Wednesday nights during Epiphany

Wednesday, December 30 - Observing the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist

Wednesday January 6 - The Feast of the Epiphany
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist
“Epiphany Cake” and treats following

Wednesday January 13 - Observing the Feast of St. Aelred of Rievaulx
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist

Wednesday January 20 – The Feast of St. Agnes
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist

Wednesday, January 27 – Commemorating the Martyrdom of St. Charles
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist

Wednesday, February 3 - Observing the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist
(Incense will be used at this service)

Wednesday, February 10 – Observing the feast of Bl. Charles Freer Andrews
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist

All Wednesday night Eucharists (except for January 6th) will be followed by a meal at a local restaurant.


Looking ahead: Wednesday night Eucharists will be offered at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Fargo, during Lent, resuming at St. Stephen's in the Easter season.

Christmas Eve 2009 at St. Stephen's

Maggie & Mason Coffey (Jim and Joy's grandchildren) as Mary and Joseph in the Liturgical Drama on Christmas Eve.

St. Stephen's Day Eucharist

Please join the congregations of

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
and
Gethsemane Cathedral

for the celebration of

The Feast of St. Stephen the Martyr

10:00 AM
Saturday December 26, 2009

at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
120 21 Ave. North
Fargo

Dean Steve Sellers will be preaching

Fr. Jamie Parsley will celebrate

Join us for this opportunity for the two congregations
to celebrate the feastday
of the first martyr of the Church
and the patron saint of
the St. Stephen’s congregation

AN ADVENT SERVICE OF LESSONS & CAROLS
_____________________________
6:00 PM
Sunday, December 20, 2009

PLEASE JOIN US for an inspirational evening of

music and worship as we prepare for the Christmas season

in this traditional and beautiful Anglican service.

Greening of the church following

Prayers for the soul of Rosemary Stillman

Your prayers are requested for the soul of Rosemary Stillman, a member of St Stephen’s. She died this morning (December 16, 2009).

A private Requiem Mass will be held at St. Stephen's. Burial of ashes will be in the memorial garden at Gethsemane Cathedral in the spring.

Advent paraments

Photo by Chris Whitsel at last Wednesday's Mass of the beautiful Advent altar paraments made by our own Gin Templeton.

Please join
JAMIE PARSLEY and GIN TEMPLETON
as they celebrate the publication of their new book

This Grass

Poems by Jamie Parsley Paintings by Gin Templeton

Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing.

There will also be displays of paintings and poems, music and appetizers.

When: 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Monday, December 14, 2009

Where: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
120 21 Ave. N. Fargo

This Grass: Poems by Jamie Parsley, paintings by Gin Templeton.
$35.00
ISBN 978-0-615-33346-5

For information, please contact Jamie at apium@aol.com or Gin at gin-su@hotmail.com or at www.jamieparsley.com

Wednesday nights in Advent at St. Stephen's

Come celebrate Advent at St. Stephen's, Fargo.


Wednesday December 2 - Bl. Channing Moore Williams
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist

Wednesday December 9 - Observing the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist
(Incense will be used at this service)

Wednesday, December 16 - Observing the Feast of St. Lucy
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist

Wednesday, December 23 - Observing the Feast of St. Thomas
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist
(Incense will be used at this service)

Wednesday, December 30 - Observing the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist
(Incense will be used at this service)

All Wednesday night Eucharists will be followed by a meal at a local restaurant.



And looking ahead to the Feast of the Epiphany in January...

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 – The Feast of the Epiphany
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist
(Incense will be used at this service)
“Epiphany cake” and coffee following

Bishop Smith's visit to St. Stephen's on Nov. 22

Bishop Michael Smith

will make his annual visitation

to St .Stephen's this coming Sunday,

November 22.
Please take this opportunity to come and greet our Bishop.

Holy Eucharist will be at 11:00 a.m. - as usual –
with Children’s Chapel during the Liturgy of the Word
and a time of food and fellowship will follow.

We look forward to seeing you.

November at St. Stephen's

Join us for these worship opportunties.

Wednesday, November 11*
The Feast of St. Martin of Tours
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist

Sunday, November 15
24 Pentecost
11:00 AM – Holy Eucharist
Guest Celebrant: Fr. Charles Cherry
Preacher: Sandy Holbrook
Children's Chapel

Wednesday, November 18*
The Feast of St. Hilda of Whitby
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist

Sunday November 22, 2009
Christ the King Sunday

11:00 AM – Holy Eucharist
Celebrant and Preacher: Bishop Michael Smith
Children's Chapel

6:00 PM
Gentle Thanksgiving at St. Stephen’s
(hosted by FM Veg)

Wednesday, November 25
Thanksgiving Eve
7:00 PM - Holy Eucharist
(at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church)
Celebrant: Pr. Mark Strobel
Preacher: Fr. Jamie
Assisting: Pr. Sue Koestermann

Sunday, November 29
1 Advent
11:00 - Holy Euchairst
Children's Chapel

Pie will be served following this Eucharist

*All Wednesday night Eucharists (except for November 25) will be followed by a meal at a local restaurant.

New green altar frontal

Made by our very own Gin Templeton. Thanks, Gin!

Michelle Gelinske/Tim Eischens recital

An Evening of Arias, Art Songs and Duets

Featuring:
Michelle Gelinske, Soprano
Tim Eischens, Baritone
&
Sue Nagel, Piano

University of Minnesota, Moorhead
Fox Recital Hall
Saturday, November 14th, 2009, 7pm

This November 14th, long-time friends Michelle Gelinske (St. Stephen's Cantor extraordinaire) and Tim Eischens are presenting a recital years in the making. They will perform arias by Handel and Mozart, art songs by Copland, Schubert, Schumann, and Hahn and duets by Lehar and Mozart. We'll be joined by pianist Sue Nagel. It should be a lovely evening of music.Since this is one of the rare chances they get to show what they're actually doing with their singing, they'd love it if you could join them on this adventure.
The event is free, but small donations to raise money for the Fargo-Moorhead Music Teachers Association scholarship fund will be greatly appreciated!

They've chosen the wonderful (& familiar) performance space at Minnesota State University Moorhead, Fox Recital Hall. You should find plenty of parking . There will be appetizers and refreshments at the recital.

Who: Tim (baritone) and Michelle (soprano)

When: Saturday, November 14th, 7-9 pm

Where: Minnesota State University Moorhead -

Fox Recital Hall

1104 7th Avenue South

Moorhead, MN 56563

Map: http://www.mnstate.edu/home/campustour/ca.cfm

(parking lot available)

Hope to see you there!

