Hurricane Sandy Restoration Rededication Service November...
Transcript of Hurricane Sandy Restoration Rededication Service November...
Hurricane Sandy RestorationRededication Service
November 2, 2013
October 29, 2012
Thank You
During these challenging days ofongoing recovery from Hurricane Sandy-- also known as Superstorm Sandy -- thesupport and generosity of faithful friendshas brought great comfort and made aworld of difference in helping restore ourcongregation and community. We aregrateful for the many contributions oftime, talent, treasure and prayers.
We offer special thanks today to:
Our staff: secretary, Linda Engler;sexton, Peter Brusca; organist, SusanShelhart and Pastor Baum
Our Church Council: Laura Forbes,Monica Mercado, Carol Scheper,Dave Issardin, Michael Wiener, BillieLee Whelan, Anthony Caleca, DeniseLobody, Ronnie West, John Scheper,
Dora Codd, Debra Pignatelli, andRandy McNeil
Those assisting in leading the servicetoday: Debra Pignatelli, ChristopherJones, Billie Lee Whelan, WilliamAnderson, Michael Wiener, SarahJones, and Randy McNeil
Verdino’s Garden Center & Floristfor the lovely altar flowers
Finally, we thank our bishop, the Rev.Dr. Robert Alan Rimbo, along with hiswife, Lois, for their gracious support andguidance.
Saint Barnabas Church is a congregationof the Metropolitan New York Synod ofthe Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica.
Rededication of Saint Barnabas Church
The ministers assemble at the entrance.
Bishop: Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have come together to seek God'sblessing as we rededicate this building to the service of God.
Bishop: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you.
Bishop: Let us pray. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe. Youfill the entire world with your presence; your name is to be hallowed through allthe earth. Bless all those whose work has contributed to restoring this building.
A ribbon is cut and the ministers proceed to the cornerstone.
Bishop: May this continue to be a place where your glory dwells and where yourway is revealed in Word and Sacrament. May your gracious blessing descend likethe dew from heaven upon this place and upon all who shall gather here to worshipyou. You have given us joy in work begun in your name; may we continue tocelebrate your presence in the house of your Church, and, in the time to come,praise you forever in our eternal home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who livesand reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. People: Amen
The cornerstone is inscribed 2 + 0 + 1 + 3. The assembly proceeds to the chancel.
Bishop: Most high God, whom the heavens cannot contain: We give you thanks forthe gifts of those who have restored this house of prayer to your glory; we praiseyou for the fellowship of those who by their use will make it holy; and we pray thatall who seek you here may find you and be filled with your joy and peace; throughyour Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. People: Amen
Recognition of Honorees and Contributing Congregations
Bishop: Almighty God, Father, + Son and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.People: Amen
After the hymn is sung, please join us downstairs for music and refreshments;And outdoors for fun and games, and the awesome bouncy house!
Hurricane Sandy Building Restoration Committee
Committee ChairMaria del Toro
Project SupervisorJohn Engler
Building Committee ChairJohn Scheper
Project ManagerEdward Wagner
Vice PresidentDebra Pignatelli
PastorThe Rev. William Eric Baum
Community Service Honorees
Chief of Department - West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire & Ambulance CorpsJonah Cohen
New York State SenatorJoseph P. Addabbo, Jr.
