In his essay "Reading the Scriptures: Rehearsing Identity, Practicing Character," from the insightful Blackwell Companion to Christian Ethics, Jim Fodor talks about the importance of reading scripture as a community during worship for liturgical traditions such as ours. It is often said that Episcopalians don't know their Bible as well as some of our brothers and sisters in other traditions. The reality is that, while we may not be known for our ability to cite chapter and verse, we hear more scripture and biblical language at any given service than any non-liturgical tradition I'm aware of. This means that while we may not be able to nail down the particular verse or the exact wording, we often know much more about the Bible than we give ourselves credit for, and have internalized a good amount of the biblical narrative. As Fodor puts it "By repeated exposure to and immersion in liturgical readings of the Bible, the gathered faithful begin to aquire a peculiar kind of scriptural competence, which is but another way of describing 'faithful living'" (p. 147).

It is on this idea of immersion in scripture not only as the foundation of, but simply as "another way of describing 'faithful living,'" that I want to direct our attention. If you've been at St. Joseph's over the past several weeks, you've heard me mention the idea of self-discipline in the last few sermons. In particular, I've talked about the necessity and importance of being faithful in both small and large ways as we reflected on Our Lord's temptation in the wilderness and then, as we reflected on Paul's defense, in his letter to the Philippians, of the Gospel as a liberating force and his condemnation of those who were teaching things that stood against the cross of Christ. In particular, he condemned them, saying that the fact that they were being led by their basic passions rather than their faith would lead them to destruction (my paraphrase). This theme of self-discipline is befitting for the season of Lent with its theme of self-examination and penitence for past wrongs. But it does not exhaust the meaning of the season.

March 2010

GrailThe

St. Joseph of Arimathea1 0 3 C o u n t r y C l u b D r . H e n d e r s o n v i l l e , T N 3 7 0 7 5 | s t j o s e p h o f a r i m a t h e a . o r g |

T : 6 2 5 - 8 2 4 - 2 9 1 0 | i n f o @ s t j o s e p h o f a r i m a t h e a . o r g

Our Mission:“To encourage and

equip one another as the baptized people of God, to witness to

the transforming and reconciling power of

Jesus Christ.”

Want to see the Grail in Color? Interested in extended content, such as devotionals?

If you’re receiving the Grail in printed form and would like to see it in color with more content, you can visit http://stjosephofarimathea.org/congregational-resources/grail to download a PDF version.

From the Priest-in-Charge

Continued on p. 4

2

An event second only to the Super Bowl, St. Joseph's Mardi Gras fundraiser for 2ND Base Foundation was a "Who Dat" success in every way. Held on Saturday, February 13, at Country Hills Golf Club Banquet Room, which was wonderfully decorated in golds, greens, and purples, this event would have made any Naw'lens attendee proud.

The event was planned and carried out by the Mercy Ministries Commission of St. Joseph's, headed by Sarena and Warren Pettit, and included Paul and Stephanie Love, Mary and Bill Heeks, Mary Burnett, Pat Edson, Jane Garrett, Jeff Jordan, Beth Longmire, Janet Mason, and Jeanne Rose. In addition, individual Church members supported the Commission with their time and talents: Bill House, JoAnne Kemp, Chris Pullins, and Chris Trenholme. To all of you, our sincere thanks.

It was an evening where guests dined on Stephanie Love's exquisite culinary of chicken, fancy wild rice, sausages, sweet potatoes, corn pudding, salad, and real New Orleans Gumbo—made from a recipe of Emeril's and obtained through the courtesy of his recipe tester, Mr. Ivan Bryant. And, for dessert, there were beignets and Tennessee T-Cakes. Thank you, Stephanie Love.

Then, there was entertainment! A pirate (Jason Ormond) handing out Mardi Gras beads, a homegrown Jester (Warren Pettit), a caricature artist (Andrew Bissell), and our resident magician, Paul Love, who not only did card tricks, but outdid himself by putting the entertainment and much of the New Orleans theme together for the event. A silent auction of more than 50 items rounded out the attractions—all of this was set to music by the Ellis Middle School Jazz Band of 34 members, led by Mr. Chris Seger, and assisted by Mr. Doug Clark. W-O-W!

For all of the effort and labor which went into this event, we are deeply grateful. To each of you, our thanks and appreciation cannot be over-emphasized. It is heartfelt.

Also, I want to acknowledge, with our thanks, all of the donors of items and support. It always astounds

Dana and Janet Mason being served by Bill House and Chris Trenholme.

