women’s retreat 2012 - clover...

The Monthly Newsletter of St. David’s Church Volume 26, Issue 5 � June/July 2012

We are

A CommittedBody of

Christians

whosemission

is:

To LiveJesus

To ShareJesus

To TeachJesus

To TakeJesus

to Others

In the Powerof the

Holy Spirit

At a Glance:Through the Veil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 3Women of Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 4Ordination to Priesthood. . . . . . . . . . . . page 5Honduras Mission Trip. . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6Father’s Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 7The 17:17 Men’s Ministry. . . . . . . . . . . page 9

The

Women’s Retreat 2012by Laurie Leney

Iam pleased and excited to announce that we have begun registration for the 2012 St. David’sWomen’s Retreat, being led by The Rev. Cathie Young, associate pastor of St. James

Anglican Church in Newport Beach. Yes, she’s going to be back with usthis year and she has a powerful message in store for us! Worship will beled by our awesomely talented Darlene Fray.

“The Great Soul Makeover”“‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

Haggai 2:9a

The world’s idea of a makeover is how we look on the outside, but God calls us to a greatsoul makeover that makes us new and better from the inside out! No matter where we are in ourspiritual journey, the Lord always has more for us. And when we listen to the stirring of the HolySpirit within us, God will remake and rebuild us from within so that our lives will be greater thanever before! This weekend will be a time of dwelling in the love of our Lord Jesus and letting oursouls be remade in His wonderful presence.

Isn't it time for your great soul makeover?

Dates: Friday evening, July 20 , through Sunday lunch, July 22th nd

Location: Serra Retreat House, MalibuCost: $200, includes a double occupancy room and all meals

Registration for the Retreat is underway and will last just 4 short weeks. If you are anattendee of the 8:00 a.m. service the sign-up sheet will be at the table to the right after you exit, at10:30 in the Parish Hall. We are asking for a deposit at the time of registration. The total will bedue on June 17.

If you are able we are asking for additional funding for the Retreat to enable us to offerpartial scholarships to those who cannot afford the Retreat fee.

Please make checks payable to St. David’s Church and note on the memo line “Registration -Women’s Retreat”. If you are donating to the scholarship fund, please write a separate check andnote on the memo line “Scholarship - Women’s Retreat.”

Questions: please see Laurie Leney, DiAnne Charves or Darlene Fray.

Testimony SundayJuly 29

We have designated the fifthSunday of any month with fiveSundays as Testimony Sunday

(this occurs about 5 times a year). It isan opportunity for our ChristianCommunity to hear from each otherwhat the Lord is doing in each of ourlives. Testimonies exalt our God for His goodness andencourage our fellow believers in their walks.

The next Testimony Sunday will be on July 29 atboth the 8:00 a.m. and the 10:30 a.m. services. We allwould like to hear from any of you that have a testimonyof God’s wonderful involvement in your life and who wantto share it with our congregation. Please speak with Fr.Jose; he will give you some guidelines about length andeven how to effectively share your testimony of the Lord.

The testimonies (about 5 minutes each) will beshared during the normal sermon time, which is no morethan about 30 minutes, and we want to make sure that weinclude as many testimonies as are willing to be shared (wecan have as many as 6 people!). Let’s exalt our wonderfulLord and Savior. Call Fr. Jose today and begin to planwhat you want to say.

The Return ofa House Church

Fr. Jose and Maly Poch areplanning to restart their verysuccessful House Church, but

perhaps rather than meeting at theirhome as before, they would like toestablish a more central meetingplace, the Discipleship Room at St. David’s. This House Church will meet on Tuesdayevenings from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. for Prayer, Bible Study andFellowship. If you are interested in being part of this newHouse Church, please speak to them at your earliestconvenience so they can make the necessary plans. Youwill enjoy meeting with them and sitting at the feet of Fr. Jose, a great Bible teacher. The group will decidetogether what it will study. If you’re interested in joining,please speak to Fr. Jose. You may call him at818.761.8633 or email him at [email protected]. Do ittoday, before you forget. Come join them!

The Messenger is a monthly publication ofSt. David’s Church11605 Magnolia BoulevardNorth Hollywood, CA 91601Phone: 818.761.8633Fax: 818.761.1626www.stdavidsnh.org

Rector: The Rev. Jose [email protected]

Administrator & Editor:Janet L. [email protected]

Sexton: Michael ChungSenior Warden: Primi EsparzaJunior Warden: Hugh Palmer

Deadline: 15 of each month. Articles should notth

exceed 200 words in length. The Messenger iscreated using WordPerfect X5 for Windows.

Ifby Carol Waterman

If we but had the eyes to see,

God’s love in every cloud;

If we but had the ears to hear,

His voice above the crowd.

If we could feel His gentle touch,

In every springtime breeze;

And find a haven in His arms,

’Neath sheltering, leafy trees,

We’d find the peace we’re seeking,

The kind no man can give –

The peace that comes from knowing,

He died so we might live.

