The Angelus

Volume XXXIV June 2021

PARISH NEWSLETTER

Please send news items to Tom Wrausmann at thomaswrausmann66@gmail.com, or the Church Office at office@episcopalalton.org by the 20th of the month. Schedule changes, Updates, and other emails will happen throughout the month in addition to our Angelus and can be sent in at any time.

Upon receiving this email, please check the bottom of your email provider and click "View entire message". We are receiving reports that some people are not receiving an entire Angelus, and it is due to the inbox clipping it short to save space in the initial viewing. -Jenn

From the Rector:

An Enhanced Vision for the EPA: Let’s dream together!!

Food insecurity is a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Hunger is an individual-level physiological condition that may result from food insecurity.

Do you know how many people are hungry or food insecure in our area? A March 2019 article on public radio said that 850,000 people, which includes 220,000 children are food insecure in the State of Missouri alone! I imagine the numbers are quite a bit higher now since the COVID-19 pandemic caused job loss for so many people.

The Episcopal Parish of Alton is considering one new ministry and has decided to proceed with another programs to help feed people!

There is such a thing as a free lunch! The program we are considering would be a free lunch program served one day per week. This program would be based on the one run by the First Presbyterian Church, although they feed people every Tuesday and Saturday. We have helped with the Saturday lunch a few times. I assisted with one in March. I arrived over an hour before lunch would be served, and there were so many hungry people lined up on the sidewalk on that absolutely bitter cold day. We decided that day that we couldprobably run a lunch program once weekly from St. Paul’s kitchen. Evangelism & Outreach will put a committee together to explore this important ministry.
The second program in the works to feed the hungry is the 4 PAWS Pet Food Pantry. I helped my last church set up a pet pantry, and it is very successful.

Why does feeding pets help hungry people?

Studies have found that even people who have been receiving Meals on Wheels continue to lose weight because the food insecure meal recipients share their food with their animals. They cannot afford pet food. In fact, if food is very scarce, pet owners will feed their pets first, before themselves.

So, some people say that if a person can’t afford to feed their pets or themselves, they should not have pets; they should “get rid of them.” Imagine a life lived as a homeless person or a lonely existence with food insecurity. How important would your pets be to you if they were your only “family”, or your best comfort in a frightening existence? Pets are absolutely vital for any quality of life for many people in these situations.

Therefore, feeding pets = feeding people!

Helping pets = helping people!

The 4 PAWS Pet Food Pantry will run strictly by donation of funds and pet food. The pet pantry will be open for one hour once monthly. Absolutely no food will be distributed outside that one hour monthly. Volunteers will gather before the distribution to bag pet food in ziplocked bags. A set amount of pet food for dogs and cats will be available. If a patron has dogs and cats, he or she will receive both types of food. We will ask only for the name of the patron and the names and ages of their pets to help us know what we should have in stock.

The food will be stored in galvanized trash barrels with the lids tightly secured to avoid pests. We will use one of the classrooms downstairs and distribute via the Market Street entrance. All the dog food and all the cat food will be mixed together in one bin so we don’t get into requests for specific brands of food. Donations of canned foods, kitty litter, toys, etc. will be made available on a first-come first-served basis

These two programs are just part of an overall vision for our parish, which will be developed by me and the Vestry together. We will need volunteers for both of these programs. Please let me know if you are interested in helping with either!

Faithfully,

Mother Cindy+

Services at Trinity

Many of you have been asking, and we are happy to let you all know that as the State is lifting it's Covid-19 restrictions, we are looking at the return of services at Trinity Chapel within the month.

We are sorting out the details and will be announcing the date soon! Thank you for your patience!

Second Book to be Discussed Soon

by: Diane Martin

The Adult Discussion Group via Zoom (AKA Lenten Group extended), on Wednesdays at 7 pm, has been delving into the book, The Gifts of God for the People of God. It looks at why Episcopalians do what we do in the Liturgy and Holy Eucharist. The book has been the source of a great deal of information about the words, movements and sources of the Holy Eucharist. Our journey through the book has come to an end and there is a desire to continue and hopefully grow the group.

Therefore, we have begun a new book together - Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices. It is a journey that will take us through the Book of Common Prayer, the Christian life and many basic beliefs of our faith. We are "walking" through the liturgical year, the sacraments of the Church, habits of daily prayer, and the teachings of Anglican Christianity. It is all guided by two Episcopal priests associated with Forward Movement publications.

The book has been described as a perfect one for newcomers, longtime members and anyone in between If you are looking to learn more about the "Episcopal Way" - this is the book for you! The discussions are enjoyable, interesting, enlightening and yes, even fun! We would love to have you join us!

To get a book for $15 contact Diane Martin, 225-2676. However, getting a book is not absolutely necessary. The book is read aloud during the sessions followed by a brief service of Compline. Therefore, a Book of Common Prayer would be handy. The Zoom link is sent out via email a couple of hours before the start time. Contact Dereck Cook to get the link at 466-1951.

In closing, here is a quote about the second book from noted Episcopalian Bill Campbell: "Our sacramental traditions are corporate - shared - but also deeply personal and intimate. Walk with Love serves as a reminder that we are not merely passive "pew sitters." We are part of the Body of Christ and formed by the work we do together. It is a good sand joyful thing to be reminded of the gifts of our common - shared - prayer."

Amen!

(remember what that means?)

The Gift of Light

The Vestry wanted to give a shout out to Clay Marquis, owner of Home Pro Services, for installing a new light fixture on the side porch of Trinity Chapel, free of charge. Diane Martin, lay pastoral assistant, said he does great work. "I think a lot of my house is held together by Clay's work over many, many years," she said. "He is trustworthy and kind."

