SPRINGFIELD
SPRINGFIELD
CURRENT
CURRENT
A Newsletter of the Episcopal Diocese of Springfield
A Newsletter of the Episcopal Diocese of Springfield
EPIPHANYTIDE 2025
2 | Epiphanytide
Dear Beloved of Christ:
When driving to church on Sunday as a family in the early 1970s,
we would pass McGregor Baptist Church on McGregor Boulevard, a
two-lane road running from Downtown Fort Myers to Punta Rassa.
Known as the "Avenue of Palms," the frst two mile stretch of Royal
palms were planted by Tomas Alva Edison in 1901 which created a
beautiful lined canopy along both sides of this road. Tese magnifcent
Royal Palms soar past 75 feet tall, giving Fort Myers its nickname as
“Te City of Palms.”
Getting to church was never a problem because as Episcopalians, we
all had ministries in which to report early, including Choir, altar guild,
and at times, the Building Committee. However, the ride home always
took longer unless you knew a pretty complicated detour through
the surrounding neighborhoods, subdivisions, and a business or
two. Tat is because an auxiliary deputy sherif who worshiped at
McGregor Baptist Church took great pleasure in directing trafc at
the intersection of McGregor Boulevard and their small parking lot.
Largely not needed, he would position his emblemed vehicle along the
center turn lane with his emergency response lights fashing (this was
long before agencies went with emergency response strobe lights). He
would stand in the middle of the Boulevard in full uniform, stopping
north and south trafc to allow cars from their church parking lot to
enter, ofen only two or three at a time. Even in the 1970s, trafc was
not thick at that hour on a Sunday. It was his ofering. And what was
one to do in the face of a duly authorized law enforcement ofcer, but
wait your directed turn.
We all knew that McGregor Baptist Church relied on that ofering
to communicate a sense of “come and see.” Come and see where
people worship in such a dynamic setting that we need our own law
enforcement ofcer to regulate the fow of trafc once we dismiss
worshipers into the mission feld. Although the downtown Roman
Church and parochial school maintained a parking lot for over 150
cars, the Episcopal Church up to 75 cars, the Baptists needed trafc
control for their 30 cars. Tey knew that the cars that had to wait in
trafc were those of other traditions heading home by the expected
way. To many of us being held up in trafc with a smile, it was a pretty
bold jab of evangelism. One that, if you asked anyone sitting in trafc,
we wish we would have thought of frst. McGregor Baptist Church
is now located on Colonial Boulevard because they needed a church
that seats 500. Tey also (as far as I know) maintain the trafc control
on Sunday mornings.
rom the Bishop
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SPRINGFIELD
CURRENT
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE
EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD
The Episcopal Diocese of Springfeld
821 S. 2nd Street, Springfeld, IL
62704 Phone: (217) 525-1876
Fax: (217) 525-1877
Publisher:
The Rt. Rev. Brian K. Burgess
XII Bishop of Springfeld
Editor and Art Director:
Bethany Buscher
Monthly Diocesan E-Newsletter
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Current on the 15th of the months
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Cover art: The Adoration of the Magi,
Giovanni Boccati (1448), public domain,
Wikimedia Commons
Epiphanytide | 3
DONORS
Catherine Nelson – Trinity, Jacksonville
Bob & Sue Vaughn – St. George’s, Belleville
Karen Steigmann – Emmanuel Memorial,
Champaign
The Rev. Beth Maynard and Mr. Mark
Dirksen – Beverly, MA
Bruce Bonds – Emmanuel Memorial,
Champaign
4 | Epiphanytide
CONTENTS
12
16
18
4 | Epiphanytide
From the Bishop
Newsletter information
Donors
From the Bishop, Cont.
The Conversion of St. Paul
We Who Know You By Faith
Photos from Synod 2024
A Day at Episcopal Church Camp
Pre-Lenten Clergy Retreat
The Diocese of Springfeld would like to
thank and acknowledge the following
sponsors who have made possible this
issue of The Current:
Epiphanytide | 5
t is time that we make bold
statements
of
evangelism
outwardly, without hesitation
and without reservation, right here
in Springfeld. Te faith that is in
us is intended to be commended
to others liberally and regularly
(BCP pg. 268). Tat can be done in
sof and ofen unrecognizable ways
such as being nice to those who are
nice to us, refecting a spirituality
that is neither aggressive nor is it
particularly ingenious. When I
talk to priests and deacons about
taking calculated risks, I compare
their leadership eforts to walking
a tightrope, but with the net
positioned securely underneath
their high-wire eforts. It has
always been this way with those
who assume leadership within our
tradition. Anglicanism brought
us bishops in gaiters, missionaries
drinking quinine water in pith
helmets, and clergy afxing hard-
won military campaign ribbons to
their tippets. Every bit of what we
are is intended for public scrutiny
and
public
consumption,
and
FROM THE BISHOP
Continued
under this priority the Diocese of
Springfeld once again extended
its fnancial resources towards
sponsoring the rebroadcast of A
Ceremony of Lessons and Carols
on Christmas Eve by National
Public Radio from Kings College
in
Cambridge,
England.
