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WHEN THE KISSING HAD TO STOP
The First Sunday in Advent, December 1st, hailed the new Church Year. The magisterial collect for the Sunday asks God to ‘give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put upon us the armor of light’. The collect rests on that Sunday’s Epistle (Romans 13.8-14) for Year A (and in every year in the Prayer Book 1928):
‘And that now, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep . . . The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light.’
As no other, these words from the Apostle Paul epitomize the season of Advent: awake out of sleep! Here is every Christian’s personal apostolic wakeup call. Prepare yourself in heart and mind for Christ’s Second Coming and the Great Assize. The accompanying music reenforces the urgency of the call: ‘On Jordan’s bank the Baptist cries,’ ‘Sleepers Awake’ and, oh, so wonderful: Charles Wesley’s ‘Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending’.
I love Adrian Leak’s reflections on the Church Year in his delightful book based on articles from his weekly parish paper (Archbishop Benson’s Humming Top and Other Reflections).
One of his Advent reflections vividly strikes a solemn, sober note of the transience of the world’s vanities against the enveloping action of eternity. Leak contrasts the abrupt end of the 1,000-year reign of the Venetian Empire in the last days of the eighteenth century with the seemingly endless series of masked balls and parties that blindly preceded the end. The carefree Venetian partygoers were as startled by the impending sound of their doom as much as anyone standing on Jordan’s bank in earshot of the hearkening voice of John the Baptist.
Leak refers us to the Victorian poet Robert Browning’s (1812-1889) dramatic monologue poem A Toccata of Galuppi’s. In the poem, the partygoers suddenly feel a chill, and their chattering stops, as their hired musician Baldassaro Galuppi, begins to strike unwelcome notes of foreboding on his harpsichord:
What? Those lesser thirds so plaintive, sixths diminished, sigh on sigh,
Told them something? Those suspensions, those solutions—"Must we die?"
Those commiserating sevenths—"Life might last! We can but try!
Try or not, Napoleon conquered, Venice fell, and the fun was over:
As for Venice and her people, merely born to bloom and drop,
"Here on earth they bore their fruitage, mirth and folly were the crop:
"What of soul was left, I wonder, when the kissing had to stop?
"Dust and ashes!" So you creak it, and I want the heart to scold.
Dear dead women, with such hair, too—what's become of all the gold
Used to hang and brush their bosoms? I feel chilly and grown old.
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V. The Spirit and the Bride say come.
R. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
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Collect
Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty, to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
His [Sandro Botticelli] Mystic Nativity (1500-1501) sees the holy birth . . . as the event that ultimately foretells the Last Judgment, the end of days and the coming of a new heaven and a new earth. Devils flee into hell as angels soar aloft.
. . . Renaissance and baroque artists find joy and hope in the Nativity. Angels rejoice, dumb animals recognize the weight of this moment, and all eyes are on the child who will redeem the world. It doesn’t have much in common with the festive fun of our modern, highly secularized and commercial Christmas. These paintings are about death and resurrection and the shock of revelation. That nativity scene on a card is an opportunity for a moment of meditation amid the tinsel. More Silent Night than Jingle Bells. From Jonathan James, The Guardian, December 16, 2016.
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The “Christmas Room” at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Springfield, and Outreach by Catherine Montgomery | |
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Throughout the month of December, guests of the food pantry at St. Mary’s in Jacksonville are able to “shop” for new, unwrapped gifts for all ages in the “Christmas Room.”
Just as in the food pantry, where all have the joy and dignity of choosing fresh, healthy, and delicious food, in the Christmas Room all have the joy and dignity of choosing meaningful gifts for family and friends from an attractive and bountiful display of brand-new items.
These gifts, which are restocked every day, have been donated with love by parishes, schools, and individuals from all around the diocese. If you donated gifts, thank you for sharing the joy of Christmas with our neighbors most in need!
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Fifth graders from San Jose Episcopal Day School brought a huge haul of
groceries from the school’s donation drive to the food pantry at St. Mary’s, then set up the Christmas Room for the season.
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In Memoriam Frederic Clarence Beil III | |
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Spires in the Sun: The Carpenter Gothic Episcopal Churches of Florida was published on November 30, 2023, by Frederic C. Beil, Savannah ("Beil"). The publisher ordered 1,000 copies for the first printing and within five months of publishing, some 750+ copies of it were sold and now, a year after publishing, a second printing is in process and will be delivered before Christmas. The book has attracted much favorable notice. The Florida Historical Society has
awarded the book its 2024 Charlton Tebeau Award, conferred by a jury of six distinguished Florida historians.
