THETHE PARISHPARISH LETTERLETTER December 2019 Publication of Christ Church, Woodbury, NJ Advent/Christmas FROMFROM THETHE RECTORRECTOR traight Hollow (pronounced holla or holler) Road in the work is largely gone. These are very proud people. However, coal mining community of Dante (as in “paint”), Virginia even proud people can be defeated and discounted which S is anything but straight. It curves and bends quite se- invites addictions to many various substances and destructive verely with multiple pot holes as the incline increases at a rate behaviors. It is amazing to what extent unemployment and greater than current highway standards would ever allow. underemployment erodes our very souls and makes us doubt There is no benefit of guardrails or easements which invites the God given relationship that is ours alone. having to claim the right-of-way prior to ascending or descend- ing by sounding the car horn. To make matters a bit more inter- Grandmothers in their thirties rocked grand babies and told esting, culverts, fire hydrants and municipal water boxes are of a time when their fathers worked the coal mines. The men part of what gives tires traction. There simply is no other place worked in extremely hazardous and tight conditions, often to put them. shoveling coal into rail carts while lying on their backs all day. Having died in their 40's, the families now struggle to secure The homes look as if they could tip over and roll down the rock funds from the Federal Division of Coal Mine Workers’ Black cliff or hastily constructed embankment. Each home was built Lung Program or what is commonly called the “Black Lung in the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's in interest of providing just Pension.” Many of the men smoked cigarettes and the fami- enough incentive for families to move in and for the men and lies now stand in the face of a medical and bureaucratic boys to get to work in the coal mines, some as young as 12 or nightmare trying to prove that their deceased husbands and 13 years old. fathers died of black lung disease. In other words, they are burdened even further by having to untangle what is meant to remain tangled. It was the privilege of fourteen from this parish to enter into The homes are still there, the families are still there, but the that environment and be invited into that particular story Page 2 The Parish Letter during the first week of November. We worked, we prayed, I want them to think of all the obstacles, hazards, barricades we sat and listened, and we formed community as we broke and distractions they had to navigate in order to get to where bread with others having been charged with opening the abun- it was we were charged to be; to consider once again the unin- dant storehouse of God. tentional and intentional detours that we had to take because the way forward was made to be impassable. Taking that sce- By simply following the mission mindedness of our prayer nario a step farther, consider the effort emergency responders book, the seven youth of our parish led the way for the rest of have to exert as the means of bringing life-saving measures to us to enter into the homes and hearts of those who define the those we encountered or to their families. And now, bring it community of Dante. We learned their names, we entered all to my intended conclusion by considering our Lord and Sav- their story, and we grew in grace as Christ our Lord made His ior Jesus Christ making His way to us and the obstacles that presence known through and to us. frustrate His bringing us salvation unto life eternal. “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” It’s not that our Sovereign Lord and King can’t effect His plan of salvation in the most difficult of circumstances. In fact, He already has, and we are it. We are the path to salvation unto life eternal that He has cho- sen and depends upon. In other words, in the words of our Catechism, the sacramental life of the Church has been given by Christ as the sure and certain means by which we receive (God’s) grace (The Book of Common Prayer - pg. 857). Why would we riddle, create obstacles, leave pot holes, litter with debris, or place barricades between us and the once and for all response of Christ our Lord? During the season of Advent, we are called by the Church to prepare the way of the Lord. To make His paths straight. That takes many forms but begins with removing obstacles that would frustrate His coming to us, to rescue us, to effect His plan of Salvation. Consider the many addictions we have been arrested with, both socially acceptable and socially unaccepta- ble. Consider the many, many hazards and obstacles we have allowed to be placed in the way that restricts the intended reach of the Church. One of my most valued resources when it comes to comple- menting the prayer book is a book entitled Prayers for Pastors & People (New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation, 1984). It is a compilation of many prayers from multiple sources of our Anglican tradition. In the section designated for Personal and Corporate Concerns there is a prayer For Honesty. It asks This Advent, as we prepare our hearts and homes for the arri- God to forbid us in the vain endeavor to “hide from thee what val of the Christ Child at Christmas, there is confidence that we have thought and done and truly are.” It then asks God to those who represented you in the mission field will ponder the give us “candor to acknowledge freely to Him what must be relationships and encounters they had the privilege of entering forever hidden from the knowledge of others, and may no into. They can’t help but return in their minds to Straight Hol- false shame keep us from confessing those sins which no prop- low Road in Dante, Virginia when they hear of the arrival on er shame kept us from committing.” the scene of John the Baptist. The one spoken of by the proph- et Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilder- It truly is a corporate concern that we make the path straight ness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” and that we all take part in removing obstacles that would They can’t help but consider the poverty they entered to be so frustrate the salvation of God. close to Holy Nativity. Advent/Christmas Page 3 The most profound statement made upon our arrival in Dante was made by a fourteen-year-old who observed how “Straight Holler Road isn’t straight.” I am most proud of those who traveled to Southwestern Virgin- ia on the invitation of Grace House on the Mountain. Not be- cause we had work to do - but because God was allowed to work through us. He had his way with us, and because He did, we are all a different parish. It has also encouraged my faith to know that those I had the privilege of traveling, praying, work- ing, and forming intentional Christian community with have a realistic image of the Invitatory to the Evening Office: O God, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to help us. hristopher Piskun, our Vestry chair of mission in- vited our parish into a very detailed report on the As we raise our voices in common prayer as well as in Advent C success of our 2019 mission trip to the Diocese of Hymns of great joy, gladness and holy anticipation, I look for- Southwestern Virginia. Fourteen from our parish traveled ward to meeting you and your families before the altar of Christ and lived in Christian community together as guests of Church Grace House on the Mountain in St. Paul, Virginia. Their work assignment was on behalf of two homes within the Make ye straight what long was crooked, Straight Hollow community of Dante, Virginia. A Power- make the rougher places plain; Point presentation was given on Sunday, November 17th as let your hearts be true and humble, his report to a packed adult forum on the teams' travel, as befits his holy reign. living in community, priority for worship, the community For the glory of the Lord dinner and gathering at the Dante Community Center in now o’er earth is shed abroad; interest of distributing the 2000 donated books, and the and all flesh shall see the token many challenges they confronted. that the word is never broken. Chris even took time to introduce the team, thank its lead- (The Hymnal 1982: Hymn 67 - stanza 3) ership, recognize the financial support of our parish bene- factors, and invite others to consider volunteering for the In the peace of God, which passeth all understanding; travel team next year. The Very Reverend Father Brian K. Burgess Page 4 The Parish Letter Dr. B. Dawson Shoemaker Memorial Blood Drive January 21st 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM here is always a need for blood. Did you know that your gift of one pint of blood can potentially help T 3 persons? Did you know that cancer patients are now the largest group of people that will benefit from your blood donation? Did you know that you are eligible to donate blood every 57 days? Did you know that it only takes about one hour of your time to save a life? In the past 13 drives we have collected 418 units of blood which potentially helped 1045 persons.