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St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church PO Box 7416 Salem, OR 97303 503-363-0601 [email protected] www.sainttimothys.org Tidings MAY 2018 From the Rector And lead us not into…Technolatry Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. (1 Cor. 10:14) Idolatry—the worship of created things in the place of God—is forbidden by God’s own Commandment. Great debates have raged about how this is to be understood in Christian theology and practice (e.g. the Iconoclastic controversies of the 8th and 9th centuries, the Reformation), but suffice it to say that all true Christians—of whatever stripe—are clear in knowing that worship belongs to God alone. However, the culture isn’t clear about this. And therein lies a problem for us all. While some groups are trying to revive the ancient pagan religions, for the most part people know that bowing down before a statue and calling upon it to solve all our problems or give us immortality is ludicrous. Yet, when we apply the same test to our computers, and especially the promise given through the use of the Internet and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the answer seems to be quite the opposite: it’s smart to worship technology. “Worship” is an interesting word. It can mean the reverence due to God alone (that’s how we tend to mean it in Church life). It can mean reverence for a person (Continued)

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Page 1: Tidingssainttimothys.org/documents/tidings/2018-05.pdf · 31 Pamela Lyons Nelson Calvin Steck St Philip 1 and St James Guild of Sts Anna & Simeon 4:30 Missions 7 Tidings Deadline

St. Timothy’s Episcopal ChurchPO Box 7416 • Salem, OR 97303

503-363-0601 • [email protected] • www.sainttimothys.org

Tidings

MAY 2018

From the Rector

And lead us not into…Technolatry

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. (1 Cor. 10:14)

Idolatry—the worship of created things in the place of God—is forbidden by God’s own Commandment. Great debates have raged about how this is to be understood in Christian theology and practice (e.g. the Iconoclastic controversies of the 8th and 9th centuries, the Reformation), but suffice it to say that all true Christians—of whatever stripe—are clear in knowing that worship belongs to God alone.

However, the culture isn’t clear about this. And therein lies a problem for us all.

While some groups are trying to revive the ancient pagan religions, for the most part people know that bowing down before a statue and calling upon it to solve all our problems or give us immortality is ludicrous. Yet, when we apply the same test to our computers, and especially the promise given through the use of the Internet and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the answer seems to be quite the opposite: it’s smart to worship technology.

“Worship” is an interesting word. It can mean the reverence due to God alone (that’s how we tend to mean it in Church life). It can mean reverence for a person

(Continued)

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of merit (“Yes, your worship”), or it can mean an extreme adulation for someone or something (“He just worships the ground she walks on” or “She worships dark chocolate”). All of these things, however, go back to a basic root meaning: the giving of worth or value.

We are currently living in a period of change not seen since the development of electricity or steam or printing or perhaps even the invention of writing. Technol-ogy (from the Greek “words/thoughts about art/craft”) is developing at a rate be-yond our comprehension…indeed, beyond our ability to adapt to it. AI’s ultimate promise seems to be the development of superintelligence, a form of intellectual capability far superior to the most intelligent human being, or superior to all hu-man beings combined. This is daunting stuff.

One of the driving forces behind our current technological explosion is the belief that, with ever more data and effective algorithms, we will eventually be able to solve all of the problems that beset us, especially illness, suffering, aging, and (finally) death itself. In an update to Genesis, the end desire is to become immor-tal through technology.

This requires, I believe, coining a new word: Technolatry, the worship of technol-ogy in the place of God.

This word needs to become familiar to us because it may well be the great ques-tion of the years ahead. If Genesis 3 tells us that the initial appeal to Eve by the serpent was that by eating the Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil she would become a god, so our own era’s struggle with a new type of idola-try will force us to decide what and whom we worship, to what we give ultimate worth and value—and what being human really means.

Churches have been contending with this issue for some time now. In the 90s it was the advent of e-mail and web pages. The possibility of sending out more communication and getting more work done quickly over the computer rather than via face-to-face meetings, the US Mail, or the telephone was almost deliri-ous. But, then we started having communication log-jams and eventually, we rarely saw major leadership person-to-person—the technology had effectively taken over the relationship. Parish clergy struggle with this same problem.

(Continued)

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In the years since, the Church has been struggling to understand how to use electronic technology in a way consistent with its core beliefs. Facebook pages, live “chat,” Twitter accounts, webinars, &c. have been tried and found useful in some ways—but wanting in others. It turns out that technology isn’t a savior (we already have one); it is a tool that must be used, not worshipped or idolized. The old, old questions of what is really worthy and valuable continue to be asked, and the basic answer remains the same.

