The Vicar’s Voice: Can you believe that
this year is almost over? In just a few weeks a New Church Year will begin.
This year, December 2 is the First Sunday of Advent, a time of preparation for
the coming of the Christ child at Christmastide. Once again we are called upon
to resist the bombardment of the secular Christmas in favor of Christ’s Mass, a
time when we realize that people are more important than presents. Christmas
time is family time. With the birth of Jesus, we welcome Him into our family,
the human family. Truly God became man. This wonderful gift sets in motion
God’s plan for our redemption, the gift of His only begotten Son to live and
die for our sins. If we recognize the wonder of this gift, we will accept it
with gratitude and most importantly, we will share this precious gift with as
many persons as we can. Fr. Bill+
Archbishop Rowan Williams ECUSA
Presiding Bishop Katherine Shori The Right Rev. James Stanton
Episcopal News Service http://www.episcopalchurch.org Presiding Bishop Schori
comments;
Dallas Diocese website http://www.episcopal-dallas.org Dallas Bishop
Stanton comments;
Church of England website: http://www.cofe.anglican.org Archbishop
Williams comments.
Layreader, Lay Ministry classes start Wednesday,
Nov. 14th following service. Anyone who wishes to be licensed by
Bishop Stanton to serve as readers and lay ministers should let Fr. Dalton know
and attend the first class. A lay person is licensed by the bishop to lead
public worship under the direction of the priest in charge and must be a
confirmed adult in good standing; they may lead the Daily Offices, lead the
liturgy for the Eucharist through the prayers of the people and the Lord’s
Prayer; may lead the Burial Office, the Ash Wednesday liturgy, the Palm liturgy
and the Good Friday liturgy, all with certain modifications. Joining the class
starting on Nov 14th are Tom Long and Carol Morris whose 3-year
licenses are expiring and renewable, Pat Ward, Sharon Kincade
and Kim Jenkins. Others are welcome to join. Classes will likely last for 3
weeks on Wednesday evenings.
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The
Vicar's Wife Got His Goat
By media release – submitted by Pat Ward
http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_41577.shtml
Nov 8, 2007
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When Father William Dalton, Vicar of
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Bonham, said that his wife, Charlene,
"got his goat", her response was, "And he got mine." The Daltons, who will celebrate 40 years of
marriage on November 23, bought each other a goat for their anniversary
gifts.
Looking forward to retirement the latter part
of 2008, the Daltons
will have some leeway to pursue other hobbies and leisure activities, but
raising goats is not one of them. The goats they purchased for $60
each through Heifer International, a charitable organization based in Arkansas, may be in
one of a number of countries plagued by famine and starvation from the absence
of employment, food, shelter and medical care.
The Dalton's
goats will be presented to a needy family through Heifer's
"Living Chain of Giving" program. The goats will provide fresh
milk and, with instruction to the receiving family, the ability to harvest
the goat's milk to make dairy products such as cheese and cosmetic
products as sustainable income for the family. The stipulation
of the Living Chain of Giving, is that
the family is bound to breed the goats and to pass on its
offspring to another needy family as a gift. As each family, in return, passes
on their gift to another family, some entire villages can improve their living
conditions.
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church is considering the purchase a
water buffalo, $250, for a family in Indonesia. The family will not only
have the advantage of harvesting life-saving milk for their
own children, but will use the animal for plowing their own fruit and
vegetable garden for their consumption as well as to sell at market,
use its manure for fertilizer and fuel for fire, and to rent the animal to
other farmers who do not own a water buffalo for plowing. The cost of the
water buffalo to be purchased and delivered in Indonesia is only $250.
Heifer also supports needy populations in the United States,
as well, that are under-funded by other government programs. The goal of
the agricultural and enterprise initiatives is to provide nourishing food
products for the receiving family and to provide that family with the
knowledge and means to market their produce or animal for income.
A similar program,
if initiated in Fannin County, would be a
worthwhile initiative to help some of the several hundred families who
frequent the Fannin Ministerial Food Bank solely
supported by only a handful of churches in the area. Holy Trinity Episcopal
Church, a congregation of only 25 families, is one of those churches.
