Speaking Peace

Dear Friends in Christ,

I have just returned from a train-

ing workshop entitled Com-

municating for Peace and Pur-

pose. It was an introduction to

the principles of Nonviolent

Speech. The workshop leader,

The Rev. Trisha de Beer, has ex-

tensively studied the work of Dr.

Marshall Rosenberg. Rosenberg

has developed an extensive the-

ory of non-violent speech along

with many training methods and

practical approaches to chang-

ing both our ability to recognize

violence in speech and to coun-

ter that violence with positive

communications rather than

“giving as good as we get.” The

purpose is to short circuit the

escalating exchanges of violent,

dysfunctional and unproductive

communications and replace

them with exchanges that foster

empathy and peaceful resolu-

tion.

The session was given for Edu-

cation for Ministry (EfM) group

mentors and was, therefore, pre-

sented in a thoroughly religious

context. All of the participants

(about 50:50 lay and clergy)

were Episcopalians. Much of

our appreciation for nonviolent

communication was, therefore,

grounded in the words and com-

munication styles of Jesus.

However, given that Jesus was

not living in a time of multiple

cable news outlets and internet

social media, there is only so far

that the references to Jesus can

carry us as we attempt to “speak

peace” in our modern context.

The training was extensive and

there were many elements to be

understood and practiced. First,

we worked on understanding

how conversation and commu-

nication become disconnected

and life alienating. These were

described as the five “D” words:

Diagnosis (as in making judge-

ments, criticism, and moral cri-

tique); Denial of responsibility

for words or actions; Demands

(Continued on page 3)

May 2017

The Episcopal Church in

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

From the Rector The Rev. Dr. Herbert Sprouse

Inside this issue:

From the Rector 1

Pennsylvania Hope

Ride 2

Episco-Pals 2

HSM&CS 2

Big Brothers & Big

Sisters 3

Prince of Peace

Publicity 4

Wetzer Scholarship

Application 5

The Episcopal Church

and Social Justice 6

Pancake Day 6

Music Notes 7

Soup Kitchen Fundraiser

Concert 8

Personal Reflection by

Jean Siderio 8

Politics, Facts &

Civility 10

Mark Your

Calendars 10

Flower

Dedications 11

Round of Prayer 12

Birthdays and

Anniversaries 12

The Memorial Church of the Prince of Peace

Page 2 The Episcopal Epis t le News and Notes

Pennsylvania HOPE RIDE

Jim and Ellen Thomas

are cycling 170 miles

from Hershey to

Kutztown and back to

raise funds for the

American Cancer So-

ciety. The event is

called the PENNSYL-

VANIA HOPE RIDE, and they will be riding

with about 100 other cyclists. The money

raised supports cancer research as well as the

Hope Lodges, where patients and their fami-

lies stay for free during treatments. Please

support them with a donation. Donations

may be left with Carolyn Fouts in the church

office.

The bicycle ride leaves from the Hope Lodge

in Hershey on June 24. On the first day riders

have the choice of a 70 or 100 mile course to

Kutztown University. The next day they re-

turn to Hershey via a different 70 mile route.

It seems everyone knows someone who has,

or had cancer. Jim and Ellen will be riding

for Mother Bonnie, Hunter Smedley (Ellen’s

dad), Francie Witts (Ellen’s aunt), Chuck

Doyle, Bill Horton, Tom Butler, Ron LoDico,

and Kathy Kerr. Let Jim and Ellen know

who your donation is in memory of, and they

will add their names to those listed

above. Riders wear the names on their jer-

seys.

Episco-Pals

The first large group Episco-Pals dinner will

be held at the home of Carolyn and Fr. Rich-

ard G. on Sunday, May 21, at 5:30 p.m. The

main dish and beverages will be provided.

Please sign up in the parlor and indicate a

dish to share. If

you would like to

co-host, please

sign up in the par-

lor also. Co-hosts

assist with the

beverages or main

dish and help with

set up and clean

up. Thanks to all

who hosted and

participated in our

small group din-

ners in April.

Twenty-seven people attended. The photo

shows the wonderful desserts shared by all in

Stahle Parlor after the small group dinners.

