Frontpage, October 27, 2019

October 27, 2019 – Pentecost 20

From top to bottom left to right: A Mighty Fortress sung after the service in honor of the beginning of the Reformation this week, Catherine filling the font, an illustration of the sermon “I am already being poured out as a libation” from 2nd Timothy, Cookie’s leaves, the flowers for the altar,river with advancing color as the weather changed, sun shining through the leaves

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The Week Ahead…

Oct. 30- 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study

Oct. 31 – Anniversary of the Reformation

Nov. 1  – All Saints Day

Nov. 2 – All Souls Day

Nov. 2 – Philharmonia in concert

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Nov. 3 – 10:00am – Christian Ed – review of the Eucharistic Liturgy

Nov. 3 – 11:00am – All Saints Sunday- Holy Eucharist

Nov. 3 – 12:00pm – First Sunday Potluck Luncheon

Sunday, Nov. 3, All Saints Readings and Servers

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Our November newsletter is here.

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PhilHarmonia is a 28-voice community choir that sings classical and contemporary choral music from Philadelphia. Founded in 2013, and now in its sixth season, PhilHarmonia continues to delight audiences with its commitment to musical excellence, and its diverse range of choral programs.

They will be here Sat. Nov. 2, 2019, 7pm to share their music. There will be a reception preceding the concert.

PhilHarmonia is pleased to open its 7th Season with “Music, She Wrote” – a concert celebrating works by women composers through the ages. From Italian Renaissance madrigalist, Madalena Casulana, the first woman in western music history to have her works published to composers today such as Estonian composer Evelin Seppar, Australian-American composer Melissa Dunphy, and American composer Mari Esabel Valverde, PhilHarmonia will perform an eclectic tribute to music by women. We also mark the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Clara Schumann, herself a remarkable composer and extraordinary musician, with her only extant choral set, Drei Gemischte Chöre, Op. 19.

Composers include: Madalena Casulana, Rafaella Aleotti, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Clara Schumann, Amy Cheney Beach, Evelin Seppar, Katerina Gimon, Melissa Dunphy, Mari Esabel Valverde.

Website

Music Samples

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Fall Leaves, late October

Link

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Christian Ed, Nov., 2019

The Rev. Deacon Carey Connors will be continuing the conversation on Mission on Sunday, November 10th, and Sunday, November 17th. On Sunday, November 3, and Sunday, November 24th, Catherine will be continuing a short review of the Eucharistic liturgy. All are welcome.

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The Reformation began Oct. 31, 1517

Reformation Day is a religious holiday celebrated on October 31, alongside All Hallows’ Eve, in remembrance of the Reformation, particularly by Lutheran and some Reformed church communities. It is a civic holiday in some German states.

It celebrates Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 theses on the church door at Wittenberg in Germany on Oct. 31, 1517. The event is seen as sparking the Protestant Reformation.

There are some questions of fact. The event was not publicized until 1546 by Philipp Melanchthon and no contemporaneous evidence exists for Luther’s posting of the theses. At the time, it was common for scholars to post their debate points on the door where people could read them. Copies of Luther’s theses and his fiery follow-up sermons were mass produced on a relatively new invention the printing press.

Luther’s movement began as a criticism of Catholic practices, not to split off from the Catholic church. Sinners could buy God’s forgiveness by purchasing an indulgence. Luther preferred justification by faith.  He also wanted people to read the Bible in their own languages and not just in Latin

The Reformation led to the split from one Catholic church to Protestant ones. There are now nearly 45,000 Protestant denominations around the world, including mainline Protestants, Anglicans, Evangelicals, Pentecostals and more.

It has been seen as the most significant event in Western Christian history and mirror in which we measure ourselves today.  Many of the differences that promoted the reformation have been solved – indulgences, justification by faith and having the Bible printed in multiple languages. Others such marriage of priests, same sex marriages are still divisive.  Will they be able celebrate communion together ?  That may take another reformation.

Here is an impromptu performance after the 11am service on Oct. 27, 2019 of part of Luther’s famous hymn. He wrote the words and composed the melody sometime between 1527 and 1529:

Links

1. PBS (video and transcript)

2. How Martin Luther Changed the World

3. Reformation Day

4. Transcript from Christianity: First 3000 years

5. The English Reformation extended from this event which created the Church of England, the ancestor of the Episcopal Church. Henry VIII was made Supreme Head of the Church by an Act of Parliament in 1534. The country was still Catholic but the pope’s power had been ended. By the time of his death in 1547, the Lord’s Prayer was said in English in the English Bible (written in English) and the monasteries have been dissolved. The first prayer book was in 1549 in the time of Henry’s successor Edward.  Read More

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The End of October, Early Nov. – a summary

Halloween originated in Celtic cultures the day before Samhain, the beginning of the Celtic winter. It focused on death blending in the supernatural. The Catholic Church incorporated non-Christian traditions into its holidays to bring people to the church. It scheduled All Saints (Nov 1 ) and All Souls (Nov. 2) after Halloween. All Soul’s focused on those who had died without the supernatural. All Saints celebrated all who believed and were baptized The word saint originally meant “holy”. Later it became a feast day commemorating all martyrs.

