Today was the Sunday after All Saints’ Day, the Twenty- Fourth Sunday after Trinity, the first Sunday of the month which is Free Teen Guitar Class Sunday and the first Sunday after Halloween. Saturday night the end of October Santa Ana winds finally broke. A cold front brought Mount Olympus a sunrise temperature of 50.1°F. By the time church was over, it was 68°F under cloudy misty skies. Which ever of the special events it was, we had our best attendance in some time with 25 participants by service start.
As usual, Father Acker and Jack Arnold provided music for the welcome or gathering songs. We normally sing three or four popular songs before the service as the people begin to show up for the service. Today we sang:
• Abide with me
• Just a closer walk
• Jesus loves me
It seems like Anglicans worldwide are participants in the Just In Time concept of service attendance. The songs give a bit of leeway for people to make the service and they give those of us who like to sing a chance to do so.
Just like the last few weeks, it seemed to work. When they started singing, we had 7 people present. By the time they finished, there were 25 people, including two more guitarists!
Free Teen Guitar Class
Today was the first Sunday of the month. This is the customary Sunday for Father Ironhand’s Free Teen Guitar Class to play for our service. When the rest of the guitarists showed up, Andrew Boyd, Nick Patton, Jack Arnold and Father Ironhand played:
• Hymn 243 - I sing a song of the saints of God
• Just a closer walk
• God of Nations
• Ode to Joy
Father Acker teaches the Free Teen Guitar Class on Wednesdays. The class plays for us on the first Sunday of the month. They have about six other performances throughout the year around the village. If you know a young person who would like to learn the guitar, call Father Acker or check out the website:
http://www.freeteenguitarclass.com/
Father Acker’s Pre-Service Class – Nashotah House
Today’s the forty week tour of the Bible, 10 minutes of teaching each Sunday, was put on hold while Father Acker discussed his trip to Nashotah House in Wisconsin. Nashotah House is the leading relatively conservative seminary teaching parish priests their trade. Father Acker was the first non-Episcopalian (he is of the Reformed Episcopal Church) elected to their Board of Trustees. By next year more than half of the students (aka seminarians) will be non-Episcopalian as TEC slides into the pit.
Founded in 1842 a s a mission to the frontier, Nashotah House is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion of Churches, providing theological education for prophetic, priestly, pastoral and servant ministries, concerned for the proclamation of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the mission of the Church in the world, the salvation of all people, and the worship of Almighty God.
In the words of Bishop NT Wright, “I have a sense that maybe Nashotah House, like the Irish in the Dark Ages, is called to hang on to certain things which other bits of the tradition have thrown away against the time when the rest of the church realizes it needs them again.”
In 1841, under the direction of Bishop Jackson Kemper, Bishop of the Wisconsin Territories, three newly ordained deacons journeyed west and founded Nashotah House as a mission to the American frontier. The following year, a seminary opened with three students. These modest beginnings are witnessed today in the original Red Chapel where the early seminary community worshiped, nestled along the shore of Upper Nashotah Lake.
In 1847, Nashotah House received its formal charter from the Wisconsin territorial legislature as a college of "piety and learning." From its humble inception, the mission of the House, then, as now, is to prepare men and women to proclaim boldly and clearly the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Chapel is at the heart of the community, and, as a seminary of longstanding tradition, we are dedicated to the Anglican heritage of daily prayer and worship. Every day begins and ends in the Chapel with daily offices of Morning and Evening Prayer as well as the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
In a small, closely knit community of intentional prayer, Nashotah House instills traditional values and a commitment to spreading the Word of God. Mission takes form in education and outre ach, creating new experiences and opportunities in the communities and parishes Nashotah House serves. Here, a focus on mission instills a passion for ministry to make a difference in the world.
This difference is achieved by the men and women who have been trained at Nashotah House to articulate the Gospel with intelligence and clarity. They foster the growth of the Church and nurture God's people in the saving graces of Jesus Christ.
