THE

SCROLL

January 2014

From the rectors desk:

Pray for the peace of South Sudan

On Saturday, December 21, 2013, the Diocese of Missouri received a short email from Bishop Stephen Dokolo of the Lui Diocese, begging our prayers. He reported that the situation in South Sudan has become unstable, and that people in Lui had heard gunshots. The news from South Sudan has been showing up in US news for several days now. Over the past few days, I have been reading with some anxiety of renewed violence in South Sudan. Earlier in the week (December 15), there were reports of gun fire in Juba (the capital of South Sudan) with unconfirmed estimates of 400 500 dead. President Salva Kiir went on television to say that he had put down a coup attempt by former Vice President Riek Machar and disgruntled elements within the military. Unfortunately Kiir and Machar come from different tribes: Kiir is Dinka and Machar is Nuer. There has long been a suspicion that the Dinka tribe controlled the military, and the current rift in the SPLM (Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement Kiirs and Machars party) could easily reignite the inter-tribal violence that has always plagued Sudan. The presence of huge numbers of automatic weapons brought in with oil money during the civil war could intensify that violence beyond mere cattle-raiding. At the moment, all is quiet in Lui, which is far enough away from Juba not to be affected by the events there. But if the government collapses, things could get worse in a hurry. And the government is struggling to deal with charges of corruption: billions of petro-dollars flowing into a barely stable government havent helped. Al Jazeera reports that nearly half the names on the police payroll (about 25,000 names) are likely false names. Salva Kiir has admitted that 75 ministers in his government have embezzled $4 billion dollars. He has purged his government of those men, but the damage is done, and the people are disillusioned.Archbishop Daniel and leaders of other Churches in South Sudan have issued a statement calling on Kiir and others to meet and try to resolve issues peaceably. Diplomats from the African Union are currently in Juba, trying to broker a peace and prevent the escalation of the violence. Our friends in Lui need our prayers at this moment. Pray for the peace of South Sudan.
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Handschy is Rector of Advent Church

9373 Garber Road, Crestwood, MO 63126

314-843-0123 www.advent-episcopal.org advent-episcopal@sbcglobal.net

Prayer Shawl Group

Start out the new year by learning something new! Join our prayer shawl group and we will teach you how to knit or crochet a beautiful shawl. If you already have those skills, all the better. We can use your help. Please join us on Wednesday, January 8th at Advent church. Please request a shawl by contacting Mary Peck at 894-5460 or requesting a shawl by any prayer shawl group member.

Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of Church of the Advent will be held on Sunday 26 January 2014 after the 10:15 am service.We will have a pot luck lunch immediately following the service, and the business of the meeting will begin at 12:00 noon. At the meeting we will elect four new Vestry members to take the place of those whose terms are expiring (Vic Kremar, Bruce Stotler, Claudia Svoboda and Bill Witte). We will also hear the reports of various ministries at Church of the Advent and the Vestrys presentation of the 2014 budget. Weve double-checked, and this is the NFL by-week, so no one will miss any football.

Men's Club Dine out

The next Dining Out Night will be Thursday, January 16th at Mike Duffy's in Kirkwood. The address is 124 W Jefferson Ave, #104, Kirkwood, MO 63122. We will meet at 6:00 PM.

Tuesday Lunch Bunch

Check the January service leaflets for information on a January meeting of the Lunch Bunch, or contact Carol Kardell at 314-638-0247.

Advent Christmas Party

This year the Advent after Christmas dinner will be Saturday January 18, 2014. The cost will be $20.00 per person, (make checks payable to Advent Mens Club). Everyone brings either an appetizer or dessert to share and adult beverage of choice. Soft drinks and coffee provided. Check the bulletin board for the menu. Appetizers at 5:00 pm Dinner served at 6:00 pm

Advent Church Women

There is no ACW meeting in January. The next meeting will be Monday, February 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall. Our newest member, Pam, will be hosting a Pampered Chef party. All ladies of Advent are welcome to attend. The ACW would like to thank everyone who donated to the Feed My People Adopt a Family drive. Whether you brought a present off the giving tree or personal care products, it is truly appreciated by all. Clare Kujath

New Address for Eileen Dell

Eileen Dells new address is: Provision Living 6543 Chippewa Room 213 St. Louis, MO 63109.

