Shred-it

 Easter 5, May 19, 2019 (full size gallery)

The sun blessed our activities this week:

Two major events this week:

1. Village Harvest/183rd Birthday, May 15, 2019

Wed., May 15, 2019 on a gorgeous spring day. On St. Peter’s 183rd birthday – there was a full house for Bible Study at 10am showing off 3 cakes for the Village Harvest and then the Village Harvest later that day at 3pm. Eunice made a pineapple upside cake, Cherry angel food and Brad contributed a pound cake.

At the harvest, 146 were fed with 1,192 pounds of food – produce, groceries, meats and those birthday cakes! 146 was our best draw in a year

2. Shred-It – May 18, 2019

Thanks to Andrea Pogue’s work on Shred-it today May 18, 2019, we earned $390, the largest tally in 8 years. The funds go to St. Peter’s outreach ministries. It covers over a month of the Village Harvest.

Andrea originated it and has developed it over the period

Sunday, May 19 we had 38 under sunny skies. However the weather was noticeably warmer hitting the high 80’s today compared to unseasonably cooler weather in the last two weeks.

The Collins were here. Jennifer has completed one year of theological studies at Vanderbilt. She has one more year. We also recognized Sally from St. Paul’s King George and a friend from Colorado. Sally is now in Deacon’s school

We celebrated Bill Wick’s birthday today as well.

Catherine leaves today for 10 days in Ireland with her middle daughter. Helmut will preaching next Sunday. There will not be Adult education on Corinthians next Sunday nor a 9am service.

Today’s readings picture the love and encouragement to be found in Christian community. In Acts, Gentiles receive God’s word and the Holy Spirit just as the Jews do. John, in his Revelation, celebrates God’s final descent into our world to bring salvation and a restored world order. In the gospel, Jesus gives us a new command—love one another; by obeying Jesus, we show our discipleship.

Acts 11:1-18 

Peter is such a reassuring figure to those of us who know only too well how flawed we are. Sometimes he’s a bit slow on the uptake. Sometimes he puts his foot in it. But there are times when he so wonderfully and courageously gets things right. The  latter is on eof those times 

As the story unfolds, Peter reveals that it took him three attempts to ‘get’ what God was trying to tell him and he recounts how it was through promptings from heaven (v.5) through the Spirit (v.12) and an angel (v.13) that he eventually understood what God was saying. And Peter compared that moment to the one he and the other disciples had experienced on the day of Pentecost when, gathered in that upstairs room, they found all they had known being completely shaken up, stirred and turned upside down, by the Spirit of God who was and is and is to come. Here Peter’s courage, as he speaks to these early Christians, is mind-blowing. But it is not Peter who is the hero of what happens this day. God is. God is the one who takes away all the prejudices and barriers that try to divide people into those who ‘belong’ and those who are ‘outsiders’.

Peter defends his unprecedented decision to baptize the Gentile Cornelius to critics who reflected the early Christian opinion that Jesus was for the Jews alone, and that faith must be accompanied by a strict adherence to the Jewish law.

Peter explains the baptism as a God-inspired act. God led Peter to recognize that the believing Gentiles’ were included in the kingdom because God granted them the same gifts of the Spirit that the Jewish believers had received (2:1-11). To withhold baptism would have been to oppose God. With this bold act, the Church understood that God’s impartiality demands the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the life of Christ.

Psalm 148

Psalm 148 summons all creation to praise God. First from the heavens–by angels, sun, moon, stars and celestial waters—and then from the earth—by sea monsters, seas, weather, rocks, trees, animals and people–the praises of God resound.

This final section of the book of the Psalms (146-150) sees those Psalms linked to each other by three words: ‘Praise the Lord’. Psalm 148 calls for that praise to be given to God from the heavenly realm (vs.1-6) and then from the earthly (vs.7-8). Even inanimate objects are to join in God’s praise and within that whole, humanity is included. We are no different from the rest of God’s creation. We too are a part of it and our voice is to be found in tandem with all God has made. It is alongside the whole of God’s creation, that God is to be praised for God’s work in c

Revelation 21:1-6

Once the first creation has disappeared and the wicked have been driven off to punishment, all that remains is to wonder at God’s eternal magnificence, reflected in the new creation. Because of its association with brutal storms, raging waters and myths of primeval chaos, the sea no longer exists. Such violence is not compatible with the peace of the world to come.

