S T .

J O H N ’ S E P I S C O P A L

The Chimes
St. John’s Episcopal Church is a loving community of faith and worship, showing
the love of God to each other and the world.
a publication of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Sealy, Texas April 2011

Contact us: Upcoming Events Keep in your Prayers Focus on Service Senior Warden’s
Hwy 36 N at 6th St. Here’s The Scoop Keep up-to-date on the Altar Guild Message
Sealy, Texas What’s happening in happenings of the Page 3 Brian keeps us updated
Office Hours : your fellow parishioner’s Church. ECW meetings, on the happenings of
M-F 9 am - 12 pm lives. Vestry events, DOK, the Vestry
Phone: 979-885-2359 Page 2 Altar Guild, Choir.... Page 5
Fax: 979-885-2100 Page 2
Email: Birthdays and
Special - Episcopal
stjohn_episcopal@sbcgl Anniversaries
Please remember these News Service Article
obal.net See who is celebrating
individuals in your Andrew Jelson,
Website: these important events
prayers NetsforLife project
this month
www.stjohnssealy.com Page 3 Page 4
Page 2

So how does this relate to our loving dogs?

Changing Seasons
We are now fully into the Lenten Season;
a time for prayer and penitence. I was
reading My Forward Movement
publication on Lent, and found a
devotional that really hit home for me.
Giving full credit to this publication, I
want to share some of the highlights of
that message:
Dogs know. They know what it means to love
and fear at the same time. Most dog owners
love their dogs in a special way, and our dogs
seem to love us in their way. They welcome us
home, run to meet us, want to be with us and
trust us, wherever we are going. My dogs are
that way and I like it.
That is the love part on the dog’s part;
however, if we yell at them or abuse them they
slink away as only dogs can do – head down
and tail between their legs. On those very
occasional times, when I speak harshly to my
The Battle Between Carnival and Lent
Pieter Brueghel the Younger
dogs, they run under the dining room table to
“hide”.
We humans are not dogs, and God doesn’t
want us to be. We have free will and it is
central to who we are. It seems to be
important to God also, for one of his first acts
was to create the world with an object of
desire and ultimate temptation, the Tree of
Knowledge. He didn’t have to put it there.
God chose to. He wants us to use our free will
to make up our own minds and come to Him
freely.
We can learn some lessons from our dogs. A
good dog pays attention. He’s not about
assigning blame (something we humans seem
to do too frequently). Our dogs want to
please. More often than not, they follow the
rules. They come when called. They love
unconditionally. They are ready to go
anywhere, anytime, following the voice of the
one they love. Get it? A good example to
consider during Lent.
All credit for this message to FORWARD
MOVEMENT, Morehouse Publishing.
And in closing, a prayer from our Book of
Common Prayer:
Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses, nor
the offenses of our forefathers; neither reward
us according to our sins. Spare us, good Lord,
spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed
with thy most precious blood, and by thy
mercy preserve us forever. Amen
Eric LeB
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Quote of the Month

