Look Back: Water Heroes Camp

What a week! Memorial is pleased to have hosted 21 kids, some members of the congregation, and some not, for a fun filled week of learning about WATER! Many of us take water for granted - we turn on the tap or the spigot and out it comes. We go sailing on it, or swimming in it, and sometimes we fish. But most of us are not well versed in how the water cycle really works in the modern world. 

If you are nodding your head and saying, "yep, I am one of those people", we have good news. There are now 21 children in the neighborhood who can help you understand it better. 

Over the course of the week the kids built "swamp water filters" and models of plumbing systems; they stenciled storm drains and learned from elders and experts - many of whom are members here at Memorial. They swam, and played, and had a lot of fun while learning lessons that will serve them well for the rest of their lives. 

Water is a finite resource, and it is up to us all to ensure it's continued availability. 

Take a peek at our campers and what they got up to last week, click on a picture to move to the next slide:

The start of the week:

Homecoming Sunday

Sunday, September 9, is Homecoming Sunday at Memorial. As we start this new program year, we will be celebrating lots of new faces, and lots of new and exciting plans. You can read more about those plans in The View from Bolton Street this week.

We will have the choir back, and children with doves (faux), and we will, weather permitting, celebrate coffee hour with a huge pot-luck luncheon on the Lafayette Ave. sidewalk. Please bring something to share and join us for this festive return to church.

The View from Bolton Street

The View From — Park Avenue?!?

This week Memorial’s staff took a day to vision and plan for the future.  This was particularly important because we have four new staff members coming on board, so not only did we need to plan for the future, we also had to get to know each other well enough to get along in the present.

So we de-camped to ‘The Center’ —  a Presbyterian mission outpost in downtown Baltimore for the day to dream, vision and plan the next eight months.  We also shared a bit of our own histories and Memorial’s history so that we can —  together —  craft a better vision for the future.

We began the day reading the story of Peter and Cornelius and reflecting on how hard it can be to change “culture” (for Peter it took a vision from God) but that we must be careful to separate our cultural norms from our religious norms, lest we end up worshipping our culture instead of the Lord Most High. Sadly, we are seeing clear examples of culture worship from conservative evangelical leaders every day in the news, and it is incumbent on us not to make the same mistakes.

Looking forward into the new program year, we will be introducing a few new things, including a weekly Bible study during the day (12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays), a regular Wednesday evening program the first three Wednesdays of the month, and an expanded Epiphany Movie Series focused on telling the story of the fight for civil rights and the continued issues of white supremacy here in the U.S. and across Baltimore. 

We are also working on a new, more permanent home for Children’s Chapel (in the lower parish hall) and more robust formation programs for children of all ages and adults. 

Please plan to join us on Homecoming Sunday, September 9, and September 16 for a special Liturgy and Living Conversation to roll out this years programmatic calendar and to see how you can be involved in coming closer to Christ this year, and in telling Memorial’s story in order to bring others closer as well.

You will also have a chance to meet our new Memorial staff. Beginning this fall we will have a new deacon, a new intern from Virginia Seminary (a student seeking ordination in the Diocese of Maryland), a new music minister, and a new director of children’s programs and community engagement.

Deacon: The Rev. Natalie Conway is coming to us this fall to serve as deacon. Natalie is a dedicated servant of the diocese and the Church, having served on diocesan staff and now as the head of the standing committee, in addition to her diaconal ministries. At Memorial she will take a leadership role in worship, formation and in some new efforts around confronting the opioid epidemic. Natalie will preach once a month beginning the first Sunday in September.

Intern: Jill Williams is a longtime member of Guardian Angel and is in her second year at Virginia Seminary. She will be focused on “learning the ropes” of ministry, but at Memorial she will, in addition to worship efforts, play a significant role in our formation programs. She is already working on an art/theology collaboration project for Lent around the Stations of the Cross. She will preach regularly and help lead worship.

Director, Children’s Programs and Community Engagement: Hannah Hutchens has just finished her time as an ESC intern and is excited about staying in Baltimore and helping to grow a program here at Memorial. She spent the last year working at Project Place, but she is a longtime youth volunteer and was staff at Camp Trinity, an Episcopal summer camp in North Carolina. She is passionate about Baltimore and about helping our kids get to know Jesus.

Music Minister: We are in the final stages of negotiation with out new music minister. I am VERY excited about the candidate and can’t wait to share the good news with all of you.  It is my expectation we will be able to make a formal announcement early next week and that the candidate will be with the choir by mid-September.  Stay tuned!

It is important also to note that while it is not THE answer, as we learned on our vestry retreat

— representation matters. And going from worship leaders who are all white men to a much more diverse representation of the full body of Christ on the altar and in our staffing is really an important step forward.

