A Note from Peter (March 2019)

The Church has the ability to transform the world. This fact is patently obvious if one looks at the last 2,000 or so years of world history. What may be less obvious is that the Church has been at its most influential when it has been committed to and sustained by regular spiritual practices. Christians taking on habits of retreat, study, and service have transformed the world in the past and can continue to do so in the present.

As I’ve prepared for sabbatical, I’ve been immersing myself in a great deal of early church history. As I’ve read about 1st-3rd century Rome, 5th-8th century Ireland, 6th-8th century Britain, and 13th century Assisi, a very clear pattern has emerged. That is, a small group of committed Christians, bound together by shared spiritual practices, can turn the world on its head. A few examples:

In the year 500, Britain was in chaos. Rome had long since left the island and with it had gone both literacy and most of the Church. Then, in 563 a group of a dozen Irish monks, led by a fellow named Columba, arrived at the tiny island of Iona in western Scotland. There they established a place of prayer, learning, and outreach to the local population. Sustained by common worship and common work, Iona soon began spreading the faith across Scotland and into northern England while also serving as a center of art, study, and diplomacy.

In 597, the year Columba died, a fellow named Augustine arrived in Canterbury, England. He had been sent to spread the faith in that region by Pope Gregory the Great. Both Gregory and Augustine were monks as well; they followed the rule of St. Benedict. Both men were sustained by regular practices of prayer, work, rest, and study – all done in community. When he arrived in England with his fellow monks, the first thing Augustine did was build an Abbey where these practices could find a home. Within 75 years, the Christian faith would have spread across Britain and the learning of British monks would help transform the educational systems of the rest of Europe.

In 1205, a war veteran named Francis enlisted for the second time, still bearing the scars of his last enlistment. While on the way to battle, a vision stopped him in his tracks and he returned home. Thereafter, he began ordering his days around receiving the Eucharist, contemplation, caring for the sick, and living simply. Others quickly flocked to Francis’ company and habits, and before long, these Friars (or brothers) and their female counterparts, the Poor Clares, were turning the Church and the world on their heads, calling them away from their excesses and back to the heart of the Gospel.

Like our ancestors in the faith, we are at our best as Christians when our lives are ordered around worship, study, and charity. We are most effective at transforming the world, when we have devoted our- selves to the habits that transform us.

Next Wednesday, I will stand in front of the congregation and read those familiar words of the Ash Wednesday liturgy: “I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination, and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” Truly, this season of forty days before Easter is our opportunity to recommit to a rule of life – to spiritual habits and practices – that will empower us for ministry just as they did for our ancestors for centuries.

What practices will you take on this Lent? Maybe you’ll recommit to making Sunday worship a priority – both here in Greenwood and wherever you find yourself on Sunday morning. Maybe you’ll recommit to the Bible Challenge, giving up on the idea of catching up, and instead joining us where we are. Maybe you’ll commit to volunteering in a ministry whose mission you believe in. Maybe you’ll join other church members in a discipline of weekday Morning Prayer.

Who knows, perhaps the spiritual practices we take on this Lent can become our way of life far beyond Easter! And with these habits of worship, study, and service sustaining us, who knows? We just might transform the world!

Peace, Peter+

The Choir Corner: Schubert's German Mass for Lent

As the old hymn and anthem alludes, during Lent our Alleluias “for a time we must forgo.” The same is true for our Gloria in Excelsis, which the prayer book rubrics forbid in Advent and Lent.

To change the musical mood to go along with the liturgical change of season, we will once again be doing the Deutsche Messe-German Mass by the late Classical/early Romantic Period Viennese composer Franz Peter Schubert. Schubert died in 1828 at the age of 31, only a year after his musical idol, Beethoven. Although he wrote in most genres, he wrote more lieder (songs and song cycles) than anything else. Probably the one you know best is his “Ave Maria” which is published in the original German, with a Sir Walter Scott English poem and the standard Latin text all included.

This mass setting was written for congregational use, and the late Richard Proulx arranged the entire work for modern English use. We use the Kyrie (y’all should know that is the “Lord Have Mercy”), the Sanctus (Holy, Holy Holy) and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God.) The hymn-like texture of the part writing makes this popular with choirs and congregations. Proulx was a prolific composer and musical mentor serving at the Roman Catholic cathedral in Chicago, who was received into the Anglican Communion almost on his deathbed. Among those he mentored in composition was Greenwood’s own William Bradley Roberts, who taught Peter at Virginia Seminary.

Outreach Committee Update

The new year is in full-swing, and the Nativity Outreach Committee wanted to share a quick rundown of where we as a church family finished our outreach program in 2018 and where we are headed in 2019. After speaking with community leaders across Leflore County and after many discussions within the six-member Nativity Outreach Committee, it was decided that our outreach focus for 2018 and 2019 would be on ministries to school-aged children. With that in mind here is where our outreach monies were spent:

• In November, the Outreach Committee teamed up with the Episcopal Church Women to fund catfish dinners for close to 600 families through the Community Food Pantry at a total cost of $2000.

