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Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

“The Miraculous Draught of Fishes” by Raphael.. This is the Gospel story for Epiphany 5, the conversion of Peter. “For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.” This is one of 10 images made by Raphael (1483–1525) and his assistants in 1515–1516 for a set of tapestries to hang in the Sistine Chapel.

Feb. 6 – 11:00am, Holy Eucharist, Congregational Meeting – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278

• Bulletin Feb. 6, 2022
• Sermon Feb 6, 2022
• Commentary Feb. 6, 2022

Feb. 6 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID: 878 7167 9302 Passcode: 729195

Feb. 7 – 6:30am – Be Still Meditation group in a 20 minute time of prayer Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929

Feb. 8 – 7:00pm – Preparing Your Legacy Meeting ID: 821 8558 7210 Passcode: 957811

More information on the 5 week series…

Bible Study 10am-12pm on Wed. Feb. 9

Feb. 9 – 4:30om-6pm, Village Dinner . Take out only. Menu-Pork Chops, Sweet Potatoes, Veggie Medley, Candied Apples, Dessert. Please contact Susan Linne von Berg for a reservation.

Preparing Your Legacy – An online series, that began Jan 18, 7pm

Being prepared for the future by having a will, getting your estate in order, talking with a trusted financial planner, learning about medical issues that may arise with age, and even planning your funeral can relieve worry and anxieties now, not only for you, but for your family. Planning ahead and making decisions early will spare family and loved ones the need to wrestle with what to do about things we have left undone before we die.

The series will cover various aspects of the planning that can take place to ease the transition from life to death, and to leave clear information for family and friends after death. St Peter’s speakers included a lawyer, financial planner, funeral home director, and an RN with Hospice experience to provide information and answer questions.

The talks will be about an hour with the guest speaker talking for 30 minutes leaving another 30 minutes for your questions and discussion

These talks will happen by Zoom on Five Tuesday nights beginning on Tuesday, January 18 and ending on Tuesday, February 15th.

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 821 8558 7210 Passcode: 957811

Preparing Your Legacy – Schedule

Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 7PM  Financial Considerations

Mr. Michael Williams, Senior Wealth Advisor and Senior Vice President, South State Wealth, Richmond, VA 

Michael earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia in 1983. Following college, he was employed by First Virginia Bank in Retail Banking. After receiving his MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in 1988, Michael worked for Andersen Consulting (Accenture) for 3.5 years before entering the trust and wealth management industry where he has held numerous positions.   Michael leads the South State Private Wealth team based in Richmond, VA.  He joined South State Bank in 2014. 

Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 7PM   Estate Planning 

Leigh Frackelton, Jr., Attorney

Leigh’s law practice focuses exclusively in the areas of wills, trusts, estate administration and taxation.  Leigh graduated in 1974 from Washington and Lee University where he majored in History.  He earned his law degree in 1977 from T. C.  Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond and then went on to William and Mary where he earned a Master of Law in Taxation in 1978.  He passed the Virginia CPA exam in 1989.  After finishing his formal education in 1978, Leigh began the practice of law in Fredericksburg.  From 1986 until 2021, Leigh taught full time at the University of Mary Washington and is currently a Professor Emeritus in the College of Business.  He currently practices law at Parrish, Snead, Franklin, Simpson, PLC in Fredericksburg, VA.  

Bless a nurse at Mary Washington Hospital – contribute to the Blessing Cart

The chaplains at MWH have created a “blessing cart” for the nurses. They are collecting individually wrapped treats–energy bars, candy, mini-muffins, etc., and bottled Gatorade and water.

Please bring donations to church next Sunday and place in the basket in the front of the church.

The Sacred Ground Scholarship.A scholarship fund has been established which will help minority students pay for education after high school. Contribute by donating to St Peter’s and put “Sacred Ground Scholarship” on the memo line

Celebrating the lives of Absalom Jones and Abraham Lincoln this week

Absalom Jones died this week in 1818 not only the first trained black minister in any denomination but the first black minister ordained into the Episcopal Church and the first to create a Black religious organization in Philadelphia. More information is here

Abraham Lincoln was born this week, 210 years ago. What was his relationship to the Episcopal Church ? No he wasn’t a member but attended St. John’s Episcopal during his years in Washington, just across from the White House. He also made time with Bishop Whipple, first Episcopal Bishop in Minn. 300 Indians has been sentenced to death in the Dakota Indian Wards. Lincoln made the decision to reduce the number to 38. Was it related to Bishop Whipple’s influence ? The historian of the event writes “it is difficult to imagine that Whipple’s visit did not count in the president’s decision.” Read the entire story on “Lincoln’s Bishop”

Lectionary, Feb. 13, 2022, 6th Sunday after the Epiphany

I. Theme – Blessed! 

“Sermon on the Plain” – Sharon Geiser

Blessed is anyone who trusts in the Lord. (Jeremiah) Blessed are you when you are in need.(Luke)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

Old Testament – Jeremiah 17:5-10
Psalm – Psalm 1
Epistle – 1 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Gospel – Luke 6:17-26

In the Old Testament, reading from Jeremiah God, through the prophet Jeremiah, contrasts the fates of the ungodly and the godly. To ancient peoples, the heart was the centre of emotions, feelings, moods and passions. It also discerned good from evil and was the centre of decision-making. Conversion to God’s ways took place in the heart.

In Corinthians 15:12-20, Paul continues his argument against those at Corinth who deny that Christians will be resurrected bodily. He has written of three basic doctrines he has received and passed on: Christ died, was buried, and rose. He now confronts these people with a logical argument. He confronts them with the consequences of their denial and tells the benefits of affirming resurrection.

In Luke 6:17-26, Jesus has ascended a mountain to pray. While there, he has chosen twelve of his disciples to be apostles. Now he descends part-way, to a “level place”. There he finds followers and many others, from Israel and beyond. He tells who will be admitted to his Kingdom – and who will not.

Read more..

Luke’s Beatitudes

There are two Beatitudes in the Bible, Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-23 which is in the lectionary for Feb. 17. Both are similar in that they contain a guide for the conduct of the disciples on this earth. Of these shared beatitudes, Luke has written the equivalent of Matthew’s first, fourth, second and ninth beatitudes, in that order.

Similarities. Here is a beatitudes comparison using a table of the two accounts

1  Poor –. Matthew “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” and Luke “Blessed are you who are poor.” They will inherit the Kingdome of Heaven (Matthew) or God (Luke” Luke’s account contains some woes – “But woe to you who are rich,for you have received your consolation.”

2 Hungry – Matthew “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” and Luke “Blessed are you who are hungry”. In both cases you will be filled. The rejoinder from Luke – “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry

3  Hate/Persecution – Matthew “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” And Luke “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.”  In both cases your reward is in heaven. Luke’s “woe” – Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their  ancestors did to the  false prophets.

A Powerpoint look at the Beatitudes

Read the Book of Exodus during Epiphany

The second book of the Bible, Exodus recounts the journey of the Israelites from slavery to freedom. We hear the great stories of Moses, from his discovery by Pharoah’s daughter on the bank of the river to the burning bush to his presentation of the Ten Commandments. Along the way, we encounter God’s covenant and explore the grand theme of redemption.

This year, we have a bonus time of scripture engagement: the Good Book Club will dive into the first twenty chapters of Exodus from Epiphany, January 6, to Shrove Tuesday, March 1. For those who want to keep reading, we’ll offer a daily reading guide and an overview of the second half of Exodus. That reading period will conclude on Easter.

Bishop Curry has written, “You can’t read the Book of Exodus without being stirred by the theme of the liberation of people. ”

Links

1. Get Involved

2. The Readings

3. Exodus primer

4. Exodus articles from Covenant

5. Resources for study

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Signs of spring are slowly appearing (with some continued cold weather) From top to bottom, left to right – daffodils, sycamore, Japanese magnolia,ice!,dogwood

Jan. 30 – 11:00am, Holy Eucharist, Congregational Meeting – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278

• Bulletin Jan. 30, 2022
• Sermon Jan. 30, 2022
• Commentary, Jan. 30, 2022
• Photo gallery, Jan. 30, 2022

Jan. 30 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID: 878 7167 9302 Passcode: 729195

Jan 31 – 6:30am – Be Still Meditation group in a 20 minute time of prayer Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417
Passcode: 790929

Feb 1 – 7:00pm – Preparing Your Legacy Meeting ID: 821 8558 7210 Passcode: 957811

More information on the 5 week series…

Bible Study 10am-12pm on Wed. Jan. 26

Preparing Your Legacy – An online series, that began Jan 18, 7pm

Being prepared for the future by having a will, getting your estate in order, talking with a trusted financial planner, learning about medical issues that may arise with age, and even planning your funeral can relieve worry and anxieties now, not only for you, but for your family. Planning ahead and making decisions early will spare family and loved ones the need to wrestle with what to do about things we have left undone before we die.

The series will cover various aspects of the planning that can take place to ease the transition from life to death, and to leave clear information for family and friends after death. St Peter’s speakers included a lawyer, financial planner, funeral home director, and an RN with Hospice experience to provide information and answer questions.

The talks will be about an hour with the guest speaker talking for 30 minutes leaving another 30 minutes for your questions and discussion

These talks will happen by Zoom on Five Tuesday nights beginning on Tuesday, January 18 and ending on Tuesday, February 15th.

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 821 8558 7210 Passcode: 957811

Preparing Your Legacy – Schedule

Tuesday, February 1, 2022, 7PM   Final Arrangements—Working with a Funeral Home

Mr. David Storke, Owner and President of Storke Funeral Home, Bowling Green, VA

David graduated from John Tyler Community College with an AAS Degree in Mortuary Science.  In 1986 he passed his National Conference Board Exam and State Board Exam and became a licensed funeral director and embalmer.  He purchased the former Powell Funeral Home in Bowling Green, VA in 1991, renaming it Storke Funeral Home.  David is an active member of the community, having served in various leadership roles through the years. 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 7PM  Financial Considerations

Mr. Michael Williams, Senior Wealth Advisor and Senior Vice President, South State Wealth, Richmond, VA 

Michael earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia in 1983. Following college, he was employed by First Virginia Bank in Retail Banking. After receiving his MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in 1988, Michael worked for Andersen Consulting (Accenture) for 3.5 years before entering the trust and wealth management industry where he has held numerous positions.   Michael leads the South State Private Wealth team based in Richmond, VA.  He joined South State Bank in 2014. 

Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 7PM   Estate Planning 

Leigh Frackelton, Jr., Attorney

Leigh’s law practice focuses exclusively in the areas of wills, trusts, estate administration and taxation.  Leigh graduated in 1974 from Washington and Lee University where he majored in History.  He earned his law degree in 1977 from T. C.  Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond and then went on to William and Mary where he earned a Master of Law in Taxation in 1978.  He passed the Virginia CPA exam in 1989.  After finishing his formal education in 1978, Leigh began the practice of law in Fredericksburg.  From 1986 until 2021, Leigh taught full time at the University of Mary Washington and is currently a Professor Emeritus in the College of Business.  He currently practices law at Parrish, Snead, Franklin, Simpson, PLC in Fredericksburg, VA.  

