Dan McKeon A Note from the Rector

A Note from the Rector – 7/21/2019

I hope everyone is enjoying this summer, despite the heat!  It has been about 6 months since the parish annual meeting, and I thought I would take this opportunity to give an update on some of the things that are going in the parish and with me.  

Building & Grounds

Our purpose for existing as a church is “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ” (BCP, p.855).  Our buildings exist to help us fulfill this purpose. They are not a purpose in themselves, but they do enable us to do the things God has called us to do together: pray, worship, proclaim the Gospel, and promote justice, peace, and love.  

Here’s what is going on with the buildings this Summer:

-Cippilone Heating and Cooling is in the process of installing new baseboard heaters in the parish hall and godly play room.  This will replace the in-floor radiant heating system, which has failed or is failing all over the building.  

-There are a lot of smaller improvements in the works, including fresh paint for the doors, a refresh of the hallway outside the offices, and some improvements to the godly play room.  

-The rectory is also being improved by replacing the heating and HVAC system which was at the end of its useful life.  

A huge thanks to the property committee for the enormous amount of work in planning and executing various projects to keep our physical plant in good condition toward fulfilling our purpose as a community.  We are blessed with a whole cadre of talented, skilled, and hardworking women and men who are able to accomplish a lot with God’s help.

Programs

This year, it has been my goal to focus on bolstering our faith formation/Christian education/discipleship programs.  With the help and leadership of a ton of creative and faithful people, here are a few things that are coming to fruition soon:

-This Fall we are planning to launch the Holy Apostles Choir School, which will meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and provide quality music education, after-school care, snacks, and homework help to about 20 children from our church and neighborhood.  This is a big deal! Volunteer opportunities abound at various levels of time commitment, so please do get involved anyway you can!  

-We are also launching a new (yet to be named) opportunity for youth ages 11-18 to gather, have fun, and grow together in the Christian life.  We will meet at 5PM on the second Sunday of each month. Family Evening Worship (we’re also looking for a new name) will happen immediately following at 5:45PM.  

-We will be using a new, innovative Sunday School curriculum in the Fall, which includes a lot of interactive material for students, and ways to make preparation easy and fun for teachers.  If God is calling you to teach Sunday School, now is the time to sign up!  

-The St. Faith Preachers Series will be launching on October 6, the Feast of St. Faith, with an exciting guest preacher.  You’ll be hearing more about this soon.

-We are cooking up some exciting new opportunities for adult faith formation, community involvement, and fellowship this Fall and Winter.  Stay tuned!  

Thanks to the incredibly dedicated Sunday school teachers, and parents.  And thanks to the volunteer core that has, through the mysterious working of the Holy Spirit, brought the Choir School from non-being into a real, actual, revitalizing program for our parish.

The Rector

My primary responsibility is to serve this congregation and community: to teach, preach, pray, administer sacraments, and especially to equip all of you to do the work that God is calling us to do.  I also have a responsibility to take part in the councils of the wider church. As with all of us, life requires the important and sometimes precarious balance of work, family, and leisure. Here are few things that are happening on those last two fronts.

-I have been appointed to the Commission on Ministry for the Diocese.  This committee meets monthly to advise and assist the Bishop in the oversight of various aspects of the ministry of the diocese, including the recruitment, training, and ordination of new clergy for the diocese and the Church.  It is a huge honor to serve in this capacity.

-I am also serving on a Diocesan committee which is exploring Prayer Book revision and Prayer Book education.  I will share more information on this work as it becomes publicly available.

-I am almost done co-writing a chapter of a book about partnership and ministry with my friend, the Rev. Canon Cornelia Eaton of the Episcopal Diocese of Navajoland.  The book will be published in the Spring of 2020. I also have a couple of other small writing projects this Summer and Fall.

-The Stambaugh family will be vacationing in Colorado from August 13-20.  The Church will have a guest preacher and celebrant on Sunday, August 18.  

Thanks to the vestry, and to each and every member and friend of this parish.  It is an honor, and a great pleasure to serve as the Rector of your church, and to be part of this loving, vibrant faith community.  I love you all and I love the community that we have partnered with God to make at Holy Apostles.

