Caption from top to bottom, left to right – A 53rd anniversary, Dave and his friend in the next pew, light from the outside and our Paschal Candle, All Saints, A birthday celebrated, the beauty of St Peter’s
This was our 8th yearly concert since 2013! And it was our largest group – 23 singers and director.
PhilHarmonia opened its 7th Season with “Music, She Wrote” – a concert celebrating works by women composers through the ages. A significant number were young composers in their 30’s.
We fed them at 5pm after they rehearsed at 3pm, took them to a reception next door at 6:15pm (thank you Heimbachs!) preceded by the concert at 7pm enjoyed by 50 people. We had 3 gracious families that housed them for the evening afterwards
This is a day “retreat” guided by the Navajo concept of living a holistic life of beauty, harmony, and well-being the Navajo call “Hozho”. “Hozho” means “beauty” or “beautiful conditions”.
We will reflect on the Beauty Way Prayer, compare it to two Christian prayers, The Prayer of St Francis and St Patrick’s Breastplate, and create an expressive response using the art of collage.
Our retreat will be led by Carol Maher, founder of ManyWaters Ministries, in the Episcopal Diocese of the Navajoland.
We already have 12 participants, which include some coming from St. Mary’s Colonial Beach. Contact
contact Catherine if you would like to attend.
November Special Giving
1. UTO (United Thank Offering)
Betty Kunstmann will distribute the Blue Boxes on Sunday, November 3. Return the box or a check to St Peter’s with UTO in the memo line by Sunday, December 1.
Giving to the UTO increased across the nation in 2018. The ECW gave an additional $200,000 in grants this year. Four of the grants supported projects in the Anglican Communion.
At St. Peter’s, the Fall Ingathering a year ago was $563.32. (Spring ingathering was $325.36 for a total of $888.68 for the two ingatherings in 2018. The comparative total in 2017 was $757.09.)
2. ECM Thanksgiving
Collection begins Nov 3 and ends Nov. 17.
The ECM collected $287.50 last year for a Thanksgiving meal for 5 families, adding 2 families in 2018.
$237.77 was spent for Thanksgiving food for 5 families. They exceeded their scope in 2018 by adding 2 families this year.
Lectionary, Nov. 10 2019
I.Theme – Dealing with adversaries
"Aging Grace" – Photograph by Fe Langdon at Rio Grande State Park (2011)
The lectionary reading this week concerns those dealing with adversaries:
-Job vs. 3 friends
-Psalmist vs. those who are deceitful
-Paul vs. those in church misinterpreting Paul’s view on end times
-Jesus against some Sadducees
Job knew he was innocent and had the sense to place his faith and trust in God despite being tempted with friends. The psalmist in Psalm 17 uses prayer. Psalm 17 gave us a model of such prayer, asking for divine deliverance. Paul’s foundation rests with the sanctifying work of the spirit.
The key is finding something of strength whether God, prayer or Jesus teaching on Grace and not give into worry or fear so to have your confidence shaken. We need to be grounded so to avoid tempation shifting us away from our beliefs.
“Let Us Beat Swords into
Plowshares” “Tragedy of War”-Michael LaPalme
Veterans’ Day, November 11
At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I (called the Great War) ends.
On November 11, 2018 at the beginning of the worship service, we along with many Americans will toll bells in remembrance of those who served and sacrificed.
From a Litany for Veterans by Robb McCoy-“God of love, peace and justice, it is your will for the world that we may live together in peace. You have promised through the prophet Isaiah that one day the swords will be beaten into plow shares. Yet we live in a broken world, and there are times that war seems inevitable. Let us recognize with humility and sadness the tragic loss of life that comes in war. Even so, as we gather here free from persecution, we may give thanks for those that have served with courage and honor. ” Here is an English Veterans’ Service.
All gave some, Some gave all.
While the US has “Veterans’ Day” celebrating and honoring all veterans who have served, Europe and Canada has “Remembrance Day” about the end of World War I on November 11, 1918. The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem “In Flanders Fields”. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I; their brilliant red color became a symbol for the blood spilled in the war.
Mark Knopfler wrote “Remembrance Day” about this day. The song and illustrated slideshow are here .
From “Remembrance Day”
“Time has slipped away
The Summer sky to Autumn yields
A haze of smoke across the fields
Let’s sup and fight another round
And walk the stubbled ground
“When November brings
The poppies on Remembrance Day
When the vicar comes to say
May God bless everyone
Lest we forget our sons
“We will remember them
Remember them
Remember them”
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.
“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.”
From top to bottom left to right: A Mighty Fortress sung after the service in honor of the beginning of the Reformation this week, Catherine filling the font, an illustration of the sermon “I am already being poured out as a libation” from 2nd Timothy, Cookie’s leaves, the flowers for the altar,river with advancing color as the weather changed, sun shining through the leaves
The Week Ahead…
Oct. 30- 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study
Oct. 31 – Anniversary of the Reformation
Nov. 1 – All Saints Day
Nov. 2 – All Souls Day
Nov. 2 – Philharmonia in concert
Nov. 3 – 10:00am – Christian Ed – review of the Eucharistic Liturgy
Nov. 3 – 11:00am – All Saints Sunday- Holy Eucharist
PhilHarmonia is a 28-voice community choir that sings classical and contemporary choral music from Philadelphia. Founded in 2013, and now in its sixth season, PhilHarmonia continues to delight audiences with its commitment to musical excellence, and its diverse range of choral programs.
They will be here Sat. Nov. 2, 2019, 7pm to share their music. There will be a reception preceding the concert.
PhilHarmonia is pleased to open its 7th Season with “Music, She Wrote” – a concert celebrating works by women composers through the ages. From Italian Renaissance madrigalist, Madalena Casulana, the first woman in western music history to have her works published to composers today such as Estonian composer Evelin Seppar, Australian-American composer Melissa Dunphy, and American composer Mari Esabel Valverde, PhilHarmonia will perform an eclectic tribute to music by women. We also mark the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Clara Schumann, herself a remarkable composer and extraordinary musician, with her only extant choral set, Drei Gemischte Chöre, Op. 19.
Composers include: Madalena Casulana, Rafaella Aleotti, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Clara Schumann, Amy Cheney Beach, Evelin Seppar, Katerina Gimon, Melissa Dunphy, Mari Esabel Valverde.
The Rev. Deacon Carey Connors will be continuing the conversation on Mission on Sunday, November 10th, and Sunday, November 17th. On Sunday, November 3, and Sunday, November 24th, Catherine will be continuing a short review of the Eucharistic liturgy. All are welcome.
The Reformation began Oct. 31, 1517
Reformation Day is a religious holiday celebrated on October 31, alongside All Hallows’ Eve, in remembrance of the Reformation, particularly by Lutheran and some Reformed church communities. It is a civic holiday in some German states.
It celebrates Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 theses on the church door at Wittenberg in Germany on Oct. 31, 1517. The event is seen as sparking the Protestant Reformation.
There are some questions of fact. The event was not publicized until 1546 by Philipp Melanchthon and no contemporaneous evidence exists for Luther’s posting of the theses. At the time, it was common for scholars to post their debate points on the door where people could read them. Copies of Luther’s theses and his fiery follow-up sermons were mass produced on a relatively new invention the printing press.
Luther’s movement began as a criticism of Catholic practices, not to split off from the Catholic church. Sinners could buy God’s forgiveness by purchasing an indulgence. Luther preferred justification by faith. He also wanted people to read the Bible in their own languages and not just in Latin
The Reformation led to the split from one Catholic church to Protestant ones. There are now nearly 45,000 Protestant denominations around the world, including mainline Protestants, Anglicans, Evangelicals, Pentecostals and more.
It has been seen as the most significant event in Western Christian history and mirror in which we measure ourselves today. Many of the differences that promoted the reformation have been solved – indulgences, justification by faith and having the Bible printed in multiple languages. Others such marriage of priests, same sex marriages are still divisive. Will they be able celebrate communion together ? That may take another reformation.
Here is an impromptu performance after the 11am service on Oct. 27, 2019 of part of Luther’s famous hymn. He wrote the words and composed the melody sometime between 1527 and 1529:
5. The English Reformation extended from this event which created the Church of England, the ancestor of the Episcopal Church. Henry VIII was made Supreme Head of the Church by an Act of Parliament in 1534. The country was still Catholic but the pope’s power had been ended. By the time of his death in 1547, the Lord’s Prayer was said in English in the English Bible (written in English) and the monasteries have been dissolved. The first prayer book was in 1549 in the time of Henry’s successor Edward. Read More
The End of October, Early Nov. – a summary
Halloween originated in Celtic cultures the day before Samhain, the beginning of the Celtic winter. It focused on death blending in the supernatural. The Catholic Church incorporated non-Christian traditions into its holidays to bring people to the church. It scheduled All Saints (Nov 1 ) and All Souls (Nov. 2) after Halloween. All Soul’s focused on those who had died without the supernatural. All Saints celebrated all who believed and were baptized The word saint originally meant “holy”. Later it became a feast day commemorating all martyrs.
All Saints Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019
“Saints are those who by their life and work make it clear and plain that God lives.”––Nathan Söderblom
In our Baptismal Covenant we, along with traditional Christians around the globe, profess in the ancient Baptismal Creed the words: “I believe in… the communion of saints, … the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.” (Book of Common Prayer, page 304)
From its very beginning, the Church understood the Body of Christ to encompass all baptized persons, both the living and the dead. Christ’s kingdom transcends time and space; and not even death can sever the relationship that the faithful have in Christ.
All are united in a mystical communion with Christ by virtue of baptism (1 Corinthians 6:11). The term saint was used by Paul to designate all baptized Christians (Romans 1:7; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1), even the unruly ones (1 Corinthians 1:2)!
In the New Testament, all those who believe and were baptized were referred to as saints. The word saint originally meant “holy”.
On All Saints Day, we make celebrate this idea in the here and now by recognizing and celebrating our relationship, not only with those around us today, but also with all those who have gone before us in all times and place. They are connected in one communion.
All Saints is also a time for welcoming new members. Traditionally baptisms are held in the Episcopal Church at the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, Easter, Pentecost, All Saints and when the Bishop visits.
It wasn’t until round about the third century that the church began using the word saint to refer to those who had been martyred for the faith. The early Church especially honored martyrs, those who had died for their faith. Praying for the dead is actually borrowed from Judaism, as recorded in 2 Maccabees 12:41-45 of the Apocrypha.
Local churches kept a record of their own martyrs and each year celebrated their “birthdays,” the dates of death when they were “born” into eternal life.
By the fourth century many parts of the Church had set a day of observance for their martyrs, their confessors (those who had been punished for their faith but did not die), and their virgins, all of those known by name and unknown.
The celebration of All Saints’ Day on November 1 began as a feast day commemorating all martyrs, confessors and virgin, including those whose names were not known. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV officially established All Saints’ Day in order to honor all the saints at one time.
All Souls began with the emphasis on remembering those who had died, broader than just the martyrs. In addition it was cast wide into Catholic theology. In that tradition , the church commemorated all of those who have died and now are in Purgatory, being cleansed of their venial (forgiven) sins and the temporal punishments for the mortal sins that they had confessed and atoning before entering fully into Heaven.
