Transforming Lives Through Jesus Christ Sword Points May 17, 2018 www.SaintPaulsBrookfield.com (203) 775-9587 † May the Spirit Continue to Lead All of Us You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness. ACTS 1:8 Dear Friends, lease join us for our Pentecost worship this coming Sunday. In addition to our special musical offerings, we will hear from our seminarian, Steve Nagy, as he shares with us where God is leading him next. P Our coffee hours will give us the opportunity to express our gratitude to Steve for his ministry among these past two years, as well as afford us the opportunity to offer financial support toward his next mission, with a goal he has of raising $8,000 ultimately. As Steve now takes with him his experience, support and encouragement from his time among us, may the Holy Spirit continue to lead him, and all of us, as witnesses to the Risen Christ. Blessings, 2 he spirit of truth will guide you,” “T Jesus tells his followers. As faithful disciples of Christ, do we ask for and follow the Spirit’s guidance in our day-to-day interactions? † Hopeline Baby Bottle Campaign he Hopeline Baby Bottle Campaign has begun. T Hopeline is a Christian-based ministry supporting women during unplanned pregnancies. In addition to material assistance for the care of the newborn, such as cribs, clothing, diapers, and other supplies, Hopeline offers counseling, support, and ultrasounds performed on newly pregnant women by an Ob-Gyn trained physician. They offer post- abortion counseling to women of any age. St. Paul’s supports Hopeline through its annual “Change for Change” Baby Bottle Fundraiser. There are baby bottles at the back of the church and in Crocker Hall that we ask you to please fill with your loose change and bills and return them on June 3rd. Please Note: Checks should be made out to St. Paul’s with “Hopeline” in the memo line. For more information, contact: Lois Hunt or Bonnie Wanzer. † This Week at St. Paul’s Thu, May 17 - 7:30 pm - Music Night, Sanctuary Sat, May 19 - 7:30 am - Men’s Prayer Breakfast, Crocker Hall 7:30 am - John 21:12 Group, Theo’s Diner, New Milford 10:00 am - PraiseMoves, Crocker Hall 11:00 am - St. Paul’s Quilters, Crocker Hall Sun, May 20 -- The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday 8:00 am - Traditional Holy Communion (LiveStream) (Facebook) 10:30 am - Sunday School 10:30 am - Contemporary Holy Communion (LiveStream) (Facebook) Mon, May 21 - 7:00 pm - Men’s Bible Study, Crocker Hall (LiveStream) (Facebook) Tue, May 22 - 9:15 am - Ladies Bible Study, Guild Room 5:45 pm - Boot Camp, Crocker Hall 7:15 pm - Boy Scouts Troop 5, Crocker Hall Wed, May 23 - 10:00 am - Holy Communion & Healing (Facebook) Thu, May 24- 7:30 pm - Music Night, Sanctuary Sat, May 26 - 7:30 am - Men’s Prayer Breakfast, Crocker Hall 7:30 am - John 21:12 Group, Theo’s Diner, New Milford 10:00 am - PraiseMoves, Crocker Hall Sun, May 27 - 8:00 am - Traditional Holy Communion (LiveStream) (Facebook) 10:30 am - Sunday School 10:30 am - Contemporary Holy Communion (LiveStream) (Facebook) 1:00 pm - Memorial Day Outreach 3 4 5 † Elizabeth & the Consolation of Philosophy by Justin Slaughter Doty Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. - PROVERBS 8:1-4 s Queen Elizabeth I took the throne in 1558, the English Church was in peril. Her A father, Henry VII, had severed ties with Rome but had also attempted to exert total personal control over Christian doctrine in the Church of England. When Henry died, Edward VI, his male heir, ascended to the throne at a young age and reversed much of Henry VII’s modifications to the Church. Edward had been raised by devoted and knowledgeable clergymen and followed their advice by bringing the English Church further towards the reformed realm of Christianity. The first Book of Common Prayer was published during his reign and major changes, such as allowing lay people to once again drink from the communion chalice, became canon law. However, much of Britain was still hostile to these reforms and when Edward died, the Church was once again defeated by Queen Mary who was aligned with Rome. Thomas Cranmer, the first Anglican Archbishop, was martyred and many of the English Reformers went into hiding. Queen Elizabeth, taking the throne after Mary, had to mend a religiously fractured Britain and reconstruct a damaged Church. Countless people had been killed in Britain over religious disputes and tension was palpable anywhere one stepped within the British Isles. Elizabeth herself had been raised in both a reformed and