God then provides a new Jerusalem—a holy city because God dwells in it–that suggests the intimate union of God with the chosen people. “The home of God among mortals” fulfills God’s promise to “be with us” (Exodus 3:12) and Jesus’ assurance that “I will be with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

It is a city that descends from God: a city where a myriad of God’s people dwell as God’s people. Think… relationships. Of Community. It is also worth bearing in mind that while the talk has tended to be of being taken up into heaven at the final call, here we find God coming to the people yet again – and it’s in the coming that salvation lies. It’s not the city that saves: it’s God and the tears God wipes from every eye are all the tears that have ever been shed. We carry tiny glimpses of that new Jerusalem within us when we live out the costly, selfless kind of love we hear Jesus calling us to, in the next portion of Scripture; in John 13

John 13:31-35

For John, “glory” means a visible revelation of God’s presence and holiness. Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection manifests God’s glory in the fullest sense. The cross is not a humiliation but a glorification and the revelation of God’s plan for salvation. 

The love commandment is new, not as a commandment, but in that Jesus’ love becomes the model for all love and the basic obligation of the new covenant. God’s unconditional love has been revealed in a new way in Jesus. Jesus is more than the standard for Christian love; he is its source. His love is both affective and effective, bonding the Christian community and bringing salvation.

Love is not a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s what you do. Right after Judas has left the room to betray his Lord, Jesus turns to those around Him, to tell them what love is – and love He tells them, is about doing mundane tasks for another and it is also about taking the risk to do something utterly unselfish and heroic for the other. When Jesus could have been forgiven for being a just a little preoccupied with what was about to happen, He chooses to tell the disciples of His love for them. It is a love Jesus will show them when it pins Him to a cross and then refuses to let death have the last word.

“I am with you only a little longer.” Jesus breaks this hard news to his friends at the Last Supper. When we love someone deeply, words such as this come with heartbreaking poignancy. “No!” we want to shout in reply. “Don’t go!” It was clearly too soon for him to leave.

But such an argument mistakes the end of a scene for the conclusion of the play. Jesus opens a new scene as he continues, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” Just as we cherish a picture of someone dear who has died, so we reverence this teaching. If Jesus’ presence is to lighten this crazy, chaotic, death-filled world, it’s up to us. 

 Easter 4, May 12, 2019 (full size gallery)

One more Sunday rainy day. This one picked by the end of the service and was on the cool side considering we are close to the middle of May.

Today was both Mother’s Day and Good Shepherd Sunday from John 10 – “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.” It colored the hymns, anthem and sermon:

From the sermon – “Many of us choose the way we should go through life in a sort of willy-nilly way. Listening for the shepherd’s voice is essential in choosing the right pathways through our lives… If we are listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd, and we are in his flock, then what we find following us is goodness and mercy instead of want, exhaustion, meaninglessness, and fear.

First Corinthians continued with the passage from Chapter 12 on the many members of the body and the unique gifts of all. Paul was trying to create unity in the house churches of Corinth

We celebrated Karen’s birthday, the Long 36th wedding anniversary and welcomed the most of the Long family to St. Peter’s. Laura came from California.

During the announcements Catherine highlighted the 183rd anniversary of the church this Wed and the Village Harvest that day. We have 3 cakes being made from the congregation.

Next Sat is Shred-It, the 8th year. The donations of $5+ a box help pay for the truck and also provide a donation to the outreach ministries.

Today’s readings explore the image of God as a caring Shepherd. In Acts, the apostles’ preaching and miracles bring many Gentiles to believe and follow. John, in his Revelation, describes a great multitude worshiping God, who plans to care for them tenderly for all eternity. In today’s gospel, Jesus pictures his relationship to the faithful as that of a shepherd who works for the life of the sheep.

Acts 9:36-43

One of the purposes of the book of Acts was to explain to Gentile converts how their new religion started within Judaism, but soon reached beyond its roots to embrace strangers. This passage gives details about the human passions and divine providence behind that change.

One of the most pressing questions in the early church was what to make of the break between Judaism and Christianity. The earliest Christians had seen Jesus as the fulfillment of their own ancient Jewish hopes. Why, then, were he and they rejected by mainstream Judaism? One could argue that Christians’ openness to the Gentiles was both cause and effect of their rupture with Judaism. That’s strongly suggested by today’s first reading. One of the purposes of Acts is to explain this to Gentile converts, and to explain to them the Jewish background of their new religion

In this section, which is devoted to how the Gospel is received and acted upon in Judea and Samaria, we have a collection of stories about Peter’s ministry in Palestine. There is a rationale for this collection presented in 9:31: “The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the holy Spirit it grew in numbers.” There is also another purpose for Luke, and that is to show Peter as active in the same manner that Jesus was active.