Nashotah House continued to grow and expand its planting of mission churches throughout the region. It also continued to prepare men to be parish priests. Training for parish ministry has always been the focus and purpose of Nashotah House and second it has always maintained a residential community of missionaries (faculty and students). Both of these make Nashotah House different from all of the other Episcopal Seminaries in the USA.
Father Acker graduated from Nashotah House in 1982, but life at the seminary continues to form priests for parish ministry. Everything in the community life centers around the chapel from Morning Prayer at 7:30am until Compline at 10:00pm. The large bell, “Michael” or “Like unto God”, wakes the students at 7:00am and after Matins and Mass, the students eat, attend classes, and work—yes, it is expected that students will serve meals, and do chores around the seminary—just what you should expect of a priest in a parish!
This is an exciting time as orthodox Anglicans are experiencing a new reformation as the Common Cause Partners forge ahead to revitalize a united Anglicanism and the formation of a new Province in North America. Bishop Boyce met with the Ackers on their trip to Nashotah House last week. It was Bishop Boyce’s first visit to Nashotah House as he attended the Anglican Global Mission Partners meeting (planning and working to expand mission work around the world).
Nashotah House, while “conservative” or even “reactionary” by TEC standards is by no means in line with REC standards yet. It appears to be moving there, however.
Tim Macauley read the Epistle for today which was written in the First Chapter of the Saint Paul’s letter to the Colossians, beginning at the Third Verse. Writing to the people of Colossus, Paul tells them that he is constantly praying for them and exhorts them to do their very best to actually fulfill the promises they have made to God, to Walk the Walk, not just Talk the Talk; to study hard the Word and use the strength they will get from God to act on the things they have learned and professed.
WE give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: as ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
The Gospel was written in the Ninth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew beginning at the Eighteenth Verse. While Jesus was talking to some of the disciples of John the Baptist, one of the local politicians whose daughter had just died came to Him with faith that He could return her to life. As he was leaving His meeting with the disciples to follow the politician, a woman who had been ill for many years, reached out in faith to “touch His garment.” She knew He was the key to her life, though she likely had no real understanding of just how. She had faith in Jesus. As she touched his garment, He turned saying, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” She was instantly healed. Like the Faithful Centurion: Truth set her free, faith made her whole. Jesus continued on to the politician’s house and returned his daughter to the living.
WHILE Jesus spake these things unto John’s disciples, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: for she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, he said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
Sermon – I sing a song of the saints of God
On this Sunday of the octave of All Saints’ Day, think – Who are the saints? Are they not those who let God work in their lives? Are they not those who are transparent and let God’s light shine through them? Are they not those who reflect the goodness and glory of God?
Consider the words of Saint Paul in today’s Epistle: My prayers keep turning to thanksgiving. We can’t stop thanking God for you. We get reports of your faith and love in Christ, and what it produces. In you, the message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. Paul goes on to pray asking that God would give them wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, so they might understand God’s works and walk in His ways.
So, what is God’s plan for making Saints, that is Holy Men and Women? We are to:
• Ask for God’s understanding
• Be tuned in to God’s purpose
• Live according to God’s purpose
The first martyr in England was Alban in the year 209 AD. Alban was a pagan, but when a Christian priest, Geoffrey the Cloaked, was running from the Romans hunting him down, whether simply for being a Christian or for a multitude of reasons, Alban hid him in his house. Geoffrey told Alban of God’s plan and purpose—Eternal life with God. Alban believed and was baptized.
To protect Geoffrey the Cloaked, Alban put on his cloak and fled drawing the soldiers after him. When Alban was caught they discovered it was not Geoffrey in the cloak. The Roman magistrate was so angry at the deception that he had him put to death in Geoffrey’s place. Bede, the historian recorded Alban’s response to the magistrates death sentence: "I worship and adore the true and living God who created all things."
So what do we see in God’s plan for making Saints?
