Archives: frontpages

May 31, 2020 – Pentecost

The Week Ahead…

May 31 – 10:00am – (gathering 9:30am) – Pentecost service
through Zoom
Meeting ID 834 7356 6532, Password 748745

1. Bulletin

2. Video – Pentecost People 2011-2015

3. Readings, Prayers for Readings and Prayers for The Day of Pentecost

4. Pentecost – Description

 Check out more of our Pentecost content

May 31 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online Bishop Curry preaches

June 3 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom
Meeting ID 871 4255 8446, Password 144832

June 7 – First Sunday after Pentecost, Trinity Sunday

June 7 – 10:00am – (gathering 9:30am) – Pentecost service
through Zoom
Meeting ID 834 7356 6532, Password 748745

June 7 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2020

Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost, honors the Holy Trinity—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Although the word “trinity” does not appear in Scripture, it is taught in Matthew 28:18-20 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 (and many other biblical passages). It lasts only one day, which is symbolic of the unity of the Trinity. 

Trinity Sunday is one of the few feasts of the Christian Year that celebrates a reality and doctrine rather than an event or person. The Eastern Churches have no tradition of Trinity Sunday, arguing that they celebrate the Trinity every Sunday. 

Understanding of all scriptural doctrine is by faith which comes through the work of the Holy Spirit; therefore, it is appropriate that this mystery is celebrated the first Sunday after the Pentecost, when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit first occurred.  

The Trinity is best described in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, commonly called the Nicene Creed. Essentially the Trinity is the belief that God is one in essence (Greek "ousia"), but distinct in person (Greek "hypostasis"). The Greek word for person means "that which stands on its own," or "individual reality," and does not mean the persons of the Trinity are three human persons. Therefore we believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are somehow distinct from one another (not divided though), yet completely united in will and essence. 

Read more… 

Visualizing the Trinity

The Trinity is most commonly seen in Christian art with the Spirit represented by a dove, as specified in the Gospel accounts of the Baptism of Christ; he is nearly always shown with wings outspread. However depictions using three human figures appear occasionally in most periods of art.

The Father and the Son are usually differentiated by age, and later by dress, but this too is not always the case. The usual depiction of the Father as an older man with a white beard may derive from the biblical Ancient of Days, which is often cited in defense of this sometimes controversial representation.

The Son is often shown at the Father’s right hand.[Acts 7:56 ] He may be represented by a symbol—typically the Lamb or a cross—or on a crucifix, so that the Father is the only human figure shown at full size. In early medieval art, the Father may be represented by a hand appearing from a cloud in a blessing gesture, for example in scenes of the Baptism of Christ.

 Read More…

The Apple pie as a symbol of the Trinity.

From a sermon on Trinity Sunday, 2011 

"This pie is Trinitarian for several reasons. First of all, it has three parts. It has a crust, it has a filling, and it has a topping. Second, each of the three parts has three ingredients.

"The crust is made of flour with a little salt thrown in, some shortening, and some ice water. The filling contains apples, sugar, and cinnamon. The topping is made of a trinity of flour, butter and sugar.

"When all of these ingredients are subjected to the heat of the oven over a period of time, they merge together into one delicious pie, which would not be complete if any of the ingredients were lacking.

"This apple pie is a great symbol for God as Trinity. In order to understand most fully who God is, we Christians know God as the transcendent God, so mysterious that we will never ever know God fully in this life. We know God as Jesus, who lived and died as one of us—not some far off distant deity, but God who experienced the joys and sorrows of being human. We know God as that voice that whispers to us, bringing us inspiration, understanding, and guidance. The ways in which we know God are incomplete until we embrace all of these ways of knowing God, knowing that even then God remains a mystery. This pie would be incomplete without its three parts."

Get the recipe.. 

Hymn of the Week – Holy! Holy! Holy!

Reginald Heber (1783 – 1826) was an English clergyman, traveller, man of letters and hymn-writer who, after working as a country parson for 16 years, served as the Anglican Bishop of Calcutta until his sudden death at the age of 42.

Reginald Heber wrote "Holy, Holy, Holy" while serving as vicar of Hodnet, Shropshire, England. He was the first to compile a hymnal ordering hymns around the church calendar. Wanting to celebrate a triune God, Heber wrote "Holy, Holy, Holy" for Trinity Sunday–a day that reaffirmed the doctrine of the Trinity and was observed eight Sundays after Easter. The hymn was first published in 1826.

Years later, John Dykes composed the tune Nicaea especially for Heber’s "Holy, Holy, Holy."

Text and tune were first published together in 1861. Since that time, this popular hymn has appeared in hundreds of hymnals and been translated into many languages.

Read more about the hymn…

The Nicene Creed, line by line

We say this creed every Sunday in the Eucharist service.  It is the central creed or belief of Christianity and goes back to 325AD.  On Trinity Sunday it is good to break it down into its essential meaning. 

Walls of Nicea

"I believe in one God"

The Greek, Latin and proper English translations begin with "I" believe, because reciting the creed is an individual expression of belief.

"the Father Almighty "

God the Father is the first person, within the Godhead. The Father is the "origin" or "source" of the Trinity. From Him, came somehow the other two. God the Father is often called "God Unbegotten" in early Christian thought.

"Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible"

Everything that is was created by God. Some early sects, the Gnostics and Marcionites, believed that God the Father created the spirit world, but that an "evil" god (called the demiurge) created the similarly evil material world.

"And in one Lord Jesus Christ, "

Jesus is Lord and Master of all this creation. No tyrant, Jesus is Lord, teacher, counselor, friend and servant.

"the only-begotten Son of God "

Jesus is in a unique relationship with God the Father, His only Son. While Hebrew kings were sons of God symbolically, Jesus is the only Son of God by nature.

"Begotten of his Father before all worlds "

Begotten has the meaning of born, generated, or produced. God the Son is out of the essence of God the Father. The Son shares the essential nature of God with the Father. Since God is eternal, the Son, being begotten of God, is also eternal. Jesus was begotten of the Father before this world came into being and was present at its creation.

Continued…

The Lectionary, June 7, 2020

 "The Trinity" – Hermano Leon

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Old Testament – Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Psalm – Psalm 8 Page 592, BCP
Epistle –2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Gospel – Matthew 28:16-20 

The week is seemingly about beginnings and end – creation in the Old Testament and the Trinity in the New Testament. The Epistle and Gospel are the concluding verses in the 2nd Corinthians and Matthew . The key concept that bring creation and Trinity together is worship. The Gospel emphasis on the disciples worshipping the risen Lord and spread His teachings. The creation stories describe God worthy of worship.

Furthermore this is for us a time of transition as we move into Ordinary Time. Our liturgical calendar is top-heavy in that all of the major seasons and holy days of the church happen in the first half of the church year which begins on the first Sunday of Advent. The second half of the year is rather quiet. It is a time to go deeper into the life of Jesus and the great stories of the Old Testament.

Both of the Old Testament readings for this day look at the work of the Creator, in the first account of Creation found in Genesis, and more specifically at the creation of humankind in Psalm 8, our purpose and our role. Both Psalm 8 and Genesis 1 explain the role of humanity to have dominion over the creatures of the earth, and both suggest that this dominion is given by the same God who has dominion over us. The understanding of stewardship and care is explicit in this understanding of having dominion.

Both of these passages also suggest that God is in relationship in a divine sense. In Genesis, God says, “Let us make humankind in our image.” In Psalm 8:5, the psalmist sings, “Yet you have made them [human beings] a little lower than God.”

As God is in relationship with us, we are created in the image of God: in the image of relationship. We were created to be in relationship with one another because this is the image of the Divine: God is in relationship. Jesus made this clear, especially in John’s Gospel, in referring to God as “Abba, Father.”

We know that breath, wind and spirit are the same words in Hebrew as in the Greek–we have experienced the wind from God that swept over the waters in the second verse of the Bible as the Holy Spirit, moving through the house on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 like the rush of a violent wind, breathing on the disciples from Jesus the night after his resurrection in John 20.

The concept of the Trinity is hard to find in the Bible. The two New Testament passages thihs week are among the very few that mention all three: God the Creator (Father/Mother of us all), Christ the Son (Savior, Redeemer and Messiah), and the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost). The Trinity as a doctrine came later in the life of the church, as did most of our doctrines and core theological beliefs.

For Trinity Sunday, we recognize and celebrate the mystery of God’s relationship with God’s self, and the mystery of our own relationship with God, created a little lower than God/Angels/Divine Beings and recognize our relationship with God, all of humanity, and creation as shared in Genesis 1 and Psalm 8. And we recognize our own calling by this Triune God through the person of Jesus Christ in our commission to the world in Matthew 28.

Some of us have our doubts, even about the mystery of the Trinity, but we all are called by the same Jesus to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is our call–to make disciples in the names of all Three in One. Holy, holy, holy. God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity. We are comforted by Jesus last remark “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

We celebrate the Trinity, and we also can celebrate the relationship Jesus had with God, one in which Jesus called God Abba, Father. 

Read more about the lectionary…

May 24, 2020

It’s Memorial Day!

The Week Ahead…

May 24 – 10:00am – (gathering 9:30am) – Easter 7 service
through Zoom

Meeting ID 834 7356 6532, Password 748745

1. Bulletin

2. Music, Readings, Prayers and illustrations

3. Easter 7 – Description

May 24 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

May 27 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom
Meeting ID 871 4255 8446, Password 144832

May 31 – Pentecost

May 31 – 10:00am (gathering 9:30am) – Pentecost service through Zoom
Meeting ID 834 7356 6532, Password 748745

May 31 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

How can you participate ?

1. Prayers from Ascension to Pentecost

The nine days from Ascension Day to the Eve of Pentecost are the original novena–nine days of prayer.

Before he ascended, Jesus ordered the disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. After his Ascension, they returned to the upper room in Jerusalem where they devoted themselves to prayer. These last days of the Great Fifty Days of Easter can be a time for us to prepare for the celebration of Pentecost. 

2. Listen to Tom Wright’s podcast (less than 5 minutes each day)

3. Pray for 5 people

Download the card. This card will easily fit inside your wallet, purse or book. Choose five people you would regularly like to pray for and write their names down onto a list. If you’re not sure who to pray for, ask God to guide you as you choose. Once you have settled on 5 names, commit to praying for them regularly. Use this card as a daily reminder to pray for them.

4. Go deeper with a Prayer Journal

Each day there is a passage from the Bible, a short reflection, a prayer, and a suggestion for action. There is also space each day for your own notes. Did a phrase jump out at you? Did God bring something to your mind as you prayed that day? When you tried to take action, how did it go? Make a note so that you can remember what God has been saying to you through your reading, your prayers, and your action

5. For the kids, “Madison’s Prayer Box”

In this video, Madison makes a prayer box. “A lot of people are going to need some prayers because this coronavirus is a really bad virus,” says Madison. Follow along with this process video to learn how to create a prayer box from supplies you can find in your home.