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because I see
everything by it." - CS Lewis
Birthdays, Anniversaries and Hospitality List Upcoming Events
Welcome to Diane
Birthdays Florencia. She
comes to us from
4/4! James Ritter Longview, where she was a member
! Liz Woody of St. Michael’s and All Angels’
4/13! Norman Helmcamp Episcopal Church.
April 9 - ECW trip to Bellville Castle
John Owen has begun his season with
4/15! Andrew Jelson April 9 - Master Gardener Plant Sale,
the Sealy Little League. His is
4/16! Jeff Whitzel playing in the Minors and his team is Austin County Fairgrounds
the Yankees.
4/18! Brady Brandon April 10 - ECW Meeting after Church
! John Love Marge Michaelis spent Spring Break
with granddaughters, Kady and Sarah, April 10 - The John Rutter Requiem
4/21! Gloria Noy in Destin, Florida. They are the will be performed by the Austin
daughters of son, David and his wife, County Civic Chorale at Sts. Peter &
4/23! Christopher Love Myra. The girls were baptized at St. Paul Catholic Church, Bellville, 4 pm
! Rita Royale ! John’s as infants and attend St. Paul’s
in Orange. The beach was white and April 13 - 6:15 Soup Supper, 7 pm
4/24! Will Ford Evensong, Speaker -The Rev. Alma
beautiful, but the weather was chilly!
! Patrick Love Needless to say, Marge did not join Phillips, St. Paul AME Church
4/25! Emily Whitzel the girls in the waves. John & Pat April 17 - Palm Sunday
Klotz are Kady’s and Sarah’s
4/26! Annie Smith Godparents. April 18 - 20 - Noonday Prayer
4/30 ! Lavinia Owen Caroline Owen will be participating April 21 - Maundy Thursday - 7pm
as a Student Coach in the upcoming Holy Eucharist
Anniversaries Special Olympics in Brenham.
Hospitality April 22 - Good Friday - Liturgy for
Paul Heath has been elected Varsity
Drum Major for ‘That Roarin’ Band Good Friday and Stations of the Cross
4/3 ! Bonnie & Jim Carr - noon
from Tigerland.’ He is the first
4/10! Dottie Gass & Marian sophomore in Katy High School to April 24 - Easter - Solemn Sung Holy
! Farnsworth hold this position. Eucharist & Flowering of the Cross
4/17! Liz & Bill Woody Caroline Owen has started playing
Please submit any dates to include in
Summer basketball with a new
4/23! Rosemary Larson & Carlsa the next edition of The Chimes by
team…Gatewood University
! Beckendorf April 25, 2011.
‘Shooters.’
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Recipe of the Month
Sausage and Rice
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes (I like petite diced)
2 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked rice
1 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s (or salt & pepper,
including red pepper)
In January we provided food for 159
Brown sausage. Cook onions and garlic in a little
oil. Drain diced tomatoes, reserving liquid. Add
tomatoes to seasoning once onions are cooked and
sauté for a few minutes. Stir in tomato sauce,
reserved liquid and spices. Add sausage and
simmer for 15 minutes. Add rice.
This recipe was originally from my sister. It used
Usually, the first of the year is slow for us.
spicy Bloody Mary mix. Over the years I have
adapted it and finally measured it and made a
recipe. People from Louisiana developed their
cuisine by using the ingredients available to them
in their new environment while utilizing their
French, Spanish and African ways of cooking. In
that same manner, most of us just use recipes as
suggestions. Use what you have! This is a very
forgiving recipe. I have used leftover salsa, fresh
tomatoes, pico de gallo, tomato juice, etc. to
From the depth of our hearts, we thank
substitute for the tomatoes and tomato sauce.
Please submit your favorite recipes to the Chimes
so everyone can enjoy them. I had to look in my
personal files this month to fill the space! Hope
you try it an enjoy it.
Andrea Ford
FOCUS S E RV I C E
ON
Community News
Sealy Playtime Recreation
A new program for Sealy residents ages 62 &
up will be held every Monday and Wednesday
from 9:30 am till 3:30 pm at the Hill Center.
You will be able to enjoy playing card and
board games along with free coffee, iced and
hot tea, hot chocolate and bottled water.
This service is sponsored by the Sealy Rotary
Club and funded by The Sealy Business
Community
"Sealy Playtime Recreation" Director Frank
Altar Guild Lemanski can be reached at 979-885-2628,
979-716-8976 or lemafran@sbcglobal.net.
The Altar Guild is a volunteer
Sealy Food Pantry News
group of the parish whose ministry is to
families, which amounted to 501 individuals.
care for the altar, vestments, vessels and Looking back and comparing to January 2010, we
altar linens of the parish. Altar Guild provided food for 124 families, which amounted
to 374 individuals. What a difference a year can
members prepare the sanctuary for all make. We will always be in need of paper grocery
bags, if you would please save them for us.
services. Our members are:
†MARY EMERSON This year has not been the usual norm. Everyone
who gets food from the pantry gets interviewed
†CARLA BECKENDORFF each time. Once the file is set up, it gets to be a lot
†BONNIE CARR easier process of just updating the current
paperwork. At the first of every year, we start over
†MARIAN FARNSWORTH from the beginning and everyone starts as a new
client and has to bring in necessary papers as
†RILLA YOUNGBLOOD proof of their needy situation.
†JUDY JOHNSON, DIRECTRESS
everyone for their care, kindness, and generosity.
God’s Blessings.
Vernon Ekarius, Coordinator

