Thursday, January 31, 2019

PARISH NOTES 
Sunday 3 February 2019 

James Tissot, The Brow of the Hill near Nazareth. 1886-1896. Watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper. Brooklyn Museum, New York. (Notice that Jesus does not appear in the painting. He has just “passed through the midst” of the crowd, which is left angry and confused.)

FROM THE RECTOR

Christian theologians have long pondered the mysterium iniquitatis, “the mystery of iniquity”— why rational creatures (namely, some angels and most human beings) freely choose evil over good. The consensus answer is that it remains precisely a mystery: something fundamentally inexplicable. What I like to call “the mystery of rejection” is a subcategory of the mysterium iniquitatis: Why do some people reject God, or Jesus Christ as the Son of God, when they have plenty of evidence to support faith? Many of us struggle with this question as we seek to understand not only declining church attendance but also long-standing believers suddenly turning their backs on both Christianity and religion in general. The mystery of rejection.

The rejection of Jesus by the inhabitants of Nazareth is surely one of the most poignant episodes in the Gospels. Nazareth is Jesus’ hometown, the place where Mary and Joseph brought him up. If his message and ministry can expect a welcome reception anywhere, it is here. At the beginning of this Sunday’s Gospel, all are speaking well of him and wondering at his gracious words; by the end, they are trying to kill him by throwing him off a cliff. He remarks that “no prophet is acceptable in his own country,” and goes his way. Henceforth, his base of operations in Galilee will not be Nazareth in the hills, but Capernaum-by-the-sea. This Sunday we explore what this Gospel can teach us about the mystery of rejection. Please join us. – Fr. John D. Alexander


THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)
Psalm 71:1-6
Jeremiah 1:4-10
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Luke 4:21-30


THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC 

Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) – Missa syllabica

Bruce Neswick (b. 1956) – Let the Peoples Praise You, O God


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for Coffee Hour following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

Society of Mary – meets this Saturday, February 9, beginning with Holy Rosary following the 10 am Mass and a brief meeting (for coffee and bagels) to follow in the Great Hall. All are welcome and invited.

College Ministry – The Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR) welcomes all students, both undergraduate and graduate, to join us in fellowship this semester. EMBR meets every Sunday at 5:30 pm for Evening Prayer, followed by a meal. All are most welcome and invited!

Rector’s Online Book Group – will begin C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce with a videoconference discussion of Chapters 1 through 3 this evening, Sunday 3 February, from 8 to 9 pm. All are welcome! To join the discussion, log in at https://zoom.us/j/457443242 (You may need to download the ZOOM app if you have not used it before.)

The Nuns, the Priests, and the Bombs – On Monday 11 February at 5:30 pm Brown War Watch is hosting a screening of this documentary film about Catholic anti-nuclear activists. A panel will follow featuring the film's director, Helen Young, investigative journalist Alex Nunes, and activist Frida Berrigan. Co-sponsored by the Department of Middle East Studies and the Department of Religious Studies. Location: Metcalf’s Friedman Auditorium at 190 Thayer Street. All welcome.

The S. Stephen – We welcome articles, essays, reflections, poems, photographs, drawings or other creations to be considered for publication in our parish magazine. Our next copy deadline, for the Lent 2019 issue, is Friday 15 February. Discuss your ideas with or send your submissions to Phoebe Pettingell, Copy Editor, or the Rector, Editor-in-Chief.

Way of Love – A kick-off event for this Episcopal Church-wide program of “Seven Practices for Living a Jesus-Centered Life” will be hosted at Saint Mary’s Church, Portsmouth, RI, on Saturday 16 February from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All who are interested in learning more are encouraged to attend; please click here for more information.

From the Hood to the Hill – On Saturday 16 February at 6 pm, Central Congregational Church, 296 Angell Street, Providence, will host its annual Darrell West Lecture on Religion and Politics featuring U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black, the first African-American to hold that position and a nationally acclaimed author and spiritual leader. A Q & A session and book-signing will follow the lecture, which is free and open to the public with no advance registration required. For more information, please click here.