Check out the link above for a “Soul Cake” recipe and a song by “Sting” about it.
All Souls (Nov. 2) and Halloween (Oct. 31)
Halloween originated in Celtic cultures and spread to Christian.
The word Halloween is a contracted form for All Hallows’ (holy persons or saints) Evening- the day before All Saints.
Halloween has been on Oct 31 because of the Celtic traditions. Halloween also not only focused on death but on the concept of death blending in the supernatural. The Church scheduled All Saints and All Souls after Halloween. The emphasis on All Soul’s focused on those who had died only and did not dwell on stories surrounding death.
Baptism of Scarlett Joy Long is on Nov. 1, 2015. Congratulations! Baptism is one of the sacraments of the Episcopal Church and is one of the times of the year appointed for baptism.
All Saint’s Days commemorates not only all the martyrs but all the people of God, living and dead, who form the mystical body of Christ
From Daniel, all that is left is the notion that the events of human history, no matter how disturbing, are irrelevant to God, and to God’s holy ones, who will prevail in the end.
The saints have come to know God, not by their own efforts, but by the power of God in Christ. Those who have put their lives in Christ’s hands should trust the one whom God has made the head of all things for the church which is his body. The Psalm emphasizes the praise response we should have.
The Gospel reminds us that the Christian hope is not in this world or in the things of this world. In fact, it is not even in the apocalyptic reversal of fortunes, as much as that is a part of the Gospel of Luke, and may be a part of the hope of believers. Rather it is in the Father’s mercy toward us, in the Son’s surrender to death, in the powfont-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pter of the Spirit in our lives leading us to act as God’s children that our hope lies.
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.
“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.”
We have been working this year on an initiative from the Episcopal Church, The Way of Love. This rule of life sums up the way we Christians are already trying to live, a rule of life The Way of Love includes the following seven actions—turning, learning, praying, worshiping, blessing, going, and resting.
The 25th will be a breakfast. Way of Love at 8am and ends just before Bible Study at 10am.
The Episcopal of Love supports the Way of Love with a webcast, Traveling the Way of Love and a podcast. They are in season 2 of the podcast. Episode 5 is here.
“When we worship, we gather with others before God. We hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, give thanks, confess, and offer the brokenness of the world to God. So many of our worship experiences take place within a church building – it can be hard to imagine worship without candles and stained glass and pews – but there are many ways we can bring worship out into the wider world, knowing that God is waiting out there, too.”
PhilHarmonia is a 28-voice community choir that sings classical and contemporary choral music from Philadelphia. Founded in 2013, and now in its sixth season, PhilHarmonia continues to delight audiences with its commitment to musical excellence, and its diverse range of choral programs.
They will be here Sat. Nov. 2, 2019, 7pm to share their music. There will be a reception preceding the concert.
PhilHarmonia is pleased to open its 7th Season with “Music, She Wrote” – a concert celebrating works by women composers through the ages. From Italian Renaissance madrigalist, Madalena Casulana, the first woman in western music history to have her works published to composers today such as Estonian composer Evelin Seppar, Australian-American composer Melissa Dunphy, and American composer Mari Esabel Valverde, PhilHarmonia will perform an eclectic tribute to music by women. We also mark the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Clara Schumann, herself a remarkable composer and extraordinary musician, with her only extant choral set, Drei Gemischte Chöre, Op. 19.
Composers include: Madalena Casulana, Rafaella Aleotti, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Clara Schumann, Amy Cheney Beach, Evelin Seppar, Katerina Gimon, Melissa Dunphy, Mari Esabel Valverde.
Today’s readings define lowliness and celebrate its virtue. Jeremiah speaks for God’s people, confessing their sin and pleading for God’s mercy. Paul looks forward to the reward of his many humble labors for the faith. In Jesus’ parable, two men come to pray but only the humble man leaves justified by God.
Our life of faith can be trying, at times seeming even meaningless. We feel the pressures around us and wonder where God is. Sometimes our own choices have taken us away from God; but God remains faithful to us. But it is up to us to turn back and see that God has been with us all along. We may leave God, but God cannot leave us. And if we stick with it, we will see that God has seen us through, all along.
Anne Lamott asserts that the essential elements of prayer are “Help, Thanks, and Wow.” Today’s readings involve a litany of praise – a spiritual “wow” at the many ways God moves in our lives and the world. God is always at work faithfully in the microcosm and macrocosm and the human and non-human. The only response we can make to God’s ubiquitous grace is praise.
We celebrate James day on Tues Oct. 23. He is known as St. James of Jerusalem (or “James the Just”). James was so respected by all, including even unbelieving Jews, that he was nicknamed “the Just”.
He is referred to by Paul as “the Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:19) and the equal of the other disciples. Matthew provides some clues in Matthew 13:55 on his identity. “Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?” with the story of Jesus less than enthusiastic reaction in Nazareth.
Some have written that he was a half brother of Jesus, a son of Joseph and Mary and, therefore, a biological brother of Jesus. But others in the church think Paul’s term “brother” is understood as “cousin” or “kinsman,” and James is thought to be the son of a sister of Joseph or Mary who was widowed and had come to live with them.
James was not an instant believer in Jesus just because he was in his family. In Mark 3:20–21 we are told that people crowded around Him so densely that He and His disciples could not even eat. Seeing this, His family members, probably also including James, thought that He was out of His mind. On another occasion we are told plainly that His brother did not believe in Him. However, Jesus did not give up on James.
Along with other relatives of our Lord (except His mother), James did not believe in Jesus until after his resurrection (John 7:3-5; 1 Corinthians 15:7). Paul reports that Jesus miraculously appeared to James after his crucifixion and before his ascension, and this is the act which leads to James’ conversion. Once that happened he soon rose to distinction in the Church and became the Bishop of Jerusalem, even staying in Jerusalem ministering to his people during a period of intense Christian persecution.
He is known for his role in accepting the Gentiles. James was thrilled that members of the early Church were willing to welcome Gentiles into their flock, but he boldly proclaimed that they would be welcome as they are without any restrictions.
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.
“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.”
Help needed: 9:30ish, help needed to unload the truck. Many hands make light work. 1PM, help needed to set up. 3-5PM help needed for the distribution itself. Help the shoppers gather what they need. You can still bring cleaning supplies on the day since these are not available at the Food Bank. Thank you for your contributions of both food and time. Everyone can share in making this important St Peter’s ministry happen.
Request for Names for All Saints Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019
We remember those who have died on All Saints Sunday, Nov. 3 since the last All Saints Sunday.
If you have a name you would like to submit, please email Catherine by October 28.
PhilHarmonia is a 28-voice community choir that sings classical and contemporary choral music from Philadelphia. Founded in 2013, and now in its sixth season, PhilHarmonia continues to delight audiences with its commitment to musical excellence, and its diverse range of choral programs.
They will be here Sat. Nov. 2, 2019, 7pm to share their music. There will be a reception preceding the concert.
PhilHarmonia is pleased to open its 7th Season with “Music, She Wrote” – a concert celebrating works by women composers through the ages. From Italian Renaissance madrigalist, Madalena Casulana, the first woman in western music history to have her works published to composers today such as Estonian composer Evelin Seppar, Australian-American composer Melissa Dunphy, and American composer Mari Esabel Valverde, PhilHarmonia will perform an eclectic tribute to music by women. We also mark the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Clara Schumann, herself a remarkable composer and extraordinary musician, with her only extant choral set, Drei Gemischte Chöre, Op. 19.
Composers include: Madalena Casulana, Rafaella Aleotti, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Clara Schumann, Amy Cheney Beach, Evelin Seppar, Katerina Gimon, Melissa Dunphy, Mari Esabel Valverde.
Today’s readings encourage us to seek intimacy with God through scripture study and constant prayer. As he wrestles with God, Jacob becomes Israel, patriarch of God’s people. Paul commends the use of "the sacred writings" for growth in the faith. Jesus illustrates how, unlike an unjust judge, our God welcomes our persistent prayers and quickly gives justice.
This image of God as companion also appears in today’s psalm, Psalm 121. There, God is as close as a person’s hand, and as welcome as shade from the sun. The psalmist’s image of God as guardian will ring true for anyone who has felt insecure about sleeping in an unfamiliar place. While most of us don’t have bodyguards, we still know how the presence of a trusted friend in a strange situation calms fear and enables sleep.
There are really 3 themes in today’s readings. 1) the meaning of divine law and its relationship to our well-being, 2) the inspiration of scripture and its role in sharing God’s news, and 3) persistence in prayer and the question of unanswered prayer. These themes are woven together by a vision that God acts in ways that invite us to be part of a greater adventure, companionship with God in healing the world. Alignment with divine evolving order, sharing the good news of an open-spirited gospel that reflects a living, moving God, and prayerful persistence in seeking the greatest good are all responses to God’s vision of Shalom
Today’s readings can prompt us to reflect on our own prayer. Do we approach prayer as an unsavory bargaining process in which we must wrangle what we want? Or do we see prayer as an encounter with our dearest love?
Faith is not just a journey, but a struggle. We all struggle at times with doubts but we perhaps struggle even more with being in community with one another. But our God is the God of community: the God of a people, the God of all peoples, the God of Creation. And we struggle and wrestle with one another and with God. But when we are persistent for justice, when we remain faithful to God’s ways—we will see it through. And while we may not change others, we may change the world for ourselves, and through persistence justice, peace, and hope may come.
"Christ has no body but yours, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours "
—Teresa of Avila (1515–1582), mystic, reformer, writer, Oct. 15
Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada (later known as Teresa de Jesus) was born in Avila, Spain, 28 March 1515, one of ten children whose mother died when she was fifteen. Her family was of partly Jewish ancestry. Teresa, having read the letters of Jerome, decided to become a nun, and when she was 20, she entered the Carmelite convent in Avila. There she fell seriously ill, was in a coma for a while, and partially paralyzed for three years. In her early years as a nun, she was, by her account, assiduous in prayer while sick but lax and lukewarm in her prayers and devotions when the sickness had passed. However, her prayer life eventually deepened, she began to have visions and a vivid sense of the presence of God, and was converted to a life of extreme devotion.
In 1560 she resolved to reform the monastery that had, she thought, departed from the order’s original intention and become insufficiently austere. Her proposed reforms included strict enclosure (the nuns were not to go to parties and social gatherings in town, or to have social visitors at the convent, but to stay in the convent and pray and study most of their waking hours) and discalcing (literally, taking off one’s shoes, a symbol of poverty, humility, and the simple life, uncluttered by luxuries and other distractions). In 1562 she opened a new monastery in Avila, over much opposition in the town and from the older monastery. At length Teresa was given permission to proceed with her reforms, and she traveled throughout Spain establishing seventeen houses of Carmelites of the Strict (or Reformed) Observance (the others are called Carmelites of the Ancient Observance).
Saint of the Week – St. Luke, Oct. 18
Luke was a Greek and a Gentile. He is the only Gentile to author any of the Books of the New Testament. Hence, he translates Hebrew words into Greek or gives their Greek equivalent.
