A Nichols' Worth

It is a privilege to share this, my fourth Annual Meeting Address.  First a little history:

In 2007, I spoke of the palpable “power” or “authority” or “presence” of the Church Building itself.  As I stood in that pulpit, I shared how humbling it was for me to serve in that sacred space.  I stated: “On occasion I still get startled by the old creaking of a floor-board.  But now I feel a more familiar, more comfortable spirit when I enter through that Stone passageway.”  That year, I shared memorable moments in St. Andrew’s then 2004+ year history.   Defining moments that ultimately transformed a small gathering of faithful disciples into the wonderful living Spirit of God that it is today! 

In 2008, I spoke of how often God surprises us.  “In times of great loss, illness, chaos and especially Joy, I am reminded that God’s hand is at work in ways that we might never have imagined… this is reassuring… as we realize that we are not fully in control.  I spoke of significant moments in the life of this community that have changed its direction and character for many generations to come:  The building of the “New” Stone Church was one; the purchase and ultimate renovation of the Parish House into the first rate facility it is today; the leadership of elected Vestry’s, from the first Annual Meeting in 1829 to the ones we will elect today; the calls of 25 “particular and uniquely” skilled Rectors beginning with Moses Chase in 1826 (may I add it is tought to follow after Moses); the countless programs, Outreach efforts and events in the community; the service of so many has brought us to this moment!  I went on to say that our discernment, deliberations and ultimately our decisions led us on a particular path.  Similarly, it can be said that the decisions that were not made, moment passed over, opportunities squandered that may have had enormous impact… the history books will never speak to them.  This was the context from which I spoke of the decision by the Vestry to Call the First Full-time Assistant Rector in St. Andrews history. 

Last year, 2009, I talked about prayer!  Well sort of… I suggested that we might consider “stop praying”… at Inaugurations that is.”  My tongue in cheek analysis of the “Prayers” from our 44^th President’s inauguration… how Aretha Franklin sang her HAT off, but it was the frail old preacher that took center stage… LISTEN TO HIS WORDS AGAIN:

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

And as we leave this mountaintop, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.

For 2010, I would like to add a few additional thoughts about this place – St. Andrew’s!  When I arrived, 4 years ago I wrote my first A Nichol’s Worth about “Swamp Cabbage.”  Actually I wrote that article even before I officially walked into this place as your Rector.  I told the story of my driving through central Florida on route 70 and stumbling upon a village.  As I drove around the village green there was a huge sign; “Welcome to LaBelle Florida – home of the Swamp Cabbage Festival.”  SWAMP CABBAGE?  What is it?  Why would you have a festival around it?  What community in their right mind would want to be renowned for Swamp  Cabbage?  Well, it became a mantra for me here!  I asked in that first article and continued to ask:  What is our Swamp Cabbage?  What should our sign on the “Green” say about St. Andrew’s?  I feel that our many efforts over the last few years have served us well in answering that question.  Today, we will share with your our new Parish Brochure.  Special thanks to our Parish Growth & Evangelism committee, whose efforts initially to seek creative ways for us to Welcome, Integrate and Invite new members led us to HONE IN on what make this place special!  Who we are? And, what it is that we have to offer the larger community and the world! Right on the front of the brochure it states:

St. Andrew’s Hopkinton:
A Place to Belong
A Place to Learn
A Place to Serve
A Place to find God!

To me, these statements say it succinctly and truly!   

A Place to Belong – IT IS the meals, the fellowship, the TLC.  It is the intimacy you feel when you worship in this intimate space.  It is the warmth offered in the Sign of Peace.  It is the feeling of care and joy that I leave with after services.  It is the feeling that you are part of a larger family that cares.  As the great divine Jeremy Taylor stated: “Believing is mainly belonging.”   Here, I belong as I discover what it is I truly believe.  I belong at St. Andrews!

A Place to Learn – Our Christian Formation Program is known… “Renowned” one might even dare to say… and it is more than just education… We are formed in our baptismal promises and seek new understandings in an environment of freedom.  We are uniquely a place where one can respectfully disagree and yet we come to the table together as one. 

A Place to Serve – the ministries here are many!  You serve in so many incredible ways.  Some are easily categorized and others are as unique as we are.  Our outreach efforts seem to spring anew each day and we continue to open to God’s calling.   Where is God calling you to serve?  Let us know… we need your gifts!

A Place to find God! – I see the HOLY each and every day I walk into this place.  I come to find God in our common mission and ministry…in our prayers for each another… in our kindness towards people we do not even know… here is a place where I have come to know God more deeply each day… IN YOU!

St. Andrew’s is: A Place to Belong, A Place to Learn, A Place to Serve and A Place to find God!  What a gift it is to call THIS PLACE my Spiritual Home!

It is with excitement and anticipation that we await the birth of Miranda & Phil’s second child.  It is rare that a congregation is able to celebrate the birth of their priest’s child and a few of you have asked me what this time of “leave” will be like for all of us.

