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.

2023 Sun June 18

Midsummer’s Night – June 21-24

Midsummer’s Night, Celebrate Light and community-  

We pass Midsummer’s Night in June . European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place on a day between June 21 and June 24, and the preceding evening

 The Midsummer’s night celebration began in pre -Christian times when it was believed that forces could slip between this world and the next at a time when there was more light than at any time of the year. Fires were lit to ward off the evil spirits.  

We may think of Midsummer’s Night in terms of Shakespeare’s play of the same name. Ironically, most of the play takes place in a dark forest in a wild, mysterious atmosphere, rather than in the light, in which the magical elements of Shakespeare’s plot can be played out. One of the subplots involves the brawl of the ferries, Oberon and Titania which creates a disturbance in nature.  

Midsummer’s Night is the pagan celebration of the solstice. The Compline service is the Christian celebration. It is more general and can and is said daily by many in the world.

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Background to Compline

Compline is one of the 8 services for the day in the Catholic “Liturgy of the Hours”. It was added to the Episcopal Prayer book in 1979

Compline is a service to close the day, an opportunity to give thanks for the joys and graces experienced, a chance to confess the (many) sins committed throughout the day, and the perfect moment to close the day the same way it started: in prayer and asking for God’s protection during the night to come. It is descended from the night prayers said before bed at the end of the monastic round of daily prayer and can be traced back to the 4th century and referenced by St. Benedict, St. Basil, and St. John Chrysostom.

St. Benedict had this to say about the simplicity of Compline: “Let Compline be limited to the saying of three psalms, which are to be said straightforwardly without antiphons, after which let there be the hymn of that hour, a lesson, a versicle, the Kyrie, and a blessing to conclude.”

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Lectionary, Proper 6, 3rd Sunday after Pentecost, June 18, 2023

I.Theme –    Living in a new way

 "Calling of the Disciples" – Domenico Ghirlandaio (1481)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:
Old Testament – Exodus 19:2-8a
Psalm – Psalm 100
Epistle – Romans 5:1-8
Gospel – Matthew 9:35-10:8(9-23)

Today’s readings remind us of God’s saving work in our world and our participation and cooperation to accomplish God’s plan. In Exodus God recounts the saving deeds performed for the people and makes a covenant with them. Paul reminds us that our reconciliation to God in Jesus Christ will lead to our salvation. In the gospel, Jesus sends out the twelve disciples to carry his work and message throughout Israel.

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Village Harvest Prep Work

This is an example of the work that goes on behind the scenes. This happens to be May, 2023. One group goes to the Health Harvest Food Bank in Montross on the Tuesday before the Wednesday, Village Harvest to obtain the food. A separate team is waiting at St. Peter’s on this other team to return. This second group unloads the boxes, opens them, sorts and creates boxes for each client receiving food.

(full size gallery)

What is Juneteenth and Why Do We Celebrate on June 19?

Because the Southern Confederacy viewed themselves as an independent nation, the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free all of the enslaved population because the Rebel governments would not enforce Lincoln’s proclamation. Texas became a stronghold of Confederate influence in the latter years of the Civil War as the slaveholding population ‘refugeed’ their slave property by migrating to Texas.

Consequently, more than 50,000 enslaved individuals were relocated to Texas, effectively prolonging slavery in a region far from the Civil War’s bloodshed, and out of the reach of freedom—the United States Army. Only after the Union army forced the surrender of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith at Galveston on June 2, 1865, would the emancipation of slaves in Texas be addressed and freedom granted. On June 19, 250,000 enslaved people were freed.

The issuing of General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865, marked an official date of emancipation for the enslaved population. Nonetheless, those affected faced numerous barriers to their freedoms. General Order No. 3 stipulated that former slaves remain at their present homes, were barred from joining the military, and would not be supported in ‘idleness.’ Essentially, the formerly enslaved were granted nothing beyond the title of emancipation. The official end of slavery in the United States came with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865.

After becoming emancipated, many former slaves left Texas in great numbers. Most members of this exodus had the goal of reuniting with lost family members and paving a path to success in postbellum America. This widespread migration of former slaves after June 19 became known as ‘the Scatter.’

Why we should welcome refugees ?

Business Insider has written.."Immigrants can strengthen nations. A UK study found migrants boosted the British economy, deepened its labor force, raised wages of native workers, and boosted tax revenues.

