A Message from Bishop Mark Hollingsworth
"Living with Ambiguity"
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
It is hard to live with ambiguity, especially perhaps for us who have so great an access to certainty in our scientific and technological age. Between Google and the Weather Channel, we can get answers to many of the questions that cause us even the slightest bit of anxiety. Our current health crisis takes this challenge to a new level, even for those who have experienced the ambiguity of a serious health diagnosis or an extreme loss of emotional or financial security.
Perhaps because signs of uncertainty are currently ubiquitous, we cannot help asking ourselves, one another, and God questions that have no ready answers. How long will this last? Am I carrying the virus? Is the tickle in my throat serious? When will we be permitted to go out, to congregate, to give or receive a hug? When can we go back to church? Will I have enough money to get food and other essentials?
It may not so much be specific answers that I am looking for, as it is some semblance of certitude that I crave, some bit of normality for which I yearn. When I wake up in the morning I take my temperature to see whether it, at least, is “normal.” Sometimes, I have checked it later in the day, just to see if it has abandoned me yet. When I take a walk with one of the dogs, I carry my phone in case I am needed, and it takes more discipline than I care to admit to keep from pulling it out simply to see if there is some new and unimagined piece of information that might provide the slightest security.
The Gospels are full of stories about people yearning for some certitude in the midst of ambiguity. And Jesus consistently responds to them and to us that life is uncertain, but the love of God is not. Indeed, it is the love of God in the companionship of Christ Jesus that leads us to live creatively amidst the vicissitudes and vagaries of our earthly existence. To be sure, in the coming days and weeks some of our questions will be answered. Some of those answers will be welcome, some disappointing, some discouraging, and some, perhaps, devastating. We will, nevertheless, continue to be faced with ambiguity, as that is largely the nature of this life. And we will always have the Gospels to turn to for the companionship of Jesus and those into whose ambiguity he walked time and again.
This morning, on my walk with Rascal the Uberhund, we heard a woodpecker high in the trees and saw a young hawk take flight. We came upon a red-winged blackbird in the bulrushes on the bank of Horseshoe Lake, which has been drained for a coronavirus-delayed dam repair. The little, black bird with his red and gold epaulets allowed us to walk within a couple of feet of him, defying all expectations of “social distancing.” I wondered whether he had recently returned from his winter migration to some southern state, and the thought of that regular, instinctual journey gave me a lift. Later, after hearing a woodpecker high in the trees and the plaintive song of a mourning dove, we passed a fellow walker going in the other direction. Greeting one another from opposite sides the street, I remarked on how quiet it was. She replied, “It’s desolate.” It made me wonder whether she was referring to the absence of foot and automobile traffic or to how she was feeling.
Living in a desolate moment does not necessarily lead to desolation of the spirit and soul. It may increase our vulnerability to it, but need not leave us in despair. In this uncertain time, surely St. Paul’s words to the church in Rome speak with all the certainty we need:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You are in my prayers.
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
"Living with Ambiguity"
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
It is hard to live with ambiguity, especially perhaps for us who have so great an access to certainty in our scientific and technological age. Between Google and the Weather Channel, we can get answers to many of the questions that cause us even the slightest bit of anxiety. Our current health crisis takes this challenge to a new level, even for those who have experienced the ambiguity of a serious health diagnosis or an extreme loss of emotional or financial security.
Perhaps because signs of uncertainty are currently ubiquitous, we cannot help asking ourselves, one another, and God questions that have no ready answers. How long will this last? Am I carrying the virus? Is the tickle in my throat serious? When will we be permitted to go out, to congregate, to give or receive a hug? When can we go back to church? Will I have enough money to get food and other essentials?
