Happy New Year

 I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10, NRSV
 
The new year is often a time when we set new year’s resolutions. When I was growing up, popular culture would always remind me that January 1st is the time to turn a critical lens on every aspect of my life. Whether it was my home, my finances, or my own body, it was time to list what was wrong and make a plan to fix it.
 
It doesn’t take long to realize that starting from a place of negativity–being constantly critical of yourself–makes our own noble goals doomed to failure. For all the ills that it has brought on our society, one positive product of social media is allowing people of different body types, income levels, and lifestyles to have a significant influence on my life. Through social media I follow parents who remind each other that we clean our homes because we love ourselves and our families (not because we’re disgusting slobs if we don’t). I follow people who saute up a tasty meal because it makes them feel good (not only because it satisfies a certain calorie goal). I follow people who find joy in consuming less, and who also give themselves grace if they don’t always meet their own standards. I’m reminded that focusing on life gives us life, which is exactly what our tradition believes about Jesus. Jesus came not to condemn but to uplift. As we step boldly into 2023 I’m grateful that the God who came to earth in human form, who at Easter proves that life always wins, is the God who fills our hearts and goals with abundant life.
 
Ginny Chilton

God comes down that we may rise

Dear friends,

I love Christmas carols.  Despite my lack of singing ability, I have many happy memories of caroling with friends and family in my childhood Pittsburgh neighborhood and later in the hill towns of western Massachusetts.  I gladly added my warble to the joyous blend of voices, singing the familiar words with gusto.  I still do (while, blessedly, our hard-working sound technicians make sure my microphone is muted!).
 
Our hymnal, which is arranged by season and theme, has a “Christmas” section (hymns 77 to 115).  In addition to beloved carols, it contains Christmas hymns that may be completely unfamiliar to you.  One such hymn, I’m guessing, is Sing, O sing, this blessed morn (#88).  In its third verse, it encapsulates the whole story and purpose of Jesus’ life in 26 words:

God comes down that we may rise, lifted by him to the skies;
Christ is born for us that we born again in him may be.
 
The tender, touching account of Jesus’ birth that we celebrate each December is only half of our story as Christians.  The full significance of his birth becomes most apparent in his death and resurrection.  This Child of whom we sing was born to suffer, and to save.  That was good news 2000 years ago, when God took on human flesh and entered our broken, sinful world as a helpless infant living in dark times.  And it is good news to us today, in our own dark times. 
 
I look forward to celebrating with you God’s gracious coming down into our midst, and I very much hope that you will take part in one or more of our upcoming Christmas services:

• Christmas Eve Family Service, December 24 at 4:30 PM with Children’s Pageant, Festival Eucharist, and Candle-lighting
• December 25 at 10:30 AM, at which The Rev. Phillip Shearin and parishioners from St. George’s and St. Augustine’s will be joining us for Christmas Day Eucharist
• January 1 at 10:30 AMService of Lessons and Carols

As is customary here at St. Andrew’s, there will be special Christmas offering again this year. There will be Christmas offering envelopes available in the church beginning this Sunday. You may also give online by clicking here.
 
I hope that your Christmas celebration this year will be a happy one.  Even more, I pray that this holy season will remind you once again of the central truth of the Incarnation:  God comes down that we may rise. 
 
Blessings and love.  -- Anne

The real meaning of Christmas

 Dear friends,

 As Advent gives way to Christmas, sometimes it’s nice just to have a little reminder about the real meaning of our preparations and celebrations:
 
Kneeling Santa Prayer
The sleigh was all packed, the reindeer were fed,
But Santa still knelt by the side of his bed,
"Dear Father, " he prayed, "Be with me tonight.
There's much work to do and my schedule is tight.
My sack will hold toys to grant all kids' wishes.
The supply will be endless like the loaves and the fishes.
I can do all these things, Lord, only through You.
I just need your blessing, then it's easy to do.
I do this only to honor the birth of the One,
That was sent to redeem us, Your most Holy Son.
So to all of my friends, lest Your glory I rob,
Please, Lord, remind them who gave me this job."

-- Marc

Nov. 23 Pastoral letter from Bishop Haynes: Lighting a candle in a world of darkness

Once again, our world has been plunged into darkness. Last night, as shoppers gathered supplies for upcoming Thanksgiving festivities in Chesapeake, VA, a person entered the store and shot six of his former fellow employees before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life. The aftermath of such violence is dark and full of anguish. Our pained cries and laments rise up. We need to see you, God! As the Psalmist cries, so do we: "Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord." (Psalm 4:6) We need to see you. 

This Sunday marks the first Sunday of Advent, the Sunday when we light the first candle on our Advent wreaths. As we do so, let us light this candle as an act of defiance against the darkness which falls around us. The Prophet Jeremiah reminds us that weapons of war and violence will be transformed into implements of creativity and growth. The Apostle Paul exhorts us to lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light – the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Jesus tells us that He is coming again and will crash in unexpectedly on our darkness. As we light our Advent candle this Sunday, we are turning on the light in the world; that light is stronger than the dark and will overpower it.

Our Baptismal Promises also call us to action. We are called to prayer, we are called to resist evil, we are called to proclaim Jesus, we are called to seek justice and to respect all humanity. This call to action will look different for different people, and all authentic action born of prayer and devotion to God is needed. Say your prayers and get to work.  

