March, 2007

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Andrew Carnegie (beloved locally for his gift of the Falls of Schuylkill Library) once commented, speak­ing from the perspective of an employer, “The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.” Though less experienced than he with the world of employ­ees, I've no reason to doubt his claim. I wonder, however, whether it might also be true of Christians in the practice of Christian life. Where would you put yourself? How much of yourself do you put into the practice of the Chris­tian life – not just in daily prayer, but also in fasting and almsgiving, in trying to live each day with God, in helping out with the needs of the parish life and increase the Kingdom over and above regular worship. Lent is a good time for us to ask ourselves whether we are less than 100% -- and whether we are satisfied with less. Jesus gave His all for us, and we should aspire to return such abundant love with all our hearts. This means reserving nothing for self – and that's the hard part. The greatest incentive to our generous giving of our hearts to the Lord is His generosity to us. I hope that this Lent we can focus on God's love for us, especially the love manifested in the Cross.

Prayer Box Project

We're off to a good start with the Prayer Box project (praying for those who request it). We have four boxes currently placed (Narberth, Chestnut Hill, Wyndmoor and Mount Airy), and all are producing requests regu­larly. (We also receive requests on our web site, and have a box in the chapel porch on Sunday morning.) The lo­gistics seem to be functioning smoothly – picking up the requests from each box weekly, photo-copying, and distributing them to those of you who have offered to pray. I'm grateful to all of you who are working on the pro­ject. We have a report from Coffee Junction (in the Allen Lane train station) that someone who had put in a request later returned to say, “Thanks -- it worked!” This means that we have made some friends there, thanks to God's gracious answering of the prayer.

I try to bring the prayer requests to the altar at one of the weekday Masses each week. In doing so I have been struck at how much of a privilege intercession really is. We usually see it as a chore, or necessary duty. What becomes clear from these prayer requests is that we are being admitted to the intimacy of someone's need when we are asked to pray. It might be a marriage which needs help, or a child struggling in school, or an unbeliever who needs to know the love of Christ. One request we received asked our prayers for a mother whose son had been murdered. Some requests deal with more global issues (war, the environment, prayer for the president). All reflect the loving concern of the person who made the request. It is humbling to be made a part of that concern, and to be admitted to the need of the one we pray for. Usually we hide our needs from others, both because we don't want to burden others, and because we don't want others to know how needy we actually are. In our pride we want to appear self-sufficient (which is, of course, an illusion).

In addition to learning what a privilege it is to intercede, we also learn of God's concrete care for people we don't even know. This helps us to keep from selling God short. In our intercession, we are go-betweens, to bring together the need with God's love and power. So we learn more and more the connection between human needs and divine assistance. We also learn the connectedness of mankind: we are brought into a relation with those for whom we pray, even though we may never meet them or even learn their names. We learn the truth of God's abundant love for all people.

We can always use more pray-ers. One of the great things about this project is that potentially everyone in the parish can participate. All it takes is a little time each week and the willingness to pray for other's needs. If you would like to join those presently receiving prayer requests, please let me know, and we'll be happy to arrange it. This can be done by mail, so please consider participating even if you cannot get out regularly. The intercession is bound to have an effect on us, as well as those who request our prayers and those for whom we pray.

Kneeling

One of the adjustments with which we have tried to cope since moving to the Chapel of Peace at West Laurel Hill is the awkwardness of kneeling in this space. I think we are now close to a solution. We have found a way to rearrange the chairs so that there is enough space between the rows to kneel in relative comfort. And kneel­ing cushions are on order (as are pads for the communion “rail”). This is possible because (a) we found some that would serve at reasonable cost (most of the ones we has seen in church supply catalogs were too dear for us), and (b) we have permission from West Laurel Hill to leave them on the racks under the chairs during the week – which means we do not have to store them or bring them with us each Sunday. I'm grateful to the Cemetery for once again accommodating our needs. You should be aware that the space between the rows of chairs varies somewhat: it is greatest on the Gospel side, and in the front rows of the Epistle side. The rows in the back on the Epistle side have a bit less space between them. So for comfortable kneeling, you might wish to avoid that section. As always, if you are physically unable to kneel (or to get up after doing so!), do what seems most reverent, and be assured that God and the rest of us will understand. I regret that this has taken the best part of a year to resolve, but I'm also glad the end is in sight. Thanks for your patience and accommodation.