• In December, after a request was made by Delta Streets, Nativity contributed $1200 towards Literature books that were needed for the high school English classes. These books were purchased from Turnrow.

• In January 2019, we received a request from ArtPlace to partially fund the work of a FoodCorps member, Rachael Harvey, as she works with students at Threadgill Primary. Rachael teaches classes, develops school gardens and helps students explore healthy eating. Our contribution to this ministry is $1875.

In the future, we will be discerning new areas where we can be helpful, not only financially, but as bodies of Christ in our community, with an ongoing focus on ministries to school-aged children. Our goal is to keep our congregation “in the know,” and also to present opportunities to volunteer. So stay tuned!

Mission Mississippi (March 2019)

Mission Mississippi will meet for its March prayer breakfast on Thursday, March 7 at 6:45am at Greater Macedonia Church of God in Christ in Sidon. Greater Macedonia is located on Highway 49 on the east side of the road as you drive through Sidon. Join us for food, fellowship, and prayer as we change Mississippi one relationship at a time.

Ash Wednesday

The 6 1/2-week period of fasting, self-reflection and spiritual practice that precedes Easter begins on Wednesday, March 6. All are invited to begin the observance of a holy Lent by worshipping as a church family. At noon, we’ll celebrate a Rite II Holy Eucharist with the imposition of ashes, and at 5:30pm, we’ll do a Rite I version of the same service. The nursery will be open during the 5:30 service.

Fat Tuesday Pancake Supper

On Tuesday, March 5 at 5:30pm, we’ll finish off the celebratory season of Epiphany with a beloved Nativity tradition and one last party. We’ll have crafts for the kids, pancakes and sausage for all ages, and Carnival music on the speakers. As we begin to wind down, Peter will lead a short Mardi Gras parade into the church as we bury our Alleluias for the season of Lent. We’ll bring them back out at Easter!

Morning Prayer during Lent

A group of Nativity folk will lead quiet services of Morning Prayer four days per week during Lent. Beginning Thursday, March 7, join them in the choir stalls to hear scripture and pray for the needs of the world each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:15am until Easter. This service will last 20-30 minutes. If you are interested in helping lead, Peter will give an overview of how to do so on March 4 at 4pm

Vestry Nominations

The Nominating Committee of the Vestry has nominated Tish Goodman, Ben Hargett, Allison Harris, and Mary Gregory Porter for election to three year terms at our Annual Parish Meeting on Sunday, January 20. In accordance with our by-laws, nominations for vestry by petition may be made to the rector until Sunday, January 6, provided that the petition be signed by four confirmed communicants of Nativity who are not currently members of the Vestry.

In addition, the Nominating Committee has also nominated Dean Kidd for election to a two-year term as Junior Warden, and Peter has nominated Perry Whites for election to a two-year term as Senior Warden. Thank you to all those who are willing to stand for election and serve in these roles!

December Youth Group Update

December is here, and for EYC this means that it is time for the Nativity Christmas Pageant. There is excitement in the air as we have already been planning and rehearsing. For some, this will be their last time to be a part of the Christmas Pageant, and for others this will be their first. But for all, it will be fun and joyful.

One of the great things about the Christmas Pageant is that EYC members can reflect on who they are and who God has called them to be by acting out the story of the Nativity. By acting out this story, our EYC brings parts of themselves to this story of our Lord. More importantly, this Nativity pageant immerses them in the story by pulling them directly into it as they act it out.

Please help us by making sure that the EYC is here the next two Sunday nights so we can practice. And, please pray for the EYC and all of those who are involved in the Christmas Pageant as we work on this joyous event.

December Choir Corner by David Williamson

As we approach the two shortest seasons of the Liturgical Year, I’m reminded of the old saying that Good Friday belongs to the Roman Catholics, Easter belongs to the Eastern Orthodox Christians, but Advent, Christmas, and all the Holy Days dealing with the Incarnation are the domain of us Anglicans. We are militant in refusing to celebrate Christmas without thoroughly preparing ourselves though Advent. Our hymnody embraces and reinforces the dual preparation for both the celebration of the first coming of Jesus and the proclamation of his return in glory. Among the Advent favorites in our hymnal are “Hark, a thrilling voice is sounding,” “On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry,” “Prepare the way, O Zion,” ”Sleepers Wake,” “Lo! He comes with clouds descending,” and “O come, O come, Emmanuel.”

The Gloria in Excelsis (the song at the beginning of worship that begins, “Glory to God in the Highest...”) is given up for Advent but will return in our worship on Christmas Eve in the metrical form of “Angels we have heard on high.” This is appropriate since the first lines
of the Gloria in Excelsis comes directly from the angels’ mouths as they announce the birth of Jesus to the shepheards.

During Advent, we will once again sing the Schubert’s Kyrie (“Lord, have mercy upon us...”) and Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy Lord...”) along with Mark Schweitzer’s “St. James’ Christmas Service” setting of the Agnus Dei (“O, Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world...”) to the tune “Greensleeves.” Greensleeves is the tune most are familiar with as the setting of “What Child is This?”