Dear Friends,
Hello from Patreksfjordur in the northwest corner of Iceland. We set sail from Reykjavik yesterday after spending three days driving around the southwestern part of the island our first three days. This included the Blue Lagoon (which I highly recommend after a redeye flight), the Golden Circle – with stops at Thingvellir National Park; Geysir (from which all geysers derive their name); Gullfoss (one of Iceland’s many amazing waterfalls), and the Kerith Crater. Yesterday we visited sites in Reykjavik before boarding the ship.
The word “awesome” is greatly overused in today’s vernacular (guilty!), but we are truly experiencing the awesomeness of God’s creation here. The land is bubbling with God’s on-going work of creation (in the case of Geysir quite literally so!). On the way to the Blue Lagoon we had to take a big detour to avoid damage from the November 2023 eruption of the Gunnuhver Volcano, cooled lava fields of which we did see. Thingvellir National Park, in addition to being the site of Iceland’s first Parliament, the Althing, in 930 is also the fault line between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates. New land is being formed there. Ever so slowly, Creation is underway. Indeed, God’s time is not our time.
I hope the 4th of July celebrations on KB – and especially the breakfast! – were wonderful and I look forward to hearing about them when we get back.
In Christ’s love,
Willie+
St. Christopher’s Family,
Is it July already? As the summer is now in full swing and the academic year has ended, the St. Christopher’s Choir is taking a much-deserved rest. The Choir will be off all of July and August. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your support of the music ministry here at St. Christopher’s. The 2023-24 year was once again full of beautiful and sacred music, which helped to uplift our worship and bring us closer to our God and our human emotions.
The year began with our 2nd annual All Souls Day Requiem Service, using the music of John Rutter’s Requiem. This was followed by three Lessons and Carols services in place of our normal Sunday worship’s Liturgy of the Word—Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany! Each service was full of beautiful carols and anthems celebrating the season. As I reflect over my past 12 years at St Christopher’s we have learned a great wealth of hymnody, and each year is full of both the good ol’ favorites and some new chestnuts as well. Between the congregation and choir, we have gone through so much music of our great Anglican tradition; pieces written hundreds of years ago and pieces written this century. It brings me so much joy and fulfillment to be able to make wonderful music together.
As we look toward the coming year, our congregation’s now musical “traditions” will highlight our holy days—an evening Advent Lessons and Carols service, our All Souls Day Requiem service, as well as the natural flow of the music of the church year from birth to life to temptation, death, Resurrection, to us, the church, and the second coming.
In God’s Love,
John M. Barrow
St. Christopher’s Pre-Parade 4th of July Breakfast
A huge “THANK YOU” goes out to the Sponsors and Volunteers who made the St. Christopher’s 4th of July Breakfast possible, and the biggest success we have had in years! And another big THANK YOU goes to all who attended and greeted our visitors, and all who invited friends and neighbors. It was a wonderful, friendly community event. Everyone left refreshed and happy. The attendance of approximately 200 was almost double that of last year. There were many more first responders, younger people, families and children. We ran out of food toward the very end.
Once again, the bagpiper arrived and provided entertainment.
Thankfully, the Holdermans provided valuable advice that guided our work, and we are eternally grateful to them for sponsoring and hosting the event in past years. I believe this year’s extraordinary increase in attendance is due to the work of Pat Neal and Ari Crumley. Pat Neal got an article placed in the Islander News, rather than a small announcement. Ari Crumley announced the event on multiple Island neighborhood chats and obtained improved signage. She designed banners and signs that welcomed our guests and made a good impression for the church and school. Thank you, to Pat Neal who provided the decorations and the team that decorated the room and tables. Ceci in the office, and Guido on staff, provided valuable and much needed assistance that helped seal our success. Very generous and early financial support from the Heise’s, Karen Scott, and Shane Graber of Graber Realty, and others, made the event possible by assuring that we could pay the deposit and move forward with confidence.
The usual menu of scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, cut fruit, orange juice, coffee and tea was again a big hit. This year we tried supplying specialty coffees at an outdoor coffee pot shaped trailer that provided advertising for the event, while supplying specialty coffees at a faster pace.
This year, we provided free tickets to guests upon arrival so we could get a better count of attendance to help with planning for next year. We requested emails at that time so we can thank attendees for their visit and notify them of future fun events at St. Christopher’s. THANK YOU to Ruth Foss who handled that operation so smoothly.
The banners were designed so that they can be reused in the future.
The team of sponsors and volunteers did a wonderful job of creating a great event in a very short period of time. We look forward to having greater lead time next year so that we can make it even better. In that vein, your feedback is invited so that we can learn and plan.
Blessings,
Carol Zeiner
Please Pray For...
As the Body of Christ we are called to pray for each other in times of sickness or hardship, or any form of distress, as well as to give thanks for the bounty and goodness which God has given us.
We are also happy when our prayers have been answered or are no longer needed as the illness, crisis, or concern may have passed. If you have anyone currently on our prayer list who has been blessed in this way please contact Cecilia Braham in the parish office (cbraham@stchriskb.org) to let her know if there are any names to be removed. Many thanks in advance.
St Christopher’s Parish & School Community
Pat Neal, Susie Schradle, Kathy V, Carol, Isabel L.
Family & Friends
Erik, Marilyn, Jane, Stewart, Sherrie, Julian, Charles, Mary Jo, Michael V, Allison, Frances R., Paul, Angie M., Dominique, Debi P., Lisa K., Katrina, Barbara, Eleanor, Nancy, Bill and Family, Lori, Paul J, Hugh, Keith, Barbara, Rebecca, Esteban, Carol, Jack and Marilyn Courtnay, Andy, Jane, Samuel, Niki, Dave, Geno, Patricia, Robert, Jackie, M.F.P., H.H.R., Bella and family, Betsy, Ethan, Danie, Dean and Richard, Gustavo Z., Gary, Mr. Long, Tracy, Shane, Stephen and Family. For Rex and Ruthann. For Ulla Britt Faiella and Ivonete Leite.
+ For the repose of the soul of Rick Faiella, Roberto Weisson & Doris Hodges.
+ For peace in the Holy Land.
+ For refugees and all who are in danger.
+ For the Nominating Committee: Jeff Brosco, Pam Gordon, Callie Holderman, Lynne Nelson, Ken Noto and Peter Verbeeck, and Lynne Libby, their chaplain.
+ Peace, Freedom and the Safety for the people of Ukraine
