, politics, economics, environmental issues, and church liturgy. Scripture, reason, and tradition in our thinking provide us with the opportunity to attract new or those who have slipped from the membership rolls back to church. Trinity has quotes to enable us to upgrade our online church service which seems to be a necessity in our world today, but the feeling of community and family is best appreciated when we gather for our church services. Stewardship also involves asking our unchurched neighbors and friends to join us on Sundays. This is but one of the ways we can show our gratitude for what the Lord has provided for us. “The attitude of gratitude” is something we should live with every day.
But, no matter how you dress it up, stewardship is still about providing necessary funds to operate our church and its programs. We provide space for three nonprofit organizations (Contact, River Cities Street Ministries, and the Cridlin Food and Clothing Closet), provide maintenance and upkeep for our beautiful facility, and other major items such as compensation, insurance, utilities, and diocesan assessment. There is a story about a preacher who outlined a grandiose program during a stewardship sermon and in closing he said, “not to worry about the costs involved, we have the money – it’s just in your pockets!” A phrase from one of the offertory sentences “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Stewardship is not a payment to the church for something we got from the institution. Rather, Stewardship is a way in which we live. It is giving back to the Body of Christ for all that we have received from God. All of us are beneficiaries of God’s blessings yet rarely stop and count them. So, this “fall campaign” is a good opportunity to remind ourselves what lies at the heart of stewardship and our journey with money: that would be our journey with Jesus. Jesus talks more about money and possessions than any other single topic except the Kingdom of God. So, we are prodded by him to think and talk about money. For some reason this makes us uncomfortable in the church. You may have had the opportunity to provide support for things like community projects, educational institutions, athletic programs, and the like and are pleased to see your name listed oftentimes by dollar categories. Even though we don’t like to share our giving estimates of the church, we must remember this money reflects a commitment to Jesus and the work he calls us to do as his body in the world. This year, when you fill out your estimate of giving card, please remember – through good times and bad, what God has given to you and your gratitude for his blessings. Fr. Jim +
6
THE TRISAGION
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
THE TRINITARIAN CONTINUES
Sunday, October 3rd was a great day for a Pet Blessing!
6 dogs “This world and every one of us have been created by the hand of God, by the HAND OF LOVE. We were made BY LOVE, if you will. We were made FOR LOVE. We were made TO LOVE, and we were made TO BE LOVED. And we as human beings, individually, as a society and in all of our various collections, we are at our best when we LIVE IN LOVE.”
3 cats
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
11 pet parents
SUNDAY MORNINGS AT TRINITY 8:00 a.m. – Holy Communion Simplified service in which the focus is on quiet prayer and contemplation. 9:15 a.m. – Confirmation Classes All are welcome to join us in the small dining room 9:30 a.m. – Adult Forum The current topic is “The Book of Common Prayer” All are welcome to join us in the Parlor. The last class in this series will be November 7th 10:30 a.m. – Holy Communion Traditional service featuring the Trinity Church Choir. 7
THE TRISAGION
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
THE ST. JOHN’S EAGLE NEWS FROM ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH The church is no different. We budget, we plan, and, yes, sometimes we worry. But in the end, worry or not, there’s always something unexpected that demands our attention if we want to continue worship, service, and learning activities in our building.
Keeping the lights on VIVIAN KOST, Parish Life Director Ugh! I think I’ve drawn the short straw. I am tasked with writing about the practical side of Stewardship -- and there’s nothing fun or inspiring about being practical, is there?
Here at St. John’s, we’ve had some sizable surprises over the last couple of years: a lightning strike caused significant electrical work; water caused damage to Tyler Hall; air conditioners died (during the hottest part of the year); plumbers spent a week in the crawlspace; heating units nearly caught fire; AND we were without heat for the better part of a month because a pigeon flew into the vent pipe and knocked out the furnace. (You absolutely cannot make this stuff up!)
Last week, Joe and I had to replace the water heater in our house. It was definitely NOT what I wanted to spend money on – especially with daughter Jennifer’s wedding date fast approaching! When it comes to bills for things I can’t see, I can quickly revert to my 4-year-old self. I want to stomp my feet and say, “But I don’t wanna!!!” Who wants to pay the electric bill, replace the water heater or get a new furnace? But, then, who really wants to take a dark, cold shower and step out into a frigid bathroom in the middle of winter?
“Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Cheerful? HA! We don’t like the thought of giving our hard-earned money to pay bills or even to make repairs to the building and grounds. We want a Sunday Service Booklet with the day’s readings and hymns, so we don’t have to juggle the BCP and Hymnal, but we really don’t want our money spent on copy paper and ink. We want to see our money making a difference. It’s much more satisfying to donate to buy diapers for babies, to feed children, to work toward justice and peace, and to hear our priest and lay leaders preach an inspiring message – at least once in a while!
I recently received the Trinity, Parkersburg newsletter. There was an article by Tim Northrup entitled “The Things Dad Used to Say.” One part of his article particularly struck a chord with me. Tim writes: “Brother Chris remembers Dad’s warnings against too much worrying. He once anxiously asked Dad before an important outdoor event, ‘What are we going to do if it rains?’ To which Dad responded, ‘I’m going to let it.’”
Pet Blessings at St. John’s are always noisy and joyful — and they have a special place in our hearts!
But the church has practical needs as well. If we want to offer our buildings for NA, AA, AlAnon, and NarAnon meetings, we have to keep the lights and heat on. If we want our Outreach Programs to serve those in need, we must have safe, clean spaces for those groups to do their
work. If we want our clergy and staff to thrive, leading us to new depths of spirituality and providing pastoral care, if we want our Music and Liturgy staff to lead us in beautiful and meaningful worship, they must be adequately compensated and have the tools they need at their disposal. So, you see, those annual line-item budgets we review at our Annual Meetings are misleading.
See many more pictures at: https://www.facebook.com/stjohnshuntington/photos/
Continued on page 8 8
THE TRISAGION
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
THE ST. JOHN’S EAGLE CONTINUES
Keeping the lights on Continued from page 7
Each year, around this time, we ask for your Giving Estimates because we need to pay the priest, the electric bill, buy paper and ink, continue outreach programs and cover those “it’s always something” expenses. When we ask for estimates of giving for the following year, it allows us to be good stewards of the gifts you have entrusted to the church. Remember that this is a Giving ESTIMATE and not a contract. Should your circumstances change, you can change your level of giving at any time. So, you see, those annual line-item budgets we review at our Annual Meetings can be misleading. It’s not about salaries, or office supplies, or building maintenance, or utilities at all. The real purpose of our yearly Stewardship rituals are to remind us of the gifts that God has given us and our gratitude for them…and to ensure that our collective estimated giving will allow us to continue to do the work God has given us to do: Witnessing to our faith by service beyond ourselves; Nurturing each person in their faith journey; Actively working for justice and peace; and, yes, Worshiping our God in community with one another.
Each Fall (usually before our Diocesan Convention), St. John’s Parish participated in the Episcopal Church’s United Thank Offering (UTO). This year, we will be joining our fellow Episcopalian in expressing our thanksgivings just a bit later. During November, United Thank Offering invites Episcopalians to spend thirty days intentionally practicing gratitude. This year we encourage you to focus on creation. Activities will be provided to help you to engage with actions that not only give thanks for creation but seek to embed practices around conservation into your daily life as ways of giving thanks to God for the gifts that creation brings.
Recently, I heard a recording of a sermon given years ago at St. John’s by The Rev. Donald Vinson. In it, there was a quote that stopped me in my tracks. The source is unknown, but he said: “Do well to remember that the church does not have a mission. God has a mission to reconcile the world to himself. And God’s mission has a church.” Let us be that church striving to fulfill God’s mission in the world.
We will introduce a new theme each week, invite you to engage on social media and other way, and offer an idea on how to give thanks for areas within the theme at home. You can participate as much as you want during the week. You may want to do some of the at-home activities as a small group at church. Finally, we hope you jot down a few words of gratitude at the end of the week so that at the end of the month you can reflect on all of the blessings you wrote down and then make a thank offer ing to support Care of Creation rants at www.unitedthankoffering.org.give .
