A Joyful Noise September 2025
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Senior Warden Message
Tom Young, Senior Warden
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the Earth! Serve the Lord with gladness; come into His presence with singing! (Psalm 100:1-2)
Tom & Sharman
On our recent trip “across the pond,” we had many “WOW” moments. When we see God’s hand in a beautiful sunset, an otherworldly landscape, or hear ethereal holy music in a cathedral; we have no words. All we can say is “Wow!” Did you know that “wow” is a form or prayer? Anne Lamott wrote a book called “Help, Thanks, and Wow,” the three essential prayers. I believe “Wow” is a deep form of praise and is music to God’s ears.
One such “Wow” moment: We were taken up a mountain in a skyride cable car. This was some miles (and two ferry rides) outside of Ålesund, Norway. The views were breathtaking on the way up, but when we got out at the top, we were blown away. We were literally and spiritually sky-high. We knew photos would not do justice to the view, but we took them anyway. Down in the bottom of the valley, a village sat, looking toy-like, so small and yet real, with tiny vehicles moving on tiny roads. Cloud shadows contrasted with the sunlit places around the valley. It was a true “Wow” moment.
The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; (Psalm 19:1-3)
“Meet” Our Iona Students
The Rev. Courtney Jones
The Reverend
Courtney Jones
It is a joy to share that over Labor Day weekend, Sharman Badgett-Young, Ed Barton, and Todd Fifield began their studies at the Diocese of Olympia’s Iona School for Ministry.
All three took part in our parish-wide Year of Discernment in 2024, where their diverse gifts for leadership were affirmed by the community. Since then, they have completed the Diocese’s initial discernment process (formerly “Phase 1”), and, feeling a possible call to ordained ministry, they are now beginning both their formation at Iona and a new stage of diocesan discernment (formerly “Phase 2”).
Ed Barton, Todd Fifield, Sharman Badgett-Young
Please express your gratitude to these three folks for their willingness to take on the deep work of discernment and the rigorous academic work of the Iona School. Also, please keep Sharman, Ed, and Todd in your prayers as they continue this journey of listening to how God may be calling them to serve.
For more information about the Iona School, see the section below titled “What is the Iona School?”
Other Discernment-Related News
Melissa
Simonsen
Melissa Simonsen Update
This summer, Melissa Simonsen completed the second stage of diocesan discernment. Her Discernment Committee recommended her for postulancy toward ordination, and both the Bishop’s Committee and the Ministry Support Circle have affirmed that recommendation to Bishop LaBelle. Melissa has also discerned that she is not called to attend Iona this year. We give thanks for her faithful listening to God’s call and for her continued ministry among us.
Future Lay Members of the Ministry Support Circle
Looking ahead, the Diocese will launch a new training program for lay leaders in 2026. This program will be an excellent pathway for those called to serve as members of our Ministry Support Circle. We expect to hold another round of parish discernment this winter to prayerfully identify congregants who may be called into this vital ministry.
For more information about the ordination process in the Diocese of Olympia, see the section below titled “A new Shape to the Discernment Process.”
What is the Iona School?
Summarized from the Diocese of Olympia’s website:
The Iona School is a diocesan program that provides comprehensive theological education and formation in spiritual leadership. It prepares:
People seeking ordination as deacons or local priests in the Diocese of Olympia.
Lay leaders who feel called to deeper training to support their ministry.
The program uses a rigorous academic and practical curriculum developed by the Iona Collaborative at the Seminary of the Southwest. Students study scripture, church history, and theology, while also gaining hands-on skills in liturgy, preaching, and pastoral care.
Iona follows an academic calendar that begins each fall with an in-person retreat. Throughout the year, students gather weekly by Zoom on Thursday evenings, once a month on Saturdays, and at additional retreats for worship, study, and community life.