Joppa is the present Jaifa, some 15 kilometres from Lydda, and the name ‘Dorcas’ is the Greek translation of ‘Tabitha’ and means ‘gazelle’. Had the disciples sent for Peter so he could join them in mourning Tabitha? Did they imagine Peter would be able to ‘do something’ for Tabitha

The story of Tabitha’s restoration to the community is reminiscent of the resuscitation of Jairus’s daughter by Jesus (Luke 8:49-56). Luke, the author of Acts, is demonstrating that the disciples now carry on the healing work of Jesus.

Peter repeats Jesus’ actions: responding to the request for help, sending the crowd out of the room and speaking to the dead woman. The only difference is that Peter pauses to kneel and pray, thereby illustrating that the authority to raise the dead is not his own like it was Jesus’, but is an extension of the presence of Christ.

When Peter arrives, the women are wearing the clothing Tabitha had given them while she was alive. She was always doing good and helping people who were poor and she is identified in the text as a disciple. Peter orders everyone out of the room, presumably because he does not want the miracle which is about to take place to be treated as a spectacle. ‘Tabitha, get up’, has echoes of what Jesus said to the young girl, ‘Talitha cum’ (Mark 5:41) and some scholars have wondered if this is the same story sometimes attributed to Jesus and sometimes to Peter.

In his commentary Acts: The Gospel of the Spirit, Justo L Gonzalez notes Luke often links a story about a man with a story about a woman. Gonzalez also points out Peter remained in Joppa with Simon, a tanner, an occupation considered unclean by many Jews because it involved working with the skin of dead animals and in the following chapter we learn of Peter’s extraordinary vision of unclean animals in Simon’s house (Acts 10: 9-23.

Psalm 23

This psalm is probably the most familiar and popular psalm of all. It celebrates God’s loving care for us under the guise of a good shepherd who provides food, security and protection from all dangers. God guides us on our journey through life so that we might “dwell in the house of the lord.”

It is a song of hope and strength in times of darkness and doubt, death and fear. We know that God provides for us and gives us strength and refuge in times of trouble. We know that with God, we are not alone, and even in death we have nothing to be afraid of, for God is right beside us. God will be with us throughout our lives. We recite this psalm at funerals and in times when we need reminders the most that we are not alone, even if we feel alone, we know that surely goodness and mercy will cover us. We know that we will dwell with God forever, even if we can’t feel it now.

Verses

1. The Lord is my shepherd: The prophets (Isaiah 40:11; Jeremiah 23:1-6; Ezekiel 34) use the image of Yahweh as the shepherd of his people.

In the ancient Near East, the king was seen as shepherd (vv. 1-4) and as host (vv. 5-6).

2-4: The singer uses the imagery of the shepherd’s care for his/her flock to describe Yahweh’s care for his flock.

God faithfully provides for his sheep, and constantly cares for them. He revives our very lives (“soul”, v. 3), and guides us in godly ways (“right paths”). Even when beset by evil (“darkest valley”, v. 4), we have nothing to fear. God’s “rod” (a defense against wolves and lions) protects us; his “staff” (v. 4, for rescuing sheep from thickets) guides us.

5. The singer describes his acceptance in the Temple, where he is fed with heavenly food and drink, and anointed with holy oil.The feast (v. 5) is even more impressive, for it is in the presence of his foes. Kings were plenteously anointed with oil (a symbol of power and dedication to a holy purpose).

6. Yahweh’s care and protection will continue throughout the life of the singer. He will dwell in the Temple.May God’s “goodness and mercy” (v. 6, steadfast love) follow (or pursue) him (as do his enemies) throughout his life. He will continue to worship (“dwell …”) in the Temple as long as he lives.

Revelation 7:9-17

Before the opening of the seventh seal, John sees a vision of the assured victory of God and God’s people. The innumerability and ethnic diversity of “the great multitude,” in contrast to the 144,000 from the 12 Jewish tribes, suggests the catholicity of the Church. The white robes of the redeemed are a sign of purity and righteousness, recalling the white robe put on the newly baptized.

Those who have “come out of the great ordeal” have survived the test of conflicting loyalties. The destiny of the redeemed weaves together a skein of images from the Old Testament: unending worship of God, shelter in God’s presence, the satisfaction of hunger and thirst, protection, the provision of water, God as shepherd and the end of all sorrow.

