Epiphany News

Here’s the bulletin for use in Worship January 1, 2012. If this process works as planned, you should find the bulletin online on this page at least a day or two before the worship service.

Bulletin for January 1, 2012

Each week during the Prayers of the People, we lift the name in prayer of one or more parishes and ministries of the Episcopal Church in Alabama and beyond. Not this Sunday but next, January 8, we will be calling our own name as part of the Alabama Diocese 2011-2012 Cycle of Prayer. As we do, we will be joined by Episcopal congregations across the Alabama Diocese. What better time for us to be lifted in prayer than the week during which we celebrate our namesake festival, the Feast of the Epiphany, AND the Sunday we have declared as Guest Sunday? More on that soon. What fun to be part of a communion that celebrates prayer!

Father Arnold asked us to share this with the congregation today:

E-Epistle from Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, Tallassee, AL
From the Rev. Arnold A. Bush, Pastor

Greetings in the name of the Messiah, Jesus, to all of you a few days before we celebrate His birth. I am asking Kathy Haynie and Ann Easley to send this out on their e-mail addresses because the office computer address book is incomplete.

CHRISTMAS EVE FESTIVE EUCHARIST. 6:30 PM, Saturday, Dec. 25. On this Christmas Eve or Day emulate the Shepherds of Bethlehem and the Wise Men from the East who traveled to worship the Christ Child. The program/bulletin will be user friendly including all the Prayer Book texts except the Christmas Carols in the hymnal. Worshiping in the CHRIST-MASS often sanctifies and gives deeper meaning to all our Christmas festivities and events.

I encourage you to invite and bring any friends or relatives on Christmas Eve. Also, invite them to our Guests’ Sunday Instructed Eucharist on Sunday, January 8 at 10:30 am as we celebrate the Season of Epiphany.

THE GREENING OF THE CHURCH. Al Cantrell and Betty Weldon encourage anyone to assist them in decorating the church and grounds on Thursday, December 22 at 2:00 PM. Does anyone want to “wrap” three trees with a string of white lights in front of the Parish House?

PASTORAL NEEDS AND PRAYERS. Pam Stewart facing surgery tomorrow. John Haynie will be delivering the Angel Tree Gifts to the “adopted” family on behalf of Christ and our congregation. Pam coordinated this helpful ministry. Also, remember Lynda Denton in your prayers for healing as she recovers from last week’s surgery.

BEANS AND RICE OUTREACH MINISTRY. Betty Weldon reported that 28 families were given in the name of Christ “Christmas sacks with food and Beans and Rice” on Saturday, December 17. Many expressed their thanks for Epiphany Church being an answer to their prayers.

CHRISTMAS OFFERING. The vestry approved earmarking your Christmas Offering for poinsettias’ and Pew Bibles ($11.00) for Parish House and Church. This notice was in the “Packet” received early this week. Bibles can be given in memory of someone or in thanksgiving so designated inside the cover.

This Week’s
Notes

Mentoring Faith Development

Session Description

There’s more to developing faith than listening to
sermons and reading a book. And though there’s been a lot of talk about
mentoring for spiritual development, there’s a paucity of how-to information.
In this episode, Drs. Bill and Kris tackle the tough task of helping faith take
root and bloom.

Session Outline

By and large, many (if not most) church members are
unsatisfied with the depth of their spirituality – they’ve “stalled”
(according to the Reveal study by Willow Creek Association

• But
  there is no easy solution … no magic pill
• Willow
  Creek concluded that spiritually hungry people “need to feed
  themselves”
• But
  that’s the very issue … this suggests that spiritually hungry people can
  “feed themselves”

But faith development is not a solo journey – it
virtually never happens alone

Developing faith is not just learning “about”
Jesus, God, theology, spiritual disciplines, etc.

How can you measure if faith is developing?

