October - Transfiguration Episcopal Church

TranScript
T r a n s f i g u r a t i o n
P a r i s h
Yo u t h E l e c t L e a d e r s
The Youth of Transfiguration met after church on September 8 to elect officers for the
coming year. Here are the elected officers:
Co-Senior Wardens
La’Sha’ Perryman and Miles Moore
Co-Junior Wardens
Maya Moore and George Bangura
Treasurer
Max Nelson
Co-Secretaries
Kalanzi Kajubi and Emily Kasule
Co-Sergeants at Arms
Victoria Nelson and Andrew Kasule
October 2013
Inside this
issue:
Events coming up on the Youth agenda are an opportunity to join with other dioceses in
a Provincial Youth Event taking place the weekend of October 18-20.
Music notes
2
Also, on October 25 the youth will meet at 6 PM at St. Nicholas church for pizza and
then proceed to Markoff's Haunted Forest.
Thanks
3
Youth will receive details on these events to share with their parents.
Events/New Members 4-5
It should be noted that the Markoff's Haunted Forest happens on the same night as our
Dinner Dance. We will need to find a couple of chaperones who are not planning on
going to the dance to take charge of the event for our youth. Please call Mother Meg if
you are willing to provide escort and chaperone services.
Markoff's Haunted Forest
We will meet here, drive to St. Nicks in Germantown on
Friday, October 25th for pizza at 6:00. St. Nicks is right on
the way to Markoff's. We will then caravan right up the
road to Markoff's.
Tickets and dinner (pizza & salad) are $33/person. Money
and permission forms must be received by Oct. 13. Contact Mother Meg at
meg@transfig.org for information or to sign up. Chaperones are needed and
will pay their own way.
A word about Markoff's. it is intense. I would not encourage the very young or
the very squeamish to attend. That being said, there is a huge central bonfire,
food and activities area if anyone should get cold feet and not want to go into
the forest. We will be sure to have some chaperones who are willing to stay back
at the bonfire, for the faint of heart. So, no pressure to do anything that frightens anyone. All that being said, we haven't lost a kid (or chaperone) yet!
Blessing of Animals
6
Upcoming Events
7-8
Calendar
9
Story questions
10
Music Notes:
O God Our Help In Ages Past
Isaac Watts, 1719
Tune: St. Anne, William Croft, 1708
Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
What a great hymn and one that seems timeless. Isaac Watts, a brilliant thinker, theologian, preacher,
writer, and poet, wrote these words in 1719, and he is known as the Father of English Hymnody. Watts
included “O God our help in ages past” in his 1719 Psalms of David Imitated , and it remains one of the
most popular hymns today. Watts saw the beauty in the language of the Psalms (the hymnal of Israel) and
he paraphrases Psalm 90 in the text “ O God, our help in ages past.”
The hymn originally consisted of nine stanzas, but through the years several of the original verses have
been eliminated. Our 1982 Hymnal has six stanzas (# 680). Can you imagine singing nine verses of a
hymn? However, some of the lost verses are very poetic. In 1738, John Wesley, in his hymnal, changed the
first line of the text from “Our God” to “O God”, and that is the text we sing today.
Hymn tune: St. Anne—this is the common meter (86.86) to which the text is sung. St. Anne was composed by William Croft in 1708 while he was the organist of the church of St. Anne, Soho: thus the name
of the tune. Croft intended the tune be used for a different Psalm, but when the tune was paired with
Watts’ text, popularity soared—the result is the hymn we use today.
A few little known facts: George Handel used the tune in the anthem titled “O Praise the Lord”; J.S.
Bach’s Fugue in E-Flat major BWV 552 is often called the “St. Anne” in the English speaking world; the
hymn and words are also featured in Vaughan Williams’ anthem “Lord, thou hast been our refuge”, using
both the Book of Common Prayer words and those of Watts; and the song was sung at the funeral of Winston Churchill.
Like flowery fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flowers beneath the mower’s hand
Lie withering ere ‘tis night.
References: Wikipedia “Then Sings My Soul”
Thank you.
Sometimes churches make great leaps of faith in hopes of being able to have those things at
hand that will help us to study and learn and become better Christians. Along the way people
have purchased Books of Common Prayer and hymnals, they have bought pews for sitting
and pulpits for preaching, they have made banners and installed stainstain-glassed windows, they
have done so many things to make our common life helpful, practical, and comfortable. And
we have thanked each one along the way.
Aometimes gifts come to us that are anonymous because the person wants to give to upbuild
the church. We have such a one in our midst. This person has given us the wherewithal
needed to provide the monitors that will be going into the church to help us in our study of
The Story and to bring us another way of seeing our liturgy. It is our hope that this gift
will be up and running before the end of October.
