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 5 – 11:00am, Easter 7 – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
June
8 – Bible Study 10am-12pm
June 12 – 11:00am, Trinity Sunday – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
Pentecost 2022-06-05
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 5 – 11:00am, Easter 7 – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
June
8 – Bible Study 10am-12pm
June 12 – 11:00am, Trinity Sunday – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
What is Pentecost?
Pentecost literally means “fiftieth day.” As a religious celebration, it first delineated the fifty days after Passover with a harvest festival. It was also a celebration of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, still celebrated in the Jewish tradition as Shavuot.
In the Christian tradition, Pentecost marks the end of the 50 Days of Easter. In Acts 2, the apostles and friends are gathered together in Jerusalem. Suddenly there is a great rushing of wind, and tongues of fire rest on each of the apostles. They begin to speak in different languages, and the crowds around them, Jews from across the diaspora, having come to Jerusalem for the Festival of Weeks, understand them, although some disparaged them as drunks. It was at this moment that Peter stood up and preached, revealing the will of God in Jesus Christ, as prophesied by Joel, and affirming a continual outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon repentance and baptism.
Why does Pentecost Matter?
There are at least three reasons to start with:
1. It marks the birthday of the church. Pentecost was a turning point. Before the rushing wind, the flames, and the speaking in tongues, the apostles were a group of followers who listened to Jesus and assisted as he helped those who came to him for healing and grace. Without Jesus, they were aimless and confused. After the Holy Spirit enters that room, after Peter preaches repentance and baptism, they no longer look inward. The end of Acts 2 records that they devoted themselves to the teaching and to fellowship, they performed wonders and signs, they gave to others in need…and the Lord added to their number daily those who were saved.
The Holy Spirit gave the disciples direction and power to form the Christian community, which would become “the church.” So, Pentecost is a birthday, and some churches today celebrate with cake!
2. Pentecost completes the Trinity. Christian theology is grounded in a doctrine of three in one, and Christians often pray in the “name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Pentecost was the first and definitive moment in which we can say that the Father sent the Holy Spirit to make the Son present. No Pentecost, no Trinity.
3. Jesus kept his promise. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus told his followers, “I will be with you always, even until the end of the age.” He promptly ascended and was seen no more. What gives? Well, in John 15:26 he says, “I will send you the Advocate-the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me” (NLT). The point is: Jesus is present through the Holy Spirit. Pentecost marks the fulfillment of Christ’s promised presence.
from buildfaith.org
Pentecost – The quick version
Click here or on the picture above
Pentecost People at St. Peter’s, 2011-2015
St. Peter’s Holy Spirit at Pentecost
A St. Peter’s tradition
Lectionary, June 5, 2022
I. Theme – The coming of the Holy Spirit
Window from St Aloysius’ church in Somers Town, London
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
First Reading – Acts 2:1-21
Old Testament – Genesis 11:1-9
Psalm – Psalm 104:25-35, 37 Page 736, BCP
Epistle –Romans 8:14-17
Gospel – John 14:8-17 (25-27)
Pentecost is the Greek name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks, celebrated fifty days after Passover. The literal meaning of Pentecost is “50 days”; it is now fifty days since Easter. The first fruits of the wheat harvest were presented, and the covenant with God was remembered and renewed.
Pentecost power and possibility pulsate through today’s readings on the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is a milestone in the story of salvation. It was on that day that the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the believers in an upper room in Jerusalem as they awaited the baptism Jesus told them they would receive. Jesus had promised this event just before He ascended into heaven.
"And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
The symbol of fire is important for Pentecost. Fire has long represented God and the presence of his Holy Spirit. Fire consumes but is its own energy force. That energy is around action and for the church, mission. Acts is about mission, about speaking, proclaiming, the good news to people everywhere, in languages (and language) they can understand. This is the day in which the mission of the church was given birth.
The alternate reading form Genesis tells the story of God’s confusing the languages and scattering those building the tower of Babel.
The second reading describes how the Spirit works uniquely in each of us as children of God in the Body of Christ. Paul recognized the Spirit in the diverse gifts, ministries and members of the Corinthian community. The same Spirit nourishes, prods and emerges in multiple ways. In the realm of human activity, the transforming Spirit moves through the discovery of each other, the strength of fidelity, the give and take of loving relationships, the insight of artistic and scientific creation, the stubborn hope, or in its absence, “the sheer grit to go on.”
The Gospel reveals the intimate connection between Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
There is a need for an educator, a helper, teacher who remains constantly with those who would follow Jesus.Thus Jesus introduces the Advocate, the Spirit. We do not have to fear, because we know God is present with us, always. That is the entity that will remain and continue to instruct the disciples and the followers to come.It is then that Jesus can offer a sense of Peace or satisfaction.Troubled hearts, and fear will be taken away by the gentle comforts of the Spirit. God’s gift of the Holy Spirit is for the final transformation of our world.
For us we recognize that creation is not a one-time event, but an ongoing activity. God’s energizing power is evident here: vivifying, knitting together, upholding and transforming all life.
God has entered our lives in a new way, but yet it is an old, old story. The wind from God swept over the waters in the very beginning of time, in our own Creation story in Genesis 1. But this wind from God—the Spirit (and the word Spirit, wind and breath is the same in Hebrew, ruach, and in Greek, pneuma) continues to move among us and the world and do new things. We are called to break down the dividing walls and to build up one another in Christ. We are called to turn away from the things that separate us from one another and turn instead to the love of God, who calls us to share this love with our brothers and sisters in the world. And God is continuing to do a new thing in us, if we are open to receive and recognize the Spirit’s movement among us.
…just imagine the chaotic, whirlwind, crazy kind of day with wind, fire, thousands of people, and unfamiliar sounds when Jesus called the Spirit of Truth to come alongside his followers, as helper, advocate, and guide.
This was created by a group of artists called A Sanctified Art, This team of four artists in ministry, work collaboratively to bring scripture and theological themes to life through film, visual art, curriculum, coloring pages, liturgy, graphic designs, and more. This really is a unique resource worth exploring.
Pentecost, an ancient festival 
Pentecost was the second of the three great annual festivals of Israel, the others being Passover and the feast of Tabernacles. The festival was often called the feast of Weeks because it took place seven complete weeks, or 50 days, after the Passover. Jews from all over the world came to Jerusalem for this festival, more than for any other. The day was one of solemn convocation when no work was to be done. The people offered the first loaves of fine flour made from the just harvested late grain crops. Other sacrifices were offered in the temple and a meal was prepared with freewill offerings from the people. To this meal the widows, orphans, the poor and the stranger were invited.
By the early New Testament period, it had gradually lost its association with agriculture and became associated with the celebration of God’s creation of His people and their religious history. By the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the festival focused exclusively on God’s gracious gift of Torah (the "Law") on Mount Sinai. It continues to be celebrated in this manner in modern Judaism.
On this festive day, in the year of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit was bestowed upon the apostles. In Acts, Luke describes the sound of a mighty rushing wind and the sight of tongues of flame resting on the head of each apostle. What a transformation took place in these men and women! They were truly “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:29). Out into the crowd they went, boldly proclaiming the “mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11). One of the gifts of the Spirit— the gift of tongues—enabled the polyglot crowd to hear the apostles speaking, each in his or her own language.
The Languages of Pentecost
From Acts we read on Pentecost.
"And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs– in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power."
Here is the Lord’s Prayer as translated in many languages in celebration of Pentecost
Pentecost Poetry
1. "Celestial fire" Eleazar Ben Kaller
From Poetry for the Spirit, Poems of Universal Wisdom and Beauty Edited by Alan Jacobs Translated by T. Carmi
"Now an angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a blazing fire –
a fire that devours fire;
a fire that burns in things dry and moist;
a fire that glows amid snow and ice;
a fire that is like a crouching lion;
a fire that reveals itself in many forms;
a fire that is, and never expires;
a fire that shines and roars; a fire that blazes and sparkles;
a fire that flies in a storm wind;
a fire that burns without wood;
a fire that renews itself every day;
a fire that is not fanned by fire;
a fire that billows like palm branches;
a fire whose sparks are flashes of lightning;
a fire black as a raven;
a fire, curled, like the colours of the rainbows! "
Visualizing the Pentecost
Here is a slideshow of artists who have depicted the Pentecost from the 13th Century until our own time.
The Holy Spirit.. in the Old Testament
The first thing that is apparent is that the term, “Holy Spirit,” seldom occurs in the Old Testament. Actually it is found only three times; once in Psalm 51:5, and twice in Isaiah 63:10-14. The most frequently used terms or expressions for the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament are:
the Spirit of the Lord
my Spirit
the Spirit
the Spirit of God
the spirit of … (Judgment, fire, justice, etc.)
your Spirit
In nearly all of these cases, the reference to the Holy Spirit is clear, although there are some instances where the Holy Spirit and the human “spirit” seem almost to merge, so that the Holy Spirit is referred to as the “Spirit of Elijah.”
The Holy Spirit therefore appears to be the agency through which God most often worked. God used men to reveal His will and His word (e.g. the prophets), but these men were inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit so that the words they spoke were clearly the “Word of the Lord.”
It is noteworthy to see that the Spirit’s coming upon men was the sovereign choice of God, rather than God’s response to the initiative of men. Generally speaking, men did not expect the Spirit of God to come upon them, nor did they do anything to prompt it. It happened.
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 5, 11:00am), and Sermon (June 5, 2022) 10. Recent Services: Easter 5, May 15 Easter 6, May 22 Easter 7, May 29 |
Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
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.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
Saints of the Week, May 29 – June 5, 2022
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29
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30
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Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc), Mystic and Soldier, 1431 |
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31
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The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
1
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Justin, Martyr at Rome, c. 167 |
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2
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Martyrs of Lyon, 177 |
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3
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The Martyrs of Uganda, 1886 |
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4
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[John XXIII (Angelo Guiseppe Roncalli)], Bishop & Church Reformer, 1963 |
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5
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Boniface, Bishop & Missionary, 754 |
Frontpage, June 12, 2022
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.
