Parish Catered Lunch
Sunday, September 7
If you would like to help please call
Debbie (226-0306) or Dale (228-0249)

“WITH MY BODY I THEE WORSHIP…”

The sin of lust has caused the failure of any number of marriages which nevertheless had the potential, even with an adulterous husband or wife, to become more than viable.  The very moving story of Hosea and his errant wife Gomer in the book that bears his name has stood as biblical reminder to millions throughout the ages that adultery by no means spells the end of a marriage.  Indeed, if both parties face their situation with sober minds and sufficient charity, marriages which had been marred and disfigured by adultery can be redeemed and transformed into model unions.

One of the more popular bloviators last month, in assessing Senator John Edwards chances to re-enter the political sphere after confessing his brief adulterous affair in 2006, said among other things that “After all, with John Edwards, it’s not like he stole something.” 

One of the many forms by which the heresy of Gnosticism manifests itself, is the belief that there is no tie between the physical and spiritual portions of the human creature.  Catch phrases such as “You only go around once in life, so grab for all the gusto you can”, or “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with” encourage the urge or need to satisfy our physical desires; and if no one is going to be physically hurt, we’re justified in taking just about any action we want.

Christianity is different.  St. Paul talks about the flesh “warring against the spirit and the spirit warring against the flesh, and that these are contrary the one to the other”.  That is, spirit and flesh in the human creature are intimately connected.  What we do with our bodies affects our spirit and vice versa.  Psychosomatic illness is a very real thing, that particular word being a combination of the Greek “psyche” (mind or spirit) and “soma” (body).

Within the bonds of Holy Matrimony, adultery represents first and foremost a terrible betrayal of trust, because the physical sexual act can never be divorced from the participants’ soul.  We’ve seen this fact played out in beautiful ways.  In Thomas Hardy’s wonderful novel Tess of D’Urbervilles, the one moment of genuine peace and shalom accorded the heroine is when she can finally physically consummate her marriage.  Then again, can we ever forget the dark side sprung of sexuality as when Glen Close tried to kill Michael Douglass and his family after his brief affair failed to produce a marriage proposal in the movie Basic Instinct?  As bizarre as her example is, Glen Close’s character in that very aptly titled film showed us a key tenant of the Church’s view of sexual intercourse:  that it is not the starting of the act with someone which is sinful, but the stopping of it.  Her “basic instinct” was shattered when she learned that Michael Douglas wanted to “stop”, and go back to his wife.

In the Marriage Rite in some of the older versions of the  Book of Common Prayer, the groom upon presenting his bride her wedding ring said, “With this ring I thee wed; with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow.”  Part of what the Church means by this is that within the bonds of Holy Matrimony, the husband’s body belongs to his wife just as the wife’s body belongs to the husband – for the purpose of pleasuring each other as well as for making a family.  Thus when one commits adultery, the act of “stealing” really is part and parcel of the adultery.

Further, if we define lust not only as inordinate sexual desire, but also the act of treating the object of one’s lust not as a human being but as an object to be used and discarded as necessary, then we have another instance of theft: of de-humanizing another creature made in the image of God.

Finally, the adulterer steals from himself, by making himself or herself less than he ought to be.  He not only defaces the object of his lust, but his own image as well.  We see this degradation in the myriad number of excuses produced by the guilty party, one of the most astounding being Mr. Edwards’ statement that his affair only happened after his wife’s cancer had gone into remission.

Adultery is not the worst sin, but it remains nevertheless a very serious sin.  St. Paul wrote I Corinthians because the citizens of Corinth were saying the same old things about their unbridled sexuality – that it wasn’t causing anyone any harm at all.  Last month saw the fortieth anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae.  As its appearance more or less coincided with the advent of “The Pill” and the sexual revolution -- with its argument that sex not only be reserved for husband and wife in Holy Matrimony but that no birth control be used at all, it obviously got mixed reviews. 

Now that we’ve entered the Age of Viagra with some of that pill’s more astounding side effects, can we really make the unqualified statement that the sexual revolution has made us any better as a race, not to mention as sons and daughters of God.  Sexual intercourse is not a right, but a gift. It essentially belongs to God who has graciously allowed couples to be stewards of this incredible thing for the sake of their families, and for the sake of their own mutual pleasure.   FAB

VESTRY

The September meeting will be held Sunday, September 21 at 8:00 AM in the Parish Hall Library.

