Dear Companions on the Way,

We are on the threshold of Lent with its sober reflec-tions and austere liturgies. I find Lent a special time, but not one I really look forward to. But now that it’s almost

here, I do call your attention to the Ash Wednesday admonition where the priest says: “I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repent-ance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditation on God’s holy Word.” I seem always to find that the experience of Lent, both the corpo-rate gatherings of worship and the indi-vidual adoptions of “holy habits” deeply enriches my life and awakens me to God’s presence in new ways. I invite you to think of Lent as an opportunity to become more awake to God’s presence, grace and love.

Lent has an aspect that is growing more and more vivid for me each year; the coming to grips with my own mortality – or to be more blunt – to be made aware that I am going to die. I should hasten to add, it isn’t that Lent has changed; it’s that as I’m getting older and more aware of my mortality, I see that embedded in the Lenten themes are language and dis-ciplines that hook onto my increasing awareness of my own mortality. But I al-

so am growing more aware that embed-ded in my own heart is a place where God is alive and dwelling and does not dimin-ish even as my own abilities and vitality seem to diminish. This place is what the great Christian contemplative Thomas Merton calls the “Virgin Point.” The gift of Lent is that, in its practices, one can become more aware of this wellspring of God’s presence within.

The one word I might use to sum up what we do in Lent is “shedding.” Shedding things like sweets or TV or meat don’t make us holy or impress God, but if in the practice of shedding behaviors, we shed some of our ego’s grip on our sense of self, we then can become more aware of God’s abiding presence that is always there, but often hidden beneath the fran-tic and compulsive lives we lead. Success isn’t measured in the degree of self-discipline we can muster to accomplish

In this issue… A Way Other Than

Our Own From the desk of Jane

Gober Lenten Community

Board The CAT is coming! Gentle Yoga for Lent Holden Ecumenical

Evening Prayer Youth Group The United Thank

Offering

First Thursday Concerts Easter Flowers Holy Week schedule Original Vigil Resurrection Party Tenebrae Need Some Help with

College Expenses? Tanya’s Maternity

Leave March/April 2017

Calendars

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

The Epistle March/April 2017 Volume 6, Issue 2

2 St. Paul’s

these vows, but rather in the discovery in those moments when our flesh is weak, we ask for help and actually discover that help to be present. The goal is to learn more and more to ask for help or peace or patience or grace and trust that our lives are much more balanced, meaning-ful and vital when God is regularly invited in.

I am discovering as I am fast approaching my 60th birthday, that shedding is some-thing that happens to me as part of the reality of growing older, not just some-thing I do as some Lenten discipline. There are things I cannot do – or choose not to do – that were commonplace a few years ago. My body and my mind are slowing bit by bit. Then there are the sudden awareness’s of mortality that crash in, such as a grave diagnosis or loss of some important function. The hope we have is that by discovering God to be pre-sent, faithful and good in the small places of life or in the exercise of little things like Lenten disciplines we will habitually and readily call upon God when facing the

hard things and we will also have some sense of how it is that God typically re-sponds when we call. So now, more than ever, I am thankful to be entering Lent once again and am eager to shed a few new pieces of my life in order to become a little more awake to God’s tremendous love and grace day by day. Won’t you join me?

A Lenten discipline that I have embraced and highlighted here at St. Paul’s is the practice of giving

blood. Perhaps this might be a means to join me. This year, we have scheduled our Spring blood drive for Ash Wednes-day to help emphasize the paradox of “shedding” as a life giving and positive gift. If you are able to give blood, do come; we also need help with snacks and registration volunteers. I also invite you to pray for the persons who will be the recipients of that blood, and to reflect on Jesus’ gift who gives his blood for us that we might have life.

Shalom,

A WAY OTHER THAN OUR OWN This Lent we invite you to journey together with Old Testament scholar Walter Bruggemann through the devotional book A WAY OTHER THAN OUR OWN. ‘We too are called to walk an alterna-tive path– one of humility, justice, and peace.’ This book is brand new and is a series of daily short readings around a variety of Lenten scriptures. Dr. Bruggemann is one of the most amazing American scholars alive today, and is a person of deep faith and compelling witness. We have copies available in the office for a suggested donation, or for free if you so need. This book is also available in the downloadable and portable Kindle format.

