February 26, 2014

The Vicar's Corner

As we reach the end of this, the shortest of the twelve months, we conclude the celebration of Black History Month and we put away the Valentine decorations and eat the last of the chocolates that were once held in a full, heart-shaped box. I was thinking about a way to conclude this month -- perhaps, a way to combine the two celebrations. What came to mind was a story I heard several years ago; a court case from Virginia that went all the way to the highest court in our land, the U.S. Supreme Court. Here is that story:

Mildred Delores Jeter Loving was born July 22, 1939. She was of African-American and Rappahonnock Native American ancestry. Richard Perry Loving was born October 29, 1933, a white man born and raised in Virginia.

At the age of 18, Mildred became pregnant. She and Richard decided to leave their native Virginia and travel to Washington, D.C. to wed, for in their native home state, the Commonwealth of Virginia, interracial marriage was against the law (Racial Integrity Act of 1924). After they married in our nation's capital, they returned to the small, rural town of Central Point, Virginia.

An anonymous tip lead police to raid the Loving home, in the still of the evening and under nights' vale of darkness and found the couple asleep, in their bed. Mildred pointed to the marriage license they had framed and hung on the wall. This was used as evidence against them, supporting Virginia's "cohabiting as man and wife, against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth" law.

The presiding judge, Leon M. Bazile paraphrased the writings of Johann Friedrich Blumenbach who wrote: " Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix." This antiquated and flawed theological/social statement was the main argument used against Richard and Mildred Loving and sadly, it was used successfully.

The couple pleaded guilty and were sentenced to a year in prison. However, their imprisonment and criminal punishment was suspended for 25 years pending they leave the Commonwealth of Virginia. They did so, moving to Washington, D.C.

Grown tired over the years that Mildred and Richard could not travel freely in and out of Virginia to spend time with their family, the couple decided to take the matter to the courts. Much litigation ensued; from the local courts to the State Courts and ultimately to the United States Supreme Court. At long last in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Lovings' conviction(s), "essentially dismissing Virginia's argument that a law forbidding both black and white persons from marrying persons of another race AND providing identical penalties to white and black violators, could not be construed as racially discriminatory." An excerpt taken from the briefings of Chief Justice Earl Warren's statements:

"Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival . . . To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discrimination. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State."

"The court concluded that anti-miscegenation laws were racist and had been enacted to perpetuate white supremacy:

There is patently no legitimate overriding purpose independent of invidious racial discrimination which justifies this classification. The fact that Virginia prohibits only interracial marriages involving white persons demonstrates that the racial classifications must stand on their own justification, as measures designed to maintain White Supremacy." (Information and material via Wikipedia; the free encyclopedia)

The Lovings brought three healthy and happy children into the world: Donald, Peggy and Sidney. In 1975, Richard Loving was behind the wheel when a drunken driver struck his car. He died at the age of 41. Mildred lost her right eye in that very accident. On May 2, 2008, Mildred passed away at age 68 of pneumonia.

How sad that love can be so complicated, especially when hatred is at the very core and is the ultimate source of that complication. St. Paul wrote to the people of Corinth the following direct and pointed words regarding love: "If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing...Love is patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense and it not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes." - 1 Cor. 13: 1-2, 4-6. I am sure St. Paul simply echos the very words of His master, our Savior, Jesus the Redeemer who was all about love, all about justice, all about equality and all about forgiveness.

We are all grateful, all of us, black, white, brown and all the beautiful shades in between for the contributions of such heroes as Richard and Mildred Loving, who, in spite of horrific odds fought for the right...to love!

May our efforts, however great or small also lead to victories that produce and provide freedom and justice, love and harmony, peace and joy.

-Manny

Attention Amazon Shoppers!

Do you frequent Amazon.com? If so, please use the link on our website to shop at Amazon, as St. Nicholas will receive a portion of the revenue from sales. It's a painless way to help further our mission and ministries!

Click here to go to our website. The Amazon link is on the left side of the page (scroll down a bit).

Attention People with Blood!

February is also "Heart Month"

Nothing can replace blood...except blood. Emergency rooms across the country are open 24 / 7 and the need for blood in surgery and emergency situations is constant.

If you have given blood in the past, thank you! And, you are invited to come back and share your "gift of life" again.

If you have never given blood before, now is the time. There is a critical shortage of donated blood and the call has been sent out to one and all to do what we can to help.

Oh behalf of doctors, nurses and medical teams across the land, thank you and God bless our generous and loving donors.

Chili Supper - It's Here THIS Saturday!

Lots of planning and preparing, stumping the Village and surrounding area for raffle and door prizes, shopping and preparing the meal...at long last, the Chili Supper is finally upon us!

St. Nicholas' Chili Supper is always a fun evening! We hope you'll make plans to join us with a truckload of friends in tow, and a big appetite!

Saturday, March 1, 2014

following the 4:30 worship service (approx. 6:00PM)

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Tuesday, March 4, 6:30PM

Come one, come all.

Cakes will be on the griddle for our 6:30PM Pancake Supper on Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday).

We hope to see YOU!

Ash Wednesday is March 5th

All are invited to join us for Ash Wednesday service at 7:00PM on March 5th.

How might you get closer to God this Lent? How might we as members of this community be light to one another? To those around us?

Come and join us as we begin this most holy season.