St. Timothy’s Mission Statement gives us a clear picture of what we value the most in parochial life:

We gather to experience the Holy Trinity through Scripture, worship, study, and fellowship. Receiving and reflecting God’s love and grace, we are sent out to love and serve our neighbor, see the Christ in others, and share the Gospel by the example of our everyday lives.

The key concept here is “gathering.” It is through gathering together — when physically possible — that we enter into worship, study, fellowship, and service as a Body, not isolated individuals. Christ promised to be with us in the personal encounter found in such things as the Eucharist, not in an impersonal “download.” Keeping this clear is essential for the Church to be Church.

Insofar as technology is at the service of this basic, incarnational aspect of our faith, then technology can be helpful and beneficial to God’s mission. If it hinders, obscures, or attempts to be a substitute for that primacy of gathering and en-countering, we may well be veering towards technolatry.

Catholic Christianity is not anti-technology. Indeed, we have often benefitted greatly from various technologies (Roman roads, the book, Greek and Arab sci-entific knowledge, moveable-type printing, digital dissemination of texts, &c.). It isn’t that technology is bad: it is more a question of where it leads us and how it supports the proclamation of the creedal, saving faith.

As St. Timothy’s begins an overview of our parish’s electronic communication (web site, e-Tidings, social media), it is important for us all to understand both

(Continued)

(Continued)

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the value of electronic technologies and their limitations. More than one younger member of this parish has told me that part of this community’s draw is its refusal to jump on trends or fads. Being a stick-in-the-mud isn’t helpful; but neither is breaking the Commandment and worshiping the idols of this—or any—age.

Faithfully in Christ,

The Kalendar in MaySunday Eucharist Readings: Year B; Daily Office Readings: Year 2 No fasting during Eastertide; Friday observance resumes May 25

Note: The Holy Eucharist is offered each Tuesday at 10 AM in the chapel, fol-lowed by tea and conversation in the parish library. Most weeks, we commemo-rate one of the saints on the Church Calendar. All are invited!

Sunday, May 6: The Sixth Sunday of EasterActs 10:44-48; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17

Thursday, May 10: The Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 7 PM, Fr. Anthony Petrotta, PreachingActs 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53Fr. Petrotta, who will be our supply priest during the rector’s sabbatical, will preach on this Principal Feast of the Church Year. After the liturgy, a reception will be offered by the rector’s family, welcoming Fr. Petrotta and his wife Pamela, and as a graduation celebration for their son, Lloyd, who finishes college and moves to Coos Bay to begin employment.

Sunday, May 13: The Seventh Sunday of EasterActs 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19The Sunday after the Ascension partakes of one of the quietly-special occasions in the Calendar: the period between Christ’s going up to Heaven and the descent

(Continued)

(Continued)

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of the Spirit. During these nine days, the disciples and other followers were told to wait in prayer. We will reflect on what that message means to us today in our active lives of discipleship.

Sunday, May 20: The Feast of Pentecost (Whitsunday)Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; Romans 8:22-27; John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15The 50th and final day of Eastertide, Pentecost testifies to the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church (as found in Acts, Chap. 2) and also makes clear that Christ’s Resurrec-tion is made whole and complete through the activation of the Church in mission. It is our custom to read the Gospel lesson in as many languages as possible on this day, and for all present to wear red, in honor of the Holy Spirit’s appearance “as divided tongues of flame.”

Sunday, May 27: The First Sunday after Pentecost – Trinity SundayIsaiah 6:1-8; Canticle 13; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17The Sunday following Pentecost is dedicated to glorifying One God in Trinity of Persons—the Holy and Undivided Trinity. This mystery is both a joyous-ly-held teaching and an invitation to profound contemplation. In addition to spe-cial readings, hymns, and prayers, the 10 AM liturgy will conclude with the singing of a Solemn Te Deum—the ancient hymn of praise to God-in-Trinity, accompa-nied by two thuribles making visible the prayers of all God’s Holy Church.

Liturgical Notes for May

• Eastertide ends with the Day of Pentecost, also known as Whitsunday (“White Sunday,” so-named for the white baptismal garments worn by those baptized on this day; Pentecost was a favored day for baptism outdoors or in unheated churches centuries ago in northern climates)• The liturgical color for Pentecost is red (in honor of the Holy Spirit’s descent “as tongues of flame.” The color for Trinity Sunday is gold and/or white. The color for Ordinary Time (the weeks following) is green—expressive of growth in faith.• On Trinity Sunday we resume the practice of beginning the Eucharist with

(Continued)

(Continued after calendar pages)