Spring Organ Recital – On Friday 22 March, at 7:30 pm, please join us for an organ recital with International Concert Organist Katelyn Emerson. This event is co-sponsored by the RI American Guild of Organists (RIAGO) and S. Stephen’s Church.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Norman, John, James, Shannah, Terri, Sister Carolyn, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: William Kinloch (Monday 2/4) and Sharon Lloyd Clark (Saturday 2/9).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Henry Francis Tingley, Jr. (4 February 1984), Mary L. Starks (5 February 1999), Paul David Ross (6 February 1996), Mildred Dunlop (8 February 1987), and Madeline Nason (9 February 1985).

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Anglican Church of Burundi: The Most Rev’d Martin Blaise Nyaboho, Archbishop of Burundi & Bishop of Makamba; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for the leadership, staff and residents of Hallworth House.

THE SUNDAY ROTA

Acolytes – MC F Pisaturo, SD D Malo, Thurifer L Verdelotti, Torches R Noble and J Ihnen
Lector – K Lester
Ushers – Alison Huff and Tom Bledsoe
Coffee Hour – Nancy Gingrich, Tom Oakes, and Louis Verdelotti

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS

Sunday 3 February
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm (Lady Chapel)

Rector's Online Book Group  8-9 pm (Videoconference)

Saturday 9 February
Society of Mary  10:30 am (Lady Chapel/Great Hall)

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Friday 8 February
RUF Meeting  4-11 pm (Great Hall)

Saturday 9 February
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

3 February
THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY (G)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm

Daily Mass and Office Lectionaries: Epiphany IV, Year One

Monday 4 February
Gilbert of Sempringham, Founder of the Gilbertine Order, 1189 (W)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Tuesday 5 February
Agatha, Martyr at Catania, 3rd century (R)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Wednesday 6 February
The Martyrs of Japan, 1597 (R)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Thursday 7 February
Cornelius the Centurion, 1st century (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Friday 8 February
Jerome Emiliani, Priest, Founder of the Somaschi Fathers, 1537 (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Saturday 9 February
FERIA (G)
Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Low Mass  10 am
Holy Rosary  10:30 am

10 February
THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY (G)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (10 February)

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)
Psalm 138
Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13)
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

PARISH NOTES 
Sunday 27 January 2019 

James Tissot, Christ unrolls the Book in the Synagogue, c. 1886-1894. Brooklyn Museum, New York

FROM THE RECTOR

As Christians, we are “People of the Book”— our life together presupposes and depends upon God’s self-revelation in inspired Scriptures that authorize our communal beliefs and practices. But “no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation” (II Peter 1:20). Hence reading from the sacred text is an integral part of public worship, as is a sermon or homily to help us understand the scriptural message in our own context. The two go together: scripture and commentary; text and context. Without lucid commentary, the text may remain obscure and confusing; without a solid grounding in the text, a sermon or homily can degenerate into a recitation of the preacher’s idiosyncratic opinions and prejudices – or as one wag once put it, one’s “favorite Reader’s Digest illustrations.” In this Sunday’s Gospel, set in the synagogue of Nazareth, Jesus reads and then comments on verses from the Prophet Isaiah. His commentary unites as never before the sacred text with the hearers’ context by declaring: “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Perhaps the challenge for us, then, Sunday by Sunday, is not merely to understand the sacred text but also to discern its fulfillment in the world around us where its divine Author is still present, active, alive, and dynamically working to bring healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope. – Fr. John D. Alexander

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Third Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)
Psalm 19
Nehemiah 8: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10
1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a
Luke 4:14-21


THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC 

Francis Jackson (b. 1917) – Service of Holy Communion in G major


Herbert Howells (1892 - 1983) Behold, O God our defender


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for the Annual Parish Meeting Luncheon following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

Annual Meeting – All are welcome to come upstairs for lunch and our Annual Parish Meeting following the 10 a.m. Mass today. Only duly qualified parish members – a list of whom will be distributed – are entitled to voice and vote at the meeting, but everyone else is invited to listen in. It is a good way to become better acquainted with our parish and its mission.

College Ministry – The Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR) welcomes back all students for the Spring Semester! EMBR meets every Sunday at 5:30 pm for Evening Prayer, followed by a meal. All are most welcome and invited!

