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2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. April, 2018 Server Schedule 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (April, 2018) 6. Calendar 8. What’s new on the website 10. Latest Easter 5 Sunday Bulletin (April 29, 2018 11:00am), and Sermon (April 22, 2018) |
Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
| White | Gold | Easter | Apr 1-22 |
| White | Gold | Eastertide | Apr 23-May 24 |
| White | Gold | Ascension Day | May 10-12 [Sun May 13] |
| White | Gold | Eastertide | May 13-May 19 |
| Red | Pentecost Sunday | May 20-26 | |
| White | Gold | Trinity Sunday | Jun 27-Jun 2 |
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 22-29
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21
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Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1109 |
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22
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23
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[George, Soldier and Martyr, c. 304]; also [Toyohiko Kagawa, Prophetic Witness in Japan, 1960] |
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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 and First Chaplain at Jamestown, 1607] |
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27
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[Christina Rossetti, Poet, 1894] |
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28
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Left to right – Dogwood in bloom, The Peace, a birthday and winner of the drawing for a stainless steel drinking cup, "Sweety" 12 weeks old, dandelion seed pods, meeting of 3 churches in Port Royal discussing security, BJ our communion bread chef.
The Week Ahead…
April 25 – 10:00am, Ecumenical Bible Study
April 29 – 9:00am, Holy Eucharist, Rite I
April 29 – 10:00am, Children with Becky
April 29 – 11:00am, Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Sunday, April 29 Readings and Servers
We are in Eastertide until Pentecost, May 20
Eastertide is the period of fifty days, seven Sundays from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday.
“Tide” is an old word meaning a “festival” and its season. In the early church, Lent was a season for new converts to learn about the faith and prepare for baptism on Easter Sunday. The initial purpose of the 50-day Easter season was to continue the faith formation of new Christians.
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)
In Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:19, the resurrection illustrates the “immeasurable greatness of [God’s] power for us who believe.” In Ephesians 2:1-7, Paul applies this to our salvation. We have been made “alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
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 10th). 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.
Read the Book of Acts over Eastertide
These were organized by Forward Movement for a combined Luke and Acts study These are just the Acts portion.
There are many commentaries on the book. Here is an easy one to get started.
April 22 is Earth Day
Earth Day originated in 1970 after Sen. Gaylord Perry 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 leading to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the passage of the Clean Air Act and a dialogue on a host of issues. In recent years it has taken up the climate change issue.
Churches have become involved in emphasizing the Biblical background for dialogue. We have celebrated the earth by planting trees in the yard and remembering the day through our liturgy and prayers.
In keeping with the theme of Earth Day in 2018 we are focusing on plastics pollution. This is our insert for the service today.
Whether we agree on the effects of Climate change, there are things we can do to both conserve and save money. However, you first need to understand your energy usage as defined in your carbon footprint .
What’s your carbon footprint ? A carbon footprint is defined here as:
"The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).
"In other words: When you drive a car, the engine burns fuel which creates a certain amount of CO2, depending on its fuel consumption and the driving distance. (CO2 is the chemical symbol for carbon dioxide). When you heat your house with oil, gas or coal, then you also generate CO2. Even if you heat your house with electricity, the generation of the electrical power may also have emitted a certain amount of CO2. When you buy food and goods, the production of the food and goods also emitted some quantities of CO2.
"Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide), which were induced by your activities in a given time frame. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period of a year."
You can check calculate your carbon footprint here. Find out how to reduce emissions and save money.
Taking it to the Streets
Thanks to Andrea Pogue this is the 7th anniversary of this event!
•Use this opportunity to securely dispose of those out dated, sensitive documents and financial records that you have accumulated over the years; and
•Use this occasion to clear out old file cabinets, boxes, folders and envelopes containing pay stubs, tax records, bank statements and receipts that have amassed over time.
Bring them to St. Peter’s on Wednesday, May 2 between 4:30pm and 5:30pm and watch the action.
This is a fund raiser for community enrichment and charitable outreach efforts. We also need to pay for the shredder. Please a consider a generous donation to this cause.
