May 13, 2012

                       Happy Mothers’ Day and Welcome to St. Mary’s Church!

A Blessed Mothers’ Day to all the Women of St. Mary’s! May God bless you always for all the ‘mothering’ you do in our parish and in the community. And may God also bless and keep in eternal life all our mothers who are now in God’s glory. Also: The Flowers on the Altar this morning are given to the glory of God and in special thanks to all the Strong Women of St. Mary’s Church by Elizabeth and Earl Kooperkamp.

 Transition News: Next Sunday, May 20^th is Rev. Kooperkamp’s last Sunday at St. Mary’s. Come and join in the farewell! Also: The Vestry voted last Sunday to bring the Rev. Deacon Christine Lee on to the staff of St. Mary’s Church to serve as the transitional clergy person through the summer. She will be responsible for leading worship, coordinating parish activities and meeting pastoral needs as St. Mary’s enters the transitional period.

Welcome, Deacon Christine!!

 The Finance Committee will meet on Thursday, May 17^th at 6:00 pm. All are welcome.

 Movies at St. Mary’s: 6:00 pm on Fridays. Come for the fellowship, the popcorn and the FUN!!  Also, we need volunteers to help.  May 18^th: glory (1989, drama, r) moving story of the civil war’s first all-black volunteer company. with denzel washington, morgan freeman & matthew broderick. one of fr. earl’s all-time favorites!

St. Mary’s “Urban Farm” is growing and greening. If you’d like to help, please let us know. Speak with Kym Roberts or Billy Adams.

Prison Re-entry Program:  Monday, May 21, 2012 at 6:00 pm – “How to become a Welcoming Community to Congregants Returning From Prison” Training with Rev. Darren Ferguson and others. Infinity Mennonite Church, 2252 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd – to RSVP please e-mail Darren@interfaithcenter.org This training will be to prepare congregations to be ready to welcome those returning from jail and prison. Each of our welcoming conger-gations is being asked to identify point persons who will serve as a “greeter” for any of our charges that may come to visit you at your house of worship.

Men’s Prayer Group will meet on May 26^th at 8:00 am, the last Saturday of the month. Attendance has been very good, so keep coming out to pray with us, gentlemen. Please see Radford Arrindell for more information.

Eccelsia: Marcus Garvey Park: St. Mary’s is the lead congregation on the first and fifth Sunday each month. We always need some volunteers to help prepare the “Second Meal” following the service.  Also: St. Mary’s Homeless Street Outreach: Saturdays, 12:00 noon preparation and 2:00 pm Street Outreach. Please let us know if you can help and keep the Homeless Street Outreach in your prayers.

 

Reflections on Today’s Scripture Lessons by Arthur Cash:

First Reading Acts 10: 44 – 48

    Our reading for this and next Sunday are chosen to prepare us for the reading of the great Pentecost miracle. Today, we jump beyond that scene to hear more about the spreading of Christianity to gentiles. (Bear in mind, “gentile” means any non-Jew, be he or she Roman or Greek or German or what-have-you.) A few pages before our passage can be found the story of the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch (our lesson of last week). Today we have the conclusion to the story of the conversion of the Roman centurion (commander if hundred soldiers.) A gathering of gentile listeners stands around the centurion and Peter as Peter talks about Christ. When the Holy Spirit falls upon them, Peter baptizes them, another step toward the extension of Christianity into   the world of gentiles.

Second Reading:  1 John 5: 1 – 6

Today we have a continuation of our reading of last week from the sermon-like letter of John the Elder. Last week we heard that magnificent assertion: “God is love.” Here John builds upon the image of God as the father who loves us as children. He gives us a way of returning that love; to obey the father’s commandments The obligation is not burdensome (see Matt. 11: 30), yet “conquers” the world. This may mean a conquest over the Gnostics, or it may mean that we, by obeying, overcome the burdens if this life or it may mean both. I’m not sure exactly how John connects obedience to God with faith in Jesus as the Messiah (in Biblical Greek, “the Christ”) but he seems to say that one entails the other, The remaining lines, mysterious to us, were probably intended for the Gnostics, Jesus came into his authority by water (baptism) and completed his mission by blood (on the cross). The truth of this is testified by the spirit. The Spirit is not some agent that bears the saving secret, as the Gnostics thought, but truth itself.