Stewardship Letter

October 19, 2009
Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist

Dear members and friends of St. Stephen’s,

This past year at St. Stephen’s has been a very exciting one. We have seen great growth and expansion in our congregation. In addition to the many ministries we have been continued doing faithfully, this year also saw the addition of some new things:

+ Our Wednesday night Eucharist has taken off and has become a vital part of many people’s spiritual lives.

+ The Children’s Chapel on Sunday mornings has been a dream realized for many of us who have longed to hear the joyous sound of children during our Sunday morning Eucharist.

+ Our Average Sunday Attendance is up (and is continuing to go up).

+ Our membership at St. Stephen’s continues to grow by the moment, with 12 new members in the past year.

+ After not having had a wedding at St. Stephen’s since 1996, we had 3 weddings in 2009.

+ We celebrated 4 baptisms in 2009.

+ Of course, we have continued our outreach to the wider Church and Community through the various ministries we do here at St. Stephen’s.

As you can see, we have much to be thankful for here at St. Stephen’s.

As we prepare for Pledge Sunday on November 8, take a moment to think and pray a bit about Stewardship. Although most of us associate Stewardship with giving money to the church, it is so much more than that. Stewardship is also a matter of perspective. It is a way for us to take into consideration what we have and, through prayer and reflection, to consider how best to use what we have been given for God’s greater glory and service to one another.

One way to do so is, of course, through the act of tithing from one’s monetary income. Doing so is of course a very important and vital part of stewardship and it helps make
sure that our congregation continues to function in its ministries and basic day-to-day functioning.

In addition, it is a time to consider giving of our time and talent to the church. Each of us are blessed with gifts that, when used in ministry, benefit all of us. Some of us have talents in teaching and guiding children (which would be perfectly suited for our Children’s Chapel). Some of us enjoy sharing Scripture through reading and instruction (a perfect opportunity to serve as a lector, acolyte or worship leader on Sunday mornings or on Wednesday evenings). Others have hands-on talents in dealing with the physical structure of the church building (the church building is always in need of supervision in these areas). Some feel called to serve on altar guild. All of these are important ministries and each should be responded to as a response to ministry.

As we near Pledge Sunday, please do consider tithing from your monetary income, but just as seriously consider serving God and the People of God through the ministry you have been called to do.

On Sunday November 8, please plan on attending 11:00 Eucharist on Pledge Sunday. Also, plan to stay for the lunch following the Eucharist, which will be hosted once again by the Vestry.
As we continue our journey together, let us work together to fulfill the potentials, and look forward in hope and joy at the potentials that await us at St. Stephen’s. I look forward to that journey and I hope you do as well.

-peace,
Fr. Jamie Parsley+

WEDNESDAY NIGHT EUCHARISTS IN NOVEMBER

November 4
6:00 PM
Observing the Feast of Bl. William Temple

November 11
6:00 PM
The Feast of St. Martin of Tours

November 18
6:00 PM
The Feast of St. Hilda of Whitby

November 25
7:00 PM
Thanksgiving Eve Eucharist
At St. Mark’s Lutheran


All Wednesday night Eucharists (except for November 25) will be followed by a meal at a local restaurant.

Gentle Thanksgiving at St. Stephen's

From FMVeg:

What: Gentle Thanksgiving

When: November 22, 2009 6:00 PM

Where:St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
120 21st Ave N Fargo, ND 58102
(701) 232-2076

What is Gentle Thanksgiving?

Click the link below to read about it:

http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org

We'll gather at 6:00 and eat around 6:30. Bring a vegan or vegetarian dish and a copy of your recipe (a vegan dish would be able to be shared by most everyone).We usually start off with a little introduction of each of the dishes so that everyone will know what they contain and so vegans and those with food allergies can choose accordingly.If you have limited cooking facilities (e.g., college students) or limited cooking ability, consider bringing fresh fruit, nuts, salad, soy-nog, etc. And if you just don't have time to bring something, come and eat, and help clean up at the end.If you have an idea of what you're bringing, please note it when you RSVP. It will help others in planning what to bring. We'll use St. Stephen's tableware and flatware, so we'll need some volunteers to clean up and wash dishes at the end. St. Stephen's asked that the kids have adult supervision if they're not in the hall. Hope you can attend!(When I copied this event from last year, it listed the late Ron Richard as the organizer. He wrote the description above. He will be missed.)

Learn more here:http://www.meetup.com/fm-veg/calendar/11733316/

Jubilee Sunday

Jubilee Sunday at St. Stephen's
October 18, 2009

Photo by Joy Coffee

Blessing of the Animals - Oct. 4, 2009

Photos by Michelle Gelinske

Wednesday night Eucharists in October

October 14
6:00 PM
The Feast of Bl. Samuel Shereschewsky

October 21
6:00 PM
Observing the Feast of St. James of Jerusalem
(Incense will be used at this Mass)

October 28
6:00 PM
The Feast of Sts Simon & Jude
(Incense will be used at this Mass)

All Wednesday night Eucharists will be followed by a meal at a local restaurant.

Prayers for the soul of Karl Reich+ (1922-2009)

Your payers are requested for the soul of the Revd. Karl Reich, 87, who died Mon. Aug. 31, 2009 in Portland, Ore.

Fr. Reich was the Vicar of St. Stephen’s from 1965-1969.

An obituary follows:

The Reverend Karl Frederick Reich

(August 26, 1922-August 31, 2009)

The Reverend Karl Frederick Reich died peacefully at home, on S.E. Nehalem near 42nd, on Monday, August 31, at the age of 87.

Karl was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 26, 1922, the oldest child and only son of Dorothy Marzahn Reich and Walter Reich. He grew up in Melbourne, Florida. After serving as a Second Lieutenant in the Army in World War II, he graduated from Clemson College in South Carolina in 1947, earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. A few years later he took a job as a research chemist at the W.C. Hardesty Co in New Philadelphia, Ohio. Since he had always been involved in church activities, he sought out Trinity Episcopal Church. There he met his future wife, Dorothy Ann McCullough. They married on October 21, 1950, and were together for 45 years until Dorothy’s death in 1996. Shortly after the birth of their second child, Karl began considering a call to the ministry in the Episcopal Church. He graduated with a degree of Master of Divinity from Bexley Hall, the Divinity School of Kenyon College at Gambier, Ohio in 1957. He was ordained Deacon on May 30, 1957 and was sent to Trinity Church in Bryan, Ohio. Karl was ordained Priest on December 8, 1957. The family moved to North Dakota in 1961; in Langdon he was vicar at Church of Our Savior and also at St. Peter’s, Walhalla. Karl also served at St Stephen’s in Fargo and St John’s in Dickinson. Part of his ministry included leading groups of teenagers on canoe trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota for nine summers. The year 1974 saw the family moving to Houston, Texas, to join Dorothy’s sister and brother-in-law in running the Episcopal Book Store. Karl also became part-time assistant at St Stephen’s Episcopal Church.

