From the Rector......
OF EPIPHANYThe understandably enormous energy which goes into the celebration of Christmas - both in the life of the Church and in our personal and family lives - tends to focus our energy on the coming of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah of the Israelites. That theological truth is certainly central to our understanding as Christians. But there is more to the story, and the season of Epiphany (literally, "the revealing") offers us an important theological vision.The arrival of the astrologers from the proverbial East introduces the presence of gentiles into the story. They offer gifts which identify Jesus as a king, but of an enormously different kind of kingship than what the world means by kingship. The Feast of the Epiphany (January 6) is followed by several stories from the Gospels about what the ministry of this king is all about. This king is not of just one nation, but rather proclaims God's love for all humankind. This king does not seek to achieve his goals through power, but rather through calling all people to peace which comes from striving after justice for all humankind and for the fragile earth which is our home. This king is revealed in the choices which we make in the face of ethical dilemmas which are a part of our daily lives. We are called to stand with this king in offering compassionate care for one another, not excluding compassionate care for ourselves. It is not too much to say that this is the reason we are able to identify Jesus as "king of kings," however archaic the word "king" might feel. The reign of Jesus, the Christ of God, is of an entirely different character from any other reign, because it is about justice triumphing over our human desires for control. This reign reveals the God whose fullness is beyond our asking or imagining. Epiphany reveals the holy in such a wonderful way, and all we can do is give thanks for God's reign whose presence is real whether we can see it at a given moment in time or not.
-- Stephen
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Ministries (Church School, Youth Programs, Outreach, Adult Education, Altar Guild, Flower Guild, Ushers, Welcome Team, Vestry, Pastoral Care, Hospitality, Stewardship, Communications)
Church School
Sunday school for the spring term starts this week! The classes have been consolidated and will be divided as follows: Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten, 1st-4th grade, and 5th-8th grade. The older kids (grade 5-8) will meet in the Bidwell room; all other children will meet in the two sunday school classrooms downstairs. This week's curriculum focuses on Mark 1: 29-39. This is the story of Jesus taking time out of teaching and healing others to go pray in the desert, finding renewal for himself and his mission. We look forward to seeing everyone there!
For questions, please contact Beth Graham
Middle School Youth Group
This winter, middle schoolers
from St Peter's will be working alongside residents at the Ruggles Assisted
Living facility to obtain and install a Nintendo Wii gaming console at the
facility! Our plans involve presenting
the idea to residents on-site, identifying the best system for their needs,
raising funds by writing a grant proposal and presenting it to the Outreach
Committee, purchasing the system, installing it, and training residents in how
to use it.
Our
first meeting will start at 6pm at the Batchelder's house this Friday, February 6th
to organize the project, develop a way to talk to the residents about what
Wii is (and, of course, play Wii there!) PLEASE COME IF YOU'RE A
MIDDLE SCHOOLER!! Contact Hall Kirkham,
Margaret Randle
or Peggy Batchelder
if you're interested in joining us this Friday!
 Flower Guild
Part 2 of the Report from the seminar, Flower Arranging for Holy Spaces, at the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., January 2009.
Although we sit atop Mount St. Alban, the highest point in the District of Columbia, the sun is beginning to soften as it drops below the tall walls of the Cathedral. Our classes are over and tomorrow, Friday morning, we will each create an arrangement in the Cathedral for the Diocesan Convention that begins at noon. My assignment is St. John's Chapel, adjoining the high altar, and I will be working with Lisa, my classmate from Virginia. It should be lots of fun and a great learning experience, not to mention the spiritual significance.
Wednesday, Day 3, was a beautiful day, unusual for Washington, D.C. because everything -- from the Bishop's Garden to the walkways and rooftops -- was coated with snow and ice. The three schools on the cathedral grounds were closed, and the city was quiet. Staff at the Cathedral College stayed overnight so our cook and our teachers were with us, and our program went on as scheduled.
After a Holy Eucharist we organized in the library, our morning class was demonstrations -- arrangements of palms and foliage, an everlasting wreath, a linear table garden, a Paschal candle garland, a tied bouquet, and another oval arrangement.
After lunch we gathered in St. Mary's Chapel, our incredible workspace, to make our own miniature gardens. We got our assignments for Friday morning, and visited the spaces where we will design.
In the evening, we went by coach on a guided tour, "Monuments by Moonlight." We stopped to walk through Union Station and the Korean War Memorial, each impressive in its own way. From the coach we could see the Mall, the major monuments, the White House, the Capitol (the lights were on!), the flame at JFK's grave at Arlington National Cemetery, and many other highlights.