John 10:22-30

Not for the first time a dispute had broken out between Jesus and the religious authorities. At first it centers on the healing of a blind man, but soon the debate is about which of them has the authority to speak and act for God.

The Sadducees controlled the temple with its God-given feasts, ceremonies and rituals, while Pharisees controlled the synagogues, where attention was focused on obedience to the law and keeping the commandments.

If Sadducees and Pharisees both felt they had legitimate claims to be the shepherd of God’s people and speak for God, evidently both resented the upstart from Galilee with His claim to be THE good shepherd of God’s way, God’s truth and God’s life.

The incident in the Gospel takes place in the portico of Solomon, on the east side of the temple – shielded from the cold prevailing winds. The Festival of Dedication takes place in December, which we know as Hanukkah, a remembrance of the relighting of the temple lights following the defeat of the Seleucid kings and the rededication of the Temple to the exclusive worship of God. Such a setting would put the reader in mind of an earlier messiah – namely the Maccabees, who saved the Jews from the cruelties of the Hellenistic overlords.

Thus the question comes up, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus evades the implications of their question (cf. John 8:25) and is concerned with their having a correct view of who and what he was. He replies quite frankly that he has told them and they don’t believe.

Although Jesus has given many hints about his identity he has only explicitly revealed himself as the Messiah to the Samaritan woman (4:26) and to the man born blind (9:37). To the rest, he provides evidence and waits for them to draw their own faith conclusions.

Jesus seeks to have them know his true purpose. In a few short sentences, Jesus describes our relationship to him and his relationship to his Father. We’re united with Jesus because we heed his word, as he is united with the Father because he does the Father’s will.

Earlier in his Good Shepherd discourse, Jesus focused on the role of the door and of the shepherd; now he develops the role of the sheep. In John 10:22-30, Jesus refers to those who know him as his sheep (at the beginning of chapter 10 he refers to himself as the Good Shepherd). The sheep know the voice of the shepherd. Each shepherd has a distinctive call that his own sheep recognize, and that makes possible the separation of herds after a night of sharing a common sheepfold.

Those that follow God follow the Shepherd, for God and the Shepherd are one (vs. 30). It is all about relationship (my sheep hear my voice – I give them eternal life.) Jesus as a shepherd caring for his own flock provides more than green pasture and still waters

The sheep trust the shepherd. We who follow Jesus trust Jesus. We trust his voice, and we believe because we trust. It’s less a question of doubts verses faith as it is a question of trust verses mistrust. We may have doubts and questions about faith, but if we trust in Jesus, we still have faith. It is when we do not trust that we have lost. Trust leads to faith, and what Jesus calls us to do is to know his voice.

Our Good Shepherd guides us through the heights and depths of life, even during the most difficult times when we feel we are alone and abandoned, even when we feel the absence of God. This is the voice we trust in life and in death, through the valley of darkness and the shadow, when it seems there is no hope, we know Jesus’ voice. We trust the words of Jesus, who leads us into new life, everlasting life, that begins now.

Some people are unresponsive, not because Jesus has not done the works of a shepherd, but because they are not of the flock; they are willfully blind. The statement made about Jesus in verse 28 is then made in verse 29 about the Father: their sheep are safe.

Jesus sums up by affirming that he and his Father are one. John describes their unity in actions, in teaching and in knowledge. Jesus’ unity with the Father also lies in the essence of his divine identity, which John makes clear, particularly through the “I am” statements (6:20; 8:24; 8:28, 58; 13:19; 18:5) that echo the sacred name of God from Exodus 3:14.

The final comment, “The Father and I are one” is the last straw. In the verse following our passage, the Jews pick up stones with which to stone him. The symbols in this passage are telling: Light, Rededication, Protection, Revelation, The Shepherd and the Sheep, and Unity.

 Shred-It, Village Dinner, May 2, 2018 (full size gallery)

 

Shred-it 2018 happened under a beautiful spring day with abundant sunshine. The temperature was warm hitting 90 degrees but the humidity was not oppressive. The sycamore was out on the side along with Iris. The Rappahannock River was deep blue

Andrea Pogue set up shop with drinks and this year a beanbag game.

We collected $325, about 65 boxes and after paying Shred-It $225 the fund raiser cleared $100 for St. Peter’s outreach ministries. This was less than in 2017 with over 100 boxes for $560. After paying for the truck, we made $335 that year for St. Peter’s outreach ministries.

The Community Dinner which was well attended featured a marinated chicken, macaroni, salad, bread and ice cream and cake at the end.