The Messenger 2 June/July 2012

mailto:[email protected]

Through the VeilTabernacle Devotion VThe Brass Laver (Ex. 30:18-21)

by The Rev. Bill Blomquist

In the brass laver we see immense foreshadowing of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

The brass Laver was the mostelusive ministry station in theTabernacle of Moses. It’s

dimensions are not mentioned in theBible and it remains as a place ofmystery even unto today.

The Laver lies in stark contrastwith the Altar of Sacrifice (lastmonth). It was a sharp, symmetricalbox associated with fire, pain,suffering, and death. The Laver - withit’s smooth rounded shape andcrystal-clear water - was associatedwith coolness, refreshment, healing,rest, and life. The laver most likelyprovided a cherished spot in the midstof the glaring, desert heat. It was thesecond ministry station in theTabernacle of Moses where thepriests bathed, both before and afterperforming their ministry duties.

A fascinating thing about thelaver is that its interior bowl was linedwith hundreds of looking glasses(mirrors). The priests looked into theprismatic waters and could see the

reflections of their hands and facesand, thus, knew where to wash.

The Laver foreshadows twoessential components to our walk inChrist: the Word of God and the HolySpirit. As we gaze into the Scriptureswe are cleansed and sanctified by the“washing of water with the word”(Ephesians 5:26). The Word of God islike a mirror (James 1:22-25). Itconvicts us of our sin and cleanses usat the same time!

Sacramentally speaking theLaver speaks to the significance ofBaptism. It even resembles abaptismal font. At baptism we are“sealed with the Holy Spirit” (BCPp.308). One of the roles of the Spiritis to cleanse, seal, and sanctify -something which happened as thepriests spent time at this ministrystation.

The relationship between theAltar of Sacrifice and the brass Laveris revealing. Both stations work inharmony to prepare the worshiper to

get before God. The Altar forgivessin; the Laver removes its residue.The Altar saves us through the blood;the Laver sanctifies in the Spirit. John writes, “And Jesus Christ wasrevealed as God’s Son by his baptismin water and by shedding his blood onthe cross - not by water only, but bywater and blood” (1 Jn. 5:6). Perhapsthere is no greater illustration of thetwo working together as one thanwhen the roman soldier pierced theside of Jesus, and water and bloodissued forth from his side (Jn 19:34).

Grant, Lord God, to all whohave been baptized into the death andresurrection of your Son Jesus Christ,that, as we have put away the old lifeof sin, so we may be renewed in thespirit of our minds, and live inrighteousness and true holiness;through Jesus Christ our Lord, wholives and reigns with you, in the unityof the Holy Spirit, one God, now andfor ever. Amen. (BCP, 7. For AllBaptized Christians, p. 252)


Pastor’s Bible StudySunday, June 3 & 17 and July 15

at 1:00 p.m.

Fr. Jose invites all members of St. David’s to join him on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month for the

Pastor’s Bible Study.The study is held in the Discipleship

Room from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. and we are currently studying the Book of Acts of the Apostles withthe idea of helping all of us apply what we will learn fromthe Early Church and the work of the Holy Spirit in thelives of the Disciples to our 21st Century Church context.Join us; just bring your Bible and writing materials. Youwill be blessed!

Women of LightBlessed are the scrubbers

for they shall inherit cleanliness!!!by Laurie Leney

On Saturday, May 19, it wasa Spring Cleaning extravaganza at St. David’s.

Thank you Women of St. David’s,you never cease to amaze me!

We scrubbed, we scoured, we cleaned windows andblinds, ovens and floors! From top to bottom we attackedweeds and killed spiders, we beat the dirt out of rugs anddisinfected the stuffed animals. The oven alone took 2women 2 hours. We dusted books and lined the shelves;we even threw out a few items that needed to be laid torest. After 5 hours of non-stop cleaning we SHOPPED!!We gave new pitchers, and place mats, new dish towelsand serving spoons and trays. We bought toys for the kidsand games for the young adults. We bought Barney videosand coloring books and even Twister for the young atheart.

We have received many heart felt thanks from theMinistry Leaders for our hard work and generosity. It’s nottoo late to donate to this worthy cause. The money to fundthis came out of the Women’s Ministry fund which wewould like to replenish in time for the Women’s Retreat.Please make checks payable to St. David’s and in thememo line write “Women’s Ministry”.

ChurchAttendance

by The Rev. Jose Poch

This is offered to you so that you are aware as to howyou are doing on evangelism, invitations and our ownchurch attendance in 2012. I would like to once again

challenge all of us at St. David’s to have a goal for a 10%growth in church attendance every year. That means if wehave an average Sunday attendance of 120-130 persons, bythe end of the year we would have added 12-13 new peopleat St. David’s. These are not impossible numbers, are they?Not if we all do our part. I would like to think that 100 ofus could bring 10 new people to our church. This will beour annual challenge. Join me in this.