As you light your Advent candle against the darkness this Sunday, remember especially in your prayers the City of Chesapeake and the people there. Pray that God would empower the churches there (St. Bride's and St. Thomas) to be the light and hope of Christ in the face of violence. Pray for the Norfolk and Suffolk convocations (The Very Rev. Stewart Tabb and the Very Rev. Dr. Keith Emerson, Deans) that they will be empowered to be beacons of hope in the face of chaos. Pray that God would empower us all to face this darkness with the light of Christ. 

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Andrew's approaching a crossroads

 

Dear friends,

As you may know, I have a terrible sense of direction.  (Just ask John Herbst!)  So when I drive, I rely on GPS to get me where I need to go.  An especially helpful feature of my GPS is a picture showing me which lane to be in when I am approaching a big intersection.  I may know my ultimate destination, but I need guidance through the major crossroads I encounter on the way there.
 
We at St. Andrew’s are approaching a major crossroads.  As you’ll hear at our December 4 congregational meeting, we cannot continue down the road we’ve been following.  Our current path in relation to facility utilization and expenses is not sustainable.  So we have big decisions to make in 2023 about how to navigate the crossroads at which we are arriving.  We need to make those decisions in light of our ultimate destination:  creating a strong foundation for the next 100 years of life and ministry at St. Andrew’s.  
 
Note that a foundation is not the same as a completed building.  We do not and cannot know exactly what will be needed decades from now, and the people who come after us in this place will have many of their own decisions to make about how best to follow God’s call in their own time.  So the questions we will be dealing with in the weeks and months to come are these:  What kind of foundation do we want to lay, with God’s help, for the future of this parish?  How can we be intentional about laying that foundation?  How can the many resources currently at our disposal, especially our facilities, help us to lay that foundation?  And how will the foundation we lay for the future be different from what we are currently doing?
 
Notice my repeated use of the word “we.”  Through God’s grace and by God’s calling, we are in this together, with the Holy Spirit as our GPS (God’s positioning system?).  The crossroads is nearing.  I look forward to navigating it with you, trusting in the Spirit who at this very moment is recalculating on our behalf.  See you at the meeting on Dec. 4th!
 
Blessings. -Anne

Waiting

 Slowly, she celebrated the sacrament of letting go.

First she surrendered her green,

Then the orange, yellow, and red,

Finally she let go of her brown.

Shedding her last leaf, she stood empty and silent.

She stood in silence and celebrated

The sacrament of waiting.

– excerpts from “The Sacrament of Letting Go,” by Macrina Wiederkehr

 

It’s probably a common, human, trap to fall into: we define “waiting” in terms of anticipating something in particular. In daily life we wait for the bus, wait in line at the grocery store, or wait for that repair person to show up. Some of us are waiting for marriage, for the right person to come along. Almost always, we have a specific event in mind that will be the culmination of our waiting.

But what if waiting is not always something to be endured but something sacred in itself? Earlier this Fall an old friend sent me a copy of the poem excerpted above, The Sacrament of Letting Go (I commend the whole poem to you, which you can find online). This Fall has been a season of transitions for me: starting a new job, new daycares, new routines. As I read through this poem I wonder, is there something beautiful in the understandable anxiety of leaving a toddler with an, albeit trusted, stranger? Is there something sacred in starting a new job, in that period where trust and vision are still in their early stages?

Advent is itself a season of waiting, and we are invited to remember that waiting is itself necessary and sacred. As we wait for the Christ child, the church invites you into the sacrament of waiting. Even if you feel you have shed your last leaf, you are not alone. A tree without leaves is not a void needing to be filled. We know that life exists in that tree even when we cannot see it. The same is true for individuals and communities. As we wait for the Christ Child this Advent, we can rest in the assurance not only that the Christ Child will come, but that each day we wait is itself something to be savored.

Ginny Chilton

 

Source of All Healing

Kathy Gray attended the Tri-Diocesan Fall Camp at Shrine Mont in October. One of the presenters was author and teacher Angier Brock who wrote and used this prayer as part of her presentation on Writing and Spirituality. Kathy shares this with you to pray daily as we approach Advent.

At your word, the heat of a fever fled.
Now bid me rise and breathe an easy breath.
You shielded a sinner caught in flame.
I too have sinned.  Come, heal my shame.
 
Source of all healing, come by this place,
Bring your compassion and grace.
Source of all healing, before you I bow,
Come, Holy Jesus, abide with me now.
 
You ordered unclean spirits to flee.
From all that would bind me, I pray, set me free.
You opened deaf ears.  To the blind, you gave sight.
You made the lame stand and the bent stand upright.
 
Source of all healing, come by this place,
Bring your compassion and grace.
Source of all healing, before you I bow,
Come, Holy Jesus, abide with me now.
 
When lepers cried out, you made each one whole.
Hear now my cry – cleanse my body and soul.
At your command, rough seas grew calm.
So be to my anxious heart a balm.
 
Source of all healing, come by this place,
Bring your compassion and grace.
Source of all healing, before you I bow,
Come, Holy Jesus, abide with me now.