The Scroll - January 2014

Vestry Report - December

The December vestry meeting was held Monday, December 9 and eight Vestry members were in attendance along with Fr. Dan and Deb Goldfeder. Fr. Dan reported on his pastoral care for Billie Hall, Claudia Svaboda & Bob Zimmer. He reported that he found the sharing at the November Vestry not as usual to be very enlightening. We will certainly take into consideration what Advent members liked and didnt like about the early and late services. Fr. Dan assured us that he has no plans to make any changes to worship service schedules. Fr. Dan also gave a report on the stewardship campaign. As of December 9, we have received 39 signed pledge cards totaling pledge amounts of $110,788. We anticipate another 19 pledges for an estimated additional $43,000 bringing the total to an estimated $154,000. This would be a 7% increase over 2013. The new kitchen is waiting on final inspections by the county. Once those inspections have been completed, we will be able to make use of the new roomier facility. As we approach the New Year, four Vestry members will be rotating off. If you have interest in standing for a Vestry seat, please speak with Fr. Dan or one of the current Vestry members. Vic Kremar Vestry secretary

Taliatokpe on Earth
by Deborah Goldfeder
I had begun to hope that there would be a lasting peace in South Sudan but now I am not so sure. Events happening as I write this frighten me and take me back to my first months in Lui when peace was a fragile dream for those exhausted by war, first with the north and then with the Dinka tribe. Now the fight seems to be between the Dinka and the Nuer tribes but that is too simplistic a description.War is complicated and memories are long. Desmond Tutu quotes an African proverb that says, When elephants fight, the ants suffer. The fighting not only kills soldiers but women, children, old people, and peaceful people. All suffer the consequences of fighting. Trucks are lining up in Uganda with supplies needed in South Sudan. Students who want to return home for Christmas and New Years celebrations are fearful to travel. No busses are running, though. We who have come to love the people of Lui are holding our breath in fear for our friends and I have found myself transported back in time to those fearful days of fragile ceasefire of 2005. Christmas is always a big celebration in South Sudan. It is much more important than Easter to the Christians there. I have often said that it is much more important to the Moru people that Jesus came than that He came back! In theological terms we could characterize them as Incarnational. I was told that I could expect a party with a feast at Christmas but it was very subdued for a party. People were fearful and that is never the right atmosphere for a party. I have always loved Midnight Mass so looked forward to the celebration. I had no idea what I should expect but I had made a new dress for the day (new clothes are mandatory for Christmas) and had even tried to tie a head wrap in the style of the Moru women but it kept slipping off and, even at midnight, it felt really, really hot!
continued on page 5

Vestry nominations
The Vestry is accepting nominations for the four open positions to be filled at the annual meeting. If you are interested in serving on the Vestry, or would like to nominate someone else, speak to the rector or to Bill Witte, Senior Warden.

The Episcopal Church of the Advent welcomes you

Liturgical Ministries: January 2014

January 5 Deb Goldfeder Kevin Williams Ralph Peck Rene Sanders Jocelyn Sanders Austin Henry Adam Witte Jasmine Wisdom Ralph Peck Deb Goldfeder Kevin Williams Kevin Williams John Kroes Jocelyn Sanders Gina Wisdom Bill Bottoms Deb Goldfeder Chris Vogel Jasmine Wisdom Deb Goldfeder Jocelyn Sanders Phyllis Powers Don Hopkins Debra Sue Bailey Deb Goldfeder January 12 January 19 January 26 February 2

4
Greg Dell Jim Rode Hovious Kroes Family open open open Sanders Family Witte/Levandoski Bailey Janice Evans Harry Dengler Bill Bottoms Mark Naes Gwen Brown Phyllis Powers Bill Witte Dale Iffrig Sharon Knox Ella Lancaster Gyngard Family open Greg Dell Jim Rode Mary Ann Tombridge Phyllis Powers Jim and Jan open

Worship Leader 8:00 am

Worship Leader 10:15 am am

Lector

Intercessor

Crucifer

Torch Bearers

Liturgical Ministries: January 2014

Ushers

Oblationers 8:00 am Oblationers 10:15 am

Coffee Hour Host(s)

Counters

Vestry Prayer Cycle

Epiphany (observed) First Sunday after Epiphany

Greg Dell Jim Rode Carolyn Bailey Vic Kremar Jim Rode

Bill Sanders Bill Bottoms Jessica Gerth Don Hopkins Billie Hall

Greg Dell Mark Naes Larry Brown Phyllis Powers Bruce Stotler
Second Sunday after Epiphany

Nancy Kroes Bill Witte Loy Hovious Claudia Svoboda Bill Witte
Third Sunday after Epiphany

Greg Dell Jim Rode Carolyn Bailey Vic Kremar Jim Rode
The Presentation of our Lord in the Temple

Propers.

Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-2, 10-17 Ephesians 3:1-2 Matthew 2:1-12 Elizabeth Kroes Gwen Brown

Isaiah 42:1-9 Psalm 29 Acts 10:34-43 Matthew 3:13-17 Elizabeth Kroes Gwen Brown

Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 40:1-12 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42 Elizabeth Kroes Gwen Brown

Isaiah 9:1-4 Psalm 27:1, 5-13 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23 Elizabeth Kroes Gwen Brown

Malachi 3:1-4 Psalm 84 Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 Debra Sue Bailey Carol Kardell

Can't make it - plans changed? - Please call the church office 314-843-0123

The Scroll - January 2014

Altar Guild

Taliatokpe on Earth continued

John walked with me to the cathedral in the midnight dark.The only light came from my little flashlight as I tried to see my way across the grounds. The Morus didnt have flashlights but they had arranged to charge an old car battery with a solar panel someone had left for them. They had one light at the altar and Manyagugu celebrated the Eucharist for us by that one light. I wondered why there were so few of us in church as I ate the sugar-cookie-and-hibiscus-tea Body and Blood of Christ. We seemed like early Christians who celebrated in the darkness of the catacombs fearing for our lives. It turns out that was not too far from the case. My Moru hosts didnt tell me the threats until later. That Christmas eve, the Dinka tribe had made threats on the Moru tribe. Rumor had it that the Dinkas were planning to try to burn us out as we celebrated the birth of the Prince of Peace. Now I can imagine that Dinka and Nuer families are also worried about gathering in their places of worship on Christmas night. Groups of people, even congregations, are attractive targets for those who would cause terror. I lived in England when the Irish Republican Army was bombing soft targets there and in Spain when the ETA and Grapo were both bombing shopping malls whenever they got the chance. They liked using the pressure cooker bombs filled with nails like the Boston Marathon bombers used. I never wanted to know this much about terrorism but the truth is, by the time I got to Lui, I was tired of letting terrorists take over my life. If you plan to try to kill me, do it looking into my eyes and not hiding behind your cowardice, I thought. As for the Dinkas, I didnt think they had anything against me but I knew I could easily be collateral damage. The Morus are not directly involved in this new conflict but they could be collateral damage, too, but Bishop Stephen says that Lui is peaceful at this time. I can imagine they dont feel very confident about peace, though. The present conflict is not as simple as ancient hatred between two cattle keeping tribes. The president of the worlds newest nation is from the Dinka tribe while the vice-president he fired is Nuer but tribes are only the most superficial of the differences. Political claims are being made and the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movements army is involved. There have been claims of attempted coups but others say there have been no such attempts. Who can tell what is really true? All I know is that hundreds of people have already died less than 100 miles from Lui and not all are combatants. Women and children are once again piling their essential belongings on their heads and fleeing for safety among strangers. Will another generation be lost in fighting? Will another generation of children lose the opportunity to be educated? How long will South Sudan have to fight instead of building a new nation based on peace among every people and tribe? There are only a small number of words in the Moru language compared to English so many are compound words. The word for peace doesnt exactly exist.Taliatokpe is as close as they get. It means peaceful words and that is my wish and dream for all South Sudanese people in the New Year.

The Episcopal Church of the Advent welcomes you

Episcopal Church of the Advent Episcopal Church of the Advent 9373 Garber Road 9373 Garber Road Crestwood, 63126-2849 Crestwood, MOMO 63126-0123 Episcopal Church of the Phone: 314-843-0123 Phone: 314-843-0123 Email: advent-episcopal@sbcglobal.net Advent E-mail: advent-episcopal@sbcglobal.net Website: www.advent-episcopal.org 9373 Garber Road Website: www.advent-episcopal.org Jan. 2014 edition of the Scroll Crestwood, MO 63126-2849
Phone: 314-843-0123 E-mail: advent-episcopal@sbcglobal.net Website: www.advent-episcopal.org

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