Andrew+

The Epistle 3

Lent may have been my gateway to active Christian practice. For most of my adolescence and early emerging adult years I would never have claimed to be a practicing Christian. Yet, I still gave things up for Lent. Even when I wasn't at home, and I have to wonder how I knew it was Lent, I gave things up. Soda, speeding, candy and things like that. When my spiritual journey led me to claim my Christian-ness it was Lent that fed the journey toward faithfulness. Striving to commit to

more regular prayer, taking on an improvement project at the church, helping put together the gigantic Maundy Thursday Seder dinner that was the campus ministry fundraiser. It was-n't a perfect re-entry. There was that Ash Wednesday where all day I could not remember what I was supposed to do (before I had a planner!). I just couldn't figure it out until I got home and the services of the day were over. So I sat and read through the service on my own. Yet, I had to make the effort to practice Lent, I had to choose a devotion (and stick to it). I had to set aside some of my typical priorities (sleep) and choose to go in a different di-rection. I don't know how many of you began a deeper practice through the invitations of Lent, but I suspect that I am not the only one.

Many of us have had conversations over the last few years about the difference in terminology, going from talking about Christian Education to talking about Formation. We emphasize the formation part because it isn't enough to have facts and details about faith, we need to also practice its rhythms of prayer, study and fellowship. We need to reshape our lives into the times of waiting, the times of emptying, the times of resurrection. I am an Advent-enthusiast for the same reasons I am a Holy Lent-advocate. It shaped my life in ways I cannot name, and experience, data and witness declare that the practice of a sacred and holy Lent does improve our Christian-ness (if such a judgement can be made by us). Our lives and our neighborhoods need to be better at having deep love and deep listening, and your devoted Christian practice can help that. Our world seems ever more chaotic and bro-ken and the church is a place where we can be honest about that, and seek the word of God in troubled times. Perhaps it has never been said to you, perhaps you have always seen Lent as an accessory. Maybe you come from a less liturgical tradition and have no idea what Lent is or what it could mean for you. The roots of Lent are in the final formational preparation of adults (and usually their whole families) before Baptism at Easter. We are all invited to this practice, to deep formational preparation believing that new life in Christ is waiting for us on the other side.

If I could choose for you the ONE thing you would strive for this Lent it would be participation in as many of the Lenten liturgies as your calendar will allow. Our worship life is carefully

4 St. Paul’s

crafted to nurture spiritual growth, and if you did nothing else but this, I am certain you would be 'reborn' come Easter. However, I cannot (and will not) choose for you because, while it is God who invites you to walk this journey, you have to take the steps. I will, howev-er, invite, suggest, and urge you to strive to add (or subtract) three things in pursuit of being reshaped by a Holy Lent. It could be reading with us A WAY OTHER THAN OUR OWN, and attending all the Holden Prayer services, and cleaning through your extra stores of stuff and giving it to neighbors in need. It could be connecting more by committing to the Adult Fo-rum, and Godly Play and Color Everything on Sunday mornings, the sacred through communi-ty yoga, or offering your time and talent to an area of need. Even if you strive for just one Lenten duty that draws you into the shape of Christ, that would be a step into the hope of Easter. Furthermore, you may know someone who is struggling to find the depth of life, the meaning of the common good. Most people don't just find their way into the practices of church life; they are almost always invited or somehow connected already. How can you roll away a stone? Come and make the sacred journey of Lent and follow it all the way through the glory of Easter.

