September 11, 2016 (full size gallery)
Sunday at St. Peter’s 9/11/2016 – a busy day for us
1. Time to celebration the completion of the Altarpiece project.
2. A beautiful Sunday to celebrate God’s creation. Lots of sun all around the church to soak up.
3. A Sunday to celebrate two groups of youth beginning Christian Ed at 10am.
4. Guest preacher at 11am Jackie Collins who grew up at St. Peter’s and now at UVA
5. Gospel on the River with old time Gospel hymns against the backdrop of the Rappahannock River at 4pm. Reception before
6. Evening Prayer at 6pm to remember who gave their lives on 9/11 and to provide a type of prayer for our congregation
The altarpiece project concluded this week on Wed., Sept. 7 when Cleo Mullins and Beth Fulton reviewed the work done. She also dropped by a DVD with a 41 page report and pictures. It is a very thorough account of the process with ample pictures. We also have a retrospective in process that draws on that report and we will publish their report as well.
Today’s readings praise God’s merciful pursuit of God’s people even as they sin. The readings contrast punishment and grace. In Exodus God forgives the Israelites’ spiritual impatience and lack of trust that lead them to turn from God to an idol . The Epistle and Gospel highlight God’s graceful care, which encompasses the lost and sinful. Paul offers himself as an example of one found by God, transformed by the power of God’s mercy.
Luke 15:1-10 contain the first two of three parables in this chapter—the most famous, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, is not included in the lectionary this time. But these first two parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin are also important. Here Jesus is gathered with both the sinners (tax collectors and their ilk) and the supposedly righteous (the Pharisees and the scribes). What Jesus does and says will come under the close scrutiny of both camps. The stories illustrate God’s great joy over each sinner who repents in the story of the lost sheep and lost coin.
David Lose, President of Luther College presents another take on the Gospel – how God uses us to finde the lost. "When you think how ordinary were the persons representing God – a shepherd who stands at the very bottom of the socio-economic ladder in first-century Palestine, a woman with only ten silver coins to her name – you realize that maybe these aren’t just metaphors, but rather that they are reminders that God often works through ordinary people to do the extraordinary work of helping to find someone.
On September 11, 2001 – fifteen years ago this Sunday – Welles Crowther went to work like every other day to his job as an equities trader in the World Trade Center. After the second tower was hit, the one he was in, Welles led everyone he could find down the steps to safety, and then he went back for more. And after leading more people to safety, he went back again, and again, and again, until the tower collapsed. On that day, this talented, athletic, good natured, but in so many ways ordinary person did an extraordinary thing, giving his life to make sure others could live. On that day, God used Welles Crowther to find people who were lost.
I know we won’t often find ourselves in those kinds of circumstances, yet God can also use us to find others. Not only can God uses us, but God does, and will. At work, at home, at school, through our congregations, in our places of volunteering, God regularly uses us to find others."
This Sunday was the beginning of Christian Education. Godly Play had 6 with Becky Fisher our new Godly Play teacher and God’s Kids, the new class for grade 3 and up had 5 taught by Catherine. This class is doing a time travel. The kids assume an identity from the Bible and then participate in the various stories of the Old Testament. This week they got their name and hear some background on the character. There is a time line on the floor with some of the key stories from the Old Testament
We had 60 people in church with a large number supporting Jackie Collins as she was the preacher. She was able to tie in 9/11, stress in society and the readings
Jackie started by remembering 9/11. She was in kindergarden and her mother who was a teacher came to pick her up. She didn’t understand why her mother was out from school – she felt lost and confused. The scriptures this week are about being lost and being sinful. Paul called himself the foremost sinner. “But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.”
Many feel lost because of the society around us – being overcompetitive. She mentioned the new film “Bad Moms” that people feel overtaxed. In the film Amy (Mila Kunis) has a great husband, overachieving children, beautiful home and successful career. Unfortunately, she’s also overworked, exhausted and ready to snap. Fed up, she joins forces with two other stressed-out mothers to get away from daily life and conventional responsibilities.
At UVA as a junior she has feel lost even after joining a Christian group, Kaifa. Why hasn’t God helped me ? Why did God let 9/11 happen? She recalled a sermon by Alan Jackson. God is not a travel director but Jesus will provide what you need – faith hope and love. God will purse us as he did Timothy. God will always fight for me and particularly in our difficulties. And that is broad. In the Gospel the Pharisees were complaining about Jesus – “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."
God doesn’t provide an easy life – there are trials and challenges. That’s easy to see with the future lives of the disciples. We should not judge God by our difficulties. Matthew 11 – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” God provides rest for the soul but not for the brain.
At UVA she said she has her head and mind in a place where she could succeed due to her faith.
And at death God provides eternal rest. She recalled a summer experience at Young life with Ray a counselor whose wife was dying of cancer in Colorado. God brought him peace even during this tribulation because he was preparing for her eternal rest.
This Sunday was also Arthur Duke’s first Sunday as acolyte which Catherine alluded to at the end of the service
Ken also spoke about the 2 students that were part of the Math SAT training. He collected some funds that will go to the discretionary fund.
Gospel on the River was at 4pm. The crowd was smaller at 20. It started with cookies, ham sandwiches, shrimp, chips on the back side of the church. Then at 4:30pm Jim Heimbach on piano and Helmut on violin led the group through 12 pages of Gospel hymns
At 6pm was Evening Prayer, remembering those who fell on 9/11 and first responders. We had a congregation of 20. The bulletin is here.
The service featured bells remembering those who fell -five strikes on a bell,repeated four times for the fire fighters and then 15 bells, one for each year for those who died in the plane crashes. In between were traditional prayer readings, scripture and intercession prayers.
We were treated with glorious weather in the earlier evening extending to a brilliant sunrise.