Today was Quinquagesima, the Sunday before the beginning of Lent. Sunrise found Mount Olympus in the clouds, misty rain and 39°F. Down the hill at church it was just starting to rain, but the temperature was considerably warmer at 51°F. Today was Super Bowl Sunday. With worship on their minds, 24 members showed up for church.
Special recognition today to Acolyte Nick Patton. Nick is new to the acolyte job; he is normally Second Server. Today, Acolyte Jack Arnold was home sick with a high fever and Nick was on his own. Nick did a great job, accepted a bit of help and came through great. Wonderful job Nick!
Quinquagesima, the term used to denote the last Sunday before Lent (alluding to the fact that there are fifty days between that Sunday and Easter, if one counts both days themselves in the total). It is the last Sunday of the Pre-Lenten Season, which eventually became the time for carnival celebrations throughout Europe, this custom being later exported to places settled and/or colonized by Europeans.
Free Teen Guitar Class - FTGC
Today was the first Sunday of the month, that means the Free Teen Guitar Class provides the music for the service. With Jack Arnold sick, the attendance was down. The participants consisted of Ashley Turner and Father Ironhand. They did an excellent job. Thanks, Ashley!
Father Acker’s Pre-Service Class - Around the Bible in 70 Days
Today was the third in a ten week tour of the Bible, 10 minutes of teaching each Sunday, beginning at 8:30am. It was also the first with the use of a video projector upon which Father Acker was able to project maps of the area he was discussing in class. A survey of the congregation found the maps well received.
Summary up through today:
God created the world and all that is therein and it was GOOD.
Sin enters the world, via that old nemesis, free will, subtle it distorts, escalates, cascades; then Adam and Eve turn their backs on God— and were ashamed.
The sin continues throughout the generations:
• In the second, Cain murders Abel;
• In the seventh, Lamech marries two women and kills in response to an insult
• By chapter Six, it was all evil, all the time;
• God decides to clean house and washes sin from the earth, or so He hopes.
• Noah comes off the ark, gets drunk and curses his children;
• The people decide to reach for the sky with the Tower of Babel.
The lesson is we, alone, have not the power to overcome sin.
God chooses Abram, who becomes Abraham, to start a people, the Hebrews or Jews, His people. Abraham has a son Jacob, who in turn has twelve sons, the origin of the Twelve Tribes of the Jews.
One of those sons, Jacob becomes the “Prime Minister” of Egypt. Abraham ends up coming to Egypt in the land of Goshen with 72 people. The sojourn turns to captivity and after 400 years, the people have grown from 72 free people to two million slaves.
God did not enslave the people, they allowed their slavery. He did use the slavery to their edification. They learned what it was like to be on the wrong end of the whip, to be dispossessed. From these slaves, God rose up the single most significant figure in the Old Testament, Moses.
Moses started out life in a rush basket, floating down the Nile, where his recovery by Pharaoh’s wife was engineered.
His mother became his wet nurse and he was raised as a son to Pharaoh, all the while knowing he was a Hebrew. At the age of about forty, he killed an Egyptian overseer and fled to Midian. There he met his wife Zipora and stayed tending flocks for 40 years. Forty years chosen, Forty years in exile and then?
And then, God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, “Tell Pharaoh, ‘Let my people go!’” Moses was not a willing tool. He tried everything he could think of to get out of the position God wanted him to be in.
God cursed Pharaoh with ten plagues, each targeting a specific Egyptian god; the last being the death of the first born sons.
The Hebrews leave Egypt crossing the Red Sea, most likely at the Gulf of Suez, down Sinai Peninsula to Mount Sinai.
At Mount Sinai, the people are given two great gifts: The Law and the Tabernacle.
