Frontpage, August 19, 2018 – St. Peter's Episcopal

August 19, 2018 Pentecost 13, Proper 15

Clockwise – Altar this Sunday, the peace, wedding anniversary for Cherry and Woody, Dr. John Sellers preaching, rainbow earlier the week

Pictures and text from this Sunday, August 19

The Week Ahead…

August 22 – 3:30pm Funeral Service for Marsha Dobson. Covenant Funeral Home, 4801 Jefferson Davis Highway, Fredericksburg.

August 26 – 9:00am, Holy Eucharist, Rite I. Catherine returns from Sabbatical.

August 26 – 11:00am, Holy Eucharist, Rite II.

Sunday, August 26 Readings and Servers

Lectionary, Pentecost 14, Proper 16 Year B

I. Theme – The Joys and Challenges of Following Jesus

Cerezo Barredo (1999)

The lectionary readings are here or individually:

Old Testament – Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Psalm – Psalm 34:15-22
Epistle –Ephesians 6:10-20
Gospel – John 6:56-69

Today’s readings invite us to consider the joys and challenges of following Jesus. In the first reading, Joshua leads the people of Israel in the choice to follow God. In Ephesians, Paul exhorts Christians to protect themselves with the armor of God. Jesus’ words cause many to turn away from him, but the twelve disciples recognize his teaching as the words of eternal life.

God is present in the community of believers, not in the mountains or the valleys or heaven or earth—God is present among us. We trust in God working in us and among us. We know that God is faithful even in times of doubt and trial. And we know that the way of God is the way to God—the way to eternal life is The Way. It is about how we live our lives for Christ and for others, not for our own gain, for when we seek our own gain, we lose. When we seek to save our lives, to find eternal life, we lose it, but when we seek to live for others, we find our own lives. We cannot be focused on our own mortality if we wish to follow Jesus. For the way of Jesus is the way to the cross, to die to live, to put to death the things that tie us to an earthly life—sin—and to live in Christ’s love.

The hard sayings Jesus gave to his disciples are still hard. That our true life depends on spiritual certainties rather than earthly realities requires a tremendous leap of faith. Even if we, like Peter, give Christ our allegiance, wholehearted trust is more difficult to attain. The universe is full of gods to choose from—they range from pseudo-Messiahs to devils. In between are the enticements of hedonistic pleasures and worldly crowns. Like the tribes in Joshua, we can choose from a dazzling array. Can we say, as they did, “As for me and my household, we will serve the lord”?

The mystical union of Christ with his Church is not an evident fact within Christendom. The Body of Christ is rent with divisions like those of an incompatible marriage. We have marred the model marriage of Christ with his Church by not really understanding the hard sayings that he has given us. The marriage covenant with Christ means to forsake all others and have no other gods.

We are drawn to God by love—just as human love draws us toward a particular person and inspires the desire for a permanent commitment. Mutual choice makes a covenant. The earthly things we know point to heavenly realities. A strong marriage is one in which union transcends the separate existence of husband and wife. The desire of each to give all to the other means that both receive from each other.

God has pledged love and blessings to us forever. God has told us this most explicitly through Christ. How poignant is Jesus’ question to his disciples: “Do you also wish to go away?” May we answer him with Peter’s firm conviction: “lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Aug 24 – The Feast Day of St. Bartholomew

St. Bartholomew

Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathaniel and was a doctor. In Mark 3:18 he is one of the twelve Jesus calls to be with him. He was introduced to us as a friend of Philip, another of the twelve apostles as per (John 1:43-51), where the name Nathaniel first appears.

He was characterized by Jesus on the first meeing as a man "in whom there was no guile.” He is also mentioned as “Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee” in (John 21:2). His day is remembered on August 24. After the Resurrection he was favored by becoming one of the few apostles who witnessed the appearance of the risen Savior on the sea of Galilee (John 21:2).

From Eusebius history, Bartholomew went on a missionary tour to India, where he left behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. Other traditions record him as serving as a missionary in Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Parthia, and Lycaonia.

Along with his fellow apostle Jude, Bartholomew is reputed to have brought Christianity to Armenia in the 1st century. Thus both saints are considered the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He is said to have been martyred in in Armenia. According to one account, he was beheaded, but a more popular tradition holds that he was flayed alive and crucified, head downward. He is said to have converted Polymius, the king of Armenia, to Christianity. His brother consequently ordered Bartholomew’s execution. The 13th century Saint Bartholomew Monastery was a prominent Armenian monastery constructed at the site of the martyrdom of Apostle Bartholomew in what is today southeastern turkey

In and Around the Web…

Ten articles you may (may not) find interesting…

1. A small N.C. church reaches out in big ways

They are bigger than us – 70 members but not that much bigger. The major difference is their town is bigger:

"On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the parish hall bustles with up to a dozen children and a handful of adult church volunteers, who help them with their homework in math and English.
"Soon, the church will plow a 10,000-square-foot plot of land in the rear of the sanctuary to prepare the soil for next spring’s planting season.
"Now, Advent is beginning, and the church will adopt several needy families and shower them with gifts on Christmas.
‘North of town, a retired telephone marketer and church member has been baking cakes for every foster child in the county for the past 10 years."

2. Woman reads to dogs, returning the love

"There are small ways to make a difference and this lady from the North Shore in Pittsburgh is the perfect example… The dogs won’t understand what she’s reading, but hearing a calm human voice has proven to comfort shelter animals before. This is a nice reminder that there are other ways besides adoption to support animals who have forgotten what it means to be loved. "

There is a related article here about children reading to cats.

