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, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

Beau Soir Concert, Oct 14, 2022 – a concert to remember!

The Friday night concert on Oct 14 featured picture perfect weather. Rain from the day before cleared in the morning leaving a pleasant fall day .

We had a wine and cheese reception at 6:15pm for the concert outside in our pavilion. About 35 came to the concert our first concert since 2019 due to the pandemic but was in a line of eight previous concerts since 2013.

You can hear more of the group from Soundcloud. Also we featured some of their works from Youtube.

There is also a promotional video

The Beau Soir Ensemble is a flute, viola, and harp trio dedicated to the performance of standard and contemporary repertoire spanning a variety of genres and formed in 2007 by Michelle Lundy. The viola in particular often gets lost in the harmonies of string quartets so it is welcome to hear its own voice here. Most of the pieces presented were modern.

How to describe their music ? Lyrical, rich in texture and harmonically, shifting rhythms with acknowledgment to folk and other forms of music. Totally engaging!

Our concert featured the World premiere of “Los Mensajeros do Otono” written in 2022 for this group by the Mexican composer Eduardo Angulo. Michelle, the harpist, has a story of chasing down this composer to get the music and finally came with the help of other musicians. The last composition “Bacanal”, also by Angulo, was a wild dance orignally written as a viola concerto and recast for these instruments It was also the USA premiere of “The Chasing Tale” (2021) by Martryn Adams, a British Composer.

The concert was noted for excellent introductions of the pieces by the members of the group. We knew what to listen for as a result.

The Program

Click here to view in a new window.

Beau Soir concert videos Oct. 14, 2022

1. Catherine’s Introduction

2. Introduction to Dubois’ – “Terzettino”

3 Selection from “Terzettino”

4. Introduction to Eduardo Anguilo’s “Los Mensajeros de Otono”

5. Introduction to “The Chasing Tale” by Martyn Adams

6. Introduction to “Bacanal” by Eduardo Angulo

St. Luke

We celebrate his day on Oct. 18.

“1Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.” – Luke: 1:1-4

Many scholars believe that Luke was a Greek physician who lived in the Greek city of Antioch in Ancient Syria and thus considered a Gentile unlike the other Gospel authors.

He is the writer of both the Gospel of Luke and Acts. These total 24% of the New Testament and thus he wrote more of the New Testament than any other author, including Paul.

Luke made major contributions in revealing Jesus in Luke and Acts. These parables are solely in Luke:

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold (1:5-25)
The Birth of Jesus Foretold (1:26-38)
The Visitation (1:39-56)
The Birth of John the Baptist (1:57-80)
The Circumcision and Presentation of Jesus (2:21-40)
The Finding in the Temple (2:41-52)
The Widow of Nain’s Son (7:11-17)
The Mission of the Seventy (10:01-20)
The Good Samaritan (10:29-37)
“Mary has chosen the good portion” (10:38-42)
The Friend at Midnight (11:5-8)
The Parable of the Rich Fool (12:13-21)
The Parable of the Lost Coin (15:8-10)
The Parable of the Lost Son (15:11-32)
The Parable of the Shrewd Steward (16:1-8)
Lazarus and the Rich Man (16:19-31)
Ten Lepers Cleansed (17:11-19)
The Parable of the Persistent Widow (18:1-8)
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (18:9-14)
Dinner with Zacchaeus (19:1-10)
Who Is the Greatest? (22:24-32)
Jesus Before Herod Antipas (23:6-12)

He never met Christ in person, but in his Gospel he says that he came to know about Jesus by talking to eyewitnesses to the events of Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection.

Given the similarities that Luke has to Matthew and Mark (the other two Synoptic Gospels), it is likely that he used one or both of these.

One of the eyewitnesses he likely interviewed was the Virgin Mary herself. Luke records the material in the infancy narrative in a way that implies Mary was the source of much or all of it

Another one of his sources was Paul. One way of showing this is that the words of institution for the Eucharist in Luke’s Gospel (see Luke 22:19-20) is very similar to the formula used by Paul (see 1 Cor. 11:24-25). It is less similar to the formula used in Matthew and Mark (see Matt. 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24)

Luke was a doctor and he traveled with Paul on his second missionary journey. In fact, Paul calls Luke his “beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). He was the one person who was said to have remained with Paul during his imprisonment and until his death.

