Author: Mike Rhodes

BISHOPS AND PRIESTS AND DEACONS, OH MY!

In the Episcopal church we seem to have a lot of titles for our worship leaders and depending on what their job is at any given time may be called something different. Most churches of other faiths have a minister, sometimes called pastor, they may have bishops, that are over a large group of churches and you may hear someone referred as an elder or deacon but that is usually a layperson that is trained to do certain things. The Episcopal language is a little harder, if you are confused about who does what, keep reading.

Lets start with Bishops. Did you know that Episcopal means, pertaining to a Bishop or based on or recognizing a governing order of Bishops. Each bishop(who is also a priest) is the head of a diocese(sometimes called a see), which is a large group of parishes. St. Andrew’s is part of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania which has sixty-five parishes in seven convocations. A convocation just breaks down the diocese into smaller groups of churches. Bishop-elect Rev. Audrey Scanlan is our current bishop. Dioceses can also elect a Bishop Coadjutor, this is a Bishop that is given jurisdiction to assist and later to succeed the diocesan bishop. There is also a position known as a Suffragan Bishop, this bishop assists the diocesan bishop but does not have the right of succession. Our bishop-elect Rev. Audrey Scanlan is also a member of the House of Bishops which is part of the governing body of the national church. When is comes to the national church we have a Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, her nine year term will end soon and the new Presiding Bishop will be the Most Rev. Michael Curry. There is also the title of Archbishop, as in the Archbishop of Canterbury, this is a title used by the Church of England for bishops who are over all the dioceses in a country or large region .

Priests are the second of the three orders of the ordained ministry, they have been ordained by a bishop to administer the sacraments of the Church. Male priests are usually called Father and female priests are referred to as Mother, for example, Mother Barbara or Mother Carenda. Their job title can be rector as long as they are the head of a parish. They can also be a priest in charge , who is appointed by the bishop to head a parish that is without a rector. A vicar is a priest who is appointed by the bishop to head a mission (a parish that is being supported by the diocese). A Dean is a priest that is the head clergy of a cathedral or they could be the clerical head of a seminary. In our diocese we have a dean that is the head of each convocation. Mother Carenda is our curate, a curate can be a newly ordained priest that is working under a more experienced priest or in some larger parishes they would be an assistant rector. Other terms used in reference to a priest are presbyter, pastor, incumbent, chaplain, and archdeacon(this is a priest assisting the bishop in a special program), most of these titles are not used in conversation but they are nice to know when you want to impress your friends.

A Deacon is an ordained person charged particularly with a servant role in behalf of those in need, and to assist bishops and priests in the proclamation of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. Deacons are usually assigned to a parish by the bishop and work under the direction of the rector. It is not a paid position but they may get a stipend to cover expenses. There are two types of deacons, transitional and vocational. A transitional deacon is someone who is working toward becoming a priest, like Mother Betsy a couple of years ago and more recently Mother Carenda. A vocational deacon is someone called to the ministry of serving others. A good example is Deacon Wanda Klosa who helped start SPO and now is head of the diocesan program “ Feed my Sheep”.

As I stated before these titles and terms do not usually come up in general conversation but you will see them in bulletins for special services. Now you will know what they mean.

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DO YOU SPEAK EPISCOPALIAN?

If you are like me and part of the 70% that are not cradle Episcopalians you may be having a hard time understanding the language of the Episcopal Church. Don’t worry, you do not need Rosetta stone but you should study, observe and listen to learn to get the most out of your experience at church. Over the next few weeks I will be talking with you about some of the words and terms used in the Episcopal Church and answering some of the questions that you have had. My hope is that it will give you a deeper understanding of the Episcopal faith and help you enjoy the wonderful liturgy that it offers.