The Law was a series of ten principles by which the covenant people were to live with God and one another. Laws one through four cover the relationship with God and five through ten deal with living with one another:
1. No other gods
2. No idols
3. Don’t use wrongly use God’s name
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy
5. Honor your father & mother
6. No murder
7. No adultery
8. No stealing
9. No false testimony
10. Don’t covet your neighbor’s anything
The sixth commandment is sometimes translated, “Thou shalt not kill.” That is an incorrect translation. Clearly, if for no other reason that several verses later the people are instructed when killing is appropriate. There are six words in Hebrew that are used to indicate the termination of life. The one that is in the sixth commandment refers to premeditated murder of another human being. The word “kill” is used in the King James Version of the Bible. At the time it was translated, every one “knew” what was meant, since that time the meaning has been lost on some. This has been a source of much stress for those who have defended us over the years. Taking a human life, while always a matter of grave importance, is not necessarily a bad thing.
The Tabernacle was the first real church, a place where God could be appropriately worshipped. The Tabernacle was a portable church (sound familiar?) which could be carried about the desert as the Jews wandered. When they ceased wandering, it morphed into the temple.
The Law and the Tabernacle are shadows of the real Law and the real Tabernacle in heaven, but they suffice for us here on earth.
Dru Arnold read the Epistle for today, which came from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, starting at the First Verse of the Thirteenth Chapter. Paul talks of charity , “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” Paul goes on to say that no matter what you do, if in your heart you have not that love for others, it is all to naught. Our understanding here on earth is limited, we will never here see the fullness of God’s plan, yet the part most clear is the love we must have one for another, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, for no reason other than we know that is right so to do.
THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
This morning’s Gospel comes from the Gospel of Saint Luke, starting at the Thirty-First Verse of the Eighteenth Chapter. The Gospel starts out telling of Jesus’ trying to prepare his disciples for what was to come, and they could not grasp it: “Then Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.” The Gospel goes on to tell of Jesus’ healing of a blind man near Jericho, “And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way-side begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.”
WHEN Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way-side begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
Sermon - Corinth or Episcopal?
In today’s Epistle, Saint Paul wrote from Ephesus to the people of Corinth. Why? Because there in the year 54AD, he received word of divisions in the church, immorality, law suits, disrespectful and pagan worship practices. People who had converted from the Temple of Aphrodite, where their oneness was that of a ritual sex cult, were re-converting and taking Christians with them. Their attendance at church seemed dependent on which of the female priestesses was playing that day! When Paul wrote to Corinth about “charity”, he was talking about one of the four kinds of love:
• Storge - Parent
• Eros - Sexual
• Phila - Friendship
• Agape – Divine or Charity
Storge refers to familial love. It is evident, for example, in the warm affection that parents have toward their children. If you're a parent, you know what I'm talking about when you rock your little child to sleep at night. A deep and abiding affection.
Eros is the desire to draw out all that is good, beautiful and true. It is motivated by need. It's often understood to refer primarily to sex, but that's really only one part of it - albeit a significant part. Eros involves the emotional need to elicit physical love and affection ("beautiful expression" in general) from the one you love. In most contexts, this involves a romantic kind of love. Sadly, our society has cheapened this type of love - and it seems to be the only kind of love that's celebrated in our entertainment culture. (And frankly it's only "celebrated" in a one-dimensional and often exploitative manner). For a biblical picture of erotic love, you need go no further than the Song of Solomon.
Philia is Friendship Love. It is not sexual in nature, though (in the right circumstance) it can lead to or complement Eros. Philia is the kind of bond seen in Scripture between David and Jonathan. It's the kind of love talked about by Jesus, who said: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Philia is the embodiment of everything a true, meaningful friendship represents.
Agape (Charity) love is the selfless love for others. In Exodus 32, Moses confronts God and asks forgiveness for the people of Israel. God refuses, at first, to forgive them, but allows that no penalty or sin is on Moses' head. Moses isn't satisfied, and casts his fate with those of the people. If God won't forgive the people of Israel, then Moses wants to be punished along with them. THAT is Agape love. It is, in fact, a picture of what Jesus did on the cross for our sins. Selfless, sacrificial love - in which nothing is asked in return. This is the kind of love that everyone should pursue.
What was Paul telling the people of Corinth? “Love is what you are missing. The things that really count are faith, hope, and love. Love is the greatest. You don’t have it. So get with the program!”
We are entering into Lent—It’s a journey we do together.
How? Our life together is to be a clear sign of God’s love.
Build up the fellowship;
Praise God in understandable words;
Stop being childish, act as you are in Christ.
