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An Episcopal community sharing the love of Christ since 1702.
When St. Peter's Church received its charter on June 4, 1736, it was customary to pay the trifling sum of one peppercorn per year because all contracts required remuneration of some kind in order to be legal. The charter enabled St. Peter's to buy the property we currently occupy in 1738.  The parish newsletter has long been known as The Peppercorn and we now bring that tradition into the digital world!
October 16, 2016
22nd Sunday after Pentecost 

Dear Friend,



One of the things that drew me to St. Peter’s during the search process was the deep involvement in healing prayer and support for health care by many in the congregation. Scripture shows us how early Christian communities supported one another, and I see that in so many ways here. It is important for clergy to make sure that pastoral care happens and to be pastorally available, especially in particularly intense moments, yet God has blessed so many others with compassionate hearts that it really is a whole congregation that pastors itself.
 
Right after I was confirmed at 18, I attended a healing retreat weekend in my congregation led by the clergy and featuring Francis and Judith Macnutt – major leaders in the revival of healing ministries in liturgical denominations. I learned early on that healing was a central focus of Jesus’s ministry. Indeed, healings account for more verses in the Gospels than anything else. As I learned that the root word for salvation in Scripture is the same root word for health and wholeness, it became clear to me that the ministry of Christians is a healing ministry – that is, our ministry is about helping people become whole through the work of God in their lives and through our ministry as God's hands and heart in the world.
 
This Sunday we will celebrate those who are committed to healing in the community. We call them doctors, nurses, therapists, caregivers, EMTs, paramedics, and such. They use science and technology in their work. That doesn’t make them any less a part of God’s healing purpose in this world than the most charismatic offering of healing prayer. Indeed, Ecclesiasticus 38:1-2 tells us that physicians are to be honored because healing comes from God through their skill and commitment to this vocation.
 
The lessons we will keep for this healthcare celebration are for the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist (October 18). St. Luke is the patron saint of physicians, and tradition says that he was even physician to Mary the mother of Jesus! I am really excited that our own Lori Cuffari will preach at both services on Sunday morning to share her witness of how faith and medicine have worked together for her healing.
 
I have a particular devotion to St. Luke because his life is at the intersection of faith and healing. As a Gospel writer, he gets what the human experience is like. His account shows the greatest awareness of human struggle. He shows Jesus most frequently among the people, he offers more stories of healing than the other Gospel writers. He also shows Jesus at his most compassionate and his most human rather than as a distant figure.
 
Come join us this weekend to honor St. Luke, celebrate health care workers, prayer for healing, and hear from one of our own sisters in Christ as we give thanks to God for the gift of wholeness given to us in Jesus Christ.

Peace,
Dirk+

P.S. - Please note that I will be in Fort Lauderdale Monday -  Thursday to celebrate with my best friend as she becomes Rector of All Saints, Ft. Lauderdale - the oldest church in the city at a mere 104!  

Walk in Love . . .   

"Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her.44She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. 45Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.” 46But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” 47When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Luke: 8:43-48

I love this passage from Luke's Gospel and its imagery of healing power surging from Jesus Christ into a woman in desperate need of a cure. I picture the woman on the fringe of the pressing crowd stretching and straining  just to make the slightest contact with our Lord. I imagine the shock that went through her as her body was healed and strengthened and the joy and relief when she understood that her faith had been rewarded.

It is not lost on me that the woman had been made to believe that she was not worthy of Jesus' notice. Her hemorrhaging made her "unclean" according to religious law. She had no business even being in the midst of the crowd.  She belonged on the "fringes." That's why she hid and that's why she trembled at Jesus' feet. She was perceived by others in the crowd as one who had no right to be in the Lord's presence. And yet, Jesus' healing love was readily available and freely given to her despite the prejudicial social mores of the time.

