Rector's
Message
The
mystery of human cruelty and wanton destruction which we saw engulf our
lives in September has caused many of us to ask deep questions about the
nature of being human, as well as about the nature of grace. We, as human
beings, can be surprising loving, as well as horrifically evil in the
choices we make. When you and I live into the peace of Christ and promote
mutual recognition of the other as made in the image of God, we find
ourselves becoming more loving, and, therefore, more and more like God.
When we nurse a grudge and sow seeds of hate, we find ourselves becoming
more like the terrorists, whose evil deeds have hurt so many innocent
people, shattering their sense of safety and relative security in the
world.
As
Christians, we are reminded that this life is uncertain, yet at the same
time full of certainty. It is uncertain in that we do not know how long
our lives will be. This has of course always been the case. We as
Christians should learn from these acts of violence to trust more in God,
the rock of certainty, in a world so full of uncertainty. We also have the
certainty that love will always triumph over wrong. We must guard not only
our physical safety and that of our children, but we must also guard their
hearts and ours. We must be careful not to lead the children in our
lives into ways of thinking that devalue others because of a different
ethnicity, or a different religion. If we fail to prevent the growth of
hatred within our own hearts and lives, and those of the young entrusted
to our care, then truly the terrorists have won.
In
the end, there is grace. We have seen so many acts full of love and grace,
which have caught our attention in the days following September 11th.
Concentrate on these acts of heroism, generosity and self-sacrifice, and
let us each ask ourselves: does my own life reflect these values of
sharing and caring? We must also ask: am I coming closer to God, or moving
further away from Him as a result of these acts of terror? Have I taken
the opportunity to pray more, to be in divine worship more, to bring my
family to God’s altar more often, to read my Bible more? How we respond
individually to these terrible events of violence is truly as important as
how we respond corporately. How we respond spiritually is truly as
important as how we respond materially.
Finally,
pray for your President, the Congress, and other leaders, on all levels,
that our response is one that will lead eventually to greater peace and
security for all in the world. Response is necessary.
Your friend,
Fr. Elton +
Adult
Sunday School To Examine Middle East
The adult class, beginning at 11:35 a.m. on
Sunday, Nov. 11th, will have a video series entitled "The Real Story:
A Christian's Guide to the Arab World." The class will meet Nov. 11,
Nov. 18, (but NOT on Nov. 25), and will meet on Dec. 2, 9, 16, and end on
Dec. 23. This is an excellent time to learn about the roots of Islam, and
the little known but ancient Christian witness in the Middle East. We hope
you will join us!
Spotlight
on the
Consecration of Samuel Seabury
Consecration of
Samuel Seabury, Bishop
(Bestowal of the
American Episcopate)
14 November 1784
A crucial date for members of the Episcopal
Church in the United States of America is the consecration of the first
Bishop of the Anglican Communion in the United States. During the colonial
era, there had been no Anglican bishops in the New World; and persons
seeking to be ordained as clergy had had to travel to England for the
purpose. After the achievement of American independence, it was important
for the Church in the United States to have its own bishops, and an
assembly of Connecticut clergy chose Samuel Seabury to go to England and
there seek to be consecrated as a bishop.
However, the English bishops were forbidden by
law to consecrate anyone who would not take an oath of allegiance to the
British Crown. He accordingly turned to the Episcopal Church of Scotland.
When the Roman Catholic king James II was deposed in 1688, some of the
Anglican clergy (including some who had been imprisoned by James for
defying him on religious issues) said that, having sworn allegiance to
James as King, they could not during his lifetime swear allegiance to the
new monarchs William and Mary. Those who took this position were known as
non-Jurors (non-swearers), and they included almost all the bishops and
clergy of the Episcopal Church in Scotland. Accordingly, the monarchs and
Parliament declared that thenceforth the official church in Scotland
should be the Presbyterian Church. The Episcopal Church of Scotland
thereafter had no recognition by the government, and for some time
operated under serious legal disabilities. However, since it had no
connection with the government, it was free to consecrate Seabury without
government permission, and it did. This is why you see a Cross of St.
Andrew on the Episcopal Church flag.
In Aberdeen, 14 November 1784, Samuel Seabury was
consecrated to the Episcopate by the Bishop and the Bishop Coadjutor of
Aberdeen and the Bishop of Ross and Caithness. He thus became part of the
unbroken chain of bishops that links the Church today with the Church of
the Apostles.
In return, he promised them that
he would do his best to persuade the American Church to use as its Prayer
of Consecration (blessing of the bread and wine at the Lord's Supper) the
Scottish prayer, taken largely unchanged from the 1549 Prayer Book, rather
than the much shorter one in use in England. The aforesaid prayer, adopted
by the American Church with a few modifications, has been widely regarded
as one of the greatest treasures of the Church in this country.
Prayer
(traditional language)
We give thee thanks, O Lord our God, for thy
goodness in bestowing upon this Church the gift of the episcopate, which
we celebrate in this remembrance of the consecration of Samuel Seabury;
and we pray that, joined together in unity with our bishops, and nourished
by thy holy Sacraments, we may proclaim the Gospel of redemption with
apostolic zeal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth
with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Thanksgiving Baskets
This year Zion Lutheran Church will again be
organizing a Thanksgiving Basket program to aid those in the surrounding
area who might not otherwise have a Thanksgiving dinner. Anyone can
participate with a gift of time or treasure. On Sunday, Nov. 18th drivers
will leave from Zion Lutheran at 7:00 pm to pick up the food. Assembling
the baskets will begin at 7:30 pm at Zion. Contributions of money are
always welcome. Please make your tax deductible checks payable to Zion
Lutheran Church and mark them for Thanksgiving Baskets, and send them
directly to Zion Lutheran, 155 Second Avenue any time until the 19th of
Nov. Our Vestry strongly commends this program for your support. This
program has been a major outreach effort in the past. Please help to
maintain this tradition.
Ways and Means
Committee Report
I am happy to announce that the results of our
most recent Fish ‘n Chips Dinner (November 9th) raised a net profit
total of $1,540.00. Together with our prior Fish ‘n Chips Dinner
conducted during the Lenten season, the two dinners raised a total of
$2,983.00 for the parish.
This past dinner was a total team effort ranging
from the young at heart to the young in spirit and is simply to many too
many to single out individually. A total of 236 dinners were served which
represents a complete sellout surpassing the sellout of our previous
dinner when we sold 225 dinners. To each and everyone, supporter and
worker, I owe my gratitude and thank you very much.
I am exceedingly grateful to each
and every member of the Ways and Means Committee. Their diligence has
helped make our fund raising campaign for 2001 an absolute and total
success. Early this year our goal was to generate between $5,000 - $7,000
in much needed funds for the parish. Together with our ongoing gift
certificate program at our local food stores and based on the projected
figures from the gift certificates, it is expected that we will approach a
net profit of $6,000.