3 Ways Singing "Paperless" Can Support Canterbury's Mission

Sylvia in the chapel at Holy Cross

 by the Rev. Sylvia Miller-Mutia

I spent last Wednesday and Thursday at the Holy Cross Monastery in New York with a group of fellow leaders from a project I'm involved with called Music that Makes Community.   We are a group of clergy and laypeople, highly trained and un-trained (aka "natural") musicians, who are passionate about the power of congregational singing and interested in exploring the age-old practices of teaching and leading communities in singing "by ear".

Don't get me wrong, we believe hymnals are AWESOME.  And musical scores enable people to make music that is incredibly beautiful, complex, and consistent.  But including "paperless" music in our congregational repertoire, alongside other beloved musical forms, creates unique and powerful possibilities.

Here are just a few of the ways that I can see the practice of singing "paperless" music supporting the three areas that our vestry has identified as top priorities for our life together at Canterbury in the coming year:

1) Welcoming the Stranger 
When we learn a new piece of music together in the moment, it puts everyone on equal footing.  In a sense, everybody is a "newcomer."   Furthermore, singing a "paperless" song supports the full participation of those who are often excluded from our congregational music-making: children who cannot yet read, elders with failing eyesight who can no longer see printed text or notes, and people of all ages who cannot read music.
  
2) Nurturing the "Household"

Singing a "paperless" song can deepen the sense of community among those who sing together.  When authority does not rest on a printed page, we begin to discover authority and wisdom within the community, itself.  When we miss a note or word, we listen more carefully to the person beside us to discover what we're missing. We make mistakes and negotiate solutions together, non-verbally.  We intuitively decide together when a song comes to its conclusion.   We discover new harmonies lurking in the room and in our hearts.

3) Renewing Campus Ministry
 "Paperless" music can be very flexible, and makes singing together possible in settings where other sorts of singing might be impractical--like outdoors, or in the dark.  For example, at Tuesday Night Campus Ministry singing "paperless" songs enables us to sing compline by candlelight (since we don't need to be able to see a hymnal.)  Throughout October singing "paperless" songs will enable us to celebrate creation with several outdoor Eucharists (aka "Mass on the Grass") at UNM (without killing any trees to print service leaflets!)

Music that Makes Community is hosting a 3 Day Conference/Retreat in California January 17-20, 2016.   Edwina (Canterbury's organist) and I are hoping to pull together a team of 9 members from Canterbury to attend the conference together.   If you are interested in joining us, please let me know.  If you can make a donation (of money or frequent flier miles) to help a member of Canterbury attend who couldn't otherwise afford the trip, please let me know. Email sylvia.miller.mutia@gmail.com.  Thanks for your support!

Serving at St. Martin's: A really fun morning!

by Cyrus Mingley, age 11

Serving at St. Martin's

We left early one Sunday morning (July 26, 2015)  to go to Saint Martin’s Hospitality Center to serve breakfast to the homeless.  When we got to the center, there were lots of homeless people outside drinking coffee, and others were just getting there.  A lot of the homeless men and women were Hispanic or Native American, but we saw a big mix of people.  Most people looked to be about 30 to 70 years old.  We walked in and got directions to the kitchen.

We walked into the kitchen and met up with the other volunteers from Canterbury to help get the breakfast ready.  First, we made some fruit punch with Kelsey.  The punch had orange juice and cranberry juice.  After that, Eileen set us up with supplies and we wrapped about 200 sets of napkins with a spoon and fork inside.  Then, it was time to serve breakfast.  We opened up the window cover and started to fix the plates for the disabled homeless people.  My dad, Hadrian, Sally, and I put some pieces of ham, a bun, some cantaloupe, watermelon, and a tub of yogurt on a plate.  Then, we put the plate on a tray and other volunteers (Don and Pam) added a bowl of cereal, a cup of milk, and gave them to the disabled people.  Then, the non-disabled people formed a line and we started serving them the same food as the disabled people.  Kinsey and her parents (Dave and Stephanie), along with Ken, helped bring us more food and supplies when we were running low.  After everyone got something to eat, some people came back for seconds and a few came back for thirds.  I felt really good about helping them get enough to eat for breakfast.  After that, we went to Canterbury for church service.