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(excerpt from an article sent to your Editor by our Senior Warden)
Five Questions to Ask to
Position your Church for Growth
by Canon Neal Michell
Is your
church positioned for growth? Here is a simple five-question review to
help you evaluate whether you can realistically expect your church to
grow. These
are foundational. Spend some time with your leaders and ask these
soul-searching questions.
1. Does your church have
ample parking? Lack
of parking is often a greater obstacle to growth than is lack of pew space.
2. Do your parishioners
invite others to church? When was the last time you invited
someone to church?
Studies show that the
vast majority of newcomers visit a church because someone they knew invited
them
3. How many vestry members
and leaders were in Sunday School or in a church-related
small group or Bible study during the past three weeks? If your
adult Sunday School is not as strong as you’d like it to be, look at the number
of leaders in the church (vestry members and influencers) that are in Sunday
School. If your leaders are not participating in the disciple-forming
offerings of your church, why should anyone else?
4. Do people ask for copies
of your sermons? Not
everyone is a good preacher. Some have pastoral gifts that will
compensate for their lack of preaching skills. If that is you, it is
important that you be honest about your preaching ability, that you work on
your preaching skills, and that you limit the length of your sermons.
5. Do people actually sing
during church? St. Augustine said, “He who sings, prays twice.”
Liturgy is “the work of the people,” not “the work of the performers.” In
parish ministry I always had a rule that, at least the final hymn had to be a
“war horse,” that is, a hymn that everyone knew and could sing well. You
want people to leave church being able to hum a hymn or a song that they sang
in church. Humming some of the worship music is a way that people bring
worship home with them and into their daily lives. Until next time,
………..Neal+
(Editorial) What is your vision of
Holy Trinity Bonham of the future?
“Do what you can with what you have where you
are.”….Theodore Roosevelt – President Of The United States. To maintain the
status quo, just as we are? Or to become a
trend-setter among the other denominations in our community? To expand
our youth program to assure the continuation of Holy Trinity? If money was no
object, what would you like to see happen at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church?
Several new and exciting ideas are emerging among some of our communicants from
members who are willing to take the ball and run with it. Come to the
Stewardship dinner at the Bickel’s to hear what they are.
Holy Trinity
history book addendum: Tom Scott wrote the early history of Holy
Trinity in 1972. That was 35 years ago. Tom says he’ll help. Would anyone else
be interested in assisting your Editor with an update
to Tom’s book?
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Parish Profile: Pamela Walker, Ph.D.
(and Abby)
 I was born in Houston,
Texas, and later my family moved to Tyler when I was in the
first grade. The “war” had started, and it was hard for my family to find a
place to live since there was a US
Army camp, Camp Fannin, located in Tyler. My father had
bought a Humble Oil filling station one block from the square, next door to a
flower shop and the Sears Roebuck and Company. Because of the housing crunch,
I shared my bedroom with the wife of one of the soldiers located at the camp.
Wives of soldiers were commonly referred to as “war brides”. My mother was a
Registered Nurse. She was “encouraged” to work at the hospital, a defense
related job, in order to avoid being drafted. You see, my father was too old
for military service. The “war bride” kept my brother and me while my mother
and father
worked.
Tyler, during that time, had many
grade schools, two junior high schools and one high school. Our classes were
very large due to the population increase. There were 45-50 students in my
grade school classes. My high school graduating class had 800. Because our
class size was so large, we did not know everyone at school. At least, I sure
did not. This past few years my graduating class has more frequent
reunions, and because of the internet many of us have gotten o know each
other better.
A dialogue was started in
reference to a certain teacher and her sister whose reputations were
legendary as English teachers. The rest of this monologue is in response to a
letter from classmate, as I reintroduce myself to him:
Dear Gerry: You would not remember
me as I was one of the many in our large class that did not distinguish
themselves in any way other than being a “wannabe”. Yes, I was in Mittie Marshe’s class at Hogg Jr High, and in Sarah’s class in High School. I wanted to
be noticed by her because I admired her so much, but try as I may, as a
mediocre student, I never achieved that distinction. I was proud of the “B”
that I made in her class.