PRESIDING BISHOP’S VISIT

On Saturday, September 13, 2008, Dr. Katherine Jefferts Schori will be visiting the Diocese of Georgia and All Saints’ has an allocation of fourteen tickets for anyone who would like to attend the meeting with her at St. Peter’s, Savannah.  The meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. and should adjourn at 3:15 p.m.  This will be an opportunity for her to field questions from the laymen of the diocese.  Please contact the church office if you have any questions about this event.     WNM

 
BISHOP ELECTION SURVEY

From September 21-28, there will be a survey available for all communicants to submit their input regarding the election of the Tenth Bishop of Georgia.  The survey will allow the nominating committee to put together a diocesan profile for the prospective candidates.  It will be available online, by telephone, or hard copy.  If you desire a printed copy of the survey, please let Nikki know.  The information that we provide will be critical in selecting the next man to lead our diocese.  Please make every effort to express your thoughts in answering this survey, and if you have any questions please feel free to contact Fr. Buechner or Fr. McQueen.   WNM

SAFEGUARDING GOD’S CHILDREN

On Saturday, September 27, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., All Saints’ will offer a program from the National Church which deals with proper conduct around our children.  It is quite sad to note that training such as this is even required, but unfortunately the battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil is real, and we are not exempt from that fight within the church.  For all parishioners who have regular contact with children whether as a Sunday school teacher, nursery worker, EYC advisor, or chaperone of our youth, we are required to keep on file a record of all who have attended this training.  We have not offered this in a number of years, and we now have three members of the parish who have been certified to teach this course.  The Rev. Dn. Louise Muenz, Mr. Clayton Penhallegon, and Mrs. Charles (Nicki) Sanders attended the training course as facilitators, and will offer it here on the 27th of September.  Please make every effort to attend this session if you work with the youth of the parish.  Please contact the church office to make reservations to attend.   WNM

EYC NEWS

Attention all Episcopal Young Churchmen, our EYC events will begin on Sunday afternoon, September 7 with a Polaroid Party.  Okay, I’ve just dated myself, and we will not use Polaroid cameras, but bring your digital camera for a photo scavenger hunt.  Meet at the church at 5:30 for dinner and instructions with the “hunt” to follow.  Be sure to bring a camera, and a friend.       WNM
 
FR. BUECHNER’S ADULT  SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

Between Fr. Buechner’s service on the Diocesan Nominating/Search Committee for our next Bishop, plus his three-Sunday commitment to help St. John’s Savannah with their Stewardship Program (we will get a reciprocal amount of help from St. John’s next year) plus an extra Sunday of vacation time, he will begin his Old Testament Religious Poetry Sunday School Class in November.  In the meantime, he will be able to rotate in and out of the Children’s Sunday classes.
Clay Sewell, Senior Warden

ADULT CHOIR

The church would like to welcome back our faithful choir members:  Laurie, Audrey, and Tom Simmons, Asun Ellis, Sandra Hall, Emily Funk, Kathy Buechner, Clay Sewell, Russell Fryar, Eddie Davis, DJ Grooms, Will Buechner and Dennis Lewin. 
 As you can see the woman are outnumbered this time.  We are in desperate need of Sopranos!   Please considering joining our choir.  Rehearsals are mainly on Sunday mornings at 9AM.  We sing every Sunday except the Sunday that the Children Choir sing.  Why not try a season.  Perhaps now until the end of Epiphany or  Lent through Eastertide.  You might find your sacrifice very fulfilling.
 Contact Margit Miller at 850-997-4478 or email at margitchris25@juno.com or just show up Sunday morning at 9AM!

CONFIRMATION CLASSES

Adult and Children’s Confirmation Classes will begin in October.  Bishop Louttit will make his annual (and most likely final official) visit to us on the Second Sunday of Advent, December 7.   FAB

THE DIVINE COMEDY

On Monday evenings from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM., Fr. Buechner will lead a study of selected chapters (cantos) from the Inferno, the Purgatorio, and the Paradiso.  Apart from being one of the great epic poems, the Divine Comedy comprises perhaps the greatest source of Christian Moral Theology apart from the Bible itself.  The classes begin  September. 15 and 17.

The class will be repeated on Wednesdays at 4:00 PM.

Particpants are asked to procure either the Sayers or Esolen translations. Both can be ordered through Amazon.  Please RSVP to the church office:  228 9242

EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN

ECW will kick off Fall 2008 on Wednesday, September 10 at 5:00 pm. Our speaker will be Carol Singletary and her subject is "You CAN DO whatever you set your mind to". Everyone is welcome. The ECW will continue to meet the second Wednesday of each month at 5:00 pm. So mark your calendars. We will deviate from this in November when we will meet on Wednesday, November 5 at 5:00 p.m. due to THE AUCTION being held on November 12.