By 1978, Karl and Dorothy moved to the Pacific Northwest where they lived out the remainder of their lives enjoying the splendor of the area and the friendly people. Karl continued serving the Episcopal Church by becoming an interim Priest at various parishes around the Diocese of Oregon. These parishes included Christ Church - St. Helens, St John the Evangelist - Milwaukie, Epiphany - Lake Oswego, and St Philip the Deacon - Portland. He truly enjoyed working with the parishes and remembered them fondly in his last years. Karl had many interests including inkle weaving, brewing beer, woodworking, camping and b ooks. After retiring, he spent many wonderful years volunteering at The Title Wave, the bookstore for Multnomah County Library. He enjoyed reading many types of books and discussing them with friends.

Karl is survived by his two sisters, Marya and Suzanne; his children, Suzanne, John, David, and Jane; and four grandchildren.

A memorial service was held on Wednesday, September 23rd, at St John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Milwaukie.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St John the Evangelist Episcopal Church; the Feed the Hungry Program at St John the Evangelist Episcopal Church; Christ Church, St Helens; or the ALS Association.

From today's Fargo Forum

Church to conduct animal blessing

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church will host a service of blessing of animals and pets.

By: Forum staff reports, INFORUM

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 120 21 Ave. N. in Fargo, will host a service of blessing of animals and pets at 1 p.m. Sunday. All are welcome to bring their pets regardless of the pet’s size. Weather permitting, the service will be held in the church’s labyrinth.

For more info, call 232-2074, or visit ststephensfargo.blogspot.com.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/255071/

Blessing of Animals

EVERYONE IS INVITED TO

A Blessing of Animals and Pets

1:00PM
Sunday, October 4, 2009
honoring St. Francis of Assisi

at the Labyrinth
of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
120 21 Avenue North
Fargo

Any and all animals and pets of any size may join us

St. Stephen's featured in 2010 Historic Churches Calendar

St. Stephen’s will represent the Diocese of North Dakota in the 2010 Historic Episcopal Church Calendar published by the National Episcopal Historians and Archivists. The entry, with a vignette about St. Stephen’s history and current ministries, as well as a beautiful photo of the church by Jim Coffee, will face the calendar week beginning on December 26, the Feast of St. Stephen the Martyr.

The calendar can be ordered from The National Episcopal Historians and Archivists for $16.95 each (with postage and handling being 10% of the order). Orders can be sent to:

NEHA
509 Yale Avenue
Swarthmore, PA 19081

Order forms are available in the Narthex. Contact Fr. Jamie for further information.

St. Matthew's Day Mass

Come join us for

Holy Eucharist

6:00PM

Wednesday, September 23

to celebrate the feast day of

St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

supper will follow at a local restaurant

Please note: Incense will be used at this service

Children's Chapel dedication

Photos from the Children's Chapel dedication on September 13th.

(photos by Michelle Gelinske)

From Fr. Jamie

(from the September issue of The Ambassador)

I am surprised sometimes by the over-all negativity of some Christians. And by negativity, I mean a negative outlook in general about the past, the present and the future. I so often hear people who are Christian lament and complain about the sorry state of the world, society, the financial outlook, etc. And certainly, if we were to take a look about us and see the world for face value, it would seem that we have much to despair about.

However, for us as Christians, we need to stop looking at things in this wholly negative way. We need to stop being nay-sayers, especially about the future. Of course, we are caught in this present moment—trapped in ways by a history (both personal and collective) that often seems frightening. But our future does not have to seem so bleak.

For Christians, there is no other way to look at the future than as a good thing. Tony Jones, who has become a favorite author of mine, writes the following:

“God’s promised future is good, and it awaits us, beckoning us forward. We’re caught in the tractor beam of redemption and re-creation, and there’s no sense fighting it, so we might as well cooperate.”

I have clung to those words often since first reading them. They really do speak loudly and clearly to me. I hope they speak loudly and clearly to you as well. As we, together, look forward to our future here at St. Stephen’s, I don’t think we can do anything else but realize that we too are caught in a kind of “tractor beam of redemption and re-creation.” Wonderful things are happening here and we are all being rejuvenated and renewed in the midst of this “happening.”

God’s future is good. For those of us who have faith in God, we can see it as none other than good. So, rather than despairing, let us rejoice. And let us move forward into that future with joy in our hearts and our actions.

-peace,
Jamie+

Liturgical notes

As most of you know, I love liturgical beauty. I cherish and hold dear the aesthetic and symbolic beauty of Christian worship. As a result—and to make sure that I share with you the reasons for any changes we make at St. Stephen’s—I would like to explain a few slight changes in our worship life here at St. Stephen’s.

Incense

At the request of several members of St. Stephen’s, I will be introducing incense for the first time at the Wednesday night Eucharist on September 16 as we commemorate the feast of the Holy Cross.

As I do so, I am sensitive to the fact that there are some who are wary or downright apprehensive about having the use of incense introduced at St. Stephen’s. Some are concerned because of allergies or sensitivity to smells. To help remedy such concerns, I will be using a hypoallergenic incense during these Wednesday night Eucharists.

Others may be concerned about the use of incense for theological or personal reasons.

To help remedy those concerns, I would like to direct you to the website of St. James Episcopal Church in Columbus, Ohio (www.stjamescolumbus.org/useofincense), which gives some very thoughtful explanations of the use of incense in Episcopal worship, from a decidedly moderate point of view.

So, why use incense at all? When we think of worship, we might think of the senses we use in worship. Certainly we use sight—in seeing what is going on the liturgy, in the colors we use for the liturgical seasons and the vestments that are worn, for the paraments used on and around the altar. Certainly we use hearing—in the words spoken, in the music and the singing. Certainly we use taste, in sharing the bread and wine. In the same way, worship should be a way in which we use all our senses to worship God. Incense is a way in which we can use the sense of smell to heighten our worship experience.