A New Shape to the Discernment Process
The Diocese of Olympia has recently updated the process for those exploring a call to ordained ministry. Here’s a snapshot of the new process:
Step 1 – Exploring Vocations (formerly “Phase I”)
A season of prayer, study, and ministry experience, guided by a priest and supported by diocesan retreats. In a Total Common Ministry (TCM) context, this step may look a little different, with some flexibility to adapt the process to our parish’s unique needs.
Step 2 – Diocesan Discernment (formerly “Phase II”)
A small-group process (September–May) where Discerners, parish representatives, and diocesan facilitators listen together for how God may be calling a person—whether to lay leadership, ordained ministry, or continued discernment. Those in this phase may also begin their formal formation/education.
Step 3 – Postulancy
For those recommended for ordination, this next stage focuses on formation as future ordained ministers. In TCM settings, Bishop LaBelle has directed that postulants receive their training through the Iona School for Ministry.
Step 4 – Candidacy
Following postulancy, candidates enter this stage of preparation leading up to ordination. This period emphasizes readiness, accountability, and ongoing formation under the guidance of the Bishop and Commission on Ministry.
Step 5 – Ordination
After successfully completing candidacy, candidates may be ordained as deacons or priests, depending on their call and the needs of the Church. It is our hope to commission a new Ministry Support Circle around the time of our next round of ordinations. (Likely 2028).
The process from early discernment through ordination typically takes a minimum of four years.
Season of Creation
The Season of Creation, September 1st through October 4th, is celebrated by Christians around the world as a time for renewing, repairing and restoring our relationship to God, one another, and all of creation. The Episcopal Church joins this international effort for prayer and action for climate justice and an end to environmental racism and ecological destruction. The 2025 theme is Peace with Creation. In celebrating the Season, we are invited to consider anew our ecological, economic, and political ways of living.
The following is an excerpt from the 2025 Season of Creation Guide.
Find more information at seasonofcreation.org
Season of Creation
2025 Theme
This year’s theme is “Peace with Creation”, inspired by Isaiah 32:14-18:
“For the palace will be forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, the joy of wild asses, a pasture for flocks. Until a spirit from on high is poured out on us, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness, and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” (NRVUE)
War on Creation
“The palace will be forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and watchtower will become dens forever, the joy of wild asses, a pasture for flocks” (Isaiah 32:14).
The prophet Isaiah portrays a desolate Creation, devoid of peace due to injustice and the broken relationship between God and humankind. Devastated cities and wastelands reflect the destructive impact that human activities can have on Earth. Animals readily move in and claim parts of what was once an exclusively human habitat, as if human settlement had deprived them of sufficient space. While the joy of a pasture for animals (Isaiah 32:14) is undoubtedly a good thing in itself, it comes at the cost of human displacement due to conflict.
Though God’s plan for Creation is rooted in justice and peace, human sin disrupts this, leaving Creation in ruin—from wealthy palaces to poor farmlands, forests, and oceans. Isaiah vividly describes the results of human estrangement from Creation. Moreover, the abandoned and ruined watchtower and palace (or citadel, in some translations) suggest that warfare is ultimately frustrated by God.
Peace is more than just the absence of war. In the Hebrew Bible, shalom represents a far deeper concept—one that extends beyond the absence of conflict to the full restoration of broken relationships, as illustrated in Isaiah’s vision. This restoration encompasses our relationship with God, ourselves, the human family, and the rest of Creation.
Throughout history, many human activities have contributed to the destruction of Creation. Yet today, more than ever, some human activities take the form of a war against Creation. Our impact has expanded from local to global, manifesting in unsustainable lifestyles, excessive consumption, lasting pollution, and a throwaway culture.
Some hold greater responsibility for this crisis—elite consumption, exploitative business models, and economic theories prioritizing profit over sustainability. Pollution, health crises, deforestation, and mining in conflict zones worsen the situation.
Last year’s UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, aptly themed “Peace with Nature,” highlighted the urgency of these issues. Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures calls the Earth our sister and mother. How can Mother Earth nurture us if we fail to contemplate, learn from, and love her? Ignoring our interconnectedness undermines this vital relationship.
