the early church to paint clear boundaries between the traditions, but that context was quickly lost as the The Rector’s Corner teaching was passed on. Until very recently most By now I’m sure most of you know that I care deeply Christian denominations used John’s account and about words, particularly in regard to translation and Matthew’s description of the “blood curse” (we now understanding their use and intention as best as interpret :25 as referring to the possible in the original context of the community in destruction of 40 years later) to support which they emerged. For this Holy Week and the deliberately anti-Semitic policies and actions. It was Season of Easter there are two ways in which I’m only after the fruit of this destructive teaching was making some changes and I’d like to explain why and born in the Nazi death camps that we realized we how I’m doing so. Because our language and how we needed to change. use it matters. “Preachers [from the earliest times and The Passion and the Holocaust continuing into our own day] did not hesitate to remind their hearers of the guilt The reading of the entire Passion narrative is a of all Jews for the death of the Lord, with central part of Holy Week. We read the appropriate the consequence that quite commonly on cycle’s version on Palm Sunday (this year was Mark) Good Friday, Jewish families would remain and then always read John’s version on Good Friday. hidden in their homes in order to avoid This narrative follows the story of from the his abuse and even death.” (Episcopal Church betrayal by Judas to his death on the cross. This story SCLM acknowledgement 2013) is tragic in itself, but the way that two of our authors tell it (Matthew and John) has led to many more Over the last few decades Christian theologians and tragedies in the intervening centuries. clergy have been working to recover and emphasize the truth that Jesus and his followers were faithful Scholars generally agree that John’s telling was Jews by heritage and religion in 30 CE, and that our written around 100 CE, 70 years after the events it’s two religious traditions should not be opposed to describing, in a time when Judaism and each other. We seek to honor their distinctions by were in the final acrimonious stages of separating ceasing to appropriate liturgies (such as “Christian into distinct religious traditions. The author used the Seders”), preaching on our history and the truth of term hoi loudaios repeatedly and often in hostile ways Jesus’ Jewishness, and being careful with our for those opposing Jesus and his disciples. In the first language. century it simply meant “a resident of Judea” (a Judean, as distinct from a Galilean) but by the second The challenge of John’s Passion reading is that most century it became a shorthand for all Jews regardless translations still render hoi loudaios as “the Jews”. of where they lived. At this time it was important for This may be technically correct and relatively

The Canterbury Cross | April 2021 1 harmless for those living in the immediate decades compare the differences of these two versions to John wrote for, but it does not represent the actual that of the Anglican Church published in 1625 we events Jesus lived through and after millennia of find that with two exceptions we are simply Christian anti-Semitism it continues to be deeply returning to the old language (and with one of those harmful today. It is clear throughout the New we’re returning to even older language). Testament that many Jews followed and loved Jesus, Here are the changes in total: just as others opposed him. It is also clear in our history how these words have been used to justify 1. Adjusting the language of incarnation to more oppressing, torturing, and killing Jews in the name of closely match the original version which more Jesus. closely connects the roles of the Spirit and Mary: 1635 BCP: Who for us men, and for our salvation There are many different ways that our Church came down from heaven, And was incarnate by continues to wrestle with in how we fix this the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, longstanding issue but there is solidarity in 1979 BCP: For us and for our salvation he came commitment to the work. This year I have chosen to deliberately modify our Good Friday reading where down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit appropriate so that it is clear when hoi loudaios he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, means “all the Jews” such as the label above the cross 1988 ELCA: For us and for our salvation he came placed by Pilate or references to the festivals while down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy clarifying when it is referring to the “Judean leaders” Spirit and the Virgin Mary who conspired with Rome to execute Jesus as a 2. Updating the point of the incarnation to focus on threat to their power and in opposition to many of what matters (theologians agree that humanity, the common Jewish and Gentile people who not gender, is the primary fact of the incarnation recognized Jesus as Messiah. and that “man” being inclusive of gender is

