Reflections
Wednesday night we began our class on the history, traditions and culture of the Episcopal Church. In my brief overview of our church’s history I made special note of the deep internal strife in the Church of England in the mid 16th century where Protestants and Catholics were, literally, at war with each other. The reign of Queen Mary I ( “Bloody” Mary) was particularly violent in the persecution of religious opponents.
Into this deep division and violence Queen Elizabeth I ascended the throne. Refusing to take sides in this religious conflict, she negotiated what came to be called the Elizabethan Settlement in which she said that the religious ( and political) unity of the church and nation would not be based on specific theological perspectives, but on prayer. Thus, worship and the Book of Common Prayer, became, and continues to this day to be our church’s instrument of unity. This particular historical moment profoundly shaped the inclusive nature of our church- a church where diverse theological, cultural and political perspectives are brought into worship and offered to God in prayer.
This little trip down memory lane reminded me, again, of how much of our lives are shaped, not so much by the events of our lives, but by our response to those events. The same tragic moment can break one soul and empower another. But our response will be the critical element in shaping our lives. Elizabeth’s response to her national trauma gave shape to what would become a unique religious tradition that nourishes us in our moment in time more than 400 years later.
Key to our response to painful moments in our lives is the willingness to believe that God is forever present, holding us close. We dare to believe that death, in its many forms, is never the end, but can be an entrance into a life, heretofore, unknown. Our participation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is what our common worship is all about. May it give us the courage to respond to the challenges of our lives with hope, healing and love.
Other Matters of Interest
Rescheduled Mission Committee Meeting - Tuesday, January 21 @6:00pm
Annual Congregational Meeting- February 16
We will gather for our annual business meeting as a congregation after worship on February 16. This is the occasion where we elect our lay leadership (Mission Committee members), receive and accept the Mission Committee’s recommended budget for the new year and hear reports from different perspectives on 2024. Please plan to be with us for this important gathering.
Visit by Bishop Dorothy Wells- February 22-23
The Right Reverend Dr. Dorothy Sanders Wells will be coming to Nativity the weekend of February 22-23 for the first time. On Saturday evening she will be meeting with the Mission Committee for conversation and planning for the year ahead. Sunday morning she will be in the Salt and Light Building prior to worship at 9:15 to talk about a wide variety of matters with any members of the congregation who’d like to join her. She will preach, celebrate and administer the apostolic rite of confirmation at our 10:30 worship and be available for informal conversation afterwards at our coffee hour.
Second Annual Mardi Gras Celebration- March 4
Mark your calendars now! We will prepare ourselves for the penitential season of Lent with a fun and crazy celebration of Mardi Gras on Shrove Tuesday, March 4. We will gather at the church to begin a parade down Main Street that will end at TIN where Becca Finley and her TIN community will host us with music, food and beverage and fellowship. We will also process our Alleluia banner that we will bury at the church afterwards. Find your wonderfully silly costume and join the procession! There will be some beads (“throws”) and masks available for those semi-unprepared for Mardi Gras.
We began this wonderfully crazy event last year and it was a great success. Rumor has it that and additional Krewe ( Mardi Gras lingo for group or club) will be joining Nativity’s own Krewe of Crappie for the parade and fellowship. Feel free to invite your friends and neighbors of all ages to join us.
Flowers for the Altar- Sign Up Sheet in the Church
There is a need for altar flowers through most of the year that can be given by members of the church as memorials to loved ones, to honor someone or in thanksgiving or a person of event. These flowers greatly enhance our worship and are prayerful occasions to mark something special in our lives.
Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed
Remember the ongoing need for volunteers to make coffee, provide snacks and clean up for our post worship coffee hour. A sign up sheet is in the Salt and Light building.
See you Sunday!
Blessings and Peace,
Duncan
(601)260-1937
Comments