The E-pistle

Friday, April 18th, 2025

A Note from Father Sam

Dear friends in Christ,

Today is Good Friday, the solemn day which must precede, each year, the joys of Easter. My prayer for you is that today, amid the business of regular life and the particular anxieties of the moment, you will make some time to reflect on Jesus’ self-offering on the cross, to pray, to hold the amazing gift of Christ alongside all the troubles of this world that he died to save.

I have written here before of my love of praying with hymns. This week, I encountered this text, written by twentieth-century English Methodist hymn writer F. Pratt Green. Imagining Jesus and the Roman soldiers who beat him, it is set to Thomas Tallis’ haunting Third Tune in our hymnal (#170). I offer it to you for your prayers today. The cross is a terrible image. But there is good news in the cross. There is good news in the sacrificial love and humility of Jesus, in this day that comes three days before the glories of Easter. May you find in Green’s words the hope that through Christ, the love of God will blossom into new life—that the love of God will sustain us all, no matter what.

To mock your reign, O dearest Lord,

they made a crown of thorns;

set you with taunts along that road

from which no one returns.

They did not know, as we do now,

that glorious is your crown;

that thorns would flower upon your brow,

your sorrows heal our own.

In mock acclaim, O gracious Lord,

they snatched a purple cloak,

your passion turned, for all they cared,

into a soldier's joke.

They did not know, as we do now,

that though we merit blame

you will your robe of mercy throw

around our naked shame.

A sceptered reed, O patient Lord,

they thrust into your hand,

and acted out their grim charade

to its appointed end.

They did not know, as we do now,

though empires rise and fall,

your Kingdom shall not cease to grow

till love embraces all.

Faithfully,

Father Sam

Sunday, April 20, 2025

8:00 AM Holy Eucharist Rite I

10:00 A.M Holy Eucharist Rite II

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Scripture for the Sunday of the Passion: Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, Luke 24:1-12

Serving this Sunday:

Altar Guild: Vaunie Graulty

Serving at 8:00 AM:

Celebrant: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Preacher: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Acolyte: Darryl Lafferty

LEM: Jorja Marsden

Lector/Intercessor: Linda Mason

Greeter: TBD

Serving at 10:00 AM:

Celebrant: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Preacher: The Rev’d Samuel T. Vaught

Assisting Priest: The Rev’d Jane Tillman

Verger: Darryl Lafferty

Acolyte: Virgil Stucker

LEM: Diane Dillon     

Lector: Kendra MacLeod

Intercessor: Jim Wade

Greeters: Brett Roberts and Jim Wade

Musician: Nancy King

Parish Prayer List

Those who are ill or in need of intercession

Jacob, Kathleen, Donna, Cynthia, Lori, Kit, David, Ann, Celia, Anne, Dawn, Bill, Tom, Tracey, Ginny, Rebecca, Jim, Travis, Faye, Linda, Mary, Emery, Martha, Anne, Win, Beth, Joe, Mike, Janet

Those who have recently died

Dorit Vander Wilden, friend of Patty Melville

Walter M. Gillman, father of Anne Skakel

Charles Folger

Those who have asked for our long-term prayers

Ginger, Heidi, Rick, Allie, Ginger, Joan, Duncan, Bernadette, Ray, Piers, Katrina, Rich, Karen, Michael, Khali, George, Barbara, Christy, John, Anthony, Astrida

Those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries

Deborah Pege, Diane Dillon, Brett Roberts

Our Parish: St. Paul’s, Stockbridge

That we may grow in faith, hope, and love, and together strive to be the hands and heart of Christ for Stockbridge and the wider world; for Sam, our Rector; Jane and Libby, our Priests Associate; for our Wardens  and Vestry; for the students and staff of the St. Paul’s Children’s Center 

The Diocese of Western Massachusetts

Doug, Bishop

Steven, interim Canon to the Ordinary 

Diocesan Cycle of Prayer (Week of 4/20)

Congregations, Ministries, and Partners in Ministry

St. Helena’s, Lenox

An Episcopal Path to Creation Justice

Mampong Babies Home, Ghana

The Church and Wider Mission

Episcopal Media Services

Archives of The Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church in the United States of America; Sean, Presiding Bishop

The Anglican Communion throughout the world; Stephen, Archbishop of York

Anglican Cycle of Prayer (Week of 4/20)

Sun 4/20: Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui

Mon 4/21: Diocese of Mbeere (Kenya)

Tues 4/22: Diocese of Mbhashe (Southern Africa)

Wed 4/23: Diocese of Meath and Kildare (Ireland)

Thurs 4/24: Diocese of Medak (S. India)

Fri 4/25: Diocese of Central Melanesia

Sat 4/26: Diocese Melbourne (Australia)

Prayers for those in Authority

The Town of Stockbridge 

The Stockbridge Select Board 

Ernest Cardillo, Jamie Minacci, Patrick White

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Maura Healey, Governor of Massachusetts

The General Court of Massachusetts 

Leigh Davis (House of Representatives) 

Paul Mark (Senate) 

The United States of America 

Donald Trump, President of the United States

Supreme Court of the United States

The United States Congress 

Richard Neal (House of Representatives)

Elizabeth Warren (Senate) 

Ed Markey (Senate) 



Prayers for the World 

For lasting peace in the Middle East

For the people of the Middle East, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Haiti, and other places of conflict

For kidnapped Ukrainian children and their families and friends

For all affected by natural disasters and climate change, especially in Kentucky

For all who live in fear, especially migrants and transgender children and adults

April Red Letter Days

Monday, April 21-Saturday, April 26: The Great Octave of Easter (Monday-Saturday of Easter Week)

Monday, April 28: Saint Mark the Evangelist (transferred from 4/25)

Lee Food Pantry: Current Needs

Baby wipes

Laundry detergent

Flour

Sugar

Rice

Paper towels

Toilet paper

Items can be dropped off at the back of the church. On the second Saturday of the month, a team from St. Paul’s volunteers to distribute food. Questions? See Jim Wade.