The Nicene Creed archaic terminology today): 1979 BCP: And was made man As we resume the liturgy of the Holy Eucharist after a 1988 ELCA: and became truly human long fast with Morning Prayer, I thought this would be a good time to introduce a small “revision” of the 3. Removing the filioque clause that was added in th Nicene creed into our service. the 6 century by the Western church and has been an ecumenical barrier to communion with In 2018 General Convention passed a resolution the East every since. The Episcopal Church has (D078) allowing all Episcopal parishes to use already committed to remove this in the next “expansive-language” versions of three Rite II edition of the Prayer Book: Eucharistic Prayers as well as certain revised 1979 BCP: who proceeds from the Father and the elements of the rest of the liturgy. The idea of Son. expanding our language comes out of recognizing 1988 ELCA: who proceeds from the Father, how much our liturgical worship is heavily male- weighted in ways that diminish the dignity and 4. Removing the 1975 addition of masculine gender equality of women in our services even decades after to the Holy Spirit, which was especially egregious we affirmed gender equality in ordination. While considering that the Spirit is often referred to in much more needs to be done in this area, I have either neutral or feminine language in Scripture chosen to adopt the “new” Nicene Creed as an initial (such as Genesis 1:1 “she hovered”): trial step. 1635 BCP: Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake Now, the word “new” may seem threatening, but in by the Prophets. reality there are only four small adjustments of which 1979 BCP: With the Father and the Son he is only one is actually new in any sense. The English worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through translation we read in our 1979 Book of Common the Prophets. Prayer comes from a ecumenical workforce 1988 ELCA: who with the Father and the Son is publication in 1975. That group continued working worshipped and glorified, who has spoken and published a second version in 1988 which was through the prophets. accepted by the Lutheran Church (ELCA), with whom we are in full communion, and which is the version In this discussion it’s important to recognize that proposed for use in the Episcopal Church today. If we

The Canterbury Cross | April 2021 2 both the Greek and English of the Nicene Creed has never been static. While it was first formulated in 325 at the Council of Nicaea, much was added and removed at the Council of Constantinople in 381 Holy Week Services (there was a long series of 5 condemnations at the The Paschal Triduum end in the original, with barely any mention of the Holy Spirit). Then in 451 the Council of Chalcedon approved it as authentic even though most gathered there had not heard of it before. How we translate it and use it in liturgy has varied by context and linguistic setting throughout time, and there is nothing substantially new to this latest iteration.

I hope all this detailed discussion of language and liturgy has been edifying for the parish. If you have These three holy days mark the most sacred time in any questions or would like to discuss further, please the Christian year as we walk once again through the feel welcome to reach out to me. passion, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of

Be well, be blessed, be a blessing. Jesus. This year, as the pandemic continues, we will be holding a mixture of live-streamed and outdoor Fr. John gatherings:

• Maundy Thursday (April 1): 7:00 pm on Zoom

• Good Friday (April 2): 7:00 pm on Zoom

• The Great Vigil of Easter (April 3): 8:00 pm out- doors

Our Easter Sunday services will be held via live- streaming at 10:30 am and then with an outdoor gath- Parish Survey ering at 5:00 pm, both with music led by Dr. Bill Haller. The Vestry and Bishop Klusmeyer will soon begin the process of searching for our next Priest-in-Charge. Easter Sunday The first step in this process will be the development of a Parish Profile, which will help describe our con- • Holy Eucharist II (April 4): 10:30 am on YouTube gregation to potential candidates. Your opinion is val- uable as we take our next steps. The questions in this • Holy Eucharist II (April 4): 5:00 pm outdoors survey will provide the Vestry with descriptive infor- (also live-streamed) Warm Clothing mation about our parish, and will collect your thoughts and views on our church’s strengths, as well as areas that could be strengthened. The survey is voluntary and your responses will be anonymous.

This survey contains two parts:

• Family Demographics (only ONE member of your Mark H. Conner household should answer this section. If you are not answering, just skip to the next section in the Memorial Scholarship survey.) The deadline to apply for the Mark Conner Memorial Scholarship is April 17. Applicants must complete the • General Parish Survey (everyone in your house- attached application and mail or email to: hold can answer this section). Marian Conner Please complete the survey by April 17. Click here to 51 Whites Run Court fill out the survey. Morgantown, WV 26508 [email protected]

