We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, who are still here, and we honor with gratitude the land itself and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do. We welcome all people to our church.
Pentecost 3 years ago
June 12 – 11:00am, Trinity Sunday – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
June 15 – Bible Study 10am-12pm
June 15 – 3pm-5pm, Village Harvest .
If you would like to volunteer, please email Andrea or call (540) 847-9002. Pack bags for distribution 1-3PM, Deliver food to client’s cars 3-5PM.
June 19 – 11:00am, Pentecost 2, Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson, visitation – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
Trinity Sunday, June 12, 2022
Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost, honors the Holy Trinity—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Although the word “trinity” does not appear in Scripture, it is taught in Matthew 28:18-20 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 (and many other biblical passages). It lasts only one day, which is symbolic of the unity of the Trinity.
Trinity Sunday is one of the few feasts of the Christian Year that celebrates a reality and doctrine rather than an event or person. The Eastern Churches have no tradition of Trinity Sunday, arguing that they celebrate the Trinity every Sunday.
Understanding of all scriptural doctrine is by faith which comes through the work of the Holy Spirit; therefore, it is appropriate that this mystery is celebrated the first Sunday after the Pentecost, when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit first occurred.
The Trinity is best described in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, commonly called the Nicene Creed. Essentially the Trinity is the belief that God is one in essence (Greek ousia), but distinct in person (Greek hypostasis). The Greek word for person means "that which stands on its own," or "individual reality," but does not mean the persons of the Trinity are three human persons. Therefore we believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are somehow distinct from one another (not divided though), yet completely united in will and essence.
Introduction to the Trinity – what it is and what it is not
The core belief
The doctrine of the Trinity is the Christian belief that there is One God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Other ways of referring to the Trinity are the Triune God and the Three-in-One.
The Trinity is a controversial doctrine; many Christians admit they don’t understand it, while many more Christians don’t understand it but think they do.
In fact, although they’d be horrified to hear it, many Christians sometimes behave as if they believe in three Gods and at other times as if they believe in one.
Trinity Sunday, which falls on the first Sunday after Pentecost, is one of the few feasts in the Christian calendar that celebrate a doctrine rather than an event.
Visualizing the Trinity
The Trinity is most commonly seen in Christian art with the Spirit represented by a dove, as specified in the Gospel accounts of the Baptism of Christ; he is nearly always shown with wings outspread. However depictions using three human figures appear occasionally in most periods of art.
The Father and the Son are usually differentiated by age, and later by dress, but this too is not always the case. The usual depiction of the Father as an older man with a white beard may derive from the biblical Ancient of Days, which is often cited in defense of this sometimes controversial representation.
The Son is often shown at the Father’s right hand.[Acts 7:56 ] He may be represented by a symbol—typically the Lamb or a cross—or on a crucifix, so that the Father is the only human figure shown at full size. In early medieval art, the Father may be represented by a hand appearing from a cloud in a blessing gesture, for example in scenes of the Baptism of Christ.
The Apple pie as a symbol of the Trinity.
From a sermon on Trinity Sunday, 2011
"This pie is Trinitarian for several reasons. First of all, it has three parts. It has a crust, it has a filling, and it has a topping. Second, each of the three parts has three ingredients.
"The crust is made of flour with a little salt thrown in, some shortening, and some ice water. The filling contains apples, sugar, and cinnamon. The topping is made of a trinity of flour, butter and sugar.
"When all of these ingredients are subjected to the heat of the oven over a period of time, they merge together into one delicious pie, which would not be complete if any of the ingredients were lacking.
"This apple pie is a great symbol for God as Trinity. In order to understand most fully who God is, we Christians know God as the transcendent God, so mysterious that we will never ever know God fully in this life. We know God as Jesus, who lived and died as one of us—not some far off distant deity, but God who experienced the joys and sorrows of being human. We know God as that voice that whispers to us, bringing us inspiration, understanding, and guidance. The ways in which we know God are incomplete until we embrace all of these ways of knowing God, knowing that even then God remains a mystery. This pie would be incomplete without its three parts."
Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson, visitation at St. Peter’s will occur on June 12. The last Bishop visit was Bishop Ihloff in 2019.
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson began her ministry as Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia on November 4, 2019. She has a particular passion for developing adaptive leadership capacity in ordained and lay leaders, for equipping the Church to live out the Great Commission in the 21st century, and for fostering deep discipleship and spiritual engagement in the people of God.
The Bishop was consecrated Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of West Texas in 2017. The bishop in her adult life has worked as both as a lawyer and priest. She is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, The University of Texas School of Law, and Yale University.