If anyone needs some work done, give him a call at 225-9019.

Information to be handed out at St. Paul's during the Annual Garden Tour

Mother Cindy and Diane Martin are preparing informative material with colorful photos and a short history of the garden and St. Paul's for the Annual Pride Garden Tour from noon to 5 pm Sunday June 27.

St. Paul's is one of a number of gardens from local private homes and businesses on the tour. The Episcopal Parish of Alton will be providing its own refreshments. Ticket information will be coming soon via e-mail. We hope to see you there.

Photos Courtesy of Diane Martin

A Look at the Basic Elements of Eucharistic Prayers

The Adult Discussion Group has been looking at why we do what we do in the Episcopal services. The source was a great book called Gifts of God for the People of God by the Rev. Furman L. Buchanan. We thought we would share a portion of the book each month, for several months, with Angelus readers who are not attending the Zoom sessions. Our focus this month will be on the Holy Eucharist.

The basic elements of the Great Thanksgiving in The Book of Common Prayer are the Sursum Corda, the Sanctus, the Institution Narrative, the Memorial Acclamation, the Epiclesis and the great AMEN. Each of these can be found in the four eucharistic prayers - A, B, C and D. The Great Thanksgiving invites the gathered community to give up and give thanks as the prerequisite, faithful preparation for receiving the gifts of God.

Although the order of these elements may differ somewhat from one prayer to another, each is always present in the celebration. This edition we will focus on the Sursum Corda, a Latin phrase that translates, "Lift up your hearts." These are the first words of invitation from the priest to the people as we begin celebrating our thanksgiving.

The following example is taken from Eucharistic Prayer A, which begins on page 361 in The Book of Common Prayer.

Sursum Corda

Eucharistic Prayer A

The people remain standing. The Celebrant, whether bishop or priest,

faces them and sings or says

The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them to the Lord

Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Then, facing the Holy Table, the celebrant proceeds

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

The words of Thomas Cranmer, author of the first Anglican prayer book and Queen Elizabeth's Archbishop of Canterbury, express a fundamental and incontrovertible belief: What happens in the eucharist occurs because our hearts are lifted heavenward.

Buchanan writes "in our present age when there is a compulsive, cultural emphasis on convenience, we need to be honest about the fact that whatever happens in the Holy Eucharist, it is not convenient - nor is it routine. Rather, we are celebrating an awe-inspiring sacrifice - one that we mark with praise and thanksgiving by pausing in our lives to lift up our hearts to God. We must be willing to still our demands for our needs and wants so that we are available for blessing, healing, forgiveness, and abundance that come through the eucharist.

We all a regular infusion of God's love in order to be healthy and vibrant, But some of us may need a transplant - a change of heart - in order to reclaim the abundant life that God intends for God's children. Both of these gifts are promised in holy scripture.

In the letter to the Hebrews, the author urges people to approach God with a true heart in full assurance because God is faithful (Hebrews 10:22). In other words, we can trust the source of the lifeblood we need.

In the Old Testament prophesy of Ezekiel, long before there was a medical idea of open heart surgery, the prophet expressed the promise of God this way: 'A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh' (Ezekiel 36:26).

Any cardiac patient will tell you nothing in the world is less convenient or routine yet necessary than infusion of new blood or even a new heart. It is a life-giving interruption for the recipient - and a life-saving gift by the donor.

And so it is with the gift of Holy Communion. Since the night before Jesus' life is interrupted and sacrificed for the sake of love, Holy Communion has been the chosen vessel to deliver God's to our hearts. Jesus himself makes it clear when he says, 'Do this in remembrance of me'

The love of God is a heartbeat away, and yet God does not force it upon us, we must be willing recipients who open our hearts and lift them up to receive the gift we need for life."

Next edition of the Angelus will will look at Sanctus, which is the Latin word for holy.

Mondays@7 Service Is Back

The Twelve Step program Mondays@7 has restarted in the garden at St. Paul's.

You don't have to be part of a Twelve Step program to take part. The service can benefit anyone. People can worship God awash in candlelight with the sights and sounds of a beautiful fountain reminding them of their Baptism.

It also includes quiet prayers, inspirational readings, music, meditation and reflection. There is also a time after worship to share snacks and thoughts while making friends.

The service will be cancelled due to bad weather, which happened May 17.

An Honor for Gay

Our Organist, Gay Anderson, is a woman of several talents who is not only involved in our community, but is a wearer of many hats! And now, she gets to proudly wear another. Gay was installed as Secretary of the St. Louis Chapter of the American Guild of Organists this week.

The mission of the American Guild of Organists is to foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ, and they have a vision to engage, support, and uplift every organist. The St. Louis Chapter hosts multiple events in the area and continues to create a welcoming community.

If you would like to see more of what AGO St. Louis has coming in the future for events, you may visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/agostlouis.

Congratulations, Gay!

Our Prayer List

Please keep these people in your daily prayers:

Anne, Debra, Cheryl, Bill, Grace, Richard, Kay, Cody, Connie, Andrew, Kim, Tina, Marie, Myrnelle, Mother Jane, Barb, Rod, Sarah, John, Boyd, all those affected by the viral pandemic.

If you would like to have a name added or removed from our prayer list, please contact the office or Mother Cindy+ at 618-465-9149.

UPCOMING CALENDAR

Should information change as far as services times and availability for curbside Communion, an update will be sent out to parishioners immediately, via e-mail.

May 30 - 10:30 a.m. - Mass at St. Paul's Garden, Live Streaming on the

Episcopal Parish of Alton Facebook Page