In Christ,

James +

Dan McKeon Announcements

Announcements – 7/21/2019

Worship

† Today, Sunday July 21st: Liturgy Lab #4: Bible Translations & Scripture in Liturgy.

† During the summer months, 10AM services may be held in the parish hall if it is too warm to hold them in the church, which does not have air conditioning.  8:30AM Morning Prayer will continue to be held in the church.

† Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30AM on Sunday mornings and at 9:15AM Tuesdays through Fridays.  Anyone can pray the service privately using the Book of Common Prayer or one of a number of smartphone apps!  See the last section of the digital edition of the “Acts of the Apostles” for details.

† There is one weekday services coming up: Tuesday, August 6– 6:30 PM Eucharist for the Feast of the Transfiguration

Outreach

† EMERGENCY: Our dear partner in ministry, the Darby Mission needs some help feeding students as their phenomenal summer day camp comes to end this month.  This is an emergency appeal for donations for this weekend only–give a little or give a lot–all the money will go to feed children in Darby and their families.  Designate checks or cash for the Darby Mission. If you have any questions let James know. Thank you!

† Our Connect by Night hosting month has been moved from July to December.

† Thanks to all who contributed to food collection for St. Mark’s in Frankford.  Joe Zorc delivered groceries collected and they were very appreciative and added it to their pantry for parishioners in need.  We will continue to collect food for St. Mark’s in the box in the parish office hallway. We will look for other opportunities to work with them.  Let Joe Zorc know if you are interested in participating.

† This summer, we will be sponsoring an end of summer celebration for the summer day camp at the Darby Mission.  If you would like to contribute, please make a contribution to the Outreach Committee.

† Our next all-church Darby Mission Meal: 9/17/19.

Children and Youth

† Nursery childcare is available during the 10:00AM Sunday service for children ages 3 and younger in the Godly Play Room.

† Sunday School is on hiatus from June 16 until September 8!  Thank you to all students, parents, and especially our teachers for a great year of Sunday School.

† There will be no Family Evening Worship in July or August. Sunday Evening Worship will return September 8 with exciting new energy. The once-a-month gathering will begin at 5PM with YOUTH GROUP for students approximately ages 11-18. Stay tuned for more info.

† The Holy Apostles Choir School is looking toward it’s grand opening in the Fall of 2019.  If you have a potential student, apply today.  More information is available at holyapostlespa.org/choir-school/. Please forward this information to friends and neighbors who may be interested. Contact Deb Stambaugh if you have any questions.

† We are already excited about the new Sunday School year beginning this September.  We will be implementing a dynamic and creative new curriculum, if you would like to be involved, now is the time!  Contact Peter Patton or Joe Zorc if you are interested in helping, or for more information on the exciting things we’re cooking up. 

Parish Life

† If you have an announcement to be included in Acts of the Apostles, please send it to holyapostlescomm@gmail.com before Thursday at noon of each week.

† 2019 Happy Hour Dates. Bring a drink and a snack or appetizer to share.  We’ll hang out on the lawn weather permitting. 

July 19

 August 30

† Don’t forget to enter the church through the Parish office door and grab a “Church Member” badge from the office during Daycare hours (7:00AM – 6:00PM Mon-Fri)!

† Did you know that you can support the church through your
amazon.com shopping habit?  Go to smile.amazon.com. You’ll be prompted to choose a charity to support. Search for Church of the Holy Apostles, Penn Wynne and select.  A small percentage of each amazon purchase that goes through smile.amazon.com is given to the church.

† The Cash for Causes Program at Giant Supermarket:

· Purchase through JT Wertz

· 5% of card value is given to Holy Apostles operating fund.

· Can be used in store or when ordering Giant groceries through Peapod online delivery service.

Education

† Bible Study is held on Thursdays at 11:00AM. We will continue to hold Bible Study through the summer.

† Liturgy Lab: This summer we will be exploring the meaning and purpose of liturgy with 5 “Liturgy Labs.”  Liturgy Lab will begin with a brief discussion of some aspect of liturgy.  During our worship that day, we will incorporate an experiment that will further explore or illustrate our topic.  Donuts & Discussion from 9:15AM—9:45AM, service begins at 10AM.  It’s going to be fun! 