 

 

May 6, 2012

A Blessed Easter and Welcome to St. Mary’s Church!

 Cropwalk: TODAY: May 6^th: We are collecting donations for the Church World Service Cropwalk, a program to feed people all around the world beginning right here in West Harlem. Please help out with a generous contribution; there is an envelope provided in the bulletin today. Please see Bonnie Phelps or Lisa Slocum for more information.

 The Vestry will meet today, following the 10:00 am service for a quick update on transitional ministries. . All are invited.

 Peace of Pizza: Wednesday, May 9^th at 7:00 pm, come join us for our monthly fellowship and discussion with the members of the New York Intern Program. The topic we’ll discuss is, “Parting is such sweet sorrow…stories of happy departures.” Come and share your story with us!

 Eccelsia: Marcus Garvey Park: St. Mary’s is the lead congregation on the first and fifth Sunday each month. Today we need some volunteers to help prepare the “Second Meal.”Also: St. Mary’s Homeless Street Outreach: Saturdays, 12:00 noon preparation and 2:00 pm Street Outreach. Please let us know if you can help and keep the Homeless Street Outreach in your prayers.

 Movies at St. Mary’s: 6:00 pm on Fridays. Come for the fellowship, the popcorn and the FUN!!  Also, we need volunteers to help.  May 11^th: detective dee and the mystery of the phantom flame (2010, action/mystery, pg-13), an inventive martial arts mystery by famed hong kong director hark tsui;  May 18^th: glory (1989, drama, r) moving story of the civil war’s first all-black volunteer company. with denzel washington, morgan freeman & matthew broderick. one of fr. earl’s all-time favorites!

 St. Mary’s “Urban Farm” is growing and greening. If you’d like to help, please let us know. Speak with Kym Roberts, Billy Adams or Stephen Thake.

 Prison Re-entry Program:  Monday, May 21, 2012 at 6:00 pm – “How to become a Welcoming Community to Congregants Returning From Prison” Training with Rev. Darren Ferguson and others. Infinity Mennonite Church, 2252 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd – to RSVP please e-mail Darren@interfaithcenter.org This training will be to prepare congregations to be ready to welcome those returning from jail and prison. Each of our welcoming conger-gations is being asked to identify point persons who will serve as a “greeter” for any of our charges that may come to visit you at your house of worship

 Preaching schedule: May 13: Mothers’ Day, The Rev. Earl Kooperkamp; May 20^th, The Rev. Earl Kooperkamp’s last Sunday at St. Mary’s; May 27^th, Pentecost, The Rev. Chloe Breyer

 Reflections on Today’s Scripture Lessons by Arthur Cash:

 First Reading Acts: 8: 26 – 40

    Tradition holds that the Ethiopian eunuch was the first gentile to be baptized. The tradition is true only if one does not consider the Samaritans to be gentiles, for numerous Samaritans were already baptized because of Philip’s teaching (8:12). The Samaritans were a splinter Judaism, and the Torah (Pentateuch) was their holy book.

    At that time, main-line Jews welcomed to their synagogues gentiles who came to worship Yahweh but would not convert because circumcision was dangerous and painful. When these “God-fearers” learned that Christians worshiped the same God, but did not ask for circumcision, they came to be baptized in large numbers; it may be that the Ethiopian eunuch was the first God-fearer to be baptized. We know nothing about him, not his nation, because the name “Ethiopia” was Used so variously, nor his queen, for “Candace” was a title, not a name.      

    The passage from Isaiah that the eunuch was reading (aloud, no less), was 53:7-8, from the song of the Suffering Servant, of which I spoke a month ago. It is interesting that this minister of the very early church who was a Jew and had grown up with the Law and the Prophets as his holy books should new do an about face as to their meaning and interpret them as prophecies of Christ. 

 Second Reading:  1 John 4: 7 – 21

    In our reading, John the Elder makes one of the most striking and critically important statements for Judaism and Christianity: “God is love.” Love is an abundant idea in both Old and New Testaments – God’s love for humankind, and the ideals of human love for God and love of one another, yet this passage is the only place in the entire collection of documents we call the Bible, where it is said that God is love.

