Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you all a safe and happy new year's eve and 2004. May the peace of God which passes all understanding be with you now and always.

Joyous Christmas Celebration!

St. Andrew's and Church of the Redeemer both had wonderful Christmas celebrations. Combined attendance for our Christmas liturgies was 116 and included lots of children. Thanks to you all for bringing family and friends to celebrate with us the birth of our Lord.

Now Ad Free!

Thanks to the nice people at Blogger, At the Crossroads - Online is now ad free and looks better than ever!

Christmas Liturgies at St. Andrew's and Church of the Redeemer

Please join us to celebrate Christmas at one of the following liturgies:

Holy Communion - 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve – Church of the Redeemer.

Christmas Eve Midnight Mass - St. Andrew’s - Hymns begin at 10:45 p.m.

Christmas Day - Holy Communion at 11:00 a.m. – St. Andrew’s.

Sanyu Babies' Home Clothes

St. Andrew's and Church of the Redeemer are collecting clothes for children and babies this year as our Christmas project. The clothes will be sent to the Sanyu Babies' Home in Africa. This orphanage cares for children who have lost their parents to AIDS. It is an ongoing outreach project of the Church of the Redeemer. Please help us!

The Twelve Days of Bobbie’s Birthday

Bobbie Coats Wondrasch’s sister and family are celebrating her birthday this year with the Twelve Days of Bobbie’s Birthday. As part of this celebration, Bobbie is being prayed for in four churches around the country on Sunday, December 14th, the fourth day of her birthday! Happy Birthday Bobbie!

The Bishop's Ball

The Bishops Ball, for the High School Youth of the diocese will be held at Camp Hardtner on Saturday, December 20th 2003 from 7-10pm. There will be music, food, and fellowship in a Winter Wonderland setting. Dress is formal (don't put away those prom dresses just yet) and admission is any medical item (cough syrup, children's Tylenol, etc) to be used during our January mission trip to Honduras. Youth may stay overnight (bring $15 to cover camp costs and a signed medical release from Father Whit). Contact Mark Snellgrove (mark.snellgrove@bayou.com) for more information or if you're an adult who wants to help.

Windows to Heaven - Russian Icons

There is a spectacular exhibit of Russian icons from the private collection of Daniel Bibb at the Biedenharn Bible Museum in Monroe. Some Mr. Bibb’s collection premiered in 1998 at the Biedenharn Museum, however, many more have been added to the collection and have never before been seen in public. All are welcome. The museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sundays from 2 – 5 p.m. There is no fee for admission. Go see this wonderful exhibit!

Thanksgiving Day Eucharist

St. Andrew’s Church will celebrate Holy Eucharist on Thanksgiving Day at 10:00 a.m. As is our tradition, we will decorate the altar with local produce and plants of the harvest. This celebration helps complete our Rogation Day blessing of the fields and gives us all a chance to thank God for the bounty of the harvest. Thanks to all who helped by bringing decorations.
Please join us!

Family Night Potluck

St. Andrew's next family night is Wednesday, October 15th at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall. Our theme for this month's family night is Asian Food. For some great recipe ideas, click here.

Godly Play to Begin

On Wednesday, October 15th, Godly Play will begin at 3:30 p.m. at Christ Church in Bastrop. This program of Christian Education is a joint effort of St. Andrew's and Christ Church. This is the third year for the program which draws between fifteen to twenty students a week. Godly Play is open to children from 3 to 10 years old. Come let your child try it out!

Homework Club is a study group that runs concurrent with Godly Play and is available for older children. It gives them a chance to study, snack and spend time together while the younger kids attend Godly Play.

Halloween and All Saints’ at St. Andrew's

St. Andrew’s has several things planned for Halloween and All Saints’ this year that should make the event spooktacluar!

On Friday, October 17th, Jr. High and High School age youth will meet at Messiah Lutheran Church in Monroe at 6:00 p.m. to go to The Edge of Madness in Calhoun. After the screaming, we will eat, tell each other all about it and return home. This event is sponsored by MAYO - the Monroe Area Youth Organization.

On Friday, October 31st, trick or treaters on the Mer Rouge hayride can swing by the church for cookies and hot chocolate.