• Changes
  in behavior
• Changes
  in worldview
• Changes
  in thoughts

Faith development comes only through practice … the
doing, not just the learning

Mentoring Faith Development

• Start
  with the mentors (i.e., start with yourself)
• Every
  mentor needs (1) a mentor; and (2) an mentee

Step 1

• There
  must be a willingness to submit
• Submit
  ≠ doormat or unthinking puppet
• Submit
  = willing to be led (to be teachable and coachable)

Step 2

• There
  must be a willingness to practice
• Practice
  = doing something over and over – get the spiritual muscles in shape

Step 3

• There
  must be a mentor
• Best
  mentor is someone mentee respects
• Children
  and youth: The next age group
• Adults:
  Someone with demonstrated fruit and perceived wisdom

Step 4

• There
  must be a plan (something to practice)
• Can
  be formal or informal

The Five Core Personal Faith Development Practices

• Scripture
  Reading and Reflection
• Prayer:
  both talking and listening
• Encouraging
  One Another
• Intentional
  Serving in Jesus’ Name
• Faith
  Sharing

Practical Faith Application

• Adopting
  and asking behavioral accountability questions
• Neil
  Cole. Cultivating a Life for God
• Bill
  Tenny-Brittian. High-Voltage Spirituality

Formal Mentoring Process

• Intentional
  and regular time together
• Life
  sharing
• Accountability
• Skill
  introduction (when needed)
• Set
  appointment
• Practice

Informal Mentoring Process

In passing, in a small group, one-on-one, etc. ask one of
the five

Discipleship Development Questions:

1. What have you read in scripture this
   week that intrigued you?
2. What have you heard from God in your
   quiet time this week – and what are you going to do about it?
3. Who have you encouraged in the faith
   this week?
4. Whose life did you touch in Jesus’ name
   this week?
5. How have you shared your faith this week
   and what was the result?

Discussion Questions

1. Are you satisfied with your spiritual
   life? Why or why not?
2. What have you done to try and deepen
   your spiritual life? Has it been successful?
3. How could a spirituality mentor (or
   partner or friend) be helpful in faith development?
4. Which of the Discipleship Development
   Questions do you most need to hear each week?

 

These are the notes of The Revd Arnold Bush in preparation for his homily at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany December 4, 2011, the first of two sermons on Christian Giving.

I. Introduction
Please pick up a blank sheet of paper. I want you to imagine what this piece of paper represents. You skills, and abilities, our physical investments, home, autos, property, bank accounts, relationships in your family, and friends.. Some have large homes some smaller, some more expensive cars and some less expensive. You have varying incomes. This is you and the folks you live with. The NT and Jesus tell us that we need to give, to share some of the resources with have. He asks us to make a decision to give a percentage of our financial income and the Body of Christ, and the Work of Christ though the Church. He does not say for all of us to make a vow of poverty and enter a convent or monetary, But expects us to give a 10th or a tithe of my work. This is a symbol of our offering each Sunday.
I want to just read off a list of “External Motives” for giving to the work of Christ through His Church, Epiphany Church.
Give to the Church out of duty: I am supposed to give… my Dad and Mom told me to give… BCP, catechism.. my bounden duty is to work, pray and give for the spread of his kingdom. To give to the church is obligatory. “Those persons” are not giving a sharing the load of expanding the ministry here. A type of external voice, “Do this, Do your part…Give this… you ought to be ashamed our yourself for not giving”

Give out of guilt: Sometimes we feel guilty when we do not carry our load… or we give to remove any guilt. Some of us guilt is surfaced easily with any appeal for a need, a house fire, purchasing food for a homeless person, giving to Bishop’ Dollars, A house fire, Special Needs after Hurricanes on April 27…

Give our fair share: Zoe and I make a pledge to the United Way.. Their brochures refer to “MY FAIR SHARE”… One days salary for a yearly pledge. Or if the vestry creates a budget of 200,000 for the year and there are hundred giving units in the congregation…. Then one can see my fair share is $2,000. When I retired in 2002, the average annual pledge was $2500. This assumes all have the same amount of income.. Some can easily give more than $2,000, some cannot give this amount. Not based on a % of their actual income.

Some say, I want to give until it hurts: Some say I am going to give and deny myself some luxuries, such as eating out several times a week, delaying that expensive trip, postponing a large purchase, etc, I want to give till it hurts…. However, each person has different thresholds of pain. Physical Therapy? On your level of pain, what is your level of pain on a scale of 1 through 10?

Some, do not want to make a pledge, but their motive is to give when they feel like it. Some say my motive is to give when I feel like it. Some will say “I do not like to make a pledge” even though they pledge a monthly mortgage on their house, or have a monthly car payment or a monthly note on an appliance, or a large card debt. They like to give to special appeals the church carpet, roof repair, painting or AC/Heating or sending members on a mission trip. These make them feel good.