Meanwhile, thank you, Christian friend, for your gift. We appreciate not only the gift but
the inspiration behind it that will allow us to use 21st century technology even as we continue
to teach the traditional values and the use the common books and hymns which bind us together as a community.
You have blessed us with this gift, and we bless you with our thanks.
The Rev. Meg Ingalls, Rector
And the People of Transfiguration
Page 4
TranScript
Page 5
TranScript
W E L C O M E T O O U R N E W M E M B E R FA M I L I E S
Linda Perryman comes to
us from Glen Burnie, MD,
along with her children
La’Shae’, Kayla, and
Marque’. La’shae’ is one of
the co-Senior Wardens of
the Youth Group.
Thomas and Caroline
Kajubi and their children
Kalanzi and Katiti live here
in Silver Spring but have
roots in Uganda. Kalanzi is
one of the co-Secretaries of
the Youth Group.
Khalila Robinson and her
son Julian Patterson also
live here in Silver Spring but
have roots in Kingston, Jamaica.
Priscilla Dennis-Smith is
also a new member. She
comes to Transfiguration
from Bowie.
Dedun Adeyemo and one
year old son Ire Adeyemo–
Ayodele have recently
joined. They live in Silver
Spring but have their roots
in Nigeria.
Karen Sabur and grown
daughters Massumeh
Abdal-Sabur and Fatin
Abdal-Sabur come to us
from Hackensack, NJ. They
are now living in Laurel.
Katherine (Casey) Tesfaye
and daughters Saba and
Ribka are also joining
Transfiguration. This summer Saba participated in our
Music and Drama Camp.
They come from Wisconsin
but are now living in Silver
Spring.
COBWEBS, SPIDERS, AND WEEDS—OH, MY!!!
The origin of " Cleanliness is
next to Godliness," a
common proverb, dates as
Clean Up Day
far back as ancient Hebrew
At Transfiguration
While some attribute to the
Bring your supplies, gloves, patience, and ambition
to see things clean
1 PM October 5
Region 4 Meeting
Each year the delegates to the Convention of the Diocese of Washington meet
in Regional gatherings to discuss upcoming business, nominate people for office,
and place on the table issues they would like to come before the larger body.
This year Transfiguration is hosting this meeting. If you would like to serve as a
host/hostess for this meeting, please let the rector know as soon as possible.
We need coffee and tea made, snacks made available, chairs set up and taken
down. Please consider being a helpmate for this event.
Thursday, October 24, 7-9 PM
writings and possibly longer.
Bible, it's actually not found
there. The known English
appearance of the proverb
is from the writings of Sir
Francis Bacon in 1605.
Blessing of Animals
by Kevin E. Mackin, O.F.M.
As autumn arrives, people in various places may noce something odd.
A procession of animals, everything from dogs and cats to hamsters and even horses, is led to churches for a
special ceremony called the Blessing of Pets.
This custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures.
Francis, whose feast day is October 4th, loved the larks flying about his hilltop town. He and his early brothers, staying in a small hovel, allowed themselves to be displaced by a donkey.
Francis wrote a Cancle of the Creatures, an ode to God’s living things. “All praise to
you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.” And there was tesmony in
the cause for St. Clare of Assisi’s canonizaon that referred to her li0le cat!
That there are today over 62 million cats in the U.S. a0ests to the connuing affecon
we have for our furry, feathered or finned friends. We've even had a cat called Socks
in the White House. Other popular presidenal pets range from Abraham Lincoln’s Fido to Lyndon Johnson’s
beagles, named Him and Her, to the Obama’s dog named “Beau.”
For single householders, a pet can be a true companion. Many people arrive home from work to find a furry
friend overjoyed at their return. Many a senior has a lap filled with a purring fellow creature.
The bond between person and pet is like no other relaonship, because the communicaon between fellow
creatures is at its most basic. Eye-to-eye, a man and his dog, or a woman and her cat, are two creatures of
love.
No wonder people enjoy the opportunity to take their animal companions to church for a special blessing.
Church is the place where the bond of creaon is celebrated.
At Franciscan churches, a friar with brown robe and white cord o<en welcomes each animal with a special
prayer. The Blessing of Pets usually goes like this:
“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and
animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless
this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all
your beauty in crea$on. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.”
Transfiguration’s Blessing of the Animals
Outdoor Altar
October 6 at 10:15
TranScript
Page 7
International Harvest Dinner
October 20
Following the 9:15 Service
Bring a dish to share!!!