Bless a nurse at Mary Washington Hospital – contribute to the Blessing Cart

The chaplains at MWH have created a “blessing cart” for the nurses. They are collecting individually wrapped treats–energy bars, candy, mini-muffins, etc., and bottled Gatorade and water.

Please bring donations to church next Sunday, Feb. 6 and place in the basket in the front of the church.

The Sacred Ground Scholarship.A scholarship fund has been established which will help minority students pay for education after high school. Contribute by donating to St Peter’s and put “Sacred Ground Scholarship” on the memo line

Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and Candlemas, Feb. 2

“Today is a day of purification, renewal, and hope.”
 

The Presentation of our Lord commemorates when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem where he was greeted by Simeon and Anna. By the Law every first born male was to be consecrated to the Lord.” This happened 40 days after his birth at Christmas.

It is a feast day though it does not often fall on a Sunday. Candlemas occurs at a period between the December solstice and the March equinox, so many people traditionally marked that time of the year as winter’s “halfway point” while waiting for the spring.  

Candlemas is actually a very old feast, celebrated by both the churches of the East and the West, and in some places it is on this day that the creche is finally removed from the church.  The passage from The words in this scripture are often part of Compline

According to some sources, Christians began Candlemas in Jerusalem as early as the fourth century and the lighting of candles began in the fifth century. Other sources say that Candlemas was observed by blessing candles since the 11th century. An early writing dating back to around 380 CE mentioned that a feast of the Presentation occurred in a church in Jerusalem. It was observed on February 14. The feast was observed on February 2 in regions where Christ’s birth was celebrated on December 25.  It is also Groundhog Day in the United States and Canada on February 2.

Candles are blessed on this day (hence the name “Candlemas”). It was the day of the year when all the candles, that were used in the church during the coming year, were brought into church and a blessing was said over them – so it was the Festival Day (or ‘mass’) of the Candles. Candles were important in those days not only because there was no electric lights. Some people thought they gave protection against plague and illness and famine. For Christians, they were (and still are) a reminder of something even more important. Before Jesus came to earth, it was as if everyone was ‘in the dark’.

Pieces of these candles are considered of great efficacy in sickness, or otherwise. When a person is dying, a piece is put in his hand lighted, and thus he passes away in the belief that it may light him to Paradise.

Read more about Candlemas… 

Lectionary, Feb. 6, 2022

I. Theme – Unworthiness 

“Calling of Peter and Andrew’ – Duccio di Buoninsegna (1318/1319)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

Old Testament – Isaiah 6:1-8, [9-13]
Psalm – Psalm 138
Epistle – 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Gospel – Luke 5:1-11

There’s a common theme running through all of today’s readings. That theme is “unworthiness.”

The unworthiness felt by Isaiah in the presence of the Lord; the unworthiness of St Paul even to be called an “apostle”; and the unworthiness of St Peter – who is so acutely aware of his own weakness, that he asks Jesus to go away: “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

A sense of unworthiness is probably something most of us experience at some time or another. We may feel unworthy for a particular task, unworthy of another’s trust, unworthy of another’s love. And that’s not surprising. We know our failings and our weaknesses better than anyone. When someone puts their trust in us, even though we want to do our very best for them, we are afraid – afraid that we’re not up to the task. And sometimes, sadly, we’re not. Sometimes we do fail, sometimes we do let others down, sometimes we do betray their trust.

In calling Peter to become his disciple, Jesus places immense trust in him. Equally, some might say, Peter’s willingness to put out the nets one more time, showed his trust in Jesus. Peter, after all, was a professional fisherman; he’d grown up alongside the Sea of Galilee. Jesus, on the other hand, came from Nazareth; he knew nothing of the sea or of fishing. So it does seem incredible that Peter should have gone along with Jesus’ suggestion when all his better instincts must have told him it was pointless.

What makes it all the more surprising is that, as far as we know, Peter has no particular reason to trust Jesus. At this point he probably doesn’t know him very well. Jesus hasn’t yet proved himself with any great miracles. So maybe it’s not trust we see in Peter’s response to Jesus, maybe it’s something else entirely. Peter, we can imagine, isn’t feeling too good about himself. The night’s fishing has been a complete disaster. He’s failed at the one thing he’s supposed to be good at. He is no doubt extremely tired, completely fed up. He’s been out all night; he needs some sleep.

He’s just finished packing up his nets and is about to head off home to bed, when along comes Jesus. He climbs into the boat, and starts one of his talks; a talk which goes on forever. When at last he’s finished, and just as Peter thinks he can get off home for a kip, Jesus tells him to head out into deep water and put out his nets. I’m not at all sure Peter’s response does demonstrate his trust in Jesus. I think it shows his complete exasperation, his irritation even: “Master we worked hard all night long and caught nothing – the fact is, there are no fish. I know it, James knows it, even young John knows it. Still, you know best, you say there are fish, so I’ll pay out the nets.” And it’s then, when Peter is at his lowest ebb, when he’s tired, irritable, feeling completely useless – that the miraculous catch of fish occurs.

Often, it’s when we are at our lowest, when we have failed, when we are most acutely aware of our weakness, that Jesus comes to us and works his miracles. And it’s then we have to trust in him, to launch out into deep water, knowing that it’s not our strength or our talents that matter, but his.

Read more..

Voices on the Gospel

1. From “Living with Jesus Project”

The call of the first disciples appears, naturally, early on in the ministry of Jesus. Up to this point, the main events have been Jesus’ baptism (3:21-22), his temptation in the wilderness (4:1-13), his inaugural sermon and rejection at Nazareth (4:16-30), and a series of healings (4:31-41). More immediately, there is a series of events that includes his going to a deserted place to be alone, his being sought out by crowds of people, and his teaching in synagogues (4:42-44).

Peter is the only named disciple who reacts in a dramatic fashion to the miraculous event …

In the third-person narrative in which the author directly speaks to his audience, Jesus (even the risen Jesus of John’s narrative) is referred to simply as “Jesus”; Peter and Peter alone addresses Jesus as “Lord” …

The other fishermen share in the action of catching the fish … but neither on sea nor on land do they (apart from the beloved disciple in John 21:15-17) say anything once the miracle begins.

At the end of each story, Jesus directly or indirectly issues a summons to Peter to follow him …

The abundant catch of fish symbolizes in each story the future misionary work and the resultant success of Peter and the other disciples. A further idea symbolized in each story is that the disciples, left to themselves in the night of this world, are doomed to failure. With Jesus’ help and direction, they are granted startling success.

2. Ralph Milton

In this story, Simon (aka Peter) wins the lottery. He’s been out there all night working his butt off, and catches almost nothing. Then Jesus tells him to try again and they fill up the boat.

Peter’s a bit like a guy who wins the lottery, but then never goes to cash in the winning ticket. Peter doesn’t take that haul of fish to the market to sell so he doesn’t benefit from the bonanza. He and his partners, James and John, just leave everything there and follow Jesus. Which makes no economic sense.

These three men go stumbling over their nets and boats and follow Jesus, and the crowd that saw all this witnessed a sermon in action that was more powerful than the one Jesus preached. Luke doesn’t tell us a thing that Jesus said in that sermon. Nor does he say whether Simon and his buds were paying attention. He tells us what they did.

And we’re still talking about it!

Read more..

Read the Book of Exodus during Epiphany

The second book of the Bible, Exodus recounts the journey of the Israelites from slavery to freedom. We hear the great stories of Moses, from his discovery by Pharoah’s daughter on the bank of the river to the burning bush to his presentation of the Ten Commandments. Along the way, we encounter God’s covenant and explore the grand theme of redemption.

This year, we have a bonus time of scripture engagement: the Good Book Club will dive into the first twenty chapters of Exodus from Epiphany, January 6, to Shrove Tuesday, March 1. For those who want to keep reading, we’ll offer a daily reading guide and an overview of the second half of Exodus. That reading period will conclude on Easter.

Bishop Curry has written, “You can’t read the Book of Exodus without being stirred by the theme of the liberation of people. ”

Links

1. Get Involved

2. The Readings

3. Exodus primer

4. Exodus articles from Covenant

5. Resources for study

From the meeting

1. Reports – PDF version

2. Reports – Magazine version

3. Article and video of the Jan 23, 2022 meeting.

Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Review the scriptures for this week

Jan. 23 – 11:00am, Holy Eucharist, Congregational Meeting – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278

• Bulletin Jan. 23, 2022
• Sermon written Jan. 23, 2022
• Sermon Video Jan. 23, 2022
• Commentary Jan. 23, 2022

Come hear the stories of all that we have accomplished as a parish during this past year and to receive updates on our life together as a parish.

We will be electing two members of the Vestry and be hearing reports of the happenings of the ministries in  2022.   

Jan. 23 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475

Jan 24 – 6:30am – Be Still Meditation group in a 20 minute time of prayer Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929

Jan 25 – 7:00pm – Preparing Your Legacy Meeting ID: 821 8558 7210 Passcode: 957811

More information on the 5 week series…

Bible Study 10am-12pm on Wed. Jan. 26

Preparing Your Legacy – An online series, that began Jan 18, 7pm

Being prepared for the future by having a will, getting your estate in order, talking with a trusted financial planner, learning about medical issues that may arise with age, and even planning your funeral can relieve worry and anxieties now, not only for you, but for your family. Planning ahead and making decisions early will spare family and loved ones the need to wrestle with what to do about things we have left undone before we die.

St Peter’s will be featuring speakers including a lawyer, financial planner, funeral home director, and an RN with Hospice experience to provide information and answer questions. The series will cover various aspects of the planning that can take place to ease the transition from life to death, and to leave clear information for family and friends after death.

The talks will be about an hour with the guest speaker talking for 30 minutes leaving another 30 minutes for your questions and discussion

These talks will happen by Zoom on Five Tuesday nights beginning on Tuesday, January 18 and ending on Tuesday, February 15th.

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 821 8558 7210 Passcode: 957811

Preparing Your Legacy – Schedule

Tuesday, January 18, 2022 7PM   Opening the Conversation about End of Life with Yourself and your Family

The Rev. Catherine D. Hicks

Catherine has served as the Rector at St Peter’s Episcopal Church in Port Royal, VA,  since August of 2010.  Before graduating from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2010, Catherine worked as a Medical Social Worker at Mary Washington Hospice from 2000-2007.  In addition to earning an MSW degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2000,  she also holds a Certificate in Aging Studies from VCU. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia. 

Tuesday, January 25, 2022  Medical Considerations and Medical Directives

Mrs. Candy Dyer, RN

Candy has served as an RN for 29 years.  For 19 years she worked at Mary Washington Hospice as an RN Case Manager and as a  Patient Care Coordinator.    Her work as a Hospice RN  dealt with patient care and medical  issues and considerations around death and dying.  Candy has taught CNA and LPN students at technology college.   For the past six years she has worked with  Dr. Patrick McManus, MD, in Fredericksburg, VA.   Candy enjoys geriatric nursing.  Candy also enjoys crocheting and putting together jigsaw puzzles. 