Our Hope: Creation Will Find Peace When Justice Is Restored
“Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness abide in the fruitful field” (Isaiah 32:16).
There is hope for a peaceful Earth. Biblically, hope is active—it involves prayer, action, and reconciling with Creation and the Creator through repentance (metanoia) and solidarity. Isaiah 32:14-18 envisions a peaceful Creation where God’s people live only when justice is achieved. Righteousness leads to peace and restores the land’s fertility: “The effect of righteousness will be peace; and the result of righteousness, quietness, and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places” (Isaiah 32:14-18).
Creation is God’s sacred gift, entrusted to our care. Christians are called to protect and nurture Creation in peace, working in partnership with others and passing this responsibility on to future generations. Its deep interconnectedness makes peace both essential and fragile.
Season of Creation
2025 Prayer
PEACE WITH CREATION
Creator of all,
we praise you for the gift of life
and for the faith that unites us in care for our common home.
We confess how estranged we have become—
from one another, from your Creation, and from our truest selves.
We acknowledge that our greed and destructive impulses
have fractured our relationships with you, with others, and with the Earth.
Fertile fields have become barren,
forests lie desolate,
oceans and rivers are polluted.
Thriving communities have become places of suffering,
and the earth cries out.
Beloved Christ,
who spoke “Shalom” to frightened hearts,
stir us to compassionate action.
Inspire us to work for the end of conflict,
and for the full restoration of broken relationships—
with you, with the ecumenical community,
with the human family,
and with all Creation.
Prince of Peace,
through your wounds, teach us to stand in solidarity
with the woundedness of others,
of creation, and of the world.
Through your resurrection,
make us people of hope—
with a vision of swords turned into ploughshares
and tears transformed into joy.
Adult Faith Formation: Zimzum Discipleship
Zimzum Discipleship sessions are held on 2nd & 4th Sundays
12:15 pm
Parish Hall Conference Room
All are welcome.
Questions? Please contact Betty Anne McCoy, bamccoy41@gmail.com
Zimzum discipleship is a practice centered around intentionally creating space in one's life for God, others, and the created world. Zimzum bids us to fully become the people that God has created us to be by making space in our lives to cultivate those practices that can nurture our souls and lead us to a Christ-centered life.
Questions regarding Zimzum? Please contact The Rev. Courtney Jones, therevecj@gmail.com, or visit Diocese of Olympia Zimzum Discipleship.
Christ Church Youth Group
Welcome back to our Youth Group members and welcome to all who are interested in joining in! All youth in Middle School & High School are welcome.
Youth Group generally meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, September through May.
Please check the Weekly Updates for the September schedule.
6:00 - 7:30 pm, beginning with dinner
Parish Hall Gathering Room
Youth Group Leaders are Melissa Simonsen, Mark Perschbacher, and The Rev. Courtney Jones. Christ Church uses the Journey to Adulthood (J2A) youth ministry program, endorsed by the Episcopal Church.
The lessons are organized around self, society, and spirituality and allow youth to explore these themes through discussion, games, and Bible study.
Children’s Faith Formation: Godly Play
Godly Play meets September through May.
Please check the Weekly Updates for the September schedule.
Please meet in the Church for the 10:30 am service.
We will leave after the Announcements at the beginning of the service and will be back in time to celebrate the Eucharist with our church family.
All ages are welcome.
Learn about Christ Church’s faith formation program for children at
Godly Play.
Bishop’s Committee Meeting
The Bishop’s Committee will meet on September 15.
5:30 – 7:00 pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room & Zoom.
All are welcome to attend.
Christ Church Bishop’s Committee
Are you interested in serving on the Christ Church Bishop’s Committee?
If so, please chat with Senior Warden Tom Young, People’s Warden Margaret Whatley or any of our current BC members: Martie Arnold, Ed Barton, Diane Guinn, Geoff Holmes, Siriana Simonsen, Margaret Whatley, and Kris Whitely, to learn what is involved. The new term begins January 2026.
