Common Ground: A Message in the Music

By The Rev. Cameron Randle, Rector

Radney Foster’s 1999 album, See What You Want To See, features a blues-flavored tongue-in-cheek original song called Folding Money. The lyrics are inspired by an experience Foster had with his grandfather when Radney was on the cusp of young manhood. On a trip downtown together, Radney’s grandfather slipped him a twenty dollar bill to spend any way he chose, all the while extolling the virtues of ‘folding money’ over mere pocket change. In the chorus to Foster’s song, also featured on the singer-songwriter’s 2001 live album Are You Ready For The Big Show?, a monetary mantra emerges:

 

“You see, it takes folding money / to get the deal done.”

 

While high church Episcopalians may recoil at the directness of that expression, the fiscal reality behind the lyric is irrefutable. Substantial sums of money are required to underwrite ministry on the scale of Eastern Shore Chapel’s. Our stewardship theme for this season’s pledge campaign is Share the Light. This standard-setting parish is a leader in outreach ministries; sharing the light of Christ is inherent in our identity. In 1982, at national convention, the Episcopal Church formally adopted the tithe (generally understood as 10% of one’s net income) as the minimum standard of giving for all Episcopalians. This commitment to personal tithing has been reinforced through a series of resolutions in subsequent national conventions since 1982.

 

As Christians and as Episcopalians, we are called to recognize God as the source of all we have and all we are. Many of us, plagued by fear of scarcity, find it difficult to ask, “How much of what is mine can I afford to give back to God through my local parish?” Holy scripture contains more than 2,000 verses about money, wealth, greed, contentment and other subjects relevant to our financial and spiritual lives. The overwhelming emphasis is upon gratitude and generosity as the driving forces behind our personal financial policies. For centuries, monastic communities have rephrased the question, asking “How much of what God has given me do I really need to keep?”

 

At this Sunday’s 9:30 AM Ingathering Service under a tent on our front lawn, Eastern Shore Chapel will rededicate its collective financial resources to “getting the job done.” Please give prayerful consideration to renewing your annual pledge in the form of a tithe. If you are not yet comfortable with that ancient Biblical concept, think seriously about ‘walking it up’ or increasing your annual giving by a percentage point or two. At Sunday’s tent service, we’ll bless the pledge commitments for this coming year. The night before, at our Holy Smokin’ BBQ & Oysters bash, Radney Foster will help us celebrate the uniqueness and invaluableness of this great parish. Thanks to all. See you there!

October Youth Service Sunday: Sock drive

Please support the October Youth Service Sunday! We are collecting NEW SOCKS through October, which will be donated to our homeless neighbors during the Winter Shelter week in November. There will be a collection box in the narthex. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Pray for our KAIROS Team

Kairos 17 is October 24 -27. Our parish family has stepped up to the plate and prepared, prayed over, and provided hundreds of dozens of cookies. Our parish family has provided financial support. And, our parish family has promised to pray for us and with us while we are "inside". Please, set aside a few moments each day while we are gone to ask our Loving Creator God to guide each of the team members and to strengthen us; pray that the Holy Spirit will move in an unmistakable way in the very souls of the residents, the corrections officers, the Warden and the Chaplain; and pray that Jesus himself shall guide the steps of us all as we close the weekend and walk back into our daily lives.

We the members of your KAIROS team are so very thankful for you and all you do to help us. We could not do it without you. Thank you.

Harold Williams, Roger Weeden, Craig Fenton, Bob Balcom, and Lee Davis

ESC and Christ & St. Luke's choirs combine for Rutter's Requiem

On Sunday, Nov 3, at 5:30 p.m., the Choirs of Christ & St. Luke's and Eastern Shore Chapel, together with chamber orchestra, will present John Rutter's sublime Requiem, his first composition written without being commissioned. Taking his model after Fauré and Duruflé, he has crafted together texts that are comforting and uplifting, like his setting of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd." The performance will be held at Christ and St. Luke's, 560 West Olney Road, Norfolk.

Parish Book Store kicks off Christmas book drive for Mission of the Holy Spirit

Once again The Parish Book Store is sponsoring a Christmas Book Drive for the children at Mission of the Holy Spirit in Norfolk. We have had the great pleasure to send over 100 age-related books to the Mission each December thanks to this parish and the community at large. Come by the Parish Book Store and purchase a book or two and match it with a gingerbread Christmas ornament that is age and gender appropriate. This is one of our two outreach ministries that the book store organizes. We encourage you to be a part of this outreach as many of the children receive very little this time of the year. The drive ends December 5.

Parish Day School: What happens in our classrooms

Parish Day School has had an outstanding start to the school year. You can see inside our classrooms and teaching philosophy with the most recent blog post, What Happens in our Classrooms . We have been blessed with such wonderful families and educators at Parish Day School that continue build relationships that support the development of our young children.

PDS Fall Festival & Spirit Night

Save the Date: Sunday, October 27 from 3:30 to 6:30pm for PDS Fall Festival and Spirit Night at New Realm Restaurant and Brewing Company. Come join us for an afternoon of Fall fun with activities for the children and live music. Tickets for the children activities are $10 for one child and $5 for each additional children. PDS will also be raffling off gift baskets starting the week of October 21. Come by the school to purchase raffle tickets if you are interested. Proceeds from the restaurant will go to Parish Day School. Hope to see you there!

Support PDS when you shop

We continue to participate linking purchases to Kroger and Harris Teeter cards to earn funds for the school and Shoparoo app where you can scan receipts to earn funds for PDS. Additionally, if you purchase any food with Box Tops for Education labels on them, we collect the label to earn funds for PDS. Just put them in our Pink Mailbox in the PDS hallway. We are so thankful for the church families support!

Wednesday Dinner menus

Made with love and from scratch, join us for Wednesday Dinner 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. every Wednesday in the parish hall. You’ll enjoy an entrée, sides, soup, salad, bread, and fruit, all for only $6.00, or $3 for children. No reservations needed.

Christian Formation schedule for October

Adult Forum

Sunday School

Pray for Our Military

Pray for Weekend to Remember Marriage Retreats with many military couples in attendance. At each of these retreats, Cru Military will host a military breakout session. Pray for couples to understand God’s blueprint for marriage that to many will bring enhanced health and to others healing and restoration in their marriage.

For more information, contact ESC's military ministry liaison Bill Hunter, [email protected] .

Upcoming at ESC

For the full calendar of events, visit our website .

Peanut Group - Meets every Monday at 8 a.m. in the Parish Hall

KAIROS Cookies Due - Oct. 20. We will need 500 dozen homemade cookies. Ziploc bags can be found in the narthex; each with the new recipe sheet enclosed with four additional bags (one dozen cookies per bag). Please bring your prayed over cookies to church on Sunday, October 20.

Vestry Meeting - Oct. 22, 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall

Parish Day School Fall Festival & Spirit Night - Oct. 27, 3:30 to 6:30 pm at New Realm Restaurant and Brewing Company. Come join us for an afternoon of Fall fun with activities for the children and live music. Tickets for the children activities are $10 for one child and $5 for each additional children. Proceeds from the restaurant will go to Parish Day School. Hope to see you there!

Flower Guild Demonstration - Nov. 2, 9:30 a.m. in the Flower Room. Please join us and learn tips on how to arrange altar flowers for Eastern Shore Chapel. We welcome both men and women who see a demonstration and learn more about serving in the Flower Guild. We appreciate your interest in continuing this beautiful flower tradition for our church. Please RSVP to: Charlotte Marriott, 757-481-3756 or [email protected] ; or Boyd MacIver, 757-481-9234 or [email protected].

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