It may not so much be specific answers that I am looking for, as it is some semblance of certitude that I crave, some bit of normality for which I yearn. When I wake up in the morning I take my temperature to see whether it, at least, is “normal.” Sometimes, I have checked it later in the day, just to see if it has abandoned me yet. When I take a walk with one of the dogs, I carry my phone in case I am needed, and it takes more discipline than I care to admit to keep from pulling it out simply to see if there is some new and unimagined piece of information that might provide the slightest security.
The Gospels are full of stories about people yearning for some certitude in the midst of ambiguity. And Jesus consistently responds to them and to us that life is uncertain, but the love of God is not. Indeed, it is the love of God in the companionship of Christ Jesus that leads us to live creatively amidst the vicissitudes and vagaries of our earthly existence. To be sure, in the coming days and weeks some of our questions will be answered. Some of those answers will be welcome, some disappointing, some discouraging, and some, perhaps, devastating. We will, nevertheless, continue to be faced with ambiguity, as that is largely the nature of this life. And we will always have the Gospels to turn to for the companionship of Jesus and those into whose ambiguity he walked time and again.
This morning, on my walk with Rascal the Uberhund, we heard a woodpecker high in the trees and saw a young hawk take flight. We came upon a red-winged blackbird in the bulrushes on the bank of Horseshoe Lake, which has been drained for a coronavirus-delayed dam repair. The little, black bird with his red and gold epaulets allowed us to walk within a couple of feet of him, defying all expectations of “social distancing.” I wondered whether he had recently returned from his winter migration to some southern state, and the thought of that regular, instinctual journey gave me a lift. Later, after hearing a woodpecker high in the trees and the plaintive song of a mourning dove, we passed a fellow walker going in the other direction. Greeting one another from opposite sides the street, I remarked on how quiet it was. She replied, “It’s desolate.” It made me wonder whether she was referring to the absence of foot and automobile traffic or to how she was feeling.
Living in a desolate moment does not necessarily lead to desolation of the spirit and soul. It may increase our vulnerability to it, but need not leave us in despair. In this uncertain time, surely St. Paul’s words to the church in Rome speak with all the certainty we need:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You are in my prayers.
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
God's Peace and Love be with You.
Per the Diocese, all Worship services and related gatherings are cancelled until further notice,
as a precaution against the COVID-19 virus.
Please be safe.
Our secretary, Peggy, remains in the office Monday thru Thursday 8:00-Noon.
There are no office hours on Fridays.
The office email is stpaulsoffice@att.net; and you may leave a message on the phone voicemail (330)455-0286
Address
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
P.O. Box 21333 (Please note that all mail must be sent to P.O. box. Mail sent to street address will not reach us.)
425 Cleveland Avenue S.W.
Canton, OH 44702
as a precaution against the COVID-19 virus.
Please be safe.
Our secretary, Peggy, remains in the office Monday thru Thursday 8:00-Noon.
There are no office hours on Fridays.
The office email is stpaulsoffice@att.net; and you may leave a message on the phone voicemail (330)455-0286
Address
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
P.O. Box 21333 (Please note that all mail must be sent to P.O. box. Mail sent to street address will not reach us.)
425 Cleveland Avenue S.W.
Canton, OH 44702
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The Social Justice Book Club meeting on “Evicted” for May 5 and on subsequent dates have been temporarily postponed until the “all-clear” has been announced. We will notify everyone as soon as events allow us.
If you plan on joining us, please forward David Swope with your e-mail address to: swopedavid@yahoo.com or call 330-312-4007 with contact information. Thank you and stay safe. We will persevere! D.J. Swope |
Weekly events remaining in effect:
AA Meetings on Thursday and Saturday evenings at 7:00 pm NA Meetings on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm |
A Message from Bishop Mark Hollingsworth
Monday, March 23, 2020
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
In the wake of yesterday’s directive from Governor DeWine that all but essential personnel must stay at home, we continue adjusting to this dramatic change in pace, connectedness, and emotion. The Fourth Sunday in Lent revealed a great range of online, live streamed, YouTube, Facebook, Zoom, and podcast worship events across the Diocese of Ohio, witnessing to the tenacious desire for Christian community that we share and to the remarkable creativity of so many in meeting it.
