A minor

Busy Times Are Here Again

I hope you will bear with the paucity of posts here these days. Likewise, I hope to be able to post more in coming weeks, but I am currently working around 55 hours a week between two jobs, taking a course in environmental science, and trying to get us moved into our new rental house (for you Monrovians, on Eason Place, which runs between Oliver Road and Park Avenue; we're toward the Oliver Road end). Despite the full schedule, I've remained in good health (for a change), which might have something to do with feeling so productive. Who knows? But, alas, the blog has suffered.

One of the big projects I'm working on right now at Grace is an overhaul of the monthly parish newsletter, Grace Notes. I've posted a link here to a draft (in PDF) of the new cover page of this work-in-progress. Let me know if you have any comments or suggestions. I'm using Publisher and shooting for something similar to the print-version of the newsletter of St Mark's Cathedral in Shreveport, The Evangelist.

Hollie and I are being confirmed at Grace tomorrow by Bishop Bruce MacPherson. The service starts at 10:15 a.m. if any of you locals are interested in coming. While I still disagree with certain takes on confirmation (being a paedocommunionist), I have found many aspects of the whole process to be helpful.

Following is a letter to our former elders and their response. I hope it explains the rationale and manner in which we've come to our decision.

From: Jon Amos
To: list
Cc: list
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 16:50:25 -0500
Subject: release of membership

Dear Elders of Christ Church & Trinity Reformed Church, Moscow, Idaho:

Grateful for your ministry to us during our time in Moscow, and in keeping with your Constitution (although it's been just over the prescribed six months from moving), we ask you to release us to the care of Grace Episcopal Church, Monroe, LA.

Grace is an exceptionally faithful parish in the Episcopal Church, USA. In case you are interested, its Mission Statement is as follows:

"Grace Episcopal Church is a traditional Anglican parish, committed to the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Holy Scripture and the Book of Common Prayer. We are a family-oriented congregation, which includes a pre-K through Eighth Grade day school. As a diverse Christian family, we strive to share Christ’s love and teachings with all people by increasing our outreach to the community, fulfilling our baptismal vows and strengthening our spiritual growth and commitment to each other."

Naturally, we will continue to be active at our "mother church," Auburn Avenue Presbyterian, but we have decided that it is best for us to become confirmed members of Grace, effective April 25. This difficult decision is largely based on my desire to pursue a ministerial vocation within the Anglican tradition and within the US Armed Forces. (In his spare time [hah], the Rev'd Canon Gregg Riley, Grace's rector, is one of the senior chaplains [Lt Col, promotable] in the Kansas Army National Guard. He is also one of those rare Episcopal priests who opposes not only homosexual consecration, but women's ordination.)

In the meantime, we are reckoned baptized members of Grace Church - including our new son, Levi, who is one month old today, and who Father Riley is baptizing this evening, following the Great Vigil of Easter service.

Yours sincerely,

jon

for Jon, Hollie, Ethan & Levi Amos

------------------------------

From: Patch Blakey
To: Jon Amos
Cc: list
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2004 09:27:50 -0700
Subject: Re: release of membership

Dear Jon,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for your recent note requesting to be released from Christ Church membership. The elders, in their meeting this morning, voted to release you and your family from membership in Christ Church. We wish God's blessings on you and your family.

In Christ,

Patch Blakey
Session Moderator

Nearest Book Quote

Page 23, Sentence 5: "Our task is to grow up into the Our Father, to dare to impersonate our older brother, seeking daily bread and daily forgiveness as we do so: to wear his clothes, to walk in his shoes, to feast at his table, to weep with him in the garden, to share his suffering, and to know his victory."

—N. T. Wright, The Lord and His Prayer

Levi's Baptism

When this action has been completed [i.e. baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -ja], the Priest, at a place in full sight of the congregation, prays over them, saying

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon these your servants the forgiveness of sin, and have raised them to the new life of grace. Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen.

Then the Priest places a hand on the person's head, marking on the forehead the sign of the cross [using Chrism if desired] and saying

Levi Ellis Amos, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own for ever. Amen.

The Celebrant says

Let us welcome the newly baptized.

Celebrant and People

We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.

(The Book of Common Prayer [1979], "Holy Baptism," page 308)

Holy Week at Grace

And holy cow, has it been a week! I'm done with the programs for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. All that's left on The Great Vigil of Easter program is for the rector to proof it, for me to copy & paste or scan some chanted responses, and for my dear volunteers and me to run it tomorrow. I still have the Easter Sunday program to do, but I hope to knock most of it out tonight so that we can run it tomorrow with The Great Vigil program.

Speaking of Holy Week at Grace, here is the schedule for any locals who might be intersted in visiting:

MAUNDY THURSDAY
You just missed it. And too bad; it was beautiful - one of the most dramatic and yet traditional services I've ever been to.
GOOD FRIDAY
11:30am Stations of the Cross
12:00pm Liturgy
5:30pm Stations of the Cross
6:00pm Liturgy
HOLY SATURDAY
6:00pm The Great Vigil of Easter, Holy Baptism, and the First Eucharist of Easter
Note: Levi is being baptized at this service. All are cordially invited.
EASTER SUNDAY
8:00am (said) Eucharist, 1928 Book of Common Prayer
10:15am (choral) Eucharist with incense, '79 BCP, Rite I

In other news, I went to Auburn Avenue's noon liturgical prayer service today, and it was great. Afterwards, I showed the service program to Father Riley, who noted the hodge-podge of liturgical sources with interest. ("Their collect is from our Evening Prayer." "We don't sing the Te Deum during Lent." "Hm. Cool.")