That Man in the Stained Glass Window

As you enter All Saints' Chapel in Sewanee, Tennessee, a commanding figure looks down from a stained glass window on the left wall. This figure is not Jesus, or Mary, or any of the Apostles. He was not a priest or a bishop or a missionary to some far-flung corner of the earth. No -- he is William Wilberforce, a baptized person who took his baptism seriously.

It's a little early in the church year for me to be discussing the life of William Wilberforce, since his commemoration on our calendar is July 30. But I feel I must say a word, because the new movie "Amazing Grace" depicts his life and times. If it were July 30, I would probably be quoting the Episcopal commemoration of this hero of the faith. In part, it goes like this:

"The life of William Wilberforce refutes the popular notion that a politician cannot be a saintly Christian, dedicated to the service of humanity. Wilberforce was born into an affluent family in Hull, Yorkshire, England on August 24, 1759, and was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge. In 1780, he was elected to the House of Commons, and he served in it until 1825. He died in London, July 29, 1833, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

"His conversion to an evangelical Christian life occurred in 1784, several years after he entered Parliament. Fortunately, he was induced by his friends not to abandon his political activities after this inward change in his life, but thereafter he steadfastly refused to accept high office.

"He gave himself unstintingly to the promotion of overseas missions, popular education, and the reformation of public manners and morals. He also supported parliamentary reform and Catholic emancipation. Above all, his fame rests upon his persistent, uncompromising, and single-minded crusade for the abolition of slavery and the slave-trade. That sordid traffic was abolished in 1807. He died just one month before Parliament put an end to slavery in the British dominions."

Good line in the movie: Wilberforce says, "God has found me. Do you know how inconvenient that is?"

Here is the prayer for the day on which we remember this man in the stained glass window:

"Let your continual mercy, O Lord, kindle in your Church the never-failing gift of love, that, following the example of your servant William Wilberforce, we may have grace to defend the poor, and maintain the cause of those who have no helper; for the sake of him who gave his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Pilgrims and Seekers

During this holy season of Lent, we hear of people making pilgrimages to the Holy Land. If we make this pilgrimage, we will be in a two-thousand-year line of people who have been traveling to that destination. Many such people will be traveling in the footsteps of Egeria, a nun (abbess?) who probably went there in about 381-384 A.D. Egeria was apparently in Jerusalem during Holy Week and Easter. Here are some of her observations concerning the differences in Lenten practices:

"When the season of Lent is at hand, it is observed in the following manner. Now whereas with us the forty days preceding Easter are observed, here [that is, in Jerusalem] they observe the eight weeks before Easter. This is the reason why they observe eight weeks: On Sundays and Saturdays they do not fast, except on the one Saturday which is the vigil of Easter, when it is necessary to fast. Except on that day, there is absolutely no fasting here on Saturdays at any time during the year. And so, when eight Sundays and seven Saturdays have been deducted fom the eight weeks -- for it is necwessary, as I have just said, to fast on one Saturday -- there remain forty-one days which are spent in fasting, which are called here 'eortae,' that is to say, Lent.

"This is a summary of the fasting practices here during Lent. There are some who, having eaten on Sunday after the dismissal, that is, at the fifth or the sixth hour, do not eat again for the whole week until Saturday, following the dismissal from the Anastasis. These are the ones who observe the full week's fast. Having eaten once in the morning on Saturday, they do not eat again in the evening, but only on the following day, on Sunday, that is, do they eat after the dismissal from the church at the fifth hour or later. Afterwards, they do not eat again until the following Saturday, as I have already said. Such is their fate during the Lenten season that they take no leavened bread (for this cannot be eaten at all) no olive oil, nothing which comes from trees, but only water and a little flour soup. And this is what is done throughout Lent."

Obviously Egeria was not accustomed to such austerity. Neither are we.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Hearing the Children's Voices

One of my dear hopes for The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek is that we will be home to families with young children. Children are so new to the world that their candor is often refreshing (or embarrassing, depending on your point of view).

Children are some of the best theologians on the planet, and their questions often come in a torrent. This did not go unrecognized by Gayle Boss, a mother of two who gives us this insightful poem:

One Day's (Theological) Questions

Do you love me
Mommy and why
do the clouds move
is the moon
following me
where is God now?

