Iconography - Thursdays in Lent

Christ the Good Shepherd, the icon we will write together.

Christ the Bridegroom, an icon Mother Michelle created in 2016.

This Lent we will be taking a journey of Icon Writing on Thursday mornings at 9am (in the parish hall).  The Orthodox Church has long used icons, special paintings of holy people or scenes, as worship and prayer.  The creation of an icon is called "writing" because the icon is created meditatively and prayerfully, one brush stroke at a time.  Pastor Kris Graunke, retired Episcopal priest, has held workshops for many local congregations and is thrilled to lead one for us.

Each Thursday we will gather to offer special prayers (icon prayers, if you will) and to work on our own individual icons.  The size is approximately 8x10 and begins with preparing the surface, tracing the image onto the wood, and then slowly and carefully "writing" the image with paint brushes.  I would never call myself an artist or a painter, but I successfully wrote one in 2016 that I'm quite fond of and keep in my home prayer space.

If you don't think writing an icon is for you, you are still welcome to stop by any Thursday in Lent (beginning 2/23) to watch a group of us do our best.  If you choose to participate, a $25 donation covers the cost of supplies, which Pastor Kris will provide.  I'm happy to cover that cost for anyone who would appreciate the assistance. 

Ash Wednesday Service - 2/22/23 @ Noon

1000 Michigan Avenue, LaPorte IN

Join us for a service commemorating the beginning of our Lenten journey. Service begins at noon and includes the imposition of ashes to remind us of God’s amazing gift of life to us and that we are all mortal.

__________

From the prayer blessing the ashes before imposition:

Almighty God, thou hast created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by thy gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. 

Community Dinner - Tuesday 2/21/23

Join us on Tuesday, February 21st at 6pm for a delicious free meal of Pancakes and Sausage. This is in honor or our traditional Shrove Tuesday meal marking the beginning of Lent. Doors open at 5:30 for drinks and popcorn.

Everyone is welcome. Bring a friend. Share this post. Hope to see you there!

St. Paul’s is located at 1000 Michigan Avenue but please enter from Harrison Street. Feel free to email priest@stpaulslaporte.org with any questions.

First Friday Concert Series - February 2023

John Gouwens

John Gouwens will be the featured musician at the First Friday concert Feb. 3, 12:10 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1000 Michigan Ave., LaPorte.

Gouwens has served as Organist and Choirmaster of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church (La Porte) since the fall of 2019. Shortly after starting in that position, he also became carillonneur, organist, and choirmaster at The Presbyterian Church, also in La Porte.

He is a prolific composer and arranger for carillon, and also plies those skills providing relevant and enjoyable music for his choirs to sing. In the organ and carillon fields, he is renowned for his improvisation skills, which he will be including in the Feb.3 recital.

From 1980 until his retirement in 2019, Gouwens served as Organist and Carillonneur at Culver Academies, also leading the choir program for many of those  years.

Throughout his career, he has been active playing recitals on the organ and on carillon, for many years at Culver, but also around the country. In the summer of 2023, he’s making his eighth carillon recital tour in Europe. Gouwens has also garnered many prizes over the years in competitions for organ playing, carillon playing, improvisation, and composition.

The program will include Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor, by J.S. Bach; Adagio in E, by Frank Bridge; The Dam-Busters, by Eric Coates; Hymn and Improvisation (hymn to be announced) and Epilogue (Saga III from Metal Angel) by Gunnar Idenstam.

There is no charge for the concert, but a free-will offering box will be available. People are encouraged to bring their lunch and enjoy the concert.

First Friday Concert Series - January 2023

Lee Knitter

Lee Knitter

Join us for our January First Friday concert on January 6th at 12:10 pm. Lee Knitter will offer a Gospel music performance with acoustic guitar.

Lee Knitter worked in a steel mill for 43 years, and has been a musician for more than 30 years. He's been on the Worship team at La Porte Missionary Church for over 16 years. Lee wants to take the Gospel into the community with his music and has enjoyed performing solo most recently. He sings Gospel and plays the acoustic guitar.

First Friday concerts are held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church located at 1000 Michigan Avenue. Concerts are free. All are welcome. Bring a sack lunch if you'd like. Hope to see you.