Let’s start with the red book with the gold cross that is found in every pew, “The Book of Common Prayer”. When King Henry VIII separated the Church of England from the authority of the Roman Catholic Church by the Act of Supremacy in 1534, it became necessary to revise the Church’s worship to reflect the change. The first edition went through revisions in 1552 and 1559 before its present authorized form, the 1662 version, was finalized. It remains the official Book of Common Prayer for the Church of England. In 1789 the United States Episcopal Church separated from the Church of England and published its first Book of Common Prayer, based on both the English and the Scottish prayer book. Revisions were made in 1892, 1928, and 1979, this is the version we use today.

Why do we have the Book of Common Prayer? The Book of Common Prayer is unique to Anglicanism. It contains a collection of worship services that all worshipers in an Anglican church follow. It provides a fixed framework but not a rigid one so that it can vary from church to church depending on their tradition and taste. Services though, tend to follow the same basic form, so on any given Sunday you could attend any Episcopal service (and likely any Anglican Church in the Communion) and recognize and participate in the service.

This framework is a great benefit to our worship experience. For each Christian season, the Book of Common Prayer lays out the form that the service should take, and provides the text for most of the prayers. A calendar of readings from the Scriptures, called the “Lectionary” lays out which biblical passages should be read each day. Typical services will mix reading, prayer, hymns and a sermon. In every case, while a priest leads the service, the congregation participates extensively with hymns, prayers, the creed, responses and psalms.

Besides this framework of worship services the Book of Common Prayer contains a wealth of information about our faith. Next Sunday, take a look at the table of contents. Like the Bible, I wouldn’t suggest reading it cover to cover but consider it a reference guide. Start with the preface, this gives you a lot of information about the Book of Common Prayer. Then go to page 845, An Outline of the Faith, or Catechism, at one time most of us have attended classes on this but it is always good to go back and refresh our memories. Want to know when Easter or other Holy days will be, go to page 880.

Then check out the Historical Documents of the Church (page 864), this is really good stuff, if you ever had doubts about your beliefs, this will change your mind.

The Book of Common Prayer is a treasure chest, full of devotional and teaching resources for individuals and congregations, but it is also the primary symbol of our unity. We are many and diverse, come together in Christ through our worship, our common prayer.

If you would like a copy to study at home, please ask for one or the 1979 Book of Common Prayer can be found online.

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ALLELUIA. “THE LORD IS RISEN” AND ST. ANDREW’S IS DONE , WELL ALMOST

It is Easter day, April 19,1908 and the first regular service is being held at St. Andrew’s.  Everyone is seated in the choir area since that is the only place that is finished.  Still it must have been exciting and a blessing to be out of the cramped space of the newspaper office that was known as the St. Andrew’s chapel.

In the weeks and months before this the pews and woodwork you see today were being made in the Phillips furniture factory.  Oak and chestnut lumber was used for the pews and woodwork, the lumber being cut from trees harvested from forests that surrounded the area.  The walls have been plastered directly over the stone and painted a light green.  Lights were hung from the ceiling but not the ones we have today, at the time they were just a white globe with one bulb.

Several months before this the stained glass windows would have been designed and ordered.   We know our windows were made in a craft factory just outside of London, England.  This was a large industry at the time, some companies employing over a hundred men. We know that our windows came from England and the area in which they came because of the yellow glass.  The area was known for making this color of glass and it was not allowed to be shipped anywhere else.  There were several factories making stained glass windows and unfortunately we have no records to tell us which one.

It would be another six months before the building was completely done.  On the next St. Andrew’s day, Monday, November 30, 1908 the building was consecrated.  As told by the News-Chronicle in an article written in 1940.  Bishop Darlington and his Chaplain, the Rev. John Costello of Waynesboro, were admitted to the church by J. Clifford Phillips and Joseph Mifflin, wardens.  Mr. Phillips, who gave the church building as a memorial to his mother, read the instrument of donation and the Rev. Alexander McMillan of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Carlisle, read the charter of incorporation. The Bishop celebrated Holy Eucharist and preached The Rev. E. V. Collins and Rev M.A. Thathen,

newly-appointed rector, both participated in the service and made brief addresses.  Peter Neff, Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Coy and Miss Kathleen Reed were confirmed at the service.