The Canterbury Cross | April 2021 3 International Presiding Bishop Outreach Curry’s Easter Message Our church is committed to outreach, and the Out- When I get to heaven — and I know it may sound presump- reach Committee has a wide portfolio of activities it tuous for me to say it, but I live by grace and believe in is involved in with its hands and allocations of dollars amazing grace — when I get to heaven, I certainly want to to many groups that the Committee supports by see the Lord. But I want to see dear members of family and tithing its treasure on behalf of our Church. The friends, those who have gone on before, the many people I portfolio emphasizes local organizations, but it also want to sit down and have some conversation with. Of all includes small donations to support international the biblical people, aside from the Lord himself, when I get needs. to heaven, I want to meet . Mary Magda- lene, who was one of the people, one of the women, who At the last meeting of the Commit- followed the way and teachings of Jesus and who probably tee it was decided to donate $250 provided much of the funding for his movement. Mary to Food for the Poor. The purpose Magdalene, who with some of the other women and only of this gift is to help provide a wa- one of the male disciples, stood with his mother, Mary, at ter well to a village in need. We the cross as he died. Mary Magdalene, who, even after he died, on that Easter morning, got up with some of the oth- take water for granted but many in er women early in the morning, before the day had begun, disadvantaged countries have dif- in the dark, got up to perform the rituals of love to anoint ficult access to potable water. Quite often, women the body of Jesus in his grave. and girls of a village have to travel long distances to safe wells, and return carrying water in vessels on I want to ask her, “Mary, tell me what got you up that day. their heads. Tell me what got you to go to the tomb early in the morn- ing when it was dark, and you could barely see. Why did The Committee thought that this gift will benefit you get up and go to anoint his body? Mark’s says many people, and, thus, decided that this gift will that you and the other women said to each other, you help reduce their burdens. knew that Jesus had been buried in that tomb that had been provided by Joseph of Arimathea, with Nicodemus’ Outreach Committee help, but a large stone had been rolled in front of the door- way, into the tomb. And one of the women said to the oth- er, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us?’ You knew the stone was there. You knew you couldn’t move it. And yet you got up and you went anyway. Mary, tell me your se- Green Team cret.”

I suspect she probably will say, “Well, we didn’t know how Volunteers Needed we were going to roll away the stone, but we loved him, We could use several more volunteers to join the and we got up and went anyway. It was hard because it Green Team, which is the rotation of people who was dark, but we loved him, and we got up and we went mow the church lawn. The more people who anyway. Those roads could be dangerous at night, but we volunteer, the less often each individual/team will love Jesus, and we got up and we went anyway. Who will roll away the stone for us? We did not know, but we loved have to mow. The large and steep banks in front of him, and we got up and we went anyway. And let me tell and behind the church are mowed twice a year by a you what love can do for you. When we got to the tomb, professional—so the Green Team doesn’t need to the stone had already been rolled away. And we shouted worry about those. our hallelujahs, and shouted our hallelujahs. He is risen.”

If you are able to help, Last year in March, on March 13th to be precise, another please email the office Mary Magdalene, her name, Barbara, Barbara Clementine or contact Junior Harris, bishop of the church, a voice of love, and justice, Warden Roy Spears: and compassion, a voice of deep and profound faith, first [email protected] woman to be consecrated a bishop in Anglican Christiani- or 304-216-7785. ty, died and entered eternal life. This was early in the pan- demic. Fortunately for us, Dean Kelly Brown Douglas had worked with Bishop Barbara to make sure that her memoir was completed, and they completed it. She gave it the title

The Canterbury Cross | April 2021 4 from the words of a gospel song that says, and I quote: • Because Father John’s tenure here ends in June, it Hallelujah anyhow is appropriate to begin planning for the post-John Never let your troubles get you down era. Prominent in the planning is the reality that Whenever troubles come your way supply clergy don’t exactly grow on trees. The Hold your hands up high and say Diocese has a list but some on the list are not Hallelujah anyhow! available and some are in Charleston and Those words characterize the life of Bishop Barbara: halle- reluctant to travel to Morgantown. We discussed lujah anyhow. In spite of hardship and difficulty, hallelujah options to address this difficulty. One possibility anyhow. In spite of injustice and bigotry, hallelujah any- is that we continue to have Morning Prayer. how. In spite of war and violence, hallelujah anyhow. And Since we have had Morning Prayer almost that, my friends, is the spirit of Mary Magdalene. That, my exclusively for the past year, we are accustomed friends, is the tenacity of those who would follow in the to that. There is also the possibility of using lay footsteps of Jesus and his way of love. In spite of hardship ministers; there are sermons on line if we were to and toil, hallelujah anyhow. In spite of the fact that this Easter is the anniversary of the assassination and the mar- choose that route. There is also the possibility of tyrdom of Martin Luther King, Jr., hallelujah anyhow. In a Deacon’s Mass using pre-consecrated elements. spite of the fact that these are hard times, hallelujah any- There was sentiment that if we use a model that how. offers communion other than every week we establish a schedule of when there will be Our work goes on. Our labor for love continues. We will communion. not cease, and we will not give up until this world reflects less our nightmare and more God’s dream where there’s • Whatever we come up with will have to be plenty good room for all God’s children. Hallelujah anyhow. approved by the Bishop. With this in mind, several When I get to heaven, I can’t wait to hear Mary Magdalene Vestry members intend to meet with the Worship and Bishop Barbara tell me he’s risen. Hallelujah anyhow. Committee to develop a plan. The goal is to Amen. develop a plan by the next Vestry meeting and present it to the Bishop shortly afterward.

