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Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
Daily meditations in words and music.
Read the Bible in a year or a part of it:
Prayer requests – Add a name to the prayer list here.
Saints of the Week, May 11 – May 18
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11
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12
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13
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[Frances Perkins, Public Servant and Prophetic Witness, 1965] | |
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14
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15
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16
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[Martyrs of Sudan] | |
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17
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[William Hobart Hare, Bishop of Niobrara, and of South Dakota, 1909] | |
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18
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Update on South Sudan – "There are no Thomas Jeffersons waiting in the wings"
The world-wide Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Churches of the USA and Canada and the Presbyterian Church, USA have been called to a Day of Prayer for South Sudan on Sunday, May 18th.
I talked with my friend Larry Duffee about the situation in South Sudan when he was in Fredericksburg during March. He is no longer a missionary with the Episcopal Church but is a keen observer of what goes on. He now works at Interchurch Medical Association in Juba, South Sudan.
The situation is dire due to unprecedented floods in 2013 and violence, close to civil war, that erupted in December, 2013. Bishop John who we dealt with the Tools for the Sudan project has fled to Nairobi along with others in the church.
Fighting in the world’s newest country was born out of a political rivalry between President Salva Kiir and ousted Vice President Riek Machar, the rebel leader accused of mounting a coup attempt. Larry Duffee and colleagues were force to flee to Nairobi in Dec., 2013 for a time untle he returned the next month.
The sound of AK47 at night doesn’t bother Larry though he knows places he can’t go at night. He lives in a walled and wire protected compound. As he stressed political immaturity was a large part of the problem. As he lamented, "there are no Thomas Jeffersons waiting in the wings for South Sudan". Rivalries between tribes are a problem in some areas though not in all but it seems like a political struggle.
South Sudan’s rebel leader Riek Machar (R) and South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir (L) hold Episcopal Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul’s hands as they pray before signing a peace agreement in Addis Ababa May 9. Photo: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters
Sunday, May 11, 2014, Easter 4 (full size gallery)
Other galleries available this week:
Flowers in bloom at St. Peter’s and Port Royal
Godly Play considering the Parable of the Pearl
May 18 – 10:50am, Godly Play (preschool through second grade)
May 18 – 11:00am, Holy Eucharist, Rite II
May 18 – 12:00pm – Luncheon and discussion with Sally O’Brien
This Sunday at St. Peter’s – Servers, Readings
Sally O’Brien and the Episcopal Church Building Fund
Join us for lunch on May 18th at 12pm after the 11am service and then to hear Sally O’Brien of the Episcopal Church Building Fund. Sally will help us to think about what we will want to be doing as a parish in the next several decades.
Last week, we had a a related article from the Virginia Episcopalian on the Jump Start conference of last fall
About Sally
"I have been in the service of the church as a lay person since 1979 when with a fresh BSW I joined the Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief’s refugee program. I was honored to be part of a great team that resettled thousands of refugees and influenced policy for their safety. Over my 13 years, we developed a nationwide network of diocesan volunteer sponsorship programs, negotiated the first Cooperative Agreement with the Department of State, and organized the response to the Cuban/Haitian boat flow. I represented the Episcopal Church at forums on protection of children in areas of conflict in the southern tier of Africa and the Middle East and was elected to the Board of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies in Geneva, Switzerland, and served on the American Council of Voluntary Agencies.
"While working, I completed master degrees in both Non-Profit Management and Social Work, and went on to train in family therapy, cognitive therapy, sandtray therapy, and hypnotherapy
"Our church buildings are more than bricks and mortar, they should be the heartbeat of mission and service, not the heartache of history and loss. As congregations find a role in their community, they can also find creative and innovative ways to sustain themselves financially. Most congregations believe their buildings are used regularly, but self-assessments of space repeatedly show that is rarely the case. From parish halls to naves, useable space sits empty, seldom used to its fullest potential. ‘
The Program
12:00pm -Lunch
12:45pm-1:45pm – Program
1:45pm-2:00pm – Questions and answer
Jumpstart article in the Virginia Episcopalian
Flash! Stop the Presses! St. Peter’s wins a Mustard Seed Grant
We just received the letter this week with the good news that we had won a $7,000 grant to re-leather the organ bellows. The top and bottom of the letter are reprinted. The funds are received from the Mustard Seed Fund from the Diocese of Virginia. We thank them for support of this project.
We have covered the need to re-leather the bellows. The bellows are the lungs of the organ. With an airtight container, the organ cannot be properly played. (The link includes a diagram and pictures.)
The entire leather job costs $14,000. With $7,000 from the grant plus $2,070 already collected since Easter, we have raised $9,070 with $4,930 to go (updated May 15, 2014).
Please consider a donation to the church for the bellow, a tax deductible contribution. Consider contributing a small amount over 6 months. One way is to add a second check on Sundays or add a specific amount to your check and designate it for the bellows.
The bellows are original to the 1850’s organ. Leathering is once a generation task. We have the privilege to keep the organ in top shape for this generation.