Royal Martyr Day Celebration – Evening Prayer will be celebrated in commemoration of Charles Stuart, King of England and Martyr (1649) at 6 pm on Wednesday 30 January at the Church of the Holy Nativity in Weymouth, Massachusetts. At the reception following, Fr. Harold Birkenhead, Rector, will sign copies of his new book, Investigating Cromwell: In the Matter of the Murder of King Charles I. Please let Fr. Alexander know if you are interested in traveling to Weymouth to take part in what promises to be an inspiring and memorable evening.

Candlemas – Our joint celebrations of major feasts continue with Mass for the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple at Saint John’s, Newport, on Saturday 2 February at 11 am. The music will feature the “Little Organ Mass” of Joseph Haydn. Fr. Alexander will preach. Please mark it in your diary to attend this principal feast of the Church Year, marking the fortieth day after Christmas.

The S. Stephen – We welcome articles, essays, reflections, poems, photographs, drawings or other creations to be considered for publication in our parish magazine. Our next copy deadline, for the Lent 2019 issue, is Friday 15 February. Discuss your ideas with or send your submissions to Phoebe Pettingell, Copy Editor, or the Rector, Editor-in-Chief.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Norman, John, James, Shannah, Terri, Sister Carolyn, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: Thomas Bledsoe (Wednesday 1/30), Nathan Callanan (Friday 2/1), and Charles O’Boyle (Saturday 2/2).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Sterling C. Poitier (28 January 1996), Florence Matilda Colvin (30 January 1994), the Rev. Dr. Ronald Parks Conner (30 January 2011), and Anna Waterman Jackson McCoy (30 January 1985). Recently Departed: the Rev. Canon Gregory M. Howe; Sharon Burdett.

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Pray for the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil: The Most Rev’d Naudal Alves Gomes, Primate of Brazil & Bishop of Curitiba; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for the Center for Reconciliation and all who seek to be reconcilers in our state, nation and world.

THE SUNDAY ROTA

Acolytes – MC R Noble, SD F Pisaturo, Thurifer J Starks, Torches G Benziger and C Sylvia
Lector – A Campbell
Ushers – Simon Newby and Nancy Gingrich
Coffee Hour – Annual Parish Meeting Luncheon

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Friday 1 February
RUF Meeting  4-11 pm (Great Hall)

Saturday 2 February
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

27 January
THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY (G)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm

Daily Mass and Office Lectionaries: Epiphany III, Year One

Monday 28 January
Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Doctor, 1274 (W)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Tuesday 29 January
Andrei Rublev, Monk and Iconographer, 1430 (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Wednesday 30 January
Charles, King and Martyr, 1649 (R)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Thursday 31 January
John Bosco, Founder of the Salesians, 1888 (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Friday 1 February
Brigid, Abbess of Kildare, 523 (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Saturday 2 February
THE PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE
Solemn Mass  11 am (at St. John’s, Newport)

3 February
THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY (G)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (3 February)

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)
Psalm 71:1-6
Jeremiah 1:4-10
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Luke 4:21-30

Christ in the Synagogue at Nazareth. Fresco, c. 1350. Visoki Decani monastery, Kosovo

Thursday, January 17, 2019

PARISH NOTES 
Sunday 20 January 2019 

The Wedding at Cana of Galilee, 1910. Fiske Window (detail); 
Narthex of S. Stephen’s Church in Providence, RI; 
Made by Kempe Studios, London, England.

FROM THE RECTOR

Our Lord’s miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding at Cana in Galilee ranks as one of the great epiphanies showing forth his identity as the incarnate Son of God. Saint John the Evangelist, author of the Fourth Gospel, describes it as the first of Jesus’ “signs.” As such, the story is replete with multilayered symbolism: the marriage of heaven and earth; the abundant food and free-flowing wine of the messianic banquet. Most of all, this episode highlights Mary, the mother of Jesus. When the wine gives out, she brings the problem to her Son’s attention. Join us this Sunday as we explore this Gospel’s picture of Mary’s role as Intercessor and exemplar of Christian prayer. – Fr. John D. Alexander

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

Second Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)
Psalm 36:5-10
Isaiah 62:1-5
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11


THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC 

Healey Willan (1880-1968) – Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena



ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for Coffee Hour following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.


