The Church Bell
Vol. 3, no. 6
July / August 2019
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The days of summer are ending and school is going back into session!
- Franklin County Schools will begin the new academic year on August 2nd;
- Classes will begin at St. Andrew's-Sewanee on August 19th, and
- The University of the South will begin classes on August 29th.
Let us join in prayer for a successful academic year and for endless opportunities to grow and learn!
"O Eternal God, bless all schools, colleges, and universities, that they may be lively centers for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
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Pearson Garner
will be back in Cookeville later this month and will resume classes at Tennessee Tech on August 26th.
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Get ready to welcome visitors!
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Every new academic year and every fall season brings visitors to St. Agnes'!
As you will recall, most of our visitors are students and families connected to the School of Theology. However, we sometimes get students and parents from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Our unique position as a traditional, Rite I congregation and our location in the beautiful Cumberland foothills add to the joy of visiting St. Agnes'.
Every member of the congregation can add greater joy by extending a hand of friendship and introducing yourself to our visitors.
Remember that nobody is a stranger in the House of the Lord and we are honored to worship God together in the fellowship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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August 16-18: Episcopal Churchmen of Tennessee
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We encourage the men of the congregation to register for and attend the 73rd Annual Conference of the Episcopal Churchmen of Tennessee.
The weekend event takes place August 16 - 18 at DuBose Conference Center in Monteagle with attendees from all three Tennessee dioceses!
The dynamic lineup of speakers includes:
- Coach Johnny Majors of UT-Knoxville fame;
- Coach Tony Eubanks, former football captain at Clemson;
- Coach Drew Maddox from Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville.
Besides the amazing line-up of speakers, the conference includes worship services, a BBQ cookoff, and various outdoor activities.
Let's get a strong representation from St. Agnes' at this amazing and inspiring event!
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September 9 - Feast of Constance & Her Companions
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On September 9th the church recalls the life and ministry of
Constance and Her Companions
- also known as the
Martyrs of Memphis
.
This group of women devoted themselves to helping the sick and the suffering during a deadly yellow fever outbreak in Memphis, Tennessee. In doing so, they lost their lives to the very disease they were trying to help others recover from.
When the epidemic was over, the surviving sisters were relocated to Sewanee. The Community of St. Mary in Sewanee continues to this day and is a blessing to our area.
The Community of St. Mary at Sewanee played a crucial role in the founding of St. Agnes' Church in Cowan. Throughout our 125-year history the congregation and the sisterhood have maintained a friendly and working relationship.
We will announce, closer to time, our plans to commemorate the Martyrs of Memphis and celebrate their beautiful legacy.
Click here
to read more about Constance and her companions, including the names of the Episcopal nuns and clergy who died during the yellow fever epidemic.
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September 16: National "
Back to Church"
Sunday
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St. Agnes' is one of over 13,000 churches across America that will host the Back to Church Sunday initiative.
The goal of this annual event is simple: Invite a friend or neighbor to church!
As we look ahead to this great event, be thinking about and praying for someone you wish to invite.
We will post additional details about the event closer to time.
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September 20-22: Fall Heritage Festival
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St. Agnes' is a proud "Circuit Rider" sponsor of the Fall Heritage Festival in downtown Cowan.
Come and celebrate the life, history, arts, and culture of the Cumberland foothills!
The festival brings music, arts, crafts, demonstrations, food and music into a weekend event for all ages.
There will be a Cruise-in, arts & crafts, living history, kids activities, live music, and other activities.
Please note that Tennessee Avenue will be
closed
to vehicle traffic on the weekend of the Festival. To get to St. Agnes' on Sunday, the 22nd, use South Cherry Street instead.
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September 28: Small Church Cookout in Franklin, Tennessee
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The various small churches in the Diocese of Tennessee are invited to a special get-together at Church of the Resurrection in Franklin on Saturday, September 28th.
The Rev'd Chad Jones is helping Bishop Bauerschmidt assess and advise small congregations as an extension of his evangelism ministry. Father Jones has already visited St. Agnes' and Jarod recently attended a small church workshop in Murfreesboro.
Anyone and everyone who wants to make the road trip to Franklin and be part of the festivities is certainly invited to attend. Please let Jarod know so that he can get you the exact time and location. We may also plan a carpool or caravan, depending on the number of people interesting in going.
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October 12: Fall Work Day at the Church
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Bishop Bauerschmidt is coming back to visit St. Agnes' on October 27th. In preparation for his visit, we will hold our usual fall work day a couple weeks in advance on
October 12th
.
As in the past, we will to spruce-up, clean-up, polish and freshen-up inside and outside.
Please mark your calendars for Saturday morning, October 12th, and be thinking about tasks and projects that we need to tackle.
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An interesting article about hard-back hymnals
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Last month St. Agnes' took delivery of additional hard-back hymnals, prayer books, and Bibles to meet the needs of our growing church family.
Our mention of this purchase in the church newsletter and at the recent small church workshop caught some attention and prompted some interesting discussion.
While churches across the nation are trending away from hard-back books in pew racks, there are just as many churches that, like St. Agnes', are staying with tradition. Why? Because the hardback hymnals, prayer books, and Bibles have irreplaceable qualities.
There's an interesting article in
Appalachian Magazine
that focuses on this topic in light of what American Christianity stands to lose if churches continue to trend away from the hymnal.