High Street Marching and

Chowder Society

Mark Your

Calendars!

When: Thursday,

June 29

Time: 6 pm

Cost: $10.00

Where: Ben’s Deck

Agenda: Chowder, Chicken and Cheer

All men of the Memorial Church of the

Prince of Peace are expected to attend. Sign

up will be available in Stahle Parlor begin-

ning June first.

Photo Courtesy Jane J.

made through threat or coercion; Deserve

language springing from power imbalances,

privilege or a sense of entitlement; and De-

monization (characterizing “the other” in

ways intended to blame or demean). There

can be no denying that in our culture and in

our politics over the past couple of years, we

have experienced more than enough of these

five “D” words to last us each a lifetime.

To counter the impact of violent communica-

tion and break the downward spiral of retalia-

tory speech, we were taught four important

steps: Observation without judgement,

which allows us to step back from the emo-

tional fray and attempt to actually hear what

lies behind the speech that we are receiving;

Recognizing and owning our own feelings in the moment, again without assuming that

we understand those of the other party; and

Naming our own needs in the conversation,

so that we can begin to understand our own

reactions. Finally, we were taught to make a

request of the other person, rather than hold-

ing to a goal of changing their minds or caus-

ing them to agree with our point of view.

Each of these steps is designed to bring the

person practicing them much closer to empa-

thy with those who are practicing violent

speech as well as allowing us to respond to

the other person and the context, rather than

reacting in anger or fear.

I realize that this seems very abstract in this

brief telling, and of course the descriptions

above only scratch the surface of what we

were taught and had an opportunity to prac-

tice. The “take away,” however, is this: rec-

ognizing our own feelings and needs in the

presence of violent speech leads us to re-

spond with respect and empathy while we al-

so strategically work around the absolutes

and ultimatums of the violent speech itself. I

am convinced that these are teachable and

practical skills that would stand all of us in

good stead during our current season of vio-

lent, demeaning, fear-mongering and demon-

izing speech. And so I would be very interest-

ed in hearing from each of you whether you

would like to learn more about communi-

cating for peace and purpose. If there is inter-

est, I would be happy to bring resources and

expertise to the parish for that purpose.

You have heard me say on several occasions

that our name, Prince of Peace, is our destiny

as a community of faith. Living into our

name begins with learning how to listen em-

pathetically and speak peace in even the most

challenging situations. This is certainly the

Way of Jesus in which we are born to walk.

As always, I am yours in Christ,

Fr. Herb

Big Brothers and Big Sisters The Big Brothers and Big Sisters of York and

Adams Counties are currently looking for

adult volunteers as mentors for their program.

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big

Sisters has operated under the belief that in-

herent in every child is the ability to succeed

and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest do-

nor and volunteer supported mentoring net-

work, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes mean-

ingful, monitored matches between adult vol-

unteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages

(Continued on page 6)

Page 3 The Episcopal Epis t le News and Notes

From the Rector (continued from page 1)

Page 4 The Episcopal Epis t le News and Notes

Pancake Day Principal Sponsor

American Legion Post 202 Gettysburg was the principal sponsor of the Prince of Peace’s An-

nual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Day. Shown here are Joe Yeck, Post Commander, along with

the Post’s Officers, presenting a $1,000 donation to the Rev. Dr. Herbert Sprouse, Rector of

Prince of Peace. The net proceeds for this event will support three local charities: Gettys-

burg Soup Kitchen, Gettysburg C.A.R.E.S. and Ruth’s Harvest. Pictured from left are Ken-

neth Wetzel, historian; Paul Wypijewski, 1st vice commander; Lewis Jones, adjutant; Fr.

Herb; Joe Yeck; Don Billoni, finance officer; Richard Kelly, Sergeant-at-Arms; and Peter

Hogaboom, chaplain.

Habitat for Humanity

Our Fr. Herb recently presented a

$1,000 donation from Prince of Peace

to Pete Ricker, President of the Ad-

ams County Habitat for Humanity

Board, and board members, for sup-

port of their operations.