Acolyte Training - September 16

Calling all Acolytes, current and future - on Sunday, September 16, following the 10:30 service, we will be holding a refresher training session for anyone who would like to serve as an acolyte this year. Alice Peake will be on hand to guide all of us through the paces of a regular service and everyone will get some hands on practice with the various tasks associated with serving. It's fairly simple, and very rewarding, so if you have ever considered being an acolyte, or having one of your children serve, there is no time like the present to get started. 

If you have any questions, feel free to email Alice or the office.

You can download the Acolyte Training Manual here

See you on the 16th

The View from Bolton Street - Water Heroes

Here's a glimpse into the fun and learning going on at Memorial this week. Many thanks to Amy Rial and Grey+ for driving this, and to Dick Williams, Guy Hollyday, and a host of others for making it happen. 

Baltimore Water Heroes Camp - How to Help

Dear Memorial Community

We are gearing up for our second summer camp, Baltimore Water Heroes, which will be held from August 20 to 24th in the Lower Parish Hall. This is an interfaith camp for the children of our parish, neighborhood, and city. We hope to build an understanding of the importance of water conservation and how it relates to the health of Baltimore watersheds and urban communities. For more information about the church camp, look at the camp information sheet on the MEC website.

We need your help to make this camp a success! Please consider how you may contribute by any of the following:

• ·        Contribute to purchase of camp supplies This can be done by going to Amazon.com and looking for the Water Heroes Memorial Episcopal Wish List by search under my wish lists (Amy Rial). Have supplies sent directly to the Church. Directions on how to do this follow this email. Alternatively, you can make a donation to the church with Water Heroes in the Memo of your check.
• ·        Volunteer at the Camp We need several volunteers daily who can help at drop off (8 am to 9 am) and extended care (3 to 5:30 pm). Volunteers will play games with the kids, do crafts, sing, etc. We also need volunteers who can help implement camp activities during the day from 9 to 3 by helping our junior counselors and camp facilitator. Let us know if you would be interested in going to Lake Roland on August 24, or facilitating activities on another day.
• ·        Host the kids at the Bolton Hill Swim Club Camp Fees will cover 4 visits to Bolton Hill Swim Club the afternoon of August 20, 21, 22, and 23 from 1 to 3 pm. If you are a member of the Bolton Hill Swim Club, please be our host by signing our group in at 1 pm. This has been discussed and agreed upon with the Bolton Hill Swim Club. MEC will pay for the campers

If you have any interest in providing any support, please send an email to Amy Rial at rialster@gmail.com

Thank you so much and God Bless!

Amy.

Directions for donating supplies through Amazon:

Go to Amazon.com and search "wish list for Amy Rial"

Type in Amy Rial in the Find a List or Registry dialogue box. 

On the left side of the page select Water Heroes Memorial Episcopal Church.

It should look like this:

Find something you like that fits your budget and buy it! You can use the church's address for delivery.

The View from Bolton Street

“Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes! Turn and Face the Strange”

- David Bowie

This fall will bring a lot of changes to Memorial.  The Rev. Natalie Conway has joined us as our new Deacon, and we are finalizing conversations with a new Director of Children’s Ministry and Community Engagement. Due to the quick work of our Music Advisory Committee we will also shortly be hiring a new Music Minister AND I am very excited to be bringing on board a Seminarian from Virginia Seminary to serve out her field ed placement here at Memorial.   And while that change brings a lot of excitement, it will also in the words of David Bowie, bring quite a bit of ‘Strange’.  We will, of course, spend a lot of time getting to know all of these knew faces and welcoming them as only Memorial can do, But I want to take a moment now to acknowledge both the challenge of change and the need to embrace change as not just a natural part of our evolution but also as a gift from God. 

It is true that no matter how open, affirming and loving church communities are - they usually do not like change. ‘We’ve always done it this way’ is a real thing!  For example, when the 1979 Book of Common Prayer was released it contained a new version of the Lord’s Prayer (which is actually a much older version re-translated but that’s another story) and yet almost 40 years later I can count on one hand the number of churches that I know of that regularly use it!  So yes, Change is not something we like. And often there is a temptation to go back to whatever we had before - not necessarily because it was better but because it was more comfortable.  But I want to take a moment to encourage us as a congregation to ‘Embrace the Strange’ this fall and trust that God is doing something good with this community.  