JPL Annual Open House

JPL’S ANNUAL OPEN HOUSEis to be held on Saturday andSunday, June 9 and 10 from

9am to 4pm. The theme is “GreatJourneys” and invites visitors toshare in the wonders of space through high-definition and3D videos, live demonstrations, and a first look at JPL’snew Earth Science Center. This event is of great interest tochildren and adults. Be sure to arrive early for parking andthe rather lengthy line to access this event.


More Changes in the Staff

In last month’s Messenger, ourmonthly newsletter, we informed you that our brother Hugh Palmer

had chosen to step down as the leader of our Sound Ministry. This ministry is responsible for sound, of course, during our Sunday Worship Services and at other specialservices, including weekdays, when necessary, as well asweddings and funerals. It is also responsible for recordingour sermons each week and duplicating the CDs for thosewho may want a copy. This ministry will now be takenover by Evelio (Jr.) Martinez who together with HaydenClement has been serving with Hugh.

Jr. will be putting together a team of peopleinterested in serving in this ministry, scheduling eachperson and supervising the entire ministry. If you areinterested in serving in this ministry together with Jr. andHayden, please speak to Jr. [email protected] or at818-395-4537 at your earliest convenience. Hugh willremain connected to this ministry serving during weddingsand funerals.

We also regrettably will be saying good-bye to oursister Barbara Morales, who has faithfully served asleader of our Nursery Ministry, and Matthew Saucedo(her grandson), who has served as a Nursery assistant . TheNursery serves all of us caring and loving our little onesfrom ages 0-3 during our 10:30 a.m. Sunday WorshipServices and at other special services. We will sincerelymiss them both. We are now actively looking for twofemale Nursery attendants to take over this ministry. It is awonderful ministry of love and care for little ones thathelps all of us. The job is basically about 2 hours a week,on Sundays. Additionally there are special services such asAsh Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday,Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve when we will alsoneed Nursery Ministry to families with children under 3years of age. These individuals would be encouraged toattend the 8:00 a.m. service so that they don’t missworshiping the Lord or hearing the sermon, althoughcopies of the sermon CD are also made available to them.

This is a ministry for people with a servant heart, thelittle ones being their primary and selfless focus. Please, ifany of you would be interested in serving in this ministry,contact Fr. Jose as soon as possible. This is a paid position.

Ordination toThe Priesthood

by The Rev. Dcn Lee Mullins

Hello to each and all of mybrothers and sisters at St. David’sAnglican Church. I wanted to

extend the good news of and invitationto my ordination into the Anglicanpriesthood on Wednesday, July 18,2012 at 7:00 p.m. All are invited andencouraged to attend.

In addition, I wanted to let all of you know of whatGod has been doing in the life of my wife, Pawinee, and Ias of late. During the close of my seminary education andentering into the beginning of my priesthood within theAnglican Church, I have received an intense calling toserve God in Thailand, my wife’s country of origin andwhere we met. To my amazement and God’s workings, Ihave been in talks with several clergy serving in SouthEast Asia, and with their support, it seems that I will begoing under the Diocese of Singapore and serving as anAnglican Priest in Bangkok, Thailand.

As of right now, my wife and I will be heading outthe final week of July, shortly after the ordination andhope that all of you will keep us in prayer as we make ourfinal preparations. I am not going to add any departingwords as I intend to keep a close and intimate relationshipwith all of you of St. David’s and the Diocese of WesternAnglicans, therefore this is not a good bye to all of you,but rather a move of God for us all as a community.However, I will say that it is an absolute pleasure to serveyou all and continue to serve our community under theKingdom of God in a new way!

Please keep in touch by email: [email protected] Skype: (lee.mullins.) - yes, there are two periods in thename.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reachout to myself or Fr. Jose in the coming weeks!

Peace and blessings,Rev. Dcn. Lee Mullins


http://[email protected]


Honduras Mission Trip

In less than three weeks, 10 of usfrom St. David’s, will be on ourway to Honduras. All the planning

is complete and we are prepared toleave on Monday, June 18 at1:29am. We are all very excited to begoing on this mission and hope thatwe will serve the children and ourmissionaries well while we are there.Our Mission Trip coordinator, AnaReid, is anxiously awaiting her firstShort Term Missionaries. That’s us!

We look forward with great joyto conducting VBS (Vacation BibleSchool) for 11 children. Laurie Leneyis very diligently compiling materialsand games to show the children God’slove, while having some fun. Thelarger task will be constructing aplayground for the Orphanage. Wechose this project because it is apriority. The Honduran governmentagency which oversees the safety offacilities such as La Esperanza deJesus, requested that the playground

be completed by next inspectionwhich is early 2013. We will alsohave the opportunity to help on thecoffee farm (Hope Farm Coffee whichwe serve at St. David’s), and in anyother way that we are needed.

With the help of our ITmanager, Esther Dharmaraj, we havestarted a blog through which we willbe sharing information, pictures, etc.daily. Please visit us here:http://destinationhopefarm.blogspot.com or you may access from ourwebsite http://stdavidsnh.org. Wehope that in reading and commenting,you will experience being with us inthe mission field. Posts to the blogwill start 1 to 2 weeks before wetravel.