If you have any thoughts, comments, or reactions to this article, please share them. This topic can generate some interesting and helpful conversation.
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Some Updates from Our Church Family
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Howard Gene Eslick
is holding his own at the Signature Healthcare Facility in Monteagle. His birthday was July 10th, so the congregation sent a card with lots get-well wishes and attached to a bouquet of fresh flowers. Jarod visited Gene and delivered one of his favorites - a peach-filled fried pie! Gene sends his appreciation for everybody's kindness.
Dennis Hutchison,
Jessica's brother, is at home and on the road to recovery. Please keep him in your prayers and also remember Jessica as she makes regular visits to see him.
Bill Keller
has had some good days this month. At our last report he is waiting to see if some relatively good test results will allow him to take a break from treatments. We hope that he can.
Emeline Pearson
returned home after being discharged from skilled care, but then returned to the hospital for treatment of an infection. She is now back at home and regaining her strength.
Rose Pearson
will have a scheduled knee replacement surgery in Franklin on August 13th. She is looking forward to a fall season with faster and easier steps! We pray that everything goes as planned!
Andrew Williams
sent word to the congregation on July 21st that he wasn't feeling well and would miss church that day. Then, two days later, he went into surgery for acute appendicitis. Fortunately, Andrew was discharged from the hospital on Friday the 25th and will have a month-long recovery at home. He appreciated all of the calls, visits, and messages he received from the congregation. We hope to see him back in church soon!
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Mid-to-Late Summer Birthdays
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July 21 - Nancy Glenn
July 21 - Sally Lambert
July 24 - Laban Agisa
July 27 - Alice Black
August 9 - Rose Pearson
August 29 - Duncan Weddington
August 31 - Pat Underwood
September 2 - Benjamin Money
September 2 - Sara Money
September 21 - Mary Pearson-Smith
***If we are missing any birthdays on our list, please send an e-mail to the church at saintagnescowan@gmail.com.***
"O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on thy servants as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
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July 8, 1994 - Duncan and Frances Weddington - 25 years!
***
We need a complete list of wedding anniversaries!
All married couples in congregation: please send an e-mail to saintagnescowan@gmail.com with your wedding anniversary date so we can pull together a complete list!
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Fr. Jean Mweningoma
sent an e-mail to the congregation on July 30th letting us know that he had a successful summer at home in Burundi.
His bishop kept him busy with preaching, teaching, and evangelism, but he has certainly missed everybody at St. Agnes'!
Fr. Jean will return to Sewanee for classes on
August 23rd
. We will see him back at St. Agnes' shortly thereafter.
We pray that he has a safe and pleasant trip back to The Mountain.
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Fr. Martin Odidi and Funmi
are overjoyed to inform us that their oldest son, Yehoshia, was ordained into the diaconate of the Diocese of Kaduna (Church of Nigeria) on July 14th.
The Martin's are also eager to tell us that they will visit St. Agnes' in early September while they are here visiting friends and colleagues at Sewanee.
We look forward to seeing them!
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Rest Eternal Grant to Her, O Lord
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With sadness we report the passing of Mrs. Ruth McNutt.
Mrs. McNutt's daughter and son-in-law, Betty and Keaton Krauth, are part of our church family at St. Agnes'.
Ruth was well known in Cowan as the owner and operator of Cowan Cafe for over 30 years. She was a Franklin County historian and operated the Franklin County Jail Museum filled with her beloved collection of antique guns, relics and memorabilia.
Please keep Betty, Keaton, and the extended family in your prayers during this difficult time.
"Into thy hands, O merciful Savior, we commend thy servant Ruth. Acknowledge, we beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of thy saints in light. Amen."
Here is the obituary from Moore-Cortner:
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Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord
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Mr. James Patterson was a dear friend and a true neighbor to this congregation for many years.
Mr. Patterson and his wife Evelyn lived up the street from St. Agnes' where they maintained a beautiful flower garden.
James gave us a steady supply of flowers in season for use on the altar. He was always a cheerful giver and we will never forget his generosity.
"O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our prayers on behalf of thy servant James, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen."
Here is the obituary from Moore-Cortner:
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Andrew Williams, Payton Hargis, Roy Tankersley, Dennis Hutchison, Emeline Pearson, Aden Harris, Wendi Wallace, Teresa Brown, Laura, Kevin, Erma Little, Brian Judd, Julius Mauro, Sandra Langston, Jacqueline Boyanton, Royana Stewart, Bill Keller, Howard Gene Eslick, Linda Milligan, and Karen McCallie.
We pray continually for Christians around the world in grave danger and for those in our armed services, especially Wes Nevels.
***
"O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayer, and grant to your servants the help of your power, that their sicknesses may be turned into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
***
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Sunday Service
....................................11:00 a.m.
Sunday School .....................................10:00 a.m.
Location/Address: 105 England Street E., PO Box 356, Cowan, TN 37318
Telephone: (931) 636-6313
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The Rt. Rev'd John C. Bauerschmidt..................Bishop of Tennessee
The Rt. Rev'd Paul Lambert................................Pastor and Celebrant
The Rev'd Laban Agisa.......................................Visiting Priest
The Rev'd Charles Chiutulas...............................Visiting Priest
The Rev'd Jean Mweningoma.............................Visiting Priest
L. Jarod Pearson..................................................Lay Reader
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