Today we woke to sunshine and our first view of blue skies over the cathedral. Our seminars focused on the mechanics of flower arranging with one and often two arrangers from the Cathedral Flower Guild explaining technique as they worked. In the morning we watched the creation of a Thanksgiving arrangement, a flower garland suitable for pulpit or window, a large plaque of dried materials including challah bread and bagels (yes, a harvest theme), an arching pair, a pedestal, an English stook, and a glass compote filled with spring flowers. (A stook is a circular arrangement of cut grain stalks - wheat, barley, oats - in preparation for threshing. A real stook you would find in a field; this one was a miniature version, using flowers.)
Tomorrow we head home after Holy Eucharist and lunch, blessed by what we have learned and the presence of those who have been with us as teachers and students. See you soon!
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Parish Life
Vestry Meeting: This Tuesday, 2/10 at 7:30pm in the Bidwell Room. Vestry meetings are open to all members of St. Peter's Church.
The Drop-In Discussion Group will
meet again on Wednesday, February 18 at 9:30 am in the Bidwell Room. We
will resume our reading of Madeleine L'Engle's book, The Irrational
Season, concentrating on Chapters 5-7. Here we share her reflections on
February in New England, Lent, "Strange bleak season in the Church
year," and some thoughts on the Beatitudes. Everyone is welcome. We
will take up a three-part Lenten series in March and April.
Copies of the Annual Parish Report are available in the Church Office.
The 2009 pledge envelopes are
now available and can be picked up in the Narthex. If you do not find
yours, and want a set, please write your name on the sheet provided. |
| The Week Ahead | Sunday, February 8
8:00 A Holy Communion
8:30 A Adult Choir Rehearsal
9:00 A Adult Bible Study
9:30-11:30 Nursery Care
10:00 A Holy Communion
10:45 A Church School
11:15 A Coffee Hour
11:30 A Junior Choir Rehearsal
5:00 P Confirmation Class
Monday, February 9
8:00 P AA
Tuesday, February 10
11:00 A Staff Meeting
7:30 P Vestry Meeting
Wednesday, February 11
Thursday, February 12
4:00 P Prayer Group
Friday, Febraury 13
Office Closed
Saturday, February 14
Sunday, February 15
8:00 A Holy Communion
8:30 A Adult Choir Rehearsal
9:00 A Adult Bible Study
9:30-11:30 Nursery Care
10:00 A Holy Communion
10:45 A Church School
11:30 A Junior Choir Rehearsal
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Who Does What At St. Peter's Church
320 Boston Post Road, Weston, MA 02493 | www.stpetersweston.org | 781-891-3200
(Click on any name that is underlined to send an email.)
Rector: Stephen Voysey (891-3200)
Assistant Rector: Hall Kirkham (891-3200)
Parish Secretary: Mercer Riis, (891-3200)
Acolytes: Stephen Voysey (891-3200)
Church School: Peggy Batchelder, (781-736-0280); Beth Graham (891-3200)
Choirs: Adult Choir: Andrew Shenton, (891-3200); Junior Choir: Kristen Dirmeier
Coffee Hour: Lynn Maruskin (899- 6290)
Communications: Communications Team
Finance Chris Phaneuf (891-3200)
Flowers: Carolyn Ellis (899-5880)
Keys Newsletter: John Marchiony, Meg Pierce & Keith Ward
Lay Liturgical Ministries: Bill Symonds
Men's Group: John Bulbrook, John Marchiony Rob Rodgers
Music: Andrew Shenton, (891-3200)
Newcomers: Michelle King, Suzie Reeves
Outreach: Ron Corley; Rosanne Iacono (891-3236)
Lay Pastoral Care: Flora Booth (899 -2006) and Mary Pughe (894-5961)
Property: Carolyn Ellis (899-5880)
Stewardship: Marty Rodgers
Ushers:Ushers: Ed Vydra (894-7131)
Web Site: John Bulbrook
Youth: Hall Kirkham
Members of the Vestry:
Janice Corley (891-3236), Senior Warden; Marshall Bartlett, Junior Warden; Chris Phaneuf, Treasurer; Richard Batchelder, Clerk; Members: Carolyn Ellis, John Jacobs, Tom Keery, Marty Rodgers, Anne Ruggles, Maggie Tyler-Rubenstein, Keith Ward
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