As followers of Christ, we are called to bring the Love of Christ to the fringes. Sometimes the fringes are represented by socio-economic status, like the hungry or the homeless. At other times, the fringes are represented by unseen yet all too real boundaries drawn by racism or xenophobia. Or as in the case of the woman in Luke's Gospel, by chronic physical ailments, mental illness, or issues associated with aging that prohibit one from freely and fully realizing one's potential or fully enjoying life.

We at St. Peter's have a LOT of love to share. That love has the same potential to heal as the surge of healing power that the hemorrhaging woman got from her encounter with Christ. Let us go out into the fringes remembering that WE are meant to be the embodiment of the Love of Christ at work in the world.

Two causes that are in need of an outpouring of our powerful love:

1) Episcopal Relief and Development is already hard at work in the storm ravaged areas affected by Hurricane Matthew. Follow this link to make a donation: 

http://www.episcopalrelief.org/hurricane-matthew-response/?ID=LB16-4

2) The Emergency Housing program is in need of donations to fund the upcoming season which begins on December 1st and goes through March 31st. Though food and shelter are donated, there are other costs associated with the operation of this program.

The Freehold Clergy Association is now collecting donations to cover the costs of items such as cots, pillows, blankets, and insurance. You can sponsor the housing of these men, who would otherwise be outside during the cold of winter. It costs approximately $10 to cover the cost of housing one man per night. Please consider making a donation to sponsor one of our guests as follows: $10 for one night; $70 for a week; $140 for two weeks; $300 for a month; any other amount you would like to donate.

Tax deductible contributions should be made payable to:
The Freehold Clergy Association (put Homeless Program in the memo), and mailed to St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 33 Throckmorton Street, Freehold, NJ 07728

Thank you in advance for sharing the power of the Love of Christ.

Walking in Love,
Deacon Catherine
 

Music Notes

by Mark Hyczko, Director of Music

One of the blessings of working in the the Episcopal Church is that it is open to an enormous variety of styles and genres.  In fact, the Church has several approved musical resources that include our familiar 1982 Hymnal, as well as several approved additional hymnals that incorporate more contemporary styles and different cultural contributions. Today, I thought I’d pass along some information on the oldest musical form in any of our resources: Gregorian chant.

Chant (or ‘Plainsong’) dates from the earliest history of the church, although in fact it has its roots in older traditions such as ancient Greek melodies and the Jewish service. It is distinguished by the fact that is consists only one melody, without accompaniment. The primary purpose was to elevate the praying of psalms, hymns, other liturgical texts (such as the “Ordinary” of the Mass). For example, our hymnal uses chant melodies with a variety of hymn texts, including the familiar “O come, O come Emmanuel” and "Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle”.  Some of these melodies are over one thousand years old!  (Here’s a fun challenge: Take a moment and leaf through a hymnal next time you’re in church.  At the bottom of each hymn page you’ll find credits for the author and musical sources, along with dates.  See if you can find the oldest chant!)

One of the defining characteristics of chant is that it is based on the text rather than the melody,  and as such, has a very “free” rhythmic structure, which is markedly different than most of the music that we hear today. In addition to the the free rhythmic structure, the next thing that a modern ear will notice about chant is the unusual “mode” of the chant. A musical mode provides a scale or pattern of intervals for the arrangement of tones and semitones. The most familiar mode corresponds to our modern Major and Minor scales (think of “Do, a deer...” from The Sound of Music). However, there are six additional arrangements that are no longer in common usage, which give chants their particular ‘flavor’. These modes took centuries to develop, with the four original modes agreed upon at the end of the 4th century, and another four more approved by the end of the 6th century by Pope Gregory.  He sought to set down criteria for music approved for use in the Church (after six centuries there were starting to be a lot of regional differences and questionable texts).  This exhaustive work of codification of approved chants led to the whole system being named after him: “Gregorian Chant”.

Chant continued to dominate the music of the church for the next fifteen centuries and is still used in many churches today, but along side it, music continued to develop. The 12th and 13th centuries saw the introduction of secondary musical lines, which was to become known as polyphony (or “multiple voices”). This was followed shortly thereafter with the addition of three, four, or even more simultaneous voice parts, and gradually music began to develop a structure knowns as “harmony”, which became the foundation of all modern Western music. 

