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Homework for May 19, 2013

Sun, 19 May 2013 21:08:20 -0400

Cultivate the Spirit’s Presence This Week

1. Learn the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5.19-26) and keep a record of each. Consider using a T-Bar.

2. Share results, good and bad, with a Christian friend to encourage and exhort as needed.

Fr. Philip's Sermon for May 12, 2013

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:53:35 -0400

Fr. Philip's sermon to be posted soon.

Fr. Philip Sang's Sermon for May 12, 2013

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:54:30 -0400

In Every Situation We are God’s, and He Still Deserves to be Praised

Having lost in a fire virtually everything they owned, the Spafford family made new plans, including a move from Chicago to Europe. Horatio Spafford planned the trip for his wife and four daughters to be as trouble-free as possible. To transport them from America to France, he booked passage on a huge ship, and made sure they had Christians with whom to fellowship in route. He planned to join them a few weeks later.

In spite of much careful preparation, Mr. Spafford's plans suddenly dissolved when the ship carrying his loved ones was rammed by another vessel and sank, carrying his four beloved daughters to the bottom. His wife arrived in Wales safely nine days later and telegraphed her husband the awful news that all four of their children had drowned. Spafford left Chicago to go and bring his wife home. As they cross the Atlantic, the captain came and told him when they were passing over the spot where his daughters had died.

The Sangs' Baby Shower

Sun, 05 May 2013 18:31:05 -0400

St. Augustine's lavished Fr. Philip's wife, Philarice, with gifts in the church's first baby shower. The Sangs are waiting expectantly for their third little one, surrounded by new friends who love them and celebrate these blessings from the Lord. We all are fussing over who will hold this wee one in church first!! :-) Thanks to Beth and Ann for arranging all the details, and for the dear souls who gave generously to this wonderful family!

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Fourth Friday, Uptown Westerville

Sun, 05 May 2013 17:11:19 -0400

Friday, May 24th: Fourth Friday, Uptown Westerville

This summer, St. Augustine's will have a tent at the monthly Fourth Fridays in Westerville. The purpose of this mission is to increase awareness of our church and its missions in our community. Our leased space is across from Messiah United Methodist Church on State Street. The hours are from 6:00 - 9:00pm. During that time, we will hand out materials with our church's information and fun items like St. Auggie frisbees and balloons to passers-by. With a team of folks from our church, you'll have plenty of time to grab a bite to eat and walk around. Need more details? Contact St. Ann by clicking here. Come join us for fun and fellowship as we show the love our Christ in our community. To read more about this ministry, click here.

Easter Visit at Worthington Christian VillageApril 28, 2013

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:47:44 -0400

Are there some days when you just KNOW that God is using you to bring His love to others? Our church's visit to Worthington Christian Village on Sunday, April 28th, was one of those days for me.

We were there to continue our celebration of the 50 Days of Easter with an Easter service. Members of the church read the Scriptures and the ladies from WCV embellished the hymns with their lovely alto voices. Two of our middle schoolers baked cakes for our sweet friends, and their mama spiced up the " tea time" with bright yellow tablecloths and tangy lemonade!

After the service, we shared the desserts and talked like we all had known each other forever. After saying our farewells, we traveled up to the 6th floor to visit some of our dear friends. One gentleman thanked us more than once for visiting, explaining that we bring happiness and intellectual stimulation to him. You could see through his eyes his heart of gratitude for our visit.

The two middle schoolers and I made our way to the 7th floor to check on three of our friends who have been moved upstairs. One had celebrated his 101st birthday. One was giving away her beloved organ this week because she can no longer sit upright to play. Another was mending from a broken arm. All seemed deeply grateful that we took some of our time this Sunday afternoon to visit.

Synod 2013

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:21:02 -0400

Be the Change You Seek in the World:

Synod 2013

Priests, deacons, lay persons, and guests of the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes came from two countries and five states for our annual meeting, or synod, April 25 - 27, 2013. Together, we worshiped, seated new congregations, refined our business structure, ordained new priests and deacons. Together, we shared meals, conversation, laughter, prayer, and songs of praise. Together, because of this convocation, we are stronger in our work for God's Kingdom on earth.

Four members of our church made presentations at synod this year: Dr. Monroe and Judy Dowling presented a seminar on using Anglican Beads for prayer; Fr. Kevin showed other priests and interested lay leaders the components of Common Worship (this is the liturgy from the Church of England that St. Augustine's uses), and Dr. Dondra Maney provided an overview of St. Augustine's journey to become a church.

Following are photos of our members during the three days. You'll also see links to access a slide show on the diocesan website, as well as a a multitude of photos of the ordination of 13 priests and deacons in the the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes.