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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 |
Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
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.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
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 |
Frontpage, June 5, 2022
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 is… extinguishing of the Paschal Candle, time of prayer, vibrant music, “tongues of fire” descending, 1st hour Coffee hour
June 5 – 11:00am, Pentecost – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
It’s Pentecost, Sunday June 5- the 50th day since Easter, the birthday of the church as well as the arrival of the Holy Spirit in dramatic fashion
Pentecost is a time of action. God sends the Holy Spirit to empower the Church to continue the work begun by Jesus, reaching down to transform human hearts amid life’s turmoil. Through the Spirit’s ministry, Christ continues to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, heal the blind, free the oppressed, and proclaim God’s favor (Luke 4.18-19).
The video below shows several of our ministries and the people that make them happen to continue Jesus ministry. God’s energizing power is evident here: vivifying, knitting together, upholding and transforming all life. Our diversity with multiple talents and backgrounds helps to make ministry happen. All of us have a role to play in different way – we all have the potential to be filled. Pentecost is a “Day of Radiant Gladness.”
We invite you to come visit us in person in Port Royal or online (Sundays, 11am) to see if you would like to lend your hand to our work and add your gifts to our work. Everyone is welcome
In person 823 Water Street, Port Royal, VA 22535
Online https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86999263545?pwd=WHpNa1JrU0JOOGdMV3NMRlhmWUVCZz09
June 8 – Bible Study 10am-12pm
June 8 – Village Dinner, 4:30pm-6pm
June 12 – 11:00am, Trinity Sunday – 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."
Hymn of the Week – Holy! Holy! Holy!
Reginald Heber (1783 – 1826) was an English clergyman, traveller, man of letters and hymn-writer who, after working as a country parson for 16 years, served as the Anglican Bishop of Calcutta until his sudden death at the age of 42.
Reginald Heber wrote "Holy, Holy, Holy" while serving as vicar of Hodnet, Shropshire, England. He was the first to compile a hymnal ordering hymns around the church calendar. Wanting to celebrate a triune God, Heber wrote "Holy, Holy, Holy" for Trinity Sunday–a day that reaffirmed the doctrine of the Trinity and was observed eight Sundays after Easter. The hymn was first published in 1826.
Years later, John Dykes composed the tune Nicaea especially for Heber’s "Holy, Holy, Holy."
Text and tune were first published together in 1861. Since that time, this popular hymn has appeared in hundreds of hymnals and been translated into many languages.
The Nicene Creed, line by line
We say this creed every Sunday in the Eucharist service. It is the central creed or belief of Christianity and goes back to 325AD. On Trinity Sunday it is good to break it down into its essential meaning.
Walls of Nicea, today in Turkey
"I believe in one God"
The Greek, Latin and proper English translations begin with "I" believe, because reciting the creed is an individual expression of belief.
"the Father Almighty "
God the Father is the first person, within the Godhead. The Father is the "origin" or "source" of the Trinity. From Him, came somehow the other two. God the Father is often called "God Unbegotten" in early Christian thought.
"Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible"
Everything that is was created by God. Some early sects, the Gnostics and Marcionites, believed that God the Father created the spirit world, but that an "evil" god (called the demiurge) created the similarly evil material world.
"And in one Lord Jesus Christ, "
Jesus is Lord and Master of all this creation. No tyrant, Jesus is Lord, teacher, counselor, friend and servant.
"the only-begotten Son of God "
Jesus is in a unique relationship with God the Father, His only Son. While Hebrew kings were sons of God symbolically, Jesus is the only Son of God by nature.
"Begotten of his Father before all worlds "
Begotten has the meaning of born, generated, or produced. God the Son is out of the essence of God the Father. The Son shares the essential nature of God with the Father. Since God is eternal, the Son, being begotten of God, is also eternal. Jesus was begotten of the Father before this world came into being and was present at its creation.
Lectionary, June 16, 2019 – Trinity Sunday
I. Theme – The Trinity points to the mystery of unity and diversity in God’s experience and in the ongoing creative process
Holy Trinity– Anton Rublev (1430)
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
First Reading – Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Psalm – Psalm 8
Epistle –Romans 5:1-5
Gospel – John 16:12-15
The first reading reminds us of the holiness and wisdom of God’s personal mystery. The second reading invites praise for God’s glory, which we hope to share through our cooperation with God’s Spirit at work in us. In today’s gospel, Jesus promises the Spirit, who will convict the world and guide the disciples into truth.
Our language about God springs from our experience of God’s activity and, at best, only points to divine mystery. Though we know that all our language about God is metaphorical and that all our most comprehensive explanations fall short of God’s essential mystery, nevertheless we continue to be lured by God’s holy mystery.
Though we freely admit that God is beyond our rational capacity, we also recognize that God is not beyond our experience. Our metaphors move from what we know best to what we experience as lesser known. Our touchstone to the mystery of the Trinity is first of all the mystery of our own self. Despite our most persistent efforts to "know our self," there is always so much more of our self that escapes our scrutiny.
And the mystery of human selfhood spills over into our encounters with the mysterious others in our lives. Even those closest to us–our parents, children, spouses and friends–remain somehow other and surprising.
How do we know God? The question is not merely academic, but influences our deepest belief and behavior. The Trinity is not a heavenly riddle but an ongoing revelation, filling and blessing us and our days.
The Trinity, along with the Incarnation and the divine presence in history, is one of the great antidotes to the tendency of some Christians to see God as apathetic, a-historical, and unchanging in contrast to the passionate, evolving, and transitory world of time and space.
This lively God has not decided everything in advance without consulting the creaturely world, nor has the living God imaged the whole unfolding of history in one eternal, unchanging vision. The Trinitarian God suggested by today’s passages embodies loving fidelity through intimate and changing relationships with the unfolding world and its inhabitants
God is constantly doing something new, and God is constantly being revealed to us in new ways. God is still speaking through the acts of creation, which Wisdom (which also has at times been interpreted as the Holy Spirit in the New Testament) is part. Maybe even the Trinity falls short in showing us the way God is made known to us, but we have used it throughout Christian history
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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 5, 11:00am), and Sermon (June 5, 2022) 10. Recent Services: Easter 5, May 15 Easter 6, May 22 Easter 7, May 29 |
Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
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.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
Saints of the Week, June 5 – June 12, 2022
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5
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Boniface, Bishop & Missionary, 754 |
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6
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Ini Kopuria, Founder of the Melanesian Brotherhood, 1945 |
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7
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The Pioneers of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, 1890 |
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8
8 |
[Melania the Elder], Monastic, 410 Roland Allen, Mission Strategist, 1947 |
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9
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Columba, Abbot of Iona, 597 |
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10
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Ephrem of Nisibis, Deacon & Poet, 373 |
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11
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Saint Barnabas the Apostle |
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12
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Enmegahbowh, Priest and Missionary, 1902 |
Frontpage, May 29, 2022
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
The Seventh Sunday of Easter , Year C
May 29 – UTO donations collected.
May 29 – 11:00am, Easter 7 – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
- Bulletin May 29, 2022
- Lectionary for May 29, 2022
- Commentary May 29, 2022, Easter 7
- Videos May 29, 2022, Easter 7
- Photos May 29, 2022, Easter 7
The First Nouvena
The word “novena” means “nine” and is used to describe nine days of private or public devotion or focused and persistent prayer for a specific cause, usually as a form of petition or intercession but also as a prayer of thanksgiving for blessings received, devotion to a particular saint or feast day, as a period of mourning a loss, or anticipating a significant event.
The nine days of a novena come from the time that the Apostles and Mary waited in prayer between the Ascension of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. This was the period of time in which the Church prepared to go forth into the world to carry out Christ’s mission. These nine days, in essence, constituted the very first novena.
June 1 – Bible Study 10am-12pm
June 5 – 11:00am, Pentecost – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
“Thy Kingdom Come” is celebrating its 6 year anniversary in 2022. Since May 2016, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the people of Thy Kingdom Come have been bringing the world together in prayer. St Peter’s has been part of this international prayer initiative for several years. Here is the website. Check out their new mobile app.
In the gospel according to Luke, before Jesus ascended, he told the disciples to go to back to Jerusalem and await the coming of the Holy Spirit. They did as he asked, spent ten days absorbed in prayer as they waited, and the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost.
Through these prayerful disciples, the Holy Spirit brought the Church to birth. Following the example of these disciples, we can spend time in intentional prayer praying for people around the world to be filled with the Spirit and to come to know Jesus more fully.
So What we can do to participate?
What is Pentecost?
Pentecost literally means “fiftieth day.” As a religious celebration, it first delineated the fifty days after Passover with a harvest festival. It was also a celebration of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, still celebrated in the Jewish tradition as Shavuot.
In the Christian tradition, Pentecost marks the end of the 50 Days of Easter. In Acts 2, the apostles and friends are gathered together in Jerusalem. Suddenly there is a great rushing of wind, and tongues of fire rest on each of the apostles. They begin to speak in different languages, and the crowds around them, Jews from across the diaspora, having come to Jerusalem for the Festival of Weeks, understand them, although some disparaged them as drunks. It was at this moment that Peter stood up and preached, revealing the will of God in Jesus Christ, as prophesied by Joel, and affirming a continual outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon repentance and baptism.
Why does Pentecost Matter?
There are at least three reasons to start with:
1. It marks the birthday of the church. Pentecost was a turning point. Before the rushing wind, the flames, and the speaking in tongues, the apostles were a group of followers who listened to Jesus and assisted as he helped those who came to him for healing and grace. Without Jesus, they were aimless and confused. After the Holy Spirit enters that room, after Peter preaches repentance and baptism, they no longer look inward. The end of Acts 2 records that they devoted themselves to the teaching and to fellowship, they performed wonders and signs, they gave to others in need…and the Lord added to their number daily those who were saved.
The Holy Spirit gave the disciples direction and power to form the Christian community, which would become “the church.” So, Pentecost is a birthday, and some churches today celebrate with cake!
