October 11, 2020 – Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Week Ahead…
October 11 – Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
October 11 – 10:00am, Morning Prayer on the River
October 11 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online
October 11 – 7:00pm – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475
October 14 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom
October 18 – Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
October 18 – 10:00am, Holy Eucharist on the River
October 18 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online
October 18 – 7:00pm, Evening Prayer – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7:00pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475
Returning the Stewardship Card, Oct. 18
Stewardship is … “Using the gifts that God gives us to do the work God calls us to do.” No gift is too large for God’s work. We give back as we are given by God.
Pledging should be about growing your faith. As your faith grows so should your giving.
Make your pledge for 2021 and return it Sunday, Oct. 18
The Commitment
A better word than pledge card is commitment card. We commit so we can give:>
- Commit to help us reduce hunger in this area, through the Village Harvest Distribution
- Commit to us to bring hope to our community,
- Commit to help us bring comfort to those suffering in sickness or loneliness,
- Commit to help us in Christian education and encourage fellowship.
- Commit so we can make a difference.
What should be our commitment to what God has given us ?
God calls us to share in God’s mission of caring for the world, using all the gifts God has given us. Our gifts includes those of treasure. Over 80% of the funds used to support and plan for ministry in a year come from pledges.
Got Questions ?
Is my stewardship defined only by the money I give to the church?
Why should I pledge ?
How much should I give ?
See our Faq
Why Give to St. Peter’s
- Giving is an act of worship along with prayers, sermons and music. Get your money’s worth of the service and give—it is a blessing to be able to do so. Moreover, give till it feels good!
- Giving allows our ministries to expand. As Scott Gunn writes at Forward Movement, “Jesus was always taking his followers to new places, literally and metaphorically… As followers of Jesus, I think we’re called to go to new places.”
- Giving acknowledges the reality is that all we have was given by God anyway. All that we are is a gift . From Deuteronomy – The Lord “gives you power to get wealth” which includes labor, influence, finances and expertise.
- Giving is part of our responsibilities in the baptismal covenant (look in the Prayer Book, pgs. 304-305). We commit our lives to reconcile ourselves to God and to one another. Lives are transformed with our gifts to change and repair a broken world as we reconcile ourselves to God. As Bishop Curry likes to say -“change the world from the nightmare it often is into the dream that God intends.”
- We freely receive from God so we should freely give back. We mess up in so many ways in our lives but grace is never held back by God so don’t withhold your gifts from God.
Lectionary, October 18, 2020, Pentecost 20, Proper 24, Year A
I.Theme – Grow in trust and generosity as followers of Christ and discover new ways of living our stewardship. God rules over all creation
"The Tribute Money" – Jacek Malczewski (1908)
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Isaiah 45:1-7
Psalm – Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13) Page 725, BCP
Epistle –1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Gospel – Matthew 22:15-22
In the Isaiah reading God directs affairs of Israel’s adversaries. Isaiah 45:1-7 speaks of God’s anointing of Cyrus to help bring the deliverance of Israel out of exile
While the Jews were exiled in Babylon, the Persian emperor Cyrus began defeating neighboring kingdoms and letting the defeated peoples practice their own religions. Isaiah foresaw Cyrus defeating Babylon and liberating the captives there. The Jews would be free to return to Jerusalem. So in this passage, the prophet declares that Cyrus, even though a pagan, is God’s instrument, even God’s "Anointed," that is, "Messiah."
This is the only occurrence in the Old Testament of the term "messiah" referring to someone outside of the covenant community. Of Cyrus it is said that God calls him by name, language applied previously to Abraham and Israel, indicating a close relationship between God and his anointed ‘agent’. God’s sovereignty is, however, absolute: I am the Lord; there is no other
This was a daring thing to say by Isaiah so may have cost the prophet dearly.
Isaiah, while speaking to the Hebrews in exile about to return, gives us a glimpse of the kind of Messiah God would bring in Jesus–someone who would be an unlikely leader but one who would break through the gates and chains that kept the people separated from God–sin, the oppression by the religious elite, prejudice, poverty, racism, and all other barriers to freedom in God–Jesus would break these wide open.
What was going on among the Christians in Thessalonia that led Saint Paul to write? That unfolds slowly in the selections we’ll proclaim over five Sundays. From today’s text, it’s clear that these people worked hard at being Christians, and that Saint Paul thought that praiseworthy. Paul greets them with the assurance that God has chosen them for great works of faith
Thessalonia was a new Christian community less than a year old. Despite this newness the Thessalonians are held up as examples for all across the young church. The word example is one that speaks volumes for the Thessalonians were folk who did not shout about what they had done, but acted out that they had turned from idols and all that that lead to and in that living proclaimed the Good News.
The life and faith of the Thessalonians, in the face of persecution, is a sign that God has chosen them: they are imitators of the Lord and an example to others.
Psalm 96 sings praises to God who is the judge of the world, the judge of all nations, and reminds us that God is the one due our praise and worship, and that the whole earth is judged by God. Psalm 99 similarly sings of God as judge over the peoples, and that God hears the prayers of the prophets and priests who call on God’s name. Both psalms call upon the people to worship God and to remember that God is the one who is the judge of the world.
Matthew 22:15-22 is the story of how Jesus was questioned about paying taxes. He redirects Pharisees thought to God’s sovereignty.
The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus, so they had the Herodians accompany them, members of the ruling family who were Hellenistic Jews–they had taken on the practices and culture of the Greeks and were mainly Jewish in name only, as they were privileged in living off of the wealth of the people and kept in power by Rome.
The question of whether or not it was lawful to pay taxes to the emperor was loaded. The tax in question was an annual tax, administered by Jewish authorities, but levied by Rome. This tax put such a burden on impoverished Jews in Palestine that, at least on one occasion, it provoked rebellion against Rome that ended the way Rome tended to end things – decisively and with much bloodshed.
When Jesus is asked about paying taxes, they are questioning his authority–is the Messiah really going to rise up against Rome, which means rising up against these Herodians, or is this Messiah a coward, going to bow to the pressure of Herod’s family under Rome?
So, if Jesus answers his opponents simply by saying yes, it is lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, then he risks alienating the poor and the oppressed who bore the greatest burden. And if he says, no, it is not lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, he risks facing charges of sedition. Jesus’ answer, therefore, is brilliant, as he allows for the possibility of paying these taxes but makes it clear to any person of faith that he or she must consider what belongs to God.
Jesus, in reminding them that the coin shows the Emperor’s face, saying the famous “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s,” shows that the Messiah is neither an earthly leader going to overthrow the Roman government nor is he a coward bowing to the pressures of the ruling class.
God is concerned about Godly things–which is everything. Since God has given everyone all that they have, everything belongs to God. Caesar may think he is God or may be called a god, but he is not. If one knows the one true God, then one knows that all things come from God. God is interested in how we use our resources, how we live on this earth, how we do what God has called us to do, and is less concerned about whether or not we pay taxes. It is how we use what we have been given to further God’s kingdom and remembering that God has given us everything that is important.
Read more about the Lectionary…
Introduction to Thessalonians
Editor’s note – Passages from 1 Thessalonians will be the Epistle reading until Nov. 16. Here is a short introduction –
Thessalonica was a bustling seaport city at the head of the Thermaic Gulf. It was an important communication and trade center, located at the junction of the great Egnatian Way and the road leading north to the Danube.
It was the largest city in Macedonia and was also the capital of its province. Thessalonica was the largest city of Macedonia. It has been estimated that during Paul’s time its population may have been as high as 200,000. The majority of the inhabitants were Greeks, but there was also a mixture of other ethnic groups, including Jews
In c. 315 BCE Cassander, the son-in-law of Philip of Macedon (who fathered Alexander the Great) gathered and organized the area villages into a new metropolis, Thessalonica. He gave the city its name in honor of his wife, the half-sister of Alexander.
Thessalonica remained in Greek hands until 168 BCE, when the Romans took possession after winning the battle of Pydna
The Roman proconsul, the governor of Macedonia, had his residence in Thessalonica, but because it was a “free city” he did not control its internal affairs. No Roman garrison was stationed there, and in spirit and atmosphere it was a Greek rather than a Roman city. Enjoying local autonomy, the city was apparently governed by a board of magistrates
It is most likely that 1 Thessalonians was written shortly after Paul’s arrival in Corinth, for he would be eager to correspond with the new church as soon as possible. This would be spring of 50 CE. It may have been 51 CE based on an inscription discovered at Delphi, Greece. Thus, 1 Thessalonians is the second canonical book penned by the apostle Paul, written within two years after Galatians.
The background of the Thessalonian church is found in Ac 17:1–9. Since Paul began his ministry there in the Jewish synagogue, it is reasonable to assume that the new church included some Jews. However, 1:9–10; Ac 17:4 seem to indicate that the church was largely Gentile in membership.
Why Paul goes to Thessalonica ?
Paul’s purpose in writing this letter was to encourage the new converts in their trials (3:3–5), to give instruction concerning godly living (4:1–12) and to give assurance concerning the future of believers who die before Christ returns (4:13–18)
On his Second Missionary Journey, Paul had travelled through Asia Minor. Paul wasn’t a "solo missionary," rather he operated with a small team — in this case it consisted of Paul, Silas, and Timothy.[4]
At Troas, Paul has a vision of a Man of Macedonia asking him to come and help them. He takes it as God’s call, travelling to Macedonia and later to Greece (Achaia).
In Philippi he begins a church, but Paul and Silas end up being beaten and thrown in jail. They are released by m e ans of an e arthquake, convert their jailer and his family, but are still asked to leave by the city officials in the morning.
Undeterred, Paul and his band continue south to Thessalonica.
"1 When they had passed through[5] Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom[6] was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with[7] them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining[8] and proving[9] that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,’ he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women." (Acts 17:1-4)
Some of the converts are women of high rank, wives of city officials. However, most of the converts seem to have been Gentiles from the working class, and many of these are saved not from the synagogue, but directly from paganism (1:9). The Jews in Thessalonica are upset that Paul is attracting such a large following and seek to stop him.
"5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace,[10] formed a mob[11] and started a riot[12] in the city. They rushed[13] to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged[14] Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: ‘These men who have caused trouble[15] all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.’" (Acts 17:5-7)
Notice that the Jews don’t attack Paul directly. They find "some bad characters from the marketplace" to do their dirty work for them. In this period, a militant messianic movement (different from Christianity) was spreading among Jewish communities. To stop the violence, in 49 AD Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome — which is why Aquila and Priscilla had recently moved from Rome to Corinth (Acts 18:2).
So when the mob accuses Paul and Silas of having "caused trouble all over the world" and "defying Caesar’s decrees" with regard to a messiah figure, they are connecting Paul and Silas to the recent civil unrest among the Jews in Rome. That’s why the Jews couldn’t bring these charges themselves.[16]
"8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.[17]
9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. 10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea." (Acts 17:8-10a)
Jason is a prominent Jew who has converted to Christ, since elsewhere Paul seems to refer to him as a kinsman (Romans 16:21). The Greek name "Jason" was common among the Hellenistic Jews, who used it for "Jesus" or "Joshua."[18] Jason is apparently forced to put up money and pledge to the city officials that Paul and his band would leave the city and not cause further problems.
But the Thessalonian Jews don’t stop there. They disrupt Paul’s ministry in the next city, too.
"When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating[19] the crowds and stirring them up. The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea." (Acts 17:13-14)
Paul travels to Athens and stays there for a time. Later he goes to the Greek city of Corinth, where he apparently writes the Thessalonian letters
Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule September 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (October, 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (Oct. 11, 2020 10:00am), and Sermon (Oct. 4, 2020) 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 16, Sept. 20 2020 Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 17, Sept. 27, 2020
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, – Oct. 11 – Oct. 18, 2020 October 11, 2020 – Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost Mid-Oct. on the River The Week Ahead… October 11 – Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost October 11 – 10:00am, Zoom Church October 11 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online October 14 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom October 18 – Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost October 18 – 11:00am, Morning Prayer on the River Note change in time October 18 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online October 18 – 7:00pm – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475 Civil Conversations in Uncivil Times. A Free course from ChurchNext through Oct 26. Link Starts October 12th. Takes about an hour. Host – Ray Suarez is a renowned journalist and author as well as a lifelong Episcopalian. He was a senior correspondent for PBS NewsHour for many years and also hosted America Abroad. He currently co-hosts the program and podcast WorldAffairs, which is broadcast on NPR affiliates across the country. In this class, Ray Suarez discusses an approach that does help — one by which we stand for our principles and use our energy to work toward a more just world without tearing each other apart. In lesson one, he talks about how social and political discourse in America descended to its current level. In lesson two, he discusses the scriptural basis for treating one another with civility. In lesson three, he describes methods by which we may avoid villainizing one another and ways to compromise productively on important issues without backing down in the face of injustice or giving in to oppression. In lesson four, students have an opportunity to ask Ray questions. He will answer from time to time over the two weeks the class is offered. In lesson five, Ray talks about about how we can get to the point of living this way. Create a Gratitude Pumpkin and show it off During a pandemic, focusing on what we’re thankful for is so essential. So much has been taken away from us. When we focus on the things we’ve lost–time with family, school, time with friends, sports, playdates–we can easily spiral into unhappiness. Instead, focus on what you are grateful for during the pandemic. What brings peace, pleasure and happiness with what you have now and where you are? It can be a simple as a walk during the fall, a podcast, a video, watering the flowers. What about today was amazing? Make a Gratitude Pumpkin to remember these things. All you need is an uncut pumpkin and a sharpie Every evening when you eat dinner, discuss with those around you what you’re grateful for and write it down. Start at the top of the pumpkin and write, “We are grateful for…” or “We are thankful for…” You will find it might look like this soon: By Oct 26, take a picture of what you have done and email it to Catherine. Also include any thoughts about doing this project, what you learned,etc. We are anxious to see what you come up with. Thanks! Request for Names for All Saints Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 We remember those who have died on All Saints Sunday, Nov. 1 since the last All Saints Sunday. If you have a name you would like to submit, please email Catherine by Mon., October 26. Returning your pledge card, Oct. 18 Stewardship is … “Using the gifts that God gives us to do the work God calls us to do.” No gift is too large for God’s work. We give back as we are given by God. Pledging should be about growing your faith. As your faith grows so should your giving. The Commitment A better word than pledge card is commitment card. We commit so we can give:> What should be our commitment to what God has given us ? God calls us to share in God’s mission of caring for the world, using all the gifts God has given us. Our gifts includes those of treasure. Over 80% of the funds used to support and plan for ministry in a year come from pledges. Got Questions ? Is my stewardship defined only by the money I give to the church? Why should I pledge ? How much should I give ? See our Faq
Why Give to St. Peter’s 1. Forward Movement (Oct. 9 – Nov. 9) 2. National Cathedral – 25 Days of Prayer (Oct. 1 – Oct. 25) Lectionary, October 18, 2020, Pentecost 20, Proper 24, Year A I.Theme – Grow in trust and generosity as followers of Christ and discover new ways of living our stewardship. God rules over all creation "The Tribute Money" – Jacek Malczewski (1908) The lectionary readings are here or individually: Old Testament – Isaiah 45:1-7 In the Isaiah reading God directs affairs of Israel’s adversaries. Isaiah 45:1-7 speaks of God’s anointing of Cyrus to help bring the deliverance of Israel out of exile While the Jews were exiled in Babylon, the Persian emperor Cyrus began defeating neighboring kingdoms and letting the defeated peoples practice their own religions. Isaiah foresaw Cyrus defeating Babylon and liberating the captives there. The Jews would be free to return to Jerusalem. So in this passage, the prophet declares that Cyrus, even though a pagan, is God’s instrument, even God’s "Anointed," that is, "Messiah." This is the only occurrence in the Old Testament of the term "messiah" referring to someone outside of the covenant community. Of Cyrus it is said that God calls him by name, language applied previously to Abraham and Israel, indicating a close relationship between God and his anointed ‘agent’. God’s sovereignty is, however, absolute: I am the Lord; there is no other This was a daring thing to say by Isaiah so may have cost the prophet dearly. Isaiah, while speaking to the Hebrews in exile about to return, gives us a glimpse of the kind of Messiah God would bring in Jesus–someone who would be an unlikely leader but one who would break through the gates and chains that kept the people separated from God–sin, the oppression by the religious elite, prejudice, poverty, racism, and all other barriers to freedom in God–Jesus would break these wide open. What was going on among the Christians in Thessalonia that led Saint Paul to write? That unfolds slowly in the selections we’ll proclaim over five Sundays. From today’s text, it’s clear that these people worked hard at being Christians, and that Saint Paul thought that praiseworthy. Paul greets them with the assurance that God has chosen them for great works of faith Thessalonia was a new Christian community less than a year old. Despite this newness the Thessalonians are held up as examples for all across the young church. The word example is one that speaks volumes for the Thessalonians were folk who did not shout about what they had done, but acted out that they had turned from idols and all that that lead to and in that living proclaimed the Good News. The life and faith of the Thessalonians, in the face of persecution, is a sign that God has chosen them: they are imitators of the Lord and an example to others. Psalm 96 sings praises to God who is the judge of the world, the judge of all nations, and reminds us that God is the one due our praise and worship, and that the whole earth is judged by God. Psalm 99 similarly sings of God as judge over the peoples, and that God hears the prayers of the prophets and priests who call on God’s name. Both psalms call upon the people to worship God and to remember that God is the one who is the judge of the world. Matthew 22:15-22 is the story of how Jesus was questioned about paying taxes. He redirects Pharisees thought to God’s sovereignty. The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus, so they had the Herodians accompany them, members of the ruling family who were Hellenistic Jews–they had taken on the practices and culture of the Greeks and were mainly Jewish in name only, as they were privileged in living off of the wealth of the people and kept in power by Rome. The question of whether or not it was lawful to pay taxes to the emperor was loaded. The tax in question was an annual tax, administered by Jewish authorities, but levied by Rome. This tax put such a burden on impoverished Jews in Palestine that, at least on one occasion, it provoked rebellion against Rome that ended the way Rome tended to end things – decisively and with much bloodshed. When Jesus is asked about paying taxes, they are questioning his authority–is the Messiah really going to rise up against Rome, which means rising up against these Herodians, or is this Messiah a coward, going to bow to the pressure of Herod’s family under Rome? So, if Jesus answers his opponents simply by saying yes, it is lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, then he risks alienating the poor and the oppressed who bore the greatest burden. And if he says, no, it is not lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, he risks facing charges of sedition. Jesus’ answer, therefore, is brilliant, as he allows for the possibility of paying these taxes but makes it clear to any person of faith that he or she must consider what belongs to God. Jesus, in reminding them that the coin shows the Emperor’s face, saying the famous “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s,” shows that the Messiah is neither an earthly leader going to overthrow the Roman government nor is he a coward bowing to the pressures of the ruling class. God is concerned about Godly things–which is everything. Since God has given everyone all that they have, everything belongs to God. Caesar may think he is God or may be called a god, but he is not. If one knows the one true God, then one knows that all things come from God. God is interested in how we use our resources, how we live on this earth, how we do what God has called us to do, and is less concerned about whether or not we pay taxes. It is how we use what we have been given to further God’s kingdom and remembering that God has given us everything that is important. Read more about the Lectionary… Introduction to Thessalonians Editor’s note – Passages from 1 Thessalonians will be the Epistle reading until Nov. 16. Here is a short introduction – Thessalonica was a bustling seaport city at the head of the Thermaic Gulf. It was an important communication and trade center, located at the junction of the great Egnatian Way and the road leading north to the Danube. It was the largest city in Macedonia and was also the capital of its province. Thessalonica was the largest city of Macedonia. It has been estimated that during Paul’s time its population may have been as high as 200,000. The majority of the inhabitants were Greeks, but there was also a mixture of other ethnic groups, including Jews In c. 315 BCE Cassander, the son-in-law of Philip of Macedon (who fathered Alexander the Great) gathered and organized the area villages into a new metropolis, Thessalonica. He gave the city its name in honor of his wife, the half-sister of Alexander. Thessalonica remained in Greek hands until 168 BCE, when the Romans took possession after winning the battle of Pydna The Roman proconsul, the governor of Macedonia, had his residence in Thessalonica, but because it was a “free city” he did not control its internal affairs. No Roman garrison was stationed there, and in spirit and atmosphere it was a Greek rather than a Roman city. Enjoying local autonomy, the city was apparently governed by a board of magistrates It is most likely that 1 Thessalonians was written shortly after Paul’s arrival in Corinth, for he would be eager to correspond with the new church as soon as possible. This would be spring of 50 CE. It may have been 51 CE based on an inscription discovered at Delphi, Greece. Thus, 1 Thessalonians is the second canonical book penned by the apostle Paul, written within two years after Galatians. The background of the Thessalonian church is found in Ac 17:1–9. Since Paul began his ministry there in the Jewish synagogue, it is reasonable to assume that the new church included some Jews. However, 1:9–10; Ac 17:4 seem to indicate that the church was largely Gentile in membership. Why Paul goes to Thessalonica ? Paul’s purpose in writing this letter was to encourage the new converts in their trials (3:3–5), to give instruction concerning godly living (4:1–12) and to give assurance concerning the future of believers who die before Christ returns (4:13–18) On his Second Missionary Journey, Paul had travelled through Asia Minor. Paul wasn’t a "solo missionary," rather he operated with a small team — in this case it consisted of Paul, Silas, and Timothy.[4]
At Troas, Paul has a vision of a Man of Macedonia asking him to come and help them. He takes it as God’s call, travelling to Macedonia and later to Greece (Achaia). In Philippi he begins a church, but Paul and Silas end up being beaten and thrown in jail. They are released by m e ans of an e arthquake, convert their jailer and his family, but are still asked to leave by the city officials in the morning. Undeterred, Paul and his band continue south to Thessalonica. "1 When they had passed through[5] Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom[6] was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with[7] them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining[8] and proving[9] that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,’ he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women." (Acts 17:1-4) Some of the converts are women of high rank, wives of city officials. However, most of the converts seem to have been Gentiles from the working class, and many of these are saved not from the synagogue, but directly from paganism (1:9). The Jews in Thessalonica are upset that Paul is attracting such a large following and seek to stop him. "5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace,[10] formed a mob[11] and started a riot[12] in the city. They rushed[13] to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged[14] Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: ‘These men who have caused trouble[15] all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.’" (Acts 17:5-7) Notice that the Jews don’t attack Paul directly. They find "some bad characters from the marketplace" to do their dirty work for them. In this period, a militant messianic movement (different from Christianity) was spreading among Jewish communities. To stop the violence, in 49 AD Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome — which is why Aquila and Priscilla had recently moved from Rome to Corinth (Acts 18:2). So when the mob accuses Paul and Silas of having "caused trouble all over the world" and "defying Caesar’s decrees" with regard to a messiah figure, they are connecting Paul and Silas to the recent civil unrest among the Jews in Rome. That’s why the Jews couldn’t bring these charges themselves.[16]
"8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.[17]
9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. 10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea." (Acts 17:8-10a) Jason is a prominent Jew who has converted to Christ, since elsewhere Paul seems to refer to him as a kinsman (Romans 16:21). The Greek name "Jason" was common among the Hellenistic Jews, who used it for "Jesus" or "Joshua."[18] Jason is apparently forced to put up money and pledge to the city officials that Paul and his band would leave the city and not cause further problems. But the Thessalonian Jews don’t stop there. They disrupt Paul’s ministry in the next city, too. "When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating[19] the crowds and stirring them up. The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea." (Acts 17:13-14) Paul travels to Athens and stays there for a time. Later he goes to the Greek city of Corinth, where he apparently writes the Thessalonian letters Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule October 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (October, 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (Oct. 18, 2020 11:00am), and Sermon (Oct. 11, 2020) 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 16, Sept. 20 2020 Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 17, Sept. 27, 2020 Block Print by Mike Newman Projects A new “Tree Fund” – to maintain our investment in trees. Read the article and consider a gift. The pavilion being constructed in memory of John R. Sellers, Sr., is almost complete. If you would like to make a donation in John’s memory to help cover the cost, write a check to St Peter’s, and write Pavilion/John Sellers on the memo line. 3-inute 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, – Oct. 11 – Oct. 18, 2020 October 4, 2020 – Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost First week in October The Week Ahead… October 4 – Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost October 4 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for Morning Prayer – service starts at 10am Meeting ID: 836 0623 9537 October 4 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online October 7 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom Meeting ID: 851 2691 5785 Passcode: 718547
October 11 – Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost October 4 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for Morning Prayer – service starts at 10am Meeting ID: 836 0623 9537 October 11 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online St Francis Sunday, Oct. 4 – Showing off our Pets 1. Brad Volland Not everyone has parrots to share! Counterclockwise 2. Cookie Davis This is my grand dog a Chesapeake Retriever named “Goose” who likes to visit my pool. 3. Cherry Everett Sweetie will be 3 years old in January 2021 and is a regular attendee at St. Peters during normal times. She is a working service pup and helps keep Woody healthy. When off-duty, Sweetie is a delightful companion for Cherry. Sweetie seems to be loved by anyone who sees here either off-duty or at work. 4. Catherine Hicks Simba on the left was a stray in the neighborhood found by our daughter Catherine. One of the most intelligent cats we have had, Simba is a long cat who likes to stretch. He also likes green beans and corn. Sasha on the right was a stray who came to us. She loves to watch squirrels and birds from the window but is not permitted to go out. Simba has learned to respect her! Our St. Francis links. We can’t have a pet blessing in 2020 because of COVID. The links has biographical material on St. Francis and pictures of earlier celebrations. ECW Fall Meeting Oct 15, a virtual meeting “Let us make servants of your peace” Please register here by Oct 8th to receive your Zoom Webinar link and to view the program. Pavilion progress Powerpoint on the progress of the Pavilion Season of Creation – Special Articles – Energy this week Season of Creation , Part 5 Energy