Give the same each year. To give the same old same old. These tend to be very small amounts. Some have given the same $50.00 each month for years, yet their income over the 40 years has moved from $5,000 a year to $50,000 a year. Sometime call “token pledges.”As a teenager growing up in Laurel, MS working in my father’s construction company, I gave the same $.50 earning minimum wage through college. When I gave folding money in St. Andrew’s, Jackson in college, I had doubled my weekly gift to the church.

Give what others are giving: When I retired from St. Jude’s the average annual pledge was about $2,500 a year. $2,500 is a tithe of $25,000 annual income. We had two Inquirer’s or confirmation classes a year. In these sessions I had a unit on the habit so Christian Giving. What do folks give here… the average is $2,500.. my estimate of average income was 40-70,000.

“The Meat Motive” Malachi 3:10 reads: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house.” Paying the bill sto keep Epiphany open, clergy salaries, utilities, upkeep, outreach, communications, and administration. This is not related to a percent of income going to do the work of God’s Kingdom.

“Come beg me.” In some congregations I have served, there was always a few who said, when the pledges are all in, come let me know what you need and I will then give to meet the budget for the next year. I will fund a the music, or youth. The is the “Big Daddy” in the congregation.
”If it is a secret,” then it is bound to be good. I do not want anyone to know what I am giving each year. Sometimes that is a family who gives 25% of the total budget, but they want this to be a secret.

II This sermon is about our need to make this percentage of offering.
What motivation to give this offering? And some of the benefits.

Our need to give
How to live happy within a family? How to have a sense of fulfillment and meaning? How experience the summit of our emotions as a human being?

Paul speaks the great value of combining godliness with contentment. He says with what food and clothing we have we are to be content with these. Philippians 4:10-13: I have leaned to be content in all circumstances with little or with plenty.
Anyone remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs in 1943? Physical (food and shelter); Security; Social, Belonging; Esteem; and Self actualization. That was on a test in Psychology 101. God has created us with a DNA with a need to give, to give ourselves to help and support others.

Today people a searching for meaning? What experiences can a young adult have that will give them meaning?
How many know where the fraternity houses are in Tuscaloosa, AL? A family in Gulf Shores,AL had their son as the Pledge chairman for a local fraternity took a risk to bring his pledge class and several members to Gulf Shores. E.G. Fraternity at Univ. of AL coming to Gulf Shores to do house repairs after Hurricane Ivan. In reporting to his parents he said: That felt good!!! That was so meaningful to the pledge class… the brothers.

What seems to expand the endorphins and dopamine in our bodies? (See Compass of Pleasure David J. Linden, MD,) An experience of Giving… helping… doing something for someone. People will feel good. God has created the human brain so that helping others allows us to experiences waves of satisfaction as we do acts of kindness, giving help to those in need, giving financial gifts to the ministry of helping others.

Study done At Harvard Business School, published June 2, 2008. by Sara Jane B Gilbert. Appeared in March 21, 2008 issue of Science.
Professor Michael Norton and two colleagues from the University of British Columbia did the research.
Can money buy you Happiness? Yes…. So long as you spend the money one someone else. According to this new research, giving to other people even as little as $ 5.00 can lead to increased well-bring for the giver.
Their research indicates that how people choose to spend their money is at least as important as how much money they make. It is the way one spends money that tends to product more happiness.
Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians (Chapt. 9) “God loves a cheerful Giver.”

In a “Mind and Body” article in that youthful magazine, AARP is helpful here. Organically published in National Geographic, states that growing body research discovering that persons in the second half of their life fine fatality and purpose as they connect to others in helping by “making a difference.” Dr. Harold G. Koenig, M.D, professor of psychiatry and behavior sciences at Duke writes this about persons who are guided and giving themselves to others. He says “they have stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, a lower risk of heart attack and cancer. And heal faster and live longer.” Dr. Koenig of Duke, notes that the correlation between religious faith and health has be analyzed in more than 2,200 studies over the past few years. The Research shows that people who give them self to worship in a church or the synagogue four times a month are less likely to engage in risky behavior, be depressed, or feel chronic stress. In a study of 20,000 indicated that African Americans live 14 years longer than the nonchurch going counterparts and American whites live 7 years longer than the nonchurch going persons.