We anticipate Miranda will be giving birth any day now and will not return to active ministry until mid-January.  She is grateful to the St. Andrew’s parish family and staff members for their support and assistance during this impending time of leave.  To her credit, Miranda has developed detailed plans, put emergency contacts in place, and even prepared a few contingencies for the unexpected ! 

I know many folks will want to catch a glimpse of the baby, and Miranda has promised to make a visit one Sunday with the baby in tow.  Until that happens, please respect the Hassett family’s need for privacy during this time of rest & renewal. 

The TLC Committee will be providing meals in the early days of Miranda’s recovery and if you are interested in assisting with this ministry please contact Binney Wells at binney44@yahoo.com .

The following is a list of contacts who will be handling day-to-day matters at church during Miranda’s maternity leave:

- For questions about Sunday School, please contact Cindy White at bcdjc@comcast.net

- For questions about Pit Crew, please contact Karen Jantzen at dzzp@aol.com

- For questions about Youth Group, please contact Joanne Debold at 2ndwnd@comcast.net

- For Pastoral matters and all other questions, please contact Kevin Nichols at st.andrews@comcast.net

 Additionally, I am pleased to share the news that during Miranda’s leave the Rev. Cheryl Moore (Revcpm@msn.com) will be assisting me as needed.

 Please keep Miranda, Phil, Griffin, and the baby in your thoughts and prayers:

 For a safe delivery
O gracious God, we give humble and hearty thanks that you have preserved through the pain and anxiety of childbirth your servant Miranda, who desires now to offer you her praises and thanksgivings.  Grant, most merciful Father, that by your help she may live faithfully according to your will in this life, and finally partake of everlasting glory in the life to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen 

 For the parents
Almighty God, giver of life and love, bless Miranda & Phil.  Grant them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life, that each may be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy.  And so knit their wills together in your will and their spirits in your Spirit, that they may live together in love and peace all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen     BCP p. 444

When we boarded our plane, just hours before Typhoon Morakot hit the island of Taiwan, I never imagined that such devastation would follow.  The images of rushing water and the ruinous mud-slides filled the international air-waves for days.  Now a month or so later it is estimated that over 700 people died in Taiwan as a result of this horrific storm.   The village of Shiao-Lin, not far from where we stayed in Kaohsiung, was completely buried in mud. 

The havoc of natural disasters both near and far away is not uncommon.  Yet it was the proximity of this particular catastrophe to the places that we had just journeyed that has left me searching anew.  I have wondered often how the people of that land, people of a difference culture and religious upbringing, might cope or find meaning and consolation.  Shortly after we returned home I began receiving regular e-mail updates from the Bishop of Taiwan.  He outlined the massive relief efforts that slowly unfolded and offered insight from his minority view as a Christian in a culture that is hugely influenced by traditional Buddhist and Taoist beliefs and practices.  Bishop Lai shared that August 20 – September 20 is known as Ghost Month.  It is of traditional Taiwanese belief that “the gates of hell are opened on this day and that the ghosts come out and fly around for a whole month.  People make food offerings in the hope that the ghosts will eat the food and not bother them.  Every year during Ghost Month there is a lot of fear in evidence and people will not do anything during this month like getting married, moving house, having a surgery, even staying in a hospital.”  He added that “the timing of Ghost Month closely following the typhoon, means that people are even more worried, nervous and fearful than ever… people have no peace, we are using this month to pray for the people of Taiwan, for their redemption, release from fear and that the Holy Spirit may touch their lives”.  I have joined Bishop Lai’s appeal for prayers at 8:08pm each evening.  I have also kept in touch with and prayed for my new colleague in ministry, the Rev. Justin Lin, who with members of St. Timothy’s has been assisting is some of the most severely damaged areas.  I was strengthened by the controversial visit of the Dalai Lama.  My son Graham told me that it was a massive crowd gathered at Kaohsiung Arena for a Prayer Service.  Even the Dalai Lama noted that it made for holy chaos with so many people chanting prayers in various languages.  It was all about “presence”… the presence of the great Buddhist leader whose message of love and hope lifted the spirits of many including me.  And now, I am left wondering “what if” we never made it out?

With sadness and a tad of exhaustion we have made our way from Kaohsiung to Taipei.  It was difficult to say goodbye to baby Kai, Graham, Rachel (and her two wonderful sisters Jessie & Sarah).  We have so many incredible memories to hold onto until our paths cross again. 

We are now settled into the beautiful Ambassador Hotel.  We are scheduled to fly out tomorrow morning, but of course there is little distraction called Typhoon Morakot blocking our path!  As of last check it was scheduled to make landfall tomorrow evening… hopefully stalling just long enough for us to depart… with a bit of good karma I will be back to catch up with you on Sunday.  In peace,

Kevin (Patti & Keaton)  

"Grass Jelly" shop

One last day together

Taipei - the calm before the storm!

