The Eagle, December 2004

I hope I do not presume too much by offering the following sermon preached this last weekend as my message for this month’s Eagle. It comes with my prayers that each of us will, indeed, find the peace and freedom offered us in that manger in Bethlehem.

A sermon preached by the Revd RL Ficks III at Evensong at Saint John’s Church, Washington, Connecticut on the Feast of Christ the King (11/21/04)

There are occasions on which I am annoyed with the “new” hymnal. There has been, on more than one instance within it, mischief played with the poetry of men and women long gone…and unable to defend their art and efforts…mischief played in order to accommodate new social sensibilities. I don’t like that. After all, one does not make changes to the Mona Lisa because some new understanding has rendered it at odds with current thinking.

Yet, in fairness, there is much good about this hymnal. Many fine new hymns have been made accessible to us…some from centuries ago and some far more modern. Amongst those hymns we have not seen before is one we will sing during the coming weeks of Advent. Its lyrics were penned by Frederico J. Pagura, a Bishop of the Methodist Evangelical Church of Argentina and Past-President of the World Council of Churches. It was translated from the Spanish by F Pratt Green, a man who devoted his life to the hymnody of the Church and, in 1995, five years before his death, was named MBE by the Queen for his services to hymn writing. Serious men…serious Christians…trying to communicate, through their art, something of truth. The first verse of this glorious hymn, Blest be the King Whose Coming (The Hymnal 1982, hymn #74), reads as follows:

Bishop Pagura has seized a vision (and Mr Green has given it to us in our own tongue)…a vision that strikes me as being at the heart of the Feast we celebrate this evening…a feast that is, in fact, rather confusing…at least if we examine it in more than a cursory manner.

To sing the words of the opening hymn…“Alleluia, sing to Jesus, his the scepter, his the throne…alleluia, sing to Jesus, His the victory alone”…to sing these words…and then to listen to the 145^th Psalm…“I will exalt you, O God my King, and bless your name for ever and ever”…to do all this and then to pray the words of the Collect for this Feast, “Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in thy well-beloved Son, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords”…to do all this is to be left with an image that, while it may rest comfortably on the mind, upon examination, hasn’t much of anything to do with an itinerant preacher from Nazareth. A preacher who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and, in but five days, so offended the powers that be...the proper society of the age…that he was expeditiously killed as would have been any common criminal.

Kingship has to do with winning…with power…with armed might…with financial security…with being looked up to…with maintaining the status quo. Kingship, at least as the wisdom of the ages would attest, hasn’t anything to do with riding into town on donkeys…or offending everyone by throwing the moneychangers out of the Temple (heck, they had always been there and everyone benefited from their presence)…or actually living so humbly that no one really notices you…or hears you…unless...unless they listen very carefully.

And, of course, here is the issue. To what voice, or voices, are we listening? The current voice of the age…or the ceaseless, eternal, and unchanging voice of the ages. The voice that calls us to wander aimlessly, or even desperately, from one new thing to another…or the voice of the Creator of all things from before time and through time and beyond time…the Creator of all things…to whom nothing is new, and who wants nothing more for us, his children...his creations…than for us to know the truth about ourselves and the world around us and, in that truth, to find the freedom for which we so long.

I suppose that these conflicting images are apt and good, even though difficult, for we stand at the edge of the five weeks of the year during which the two are most deeply at odds.

What will we make of these coming weeks? Madness? The rushing from one thing to the next seeking something that is not now, and never will be, there? Or perhaps the achievement of some sort of peaceful drawing nigh to that manger in which sleeps the helpless child of a penniless couple of no social or political note?

The former takes nothing…just the willingness to be dragged along. The latter takes much…for it asks that we learn a humility that can actually allow us hear the voice of this man we call our King…not just pretend…but actually to hear it.

What makes it so hard for us to hear? What is it that gets in the way? What burdens us and deafens us and drowns out the voice that wants only to speak the truth to us? We each, I suspect, have an idea what it is…but what will we do with it…what will we do in our lives to change the ways things are? I wonder.