Please pray for our team, Tomand Laurie Leney; Frank Krause;Jim Coburn; Ana Cuadrado; Fr.Steve Kennedy; Brian Thompson;Alex Falo; Nate Freeman and me,Deborah Chase. Pray for us as we

prepare, whilewe travel, while we are in Honduras andafter we return. Pray for our health,safety and a mighty covering of theHoly Spirit.

Fr. Jose will be commissioningus for the mission on Sunday, June 17 at the 10:30 a.m. service.We would love it if you can bepresent to send us off. At our return,we will have a Honduras MissionReport day on Sunday, July 8 at boththe 8:00 and 10:30 services. Join us!

We thank you and continue tocovet your prayers and support. Welook forward to sharing with youupon our return.

Deborah Chase on behalf of Tom and Laurie Leney,

Frank Krause, Jim Coburn,Ana Cuadrado, Fr. Steve Kennedy,

Brian Thompson, Alex Falo and Nate Freeman

Youth MinistryOld Testament Ancestors (Contd.)

by Esther Jerome-Dharmaraj

Encourage the youth in your care to participate in the Youth Meetings which are held everySunday at 11:00 a.m. in the Discipleship Room (adjacent to the Parish Hall). We continueour study of re:form Ancestors: Old Testament. Here are some of the ancestors we are

learning about:

Deborah: Deborah was the only female judge (at least the only one who made it into theBible). As a woman in a patriarchal culture, Deborah challenged the expectations that societyhad for a woman. She did not allow herself to be defined by stereotypes. God gives Deborah aclear sense of what she needed to do and she does it relying on God.

Samson: At first glance Samson appears as a strange role model. His shortcomings faroutweigh his strengths. Yet like most biblical heroes, it is not Samson’s greatness that inspiresbut God’s working in spite of Samson.

Ruth: In this story of the “outsider” who becomes part of God’s covenant people, we witness the immensity of God’s savinglove for all peoples.

David: The bible narrates the entire story of David from his boyhood to his death. His life is fraught with trials and triumphs.“Through it all” he remained faithful and devoted to God.

May we learn from Deborah that we too can, trusting God, move beyond stereotypes and definitions that people use todescribe us. If God can use Samson, he sure can use us! Like Ruth may we find a home within God’s family! May theexample of David’s devotion egg us on who are every bit as human as him.


http://destinationhopefarm.blogspot.com

http://destinationhopefarm.blogspot.com

http://stdavidsnh.org

My Dad’s Hands

Bedtime came, we were settling down,I was holding one of my lads.

As I grasped him so tight, I saw a strange sight:My hands. . .they looked like my dad's!

I remember them well, those old gnarled hooks,there was always a cracked nail or two.

And thanks to a hammer that strayed from its mark,his thumb was a beautiful blue!

They were rough, I remember, incredibly tough,as strong as a carpenter's vice.

But holding a scared little boy at night,they seemed to me awfully nice!

The sight of those hands - how impressive it wasin the eyes of his little boy.

Other dads' hands were cleaner, it seemed(the effects of their office employ).

I gave little thought in my formative yearsof the reason for Dad's raspy mitts:

The love in the toil, the dirt and the oil,rusty plumbing that gave those hands fits!

Thinking back, misty-eyed, and thinking ahead,when one day my time is done.

The torch of love in my own wrinkled handswill pass on to the hands of my son.

I don't mind the bruises, the scars here and thereor the hammer that just seemed to slip.

I want most of all when my son takes my hand,to feel that love lies in the grip.

David Kettler

Father’s Day Celebration

Sunday, June 17, 2012 is Father’sDay. As the Scriptures command us,we are to “honor our father and our

mother.” We had a wonderful celebrationon Mother’s Day for all mothers and thewomen in our church, with a great deal offun had by everyone and especially ourmothers.

We will do the same on Father’sDay for all fathers and men, with

competitions from the Word of God and presents for allthe men of our church. Invite sons and daughters to bepresent as we honor their fathers. He or she who does notknow how to honor their father cannot know how to honortheir Heavenly Father and they themselves will not knowhow to be a good father or mother. Join us in ourcelebration of all fathers!

SummerNew Membership Class

July 27-28

Aretreat will be offered on July 27-28 for thosewanting to become members of the church. Members of St. David’s have privileges to:

g vote at annual parish meetingsg be nominated for positions on Vestry and other

church governance boardsg serve as overseers in any of the numerous

ministries offered at the churchg feel the significance of ownership and shared

responsibility in the Body of Christ

We will discuss Core Values, Mission Statement,Stewardship Commitments (time, talents, and money), andbasic Credal Beliefs. Participants will also have theopportunity to sign “A Member’s Covenant” and beintroduced to the parish the following Sunday, July 29.