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Athanasius 2of Alexandria

3 Monnica 4 5

Easter VI 6 Rogation 7Day

Julian of 8Norwich

Rogation Ascension 10Day

11 12

Easter VII 13 14 Rogation 15Day

Rogation 16Day

17 18 Dunstan 19of Canterbury

Pentecost 20 First BCP 21 22 23 Jackson 24Kemper

Bede the 25 Venerable

Augustine 26of Canterbury

Trinity 27 28 29 30 Visitation 31of the BlessedVirgin Mary

10 am HE

10 am HE

10 am HE

10 am HE

10 am HE

8 am HE 9 am CS 10 am HE Choir

8 am HE 9 am CS 10 am HE Choir

8 am HE 10 am HE

Catech. 7

Catechume- nate 7

Catech. 7

7 pm HE—guest preacher, reception

May Birthdays

1 Murna Herrington Dolores Segura

2 Joan Williamson Ida Kreutzer

3 Michael McFetridge

4 Anna Penk

6 Michael Graeper Miranda Kreutzer

11 Donna Burgess

21 Ann Carpenter

22 Gloria Grace Jones Zoe Divelbiss

23 David Louthan Shep Earl

26 Carissa Henderson

28 Dorothy Hansen Noah Kreitzer

31 Pamela Lyons Nelson Calvin Steck

St Philip 1and St James

Guild of Sts Anna & Simeon 4:30

Missions 7

TidingsDeadline

Crafts 10

Crafts 10

Crafts 10

Crafts 10

Crafts 10

8 am HE 9 am Choir, CS 10 am HE

PlantSale9-4

Plant Sale 9-4

Diocesan Meeting 10 am

Conferenceon Prayer10 - 12

Rogation DayDay

Vestry 6:30

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Calendar Notes for May

Saturday & Sunday, May 5 & 6: Plant Sale, 9 AM - 4 PM both days

Wednesday, May 9: Missions Commission Meeting, 7 PM

Thursday, May 10: Ascension Day: Holy Eucharist, 7 PM, reception following— Guest Preacher: Fr. Anthony Petrotta, our supply priest during Fr. Brandon’s sabbatical beginning in September

Tuesday, May 15: Vestry Meeting, 6:30 PM Deadline for June Tidings articles

Thursday, May 24: Guild of Sts. Anna & Simeon Meeting, 4:30 PM

Saturday, May 26: Conference on Prayer, 10 - noon

Sunday, May 20: Pentecost, Last day of Church School classes

Sunday, May 27: Trinity Sunday

Psalm RefrainsSome 10:00ers have asked why the psalm refrain that we sing during the Liturgy of the Word sometimesdoesn’t match the refrain on the lectionary leaflet.

The Book of Common Prayer gives us quite a bit of latitude in choosing music to follow the Scripture readings. It says, “A Psalm, hymn, or anthem may follow each reading.” The usual pattern is to have a psalm follow the Old Testament lesson. As we all know, the psalms were written to be sung. However, singing the texts to Gregorian Chant, Anglican Chant, or other musical forms is not often attempted by congregations. So the Church has developed the congregational refrain, derived from the psalm texts, to allow the people to participate while the text is sung by a cantor or choir. The refrains are not canonical, they are arbitrary, and the ones we use from Church Publishing are subject to change. It is not illegal or “wrong” to sing something else.

We have five sets of psalm settings in our music library, but even the newest of them does not conform totally to the lectionary leaflets. So there are Sundays during the three-year cycle of the lectionary when we do not have a setting with the refrain that appears on the leaflets. Our solution is to use the settings we have, even when the refrains don’t match. The refrain we sing will always be the refrain in the bulletin, so, when in doubt, look there!

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“Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.” This confesses both our belief in One God in Trinity of Persons and that our worship is a direct participation in the worship of Heaven through the power of God the Holy Spirit.• On Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday, the Song of Praise at the start of the Eucharist will be the Gloria in excelsis, an ancient hymn praising God the Holy Trinity used on festal occasions. In the Sundays following, we return to the Trisagion (“Thrice-Holy”) hymn, “Holy God, Holy and mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us” as both a song of praise and a prayer of humility before our God.• On Pentecost Sunday, the Gospel is read in a variety of tongues (see above), and it is our custom to wear red.• With Trinity Sunday, the confession of sin returns to the liturgy.• A special seasonal form of the blessing is given at the end of the liturgy on the major feasts during this time, after which we return to the normal blessing and dismissal.

“Day by Day We Magnify Thee”

A series of resources for living out the Classical Anglican practice of faith.

The Prayer of St. Bede

I pray you, good Jesus, that as you have given me the grace to drink in with joy

the Word that gives knowledge of you, so in your goodness you will grant me

to come at length to yourself, the source of all wisdom,

to stand before your face forever. Amen.

