Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours  “

—Teresa of Avila (1515–1582), mystic, reformer, writer

Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada (later known as Teresa de Jesus) was born in Avila, Spain, 28 March 1515, one of ten children whose mother died when she was fifteen. Her family was of partly Jewish ancestry. Teresa, having read the letters of Jerome, decided to become a nun, and when she was 20, she entered the Carmelite convent in Avila. There she fell seriously ill, was in a coma for a while, and partially paralyzed for three years. In her early years as a nun, she was, by her account, assiduous in prayer while sick but lax and lukewarm in her prayers and devotions when the sickness had passed. However, her prayer life eventually deepened, she began to have visions and a vivid sense of the presence of God, and was converted to a life of extreme devotion.

In 1560 she resolved to reform the monastery that had, she thought, departed from the order’s original intention and become insufficiently austere. Her proposed reforms included strict enclosure (the nuns were not to go to parties and social gatherings in town, or to have social visitors at the convent, but to stay in the convent and pray and study most of their waking hours) and discalcing (literally, taking off one’s shoes, a symbol of poverty, humility, and the simple life, uncluttered by luxuries and other distractions). In 1562 she opened a new monastery in Avila, over much opposition in the town and from the older monastery. At length Teresa was given permission to proceed with her reforms, and she traveled throughout Spain establishing seventeen houses of Carmelites of the Strict (or Reformed) Observance (the others are called Carmelites of the Ancient Observance).

St. Peter’s Vestry met on Tues Nov. 14 for a Mutual Ministry Review.

The Diocese of Michigan provides a good understanging of it – “Mutual Ministry Review is a discernment process in which the leaders of the congregation ask who God is calling this congregation to be, how this congregation is presently responding to God’s call, and how this congregation is going to respond to God’s call. The MMR is an effort to discern God’s will for the church and call for all ministers (lay and clergy) to be accountable for it.” St. Peter’s had not scheduled one for several years.

There is a facilitator who is trained for the process. In our case it was Salli Hartman, deacon for St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Colonial Beach who also served at St. Peter’s.

This type of exercise makes one think of the old saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. ” This phrase firt occurred in a proverbs book in 1659, just 3 years before the 1662 Book of Common Prayer was printed and had an enormous influence on our Episcopal church and many other churches.

Anyway the Vestry adhered to it, by making assorted foods to get through the process. Linda Upshaw make crepes with a wonderful strawberry topping. She was given a crepes kit by her sister in law a generation ago and has been making them ever since.

There were two different muffins on by Elizabeth Heimbach and one by Catherine, the latter a pumpkin muffin with cream cheese. Included in the snack were blueberries and oranges. Jan Saylor made a wonderful vegetable soup.

While it may be considered a diversion, it made the review more easy going and productive with these delights.

• McKenna Long – Jan. 2, 2011
• Alexander Long VI – Nov. 4, 2012
• Owen Long – Aug. 4, 2013

Baptism of Scarlett Joy Long is on Nov. 1, 2015.  Congratulations! Baptism is one of the sacraments of the Episcopal Church and is one of the times of the year appointed for baptism.

Here are the 3 Whys of Baptism

1. “Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares”                                    
2. “Tragedy of War”-Michael LaPalme

Veterans’ Day, November 11  

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I (called the Great War) ends.

On November 11, 2018 at the beginning of the worship service, we along with many Americans will toll bells in remembrance of those who served and sacrificed.

From a Litany for Veterans by Robb McCoy-“God of love, peace and justice, it is your will for the world that we may live together in peace. You have promised through the prophet Isaiah that one day the swords will be beaten into plow shares. Yet we live in a broken world, and there are times that war seems inevitable. Let us recognize with humility and sadness the tragic loss of life that comes in war. Even so, as we gather here free from persecution, we may give thanks for those that have served with courage and honor. ”  Here is an English Veterans’ Service.

All gave some, Some gave all.

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While the US has “Veterans’ Day” celebrating and honoring all veterans who have served, Europe and Canada has “Remembrance Day” about the end of World War I  on November 11, 1918.  The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem “In Flanders Fields”. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I; their brilliant red color became a symbol for the blood spilled in the war.

Mark Knopfler wrote “Remembrance Day” about this day. The song and  illustrated slideshow are here .

From “Remembrance Day”

“Time has slipped away The Summer sky to Autumn yields A haze of smoke across the fields Let’s sup and fight another round And walk the stubbled ground

“When November brings The poppies on Remembrance Day When the vicar comes to say May God bless everyone Lest we forget our sons

“We will remember them Remember them Remember them”