Sabbatical Newsletter, Issue 7, June 28, 2022
A Sabbatical Prayer Guide us, Lord, as we all journey through the months ahead together. Help us to walk trustingly in faith with our parish family and to serve one another humbly. May we always be aware of your presence and direction in all we do. Amen.
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Let the journey begin!
I want to begin by thanking our Sabbatical Team for planning such an awesome picnic last Sunday. We had glorious weather, plenty of food, music, and each other! It was wonderful to get a chance to just hang out and talk with so many people. If you weren’t able to be there be sure to stop by the sabbatical resources cart next time you come to church to pick up a Jerusalem cross prayer token and a book to guide your spiritual journeying over the next few months.
As I prepare to press the pause button and step away from St. James’ at the end of this week here are a few of the thoughts on my heart. This is an amazing community. My hope for sabbatical is that our parallel journeys will provide renewal. Personally, I am looking forward to rest, focused time to just be a mom, and time to re-examine and strengthen my spiritual life. My hope for you is that the return of fellowship opportunities will nourish your souls and strengthen the bonds of community. I hope that you will enjoy hearing different preachers and experiencing leadership in new ways. And finally, I hope when we come back together in October, we will be excited to tell each other stories about our experiences. That this sabbatical time will rejuvenate us to do the work of discerning where God is calling us next.
Finally, several folks have asked about the pilgrimage to the Holy Land that Zachary, Jasper, and I will be taking in August. You can check out the summer bulletin board for full details and a helpful map. Thank you to our parish admin Laura for creating that! I’m also including our itinerary below if you’re interested.
I will be keeping all of you in prayer over the next three and a half months and hope you will do the same. May God see us through this time safely. See you on October 9th!
In peace, Kristin+
This Sunday we welcome the Rev. Julian Eibin
We’re pleased to welcome the Rev. Julian Eibin for the first four Sundays of July. With the return of coffee hour this Sunday it will be a great way to extend our St. James’ hospitality! ~ Dave Rak, Annie Horrigan, Joan Fader, Lynda Ellis, Lucy & Blix Winston
July 3, 10, 17, 24 The Rev. Julian Eibin Fr. Julian Eibin was born in Amersham, England and grew up in the Polish refugee community of Hodgemoor Estate in Buckinghamshire, some 40 miles west of London. The family emigrated to the US in 1962 when Julian was 11 and settled in Frederick County where Julian’s dad’s sister moved after WW2. His aunt Pola met his uncle Raymond in Tehran where he was stationed with the US Army. She spent two years in a Siberian labor camp with her young boys Julian and Richard. After being released in Uzbekistan she and the boys ended up in Tehran where both boys died and are buried. Julian attended Frederick County schools and graduated from St John’s Literary Institute. Julian has been a parish priest in the Episcopal Church for 38 years serving congregations in Utah, Connecticut, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New Jersey. He was Rector of Transfiguration, Braddock Heights in the 1990’s. He served as the Interim Rector at St Mark’s Orchard Park. He retired from active ministry in 2018. In retirement, he continues to serve the church as a part time interim. Most recently, he served as Interim Rector at St Mary’s, Abingdon MD. Julian received his BA in Philosophy from Saint Mary’s Seminary College in Catonsville MD, MA in Theology from Catholic University in Washington DC and an Advanced Certificate in Congregational Development from Seabury Western Seminary in Evanston IL. He is trained as an intentional interim through the Interim Ministry Network. He has a certificate in storytelling from The John Campbell Folk School in Brasstown NC. Julian lives in Harrisburg with his wife Deb, a retired hospice social worker. They have 5 grown children between them, 11 grandchildren and year old adorable Golden Retriever puppies, Teddy and Molly. When Julian is not working, spoiling his grandchildren, or learning to be a puppy parent he loves to putt around with his (work in progress) HO model train.
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Day 1 & 2 Depart from USA, arrive in Jerusalem and settle in at St. George’s Guest House.