Flowers – at the high altar this Sunday are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of John Arthur Clark and Harold Rutherford Alexander by Sharon Lloyd Clark.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday (January 15th) – will be observed on Monday 21 January this year and will follow the public holiday schedule with Morning Prayer at 9:30 am and Low Mass at 10 am.

The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle (January 25th) – a major feast of the church year will be kept this Friday with Noonday Prayer at 12 noon, and Low Mass following at 12:10 pm.

Rector’s Online Book Group – is still in the process of getting organized! Since the 7 pm Sunday timeslot doesn’t seem to work well for those who have indicated an interest in participating, we are in process of deciding an alternative time. So it’s not too late to join! The format consists of an online discussion of C. S. Lewis's The Great Divorce (1945)— a satiric fantasy novel of a bus ride in the Afterlife. If you would like to participate - or if you'd like to find out more about what's involved – please email, call, or speak to Fr. Alexander ASAP.

Nominations Committee – The following is the list of candidates who have agreed to be nominated for election at the Annual Parish Meeting on January 27, 2019:

· One Vestry Member for a four-year term (expires January 2023) – Sharon Lloyd Clark
· One Vestry Member for a two-year term (expires January 2021) – Leana Latimer Hooks
· Junior Warden (to be elected by Vestry; three year term; expires January 2022) – Alison Huff
· Clerk of the Vestry (one-year term) – Molly Bledsoe Ellis
· Treasurer (one-year term) – Muriel Jobbers
· Two Diocesan Convention Delegates (one-year term) – Francesco Pisaturo, Jacob Ihnen
· Two Diocesan Convention Alternates (one-year term) – Nancy Gingrich, Richard Noble

According to the Parish By-Laws, nominations-by-petition were to be received by the Rector no later than two weeks before the Annual Meeting (i.e., last Sunday) so this is the final slate. Warm thanks to the Nominations Committee for its excellent work!

Winter Break Providence – From Sunday the 13th through Monday the 21st of January, the Guild House is the principal venue for Brown University Swearer Center’s “Winter Break Providence” program, “a weeklong intensive living learning program which explores local issues such as homelessness, urban education, equitable health care, economic justice, incarceration and environmental justice. During the week, students meet with policy makers, service providers, politicians, activists, and community members to better understand both the context for these issues and the skills and commitment required to create meaningful social change.” So, please extend a warm S. Stephen’s welcome to any groups of students you may encounter on the premises during this time! 


College Ministry – The Episcopal Ministry at Brown and RISD (EMBR) will begin its Spring Semester meetings next Sunday, January 27th, at 5:30 pm for Evening Prayer, followed by a meal. All are most welcome and invited!

Annual Parish Meeting Luncheon – As always, we are planning a meal to accompany this important gathering immediately following the 10 am Mass on Sunday 27 January 2019. We need lots of help: from bringing food and drink, to volunteering to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Please sign up on one of the sheets provided in the Narthex or Great Hall; or call or email Susan in the parish office to let us know how you can help. Thanks to all who have volunteered so far!

Royal Martyr Day Celebration – Evening Prayer will be celebrated in commemoration of Charles Stuart, King of England and Martyr (1649) at 6 pm on Wednesday 30 January at the Church of the Holy Nativity in Weymouth, Massachusetts. At the reception following, Fr. Harold Birkenhead, Rector, will sign copies of his new book, Investigating Cromwell: In the Matter of the Murder of King Charles I. Please let Fr. Alexander know if you are interested in traveling to Weymouth to take part in what promises to be an inspiring and memorable evening.

Candlemas – Our joint celebrations of major feasts continue with Mass for the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple at Saint John’s, Newport, on Saturday 2 February at 11 am. The music will feature the “Little Organ Mass” of Joseph Haydn. Fr. Alexander will preach. Please mark it in your diary to attend this principal feast of the Church Year, marking the fortieth day after Christmas.

Requiescat – We have received word of the death on January 15th of Sharon Burdett, who attended S. Stephen’s on and off for a number of years, on both Sundays and weekdays, as well as various parish programs and events: most recently our 2018 Sunday evening Lenten series. An eccentric personality – but well-read, with a keen intellect and inexhaustible curiosity – Sharon never formally joined any of the Providence churches she frequented, but she derived great joy from her participation in worship and parish life. Her ashes are to be interred at Saint Martin’s. Her name will be added to the Year’s Mind list at S. Stephen’s (an exception to our usual policy). Of your charity, please offer a prayer for the repose of her soul.


FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Norman, John, James, Shannah, Terri, Sister Carolyn, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: Danielle Malo (Tuesday 1/22).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: John Arthur Clark (20 January 2008), Ellsworth E. R. Wallace (21 January 1987), Ruth B. Bodell (21 January 1985), Gordon Bramwell (22 January 2002), Claire B. Bentley (25 January 1984), and L’Marie Blunt (25 January 1994). Recently Departed: the Rev. Canon Gregory M. Howe; Sharon Burdett. Those in whose memory flowers are given: Harold Rutherford Alexander.

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Anglican Church of Australia: The Most Rev’d Philip Leslie Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne & Primate of Australia; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for the people and clergy of St. Paul's, North Kingstown and of St. Paul's, Pawtucket and of St. Paul's, Portsmouth.


THE SUNDAY ROTA 

Ushers – Louis Verdelotti and Joy D’Ambra
Coffee Hour – Leana Hooks and Family

THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S 

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Sunday 13 thru Monday 21 January
Winter Break Providence: Brown University Various Times (Great Hall)

Saturday 26 January
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

20 January
THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY (G)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Sung Mass  10 am

Daily Mass and Office Lectionaries: Epiphany II, Year One

Monday 21 January
Agnes, Martyr at Rome, 304 (R)
Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Low Mass  10 am

Tuesday 22 January
Vincent, Deacon of Saragossa and Martyr, 250 (R)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Wednesday 23 January
FERIA (G)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Thursday 24 January
Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, 1622 (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Friday 25 January
THE CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Saturday 26 January
Timothy and Titus [and Silas], Companions of Saint Paul (W)
Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Low Mass  10 am

27 January
THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY (G)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am
Evening Prayer w/ EMBR  5:30 pm

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (27 January)

Third Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)
Psalm 19
Nehemiah 8: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10
1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a
Luke 4:14-21

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

PARISH NOTES 
Sunday 13 January 2019 

Rogier Van Der Weyden, Baptism of Christ (c. 1455)
Central Panel of the St. John Altarpiece, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, Germany


FROM THE RECTOR

On the First Sunday after the Epiphany we commemorate the Baptism of Christ, known in Eastern Orthodoxy as the “Theophany,” a key moment in the cycle of Christmas-Epiphany celebrations. The words “Epiphany” and “Theophany” signify the revelation, manifestation, or showing forth of Christ’s divinity at key moments during his earthly life. The liturgical commemoration of Christ’s Baptism in the River Jordan affords us an occasion to recommit ourselves to our own baptismal promises, and to rejoice in the promise of eternal life given us in the baptismal waters. – Fr. John D. Alexander

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS 

First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of Christ (Year C)
Isaiah 43:1-7
Acts 8:14-17
Luke 3:15-16,21-22


THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC 

William Byrd (1538-1623) – Mass for Four Voices

Peter Maxwell Davies (1934-2016) – Jesus autem hodie


ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for Coffee Hour following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle (January 18th) – a major feast of the church year will be kept this Friday with Noonday Prayer at 12 noon, and Low Mass following at 12:10 pm.

Monthly Requiem – for the departed of this parish whose year’s mind falls during January will be offered during Mass this Saturday, 19 January, at 10 am (preceded by Morning Prayer at 9:30 am). If you have any names to add to those to be remembered, please let Fr. Alexander know. This Mass is sponsored by the Guild of All Souls, St. Stephen Protomartyr Branch: all are welcome and invited to attend!


Rector’s Online Book Group – begins this evening on Sunday 13 January at 7 pm. The format will be an online discussion of C. S. Lewis's The Great Divorce (1945)— a satiric fantasy novel of a bus ride in the Afterlife. If you would like to participate - or if you'd like to find out more about what's involved – please speak to Fr. Alexander today. (For an excellent report on the previous book group that met this past summer and autumn, see the article by J. Jennifer Jones in the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany issue of The S. Stephen.) 