Not individual.
Do your part to build up.
Three ways: Pray, Self-denial, Almsgiving
Don’t do it for yourself—do it to build up the family of God!
Make this a holy time—offered for others
Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God. Eph5.2
Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported anniversaries, but we celebrated Dru Arnold’s 53rd birthday. You will be pleased to know that when Dru woke up yesterday on her birthday, she did not see her shadow and spring is nigh! Her prediction backs up that of the Primary Prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil, who likewise did not see his shadow:
After Church Hospitality
The Arnolds were supposed to bring the goodies today, but they were sick as dogs on Saturday. Alice Acker stepped into the breach and took care of the goodies today, thus no sickness, disease or pestilence descended on the congregation. Alice brought her famous cranberry cake and ginger bread, as well as raisins . Thank you Alice!
Ben Lizak brewed today and Father Acker managed to get up early enough to make his famous low carb lemonade. Thanks to both.
New Nametags
We had no new nametags today.
People in our Prayers
If you are on our prayer list, or you have submitted a person for us to pray for, please update Father Acker in person, by telephone or e-mail. It helps to be able to pray specifically for these individuals including their specific needs; plus if they get better, it is good to give thanks!
Please note that on the green cards at church, you can ask that those to be prayed for have their names disseminated to the “prayer team”, those names will be said in church and appear here. Or, your can ask that the names and purpose be kept confidential, then only Father Acker will know to pray for them.
Travel
Ken is on travel this week.
Tim and Jan are on travel this week.
Sick or in need of healing
Healing
Annie, Salvador (cancer), Betty, Marge, Kathy, Richard, Christian, Trish, Marie, Wanda, Karen, Sarah, Lois, Jennette, Linn, Gary, Delores, Anna, Ruth, Theresa, Melanie, Connie, Tom, Crystal, Thomas, Hadley, Diane, Norm, Gregory, Betty, Terri, Mary, Edward, Bert, Jesusa (difficult pregnancy), Michele, Marybeth (broken foot), Kevin, Bruce, Susanne, Jack
Guidance
Christiana, Alexander, Katie & family (death of a child), Breyana, Vie, Asha, Cory, Heather, Holly, Ken, Maruja, Stella, Shelly, William, Joe, Alexander, Jonathan, Phil, Sandy, Larraine, Brad, Brian, Cindi, Uni, Jennifer, Greg, Rick, Carol, Susan, Curtis, Stephen, Chris, Andrew, Keith
Homebound/Aged and Infirm
Mary, Donna, Betty, Noko, Adelaide, Evelyn, Lorraine, Ellie
Armed Forces & Contractors
Tillman, Patrick, Justin, Tim, Evan, Jim, Jason, JR, Matt
Departed
Brennan (5 month old)
Baptism of Benjamin Barrett
In celebration of his baptism and on behalf of Blessed Trinity family, Father Acker presented eight-year-old Benjamin Barrett with a Jerusalem cross.
If Benjamin does not seem familiar to Sunday service goers , that is because he attends the Friday morning Morning Prayer and Holy Communion/Healing Service with his mother, Susanne, and occasionally with his older brothers and sister. For the past three years, Benjamin has also served as acolyte at the Friday morning services. His baptism took place on Saturday, January 19th with the congregation of Lake Murray Community Church of La Mesa; Benjamin was one of seven people baptized with ages ranging from 7 to 70. Welcome to the family of God, Benjamin!
Saint Blaise and the Blessing of the Throats
Saint Blaise is given special recognition on February 3, not only with a feast day, but with a unique ceremony that parallels the practice of anointing the sick. In this case, it is blessing the throats of those with throat disorders and anyone who wishes to avoid getting such a malady or something related to the throat, particularly the words one speaks. Receiving the blessing today were:
• Greg Chase
• Hap Arnold
• Dru Arnold
• Alice Acker
• Ben Lizak
• Holly Lizak
• Ashley Welter
Blessing Throats on the Feast of St. Blaise
Unfortunately, what is known about the life of St. Blaise derives from various traditions. His feast day is celebrated in the East on Feb. 11 and in the West on Feb. 3 (although it was observed on Feb. 15 until the 11th century). All sources agree that St. Blaise was the Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia who suffered martyrdom under Licinius about A.D. 316. (Remember that Emperor Constantine had legalized the practice of Christianity in 313, but Licinius, his ally and co-emperor who had concurred in legalizing Christianity, betrayed him and began persecuting the Church. Constantine defeated Licinius in 324.) From here, we rely on the tradition which has been associated with our liturgical celebrations over the centuries, which does not necessarily preempt their veracity or accuracy.