What is Pentecost? 

Pentecost literally means “fiftieth day.” As a religious celebration, it first delineated the fifty days after Passover with a harvest festival. It was also a celebration of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, still celebrated in the Jewish tradition as Shavuot. 

In the Christian tradition, Pentecost marks the end of the 50 Days of Easter. In Acts 2, the apostles and friends are gathered together in Jerusalem. Suddenly there is a great rushing of wind, and tongues of fire rest on each of the apostles. They begin to speak in different languages, and the crowds around them, Jews from across the diaspora, having come to Jerusalem for the Festival of Weeks, understand them, although some disparaged them as drunks. It was at this moment that Peter stood up and preached, revealing the will of God in Jesus Christ, as prophesied by Joel, and affirming a continual outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon repentance and baptism. 

Why does Pentecost Matter? 

There are at least three reasons to start with:  

1. It marks the birthday of the church. Pentecost was a turning point. Before the rushing wind, the flames, and the speaking in tongues, the apostles were a group of followers who listened to Jesus and assisted as he helped those who came to him for healing and grace. Without Jesus, they were aimless and confused. After the Holy Spirit enters that room, after Peter preaches repentance and baptism, they no longer look inward. The end of Acts 2 records that they devoted themselves to the teaching and to fellowship, they performed wonders and signs, they gave to others in need…and the Lord added to their number daily those who were saved. 

The Holy Spirit gave the disciples direction and power to form the Christian community, which would become “the church.” So, Pentecost is a birthday, and some churches today celebrate with cake! 

2. Pentecost completes the Trinity. Christian theology is grounded in a doctrine of three in one, and Christians often pray in the “name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Pentecost was the first and definitive moment in which we can say that the Father sent the Holy Spirit to make the Son present. No Pentecost, no Trinity. 

3. Jesus kept his promise. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus told his followers, “I will be with you always, even until the end of the age.” He promptly ascended and was seen no more. What gives? Well, in John 15:26 he says, “I will send you the Advocate-the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me” (NLT). The point is: Jesus is present through the Holy Spirit. Pentecost marks the fulfillment of Christ’s promised presence. 

from buildfaith.org

Pentecost – The quick version

Click here or on the picture above

…just imagine the chaotic, whirlwind, crazy kind of day with wind, fire, thousands of people, and unfamiliar sounds when Jesus called the Spirit of Truth to come alongside his followers, as helper, advocate, and guide.

This was created by a group of artists called A Sanctified Art, This team of four artists in ministry, work collaboratively to bring scripture and theological themes to life through film, visual art, curriculum, coloring pages, liturgy, graphic designs, and more. This really is a unique resource worth exploring.

Pentecost, an ancient festival 

Pentecost was the second of the three great annual festivals of Israel, the others being Passover and the feast of Tabernacles. The festival was often called the feast of Weeks  because it took place seven complete weeks, or 50 days, after the Passover. Jews from all   over the world came to Jerusalem for this festival, more than for any other. The day  was one of solemn convocation when no work was to be done. The people offered the first loaves of fine flour made from the just harvested late grain crops. Other sacrifices were offered in the temple and a meal was prepared with freewill offerings from the people. To this meal the widows, orphans, the poor and the stranger were invited.  

By the early New Testament period, it had gradually lost its association with agriculture and became associated with the celebration of God’s creation of His people and their religious history. By the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the festival focused exclusively on God’s gracious gift of Torah (the "Law") on Mount Sinai. It continues to be celebrated in this manner in modern Judaism.

On this festive day, in the year of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit was bestowed upon the apostles. In Acts, Luke describes the sound of a mighty rushing wind and the sight of tongues of flame resting on the head of each apostle. What a transformation took place in these men and women! They were truly “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:29). Out into the crowd they went, boldly proclaiming the “mighty works of God”  (Acts 2:11). One of the gifts of the Spirit— the gift of tongues—enabled the polyglot crowd to hear the apostles speaking, each in his or her own language.  

Read more… 

The Languages of Pentecost

From Acts we read on Pentecost.

"And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs– in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power."

Here is the Lord’s Prayer as translated in many languages in celebration of Pentecost

Pentecost Poetry

1. "Celestial fire" Eleazar Ben Kaller 

From Poetry for the Spirit, Poems of Universal Wisdom and Beauty Edited by Alan Jacobs Translated by T. Carmi 

"Now an angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a blazing fire – 

a fire that devours fire;
a fire that burns in things dry and moist;
a fire that glows amid snow and ice;
a fire that is like a crouching lion;
a fire that reveals itself in many forms;
a fire that is, and never expires;
a fire that shines and roars; a fire that blazes and sparkles;
a fire that flies in a storm wind;
a fire that burns without wood;
a fire that renews itself every day;
a fire that is not fanned by fire;
a fire that billows like palm branches;
a fire whose sparks are flashes of lightning;
a fire black as a raven;
 a fire, curled, like the colours of the rainbows! "

Read more Pentecost Poetry… 

Visualizing the Pentecost

Make a Gift Today! Help our ministries make a difference during the Pandemic 1. Newcomers – Welcome Page 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 3. St. Peter’s Sunday News 4. Server Schedule May, 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (June , 2020) 6. Calendar 7. Parish Ministries 8. This past Sunday 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (May 31, 2020 10:00am),  and Sermon (May 24, 2020) 10. Recent Services:  Easter 4, May 3, 2020 Photos from Easter 4, May 3, 2020 Easter 5, May 10, 2020 Photos from Easter 5, May 10, 2020 Easter 6, May 17, 2020 Photos from Easter 6, May 17, 2020

Block Print by Mike Newman

Projects 

Colors for Year A, 2019-20

Daily “Day by Day”

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.

Follow the Star

Daily meditations in words and music.

Sacred Space

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.”

Daily C. S. Lewis thoughts

Saints of the Week,  – May 24 – May 31, 2020

May 17, 2020, Music, Readings, Prayers and illustrations

May 17, 2020 – Easter 6

Rogation takes place in the springtime, when there is a renewing of the earth. In our country, it follows Easter, the season of resurrection, usually on the Sixth Sunday in Eastertide. Renewal and resurrection therefore are also underlying themes of this occasion.

The Week Ahead…

May 17 – 7:00pm – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm

May 17 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

Catch their daily podcast during the Easter Season

May 20 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom

May 21 – 7:00pm – The Ascension – Join here at 6:30pm for the 7:00pm service.

The Ascension day sermon is posted here

“Tonight we wait in our own upper rooms.

Jesus knows us each by name. Jesus chose each one of us to be here, in this group of his disciples. Jesus has blessed us by putting us here together to wait.

This year the upper room and the waiting resonate deeply because of the situation in which we find ourselves. Waiting—waiting not only for the pandemic to end, but also waiting to see how we, the disciples, will be changed, how the church will be changed, and how the Holy Spirit will pour into and empower us for whatever is ahead. ”

May 24 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for gathering – service starts at 10am Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475

May 24 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

May 24 – Ascension Sunday

Hometown Hero Chris Fisher

From the Free Lance-tar, May 17, 2020. By Rob Hedelt

Like many people who hang onto a nugget of advice from a wise, older relative, Chris Fisher says something his grandfather told him years ago shapes how he lives.

The 44-year-old ICU nurse and scoutmaster said his grandfather advised him to chip in and help in the community as much as he could for as long as he could. The older man knew that one day, Fisher might need help from someone else.

“I really do believe that service and volunteerism is an important part of character,” he said. “And I’ve tried to do what he recommended.”

Fisher lives that credo. He works long shifts treating COVID-19 patients at Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center and provides volunteer care for fellow church members. He also instructs advance members of his Boy Scout troop in Tappahannock—something he does virtually these days. For all the ways he helps other, Fisher has been declared a Hometown Hero.

Read the rest of the article…

Ascension, May 21, 2020

In the coming days the Church celebrates two great festivals: Ascension and Pentecost

– The Ascension : with the farewell speech.

– Pentecost : return of Jesus to the Father with the promise of the Holy Spirit as our advocate.
and the laying on of the apostles’ hands.

God is present in his Church, by the Holy Spirit, even after Jesus’ return to the Father. The Christian community will then be God’s presence in the world where God comes to meet us. In and through the community of disciples, God’s saving action in the world takes place.

Biblical scholar Ronald Coleman wanted to be clear on Ascension -"We do not, as a matter of fact, believe that Jesus ended his earthly ministry with the equivalent of a rocket launch, rising a few hundred miles above the earth. Nor do we think Jesus was the first to be “beamed up,” to use the term made so familiar by the television series Star Trek."

The New Testament treats the Ascension as an integral part of the Easter event. 

It is the final appearance Jesus’ physical and resurrected presence on earth. It is the final component of the paschal mystery, which consists also of Jesus’ Passion, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, Descent Among the Dead, and Resurrection.

Along with the resurrection, the ascension functioned as a proof of Jesus’ claim that he was the Messiah. The Ascension is also the event whereby humanity was taken into heaven.  There is a promise he will come again.

So when is it ? The Ascension in Luke 24 is on Easter Sunday evening or, at the latest, the next day; in John 20, sometime between the appearance to Mary Magdalene (who is told not to touch the risen One because he has not yet ascended) and the appearance to Thomas (who is invited to touch him); in Acts 1, after the forty days (which, however, are symbolic of the time of revelation; there may be no intention to suggest that the ascension actually “occurred” on the fortieth day). We celebrate Ascension on the 40th day, this year Thursday May 30 or the closest Sunday, June 2. 

The main scriptural references to the Ascension are Mark:16:19, Luke:24:51, and Acts:1:2 and vvs. 8-10. Luke 24 says  "While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven". In Acts " he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen." Jesus commissions his followers, rather than simply blessing them; and we have an appearance from two men in white robes.

Mount Olivet, near Bethany, is designated as the place where Christ left the earth. The feast falls on  Thursday, May 25 and it is one of the most solemn in the calendar, ranking with the feasts of the Passion, Easter and Pentecost.

In disappearing from their view "He was raised up and a cloud received Him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9), and entering into glory He dwells with the Father in the honur and power denoted by the scripture phrase."

In a way, Jesus’ abandonment of the disciples upon the Mount of Olives is more profound than their abandonment on Calvary. After all, the disciples themselves predicted he would die. But no one could have imagined the Resurrection and the extraordinary forty days during which Jesus dwelled again with his friends. Forty days with the resurrected Jesus – appearing in the upper room, along the way to Emmaus, upon the beach at Galilee! Imagine their despair when this, the Jesus present to them in such an astonishing way, enters the Cloud on the Mount of Olives.