Tuesday, February 1, 2022, 7PM   Final Arrangements—Working with a Funeral Home

Mr. David Storke, Owner and President of Storke Funeral Home, Bowling Green, VA

David graduated from John Tyler Community College with an AAS Degree in Mortuary Science.  In 1986 he passed his National Conference Board Exam and State Board Exam and became a licensed funeral director and embalmer.  He purchased the former Powell Funeral Home in Bowling Green, VA in 1991, renaming it Storke Funeral Home.  David is an active member of the community, having served in various leadership roles through the years. 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 7PM  Financial Considerations

Mr. Michael Williams, Senior Wealth Advisor and Senior Vice President, South State Wealth, Richmond, VA 

Michael earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia in 1983. Following college, he was employed by First Virginia Bank in Retail Banking. After receiving his MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in 1988, Michael worked for Andersen Consulting (Accenture) for 3.5 years before entering the trust and wealth management industry where he has held numerous positions.   Michael leads the South State Private Wealth team based in Richmond, VA.  He joined South State Bank in 2014. 

Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 7PM   Estate Planning 

Leigh Frackelton, Jr., Attorney

Leigh’s law practice focuses exclusively in the areas of wills, trusts, estate administration and taxation.  Leigh graduated in 1974 from Washington and Lee University where he majored in History.  He earned his law degree in 1977 from T. C.  Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond and then went on to William and Mary where he earned a Master of Law in Taxation in 1978.  He passed the Virginia CPA exam in 1989.  After finishing his formal education in 1978, Leigh began the practice of law in Fredericksburg.  From 1986 until 2021, Leigh taught full time at the University of Mary Washington and is currently a Professor Emeritus in the College of Business.  He currently practices law at Parrish, Snead, Franklin, Simpson, PLC in Fredericksburg, VA.  

The Sacred Ground Scholarship.A scholarship fund has been established which will help minority students pay for education after high school. Contribute by donating to St Peter’s and put “Sacred Ground Scholarship” on the memo line

Conversion of St. Paul, Jan 25 – in art and words 

On January 25 we remember how Saul (or Paul) of Tarsus, formerly a persecutor of the early Christian Church, was led by God’s grace to become one of its chief spokesmen. Here are two art works that depict the event :

“The Conversion on the Way to                                       "The Conversion of St. Paul" 
 Damascus” Caravaggio 1601                                                Nicolas-Bernard Lepicie, 1767

 "and suddenly a light from heaven shined round about him. And falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Who said: Who art thou, Lord? And he: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. " Acts 9: 3-5

The Italian painter Caravaggio painted the one on the left in 1601 for the Cerasi Chapel of the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, in Rome. The painting depicts the moment recounted in Chapter 9 of Acts of the Apostles when Saul, soon to be the apostle Paul, fell on the road to Damascus.

Caravaggio is close to the Bible. The horse is there and, to hold him, a groom, but the drama is internalized within the mind of Saul. There is no heavenly apparition. He lies on the ground stunned, his eyes closed as if dazzled by the light.

Caravaggio’s style featured a dark background with usually one point of breaking light. Paul is flung off of his horse and is seen on his back on the ground. Although Paul reflects the most light out of all the characters, the attention is given to him in a strange way. Because Paul is on the ground, he is much smaller than the horse, which is also at the center of the painting but he is pictured closer to the viewer.

The second painting constrast with Caravaggio in the use of color and light. This one has some of the most vibrant colors.  Heaven’s light is shown coming dynamically from left to right.  The painting is like the key frame in a movie on the conversion.  At the time Lepicie was a professor at the  Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris

Read more about Paul’s conversion… 

Lectionary, Jan 30, 2022

I. Theme – The power given us through God’s love and presence. 

Brow of the Hill Near Nazareth" ” – James Tissot (1886-1894) 

"When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way." – Luke 4:28-30

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Old Testament – Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalm – Psalm 71:1-6
Epistle – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Gospel – Luke 4:21-30     

Today’s readings reveal the power given us through God’s love and presence. Jeremiah protests his call to prophesy, but God commands him to speak boldly. Paul teaches a quarreling community that, while all the spiritual gifts have value, respect and love for each other deeply empower us. Jesus proclaims that the power of his ministry will not be confined to his hometown or even to his faith community.

The two major themes in this week’s reading stand out in clear relief: Firstly, God’s grace is not always a comfortable and gentle thing to experience. Integral to God’s grace is the work of justice which distresses the comfortable and self-assured (the "no") even as it comforts the distressed (the "yes"). Jeremiah is told that his message will not only build up but break down; The psalmist reflects on his vulnerability and the threat of evil in spite of his long life of relationship with God; The love that Paul speaks about is not an easy or comfortable way to follow, but challenges our self-centredness and lethargy toward others; and finally, Jesus makes it clear that his ministry is not “friendly” and non-disruptive, but a life-changing, all-inclusive confrontation of self-righteousness and injustice

Secondly, as with Jesus’ near execution in Luke, those who choose to follow Christ in his liberating work, must expect that they will find themselves in confrontation with injustice and those who propagate it. This will inevitably lead to great sacrifice and suffering. The work of grace is not all acceptance and healing. Sometimes it is a wounding battle – not least because we are called to love even those we challenge

Read more..

Read the Book of Exodus during Epiphany

The second book of the Bible, Exodus recounts the journey of the Israelites from slavery to freedom. We hear the great stories of Moses, from his discovery by Pharoah’s daughter on the bank of the river to the burning bush to his presentation of the Ten Commandments. Along the way, we encounter God’s covenant and explore the grand theme of redemption.

This year, we have a bonus time of scripture engagement: the Good Book Club will dive into the first twenty chapters of Exodus from Epiphany, January 6, to Shrove Tuesday, March 1. For those who want to keep reading, we’ll offer a daily reading guide and an overview of the second half of Exodus. That reading period will conclude on Easter.

Bishop Curry has written, “You can’t read the Book of Exodus without being stirred by the theme of the liberation of people. ”

Links

1. Get Involved

2. The Readings

3. Exodus primer

4. Exodus articles from Covenant

5. Resources for study

Confession of St. Peter – January 18 – "Who do you say I am " 

This is not a confession of the church but relates to Peter, the Apostler ! It relates to an event in Matthew 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30 and Luke 9:18-20. Jesus went to the predominately pagan region of Caesarea Philippi to question and deepen his disciples’ understanding of his role and theirs. “Who do you say that I am?”

Here is the Mark reading " Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him."

We discover reading the selection on Peter in Holy Women, Holy Men that we are much like him – both godly and strong, sometimes weak and sinful.

“Peter figures prominently in the Gospels, often stumbling, impetuous, intense and uncouth. ““It was Peter who attempted to walk on the sea, and began to sink; it was Peter who impulsively wished to build three tabernacles on the mountain of the Transfiguration; it was Peter who just before the crucifixion, three times denied knowing his Lord.”

“But it was also Peter who, after Pentecost, risked his life to do the Lord’s work, speaking boldly of his belief in Jesus. It was also Peter, the Rock, whose strength and courage helped the young Church in its questions about the mission beyond the Jewish community. Opposed at first to the baptism of Gentiles, Peter had the humility to admit a change of heart, and to baptize the Roman centurion Cornelius and his household.”

Special thanks to the Davis family–Johnny and Cookie, Johnathan and Tommy Hicks for the gargantuan clean up job they did at St Peter’s after the destructive recent storm.

Second Sunday after the Epiphany – The Wedding at Cana

The Gospel is the story of the wedding feast at Cana, relates the first “sign” of Jesus’ identity and ministry that “revealed his glory.” The passage from John’s gospel speaks of huge stone jars holding 20–30 gallons of water. Jesus makes use of them for his first miracle, teaching that our journey to the sacred comes through the ordinary. It is fitting to remember the sign he performed at Cana as we move away from the high feast days of Christmas and Epiphany and into Ordinary Time

Review the scriptures for this week

Jan. 16 – 11:00am, Morning Prayer Zoom only due to the approaching storm. – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278

• Bulletin Jan. 16, 2022
• Sermon Jan. 16, 2022
• Commentary Jan. 16, 2022

Jan. 16 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:45pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID: 878 7167 9302 Passcode: 729195

Jan. 17 – 6:30am – Be Still Meditation group in a 20 minute time of prayer Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929

Jan. 18 – 7:00pm – Preparing Your Legacy Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929

More information on the 5 week series…

Bible Study 10am-12pm on Wed. Jan. 19

Jan. 19 – 3pm-5pm, Village Harvest

If you would like to volunteer, please email Andrea or call (540) 847-9002. Pack bags for distribution 1-3PM Deliver food to client’s cars 3-5PM.

Jan. 20 – 7pm, Sacred Ground discussion

Join in the discussion about how St Peter’s can specifically continue to work toward racial reconciliation and healing in our community.

Preparing Your Legacy – An online series beginning Jan 18, 7pm

Being prepared for the future by having a will, getting your estate in order, talking with a trusted financial planner, learning about medical issues that may arise with age, and even planning your funeral can relieve worry and anxieties now, not only for you, but for your family.

St Peter’s will be featuring speakers including a lawyer, financial planner, funeral home director, and an RN with Hospice experience to provide information and answer questions.

The talks will be about an hour with the guest speaker talking for 30 minutes leaving another 30 minutes for your questions and discussion

These talks will happen by Zoom on Five Tuesday nights beginning on Tuesday, January 18 and ending on Tuesday, February 15th.

This first week, Catherine will be talking about starting the conversation around your end of life preferences with your family and also some of the spiritual issues around end of life. Next week, Candy Dyer, RN, will talk about medical directives, DNR’s, hospice, and other medical issues

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 821 8558 7210 Passcode: 957811

Read the reports!

1. PDF version

2. Magazine version

Jan. 23, 11am.  What were the key things that happened in 2021 ? What’s in store for St. Peter’s in 2022 ?

These are other questions will be part of the 2019 congregational meeting held after the 11am service.    

Come hear the stories of all that we have accomplished as a parish during this past year and to receive updates on our life together as a parish.

We will be electing two members of the Vestry and be hearing reports of the happenings of the ministries in  2022.   

Epiphany –  Jan 6 until Lent  begins March 2, 2022

Adoration of the Magi – Bartholomäus Zeitblom (c. 1450 – c. 1519)

The English word “Epiphany” comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, which means “appearing” or “revealing.” Epiphany focuses on God’s self-revelation in Christ.  

Epiphany celebrates the twelfth day of Christmas, the coming of the Magi to give homage to God’s Beloved Child. 

The Epiphany celebration remembers the three miracles that manifest the divinity of Christ. The celebration originated in the Eastern Church in AD 361, beginning as a commemoration of the birth of Christ. Later, additional meanings were added – the visit of the three Magi, Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River with the voice from heaven that identifies Jesus as God’s son, and his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. These three events are central to the definition of Epiphany, and its meaning is drawn from these occurrences.

More about Epiphany

Lectionary, Jan. 23, 2022

I. Theme – The importance of community

Prisoners Exercising” – Van Gogh (1890)

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Old Testament – Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm – Psalm 19
Epistle – 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Gospel – Luke 4:14-21     

Today’s readings address us as a community rather than a group of individuals. In Nehemiah, we hear the heartfelt response of God’s people as God’s word is read aloud to the community restored from exile. Paul compares the community of the Church to a body, each individual member necessary to the body as a whole.

