All Souls Weekly                 
Volume 3, Number 22, April 25, 2010

THINKING ABOUT ST. GEORGE

April 23 is the feast day for St. George, martyr and patron saint of England.  He is also patron saint of a handful of other countries and many cities.  St. George’s cross, the red cross on a white background, is the basis for the flag of England, the Union flag (or Union Jack), and also the flag for the Episcopal Church. Stories of George’s martyrdom, bravery, and chivalry have inspired many, even though historical details about his life are uncertain.

 
It is thought that St. George was a Turkish soldier living in Palestine in the late third or early fourth century.  During the Diocletian persecutions, George refused to renounce his Christian beliefs and refused to persecute others.  Around 304, he was martyred at Lydda. As Crusaders returned from the Holy Land, they brought with them stories about George’s heroism, among which was the story of George slaying a dragon.  This story and others were included in the medieval “best seller”, the Golden Legend, which became the basis for much of the music, art, and popular piety of the middle ages.

 
In a sermon preached several years ago at Salisbury Cathedral, the Rev. Maggie Guillebaud suggests that even with the little we know about him, St. George is particularly relevant to Christians today.  She writes, “In our increasingly diverse society, a Greek-speaking Christian Turk who lived in Palestine, joined the Roman army, was beheaded for refusing to persecute Christians (who as a group would have come from all over the Mediterranean and therefore contained many nationalities),” George seems particularly well suited to be a patron saint in modern multi-cultural and multi-lingual England.  “St. George,” she writes, “is not only representative of what it means to stand up for Christian beliefs, and pay the ultimate price, but also of the diversity and inclusiveness of the kind of Christianity which sees all fellow Christian men and women as brothers and sisters, wherever they hail from.”

We may not face many actual dragons, but we sure face plenty of symbolic ones.  Like George, we also try to live out our faith amid a multitude of perspectives and opinions, some that would try to draw us away from Christ.  St. George can continue to inspire us to live both honorably and honestly, to stand up for the weak, and to live out our faith boldly, wherever we may be lead. John Beddingfield

Corrections . . . In last week’s article I was wrong about one thing and I generalized in a misleading way about something else.  (It was that kind of week.)  In the first instance, I wrote “The Episcopal Church (the Anglican church in the United States) does not have archdeacons.”  That is not true.  I should have remembered that when I was in the Diocese of New York, there was an archdeacon.  I understand the Diocese of Easton also has an archdeacon.  I should have said something to the effect that in the Episcopal Church, archdeacons are less prevalent than in some churches.  That much, I think can be said.  The other issue has to do with my use of the term, “Anglican Church,” as though there were such a thing.  The Anglican Communion is, in fact, an assortment of churches and to suggest that we all are one probably suggests a unity that has never existed and certainly doesn’t exist today.  JB

Around the Parish . . .  A list of all eligible voters for the parish Annual Meeting on May 16 is posted in the narthex and in the undercroft.  If there are omissions, please see a member of the vestry or call the parish office . . . Please pray for Carolyn Farmer as she travels to volunteer in Haiti through May 5.  We look forward to hearing about her time when she returns. . . Attendance on April 18, the Third Sunday of Easter at the 8:30 a.m. Mass 23; at the 11 a.m. Mass 106 . . . Total pledge offerings for the week were $9,933.00 and the plate offering was $855.00.

The parish extends its sympathy and love to Bob Long upon the death of his mother, Anna, on April 17. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Anna, for Bob and his family, and for all who mourn.

Your prayers are asked for . . . Susan Johnson, Jim Wallace, Susan Kornacki, Frasier, MaryJane, John Matthews, Bob and Louise Osborne, Joan Shapiro, Ann Dixon, Lorenzo Martinez, Family of Tom Martin, Hugh Yeomans, Helen Horne, Erling Hansen, Tim Dill, Mona Bauer, Mary Backus, Sandy Jenkins Dixon, I. Kathryn McKewen, Thais Blanchard, Bruce MacDonald, Bob Colborn, Elizabeth McKee, Freddie Cameron, Robert Long, Barb Chaffee, Harriet Martin, Chris Cobb, Landis Vance, Vickie Drell, Stephanie Russell, Ruth & Fred Huber, Jim St. George, Mark Henderson, Martha Holdgate, Chip Meyers, Walter and Sally Jason, Arthur Andrew Warren, Mary Beth McCutcheon, Bryan Powell, Regina Dading, Julia Gutierrez, and Ted Field . . . Pray for members of the parish in the foreign service and others who are working overseas, especially Chuck Hunter, Steve Kerchoff, Brad Moore, and Michael Pate . . . Pray also for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially Jack Severson. . . If you wish to participate in our ongoing Internet Prayer Circle please contact Vicki Lowe at lowevg1@verizon.net.

Liturgical Notes . . . The flowers at the High Altar are given in celebration of the marriage of Nina Bafundo and Hampton Crimm on Saturday, April 24 . . . The sanctuary candle burns to the glory of God and in loving memory of John A. Ferrara (1921-1951), given by Sydney J. F. Ponturo. . . This Sunday, April 25, the Ven. Rev. Sharron Dinnie will preach and the rector will celebrate at both Masses. 

Foyer Dinner Groups . . . The new Foyer Dinner groups are posted on the kiosk in the undercroft.  Butch Bradburn will be sending materials to Foyer Dinner captains during the week.  It’s never too late to sign up to be a part of this program.  Forms are on the greeter’s table in the undercroft.

Thanks to Heidi Fritschel . . . The parish owes enormous thanks to Heidi and all those who have helped her, as well as all those who have donated items or money for the apartment All Souls is furnishing with Transitional Housing Corporation.  THC’s annual Living in the City Living in the City Benefit and Auction will be held on Thursday, May 27 from 6 p.m to 6 p.m. at the Washington Club.  For more information visit http://www.thcdc.org/.

Join us for the Adult Forum . . . Join us on Sunday, April 25 as the Rev. Sharron Dinnie discusses the work and ministries of the Kwasa Centre in South Africa.

Cookies for Children . . . During the month of May it will be our turn to provide cookies for the children at the Episcopal Center for Children. Please bring homemade or store-bought cookies to the parish kitchen, make sure they are plainly marked, Episcopal Center for Children, and place them in the marked receptacle. If you have questions, please speak with Merriam Woodhouse.