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ALL ANGELS BY THE SEA
WEEKLY TIDINGS
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The flowers for Sunday, May 25th are given by Jinx Kochan with love
in celebration of Hank's Birthday.
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We Pray for our People
Bring the healing of your touch to all those who suffer in body or spirit, especially Downs IV, Holden, Barbara, Maria Christine, Caitlin, Dennis, Angie, Amy Jo, Carling, Michael, Ian, Joan, Diana, Anne, Alyssa, Joe, Denise and Zachary, and Chris. We pray for those who recover from surgery, especially Nancy and John.
We pray for those going through cancer treatments and those in remission, especially, Margaret, Downs III, Victoria, Alex, Connie, Douglas, Frank, Gerta, Lauren, TJ, Cara, Valerie, Violet, Joan, Nancy, Julie, George, Denise, Mark, and John. We pray for those who receive the care of skilled nursing, especially Timothy, Barbara, and Kim.
We pray for those in Hospice, especially Jeanne and Regina.
| A BRIDGE BETWEEN ALEX AND DAVE | |
Podcast: A Bridge Between
Episode 127: Peace Be With You
Also available on Spotify:
Spotify: A Bridge Between
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Memorial Service
The Memorial Service for Virginia West (Ginny) is on Saturday, May 24th at 10 a.m. Reception to follow.
The family requests that memorial donations be made to All Angels Episcopal Church or the Sarasota Orchestra in memory of Ginny.
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Gallery Artist
The Gallery Artist for May is Zerbe Sodervick. Please stop by and enjoy the work of this talented local artist. Checks should be written to All Angels by the Sea.
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Choir News
Choir Rehearsal/Warm-up Sunday Mornings at 9 am through June 15th, Trinity Sunday. Then on the first Sunday of July, August and September.
Regular Rehearsals will begin in October.
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Discussion Groups
Men's Discussion Group on Tuesdays
Women's Discussion Group on Wednesdays
10:00am
Looking for more happiness? Our author next week suggests that a quiet ego creates happiness. Although I think "quiet ego" is a 21st Century way of living the Christian ethics of charity, humility, self-awareness, and hope, I'd like to know what you think. And, have you considered that living Christian ethics could make one happier?
For those in person, I'll have the coffee ready. For those on Zoom, here's the link: https://zoom.us/j/5955701807
To read the article, click the link below:
The Quiet Ego
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Coffee Hour Hosts Needed
One of the most important things we do is gather after the service for coffee hour. If you are interested in hosting, the sign up sheet is on the Gallery table. If you would like help, sign up and we will find someone to show you how it is done.
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Online Giving
If you would like to give to the offering plate electronically, you can find the online giving link on our All Angels website by clicking the link below:
AllAngelsLBK.org
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Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer invites you to pray with them, every day, at 8 am, wherever you are. When you enter into prayer at 8 am (Eastern), you will know that others are praying at the same time.
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Your Choice: Peter or Pan
I learned something new this week about the pagan deity Pan and St. Peter. Modern-day devil images are based on the character Pan who is depicted as a half-goat, half-human shepherd with horns. Pan is credited with sudden, irrational fear and is where the word “panic” comes from. The Roman Empire used panic as a tool. Panic kept rebels hiding. Panic conquered the hearts of opposing soldiers before the first arrow was sent. The roman crucifixion was an instrument that caused panic and created the so-called Pax Romana (peace through Rome).
In contrast, St. Peter proclaimed “Pax Christi” (peace through Christ). Peter is the chief shepherd of the Church. Instead of panic, he offered forgiveness through Christ and the peace that passes all understanding. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The Prince of Peace. The deity pan is also a shepherd but one who inspires panic; he’s the prince of fear and chaos. The contrast is clear between the Good Shepherd – the one who leads sheep to green pastures and still waters, the one who lays his life down for the sheep – and Pan who causes mind-scrambling panic. I think that Peter and the early Church knew the contrast between Jesus and the goat-like deity.
There is a famous site in Caesarea Philippi where Peter said of Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the son of the living God.” Jesus blessed him, laid his hands on him and said: You are Peter and on you – the Rock – I will build my church. This occurred at a rock-cliff site called Banias; named for the spring that flows out of the rock and feeds the Jordan River (where Jesus and thousands of others were baptized). There is a church built where Jesus blessed Peter. Recent archeology has uncovered that below the ancient church, there was a much older shrine to Pan. Thus, in contrast, Jesus laid his hands on Peter at a shrine dedicated to the deity who inspires panic.
Consider this contrast in our lives today: Jesus said in all four Gospels,
The one who tries to save their life will lose it
but the one who loses their life for my sake will find it.
I was trained with other VA chaplains on how to treat panic disorder (PD). I have seen service members and veterans in a state of panic – rapid heart rate, dangerously high blood pressure, sweating, shortness of breath, shaking and nausea – because they were remembering an incident when they did all they could to save their life. As a result, they had lost their life to panic. There is a way through PD that begins with breathing. The chaplain first controls his/her breathing because panic is contagious. So is peace. The chaplain must choose first.
To overcome PD, the life of panic must be allowed to die. The desire to control the uncontrollable must be set down; then, new life begins. Peter had to give up controlling the uncontrollable – remember that he raised his sword in panic to defend Jesus from his captors.
On this rock. Peter rejected Pan. He chose peace that passes all understanding. He lost his life and then in peace found it. The choice that Peter made back then is ours to choose today: will you choose the peace that Peter built the Church upon, or the panic that remains in the world.
- Fr. Dave
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