Why can't the man walk
is it night time
and how do you know
when it's day
will the lost kitty stay
is it Christmas?

Is there a monster
in the closet
under the stairs is there
snow in heaven
will you let me
lie in your bed?

Will you stay with me
if the car breaks
will I die and why
do you have those cracks
in your face Mommy
tell me why.

Jesus loves the little children.


Pastor Linda
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Serving at St. Mark's, Woodbine

Beginning today at 11:00 a.m., I will be serving at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Woodbine, Georgia every other Sunday through June 3. On the Sundays between those dates, I will be serving at King of Peace in Kingsland. This will keep me from getting "rusty" in advance of beginning services at The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek.

Those scheduled dates at St. Mark's are:

February 25
March 11
March 25
April 8 (Easter Day)
April 22
May 6
May 20
June 3

St. Mark's is a lovely church on the left of Highway 17 just after you cross the bridge into Woodbine, the county seat of Camden County. From some historic information provided to me, I have distilled a few facts about the church building and its people.

In 1900, the men of the community purchased timber from the local mills at Satilla Bluff and began to construct the church on grounds given in 1898 by a Dr. Bedell. They used ballast rock from sailing ships for reinforcement at strategic locations throughout the building. The outside walls are tabby, which was made from burned oyster shells extracted from the waterways of Camden County.

The stained glass windows were a gift of a church in England, and the processional cross was given in memory of Dr. Charles H. Lee, a nephew of General Robert E. Lee. Most of the current parishioners are from families who have kept the church going for many years. Some of them might remember the time in 1953 when the Georgia Highway Department wished to construct a new bridge across the Satilla River forHighway 17. Since the church was too close to the construction site, the Highway Department moved the church several feet to the east from its original location.

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek will make history as the seventy-second church in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. Until that begins, I will be pleased twice a month to serve this other historic church -- St. Mark's Woodbine.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Walking A Sacred Path

Today I will spend the morning in a labyrinth retreat led by Victoria Logue at King of Peace Episcopal Church in Kingsland, Georgia. Victoria has had formal training in leading such a retreat, and I am looking forward to sacred time.

While most churches have to either buy or rent a labyrinth for such occasions, King of Peace is blessed to have the labyrinth pattern set in beautiful ceramic tile as a part of the church floor. This is in keeping with ancient tradition that goes back at least as far as about 1200 A.D., when the labyrinth design was laid into the floor of the nave of Chartres Cathedral in France. The design in Chartres, like the one at King of Peace, is round and measures forty-two feet in diameter. The Chartres labyrinth was installed at a time when pilgrims could not get to the Holy Land because of the crusades and other social ills. Walking the labyrinth became a symbolic way to be on pilgrimage in a safer environment.

The Rev. Lauren Artress at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco has for many years spearheaded a movement to get us to rediscover the labyrinth. Churches and retreat centers across America have taken up the cause as a way to get us to pray more and spend more quiet time with God. I hope you can find and walk a labyrinth during this holy season of Lent. If you do, slowly and thoughtfully take your prayer concerns to the middle, leave them with God, and walk out free of them. It's a happy pilgrimage.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Distractions in Prayer

I was at it bright and early -- praying my Daily Office of Morning Prayer. But somehow today, I allowed a distraction. In fact, I was so distracted that I had to take pictures of my distraction. "But," I thought, "this distraction could actually be an enhancement to my prayers. That line in Psalm 95 that says, 'The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands have molded the dry land' -- this distraction illustrates that line."

The distraction was so lovely I had to share it. This gives a whole new dimension to "Sunrise on the Marsh."

Please -- don't let anything distract you from your prayers.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Silence in a Noisy World

Who or what sets the agenda for your inner thoughts? Is it the media, either electronic or print? On the way to work, do you listen to radio programming that raises your blood pressure? How often do you get alone with your own thoughts?

The Desert Fathers recommended silence as the safest way to find God. From The Sayings of The Desert Fathers, we hear stories about the joys of silence: Abba Arsenius, who had been a wealthy Roman educator before finding God in the Egyptian desert, said, "I have often repented of having spoken, but never of having remained silent."