Giving is part of our DNA… how we are wired.. created by God.. we are crated to be giving creatures… WE are not creatures that must always be taking in. WE want small children to learn how to share.

Our 7 year old grandson Zachary in Spanish Fort, AL. Alex in B’ham. playing soccer… “they took the ball away from me… the y won’t let me play with the ball… that is being stingy. Adults say I need to learn to share the ball… share to toy… share a piece of cookie.”.

All of us need to give. We have a need to make an offering to God.
All of us have a need to give… all of us.. all of us want to raise our children and grandchildren to experience the joy and delight in helping others…
We want to raise teens that mature in adolescent years to have events and projects in doing SERVICE TO OTHERS; Mission Trips; My youngest daughter was a youth minister at Grace Church, Charleston for 6 years. A large portion of youth ministry is providing structures so the growing teen can have the opportunity to be engaged in helping. Sawerville, Paint Birmingham, repair homes in poor neighbor hoods in SC.
Young adults as well as ourselves want to marry and live with a person who gives of them selves to the folks around them.

Sea of Galilee and Dead Sea( Did not use)
Using the metaphor of the Sea of Galilee ( Lake Tiberius) and the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee is filled with fish, beaches, forest around it shores, a place for recreation and fresh water. The water flows into the Lake from the fresh springs and rivers from the North. At the south end is the Jordan River flowing down to Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea has a high percent of salt. When you swim in it your body floats on the top. There is not fish, wild life, and fresh water. It is below sea level. It does not replenish itself.

A healthy Lake is one where fresh water flows into the lake and flows out. An unhealthy lake is one that only takes in and never flows out.

Is your life style more like the Sea of Galilee or the Dead Sea?
Giving your resources away, generous, unselfish, charitable, live with open hands…Altruistic OPEN HANDS

Or are you more like the Dead Sea… Hording your resources.. Selfish, tightfisted, closed hands, self-centered, egocentric, In the Epistle, do not be arrogant, or haughty with your financial resources.

If we are going to be healthy individuals… we have to develop a live style of giving our financial resources to the Work of Christ through His Church.

Our need to give is greater than the churches need for financial support. (X)Everyone affiliated with St. Francis’ has a need to give, than the financial needs in the year 2011.

Suppose, in December 2011, the vestry of St. John’s, Montgomery, received a letter from a gift from a charitable trust and percent of the will that you received 3 million dollars. The congregation could build a large church building, pay for more staff for several years. But would there be need for an every member canvass? Larger downtown congregations are often endowed with a high % of their budget. But they know an every member canvass is needed, because every person in the pew has a need to give. Yes!!! Our need to give is greater than the churches need for money.

Giving of our Financial Resources:
My rule of thumb is anything between 5% to 10 % is working toward the tithe. Or 5% is one dollar per week , as per one $ 1,000 annual income. If one makes $60,000 in 2011 and give $60 per week is 5%. If one gives a tithe then one financial gift is $120 per week or $ 480 per month. If all the folks in this room seek to be a healthy vibrant Christian, a well rounded human being is my need to give. Just as I take a senior vitamin every morning to facilitate my immune system.. so each week I need to give 10 % of my income to Christ’s Work. To become Lake Galilee Christians and not Dead Sea Christians!!!!

Our need to give is greater than the financial needs of the Church.
We all need God in our lives. Giving to God’s Work and His Church creates a deeper relationship to God. Every active or inactive person in the congregation needs to give. This is why we ask everyone to make a Statement of Intention to give to the Work of the Church.

As I stand before you I challenge you to make your pledge to the Work of Christ. If you are not challenged to give seldom will that person give a reasonable percent. How many folks wake up in a dream, the Lord told me to start giving to His Church. If one says I want to do what the Bible says… the Bible says Give to the Work of God. Your offering is an act of worship.

If you and I are not challenged, then we will be left us to our own selfish desires and wishes.

The Two Highest Motives are Our need to Give and Giving on the basis of gratitude. Next Sunday I will talk on Gratitude as the greatest motive for giving.

And our Need to Give. My need to give is greater than the Church’s need to receive. The Church will always have a need to give
The DNA in us is to wholeness involves giving to others, Giving to God’s Work.