Thanks to the efforts of lay and clergy parochial leadership, all day long there were options available: services of Morning Prayer, Holy Eucharist, and special devotions, concluding with Zoom compline for youth and young adults, arranged by the Rev. Anna Sutterisch. I join your gratitude to all who have collaborated in this work.
With the increasingly restrictive health guidelines, particularly the stay-at-home instruction, some have asked about adjustments in providing worship opportunities. While I leave the decisions about what and how to offer worship on Sundays and weekdays up to each congregation, I encourage us to move toward fewer participants being in the same physical place. For those live streaming or prerecording a service, this may mean reducing the number of musicians or using previously recorded rather than live music, and limiting the number of liturgical participants or linking in contributors from separate venues. Perhaps Jesus’s words in Matthew 18:20 will provide a helpful target, “Where two or three are gathered together…” Remember that of equal importance to continuing this rich collection of worship options is the responsibility to model the behaviors we have been instructed to employ.
We have set up a new Basecamp page for clergy, wardens, and parish administrators which is beginning to be populated with helpful information, listed chronologically and by topic. To make certain that we have accurate names and emails for your wardens and parish administrators, please fill out the JotForm linked here.
Clergy should have received this afternoon an invitation from Betty Kondrich to attend one of three Pastoral Response to Crisis sessions with Jane Freeman, LISW, scheduled for this Wednesday, March 25, at 1:00, 3:00, and 7:30 pm. Please sign up for one on a first come basis, as directed in the email.
I reiterate that you are each other’s greatest resource. Reach out to one another for guidance, support, and companionship with online meetings in your parish and Mission Area. I have received inspiring reports of Zoom coffee hours, vestry members and volunteers calling parishioners to touch base, and coordinated card writing campaigns.
Finally, some have spoken of feeling guilty and helpless when hearing of friends, loved ones, and others who have been laid off or are suffering more than they. Of course, the power of evil wants to further isolate us with such feelings. Remember how Jesus taught that the sun rises and the rain falls on the just and the unjust equally. The faithful response to these inequities of life is to feel compassion, not guilt, and to reach out generously in both word and deed. To paraphrase St. Paul, nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, nor from one another, if we remain one in Christ and live into our vocation to be his body in the world.
With every blessing and prayer,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
Monday, March 23, 2020
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
In the wake of yesterday’s directive from Governor DeWine that all but essential personnel must stay at home, we continue adjusting to this dramatic change in pace, connectedness, and emotion. The Fourth Sunday in Lent revealed a great range of online, live streamed, YouTube, Facebook, Zoom, and podcast worship events across the Diocese of Ohio, witnessing to the tenacious desire for Christian community that we share and to the remarkable creativity of so many in meeting it.
Thanks to the efforts of lay and clergy parochial leadership, all day long there were options available: services of Morning Prayer, Holy Eucharist, and special devotions, concluding with Zoom compline for youth and young adults, arranged by the Rev. Anna Sutterisch. I join your gratitude to all who have collaborated in this work.
With the increasingly restrictive health guidelines, particularly the stay-at-home instruction, some have asked about adjustments in providing worship opportunities. While I leave the decisions about what and how to offer worship on Sundays and weekdays up to each congregation, I encourage us to move toward fewer participants being in the same physical place. For those live streaming or prerecording a service, this may mean reducing the number of musicians or using previously recorded rather than live music, and limiting the number of liturgical participants or linking in contributors from separate venues. Perhaps Jesus’s words in Matthew 18:20 will provide a helpful target, “Where two or three are gathered together…” Remember that of equal importance to continuing this rich collection of worship options is the responsibility to model the behaviors we have been instructed to employ.
We have set up a new Basecamp page for clergy, wardens, and parish administrators which is beginning to be populated with helpful information, listed chronologically and by topic. To make certain that we have accurate names and emails for your wardens and parish administrators, please fill out the JotForm linked here.