Interested? See Rev. DiAnne or Fr. Bill to sign upfor the class in the parish hall after the 10:30 service orcall the church office at 818.761.8633. Don’t delay, calltoday.


Love

by Carol Waterman

Love is unselfish,

Understanding and kind;

For it sees with the heart,

And not with the mind.

Love is the answer,

That every heart seeks;

Love is the language,

That every heart speaks.

Love can’t be bought,

It’s priceless and free;

Love, like pure magic,

Is a sweet mystery.

A New “Disciples”Study Opportunity

At the end of May, a group of 10people concluded our firstDisciples Group. We met for

approximately 8 months eachTuesday evening from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. We studied A Step Furtherby Dr. Peter Moore for the first fewmonths and then concluded withDiscipleship Essentials by Dr. GlenOgden. The group grew together and

each person was very blessed by the study. There wassome, not heavy, Prayer, Bible Study, Verse Memorizationand Reading.

We would like to start a second group that wouldbegin around August. If you are interested in being part ofthis new group, please speak to Fr. [email protected] at your earliest convenience, or Fr. Bill [email protected]. We have to order abook for each participant as well as make additionalpreparations. Don’t wait, email or call either Fr. Jose or Fr. Bill right now, so you don’t forget. A group of 10-12would be great!

A New StudyFor Licensed Lay Readers

And Others Interested

We have just concluded onSaturday, June 2, our Studyon Anglicanism produced by

Cranmer House (ReformedEpiscopal Church Seminary) fortheir Seminary students. It includedan overview of Anglican ChurchHistory, Anglican Theology,Anglican Sacramental Theology andLiturgy. This study was encouragedfor our Licensed Lay Readers.Licensed Lay Readers are those

individuals in our church that have been or would belicensed by our Bishop to help lead liturgically duringworship services, especially conducting Morning andEvening Worship Services in circumstances when a priestis not available.

In August of this year we will begin our secondstudy. This time it will be on Liturgy. All of our LicensedLay Readers are encouraged to plan on attending this newstudy, but we also would like to make the study availableto anyone else who would want to get into some seriousstudy of Liturgy and preparation for service and ministry atSt. David’s.

If you are interested in being part of this new studygroup, please speak to Fr. Jose [email protected] atyour earliest convenience, or Fr. [email protected]. We have to photocopy agreat deal of material for each participant as well as makeadditional preparations, so we need to know as soon aspossible how many persons will be participating in thisnew study. Don’t wait, email or call either Fr. Jose or Fr. Bill right now, so you don’t forget. A group of 10-12would be great!






The 17:17 St. David’s Men’s Group

Anglican Men’s Weekend

Over the weekend of May 18-20,the men of St. David’s joinedover 100 other men at the

Forrest Home Christian Retreat Campfor the annual Anglican Men’sWeekend. We were very blessed to beled by Neal Jeffrey. Neal is a formerAll-American quarterback fromBaylor University and NFLquarterback for the San DiegoChargers. Neal was tremendouslypassionate and motivational in leading

us in 6 talks throughout the weekend. The main topic ofthe weekend was to grow into “The Man I Want To Be”.

Neal led us in the following talks throughout theweekend:

A Man who BelievesA Man who Builds

A Man who is BraveA Man who is BlessedA Man who Behaves

A Man who is Beloved

With Neal’s football background, he started eachsession as a “Spiritual Pep Talk” for being a man. We alsoincreased the youth attending the weekend and look toincrease their size in future years. We want to thank all themen who were able to attend and ask them to share theirexperience with others. From the feedback that wasconveyed, we know the weekend had an impact. Weespecially want to thank Dick Waugh and Alex Falo fordriving others up to the retreat.

Men’s Breakfast

On Saturday June 16, the 17:17 Men’s Group willmeet again for Breakfast at 8:00 a.m. in theDiscipleship Room. Please join us for a good hot

meal and great fellowship.

Events

We have two special events coming up this summer.Our first will be a Fellowship BBQ at Fr. Jose’shouse on Saturday, July 21, which will take the

place of our usual Breakfast Meeting. We will also beinviting the men from St. Michael’s in the City and St.Luke’s La Crescenta to join us for dinner. We are lookingto expand our connection with our local Anglican men andsee where God will lead us. In August, we will once againtake St. David’s to the LA Dodger Game and watch themtake on the SF Giants. Stay tuned for more information!

Tool Box Ministry:

St. David’s started the 17:17 Tool Box Ministry tohelp members of our church in need. We are ready andavailable to assist with various tasks such as

handyman work around the house / apartment such aschanging fire alarm batteries, a ride to a doctor’sappointment, picking up groceries, etc. If you are in needand would like some help, or if you know someone fromSt. David’s that needs help, please fill out a connectioncard during the Sunday Service and explain what you wantus to do or you can call Janet at the Church office. One ofour team members will contact you to discuss your request.