New York City CouncilmanEric Ulrich
Community Board 10 ChairBetty Braton
New York State AssemblymanPhillip Goldfeder
Contributorsof
Time, Talent and Treasureto the
Recovery of Saint Barnabas Church&
Community
The Rev. Dr. Robert Alan Rimbo, BishopMetropolitan New York Synod
The Rev. Brooke L. SwertfagerChrist Lutheran ChurchManhattan
The Rev. Leo E. Longan, Jr.Trinity Lutheran ChurchMiddle Village
The Rev. Terrence L. WeberTrinity-St. Andrew's Lutheran ChurchMaspeth
The Rev. Harry T. SchenkelThe Rev. John JurikSt. Paul's Lutheran ChurchEast Northport
The Rev. David ParsonsSt. John-St. Matthew-Emanuel Lutheran ChurchBrooklyn
The Rev. Martin F. HauserGrace & St. Paul's Lutheran ChurchManhattan
The Rev. Daniel Ward, Ms. Abby TriebelSt. John's Lutheran ChurchPoughkeepsie
The Rev. Carla Meier, The Rev. Gaylon BarkerSt. Andrew's Lutheran ChurchRidgefield, CT
The Rev. Michael MastersonSt. Matthew's Lutheran ChurchFort Worth, TX
Mr. William BlassSt. John's Lutheran ChurchPotts Grove, PA
The Rev. Amandus J. DerrSaint Peter's ChurchManhattan
The Rev. Christopher MietlowskiGustavus Adolphus Lutheran ChurchManhattan
The Rev. J. Elise BrownAdvent Lutheran ChurchManhattan
The Rev. Tiina TalvitieNew York Finnish Lutheran ChurchManhattan
The Rev. Jennifer LinmanChurch of the EpiphanyManhattan
The Rev. Robert P. SchoepflinAbiding Presence Lutheran ChurchFort Salonga
The Rev. Gerald SpiceSt. James Lutheran ChurchGrosse Pointe Farms, MI
The Rev. Paul EgensteinerEmanuel Lutheran ChurchPleasantville
The Rev. Dr. Timothy J. KennedyGrace Lutheran ChurchYorktown Heights
The Rev. Mark ErsonSt. John's Lutheran ChurchManhattan
The Rev. Aubrey BougherChrist Lutheran ChurchRosedale
The Rev. Rodney L. EberhardtSt. Luke's Lutheran ChurchFarmingdale
The Rev. Dr. William BogholtzLutheran Church of the RedeemerWoburn, MA
The Rev. Norman SchmoockZion Lutheran Church and SchoolVictorville, CA
The Rev. John GrodzinskiResurrection Lutheran ChurchAvon Park, FL
The Rev. Brenda C. B. IrvingPrince of Peace Lutheran ChurchCambria Heights
The Rev. Emily M. D. ScottSt. Lydia’s Dinner ChurchBrooklyn
Ms. Leila JohnsonSt. Jacobi Lutheran ChurchBrooklyn
The Rev. Paul E. BlockTransfiguration Lutheran ChurchBronx
Mr. Mark HillOur Saviour - Atonement Lutheran ChurchManhattan
The Rev. Benjamin F. C. McKelahanParables & St. Paul’s Lutheran ChurchBrooklyn
The Rev. Gary SchulzHoly Trinity Lutheran ChurchBellerose
The Rev. Paul B. MilhollandTrinity Lutheran ChurchAstoria
The Rev. Laurie ClineSt. John's Lutheran ChurchBellmore
The Rev. Jeanne R. WarfieldGrace Lutheran ChurchForest Hills
The Rev. Greg HarbaughZion Lutheran ChurchHollidaysburg, PA
The Rev. Robert G. SonnenbergSt. John's Lutheran ChurchRichmond Hill
The Rev. Jeffrey H. KolboTrinity Lutheran ChurchRocky Point
The Rev. Mark KieselAscension Lutheran ChurchFranklin Square
The Rev. Micah J. StummeSt. James - St. Matthew's Lutheran ChurchSouth Ozone Park
The Rev. Dr. William HeisleyMr. Rick EricksonHoly Trinity Lutheran ChurchManhattan
The Rev. Eric Olaf OlsenGood Shepherd Lutheran Church & SchoolPlainview
The Rev. Dr. R. Guy Erwin, Bishop,Southwest California Synod
Mr. Robert & Mrs. Janet Buescher, Long Island