It means a lot to me helping the homeless, and people down on their luck, get food and drink if they can't afford it.  I thought they were lucky to get some breakfast that they didn’t have to pay for, and they were very grateful.  Most said “God bless you” or “Thank you so much,” and one person said, “It’s good to see some boy’s helping out here.”  I felt sorry that they had such poor living conditions.  After helping the homeless people at Saint Martin's Hospitality Center, I felt really good and that I should do it again sometime soon.  It was a really fun morning!

Meet Your 2015 Vestry: Participating in God's Mission at Canterbury

Canterbury Vestry, August 2015

In the Episcopal Church, leadership for a congregation comes from the rector and the vestry: a "board of directors" elected at annual congregational meetings to serve for three-year terms. The Vestry makes policy decisions regarding the overall life and direction of the parish and bears ultimate responsibility for financial matters. In addition to overall oversight of the parish, each vestry member has a particular area of oversight within the congregation.

At our August Vestry Retreat we spent time considering how ALL our programs, missions, and ministries at Canterbury fit in to our overall identity and mission statement:

Who are we?
We are a reconciling community of Christians who are nurtured at the Lord's Table, grounded in the truths of Scripture and the traditions of the Church, and sustained through prayer.

What is our mission?
 We are called by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to:

• Celebrate the joy of God's presence
• Feed the hungry, heal the wounded, and welcome the stranger
• Cherish diversity while striving for unity as one family in Christ
  
• Engage in active ministry to the University of New Mexico & Central New Mexico Community College
  
• Honor God in all Creation

We began by identifying those ministries, programs, and aspects of our identity and mission that each vestry member feels most passionate and energized about.

We then identified which ministries, programs, and aspects of our identity and mission seem MOST URGENT at this pivotal moment in our life together as a congregation. 

Our hope is that as leaders and members of Canterbury, we can leverage our passions, energies, and gifts in support of three key areas over the next 12 months.  Without neglecting all our other ministries and programs, or aspects of our identity and mission, we want to invite you to join us in directing our efforts over the coming year with these three priorities in mind:   

1) To Welcome the Stranger
2) To Reach out and Renew an active Campus Ministry
3) To Nurture Relationships among our members (aka "the Household" of Canterbury)

Please take time to thank our vestry members for their leadership and faithful hard work on behalf of our congregation! Pray for your vestry members!  Take time to talk with them about your hopes, dreams, and concerns regarding the parish!  Ask them about their work, and ask them how you can get involved!

Don Partridge, Sr. Warden. Focus area: Environmental Stewardship. 
 My name is Don Partridge and I've been a member of the household of Canterbury for about 40 years. I am retired and enjoy hiking, skiing, and kayaking. I am the Senior Warden and represent CASE on the vestry. In the coming year I look forward to helping to nourish the relationships among the members of the household. Email Don.

 Dorothy Treadwell.  Focus area: Finance
My name is Dorothy Treadwell.  I've been a member of Canterbury for 17 tears.  I'm a retired CPA.  My role on the Vestry is Finance Committee chair.

 Edwina Beard. Focus areas: Newcomers & Pastoral Care, Liturgy & Music
My name is Edwina Beard, and I was hired as Canterbury's parish musician in 1971 while I was pursuing  degrees in organ performance at UNM.  As a recovering Southern Baptist, I was drawn to our church's rich musical and liturgical heritage, and liturgy and music are still what I'm most passionate about.  I'm also deeply committed to creation care. My responsibility as a Vestry member is to serve as the liaison for newcomers/pastoral care, and in the coming year I look forward to supporting the further development of Canterbury's ministry of hospitality.  Outside the parish, my interests include my husband of 52 years, Sam; our two adult children and five grandchildren; Lobo basketball; travel; and playing bridge!
 

 Emily Wirth.  Focus area: Christian Education & Formation
I'm Emily Wirth, a retired educator, who finds retirement a time when there are many choices.  Some time is spent with my six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.  I love to read, and hike, and travel.My pilgrimage in the Canterbury community began 21 years ago.  This is a place where I find the questions are important--not just the answers, where diversity is one of the expressions of God's creation and caring for creation is important, where a seeker can grow and learn, and where we experience joy! 