2. Pentecost completes the Trinity. Christian theology is grounded in a doctrine of three in one, and Christians often pray in the “name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Pentecost was the first and definitive moment in which we can say that the Father sent the Holy Spirit to make the Son present. No Pentecost, no Trinity.
3. Jesus kept his promise. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus told his followers, “I will be with you always, even until the end of the age.” He promptly ascended and was seen no more. What gives? Well, in John 15:26 he says, “I will send you the Advocate-the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me” (NLT). The point is: Jesus is present through the Holy Spirit. Pentecost marks the fulfillment of Christ’s promised presence.
from buildfaith.org
Pentecost – The quick version
Click here or on the picture above
Pentecost People at St. Peter’s, 2011-2015
St. Peter’s Holy Spirit at Pentecost
A St. Peter’s tradition
Lectionary, June 5, 2022
I. Theme – The coming of the Holy Spirit
Window from St Aloysius’ church in Somers Town, London
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
First Reading – Acts 2:1-21
Old Testament – Genesis 11:1-9
Psalm – Psalm 104:25-35, 37 Page 736, BCP
Epistle –Romans 8:14-17
Gospel – John 14:8-17 (25-27)
Pentecost is the Greek name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks, celebrated fifty days after Passover. The literal meaning of Pentecost is “50 days”; it is now fifty days since Easter. The first fruits of the wheat harvest were presented, and the covenant with God was remembered and renewed.
Pentecost power and possibility pulsate through today’s readings on the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is a milestone in the story of salvation. It was on that day that the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the believers in an upper room in Jerusalem as they awaited the baptism Jesus told them they would receive. Jesus had promised this event just before He ascended into heaven.
"And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
The symbol of fire is important for Pentecost. Fire has long represented God and the presence of his Holy Spirit. Fire consumes but is its own energy force. That energy is around action and for the church, mission. Acts is about mission, about speaking, proclaiming, the good news to people everywhere, in languages (and language) they can understand. This is the day in which the mission of the church was given birth.
The alternate reading form Genesis tells the story of God’s confusing the languages and scattering those building the tower of Babel.
The second reading describes how the Spirit works uniquely in each of us as children of God in the Body of Christ. Paul recognized the Spirit in the diverse gifts, ministries and members of the Corinthian community. The same Spirit nourishes, prods and emerges in multiple ways. In the realm of human activity, the transforming Spirit moves through the discovery of each other, the strength of fidelity, the give and take of loving relationships, the insight of artistic and scientific creation, the stubborn hope, or in its absence, “the sheer grit to go on.”
The Gospel reveals the intimate connection between Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
There is a need for an educator, a helper, teacher who remains constantly with those who would follow Jesus.Thus Jesus introduces the Advocate, the Spirit. We do not have to fear, because we know God is present with us, always. That is the entity that will remain and continue to instruct the disciples and the followers to come.It is then that Jesus can offer a sense of Peace or satisfaction.Troubled hearts, and fear will be taken away by the gentle comforts of the Spirit. God’s gift of the Holy Spirit is for the final transformation of our world.
For us we recognize that creation is not a one-time event, but an ongoing activity. God’s energizing power is evident here: vivifying, knitting together, upholding and transforming all life.
God has entered our lives in a new way, but yet it is an old, old story. The wind from God swept over the waters in the very beginning of time, in our own Creation story in Genesis 1. But this wind from God—the Spirit (and the word Spirit, wind and breath is the same in Hebrew, ruach, and in Greek, pneuma) continues to move among us and the world and do new things. We are called to break down the dividing walls and to build up one another in Christ. We are called to turn away from the things that separate us from one another and turn instead to the love of God, who calls us to share this love with our brothers and sisters in the world. And God is continuing to do a new thing in us, if we are open to receive and recognize the Spirit’s movement among us.
…just imagine the chaotic, whirlwind, crazy kind of day with wind, fire, thousands of people, and unfamiliar sounds when Jesus called the Spirit of Truth to come alongside his followers, as helper, advocate, and guide.
This was created by a group of artists called A Sanctified Art, This team of four artists in ministry, work collaboratively to bring scripture and theological themes to life through film, visual art, curriculum, coloring pages, liturgy, graphic designs, and more. This really is a unique resource worth exploring.
Pentecost, an ancient festival
Pentecost was the second of the three great annual festivals of Israel, the others being Passover and the feast of Tabernacles. The festival was often called the feast of Weeks because it took place seven complete weeks, or 50 days, after the Passover. Jews from all over the world came to Jerusalem for this festival, more than for any other. The day was one of solemn convocation when no work was to be done. The people offered the first loaves of fine flour made from the just harvested late grain crops. Other sacrifices were offered in the temple and a meal was prepared with freewill offerings from the people. To this meal the widows, orphans, the poor and the stranger were invited.
By the early New Testament period, it had gradually lost its association with agriculture and became associated with the celebration of God’s creation of His people and their religious history. By the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the festival focused exclusively on God’s gracious gift of Torah (the "Law") on Mount Sinai. It continues to be celebrated in this manner in modern Judaism.
On this festive day, in the year of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit was bestowed upon the apostles. In Acts, Luke describes the sound of a mighty rushing wind and the sight of tongues of flame resting on the head of each apostle. What a transformation took place in these men and women! They were truly “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:29). Out into the crowd they went, boldly proclaiming the “mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11). One of the gifts of the Spirit— the gift of tongues—enabled the polyglot crowd to hear the apostles speaking, each in his or her own language.
The Languages of Pentecost
From Acts we read on Pentecost.
"And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs– in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power."
Here is the Lord’s Prayer as translated in many languages in celebration of Pentecost
Pentecost Poetry
1. "Celestial fire" Eleazar Ben Kaller
From Poetry for the Spirit, Poems of Universal Wisdom and Beauty Edited by Alan Jacobs Translated by T. Carmi
"Now an angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a blazing fire –
a fire that devours fire;
a fire that burns in things dry and moist;
a fire that glows amid snow and ice;
a fire that is like a crouching lion;
a fire that reveals itself in many forms;
a fire that is, and never expires;
a fire that shines and roars; a fire that blazes and sparkles;
a fire that flies in a storm wind;
a fire that burns without wood;
a fire that renews itself every day;
a fire that is not fanned by fire;
a fire that billows like palm branches;
a fire whose sparks are flashes of lightning;
a fire black as a raven;
a fire, curled, like the colours of the rainbows! "
Visualizing the Pentecost
Here is a slideshow of artists who have depicted the Pentecost from the 13th Century until our own time.
The Holy Spirit.. in the Old Testament
The first thing that is apparent is that the term, “Holy Spirit,” seldom occurs in the Old Testament. Actually it is found only three times; once in Psalm 51:5, and twice in Isaiah 63:10-14. The most frequently used terms or expressions for the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament are:
the Spirit of the Lord
my Spirit
the Spirit
the Spirit of God
the spirit of … (Judgment, fire, justice, etc.)
your Spirit
In nearly all of these cases, the reference to the Holy Spirit is clear, although there are some instances where the Holy Spirit and the human “spirit” seem almost to merge, so that the Holy Spirit is referred to as the “Spirit of Elijah.”
The Holy Spirit therefore appears to be the agency through which God most often worked. God used men to reveal His will and His word (e.g. the prophets), but these men were inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit so that the words they spoke were clearly the “Word of the Lord.”
It is noteworthy to see that the Spirit’s coming upon men was the sovereign choice of God, rather than God’s response to the initiative of men. Generally speaking, men did not expect the Spirit of God to come upon them, nor did they do anything to prompt it. It happened.
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Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (May, 2022) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (May 29, 11:00am), and Sermon (May 29, 2022) 10. Recent Services: Easter 4, May 8 Easter 5, May 15 Easter 6, May 22 |
Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
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.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
Saints of the Week, May 29 – June 5, 2022
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29
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30
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Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc), Mystic and Soldier, 1431 |
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31
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The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
1
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Justin, Martyr at Rome, c. 167 |
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2
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Martyrs of Lyon, 177 |
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3
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The Martyrs of Uganda, 1886 |
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4
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[John XXIII (Angelo Guiseppe Roncalli)], Bishop & Church Reformer, 1963 |
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5
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Boniface, Bishop & Missionary, 754 |
Frontpage, May 22, 2022
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.
The Sixth Sunday of Easter , Year C
May 22 – 11:00am, Easter – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
- Bulletin May 22, 2022
- Lectionary for May 22, 2022
- Commentary May 22, 2022
- Videos May 22, 2022
- Photo gallery May 22, 2022
May 25 – Bible Study 10am-12pm
May 26 – The Ascension
The First Nouvena
The word “novena” means “nine” and is used to describe nine days of private or public devotion or focused and persistent prayer for a specific cause, usually as a form of petition or intercession but also as a prayer of thanksgiving for blessings received, devotion to a particular saint or feast day, as a period of mourning a loss, or anticipating a significant event.
The nine days of a novena come from the time that the Apostles and Mary waited in prayer between the Ascension of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. This was the period of time in which the Church prepared to go forth into the world to carry out Christ’s mission. These nine days, in essence, constituted the very first novena.
May 29 – UTO donations collected.
Sacred Ground milestone reached.
On Monday May 16, 2022, Andrea Pogue (left) and Johnny Davis (right) from the Sacred Ground group presented two $2,000 scholarships to Kaya Green and Alanna Gray. These Caroline High Schools graduates will be attending Germanna Community College in the fall. Elizabeth Heimbach, Cookie Davis and Catherine from the Sacred Ground group also attended the event. This was the culmination of study, discussion involving historic systematic racism and then a desire to make a contribution to toward combatting the effects of racism.
The group asked the Vestry to provide $500 to establish a scholarship allowing a Caroline County minority student to pay for education after high school. The $500 grew to $10,100 this year due to the donations of generous parishioners. The group then decided to distribute two scholarships and retain funds for the future .