All Saints’ Sunday will be celebrated on Sunday, November 2nd at 9:30 in Mer Rouge and 11:00 a.m. in Oak Ridge. Come sing a song of the saints of God!

Meeting of the Monroe Convocation

The Monroe Convocation will meet on Sunday, October 19th at 3:00 p.m. in Kilbourne Hall at Grace Church in Monroe. We will be electing a layman* to the Diocesan Executive Committee for a three-year term. It will also serve as a chance to have a pre-convention briefing.

* Please note that we alternate between laymen and laywomen. Since the retiring member is a woman, we will elect a man in the lay order.

Worship with Us

Come visit us at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Holy Eucharist (Communion) is celebrated at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday. We are located at the intersection of Louisiana Highways 133 and 2 in Mer Rouge, Louisiana. Click here for a map.

All Saints' Episcopal School

As many of you know, I am on the board of trustees for All Saints' Episcopal School in Vicksburg, Mississippi. All Saints' is a truly fine school with great faculty, students and staff. The buildings and grounds are beautiful as well. The only way to really experience the school is to visit it, but the next best thing is their super website. Its address is www.allsaintsweb.com. Take a look.

All Saints' is just beginning its annual fund drive. If you would like to make a donation, talk to me, or click the link on the school's website.

A Taste of Italy - Family Night Potluck

St. Andrew's next Family Night Potluck is Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 6:30 p.m. The theme for the evening is Italian Food. For some Italian style super supper recipes from Food Network, click here. Join us for a great evening of fellowship and fun!

Backdoor Coffeehouse

The Roman Caltholic, Lutheran and Episcopal Churches have a joint ministry for students and faculty at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (U.L.M.). The Backdoor Coffeehouse meets twice a month at U.L.M.'s Catholic Student Center on Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. We drink coffee, share some snacks and discuss issues of theological and religious interest. Join us this Thursday, September 11, 2003 and bring a friend.

September Eleventh

It is hard to believe that another September 11th is here. Please remember in your prayers all those who died that day and all those left behind. St. Andrew's will remember the events of September 11th at our celebration of the Holy Eucharist on Sunday, September 14, 2003.

Monroe Convocation Meets at Grace

The Monroe Convocation of the Diocese of Western Louisiana met at Grace Episcopal Church in Monroe on September 4, 2003. Our bishop, The Rt. Rev'd D. Bruce MacPherson shared some of his thoughts about the events of the 2003 General Convention with the group. The Bishop then openned the floor to the laity and clergy of the convocation. Many there shared stories of how they had studied the Scriptures and come to their own conclusion about the issue of homosexulaity. If you would like to make a study of the relevant scriptures, but don't know where to start, I suggest The Bible and Homosexuality. This websource presents both conservative and liberal interpretations of the Bible and provides many valuable links for further study.

A Prayer for Labor Day

Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, page 261)

Have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend!

How Many Readers Do We Have?

At the Crossroads - Online is our new web-based parish newsletter - but how many of you really check in and read it? If you are one of our readers, drop us an e-mail by using the link at the left. Thanks for checking in!

St. Andrew's Adults to Study the Old Testament

St. Andrew's Adult Education Class will begin soon. We will be reading The Old Testament - An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible by Stephen L. Harris and Robert L. Platzner. Class begins on September 3, 2003 at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall. Come and join us for the first class and see if you would like to attend. Food, fun and fellowship are part of every session!

Convocational Meeting to be Held at Grace Church

As we read in Bishop MacPherson's Pastoral Letter of August 10, the laity and clergy of the Monroe Convocation will gather at Grace Episcopal Church, in Monroe, on September 4, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. in Kilborne Hall to discuss the events of the 2003 General Convention. Please make plans to attend this important meeting.

Family Night Potluck

St. Andrew's will have its August Family Night Potluck on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall. Bring a dish and join us for good food, fun and fellowship.

Need a recipe? Click here for a link to Food Network's Mexican recipes.

Website Launched by Those Opposed to Gay Bishop

Information and resources assembled by Episcopalians opposed the Rev'd Gene Robinson's confirmation as bishop-elect can be found at communionparishes.org. The website includes news, letters, articles and the viewpoints of those against the Church's decision to confirm Canon Robinson.

