Outermost Voice

St. Mary of the Harbor

OUTERMOST VOICE

Early Summer - June 2018

Welcome Distractions

My guess is that many of you watched the royal wedding that took place a few weeks ago. Harry was handsome, Meghan was stunning and people were happy. It was a welcome distraction from the many troubles plaguing us these days.

Those who tuned in expecting pageantry and glamour were not disappointed. The Church of England knows a thing or two about liturgy. What most people were not expecting was the sermon delivered by The Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. And I am not talking about his delivery, although I must admit as he was preaching the looks on some of the Brit's faces was priceless.

Instead of the sentimental mush many people are accustomed to hearing at weddings, Presiding Bishop Curry spoke with a palpable passion about love being an active force for good. "Imagine," he says, "a world where love is the way." Jesus would approve.

If love was the way, we would surely be living in a much different world. For in a world where love is the way, it would be the other way around: love would be the norm and our troubles would only be momentary distractions.

If you haven't heard Bishop Curry's sermon, you can access it through this link:

Terry +

Speaking of Weddings

Scott Turton and Doug Lee were married at St. Mary's on May 19th. Kilts and bagpipes added a Scottish flair to the day. Bishop Gayle E. Harris officiated. Wellington served as Best Dog.

She Who Rules

HRH Ollie Ahmuty recently celebrated her birthday at St. Mary of the Harbor in regal fashion. Queens everywhere were envious!

Church Etiquette

BE ON TIME

BE QUIET

BE COURTEOUS

and

FOR PETE'S SAKE, MOVE OVER!

DON'T MAKE PEOPLE CRAWL OVER YOU

TO FIND A SEAT

TURN OFF YOUR CELLPHONE.

GOD HATES SIN

(AND CELLPHONES)

WHEN THE PRELUDE BEGINS,

THAT IS YOUR CUE TO STOP TALKING

APPLIES ALSO TO ACOLYTES, USHERS & CHOIR MEMBERS

SILENCE IS A VIRTUE

YOU CAN'T HEAR GOD

(OR THE PREACHER)

WHEN YOU ARE BLABBING

DON'T MAKE US USE INCENSE!

LESS IS MORE WHEN IT COMES TO FRAGRANCE

DON'T BE A CHURCH SNOB.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO STRANGERS

AND WELCOME THEM TO ST MARY'S

DON'T STUFF YOUR NASTY USED TISSUES

IN THE HYMNAL RACKS

PAY ATTENTION,

THERE WILL BE A TEST AFTERWARD

PRAY ALWAYS

SING JOYFULLY

GIVE GENEROUSLY

LOVE UNRESERVEDLY

or else

C.L.

Financial News

Mike Sutila, Treasurer

On many levels, St. Mary of the Harbor is a healthy, vibrant church. That is certainly true when it comes to finances, as our year-to-date financial reports confirm. Even when you exclude prepaid 2018 pledges made by parishioners in December of last year, our plate and pledge income is up $18,000. This reflects both the generosity and the continued diligence of our parishioners in keeping up with their pledges.

Diligence also describes our expenses. Total YTD expenses are up by $3276 but that comes from Outreach which is up $4205 from the previous year. Personnel costs, Program expenses, and Building and Grounds expenses are all down compared to the same period from the prior year, which means the church is doing a good job in controlling costs.

St. Mary of the Harbor's Balance Sheet (an end of the month snapshot of the church's cash accounts and investments) is very healthy thanks to a substantial financial gift that was invested last fall. More good news: I am pleased to announce that the Carol Westcott Legacy Fund is now St. Mary's most valuable investment in the church's portfolio.

As always, we will continue to closely monitor the church's finances. Thank you for being so generous and loving.

Annual Pledge Drive

St. Mary's Annual Pledge Drive kicks off on July 1 and we hope to exceed last year's pledges, which was our best pledge year on record.

Amidst the hectic nature of the summer season, please take some time to count your blessings and then share them by making a pledge to St. Mary's. Your financial support is changing lives and changing the world.

All in the Family

St. Mary's Welcomes New Members

A recent Wellfleet resident, Sandy Thomas was drawn to St. Mary of the Harbor when seeking a spiritual home. She was an active member and warden of St. John's in the Mountains of Stowe, Vermont, for several years before moving to Hawaii in 1991. Sandy owned a newsletter production and business service in Stowe and became a Realtor on Kaua`i, where she studied and performed hula for 20 years. Sandy lived in Provincetown in the '60s, and the Cape called to her when she retired a few years ago. She says, "the opportunity of living in an environment of natural beauty and cultural stimulation is a combination that I had missed both in Vermont and in Hawaii. Here, I am finding fulfillment not only in enjoying my surroundings but in the many opportunities for musical, artistic, and intellectual activities, as well as some charitable work with Nauset Neighbors and the AIM thrift shop, and in week-day exercise classes at the COA in Wellfleet. ki, but one never knows about these things. I am quite happy to be in the community of St Mary of the Harbor and look forward to a long and fruitful communion."

