Frontpage, Oct. 24, 2021

We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, who are still here, and we honor with gratitude the land itself and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do. We welcome all people to our church.

Fall morning this week, the week of the full October moon.


Pentecost 22 – Oct. 24, 2021

Oct. 24 – 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

Oct. 24 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30pm for gathering – service starts at 7pmMeeting ID: 878 7167 9302 Passcode: 729195


Oct. 25 – 6:30am – Be Still Meditation group in a 20 minute time of prayer Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929

Oct. 27 – 10am Bible Study

Oct. 27 – 3:00pm, ECW Tea on the patio at the home of Cookie and Johnny Davis, 8123 Camden Rd, Port Royal, VA.


Oct. 31 – 11:00am, , Holy Eucharist, Pentecost 23

Oct. 31 – 7:00pm, Compline on Zoom – Join here at 6:30am for gathering – service starts at 7pm Meeting ID 834 7356 6532 Password 748475


All Saints Remembrances for All Saints Sunday

The All Saint’s Day Service is Nov 7.

Email Catherine by Monday, Oct. 25 with the names of those who have died in the past year that you would like to have remembered.


Pentecost 22, Oct. 24, 2021 – Lectionary – “It’s About Freedom!”

By David Lose, President of Luther Seminary, Philadelphia

“That’s what all these readings are about. That’s what our whole ministry is about – freedom. So tell them they’re free this week. Free from their past, free from regret, free from fear, free from self-limitation, free from old hurts and mistakes. They’re free.”

“The story about Bartimaeus, I mean. He won’t shut up. Even though people tell him to. And that’s hard. We are so quick to fall into silence in general, worried about offending or hurting feelings or being rejected or whatever. And so when folks tell us to shut up, we’re all too quick to oblige. But Bartimaeus won’t. He is free. Free to defy his neighbors. Free to call for help. Free to make his needs known to Jesus. Free. Perhaps he’s suffered enough, or feels like there’s nothing left to lose, or just doesn’t care anymore. Or perhaps he just senses — or, really, sees — that in the presence of Jesus all the rules change and he is no longer “Blind Bartimaeus” but instead “Bartimaeus, Child of God.” Whatever the reason, he knows he is free and seizes his faith and his courage to live into that freedom and Jesus says that’s what made him well.

It’s about freedom. 

Read more from David Lose


“Faith is the electricity of the spirit.”

From the Episcopal Cafe -“Bartimaeus -Speaking to the Soul: The real miracle

“Healing of the Blind Man” – Carl Bloch

“After a lifetime of blindness, Bartimaeus cries out to Jesus in desperation. Jesus hears his cry. He clearly sees the blind man’s faith fighting through the darkness. Like Bartimaeus, we turn to Christ in disappointment and pain when all else has failed. Jesus is used to that. He knows our frailty, our shaky mix of fear and faith. And that’s as it should be. It is the human condition. Our faith is not a destination. It is a journey. And the journey is fraught with detours and potholes.

“First there are the roadblocks we build ourselves…our doubts, our inhibitions, our reluctance to let go and put things in God’s hands. Then there are the obstacles that others erect. Some were quick to tell Bartimaeus to pipe down and stop bothering Jesus. They thought Christ had better things to do than bother with this nuisance.”

“Faith is the electricity of the spirit. It informs our hopes. It inspires our love. It is the foundation of the New Covenant. We do not come to God through genetic descent from Abraham. We come to God through our faith in Jesus Christ… through our belief in a miracle that took place 2000 years ago. Far greater than the discovery of electricity, the internet, the theory of relativity and the mechanics of the universe… all the acquired wisdom of the ages… far, far greater is the transformative miracle of faith.”


Lectionary, Oct. 31, 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, Year B

I. Theme –  God’s faithfulness to the Israelites and God’s faithfulness to us demands our loyalty and complete devotion, especially as it relates to knowing and living out the commandments of God. We need to communicate that we should love him undividedly, with all our faculties.

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

Old Testament – Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Psalm – Psalm 119:1-8
Epistle – Hebrews 9:11-14
Gospel – Mark 12:28-34

A. Deuteronomy –

Deuteronomy opens with the Israelites encamped just east of the Promised Land. For forty years, Israel wandered through the desert area south of the land of promise. Though at times to them it did not seem so, like a faithful mother, God was indeed with them; God never left them nor did God ever forsake them.

Deuteronomy documents and sets forth the formal covenant relationship between God and the Israelites after they conquered Canaan. In this exposition of the first commandment, Israel is expected to demonstrate utter loyalty and fidelity to the God of the Covenant, the Redeemer of Israel, the LORD.2 Covenant agreements were not new among middle-Eastern people of that time. These agreements were typically made between governments or individuals who lived in close relationship.

This generation of Israelites who now stand at the edge of the Promised Land never experienced the exodus from Egypt. Deuteronomy amplifies the previous accounts of the Law for them, expounding upon the implications of the historic agreement at Mount Sinai between God and Israel. The teaching, the understanding, the living out of the Ten Commandments was not new to this generation of Israelites. However, it seems that whenever God has something important to say, the theme is repeated by several biblical writers. It is as if God is using a yellow highlighter demanding attention be given to certain precepts again and again.