First Friday Concert Series - December 2022

Susie Richter (from left), Rose Marie Dure and Bob Richter

The fourth event in the First Friday Concert series at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1000 Michigan Ave., La Porte, will be Dec. 2 at 12:10 p.m.

Brother and sister Bob and Susie Richter and accompanist Rose Marie Dure will present a Christmas program. All three have have been involved for a long time in La Porte Little Theater and other area theaters for many years.

Dure is the retired director of Music Ministries at First United Methodist Church in La Porte. The Richters are both members of the Singing Company of La Porte and Susie also sings in St. Paul's Choir.

The public is invited to this free event, bring your lunch if you wish. The concert will last about 30 minutes.

First Friday Concert Series - November 2022

Jim Lampl

Jim Lampl is an actor/singer/entertainer from La Porte, IN. He will be playing his guitar and singing.

Jim's program -
Matthew 7:12 in a Secular World

* There But for Fortune - Phil Ochs

* Don’t Laugh at Me - Alan Shamblin and Steve Seskin

* Jim Dean of Indiana - Phil Ochs

* Botswana - John Stewart

* The Perfect High - Shel Silverstein

* Star in the Black Sky Shining - John Stewart

* Streets of London - Ralph McTell

* Ballad of the Carpenter - Ewan MacColl

* The Power and the Glory - Phil Ochs

He attended Interlochen Center for the Arts, Valparaiso High School, Northwestern University and Valparaiso University. Jim taught speeches, drama, and English at La Porte High School for 44 years, where he also directed over 90 plays and musicals.Among Jim’s favorite acting roles: Felix Unger (Odd Couple), Harry (Luv), King Sextimus (Once upon a Mattress), Charles Cheswick (One Flew over a Cuckoos’s Nest) Jade (Working), Cab Driver (Harvey), George Bailey (Merry Christmas, George Bailey), and Freddie the Freeloader. Jim also appeared with Imogene Coca in Plaza Suite and Robert Horton in There’s a Girl in my Soup.

First Friday Concert Series - October 2022

Mona Williams Coalter graduated from Indiana University in 1979 with a Master of Music Degree, with Distinction, in piano performance. In 1977 she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree, summa cum laude, from Taylor University in piano performance and composition. After graduating from IU, Mona taught at
Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana, and then at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

She has had two piano duet books of hymn arrangements published: “Praise Him! Praise Him!” and “For Every Season.” Musical collaboration has long held a special place in her heart, and she has been a staff accompanist at Roosevelt University and Moody Bible Institute, as well as doing free-lance accompanying work in the Chicago Area. She concertized with Un-Young Whang in the Coalter and Whang Piano Duo for several years and recorded a CD of four-hand piano works, “With Grateful Hands.”

She is currently a staff accompanist at Notre Dame University and is also a gardener and potter

Mona Coalter

Reflections: Music of Hope and Peace

  • Prelude in C Major, BWV 846 Johann Sebastian Bach

  • Prelude in C# Major, BWV 848

  • Sonata No. 60 in C Major, Hob. XVI/50 Franz Joseph Haydn

  • Allegro

  • Adagio

  • Allegro molto

  • Romance, Op. 28 No. 2 Robert Schumann

  • Arabesque No. 1 in E Major, L. 66 Claude Debussy

  • All Creatures of Our God and King Lasst Uns Erfreuen/Arr. Mona Coalter

September First Friday Concert Review

Roger and Sue Smith played “Songs We Love; some slightly Seasoned”
Along with an accompanying track Rogers played clarinet and Sue on electric violin. The two played music appropriate for the attendees.

  1. Sentimental Journey

  2. When Morning Gilds the Skies / Praise My Soul, The King of Heaven

  3. In the Bleak Midwinter

  4. Younger Than Springtime

  5. Melody of Five Spirituals:

    My Lord, What a Morning

    Swing Low Sweet Chariot

    Good News! Chariot’s Coming

    Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley

    Lord, I Want To Be a Christian

  6. On the Sunny Side of the Street / What a Wonderful World

  7. Can’t Help Falling in Love / Someone to Watch Over Me

  8. Rog’s Rag

  9. Summertime

  10. Shine on Harvest Moon

  11. Have I Told You Lately That I love You

  12. The Lord’s Prayer

Roger on clarinet and Sue on electric violin

61 people in attendance for the first concert in September