Understanding trends of the Village Harvest in May
We are close to the results of 2021 after 5 months in 2022. For the year (2022) we are at 447 clients compared to last year’s 465. Overall pounds for 2022 are at 6,343 pounds which is close to last year’s 6,364. Like the clients figure it is statistically the same.
Looking at just the last two months together (April and May), however, shows a variation from the two months before that (Feb and March). Basically, Feb and March offset the results of April and May to allow for a similar year to date in May, 2022 to May, 2021.
Read more about the May harvest
Bishop Michael Curry – Love as a commitment
This is from an interview of Michael Curry in the Harvard Business Review, May-June 2019
Easter 5 featured the following Gospel scripture from John.”I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
“How do you encourage people to bring love into their workplaces?”
“In the past couple years I’ve started thinking of love less as a sentiment and more as a commitment to a way of being with others. As a sentiment, love is more about what I’m getting out of it than what you’re getting out of it. But as a commitment, love means I’m seeking your self-interest as well as my own—and maybe above and beyond mine. That kind of unselfishness is actually how Jesus talked about love most of the time in the New Testament—the Greek word that’s used is agape. That’s the kind of love you see in a person who has done something selfless for you and affected your life for the good: a parent, teacher, Scout leader, or coach. Take that further and you realize that there has been no social good that’s been intentionally done apart from this kind of love. We don’t give people Nobel Peace prizes for selfishness. We recognize those people because they’ve given of themselves without counting the cost to themselves. So, I’ve been playing with the mantra: Is the action I’m contemplating selfish or selfless? I invite folks to just ask that question throughout the day: Selfish or selfless?”
Rogation Sunday, May 22, 2022
Rogation Sunday, a time of celebration and prayer, is a time set aside to appreciate and recognize our dependence upon the land for our food and most importantly upon our dependence of God for the miracles of sprouting seeds, growing plants, and maturing harvest.
The Rogation Days, the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day, originated in Vienne, France in 470 after a series of natural disasters had caused much suffering among the people. Originally, the Christian observance of Rogation was taken over from Graeco-Roman religion, where an annual procession invoked divine favour to protect crops against mildew. Archbishop Mamertus proclaimed a fast and ordered that special litanies and prayers be said as the population processed around their fields, asking God’s protection and blessing on the crops that were just beginning to sprout.
The Latin word rogare means “to ask”, thus these were “rogation” processions. The tradition grew of using processional litanies, often around the parish boundaries, for the blessing of the land. These processions concluded with a mass. The Rogation procession was suppressed at the Reformation, but it was restored in 1559. The poet George Herbert interpreted the procession as a means of asking for God’s blessing on the land, of preserving boundaries, of encouraging fellowship between neighbours with the reconciling of differences, and of charitable giving to the poor. The tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ has been preserved in some communities. In the latter a group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish, usually led by the parish priest and church officials, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for protection and blessings for the lands. Others maintain the traditional use of the Litany within worship. In more recent times, the scope of Rogation has been widened to include petition for the world of work and for accountable stewardship, and prayer for local communities, whether rural or urban.
The Sunday before the Rogation Days came to be considered a part of Rogationtide (or “Rogantide”) and was known as Rogation Sunday. The Gospel formerly appointed for that day was from John 16, where Jesus tells his disciples to ask, and ye shall receive.
A Rogation Treat – OnBeing interview with author Robin Wall Kimmerer.
She is the author of the Braiding Sweetgrass. From Bookshop.org “As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on “a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise” (Elizabeth Gilbert).
“Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings–asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass–offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return. ”
“Thy Kingdom Come” is celebrating its 6 year anniversary in 2022. Since May 2016, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the people of Thy Kingdom Come have been bringing the world together in prayer. St Peter’s has been part of this international prayer initiative for several years. Here is the website.
In the gospel according to Luke, before Jesus ascended, he told the disciples to go to back to Jerusalem and await the coming of the Holy Spirit. They did as he asked, spent ten days absorbed in prayer as they waited, and the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost.
Through these prayerful disciples, the Holy Spirit brought the Church to birth. Following the example of these disciples, we can spend time in intentional prayer praying for people around the world to be filled with the Spirit and to come to know Jesus more fully.
So What we can do to participate?
Biblical scholar Ronald Coleman wanted to be clear on Ascension -"We do not, as a matter of fact, believe that Jesus ended his earthly ministry with the equivalent of a rocket launch, rising a few hundred miles above the earth. Nor do we think Jesus was the first to be “beamed up,” to use the term made so familiar by the television series Star Trek."
The New Testament treats the Ascension as an integral part of the Easter event.
It is the final appearance Jesus’ physical and resurrected presence on earth. It is the final component of the paschal mystery, which consists also of Jesus’ Passion, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, Descent Among the Dead, and Resurrection.
Along with the resurrection, the ascension functioned as a proof of Jesus’ claim that he was the Messiah. The Ascension is also the event whereby humanity was taken into heaven. There is a promise he will come again.
So when is it ? The Ascension in Luke 24 is on Easter Sunday evening or, at the latest, the next day; in John 20, sometime between the appearance to Mary Magdalene (who is told not to touch the risen One because he has not yet ascended) and the appearance to Thomas (who is invited to touch him); in Acts 1, after the forty days (which, however, are symbolic of the time of revelation; there may be no intention to suggest that the ascension actually “occurred” on the fortieth day). We celebrate Ascension on the 40th day, this year Thursday May 13 or the closest Sunday, May 16.
The main scriptural references to the Ascension are Mark:16:19, Luke:24:51, and Acts:1:2 and vvs. 8-10. Luke 24 says "While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven". In Acts " he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen." Jesus commissions his followers, rather than simply blessing them; and we have an appearance from two men in white robes.
Mount Olivet, near Bethany, is designated as the place where Christ left the earth. The feast falls on Thursday, May 13 and it is one of the most solemn in the calendar, ranking with the feasts of the Passion, Easter and Pentecost.
In disappearing from their view "He was raised up and a cloud received Him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9), and entering into glory He dwells with the Father in the honur and power denoted by the scripture phrase."
In a way, Jesus’ abandonment of the disciples upon the Mount of Olives is more profound than their abandonment on Calvary. After all, the disciples themselves predicted he would die. But no one could have imagined the Resurrection and the extraordinary forty days during which Jesus dwelled again with his friends. Forty days with the resurrected Jesus – appearing in the upper room, along the way to Emmaus, upon the beach at Galilee! Imagine their despair when this, the Jesus present to them in such an astonishing way, enters the Cloud on the Mount of Olives.
Ascension as the beginning of the Church’s mission
The Ascension is the beginning of the church’s mission.
1. It is powered by the Spirit
2. It is a call to be witnesses
3. It is worldwide is scope
The Ascension holds the promise of Christ’s return.
The Purpose of the Ascension:
A. For Man’s Redemption
B. For Jesus to be our Advocate
C. So The Spirit Could Come
D. To Prepare a place for Us
The Ascension is about direction
1. Looking upwards
Where is heaven ? When the early church confessed that Jesus had ascended into heaven, the emphasis was not so much on a place – the emphasis was on God’s immediate presence. The church was confessing that Jesus had entered into the divine glory – that the risen Jesus now dwelt in the immediate presence of God. This may explain the meaning of the phrase, "a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). Oftentimes in scripture, a cloud represents the shekinah glory of God, the sign of God’s presence (cf. Exo. 33:7-11; Mark 9:7).
This day reminds us that Jesus, our Risen Lord and Savior, is “beyond the bounds of time and space and free of their confinement, so he is able to be present everywhere at once.”
2. Heading downwards
Apostles are grouped together in Jerusalem awaiting their next step. "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying…these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer. "
3. Setting outwards.
This is an opportunity to reflect on the mission imperative of the church, the dangers of the church looking inward and the strength we gain from a Jesus now in the heavens who equips us for service
The Ascension marks the exact moment when Jesus, Son of God, commissioned his disciples to begin the gigantic task of converting the whole world. As recorded in St Mark’s Gospel, Jesus said: "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned." This day reminds us that Jesus, our Risen Lord and Savior, is “beyond the bounds of time and space and free of their confinement, so he is able to be present everywhere at once.”
Ascension Art: trying to make it visual.."
The Ascension has always been a challenge to understand through the scriptures. Artists have played a role in giving us a visual depiction of the event. They have been doing this for over a 1000 years. 
Read more about Ascension art with a collection of 17 works …
Our own Ascension art – St. George’s Ascension window
These are earliest windows produced for the church in 1885 and dedicated to Rev. Edward McGuire who served as rector her for 45 years from 1813-1858 and was the rector when the current Church was built in 1849. It was produced in Germany but we do not know the maker. There are three panels increasing the drama and focus. The window is the front of the church directly in front of parishioners.
The Ascension took place 40 days after the Resurrection when Jesus led the disciples to the Mount of Olives. He raised his hands, blessed them and then was lifted up until a cloud took him out of their sight. This is shown in the middle window. He is shown, arms raised, disappearing into a cloud with his feet and the hem of his clothes visible. His feet still show scars of the crucifixion.
Continue with the article and a photo gallery …
Lectionary Easter 7, Year C
I.Theme – Forging the glorious unity of God’s people.
" Christ the Redeemer Statue, Rio de Janeiro" – Paul Landowski, 1931
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Acts 16:16-34
Psalm – Psalm 97
Epistle – Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21
Gospel – John 17:20-26
We were in the middle between Ascension, last Thursday and Easter 7 which looks a week ahead to Pentecost. Easter 7 is a Sunday of Christian unity in the face of the disciples in their uncertainty. This is a result of the events of the recent past, the Resurrection and Ascension.
After his resurrection 40+ days ago, Jesus has appeared to three followers on the road to Emmaus, to Peter, and to those gathered in Jerusalem. When they have thought that they were seeing a ghost, he has invited them to touch his wounds and eats in their presence. The community is not sure of the outcome of all this. Will he stay ? They feel terrified both as to their own safety.