At first, chant was passed down via the oral tradition, but as the texts and chants became increasingly complex, a system of notation was developed to record the music starting in the 9th century, and eventually leading to the development of the five lined staff and notes that are found in our modern hymnal. One can still find examples of these beautifully illustrated melodic lines in ancient antiphonals, written by hand on vellum by scribes centuries ago.
 

I’ve attached a picture of one such manuscript that I purchased while on a trip I made to Italy twenty years ago  There’s a lot to see here: notice that there are only four lines, and the ’notes’ are only squares and diamonds indicating the relationship of the pitches. Most interesting to me (which is why I purchased this) however, is the text: “Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam” (You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church)  I picked this up a few years before coming to our St. Peter’s, however, this can be the subject of another article entirely!

General Announcements

Living Generously
Stewardship 2016


Today marks the start of our fall stewardship season as we prepare for Annual Pledge Ingathering on Sunday, November 13 at a combined 9:30 am service followed by a potluck brunch.

Thank you for all that you do to support our worship, formation programs, and outreach at St. Peter’s. Through your generous gifts of time, talent, and treasure, we are doing great things in God’s name at the crossroads of Freehold!
 
LIFE - Living in Faith Every Day
Sunday, October 16 after the 10 AM service
LIFE 2.0 
is the name of our new faith formation program at St. Peter's. This is an all-ages, family-friendly program following the 10:00 am service about once a month.  We will learn about the Bible and our faith traditions and work on service projects through a variety of activities which vary by topic. Our first session will be following the 10:00 am service on October 16, when we will focus on the stories of Jesus the healer.  
Bible & Prayer Book Sunday
October 23 During the 10 AM Service

Each October, we present gift editions of the Book of Common Prayer to our confirmands and new Bibles to our Second Graders. This day celebrates their growth in Christ and prepares for their next steps in Christian formation. Come join us!
 

Formation Town Hall on October 23
Following the 10 AM Service

Please plan to attend our Town Hall meeting on our new and changing Formation program following the 10:00 am service on Sunday, October 23 in the Parish Hall.  We have made some significant changes in the past year, and we'd like your feedback on what is working for you and your family, and what you'd like to see more of.  Please join us!
 

Service of Prayer for the Nation, November 1, 7:30 pm
Elections are solemn moments in the life of our country as we exercise our hard-won freedom to determine the makeup of our government. This election year has been particularly heated and anxious for many. This service is designed to ground us in God, give thanks and pray for our country using readings and prayers “For the Nation” from the Book of Common Prayer, and reaffirm our belief in God’s reign.
 

Canon Jonathan Elliott –
Stewardship Keynote Speaker
All Services, October 29 & 30

We are excited to welcome Jonathan Elliott, or diocesan canon for Communications, to St. Peter’s as this year’s Stewardship keynote speaker. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Guardian US, Cinema Blend, Americans for the Arts, and other publications. He has worked in marketing and communications for the American Board of Ophthalmology, the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation, Art All Night Trenton, McCarter Theatre Center, Washington National Opera, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, and Princeton Summer Theater at Princeton University.  Proudly raised in New Jersey, he holds a Masters of Arts Management degree from George Mason University.
 

All Souls Memorial Eucharist, November 6, 4:00 pm
Our third annual commemoration of all the faithful departed will take place at a special candlelight Eucharist at 4:00 pm on Sunday, November 6. We will remember in prayer all the departed members of our congregation from the last year, and those names submitted by our worshippers. A candle will be lit for each person. Last years participants found the simplicity and solemnity of the service to be a prayerful and healing way to honor those we love but see longer.
 

Stewardship Ingathering - One Service Only
November 13 at 9:30 am

Mark your calendars now for our single Sunday morning service for Stewardship Ingathering on November 13 with a potluck brunch to follow. Sign-up details will be forthcoming. The Saturday service will be held as usual.!
 