     For John the Elder, love is not a matter of talk, but of the heart. It is made real only in acts of love for fellow humans. The supreme example is Jesus, who out of love for humankind suffered and died on the cross. We can’t know God through our sensors, but if we love one another, “God lives in us.”

    I and many others call this great theologian John the Elder, to distinguish him from John the Baptist, John the Apostle, and John the Divine (the author of the gospel). We know nothing about him except that his “letters” (more like sermons) seems to be written for some early Christian colony largely influenced by the gospel of John.

 

 

April 29,2012

                            A Blessed Easter and Welcome to St. Mary’s Church!

Many thanks to Liz Mellen for her musical leadership this morning. And of course the beautiful music will continue with…

Spring Finale Concert: Today at 3:00 pm, the Harlem Chamber Players present a program of Foote, Saint-Saëns and Schubert here at St. Mary’s Church. Hosted by Eric K. Washington; $15 General Admission, $10 Students/Seniors. Call (212) 864-1492 or visit  www.harlemchamberplayers.org  for more information. Tell your family, friends and neighbors about this fantastic day of music in our community.

The Vestry will meet today, following the 10:00 am service. All are invited

Stop and Frisk: Tomorrow, Monday April 30^th, Prof. Cornel West, Rev. Phelps of Riverside Church, Ms. Nellie Bailey of the Harlem Tenants Council and Rev. Kooperkamp and 30 others defendants will be on trial for an act of civil disobedience against the NYPD policy of Stop and Frisk. Keep them in your prayers and come show support if you are able. The trial will begin at 9:30 am, Criminal Court, 100 Centre Street The courtroom has been changed, so ask at the front desk. STOP “Stop and Frisk!”

May 1^st: Occupy the Streets: Occupy Wall Street plans a large mobilization on May Day for economic justice for the 99%. 2:00 pm, March from Bryant Park to Union Square; 5:30 pm, Solidarity March from Union Square to Wall Street. A Day of total Economic non-compliance

Cropwalk: NEXT SUNDAY: May 6^th: We are collecting donations for the Church World Service Cropwalk, a program to feed people all around the world beginning right here in West Harlem. Please help out with a generous contribution. Please see Bonnie Phelps or Lisa Slocum for more information.

Eccelsia: Marcus Garvey Park: St. Mary’s is the lead congregation on the first and fifth Sunday each month. Today we need some volunteers to help prepare the “Second Meal.”Also: St. Mary’s Homeless Street Outreach: Saturdays, 12:00 noon preparation and 2:00 pm Street Outreach. Please let us know if you can help and keep the Homeless Street Outreach in your prayers.

 Movies at St. Mary’s: 6:00 pm on Fridays. Come for the fellowship, the popcorn and the FUN!!  Also, we need volunteers to help.  May 4^th: pray the devil back to hell (2008, documentary, ur), Liberian women end a civil war. a must see!

Reflections on Today’s Scripture Lessons by Arthur Cash:

First Reading Acts: 4: 5 – 12

Peter and John have been arrested for their healing of the crippled beggar and forced to defend their behavior before a formidable panel of judges, Annas, Caiaphas, Jonathan (called John) were all at one time or another High Priests of the Temple. They were leaders of the Sadducees (the Temple and court party) and allies of the Roman governor.

This great council does not question the fact of the healing, but only asks by what “power” or “name” it was done. The two words seem to be synonyms. They want only to know if the power came from Satan or someone else. They get their answer: the man was healed “by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” that is, by the power of Christ.

When you or I act in the name of Christ, we are either asking for the power of Christ or acknowledging its assistance. I now see why I cross myself when I say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. My desire for the holy bread and wine is being blessed, that is, reinforced by the power of Christ.

 Second Reading: First John 3: 16 – 24

In today’s reading, we discover the major theme of the sermon: the true Christian life is a life of love. Jesus gave us the commandment to live one another and the supreme example of love in laying down his life for us. John is not talking about verbal expressions of love; he means love expressed in actions.  It is interesting that he thinks we can rely upon our conscience, in his words the assurances or condemnations of our hearts.

 

 

April 22, 2012

                          A Blessed Easter and Welcome to St. Mary’s Church!