One day Archbishop Theophilus came to the desert to visit Abba Pambo. But Abba Pambo did not speak to him. When the brethren finally said to Pambo, "Father, say something to the archbishop, so that he may be edified," he replied: "If he is not edified by my silence, he will not be edified by my speech."

Silence is the place where we can get alone with our own thoughts. Silence is the place where we let God set the agenda for our lives. The Desert Fathers believed that silence has a three-fold benefit. Silence makes us pilgrims. Silence guards the fire within. The Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh understood this:

"There may be a great fire in our soul, yet no one ever comes to warm himself at it, and the passersby only see wisp of smoke coming through the chimney, and go along their way. Look here, now what must be done? Must one tend the inner fire, have salt in oneself, wait patiently yet with how much impatience for the hour when somebody will come and sit down -- maybe to stay? Let him who believes in God wait for the hour that will come sooner or later." (The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh.)

Finally, silence teaches us to speak, filled with the power of God's silence. If you want other people to really hear what you say, try working periods of silence into your life. This season of Lent is the perfect time for that.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

"Let The Oppressed Go Free"

On this Ash Wednesday, 2007, do you want to start thinking the way God thinks? Try these verses from Isaiah:

"Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Then your light shall break forth like he dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say,
Here I am." [Isaiah 58:6-9a, NRSV]


Pastor Linda
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Red Sky at Morning

Here are some sunrise pictures I took at approximately 6:30 this morning. I thought they could wait for another day, but decided they were too good to keep.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Splurging on Fat Tuesday

Decisions, Decisions! What are you giving up for Lent? Or are you taking on some discipline? Today is the last day to think about that. Ash Wednesday will be here in less than eighteen hours. At the Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek, we are offering a 7:00 a.m. Ash Wednesday service tomorrow. This will get you off to a good start.

Tomorrow we will be invited, "in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word."

We have not officially "launched" the church yet -- that is coming in the fall of this year. Right now, so few people know about the church that it would not be fair to the community to begin having regularly scheduled services. We want everyone to have a fair chance to be a charter member, but from time to time we will have services that will be publicized.

So, today, please make plans to attend the service tomorrow morning. Today, decide about your Lenten discipline. Some people give up chocolate. If Chocolate comes between you and God, then by all means give it up. If you decide to give up chocolate, there will be no fudging after tomorrow.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Easter Day 2036

Look out for April 13, 2036. It is the predicted doomsday if we don't head off an asteroid that is coming straight at earth. Yes, Apophis is coming. It has a 1 in 45,000 chance of hitting the earth head-on. Depending on the point of impact, a lot of people could be in a lot of trouble.

Looking ahead in the Church Calendar, I find that April 13, 2036 is Easter Day (Book of Common Prayer, page 883). I offer this as food for thought on this crisp winter morning in 2007.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Great Day to Build a Habitat House

So, OK, I admit the thermometer on my back porch says it is 32 degrees Fahrenheit , but the powerful winter sun is shining brightly this morning. It's a great day to go out and work on the Habitat for Humanity House in St. Mary's. This house is sponsored financially and physically by twelve area churches. I will be joining with The Rev. Frank Logue and others from our "mother church" -- King of Peace Episcopal Church in Kingsland. In two or three previous days of building, other workers on this "Apostles' Build" have the house under roof. Today is "siding day" and we hope to get a lot done.

If you would like to join us, the house is located at the end of Douglas Drive. If you are coming from I-95, head east on Laurel Island Parkway which becomes Colerain Road, and follow it to the end of Colerain. Turn right and take an immediate left onto Douglas Drive. You still have time to join us. We plan to get there at 9:00 a.m.

If you miss today's efforts, try again next Saturday. We will build on Saturdays until the house is finished, but we hope that won't be very long. Don't miss this opportunity to provide housing for a deserving family. It will warm your heart.

Pastor Linda
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creeki
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Prayer Changes People

Today I will be gathering at Honey Creek with ordained women from around the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. We have been invited by the Episcopal Church Women to celebrate the fact that in 1976, the Episcopal Church said yes. Yes, we could be ordained. Today's celebration is more than ya-ya sisterhood. It is an opportunity to share our ideas and find ways to spread God's grace further in the world.