Guests bidding on silent auction items.

St. JoSeph'S "Who DAt" MArDi GrAS

3

me how we are blessed with the generosity of others, and they include: Barefoot Charlie's, B.B.King's Blues Club, Country Hills Golf Club, Court of the Two Sisters—New Orleans, El Rodeo Grill, Green Eye Center, Lowe's, Lucy Pulley, MILO's Tea Company, New Orleans School of Cooking, Orleans Coffee Exchange, Publix, Red Robin Restaurant, Steamboat Bill's, Tennessee T-Cakes, The House of Blues—New Orleans, The Neighborhood Knit Shop, and several individual donors who wish to remain anonymous.

And, to all the guests, Church members, their friends and acquaintances, and all others who supported this function with their attendance and participation—I thank you on behalf of everyone at 2ND Base.

God Bless!

Carl MacLeod2ND Base Foundation

Ellis Middle School Jazz Band

Jester—Warren Pettit; Pirate—Jason Ormond

4

SubmiSSionS:Next deadline: Monday, March 22

Did something in The Grail pique your interest? Feel free to send your comments, prayers, reflections, essays, articles, jokes or other material you would like to share to grail@stjosephofarimathea.org with “the Grail” in the subject line.

If you would like to change delivery preferences (change your address, recieve the Grail electronically in addition to or in place of a physical copy) visit our web site at: http://www.stjosephofarimathea.org/congregational-resources/newsletter-survey/

SAfeGuArDinG GoD’S people*Protecting Children from sexual abuse. Preventing adult sexual misconduct. A diocesan workshop for vestries, nursery workers, Sunday School teachers, volunteer youth leaders and employees, part-time and full-time, anywhere in the d iocese.

March 13, 9am–12n at St. Paul’s Church, Murfreesboro April 20, 6pm–9pm at St. George's Church, NashvillePlease call the diocesan office (251-3322) to reserve a slot.

*Newly elected vestry members should attend one of these workshops at the earliest possible time.

Indeed, even what we normally think of as defining self-discipline does not exhaust the meaning of the words themselves. You see, our word "discipline," usually takes on a negative connotation in our society. To be "disciplined" is more often thought of as being punished than it is a description of someone who has mastered some aspect of their lives. Likewise, self-discipline is often thought of in the negative sense of resisting some temptation. While these common definitions are true enough, it is important to understand that the English term "discipline," comes from the same root word as "disciple," which is derived from the Latin discipulos, or student. To be disciplined, then, fundamentally means something positive, not only negative. Proper self-discipline, therefore, consists not only in resisting certain things, but also in taking on certain regular actions or behaviors, that is, in creating positive habits of life, as well as resisting vices.

This idea of forming positive habits of life brings us back to Fodor's notion that reading scripture in community is "another way of describing faithful living," since reading scripture helps us to internalize the ways of thinking and believing that will help us to act in the right way, to do the things we need to do to develop these positive habits. It is this connection between hearing and reflecting on the values revealed in scripture that inspired the topic for this year's Lenten Series, "The Virtues of Community in the Parables of Jesus."

In the parables, Jesus not only critiques the way in which the people of the day often missed the point of the Old Testament laws, he often provides a positive example—a "go and do"—for his listeners (for us). Undergirding these actions are values and virtues that have been the foundation of Christian ethics, and I believe they are virtues we must embrace if we're to live faithfully as Christians. In order to embrace these virtues however, it helps to be familiar with them, which is the purpose of these reflections. I hope that many of you will be able to join us and will find these reflections beneficial over the coming weeks.

In Christ,

Continued from p. 1

5

BirthDAyS & AnniverSArieS

March 3 Jane Garrett Eleanor LeekMarch 6 Elijah HarmanMarch 8 John BroomeMarch 9 Richard Crawford, Jr.March 15 Charlene Green Bob LindseyMarch 25 Carl MacLeodMarch 29 Trey AldridgeMarch 30 Steve Yeldell