In accord with various traditions, St. Blaise was born to rich and noble parents, and received a Christian education. He was a physician before being consecrated a bishop at a young age. Although such a statement seems terse, keep in mind that at that time the local community usually nominated a man to be a bishop based on his outstanding holiness and leadership qualities; he in turn was then examined and consecrated by other bishops with the approval of the Holy Father. Therefore, St. Blaise must have been a great witness of our Faith, to say the least.
During the persecution of Licinius, St. Blaise, receiving some divine command, moved from the town, and lived as a hermit in a cave. Wild animals visited, and he healed any that were sick and wounded. One day, a group of hunters gathering wild beasts for the game in the amphitheater discovered St. Blaise and seized him. As he was being taken to the governor Agricolaus, the governor of Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia, St. Blaise encountered a woman whose pig was being seized by a wolf; St. Blaise commanded the wolf to release the pig, and it was freed unhurt.
While in prison, he miraculously cured a small boy who was choking to death on a fishbone lodged in his throat. Also, the woman whose pig had been saved brought St. Blaise candles so that his cell would have light and he could read the sacred Scriptures.
Eventually, Agricolaus condemned St. Blaise for upholding his Christian faith rather than apostatizing. He was tortured with the iron comb (an instrument designed for combing wool but was used here for shredding the skin) and finally beheaded.
By the sixth century, St. Blaise's intercession was invoked for diseases of the throat in the East. As early as the eighth century, records attest to the veneration of St. Blaise in Europe, and he became one of the most popular saints in the spiritual life of the Middle Ages. Many altars were dedicated to his honor, and even the Abbey of St. Blaise in southern Germany claimed to have some of his relics.
St. Blaise is also venerated as one of the "Fourteen Holy Helpers," a group of saints invoked as early as the 12th century in Germany and who are honored on August 8:
• St. Denis of Paris (headache and rabies)
• St. Erasmus or Elmo (colic and cramp)
• St. Blaise (throat ailments)
• St. Barbara (lightning, fire, explosion and sudden and unprepared death)
• St. Margaret (possession and pregnancy)
• St. Catherine of Alexandria (philosophers and students, and wheelwrights)
• St. George (protector of soldiers)
• Sts. Achatius and Eustace (hunters)
• St. Pantaleon (tuberculosis)
• St. Giles (epilepsy, insanity, and sterility)
• St. Cyriac (demonic possession)
• St. Vitus (epilepsy)
• St. Christopher (travelers)
The German Dominicans promoted this veneration, particularly at the Church of St. Blaise in Regensburg (c. 1320).
One reason for St. Blaise's popularity arose from the fact he was a physician who cured, even performing miraculous cures. Thereby, those who were sick, especially with throat ailments, invoked his intercession. Eventually the custom of the blessing of throats arose, whereby the priest held two crossed candles over the heads of the faithful or touched their throats with them while he invoked the prayer of the saint and imparted God's blessing. In our present Roman Ritual, the priest prays, "Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." This practice continues in many parishes on St. Blaise's feast day.
While we invoke St. Blaise for his protection against any physical ailment of the throat, we should also ask his protection against any spiritual ailment - profanity, cursing, unkind remarks, detraction or gossip. St. James reminds us, "If a man who does not control his tongue imagines that he is devout, he is self-deceived; his worship is pointless" (1:26) and later, "We use the tongue to say, 'Praised be the Lord and Father'; then we use it to curse men, though they are made in the likeness of God. Blessing and curse come out of the same mouth. This ought not to be, my brothers!". Therefore, may St. Blaise protect us from all evil, physical and spiritual, which may attack the throat.