Luke is the author of the Gospel of Luke and the presumed author of the Book of Acts. He was also witness to the growth of the first century church and carried the Good News to the Gentiles. He wrote in the 80’s and wrote approximately 24% of the New Testament more than any other writer including Paul.
He was a Syrian from Antioch and more reflective of Middle Eastern Culture than the Jewish writers in the rest of the Gospels. He was a passionate story teller, emotional, similar to today’s Arab culture.
He records virtually nothing about himself, but his fellow apostles do reveal some information about him. We may also discern some things about him based on the manner in which he presents information, his background and the times.
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.
“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.”
PhilHarmonia is a 28-voice community choir that sings classical and contemporary choral music from Philadelphia. Founded in 2013, and now in its sixth season, PhilHarmonia continues to delight audiences with its commitment to musical excellence, and its diverse range of choral programs.
They will be here Sat. Nov. 2, 2019, 7pm to share their music. There will be a reception preceding the concert.
PhilHarmonia is pleased to open its 7th Season with “Music, She Wrote” – a concert celebrating works by women composers through the ages. From Italian Renaissance madrigalist, Madalena Casulana, the first woman in western music history to have her works published to composers today such as Estonian composer Evelin Seppar, Australian-American composer Melissa Dunphy, and American composer Mari Esabel Valverde, PhilHarmonia will perform an eclectic tribute to music by women. We also mark the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Clara Schumann, herself a remarkable composer and extraordinary musician, with her only extant choral set, Drei Gemischte Chöre, Op. 19.
Composers include: Madalena Casulana, Rafaella Aleotti, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Clara Schumann, Amy Cheney Beach, Evelin Seppar, Katerina Gimon, Melissa Dunphy, Mari Esabel Valverde.
Fall is a wonderful time to pause and look at nature all around you. You have to take the time and not think of the minutes. The time before church is my time to let nature envelop me, especially with all the rain creating effects on fallen leaves, on the graves and on the river. Take a look at what I saw…
Today’s readings remind us of the wholeness we experience when we allow God to heal and forgive In 2 Kings, Naaman’s healing leads him to acknowledge the one true God. Paul reflects on the centrality of Jesus Christ, who is himself the good news, bringing salvation. In today’s gospel, 10 lepers receive healing; one healed leper receives salvation.
Sometimes in the faith journey we feel like failures. We want to give up. We have done our part to share the Good News, nothing we do seems to bring people in, and still others even question our motives for what we are doing (think Elisha and Naaman). However, when we are faithful to God, we will see God’s faithfulness in us. Sometimes we are like the lone Samaritan who recognizes what God has done. Sometimes we are like Naaman, pulling and fighting all the way. And sometimes we are like Jesus, wondering what happened to all the others, but knowing that one is enough. The seeds are planted. Live in faithfulness, and you will experience God’s faithfulness in you.
The healing in today’s gospel occurs “on the way.” This sounds a contemporary note. As Jane Redmont writes in Generous Lives: "Commuting time seems to have become the privileged place of prayer in North America."
Modern commuters have made the same discovery as first-century lepers. Simply because we’re on our way to something else does not mean that Jesus can’t intersect us. We meet Jesus on the L.A. freeway, the Washington D.C. Metro and the barbed wire along the Rio Grande.
We meet God in the spaces between certainties. As one retreat director said, "95% of your life may be just fine, and you don’t mind revealing it to anyone. It’s the other 5% we’re concerned with." In the shadowy, unstable, insecure areas, we need healing. There we are most likely to feel the touch of Jesus’ hand.
And how do we respond? As usual, the answer comes in story form. Just as the despised Samaritan would show Jews how to be good neighbors (Luke 10:30-37), so a "foreigner" demonstrates how to receive a gift. Healing is offered to all 10 lepers, just as rain and sunshine fall on all people. But the ability to recognize the blessing and express gratitude for it seems to be more unique. "You sanctify whatever you are grateful for," writes Anthony DeMello.
The disease part of the Old Testament readings and Gospel has been reinterpreted Indeed, in modern translations, the word “leprosy is” not used, but is represented by the term “scaly infection”. This condition is actually several, referring not only to skin disease, but also to fungal infestations of fabric and of walls. Such skin conditions may represent psoriasis, mycotic infections, eczema, or pityriasis rosea. All were tied to the ritual impurity codes of the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Gospel reading today, Jesus encounters ten lepers, and their condition may be more connected to the ancient understanding of tzaraath than to our modern understanding of leprosy. It is interesting that the “leper” (a Samaritan) who returns thanks exhibits a double problem of ritual purity – his skin and his race.
"In this wonderful story from the life of Jesus, we see the connection between gratitude and faith. The Samaritan was so grateful that he prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and profoundly thanked him. It is that expression of gratitude, yes, profound gratitude that is at the heart of our stewardship of time, talent and treasure. We give in response to the One who has given us life and the hope of Salvation. It is an attitude of being “all in”, one expressed by the Samaritan, which informs my participation in church life and personal giving.
"I am “all in” when I am fully present in worship, when I am committed to parish outreach or with my personal giving.
"I am “all in” when I am responding from a heart of gratitude – wanting to give and continue to give of myself, my time, talent and treasure."
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.
“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.”
Caption, left to right, top to bottom- Molokai, Hawaii where the Lepers landed, Fall coming to our sycamores, Gospel on the River singing promoting the Rappahannock River, Communion, Spanish Bible Study this week, After the service this Sunday
Concluding the Season of Creation – Prayers for the Earth
Based on the Fifth Mark of Mission
To Strive
God, creator of the universe,
Fill us with your love for the creation,
for the natural world around us,
for the earth from which we come
and to which we will return.
Awake in us energy to work for your world;
let us never fall into complacency, ignorance,
or being overwhelmed by the task before us.
Help us to restore, remake, renew. Amen
To Safeguard
Jesus, Redeemer of the World,
Remind us to consider the lost lilies,
the disappearing sparrows;
teach us not to squander precious resources;
help us value habitats: seas, deserts, forests
and seek to preserve this world in its diversity.
Alert us to the cause of all living creatures
destroyed wantonly for human greed or pleasure;
Help us to value what we have left
and to learn to live without taking more than we give. Amen
Integrity of Creation
Spirit of the Living God
At the beginning you moved over the face of the waters.
You brought life into being, the teeming life
that finds its way through earth and sea and air
that makes its home around us, everywhere.
You know how living things flourish and grow
How they co-exist; how they feed and breed and change
Help us to understand those delicate relationships,
value them, and keep them from destruction. Amen
To Sustain
God, of the living earth
You have called people to care for your world –
you asked Noah to save creatures from destruction.
May we now understand how to sustain your world –
Not over-fishing, not over-hunting,
Not destroying trees, precious rainforest
Not farming soil into useless dust.
Help us to find ways to use resources wisely
to find a path to good, sustainable living
in peace and harmony with creatures around us. Amen
To Renew
Jesus, who raised the dead to life
Help us to find ways to renew
what we have broken, damaged and destroyed:
Where we have taken too much water,
polluted the air, poured plastic into the sea,
cut down the forests and soured fertile soils.
Help all those who work to find solutions to
damage and decay; give hope to those
who are today working for a greener future. Amen
Anne Richards, Mission Theology Advisory Group, Resources available on www.ctbi.org.ukThe Dispossession Project: Eco-House
Climate Change Summary and What you can do about it?
1. Global annually averaged surface air temperature has increased by about 1.8°F (1.0°C) over the last 115 years (1901–2016). This period is now the warmest in the history of modern civilization. Annual average temperatures are expected to rise by about 2.5°F for the United States, 2021-2050.
2. The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is extremely likely to be the result of human activity since the mid-20th century and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over decades to millennia.
3. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. The rate of Antarctica ice mass loss has tripled in the last decade. This has affected the next item.
4. Global average sea level has risen by about 7–8 inches since 1900, with almost half (about 3 inches) of that rise occurring since 1993. The rate in the last two decades, however, is nearly double that of the last century and is accelerating slightly every year.
5. The number of record high temperature events in the United States has been increasing, while the number of record low temperature events has been decreasing, since 1950. The U.S. has also witnessed increasing numbers of intense rainfall events.
What you can do ?
Reduce your personal contribution to global warming and set an example for others by using less gasoline, natural gas, oil, and electricity (especially electricity generated from coal-fired power plants) in your daily life. We need to cut CO2 emissions almost in half (45%) by the end of the next decade,” says Kimberly Nicholas, associate professor of sustainability science at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), in Sweden.
18 suggestions to reduce your carbon footprint
1. Reduce the amount of gas you burn by choosing a fuel-efficient car or other transportation that uses less (or no) fossil fuel per person, such as trains, subways, and buses; car pools; walking; and biking. In the U.S., public transportation saves 37 million tons of carbon emissions every year.
2. Keep your tires inflated to the recommended air pressure, or buy new tires marketed to have better rolling resistance.
3. Buy efficient appliances that use less electricity. Look for the Energy Star, awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency.
4. Reduce every day electrical use. Develop a plan to reduce daily electricity use around your home. Ask each member of your household to take responsibility for a different electricity-saving action, such as turning off lights when leaving the room, unplugging appliances when they are not in use, using compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), LEDs and only running dishwashers or washing machines with full loads.
You might be surprised to learn that all electronics suck energy when they’re plugged in, EVEN IF they’re powered down. Leave your electronics unplugged at all times, unless you’re actually using them.
5. Eat a plant based diet or reduce consumption of meat. Meat and dairy production is estimated to be responsible for 12-17% of total greenhouse gas emissions, while throughout the world, the global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, planes, trains and ships combined.
Sticking to foods that are grown locally, in your own city or surrounding area, helps to reduce the carbon footprint created by shipping foods from elsewhere.
Red meat is particularly to blame, consuming 11 times more water and producing 5 times more emissions than its poultry counterparts. You don’t have to become a vegetarian, but eating meat less frequently (the average American eats 8.5 ounces of meat per day!) will significantly help the environment. To get a single pound of beef, it takes over 5,000 gallons of water – as the number one consumer of freshwater in the world, animal agriculture is drastically increasing the problem of water scarcity.
6. Reduce Food waste
•Plan ahead when you shop and buy only what you need.
•Use your freezer. While there are plenty of benefits to eating fresh food, frozen foods can be just as nutritious. They also stay edible for much longer.
•Be creative with leftovers. Before you shop, use the food you already have. Websites like Big Oven, Supercook, and MyFridgeFood allow you to search for recipes based on ingredients already in your kitchen. You can also use apps like Epicurious and Allrecipes to make the most of what’s in your fridge and pantry.
•Blend, bake, or boil. Try using your wilting, browning, or imperfect produce to make sweet smoothies, bread, jams, sauces, or soup stocks.
7. Avoid one plane flight – There is hardly any other activity in which a single person can emit such large quantities of CO2 in such a short time.
