The Holy Trinity Herald July/August 2008 P.O. Box 81 * Bonham, TX 75418 www.holytrinitybonham.org The Vicar’s Voice: Time sure flies when you’re having fun. September 18th will be four years since my ordination to the priesthood and December 22nd will be six years since my return to ministry (as a deacon). I have enjoyed all of it and thank you for sharing it with Charlene and me. We will not be leaving Holy Trinity but rather taking a slightly different role. I have loved being your priest and vicar. I will continue being a priest (always a priest) but I will take a rest from being the vicar and the responsibility that goes with that. We would like to travel a bit and so you may not see us on Sundays for a while. Holy Trinity is doing well. The reality is that we are in an area that is not growing by leaps and bounds and where our branch of the Church is not the most popular. But, that is not what it is about. We are a witness to the continuing Catholic faith delivered unto the Apostles and Trinity Church has been a faithful witness since 1877 in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. Quantity is good but quality is better. Holy Trinity is quality. I am honored to be a part of Holy Trinity and the wonderful people who are the Church. …Fr. Bill+ (Post script): FATHER DALTON will teach ADULT BIBLE STUDY each Sunday in September at 9:20 AM - I will teach bible study for the month of September. Coffee will be ready before 9:15am so come early and get a seat. Wednesday following the 7:00pm Eucharist, we will have a discussion group and a light supper for those who need something to eat (like me). Don’t forget to bring the pets at 10:00am on Saturday, October 4th for the St. Francis Day Pet Blessing. Invite your friends pets. SUFFRAGAN BISHOP PAUL EMIL LAMBERT OFFICIAL VISIT: SEPTEMBER 21st, 2008 Newly consecrated on Saturday, the 12th of July 2008 at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church , Bishop Lambert will make an official visitation to Holy Trinity on September 21st. We hope his wife will join him. Rick Cowley will barbeque and everyone else will bring side dishes and drinks. We expect it to be a joyous occasion both for Bishop Lambert and our parishioners. It will also mark the retirement of our beloved Vicar, Bill Dalton, whose service to Holy Trinity is immeasurable in our affection for him and his wife, Charlene. SEE: http://www.episcopal-dallas.org/index.html for an interview with Bishop Stanton and Suff. Bishop Lambert regarding their participation at the Lambeth Conference. ALPHA on TUESDAYS this Fall at St. Luke’s in Kohfeldt Hall, Denison – 10 weeks Dinner at 6pm, Video and Discussion begins at 6:30pm, Going Home by 8:15pm Contact Fr. Curt at curt.norman@gmail.com for more info! September 9 Christianity: Boring, Untrue, and Irrelevant?- September 16 Who is Jesus? September 23 Why Did Jesus Die?- September 30 How Can I Be Sure of My Faith? October 7 Why and How Should I Read the Bible?- October 14 Why and How Do I Pray? October 21 Why and How Should I Tell Others?- October 28 Does God Heal Today? November 4 What About the Church?- November 11 How Can I Make the Most of My Life? *** Alpha Retreat (date TBA) - • Who Is the Holy Spirit?• What Does the Holy Spirit Do?• How Can I Be Filled with the Holy Spirit? ALPHA is a comprehensive 10-week study of faith, belief and spiritual practice in our daily lives by calling on our life experiences and that of others to answer some of the questions we are asked by non-believers, doubters and even those questions in our own innermost heart of hearts. Kim Jenkins is interested in attending and would like to hear from others who would like to join her. FAITH ALIVE! Sept. 26-28, hosted by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Greenville. Affirming and energizing congregations for more than three decades, Faith Alive, has an extra-ordinary record of parish participation! More than 2,400 Episcopal and Anglican churches, as well as Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Catholic congregations, have held Faith Alive Weekends which bring adults, youth and children together in Christian community. Stories of faith bring fresh focus to how one's vows of baptism provide a formula for living a life pleasing to God. No teaching, no preaching, no church politics; simply faith-building worship and the sharing of answered prayers and similar experiences of God's love. SEP 26 - 28, 2 Come as you are, for as long or as little as you want during the 2-day event featuring all denominations and faiths coming together to celebrate the Living God, the Christ in our daily lives. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is at 8320 Jack Finney Boulevard in Greenville. The Rev. Gary S. Herbst is the Rector, and Tom LaNoue is the event coordinator.008       SUNDAY, SEPT. 7TH – ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC PAM WALKER’S HOME ON LAKE BONHAM Following service on September 7th, members and guests will reconvene at Pam Walker’s beautiful home on Lake Bonham. On the menu: grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, chips, cookies, trimmings, tea and lemonade. On the agenda is good conversation, swimming or boating in Lake Bonham from Pam’s beach, games, and lots of fun and laughter. We need to have a head count in advance to know how many hot dogs and hamburgers to prepare to cook at the park. Contact Linda Long at 903-583-7112 or email lsglong@yahoo.com, or sign up on the sheet in the parish hall. Bring your lawn chair, lawn games or table games, and BRING A FRIEND! Vestry Report – Ron Wicks I would like to thank our Junior Warden Lou Bickel, for orchestrating the completion of the walkway, the handrail installation and as you may have noticed the new stone pathway work. Since my last report there have been several events: Evangelism 101 given by Carrie Boren on Aug 16th *Vacation Bible School was a complete success due to the efforts of everyone that took part in it. Thank you all for the memories that you have created. * The Vestry is searching for ways to attract young people in their teens and early twenties and thirties into our communion. Louis Bickel suggested a sports activity (to accompany a Bible or Liturgical study). The Vestry is most interested in getting input from the young people in our communion for advice on what they want from us as a church. We have many up coming events. * Parish Picnic on Sept 7th at Pam Walkers home (on Lake Bonham) this year, we hope to see everyone there. Chef Ron will be cooking burgers and hot dogs. * In preparation for Bishop Lambert’s visit on Sept 21st we will be having a clean up day on Saturday Sept 20th. Fr Bill and I will be cooking Brunch for all those that attend this joyous time. * We will also have a luncheon after the Service for Bishop Lambert, which will include Rick Cowley’s famous barbeque accompanied by several delicious side dishes. Tom Long will be coordinating the food efforts. * The Blessing of the Animals is scheduled for Oct 4th this year, more to come. * That is all for now and till next time continue doing the Lords work…..Ron Wicks CSI – Holy Trinity (Christians Sharing Inspiration) The Vestry also approved Pat Ward’s offer to plan and secure speakers for “ecumenical events” 2-3 times a year to which ministers and pastors of area churches will be invited and encouraged to bring other leaders of their church to join us in stimulating spiritual discussion. They also approved for Pat to plan “spiritual discussion” events after services on some Wednesday nights on subjects of interest to our church members. If you have a friend or know of someone who you feel has an inspirational story to tell or who you’ve heard speak on a motivational subject, if you need inspiration and support to deal with a problem, or you’ve had an inspirational experience you’d like to share with others, or you’re interested in an interpretation of some area of scripture or liturgy, or would like to suggest subject matter for our CSI sessions dealing with life issues, please speak up. Email: HolyTrntyEditor@aol.com EMPTY ALUMINUM CAN RECYCLING – 75-cents per pound - $1 a case If you’d like to contribute your recycled soda cans to Holy Trinity recycling, it will be appreciated and the money well used to purchase some low cost items for the Sunday school room or to replenish kitchen staples and supplies LOCAL CHURCHES, FYI: On one website there are 36 churches listed with Bonham mailing addresses, 16 of them are Baptist churches. There are 29 additional churches in Fannin County (outside of Bonham), 19 of them are Baptist churches. Bible Study group celebrates the end of the first of what is expected to be a series of studies of different characters of the Bible. The first study on the life of King David was a 10-week Beth Moore Ministries study lead by Kim Jenkins and Barbara Ruffner. The group is considering future studies of the women of the Bible from resources available from the Episcopal Diocese Resource Center. All women of the church who are interested in participating are welcome and should contact Kim or Barbara. The group celebrated the end of the study with a baked potato and salad dinner at Charlene and Bill Dalton’s home following by a viewing of the 1950s movie, “David and Bathsheba” with Gregory Peck and Susan Hayworth. For those of us who saw the movie when it was released in the 1950s, and now having completed the study of David’s life, it was more meaningful to see the Hollywood version, and to spot the Hollywood ‘adjustments’ to the story of those lovers. Participating in the study were Linda Long, Gail Porter and Sarahbeth Holman (not pictured), Charlene Dalton, Lori Massey, Irete Purdue, Sharon Kinkade, Kim Jenkins, Barbara Ruffner and Pat Ward. The Holy Trinity Herald is always available on our website: www.holytrinitybonham.org for you to print to mail to friends or family. Any church member who would like to contribute information or articles to the newsletter is welcome to do so. MORE SMILING FACES: As an offshoot of the “graduation” party at the Daltons’ home of the ladies who attended the Bible study, a new tradition was born. Getting together the 3rd Friday night each month, all of the ladies of the church will gather for fun and fellowship. Resisting the first suggestion to call ourselves the “Holy Cows”, the group at the gathering at Beverly Rainbolt’s home on August 15th adopted Kim Wicks’ suggestion to name our group The EpiscoPal Gals. Aside from our usual excellent covered dish supper, we played a word game furnished by Barbara