Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Emmanuel Welcomes Visiting Priest the Rev. Wayne Kinyon

Emmanuel welcomed the Rev. Bryce Wayne Kinyon as preacher and celebrant for the Holy Eucharist on Sunday, January 29. Mr. Kinyon, a native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has served churches and chaplaincies throughout the southeast during his ministry.

He is  a graduate of Duke University and received his Master of Divinity from Sewanee and currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina.

Mr. Kinyon's homily was based on the day's Gospel reading from Mark for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - Mark 1:21-28. Most of the Gospel readings for Sundays in 2012 will be taken from Mark.

Mark's Gospel is written in a straight forward, no nonsense manner and throughout emphasizes the following five themes:

1. Jesus was an observant Jew following the laws and customs of his time and people, including attendance in the synagogue on the sabbath, unless there was a very good reason not to do so.

2. Jesus was a teacher; one might even say teaching was the central tenent of his ministry.

3. Jesus was a healer both of the body and of the spirit, even commanding unclean spirits.

4. Jesus did not seek public acknowledgment or praise. In fact, on several occasions, he admonished those whom he had healed to keep quiet about what had happened to them.

5. Jesus fame spread throughout the region. The Gospel message was intended for everyone and spread rapidly taking on a life of its own.

Songs of England Come to Chatham

On Friday evening, February 3, as the St. Petersburg Symphony visits Danville, the Chatham Concert Series continues its chamber music presentations with a program geared more to the Anglophiles among us.

“English Vocal Music from Butterworth to the Beatles” will feature Baritone Dr. David Castonguay accompanied by the popular Saturn String Ensemble: the two violins of Kevin Matheson and Martin Irving, Bryan Matheson on viola, and the cello of Lisa Wright.  Songs performed will be by George Butterworth, Gerald Finzi and England’s “fab four,” The Beatles.

In addition to the featured songs of England, there will be a nod to the continent with Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” and Dvorak’s love songs, “Cypresses,” for string quartet.

Dr. Castonguay is active in the United States and Europe as a baritone soloist, choral conductor, musical jurist and music educator and mentor.  He serves as associate professor of music and director of choral activities at Radford University.

Those who’ve been watching the PBS series “Downton Abbey” will be interested to know that George Butterworth, a friend and associate of Vaughn Williams, was killed in 1916 at the World War I Battle of the Somme.  He had been considered one of Europe’s most promising composers.

Like Butterworth, Finzi was an enthusiast and collector with Vaughn Williams of English folk music.  Unlike Butterworth, Finzi was too young to serve in WWI and survived until 1956, although his musical work was interrupted by WWII.

Both Butterworth and Finzi set to music the poetry of some of England’s finest poets.  The lyrics of this concert’s songs will be from poetry by W.E. Henley and Thomas Hardy.

Strange to think of the overlapping lives of Gerald Finzi and the four lads from Liverpool, but overlap they did, and concert-goers can expect a treat as the musical genius of The Beatles is presented in arrangements for string quartet.

As is the Chatham Concert Series’ tradition, promising young music students will also join the program for one piece, gaining valuable performance experience.  Those performing music from Super Mario will be Julian Ayers,  Alyssa Arminan, Staley Lyle and Jacob Tisdale on violin and Caleb Tisdale on viola.

“English Vocal Music from Butterworth to the Beatles” will be held Friday evening, February 3, at 7:00 p.m.; Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 N. Main Street, Chatham; Admission by donation.

Homily for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany - Here I am Lord

(RCL) 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20); Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51

By the Rev. Rob Gieselmann

Hannah was barren. She could not have children. In the ancient times, this was a disgrace, but her husband loved her and did not care. Hannah cared. She stood deeply ashamed in the presence of other women. She was an underdog.

Like so many of us who turn to the Lord when we need help, Hannah turned to the Lord God, the friend of the underdog. The Lord heard Hannah’s prayer.

Eli was the priest on duty when Hannah petitioned God, and he announced, “God has granted your petition. You will have a baby.”

Within the next year, Hannah gave birth to a son, Samuel. When Hannah returned the next year to pray, she did the unthinkable: she donated Samuel to God, leaving him behind to be raised by Eli. In dedicating Samuel to God, Hannah proclaimed: “There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”

Years later, this same Samuel anointed Saul and David as kings over Israel. It was to the boy Samuel, only 12 years old, to whom God spoke today’s strange prophecy of judgment. This prophecy was his first, and he didn’t quite know what to do with it. After all, the prophecy was directed at his adopted father, Eli, his mentor and caretaker.

“Here I am,” Samuel answered God, who spoke out loud. How terrifying it must have been for a boy to hear God’s harsh judgment from dark corners of the night.

That is the “Old” Testament, isn’t it? Dark corners, rash judgment, and cruel penalties? Perhaps, but consider, well, the “rest of the story.”

Concert Today

William Parrish, Jr. will perform here at Emmanuel this afternoon at 3:30 pm as part of the Chatham Concert Series. Many of us remember The Rev. Bill Parrish, Sr., his dad, from his days as Emmanuel's rector.

Bill Jr. is principal oboist for the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and will be performing "Gabriel's Oboe." This is the popular theme from the 1986 film, "The Mission."

Mr. Parrish will be joined on the program by the Saturn String Ensemble and Claudia Jones Patterson on the piano.

Admission is by donation.

Emmanuel Installs Vestry for 2012

The Reverend J. W. Mathieson installed Emmanuel's Vestry for 2012 during the service of Holy Eucharist on Sunday, January 8th. Returning members Janice Chaney, Beth Coles, Vic Millner, and Tred Hunt were joined by newly elected members Walter Coles, Sr. and Bill Simpson (pictured at right).

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.

The Pruden Parish Press for January 2012 Is Now Online

   The January 2012 issue of The Pruden Parish Press, a periodic newsletter containing news and information for parishioners and friends of Emmanuel, is now online. The current issue includes:

• Annual Meeting,

• Vestry Notes,

• Greening of the Church,

• Calendar Notes for Jan.  - March 2012,

• Christmas Night at Emmanuel,

• Chatham Concert Series Continues, and

• Bishop Hollerith's Christmas Message.

 

Click here to read the January issue online.

Earlier issues may be viewed at The Pruden Parish Press.

To receive future issues by mail, please call or email the Parish Office.

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Name - What's in a name?

By the Rev. Ken Kesselus

(RCL) Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 8; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 2:15-21

We know very little about Jesus’ childhood. There is nothing in Mark or John. From Matthew, we learn that an angel told Joseph to name Mary’s child “Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” This, he reports, they did, and then he relates the account of the Wisemen’s visitation, followed by the flight of the family to Egypt and their moving to Nazareth.

Luke provides the most detail, beginning with the birth in Bethlehem that we hear during the Christmas liturgy. Then he gives us the brief story from today’s gospel, followed by an account of Jesus being presented in the temple a few weeks later. Finally, Luke tells us about the 12-year-old Jesus, again at the temple, confounding religious teachers with wisdom beyond his years. He ends with a summary: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.”

That’s it, until he emerges fully grown, prepared for the Baptism of John and the beginning of his ministry. So, our little snippet of information today is quite important within such a limited body of knowledge of Jesus’ first three decades of life. One sentence: “After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” Our prayer book deems it so valuable that whenever the eighth day of Christmas, January 1, occurs on a Sunday, Holy Name takes precedent over the regular liturgical day. We commemorate the occasion when Jesus was circumcised and when he was named.