Chantry Book

We have started (somewhat late!) a Chantry Book, which will be a permanent record of memorials to the parish. It will also allow for us and our followers at St Michael's to pray for those who have been thus memorial­ized. In order to make sure the book is complete to date, I would appreciate it if all those who have given items to St Michael's would check with me to make sure I have entered the information in the book correctly. This is partic­ularly important for things given during our first days at West Laurel Hill – I know I did not keep adequate records with everything else that was going on. Thanks for your help.

I am also compiling a list of the faithful departed of St James and St Michael's with the dates of death. This will make it easier for me to remember at the monthly Requiem those who have died that month. Since I no longer have access to the parish registers of St James the Less (I should have made the list before we left!), I will need your help. Please give me (preferably in writing or email) the names and dates (of death) of any parishioners whom you can remember and I'll add them to the list.

Stations of the Cross

Our Lenten devotions include the Friday night services of Stations of the Cross at All Saints' Church in Wynnewood. If you went to these last year, you will recall that All Saints has no permanently installed Stations in the church, and we used some prints which Fr Rix had gotten off the Internet. While these served the purpose, we are much better furnished this year. Chris Jordan has presented St Michael's with a wonderful set of Stations which she has painted over the course of the last year. These are on boards, and fit nicely in All Saints. We will, however, take them with us whenever we move into more permanent quarters ourselves. For the present, your only oppor­tunity to see the Stations is to come some Friday night (the service starts at 7). I hope this will be a considerable in­centive (should you need one). Chris has given the Stations in memory of Jan Coward who served faithfully as Vestryman, Cantor and Sexton. This is a gift which will substantially enhance our worship, and our understanding of Jesus' love for us as it is manifested in the Passion. I am more grateful than I can say to Chris for our new Stations.

Sunday School

Since many of our Sunday School children come from families unfamiliar to most of us, I thought it might be worthwhile to introduce the children to you with a little biographical information in Chronicle. This month's boy is David Samuel Reaves, III. He followed his older sister Shante (who was also in the Girls Friendly Society) and brother Maurice in the St James Sunday School in Mrs Jennings' pre-school class. He was then a student in the St James School during all of its existence except the first year. Since then he has been a student at Christ Academy, along with our son Jonathan. As well as being very faithful in Sunday School, he serves at the altar, and participates in the St John's youth group on Sunday evenings. He grew up and still lives on 33rd Street with his mother Rita, across from the St James rectory. Having been a school-mate and friend of Jonathan's, he is a frequent visitor to the rectory (both of them), and is known affection­ately as my #3 son. Along with several other Sunday School kids he play basketball in the Friday night league at McDevitt playground. He is among those who are to be confirmed on Low Sunday: please pray for him and for the others: Sierra, Melissa, and Jonathan.

Holy Week

We have only just started Lent, and Holy Week is the first week in April (Palm Sunday is April 1st). It seems a good idea to give you the schedule now (as well as in next month's Chronicle). It is almost the same as last year's (no room for processions this year).

Palm Sunday (April 1st): Mass (with Blessing of Palms), 8 a.m. at West Laurel Hill

Blessing of Palms & Sung Mass, 10 a.m. at West Laurel Hill

Monday in Holy Week: Mass, 6 p.m. at the rectory

Tuesday in Holy Week: Mass, 6 p.m. at the rectory

Wednesday in Holy Week: Mass, 10 a.m. at the rectory

Maundy Thursday: Sung Mass & Stripping of the Altar, 6:30 p.m. at West Laurel Hill

Good Friday: The Good Friday Liturgy & Preaching on the Seven Last Words, noon, at West Laurel Hill

Holy Saturday: The Liturgy (Ante Communion), 10 a.m. at the rectory

Vigil & First Mass of Easter, 8:30 p.m. at All Saints, Wynnewood

Easter Day (April 8th): Mass, 8 a.m.

Sung Mass, 10 a.m.

Thanks goes this month to Leslie Altena and Hannah Sheldon for helping Beth with the pre-Lenten pancake brunch for the Sunday School, which we did after Mass on Quniquagesima.

Faithfully,

Fr David Ousley