Clergy should have received this afternoon an invitation from Betty Kondrich to attend one of three Pastoral Response to Crisis sessions with Jane Freeman, LISW, scheduled for this Wednesday, March 25, at 1:00, 3:00, and 7:30 pm. Please sign up for one on a first come basis, as directed in the email.
I reiterate that you are each other’s greatest resource. Reach out to one another for guidance, support, and companionship with online meetings in your parish and Mission Area. I have received inspiring reports of Zoom coffee hours, vestry members and volunteers calling parishioners to touch base, and coordinated card writing campaigns.
Finally, some have spoken of feeling guilty and helpless when hearing of friends, loved ones, and others who have been laid off or are suffering more than they. Of course, the power of evil wants to further isolate us with such feelings. Remember how Jesus taught that the sun rises and the rain falls on the just and the unjust equally. The faithful response to these inequities of life is to feel compassion, not guilt, and to reach out generously in both word and deed. To paraphrase St. Paul, nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, nor from one another, if we remain one in Christ and live into our vocation to be his body in the world.
With every blessing and prayer,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
| A Message from Parish Nurses, Coronavirus |
A Message from Our Pastor
We at St. Paul's welcome you.
We hope to be able to greet you soon in person, because that is a lot more fun!
Should this be your first contact with St. Paul's or any Episcopal church, we invite you to explore the Seekers Center, which offers a detailed look at our traditions, practices and the application of our beliefs in today’s world.
Please join our church family to see us firsthand in all-encompassing, loving action.
Our Mission Statement:
St. Paul’s is a radically welcoming Episcopal community in downtown Canton,
grounded in faith, called by God’s Love to minister to the world.
St. Paul’s is a radically welcoming Episcopal community in downtown Canton,
grounded in faith, called by God’s Love to minister to the world.
Links below presently suspended.
...For More News,
Calendar,
and Upcoming Events
...For our newsletter,
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from St. Paul's"
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at St. Paul's"
Recently at St. Paul's:
Above: Members of Vestry for 2020, from left: Judy Arrington, David Lewis, Senior Warden; M.L. Schultze, Clerk; Karen Swope, Carol Sutek, Junior Warden; Dr. Richard Oloya, Patrick Weschler, Douglas Colmery, Treasurer. Photo by David Rotthoff.
Candlemas, February 2nd. Photos by David Rotthoff.
Above: Happy Anniversary to Dr. Richard and Dorothy Oloya ; Rick Senften and M.L. Schultze. Photos by David Rotthoff.
Above: Mt. Olive Baptist Church joined with St. Paul's to co-host the January 19th service in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King. Rev. Eric Howard (at right) was our guest preacher. Photos by Rick Senften and M.L. Schultze.
Above: images from last Sunday's Annual meeting, which took place following a hearty repast. Photographed by David Rotthoff.
Above: St. Paul’s and the MacDowell Music Club co-sponsored the St. Nicholas Balalaika Orchestra in concert Sunday, Jan. 12 at St. Paul’s. The orchestra has appeared at St. Paul’s many times in the past and has always been immensely popular with the public. Photos by David Rotthoff.
Above: Elegant treats and elegant music at Sunday, January 5th's Epiphany Tea. Photos by David Rotthoff.
St. Paul is back in the house! Photo by David Rotthoff.
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Saint Paul’s hosted Soprano Suzanne Woods on Wednesday, December 4 as part of the church’s Concert & Compline series. Under the title of Ding, Dong, it must be Christmas, Ms. Woods offered a program of Christmas gems and light selections of the season. Photo by David Rotthoff.
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Above, left: This December, Pete Taflan and family celebrated his 98th birthday. Congratulations, Pete!!! Right: Happy Birthday to Linda Kendrick as well! (Hi, Bill!)