A large measure of the book’s success goes to Deric Beil. Sadly, since the book’s first publication, Deric was diagnosed with cancer and died November 25, 2024. In 1982, Deric founded Frederic C. Beil, Publisher, Inc. publishing in the areas of history, biography and fiction.
He moved to Savannah in 1987 and continued to publish there. He was a co-founder of the Savannah Book Festival. As a lifelong Episcopalian, Deric was a communicant of St John’s Church, Savannah and a founding member of SPCK/USA, the American branch of the oldest English missionary society that distributes Christian literature worldwide and works of theology.
Following his cancer diagnosis, realizing that his treatment would not allow him to oversee a second printing of Spires in the Sun, Deric assigned the book’s publication rights to the author, Jonathan Rich. Jonathan, in turn, offered the Diocese of Florida to sponsor the second printing.
Thanks to the generosity of the Episcopal Foundation the second printing of the book was given a green light and was taken in hand under the guidance of Jonathan Rich to ensure that the second printing is identical to the first and of the same high standard.
Dedication
The second printing of Spires in the Sun is dedicated to Frederic Clarence Beil III in Thanksgiving for the beautifully designed book that he produced and for his foresight, during illness, in planning that the book might be republished according to the same exacting high standards as the first. His love for this book ensures that the story of the formative years of the Diocese of Florida is recorded and is encapsulated in the images of the oldest surviving Gothic
wood-frame churches in Florida.
Purchase a copy of this magnificent book from St. John’s Cathedral Bookstore's Gift Shop in-store or online with their new website launched this fall.
The bookstore is scheduling additional author talks in the Diocese of Florida and the Diocese of Central Florida. All upcoming events for Spires in the Sun are available on their website.
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REFLECTION By Philip Beyer,
St John’s Episcopal Church, Tallahassee
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Blessed Are They
My fingers tap on my car’s steering wheel. I fathom my uneasiness is not about the long red light but the unhoused man staring at me, holding a cardboard sign. Seeing him has triggered the recurring seesaw battle within me between judgement and compassion. I want to shout, “Get off the street” but then remind myself that he, like me, is a child of God. So, who is this person or for that matter, the dozens of sign holders on our streets? Until I worshipped for years at a storefront homeless mission, I hadn’t dwelled on their humanity and goodness. Below are snapshots of six anonymous unhoused people who frequented the mission.
Sally reeks of campfire smoke. She smiles a toothless smile, her wrinkled face ravaged by the elements. She could be 40 or 60. Sally chooses to live in a nearby forest with others rather than the city shelter where she says, “Bad things happen.” At the mission, Sally habitually befriends sojourners fresh off the Greyhound bus or thumbing their way to nowhere. She tells them, “There’s always room for you around the campfire.”
Marvin’s cold eyes say, “Don’t mess with me.” And no one does. He isolates after twelve years in prison. Marvin parks himself in the back row, pulls his hoodie over his head and sleeps until food is served after worship. Miss Loretta’s legendary cheese grits, eggs, collard greens, and pies enticed Marvin and scores of others to the mission. Food for the soul is also served here: grace-filled preaching, unquestioning acceptance, refuge from violence, down-home gospel music, a shower, and clean clothes. One day, Marvin breaks character, sharing his hand-rolled smokes with others in the parking lot.
Raul was a wannabe partner at a noted CPA firm until he succumbed to cocaine. Now he lives in a shed without utilities near the mission. A Jazz affectionate, Raul can recount who played drums, base, and piano on a Miles Davis 1956 recording but not the names of his estranged children. Raul is first to voluntarily pick up a mop, empty trash cans and clean bathrooms at the mission.
Carla flutters throughout the mission’s sanctuary like a butterfly in a field of daisies. She alights, staring into a far-off world that only she sees. Worshipers pay her no-never-mind, for she is Carla, recently institutionalized, now homeless. Pastor Shirley smiles, pausing her homily to honor Carla’s unconfined spirit as she wings by.
Rita’s life is littered with brokenness: broken marriage, broken career, broken spirit. She is an Ivy League school graduate drowning in a sea of depression. Friends at the mission have become her lifeline. They have heard Rita’s downward spiraling story so often they know it by heart. But they continue to listen, blanketing Rita with their compassionate hugs and prayers.
Luther spent years in illegal labor camps constructing golf courses. Meager food and nightly pints of Jim Beam were his pay. Subcontractors bound Luther to the camps by threatening to expose his youthful crimes to the authorities. When he was no longer useful, his captors left Luther penniless along a country road. He wandered for months until he found the mission, his church home. Vested in all white, Luther holds high the cross as clergy process behind him to the altar.