Today’s readings give us a sense of comfort. In today’s readings, we catch a glimpse of the glorious unity of God’s people. Paul and Silas show their concern even for their Gentile jailer, who becomes a believer through their example. John, in his Revelation, describes the believers’ urgent longing for final union with Jesus. In the gospel, Jesus prays for us, who have come to faith and unity in him through the testimony of the disciples
On the night when He was betrayed, Jesus interceded for His Church — for His apostles and all who believe in Him through their word — that all of His disciples “may become perfectly one” in the Father and the Son (John 17:21–23). For Jesus became flesh and dwells among us in order to reveal the Father and His name, to share with us the glory of His righteousness, and to bring us to the Father in Himself. As the Father loved the Son from “before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24), so He loves the whole world (John 17:23, 26). Through the apostolic witness to the baptism, cross and resurrection of Jesus (Acts 1:21–22), the Lord gathers His disciples throughout the world “with one accord,” as one body in Christ (Acts 1:14). And so with one voice and by one Spirit, His Bride prays, “Come!” (Rev. 22:17). And He comes to us. He gives us“the water of life without price” to wash our robes and quench our thirst (Rev. 22:17); and He feeds us from “the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit” (Rev. 22:2).
This Sunday, we are reminded that the world-view we hold now is not the same as the ancient Israelites, nor is it the same as the people of Jesus’ day and of the first century, nor will it be the same in the future. We must be prepared for new understandings and insights, new ways of thinking about and understanding God and God’s works in the world
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Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule April, 2022 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (May, 2022) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (May 22, 11:00am), and Sermon (May 22, 2022) 10. Recent Services: Easter 2, April 24 Readings and Prayers, April 24 Easter 3, May 1 Easter 4, May 8 |
Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
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.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
Saints of the Week, May 15 – May 22, 2022
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15
15 |
[Pachomius of Tabenissi], Monastic, 348 Junia and Andronicus |
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16
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Martyrs of Sudan & South Sudan |
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17
17 |
William Hobart Hare, Bishop, 1909 Thurgood Marshall, Public Servant, 1993 |
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18
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19
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Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, 988 |
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20
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Alcuin of York, Deacon & Abbot, 804 |
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21
21 |
[Lydia of Thyatira], Coworker of the Apostle Paul John Eliot, Missionary among the Algonquin, 1690 |
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22
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[Helena of Constantinople], Protector of the Holy Places, 330 |
Frontpage, May 15, 2022
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.
The Fifth Sunday of Easter , Year C
May 15 – St. Peter’s 186th anniversary
May 15 – UTO Spring Ingathering -distribution of the blue boxes. Due back on
May 29
May 15 – 11:00am, Easter 5 – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
- Bulletin May 15, 2022
- Lectionary for May 15, 2022
- Commentary May 15, 2022
- Videos May 15, 2022
- Photos May 15, 2022
May 18 – Bible Study 10am-12pm
May 18 – 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.
May 15 – 186th anniversary of St. Peter’s Consecration – Here is the 175th
It’s hard to believe it has been 11 years since we celebrated the day of the 175th anniversary. We had two services that day 11am followed by lunch and then 2pm, Service for our ancestors. The anniversary of the consecration is this week. Here are some links to refresh your memories:
Historical record May 15, 1836
In 1836, Bishop Richard Channing Moore’s pastoral address at the Diocesan Council in Fredericksburg, tells of the Consecration of St. Peter’s Church:
“On Sunday, May 15, 1836 I went to Port Royal at which place I consecrated a new Church: a building which is a great ornament to the town, and reflects the greatest credit upon those by “whose munificence it has been erected, and which, I trust, will prove a blessing to them and to their children to their latest posterity. The congregation was very large and attentive during the whole service. Prayers were read by several of the clergy who attended on the occasion — the discourse was delivered by myself — the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered — I baptised three children and confirmed two persons. It gives me the greatest pleasure to mention that a very handsome large silver cup was presented for the use of the altar, by a benevolent gentleman in the Parish; and I have every reason to believe that the sound of an organ will soon accompany the voices of the congregation in singing the praises of God and of the Redeemer of mankind. The Rev. (William) Friend stands high in the estimation of his parish; and I trust will see the work of the Lord prosper tinder his pastoral care.”
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175th Anniversary – The Day |
May 15, 2011, Services |
UTO Ingathering, May 15-29
The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of The Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Give thanks to God for everyday blessings and make an offering for each blessing using a UTO Blue Box.
The mission of the United Thank Offering is to expand the circle of thankful people.
Over 125 years ago, the United Thank Offering was founded as a women’s ministry to help individuals pay more attention to the spiritual blessings in their lives by making small thank offerings to support innovative ministries in the Church for which the church budget had not yet expanded to fund.
Fill a blue box available in the church and bring it back to the church by May 29. The UTO is entrusted to receive the offerings, and to distribute the 100% of what is collected to support innovative mission and ministry throughout The Episcopal Church. Your blessing becomes a blessing for others.
The offering raises over $3 million for grants that focus on meeting compelling human needs and to expand the mission and ministry of the church at home and throughout the world.
Thoughts for your UTO Blue Box:
Give thanks this day for your own health. Drop a coin in your Blue Box as you give thanks and pray for the continued health and improved health of those you love.
Give thanks this day for friendship with others. Drop a coin in your Blue Box as you give thanks and pray for your friendship with others.
Give thanks this day for the UTO’s work with mission by contributing to their work.
Over the next three years, the United Grant Offering, in the spirit of Matthew 25:36, will focus on ministry that serve those whom society has left out and left behind.
Therefore, the UTO grant focus for 2023 will be on innovative mission and ministry projects addressing all aspects of the worldwide incarceration crisis, specifically:
- preventative programs and intervention
- prisoner support outreach
- prison reform work or post-prison re-entry
Bishop Michael Curry – Love as a commitment
This is from an interview of Michael Curry in the Harvard Business Review, May-June 2019
Easter 5 featured the following Gospel scripture from John.”I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
“How do you encourage people to bring love into their workplaces?”
“In the past couple years I’ve started thinking of love less as a sentiment and more as a commitment to a way of being with others. As a sentiment, love is more about what I’m getting out of it than what you’re getting out of it. But as a commitment, love means I’m seeking your self-interest as well as my own—and maybe above and beyond mine. That kind of unselfishness is actually how Jesus talked about love most of the time in the New Testament—the Greek word that’s used is agape. That’s the kind of love you see in a person who has done something selfless for you and affected your life for the good: a parent, teacher, Scout leader, or coach. Take that further and you realize that there has been no social good that’s been intentionally done apart from this kind of love. We don’t give people Nobel Peace prizes for selfishness. We recognize those people because they’ve given of themselves without counting the cost to themselves. So, I’ve been playing with the mantra: Is the action I’m contemplating selfish or selfless? I invite folks to just ask that question throughout the day: Selfish or selfless?”
Rogation Sunday, May 22, 2019
Rogation Sunday, a time of celebration and prayer, is a time set aside to appreciate and recognize our dependence upon the land for our food and most importantly upon our dependence of God for the miracles of sprouting seeds, growing plants, and maturing harvest.
One activity is walking the bounds of your property. Rogation was accompanied by processions around the parish boundaries, and our ancestors in this procession would have recited the Litany of the Saints. It became known as “Beating the Bounds” and was a way of preventing encroachment by neighbors, making sure boundary markers had not moved and were visible, and to pass on the knowledge of where the boundaries were to the next generation.
The Rogation Days, the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day, originated in Vienne, France in 470 after a series of natural disasters had caused much suffering among the people. Originally, the Christian observance of Rogation was taken over from Graeco-Roman religion, where an annual procession invoked divine favour to protect crops against mildew. Archbishop Mamertus proclaimed a fast and ordered that special litanies and prayers be said as the population processed around their fields, asking God’s protection and blessing on the crops that were just beginning to sprout.
The Latin word rogare means “to ask”, thus these were “rogation” processions. The tradition grew of using processional litanies, often around the parish boundaries, for the blessing of the land. These processions concluded with a mass. The Rogation procession was suppressed at the Reformation, but it was restored in 1559. The poet George Herbert interpreted the procession as a means of asking for God’s blessing on the land, of preserving boundaries, of encouraging fellowship between neighbours with the reconciling of differences, and of charitable giving to the poor. The tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ has been preserved in some communities. In the latter a group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish, usually led by the parish priest and church officials, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for protection and blessings for the lands. Others maintain the traditional use of the Litany within worship. In more recent times, the scope of Rogation has been widened to include petition for the world of work and for accountable stewardship, and prayer for local communities, whether rural or urban.
The Sunday before the Rogation Days came to be considered a part of Rogationtide (or “Rogantide”) and was known as Rogation Sunday. The Gospel formerly appointed for that day was from John 16, where Jesus tells his disciples to ask, and ye shall receive.
Lectionary Easter 6, Year C
I.Theme – God dwells with God’s people.
" John the Evangelist" – Cimabue (1301-1302)
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Acts 16:9-15
Psalm – Psalm 67
Epistle – Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5
Gospel – John 14:23-29
Gospel – John 5:1-9
Today’s readings remind us that God dwells with God’s people. In Acts, Paul’s preaching brings about the conversion of Lydia, who opens her home to Paul and Timothy. John, in his Revelation, imagines life in the new Jerusalem, where the lord will be our temple, our sun and moon, our life. In the gospel, Jesus promises us the continuing presence of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit.
It’s clear from our Christian Scriptures that the historical Jesus was deeply concerned his ministry be carried on after his death and resurrection. That’s the problem: how do we know what Jesus practically wants us to do in our everyday lives? He certainly didn’t give his followers a step by step journal outlining what he expected. He simply gave them the Holy Spirit, his own Spirit which would not only “remind” us of the things he told his original disciples, but would also “teach” us.
As we prepare for Pentecost, in a sense we are preparing for the renewal of the Holy Spirit. God’s love is powerful and transforming. People we would never expect, like Lydia—a woman who made money by her own means and seemed to have a satisfying life—she was still yearning for more. The man who waited beside the pool for years in the second Gospel ofJohn reading had to help break down the walls of oppression himself before he could escape the oppression that kept him from the healing waters.