This is a test on the entry to webpage.

These are the notes of The Revd Arnold Bush in preparation for his homily at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany November 27, 2011. His text was as follows:

Mark 13:24-37

Jesus said to his disciples, “In those days, after that suffering,

the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

Then they will see `the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake– for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

The Three “A’s” of Advent
Sermon notes by the Rev. Arnold A. Bush, Priest in charge, Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, Tallassee, AL, 1st Sun. in Advent, November 27,2011

Introduction
In the Gospel we have the Parable of the Doorman: Not knowing when he Master will return but he must me AWAKE. There are three functions, actions the Doorman my do during the night hours. Remember this is a pre-electricity world. Not late TV, no late reading, not late meals. When darkness came in the first century, ALL BEDDED DOWN UNTIL THE DAYLIGHT OF THE DAWN.
The Watchman did three things were: (1)Watch for any threats to the village. (21) Waiting in the long hours of darkness. (3) Tend the fire. They had no kerosene, fire logs, natural gas heat. Tend the fire to keep our relationship with Christ warm with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Advent is translated “coming”. There are three “comings”: The coming of God in the persons of Jesus of Nazareth. Second the coming of Jesus within our Sacraments and Prayers. And lastley the coming of Jesus in the Last Days, End of Time. All three themes are repeated in ADVENT.

I Be alert at all times…
In all synoptic gospels the signs of the end times are listed. Many are being impatient. But, Jesus says be alert to false Messiahs and false prophets. How can we be ready?
• Keep relationship with Jesus vital and alive…Keep running with Jesus with an ongoing conversation with Christ. C.S. Lewis states part of our work as Christians is to keep alive our personal faith this side of the grave. Our vital faith is our entrance into heaven.
• Do not pack bitterness and grudges in your suitcase… Do not place you past grudges in a box or hide them in a closet. They can come out of the closet when we least expect then to bit us. Live a life of forgiveness. See Denis Mayard’s little book. Forgiveness and Get Your Life Back.
• Do an inventory of your help to the needy… Gospel last Sunday: ‘The Least of these the hungry, the thirsty, those sick or in prison, or lonely,etc…” In serving those in need, we are alert to the face of Jesus in the person we are serving food or giving them beans and rice.
• In the Eucharist remember: “ as we eat … we live forever”
John 5 and 6, “ I am the bread of life…” We are here this morning to taste of the Living Bread of Life. Are we alert to God who is here in this Eucharist and in every Eucharist?. Let the phases of the Hymn 335, I am the Bread of Life sink into our very mental processes and into our bones. Be alert to His presence here and now.
• Are your legal documents, House in order? While in St. Jude’s, Niceville, 2001 we had an 8 hour seminar on “Getting your House in Order”. We had CPA’s, Attorney’s, persons to present how we can complete and create our Wills, Living Wills, Power of Attorney… all these documents in order. One thing I learned if a couple or persons does not make appoints with an attorney or CPA… then nothing happens!! We can dream about getting our house in order. That appointment makes things happen!

II Awake to His coming in the mundane
• Do you perceive his presence in gestures of kindness…Last Monday is saw TN lady at Raceway pumping gasoline for $3.05 cleaning out their big pickup truck and placing their trash in the garbage can. I said, “Thanks for not leaving on our AL highways, God bless you.”
• Alert to Nuggets of Truth coming in devotions, photos,..I have found many Episcopalians believe that if reading the Bible is good for you spiritual health, then the more you read the more healthy you will be. However, in daily devotions, I suggest you take of just a bit, a paragraph, a short written devotion and reflect on this to be practiced within the events and tasks of the day. A daily devotion can be like taking
• Awake to pain and adversity of others…Those who come to Grace Church in Woodlawn in Birmingham, those who come by for Beans and Rice, those who are unemployed going from interview to interview, those in AL who are undocumented emigrants all are living with pain and adversity, those who receive the Christmas Boxes from Church of the Epiphany. Are we awake to these living in adversity?

III “Anticipation of His Coming”
The Season of Advent is a season of anticipation: His coming in Jesus of Nazareth; His coming in Prayer and Sacraments; and his coming in his final and second coming.
Here are few reflective questions.
Do you get excited? Really Anticipate? Expecting?