Keep in Your Prayers

Jean Corrigallʼs “Pink Panther”
Bowling team won a Bronze
medal at the State Special
Olympics this month. Her team
represented Willow River Ranch.
She is pictured above with her
previous medals received at the
local event that qualified her for
the State competition.
• The military and their families
• Bonnie Onks
• Patty McAlexander, in sympathy for the
loss of her mother, Jewel McAlexander
• Marge Michaelis, in sympathy for the loss
of her brother, John Selesky.
BIG thank you to Marian for trimming all
the courtyard rose bushes. They look
beautiful!
To the People of St. John’s
I wish to thank all of you for the help and kindness
you gave me during Mother’s illness and death.
The kindness started during her first hospitalization
in 2009. I feel your prayers were a very big part in
her getting out of rehab and back home and to
church. St. John’s meant a lot to her.
Thanks to Dr. Sam Todd and Eric LeBrocq for all
their help and their wonderful service. A special
thanks to the ECW for the preparation and service
of food. All of this was so helpful and meant so
much to me.
Again, thanks to everyone and may God bless all of
you.
-Patty McAlexander

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   The Heavenly Treasures Garage Sale
successfully raised funds for St. John’s
ECW’s projects for the year. Annie Smith
did a great job in organizing the event.
Many thanks to everyone for their
participation
. meet at St. John's, let Pat Klotz know.
The Office Volunteers were sorting items,
individuals stopped by after work to
assist with pricing, not to mention
everyone helping the day of the sale.
Marian and Bobbie were picking up
donated items and were assisted by some
of the men in the congregation. There
were too many workers to thank
everyone individually! We filled the
Parish Hall, had furniture in the garage
and Christmas items in the Parish House!
It was an enjoyable day working together,
greeting community members and
discovering previously untapped talents
of our members. Carla is a great
negotiator and garage sale veteran.
Thank you for all of your donated items
that made the sale possible.
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T H E C H I M E
St. John's ECW will tour Newman's Castle of
Bellville on Saturday, April 9. The cost is
12.50 per person and includes the tour and
lunch. We meet at Newman's Bakery and will
be escorted to the castle. If anyone needs to
    A final count is requested by April 3. The
tour and lunch last approximately 1 1/2 - 2
Andrew Jelson
successful NetsforLife
program
Andrew was recognized by the Episcopal News
Service for his NetsforLife program. Here is the
article as copied from the Episcopal News Service
TEXAS: Boy Scout leads
church in malaria net project
Sealy is first parish to reach Lenten
goal
March 31, 2011
[Episcopal News Service] It took one Boy
Scout and 46 mosquito nets. St. John's, Sealy
(population 5,278), is the first congregation in
the Diocese of Texas to meet the goal of one
net per family in the Lenten initiative to fight
S
malaria in 17 African nations. The diocese has
more than 27,000 families.
Andrew Jelson, 12, chose the project to earn
his Boy Scout God and Church award. In a
recent presentation, Jelson told the
congregation that his efforts were personal.
His mother had been born in Zambia and his
grandfather had contracted malaria while
living in Africa in the 1960s. He followed up
with an e-mail and collected money on two
Sundays.
Jelson, an acolyte at St. John's and honor
student at Cinco Ranch Jr. High, surpassed his
initial goal of 36 nets by nearly 30 percent. St.
John's has 41 families and he was able to raise
$552, enough money to fund 46 nets, each
one of which will save three lives.
"I am so proud of his efforts and especially
the support from our congregation," said his
mother, Lianne.
"This is just great news," said Texas Bishop
Andy Doyle, who helped to kick off the
diocesan-wide campaign at this year's
Diocesan Council. "To see the power of one
young person's vision is very inspiring. I hope
others will meet the challenge that Andrew
has set before us."
Malaria kills more than one million people
annually, more than HIV/AIDS.
Photo Courtesy of Episcopal Relief and Development
NetsforLife® is a program of Episcopal
Relief & Development providing insecticide
treated mosquito nets for $12 each, which
includes education about malaria.
The Episcopal Relief & Development website
has fundraising ideas and curricula for all
ages, videos and printed information for
congregations, schools and individuals. Go to
www.inspirationfund.org for more
information.