2012 Plans (Mark your Calendars)June 16 Breakfast Meeting—8:00amJuly 7 Set up for Vacation Bible SchoolJuly 21 BBQ at Fr. Jose’sAugust 21 Dodgers Game vs the

San Francisco GiantsSeptember 15 Breakfast Meeting—8:00 amOctober 21 Church PicnicNovember Outreach – Hope of the Valley (TBD)December 16 Family Christmas Party / Outreach

Event


The Anglican TraditionThree Streams, One River

The Rev. Dr. Les FairfieldThis was article was originally printed in The Apostle (a bi-annual publication of the ACNA

[Anglican Church of North America]). It is reprinted here with permission from Dr. Les Fairfieldand the ACNA. If any of our parishioners are interested in receiving future copies of The Apostle,

you may due so by visiting the ACNA website and signing up:http://anglicanchurch.net/?/main/join

The genius of Anglicanism is that for five hundred years it has held in creative tension three different strands ofBiblical Christianity. Those three streams are the Protestant, the Pentecostal/Holiness and the AngloCatholicmovements.

When the Church of England separated from Rome in 1534, its leader was not a world-class theologian like MartinLuther or John Calvin. Its earthly head was a canny monarch named Henry Tudor, the Eighth of that name. Henry was amonster. He was cruel, vain, foolish and self-indulgent (remember his six wives). He cut England off from Rome not fortheological reasons, but because he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn and to seize the English Church's extensive lands. Henry had Protestant advisers like his Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer. But Henry was in charge.

If Henry founded the Church of England for ignoble reasons, God meant it for good. The Church of England hadno single dominant theologian. Cranmer was a competent thinker and a composer of exquisite prose - see his magnificentPrayer Book - but he was not a Luther. This fact meant that over the next five hundred years, Anglicanism was free toextrapolate in three directions from the basic Biblical Christianity that Cranmer had affirmed.

Let me illustrate each of the three Anglican streams with a brief story.

The Protestant Stream

Anne Askew was the daughterof a country squire in Lincolnshire. Born about 1520, she somehowlearned to read. And after WilliamTyndale published his Englishversion of the New Testament in1525, Anne obtained a copy. Itchanged her life. She read in hermother tongue that Jesus Christ haddied for her, had risen again andgiven the Church the greatcommission to tell everyone of God'slove. The English Church hadbecome so unfaithful to thatcommission that Anne concludedthat she should take it up herself. Transgressing all the social customsof the day, Anne began to ridearound the Lincolnshire countryside,stopping at peasant hovels andreading to them from the EnglishNew Testament. The people beganto call her "the fair gospeller."

Anne’s husband was furiouswith her. He beat her brutally. Seeking some protection from hisphysical violence, Anne went to the

Court of Chancery in London to seekan annulment to her marriage. Shehad no wish to marry another. Rather, she took up her "gospelling"among the shacks of the fishermenwho lived on the muddy banks of theThames River. She also joined aBible study led by Henry's wifenumber six, Queen Catherine Parr. The King's conservative Catholicenemy, his Lord Chancellor ThomasWriothesley, had Anne Askewseized and tortured in the Tower ofLondon, hoping that she wouldincriminate the Queen in some way. Anne remained mute on the rack. SoWriothesley and his allies burned herat the stake in 1546.

Anne was a minor player in theearly English Reformation. But herBiblical faith and her evangelisticcourage typified the Protestant strandin Anglicanism, that would includesuch later heroes as the preacherGeorge Whitefield of the "GreatAwakening" in America, WilliamWilberforce of the campaign againstslavery in the British Empire, and themartyrs of Uganda in the 1880s. Today the Protestant tradition in

Anglicanism numbers tens ofmillions of Christians, chiefly inUganda and Nigeria.

The Pentecostal/HolinessStream

Two centuries after AnneAskew’s martyrdom, the Church ofEngland had fallen into idleness andspiritual ignorance. By the 1740s asub-Christian religion called Deismhad persuaded the Englisharistocracy that God was infinitelydistant, and the universe operatedlike clockwork with no divineintervention at all. This religionsatisfied the top 3% of thepopulation, cozy in their brickmansions and with dinner tablesloaded with tasty food and cellarsfull of port. Deism had nothing tosay to the bottom 50% of thepopulation, freezing and starving intheir mud-and-wattle hovels.

On a rainy Sunday morning in1740, a small man in a black cloakand broad-brimmed hat stood atop amound of bare earth and rock in a


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strip-mine near the great mercantileport city of Bristol. All around themound stretched a lunar landscape inevery direction. In this primitivecoal mine, the surface of the earthhad been violated and heaps of rockwere leaching out green and yellowminerals when it rained (as it didmost days). Some 20,000 coalminers and their wretched familieslived in this ugly wilderness. Theywere filthy, starving, frequentlydrunk on cheap gin, and largelyhopeless. The Deist Englisharistocrats had no interest in theirphysical squalor or in their spiritualagony.