From John’s Gospel , we know that the Holy Spirit is working among us and reminding us of what we know, assuring us that we are part of something greater than ourselves, reminding us that God’s love is with us when we love Jesus. And we love Jesus by keeping his words—living out his commandment to love one another.
As we prepare for Pentecost, however, we are preparing for a revival, a renewal, a re-appearing of the Spirit in our lives. Perhaps the Spirit has never left us and has never left the world, but in preparing for it to come again, perhaps we will find the Spirit at work in us in a new way
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Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (May, 2022) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (May 15, 11:00am), and Sermon (May 15, 2022) 10. Recent Services: Easter 2, April 24 Readings and Prayers, April 24 Easter 3, May 1 Easter 4, May 8 |
Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
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.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
Saints of the Week, May 15 – May 22, 2022
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15
15 |
[Pachomius of Tabenissi], Monastic, 348 Junia and Andronicus |
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16
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Martyrs of Sudan & South Sudan |
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17
17 |
William Hobart Hare, Bishop, 1909 Thurgood Marshall, Public Servant, 1993 |
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18
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19
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Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, 988 |
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20
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Alcuin of York, Deacon & Abbot, 804 |
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21
21 |
[Lydia of Thyatira], Coworker of the Apostle Paul John Eliot, Missionary among the Algonquin, 1690 |
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22
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[Helena of Constantinople], Protector of the Holy Places, 330 |
Frontpage, May 8, 2022
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.
“Shepherdess with a Flock of Sheep”, Anton Mauve, c. 1870 – c. 1888
The Fourth Sunday of Easter , Year C, Mother’s Day and Good Shepherd Sunday
May 8 – 11:00am, Easter – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
- Bulletin May 8, 2022
- Lectionary for May 8, 2022
- Commentary May 8, 2022
- Sermon, May 8, 2022
- Videos, May 8, 2022
- Photos, May 8, 2022
Mother’s Day prayer BCP 829 #46 (adapt for “mothers”) Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give to all mothers calm strength and patient wisdom as the bring them up, that they may teach them to love whatever it is just true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
Mother’s Day prayer“Dear Lord, we come before you today to thank you for those who have brought new life into this world. We thank you especially for Mary , the mother of our Savior Jesus Christ, who brought to birth your Son who shared our human nature and lived and died as one of us. Give us the grace, all of us, to welcome you into our hearts and minds and spirits and bring your love to birth in this world. In the name of your song and through the power of the Holy Spirit we pray. Amen”
May 11 – Bible Study 10am-12pm
May 11 – Shred-it (time to be announced)
May 11 – 4:30om-6pm, Village Dinner . Take out only. Please contact Susan Linne von Berg for a reservation.
For mothers
“God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.” A ]ewish Proverb
“There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.” – Chinese Proverb
“A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.” – An Irish Proverb
“As truly as God is our Father, so truly God is our Mother.” -Julian of Norwich
“A mother understands what a child does not”. Jewish proverb
“The art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children.”—Elaine Heffner
Easter 4, Year C, May 8
I.Theme – Jesus as the Good Shepherd
"The Good Shepherd" – Daniel Bonnell)
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Acts 9:36-43
Psalm – Psalm 23
Epistle – Revelation 7:9-17
Gospel – John 10:22-30
Today’s readings explore the image of God as a caring Shepherd. Scripture frequently uses the metaphor of shepherd and sheep to describe the relationship between the faithful and God. Easter 4 is often referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday,”
In Acts, the apostles’ preaching and miracles bring many Gentiles to believe and follow. The familiar words of Psalm 23 illustrate our understanding of the relationship between the Good Shepherd and his sheep.
The Revelation to John gives us another image of the shepherd. As the seer looks around him, he sees a great multitude that no one can count. They come from all tribes, nations, and languages as they stand before the throne of the Lamb, wearing white robes and waving palm branches. The wrote robes signify their deliverance from tribulation, and the palms their victory over trials. Freed from hunger and thirst, those who were persecuted are now forever in the presence of God, able to worship God day and night in the temple.
In today’s gospel, Jesus pictures his relationship to the faithful as that of a shepherd who works for the life of the sheep. Jesus as a shepherd caring for his own flock provides more than green pasture and still waters. Jesus as a shepherd caring for his own flock provides more than green pasture and still waters – Jesus offers eternal life.
Our Good Shepherd guides us through the heights and depths of life, even during the most difficult times when we feel we are alone and abandoned, even when we feel the absence of God.
The sheep trust the shepherd. We who follow Jesus trust Jesus. We trust his voice, and we believe because we trust. It’s less a question of doubts verses faith as it is a question of trust verses mistrust. We may have doubts and questions about faith, but if we trust in Jesus, we still have faith. It is when we do not trust that we have lost. Trust leads to faith, and what Jesus calls us to do is to know his voice.
1. Good Shepherd Sunday – The setting for the Gospel – John 10:22-30
From Trinity Church New York —Dr. Kathy Bozzuti-Jones
Set in a moment of high tension in John’s Gospel, today’s Gospel passage is Jesus’s answer to the question: who are you, exactly?
Are you the Messiah? He responds by saying, in effect, “If you have to ask, then you are not one of my sheep.” Jesus claims his authority and asserts his unity with God when he says, “The Father and I are one.” At the conclusion of these words, John reports that the angered religious leaders intend to stone Jesus for blasphemy, but he escapes them.
In this brief passage, Jesus identifies so closely with God that they are not just close but “one.” In other words, to know Jesus is to know God. Jesus doesn’t just bring us closer to God, he puts us directly in relationship with God, removing any distance between us. Jesus invites all who hear the Good Shepherd’s voice to share in the life of God.
Few of us have direct experience with sheep, but the image of the shepherd speaks of care and protection and security; it is no wonder that Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved prayers throughout the ages.
2 Good Shepherd Sunday – Art Exhibit on Psalm 23
3 Good Shepherd Sunday Psalm 23 – the Most famous poem ever written
This week! May 11, Shred-it
Gather your older sensitive documents to be securely shred now
Lectionary Easter 5, Year C
I.Theme – Christian communities provide love and encouragement
"The Last Supper" – Leonardo da Vinci (1495-1498))
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Acts 11:1-18
Psalm – Psalm 148
Epistle – Revelation 21:1-6
Gospel – John 13:31-35
Today’s readings picture the love and encouragement to be found in Christian community. In Acts, Gentiles receive God’s word and the Holy Spirit just as the Jews do. John, in his Revelation, celebrates God’s final descent into our world to bring salvation and a restored world order. In the gospel, Jesus gives us a new command—love one another; by obeying Jesus, we show our discipleship.
God’s intention is to break down the dividing walls, the separations, between us and God, between us and each other, between us and creation. Jesus came to erase the boundaries, and gave us a new commandment to love one another. This commandment reframes the old: no longer are they to be about exclusion, but inclusion. No longer are people to separate themselves for God, but to come together and love one another for God. Even death will no longer divide and separate us. God’s intentions are for us to dwell together with God, as it was in the beginning. God’s desire is not destruction, but restoration. God is making all things new, and desires for us to participate in the breaking down of walls and the building up of the kingdom, or community, of God.
On earth “you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20). Already the Spirit grants you peace and joy through the forgiveness of your sins. For by the cross of Christ, “God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). His Gospel is “a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household” (Acts 11:14). He gives freely “from the spring of the water of life” (Rev. 21:6), “and death shall be no more” (Rev. 21:4). He dwells with His people, adorning His Church as a bride for her husband, “making all things new” (Rev. 21:5). Therefore, as the Son of Man is glorified by His cross, “and God is glorified in Him” (John 13:31), so He is glorified in us by our “love for one another” (John 13:35), which His Spirit works in us by His grace.
We are in Eastertide until Pentecost, June 5
Eastertide is the period of fifty days, seven Sundays from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday.
Why 50 ? After the resurrection, Jesus spent forty days on earth before ascending and ten more days after that until the Day of Pentecost. Lectionary readings throughout this season will revisit the post-resurrection appearances of Christ- healings, conversions, eye witness accounts, teachings, and “signs and wonders” with a message that broadens and bolsters our faith in the risen Christ, preparing his disciples (us), to take the power of his message to the world
Since Easter is not just one day, but a season, the church marks this time in special ways. The Paschal candle is lit during all services and the vestments and altar colors are white to mark this as a time of celebration. ‘The Lord is Risen!”, the Gloria, the Alleluias, the hymns, the scripture …. come back to us.
Receive the gifts of this season, there is always more because our faith is not a faith of reading something and thinking, “How nice.” Our faith is a faith of proclamation, action, prayer, and response
The season allows one to examine the Resurrection, more broadly and deeply. There are a number of questions.
Is Resurrection just about death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-56) ? Is Resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to your own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) ? Does it say something about our own ability to expect to see Jesus (Luke 24) ? How does the new Christian community begin to function making Christ the central part of daily life ? (Acts 2)
Jesus physically appears in Easter 2 and 3 making the Resurection tangible. The shepherding part of his ministry is explored in Easter 4. From Easter 5-7, Jesus must prepare the disciples for his departure. He is going to leave them. Jesus prepares his disciples for continuing his ministry without his physical presence. Themes explored include the holy spirit, the Prayer of Jesus and God’s glory through His Son and the church.
Christ ascends on the 40th day with his disciples watching . The weekdays after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.This fifty days comes to an end on Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the beginnings of the Church and its mission to all peoples and nation. Note that the Old Testament lessons are replaced by selections from the Book of Acts, recognizing the important of the growth of the church.
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Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule April, 2022 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (May, 2022) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (May 8, 11:00am), and Sermon (May 8, 2022) 10. Recent Services: Easter Sunday, April 17 Readings and Prayers, April 17 Easter 2, April 24 Readings and Prayers, April 24 Easter 2, May 1 |
Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
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.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
Saints of the Week, May 8 – May 15, 2022
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8
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Julian of Norwich, Mystic & Theologian, c. 1417 |
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9
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Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople, 389 |
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10
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Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, Prophetic Witness, 1760 |
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11
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[Johann Arndt & Jacob Boehme], Mystics, 1621 & 1624 |
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12
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13
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[Frances Perkins], Public Servant and Prophetic Witness, 1965 |
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14
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15
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[Pachomius of Tabenissi], Monastic, 348 Junia and Andronicus |
Frontpage, May 1, 2022
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.
