August 3, 2010

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

My Study Tour to Israel July 26-August 3 has included visits to ancient sites sacred to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. We have had informative discussions with Israeli and Arab leaders about prospects for peace. If you would like to visit the blog to see daily reports of our Study Tour, please click here.

In response to requests for practical assistance in prayer and meditation, Peter Stringham and I will present a mini-course "Learning to Pray" on Thursdays September 16 and 23 at 6:45 pm. To download the flyer for this course, please click here. We will follow this course with an ongoing Meditation Group that will meet every Thursday at 6:45 pm, starting September 30.

You are invited to a Celtic Mini-Retreat on the Spirit of Lughnasa on Saturday, August 7, from 3:00 to 4:30 pm. The ancient Irish festival of Lughnasa is one of the important "quarter feasts" celebrated among many Celtic peoples since ancient times. Like other pre-Christian holidays, the coming of Christianity seems to have transformed rather than destroyed these ancient festivals. Lughnasa marks the beginning of the harvest in Ireland, and had many beautiful customs and traditions that continued into our own time.

The retreat will be led by Harvard Divinity School graduate Kieran Conroy, who will share the history and themes of Lughnasa and its sister-celebrations in Scotland and other places of Celtic influence. To download the flyer, please click here.

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND

In the Book of Isaiah, the prophet calls the people to repent: "Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me ... When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, let us argue it out, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." (Isaiah 1:1, 10-20)

Psalm 50 calls the people to change their hearts: "Gather before me my loyal followers, those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice." Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; for God himself is judge. Hear, O my people, and I will speak: "O Israel, I will bear witness against you; for I am God, your God. I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices; your offerings are always before me. Consider this well, you who forget God, lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you. Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me; but to those who keep in my way will I show the salvation of God."

The Book of Hebrews discourses on the qualities of faith: "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old — and Sarah herself was barren — because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, 'as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.'" (Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches the disciples to put his teachings into practice daily: "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." (Luke 12:32-40)

Please join us for the Holy Eucharist Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 10:30 am.

Sincerely,

David A. Killian
Rector

Worship Services for

The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, August 7-8, 2010
Saturday, August 7, at 5:00 pm: Preacher: Mr. Kieran Conroy
Sunday, August 8, at 10:30 am: Preacher: The Rev. David A. Killian

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