Dear Friends of Emmanuel,

In Genesis this week, we read the story about Jacob struggling in the night with the angel.  And the angel says to him, you shall be called Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed.  At this point we struggle to find our footing.  Many of us have been thrown off balance because of circumstances not under our control.  God asks us not to avoid the struggle but to overcome it.  To become striven means to work through the unfortunate events of our lives knowing that we are held in the arms of the God who loves us.

(Click below for more)

https://emmanuelwr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Emmanuel-Newsletter-0802020-Final.pdf

https://episcopalchurch.org/habits-of-grace?wchannelid=u3mbmc7c0r

Newsletter Sunday, July 19, 2020

Dear Friends of Emmanuel:

As we continue to work on our online liturgy, we invite you to join us.  Learn how in this week’s newsletter:

https://emmanuelwr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Emmanuel-Newsletter-7192020-Final.pdf

God Bless you.

The Rev. Dr. Joyce Caggiano

Newsletter Sunday, July 12, 2020

Dear Friends of Emmanuel,

In the Collect for Sunday, July 12, we pray that we may know and understand what things we ought to do and ask for the grace and power to accomplish them.  It is a lofty request of God.

Jesus after all did not live in the midst of this pandemic!  Jesus did not have the racism, ageism, and sexism, etc. to deal with what we are facing today.  Or did he?  If we believe that God has provided guidance for all these modern things by giving Jesus to live and die as one of us, then where do we find help for today’s problems?

Actually, we can if we put our minds to it.  If we pay attention.  If we open our minds and hearts, the answer is there.  Remember the Samaritans, the tax collectors, the lepers? Those were the communities that were discriminated against.  Remember the lepers that no one wanted to go near?  Remember the woman who was about to be stoned?  And the woman who came to wash his feet with their hair? Remember Zacchaeus and Lazarus the rich man and many other characters in our scriptures.

Let us not be like the seed that has fallen on the rocks and turn away. Let us embrace the blessings and the challenges that are before us in 2020 as God would have us do.

The Lessons for us this week focus on seed and “sower.”  Timeless images for those of us who garden or even remember from our grade school science class know about the need for water, sunshine, and good soil in order to receive a good harvest.

The analogy is simple. Everyone and everything needs to be nourished with the soil, water, and sunshine of life. When we nourish our souls and hearts, we receive the joy and peace needed to accomplish what God has for us to do.

Isaiah 55: 12-13 says, “the mountains and the hills” will burst out in song…and it will be an everlasting sign. God calls us to be safe, be comfortable, care for ourselves, and pray that God will give us the knowledge our task.  And “we shall go out with Joy and be led forth with peace.”  Surely peace and joy are a priceless precious gift from God.

Be well, be safe,

The Rev. Joyce Caggiano

View the taped service anytime via our website:

https://emmanuelwr.org/sermons/

New this week on our website: Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has posted a new “Habits of Grace”

Reflection.

https://emmanuelwr.org/news-events/

Hydrangeas at Emmanuel

(photo by Terri Halliday)

 We may not be there—but the flowers bloom at our beautiful church. Taken on July 7, 2020.

Click below to access the sermon by The Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II, Co-Chair, Poor People’s Campaign. Given at the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 14, 2020.

A National Call For Moral Revival

As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, I invite you to join me each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ 

https://episcopalchurch.org/posts/publicaffairs/habits-grace-may-29-2020-invitation-you-presiding-bishop-curry

Pentecost.  What Does It Mean?

“The name in Greek means “the fiftieth day” because it falls on the 50th day after Passover.  At this feast the first fruits of the corn harvest were presented (Deut. 16.9) and in most later times, the giving of the Law of Moses was commemorated.”

from “The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church”

The reading from Acts 2: 1-21 describes the event that the church has named Pentecost. This story of how the fearful apostles, huddled in a room discussing their dismay and bewilderment. It represents the beginning of the spread of the Good News – that Christ was born, died, and is risen from the dead.

The Ascension has put Jesus back in heaven with God and left the Apostles on earth still wondering what to do. They are given the arduous task of spreading the gospel.  It was scary and challenging and brought with it all kinds of risks.  Courage was required.  Thus, the Holy Spirit was provided to the followers so that they would know their work and do it with passion and joy.

The speaking and/or understanding of many languages is the animation of what it means to go out into the world proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The emphasis is on “the world” – meaning everyone – no matter who or where – beyond culture and language and race and gender, etc.

Some churches call this the birthday of the church – the point at which the church begins its ministry.  I think regarding Pentecost as the birthday of the church is trite and minimizes what was truly a momentous reality. No longer is the gospel being shared with just the Jews in Jerusalem but to ALL, in every language and nation.

This is the essence of the feast.  I like to think of it as the day we learn to burst out of our individuality, our social prejudices, our comfortable homes and clubs, etc. We can go OUT into the world with courage and blessings understanding that God is with us and the Holy Spirit will guide us and bless us for our work and provide us with courage.

What I see and what I experience of Pentecost is the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, as an essential part of our Christian responsibility to share God’s love with ALL people.

Special Note: We invite parishioners to participate in our Sermon Dialogue discussion and taping on Saturday, May 30 at 3:00 pm via Zoom. We hope you can take the time and are given the courage to speak about Pentecost. It can be fun, and I hope affirming.  You can use this blog as a discussion starter or as a stimulus for your thinking.

If you are interested in participating, please email us at info@emmanuelwr.org  and we can send you the details.