Tis
exclusive
sponsorship
includes
various invitations to locate one
of our many altars throughout
central and southern Illinois on
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Most
of
what
we
know
of
Christmas and the Epiphany came
from the Church of England.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was
a Victorian era churchman from
Portsmouth, England. A quick
Wikipedia search reveals that
Portsmouth was founded c. 1180
by an Anglo-Norman merchant
in the south-west area of Portsea
Island, a location now known as
Old Portsmouth. Around this time,
that same merchant ordered the
construction of a chapel dedicated
to St. Tomas a’ Becket. Dickens
wrote about what he knew and what
he had experienced. Tis is why
we can say with confdence that
everyone is Anglican at Christmas.
What
is
our
individual
and
collective reach during a time when
most carols and even the evergreen
wreaths come from our expression
of sanctifying life, time and space?
I’m willing to secede the Advent
wreath to Scandinavian Lutherans
and the crèche to French Catholics,
but all else came from our tradition.
Te Book of Common Prayer may
hold the expectation that we shield
our joy (BCP pg. 124), but nowhere
are we expected as Anglicans to
shield our God-given glory. Have
we thought about candy canes,
warm cinnamon donuts, and hot
cider on the front steps of (name
your congregation) following a
carol sing? What outreach needs to
be planned for communities who
are engaged in so much unbridled
social media while living isolated
existences? It is now largely up
to the Church to teach a very
suspicious world how we are to be
hospitable to one another and to
an entire community. Te local,
state, and federal agencies fail
miserably at this. Even the public
school systems have now regaled
Charles Dickens in his study at Gashill, Samuel Hollyer c.1875, Picryl
6 | Epiphanytide
FROM THE BISHOP
us each to our own screens. If our scriptural
tradition holds to any expectation whatsoever,
it is to not fear, to be bold, and to bring
others to the knowledge and love of Christ.
Along with our Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe,
I, too, believe that our standing in the world as
the Body of Christ is a matter of life and death.
Our trying to win the day for Christ by partisan
means is over. Te Church is the only encounter
with heaven having come down to earth and it is
the only expression of Emmanuel, or God with
us, that brings life to the world. What we do in
prayer and through the power of the Holy Spirit
really matters. Not to do all that we are divinely
commissioned to do invites the darkness of the
world to take over. I am not willing to cede any of
this over to those who have no concept of keeping
holy day. Te Church has a divinely commissioned
mission which depends upon a well-planned
and aggressive execution of that mission.
All this to say how it is we have a church to open
in Marion. Te Chapel of St. James has stood
just four blocks from the county square since
1930. Largely a gif from a generous matron, this sacred
space stands out as a gem of our Diocese. It is beautiful,
well-appointed, and in need of attention. Marion is located
within the fastest growing county in the State of Illinois, its
population now surpassing that of Carbondale. Tey ice skate
in the winter in the town square! Shops are open, lights are
on, and people traverse the community with pride for who
they have been, who they are, and who they are becoming.
Te chapel seats 50 (with a shoehorn). Do not tell me that we
cannot resurrect an Episcopal Church congregation here.
If we don’t take this step forward boldly, someone else will,
and they will succeed as soon as they put Christ in the Center
of their thoughts, words, and deeds. To be clear: We own
this church outright. No one is talking about a start-up in
a movie theatre or a middle school gymnasium; no folding
chairs or placing annoying fyers under the windshield wipers
of those parked in the Walmart parking lot. What I propose
is repopulating an entire congregation in a church that we
already own and of which we hold responsibility. I invite the
Diocese of Springfeld to show the rest of the Episcopal Church
how church growth and development is done and how we
commit our time, talent, and treasure to what will complete
us. When the Episcopal Church parish, mission, or chapel
across the county line becomes strong, it strengthens all of us.
Tank you for allowing me to share the meditation
of my heart. I believe this is what St. Matthew
had in mind when he penned how it was the Wise
Men from the East, having peered into the face of
the Prince of Peace, went home by another way.
Now, go out there and stop trafc.