Because he cared for the bodily needs of others, Luke is the patron saint of doctors. He is also the patron saint of artists because it is believed that he painted a famous portrait of Mary.

The symbol for Luke’s Gospel is an ox, an animal that was often sacrificed as an offering to God in ancient times. In his writings about Jesus, Luke reminds us of the great sacrifice Jesus made to save all people through his death on the cross and his Resurrection.

St. Luke is mentioned by name in three passages of Scripture and thus is more evidence that he was a frequent companion of Paul:

  • In Colossians 4:14, St. Paul writes: “Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.”
  • In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul writes: “Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you; for he is very useful in serving me.”
  • And in Philemon 23-24, Paul writes: “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.”

Sermon, Pentecost 18, Oct. 9, 2022 – Jesus and the Ten Lepers

Today’s scriptures remind us that faith and gratitude go hand in hand when we respond to God’s healing power at work in our lives. 

In today’s gospel story, Jesus is in the region between Galilee and Samaria, heading for Jerusalem.  Both Jews and Samaritans must have lived in the village that Jesus entered.  But even if they did live together in the same village, they probably stuck to their own groups.  After all, the Jews looked down on the Samaritans, and I would imagine that the Samaritans did not care to be around the Jews either.  

But all of them, both the Jews and Samaritans, avoided the lepers and stayed away from them.  Jewish law required that these people with a fatal skin disease that slowly stole away their bodies and finally their lives had to stay away from those who were well.  The lepers were avoided by everyone.    

A Samaritan with leprosy must have felt doubly cursed and outcast. 

Maybe the Samaritan leper in today’s gospel lingered in the back of the group as the others called out to Jesus asking for mercy.  The Samaritan must have wondered if this Jewish healer would extend mercy even to him, a despised Samaritan.    

Maybe he was surprised when Jesus did not cull him out because he was a Samaritan, unworthy of healing.     

But Jesus sees all the lepers  and tells them all to “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”  It was on the way to the priests that all ten lepers were made clean.  I suppose the other nine went to the priests as Jesus had told them to do, because they wanted the priests to examine them and to formally declare them clean.  With the priests’ blessing  they could return to whatever was left of their former lives.  

The Samaritan did not ever make it to the priests.  When he saw that  God had healed him, he needed no other validation.   He was free at last, and so he turned back to thank Jesus,  shouting out his praise and thanksgiving to God.     

Out of the group of the ten lepers, only the Samaritan recognized that God and Jesus were part of the same healing fabric of love and mercy that had just enfolded him and made him clean, and his gratitude knew no bounds.  

As the leper threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him, Jesus took note that the other nine had not returned to say thank you.    Only the Samaritan had made the connection that Jesus, the healer, was doing God’s work and had returned to give thanks to God for the healing he had received through Jesus.  

In the parallel Old Testament reading, Naaman, a commander in the Syrian army, cursed with leprosy, is washed clean when he follows the prophet Elisha’s instructions and bathes in the Jordan River.  

After his healing, Naaman returns to the prophet to say thank you before he returns home.   Like the leper that Jesus healed, Naaman realizes that the healing power that came to him through Elisha is the healing power of God.  Out of gratitude, Naaman becomes a follower of the God of Israel, the One who has brought him healing. 

But what about offering faithful gratitude to God when life brings hardships our way—when pain slows us down, or when we don’t get the physical healing we had hoped to receive, or when our lives don’t play out in the ways that we had expected.  

There’s one more person in today’s Old Testament lesson that I just have to mention because she is one who must be full of faithful gratitude to God even though her life has taken an unexpected turn and she has ended up in slavery. 

Although she only has a bit part in the story, without her, Naaman may never have been healed of his leprosy and come to know God. 

This is the young girl serving Naaman’s wife, who says to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria!  He would cure him of his leprosy.” 

This young girl, unnamed in the story, has certainly endured hardship.  Imagine being snatched from your family, taken from your familiar surroundings into a foreign land, and then being made to work for the family of the commander of the army that has carried you into captivity. 

And yet, despite these hardships that have been imposed on her, this young girl willingly shares the information that will lead to the healing the person who is ultimately responsible for her hardships! 

Scripture doesn’t tell us anything else about the girl, but I believe that her faith in God and her gratitude to God that she was even alive allowed her to give thanks in her current circumstances and to be generous toward a person  that she could have chosen to hate.      