Reflection
What are your thoughts and feelings when you see an unhoused person? Have you ever considered their goodness?
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For Notre Dame of Paris newly restored and for the whole Church.
V. Christ also loved the Church.
R. And gave himself for it.
O GOD of unchangeable power and eternal light, look favorably upon thy whole
Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; and by the tranquil operation of thy perpetual providence carry out the work of man’s salvation; that things which were cast down may be raised up, and that all things may return into unity through him by whom all things were made, even thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Gelasian Sacramentary, 5th century, from a translation by William Bright, 1861
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Rector's Picks: December Books | |
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Wendell Berry. Another Day: Sabbath Poems 2013-2023 Hardcover – August 6, 2024.
For the poetry lover on your Christmas list Wendell Berry’s first new poetry collection since 2016.
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Jeremy Chambers and Monica Paredes. The Art of Missional Spirituality: 31 Sacred Practices
for Jesus-Followers Paperback – November 9, 2023.
As those actively responding to Jesus’ Great Commission, we often struggle to unite kingdom mission with knowing the King.
In The Art of Missional Spirituality, experienced spiritual directors and church planters Jeremy
and Monica Chambers break down this divide by sharing thirty-one practices designed to
cultivate a vibrant and authentic spirituality that doesn’t draw you away from your neighbors but
propels you into the lives of others and the needs of your city. Amazon review.
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Margaret R. Ellsberg (author and editor). The Gospel in Gerard Manley Hopkins: Selections
from His Poems, Letters, Journals, and Spiritual Writings (The Gospel in Great Writers) Paperback – April 2017.
Only after leaving the Anglican Church . . . and entering the Jesuit order, known for its insistence
on quasi-cadaver-level obedience, did Hopkins boldly take on the visceral Anglo-Saxon two-beat
foot that runs through English speech, mix it prodigally with Welsh and Latin and French, mold
his lines to Greek forms, and concoct stanza after stanza and sestet after octet of nerve-shocking
genius. Arbitrary, stray, he innovated rhythmic power in his poetry. From the Introduction.
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John Gatta. Green Gospel: Foundations of Ecotheology Paperback – March 5, 2024.
John Gatta is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Connecticut, Storrs and the University of the South, Sewanee. His field is (primarily 19th century) American literature and ecology and the ethical questions raised by our concern for the environment and how these questions are informed by Christian theology and faith.
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Charles King. Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel's
Messiah Hardcover – October 29, 2024.
Compelling. King transforms Handel's world into a place we can all recognize and understand as the foundation for our own. — The Washington Post
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Shaun Lambert. Mindful Formation Paperback – 2024.
I looked at this attentively as it was recommended by the Jesuit New Testament scholar Nicholas King whom I admire and respect. King recommends it as: ‘a very personal account of the author’s journey back to God and to spiritual attentiveness, a pilgrimage for our time.’
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Holly Ordway. Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Biography Hardcover – September 2, 2023. | |
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N.T. Wright. The Challenge of Acts: Rediscovering What the Church Was and Is Hardcover –
October 22, 2024.
N. T. Wright brings to the book of Acts his expert's eye on theological nuance and cultural context, distilling it down into an introductory commentary, perfect for anyone looking to take their own reading a little deeper and discover the profound (and often forgotten) potential of the church and the Way of Jesus Christ. ----from Amazon review.
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Brian Fairbanks. Willie, Waylon, and the Boys: How Nashville Outsiders Changed Country
Music Forever Hardcover – June 4, 2024.
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Marc Million. Italy in a Wineglass: The Story of Italy Through Its Wines Hardcover – May 28,
2024.
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Ned Palmer. A Cheesemonger’s Tour de France Hardcover – October 3, 2024. | |
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Collect
To thee, O Christ, O Word of the Father, we offer up our lowly praises and unfeigned hearty thanks: Who for love of our fallen race didst most wonderfully and humbly choose to be made man, as never to be unmade more; and to take our nature, as never more to lay it off; so that we might be born again by thy Spirit and restored in the image of God; to whom, one blessed Trinity, be ascribed all honour, might, majesty, and dominion, now and for ever. Amen.
‘Caravaggio’s Adoration of the Shepherds (1609) includes a brilliant still life of a set of carpenter’s tools in the foreground. Is this just a nice allusion to Joseph’s job as a carpenter? Of course not. It is also a forewarning that one day such tools will be used to build a cross for Christ to die on.’ ----- Jonathan Jones on art, ‘The Guardian’ December 16, 2016.