(copyright Angier Brock)

Veterans Day

 There is a time for everything...a time for everything that is done on earth.
There is a time to be born and there is a time to die.
There is a time to plant and a time to pull up what is planted.
There is a time to kill and a time to heal.
There is a time to tear down and a time to build up.
There is a time to cry and a time to laugh.
There is a time to be sad and a time to dance.
There is a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.
There is a time to hug and a time not to hug.
There is a time to search and a time to stop searching.
There is a time to keep and a time to throw away.
There is a time to tear and a time to mend.
There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.
There is a time to love and a time to hate.
There is a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

World War I: more than 500,000 horses and mules were sent to England and other countries out of Newport News; and over 500,000 men returned to Newport News and were honored to walk through our Victory Arch.  I can’t speak for them.
 
I can’t speak for those who, in World War II, went to Europe, maybe to brave the beaches at Normandy, or to the Pacific Theater to brave the untold fear of the islands.
 
I can’t speak for those who went, and may be still going, to Korea, or to the Middle East, or to Afghanistan.
 
I can only speak of having gone to a small country where, just as when Christ was born in the Holy Land, a war was being fought.  Almost 2,000 years later, it was a land of airstrips, jeeps, tar paper houses with tin roofs held down by old tires, motorbikes, black silk pajamas, water buffalo, sandbags, straw hats, green and camouflaged fatigues, trash, mountains, land mines, and thousands and thousands of miles of barbed wire.
 
Veterans in all wars:
have endeavored to plant the seeds of democracy and peace,
have made many efforts to rebuild what was destroyed,
have cried and laughed with each other,
have hugged and gathered to remember, as we do today,
have kept their thoughts and maybe relics from their past, often finding it difficult to throw away those thoughts and relics,
have been silent and have spoken out,
have tried to turn hate into love,
and have hoped that war will be replaced with peace.
 
May we all plant joy; support those who are downhearted; dance, hug, and even cry together; speak from our hearts, and hopefully, one day be able to replace hate and war with love and peace.   Amen.
 
Bill Wilds

The Gratitude of Our Hearts

In this month of November, not only do we think of Thanksgiving, but with All Saints Day at the beginning of the month, we also give thanks for the heroic witness of the saints through the ages.  The saints dedicated their lives to the service of God, proclaiming by word and example the good news of God in Christ (as we say in our Baptismal Covenant).   We tend to think of the saints as those whose lives were exemplary, but if you take even a cursory look at the lives of the saints you'll see that the reason they are examples is that, to a person, the saints had very human lives, yet were able to overcome their human foibles and witness to God's good news in Christ in unique ways.  In older versions of Lesser Feasts and Fasts, several guidelines are given for inclusion of saints on the church calendar for special commemoration.  These guidelines (with definitions) include: heroic faith, love, goodness of life, joyousness, service to others for Christ's sake, devotion, recognition by the faithful, and historical perspective.  Doesn't sound too difficult, does it?  The thing about the saints, given their very humanness, is that they really are great examples of how ordinary people can do something realistic with their lives, not only to talk about, but to actually live by our words to show with the example of our lives the gratitude of our hearts.   --Marc

2023 Pledge Campaign: We are the hands and feet of Christ

How does St. Andrew’s empower God’s transforming love in our lives, the church, and the world, and why it is important to give?

“Christ has no body now but yours.  No hands, no feet on Earth but yours.  Yours are the eyes through which he looks out his compassion on this world.  Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.  Yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.  Christ has no body on Earth but yours.”  -- Saint Teresa of Avila
 
At St. Andrew’s we believe and have committed to “Building God’s kingdom through worship, outreach, and fellowship.”  We actively participate in over 19 internal and outreach ministries to fulfill that commitment to each other, our community, and throughout the world.  As Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has often reminded us, “If it's not about love, then it’s not about God.” 
 
Through our gifts of time and resources given through our love for each other, our neighbors, and those less fortunate, we become the hands and feet of Christ.  We are given the opportunity to show God’s love through both word and deed.  It is through faithful stewardship that we are able to continue worshiping in our church, reaching out to a hurting and needy world, and bonding together in love and fellowship.
 
Al Roby

Daily life in our parish

 

Since taking the job as music minister at St. Andrew’s I’ve been pondering the meaning of the word “parish.” Traditionally, a parish is a geographical space, and, within that space, there is a church that serves the people. More recently, though, “parish” is used to refer simply to a church and its members.

It has been a lofty dream of mine, since I started in music ministry twenty years ago, to eventually live, work, and worship in the same place. I wanted to put down deep roots in a specific place, make its people my people, and find a holistic sense of God’s call to my life and ministry.

Now that dream is a reality here in Newport News. With school, work, and church, James and I realized we travel on foot six, sometimes seven, days a week to the corner of River Road and Main Street. That gives me plenty of time to ponder, step by step (and, trust me, small children will stop and notice every detail on your walk, no matter how often you do it!) what God has called me to be in this slice of the world that is, in the old-fashioned sense, the “parish” that St. Andrew’s serves. As I plan music for each Sunday–a practice that is a lovely combination of prayer and artistry for me–I have in my mind the faces of friends here in the pews at St. Andrew’s, as well as the people we walk to school with, the anxious faces of parents dropping their children at school on weekday mornings, and the faces of older neighbors who stop for a rest on our benches outside. These swirling thoughts gently settled a few weeks ago when the choir sang Hymn 347, “Go forth for God; go,” by John Peacey. Each stanza speaks to ways we bring what we have received in worship to the outside world. Here is the last stanza and it is my prayer to you this week as you go about your own daily life in our “parish”-- our slice of Newport News. (The words alone do not do it justice without Erik Routley’s tune and harmonization. I encourage you to look it up on YouTube.)