• Alban wanted to understand God’s Love—the Gospel story
• Alban realized Jesus died for him. He was baptized into Christ. And he began to live out the Christ Life.
• Alban took the Cloak; He put himself in Geoffrey’s place. He did what Jesus did—He embodied the Love of God.
It’s not about me; it’s about God.
So, who are these saints? Please take the time to consider the words of today’s welcoming song, Hymn 243:
I sing a song of the saints of God,
patient and brave and true,
who toiled and fought and lived and died
for the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
and one was a shepherdess on the green;
they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
God helping, to be one too.
They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
and his love made them strong;
and they followed the right for Jesus' sake
the whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a beast,
and one was slain by a fierce wild priest;
and there's not any reason, no, not the least,
why I shouldn't be one too.
They lived not only in ages past;
there are hundreds of thousands still.
The world is bright with the joyous saints
who love to do Jesus' will.
You can meet them in school, on the street, in the store,
in church, by the sea, in the house next door;
they are saints of God, whether rich or poor,
and I mean to be one too.
Will you be one, too?
Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported birthdays or anniversaries.
After Church Hospitality
Today Diane Chase brought the goodies. There were chocolate, oatmeal and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, cashews and M&Ms, not to mention a multi-fruit plate. Diane brought everything but Greg, who was home very sick. Well done!
The Command Master Chief Brewer Macauley was back from travel, but arrive too late to make coffee. Barrista Ben Lizak had already taken care of that, though he had to make a last minute coffee run when he found out that the last barrista had left enough for about a half cup of weak Joe. Father Acker got up early to make (and bring) his signature low carb lemonade.
After church goodies providers as currently signed up:
Date Name
9 November 2008 Martha Stevens
16 November 2008 Alice Acker
23 November 2008 Opportunity Available!
30 November 2008 Opportunity Available!
7 December 2008 Stephanie Boyd
14 December 2008 Alice Acker
21 December 2008 Martha Stevens
New Nametags
We had no new nametags today.
People in our Prayers - http://www.blessedtrinityprayerteam.blogspot.com/
Prayer is an extremely important activity.
It is not that God knows not our needs, for He surely does. Yet, Jesus commanded us to ask God for those same needs. In addition to the obvious of asking God for help, offering thanksgiving and the like, prayer helps us focus our thoughts on how we might do God's work.
The Prayer Team of the Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity was established to help our members and fellow Christians pray for those in need and to give thanks as well for the blessings we have been granted.
Who can be on the list?
Do I have to be a member of the Blessed Trinity Church to be prayed for? No! The only qualification to be on the list is that you want our prayer team to pray for you. We are Christians and are happy to pray for you, no matter who you are. If you want help from God, you are our kind of people.
What is the commitment from the prayer team?
Each member of the team will pray for the desired outcome at last once per day.
How do I get myself or someone else on the prayer list?
You can email one of the prayer team leaders: Greg - gnchase@cox.net or Dru - dru@descansorodents.com, or call the church office at (619) 722-1772 or fill out a prayer card at church.
What should I ask for?
Depends on what you want. Some people merely want God to be asked to heal their ills and be mentioned by their first name, others want a specific outcome and / or have more of their personal information known to the team. Ask for what you want. It is your desire and need for prayer the team is attempting to meet. For typical examples, see the list below.
Updating the Team
If you are on our prayer list, or if you have submitted a person that you have asked us to pray for, please update one of the team members or Father Acker in person, by telephone or email. It helps to be able to pray specifically for these individuals including their specific needs; plus if they get better, it is nice to give thanks!
Please note that on the green or orange 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, you can ask that their names and purpose be kept confidential, and then only Father Acker will know to pray for them.
Travel
No reported travel this week.
Departed
Mary Mano (Monny) mother of Mary Parker passed away Friday 17 October 2008. Of your Christian charity, pray for the repose of her soul and comfort for her family and friends who remain here on earth.
