Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Diocese of Southern Virginia eNews

Diocesan eNews                           October 27, 2010



Virginia Theological Seminary Chapel Lost to Fire

Virginia Theological Seminary students, faculty, staff and alumni are still reeling from the loss of the seminary chapel to fire on Friday, October 22. Please keep that community in your prayers as they grieve their loss and begin to move forward. Links to news about the fire and photos by VTS seminarian Cayce Ramey can be found on our Facebook page.

  

Continue reading...

Emmanuel Family Gathers at Parish Picnic

By Susan Paynter

After Morning Payer on Sunday, October 17, the Emmanuel family rejoined on the front lawn of Vic Millner’s in-town home for a picnic.  It was the loveliest of autumn days:  the sun shone, the leaves were beginning to turn, and the temperature was just so.

(See more photos here.)

After John Ruef’s blessing, the Hunt men -- Tred, Johnny and Seth -- provided the main course of wonderfully smoky pork barbeque and fresh coleslaw.  It was hard to tell who was more excited by the barbeque aroma: the people of Emmanuel or Vic’s black lab, Rachel!

Other parishioners brought supporting beverages, side dishes and deserts.  Has there ever been an Emmanuel gathering without delicious food?

It was just a perfect day.  We were warmed by the sun, good food and drink, and good company.  The only thing missing were those who couldn’t attend because of travel or family obligations.

Many of us enjoyed getting better acquainted with Jane Ruef’s cousin, Paul, who recently relocated from Colorado to Peach Street, Chatham.  He is a welcome addition to the community.

In his Autumn Across America, Edwin Way Teale wrote: “For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.  For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.”  And it’s true:  while we gathered, Vic’s majestic oaks were sowing and scattering their acorns -- but none of us lost our footing, was knocked on the noggin, or even twisted an ankle.  The only injuries reported were slightly over-filled tummies.

Thank you, Vic, for your warm hospitality!

Diocese of Southern Virginia eNews

Diocesan eNews                           October 20, 2010

Joy of Worship Conference Hits High Note  Our three-day Joy of Worship: Discovering Dynamic Liturgy conference wrapped up this past Friday afternoon. Participants, lay and clergy, were energized and excited about the work they had done together and anxious to continue that work with in their parishes. The conference was led by Dent Davidson, Missioner for Liturgy & the Arts in the Diocese of Chicago and Music Chaplain for the House of Bishops. Davidson has a passion and energy for music and liturgy that is captivating and infectious.   At the opening session, Davidson queried those gathered about what works and what could work better when it comes to Episcopal liturgy in general and liturgy in their parishes in particular. When it comes to what's great about Episcopal liturgy we heard: flexibility, music, sensory experience, lots of scripture, Eucharistic, visually rich, ancient, and enduring. So what needs work? Attitudes of "we've never done it that way before," creating more participatory liturgies, creating new meaningful ways for children to participate, finding new ways to use space, and challenging ourselves to do new things. As Bishop Hollerith noted during the discussion, "We need to become aware of the difference between habitual practices and liturgical practices."   "We want to claim our tradition and expand on it," said Davidson. "We don't want to lose our traditions, but we want to be open to new possibilities, new life, new spark, new energy. Life is all about change. If we don't want to change, we should close our doors."   "Most of what I do is writing permission slips," said Davidson. "It's okay to think outside the box and to use stuff in the box in new ways to keep people involved and coming back. We have fabulous resources at our fingertips and don't use them to the fullest. Give yourself permission to use the Book of Common Prayer as a menu rather than a road map and make intentional choices."   Check out the work done by participants on the conference blog. Photos from the conference are on the diocesan Facebook page.

Continue Reading...

Diocese of Southern Virginia eNews

Diocesan eNews                           October 13, 2010

EDS Webcast: The Gender Continuum Oct. 15 & 16 Episcopal Divinity School is hosting a two-day event focused on gender identity and sexual orientation. Questions concerning these subjects have become increasingly important in society as a whole. Gender is at the very core of our being -- the starting point of who we are, who we think we are, and who we and others think we should be. This workshop will give participants access to conceptualizing a new paradigm for human relatedness while the panel will discuss gender and orientation from theological, psychological, and legal perspectives. Click here to register.

Continue reading

Diocese of Southern Virginia - Parish News and Events

Parish News & Events - October 12, 2010

 

Welcome to our NEW Parish newsletter!

The parishes of our diocese have so much good news to share and so many events to communicate that we've created this new weekly email newsletter to help facilitate that communication. You'll still receive your weekly Diocesan eNews each Wednesday. To share news and events from your parish, send them to Ann Turner, aturner@diosva.org. Deadline is Monday of each week.

  

Introduction to the Enneagram

Emmanuel Church, Virginia Beach, will hold an Introduction to the Enneagram on October 16 from 9:30 to 12:30 p.m. The Enneagram is a powerful, ancient, spiritual wisdom describing nine points in the circle of wholeness. Each point identifies an individual style, marking out a path of growth. Different from other personality systems, the Enneagram is not primarily about behavior; rather it reveals our inner motivations, pointing out the basic energy we seek in order to feel alive and good. Its insights allow us to tap into our essential wholeness and live our lives more authentically. The class will be led by Teri Osborne. Cost is $10. Register by emailing your name, address and phone to eec@emmanuelvb.org.

  

Continue Reading...