March 7 Steve & Jane GarrettMarch 9 Richard & Georgia CrawfordMarch 20 Bill & Mary HeeksMarch 22 Jack & Bea Hayes

veStry hiGhliGhtS AnD Action pointS

The Vestry met Wednesday evening, February 24th. These were the highlights and action points of the meeting:• We are reassessing the budget to determine which items have been over-budgeted and which ones need to

be increased.• Father Jody will begin a study of the Anglican Covenant this summer.• Hospitality is going to put out a basket for donations to help cover expenses.• Kim Waltenbaugh is our Church Historian. She is also chair of the Communications Commission and will

publish the Grail.• There is a Building and Grounds Commission to help the Jr. Warden maintain our property.• The Saturday before Good Friday (March 27th) will be a church and grounds clean-up day.• The Worship and Evangelism Commissions have been combined. Adam Waltenbaugh will chair

this Commission.• Nell Nestor and Paul Love will co-chair the Finance Commission.• Thom Chittom will chair the Christian Education Commission.• The Undercroft has been renamed the St. Francis Undercroft. Date for the dedication will be forthcoming.• We are looking into having a photo directory.

The Vestry wishes to express sincere appreciation to Nell Nestor, for serving as Senior Warden, and to Bob Lindsey, for serving as Junior Warden, during the past year.

hoSpitAl ADMiSSion, SickneSS, or fAcinG SoMe other Difficulty?

If you or a loved one are admited to the hospital, please let us know. While admissions clerks may ask specific questions regarding religious affiliation, due to government regulations they cannot and will not notify St. Joseph of Arimathea to let us know that you are there. Please get in touch with the church office (615-824-2910) or with Fr. Jody (615-440-6492) as soon as possible.

If you’re sick and in need of assistance please let us know that as well. You can call or fill out our new care calendar information sheet located at: http://www.stjosephofarimathea.org/ how-can-we-help-you/

6

cleAn-up DAy—SAturDAy, MArch 27

Join us as we clean up our grounds in preparation for Easter. Also, if you are a handyman (or woman!), please consider joining our newly formed Building and Grounds Commission to help keep our church in tip-top shape. Contact Bill McMinn with any questions.

ecW Soup luncheon

The ECW Soup Luncheon is scheduled for Sunday, March 14th. The Luncheon will be after the 10:30 service. There will be a sign-up sheet in the undercroft for people to sign up. We will be needing different items, such as soup, bread and iced tea. Contact Jackie Lindsey with any questions.

Upcoming EvEnts

March 14 —ECW Soup LuncheonMarch 14—Daylight Savings Time beginsMarch 17—Vestry MeetingMarch 21—PB&J DedicationMarch 22—Deadline for April's GrailMarch 27—Clean-up day for our groundsApril 1—Maundy Thursday service, 6pm

Adult Formation:Priest’s Forum: Sundays from February 28–

March 21: The Parables of Jesus

Lenten Series: Wednesdays, March 3, 10, & 24 at 6:30): The virtues of community in the Parables of Jesus

7

neWS froM our coMpAnion church (iGleSiA coMpAñerA)MeDicAl MiSSion 2010

The Diocesan medical mission to Ecuador for 2010 will be July 19–23. Participants will fly to Guayaquil, Ecuador, on the Friday or Saturday preceding the week of the mission. These dates and other information are located on the companion church board in the stairwell. Applications are located in the envelop marked medical mission trip on that board or on the diocesan web site (http://www.episcopaldiocese-tn.org/missions). There is also an application for financial assistance. For more information about the medical mission, contact Bob Thompson (931-381-4098, spthompson8@gmail.com) or Susie and Russell Ries (615-279-0680, susieries@comcast.net). Last year, the medical mission team spent a day at our sister church, Jesús el Señor, holding a full day clinic. This year, they will spend a morning there distributing vitamins and parasite medicines to the students of the school. Anyone wishing to make a monetary contribution to the Medical Mission may make their check out to Diocese of Tennessee, put "Overseas Evangelism—Ecuador" on the memo line, and send it to the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee, 50 Vantage Way, Nashville, TN 37228. If you would rather send your contribution through St. Joseph, see Sarena Pettit.

May God continue to bless us through our companion relationship,Sarena Pettit

The GrailSt. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church103 Country Club DriveHendersonville, TN 37075Church Phone: (615) 824-2910http://stjosephofarimathea.org

Service Schedule

Sunday8:00 am Holy Communion, traditional language (Rite I), no music10:30 am Holy Communion, contemporary language (Rite II), with music

9:15 am Christian formation for all ages

Easter LilliesWe will soon be ordering Easter Lilies to adorn the altar on Easter Sunday. Please consider dedicating one or more lilies in memory, or in honor of, a loved one. Forms will be available for you to fill out the names. The suggested donation is $10.00, which can be placed in the collection plate or left in the Church Office. Thank you!