The lectionary readings this week have a pattern of linking the art of reading scripture, interpretation and preaching, but we are wise to remember that these are not the only spiritual gifts.  Paul reminds us that we need teachers, leaders, interpreters, those who help others in addition to preaching—but there are greater gifts, gifts of faith, hope, compassion, care—and love. These are the gifts that are needed in our world today. All other gifts—preaching, teaching, leading, etc.—should work to the benefit of God’s gift of love.  

Luke shows Jesus as he begins his ministry by proclaiming God’s word to his hometown community gathered at a synagogue. We are watching Jesus of Nazareth work out being the Son of God. At the point of Luke chapter 4, the title "Son of God" does not signify the second person of the Holy Trinity, it does not yet entail actual divinity, Jesus has still to work that out; and though it was already true of him,  At this point in the gospel, to be the Son of God is to be the royal prince of Israel, the true king of the Jews, of the House and lineage of David, the entitled one, the anointed one, the christos, the Christ, the Messiah. 

Today we read of him going public and developing his campaign. He doesn’t go straight to Jerusalem. He does the synagogues, explaining the book of the law of Moses, the Torah. Like Ezra in our reading from Nehemiah. He read the law and made sense of it so the people could understand it, he was giving them interpretation and inspiration and hope. From our perspective we can see him as God having come among God’s people, God talking to them again. But they would not have seen him as the Messiah, doing that. King David was not a teacher. They saw him as a rabbi and a prophet. 

He chooses to announce that he’s the Messiah in his own home town, in the town hall, which is the synagogue. He does it by simply reading from the Isaiah scroll.

Read more..

Read the Book of Exodus during Epiphany

The second book of the Bible, Exodus recounts the journey of the Israelites from slavery to freedom. We hear the great stories of Moses, from his discovery by Pharoah’s daughter on the bank of the river to the burning bush to his presentation of the Ten Commandments. Along the way, we encounter God’s covenant and explore the grand theme of redemption.

This year, we have a bonus time of scripture engagement: the Good Book Club will dive into the first twenty chapters of Exodus from Epiphany, January 6, to Shrove Tuesday, March 1. For those who want to keep reading, we’ll offer a daily reading guide and an overview of the second half of Exodus. That reading period will conclude on Easter.

Bishop Curry has written, “You can’t read the Book of Exodus without being stirred by the theme of the liberation of people. ”

Links

1. Get Involved

2. The Readings

3. Exodus primer

4. Exodus articles from Covenant

5. Resources for study

Confession of St. Peter – January 18 – "Who do you say I am " 

This is not a confession of the church but relates to Peter, the Apostler ! It relates to an event in Matthew 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30 and Luke 9:18-20. Jesus went to the predominately pagan region of Caesarea Philippi to question and deepen his disciples’ understanding of his role and theirs. “Who do you say that I am?”

Here is the Mark reading " Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him."

We discover reading the selection on Peter in Holy Women, Holy Men that we are much like him – both godly and strong, sometimes weak and sinful.

“Peter figures prominently in the Gospels, often stumbling, impetuous, intense and uncouth. ““It was Peter who attempted to walk on the sea, and began to sink; it was Peter who impulsively wished to build three tabernacles on the mountain of the Transfiguration; it was Peter who just before the crucifixion, three times denied knowing his Lord.”

“But it was also Peter who, after Pentecost, risked his life to do the Lord’s work, speaking boldly of his belief in Jesus. It was also Peter, the Rock, whose strength and courage helped the young Church in its questions about the mission beyond the Jewish community. Opposed at first to the baptism of Gentiles, Peter had the humility to admit a change of heart, and to baptize the Roman centurion Cornelius and his household.”

From left to right, top to bottom: Daniel Bonnell (20th), Nicholas-Poussin (1650’s), Luis Garcia (21st),Gustave Doré (1866), He Qui (2003), Giotto (1305), Giovanni Bellini (1500-02),Alessandro Magnasco (1740), Fra Angelico (1441)

First Sunday after the Epiphany, the Baptism of Jesus

Jan. 9 – 11:00am, Eucharist In person in the church or on Zoom. – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11amMeeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278

• Bulletin Jan. 9, 2022
• Sermon Jan 9, 2022

Jan. 9 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pmMeeting ID: 878 7167 9302 Passcode: 729195

Jan 10 – 6:30am – Be Still Meditation group in a 20 minute time of prayer Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417
Passcode: 790929

Bible Study, 10am-12pm on Wed. Jan. 12

Village Dinner, Jan 12, 4:30-6pm. Make your reservation by calling Susan Linne von Berg at 804-742-5233. Due to high Covid rates, take out only for this month – soup, salad, rolls and dessert. Reservations needed!

Jan. 16 – 11:00am, Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Jan. 16 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30am for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475

Storm damage, Jan 2-3, 2022

This is a before and after picture of our former yew tree.

St. Peter’s suffered tree damage on the evening of Jan 2 and into the early part of Jan 3, 2022. It is most pronounced on our Yew tree which was destroyed. We lost major branches on our pines and some sporadic damage on the Saucer Magnolia and the magnolias closer to the river. The yews grow slowly and in Europe there are many over a thousand years old so its loss is a major blow here.

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Save the Dates! Preparing Your Legacy – An online series beginning Jan 18, 7pm

Being prepared for the future by having a will, getting your estate in order, talking with a trusted financial planner, learning about medical issues that may arise with age, and even planning your funeral can relieve worry and anxieties now, not only for you, but for your family.

St Peter’s will be featuring speakers including a lawyer, financial planner, funeral home director, and an RN with Hospice experience to provide information and answer questions.

The talks will be about an hour with the guest speaker talking for 30 minutes leaving another 30 minutes for your questions and discussion

These talks will happen by Zoom on Five Tuesday nights, 7pm beginning on Tuesday, January 18 and ending on Tuesday, February 15th.

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 821 8558 7210 Passcode: 957811

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Epiphany –  Jan 6 until Lent  begins March 2, 2022

Adoration of the Magi – Bartholomäus Zeitblom (c. 1450 – c. 1519)

The English word “Epiphany” comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, which means “appearing” or “revealing.” Epiphany focuses on God’s self-revelation in Christ.  

Epiphany celebrates the twelfth day of Christmas, the coming of the Magi to give homage to God’s Beloved Child. 

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The Epiphany celebration remembers the three miracles that manifest the divinity of Christ. The celebration originated in the Eastern Church in AD 361, beginning as a commemoration of the birth of Christ. Later, additional meanings were added – the visit of the three Magi, Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River with the voice from heaven that identifies Jesus as God’s son, and his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. These three events are central to the definition of Epiphany, and its meaning is drawn from these occurrences.

More about Epiphany

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Lectionary, Jan. 16, 2022

I. Theme – Celebration of God’s glory

Wedding at Cana – Giotto (1305-1306)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Old Testament – Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm – Psalm 36:5-10
Epistle – 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Gospel – John 2:1-11     

Today’s readings speak of the revelation of hidden glory breaking through and inviting celebration.

Isaiah announces the coming glory of God’s vindicated people when they return to rebuild their shattered homeland. Isaiah reminds us that God delights in us with the joy of a bride and bridegroom discovering each other. This affirmation encourages us to love the mystery we are, accepting the chips, the cracks and the unfinished nature of our cup. Knowing that the cup of our life is held securely in God’s hands enables us to endure the tension of filling and emptying that goes on throughout a lifetime.

Paul describes the amazing results of spiritual gifts, given to all God’s people “for the common good.” The letter to Corinthians praises another kind of container for the ordinary. While we may look like unpromising vessels or unlikely disciples, the Spirit transforms us just as surely as Jesus changed the water to wine. Furthermore, the Spirit blesses a wide variety of ministries, so that no two goblets will ever be identical.

The Gospel is the story of the wedding feast at Cana, relates the first “sign” of Jesus’ identity and ministry that “revealed his glory.” The passage from John’s gospel speaks of huge stone jars holding 20–30 gallons of water. Jesus makes use of them for his first miracle, teaching that our journey to the sacred comes through the ordinary. It is fitting to remember the sign he performed at Cana as we move away from the high feast days of Christmas and Epiphany and into Ordinary Time.

Within everyday water, we can still glimpse the burgundy of grace. John tells us that the Word becomes flesh—a human being who likes to socialize, relishes a feast and presumably appreciates a fine vintage.

We celebrate and honor the memory and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this Sunday. We remember that Dr. King did not bow down to the voices that wanted to silence him, nor did he hide with the threat of death.

We remember Dr. King’s dream. We celebrate our diversity, that we need each other to be part of the kingdom, the reign of God. We celebrate the diversity of our gifts, our cultures, our languages, our abilities, our very selves—for God has created us all. And God has chosen to participate in our lives through Jesus the Christ, to see our need to love our neighbor as ourselves, and in that love, to seek justice, God’s justice, which restores and heals. For God is not passive, standing by, but God is active in our world. Through the examples of Jesus, we know that God works in us for justice, for reconciliation, and for peace.  

Read more..

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The Wedding at Cana- the Art

"Wedding at Cana" – Paolo Veronese, 1563

The Wedding at Cana is featured only in John’s Gospel but is the first miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John. In the Gospel account, Jesus and his mother are invited to a wedding, and when the wine runs out, Jesus performs a miracle by turning water into wine.It is considered to have symbolic importance as the first of the Seven signs in the Gospel of John by which Jesus’ divine status is attested, and around which the gospel is structured.

"When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk." The most prevalent interpretation is that this is a reference to the appearance of Jesus. The miracle could also be seen as the antitype of Moses’ first public miracle of changing water (the Nile river) into blood.

Read more…

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Is this Cana ?

Archaelogists claimed in 2018 they have found the real site of Cana from John’s Gospel

A number of compelling clues suggest the site is Khirbet Qana, a Jewish village that existed between the years of 323 BC and AD 324. Excavations have revealed a network of tunnels used for Christian worship, marked with crosses and references to Kyrie Iesou, a Greek phrase meaning Lord Jesus. There is also an altar and a shelf with the remains of a stone vessel, plus room for five more. Six stone jars like this held the wine in the biblical account of the miracle.

Dr. Tom McCollough who is directing excavations at the site points to the work of first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. “His references to Cana align geographically with the location of Khirbet Qana and align logically with his movements.

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Voices – Wedding at Cana

From David Lose

“Perhaps the key is a line from John’s Prologue, the profound and poetic introduction to his telling of Jesus’ story. There John writes, “From his fullness, we have all received grace upon grace” (1:16). Not just grace, mind you, but grace upon grace. An abundance of grace in other words.

“And that’s the case here, as well. To run out of wine at a first century wedding would not have been just embarrassing, but disastrous. Wine was associated with blessing, joy, goodness, and more. To run out of wine would have felt like a curse, like you’d run out of blessing. And Jesus doesn’t just offer enough wine to cover the balance, but turns six huge washing basins of water into wine, providing more wine – and blessing – than they could have possibly consumed. More than that, and as the steward acknowledges, it’s the best wine they’ve had.

