We are a small Episcopal Church in the village of Port Royal, Va., united in our love for God, for one another and our neighbor.
St. Peter’s Wild Flowers
Can you identify them ? Click here
From a series of pictures on Sun, May 2 when the sun was warming up and wild flowers were noticeable almost everywhere you stepped. They lay out before you.
May 9, 2021 – Easter 6, Rogation Sunday and Mother’s Day
May 9 – 11:00am, Holy Eucharist,
In person in the church or on Zoom. – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
May 9 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:45am for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID: 878 7167 9302 Passcode: 729195
May 10 – 6:30am – Be Still Meditation group in a 20 minute time of prayer Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929
May 12 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom
May 12 – 5pm-6:30pm – Village Dinner. Baked fish, cabbage, yellow rice, sliced tomato and a surprise dessert. Call Susan Linne von Berg to make a reservation.
May 13 – Ascension
May 13 – Vestry, 4pm
May 16 – 11:00am, Sixth Sunday in Easter, Holy Eucharist
May 16 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30am for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475
Connecting the dots – Mother’s Day, Rogation and the Gospel this week
By Ruth Fray. Ruth is Director, Community Program and Public Life, Faith Formation & Education at Trinity Church Wall Street.
“The Gospel this week seems to be made for Mother’s Day: it is all about love. Jesus embodies love and teaches love. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
“When we imagine a mother’s love, we often think of it as unconditional, steadfast, and unwavering. Of course, we know that isn’t always the case. But when we try to envision a human way of loving that gives us a glimpse of what Jesus is calling us to, a mother’s love is a good place to start.
“The origins of Mother’s Day also resonate with the Gospel and our world today. Before the Civil War, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis, a faithful Christian in West Virginia, organized Mothers’ Day Work Clubs that sought to improve sanitary conditions. They raised money for medicine and helped families with mothers suffering from tuberculosis, among other supports.
“During the war, Ann Jarvis made sure the Mothers’ Day Work Clubs provided relief to both Union and Confederate soldiers. After the war, with tensions still high between those who fought on opposite sides, she “organized a Mothers’ Friendship Day…to bring together soldiers and neighbors of all political beliefs.” It was a great success despite the fear of violence.
“As we sort through the loss and pain from the pandemic amidst intense political and social division in our country, I often wonder, “What do we do now?”
Ruth’s question, “What do we do now ?” is to celebrate what has remained true, a source of inspiration and devotion. That is creation and in particular, the Land. God created the earth out a void without form and is the foundation of our life.
On this Rogation Sunday, we 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.
And like the Pandemic there were disasters. 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. Rogation takes place in the springtime, when there is a renewing of the earth. It takes place after the resurrection which also emphasizes renewal.
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 neighbors with the reconciling of differences, and of charitable giving to the poor. The tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ has been preserved in some communities.
A Mother’s Day Poem – “To the Moms Who Are”
On Mother’s day we celebrate all mothers. The Bible is full of great mothers – Sarah: the mother who waited in the Old Testament to the New Testament, Elizabeth: the mother who believed in miracles and Mary: the mother who is blessed among Women.
This poem will be a part of our services today in honor of our mothers.
“To the Moms who are struggling, to those filled with incandescent joy.
“To the Moms who are remembering children who have died, and pregnancies that miscarried.
“To the Moms who decided other parents were the best choice for their babies, to the Moms who adopted those kids and loved them fierce.
“To those experiencing frustration or desperation in infertility.
“To those who knew they never wanted kids, and the ways they have contributed to our shared world.
“To those who mothered colleagues, mentees, neighborhood kids, and anyone who needed it.
“To those remembering Moms no longer with us.
“To those moving forward from Moms who did not show love, or hurt those they should have cared for.
“Today is a day to honor the unyielding love and care for others we call ‘Motherhood,’ wherever we have found it and in whatever ways we have found to cultivate it within ourselves.”
– Hannah Kardon, Pastor at Elston Avenue United Methodist Church
Projects in May
3 projects for you to support – one local in the Caroline County, one in the Episcopal Church and finally one which is international but which ties back to local roots. Most end in May thought one on Jamaica extends through much of June. Support one or more or all!
1. Help the Caroline Detention Facility – May 2 – May 23
Chaplain Shoars has asked for donations of notebook paper, Forever stamps and envelopes for his people, who would like to be in touch with their families. Please bring your donations to church and place them in the box in the back pew. The collection will end on Sunday, May 23rd
2. UTO Ingathering – May 16 – May 30. More on the UTO
Boxes will be handed out on May 16 and collected on May 30. Write a check to “St. Peter’s- UTO” to help with the work of this vital ministry.
3. Jamaica Project – May 2 – June 20
This project will provide needed school supplies to the 330 children of the Victoria School, Andrea’s elementary school in Jamaica. As Andrea has said, “Being able to make a positive difference for an institution that has made a positive difference in your life is deeply rewarding and meaningful.” The supplies will be shipped to Jamaica at the end of June in order to arrive before the school year begins.