 Easter 6, May 6, 2018 (full size gallery)

 

As the sycamore and Iris came out this week, we are reminded this is Rogation Sunday. We are in the "Named Sundays" which come at this time of year – commemorating agriculture, the Ascension, Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. They are four feasts of great importance in the life of the Church.

Rogation is an old celebration. While it goes back to Rome, the Christian festival is based on decided events – calamities when events overtake the main means of production – agriculture. In 470 that was in Vienne, France after a series of disasters had caused much suffering among the people. The Goths invaded Gaul. There was an enormous amount of disease; there were fires; there were earthquakes; there were attacks of wild animals.

Today it is time set aside to appreciate and recognize our dependence upon the land for our food and most importantly upon our dependence of God for the miracles of sprouting seeds, growing plants, and maturing harvest. It takes on an environmental focus which affects all of us. We praise God for what God has provided but also ask for forgiveness for our mishandling the environment.

The offertory hymn was for rogation – "As those of old their first fruits brought". The lyric – As those of old their first fruits brought of vineyard, flock, and field to God, the giver of all good"

This week was Shred-it which supports recycling to help the environment. Thanks to Andrea Pogue for this event’s 7th year. We collected 60 boxes and made $100 for St. Peter’s Outreach ministries.

This Sunday was also Shrine Mont Sunday in the Diocese to remember the camps. We had 8 people on retreat with Christ Church, the fifth year of this program. 

The congregation was small as a result, 23. It was Morning Prayer. The bulletin is here and the readings here . Coffee potluck followed with ham biscuits, vegetables, fruit, potatoes and macaroni and one of Brad’s chocolate cakes. 

Cookie was the officiant, Susan Tilt the lector and Nancy Long provided the sermon.

Nancy’s message was from the Gospel,John 15:9-17. God is Love. We don’t necessarily need to understand it or ask why just do it.

If we are created by God we must know God before we leave the womb. We are born with love because God’s loves us. Infants nestle close to their mothers and therefore close to God. An infant’s smile reflects the love of God

As we grow we have to make the choice between good and evil. Parents provide a world of Bible understanding. We have the ability to love. God leads you in faith and to abide in God’s love. Faith is the cornerstone. We can choose to be baptized and God lives within us and love can grow

We have to remember to love one another as God has loved you. This is important to remember when we have differences. Jesus got angry at the disciples and Pharisees but he did on the basis of love and not hate. A basket can block light but it can be taken off to let light shine.

We must follow John’s love to love with actions and trust. Love can be a noun, verb or adjective. We must use love as a verb to show action. How do you use love as a verb in how we treat others? How can the congregation spread love. We must show the truth of God’s love in our actions to make the world a better place. God accepts all of us but won’t let us remain that way (Max Lucado)

Today’s readings urge believers to come together in a community characterized by love. In his sermon, Peter tells Cornelius of God’s work in Jesus Christ, thus opening the doors of the Church to Gentiles. A few simple words from today’s psalm unify today’s readings: “sing…a new song.” That allusion to newness captures the spirit of rebirth in spring as well as God’s marvelous surprises. We can almost imagine the jaws dropping as the Jewish believers discover the shocking truth that God’s grace has been poured out on Gentiles too. The author of 1 John describes Jesus as God’s love for us, and calls us to embrace one another in that love. In the gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that they have been chosen to love one another; in this they will find perfect joy.

This missionary speech in the Act’s reading "(Acts 10:44-48) marks an important turning point in the outreach of the early Church. Many Jewish Christians feared and resisted the possible inclusion of Gentiles, but Luke makes clear that Peter himself (even before Paul) began the mission to the Gentiles under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Cornelius was a “God-fearing” Roman, one who worshiped God but had not adopted all of the Jewish religious practices. Cornelius receives the sacrament of baptism, but not before he and his gathered household receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This event marks a new Pentecost. The circle of Christian faith has now broadened to include the inhabitants of “the ends of the earth” (1:8). The Spirit first came to Jews (2:1-4), then to the despised Samaritans (8:14-17), and now to the Gentiles.

The writing of 1 John seems to have been occasioned by a schism in the community due to heresy, specifically the denial of Jesus’ humanity. The central theme of 1 John is that “God is love” (4:8). As 1 John points out, the important, new discovery is not that we love God, but that God loves us. For centuries, humans tried to placate angry deities. The significance of this statement is explored through repeated meditation that interweaves theology and ethics

The Gospel reading from the discourse on the vine and the branches deals with the disciples’ relationships with one another. Jesus’ relationship with the Father has now become the model for all believers. The Father and Son’s relationship of mutual indwelling is now extended to Christians. The Father’s love for the Son is the basis, both in origin and in quality, of the Son’s love for the believer.