“Jesus, that is, creates abundance. Wine upon wine, blessing upon blessing, joy upon joy, and grace upon grace.”

Other voices

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Christmas 2

Jan. 2 – 11:00am, Eucharist In person in the church or on Zoom. – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278

• Bulletin Jan. 2, 2022
• Sermon Jan. 2, 2022
• Prayers of the People Jan. 2, 2022
• Commentary Jan. 2, 2022

Jan. 2 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475

Jan 3 – 6:30am – Be Still Meditation group in a 20 minute time of prayer Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929

Bible Study 10am-12pm on Wed. Jan. 5

Jan. 6 – 12:00pm, National Epiphany Service

Join Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Washington Bishop Mariann Budde, the Rev. Glenna Huber, and other local and national leaders for a livestreamed celebration of Epiphany, the season of light, from the Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C. More details, here

This Epiphany, we will proclaim that we recognize Christ alive and moving wherever people are looking, acting, and loving like Jesus. Bishop Curry will invite Episcopalians to commit afresh to becoming vibrant, loving, healing, truth-telling embodiments of Jesus and his light—in our communities and in our nation.

Jan. 9 – 11:00am, Morning Prayer, Jesus Baptism

Jan. 9 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30am for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475

An End of Year Wrap-up: 2021 at St. Peter’s

We have text, pictures and videos with an introduction at the beginning.

Two major trends- 1 how we gradually got back in the church after worshiping only online and restarted ministries 2. Increasing outreach and mission activities, major steps for a small church .

In the course of both trends, dealing with the effects of the pandemic in organizing ministry and finding a smaller congregation were challenges. But new talent invigorated us all and older talent took on new roles over the year that made the difference. Thanks to all who contributed to St. Peter’s ministries during 2021.

January 2022 Newsletter is out!

In Jan we are both looking back and looking forward in our newsletter

Link

Highlights

• Rector’s review of the year, 2021 Page 1 -2
• Initiatives for 2022 Page 2
• Page 4-5 All about Epiphany and the Gospel readings in Jan
• Reading the book of Exodus in the Good Book Club, Page 5. Sign up now
• Page 7 – Series on Preparing your Legacy begins Tues Jan 18 on Zoom
• Thank yous from some of our ministry work, Page 8
• -Page 9 – St. Peter our patron saint

Epiphany –  Jan 6 until Lent  begins March 2, 2022

Adoration of the Magi – Bartholomäus Zeitblom (c. 1450 – c. 1519)

The English word “Epiphany” comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, which means “appearing” or “revealing.” Epiphany focuses on God’s self-revelation in Christ.  

Epiphany celebrates the twelfth day of Christmas, the coming of the Magi to give homage to God’s Beloved Child. 

The Epiphany celebration remembers the three miracles that manifest the divinity of Christ. The celebration originated in the Eastern Church in AD 361, beginning as a commemoration of the birth of Christ. Later, additional meanings were added – the visit of the three Magi, Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River with the voice from heaven that identifies Jesus as God’s son, and his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. These three events are central to the definition of Epiphany, and its meaning is drawn from these occurrences.

More about Epiphany

The Setting for Sunday, Jan 9

We have just celebrated the birth of Christ and will experience his death and resurrection on April 21. However, one key event we should put in the same category is Jesus’ baptism.  This Sunday is one of the weeks set aside for baptisms since we remember the baptism of Jesus early in Epiphany.  We usually include the section in the prayer book for the renewal of the Baptismal Covenant in the service. In the past we have also "sprinkled" people.

We have many of our baptism articles one page, the Baptism Page.

Baptism in the Episcopal Church

From the Episcopal Library "This is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body, the church. God establishes an indissoluble bond with each person in baptism. God adopts us, making us members of the church and inheritors of the Kingdom of God (BCP, pp. 298, 858). In baptism we are made sharers in the new life of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins. Baptism is the foundation for all future church participation and ministry."

From the Diocese of New York

We owe much to the Apostle Paul who, through his writings, left a record of how the early Christian community understood Baptism. 

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by Baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). 

Baptism was, for the early Christian community, a sacramental action to convey that one was experiencing spiritual conversion and renewal–the end of one life and the beginning of another in Christ. By using the metaphorical language and imagery of death, burial, and resurrection, the early community ceremonially expressed, that in Baptism, we die to our destructive and distorted ways of being, relating, and acting, and that by the goodness and faithfulness of God, we are raised from death to a new life, guided by and filled with the Spirit of God. It was an outward and visible sign of the spiritual transformation God was doing in one’s life. It was a symbolic action performed to depict what was happening within the life of one on a spiritual journey towards communion with God, the people of God, and all God’s creation. 

Although the metaphor of being raised from death to new life is the dominant image of Christian Baptism in the New Testament, no single image or metaphor can exhaust the rich meaning of one’s conversion and experience of spiritual renewal. Consequently, there developed other images and metaphors in Scripture that express how the early Chrisitan community spoke of their conversion of life and experience of renewal in the Holy Spirit. Among them are: 

Spiritual Rebirth (John 3:3-10)
Spiritual Awakening (Romans 8:37-39)
Initiation into the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-13)
Transformation of the whole person (Romans 12:1-2)
Made a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)
To turn from darkness to light (Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:11-14)
To be saved (Titus 3:3-7)

One 0f the questions in baptism is whether infants or children should be baptized automatically or there is a specific age ?

Read more about baptism…

Lectionary, Jan. 9, 2022

I. Theme – Participating in Jesus’ Baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit

Baptism of Christ – Fra Angelico (1400-1455)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Old Testament – Isaiah 43:1-7
Psalm – Psalm 29
Epistle – Acts 8:14-17
Gospel – Luke 3:15-17, 21-22    

The first Sunday in Epiphany is traditionally about Jesus’ baptism. However, this year, the focus is less on Jesus, and more on how God’s people are invited to participate in the baptism and to receive God’s Spirit.

Isaiah suggests that God chooses and gathers us to bring compassion and justice to a suffering world. In the Psalm, God’s voice is celebrated, which shakes the earth, but which also – by implication in the Psalm – strengthens and brings peace to God’s people, even as God’s voice affirmed Jesus. In Acts, we witness Peter and John spreading the good news of Jesus Christ beyond their comfortable social and ethnic borders. In today’s gospel, Jesus is baptized, and we are invited to acknowledge him as God’s “Son, the Beloved.” It is significant that Jesus begins his public life with baptism. Not only is he baptized, he also hears the assurance of the Holy Spirit. A voice proclaims him God’s beloved, empowering him and sending him to the blind, the lame and the prisoners awaiting his good news.

We read about baptism year after year because God is still at work in the world, and still invites us to participate in God’s saving and liberating work. But, to do this, we, like Jesus, will need to be strengthened and empowered. We will need to be baptised in the Holy Spirit. We surrender our usual sense of control, because we must sacrifice what we are for what we might become.

Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell writes of the symbolism of the waters in the passages

" The waters were a symbol of trial and tribulation, a boundary to be crossed, perhaps the Red Sea or the Jordan River in ancient times. For the people who had been exiled, the waters may have symbolized the entire time of exile—a turbulent time in which all they knew had been taken from them. For Christians, we seem the waters of baptism as a symbol of those trials and troubles, a symbol of death itself, and we come out on the other side, with the gift of new life, the hope of resurrection, everlasting life in Christ. We commemorate the baptism of Jesus today, reminded that we all have the gift of new life, of starting again with God, of renewing our commitments and reorienting our lives to God. The same God whose voice called out over the waters, who called down from above over the waters of Jesus’ baptism, is the same voice that calls us Beloved, and calls us into the promise of new life"

Read more..

Christmas and Christmas II

Left to right, top to bottom – Communion, new figurines outside the church, Silent Night with individual candles lit, choir (with violin, flute and guitar soloists), lighting of all the Advent candles

Dec. 26 – 11:00am, Lessons and Carols – In person in the church or on Zoom. – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am. Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278

Dec. 26 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – On Vacation this week and will resume Sun., Jan 2, 2022

Dec. 27 – 6:30am, “Be Still Meditation” – on Vacation this week and will resume Mon., Jan 3, 2022

Dec. 29 – 10:00am, Bible Study takes a holiday this week and will resume Wed., Jan 5, 2022

Dec. 31 – 5:30pm, New Years at St. Peter’s. Bring a dish to share and your favorite bottle of wine or soda and we will relax together with a toast and a prayer before dinner! If you have any fruit cake or cookies left from the holiday, bring them too!

Jan. 2 – 11:00am, Christmas 2

Jan. 2 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30am for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475

Christmas Eve replay

• Bulletin Dec. 24, 2021
• Sermon Dec. 24, 2021

• Videos from the Service
• Photos from the Service
• Christmas Eve commentary

3 Saints after Christmas Day

1. St. Stephen Dec. 26

Stephen was among the earliest Christian martyrs, stoned to death for his beliefs. St. Paul not only witnessed the event but held the garments of those stoning Stephen which he regretted later on and carried a lasting sense of guilt.

2. John the Apostle Dec. 27

John, one of the Apostles, possibly lived the longest life associated with the Gospel, an author in that time and Evangelist spreading the Gospel to many in the Mediterranean area who were not of Jewish background. He is believed to be the only Apostle not martyred for the cause. He is associated with the Gospel that bears his name, 3 Epistles and possible authorship of the Book of Revelation.

3. Holy Innocents Dec. 28

The term “Holy Innocents” comes from Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 2. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, King Herod, fearing for his throne, ordered that all the male infants of Bethlehem two years and younger be killed. These children are regarded as martyrs for the Gospel — “martyrs in fact though not in will.” This can be compared to the conduct of Pharoah in Exodus 1:16. “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”

Dec. 26, 2021 – 11am -A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is the Christmas Eve service held in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge England and was introduced in 1918.

Kings College Cambridge holds this service every Dec. 24. The main gate to Kings College opens at 7:30am for the 3pm service.  Many people get in the line by 5am for a 10 hour wait!

Here is their 2019 bulletin.

Here are musical selections from
1994

It was conceived by Eric Milner-White, the Dean of the College, for Christmas Eve 1918 whose experience as an army chaplain in World War I had led him to believe that more imaginative Christmas worship was needed by the Church of England.  He actually reached back to an earlier time for a service structure.

The original service was, in fact, adapted from an Order drawn up by E.W. Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury, for use in the wooden shed, which then served as his cathedral in Truro, at 10 pm on Christmas Eve 1880. AC Benson recalled: ‘My father arranged from ancient sources a little service for Christmas Eve – nine carols and nine tiny lessons, which were read by various officers of the Church, beginning with a chorister, and ending, through the different grades, with the Bishop.”

The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns and choir music. The readings can vary as can the music. Traditionally, “Once in Royal David City” is the opening hymn. Beyond that the service is flexible.

An opening prayer that is used provides a focus:

“We gather here to recall the mystery of our redemption.
Though sin drew us away from God, he never stopped loving us.
The prophets told of the coming of a Messiah
who would initiate a reign of justice and peace.
This promise was fulfilled in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
Let us now reflect with joy on this wondrous mystery.”

The 2018 bulletin is here. Pictures from the services are here.

Lessons and Carols is usually done at the beginning of Advent as an introduction to Advent or towards the end as a summary of all that has happened.