Bishop Roger Ames and Gretsie VisitApril 21, 2013

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:01:33 -0400

Experiencing the Upper Room

by Gretsie Ames

Good Shepherd Sunday 2013

(Our church was blessed with a visit by Bishop Roger Ames and his wife, Gretsie, on Sunday, April 21st. Following is a reflection of the day by Gretsie. Blessings to these spiritual leaders and tender shepherds for our Lord.)

There’s something about the “Upper Room”. Something that invites us, beckons us, even woos us to experience life anew. More than four walls, a floor, and a window or two, it is a place where time pauses and life happens. It’s the place where all things are made new and we are changed.

To enter the Upper Room is to enter the dance of relationships, as C.S.Lewis would describe it, where we engage in the life of the Father with Jesus and with the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit. Here, we enter into an experience of true fellowship of true belonging and of true beloved-ness. Here, we know who we are.

The Upper Room is a paradox because in its unchanging nature, it creates an atmosphere in which real change can take place and nothing ever stays the same.

Food Collection for W.A.R.M. 20 April, 2013

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:39:38 -0400

20 April, 2013

Members of St. Augustine's Anglican Church gathered on two Saturdays in April for a food collection drive on behalf of the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (W.A.R.M.). We shared this ministry with the members of the Chapel on the Vine congregation and their pastor, John Moriarty.

Both groups gathered on the first Saturday to disperse collection bags to households in the Westerville area. On the next Saturday, in temperatures hovering in the mid-thirties, we returned for the collection of the food parcels. With the greatest camaraderie, the members of each parish joined together to share the collection task. At the conclusion, we journeyed to the W.A.R.M. building to deposit our bounty and celebrate our mission.

We joined together at Jimmy V's for a bit of lunch and to celebrate our opportunity to make a difference for God and His Kingdom.

--Reported by Mad Dog Dowling, MD

Serious (not) conversation before the mission begins.

A group picture.

Chapel on the Vine and St. Augustine's paired up to collect the canned goods.

A bagful of help for those in need.

Fr. Ron delivers bags to W.A.R.M.

We collected 686 pounds of food!

The staging area where folks can get food for their families.

A tour of the facility.

Fr. Kevin escorts Miss Judy to lunch.

Lunch at Jimmy V's. A successful mission and a happy time!

Holy Week and Easter 2013

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:40:11 -0400

Alleluia!! Christ is Risen!

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

During Holy Week, we deepened our faith and understanding through our lenten disciplines, worship, and sacraments. From Maundy Thursday, to Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter, we have drawn closer to our Lord, offering ourselves to Him in service and in praise.

Following are some photos of this journey. If you do not have a church home, and you want to develop your faith with a band of believers who love this risen Lord, come visit us one Sunday soon.

Maundy Thursday: Extinguishing the candles

Maundy Thursday: Cleansing the altar

Maundy Thursday: A sleepy priest's son

Maundy Thursday: Draping the cross for Good Friday

Good Friday: Priests in cassocks

Good Friday: Stations of the Cross

Stations of the Cross: Jesus' journey

Between services on Good Friday: Coaxing a smile

Good Friday Liturgy: Carrying the cross to the altar

Placing the cross at the altar

Reverencing the cross of Jesus

Jesus' crown of thorns

Holy Saturday: Lighting the Easter candle with the new fire kindled from last year's palm branches

Marking the Easter candle

Carrying the Easter candle to the altar

Lighting our candles from the Easter candle to signify the light of Christ

Baptism: Blessing with chrism oil

Holy baptism

Lighting baptismal candles with Easter candle representing Christ's light

Family portrait

Easter Sunday: Before service

Easter Sunday: Brother and sister together

First Sunday for first St. Augustine acolyte

Easter Sunday: Introduction of newest baptized members of St. Augustine's

Fr. Kevin presents a certificate to commemorate first communion

Bringing Anglican Relief and Development Fund Mite boxes to the altar

Easter Eucharist

Acolyte in training

The color purple!

Parishioners celebrate with champagne and Easter breads after the service

Smiling faces of St. Augustine's

Father and son

Fr. Ron and smiling bride

Easter Sunday LetterBishop Roger Ames

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:39:12 -0400

He saw and believed. (John 20:8)

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Father, we exult in your glory! We rejoice, turning our thoughts to the One who lives, who is seated at your right hand above every power and authority and dominion.