Go forth for God; go to the world in joy;

To serve God’s people every day and hour,

And serving Christ, our every gift employ,

Rejoicing in the Holy Spirit’s power.

In gratitude and love,

Ginny

The hope of autumn

Autumn has always been a difficult time for me. In my childhood it usually meant starting over in a new place, as an unknown, filling me with anxiety as a faced uncertainty and a new school, with my nomadic military family.

As so much of the earth goes into hibernation, with leaves falling, and the colder days, the new beginnings seem like a paradox -- new school years, program years in churches kicking off, new budgets in response to stewardship drives. It's almost a death and resurrection scenario. The earth dies and we are called to rise up with so much newness.

A new liturgical year is also within view, as Year C comes to a close and Year A looms in our future, just as all signs of life in nature are muted by the season, and we go from autumn to winter.

The hope I find in this year's transition is a coming back together in corporate worship, the sounds of children's voices, and the patter of little feet as they join us in worship after Children's Chapel. Their excitement, often unbridled, and spontaneity, their hands stretched out with curiosity and joy at the altar rail as they receive a blessing or the sacrament.

Yes, it's another new beginning for St. Andrew's. Let us embrace all of it, the uncertainty, the losses, and fresh new life and new lives to live among us, as we strive to answer God's call to us, the call to be made new, to become more, and perhaps to be made whole.

Kathy

2023 Pledge Campaign: Transforming love

St. Andrew’s brought transforming love into my life at an important time, helping me and my family to navigate life's challenges while my daughters grew up.  I'm now in a position where I can give back to others through the Church.  Our outreach ministry work at St. Andrew’s empowers me to share this transforming love with others, work that is funded by the generous support of our parishioners and friends. 

Jesus promised His disciples that “Where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.” Through outreach, we together have been able to bring Jesus’ love to disadvantaged school children in our city; the homeless of our community; our brothers and sisters in prison; and to those who are hungry, transforming for natural disasters, or fleeing from conflict, whether they are located here in Virginia or across the globe.  Help St. Andrew’s to continue to carry forward the mission of the Church in our world today with your pledge!
 
Thank you,
Matt Deller

2023 Pledge Campaign: How God uses St. Andrew's to empower transforming love in my life, and why making a pledge an important part of sharing this love

 Life is a journey. You must put “God” in your journey just as He put you in His plan. You were divinely appointed! This is an empowering tool to know you are not alone and you are loved. We are given many choices in life and God urges us to choose His way and His path for transforming love, true life, and inner peace. We are not spared or immune from suffering and grief in life’s journey.

During the chaos in this uncertain world, by knowing Jesus Christ and choosing God’s path, we will be transformed and empowered by His love to experience “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). We are in safe keeping with God’s love and promised a place in His home, Heaven.
 
St. Andrew’s is a vessel bringing us closer to God just like daily prayer and devotionals. The church is a way we can serve God by worshipping “together” like family where no one is a stranger. St. Andrew’s gives me an opportunity to help and serve our congregants as well as our local community as we would our own family with love.
 
No one should ever be a stranger to God’s Love because our journey with the Lord will lead us to heaven. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). On October 9, my son, Chad, and other confirmands will be presented to the bishop, they will be committing to God to be free from our old paths to choose His path and His love. St. Andrew’s will empower and transform your life as you are walking with God every day. I invite you to pledge publicly or privately to love God deeper here at St. Andrew’s. God’s love is where the true journey in life begins!

In Christ's love,
Laura Abbitt

Life at its deepest is a spiritual quest

 

Anticipation of the coming autumn season just seems to invite deeper reflection than we might do during the blazing summer months.  I found the following excerpt from the Preface to Autumn: A Spiritual Biography of the Season (Skylight Paths Publishing, 2004, Gary Schmidt and Susan M. Felch, eds.) to be just such a reminder that “life, at its deepest, is a spiritual quest.”

Autumn is that season in between: not summer, though still somewhat like summer, and not winter, though still somewhat like winter.  It is the season that grabs the attention of the moment as we take up our schedules again.  A season of brilliant October leaves and drab November branches, of yellow warm days and cold crystal nights, of blankets around the knees at high school football games, of lovely long shadows of the orange sun at dusk, the smell of dry leaves in the air and the smoke of their burning.  There are pumpkins and the delightful frights of Halloween and Vs of Canada geese honking raucously overhead.  There are the cold rains taking down the last of the leaves, the snow shovels to find just in case, and shorter days with darker mornings as harbingers of winter’s beckoning.

Autumn is a season that teaches us that our lives are made not to run in smooth and easy paths, predictable and even, always known.  Our lives are messy, sometimes scheduled, sometimes random, sometimes prepared for, sometimes taken on the fly as we juggle our own blazing experiences, all of which come at us with their contradictions and with their own joys and sorrows.  And it is the season that reminds us that maybe we are not our own; we neither mark out nor control all the paths we may take.  And like all the seasons, autumn teaches us that beginnings and fulfillment and endings are not negotiable - they are part of the cycle of our experience in this world, the stuff of our daily life.  But our responses to changes, renewals, endings, and the confusing mix of day-to-day moments - this is the stuff of our spiritual life.  Autumn asks us to grapple with this truth that we in North America are often so eager to avoid: that life carries with it a particular uncertainty and that our quest to find the means to live with that knowledge is, at its deepest, a spiritual quest.