The Third Sunday of Easter , Year C
May 1 – 11:00am, Easter – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
- Bulletin May 1, 2022
- Lectionary for May 1, 2022
- Commentary May 1, 2022
- Sermon May 1, 2022
- Photo Gallery – The service, May 1, 2022
- Photo Gallery – The celebration, May 1, 2022
May 1 – 12pm. Celebrating 4 friends moving away and introducing 2 more – A special Coffee hour
- Clarence and Betty will be moving to Tucson, Arizona
- Barbara and Boyd Wisdom will be moving to Fredericksburg
- We welcome The Rev. Tom Hughes and his wife Alice, who have decided to join with us in worship and ministry.
Tom preached during Easter so we are delighted that he and Alice want to be at St. Peter’s on more than a supply basis.
May 4 – Bible Study 10am-12pm
Save the Date! May 11, Shred-it
Gather your older sensitive documents to be securely shred now
Lectionary Easter 4, Year C
I.Theme – Jesus as the Good Shepherd
"The Good Shepherd" – Daniel Bonnell)
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Acts 9:36-43
Psalm – Psalm 23
Epistle – Revelation 7:9-17
Gospel – John 10:22-30
Today’s readings explore the image of God as a caring Shepherd. Scripture frequently uses the metaphor of shepherd and sheep to describe the relationship between the faithful and God. Easter 4 is often referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday,”
In Acts, the apostles’ preaching and miracles bring many Gentiles to believe and follow. The familiar words of Psalm 23 illustrate our understanding of the relationship between the Good Shepherd and his sheep.
The Revelation to John gives us another image of the shepherd. As the seer looks around him, he sees a great multitude that no one can count. They come from all tribes, nations, and languages as they stand before the throne of the Lamb, wearing white robes and waving palm branches. The wrote robes signify their deliverance from tribulation, and the palms their victory over trials. Freed from hunger and thirst, those who were persecuted are now forever in the presence of God, able to worship God day and night in the temple.
In today’s gospel, Jesus pictures his relationship to the faithful as that of a shepherd who works for the life of the sheep. Jesus as a shepherd caring for his own flock provides more than green pasture and still waters. Jesus as a shepherd caring for his own flock provides more than green pasture and still waters – Jesus offers eternal life.
Our Good Shepherd guides us through the heights and depths of life, even during the most difficult times when we feel we are alone and abandoned, even when we feel the absence of God.
The sheep trust the shepherd. We who follow Jesus trust Jesus. We trust his voice, and we believe because we trust. It’s less a question of doubts verses faith as it is a question of trust verses mistrust. We may have doubts and questions about faith, but if we trust in Jesus, we still have faith. It is when we do not trust that we have lost. Trust leads to faith, and what Jesus calls us to do is to know his voice.
From Ministry Matters – "What Changed after the Resurrection"?
"….We can pile on all the theological implications we want to the resurrection, but they don’t change the fact that even as Jesus was walking out of the empty tomb people in his own country were still dying, still suffering under the oppression of the Roman empire, still being taken advantage of by their neighbors, still suffering and causing others to suffer. It’s continued that way for some 2,000 years now as if nothing happened that holy morning.
"When you think about it that way or when you simply turn on the nightly news, it becomes hard not to ask if anything actually did change after the resurrection and, at least in my case, just as difficult to find the energy to get excited about Easter when the promises of Easter seem like they’re still going unfulfilled.
"But hope is not lost. As challenging as my academic predecessor’s question appears and indeed is, it’s not the question we should be asking.
"Because the Church doesn’t believe something changed after the resurrection. We believe something is changing.
"It’s a subtle difference, but a profoundly important one. As Christians, we are not naïve enough to believe that Jesus walked out of the tomb that first Easter morning and in an instant everything changed, all things were made new and suffering and death were no more. As Christians, we believe that when Jesus walked out of the tomb that first Easter morning everythingbegan to change, all things began to be made new and the reign of suffering and death was finally beginning to come to an end. But in believing thusly, we also profess that the kingdom of God is a present but not yet fully realized reality, and it won’t be fully realized until our Lord returns again."
Richard Rohr’s sermon preached All Saint’s in Pasadena follows readings from Acts 5:27-32 and John 20:19-31 and pushes us to broaden our visions of the risen Christ as the passage above. "The Resurrection is not a one-time miracle but the revelation of how reality works: that nothing truly dies." Here is the link.
We are in Eastertide until Pentecost, June 5
Eastertide is the period of fifty days, seven Sundays from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. Easter is not a day but a season and it is one to examine the Resurrection, more broadly and deeply. There are a number of questions.
Is Resurrection just about death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-56) ? Is Resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to your own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) ? Does it say something about our own ability to expect to see Jesus (Luke 24) ? How does the new Christian community begin to function making Christ the central part of daily life ? (Acts 2)
Jesus physically appears in Easter 2 and 3 making the Resurection tangible. The shepherding part of his ministry is explored in Easter 4. From Easter 5-7, Jesus must prepare the disciples for his departure. He is going to leave them. Jesus prepares his disciples for continuing his ministry without his physical presence. Themes explored include the holy spirit, the Prayer of Jesus and God’s glory through His Son and the church.
Christ ascends on the 40th day with his disciples watching (Thursday, May 5th). The weekdays after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.This fifty days comes to an end on Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the beginnings of the Church and its mission to all peoples and nation. Note that the Old Testament lessons are replaced by selections from the Book of Acts, recognizing the important of the growth of the church.
During the Easter season Jesus reappears in 2nd and 3rd Easter as Jesus did from Easter Sunday onward. The timeline above shows there were at least 10 appearances between Easter Sunday and Ascension. What do we make of these appearances ?
Gerald Hughes in his book, The God of Surprises mentions three features that are common in all of the resurrection accounts. The most common feature he pointed out is that before Christ appeared everyone was in a negative mood: the women who came to the tomb, came only expecting to embalm Jesus; the disciples on the road to Emmaus are sad and disillusioned; the disciples in the upper room are afraid and living behind closed doors; and Thomas is in doubt. On Easter 3, no fish were begin caught. In every case, their pain and disillusionment revealed their poverty of spirit and need of God. Yet in each person our Lord’s love met them in the midst of their despair and led them to a life-transforming faith.
The second common feature of those who came to faith was the slowness of those to whom Christ appears to recognize that He really was the risen Christ. The disciples on the road to Emmaus walked several miles with him before they recognized him. “But their eyes were kept from recognizing him” In Easter 3, the disciples go back to being fisherman, their profession before they met Jesus, They catch nothing until a stranger calls to them to put out their nets on the right side. Once they bring in the load of the miraculous catch, Peter finally proclaims, “It is the Lord!”
A final feature common to the resurrection is that those to whom Christ appeared are commissioned to go and tell others. In Luke’s Road to Emmaus, the heartburn of despair had been replaced by a new burning faith. These two were re-energized. They might have been dragging on the way to Emmaus but they were ready to run back to Jerusalem. Before their faces were downcast. Even though it was late, very possibly dark by now—they immediately raced off to Jerusalem. The lesson is not to prejudge Jesus and expect to find Jesus in the most unlikely places, such as a war-torn country
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Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (May, 2022) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (May 1, 11:00am), and Sermon (May 1, 2022) 10. Recent Services: Palm Sunday, April 10 Readings and Prayers, April 10 Easter Sunday, April 17 Readings and Prayers, April 17 Easter 2, April 24 |
Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
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.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
Saints of the Week, May 1 – May 8, 2022
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2
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Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, 373 |
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3
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[Elisabeth Cruciger], Poet & Hymnographer, 1535 |
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4
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Monica, Mother of Augustine of Hippo, 387 |
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5
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[Martyrs of the Reformation Era] |
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6
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7
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8
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Julian of Norwich, Mystic & Theologian, c. 1417 |
Frontpage, April 24, 2022
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.
Easter Staircase, 2022
The Second Sunday of Easter , Year C
April 24 – 11:00am, Easter – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
- Bulletin April 24, 2022
- Lectionary for April 24, 2022
- Commentary April 24, 2022
- Easter 2 Videos
- Easter 2 Photos
April 27 – Bible Study 10am-12pm
Save the Date! May 11, Shred-it
Gather your older sensitive documents to be securely shred now
Village Harvest sees consistency in April with past trends
We have seen similar trends in clients visiting the Village Harvest from March to April over the last two years:
2021 March, 95 and
2021 April, 71
2022 March, 91 and
2022 April, 70
The supply of food was down to 1144 but well above a year ago at 838. It was below the 1480 and 1635 in Feb and March, respectively.
The important trend is that there were over 16 pounds per person and is above the 4 month average of 15. (The 12 month period it is higher at just under 17.50 pounds).
The food contents in April were similar with produce, mixed grocery and meat. The supply of produce is steady at the 35-37% level from the last two months. Compared to last year we are giving out a larger share of produce at 35% vs. 27%. (Produce is probably more in demand.) The major change between 2021 and 2022 was a larger share of grocery items (up from 21% to 46%) and little miscellaneous items.
The value to the client based on $6 a pound is $9.81. Though under the 12 month average at $10.5. It is above 2022’s average at $9.00.
Overall, most of measures in April exceeded the average 2022 numbers of pounds per person and value and we are giving out a large percentage of produce compared to a year ago.
Clearing a River Path
On Sat. April 23, we had approximately 10 from the church plus 3 boy scouts to begin a process of seeing how the church can use its access to the river. We were also being guided from Brent from the Friends of the Rappahannock. The goal today was to create an open space.
We will be looking at creating a more formal path to the river which can be used as space for activities – education, fellowship, and understanding the ecology of the river.