Read more…

Ascension as the beginning of the Church’s mission

The Ascension is the beginning of the church’s mission.

  1. It is powered by the Spirit 

  2. It is a call to be witnesses 

  3. It is worldwide is scope  

The Ascension holds the promise of Christ’s return.

The Purpose of the Ascension:

A.  For Man’s Redemption

B.  For Jesus to be our Advocate

C.  So The Spirit Could Come

D.  To Prepare a place for Us

Read the details …

Since May 2016, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the people of Thy Kingdom Come have been bringing the world together in prayer. St Peter’s has been part of this international prayer initiative for several years. In the gospel according to Luke, before Jesus ascended, he told the disciples to go to back to Jerusalem and await the coming of the Holy Spirit. They did as he asked, spent ten days absorbed in prayer as they waited, and the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. Through these prayerful disciples, the Holy Spirit brought the Church to birth. Following the example of these disciples, we can spend time in intentional prayer during these ten days, praying for people around the world to be filled with the Spirit and to come to know Jesus more fully.

How can you participate ? 4 Ways to start:

1. Prayers from Ascension to Pentecost

The nine days from Ascension Day to the Eve of Pentecost are the original novena–nine days of prayer.

Before he ascended, Jesus ordered the disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. After his Ascension, they returned to the upper room in Jerusalem where they devoted themselves to prayer. These last days of the Great Fifty Days of Easter can be a time for us to prepare for the celebration of Pentecost. 

2. Listen to Tom Wright’s podcast (below and less than 5 minutes each day) or here

3. Pray for 5 people

Download the card. This card will easily fit inside your wallet, purse or book. Choose five people you would regularly like to pray for and write their names down onto a list. If you’re not sure who to pray for, ask God to guide you as you choose. Once you have settled on 5 names, commit to praying for them regularly. Use this card as a daily reminder to pray for them.

4. Go deeper with a Prayer Journal

Each day there is a passage from the Bible, a short reflection, a prayer, and a suggestion for action. There is also space each day for your own notes. Did a phrase jump out at you? Did God bring something to your mind as you prayed that day? When you tried to take action, how did it go? Make a note so that you can remember what God has been saying to you through your reading, your prayers, and your action

Thy Kingdom Come resource – a Daily Podcast from N. T. Wright

Listen to the Bishop Tom Wright’s podcast over the next 11 days (May 21-May 31) from Ascension to Pentecost. Wright is a both a prominent theologian and author. He was the Bishop of Durham from 2003 to 2010. He then became Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at St Mary’s College in the University of St Andrews in Scotland until 2019, when he became a senior research fellow at Oxford University. He has written over 70 books but has specialized in Paul.

In a 2003 interview, he said that he could never remember a time when he was not aware of the presence and love of God and recalled an occasion when he was four or five when “sitting by myself at Morpeth and being completely overcome, coming to tears, by the fact that God loved me so much he died for me.”

Here is the complete collection.

The podcast on Day 1 is all about the roots of evangelism which emphasizes “bringing God’s promise of Comfort into life where it matters most – in the heart mind and file not the least the grieving.. to anyone who will listen.”

Thy Kingdom Come for Kids – Madison’s Prayer Box

In this video, Madison, 8 years old, makes a prayer box. “A lot of people are going to need some prayers because this coronavirus is a really bad virus,” says Madison. Follow along with this process video to learn how to create a prayer box from supplies you can find in your home.

Ascension Art: trying to make it visual.."

The Ascension has always been a challenge to understand through the scriptures. Artists have played a role in giving us a visual depiction of the event. They have been doing this for over a 1000 years.

Read more about Ascension art with a collection of 17 works …

Our own Ascension art – St. George’s Ascension window

These are earliest windows produced for the church in 1885 and dedicated to Rev. Edward McGuire who served as rector her for 45 years from 1813-1858 and was the rector when the current Church was built in 1849. It was produced in Germany but we do not know the maker. There are three panels increasing the drama and focus. The window is the front of the church directly in front of parishioners.

The Ascension took place 40 days after the Resurrection when Jesus led the disciples to the Mount of Olives. He raised his hands, blessed them and then was lifted up until a cloud took him out of their sight. This is shown in the middle window. He is shown, arms raised, disappearing into a cloud with his feet and the hem of his clothes visible. His feet still show scars of the crucifixion.

Continue with the article and a photo gallery …

 Lectionary, May 24,  Easter 7

I.Theme –   The Ascension and its implications for the church

 "The Ascension" – Catherine Andrews

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

Old Testament – Acts 1:6-14
Psalm – Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36
Epistle –1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Gospel – John 17:1-11

The New Testament treats the Ascension as an integral part of the Easter event. It is the final appearance Jesus’ physical and resurrected presence on earth.  

The Ascension is the final component of the paschal mystery, which consists also of Jesus’ Passion, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, Descent Among the Dead, and Resurrection. Along with the resurrection, the ascension functioned as a proof of Jesus’ claim that he was the Messiah. The Ascension is also the event whereby humanity was taken into heaven.

The Ascension is the beginning of the church’s mission more so than Pentecost:

  1. It is powered by the Spirit 

  2. It is a call to be witnesses 

  3. It is worldwide is scope  

The Ascension holds the promise of Christ’s return

The Ascension also effectively connects the story of Jesus with the story of the church .

The early church recognized the significance of the Ascension. It is found in every major creed. For example, the Apostles’ Creed states: “On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.”  

The risen Jesus now sits in a position of authority ("the Father’s right hand"). With Jesus at the Father’s right hand, we can never think of God in the same way again, that is, apart from Jesus. 

Ascension is all about direction. 

1. Looking upwards

Where is heaven ? When the early church confessed that Jesus had ascended into heaven, the emphasis was not so much on a place – the emphasis was on God’s immediate presence. The church was confessing that Jesus had entered into the divine glory – that the risen Jesus now dwelt in the immediate presence of God. This may explain the meaning of the phrase, "a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). Oftentimes in scripture, a cloud represents the shekinah glory of God, the sign of God’s presence (cf. Exo. 33:7-11; Mark 9:7).

2. Heading downwards

Apostles are grouped together in Jerusalem awaiting their next step. "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying…l these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer

3. Setting outwards.   

This is an opportunity to reflect on the mission imperative of the church, the dangers of the church looking inward and the strength we gain from a Jesus now in the heavens who equips us for service 

Read more…

An Alternate Take – "The Ascension Never Actually Happened – Ascension is Always Happening"

From a sermon from Pastor Dawn Hutchings.  Full sermon 

Dawn cites the story of Larry Walters who in 1982 ascended to a height of 16,000 in a lawn chair lifted by over 40 helium balloons. He intended to come down by shooting out the balloons with a bb gun. However, he dropped the gun. By luck, he shot out enough balloons to get him down though he wandered into a commercial airline path and almost ran into some power lines. That’s a true story but she cited a movie in Australia base on Larry’s story – Danny Deckchair which is not true.

"The movie’s hero, Danny, is a bored labourer who drives a cement mixer. Danny is an unlikely Christ figure whose story is similar to Larry’s. Danny ascends from his backyard in Sydney during a barbecue and lands less than gracefully in a small town in the Australian outback. By this act of departure and arrival everything changes not only for Danny, but also for those he left behind and those he meets in the outback. Danny’s unique departure inspires those at home to take risks of their own: to live life more boldly, to act on their dreams, to become all they can be.

"In acting out his dream, Danny finds new confidence and becomes the source of inspiration and affirmation for the townsfolk in the outback who used to see themselves as backwater hicks, but now see the importance of their actions in the life of their town. Everyone is transformed by Danny’s ascension. New Life and love accompany his resurrection.

"With that said, let me just say, that the Ascension never actually happened. It is not an historical event. If a tourist with a video camera had been there in Bethany they would have recorded absolutely nothing – but it’s always happening.

"The Ascension story is about the joy the disciples felt about the ongoing ever so real presence of Jesus after his death. The God they saw in Jesus they found in themselves. In Jesus’ departure they discovered that they could love as wastefully as he did. They could live abundantly as Jesus did. They could heal and reconcile just as Jesus did. With Jesus pointing the way they had found God and while Jesus was gone, the God that Jesus pointed to was everywhere, even in them.

"May these realizations live and breath and have their being in you. May you know the joy of seeing Jesus point the way, the joy of finding God, may you know the God Christ points to who is everywhere, even in you. May you love as extravagantly as Jesus loved. May you live as abundantly as Jesus lived. May you be Christ’s Body here and now, in this place in this time!

May 10, 2020 – Easter 5

Music, Readings, Prayers and illustrations, May 10, 2020

The Week Ahead…

May 10 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for gathering – service starts at 10am

May 10 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

Catch their daily podcast during the Easter Season

May 13 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom

May 17 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for gathering – service starts at 10am

May 17 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

May 17 – Rogation Sunday

Mothers in the Bible quiz, Mothers Day May 10

So how well do you know the mothers in Bible ? 

We have an online quiz of 10 questions which could stump the best of you. You don’t have to register, give your name, blood type, etc. The results are only known by you. But give it a try.  

The quiz is here for all who dare.

One of the great scriptures on mothers – Proverbs 31:26-31:

"26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household,
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her happy;
her husband too, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her a share in the fruit of her hands,
 and let her works praise her in the city gates."

---

 A Mother’s Day sermon 

It is wonderful that the lectionary’s discussion on the good shepherd works well with Mother’s day. Here is a sermon from Steve Shepherd that gets at the heart of mom’s contributions both the famous and non-famous :

"On Mother’s Day we can’t say enough good things about our mothers, but we’ll try.

And God help us if we don’t!

PROP.- I want to share briefly three thoughts:

1- Her hands work

2- Her mouth speaks

3- Her heart loves  

Read the rest of the Mother’s Day sermon

---

184 years of St. Peter’s!

A party in 2019

On May 15 back in 1836, Bishop Richard Channing Moore came to St. Peter’s for the consecration of the church which had been finished in late 1835:

“On Sunday, May 15, 1836 I went to Port Royal at which place I consecrated a new Church: a building which is a great ornament to the town, and reflects the greatest credit upon those by “whose munificence it has been erected, and which, I trust, will prove a blessing to them and to their children to their latest posterity. The congregation was very large and attentive during the whole service. Prayers were read by several of the clergy who attended on the occasion — the discourse was delivered by myself — the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered — I baptised three children and confirmed two persons.”

9 years ago we celebrated the 175th anniversary. There is more of that day here

---

 Lectionary, May 17,  Easter 6

I.Theme –   We will know Jesus after his resurrection in the Holy Spirit.  This Spirit, the Spirit of Truth will abide in us as Jesus abides in us. 