I often wonder what people thought as they walked up the smooth sandstone steps and in the front doors for the first time.  To walk in and smell the fresh plaster and new paint.  To sit on pews that no one had ever sat on and to look up to see the wood panels with the different crosses.  To see the reredos and a wood altar lighted with candles.  To look around to see the stained glass and see the light shining through.

When I started attending here about fifteen years ago, I walked up those same steps, well-worn from hundreds of footsteps.  I walked through the same doors that John Phillips had built just for this church.  I saw the oak pews, a little worn after ninety some years, the painted walls now an off white and peeling in places, the chestnut wall panels and the hand craved altar.  I saw light shining through the stain glass and knew it was something special.  I knew I had found a home.

I would like to know what you thought the first time you walked in the front doors.  It doesn’t matter if you have been coming here forty years or your first time was last week.  A few things have changed, the sandstone steps are covered up with stone pavers, the walls were painted a few years ago, new hymnal racks were installed but things are pretty much the way they were.  E-mail me what you thought, it just might make a good vergers voice.

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THE CONSTRUCTION OF ST. ANDREWS

On June 8, 1906 work on the construction of St. Andrews began in earnest.  John Gruver’s crew began digging the footers and the interior of the basement.  You have to remember that in 1906 there were no backhoes and although some heavy equipment was in use at the time you would not find them in a small town.  So the crew dug by hand, one shovel full at a time.  If you have ever been in the basement of the church you would have noticed there is only what was needed to be dug out .  In the library there are scrapbooks of the history of the church, there is a picture of the crew that did the building.  I always found it interesting that John Gruver’s great great grandson, Tim Gruver, is now the person who takes care of our plumbing and heat and cooling equipment.

By July 10, 1906 stone had been laid up high enough for the cornerstone to be installed.  The Rt. Rev. James Henry Darlington, Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg, The Rev. Mr. Gable of Renova and the Rev. Mr. Collins participated in the ceremonies.  The choir from Trinity Chambersburg also took part.

When it came time to lay the stone Bishop Darlington took a hammer and struck the stone three times, while saying.  “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen”  “I lay the cornerstone of an edifice to be here erected by the name of St. Andrew’s Church, to be devoted to the service of Almighty God, according to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Holy Catholic Church (commonly called the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.)

“Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, even Jesus Christ; who is God over all, blessed for evermore, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, Amen.”

As work progressed, more and more limestone was hauled in by wagon from a quarry close to Chambersburg.  Each stone would have been cut and trimmed by hand using a two pound hammer and chisel.  Then each stone would have been carried up a wooden ladder to where ever the mason would be working.  I am sure that once they were working on the towers and got past the wall line that they would have used a pulley system to makes things a little easier.  I have worked in the construction industry for over forty years on buildings much larger than our church and I cannot imagine how they did it without the power equipment we have now.  Something I find interesting is that in the front tower the rooms get larger as they go up.  This is because they used larger stones for the first floor and smaller stones as they went up.  At each floor level the size of the stones change, this allows for a place for the floor joist to rest and makes the wall appear to go up straight. The bell tower room on the third floor is about four inches larger than the first floor room.

Work on the building continued for the next year, then on August 30, 1907 which would have been the date of the feast of St. Andrews, John Phillips could not wait any longer and the first service was held.  The church was far from finished, scaffolding took up most of the interior space, and there were no pews or wood trim. Slate was still being put on the roof and the walls were just beginning to be plastered.  So the service was held in what we now know as the sacristy.  Rev. Collins led the service and it was reported that four families attended.  It would be another eight months before another service was held here.

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WHAT TO BRING TO A CHURCH POTLUCK

Potluck dinners have been a tradition here at St. Andrews not only right after the late service but in the evenings for many years. Sometimes it was because we were having a meeting and it is hard to complain after a big meal but most times it was just to get together and have some fun.  We have got away from having potlucks like we used too and that is sad.  It is a great way to come together, sample a lot of different foods and talk to people we wouldn’t have a chance to otherwise.