Fritz Frurip.  Focus areas: Organ Project, Adult Christian Education.  I'm a retired pychotherapist,  a member of Canterbury's Men's Group, a vestry member and  the vestry liaison to the Organ Project.

 Joe Artery, Jr. Warden.  Focus area: Buildings and Grounds
I am married with one child and another on the way.  I am a telecommunications and low voltage contractor and I enjoy camping and the outdoors.  I've been at Canterbury since 2008 and I really enjoy the people there.

 Joe Lane. Focus area: Communications. 

I have been at St. Thomas of Canterbury for 32 years.  I came as a student and was hired as a Sexton, church caretaker, and was on the job for seven years.  I met my wife, Ann Sasahara, here.   In the coming year, I look forward to supporting Canterbury's mission by teaching a computer "how to" class and becoming a less shy greeter.  Once I accomplish that, I might tackle feeding hungry students (via campus ministry) and the homeless (via St. Martins.)

 Maddie Carrell.  Focus area: Campus Ministry
My name is Maddie Carrell. I've been a member of Canterbury for 3 years. I enjoy connecting with others, exploring New Mexico, and making music. My role on the vestry is Campus Ministry liaison. In the coming year, I look forward to supporting Canterbury's mission to welcome the stranger and renew an active campus ministry by organizing a "Feeding Mission" on campus and in surrounding areas, providing bags of basic necessities and information on Canterbury to help feed students' and the community's minds, bodies, and spirits.

Pat Eads.  Focus areas: "Household" (Community Relationships & Celebrations) and Children's Ministry
My name is Pat Eads. I've been a member of Canterbury since 1968. My role on the Vestry is that of Household liaison. I look forward to continuing my work in the coming year with our wonderful group of children to help them become more active participants in both our weekly worship and many celebrations of faith. 

Sally Barlow.  Focus areas: Outreach
This summer the Vestry appointed me, Sally Barlow, to take Ginger Lawrence's place when she resigned for health reasons. I have been a member of St. Thomas since 1976, and I am committed to helping with Outreach. I am a retired attorney whose practice involved representing Indian tribes and individuals. Since retiring, I have focused on assisting a free hospital in Jos, Nigeria.

Linking Stewardship and Mission

by The Rev. Sylvia Miller-Mutia

As we move into fall and Celebrate a Season of Creation at Canterbury, we begin to reflect on our stewardship of all God's gifts: our Earth, our health and families, our time and talents, our finances, our Church, and our faith.

Too often we compartmentalize these things in our minds, but really it's all about the same thing.  Everything we have is a gift from God.  Everything we have has the potential to participate in and reveal God's work in the world.

This past Sunday afternoon I met with the Finance Committee at Canterbury.  No surprise, the Finance Committee is thinking about how the stewardship of our personal and church finances at Canterbury supports our mission (or better yet, God's mission) in the world.

At Canterbury, we articulate our participation in God's mission as follows:

We are a reconciling community of Christians who are nurtured at the Lord's Table, grounded in the truths of Scripture and the traditions of the Church, and sustained through prayer. We are called by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to:

Celebrate the joy of God's presence
Feed the hungry, heal the wounded, and welcome the stranger
Cherish diversity and strive for unity as one family in Christ
Engage in active ministry to the UNM and CNM
Honor God in all Creation

Cool.  So how can we build a budget for 2016 that puts our financial resources in the service of this mission?

That is the task before us.  And we're counting on your help.

In the coming months we'll be inviting the leaders of various programs and ministries to meet with members of the Finance Committee to discuss hopes and dreams for how our budget might support the programs that support our mission (that is part of God's mission) at Canterbury. 

What ministries and programs at Canterbury are you passionate about?  How do these ministries support our Mission?  What resources (financial and otherwise) do we need to develop these programs and live into our mission more fully? 

Think about it.  Talk about it.  And above all, pray about it.

God is doing great things in the world.  God is inviting us to be part of it.   God has already given us every gift we need for the work God is calling us to do.