ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
838 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139
Tel: (617) 547-7788 ● Fax: (617) 868-6818
WEEKLY BULLETIN
The Feast of the Epiphany
January 4, 2009
(Transferred from January 6)
Welcome to St. Peter’s
We are delighted that you have chosen to worship with us this morning. If this is your first visit, we invite you to sign our Guest Book near the front door, or to fill out a visitor card in the pews. Please do not feel obliged to give to our collection, because you are our guest today. Between our services you are invited to an informal discussion of the Sunday readings, beginning at 9:10am and ending at 10:00am. After the 10:30 service, join us, please, for refreshments downstairs in the Undercroft. The Rev. Julia Dunbar will preside and the Rev. Dr. Katie Pakos Rimer is this morning’s Homilist.
This Morning’s Hymns and Music:
§ Prelude
§ First Hymn (Processional) – 128, We three kings of Orient are, Three Kings of Orient
§ Gloria – “Gloria for Christmastime” (see The Hymnal 96 for refrain)
§ Second Hymn (Sequence) –124, What star is this, with beams so bright,Puer nobis
§ Third Hymn (Offertory) – LEVAS 24, Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow
§ Service Music –
o Sursum Corda – S120
o Sanctus – S130
o Memorial Acclamation – Spoken
o Agnus Dei – S164
- Fourth Hymn – 125, The people who in darkness walked, Dundee
- Communion Anthem – “Hodie Christus natus est” – Joy Lucas, Soprano
Translation: “Today Christ is born; today the Savior appears. Today angels sing
Upon earth; heavenly angels rejoice. Today declare and celebrate justice.
Glory to God in the highest; alleluia.
- Fifth Hymn (Recessional) – 109, The First Nowell the angel did say,The First Nowell
- Postlude
LEVAS – Lift Every Voice and Sing is the black and red hymnal found in the pew bookrack
WLP – Wonder Love and Praise is the green hymnal found in the pew bookrack
The Collect of the Day: (read by all)
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The First Reading from the Book of Isaiah:
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
Isaiah 60:1-6
Give the King your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the King's son;
That he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice.
That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, and the little hills bring righteousness.
Refrain
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He shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, from one generation to another.
He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, like showers that water the earth.
In his time shall the righteous flourish; there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.
Refrain
He gives snow like wool; he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; who can stand against his cold?
He sends forth his word and melts them; he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.
Refrain
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.
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All kings shall bow down before him, and all the nations do him service.
Refrain
For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, and the oppressed who has no helper.
He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
Refrain
The Second Reading from the Book of Ephesians:
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles - for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
Ephesians 3:1-12
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew:
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Matthew 2:1-12
A Brief Summary of Each Reading
Isaiah 60:1-6
Darius, King of Persia, has permitted the people of Israel to return to Jerusalem. The prophet tells the people to arise, for joy, prosperity and salvation are now in the city; God is with them; they will reflect the presence and power of God.
Ephesians 3:1-12
It is part of God’s plan that both Jews and Gentiles are called to share in Christ’s saving activity. This is the “mystery of Christ”. Paul’s insistence on Gentiles being full and equal members of the church has led to his imprisonment.
Matthew 2:1-12
“Wise men” (in Latin: magi) were members of a Persian caste of astrologers and interpreters of dreams. Astrology was widely accepted then. A star was associated with each person; the way the star rose told the wise men that a king had been born. A later church tradition called the wise men kings.
This Week at St. Peter’s
Today, January 4th, The Feast of the Epiphany
8:00 a.m. Contemplative Holy Eucharist, Sacrament Chapel
9:10 Study of the day’s scripture readings – All are welcome!
10:30 Sung Holy Eucharist, Sanctuary
Monday, January 5 – Parish Office / Afterworks re-open
8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer, St. Elizabeth’s Chapel
Tuesday, January 6
8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer, St. Elizabeth’s Chapel
7:00 p.m. Officer’s Meeting
7:30 Centering Prayer
Wednesday, January 7 – Annual Reports Due!
8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer, St. Elizabeth’s Chapel
6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist, Sanctuary (Homilist: )
Thursday, January 8
8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer, St. Elizabeth’s Chapel
6:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
Friday, January 9
7:30 a.m. Women’s Prayer Breakfast, Undercroft
8:00 Morning Prayer, St. Elizabeth’s Chapel
Sunday, January 11
Church Clean-Up following Coffee Hour
Parish Staff and Their Ministries
The Rev. Julia Dunbar, Priest Associate
The Rev. Dr. Katie Pakos Rimer, Priest Associate
The Rev. Elizabeth P. Wiesner, Priest Associate
The Rev. François Trottier, Rector
April Alford, Seminarian
Vyonni de Mel, Afterworks Director
Dr. Lisa Fortuna, CommonCare Director
Karen J. Williams, Church School Coordinator
Christine Cassels, Pat Drake, Lisa Fortuna, Margaret Greer and Bernadette Montasse,
Children’s Ministers
Sue Grundy, Parish Administrator
Clarence White, Sexton
Officers: Patricia Drake, Senior Warden;John Kristensen, Junior Warden; Elaine Denniston, Clerk; Christine Cassels, Treasurer; Michelle Porche, Assistant Treasurer; Joy Lucas, Collector
Vestry: Lisa Fortuna; Parker Gallagher; Merrill Hassinger; Gillian McMullen;
Bernadette Montasse; Barbara Pilgrim
Layreaders Today: Readers: Taylor Lord, Faith Danglo; Intercessor: Charlie Lord
Next Sunday’s Scripture Readings: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7;
Mark 1:4-11
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We invite you to become a part of this growing community as we strive to restore people to unity with God and each other. We walk together on a wonderful pilgrimage that we hope will embrace young and old, as well as seekers and believers witnessing to God’s love for all humanity. For more information about us please visit our website at, www.saintpeterscambridge.org.