Potluck dinners can be a bit of a concern, especially if you have not been to many, but don’t worry it is easier than you think.  Whatever you decide to bring, make a dish that is large enough for a large family gathering (think Christmas dinner at your house for your whole family).  Most potlucks are made up of three courses, commonly referred to as dishes.  They could be an old family recipe, something you just like to make, or something you thrown together at the last minute, just remember there is never a bad potluck dish.

Here are some ideas for our next potluck that have been taken from the Episcopal Handbook.

THE SALAD

Potluck salads are quite different from actual salads.  In preparation for making a potluck salad, ask yourself three questions:

Is this dish mostly meat-free?

Can this dish be served with a spoon or salad tongs?

Can it be served chilled?

If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, consider the dish a potluck-eligible salad.

The mixture is the foundation of any potluck salad.  It gives the salad a sense of direction.  If at all possible, use ingredients that are available around here.  For example, broccoli, lettuce, apples, macaroni, and candy bars are always good.  Don’t forget the crunchy stuff the component that gives life and pizzazz to an otherwise bland salad.  Examples: tortilla chips, shoestring potato crisps, onion crisps, and fried pork rinds.  The glue is what holds the salad together.  The variety of available types is stunning, ranging from a traditional oil-based salad dressing to mayonnaise and non-dairy whipped topping.  Use your imagination.

Note: Some salads are best when made well in advance and allowed to sit overnight. This is called marinating or controlled decomposition.  Do not use actual glue adhesive.  Other salads are best prepared immediately before serving.

THE CASSEROLE

This is usually a three-layered dish but more is better, then again it could be just all mixed together. In order to make your casserole special use the following guidelines.  The starch could be rice, pasta, potatoes, tater tots, noodles, more tater tots, grits, black, red or pinto beans or if you happen to be from the west coast, tofu.  Any kind of meat can be used like sausage, chicken, ground beef, spam, pork, shrimp or fish and again if you hail from the west coast you may use tofu. Then you have to have a crunchy top, corn flakes are good or refer back to the salad section.  The starch and meat may be mixed with a cream-based soup but the crunchy stuff is always placed on the top of the casserole.

THE DESSERT

The most highly valued dish at a potluck, this can be the simplest and most fun to make.  There are two key ingredients.

1. Flour
2. Fudge
3. As my favorite travel channel host always says, if it looks good, eat it and we will at our next potluck.
4. Any combination of flavored gelatin, shredded carrots, mini-marshmallows, and canned pears is an acceptable utility dish should you be unable to prepare one from the above categories.
5. Always follow safe food-handling guidelines.
6. Use caution when preparing a dish. Adding local ingredients to any meat, salad, dessert can increase the fellowship factor of your potluck exponentially.
7. BE AWARE
8. Things like: fudge brownies with fudge frosting, triple-fudge fudge with fudge sauce and a side of fudge, cheesecake with fudge drizzle

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WAS ROBIN WILLIAMS RIGHT, ARE WE REALLY CATHOLIC LITE?

Robin Williams was one of the most popular comedians of the twentieth century.  An outstanding stand-up comedian where his improvisational skills and impersonations were extraordinary.  He also starred on TV, remember Mork and Mindy and his film credits include Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting and Patch Adams.

Williams was raised in a parish in suburban Detroit and being the person he was he was never timid about making fun of his WASP roots.  During an interview he said “I’m an Episcopalian, It’s Catholic Lite—same rituals, half the guilt.  He also came up with the “Top Ten Reasons to be an Episcopalian” that you might have seen on the back of a tee shirt.

Are we really Catholic Lite?  Well, it is a good joke but it is also a very good description.  The Episcopal Church is a descendant of the Church of England, whose roots are intertwined with the Roman Catholic Church.  A little over 500 years ago the Church of England split from the Catholic Church over a variety of reasons and it is something that both churches have been working to heal. Many of our rituals, traditions and ways of believing in Christ come from our Catholic roots and for that we are indebted.