Perhaps Bishop Pagura’s closing stanza is worthy of note…and carrying with us in the days ahead…or, one might suggest, for all our days.

Christmas Pageant

This year’s Christmas Pageant will take place at the 10:00 a.m. service on the 19^th of December. Bruce and Helena Fifer have agreed, once again, to direct the Pageant, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their generosity in doing this. We REALLY DO NEED volunteers to help spruce up the costumes for the Pageant. They are starting to come a bit to pieces, and we would also love to try to add a few new ones. Please call the Rector (868-2527) and let him know that you will be willing to help with this. We will then see that you are contacted promptly and instructed how you might help. We promise that we will not dump a huge amount of work in your lap at this time of year, but we surely could use a bit of help.

For those who will be participants in the Pageant (and every child at Saint John’s is hereby invited), there will be a meeting in the Undercroft on Sunday, the 12^th of December, 11:15 a.m. at which costumes will be distributed and the initial discussion regarding who will take which roles will take place. The following Saturday, December 18^th, we will gather in the Parish House at Noon for pizza and will then adjourn to the Church for Pageant rehearsal. While it would be great if interested participants could be at both gatherings, we’ll figure out a way around it if you could only get to one…but please do try to get there for both of them.

The Pageant is a wonderful part of our life at Saint John’s, and we eagerly anticipate it again this year.

Prayers for the Sick ~ We find that there is a tendency occasionally, for those who asked to have people prayed for, to forget to let us know when those prayers might be discontinued. In light of this, it seems appropriate once a year to begin afresh. With this in mind, on the second Sunday in Advent we will remove from the Prayer List names which we are unable to identity in the Office and ask that, if we remove a name you wish continued on the Prayer List, you take a moment to call the Office (868.2527) and make that request.

Layreaders, Chalice Bearers, Acolytes and Ushers ~ Please be aware that any member of the Parish who is interested in becoming involved in any of these ministries should feel free to contact the Rector and let him know of that interest. You would be most welcomed and your gifts received with gratitude.

We have a special need this year for new Acolytes. A number of our more senior corps members have gone off to college. Any young person in fourth grade or above would be welcomed to become involved in this ministry in the life of Saint John’s. Please contact Father Ficks (868-2527) for additional details.

Advent Lessons & Carols

On Sunday, December 5^th at 5:00 p.m., a traditional service of Advent Lessons and Carols will be sung by the Choir of Saint John’s. Participating in this service will be the Clergy and Episcopal Parishes of Litchfield County. The Officiant for the service will be The Right Reverend Andrew Smith, Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut. This beautiful service, with a long history in the Anglican Church, will offer us an opportunity in the days of Advent to reflect upon the approaching gift of the Incarnation. This service is a wonderful opportunity to step back from the inevitable demands of this time of year, quietly to reflect, pray, and listen. There will be a reception after the service in the Parish House. It is terribly important that all of us make an effort to attend this Service and to bring a small offering for the Refreshment Table at the reception to follow. It need not be a complicated one but it seems an appropriate manner in which to welcome our visitors from the area to a time of refreshment and fellowship. It is also somewhat urgent that two or three amongst us step forward to oversee the reception. This does not mean that you have to prepare it all but simply be present in the Parish House ahead of the Service to receive these offerings and see that they are arranged on the tables which will have been set-up for them or placed in the oven to keep warm, etc. Please call the Rector (868-2527) to let him know you would be willing help with this aspect of the evening’s festivities.

Loaves & Fishes ~ Our day for Loaves & Fishes is December 17^th. Please sign up for cooking food or delivering it and serving it at Loaves & Fishes. The sign-up sheet is in the Parish House. Please have the pans of food delivered by noon on the 17^th. Please note: we are in need of volunteers to help with serving on that day. It will not take a great deal of your time, but it will be a tremendous help at the Soup Kitchen. Please give the Office (868-2527) a call to find out more about how you can help in this way.