Ash Wednesday Lectors: Hal Stratton, Mary Fletcher-Gomez
Ash Wednesday Intercessor: Hal Stratton
Ash Wednesday Chalice Bearers: Steve Raftery, Pat Kalicki

This Week at St. Nicholas

Click here for the full St. Nicholas calendar

Wednesday, February 26, 2014
AA Meeting	12:00 PM
Evening Prayer	6:00 PM
Choir Rehearsal	6:45 PM
Al-Anon Meeting	7:30 PM
Thursday, February 27, 2014
AA Meeting	12:00 PM
GA Meeting	7:00 PM
Friday, February 28, 2014
Vicar's Day Off
AA Meeting	12:00 PM
Saturday, March 01, 2014
Worship Service	4:30 PM
Chili Supper & Raffle	6:00 PM
AA Meeting (in Church tonight)	7:00 PM
Sunday, March 02, 2014
Worship Service	10:00 AM
Adult Bible Study	11:30 AM
NO Children's / Youth Formation this morning (we'll meet on 3/16/14)	11:30 AM
AA Meeting	7:30 PM
Monday, March 03, 2014
AA Meeting	12:00 PM
AA Meeting	7:00 PM
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
Vicar's Day Off
AA Meeting	12:00 PM
Building Committee Meeting	6:30 PM
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper	6:30 PM
AA Meeting	7:00 PM
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
AA Meeting	12:00 PM
Food Pantry	4:00 PM
Ash Wednesday Service	7:00 PM
Al-Anon Meeting	7:30 PM

This Weekend's Worship Participants

Saturday, March 1 / Sunday, March 2

Saturday Lector (all readings): Cyndi DeBock

Saturday Chalice Bearers: LaWayne Williams, Penny Mandziara

Sunday Lectors: Katie Black, Jennifer Garcia

Sunday Intercessor: Connie Nicholson

Sunday Chalice Bearers: Mindy Golden, Colleen Davy

Sunday Coffee Hour Host(s): You? Volunteer needed!

Prayer Requests

The Community of St. Nicholas is praying for:

For the people of the Ukraine: for an end to their strife and violence and a truce be ultimately reached.

For the people of South Sudan: that they may build their nation without war and violence and peace be with that young nation.

For the people of Syria: thousands have been murdered by that nation's government and there is chaos and total civil unrest...pray an end to this violence and crime against humanity is finally reached.

For Dan Wilson, a member of the Order of St. Luke who suffered two strokes and is jeopardy of losing a leg to amputation. Let us pray for Dan and his family that he receive full and lasting healing and his family find the strength and courage needed and desired.

Mary Kaye Sugerman, a friend and former member of St. Nicholas has asked us to pray for a mutual friend: Ben, who is four years young is suffering from a severe form of brain cancer that will, tragically, take his life. Let us pray for Ben; that God is merciful to this boy and to his family that they find strength and endurance at this most difficult time.

For Hal's cousin who has been diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma. Tests will continue to determine the next course of medical intervention to be taken. Let us pray that strength and faith are in abundance for Hal's cousin and his family and friends.

For Dale Rickey, a good friend of St. Nicholas who is undergoing some rather serious medical tests. Pray the results to these tests prove favorable and Dale regain full and lasting sound health.

Special prayers for our Marilyn Brown who is in considerable pain with shingles. Pray she fines full and lasting comfort from this terrible illness and is able to join us very soon.

For victims of racism, sexism, homophobia and elitism...let us all treat one another equally and fairly.

For members of our community who are unemployed, over and under employed: that all may find peace in a chosen and desired vocation that sustains and affords a comfortable life.

For all our St. Nicholas community members who are under the weather and in need of healing and prayers: may they find peace and be blessed with sound and better health. Ruth Harber, Joanne Mangiaracina, Taylor Gans, Richard Gans, Eunice Dohra, Corky Stratton and any one else in need of our continued prayers and well wishes.

For our military personnel who are overseas and engaged in battle: that they soon return home safe and secure.

For those who are suffering from the pain of depression: may their burdens be lightened and may they find healing.

For the members of the Support Groups at St. Nicholas who endure, "one day at at time," in their daily battles against addiction.

***"Prayers for Nancy L.

(**written prayer requests)

Shout-Outs

To the Support Group Members, our extended St. Nicholas community; for all they do to help keep our house of worship clean, safe and secure. You are all held close to our collective hearts.

To all who support our ministries by contributing to the Food Pantry and the Giving Tree. Your generosity helps us grow and in turn assist us in helping those in need.

To all who give so much to make a difference at St. Nicholas.

Holy Women, Holy Men

Here is what we are celebrating on the Episcopal Church calendar

February 27: George Herbert, Priest

February 28: Anna Julia Haywood Cooper, Educator

March 1: David, Bishop of Menevia, Wales

March 1/2: Last Sunday After the Epiphany

March 3: John and Charles Wesley, Priests

March 4: Shrove Tuesday

Readings for This Weekend

The Last Sunday after the Epiphany - March 1/2

Exodus 24:12-18

2 Peter 1:16-21

Matthew 17:1-9

Psalm 2 or

Psalm 99

CLICK HERE for full text of the readings
(St. Nick's uses Track 1 option)

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Click here to submit an article for News from Nick. The deadline is each Tuesday at 8AM.

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Calendar

We worship together:

Saturdays at 4:30PM

Sundays at 10AM

St. Nicholas Episcopal Church
1072 Ridge Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
847-439-2067
www.StNicholasEpiscopal.org