Isaiah 40:28-31 1. Power in the Bible. We think of power in the natural world as produced from various energy sources in nature -the sun, wind, coal, water, geothermal, oil, biomass and the atom (nuclear). Power in religious terms is spiritual energy God is unlimited and this spiritual energy is unlimited in contrast to the energy we seek in the physical world which is limited. The difference from the physical world is that we do not consume this spiritual energy; we reflect it. It can be adapted to many needs in this world. A. Power is an inherent characteristic of God ( Rom 1:20 ). It is the result of his nature. God’s kind of power is seen in his creation ( Psalm 19 ; 150:1 ; Jer 10:12 ). His inexplicable power is the only explanation for the virgin birth of Jesus ( Luke 1:35 ). Power is always a derived characteristic for people, who receive power from God ( Deut 8:18 ;Isa 40:29 ; Micah 3:8 ; Matt 22:29 ; 1 Cor 2:4 ; Eph 3:7 ), from political position ( Esther 1:3 ; Luke 20:20 ), from armies ( 1 Chron 20:1 ), and from other structures that provide advantage over others. When humans perceive that their power is intrinsic to themselves, they are self-deceived ( Lev 26:19 ; Deut 8:17-18 ; Hosea 2:7-9 ; John 19:10-11 B. The Bible uses spiritual energy which is transmitted to humans. It begins with God’s generation of light. This illumination is the spontaneous effect of divine Love in action, of Truth manifested. The Bible then goes on to chronicle this energizing force in the lives of individuals and nations, such as Moses energizing his people, leading them out of slavery and introducing them to the laws of God and brought them to the borders of the Promised Land. Later Jesus said, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” n2 His great power to do good was generated by God.When he took Peter and John up onto the mount and was transfigured before them, “His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” n3 The sparkling spiritual energy the disciples saw in him was evident throughout his ministry, feeding thousands and calming seas. He told his disciples that they could move mountains if they had “faith as a grain of mustard seed C Faith in God is a transformer. It transforms thinking. Holding to it and living by it can bring a solution to energy needs by causing us to be more inventive, more aware of resources close at hand, more accurate and disciplined, more universal in our concerns, and thus more equitable. Paul especially images the living of the Christian life as an empowerment from God. The believer’s union with Christ delivers him or her from the power of sin (cf. Rom. 6-8) and introduces him or her to the “power of [Christ’s] resurrection” ( Php 3:10 ). Salvation and holy living provide the Christian with a “spirit of power” for witness ( 2 Tim 1:7-8 ). D. For our use we may find spiritual energy can be generated through prayer. Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change, Part 4 The Waters Focus on water in the Bible 1. Creation – Water is a primal force of creation . The Old Testament create story describes the earth as nothing but darkness but with the Spirit of God “hovering over the waters.” 2. Cleansing -The story of Noah shows God cleansing the earth with a great flood. Water sometimes symbolizes the spiritual cleansing that comes with the acceptance of God’s offer of salvation ( Ezek 36:25 ; Eph 5:26 ; Heb 10:22 ). In fact, in Ephesians 5:26, the “water” that does the cleansing of the bride, the church, is directly tied in with God’s Word, of which it is a symbol. The story of Noah shows God cleansing the earth with a great flood. In John 4:10-15, part of Jesus’ discourse with the Samaritan woman at the well, he speaks metaphorically of his salvation as “living water” and as “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 3. Rebirth – Water is very present in Baptism. Baptism means immersion or bath in Greek. The immersion cleanses the person of sin and provides rebirth into Christian life. In both the Old and New Testaments, the word “water” is used for salvation and eternal life, which God offers humankind through faith in his Son ( Isa 12:3 ; 55:1 ; Rev 21:6 ; Revelation 22:1 Revelation 22:2 Revelation 22:17 ). Nicodemus understood Jesus that one must have two births to enter the Kingdom of God – one’s natural birth in which water plays a major role and the birth by the Spirit to be the supernatural birth of being “born again” or regenerated. 4. Troublesome times – The word “water” is used in a variety of metaphorical ways in Scripture. It is used to symbolize the troublesome times in life that can and do come to human beings, especially God’s children ( Psalm 32:6 ; Psalms 69:1 Psalms 69:2 Psalms 69:14 Psalms 69:15 ; Isa 43:2 ; Lam 3:54 ). In some contexts water stands for enemies who can attack and need to be overcome ( 2 Sam 22:17-18 ; Psalm 18:16-17 ; 124:4-5 ; 144:7 ; Isa 8:7 ; Jer 47:2 ). 5. Water a symbol of the Holy Spirit – In a very important passage, Jesus identifies the “streams of living water” that flow from within those who believe in him with the Holy Spirit ( John 7:37-39 ). The reception of the Holy Spirit is clearly the special reception that was going to come after Jesus had been glorified at the Father’s right hand and happened on the Day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2. Two times in Jeremiah Yahweh is metaphorically identified as “the spring of living water” ( Jer 2:13 ; 17:13 ). In both instances Israel is rebuked for having forsaken the Lord for other cisterns that could in no way satisfy their “thirst.” 5 In other passages of Scripture, the following are said metaphorically to be “water”: God’s help ( Isa 8:6 : “the gently flowing waters of Shiloah” ); God’s judgment ( Isa 28:17 : “water will overflow your hiding place” ); man’s words ( Prov 18:4 : “The words of man’s mouth are deep waters” ); man’s purposes ( Prov 20:5 : “The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters” ); an adulterous woman ( Prov 9:17 : “Stolen water is sweet” ); and a person’s posterity ( Isa 48:1 : “Listen to this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and have come forth out of the line [waters] of Judah” ). The Effect of Climate Change on Water 1. Rising temperatures causes rise of sea levels though warming of water and melting of glaciers. There are two major reasons why sea levels have been rising: When water warms up, its volume increases. This is called thermal expansion. The melting of glaciers and of the polar ice caps adds huge amounts of freshwater to the oceans. Due to warmer temperatures, mountain glaciers all over the world are receding. The dramatic worldwide shrinking of the glaciers is one of the most visible evidences of global warming. Glaciers act as a kind of global fever thermometer. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, lost one third of its ice within 12 years. About 82% of its icecap surveyed in 1912 is now gone. In the Alps, the glaciers lost about 1/3 of their area and half of their volume between 1850 and 1975. Since then much more has melted. Switzerland went so far as to cover one of its most rapidly melting glaciers to slow down the loss. In the United States, the glaciers in “Glacier National Park” are retreating so quickly it has been estimated that they will vanish entirely by the year 2030. Melting glaciers pose multiple dangers: Initially, the increasing amount of meltwater can have a positive effect for hydropower. At the same time, emerging glacial lakes have the potential of sudden drainage that could cause devastating floods. In the long term, severe water shortages can be expected when there will be no or only very little ice left to melt in the summer. The time frame for this to happen varies greatly depending on the geographic location; it may be a matter of just a few years, decades, or, in the case of the Himalayas, several centuries. The rising of sea levels will result in land and habitat loss in many countries. Bangladesh may lose almost 20% of its land area. Hundreds of coastal communities, Small Island states in the Pacific and Indian oceans and the Caribbean would be inundated, forcing their population to relocate. Experts with the United Nations University estimate that rising sea levels and environmental deterioration have already displaced about 50 million people. The greatest cost of rising sea levels will not be measurable. It is the inevitable disruption of communities and cultures that cannot be replicated elsewhere. However, in the more distant future, that is later on this century and beyond, hundreds of millions of people will become displaced if sea levels will rise a few meters. Many important, historical cities around the world like Venice, New Orleans, and Amsterdam will be lost to the ocean. Many of the largest cities in the world will sooner or later share the same fate, including Shanghai, Manhattan, Alexandria, and Dhaka. Some 84 of the world’s 100 fastest-growing cities face “extreme” risks from rising temperatures and extreme weather brought on by climate change. Most worrisome is that the polar ice caps began melting as well. The accelerating speed of their melting even surprised scientists who predicted the thawing. From 1979 to 2005, Arctic sea ice has shrunk roughly 250 million acres an area the size of New York, Georgia, and Texas combined. Between 1953 and 2006, the area covered by sea ice in September shrunk by 7.8 percent per decade, more than three times as fast as the average rate simulated by climate models. It reached its lowest point on record in 2012. The extent of Arctic sea ice in 2019 was tied with 2007 and 2016 as the second lowest on record. The maximum extent, reached in March 2019, was tied with 2007 as the seventh lowest in the 40-year satellite record. This decline is rapidly changing the geopolitics of the Arctic region, opening the Northwest Passage for the first time in recorded history and triggering a scramble among governments to claim large swaths of the potentially resource-rich Arctic sea floor. Many now believe the summer Arctic Ocean could be ice-free by 2030, decades earlier than previously thought possible.” The Greenland ice sheet is also melting. It holds enough water to raise sea levels worldwide by 23 feet. Why are the polar ice caps melting so fast? A major reason is the albedo (reflectivity) effect: Snow and ice are best reflectors of solar radiation. They reflect about 70% of the sun’s radiation (and absorb 30%). Water on the other hand is a poor reflector. It reflects only 6% of the sun’s radiation and absorbs most of the heat (94%). The intense thawing of ice and snow creates more water surfaces. The warming of the water contributes to the regional rise in temperature, which again causes more ice to melt. This ice – albedo feedback is believed to be the major reason why the Arctic is warming so rapidly. [xvi] In addition, the melt water from the surface penetrates into the depths of the ice sheets. The process lubricates the ice sheets and accelerates their movement towards the sea. 2. Water Scarcity has increased from both rise of demand and reduced availability from glaciers. The amount of freshwater is finite while demand is increasing. One billion people around the world don’t have access to clean, safe water. In developing nations, waterborne illnesses like cholera, typhoid and malaria kill 5 million people each year — 6,000 children every day. And global warming is exacerbating this crisis as severe, prolonged droughts dry up water supplies in arid regions and heavy rains cause sewage overflows. People who fall ill from waterborne diseases can’t work. Women and girls who travel hours, sometimes more than seven hours a day, to fetch clean water for their families can’t go to school or hold on to a job. Without proper sanitation, human waste pollutes waterways and wildlife habitat. Global warming and population pressures are drying up water supplies and instigating conflict over scarce resources. Water links and maintains all ecosystems on the planet. From sciencing.com: “The main function of water is to propel plant growth; provide a permanent dwelling for species that live within it, or provide a temporary home or breeding ground for multiple amphibians, insects and other water-birthed organisms; and to provide the nutrients and minerals necessary to sustain physical life.” It has its own cycle like carbon or phosphorus. From sciencing.com: “Within humans, water helps to transport oxygen, minerals, nutrients and waste products to and from the cells. The digestive system needs water to function properly, and water lubricates the mucous layers in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.” The most serious threat to water supply is the disappearance of glaciers which provide much needed melt water during the summer. More than one-sixth of the world’s population will be affected. Most of the planet’s water is unavailable for human use. While more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is freshwater. Out of that freshwater, almost 70 percent is permanently frozen in the ice caps covering Antarctica and Greenland. Only about 1 percent of the freshwater on Earth is available for people to use for drinking, bathing, and irrigating crops.” In many parts of the world, lakes are shrinking or disappearing and rivers are running dry. Lake Chad, for example, has shrunk by 95% since about 1960. This had disastrous consequences for the local population. The main causes are the diversion of water for irrigation and less rainfall because of climate change. Many large rivers like the Yellow River, the Colorado River or the Nile don’t reach the ocean anymore. The Himalayan region is predicted to be one of the areas hardest hit by climate change. In addition to the loss of water and hydroelectricity supply following glacial shrinkage, the Himalayas are expected to experience sudden and catastrophic flooding resulting from glacial lakes overwhelming their gravel moraine dams; decreased crop production resulting from erratic weather conditions; and the loss of numerous high altitude species unable to adapt to warmer conditions. 3. Water scarcity affects food supplies We each drink on average nearly about 1 gallon of water per day in one form or another, while the water required to produce our daily food totals at least 528 gallons—500 times as much. This helps explain why 70 percent of all water use is for one purpose—irrigation.” Aquifers are over-pumped in many countries. There are two types of aquifers: replenishable and nonreplenishable (or fossil) aquifers. Those in India and the shallow aquifer under the North China Plain are replenishable. When these are depleted, the maximum rate of pumping is automatically reduced to the rate of recharge. For fossil aquifers, such as the vast U.S. Ogallala aquifer, the deep aquifer under the North China Plain, or the Saudi aquifer, depletion brings pumping to an end. Farmers who lose their irrigation water have the option of returning to lower-yield dry land farming if rainfall permits. In more arid regions, however, such as in the southwestern United States or the Middle East, the loss of irrigation water means the end of agriculture. The U.S. embassy in Beijing reports that wheat farmers in some areas are now pumping from a depth of 300 meters (nearly 1,000 feet). Pumping water from this far down raises pumping costs so high that farmers are often forced to abandon irrigation and return to less productive dry land farming. Changes in precipitation patterns are observed in many parts of the world. The timing and amount of rain are very important for crops. Farmers need to adapt and learn how to do things differently, for example plant different seeds, or different crops, or plant them at a different time of the year. Preserving Water- 6 things You Can Do 1 Installing an ENERGY STAR-certified washer, 2 Using low-flow faucets 3 Plugging up leaks, 4 Irrigating the lawn in the morning or evening when the cooler air causes less evaporation, 5 Taking shorter showers and not running sink water when brushing your teeth. 6 Consider using non-toxic cleaning products and eco-friendly pesticides and herbicides that won’t contaminate groundwater. Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change, Part 3 The Forests Last week we tended to look down on earth from high dealing with rising temperatures, the effect on glaciers and water scarcity. This week we look at ground level to consider deforestation and next week the effect on the seas Deforestation Forests play a vital role in maintaining the balance of the Earth’s ecosystems. They provide habitat for more than half of all terrestrial species, help filter pollutants out of the air and water, and prevent soil erosion. Rainforests also provide essential hydrological (water-related) services. For example, they tend to result in higher dry season streamflow and river levels, since forests slow down the rate of water or rain run-off, and help it enter into the aquifer. Without a tree cover, the water tends to run off quickly into the streams and rivers, often taking a lot of topsoil with it. Forests also help the regional climate as they cycle water to the interior of a continent. The shrinking of the Amazon Rainforest reduces regional rainfall, which in turn threatens the health of the remaining forest and of the agricultural land in Southern Brazil. This also results in an increased fire risk. Forests and their soils also play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. The level of CO2 in the atmosphere depends on the distribution or exchange of carbon between different “carbon pools” as part of the carbon cycle. Forests and their soils are major carbon pools, as are oceans, agricultural soils, other vegetation, and wood products: the carbon stored in the woody part of trees and shrubs (known as “biomass”) and soils is about 50% more than that stored in the atmosphere. Trees continuously exchange CO2 with the atmosphere. The release of CO2 into the air is due both to natural processes (respiration of trees at night and the decomposition of organic matter) and human processes (removal or destruction of trees). Similarly, CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by the action of photosynthesis, which results in carbon being integrated into the organic molecules used by plants, including the woody biomass of trees. Thus forests play a major role in regulating global temperatures by absorbing heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and storing it in the form of wood and vegetation – a process referred to as “carbon sequestration”. Unfortunately, the global benefits provided by trees are being threatened by deforestation and forest degradation. ‘Deforestation’ as a shorthand for tree loss. Forest ‘degradation’ happens when the forest gets degraded, for example due to unsustainable logging practices which remove the most valuable species, or artesanal charcoal production in which only a few trees are harvested. The Earth loses more than 18 million acres of forestland every year—an area larger than Ireland—according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Deforestation is a major cause of global warming. When trees are burned, their stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere. As a result, tropical deforestation (including forest degradation) is responsible for about 12-15 percent of total annual global warming emissions according to estimates released for the climate change meeting in Copenhagen. The Western Forest Fires and Climate Change Fires are burning across at least ten states in the western US, but the greatest conflagrations are across California and Oregon. California’s wildfires, driven by extreme blazes in August and September, have already burned more acres than any year on record. More than 3.5 million acres have burned in California, with over 2,500 more fires than at the same point in 2019. Oregon fires have burned more than 1 million acres. The causes are linked in part to unique factors in 2020 that are not related to climate change. Meteorologists suggest a ridge of air over the Pacific Northwest, perhaps related to the cooling of Pacific waters under current La Niña conditions, is the likely culprit. Fire season usually ends around October, when autumn rains eliminate the threat. But this year in Southern California, those rains have not arrived However, climate change is also a part of it. Observed warming and drying, lack of rain fall have significantly increased fire-season fuel aridity, fostering a more favorable fire environment across forested systems. The drought has gone on since 2012. There has been an increase in drier air. Coupled with strong, warm winds, the fire risk was extreme. Warmer air over the high desert of Utah and Nevada has lower relative humidity and will become drier still as it descends into California. Drier air leads to more desiccation and greater fire risk. Many climate change forecasts suggest that there will be less rain in Southern California in the fall in the future, and more rain in December and January. That means fires could continue later into the fall, greatly extending the fire risk season. The Climate Council, an independent, community funded climate organization, suggests fire conditions are now more dangerous than they were in the past, with longer bushfire seasons, drought, drier fuels and soils, and record-breaking heat in Australia. The gradual warming caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases makes fires more likely across the planet, as warmer air dries the soil and vegetation more, allowing it to ignite more readily. California is no exception: average annual temperatures in the state have increased by about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895, and the Central Valley and Southern California have warmed even more. Increased forest fire activity across the western United States in recent decades has contributed to widespread forest mortality, carbon emissions, periods of degraded air quality, and substantial fire suppression expenditures Climate Change -Spiritual Reflections on Nature and Humankind The issue of Climate Change that has enveloped over the last generation has involved both religion and science. It is closely related to the Season of Creation due to need to take action on climate change that imperils God’s creation. Science and religion are tools to investigate reality from two different angles. Each discipline asks a fundamentally different question. Science asks: how does the universe work? Religion asks: why is there a universe and what is its purpose, and what is our purpose of existence as human beings? Now, as the Earth is affected by climate change and other environmental problems we need science to learn more about the causes, effects, and solutions to these problems. So what’s the role of religion? While scientists can tell us what needs to be done, they are usually not able to motivate society to implement these solutions. That’s where we need religion. Religion provides us with the spiritual understanding of our responsibility towards the Earth and towards other human beings including future generations. In other words, religion provides an ethical or moral framework. And it motivates us to act! The concern of the environment is an interfaith issue and not just Christian. All faiths have talked about it. The issue in the Bible goes right back to the early Israelites A major theme of Deuteronomy is that God’s covenantal gift of the land came with a warning: the Israelites were not to forget God’s commandments; if they did, they would lose the land. Here is Deuteronomy 8 “… the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with/lowing streams, ‘with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing. Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes” As with any gift, the need to preserve it was crucial. They couldn’t do well unless they maintained the land. The soil was thin and easily eroded. The rain was sparse and came in the winter, the wrong time of year. They were a partner with the Lord More specifics came from Exodus and Leviticus the land was to be allowed to rest, to lie fallow one year in seven; second, crops growing at the edges of the field were not to be harvested, but left for the poor, those who had no land. The covenant was not only between Jew and God but Jew, God and Land. In Jeremiah, every family was allocated a farm in the promised land Over time the Israelites abused God’s hospitality by living in ways that were unjust, ways contrary to Torah, ways that desecrated the land. Time and again God offered to forgive the people if they would only repent and live faithfully. But they refused, and so God’s commitment to the land required that the Israelites be exiled. But exile was not the end of the covenant. It was intended to be a sabbatical to reconsecrate the land and people, a time of fallowing for land and people. The birth of Jesus was an end to the era of exile which began with the takeover of the temple 500 years earlier. The Israelites and us all live in fragile land. Our collective impact on the global environmental system has increased since the Industrial Revolution, and we now find ourselves in a situation much like that of the Israelites. To continue to flourish, we need a sabbatical to understand as impact and judge what we can do to reconstitute our relationship to the environment. We are bringing back the kingdom by understanding how everything is connected with everything else. There is a balance which is getting out of balance. The sun is the source of all life and of all energy. It provides the temperature necessary for the existence of life. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen with the help of sunlight. That’s called photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants transform atmospheric carbon into organic compounds, especially glucose (sugars). That glucose is used in various forms by every creature on the planet for energy and growth. Also important is keeping trapping some of this energy warming the planet and enabling man to survive. Atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are called greenhouse gases because they act similar to the glass in a greenhouse by trapping heat. Since the industrial revolution, greenhouse gases have sharply increased upsetting the previously long-lasting balance. The increase comes mainly from emissions from power plants, cars, airplanes, from deforestation and industrial activities. In a very short period of time, human beings have used huge quantities of stored solar energy (fossil fuels) thereby releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere the warmer our planet becomes. This has warmer climates particular in southern areas and has eliminated a percentage of glacial coverage. The balance is upset and we are likely to pay the price. Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change: The Evidence Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska 1894 and 2008. Definitions “Climate change” ( a preferred term over global warming) refers to any significant change in measures of climate (temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or more). It may result from: “Global warming” refers to an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface, contributing to changes in global climate patterns. Most people use the phrase to refer to increased emissions of “greenhouse gases Atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are called greenhouse gases because they act similar to the glass in a greenhouse by trapping heat. The greenhouse gases are transparent to most incoming radiation from the sun, which passes through the atmosphere and hits the Earth. The Earth is warmed by this radiation, and in response radiates infrared energy back into space. That is where greenhouse gases come into play. These atmospheric gases absorb some of the outgoing infrared radiation, trapping the heat energy in the atmosphere and thereby warming the Earth.” Life on Earth is only possible because of this greenhouse effect. It has kept the Earth’s average surface temperature stabilized at around 13.5°C (56.3°F) for a long time. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere the warmer our planet becomes. “Greenhouse gases” have been produced over the last 200 years. Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide. Farming practices and land use changes produce methane and nitrous oxide. Trees remove carbon dioxide, replacing it with oxygen; deforestation lessens this effect in the atmosphere. As a result, greenhouse gases have risen significantly. They prevent heat from escaping to space, similar to glass panels of a greenhouse. Specifically: Past cycles Could these be natural cycles ? There have been natural cycles of warming and cooling The last ice age was more than 10,000 years ago. The main factors were slight variations in the earth’s rotation, namely the cyclical changes in the tilt of the Earth’s axis of spin and the shape of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Solar variation and volcanic eruptions played a minor role as well. Temperatures affected CO2 levels due to feedback mechanisms. In turn CO2 had an effect on temperature by augmenting the warming or cooling trend. In other words: Without the atmospheric CO2, the changes in temperatures would have been much smaller. “The atmospheric concentrations of CO2 consistently fluctuated between 200 parts per million (ppm) during the ice ages and 280 ppm during the warm intervals. This shift from ice age to warm period occurred many times and always within thiCO2 range. When the Industrial Revolution began, the atmospheric CO2 level was roughly 280 ppm.” On the graph we can see that CO2 never went above 300ppm. In 2014, atmospheric CO2 concentrations reached an extraordinary 400ppm! From this and other studies we know that 400ppm “is not only far above any level over the last 740,000 years, it may be nearing a level not seen for 55 million year The situation today is very different from the past’s natural cycles. In a very short period of time, human beings have burnt huge quantities of stored solar energy (fossil fuels), thereby releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That’s why greenhouse gas concentrations have been so rapidly rising. The global warming we have already experienced and the many changes in climate all over the world can only be explained by these tremendous increases in greenhouse gases. They cannot be explained by any natural cycle or changes in solar activity or volcanic eruptions. Today, human activities have a stronger impact on climate than natural occurrences: “We have so much CO2 in the atmosphere that its huge radiative forcing overwhelms the changes associated with orbital forcing. No ice age could start at this point! Read more about climate change… Not sure about Climate Change ? Read the article in “Skeptical Science” Lectionary, October 11, 2020, Pentecost 19, Proper 23, Year A I.Theme – Preparing for the banquet to come. "Parable of the Great Banquet"– Brunswick Monogrammist, 1525, Netherlands The lectionary readings are here or individually: Old Testament – Isaiah 25:1-9 The texts today speak of a universal banquet. Only those who exclude themselves are left out. The people of ancient Israel were on their way out of the banquet through their fashioning of idols. Isaiah 25 is a hymn of thanksgiving praising God for his redeeming acts (verses 1-5) is followed by vision of the eschatological banquet to which ‘all peoples’ are invited. All who come to the banquet will find fullness of life. Death will be swallowed up (a dramatic reversal for death is frequently portrayed as swallowing up people and God will wipe away the tears from all faces. The 23rd Psalm has God preparing a banquet in the presence of enemies, a reference to ancient desert wisdom where a strong leader prepares a meal for those quarrelling in the hope of averting war. Only those who exclude themselves are left out. In the Epistle, Paul exhorts the Christian community to seek peace and unity in the Lord. Above all he urges them to rejoice. Even in their suffering, they can rejoice because the Lord is near. The Christian life is grounded in thanksgiving for what God has done in Christ. Matthew’s gospel contains the third parable in Jesus’ reply to the question of his authority (21:23-27). The first (21:28-32), the Parable of the Two Sons dealt with the rejection of John’s ministry. The second, Parable of the Tenant (21:33-46) dealt with the rejection of his own ministry. This parable deals with the rejection of the ministry of the disciples and the dire consequences for Israel and Jerusalem. The parables of the two sons, the wicked tenants, and the king who gave a marriage feast exhibit a progression from John the Baptist to the rejection of Jesus and punishment of those who rejected him through the final judgment, when those without a wedding garment will be cast out. The target is the legitimacy of the Jewish leadership. They all expose Matthew’s ideology of the true Israel demonstrating the claims of the Pharisees to be false and those of the church true Who is who ? We recognize the king as God. The king’s son was Jesus. The first guests are those who are hostile to Jesus – the Jewish leaders; the one without the wedding robe represents those who do not count the cost in becoming disciples. God’s servants were the prophets of Israel and the Christian missionaries The first part of the parable narrates jumps off immediately from the opening lines: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who had a