This St. Peter’s service is the perfect culmination of your Christmas week, a joyous celebration along with thoughtful, introspective moments. Plan now to attend.

King’s College Cambridge – As you have never seen it

The famous church in England, home of Lessons and Carols, built by Henry VII is altered by projectionist, Miguel Chevalier.

To illustrate Stephen Hawking’s research about black holes, Miguel Chevalier imagines an immersive environment made up of thousands of constellations that plunge the guests into the mystery of the universe.

Video Link

More examples

Prayer of Thanksgiving for the year just past…

God of new beginnings, we thank you for the year just past, with all of its joys and wonders. We thank you for all that we were able to do together . We thank you for giving us opportunities to serve You well and in doing so to let your light shine in our church and out in our world. We pray now for Your guidance in this new year, and for the courage to follow You wherever You would lead us. We pray for the strength to carry out everything that You will give us to do. And may our love for one another reflect the transforming love that You have for each one of us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

And a Blessing for the New Year!

From Pastor Dawn Hutchings

“The art of blessing is often neglected. The birth of a New Year calls forth the desire in us to bestow a blessing upon those we love. Several years ago, John O”Donohue, one of my favorite Irish poet’s created a New Year’s blessing for his mother entitled Beannacht-for Josie. It is a blessing of superior quality. And so, on this New Year’s Eve, may you all receive this beannacht with my added blessing for a peace-filled New Year in which the God in whom all of creation is held, might find full expression in your miraculous life!”

Beannacht – A New Year Blessing
John O’Donohue

On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.

And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets into you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
In the currach of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

– Howard Thurman

Dr. Howard Thurman was an influential author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader. He was Dean of Theology and the chapels at Howard University and Boston University for more than two decades, wrote 20 books, and in 1944 helped found the first racially integrated, multicultural church in the United States.

Christmas 2, Year C Lectionary Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022 

I. Theme –  God/Christ as Redeemer and Revealer 

Guido of Siena,13th Century Italian

The lectionary readings are here 

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Psalm 84

Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a

Matthew 2:13-15,19-23

The details of the Gospel story, the flight into Egypt, makes it easy to forget the intent of it that shows God in control and not Herod or his son, even though it looks that way on the face of it with Joseph’s family side stepping the political moves of the day and winning out. God is leading us and with us even when events do not go our way.  We are not alone.  We have to look at the bigger picture, often difficult to see while we are going through life.

This is a realistic story with our current world situation – the numbers of babies killed in Syria and the migrations away from that worn-torn land to Turkey and Lebanon.

In Ephesians God has revealed his will in the sending of Christ, and he seeks to “gather up all things” in both heaven and earth in Christ. Christ is therefore both the Redeemer and the Revealer through the Holy Spirit. God’s accomplishing all things according to his will in Christ’s resurrection and reign.

The idea of redeemer and revealer is present in the Old Testament reading of Jeremiah. The people deported from Jerusalem in Babylonia will return. There are images of redemption – God’s love and faithfulness to promises made remain intact through Israel’s infidelity and consequent judgment. God rescues this and builds a new life out of the rubble. There are images of revelation and promise – those who lived on the outside of society will not live that way. The hope is those who have suffered.

This psalm praises God as the longed-for goal of the pilgrim. The “dwelling” of God is the Temple (and perhaps also the land of Israel). To live in the Temple is greatly to be desired: those who live there have security and happiness, even the birds (v. 3) who nest in the Temple area. Making a pilgrimage to the Temple offers these hopes.

Read more..

One of the hallmarks of the Christmas story is when the angels appear to the shepherds and proclaim, “Peace on earth,” in Luke 2:14.

Jesus brought about peace, in the most unexpected ways, when he arrived. The Jews, particularly the zealots, wanted a rebellion. They wanted their Savior to overturn the oppressive rule of the Romans and bring about peace in a violent way.

But Jesus had something else in mind. Jesus brings us peace in a number of ways.

First, he gives us inner peace. Because of his work on the cross, we have a chance to receive salvation and be indwelled by the Holy Spirit. This grants us an inner peace (John 14:27). Not only do we have the peace that comes from our assurance of salvation, but we also have the peace of mind knowing God will heal this broken world and will come again.

Second, we have peace with others. We put aside our differences (Galatians 3:28), especially with other believers, because we belong to the same family. We have the same purpose: to let others know about the peace of Christ.

The Hebrew word for peace: Shalom, goes far beyond not fighting with others or peace as we know it. As pointed out in the book Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be, shalom is, in essence, how things are meant to be: a slice of heaven.

The peace of God allows us to look at others through heaven’s eyes and help guide the world to see God’s here and not-yet here kingdom.

Peace from God, biblical peace, allows us to trust in God’s promises (Proverbs 3:5), through restful, tranquil faith, despite the dark, scary world around us.

Christmas

Left to right, top to bottom – Communion, new figurines outside the church, Silent Night with individual candles lit, choir (with violin, flute and guitar soloists), lighting of all the Advent candles

Dec. 24 – 4:15pm, Christmas Eve celebration Music at 4:15pm, Service 4:30pm

• Service Zoom link
• Bulletin Dec. 24, 2021
• Sermon Dec. 24, 2021

• Videos from the Service
• Photos from the Service
• Christmas Eve commentary

Dec. 26 – 11:00am, Lessons and Carols

Dec. 26 – Compline takes a break!

The 2021 Christmas Play

The Story

Photos – people and the event

Videos

Helping out the Midwest

What Episcopal Relief and Development is doing

Support their US Disaster fund

Christmas , December 25, 2021

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see– I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them

Explore Christmas Eve– A study of the scriptures, art and the meaning of the Christmas Scriptures.

 

Explore the Art of the Nativity from 1200-2002  How the Nativity has been viewed by artists for 800 years. Go to the presentation

Rediscovering the love of God this Christmas- a one minute video from the Acts8Movement of the Episcopal Church 

 

Origins of 30 Christmas Carols

 

Unlikely Christmas Carols: Bruce Cockburn’s “Cry Of A Tiny Baby”

 

 

A post from teacher and theologian David Lose: “So maybe I shouldn’t describe this Christmas carol as “unlikely” in that Bruce Cockburn has explored the Christian story and theology, along with issues of human rights, throughout his forty-year career. But it may very well be unfamiliar to you. If so, you’re in for a treat, as the Canadian folk and rock guitarist, singer-songwriter’s beautiful retelling of the Christmas story blends elements of both Luke’s tender narrative of the in-breaking good news of God to the least likely of recipients – a teenage girl, her confused fiancee, down-and-out shepherds – with Matthew’s starkly realistic picture of a baby that threatens kings by his mere existence.

Here’s the link to a video with the words .

For more David Lose writing about the Christmas Eve and Christmas readings, check out the “Christmas sermon I need to hear.”

“Space in the Manger”

by Meghan Cotter. Meghan is executive director of Micah Ecumenical Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit that offers holistic care to the community’s street homeless

“Some time back, I watched a friend in need attempt to repair five years worth of disintegrating relationships. The library, a local gymnasium, a number of area businesses and even her family had cut off ties in response to her boisterously disruptive behavior.

” She’d picked up criminal charges—a few nuisance violations, a trespassing or two and an assault on an officer. At times, even the agencies trying to help her had been left with little choice than dismissing her from their facilities. But the more the community isolated her, the more volatile became her symptoms. She grew angrier and louder. Her self-appointment as the spokesperson for her homeless peers turned radical, even threatening. Feeling ignored and stripped of personhood, she waltzed into a church one Sunday, intent on being heard. Just in time for the sermon she rose from the congregation, rolled out a sleeping bag and unleashed a number of choice words to convey the plight of Fredericksburg’s homeless.

” The following morning, the church pastor faced a critical decision. In the interest of safety for his congregation, he too considered banning her from his church building. Instead, he made up his mind to find a way to help this woman. By the end of the week, she was hospitalized and taking medications. Within the month she had stepped down to Micah’s respite home, which cares for homeless individuals when they are discharged from the hospital. She realized how sick she really was, and a new person emerged before our eyes. She reunited with family, paid off fines, regained her driver’s license, became remarkably motivated to comply with doctor’s appointments. She set goals—seeking disability, but only temporarily, going back to school, earning a nursing degree and finding a way to productively address the needs of the community’s homeless.

Read More…

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“Christmas on the Edge”
– Malcolm Guite

Christmas sets the centre on the edge;
The edge of town, the outhouse of the inn,
The fringe of empire, far from privilege
And power, on the edge and outer spin
Of turning worlds, a margin of small stars
That edge a galaxy itself light years
From some unguessed at cosmic origin.
Christmas sets the centre at the edge.

And from this day our world is re-aligned
A tiny seed unfolding in the womb
Becomes the source from which we all unfold
And flower into being. We are healed,
The end begins, the tomb becomes a womb,
For now in him all things are re-aligned.

---

Alexander Shaia – “Solstice, Shepherds & Your Animal Spirit”

Alexander Shaia is the author of Heart and Mind: The Four-Gospel Journey for Radical Transformation. A number of years we read the book together in Christian ed.

In this video he is talking about the shepherds in Luke’s Gospel. The video starts at the 2:42 mark to get to his main message:

You can read portions of the transcribed text here

“The text is really primarily about your life whenever your life is in the deepest night, when your life is in the deepest dark.”

“The Beauty of the Shepherds story in Luke is that it tells about the journey we make hearing deep in the night of our life an angel announce that there is a birth but that we have make a journey through the night to the dawn where we will see with our own eyes that fresh radiance born before us.”

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A Christmas Message from Bishop Goff – “Where is this stupendous stranger?” 

Link to the video

“So I invite us all to a spiritual discipline in this holy season and that is to spend ome time with someone you don’t ordinarily engage…maybe someone of a different generation either much older or much younger than you or someone of a different race or ethnicity, a different culture or religion, a different economic circumstance.

“Have a cup of coffee together or a meal together, talk and listen deeply. Look for the face of Christ in that person. Because as we come to really know a stranger in our midst we welcome Christ who was himself a stranger and we find surprising connections that we never imagined with other natives of this world God made.

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Christmas Eve , December 24, 1968, at the Moon with Apollo 8

53 years ago on Christmas Eve we witnessed the moving reading of the first 10 verses of Genesis for the largest audience up to that time. They were told to something appropriate. The astronauts have reflected on the event. A newspaper friend of Borman tried to think of what to say and he could come up with nothing after a night’s work. His wife said (raised in convent in France) suggested, “Why don’t you start in the beginning” He said “Where?”. She said “Genesis in the Bible.” They reflected later – “Why didn’t we think of that.” Borman explained they tried to convey not happen stance but power behind world and behind life gave it meaning. As he later explained, “I had an enormous feeling that there had to be a power greater than any of us-that there was a God, that there was indeed a beginning.”

The full story is here

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3 Saints after Christmas Day

1. St. Stephen Dec. 26

Stephen was among the earliest Christian martyrs, stoned to death for his beliefs. St. Paul not only witnessed the event but held the garments of those stoning Stephen which he regretted later on and carried a lasting sense of guilt.

