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Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
Music at St. Peter’s, Part 3 – The Organists
Last week there was focus on our concerts. This week it is about the organists who have played the George Stevens organ .
Ralph Fall in Hidden Village lists the organists athe time of the book (1982) which we can bring current:
1744 – Francis Stephney
1795 – John Victor (also music teacher)
1860 – Earned A. Ambold (also music teacher)
1880 – Sarah Jane Peyton
1908 – Cornelia Ware
1940 – Cora Stitt
1943 – Lucy Hardin
1961 – Phyllis Sue Gouldman
1964 – Joan Gouldman
1966 -1982 – Elizabeth (Stambaugh) Fall
1982 – Nell Clarke
2000 – Denise Symonds
2007 – Brad Volland
Interview with organist, Brad Volland
Editor’s note. I gave a Brad a call one week and we talked for quite awhile about him and St. Peter’s for our music series. Here is what came out:
Brad developed a love of both piano and organ from an early age growing up in Stafford, Virginia. He recalled his Grandma Huffman taking him at age 5 and sitting with Mr. Harold Abmyer (“Mr. A”) at the Methodist Church organ in Fredericksburg. The organ enveloped him! (Abmyer would be the minister of music for 38 years there). He would later take organ lessons from Abymer from grade 8 through high school but not before being taught by his Cousin Kaye Mitchell Kingsberry for 4 years on piano (Kingsberry is still a music educator) and then Wayne Gill, another student of Abymer for 3 years. Wayne lived close by in Stafford for lessons.
Make each child a winner this fall: donate school supplies 
Check out this school list here, bring them into the church and Fred will deliver to social service. Deadline is the end of August.
Help Shrine Mont with its capital campaign
Next week Aug 11 is Shrine Mont Sunday. Shrine Mont is a gift to all of us in the Diocese. Many children go during the summer to Shrine Mont camps – both specialized (Explorers, Art, Sports, Music and Drama) and non-specialized as they have been for 50 years. The camps need a renovation after that time. In addition, camp has become too expensive for some families. A capital campaign is being launched later this year to handle both the cost and renovation issues.
In honor of Shrine Mont and the campaign here is a page of pictures, videos and information. If you have received an information survey either in the mail or on line, PLEASE complete it by Aug. 9. This survey is to help determine how much money can be raised.
Don’t see your pet ? Upload a picture
Prayer requests – Add a name to the prayer list here.
Sunday, August 4, 2013, Baptism (full size gallery)
August 11- 11:00pm, Holy Eucharist, Rite II.
Shrine Mont Sunday
This Sunday at St. Peter’s – Servers, Readings
ECM Dinner, August 10, 2013 in Johnny’s barn (full size gallery)
ECM 2nd anniversary dinner for the church, August 10, 2013. About 37 present with plenty of crabs, hotdogs, hamburgers, chips and of course the ECM 2nd annniversary cake. A beautiful summer evening after an earlier rain.
Johnny and Audrey make it to the Atlantic in NC!
Editor’s note: See last week’s article on this pair running/cycling from Oregon to the Atlantic. They stayed in our parish house. Here is an email update from them from Barbara and Boyd Wisdom on Sunday, Aug 4:
"We arrived August 2nd, 1:00pm!!! 3,534 miles total. Riding day #69 … It was our longest riding day of 76 miles… after a dip in the ocean (Johnny only), getting our tires wet and a short visit with a family member who lives in Virginia Beach, we were on our way again.
"Today we’re in Elizabeth City, North Carolina using the computer in the library to get caught up on all things electrical. It’s a warm 88′ day with typical humidity. We’re heading down to New Bern, NC, for a short visit with friends before we start riding North again to attend Johnny’s parents 60th wedding anniversary on September 2nd. After that… we think we’d like to ride West, back over the mighty Mississippi to see my dear friend Susan again and from there… find an Amtrack train to bring us back home. ..
"It’s been amazing in all ways and It’s A Wonderful Life. Sending our love, Audrey & Johnny"
The Lectionary this week – August 11 – "Faith"
This week’s scriptures center about faith in the future starting with Hebrew’s famous definition “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” God’s Word is a power that creates “what is seen … from things that are not visible.” We can be certain of the reliability of God’s promises.
Abraham a righteous man learns in Genesis he will have heirs- he accepts it. Luke teaches us about the real treasures here and in the future. Our faith is given to us as a treasure for heaven – but we don’t always cherish it as one. We know that our lives – our gifts – our families are all treasures – but, again, we don’t always give them the respect and love they deserve.
The Gospel -"Do Not Be Afraid Little Flock"
Our verses are part of a larger context of "Readiness for the Coming Judgment" from Luke 12:1-13:9. This section started last week with the Parable of the Fool and will last until Aug 25.
Jesus is in the presence both of his disciples and the large crowds (12:1). He appears to be speaking primarily to the disciples, though within earshot of a large number of people. Even though teaching the disciples, "someone in the crowd" is able to interrupt with a question. Though speaking directly to the inner circle of the movement, Jesus’ teachings are also "overheard" by a large number of people.
This week, he follows the parable of the rich fool (12: 13-21) with exhortations to live without anxiety. Worry about food or clothing is unnecessary in light of God’s providence. "The nations" worry about such things–that is to say, people who think and act in light of the dominant culture’s assumptions will find themselves riven with uncertainty and anxiety.