TOP TEN REASONS TO BE AN EPISCOPALIAN

10. NO SNAKE HANDLING

Well, maybe only during the “Blessing of the Animals” around the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4^th) Just don’t tell Mother Barbara your bringing one, let it be a surprise!

9. YOU CAN BELIEVE IN DINOSAURS

Many Episcopalians hold to the idea that science and religion are not opposed to one another , but rather are complementary.  In simple terms science tells us how, while religion tells us why.

8. MALE AND FEMALE GOD CREATED THEM; MALE AND FEMALE WE ORDAIN THEM

Some churches still don’t but aren’t you glad we do?

7. YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHECK YOUR BRAINS AT THE DOOR

The Episcopal Church isn’t easy, we want you to think, learn and ask questions.

6. PEW AEROBICS

Stand up, sit down, kneel, stand up, sit down, kneel after an hour of this who needs to go to the gym?

5. CHURCH YEAR IS COLOR-CODED

Easter, white ; Holy week, red ; Lent, purple ; Epiphany, green ; Christmas, white; Advent Purple or Blue ; Pentecost, green

4. FREE WINE ON SUNDAY

Just one of the many blessings.

3. ALL OF THE PAGEANTRY- NONE OF THE QUILT

You have to admit a large procession is awe inspiring.

2. YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO SWIM TO GET BAPTIZED

A little water goes a long way.  Water is a ancient symbol of cleansing and deliverance .  The Lord uses it to wash away sins and make us new.  Water itself can’t do it, but it is the tangible symbol of the invisible power of God’s forgiveness and acceptance.

AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON

1. NO MATTER WHAT YOU BELIEVE, THERE’S BOUND TO BE AT LEAST ONE OTHER EPISCOPALIAN WHO AGREES WITH YOU.

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THE ST. ANDREW’S CHAPEL

In 1903 Howard L. Mitten moved to Shippensburg from Hagerstown Md to become the editor and publisher of The Shippensburg Chronicle.  Mr. Mitten, a lifelong Episcopalian soon found a small Episcopal mission getting started.  The mission needed a place to meet and Howard had a spare office next to the press room of his business.  St. Andrew’s Chapel was born.

On April 29, 1904 the Articles of Association were signed formally creating St. Andrew’s mission.  On that same day services were held for the first time in the Chapel.  It must have been a little strange to worship next to a printing press, stacks of newspaper and cans of ink but as they say it is not where you worship, it’s how you worship.  This would have to do for the members of St. Andrew’s for the next four years.

The room was arranged very simply, with a table for an altar covered with a cloth.  A cross was placed in the center with candles on each side.  Later on the table was replaced with the altar from the Greencastle mission, which was forced to close.  An organ for the chapel was donated by a Miss McNalty of Chambersburg.  Mr. Mitten was the first organist.  The chapel also received a loan of a communion set belonging to the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania.

St. Andrew’s Mission got off to a slow start.  Before the chapel, attendance at the Reform Church was less than five families.  Once the chapel was opened attendance was usually less than twenty and collections were under a dollar.  Over the years these numbers did not increase much until the late thirties.

Between 1904 when the mission was organized and 1906, John Phillips, Howard Mitten and a couple others were drawing up plans of how to build a permanent church building. In late 1905 a plot of ground on the corner of Burd and Prince Streets was purchased. At the time of purchase there was a livery stable there.  A sketch was prepared by T J Brererton, a member of Trinity in Chambersburg.  The building was described in old papers as 50 feet wide and 100 feet long with a battlement tower rising from the front entrance.  It is said that the building was modeled after a Cathedral in England.

Ground breaking took place on June 8,1906 and the construction crew of John Gruver , a stone mason from Mongel, a small village just outside of Shippensburg received the first load of stone.  Work has begun!