ECW Book Club will also continue to meet the second Wednesday at 11:50 a.m.  Lunch will be served. A reservation is very helpful but not mandatory. Please join this informal, interesting group. Men, women, members, and nonmembers -- all are very welcome.
 
On Wednesday, September 10, Nancy McCollum will lead the discussion on The Unexpected George Washington by H.G. Unger.  On October 8, Philip Faulk will be our leader. The book is The Eighth Day by Thornton Wilder.

We hope that you will join us, the second Wednesday of each month for the Book Club meeting at 11:50 a.m. and the ECW meeting at 5:00 p.m.
 
Thanks
Lee Chubb and Lee Mitchell


CHILDREN’S CHURCH

Children’s Church is no longer on its summer schedule.  We need parents to sign up to volunteer.

ACOLYTE APPEAL

Any child 9 ½ years of age or older is encouraged to serve as an acolyte.   An acolyte assists the minister in the performance of liturgical rites.  If you are interested in joining in this important service, please contact Fr. Buechner , Fr. McQueen or me. 
      
Ram Singletary
Acolyte Master

OFFICE CLOSED

The office will be closed in observance of Labor Day on September 1st.

SIMPLY CHRISTIAN

Beginning Sunday, September 7, Fr. McQueen will teach a course titled Simply Christian.  This course features 10 video segments by The Rt. Rev. N. T. Wright, author of the book, Simply Christian, and we will meet in the movie room on Sunday mornings at 9:30.  The course does have some materials which need to be pre-purchased, so please see the notice on the bulletin board to sign-up, or please e-mail me to express your interest.     WNM

ST. CECILIA AND ST. DAVID CHOIRS

St. Cecilia Choir
Kindergarten (or five in the fall) – Second Grade
Wednesdays, 4:00 – 4:45 p.m.

St. David Choir
Third – Eighth Grades
Wednesdays, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Rehearsals for both choirs begin September 3rd.  If you like to sing, every All Saints’ member K-8th grade is encouraged and invited to participate.  In the choirs you will not only learn basic music skills, but also offertory anthems, hymns, the Communion Services, the Morning Prayer Canticles and other works that make our wonderful music tradition in the Episcopal Church.

Welcome back to every “veteran” chorister!  Some of you have been singing for eight years!  Perhaps you’ve been in the choir in the past or you’ve never been in the choir.  This is your year to join!   Once a month the choirs sing the entire service; a schedule and newsletter will be mailed soon with more information.  Both choirs will sing on September 28.  Please contact Mrs. Buechner if you have any questions or suggestions.  (228-7821) kkb@rose.net.

I hope to see “molto” of you on September 3rd!

Musically yours,
Mrs. Buechner

Save the date
Convocation Picnic at All Saints’
Saturday, October 25, 2008

 

USHERS FOR SEPTEMBER

September 7     
Philip Watt       
Charlie Whitney

September 14
Geoffrey Young
Robert Balfour

September 21  
Don Bruhn     
Charles Deal     

September 28
Jim Funk
John Glenn

CHILDREN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS
SEPTEMBER 7

TRANSITIONS:

Happy Birthday in the month of September to:

Jack Saussy    9-3-03
Richard Lyons    9-4-88
Mary Eleanor Hand   9-5-95
Melissa Funk    9-6-90
Preston Young    9-11-99
Parker Watt    9-13-00
Riley Harper    9-16-05
William McQueen IV   9-16-03
Sara Jo Grooms    9-17-88

Happy Birthday in the month of October to:

Elaina Kavouklis   10-5-94
Alisha Kavouklis   10-5-94
Caroline Penhallegon   10-16-93
Ali Hall    10-20-95
Eleanor Stubley   10-30-95

Baptisms:

Hardy Bourgeois Davis received the sacrament of
Holy Baptism on August 2, 2008.

Marley Camille Davis. received the sacrament of
Holy Baptism on August 2, 2008.
 

The following appeared in the August 12 ,2008, St. John’s Church, Savannah “Parish Paper,” and it is reprinted here in its entirety for your information.  We found Fr. Dunbar’s article clearly summarized many of the same concerns we share at All Saints’ with particular emphasis on his treatment of adherence to the Windsor Report/Process (Item 2) and continued usage of the traditional liturgy as found in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (Item 4).  FAB and WNM

The Next Bishop of Georgia
Last February Bishop Louttit announced his intention to retire, and the process to elect and consecrate the 10th Bishop of Georgia has now begun, with nominations due to open later this fall, election next August or September, and consecration (God willing) early in 2010. The election of a Bishop is a critical decision for any Diocese, and so we must welcome the care with which the Search Committee is approaching this task, under the chairmanship of Fr Robert Fain, Rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta.  We are also fortunate that one of the two representatives of the Savannah churches on the committee is ‘Skip’ Jennings, our Junior Warden. (See also the website, www.georgiabishopsearch.org .)