banquet for his son". This is the first and last time that the son is mentioned. Throughout the rest of the parable until verse 10, the one who acts is the king, the servants and the invited guests. Invitations are sent to the chosen invitees, but few respond, and some even mistreat and kill the servants (slaves) of the king giving the banquet. God has invited all into relationship with God but few respond–some laugh, some seem to busy, and some react violently. So therefore God has gone out and invited everyone off of the streets and fill the hall with guests. God has opened the invitation to everyone! Yet one guest gets in without wearing a wedding robe, and he is thrown out. God has extended this invitation into relationship to all people–but some think just because the invitation was sent, they don’t need to change their lives. At verse 11 we notice several shifts. The persona of the king changes from God to Jesus. The feast itself becomes the scene of final judgment. The king’s rejection of the last-minute guest seems particularly harsh and arbitrary; a man pulled from the street to take the place of an invited guest would hardly have time to make himself presentable for a feast. The “slaves” of the earlier verses are replaced by “attendants” (22:13), which, in the Greek, may mean angels. With the banquet as metaphor for the Final Judgment, however, the king is understandably outraged. In this scenario, the guest had failed to do what was expected and required and thus was unable to respond. The “proper attire” for Matthew has been stated throughout his Gospel: to do the will of God (7:21) and to produce “the fruits of the kingdom” (21:43). The invitation to share in God’s reign goes out to all. Many will want to be included on the guest list; many will respond; but only those who prepare themselves for the feast by genuinely seeking and doing the will of God are invited to remain. Our own actions can set us apart and against that universal call. Read more about the Lectionary… Gospel Reflection Edward Gomez “What are you going to do with this?” —Matthew 22:1-14 Many years ago, when I was studying for the priesthood, we were called to help on Sundays at some of the local parishes. That semester I was called to serve at St. Thomas More Church. New to the area, I was unaware that this church was one of the most affluent churches in the diocese. I entered the sacristy that Sunday and met the rector. He turned to me impeccably dressed in a black suit and with an extended hand and a broad welcoming smile, introduced himself saying, “Hi! Welcome to our church!” Then, almost immediately, from behind came another priest who did not fit the dress code of this marble-laden English castle, who gave me a surprising I’ve known you all my life embrace! I smiled — actually laughed — and said, Hi! He was a missionary in Africa and the guest preacher that day. His sermon was moving as he shared his experience with the poor. I felt like I got hit in the chest with God asking me, “So what are you going to do with this?” The collection that day was for the missions. After the service I was invited to lunch with the rector, the missionary preacher and other guests of the ector. During lunch, a man entered handed a small envelope to the rector saying, “What shall I do with this?” The envelope contained a set of earrings and a note saying, “Take these and have them appraised, and whatever that amount is, I will sell them and give the money to the missions.” We were all taken aback by this act of giving. But it was not until almost a month later that we learned the earrings were valued at $175,000! When you encounter God’s call, the almost immediate reaction is to let go of everything you thought important so that you can be free to love. Giving generously becomes easy because at some level you realize that what you have is not yours — but God’s. And if wealth or privilege has been entrusted to you, then you know — with certainty — that you must share it. I don’t know who this woman was, or her life circumstances. I just know that when she ripped off those earrings, she responded to God’s question, “So now what are you going to do with this?” She acted and gave far more than expensive earrings; she gave of herself honestly, freely and out of pure love. Background on the Gospel – Wedding Feasts Pieter Brughel, Pieter Brueghel the Younger, The Wedding Dance in a Barn, c. 1616 From John Pilch’s article on the Sunday website of Saint Louis University "Some background knowledge of meals in antiquity sheds light on today’s parable. Meals reproduce in miniature the everyday social relations of a society. Who eats with whom at a given table reflects who can associate with whom in the larger society. The Insults of the First Group "In today’s story, a king is arranging a wedding banquet for his son. In any society, commoners will not likely be invited. Royalty associate almost exclusively with royalty or at least with VIPs. Among the king’s invited guests are a landowner and a business person (Mt 22:5), definitely members of the elite class. "Notice also the double invitation: “The king sent his slaves to call those who had been invited. … Again he sent other slaves, saying … ‘Come!’” (Mt 22:3-5). "This was a common practice in antiquity. After the first invitation, the guests checked out who was invited or not invited, what kind of preparations were being made or not being made, and who was planning to attend as well as who was planning to stay away. This last point was particularly important. If key people decided to stay away, so would others. "The refusal of the invited guests to attend the king’s wedding party shames him. For some reason the guests disapproved of the arrangements the king was making. They offer flimsy and insulting excuses, implying that tending the farm or the business is much more important than the wedding of the king’s son. This is the traditional and indirect or face-saving method of turning down an invitation. "Other invited guests challenge the king’s honor in a more direct fashion. They seize his slaves who bring the invitation, beat, and kill them. Clearly this action demands redress, and the king obliges (see Mt 22:7). What’s so “Domestic” About Violence? (Philippians 4:1-9) Editor’s Note – Since 1987, October has been designated Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the United States. This October, domestic violence was already in the public eye due to a series of incidents involving professional football players. According to statistics compiled by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), one in three women has experienced physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner. For 3.2 million women, that violence is “severe.” Less frequently, but no less seriously, men are victims: One in ten has been stalked, physically harmed, or raped by an intimate partner. Domestic violence constitutes 15 percent of all violent crimes. This Odyssey Networks story takes issues of public and private wrangling evident with the Philippians in our Epistle this week and links them to issues of bullying and domestic violence in our time. Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder "I carry a purple purse. I actually bought it three years ago to treat myself to something new. Many women have complimented it, honestly to my surprise. Not that the purse is atrocious, but it does not carry a Gucci, Michael Kors, Coach, Chanel or any other tony label. It is just a purple purse that fits me and holds my essentials, and sometimes those of my children. Until recently I had not given any second thought to having a purse the color of Barney. Sorry I could not resist. "While reading all of the commentary about professional athletes and abuse, as if they are the only people who offend, I came across a public service announcement for the Purple Purse Campaign. What an a-ha moment. Finally someone gets it. It is one thing to give all of the stats blasting that one out of four women experience domestic violence or that twenty people per minute, men and women, are victims of physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner. It is astoundingly painful to know an estimated three women die each day because a “loved one” could not control himself. The facts are. The truth is. "However, as the Purple Purse Campaign purports, domestic violence is also withholding money or limiting financial freedom. It is verbal assault. Domestic violence is hindering access to family and social circles. Intimacy partner violence involves humiliating the victim. It is harassing people via social media, texting, phone calls or emails. Domestic violence or intimate partner violence can be a physical, mental, financial, emotional, sexual or psychological act. In other words, domestic violence is bullying. "Bullying is often identified as “victimization between peers or even so called friends.” Nearly 1 in 3 students (27.8%) report being bullied by a peer during the school year (National Center for Education Statistics, 2013). Students who experience bullying by their peers are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, and poor school adjustment (Center for Disease Control, 2012). Male bullies are nearly four times as likely as non-bullies to grow up to physically or sexually abuse their female partners. Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule September 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (October, 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (Oct. 11, 2020 10:00am), and Sermon (Oct. 4, 2020) 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 15, Sept. 13 2020 Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 16, Sept. 20 2020 Block Print by Mike Newman Projects A new “Tree Fund” – to maintain our investment in trees. Read the article and consider a gift. The pavilion being constructed in memory of John R. Sellers, Sr., is almost complete. If you would like to make a donation in John’s memory to help cover the cost, write a check to St Peter’s, and write Pavilion/John Sellers on the memo line. 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, – Oct. 4 – Oct. 11, 2020 September 27, 2020 – Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost A beautiful Sunday along the river The Week Ahead… September 27 – Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost September 27 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for Morning Prayer – service starts at 10am Meeting ID 862 2216 5658 Password 831273 September 27 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online October 1 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom October 4 – Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost October 4 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for Morning Prayer – service starts at 10am Meeting ID: 836 0623 9537 October 4 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online St. Michael and the Angels, Sept. 29 Michaelmas, or the Feast of Michael and All Angels, is celebrated on the 29th of September every year. As it falls near the equinox, the day is associated with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days; in England, it is one of the “quarter days”. Traditionally, in the British Isles, a well fattened goose, fed on the stubble from the fields after the harvest, is eaten to protect against financial need in the family for the next year; and as the saying goes: “Eat a goose on Michaelmas Day, Part of the reason goose is eaten is that it was said that when Queen Elizabeth I heard of the defeat of the Armada, she was dining on goose and resolved to eat it on Michaelmas Day. On this day, we give thanks for the many ways in which God’s loving care watches over us, both directly and indirectly, and we are reminded that the richness and variety of God’s creation far exceeds our knowledge of it. ECW Fall Meeting Oct 15, a virtual meeting “Let us make servants of your peace” Please register here by Oct 8th to receive your Zoom Webinar link and to view the program. Pavilion progress Powerpoint on the progress of the Pavilion Lectionary, October 4, 2020, Pentecost 18, Proper 22, Year A I.Theme – Look carefully at the vineyard you are cultivating! "Vineyards with view of Auvers" – Van Gogh (1890) The lectionary readings are here or individually: Old Testament – Isaiah 5:1-7 The main motif in 3 of the 4 readings is about the vineyard which beginning in the Old Testament refers to Israel and by the Gospel to those tending it. Corruption is evident in Israel in the 8th Century BC and in 30AD with Christ. In Christ time the vineyard represents all places where we have been called by God to produce the fruits of the kingdom. The real villains move from Israel as a country to specific groups cited by Matthew. The Isaiah reading is one of the oldest parables in the Bible. This song of the vineyard is a parable and a prophetic attack on corrupt Israel. It begins as a love song, singing of a deep love that is giving and caring, moves on to convey disillusionment, and then to express anger and a withdrawal of love and care. The coming destruction (verses 5-6) results from the people’s failure to do what God "expected," and more literally and poignantly, what God "hoped for" (verses 2, 4, 7). God doesn’t destroy the vineyard directly. Instead, what he described was simply the removal of his care and protection of the vineyard, the careful work done earlier. The Psalm is a carryover from the Old Testament reading. The same imagery of Israel as the vine in God’s vineyard is used here. This is the exile’s lament over the vineyard now in ruins. It is an expression of abandonment and a lament psalm pleading for restoration. But while Isaiah wanted to spur the people repent, the psalmist sought to spur God to repent. The Phillippians reading is Paul’s personal testimony beginning with his Jewish credentials and his achievements in the Jewish faith – a Pharisee, a keeper of the Law, a persecutor of the church. Yet what he discovered was that a right relationship with God was based not on Law but on a right relationship with Jesus Christ. Greater than any of these qualifications and attributes is to know Christ. This is no head knowledge (as, he implies, is the knowledge of the law) but means taking on a way of life, one that includes suffering. Here is the famous metaphor of the race, when the runner knows that to dwell on a mistake in the last lap is to distract her from focusing mind and energy on the last few yards. Behind this is Paul’s anxiety about another view strongly at work in the young church, that the only approach to the new faith is through the old. To receive the grace of God in Christ you do not need to be ‘primed’ with the Law and all its observances. The Gospel reading is the famous Parable of the Wicked Tenants which continues the vineyard setting. The story is of an absent landowner who sends two sets of servants to collect rents. For the first set, they beat one, killed another and stone. The second set of servants met the same fate. He next sent his son .Believing the son to be the sole surviving heir, they kill him in hope of gaining the vineyard for themselves. If a landowner died without an heir, the land passed to the first claimant, so by killing the son (presumably the only one), the tenants become landowners and they become free. The vineyard is the nation of Israel and the owner is God. The cultivators are the religious leaders of Israel, who, as it were, had charge for God of the welfare of the nation. The messengers who were sent successively are the prophets sent by God and so often rejected and killed. The son who came last is none other than Jesus himself. What is the parable saying? That Christ knew what lay ahead of him, he knew death on the cross awaited him. Jesus’ point seems to be that his opponents (Pharisees) have mistaken their leadership over Israel for outright ownership of Israel. His main concern is the simple fact that they are responsible for pointing Israel to God, yet they have instead pointed her to themselves. This was a risqué story and it caused a lot of muttering amongst the Pharisees. They were not bad people (except for the fanatical few that any religion seems to harbor), indeed the very opposite, but Jesus suggests that their kind of goodness has now been superseded. Others will manage the vineyard including the church. The ‘moral’ is consistent with Paul’s teaching about the legalism that tended to characterize the religious people of the day. Then Jesus infuriates his hearers by quoting one of their texts as if it was as much his – the stone that the builders rejected (Psalm 118:22) but giving them a new dimension in making it refer to himself. The parable serves to show how the temple leaders have been entrusted by God and how they have rebelled against God. It also prophesies their violent rejection of the Son. Jesus’ opponents understand all of this. They get the parable, but they reject its truth. We are expected to live under the authority of the Owner; to produce and give back the proper fruit. Sin is not primarily doing bad things, but an attitude of selfishness that has no need for God. We must constantly be on the guard if we are not producing the fruits that will expand the Kingdom of God. A new owner may be waiting in the wings. We today often find it profoundly worrying when other people lay claim to religion, whether it is people of another culture living in our midst or people claiming to have found alternatives in other spiritualities. By all means let’s keep our critical faculties, but let us also hold open the possibility that they have found something that deepens and enlivens our own beliefs and practices. Read more about the Lectionary… Gospel Reflection Rev. Winnie Varghese “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you.” — Matthew 21:43 "When I hear these words about tenant farmers, stewards, scheming to get more than their fair, legal share, I can’t help but think of sharecroppers, serfs, peasants, landless laborers, migrants on every continent through the ages, wondering what it might take to create some security and stability in their lives. Surely the first people who heard this story were more likely to be like the tenants than a landowner. "Where is the kingdom of God in that? And what is this kingdom of God that we have already that can be taken from us? "In this reading from Matthew, and in all of the readings, it is clear that there is a law and also a parallel or critique, a law from the tradition, that is the way of the kingdom of God, the world as God intends it. "What does the Bible tell us are the attributes of a society living within a vision of God’s justice? "In your context, does the law support you if you wish to live within that vision? "The virtues of the reign of God’s justice, the world as God intends it to be, are clear in the Hebrew Scripture: The love and awe of God are illustrated by a just society. A just society has God at the center. A just society is marked by law that enshrine fairness toward one another; compassion and generosity to those who cannot fend for themselves; and right stewardship of the earth. "These are clearly difficult values to apply in real living. In 2017, as in the time of the Hebrew prophets, we can feel like wackos at the gates of the palace as we try to proclaim these values. "As Christians, living as though the law of God is the law of our hearts is the work of our lives. We listen and bring the breadth of our experience to these texts, and we are convicted by them. " Season of Creation Devotional for Oct. 4
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” – Psalm 19:7
From Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America In the story of creation God provided a paradise. All of creation was in balance and was a delight. And God set clear boundaries so that balance could be maintained and all created things could flourish. These boundaries provided definition that made possible the amazing diversity of the created world. Far from being a constraint, these boundaries provided freedom and, paradoxically, real connection. But humankind rebelled and continues to rebel. It is almost as if we view boundaries as an offense and limits as an affront. Creation is ours to use! But that denies the truth that we have this one earth and this one temporal life. As I write this, we are living in a pandemic. The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has spread throughout the world, bringing sickness and death. Viruses are strange creatures. They have no nucleus or membrane; they are unable to differentiate like normal healthy cells and are completely dependent on a host cell to survive. They will use up that cell even if it means the death of the host. So God, through the law, gave us the gift of limits. God is God and we are not. We are responsible to each other. Our actions have consequences. We are not to live as membrane-less viruses. The law of the Lord is perfect, sure, right, clear, pure Creator God, help us to accept your boundaries so that all created things can flourish. Amen. Season of Creation – Special Articles Season of Creation , Part 5 Energy
Isaiah 40:28-31 1. Power in the Bible. We think of power in the natural world as produced from various energy sources in nature -the sun, wind, coal, water, geothermal, oil, biomass and the atom (nuclear). Power in religious terms is spiritual energy God is unlimited and this spiritual energy is unlimited in contrast to the energy we seek in the physical world which is limited. The difference from the physical world is that we do not consume this spiritual energy; we reflect it. It can be adapted to many needs in this world. A. Power is an inherent characteristic of God ( Rom 1:20 ). It is the result of his nature. God’s kind of power is seen in his creation ( Psalm 19 ; 150:1 ; Jer 10:12 ). His inexplicable power is the only explanation for the virgin birth of Jesus ( Luke 1:35 ). Power is always a derived characteristic for people, who receive power from God ( Deut 8:18 ;Isa 40:29 ; Micah 3:8 ; Matt 22:29 ; 1 Cor 2:4 ; Eph 3:7 ), from political position ( Esther 1:3 ; Luke 20:20 ), from armies ( 1 Chron 20:1 ), and from other structures that provide advantage over others. When humans perceive that their power is intrinsic to themselves, they are self-deceived ( Lev 26:19 ; Deut 8:17-18 ; Hosea 2:7-9 ; John 19:10-11 B. The Bible uses spiritual energy which is transmitted to humans. It begins with God’s generation of light. This illumination is the spontaneous effect of divine Love in action, of Truth manifested. The Bible then goes on to chronicle this energizing force in the lives of individuals and nations, such as Moses energizing his people, leading them out of slavery and introducing them to the laws of God and brought them to the borders of the Promised Land. Later Jesus said, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” n2 His great power to do good was generated by God.When he took Peter and John up onto the mount and was transfigured before them, “His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” n3 The sparkling spiritual energy the disciples saw in him was evident throughout his ministry, feeding thousands and calming seas. He told his disciples that they could move mountains if they had “faith as a grain of mustard seed C Faith in God is a transformer. It transforms thinking. Holding to it and living by it can bring a solution to energy needs by causing us to be more inventive, more aware of resources close at hand, more accurate and disciplined, more universal in our concerns, and thus more equitable. Paul especially images the living of the Christian life as an empowerment from God. The believer’s union with Christ delivers him or her from the power of sin (cf. Rom. 6-8) and introduces him or her to the “power of [Christ’s] resurrection” ( Php 3:10 ). Salvation and holy living provide the Christian with a “spirit of power” for witness ( 2 Tim 1:7-8 ). D. For our use we may find spiritual energy can be generated through prayer. Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change, Part 4 The Waters Focus on water in the Bible 1. Creation – Water is a primal force of creation . The Old Testament create story describes the earth as nothing but darkness but with the Spirit of God “hovering over the waters.” 2. Cleansing -The story of Noah shows God cleansing the earth with a great flood. Water sometimes symbolizes the spiritual cleansing that comes with the acceptance of God’s offer of salvation ( Ezek 36:25 ; Eph 5:26 ; Heb 10:22 ). In fact, in Ephesians 5:26, the “water” that does the cleansing of the bride, the church, is directly tied in with God’s Word, of which it is a symbol. The story of Noah shows God cleansing the earth with a great flood. In John 4:10-15, part of Jesus’ discourse with the Samaritan woman at the well, he speaks metaphorically of his salvation as “living water” and as “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 3. Rebirth – Water is very present in Baptism. Baptism means immersion or bath in Greek. The immersion cleanses the person of sin and provides rebirth into Christian life. In both the Old and New Testaments, the word “water” is used for salvation and eternal life, which God offers humankind through faith in his Son ( Isa 12:3 ; 55:1 ; Rev 21:6 ; Revelation 22:1 Revelation 22:2 Revelation 22:17 ). Nicodemus understood Jesus that one must have two births to enter the Kingdom of God – one’s natural birth in which water plays a major role and the birth by the Spirit to be the supernatural birth of being “born again” or regenerated. 4. Troublesome times – The word “water” is used in a variety of metaphorical ways in Scripture. It is used to symbolize the troublesome times in life that can and do come to human beings, especially God’s children ( Psalm 32:6 ; Psalms 69:1 Psalms 69:2 Psalms 69:14 Psalms 69:15 ; Isa 43:2 ; Lam 3:54 ). In some contexts water stands for enemies who can attack and need to be overcome ( 2 Sam 22:17-18 ; Psalm 18:16-17 ; 124:4-5 ; 144:7 ; Isa 8:7 ; Jer 47:2 ). 5. Water a symbol of the Holy Spirit – In a very important passage, Jesus identifies the “streams of living water” that flow from within those who believe in him with the Holy Spirit ( John 7:37-39 ). The reception of the Holy Spirit is clearly the special reception that was going to come after Jesus had been glorified at the Father’s right hand and happened on the Day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2. Two times in Jeremiah Yahweh is metaphorically identified as “the spring of living water” ( Jer 2:13 ; 17:13 ). In both instances Israel is rebuked for having forsaken the Lord for other cisterns that could in no way satisfy their “thirst.” 5 In other passages of Scripture, the following are said metaphorically to be “water”: God’s help ( Isa 8:6 : “the gently flowing waters of Shiloah” ); God’s judgment ( Isa 28:17 : “water will overflow your hiding place” ); man’s words ( Prov 18:4 : “The words of man’s mouth are deep waters” ); man’s purposes ( Prov 20:5 : “The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters” ); an adulterous woman ( Prov 9:17 : “Stolen water is sweet” ); and a person’s posterity ( Isa 48:1 : “Listen to this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and have come forth out of the line [waters] of Judah” ). The Effect of Climate Change on Water 1. Rising temperatures causes rise of sea levels though warming of water and melting of glaciers. There are two major reasons why sea levels have been rising: When water warms up, its volume increases. This is called thermal expansion. The melting of glaciers and of the polar ice caps adds huge amounts of freshwater to the oceans. Due to warmer temperatures, mountain glaciers all over the world are receding. The dramatic worldwide shrinking of the glaciers is one of the most visible evidences of global warming. Glaciers act as a kind of global fever thermometer. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, lost one third of its ice within 12 years. About 82% of its icecap surveyed in 1912 is now gone. In the Alps, the glaciers lost about 1/3 of their area and half of their volume between 1850 and 1975. Since then much more has melted. Switzerland went so far as to cover one of its most rapidly melting glaciers to slow down the loss. In the United States, the glaciers in “Glacier National Park” are retreating so quickly it has been estimated that they will vanish entirely by the year 2030. Melting glaciers pose multiple dangers: Initially, the increasing amount of meltwater can have a positive effect for hydropower. At the same time, emerging glacial lakes have the potential of sudden drainage that could cause devastating floods. In the long term, severe water shortages can be expected when there will be no or only very little ice left to melt in the summer. The time frame for this to happen varies greatly depending on the geographic location; it may be a matter of just a few years, decades, or, in the case of the Himalayas, several centuries. The rising of sea levels will result in land and habitat loss in many countries. Bangladesh may lose almost 20% of its land area. Hundreds of coastal communities, Small Island states in the Pacific and Indian oceans and the Caribbean would be inundated, forcing their population to relocate. Experts with the United Nations University estimate that rising sea levels and environmental deterioration have already displaced about 50 million people. The greatest cost of rising sea levels will not be measurable. It is the inevitable disruption of communities and cultures that cannot be replicated elsewhere. However, in the more distant future, that is later on this century and beyond, hundreds of millions of people will become displaced if sea levels will rise a few meters. Many important, historical cities around the world like Venice, New Orleans, and Amsterdam will be lost to the ocean. Many of the largest cities in the world will sooner or later share the same fate, including Shanghai, Manhattan, Alexandria, and Dhaka. Some 84 of the world’s 100 fastest-growing cities face “extreme” risks from rising temperatures and extreme weather brought on by climate change. Most worrisome is that the polar ice caps began melting as well. The accelerating speed of their melting even surprised scientists who predicted the thawing. From 1979 to 2005, Arctic sea ice has shrunk roughly 250 million acres an area the size of New York, Georgia, and Texas combined. Between 1953 and 2006, the area covered by sea ice in September shrunk by 7.8 percent per decade, more than three times as fast as the average rate simulated by climate models. It reached its lowest point on record in 2012. The extent of Arctic sea ice in 2019 was tied with 2007 and 2016 as the second lowest on record. The maximum extent, reached in March 2019, was tied with 2007 as the seventh lowest in the 40-year satellite record. This decline is rapidly changing the geopolitics of the Arctic region, opening the Northwest Passage for the first time in recorded history and triggering a scramble among governments to claim large swaths of the potentially resource-rich Arctic sea floor. Many now believe the summer Arctic Ocean could be ice-free by 2030, decades earlier than previously thought possible.” The Greenland ice sheet is also melting. It holds enough water to raise sea levels worldwide by 23 feet. Why are the polar ice caps melting so fast? A major reason is the albedo (reflectivity) effect: Snow and ice are best reflectors of solar radiation. They reflect about 70% of the sun’s radiation (and absorb 30%). Water on the other hand is a poor reflector. It reflects only 6% of the sun’s radiation and absorbs most of the heat (94%). The intense thawing of ice and snow creates more water surfaces. The warming of the water contributes to the regional rise in temperature, which again causes more ice to melt. This ice – albedo feedback is believed to be the major reason why the Arctic is warming so rapidly. [xvi] In addition, the melt water from the surface penetrates into the depths of the ice sheets. The process lubricates the ice sheets and accelerates their movement towards the sea. 2. Water Scarcity has increased from both rise of demand and reduced availability from glaciers. The amount of freshwater is finite while demand is increasing. One billion people around the world don’t have access to clean, safe water. In developing nations, waterborne illnesses like cholera, typhoid and malaria kill 5 million people each year — 6,000 children every day. And global warming is exacerbating this crisis as severe, prolonged droughts dry up water supplies in arid regions and heavy rains cause sewage overflows. People who fall ill from waterborne diseases can’t work. Women and girls who travel hours, sometimes more than seven hours a day, to fetch clean water for their families can’t go to school or hold on to a job. Without proper sanitation, human waste pollutes waterways and wildlife habitat. Global warming and population pressures are drying up water supplies and instigating conflict over scarce resources. Water links and maintains all ecosystems on the planet. From sciencing.com: “The main function of water is to propel plant growth; provide a permanent dwelling for species that live within it, or provide a temporary home or breeding ground for multiple amphibians, insects and other water-birthed organisms; and to provide the nutrients and minerals necessary to sustain physical life.” It has its own cycle like carbon or phosphorus. From sciencing.com: “Within humans, water helps to transport oxygen, minerals, nutrients and waste products to and from the cells. The digestive system needs water to function properly, and water lubricates the mucous layers in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.” The most serious threat to water supply is the disappearance of glaciers which provide much needed melt water during the summer. More than one-sixth of the world’s population will be affected. Most of the planet’s water is unavailable for human use. While more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is freshwater. Out of that freshwater, almost 70 percent is permanently frozen in the ice caps covering Antarctica and Greenland. Only about 1 percent of the freshwater on Earth is available for people to use for drinking, bathing, and irrigating crops.” In many parts of the world, lakes are shrinking or disappearing and rivers are running dry. Lake Chad, for example, has shrunk by 95% since about 1960. This had disastrous consequences for the local population. The main causes are the diversion of water for irrigation and less rainfall because of climate change. Many large rivers like the Yellow River, the Colorado River or the Nile don’t reach the ocean anymore. The Himalayan region is predicted to be one of the areas hardest hit by climate change. In addition to the loss of water and hydroelectricity supply following glacial shrinkage, the Himalayas are expected to experience sudden and catastrophic flooding resulting from glacial lakes overwhelming their gravel moraine dams; decreased crop production resulting from erratic weather conditions; and the loss of numerous high altitude species unable to adapt to warmer conditions. 