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.

Matthew’s Bridesmaid story – Some background on Jewish weddings

The Way of Jewish weddings!The groom and his family gather at their household (married couples tended to remain living with the groom’s parents for as long as the parents survived). The bride and her family and guests gather at her household.

The groom and his family make their way to the bride’s house to collect the bride to escort the bride to his father’s house. The dowry had to be agreed Last minute haggling between the groom and his father-in-law over the dowry was commonplace. Such haggling symbolized the esteemed value of the bride, but many times delayed the wedding.

The wedding party would take the longest route through the village to finally arrive at their home. The more houses they visited, the more well-wishes (and gifts) they received. You didn’t want to leave one home out because no one wanted ill feelings on a wedding day. That could bring bad fortune. This day was an opportunity to reach out to break down some old barriers and to be generous to the poor or forgotten. Along the way there would be much jovial visiting and exuberant hospitality.

As a result no one ever knew when the wedding party would show up at their home (where the final festivities occurred).

At this time, town criers would proclaim the arrival of the groom. Such proclamations alerted those who did not stay at the bride’s house or who waited for the ceremony to begin. Since this was an all-night celebration, napping between events in the wedding was reasonable.

One thing we need to remember about Christ’s era was that there were no street lamps. Therefore, the role of the bridesmaids was more than a cultural display of symbolism. Their lamps lit the path home for the wedding party and all the attendees. It is also important to revisit that God chose to have his Son to be born in an occupied country. The law of that time allowed no one to be on the street after dark without a lamp. To find yourself in that situation was to risk arrest—particularly for these residents of an occupied territory. The great sadness is that it is still that way in many parts of Palestine.

The Bridesmaids would literally provide legitimacy to the homecoming party so they would be safe from the occupying government. They would have to provide their own lamps. Without their lights, the party would look like an insurrection or a mob disguised in wedding attire. Certain religious zealots would have undoubtedly thought of using just such a ploy to attack the Romans.

Having your lamps ready would provide for both the safety and direction of the wedding party. To be ill prepared for the arrival of the wedding party wasn’t just a social faux pas, it meant exposing the entire wedding party to Roman attack.

Because of the political climate and the dangers of the time, once the Host’s gates were shut that is how they would remain. Furthermore, if you truly cared about a family you would not expose them to the risk of a knock on the door in the middle of the night.

Missing a wedding party would be a great loss. There was not a whole lot to celebrate for the masses of impoverished workers in Christ’s day. So a wedding was a grandiose affair generally lasting from the close of one Sabbath to the beginning of the next.

During that week all stops were pulled out and for one short week of their life the bride and groom were called prince & princess. In a life of oppressive drudgery and servitude this was their moment in the sun and everyone shared in their joy.

Photos, Patawomeck Village tour, Nov. 8, 2023, Sacred Ground

(full size gallery)

Tour notes are here

St. Peter’s Sacred Ground group had a wonderful fall tour of the Patawomeck Indian settlement just east of Fredericksburg on Route 17 on Nov. 8, 2023. The goal of the visit was to understand their history and culture as well as our role as well. They are one of 11 tribes recognized by Virginia.

There is the 1915 home originally owned by Duff Green that has two rooms of history plus an outside village that opened just this year in July. It is a “work in progress”. The tribe did most of the work to repair the house and create the village.

The tribe originally settled in North Stafford but moved south when Quantico took some of the land. The Indians played a major role in helping the Jamestown colony survive during the winter of 1609-1610 (“the starving time”). Unfortunately, the English did not return the favor but pushed them out. A group settled near us in Port Royal from 1750 to 1820 when they then moved to the Little Falls area of Stafford County and coalesced. There are 2,500 in the tribe today. Thanks to Brad Hatch, a member of tribe and Tribal Council for his tour. An excellent tour and definitely a site worth visiting!

Episcopal Church Men (ECM) Thanksgiving collection

As of Sun, Nov. 5, the ECM fund stands at $1014.13. They will send $500 to Social Services to provide for 10 Thanksgiving dinners @ $50 each, with all remaining funds to go to Social Services later for Christmas presents.