 "The Advocate"  –Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú. 

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

Old Testament – Acts 17:22-31
Psalm – Psalm 66:7-18 Page 674, BCP
Epistle –1 Peter 3:13-22
Gospel – John 14:15-21

This week is somewhat philosophical in the search for meaning – who will support the disciples after Jesus is gone ?

Paul goes to Athens and tries to build a common basis with Greek philosophy and Christ though Christ divinity was hard to muster with the Athenians. There is an appeal to universal wisdom.

So too does the writer of first Peter  by presenting Jesus as proclaiming salvation to the lost souls in Hades during the time between Good Friday and Easter morning.  The writer tries to ease the suffering of those at his time saying "even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed." This week brings in the Holy Spirit. 1st Peter says "He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit."

John’s Gospel tries to provide of meaning of the Holy Spirit. The readings are shifting from Jesus physical presence to the presence of the Holy Spirit which will help the disciples carry on his work.   The Holy Spirit is called the advocate, communicating the truth and to be a consistent presence with both the community and the disciple. This Spirit will abide in us as Jesus abides in us. 

The Spirit is sent in Jesus’ name and reminds us of what he taught. The spirit is the advocate – one who will support, help and intercede for them. The Paraclete (counselor, helper) comes to speak to us for Jesus. Jesus emphasizes the intimate unity of Jesus, God, the Spirit, and the believer. 

Read more…

---

Rogation Sunday, May 17, 2020

Rogation Sunday, a time of celebration and prayer, is a time set aside to appreciate and recognize our dependence upon the land for our food and most importantly upon our dependence of God for the miracles of sprouting seeds, growing plants, and maturing harvest.

The Rogation Days, the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day, originated in Vienne, France in 470 after a series of natural disasters had caused much suffering among the people.  Originally, the Christian observance of Rogation was taken over from Graeco-Roman  religion, where an annual procession invoked divine favour to protect crops against mildew.   Archbishop Mamertus proclaimed a fast and ordered that special litanies and prayers be said as the population processed around their fields, asking God’s protection and blessing on the crops that were just beginning to sprout.

The Latin word rogare means “to ask”, thus these were “rogation” processions. The tradition grew of using processional litanies, often around the parish boundaries, for the blessing of the land. These processions concluded with a mass. The Rogation procession was suppressed at the Reformation, but it was restored in 1559. The poet George Herbert interpreted the procession as a means of asking for God’s blessing on the land, of preserving boundaries, of encouraging fellowship between neighbours with the reconciling of differences, and of charitable giving to the poor. The tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ has been preserved in some communities. In the latter   a group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish, usually led by the parish priest and church officials, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for protection and blessings for the lands. Others maintain the traditional use of the Litany within worship. In more recent times, the scope of Rogation has been widened to include petition for the world of work and for accountable stewardship, and prayer for local communities, whether rural or urban.

The Sunday before the Rogation Days came to be considered a part of Rogationtide (or “Rogantide”) and was known as Rogation Sunday. The Gospel formerly appointed for that day was from John 16, where Jesus tells his disciples to ask, and ye shall receive.

---

Since May 2016, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the people of Thy Kingdom Come have been bringing the world together in prayer. St Peter’s has been part of this international prayer initiative for several years. In the gospel according to Luke, before Jesus ascended, he told the disciples to go to back to Jerusalem and await the coming of the Holy Spirit. They did as he asked, spent ten days absorbed in prayer as they waited, and the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. Through these prayerful disciples, the Holy Spirit brought the Church to birth. Following the example of these disciples, we can spend time in intentional prayer during these ten days, praying for people around the world to be filled with the Spirit and to come to know Jesus more fully.

How can you participate ? 3 Ways to start:

1. Listen to Tom Wright’s podcast (below and less than 5 minutes each day) or here

2. Pray for 5 people

Download the card. This card will easily fit inside your wallet, purse or book. Choose five people you would regularly like to pray for and write their names down onto a list. If you’re not sure who to pray for, ask God to guide you as you choose. Once you have settled on 5 names, commit to praying for them regularly. Use this card as a daily reminder to pray for them.

3. Go deeper with a Prayer Journal

Each day there is a passage from the Bible, a short reflection, a prayer, and a suggestion for action. There is also space each day for your own notes. Did a phrase jump out at you? Did God bring something to your mind as you prayed that day? When you tried to take action, how did it go? Make a note so that you can remember what God has been saying to you through your reading, your prayers, and your action

---

Thy Kingdom Come resource – a Daily Podcast from N. T. Wright

Listen to the Bishop Tom Wright’s podcast over the next 11 days (May 21-May 31) from Ascension to Pentecost. Wright is a both a prominent theologian and author

Here is the Podcast Link, one for each of the 11 days.

The podcast on Day 1 is all about the roots of evangelism which emphasizes “bringing God’s promise of Comfort into life where it matters most – in the heart mind and file not the least the grieving.. to anyone who will listen.”

---

Make a Gift Today! Help our ministries make a difference during the Pandemic 1. Newcomers – Welcome Page 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 3. St. Peter’s Sunday News 4. Server Schedule May , 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (May , 2020) 6. Calendar 7. Parish Ministries 8. This past Sunday 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (May 10, 2020 10:00am),  and Sermon (May 10, 2020) 10. Recent Services:  Easter 2, April 19, 2020 Photos from Easter 2, April 19, 2020 Easter 3, April 26, 2020 Photos from Easter 3, April 26, 2020 Easter 4, May 3, 2020 Photos from Easter 4, May 3, 2020

Block Print by Mike Newman

Projects 

Colors for Year A, 2019-20

Daily “Day by Day”

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.

Follow the Star

Daily meditations in words and music.

Sacred Space

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.”

Daily C. S. Lewis thoughts

Saints of the Week,  – May 10 – May 17, 2020

May 3, 2020 – Easter 4

Time for May flowers

The Week Ahead…

May 3 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for gathering – service starts at 10am

Readings and Prayers from the service.

May 3 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

May 6- 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom

May 7 – 12pm – National Day of Prayer Service.

Join this Zoom link

You can enter the meeting starting at 11:45AM. The meeting ID is 846-9262-9596 and the password for the meeting is 099600

May 10 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for gathering – service starts at 10am

May 10 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

#GivingTuesdayNow, May 5

This day is sponsored by the same group that schedules the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to support non-profits . Our Village Harvest has benefited from it.

GivingTuesdayNow is different “This is a Day of Global Action for Giving and Unity in Response to COVID-19”. We are channeling our donations not to support our ministries but those who are leading the fight against the Pandemic

Meet the heroes, an article by Time Magazine.

A global threat like COVID-19 affects more than just the infected. A pandemic like this touches every person on the planet, and it presents an opportunity to come together as a global community.

Our donations will go the Community Relief Fund created by the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock Region which supports Caroline County and the counties surrounding Fredericksburg.

The Community Relief Fund was established in October 2019 to prepare for any possible future disaster threat to our community. “Our goal is to work collaboratively with the nonprofit, government, philanthropic and private sectors to accelerate recovery for a thriving, resilient and even stronger Rappahannock River region. We will support organizations that are addressing immediate needs, onger-term effects of the pandemic, and community recovery.”

Please send your checks to St. Peter’s with the memo line “GivingTuesdayNow”

“When Giving Is All We Have” Alberto Ríos – 1952-

We give because someone gave to us.
We give because nobody gave to us.
We give because giving has changed us.
We give because giving could have changed us.
We have been better for it,
We have been wounded by it—
Giving has many faces: It is loud and quiet,
Big, though small, diamond in wood-nails.
Its story is old, the plot worn and the pages too,
But we read this book, anyway, over and again:
Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand,
Mine to yours, yours to mine.
You gave me blue and I gave you yellow.
Together we are simple green. You gave me
What you did not have, and I gave you
What I had to give—together, we made
Something greater from the difference.

Support an alternative food ministry

Support a feeding ministry during the time that we aren’t doing our own food distribution. Check out The Underground Kitchen

Consider writing a card to someone who will receive a meal from Underground Kitchen, a collaborative group in the Richmond area who prepares meals for many different groups of people including hospital workers, those in facilities where out of towners stay near needed medical facilities, families who are unable to leave their
homes, a Latina community, isolated community members. The notes can be whatever is on your heart—a few lines, favorite quote, Scripture passage, prayer, art work. They can be generic or specific to the groups mentioned above. These notes are deeply appreciated by those who receive them.

You can mail your cards to The Rev. Deacon Barbara Ambrose, 501 Roseneath Rd, Richmond, VA 23221, and she will get them to the Underground Kitchen for delivery with the meal packages.

Prayer Events this Week

1. May 7 – The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May. On this day, people of all faiths pray for the nation. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863. There will be a national service on 8pm-10pm or here

At noon on Thursday, May 7, we will pray as the St Peter’s community for the Nation in a short Zoom prayer service.

Join this Zoom link

Please plan to join me in this prayer, which will begin at noon. You can enter the meeting starting at 11:45AM.

The meeting ID is 846-9262-9596 and the password for the meeting is 099600.

2. Julian of Norwich, May 8. What does a 14th Century Mystic have to with us ? One of the first women authors, her visions (“showings”) of Christ continue to inspire.

We also know her by her famous quote “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” We celebrate her day on May 8.

Julian’s Revelations of Divine Love is based on a series of sixteen visions she received on the 8th of May 1373. In her 30th year she was expected to die from an illness. “Then, on the seventh day, the medical crisis passed, and she had a series of fifteen visions, or “showings,” in which she was led to contemplate the Passion of Christ. These brought her great peace and joy. She became an anchoress, living in a small hut near to the church in Norwich, where she devoted the rest of her life to prayer and contemplation of the meaning of her visions.”

Listen to a podcast on her with a brief article.

3. “The Balanced Diet of Prayer” This is an article by the Rev. Canon Dr. Andrew R. Wright.

“However we pray, it’s important to attend to the range of ways that we are invited to respond to God in prayer. One way to remember a “balanced diet” of prayer is the acronym ACTS, which stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.” Check out the article!

Mothers in the Bible quiz, Mothers Day May 10

So how well do you know the mothers in Bible ? 

We have an online quiz of 10 questions which could stump the best of you. You don’t have to register, give your name, blood type, etc. The results are only known by you. But give it a try.  

The quiz is here for all who dare.

