Published by and for The Members and Friends of
St. Augustine by-the-Sea Episcopal Church

January, 2009 - Vol. 40, No. 01 - Archive - Search

An Invitation from the Healing Prayer Group by Gretchen Haight We invite anyone interested in exploring and discussing healing prayer to join with us in the reading of Healing in the Landscape of Prayer by Avery Brooke. We'll meet for 6 months, starting in January, on the first Saturday of each month, from 8:00 − 9:30 AM, to learn more about prayer, and in particular, praying with others, and to discern whether this ministry is one of interest to you. There will be a sign-up sheet on the patio, and please sign up as soon as possible so Marla will know how many books to order. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call me. My phone number is in the directory.

Putting the Mass back in Christmas
by The Rev. Hartshorn Murphy
As Christians, we likely resent the capitalistic impulse to commercialize sacred things for the sake of money. Even St. Nicholas, the 4th century Bishop of Myra, was morphed into Jolly Saint Nick or Santa Claus, in no small measure by Episcopal clergyman, Clement Moore, who in 1823 penned "'Twas the Night before Christmas." Although it should be noted that Lee Standiford, in his book The Man Who Invented Christmas, makes the case that Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1838) truly created the secular Christmas by "replacing the slippery Holy Ghost with anthropomorphized spirits, the infant Christ with a crippled child whose salvation waits on man's − not God's − generosity. … MORE

Anglicans: Acting Out
by The Rev. Hartshorn Murphy
Back in the mid 1970's, the church was in an uproar over the ordination of women as priests and bishops. We had had deaconesses for quite some time - women could comfortably be seen in a servant role - but to ordain women as leaders was a threat to male pejoratives and power and maybe, pride. … MORE

Prop. Eight − A Final Word
(Reprint of a sermon by Ian Lawton)
America has taken one step back and one step forward on the issue of sexuality and equality. California's Proposition 8, a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, passed. One step back for equality. A week later, more than 100 retired generals and admirals called for repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy so that LGBT people can serve openly in the military. One step forward for equality.… MORE

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