2. John the Apostle Dec. 27

John, one of the Apostles, possibly lived the longest life associated with the Gospel, an author in that time and Evangelist spreading the Gospel to many in the Mediterranean area who were not of Jewish background. He is believed to be the only Apostle not martyred for the cause. He is associated with the Gospel that bears his name, 3 Epistles and possible authorship of the Book of Revelation.

3. Holy Innocents Dec. 28

The term “Holy Innocents” comes from Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 2. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, King Herod, fearing for his throne, ordered that all the male infants of Bethlehem two years and younger be killed. These children are regarded as martyrs for the Gospel — “martyrs in fact though not in will.” This can be compared to the conduct of Pharoah in Exodus 1:16. “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”

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Dec. 26, 2021 – 11am -A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is the Christmas Eve service held in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge England and was introduced in 1918.

Kings College Cambridge holds this service every Dec. 24. The main gate to Kings College opens at 7:30am for the 3pm service.  Many people get in the line by 5am for a 10 hour wait!

Here is their 2020 bulletin.

Here are musical selections from 1994

It was conceived by Eric Milner-White, the Dean of the College, for Christmas Eve 1918 whose experience as an army chaplain in World War I had led him to believe that more imaginative Christmas worship was needed by the Church of England.  He actually reached back to an earlier time for a service structure.

The original service was, in fact, adapted from an Order drawn up by E.W. Benson, later Archbishop of Canterbury, for use in the wooden shed, which then served as his cathedral in Truro, at 10 pm on Christmas Eve 1880. AC Benson recalled: ‘My father arranged from ancient sources a little service for Christmas Eve – nine carols and nine tiny lessons, which were read by various officers of the Church, beginning with a chorister, and ending, through the different grades, with the Bishop.”

The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns and choir music. The readings can vary as can the music. Traditionally, “Once in Royal David City” is the opening hymn. Beyond that the service is flexible.

An opening prayer that is used provides a focus:

“We gather here to recall the mystery of our redemption.
Though sin drew us away from God, he never stopped loving us.
The prophets told of the coming of a Messiah
who would initiate a reign of justice and peace.
This promise was fulfilled in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
Let us now reflect with joy on this wondrous mystery.”

The 2018 bulletin is here. Pictures from the services are here.

Lessons and Carols is usually done at the beginning of Advent as an introduction to Advent or towards the end as a summary of all that has happened.

This St. Peter’s service is the perfect culmination of your Christmas week, a joyous celebration along with thoughtful, introspective moments. Plan now to attend.

---

King’s College Cambridge – As you have never seen it

The famous church in England, home of Lessons and Carols, built by Henry VII is altered by projectionist, Miguel Chevalier.

To illustrate Stephen Hawking’s research about black holes, Miguel Chevalier imagines an immersive environment made up of thousands of constellations that plunge the guests into the mystery of the universe.

Video Link

More examples

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Make a Gift Today! Help our ministries make a difference during the Pandemic 1. Newcomers – Welcome Page 2. Contact the Rev Catherine Hicks, Rector 3. St. Peter’s Sunday News 4. Server Schedule Dec., 2021 5. Latest Newsletter-the Parish Post (Dec., 2021) 6. Calendar 7. Parish Ministries 8. This past Sunday 9. Latest Christmas Eve (Dec. 24, 2021 4:30pm),  and Sermon (Dec. 24, 2021) 10. Recent Services:  All Saints, Nov. 7 Advent 1, Nov. 28 Readings and Prayers, Dec. 5 Advent 2, Dec. 5 Readings and Prayers, Dec. 12 Advent 3, Dec. 12 Readings and Prayers, Dec. 12

Block Print by Mike Newman

Projects 

Colors for Year B, 2020-21

Daily “Day by Day”

3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.

Knowing that not everyone prays at the same pace, you have control over the pace of the retreat. After each screen, a Continue button will appear. Click it when you are ready to move on. If you are new to online prayer, the basic timing of the screens will guide you through the experience.

Follow the Star

Daily meditations in words and music.

Sacred Space

Your daily prayer online, since 1999

“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”

Daily C. S. Lewis thoughts

Saints of the Week, Dec. 19 – Dec. 26, 2021

This candle reflects the joy that comes through Jesus’ arrival, and through the salvation he has gifted us. During this third week of advent, this Sunday celebrates the passage Philippians 4:4-5, its verses extolling readers to “rejoice” for “indeed the Lord is near.”

During a time where depression is at an all-time high and people seem to be in the most despair, this candle offers a bright light during a dark time.

It is also known as the Shepherd Candle to highlight the joy the shepherds experienced when they received the good news about Christ’s birth (Luke 2:8-20). During the middle of the night, the darkest time, the shepherds encountered angels.

Advent 3

Dec. 12 – 11:00am, Eucharist In person in the church or on Zoom. – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278

• Bulletin
• Sermon Dec. 12, 2021
• Description – Details of Sunday, Dec. 12

• Videos, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021
• Photos, Dec. 12, 2021

Collage – Nativity scene from Haiti, Lit candles and the beautiful reflection from the stained glass on the walls, lighting the 3 Advent candles, the river, the flower arrangement, some of our parishioners.

Dec. 12 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID: 878 7167 9302 Passcode: 729195

Dec. 13 – 6:30am – Be Still Meditation group in a 20 minute time of prayer Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929

Dec. 15 – 10am-12pm, Bible Study in the Parish House

Dec. 15 – 3pm-5pm, Village Harvest

If you would like to volunteer, please email Andrea or call (540) 847-9002. Pack bags for distribution 1-3PM Deliver food to client’s cars 3-5PM.

Dec. 19 – 11:00am, Advent 4

Dec. 19 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30am for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475

Advent Thoughts

Advent is a season of Watching and Waiting. It is a season of leaning into hope

Lord Jesus:
Come into our world and heal its wounds
Come into your church and raise it up
Come into our homes and make them holy
Come into our work and make it fruitful
Come into our minds and give us clarity
Come into our lives and make them beautiful
O Come, O Come Emmanuel

God of the past, the present and the future, grant me patience when I must wait, courage when it’s time to take action, and the wisdom to know when to wait and when to act. Amen.

Saylor Nativity Collection

The Saylors brought their nativity collection to St. Peter’s for Advent. They are in the windows. Jan has been collecting since the early 1990’s. The photo above took a character (or group) from each of the 8 countries represented in their collection.

Top Row, left to right – Bolivia, US, Indonesia, Peru

Second Row, left to right -Dominican Republic, Zambia, Colombia, and Haiti

There is a story behind each piece of art. Some of the art was bartered (Dominican Republic, Haiti) and others bought from Ten Thousand Villages a nonprofit fair trade organization (Indonesia, Peru, Colombia). Some of the pieces from Zambia and Dominican Republic reflect their overseas travels. Closer to home the US piece came from Jan’s family home. We thank them for sharing this treasure with St. Peter’s.

We have a photo gallery of the exhibit.

Advent 3, Dec. 12 is Gaudete Sunday

The third Sunday of Advent is known as “Gaudete Sunday.” The day takes its common name from the Latin word Gaudete (“Rejoice”). Its name is taken from the entrance antiphon of the Mass, which is: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near. This is a quotation from Philippians 4:4-5, and in Latin, the first word of the antiphon is “gaudete”. We are most of the way through the season, closer to Christ’s birth and so that is the emphasis rather than coming again.

We light the rose colored candle in addition to the other 2 violet ones. Purple is a penitential color of fasting while pink (rose) is the color of joy. Long ago the Pope would honor a citizen with a pink rose (or a rose) Priests then would wear pink vestments as a reminder of this coming joy. Rose is also used during Laetare Sunday (the fourth Sunday of lent) to symbolize a similar expectation of the coming joy of Christ’s coming in Easter. The third Sunday of Advent is rose (pink) because pink symbolizes joy, the joy that Jesus is almost here. Adult Christian Ed discussed “Rejoice! What promises of God give you cause to rejoice?”

Theologian Henri Nouwen described the difference between joy and happiness. While happiness is dependent on external conditions, joy is “the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved and that nothing — sickness, failure, emotional distress, oppression, war, or even death — can take that love away.” Thus joy can be present even in the midst of sadness. Jesus reveals to us God’s love so that his joy may become ours and that our joy may become complete. As Nouwen says, “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”

This is break from some of the penitential readings earlier in Advent. How will you express joy this week? Consider the good things that have been given to you.

Besides the emphasis in joy, this is also “Stir up Sunday!” The collect has the words, ” Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins”. Let’s change the “our sins” to “missing the mark.” How can we hit the mark ? One way is to advantage of our opportunities.

Explore Advent, Part 3 – Over the Sundays in Advent there will be a presentation each week focusing on that week’s scriptures, art and commentary and how they demonstrate the themes of advent. Let’s continue with Advent 3.

A. Voices for Advent 3

“In Advent the church emphasizes these ways of continual change: Repentance. Conversion of life. Self-examination. Awakening. Deepening.  “

– Suzanne Guthrie

B. “You Don’t Want to Be a Prophet (Isaiah, Luke)

“Christmas without Anglicans?” – Anglican contributions to Advent and Christmas carols.

Christmas Deadlines

Arts and Faith- Advent 3, relating art and scripture

The video and prayer for the Third Week of Advent, Cycle C, is based on Luke 3:10–18. The art is Domenico Ghirlandaio’s Preaching of St. John the Baptist.

Domenico Ghirlandaio’s fresco of John the Baptist preaching is one of a series he created for the Tornabuoni Chapel of Florence’s Santa Maria Novella Church. In this scene, we meet John the Baptist preaching to the crowds, standing on a rock and holding a cross staff with one hand, while instructing with his other. As he turns his attention to the people on the right of the scene, we can imagine him articulating the admonitions listed in Luke’s Gospel in response to the question, “Teacher, what should we do?” In his teaching to share goods justly and avoid extortion and excessive taxing, John is preparing the way for the Lord.

As John prepares the way by his preaching, Christ appears on the top left, heading down a path toward the crowd. Not one person notices him. At the moment, the focus is still on John’s preparatory role, on his preaching ministry that prepares the expectant hearts of the crowd for the advent of the Lord. Christ’s downcast gaze and crossed hands in contrast with John’s more active expression and hand gestures also underscore the focus of the moment.

To the left of the scene we meet a gathering of women, a feature characteristic of Ghirlandaio’s work. They too are engaged in listening to John. Two of them are pictured from the back, one standing and one seated at the foot of the rock on which John stands. The seated woman is especially evocative; her body is turned and directed toward John, even as a child at the foot of the prophet reaches out to get her attention. This detail alludes to conversion away from the pagan classical world that the child represents to the anticipation of the Gospel heralded by John. Seeing the woman’s back, the viewer is called to follow her example and to find oneself in her company in the crowd surrounding John.

In the midst of the elegant and colorful crowd, John the Baptist stands on a rock in his camelhair shirt and preaches the coming of Christ. His words call us to turn too, make way for the Lord, and let our hearts be filled with joyful expectation as he nears.

Advent 4

Explore Advent, Part 4 – Over the Sundays in Advent there will be a presentation each week focusing on that week’s scriptures, art and commentary and how they demonstrate the themes of advent. Let’s continue with Advent 4.