The Next Date for Baptisms
Sunday, October 27
10:15 AM
If you or one of your loved ones would like
to be baptized at Transfiguration Parish,
please let the rector know as soon as possible.
301-384-6264
Chefs
Night
Marvin Arthur, Craig Carter,
Dave Stoddard, Meg Ingalls,
Courtney Livingstone and Noel Tait,
Sarah Ingalls-Howard and Sophia Sutton,
Pat Levermore, & Dianne Atkins
Invite you to dinner
November 10 at 5 PM
Sign up in the Parish Hall
Transfiguration Parish
October 2013
Sun
Mon
Regular Sun.
Service times
8:00 and 10:15 a.m.
9:15 Jr. Choir
Tue
1
6
9:15 Worship
Comm.
10:15 Blessing of
Animals
7
6:30 S. Swing
7:30 NA
8
13
9:15 Service
Comm.
12:00 Vestry
14
6:30 S. Swing
7:00 GCCA
7:30 NA
15
20
21
22
ONE SERVICE 6:30 S. Swing
7:30 NA
at 9:15 a.m.
7PM BSA
and
HARVEST DINNER
TMG/WOT
27
10:15
Baptisms
28
6:30 S. Swing
7:30 NA
29
7PM Mont. Cty.
Community Mtg.
Re commercial
areas between
Elrid & Randolph
Key
AA — Alcoholics Anonymous
BSA — Boy Scouts
GCCA—Greater Colesville Civic Association
NA — Narcotics Anonymous
S. Swing—Simply Swing Dance Academy
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
2
10-Worship
11-Bible Study
7-Yoga
3
1:30 magi
6:30 S. Swing
7 AA (women)
4
9
10-Worship
11-Bible Study
7-Yoga
10
11
12
8am Zumba
4pm S. Swing
16
10-Worship
11-Bible Study
7-Yoga
17
18
6:30 S. Swing
7 AA (women)
7:30 BSA
19
8am Zumba
4pm S. Swing
23
10-Worship
11-Bible Study
7-Yoga
24
6:30 S. Swing
7 Region 4
7 AA (women)
25
5-Youth leave for
Markoff’s
7 Dinner Dance
7:30 BSA
26
8am Zumba
4pm S. Swing
30
10-Worship
11-Bible Study
7-Yoga
31
Note 1:
Note 2:
6:30 S.Swing
7 AA (women)
RSDA here on Friday Clinic, Dr. Dalton,
nights and Saturdays and Thrift Shop have
own schedules
7:30 BSA
6:30 S. Swing
7 AA (women)
5
8am Zumba
1pm Clean Up
4pm S. Swing
Transfiguration Parish
13925 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20904
301-384-6264
church@transfig.org
www.transfig.org
Q u e s t i o n s t o Po n d e r a s W e Re a d T h e S t o r y
October 13
Chapter 3
Joseph: From Slave to Deputy Pharaoh
1. From a human standpoint (the Lower Story), Joseph was in the worst place: abandoned
by family, sold into slavery, cast into prison (Gen. 39:20-23; The Story, pp 29-32).
From a divine perspective (Upper Story), he was in the best place. How do you see
God working in Joseph and showing blessing, even in the pain of his life?
2. In the darkest times of Joseph’s life we read “the Lord was with Joseph.” How have you
experienced the Lord being with you in the hard times of life? What are some of the
signs that God is with us, even in the dark places?
3. At the end of chapter 3, Joseph is reunited with his brothers 22 years after they sold him
into slavery. What strikes you about Joseph’s attitude toward his brothers and the
way he treats them? What does this teach us about the condition of his heart and the
depth of his faith?
4. Romans 8:28 says, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who
have been called according to his purpose.” What is one situation in your life where
you need to embrace and experience this truth?
October 20
Chapter 4
Deliverance
1. While God saw Moses as the perfect person to face Pharaoh and speak the word of the
Lord to the leader of Egypt, Moses saw himself as a political fugitive and poor communicator who had no business facing the king. Give examples of how God can see
us one way and we can see ourselves differently.
2. What is one area of your life where you tend to focus more on your limitations than
God’s ability to work through you?
October 27
Chapter 5
New Commandments and a New Covenant
1. The Ten Commandments are the basic rules of the road” for how people relate to God
and each other (Exodus 20:1-17; The Story, p. 61-62). How would our lives and
faith improve if we followed these commands (in action and in spirit)? What can we
do to embrace and follow these commands more fully?
2. If we see God as a cosmic killjoy just waiting for people to do something wrong so he
can catch and punish them, how will this impact our relationship with him?
Questions above are based on those found in the Participant’s Guide of The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story.