Evil comes from within
Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-9; Psalm 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Our Gospel reading this Sunday will turn away from the repeated reference to the bread of heaven and the consumption of Jesus in Communion and focus instead on another digestive image. Jesus is questioned and criticized because his followers do not follow the religious traditions on food preparation or eating.
This is another of those moments when we can imagine Jesus rolling his eyes in disbelief, at least mentally. He responds that, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.' You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition."
With his followers Jesus explains that the peril of uncleanness comes from within us. "For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come." He provides quite a list and, indeed, as far as we can tell, none of these instances of evil come from eating unauthorized food or failing to wash hands before eating.
Once again Jesus is being seen in his purity as others are trying to trap him in misdeeds or rule breaking. He sees what they are up to-and calls them hypocrites-as he strives to explain to his disciples where the true dangers lie.
SEPTEMBER: TIME TO RECHARGE
Labor Day is "around the corner" and with that comes a new school year and a new year of activities for St. Paul's. With this in mind, the Stewardship Committee has been working during the summer making plans. September will be Time & Talent month. We will hear about committees and their work on Kick-Off Sunday, September 13. Please plan now to be there. More will be available about this in next week's Messenger.
St. Paul's Worship Committee
Your voice on how we worship
What do we mean by worship? Our Book of Common Prayer provides us with one answer, defining it as the time when "we unite ourselves with others to acknowledge the holiness of God, to hear God's word, to offer prayer, and to celebrate the sacraments" (p.857). For most Christians, this definition captures what many of us do on any given Sunday. We gather to celebrate the word of the Lord, while also experiencing the comfort of Christian fellowship - whether it be through song, collective prayer, singing hymns or a simple handshake during the peace. Equally comforting is knowing that our celebration and fellowship extends well beyond the walls of our lovely church at 161 Mansion Street. When we come together at St. Paul's, we join millions of our brothers and sisters across the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, worshiping Christ according to a similar form of rites and ceremonies. And though these forms vary slightly across the world, they are born from the same First Book of Common Prayer (1549).
When we gather on Sundays, we participate in a 466-year old tradition of worshipping together through a shared, or common, book of prayer. As caretakers of this important legacy, it stands to reason that a congregation should have some vehicle to voice its thoughts and ideas about how we worship. This is where St. Paul's Worship Committee steps in. The Worship Committee addresses those items related to how we worship at St. Paul's. For example, this can include discussions about the forms we use for our prayers of the people, the hymns we sing, or planning for special services such as the recent visit by Bishop Shin. Accordingly, the Worship Committee works closely with our musical director, Maris Kristapsons, and the Altar Guild, chaired by Rose Marie Proctor.
The Worship Committee meets every fourth Monday of the month at 6 p.m., where we review the upcoming worship schedule, hymn selections, and the Altar Guild program. We rely on the involvement and input of parishioners to ensure that we're fulfilling and enriching their spiritual needs. We can't do it alone. If you have suggestions on how we might enrich our worship, please attend one of our meetings or consider participating on the committee itself. As Fr. Tyler often says before communion: "All are welcome at God's table." As for your Worship Committee Chairperson, I welcome your thoughts about our worship and look forward to working with you as we continue to celebrate Christ in our own special way. --Mark Debald
"I Sing A Song Of The Saints Of God"
I remember the hymn with this lyric in it back from when I was a very young Episcopalian. If you don't know it, it is an uplifting hymn for children. The upshot is that saints are all around you. This brings me to Thomas Gallaudet. His is remembered as one of the saints of the church, as noted in last Sunday's Prayers of the People, on Aug. 27.
Gallaudet was born on August 27, 1787, and was a child of the New Republic. As a young Yale graduate, the story goes he met a young deaf girl and was inspired to help her learn language. He subsequently went to Europe, and learned of different techniques for educating the deaf as the United States had no system for educating the deaf and hearing impaired. He returned home and established the American School for the Deaf, in Hartford CT, which is still in existence today. His youngest son established Gallaudet University in honor of his father. Gallaudet stands today as the only university in the world for the deaf.
This may not seem so special, but that is because of the world in which we live. In Gallaudet's day, there
was no though on educating the deaf or hearing impaired. They were considered to be incapable of being educated, and yet this man wanted to offer the deaf population parity with their hearing colleagues. Perhaps this is connected with his deep religious fervor, but we have no direct information if this is so. But it is remarkable Mr. Gallaudet chose the path he did. He entered in to a serving profession, almost a ministry one might say. Today there are countless graduates of the both the American School for the Deaf and Gallaudet, all owing their education to the efforts of a single man, that some might call a saint. So you see, they are all around you. Who knows, with God's help, you might be one too. --Warden Pete Bedrossian
Speaking of singing...
In church, summer is pretty much over after Labor Day. On the first Sunday after Labor Day, Sept. 13, Sunday School resumes and our choir returns. Members of the choir are actively recruiting members of our congregation to join in singing our hymns and special anthems on a regular basis.
After church on Sept. 6 the choir members will gather to review the coming few Sundays of hymns. Anyone interested in joining - or even just trying-the choir is sincerely invited to stay in church after the service Sept. 6.
Pastoral Care Committee
Caring for others
St. Paul's Pastoral Care Committee is asking all parishioners to pay attention to the health and well being of their fellow parishioners, family, and friends. Sometimes we lose touch with folks and find out later something serious was wrong. The Pastoral Care Committee asks for your assistance in reaching out to those who may need support, are sick, or are struggling in any way.
If you know of anyone in need, please advise Committee Chairperson Cynthia Benjamin or a committee member (Charlie Benjamin, Janet Quade, Rose Marie Proctor).
Also, if you need a ride to church, please contact a Committee member who will be able to assist you.
We thank you for your compassion and your vigilance. It will help us to carry out our mission.