• Long Trip or vacation? A few months ago Zoe and I took a cruise through the Panama Canal. We fly from Birmingham to Fort Lauderdale, FL and got off the ship in San Diego, CA. We had great anticipation: packing our clothing (or attire for ship life), reading books and studying maps, stories on the Canal. We enjoyed the anticipation of the Trip.

• Iron Bowl fans, tailgaters, GS/GT; MSU/UM: Yesterday I drove from Spanish Fort to Birmingham before the Iron Bowl Game. There were lots of AL/Auburn flags on the cars, lots of AL or Auburn attire in Greenville, AL in the fast food places. I am sure with the warm weather there were lots of tailgaters on the Auburn Campus. This was a day for fun and anticipation for those in Auburn and those millions ready to watch the game. Anticipation is part of the life of sports fans. Let us anticipate the coming of Christ into our life styles.
• Visit from old friends… We have had friends from Niceville who are coming up to visit us in Birmingham. Before arriving we talk of what they mean to us, how we have enjoyed their friendship, memoires of joy and pain, getting tickets for the SEC Baseball Tournment. But they called saying they were not able to come visit. Our anticipation (recalling our moments together) was part of our friendship.
• Anticipate coming to Sunday Eucharist and Christmas…. On a give Saturday we can anticipate the Eucharistic worship by what do I want to THANK GOD FOR THIS WEEK, OR WHAT DO I NEED TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS? Our worship involves both the giving of thanks as well as the confessing of sins by which we are blessed with forgiveness.

How can you be Alert, Awake, Anticipate this Advent ?

Here’s the text of a letter the Vestry sent to all of us this week, announcing that The Revd Arnold Bush has agreed to serve as our Priest-in-Charge. Welcome, Arnold! Our hope and expectation is that we will begin seeing much more of Arnold during the weeks to come, not only around the church and in the community but also on the pages of this site.

Dear friends at Epiphany,

We who serve on the vestry are delighted to report that The Revd Arnold A Bush has agreed to serve as our interim Priest-in-Charge. He and we intend that his service here be indefinite. One of his many goals for his time with us is to help us form consensus on our shared vision for Epiphany and on the kind of priest who should lead us as we work to carry out that vision.

It would be hard to find someone more qualified than Arnold to help us with these tasks. A native of Laurel, Mississippi, Arnold served in the active Episcopal priesthood for more than 40 years, working with parishes in Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. He is also practiced as an interim priest; since his retirement from the active priesthood in 2002, Arnold has served as interim priest in four different parishes in Florida and Alabama. He has a proven track record of helping small congregations grow. Arnold and his wife of 51 years Zoe now live in Birmingham, a community they chose to be centrally located to their children and grandchildren (who live in Birmingham, Memphis, Jackson, and Spanish Fort).

Arnold has two passions for ministry. The first is to help lay people in their formation and maturity in Christ. The second is to help congregations develop vitality and growth by practicing effective congregational development, small group dynamics, leadership skills for clergy and laity, and best practices for stewardship. He enjoys preaching, teaching, conducting workshops, and coaching churches. An avid reader, he plays tennis three times each week and loves college football and baseball. If you want to get him started, we invite you to ask him how his Mississippi State Bulldogs will fare now that they’re bowl eligible!

Arnold will maintain a regular weekly schedule as our Priest-in-Charge. He will arrive on Sunday morning and be present (often teaching) in Sunday School and then preside at worship. He will remain with us in the Little House for fellowship and spend time on Sunday afternoon visiting in the homes of church members and prospective members. He will spend Sunday night (thanks to Pam and Eddie Harper for providing the use of their cottage) and work in the community most of the day Monday interacting with church members and local leaders before returning home to Birmingham at the end of the day on Monday.

He will make a special trip down this week to be with us at First Thursday so we can begin a conversation about our vision for the ministry of Epiphany. Please make a special effort to be there (Thursday at 6:30 pm in the Little House). We will enjoy a covered dish supper together immediately afterward.

Arnold looks forward to getting to know all the members of our Epiphany family. Stay tuned to www.epiphanytallassee.org for lots more information about Arnold and the ministry of Epiphany. Please join us in welcoming Arnold and supporting him with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service.