Ms. Marie Rampino, Thrivent Financial Services
Corey and Annie Swertfager, Wichita, KS
Kathryn Kors-Jacobson, Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Nancy Swartz, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
Paul & Cheryl Davis, Poulsbo, WA
Carol & Tom Ciccone, Morgan Hill, CA
The Rev. Leo E. Longan, Jr., Manhattan
Deacon John Malone, Brooklyn
Kathryn Graley, Manhattan
Marion Ratschki, Lagrangeville, NY
Denise, Sal & Lauren Cappello,Lake Grove, NY
Anne E. Miller, Tonawanda, NY
The Barron Family, Manhattan
Marsenna & Bill Rentel, Sebring, FL
Gladys King, Brentwood, TN
Gertrude & Edward Hilgendorf, Hamilton Beach
Mr. Ron DrewsLutheran Social Services of New York
Joseph Milano, Esq., Howard Capell, Esq.,Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld LLP
Kevin and Deborah Cook, Bronxville, NY
Tammi Sweeney, Honolulu, Hawaii
The Summers Family, Olympia, WA
Steven & Jeanne Jones, Poughkeepsie, NY
Ted Ziegler, Lincoln Park, NJ
Maria del Toro & Stan Rustin, Manhattan
Helen Morton, Prescott, AZ
Jennifer Adams, Birmingham, AL
Laura Forbes, Ozone Park
Susan Lyles, Denver, CO
Warren & Pat Wygand, Ozone Park
Mary Gaulke, Sarasota, FL
Ms. Adamczak, Clintondale, NY
Joan Franks, Rosedale
Mr. Neuder, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
Sarah Gioe, NJ
Janice & Richard Risdale, Fairfax, IA
Minerva & Manuel Melendez, Bronx
Christiane Merrow, Westborough, MA
Dan Rios, Ozone Park
Lynn & Joe Giackette, Ozone Park
Frank & Laurie Porcella, Broad Channel
Grace Hammesfahr, Metuchen, NJ
Evelyn Bulcroft, Staten Island
Chris & Nancy Jones, Howard Beach
Katherine & Richard Wanner, Bayville, NY
Debbie & Richie Pignatelli, Howard Beach
Joan Bleir, San Antonio, TX
Richard Bertucco, Oak Park, IL
Bea McAssey, Howard Beach
Wanda Montanez, Winter Haven, FL
Jeanette Dunn, Kingston, NY
Shobha Issardin, Richmond Hill
Darlene Ferrer, North Fort Myers, FL
Cherry McElwee, Des Moines, IA
James & Peggy Conmy, Fountain Hills, AZ
Toni Spoerl, Howard Beach
Alice & Richard Steigerwald, Howard Beach
Diane Rivera, Howard Beach
Anthony & Cindy Caleca, Howard Beach
Kathy Ryan, Howard Beach
Janet Wanner, Bayville, NY
William & Pat Anderson, Howard Beach
Maggie & Buster Cerillo, Hamilton Beach
Billie Lee & William Whelan, Atlantic Beach
Carol Schust, Willow Springs, NC
Arthur Keehner, Winter Haven, FL
John Scheper, Howard Beach
Richard & Nancy Scheper, Howard Beach
Martin & Linda Liana, Howard Beach
Elvia & Helmut Weber, Howard Beach
Patricia Fogarty, Howard Beach
Eileen Scivoletti, Howard Beach
Elizabeth & Michael McGuiness, Wantagh, NY
Jo Ann & Ed Tatlain, Lakeland, FL
Lena DiBlasio, Howard Beach
Tony & Ruth Clemente, Howard Beach
David & Maureen Ayres, Manhattan
Marie Persans, Hamilton Beach
Patricia & Charles Hilgendorf, Howard Beach
Gary & Lindsay Clemente, Howard Beach
Nancy DiCroce, Howard Beach
Barbara Gavers, Howard Beach
William & Carol Baum, Lewiston, NY
Steve Lackner, Howard Beach
Margaret & Leonard Johnson, Ozone Park
Harmon Floors, Jamaica
Cathy & John Lucking, Hamilton Beach
The Rev. Karl Donfried, Northhampton, MA
Marie & Peter Zaun, Ozone Park
William & Anabel Englund, Howard Beach
Katherine Warren, Brooklyn