Nominations Committee – The following is the list of candidates who have agreed to be nominated for election at the Annual Parish Meeting on January 27, 2019:

· One Vestry Member for a four-year term (expires January 2023) – Sharon Lloyd Clark
· One Vestry Member for a two-year term (expires January 2021) – Leana Latimer Hooks
· Junior Warden (to be elected by Vestry; three year term; expires January 2022) – Alison Huff
· Clerk of the Vestry (one-year term) – Molly Bledsoe Ellis
· Treasurer (one-year term) – Muriel Jobbers
· Two Diocesan Convention Delegates (one-year term) – Francesco Pisaturo, Jacob Ihnen
· Two Diocesan Convention Alternates (one-year term) – Nancy Gingrich, Richard Noble

Thank you to the Nominations Committee for its excellent work. According to the Parish By-Laws, nominations-by-petition must be received by the Rector no later than two weeks before the Annual Meeting (i.e., today) with the signatures of at least five members of the parish and a statement of consent from the person being nominated.

Winter Break Providence – From Sunday the 13th through Monday the 21st of January, the Guild House will be the principal venue for Brown University Swearer Center’s “Winter Break Providence” program, “a weeklong intensive living learning program which explores local issues such as homelessness, urban education, equitable health care, economic justice, incarceration and environmental justice. During the week, students meet with policy makers, service providers, politicians, activists, and community members to better understand both the context for these issues and the skills and commitment required to create meaningful social change.” So, if you’re around the church during the coming week, please extend a warm S. Stephen’s welcome to any groups of students you may encounter on the premises!

Annual Parish Meeting Luncheon – As always, we are planning a meal to accompany this important gathering immediately following the 10 am Mass on Sunday 27 January 2019. We need lots of help: from bringing food and drink, to volunteering to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Please call or email Susan in the parish office to let us know how you can help.

Royal Martyr Day Celebration – Evening Prayer will be celebrated in commemoration of Charles Stuart, King of England and Martyr (1649) at 6 pm on Wednesday 30 January at the Church of the Holy Nativity in Weymouth, Massachusetts. At the reception following, Fr. Harold Birkenhead, Rector, will sign copies of his new book, Investigating Cromwell: In the Matter of the Murder of King Charles I. Please let Fr. Alexander know if you are interested in traveling to Weymouth to take part in what promises to be an inspiring and memorable evening.

Candlemas – Our joint celebrations of major feasts continue with Mass for the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple at Saint John’s, Newport, on Saturday 2 February at 11 am. The music will feature the “Little Organ Mass” of Joseph Haydn. Fr. Alexander will preach. Please mark it in your diary to attend this principal feast of the Church Year, marking the fortieth day after Christmas.


FOR YOUR PRAYERS 

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Norman, John, James, Shannah, Terri, Sister Carolyn, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: Jason Connell (Jan 13); Zachary Painter (Jan 13); Ladwaune Edwards (Jan 17)

The faithful departed: (No Year’s Mind Anniversaries this week); Pray for the souls of the founders, benefactors, and all departed clergy and parishioners of S. Stephen’s. Recently Departed: the Rev. Gregory Howe.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer – Pray for the Anglican Church of Australia: The Most Revd Philip Leslie Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne & Primate of Australia. (No Diocesan Cycle of Prayer listing for this week)

THE SUNDAY ROTA

Acolytes – MC F Pisaturo, SD J Ihnen, Thurifer L Verdelotti, Crucifer J Ihnen, Torches R Noble & G Benziger
Lector – P Pettingell
Ushers – Bruce Lennihan and Karl Benziger
Coffee Hour – Karl and Klara Benziger


THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S 

PARISH PROGRAMS, EVENTS & MEETINGS


Saturday 19 January
Guild of All Souls 10 am (Lady Chapel)

EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Sunday 13 thru Monday 21 January

Winter Break Providence (Brown University) – Various Times (Great Hall)

Saturday 19 January
Epiphany Soup Kitchen 2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

13 January
FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY: THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST (W)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:10 am
Solemn Mass and Procession 10 am

Daily Mass and Office Lectionaries: Epiphany I, Year One

Monday 14 January
Kentigern (Mungo), Bishop & Missionary in Scotland, 612 (W)
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm