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THE PHILLIPS LEGACY

In 1902 with the prodding of Bishop Talbot and Archdeacon Radcliffe, Rev. J.C. Collins, the new rector of Trinity was asked to look into starting an Episcopal Church in Shippensburg. Episcopal missions had been started in Waynesboro, Greencastle and Blue Ridge Summit and now was the time for Shippensburg Collins found an ally in John Clifford Phillips.

John Clifford Phillips was born in Bellefonte Pa. , the son of John and Emily Phillips. The Phillips had English roots and were wealthy for the times. Cliffy, as he was known by his friends, spend most of his boyhood days in Washington DC and later in life lived in New York City. It is unknown where and how he met and married his wife Retta Kelso Phillips but in 1893 they came to Shippensburg and John and his brother-in-law Samuel Kelso formed a partnership. Under the name of Phillips and Kelso they purchased the old foundry and machine shop on Washington St. and began a carriage and wagon business. After Samuel Kelso’s retirement, Phillips enlarged the plant and equipped it for the manufacture of furniture.

In 1901 the furniture factory of John E. Boher was destroyed by a fire. Boher’s plant was located just behind what is now the Christ Methodist Church, at the time it was the Methodist Episcopal Church. After the fire the Boher and Phillips partnership was formed and furniture continued to be made in the plant owned by Phillips. The business saw steady growth with shipments of fine furniture being sent up and down the east coast.

John Clifford Phillips was a cradle Episcopalian who had learned the teachings of the church very well. He was well regarded in the Diocese and had many friends in the Episcopal Church not only in the United States but in England. His brother was a Priest in the Washington DC area. With his backing services were held starting in 1901 in the Reformed Church by Bishop Talbot and Archdeacon Radcliffe and later Rev. Collins. When the Reform Church wasn’t available the Presbyterian Chapel was used and other times services were held in private homes. During this time Rev. Collins was named rector and Phillips was appointed treasurer of this unnamed mission.

In 1903 it was decided that a formal church organization should be set up and on April 29, 1904 papers were signed by Rev. Collins, Howard Mitten, John Phillips, Samuel Gamble and Joseph Mifflin. After many names were proposed John Phillips suggested St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church as a compliment to the large Scotch element in the community. Also on this date the first service was held in the new St. Andrew’s chapel, a room setup next to the press room of the local newspaper, The Shippensburg Chronicle, located on South Earl Street but that is another story.

After the mission church was started John Clifford Phillips saw the need for a building of its own but with the small number of members it would be impossible to raise enough money to build one. So he decided to finance the land and building on his own. Being a very humble man he devised a plan to finance the church where everyone would think the money came from the Diocese. Today this might be considered money laundering but what he did was brilliant. It had been figured that $10,000 was needed to start, that would be about $263,200 in today’s money. So he arranged to send a bank draft in the amount of $10,000 to the Men’s Thank Offering, a diocese program to help new churches, and they in turn would send a check back to him as treasurer of St. Andrew’s in the same amount. He managed to finance the land, $2000 and the church $12,000 in this manner without anyone locally knowing.

Besides financing the building of the church, John was very active in the affairs of the church. Besides being the first treasurer, he served on vestry and was an active lay reader. He also filled the pulpit when the rector was unable to be present and between rectors. As I mentioned before John Phillips was highly trained in the liturgy of the Episcopal Church and many times young priests were sent here to receive training from him. He did all this up to his death in 1925.

Even after his death St. Andrew’s still benefited. On April 20, 1930 his wife Anna Margareta Phillips dedicated the Molar pipe organ in John’s name. In 1992 proceeds from the Phillips estate paid for the building of the first part of the Parish Life Center and to present day an endowment in the Phillips family name is held by the Diocese for our use. We owe a lot to the memory of John Clifford Phillips.

Note: Since this has been written I have come to find out that John Phillips met and married Anna Margareta Kelso here in Shippensburg.

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