Wall Street Journal Article

A parishioner brough me a copy of an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal by Harvey Cox about the Chruch's confirmation of the Rev'd Gene Robinson and the Episcopal Chruch's long history of living with differences. The author supports the decision. The title of the article is A Schism Averted? and is available from the Harvard Divinty School website. Mr. Cox is the Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard.
(Thanks to the Rev. Stacey Grossman for the link.)

Clergy of the Diocese to Gather for Conversation

The clergy of the Diocese of Western Louisiana will assemble at St. James Episcopal Church at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, August 18, 2003. They will gather for Eucharist; then join together in the parish hall for a time of conversation about the events of the 2003 General Convention and for lunch.

Please note this event is for clergy only. During gatherings that will be offered over the next couple of weeks, the laity will be given ample opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings.

Please pray for our clergy and bishop as they meet.

St. Andrew's Begins Its Conversation About the General Convention

St. Andrew's began its discussion of the events of the 74th General Convention at the coffee hour following Holy Communion on August 10, 2003. During the liturgy, a pastoral letter was read from our Bishop, The Rt. Rev'd D. Bruce MacPherson. In the conversation that followed, it is clear that we don't all see this issue the same way. Yet, while we don't all agree, we showed the love in Christ we have for each other by being able to stay in the conversation; to stay in the tension.

Speaking of tension, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold has issued a thoughtful statement. In an Episcopal News Service release, he states: "It is my own conviction that different points of view can be held in tension within the church without issues around sexuality becoming church dividing. Others may disagree but this is my firmly held opinion. This was also the view of the House of Bishops Theology Committee and of the International Anglican Conversation on Human Sexuality that I convened following the Lambeth Conference of 1998 at the request of the Archbishop of Canterbury. This international group included twelve bishops and primates who represented a broad range of views and met over a three-year period. Their conclusion was that if matters of homosexuality were to divide the Communion, it would be, to quote from the report, 'the ultimate sexualization of the Church, making sexuality more powerful, or more claiming of our attention, than God.'"

Please keep talking with each other and with me and with God about all of this. Especially with God! The evolving conversation in ourselves and in our parish will help us be articulate as we begin our discussion in the Diocese of Western Louisiana, in our province, Province VII and in the National Church.

(portions of this article are taken from The Episcopal Church of the Nativity's Weblog)

Special Meeting Called by the Archbishop of Canterbury

Reacting to events this week at General Convention, the Archbishop
of Canterbury has called a special meeting of the primates of the
Anglican Communion in London, October 15-16.

According to a news release on the Anglican Communion News Service's Web
site, Dr. Rowan Williams said a meeting is needed. "I am clear that the
anxieties caused by recent developments have reached the point where we
will need to sit down and discuss their consequences," he was quoted as
saying. (taken from the Episcopal News Service)

News from Bishop MacPherson at the General Convention

We have received word from Bishop MacPherson concerning the confirmation of the Rev'd Gene Robinson as bishop coadjutor-elect of New Hampshire. In an e-mail to the clergy of the diocese, our bishop said, "I will be sending a pastoral to you and the entire diocese." The letter will be read in the churches of the diocese on Sunday, August 10, 2003. The bishop is also planning to call the clergy together to discuss the issue upon his return. Bishop MacPherson also said that he will announce dates for gatherings in each convocation to give clergy and laity a time to discuss the matter. MacPherson said, " The experience of the church at this moment is one of great emotional tension; however, I feel most strongly that this is a time in which we must stand firm in the faith which is ours in Christ Jesus."

General Convention News

News and information about the 74th General Convention can be accessed by clicking here.

Vacation Bible School

St. Andrew's Son Harvest Vacation Bible School was a big success! The Spires' Itsacinch Ranch was transformed into our fair ground. We had great food, music, lessons, crafts and games. The hayride and clown had the kids lined up for more.

Thanks to all who helped! This is the third year that Christ Church and St. Andrew's have put together a great V.B.S.

Access to At the Crossroads - Online

At the Crossroads - Online may be accessed from St. Andrew's Website by clicking the link at the bottom of that page or at the following address - http://standrewsmrla.blogspot.com

You may also go directly to St. Andrew's Website from At the Crossroads - Online by clicking the link at your right.

St. Andrew's Begins Online Newsletter

On Friday, August 1, 2003, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church began its online newsletter called At the Crossroads - Online. Look for more information soon.