Ron & Laurie Laliberte, Clermont, FL
Tony & Wendy Maringo, Spring Hill, FL
The Rev. William Baum &The Rev. Brooke L. Swertfager, Manhattan
Walter Baum & John Baum, Manhattan
Tom Massey, Manhattan
Marilyn Valente, Howard Beach
Susan Shelhart, Brooklyn
James Achan, Howard Beach
Denise Lobody, Howard Beach
Linda & John Engler, Howard Beach
Betty & Jack Englert, Howard Beach
Karen & Luis Velez, Ozone Park
Gena Gilbertson, Mount Laurel, NJ
Barbara & Kameshwar Issardin, Ozone Park
Jennifer Phillips, Wallkill, NY
Joseph & Felicia DeMasi, Howard Beach
Maryann Gallucci, Howard Beach
The Rev. Grace Olson &The Rev. Roy Olson, Allentown, PA
Bernd & Hildegard Koch, Howard Beach
Robert Arfmann, Howard Beach
The Rev. Gerard Gaeta &The Rev. Jane Gaeta, Bethlehem, PA
Ronnie West, Howard Beach
Thomas Dugan, Henderson, NV
Scott & Julianna Stelloh, Hamilton Beach
Gary & Diane Graziano, Howard Beach
Dr. Marie Colon, Howard Beach
Inge & Horst Danielsson, Howard Beach
Dora, Brian, John & William Codd, Ozone Park
Evelyn Pfister, Howard Beach
Daniel Vizzinni & Nora Vizzini, Brooklyn
Eagle Scout Robert Codd, Ozone Park
Wendy Healy, Danbury, CT
Kathy Schmidt, Manhattan
Quinton & Tracey Vernon, Breezy Point
Bette & Gene Woody, Howard Beach
George & Joyce Gifford, Cumberland, RI
Kenneth Bulcroft, Staten Island
Margaret Bertucco, Oak Park, IL
Kathy & Tommy Campanelli, The Villages, FL
Phillip Giackette, Ozone Park
Robert & Barbara Lackner, Lecanto, FL
Roberta Novak, Acra, NY
Ronald & Joellen Senna, Kendall Park, NJ
Brian & Kristen Restivo, Monroe, NY
The Rev. Dr. & Mrs. Charles StreichPittsboro, NC
Robert Haussel, Howard Beach
Robert, Rob & Michael Nappi, Howard Beach
Dave Issardin, Ozone Park
Eagle Scout Patrick Brown, Bayside
Peter Brusca, Howard Beach
Kate Scrimale, Manhattan
James & Marilyn Arnone, Howard Beach
Ellie Rosher, Manhattan
Dennis Frado, Lutheran World Federation
Christine Scheper, Howard Beach
John Annunziata, Howard Beach
Kristopher Mercado, Howard Beach
Michael Wiener, Ozone Park
Randy & Joanne McNeil, Howard Beach
Blue Sky Landscaping, Howard Beach
Mike Pipitone Carpeting, Howard Beach
Bill Moser, Wamco Electric, Westbury
Dave Roche, Hannigan's Sons Moving &Storage, Howard Beach
The Rev. Cindy Halmarson, Bishop,Saskatchewan Synod, Canada
Gary Krull & Associates, Amherst, NY
Jeff & Mary HansenJemsco Services, Howard Beach
Howard Beach Kiwanis
Saint Barnabas Daisies, Brownies & JuniorGirl Scouts, Nancy Jones, Lindsay Clemente
Saint Barnabas Sunday SchoolSuperintendent Kathy Ryan
The Rev. Craig Miller, Metropolitan New YorkSynod Disaster Response Coordinator, Brooklyn
Lois Rimbo, Manhattan
Phil Lynch, Howard Beach
Sarah Diaz, Ozone Park
Claudio Zamparini, Ozone Park
Monica Mercado, Howard Beach
Carol Scheper, Howard Beach
Citywide Construction, South Ozone Park
Tom Reilly, Classic Plumbing, Forest Hills
Sally Perizzo, Howard Beach
Tom Issing, Consultant, Manhattan
JoAnn Breslin & Jean Marie KrugerWilliston Park, NY
Scott Butler, Howard Beach
Gayle Ruege, Long Island
Benefit Outsourcing SolutionsCommerce Township, MI
Andy's Remodeling, Lindenhurst
Last Call A.A. Group, Howard Beach
Saint Barnabas Cub Scouts & Boy ScoutsJohn Engler, Richard Pignatelli