8. Check insulation in your home
9. Recycle and compost
10. Conserve water by running the dishwasher less frequently
11. Creating more spaces for plants, grasses, and trees. We all know plants absorb carbon dioxide – a beneficial relationship for humans, that we should all be seeking to nurture. Plant some bee-friendly flowers, a few trees, or a vegetable garden. Creating more spaces for plants, grasses, and trees can mitigate this effect and lead to better cooling, which will be a necessity with worsening climate change.
12. Avoid plastic – Almost every plastic is produced from fossil fuels – and in every single phase of its life cycle, plastic emits greenhouse gases.
13. Line dry your clothes. One dryer load uses 5 times more electricity than washing – by simply line-drying your clothes, you can save 1/3 of their carbon footprint.
14. Weather strip and caulk around windows and doors.
15. Get setback, or programmable, thermostats, which automatically reduce heating and cooling in rooms when no one is present. Turn down thermostat by three degrees, eight hours a day in winter.
16. Install automatic lights or dimming switches, or post reminders by light switches to turn off lights when they’re not being used.
17. Open and close window blinds depending on the season. In the summer, turn on fewer lights and rely on natural light. In the winter, keep blinds closed to keep heat from leaking out through windows.
18. Use a portable fan and/or ceiling fan together with your air conditioner.
PhilHarmonia is a 28-voice community choir that sings classical and contemporary choral music from Philadelphia. Founded in 2013, and now in its sixth season, PhilHarmonia continues to delight audiences with its commitment to musical excellence, and its diverse range of choral programs.
They will be here Sat. Nov. 2, 2019 to share their music.
We will bless our pets beside the Parish House, Oct. 2, 4:30pm. (St. Francis day is Oct 4 but Catherine is away that day)
The creatures who keep us company bless us in so many ways. Bring your pet to St Peter’s on St Francis Day for a blessing, and to give thanks for these companions on our journeys. There will be blessings to go for those of you who would like to take blessings home to your pets. Our time together will include Elizabeth Heimbach’s delicious mouse cookies and other treats for both animals and humans. All who attend can enter a drawing for a gift certificate to PetSmart. Be present to win!
The blessing -"Our pets have already blessed us. On St Francis Day, we get to bless our pets. St Francis of Assisi, who lived from 1182 to 1226, had a great love for animals and the environment. He understood the earth and everything in it as God’s good creation and believed that we are brothers and sisters with everything in creation. So on this day, we remember St Francis and thank God for the gift of our pets.
"When you have a moment with your pet, offer this blessing written by Bishop Mark S. Sisk:
Live without fear. Your Creator loves you, made you holy, and has always protected you. May we follow the good road together, and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
What is World Communion Sunday? Churches this Sunday all over the world celebrate oneness in Christ in the midst of the world ever more in need of peacemaking and the universal and inclusive nature of the church. The tradition originated in the Shadyside Presbyterian Church in 1933, was adopted throughout the US Presbyterian Church in 1936, and subsequently spread to other denominations. The Episcopal Church also remembers students serving abroad, particularly the Young Adult Service Corp in the Episcopal Church.
Poem for World Communion Sunday
THE TABLE WITH NO EDGES by Andrew King
We will sit down where feet tire from the journey.
We will sit down where grief bends the back.
We will sit down under roofs wrecked by artillery.
We will sit down where cries sound from cracked walls.
We will sit down where heat beats like hammers.
We will sit down where flesh shivers in cold.
We will sit down where bread bakes on thin charcoal.
We will sit down where there is no grain in baked fields.
We will sit down with those who dwell in ashes.
We will sit down in shadow and in light.
We will sit down, making friends out of strangers.
We will sit down, our cup filled with new wine.
We will sit down and let love flow like language.We will sit together at the table with no edges.
We will sit to share one loaf, in Christ’s name, in one world.
Today’s readings call us to believe in God’s ability to make the impossible possible. Habakkuk is called to patience and faith in the face of incomprehensible evil. Paul encourages Timothy to endure in power and love, guarding the truth of the gospel. Jesus teaches that faith thrives in simple obedience in Luke’s Gospel
Faithfulness, endurance, patience—these are the themes of walking the faithful life with God. For the people in the prophet’s time, it was to endure in faithfulness through generations in exile. In the time of Jesus, it was for the disciples to find their way to trust in Jesus, because Jesus couldn’t just give them the ability to magically trust and be faithful. For Paul’s day and following, it was for the followers to continue to live in faith by what they had been taught and had witnessed. For us, we are called to be faithful because of our tradition, our teaching, but also still, hope for the New Day, which began long ago and we can read through the prophets, through the Gospels, and through the Epistles: hope that God will continue to do a new thing, and that we will remain faithful to God.
Everywhere we turn, we see the need for reform. Sometimes our society seems like a house we can’t get clean. We get one room in order, but then another confronts us with disarray. If we improve the environment, we still have problems with education. If we manage political reform, we are still troubled by the unjust allocation of resources or the abuse of children.
Our frustration with the public scene can be mirrored in our own lives. There we find the same ups and downs: a career achievement offset by a damaged relationship; progress toward a personal goal–the setback of an illness. How does faith view this roller coaster?
In today’s gospel, Luke consoles us with the good news that even minimal faith will suffice in the face of both worldly concerns and our own particular challenges. To the apostles who picture grandiose schemes, Jesus offers the image of a tiny seed. Perhaps we won’t reform the world in our lifetime, he seems to say. What matters more is the simple service, the generous response to the demands of our particular situation. Jesus uses the ordinary example of providing food and drink, a service many people perform so often we don’t even think about it. Faith transforms duty so that even our unconscious efforts nurture many.
Peace activist John Dear writes: “Without our faith, nothing happens. The mountainous violence of the world doesn’t budge. But with our faith–behold! All things become possible. Non-violence. Disarmament. Justice.” The scriptures offer us confidence, vision, reassurance. How do they clarify our own vision?
These passages point to the importance of living in the spirit of Jesus and aiming high in our faith journeys. Aiming low leads to personal and social destruction. In contrast, a life of faithful discipleship creates circles of well-being that transform families, communities, and nations
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.
“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.”
Stewardship Sunday, Sept. 29 – A Letter from Catherine
Greetings, The St Peter’s People of God!
“As I enter the tenth year of serving God with all of you at St Peter’s, I’m thankful. You all are faithful, dedicated partners in worship, in ministry, in mutual support, and in loving one another.
“Truly we are blessed to be together in this place; blessed by God with a beautiful setting to sustain us when we gather, blessed with food to share, work to do, and love to spread.
“The Vestry and I are grateful for your financial support, because without money, we would not have the ability to pay for missions, for salaries, or for maintaining our buildings. And your generous gifts to the discretionary fund have helped so many people over the years. Our Vestry is careful with our budget, and unlike many churches in this Region, we operate with a balanced budget. We are truly blessed, thanks to your generosity.
“When you pledge your money toward the 2020 St Peter’s budget, you are financially supporting our work together as the body of Christ. I consider that being able to offer financial support to our life together is a great privilege.
“Making a pledge allows the Vestry to plan well for next year’s expenses, and perhaps also for some new initiatives if we have the resources to plan beyond simply keeping up with expenses. Remember that your pledge is only that, a pledge. If your financial circumstances change, you can change your pledge. But your best guess on the attached pledge card, allows the Vestry to make good plans for the year ahead.”
“Please be generous. I plan to be! If you already pledge, raise your pledge, even if only by a tiny amount. If you don’t pledge, consider a pledge, even if your pledge is small. Every penny counts
“Please plan to return your pledge cards Sunday, September 29 as your own act of thanksgiving. Elizabeth Heimbach, who serves so capably as the Stewardship Chairperson, has distributed 2 beeswax candles so you can shine a light into the world. I’m looking forward to the year ahead with great anticipation to the year ahead, to see what we’ll grow here at St Peter’s for God’s glory.” Peace, Catherine.
Way of Love Breakfast
We have been working this year on an initiative from the Episcopal Church, The Way of Love. This rule of life sums up the way we Christians are already trying to live. People all over The Episcopal Church have joined together to intentionally adopt this way of life in community, and individually. The Way of Love includes the following seven actions—turning, learning, praying, worshiping, blessing, going, and resting. Most of us already do all seven of these things but being intentional and also accountable to a group of people who have also chosen to be intentional will make The Way of Love a powerful spiritual vaccine that can keep us well, and able to walk in love with God and with one another
The 25th will be a breakfast. Way of Love ends just before Bible Study at 10am.
Celebrating the Life of Lancelot Andrewes, Sept 26
Lancelot Andrewes’ life (1555-1626) encompassed the reigns of Elizabeth (1558-1603) and James I (1603-1625). He was closely associated with both of them. We celebrate his day on his death Sept 26, 1626.
Andrewes was the foremost theologian of his day and one of the most pious. He will be forever linked to the creation of the King James Bible being on the committee that created the book. He served not only as the leader of the First Westminster Company of Translators, which translated Genesis – 2 Kings, but also as general editor of the whole project. His contemporaries include everyone from Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raleigh, Captain John Smith who ventured to Virginia and scientist Galileo.
Michaelmas, or the Feast of Michael and All Angels, is celebrated on the 29th of September every year. As it falls near the equinox, the day is associated with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days; in England, it is one of the “quarter days”.
Traditionally, in the British Isles, a well fattened goose, fed on the stubble from the fields after the harvest, is eaten to protect against financial need in the family for the next year; and as the saying goes:
“Eat a goose on Michaelmas Day,
Want not for money all the year”.
Part of the reason goose is eaten is that it was said that when Queen Elizabeth I heard of the defeat of the Armada, she was dining on goose and resolved to eat it on Michaelmas Day.
On this day, we give thanks for the many ways in which God’s loving care watches over us, both directly and indirectly, and we are reminded that the richness and variety of God’s creation far exceeds our knowledge of it.
This week we will look at Earth: Biodiversity, Soil Erosion and Food waste.
6 Key Environmental Issues – Loss of Biodiversity
Increasing human encroachment on wildlife habitats is causing a rapid loss of biodiversity that threatens food security, population health and world stability. Climate change is also a major contributor to biodiversity loss, as some species aren’t able to adapt to changing temperatures. According to the World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Index, biodiversity has declined 27 percent in the last 35 years.
“The term biodiversity (from “biological diversity”) refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life. Biodiversity includes not only species we consider rare, threatened, or endangered but also every living thing – from humans to organisms we know little about, such as microbes, fungi, and invertebrates.
“Biodiversity is important to most aspects of our lives. We value biodiversity for many reasons, some utilitarian, some intrinsic. This means we value biodiversity both for what it provides to humans, and for the value it has in its own right. Utilitarian values include the many basic needs humans obtain from biodiversity such as food, fuel, shelter, and medicine. Further, ecosystems provide crucial services such as pollination, seed dispersal, climate regulation, water purification, nutrient cycling, and control of agricultural pests. Biodiversity also holds value for potential benefits not yet recognized, such as new medicines and other possible unknown services.