-Marc

Duty

Dear friends,

I was surprised by how sad I felt when I learned that Queen Elizabeth died.  After all, I’d never met her; she’s not my queen; and she was 96 years old.  But when I think of Queen Elizabeth, I think of unflagging diligence, and I am awed by the grace with which she carried the very public, ceaseless burden of her role for 70 years.

You may remember the movie The King’s Speech, which came out in 2010.  It’s about Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, who had a terrible speech impediment.  My favorite scene in the movie is this:  King George’s wife carries out a reconnaissance mission on the king’s behalf, visiting a speech therapist who doesn’t know who she is.  Never disclosing her identity, the queen explains that her husband holds an important position that involves giving lots of public addresses, and he needs speech therapy.  The speech therapist says to her, “Maybe he should find a different line of work.”  But of course, that isn’t an option for poor George!

Forced to step up when his brother abdicated the throne, George VI was anointed as king.  English coronations include anointing, which marks the spiritual dimension of the role the monarch takes on.  To serve as England’s king or queen is a sacred duty, a holy responsibility that Queen Elizabeth shouldered in good times and bad.

To serve Jesus Christ is a sacred duty for us as Christians, one we are called to carry out in good times and bad.  We, too, are anointed—by the Holy Spirit, at our baptism.  Like Queen Elizabeth, we have a burden to bear, a sacred duty to perform:  Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow him.  May we do so with the same kind of grace and diligence that Queen Elizabeth II exemplified throughout her life.

Blessings.  -Anne 

The Prayer Shawl Ministry

 

The first time I encountered Prayer Shawls was in St. Augustine the day after my son’s wedding.  There were about two dozen shawls spread over the rail which were blessed in the middle of the service and then the Rector and two others took a shawl to an elder of the congregation and put it around her shoulders and prayed with her.  I was so moved by this experience – the beauty and variety of the shawls, the corporate nature of the blessing and gifting, the visible way in which a person was wrapped in the love and prayers of the whole parish family.  It was a few years later when I began this ministry in Pennsylvania and twelve years later, I am blessed to be able to continue making shawls for others.   Yes, I am blessed.  Making shawls is a slow process knitting or crocheting one stitch at a time – looping yarn and pulling it through a previous stitch – to make a shawl.  It is done prayerfully – mindful of the recipient, whether known or unknown, each stitch a blessing for that person.  Some people make shawls in silent contemplation.  Others in a small group with conversation about and care for those who will receive them.  I am often with others as I work on a shawl, being prayerful as I begin and end, but talking with others.  It does not matter how we make shawls – what matters is our prayerful intent.  I am blessed.  I have made about 100 shawls in the past 12 years, and I find myself settled, stilled, focused on God and His care for us as I work.  I know people who have deepened their spiritual lives and changed how they listen to people who are sharing their troubles through the process of making shawls.  I treasure the stories of how shawls have made a difference in the lives of recipients.  A woman who received her shawl in the last few months of her life was so affected by the experience that she was buried with it.  An 80+ year old veteran and widower said, “Who would do this for me?”  A woman whose husband was just placed in hospice care used hers as a comfort in his final weeks.   This Sunday we will once again bless shawls.  I invite you to seriously weave your prayers with ours as you gaze upon them during the service.  As you come to Communion, place your hands on them and add your prayers.   These shawls are kept in the parish hall and are available for parishioners to gift to people in need whether illness, life crisis, or transition... the needs are many.  We ask that you pray with the person as you give it, and we love to hear stories about the experience!    There are not many people who are working to make shawls at the moment, and we would always welcome your contribution!  We will teach you to knit or crochet.  You don’t have to come to meetings either, although you are welcome to join us on Tuesdays at 1 PM in the library.   Carol Chamberlain

Mutual Love & Hospitality: A Joint Service of Hilton Area Churches

 Mutual Love & Hospitality: A Joint Service of Hilton Area Churches

This Sunday, Aug. 28, 10:00 AM, at First United Methodist Church
Please plan to join us this Sunday, August 28 at 10 AM for a joint service with First United Methodist Church, Hilton Baptist Church, Hilton Christian Church, Hilton Presbyterian Church, and Trinity Lutheran Church. This family-friendly service will include a Blessing of Students and Teachers as we prepare for back-to-school. The service will be held at First United Methodist Church and will be followed by a reception. Please note that there will be an 8 AM service only at St. Andrew's that Sunday.

Politics & Religion

Dear friends,

 

We’re probably all familiar with the adage that in polite company, it’s best to avoid bringing up politics or religion. It’s not uncommon to hear folks say that the church is no place for politics. I completely concur that the church is no place for partisan politics. But politics itself (defined, in its most elemental form, as “the set of activities associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status”)—well, Jesus talked about that all the time. 