Make a Gift Today! Help our ministries make a difference during the Pandemic 1. Newcomers – Welcome Page 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 3. St. Peter’s Sunday News 4. Server Schedule April , 2020 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (May , 2020) 6. Calendar 7. Parish Ministries 8. This past Sunday 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (May 10, 2020 10:00am),  and Sermon (May 3, 2020) 10. Recent Services:  Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020 Photos from Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020 Easter 2, April 19, 2020 Photos from Easter 2, April 19, 2020 Easter 3, April 26, 2020 Photos from Easter 3, April 26, 2020

Block Print by Mike Newman

Projects 

Colors for Year A, 2019-20

Daily “Day by Day”

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.

Follow the Star

Daily meditations in words and music.

Sacred Space

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.”

Daily C. S. Lewis thoughts

Saints of the Week,  – May 3 – May 10, 2020

April 26, 2020 – Easter 3

Check out our Earth Day and bread powerpoints for Easter 3 and the

News from Sunday, April 26

The Week Ahead…

April 29 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom

May 3 – 10:00am – Join here at 9:30am for gathering – service starts at 10am

May 3 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

 We are in Eastertide until Pentecost, May 31

Eastertide is the period of fifty days, seven Sundays from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. Easter is not a day but a season and it is one to examine the Resurrection, more broadly and deeply.  There are a number of questions.

Is Resurrection just about death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-56) ? Is Resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to your own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) ? Does it say something about our own ability to expect to see Jesus (Luke 24) ? How does the new Christian community begin to function making Christ the central part of daily life ? (Acts 2)  

Jesus physically appears in Easter 2 and 3 making the Resurection tangible. The shepherding part of his ministry is explored in Easter 4. From Easter 5-7, Jesus must prepare the disciples for his departure. He is going to leave them. Jesus prepares his disciples for continuing his ministry without his physical presence.  Themes explored include the holy spirit, the Prayer of Jesus and God’s glory through His Son and the church.

Christ ascends on the 40th day with his disciples watching (Thursday, May 5th). The weekdays after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.This fifty days comes to an end on Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the beginnings of the Church and its mission to all  peoples and nation.  Note that the Old Testament lessons are replaced by selections from the Book of Acts, recognizing the important of the growth of the church.  

Jesus’ Appearances

Sunday April 26 had one of the most famous post-resurrection appearances of Jesus with the “Road to Emmaus” story. One Easter 2 we had the story of Thomas. Here is a timeline but there is complete account here.

Support an alternative food ministry

Support a feeding ministry during the time that we aren’t doing our own food distribution. Check out The Underground Kitchen

Consider writing a card to someone who will receive a meal from Underground Kitchen, a collaborative group in the Richmond area who prepares meals for many different groups of people including hospital workers, those in facilities where out of towners stay near needed medical facilities, families who are unable to leave their
homes, a Latina community, isolated community members. The notes can be whatever is on your heart—a few lines, favorite quote, Scripture passage, prayer, art work. They can be generic or specific to the groups mentioned above. These notes are deeply appreciated by those who receive them.

You can mail your cards to The Rev. Deacon Barbara Ambrose, 501 Roseneath Rd, Richmond, VA 23221, and she will get them to the Underground Kitchen for delivery with the meal packages.

#GivingTuesdayNow, Tuesday May 5

This day is sponsored by the same group that schedules the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to support non-profits . Our Village Harvest has benefited from it. GivingTuesdayNow is different “This is a Day of Global Action for Giving and Unity in Response to COVID-19”. We are channeling our donations not to support our ministries but those who are leading the fight against the Pandemic.

Meet the heroes courtesy of Time Magazine

A global threat like COVID-19 affects more than just the infected. A pandemic like this touches every person on the planet, and it presents an opportunity to come together as a global community.

Our donations will go the Community Relief Fund created by the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock Region which supports Caroline County and the counties surrounding Fredericksburg.

The Community Relief Fund was established in October 2019 to prepare for any possible future disaster threat to our community. “Our goal is to work collaboratively with the nonprofit, government, philanthropic and private sectors to accelerate recovery for a thriving, resilient and even stronger Rappahannock River region. We will support organizations that are addressing immediate needs, longer-term effects of the pandemic, and community recovery.”

Please send your checks to St. Peter’s with the memo line “GivingTuesdayNow”

“When Giving Is All We Have” Alberto Ríos – 1952-

We give because someone gave to us.
We give because nobody gave to us.
We give because giving has changed us.
We give because giving could have changed us.
We have been better for it,
We have been wounded by it—
Giving has many faces: It is loud and quiet,
Big, though small, diamond in wood-nails.
Its story is old, the plot worn and the pages too,
But we read this book, anyway, over and again:
Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand,
Mine to yours, yours to mine.
You gave me blue and I gave you yellow.
Together we are simple green. You gave me
What you did not have, and I gave you
What I had to give—together, we made
Something greater from the difference.

 Lectionary, May 3, Easter 4

I.Theme –   Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the many ways this is fulfilled.

 "Jesus the Good Shepherd" Jacques Le Breton and Jean Gaudin (1933)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Old Testament – Acts 2:42-47
Psalm – Psalm 23, Page 612
Epistle –1 Peter 2:19-25
Gospel – John 10:1-10 

The first weeks from Easter were different lenses on the resurrection and appearances of the Risen Lord, first with Thomas and then the Road to Emmaus. After this Sunday attention will turn to the teachings of the departing Jesus and the role of the Holy Spirit in preparation for Pentecost. But this week its the shepherd/ sheep image as a way of talking about the enduring and deep connection of Jesus and those who follow him

Psalm 23 provides the role of God as good shepherd in terms of  defense (protection amd care and the idea we having nothing to fear) but also in direction ( guidance, reviving our lives).  

The final verse of the Epistle makes the connection to Good Shepherd Sunday. "For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls." Suffering isolates. This passage and Christian faith connect and keep us connected when suffering.

John’s reading speaks of Jesus as both the Shepherd and the gate. The connection is both personal and loving.   "He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."   We have to listen to his voice and watch out for strangers. There are those who are false shepherds, who are more interested in themselves than in caring for the sheep.

The final verse, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" is a good corrective to what can be an overemphasis on selflessness, self-sacrifice, deprivation and denial as the sign of true faith.  Jesus speaks of abundance not in terms of material goods but a fullness in life.

Read more from the lectionary 

 Maximilian Kolbe, a shepherd caring for his people

From a sermon by Rev. William D. Oldland, "Jesus is the Shepherd and the Gate"  about Maximiliam Kolbe 

"His life exemplifies the role of a caring shepherd for his flock. His life is also a gate or perhaps a gateway through which we can see the effect of the incredible love of God.  

"The priest’s name was Maximilian Kolbe. He was born in 1894 in Poland. His parents were poor. His father was a weaver. At an early age he had a vision. He had prayed to Mary and asked what was to become of him. In response Mary came to him in this vision holding two crowns. One was red and the other was white. The white one symbolized perseverance in purity and the red one meant martyrdom. She asked which one he would choose. He said he would accept them both. This decision shaped his future actions and would one day come true.  

" In 1910, he entered the Franciscan order and he was ordained a priest in 1919 in Rome. On his return to Poland he was a teacher of church history and he built a friary outside of Warsaw. The friary grew until it housed 762 Franciscans. He went to Japan and India and started friaries there as well. In 1936, he returned to supervise the friary in Warsaw. When Germany invaded he sent the friars home to protect them. He was a good shepherd to his flock. He was imprisoned for a while. But when he was released he went back to the friary where he took in three thousand refugees. 2,000 of these refugees were Jewish. Those friars who worked with him shared all they had with the refugees. They shared their clothing, the little food that they had, and anything else that was useful.

As you can imagine the Germans became suspicious and in 1941 they closed the friary arresting Maximilian and four other brothers. They were all transported to Auschwitz. At the camp Maximilian endured many hardships. No one had enough food. Clothing was inadequate for the cold. Shelter was not much help from the cold either. Maximilian was known to move among the prisoners with gentleness. At night he did not rest. He moved from bunk to bunk identifying himself as a priest and asking if they needed anything from him. He listened to confessions and heard their pleas for consolation. He continued to be a shepherd to his flock. 

Read the rest of the story about Father Kolbe 

April 19, 2020 – Easter 2

The Week Ahead…

Sunday, April 19, 2020 – Easter 2 at 9:30am for gathering – service starts at 10am

April 19 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Cathedral celebrates creation with special prayers and music.

April 19 – 2:00pm – National Cathedral church service online The Cathedral and Interfaith Power & Light are co-hosting this online service focused on our shared call to climate action. Leaders from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Latter-Day Saints, Muslim, Sikh, Unitarian Universalist and other spiritual communities share their traditions’ gifts through sacred text, commentary, and song, and call us to collective action.

Wed., April 22 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom

Sunday, April 26, 2020 – Easter 3

Join here at 9:30am for gathering – service starts at 10am

April 26 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online

 We are in Eastertide until Pentecost, May 31

Eastertide is the period of fifty days, seven Sundays from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. Easter is not a day but a season and it is one to examine the Resurrection, more broadly and deeply.  There are a number of questions.

Is Resurrection just about death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-56) ? Is Resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to your own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) ? Does it say something about our own ability to expect to see Jesus (Luke 24) ? How does the new Christian community begin to function making Christ the central part of daily life ? (Acts 2)  

Jesus physically appears in Easter 2 and 3 making the Resurection tangible. The shepherding part of his ministry is explored in Easter 4. From Easter 5-7, Jesus must prepare the disciples for his departure. He is going to leave them. Jesus prepares his disciples for continuing his ministry without his physical presence.  Themes explored include the holy spirit, the Prayer of Jesus and God’s glory through His Son and the church.

Christ ascends on the 40th day with his disciples watching (Thursday, May 5th). The weekdays after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.This fifty days comes to an end on Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the beginnings of the Church and its mission to all  peoples and nation.  Note that the Old Testament lessons are replaced by selections from the Book of Acts, recognizing the important of the growth of the church.  

Earth Day, 2020 – April 22 – 50th Anniversary

Earth Day was founded in 1970 and included environmental teach-ins that educated  Americans about environmental and species conservation issues, and connected those issues to their health and well-being.

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to call for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and  universities organized demonstrations and teach-ins against the deterioration of the environment.

Earth Day 1970 activated a bipartisan spirit that motivated the passing of the Clean Air,  Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.  2020 is the 50^th anniversary Earth Day

The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action. The enormous challenge — but also the vast opportunities — of action on climate change have distinguished the issue as the most pressing topic for the 50th anniversary.

Read more…

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ”— Chief Seattle, 1854

How can we celebrate Earth Day at home?

We can do this through:
1. Our role with food. What is the effect of our food intake ?
2. What can we do about endangered species and lands ?
3. How can we tackle the plastics problem ?

All can be done at home. Take one area in the link and give it a try!

What is your Carbon Footprint?