Basic summary – In the declaration of paragraph one, Jesus puts his hearers at ease. God wants to give you the kingdom where he lives, with pleasure. So you can get rid of your possessions and give alms to the poor because your investment is in the kingdom of the heavens Do this because wherever you invest your life is where your attention will be.
The master is coming soon to celebrate his victory and even his slaves will be blessed in this celebration. The master will serve the slaves the only condition is the slaves must be awake and recognize him when he knocks at the door. It might even be in the middle of the night so vigilance is necessary so as not to fall asleep and miss the arrival of the master. Bill Long in 2007 comes with the key focus of this passage
There are three ever-more-difficult commands that Jesus gives his disciples.
(1) Banish Fear (v.32);
The context in which this passage opens is where Jesus is teaching about worry. He knows the human tendency to be concerned with material goods and the shape of our lives, but Jesus resolutely tells us: "do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you shall wear" (v. 22). Why not? Because the ravens neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them (v. 24). Since we are of much more value than ravens, God will so much more take care of us.
Fear erodes our creativity, occupies our mental space, distracts us from enjoying the true beauties all around us, and ultimately shortchanges us. We tend to be pre-occupied or even obsessed with having "enough" money or resources on which to live. We miss the details around us we don’t recognize the beauty of the lilies of the field, or the arcing flight of a bird. IT grips us
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." We are called a "little flock," a term of endearment also present in Ezek. 34 and other Biblical texts. God’s pleasure is to give us the "kingdom" (i.e., the presence of Jesus), but we are worried about our clothes, our money, our bank account and assuring our future economically
So, how do we get rid of this fear? Find out what your heart says is your true love. Let the sound created by fear ("I need to do X and then Y and then obtain Z and be vigilant on this deal and that investment and that sale") gradually be subsumed by a greater "sound"–the sound of you listening to the alluring music of love.
What is it that you truly love, that you would give yourself to in a moment if you had the courage to give yourself that moment? Perhaps you don’t even know what this is because you are so wrapped up in the life of fear that you don’t even permit yourself the "luxury" to think of what life would look like without being consumed by "what you should wear" or "what you should eat" (to quote Jesus). But when the noise stops and the glitter fades for the evening, what is it that your heart craves? Does it desire to explore other cultures? To learn a skill? To gain certain knowledge? To serve in some capacity to others? To move to a different region? To put on a different "persona?" Fear keeps us from doing these things
Coming Up! Mid- August Extravaganza, August 10-16
1. ECM picnic at Johnny Davis, Saturday August 10, 4pm. Crabs & Barbecue
2. Vacation Bible School, Parish House, Monday to Thursday, August 12-15, 6pm
Supper, 6pm
Activities for children and adults 6:30pm to 7:30pm
3. Community Dinner – August 16, 2013 – 6pm, Parish House
Paul and Galatians, Part 3 – 6 major elements in Paul’s thought
Did you miss part 1 ? or part 2 ?
Editor’s note – On August 12-15, the Adult portion of vacation Bible school will study of Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. Over the three weeks we have looked at Paul and a background to Galatians. We began with a summary of Paul’s life in part 1 and last week his thought in general. Today we are looking his connections with Galatia.
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In the face of Jewish opposition, the southern region of Galatia had been fertile soil for Paul’s ministry as he traveled with his companion, Barnabas, through cities recorded by Luke in Acts 13 and 14 . However, after Paul left the area of Galatia he received news that some trouble-makers were agitating the believers . Although Paul was not completely sure of the identity of his opponents (Galatians 5:10), apparently a group of Jewish Christians, or possibly local Jews, were teaching that submission to the Jewish law was a requirement of salvation. Paul’s letter to the Galatians was a result of the challenges the Galatians were facing, but also reflected a continuing debate regarding the applicability of the Torah in Jerusalem and Antioch in Syria.
Paul’s opponents viewed adherance to the law as an integral part of maintaining and, likely, procuring a relationship with God . In order to further their agenda, the agitators attempted to undermine Paul’s authority, claim Paul’s gospel was not true, and charge that the gospel preached by Paul would lead to immorality. Paul addressed the issues of the law with various arguments.
The crucial language utilized by Paul arguing for the sufficiency of the Christian faith climaxes with “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 5:20) which naturally leads to the recognition that righteousness, which the Jewish Christians were attempting to accomplish through the futility of human effort, can only be realized by grace via faith. In other words, “Christ in me” imputes righteousness not the Law, otherwise, “Christ died needlessly” (Galatians 5:21-3:2).
Longenecker in the book The Cambridge Companion to St Paul identifies four significant Pauline points which decimate the opponent’s gospel which, of course, is no gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-7):
1 Morality –Paul emphasizes that a morality is central to a life with Christ. This righteousness frees believers from the need to acquire significance or justification from immoral idolatries such as human performance by realizing the very thing we are striving for already exists.
2 The Law -Paul explains the entirety of the Law is fulfilled in one word: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14). In other words, through “service to others the expectations of the law are fully concretized in unrivalled fashion.” Self-giving is magnified completely fulfilling the Law in an unbridled extension of love for others.
3. Walk in the Spirit. Paul refers metaphorically to the purpose of the law as pedagogue (Galatians 3:24) which is “relieved of its duty once the child comes of age,” just as the function of the law terminated with Christ’s arrival Accordingly, Paul now directs us to “walk by the Spirit” not by the Law, for if led by the Spirit, we are not under the Law (Galatians 5:16-17).
4. Finally, Paul plunges a dagger into the motivation of his opponents by accusing them of championing teaching of the law for the purpose of self-promotion (Galatians 4:17).