 We celebrate Earth Day and St. Mary’s “Urban Farm” this morning! Welcome to Dr. Serene Jones, President of Union Theological and to our guests joining us for the cere-mony today. Please refer to the commentary on page 4 of this bulletin for information about the Rogation Procession at the conclusion of the service. Also, we’ll have a potluck meal of vegan and vegetarian foods in the Undercroft. Happy Earth Day to You!

The Episcopal Church Women’s Prayer Committee will meet today following the 10:00 am service. Dr. Betty Readon is the convener today. All women are invited.

The Coalition to Preserve Community will meet Monday, April 23^rd at 6:30 pm at St. Mary’s Church to discuss opposition to Columbia University’s expansion in West Harlem.

Mariam, Mark and Marx, a monthly Bible Study and current events discussion, will be held on Thursday, April 26^th at 6:00 pm. Please see Jim White for more information.

 The Men’s Monthly Prayer Group will meet Saturday, April 28^th at 8:00 am. All men are invited. We’ve made a very good start this year, so let’s keep it going, gentlemen!

Spring Finale Concert: Sunday, April 29^th at 3:00 pm, the Harlem Chamber Players present a program of Foote, Saint-Saëns and Schubert here at St. Mary’s Church. Hosted by Eric K. Washington; $15 General Admission, $10 Students/Seniors. Visit www.harlemchamberplayers.org or call (212) 864-1492 for more information. Tell your family, friends and neighbors about this fantastic day of music in our community.

 The Vestry will meet next Sunday, April 29^th at 12:00 pm, following the 10:00 am service.

 Stop and Frisk: On April 30^th, Prof. Cornel West, Rev. Phelps of Riverside Church, Ms. Nellie Bailey of the Harlem Tenants Council and Rev. Kooperkamp and 30 others defendants will be on trial for an act of civil disobedience against the NYPD policy of Stop and Frisk. Keep them in your prayers and come show support if you are able. The trial will begin at 9:30 am, Criminal Court, 100 Centre Street, Part C, 2^nd Floor. STOP “Stop and Frisk!”

May 1^st: Occupy the Streets: Occupy Wall Street plans a large mobilization on May Day for economic justice for the 99%. 2:00 pm, March from Bryant Park to Union Square; 5:30 pm, Solidarity March from Union Square to Wall Street. A Day of total Economic non-compliance.

Cropwalk: May 6^th: We are collecting donations for the Church World Service Cropwalk, a program to feed people all around the world beginning right here in West Harlem. Please help out with a generous contribution. Please see Bonnie Phelps or Lisa slocum for more information.

Additional Announcements:

 Eccelsia: Marcus Garvey Park: St. Mary’s is the lead congregation on the first and fifth Sunday each month. Also: St. Mary’s Homeless Street Outreach: Saturdays, 12:00 noon preparation and 2:00 pm Street Outreach. Please let us know if you can help and keep the Homeless Street Outreach in your prayers.

 Movies at St. Mary’s: 6:00 pm on Fridays. Come for the fellowship, the popcorn and the FUN!!  Also, we need volunteers to help.  April 27^th: CLAASICS DOUBLE FEATURE: the thin man (1934, crime comedy, ur, 91 mins.) myrna loy, William powell & asta the dog investigate a murder & drink martinis. The prince and the showgirl (1957, comedy/romance, ur, 115 mins.) marilyn monroe and laurence Olivier in the movie ‘my week with marilyn” was based on.

Reflections on Today’s Scripture Lessons by Arthur Cash:

First Reading Acts 3: 12 – 19

Peter has just preformed a miracle “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” He has healed a crippled beggar. A crowd of astonished people has gathered. In his address, he blames the people for the death of Jesus, but then seems to take away the blame: they acted in ignorance. In fact, they carried out the event God had foretold, the suffering of the Messiah. Nevertheless, they have sinned and must repent. Peter foreshadows Calvin: God causes people to sin when it suits him, but then holds them responsible.