Strut your Stuff
The Vestry has purchased additional bulletin
boards for the Parish Hall. One of the boards
will feature the work of the Vestry - goals for
the year, upcoming events, etc.
The second bulletin board is to showcase the
ministries we participate in outside of the
Church.
I can’t wait to see the boards when finished. I
know that I am always impressed with the
involvement of our members in local charities
and service organizations. After we first
joined St. John’s, I began noticing members
pictures and names mentioned as founding
members, donors, long-term volunteers and
current board members - the library, Master
Gardeners, scouts, the food pantry,
Brookwood, … And, those are the ones we
know about!
Start making your lists to post on the board.
What should you include? I personally like
these thoughts on Ministry from Kirk
Whittaker.
! What is ministry? Ministry is giving of
everything of yourself without expecting
anything..not a peep, not a thank you. You do it out
of love..for nothing else. Jesus told us that the first
and greatest commandment was to love God our
father with all our heart and soul and strength. But
he then added that the second greatest
commandment was to love our neighbors as
ourselves and that all the laws and teaching of the
prophets hung on these two commandments.
Ministry is ...letting God use you for the spreading
of His word and will. Cooking in a kitchen for
homeless people can be a ministry..if you do it for
the Glory of God. Scrubbing floors at a needy
persons house can be a ministry...if you do it for the
Glory of God. As the Bible says, do all things for
the Glory of God..that is ministry. If you approach
it with that attitude, the you will reflect the love of
God.
T H E C H M E S
Pictures from the Past
Who is this beauty from our Easter Flowers
congregation? Next time you see her, let Make a donation for Easter Flowers in
her know you saw her picture in The honor or in memory of your loved ones.
Chimes! Be sure to include a note - who the
flowers are being donated by and the
person that the flowers are in honor or
A Moving Story! memory of. This information will be
printed in the bulletin. Drop your checks
My mother was one year old when her
by the office, give them to Cody or put
father went of to fight in WW1. He died at
them in the collection (with your note).
the Battle of the Somme in 1916. She had
no recollection of him, but in my research
on genealogy, I came across his obituary,
which my Grandmother place in the local
newspaper.
“Could I but hear his loving voice
and see his smiling face,
This aching of my heart would
cease and sunshine take its
place.
But the hardest part has not yet
come,
When the warriors return and I
miss among the cheering crowd,
The face of my dear husband that
has gone.
Ever remembered by his loving
wife, child and friends.”
My Mother was only 3 when this was in
print, and she died at the age of 95, On the Lighter Side
before I came across this obituary.
Rob HALL
World War I Poster
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The Senior Warden’s Message

St.  John’s  Episcopal  Church  –  Sealy  is  dying!!!    Now  that  I  have  your  a>en?on,  let  me  expand  on  this  thought.    

In  2010  we  celebrated  our  125th  anniversary  to  much  fanfare  and  enjoyment.    This  occasion  was  monumental  in  the  
life  of  our  church  and  deserved  to  be  celebrated.    It  would  be  remarkable  to  look  back  in  ?me  to  see  the  trials  and  
tribula?ons  our  beloved  St.  John’s  has  endured.    No  doubt  there  have  been  ?mes  more  trying  than  that  in  which  we  
currently  find  ourselves.    As  we  look  into  our  future,  I  believe  that  the  events  of  the  next  1-­‐3  years  will  play  a  major  
role  in  determining  the  future  of  St.  John’s.

We  are  all  aware  of  the  average  age  (chronologically  speaking)  of  our  congrega?on.    God,  in  his  ul?mate  wisdom,  
implemented  ‘term  limits’  for  all  of  us.    As  a  result,  our  congrega?on  will  experience  significant  changes  in  the  next  
10-­‐15  years.    My  children  are  the  fourth  genera?on  of  their  family  to  belong  to  this  church  family.    I  sincerely  hope  
they  will  have  the  opportunity  to  worship  at  St.  John’s  with  their  children  and  grandchildren.    I  also  wish  the  love  and  
fellowship  we  all  share  on  a  weekly  basis  could  be  shared  by  all.    

Each  of  us  must  make  efforts  to  become  involved  in  preserving  our  church.    Pray  that  the  decisions  we  make  and  the  
ac?ons  we  take  are  correct.    To  paraphrase  a  quote  of  John  Adams  in  1774;  “Swim  or  sink,  live  or  die,  survive  or  
perish,  I  am  with  my  Church…you  may  depend  on  it!”

God  bless,

Brian  Owen  –  Senior  Warden

The Chimes April 2011

St. John’s Episcopal Church

P.O. Box 1477
Sealy, TX 77474