Lenten Community Board For many years we have collected an assortment of quotes and sayings on the large board outside Campbell Hall. The voice of the board has pri-marily been the voice of the staff (and mostly Jane). This Lent and Easter we are inviting you to bring your pins (quotes, sayings, pictures) fo-cused on 6 words. Your pin could be handwrit-ten, or printed from a computer, or photo cop-ied. Whatever way you would like to contribute to this 'wall' is the way we would love for you to participate. If you were to strive to add just one practice to your life this Lent, perhaps it could be filling out that empty board with your pins. The words are Snares Changes Wash Honest Interrupt Risk. These words come from the suggested Lenten devotional book A WAY OTHER THAN OUR OWN by Walter Bruggemann. When we share in life and prayer together we are bringing the words and images of our lives into play with each other. This is ra-ther like making a physical 'facebook' wall of our encounters with the sacred.

Daylight Saving Time begins

March 12, 2017

The Epistle 5

The CAT is coming! Mark your calendars for the weekend

of February 26th!

The Profile Committee would like to announce that we will be launching the CAT over the weekend of Sunday, February 26th.

We are asking all who receive the survey via email to fill it out before March 15th. The CAT (or Church Assessment Tool) is a congregation-wide survey that the dio-cese requires of all churches who are go-ing through a search. Please be sure the church has your correct email address as we will send everyone an email link to the online survey. The link can be used more than once, so each member in your family who is over 16 can take the survey. If you do not have a computer at home, we will have two or three computers available for use in Campbell Hall and in the Library between services and after

the 10:30 service until 1 p.m. on 3 Sun-days: February 26th, March 5th, and March 12th, and in the church office during church office hours through March 15th. Although we prefer you to take the online survey as it saves someone else from needing to enter your answers, we will also have paper copies for those of you who are unable to use a computer. These need to be turned in or mailed to the Church office to arrive before March 15th.

It is a long survey with about 100 ques-tions on it and must be completed in one sitting if done online. We know that tak-ing the survey will require some time and commitment from everyone, but we want to encourage all of you to take it as it is imperative that we hear everyone's voice to get accurate information for our pro-file. Thank you in advance for taking the time to participate in this important first step in St. Paul’s Search Process.

GENTLE YOGA FOR LENT Perhaps your Lenten prayer life could be stretched and centered with Gentle Yoga. Just for Lent, our friend Terri Cotts will offer a one hour yoga practice for all levels of experience. This is for all friends and neighbors and folks who are available at that time to stretch and pray. There is a saying that what is happening on your mat is what is happening in your life. Can you discover how the sacred practice of another tradition might enlighten you this Lent? If you were to strive to include one more practice in your life this Lent, could it be this offering of Yoga in a sacred space? Bring your own mat, invite a friend and meet us in the sanctuary for this community yoga offering.

Tuesdays @ 2.30pm, March 7—April 11

One of the blessings of Walla Walla is our work together with our ecumenical friends. Ecumenical comes from the Greek word for household, and it refers to the ways in which churches work together to proclaim and serve. Pioneer Methodist, First Congregational, Grace Methodist and St. Paul's share in many networks of friend-ship; and several of these churches are the backbone of ways in which we care for our neighbors who are struggling. The Holden Evening Prayer tradition is an important

part of this ecumenical friendship: it is the part where we worship together.

Our practice is to have each congregation offer the Holden service the way they would offer any worship service, so we see the same pieces offered in unique ways. It is also our practice to have the preacher be from a congregation other than the host. So while we host on the 9th of March, the preacher that day will be one of our neighbors, and our designated preacher (Jane) will be proclaiming when we gather at Grace Methodist. We hope you aspire to add just one duty to your faith practice this spring, and perhaps it could be the Holden Service. You are invited on Thursday evenings in Lent to a simple and melodic service, proceeded by a soup supper. A holy opportunity to worship and break bread with our neighbors. Family-friendly and wonderful for friends and newcomers.

5:30pm Soup & Fellowship 6:15pm Holden Prayer Service

Schedule: March 3 @ St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

March 16 @ Pioneer United Methodist Church (209 E. Birch Street)

March 23 @ Grace United Methodist Church (1520 Pleasant Street)

March 30 @ First Congregational Church (73 S. Palouse Street)

6 St. Paul’s

Wednesday Nights beginning at

5:30pm.

Dinner followed by a rotating set of

activities, including: service projects,

movies, games, and expert guests.