August 4– All the pieces of the Eucharistic prayer you wish you     knew the fancy names for.

Dan McKeon Announcements

Announcements – 7/14/2019

Worship

† During the summer months, 10AM services may be held in the parish hall if it is too warm to hold them in the church, which does not have air conditioning.  8:30AM Morning Prayer will continue to be held in the church.

† Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30AM on Sunday mornings and at 9:15AM Tuesdays through Fridays.  Anyone can pray the service privately using the Book of Common Prayer or one of a number of smartphone apps!  See the last section of the digital edition of the “Acts of the Apostles” for details.

† Healing Prayer will take place during the 10AM Eucharist this Sunday, July 14.

† There are two special weekday services coming up:

Thursday, July 25—6:30PM Eucharist for the Feast of St. James Tuesday, August 6– 6:30 PM Eucharist for the Feast of the Transfiguration

Outreach

† Our Connect by Night hosting month has been moved from July to December.

† Thanks to all who contributed to food collection for St. Mark’s in Frankford.  Joe Zorc delivered groceries collected and they were very appreciative and added it to their pantry for parishioners in need.  We will continue to collect food for St. Mark’s in the box in the parish office hallway. We will look for other opportunities to work with them.  Let Joe Zorc know if you are interested in participating.

† This summer, we will be sponsoring an end of summer celebration for the summer day camp at the Darby Mission.  If you would like to contribute, please make a contribution to the Outreach Committee.

† Our next all-church Darby Mission Meal: 9/17/19.

Children and Youth

† Nursery childcare is available during the 10:00AM Sunday service for children ages 3 and younger in the Godly Play Room.

† Sunday School is on hiatus from June 16 until September 8!  Thank you to all students, parents, and especially our teachers for a great year of Sunday School.

† There will be no Family Evening Worship in July or August. Sunday Evening Worship will return September 8 with exciting new energy. The once-a-month gathering will begin at 5PM with YOUTH GROUP for students approximately ages 11-18. Stay tuned for more info.

† The Holy Apostles Choir School is looking toward it’s grand opening in the Fall of 2019.  If you have a potential student, apply today.  More information is available at holyapostlespa.org/choir-school/. Please forward this information to friends and neighbors who may be interested. Contact Deb Stambaugh if you have any questions.

† We are already excited about the new Sunday School year beginning this September.  We will be implementing a dynamic and creative new curriculum, if you would like to be involved, now is the time!  Contact Peter Patton or Joe Zorc if you are interested in helping, or for more information on the exciting things we’re cooking up. 

Parish Life

† If you have an announcement to be included in Acts of the Apostles, please send it to holyapostlescomm@gmail.com before Thursday at noon of each week.

† 2019 Happy Hour Dates

· Bring a drink and a snack or appetizer to share.  We’ll hang out on the lawn weather permitting. 

· July 19 – *date change* – with a special musical guest, Dennis Chiccino

· August 30

† Don’t forget to enter the church through the Parish office door and grab a “Church Member” badge from the office during Daycare hours (7:00AM – 6:00PM Mon-Fri)!

† Did you know that you can support the church through your
amazon.com shopping habit?  Go to smile.amazon.com. You’ll be prompted to choose a charity to support. Search for Church of the Holy Apostles, Penn Wynne and select.  A small percentage of each amazon purchase that goes through smile.amazon.com is given to the church.

† The Cash for Causes Program at Giant Supermarket:

· Purchase through JT Wertz

· 5% of card value is given to Holy Apostles operating fund.

· Can be used in store or when ordering Giant groceries through Peapod online delivery service.

Education

† Bible Study is held on Thursdays at 11:00AM. We will continue to hold Bible Study through the summer.

† Liturgy Lab: This summer we will be exploring the meaning and purpose of liturgy with 5 “Liturgy Labs.”  Liturgy Lab will begin with a brief discussion of some aspect of liturgy.  During our worship that day, we will incorporate an experiment that will further explore or illustrate our topic.  Donuts & Discussion from 9:15AM—9:45AM, service begins at 10AM.  It’s going to be fun! 

July 21– The Bible (and its many translations) in liturgy.