I will be thinking in particular about The Very Rev. David Collins, who brought down the gavel on the vote in 1976. The Episcopal Church U.S.A. had assembled its representatives for its convention, which takes place every three years. David Collins was Chair of the House of Deputies that year. For some time there had been bitter debate over whether women could be ordained. The crowd was divided, and it was easy to tell who was on which side. They were wearing buttons to show where they stood.

In his book, There Is A Lad Here, David says that his committee had asked for five minutes of silence to be built into the schedule. They had been refused that request, so they cut short their own presentation. This left the five minutes of silent prayer in the right spot -- just before the vote. According to David, even the media reported that a holy hush fell on the place. When the silence was ended, the votes were cast and it was determined that women could be ordained. We often hear that "prayer changes things." In this example we learn that prayer changes people.

I once had an opportunity to meet David Collins and thank him in person. What he did that day was grace-filled. I pray that my ordination will bring grace to a world that craves God's touch.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Poems of Grace

Do you sing in church? Good on you. Those who sing pray twice. If you do not sing in church, what barrier could we break down for you? Do you not know the music? Or are you so lost in reading the text of the hymn that you never get with the rythym of the tune? Whether you fit into the singing or non-singing category, I have a suggestion for you that will enhance your hymn-singing forever. It's a thick little red volume called "Poems of Grace." Poems of Grace is simply the texts of The Hymnal 1982, the Episcopal Hymnal in current use.

Because the Text Committee of that hymnal, headed by The Rev. Marion J. Hatchett, was careful that each text could stand alone, we have a treasure here. If you pick up one of these hymnals you will find that the hymns are grouped into sections for the church year. They are also grouped into categories such as "Holy Eucharist", "Praise to God", "Jesus Christ our Lord", and "Christian Responsbility", to name a few.

Another aspect of Poems of Grace is that texts range from ancient to modern. We have texts that were translated out of Greek and Latin, and then we have hymns that were written by modern writers. I define "modern" as "writers who are still living." Beyond that we have "Contemporary Christian Music" which must be sung and lived with for a while before it gets established in an Episcopal Hymnal.

Side by side in Poems of Grace you will find "Christ whose glory fills the skies" by 18th century writer Charles Wesley; and "Morning has broken" by Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965). You will recognize this hymn from an old Cat Stevens recording. Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are also fond of this text.

So, even if you don't "sing in church" you can let your spirit soar by reading the texts of The Hymnal 1982. You can find your own to purchase at www.churchpublishing.org. Truly, they are Poems of Grace.

Pastor Linda
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Finding True Love

Have you found the love of your life? Congratulations. Here is some advice from St. Paul, a bachelor, on how to treat that person:

Love is patient;
Love is kind;
Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way;
It is not irritable or resentful;
It does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. . . .
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three;
And the greatest of these is love. [from 1 Corinthians 13]

And, may I add -- "God is love, and where true love is, God himself is there." [The Hymnal, No. 576]

Happy Valentine's Day.


Pastor Linda
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Valentine Addressed To God

It's not too late. You can still send a Valentine to God. You don't have to order flowers or go to the Hallmark Store. You can simply carve some heart-shaped time out of your busy day to be still and know that God is God.

The good news about this Valentine to God is that it doesn't cost you a cent -- at least not right now. It might eventually cost you in alms to the poor. It might cost you time spent attending worship services, or time spent doing volunteer work, or even more time spent with your family. Is this Valentine getting expensive?

There are a couple of views on prayer. One popular view is that prayer is asking God to supply our needs and wants. If you have kept up with Contemporary Christian Music for any length of time, you might have run across these lyrics by Larry Bryant, penned in the mid-1980's. This song was made popular on MTV by recording artist Lulu Roman:

"Lord, I need to talk to you.

There's so much on my heart.

So many burdens makes it hard to know just where to start.

The cattle on a thousand hills -- they all belong to you.

I don't need any cows right now, but something else will do.

I need a brand new house with a swimming pool.

I could use it, Lord, as a witnessing tool.

I need Jesus plates on a brand new car . . .

make me wealthy, keep me healthy.

Fill in what I missed on my never-ending shopping list."