Annual Parish Bazaar, November 19 & 20
Save the date! The Women of St. Peter's will host the Annual Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, November 19th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and on Sunday, November 20nd from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  The WoSP will meet Wednesday, October 5 at 11:00 am in Classroom A! Delicious potluck luncheon. All women are welcome. 

Faith Formation at St. Peter's!

by Anne Delgado, Christian Formation Coordinator

We welcome all ages to participate in a variety of faith formation programs at St. Peter's.  While we are no longer offering weekly church school for children grades K-6, we have lots of worship, learning, service and fellowship opportunities for all ages. Please check out our re-designed website for more details: 

Your feedback helps improve our offerings. You can email me with any questions or suggestion!
Families in Church:  We welcome families in all our worship services at St. Peter's!  Worship is our primary form of faith formation, and by bringing your children to church, you are helping them form a life-long faith.  We offer Wiggle & Worship during the 10:00 am Sunday service, designed for children ages 10 and under.  We gather at the front of the church before the Gospel reading, and return during the Peace.  We also offer a quiet play area in the back of the church for our youngest members, and a nursery downstairs in the Parish Hall for ages 3 and under.  

Confirmation: Our confirmation class has begun!  If you are in 7th or 8th grade and not enrolled, please see Ed DeFuria, Anne Delgado, or fill out the registration form on the website.  Our next meeting, for parents and students, is Sunday, September 25 at 9:00 am in the Hein Room. Following that, our next meeting will be October 16. Check the Confirmation webpage  for more information.
Faith at Home: Even when we can't make it to church, there is a growing list of activities and resources to use for our Faith at Home initiative.  We know that without faith in the home, faith at church won't stick, so we are equipping families and individuals with the skills to practice a vibrant, whole-life faith.  Check out our Faith at Home page for more details.

Taking Faith Home


Taking Faith Home is for singles, couples, or whole families. It provides brief Scripture passages to read each day, service and reflection opportunities, and explanations of aspects of our faith and practice. 
 

Can you ring a bell?

 

Many of you have heard the handbells playing during the service on a Sunday morning. Have you ever wondered how this music is played? If you would like to find out or possibly try it yourself, NOW is the time!

The Bellissima Ringers is actively seeking new members ages 9 to adult who might be interested in learning how to play handbells. No experience is necessary, although some knowledge of music is helpful. Our handbell program has always been a family experience as well as individual. Many parents and children have played together for many years.

We play once a month for the 10 am service. Rehearsals are held every Monday night in the balcony from 6:30 pm 7:30 pm. If you have any questions, you can email Jackie Jones, the Director of Handbells, see her in church (the clergy can introduce you), or just show up!

If you will not be in church on a specific Sunday, you can make your contribution online through our website. Simply chose "contribute" from the menu in the left column of the home page or click below.  You can even set up your contributions so they are paid automatically!
Contribute
Rota for Sunday
October 16, 2016

Thanks to those serving at 8:00 am:
Greeters: Jack & Patti Kriska
Chalice:  Jo Ann Price
Acolyte:   Jack Kriska
Lector:    Karen Crompton
Prayers:   Jo Ann Price
Ushers:    Missy Hazell, Patti Kriska
Coffee Fellowship:  Jack & Patti Kriska
 
 Thanks to those serving at 10:00 am:
Greeter:   Carolyn Wilson
Chalice:   Rob Mayer
Acolytes: Brian Beeker, Sarah Wyrick, Camille Wisniewski
Lector:    Lucinda Salinas
Prayers:  Inez Crismali
Usher:     Mark Willis, Jen De Lellis
Coffee Fellowship:  Kathleen Edmonds, Anne Delgado, Nancy Bilicki
Steeple Bells Ringer: High School Students
Depositors:  Nancy Bilicki, Susan Story
 
Thanks to those serving on the Altar Guild this weekend: Nancy Ollwerther, Deb Turi-Smith, Kathy Whall, Larry Bilicki

 
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St. Peter's Church · 33 Throckmorton Street · Freehold, NJ 07728 · USA

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