September 8, Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The Holy Eucharist, 8 a.m., Rite I
The Holy Eucharist, 10 a.m., Rite II
Fr. John Thorpe, officiating

Church School 10 a.m. | Child Care 9:45 a.m.
Choir Rehearsal 9 a.m.

Pictured: Stained Glass from Christchurch Priory, UK

Worship notes

The Collect:
Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen

This week’s lessons: Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33

Epistle
“When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus.” Philemon 1:4
The Gospel | Luke 14: 25-33

Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions."
Schedule for the week of September 8

Monday, 7 p.m., ECW meeting
Tuesday, 10 a.m., St. Julian of Norwich Prayer Group
Tuesday, 11:30 a.m., Charlie’s Lunch Bunch, Sugo’s
Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Vestry Meeting

This Sunday, September 8 , an all parish photo will be taken at the front of the church following the ten o'clock service. The photo will be used on the parish website and in parish media.
Parish Updates

  • Good News for Father Boase! The date by which the prosecution was required to file an appeal of the judge's ruling in favor of Fr. David Boase has passed with no appeal. Fr. David may remain in the U.S. without further challenge. Thanks be to God.

  • Church Phone Line - Until further notice, Saint Andrew's primary, and only, phone line is 618-656-7982. This phone line rings in the church office and is connected to the answering machine. It appears on our web site and Facebook page.
St. Andrew's Book Sales to Participate in Local Festivals |
Volunteers Needed at Parish Book Sale Table September 7 and 21!

St. Andrew's is holding two mini-Book Sales in September at festivals in City Park. The goal is to increase sales for the year, of course, but also to introduce our Book Fairs to community members who may not yet know about us. Both sales will be small--a 10 x 10 pop-up tent with three tables of books.

Mike will be working the entire event for each of the sales but could use help and company.  Please call if you can help with set-up and take down or with staffing the booth during the sale. Cindy is participating in the festivals at other booths.

If you have an hour or two to spare, your help would be greatly appreciated. If so, please let Cindy know via email or phone 618-656-1294.

Here are the events:

September 7
Edwardsville Book Festival
City Park, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Click to view event flyer .

September 21
Living History Days: A Chautauqua with Mark Twain and Friends
City Park, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Click to view event flyer
Opportunity Lost?

Recent articles have juxtaposed two failed rectorships with two that were the most successful in St. Andrew’s 178-year history. The others fall somewhere in between, but at least one may have had the potential to be ranked with the Weissman/Bennett eras if it had been allowed to develop.

Thomas Neil Lyons accepted a call to St. Andrew’s on December 18, 1958, following almost two rectorless years during which the parish had been served by supply priests, deacons, and lay readers. Twenty-nine years of age, Lyons had graduated from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and had served missions in Marion and Anna, Illinois. He came with a glowing recommendation from Bishop Clough, who enthused that Lyons “is a young man of sterling character, and has great gifts as a preacher,” as well as “admirable” administrative abilities.

Expectations at St. Andrew’s were correspondingly high. The clerk of the vestry wrote that “With his arrival we are hoping to see the awakening of a new era of growth and vitality in St. Andrew’s parish.” Lyons did not disappoint. His preaching as well as his youth and personal demeanor were enthusiastically received. He had introduced himself as someone who acted with “patience, gentleness and tolerance,” and demonstrated admirable modesty by opening vestry meetings with a prayer, then inviting the rector’s warden to preside over the balance of the agenda.

Attendance at services increased dramatically during Lyons’ first year. By November 1959, total attendance stood at approximately 5,000, with an additional thousand expected by the end of the year. That stood in dramatic contrast to the 1,658 total for the previous rectorless year and 3,281 for the last year under Lyons’ predecessor. St. Andrew’s seemed to have been blessed with a winner!

Fr. Lyons’ announcement on April 1, 1960, that he had accepted a call to another St. Andrew’s, this one in Harriman, Tennessee, came as a devastating blow. The rector’s warden observed despondently that “St. Andrew’s has grown vibrant and strong over the past fifteen months,” but warned that “It would be easy to slip backward into a depressed period in our spirit and strength.”

Why had Lyons decided to leave our St. Andrew’s? Tennessee was his native state, and his departure may simply have reflected a desire to return to his roots. But about twenty years later, Gossip-in-Chief Mildred Tuxhorn (remember her?) suggested another possibility in her interview with Fr. Weissman. His note on Lyons based on what she had told him reads simply “from Tennessee, homosexual, in rectory.” 

Whether or not Mrs. Tuxhorn’s recollection reflected the reason for Fr. Lyons’ departure, St. Andrew’s may have lost an opportunity for significant growth with the exodus of this impressive young priest. -Jim Weingartner
Announcements

ECW Meeting September 9
ECW meets Monday, September 9, at 7 p.m. to plan for the White Elephant Boutique.

Coffee Hour Host Needed
Pat Rudloff is still seeking a host for the September 22 Coffee Hour. Contact Pat this Sunday if you can host on the 22nd.

Donate Shoes to Help Neighbors in Need
Please bring gently-used shoes to Pearson Hall during September. There are containers along the west wall. Your shoes will be sold to a company that resells them in developing countries. The Shoeman uses the proceeds from his sales to dig water wells in countries where fresh water is desperately needed. -Fredna Scroggins

Meals on Wheels Volunteers Needed!
It is St. Andrew's time to do Meals on Wheels, an outreach project to the community. Our dates begin Monday, September 30, and go through October 11.

Volunteers pick up the meals at 10:30 a.m. at the Main Street Community Center and deliver them to homes in our area. The number of meals vary from day to day, but the approximate time to complete deliveries is 1 to 1.5 hours. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board by Pearson Hall or you may contact Lyndia Pezza at (401)463-8049 or lyndia1231@gmail.com . -Lyndia Pezza
The St. Andrew's Week-End Update , a weekly emailed newsletter, is designed to keep parishioners up to date on church activities. Please send news items to Editors Marianne Cavanaugh and Jane Weingartner by 11 a.m. on Tuesday to have them appear in the following Friday's newsletter.