Little did I realize how much
baggage each of us carried in those days. The high
school years were so painful for some of us. How wonderful for you to have
music to free you and allow your spirit to soar. I kept thinking I had a
talent somewhere, believing God gave everybody a talent. I never could find
mine. Although I played tennis a lot in school, it was just a fun thing to do
and it got me out of the house and away from my Mom. Not being a natural
athlete, I never became tournament class.
I was active in Young Life also,
and was probably known as being somewhat “religious” by some. My family
attended Marvin
Methodist Church
which had an outstanding music program, but I was not choir material since I
am deaf to certain tones. It is a congenital condition that was discovered
when I was graduating from TU-Austin and applying for a teaching certificate.
That is probably why I was never able to learn the words to the popular songs,
because my deafness is in the lower range of human speech.
After marriage and 3 children born
in three calendar years, helping my husband, Gene, through Bachelors,
Masters, and Doctorate degrees, I went back to school. As a volunteer I had
discovered a love of counseling adolescents and an ability to “hear” them. By
then Gene was teaching at the University
of Oklahoma in the College of Engineering
in Electrical Engineering. That made it easy for me to go back to school and
get my Master’s degree in Educational Psychology. Ten years later I went back
to school again and received my PhD degree in Counseling Psychology. For ten
more years, I had a private practice after working at a Child Guidance Clinic
for fourteen years previously.
So I finally discovered my
“talent”. I could listen, and even though I had no great words of wisdom to
share, I knew when to stay out of the way of my clients and let them use me
as they willed. It was more of a Rogerian approach,
with self psychology emphasis. I suppose I have told you all of this because
I so appreciate the way you bared your soul in your writing the “Thank You”
monologue which you shared. I wanted to share some of myself with you.
My husband passed away 12 years
ago, so I moved to Bonham, Texas,
to be near family and where I live in a home on Lake Bonham,
I have retired from counseling as much as one can. I am no longer licensed
but do a lot of “pro-bono”. I will end with a quote from Piet
Hein from his book “Grooks”. Piet
was a Dutchman who wrote poetry during the Nazi occupation of Holland. “I hope I
know….what this whole show is all about…before it’s out”. It may simply be
about
“connections”.
PAX …. Pamela Arnold Walker
 Carol Morris
and Pam were two of the key members of Holy Trinity whose video interview was
included in a presentation at convention by Bishop Stanton about the rural
missions and parishes in the Dallas Diocese. It poignantly spotlighted the
uniqueness of rural churches, and the filming by the videographer
at Holy Trinity was prominently included in the DVD. Some of the scenes of HT
were of our service and our fellowship time following. When we receive our
copy of the DVD, we will show it after services on a Sunday morning or
Wednesday night. Bishop Stanton placed a great deal of emphasis on rural
church ministry at convention.
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The United
States $1 Bill
Take out a one dollar bill, and
look at it. The one dollar bill you're looking at first came off the
presses in 1957 in its present design. This so-called paper money is in fact
a cotton and linen blend, with red and blue minute silk fibers running
through it. It is actually material. We've all washed it without
it falling apart. A special blend of ink is used, the contents we will
never know. It is overprinted with symbols and then it is starched to
make it water resistant and pressed to give it that nice crisp look.
If you
look on the front of the bill, you will see the United States Treasury Seal.
On the top you will see the scales for a balanced budget. In the center you
have a carpenter's square, a tool used for an even cut. Underneath is the Key
to the United States Treasury. That's all pretty easy to figure out, but what
is on the back of that dollar bill is something we should all know. If you
turn the bill over, you will see two circles. Both circles, together,
comprise the Great Seal of the United States. The First
Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come
up with a Seal. It took them four years to
accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved.