catholic environment. She saw the wisdom in both sects of Christianity and wished to see Anglicanism embrace the best of both worlds - to become more like the early church of Christianity while preserving the important medieval innovations. In a time of reflection and crisis, Elizabeth immersed herself in her love of classical language and learning while she contemplated how to deal with the many problems facing the Church. She chose to spend nearly eight weeks translating an old Christian text from Latin into middle-English called The Consolation of Philosophy. It was written by a Roman named Boethius and is a true story which he wrote on his death bed. Boethius came from one of the first Roman senatorial families that converted to Christianity and was wrongly imprisoned and put to death despite his impeccable stature in the Roman world. The Consolation, by using similar literary methods as Proverbs, attempted to deal with the difficulties of evil in the world and how to reconcile suffering with Gods love. As Elizabeth translated the work, a divided Britain continued to try and pull her towards two extremes; a Puritanical-leaning religious settlement, (Continued on page 7) 6 (Continued from page 6) Consolation of Philosophy or a reversion back to Roman doctrine. But Elizabeth was determined to safe-guard the via media of Anglicanism, the “middle way” between Geneva and Rome. That effort preserved the beautiful mix of evangelicalism, catholicity, charisma and tradition that all Anglicans value so much. Elizabeth, being a devoted scholar in addition to reigning as queen, used her consolation in Boethius’s tract and her own personal prayer and scriptural meditations to strengthen her resolve to act as a leader. She successfully settled the religious issues within the Church of England and reigned as the first Anglican monarch. Boethius’s text is still widely read today and likewise, Elizabeth’s translation is still one of the most important ever of his work. It is a valuable Christian text to explore for those interested. “We must invoke the Father of all things without whose aid no beginning can be properly made.... Oh God, Maker of heaven and earth, Who governs the world with eternal reason, at your command time passes from the beginning. You place all things in motion, though You are yourself without change. No external causes impelled You to make this work from chaotic matter. Rather it was the form of the highest good, existing within You without envy, which caused You to fashion all things according to the eternal exemplar.” Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy † Happy Birthday to You! hristine Domareck celebrates Sunday! Bake a cake for C Christian Williams & Edward Licence on Tuesday. Have a blessed day everyone! ll of them look to you to give them their food in due “A season. You give it them … you open your hand and they are filled with good things.” How’s that for a faithful steward’s reason to always and everywhere give thanks? God gives us everything we have - how can we thank him adequately except by returning a faithful share of all those gifts to him and to serve other in his name? COFFEE HOUR HOSTS May 20th 8 am - Karen & Bob Greeley 10:30 am - Amy Boyce May 27th 8 am - Cindy & Peter Maier 10:30 am - (Parade) Contact Mary Allen at 203-775-6633 or [email protected]. 7 † Transforming Saints of God Thursday, May 17th Thurgood Marshall Lawyer and jurist, 1993 hurgood Marshall was a distinguished American jurist and the first African American to T become an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Marshall was born in 1908. He attended Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Pushed toward other professions, Marshall was determined to be an attorney. He was denied admission to the University of Maryland Law School due to its segregationist admissions policy. He enrolled and graduated magna cum laude from the Law School of Howard University in Washington. Marshall began the practice of law in Baltimore in 1933 and began representing the local chapter of the NAACP in 1934, eventually becoming the legal counsel for the national organization. He won his first major civil rights decision in 1936, Murray v. Pearson, which forced the University of Maryland to open its doors to blacks. At the age of 32, Marshall successfully argued his first case before the United States Supreme Court and went on to win 29 of the 32 cases he argued before the court. As a lawyer, his crowning achievement was arguing successfully for the plaintiffs in Brown v.