Whether for the environment, to help St. Peter’s or to rid your home of excess papers, come down and bring your stuff on May 2
Lectionary, April 29, Easter 5
I.Theme – Living in and Through Jesus
Abide in Me
Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me." – John 15:1-4
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
First Reading – Acts 8:26-40
Psalm – Psalm 22:24-30 Page 612, BCP
Epistle –1 John 4:7-21
Gospel – John 15:1-8
Today’s readings reveal what it means to live in and through Jesus. In Acts 8, Philip explains to the Ethiopian eunuch the good news of Jesus. The author of 1 John reveals that true faith becomes visible through the obedience of active love. In today’s gospel, Jesus explains that, like branches connected to a vine, we abide with him and experience great fruitfulness.
ACTS 8:26-40. This passage tells how the gospel became a missionary faith outside of Judaism. The story is told as part of the main theme of Acts: To trace the expansion of the early church under the leadership of the apostles from Jerusalem to the Gentile nations of the world, especially to Rome, the capital city of the empire.
Philip has been presented as evangelist to the despised Samaritans. Now he has been sent to another outsider. Ethiopia in the first century referred to southern Egypt, now the Sudan. The eunuch may have been a Gentile proselyte or a “God-fearer,” who accepted much but not all of the Jewish law. As a eunuch, he would have been barred from Jewish worship, because he could not have any male heirs, “sons of the covenant” although Isaiah prophesied the inclusion of eunuchs.
The fourth servant song from Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13–53:12), which becomes the inspiration for the eunuch’s inquiries, was central for the early Church’s understanding of Jesus’ death and resurrection as Christians searched the scriptures to find confirmation of what they had seen to be true.
PSALM 22:25-31. Psalm 22 consists of a lament repeated by Jesus on the cross and a thanksgiving in which the psalmist describes the distress he is suffering and his trust in God. These verses express unwavering confidence in God’s saving deeds. This psalm figures prominently during holy week.
1 JOHN 4:7-21. Perhaps the finest definition of God is given here: “God is love.” In this reading, the theme is set in the context of the nature of God. Love is God’s most characteristic activity. God’s love is not an emotion but an event, made known to us in and through Christ’s incarnation and our redemption. Because this love is so intricately tied to Christ, the Christian’s mission of love is of necessity a mission of witness. We love one another as a manifestation of God’s life in us.
Like partners in a dance, we are invited to love each other as God loves us. No one has seen God, but as we love one another we allow the world to catch a glimpse of God’s true nature. In fact, God’s love is somehow incomplete until we feature that love in our lives.
JOHN 15:1-8. Jesus is offering these words to his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion. He knows what is going to happen – both to himself and to his flock – and they do not. They are about to be cut down by his crucifixion and death and he is assuring them that it will not be mere, senseless cutting but that they will survive, even flourish.
The second context is that of the community for which John writes, 60 years after the resurrection. Because by the time they hear these words they have already been scattered, likely thrown out of their synagogue, and have had plenty of reason to feel like they’ve been abandoned. But John writes to assure them that while they have indeed been cut, it is the pruning for more abundant fruit and life.
The allegory of the vine and the branches offers insight into the way the early Christian community saw the redemptive relationship between God, Jesus and the faithful. John stretches the image most picturesquely.
Jesus, as Son, the representative of Israel, is “the true vine” (v. 1) who fulfills the calling of Israel.
The solid trunk of the vine emerging from the ground grows long, tender branches on which the fruit is produced. Without those branches, newly grown each year, the vine cannot produce. Cut off from the root, the branches are useful only as kindling for a fire. This was a common source of firewood in ancient times.
God is described as the vine grower who cares for both the vine and the branches. The Father is the vinegrower who “prunes” (v. 2, “trims clean”) the branches. Jesus reassures the disciples that they are already “pruned” ( v. 3, translated “cleansed” in the NRSV) by his word.
For John, Christian life is an active and committed life. There cannot be a living, unproductive branch. Those who do not remain, or abide, are taken away. This is exactly what has happened to Israel and to the church through the ages. Those who do abide through prayer bear fruit and show themselves as Jesus’ disciples. Part of that caring requires rigorous pruning so that the vine continues to produce good fruit.
The Gospel – "Abiding" – John 15:1-8
By Marek Zabriskie for the Bible Challenge
I have a small beautiful communion kit, which was given to me by a woman whose husband was a chaplain at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire and later an Associate Rector at St. Thomas Church, where I serve. Her husband died long before I became Rector of St. Thomas, but his wife wanted me to have his communion kit. It was one of the most touching gifts that I have ever received.
