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.

Epiphany 4, Year A – Presentation of the Lord

I.Theme –  The Temple as the place of God’s revelation

“Presentation of Jesus in the Temple”  (detail) – Rembrandt (1631)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

1.  Old Testament – Malachi 3:1-4

2.  Psalm- Psalm 84 OR Psalm 24:7-10

3.  Epistle – Hebrews 2:14-18

4.  Gospel – Luke 2:22-40

The readings focus on the Temple as the place of God’s revelation. When Jesus is brought to the Temple, he becomes the living revelation of God.

Luke 2:22-40. Luke shows Mary and Joseph observing the requirements of the Torah by presenting their firstborn to the Lord and then ransoming him back. Within this scene, Luke paints a meeting between Jesus and two representatives of Israel: Simeon, who is “righteous and devout,” and Anna, a “prophetess.” (Luke frequently presents women in leadership positions where his audience would normally expect a man.)

Malachi 3:1-4. In Jewish thought, the Temple was God’s footstool on earth, the point at which the divine touched creation. In apocalyptic thought, it was the place where the final judgment would take place. That is Malachi’s vision: God will appear seated in the Temple, “refining and purifying,” so that the people might offer pure sacrifice.

Psalm 24. This song was sung by pilgrims as they reached the Temple. Standing outside, they called on the gates to lift up. From inside the Temple, voices sang back a question of faith: “Who is the king of glory?” The answer, given in faith, allowed access to the Temple.

Hebrews 2:14-18. An excerpt from an extended reflection on why Jesus had to be human—he had to be one of the “children” in need of redemption that he might “expiate the sins of the people.”

Read more

Sunday Links, Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany, The Presentation Feb. 2

  • Web site
  • YouTube St. Peter’s Page for viewing services
  • Facebook St. Peter’s Page
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  • Location – 823 Water Street, P. O. Box 399, Port Royal, Virginia 22535
  • Staff and Vestry
  • 1. Wed., Jan. 29, 10am, Ecumenical Bible Study in the Parish House reading the Lectionary for Feb. 2, Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
  • 2. Wed., Jan. 29, 10am, Ecumenical Bible Study in the Parish House reading the Lectionary for Feb 2, The Presentation
  • Sun., Feb. 2, 11am, Holy Eucharist, the Presentation
  • Sun, Feb. 2, 12pm, Coffee Hour Parish House
  • Wed., Feb 5, 10am, Ecumenical Bible Study in the Parish House reading the Lectionary for Feb 9, Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

  • All articles for Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025
  • Recent Articles, Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, The Presentation, Feb. 2, 2025


    Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, The Presentation

    Note: In the Epiphany cycle, Feb 2 is the 4th Sunday after the Epiphany. However, since Feb. 2 is a feast day, the Presentation of Jesus in the temple, the Presentation takes precedence so the lectionary will be the Presentation. The Lectionary for Epiphany 4 is also included below to keep the Epiphany flow going.

    Congregational Meeting, Jan. 26
    The Season after the Epiphany – What’s it all about ? Focus on the Gospels
    Lectionary, The Presentation
    Presentation of the Lord
    Story of Rembrandt’s Presentation in the Temple
    Visual Lectionary Vanderbilt, Feb 2, Presentation
    Candlemas on Feb. 2

    Lectionary, Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
    Commentary, Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

    Rosa Park’s birthday, Feb 4

    The Epiphany was Jan. 6, 2025 The Season after the Epiphany lasts until March 4, Shrove Tuesday.

    Epiphany Sermon, Trinity Episcopal, NY, Jan. 5, 2025
    Epiphany Content and traditions
    3 Miracles associated with the Epiphany
    Epiphany Readings
    The Epiphany – a perfect start to the new year
    Bursting Forth – An Epiphany Reflection

    Black history – Visit to Belle Grove in Feb. 2018

    From a Jan 29, 2018 article

    “Catherine has reserved 10 spots after Bible Study on Feb 28 for a special tour at Belle Grove Plantation just over the river in King George to understand the slave experience there as part of Black History month. Please let her know by Feb. 7 if you would like to take this special tour. We will start with lunch at 1pm in the Parish House and go to the tour at 2pm. There is no charge – donations are accepted.

    “Here’s the background. After months of research and development, owners Brett and Michelle Darnell opened their Enslaved Experience and History Tour. Not only does the tour discuss the enslaved experience, but it also discusses how the enslaved community changed the way Americans ate with a discussion on foods and cooking techniques brought from Africa during the slave trade years. The tour runs two hours.

    “Records were sparse at Belle Grove. However, the Darnells found another source. During the 1930s, slave narratives were collected as part of the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration. At the conclusion of the slave narrative project, a set of edited transcripts was assembled as “Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves.” Using three stories, she created a tour that covers experiences and history from the perspective of a former slave.

    “When the Darnells bought the home, she went to the Library of Virginia to pull death records for King George. She writes “But the hardest thing to see was the entries of slaves with just a first name. Then the cause of death to be listed as “unknown”. In some cases, the date of the death wasn’t known either. Then the ones who they didn’t know the parents or in case just to know the mother’s first name.”

    “I think this is why this part of history has become so important to me. These people were born here, lived here and died here. Nothing was recorded for most of them. There is no grave marker that say “I was here.” No newspaper announcement. No fanfare. And the only way I know about them is the meager information that was listed.”

    More Information – Free Lance-Star