Jim for whom we have been praying recently passed away from pancreatic cancer. Of your Christian charity, pray for the repose of his soul and comfort for his family and friends who remain here on earth.
Healing
Betty, Salvador (cancer), Betty, Marge, Uni, Karl, Christian, Marie, Wanda, Frank+ (brain tumor), Lois, Jennette (Alzheimer’s), Gary, Delores, Anna, Ruth, Connie, Tom, Crystal, Thomas, Hadley, Diane, Norm, Gregory, Nancy, Leucrecia (cancer), Michele, Marybeth (broken foot, stroke), Bill (infection), Teiko, Ernie, Ray, Betty, Hazel, Bruce (heart attack), Susanne, Paul (stroke), Ralph+ (eyes hip), Allison (kidney), Bill (ETOH poisoning), Kai, Jay, Tim, Diane, Amy (Thyroid cancer), Lise (peritoneal cancer), Joy, Evelyn, Kenny (ear surgery), Debbie, Joanna (stroke) [granddaughter of Father Holland a diocesan priest], Al (Ashley’s dad: surgery) Cyndi (arthritis pain; knee replacement 12/2), Scott (endocarditis and cow valve), June (cancer), Al, Susan, Jeff, David (leg injury)
Joy has a reoccurrence of abdominal cancer, which is non-operable. She is currently in the hospital with a clot in her lung and blockage in her stomach. She and her family ask your prayers for a miraculous remission. She asks God’s help to deal with the pain and discomfort while keeping a positive attitude during what is a very trying time. Pray also for her family might accept God’s will and enjoy whatever time she has with them here on earth. In particular please pray for peace of mind for Joy and her husband Dewaine that they might put their trust in God and increase their faith.
Mary Parker is in the hospital on the regular floor, which is a major improvement. Muriel has been talking with Mary by phone. Mary is working on recovering from doing some strenuous physical therapy in her weakened condition. She’ll be at Sharp Memorial for a while longer yet. There is still a long road ahead of her, but she is doing very well. Please that she and her family will accept the strength that God can give them for the path before them. Please continue to pray for God’s will to be done and that she and her family continue to put their trust in Him. In particular, please pray for her family’s peace.
Joe Huber was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo radiation seed implants within the next two weeks. Please pray for peace of mind for him and his family and that they might put their trust in God and increase their faith.
Rod Cook has a reoccurrence of lung cancer. Prognosis is not promising. Please pray for either a miraculous recovery or a maximization of his time remaining here on earth. Pray also for his daughter Lori that she might accept God’s will and enjoy whatever time she has with her father here on earth. In particular please pray for peace of mind for both Rod and Lori that they might put their trust in God and increase their faith.
John and Isabel Wilhelmy’s family ask your prayers on their behalf for God’s help through eye surgery and illness combined. We also pray that they will accept their family’s loving assistance in this difficult time.
Everett Joshua (EJ), grandson of Father Josh Acton, Rector of Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church in Yuma, seems to have a condition where he cannot swallow breast milk, but instead actually chokes on it. It is a severe reflux and can cause asphyxiation in infants. His mother Vanessa is now having to pump her milk and add "thickening fluids" to her milk and then feed by bottle. Apparently Vanessa watched an Xray of Everett swallowing, and consequently, choking on milk. His air way is clogged after every time he feeds.
This is not the definitive diagnosis. It sure beats the other possibilities. It is a dangerous but treatable condition. Your prayers and offers of help and support are greatly appreciated.
Please keep EJ and his family in your prayers.
Vince (12 yrs) who has bone cancer (a teammate of Andrew B) has a tumor in his leg. Alternate treatment has not reduced the tumor, so he will have surgery to remove the tumor on 28 November 2008. Also pray that he and his family might put their trust in God and accept His comfort.
Alice, friend of Fran Dexter, had lung cancer and surgery five years ago and has been in remission. After she started coughing up blood, radiological testing found a spot on her lung. She underwent surgery on 5 September 2008, which apparently went well. Fran asks in particular you pray for peace of mind for both Alice and Rick that they might put their trust in God.