Second Reading: First John 3: 1 – 7

John the elder (probably not the gospel writer, as I explained last Sunday) here seems to contradict what he said in last Sunday’s reading; Jesus’ atonement, he said, is not only for “us,” but “for the sins of the whole world,” Yet in this passage, no one who knows Christ or has seen him or known him sins. By contrast, “No one who sins has either seen him or knows him.” In short, the sinful are those who have not been exposed to Jesus Christ. So what can it mean that Jesus died to take way “the sins of the whole world”? I do not understand our reading.

April 15, 2012

                                A Blessed Easter and Welcome to St. Mary’s Church!

 With Faith in God’s goodness, yet a deep sense of our loss, we mourn the death of our beloved Sexton at St. Mary’s Church, Mr. Robert Daniel Jones. Robert died Wednesday morning attended by his family and surrounded in prayer. Please pray for his wife, Sharon, for his children, Nicole and Robert Jr., and for his sisters and brother and all his family and friends.

The Viewing will take place between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 pm at St. Mary’s Church on Tuesday, April 17^th and the Funeral Service will follow at 6:00 pm.

X May he Rest in Peace and Rise in Glory X

 

The Flowers on the Altar are given to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for the life of Mae Crane Puccio by her daughter Lysander Puccio.

St. Mary’s “Urban Farm” is growing and greening! On April 22^nd, Earth Day, we will have a special service to dedicate our new farm to serve the people. Rev. chloe Breyer will preach and there will be a “Rogation Day” procession to bless the new plantings at the end of the service.  We will appreciate any vegetarian or vegan dishes to share for a meal following the planting. We still need volunteer “farmers” to help. Please see Stephen Thake to sign up!

Spring Finale Concert: Sunday, April 29^th at 3:00 pm, the Harlem Chamber Players present a program of Foote, Saint-Saëns and Schubert here at St. Mary’s Church. Hosted by Eric K. Washington; $15 General Admission, $10 Students/Seniors. Visit www.harlemchamberplayers.org or call (212) 864-1492 for more information. Tell your family, friends and neighbors about this fantastic day of music in our community.

 The Finance Committee will meet Thursday, April 19^th at 6:00 pm.

 Stop and Frisk: On April 30^th, Prof. Cornel West, Rev. Phelps of Riverside Church and Rev. Kooperkamp will be on trial for an act of civil disobedience against the NYPD policy of Stop and Frisk. Keep them in your prayers and come show support if you are able.

Eccelsia: Marcus Garvey Park: St. Mary’s is the lead congregation on the first and fifth Sunday each month. Also: St. Mary’s Homeless Street Outreach: Saturdays, 12:00 noon preparation and 2:00 pm Street Outreach. Please let us know if you can help and keep the Homeless Street Outreach in your prayers.

 Movies at St. Mary’s: 6:00 pm on Fridays. Come for the fellowship, the popcorn and the FUN!!  Also, we need volunteers to help.  April 20^th: war horse (2011, drama, pg-13) steven spielberg

 

Reflections on Today’s Scripture Lessons by Arthur Cash:

First Reading: Acts 4: 32 – 35

The Book of Acts, you may remember, was written by Luke (probably) as a sequel to his gospel. Not a history in the modern sense, it is loaded with reliable historical facts. It is the major document from which we draw information about the early Church in Jerusalem before it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE, Luke’s purpose was not to leave a record of the Church, but a record of the works of the Holy Spirit.

In our reading, we see that this early Church, inspirited by the Holy Spirit, had perfected com-munism.

 Second Reading: First John 1: 1 – 2: 2

   There is no general agreement among scholars whether or not the author of this sermon (not really a letter) is the John who wrote the gospel. I think he is not. In my view, he is an elder in some Johnnie community.

One of his purposes was to shut out Gnosticism. The Gnostics were an early branch of the church that denied the divinity of the man Jesus or the presence of the divine in the physical or biological world. For them, only things spiritual could be touched by divinity. So the John of our reading today stresses the non-spiritual—what has been seen and heard.

I would call your attention to two things this John says. The first: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceived ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” The second is his saying that Jesus’ atonement is not only for “us,” but “for the sins of the whole world.”

Additional Announcements:

 May 1^st: Occupy the Streets: Occupy Wall Street plans a large mobilization on May Day for economic justice for the 99%. Please come and join us!