But this Sunday the Rev. JohnWesley stood on a mound of rubblein the strip-mine. In a clear voicethat is audible for a hundred yardsaround, Wesley said that God lovesthe poor intensely. Quoting fromIsaiah 61:1 Wesley told how theSpirit of the Lord rested on JesusChrist, anointing him to preach goodnews to the poor. More than fivethousand miners and their wives andchildren were listening. Slowly bytwos and threes, then by dozens andsoon by scores, these wretchedminers sank to their knees in themud, tears making gutters down theirgrimy faces. For the first time intheir entire lives they were hearingthe good news that God loved them.

Wesley formed his convertsinto “classes” of a dozen each,meeting weekly in Bristol forinstruction in the faith, and formutual encouragement andaccountability. Soon Wesley noticedthat the Holy Spirit had by no meansfinished the work of conversion inthese transformed lives. Continuingworks of the Spirit enabled men andwomen to give up gin, to cease theirphysical abuse of one another, toacquire habits of thrift and self-care,and above all to hope in the Godwho was making their lives holy.

The “Methodist” movementspread to America in the 1760s, andafter the War of Independence it

hived off as a distinct denomination(as it later did in England). The 19thcentury summertime “campmeetings” spread the work of theSpirit far and wide among the smalltowns of the growing Midwest. By1900 more than twenty “Pentecostal”denominations had emerged,growing out of the Wesleyantradition. And in the 1960s the“Baptism in the Spirit” came backinto the Anglican Church. The Rev.Dennis Bennett in America and theRev. Michael Harper in Englandspearheaded the “CharismaticRevival” that spread to all themainline churches. By the 21stcentury the AnglicanHoliness/Pentecostal movement hadproduced the famous evangelisticAlpha Course that has spread aroundthe world. Firmly grounded in theBible like the Protestant tradition,the Pentecostal movementemphasizes the good news that theHoly Spirit is still working wonderstoday. And all God’s people, womenand men alike, are eligible for all thegifts that the Spirit bestows.

The AngloCatholic Stream

Both the Protestant and theHoliness/Pentecostal streams havefueled the evangelistic outreach ofthe Anglican tradition. But whatabout the centripetal force of theGospel as well, the love of God thatdraws us together in worship andfellowship and community? Herethe AngloCatholic stream hasprofoundly enriched the Anglicantradition.

In the 1830s the IndustrialRevolution was altering the face ofEngland more profoundly than anyforce had done since the invention ofsettled agriculture thousands of yearsbefore. New factories wereexploiting the former peasantpopulation of England, as landlordsdrove them off their farms and theyfled to the huge new cities for work.

Families of these wage-slaves livedin crowded tenement houses, asmany as twelve to a room, with nosanitary facilities and no clean water. Twelve of fourteen hours a day theylabored in cotton mills and otherfactories. These “dark, satanicmills” belched black clouds ofsmoke that covered the cities withtoxic grit. The new urban landscapewas hideously ugly.

A young Cambridgeundergraduate named John MasonNeale took a holiday from his studiesin 1838, riding on horseback aroundthe East Anglean countryside. Hewas a tall, angular youth,nearsighted, tousled and careless ofhis dress. He was terminally shy andusually in ill health. This unlikelyyouth was to transform the decayedworship of the Church of England,and to return the Anglican traditionto the beauty of holiness.

Everywhere he rode inCambridgeshire, Neale saw parishchurches untended and decrepit. Medieval parish churches had oncebeen colorful and lovely, their gothicarchitecture highlighting theelaborate altars at the east end of thebuildings. With the Reformation andits emphasis on the Word, however,altars had been dismantled and thechancels boarded up and used forstorage. For three hundred years,English church interiors had beenplain and whitewashed, theprominent pulpit underscoring theprimacy of preaching. Often theplain Communion Table was smalland obscure, sometimes even used asa coat-rack. John Mason Nealegrieved at the decay of beauty inAnglican worship. How could theindustrial working class imagineHeaven, if their erstwhile ruralchurches were decrepit, and therelatively few urban churches nobetter?

Neale had learned from theOxford Movement, a group ofscholars like John Keble and JohnHenry Newman in the rival


university town a few years earlier. The Oxford reformers had recalledthe Church of England to its historicroots in Early Christianity. Theybelieved that political leaders likeWilliam Wilberforce had weakenedthe Church in their efforts to reformsociety. They had paid scantattention to the worship and thecommunity life at the heart of theChurch's identity. Keble andNewman insisted that the Church ofEngland was a divine institution, theBody of Christ, and accountable toits Head through the tradition ofbishops, and not to an increasinglysecular Parliament. The Oxfordleaders called the Church of Englandback to its primary task, namely tothe worship of Almighty God andparticularly to the sacraments thatOur Lord had commanded.

John Mason Neale absorbedthe ideas of the Oxford Movement,and took them a step farther. How toembody this new primacy ofworship? Neale believed that therevival of gothic architecture andmedieval ceremony would draw themasses back into the churches, andshed the light of heavenly beauty

into their grimy and squalid lives.Neale founded a journal called TheEcclesiologist that aimed to restoreancient principles of churcharchitecture and the Christian pietythat had inspired it. Over the nextthirty years the program of TheEcclesiologist transformed theworship of the English Church andits daughters throughout theexpanding British Empire.