She enjoys gardening and exploring the emerging food scene in Richmond and around the Diocese.
Lectionary, June 19 – The Second Sunday after Pentcost
I. Theme – Jesus’ presence changes our lives
Demon Possessed Man
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
First Reading – Isaiah 65:1-9
Psalm – Psalm 22:18-27
Epistle –Galatians 3:23-29
Gospel – Luke 8:26-39
Today’s readings focus on the understanding of how Jesus’ presence changes our lives. Past, present and future unfold before us in today’s scripture readings.
Isaiah describes God’s necessary judgment and promise of final deliverance and cleansing for the people.
The psalm conveys Israel’s experience of God in the past and extols God’s majesty and divine protection. The psalmist’s lips give praise to God, whose identity was never in question. The psalmist yearns for God’s presence, especially in times of suffering.
By the time Paul wrote to the Galatians, the heirs of the promise to Abraham’s spiritual offspring were claiming their inheritance. Justified by faith in Christ, no longer separated by the law from God or neighbor, Jews could be united with Gentiles. The blueprint of God’s kingdom was discernible on earth. Paul writes to the Galatians of their unity and freedom in Christ Jesus.
Following the chronological order of revelation, we move to scenes of those who come to know the mystery and majesty of Jesus. Jesus’ begins his mission to the Gentiles with the expulsion of many demons in this foray across the Sea of Galilee. The healed demoniac and his fellow villagers struggle with the implications of such a powerful figure in their midst. The demoniac is healed and restored to community through Jesus’ power. Although he wants desperately to follow Jesus, the healed man is directed to do his evangelizing first with his own family.
Two questions emerge in today’s readings: “What are you doing here?” and “What is your name?” In responding to those questions, fright and powerlessness are transformed into resolve and agency. Both Elijah and the man possessed by a demon are given the same instruction following their encounter with God, “Return.” Go back to the place where life fell apart; return to the community you fled out of fear and powerlessness. Go back to your household, Jesus tells the demoniac. Show your face again, but as a new creation, in the words of Paul, clothed in the mantle of divine power and purpose. What questions do we need to hear to experience healing, transformation, and courage?
God is at work among the people we don’t even know are there for us. God is at work in the restoration that will happen after the destruction. God is at work in our very lives. God is at work in us as a community, for we are the body of Christ. But we are the ones who put up barriers, who raise up walls, who divide and declare who is inside and who is out. We are the ones who do the damage, who divide the body. But Christ is at work in all of us, if we can remember that we are the body of Christ.
Those possessed pigs, Ordinary Time
This is the famous story that everyone knows as the “drowning pigs”. The focus on the story on the demoniac is shifted away to cries of animal abuse. “How could Jesus let the hapless pigs drown?
This story is part of 4 stories in all synoptic Gospels -the stilling of the storm, the Gadarene demoniac, Jairus’ daughter, the woman with the hemorrhage. It represents another example of Jesus dealing with sinister forces, such as the storms in the preceding this story. In fact both the beginning and ending of this passage mention storms.
Michael Rogness in the “Working Preacher” blog tries to give a contemporary slant to the passage . "All the “demons” Jesus confronts have three things in common: they cause self-destructive behavior in the victim, the victim feels trapped in that condition, and they separate the victim from normal living in the family circle. ..We could call be controlled by demons as being controlled by disease and/or abuse – mental illnesses, schizophrenia, paranoia, addictions, obsessions, destructive habits, and so on."
The demon possessed man was living a life apart from God, living in the tombs, naked, shouting.
The name "Legion" for the demons has a double meaning. Literally, it means, "Many, thousands, multitudes" which indicates the power of the demon that no chain could contol. But it also alludes to the occupying Roman soldier legions which numbered 3,000 to 6,000 each.
This story is interesting when considering the crowd scenes. Previously crowds affirm Jesus action and praise him. However, these people are scared of him Why ? Perhaps they prefer the stability of demonic occupation by Roman legions to the disruption and destruction that might come with them being cast out? As a Gentile, the healed demoniac has no place in the Jewish mission of Jesus, but he may proclaim the mighty acts of God to his own people. Here, we see an echo of the coming Gentile mission.
The crowd begged Jesus to leave. The healed man begged to remain with Jesus, but Jesus sent him away to his friends tell his friends how much the Lord has done for him. That’s our take away from Ordinary Time. We are called to help liberate people from the negative forces, addictions of all kinds that can enslave. We are called to be sources of healing and wholeness and for this we do not need to be part of the medical profession.