Several ways you can help.
1 Pray for the success of this project.
2 Contribute money for this project by writing a check to St Peter’s, with Jamaica Project in the memo line. Address – St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, P. O. Box 399
Port Royal, Virginia 22535
3 Contribute money for this project through PayPal
4 Donate some of the needed items by checking out this Amazon website,
https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/3C20YX029SXN4/guest-view
It contains a complete list of supplies needed for the school children.
You can order directly from this list, have the items you have chosen shipped to you, and then just bring your donation to church or give it directly to Andrea.
You ship the items directly to 602 Main St, Box 385, Port Royal, VA 22535, which will get your donation to Andrea’s Post Office Box.
The deadline for your donation is June 20, 2021.
Lectionary, May 9, Easter 6
I.Theme – The Role of an Apostle
"The Word of Life mural" – Millard Sheets (1964)
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
First Reading – Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Psalm – Psalm 1
Epistle –1 John 5:9-13
Gospel – John 17:6-19
Today’s readings examine the role of an apostle of Jesus Christ. In Acts, the eleven remaining apostles welcome Matthias as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection. The author of 1 John asserts that those who acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God will abide in God and God in them. In today’s gospel, Jesus prays for his followers’ sanctification in the truth of God’s word.
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 This passage recounts the choosing of another apostle to replace Judas. The early Church sought confirmation in the Old Testament for what Christians experienced, hence the application of the generalized descriptions in Psalm 69:25 and 109:8 to the specific case of Judas.
The choosing of 12 disciples as a special group seems to have been a sign of the coming age and of the new Israel. They are a distinct group whose numbers need to be restored after Judas’s defection.
In today’s passage, the company of believers picks out two candidates who fulfill the criteria and then they cast lots—an Old Testament custom to allow the operation of God’s will (see Proverbs 16:33). Matthias will share in ministry as the servant of the community and in apostleship as the missionary envoy of Christ.
Psalm 1 This psalm, with its call to a righteous life based on knowledge of the “law of the LORD,” the Torah, serves as a fitting introduction to all the psalms. It springs from the wisdom tradition, which emphasized how to live in both material and spiritual prosperity.
The righteous are those who have not taken the advice of the wicked, nor imitated their way of life, nor joined in their rejection of the law. They “meditate” (v. 2) upon it, literally, read it aloud in a low voice. The LORD is in intimate and personal relationship with the righteous.
1 John 5:9-13 Today’s reading includes the end of the discussion on the witness to the Son of God, a statement of the point of the epistle and its purpose and the first part of an appendix. The testimony of God was manifested in two ways: first, through God’s saving action in Jesus; second, through the result of that action—eternal life for the believer.
Verse 12 encapsulates the call to decision, toward which the whole letter has been leading. Verse 13 summarizes the epistle in a way similar to John 20:31. The appendix speaks of prayer “according to his will” (v. 14) as John does of prayer “in his name” (John 14:13-14 and 16:23-24).
John 17:6-19 Chapter 17 is known as the “prayer of consecration” or “high priestly prayer” of Jesus. He offers himself to the Father and speaks as high priest in offering intercession for others. Jesus’ ministry on earth is completed. He has revealed God to the disciples.
For John, this prayer is the expression of Jesus’ union and communion with the Father, spoken aloud before the disciples so that they may share that union. It is revelation as well as intercession.
Jesus prays for himself (17:1), for the disciples (17:9) and for future believers (17:20). He prays that the disciples may be kept safe from the world by the power of the name God has given him.
In John, the “world” (Greek, kosmos), means the universe under human direction, or more particularly human society. The world is not evil in itself. God wills to save it through Jesus.
The world is, however, oriented toward and dominated by evil, so that it comes to stand for those who reject Jesus. The disciples, and all Christians, “do not belong to the world” (v. 14). They do not have the world as their point of origin. They belong to God for they have been born anew.
The disciples—and all Christians—are consecrated, set apart, as Jesus was by his incarnation. This is not merely for self-purification but for mission into the world. The mission of the disciples, continuing the presence of Jesus, brings the world to judgment.
“Thy Kingdom Come” is celebrating its 5 year anniversary in 2021. 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.
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 ? Check the rest of the article
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 …
Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule May, 2021 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (May, 2021) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (May 9, 2021 11:00am), and Sermon (May 9, 2021) 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Easter 3, Sunday, April 18 Readings and Prayers, Easter 4, Sunday, April 25 |
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 9, 2021 – May 16, 2021
|
9
|
Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople, 389 |
|
10
|
Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, Prophetic Witness, 1760 |
|
11
|
[Johann Arndt & Jacob Boehme], Mystics, 1621 & 1624 |
|
12
|
|
|
13
|
[Frances Perkins], Public Servant and Prophetic Witness, 1965 |
|
14
|
|
|
15
15 |
[Pachomius of Tabenissi], Monastic, 348 Junia and Andronicus |
|
16
|
Martyrs of Sudan & South Sudan |