Task Force for Justice and Equality to meet St. John’s has formed a task force in response our Diocesan pledge to take concrete steps to work for Racial Justice in our community. The Task Force will meet on Wednesday, October 20th at 6 p.m. to plan next steps. You may also join via ZOOM. Contact the St. John’s office for details. If you have not already volunteered, but would like to join us, please feel free to attend. Task Force participation is open to all churches, denominations and community members. 9
THE TRISAGION
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
The Cave of the Thousand Treasures Once, a man was walking on a mountain when he found an incredible cave. Stored inside were all kinds of treasure and precious stones, and when he saw it, the man concealed the cave entrance and stayed there, guarding it. From that day on, the man would hide all his valuables in the cave, and to avoid anyone suspecting he was rich, he gave up his job, his home, and his friends. He constantly watched the approaches to his cave, wanting no one to find out about it, and fearing thieves, he guarded the cave the whole night through. He was so dedicated to the cave that he hardly ate or drank. Before long, he fell ill. Many days passed, and he got thinner and sicker, losing all his strength, until he was on the point of dying. One day, when he could hardly move at all, he realized that it was his greed which had brought him to this extreme end. He now understood that guarding his treasure had been of no use and no good whatsoever. Just before he died, he decided to share it with others. He crawled into the cave to get a handful of jewels, but discovered, to his horror, that the cave was almost empty. All he could find was a small emerald, which had only a dull sheen to it. The man took it, and left the cave, intending to give it to the first person to come by. Soon a woman approached, and she accepted the emerald with great joy. The man said to her, "I would have given you many more treasures, my dear, but I don't know where they went. This is all I have left." "Are you sure there's nothing else?" replied the woman. The man shook his head, and pointed to the cave. Now he could see that there were, indeed, some treasures still there; he saw some gold coins. "Take them with you," the woman took both the emerald and the coins, and went away happy. In a while, an old man came by and asked the man what he was doing there. "What bad luck! Just a moment ago I gave a woman the few riches left from the fabulous hoard of treasure I was guarding." "Are you sure there is nothing left?", The old man asked him. The man showed him the cave, and they found a chest filled with jewels and some bags of gold. The man was shocked, and the old man explained to him, "At last! At last someone has freed himself from the spell of this cave. You see, this is the Cave Of A Thousand Treasures, and you're the first to pass its great test. Many are they that have dedicated their lives to this cave, only to end up realizing there nothing here..."
was
"And why does this happen?" said the man, "Why do these treasures appear and disappear?" "My son, this magic cave has as many riches as does your own heart. When someone discovers 10
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
THE TRISAGION
it, the cave fills with the treasure they bring with them, but later, when they all devoted themselves to guarding the treasure, their hearts begin emptying, and so does the cave. The only way to fill it is by filling your heart with all that is good, as you did by giving that last jewel to the woman. Didn't you feel better for having done it? That was because the cave was filling up again..." And so, the man understood it was better to share than to keep things to yourself. And, from that day, thanks to the cave, and the old man, the man became ever noble and generous.
Story by Pedro Pablo Sacristan
Used with permission
The cheerful giver word find
Word list ALMS BEAUTIFUL CHARITY GENEROUS GIVING GOODNEWS GOODWORKS GRATITUDE HEART HELPING HOPE JESUS JOY KINDNESS LISTEN LOVE OTHERS PEACE POOR PRAYER SHARING TIME TREASURE 11
UPCOMING OUTREACH EVENTS
AUTUMN / / 2021 / / ISSUE NUMBER 8
Help Create a Christmas Moment this Year! Once again, St. John’s and Trinity Episcopal Churches are teaming up to shop for our neighbors — the children of Marcum Terrace. Please contact Debra Coleman if you would like to be a sponsor by shopping for a child or a family. You can contact Debra at dkc0623@comcast.net or call/text her at 304.634.9061 and a family or child will be assigned to you. Deadlines for gifts to be delivered to St. John’s is December 15th. Details will be provided when your child/children are assigned to you. Thank you for your generosity!
12
THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF WV The Rt. Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer, Bishop The Rev. Matthew D. Cowden, Bishop Coadjuter Phone: 304.344.3597 On the web: wvdiocese.org/ Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/EpisDioWV
ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Rev. Raymond J. Hage
The Rev. Deborah Rankin
The Rev. James Morgan
Priest (Ret.)
Priest-in-Charge
Interim Priest
Vivian Kost, Parish Life Dir.
Cell: 330.671.6469
Kristi Meadows, Admin.
Email:
Email:
Email:
office@stjohnshuntingtonwv.org
Deb.rankin2013@gmail.com
admin@wvtrinitychurch.org
Office Phone: 304.525.9501
Lea Perkins
Office Phone: 304.529.6084
Cell: 304.633.1797
Admin Phone: 304.546.1499
On the web:
On the web:
On the web:
wvtrinitychurch.org/
stjohnshuntingtonwv.org/
stpeterswv.com/
Follow us on Facebook:
Follow us on Facebook:
Follow us on Facebook:
facebook.com/stjohnshuntington
Facebook.com/St-Peters-EpiscopalChurch-578162662263293
facebook.com/Trinity-EpiscopalChurch-Huntington-WV418519781555069
If you would like to be added to the mailing list for the print newsletter or if you have questions, comments or suggestions concerning this publication, please contact Vivian Kost at 304.633.1797
13