"An influx of refugees into Denmark in the 1980s created increased competition for jobs, which encouraged native Danish workers to boost their skill sets. A German economist said immigration would quickly boost economic output in the EU (Euractiv).

"Many thriving entrepreneurs are also immigrants, such as Elon Musk of Tesla, Google’s Sergey Brin, and WhatsApp’s Jan Koum. Oh, and Steve Jobs’ dad was a Syrian immigrant."  Enterpreneur Magazine has said the same thing. Plus refugees bring their own skillset – "By bringing their unique perspectives and skill sets to a new country, refugees are more than capable of finding new ways of doing business." Many are not trying to take jobs but create jobs.

Moreover throughout the Bible there are numerous statements from the Old to the New Testament on welcoming the stranger."Deuteronomy 10: "You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." The in Hebrews 13: "Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it."

Jamaica Project Update – Supplies left to purchase As of June 16

Donate school supplies for the children at the Victoria School in Jamaica. Two ways to do it:

  • 1. Purchase the actual supplies through Amazon. Ship the supplies to P.O. Box 385, Port Royal Va 22535. Purchases due on June 18, 2023

    Here are the current items left as of June 16 which are left to purchase.

  • 2. Make a check to St Peter’s with Jamaica/Victoria School on the memo line. This will cover remaining costs – computer supplies and shipping of school supplies. As of June 11, we had collected $1,500!

    • Checks are due by the end of June. Checks are needed in two areas. (We do not have the costs yet). 1. Cost of the monitors, keyboards and mice for 7 computers. The computers are being donated. The school does not have any computers, currently. 2. Cost of shipping- the school supplies and computers.

    Thank you for your donation.

    Notebook Paper Collection for Caroline’s Promise School Supply Distribution

    Sunday, July 16th is the deadline for St Peter’s to collect 8.5”looseleaf, hole punched notebook paper for Caroline County school children, to be distributed by Caroline’s Promise on Saturday, July 29th.   Our goal is 200 packs of 8.5×11 looseleaf notebook paper, 3 hole punched .  There is no specific quantity (200, 500 sheets, etc) to purchase. Most of them have been 150 sheet packs

    [As of July 9 we have collected 37 packs of notebook paper. One week to go. ]

    Bring your donation to church and place it in the back pew.  If you’d like to make a monetary donation toward this project, write a check to St Peter’s and put Notebook Paper/Outreach on the memo line. 

    We have frequently partnered with Caroline’s Promise for school supplies. (Last year it was markers). Caroline’s Promise works to help young people in Caroline County to succeed by providing a healthy start and future, one of their five promises.  You can read more about Caroline’s promise at

    this link.  https://www.carolinespromise.org/

    Their distribution July 29, 10am-12pm

    Caroline Middle School
    13325 Devils Three Jump Road
    Milford VA 22514

    Back to Jamaica in 2023

    In 2021, St. Peter’s fundraising contributed $3,000 for the school project. Here is the presentation from that trip.

    A mission trip was organized to setup the school distribution. The supplies were sent ahead of the distribution.

    In 2023 we are refreshing the supplies as well as moving to supply additional items, like computers. This year only Andrea, Ken and Laura will be going to deliver the supplies.

    Background

    Donate here

    Victoria Primary School, formerly Victoria All-Age is located in North West St. Catherine about two (2) miles from the major town of Linstead in the farming community of Victoria. Victoria, along with the adjoining community of Banbury, where most of the children are from, has a populace of over 20,000.

    Approximately 10 % of the adult population is dependent on farming for a living, some of the produce from this activity is sold at the Linstead Market and the remainder kept for domestic use. Another 30% depends on vending as their main means of livelihood, 40% is employed while the remaining 20% is unemployed.

    The current parent population is very young with the average age being about 25 years. Most of them have attained secondary level of education but have not moved on to tertiary learning but instead have acquired a skill in order to become employable.

    The school was originally a shift school, an elementary. It was built to house about 200 children. At the time of the 2021 mission trip school population it was 330

    At the beginning of each school year, some parents often have financial challenges in purchasing items to send their children back to school. Some of these include the purchasing of school bags, writing books, pencils and uniforms etc. There are times when past students will assist in purchasing some of these items.