Pastoral Care Ministry Meeting
Thursday, September 18
4:30 - 6:00 pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room
The Pastoral Care Ministry Team, led by Maggie Collinge, includes members Shirley Barrett, Ed Barton, Kris Whitely, Creamy Wilkins-Manning, Tom Young, and The Rev. Vicki Johnson.
September Designated Plate Offering
Our loose plate offering on September 21 is designated for the Salvation Army Food Bank.
The Anacortes Salvation Army Food Bank, which is open four days a week, provides more than just food assistance. It provides emergency shelter in the form of motel vouchers, as well as emergency financial assistance with rent and utility bills, and thrift store and bus vouchers. This valuable resource provides a hand up to those in need and provides resources and services to better their lives.
Donations by check should be made to Christ Church with Salvation Army Food Bank in the memo line. Thank you!
Wednesday Prayer Services
Maggie
Collinge
Centering Prayer
Weekly on Wednesdays
1:15 - 1:45 pm
All are welcome at this short, simple service: a scripture reading, 20 minutes of silence, an intercessory prayer, and the Lord’s Prayer. Questions? Please contact Maggie Collinge, 360 202-5588.
The Reverend
Vicki Johnson
Evening Prayer
Weekly on Wednesdays
6:00 - 6:30 pm
All are welcome.
Questions?
Please contact The Rev. Vicki Johnson, 509-302-7364.
The Reverend Eric Johnson
Men’s Group
The Men’s Group meets weekly on Fridays.
9:00 – 10:00 am
Parish Hall Gathering Room
Questions? Please contact The Rev. Eric Johnson.
All are welcome.
Red Door Thrift Shop
*The Red Door Thrift Shop has a new phone number: 360-202-9966.*
Christ Church’s Red Door Thrift Shop is located at 1019 Seventh Street in Anacortes.
360-202-9966, Red Door Thrift Shop
Red Door Shopping Hours:
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 10am – 3pm
Red Door Donation Hours:
Monday & Wednesday: 10am – 1pm
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 10am - 3pm
Profits generated at the Red Door Thrift Shop fund Christ Church’s Community Support program.
Shoppers, Volunteers, & Donations are always welcome!
Red Door Thrift Shop Expansion Project Donations
If you would like to make a donation to the Red Door Thrift Shop expansion project, please make your check to Red Door Capital Improvement. You will receive an acknowledgement for your gift from the Red Door Committee. Thank you.
Celebrations!!!
Happy Birthday to…
…Frank McCoy on September 4
……Melissa Simonsen on September 8
Please send the month & date of your birthday, baptismal date, anniversary, and/or other special occasions so we can help you celebrate your blessings in the Joyful Noise.
Sunday Services
Please check your Weekly Update for each week’s Servers & Hymns.
YEAR C
7 September 2025
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 18
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
1300 O Avenue, Anacortes
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Rev. Courtney Jones
Deacon: The Rev. Eric Johnson
Homilist: Ed Barton
Readings:
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 1
Philemon 1:1-21
Luke 14:25-33
14 September 2025
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 19
9:15 am Chandler’s Square Holy Eucharist
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
1300 O Avenue, Anacortes
Presider: The Rev. Keith Axberg
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Rev. Keith Axberg
Homilist: The Rev. Eric Johnson
Readings:
Exodus 32:7-14
Psalm 51:1-10
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-10
21 September 2025
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 20
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
1300 O Avenue, Anacortes
10:30 am Christ Church Holy Eucharist
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Presider: The Rev. Courtney Jones
Homilist: Maggie Collinge
Readings:
Amos 8:4-7
Psalm 113
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Luke 16:1-13
28 September 2025
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 21
9:30 am Chandler’s Square Morning Prayer
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
1300 O Avenue, Anacortes
10:30 am Christ Church Morning Prayer
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
Preacher: John Okerman
Readings:
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Psalm 146
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Luke 16:19-31