The Mouse for
February 28, 2021
"For what will it profit them to gain the whole world
and forfeit their life?"
—Mark 8:36
Here are the latest opportunities to strengthen
your faith and connect with the community:
The Second Sunday of Lent
Sermon: "God sets the terms"

Who tells a 99-year-old man with a barren wife that he will be the father of many nations? God does. "I am God Almighty... Your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations."

If that's the promise, then what does Abraham have to do to earn it? Answer, walk with God and be blameless (Genesis 17:1). But it wasn't Abraham's innocence that won him the promise. In fact, Abraham didn't earn God's promise at all. Nor did Moses, nor did Israel, and nor do you.

You see, God sets the terms of his covenants and, if need be, God fulfills those terms Himself. (And it turns out He needs to, because we can't.)

To find out more about God's covenants and how Jesus fulfills their terms to your everlasting benefit, come hear (or tune into) Sunday's sermon.

In-Person Worship
for Sunday, February 28, 2021

Holy Communion, 8 a.m.
Morning Prayer, 9:30 a.m.

See the in-person worship guidelines below. You can also live-stream the 9:30 service on Sundays by clicking here.

First Sunday of the month Holy Communion will resume on March 7, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.
Church School

Childcare and Church School have resumed at the 9:30 a.m. service. Please RSVP to Marie Scagnelli at churchschoolatsaintpeters@gmail.com, by Saturday 5 p.m.
Catechism Corner

The Vicar continues his weekly exposition of the Catechism, found in the Book of Common Prayer, pp. 845-862.

Q. What help is there for us?
A. Our help is in God.

God is up front about His plan to help man recover from the devastating effects of the fall. Genesis 3:15 is the first prophecy of the promised redeemer, Jesus Christ. To the serpent God says, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

More immediate and more poignant is Genesis 3:21. It is God Himself who makes the first set of clothes for His naked children. "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them." An animal had to die for those skins to be made. This was the first sacrifice for sin—a sacrifice ordained by and at the hand of God. In due time God would offer His own Son as a "a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world" (BCP p. 334).
—JWD.
Easter is Sunday, April 4.
Vicar's Bible Study

Join us for Bible study on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. via Zoom. We are studying Galatians for Lent. Here is the meeting link.

Also, I do not want you to be afraid to read the Bible and I am happy to schedule a time to read it one-on-one with you. If there is enough interest for another group study at a different time, I will do that too. Please email me at jwdell2@pm.me.
Flowers at St. Peter's

The floral guild is always grateful for donations especially for the Easter flowers. Also, if you are interested in dedicating flowers in memorium or for a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary, please send an email to stpeterschurch@optonline.net with the date and the name(s) to whom you would like to dedicate the arrangements.

You can either send a check to St. Peter’s (PO Box 1502, Millbrook, NY 12545) or put the check in the weekly offering with "flowers" on the memo line. You may also add a dedication in the bulletin or leave it anonymous.
St. Thomas Food Pantry Volunteer sign-up

The St. Thomas Food Pantry is always looking for new volunteers. If you are interested, please fill out the online application. You can access the application by clicking here.
Remember - no clothing donations to St. Peter's at this time!
The church is always open, so if you would like to stop by for a quick prayer or meditation, please feel free to do so. Masks and hand sanitizers will be available in the church entrance.
History Highlight

David Johnston deeded a piece of land on the Shunpike, a short distance from its start on Route 44, to the vestrymen of St. Peter's Church on August 2, 1806. He received in payment the sum of one dollar. The land was needed for the site of a church building and for a cemetery. The land designated for a burying ground was used almost immediately by church members, but it was many years before the church building became a reality.

—Louise Tompkins, A Landmark: The History of St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church (Lithgow, NY, 1971), 12.
In-person worship guidelines

  1. Seating has been reduced to 25% of capacity
  2. Seating is socially distanced
  3. Masks are required
  4. Congregational singing is suspended
  5. Communion is distributed in one kind only

We ask that you please not come to church in person if you have Covid-19, have symptoms consistent with Covid-19, or are subject to the provisions of the New York State Covid-19 Travel Advisory.
Collect for Lent 2

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from thy ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of thy Word, Jesus Christ thy Son; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Text or call the Vicar at (845) 745-8160 for prayer or a pastoral visit.

The Vicar's email address is: jwdell2@pm.me.
Questions about the parish? Please email:
stpeterschurch@optonline.net

The Mouse is compiled and edited each week by the Vicar. He asks that submissions to The Mouse be made by the Wednesday prior to Friday's edition. Please send submissions to jwdell2@pm.me. Thank you.