Ruffner, and started a Holy Trinity Trivia game with members bringing a trivia question of their own in a category of their choice. Several good ideas for future gatherings and activities came from those attending. All agreed that the 3rd Friday of every month at 7:00pm would be the standard. We had so much fun that almost nobody left before 10:30pm. Husbands were calling to be sure we hadn’t left earlier and were in trouble somewhere. Our next gathering of the EpiscoPal Gals will be at Pam Walker’s home on Lake Bonham on the 3rd Friday in September – the 19th. All ladies of the church are invited to come to share in our fun time together. At each meeting we will decide where we will meet the next month and what we will do for fun. “A dream left unexamined is like a letter from God left unopened.” The Episcopal Center for Renewal offers a series of four sessions on a regular schedule on Biblical Interpretation of Dreams. The sessions are led by Iris Pearce, co-founder of the School Of Spirituality which has been presented by the Episcopal Center for Renewal for the last 27 years. She is assisted by a staff of Spiritual Companions whom she has trained. The sessions at the ECR in Dallas are 9:00am – 12:00 noon. Sessions are $20 each or $65 for all four sessions. Sessions are scheduled beginning Saturday Oct. 21 – Jan. 20 (one session per month), and again beginning Saturday, Feb. 17 – May 19. The Road to Jesus: theme for the August 2008 Vacation Bible School Using some of the stepping stones donated by Louis Bickel for our church grounds, the children attending the 2008 vacation Bible school took the journey in stride with teachers Linda Long, Sharon Kinkade and Kim Jenkins. Father Dalton held a graduation ceremony for them, and all attended Mass to receive their special blessing. SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN STARTS SUNDAY, SEPT. 7TH .Linda Long is requesting assistance from church members to teach children’s songs and to help with crafts. TINY SMILES: Madilyn Grace Mercer was all smiles in the warm loving arms of Father Dalton when her mother, Lydia, and great-grandmother, Pat Ward, brought her to meet her church family at the age of one month. Madilyn was born June 17th at TMC in Denison, weighing in at 7#8oz. and 22 inches long. Madilyn and her family have returned to El Paso where Mom works as a licensed nurse and Dad (Chad) is in the U.S. Army. Tuition Reimbursement Scholarships available to members of Holy Trinity to study for Deacon or Lay Leader Certification at the Bishop James M Stanton Center for Ministry Formation. Anyone in our communion who is interested in pursuing this extraordinary spiritual education experience should contact Father Dalton for more information. The Holy Trinity Scholarship for full tuition reimbursement requires satisfactory completion of each course. Evangelism 101 at Holy Trinity on August 16th For many of us, overly zealous television preachers, called “televangelists”, crusading more for their own pocketbooks than the pursuit of a living relationship with God and His Son, have contaminated the concept of evangelism from its true meaning: the spreading of Christianity through active participation in the communities in which we live. If the word “evangelism” turns you off, you have not met or heard Carrie Boren, the Missioner for Evangelism in the Diocese of Dallas. Participants from Episcopal churches in Pottsboro, Plano, McKinney and Sherman including priests as well as laity came to be inspired by Carrie Boren with her enthusiastic and informative presentation. About 30 including Holy Trinity members and guests, gathered in our parish hall on August 16th to hear Carrie’s presentation and to interact with one another regarding ideas for our churches to bring people in our community to the realization of the Christ living among us. Carrie holds degrees from Yale, Oxford and Harvard universities and has appeared in numerous television, film and theatre projects, including an ABC sitcom, and Fox and CBS Movies of the week. In addition, from the Hollywood Urban Project in Los Angeles she has taken an active part in missions in the United Kingdom and Uganda, and has been a featured speaker at Oxford University and Lambeth Palace. We hope to get Carrie back to Holy Trinity at the beginning of Lent 2009 to give a presentation on the evidence supporting the Resurrection. Remember Saturday, October 4th starting at 10:00 AM – The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and the Blessing of the ANIMALS. STRUT YOUR MUTT (OR KITTY, OR HORSE, OR GOAT, OR CHICKEN) TO HOLY TRINITY TO GET A BLESSING. THE COMMUNITY WILL BE INVITED TO ATTEND WITH FLYERS AND A NEWS RELEASE. FYI - SOME INTERESTING TERMS: APOLOGETICS is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views. Christian Apologetics have taken many forms over the centuries, starting with Paul of Tarsus, including writers such as Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas, and continuing currently with the modern Christian community, through the efforts of many authors in various Christian traditions such as C.S. Lewis. Apologists base their defense of Christianity on interpretations of historical evidence, philosophical arguments, scientific investigation, and other disciplines. EPISTEMOLOGY focuses on “How do we know? and “What is true?”