Remembering our 175th Anniversary, May 15 – 3 years ago
It’s hard to believe it has been 3 years since we celebrated the day. Here are some links to refresh your memories:
Historical record May 15, 1836
In 1836, Bishop Richard Channing Moore’s pastoral address at the Diocesan Council in Fredericksburg, tells of the Consecration of St. Peter’s Church:
“On Sunday, May 15, 1836 I went to Port Royal at which place I consecrated a new Church: a building which is a great ornament to the town, and reflects the greatest credit upon those by "whose munificence it has been erected, and which, I trust, will prove a blessing to them and to their children to their latest posterity. The congregation was very large and attentive during the whole service. Prayers were read by several of the clergy who attended on the occasion — the discourse was delivered by myself — the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered — I baptised three children and confirmed two persons. It gives me the greatest pleasure to mention that a very handsome large silver cup was presented for the use of the altar, by a benevolent gentleman in the Parish; and I have every reason to believe that the sound of an organ will soon accompany the voices of the congregation in singing the praises of God and of the Redeemer of mankind. The Rev. (William) Friend stands high in the estimation of his parish; and I trust will see the work of the Lord prosper tinder his pastoral care.”
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175th Anniversary – The Day |
May 15, 2011, 11am service |
Service Honoring our Ancestors May 15th, 2pm
3rd Annual "Shred It" Event St. Peter’s, Friday May 23, 4pm-5pm
Thanks to Andrea Pogue for bringing the paper recycling truck a third year to St. Peter’s.
•Use this opportunity to securely dispose of those out dated, sensitive documents and financial records that you have accumulated over the years; and
•Use this occasion to clear out old file cabinets, boxes, folders and envelopes containing pay stubs, tax records, bank statements and receipts that have amassed over time.
Bring them to St. Peter’s on Friday, May 23 between 4pm and 5pm and watch the action.
This is a fund raiser for community enrichment and charitable outreach efforts. We also need to pay for the shredder. Please a consider a generous donation to this cause.
Whether for the environment, to help St. Peter’s or to rid your home of excess papers, come down and bring your stuff on May 23
Latest tutoring poster
There were 5 students last week in Tutoring. Please volunteer your time to tutor well deserving students and support this outreach initiative. Help to advertise this service.
Lectionary, May 18, Easter 5
I.Theme – Mystical experiences from Stephen and the Apostles about the truth and revelation of God and the foundation of the building, the church.
"I am the Road, the Truth and Life" – Vasakyrkan, Gothenburg, Sweden
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
First reading – Acts 7:55-60
Psalm – Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 Page 622, BCP
Epistle –1 Peter 2:2-10
Gospel – John 14:1-14
Today’s readings portray mystical and unitive experiences come from the challenges of life. Mysticism often provides us with a greater perspective that liberates us from self-centeredness and defensiveness, thus enabling us to live compassionately.
In the course of his inquisition and martyrdom, in the First Reading Stephen has a vision of God. It enables him to experience his death fearlessly and compassionately. Like Jesus before him, he faces persecution with forgiveness, recognizing from his larger spiritual perspective than the utter ignorance and lostness of his persecutors. Their actions are based on a wrong perception of reality; they experience grace as threat and resurrection as destructive of their religious tradition, rather than pathways that will lead to a transformation and expansion of their faith. Stephen’s own forgiveness, based on his mystical experience, may create a ripple effect, opening the door to new possibilities for divine action in his persecutors’ lives.
The Psalmist gains courage through a larger perspective. Threats are all around, danger abounds, but the Psalmist proclaims “my times are in your hand.” The gift of a larger spiritual perspective enables him to experience God’s love shining upon him.
The author of I Peter reminds his listeners to feast on spiritual soul food. They have tasted the goodness of God, and from that nurture, they are able to be “built into a spiritual house.” Growing in spirit enables us to become a royal priesthood, living by life-giving values and sharing good news by our words and actions. This spiritual priesthood is not set apart as better than others, but given the call to healing and transformation, of not only sharing good news but becoming good news to the world.
John 14:1-14 begins with metaphor to a house – In God’s realm there are many dwelling places; Jesus as the Christ prepares a place for us – a future and a hope we can rely on – that enables us to experience eternal life in the here and now. We can face persecution, aging, and death because of our faith in God’s everlasting love. The trials we face now are part of a larger adventure of growing with God.
The passage becomes complicated by the words “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” Perhaps, Jesus is saying, “I am providing a way. It’s not up to you to decide who’s in and who’s out. Look at my life and you will see the heart of God. You will see God’s love for the lost and broken. Don’t place a wall where I have placed a bridge. Don’t decide the scope of salvation, and exclude those I love.” God’s way addresses us in many ways – just as there are many mansions – and we would do well to img class=be generous rather than stingy about the scope of salvation.
Then, Jesus describes his own unitive experience with God. Just look at Jesus and you will see the heart of God: God is in me, and I am in God.The unity of God and Jesus is a unity of vision and aim, an alignment of spirit that releases divine energies in our world.
The passage concludes with the promise that we can align ourselves with God, and then do greater things than we can imagine. What could these greater things be? Given the vision of Jesus’ life presented in the gospels, we could do greater acts of hospitality, spiritual nurture, and healing. We have powers we can’t imagine that can be released when we align ourselves with Christ’s way, letting Christ be the center of our experiences and letting God’s vision guide us moment by moment.
We are always on holy ground. We all can be mystics in our own unique ways, seeing deeply into the universe, and we can have powers to heal and embrace through our relationship with God, individually and as congregations.