Back Door Lending Library
We have some new Amazing Grace books of several flavors, in addition, there are still several sets of the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, as well as some background books on the series. There are plenty of sets, so don’t be shy. There are also Annotated Holy Communion Books. These books have the Prayer Book Holy Communion service on the left page and an explanation on the right page. They are a great way to learn about the service. Pick one up when you come in and use it for the service, if you like.
Personal 1928 Books of Common Prayer & Bibles
During his many travels and general rooting around, your Beadle has come across some very nice personal 1928 Prayer Books, including a couple with Hymnals attached and leather bound Bibles. If you would like one, please contact him directly.
Question that only you can ask
What would you like to know about our history, what we believe, what we do or how we operate? Father Acker is looking for material for the continuing education class and the Beadle is looking for Thought for the Day material. Help us help you. Please send your question to the Beadle so we all can get an answer. Just because you don’t know the answer to your question doesn’t mean you are the only one who doesn’t know. But, if you don’t ask, no one will know.
I’d like to get a different point across or announce something
If you have a different point of view, I would be happy to give you room to get your point across. While this publication is my perspective on events, I recognize not everyone may agree and that some people would like to express their own opinion.
If want to write an article or make an announcement, please forward your item to the Beadle (with a note as to whether or not you would like editing help) to the following address: thebeadle@mac.com.
Free Teen Guitar Class (FTGC – www.freeteenguitarclass.com)
The Free Teen Guitar Class is underway on Wednesdays with new times:
New Beginning Class 3:00-3:45pm String 1 and very basics.
Continuing Book Class 3:45-4:30pm We are doing pages 38 & 39 Key of G.
Techniques Class 4:30-5:15pm Starting improvisation on Ionian scale & rhythm part for Surfing with the Alien.
All classes are open to new students. You might know someone who already plays some and wants to join in. If you know someone who wants to play and does not have a guitar, we have a few loaner beginner guitars. If you haven’t done so, have a look at our website: http://www.freeteenguitarclass.com. I think you will like it.
Email me if you want a new FTGC Flyer! frkeitha@alpineanglican.com
The next performance opportunity is March 3rd.
- Father Ironhand
Epistle Readers
We post the list of Epistle Readers in the Beadle’s Report each week so you can either plan your attendance or your pre-reading as the spirit so moves you.
Date Reader
10 February 2008 Hap Arnold
17 February 2008 Jack Arnold
24 February 2008 Alice Acker
The near future, as well as Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the First Sunday in Lent, Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. There will be Ash Wednesday services at Victoria Chapel at 0930L and 1830L (9:30 am & 6:30 pm).
Pre-Service Class
Next Sunday will also be the fourth Sunday in Father Acker’s new pre-service class series, Around the Bible in 70 Days, a ten week tour of the Bible, 10 minutes of teaching that begins at 8:30am on Sundays. The class provides an overview of the entire bible. This is the forest view for those feeling lost among the trees. Actually it a good reminder on the overall story and our reading it as God’s story.
The 10 minute teaching series begins at 8:30am each Sunday! This is an excellent opportunity to bring a friend who would like to know more about the Bible and Christianity.
Lenten Book Study
Lent is upon us. After Ash Wednesday, each Wednesday in Lent, we will be meeting at 1830 (6:30pm) at the SCAIR Center in Alpine to discuss the book The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis. The book makes some uncomfortable, viewing life from the devil’s point of view. A devil’s advocate so to speak. Doubt not: this study will be entertaining, the food great, and when you are done, you will feel far more comfortable and be far more strong in your Christian beliefs. If you have not ordered your copy, either call Father Acker or scrounge in the Lending Library (there are some there).
See you next week on Sunday!
Father Acker posts a .pdf version of the current Beadle’s Report on the church website:
http://alpineanglican.com/BeadleReports.htm
An alternative version of the Beadle’s Report a single photograph and simple text is available at:
http://thebeadle.blogspot.com/
or with one photograph per issue and colorful text at
http://web.mac.com/thebeadle/iWeb/BeadleBlog/Blog/Blog.html
All back issues of the Beadle’s Reports are available on request from:
thebeadle@mac.com
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