Theological Musings
Every week, I will be sharing a small theological musing to help form our faith and remind us of what we believe as Episcopalians. For the next few weeks, I want to talk about Sacraments. As a sacramental church. We believe that God uses ordinary material things as conduits through which we may receive God's grace. Sacraments are signs of God's loving and saving action in the world and in our lives. They are "outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace." They are not symbols of God's work of love, they are efficacious signs of what God is actually doing through them.
The foundational sacrament is Baptism- the sacrament of new birth. The outward sign of baptism is water, which is blessed and poured over our heads (unless we are immersed in it) with the words commanded by Jesus to use: "I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The inward grace is cleansing and the forgiveness of sins. In this sacrament, we die to sin and are raised to new life in the resurrected life of Jesus Christ.
Both the Scriptures and the Book of Common Prayer presuppose that the normative candidate for baptism is an adult. In the Scriptures, most people were baptized after having heard the Good News of God's saving grace in Jesus Christ, and after having decided to join the Way of Love, although entire families were baptized together in the earliest days of the Church when the head of the house had been converted. After Christianity became the dominant religion in the West, the church continued to baptize babies of Christian parents, and the need to baptize adults diminished. Parents and godparents were given the responsibility of nurturing the grace given to their children at baptism and teaching them to live the Christian life.
In our post-Christian society, it is increasingly common for adults who were not raised in the Church to desire baptism as a way of making a covenant with God, and as a sign of the faith in Christ that they have discovered in adulthood. Regardless of when one is baptized, baptism is a sign of God's love for us and a reminder that it is only through God's compassion and mercy that we are able to receive the forgiveness of sins and to follow Jesus in the Way of Love.
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Outreach
Outreach will be collecting used books for the remainder of January. They may be placed in the tub labeled books in the narthex. No textbooks, encyclopedias, or dictionaries can be accepted. Both adult and children’s books are welcome.
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Epiphany House Blessings
It is traditional to have homes blessed during the season of Epiphany. This blessing may occur in one of two ways:
Option One: You and your family may bless your home by inscribing an Epiphany blessing on the lentil of your door with blessed chalk. The blessing uses the initials of the names of the three wise men (Casper, Melchior, and Balthasar) to create an anagram which represents a latin prayer, Christus Mansionem Benedicat- which means "Christ bless this house." The blessing is written as: 20+C+M+B+22
Blessed chalk will be available in the narthex on Sunday and a simple liturgy for the house blessing will be posted on the website.
Option Two: You may make an appointment with Father Rob to come to your house blessing at your home during the season of Epiphany. The season of Epiphany begins on January 7, and ends on Mardi Gras, March 1. The cycle of Christmas ends on the feast of the Presentation, also known as Candlemas. The greens will be removed from the church after the end of the 12 days of Christmastide, but the creche will remain throughout the season and will be removed after Candlemas (February 2).
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Upcoming Dates
Sunday, February 6 - Candlemas
We will be celebrating the Feast of Our Lord's Presentation in the Temple. This feast is also known as Candlemas because it is on this day that the Church blessed candles in remembrance that Christ is the Light of the World. You are invited to bring a candle that you use in your prayers to be blessed on this day.
It is also customary to bless throats and to ask for God's protection against colds and diseases of the throat and the respiratory system on St. Blaise Day (Feb.3) using two blessed candles. We will be offering you the opportunity to have your throat blessed, if you desire it, during the Candlemas liturgy.
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Prayer Requests
- Jane Linn's, granddaughter-in-law, Rachael, was diagnosed with breast cancer and will have radical surgery in February.
- Lauren Limauro has requested prayers for her Great Uncle, Ray Richards, who passed earlier on Sunday.
- Keep Mike, Christine Kellam's dad in your prayers.
- Mary Irwin is experiencing some health issues.
- Alison Evans asks for prayers for her mother, Margaret Perritt.
Please send your prayer intentions to Philip at philip.muniz@gmail.com.
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Summer Mission Opportunity
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in New Providence is sponsoring a work mission trip in the summer and inviting all parishes in our convocation to participate. It is a trip similar to an ASP trip, where those who participate will be working on light construction projects to improve the lives of the poor in Connellsville, PA. There will be opportunities for fun and recreation on the weekend and evenings, including white water rafting and possibly a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water.
The trip is open to anyone in 8th grade and older. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to do a mission trip together. The cost is $450-$650 per person.
To learn more about the trip and requirements for participating, please plan to attend a zoom meeting on Sunday, January 25 at 7:30 pm. You can also see Fr Rob+ for an information sheet.
Meeting ID: 329 858 9321
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2021 Giving Statements
2021 Giving Statements were emailed on Tuesday, January 18. If we don't have an email address for you, your statement was sent by US Mail today, Wednesday, January 19. Please contact the church office by email if you have any questions. Jane will be back in the office Monday, January 24 to address any issues. Thank you for your patience!
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Diocesan Convention 2022
The diocesean convention is scheduled for March. Information will be forthcoming regarding whether it will be in person, via zoom, or hybrid. Participating in the diocesan convention is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other Episcopalians in our diocese and to see the inner workings of the church. Because the Episcopal Church values the voice and discernment of all the people of God, the diocesan convention allows delegates from various parishes to participate in prayerfully discerning God's desires for the church in this place.
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Parishioner in Need of Transportation
Linda Virtue is in need of some help with transportation to her health/ recovery facilities. She needs someone who might be able to provide transportation once a week. Could be any time of the day but would be a commitment of at least an hour. The facilities are maybe 20 -30 minutes away depending on whom she’s seeing that day. Please call her at 732-271-8026 for more details.
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