Epiphanytide | 7
FROM THE BISHOP
In the peace of God, which passeth all understanding;
Bishop Brian K. Burgess
XII Springfeld
Your Standing Committee, Diocesan Council, and those
congregations that would most directly be impacted
(Harrisburg and Carbondale) are in conversation over
any and all possibilities. A trusted contractor who also
stands out as a dedicated churchman is providing us
with cost estimates and a list of what needs to be done.
To do nothing would be criminal as this is the Body of
Christ in that place. No, we do not have a priest or deacon
to send into this location; not without an opportunity
for compensation and housing. I believe that day will
come. Today, we begin at the structural. Te Standing
Committee has concluded that the vicarage needs to be
torn down as its foundational repair would cost more
than the wood frame house is worth. Te good news is
that this lot immediately adjacent to the church opens
possibilities for other priorities, including an outdoor
gathering area with accessible bathrooms and of-street
parking.
My ask at this time is for your prayers and that you
consider entering the discussion at the appropriate level
with the appropriate people. I envision three or four
diferent funding sources coming together to make this
dream of God possible, one of which being a fnancial
and a sweat equity ask of all of us. When in the southern
tip of our Diocese, please make it a point to visit St. James
Chapel in Marion with the possibility of making your
Holy Communion before her altar. Building spiritual
muscle as well as theological resolve right where you are
located will be needed as well. We separate ourselves
from Holy Mother Church and frustrate the activity of
the Holy Spirit when we fail to continue in the apostles’
teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in
the prayers (BCP pg. 304).
We separate ourselves from
Holy Mother Church and frus-
trate the activity of the Holy
Spirit when we fail to continue
in the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of
bread, and in the prayers.
- BCP pg. 304
Tree Magi, Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Wikimedia Commons
8 | Epiphanytide
THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL
THE CONVERSION OF ST.
PAUL
By The Reverend Fr. Garron Daniels
The Episcopal Parish of Alton
rowing up in a more non-
denominational
tradition,
there was always a deep love and
appreciation for St. Paul and his
conversion, life, and eventual
martyrdom. In the time in my
life where I fell away from the
faith, St. Paul and his letters
helped guide me to a deeper
understanding of Christ and the
work of preaching and teaching
the Word. It was to my surprise in
coming to the Episcopal Church
that many have a complicated
relationship with the Apostle.
Some put him on a high pedestal
as a god-like fgure while others
would rather not hear from the
Apostle or any of his letters. Tis
has been bewildering, but maybe
it gets to something deeper that
the Conversion can help restore.
Like most people, saints and
sinners alike, we have a tendency
as a community to paint a
person as something they are
not. Unfortunately, this is what
we have done to Paul not only
in the Episcopal Church but in
many denominations. Yet when
we examine his conversion, we
return to the core of it all–the very
basics of Paul. Paul was violent
and wicked towards Christianity,
known throughout cities for his
persecutions towards Christians.
He adamantly refused Christ as
the Messiah and wanted to stop
those who were following Him.
Of course, his beliefs changed
radically when Christ himself
appeared to Paul and told him to
not only stop the persecutions,
but to give his life to the mission
and work of Christ. Here we
have a man who murdered and
abused so many, but is radically
changed in the presence of Christ.
From this moment on, his entire
life would be devoted to the love
and mission of Christ, especially
amongst the Gentiles.
In his Conversion, we should
come to recognize the sweeping
power of Christ and his presence.
Christ can take anyone, even
someone as wicked as Paul, and
completely change their life. Te
hardness of the heart sofens
before the Lord. How can we not
see the beauty of this conversion
and not see a part of us or the
possibility that exists for all of
humanity? No matter who you
are, where you came from, or
what you’ve done, it’s never too
late to accept Christ and let Him
completely and utterly change
your life. It’s never too late for any
of us to take the love and mission
of the Gospels and run with it
full speed out into the world,
proclaiming the Word and doing
the work Christ has set out for us
to do.
Taking Paul and putting him on
a pedestal as a god-like fgure
Te Conversion of St. Paul, Laurent de La Hyre, c. 1637, Picryl
Epiphanytide | 9
WE WHO KNOW YOU BY FAITH
depicts him as something he is
ot and neglects his humanity. He
wanted his conversion and life
to focus on Christ, not himself.
“For I am the least of the apostles,
unworthy to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church
of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9).