American Red Cross
Barbara & Carl Scheper, Howard Beach
Roger Bybee, Manhattan
Jonah Cohen, Chief of DepartmentWest Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire &Ambulance Corps
Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., New York State Senator
Eric Ulrich, New York City Councilman
Betty Braton, Community Board 10 Chair
Phillip GoldfederNew York State Assemblyman
The Rev. Elisa Buberwa, BishopLutheran Church in Tanzania
The Rev. Dr. Veikko MunyikaLutheran Church in Namibia
The Rev. Mark & Mrs. Ione HansonPresiding BishopEvangelical Lutheran Church in America
Ruth Ann Cohen, Manhattan
It’s Only Stuff
The King James Version conveys thepainful project of emptying a home:“Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff byday in their sight, as stuff for removing.”This Ezekiel 12:4 passage is rendereddrably, “Bring out your belongings” inthe New International Version. Nodoubt, we need contemporarytranslations of ancient scripture. But I domiss some of the more lively olderlanguage.
I serve as pastor to a small congregationin one of the “beach” communitiesringing Jamaica Bay in New York City.As the community reeled from theeffects of Hurricane Sandy, there was amind-numbing parade of ruinedbelongings being brought out anddragged to the curb. The storm surgedestroyed all the cars, the contents ofmany first floors, and every family’sbasement. Through the early weeks ofthe calamity, the waves of fear and shockmade it difficult to gauge the depths oftrauma and possible longer-term effects.It wasn’t until the fourth week that Islowly began to hear people saying, oneby one, “Oh, well, it’s only stuff.”Admittedly, piled all together, it’s onebig mound of expensive stuff. But, onlystuff. Some of the more spirited folksfound colorful adjectives to placebetween only and stuff. But, still, it wasonly “stuff for removing.” And Ithought, how biblical. Gradually, ahealing sense of perspective wasemerging.
But then came Christmas. And therealization that some stuff was special,sacred stuff. No one mourns a lostemotional bond with their hot waterheater. But, grandmother’s antique angelChristmas ornament? Some stuff is notmerely stuff.
There was a lovely Christmas Dayeditorial “Unpacking Christmas” in theNew York Times. It noted tenderly howpeople cherish “the ritual of goingthrough the decorations that havegathered over time. Each year, theChristmas archive is unpacked again.”And with this unpacking, generations offamily bonds and religious sentiment arestirred. Some stuff is sacred stuff.
Yet, sacred stuff gets stored in thebasement alongside the “only stuff,” hotwater heaters, washers and dryers. Andit all gets dragged to the curb in one bigsoggy mess.
Still, the Christmas story of Emanuel -God with us - pours forth from SaintLuke in all its lustrous glory, no matterwhich translation. And redeemed is thestuff of the world, the stuff we are madeof, the stuff in the basement,grandmother’s stuff. All stuff is placedin perspective of eternity, beloved of aLove Supreme. It is all sacred. Nothing“only” about it.
The Rev. William Baum forWineskins, a theology journalJanuary 2013