Lay Ministry Schedule / Altar Guild / This Week At St. Paul's / Suggested Readings
Celebrating A Special Ministry
Sitting around the table at a staff meeting seven years ago, we all
tried to come up with a unique name for the newly formed job that Mary
Lou Williams Owens was beginning. After much thought, we decided that
because we couldn't come up with something that quite encompassed all
that she would do, we would temporarily call it the "artist/musician"
position. That ended up being the name of what became one of the more
unique positions held at St. Paul's!
Mary Lou's position was one that was loved by many for very different
reasons. One of her primary tasks was arranging and performing the music
at the Wednesday night contemporary services and other outdoor and less
formal services. Her beautiful voice, guitar music, and Celtic style
touched many, including the young children she sang with in the nursery
many Sundays throughout the school year.
Over the years, others remember the beautiful works of art that graced
the bulletin boards on the stairwells of the church. Mary Lou created
them all. It was amazing. She would take the readings of the liturgical
season, a piece of fabric or tablecloth, some sticks, leaves, greeting
cards, old ornaments, etc. and some pins, and suddenly there was this
exquisite three-dimensional work of art that would stop people in their
tracks.
The Ruth and Jesse Tree Service and the Christmas Pageant are two
fixtures at St. Paul's that have been around since before Mary Lou, and
are precious to many, young and old. In four bins up on the Sunday
School floor are some musty scraps of cloth, lengths of rope, chunks of
felt and pieces of glitter-adorned cardboard. Somehow, each Christmas,
Mary Lou would make these all come alive as costumes for both
celebrations. She would work her magic to make an old bathrobe look
convincingly like Joseph's robes and a piece of burlap like the cutest
donkey you have ever seen!
Mary Lou, over her seven years, has served us well. As our
artist/musician, she has worked her magic on everything from the floral
bouquets at Easter to displays of goods at the rummage sale. Many could
add to this short list of all that she has given. Everyone, however,
would agree that in addition to always being able to count on her time
and talents, those lucky enough to have worked alongside her also
benefited from her kindness and joyful spirit. Our interim rector said
it best when she said "I already miss her and I never even got a chance
to work with her!".
Help us celebrate Mary Lou's Ministry in the Parish Hall after the
service on April 24th!
GIFTS RECEIVED
It is amazing how
generous people are! The church receives many gifts which may go without
notice but they are always thanked by Maren Hustad. Maren writes notes
of gratitude in response to all gifts received but this time she would
have to write one to herself. In light of that, it seems appropriate
that we write one to her. Maren gave a generous personal donation and
another on behalf of her mother, Maren Moore, for the Floral Cross the
children decorated on Easter Sunday morning. We are grateful for making
that tradition happen once again this year.
A gift in the amount of $50,000 was received for the Heritage Fund from
the Maren Moore Trust. This generous gift has brought the balance in
that fund to a positive number and will allow future improvements in the
building, as needed. We are grateful.
A gift in the amount of $6,000 was received from the Elva B. and
Mitchell J. Sill Family Fund, a kind and generous gift.
We haven’t always had the opportunity to publish
receipt of monetary gifts but we hope to change that policy in the
future. Whenever possible we hope to acknowledge these gifts publicly so
that everyone will have the opportunity to express their appreciation.
If you are interested in information on how to leave a gift of money to
St. Paul’s in will, please call Laura Budd or Mark Danielson.
♪“They lived not only in ages past
. . .”♫
I dare say, among all the
saints at St. Paul’s, Sally Birk is the only one ever quoted in U.S.A.
Today. On 9/25, 2001, just two weeks after the 9/11 day none of us will
ever forget, U.S.A. Today published an article about those experiences
when time seems to stand still. Sally and others in the news story were
asked to compare their 1941 memories of Pearl Harbor, 12/7, with 9/11.
The emphasis was on how communications have changed so that we now have
instant film news coverage of history marking events. Sally recalled how
they heard the Pearl Harbor news on a Magnavox radio several hours after
the event, and then waited days to learn that her sister’s boyfriend had
survived the bombs. On 9/11 live news was on their car radio, television
and in an e-mail from South Africa where Tom Moberg’s family wrote about
experiences in Afghanistan, and everyone was speculating about
terrorism.
Between Pearl Harbor and the World Trade Center, Jack and Sally lived
the years that are now the history of their lives. They both lived in
Utah as young people. Sally was a cradle Episcopalian and in 1950 they
were married in her family church. Jack’s college degree in engineering
and Sally’s in dietetics gave them interesting work experiences in those
early years of their marriage. Jack engineered for U.S. Steel in the
mining industry in Utah and California. Sally enjoyed work for
Westinghouse and Stouffers related to health and nutrition and served
time overseeing executive dining facilities.
They have three daughters, Judy and Peg who grew up to take the law into
their own hands, and Marianne, a nurse who specializes in neo-natal
care. Judy’s shingle hangs in Oakland, CA, while Peg and Marianne have
addresses in Minneapolis.
Along with the family, Jack’s faith grew and in 1983, when his oldest
daughter was confirmed, Jack too committed his life to God in the
fellowship of the Episcopal Church. A little child often leads us to
places in our lives we might not have gone otherwise!
Other times, it’s bosses. US Steel moved the Birk family to Pittsburgh
in 1964. Up until that time Jack’s life had been in mineral exploration
related to mining; in Pittsburgh he found indoor work centered around
blast furnaces. By 1971, the taconite industry was booming and U.S.
Steel needed Jack in Duluth. This was the beginning of their lives as we
know them.
The skills that gave Jack success in his career have also been a
blessing to St. Paul’s. The combination of practical knowledge and a
considerate, thoughtful spirit have served us well as Jack accepted
leadership on the vestry, evangelism committee and many other church
service and outreach ministries at the local and diocesan level. In
serving through the church, Jack said he found that “The traditions of
our church give us connections to the past, and a road for the future.”
Both of the Birks have given time and talent to Duluth community groups.
A partial list of their interests includes the Northwood Children’s
Home, Salvation Army, Women’s Club, Boy Scout Council, Duluth/Superior
Community Foundation, St., Luke’s Hospital and the Depot Foundation.
Jack and Sally speak of all they value about St. Paul’s—especially the
many people who have inspired their lives, including fellow church
members and clergy. After 34 years in the pews, board rooms and
fellowship halls, with gratitude and deep affection, Jack said: “St.
Paul’s has become our family.” Here they have experienced that faith
means trust for God’s presence in the daily moments of life and hope for
the future—whatever difficult times may come.
As a wise elder, Jack encourages us to continue to emphasize the core
ministries of the church, especially the Sunday School and youth
programs. On the other end of life, Jack and Sally would remind us that
older church members need visits and other contacts that assure them
they are not forgotten. This has become a personal outreach for them.
Also important, there is the ministry of the Sacred Sunday Morning
Coffee Hour.
He remarked that it sometimes seems we have two separate
congregations—those at the 8:00 and 10:00 services. He urges both groups
to occasionally visit the other service to stay acquainted.
Now, as greatly loved and highly regarded senior saints at St. Paul’s,
Sally’s U.S.A. Today words are especially relevant: “It’s an entirely
different world,” she says, “You can’t help but be engrossed in it. You
realize history is being made.” While they now, by choice, serve in more
background ways, Sally and Jack’s presence and encouragement are as
important as the days they were active leaders of various groups.
The story of mankind is sometimes writ large, on international levels
among nations, where powerful men and women can change the world
forever—for good or ill. But perhaps the real story of mankind is writ
daily in local houses of faith, where servant men and women give
leadership and inspiration as we live our part of God’s love story
unfolding in our world.