 

The Jews of Jesus’ day were being crushed by Roman imperialism, and like the many Old Testament prophets who preceded him, Jesus spoke—emphatically—about justice and restoration. Luke tells us that Jesus began his ministry in Galilee by announcing a reversal of the world’s power relations: The Spirit of the Lord… has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19). In the face of the mighty Roman Empire, Jesus preached that the Kingdom of God had arrived—a direct threat to Rome’s rule. It’s no surprise that Jesus was executed by the Roman government through crucifixion, the torture meted out to political subversives.

 

A clergy friend of mine has this quote from Desmond Tutu in her email signature line: “I don’t preach a social gospel; I preach the gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person. When people were hungry, Jesus didn’t say, ‘Now is that political or social?’ He said, ‘I feed you.’ Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.”

 

If Jesus spoke so often and so openly about how we are to treat one another—especially poor people, the oppressed, and our enemies—then those of us who wish to follow him must allow his words to shape our speech and our lives. And we who dare to preach have a particular responsibility to ensure that we are faithfully proclaiming Jesus’ words and deeds—even when doing so is challenging.  Even when it sounds like we think that a worship service is a place for politics. Because Jesus certainly did. 

 

May we at St. Andrew’s have the grace and courage to speak and listen about the ways Jesus calls us to reach out to the “least of these.” I am grateful to be engaging in this important work with each of you.

 

Blessings. -Anne

Rector & Parish Sabbatical

 Dear members of St Andrew’s,

It will soon be that time again. Time for our rector and our parish to go on sabbatical. Sabbaticals sustain healthy ministers and healthy parishes. It is important to view this time as renewal for Anne as well as our congregation. We will hope to gain new insights, new energy for ministry, and renewed vision for our future together.

Anne’s sabbatical dates are from Sept 2023 through November 2023. We are applying for a grant from the Lilly Foundation that will cover the cost of Anne’s sabbatical and offer funds for parish use. The Lilly Foundation requires that this be a joint endeavor involving the rector and parish, and for that reason we will need your help in determining what renewal could look like for St. Andrew’s.

As we think about this, it is important for us to recognize the difference between a sabbatical and a vacation. Even though both a vacation and a sabbatical allow for a time of rest away from routine responsibilities, a sabbatical serves to help us all reconnect with our inner spiritual resources.

Anne’s plan is to take a series of pilgrimages. She intends to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and travel the Civil Rights Trail in the Southern US. This sabbatical also includes time for retreat, rest, and visits with mentors. The gentle rhythm of this pilgrimage will give Anne the opportunity to find a full sense of renewal.

Meanwhile, we at St. Andrew’s will also be participating in activities to provide us with renewal for the next season of our ministry together as rector and congregation. In line with Anne’s emphasis on pilgrimage and retreat, we are contemplating a special focus on labyrinths as part of our spiritual pilgrimage; and a parish retreat weekend with opportunities for rest, reflection, and the deepening of relationships.

It is important to note that the vestry fully supports our application for the Lilly Foundation grant and the sabbatical is part of the agreement under which Anne was called. The success of earning the Lilly Foundation grant is dependent on the support and full engagement of the congregation. So we are requesting your response by April 11 to these two sets of questions:

Renewal for St. Andrew’s:

1. What renewal activities/opportunities could St. Andrew’s provide during Anne’s sabbatical that would be helpful to you, personally? To our parish as a whole?
2. Would engaging more deeply with the labyrinth and the theme of pilgrimage be helpful tools for renewal? Why or why not?
3. How do you feel about a parish retreat?

Support for the renewal experience for Anne and for St. Andrew’s:

1. What comments do you have about the need and potential benefits of this renewal time for Anne?
2. For the parish?

To share your responses, you may email our senior warden, Dawn Edquist, at dawnwm94@gmail.com, or call the church office at 595-0371 and leave a message with Ann Turner, our Parish administrator.

Thank you, and we hope to hear from you soon,

The Sabbatical Advisory Team

(Dawn Edquist, Ann Lee, David Lilley)

Update on masking in church

 Dear friends,

Beginning Sunday, March 6, masks will no longer be required inside our buildings—but they will still be recommended.  

As you probably know, the CDC issued new Covid guidance last week, listing our area as a “green zone," where masking is recommended only for those who have underlying health conditions or are unvaccinated.  Following up on this new CDC information, our diocese has asked all parishes, even those in green zones, to consider carefully the risk level of our parishioners and community members.  What does that mean for us at St. Andrew’s?  Our parishioners and building users include several groups of folks at higher risk:  children too young to be vaccinated, elderly people, and people with underlying health conditions.  And so we are recommending but not requiring masking; and we are asking you to be mindful of those around you as you decide whether or not to unmask.

Our choir will continue to wear masks while singing.  Our staff members will continue to wear masks while walking through the building and during worship but are free to unmask as they and those around them feel comfortable in small group settings.

Please, do what is safest and most comfortable for you and your family. Please continue to mask and social distance if that is what is best for you. If you do not feel safe attending worship in which folks may be unmasked and singing, you might consider attending the 8 AM Sunday service or the 11 AM Wednesday service. Neither of those services includes singing and both are smaller gatherings. We will continue to offer virtual worship as well.

In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul tells the Christians of Corinth that our decisions about what we choose to do or not do should be grounded in our care for one another, rather than just in our own freedom. As we all make decisions about when and where to wear masks, I pray that we will all keep Paul’s admonition in mind and choose what is safest and best not only for ourselves, but also for those around us.