Kenny had surgery to improve his hearing which did not end up improving his hearing in the end. Please pray for his adjusting to very limited hearing in just one ear. Also, please continue to pray for his improved state of mind and faith.
Joshua Hamilton fell out of a car the morning of 27 July 2008. He sustained a closed head injury and potential spinal cord injuries. Joshua underwent three surgeries to relieve pressure on his brain, but has not yet awakened. He is being moved to a long term care facility. He needs miraculous healing as the doctors have done all they can. We are praying for God’s miraculous intervention and to do those things best for Joshua in his life with God. Please continue to pray for his wife, Tulani, and two children, Isaiah & Keanu, and of course his mom, Jo Ann, and his James brother who is in our FTGC, asking for God’s presence and comfort.
Glenn Finch is entering his last week (actually last 3 days) of rehab!!! It has been 3 months since his accident! It is astounding that he began this journey on life support and now is doing so incredibly well. Tuesday he takes a driving test, so that he can start driving again. Every day this week he will have to test out in all the areas...physical therapy, neuropsych, speech, occupational therapy (life skills), etc. Please keep him in your prayers! Thursday is his last day. You will probably hear us cheering from your houses! :-)
Your love, encouragement, prayers, help and support has meant so much to us! Thank you! Caralie
Evelyn Hunt has pain in her jaw, face, & neck. The doctors haven’t been able to diagnose the cause. She has been very limited in getting out, but continued to do her walking in the house. Most importantly, pray for her to keep a good attitude and maintain a trust in God, so she will not worry.
Miney Farrell has had pain and weakness in her leg that has been limiting her activity.
Lorraine Winkles is still dealing with shingles (now over 24 months). The level of discomfort varies but the condition is persisting.
Lona Walsh is in significant discomfort, but it looks like it is not Lupus. A recent MRI indicates she needs shoulder surgery on both sides, not great news, but much better than Lupus. She hopes for more information shortly, in the mean time, she asks that you continue your prayers for healing.
Kay Denton (Mrs. Kay) – is home and doing wonderfully well! As always, she retains her trust in the Lord and her positive attitude. Mrs. Kay asks that everyone who is praying for her know how grateful she is for their prayers.
Nicole Ethridge - age 27, mother of two - Has a form of liver disease, which is causing her liver to shut down. She is near dialysis and would like you to pray for her disease to go into remission so that she can keep off dialysis and avoid a liver transplant. She asks that you pray for her continued faith and good spirits, as well as strength to take care of her children.
Caroline (age 10, leukemia recurrence) is now home in Escondido after her bone marrow transplant in July. She will have to make frequent trips to City of Hope in Pasadena for follow-up appointments, but she's very glad to be home now. Please continue in prayer that her leukemia will not reoccur; after the transplant, the chance of recurrence is 40%. Caroline will be 11 in December. Please keep praying for this sweet girl to make a full recovery and live a long life, devoted to God. She and her family are Catholic Christians.
George (recurrence of bladder cancer) has been undergoing weekly chemotherapy which made him quite ill. While at the hospital, his oncologist had a series of CAT scans done on George, and the tumor on his bladder is GONE. Disappeared. Non-existent. The oncologist said that the best he was expecting was a 50% reduction in the size of the tumor, but it is GONE. Thanks be to God! George will still need a few more weeks of chemo and will also need blood thinning injections for quite a while to prevent other clots, and the doctor also saw a dark area on George's kidney. He doesn't think it's anything to worry about but he is having a couple of specialists in radiology take a look to be sure.
George, LaVonda, Megan, and George III are rejoicing in this healing from the Lord! Please continue in prayer for George, giving thanks for the total reduction of George's tumor. They live in northern Georgia.