Of course Mr. Bryant's song is all tongue-in-cheek to show us how not to pray. God already knows what we need, and will supply our needs according to his riches. One caveat here: God's value system and our value systems don't always run on parallel lines.

Maybe what we need is to stop and listen to God. God created us for fellowship with him, and until we discover that for ourselves, there is something missing in our lives. We won't find what is missing on Mr. Bryant's shopping list. In fact, if we start spending time with God, God will rearrange our shopping list. You might even like God's version of your shopping list so much that you would want to give a Valentine to God every day.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Have you been to Cursillo?

Sometimes I think the Episcopal Church is like a big Christian umbrella. All the baptized can get under it and find a place to stand. For some, worshipping God means going into a quiet cathedral all alone and spending time in silent prayer. For others, worshipping God means Holy Eucharist and great hymn singing on Sunday morning with a pipe organ and a paid choir as the backdrop, while for others it means going to a church where a really loud band plays and the words to songs are projected on a giant screen.

But to be well-rounded as a Christian, we need varied worship experiences. It's sort of like being an athlete. To be really fit, athletes do a lot of cross-training by not only lifting weights, but by adding in running, swimming and biking to their fitness regimen.

Late this afternoon I will go into a "Cursillo" retreat where I frankly don't know what to expect. As I understand it, Cursillo gives people a place to share their faith experiences. Maybe that is why those who have been to Cursillo seem to have a special bond. My Cursillo-type friends and acquaintances have been grinning mysteriously and saying, "Oh, Linda, I heard you are going to the next Cursillo." They say I will love it. It's not that I'm apprehensive or suspicious, but I do believe I saw some of them giving each other an elbow in the ribs and winking.

For a contemplative type like me, this is a little scary to say the least. For years I have carefully avoided committing to a Cursillo retreat because I feared they were loud and boisterous. However, the Cursillo Police have caught up with me and turned me in to the powers that be, and as a priest I have been "strongly encouraged" to attend this retreat. In response to my priestly vows of obedience, I will be there.

A few years ago, I couldn't even spell "Cursillo." Now, I am going to one of their retreats. Pray for my soul.

Pastor Linda+

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Ash Wednesday's Coming

One of my all-time favorite sermons, which I occasionally get to see on film, is "It's Friday, but Sunday's Coming." It's about Good Friday, the day on which Jesus was crucified. It is the most hopeful sermon I have ever heard because it eloquently potrays dying and rising to the new life of Christ. I don't know who originated it, but at least two people claim that sermon as their own.

Before we can get to Good Friday we have to walk through the desert of Lent, which begins two weeks from today. We call that day "Ash Wednesday" because we get a cross of ashes traced on our foreheads while the priest says, "Remember that you are dust; and to dust you shall return." Lent is a time for reflection and repentance - a time to think about our own mortality.

Even though Lent is very hopeful in that it culminates in Holy Week and Easter, I have yet to meet very many people who are enthusiastic about Lent. Regardless of how you feel about Lent, you are invited to a service of Holy Eucharist on Ash Wednesday morning, February 21, at 7:00 a.m. in the Chapel at Honey Creek. We are not yet holding regular weekly services, but on this special occasion I offer this service for those who wish to begin repenting early. I hope to see you there.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Valuable Values

Three weeks ago today I moved to Camden County, bringing with me a rose bush which had previously been planted at my home in Moultrie. I replanted the rose bush and already it is sprouting little leaves, which tells me its roots have been going deeper into the ground.


In the website for The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek, there is a page entitled "Values." There, I uphold what I believe to be important aspects of a church's life together. One of those values is Discipleship. Putting our faith into action and letting it permeate everything we do is a tried and true way of following Jesus Christ as his disciples. Discipleship means making a conscious effort to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ through regular attendance at worship, through prayer, and through our relationships with others.


Putting our faith into action is rather like planting a rose bush, or burying tulip bulbs which will produce beautiful flowers in the spring. If we embrace and nourish our faith every day, we might not even notice how it changes us. It simply becomes a lifestyle that blooms and grows like flowers. That's what the world needs now.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Illustrated Directions to The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

In a previous post, I invited you to an "Instructed Eucharist" service at 6:30 on Tuesday, February 6. Included in that blog were some directions to The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek. The aim of this post is to update those directions with photographs along the way.