Typhoon Morakot

I marvel at the energy and enthusiasm of the younger members of our crew.  Keaton and Graham spent hours in the blazing sun surfing the waves in the southern most city of  Kenting.  After a 3 hour drive home they wanted to bike the city and dragged me out for ice-cream at 10:00 pm.  It feels as if the western youth may be a bit riskier than their Taiwanese counterparts.  Even the “ruffian” scooter riders who drive too fast and refuse to strap their helmets are a bit tame compared to what we endure from our dare-devil children back home (at least as far as I can see from my limited vantage point).  Well, enough about the young… it also strikes me that most workers, from the office worker to the dentist to the hairdresser, we pass by in their storefronts are working incredibly hard and long hours.  They are still at their trades late into the night.  Some I am told take a 4 hour mid-day break and return to work for the late afternoon and early evening.  Most, I think need to work long hours to keep up with the high cost of living here.  I am told that the workers at the McDonald’s around the corner make only 60NT or about $2.00 (US) pay.   

Each day is a new adventure for us.  There is so much to take in and absorb.  I am learning more about Taoism (and its familiar Yin and Yang symbol) and Buddhism (sadly we have not encountered a monk as of yet… they were so prevalent in Cambodia during our travels 10 years ago).  I am told that the peaceful way of life (low crime rate) has much to do with a concern not to bring imbalance or negative karma upon oneself.  A new friend also shared that the reverence for extended families also positively impacts the nature of the Taiwanese people.   This sense of oneness and connection with the world in all its sacredness is calming to me.  I wonder what life has in store today?

Pagoda on Lotus Lake

Buddhist Temple

Surfing at Jiaulashui beach

Southern most point of Taiwan

Three K's

Our solo travel on the MRT (train) led us to within a block of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church.  A helpful store clerk pointed us towards a more traditional looking yellow church, but it turned out to be a Baptist Church.  After a bit of wandering, Patti spotted another cross and we were home.

The service was completely in Taiwanese, a once revered traditional language that is losing out to the more common Chinese.  I was able to follow the order of the service as it mirrored our BCP structure, but became confused at the time for Holy Communion.  I soon realized that we were celebrating a form more closely linked to our Morning Prayer.  I was able to “share in” an occasional  Amen, but it was the music and the glorious voices of the 70 or so parishioners gathered that touched my heart.  A selection that I later learned was entitled The dawn of love was just what I needed today.

The Rev Justin Lin was most welcoming and we plan to share a traditional Taiwanese lunch on Tuesday.  I look forward to listening and learning about our common Episcopal heritage.  He appreciated the Episcopal ties given as a gift to him and his Bishop from St. Andrew’s.   It is such a gift to be a part of a global communion, no matter how stretched we may be!

St. Timothy's - great signage!

The Rev Justin Lin welcomes us!

Gifts from St. Andrew's

Inside the 3rd floor Worship space

The double and triple take of the 4 year old Taiwanese boy, clinging to his mother’s hand, as I walked past him into the market reminded me of just how “other” I am in this foreign place.  He had never seen anything quite like me before !  Everything is so different and I am struggling to acclimate to the food, sleep patterns and the mass of humanity that surrounds us.  Graham reminds me that Taiwan is about 1 and 1/2  times the size of NH but with 23 million people… imagine that and yet we feel incredibly safe no matter where we go !

Early Thursday morning I was awakened by the shaking of the building… I later learned it was a 5.3 earthquake occurring “up-north” that made the building sway and shake.  Patti and Keaton slept through it, and I was panicking as to what one does on the 12th floor… do you stay put or head to the stairs and seek solid ground?  Fortunately the tremors subsided and I went back to sleep.

Western influences abound… even Kobe and LeBron adorn the stadium walls.  The “Night Market” brings the unique local culture home for us… the duck necks (and heads!), chicken hearts on a stick and squid which was barely cooked seemed to be the choices of the locals.  We decided to pass on dinner and head for the games and crafts.

Graham & Rachel's 19th floor apartment.

The Kaohsiung Arena - a block away.

The "Night Market"!

Squid on a stick!

Pitching for prizes!

It’s Wednesday morning and we have finally arrived at Graham and Rachel’s apartment in the Gushan District of Kaohsiung.  We arrived so late that we decided to stay outside Taipei in Taoyuan.  This unexpected excursion enabled us to see the local culture up close.  The people have been incredibly gracious and somehow we are finding ways to connect.   A Japanese BBQ and “Hot Pot” dinner was quite a late night adventure.

The introduction to our new Grandson Kai and reconnecting with Graham and Rachel has been wonderful.  There is much to celebrate and new experiences await. 

Graham greets us at Taipei airport

Hotel in Taoyuan

AM Hotel view

View of Kaohsiung from Rachel & Graham's apartment

Kevin's scooter ride to market!

We have survived the most grueling portion of our travels and have arrived safely in Tokyo.  All that awaits is a 3 hour lay-over, 3 hour flight to Taipei and a 2 hour train ride to Kaohsiung.   More when we arrive!