The commandment in verses 1-3 of chapter 6 seems to refer to the first of the Ten Commandments. To hear and observe are the basic requirements for blessing of the land by God. This generation of Israelites had seen and heard of the disobedience of their ancestors, which resulted in their death and failure to cross into the Promised Land. People, however, have short memories so here, more so than in chapter 5, Moses makes clear that if God is going to bless them, there must be reverent obedience from the youngest to the oldest, to all that the Lord commands.3

The rejection of polytheism by God’s people is seen throughout the Old Testament. God repeatedly demonstrates superiority to other claimants of deity. Because of these continuous demonstrations, God was clearly entitled to Israel’s exclusive worship, devotion, and obedience. That God alone is to receive their worship and praise is clearly established in verse 4. This call for Israel’s undivided loyalty to the Lord is called the “Shema,” after its first word in Hebrew, “hear” (“hear” is translated Shema): Hear O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. In early in Judaism, the Shema became a confession of faith, and in second century BCE, it was included with the Ten Commandments in the Nash papyrus, a liturgical text.4

Reciting the Shema expresses personal devotion to God and willingness on the part of the worshiper to accept responsibility for the ethical principles of the Law, both in the present as well as in the future, through religious instruction of one’s children.5 To this end, according to Jewish tradition, the Shema should be recited morning and evening as part of prayers, as well as on special occasions on the Jewish calendar.

The second great truth God wanted Israel to learn is found in verse 5, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your might.” God expects love without limits, that is, love with our entire being, including our minds. Israel is commanded to absorb and inculcate into their children the great truths of God. Moses paints a picture of how closely they are to steward these truths. “Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (v. 7).

Stewarding God’s truths in this manner may seem extreme to some. Some may even be so bold as to say, “It doesn’t take all of that.” However, whether one takes literally or symbolically how continuously and intently we are to steward God’s truths, it is clear that God expects his truths to have a place of importance in the lives of those who claim him as sovereign. Perhaps if stewarding God’s truths in the manner commanded in Deuteronomy 6 were taught in more churches and homes, true devotion to God would be realized by so many more believers.

Challenge

God’s faithfulness to the Israelites and God’s faithfulness to us demands our loyalty and complete devotion, especially as it relates to knowing and living out the commandments of God. At all times, but especially in times of global turmoil, we need educated Christians who know the Word of God and can transmit it to others in words and deeds

B. Psalm

The psalmist will praise God throughout his life. We should not look to human leaders for security and help because they are finite: when they die, so do their “plans” (v. 4). (“Princes”, v. 3, are probably powerful and rich leaders rather than kings.) But God is to be trusted for he is creator, and maintains his pact with us forever; he is the guardian of moral order (vv. 5-6). He supports the disadvantaged: the hungry, the prisoner, the oppressed. (“Opens the eyes of the blind”, v. 8, per Isaiah 42:7, probably means frees captives.) He loves those who live in his ways (“the righteous”, v. 8) but works against the evil-doers. He cares for “strangers” (v. 9), aliens. He helps the exploited and status-less: “the orphan and the widow”. God rules eternally (unlike “princes”); he is Israel’s (“Jacob”, v. 5) in all ages.

C. Hebrews

Vv. 1-7 tell of temple practice in ancient Israel. The forerunner of the Temple was a “tent” (v. 2), called the “Holy Place”. Within this “tent” was a second one, called the “Holy of Holies” (v. 3), where God dwelt. On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), only the high priest went into “the second” tent (v. 7), to offer a sacrifice of animal blood for the redemption of unintentional sins. Annual repetition of this ritual shows that redemption from sin was of limited duration; that there were two tents shows that sacrifices could not remove the inner guilt (“perfect the conscience”, v. 9) of the faithful.

In somewhat like manner, when Christ came the first time, to redeem us of our sin, he passed through his risen body (the equivalent of the outer tent) into “the Holy Place” (v. 12, which must be the Holy of Holies, i.e. heaven). The blood in his saving act was his own (in crucifixion), not animal blood; therefore the redemption it achieved is forever. In the Temple, “ashes of a heifer” (v. 13) were mixed with water and used to purify the flesh, i.e. restore the ritual purity, of those who had touched the dead. If the high priest was able to achieve this, how much greater will be the effect of Jesus’ “blood” (v. 14), his sacrifice of his sinless self, in removing all traces of guilt for our past ungodly (“dead”) deeds enabling us to “worship the living God”. (His “eternal Spirit” is probably his spirit of self-offering.)

D. Gospel

The religious leaders come forth to put Jesus to the test with a series of questions: the Pharisees and Herodians (12:13-17); the Sadducees (12:18-27); and one of the scribes (12:28-34). The latter is the Gospel this week The first two groups had asked their questions to try to catch Jesus out and fail. The scribe’s genuinely seeks the truth He askes “Which commandment is the first of all”. Jesus responds that the love of God is first and then loving your neighbor as yourself and together they are the most significant and even more important than ceremonies in the temple. . And Jesus, recognizing this, praises him – “you are not far from the Kingdom of God.” No one came up after the scribe.

Read more about the lectionary…


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6. Calendar

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8. This past Sunday

9. Latest Sunday Bulletin (October 24, 2021 11:00am),  and Sermon (Oct. 24, 2021)

10. Recent Services: 


Pentecost 18, Sept 26

Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 18, Sept. 26,


Pentecost 19, Oct. 3

Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 19, Oct. 3,


Pentecost 20, Oct. 10

Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 20, Oct. 10,


Pentecost 21, Oct. 17

Readings and Prayers, Pentecost 21, Oct. 17,


Mike Newmans Block print of St. Peter's

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, Oct. 17, 2021 – Oct. 24, 2021

17
Ignatius,
Bishop of Antioch, and Martyr, c. 115
18
Saint Luke
the Evangelist
19
19
Henry Martyn,
Priest and Missionary, 1812
William Carey, Missionary, 1834
20
21
22
23
Saint
James
of Jerusalem, Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Martyr, c.
62
24
Hiram Hisanori Kano, Priest, 1986