The girl sees beyond her own difficulties and sees and cares that Naaman is a person in need of healing.  She can see that Naaman’s healing will not only benefit him, but also his whole household as well. 

Wouldn’t you love to know more about this young girl and her story?  I would!  But scripture, as it does with so many of the people that inhabit its pages, leaves the details of this girl’s story to our imaginations. 

But her faithful gratitude, which has led to her incredible generosity toward her captor is obvious.    

That’s the kind of faithful gratitude I want, the gratitude toward God even in the hard times, that encourages me to share God’s merciful love with those around me. 

We have all endured rough times and find that gratitude can be in short supply when we are suffering.   

And yet—when we have faith that God is with us, then gratitude for God’s goodness will well up in us like a healing balm, even in the roughest times of our lives.         

Hank Dunn, a hospice chaplain, writes that “if there is one attitude that can sustain us through the most difficult of circumstances, it is ‘the attitude of gratitude.’  This is the ability to give thanks for the gifts in one’s life, not necessarily because of the hardships, but in spite of them.  In other words, we are not grateful that we have a life-threatening illness (or whatever the hardship is), but we are able to give thanks while we have a life threatening illness”  (or whatever the hardship is that we are enduring).  

Cultivating gratitude reminds us that a power greater than ourselves is at work in this world, a power working on our behalf.  We can depend on this power to sustain and heal us even in the hard times.  

Studies have shown that specific activities can help us to cultivate gratitude. The writers of  an online article about gratitude published by Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School,  list some common sense things that we can do to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis—to thank others who have blessed us by expressing our gratitude for what they have done; keeping a list of blessings we’ve received each day in a gratitude journal; counting our blessings; praying and meditating.  

And most important—to remember to give praise to God for our blessings, both great and small, to acknowledge God as the source of our blessings.  

So today, as a way of practicing gratitude right now, let’s pray together the General Thanksgiving found on page 836 in The Book of Common Prayer.   The Rev. Dr. Charles P. Price, a long time professor at Virginia Theological Seminary, wrote this beautiful prayer of gratitude for our current edition of The Book of Common Prayer.    

Let us pray.  

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have
done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole
creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life,
and for the mystery of love.

We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for
the loving care which surrounds us on every side.

We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best
efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy
and delight us.

We thank you also for those disappointments and failures
that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.

Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the
truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast
obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying,
through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life
again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.

Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Christ and
make him known; and through him, at all times and in all
places, may give thanks to you in all things.   Amen. 

Resources:  The Book of Common Prayer 

Hatchett, Marion J.  Commentary on the American Prayer Book.  New York, New York:  The Seabury Press, 1981.  

Dunn, Hank.  Light in the Shadows:  Meditations while living with a life threatening illness.  Copyright 2005 by Hank Dunn.  

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier

Stewardship is…

Stewardship IS..

“The Vestry needs your pledge by Oct. 24. From the Sept 26 sermon, “When I fill out my pledge card this year, I’m going to try to remember that all that I have is a gift—as Richard Rohr says, “It’s all a gift!” –and that I can share my financial gifts freely with not only St Peter’s, but with many other groups as well, the groups that are doing what I would consider to be God’s work out in the world.”

Stewardship is … Everything I do after I say, “I believe.” Stewardship is our thankful and intentional response to the question, “What is God calling me to do with the gifts God has entrusted to me?”

Why pledge ? The pledges are the major way to support what St. Peter’s values – food distribution and meals in our community, education, outreach to those in need, Christian education and fellowship for all.

We are stewards, caretakers of God’s gifts. Everything we have was a gift from God, and God asks us to use it all for God’s purposes. Generosity flows naturally out of our gratitude for the gift of love, family, and life itself.

Stewards promote the Shalom of the Kingdom: blessings of life, health, growth, harmony, justice, abundance, fulfillment, joy, praise of God

In the church, we are stewards of the good news of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ.We are called to share that good news with new generations. But we live in a world where sharing that news is becoming ever more challenging. In order to share the good news, we need financial and other resources.

Our worries about stewardship tend to focus on money. But stewardship is all about mission. It’s those gifts which help St. Peter’s ministries thrive – food distribution and meals in our community, outreach to those in need, Christian education and fellowship for all.    