Adult Forum ~ The final meeting of this Autumn’s Adult Forum took place on November 21^st. Under the Reverend Rowan Greer’s able leadership, the forum has been a wonderfully successful, informative, and provocative arena during the entire Fall. Father Greer’s gifts to us of his time and his wisdom… not to mention his great good humor… are a precious part of the life of this parish church. We are deeply in his debt for this kindness and look forward to continued meetings with him in the future. This Autumn’s course on “Reform and Renewal: Evangelicals and Tractarians” was a series of ten lectures. If you missed some of them, please be aware that they are available in their entirety on the Saint John’s website. You are urged to go to www.stjohnswashington.org to find the text of these addresses.

Christmas Flowers ~ You may request that individuals be remembered at Christmas in the service leaflet for the Christmas services by calling the Office. If you would like to contribute to helping with the decorating of the Church at Christmas in the name of these individuals, you may also do that by sending your contribution to Saint John’s Church, PO Box 1278, Washington 06793 and mark the envelope “Christmas Flowers.”

Services for Advent and Christmastide 2004-2005 ~ At the end of the Eagle, you will find a listing of Advent and Christmastide services. We hope to see you at as many of them as possible.

Christmas Toy Drive

This year we will be collecting toys for the Food Drive that serves various organizations in this area. Among them are organizations such as the Senior Center, PAL, Veterans of CT, The Santa Fund of New Milford, and a number of others. In total over a hundred families received gifts and non-perishable foodstuffs through this effort overseen by Don Claydy, who has dedicated his time to this for well on to twenty years. There will be a box in the Baptistry very clearly marked to receive your gifts of new unwrapped toys and non-perishable food items. Last year, through Mr. Claydy’s efforts, 56 food baskets were delivered to those in need in this area of Litchfield County and over 500 kids received approximately five Christmas gifts they might otherwise not have received. We urge you to take time between now and December 19^th (the fourth Sunday in Advent) to bring in your gifts and food. This is a wonderful effort on behalf of those in need in our area by one man who has made a personal campaign out of doing all he can to bring light into the ofttime dark worlds of people who live practically at our very doorstep.

Stewardship For the year 2005 ~ Late in October you should have received the Vestry’s request for your support of Saint John’s during 2005. If you have not done so as of yet, we ask that you take time to review this request. Your support of Saint John’s is essential to our continued strength, and we pray that your response will be generous. If you did not receive this letter and wish to receive one, please call the Office (868-2527) and let us know. We will send it right along.

News from The Altar Guild ~ St. John's is extraordinarily fortunate to have silk embroidered hangings [paraments], stoles, and chasubles worn by the clergy in all of the Liturgical Colors. These colors symbolize to us the seasons and the life of our Lord.
White or Ivory is used for the great feasts of Christmas and Easter and for Ascension, the Feast of Christ the King, and Trinity Sunday. It is also used for Baptism, Matrimony and Funerals. Red is used on only two Sundays a year: Palm Sunday and Pentecost. Purple is the color for the penitential seasons of preparation in Advent for Christ’s birth and in Lent for Easter. There are two exceptions: the third Sunday of Advent and the fourth Sunday of Lent, when the colors change to Rose. Green is used for most of the year, beginning with the second Sunday after Epiphany until Lent and then beginning again on the Second Sunday after Pentecost and ending with Advent. Our White, Red, and Purple sets were designed and made in 1917 when the new church was built. They were commissioned by the Altar Guild, and principally paid for by Mrs Orville Platt, the wife of Senator Orville Platt, and by Mrs. Edward Van Ingen. These original paraments are beautifully embroidered and are among the treasures of St. John's. Over the years the embroideries have stood up well. as members of the Altar Guild are careful to wear white cotton gloves when handling them. However, the underlying silks are all very fragile. They have been stabilized insofar as possible, but last year the white silk chasuble disintegrated and could no longer be repaired. The Altar Guild decided to replace it by having it copied exactly with the original bandings and lace sewn onto the new garment. However, Kirsten Knutsen and I discovered that none of the sources of ecclesiastical fabrics in the

United States

or in

England

had ivory silk. Another member of the Altar Guild, Drika Purves, came to the rescue when on a trip to Rome she found that the ecclesiastical outfitters shop, Gammarelli, had beautiful ivory silk woven with the symbol of the cross. She purchased the fabric, and we sent it with our original chasuble to Whipple and Co. in