3. Water scarcity affects food supplies We each drink on average nearly about 1 gallon of water per day in one form or another, while the water required to produce our daily food totals at least 528 gallons—500 times as much. This helps explain why 70 percent of all water use is for one purpose—irrigation.” Aquifers are over-pumped in many countries. There are two types of aquifers: replenishable and nonreplenishable (or fossil) aquifers. Those in India and the shallow aquifer under the North China Plain are replenishable. When these are depleted, the maximum rate of pumping is automatically reduced to the rate of recharge. For fossil aquifers, such as the vast U.S. Ogallala aquifer, the deep aquifer under the North China Plain, or the Saudi aquifer, depletion brings pumping to an end. Farmers who lose their irrigation water have the option of returning to lower-yield dry land farming if rainfall permits. In more arid regions, however, such as in the southwestern United States or the Middle East, the loss of irrigation water means the end of agriculture. The U.S. embassy in Beijing reports that wheat farmers in some areas are now pumping from a depth of 300 meters (nearly 1,000 feet). Pumping water from this far down raises pumping costs so high that farmers are often forced to abandon irrigation and return to less productive dry land farming. Changes in precipitation patterns are observed in many parts of the world. The timing and amount of rain are very important for crops. Farmers need to adapt and learn how to do things differently, for example plant different seeds, or different crops, or plant them at a different time of the year. Preserving Water- 6 things You Can Do 1 Installing an ENERGY STAR-certified washer, 2 Using low-flow faucets 3 Plugging up leaks, 4 Irrigating the lawn in the morning or evening when the cooler air causes less evaporation, 5 Taking shorter showers and not running sink water when brushing your teeth. 6 Consider using non-toxic cleaning products and eco-friendly pesticides and herbicides that won’t contaminate groundwater. Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change, Part 3 The Forests Last week we tended to look down on earth from high dealing with rising temperatures, the effect on glaciers and water scarcity. This week we look at ground level to consider deforestation and next week the effect on the seas Deforestation Forests play a vital role in maintaining the balance of the Earth’s ecosystems. They provide habitat for more than half of all terrestrial species, help filter pollutants out of the air and water, and prevent soil erosion. Rainforests also provide essential hydrological (water-related) services. For example, they tend to result in higher dry season streamflow and river levels, since forests slow down the rate of water or rain run-off, and help it enter into the aquifer. Without a tree cover, the water tends to run off quickly into the streams and rivers, often taking a lot of topsoil with it. Forests also help the regional climate as they cycle water to the interior of a continent. The shrinking of the Amazon Rainforest reduces regional rainfall, which in turn threatens the health of the remaining forest and of the agricultural land in Southern Brazil. This also results in an increased fire risk. Forests and their soils also play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. The level of CO2 in the atmosphere depends on the distribution or exchange of carbon between different “carbon pools” as part of the carbon cycle. Forests and their soils are major carbon pools, as are oceans, agricultural soils, other vegetation, and wood products: the carbon stored in the woody part of trees and shrubs (known as “biomass”) and soils is about 50% more than that stored in the atmosphere. Trees continuously exchange CO2 with the atmosphere. The release of CO2 into the air is due both to natural processes (respiration of trees at night and the decomposition of organic matter) and human processes (removal or destruction of trees). Similarly, CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by the action of photosynthesis, which results in carbon being integrated into the organic molecules used by plants, including the woody biomass of trees. Thus forests play a major role in regulating global temperatures by absorbing heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and storing it in the form of wood and vegetation – a process referred to as “carbon sequestration”. Unfortunately, the global benefits provided by trees are being threatened by deforestation and forest degradation. ‘Deforestation’ as a shorthand for tree loss. Forest ‘degradation’ happens when the forest gets degraded, for example due to unsustainable logging practices which remove the most valuable species, or artesanal charcoal production in which only a few trees are harvested. The Earth loses more than 18 million acres of forestland every year—an area larger than Ireland—according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Deforestation is a major cause of global warming. When trees are burned, their stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere. As a result, tropical deforestation (including forest degradation) is responsible for about 12-15 percent of total annual global warming emissions according to estimates released for the climate change meeting in Copenhagen. The Western Forest Fires and Climate Change Fires are burning across at least ten states in the western US, but the greatest conflagrations are across California and Oregon. California’s wildfires, driven by extreme blazes in August and September, have already burned more acres than any year on record. More than 3.5 million acres have burned in California, with over 2,500 more fires than at the same point in 2019. Oregon fires have burned more than 1 million acres. The causes are linked in part to unique factors in 2020 that are not related to climate change. Meteorologists suggest a ridge of air over the Pacific Northwest, perhaps related to the cooling of Pacific waters under current La Niña conditions, is the likely culprit. Fire season usually ends around October, when autumn rains eliminate the threat. But this year in Southern California, those rains have not arrived However, climate change is also a part of it. Observed warming and drying, lack of rain fall have significantly increased fire-season fuel aridity, fostering a more favorable fire environment across forested systems. The drought has gone on since 2012. There has been an increase in drier air. Coupled with strong, warm winds, the fire risk was extreme. Warmer air over the high desert of Utah and Nevada has lower relative humidity and will become drier still as it descends into California. Drier air leads to more desiccation and greater fire risk. Many climate change forecasts suggest that there will be less rain in Southern California in the fall in the future, and more rain in December and January. That means fires could continue later into the fall, greatly extending the fire risk season. The Climate Council, an independent, community funded climate organization, suggests fire conditions are now more dangerous than they were in the past, with longer bushfire seasons, drought, drier fuels and soils, and record-breaking heat in Australia. The gradual warming caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases makes fires more likely across the planet, as warmer air dries the soil and vegetation more, allowing it to ignite more readily. California is no exception: average annual temperatures in the state have increased by about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895, and the Central Valley and Southern California have warmed even more. Increased forest fire activity across the western United States in recent decades has contributed to widespread forest mortality, carbon emissions, periods of degraded air quality, and substantial fire suppression expenditures Climate Change -Spiritual Reflections on Nature and Humankind The issue of Climate Change that has enveloped over the last generation has involved both religion and science. It is closely related to the Season of Creation due to need to take action on climate change that imperils God’s creation. Science and religion are tools to investigate reality from two different angles. Each discipline asks a fundamentally different question. Science asks: how does the universe work? Religion asks: why is there a universe and what is its purpose, and what is our purpose of existence as human beings? Now, as the Earth is affected by climate change and other environmental problems we need science to learn more about the causes, effects, and solutions to these problems. So what’s the role of religion? While scientists can tell us what needs to be done, they are usually not able to motivate society to implement these solutions. That’s where we need religion. Religion provides us with the spiritual understanding of our responsibility towards the Earth and towards other human beings including future generations. In other words, religion provides an ethical or moral framework. And it motivates us to act! The concern of the environment is an interfaith issue and not just Christian. All faiths have talked about it. The issue in the Bible goes right back to the early Israelites A major theme of Deuteronomy is that God’s covenantal gift of the land came with a warning: the Israelites were not to forget God’s commandments; if they did, they would lose the land. Here is Deuteronomy 8 “… the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with/lowing streams, ‘with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing. Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes” As with any gift, the need to preserve it was crucial. They couldn’t do well unless they maintained the land. The soil was thin and easily eroded. The rain was sparse and came in the winter, the wrong time of year. They were a partner with the Lord More specifics came from Exodus and Leviticus the land was to be allowed to rest, to lie fallow one year in seven; second, crops growing at the edges of the field were not to be harvested, but left for the poor, those who had no land. The covenant was not only between Jew and God but Jew, God and Land. In Jeremiah, every family was allocated a farm in the promised land Over time the Israelites abused God’s hospitality by living in ways that were unjust, ways contrary to Torah, ways that desecrated the land. Time and again God offered to forgive the people if they would only repent and live faithfully. But they refused, and so God’s commitment to the land required that the Israelites be exiled. But exile was not the end of the covenant. It was intended to be a sabbatical to reconsecrate the land and people, a time of fallowing for land and people. The birth of Jesus was an end to the era of exile which began with the takeover of the temple 500 years earlier. The Israelites and us all live in fragile land. Our collective impact on the global environmental system has increased since the Industrial Revolution, and we now find ourselves in a situation much like that of the Israelites. To continue to flourish, we need a sabbatical to understand as impact and judge what we can do to reconstitute our relationship to the environment. We are bringing back the kingdom by understanding how everything is connected with everything else. There is a balance which is getting out of balance. The sun is the source of all life and of all energy. It provides the temperature necessary for the existence of life. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen with the help of sunlight. That’s called photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants transform atmospheric carbon into organic compounds, especially glucose (sugars). That glucose is used in various forms by every creature on the planet for energy and growth. Also important is keeping trapping some of this energy warming the planet and enabling man to survive. Atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are called greenhouse gases because they act similar to the glass in a greenhouse by trapping heat. Since the industrial revolution, greenhouse gases have sharply increased upsetting the previously long-lasting balance. The increase comes mainly from emissions from power plants, cars, airplanes, from deforestation and industrial activities. In a very short period of time, human beings have used huge quantities of stored solar energy (fossil fuels) thereby releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere the warmer our planet becomes. This has warmer climates particular in southern areas and has eliminated a percentage of glacial coverage. The balance is upset and we are likely to pay the price. Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change: The Evidence Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska 1894 and 2008. Definitions “Climate change” ( a preferred term over global warming) refers to any significant change in measures of climate (temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or more). It may result from: “Global warming” refers to an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface, contributing to changes in global climate patterns. Most people use the phrase to refer to increased emissions of “greenhouse gases Atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are called greenhouse gases because they act similar to the glass in a greenhouse by trapping heat. The greenhouse gases are transparent to most incoming radiation from the sun, which passes through the atmosphere and hits the Earth. The Earth is warmed by this radiation, and in response radiates infrared energy back into space. That is where greenhouse gases come into play. These atmospheric gases absorb some of the outgoing infrared radiation, trapping the heat energy in the atmosphere and thereby warming the Earth.” Life on Earth is only possible because of this greenhouse effect. It has kept the Earth’s average surface temperature stabilized at around 13.5°C (56.3°F) for a long time. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere the warmer our planet becomes. “Greenhouse gases” have been produced over the last 200 years. Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide. Farming practices and land use changes produce methane and nitrous oxide. Trees remove carbon dioxide, replacing it with oxygen; deforestation lessens this effect in the atmosphere. As a result, greenhouse gases have risen significantly. They prevent heat from escaping to space, similar to glass panels of a greenhouse. Specifically: Past cycles Could these be natural cycles ? There have been natural cycles of warming and cooling The last ice age was more than 10,000 years ago. The main factors were slight variations in the earth’s rotation, namely the cyclical changes in the tilt of the Earth’s axis of spin and the shape of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Solar variation and volcanic eruptions played a minor role as well. Temperatures affected CO2 levels due to feedback mechanisms. In turn CO2 had an effect on temperature by augmenting the warming or cooling trend. In other words: Without the atmospheric CO2, the changes in temperatures would have been much smaller. “The atmospheric concentrations of CO2 consistently fluctuated between 200 parts per million (ppm) during the ice ages and 280 ppm during the warm intervals. This shift from ice age to warm period occurred many times and always within thiCO2 range. When the Industrial Revolution began, the atmospheric CO2 level was roughly 280 ppm.” On the graph we can see that CO2 never went above 300ppm. In 2014, atmospheric CO2 concentrations reached an extraordinary 400ppm! From this and other studies we know that 400ppm “is not only far above any level over the last 740,000 years, it may be nearing a level not seen for 55 million year The situation today is very different from the past’s natural cycles. In a very short period of time, human beings have burnt huge quantities of stored solar energy (fossil fuels), thereby releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That’s why greenhouse gas concentrations have been so rapidly rising. The global warming we have already experienced and the many changes in climate all over the world can only be explained by these tremendous increases in greenhouse gases. They cannot be explained by any natural cycle or changes in solar activity or volcanic eruptions. Today, human activities have a stronger impact on climate than natural occurrences: “We have so much CO2 in the atmosphere that its huge radiative forcing overwhelms the changes associated with orbital forcing. No ice age could start at this point! Read more about climate change… Not sure about Climate Change ? Read the article in “Skeptical Science” Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule September 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (September, 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (Oct. 4, 2020 10:00am), and Sermon (Sept. 27, 2020) 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 14, Sept. 6, 2020 Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 15, Sept. 13 2020 Block Print by Mike Newman Projects A new “Tree Fund” – to maintain our investment in trees. Read the article and consider a gift. The pavilion being constructed in memory of John R. Sellers, Sr., is almost complete. If you would like to make a donation in John’s memory to help cover the cost, write a check to St Peter’s, and write Pavilion/John Sellers on the memo line. 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, – Sept. 27 – Oct. 4, 2020 September 20, 2020 – Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost Communion along the River Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, writes this passage about the Eucharist: “For that short time, when we gather as God’s guests at God’s table, the Church becomes what it is meant to be—a community of strangers who have become guests together and are listening together to the invitation of God. Sometimes, after receiving Holy Communion, as I look around a congregation, large or small, I have a sensation I can only sum up as this is it—this moment when people see one another and the world properly: when they are filled with the Holy Spirit and when they are equipped to do God’s work. It may last only a few seconds, but there it is.” The Week Ahead… The 20’s 1. Today’s Lectionary is Proper 20 2 The Sunday is Sept. 20 3. The Gospel is from Matthew Chapter 20 4. The year is 2020 September 20 – Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 20 – 10:00am – Holy Eucharist on the River 1. Bulletin for Sept. 20, 10:00am, Holy Eucharist 2. Readings and Prayers Pentecost 16, Sept. 20, Holy Eucharist 5. Videos. Check out video 3 for Season of Creation Eucharistic prayer combining the prayer and photos from the Season of Creation from past years. September 20 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online September 20 – 7:00pm – Join here at 6:30pm for Evening Prayer – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475 1. Bulletin for Sept. 20, 7:00pm, Evening Prayer 2. Readings and Prayers Pentecost 16, Sept. 20 September 23 – 10:00am – No Bible Study this week. It will resume September 30 September 27 – Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost September 27 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for Morning Prayer – service starts at 11am Meeting ID 862 2216 5658 Password 831273 September 27 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online Village Harvest in September, 6 months of outreach and value Although this harvest was done September 16, because of the COVID virus it was only our 6th month of the year. We had 103 people in September, one more than August. It was above the average of 98 for the year. Food was 1,312 pounds close to the average of 1,322 for the year. There were larger amounts of food available earlier in 2020. From March to September it has ranged from 1,508; 1,733; 1,642; and 1,312 with September being the lowest. With numbers of shoppers close to last month, the dollar value per shopper of $76 in September was lower than the last few months with the larger amounts of food . Numbers don’t tell the whole story. Cookie Davis reports, “Today we got a really nice load! A cooler of each: ground Beef/steak chicken, hotdogs/ sausages Chicken breast strips. Fish/shrimp.” There was also applesauce, cake mix, Dry milk, corn chips, cereal. “Each family received a box of vegetables.” Read more about the value of the harvest over time… Prior to joining the disciples, he worked as a tax collector in Capernaum for the Romans. Thus he was probably not a popular man! Matthew is the patron saint of tax collectors and accountants. In Matthew 9:9-13, Matthew tells a story about how Jesus called him to follow him and how the Jewish people felt about tax collectors. In this story, the Pharisees, a group of Jews who strictly followed all the laws of their religion, call tax collectors “sinners.” Jesus that wasn’t the case with Matthew – not sinner or a cheat. When called he didn’t hesitate to follow Jesus. Matthew’s calling into Jesus’ inner circle was a dramatic gesture of the Messiah’s universal message and mission, causing some religious authorities of the Jewish community to wonder: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus’ significant response indicated a central purpose of his ministry: “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Matthew wrote his Gospel for Jewish people who had become followers of Christ. He wanted his audience to know that Jesus was the Messiah that God had promised to send to save all people. Matthew’s Gospel makes clear that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything said by the prophets in the Old Testament. Matthew is also the only Evangelist who shares the eight Beatitudes with his readers. His Gospel faithfully reports how Jesus described who will be truly blessed by God in the Kingdom and the attitudes and actions that are required for those who follow the new Law Jesus came to bring. After Jesus’ Ascension, Matthew preached the Gospel, as Jesus asked his disciples to do. It is believed that he established Christian communities in Ethiopia and other sections of the continent of Africa. Tradition tells us that he died as a martyr. The symbol for Matthew’s Gospel is a man with wings. (see the image above) Lectionary, September 27, 2020, Pentecost 17, Proper 21, Year A I.Theme – Ultimately, we make our own choice how to live our life that is not dependent on the choices our ancestors made. We have free will to turn our lives around. "Two Sons" – Nelly Bube The lectionary readings are here or individually: Old Testament – Ezekiel 18:1-4,25-32 This week is about choice and responsibility. Questions of authority swirl around the readings. Ezekiel emphasizes responsibility and with that freedom to refute this old saying – "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge" (Ezekiel 18:1). In earlier days Israel had barely recognized a distinction between a person and the community. The overall picture was one of communal solidarity, with emphasis upon the corporate consequences of individual guilt. However, Ezekiel is here to provide correction in emphasis. A person is free at any time to turn from wickedness to righteousness and vice versa. It’s not what your ancestors did. In each case, that person will be judged by the new life to which he or she has turned, not by his or her previous life. They are called to a renewal of covenant with the Lord and a new life. Only God’s purposes define true fairness. This psalm is an individual lament. We are dependent and humbled before God. The teaching and learning of them are salvation. Paul in Philippians suggests that incorporation into the body of Christ demands humility and obedience of the type demonstrated by Jesus. Only in this way will his followers have the "mind" of Christ. This humility is not humiliation; nor is the obedience blind. Rather, they are expressions of faith and trust in the gracious and loving character of God. In Matthew’s Gospel it is probably Monday of Holy Week. Jesus went into the Temple courts, overturned the tables and seats of those who exchanged money and those who sold doves. The first part of the Gospel is about authority. The chief priests and the elders ask who has given him the power and authority to do all that he has done in his ministry. But he will only answer them if they first answer his question (v. 25), one which will show whether they have the requisite faith to understand his answer. “Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” If they answer that John the Baptist was divinely inspired, then they open themselves to the charge of ignoring God’s will and of being unrepentant. They would undermine the Temple system they serve. If they say that John’s authority was from human beings, then they risk offending the crowd that believed John was a prophet. Either way, they are condemned. And so they plead ignorance. For the church, then and now, everything depends upon the source of Jesus’ authority. If it is ultimately "from humans" then Jesus is really no different than another charismatic leader and the church will be forced to define itself only as a human institution among other human institutions. The second part of the Gospel, the Parable of the Two Sons, suggests that faith and trust are found more often among the "tax collectors and prostitutes" who hear the good news and believe than among the self-righteous guardians of religious order. In the Parable of the Two Sons, the father asks the sons to go work in the family vineyard. One says "I won’t" but changed his mind and will. The other says he will and doesn’t. Jesus suggests that faith and trust are found more often among the “tax collectors and prostitutes “ in the first camp who hear the good news and believe than among the self-righteous guardians of religious order in the second group . The chief priests and elders feigned acceptance but refused to accept John as a messenger from God. They gave an honorable word, but that is not enough. Read more about the Lectionary… What is the Season of Creation ? This is fourth year we have used this optional lectionary which begins Sept 1 and ends at St. Francis Day, Oct. 4. Usually Pentecost is the longest season from Pentecost Sunday until Advent. Now the Season of Creation, five Sundays, helps to break up the period we spend in Pentecost. Where did this come from ? Since the 1980’s, the Eastern Orthodox Church has designated this time each year to delve more deeply into our relationships with God and with one another in the context of the magnificent creation in which we live. The Catholic Church also recognizes this season. The Church of England, as well as the Anglicans in Australia and New Zealand observe this season as well. Various churches across the United States also celebrate the Season of Creation. Bishop Shannon has blessed our observance, so that we at St Peter’s can join with Christians all over the world in this celebration. The central focus of the month is on God–God as Creator. In his letter to the Romans, right up front, Paul makes this statement. “Ever since the creation of the world, God’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things that God has made.” We know a lot about God simply by paying attention to God’s creation. And Jesus, who came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly, used his own attention to and love of the natural world in his teachings and parables, to help the people around him find the abundant life that can become ours through him. To be with Jesus through scripture and through the bread and wine is also to see and to know God the Creator of heaven and earth. When we Christians consider all the “works thy hands hath made,” as the old hymn “How Great Thou Art” puts it, how do our relationships with God, with creation, and with one another grow richer and deeper? This question is also a focus of this five week Season of Creation. The goal in worship then is to deepen our understanding of God as Creator, to celebrate God’s role as Creator, and to examine and deepen and widen our own relationships with God, creation, and with one another. With Bishop Shannon’s permission, we will be using scripture readings in this five week period that have been designed to help us to accomplish these goals. You can find out more about the readings in the article later in this newsletter, “The Readings for The Season of Creation.” At the Eucharist, we will be using the Eucharistic Prayer “We Give Thanks” which highlights the role of God as Creator and Jesus dwelling in nature as one of us to bring us abundant life. My hope for this Season is that we can grow in our love of God as Creator, and also in our love of creation itself, and to consider why, as Christians, the natural world and our relationship with it matters deeply in the working out of our lives as the beloved children of God on this earth. Season of Creation Devotional for Sept. 27
“I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Exodus 17:6 From Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Anglican Church of Canada As a settler Canadian, I am accustomed to the ready availability of fresh, clean water at any moment on any day. I have also lived in the Himalayas of India where the provision of water was unpredictable day to day, and what was available had to be boiled thoroughly first because it was not safe to drink. Like the Israelites in the desert, I readily grumbled and complained when it was not available. This became a lesson for me in the dangers of the privileges that I had enjoyed and took for granted in Canada. I became acutely aware that the lack of water was a daily reality for millions of people – and that clean water was even more scarce. I also became aware of those who profit from the bottling and selling of a resource that is a necessity of life and a gift of the Creator. The ongoing protection and sharing of clean water are part of our baptismal vocation to love neighbour as self and to “safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the earth.” Just as Moses followed God’s direction in order to offer water to the Israelites in the desert, we are called to partner Creator of all, stir in us the passion to share the living water of the gospel as we also protect and share the waters of your creation to nourish all creatures. Amen. Season of Creation – Special Articles We’re concentrating on both the Forests and the issue of Water, Weeks 3 and 4. “Click” on the tabs. Season of Creation , Part 5 Energy
