Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Diocese of Southern Virginia - Parish News & Events

Longwood Camerata Singers to Perform

Christ & Grace, Petersburg, will host a concert by the Longwood University Camerata Singers, the university's select chamber choir, with singers from Colonial Heights High School, on Thursday, January 27 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature a variety of sacred and secular music. The choir is touring the region and will conclude their tour at the National Cathedral in Washington DC on January 29. There is no admission fee, but a freewill offering will be taken to help with the group's travel expenses.

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Parish Welcomes Visiting Priest

Emmanuel welcomed the Reverend Dr. Theodore Johnson as preacher and celebrant at this morning's service of the Holy Eucharist. Dr. Johnson, who currently resides in Basye, Virginia, has devoted much of his ministry to congregational development.

Prior to the morning service, Dr. Johnson led the Adult Bible Class in a discussion of the context and manner in which Jesus acquired his first disciples as told in the Gospel of John (1:29-42).

Dr. Johnson's homily expanded on the dual notions of time used by the Greeks (the language of the New Testament): chronos - time as measured by the clock, and kairos or cosmic time, those moments when God speaks to us and time seems to stand still. John the Baptizer's calling out Jesus to his (John's) disciples - "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" - in verse 36 appears to have been one of those kairos moments. Andrew and the other disciple immediately took up with Jesus as the one whom they should follow.

Following the service of Holy Eucharist, parishioners and friends gathered for refreshments in the Parish Hall to visit with Dr. Johnson as well as friends and neighbors. Thanks to the Vestry for arranging Dr. Johnson's visit and Alice Coles for coordinating the bountiful refreshments.

Dr. Johnson engages Langhorne Jones and Garrie Thompson in conversation.

(Photos by Rosemary Nichols)

Chatham Concert Series’ 2011 Season Begins!

By Susan Paynter

Emmanuel served as venue on Friday evening, January 7, when Ukrainian Violinist Oleksandra Vydria headlined the first concert of the Chatham Concert Series’ 2011 season.  Accompanied by native Virginian Brenda Wittwer on the piano, Vydria played to a full house.

Winner of Ukrainian national and international violin awards and a former member of the Viva Vivaldi Chamber Orchestra, Vydria also proved to be an effective cultural ambassador for her native Ukraine.

The evening began with sonatas of Beethoven and Mozart, and a J.S. Bach partita.  Following intermission, 12-year-old violinist Julian Ayers of Basset joined the program as the evening’s promising young musician.  Ayers played Monti’s lovely Csardas.  Ms. Vydria then returned, having changed from her evening gown of red and black lace (think “Carmen”) into Ukrainian folk garb.

Vestry Installed for 2011

(Left to right: Beth Coles, Vic Millner, Jayne dePaulo, Tred Hunt, Janice Chaney, and Ron Irby)

The Reverend J. W. Mathieson installed Emmanuel's Vestry for 2011 during the service of Holy Eucharist on Sunday, January 9th. Returning members Beth Coles, Vic Millner, Jayne dePaulo, and Ron Irby were joined by newly elected members Tred Hunt and Janice Chaney.

The Vestry oversees parish finances and buildings, chooses individuals for leadership positions including the rector, and serves as an advisory council to the rector. Vestry members are elected for staggered three-year terms with two new members joining the Vestry each year.

Prayer for the Vestry

O Eternal God, the foundation of all wisdom and the source of all courage: Enlighten with your grace the Vestry of this congregation, and so rule their minds, and guide their counsels, that in all things they may seek your glory and promote the mission of your church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Homily for the First Sunday after the Epiphany - Seeking Another Way

The Gospel - Matthew 3:13-17

Homily by the Rev. J. W. Mathieson

Seeking Another Way

Epiphany is about seeking. We are all seekers - seeking another way, a new way to a better life in Jesus Christ.

During my time in ministry, I have had the privilege of participating in two different Billy Graham Crusades. If you recall, or are not familiar with Dr. Graham's crusades,  there is a time after the completion of Dr. Graham' s sermon or message, when people are invited to come down to the front of the gathering in an altar call to accept Jesus as their Savior, to renew their Christian vows, or simply because they are seeking something new or different in their lives for which they desire God's help.

The Encounter

The encounter between John the Baptist and Jesus was pivotal, not only for the Jesus movement wanting to differentiate itself from the followers of John, but for our understanding of what took place.

Continue at Daily Musings

The Rev. Dr. Theodore William Johnson - Visiting Priest on January 16th

Please join us on January 16th as we welcome the Reverend Doctor Theodore Johnson, visiting priest, as the preacher and celebrant for the Holy Eucharist.

Dr. Johnson is a congregation developer who has specialized as an interim priest and pastor for congregations in transition in the Episcopal Church. He is also a consultant and coach strengthening leaders and congregations.

An Episcopal priest for over twenty years, Dr. Johnson received his Doctor of Ministry degree in Congregational Development from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and his Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary.

For more information, please visit www.theodorewilliamjohnson.com.

Bible Babel - Making Sense of the Most Talked About Book of All Time

 “Kristin Swenson offers a confident, well-paced, well-informed, and accessible guide to Bible basics and biblical literacy.” — Walter Brueggemann, author of An Unsettling God: The Heart of the Hebrew Bible

Bible Babel, from author and religious studies professor Kristin Swenson, is a lively, humorous, and very readable introduction to the Bible—what’s in it, where it comes from, and how it is used in our culture today. If you’ve ever wondered about the origin of the Christian fish symbol; the history of the Good Book; how the Bible weighs in on contemporary political issues; or even the biblical source of pop-culture references in WALL-E or Battlestar Galatica, then this is the book for you. Readers of A. J. Jacobs’s Year of Living Biblically and David Plotz’s Good Book will enjoy Bible Babel, a perfect primer for anyone interested in the Bible—secular and believing alike.

- HarperCollins Publishers

Read more reviews at amazon.com