Another Successful Year for Thanksgiving Baskets!!!
Below: Volunteers sort through thousands of donations that came into St. Paul’s for the annual Thanksgiving Baskets distribution on Nov. 23. More than 1,100 local families received turkeys and bags of food to prepare their Thanksgiving dinners.
The interfaith effort including churches, synagogues and mosques has been underway for 40 years. Photos courtesy of David Rotthoff.
Below: Volunteers sort through thousands of donations that came into St. Paul’s for the annual Thanksgiving Baskets distribution on Nov. 23. More than 1,100 local families received turkeys and bags of food to prepare their Thanksgiving dinners.
The interfaith effort including churches, synagogues and mosques has been underway for 40 years. Photos courtesy of David Rotthoff.
The Feast of all Saints, Solemn Evensong Rite II.
November 4th, 2019
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Canton. 150th Anniversary
St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, Massillon, 183rd Anniversary
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Canton, 65th Anniversary
Photos by David Rotthoff.
November 4th, 2019
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Canton. 150th Anniversary
St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, Massillon, 183rd Anniversary
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Canton, 65th Anniversary
Photos by David Rotthoff.
Below: Additional Evensong photos by Bill Rand, St. Mark's.
Below: video of the Solemn Evensong choral performance, courtesy of M.L. Schultze.
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Left: Jefferson McConnaughey, acclaimed organist from Columbus, performed at Wednesday night’s concert and compline on St. Paul’s E.M. Skinner organ, which has been restored by Kegg Pipe Organ Builders. McConnaughey’s selections included “The Last Chord,” a poem by Adelaide Anne Proctor set to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan. “ I have sought, but I seek it vainly, that one lost chord divine, Which came from the soul of the organ and entered into mine.” St. Paul’s offers concert and compline the first Wednesday evening of each month beginning at 7 pm. |
Above: Opening Remarks from Senior Warden David Lewis at St. Paul's 150th Anniversary Celebration Dinner on Saturday, October 26th. Photos by David Rotthoff.
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Left: Artisans from Radiant Arts removed the Lady Chapel window and another along the south wall this week to begin their restoration. The Lady Chapel story of the Annunciation and Nativity is the oldest in the church. The Beach City company’s work restoring the nearly 100-year-old windows began with the image of Saint Paul’s above the balcony. |
Below: More repair of stained-glass windows:
Photos by David Rotthoff
Below: October 3rd's Concert and Compline featured Erin Byrne, soprano, and Joanne Fox, dulcimer. Photo by David Rotthoff.
St. Paul's presence was very strong during its annual Hall of Fame Parade outreach on August 3rd. Early risers handed out doughnuts, bottled water, and good will to bystanders. Photo by David Rotthoff.
Housewarming party for Larry and Vicki Simpkins on Sunday, July 28
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On Sunday, July 7th, the African Children's Choir appeared at St. Paul's during their "Just as I Am" hymns tour, and performed a riveting concert of music and storytelling! Details below. Photos by David Rotthoff, videos courtesy of Rick Senften and M.L. Schultze.