• Roy Spears reported on things that need repair March Vestry before we begin in-person services again: the dishwasher, the water heater, and the toilet in the men’s bathroom. He has been in contact with the Meeting Highlights supplier about the dishwasher. The water heater By John McFerrin, Vestry Secretary may be fixable so he is going to look into that • While there is no present possibility of in-person before deciding to buy a new one. He knows what indoor services, with the vaccine and the is wrong with the toilet so he is just going to fix improved status of our county on the covid risk that himself. assessment map, there is the possibility of • Linda Yost is concerned that we don’t have an resuming in-person outdoor services, beginning Warm Clothing adequate Ministry to Each Other program so she by Holy Week. The Worship Committee will have is going to work on improving that. primary responsibility with planning the liturgy but it is the Vestry’s responsibility to make • We further discussed the official name of the decisions about safety. columbarium chapel. It may have been previously dedicated and named; we are going to ask the • We decided to resume outdoor services if these Columbarium Committee to check into this. conditions are met: (a) no singing; (b) our county is orange or better on the risk assessment map; Stewardship Giving Report (c) participants remain appropriately distanced; (d) participants are masked; (e) communion is Giving Expenses Variance distributed safely.

• The Bishop and, in this case, the weatherman, February $19,640 $22,773 ($3,133) have to give final approval to the plan to meet outdoors. We will send a request to the Bishop 2021 YTD $26,160 $48,014 ($21,853) * who will probably give his approval fairly quickly. The weatherman will probably neither grant nor Amounts reflect information from the Treasurer’s report given withhold approval until the last minute. March 10, 2021 on the previous month’s finances.

The Canterbury Cross | April 2021 5

Sunday Worship Schedule

The Rev. John Elliott Lein, Priest-in-Charge

The Rev. Al Prichard, Deacon

10:30 am Holy Eucharist II (YouTube)

11:30 am Virtual Coffee Hour (Zoom)

5:00 pm Holy Eucharist II (in-person, outdoors)

75 Old Cheat Road, Morgantown, WV 26508 304.296.0270 [email protected] www.stthomasabecket.org

St. Thomas à Becket Episcopal Church 75 Old Cheat Road Morgantown, WV 26508

Kasey Yost Mark & Linda Yost Shelly Duncan Greg Elmes Bernie & Cookie Schultz Bill Haller Jason Robbins Carter Smailes Beth Royall Diane Kohout Anne Greza Elizabeth Greza John & Carol BeallJeff & Kathy Fedan

Susan Seitz

Sarah Whitty

Eric Beard ------

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- - - Birthdays 1 4 10 11 12 13 16 25 25 26 26 27 30 Anniversaries 21 21 23 30

)

Zoom

s ’ S 8:00 pm

person, -

Women Group 1:00 pm ( 24 3 Great Vigil of Easter (in outdoors) 10 17

F )

Zoom 23 30 2 FridayGood 7:00 pm ( 9 16

) R

Zoom 22 29 1 Maundy Thursday 7:00 pm ( 8 15

) )

) W

YouTube Zoom YouTube 28 Evening Prayer 7:00 pm ( 7 14 Vestry Meeting 7:00 pm ( 21 Evening Prayer 7:00 pm ( 31

T

27 6 13 20 30

M

26 5 12 19 Outreach Meeting 7:30 pm (Zoom) 29

) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

) ) ) ) ) ) YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube

livestreamed livestreamed livestreamed livestreamed Zoom Zoom Zoom Zoom

S

Holy Eucharist II ( Holy Eucharist II ( Holy Eucharist II ( Holy Eucharist II ( Coffee Hour ( Coffee Hour ( Coffee Hour ( Coffee Hour (

Holy II Eucharist Holy II Eucharist Holy Eucharist IIHoly Eucharist Holy II Eucharist

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person, outdoors, also person, outdoors, also person, outdoors, also person, outdoors, also - - - -

5:00 pm (in Easter4 18 10:30 am 11:30 am 5:00 pm (in Easter3 25 10:30 am 11:30 am Easter Sunday 11 10:30 am 11:30 am 5:00 pm (in 2 Easter 4 10:30 am 11:30 am 5:00 pm (in 28

April 2021