Day 3 WESTERN WALL / DOME OF THE ROCK / WORSHIP AT SAINT ANDREW’S CHURCH / HORIZONS OF JERUSALEM We depart for the Western Wall near Elharam Esh Sharif (The Dome of The Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque). St. Anne’s Church and the pools of Bethesda. Sunday Eucharist at Saint Andrew’s Church in Ramallah, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic. Lunch. Drive to Mt. Scopus where we will look at the different dramatic settings of the Scripture. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House. Guest Speaker: Lecture of Islam
Day 4 OLD CITY / CHURCH OF THE RESSURECTION Briefing for the Holy Sepulcher. We then walk the Cardo to the Constantinian Entrance of the Holy Sepulcher. Lunch, continue our visit to the Holy Sepulcher. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House. Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues – A Palestinian Perspective
Day 5 SHEPHERD’S FIELD / BETHLEHEM We depart Jerusalem for Bethlehem and the Shepherds’ Field, visit a 1st century cave dwelling, lunch is in Beit Sahour (Shepherds’ Field), then Church of the Nativity located in Manger Square. It is the Oldest Church in Christendom, constructed by Constantine in AD 326 and the traditional site of the Nativity. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House.
Day 6 JERICHO / NAZARETH Wadi Qelt early morning to watch the sunrise also get the feel for the desert, depart for Jericho to hike up Mt. of Temptation and view Tell Jericho, Lunch, in Jericho before we begin our trip up the Rift Valley to Nazareth. In Nazareth we will visit Mary’s Well, the site of the only spring-fed fountain in the city, and most likely the place where Mary would have gone to draw water. We then visit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation where we will have an opportunity to have an introduction to the Icon, we then follow on foot the path to the Latin Church of the Annunciation, the traditional site of the Angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, telling her she would conceive Jesus, the Emmanuel. Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth.
Day 7 SEA OF GALILEE / JORDAN RIVER / CAPERNAUM & BEATITUDES Today we depart for the Sea of Galilee-Lake Kinnereth. Stop at the Jordan River for the renewal of Baptismal vows. We then visit Capernaum where we see the Ancient Synagogue and St. Peter’s House. We continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, Lunch is by the Sea of Galilee, followed by a visit to Tabgha (Heptapegon), The Loaves and Fishes Church, and the Chapel of St. Peter’s Primacy. Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth.
Day 8 CAESAREA PHILIPPI Depart for Caesarea Philippi (Banias) ‘And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth. A treat you will not want to miss!!!
Day 9 BURQIN / NABLUS / TAYBEH Depart for Burqin. Jesus had passed through Burqin on his way to Jerusalem from Nazareth, and as he was passing by the village he heard cries for help from ten lepers who were isolated in quarantine in a cave, Nablus to visit (St. Photini the Greek Orthodox Monastery), St. Photini lived in first century Palestine, she was the Samaritan woman who Christ visited at the well asking her for water, the church built over Jacob’s well where will tour the church and drink from the Well, Lunch in Taybeh, visit the Brewery and the ruins of the 4th century church. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House. Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues – An Israeli Perspective
Day 10 WORSHIP AT SAINT GEORGE’S CATHEDRAL ISRAEL MUSEUM Sunday Eucharist at Saint George’s Cathedral, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic. Lunch, Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. We will also visit a scale model of the Old City of Jerusalem, describing the city as it would have been during Jesus’ time. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House.
Day 11 BETH-PHAGE / DOMINUS FLEVIT / GETHSEMANE Depart for Beth-phage and Mt. of Olives walk down the Palm Sunday Road ending at the Garden of Gethsemane. Lunch, Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, this church was built over the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Peter denied Jesus three times). Dinner at the Qumris. Overnight at Saint George’s Guest House.
Day 12 WAY OF THE CROSS & EMMAUS Early this morning we walk and pray the Way of the Cross. Later we depart for Emmaus Nicopolis. We celebrate the Eucharist at the ruins of the Byzantine Church. Afternoon at leisure. Transfer to the Tel Aviv airport for return flights to the USA.