Read the rest of the story, including an end of day picture.
St. Mark’s Day is April 25. Who was he?
John Mark is the author of the Gospel of Mark which we are reading this year in Year B.
The painting was done in 1625 by Frans Hals, a Dutch painter, who painted portraits of all the Gospel writers.
Mark’s work was the first Gospel probably written in the 60’s AD. Gospel means “Good News” of Jesus Christ reflecting His life and work. The Gospel says the Kingdom of God is at hand and brings new life, sanctification and hope to the world. It is also one of the Synoptic Gospels.
Synoptic, in Greek, means "seeing or viewing together," and by that definition, Matthew, Mark, and Luke cover much the same subject matter and treat it in similar ways. Some scholars believe an oral gospel existed first, which Matthew, Mark, and Luke used in their versions. Others argue that Matthew and Luke borrowed heavily from Mark. A third theory claims an unknown or lost source once existed, providing much information on Jesus. Scholars call this lost source "Q," short for quelle, a German word meaning "source." Still another theory says Matthew and Luke copied from both Mark and Q.
Mark stresses Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God now breaking into human life as good news (Mk 1:14–15) and Jesus himself as the gospel of God (Mk 1:1; 8:35; 10:29). Jesus is the Son whom God has sent to rescue humanity by serving and by sacrificing his life (Mk 10:45).
We are in Eastertide until Pentecost, June 5
Eastertide is the period of fifty days, seven Sundays from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. Easter is not a day but a season and it is one to examine the Resurrection, more broadly and deeply. There are a number of questions.
Is Resurrection just about death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-56) ? Is Resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to your own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) ? Does it say something about our own ability to expect to see Jesus (Luke 24) ? How does the new Christian community begin to function making Christ the central part of daily life ? (Acts 2)
Jesus physically appears in Easter 2 and 3 making the Resurection tangible. The shepherding part of his ministry is explored in Easter 4. From Easter 5-7, Jesus must prepare the disciples for his departure. He is going to leave them. Jesus prepares his disciples for continuing his ministry without his physical presence. Themes explored include the holy spirit, the Prayer of Jesus and God’s glory through His Son and the church.
Christ ascends on the 40th day with his disciples watching (Thursday, May 5th). The weekdays after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.This fifty days comes to an end on Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the beginnings of the Church and its mission to all peoples and nation. Note that the Old Testament lessons are replaced by selections from the Book of Acts, recognizing the important of the growth of the church.
Earth Day, 2022 – April 22
Earth Day, April 22 -8 steps
Earth Day originated in 1970 after Sen. Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin witnessed the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. He hoped it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. It did lead to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the passage of the Clean Air Act and a dialogue on a host of issues.
The Earth Day 2022 Theme is Invest In Our Planet. What Will You Do? The site has “52 Ways to Invest in our Planet” https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-tips/ We have invested in our planed with Shred-It. The 10th Shred-It scheduled May 11, the same day as the Village Dinner
1 Plant more trees.
Canopy project – For every $1 donated a tree gets planted The Canopy Project partners with groups around the world to ensure that your donation sustainably plants trees for a greener future for everyone. This charity has a four star rating on Charity Navigator. https://donate.earthday.org/donate_to_the_canopy_project
Locally. Tree Fredericksburg has planted 7,500 trees in the city since its founding in 2008 https://treefredericksburg.org They have a donation project to donate free trees to individuals or business. Tree Fredericksburg always needs volunteers
2. Conservation landscaping
Also, Virginia provides financial incentives to help with environmental issues on your property. The Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) is an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives and technical and educational assistance to property owners installing eligible Best Management Practices (BMPs) in Virginia’s participating Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs).
These practices can be installed in areas of your yard where problems like erosion, poor drainage, or poor vegetation occur. This website provides more information. https://vaswcd.org/vcap
Examples include conservation landscaping to create a diverse landscape that helps to protect clean air and water and support wildlife. A part of this is planting more native plants https://vaswcd.org/conservation-landscaping . Native plants do not require fertilizer, use less water than lawns and help prevent erosion
3 Help with a clean-up. Cleanups outside reduce waste and plastic pollution, improve habitats, prevent harm to wildlife and humans and even lead to larger environmental action. It’s out there – let’s get rid of it! No community cleanup is scheduled in the spring. Is it worth considering for this area ? The Earth Day site has tips – https://www.earthday.org/your-first-cleanup-what-to-know-and-expect-15-tips-for-first-time-volunteers
Lectionary, Easter 3, May 1, 2022
I.Theme – Considering Jesus’ presence with us.
"Christ’s Appearance on Lake Tiberias" – Duccio di Buoninsegna 1308-11)
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)
Psalm – Psalm 30
Epistle –Revelation 5:11-14
Gospel – John 21:1-19
Today’s readings invite us to consider the meaning of Jesus’ presence with us. In the story from Acts, the apostles, empowered by the Spirit of Jesus, preach the gospel despite persecution. John, in his Revelation, describes how being in the presence of Jesus, the enthroned Lamb of God, moves all of creation to bless and praise. In today’s gospel story, Jesus, in another post resurrection appearance, provides an abundant catch of fish for his disciples.
In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, the White Queen tells Alice that in her youth, she believed six impossible things every morning before breakfast and counsels Alice to believe in impossibilities as well. The Easter season is a season for mystics and “impossibility” thinkers. We are challenged to believe “more” rather than “less” about the world and its resources. Tempted to think small, we may discover that God is at work in our lives – in the causal events of life – to give us more than we can ask than imagine. Possibilities abound that appear to be “impossibilities” for unimaginative realists. Persecutor Paul encounters the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus; the Resurrected Christ cooks breakfast for the disciples and invites Peter to claim a global vocation; the author of Revelation envisages an enchanted and lively universe, in which all creation praises God; and Psalmist experiences ecstasy and joy amid the maelstrom of external challenges.
The call of the readings is to go out and act on them. There are people who are hungry—we must go and feed them, we can’t be only worried about our own needs. There are people who are mourning, who are sad—we must go and be with them, to help bear their burdens. We must remember that the picture is greater than ourselves. Messages of personal salvation only go so far, to help us feel good about ourselves. Remembering that God’s purpose as Creator is new life, we must do our part to help in all of creation to nurture that new life. "Feed my sheep", "Follow me’
Making Adjustments (Lectionary Easter 3)
Suzanne Guthrie
“The disciples have been night-fishing, but as dawn breaks they have nothing to show for their efforts. Jesus appears on the shore, too far away to help. He shouts at them to fish differently, to throw their nets on the unconventional side of the boat. That’s where they find what they’re looking for.”
-Richard Beard
from the novel, Lazarus is Dead (p.219)
“Is it possible that finding what I’m looking requires just the slightest adjustment in my way of seeing? How can pulling up my net, moving it a few feet over, throwing it back in the same waters, make a difference? And yet…
“What other slight adjustments to my life, my character, my thinking, my relating to family, friends, neighbors, the world, might change barrenness to fecundity? At any given moment there’s probably at least 153 ways to begin.
Do you remember the dynamic between the two disciples running to the tomb on Easter Morning? Mary Magdalene, having found the tomb empty runs to wherever the disciples have been hiding and brings back Peter and John. John outruns Peter but hesitates to go in. When Peter arrives he enters the tomb and sees the disarray of cloths. “Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed” (John 20:8).
“John understands. Peter acts.
“Here in the boat, the stranger on the shore calls to the men in the boat. Children, have you caught anything? No? Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you’ll catch some. And they did. And could hardly manage the haul of fish. “The disciple who Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
“Peter, who is naked, throws on his clothes and jumps into the water to swim toward shore, leaving the others to manage the miraculous catch of fish.
“John understands. Peter acts.
“When I act first, perhaps I need to understand more. When I understand and fail to act, well, that’s another adjustment I need to make.”
During the Easter season Jesus reappears in 2nd and 3rd Easter as Jesus did from Easter Sunday onward. The timeline above shows there were at least 10 appearances between Easter Sunday and Ascension. What do we make of these appearances ?
Gerald Hughes in his book, The God of Surprises mentions three features that are common in all of the resurrection accounts. The most common feature he pointed out is that before Christ appeared everyone was in a negative mood: the women who came to the tomb, came only expecting to embalm Jesus; the disciples on the road to Emmaus are sad and disillusioned; the disciples in the upper room are afraid and living behind closed doors; and Thomas is in doubt. On Easter 3, no fish were begin caught. In every case, their pain and disillusionment revealed their poverty of spirit and need of God. Yet in each person our Lord’s love met them in the midst of their despair and led them to a life-transforming faith.
The second common feature of those who came to faith was the slowness of those to whom Christ appears to recognize that He really was the risen Christ. The disciples on the road to Emmaus walked several miles with him before they recognized him. “But their eyes were kept from recognizing him” In Easter 3, the disciples go back to being fisherman, their profession before they met Jesus, They catch nothing until a stranger calls to them to put out their nets on the right side. Once they bring in the load of the miraculous catch, Peter finally proclaims, “It is the Lord!”
A final feature common to the resurrection is that those to whom Christ appeared are commissioned to go and tell others. In Luke’s Road to Emmaus, the heartburn of despair had been replaced by a new burning faith. These two were re-energized. They might have been dragging on the way to Emmaus but they were ready to run back to Jerusalem. Before their faces were downcast. Even though it was late, very possibly dark by now—they immediately raced off to Jerusalem. The lesson is not to prejudge Jesus and expect to find Jesus in the most unlikely places, such as a war-torn country
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Block Print by Mike Newman
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3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
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.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
Saints of the Week, April 24 – May 1, 2022
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24
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Genocide Remembrance |
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25
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Saint Mark the Evangelist |
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26
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Robert Hunt, Priest, 1607 |
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27
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[Zita of Tuscany], Worker of Charity, 1271 Christina Rossetti, Poet, 1894 |
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28
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29
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Catherine of Siena, Mystic & Prophetic Witness, 1380 |
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30
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Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, Prophetic Witness, 1879 |
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1
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Saint Philip and Saint James, Apostles |