St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

Live Demonstration by Tillamook Cheddar
Feast of St. Francis at St. Bartholomew's Church
in White Plains

October 7th, 2007
11:00am
Mass begins at 10:00am

St. Bartholomew's Church celebrates St. Francis Day with the Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 7th at 11:00am at the church. All creatures of the earth are welcome to participate in this after-mass blessing.

As a special guest, Tillamook Cheddar, canine artist, will be making a special appearance at St. Bartholomew's, to compose a painting.

my secretary, Debbie, is on the phone.

I answer the second line. "Hello, this is St. Bartholomew's Church."

"Hello, is Bart... Bartholomew there?"

"I'm sorry... He's not available." I pause. "Can I help you with something?"

"No, its personal."

As is custom, we're having our annual meeting before the super bowl. Tomorrow, there will be competing prayers for the Colts and the Bears, although I will be praying more loudly for the Bears. I do not plan to watch the game. As is my own personal custom, I will be dancing mambo.

Our annual meeting is tomorrow, and as this year was immensely challenging I expect many questions. Still, I'll be reporting some good news. We have a clear mission; our youth program is underway, and our music program is moving forward. In spite of our spending, we're spending on the right things.

I've been contemplating the UN report on climate recently. The time is now for churches to examine their "footprint" and work to decrease it. It would help, of course, if the state provided economic incentives to make such investment, but I don't think churches can wait.

In April, a handful of clergy will be gathering to talk about climate change using Bill McKibben's book The Comforting Whirlwind. The theme of the talk will be "Enough."

My neighbors, Unitarians who often come to events at my Episcopal church (she's an Irishwoman who left the church for a variety of reasons; the husband a cradle Unitarian), gave me a book to celebrate my installation as Rector.

The Bible for Dummies

Fortunately there is a gift receipt, but this hurts on so many different levels (actually it hurts so much I was laughing - does it take a Unitarian to teach an Episcopalian about scripture?)

This has happened before. Ten years ago an atheist friend gave me the Old Testament Cliffs Notes.

Personally I buy the Doubleday Pocket Bible Guide, and the Harper Collins Study Bible for confirmands, encouraging them to purchase the Message.

The third and final act in the national tragedy that is the Bush administration may soon play itself out. The Okhrana reports increasing indications of "something big" happening between the election and Christmas. That could be the long-planned attack on Iran.

I stayed up late watching the election. My hope is that there will be some sense of accountability with the war of Iraq, and some better management of the budget. I admit, I really wouldn't want to be the party cleaning up this mess.

How did people feel about the election? Happy? Relieved? Worried?

This Saturday evening we'll be having our annual homecoming picnic at 5:00pm. We'll have plenty to eat and drink. Bring your family - we should have a magician, face painter and... music.

This Sunday services resume at 8:00 and 10:00am.

Also - the choir resumes this Sunday morning; rehearsal at 8:55.

Over the next four weeks we will be gathering together in small groups to reflect upon our mission as a church. We are cultivating words - reflections of The Word - so that we can be clear about our identity as we share our experience of the Holy Spirit, and our vision of the Kingdom, with the community.

The following questions are challenging: we won't get to the answers. We are looking for words and immediate responses - and if scripture comes to mind, great!

Part I. Theological Questions (about 75 minutes)

Today a Jazz Vespers service at 7:30 pm with Bob Arthurs. It will be a modest service.

All Saints is one of my favorite holidays, in part because the readings are quite beautiful.

Revelation is the Comic book for the Christian faith - good vs. Evil, Jesus as a superman creating justice. But the central text is right here - the fantasy that that orients our work in the world.

Revelation 7:9-17

9After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" 11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12singing, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from" 14I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. 16They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."