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.

2024 Sun Sept 15

Focus on 5 areas of the Environment in the Season of Creation, 2024

We have taken the five Sundays readings in the Season of Creation and highlighted a specific environmental area which we will cover weekly. (This week, earth; ) How is this area affecting us ? What can we do to improve our use of them ? We have added related scriptures.

1. Earth – Sept 1

Collect “O God, creator of heaven and earth, you have filled the world with beauty and abundance. Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that rejoicing with your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ”

2. Water – Sept 8

Isaiah 55:9-10 “8 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater.”

3. Energy – Sept 15

Isaiah 40:28-31 “The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. 30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; 31 but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

4. Food – Sept 22

James 5:7-8 “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. ”

5. Climate (Deforestation) – Sept 29

Romans 8:18-21 “18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ”

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

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

Here is what Gay Rahn, former Associate Rector at St. George’s Fredericksburg, wrote about her several years ago – “Hildegard of Bingen was a twelfth-century mystic, composer, and author. She described the Holy One as the greening Power of God. Just as plants are greened, so we are as well. As we grow up, our spark of life continually shines forth. If we ignore this spark this greening power, we become thirsty and shriveled. And, if we respond to the spark, we flower. ”

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Matthew, Sept. 21, Apostle and Evangelist

Sept. 21 is the day we celebrate the life of the author of the Gospel of Matthew, both Apostle and evangelist due to the Book he wrote.

The meeting between Jesus and Matthew is told in Matthew 9:9–13:
9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew was one of the 12 apostles that were with Jesus Christ throughout His public ministry on earth. The consensus among  scholars is that this book in the Bible was written in the  mid-70’s, 40 years after the resurrection. It was the second Gospel written after Mark, 10 years earlier. 

Matthew was a Jewish tax collector who left his profession to follow Jesus. As an apostle of the Lord, he dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel and leading the early church. Matthew gives a personal witness account of many miracles that Jesus performed prior to being crucified on a Roman cross.

He wrote  after the destruction of the temple by the Romans and massacre of the Jewish priests. Many thought they were in the end days. He was a Greek speaker who also knew Aramaic and Hebrew. He drew on Mark and a collection of the sayings of the Lord (Q), as well as on other available traditions, oral and written. He was probably a Jewish Christian and we think the book was written in Antioch in Syria where a community had developed.

The purpose of this book is to prove to readers that Jesus is the true Messiah that was prophesized in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Kingdom begins with us . The author of the Gospel of Matthew, more than the other synoptic writers, explicitly cites Old Testament messianic writings. With 28 chapters, it is the longest Gospel of the four.

It begins by accounting the genealogy of Jesus, showing him to be the true heir to David’s throne. The genealogy documents Christ’s credentials as Israel’s king. Then the narrative continues to revolve around this theme with his birth, baptism, and public ministry.

The Sermon on the Mount highlights Jesus’ moral teachings and the miracles reveal his authority and true identity. Matthew also emphasizes Christ’s abiding presence with humankind

The Gospel organizes the teachings of Jesus into five major discourses: the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7), the Commissioning of the 12 Apostles (chapter 10), the Parables of the Kingdom (chapter 13), the Discourse on the Church (chapter 18), and the Olivet Discourse (chapters 23-25). The emphasis corresponds to the 5 great books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch .

He preached the Gospel in Judea before embarking on missions to other lands, with Ethiopia often cited as one of his destinations. One notable tradition associated with Matthew involves his encounter with King Hirtacus in Ethiopia. Matthew’s steadfast devotion to his faith led him to confront the king for lusting after Ephigenia, a nun consecrated to God. Matthew’s rebuke, delivered at a Mass, ultimately led to his martyrdom, solidifying his commitment to his faith

Sunday Links, Sept. 15, 2024

17th Sunday After Pentecost Sept 15, 11am. Season of Creation 3

  • Web site
  • YouTube St. Peter’s Page for viewing services
  • Facebook St. Peter’s Page
  • Instagram St. Peter’s Page
  • Location – 823 Water Street, P. O. Box 399, Port Royal, Virginia 22535
  • Staff and Vestry

  • Wed., Sept 18, Ecumenical Bible 10am in the Parish House reading the lectionary for Sept 22

  • All articles for Sunday, Sept 15, 2024

    • Recent Articles, Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Sept 15, 2024

    Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Season of Creation 3, Sept. 15

    Season of Creation 3, Sept. 15


    Lectionary, Sept. 15
    Commentary -Lectionary, Pentecost 17, Sept 15, 2024
    Season of Creation Week 3, lectionary commentary
    Visual Lectionary Vanderbilt, 17th Sunday after Pentecost, Sept. 15, 2024


    Episcopal lingo, Part 4 – the Ministers
    Holy Cross Day, Sept. 14
    Matthew, Sept. 21, Apostle and Evangelist


    From Week 3, Sept. 15 – Native Plants
    Focus on 5 areas of the Environment
    The Advantages of Native Plants
    Native Plants on the Rappahannock
    Boosting Pollinators during the Season of Creation
    Caring for God’s creation, the Virginia Creeper
    Introducing the Obedient native plant

    From Week 2, Sept 8 – Climate Change
    Focus on 5 areas of the Environment
    Where are we on the tipping points of climate change
    Summing end of 2023 progress on climate change
    Assessing Climate – What’s NOT Working?