Photo by Darryl Wheeler/Gettysburg Times

The Episcopal Epis t le Page 5

WETZER SCHOLARSHIPS In 1998, the Hilda Wetzer Scholarship Fund was established at Prince of Peace. Hilda was a longtime member

of our church. When she died, she bequeathed a sum of money to Prince of Peace with the stipulation that it be

used for academic scholarships for the “youth” of Prince of Peace.

Applicants must be active members of Prince of Peace pursuing an undergraduate degree. Both full-time and

part-time students are welcome to apply. Applications will be approved by the Vestry. Scholarship monies

will be sent to the recipient’s college at the beginning of the school year. The application deadline is June 22,

2017. If you have questions, please contact Robert Gough or Hal Ehart.

WETZER SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Please complete the information requested below and return the application to the church office by June 22, 2017

Please type or print clearly

Name __________________________________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Phone ____________________________________ Email ________________________________________

Name of School ___________________________________________________________________________

Student ID # ________________________________

____ Full-time (3 or more courses/semester) ___ Part-time (less than 3 courses/semester)

Address of Financial Aid Office _____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Activities participated in at Prince of Peace _____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

A brief statement concerning your need for financial assistance

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

6 through 18, in communities across the

country. More information can be found at

their website www.bbbsyorkadams.org.

The Episcopal Church and

Social Justice

The Episcopal Church has a rich history of

carefully constructed positions on major jus-

tice issues that goes back many decades.

These positions are developed by our General

Convention, often over many years of study

and debate. They are publicized widely and

form the basis of the church’s work in public

policy and governmental issues. To be clear,

no individual Episcopalian or parish is re-

quired to subscribe to any of these positions.

Such a requirement would run counter to the

deepest traditions of our Episcopal polity.

However, as the official positions of our

church, they deserve our careful consideration

whenever social justice issues are taught or

debated. Knowledge about these social justice

positions is an important part of being an

Episcopalian.

At its March re-

treat, the vestry

reviewed an ex-

tensive 2016

document enti-

tled Policy for Action, a compendium of the

social positions developed by our church over

about the last 25 years. A copy of this docu-

ment is included as a pdf attachment to the

electronic distribution of this newsletter. It is

fascinating information and, from my point of

view, it is work in which we can all take con-

siderable pride. I invite you all to take a good

look at this document and its companion,

Faith and Citizenship, which suggests im-

portant ways in which Episcopalians can in-

teract with our governmental and election

processes. We also have copies of these two

documents available in the Stahle Parlor.

Should you wish to receive notices and news

directly from the Episcopal Church, visit the

National Church’s website for the Episcopal

Public Policy Network

(http://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org/home)

to sign up for electronic newsletters and no-

tices. You will also find many pages on the

Episcopal Church’s home website describing

our work in specific policy and program are-

as.

Fr. Herb

Pancake Day 2017

Final Accounting

The final accounting

for this year’s Pancake

Day has been re-

ceived. Our net profit

totals approximately

$3,240; well done Pa-

rishioners! The Pan-

cake Committee, con-

sisting of Fr. Herb, Art H., Pete L., Mark P.

Steve S. and Jim T. thanks you for your sup-

port of time, energy and financial resources.

This event depends on your significant partic-

ipation and again this year as a parish you

came through. The bottom line of your ef-

forts will result in our three designated chari-

ties--Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen,

Gettysburg C.A.R.E.S. and Ruth’s Harvest—

receiving ~$1,080 each to support their min-

istries. Again, THANKS to all! —by Pete L.

(Continued from page 3)

Page 6 The Episcopal Epis t le News and Notes

Page 7 The Episcopal Epis t le News and Notes

Music Notes

Many thanks to all our

Holy Week/Easter musicians!

We again thank the

members of the

brass quintet: Steven

Marx and William

School, trumpets,

Julia Balseiro,

French horn, Daryl Balseiro, trombone, and

Ben Jones , tuba, Heather Swope, timpani,

Karen Botterbusch, flute, Duane Botterbusch,

string bass, Dale Elkiss, violin, and the mem-

bers of the Prince of Peace Handbell Choir

for providing the glorious and celebratory

music at our 10:15 Easter Service this past

April 16th.

A special thank you is also extended to the

members of the Prince of Peace Choir for the

many extra rehearsals they willingly attend-

ed, and for their tireless and enthusiastic hard

work in providing the music throughout this

past Lenten and Easter season.