Isaiah 40:28-31 1. Power in the Bible. We think of power in the natural world as produced from various energy sources in nature -the sun, wind, coal, water, geothermal, oil, biomass and the atom (nuclear). Power in religious terms is spiritual energy God is unlimited and this spiritual energy is unlimited in contrast to the energy we seek in the physical world which is limited. The difference from the physical world is that we do not consume this spiritual energy; we reflect it. It can be adapted to many needs in this world. A. Power is an inherent characteristic of God ( Rom 1:20 ). It is the result of his nature. God’s kind of power is seen in his creation ( Psalm 19 ; 150:1 ; Jer 10:12 ). His inexplicable power is the only explanation for the virgin birth of Jesus ( Luke 1:35 ). Power is always a derived characteristic for people, who receive power from God ( Deut 8:18 ;Isa 40:29 ; Micah 3:8 ; Matt 22:29 ; 1 Cor 2:4 ; Eph 3:7 ), from political position ( Esther 1:3 ; Luke 20:20 ), from armies ( 1 Chron 20:1 ), and from other structures that provide advantage over others. When humans perceive that their power is intrinsic to themselves, they are self-deceived ( Lev 26:19 ; Deut 8:17-18 ; Hosea 2:7-9 ; John 19:10-11 B. The Bible uses spiritual energy which is transmitted to humans. It begins with God’s generation of light. This illumination is the spontaneous effect of divine Love in action, of Truth manifested. The Bible then goes on to chronicle this energizing force in the lives of individuals and nations, such as Moses energizing his people, leading them out of slavery and introducing them to the laws of God and brought them to the borders of the Promised Land. Later Jesus said, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” n2 His great power to do good was generated by God.When he took Peter and John up onto the mount and was transfigured before them, “His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” n3 The sparkling spiritual energy the disciples saw in him was evident throughout his ministry, feeding thousands and calming seas. He told his disciples that they could move mountains if they had “faith as a grain of mustard seed C Faith in God is a transformer. It transforms thinking. Holding to it and living by it can bring a solution to energy needs by causing us to be more inventive, more aware of resources close at hand, more accurate and disciplined, more universal in our concerns, and thus more equitable. Paul especially images the living of the Christian life as an empowerment from God. The believer’s union with Christ delivers him or her from the power of sin (cf. Rom. 6-8) and introduces him or her to the “power of [Christ’s] resurrection” ( Php 3:10 ). Salvation and holy living provide the Christian with a “spirit of power” for witness ( 2 Tim 1:7-8 ). D. For our use we may find spiritual energy can be generated through prayer. Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change, Part 4 The Waters Focus on water in the Bible 1. Creation – Water is a primal force of creation . The Old Testament create story describes the earth as nothing but darkness but with the Spirit of God “hovering over the waters.” 2. Cleansing -The story of Noah shows God cleansing the earth with a great flood. Water sometimes symbolizes the spiritual cleansing that comes with the acceptance of God’s offer of salvation ( Ezek 36:25 ; Eph 5:26 ; Heb 10:22 ). In fact, in Ephesians 5:26, the “water” that does the cleansing of the bride, the church, is directly tied in with God’s Word, of which it is a symbol. The story of Noah shows God cleansing the earth with a great flood. In John 4:10-15, part of Jesus’ discourse with the Samaritan woman at the well, he speaks metaphorically of his salvation as “living water” and as “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 3. Rebirth – Water is very present in Baptism. Baptism means immersion or bath in Greek. The immersion cleanses the person of sin and provides rebirth into Christian life. In both the Old and New Testaments, the word “water” is used for salvation and eternal life, which God offers humankind through faith in his Son ( Isa 12:3 ; 55:1 ; Rev 21:6 ; Revelation 22:1 Revelation 22:2 Revelation 22:17 ). Nicodemus understood Jesus that one must have two births to enter the Kingdom of God – one’s natural birth in which water plays a major role and the birth by the Spirit to be the supernatural birth of being “born again” or regenerated. 4. Troublesome times – The word “water” is used in a variety of metaphorical ways in Scripture. It is used to symbolize the troublesome times in life that can and do come to human beings, especially God’s children ( Psalm 32:6 ; Psalms 69:1 Psalms 69:2 Psalms 69:14 Psalms 69:15 ; Isa 43:2 ; Lam 3:54 ). In some contexts water stands for enemies who can attack and need to be overcome ( 2 Sam 22:17-18 ; Psalm 18:16-17 ; 124:4-5 ; 144:7 ; Isa 8:7 ; Jer 47:2 ). 5. Water a symbol of the Holy Spirit – In a very important passage, Jesus identifies the “streams of living water” that flow from within those who believe in him with the Holy Spirit ( John 7:37-39 ). The reception of the Holy Spirit is clearly the special reception that was going to come after Jesus had been glorified at the Father’s right hand and happened on the Day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2. Two times in Jeremiah Yahweh is metaphorically identified as “the spring of living water” ( Jer 2:13 ; 17:13 ). In both instances Israel is rebuked for having forsaken the Lord for other cisterns that could in no way satisfy their “thirst.” 5 In other passages of Scripture, the following are said metaphorically to be “water”: God’s help ( Isa 8:6 : “the gently flowing waters of Shiloah” ); God’s judgment ( Isa 28:17 : “water will overflow your hiding place” ); man’s words ( Prov 18:4 : “The words of man’s mouth are deep waters” ); man’s purposes ( Prov 20:5 : “The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters” ); an adulterous woman ( Prov 9:17 : “Stolen water is sweet” ); and a person’s posterity ( Isa 48:1 : “Listen to this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and have come forth out of the line [waters] of Judah” ). The Effect of Climate Change on Water 1. Rising temperatures causes rise of sea levels though warming of water and melting of glaciers. There are two major reasons why sea levels have been rising: When water warms up, its volume increases. This is called thermal expansion. The melting of glaciers and of the polar ice caps adds huge amounts of freshwater to the oceans. Due to warmer temperatures, mountain glaciers all over the world are receding. The dramatic worldwide shrinking of the glaciers is one of the most visible evidences of global warming. Glaciers act as a kind of global fever thermometer. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, lost one third of its ice within 12 years. About 82% of its icecap surveyed in 1912 is now gone. In the Alps, the glaciers lost about 1/3 of their area and half of their volume between 1850 and 1975. Since then much more has melted. Switzerland went so far as to cover one of its most rapidly melting glaciers to slow down the loss. In the United States, the glaciers in “Glacier National Park” are retreating so quickly it has been estimated that they will vanish entirely by the year 2030. Melting glaciers pose multiple dangers: Initially, the increasing amount of meltwater can have a positive effect for hydropower. At the same time, emerging glacial lakes have the potential of sudden drainage that could cause devastating floods. In the long term, severe water shortages can be expected when there will be no or only very little ice left to melt in the summer. The time frame for this to happen varies greatly depending on the geographic location; it may be a matter of just a few years, decades, or, in the case of the Himalayas, several centuries. The rising of sea levels will result in land and habitat loss in many countries. Bangladesh may lose almost 20% of its land area. Hundreds of coastal communities, Small Island states in the Pacific and Indian oceans and the Caribbean would be inundated, forcing their population to relocate. Experts with the United Nations University estimate that rising sea levels and environmental deterioration have already displaced about 50 million people. The greatest cost of rising sea levels will not be measurable. It is the inevitable disruption of communities and cultures that cannot be replicated elsewhere. However, in the more distant future, that is later on this century and beyond, hundreds of millions of people will become displaced if sea levels will rise a few meters. Many important, historical cities around the world like Venice, New Orleans, and Amsterdam will be lost to the ocean. Many of the largest cities in the world will sooner or later share the same fate, including Shanghai, Manhattan, Alexandria, and Dhaka. Some 84 of the world’s 100 fastest-growing cities face “extreme” risks from rising temperatures and extreme weather brought on by climate change. Most worrisome is that the polar ice caps began melting as well. The accelerating speed of their melting even surprised scientists who predicted the thawing. From 1979 to 2005, Arctic sea ice has shrunk roughly 250 million acres an area the size of New York, Georgia, and Texas combined. Between 1953 and 2006, the area covered by sea ice in September shrunk by 7.8 percent per decade, more than three times as fast as the average rate simulated by climate models. It reached its lowest point on record in 2012. The extent of Arctic sea ice in 2019 was tied with 2007 and 2016 as the second lowest on record. The maximum extent, reached in March 2019, was tied with 2007 as the seventh lowest in the 40-year satellite record. This decline is rapidly changing the geopolitics of the Arctic region, opening the Northwest Passage for the first time in recorded history and triggering a scramble among governments to claim large swaths of the potentially resource-rich Arctic sea floor. Many now believe the summer Arctic Ocean could be ice-free by 2030, decades earlier than previously thought possible.” The Greenland ice sheet is also melting. It holds enough water to raise sea levels worldwide by 23 feet. Why are the polar ice caps melting so fast? A major reason is the albedo (reflectivity) effect: Snow and ice are best reflectors of solar radiation. They reflect about 70% of the sun’s radiation (and absorb 30%). Water on the other hand is a poor reflector. It reflects only 6% of the sun’s radiation and absorbs most of the heat (94%). The intense thawing of ice and snow creates more water surfaces. The warming of the water contributes to the regional rise in temperature, which again causes more ice to melt. This ice – albedo feedback is believed to be the major reason why the Arctic is warming so rapidly. [xvi] In addition, the melt water from the surface penetrates into the depths of the ice sheets. The process lubricates the ice sheets and accelerates their movement towards the sea. 2. Water Scarcity has increased from both rise of demand and reduced availability from glaciers. The amount of freshwater is finite while demand is increasing. One billion people around the world don’t have access to clean, safe water. In developing nations, waterborne illnesses like cholera, typhoid and malaria kill 5 million people each year — 6,000 children every day. And global warming is exacerbating this crisis as severe, prolonged droughts dry up water supplies in arid regions and heavy rains cause sewage overflows. People who fall ill from waterborne diseases can’t work. Women and girls who travel hours, sometimes more than seven hours a day, to fetch clean water for their families can’t go to school or hold on to a job. Without proper sanitation, human waste pollutes waterways and wildlife habitat. Global warming and population pressures are drying up water supplies and instigating conflict over scarce resources. Water links and maintains all ecosystems on the planet. From sciencing.com: “The main function of water is to propel plant growth; provide a permanent dwelling for species that live within it, or provide a temporary home or breeding ground for multiple amphibians, insects and other water-birthed organisms; and to provide the nutrients and minerals necessary to sustain physical life.” It has its own cycle like carbon or phosphorus. From sciencing.com: “Within humans, water helps to transport oxygen, minerals, nutrients and waste products to and from the cells. The digestive system needs water to function properly, and water lubricates the mucous layers in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.” The most serious threat to water supply is the disappearance of glaciers which provide much needed melt water during the summer. More than one-sixth of the world’s population will be affected. Most of the planet’s water is unavailable for human use. While more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is freshwater. Out of that freshwater, almost 70 percent is permanently frozen in the ice caps covering Antarctica and Greenland. Only about 1 percent of the freshwater on Earth is available for people to use for drinking, bathing, and irrigating crops.” In many parts of the world, lakes are shrinking or disappearing and rivers are running dry. Lake Chad, for example, has shrunk by 95% since about 1960. This had disastrous consequences for the local population. The main causes are the diversion of water for irrigation and less rainfall because of climate change. Many large rivers like the Yellow River, the Colorado River or the Nile don’t reach the ocean anymore. The Himalayan region is predicted to be one of the areas hardest hit by climate change. In addition to the loss of water and hydroelectricity supply following glacial shrinkage, the Himalayas are expected to experience sudden and catastrophic flooding resulting from glacial lakes overwhelming their gravel moraine dams; decreased crop production resulting from erratic weather conditions; and the loss of numerous high altitude species unable to adapt to warmer conditions. 3. Water scarcity affects food supplies We each drink on average nearly about 1 gallon of water per day in one form or another, while the water required to produce our daily food totals at least 528 gallons—500 times as much. This helps explain why 70 percent of all water use is for one purpose—irrigation.” Aquifers are over-pumped in many countries. There are two types of aquifers: replenishable and nonreplenishable (or fossil) aquifers. Those in India and the shallow aquifer under the North China Plain are replenishable. When these are depleted, the maximum rate of pumping is automatically reduced to the rate of recharge. For fossil aquifers, such as the vast U.S. Ogallala aquifer, the deep aquifer under the North China Plain, or the Saudi aquifer, depletion brings pumping to an end. Farmers who lose their irrigation water have the option of returning to lower-yield dry land farming if rainfall permits. In more arid regions, however, such as in the southwestern United States or the Middle East, the loss of irrigation water means the end of agriculture. The U.S. embassy in Beijing reports that wheat farmers in some areas are now pumping from a depth of 300 meters (nearly 1,000 feet). Pumping water from this far down raises pumping costs so high that farmers are often forced to abandon irrigation and return to less productive dry land farming. Changes in precipitation patterns are observed in many parts of the world. The timing and amount of rain are very important for crops. Farmers need to adapt and learn how to do things differently, for example plant different seeds, or different crops, or plant them at a different time of the year. Preserving Water- 6 things You Can Do 1 Installing an ENERGY STAR-certified washer, 2 Using low-flow faucets 3 Plugging up leaks, 4 Irrigating the lawn in the morning or evening when the cooler air causes less evaporation, 5 Taking shorter showers and not running sink water when brushing your teeth. 6 Consider using non-toxic cleaning products and eco-friendly pesticides and herbicides that won’t contaminate groundwater. Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change, Part 3 The Forests Last week we tended to look down on earth from high dealing with rising temperatures, the effect on glaciers and water scarcity. This week we look at ground level to consider deforestation and next week the effect on the seas Deforestation Forests play a vital role in maintaining the balance of the Earth’s ecosystems. They provide habitat for more than half of all terrestrial species, help filter pollutants out of the air and water, and prevent soil erosion. Rainforests also provide essential hydrological (water-related) services. For example, they tend to result in higher dry season streamflow and river levels, since forests slow down the rate of water or rain run-off, and help it enter into the aquifer. Without a tree cover, the water tends to run off quickly into the streams and rivers, often taking a lot of topsoil with it. Forests also help the regional climate as they cycle water to the interior of a continent. The shrinking of the Amazon Rainforest reduces regional rainfall, which in turn threatens the health of the remaining forest and of the agricultural land in Southern Brazil. This also results in an increased fire risk. Forests and their soils also play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. The level of CO2 in the atmosphere depends on the distribution or exchange of carbon between different “carbon pools” as part of the carbon cycle. Forests and their soils are major carbon pools, as are oceans, agricultural soils, other vegetation, and wood products: the carbon stored in the woody part of trees and shrubs (known as “biomass”) and soils is about 50% more than that stored in the atmosphere. Trees continuously exchange CO2 with the atmosphere. The release of CO2 into the air is due both to natural processes (respiration of trees at night and the decomposition of organic matter) and human processes (removal or destruction of trees). Similarly, CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by the action of photosynthesis, which results in carbon being integrated into the organic molecules used by plants, including the woody biomass of trees. Thus forests play a major role in regulating global temperatures by absorbing heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and storing it in the form of wood and vegetation – a process referred to as “carbon sequestration”. Unfortunately, the global benefits provided by trees are being threatened by deforestation and forest degradation. ‘Deforestation’ as a shorthand for tree loss. Forest ‘degradation’ happens when the forest gets degraded, for example due to unsustainable logging practices which remove the most valuable species, or artesanal charcoal production in which only a few trees are harvested. The Earth loses more than 18 million acres of forestland every year—an area larger than Ireland—according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Deforestation is a major cause of global warming. When trees are burned, their stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere. As a result, tropical deforestation (including forest degradation) is responsible for about 12-15 percent of total annual global warming emissions according to estimates released for the climate change meeting in Copenhagen. The Western Forest Fires and Climate Change Fires are burning across at least ten states in the western US, but the greatest conflagrations are across California and Oregon. California’s wildfires, driven by extreme blazes in August and September, have already burned more acres than any year on record. More than 3.5 million acres have burned in California, with over 2,500 more fires than at the same point in 2019. Oregon fires have burned more than 1 million acres. The causes are linked in part to unique factors in 2020 that are not related to climate change. Meteorologists suggest a ridge of air over the Pacific Northwest, perhaps related to the cooling of Pacific waters under current La Niña conditions, is the likely culprit. Fire season usually ends around October, when autumn rains eliminate the threat. But this year in Southern California, those rains have not arrived However, climate change is also a part of it. Observed warming and drying, lack of rain fall have significantly increased fire-season fuel aridity, fostering a more favorable fire environment across forested systems. The drought has gone on since 2012. There has been an increase in drier air. Coupled with strong, warm winds, the fire risk was extreme. Warmer air over the high desert of Utah and Nevada has lower relative humidity and will become drier still as it descends into California. Drier air leads to more desiccation and greater fire risk. Many climate change forecasts suggest that there will be less rain in Southern California in the fall in the future, and more rain in December and January. That means fires could continue later into the fall, greatly extending the fire risk season. The Climate Council, an independent, community funded climate organization, suggests fire conditions are now more dangerous than they were in the past, with longer bushfire seasons, drought, drier fuels and soils, and record-breaking heat in Australia. The gradual warming caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases makes fires more likely across the planet, as warmer air dries the soil and vegetation more, allowing it to ignite more readily. California is no exception: average annual temperatures in the state have increased by about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895, and the Central Valley and Southern California have warmed even more. Increased forest fire activity across the western United States in recent decades has contributed to widespread forest mortality, carbon emissions, periods of degraded air quality, and substantial fire suppression expenditures Climate Change -Spiritual Reflections on Nature and Humankind The issue of Climate Change that has enveloped over the last generation has involved both religion and science. It is closely related to the Season of Creation due to need to take action on climate change that imperils God’s creation. Science and religion are tools to investigate reality from two different angles. Each discipline asks a fundamentally different question. Science asks: how does the universe work? Religion asks: why is there a universe and what is its purpose, and what is our purpose of existence as human beings? Now, as the Earth is affected by climate change and other environmental problems we need science to learn more about the causes, effects, and solutions to these problems. So what’s the role of religion? While scientists can tell us what needs to be done, they are usually not able to motivate society to implement these solutions. That’s where we need religion. Religion provides us with the spiritual understanding of our responsibility towards the Earth and towards other human beings including future generations. In other words, religion provides an ethical or moral framework. And it motivates us to act! The concern of the environment is an interfaith issue and not just Christian. All faiths have talked about it. The issue in the Bible goes right back to the early Israelites A major theme of Deuteronomy is that God’s covenantal gift of the land came with a warning: the Israelites were not to forget God’s commandments; if they did, they would lose the land. Here is Deuteronomy 8 “… the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with/lowing streams, ‘with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing. Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes” As with any gift, the need to preserve it was crucial. They couldn’t do well unless they maintained the land. The soil was thin and easily eroded. The rain was sparse and came in the winter, the wrong time of year. They were a partner with the Lord More specifics came from Exodus and Leviticus the land was to be allowed to rest, to lie fallow one year in seven; second, crops growing at the edges of the field were not to be harvested, but left for the poor, those who had no land. The covenant was not only between Jew and God but Jew, God and Land. In Jeremiah, every family was allocated a farm in the promised land Over time the Israelites abused God’s hospitality by living in ways that were unjust, ways contrary to Torah, ways that desecrated the land. Time and again God offered to forgive the people if they would only repent and live faithfully. But they refused, and so God’s commitment to the land required that the Israelites be exiled. But exile was not the end of the covenant. It was intended to be a sabbatical to reconsecrate the land and people, a time of fallowing for land and people. The birth of Jesus was an end to the era of exile which began with the takeover of the temple 500 years earlier. The Israelites and us all live in fragile land. Our collective impact on the global environmental system has increased since the Industrial Revolution, and we now find ourselves in a situation much like that of the Israelites. To continue to flourish, we need a sabbatical to understand as impact and judge what we can do to reconstitute our relationship to the environment. We are bringing back the kingdom by understanding how everything is connected with everything else. There is a balance which is getting out of balance. The sun is the source of all life and of all energy. It provides the temperature necessary for the existence of life. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen with the help of sunlight. That’s called photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants transform atmospheric carbon into organic compounds, especially glucose (sugars). That glucose is used in various forms by every creature on the planet for energy and growth. Also important is keeping trapping some of this energy warming the planet and enabling man to survive. Atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are called greenhouse gases because they act similar to the glass in a greenhouse by trapping heat. Since the industrial revolution, greenhouse gases have sharply increased upsetting the previously long-lasting balance. The increase comes mainly from emissions from power plants, cars, airplanes, from deforestation and industrial activities. In a very short period of time, human beings have used huge quantities of stored solar energy (fossil fuels) thereby releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere the warmer our planet becomes. This has warmer climates particular in southern areas and has eliminated a percentage of glacial coverage. The balance is upset and we are likely to pay the price. Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change: The Evidence Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska 1894 and 2008. Definitions “Climate change” ( a preferred term over global warming) refers to any significant change in measures of climate (temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or more). It may result from: “Global warming” refers to an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface, contributing to changes in global climate patterns. Most people use the phrase to refer to increased emissions of “greenhouse gases Atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are called greenhouse gases because they act similar to the glass in a greenhouse by trapping heat. The greenhouse gases are transparent to most incoming radiation from the sun, which passes through the atmosphere and hits the Earth. The Earth is warmed by this radiation, and in response radiates infrared energy back into space. That is where greenhouse gases come into play. These atmospheric gases absorb some of the outgoing infrared radiation, trapping the heat energy in the atmosphere and thereby warming the Earth.” Life on Earth is only possible because of this greenhouse effect. It has kept the Earth’s average surface temperature stabilized at around 13.5°C (56.3°F) for a long time. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere the warmer our planet becomes. “Greenhouse gases” have been produced over the last 200 years. Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide. Farming practices and land use changes produce methane and nitrous oxide. Trees remove carbon dioxide, replacing it with oxygen; deforestation lessens this effect in the atmosphere. As a result, greenhouse gases have risen significantly. They prevent heat from escaping to space, similar to glass panels of a greenhouse. Specifically: Past cycles Could these be natural cycles ? There have been natural cycles of warming and cooling The last ice age was more than 10,000 years ago. The main factors were slight variations in the earth’s rotation, namely the cyclical changes in the tilt of the Earth’s axis of spin and the shape of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Solar variation and volcanic eruptions played a minor role as well. Temperatures affected CO2 levels due to feedback mechanisms. In turn CO2 had an effect on temperature by augmenting the warming or cooling trend. In other words: Without the atmospheric CO2, the changes in temperatures would have been much smaller. “The atmospheric concentrations of CO2 consistently fluctuated between 200 parts per million (ppm) during the ice ages and 280 ppm during the warm intervals. This shift from ice age to warm period occurred many times and always within thiCO2 range. When the Industrial Revolution began, the atmospheric CO2 level was roughly 280 ppm.” On the graph we can see that CO2 never went above 300ppm. In 2014, atmospheric CO2 concentrations reached an extraordinary 400ppm! From this and other studies we know that 400ppm “is not only far above any level over the last 740,000 years, it may be nearing a level not seen for 55 million year The situation today is very different from the past’s natural cycles. In a very short period of time, human beings have burnt huge quantities of stored solar energy (fossil fuels), thereby releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That’s why greenhouse gas concentrations have been so rapidly rising. The global warming we have already experienced and the many changes in climate all over the world can only be explained by these tremendous increases in greenhouse gases. They cannot be explained by any natural cycle or changes in solar activity or volcanic eruptions. Today, human activities have a stronger impact on climate than natural occurrences: “We have so much CO2 in the atmosphere that its huge radiative forcing overwhelms the changes associated with orbital forcing. No ice age could start at this point! Read more about climate change… Not sure about Climate Change ? Read the article in “Skeptical Science” Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule September 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (September, 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Bulletins and Sermon A. Morning Prayer Sunday Bulletin (Sept. 27, 2020 10:00am) B. Holy Eucharist Sunday Bulletin (Sept. 20, 2020 10:00am) C. Evening Prayer Sunday Bulletin (Sept. 20, 2020 7:00pm), Sermon 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 13, August 30, 2020 Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 14, Sept. 6, 2020 Block Print by Mike Newman Projects A new “Tree Fund” – to maintain our investment in trees. Read the article and consider a gift. The pavilion being constructed in memory of John R. Sellers, Sr., is almost complete. If you would like to make a donation in John’s memory to help cover the cost, write a check to St Peter’s, and write Pavilion/John Sellers on the memo line. 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, – Sept. 20 – Sept. 27, 2020 September 13, 2020 – Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Season of Creation II The Week Ahead… September 13 – Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 13 – 10:00am, Holy Eucharist on the River Top left. About 10 friends from St. George’s witnessed her first service as priest, Reading the Gospel from Matthew, Receiving gifts including St. Peter’s Cross and a collection of stoles, leading Communion and trying on the stoles after the service. We honored Carey Connors today who was ordained in Richmond on Sept. 12, 2020. We had her lead our first Eucharist since March. Yes, Eucharist is back – outside with a few differences. 1. Bulletin for Sept. 13, 10:00am, Holy Eucharist 2. Readings and Prayers Pentecost 15, Sept. 13, Holy Eucharist September 13 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online September 13 – 7:00pm, Evening Prayer – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475 1. Bulletin for Sept. 13, 7:00pm, Evening Prayer 2. Readings and Prayers Pentecost 15, Sept. 13 September 16 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom September 20 – Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 20 – 10:00am, Holy Eucharist on the River September 20 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online September 20, 7:00pm, Evening Prayer – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 10am Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475 Connecting our Stewardship Campaign to the Season of Creation We begin the stewardship campaign in September with the distribution of pledge cards for 2021. We are also in the Season of Creation. Are they connected ? Language from the Bible supports both the Season of Creation and our pledge campaign using the language of – planting, growth, production of fruit, and feeding. Here’s some of our language and imagery, linking these practices, both ancient and continuing, with our common life at St. Peter’s: Holy Cross Day, September 14 See Our Collection of Crosses "O BLESSED Saviour, who by thy cross and passion hast given life unto the world: Grant that we thy servants may be given grace to take up the cross and follow thee through life and death; whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit we worship and glorify, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." Holy Cross Day is Sept. 14 in honor of Christ’s self-offering on the cross for our salvation. The collect for Holy Cross Day recalls that Christ "was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world unto himself," and prays that "we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him" (BCP, p. 192). The themes of Holy Cross Day are powerfully expressed by the hymn "Lift high the cross" (Hymn 473). This day has been a part of the Eastern Church. The feast entered the Western calendar in the seventh century after Emperor Heraclius recovered the cross from the Persians, who had carried it off in 614, 15 years earlier. According to the story, the emperor intended to carry the cross back into Jerusalem himself, but was unable to move forward until he took off his imperial garb and became a barefoot pilgrim. It only has been celebrated in the Episcopal Church with the current prayer book Lectionary, September 20, 2020, Pentecost 16, Proper 20, Year A I.Theme – Grace to all who ask. However, we often covet God’s power to forgive and God’s control over who is forgiven and how.