John Peters-Campbell grew up in Massachusetts, went to a fundamentalist boarding school in Florida and has been running ever since. He taught American art history at the Universities of Maryland, Colorado, and Michigan for fifteen years, then went on to teach in Hanoi and Beijing for four years after that. He moved to Provincetown from Hawaii where he's spent the last four years recovering from Beijing and reassessing his own faith. He still considers himself an orthodox Christian but has noticed that many of his fundamentalist friends disagree. His parter, Robin, lives mostly in Hawaii but has been spending a gratifying amount of time in Provincetown since John moved, and his children and grandchildren are an easy day trip for the first time in twenty years.

Julia Bruno and Sandra Delzotti were both born in NYC and have been vacationing in Ptown for the past 27 summers. Recently retired, they have finally fulfilled their dream of living in their "happy place". They are thrilled to be living in a town they know so well and have had the good fortune to have found St. Mary of the Harbor years ago.

Change a Life, Change the World

Latifa

St. Mary's partnership with Baobab Children's Home and the Steven Tito Academy provides opportunities for parishioners to love God's children. Currently, there are ten children waiting for someone to sponsor them, including
Latifa.

Latifa is 5 years old and is enrolled in the kindergarten class at STA. She is an only child and lives with her parents in a one-room house close to the school. Her father is a day laborer and farmer and her mother is a homemaker. Latifa helps out by washing dishes. She enjoys math and has made many friends at Steven Tito Academy and shows great promise.

If you would like to be her sponsor, please contact Terry. To learn more about Baobab Children's Home and Steven Tito Academy, click on the following link:

http://www.tzkids.org

Truly, I tell you, just as you did to one of the least of these who are my family, you did to me.

Jesus of Nazareth

Summer Schedule

St. Mary's summer worship schedule returns on July 1 with two Sunday services, an 8:00 a.m. service in addition to the regular 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist.

Strength for the Journey

Saturday's 8:30 a.m.

From the earliest days of the church, the ministry of healing was expressed in prayers, annointing with consecrated oil and the laying on hands. St. Mary's invites all who suffer in body, mind or spirit to experience the power of God's healing love in this place where one finds strength for the journey.

Vestry Update

Vestry Actions for March through April 2018

Received updated report from the Emergency Preparedness Task Force
Received and approved Outreach Committee's recommendations for disbursement from the Good Friday and Easter offerings
Approved removal of rotted rectory deck and replacement with stairs
Approved the 2017 Parochial Report
Approved installation of automatic door opener for exterior church door
Approved expenditure for piano repairs
Approved moving forward with solar panel project

The church's financials and minutes from vestry meetings are posted on the church's website. They can be located by linking on the following link under "Events, News and Reports" menu bar at the top of the webpage. Here is the link:

http://www.stmaryoftheharbor.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=206

Ministry of All Believers

You don't have to be ordained by a bishop to be a minister. Every baptized person is a minister of the gospel. That doesn't mean you have to be able to preach a sermon. There are many opportunities at St. Mary of the Harbor where you can exercise a ministry. Here are just a few:

Healing Ministry at Saturday or Sunday services

Serving on the Altar Guild

Singing in the choir

Leading the Prayers of the People on Sunday

Reading the lessons at a worship service

Serving as a usher

Hospitality and Fellowship

Leading a bible discussion group

Volunteering for St. Mary's Community Luncheons

Serving on a church committee or the vestry

Writing / editing articles for the OuterMost Voice

Photographing important events at the church

Volunteering at the Summer Fair or for the Art & Spirit Auction

Every Christian has God given talents. Please talk with Terry to explore how best to use yours.

Stay in touch. Get the latest diocesan wide news at this link:

http://diomass.org/news-pubs/by-category/Diocesan%20News

Parishioner Directory

Click on the following link to view the latest parishioner directory. Once the file is opened, you can save it to your computer's hard drive for future access.

Parishioner Directory

Please email us at office@stmaryoftheharbor.org or call 508-487-2622 for corrections to your contact information.

Paypal

Online giving is now available for people who are interested in making pledge payments or one time gifts electronically. Access it through the church's website at www.stmaryoftheharbor.org where you will find a "Donate" button on the menu bar at the top of the page and to the right. Click and it will take you to Paypal where you can make your donation. Contact Mike Sutila at msutila@chasemachine if you have questions.