Upcoming Events
HOLY DAYS IN OCTOBER
Saturday, October 18 - Saint Luke the Evangelist
Thursday, October 23 - Saint James of Jerusalem, Brother of our Lord Jesus Christ and Martyr, c. 62 CE.
Tuesday, October 28 - St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles
These days will be celebrated at the service of
Holy Communion and Healing on the Tuesday in the week they occur at
9:00 a.m. in the chapel.
BIBLE STUDY
The Great Themes of the Bible
Continuing on Mondays, at 10:00 a.m. the
former Thursday morning group - and anyone interested in studying the
Bible - will gather in the Library to complete The Great Themes of the
Bible. A new series will begin soon. Please call Pat G. for more information. You can
reach Pat through the church office at 610-434-0155.
SERVICE OF REPENTANCE FOR SLAVERY
On Saturday, October 4, at 10:30 a.m. there will be a Service of Repentance for the Episcopal Church's involvement in the institution of transatlantic slavery. The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, our Presiding Bishop, will be the celebrant and preacher, at the service, to be held at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, in Philadelphia. There will also be a gathering, with historic presentations and displays on Friday, October 3, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. with presentations on "Revisiting the Past," "Taking Action in the Present" and "Charting a Course for the Future."
We would like to take a group from Mediator to the service as well as the gathering the day before. Maria is exploring the possibility of having a few members from St. James' A.M.E. Zion Church, in Allentown, a historically African American church, join us, and organizing a discussion on racial reconciliation. This might include a study of the movie Amazing Grace, about William Wilberforce's work to eradicate the slave trade in England. as well as a visit to the Amistad, a slave ship whose story was featured in a movie of the same name, which will be in New York, October 22-26.
If anyone is interested in the service or these related
events, please speak to our contact Maria (revmariat@verizon.net)
or Jeff B. (jbuchman@ptd.net).
There will be a sign up sheet for the service, on the bulletin board by
the elevator at the church.
Blessing of the Animals
Walk your dog, cat, or other pet over to the
Episcopal Church of the Mediator for a Blessing of the Animals, Sunday,
October 5, at 3:00 p.m., on the front lawn.
Refreshments (for both humans and animals) will be served!
Diocesan Convention
The 137th Diocese of Bethlehem Convention will take
place at Christ Church, Reading, on October 10-11. The
representatives from Mediator attending the convention include: the
Rector, the Priest Associate, Bill G and Adam K, delegates; Jeremy W
and Patricia G, alternates; and Marlene H, World Mission
Committee. Please feel free to talk to them or to attend the
pre-convention meting at St. Anne's Church, Trexlertown, on October 7
at 7:00 p.m.
Interfaith Blessing of West Park
On Saturday, October 18, at 3:00 p.m., The Rev. Maria Tjeltveit and Rabbi Rob Lennick, of Keneseth Israel, will lead an Interfaith Blessing of West Park, as part of the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the park. The service will combine elements of the two faith traditions.
In the Jewish tradition, on Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh and last day of Sukkot (the joyful Festival of Booths, which remembers God's provision for the people in the wilderness) the people take an etrog (a fruit that looks like an oversized lemon), myrtle, palm, and willow branches and process seven times around the sanctuary, singing a hymn that begins Hoshana (or Hosanna-save us, please). There is also a tradition of beating a bundle of five willow branches against the floor at the conclusion of the procession. The meanings of the day include repentance, prayer for abundant water and dew, and thanksgiving for a blessed and fruitful year.
An Anglican tradition that goes back to the 9th Century is the "Beating of the Bounds." Back before there were maps of parishes (which were geographic areas), a bundle of willow rods was taken in procession and beaten on the boundaries of the parish "as a means of impressing these limits on the minds of the young" (The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church). This took place on Rogation Days, special days of intercession for favorable weather and good crops. This tradition was stopped under Elizabeth I but a Rogation Procession has been revived in the Book of Occasional Services. It is usually done during the week before Ascension Day, in the spring.
Our service in West Park will incorporate elements of
these two traditions, as we process around the park asking God's
blessing on the park and the community that surrounds it.
Refreshments will be served following the service.
Interfaith
Trip to
Please
join Rabbi Rob and The Reverend Maria Tjeltveit
of the Episcopal Church of the Mediator as they lead us on a wonderful
"Experience in Israel" from February 28, 2009 until March 12, 2009.
Click on the following link for all of the details and a reservation
form for this exciting event: http://www.kiallentown.org/PDFs/lennick_israel.pdf
.