"Late Arriving Workers" – Jesus Mafa (1973) The lectionary readings are here or individually: Old Testament – Jonah 3:10-4:11 The scriptures focus on God’s gift of grace in the Old Testament and Gospel readings. We should not covet it or second guess and we may wait on the promise. As the Psalm emphasizes, praise God’”wonderous works” and celebrate the mercy, compassion and goodness of God. There is a sense of unity that should prevail as Paul stresses in the Epistle to the Philippians. They are bound together with Paul in a mutually supportive relationship — they share his conflict and suffering, because their entire struggle is a sharing in the sufferings of Christ. They are to live as free citizens — not of Rome, but of God’s coming rule on earth and stand firm in the face of adversity and to be loving and unselfish in their behavior towards one another. In the Old Testament reading, Jonah, has run away to avoid delivering the message of forgiveness that God has sent him to proclaim. Jonah complains about God giving grace to those in Ninevah "for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing," and surely this cannot be for them? Jonah regarded God’s "steadfastness" and grace as the unique, covenantal possession of Israel. However, it was not unthinkable that God would "change his mind" with regard to the nations. Ancient Nineveh was well known for its lawlessness and violence. Nineveh was the capital of Israel’s greatest enemy, Assyria. Assyria would later depose Israel sending them to Babylonia. Yet Nineveh also represents second chances to hear and obey the Lord. However, Jonah becomes angry, deserts Ninevah . God then caused tree to grow over Jonah but then sent a worm to attack the bush and then sent the heat and wind against Jonah. In the Gospel’s parable of the workers in the vineyard, Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a foreman who hired laborers early in the morning, then successively throughout the day at the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hours. A twelve-hour day of manual labor, with the "burden of the work and the heat of the day" is a long day. That evening the foreman settled accounts, paying those who had worked a meager one hour the same as those who had worked twelve hours. The repeated visits to the marketplace by the landowner to look for laborers is a warning to anticipate some other unexpected behavior from him. He is looking for the many to bring into the kingdom. In the Gospel, grace comes to those who work many or few hours. God’s grace is open to all. For Jesus the parable teaches that the gift of eternal life is not the reward of human merit, but a free gift of divine grace. The sacrifices of the followers of Jesus will be honored by God, but the reward will so far outstrip the sacrifice that it can only be called sheer grace, something God gives us or brings about in our lives that we cannot earn or bring about on our own steam. In an article in the The Chautauqan Daily, lecturer Amy-Jill Levine writes: "Many of the people in Jesus’ audience would have been day laborers and identified with the people in the story. "Equal wages for workers, no matter what time of day they were hired, was not an unfamiliar aspect to Jewish law. "The shock of the parable so far is not that everybody was paid equally; it’s how they were paid and the expectation that the first hired would actually receive more,” Levine said. “The problem is not about economics; it’s about social relations,” Levine said. “They’re thinking in terms of limited good. … They’re thinking in terms of what they think is fair, but the landowner is thinking in terms of what he thinks is just.” "..perhaps the parable helps us redefine our sense of what good life, abundant living, means. We might have thought that the most important thing in life is to be fair, which means to be impartial. But perhaps the more important criterion is to be generous.” The parable is part of the great reversal – first will be last and the last will be first. Those who begrudge the landowners generosity were those who felt that they had earned what they received, rather than see their work and wages as gifts. The wages at stake (even at the moment of Jesus’ first telling of the parable) are not actual daily wages for vineyard-laborers, but forgiveness, life, and salvation for believers. The scandal of this parable is that we are all equal recipients of God’s gifts. The scandal of our faith is that we are often covetous and jealous when God’s gifts of forgiveness and life are given to other in equal measure. The reversal saying is also a word of challenge to the disciples in their attitudes toward women and children, and other "unimportant" people with whom Jesus chooses to mingle and eat, whom he heals and restores. The disciples could be among the last. The disciples, hearing this strange saying about reversal of status probably identified with the last who would become first. But Jesus was using the saying to caution them that, in a spiritual sense, they are in danger of becoming the first who would be last. Jesus’ followers are to beware of spiritual arrogance that makes them the self-appointed elite of others of lower degree. Read more about the Lectionary… What is the Season of Creation ? This is fourth year we have used this optional lectionary which begins Sept 1 and ends at St. Francis Day, Oct. 4. Usually Pentecost is the longest season from Pentecost Sunday until Advent. Now the Season of Creation, five Sundays, helps to break up the period we spend in Pentecost. Where did this come from ? Since the 1980’s, the Eastern Orthodox Church has designated this time each year to delve more deeply into our relationships with God and with one another in the context of the magnificent creation in which we live. The Catholic Church also recognizes this season. The Church of England, as well as the Anglicans in Australia and New Zealand observe this season as well. Various churches across the United States also celebrate the Season of Creation. Bishop Shannon has blessed our observance, so that we at St Peter’s can join with Christians all over the world in this celebration. The central focus of the month is on God–God as Creator. In his letter to the Romans, right up front, Paul makes this statement. “Ever since the creation of the world, God’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things that God has made.” We know a lot about God simply by paying attention to God’s creation. And Jesus, who came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly, used his own attention to and love of the natural world in his teachings and parables, to help the people around him find the abundant life that can become ours through him. To be with Jesus through scripture and through the bread and wine is also to see and to know God the Creator of heaven and earth. When we Christians consider all the “works thy hands hath made,” as the old hymn “How Great Thou Art” puts it, how do our relationships with God, with creation, and with one another grow richer and deeper? This question is also a focus of this five week Season of Creation. The goal in worship then is to deepen our understanding of God as Creator, to celebrate God’s role as Creator, and to examine and deepen and widen our own relationships with God, creation, and with one another. With Bishop Shannon’s permission, we will be using scripture readings in this five week period that have been designed to help us to accomplish these goals. You can find out more about the readings in the article later in this newsletter, “The Readings for The Season of Creation.” At the Eucharist, we will be using the Eucharistic Prayer “We Give Thanks” which highlights the role of God as Creator and Jesus dwelling in nature as one of us to bring us abundant life. My hope for this Season is that we can grow in our love of God as Creator, and also in our love of creation itself, and to consider why, as Christians, the natural world and our relationship with it matters deeply in the working out of our lives as the beloved children of God on this earth. Recovering creation ? “Traveling the Way of Love” was produced by the Episcopal to highlight the parts of the “Way of Love”, in this case GO! This episode focuses on Honoré Farm and Mill, a ministry in Marin County, California, named for St. Honoratus of Amiens, patron saint of bread bakers. It is the annual harvest day, where neighbors side neighbors come to gather up and help thresh the year’s crops. Modern milling techniques further process grain into flour that it is flavorless and starchy, rapidly converting to sugar in the body, even when labeled whole grain. It strips the grain of their nutrients The work on this form is an example of recovering creation – stonemilling wheat The problem for most people wasn’t actually wheat or gluten but rather industrial processing, which strips grains of their nutrients and divorces bread from traditional sourdough fermentation, which makes wheat more digestible. This is hardly care for creation As the Rev. Elizabeth DeRuff describes – “Farming doesn’t have to be destructive.. Agriculture produces about 30% of those greenhouse gases and that is from our petroleum based chemicals and because they are using a lot of chemicals the soil is king of inert, it loses its life. This wheat all grown organically has very deep roots and so photosynthesis it brings down the carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas shuttles it through the plant into the roots and it become carbon sugars and the soil microbes eat the carbon sugars.” The wheat they produce can be digested by gluten intolerant people. Season of Creation Devotional for Sept. 20
“My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you”. Philippians 1:23b-24 From Presiding Bishop Michael Curry “There are a lot of good hymns and spirituals about heaven and how wonderful it will be to rest from our labors and be there with the Lord. And this is true. The apostle Paul, when he wrote his letter to the Philippian Christians, was in prison and didn’t know if he was about to die. If so, he said, that would be just fine: “To die is gain.” But he went on to say that, although this world and its problems can be tiresome, he needed to stick around because there was still work to do. To remain, for Paul and for us, was “necessary for you.” “Now, “you” isn’t just our loved ones, or even or neighbors, co-workers and folks we meet. “You” is also the world in which we live and breathe, the vineyard in which we toil. “To “remain in the flesh” is hard work, because it calls us to be ever more intentional in our care for all around us, including creation itself. German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer once affirmed that “it is only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith.” This world, and all that it holds, is in God’s hands. But as long as we remain in the flesh, then by God’s call it is in our hands as well. Liberating, life-giving God, help us to know that we and the world you have created are truly the work of your hands. Give us knowledge and wisdom to care for your handiwork now and for future generations. Amen.” Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change, Part 3 The Forests Last week we tended to look down on earth from high dealing with rising temperatures, the effect on glaciers and water scarcity. This week we look at ground level to consider deforestation and next week the effect on the seas Deforestation Forests play a vital role in maintaining the balance of the Earth’s ecosystems. They provide habitat for more than half of all terrestrial species, help filter pollutants out of the air and water, and prevent soil erosion. Rainforests also provide essential hydrological (water-related) services. For example, they tend to result in higher dry season streamflow and river levels, since forests slow down the rate of water or rain run-off, and help it enter into the aquifer. Without a tree cover, the water tends to run off quickly into the streams and rivers, often taking a lot of topsoil with it. Forests also help the regional climate as they cycle water to the interior of a continent. The shrinking of the Amazon Rainforest reduces regional rainfall, which in turn threatens the health of the remaining forest and of the agricultural land in Southern Brazil. This also results in an increased fire risk. Forests and their soils also play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. The level of CO2 in the atmosphere depends on the distribution or exchange of carbon between different “carbon pools” as part of the carbon cycle. Forests and their soils are major carbon pools, as are oceans, agricultural soils, other vegetation, and wood products: the carbon stored in the woody part of trees and shrubs (known as “biomass”) and soils is about 50% more than that stored in the atmosphere. Trees continuously exchange CO2 with the atmosphere. The release of CO2 into the air is due both to natural processes (respiration of trees at night and the decomposition of organic matter) and human processes (removal or destruction of trees). Similarly, CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by the action of photosynthesis, which results in carbon being integrated into the organic molecules used by plants, including the woody biomass of trees. Thus forests play a major role in regulating global temperatures by absorbing heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and storing it in the form of wood and vegetation – a process referred to as “carbon sequestration”. Unfortunately, the global benefits provided by trees are being threatened by deforestation and forest degradation. ‘Deforestation’ as a shorthand for tree loss. Forest ‘degradation’ happens when the forest gets degraded, for example due to unsustainable logging practices which remove the most valuable species, or artesanal charcoal production in which only a few trees are harvested. The Earth loses more than 18 million acres of forestland every year—an area larger than Ireland—according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Deforestation is a major cause of global warming. When trees are burned, their stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere. As a result, tropical deforestation (including forest degradation) is responsible for about 12-15 percent of total annual global warming emissions according to estimates released for the climate change meeting in Copenhagen. The Western Forest Fires and Climate Change Fires are burning across at least ten states in the western US, but the greatest conflagrations are across California and Oregon. California’s wildfires, driven by extreme blazes in August and September, have already burned more acres than any year on record. More than 3.5 million acres have burned in California, with over 2,500 more fires than at the same point in 2019. Oregon fires have burned more than 1 million acres. The causes are linked in part to unique factors in 2020 that are not related to climate change. Meteorologists suggest a ridge of air over the Pacific Northwest, perhaps related to the cooling of Pacific waters under current La Niña conditions, is the likely culprit. Fire season usually ends around October, when autumn rains eliminate the threat. But this year in Southern California, those rains have not arrived However, climate change is also a part of it. Observed warming and drying, lack of rain fall have significantly increased fire-season fuel aridity, fostering a more favorable fire environment across forested systems. The drought has gone on since 2012. There has been an increase in drier air. Coupled with strong, warm winds, the fire risk was extreme. Warmer air over the high desert of Utah and Nevada has lower relative humidity and will become drier still as it descends into California. Drier air leads to more desiccation and greater fire risk. Many climate change forecasts suggest that there will be less rain in Southern California in the fall in the future, and more rain in December and January. That means fires could continue later into the fall, greatly extending the fire risk season. The Climate Council, an independent, community funded climate organization, suggests fire conditions are now more dangerous than they were in the past, with longer bushfire seasons, drought, drier fuels and soils, and record-breaking heat in Australia. The gradual warming caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases makes fires more likely across the planet, as warmer air dries the soil and vegetation more, allowing it to ignite more readily. California is no exception: average annual temperatures in the state have increased by about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895, and the Central Valley and Southern California have warmed even more. Increased forest fire activity across the western United States in recent decades has contributed to widespread forest mortality, carbon emissions, periods of degraded air quality, and substantial fire suppression expenditures Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule September 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (September, 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Bulletins and Sermon A. Holy Eucharist Sunday Bulletin (Sept. 20, 2020 10:00am) B. Evening Prayer Sunday Bulletin (Sept. 13, 2020 7:00pm), Sermon 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 12, August 23, 2020 Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 13, August 30, 2020 Block Print by Mike Newman Projects A new “Tree Fund” – to maintain our investment in trees. Read the article and consider a gift. The pavilion being constructed in memory of John R. Sellers, Sr., is almost complete. If you would like to make a donation in John’s memory to help cover the cost, write a check to St Peter’s, and write Pavilion/John Sellers on the memo line. 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, – Sept. 13 – Sept. 20, 2020 September 6, 2020 – 14th Sunday after Pentecost, Season of Creation I Local photos – The Season of Creation in our own neighborhoods by our parishioners! The Week Ahead… September 6 – Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 6 – 8:00am,10:00am – Diocese Labor Day Worship From the Diocese – “On Sunday, September 6 (Labor Day Weekend), we will gather online, as the Diocese of Virginia, for a worship service led by your bishops. Bishop Goff will preach and Bishops Brooke-Davidson and Taylor will be there, too.” September 6 – 10:00am, Morning Prayer on the River 1. Bulletin for Sept. 6, 10:00am, Morning Prayer 2. Readings and Prayers Pentecost 14, Sept. 6, Morning Prayer 4. Photo Gallery and description September 6 – 11:15am, National Cathedral church service online September 6 – 7:00pm, Evening Prayer on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID: 882 4567 8370 Passcode: 399302 1. Bulletin for Sept. 6, 7:00pm, Evening Prayer 2. Readings and Prayers Pentecost 14, Sept. 6 September 9 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom Meeting ID: 882 4567 8370 Passcode: 399302 September 13 – Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 13 – 10:00am, Holy Eucharist on the River Yes, Eucharist is back this Sunday – outside September 13 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online September 13 – 7:00pm – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475 Lectionary, September 13 2020, Pentecost 15, Proper 19, Year A I.Theme – Forgiveness, the basis for reconciliation. "The Unforgiving Servant – 1973. Jesus MAFA. JESUS MAFA is a response to the New Testament readings from the Lectionary by a Christian community in Cameroon, Africa. Each of the readings were selected and adapted to dramatic interpretation by the community members The lectionary readings are here or individually: Old Testament – Genesis 50:15-21 There are two interwoven themes: •The power and importance of story and the role of story in developing identity •The recurring Biblical theme of forgiveness and the related theme of resisting our tendency to judgment. Both themes have intertwined in and through them God’s presence, always available and always working in and through the life of an individual and the life of a group of people. The other connecting thread is that of healing or becoming whole as Christians. This way of looking at healing embraces both our formation as Christians, the building up of our identity in faith; and challenges us to allow ourselves to be reformed through forgiveness. Genesis looks at forgiveness from the victim. The Gospel looking at forgiveness in terms of grace. The story of Joseph in Genesis 50: 15-21 describes a very human situation with which most of us can identify. It deals with guilt of Joseph’s brothers in their treatment of him, selling him into slavery. Joseph father may have prevented Joseph from getting even. But now the father was dead That thought of getting even consumed them, even more than the loss of their father. They tell Joseph that Jacob’s dying wish was that he forgive them. We do not know if that is true. At least, it shows how desperate they were to use every device they knew to persuade Joseph to forgive. The family that has known disruption, favoritism, hostility, and deceit all through the book of Genesis may finally get its act together. There is hope for reconciliation after this forgiveness. One marvels at the graciousness of Joseph who is actually able to forgive after all of this. As a response to the first lesson from Genesis 50, these verses from Psalm 103 could provide hymn texts for Joseph and for Joseph’s brothers. Verses 1-7 would be the song of pious Joseph who suffered deep wrong at the hands of his envious brothers and had ample reason to question God’s sovereignty Instead, the singer remembers "all God’s benefits": forgiveness of sin (pride for Joseph), deliverance from the grave (the pit and then slavery); crowing with mercy (not to mention the literal "crown" of Pharaoh); and vindication — to the point that Joseph can find God’s hand at work in the evil deeds of his brothers. Verses 8-13 would be the song of Joseph’s thankful brothers when they hear Joseph’s words of pardon. Joseph’s forgiveness bears witness to the God who is full of compassion and slow to anger and who does not deal with us according to our sins or repay us according to our iniquities. And as Joseph draws his father and brothers west toward Egypt, the memory of their sins is blown as far to the east as can be imagined. Romans gives some practical examples of forgiveness of others and ourselves. Here it is more of a group conflict. Differences in lifestyle, however, were the attitudes that were dividing the church. Paul’s commands toward both groups make it pretty clear that the "strong" were despising the "weak," while the "weak" were judging or condemning the "strong. God judges; we shouldn’t. Each Christian is answerable to “the Lord” and should not be criticized. Paul’s goal for the church is presented in his benediction in Romans 15:5-6, that instead of using our words to despise or judge others in our fellowship, we glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ "with one voice!" The Matthew story is all about forgiveness from the perspective of those who give it. Jesus sets before us an ideal, namely that we be forgiving as God is forgiving. Yet, at the same time we are reminded that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is not the good person who is good at forgiving, but the sinner whose sin is forgiven. This is the story of the unmerciful servant. The king forgives a servant who owes him more than could be repaid in a lifetime. However, in turn the servant fails to forgive other who owes much less to the servant. He fails to imitate the forgiveness of the king. When the king hears about this, he retracts his forgiveness and has the first slave tortured – probably for ever. Two key thoughts. 1. Forgiveness in this parable is both an extravagant and a precious thing. 2. Forgiveness in the Gospel of Matthew is not only relational it is reciprocal and reliant. When teaching his disciples to pray Jesus would have us say, "Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). It is a change in attitude. Members of the community must treat one another as God has treated each of them. However, it does not mean that the sin involved is forgotten or overlooked. Read more about the Lectionary… Keys to the Season of Creation ? For centuries, our theology our theology has focused on relationship with God and our human relationships with one another. The Season of Creation focuses God’s relationship with all creation and with our relationship with creation (and with God through creation). It highlights our role in understanding and addressing address the ecological problems we face today as a part of God’s creation. We are going to look at 6 theological thoughts to the Season of Creation: 1. God as Creator The Spirit of God moving over the face of the water created the earth. Creation is also on a journey, it is ongoing and constantly in a process of being made new. The Bible speaks of a God who is not passive or distant, but active and involved. God here exercises divine power through peaceful means. God creates by the word “In the beginning, God designed a home, a home in which God dwells, a home in which God delights, a home which God calls good. The earth is God’s home…”Nothing goes to waste in this creation. All this creation has a purpose, and every bit of this creation depends on every other bit of creation.” The goal in worship then is to deepen our understanding of God as Creator, to celebrate God’s role as Creator, and to examine and deepen and widen our own relationships with God, creation, and with one another. How are we impacting creation which God said was “good.” 2. Jesus brings us Abundant Life –The Word Jesus was always with God even before creation began. Jesus is the source of truth and understanding of God’s will. All of creation, including planet Earth, is the result of the impulse of the Word (Christ) from God. The Word is the supreme creative force through Whom all things were made. Jesus is the source of life by which men have a relationship with God and hope of eternal life. Christ reconciles all things in heaven and Earth The Word is also divine wisdom, the principle of reason that gives order to the universe. Jesus dwelling in nature as one of us to bring us abundant life As one of the Collects says “Things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Take a walk through the woods and you’ll see fallen trees and decay, and yet new birth is everywhere with seeds and new life Volcanoes give birth to lava. When the lava cools into rock, lichens grow on this rock, helping to erode it into soil in which plants can take root. 3. Role of the spirit. As the “Giver of life” and the “Sustainer of life,” the Holy Spirit is the source of our empowerment, inspiration, and guidance as we seek to live in a way sustainable for all God’s creation. Being “in the unity of the Holy Spirit” encompasses our relationship with all of life. This is foundational for our worship. More keys to the Season of Creation What can you do in the Season of Creation? The scriptures begin with God’s affirmation that all of creation is “very good” (Genesis 1:31) As co-creatures and caretakers of God’s creation human beings are called to protect and nurture its goodness. (Genesis 2:15, Jeremiah 29:5-7). The Hebrew scriptures suggested that on the seventh day of the week God’s peoples were free from the needs to produce or consumer So there is time to support nature The focus this year moves to caring for the plot of nature at your home or subdivision. Mary Oliver – poems for the Season of Creation OnBeing republished an interview this week with the late poet Mary Oliver in 2015. It is coming at a great time as we begin the Season of Creation on Sept 6, 10am Morning Prayer. She is very much a nature writer. She talked about growing up and the role of nature. “It was a very bad childhood for everybody, every member of the household, not just myself, I think. And I escaped it, barely, with years of trouble. But I did find the entire world in looking for something. But I got saved by poetry. And I got saved by the beauty of the world.” “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, / the world offers itself to your imagination, / calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting — / over and over announcing your place / in the family of things.” – Mary Oliver From OnBeing – “The late poet Mary Oliver is among the most beloved writers of modern times. Amidst the harshness of life, she found redemption in the natural world and in beautiful, precise language. She sat with me for a rare, intimate conversation. We offer it up anew, as nourishment for now.” Season of Creation Devotional for Sept. 13 Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I From National Bishop Susan Johnson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada “At the 2018 Bishops’ Academy, theologian Cynthia Moe-Lobeda reminded us of our call to “neighbor love,” to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. She went on to say that if God loves the creation, then we must think of the creation as our neighbor. “I am reminded of this when I read today’s lesson. What if Peter had rephrased his question to Jesus as “Lord, if a neighbor sins against me, how often should I forgive?” Or, what if the neighbor asking the question was creation asking about us? How many times should creation forgive us for overfishing, deforesting, polluting, endangering species, desertification, commodifying or even just not paying attention? Whether it is seventy-seven times, or seventy times seven, we are past the breaking point. “The 1854 speech attributed to Chief Seattle included these words: “Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves. … The earth is precious to [God], and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator.” “How long until we don’t just know it in our heads, but know it in our hearts, and change the way we treat the creation, our neighbor?” Creator, we pray that you would help us touch the earth gently. Turn us from our ways of commodifying the earth and consuming its riches without thought. Amen. Misuse of God’s Creation? Climate Change: The Evidence Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska 1894 and 2008. Definitions “Climate change” ( a preferred term over global warming) refers to any significant change in measures of climate (temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or more). It may result from: “Global warming” refers to an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface, contributing to changes in global climate patterns. Most people use the phrase to refer to increased emissions of “greenhouse gases Atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are called greenhouse gases because they act similar to the glass in a greenhouse by trapping heat. The greenhouse gases are transparent to most incoming radiation from the sun, which passes through the atmosphere and hits the Earth. The Earth is warmed by this radiation, and in response radiates infrared energy back into space. That is where greenhouse gases come into play. These atmospheric gases absorb some of the outgoing infrared radiation, trapping the heat energy in the atmosphere and thereby warming the Earth.” Life on Earth is only possible because of this greenhouse effect. It has kept the Earth’s average surface temperature stabilized at around 13.5°C (56.3°F) for a long time. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere the warmer our planet becomes. “Greenhouse gases” have been produced over the last 200 years. Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide. Farming practices and land use changes produce methane and nitrous oxide. Trees remove carbon dioxide, replacing it with oxygen; deforestation lessens this effect in the atmosphere. As a result, greenhouse gases have risen significantly. They prevent heat from escaping to space, similar to glass panels of a greenhouse. Specifically: Past cycles Could these be natural cycles ? There have been natural cycles of warming and cooling The last ice age was more than 10,000 years ago. The main factors were slight variations in the earth’s rotation, namely the cyclical changes in the tilt of the Earth’s axis of spin and the shape of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Solar variation and volcanic eruptions played a minor role as well. Temperatures affected CO2 levels due to feedback mechanisms. In turn CO2 had an effect on temperature by augmenting the warming or cooling trend. In other words: Without the atmospheric CO2, the changes in temperatures would have been much smaller. “The atmospheric concentrations of CO2 consistently fluctuated between 200 parts per million (ppm) during the ice ages and 280 ppm during the warm intervals. This shift from ice age to warm period occurred many times and always within thiCO2 range. When the Industrial Revolution began, the atmospheric CO2 level was roughly 280 ppm.” On the graph we can see that CO2 never went above 300ppm. In 2014, atmospheric CO2 concentrations reached an extraordinary 400ppm! From this and other studies we know that 400ppm “is not only far above any level over the last 740,000 years, it may be nearing a level not seen for 55 million year The situation today is very different from the past’s natural cycles. In a very short period of time, human beings have burnt huge quantities of stored solar energy (fossil fuels), thereby releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That’s why greenhouse gas concentrations have been so rapidly rising. The global warming we have already experienced and the many changes in climate all over the world can only be explained by these tremendous increases in greenhouse gases. They cannot be explained by any natural cycle or changes in solar activity or volcanic eruptions. Today, human activities have a stronger impact on climate than natural occurrences: “We have so much CO2 in the atmosphere that its huge radiative forcing overwhelms the changes associated with orbital forcing. No ice age could start at this point! Read more about climate change… Not sure about Climate Change ? Read the article in “Skeptical Science” Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule September 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (September, 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Bulletins and Sermon A. Holy Eucharist Sunday Bulletin (Sept. 13, 2020 10:00am) B. Evening Prayer Sunday Bulletin (Sept. 6, 2020 7:00pm), Sermon 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 11, August 16, 2020 Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 12, August 23, 2020 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, – Sept. 6 – Sept. 13, 2020 August 30, 2020 – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” – Matthew 16:24 The Week Ahead… August 30- Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost August 30 – 10:00am, Morning Prayer on the River August 30 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online August 30 – 7:00pm, Evening Prayer on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475 1. Bulletin for Aug. 30, 7:00pm, Evening Prayer 2. Readings and Prayers Pentecost 13, Aug. 30 Sept. 2 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom Sept. 6 – Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Season of Creation I Sept. 6 – 10:00am, Morning Prayer on the River Sept. 6 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online Sept. 6 – 7:00pm, Evening Prayer on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475 What is the Season of Creation ? This is fourth year we have used this optional lectionary which begins Sept 1 and ends at St. Francis Day, Oct. 4. Usually Pentecost is the longest season from Pentecost Sunday until Advent. Now the Season of Creation, five Sundays, helps to break up the period we spend in Pentecost. Where did this come from ? Since the 1980’s, the Eastern Orthodox Church has designated this time each year to delve more deeply into our relationships with God and with one another in the context of the magnificent creation in which we live. The Catholic Church also recognizes this season. The Church of England, as well as the Anglicans in Australia and New Zealand observe this season as well. Various churches across the United States also celebrate the Season of Creation. For centuries, our theology our theology has focused on relationship with God and our human relationships with one another. The Season of Creation focuses God’s relationship with all creation and with our relationship with creation (and with God through creation). It highlights our role in understanding and addressing address the ecological problems we face today as a part of God’s creation. Season of Creation Devotional for Sept. 6 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. – Romans 13:11 “Discipleship is a lifelong calling to worship, learn, listen and act in the name of Jesus. In Romans 13, disciples are invited to wake up to the significance of the times in which they live. “Waking up to matters of climate justice and environmental stewardship are among the most important callings people have today. Over many years, through many voices, our churches have come to a growing conviction that loving our neighbor includes loving Mother Earth as a neighbor. “Who helps you to wake up? “For our churches, many voices have come from Indigenous Peoples who continue to teach us the significance of land and relationships. The particular “place you are in” at any given moment is important. “Land” is about relationships between earth, water, animals, plants, peoples, environments and climate. Healing relationships with the land are essential for justice and peace among peoples. God speaks to us anew through relationships with the land. “Worship also wakes us up. Worship helps open our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits to our relationships with creation and to the possibilities for action. We are grateful for the worship you regularly offer in order to support many on the journey of learning, listening, discerning and acting. “What songs, prayers, words and practices encourage you as you express your discipleship through caring for creation? What helps you wake up?” Loving God, we thank you for the gift of life in all its diversity and beauty; renew us in discipleship and in love for the earth. Amen. Climate Change -Spiritual Reflections on Nature and Humankind The issue of Climate Change that has enveloped over the last generation has involved both religion and science. It is closely related to the Season of Creation due to need to take action on climate change that imperils God’s creation. Science and religion are tools to investigate reality from two different angles. Each discipline asks a fundamentally different question. Science asks: how does the universe work? Religion asks: why is there a universe and what is its purpose, and what is our purpose of existence as human beings? Now, as the Earth is affected by climate change and other environmental problems we need science to learn more about the causes, effects, and solutions to these problems. So what’s the role of religion? While scientists can tell us what needs to be done, they are usually not able to motivate society to implement these solutions. That’s where we need religion. Religion provides us with the spiritual understanding of our responsibility towards the Earth and towards other human beings including future generations. In other words, religion provides an ethical or moral framework. And it motivates us to act! The concern of the environment is an interfaith issue and not just Christian. All faiths have talked about it. The issue in the Bible goes right back to the early Israelites A major theme of Deuteronomy is that God’s covenantal gift of the land came with a warning: the Israelites were not to forget God’s commandments; if they did, they would lose the land. Here is Deuteronomy 8 “… the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with/lowing streams, ‘with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing. Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes” As with any gift, the need to preserve it was crucial. They couldn’t do well unless they maintained the land. The soil was thin and easily eroded. The rain was sparse and came in the winter, the wrong time of year. They were a partner with the Lord More specifics came from Exodus and Leviticus the land was to be allowed to rest, to lie fallow one year in seven; second, crops growing at the edges of the field were not to be harvested, but left for the poor, those who had no land. The covenant was not only between Jew and God but Jew, God and Land. In Jeremiah, every family was allocated a farm in the promised land Over time the Israelites abused God’s hospitality by living in ways that were unjust, ways contrary to Torah, ways that desecrated the land. Time and again God offered to forgive the people if they would only repent and live faithfully. But they refused, and so God’s commitment to the land required that the Israelites be exiled. But exile was not the end of the covenant. It was intended to be a sabbatical to reconsecrate the land and people, a time of fallowing for land and people. The birth of Jesus was an end to the era of exile which began with the takeover of the temple 500 years earlier. The Israelites and us all live in fragile land. Our collective impact on the global environmental system has increased since the Industrial Revolution, and we now find ourselves in a situation much like that of the Israelites. To continue to flourish, we need a sabbatical to understand as impact and judge what we can do to reconstitute our relationship to the environment. We are bringing back the kingdom by understanding how everything is connected with everything else. There is a balance which is getting out of balance. The sun is the source of all life and of all energy. It provides the temperature necessary for the existence of life. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen with the help of sunlight. That’s called photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants transform atmospheric carbon into organic compounds, especially glucose (sugars). That glucose is used in various forms by every creature on the planet for energy and growth. Also important is keeping trapping some of this energy warming the planet and enabling man to survive. Atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are called greenhouse gases because they act similar to the glass in a greenhouse by trapping heat. Since the industrial revolution, greenhouse gases have sharply increased upsetting the previously long-lasting balance. The increase comes mainly from emissions from power plants, cars, airplanes, from deforestation and industrial activities. In a very short period of time, human beings have used huge quantities of stored solar energy (fossil fuels) thereby releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere the warmer our planet becomes. This has warmer climates particular in southern areas and has eliminated a percentage of glacial coverage. The balance is upset and we are likely to pay the price. Lectionary, Sept. 6 2020, Pentecost 14, Proper 18, Year A I.Theme – Differing approaches and solutions to sin. "Forgiveness"- Sofiya Inger (2006) About the artist "I grew up in Russia, in the old northern town of narrow streets, ancient cathedrals, long white snowy winters, white cottonwood blizzards every spring… "Painting became the color, the meaning, and the way to feel and to live. It led me through adolescence, strict schooling, sleepless nights of motherhood, through the strains of marriage, deaths, and the feverish attempts to grow new roots in strangely colored soil of a new country. "All of that fascinates me.. people, their connections, aspirations, and the mysteries of everyday life…." The lectionary readings are here or individually: Old Testament – Ezekiel 33:7-11 The readings today are about the ways and methods of combating sin. The message is not so much the concept of sin but how chosen individuals deal with it and from them the community at large. We have to remember that all of this is leading to concepts of reconciliation. Ezekiel’s prophetic ministry to his people in the Old Testament extended from 593BC to about 573 BC, from before the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. to the time of the exile in Babylon. Today’s reading harks back to Ezekiel’s concern for individual responsibility. The sentinel or watchman, chosen by the townspeople, was responsible for warning them of the approach of an enemy. They then could come in from the fields and take refuge. In this passage, God both chooses the watchman and sends the awaited enemy in judgment. There is an implicit tension between the punishment of the wicked and the desire that they repent and live. Israel believed that mere membership in the community of God’s people guaranteed salvation; here God declares that the individual is responsible for his or her own choices. In the Ezekiel reading, God’s threat of a death sentence as a motivation to repent is what God calls prophets to announce. The threat of death is supposed to inspire the repentance that brings life. God calls the prophet to be faithful and have courage to speak God’s warning to the people. It is a warning to those called to speak on behalf of God, but whose desire to play it safe, to please others. In both this reading and the Gospel, our responsibility is to call others to live rightly. According to today’s Psalm, learning and obeying God’s commandments and fearing God will keep you from sin and lead to life. The poet proclaims a dependence on the Lard. She wants to observe the law with her whole heart , have her heart and eyes turned away from worthless things and toward God’s law and have disgrace turned away from her. The poet even says she wants to “follow” or walk in the way laid out by God’s precious law. In today’s Romans reading, Paul’s solution to sin is to “love one another” and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” which actually are the same thing, because Jesus Christ, in his faithfulness in life even to the point of death, fulfilled the law, which is summed up by the saying “love your neighbor as yourself.” Paul’s injunctions to "love one another," to "love your neighbor as yourself," and to lay aside the works of darkness" (vv. 8,9, 12), mean that the pervasive individualism and "privatized" notions of faith that remain all-too-common features of contemporary church life must give way to a faith that actively nurtures and works toward mutuality, solidarity, and justice in our social transactions. Matthew’s gospel approaches the question of evil within the personal sphere. How should a Christian act when the network of relationships hits a snag? It is inevitable that human connections will sooner or later go haywire. How then should we intervene? First, he suggests dealing with the problem directly, before it grows like a cancer. We are often tempted to ignore trouble, which then becomes more difficult to heal. Jesus proposes that the person who feels wronged should initiate the reconciliation. Matthew outlines a community process that gives a “brother or sister who has sinned” an opportunity to repent, either in private or in front of the community, before the community bans them from participating in the community’s life. The process is kept private until various channels have been tried and exhausted. In contrast, we often rush to complain publicly before we even have a clear picture of what’s wrong. When the gossip spreads, the whole situation worsens. The process involves confrontation (confronting the sinner in private), negotiation (confronting the sinner with two or three others) and adjudication (confronting the sinner by the community). Sin is more than a private responsibility with which to deal. Finally, he operates from a basis of compassion. The purpose of the process is never to humiliate or to condemn, but always to restore union with the brother or sister. In contrast, we often enter conflict with the self-righteous purpose of emerging as a winner. Jesus upholds the ideal that the person takes priority over our raging opinions and the causes we champion. In the gospel Jesus makes clear that accepting this responsibility affects the well-being of the whole community. Traditionally, the sacrament of penance has been solely a private matter among penitent, priest, and God. Read more about the Lectionary… Reconciliation – on the "Field of Dreams" baseball field Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella hears a voice in his corn field tell him, "If you build it, he will come." He interprets this message as an instruction to build a baseball field on his farm. The voice becomes more insistent, until he gives in and builds a baseball diamond, complete with lights for night games and bleachers for spectators on his farm. Then appear the ghosts of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the other seven Chicago White Sox players banned from the game for throwing the 1919 World Series to play the game again. When the voices continue, Ray seeks out a reclusive author to help him understand the meaning of the messages and the purpose for his field. But the real "He" who was to come is the farmer’s long estranged and now dead father. His father John asks, "Is this heaven?" To which, the farmer responds, "It’s Iowa." In a simple game of "catch" on the field they have a chance to talk, see life from the other’s point of view, and experience forgiveness and a restored relationship. A poignant scene. Some links: Field of Dreams Trailer Reconciliation in the movies- "Home Alone" Home Alone is the story of eight-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) waking up and finding himself home alone. His family and extended family had already left, in haste, for Paris, where they will spend Christmas. At first, it is a dream come true for Kevin. He eats what he wants; watches what he wants; and sleeps where he wants. But he quickly becomes the defender of his home against two goons, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) who have their eyes set on Kevin’s home for robbery. Kevin develops a series of traps for the burglars to keep them out. And they work. The film has at least two streams of reconciliation. In the movie we are reminded of a mothers’ love for her child because she did whatever she had to do to get back to her son – even riding in a truck with a polka band! There is probably a notion in her mind that the family seemed to gang up on Kevin at the beginning from the pizza scene to breakfast. The movie is all about Kevin rising to challenges particularly in defeating the crooks. Kevin has a new appreciation of his family providing warmth, comfort and protection. There is also the subplot of the grizzly old neighbor, Marley who clears his walk and is scary for Kevin. On the night in which Kevin prepares for the arrival of Harry and Marv, he stops by the church. This is the pew scene which was filmed inside of an Episcopal church. While sitting in his pew listening to the children sing, old man Marley moves from his pew to sit next to Kevin. Marley is there to listen to this granddaughter sing. It is the only time when he gets to see her. Kevin preaches reconciliation: "Kevin: So give it a shot, for your granddaughter anyway. I’m sure she misses you and the presents. " Marley: I send her a check. " Kevin: I wish my grandparents did that. They always send me clothes. Last year I got a sweater with a big bird knitted on it. " Marley: That’s nice. " Kevin: Not for a guy in the second grade. You can get beat up for wearing something like that. Yeah, I had a friend who got nailed because there was a rumor he wore dinosaur pajamas." Old man Marley takes Kevin’s advice, and as Kevin is reunited with his family when they return home, Marley is reunited with his. It is the heartwarming moment of the film. And the moment when we all find hope. Christmas is about family coming and being together. Christmas is about forgiveness and reconciliation. "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."- Colossians 1:19-20 Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule August 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (September, 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Bulletins and Sermon A. Morning Prayer Sunday Bulletin (Sept. 6, 2020 10:00am) B. Evening Prayer Sunday Bulletin (Aug. 30, 2020 7:00pm), Sermon 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 10, August 9, 2020 Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 11, August 16, 2020 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, – Aug. 30 – Sept. 6, 2020 August 23, 2020 – Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost Evening Prayer on the River, Aug. 16, 2020 The Week Ahead… August 23 – Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost August 23 – 10:00am, Morning Prayer on the River August 23 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online August 23 – 7:00pm, Evening Prayer on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 882 4567 8370 Password 399302 1. Bulletin for Aug. 23, 7:00pm, Evening Prayer 2. Readings and Prayers Pentecost 12, Aug. 23 August 26 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom August 30 – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost August 30 – 10:00am, Morning Prayer on the River August 30 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online August 30 – 7:00pm, Evening Prayer on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475 Raising the Roof on the Pavilion Aug 26, 2020 Thanks to Jim Heimbach for providing both the pictures and video of the event in the link. See the complete article with additional photos and video. The work has progressed quickly in the last week with the posts and floor added. It was all ready to place the roof on the pavilion Aug 26, 2020 by Chris Flora’s team. Village Harvest gets a boost in August Food and Workers The numbers concerning people and pounds of food are off comparing earlier years but the benchmark of value is there for the typical shopper. While it is August, we have had 5 months of activity with the Harvest closed from April through June. Numbers served are 489 with 6,625 pounds of food. The numbers are the lowest in five years and pounds is second lowest. For just Aug., 2020, we had 102 clients compared to 77 last month when we just reopened after being closed for 3 months. 102 is also larger than August a year ago which served 70. The boost in the article’s title how the food affects the typical shopper. However, the pounds per person averages 13.55 just below 2018, the highest value at 13.67. Also the dollar value per shopper calculated at $6 a pound is $85.35, again just below the high value in 2018 at $85.80. The costs to the church in 2020 has been $789.22, lower than the two previous year which were over $1,000 but higher than 2016 $669. Lectionary, Aug. 30 2020, Pentecost 13, Proper 17, Year A I.Theme – What does God’s Call Mean for Us ? "Carrying the Cross of Christ"– Gabriel Loire (1904-1996) The lectionary readings are here or individually: Old Testament – Jeremiah 15:15-21 The lectionary this week is about two questions. “What does God’s call mean for us? What can we expect when we receive God’s call?” The key words this week are integrity(Jeremiah), transformation (Romans) and self-denial(Matthew). In the Gospel, we are all called to follow Christ to be liberators of others, serving and loving all people, including our enemies, and that as we respond to this call we must be willing to lay our lives down and embrace the inevitable suffering that and sacrifice that will come. Yet, even in the midst of this tough word is a light of hope. It is in this self-giving love that we find our ‘souls’ (our true, God-given selves) and we discover true, abundant life. Questions of identity from last week continue in the Gospel reading. In Matthew, along with last week’s readings, we find lots of questions about the identity of Jesus . There are the many names given to Jesus – Messiah/Christ, Son of the living God, Son of Man. There is also an identity crisis for Peter, who has gone from the rock on which Jesus’ church will be built, to the Satan who is a stumbling block to Jesus. The Gospel goes beyond “who he is” last week to consider issues of transformation of “whom they are”. In Matthew, Jesus is trying to turn upside-down the rules people apply when they observe his life, and the life of his followers. Seeing a man die in agony on a cross will be transformed from a sign of shame and failure into a sign of new life and hope. Our call is to take up the cross, denying ourselves – our self -interest, our own desires, wants and needs. Seeing Jesus’ followers denying their own needs, in order to serve God and other people, will be a sign of true discipleship. What God sees and will judge by is very different from the status and standing of a world obsessed with power and prosperity. Romans is a laundry list of how one can be transformed so that we can transform our communities. Paul encourages the believers to be committed to a life of love for one another and even for enemies – seeking to bless and not curse, and to conquer evil with good. They are marks of the Christian. Most stretch the love wider – loving enemies, strangers and those who persecute (all of whom may be inside or outside the church). All of this is quite counter-cultural within Roman society – social status is to be ignored, honor is to be shown to all, vengeance is to be put aside, strangers and enemies are to be welcomed and offered hospitality. And it all comes quick and fast, as short phrases with great energy, explicitly and implicitly invoking zeal and ardent service. Jeremiah’s proclamation to the people in exile–that Babylon was the instrument of God’s judgment upon the people and that Judah should not resist–caused him to be regarded as a traitor by his own people. He has prayed for his enemies (14:7-11), but they have not listened to God’s message. Now the prophet’s concern for them is exhausted and he cries out for the lord to take vengeance upon them. Jeremiah’s plea for God’s vindication in the Old Testament echoes Jesus’ own suffering in spite of his innocence. Jeremiah pleads with God to act immediately and decisively on his behalf. The prophet can approach God with such confidence because he has demonstrated fidelity to his God as both a messenger of God’s words, but also in his life. Whereas Jeremiah approached service to God with an attitude of delight he has only received indignation, anger, and bitterness in return. For this reason the prophet can accuse God of deceiving him in verse. God reminds Jeremiah that the suffering he has experienced is as advertised. Jeremiah then, is not to crumble in the face of adversity but rather redouble his commitment to being a prophet. Persecution has not derailed God’s promise to deliver and vindicate, and God reminds Jeremiah that his perseverance is the very vehicle by which the people are won over to repentance. In the midst of injustice, Jeremiah is not to allow evil to overcome good. The reward for Jeremiah’s faithful service is not relief from suffering but more service. The Psalms both express praise for God’s salvation and the plea for God to recognize the innocence of the Psalmist and God’s people – even as Jesus suffered though innocent. Psalm 26:1-8 echoes the lament and call of Jeremiah by the author calling out to God for deliverance, telling God that they have stayed true to God’s ways and that they do not take company with people who have turned away from God’s ways. Psalm 26 is likely best understood as presenting a sobering statement of the requirements for priestly entrance into God’s holy presence. Read more about the Lectionary… The Hill of Crosses – a place of "hope, peace, love and sacrifice" The Hill of Crosses is a pilgrimage site today in northern Lithuania with crosses left from different time periods. It is not certain the origin of leaving crosses on this hill. From Art in the Christian Tradition. Vanderbilt Divinity Library "Over the centuries, the place has come to signify the peaceful endurance of Lithuanian Catholicism despite the threats it faced throughout history. After the 3rd partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Lithuania became part of the Russian Empire. Poles and Lithuanians unsuccessfully rebelled against Russian authorities in 1831 and 1863. These two uprisings are connected with the beginnings of the hill: as families could not locate bodies of perished rebels, they started putting up symbolic crosses in place of a former hill fort. "When the old political structure of Eastern Europe fell apart in 1918, Lithuania once again declared its independence. Throughout this time, the Hill of Crosses was used as a place for Lithuanians to pray for peace, for their country, and for the loved ones they had lost during the Wars of Independence. "Most recently, the site took on a special significance during the years 1944–1990, when Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union. Continuing to travel to the Hill and leave their tributes, Lithuanians used it to demonstrate their allegiance to their original identity, religion and heritage. It was a venue of peaceful resistance, although the Soviets worked hard to remove new crosses, and bulldozed the site at least three times (including attempts in 1963 and 1973). There were even rumors that the authorities planned to build a dam on the nearby Kulvė River, a tributary to Mūša, so that the hill would end up under water. "On September 7, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses, declaring it a place for hope, peace, love and sacrifice. In 2000 a Franciscan hermitage was opened nearby. The interior decoration draws links with La Verna, the mountain where St. Francis received his stigmata. The hill remains under nobody’s jurisdiction; therefore people are free to build crosses as they see fit." [from Wikipedia] — Photo by Ben Beiske. What does it mean to "take up your cross"? Jesus uses the cross to represent true discipleship five times (Matt 10:38; 16:24-26; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 9:23-24; 14:27). Jesus’ declaration of the conditions of discipleship came after he had foretold his death and resurrection. Peter reacted strongly; he took Jesus aside “and began to rebuke him, saying ‘God forbid it, Lord!’” (Matthew 16:22). But Jesus rebuked Peter, calling him “a stumbling block,” for Peter was “setting his mind not on divine things but on human things” (16:23). The conditions of discipleship also require us to set our minds on divine things. As the nineteenth-century Spanish archbishop and missionary St. Anthony Mary Claret explained: “The Christian who desires to follow Jesus carrying his cross must bear in mind that the name “Christian” means “bearer or imitator of Christ” and that if he wishes to bear that noble title worthily, he must above all do as Christ charges us in the Gospel; we must oppose or deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow him.” Some couldn’t take it . In fact, John tells us that at this point many turned and went back, and followed him no more, because these words seemed to them harsh and demanding." There are several concepts: 1. Self-denial – He is not asking us to deny our basic humanity, our personhood. "Deny" in New Testament Greek is to “disavow or abjure connection with someone or something.” Interestingly enough, it is the very word used to refer to Peter’s denial of Jesus a little later on. Peter denied that he had any connection with Jesus, said he did not know him, and affirmed his disavowal with oaths and curses. Thus, to deny oneself is to renounce self-interest; to disregard the gratification of one’s own needs and desires; to relinquish one’s own will to do the will of God, imitating Jesus who gave himself over to his Father’s plans . We don’t own ourselves – by ourselves we can’t get the job done. We can’t rely on just ourselves. We simply deny ourselves those things that are temporarily pleasurable but eternally painful. It is instead the turning away from the idolatry of self centeredness and every attempt to orient one’s life by the dictates of self interest 2. Taking up your cross means torture. And we wince at the thought, but stop and think about it. Many great achievements requires torture. Athletes torture their bodies. Thinkers torture their minds. And we get that on the physical and intellectual plane, but wish there was another way on the spiritual plane. There isn’t. Just like the physical realm: no pain, no gain. Are you willing to suffer temporal pain for eternal gain? That’s what it comes down to. The cross stands forever as a symbol of those circumstances and events in our experience which humble us, expose us, offend our pride, shame us, and reveal our basic evil — that evil which Jesus described earlier: "Out of the heart of man come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness," (Mark 7:22 RSV). 