February 1, 2007

 

 

“God-incidences”

 

God has blessed me with five important spiritual mentors in my spiritual walk.  The third one died this week at age 82.  We travel to Asheville tomorrow in preparation for his funeral on Saturday morning.

 

The Right Reverend William Gillette Weinhauer, Bishop Coadjutor and Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina (1973 to 1990), was known to the world as a teacher, reconciler and peacemaker.  From 1956-1960 he was Professor of New Testament at St. Andrew's Theological Seminary, Quezon City, Philippines, and from 1961-1971 he was Professor of New Testament at the General Theological Seminary, New York City.  After becoming bishop, he was active in ecumenical affairs, serving as a member of the Episcopal Church's Standing Committee for Ecumenical Relations for twelve years and House of Bishops’ Committee on Theology for fourteen years.  He was a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic conversations for a decade that included a memorable private audience and dialogue with Pope John Paul II.  His greatest contribution to ecumenism was as the Episcopal co-chair of the Lutheran-Episcopal Dialog (Series Two and Series Three, 1976-1991), which laid the groundwork for the Episcopal and Lutheran Churches in the United States to enter into full communion and ministry sharing with one another.  After his retirement he continued to initiate local ecumenical dialogue among Baptists, Lutherans, Roman Catholics and United Methodists as well as offering his considerable teaching skills to students at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee and Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.  Please pray for his loving wife, Jean, and his three daughters, two granddaughters, a brother and all of us who are grieving his loss.

 

I knew Bill Weinhauer as my spiritual mentor, teacher and friend.  He was truly a man without guile.  Through his serendipitous friendship with my childhood parish priest, he became intimately involved and invested in my call to the priesthood from my first conversation with him at age 15.  Our lives would intertwine over the next thirty years in many wondrous ways…meals and dinner parties in our home…ordaining me to the priesthood…offering premarital counseling and officiating at my marriage to Clifford…baptizing our first child, Miles…visiting us in Indiana…visits with Jean and him in their home.   Perhaps my relationship with Bill Weinhauer can be best characterized by a mistake he made during my ordination eighteen years ago when he slipped and addressed me as “Derek, my son” instead of the liturgy’s prescribed “Derek, my brother.”  

When it comes to God’s work in our lives, I no longer believe in “coincidences” for I have experienced too many “God-incidences.”  The God-incidence of having our childhood next-door neighbors expose my family to St. Francis Church would ultimately lead us there.  The God-incidence of a Boy Scout God and Country program, beginning in my early teen years, would lead to my call to the priesthood.  The God-incidence of that parish priest being friends with Bill Weinhauer would lead to this bishop personally mentoring me as I explored this call through high school, college, and seminary.  The God-incidence of my childhood worship experiences and the long-term exposure to his spirituality would lead me to Nashotah House Seminary.  In that Benedictine environment, I would flourish, experience the richness of Anglican and liturgical heritage and learn how missionaries throughout the ages have translated it anew to spread the gospel to their culture in their generation.  The God-incidence of my relationship with his Ecumenical work would allow me to serve as a supply pastor in a Lutheran Church during seminary (and enthusiastically embrace a Lutheran Pastor’s call to Beloved’s staff years later!)  The God-incidence of his request for me to serve as the coordinator of his successor’s consecration was mystically connected to my growing love for Clifford, who would become my wife.  And the list goes on and on…

 

I could have never guessed where life would lead, but I can clearly see how this dear “father in God” was intimately part of our Lord’s plan for my life.  At our last visit with him in Asheville, his eyes continued to sparkle and his words continued to encourage as he listened to all God was doing in our lives and at Beloved.  Though I have lost the ability to speak to him face to face for a season, he joins Bill and Jack as mentors to whom I talk with frequently among the communion of the saints.  Thank you, my friend, for leading me closer to Jesus.  May he meet you with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

 

J. Derek Harbin, priest

 

 

 

Around Beloved…Beloved’s combined Fusion youth groups ask you to bring a dollar or more per person in your household to place in our Souper Bowl of Caring soup pot for the hungry this Super Bowl Sunday.  This is the first part of our two-pronged effort to help eradicate hunger through Loaves and Fishes (see below).