We are most grateful to all our musicians for

the joy they bring to our worship – God bless

you all!

THE PRINCE OF PEACE CHOIRS:

The Prince of Peace choirs are always look-

ing for more members to swell their ranks . . .

singers and ringers are always needed and

welcomed . . . the more the merrier!

If you are not yet a member of one (or both)

of the Prince of Peace Choirs, please consider

yourself warmly invited to become a part of

this very important ministry in the life of the

church. No previous musical skills or back-

ground is needed: only a desire to have a

wonderful time enjoying the fun and fellow-

ship of others as we sing, ring and “make

melody in our hearts to the Lord with Psalms

and hymns and spiritual songs.”

Prince of Peace Adult Choir: rehearses on

Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM.

Prince of Peace Handbell Choir: rehearses

on Tuesday afternoons at 4:00 PM.

Please do not hesitate to contact Cathy Elkiss

with any questions,

comments or concerns

about our choirs or the

Music Ministry in gen-

eral: (717) 359-4784;

celkiss@pa.net.

(Continued on page 8)

“When in our music God is glorified.”

News and Notes

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!”

Special Music for the Summer

The Prince of Peace Choir will sing at wor-

ship through Trinity Sunday, June 11th. After

that, there will be opportunities for special

music at our worship services over the sum-

mer months while the choir is on their well-

deserved break. Those singers and instrumen-

talists of the congregation wishing to offer

their unique musical gifts with vocal and/or

instrumental solos, duets or small ensembles

are encouraged to speak with Cathy Elkiss.

Thank you!

If Music Be the Food...

The GETTYSBURG Community Soup

Kitchen concert series If Music Be the Food

will present the final performance of the 2016

-17 season at 4:00 pm on Sunday, May 7th at

Prince of Peace. If Music Be the Food is a

benefit concert series intended to raise aware-

ness and support for those experiencing food

insecurity in the Gettysburg community. Eve-

ry aspect of this endeavor is donated, from

each performer’s services to the venue and

marketing for each concert. In exchange, au-

dience members are asked to donate directly

to the Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen

as the price of admission for the concert. Di-

rector and violist Adam Paul Cordle will be

joined by Diana Flesner, Susan Hochmiller,

Michael Jorgensen, Jocelyn Swigger, and

Lori Zeshonsky in a program of works by

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Felix Mendels-

sohn, and Antonín Dvorák. A reception will

follow in the church’s Stahle Parlor. Light re-

freshments and a tour of the Soup Kitchen

will follow.

Some thoughts on Holy Week…

or what does Tai Chi have to do with it?

This year, for the first time, I attended all four

evening services in Holy Week. I have at-

tended them piecemeal in the past, but dis-

covered that immersing myself in all of them

led to a new and deepened joy when Easter

arrived. Tenebrae, on Wednesday evening of

Holy Week, brought into focus the dark reali-

ty of events unfolding as they must for Jesus.

The inevitable, brutal torture of Jesus` human

(Continued from page 7)

(Continued on page 9)

The Episcopal Epis t le Page 8

body lay ahead. The darkness of Tenebrae, lit

only by gradually extinguished candles, and

exited in silence, led me as a participant to

acknowledge the hard truth that Jesus` suf-

fering and death, and our human suffering,

cannot be avoided. On Maundy Thursday, I

pondered the happenings during Jesus` last

night on Earth. After Holy Eucharist and the

stripping of the altar and all decorations in

the sanctuary, the Watch began. Our Rector

constructed a night-time ‘Gethsemane gar-

den’ in the new columbarium at the rear of

the sanctuary. It

included large and

small potted plants,

flowers, faux rock

and grass cover-

ings, no lighting,

little LED-light

‘fireflies’, and even

some quietly chirp-

ing ‘crickets’! This

was an artful and

lovely scene by

which we watchers

in the night could

pray and meditate. This was also my first

time of participating in the Watch, and I

found it conducive to prayer and much

thought. The Good Friday liturgy included

the Passion Gospel of John chanted in its en-

tirety by cantors from our choir, a moving

expression of the agony of Jesus` final hours.