Holy Week Schedule

Saturday, April 19: Great Vigil of Easter at 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 20: Easter Day  Holy Eucharist at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m., followed by egg hunt in churchyard

Holy Week and the Legacy of Anti-semitism

Each year during Holy Week, the story of Christ’s Passion is read, first on Palm Sunday (either from Matthew, Mark, or Luke), and then again on Good Friday (always from John). This narrative contains the most important events in the life of Jesus and is the bedrock of the story of our salvation. While the Christian faith cannot conceive of itself without acknowledging the deep roots it has in Judaism, the sad truth of Christian history is that for nearly two thousand years, our religion has been used as a weapon against the Jewish people. Some of the language of the Passion is of particular concern to this end, given its use of the words “the Jews” as those responsible for the murder of Jesus.

It is important to understand at least two things in light of this reality: The first is that almost every character in the Gospel stories, especially Jesus and his disciples, are Jews. Christians forget this fact at their peril. The second is that when the author of Luke’s Gospel refers to “the crowd” and “the people” in last Sunday’s text, he is referring to a small group of Jewish leaders, namely the chief priests and others, together with their supporters and some bystanders (and even a slave, as we read in the story). Luke is not referring to the entirety of the Jewish people then or now.

Perhaps even more troubling is John’s use of “the Jews” (Greek: Ioudaioi) to refer to this same group of people, which we will hear today on Good Friday. Each of the Gospels is concerned, to some extent, to carve out a distinct identity for the early Church, still majority-Jewish in some places (although becoming increasingly Gentile-dominated), in the face of persecution both from the authorities of the Roman Empire and from the same Jewish leaders in Jerusalem referred to in these stories. As a result, the Gospels adopted a more polemical tone as the Church grappled with this shifting identity. This growing division between Jewish and Gentile Christians and non-Christian Jews is sometimes called “the Parting of the Ways.”

None of this should suggest that the entirety of the Jewish people in the first century or today are responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus and therefore accursed. To do so would be a gross misinterpretation of our sacred texts and the historical context in which they were written. It is imperative for all Christians to acknowledge the ways in which this misinterpretation has clouded our history and seek to be more loving neighbors of our Jewish siblings.

-Father Sam, adapted from the Rev’d Canon Greg Baker, Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis

Bunnies, Eggs, and Jesus! It Must be Easter!

An Article for Parents from the Children's Formation Team

Have you ever wondered what bunnies, eggs, and Easter baskets have to do with the

real meaning of Easter? They point us to new life. For the very young child, this new life can be

seen in baby chicks pecking their way out of eggshells, baby bunnies, and blooming flowers.

Spring is a season of rebirth that invokes wonder for young and old alike. Here are some ways

to help young children experience new life:

Plant a flower and watch it grow. Go to a farm store that has baby chicks and enjoy seeing the

newborn animals. Visit the baby animal festival at Hancock Shaker Village. Dye eggs. Find out

about the life cycle of butterflies and visit a butterfly garden. In the midst of these experiences,

remind the child that God plans for new life whether that’s eggs hatching, butterflies emerging

from cocoons, animals being born, or flowers growing. You might simply say, “Easter is a

special time to remember Jesus and new life.”

As children grow older, they are ready to discover more about Jesus and the

Resurrection. You can help children see the connection between new life in God’s world and

new life in Jesus by layering in more details about the life of Jesus. Build on information

children already know. For instance, eggs point to more than new life in nature. When coloring

eggs, talk about the egg as a symbol of Jesus’ death and resurrection: The hard shell reminds us

of the tomb. The cracking of the egg reminds us that Jesus was resurrected out of the tomb.

Even the colors have symbolism: red reminds of Jesus’ great love for us, purple is the color of

Lent, blue reminds us of Jesus’ birth.

Eastertime also offers opportunities to talk with children about death. For young

children, it’s enough to hear that Jesus died. If asked why, you can respond that some people

didn’t like the things Jesus taught about God so they had him killed. At this age, specific details

about how Jesus died aren’t necessary. It’s enough to say that the cross helps us remember

that Jesus died. As children grow older, they’re ready to hear more information, but they still

don’t need to hear the frightening details. Older elementary children can handle more of the

details leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross. Always remind children that God was with Jesus

as Jesus died.

Children of all ages can celebrate the joyous news that Jesus lives in spite of his death

on the cross. Easter worship is filled with wonderful sensory experiences such as the aroma of

flowers, the sounds of festive organ music, and the sight of everyone dressed in their best

clothes. Encourage children to participate in the celebration and feel the joy that surrounds

this holy day. Above all, remind children that Easter is a special day to remember Jesus and

how much God loves each of us.

(slightly adapted from a Blog post by Daphna Flegal on www.cokesburycommons.com)