I am so grateful for your compassion and graciousness—to each other, and to those beyond our doors.  With God’s help, I pray that we will continue to offer and receive those blessings as we move into this next step together.    

Faithfully, Anne 

Outreach opportunities!

 Asset-Based Community Development discussion on March 8

All are invited to join us on Tuesday, March 8, 6:30 to 8 PM to learn about Asset-Based Community Development. Jim Moynihan (www.weareonechurch.com), whose calling is ministry to and with the local community, will talk to us about Asset-Based Community Development and the ways in which St. Andrew’s can be more productive in our community organizing and outreach in 2022. This is open to anyone interested in the topic as well as any guests or neighbors that you would like to bring. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided. No RSVP necessary. For questions or ideas, feel free to contact Matt Deller at pablodeller@outlook.com or 757-812-9852. 

PORT volunteers needed

St. Andrew's will be partnering with Denbigh United Presbyterian Church on Tuesday evening, March 22, through Wednesday morning, March 23, for our second PORT commitment this winter. PORT is a program that provides meals and overnight accommodations at host churches for the homeless in our community. Our volunteers will be feeding and hosting the overnight guests at the site location (302 Denbigh Blvd, Newport News). We are looking for a leader for our cook team! The St. Andrew’s cook team will prepare a hot dinner meal and “breakfast in a bag” items for the overnight guests. Volunteers in the evening will greet the guests, help store their personal bags and hand out bedding. Morning volunteers will assist in handing out bagged breakfasts, returning personal belongings, and taking in bedding. If you would like to join us on any of these teams, a sign-up sheet will be made available in the Main Street Lobby or you may contact Matt Deller at pablodeller@outlook.com or 757-812-9852.

Speaking up on behalf of the oppressed

 Dear friends,

In both the Old and the New Testament, believers are called upon to speak up for those who are oppressed. Proverbs 31:8-9 says, Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. In the sheep and the goats parable in Matthew 25:40, Jesus tells his followers, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

As you know from a recent newsletter article, I have been facilitating an interfaith clergy group here in Newport News with the aim of finding ways to work together for the betterment of our city. In response to the hostage-taking last month at a Texas synagogue, members of our group composed a statement, which Unitarian Universalist Pastor Andrew Millard submitted to the letter section of the Daily Press and the Virginia Pilot. 

The other day, Pastor Millard received a poignant letter of thanks from a Jewish woman who lives in Norfolk. In her letter (see below), she talks about what it means to oppressed communities when other people are willing to speak up on their behalf. I thought you might want to read and ponder her words.

May God bless us as we carry out the work of ministry, including advocating for others. 

--Anne

--------------------------------------

Dear Rev. Millard,

 

I want you to know that your letter to the Editor in the Virginian Pilot, “Address Antisemitism,” affected me deeply. As a past director of the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, I have spent years studying and teaching about this tragic time.

 

One of my “heroes” is Elie Wiesel, survivor of the Holocaust, writer, teacher, and perhaps a prophet in our time.

 

One of Wiesel’s statements has remained with me all these years; “It must be emphasized that the victims suffered more, and more profoundly, from the indifference of the onlookers than from the brutality of the executioner… it was the silence of those he believed to be his friends… which broke his heart.”

 

Your letter came at a time that helps to restore the Jewish people’s faith in humanity, when once again antisemitism rears its ugly head. In the words of Wiesel, “Indifference can be… seductive. It is so much easier to look away from victims… It is, after all, troublesome to be involved in another person’s pain and despair.”

 

Please let your friends in “Pastoring the City” know how grateful the Jewish community is for your courage to speak out, for your commitment to “dismantle antisemitism, racism, hatred and bigotry.” And for your friendship.

 

I am forwarding your letter to Rabbi Ron Koas, the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth El in Norfolk (to which I belong) in case he missed it.

 

Again, our hearts are filled with gratitude to know that we have friends, friends willing to speak up on our behalf against not only hate, but also indifference.

 

B’shalom,

Betsy O. Karotkin

Past President of Congregation Beth El

A Lenten Invitation

Just like Advent isn't really a season in its own right, but rather a period of preparation for the celebration of the Incarnation, Lent is at its core a period of personal and communal self-examination intended to prepare us for the celebration of a glorious Easter.  But that is not how we usually think of Lent.  Lent is penitential, gloomy, a time to take a hard look at ourselves and the burden of sin we carry, a time to give something up that we like, a time when we shout as a congregation “Crucify him!” (him being Jesus) during dramatic readings of the gospels on Palm Sunday and Good Friday.  Nothing very glorious about any of that!

But consider a different perspective, one more faithful to the intent of the Lenten season.  Lent is derived from a word meaning “springtime,” denoting new birth, restored life, a chance for a new start.  Here is a novel idea to think about.  Instead of giving up something you like, how about giving up something that you don’t like, such as things that get in the way of a glorious Easter celebration?  Things like self-absorption, lack of charity, refusal to forgive, or disdain for those who differ from you in some way.  That, of course, means taking a hard look yourself, maybe expressing sorrow to God for hurt that is caused, but there is little chance for a new start without knowing where those things that hinder our relationship with God and one another reside in our hearts and actions.