Light, color and symbolismbeautified the worship of the newAngloCatholic movement. Stained-glass windows were repaired. Chancels opened up to restore thealtars to their visual primacy in thebuilding. Crosses, candles, andliturgical colors reappeared in alltheir glory. Colored stoles andchasubles came out of the clothes-presses where they had lain in thesacristies. Bishops once againdonned copes and mitres. All thisoutward symbolism remindedAnglicans that their God is high andlifted up, majestic and worthy of allworship. John Mason Nealereminded Anglicans that the Churchis not only missional but alsoliturgical and sacramental.

Three Streams, One River

Fellowship amongst the threehistoric strands of Anglicanism hasoften been difficult. Protestantsinitially abhorred the “ritualism” ofthe 19th century AngloCatholics. Both streams questioned the“enthusiasm” of the 20th centuryPentecostal revival. But each streamhas challenged the others in theirweak points and their blind spots. The Protestant movement recalledthe 16th century Church to theprimacy of the Word - written, read,preached, inwardly digested. The18th century Holiness movementreminded the Church of God’s lovefor the poor. The AngloCatholicmovement re-grounded the Churchin the sacramental life of worship. All three strands are grounded in theGospel. Each one extrapolates theGospel in a specific direction. Nostrand is dispensable. OtherChristian bodies have often takenone strand to an extreme. By God’sgrace the Anglican tradition has heldthe streams in creative tension. Thismiracle of unity is a treasure worthkeeping.

The Rev. Dr. Les Fairfield taughtChurch History for thirty years at TrinitySchool for Ministry in Ambridge, PA.


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Birthdays and Anniversaries

Birthdays: 3 Jim Coburn11 Chauncey Medberry12 Kathryn DeRochemont12 Chase Puskar14 Khalil Khalaf22 Sophia Martinez23 Michael Chung26 Frank Krause

Baptisms: 1 Spencer Johnson 1 Pawinee Mullins 8 Joshlyn Aguirre 8 Fr. Steve Kennedy11 Colleen Disney18 Addison Puskar

Confirmations: 1 Kathryn DeRochemont 1 Lee Mullins 3 Jaclyn Poch 9 Christine Muñoz11 Jimmy Aguirre11 Chauncey Medberry11 Siew Tan28 Sally Ricord

Marriages: 6 Bill & Jillian Taylor14 Evelio &

Otmara Martinez, Jr.20 Richard & Terri Lund26 Fr. José & Maly Poch

Birthdays: 1 Siew Tan 3 Wanda Scott 6 Ana Cuadrado 8 Jimmy Aguirre10 Ken Thomas14 Matthew Saucedo24 Hugh Palmer25 Dan Pearson30 Dianne Magambo30 Christine Muñoz

Baptisms: 1 Darlene Fray 4 Jaclyn Poch 6 Shirley Christie22 Margaret (Peggy) Rice31 Rukevwe Okene31 Erica Okene31 Michael Okene

Confirmations: 1 Frank Krause27 Luisa Johnson

Marriages:14 Brainerd and Esther

Dharmaraj29 Robert and Ursula

Greer

Ordination toPriesthood: 9 Fr. José Poch31 Fr. Steve Kennedy

June/July Prayer NeedsHealing:Eileen AllenDante BabayanKent BridwellPat BurnsGarry ChristieGloria DelgadoEthan Alfred DerickFrank DurhamDon EitnerRandy ElliottForrest & Faye GreeneKeith and Chris GregoryJames HansonRev. Tom HeinzelGinger Johnson-McNamaraLuisa JohnsonPat Johnson-SchillVirginia Johnson-BishBeverly LongAllison Maury

Kathy McCabeDaniel MoranForrest MoyerCarol ProffittDorothy RideouttCrystal RobertsHarout SarafianWanda ScottSuarez familyChristiana ThielKen ThomasTompkins familyVincent TompkinsPrince TylerKevin WaferMyrna WeekesSally WillsCheryl YaneyRev. Cathie Young

Departed:Carl Rothe, Robert Luke

Serving in the Military:Benjamin James Bisetti,Michael Phillips, Nataly Yoncee

Missionaries to Honduras:Mike and Kim MillerAna Reid

Missionaries to Kenya:The Rev. Bryson andDeborah Samboja

Missionary to India:Diganta Maity

Missionary to Recife,Brazil:Gustavo Branco

Missionaries to Simbari, Papua New Guinea:David and Shari Ogg

Missionary:The Rev. David Alenskis

Serving in the PeaceCorps:Matthew Day

Organizations:Sudan Sunrise; Barnabas Fund; SOMA (Sharing ofMinistries Abroad);Anglican Church in NorthAmerica (ACNA); Diocese of WesternAnglicans; Hope of the Valley RescueMission; St. Michael’s in the City,Pasadena

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