August 4– All the pieces of the Eucharistic prayer you wish you     knew the fancy names for.

Dan McKeon A Note from the Rector

A Note From the Rector – 7/14/2019

Last Sunday, we had a Liturgy Lab discussion about church furniture, and how changing the orientation of the altar, pulpit/lectern, font, and seating change our experience of worship. It was an interesting discussion. 

Then we experimented with the orientation of our furniture of worship during our 10AM service.  Since we were worshiping in the parish hall, we placed our movable altar in the center of the room, and oriented the lectern and baptismal font on either side.  We then sat “collegiate” or “monastic” style with the chairs lined up on either side, facing each other (sort of like the choir seating area is arranged in the chancel of the church building itself).  This had the effect of putting the altar and the Eucharistic prayer right in the middle of everything. The idea was that the presence of Christ is found in Communion, right in our midst.  

While there will not be a Liturgy Lab discussion, this Sunday the experiment continues.  We are going to try a different orientation of our worship space while we worship in the parish hall.  During last week’s discussion, we talked about “praying toward the East.” It was the ancient practice of the church until the 20th century to pray facing east.  Praying facing the direction of the rising sun is symbolic of our hope in the return of God’s son, Jesus Christ.  Our hope is that God’s Son will return one day to judge the living and the dead and to bring about God’s reign of righteousness & perfect peace.  For centuries, this hope was symbolically expressed by facing the east during liturgical prayer. Logistically, this means that the priest presiding over the Eucharistic prayer and the people all faced the same direction (east) while praying to God.  As liturgical scholar, U.M. Lang writes, “When we speak to someone we obviously face that person. Accordingly, the whole liturgical assembly, priest and people, should face the same way, turning towards God to whom prayers and offerings are addressed in this common act of trinitarian worship.”[1]  

This practice ought to emphasize that when the priest says the Eucharist, it isn’t a performance. He or she isn’t saying the prayer to the people, but rather, he or she is a representative of the people offering the prayer and other offerings to God on the people’s behalf.  

Accordingly, our liturgical experiment for this Sunday will be that we will orient the altar and the chairs so that we all face east when we pray to God.  It ought to be fun. I am very interested in hearing from you how this orientation (and last week’s orientation) change the experience of worship for you.  

In Christ,

James +

[1]U.M. Lang, Turning Toward the Lord: Orientation in Liturgical Prayer. San Francisco: Ignatius Press (2004), 32.

Dan McKeon Announcements

Announcements – 7/7/2019

Worship

† Our next Liturgy Lab will be July 7th.  We will discuss how changing the orientation of the room and its furniture might change how worship is experienced.  9:15AM Donuts & discussion in the Parish Hall.

† During the summer months, 10AM services may be held in the parish hall if it is too warm to hold them in the church, which does not have air conditioning.  8:30AM Morning Prayer will continue to be held in the church.

† Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30AM on Sunday mornings and at 9:15AM Tuesdays through Fridays.  Anyone can pray the service privately using the Book of Common Prayer or one of a number of smartphone apps!  See the last section of the digital edition of the “Acts of the Apostles” for details.

Outreach

† Our Connect by Night hosting month has been moved from July to December.

† Thanks to all who contributed to food collection for St. Mark’s in Frankford.  Joe Zorc delivered groceries collected and they were very appreciative and added it to their pantry for parishioners in need.  We will continue to collect food for St. Mark’s in the box in the parish office hallway. We will look for other opportunities to work with them.  Let Joe Zorc know if you are interested in participating.

† This summer, we will be sponsoring an end of summer celebration for the summer day camp at the Darby Mission.  If you would like to contribute, please make a contribution to the Outreach Committee.

† Our next all-church Darby Mission Meal: 9/17/19.

Children and Youth

† Nursery childcare is available during the 10:00AM Sunday service for children ages 3 and younger in the Godly Play Room.

† Sunday School is on hiatus from June 16 until September 8!  Thank you to all students, parents, and especially our teachers for a great year of Sunday School.

† The Holy Apostles Choir School is looking toward it’s grand opening in the Fall of 2019.  If you have a potential student, apply today.  More information is available at holyapostlespa.org/choir-school/. Please forward this information to friends and neighbors who may be interested. Contact Deb Stambaugh if you have any questions.

