Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Feast of Saint Joseph

The Collect -

O God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter - Thomas

The Gospel - John 20:19-31  

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Thomas

There is something about Thomas all of us understand, and inherently like, though we are hesitant to admit it.

Thomas usually gets a great deal of bad press, because he is known as "Doubting Thomas," as though his desire to see the risen Lord for himself was a sign of weakness, some sort of blemish on his character.

What we tend to forget is that Thomas doesn't ask for anything that everyone else hasn't already experienced. They have seen Jesus. He appeared to them in the room, and spoke to them but Thomas wasn't there at the time, so when he arrives to hear the story he very naturally wants to experience what they have seen.

Poor Thomas. History has done him a great disservice. How quickly we forget his attributes of strength and courage.

Happy Easter! He Is Risen!

Homily for Easter Day - Fear and Amazement

The Gospel - Matthew 28:1-10

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Fear and Amazement

While teaching a Sunday School class one day (at another church) I asked the students:

“If archaeologists found irrefutable evidence of Jesus body, if they without a doubt dug up remains that could be linked by DNA evidence and all modern methods, if they could prove just as conclusively as has been done with Thomas Jefferson and his relationship with Sally Hemmings, that the body found was that of Jesus, do you think it would seriously undermine the integrity of the Christian faith?”

Interestingly enough, the vast majority of the class members said “No, it would not affect the integrity of the faith or its impact on people’s lives.” These very intelligent folks felt that the ethical foundation and message of love is still viable and good. That even though Jesus’ body was found, his words still ring true and we can still follow his example.

I must admit such a response from these folks was rather shocking. Because what became startlingly clear was that for them, Christianity was a behavioral system, a lifestyle formula that seemed to work and whether or not a body was found makes little or no difference.

However, the truth of the matter is this. If archaeologists did make the discovery, did find irrefutable evidence of Jesus body, the whole thing would go up in smoke. The promises of God, the predictions of the prophets, the death of Jesus would all be nonsense. Forgiveness from sins and the promise of eternal life would all be a sham. We would find ourselves victims of the greatest scam, the most incredible hoax of all time.

Happy Easter to the Children!

   

Homily for Palm Sunday - It's Pageant Season

The Gospel - Matthew [26:36-75] 27:1-54 [55-66]  

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

It's Pageant Season

It’s pageant season...God’s pageant. When Christians and Jews celebrate what God has done and keeps doing for all of us. 

It all starts when God shows up in a burning bush and promises to get his folks out of Egypt.... "I have heard the cry of my people and I have come down to deliver them".....and then a stuttering shepherd with a murderous temper....goes toe to toe with the most powerful fellow in the world and told him what the deal was.  “Let my people go or else. “

“Or else what?” he asked, and that was a very bad question.  And all of a sudden there was blood and frogs, and maggots and flies and cattle plague and boils and hail and locusts and darkness and then  the angel of death shows up and that was that for everything first born....man and beast....except for the Hebrew people who did what they were told and avoided the whole mess.   

Yes indeed, it’s pageant season....fourth of July ....liberation day...independence day, Bastille day, emancipation proclamation day all rolled into one. Passover - it started last night at sundown and goes on for the rest of the week.  It is a big deal now and you can imagine what a big deal it was then.

Spring Clean up Beautifies Emmanuel's Grounds

More than a dozen Emmanuel parishioners joined together on Saturday for a day of fellowship and yard work at Emmanuel's annual outdoor spring clean up. With rakes, shovels, wheel barrows and pruners, the debris of winter was hauled away, flowers planted, and new mulch installed. Those working were treated to a hot lunch in the Parish Hall during the lunch break.

The grounds were beautiful for Palm Sunday. Our thanks go to all who participated with special thanks to Jeanne Reynolds, Junior Warden, for organizing this year's event.

Homily for the Fifth Sunday in Lent - The Final Act

The Gospel - John 11:(1-17)18-44  

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

The Final Act

Last week at Judge Light’s memorial service, Bishop Light said something particularly worthy of note. He reminded us that Lent is not only a season, but also an experience.

It is an experience of that which we dread and fear most - death. And, it is a season in which we might learn how better to deal with it.

We parents spend an extraordinary amount of time teaching our children how to live. We do our best to teach them honor, dignity, perseverance, sensitivity, love, compassion and generosity, the primary attributes necessary to make it through their lives and enjoy some modicum of success however they may choose to define it.

But, one lesson many of us forget to teach our children, before it is too late, is how to die.

To this day, I have not shed a tear over my father’s death, and I doubt I ever will. After I conducted his funeral, people commented on how difficult it must have been, or how surprised it could be done without tearing up. Well, maybe it is because I’m heartless and unfeeling, but truth be known, there was nothing to cry about (except maybe the sadness of my mother).

You see, my father died well. He died loving life, but completely unafraid of death. “I’m not afraid to die,” he said. “I just hate leaving the party when I’m having such a good time.” He was full of hope, optimism, and excitement for the mystery that lay ahead and beyond.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday in Lent - Kindness and Light

The Gospel - John 9:1-13(14-27)28-38

Homily by the Rev. Dr. David Smith

Kindness and Light

Like last week we have yet another passage of some substance and length...and again like last week, it lends itself to dramatic dissection. It's as though we continue to be an audience at a play.

Scene one opens when Jesus and the disciples see a man, blind from birth, and instead of offering any assistance to him, they immediately want to discuss with their master teacher whose sin caused the malady...”was it the man or his parents?”

At first blush we may think what a silly question, until we realize we too have asked the same thing. “What have I done to deserve this?” Whether it be an illness we have or someone we love. Whether it be the death of a spouse of child. Maybe we are in an accident, or run into economic disaster...we too may ask the same question..."What have I done to deserve this."

But Jesus wants none of the discussion. He never says that God caused the situation as part of accomplishing his will, but rather Jesus implies that God's will shall emerge in the midst of it. So instead of indulging in the disciple’s discussion, he heals the blind man.

Remembering Nelson Light

Family and friends of Nelson Light, former member of Emmanuel Church and retired chief judge of the Pittsylvania County General District Court, gave thanks for his life during a memorial service held on March 1st at Emmanuel. Nelson died November 27, 2007 at his home in Virginia Beach.

During his many years as a member of Emmanuel, Nelson served in numerous capacities including junior and senior warden, committee chairman,  and diocesan council and General Convention representative.