Biodiversity has cultural value to humans as well, for spiritual or religious reasons for instance. The intrinsic value of biodiversity refers to its inherent worth, which is independent of its value to anyone or anything else. This is more of a philosophical concept, which can be thought of as the inalienable right to exist. Finally, the value of biodiversity can also be understood through the lens of the relationships we form and strive for with each other and the rest of nature. We may value biodiversity because of how it shapes who we are, our relationships to each other, and social norms. These relational values are part of peoples’ individual or collective sense of well being, responsibility for, and connection with the environment. The different values placed on biodiversity are important because they can influence the conservation decisions people make every day.
“Over the last century, humans have come to dominate the planet, causing rapid ecosystem change and massive loss of biodiversity across the planet. This has led some people to refer to the time we now live in as the “anthropocene.” While the Earth has always experienced changes and extinctions, today they are occurring at an unprecedented rate. Major direct threats to biodiversity include habitat loss and fragmentation, unsustainable resource use, invasive species, pollution, and global climate change. The underlying causes of biodiversity loss, such as a growing human population and over consumption are often complex and stem from many interrelated factors.
“The good news is that it is within our power to change our actions to help ensure the survival of species and the health and integrity of ecological systems. By understanding threats to biodiversity, and how they play out in context, we can be best prepared to manage conservation challenges. The conservation efforts of the last decades have made a significant difference in the state of biodiversity today. Over 100,000 protected areas—including national parks, wildlife refuges, game reserves, and marine protected areas, managed both by governments and local communities—provide habitat for wildlife, and help keep deforestation in check.
When protecting habitat is not enough, other types of conservation actions such as restoration, reintroduction, and the control of invasive species, have had positive impacts. And these efforts have been bolstered by continuous efforts to improve environmental policies at local, regional, and global scales. Finally, the lifestyle choices of individuals and communities can have a large effect on their impacts on biodiversity and the environment. While we might not be able to prevent all negative human impacts on biodiversity, with knowledge we can work to change the direction and shape of our effects on the rest of life on Earth.”
To encourage biodiversity along the Rappahannock the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1996 to conserve and protect fish and wildlife resources such as the bald eagle, threatened and endangered species, and wetlands. A brochure is here. It currently protects 9,030 acres.
The Port Royal unit is a part of the refuge. It protects critical floodplain habitat on the river’s edge. This 125-acre site is managed as grassland and shrubland habitat for species such as vesper and grasshopper sparrows. A mowed trail provides access to the Rappahannock River, host to year-round concentrations of bald eagles and wintering waterfowl.
What You Can Do: As consumers we can all help protect biodiversity by purchasing products that don’t harm the environment. Next time you are at the grocery store, check to see if food packaging contains any of the following eco-labels: USDA Organic, Fair Trade Certified, Marine Stewardship Council or Green Seal. Other product certifications include Forest Stewardship Council Certification, Rainforest Alliance Certification and Certified Wildlife Friendly. Also, reusing, recycling and composting are easy ways to protect biodiversity.
1/3 of the food produced on earth is wasted. Expressed in another way 28 per cent of the world’s agricultural area – is used annually to produce food that is lost or wasted. The average four-person family spends about $1,500 per year on food they trash, according to savethefood.com.
It is not just a case of wasted resources. It also has environmental implications. The exploitation of land and water resources, combined with climate change, is threatening the world’s food supply.
Agriculture accounts for at least 8.4% of total greenhouse gas emissions across the globe, according to the U.N. (Meat, dairy and rice production are the biggest offenders.) That means that if uneaten food were its own country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, just after China and the U.S.
6 Key Environmental Issues – Soil and Soil Erosion
Unsustainable industrial agriculture practices have resulted in soil erosion and degradation that leads to less arable land, clogged and polluted waterways, increased flooding and desertification. According to the World Wildlife Fund, half of the earth’s topsoil has been lost in the last 150 years.
Excessive farming ruining the soil
From World Wildlife Magazine
“Food production is a leading driver of habitat loss, over fishing, and freshwater consumption. Yet the habitat under the most direct pressure from agriculture is also the most ignored: soil. An ecosystem in miniature, soil is full of microscopic canyons, bogs, and even wildlife. These features are vital to food production—but they’re seriously stressed by it, too. Fortunately, when farmers are not planting cash crops like corn and soybeans, a growing number of them are planting “cover crops” to give back to the soil that gives so much.
“These include hairy vetch, clover, or field peas—that are especially good at pulling nitrogen from the air into the ground, to nourish the next round.
“Cover crops are like umbrellas for the soil. When rain hits the bare ground directly, it can displace the soil, causing erosion and runoff. Crops break the rain’s fall and help keep more sediment and nutrients in place—and out of nearby waterways.
“By allowing better water absorption and enriching the soil with nutrients, cover crops have been shown to increase yields of economically important crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat.
“In addition to improving soil health and cash crop yields, cover crops can add financial value to a farm, especially one with livestock. Letting farm animals eat the cover crops effectively turns plants into protein, and can help reduce spending on feed, fertilizer, and fuel.
“While herbicides help keep weeds at bay, their overuse can come with harmful side effects. Cover crops such as cereal rye are good at suppressing unwanted plants, enabling farmers to better manage their use of these sometimes toxic treatments.
“By keeping roots in the ground, cover crops break up the soil and keep it from getting compacted. Roots hold soil in place and help create space underground that allows the soil to better absorb and store water, all of which comes in handy during floods and droughts alike.
What You Can Do: you can make a difference in your backyard by switching to non-toxic green pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.
Lectionary, Sept 29 2019 – Season of Creation 5, Year C
Proverbs 8: 22-31
About five centuries before Jesus, a Jewish sage compiled a collection of his people’s wisdom. He wanted to make other Jews proud of their heritage and eager to know its truths. As an introduction to the collection, the sage wrote what we know as chapters 1 through 9
The verses of this poem place her at the moment of creation, where she is present as YHWH orders chaos, and creates the earth and all that is in it.
The author personifies wisdom as a woman, focusing on her participation in creation. There was no time when God’s wisdom did not exist. This poetic description offers a way to understand Jesus as the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30), through whom “all things came into being” (John 1:1-3) at creation. Wisdom’s main joy is found among humans, for they are the crown of God’s creation.
The author is trying to show us that wisdom is more than practical knowledge. Rather it is a spiritual being whom God created first and made his partner in the work of creating everything else. If the reader believes that, then the prospect of possessing wisdom will be most attractive.
The actor is clearly God, and the observer is clearly Wisdom. In that capacity she communicates to humankind God’s joy in her, and God’s joy in the human race as well.
What is unspoken here, in the choice of this reading for this Feast of the Holy Trinity, is the presence of all three persons of the Trinity – the creating God, Wisdom/Christ, and the breath – the Spirit.
Proverbs 8 counsels a spirituality and ethic of joyful attentiveness. . God delights in beauty, God has fun in creativity, the poet of the universe rejoices in the creativity of creaturely life. If God has a bias toward joy and playfulness, then these are values we should also pursue in our personal and corporate activities. Spirituality is about fiery passionate love of the earth, not otherworldly withdrawal.
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.
“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.”
Help needed: 9:30ish, help needed to unload the truck. Many hands make light work. 1PM, help needed to set up. 3-5PM help needed for the distribution itself. Help the shoppers gather what they need. You can still bring cleaning supplies on the day since these are not available at the Food Bank. Thank you for your contributions of both food and time. Everyone can share in making this important St Peter’s ministry happen.
Sept 22 – 10:00am – Family Vacation – Guatemala
Sept 22 – 11:00am – Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Sept 22 – 4:00pm – Gospel on the River – Heimbach home
Celebrating Hildegard -1098-1179) – musician, writer, prophetess – and saint
We celebrate Hildegard’s life on September 17.
Accounts written in Hildegard’s lifetime (1098-1179) and just after describe an extraordinarily accomplished woman: a visionary, a prophet (she was known as “The Sibyl Of The Rhine”), a pioneer who wrote practical books on biology, botany, medicine, theology and the arts. She was a prolific letter-writer to everyone from humble penitents looking for a cure for infertility to popes, emperors and kings seeking spiritual or political advice. She composed music and was known to have visions
Hildegard commanded the respect of the Church and political leaders of the day. She was a doer: she oversaw the building of a new monastery at Rupertsberg, near Bingen, to house her little community, and when that grew too large she established another convent in Eibingen, which still exists today (though the present building dates from 1904).
“Family Vacation” on Sept 22, 10am goes to Guatelama
In August ,2018 Catherine spent two weeks in Antigua, Guatemala doing a Spanish language immersion. The next month she share experiences and food in a program entitles “An Afternoon in Guatemala. Here are the slides from the presentation
Historically, Guatemala has been predominantly Catholic since the Spanish arrived. Founded in 1527, Antiqua was a colonial capital until 1773 when an earthquake demolished it. A new capital was built 30 miles away which is now Guatemala City. It has recovered in the last century as a museum of Spanish colonial history with its many ruins but remains within 10 miles of a major volcano. Antigua is located in the highlands 5,000 feet above sea level with both active and inactive volcanos. It is known for it Spanish Baroque influenced architecture as well as ruins of colonial churches
The Jesuits founded the school of “San Lucas of the Society of Jesus” in 1608, which became famous and was unrivaled in terms of literature and grammar lessons; it was attended by the elite nobles of the city society, On 18 July 1626, the Jesuit temple was inaugurated; along with the rest of the city, it suffered and was damaged by continuous earthquakes that struck the city between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.
The monks of San Juan de Dios founded their hospital and monastery in 1636 and thereafter were in charge of the hospitals in the Kingdom of Guatemala.
One significant religious building Church and Convent of our Lady of the Pilar of Zaragoza (Las Capuchinas). Designed in 1731 by the Mayor Architect Diego de Porres, was the last religious building founded in the city in 1736. The church was dedicated to the Archangel St Michael. The facade of the temple was manufactured in worked stone instead of the traditional stucco. The main cloister has low and stout columns, designed to resist earthquakes. The “retirement” tower, a circular shaped building unique to this region, has 18 cells around a central patio, each one had its own toilet. The temple was damaged by the earthquakes in 1773; despite all, the Capuchinas is one of the monuments that is well conserved. Since 1972, the monument is the headquarters of the National Council for the Protection of Antigua, Guatemala.
The Santa Catalina Arch is one of the distinguishable landmarks in Antigua located on 5th Avenue North. Built in the 17th century, it originally connected the Santa Catalina convent to a school, allowing the cloistered nuns to pass from one building to the other without going out on the street
While the Catholic influences are still dominant, Guatemala today currently contains the largest number of Protestants (approximately 40%) than any other Latin American country. The largest Protestant denominations present in Guatemala today are Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Lutherans, Baptists, and Episcopalians. Protestants first began to arrive in Guatemala in 1882 as a result of the president’s desire to challenge the power of the Catholic Church
JUST Capital measures and ranks companies on the issues Americans care about. “In our polling, 80 percent of Americans agreed that air quality was an important factor to consider in evaluating environmental impact, with 79 percent aligning on human health as another key measure of those impact”
Two of the planet’s main environmental problems, climate change and air pollution, are linked.
