Thoughts from Lori +
On Lesser Feasts and Saints
From the calendar of saints days, October 10th is the remembrance of Vida Dutton Scudder, “Educator and Witness for Peace, 1954.” She was born in 1861 to Congregationalist missionaries in India. She and her mother were confirmed in the Episcopal Church sometime in the 1870’s. Vida went on to study English literature at Smith College and Oxford, and then to teach at Wellesley. Her love of scholarship was matched by her deep spirituality and social conscience. Still a young woman, Scudder founded the College of Settlements Association and joined the Society of Christian Socialists. During this time, she began her lifelong association with the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross, a community living in the world and devoted to intercessory prayer. (see Holy Women, Holy Men, page 632).
In 1893, she took a leave of absence from Wellesley and helped found Denison House in Boston. [Settlement houses such as Denison were established to provide opportunities and services to people in urban areas struggling to escape poverty. Most typically, middle class people would live in community with the poor in order to raise the level of education, knowledge, and experience, while also providing services such as day care, education, and medical care.]
After a protracted illness, Scudder returned to the work of social activism and participated in the founding of the Women’s Trade Union League. In 1911, she founded the Episcopal Church Socialist League. After initially supporting World War I, she eventually joined the Fellowship of Reconciliation and became a firm pacifist.
In retirement, she authored 16 books on religious and political subjects; all deeply rooted in her vibrant spirituality. She wrote, “If prayer is the deep secret creative force that Jesus tells us it is, we should be very busy with it,” believing that prayer “may be the mightiest force in the world.” Vida Scudder died in 1954.
Here is the collect for her feast day:
Most gracious God, who sent your beloved Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Raise up in your Church witnesses who, after the example of your servant Vida Dutton Scudder, stand firm in proclaiming the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
May she be an inspiration to us; an example of passion and energy for justice in this world, so in need of more like her.
Faithfully,
Lori +
A Few More Thoughts from Lori…
Please remember the Vestry challenge to match our personal donations to the diocesan campaign, Places of Grace and Gladness. Each of us has promised to donate $25, a little over $200. In gratitude for the consistent and ongoing support we receive from our diocese, Bishop, and his staff, please join us in contributing to this campaign. See this link for more information: http://www.episcopalchicago.org/our-diocese/campaign/
Having just returned from our annual Clergy Conference, I am still full of the energy and inspiration provided by our main speaker, the Rev. Becca Stevens. She is the founder of Magdalene House in Nashville, a home for women who are trying to escape from prostitution and sex trafficking, and its spin-off, Thistle Farms. I’ll have more to say about this in the weeks ahead, but for now, you can look up more about these incredible ministries on their website: www.thistlefarms.org
Click on links to learn about the story of Magdalene House, Thistle Farms and the products they make, the Thistle Stop Care, and Becca herself.
Diaper Bank Silent & Live Benefit Auction
October 25th, 2014
D’Andrea’s Banquets
4419 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake
Tickets $50/person
Send reservations and check to:
The Diaper Bank, PO Box 2014, McHenry, IL 60051
OR
Tickets are available in St. Paul’s office.
Call (815) 382-0004 for more information!
Upcoming Community Events!
St. Ann’s Lobsterfest October 18th
St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock is hosting their annual Lobsterfest! Portions of the proceeds will benefit Woodstock area ministries. The order deadline is October 13, and cards are available in the narthex to fill out. You may call 815-338-0950 or order online at www.lobsterchurch.org.
Taizé Service in Crystal Lake on October 28
You are invited to the initial McHenry County Taizé Prayer Service on Tuesday, October 28, at 7 pm at the First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake (461 Pierson St). Taizé is ecumenical and meditative, incorporating song and chant, scriptures, candles, and silence. It is meant to foster reconciliation and peace among all people. It will be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
Lessons and Hymns
Sunday, October 12th (Pentecost XVIII – Proper 23 A) by the Rev. William McLemoreTHE SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
The First Reading: The Track I readings are Exodus 32:1-14 and Psalm 106:1-6,19-23; the Track II readings are Isaiah 25:1-9 and Psalm 23. Exodus records the wrath of God because the people of Israel worshiped a golden calf. Isaiah prophecies that the Lord will bless the people with a wonderful feast. The Track I Psalm tells of Israel worshiping a “bull-calf at Horeb,” and the Track II Psalm is the beautiful “the Lord is my Shepherd.”
The Epistle: Philippians 4:1-9. Here, St. Paul urges the church at Philippi to do what is honorable, just, true, and pure.
The Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14. Jesus tells the parable of a wedding banquet where the invited guests are too busy to come, so the host sends his slaves to invite the street people.
THE HYMNS:
PROCESSIONAL HYMN: No. 408. “Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above.” This hymn was penned by Johann Jakob Schutz (1640-1690), a German lawyer and also a man of deep faith and piety. It was translated into English by Elizabeth Cos. However, later in life, Schutz became a Separatist and ceased to attend his Lutheran church. Each verse ends with the triumphant “to God all praise and glory.” The tune is an ancient German pastoral melody of 1529.
THE SEQUENCE HYMN: No. 515. “Holy Ghost, Dispel Our Sadness.” This hymn was written by Paulus Gerhardt (1607-1676), a prolific German poet who lived during the terrible Thirty Years War which raged since he was twelve in the course of which the Swedish soldiers burned his home town. Thus, the first verse of this hymn begs the Holy Spirit to “dispel our sadness.” The hymn was translated by John Christian Jacobi (1670-1750) and set to the tune “Geneva,” by George Henry Day (1883-1966). The 87 87 meter allows it to be sung to many tunes, including Roland Prichard’s “Hyfrydol.”
PRESENTATION HYMN: No. 556. “Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart.” This hymn was written by Edward Hayes Plumptre in May 1865 for the annual choir festival at Peterborough Cathedral. Plumptre was chaplain of King’s College (1847-1868) and attained considerable respect as a translator as well as author of Biblical criticism, history, biography, and poetry. The tune, “Marion” was composed by Arthur Henry Messiter in 1883 and set to this text in a hymnal he produced ten years later.
COMMUNION HYMN: No. 711. “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God.” This hymn by Karen Lafferty was discussed earlier and will be sung as a communion hymn every Sunday this month. We hope this gives the congregation an opportunity to become familiar with some hymns.
RECESSIONAL HYMN: No. 569. “God the Omnipotent.” This hymn is actually two hymns written by two different people, Henry Chorley and John Ellerton and joined together by the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SPCK) for the Anglican Hymnal of 1871. I love the tune because of its stately movement which isn’t surprising because it is the imperial national anthem of Russia, written by Alexis Lvov at the command of Czar Nicholas I in 1933. The tune has been used in many settings, most notably the conclusion of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.”
October 12th Servants
Ushers: Bill Lang, Bobbi Fiali Lector: Jill Harrison Intercessor: Terry Jaworski Eucharistic Ministers: Deb Lang, Charlie Boak Vestry Person of the Day: Bob Backer101 Reasons to be an Episcopalian
Reason 16
“We do not give simple answers to complex questions. Instead, we offer tools that help people develop a sustaining faith.”
Lance Moody, Diocese of Oklahoma
From the cartoons created by the Rev. William P. McLemore
1965 – 2014