Tuesday 15 January
Paul of Thebes, Hermit, c. 345 (W)
Noonday Prayer 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm

Wednesday 16 January
Richard Meux Benson, Monk, Founder of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, 1915 (W)
Evening Prayer 5:30 pm
Low Mass 6 pm

Thursday 17 January
Anthony, Abbot in Egypt, 356 (W)
Noonday Prayer 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm

Friday 18 January
THE CONFESSION OF SAINT PETER: SAINT PETER’S CHAIR AT ROME (W)
Noonday Prayer 12 noon
Low Mass 12:10 pm

Saturday 19 January
Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, 1095
Morning Prayer 9:30 am
Requiem Mass 10 am (Black)

20 January
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY (G)
Morning Prayer 8 am
Low Mass 8:10 am
Solemn Mass 10 am

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (20 January)

Second Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)
Isaiah 62:1-5
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

PARISH NOTES
Sunday 6 January 2019

Early Fourth-Century Sarcophagus showing the Wise Men (dressed as Parthian nobles) bringing their gifts to the Christ Child. Vatican Museum, Vatican City.

FROM THE RECTOR

Folktales in many cultures tell of a king who disguises himself as a beggar and goes about anonymously to find out what’s really going on in his kingdom: what the people are saying and thinking; how the royal officials are treating them; what their living conditions are really like; and, indeed, how they treat the beggars in their midst! At some climactic point in the story, however, comes “the reveal.” The beggar-king throws off his dirty blankets and rags to show resplendent royal attire beneath and so reveal his true identity.

The Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels follows a similar pattern. More accurately, it is the pattern! When God the Son comes down to earth from heaven, he takes human flesh so that he is God incognito in our midst. But then at critical moments in the story, his true identity is revealed to human beings who recognize and worship him as the true King of Israel. Among the first to so recognize him are the Magi, the Wise Men from the East who have seen his star and come bearing gifts. They set the pattern for all of us who seek to recognize, worship, and offer our gifts to him in our own time and place. – Fr. John D. Alexander


THIS SUNDAY’S MUSIC

Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)—Messa breve "La stella"

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)—Videntes stellam

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS

The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14
Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Welcome to S. Stephen’s – especially to our visitors and guests! We’re glad to have you with us. Please join us for Coffee Hour following the 10 a.m. Mass in the Great Hall upstairs. If you have any questions or special needs, please speak to one of the ushers, who will be glad to assist you.

Rector Away – Fr. Alexander is attending an academic conference in Louisville, KY, and will be back in the parish office on Tuesday. We welcome our friend Fr. Gary Sturni as celebrant and preacher at both Masses today.

Christmas Decorations – the Twelve Days of Christmas now being past, the decorations in the church need to come down. Volunteers are invited to stay after the 10 am Mass today (Sunday 6 January) to help with this effort. (The creche remains in place, however, for the forty days until the feast of the Presentation (Candlemas) on February 2nd.)

Next ESK Volunteer Opportunity – S. Stephen’s next opportunity to provide the volunteers for the Epiphany Soup Kitchen (ESK) is January 12. Please let Bruce Lennihan know via email if you can assist.

Stewardship Program – We are pleased to report that as of Monday, December 31st, we have received 53 pledges for 2019 totaling $105,844 (including ten new individuals / households whose pledges total $15,370). This exceeds the Budget Committee’s goal of $105,000 and helps set us on a sound footing for the financial year now beginning. Thank you to all who have pledged! If you have not already done so, however, it is not too late! We are grateful for all pledges received, no matter how large or small, and every little bit counts in helping our parish fulfill its mission to the glory of God.

Rector’s Book Group – will begin on Sunday 13 January (and not on 6 January as previously announced). The format will be an online discussion of C. S. Lewis's The Great Divorce (1945)— a satiric fantasy novel of a bus ride in the Afterlife. If you would like to participate - or if you'd like to find out more about what's involved – please email Fr. John so he can include you in the distribution of necessary information on how to join the discussion. (For an excellent report on the previous book group that met this past summer and autumn, see the article by J. Jennifer Jones in the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany issue of The S. Stephen.)