Notices
Eco Thought of the Week
For those of you with internet access, there is a non-profit organization whose mission is to stop unsolicited Yellow and White Pages directories. They cannot guarantee that you'll no longer receive directories, but it's worth a shot. As explained on the YellowPagesGoesGreen.org website:
"There is no national no-delivery organization like the National Do Not Call Registry (https://www.donotcall.gov/). Individual Yellow and White Page organizations state that you can call them and they will put you on a list to not deliver books. But they are not held liable or accountable if the book shows up anyway. www.YellowPagesGoesGreen .org will contact the publishers with the sign up forms to have them "opt out" the individual or business that signs up. It will be the responsibility of the publishers to act in accordance to the consumer’s demands."
Even though there is no guarantee, this organization deserves our support and it's definitely worth giving it a try. If it doesn't work, we can call the companies ourselves and ask to be taken off. 500 million of these directories are printed yearly and if those of us with access to the world wide web opted out, imagine how many trees could be saved?
The link to opt out is http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/stop-yellow-pages/
Submitted by Natalie Weaver
Thank you, from Jubilee
Thanks so much to the people of St Peter's for a generous donation to Jubilee. The money will make a huge difference in the lives of our friends in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. I am also going to forward to you our autumn newsletter (posted on bulletin board in undercroft) electronically and add your parish to our distribution list so you can stay updated on the wonderful work that is happening there.
God bless, Maggie Geller
Important Dates to Remember
Important Dates to Remember
Please mark you calendars and make note of these upcoming dates of activities and deadlines for the months of November and December:
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Monday, Jan. 5, 2009
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Parish Office Re-opens / Afterworks Re-opens
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Wednesday, Jan. 7
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Annual Reports due to Sue!
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Sunday, Jan. 11
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Church Clean-up following Coffee Hour
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IN OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK:
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Pray for the peace of Lincoln-Canturby, Lincoln-Grantham, Lincoln-Grimsby (Canterbury, England); Litoral Equador (USA); Liverpool, Liverpool-Warrington (York, England); Llandaff (Wales); Lokoja (Province of Abuja, Nigeria); London, London-Edmonton, London-Fulham, London-Kensington, London-Stepney, London-Willesden (Canterbury, England) Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: Pray for all lay and clergy and for those who worship in the Parishes of Christ Church (Old North), Boston; St. Augustine’s & St. Martin’s Church, Boston; Church of St. John the Evangelist, Boston; St. Stephen’s Church, Boston; also pray for the Boston Harbor Deanery, and for the Northeastern University Lutheran Episcopal Campus Ministry Parish Cycle of Prayer: Pray for Stephanie Budwey; Romuald Cabrol and his son, Daryl; Barbara Camic; Bill & Nora Campbell; Christine Cassels
World and National Concerns: We pray for a safe, reasonable and lasting peace as the conclusion to the war in Iraq. We mourn the loss of thousands of innocent Iraqi lives each month and pray for their surviving loved ones violated by the chaos of war. We pray for political polarization to end so that progress towards peace may be made. Along with their families, loved ones and friends we mourn the loss of American lives lost this week in the Iraqi Civil War.
For the Unemployed and Those Seeking Work: Pastor Marguelin Saintus
With Special Concern: Parishioners: Sandi Connelly; Bill Davis; Valerie Williams; Maudelle Soones; Dr. Lisa Fortuna and Michelle Porche; Barbara Pilgrim; Merrill Hassinger; Bernadette Montasse; Lisa Locher; Mariah Daley; Gertrude DiNatale; Sean Denniston; Elaine Denniston; Leonard Jackson; Katheleen Williams; The Rev. Lee Wiesner; Sallie Craig Huber; Mildred Gittens; Romaine Perry; Bill Guthrie; Esther Scantlebury; Our companion parish of St. Matthew’s in Mokhotlong, Lesotho, Church of the Province of Southern Africa. Relatives and Friends: Helen Lawrence (sister-in-law of Frank Smith’s son); Sylvester Moore (Barbara Pilgrim’s nephew); Randi Holmes (Ruth Marshall’s niece); John & Susan Costa; Florence Allen; Tootsie Boschetto; Marianne Pierce; the family of Richard White; Patricia Walker and her family: Michelle, Angella, Alicia, Monique, Shaniqua, Omarian, Kishnel, & Brandy; Devajio, Nicholas, Andrew, Royan, Joyce, and Dahlia; Helen Powell (Jonathan Powell’s mother); Rob (friend of Lin & Liz Parsons); Howard Soones (Henry Soones brother); Donna Dennison (friend of Henry Soones); Kevin Williams (Barbara Pilgrim’s nephew, redeployed to Iraq); Peter Strack (Hedy Pocius’ nephew); Debbie Schlager; Jerry Kelley; Andrea Lee; Baron Minor; Susan Jones (Virginia Williams’ daughter); Joann Starks (Melvena Green’s cousin); Andrea; Linda Bouton; Geraldine Marshall (Ruth Marshall’s cousin); Rachel Pakos (Katie Pakos-Rimer’s sister); Sally Landis; The Legatowicz family; Mayra & Nayeli Quintana; Gina & Judy Sartori; Donna Dickson; Donna Jewell; Bill Pierce; Hansen & Kelsey Foreman; Tom and Dolores Gunn Indoor Members: Amalia Sater; Herbert Atkins; Merrill Callender; Mildred Gittens; Dora & Len Jackson; Walter Little; Romaine Perry; Virginia Williams.
Birthdays this week: Bernadette Montasse (Tuesday)
This page was last updated: Tuesday, January 6, 2009 @ 10:34 am