This is the second largest donation over four years since 2020.

Sunday Links, Nov. 12, 2023

Scriptures about Judgment in November


  • Web site
  • YouTube St. Peter’s Page for viewing services
  • Facebook St. Peter’s Page
  • Location – 823 Water Street, P. O. Box 399, Port Royal, Virginia 22535
  • Sun. Nov. 12 2023, 11am Church service – Eucharist Live or YouTube St. Peter’s Page
  • Lectionary link for Nov. 12, Pentecost 24

  • Serving – Holy Eucharist
    Lector: Johnny Davis
    Chalice Bearer: Alice Hughes
    Altar Cleanup: Andrea Pogue
  • Snacks for King George Elementary due Sun., Nov. 12
  • Mutual Ministry Review for the Vestry, Tues., Nov 14, 8:30AM-12:30PM. The purpose of this meeting is to consider where we’ve come as a community and where we want to go together in ministry as a church. The Rev. Deacon Salli Hartman will lead this time of discernment. If you are not on the Vestry, but would like to attend, please let Catherine know. All input is welcome
  • Ecumenical Bible Study, Wed., Nov. 15 10am-12pm, Parish House Reading Lectionary for Nov 19, Pentecost 25
  • Village Harvest, Wed., Nov. 15, 3pm-5pm. Beginning the 10th year! Please email Andrea to volunteer at wakepogue.public@gmail.com, or (540) 847-9002. Pack bags 1-3PM, Deliver food to clients’ cars 3-5PM.
  • Art Auction for Mary Peterman’s paintings – Round 1 Nov 12-Nov. 19 (6pm). Bid here.
  • ECM Christmas Donations due Dec. 3
  • Write a check to “ECM Christmas”

  • All articles for Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023
  • Nov., 2023 newsletter
  • Looking ahead…

  • Stewardship pledges for 2024 are due by Sun., Nov 19th. By pledge (Estimate of Giving) card or online

  • Sun., Nov 26, 3:30 PM Advent workshop. Families, come make a family Advent wreath. The cost will be covered by the ECW. Kids can make nativity scenes, pinecone bird feeders and decorate cookies
  • Recent Articles, Sun., Nov. 12, 2023

    Pentecost, Nov. 12, 2023
    Bulletin
    Lectionary for Pentecost 24
    November’s lectionary – JUDGMENT!
    Commentary Nov. 12
    Matthew’s Bridesmaids – Jewish weddings
    The bridesmaids in our own lives
    Dr. King and the Book of Amos
    Vanderbilt visual commentary
    Stewardship Commentary – Abundance and Generosity
    Veterans Day

    Ministries
    Art Auction for Mary Peterman’s, Round 1
    Giving Tues, Nov. 28
    The Village Harvest, Oct. 2023, the end of 9 years
    Results ECM Thanksgiving
    Upcoming ECM Christmas donations

    Stewardship 2024
    To be a Church Rooted in Love
    Planning your financial giving
    Options for estimating your giving
    Ministry Connections

    About Stewardship
    5 Principles of Stewardship
    Stewardship is…
    Stewardship FAQ

    Fall photos
    Autumnal Tints
    Golden Days of early Nov.

    Summary of Diocesan Convention, Fri. Nov 5 from Andrea Pogue

    The topic for Friday was “Closing the Gap between religion and life” How do we close it? It was led by Bishop Stevenson and guest speaker Dr. Catherine Meeks

    They talked about reparations, racism, church declining numbers, and young people.

    1 Reparations are not only associated with money but is about relationship with one another, acknowledging the wrong that was done, the struggles that we are still facing, haves and haves-nots which are for the most part due to the color of their skin.
    2. Race. In the church, the community is diverse. One person spoke about their community as more than 50% Afro-Americans but only 17% in church. Are we not approachable? Is our faith keeping people away? Let’s do something about that.
    3. Decline in church – Bishop Stevenson mentioned a church that had declined to 15 members, 4 -5 years ago. Now -5 years later they have 40 members in the church. That’s awesome!