The Epistle 7

The United Thank Offer-ing of The Episcopal Church is a personal spiritual disci-pline of thanksgiving that supports God’s mission

throughout the world. How it works: Give thanks for the good things that happen every day. For little things like a good parking spot on a busy day, sunshine for your family pic-nic, or a birthday card from a friend. For big things like recovery from serious illness, a new job, or forgiveness and reconciliation after a long dispute. As you give thanks, put some coins or dollars into a United Thank Offering Blue Box, or set aside an offering reminder for later. When your box is full or you put a check in a United Thank Offering envelope, your thanksgivings unite with oth-ers’ prayers and thankful quarters, dimes, and dollars from across The Episcopal Church to support God’s mission around the world. Your sunny family picnic builds a senior com-munity center. Your new job supports career readiness training. The birthday card from a friend becomes an elevator for a wellness facility in a low-income area. The now-forgotten dispute funds an English immersion program. One act of prayerful, tangible thanksgiving at a time has a wider impact than you can possibly imagine. You are never too young or too old to count your blessings and share your thankful spirit with others. It’s easy. Notice the good things that happen each day. Give thanks to God for your bless-ings. Make an offering for each blessing. Eve-ry penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and dollar offered in thanks through United Thank

Offering is given to God’s mission in the world. Every coin and bill transforms lives in the United States and around the world. Your blessings become blessings for others. The St. Paul’s Ingathering is scheduled for May 7. Our parish representatives will carry our Ingathering offering to the Diocesan Con-vention in October, where it will be com-bined with other Ingatherings from our Dio-cese, and then carried to the national UTO office in New York. In New York, these mon-ies are immediately put to work earning in-terest. They are kept in an interest-bearing account until granted. The interest from the account also is granted. By combining the offerings, it is possible to fund significant projects that make real difference in the work of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion and a real difference in people’s lives. Questions? See Suzanne Towery or call the church (509) 529-1083.

THE UNITED THANK OFFERING

First Thursday Concert Series

John Jamison, Lutes

Renaissance Music from England and Italy (Courtly and Dance music from the 16th and 17th Centuries)

Thursday, March 2

at 12:15pm in the St. Paul’s Sanctuary.

All donations will go to Walla Walla Symphony.

8 St. Paul’s

Easter Flowers

Every Easter, St. Paul’s fills the front of the sanctuary with beautiful flowers. If you would like to donate to the Easter floral arrangements, please place your offering in the Sunday offering plate or send to the Church Office with a nota-tion denoting “Easter Flowers”. If given in memory of, or in thanksgiving for, please include a note with the dedication information with your offering. Please have your offering and dedication infor-mation to the Church Office by the morning of Monday, April 10th if you would like it to appear in the Easter bulletins.

Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

(April 9)

8am Holy Eucharist, Church

10:30am Holy Eucharist, Church

followed by Resurrection Party

Monday in Holy Week (April 10) 5:30pm Simple Eucharist,

SS. Peter & Paul Chapel

Tuesday in Holy Week (April 11)

5:30pm Simple Eucharist,

SS. Peter & Paul Chapel

Wednesday in Holy Week (April 12)

6pm Tenebrae Service, Church

Maundy Thursday (April 13)

5:30pm Simple Supper, Campbell Hall

6pmish Maundy Thursday Service,

Campbell Hall/Church

Good Friday (April 14)

12:10pm Good Friday Liturgy with Hymns,

Church

6pm Stations of the Cross, Church

Holy Saturday (April 15)

7:30pm Original Vigil @ St. Paul’s

Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Day (April 16)

8am Holy Eucharist, Church

10:30am Holy Eucharist, Church

followed by Resurrection Party

First Thursday Concert Series

David Glenn,

Jazz

Trombone

Thursday, April 6 at

12:15pm in the St. Paul’s Sanctuary.

All donations will go to the charity of the performer’s choice.

