Freedom anyone?

Every year I get to celebrate Independence Day two times. As an American citizen, I join with other Americans celebrating the independence of my adopted country on the 4^th of July. But also as a person born on the island of Jamaica, I celebrate with other Jamaicans the independence from Britain on the 6^th of August. Therefore, at least twice a year I am reminded of the price of freedom, which was paid by the blood of both my American and Jamaican forebears.

Freedom is not free, as many people have stated, and that is true. But what is freedom, really? Let’s think first about what freedom is not. Freedom is not being allowed to do whatever I want to do. Freedom is not the same as “anything goes” either.

Freedom is strongly tied, in my opinion, to relationship. It is the freedom to be who God created you to be, connected to other people. We are not created to be lone wolves, because even wolves need connection with others from time to time. We are born to live in community.

God created us to live in freedom, where we are affirmed for the persons we are as God made us. We are also to ensure that others live with the same freedom to love, live in peace and safety, and have the opportunities to use their God-given talents and gifts. I am free because you are free.

So wherever and whenever we celebrate independence, let us keep in mind that God seeks for us to show love, engage compassionately and raise up and encourage each other.

Peace,

The Rev. Lorna H. Williams

The Rector's Discretionary Fund: How does it work?

Where Does the Money Come From?

According to our Canons (church laws), every parish is to set aside money for “such pious and charitable uses as the Rector… shall determine”.  St. Andrew’s budgets $900 per year for the Rector’s Discretionary Fund.  If I receive a check for conducting a funeral or baptism, I put that money into the discretionary fund.  Couples getting married at St. Andrew’s are encouraged to make a gift to the discretionary fund as an act of gratitude to God for the blessing of their mutual joy.  Parishioners occasionally make individual gifts to the discretionary fund, as well.

Where Does the Money Go?

Discretionary funds may only be spent to help people experiencing financial hardship.  Sometimes the money helps parishioners; other times it helps community members or folks in other parts of the world.  Thus far in 2019, I have allocated discretionary money for Food Lion gift cards for a family whose primary breadwinner was injured and unable to work; for travel assistance for stranded asylum seekers in California; for transportation and housing for victims of a violent crime; for Bibles; and for assistance with utility bills.  I also contributed to the discretionary fund of a sister priest on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota when her people were overwhelmed by floods, and I donated to the newly-formed pension fund for Cuban Episcopal priests, who make about $50 per month and have no other retirement plan.

Every time I authorize a disbursement from the discretionary fund, I am reminded of the communal nature of ministry.  The only way that I am able to assist people in such difficult circumstances is through the generosity of this parish and the individuals who contribute to the fund.  In God’s name and with each other’s collaboration, we are able to make a tangible difference in the lives of many people in some of their darkest hours.  It is a joy and a privilege, as well as a holy responsibility, to be in charge of the Rector’s Discretionary Fund.

Anne+

Parish Life update

Bob Wharton and I are the vestry liaisons for Parish Life here at St. Andrew’s.  Parish Life includes many sub-committees and probably affects just about every church member.  Since this is our 100^th year anniversary, there has been a lot going on…and there have been a large number of volunteers who have put in many hours to help make the anniversary celebrations as well as Parish Life in general a success!  Our sub-committees include:  fellowship/social activities, book groups, parish meals, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, the summertime lemonade and cookies volunteers, the outdoor service, Fishermen, hospitality, and the Easter Egg Hunt. If you would like to become more involved in Parish Life at St. Andrew’s and make new friends, these groups are always looking for new members so please volunteer!  Thank you to all who continue to make these groups so successful.      

Betsy Jones

Summer liturgies

Dear friends,

A blessing and a challenge of liturgical worship is that the words of the service become so familiar. The blessing is that those familiar words can be a source of great comfort, and anchor in the midst of life's changes and uncertainty. The challenge is that familiar words sometimes become stale, so well known to us that we no longer truly hear what they are saying.

During worship this summer, we will be exploring some prayers and liturgies that differ from what we typically use in our worship during the program year (September - May). At the 8 a.m. service, we will prayer Eucharistic Prayer I instead of Eucharistic Prayer II. At the 10:30 a.m. service, we will incorporate wording from an Episcopal resource called Enriching Our Worship, and toward the end of the summer we will use the service of Holy Eucharist from A New Zealand Prayer Book. If you are paying close attention (and I hope you will be!), you may notice slight differences in the wording of the Nicene Creed: the dropping of the phrase "and the Son," which invites us into a centuries-old theological debate about the nature of the Trinity.

My hope is that these less familiar and perhaps unexpected words will catch your attention and invite you into fresh and deeper understandings of Jesus, who is himself the Word. In the words we hear and speak in worship this summer, may we indeed hear anew what the Spirit is saying to God's people.

- Anne+

A word about the Dismissal: Saving up our Alleluias for Easter

Did you know the rubrics of The Book of Common Prayer call for a limited use of the word Alleluia in seasons other than Easter? If you look at the rubrics on pages 340 or 366, you'll see that the words Alleluia, Alleluia are to be added to dismissals only in the 50 days from Easter through the Day of Pentecost. That's why our clergy add them to the dismissal only in Easter season and not all year through.

Why would the BCP limit the use of Alleluia in such a way? My guess is that saving it up for use only during the 50 days of Easter marks Easter as the exceptional, priceless, ultimate season that it is. We made unfettered use of the joyous word throughout those 50 days, and now we restrain ourselves so that we may celebrate more fully when Easter circles around again.

Other parts of our service, including the hymns and the "Fraction Anthem" at the breaking of the bread will still contain alleluias, except in Lent. But for now, let us lovingly store up our alleluias at the dismissal until our Easter celebrations in the year to come.

- Anne+