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Praise, thanks and a joyful noise
For three days this week, the sounds and dreams of 16 children from Uganda are filling St. Paul’s. Thanks to Olivia Johnson, our church is hosting the African Children’s Choir on their “Just As I Am” North American tour, beginning with a concert that drew 125 people in out of the pouring rain Sunday night. Children from Canton stood on the pews to join their counterparts from the other side of the world in a combination of song, dance and story telling ranging from traditional Ugandan rhythms to “This Little Light of Mine.” But children weren’t the only ones moving -- and moved -- by the performance. The evening raised more than $900 to to sponsor the choir, which is part of Music for Life -- a program begun by Ray Barnett in Uganda, which was then dominated by dictatorship and war, 35 years ago. Today the ministry extends to a half-dozen African countries. And while music is its backbone, the goal is education -- of both the children and the world. The children, most ages 7-10, spend six months preparing for their nine-month tours. When they return home, they’ll attend boarding school through university graduation, an expense their families could never afford. From there, as they told the audience at St. Paul’s, they’ll become doctors, nurses,teachers, scientists, police officers. For Music for Life, the goal is that they’ll become leaders of their home countries, and help counteract the stereotypes of those countries as places hopelessly caught in poverty, tyranny and greed. In Canton, the children are spending their days at the church, doing school work, enjoying favorite meals (spaghetti, top of the list) prepared by Beth Paynter, Carol Sutek, Judy Arrington, Brenda Denning, Bonnie Frazier, Nancy Suba and others -- and rehearsing for their next stop in Columbus. They and their chaperones are staying with host families -- the newest “aunties” and “uncles” in their lives. |
For more on Music for Life and the African Children’s Choir,
go to africanchildrenschoir.com. |
On June 23, St. Paul’s marked our 150th anniversary, as well as the dedication of our current sanctuary 96 years ago, with a family friendly picnic and ice cream social!
Newcomers and old friends joined us for the service (below left), music, games, food and fellowship, church tours and glimpses of St. Paul’s (and greater Canton) over the years. The festivities began at 12:15 p.m. at the spot where St. Paul’s took root in Canton 150 years ago: 425 Cleveland Ave. SW (below right).
Newcomers and old friends joined us for the service (below left), music, games, food and fellowship, church tours and glimpses of St. Paul’s (and greater Canton) over the years. The festivities began at 12:15 p.m. at the spot where St. Paul’s took root in Canton 150 years ago: 425 Cleveland Ave. SW (below right).
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Below, far left: Well over one hundred people helped us celebrate these two very special occasions. Below, left: the Lilly family was among those competing in a photo scavenger hunt and other games celebrating St.Paul’s and the Episcopal church. Below, right: a barbershop quartet entertained. Below, far right: friends from Mt. Olive Baptist Church, who have been our partners on the Courageous Conversations discussion of racial reconciliation, joined us for the picnic and ice cream social.
Preserving the stained-glass story of St. Paul's
Photo courtesy of David Rotthoff
Update: Jim Foltz of Radiant Arts met with the congregation on May 26 to outline the most immediate needs to repair and reinforce the stained-glass windows that illuminate our sanctuary. The estimated cost is about $23,000. We've had pledges for approximately half the cost and the Vestry is launching a matching-gifts campaign.
St. Paul’s has had more than three-dozen windows installed over time. The high-altar window and its more than 10,000 piece of glass was installed by the time the church was consecrated in 1929. The last of the windows were dedicated in 1946.
The window depicting our namesake, St. Paul, looks down over the balcony. It was dedicated in 1936 to the late Rev. Walter McCowatt, the dynamic priest who led St. Paul’s for nearly two decades and built our current church. The window faces west, which means its been battered by wind, snow, rain, hail and everything else Mother Nature has thrown at it over the last 83 years. For a complete list of the windows and their subjects, please see the News page.
Photo courtesy of David Rotthoff
Update: Jim Foltz of Radiant Arts met with the congregation on May 26 to outline the most immediate needs to repair and reinforce the stained-glass windows that illuminate our sanctuary. The estimated cost is about $23,000. We've had pledges for approximately half the cost and the Vestry is launching a matching-gifts campaign.
St. Paul’s has had more than three-dozen windows installed over time. The high-altar window and its more than 10,000 piece of glass was installed by the time the church was consecrated in 1929. The last of the windows were dedicated in 1946.
The window depicting our namesake, St. Paul, looks down over the balcony. It was dedicated in 1936 to the late Rev. Walter McCowatt, the dynamic priest who led St. Paul’s for nearly two decades and built our current church. The window faces west, which means its been battered by wind, snow, rain, hail and everything else Mother Nature has thrown at it over the last 83 years. For a complete list of the windows and their subjects, please see the News page.