    Read more

    Pentecost 24, Proper 27, Year A

    I.Theme –   Prepare for Christ – The Second coming – Be Prepared !

     "Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins"

    The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

    Old Testament – Amos 5:18-24
    Psalm – Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20
    Epistle –1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
    Gospel – Matthew 25:1-13 

    Amos warns that justice and righteousness, not empty ritual and thoughless offerings are how to prepare. Amos’s words speak warning to the people who desire the day of the Lord, the day of judgment. God warns those who desire the day of judgment, thinking God is on their side, because God will execute justice and it will be darkness, not light, for those who seek it. This passage is a warning to those who are so religious they put being religious above doing the teachings of their religions. God says “I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies” (vs. 21). God does not desire our best religious persona, our best religious face to the public–rather, God desires justice and righteousness (vs. 24). God desires for us to do what our faith teaches us–to lift up the poor and help the oppressed. Do we serve our religion, or do we serve our God? Do we serve a particular religious culture or religious politics, or do we serve God? Do we serve a particular religious image, or do we serve the God who created all of us?

    Psalm 70 is a cry for help, a cry for deliverance, a reminder that God desires justice, mercy and righteousness, not religiousness. It is a reminder that we choose to serve God, and that we need to be wary of assuming we are on God’s side. But the plea is for God to remember God’s part of the covenant, too.

    The Wisdom readings emphasize we desire wisdom for living now toward our future meeting with Christ and to discover better ways to be prepared. Wisdom encourages us to actively seek wisdom and its rewards

    1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 also looks ahead to the “day of the Lord,” this time of the reign of Christ coming to fulfillment on earth. When he wrote it, the contemporary Christians, including Paul, expected Jesus to come again in glory quite soon, certainly within their own lifetimes. These paragraphs address a troublesome point: will the few Christians who die in this short period somehow miss out on the benefits of Jesus’ return. Paul says no (although he doesn’t say it simply), because what God has wrought in the death and resurrection of Jesus is powerful enough to save even those already "fallen asleep."

    Paul speaks of the faithful who have died rising with Christ, and those who are left being taken up to be with Christ, meeting in the air. It is a beautiful image, and we are reminded in Paul’s day of the belief that heaven was in the sky, the earth was flat and the land of the dead was below (Sheol or Hades). The language loses no beauty even with our greater understanding of the cosmos–something beautiful will happen when Christ comes into our lives in a new way.

    Matthew 25:1-13 is the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids. This begins a three-parable series in the Gospel of Matthew, the last three parables Jesus tells before he is betrayed. These parables look to the coming reign of God–it has already begun, but it has yet to be fulfilled.

    Jesus tells a story about a party of ten bridesmaids or torchbearers for a procession,chosen to participate in a wedding. Each of the ten virgins is carrying a lamp or torch as they await the coming of the bridegroom, which they expect at some time during the night. Five of the virgins are wise and have brought oil for their lamps. Five are foolish and have only brought their lamps.  

    At midnight, all the virgins hear the call to come out to meet the bridegroom. Realising their lamps have gone out, the foolish virgins ask the wise ones for oil, but they refuse, saying that there will certainly not be enough for them to share. While the foolish virgins are away trying to get more oil, the bridegroom arrives. The wise virgins then accompany him to the celebration. The others arrive too late and are excluded.

    Each of the wise bridesmaids has made her preparation; she is prepared spiritually but preparedness cannot be transferred to others, so their refusal to give oil to the foolish bridesmaids may be intended to show that each one of us is expected to make our own preparation – by living a godly, ethical life. Two surprising events, the door being shut (v. 10) and the failing to recognize the foolish bridesmaids (v. 12), are probably another way of saying that the unprepared will be refused entry to the Kingdom – just as the wicked servant will be punished. We are to be prepared at all times for the end of the age, the Second Coming of Christ

    “The Second Coming of Christ is the medicine our condition especially needs” – C. S. Lewis.z

    Read more