From the Presiding Bishop-
Advent Messages 2012-2021 

Feast of the Annunciation –  9 months before we celebrate the nativity there is the related Feast of the Annunciation on March 25 which is described here .

Art of the Annunciation – The Annunication has been depicted in art for a thousand years. Here is a study of the symbols of the Annunciation.

Blessed Like Mary- David Lose invites us to understand that we are Blessed Like Mary .

National Geographic explores – “How the Virgin Mary Became the World’s Most Powerful Woman”

A Digital Nativity.

What if current social media like Facebook, Gmail, etc had been available at the birth of Christ ? Watch the Digital Nativity

Arts and Faith- Advent 4, relating art and scripture

From Art and Faith

Henry Ossawa Tanner, “The Visitation,” 1909–1910

Henry Ossawa Tanner’s realist depiction of the Visitation invites us around Elizabeth’s table at her house, at the moment when Mary arrives and greets her. The setting is spare, except for the table, which is covered in a white cloth and has bread, wine, and an ample bowl of fruit awaiting consumption.

Mary is just entering the house. Her face is kind and joyful, her bodily presence already humming the Magnificat before she utters the words that will come to sing her praise to the Lord. She is a familiar Mary, a relative to us all, and her warm presence recalls the homecomings and joyful arrivals of loved ones that we experience, especially around the holidays.

Elizabeth’s expression welcoming Mary is complex. In light of Tanner’s realist style, we would expect her rising from the table, moving toward Mary in anticipation of a warm embrace—and that is sure to come. But Tanner catches Elizabeth here in a moment of awe instead. If Mary’s body sings the Magnificat, Elizabeth embodies her words of awe and wonder: “How does this happen that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Her upheld hands are in a position of prayer honoring the presence of God in their midst, in her home, around her table. Elizabeth’s expression is one of serene reverence, a total response to the divine presence she senses in the core of her being, confirmed by the stirring of the child in her womb. “Blessed are you, Mary”—this Elizabeth knows, utters, and prays.

The meeting between Mary and Elizabeth teaches us about the holy. Tanner shows us that we encounter the holy in the everyday moments of our lives—an arrival, a homecoming, a table set for a meal. But Elizabeth’s expression reminds us that while we find holiness in this world, it is not of this world, that finding holiness is a glimpse of God’s magnificent otherness that beckons us to draw close, but also fills us with wonder and awe. May we find and welcome holiness in these last days of Advent as we await the light of Christ.

Love is a crucial part of the Advent story. Because of Joseph’s love for Mary, he didn’t stone her when he found out she was pregnant with what he thought was a child out of wedlock with another man (Matthew 1:18-19). Mary has a natural motherly love for Jesus, and ultimately, we see God’s love for everyone by sending his son for us (John 3:16).

Jesus focused on preaching love throughout his ministry. Two of his greatest commands involve love: Love God, love your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40).

Love is the greatest of all the virtues on the Advent wreath and encompasses Jesus’ entire purpose for being on earth (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Advent 2

Dec. 5 – 11:00am, Eucharist In person in the church or on Zoom. – Join here at 10:45am for gathering – service starts at 11am Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278

• Bulletin
• Sermon Dec. 5, 2021
• Description – Details of Sunday, Dec. 5

• Videos, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021
• Photos, Dec. 5, 2021

Dec. 5 – 12:00pm, Coffee Hour

Dec. 5 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID: 878 7167 9302 Passcode: 729195

Dec. 6 – 6:30am – Be Still Meditation group in a 20 minute time of prayer Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929

Bible Study on Wednesday 10am-12pm!

Dec. 12 – 11:00am, Advent 2

Dec. 12 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30am for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475

Saylor Nativity Collection

The Saylors brought their nativity collection to St. Peter’s for Advent. They are in the windows. Jan has been collecting since the early 1990’s. The photo above took a character (or group) from each of the 8 countries represented in their collection.

Top Row, left to right – Bolivia, US, Indonesia, Peru

Second Row, left to right -Dominican Republic, Zambia, Colombia, and Haiti

There is a story behind each piece of art. Some of the art was bartered (Dominican Republic, Haiti) and others bought from Ten Thousand Villages a nonprofit fair trade organization (Indonesia, Peru, Colombia). Some of the pieces from Zambia and Dominican Republic reflect their overseas travels. Closer to home the US piece came from Jan’s family home. We thank them for sharing this treasure with St. Peter’s.

We have a photo gallery of the exhibit.

Advent Thoughts

Advent is a season of Watching and Waiting. It is a season of leaning into hope

Lord Jesus:
Come into our world and heal its wounds
Come into your church and raise it up
Come into our homes and make them holy
Come into our work and make it fruitful
Come into our minds and give us clarity
Come into our lives and make them beautiful
O Come, O Come Emmanuel

God of the past, the present and the future, grant me patience when I must wait, courage when it’s time to take action, and the wisdom to know when to wait and when to act. Amen.

Golden Hour at St. Peter’s

Come to St. Peter’s in the late fall and early winter between 4pm and 6pm and the beauty is overwhelming. These were taken on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016.

See the pictures

Article

Advent 1

Advent 1 links

Advent 2

Advent 2 links

Explore Advent, Part 2

“Advent is a time to look for “desert places”: the place of solitude, the place of true silence in which we can become fully awake to our sin and God’s forgiving grace which alone can heal it.”-Br. Robert L’Esperance

This week we focus on John the Baptist through scripture, art and commentary. Let’s move to  Advent 2.

John the Baptist presentation.

John the Baptist in art

St Nicholas Day is December 6. 

Here is a presentation that provides the background of this saint who has had a colorful and varied history over 1800 years.

Arts and Faith- Advent 2, relating art and scripture

Mattia Preti’s St. John the Baptist Preaching shows John in the wilderness, sharing his message with a small crowd of captivated followers. He is surrounded by symbols that invite us into his story. The red garment that envelops half of his body brings to mind the martyrdom he will endure. The staff and banner are signs of his prophetic role heralding the coming of Christ, and the lamb at the bottom center of the scene echoes John’s announcement of Christ as the Lamb of God.

The broken tree stump that St. John leans on is also telling us a story. Its trunk is almost wide and solid enough to be an altar. This seen together with the red cloth and the lamb subtly evokes sacrifice: the story of Abraham and Isaac perhaps, but more clearly the cross itself, the ultimate tree of sacrifice. The trunk is dead and broken, its branches split and severed, but John’s body leaning on it gives it life. It is as if John’s torso and extended arm become the living extension of the tree, giving a seemingly exhausted trunk new life and purpose. In this, the image invites us to reflect on the power of the life-giving Word of God, which St. John is heralding.

Another interesting detail is the angel in the top right of the scene, directly engaging the viewer with his gaze. The angel’s direct gaze makes him the storyteller. This is by no accident, as in Scripture, angels are messengers of God. Luke’s Gospel for the Second Sunday of Advent tells us that the Word of God came to John in the desert, and Preti gives us an angel, a herald of the Word of God, to show this and the divine source animating St. John’s work. But as the angel looks at us square on, his presence is also a call to the viewer to both accept the Word and to share it. This Second Sunday of Advent, we do not simply hear about the prophet John; in hearing the Word ourselves, we are called to live prophetically and to prepare the way all around us.

Additional Meditations:

Suzanne Guthrie – “A Way in the Wilderness” (2014)

Daniel Berrigan – “Advent Credo” (2004)

Catherine Adler – “Advent Hands”

From the Presiding Bishop-
Advent Messages 2012-2020 

From the Diocese of  Virginia –

Learning the Art of Waiting in Advent  (2012)Rt. Rev. Susan Goff

Be Awake, Alert, Aware, Alive, Part 1 (2013)
Rt. Rev. Susan Goff

“Send us Now Into the World in peace.” (2018)
Rt. Rev. Susan Goff

2018 Devotions from the Diocese of Virginia (2018)

Liturgical Layers – Advent
Bishop Shannon Johnston

Christmas Flowers
Linda Hemming, Aquia Church

Advent Waiting in Hope
Jeff Borden
 

The surprising origins of the Twelve  Days of Christmas

 Make Ready the Feast highlights one scripture citation and one recipe during Advent

Advent 3

This candle reflects the joy that comes through Jesus’ arrival, and through the salvation he has gifted us. During this third week of advent, this Sunday celebrates the passage Philippians 4:4-5, its verses extolling readers to “rejoice” for “indeed the Lord is near.”

During a time where depression is at an all-time high and people seem to be in the most despair, this candle offers a bright light during a dark time.

It is also known as the Shepherd Candle to highlight the joy the shepherds experienced when they received the good news about Christ’s birth (Luke 2:8-20). During the middle of the night, the darkest time, the shepherds encountered angels.

Explore Advent, Part 3 – Over the Sundays in Advent there will be a presentation each week focusing on that week’s scriptures, art and commentary and how they demonstrate the themes of advent. Let’s continue with Advent 3.

A. Voices for Advent 3

“In Advent the church emphasizes these ways of continual change: Repentance. Conversion of life. Self-examination. Awakening. Deepening.  “

– Suzanne Guthrie

B. “You Don’t Want to Be a Prophet (Isaiah, Luke)

“Christmas without Anglicans?” – Anglican contributions to Advent and Christmas carols.

Christmas Deadlines

Arts and Faith- Advent 3, relating art and scripture

The video and prayer for the Third Week of Advent, Cycle C, is based on Luke 3:10–18. The art is Domenico Ghirlandaio’s Preaching of St. John the Baptist.

Domenico Ghirlandaio’s fresco of John the Baptist preaching is one of a series he created for the Tornabuoni Chapel of Florence’s Santa Maria Novella Church. In this scene, we meet John the Baptist preaching to the crowds, standing on a rock and holding a cross staff with one hand, while instructing with his other. As he turns his attention to the people on the right of the scene, we can imagine him articulating the admonitions listed in Luke’s Gospel in response to the question, “Teacher, what should we do?” In his teaching to share goods justly and avoid extortion and excessive taxing, John is preparing the way for the Lord.

As John prepares the way by his preaching, Christ appears on the top left, heading down a path toward the crowd. Not one person notices him. At the moment, the focus is still on John’s preparatory role, on his preaching ministry that prepares the expectant hearts of the crowd for the advent of the Lord. Christ’s downcast gaze and crossed hands in contrast with John’s more active expression and hand gestures also underscore the focus of the moment.

To the left of the scene we meet a gathering of women, a feature characteristic of Ghirlandaio’s work. They too are engaged in listening to John. Two of them are pictured from the back, one standing and one seated at the foot of the rock on which John stands. The seated woman is especially evocative; her body is turned and directed toward John, even as a child at the foot of the prophet reaches out to get her attention. This detail alludes to conversion away from the pagan classical world that the child represents to the anticipation of the Gospel heralded by John. Seeing the woman’s back, the viewer is called to follow her example and to find oneself in her company in the crowd surrounding John.

In the midst of the elegant and colorful crowd, John the Baptist stands on a rock in his camelhair shirt and preaches the coming of Christ. His words call us to turn too, make way for the Lord, and let our hearts be filled with joyful expectation as he nears.