To begin with, though, it‘s important to distinguish clearly between them to understand the links they have, in what way they differ, and the solutions they might share. First, climate change is the global variation of the climate of the Earth due to natural causes and also human actions. It has many consequences with global impact, mainly due to changes in climate patterns, the rising sea level and more extreme meteorological phenomena. Climate change is not only an environmental phenomenon, its negative impacts have social and economic consequences, too.
For its part, air pollution is the presence, in the air, of substances or particles that imply danger, damage or disturbance for humans, flora or fauna. The main sources of atmospheric contamination are tropospheric ozone gases (O3), sulfur oxides (SO2 and SO3), nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and particulate matter (PM). These gases result mainly from emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels (including emissions generated by transport), industrial processes, burning of forests, aerosol use, and radiation.
New research reveals that 800,000 people die prematurely from air pollution in Europe each year. A previous study also confirms that dirty air kills 8.8 million people per year globally.
Scientists used three sets of data to reach their conclusions: population density and age, exposure to air pollution and the health impacts of foul air. While the lungs are the initial body part to suffer, once pollutants get in the bloodstream they can lead to strokes and heart disease. These latter consequences account for twice as many air pollution deaths as respiratory diseases. Scientists estimated that air pollution lops off an average of two plus years of life for these 800,000 Europeans. The rate of deaths linked to air pollution is especially high in Europe due to dense population.
What can be done ?
A carbon tax is a tax levied on the carbon content of fuels and, like carbon emissions trading, is a form of carbon pricing. As of 2018 at least 27 countries and subnational units have implemented carbon taxes. Economists generally argue that carbon taxes are the most efficient and effective way to curb climate change, with the least adverse effects on the economy. Carbon taxes offer a potentially cost-effective means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The simplest approach, administratively, is to levy the tax “upstream,” where the fewest entities would be subject to it (for instance, suppliers of coal, natural gas processing facilities, and oil refineries). Alternatively, the tax could be levied “midstream” (electric utilities) or downstream (energy-using industries, households, or vehicles).
Under a carbon tax, the government sets a price that emitters must pay for each ton of greenhouse gas emissions they emit. Businesses and consumers will take steps, such as switching fuels or adopting new technologies, to reduce their emissions to avoid paying the tax.
Taxes on greenhouse gases come in two broad forms: an emissions tax, which is based on the quantity an entity produces; and a tax on goods or services that are generally greenhouse gas-intensive, such as a carbon tax on gasoline.
One of the challenges of a carbon tax is forecasting the resulting level of emissions reduction from a specific tax rate
Carbon tax proposals have been introduced in Congress for several years without success, but supporters hope that the need for new revenues to pay for tax reform or infrastructure will make it more politically appealing.
2 One of forms of pollution is plastics pollution
They contribute to air pollution
Since its invention in the 1950s, over 9 billion tons of plastic have been produced.
Ninety-one percent of all plastics are not recycled, meaning almost all plastic ever produced is piled up in our landfills and oceans
Americans use 100 billion plastic bags every year. If you tie all these bags together, they reach around the Earth 773 times.
By 2050, there will be more pounds of plastic in the ocean than fish.
Plastics are a problem mostly due to their un-biodegradable nature, the materials used for plastic production (hydrocarbon molecules—derived from the refining of oil and natural gas), and the challenges behind properly discarding the
As the population increases and climate change causes more droughts, water scarcity is becoming more of an issue.
Our water resources are being depleted and degraded as a consequence of our agricultural and industrial use of water, deforestation and climate change, over- consumption, waste, and pollution. Only three percent of the world’s water is fresh water and 1.1 billion people lack access to clean, safe drinking water.
Global agriculture uses nearly two quadrillion gallons of rainwater and irrigation water annually—enough to cover the entire United States with 2 feet of water and accounting for 70 percent of global water use. Some of the products that demand the most water are coffee and rice. Coffee requires 2500 gallons of water to pro- duce a pound of coffee and rice requires 650 gallons of water per pound of rice.
Certain energy development uses a huge amount of water. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a process that uses a pressurized mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to extract natural gas from the earth. A 2009 report noted that each natural gas well requires approximately 2-4 million gallons of water
And nearly every region in the country has experienced water shortages in the last five years. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
By the middle of this century more than a third of all counties in the lower 48 states will be at higher risk of water shortages with more than 400 of the 1,100 counties facing an extremely high risk.
2. Conditions
Water is one of life’s most vital resources. Water pollution, however, is devastating to the environment and to the health and well-being of people in every nation and community. The federal government invests annually in water pollution mitigation and water treatment; however, the current funding is not enough to conduct even routine maintenance and clean up pollution.
Most of our large scale agriculture production uses fertilizers and pesticides to protect the crops from harm and ensure high yields for the farmers. In addition, our cars and vehicles leave oil and other products on the roads. Both of these contaminants are washed into streams and rivers by rain resulting in what is known as stormwater. This threatens the health of the fish and other aquatic life by degrading the water quality.
Stormwater is a leading source of water pollution nation- ally. The Great Lakes, the largest group of freshwater lakes on earth, suffer from stormwater runoff, and in many places stormwater is the primary source of water pollution. Using less fertilizer, building rain barrels and rain gardens, and being aware of products around your home that would add to stormwater pollution (such as pet waste) are key to addressing the United States’ stormwater problem
Lectionary, Sept 22 2019 – Season of Creation 4, Year C
The theme this week is “the reversal”
God is an active force reversing the tide of history. God hears the plea of the tenant farmers in the Psalm suffering the Babylonian exile and the childless couple. In the Gospel, God is pitted against the Roman authority and those who exploit and have made their riches dishonestly since that will determine how you deal with true riches in the future. God reverses the role of the rich and poor looking at the riches in heaven as oppose to this life where the poor have little.
There is the need as spelled out in Amos to reverse the idea of collective guilt. The key in the lectionary is the effect of harsh relations with the poor and “Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.”
In the Gospel we need to use wealth effectively to serve the needs of other which will bring about more trusting and equal relations. This is the key with the dishonest manger reducing debt to his manager. One he was building his own wealth unethically he now works to enrich others, reducing their bills to his master and building a relationship of mutual benefit. Luke is all about the proper use of wealth. As David Lose writes “Except that it’s not just the use of wealth; it’s more like Luke is concerned with our relationship to wealth and how that affects our relationships with others.”
In the Epistle, Christians offer prayers for everyone but is clear that at the pinnacle is God who desires all to be saved. The request in 1 Timothy 2:2 to pray “for kings” instead of “to the kings” , thus bringing down in prestige the Imperial forces at Rome. And it would include the poor. The word about “a quiet and peaceable life in goodness and dignity” in 1 Tim 2:1-2 may be what we are looking for.
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.
“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.”
Psalm 8 today reminds that we are created in the image of God, and that we ought to reflect that image in our lives. In the way that God has dominion over all creation, so God has given us dominion over the earth. Thus, we are called to create, renew, and care for all of creation.
Check out this gallery of 40 pictures that displays some of the creation that we encounter here at St. Peter’s.
"O BLESSED Saviour, who by thy cross and passion hast given life unto the world: Grant that we thy servants may be given grace to take up the cross and follow thee through life and death; whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit we worship and glorify, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
Holy Cross Day is Sept. 14 in honor of Christ’s self-offering on the cross for our salvation. The collect for Holy Cross Day recalls that Christ "was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world unto himself," and prays that "we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him" (BCP, p. 192). The themes of Holy Cross Day are powerfully expressed by the hymn "Lift high the cross" (Hymn 473).
This day has been a part of the Eastern Church. The feast entered the Western calendar in the seventh century after Emperor Heraclius recovered the cross from the Persians, who had carried it off in 614, 15 years earlier. According to the story, the emperor intended to carry the cross back into Jerusalem himself, but was unable to move forward until he took off his imperial garb and became a barefoot pilgrim. It only has been celebrated in the Episcopal Church with the current prayer book
Family Vacation-Let’s go! During September, at 10AM, we’re going to take some trips around the world, specifically to the Holy Land, to Ireland, to Guatemala, and then on the last Sunday of this Season, Along Your Road. Your tour guide will be Catherine. We are going to enjoy traveling together and searching for God along the way. You and your family are invited. Come to the front room in the Parish House, prepared to travel. And hopefully, you’ll find some surprises on these journeys that will hopefully bring us closer to God, to the natural world, and to one another. Jesus spent his ministry travelling, and so we’ll go with Him along the Way.
The Third Sunday, Sept 15 we will be in Ireland.
“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” Luke 15:1-10
By the Seventh century, St. Patrick had come to be revered as the patron saint of ireland
St. Patrick was captured from Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. he then entered the church, and returned to Ireland as an ordained priest to minister to the few Christians already living there and to begin to convert the Irish. The year 432 AD is generally accepted as the year of St. Patrick’s arrival in Ireland. Patrick was sent to Ireland by Pope Celestine. He arrived in Wicklow but received a hostile reception there and that he then landed on the shores of Down where he said his first Mass on Irish soil in a barn at Saul.
Instead of attempting to eradicate native irish beliefs he chose to incorporate traditional irish ritual into his Christianity. the creation of the ‘Celtic cross’ is an example of this. he superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the christian cross to create what is now called a ‘Celtic cross’, to make the symbol more natural to the Irish.
Today, the 35 acre Irish National Heritage Park with it’s sixteen archaeological and historical reconstructions covers 9000 years of Ireland’s history. The Early Christian Monastery in the Heritage Park consists of a Stone Church with a corbelled roof, a Monk’s Cell, a Scriptorium, a Refectory, a Herb Garden, a Celtic High Cross and a Sundial.
We will be reviewing these issues over the weeks in the Season of Creation. Last week was about climate change.
2. DEFORESTATION
Deforestation takes place when “forests are converted to non-forests uses” like agriculture or development. Along with forest degradation (which is linked to activities like logging, when forests are stripped to the point they are no longer able to support nature), deforestation represents the biggest threat to forests around the world. In Brazil, deforestation rates in August hit the highest levels since 2015, when the current monitoring system began.
Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world’s land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Between 1990 and 2016, the world lost 502,000 square miles (1.3 million square kilometers) of forest, according to the World Bank—an area larger than South Africa. Since humans started cutting down forests, 46 percent of trees have been felled, according to a 2015 study in the journal Nature. About 17 percent of the Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed over the past 50 years, and losses recently have been on the rise.Tropical tree cover alone can provide 23 percent of the climate mitigation needed over the next decade to meet goals set in the Paris Agreement in 2015, according to one estimate.
Farming, grazing of livestock, mining, and drilling combined account for more than half of all deforestation. Forestry practices, wildfires and, in small part, urbanization account for the rest. In Malaysia and Indonesia, forests are cut down to make way for producing palm oil, which can be found in everything from shampoo to saltines. In the Amazon, cattle ranching and farms—particularly soy plantations—are key culprits.
Logging operations, which provide the world’s wood and paper products, also fell countless trees each year. Loggers, some of them acting illegally, also build roads to access more and more remote forests—which leads to further deforestation. Forests are also cut as a result of growing urban sprawl as land is developed for homes.