Believers are to love one another with a love characterized by self-sacrifice. Thus while Christians are still "servants" (v. 15, literally “slaves”) of Christ in terms of ministry (see 12:26; 13:14-16), they are "friends" (v. 15) of Christ in terms of intimacy with God. In and through this relationship Christians are appointed to "bear fruit" (v. 16).

  Shred-it, May 3, 2017 (full size gallery)

 A beautiful spring afternoon, no more than 70 degrees under brilliant sunshine with a gentle wind.

We donated over 100 boxes with monetary donations of $560. After paying for the truck, we made $335 for St. Peter’s outreach ministries. This was the best year in 6. Andrea Pogue conceived of the project and has directed it each year. 

Luther, the driver, works a route from Stafford down to Petersburg. Stafford Hospital gets emptried weekly as does Geico. Some anchor stories generate enough shreddable items to demand 3 visits a week. This is a clean industry. The shred items will go from his truck to eventually to be made into future paper products.

Thanks for those who contributed. We would like to get even wider community support.

Andrea scheduled Shred-It in conjunction with the Village Dinnner. Eunice, Cookie, Betty and Cheryl cooked an enchilada dinner with vegetables and flan cake. 

July 17, 2016 (full size gallery)

On July 13, 2016, we invited a group from the Village Harvest food distribution to meet with parishioners for overall fellowship as well as to see their needs in relationship to the existing Village Harvest program which has been ongoing since Nov. 2014. How well is it going ? Any changes ? We had 11 from the food distribution and 9 from St. Peter’s to sample Catherine’s glazed chicken. Cherry said she was surprised how many people were on assistance.

This week major work was done on the altapiece with the gilding of the framework. Check out the picture in the slideshow.

Sunday, July 17 featured full sunshine, not too warm, with the crepes myrtle in full bloom. Wild animals came forth from the osprey on our front sycamore to a bee enjoying the phlox. The back sycamore was lush with green leaves. Cookie had Johnny pick sunflowers from the field around Camden which adorned our altar and windows.  It was a large service -we had 59 with all the children and several back from vacation. 

This Sunday was Pentecost 9 but also Callie Towler’s last Sunday as Godly Play teacher. Becky Fisher will be taking over in the Fall but this Sunday was the last session in this program year 2015-2016.  

Callie parents were on hand and She was the preacher today. The children were up front supporting here. She brought up the children to sing a Godly Play song at the end of her sermon. Catherine arranged the music in Levas with shorter hymns and at least one known by the children.

Callie plans to go to seminary in the future. During the announcements, Catherine presented her two gifts from the congregation – an annotated Bible and Strong’s Concordance. Catherine said she still uses the latter in her regular sermon preparation . We also signed a card for her.

Marilyn provided the communion music on her new harp. It was a plain song that could have been heard at St. Peter’s at the time the altarpiece was created (1853). The sound was lilting, pensive and folkish. 

A reception was held after church on the lawn and provided by Cookie and Catherine and featured light refreshments – oatmeal bars, brownies, popcorn, pretzels and several drinks. People enjoyed bringing out the food from the back on the church and catching up. The babies in the congregation were the hit. Karen also helped put it all together. 

Today’s readings remind us of the surprises related to hospitality and the hidden presence of God. In Genesis , Abraham receives three heavenly visitors who speak of the imminent birth of Sarah’s son. Paul describes the mystery of reconciliation with God and its implications for the Church. Jesus visits the home of Mary and Martha and reminds us of the importance of paying attention to God’s presence and words.

An extraordinary message runs through today’s scriptures. The theme is best expressed in the question put to Abraham: “Is anything too wonderful for the lord?”

Callie’s sermon concentrated on the Gospel. She sympathized with Martha – in her life dealing with people at school who weren’s pulling their weight. Martha had all the work to do to prepare a meal for Jesus and many disciples. You can imagine her frustration as Mary dominated Jesus attention by sitting at his feet and Martha dealing with getting the wine jugs in and other preparations. However, maybe the distractions get in her way of understanding and of achieving something more valuable, particularly sitting at the feet of the Lord.  Callie remembered when she graduated absorbed at getting resumes out and nearly missing the opportunity to go to Shred-It in 2014 at St. Peter’s and hearing we needed a Godly Play teacher. She is glad she did as it  became her opportunity for 2 years to sit at "feet of the Lord."