Bruce Denny lives in El Cajon and has experienced two major heart attacks in his early 40's. He was to have an appointment with a cardiologist last Thursday, but no results yet. His previous appointment showed further deterioration of his heart, including a fluid build-up in the sac surrounding his heart. The family is also under severe financial stress because Bruce has been unable to work after his heart attacks. His wife, Jennifer, is looking for a job and for childcare for their one-year-old. The church family at Lake Murray Community Church is helping out with taking their older boys to and from school and with meals, etc. Pray for no further deterioration in Bruce's heart and for help with their finances.
Greg Chase has been working way more than reasonable and trying to fit everything in his life. He as been exposed to many potential diseases at work and seems to be catching most of them. Please pray for Greg to order his life to get the rest he needs and spend the time he needs with his family. Please also pray for his physical recovery from his current aliment which appears to be some sort of flu.
Guidance
Tom, Mary, Lloyd & Jennifer, Bob to be guided to a church
Ashley, Breyana, Vie, Asha, Cory, Heather, Holly, Ken, Maruja, William, Joe, Alexander, Jonathan, Phil, Sandy, Larraine, Brad, Brian, Uni, Jennifer, Greg, Margie, Phyllis, Walter, Rick, Carol, Susan, Curtis, Stephen, Donny, Chris, Eric (job), Andrew, Keith (job decision), Sara, Mark, Alexandra, Nelson, Perlita, Lewis, Sam & Susie
Sarah is still struggling with custody arrangements for her children and would appreciate our continued prayers. A hearing on 24 November 2008 will probably change custody to a more permanent arrangement (the children are currently switching between parents every other day). A hearing in February should finalize things. Sarah really appreciates our prayers and is asking for the decision to be in the best interest of the children. Sara asks you pray that God’s will for these children will be realized and they will be put in the best custody situation possible. Please pray for God’s guidance in the lives of the ex-husband, John and Sara and that they might hear Him.
Guidance and Protection
Christina, John and Sarah
Economic Guidance and Assistance
Matt and Tracey very good friends of the Hubers. Matt is looking for a new job and they have two young children. Please pray that they are able to find employment soon.
Keith has had no work for the past four weeks. Because of family medical expenses, they have no savings and are in debt. Please pray for God's leading for a new job or for new clients for Keith's drafting business or for another stained glass commission. Pray for Susanne as she tutors and teaches online classes while home schooling their four kids, that she may remain strong and able to do all she needs to do to teach their kids and help with finances despite herphysical condition (rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.). Pray for them also to not fear for the future but to trust in the Lord.
Eric and Eric both to find a job that will allow them to use their skill and talent to make their new company more successful.
Sonny and Carol have lost their business, their home is in foreclosure. Please pray that they might find an opportunity for gainful employment where they can use their talents to make a positive impact on the world.
Mark’s business is very very slow, he asks that God point him to new markets and give him guidance in following God’s will that his business might survive and his employees not lose their livelihood.
Please pray for Kevin in the UK. He has been looking for a job for a long time and is 52. Please pray he might find an opportunity for gainful employment where he can use his talents to make a positive impact on the world. Please pray also for his family, in particular his wife Beverley, that they might open their hearts and minds to God’s guidance for their future.
Homebound/Aged and Infirm Mary, Donna, Betty, Noko, Adelaide, Evelyn, Lorraine, Ellie
Armed Forces & Contractors
Tillman, Justin, Evan, RJ, Matt, Phillip, Julian, Joe (USAF - Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait), John Kelly (USN - USS Ronald Reagan)
Anglican Communion
Archbishop Peter Akinola, the head of the GAFCON Primates’ Council has asked us to pray for our Anglican Communion. Specifically during September to December, we are bidden to pray for:
1. Guidance of the Holy Spirit upon the GAFCON Primates Council that they may be united in their leadership for the Gospel of Jesus Christ
2. Upholding the Bible as authoritative for the life, faith, and conduct of all Christians
3. Remaining faithful in the central task of the Church to mission and evangelism, saving the lost, bringing life and health to the poor and needy
4. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit to bring renewal, revival and transformation of individuals, communities, and societies
5. Anglicans to focus upon God’s agenda set forth in Scripture, God’s authority as given by Jesus Christ, and God’s mission in saving sinners and by the Holy Spirit turning them into saints
6. The setting aside all other agendas, that Jesus alone be Lord,
Are you too tired to go to church?