Yours in Christ,

The Vestry

Tom Bray, Junior Warden
Al Cantrell
Mike Edwards
Eddie Harper
Debra McCord, Secretary
Jimmy Weldon, Senior Warden

We enjoyed our brief visit today with The Revd Peter Horn, who joined us for morning worship. Thanks, Peter! It was a joy to visit with you, however briefly.

I had the pleasure of teaching Sunday School this morning and chose the topic of the Apocrypha. Here’s my outline of the lesson. I promised the group that I would include the entire text of the Prayer of Manasseh, so it appears at the end.

The Apocrypha — Epiphany – 11/13/11

I. Preparation
A. Check for markers
II. Introduction
A. What is the apocrypha? 11-15 books that are sometimes included in the Bible
B. Term means “things that are hidden”
C. Who has the apocrypha in your Bible?
D. Who’s spent time reading it?
E. This is not an “everything about the Apocrypha” lesson. It’s a “some interesting stuff about the Apocrypha I learned in the wee hours of this morning” lesson.
III. About the Apocrypha
A. Rarely included in the Jewish scriptures
B. Generally accepted in the RCC canon and that of the Eastern church
C. Generally included in copies of the Septuagint, the Greek version of the new testament
D. The scholar Jerome compiled a Latin version of the Bible (the Vulgate) and included the apocrypha with prefaces noting the controversy about whether they were part of the Bible
E. The versions of the Bible used in the Middle Ages contained the apocryphal books but often excluded Jerome’s prefaces, so they came to be seen as canonical.
F. Council of Carthage pronounced them canonical in 397. Confirmed by Council of Trent in 1546.
G. The books of the Bible are often described as “deuterocanonical,” as opposed to the “protocanonical” books in the Bible as most protestants know it. “Proto” meaning “first,” or from the beginning, and “Deutero” meaning “second” or “next” – books later recognized as canonical.
H. What do we Episcopalians believe about the Apocrypha? They’re okay. Article VI of the 39 Articles of Religion (page 868) says the church reads them for example of life and instruction of manners but not for doctrine.
IV. New Testament Apocrypha
A. Not to be confused with the Apocrypha.
B. Completely different animal
C. Books by early Christians that didn’t make the cut
D. Lots of supernatural stories, lots of Gnosticism
E. Gospel of Thomas, Peter, Nicodemus, Bartolomew, Judas, Mary, Philip, and others.
V. What’s in the Apocrypha
A. 1 Esdras – a rearrangement of Ezra with some additional text and some events that are missing in Ezra
B. 2 Esdras – sometimes called 3 Esdras and often called 4 Esdras. Apocalyptic – a vision of the heavenly Jerusalem, the true city of Zion. 2 Esdras 6:42. The waters make up 1/7 of the earth. Used by Columbus to reason that the ocean between Asia and Europe must be small – just a few days with a fair wind. Used this to sell Ferdinand and Isabella on the voyage.
C. Tobit
1. Fanciful tale about Tobit, who lives in Ninevah and is blinded by bird poop when he sleeps outside. Most of the story is about his son.
2. May be origin of the Catholic practice of almsgiving to save the souls of the dead and release them from purgatory.
3. Beautiful wisdom about marriage in 8:4b-8.
D. Judith
1. A different take entirely on the role of women
2. The widow of Manassah, no relation to the idolatrous king of Judah. Judith’s Manassah died of sunstroke but otherwise apparently did nothing else of consequence. Judith was a fox.
3. Rich woman, adept in business. When she didn’t like what the town elders did, she summoned them (and they came). She dressed them down (and they apologized and took her advice).
4. Seduced the Assyrian king but when he was all hot and ready she got him drunk, cut off his head, and took it back to town.
5. When the Assyrians realized their king was dead, they panicked and ran, and the Jews wiped them out.
E. 1 and 2 Maccabees – all about the revolts of the Jews against the Greeks and Seleucids.
F. 3 Maccabees – suffering of the Jews under Ptolemy (set centuries before the events in 1 and 2 Maccabees)
G. 4 Maccabees is a dialogue about reason vs passion, and extolling reason as superior.
H. Book of Wisdom – Sayings and proverbs, often interpreted by Christians to refer to Jesus in the person of “wisdom.” Wis 7:26 – says that Wisdom is “a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness.”
I. Sirach – also sometimes called “The Wisdom of Sirach” or “Ecclesiasticus.”
1. In many ways similar to Proverbs. Sir 1:27: “The fear of the Lord is wisdom and discipline; fidelity and humility are his delight.”
J. Baruch
1. Five chapters of cataloging the sins of the Jews that caused the exile.
But some beautiful expressions of hope too: Bar 4-27-30:
Take courage, my children, and cry to God, for you will be remembered by the one who brought this upon you.
Bar 4:28 For just as you were disposed to go astray from God, return with tenfold zeal to seek him.
Bar 4:29 For the one who brought these calamities upon you will bring you everlasting joy with your salvation.
Bar 4:30 Take courage, O Jerusalem, for the one who named you will comfort you.
2. Sixth chapter of Baruch is the letter of Jeremiah to the Jews in Exile.
K. Some references
1. Martin Luther’s translation of Sirach 50:22-24 provides several of the phrases in “Now Thank We All Our God”
2. Book of Wisdom 18:14-15 inspired “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”
VI. Prayer of Manassah
A. This is the idolatrous king
B. The most wicked in the history of Judah – did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. – 2 Chron 33
C. Taken away as a captive to Babylon, where he humbled himself before God and begged for forgiveness.
D. By tradition, the Prayer of Manassah is the prayer he used. I’m going to read the last seven verses:
You, O Lord, God of the righteous, have not appointed repentance for the righteous, for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who did not sin against you, but you have appointed repentance for me, who am a sinner.
Man 1:9 For the sins I have committed are more in number than the sand of the sea; my transgressions are multiplied, O Lord, they are multiplied! I am not worthy to look up and see the height of heaven because of the multitude of my iniquities.
Man 1:10 I am weighted down with many an iron fetter, so that I am rejected because of my sins, and I have no relief; for I have provoked your wrath and have done what is evil in your sight, setting up abominations and multiplying offenses.
Man 1:11 And now I bend the knee of my heart, imploring you for your kindness.
Man 1:12 I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge my transgressions.
Man 1:13 I earnestly implore you, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me! Do not destroy me with my transgressions! Do not be angry with me forever or store up evil for me; do not condemn me to the depths of the earth. For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent,
Man 1:14 and in me you will manifest your goodness; for, unworthy as I am, you will save me according to your great mercy,
Man 1:15 and I will praise you continually all the days of my life. For all the host of heaven sings your praise, and yours is the glory forever. Amen.