Convince people that the church is doing God’s mission and that it will truly transform our lives and our communities … and each of us is an integral part of that mission … heart, mind and body … and the money will follow.

Stewardship is …

+ Sharing in God’s mission with a glad, generous and grateful heart.

+ Transforming lives in our community.

+ Prayerfully responding to God’s call.

+ A deeply spiritual matter.

+ Something that blesses the giver more than the receiver.

Stewardship is discipleship; it is a complete reorientation of our lives toward God, who calls us through Jesus Christ.

Stewardship thoughts from Canterbury Cathedral

This week Canterbury Cathedral iin south England is celebrating their first Generosity Week between Sunday Oct. 3 – Oct.10. As they write, “The aim is to help us in our journey of faith, to consider the significance of generosity as Christians, and to reflect on what we can each do to demonstrate our gratitude for God’s love.”

“Throughout Generosity Week, we will be sharing links to information and reflections on this theme.”

This video which deals with “Giving Time” is part of their reflections and part of the of the Church of England stewardship teachings for this week

“Generosity is at the heart of Christian faith. God gave the world his only Son because he loved it so much. The generosity we show is testament to our lived out faith and our generous God. Each day we can be a generous disciple. Whether that’s giving to those in need or helping a neighbor, generosity lives through these everyday acts of kindness that make a huge difference to people’s lives. This harvest we invite you to join us for Generosity Week as together we will celebrate the generosity of those who have helped us through these difficult times, reflect on God’s generosity to us, and explore how we can grow generosity in our Cathedral community.”

Saint of the Week – Teresa of Avila

Poem – "Christ Has No Body"  

"Christ has no body but yours,
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).

From the 10 Lepers

From the 10 Lepers , Luke 17:11-19

Reflections by The Rt. Rev. David C. Jones

“In this wonderful story from the life of Jesus, we see the connection between gratitude and faith. The Samaritan was so grateful that he prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and profoundly thanked him. It is that expression of gratitude, yes, profound gratitude that is at the heart of our stewardship of time, talent and treasure. We give in response to the One who has given us life and the hope of Salvation. It is an attitude of being “all in”, one expressed by the Samaritan, which informs my participation in church life and personal giving.

“I am “all in” when I am fully present in worship, when I am committed to parish outreach or with my personal giving.

“I am “all in” when I am responding from a heart of gratitude – wanting to give and continue to give of myself, my time, talent and treasure.”

Sunday Links for Pentecost 18, Oct. 9, 2022

Harvest Scene

Oct. 9, 11:00am – Holy Eucharist
Pentecost 18

  • Holy Eucharist, Sun. Oct. 9 Zoom link Oct. 9 Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
  • Lectionary for Oct. 9, 2022, Pentecost 18
  • Bulletin, Oct. 9, 2022
  • Sermon, Oct. 9, 2022
  • Compline, Sun, Oct. 9, 6:00pm Zoom Link Meeting ID: 878 7167 9302 Passcode: 729195
  • Morning Meditation , Mon, Oct. 10, 6:30am Zoom link Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929
  • Ecumenical Bible Study, Wed., Oct. 12, 10am-12pm. Reading lectionary of Oct. 16
  • Wednesday, October 12, Village Dinner, 4:30-6 PM. Eat in or take out. Pork Tenderloin, Rice, Veggie Medley, Dessert Call Susan Linne von Berg to make your reservation. 804-742-5233
  • Friday, Oct. 14, 7pm Beau Soir Concert. (Reception 6:15pm)
  • October, 2022 newsletter
  • All articles for Oct. 9, 2022

    • Stewardship FAQ

    Frequently asked questions about Stewardship at St. Peter’s

    What is stewardship? Stewardship is an expression of gratitude and thankfulness for the blessings of life that come from God. It is love shared and love returned. A life lived in gratitude is a life lived in love

    Why does St. Peter’s call stewardship a spiritual practice? Any spiritual practice is based on faith – faith that the act repeated regularly will increase our awareness of the presence of God and will gradually remove from our lives walls we erect that block God’s grace. Spiritual practices include worship, prayer, silence and meditation, contemplation, reading scripture, and giving. Giving (financial stewardship, in our focus here) has numerous spiritual benefits. Here are just three: First, stewardship reduces our attachment to things material. We learn that by giving away something we “have” really does not diminish us at all. Our needs continue to be met by God. Second, giving chips away at our belief in the concept of “mine” and “yours”. Giving helps us better experience truth that we are indeed one in spirit. And finally, in some mysterious way, our willingness to give determines our willingness to receive. No doubt all of us know someone who would never give anything to someone else and, in turn, would never accept a gift. We must be willing to give in order to be open to receiving. And God is giving to us every moment of the day. Our willingness to give enhances our ability to accept God’s gifts.

