For All The Animal Lovers.....

The Story of Adam & Eve’s Pets

 

Adam and Eve said, 'Lord, when we were in the garden, you

walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more.

We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember

how much you love us.'

And God said, I will create a companion for you that will be

with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that

you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of

how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new

companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do,

in spite of yourselves.'

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.

And it was a good animal and God was pleased.

And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and

he wagged his tail. And Adam said, 'Lord, I have already

named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a

name for this new animal.'

And God said, 'I have created this new animal to be a reflection

of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own

name, and you will call him DOG.'

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to

them and loved them. And they were comforted. And God was

pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord

and said, 'Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride.

They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are

worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are

loved, but perhaps too well.'

And God said, I will create for them a companion who will be

with them and who will see them as they are. The companion

will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they

are not always worthy of adoration.' And God created CAT to

be a companion to Adam and Eve.

And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed

into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the

supreme beings.

And Adam and Eve learned humility.

And they were greatly improved.

And God was pleased..

And Dog was happy.

And Cat…

didn’t give a darn one way or the other.

Christmas Snow

Mass was said for the "faithful few" who braved icey roads to come on Sunday, December 26. 

Christmas Party

Scenes from the annual Christmas party at the Cunningham's cabin......

Midnight Mass 2010

A White Christmas in Seymour

Best wishes for a happy, blessed, and prosperous new year!

Advent Schedule

Advent is upon us. We will continue the Wednesday evening Undercroft work crew, and throughout the Advent season we will also begin a Thursday evening choir practice at 6:30.

Mark your calendars: December 5 will be our monthly covered dish luncheon, immediately followed by our annual Parish meeting.  The annual meeting is a time to reflect on our 2010 accomplishements and plan for 2011.

We will celebrate the "Hanging of the Greens" after Mass on Sunday, December 19. Following the morning service,  there will be a soup luncheon, after which we will decorate the nave in preparation of Midnight Mass.

The highlight of the season: Christmas Eve Midnight Mass.  We will begin with music at 10:30 PM; the service begins at 11:00 PM....High Mass, complete with incense, full choir, and a sung service.

St. Francis Day Observed

Our annual "Blessing of the Animals" service drew 58 dogs, 3 cats, and over 65 people this year. We appreciate all the hard work by the ladies who made dog treats, people treats, and gift bags for all attendees.  A special THANK YOU to STARBUCKS for providing the coffee and tea.

CONGRATULATIONS to ANITA GRAHAM, winner of the quilt raffle.

Choir "Workshop" Scheduled

There will be a choral workshop on Saturday, October 23 at St. Paul.  Attendees may gather for coffee at 8:30; the workshop will start promptly at 9:00 and end at noon with a light luncheon.


We welcome the choir from St. Luke Episcopal Church in Knoxville, who will be joining us for the workshop.  All choir members are highly encouraged to attend this event. 

We are pleased to have Dr. Harry M. Switzer lead this event.  Dr. Switzer has an M.S. in Music Education, a D.M.A. in Vocal Performance, and over 35 years of experience in directing, composing, and conducting choral music. 

Among the topics covered will be following the director, posture and breathing, individual vocal production, achieving good sound and blend, and making music interesting.

To all who are currently choir members or those who are considering choir membership: Please make every every effort to attend this event, it will be worth your time!

Mass 101

To those of us who have been Episcopalians for some time, there are things that we do on Sunday mornings that are just automatic. Personal acts that help us experience worship such as the sign of the cross or genuflecting are often not familiar to those who walk in to St. Paul's without prior experience in liturgical worship. This short article is offered to shed a little light on those practices.

1. Posture: We typically stand up for praise and the reading of the Gospel lesson, kneel for prayer and to receive the Holy Eucharist, and sit for instruction. It is common for those who are physically unable to kneel to stand during times when others are kneeling. This physical movement keeps us involved in the service rather than having us simply sit throught it as mere observers.

2. Genuflection and Bowing: Genuflection is the act of briefly kneeling on one knee as an act of reverence. To bow or genuflect is a proper way to reverence the altar when passing by it or before being seated in your pew.  It is also a tradition to bow slightly when the processional cross passes by your pew, and at certain times during the Creed (at the name of Christ and mention of the Virgin Mary).

3. The "Sign of the Cross" is done by touching the forehead, breast, left shoulder, and right shoulder, thus marking the cross upon oneself. It is generally done with the first two fingers and the thumb, denoting the Holy Trinity. There is no simple rule as to when the sign of the cross should be made, but it is customarily done any time there is a reference to the dead, at the beginning and ending of prayer, at any reference to a blesing upon oneself, and when the priest approaches you with the Holy Eucharist and/or after receiving .  The easiest thing to do if you are not familiar with when to do the sign of the cross is to watch the people in the chancel during Mass to see when they do it.

4. The "Sign of the Cross" at the announcement of the Gospel lesson is often done three times, once on the forehead, once on the lips, and once on the heart.  This is to denote the prayer for God to "write his words in my head, on my lips, and in my heart".

These are just a few of the basics... by no means an exhaustive list. As you will notice, some people practice all of these things and some almost none. These are personal acts that are not required of anyone.  It is perfectly acceptable to attend and take part in the service while omitting any or all of them. I hope this article has offered some insight.  

On a lighter note.....

"WE CARE"

Volunteers are needed for the "WE CARE" Committee.  The committee is charged with coordinating our ministry efforts to members within the congregation. The church is growing, and we need to be sure that our sick and shut-in folks are taken care of.  Anyone wishing to volunteer is encouraged to see the "We Care" coordinators, Rachel Clarke and Carolyn Thomas.

Five Years

On a sultry August afternoon in 2005, the first Episcopal Mass was held at St. Paul's. Since that day, we have grown and accomplished much.

We will take time to commemorate our first five years with a special service, followed by a covered dish luncheon on Sunday, August 1, 2010. 

We are also publishing the history of our first five years, in the words of the congregation.  All Communicants are encouraged to contribute a paragraph or two to this project. The deadline for submissions is July 25.

GIANT RUMMAGE SALE

Our annual Church-Wide RUMMAGE SALE will be Saturday, June 19.  We welcome volunteers to help sort and price items for sale the week before the sale, and we welcome volunteers to help out the day of the sale. We will be grilling hamburgers and hot dogs on Saturday for those helping. See the Junior Warden for more information.