Nominations Committee – The following is the list of candidates who have agreed to be nominated for election at the Annual Parish Meeting on January 27, 2019:

· One Vestry Member for a four-year term (expires January 2023) – Sharon Lloyd Clark
· One Vestry Member for a two-year term (expires January 2021) – Leana Latimer Hooks
· Junior Warden (elected by Vestry – three year term; expires January 2022) 
–  Alison Huff
· Clerk (one-year term) – Molly Bledsoe Ellis
· Treasurer (one-year term) – Muriel Jobbers
· Two Diocesan Convention Delegates (one-year term) – Francesco Pisaturo, Jacob Ihnen
· Two Diocesan Convention Alternates (one-year term) – Nancy Gingrich, Richard Noble

Thank you to the Nominations Committee –Tom Bledsoe (Chair), Phoebe Pettingell, Bobby Rose, Robyn Noble, and Karl Benziger – for its excellent work. According to the parish by-laws, Nominations-by-Petition must be received by the Rector no later than two weeks before the Annual Meeting (i.e. Sunday 13 January) with the signatures of at least five parish members and a statement of consent from the person being nominated.

Annual Parish Meeting Luncheon – As always, we are planning a pot-luck luncheon to accompany the Annual Meeting immediately following the 10 am Solemn High Mass on Sunday 27 January 2019. We need lots of help! Not only from those who will bring food and drink, but also from those volunteers to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards! Let’s make this a fully cooperative parish effort. Please call or email Susan in the parish office to let us know how you would like to help.



FOR YOUR PRAYERS 

Prayers have been requested for: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kaitlyn, Mary, Richard, Norman, John, James, Shannah, Terri, Sister Carolyn, Lynne, Fred-Munro, William, Gus, Leonard, Harrington, Joan, Sandy, John, Phebe, Gregory, Jack, Richard, Ann, Colin, Sandy, Kiersten, Beverly, Deborah, Bryan, Angela, Bobby, Beverly, Allora, Carlos, Rhoda, William, Roger, and James.

Birthdays this week: Katherine Hayslip (Sunday 1/6) and Joan Gordon (Friday 1/11).

The faithful departed: Year’s Mind: Marian Dunlop (6 January 2000), Chester Arthur Files, Jr. (8 January 2013), John Francis Hall (9 January 1990), Margaret Ethel Worthington (10 January 1991), Harry Johnson (12 January 2007), and Mary Ann Wiggins (12 January 2013).

Anglican and Diocesan Cycles of Prayer – In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we are asked to pray for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia: The Most Rev’d Philip Richardson - Bishop of Taranaki and Primate, The Most Rev’d Don Tamihere - Pihopa o Aotearora and Primate, and The Most Rev’d Fereimi Cama - Bishop of Polynesia and Primate; in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, for all the clergy and people of our Diocese.


THE SUNDAY ROTA

Acolytes – MC TBD, Thurifer TBD, Crucifer TBD, Torches TBD & TBD
Lector – TBD
Ushers – Bruce Lennihan and Karl Benziger
Coffee Hour – TBD


THIS WEEK AT S. STEPHEN’S 
EXTRA-PAROCHIAL EVENTS HOSTED AT S. STEPHEN’S

Saturday 12 January
Epiphany Soup Kitchen  2:30 pm (Great Hall)

LITURGICAL CALENDAR & SERVICE SCHEDULE

6 January
THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (W)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass and Procession  10 am

Daily Mass and Office Lectionaries: Epiphany, Year One

Monday 7 January
Proper for January 7 (W)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Tuesday 8 January
Proper for January 8 (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Wednesday 9 January
Proper for January 9 (W)
Evening Prayer  5:30 pm
Low Mass  6 pm

Thursday 10 January
Proper for January 10 (W)
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr, 1645
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Friday 11 January
Proper for January 11 (W)
Noonday Prayer  12 noon
Low Mass  12:10 pm

Saturday 12 January
Proper for January 12 (W)
Aelred, Abbott of Rievaulx, 1167
Morning Prayer  9:30 am
Low Mass  10 am

13 January
THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY: THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (W)
Morning Prayer  8 am
Low Mass  8:10 am
Solemn Mass  10 am

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS (13 January)

The First Sunday after the Epiphany
Psalm 29
Isaiah 43:1-7
Acts 8:14-17
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22