And like all of our liturgy, rich as it is with symbols, incense itself is a symbol. As the St. James website shares:

“Symbols help to point our minds in the direction of invisible realities, and speak to us in a language often richer than words alone. As a symbol, incense is exceptionally rich in associations.”

Over and over again in scripture, we find the use of incense symbolic of worship of God. That is also the reason why incense is used in worship in church.

Taking all of this into account, I will assure everyone that incense will be used at this time only at the Wednesday night Eucharists, and only on so-called “red letter feasts” (such as the Feast of the Holy Cross). I will also announce beforehand which services we will use incense.

I also would like to make clear that I will not be using incense at any Sunday morning Eucharist. I also hope that everyone will keep an open mind and an open heart to such innovations and will recognize that traditions such as incense are not meant to subvert or direct us away from our common vision of ministry at St. Stephen’s.

Rather incense is meant to enhance our worship experience. The use of incense at St. Stephen’s enmeshes itself well with our use of such other ancient forms of worship such as the labyrinth, candles and vestments.

Upcoming Eucharists that will be using incense

Wednesday, September 16 (Observing the Feast of the Holy Cross)

Wednesday, September 23 (Observing the Feast of St. Matthew)

Wednesday, September 30 (Observing the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels)



Pascal Candle

Some might note that the Pascal Candle is now located at the Baptismal font in the narthex. This is traditional place for the Pascal Candle outside the Easter Season.

Some concern was expressed regarding using our regular Pascal Candle in the such a high- traffic area as our Narthex (where the font stands). The solution to this problem was solved in the discovery of the original Pascal Candle stand that pre-dates our current stand. I cleaned up the original stand, placed one of our older Pascal candles in it and placed it next to the font.

The hope is that the candle, along with font, will be a poignant reminder to us of our baptism and the Baptismal Covenant we hold to so




Book Review

Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith by Diana Butler Bass. 2006. HarperCollins.

As many of you, I have been very enraptured by Emergent Theology—a new way of thinking about God, Christianity and the Church. I have enjoyed it so much because it is challenging, frightening, sobering, but it also gives voice to much of what I have thought and felt about those issues.

When people ask me about what books they should start reading if they want to read about Emergent Theology, I of course always recommend the book that has transformed my thinking—A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren. But even before that book, I would recommend for anyone from St. Stephen’s a wonderful book called Christianity for the Rest of Us by Diana Butler Bass.

The reason I would recommend this book to people at St. Stephen’s is because it a book that speaks directly to what we are doing here. Bass, who is an Episcopalian, heard, like most of us, the dire warning about liberal Christianity dying off and how mainstream denominations like the Episcopal Church are quickly drying up and fading away. Bass, in her own research, found that those predictions might not necessarily be true. She looks long and hard at several eclectic, vibrant churches across the nation (many of which are Episcopalians, but also Presbyterian and Lutheran) that are, by simply doing ministry, bucking the system.

As exciting as this book was to me, I realize that many people might not find some of her suggestions so appealing. Bass challenges not only the right-wing Evangelicals, but also left-wing liberals who are too stuck in their ways. She attacks especially what she calls a “1960s, Protestant liberalism” she found “both cold and spiritually deadening.”

She presents a balanced approach to ministry. Yes, we can be progressive in our social outreach, but we also have to cling to our spirituality and our faith in Christ. In fact, she says, to be followers of Christ means to be open to all God’s children.

As Bass writes: “”the people I met rediscovered the humility of spiritual liberality.”

She goes on to say: “Vital mainline congregations are giving up liberalism, but finding their way back to liberality—that genuine openness which reminds us that in the economy of the universe, we are only human, and, despite our marvelous intellectual capabilities, there will always be things we cannot know. In that gap God breathes, and there, we experience awe. In some mysterious way, the sundry folk on my journey managed to create a space for theological generosity, and, in doing so, to catch glimpses of God.”

That description I believe in many ways describes who we are at St. Stephen’s and what we long to do here.

Bass says that strong spiritual practices of prayers, liturgy and scriptural grounding, along with a wide-open social approach really are the keys to a successful and vital congregation. As she describes one congregation, they are “rediscovering tradition. There is no PowerPoint or multimedia here. Nothing improvisational. Only banners, candles, robes, crosses, processions, and incense. Here, they are reclaiming the territory of the heart through tradition.”

I recommend this book as well because it really is a very good introduction to Emergent Theology. As paradoxical as this kind of thinking seems at times, it truly does enliven one and helps us look to the future of the Church with hope.

I will even go so far as to recommend that anyone who might be interested in new and vital approaches to ministry should simply purchase this book.

In today's Fargo FORUM

St. Stephen’s dedicates new children’s chapel

By: Forum staff reports, INFORUM

A children’s chapel is being dedicated at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Fargo, after the 11 a.m. service Sunday.

The new chapel, which will be located in the undercroft of the church, will serve as a place for children’s services and other services during the year. Children’s chapel services begin Sept. 20.
The dedication service is part of a celebration of Dedication Sunday, which commemorates the 53rd anniversary of the dedication of the St. Stephen’s building.

An ice cream social will follow the dedication.

St. Stephen’s is located at 120 21st Ave. N. For more information, call the Rev. Jamie Parsley at (701) 232-2076.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/252735/

Children's Chapel dedication

Come celebrate!

Everyone is welcome to
the dedication of our new

Children’s Chapel

following
Holy Eucharist
11:00 AM

Sunday, September 13

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
120 21 Ave. N.
Fargo

Ice Cream Sundaes will be served following the dedication


Beginning on September 25th, we will begin a regular Children’s Chapel service. Children's Chapel takes place during the Service of the Word (everything from following the opening collect to The Peace) and will be offered September through June

Volunteers needed for Children's Chapel

We need volunteers to help out with Children’s Chapel as a Leader and/or Helper.

Our new Children’s Chapel will blessed on Sept. 13 and our first Children’s Chapel service is set for Sept. 20.

Children’s Chapel Leaders's responsibilities include gathering the children, leading a short worship and reading a lesson/sermon (that will be prepared for you beforehand).

Children’s Chapel Helpers will assist the Leader.

Ideally we would like a leader and a helper for every service.

The Commitment is minimal: if we get enough volunteers, you may only need to help out once a month.

All volunteers (whether Leader or Helper) will need to take Safeguarding God’s Children (for more information contact Sandy Holbrook at slholbrook@cableone.net).