    From Week 1, Sept 1 – Introduction
    Why a Season of Creation ?
    What is the Season of Creation ?
    The Season of Creation, 2024
    Connecting to the Season of Creation
    Keys to the Season of Creation
    Spritual Reflections on Nature and Humankind

    Lectionary, Pentecost 17, Proper 19, Year B, Sept 15, 2024

    I. Theme –  Actions speak louder than words. We must match up our words and actions.

    "Christ Carrying the Cross” – Lorenzo Lotto (1526)

    "Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."- Mark 8:31

    The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

    Old Testament – Isaiah 50:4-9a
    Psalm – Psalm 116:1-8 Page 759, BCP
    Epistle – James 3:1-12
    Gospel – Mark 8:27-38  

    Today’s scriptures ask us to demonstrate our Christian beliefs through appropriate actions. In Isaiah, God’s servant remains obedient in the face of suffering and remains confident of God’s guidance and support. Proverbs invites us to begin the search for Wisdom. James reminds us of the destructive power of even a few evil words. In the gospel, after allowing himself to be identified as the Messiah, Jesus points out that sharing in his mission means embracing a life of sacrifice.

    “Quick, now! Who do you say that I am?” Most of us, if caught flat-footed by the question, would fumble around and wish we had a handy catechism to consult. Quick-to-respond Peter blurts out, “You are the Messiah!”

    In Echoing God’s Word, Jim Dunning calls Peter “one of the first Christians to mouth a doctrine without the foggiest idea of what it means.” Peter thought messiahship implied pomp, status, perks and power. Jesus interpreted it to mean “navigating stormy seas, eating with rejects, following down the road that leads to drinking the cup of suffering with our most broken and wounded sisters and brothers.”

    Some of us, like Peter, dream of the perks that our association with Jesus might bring. But Jesus points instead to the suffering, the paradoxical loss of life, the hard road that leads to Calvary…a difficult journey indeed, ultimately continuing to Easter.

    Consistency, congruency—this leads to authenticity. To be an authentic follower of Christ, we must match up our words and actions. We must remain faithful even in times of struggle. We must turn inward first to God before our words lead us astray—we must think before we speak. And we must remember that our lives and words are witnesses to Christ’s presence in our lives, and if we truly wish to walk with insight, to walk with Christ, we must remember that we can’t be focused on our own desires and need, but on the way of God, which is beyond ourselves and beyond our time.

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    The Gospel – a Turning Point

    From the “Presbyterian Outlook”

    “Today’s gospel reading can be compared to the midpoint of a movie. It’s a major turning point that raises the stakes and moves the story in a new direction. Consider the heartbreak you felt when Andy left behind Woody and Buzz at Pizza Planet in “Toy Story.” How sweaty did your palms get when J. Robert Oppenheimer realized his bomb’s devasting potential in “Oppenheimer”? These moments clarify the film’s central conflict, setting up the climax.

    “Many believe Mark 8:27-38 heralds a similarly crucial moment in the Gospel. It signifies a shift in Jesus’ journey, moving the focus from his teachings, healings and preaching to his impending crucifixion in Jerusalem. Like all good midpoint moments, it illuminates the tension building.

    “The passage opens with a discussion on Jesus’ identity. In Caesarea Philippi, a seat of Rome’s imperial power, Peter proclaims Jesus as the Messiah or Christ. This declaration mirrors the language of the empire, which claimed gods selected emperors. Yet, it also challenges this notion. While the empire governs with authority over the people, the rule of God embodied in Jesus originates from and is shared with the people.

    “In the next scene, Jesus reveals his impending suffering. Until now, Jesus has been known for his empathy and commitment to bringing wholeness to individuals and the entire community. Unsurprisingly, Peter had a strong reaction when he heard Jesus discussing his forthcoming suffering. He had just acknowledged Jesus’ liberating deeds as evidence of God’s power and compassion by proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah. Now, he struggles with the idea of Jesus facing vulnerability and death.

    “Yet, the suffering Jesus speaks of is not a means to an end but rather a consequence of paying attention to the pain experienced by those living under oppressive systems and working to eradicate and dismantle them. Peter’s understanding of power and suffering is centered on dominance and command while Jesus demonstrates his power through service and suffering with others.

    “This transformational perspective on power and suffering has a similar implication for Jesus’ followers.”