(Continued)

(Liturgical Notes, Continued)

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St. Bede (AD 673-735; commemorated May 25) was a monk, priest, and scholar of the Church in England. He was amongst the greatest minds of the ancient Church, being a famous preacher, historian, biblical scholar, and teacher. It was his history of the English Church that preserved much of what we know about the great Celtic Saints of that land and also popularized the Anno Domini system of dating events we use today.

First and foremost, Bede was a person of prayer. He was brought to the local monastery at age seven and quickly manifested both an extraordinary intellect and a deep piety. Throughout his (for the time) long life, he consistently valued both the heroic Celtic faith and the stable patterns of Benedic-tine spirituality—providing a foundation for our own Anglican practice and character.

Having been the Vicar of St. Bede’s Church years ago, and later making a pil-grimage to his shrine at Durham Cathedral, I developed a keen appreciation for St. Bede. His writing is often quite fresh and engaging, and there is a gentleness of spirit about him I admire much.

This prayer attributed to Bede well sums up his deep devotion to Holy Scripture—not merely as an intellectual exercise or data for memorization or hurling at oth-ers, but as a sacred encounter with the living God, an “account for the hope that is in us,” and a foretaste of heaven. It is this way of experiencing Holy Scripture we as Anglicans have inherited, and this prayer is a perfect way to conclude any personal time with the Sacred Scriptures.

A Conference on Prayer:The Prayer of Recollection

- or -The Practice of the Presence of God

Saturday, May 26, 10 AM - Noon, in the Vestry Room at St. Timothy’s

(Continued)

(Continued)

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The St. Timothy’s Parish Rule of Prayer includes a commitment to: “Recollection (recalling God’s presence) through the day by simple acts of prayer.”

This is one of the most sought-after types of prayer, but also one of the most illusive. Often, the problem has to do with our making things too complicated or not using our “sacred imagination” — something too frequently squelched in “churchy” settings. What is recollection? How does one start? Are there “rules?”

We will open the door to both traditional tools for recollection and some of the various ways individuals in our parish practice “the presence of God.” Time for sharing and questions will be featured as we all listen for God’s word to us.

Everyone—whether you use a Rule of Prayer or not, or even if you have no idea what that means—is invited to this gathering.

Rector’s Sabbatical update…

A series of initiatives:

In order to prepare for my sabbatical, I am working with members of the parish on these projects:

- Having a clear Pastoral Care team and communications schema - Reviewing the electronic communications used in our parish - Discernment about Christian education of our youngest children

I am also working with Fr. Petrotta on preparing him for some of the liturgical and pas-toral customs we cherish in this community. St. Timothy’s offers a blessed-but-unusual array of spiritual gifts, and I look forward to sharing some of these with Fr. Petrotta. However, you—the congregation—will be able to do this work best, with both gracious-ness and spirit during your time together. I believe both you and the Petrottas will find this a blessed and rewarding time together.

Each priest brings a different way of being to all aspects of ministering: celebrating the liturgy, preaching, teaching, pastoring, and just shooting the breeze. I encourage you to greet Fr. Tony with a ready desire to learn from him (he is a fine teacher) as well as share with him this parish’s truly rich legacy of faith and prayer.

(Conference on Prayer, continued)

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From the Guild of Sts. Anna and Simeon

I learned to drive in Northern Montana. My father taught me. One of the things he told me was that I should slow down when people were trying to pass me. He also said I should honk my horn when I attempted to pass others. This was polite, non-verbal communication between drivers in a time and location with only two-lane highways. I was young. So there were times when my competitive nature took hold. I didn’t want to slow down for anyone!

“And now that I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, till I make known your strength to this generation and your power to all who are to come.” Psalm 71:18

When I walk in the morning, younger people often pass me by. They don’t honk! My competitive nature wants to keep up. But I am older now and unable to keep up with those younger than me. That can be hard to take!

The elders in this parish often are unable to keep up with the fast-paced world in which we live. They walk slowly and may use a cane or walker. It may be easy to pass them by, but should we? Perhaps they can teach us something about living in a world that moves too quickly. Perhaps that is what the psalmist means.

The Guild of Sts. Anna & Simeon attempts to slow down and listen to our elders. And what a joy that is. Like slowing down on a two-lane highway, we get to see the world in a whole new way. We learn from them about how to be polite in a not-so-polite world.

And when the world tries to pass us by as we age, we will remember what they have taught us — about slowing down and about Our Lord!

Paula HartwigFor the Guild of Sts. Anna & Simeon

Pentecost Notes

The gospel will be read in many languages. If you would like to read, please contact the parish office. Remember to wear red!

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NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSALEM, OR

PERMIT NO. 409

Return Service Requested

St. Timothy’s Episcopal ChurchPO Box 7416Salem, OR 97303

503-363-0601www.sainttimothys.org