If you are interested in volunteering for this rewarding and exciting ministry, please contact Fr. Jamie at Apium@aol.com.

Wenesday Night Eucharist this week/Episcopal Peace Fellowship

Come join us for

Holy Eucharist
6:00PM

Wednesday, September 2
to celebrate the feast day of
Blessed Paul Jones

and to celebrate St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
becoming a chapter congregation of
The Episcopal Peace Fellowship

supper will follow at a local restaurant

St. Stephen’s will soon become the first congregation in North Dakota to be recognized as an EPF Chapter.

The Episcopal Peace Fellowship is a national membership organization connecting all who seek a deliberate response to injustice and violence and want to pray, study and take action for justice and peace in our communities, our church, and the world.

For more information, check the EPF website:

http://www.epfnational.org/

September at St. Stephen's

Children’s Chapel dedication

Sunday, September 13 – Dedication Sunday
11:oo AM
Holy Eucharist, followed by dedication of the new Children’s Chapel in Undercroft

Sundaes will be served following the chapel dedication

Sunday, September 20 - Bring-a-Friend-to-Church Sunday
11:00 AM
Holy Eucharist

Every Sunday

11:00 AM
Holy Eucharist is celebrated every Sunday, with coffee hour afterward in the Undercroft

Children's Chapel is offered every Sunday (beginning Sept. 20) during the Liturgy of the Word.


Wednesday night Eucharists

Due to popular demand (not to mention a great turnout), the Wednesday night Eucharists will continue.

September 2
6:00 PM
Observing the Feast of Blessed Paul Jones

September 9
6:00 PM
The Feast of Blessed Constance and her companions

September 16
6:00 PM
Observing the Feast of the Holy Cross

September 23
6:00 PM
Observing the Feast of St. Matthew

September 30
6:00 PM
Observing the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels

All Wednesday night Eucharists will be followed by a meal at a local restaurant.


Looking Ahead

Sunday, October 4
Honoring St. Francis of Assisi
Blessing of the Animals (following Holy Eucharist)

Sunday, November 22
Bishop Michael Smith will join us

Sunday, December 6 - United Campus Ministry Sunday
The Rev'd Theta Wagner-Miller will preach


Come join us!

Wedding

Your prayers are requested for

Whitney Bergeron
and
Barney Haugen

as they celebrate
the Sacrament of Marriage
tonight
August 15, 2009
in Kragnes, Minnesota.

Fr. Jamie will officiate.

Feast of St. Mary the Virgin at St. Stephen's

Tonight
Wednesday August 12
at 6:00 PM
we are celebrating
the (transferred) Feast of

St. Mary the Virgin
at St. Stephen’s
with a Celtic celebration of the Holy Eucharist

music by James Mackay
with Michelle Gelinske

Supper afterward at
Casa Ramos
(the new Mexican restaurant near West Acres)
1649 38th St. S.

Please join us

Fr. Jamie Parsley
Priest-in-Charge
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
Fargo

Sunday Presiding/Preaching Schedule

Presiding/Preaching
August 16 – Fr. Jamie
August 23 – Fr. Jamie/Sandy Holbrook
August 30 – Morning Prayer/Mass – Fr. Jamie/Sandy
September 6 – Fr. Jamie/Alice Hauan - Dcn. Zanne Ness, St. George's, Bismarck, will join us
September 13 – Fr. Jamie/Sandy Holbrook (Dedication Sunday)
September 20 – Fr. Jamie (Bring-a-Friend-to-Church Sunday)
September 27 – Fr. Jamie
October 4 – Fr. Jamie/Alice Hauan
October 11 – Pr. Mark Strobel (Fr. Jamie at CREDO)
October 18 – Jubilee Sunday – Fr. Jamie
October 25 – Fr. Jamie
November 1 – All Saints – Fr. Jamie
November 8 – Fr. Jamie/Alice Hauan
November 15 – Fr. Jamie/Sandy Holbrook
November 22 – Bishop Michael Smith (Bishop's visitation)
November 29 - Morning Prayer/Mass -
December 6 – Fr. Jamie/The Rev. Theta Wagner-Miller (United Campus Ministry Sunday)

Prayers for the soul of Wesley Hoaby

Your prayers are requested for the soul of Wesley G. Hoaby, who died Aug. 5, 2009. The Burial Liturgy for Wesley will be Saturday held at Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home in Fargo on Saturday August 8, with Father Jamie officiating.

Wednesday night Eucharists in August

In August we will be trying out some different liturgies for our Wednesday Night Eucharist

August 5
6:00 PM
The Eve of the Feast of the Transfiguration
Holy Eucharist from Enriching our Worship
(our organist James Mackay will join us with music to celebrate this feastday)

August 12
6:00 PM
Observing the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin
Celtic Eucharist

August 19
6:00 PM
The eve of the Feast of St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Eucharist from the New Zealand Prayer Book

August 26
6:00 PM
Observing the feast of St. Bartholomew
(from Celebrating Eucharist, with a Eucharistic prayer modeled on one found in the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus (from the early third century).

All Eucharists will be followed by supper at a different local restaurant.

From Fr. Jamie

As I write this I will have been Priest at St. Stephens’ for nine months. It certainly has been a roller coaster ride, but what I have especially enjoyed is being on the roller coaster ride with all of you.

In that time we have seen some real growth together. It always a good time to take a good look at such growth and to be thankful for God for all that has been given us. Taking account of where we’ve been and where we going is simply putting things into perspective.

The other day I was talking to the manager of Hurley’s. After asking me how things are going at St. Stephen’s, he said, “Well, in my experience there are always two signs of growth in a church: weddings in baptisms.”

If that’s the case, then we’re a pretty healthy church for our size. Already this year we have had two baptisms, with another two scheduled for later in the summer and no doubt a few more before the year is done.

As for weddings, the last wedding at St. Stephen’s was 1996. The last weeding in the actual church building was in 1993. The wedding of Sara and Kody Backman at St. Stephen’s on June 20 certainly seemed to break the wedding drought—we have three more weddings scheduled this summer.

Our Average Sunday Attendance (ASA as it’s commonly known) has been up—quite a feat for summer. Even usually “low attendance Sundays” such as Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends were up. Our new Wednesday night Eucharist has been much more successful than I had anticipated and it seems to be a something we will continue doing in the fall.

It has been several years since we’ve had a Sunday School at St. Stephen’s. This Fall, we will be starting one (more information later).