3. Finally, it means death. You have to die to self everyday. How? By allowing your circumstances to help you become more like Christ–especially the circumstances you don’t like. Anytime you feel the pain of an insult, disappointment, suffering, physical challenge, failure, injustice, or trial–it’s an opportunity to die to pride, die to ego, die to sin, die to self. For Jesus promised that “those who lose their life for [his] sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). If we hold fast, an everlasting reward will be ours, for when he comes “with his angels in the glory of his Father, . . . he will repay everyone for what has been done” (16:27). The Visual Lectionary- From "Measuring Faith in Footsteps"by David Perry "The photograph of the path is taken at ground level which gives a depth of field of about one footstep. Everything else is out of focus. I think that this is the plane of focus that Jesus has in mind when, in a decisive moment of great clarity, he frames the nature of discipleship and produces a snapshot whose meaning is as timeless and strikingly obvious to us now as it was confusing and troubling to his first followers then. "Jesus invited his disciples to follow in his footsteps – and literally so. One step at a time they were introduced to the purposeful and intent-laden journey that constituted a kingdom of love shaped life. Their focus was to be on Jesus and as followers their faith was measured in footsteps. In this way he held their attention close in and nearby. The direction of travel towards the far horizon and the geography of the path were not their immediate concern. Indeed, if their focus was on what lay ahead far away down the path, and the personal implications for them of making this journey, they were already looking in the wrong place and in the wrong way. Such a view, in which it is the horizon that is sharply in focus, rather than the foreground, calculates the costs and benefits of navigating one’s life in this way first before ever putting a foot forward. "The denial and loss of which Jesus speaks relates precisely to this point of focus. Jesus wants his followers to follow closely in his footsteps and with each step to be mindfully, meaningfully and lovingly within the present moment, fully attentive and present to all that it brings, just as he was. Setting our minds on divine things is what he asks of his followers. You can’t do that if your mind and attention are elsewhere preoccupied with human things, not least the personal consequences of being a follower of Jesus. Comfortable outcomes and easy paths are not our first priority, trusting Jesus is, wherever and however he chooses to lead us, which is why his rebuke of Peter is so sharp. "Inevitably then Jesus says that we have to take up our cross if we are to follow faithfully in his footsteps. Here the symbol of self-sacrifice and surrender, of threat and risk, of challenge and choice, is the weight we must bear. The cross signifies consequences, humiliation and failure. It is the tangible shape and burden of all of our questions; questions which would hold us back, keep our eyes on the far horizon and inhibit us making those crucial footstep "It also signifies radical trust in God. Whatever the future holds for us in the middle distance and at and beyond the horizon, the life enriching integrity of this step by step journey of living lovingly, authentically in the footsteps of Jesus is worth it. That is the central proposition of faith which Jesus puts before his would-be followers. Can we, will we, hold in our hands all of our doubts, anxieties, fears and questions, and carry that load whilst still walking forward in trust with Jesus, making God’s love real and relevant with our traveling companions and amongst those whom we meet? Are we prepared to measure our faith in footsteps rather than in results and rewards?" "Taking up the Cross"- Martin Luther King and the Vietnam War The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech entitled "Beyond Vietnam" in front of 3,000 people at Riverside Church in New York City on April 4, 1967, exactly a year before he was assassinated. In it, he said that there was a common link forming between the civil rights and peace movements. King proposed that the United States stop all bombing of North and South Vietnam; declare a unilateral truce in the hope that it would lead to peace talks; set a date for withdrawal of all troops from Vietnam; and give the National Liberation Front a role in negotiations. King had been a solid supporter of President Lyndon B. Johnson and his Great Society, but he became increasingly concerned about U.S. involvement in Vietnam and, as his concerns became more public, his relationship with the Johnson administration deteriorated. King came to view U.S. intervention in Southeast Asia as little more than imperialism. Additionally, he believed that the Vietnam War diverted money and attention from domestic programs created to aid the black poor. Furthermore, he said, "the war was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at home…We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem." King maintained his antiwar stance and supported peace movements until he was assassinated on April 4, 1968, one year to the day after delivering his Beyond Vietnam speech. Although some activists and newspapers supported King’s statement, most responded with criticism. King’s civil rights colleagues began to disassociate themselves with his radical stance and the NAACP issued a statement against merging the civil rights movement and peace movement. King remained undeterred, stating that he was not fusing the civil rights and peace movements, as many had suggested. The entire speech (56 min.) can be viewed here. You can view a 4 minute excerpt here Writer Nora Gallagher on "Taking up the Cross" Excerpts of a sermon preached at Grace Church. Bainbridge Island, Washington, March 16, 2003 "The words we hear from Jesus this morning come from the mouth of a man who grew up under the heel of an empire. And who saw, all around him, its cost. The Romans saw themselves as creating “a new world order.” To accomplish this, Roman soldiers burned villages, pillaged the countryside, slaughtered or enslaved those they conquered. Huge taxes were imposed on the people in the colonies. When the Roman governor Antipas built two Roman-style cities in Galilee, a rural countryside, the Galileans had to provide the resources for this massive building project. They paid a tax unto Caesar. ".. We know beyond a doubt that Jesus chose not to identify with those in power. "Instead, this is how Jesus spent his time. Just before the section of the gospel we just heard, Jesus took a blind man by the hand and restored his sight. He fed a crowd with loaves and fish. He helped a deaf and mute man find his voice again. And, my favorite, he listened when a Gentile woman begged him to heal her daughter of demons. He bound himself to those in need. He did not even exclude persons who were collaborators with the empire: i.e. the tax-collector, Matthew. This is not an easy kingdom, folks. "..We can say, from these stories, that Jesus was moved by compassion. "Compassion, as you know, means to suffer with: to enter into another’s suffering. And that’s quite a way to go. But let’s take it a step farther. The theologian Walter Brueggemann calls compassion, ‘a radical form of criticism,’ a radical form of criticism for it announces that, ‘the hurt is to be taken seriously, that the hurt is not to be accepted as normal and natural but is an abnormal and unacceptable condition for humanness.’ "Jesus in his compassion says that the hurt of those who are hungry and poor, and taxed beyond their means is to be taken seriously: It is not normal for people to be without food; it is not normal for someone who is blind or deaf to beg on the street. But, ‘Empires are never built nor are they maintained on the basis of compassion…’ Empires, like Rome, like the United States, live by keeping their own citizens distracted with ‘bread and circuses.’ The Roman rulers expected their citizens to remain silent in response to the human cost of war; mute in the face of the human cost of greed. And they kept those in the colonies in check by systemic terror: the price of the prophetic witness of John the Baptist was death. But Jesus speaks up. He acts. By and through his compassion, he takes the first step in revealing the abnormality that has become business as usual. “Thus his compassion is …a criticism of the system… that produces the hurt. Finally Jesus enters into the hurt and comes to embody it. "When it comes right down to it, it seems to me that Jesus invites us this morning to follow where compassion leads us, and bear the cost of what we find. Jesus asks us to follow where truth leads us, and to bear the cost of the truth we find. "He calls us, as Nicholas Cage says in the movie Moonstruck, “to ruin our lives, to break our hearts, to love the wrong person and to die.” We are invited to ruin the old life of silence, to break our hearts with compassion over suffering, to love the wrong person–that would be Jesus–and to die. As Bill said to me last week, “ to get resurrected ya gotta get dead.” Because we know, from Jesus’s example, and from our own lives, what lies on the other side of that death. The other side of silence and distraction , of the deadly life of business as usual, is new life, resurrected life, born of compassion-awake and broken-hearted, and, yes, dangerous." Nora Gallagher is author of the two memoirs, Things Seen and Unseen and Practicing Resurrection and editor of the award-winning "Notes from the Field." Her essays, book reviews, and other writings have appeared in many publications including the New York Times Magazine, Utne Reader and the Los Angeles Times. "Taking up the Cross" in Literature – John Coffey and the Green Mile Stephen King originally published this as a book that was serialized in parts. The book and movie are about death row in a Louisiana prison in 1935. The last walk, from the cell to the electric chair, is known at this prison as The Green Mile, due to the color of the floor. The Green Mile is the remarkable story of the cell block’s head guard (Tom Hanks), who develops a poignant, unusual relationship with an inmate named John Coffey (Michael Duncan) . Coffey has been convicted of molesting and killing two little white girls. He doesn’t seem like a killer, however. Coffey cannot read or write, seems simpleminded, causes no trouble and exudes goodness. Yet Coffey was found with their broken bodies in his huge arms. In that time period, it was enough to convict. He takes up his cross and heals. Tom Hanks discovers that his prisoner, John Coffey is able to perform healing miracles by taking the "bad" out of people, and then disposing of it into the air. He does this to heal Tom Hanks’ urinary infection, and later, heals the Warden’s wife ‘s brain tumor. Hanks agonizes over the fact that he had to electrocute John Coffey. How could he put to death an innocent man who can perform miracles? He is forced to struggle with this for the rest of his life, which turns out to be longer than normal. Along with the "gift" that Hanks (and the mouse "Mr. Jingles") received from Coffey was the "gift of life". This explains why Hanks is really 108 years old and why he walks up to the woods every day with a piece of toast (to feed the mouse). This is a provocative story that can be approached on many levels and reveals another side of author Stephen King. Two scenes from the movie: I’m Tired/I’m In Heaven Scene Gospel According to Steve King Lincoln’s Cross – the Civil War William Lincoln, Lincoln’s third son, died of typhoid in February, 1862. He had been born in 1850 the same year their second son died. In an article in the Atlantic Magazine concerning "Lincoln", the movie, the author writes about Lincoln’s cross. "Over time, Lincoln came to view the war as God’s divine punishment for the sin of slavery, and in some fashion, he saw Willie’s death as the personal cross that he must bear to atone for that crime." Lincoln’s religion is hard to pin down. He rejected the Baptist heritage of his ancestors as too emotional and did not like the denominational battles that afflicted the Methodists as well as Baptists, and Universalists in his early years. He was hounded in the 1840’s because he wasn’t associated with any church. Lincoln changed, however. Lincoln started attending Presbyterian services in 1850, following the death of his 4-year-old son, Edward which continued when he entered the White House. It was conservative, non-revivalistic brand that focused on "God’s in charge. Though he never joined that church, his faith became more deeply felt. The battlefield led his confidence to be shaken which was taken by increasing in relying on God as leading the direction of the war. As one writer has suggested a "providential, interventionist God who had something up his sleeve, and that something was Emancipation. " "Taking up the Cross"- Iraq(2007) Although this article by Rev. Canon Andrew White is over a decade old, it provides thoughts relevant to today. He is vicar of Baghdad. Understanding and Witnessing as a Christian in Baghdad By Rev. Canon Andrew White October 2007 "As I sit and write this article, I can hear automatic weapons firing. I cannot imagine the tragedy going on outside our compound at this very moment. Constantly, I have people asking me to help them escape to another nation. It is not pleasant to live in one of the most dangerous places on earth. Yet I know this is where my work is; this is where God has sent me and this is where I love to be, here in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Today is Sunday, so we had church this morning. As I led worship, I saw my congregation place their body armor, rifles and helmets aside and start to praise the living God. "Yesterday I led my Iraqi congregation. I could not leave the international zone and go to church; evidently, too many people want to kill me, so I cannot leave the secure area. My congregation had to come to me. This took hours as they were all forced to go through an intense security process. Yet these Christians are the most wonderful people I have ever served. They worship our Lord with great intensity and joy! In the midst of their darkness and fear, Jesus is their joy. When you lose everything, you realize Jesus is all you have. …. "Despite these restrictions, there is ample opportunity to show and share the good news of Jesus. The prime way is through love and prayer. I have seen people come to faith in Jesus. I have baptized people and then sought to find protection for them as the death threats grew. One little girl whose mother became a Christian started telling friends that every night her mother talked to Jesus. It was not long before they also were forced to flee. I have wept when people I have loved had come to faith and then been killed. Here it is a matter of life and death. Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule August 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (August, 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Bulletins and Sermon A. Morning Prayer Sunday Bulletin (Aug. 30, 2020 10:00am) B. Evening Prayer Sunday Bulletin (Aug. 23, 2020 7:00pm), Sermon 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 9, August 2, 2020 Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 10, August 9, 2020 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, – Aug. 23 – Aug. 30, 2020 August 16, 2020 – Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost A new “Tree Fund” – to maintain our investment in trees. Read the article and Consider a gift! The Week Ahead… August 16 – 10:00am, Morning Prayer on Zoom – Join here at 9:30pm for gathering – service starts at 10:00am Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475 1. Bulletin for Aug 16, 10:00am 2. Readings and Prayers Pentecost 10, Aug. 16 August 16 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online August 16 – Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – Regathering Outside! August 16 – 7.00pm – Evening Prayer along the River. Masks, disinfectant and social distancing Links August 19 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom August 19 – 3pm-5pm. Village Harvest If you would like to volunteer, please email/phone Catherine Hicks. stpetersrev@gmail.com Schedule: Help unload food—9:30AM-10AM, To continue safe practices regarding the coronavirus, volunteers will be wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. August 20 – 7:00pm – Sacred Ground discussion through Zoom August 23 – Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost August 23 – 10.00am – Morning Prayer along the River. Bring a chair, a mask and observe social distancing. Bulletin is here August 23 – 7:00pm – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475 Thanks to the Episcopal Church Men (ECM), particularly Johnny Davis who provided $365 of canned meat this week to Caroline Social Services. Well done! Lectionary, Aug. 23 2020, Pentecost 12, Proper 16, Year A I.Theme – Finding identify, confronting power of leaders and molding the growing church. "Keys to the Kingdom" – Hermoleon The lectionary readings are here or individually: Old Testament – Isaiah 51:1-6 This week is about identity, power and authority of leaders, people and within the growing church. In fact there is little action – we step back, examine ourselves, ask questions and interpret where this is leading us. This section marks a turning point in both Roman’s and Matthew’s Gospel. In three prior chapters, Paul has figured out how God will bring all peoples into the grace of Jesus Christ, even the Israelites who, by rejecting Jesus, seem to have given up their status as the Chosen People. Now Paul focuses on what life as one body with diverse gifts looks like as he blends both Jew and Gentile. And with one body comes worship. We must adopt a new mind set, in order to recognize God’s will for us. Paul insists that we should offer our bodies and minds to God, open to actively being used and changed – thus our whole lives become “spiritual worship.” There is a wonderful promise that in doing so, we may discern the will of God. He identifies core activities in his Kingdom though in his time the actual churches were far more dispersed. Note that the gifts listed here are focused not on the “institution” of the church, but on the core activities of the Christian community with each other and on mission in the world—proclaiming God’s living word, serving others, teaching, coaching, giving, leading, and offering mercy . The body only functions when everyone’s gifts are being exercised. The image of the church as the body strongly challenges giving excessive authority in the church to particular individuals or positions, as the body only functions when everyone’s gifts are being exercised. In the Gospel, up till now Jesus has been teaching the crowds the mystery of the Kingdom in the face of growing hostility from the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus now withdraws with the disciples to begin forming them into his ‘church’. The gospel text poses a challenge to the authority that comes from Roman might, or divine rule by their gods. And it is happening in their backyard – in Caesarea Philippi . So who is Jesus to challenge the foundation of society ? “Who do others think I am and who do you think I am?” Jesus’ identity is composed in the context of God’s interaction with Israel as well as the power of Jesus’ own time. When Peter declares Jesus to be the Messiah or the anointed one of God, images of political independence are certainly in the air. In his words to Simon Peter, Jesus gives authority to him and the other disciples – to a bunch of fishermen, tax collectors, rebels and others, who misunderstand him 9 times out of 10, and do not fit anyone’s conventional notion of leaders. In doing so, however, the Gospel writers are not just interested in correctly defining who Jesus is but also in shaping a community molded in light of his actions and teachings. And so these questions of identity are not just a matter of definition but of formation, not just doctrine but discipleship. There are two key symbols present here. "The rock" is the symbolic anchor for the church and is could be Christ or Peter’s insight of Christ. Christ gives Peter "the keys", the ability to unlock the mysteries of the Kingdom; they may also be a symbol of authority over the Church Originally, when one came to seek the king’s help or counsel, the servant’s job was to open the door to the king’s house and assist him in reaching the king. Christ’s servants, the ministry, have a similar responsibility to assist those God is calling in coming to their King, Jesus Christ. Isaiah is not about the identity of leaders or churches but the people themselves. In the Isaiah passage it is not the leader whose identity is under scrutiny, but the people themselves, as the prophet asks them to look to their own heritage. Although this passage points to several moments in Israel’s story, the most overt reference is to Abraham and Sarah. In the Psalm identity comes in the context of praise, the psalmist continuing the words of thanks, this time to the “name ” of god, because of God’s “steadfast love and faithfulness. “Name” was an important concept in the ancient Near East. Names reflected the natures and characters of the person who bore them and were conceptually equal to the essence of ones being. The Psalmist is providing identity to God, one how provides “love and faithfulness;” who “increased my strength within me” , “cares for the lowly”, keeps him safe and confronts the psalmist’s enemies. Identity "God wants us to become fully the person he created us to be and not to settle for anything less: to become so alive that when people see us they actually see something of God radiating through us and glorifying God." – Br. Geoffrey Tristram, Society of Saint John the Evangelist SSJE is a monastic community of The Episcopal Church & The Anglican Church of Canada. "St Peters as our rock" From a sermon Aug 24, 2011 In July of 1833, three of our ancestors here in Port Royal, William Gray, Charles Urquhart and George Fitzhugh, placed an ad in the Virginia Herald for builders. To Builders— “The Subscribers, Commissioners for building a church in Port Royal, will receive proposals for erecting the same—they would prefer to have the whole work undertaken by a single individual, but will contract for the Brick work separately, if necessary. A hundred thousand Bricks, it is supposed will be about the number required for the church.” And this church is built of bricks. Bricks, made from the earth itself, are a strong building material, much like rock. In many places in the Old Testament, the rock is a symbol for God. …Here we are, in a brick church named after St Peter, the man that Jesus called a rock. And Jesus asks each and every one of us the same question he asked the disciples. “But who do you say that I am?” When we are able to answer this question as Peter did, “You, Jesus, are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” we experience a cosmic shift in our lives. When we recognize that God IS the solid core within us—our inner rock. We profess our faith every Sunday in the words of the Nicene Creed—our belief in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. But how do we know when God really is at the center of our lives? Paul provides some help with this question in the passage from the letter to the Romans that we heard today. We find that rather than being conformed to the world, we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds. And our minds are made new when we can wake up every morning and hand ourselves over to God. “God, please be the rock in my life today, and please help me serve you by serving my neighbors. Please help me to do whatever it is you give me to do today, to your glory.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer – "Who am I" (1946) Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a professing Christian who kept the Christian faith alive during the Adolf Hitler’s rule in Germany. At St. Peter’s we read part of Life Together in Adult Ed. He was implicated in the bomb plot against Hitler in 1944. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote “Who Am I” just one month before he was executed. "Who am I? They often tell me "Am I then really all that which other men tell of? "Who am I? This or the other? March 4,1946 Janine Shepherd – "A Broken Body Isn’t a Broken Person" Australian Cross-country skier Janine Shepherd hoped for an Olympic medal — until she was hit by a truck during a training bike ride. She shares a powerful story about the human potential for recovery. Her message: you are not your body, and giving up old dreams can allow new ones to soar. She writes, "The philosopher Lao Tzu once said, "When you let go of what you are, you become what you might be." I now know that it wasn’t until I let go of who I thought I was that I was able to create a completely new life. It wasn’t until I let go of the life I thought I should have that I was able to embrace the life that was waiting for me. I now know that my real strength never came from my body, and although my physical capabilities have changed dramatically, who I am is unchanged. The pilot light inside of me was still a light, just as it is in each and every one of us. "I know that I’m not my body, and I also know that you’re not yours. And then it no longer matters what you look like, where you come from, or what you do for a living. All that matters is that we continue to fan the flame of humanity by living our lives as the ultimate creative expression of who we really are, because we are all connected by millions and millions of straws, and it’s time to join those up and to hang on. And if we are to move towards our collective bliss, it’s time we shed our focus on the physical and instead embrace the virtues of the heart." This is a wonderful TED Talk. Read the transcript Make a Gift Today! 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 4. Server Schedule August 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (August, 2020) 6. Calendar 9. Bulletins and Sermon B. Evening Prayer Sunday Bulletin (Aug. 23, 2020 7:00pm), Sermon 10. Recent Services: Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 8, July 26, 2020 Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 9, August 2, 2020 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, – Aug. 16 – Aug. 23, 2020 |
Edward Gomez is Vicar of St. Paul’s/San Pablo Episcopal Church in Houston. His ministry has led him from the Lancandonan jungle of Mexico to the Peruvian province of Madre de Dios as a missionary, to the nonprofit world, where he has served in various leadership roles, including as the Executive Director of El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission in Austin. He is married to Denise Trevino-Gomez; they have three children and one adorable granddaughter.