. ONTOLOGY focuses on “What is real?” and “What is possible?” CHRISTMAS….a likely STORY from your Editor’s research: (Partial reprint below from http://www.greatcom.org/resources/areadydefense/ch17/default.htm) The miracle of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ has perplexed many people, and actually has kept them from accepting the truth of Christianity. However, the Bible declares that God decided His Son would have a miraculous entrance into humanity. Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah said, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14, NASB). The virgin birth is set down in the Bible as an historical fact. The writers who recorded the story were Matthew -an eyewitness to the events in the life of Jesus-and Luke, the doctor, who presents many things in the life of Christ from Mary's viewpoint. There is little, if any, other references to the virgin birth in any other books of the Bible. The doctrine of the virgin birth has been believed by the church from its inception. Interestingly enough, Ignatius, who lived at the start of the second century, wrote to the Ephesians: "For our God, Jesus the Christ, was conceived in the womb by Mary, according to a dispensation, of the seed of David but also of the Holy Ghost." (partial reprint below from The First Christmas by book authors Marcus Borg and John Crossan) The account of the virgin birth and the story we all know and love (the swaddling clothes, the stable, no room in the inn, the manger, angels singing to shepherds, the star in the east, 3 kings bringing gifts) appears only in Luke. In Matthew, Jesus’ birth is mentioned only in a passing phrase in the last verse of Chapter 1:25. Mary neither speaks nor receives any revelation in Matthew. Only Luke’s book tells the story of the birth as taking place in a stable behind an inn because no rooms were available for them to rent. Matthew clearly places the birth of Jesus at a house in Bethlehem where Joseph and Mary were living together at the time. Matthew’s story focuses on Joseph and his dilemma at learning that Mary is pregnant before he consummated their marriage, and on Herod’s and unsuccessful attempt to destroy Jesus. Both Matthew and Luke include a genealogy of Jesus. Matthew traces Jesus’ genealogy to King David, descendant of Abraham, founder of the Hebrew race. Luke traces Jesus’ genealogy back to Adam, characterizing Christianity and Christ to be Savior of both Jew and Gentile. (Editor’s note: interestingly enough, Matthew’s lineage of Jesus begins with Abraham through Jeconiah and ends with “Jesus the son of Joseph ~who was~ the husband of Mary” while Luke’s lineage begins with God and Adam and traces forward to Abraham then and includes Mary’s lineage in Luke 3 back to David through Nathan, not Jeconiah.  The two lists of Matthew and Luke give apparently two different names to the father of Joseph; as Jacob the father of Joseph (Mat.1:16) and Joseph, the son of Heli (Lk.1:23). (The name of the biological father of Joseph was Jacob. Heli is his father-in-law.) Matthew’s genealogy ends with Mary – Jesus. Luke’s genealogy ends with Joseph with no mention of Mary. The Jeconiah Curse: In the genealogy in Matthew 1, notice one name, Jeconiah (Jechonias) , in verse 11. If Joseph had been Jesus' father according to the flesh, Jesus could never have occupied the throne, for God's word barred the way. There had been a curse on this royal line since the days of Jeconiah. In Jeremiah 22:30 we read, Thus says the Lord: write this man down as childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days: for none of his descendants shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah. Joseph was in the line of this curse. Hence, if Jesus had been Joseph's son, Jesus could not have sat on David's throne. Joseph was the "legal father" of Jesus, the "adopted father", but not the "natural father". The prevailing argument is that just as God created the first man, Adam, with no human parents, so did God create Jesus who had the genetic DNA of neither of His earthly legal/adoptive parents. In Mark and Paul there is no mention of an extraordinary birth of Jesus. Mark begins his gospel with Jesus as an adult. Though Paul refers to Jesus’ birth twice, he does not mention that it was exceptional. In Romans 1:3, Jesus was “descended from David according to the flesh.”. In Galatians 4:4, Jesus was ‘born of a woman, born under the law” with no hint that his birth was unusual. The gospel of John does not have a birth story at all. THE LAST PAGE: MINUTIAE (mi nooshe ee) small or trivial details THE UNITED STATES ONE DOLLAR 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. FRONT OF THE $1 BILL: you will see the United States Treasury Seal. On the top of the seal 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. BACK OF THE $1 BILL: 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. If you didn’t know this, then 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. WHEN GOD TAKES SOMETHING FROM YOU’ HE IS NOT PUNISHING YOU HE IS OPENING YOUR HAND TO RECEIVE SOMETHING NEW September-October Newsletter deadline: Oct. 20, 2008 to HolyTrntyEditor@aol.com Vicar: Father Bill Dalton * Fat5herBill@verizon.net * 903-583-8184