The signs of growth and potential growth are in the air. Certainly I am sensing and seeing a real excitement in the air at St. Stephen’s.

This is an exciting time for St. Stephen’s. This summer I read a wonderful book by Tony Jones, entitled The New Christians. In this book, Jones has a wonderful description of “the Church.” He writes:

“We are committed to doing justice, loving Kindness and walking humbly with God. In the words of Jesus, we seek to live by the Great Commandment, loving God and loving our neighbors—including those who might be considered ‘the least of these’ or enemies. We understand the gospel to be centered on Jesus and his message of the Kingdom of God, a message offering reconciliation with God, humanity, creation and self.”

In so many way, I think that is exactly what we are all doing at St. Stephen’s. It is an exciting time and I am very happy to be participating in it with you.

-peace,
Jamie+


Confirmation

Bishop Michael Smith will be visiting us on November 22. In preparation for that visit, I am willing to help anyone who would like to do prepare for Confirmation by Bishop Smith.

Confirmation, according to the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer is “the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop.”

What is required of those to be confirmed?

“It is required of those who are to be confirmed that they have been baptized, are sufficiently instructed in the Christian faith, are penitent for their sins, and are ready to affirm their confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.” (BCP, p. 860)

In other words, Confirmation is a way of reconfirming one’s Baptismal vows and “officially becoming an Episcopalian.” Since Bishop Michael Smith will be visiting on November 22, this will be a great opportunity for anyone who would like to confirmed to do so.

If you are interested in receiving the sacrament of Confirmation, please talk to Fr. Jamie

Ron Richard article in High Plains Review

A wonderful article about Ron Richard was published in the July 23 issue of The High Plains Reader. You can read it online at:

http://hpr1.com/cuisine/article/vegan_food_review_remembering_ron_richard/

or below:

Vegan Food Review: Remembering Ron Richard

by Alice Christianson

Instead of a column about vegan food, I want to honor the memory of Ron Richard. He died June 18, after complications from a bicycle accident. Ron was born and raised in Fargo and returned here in 2006. He started the vegan/vegetarian group called FM Veg.

Here are typical comments that FM Veg folks wrote about Ron: “One of the kindest, most genuine souls I’ve ever met. He had the vision, energy and passion to start FM Veg. So very grateful for getting to know him. A kindred spirit to many of us. Kind heart, good humor, ability to draw people out in conversation. Good cheer and jovial nature. Because of him and what he started I’ve enjoyed several years of potlucks and outings; I have met many wonderful people and created lasting friendships. Love of good veg food and desire for camaraderie. Kind and gentle spirit. Lover of life. Brought peace and joy to our times together.”

One person shared a quote from “It’s a Wonderful Life”: “Each one’s life touches so many other lives. When they aren’t around they leave an awful hole.”

Ron was an ardent environmentalist and understood that the best way to be a good steward of our planet was to live simply and to eat a plant-based diet. He also was a peace maker. He understood that to promote peace went way beyond protesting war. Peace means that there is worth to all life, not just human life. This was another important reason that he was vegan.

If everyone were that careful about the value and dignity of our fellow sentient beings, we would not have wars. Ron also understood that there are large numbers of pets that are euthanized every year because no one wants them, and he welcomed rescue/shelter animals into his home.

Ron’s request for a lasting and joyful memorial would be to adopt and promote a vegetarian lifestyle. Thanks to him, FM Veg will continue to be a resource to anyone in this area who is interested in a vegan/vegetarian diet. I am reminded of a quote from Norman Cousins: “Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of his conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life.”

Brats at Hornbachers July 4th weekend

photos by Gin Templeton

Comments about Ron's memorial service

In these past few days, I have heard some wonderful comments about Ron’s memorial service. Below are a few that were posted on www.fmveg.org:

“Ron's service was very nice - especially the scripture from Isaiah 11:2-9 & the hymns, "All Creatures of Our God and King" & "All Things Bright and Beautiful". The priest's homily spoke of how Ron tried to live so as to see Isaiah 11 fulfilled - how Ron believed that loving our neighbor includes loving not just our human neighbors, but all creatures on this earth. That was the Ron I knew - an agent of peace, kindness, mercy and compassion - for all creatures, great or small!”

“Beautiful service. Glad so many people came to it.”

“I didn't give this a ‘great’ rating due to the sad nature of the event, but I was blessed to attend. The church was filled to overflowing - over 100 people attended, & most stayed for the vegan meal following the service! Thanks to all of the FMVeg members who brought food and served in the kitchen. Many of Ron's family & church friends made very positive comments, and I'm sure Ron would have been pleased.”

“ It was a good service, the sermon/Gospel was perfect for Ron. We were worried that we wouldn't have enough food, but it all worked out....the loaves multiplied..."

Ronald Joseph Richard

(January 28, 1950-June 18, 2009)

Ron Richard, 59, died June 18, 2009 at Innvois Health, Fargo, as a result of injuries he sustained in a bike accident on June 1.

Ron, an only child, was born January 28, 1950 to Darlene and Frank Richard in Fargo, ND. He graduated from Moorhead State in 1975 with a degree in English literature and earned an MS at North Dakota State in 1977 in counseling psychology. He worked at the counseling center at Mankato State University in MN and as a family counselor in a pilot program sponsored by HEW for family rehabilitation in Glasgow, MT.

In 1980 he moved to San Francisco where he began a career in banking. He was a systems analyst and project manager for many years at Cal Fed Bank and then Citibank. During that time, he pursued an MBA in accounting at Golden Gate University in San Francisco and earned a certificate in systems analysis from UC Davis.

In 1990 he bought a small house with a large lot on a quiet, tree-lined street in Vallejo, CA. He lived there for many happy years with a large number of companion dogs and cats that he rescued.

Ron was a passionate environmentalist and animal rights activist. He was especially committed to the work of PETA. He took great pride in the simple, Earth-friendly, vegan life that he and his animal family lived, and often commented that they had brought Isaiah’s vision to reality.

In 1995, Ron contracted HIV. He subsequently participated in a five-year study through the UCSF Aids Research Program on the long term effects of HIV medications.

Ron returned to Fargo in 2006, and was very active at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Fargo. In that time he served on the Vestry and as Treasurer for the congregation.

Ron’s final requests were that all financial memorials be made to PETA, but that a more lasting and joyful memorial would be to adopt and promote a vegetarian lifestyle.

Ron is survived by his mother, Darlene Richard of Fargo. He was preceded in death by his father, Frank.