Deforestation is directly related to climate change. Forests represent a major asset in the fight against climate change and serve as carbon “sinks,” sucking up emissions released by human activities. The main reasons for the warming are the burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) and deforestation, which are adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation add 10 percent or so to global warming by reducing the quantity of CO2 that the world’s forests pull from the atmosphere
Deforestation is connected to food supplies and wasted food supplies also contributes to greenhouse gases. World Wildlife did a study of food sources in 2018:
“In the near-term, food production is sufficient to provide for all, but it doesn’t reach everyone who needs it. In fact, one-third of the world’s food—1.3 billion tons—is lost or wasted at a cost of $750 billion annually. When we throw away food, we waste the wealth of resources and labor that was used to get it to our plates. In effect, lost and wasted food is behind more than a quarter of all deforestation and nearly a quarter of global water consumption. It generates as much as 10% of all greenhouse-gas emissions.
Deforestation is also related to water supply
Every tree in the forest is a fountain, sucking water out of the ground through its roots and releasing water vapor into the atmosphere through pores in its foliage. In their billions, they create giant rivers of water in the air – rivers that form clouds and create rainfall hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
A growing body of research suggests that this hitherto neglected impact of deforestation could in many continental interiors dwarf the impacts of global climate change. It could dry up the Nile, hobble the Asian monsoon, and desiccate fields from Argentina to the Midwestern United States.
U.S. think tank Forest Climate Analytics and Nancy Harris of the World Resources Institute published a study that concluded that “tropical forest loss is having a larger impact on the climate than has been commonly understood.”They warned that large-scale deforestation in any of the three major tropical forest zones of the world – Africa’s Congo basin, southeast Asia, and especially the Amazon – could disrupt the water cycle sufficiently to “pose a substantial risk to agriculture in key breadbaskets halfway round the world in parts of the U.S., India, and China.”
There is another cost to deforesetation. The United Nations reports that more than 80% of terrestrial species can be found in the planet’s forests, although they only cover about 31% of all land. But up to 100 species could be lost per day due to deforestation that humans haven’t even documented.
The equivalent of 50 soccer fields each minute have fallen every day of the past 13 years
Trees are absolutely vital to life here on Earth, but they are also being destroyed at an alarming rate. So many of the choices we make throughout the day when we’re shopping, eating, or even driving, are powered by deforestation. Trees are cut and burned down for a number of reasons. Forests are logged to supply timber for wood and paper products, and to clear land for crops, cattle, and housing. Other causes of deforestation include mining and oil exploitation, urbanization, acid rain and wildfires
One easy way to combat deforestation is to plant a tree. But you can take it one step further by making sure the choices you make at home, at the store, at work, and on the menu don’t contribute to the problem. Here’s what you can do about deforestation.
1. Plant a tree.
2. Go paperless.
3. Recycle and buy recycled products.
4. Look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification on wood and wood products.
5. Eat vegetarian meals as often as possible.
You can also watch data collecting efforts on this issue on your mobile phone through Global Forest Watch
Lectionary, Sept 15 2019 – Season of Creation 3, Year C
Deuteronomy 11:10-17
Israel was called a land of barley and wheat (Deuteronomy 8:7-8). The spring wheat and barley harvest preceded the major harvest in the fall, the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16, 34:22). Both the spring and the fall harvest were dependent upon the rains coming at the right time. The fall rains are called the early rain. The spring rains are called the latter rain. The early rain is spoken of in Deuteronomy 11:10-15, and Joel 2:23.
The rain is prophetic of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon people’s lives individually as they accept Jesus into their lives and allow the Holy Spirit to teach and instruct them concerning the ways of God. The early rain and the latter rain also teach us about the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit in a corporate way upon all flesh. The early rain refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during Christ’s first coming and the latter rain refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during Christ’s second coming.
We are the managers but as Deuteronomy states God is watching this management . “The eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year”. We must heed his commandments and God will provide – rain, grass for the fields and as a result “you will eat your fill” As the Psalm maintains God is in control of both the weather – weather – rain, hail, frost, snow, wind – which can determine your abundance but also the end product – “satisfying with the finest of wheat.”
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.
“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.”
From Left to Right – Procession to the altar with nature examples, Thanks to Nancy for a book of devotions taken on numerous scout trips, Season of Creation banner, Celebrating Cleo Coleman’s birthday, Family Vacation – Jerusalem, Celebrating nature’s “creeping things” and the River at Port Royal
Family Vacation-Let’s go! During September, at 10AM, we’re going to take some trips around the world, specifically to the Holy Land, to Ireland, to Guatemala, and then on the last Sunday of this Season, Along Your Road. Your tour guide will be Catherine. We are going to enjoy traveling together and searching for God along the way. You and your family are invited. Come to the front room in the Parish House, prepared to travel. And hopefully, you’ll find some surprises on these journeys that will hopefully bring us closer to God, to the natural world, and to one another. Jesus spent his ministry travelling, and so we’ll go with Him along the Way.
The Second Sunday we will spend in Galilee. “Consider the lilies, how they grow.” Luke 12:26
Where is Galilee ?
Geographically Galilee was separated from Judea by the non-Jewish territory of Samaria, and from Perea in the southeast by the Hellenistic settlements of Decapolis. Galilee in the first century was dotted with small towns and villages.
Matthew 4:12, Mark 1:14 and John 4:1-3, 4:43-45 relates the return of Jesus to Galilee upon the imprisonment of John the Baptist. Jesus’ return to Galilee marks the beginning of his “public ministry” in Galilee, as he begins to preach there.
The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. John’s Gospel narrative refers to Jesus travelling through Samaria in order to reach Galilee, and describes his meeting with a Samaritan woman at a well at Sychar in Samaria.
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus returns to Galilee from the desert after John’s arrest, following a period of solitude and temptation.
In Matthew’s Gospel, the narrative suggests that after his baptism he had spent time in the desert, the “holy city” (Jerusalem) and a mountainous area before returning to Galilee. He left Nazareth, where he had grown up, and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the Sea of Galilee “in the heart of the world, in a busy town, and near others, on the shore of a sea that was full of fish, and on a great international highway”.
In Matthew’s interpretation, Jesus’ return to Galilee the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 9): “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned.”
Galilee became the center of Jesus developing support among the poor peasant population. It was mainly agricultural, with little fishing industry, and its population was economically strongly dependent on the wealthy elite. The elite lived by depriving the Galilean rural population, with no direct connection to the ordinary people. Their agents collected taxes, and usually the villagers had the opportunity to deal with minor legal things themselves in local assemblies, the synagogues. The poverty in Galilee is also reflected by the fact that almost no remains of storage buildings for grain or other products have been found in archaeological excavations in Galilee and no shops at all. The Galileans seem to have consumed all they produced. Having paid the rents, taxes, loan remissions and interests there simply was nothing left to trade with.
What is the Season of Creation?
During the seasons of Advent, Epiphany, Lent and Easter we celebrate the life of Christ. In the season of Pentecost we celebrate the Holy Spirit. Now, in the season of Creation, we have an opportunity to celebrate creation and the Creator. Thus, the Trinity – God the creator, Christ the redeemer of creation, and the Holy Spirit as sustainer of life. For centuries, our theology, our ethics, and our worship have been oriented in two dimensions: our relationship with God and our human relationships with one another. Now it is time to turn our attention to God’s relationship with all creation and with our relationship with creation (and with God through creation).
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. All that was, all that is, all that will be, all this comes from God. Right from the off the Bible speaks of a God who is not passive or distant, but active and involved. The opening chapter goes on to describe the scale, the diversity, the goodness of God’s creation, but here it is enough to simply reflect on the one who creates.
Basil of Caesarea was a Bishop in the fourth century in what is now Turkey. In one of his sermons he compared God the creator to a potter who, after painstakingly crafting a series of beautiful pots, ‘has not exhausted either his art or his talent’. The creation of the world was not a one time burst of energy that left God exhausted, rather it was a pouring out of something deep within God—a desire to create, to bring about beauty and order and all that is good. God created because God is creative and God’s creativity does not run dry.
This creative heart has left its fingerprints throughout the creation: in the wild evolution of nature, in the instinctive desire of our earliest ancestors to make art on the walls of their caves, in the stories that we tell to our children. The world is filled with creativity because it was created by a creative God whose art and talent are inexhaustible. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth—and that was only the beginning!
For Five Sundays in September, we join in celebrating with creation. On September 1 we are invited to celebrate Creation Day with Christians around the world. Creationtide is originally an Eastern Orthodox initiative, but has now spread widely among Anglican, Roman Catholic and Protestant congregations, bringing Christians together to pray and work for the protection of the environment that sustains everyone.
Dr. William P. Brown of Columbia Theological seminary wrote the following about creation care. “The fundamental mandate for creation care comes from Genesis 2:15, where God places Adam in the garden to “till it and keep it…” Human “dominion” as intended in Genesis is best practiced in care for creation, in stewardship, which according to Genesis Noah fulfills best by implementing God’s first endangered species act.”
Creation Care Prayer
God, maker of marvels,
you weave the planet and all its creatures together in kinship;
your unifying love is revealed
in the interdependence of relationships
in the complex world that you have made.
Save us from the illusion that humankind is separate and alone,
and join us in communion with all inhabitants of the universe;
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer,
who topples the dividing walls by the power of your Holy Spirit,
and who loves and reigns with you, for ever and ever. Amen.
-Liturgical Materials for Honoring God in Creation Reported to the 78th General Convention
A Theme for this Season – Web of Life
Witness the diversity and balance of life and the need to preserve it.
A Little Science- Carbon and the Carbon Cycle
Carbon
-An element
-The basis of life of earth
-Found in rocks, oceans, atmosphere,
-Carbon is an essential component of proteins, fats and carbohydrates which
make up all living organisms
Carbon cycle – the way carbon moves through organisms and the environment
1 Plants take in CO2 via Photosynthesis – make organic molecules (glucose)
2 Organisms release CO2 via Respiration of organic molecules (burning of organic compounds in body)
3 Fires release C02 from organic molecules
4 Geochemical processes can absorb C02 and release it. Fossil fuel formed over a long period time , heating and cooling water
What’s your carbon footprint ? A carbon footprint is defined as:
“The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbondioxide (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.”
We will be reviewing these issues over the weeks in the Season of Creation starting with Climate Change.
1. CLIMATE CHANGE
97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate change is occurring and greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause Specialists indicate that the fossil fuel combustion which provide 93% of the world’s energy sources represents the greatest contributing factor to, greenhouse gas emissions In the 20th century, specialists indicate that the global average temperature increased with 1 degree Fahrenheit. Hence, the planet overheats, affecting humans, plants, and animals at the same time
Renewable energy comes from natural resources that can be replenished during an average human lifetime and includes the following types of power: Solar, Wind, Hydro, Geothermal, and Biomass Renewable energy sources are beneficial because they have a very limited negative environmental impact when compared to fossil fuels. They can also reduce the worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.
Overall, renewables are growing faster than fossil fuels. Last year, solar and wind power accounted for nearly 95% of new energy in the US. A 2018 report recently published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), predicts the cost of renewable energy will experience a noticeable drop by 2020, putting it on par with, or cheaper than, fossil fuels.