The Epistle 9

Original Vigil Every tradition originated somewhere. The roots of our worship practice go back to our pri-mordial tribal living. We gather around the fire and tell our stories and our ancient stories. We commit to each other and to living for the ultimate. We break bread and share a meal. St. Paul's offers all people a unique Easter Vigil. It is cleared of fancy trappings and taken out into the world. We celebrate at a home, just like the earliest Christians. We kindle the Holy Fire around a backyard fire pit. We share in the telling of the sacred stories: what story would you like to tell this year and how would you like to tell it? We recommit to our baptis-mal vows and then we share an ancient Eucharistic feast of bread and wine and cheese and fruit and olives. The vigil will be at St. Paul’s this year! Be sure to sign up for a story to tell and food to bring. This is natural liturgy that is interactive and intended for all ages. We begin at sundown and families should be able to have children in bed by a reasonable hour. April 15th, 7.30pm the amazing Original Vigil.

Resurrection Party Eggs - yes. Seeking - yes. Sur-prises - yes. A troubling game of greed and sugar overload? Not at all. The Resurrection Party is offered following the

10.30am service on Easter for young and school aged children (teens can participate after the children get their chance). All chil-dren who want to participate need to get a number from Jane, or her designated bunny helper, at the start of the service. Parents will want to supervise non-readers through the game that starts as soon as the last A-word is declared. What should children bring? A basket is a good idea; a flashlight is an even better one. How can the congrega-tion help? We would love donations to cover the cost of the special prize (about $30 total); a gift of about thirty potted flowers (or a do-nation to cover the costs), fresh fruit, cookies and punch for the finale.

Tenebrae: Service of Shadows

The St. Paul’s Youth Group will be offering unique incarnation of the Ten-ebrae Service this April 12th at 6pm. Tenebrae means shadows, and the Ten-ebrae Service begins with light and ends in near darkness. This is a con-templative service that will be comfort-able for a wide audience.

This service is a collection of ex-cerpts and prayers from the devotional book Common Prayer for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathom Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma Okoro, as well as a selection of quotes and readings curated by our young people over our time together.

We hope you will prac-tice a devoted Holy Week by dedicating yourself to deeper and more frequent communal worship.

10 St. Paul’s

Need Some Help with College Expenses?

St. Paul's Scholarship Committee is now accepting applications for St. Paul’s Scholarships for 2017-2018. To be eligible for a scholarship

New Applicants

must be at least 17 years of age

have earned a high school diploma or GED certificate

have a cumulative high school or college grade point average of at least 2.25

have been an active member in the worship life of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for a minimum of one year in the past eight years

be accepted by an accredited college, university, professional-technical institute, or other post secondary institution must submit applications by April 28, 2017, to be considered for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Priority will be given to high school seniors preparing for their first year of study in an in-stitution of higher education in fall 2017. The Scholarship Committee plans to award a $500 annual scholarship to students meeting the eligibility requirements. If funds are avail-able, students may reapply each year for a total of five years while attending college.

Students Requesting Continuation of Scholarships Students who received St. Paul’s Scholarships in previous years who want to be considered for an award in fall 2017

do not have to complete another application

must send a transcript (paper or online copy) to the church office (323 Catherine) or Sandi Blackaby after completing their spring 2017 studies must send a letter or email message requesting their scholarship be continued and include the address of the fi-nancial aid office where the award should be sent. A short description of what degree they re pursuing and how they have used their previous scholarships is also requested.

Application forms and complete application guidelines are available on the atrium bulletin board, in the church office, or from Sandi Blackaby at sblackaby@charter.net, (509) 529-2261 or (509) 386-6921.

Point to Ponder... Uncle Albert didn’t have a will. It took

three years to settle his estate. Your will can help your family, your church, and save

unnecessary expenses at death.

St. Paul’s Permanent Endowment Fund “Your gift to the P.E.F. gives forever.”