Visitation will be from 6-7 PM Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at Boulger Funeral Home in Fargo, with a prayer service at 7PM Tuesday at Boulger Funeral Home.

The Burial Liturgy for Ron will be held 1 PM Wednesday June 24, 2009 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Fargo.

A vegan lunch will be served by the Fargo Moorhead Vegetarians and Vegans (www.fmveg.org/) following the memorial service.

Burial of ashes will be in the family plot at Holy Cross North Cemetery in Fargo.

Memorial service for Ron Richard scheduled

Greetings St. Stephen’s family:

As you all know by now, Ron Richard passed away very suddenly on Thursday, June 18. I had visited him the day before at ManorCare, where we shared Holy Communion and joked. He was in great spirits and looked wonderful.

I met with his family and friend this afternoon and together we planned his memorial service, according to Ron's wishes.

The memorial service has been scheduled for 1:00 PM Wednesday, June 24 at St. Stephen’s.

There will be a prayer service at 7:00 PM on Tuesday night at Boulger Funeral Home, Fargo, led by Fr. Peter Hughes (Ron’s mother’s priest).

Committal of ashes will follow in the family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery, Fargo.

Please continue to remember Ron's soul in your prayers. Also please do continue praying for Ron's mother, Darlene, for their extended family and all of their friends.

Memorials are requested to PETA.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.

- peace,
Jamie+

Prayers for the soul of Ron Richard

Your prayers are requested for the soul of Ron Richard, who passed away very suddenly on Thursday, June 18.

Please pray also for his mother, Darlene.

Service arrangements are pending and will be shared when they are available.

Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord:
And let light perpetual shine upon him.

Jamie+'s Ordination Anniversary

Your prayers are requested
on the fifth anniversary of my
Ordination to the Priesthood
on Thursday, June 11, 2009

For those of you in the Fargo-Moorhead area
please join me at
the celebration of the Holy Eucharist
6:00 PM
Wednesday night
June 10, 2009
The Eve of the Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle
at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
120 21 Avenue North
Fargo

with a celebratory supper afterward at
Usher’s House Restaurant
700 1 Ave. N.
Moorhead, MN

-peace,

Jamie+

Prayers for the soul of Lynette Mulcahy

Your prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Lynette Mulcahy, sister of Russ Nylander. The funeral will be 2:00 PM Thursday at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church near Detroit Lakes.

Please also keep in your prayers Russ and Laura Nylander and their family during this time.

Lynette's obituary follows.

- peace,
Jamie+

The Reverend Jamie A. Parsley
Priest-in-Charge

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lynette M. Mulcahy

Lynette M. Mulcahy, 53, rural Audubon, MN, died Sunday, May 31, 2009 at her home under the care of Hospice Of The Red River Valley. Mass Of Christian Burial will be 2:00 PM Thursday, June 4 at St. Mary Of The Lake Catholic Church in rural Detroit Lakes, Fr. Robert LaPlante, officiating. Friends may call 4:00 – 8:00 PM Wednesday, June 3 and 1:00 – 2:00 PM Thursday, June 4 at St. Mary Of The Lake Church.

Lynette Marie Mulcahy was born February 7, 1956 in Detroit Lakes, MN to Lester and Veronica Nylander. She was raised and educated in rural Audubon and was a 1974 graduate of Audubon High School. Lynette was united in marriage with Keith Mulcahy April 9, 1973 in St. Joseph, Michigan. They made their home in rural Audubon where Lynette worked for Randy’s On Lake Eunice and the Cormorant Pub. For the past 17 years, she had been the assistant gambling manager for the Cormorant Sportsman’s Club.

Lynette enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and family; gardening, flowers, going to the casino and making craft items.

Survivors include her husband, Keith of rural Audubon; three daughters, Stacey (Matt) Anderson of Lake Park, MN, Mandy (Jason Hunter) Mulcahy of Fargo, ND and Christina (Justin) Wuollet of Audubon, MN; six grandchildren, Hayley Kapusta, Carissa, Catlyn, Jason “Lil J” , Jada Hunter and Ethan Wuollet; her Mother, Veronica Nylander of Audubon, MN; brother, Russell (Laura) Nylander of Moorhead, MN; three sisters, LuAnn (Bob) Porter of Detroit Lakes, LaVonne (Rich) Langord of Moorhead, MN and Lori Thompson of Audubon, MN. She was preceded in death by her father, Lester Nylander

SUMMER at ST. STEPHEN'S

Sundays
11:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist
Coffee hour/Fellowship following


Wednesdays
6:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist

(with a short sermon or meditation)
Supper at a local restaurant follows
(beginning June 3)

Fully Alive

Article for May Ambassador

As we emerge from a very long, very hard, very cold winter and an equally uncertain spring, we find ourselves, no doubt, feeling as though we are blossoming. We find ourselves itching to get out, to work in the garden or in the flower bed, to go for long walks, enjoy the sun on our faces and the warm air around us.

Spring means renewal. And in the spring, as we exult in the season of Easter, we find renewal to be sort of the catch phrase for everything we do in church. Easter, for us as Christians, of course means renewal. It means not only finding life int eh midst of darkness and death, it means living fully in the wake of death.

“The glory of God is a human being fully alive,” wrote Irenaeus of Lyons and in this season of Easter, we are reminded again and again that, in Christ, we are fully alive. We are full of life and we should be thankful in the life we have been given and should live that life as fully and completely as we can.

I have been reading Barbara Brown Taylor’s latest book, An Altar in the World. In it, she describes her “larger vocation” as “the job of loving God and neighbor as myself. Over the years,” she writes, “I have come to think of this as the vocation of becoming fully human.”

More concretely, Taylor goes on to describe what it means to be fully human: “”To become fully human means learning to turn my gratitude for being alive into some concrete common good. It means growing gentler toward human weakness. It means practicing forgiveness of my and everyone else’s hourly failures to live up to divine standards. It means learning to forget myself on a regular basis in order to attend to other selves in my vicinity. It means living so that ‘I’m only human’ does not become an excuse for anything. It means receiving the human condition as blessing and not curse, in all its aching frail and redemptive reality.”

In this Easter season in which we experience Christ as fully divine and fully human, we are to glimpse in him the full potential for ourselves as well. We are able to realize that we can truly strive to be fully human and fully divine and to recognize that one is not necessarily less than the other, but rather complete wholes that make us more whole.

In this Easter season, exult in life and rejoice in life. Live fully and completely. And when you do, you will be experiencing Christ in your midst.