 

 

 

 

Robert Daniel Jones, “Our Robert” 1951 – 2012

With Faith in God’s goodness, yet a deep sense of our loss, we mourn the death of our beloved Sexton at St. Mary’s Church, Mr. Robert Daniel Jones. Robert died Wednesday morning attended by his family and surrounded in prayer. Please pray for his wife, Sharon, for his children, Nicole and Robert Jr., and for his sisters and brother and all his family and friends.
The Viewing will take place between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 pm at St. Mary’s church on Tuesday, April 17th and the Funeral Service will follow at 6:00 pm.

+ May he Rest in Peace and Rise in Glory +

April 8, 2012

                           A Blessed Easter and Welcome to St. Mary’s Church!

 The flowers on the Altar are given to the glory of God and in by Mr. Radford Arrindell and in loving memory of his mother, Mrs. Janet Arrindell.

Welcome to our newly baptized members Amira Jakai Estephane, Joel Kovel,Akira Hope Johnson and Shaun McCoy Johnson and to Raymond Lewis and Rachel Furer, new members joining St. Mary’s Church today. May God’s blessing on this Easter Day always be with you.

 Thanks to our special musicians today, Ms. April Armstrong, soloist and accom-paniment by Mr. Ishmael Wallace, and to Mr. Nabate Iles, trumpet. Thank you so much so helping St. Mary’s Church celebrate a special Easter this year.

 Photo-op!! Today at the Peace we will attempt to take a picture of St. Mary’s congregation. Please move to the back of the Church at the Peace and SMILE!!

 Easter Egg Hunt!! Following the service, all children are invited to join in the Annual Easter Egg Hunt in the garden! Thanks to Elizabeth Kooperkamp for organizing the event!

Peace of Pizza: Wednesday April 11^th at 7:00pm, join the New York Intern Program as we discuss St. Mary’s Urban Farm and enjoy fellowship & pizza!! For more info see Gwen Walker

Eccelsia: Marcus Garvey Park: St. Mary’s is the lead congregation on the first and fifth Sunday each month. Today we will celebrate the fourth Easter with Ecclesia in the park.  Also: St. Mary’s Homeless Street Outreach: Saturdays, 12:00 noon preparation and 2:00 pm Street Outreach. Please let us know if you can help and keep the Homeless Street Outreach in your prayers.

 Music at St. Mary’s: Spring Finale Concert, April 29^th at 3:00 pm. Don’t miss it!!

 The Fundraising Committee will meet Tuesday, April 10^th  at 6:30 pm (snacks will be served!)  Come help plan the recipe book, the Ginormous Flea Market & this summer’s “Saturday Sundae!”

 St. Mary’s “Urban Farm” is growing and greening! On April 22^nd, Earth Day, we will have a special service to dedicate our new farm to serve the people. We still need volunteer “farmers” to help. Please see Freddie Brown Carter or Stephen Tahke to sign up!

Movies at St. Mary’s: 6:00 pm on Fridays. Come for the fellowship, the popcorn and theFUN!!  Also, we need volunteers to help.  April 13^th:  tower heist (2011, adventure comedy, pg-13) eddie murphy & ben stiller; April 20^th: war horse (2011, drama, pg-13) steven spielberg

Reflections on Today’s Scripture Lessons by Arthur Cash:

Easter Sunday

I am not going to comment upon the Easter readings. This most joyful and mysterious day would not be well served by historical, rational commentaries such as I write. Christ has risen!

 Additional Upcoming Events:

 Spring Finale Concert: Sunday, April 29^th at 3:00 pm, the Harlem Chamber Players present a program of Foote, Sait-Saëns and Schubert here at St. Mary’s Church. Hosted by Eric K. Washington; $15 General Admission, $10 Students/Seniors. Visit www.harlemchamberplayers.org or call (212) 864-1492 for more information. Tell your family, friends and neighbors and bring them all for this fantastic day of music in our community.

 Stop and Frisk: On April 30^th, Prof. Cornel West, Rev. Phelps of Riverside Church and Rev. Kooperkamp will be on trial for an act of civil disobedience against the NYPD policy of Stop and Frisk. Keep them in your prayers and come show support if you are able.

 May 1^st: Occupy the Streets: Occupy Wall Street plans a large mobilization on May Day for economic justice for the 99%. Please come and join us!