Let Us Know

You can help St. Paul’s stay current. Please let us know if you changed your address, phone number, email, name, marital status, etc. Also, please let us know if you’d like to be removed from our mailing list. Thanks!

tanyah@stpaulsww.org

The Rev. Andrew Cooley Interim Rector

The Rev. Ann Howard Deacon

The Rev. Pat Jones Deacon

Jane Gober Youth & Family Minister

Marcia Wilke Associate Director of Music

Handbell Choir Director

Lanny Collins Organist

Barbara Collins Choir Director

Missy Newcom Senior Warden

Roy Fanning Junior Warden

Ed Teel Treasurer

Cheryl Hair Clerk

Vestry Members: Steve Frol

Cheryl Hair Jeremy Hubbard

Morris Jones Ann Schmitt Linda Tam

Suzanne Towery Annette Valaer-Craig

Greg Wolfe

Karen Binder Bookkeeper

Bob Western Maintenance

Tanya Hunker Parish Secretary

The Epistle 11

Interested in adding something to the May/June 2017

Newsletter?

Just email Tanya in the Church Office at

tanyah@stpaulsww.org or give her a

hard copy by

Thursday, April 20 @

4pm.

Interested in adding

something to the Weekly Bulletin?

Just email Tanya in the Church Office or give her

a hard copy by 12noon on the Wednesday prior

to the Sunday in which you want your information to

appear.

Ordination & Consecration of The Rev. Canon

Gretchen M. Rehberg

as the 9th Bishop of the Diocese of

Spokane

March 18th at 11am

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry presiding

Episcoball

Service focused Senior High Youth Event around the Ordination and Consecration of our new Bishop.

March 17-19

Staying at St. Stephen’s, Spokane

Tanya’s Maternity Leave

As many of you know, I am expecting a beautiful baby boy mid-March and am planning to take maternity leave 15 March-7 April and possibly 17-21 April. While I am away, the Church Office will be on reduced hours and manned by vol-unteers. Below you will find what I hope will be the Church Office hours; also included are the general office hours for Fr. Andrew and Jane, though both are in and out as their sched-ules can get very busy. Please bear with us during this time. We will do our best to keep things running smoothly.

Mondays & Wednesdays: 9am-12noon Tuesdays & Thursdays: 9am-12noon, 1pm-3pm Fridays: CLOSED

Fr. Andrew: Monday—Thursday, 10am-4pm Jane Gober: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 9am-5pm Wednesdays 12noon—end of Youth Group

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

POSTAGE PAID Walla Walla, WA

99362 Permit No. 22

Return Service Requested

323 Catherine Street

Walla Walla, WA 99362

Phone: 509-529-1083

Fax: 509-529-1087

E-mail: stpauls@stpaulsww.org

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Sunday 8am Holy Eucharist Service, Church 9:15am Christian Formation 9:15am Choir Rehearsal, Choir Room 10:30am Holy Eucharist Service, Church 12:15pm Handbell Choir Rehearsal, Good Shepherd Chapel 6:30pm AA District meeting, Guild Room (3rd) 8pm AA meeting, Guild Room

Monday 1pm Outreach Committee meeting, Guild Room (2nd) 1:30pm Poetry Group, Library (every other) 6pm Women’s AA meeting, Guild Room 6:30pm Cub Scouts, Lower Hall

Tuesday 8:30am Clergy Bible Study, Guild Room 10:15am Staff meeting, Guild Room 11:30am-1pm Loaves & Fishes, Campbell Hall 12noon AA meeting, Guild Room 1:30pm Pastoral Care Committee meeting, Guild Room (2nd) 4pm Property Committee meeting, Library (2nd) 5pm Rectory Committee meeting, Library (2nd) 6:30pm Vestry meeting, Guild Room (4th) 7:30pm Al-Anon, Old Library

Wednesday 8am Men’s Propers, Guild Room 9am Men’s Book Study, Guild Room 10am NAMI Family Support, Library (1st, 3rd) 1:30pm Renovaré, Guild Room 5:30pm Youth Group, Campbell Hall

Thursday 10am Women’s Bible Study, Library 11:30am-1pm Loaves & Fishes, Campbell Hall 12noon AA meeting, Guild Room 12:15pm First Thursday Concert, Church (Oct-Jun) 1:15pm Bridges to Contemplative Living, SS. Peter & Paul Chapel

Friday 6pm AA meeting, Guild Room 7:30pm Al-Anon, Old Library

Saturday 7pm AA meeting, Guild Room

Weekly

Event

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