-peace,
Jamie+

Easter at St. Stephen's

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed!
Alleluia!

St. Stephen's on Palm Sunday

Holy Week and Easter 2009

(all services at St. Stephen’s unless otherwise noted)

The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday - April 5
11:00AM – Blessing of the Palms and Holy Eucharist

Maundy Thursday- April 9
7:00PM – Holy Eucharist; Stripping of the Altar at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church

Good Friday- April 10
12:00 PM –Good Friday service at St. Mark’s
7:00 PM – Liturgy of the Passion and Holy Communion from the Reserved Sacrament*

Holy Saturday - April 11
10:00 AM – Liturgy of the Word for Holy Saturday

Easter Eve Saturday - April 11
7:00 PM – The Great Vigil of Easter at Gethsemane Cathedral

Sunday April 12 - Easter Sunday
11:00 AM – Holy Eucharist, with the Baptism of Samantha Lemke


* On Maundy Thursday, we will strip the altar and the Sacrament (the consecrated bread and wine), normally reserved in the aumbry, will be removed to an “altar of repose” in the sacristy. Since, the Eucharist is not celebrated in the Episcopal Church on Good Friday, Holy Communion will be administered from the reserved sacrament at the Good Friday service.

From Lynn LeQuire

A message from Lynn LeQuire. Please keep them and Doug’s father, Tom, in your prayers.

Lynn writes:

Jamie, I came across this video and wanted to share if with you. I didn't know if it was something to put on the blog. We are high and dry here in Moorhead.

We do have some worries though, Doug's dad, Tom, had a stroke Wednesday morning. They have transferred him to Fergus Fall to start rehab.

Lynn LeQuire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdxtwROYTgE

From Steve & Craig

Craig and I were evacuated Thursday morning. Our neighborhood is one of the handful with contingency dikes behind us (in our case to protect the water treatment plant). We are checking on the house now (hence internet access) and all is fine so far. I hope others are faring well.

Peace,
Steve and Craig

Harriet Blow update

Harriet called me this morning and said she is at Mercy Hospital in Valley City. She had a hectic ride out there on Friday, but is safe and sound and was resting when I talked with her.

She sends her love to all of us at this time.

Harriet Blow evacuated

Harriet Blow, along with all the residents of New Horizons Manor in Fargo, have been evacuated. She called me this noon and did not where she was being evacuated.

Update on Florence Anderson

Sharon Remmen, the daughter of Florence Anderson, called me this morning to tell me that Rosewood on Broadway has been evacuated and that Florence Anderson (a new member at St. Stephen’s) was flown to the University of Mary in Fargo for triage before being temporarily relocated somewhere in either North Dakota or Minnesota.

Please keep Florence and her family and all the residents of Rosewood and other retirement and nursing homes in your prayers.

A Letter to St. Stephen's concerning the flood

Friday March 27, 2009
The Feast of Blessed Charles Henry Brent

Dear Sisters and Brothers of St Stephen’s,

The situation in Fargo-Moorhead seems to grow more critical by the moment due to the rising waters and inclement weather. Many of us are no doubt facing what must appear to be overwhelming moments of physical, mental and spiritual frustration, anger, fear and exhaustion.

At this very difficult time, be assured that each of you are included in my prayers by name. Also be assured that if any of you need anything, I will do as much as I’m capable of doing to help you. Please feel free to contact me by cell: 701-793-1953. If, for some reason, I am unable to answer your call, please leave a message and I will respond as soon as I can.

I have been told that both St. Stephen’s and the Rectory are on some of the highest ground in north Fargo. As long as I am able, I will stay put and remain here. Also, please be assured that, unless I am forced to evacuate, the doors of St. Stephen’s will be open on Sunday morning and the Eucharist will be celebrated as usual at 11:00. Also please know that I understand many of you of you will not be able to attend church because of flooding, relocation or other issues. Please do not endanger yourself or your families in attempting to come to church if you cannot. Please do know, however, that you will all be remembered at the altar on Sunday morning with special intentions.

I will also be updating the St. Stephen’s blog (http://ststephensfargo.blogspot.com) on a regular basis. Please check the blog to for news announcements, prayer requests, cancellations or other items of information. I will also post information of news of fellow parishioners as I hear of them.

Again, be assured of my prayers, my concern and my love for each of you during this difficult time.

-peace,
Jamie+

The Reverend Jamie A. Parsley
Priest-in-charge
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
Fargo, North Dakota


A prayer (slightly adapted) from The New Zealand Prayer Book

God of the present moment, God who in Jesus stills the storm and soothes the frantic heart; bring hope and courage to all of us who are affected by this flood as we wait in uncertainty. Bring us hope that you will make us the equal of whatever lies ahead. Bring us courage to endure what cannot be avoided, for your will is health and wholeness; you are God and we need you. Amen.

Events in Lent

Shrove Tuesday February 24
5:30 PM-7:00 PM – Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
7:00 PM – “Burying the Alleluia” Service

Ash Wednesday February 25
7:00 PM – Holy Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes

Sundays in Lent
11:00 AM – Holy Eucharist

Wednesdays in Lent
6:00 PM – Holy Eucharist

March 4 – Blesseds John & Charles Wesley
Pr. Mark Strobel, presider/ Alice Hauan preacher

March 11 - St. Gregory of the Great
Fr. Jamie Parsley, presider/ Pr. Terry Hagensen preacher

March 18 – St. Joseph
Pr. Mark, presider/Pr. Steve Nowicki, preacher

March 25 – Annunciation
Fr. Jamie, presider/ Sandy Holbrook, preacher

April 1 – Blessed John Donne
Pr. Mark, presider/Fr. Charles Cherry, preacher


Maundy Thursday April 9
7:00PM – Holy Eucharist at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church

Good Friday April 10
7:00 PM – Good Friday service

Holy Saturday April 11
10:00 AM – Holy Saturday service

Saturday April 11
7:00 PM – Easter Vigil at Gethsemane Cathedral

Sunday April 12 Easter Sunday
11:00 AM – Holy Eucharist

Bishop Smith's annual visit to St. Stephen's

We are very pleased to welcome Bishop Michael Smith on his annual visit to us today, which is also the seventeenth anniversary of his ordination to the Priesthood. We also welcome into our midst our new members at our Eucharist today. Our new members are: Jan and Mike Stewart Michelle Heaford-Gelinske James Mackay, Bert Leach Rosemary Stillman Florence Anderson