From I-95 Northbound:

Take Exit 26 off I-95 Northbound. Turn right off the exit onto Dover Bluff Road and go 4.8 miles to GA Episcopal Conference Center Road. You will see a cluster of Episcopal signs including one that says “The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek – Coming Soon.” Turn left and go .5 mile. Turn left again at the wooden “Episcopal Shield” sign and come onto the conference center grounds. Proceed .4 mile and turn right at the church’s sign toward the chapel.

From I-95 Southbound:

Take Exit 26 off I-95 Southbound. Turn left off the exit onto Dover Bluff Road and go 5.1 miles to GA Episcopal Conference Center Road. Turn left and go .5 mile. Turn left again at the wooden “Episcopal Shield” sign and come onto the conference center grounds. Proceed .4 mile and turn right at the church’s sign toward the chapel.

From Routes 17/25:

Turn onto Dover Bluff Road and go 6.8 miles to GA Episcopal Conference Center Road. Turn left and go .5 mile. Turn left again at the wooden “Episcopal Shield” sign and come onto the conference center grounds. Proceed .4 mile and turn right at the church’s sign toward the chapel.

I hope to see you on Tuesday, February 6th at 6:30.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Where The Wild Things Grow

On Thursday of the week just past, I had the privilege of releasing a red-shouldered hawk onto the grounds at The Episcopal Camp and Conference Center at Honey Creek. This was arranged through the joint efforts of the Honey Creek Volunteer Coordinator, Ms. Sandy Fowler, Ms. Linda Lamb, Chairperson of the Wild Garden Project, and Mr. Harry Jenkins, Associate Director of Honey Creek.

The hawk had been injured, but had been lovingly rescued and cared for by a group called SOS. They insisted that I bless this beautiful creature and release it in this creature-friendly place. So I drew a big breath, put on the gloves, and prayed for the bird and its caregivers. Amazingly, the bird sat still for this.

Bird rescue and release is not the only thing that Linda Lamb promotes. She would like you to plant native flowers and reclaim patches of land so the birds have a good place to live. You might wish to contact her at lindalamb@darientel.net or check out her website at www.wildgardenproject.com.

Peace be with you, and with all the wild birds that live in your garden.

Pastor Linda

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

Learning By Asking

On Tuesday evening, February 6, 2007 at 6:30 p.m., I plan to offer a service of Holy Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, to which you are welcome to come and ask questions. This will be a real service in which we will read the scriptures and even sing a little, but we will stop periodically for explanations. In the past I have found this to be a lively and engaging way to "give Episcopal lessons."

The service will be held at the Chapel on the grounds of the Episcopal Camp and Conference Center at Honey Creek. Whether you have been an Episcopalian all your life so far, or whether this is all new to you, you are welcome to join in the conversation.

Your first question might be -- how do I get to there? Here are the directions:

From I-95 Northbound:

Take Exit 26 off I-95 Northbound. Turn right off the exit onto Dover Bluff Road and go 4.8 miles to GA Episcopal Conference Center Road. You will see Episcopal signs including one for The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek. Turn left and go .5 mile. Turn left again at the “Episcopal Shield” sign and come onto the conference center grounds. Proceed .4 mile and turn right at the church’s sign toward the chapel.

From I-95 Southbound:

Take Exit 26 off I-95 Southbound. Turn left off the exit onto Dover Bluff Road and go 5.1 miles to GA Episcopal Conference Center Road. Turn left and go .5 mile. Turn left again at the “Episcopal Shield” sign and come onto the conference center grounds. Proceed .4 mile and turn right at the church’s sign toward the chapel.

From Routes 17/25:

Turn onto Dover Bluff Road and go 6.8 miles to GA Episcopal Conference Center Road. Turn left and go .5 mile. Turn left again at the “Episcopal Shield” sign and come onto the conference center grounds. Proceed .4 mile and turn right at the church’s sign toward the chapel.

Once you get here you might have many other questions, such as, "Why does the Nicene Creed always follow the Sunday sermon?" How are you going to know if you don't ask? See you Tuesday at 6:30 in the Chapel. The service will last approximately one hour.

Pastor Linda
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org