3. Black churches bucking the trend of decline

This article takes place close to us in Alexandria. "At Alfred Street Baptist Church, the pews start to fill more than half an hour before the service begins. So many people attend, church leaders are now asking people to limit their attendance to one service…There are numerous reasons why some black churches retain their members, but, most prominently, the church has played a historic role in black life that has fostered a continuing strong black Protestant identity. Members and visitors at Alfred Street say the church’s holistic ministry — the preaching, the singing and the community outreach — are what draw them in and keep them there."

4. This May Be Our Last Communion

There have been tragic attacks on American churches but I don’t know any American Christians who go to church consciously thinking, “I may die today, but I am going to church; I don’t know what will happen, but Jesus is with me.” This is the case in Nigeria. Read about their struggles with the by jihadist terrorist group Boko Haram.

5. Four Decades of the Refugee Crisis in 3 minutes

From the Washington Post – "What does it sound like if you turn four decades of global refugee movement into a three-minute music video? Brian Foo, who calls himself a ‘data-driven DJ,’ recently answered this question: quiet at first, but loud and alarming at the end. The New York City-based researcher used refugee data from the United Nations from 1975 to 2012 to create the audio visualization."

6. Party Of 1: We Are Eating A Lot Of Meals Alone

An NPR article. "But a lot of us are lone wolves these days when it comes to dining. New research finds 46 percent of adult eating occasions — that’s meals and snacks — are undertaken alone."

"One of the drivers of solo-eating is the shift towards more single-person households. According to Census Bureau data, the proportion of one-person American households increased from 17 percent in 1970 to 27 percent in 2012."

"But it’s a problem when it comes to the elderly living alone or in assisted living. They’re vulnerable to malnutrition for lots of reasons. They’re too frail to open food packages or screw off tops, they’re alone or depressed, they’ve lost their appetites, or they’re not motivated to cook a meal for one."

Some choose to eat alone but others are alone. Can the church do anything about this to ensure people have the right nutrition?

7. Church Doors into the Community

What do the placement of doors say about us ?

All Saints’, Kingston in England has stood in the center of the town for centuries. To show how old it is two Saxon kings were crowned there!

"Historically, one main door, the west one, leads down to the River Thames, the principal means of transport; and the other, the south door, to the ancient Kingston market place where all the business was transacted. As Kingston has developed in the last century and this one, the Church has been surrounded by a vast commercial shopping centre, and the town now has a major, secular university, as well as a substantial night club scene. Much of this, especially the commercial shopping centre, is on the north side of the Church. In recent years All Saints’ has undergone some major renovation work including opening up the north door, and thus direct access to the many activities of the town taking place on that side of the Church and the vast number of people who walk by on a regular basis. For me this has been both a symbolic and practical sign of the Church’s engagement with the community and context in which it is set."

"All Saints’ has many casual visitors and, since 2003, has offered a ‘Listening’ service in which anyone can share whatever is concerning or troubling them. It is a fine example of pastoral care in action.

How do we better open our doors to Port Royal and engage the residents ?

8. Remembering the remarkable life of Brother Roger, Taizé community

10 years ago the founder of this community was murdered in a service. Brother Roger founded the community of brothers known as Taizé in France that gradually grew into the monastic, ecumenical community that it is today consisting of over a hundred brothers from around the world. How did they respond? "In a world that is hyper-militarized, the brothers modeled a different response – one of trust, prayerfulness and compassion in a desperately wounded world. Taizé continues to organize what is called a “Pilgrimage of Trust” in different cities around the world each year where thousands of pilgrims are welcomed into people’s homes and churches." Taize music is sung in churches throughout the year, including St. Peter’s.

9. Jesus said "I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11).Here is how to learn to become a real shepherd

From Spain. "From 1982 to 2009, the number of sheep farms in Catalonia almost halved, from 3,964 to 2,085, according to the most recent census." Shepherds are getting old. Here is an innovative approach to restocking the supply of shepherds. NY Times focuses on one of four schools in Spain that are organized to do just that.

10. Who are we as Episcopalians ?

This week there have been at least two efforts to define Episcopalians and dispel misonceptions. Here is one from Laurie Brock, rector of St. Michael the Archangel Episcopal Church in Lexington, Kentucky. In response Father Kevin Morris, Rector of The Church of The Ascension in Rockville Centre, NY. wrote this alternative list spotlighting clergy’s role in the misperceptions

Somewhat, in jest, here are the late Robin Williams "Top 10 reasons to be an Episcopalian" (he was Episcopalian) :

10. No snake handling.
9. You can believe in dinosaurs.
8. Male and female God created them; male and female we ordain them.
7. You don’t have to check your brains at the door.
6. Pew aerobics.
5. Church year is color-coded.
4. Free wine on Sunday.
3. All of the pageantry – none of the guilt. (At one time he said Episcopalianism was "Catholic light: half the religion, half the guilt."
2. You don’t have to know how to swim to get baptized.

And the Number One reason to be an Episcopalian:

1. No matter what you believe, there’s bound to be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you.

18	William Porcher DuBose, Priest, 1918; also [Artemisia Bowden, Educator, 1969]
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20	Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, 1153
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23	[Martin de Porres, 1639 and Rosa de Lima, 1617, Witnesses to the Faith in South America]
24	Saint Bartholomew the Apostle
25	Louis, King of France, 1270
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