What You Can Do: Your home and transportation could be major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. A certified home energy audit can help make your home more energy efficient. Consider trading in your auto for a fuel efficient hybrid or better yet—go electric. Switch to LED lightbulbs
“The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry describes the crisis in these words: “The work of saving this creation, on one level, it is saving our own lives, and on another level, it is saving the world that God has made and God has created, and we dare not deface what God has made.” Our actions to reduce our own contribution to global warming can seem insignificant in light of the climate crisis. Switching to LED lighting? It may save money, but what difference can it really make?
Why is this an issue with St. Peter’s ?
1 Creation is a reflection of the glory of God. We are grateful for the gifts we’ve been given, and must fulfill our God-given responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation, which includes all of us who live within it
2 Climate change is a spiritual challenge. Some may see climate change as a political, economic, or scientific issue, but we recognize it, first and foremost, as an ethical issue. Leading on climate is part of how we live our faith.
3. We have a responsibility to care for the least of us. The poorest amongst us bear the greatest burden and risk of climate change. We witness this firsthand as we restore communities in the wake of unprecedented storms, droughts, and disasters.
4. We are called to respond to what we see around us. We are moral messengers for the common good, and must translate our compassion into action.
Observations from around the world show the widespread effects of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations on Earth’s climate.
1 High temperature extremes and heavy precipitation events are increasing. Annual average temperatures have increased by 1.8°F across the contiguous United States since the beginning of the 20th century.
Over the next few decades, annual average temperature over the contiguous United States is projected to increase by about 2.2°F (1.2°C) relative to 1986–2015, regardless of future scenario. As a result, recent record-setting hot years are projected to become common in the near future for the United States.
Extreme high temperatures are projected to increase even more than average temperatures. Cold waves are projected to become less intense and heat waves more intense. The number of days below freezing is projected to decline, while the number of days above 90°F is projected to rise.
The season length of heat waves in many U.S. cities has increased by over 40 days since the 1960s. The length of the frost-free season, from the last freeze in spring to the first freeze of autumn, has increased for all regions since the early 1900s. The frequency of cold waves has decreased since the early 1900s, and the frequency of heat waves has increased since the mid-1960s.
The relative amount of annual rainfall that comes from large, single-day precipitation events has changed over the past century; since 1910, a larger percentage of land area in the contiguous United States receives precipitation in the form of these intense single-day events.
2 Glaciers and snow cover are shrinking, and sea ice is retreating. Since the early 1980s, the annual minimum sea ice extent (observed in September each year) in the Arctic Ocean has decreased at a rate of 11%–16% per decade
3 Seas are warming, rising, and becoming more acidic, and marine species are moving to new locations toward cooler waters. Flooding is becoming more frequent along the U.S. coastline. Growing seasons are lengthening, and wildfires are increasing. Annual median sea level along the U.S. coast (with land motion removed) has increased by about 9 inches since the early 20th century as oceans have warmed and land ice has melted
Sea-level rise alone could force tens of millions of people to move from their homes within the next century. Climate change impacts are expected to drive human migration from coastal locations, but exactly how remains uncertain
4. Climate change has doubled the devastation from wildfires in the Southwest.
Climate change has led to an increase in the area burned by wildfire in the western United States. Analyses estimate that the area burned by wildfire from 1984 to 2015 was twice what would have burned had climate change not occurred. Furthermore, the area burned from 1916 to 2003 was more closely related to climate factors than to fire suppression, local fire management, or other non-climate factors
Climate change has driven the wildfire increase, particularly by drying forests and making them more susceptible to burning. Specifically, increased temperatures have intensified drought in California, contributed to drought in the Colorado River Basin, reduced snowpack, and caused spring-like temperatures to occur earlier in the year. In addition, historical fire suppression policies have caused unnatural accumulations of understory trees and coarse woody debris in many lower-elevation forest types, fueling more intense and extensive wildfires.
Wildfire can threaten people and homes, particularly as building expands in fire-prone areas. Wildfires around Los Angeles from 1990 to 2009 caused $3.1 billion in damages (unadjusted for inflation). Respiratory illnesses and life disruptions from the Station Fire north of Los Angeles in 2009 cost an estimated $84 per person per day (in 2009 dollars). In addition, wildfires degraded drinking water upstream of Albuquerque with sediment, acidity, and nitrates and in Fort Collins, Colorado, with sediment and precursors of cancer-causing trihalomethane, necessitating a multi-month switch to alternative municipal water supplies.
2°C: BEYOND THE LIMIT
Extreme climate change has arrived in America
From the Washington Post, Aug 13
1. Warming is very uneven. At the extreme, some regions show more than 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, of warming. Others have barely warmed at all, or cooled slightly, over the entire period from 1895 to 2018. The average warming of the Lower 48 states, about 1 degree Celsius, obscures the severity of some of the nation’s temperature spikes.
2. Large regions show clear and strong warming signals. Scientists tell us that it is difficult to draw conclusions about temperature changes — and their causes — over small areas because of random variability and other complexities. But as The Post’s map makes clear, some large swaths of the country have seen consistent, remarkable warming. They include the Northeast, much of the U.S. border with Canada, and major parts of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming.
It’s important to note that this map merely tells us how much an individual place has changed over 124 years. It does not explain the cause. It is likely that factors other than global climate change, such as urbanization and regional air pollution, have also played a role. However, in recent years, as the pace of warming has picked up across the globe — including across the United States — the influence of human-fueled climate change has emerged as the key driver.
3. When it comes to the Northeast, the winter season has been transformed. When we examined the data more closely, it became clear that winter is the fastest-warming season in the Northeast, consistent with the expectations of climate scientists. We also found that the pace of warming over the past 60 years or so has accelerated. Once again, the Northeast led the pack, but on a state-by-state level, the Southwest also emerged with very fast warming rates in more recent decades.
4. Some of the fastest-warming regions have very few people living in them. Others, though, are highly populated. We found only a very weak relationship overall between the rate of warming in individual counties and their levels of population density. This suggests that urbanization, which is known to cause warming in local areas, cannot explain most features of this map. NOAA also tries to control for urbanization in its data set, though it cannot be ruled out as a cause.
In particular, because New York and Los Angeles are each part of larger warming regions, urban trends probably cannot fully explain their warming, although they might contribute, several experts told The Post.
Because these two highly populous regions have warmed quickly, The Post calculated that more than 30 million people live in counties that have warmed by 2 degrees Celsius or more since 1895.
5. These changes are already having major impacts, which vary depending on the location. In the Northeast, changes are being felt in agriculture — which is witnessing a strong shift of the seasons and of winter most of all — and in greater pressure from insects, such as ticks and agricultural pests, which plague humans and wildlife alike.
Climate change can accentuate the differences between rich and poor countries
The world is facing a “climate apartheid” between the rich who can protect themselves and the poor who are left behind, the UN has warned.
A UN report published in June, 2019 estimated that more than 120 million people could slip into poverty within the next decade because of climate change
One example he gave in the report was the aftermath of the 2012 Hurricane Sandy in New York City. While thousands of low-income people were left without power and healthcare for days, the Goldman Sachs HQ on Manhattan was kept safe by tens of thousands of sandbags and powered by a private generator.
Two Stanford University researchers modeled the country-by-country effects of global warming over a 50-year period
India’s gross domestic product per capita, for example, was 31% lower in 2010 than it would have been if not for global warming caused by human activity over the prior half century, the study found. Chad’s economic activity per person was 39% lower, Venezuela’s was 32% lower, and Nigeria’s was 29% lower.
In absolute terms, many of those countries have actually boosted their economic output significantly over the past half century, and as a result, inequality between countries has declined in recent years. However, that progress could have moved faster if temperatures weren’t rising, the study found.
Rich countries also tend to be further north and have cooler temperatures, on average. And they may, in fact, actually have benefited from the warming trend as they approach the “optimum temperature” for economic growth, further widening inequality across countries.
Actions taken by households can have a significant impact on global warming. Each household can be part of reversing the trend towards environmental disaster. Together, our choices matter! In the United States alone, 40% of greenhouse gas emissions detrimental to the climate are the choices made by households – not those by industry, agriculture, or land management. We make decisions about how we power our homes, use transportation, nourish our bodies, and recycle our waste.
The key is to consider how you can positively affect the environment, in addition to how you negatively impact it.
1. Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle – Cut your atmosphere-polluting emissions up to a third by purchasing a smaller, more fuel-efficient vehi When buying your next car consider a vehicle with manual transmission and fewer options like air conditioning, power windows and heated seats—all of which can increase fuel consumption. Consider a hybrid vehicle.
Carpool or use public transportation. If you own a business, encourage carpooling or allow telecommuting to reduce carbon emissions.
2. Eating
A. Shop at a local farmers’ market for groceries grown in your area. Insist your fruits and vegetables come from your province or some place nearby. Buying local fruits and vegetables helps maintain nearby farmlands and wildlife habitats and reduces the pollution created when produce is shipped great distances.
B. Eating organic meat and produce keeps pesticides and chemical fertilizers off your plate and out of rivers and streams.
C. Eat less meat and animal products. Farm animals emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, and raising animals for food requires many times more land and water than growing food crops. Every time you sit down to a plant-based meal instead of an animal-based meal, you save about 280 gallons of water and protect anywhere from 12 to 50 square feet of land from deforestation, overgrazing, and pesticide and fertilizer pollution
3. Change your light bulbs – Make the switch to energy-saving, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs or better yet LED. These bulbs use 75 per cent less energy compared to incandescent bulbs
Lectionary, Sept. 8 2019 – Season of Creation 2, Year C
Genesis 1:26-2:3
Last week we covered the beginning of creation in Genesis, Days 1-5.
On Day 6, land animals are created. 1:24 says that God caused the earth to “bring [them] forth”; however, in 1:25, God creates them directly. The creation story was handed down orally for centuries, and a tale varies in the telling. As we often find in Genesis, the author (or editor) is not afraid to include divergent versions.
“Let us” (1:26) is like a royal we; the creation of humans is the climax of the creation story. Human is made (created) in God’s “image” (the Hebrew word implies an exact copy or reproduction); but he is also a “likeness” (resemblance, similarity). He rules over all creatures. Sex is of divine origin. It is because of God’s blessing that we have procreative power. Human is to “subdue” (1:28) the earth and all that is in it. His rule over the animals won’t always be easy. 1:29-30 say that we were initially vegetarian. (God permits Noah to eat meat.)
Day 7 is the day of rest, a reminder of the Sabbath. God blesses the seventh day, thus setting it apart. There is no evening of this day: the relationship between God and man continues for ever.
Genesis uses “generations” (2:4) to mark important stages in God’s actions, starting with creation. The text shows him as creator in his total and uncompromised power, the intrinsic order and balance of the created world, and mankind’s importance and his key role in the scheme of creation. God’s creation is also peaceful, unlike the warring factions (gods) of Enuma Elish. The focus is on the emergence of a people; the earth serves as an environment for the human community. Genesis 1 works within the science of its time to tell of divine power and purpose, and the unique place of humans
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.
“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.”
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