If you
look at the left-hand circle, you will see a Pyramid. Notice the face is
lighted, and the western side is dark. This country was just
beginning. We had not begun to explore the West or decided what we
could do for Western Civilization. The Pyramid is uncapped, again signifying
that we were not even close to being finished. Inside the capstone you
have the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. It was Franklin's belief that
one man couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God, could
do anything.
"IN
GOD WE TRUST" is on this currency. The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT
COEPTIS, means, "God has favored our undertaking". The Latin below
the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means, "a new order has begun."
At the
base of the pyramid is the Roman Numeral for 1776. (MDCCLXXVI) If
you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully, you will learn
that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States . It is also on the Parade of Flags Walkway at the
Bushnell, Florida
National Cemetery,
and is the centerpiece of most hero's monuments.
Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President of the United States
and it is always visible whenever he speaks; yet very few people know what
the symbols mean.
The Bald
Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons: First, he is not
afraid of a storm; he is strong, and he is smart enough to soar above
it. Secondly, he wears no material crown. We had just broken from
the King of England. Also, notice the shield is unsupported. This country can
now stand on its own. At the top of that shield you have a white bar
signifying congress, a unifying factor. We were coming together as one
nation.
In the
Eagle's beak you will read, " E PLURIBUS
UNUM", meaning "one nation from many People". Above the Eagle,
you have thirteen stars, representing the thirteen original colonies, and any
clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we were coming together
as one. Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds an olive
branch and arrows. This country wants peace, but we will never be
afraid to fight to preserve peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive
branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows.
They say
that the number 13 is an unlucky number. This is almost a worldwide
belief. But think about this: 13 original colonies, 13 signers of the
Declaration of Independence , 13 stripes on our flag, 13 steps on the
Pyramid, 13 letters in the Latin above, 13 letters in " E Pluribus
Unum", 13 stars above the Eagle, 13 bars on that shield, 13 leaves on the
olive branch, 13 fruits, 13 arrows. And, for minorities: the 13th Amendment.
I always
ask people, "Why don't you know this?" Your children don't
know this, and their history teachers don't know this. Too many veterans have
given up too much to ever let the meaning fade. Many veterans remember coming
home to an America
that didn't care! Too many veterans never came home at all.
Share this
page with everyone so they can learn what is printed on the back of the
UNITED STATES ONE-DOLLAR BILL so that they know what it means and what it
stands for.
Fun Facts: Antarctica is the only
land on our planet that is not owned by any country. 90% of the world's ice
covers Antarctica. This ice also represents
70% of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it sounds, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly
precipitation is about two inches. Although covered with ice (all but 0.4
percent of it), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an
absolute humidity lower than the Gobi
desert.
   Wedding bells rang at Holy
Trinity on Saturday, September 1st to celebrate the marriage of
Pat Ward’s granddaughter, Lydia,
to Chad Mercer of Ector. Thanks to those who joined family and friends to
make this a joyful occasion.
Stewardship
Dinner at Louis and Huetta
Bickel’s beautiful country home on Saturday, November 17th.
Directions will be posted in the Parish House. Expect good food and
stimulating conversation about the vision we have of Holy Trinity in the
future.
Fannin Ministerial Food Bank is in need of volunteer workers.
The Food Bank is now assisting some 800 needy families in Fannin County. Holy Trinity is one of only a
handful of local churches supporting the food bank.
Vicar’s
Wife Got His Goat was the headline on NTxe-news.com, a catchy title to an article about
Fr. Dalton and Charlene giving each other a “gift goat” for their 40th
wedding anniversary (Nov. 23) through the Episcopal Development and Relief
Agency. (the article actually said Heifer International,
editor’s error). If you didn’t see the article, look through the
NTxe-news.com archives for Nov. 8th.
 Thanks
to Fr. Gene Baker for filling in for Fr. Dalton during his two recent surgeries. We are
always happy to see him and inspired by his sermons
Needed:
photos of Fr. Kershaw and Peggy,
and personal
tributes to their service at Holy Trinity by those who knew them during their
time at Holy Trinity .
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The Holy VVVrinity ˙ Herald October/November 2007