England

. They made our new chasuble from the Gammarelli silk and our original bandings and handmade lace around the neck. The bandings match the stole, veil and burse for the communion service. Father Ficks will wear the newly "restored" chasuble this Christmas. The cost of the silk and the custom work is about $1000. The Altar Guild has covered the cost, but we would be most grateful if members of the parish would be inclined to make contributions to help us preserve our treasured vestments. Checks should be made out to the St. John's Altar Guild. St. John's has also been fortunate to have received two beautiful altar cloths and a set of small linens from Darcy and Treacy Beyer who had them made in Florence, Italy. It seems that the Italians are coming to the rescue as our old fabrics wear out. We are very grateful to the Beyers.

Vestry News ~ At its regularly scheduled meeting of November 21, 2004 the following received attention:

The Stewardship Committee reported that its work was progressing well and that responses to the request to support Saint John's in the year ahead were coming in well and there was optimism that we were moving toward our goal for this year steadily and in good order.

The Rector commented on a few minor Buildings and Grounds projects that were proceeding satisfactorily.

The Nominating Committee met after the close of the regular Vestry Meeting and prepared its slate of officers and new Vestry members for 2005

MUSIC NOTES ~ As I begin my third month as Music Director at St. John's I am astonished to reflect that a period so crowded with incident has gone by in a mere 9 weeks. I can assure you that the fierce rush of musical life in Washington CT continues unabated. In fact, as I write this I am rather looking forward to a 48 hour Thanksgiving trip to New York City, where the pace is far more leisurely.

Among the many good things that have happened since mid-September, I must put at the top of the list the welcome expansion of the male section of the choir. Two of our excellent long-time members, Dick Hayward and Rudy Mangels, have returned after the happy resolution of health concerns, and a fine new baritone, Michael Doran, has recently joined our jolly crew. These singers are a great boon and a blessing.

On the 14th of November we were fortunate to hear a truly superb recital played in the church by piano virtuoso (and good friend of the parish), Thomas Brown. What a pleasure it was to hear such quintessential piano music played with such quintessential pianism! We now look forward to the final two concerts of the '04-'05 St. John's Series. Horacio Franco, the world-renowned wizard of the recorder, will play here on Sunday, the 16th of January; and the Yale Wiffenpoofs will bring the series to an end in their uniquely delightful way on Sunday, the 8th of May.

The Choristers program, after several false starts due to scheduling conflicts, has now got itself on track with post-Service rehearsals on Sunday mornings. Attendance is becoming more and more consistent, and we look forward to Christmas Eve, when the Choristers will be providing music in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many thanks to the parents of Choristers who have made the effort to get these young singers to rehearsals. As always, the success of such a program depends upon you.

I take this opportunity to remind you of two upcoming events at St. John's, to both of which we look forward to welcoming you. A Service of Advent Lessons and Carols will take place on Sunday, the 5th of December, at 5.PM (see Flash! Alert! below); and the annual Christmas Candlelight Concert will be given by The Saint John's Chorale on Friday, the 10th of December at 8. PM, and again on Sunday, the 12th of December, at 4. PM (tickets available at the Hickorystick Bookshop and Parks Drugs).

In the fervent hope that you all may remain calm, sane, and healthy as we plunge headlong into the 'holiday' season, I remain

FLASH! ALERT! The Choir is in rather urgent need of an alto for the 5th of Dec. Service of Advent Lessons and Carols (in particular), and at all other services for-ever-and-ever-amen (in general). If there are any experienced or somewhat-experienced altos out there, PLEASE get in touch with me as soon as possible. There is to be a special Saturday rehearsal specifically for this service on Saturday the 4th of Dec. The exact time has yet to be determined. The music for this service, while not excessively difficult, is, so to speak, plentiful. Help will be appreciated to a degree you would scarcely believe.

Christmas Toy Drive

November 28

December 12

December 19

December 24

December 25

December 26

January 2, 2005

Second Sunday after Christmas 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist