The Mouse for
January 2, 2022
"Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.'"

— Matt. 2:13
Christmas 2
Sermon: "Happy in time"

A horrible thing follows immediately upon the birth of Jesus: the slaughter of an untold number of innocent baby boys. We might be tempted to think, "It were better, for their sakes, if this one baby boy, Jesus, had not been born," but that is to let time determine how we interpret events, rather than eternity.

The fact is that evil men oppose Christ, and their sins do great damage, but neither evil nor sin originate in eternity, and neither will find a place there. God determined what we would be before the foundation of the world, before history, before any causality, before anything happened to us or was done by us, which is to say, before any sin was committed or good work done. This is why good works cannot save us and sin's power is broken.

How can we change if what we are is already determined? If good works do not save and sin's power is broken, then why do the former and avoid the latter? Because time is given to us for one reason only, and history serves one purpose only: to know God and to make Him known. Good works show that we know God. Sin reveals we do not know Him. Moreover, God will make His people happy in time and history.

Sunday, January 2, 2022

Morning Prayer & Sermon, 9:30 a.m.
(Livestream only. To access the livestream, click here.)

Please note there is no in-person worship at this time.
We hope to resume in-person worship on January 16.

To read the Dutchess County Public Health Alert,
please click here.
Vocalists this week

Torrie and Doug Larson, Lise Chase, and Lillian Chapman will sing an offertory anthem "Come to Bethlehem"(Peter Warlock) for the livestream service this Sunday.
Why Rite 1?

One of the things that drew me to St. Peter's was the use of Rite 1. But how many of you know why it's used? For me, it's not just the beauty of the Elizabethan prose and the continuity of hundreds of years, but the plain declaration of the gospel it makes.

For instance, when the Communion prayer speaks of Jesus' "death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world" this is a very clear statement of the doctrines of substitution and atonement.

Rite 1 tells us that Jesus took our place on the cross and that He has made our peace with God.

The language is also polemical. This prayer was written in defiance of the mass, which the Roman Church had appropriated as an instrument of its own power. Instead of a "full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice," daily mass was required for the atonement of sins.

Compare Rite 1 to Rite 2, Prayer A (BCP, p. 362) in the same place: "He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world."

While "perfect sacrifice" means just what it says, Rite 2 lacks the polemical oomph of Rite 1. I think it's important to remember the classic prayer-book's polemic in the face of ideas, people, and institutions that continue to tell us that what Christ did for us was not enough, and that we need to mix our own blood with His to be worthy of their approval.
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition


The Book of Common Prayer (1662) is one of the most beloved liturgical texts in the Christian church and remains a definitive expression of Anglican identity today. It is still widely used around the world, in public worship and private devotion, and is revered for both its linguistic and theological virtues.

But the classic text of the 1662 prayer book presents several difficulties for contemporary users, especially those outside the Church of England. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition gently updates the text for contemporary use. State prayers of England have been replaced with prayers that can be used regardless of nation or polity. Obscure words and phrases have been modestly revised — but always with a view towards preserving the prayer book's own cadence. Finally, a selection of treasured prayers from later Anglican tradition has been appended.

The 1662 prayer book remains a vital resource today, both in the Anglican Communion and for Christians everywhere. Here it is presented for continued use for today's Christians throughout the world.

You can listen to the editors of this new edition, Samuel Bray and Drew Keane discuss the thinking behind it with Alistair Macdonald-Radcliff by clicking on this link below:

https://soundcloud.com/user-140188366/the-1662-international-edition-a-very-short-introduction-pbs-webcast
Online Giving

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.
Flowers at St. Peter's

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.

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.
Collect for Christmas 2

O God, who didst wonderfully create, and yet more wonderfully restore, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Text or call the Vicar at (845) 745-8160, or email him at jdell@stpeterslithgow.org, for prayer or a pastoral visit.
To remember St. Peter's in your estate plans, please consider joining The Lithgow Society. To find out more, click here.
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 jdell@stpeterslithgow.org. Thank you.