So let’s return to the pigs that drowned when the demons went to them from the man. The pigs here just happened to be in the way. True, pigs did not have the highest reputation – they were seen as unclean by Jews. The blog “Lectionary Studies “ however, states that Jesus’ mission is not to destroy the demonic powers, but rather to deliver a people from their control. The people were delivered though not in the pigs favor. It must be said that it was the demons who recognized the true identity of Jesus as the Son of God before common and ordinary people did.
Anything but Ordinary! – Ordinary Time
Beginning Sunday, June 16, Pentecost 2, we enter the Church year known as Ordinary Time. After Easter, Jesus’s ascension into heaven, and the coming of the Holy Spirit to us at Pentecost, we accept responsibility for being and becoming Christ’s body in the world. We are called by Jesus to live in community, our lives together guided not only by the example of Jesus, but by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Basically, Ordinary Time encompasses that part of the Christian year that does not fall within the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter. Ordinary Time is anything but ordinary. According to The General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, the days of Ordinary Time, especially the Sundays, "are devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects." We continue our trek through the both the Gospels of Luke and John- through parables challenges, healings – some great stories and teachings.
Vestments are usually green, the color of hope and growth. Green has long been associated with new life and growth. Even in Hebrew in the Old Testament, the same word for the color “green” also means “young.” The green of this season speaks to us as a reminder that it is in the midst of ordinary time that we are given the opportunity to grow.
Ordinary Time, from the word "ordinal," simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.). we number the Sundays from here on out in order from the First Sunday after Pentecost, all the way up to the Last Sunday after Pentecost The term "ordinary time" is not used in the Prayer Book, but the season after Pentecost can be considered ordinary.
The Church counts the thirty-three or thirty-four Sundays of Ordinary Time, inviting her children to meditate upon the whole mystery of Christ – his life, miracles and teachings – in the light of his Resurrection.
You may see Sundays referred to as "Propers". The Propers are readings for Ordinary Time following Epiphany and Pentecost, numbered to help establish a seven day range of dates on which they can occur. Propers numbering in the Revised Common Lectionary begins with the Sixth Sunday in Epiphany, excludes Sundays in Lent through Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, and resumes the Second Sunday after Pentecost (the first Sunday after Pentecost is Trinity Sunday), usually with Proper 4.
In some ways, it might be right to think of this time as “ordinary”, common or mundane. Because this is the usual time in the church, the time that is not marked by a constant stream of high points and low points, ups and downs, but is instead the normal, day-in, day-out life of the church. This time is a time to grapple with the nuts and bolts of our faith, not coasting on the joy and elation of Christmas, or wallowing in the penitential feel of Lent, but instead just being exactly where we are, and trying to live our faith in that moment.
It is a reminder of the presence of God in and through the most mundane and ordinary seasons of our lives. . It is a reminder that when God came and lived among us in the person of Jesus Christ, he experienced the same ordinary reality that we all experience. And that God, in Christ, offered us the opportunity to transform the most ordinary, mundane experiences into extraordinary events infused with the presence of God. God is there, present in the midst of the ordinary, just waiting for us to recognize it.
Only when the hustle and bustle of Advent, Easter, and Lent has calmed down can we really focus on what it means to live and grow as Christians in this ordinary time in this ordinary world. It is a time to nurture our faith with opportunities for fellowship and reflection. It is a time to feed and water our faith with chances for education and personal study. It is a time to weed and prune our faith, cutting off the parts that may be dead and leaving them behind. And we have a lot of growing to do, so God has given us most of the church year in which to do it.
Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (June, 2022) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (June 12, 11:00am), and Sermon (June 12, 2022) 10. Recent Services: Easter 6, May 22 Easter 7, May 29 Pentecost, June 5 |
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Knowing that not everyone prays at the same pace, you have control over the pace of the retreat. After each screen, a Continue button will appear. Click it when you are ready to move on. If you are new to online prayer, the basic timing of the screens will guide you through the experience.
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Saints of the Week, June 12 – June 19, 2022
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12
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Enmegahbowh, Priest and Missionary, 1902 |
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13
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14
14 |
Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea, 379 Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Apologist and Writer, 1936 |
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15
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Evelyn Underhill, Mystic & Writer, 1941 |
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16
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Joseph Butler, 1752, and George Berkeley, 1753, Bishops and Theologians |
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17
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[Marina the Monk], Monastic, 5th c. |
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18
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Bernard Mizeki, Catechist and Martyr in Mashonaland, 1896 |
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19
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[Adelaide Tegue Case], Educator, 1948 |