We held 2 services – 12 attended 9am’s Holy Eucharist, Rite 1 and 35 at 11pm Morning Prayer on a beautiful sunny day with moderate temperatures considering it is January.
The main concept presented in the scriptures revolved around authority. In our life as a church in Va. when we think of authority, we first think about the influence of the Episcopal Church and how it plays out in the Diocese.
During the announcements Eunice and Catherine reflected on attending the Diocesan Council held this past week. Eunice was impressed with the exuberant celebration for the retirement of Suffragen Bishop Jones after 17 years in the Diocese and noted the size of the Diocese. In that context Catherine reminded the Church to review the list of candidates that will be published Feb 3, 2012 for the Suffragen position and to give their thoughts to our lay delegate (Linda or Eunice) and Catherine who will have a vote at the Diocese election April 21 in Fredericksburg.
Catherine saw the diocese as similar to a church with both programs for inreach and outreach. In the latter capacity, she was impressed with the number of international missions, especially the clinic for women and children in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania which the ECW had provided a donation. The representative for the clinic was actually at the Council. She also talked about the pastoral reponse of Bishop Shannon after the recent court case which affirmed the Diocese position. Authority can act with grace.
We also celebrated Helmut’s birthday on Feb 1. Catherine asked him to continue to bring people to St. Peter’s as he has done in the past. Please note the distinguished cross in the back which he made for St. Peter’s in 2011. (One of two)
In the scriptures, authority was demonstrated in different ways – Jesus in Capernaum, Paul in Corinth and Moses at the edge of the Promised Land in Deuteronomy.
Jesus with his first group of disciples entered the synagogue at Capernaum at the beginning of his ministry and taught with a new authority both in his legitimacy as the son of God but also in his manner of teaching – more direct with no need to quote from the scriptures and drew more on common life experience than the scribes. He was able to use that authority in curing the man with the demon who ironically better understood Jesus in that room than the disciples.
The sermon touched on authority in the Christian community of Corinth. Authority is in the manner of presentation as with Jesus: “ One of their questions regarded purity. Could Christians eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols? Would a person who ate this meat be committing a sin against the one true God?
“Paul’s solution for the church was not to lay down a new law in order to solve this ethical dilemma. Instead, Paul reminds the Corinthians that their concern for one another’s well being should be first and foremost in any decisions they make regarding these dilemmas. In other words, they are to treat one another in the light of who they know Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior, to be.”
The sermon touched on two other scenes – :Paul’s background as Saul and the women in the tomb at the end of Mark. “Like the Corinthians, sometimes we feel confused and at odds with our fellow Christians. Like Saul, we can be full of frustration and anger. We can feel threatened. Like the women at the tomb, we often find ourselves full of fear.” The solution.. God keeps speaking to us with authority—if only we will listen… We know who you are, our Lord and Savior, who wants to enter into us and transform us –to give us life abundant!"
The sermon is here, the bulletin is published and you can review the scripture here.