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The Feast of the Holy Innocents
The Feast of the Holy Innocents, or “Childermas” (Old English) is observed annually on December 28. The feast commemorates the massacre of young male children in Bethlehem, as described in Matthew’s Gospel. The event unfolds within the story of the nativity of Jesus. King Herod is seeking to eliminate the infant Jesus whom he perceives as a threat to his throne and orders the slaughter of all boys aged two and under. The Feast of the Holy Innocents reminds us of both joy and tragedy in the early life of Jesus.
This tragic event, known as the Massacre of the Innocents, is steeped in both historical and theological significance, demonstrating the darker side of humanity. The feast has been part of the Church calendar since the fifth century. The early church recognized the martyred children as the first martyrs, or "protomartyrs," for Christ. These innocent youths, who were persecuted because of Christ, came to be seen as symbols of purity and sacrifice in the face of worldly power.
Traditionally, the Feast of the Holy Innocents was marked by role changes in the medieval church in which children assume the roles of adults for a day or event. Often younger choir members, students, and even a ‘Boy-Bishop’ would preside over the services demonstrating God’s plan that even the least amongst us can be first:
“Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” (Luke 9:48)
In contemporary practice, the Feast of the Holy Innocents is observed with a focus on remembrance and prayer, involving readings from the biblical account of the massacre and the value of every life. The day also serves as a time to advocate for children.
Today, many Christians use the Feast of the Holy Innocents to reflect on issues of injustice, exploitation, and violence against children. In a world where millions of children continue to suffer from abuse, neglect, and poverty, the feast extends beyond commemoration into activism and hope for the innocent, urging faithful followers to pursue justice and advocate tirelessly for those without a voice.
The Feast of the Holy Innocents reminds us of the darkness of the human heart. But it reassures us that we worship and God who celebrates our joy and comforts us in our sorrows. That in the midst of our darkest hour Jesus shines His love upon us, leading us back into His light.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
Praying that our Lord finds you and yours well.
The Ven. Mark Richardson, Archdeacon
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Calling all wardens, vestry members, and your clergy!
VITAL Retreat
The Bishop's Institute for Ministry and Leadership
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Dates: Friday, January 10, 2025 - Sunday, January 12, 2025
Location: Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center
Time: Starts Friday 5 p.m.
Cost: $35 per person for Saturday (includes lunch) to $285 for full weekend
Join us for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida’s VITAL Retreat (Vestry Inspiration, Training, and Leadership Retreat), taking place January 10-12, 2025, at Camp Weed & Cerveny Conference Center.
This retreat offers workshops on leadership, communication, church canons and bylaws, financial management, and essential church resources, with plenty of inspiration and opportunities for worship.
Participants will engage in large group workshops, focused breakout sessions, and dedicated time for church-specific discussions for Vestry groups attending together.
Whether attending the full weekend or participating as a Friday/Saturday or Saturday-only guest, this retreat is an opportunity for Vestry members to deepen their faith, enhance their leadership skills, and connect with others from across the Diocese.
The conference will be led by Bishop Benhase, Dean Kate Moorehead Carroll and Keith Daw. The Rev. Becky Rowell from Christ Church, Frederica will also lead us. Called to a ministry of reconciliation, she is a skilled and experienced trainer of clergy and vestries in conflict transformation skills and strategic planning.
We encourage full Vestries and clergy to participate together; however, individual Vestry members and smaller cohorts are encouraged to attend as well. Come out for a full day experience on Saturday January 11 or, if you like, for a full weekend.
This is a joint program coordinated by the Bishop's Institute for Ministry and Leadership and Camp Weed's 100 More Committee.
For more information and registration: http://www.campweed.org/calendar/calendar-of-events/vital-retreat.aspx
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Saturday, January 18, 2025 10 am - 2 pm
St. John's Cathedral
Taliaferro Hall
256 E Church St
Jacksonville, FL 32202
As the American attention span shortens and language changes, how can a preacher captivate and spiritually nurture a congregation? What are the steps that need to be taken to craft a powerful sermon? And how does the life of the preacher become the very canvas upon which the sermon is created?
Join Dean Kate, in partnership with The Bishop’s Institute, for a step by step process on the creation of a sermon: from biblical scholarship, to the writing process, to the art of the delivery.
Lunch included.
Cost $25
*Scholarships available
*This workshop is included in the registration cost of the year long certificate program offered by the Bishop’s Institute and participants in that program are automatically registered in this workshop.
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