† We are already excited about the new Sunday School year beginning this September.  We will be implementing a dynamic and creative new curriculum, if you would like to be involved, now is the time!  Contact Peter Patton or Joe Zorc if you are interested in helping, or for more information on the exciting things we’re cooking up. 

Parish Life

† If you have an announcement to be included in Acts of the Apostles, please send it to holyapostlescomm@gmail.com before Thursday at noon of each week.

† 2019 Happy Hour Dates

· Bring a drink and a snack or appetizer to share.  We’ll hang out on the lawn weather permitting. 

· July 19 – *date change* – with a special musical guest, Dennis Chiccino

· August 30

† Don’t forget to enter the church through the Parish office door and grab a “Church Member” badge from the office during Daycare hours (7:00AM – 6:00PM Mon-Fri)!

† Did you know that you can support the church through your
amazon.com shopping habit?  Go to smile.amazon.com. You’ll be prompted to choose a charity to support. Search for Church of the Holy Apostles, Penn Wynne and select.  A small percentage of each amazon purchase that goes through smile.amazon.com is given to the church.

† The Cash for Causes Program at Giant Supermarket:

· Purchase through JT Wertz

· 5% of card value is given to Holy Apostles operating fund.

· Can be used in store or when ordering Giant groceries through Peapod online delivery service.

Education

† Bible Study is held on Thursdays at 11:00AM. We will continue to hold Bible Study through the summer.

† There will be no Bible Study on Thursday, July 4th.

† Liturgy Lab: This summer we will be exploring the meaning and purpose of liturgy with 5 “Liturgy Labs.”  Liturgy Lab will begin with a brief discussion of some aspect of liturgy.  During our worship that day, we will incorporate an experiment that will further explore or illustrate our topic.  Donuts & Discussion from 9:15AM—9:45AM, service begins at 10AM.  It’s going to be fun! 

July 21– The Bible (and its many translations) in liturgy.

August 4– All the pieces of the Eucharistic prayer you wish you     knew the fancy names for.

Dan McKeon Announcements

Announcements – 6/30/2019

Worship

† Our next Liturgy Lab will be July 7th.  We will discuss how changing the orientation of the room and its furniture might change how worship is experienced.  9:15AM Donuts & discussion in the Parish Hall.

† During the summer months, 10AM services may be held in the parish hall if it is too warm to hold them in the church, which does not have air conditioning.  8:30AM Morning Prayer will continue to be held in the church.

† Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30AM on Sunday mornings and at 9:15AM Tuesdays through Fridays.  Anyone can pray the service privately using the Book of Common Prayer or one of a number of smartphone apps!  See the last section of the digital edition of the “Acts of the Apostles” for details.

Outreach

† Our Connect by Night hosting month has been moved from July to December.

† Thanks to all who contributed to food collection for St. Mark’s in Frankford.  Joe Zorc delivered groceries collected and they were very appreciative and added it to their pantry for parishioners in need.  We will continue to collect food for St. Mark’s in the box in the parish office hallway. We will look for other opportunities to work with them.  Let Joe Zorc know if you are interested in participating.

† This summer, we will be sponsoring an end of summer celebration for the summer day camp at the Darby Mission.  If you would like to contribute, please make a contribution to the Outreach Committee.

† Our next all-church Darby Mission Meal: 9/17/19.

Children and Youth

† Nursery childcare is available during the 10:00AM Sunday service for children ages 3 and younger in the Godly Play Room.

† Sunday School is on hiatus from June 16 until September 8!  Thank you to all students, parents, and especially our teachers for a great year of Sunday School.

† The Holy Apostles Choir School is looking toward it’s grand opening in the Fall of 2019.  If you have a potential student, apply today.  More information is available at holyapostlespa.org/choir-school/. Please forward this information to friends and neighbors who may be interested. Contact Deb Stambaugh if you have any questions.

† We are already excited about the new Sunday School year beginning this September.  We will be implementing a dynamic and creative new curriculum, if you would like to be involved, now is the time!  Contact Peter Patton or Joe Zorc if you are interested in helping, or for more information on the exciting things we’re cooking up. 