One Mission
The approach of the Search Committee is summed up in its motto: “Discerning the One Mind for One Mission”.  The end – all agree – is to promote and advance the mission of the Church in this Diocese.  That this is so owes much to the example of Henry Louttit.  As Bishop he has encouraged us to think boldly and imaginatively about setting forth the Gospel.  Moreover, he has understood his task as the fostering of each congregation in planning and pursuing its part of the common mission.  This is precisely the approach that we need to continue and develop.  We need a Bishop who knows how to encourage the work of the Gospel at the level of each congregation.

One Mind
There can be no common mission if there is not, at least to some degree, a common mind about what that mission is and what it entails for the office of Bishop.  And so the first task of the Search Committee is the discernment of “the one mind”. To that end, the laity of Savannah’s parishes are invited to take part in a town hall meeting at St. Michael’s Church (at the corner of Waters and Washington Avenues) Saturday 23rd August 10 a.m. to Noon.  I trust that St. John’s will be well represented there, by clear thinking, courteous speaking, and strong conviction.  

The Challenge of Discernment
I have been told that there is a general desire to find a new Bishop of Georgia around whom the whole diocese can unite.  Welcome as this news is, much difficult work needs to be done before this intention can be realized. The controversies of the last thirty years demonstrate that the discernment of “the one mind” will not be easy. In matters of morality, liturgy, ordained ministry, and even in fundamental doctrine the church does not have the clarity and unity which one might expect. We cannot expect a quick fix. 
   The difficult work is to discern the parameters within which the Diocese can live together with its next Bishop and from which it can work together to advance the Church’s mission. These parameters involve perhaps painful compromise on all sides, but they offer a proven basis for unity in mission.
 
Four Parameters of Moderation
I believe there are four parameters we all need to observe.  First, Adherence to the Historic and Biblical Faith.  In our current controversies lurks the suspicion that the Biblical and Historic Faith is being quietly diminished and diluted.  To set these fears to rest, the next Bishop of Georgia needs to be someone who believes, teaches, and upholds Historic and Biblical faith in unequivocal terms. 
   Second, Compliance with the Windsor Report/Process. In the ‘Windsor Process’, the Primates have set forth a way to limit and repair the damage caused by the consecration of Gene Robinson. For the diocese to nominate a candidate not committed to teaching and acting within the Windsor parameters would ignite ferocious division.  The ordination of non-celibate homosexuals or the blessing of homosexual partnerships would provoke a crisis of conscience for many.  The next Bishop of Georgia needs to uphold the unity of the diocese in the Anglican Communion by adhering to the Windsor Process.
   Third, Respect for Conscientious Dissent to the Ordination of Women.   It is a matter of conscience for some Episcopalians to observe the historic restriction of Holy Orders to men.  In conscience they cannot acknowledge the liturgical and sacramental ministrations of a female bishop – or, it should be noted, of a male candidate consecrated by a woman.  (Such a person, for instance, would not be welcome to exercise liturgical functions at St. John’s.)  The right to conscientious dissent in this matter has been recognized by the Communion, since the ordination of women is a practice under “reception” and cannot be treated as established dogma.  If the Diocese of Georgia decides to proceed in this direction, it would be wise to do so only after having set in place a generous provision for Alternative Episcopal Oversight.
   Fourth, Respect for Conscience in the use of Historic Liturgy. Since the adoption of the 1979 Prayer Book, a number of parishes in Georgia have continued to use the 1928 Prayer Book either partially or exclusively, even in episcopal ministrations.  At its core, this adherence is a matter of conscience, which if violated would provoke bitter and unnecessary conflict. While previous bishops have sometimes regretted this conservativism, they have also respected it. This needs to continue.

A Proven Basis for Unity
   Since last fall, I have been asked why St. John’s does not secede, given its dissent from the liberal mainstream of the Episcopal Church in matters of doctrine, moral teaching, ordained ministry, and liturgy.  An important factor in this outcome was Henry Louttit’s respect for conscience in these matters.  He has himself been such a bishop, that for all St. John’s disagreements with him and others about the right ordering of the Church, it has been possible for St. John’s to remain in good conscience in the diocese.  Our hope must be that this respect for conscience at a time of deep controversy in the Church will continue and will guide the election of the next Bishop of Georgia.   GGD