    Is my stewardship defined only by the money I give to the church? Absolutely not. Time and service given to others is a critical component of stewardship. Our church can’t function without these gifts of time and service.

    Why is making a pledge important? Pledges have two purposes. One is between you and God.  Pledging yourself to any spiritual practice increases the likelihood you will actually do it. In the fall each year we ask you to commit to the practice of giving. We’re most concerned with your commitment to this practice, and less concerned with how much you give.   For many of us, a pledge to give money to the church is a way that we say thanks to God and practice our faith.

    Second, the vestry does its best to operate the church on a sound financial basis, and having a good handle of how much people plan to give in the coming year enhances the vestry’s ability to plan responsibly.   

    What percent of the church’s annual budget is supported by pledges? About 83%. The rest of the operating budget is supported by cash offerings and donations,. It’s simple – our programs depend on pledge support.

    What happens if I make a pledge and find I cannot fulfill it? Your pledge is not a contract. It is a spiritual commitment. You need to inform the treasurer if you cannot meet or to need to adjust your pledge so that we can make adjustments to operations as needed.

    How much should I give? Am I expected to tithe? If you asked ten different members of the church this question you would likely get ten different answers. We encourage you to give a gift that is meaningful. For someone like Bill and Melinda Gates, who could likely live an extravagant lifestyle on 1% of their income, a tithe of 10% of their income may or may not be meaningful. To the contrary, a single parent with several children in college who has a budget down to the last dollar, a pledge of one-tenth of one-percent may be meaningful. To quote the lyrics from the song “One” by U2 (which started as a Christian rock band), “We’re one, but we’re not the same, we get to carry each other, carry each other”. If we can all give a gift that is meaningful to us, we will be able to reach our goals.

    Practicing Generosity in an Age of Anxiety

    From Penny Nash at St. Stephens, Richmond.

    “We live in anxious times. I receive daily invitations to worry. I am susceptible to anxiety, both free-floating and specific. Loved ones traveling, Ebola, terrorists, my children, the economy. Discord among friends. And money. Especially money.

    “Over the years, I have tried to practice generosity as a response to anxiety.

    “This only works if I first can remember how generous God is to us-and to me. I remember our stories: how God provided manna in the wilderness; how Jesus made gallons upon gallons of wine at Cana; how the disciples/fishermen caught so many fish their nets nearly broke; how many people Jesus fed on the mountain and how many he healed in every town and city; how the oil and flour never gave out for the widow of Zarephath; how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

    “If I truly believe in God’s generosity, then perhaps I can let go of my anxiety and try to be generous myself. But this has to happen not only in my head but also in my actions. And that’s where we get to the part about money.

    “A wise mentor told me that when he starts feeling anxious about money, that means he needs to write a check. He needs to give money away so that it will not have control over him, feed his anxiety, and make him grasping and hard-hearted. He needs to give money away so that he will realize he is fine, he has what he needs, he can trust God. His kids will still be able to go to college even if he gives generously to God’s mission on earth through the church.

    “God is good. We have more than enough. So in the face of anxiety, be generous. I’ve tried it. And it works.”

    Village Harvest, 9 months 2022 boosts totals over 2021

    Through, Sept 2022, St. Peter’s has fed 794 people exceeding the 9 month period in 2021 which saw 723 come to the Harvest. Food distributed has been less, however, at 10,848 vs. 10,976 pounds, a 1.1% decline.  Pounds per person fell in the last year from 15.2 to 13.7.  However, 13.7 is still ahead of the years before 2020.

    The  selections of food was concentrated in produce 35%, grocery 31% and meat 34%. The produce percentage was the largest since May at 43% 1,089 pounds were distributed in Sept.  compared to 915 in August, the low for 2022.  1,089 pounds is still under the 12 month average of 1,181.