Whether we agree on the effects of Climate change, there are things we can do to both conserve and save money. However, you first need to understand your energy usage as defined in your carbon footprint .

What’s your carbon footprint ? A carbon footprint is defined here http://timeforchange.org/what-is-a-carbon-footprint-definition/ as:

“The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).

“In other words: When you drive a car, the engine burns fuel which creates a certain amount of CO2, depending on its fuel consumption and the driving distance. (CO2 is the chemical symbol for carbon dioxide). When you heat your house with oil, gas or coal, then you also generate CO2. Even if you heat your house with electricity, the generation of the electrical power may also have emitted a certain amount of CO2. When you buy food and goods, the production of the food and goods also emitted some quantities of CO2.

“Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide), which were induced by your activities in a given time frame. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period of a year.”

Calculate it using Berkley’s Cool Climate Calculator

How to reduce your footprint? – Drive less, change to a more vegetable diet particularly with local vegetables, plant a garden, unplug your devices, line-dry your clothes, set up a compost system, reuse items to keep them out of landfills

A Poem for Earth Day

“The Peace of Wild Things”
by Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

 Lectionary, April 26, Easter 3

I.Theme –   "Now what do we do after the Resurrection?" 

 "Road to Emmaus"  -Bonnell

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

First Leason – Acts 2:14a,36-41
Psalm – Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17 Page 759, BCP
Epistle –1 Peter 1:17-23
Gospel – Luke 24:13-35 

The answer to what we must do after the Resurrection comes in the various readings to this week’s lectionary.

In Acts,  Peter declares God had made the risen Jesus both Lord and Christ. The people respond, "What must we do?" "Repent and be baptized."  

The Epistle answers "live as the baptized"  in reverent fear of God, and with deep affection for one another from the heart.

The writer of the Psalms package was in a time illness, near death, the answer is to love and praise God since God saved him from this affliction. He will worship the Lord, and praise the Lord  in the worshipping community in the temple.

The Gospel reading on the Road to Emmaus provides the fullest explanation. It occurs on the day of Resurrection.  Mary discovers the empy tomb at the beginning of Chapter 24.

The emphasis is on evangelism and mission – after encountering  and recognizing Jesus in the scriptures and in the Eucharist, the two individuals went back and shared their faith experience with the community, the Body of Christ.  What would sustain the community of faith was the Word of Jesus,  friends involved in community worship and participating with the sacraments.  They had to live out and experience Jesus through revelation.  The followers needed to open their minds and hearts to new possibilities as they fulfilled the mandate to preach repentance and forgiveness everywhere in the name of Jesus.  We need to expect Jesus outside our normal experience.

Read more from the lectionary 

St. George’s "Road to Emmaus"  Window 

Many people may not know that St. George’s Fredericksburg has a wonderful Tiffany stained glass window depicting the story. The window, the first of three Tiffanies at St. George’s, was donated by Mary Downman in honor of two deceased sons:  

The window was dedicated at Easter, 1912. 

This window is loaded with most of Tiffany’s techniques of glass and color. Christ faces toward us, but the men are turned inward, a compositional device that gives the illusion of depth. The robes are made of drapery glass which shows the folds in their garments. Glass while molten thrown onto an iron table and rolled into a disk. The glassmaker armed with tongs manipulated the mass and by taking hold of it from both ends like dough and pulling and twisting till it fell into folds. The faces of Christ and the two individuals were hand painted with enamel.  

To the side of Christ is a landscape created with mottled glass which was a given a spotted touch with the addition of fluorine in the firing process of glass. Tiffany is best known the creator of opalescent glass, those skies that are milky and streaky in appearance and created through years of experimenting with alternating heating and cooling of the glass and with the addition of chemical additives to create the desired effect.

The window is dark in the morning representing the mystery of Christ’s identity and then becomes lighter during the day representing the travelers’ recognition of Jesus.

As we approached the 100th year of this windows, the inside was in generally good condition inside but the outside needed modernizing – a new protective covering and ventilation system as well as preservation of the wood. The Church received a grant from the Community Foundation for the Rappahannock for that purpose as part of their Duff Green grant program.

We rededicated the window on Sept. 30, 2012 with two members of the Downman family attending. In the weeks preceding, we located another relative living in Seattle as a lawyer and completed a family tree. For the rededication a new brochure was done that you can read here. It contains more information about the family and the window.

Do You Know the Way to Emmaus?

By Heather Hahn, UMNS

"Road to Emmaus" – Robert Zund (1877)

Christ shows up in the most unexpected places — in the wisdom of a stranger, in the breaking of bread and even in those moments when all hope seems lost.

That is one lesson from Luke: 24:13-34, the only detailed account of Jesus’ post-resurrection walk to Emmaus. The risen Christ travels about seven miles from Jerusalem alongside two grieving disciples. The two already know the testimony of the women at the empty tomb, but they fail to recognize their teacher until he joins them for a meal.

Here is another lesson from the story: A Christ encounter tends to get people up and moving. After Jesus reveals himself, the disciples rush back to Jerusalem with a fervor that the strangely warmed heart of John Wesley would recognize.

“Weren’t our hearts on fire when he spoke to us along the road and when he explained the Scriptures for us?” the two say to each other.

The familiar Bible story remains cherished Easter reading and, in fact, is one of the possible lectionary passages for this Easter Sunday. The account also provides the name of the Walk to Emmaus movement, a ministry of ecumenical spiritual retreats organized through The Upper Room at United Methodist Discipleship Ministries.

Scholars and other Christians see plenty of reasons why the story still resonates with Christ’s followers today.

“The storytelling catches me every time,” said Ryan Schellenberg, a New Testament professor at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. He calls the Walk to Emmaus one of his favorite Bible passages.

“There’s this beautiful irony in the disciples not knowing it when Jesus is walking among them. Then there is this scene of revelation when Jesus reveals himself in the breaking of the bread.”

The passage explains how people in the post-resurrection era come to recognize Christ, said the Rev. Thomas E. Phillips, a New Testament scholar and dean of the library at United Methodist Claremont School of Theology in California.

“They come to recognize Jesus through the opening of the Scripture (24:27) and through the breaking of bread (24:30),” said Phillips, who served as the lead translator for the Gospel of Luke in the Common English Bible (Abingdon, 2010). “That is, Christ is made known to us through preaching and Eucharist.

Read more…

YouTube dramatization of the "Road to Emmaus"

Starring Bruce Marchiano ("Gospel of Matthew") Road to Emmaus follows the story of Luke 24:13-49 and imagines what the conversation between Jesus and the two disciples might have been. It builds from the actual stories and passages of the Bible (the writings of Moses and the prophets as well as the further explanations in the New Testament).

The Link to the video

Holy Week and Easter at St. Peter’s over the years.

April 12, 2020 – Easter Sunday

As Bishop Curry preached on Easter:

“It’s Easter Sunday.
It doesn’t look like it. It doesn’t smell like it. It doesn’t really feel like it.
But it’s Easter anyway.
Churches are empty.
There’s no sight or smell of lilies.
But it’s Easter anyway!
And trusting that, we can make it.”

We made the most of our ZoomChurch Easter!

The request – “Please come to ZoomChurch tomorrow to celebrate Easter Sunday. Bring with you if you can a candle to light, and also a simple agape meal to have blessed and to share with the others in your house during our worship service.” Some people brought objects to share. We had over 40 in our ZoomChurch service!

The Week Ahead…

April 15 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study through Zoom

April 19 – 10:00am – Online Church Service through Zoom

April 19 – 11:15am – National Cathedral church service online. Earth Day In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Cathedral celebrates creation with special prayers and music.

April 19 – 2:00pm – National Cathedral church service online – Earth Day The Cathedral and Interfaith Power & Light are co-hosting this online service focused on our shared call to climate action. Leaders from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Latter-Day Saints, Muslim, Sikh, Unitarian Universalist and other spiritual communities share their traditions’ gifts through sacred text, commentary, and song, and call us to collective action.

 We are in Eastertide until Pentecost, May 31

Eastertide is the period of fifty days, seven Sundays from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. Easter is not a day but a season and it is one to examine the Resurrection, more broadly and deeply.  There are a number of questions.

Is Resurrection just about death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-56) ? Is Resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to your own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) ? Does it say something about our own ability to expect to see Jesus (Luke 24) ? How does the new Christian community begin to function making Christ the central part of daily life ? (Acts 2)  

Jesus physically appears in Easter 2 and 3 making the Resurection tangible. The shepherding part of his ministry is explored in Easter 4. From Easter 5-7, Jesus must prepare the disciples for his departure. He is going to leave them. Jesus prepares his disciples for continuing his ministry without his physical presence.  Themes explored include the holy spirit, the Prayer of Jesus and God’s glory through His Son and the church.

Christ ascends on the 40th day with his disciples watching (Thursday, May 5th). The weekdays after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.This fifty days comes to an end on Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the beginnings of the Church and its mission to all  peoples and nation.  Note that the Old Testament lessons are replaced by selections from the Book of Acts, recognizing the important of the growth of the church.  

Earth Day, 2020 – April 22 – 50th Anniversary

Earth Day was founded in 1970 and included environmental teach-ins that educated  Americans about environmental and species conservation issues, and connected those issues to their health and well-being.

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to call for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and  universities organized demonstrations and teach-ins against the deterioration of the environment.

Earth Day 1970 activated a bipartisan spirit that motivated the passing of the Clean Air,  Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.  2020 is the 50^th anniversary Earth Day

The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action. The enormous challenge — but also the vast opportunities — of action on climate change have distinguished the issue as the most pressing topic for the 50th anniversary.

Read more…

What is your Carbon Footprint?

Whether we agree on the effects of Climate change, there are things we can do to both conserve and save money. However, you first need to understand your energy usage as defined in your carbon footprint .

What’s your carbon footprint ? A carbon footprint is defined here http://timeforchange.org/what-is-a-carbon-footprint-definition/ as:

“The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).

“In other words: When you drive a car, the engine burns fuel which creates a certain amount of CO2, depending on its fuel consumption and the driving distance. (CO2 is the chemical symbol for carbon dioxide). When you heat your house with oil, gas or coal, then you also generate CO2. Even if you heat your house with electricity, the generation of the electrical power may also have emitted a certain amount of CO2. When you buy food and goods, the production of the food and goods also emitted some quantities of CO2.

“Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide), which were induced by your activities in a given time frame. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period of a year.”