He’s alive! Mary’s thoughts spun at the empty tomb: Jesus is missing! What happened? Who took his body? But we fix our eyes on the living Christ. Our thoughts don’t have to spin fruitlessly, hopelessly grasping at “reasonable” explanations. Because Jesus lives, we have hope. We are a new creation. We can look at life through new eyes, think with life-giving thoughts, and speak words of wisdom and understanding. Because he lives, we have peace. The unknown doesn’t have to shake us. God is for us, and nothing can separate us from his love.

He’s alive! Peter’s thoughts, perhaps, churned in regret: “I failed him. I said I would die for him, but I ran away. Now he’s gone.” But there is now no condemnation. Jesus has reconciled us to himself. We are seated with him at God’s right hand. Because he is alive, we are free from the law of sin and death. We are forgiven. Period. Jesus’ blood has cleansed us, and because he lives eternally, this cleansing is powerful. Though our lives are hidden in Christ now, one day we will appear with him in glory.

Easter Message from Archbishop Robert DuncanMarch, 2013

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:58:23 -0400

Easter, A.D. 2013

Beloved in the Lord,

The Psalmist declares:

The Lord is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation.

[Psalm 118:14]

As I write this letter to you it is Wednesday in Holy Week. I am travelling to Juba in South Sudan to spend the Great Three Days (The Sacred Triduum) with Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, his clergy and his people. I am to be away from all the things that are familiar, except that the Church is one throughout the world, and the old, old story does not change (yet changes everything).

Flying today I could see the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays (Kent Island, Cape Henelopen, Cape May), places associated with boyhood and early ministry. Hours later there were Cape Trafalgar and Gibraltar and the North Coast of Africa, places I had never been but about which my historical studies and interests caused me to reflect over lots of years and lots of learning.

Easters have been spent mostly with the Church communities I have known well and with those who are family (blood, marriage and church) whether in New Jersey or Connecticut or New York or North Carolina or Delaware or Western Pennsylvania. One Easter, Nara and I spent at Canterbury, which was to be surrounded by things we knew (the cloud of witnesses, the music, the architecture) and those we did not know (the worshippers we were present with.) I know that this Easter in South Sudan will be all at once different and the same.

Palm Sunday and Seder Meal at St. Augustine's AnglicanMarch 24, 2013

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 22:49:52 -0400

St Augustine Church began Holy Week by sharing a seder meal on Palm Sunday with their neighbor church, Chapel on the Vine. The seder is designed to recount the history of God’s people, specifically, the Exodus from Egypt. We will continue throughout the week to recount the Last Supper, when Jesus asks us to remember him as we gather to break bread. Good Friday will continue the idea with the Stations of the Cross, focusing on the suffering and death of Jesus. Even Holy Saturday is a celebration of recounting God's action in the life of the church.

Remember your blessings and reflect on the goodness of God in his Church.

The Sang Family is ready for Palm Sunday.

Joyous face and a missing tooth!

The Liturgy of the Palms begins.

Procession with the children.

Procession of the palms.

The Gospel according to Luke.

After the service, making palm branches into crosses.

Making palm branches into crosses.

The cross of Jesus

Making crosses from palm branches.

Preparing for the seder meal with Chapel on the Vine.

Smiling helpers!

Preparing the table.

Each person receives four cups of "wine" for the meal.

Silly one!

Interested members take an opportunity before the seder to watch the tournament game with the Buckeyes!

O-H-I-O!

Chatting with members of Chapel on the Vine.

Fr. Ron and his beloved discuss last-minute details.

The Passover seder script.

Fr. Ron explains the symbolism of the seder meal.

Breaking the matzah and sharing, which represents a bond of fellowship.

Sharing the bread.

Guests face the head table for the meal.

Raising the cup of wine to celebrate the deliverance that God has brought to us.

We thank God that he has brought us from bondage to freedom, from sorrow to joy. Next year in the New Jerusalem!

Palm Sunday and Seder Meal

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 22:41:15 -0400

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God's "Uncoincidental" Love - Thoughts from a Parishioner

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:16:38 -0400

Over the course of 10 years with our Scottish terrier, Monty, I became accustomed to daily routines. I could hear him upstairs searching for a toy then bounding down the stairs with it to hide in my office. I could count on him to be sprawled on the couch with me to watch a movie or college hoops.

So when we lost him last weekend to a tumor on his spleen, it is as if all of these rituals have been suddenly removed from my life, without my permission.

Monty was a bit spoiled in the toy department. And though we have two other Scotties in the house, Monty claimed the lion's share of the toys. Tom and I decided to weed out some of the toys and donate the gently used ones (of which there were many) to Pets Without Parents. Tom gathered all of them up while I was out of the house (not a task I was up to) and decided to call the courier service we use for work to deliver the toys. Tom had a conversation with the gentleman who came to pick them up. He expressed his happiness to Tom that he was assigned this particular pick up/delivery because he was going to adopt a cat from Pets Without Parents, and now that he was delivering Monty's packages, what better time than the present.