Parish Life

† If you have an announcement to be included in Acts of the Apostles, please send it to holyapostlescomm@gmail.com before Thursday at noon of each week.

† 2019 Happy Hour Dates

· Bring a drink and a snack or appetizer to share.  We’ll hang out on the lawn weather permitting. 

· July 19 – *date change* – with a special musical guest, Dennis Chiccino

· August 30

† Don’t forget to enter the church through the Parish office door and grab a “Church Member” badge from the office during Daycare hours (7:00AM – 6:00PM Mon-Fri)!

† Did you know that you can support the church through your amazon.com shopping habit?  Go to smile.amazon.com. You’ll be prompted to choose a charity to support. Search for Church of the Holy Apostles, Penn Wynne and select.  A small percentage of each amazon purchase that goes through smile.amazon.com is given to the church.

† The Cash for Causes Program at Giant Supermarket:

· Purchase through JT Wertz

· 5% of card value is given to Holy Apostles operating fund.

· Can be used in store or when ordering Giant groceries through Peapod online delivery service.

Education

† Bible Study is held on Thursdays at 11:00AM. We will continue to hold Bible Study through the summer.

† There will be no Bible Study on Thursday, July 4th.

† Liturgy Lab: This summer we will be exploring the meaning and purpose of liturgy with 5 “Liturgy Labs.”  Liturgy Lab will begin with a brief discussion of some aspect of liturgy.  During our worship that day, we will incorporate an experiment that will further explore or illustrate our topic.  Donuts & Discussion from 9:15AM—9:45AM, service begins at 10AM.  It’s going to be fun! 

July 7– Does changing the room change how liturgy feels?

July 21– The Bible (and its many translations) in liturgy.

August 4– All the pieces of the Eucharistic prayer you wish you     knew the fancy names for.

Dan McKeon A Note from the Rector

A Note from the Rector – 6/30/2019

The Scripture that is read at our services is part of a three-year cycle of readings called a Lectionary, a set cycle of Scripture readings that have been used by the Church since the beginning.  We got the practice from Judaism, in fact. Our lectionary is called the Revised Common Lectionary. Beginning in the late 1970s, a committee made of people of various Protestant denominations got together to adapt the Roman Catholic Lectionary for use in other churches.  As with the work of many (most?) committees, it took a long time. The Revised Common Lectionary was finally released for public use in 1992. It was adopted by the Episcopal Church as our official lectionary (replacing the lectionary that was originally published in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer) in 2006.  The RCL Lectionary is a three-year cycle, and in addition for Ordinary Time, the RCL Lectionary provides two tracks (because a three-year cycle isn’t complicated enough!). Track 1 of the lectionary goes through a book of the Hebrew Scriptures (aka the Old Testament) in sequence, more or less. So, each Sunday in Track 1, the first lesson is a portion of Scripture that is more or less in sequence with the previous week’s portion.  Track 2 of the RCL Lectionary jumps around. This was the model of the older Book of Common Prayer Lectionary, as well as the model of the Roman Catholic Lectionary. The idea is that the First Lesson (taken from the Hebrew Bible) relates in some way to the Gospel reading appointed for the day. So for instance, this week’s Gospel reading is Luke 9:51-62. The circumstances of the Gospel story, and several of the things that Jesus says, echo a much older story found in 2 Kings chapter 2. Because of this connection, 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 were chosen to be the First Lesson in our Lectionary. For more details, come listen to my sermon (and/or read the two passages on your own)! There is a deep, but potentially dangerous, theological logic to this game of connecting older texts to texts from the Gospels. What makes the whole thing work is the fact that Christians believe that in Christ, God has fulfilled God’s plan to redeem and renew all of Creation. A big chunk of that plan is revealed in the Hebrew Bible. If Christ is the culmination, fulfillment, and final chapter of that plan, then He is the key to understanding the whole kit-and-kaboodle. So, we use Christ as a lens for reading and understanding all of Scripture.  There is a danger here, which I will discuss another time. But for now, pay attention to the way our lectionary and your preacher connect the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel readings.

In Christ,
James+