Stewardship Update
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November 2007
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| We find ourselves at the beginning of the annual holiday season. There is still some Thanksgiving turkey in the frig, the lights and ornaments are ready to be put on the tree, the gift lists are being amended daily, and the holiday celebrations are filling our calendar. We pull out the cookie recipes and spend time reacquainting ourselves with grandma’s tried and true treats. Staying up all night to assemble a child’s bicycle is also a common tradition of parenthood. Why do we continue to spend our time doing all these little extras during the Christmas season? There is nothing quite like provoking the WOW! response of the wide-eyed gaze of a speechless child who has received the gift of his dreams, or the gratitude of the neighbor who feels blessed to be remembered. We also find ourselves at the beginning of a new Church liturgical year. John the Baptist proclaims to all of us, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” Luckily, we have the season of Advent specifically designed for this. We can read the wonderful story of Jesus’ early years in the first two chapters of Matthew. Admittedly we could twiddle our thumbs going through the numerous iterations of who begat whom. However, we would be much better off meditating on the wonderment of the lineage of Abraham to Christ. The generations of preparations which were necessary to produce our Savior should fill us all with gratitude. Let us also take Mary’s example of obedience to heart. May we all be able to tell God “May it be done to me according to your word.” As we go through the Advent season, let us take time to prepare to receive God’s gift to us. Perhaps we can spend time in quiet prayer, or go outside and marvel at a sunset, or even study the intricacies of a snowflake. We may be surprised when we encountered that WOW! response. Yet we needn’t be. After all, since God loves each of us, He has given us His Best, Jesus Christ. BACK TO TOP |
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DENISE WIELER
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| “When I walk into a Church, it takes my breath away. I want everyone to feel that way.” This is the precept which drives Denise Wieler to work on the Arts and Environment Committee. Anyone attending services at Queens has been privileged to enjoy the fruits of her labor. “I have a great crew,” Denise adds, when explaining how she manages to complete the major decorating jobs during the Christmas season. They also help design and produce the accents many of us take for granted during the Mass, or special services. Sacramental design was not always in Denise’s plan. She grew up in southern Missouri in a Pentecostal family. Her first encounter with Catholicism came as a teenager. Some girlfriends encouraged her to attend Mass with them. She was surprised that it was nothing like what she had been told about Catholics as a child. Yet she was not yet sold. That would come years later as she was trying to reconcile the place religion would have in the lives of her family which by now included four sons and a Catholic husband. The Assembly of God Church just didn’t feel right anymore. After a conversation with her brother, who had recently converted to Catholicism, Denise attended her first RCIA meeting at the urging of her husband and Maureen Kruse. “I came in with an attitude,” Denise recalls, but by the second meeting she felt that this is where she belonged. It was also at this time that she helped with her first Church Christmas decorating. As a member of Queens for the last eight years, Denise still feels the urge to “do it all.” In addition to helping design and build for the arts and environment group, she has helped do repairs around the parish. She has also served as an RCIA sponsor as well as been on the staff for three years. She also has worked with the RCIC program and co-taught with Generations of Faith. Working with the Knights of Columbus on their various projects is also a highlight. Her ministry as a Eucharistic Minister, however, holds a special place in her heart. She sometimes is close to tears of joy that she is able to share Communion with others. While she misses her extended family in Missouri, Denise feels she can never return. Queens is her home now, and all its members are her family, so she couldn’t bear to leave. We would also hate to see her go. BACK TO TOP |
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| Bonnie Helms |
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Today we are interviewing Bonnie Helms who is involved with Taizé services here at Queen of Apostles.
Bonnie what can you tell us about Taizé? Jan McGargill, my husband, Ron & I helped start Taizé (pronounced Ta zay’) to provide the community a time for quiet, to listen to God with our hearts. The service is ecumenical and all denominations are invited to participate. Taizé was founded at the beginning of World War II in Taizé, France by a young Swiss theologian named Roger Shutz who wanted to work for peace and help refugees by celebrating Christian unity. Taizé services have since developed as integral parts of many religious communities including Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox. Taizé has become famous for its simple, meditative music, and prayer. Many thousands of all faiths, especially young people, annually attend Taizé services. The church is darkened and a cross is illuminated with candles. A lighted candle can be symbolic of a prayer we’re holding in our heart. It can be symbolic of a loved one or a friend in need. The Taizé service begins with several chants. There is a Scripture reading. The point of the Scripture is to proclaim God’s word, to allow people to hear God’s word. Later in the service it will provide a source for people to meditate on. There’s no preaching at a Taizé service. We listen to God’s word and we offer our prayers. We don’t have a sermon or homily; it’s pure prayer in that way. For some people it’s a wonderful way of being united with everyone that attends. Taizé helps people come to an awareness of the unity we already share. We have a period of silence. The silence lasts about five minutes. What we try to provide here is a place and a space for people to encounter the presence of God in silence. Then we have intercessory prayer, and we believe that’s one of the greatest things we can do -- pray for each other and pray for peace. We open it up to those attending, allowing people to pray for whatever they feel they need to pray for. There is also time when those who wish may come forward to offer adoration and prayers before the cross, the focal point of the Taizé service. We end with three chants. Music can be very powerful. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, it can be very simple. And that is the whole point of worship music. It’s supposed to help people in their spiritual search. An excerpt from a column by Bruno Frappat, in “La Croix”, on Saturday 27 August 2005. “Watch the news of the day, of tragedies both collective and personal. Stress, ambitions, squabbles, battles over this and that, obsessions with money and power, risks of emotions, fluctuations of attachments, vacuity of the fashions and the trifles chattered about in the media: all the things that play themselves out far from Taizé, that roar and create a furor, cancel themselves out here.” We owe a huge part of this wonderful experience to our musicians Cindy Assmann, Rich Emsick, Sarah Clark and Jennifer Ranek, and to our readers Jan McGargill, Ron Helms and Art Hill. They are awesome, every one of them. Taizé services are held at Queen of Apostles at 5 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month. Those that have attended want to return. Truly, this is a personal time and event everyone should experience. We hope you will join us December 9th. BACK TO TOP |
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Ideas for stewards this month |
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Think of five things that you are thankful for this month and share them with your friends and family BACK TO TOP |
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My church is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is. It will be friendly, if I am. Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them. It will do great work, if I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver. It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship, if I invite and bring them. It will be a church of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, and a church with a noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these same things. Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of being all the things that I want my church to be. BACK TO TOP |
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To sign up your group or organization
call Wilma at rectory 323-2916 or email Queensstewardship@cox.net BACK TO TOP |
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Would you like to Nominate Someone for Steward of the Month? Do you have suggestions for What Should I Do? Your ideas for future issues are welcome. Contact the stewardship committee: Queensstewardship@cox.net BACK TO TOP |
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