While we don’t want to make
Paul an idol, ignoring him or
villainizing him also neglects his
humanity. We are in need of a
clear reminder that we are sinful
beings in need of salvation. We
need to remember Jesus Christ
and his power to radically
transform anyone’s life. When we
come to this understanding, we
are flled with hope and joy at the
mention of Paul’s Conversion–
hope that it’s not too late for us,
the person next to us, or someone
we pass on the street. Joy for each
and every soul that comes to know
Christ as the King of Kings and
the Lord of Lords, the Savior of all
humankind. May saints like Paul
help us to see the transformation
of the Christian life and how we
too can be followers of the Savior
of all.
his week, we followers of the Christ-
child fnd ourselves at the dawning
of another season of Epiphanytide.
We’ve watched and waited for His
arrival, welcomed Him at His Nativity,
and now with full hearts and stomachs
we say goodbye to Christmastide. It
is now the season for searching as the
Magi did, and one small parish deep
in southern Illinois has seen a light in
the distance that they hope might lead
them further into the presence of their
Lord.
Since accepting his holy orders nearly
two years ago, Fr. Parker Asplin and
Trinity Mt. Vernon have discerned an
opportunity for new life to be poured
into the parish’s children’s ministry.
Having spent several of his college years
serving in youth ministry and church
camps, and afer getting involved as a
spiritual director at this past summer’s
WE WHO KNOW YOU BY FAITH
By Bethany Buscher
Episcopal Church Camp of Illinois, Fr.
Asplin has seen how kids intuitively
respond to the Gospel message. And
while the children of Trinity Mt.
Vernon participate in worship by
altar serving and acolyting and are
ministered to with hospitality, play,
and the occasional children’s Sunday
school, limitations in resources, staf,
and available time on the part of their
newly-ordained priest have made it
difcult to begin any formal youth
ministry program. As Fr. Asplin
remarked, “I felt from the parish, very
early on, a sincere care for its children
and young families, and it felt both like
an area in need of greater investment,
and like an untapped resource. Tat’s
where Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
came in.”
In recent months, Fr. Asplin and Jen
Emery, a mother of four and a member
10 | Epiphanytide
WE WHO KNOW YOU BY FAITH
of both the vestry and the altar
guild
at
Trinity,
have
been
discussing how the work of altar
guilds has always possessed an
incredible ability for turning
the simple tasks of linen care,
dishwashing, and table setting
into highly devotional and ascetic
practices, and how efective altar
guilds could be at adapting and
sharing this with children. “Jen’s
two oldest daughters, Catie and
Annie, had started acolyting a
while ago, and Jen mentioned
how well-suited altar guild and
serving could be for ministering
to children, as there was always
something to do and plenty of
jobs suitable for diferent ages.
Tat’s when she mentioned the
similarities to Catechesis of the
Good Shepherd,” recalled Fr.
Asplin. Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd
is
an
educational
curriculum in which Jen is trained
and her children have participated
for years. Born out of a need to
educate kids in the faith without an
excess of resources, this program
is a blend between the educational
model of Maria Montessori
and the liturgical practices and
sacramental
theology
of
the
church. Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd allows children to learn
about the liturgy and faith using
play and their own hands, with
child-sized liturgical materials. In
Fr. Asplin’s experience, those kids
that have done the program have
an unparalleled attention and
devotion during the mass. “Tey
have a devotion and desire to
participate in the divine mystery
of God and in His grace through
the sacraments. Tey want to
bring Him their best, not out of
obligation or fear, but from an
obedient love.” With the nearest
chapter, or atrium, being an hour
away, it became clear that they
might have stumbled upon an
area of opportunity.
October brought about Bishop
Burgess and Denise’s visit to
Trinity Mt. Vernon in order to
celebrate All Saints’ Day and to
baptize the newest addition to
the Asplin family, little Asaph.
As many know, it is customary
that the ofering collected on the
Sunday of his visit should be given
to the Bishop’s discretionary fund.
However, Bishop Burgess insisted
that Trinity keep the funds and
designate them toward something
that was outside of the usual
budgetary spending. Afer further
chats with the Bishop, discussions
with the Vestry, and prayerful
consideration, it became clear that
the rejuvenation of the children’s
ministry by way of establishing a
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
atrium could conceivably be
possible. “In his sermon and by his
actions, the Bishop communicated
that while he is charging us to
prayerfully take holy risks and
to enter into uncertainty, he will
go with us and be there to catch
us. To have that kind of support
meant a lot to us as a parish,” said
Fr. Asplin.
Following a very informative
presentation by Jen Emery at
the following vestry meeting,
it became clear that a very real
opportunity had been found. Fr.
Asplin felt a sense of “Easter air”
as the vote unanimously passed to
use the All Saints’ ofering toward