While a resident of the Hanoi Hilton, Lieutenant Commander John McCain participated in a church service in 1971 in defiance of hotel rules which resulted in him spending most of a year in a camp reserved for "bad attitude" cases. He considered it a good investment.
Where did Halloween come from?
I asked Father Acker that last year and here is what he said:
As Christians, we have events to celebrate and remember. As humans, exposed to seasonal change, we have a year to live, with its four seasons, first pagan, then Christian. As CS Lewis said, "Boiling an egg is the same process whether you are a Christian or a Pagan."
Throughout the ages, Christians have placed their feasts around the year at times similar to those of pagans, to allow Christians something to celebrate all year. It had the dual effects of providing enjoyment and edification to Christians, as well as eliminating the draw of a pagan event.
As winter approached, particularly in the time of old, also approached the reality of winter, Hardship, Starvation and Death. A time of “Evil.”
Halloween comes from the ancient Celtics religion. The Celtic people were very conscious of the spiritual world and had their own ideas of how they could gain access to it - such as by helping their over 300 gods to defeat their enemies in battle, or by imitating the gods in showing cleverness and cunning. Their two main feasts were Beltane at the beginning of summer (1 May), and Samhain at the end of summer (1 November). They believed Samhain was a time when the division between the two worlds thinned, hostile supernatural forces were active; ghosts and spirits were free to wander.
The Celtic priests (Druids,) members of pagan orders in Britain, Ireland and Gaul, performed their rituals: offering sacrifices, of animals and humans, to placate the gods; ensuring the sun would return after the winter; frightening away evil spirits. To the Celtics, the bonfire represented the sun and was used to aid the Druid in his fight with dark powers. The term bonfire comes from the words "bone fire," literally meaning the bones of sacrificed animals and human were piled in a field with timber and set ablaze. All fires except those of the Druids were extinguished on Samhain and householders were levied a fee to relight their holy fire which burned at their altars. During the Festival of Samhain, fires would be lit which would burn all through the winter and sacrifices would be offered to the gods on the fires. The practice of burning humans was stopped around 1600, and an effigy was sometimes burned instead.
Samhain was the supreme night of demonic jubilation. Spirits of the dead would rise out of their graves and wander the countryside, trying to return to the homes where they formerly lived. Frightened villagers tried to appease these wandering spirits by offering them gifts of fruit and nuts. This is the origin of our present day "trick-or-treat." They began the tradition of placing plates of the finest food and bits of treats that the household had to offer on their doorsteps, as gifts, to appease the hunger of the ghostly wanderers. Villagers feared that the spirits would kill their flocks or destroy their property if not placated.
The problem was... if the souls of dead loved ones could return that night, so could anything else, human or not, nice or not- so-nice. The only thing the superstitious people knew to do to protect themselves on such an occasion was to masquerade as one of the demonic hoard, and hopefully blend in unnoticed among them. Wearing masks and other disguises and blackening the face with soot were originally ways of hiding oneself from the spirits of the dead who might be roaming around. This is the origin of Halloween masquerading as devils, imps, ogres, and other demonic creatures.
Trick or Treat has been thought to have come from a European custom called "souling". Beggars would go from village to village begging for "soul cakes" made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers could guarantee a soul's passage to heaven.
In many parts of Britain and Ireland this night used to be known as 'Mischief Night', which meant that people were free to go around the village playing pranks and getting up to any kind of mischief without fear of being punished. Many of the different customs were taken to the United States by Irish and Scottish immigrants in the nineteenth century and they developed into 'trick or treat'.