Calculate it using Berkley’s Cool Climate Calculator

How to reduce your footprint? – Drive less, change to a more vegetable diet particularly with local vegetables, plant a garden, unplug your devices, line-dry your clothes, set up a compost system, reuse items to keep them out of landfills

 Lectionary, April 23, Easter 2

I.Theme –   "Peace Be With You" 

 "Incredulity of Thomas" –  Duccio, di Buoninsegna (1308-1311)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

First Reading – Acts 2:14a,22-32
Psalm – Psalm 16 Page 599, BCP
Epistle –1 Peter 1:3-9
Gospel – John 20:19-31

Jesus came back from the realm of the dead after only three days. He left the tomb behind, empty. The Apostles are still in their tomb, their emotional tomb, behind the locked doors of the house, after eight days. Their is fear of the Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus and thus have no peace. Would they come after them? (Jn 15:18, 19). Would be accused of having stolen his body in some resurrection scam? The reality of Jesus execution has just hit them.  Jesus comes back and shows them his wounds. The fear appears real!

Jesus visits them and twice says “Peace be with you.” Then he says it a third time a week later. Eventually they do unlock the doors and know that they are sent. There is the Gospel story this week of the Apostle Thomas ("Doubting Thomas") who wanted physical proof of Christ’s wounds before he would believe. 

Alyce McKenzie writes that "peace be with you" was not just written in the New Testament by quoting the Psalms. "Peace is God’s gift of inner serenity to those who place their trust in God (Ps 4:8; Is 26:3, 12). Peace is both the goal (Ps 34:14) and the reward of righteousness (Is 32:17). Its presence will be a sign of God’s reign (Ps 85:10). Peace results when one loves and follows God’s law (Ps 119:165."

"This isn’t the first time Jesus has uttered this greeting. "Peace be with you," is the fulfillment of a promise Jesus made to his disciples in chapter 14 of John’s Gospel (Jn 14:18-28). The disciples were afraid that they would be "orphaned" (14:18). Jesus assured them that the Father, in his name, would send the Holy Spirit to both "teach and remind" them of Jesus’ message (14:26). He then promises them peace."

Their subsequent lives were not free of conflict, not even from conflict among themselves. He doesn’t give them a traditional peace -It is rather an inner calm in the midst of strife. Peace is calmly living on the edge, betwixt and between the ups and downs of life with Jesus walking by our side. As  Alyce McKenzie writes "It is a statement of fact, of present reality." The emphasis is that Jesus lives in all of us with the resurrection in our difficult circumstances.

Jesus called us not for a quiet, leisurely life, but for an active mission that faces challenges, problems, and various trials. He gives us first of all His Peace to carry out the mission. A true peace over and against fear, and doubt.  It is a mission to preach the good news of the Kingdom

He gives us His strength, His power, the Holy Spirit. The mission can be accomplished only through His Spirit. Jesus knew very well Thomas will not be able to fulfil the calling on his own, so He came back for him, to empower him also as He empowered the other disciples. So what is our mission ?

Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop writes this mission – forgiveness. "The resurrection was an experience of forgiveness. The disciples had all abandoned Jesus, becoming complicit with his murderers. The fact that the resurrection was happening to them was an experience of forgiveness for them. "  So he gives them another chance to them extend forgiveness into the world.  Jesus demonstrated it by calling Saul (Paul) even though he was guilty of killing some of his followers.

Read more from the lectionary 

Who was Thomas ?

Thomas’ name has come down to us as "Doubting Thomas. "  He’s been labeled a "doubter" for his inability to understand Christ’s resurrection from the dead following his crucifixion.  It’s not so much that he doubted the resurrection but that he needed a personal encounter with Jesus to make the resurrection real. His request that he see the wounds on Jesus’s hand left by the nails before he would actually believe that he was speaking to the risen Christ, has provided us with the phrase "Doubting Thomas."   That makes it appear to doubt is not a part of faith which it is. 

National Geographic – "Thomas’s moment of incredulity has proved a two-edged sword in the history of Christian thought. On the one hand, some theologians are quick to point out that his doubt is only natural, echoing the uncertainty, if not the deep skepticism, felt by millions in regard to metaphysical matters. How can we know? That Thomas challenged the risen Christ, probed the wounds, and then believed, some say, lends deeper significance to his subsequent faith. On the other hand, his crisis of doubt, shared by none of the other Apostles, is seen by many as a spiritual failure, as a need to know something literally that one simply cannot know. In the Gospel of John, 20:29, Christ himself chastises Thomas, saying, "Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Loyalty was closer to his character. As one of the disciples, when Jesus announced His intention of going to the Jerusalem area, brushing aside the protests of His disciples that His life was in danger there, at which Thomas said to the others: "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:7,8,16) If Thomas was pessimistic, he was also sturdily loyal and determined. He wanted to get it right

Before the Doubting Thomas episode, he was honest and sincere. At the Last Supper, Jesus said: "I go to prepare a place for you…. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." Thomas replied: "Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way?" To this Jesus answered: "I am the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:1-6)

Thomas is mentioned again (John 21) as one of the seven disciples who were fishing on the Sea of Galilee (Sea of Tiberias) when the Risen Lord appeared to them. Aside from this he appears in the New Testament only as a name on lists of the Apostles. A couple of centuries later a story was circulating in the Mediterranean world that he had gone to preach in India; and there is a Christian community in India (the Kerala district) that claims descent from Christians converted by the the preaching of Thomas.

Following Christ’s ascensio, the apostles divided the world for missionary purposes. Thomas was assigned to travel to India to spread Christianity. He objected to this group decision. He said he wasn’tt healthy enough to travel. But he couldn’t possibly be successful there, he told the others, contending that a Hebrew couldn’t possibly teach the Indians. It’s even said that Christ appeared to him in a vision encouraging him to travel to India. Thomas remained unmoved by this revelation as well.

A merchant eventually sold Thomas into slavery in India. It was then, when he was freed from bondage that this saint began to form Christian parishes and building churches. It’s not surprising that to this day, St. Thomas is especially venerated as The Apostle in India. According to legend, Thomas built a total of seven churches in India, as well as being martyred during a prayer session with a spear near Madras around the year 72 C.E.  

He is often pictured holding a spear. Paintings of martyrs often show them holding or accompanied by the instruments with which they were put to death. 

A recently discovered work called the Gospel of Thomas is a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus,

The Legacy of Thomas in India

The National Geographic -"He traveled farther than even the indefatigable Paul, whose journeys encompassed much of the Mediterranean. Of all the Apostles, Thomas represents most profoundly the missionary zeal associated with the rise of Christianity—the drive to travel to the ends of the known world to preach a new creed."

"Thomas is said to have raised the first cross in India and performed one of his earliest miracles: When he encountered a group of Brahmans throwing water into the air as part of a ritual, he asked why the water fell back to Earth if it was pleasing to their deity. My God, Thomas said, would accept such an offering. He then flung a great spray into the air, and the droplets hung there in the form of glistening white blossoms. Most onlookers converted on the spot; the rest fled."

"St. Thomas still stands as the direct link between his converts in Kerala and the founding Christian story on the shores of the Mediterranean, clear across the known world of the first century. Unlike later Christian groups in Asia who were converted by missionaries, Thomas Christians believe their church was founded by one of Christ’s closest followers, and this is central to their spiritual identity. "They are an apostolic church," Stewart said, "and that’s the ultimate seal of approval for a Christian group."

"The community was historically united in leadership and liturgy, but since the 17th century have been split into several different church denominations and traditions. 

"Historically the Saint Thomas Christian community was part of the Church of the East, centred in Persia.They are a distinct community, both in terms of culture and religion. Though their liturgy and theology remained that of East-Syrian Christians of Persia, their life-style customs and traditions were basically Indian.  

"In the 16th century the overtures of the Portuguese padroado to bring the Saint Thomas Christians into the Catholic Church led to the first of several rifts in the community and the establishment of Syrian Catholic and Malankara Church factions. Since that time further splits have occurred, and the Saint Thomas Christians are now divided into several different Eastern Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, and independent bodies, each with their own liturgies and traditions." 

Spring inspires!”Brief even as bright” (Shelley).

March 29 Lent 5 – slides and commentary

March 29 – Bulletin including Prayers of the People

March 29 – Sermon

March 29 – Online worship at the National Cathedral, 11:15am

The Week Ahead…

Online Learning during Lent – “Signs of Life -Why Worship Matters”. Online.

This week – “community”

You still have one more week to use the following online Lenten resources. St. Peter’s Lenten page

April 1 – 10:00-12pm – Ecumenical Bible Study – online

April 5 – Palm Sunday

Join here at 9:30am for gathering – service starts at 10am

Handling the Pandemic – Spiritually

Update – We have some new ones for March 29. Check out the link.

Here are some aids to help with this trying time – learning new things, getting outside, participating in online activities…

As the National Cathedral states “Social Distancing does not have to mean Spiritual Isolation.”

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body. . . . Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a
single hour to your life?” – Matthew 6:25–27

“Save us from the time of trial . . . “— The Lord’s Prayer

“To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers ― so many caring people in this world.” – Mister Rogers

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well” – Julian of Norwich

Bishop Curry sets the scene for Palm Sunday

"It’s taken me some years to realize it, but Jesus didn’t just happen to be in Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday. He wasn’t on vacation. He wasn’t just hanging out in town. Jesus was in Jerusalem on purpose. He arrived in Jerusalem about the time of the Passover when pilgrims were in the city. When people’s hopes and expectations for the dawn of freedom that Moses had promised in the first Passover might suddenly be realized for them in their time.

"Jesus arranged his entrance into Jerusalem to send a message. He entered the city, having come in on one side of the city, the scholars tell us, at just about the same time that Pontius Pilate made his entrance on the exact opposite side of the city. Pilate, coming forth on a warhorse. Pilate, with soldiers around him. Pilate, with the insignias of Rome’s Empire. Pilate, representing the Caesars who claimed to be son of god. Pilate, who had conquered through Rome the people of Jerusalem. Pilate, representing the Empire that had taken away their freedom. Pilate, who represented the Empire that would maintain the colonial status of the Jewish people by brute force and violence.

Read more with a video link.

Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020

We are nearing the end of Lent. Lent proper began on Ash Wednesday and ends on Palm/Passion Sunday, a day that in turn inaugurates Holy Week. 

While Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem,  the events of that day set in motion Jesus’ death 5 days later before the Passover begins. Zechariah had forecast "Zion’s king" coming "righteous and victorious" on a donkey. It looked like Jesus was proclaiming himself King of Israel to the anger of some of the Jewish authorities.

Palm Sunday has two liturgies – the Liturgy of the Palms where we consider Jesus arrival in Jerusalem from Galilee and the Liturgy of the Passion, a foreshadowing of Holy Week.   

Palm Sunday is the hinge between Lent and Holy Week. Lent has been the 40 day season of fasting and spiritual preparation intended to understand in practices, ritual and disciplines critical to living in the way of Jesus and Holy Week. Holy Week is a time of more intense fasting, reading and prayers in which we pay particular attention to the final days, suffering, and execution of Jesus.

