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

Q.       What is the nature of God revealed in Jesus?

A.       God is love.

“God is love” is from 1 John 4:16. To the list of divine originality, let us now add love. The original love of God the Father is fully inherited by God the Son, Jesus Christ. This becomes our inheritance too. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).

This low-key event will introduce children ages 8 and up to the various roles in our liturgy: lector, usher, crucifer, and altar server. Sometimes it helps to commit to something — and having something to do during the service is a great commitment! Serving in church as a child can (and often does) lead to a lifetime commitment to the church and a spirituality that grows as your child grows.

Nicole Tapia has kindly agreed to direct this year's pageant. Watch this space for more information.

The Vicar will offer confirmation class for children 12 and older after Easter. The tentative dates are: Apr 23, Apr 30, May 7, May 14, May 21 & May 22.* All days are Saturdays. Class is from 3 to 4:30 in the Parish House.

* On Sunday, May 22, 2022, the children will lead all aspects of worship at the 9:30 service, including the homily. N.B. we still do not have a date for the bishop’s visit, but I have requested either June or sometime in the fall of 2022.

Click here and you'll be able to watch recent sermons and read along, as well as download a copy of the transcript.

Columbus Day Weekend - Oct. 9th & 10th

Franklin Ave., Millbrook, N.Y. (Outside in front of Danielle’s Hair Design, near Babette’s.)

You may also support the work of the Pantry by writing a check. Payable to “Food of Life Pantry” please include in Memo line: CLOTHES SALE. Mail to St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 40 Leedsville Road, Amenia, NY 12501.

The floral guild is always grateful for donations. If you are interested in dedicating flowers in memoriam 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.

St. Peter's is pleased to offer the convenience of online giving via our website. You may make a pledge payment or a one-time gift either by ACH or credit card. From the website menu, click on Serve > Make a gift online, or click here.

Highlights from Henry Chadwick's The Early Church (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1967), selected by the Vicar. Chadwick was the sometime Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge.

"The third and last weapon against heresy was the 'Rule of Faith', a title used by Irenaeus and Tertullian to mean a short summary of the main revelatory events of the redemptive process. Irenaeus declares the whole Church believes 'in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and the seas and all that is therein, and in one Christ Jesus the Son of God, who was made flesh for our salvation, and in the Holy Spirit who through the prophets preached the dispensations and the comings and the virgin birth and the passion, and the rising from the dead and the assumption into heaven in his flesh of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, and his coming from the heaven in the glory of the Father... to raise up all flesh.' The crux of this summary for polemical purposes lies in its assertion of the unity of the divine plan from Old Testament to New, a theme which Irenaeus developed in his doctrine of 'recapitulation' or the correspondence between Adam and Christ. The heretics did not believe the supreme God to be maker of heaven and earth and, with their low valuation of the Old Testament, were not interested in the fulfilment of prophecy." (pp. 44)

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Lord, we pray thee that thy grace may always precede and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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