Dear friends,
We have now entered the liturgical season of Advent as our church calendar begins again. One big difference that you will notice in our worship this year is that the color of the altar hangings and my stole have changed. Instead of the traditional color of purple we now have Sarum blue. (From the Medieval Sarum rite)

I am particularly excited about this change as it has been a growing practice that has its roots deep in our heritage. Records of inventories from the medieval diocese of Salisbury (Sarum) from the 13th and 16th centuries show that blue silk vestments, altar cloths and chasubles were part of the liturgical attire. Today the practice of using blue during Advent is mostly seen in Lutheran, Anglican and Episcopal congregations. This became more prevalent during the Victorian era as a way to distinguish between Advent and Lent. Many Christian churches are shifting the emphasis of Advent from a penitential season, such as Lent, to a celebration of hope and anticipation. We will not neglect that it is also a time of introspection and preparation.

The color blue has several symbolic meanings: royalty, the coming of the King, the night sky before the dawn, the sea as God’s creation, hope and of course, the mother of Jesus, Mary.

This all would not have happened without the leadership of Halsey Dillard and Lisa McCue and their team Stephany Breed, Bea Gates, Jean Hillsman, Betsy Moore and Martha Redstrom-Plourd. In observance of our 325th Anniversary they have gifted their time and talent to make these new adornments for our worship for which we are truly appreciative. The symbols on the hangings represent the Huguenot Cross, the fleur de lis and the dove of peace. The cross with the dove on it was seen while on our pilgrimage in France!

I hope that you enjoy the new hangings and all that they symbolize. May we use this opportunity to reflect on this season of hope.

Blessings,

Gini+

Dear friends,

“Lord, make us instruments of your peace.” (BCP p. 833, A Prayer attributed to St. Francis)

This week I attended Clergy Conference at Chanco where Br. James Dowd, Monk in Residence in the Diocese of Nebraska and Founding Prior of The Benedictine Way, spoke to us about centering prayer. I have practiced centering prayer for over twenty years, sometimes better than others. One thing that resonated with me during this conference was the realization that when I focus on my centering prayer life, I don’t just feel peace, I am at peace. I had not distinguished the difference before.

My prayer life of late has become what I have shared with you on Sundays, a laundry list of requests for God. The petitions and intercessions have become long. Of course, I pray the Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer but on some days, I just check it off as done. I have not been dwelling in Christ and inviting him to dwell in me.

In centering prayer, I leave the words alone. My hope is to just be with God giving him the time and presence that I yearn from him. If we strive to be Christ in the world then we need to take the time to be with the one who will show us how.

I find comfort in the words of Parker Palmer: “It takes no special talent to look around our world and point out things that are numbing, depressing or death-dealing. But becoming aware of what’s good, true and beautiful demands that we open our eyes, minds and hearts and keep them open.

Then we’ll begin to see the beauty everywhere, not only in nature but in human nature. Then we’ll have the inspiration, strength and courage to resist what’s wrong and work for what’s right.”

May I suggest that we cut back on worldly influences and focus on the Good News. Let us look and see how Christ is working in the world and through us. Let us set our goal for each day to be a blessing to someone in need and in the words of St. Francis may we be an instrument of God’s peace.

Blessings,
Gini+

Dear friends,
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

Fall is finally arriving and with it many exciting activities in our church. As we continue to grow in this liturgical season of Pentecost, I pray that we will hear and follow our “purpose under heaven” as individuals and as a community.

As part of our 325th Anniversary events, Homecoming will take place on October 5. We look forward to seeing friends and family from near and far. Interestingly, as I was reading the story of The Monacan Indians, I noticed that Homecomings are one of the two annual festivals that are currently held by their ancestors to bring the community together to feast, dance, exchange news and engage in various games. To that end, we have extended an invitation to the Monacan Indian Nation and I truly hope someone will attend. Music will be provided by our very own Michael DeHart. Please join us for this festival gathering.

The Manakin Stew prepared by the Men of the Church with Tom Hillsman as our stew master will be offered on Friday, October 10. New this year is the opportunity to pick it up hot from the pot and enjoy it for dinner on Friday. This pick-up will be done at the cooking location in Midlothian.

Our Family Forums have resumed with two opportunities each month to participate. We meet at 9 AM in Denny Hall to enjoy a presentation and fellowship time. This is a great opportunity for our 8 AM and 10 AM worship communities to come together.

I am excited about our EYC (Episcopal Youth Commission) activities that are lining up for the year. Each will have a component of out/in reach, fun and Biblical basis. I am thankful for Katie Harrison’s leadership and the gifts that she is sharing with us. They will be leading our Family Forum on October 26th. Come and hear what they want to share with us.

Beautification efforts continue to be made to the grounds and we give thanks to Jean Hillsman and the Salisbury Garden Club for their work on our entrance beds and planted pots. The Memorial Garden will be taking on a bit of a new look as the overgrown bushes will be trimmed and some removed to open spaces for additional plots. Halsey Dillard continues to keep good care of this area and we are appreciative of her gifts.

Outreach activities continue to be a core mission for us. We will start our Thanksgiving meal collections in October for the Powhatan Food Pantry and will have the shelter feeding program at the end of the month. These are terrific opportunities for community participation and support.

These are just a few of our exciting offerings this fall. I hope that you will keep apprised of these through the Messenger newsletter, weekly eBlasts and bulletin notices. If you are not receiving all of these forms of communication, please let us know. This is our time and season!

Blessings,
Gini+