2022 Sun Sept 11

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) – musician, writer, prophetess – and saint

Articles / September 17, 2022 / / 5 minutes of reading

We celebrate Hildegard’s life on September 17.

Accounts written in Hildegard’s lifetime  (1098-1179) and just after describe an extraordinarily accomplished woman: a visionary, a prophet (she was known as “The Sibyl Of The Rhine”), a pioneer who wrote practical books on biology, botany, medicine, theology and the arts. She was a prolific letter-writer to everyone from humble penitents looking for a cure for infertility to popes, emperors and kings seeking spiritual or political advice. She composed music and was known to have visions

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Holy Cross Day, Sept. 14

Articles / September 10, 2022 / / 6 minutes of reading

See Our Collection of Crosses

“O BLESSED Saviour, who by thy cross and passion hast given life unto the world: Grant that we thy servants may be given grace to take up the cross and follow thee through life and death; whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit we worship and glorify, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

Holy Cross Day is Sept. 14 in honor of Christ’s self-offering on the cross for our salvation. The collect for Holy Cross Day recalls that Christ “was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world unto himself,” and prays that “we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him” (BCP, p. 192). The themes of Holy Cross Day are powerfully expressed by the hymn “Lift high the cross” (Hymn 473).

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A Spiritual look at Climate Change

Articles, Season of Creation / September 9, 2022 / / 1 minute of reading

The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer

1. Creation is a reflection of the glory of God to be good stewards of God’s creation, which includes all of us who live within it

2. Climate change is a spiritual challenge.  Handling climate change is part of how we live our faith.

3. We have a responsibility to care for the least of us. The poorest amongst us bear the greatest burden and risk of climate change.

4. We are called to respond to what we see around us. We are moral messengers for the common good, translate  compassion into action.

Sunday links, Pentecost 14, Sept. 11, 2022

Sundays / September 15, 2022 / / 1 minute of reading

Collage from Sept. 4

Sept. 11, 11:00am – Holy Eucharist

Season of Creation 2, Sept 1 – Oct. 4

  • Holy Eucharist, Sun. Sept. 11 Zoom link Sept. 11 Meeting ID: 869 9926 3545 Passcode: 889278
  • Lectionary for Sept. 11, 2022,
    Pentecost 14
  • Bulletin, Sept. 11, 2022
  • Compline returns, Sun, Sept 11, 6:00pm
    Zoom Link Meeting ID: 878 7167 9302 Passcode: 729195
  • Morning Meditation returns, Mon, Sept 12, 6:30am Zoom link Meeting ID: 879 8071 6417 Passcode: 790929
  • Climate Change— “Educate- Understanding the basis of climate change”, Sept. 12, 7pm Zoom link Meeting ID: 878 1530 9573 Passcode: 276113
  • Holy Cross Day, Wed, Sept. 14
  • Ecumenical Bible Study, Wed, Sept. 14, 10am-12pm. Reading lectionary of Sept. 18
  • Village Dinner, Wed, Sept. 14, 4:30pm-6pm Take out only this month. Call Susan Linne von Berg to make your reservation. 804-742-5233
  • All articles for Sept. 11, 2022

    • The choir was back this week and sang the offertory “All Things Wise and Wonderful.” We had 31 including 2 visitors.

    The Season of Creation was sprinkled throughout the service from the Scottish Blessing to the Collect which was a Creation Collect, the Affirmation “preserve God’s creation for prosperity”, the Prayers of the People “We pray for the earth. As you seek out those who are lost, give us the grace to seek out what has been lost on this earth due to our greed and negligence” and Tom’s sermon.

    Lectionary Pentecost 17, Year C, Sept 11, 2022

    Commentary / September 10, 2022 / / 10 minutes of reading

    I. Theme –  Punishment and Grace

    The lectionary readings are here or individually:  

    First Reading – Exodus 32:7-14
    Psalm – Psalm 51:1-11
    Epistle – 1 Timothy 1:12-17
    Gospel – Luke 15:1-10 

    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. In the gospel, Jesus tells stories that illustrate God’s great joy over each sinner who repents.

    If God’s grace welcomes back the apostle Paul, despite his persecution of early Christians, will it welcome back the wealthy whose largess has come at the expense of the poor. Grace transforms the past, and opens us to become new creations.  We still may have to face the consequences of the past; but grace leads to new behaviors and openness to expanded divine possibilities for ourselves and the good Earth.

    Jesus makes clear in the Gospel that everyone falls within the shadow of salvation, regardless of their past behavior and place in society. What Jesus is doing is placing worth and value on what others had deemed worthless. The Jewish mystical tradition proclaims that when you save one soul, you save the world.  This wisdom provides a creative lens through which to read the parable of the lost sheep. 

    Each one of us is made in the image of God; therefore, each one of us is worthy. Because of that, we are valued. We belong to God. And God will seek us out to the ends of the earth as a lost sheep, into all the cracks and darkness and lonely, lost places as a lost coin. We are not forgotten to God, even when we fall into despair, into addiction, into hopelessness.

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    Evening Prayer thoughts from Sept 11, 2016

    Uncategorized / September 9, 2022 / / 1 minute of reading

    We offered a service of Evening Prayer Sunday 6pm in 2016 for those who served and those who gave their lives 15 years ago on 9/11.

    This is a short but important service.

    Rev. Gary Jones of St. Stephens in Richmond wrote about 9/11 wrote about the positives from the even

    “At times like this, it’s as if we become like the prodigal son. We come to ourselves, we remember our true life, and we know we need to go back home. And that is certainly what happened 15 years ago. A nation deeply divided by a bitterly contested presidential election came together in an extraordinary show of unity. It was as if we woke up and came to ourselves. We returned to prayer, and we recovered a sense of unity, kindness, and compassion. We realized then what we from time to time remember now, that it shouldn’t take a tragedy to awaken this spirit in us.” ”

    There is certainly a solemnity about this anniversary, but there is also a bright and hopeful reminder of our potential – there is a light within us all that is simply waiting to be uncovered. Many of us have poignant memories of 9/11. One of mine is a gathering of 300 beaming little girls – singing, praying, hugging, and finally giggling with delight as they waved goodbye after chapel. Nine-eleven reminds me, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”

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