The Jack-O-Lantern is the festival light for Halloween and is the ancient symbol of a damned soul. Originally the Irish would carve out turnips or beets as lanterns as representations of the souls of the dead or goblins freed from the dead. When the Irish emigrated to America they could not find many turnips to carve into Jack O'Lanterns but they did find an abundance of pumpkins. Pumpkins seemed to be a suitable substitute for the turnips and pumpkins have been an essential part of Halloween celebrations ever since. Pumpkins were cut with faces representing demons and was originally intended to frighten away evil spirits. It was said that if a demon or such were to encounter something as fiendish looking as themselves that they'd run away in terror, thus sparing the houses dwellers from the ravages of dark entities. They would have been carried around the village boundaries or left outside the home to burn through the night. Bats, owls and other nocturanal animals, also popular symbols of Halloween, were originally feared because people believed that these creatures could communicate with the spirits of the dead. Black cats has religious origins as well. During the Middle Ages it was believed that witches could turn themselves into black cats. Thus when such a cat was seen, it was considered to be a witch in disguise.
To this odd time, Christians brought a new message of one God who was a God of Life, a victory of life over death—Jesus raised from the dead. Not a haunting, but Life with God for eternity. Christians didn’t ignore the Night of the Dead, rather they gave it new meaning. They made it an 8 day celebration of the saints. We celebrate the saints, the holy ones, the hallows, who accepted God’s victory over death. Chrysostom tells us that as early as the fourth century, the Eastern church celebrated a festival in honor of all saints.
In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on 13 May. In 834, Gregory III moved All Saints’ Day from 13 May to 1 November and for Christians, this became an opportunity for remembering before God all the saints who had died and all the dead in the Christian community. 31 October thus became All Hallows' Eve ('hallow' means 'saint'). Many of the customs survived and were blended in with Christianity.
As long as we keep in mind that the message of Halloween is that the next day is All Saints’ Day when we honor those who have gone before us, then the ghouls, goblins and the like are harmless fantasy.
We focus on the Good News, the All Hallows message: Jesus’ victory of Life over Death and Evil; a reminder of the hallows who have gone before us in Victory, the saints.
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.
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
2 November 2008 Tim Macauley
9 November 2008 Don Patton
16 November 2008 Ben Lizak
23 November 2008 Holly Lizak
30 November 2008 Greg Chase
Second Annual Christmas Dessert or Desert Party
Greg and Diane Chase will be hosting their traditional Christmas Dessert Party on Wednesday, 10 December 2008 at their home in La Mesa from 7pm – 9pm. If you wish to bring your favorite desert that would be nice. If you don’t, there is always plenty, you just may not get your favorite! The Chases will be providing hot apple cider, coffee, “chilled” Real Dew, and some deserts of their own. The Arnolds will be providing Diet, or as it is sometimes referred to, UnReal Dew.
Diane would appreciate an RSVP no later than Saturday, 6 December 2008 - dlchase@cox.net.
The near future, as well as Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity and there are clearly two more Sundays before the Sunday next before Advent. If you are looking in the Book of Common Prayer, you will see there are only Twenty-Four Sundays in the BCP. Oh my, what to do? Not to worry! Rubrics to the rescue!
∂ If in any year there be twenty-six Sundays after Trinity, the service for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany shall be used on the Twenty-Fifth Sunday. If there be twenty-seven, the service for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany shall be used on the Twenty-Sixth, and the service for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany on the Twenty-Fifth. If there be fewer than twenty-five Sundays, the overplus shall be omitted.
Thus, next Sunday Don Patton will be reading the Epistle for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, which can be found on page 116 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Come next Sunday and see if Father Acker remembers he was in the Bible or does he move to a different subject. Or, maybe he finally tells us what the Green Season means. What about the sermon? Will he preach on the Gospel or something all together different? Unless you come to the service, you will have to wait until you read the Beadle’s Report to find out.
See you next week on Sunday!
Alternate Sources of The Beadle’s Report
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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