Here, as promised, is the entire prayer of Manassah:

O Lord Almighty, God of our ancestors, of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and of their righteous offspring; Man 1:2 you who made heaven and earth with all their order; Man 1:3 who shackled the sea by your word of command, who confined the deep and sealed it with your terrible and glorious name; Man 1:4 at whom all things shudder, and tremble before your power, Man 1:5 for your glorious splendor cannot be borne, and the wrath of your threat to sinners is unendurable; Man 1:6 yet immeasurable and unsearchable is your promised mercy, Man 1:7 for you are the Lord Most High, of great compassion, long-suffering, and very merciful, and you relent at human suffering. O Lord, according to your great goodness you have promised repentance and forgiveness to those who have sinned against you, and in the multitude of your mercies you have appointed repentance for sinners, so that they may be saved. Man 1:8 Therefore you, O Lord, God of the righteous, have not appointed repentance for the righteous, for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who did not sin against you, but you have appointed repentance for me, who am a sinner. Man 1:9 For the sins I have committed are more in number than the sand of the sea; my transgressions are multiplied, O Lord, they are multiplied! I am not worthy to look up and see the height of heaven because of the multitude of my iniquities. Man 1:10 I am weighted down with many an iron fetter, so that I am rejected because of my sins, and I have no relief; for I have provoked your wrath and have done what is evil in your sight, setting up abominations and multiplying offenses. Man 1:11 And now I bend the knee of my heart, imploring you for your kindness. Man 1:12 I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge my transgressions. Man 1:13 I earnestly implore you, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me! Do not destroy me with my transgressions! Do not be angry with me forever or store up evil for me; do not condemn me to the depths of the earth. For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, Man 1:14 and in me you will manifest your goodness; for, unworthy as I am, you will save me according to your great mercy, Man 1:15 and I will praise you continually all the days of my life. For all the host of heaven sings your praise, and yours is the glory forever. Amen.