Saturday was the Great Vigil of Easter,

which is to me the most graceful of services.

The attendees met outside in the Prince of

Peace garden at dusk, where the Paschal can-

dle was lit from a newly kindled fire. We lit

our own candles from the Paschal candle,

and proceeded into the darkened hallway and

sanctuary, with only the light from our can-

dles. One of our gifted cantors chanted the

Exsultet, followed by scripture, hymns and

canticles, and the renewal of our baptismal

vows. The lights were suddenly raised, ex-

posing the beauty of the flower-bedecked

sanctuary. Frontals and more flowers were

put in place by Altar Guild members. The al-

tar candles were lit from the Paschal candle.

It was now Easter! Alleluia! I felt the joy of

Easter deep in my heart, which made its way

to my face, as I could not stop smiling and

feeling amazingly uplifted. Holy Eucharist

followed.

Easter is always joyful, but this year the joy

had an added dimension for me. I believe

this is due to what seemed to me a total im-

mersion in Holy Week; the knowledge of joy

that awakens after staring down the reality of

danger, suffering and grief, as guided by our

Holy Week services. ‘Immersion’ is a telling

word; it speaks of water. Water, of course, is

essential to life, next only to the air we

breathe. We are baptized by water and the

Word. Jesus is our fountain of life and faith.

In the context of Holy Week, I liken

‘immersion’ to dipping deep into the well to

get the cold clear water that is under the sur-

face.

‘Discipline’ is also a word fraught with

meaning; it has the word ‘disciple’ in it. At-

tending all the Holy Week evening services

was a discipline for me. I left my house eve-

ry night to sit still on a hard seat and pay

close attention to words not easy on the mind

and heart. Through this I gained a glimpse

into how satisfying it is when a discipline

“takes”, and you begin to “get it”.

(Continued from page 8)

(Continued on page 10)

News and Notes Page 9 The Episcopal Epis t le

Page 10 News and Notes The Episcopal Epis t le

Sixteen years ago I took Tai Chi lessons,

once or twice a week, for a year. It took that

long to learn well all 24 positions. Every day,

give or take a few days a year, I practice

Tai Chi. The motions learned a while ago

etched a groove in my brain and gave my

body a muscle memory for the flowing se-

quence of moves. I expect that this same

thing can be done with contemplative prac-

tice, and that glimpses of joy will deepen the

spiritual groove and become muscle memory

for my soul, depending on the grace of God

and the discipline that I put into it. -by Jean S.

Politics, Facts, & Civility

Politics, Facts, & Civility is an organization

for people who are troubled by our current

political climate and want to examine issues

in a civil atmosphere of mutual respect.

Membership is free and open to anyone, re-

gardless of political affiliation or point of

view, who supports courteous and fact-based

discussion. Like similar organizations else-

where, it offers participants the opportunity

to explain their views and to listen to others.

The conversations will focus on issues, not

personalities and will ensure that everyone

gets a fair share of “air time.” Politics, Facts

and Civility is coordinated by Prince of

Peace parishioner Kerr Thompson. The first

step in getting involved is to join the group at

Meetup.com. There is no cost or obligation.

Once you are in that group, times and topics

will be directly communicated to you. These

conversations are held at Prince of Peace.

For further information, go to https://

www.meetup.com/Politics-Facts-Civility/or

speak with Kerr.

The first meeting was held on April 26 to dis-

cuss “How to Balance Individual Rights and

Initiative with the Common Good, with six-

teen people in attendance. The next meeting,

scheduled for Wednesday, May 24th at 7 pm,

will discuss “Balancing Freedom of Expres-

sion and our Need for Truthful Information.

A book recommended for this discussion is

“Freedom for Thought that We Hate: A Biog-

raphy of the First Amendment”, by Anthony

Lewis. Also recommended is the movie

“Denial”, based on historian Deborah

Lipstandt’s legal battle with Holocaust denier

David Irving.

Mark Your Calendars! Two important dates to note:

Saturday, June 10th, the 20th annual Get-

tysburg Brass Band Festival at the Lutheran

Seminary

Sunday, September 10th Annual Parish

Picnic at the Fireman’s Pavilion, Gettysburg

Area Recreation Park.

Watch for more information in later editions

of this publication!

The Memorial Church of the

Prince of Peace

P. O. Box 3005, 20 W. High St.

Gettysburg, PA 17325-3005

Telephone: 717-334-6463

The Rev. Dr. Herbert Sprouse,

Rector

rector@gettysburgepiscopal.org

The Rev. Richard Randall

Priest Associate

Cathy Elkiss

Organist and Choirmaster

Carolyn Fouts

Parish Administrator secretary@gettysburgepiscopal.org

Chris Abplanalp, Sexton

Office Hours:

Monday-Thursday

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Website:

www.gettysburgepiscopal.org

The Memorial Church of the Prince of Peace Page 11

We are a welcoming family in God,

empowered by the Holy Spirit, celebrating

the life-giving presence and love of Jesus

Christ and sharing his love with our

neighbors.

Come and join us on our journey.

Help us keep our records up to date.

Let us know if you have changed your email,

phone number or mailing address.

Also, let us know if we have missed your

birthday or anniversary; we may not have the

information in our database.

Prince of Peace Office

717-334-6463

secretary@gettysburgepiscopal.org

FLOWER DEDICATIONS

If you would like to make an altar flower

dedication in loving memory or thanksgiving

for loved ones or special events, please fill

out the form on the parlor credenza, or call

the church office at 717-334-6463. The cost

is $30.00 (or $15.00 if the date is shared with

another dedication). We cannot reserve dates

for single dedications, so you may have to

share a date with another party.

Please make your check payable to Prince of

Peace and mark it “Altar Flowers” on the

Memo Line.

May 7 In celebration of Art H. for

his birthday, by Barbara H.

In loving memory of John

W. and Marge P., by

Gladys P.

May 14 Available

May 21 In celebration for the birthday of

Jim G, by Craig and Chris G

May 28 In celebration of Conor and Rae

M.’s wedding anniversary,

by Mike and Nancy L.

MAY

BIRTHDAYS

2nd Rachel S.

5th Kenneth B.

7th Jonathan K.

Dick P.

8th Brigette K.

9th Chris G.

Art H.

11th Meagan C.

12th Sarah B.

Diana C.

13th Polly C.

16th Pamela M.

17th Steven S.

20th Gail F.

21st Ben B.

23rd Greg W.

27th Bill G.

Craig G.

28th Mary D.

31st Haley C.

David C.

Andrew R.

MAY

ANNIVERSARIES

2nd Olive & Joe D.

10th Nicki & Seth V.

15th Heather & David S.

17th Jaime & Brendan

S.

23rd Teresa & Paul C.

PARISH ROUND OF PRAYER FOR MAY 2017

May 7 Barbara D.; Donna, John and Michael D.; Olive, Joe and Stephanie D.;

Donna and Tom D.

May 14 Gwen D.; Dawn, Alex and Connor D.; Deb and Hal E.;

Cathy and Dale E.; Alison E.

May 21 Anne E.; Margaret, Jaymes, Abigail and Carolyn F.;

Robin and John F.

May 28 Amy, Matthew, Nathaniel and Thomas F.; Carolyn and Jim F.;

Gail and Gordon F.; Dot G.

Page 12

May 7

4 Easter

Acts 2:42-47

Psalm 23

1 Peter 2:19-25

John 10:1-10

May 14

5 Easter

Acts 7:55-60

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

1 Peter 2:2-10

John 14:1-14

May 21

6 Easter Acts 17:22-31

Psalm 66:7-18

I Peter 3:13-22

John 14:15-21

May 28

7 Easter

Acts 1:6-14

Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36

1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-

11

John 17:1-11

JUNE NEWSLETTER

DEADLINE: Monday, May 22

Email Articles to: secretary@gettysburgepiscopal.org

or leave on the desk in the office

The Memorial Church of the Prince of Peace

SERVICE SCHEDULE

SUNDAY HOLY EUCHARIST

8:00 a.m. Rite I Holy Eucharist

10:15 a.m. Rite II Holy Eucharist

WEDNESDAY HOLY EUCHARIST

12:00 Noon Holy Eucharist