All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 1, Number 42, November 23, 2008

Praying the Blues

In Baltimore, Maryland, there is a wonderful place called St. Mary’s Seminary and University.  When I served a church near Baltimore in the 1990’s, I took classes at St. Mary’s. It welcomes Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Roman Catholic women and laypersons, and even Presbyterians-on-the-way-to-being-Episcopalians, like me.

Located in Roland Park, St. Mary’s has a campus of extraordinary buildings.  Among them is a classical chapel of marble and oak, a monumental space. What I remember best about one Advent at St. Mary’s was an enormous piece of cloth that served as a sort of screen behind the main altar.  The entire length of the chapel’s eastern wall was covered with this fabric, and its color was deep, dark purple.  It was solid except for a thin streak of blue cutting through the purple. The blue seemed strange to me, and so I began asking questions and reading various things about liturgy. 

It turns out that the blue points to several of the themes of Advent.  It points to hope in the midst of waiting, to light that shines in the darkness.  Blue also symbolizes the Virgin Mary, whose “yes” to God made the Incarnation possible. Blue also has a particular history with English Christians, as it was the liturgical color for Advent in Salisbury Cathedral, one of the premiere worship centers in the Middle Ages.  Things having to do with Salisbury are sometimes described with the Latinized form of that city, “Sarum,” and so the blue used during Advent is known as Sarum Blue. 

We use Sarum blue at All Souls, and I’m glad for that.  Not only does it invoke the wonderful tradition of our Anglican heritage, but it also reminds us of the faith of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  From yet another perspective, the blue also reminds us of water and sky, of all that God gives us for our life and livelihood.  Blue also symbolizes hope, and it also symbolizes the waters of baptism, through which we are saved.

I invite you to “pray the blues” with me this Advent.  Let the faith of the ancient Church inform you.  Let the hope of the Virgin Mary inspire you.  And let the Incarnation of Jesus Christ bring new light into our lives.   John Beddingfield

Your prayers are asked for . . . Dorothy Whitmore, Libby Davis, Susan Morrison, Chris Cobb, Suzanne Eyman, Landis Vance, Vickie Drell, Stephanie Russell, Ruth & Fred Huber, Jim St. George, Martha Holdgate, Chip Meyers, Mary Backus, Anne Marie Morotte, Ron Biggs, Steve Coon, Dorothy, Cindy Harvey, Jerome & Mary Ann Gariff, Carol Atnip, Walter Jason, Arthur Andrew Warren, Robert Osborne, Mary Beth McCutcheon, Bryan Powell, Regina Dading, Julia Gutierrez, and Ted Field. Pray also for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially Jack Severson, David Jones, and Timothy Zlatich . . .If you wish to participate in our ongoing Internet Prayer Circle please contact Vicki Lowe at lowevg1@verizon.net.

Around the Parish . . .  For those who like to keep up with the various Feast Days of the Church, Ordo Calendars are available in the Narthex of the Church and in the Undercroft . . . Stewardship Update: To date, we have received 93 pledges, totaling $386,044. Our goal is 175 pledges & $657,963.  If you have not filled out a pledge card, please do so as soon as possible so that your pledge can be counted toward the 2009 budget. . . The December/January issue of The Message is available in the Undercroft. Please take your copy and help the church save the cost of time and postage . . .  There is no Adult Forum this Sunday.  Please join us on December 7 at 10 a.m . . . Attendance on Sunday, November 23 at the 8:30 a.m. Mass, 43; at the 11:00 a.m. Mass, 142 . . . Total pledge offerings this week were $12,745.00. The total plate offering this week was $1,336.00.   

Liturgical Notes . . . At the 8:30 a.m. Mass we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Baptism of Nikhil Peter Hunn . . . The Sanctuary Candle is offered to the glory of God and in memory of Richard Forster on the second anniversary of his death, December 3, 2006, given by Bob Publicover.

The parish recently learned of the death of the Rev. Julian Attaway Cave, on September 19, 2008, in St. Petersburg, Florida.    Father Cave served very shortly as the Fifth Rector of All Souls.  A more complete obituary can be read at
http://juliancave.wordpress.com.  Please pray for the repose of the soul of Julian, for his family, and for all who mourn.

A Tree of Thanksgiving . . . Please see the Tree the Sunday School children have made for us this Thanksgiving. Please take a moment to write what you are thankful for on one of the "leaves" and tie it on the Thanksgiving Tree in the Undercroft . 

Men’s Fellowship . . . On Tuesday, December 2 at 7 p.m., the Episcopal Men's Fellowship will share tales of Anglican Christmases abroad, as Chuck Hunter, Richard McKewan, and others tell about their experiences celebrating the holiday in the Middle East and elsewhere. Mark Hoffman will be providing a scrumptious holiday meal at the bargain price of $15. Please sign up in the undercroft or RSVP to Ike.Brannon@gmail.com.

Arts Mart at All Souls . . . An exhibition of photographs and paintings from members of the All Souls Community will be offered in the Undercroft on Saturday mornings through December 13, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. A portion of proceeds from any sales will go to All Souls Parish. If you are interested in displaying your work, contact Gene Dunne at gedun7@aol.com.

Toys for the St. John Hospital . . . Help provide stuffed animals or art supplies for the pediatric patients at the St. John Hospital in Jerusalem. Bring the items to the Undercroft during Advent. The children served by the hospital come from very poor families. These gifts mean a great deal to the young children who find themselves in a very unfamiliar hospital setting. Our gifts will be shipped with medical supplies to the hospital after January 1, 2009. Thank you for your caring support. Pat Dresser

Endowment Grant Applications . . . Applications for grants from the All Souls Endowment Fund for 2009 are available in the parish office. Grants may be made for projects in ministry or mission as well as for capital improvements. All applications are due in the office by February 7, 2009 and will be acted upon by the Board and Vestry.