Her husband was a wonderful priest with a great pastoral heart. When a death or tragedy occurred, he immediately telephoned and said, “Put a pot of tea on the stove. I will be right over.” He often brought this communion kit with him, which was given to him by another priest, who received it from another priest, who was the Associate Rector of Holy Trinity Church in Rittenhouse Square, where Phillips Brooks, the author of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" was Rector. Brooks was the greatest preacher that the Episcopal Church ever produced. He gave his Associate Rector this communion kit, which now bears the initials on it of all whom have owned and used it.
Each time I bring communion to someone in the hospital or at home, we recite a short service. I begin by reading several verses of Scripture, including one which comes from John 15:
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)
Few phrases in the Bible are more powerful. Our strength, wisdom and hope comes from abiding in God and spending time with Jesus through prayer and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us each day as we read the Bible. “Abiding” is an old-fashioned word, which does not get much use nowadays, but it is a rich, wonderful word worthy of reflecting upon at length.
Engrafted to Neighbors
You, then, are my workers. You have come from me, the supreme eternal gardener, and I have engrafted you onto the vine by making myself one with you.
Keep in mind that each of you has your own vineyard. But everyone is joined to the neighbors’ vineyards without any dividing lines. They are so joined together, in fact, that you cannot do good or evil for yourself without doing the same for your neighbors.
–Catherine of Siena 1347-1380 "Dialogue, The Vines That Are Tended by the Divine Gardener "
Grapes, Tacuinum Sanitatis, 13th Century
Epistle – Acts 8 and killings of African Christians
On April 21, 2015, Anglican Bishop of Ethiopia reported “I have just learned the horrifying news that as many as twenty-eight Ethiopian Christians have been shot or beheaded in Libya by members of the terrorist group known as ISIS or ISIL. This alarming act of violencenbsp; against those that ISIS calls ‘people of the cross’ comes just two months after twenty-one other Christians – twenty Egyptians and one Ghanian, were beheaded on a Libyan beach.”
Ethiopia is Africa’s second most-populated country, and approximately two-thirds of its 90 million people are Christians. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tawahedo Church is the largest Oriental Orthodox denomination in the world.
44 percent of their nation’s population belongs to the Orthodox Tawahedo Church. Over the last several years, the Ethiopian government has been active in military response to the atrocities of the Somali Islamist terrorist group al-Shabab. The ISIS video may have indirectly referenced this as motivation for the group’s killing of the Ethiopian Christians. Many of the 250 migrants who drowned crossing the Mediterranean in 2013 were African Christians fleeing persecution.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tawahedo Church claims descent from the Ethiopian eunuch converted by Philip in Acts 8, our Epistle for this Sunday and dates formally to the preaching of Frumentius in the early fourth century and the acceptance of Christianity in 330 A.D.
We are in the part of Acts where Luke (the author) tells of the spread of the good news to non-Jews in the Middle East. He has just told us about carrying the gospel to Samaria. Jews rejected Samaritans because they had a different principal place of worship and scriptural tradition. Now we hear of the conversion of another outcast, a eunuch. Per Deuteronomy 23:1, a eunuch could not be “admitted to the assembly of the LORD”.
In chapter 8 Luke focuses on Philip, one of the deacons appointed to serve in the Jerusalem church. Philip is guided by an angel to minister to a seeker on the Gaza road going from Jerusalem. The seeker was a Gentile follower of the Jewish faith, although as a eunuch, his participation in religious celebrations would have been very limited. The Ethiopian was traveling in a covered carriage and was reading from Isaiah 53. The ancient practice was to read aloud, since the manuscripts of the time were not easy to read. Philip is prompted by the Spirit to run beside the wagon. Philip asks whether the Ethiopian understands what he is reading. Philip is then invited to interpret.
The Ethiopian’s question allowed Philip to explain the gospel and particularly the link between the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 and the Davidic Messiah of Isaiah 11 and the Son of Man of Daniel Jesus was the suffering Servant for the sin of the many. So, Philip communicated the gospel to the eunuch. Along the road they came to some water and Philip baptized him