Holy Week Schedule

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:28:17 -0500

The Fifty Days of Easter

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 22:12:59 -0500

What are the 50 Days of Easter?

A Bit of History

The Easter Season by Dennis Bratcher

In the Christian church year, the two major cycles of seasons, Christmas and Easter, are far more than a single day of observance. Like Christmas, Easter itself is a period of time rather than just a day. It is actually a seven-week season of the church year called Eastertide, the Great Fifty Days that begins at sundown the evening before Easter Sunday (the Easter Vigil) and lasts for six more Sundays until Pentecost Sunday (some traditions use the term Pentecost to include these Fifty Days between Easter and Pentecost Sunday). These seven Sundays are called the Sundays of Easter, climaxing on the seventh Sunday, the Sunday before Pentecost Sunday. This is often celebrated as Ascension Day (actually the 40th day after Easter Sunday, which always falls on Thursday, but in churches that do not have daily services it is usually observed the following Sunday). Ascension Day marks not only the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but his exaltation from servanthood to Ruler and Lord as the fitting climax of Resurrection Day (Eph 1:20-22).

Shrove Tuesday, February 12, 2013Pancake Supper

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:24:16 -0500

On Tuesday, February 12th, our church will gather to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. It is traditional to eat pancakes on that day.

A Little History:

Why do we eat pancakes on that day, you might ask! Lent is a time of abstinence, a time to give up things. Shrove Tuesday is the last opportunity to indulge yourself.

The name "Shrove" comes from the word "shrive," which means to confess. In the Middle Ages, people used to confess their sins in order to be forgiven before the season of Lent began.

How St. Augustine's Is Celebrating Shrove Tuesday:

When: Tuesday, February 12th, from 5:00 - 7:00pm

Where: Northeast Conference Center in the cafe.

How: Drop by with your family any time from 5:00 - 7:00pm and enjoy the following: pancakes, sausage, coffee, and lemonade.

If you have not already responded, please do one of the two:

Sign up at church Sunday
Email Beth Buehler by clicking here

Come join us for a time of fun and fellowship. If you are looking for a church home, or just a place to be for the season of Lent, consider coming to St. Augustine's during this time of reflection and repentance.

Lenten Bible Studies for 2013

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:00:22 -0500

Lenten Study Before Worship on Sundays

Feb. 17 - March 24 from 9:00 - 9:45

Most of us are familiar with Jesus' most beloved parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. But have you ever stopped to consider that this story may not actually be about a wayward son and his dutifully faithful (but resentful) elder brother?

Could it be that Jesus is actually providing us with clues that tell us that our own image of God is wrong? Tim Keller asserts that the word "Prodigal" maybe doesn't really mean what we think it does. In this exciting 6-week study, Keller guides us through this ancient story that places us all within the reach of God's indescribable grace and mercy, and points us to what it means to be transformed into the likeness of our elder brother, Jesus.

So, come join us on Sunday mornings in our classroom downstairs at Northeast Conference Center, February 17 - March 24 from 9:00-9:45 a.m. as Rob Rubinow leads us in a discussion of what it means to live in the embrace of our Prodigal God. If you have questions, contact Rob by clicking here.

Parish ReportJanuary 27, 2013

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:24:30 -0500

A Year In Review

From the Priest, Fr. Kevin Maney

To the Saints at St. Augustine's Anglican Church,

Thank you all for your faith and varied work in the name of the Lord. As you know, our mission statement is, "Changed by God to make a difference for God" and we have seen how that works in the real world as we listened to your various reports. What a diverse set of ministries for such a small group! As St. Paul reminded us in our morning's epistle lesson, we are all members of the body of Christ and whether your ministry is high profile or working behind the scenes, it is important because we are called to support one another and build each other up in the power of the Spirit.

I want to report on our church growth for 2012. We baptized four people and formally received another 12 into membership. When we started this project in May 2011, there were 13 people who attended our weekly Bible study and eucharist. Today, we have 39 people on our roster, not counting young children, and we now average almost 35 people in attendance each Sunday. This represents almost a threefold growth in a little over a year and a half and we can all celebrate what the Lord is doing with us in this regard! It is important, however, not to get too focused on numbers because they are only important to the extent they represent how God is using us to reach unchurched people, disaffected Christians, and/or unbelievers. You have demonstrated through your good work in God's name that you are faithful to Jesus and his gospel and therefore can be trusted to provide newcomers with a loving and friendly church home.