 

Who will God Choose to Serve as a Beloved Advisory Team Member in worship this Sunday?  Pray for Fernando Baquero, Dan Blackwood, Susan Boylston, Ann Calandro, Janis Conlon, Ben Copeland, Betsy Fox, Harris High, Tony Hodgson, Nancy Hodgson, Terry King, Claire Kraft, Steve Lang, Kris Leinenkugel, Bonnie Lowder, Sherrill Lowder, Anna Moore, Bud Moore, Frank Reid, Mary Reid, Dick Reif, Toni Reif, Jennifer Sanders, Scott Sanniota, Julie Sanniota, Chris Scheppegrell, Jim Skrobot, Lynn Skrobot, Annette Stephenson and Liz Wilson who are eligible to be selected, that God’s wisdom will be revealed.  To learn more specifics about this selection process, click here.

 

Last Sunday…Attendance: 119; Basket Offering: not reported

 

 

Loaves and Fishes Annual Food Drive…Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger is something usually seen as being most important in developing countries.  Yet we don’t have to go outside the boundaries of our own county to serve those in the Name of Jesus who are hungry!

 

For thousands in the greater Mecklenburg area, hunger becomes a fact of life.  Loaves & Fishes is one local agency that tries to meet this need.  People in need are provided with a week’s worth of nutritious groceries.  This year’s February 3-11 Annual Food Drive is a way of raising funds and food to help people who are “in over their heads” though tough times without seeing their families go hungry.

 

Our next Human Needs Outreach effort is a two-pronged operation that benefits the ministry of Loaves & Fishes in our community:

 

Sunday, February 4: Souper Bowl of Caring.  Beloved’s combined Fusion youth groups ask you to bring a dollar or more per person in your household to place in our soup pot for the hungry on Super Bowl Sunday.

 

Sunday, February 11: Canned Food Drive.  Beloved’s Human Needs Outreach Committee team invites you to bring bags or boxes filled with canned or non-perishable food to church on Sunday, Feb 11, and leave them by the back of your vehicle in the parking lot.  Food will be collected during worship and transported* to the Arboretum to be added to the Loaves & Fishes Truck following the service.

 

* If you have a heavy-duty pick-up truck or SUV capable of pulling the Beloved trailer, full of canned food, to the Arboretum, please contact Deacon Deb to volunteer your service.

 

Serving at God’s Altar This Sunday…Angel Army Team 2 (Captain: Matt LeBlanc; Administrator: this position is available (thanks Holly for helping out!); Pastor: this position is available; Convener: Al Krantz); Acolytes: Caleb Friend, Hannah Friend, Thomas Friend, Austin Yearwood; Altar Bread Baker: Catherine Atwood; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Anna Moore & Al Krantz; Offertory Basket Passers: Connor King, Carter Ricket, Madelyn Ricket, Allie Seidel; PowerPoint: Miles Harbin; Presenters: Matt & Catherine LeBlanc; Reader: Lexi Leinenkugel.

 

 

Sunday’s Scripture Readings…Isaiah 6:1-8 & Luke 5:1-11

 

 

In our Prayers…Bertie, Bonnie Lowder’s mother who has been moved to Hospice care….Wes Nichols‘ father, Jim who has been discharged from hospital…Janie and Samuel Wooten who are each healing from broken bones…Michelle Dezzutto who travels to visit her terminally ill sister, Joan…Mike Montagnino and Clifford King Harbin who are recovering from surgery…John and Bob, Lee Frickhoeffer’s father and uncle…Elizabeth, Shari Wynn‘s sister…Kevin, Deb and Dan Blackwood‘s nephew…Phyllis, Linda Mellon‘s mother…Mike, Dick Reif’s brother…Melissa, Donna Elyea’s cousin…Emily, Nancy and Tony Hodgson's granddaughter…Michel, Catherine Atwood’s father…those serving in Iraq, especially Bob, Clifford King Harbin‘s nephew, Jared, Wes and Michele Nichols’ nephew; Ron, Marilyn Doyon‘s brother-in-law...Palmer, Betsy Fox’s teenage cousin…Jessie Powell…Ed and Jean, Dick Reif's parents…Pat Kitts, friend of Beloved…Mary Ann Ingram, friend of the Scheppegrell family, who has liver cancer…Penny Crawford and Chris Morley as they seek permanent employment...the staff and students of Community House Middle School…William Gillette Weinhauer, Fourth Bishop of Western North Carolina and true friend of the Harbin family.

 

 

Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon him.

May his soul, and the souls of all the departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

 

 

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