Here is a page of the significance  Palm Sunday– meanings, the path and art of this important day.

The following week is Holy Week.  We have both a timetable and links to this most important week in our tradition.

Palm Sunday: The Setting: "We are going up to Jerusalem"

From Killing Jesus – Bill O’Reilly, Martin Dugard 

"Jerusalem is just a forty-minute walk from the village of Bethany, where they stop for the night. They stay at the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha, rather than risk traveling after sundown and on the start of the Sabbath. This will be their base throughout Passover week, and Jesus and the disciples plan to return here most nights for the promise of a hot meal and easy rest.  

"Just on the other side of Bethpage, the two disciples stand waiting. One holds the bridle of a donkey that has never been ridden. The animal is bareback. A disciple removes his square cloak and lays it across the animal’s back as an improvised saddle. The other disciples remove their cloaks and lay them on the ground in an act of submission, forming a carpet on which the donkey can walk. 

"Following this example, many of the pilgrims remove their own cloaks and lay them on the ground. Others gather palm fronds or snap branches off olive and cypress trees and wave them with delight. This is the sign everyone has been waiting for. This is the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy. “Blessed is the king!” shouts a disciple. The people join in, exalting Jesus and crying out to him. “Hosanna,” they chant. “Hosanna in the highest.” 

Read more from Killing Jesus 

Voices about Palm Sunday

1. David Lose – The Key to the Story

"Jesus suffers, that is, so that when we are suffering we know God understands and cares for us. Jesus is utterly alone by the end of the story so that when we feel alone we know God understands and is with us. Jesus cries out in despair so that when we become convinced the whole world has conspired against us and feel ready to give up, we know that God understands and holds onto us. Jesus dies because so that we know God understands death and the fear of death and reminds us that death does not have the last word. "All that we see and hear, all that we read and sing, all of this is for us.

Read more…  

Why was Jesus Killed ? 

Arland J. Hultgren

"People colluded to have Jesus killed. The most certain fact we have about Jesus as a historical person is that he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, just as we say in the Apostles’ Creed. Even though he had no intentions of being an earthly king, some people thought that that was what he wanted to be. The title on the cross says it all: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews" (27:37). As such, his crucifixion was a political act by the Roman government. If Jesus claimed to be King of the Jews (which Pilate does not actually think, but others in power do), that was treasonous, requiring his death."

Mark Roberts –

From a Roman perspective, why did Jesus have to die?

• Because he disturbed Roman order.

• Because he spoke seditiously of a coming kingdom other than that of Caesar.

• Because he allowed himself to be called “King of the Jews.”

• Because he made a nuisance of himself at the wrong time (Passover), in the wrong  place (Jerusalem), in the presence of the wrong people (Pilate and the temple leadership under his command).

 • Because his crucifixion would be a powerful deterrent that might keep other Jews from following in his footsteps.

 Father Jim Cook 

"Jesus was executed for three reasons, says Luke: "We found this fellow subverting the nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King" (Luke 23:1–2). In John’s gospel the angry mob warned Pilate, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar" (John 19:12).  

"In short, "He’s subverting our nation. He opposes Caesar. You can’t befriend both Jesus and Caesar." They were right, even more right than they knew or could have imagined.  "

Read more…  

 Lectionary, April 9, Palm Sunday

I.Theme –   "Strength is concealed in humility, pain is hidden in triumph, victory, in defeat, life, in death, God, in human form" -Diedrik Nelson

Make a Gift Today! Help our ministries make a difference during the Pandemic 1. Newcomers – Welcome Page 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 3. St. Peter’s Sunday News 4. April, 2020 Server Schedule 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (April , 2020) 6. Calendar 7. Parish Ministries 8. This past Sunday 9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (April 5, 2020 10:00am),  and Sermon (March 29, 2020) 10. Recent Services:  Lent 1, March 1, 2020 Photos from Lent 1, March 1, 2020 Lent 2, March 8, 2020 Photos from Lent 2, March 8, 2020 Lent 3, March 15, 2020 Photos from Lent 3 Lent 4, March 22, 2020 Photos from Lent 4, March 22, 2020

Block Print by Mike Newman

Projects 

Colors for Year A, 2019-20

Daily “Day by Day”

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.

Follow the Star

Daily meditations in words and music.

Sacred Space

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.”

Daily C. S. Lewis thoughts

Saints of the Week,  – March 29 – April 5, 2020

Spring began March, 20, 2020

March 22, 2020 Lent 4 – slides and commentary

March 22 – Christian Ed, Judah’s Sexual Ethics Genesis 38 1-30. Includes Genesis chapters 36,37.

March 22 – Bulletin

March 22 – Prayers of the Peoole

March 22 – Sermon

The Week Ahead…

March 25, 10:00-12pm – Online Ecumenical Bible Study

Catherine will sent out the links.

March 29, Genesis – Online

March 29 – Online Learning during Lent – “Signs of Life -Why Worship Matters”. Online.

This week – “shelter”

March 29 – 11am – Fifth Sunday in Lent – Readings

March 29, Online worship at the National Cathedral, 11:15am

Village Harvest, March 18, 2020

Our Village Harvest food distribution was open as normal on the 3rd Wed of the month on March 18. We did it differently doing it as a drive through but we served over a 100 people. We were rewarded with our magnolia and pear tree blooming plus beautiful scenes along the Rappahannock River

Take a peak. We have a slideshow, a short 30 second video and a review of the Village Harvest over the first quarter. Thanks to all who helped and came to get food.

Handling the Pandemic – Spiritually

Here are some aids to help with this trying time – learning new things, getting outside, participating in online activities…

As the National Cathedral states “Social Distancing does not have to mean Spiritual Isolation.”

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body. . . . Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a
single hour to your life?” – Matthew 6:25–27

“Save us from the time of trial . . . “— The Lord’s Prayer

“To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers ― so many caring people in this world.” – Mister Rogers

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well” – Julian of Norwich

Lent – Links

• • We have a dedicated Lenten part of the website Lent at St. Peter’s Includes the background of Lent, the Lenten calendar with readings, resources, etc.
  • Lenten Calendar. As Lent began on Feb. 26, start of practice of reading the Daily Office which is on the Calendar
  • Adult Christian Ed on Sundays in Lent online- Genesis and Previous Sessions

• Adult Christian Ed in Lent online – Signs of Life

The Annunciation, celebrated March 25

Annunciation– Fra Angelico (1426)

Here is a video that describes this scene in the painting above displayed in the Prado museum in Madrid.

In the first chapter of Luke The Annunciation(Luke 1:26-38) is described. We read how the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Christ, and how Mary answered, “Here I am, the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me as you have said.” It is reasonable to suppose that Our Lord was conceived immediately after this. Accordingly, since we celebrate His birth on 25 December, we celebrate the Annunciation nine months earlier, on 25 March.

For many centuries most European countries took 25 March, not 1 January, as the day when the number of the year changed, so that 24 March 1201 was followed by 25 March 1202. If you had asked a Christian of that time why the calendar year changed so awkwardly partway through a month, he would have answered: “Today we begin a new year of the Christian era, the era which began X years ago today when God was made man, when He took upon Himself a fleshly body and human nature in the womb of the Virgin.”

Here is an another description of the event

Art of the Annunciation – The Annunication has been depicted in art for a thousand years. Here are 30+ images of that history.

Art for the 5th Week in Lent, Year A

Commentary is by Daniella Zsupan-Jerome.

Death threatens life in the story of the raising of Lazarus, and János Vaszary’s Resuscitation of Lazarus invites us into the scene. This 1912 painting is a striking collision of styles: the figures recall the standardized style of Byzantine icons, while the background, color, and expression have a modern, vivid quality. This is revered tradition unfolding in the here and now, much like the Gospel message seeks to imbue our present day.

Vaszary isn’t as much telling the story as inviting us into the heart of it. Instead of a narrative, he offers three key realities symbolized by these figures. On the left, the women crying and imploring are Martha and Mary folding us into the sorrow of fear and loss as their brother is consumed by illness. In the middle, Lazarus hangs naked and limp in the arms of an imposing figure in red—Death. Lazarus’s body brings to mind the body of Christ off the cross, an anti-Pietà with a body that is held here not by a sorrowful mother but a triumphant and defiant Death. On the right, Jesus and the disciples enter to stop him.

Jesus, hand held up in blessing, stops Death in his tracks. As his disciples look to him in wonder, Jesus looks out at us, with a steady confidence that humbles Death’s assumed triumph. Christ addresses us, the viewers, with eternal truth: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.”

A notable expression of the modern style of this icon is the background. Instead of solid gold, we see a dawning sky, another sign of the awakening that is taking place. In the Gospel passage, Jesus teaches the disciples about walking by day versus stumbling at night. With the dawning sky, we can anticipate a steady road ahead, a sure way that leads to salvation and fullness of life. There is powerful symbolism here as Christ’s own path will soon lead him to Jerusalem, Golgotha, and the cross. Knowing the way ahead, Jesus’ act of faith is profound encouragement to dare to look further down the road and trust in God as the Author of Life.

On this fifth Sunday of Lent, we may be at different points along the way: wailing with the women in our sorrow, in the grip of death like Lazarus, wondering at the possibility of faith like the disciples, or facing a hard road ahead. Christ engages us from the painting directly: I am the Way; follow me to the fullness of life.

Lectionary, Lent 5, Year A, March 29, 2020

I.Theme –   Death and Resurrection

 “Raising of Lazarus” – Giotto (1304-1306)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

Old Testament – Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm – Psalm 130 Page 784, BCP
Epistle –Romans 8:6-11
Gospel – John 11:1-45

Death and resurrection are the themes that permeate the lessons today. The image is that of forgiveness and redemption certified by resurrection and new life. The Psalmist awaits Yahweh’s redemption both for himself and for Israel. Ezekiel witnesses and even participates in the reanimation of dead Israel in preparation for her return to her land. The promise to new life for those filled with the Spirit of the Lord is the resurrection of Jesus. And Lazarus points ahead from his resurrection to the greater, more complete and dynamic resurrection of Jesus.

Contrast is used in this readings. Ezekiel’s story is that of the “dry bones” where we see lifeless, nake bones being reconstituted. Paul contrasts the life of the flesh, which draws from sin and leads to death, with the life of the Spirit, which draws from the Spirit of Christ and leads to righteousness.  In today’s gospel, we hear the story of the death and raising of Lazarus, a foretaste of Jesus’ own death and resurrection and of what all of us buried and raised with Christ in the sacrament of baptism both acknowledge (their own spiritual “stinking deadness”) and freely receive (the gift of new and eternal life).

Read more..