After all, there is certainly a renewed sense of vitality here at Memorial.  We have improved our relationship with the surrounding community and our reach — regularly being involved not just with Bolton Hill efforts, but with broader west Baltimore efforts through our partnerships with The No Boundaries Coalition and now with St Katherine’s of Alexandria. And our neighborhood partnerships are strong too!  Our Green Team has done amazing work educating the community about managing rain water and has created a one of a kind learning classroom at Mt. Royal School.  MICA now sees Memorial as a partner in ministry and as a safe space for students.  Samaritan Communitycontinues to grow in its ability respond to the changing needs of those on the margins in our community and as a resource to the whole community. Our average sunday attendance continues to increase and our choir, acolyte guild, and welcome ministries continue to grow. 

When we look back at Jesus Ministry one thing we notice is constant change.  Change in locations, circumstances, participants, popularity and effectiveness. Mountains. Lakes. Hillsides. Deserts. Valleys. Just constant change.  But Jesus’ message over and over again to his disciples, and by extension us, through all the change?  ‘Be Not Afraid”. 

Be not afraid, for I will be with you always.  Jesus walks constantly with us through the growth and change we experience as individuals and as a congregation.  It’s okay to worry! It’s okay to not be sure.  But remember that Jesus does walk with us through these changes. And as we ‘turn and face the strange’ We will not just see new faces and new challenges, we will also see the face of Jesus looking back at us - inviting us into new adventures and new opportunities to serve God and to build up God’s Kingdom. 

Guest Celebrant - The Rev. Henrietta Wiley - August 19, 2018

Henrietta L. Wiley is an independent biblical scholar and priest.  She received her PhD from Harvard University in Hebrew Bible, attended seminary at the Pacific School of Religion (among other places), and earned her BA in Classical Greek from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  Among her research interests are gender dynamics in the ancestral narratives, representations of slavery and servitude throughout the Hebrew Bible, and ancient Israelite religion in its ancient Near Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean context. 

Rhetta has served in the Diocese of Maryland for many years.  She did her internship at Emmanuel in downtown Baltimore, and served as a transitional deacon and an assisting priest at the Cathedral of the Incarnation.  More recently she has served as interim associate rector at St. Margaret’s in Annapolis, and as a free lance throughout the diocese.

Memorial is pleased to welcome The Rev. Wiley this Sunday.

Service in the Park - Sumpter Park - August 26

On Sunday, August 26, we will return to Sumpter Park for the 9:30 service. Following the service we will have a pot-luck snack based coffee hour, so bring something to share. 

Directions to Sumpter Park:

Sheng Zhen Gong - re-invigorated

Sheng Zhen Practice

Thursdays, 5:30 to 6:30 PM

Six sessions, Sept. 6, 13, 20 & 27 and Oct. 4 & 11

Upper Farnham Hall, Memorial Episcopal Church, 1407 Bolton St.

On Thursday evenings this fall, certified teacher Peter Van Buren will offer a Sheng Zhen class in the Upper Parish Hall. During the six 1-hour sessions, participants will learn a graceful and powerful form called Heaven Nature Contemplation (formerly known as Kuan Yin Standing, see this YouTube video), as well as some related standing and sitting forms.

The Heaven Nature standing form involves a series of eleven movements that are both easy to do and to learn. As the gentle movements stimulate qi to flow in the body, the practice calms the emotions, reduces stress, enlivens the spirit, and energizes the person.

Sheng Zhen is Chinese for "unconditional love". Arising from the ancient practice of qigong and the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sheng Zhen Meditation is a comprehensive system of moving forms, meditations, philosophy, and contemplations that tap into the body’s natural ability to heal itself. 

The weekly classes are open to everyone, and beginners are welcome to drop-in any time. As a creative fundraiser, 100% of the class proceeds go to Memorial Episcopal Church for their building & grounds fund.  We suggest a donation of $10/class, or the 6 class package for $50.

Please wear loose, comfortable clothing. Qigong can be practiced in shoes, socks or bare feet. No equipment is needed - just bring yourself and enjoy the practice of unconditional love.

Peter was first introduced to tai chi practice in 1978, studying with Paul Gallagher in Hadley Massachusetts. Over the years since then, he studied and practiced tai chi regularly, including locally with the Great River Taoist Center in Washington DC in the 1990's, and the Baltimore School of Tai Chi, at which he was an assistant teacher in the mid-2000's.

In 2005, he was introduced to Sheng Zhen and gradually turned all his attention to this new form of meditation, eventually becoming convinced that he wanted to become a teacher and share this powerful practice with others. 

After logging hundreds of hours of training with Master Li, and teaching classes himself for hundreds more, Peter received his Teacher Certification in June 2016. He now teaches weekly classes in Baltimore, including a Thursday evening session at Memorial Episcopal Church in Bolton Hill.

For more information, visit Baltimore Sheng Zhen Gong here.