The Invitation to a Holy Lent during the Ash Wednesday service in the Prayer Book (BCP p. 264-5) notes that, by our disciplines of self-examination, repentance, prayer, fasting, self-denial, and reading and meditating on God's holy Word through this season, “the whole congregation [is] put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior,” such that our cry to “Crucify!” culminates in Thomas’ post-resurrection experience with Jesus, as he (we) exclaims “My Lord and my God!” 

Penitential?  Maybe.  Gloomy?  Doesn’t have to be.  Hard self-look?  Sure, but worthy endeavors, all, because our Lenten preparations are intended to culminate in a glorious Easter.

-Marc

Regathering for Worship this Sunday

 Dear friends,

After consultation with Marc, the wardens, and Health and Safety Officer Joel Duregger; and with input from a medical professional at Riverside Hospital, I decided to petition the diocese to allow us to regather for worship and activities. The diocese has given us permission to do so. Thus, as of this coming Sunday, February 6, we will resume in-person worship services at 8 and 10:30 on Sunday mornings; the Wednesday 11 AM healing service; and all of our usual weekly Bible studies, contemplative prayer groups, etc.

As I’m sure you can imagine, this was not an easy decision to make. Nothing about navigating this pandemic has been easy for any of us, and I very much appreciate your prayers and support, even and especially when our leadership decisions were not the same ones you would have made. As is true about most things, St. Andrew’s parishioners have expressed a wide variety of thoughts and opinions about when and whether to regather. I am grateful for the diversity of points of view in our congregation, even when it sometimes makes things difficult! The Body of Christ needs all of its members, each with something different to offer.

We will continue to abide by the diocesan guidelines requiring social distancing (the pews are marked with blue dots showing where it is okay to sit), masking for all people inside our buildings, and attendance collection for the purposes of contact tracing.  The 10:30 service will include congregational singing.

Please, please, please make whatever worship decision works best for you and for your family. If you are not comfortable being in the building, please tune in to the live stream service on Facebook. If you want to come to worship but are uncomfortable about the singing, please come to the Sunday 8 AM or Wednesday healing service. 

I know that the pandemic continues to be a very isolating experience, leading to anxiety and depression and loneliness. I pray that being able to regather for worship together will be a source of comfort and strength for all of us.

There are currently 119 Covid cases across all of the Riverside hospitals. Of the vaccinated patients, most did not get booster shots. So if you have not yet been vaccinated and boosted, please do so as soon as possible. Our Riverside contact noted that there continues to be a desperate need for blood donations. If you are able to help in that way, please do so.

I look forward to worshipping with you in whatever way works best for you. I continue to hold all of you in my prayers.

Blessings. - Anne

When can we regather for in-person worship?

 Dear friends,

I know that this question is very much on everyone’s mind. We are so tired of the pandemic and of all the ways that it is affecting our lives, especially in terms of limiting our ability to be together in person for worship. I don’t have a specific answer to the question of when we can regather, but I can share with you one of the major considerations affecting the decision. 

 

We know that those of us who are vaccinated and boosted are still capable of getting and spreading Covid, and that the recent upsurge of the virus is taxing the health care system. A recent communication from our Diocesan Health Advisory Panel asked church leaders to monitor the capacity of local healthcare facilities to receive and treat patients. As of January 26, Riverside hospital has 7 times as many hospitalized Covid patients as it had a month ago, the emergency department is packed, and there is a severe blood shortage that is adversely impacting the hospital’s ability to provide patients with the usual level of treatment. 

 

In short, our local healthcare facility is struggling right now, and one way we can help the situation is to refrain from putting ourselves into situations that might further spread Covid. The good news—and there is good news—is that the numbers are actually getting better; Riverside has 40 fewer Covid patients right now than it did at its worst point a few weeks ago.

 

So I keep praying, as I’m sure you do, too. I pray for the Covid numbers to decrease so that our lives can return to normal; and I pray for all those affected in every way by this pandemic, especially the staff and patients at Riverside and all of our local medical facilities.

 

Blessings. - Anne

Worship moves to online only

Bishop Haynes, in consultation with the Diocesan Health Advisory Panel, has notified all churches in the Diocese of Southern Virginia that effective immediately, public worship is suspended. (Click here to read the Bishop's message.)

• There will be no Wednesday service on January 5. This service is suspended until further notice.
• All group meetings and gatherings are suspended until further notice.
• Fellowship Groups should postpone any gatherings until at least February.
• Beginning this Sunday, January 9, there will be one virtual service at 10:30 AM on Sunday mornings. You can watch the service live and the recording will be available to watch later. A link to the Sunday service will be emailed to you on Sunday mornings. 
• There will be two ways to receive communion. You can call or text Bill Wilds, 757-880-5460 weekdays between 9 AM and noon, to pick up communion kits to use while watching the service. Alternatively, a member of the clergy will be outside the River Road entrance to the church from 11:30 to 12:00 to give communion.
• Offerings can be mailed in, or placed in the mailbox outside the Main Street entrance.

As the pace of coronavirus transmission accelerates, driven by the omicron and delta variants, safeguarding public health and mitigating the risk of COVID transmission becomes a Christian imperative. Our baptismal covenant to seek and serve Christ in all persons and respect the dignity of every human being is central to our commitment as Christians and lies at the heart of our response to the threat the pandemic poses.