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All Saints Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019

 “Saints are those who by their life and work make it clear and plain that God lives.”––Nathan Söderblom

In our Baptismal Covenant we, along with traditional Christians around the globe, profess in the ancient Baptismal Creed the words: “I believe in… the communion of saints, … the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.” (Book of Common Prayer, page 304)

From its very beginning, the Church understood the Body of Christ to encompass all baptized persons, both the living and the dead. Christ’s kingdom transcends time and space; and not even death can sever the relationship that the faithful have in Christ.

All are united in a mystical communion with Christ by virtue of baptism (1 Corinthians 6:11). The term saint was used by Paul to designate all baptized Christians (Romans 1:7; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1), even the unruly ones (1 Corinthians 1:2)!

In the New Testament, all those who believe and were baptized were referred to as saints. The word saint originally meant “holy”.

On All Saints Day, we make celebrate this idea in the here and now by recognizing and celebrating our relationship, not only with those around us today, but also with all those who have gone before us in all times and place. They are connected in one communion.

All Saints is also a time for welcoming new members. Traditionally baptisms are held in the Episcopal Church at the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord,  Easter, Pentecost,  All Saints and when the Bishop visits.

It wasn’t until round about the third century that the church began using the word saint to refer to those who had been martyred for the faith. The early Church especially honored martyrs, those who had died for their faith. Praying for the dead is actually borrowed from Judaism, as recorded in 2 Maccabees 12:41-45 of the Apocrypha.

Local churches kept a record of their own martyrs and each year celebrated their “birthdays,” the dates of death when they were “born” into eternal life.

By the fourth century many parts of the Church had set a day of observance for their martyrs, their confessors (those who had been punished for their faith but did not die), and their virgins, all of those known by name and unknown.

The celebration of All Saints’ Day on November 1 began as a feast day commemorating all martyrs, confessors and virgin, including those whose names were not known. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV officially established All Saints’ Day in order to honor all the saints at one time.

…read more…

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“The Saints Song”

Here’s a fun romp through history, with a little inspiration from Gilbert & Sullivan.

How many of these saints are you familiar with?

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All Saints (Nov 1.) and All Souls (Nov 2)

All Souls began with the emphasis on remembering those who had died, broader than just the martyrs. In addition it was cast wide into Catholic theology. In that tradition , the church commemorated all of those who have died and now are in Purgatory, being cleansed of their venial (forgiven) sins and the temporal punishments for the mortal sins that they had confessed and atoning before entering fully into Heaven.

 Read more about the connection

All Souls (Nov. 2) and Halloween (Oct. 31)

Halloween originated in Celtic cultures and  spread to Christian.

The word Halloween is a contracted form for All Hallows’ (holy persons or saints) Evening- the day before All Saints.

Halloween has been on Oct 31 because of the Celtic traditions.   Halloween also not only focused on death but on the  concept of death blending in the supernatural.    The Church scheduled All Saints and All Souls after Halloween.   The emphasis on All Soul’s  focused on those who had died only and did not dwell on stories surrounding death.

More about Halloween

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All Saints Sunday – A Time of Baptism

• McKenna Long – Jan. 2, 2011
• Alexander Long VI – Nov. 4, 2012
• Owen Long – Aug. 4, 2013

Baptism of Scarlett Joy Long is on Nov. 1, 2015.  Congratulations! Baptism is one of the sacraments of the Episcopal Church and is one of the times of the year appointed for baptism.

Here are the 3 Whys of Baptism

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Lectionary, Nov. 3 2019 – All Saints Sunday

I.Theme –  Celebrating the People of God 

 "Peaceable Kingdom" -Beerhorst (2011)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

Old Testament – Daniel 7:1-3,15-18
Psalm – Psalm 149 BCP Page 807
Epistle –Ephesians 1:11-23
Gospel – Luke 6:20-31

All Saint’s Days commemorates not only all the martyrs but all the people of God, living and dead, who form the mystical body of Christ

From Daniel, all that is left is the notion that the events of human history, no matter how disturbing, are irrelevant to God, and to God’s holy ones, who will prevail in the end. 

The saints have come to know God, not by their own efforts, but by the power of God in Christ. Those who have put their lives in Christ’s hands should trust the one whom God has made the head of all things for the church which is his body.  The Psalm emphasizes the praise response we should have. 

The Gospel reminds us that the Christian hope is not in this world or in the things of this world. In fact, it is not even in the apocalyptic reversal of fortunes, as much as that is a part of the Gospel of Luke, and may be a part of the hope of believers. Rather it is in the Father’s mercy toward us, in the Son’s surrender to death, in the powfont-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pter of the Spirit in our lives leading us to act as God’s children that our hope lies.

…Read more about the lectionary…

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