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AMBROSE OF MILAN
BISHOP AND DOCTOR (7 DEC 397)

  
Ambrose was governor of Northern Italy, with capital at Milan. When the see of Milan fell vacant, it seemed likely that rioting would result, since the city was evenly divided between Arians and Athanasians. (Explanatory Note: Athanasians affirm that the Logos or Word (John 1:1) is fully God in the same sense that the Father is, while Arians affirm that the Logos is a creature, the first being created by the Father. East Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Prebyterians, Reformed, Baptists, Methodists, etc. are Athanasians. The Watchtower Society (J’s Witnesses), the Philippine group called the Iglesia ni Christi (spelling?), and some other groups are Arians. The Unitarians started out as Arians, and some of them still hold this position.) Ambrose went to the meeting where the election was to take place, and appealed to the crowd for order and good will on both sides. He ended up being elected bishop with the support of both sides. He gave away his wealth, and lived in simplicity. By his preaching, he converted the diocese to the Athanasian position, except for the Goths and some members of the Imperial Household. (Note: The Arian emperor Constantius (son of Constantine the Great) had sent missionaries (Arians, of course) to convert the Gothic tribes. The Goths were the chief source of mercenary troops for the Empire. Thus for many years the Army was Arian although a majority of civilians were Athanasian.) On one occasion, the Empress ordered him to turn over a church to the Arians so that her Gothic soldiers could worship in it. Ambrose refused, and he and his people occupied the church. Ambrose composed Latin hymns in the rhythm of “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow,” and taught them to the people, who sang them in the church as the soldiers surrounded it. The Goths were unwilling to attack a hymn-singing congregation, and Ambrose won that dispute.

He subsequently won another dispute, when the Emperor, enraged by a crowd who defied him, ordered them all killed by his soldiers. When he next appeared at church, Ambrose met him at the door and said, “You may not come in. There is blood on your hands.” The emperor finally agreed to do public penance and to promise that thereafter he would never carry out a sentence of death without a forty-day delay after pronouncing it. Less creditable, to modern Christians, is Ambrose’s dispute with the emperor when certain Christians burned a Jewish synagogue, and the emperor commanded them to make restitution. Ambrose maintained that no Christian could be compelled to provide money for the building of a non-Christian house of worship, no matter what the circumstances.

Ambrose was largely responsible for the conversion of St. Augustine. The hymn Te Deum Laudamus (“We praise Thee, O God”) was long thought to have been composed by Ambrose in thanksgiving for that conversion. The current opinion is that Ambrose did not write it, but that he may well have written the Creed known as the Athanasian Creed. He is perhaps the first writer of Christian hymns with rhyme and (accentual) meter, and northern Italy still uses his style of plainchant, known as Ambrosian chant, rather than the more widespread Gregorian chant. On the negative side, many Christians will regret his contribution to increased preoccupation with the relics of martyrs. He died 4 April 397, but (because this date so often falls in Holy Week or Easter Week) he is commonly remembered on the anniversary of his consecration as bishop, 7 December.

Ambrose is regarded as one of the Eight Great Doctors (=Teachers) of the Undivided Church. The list includes four Latin (Western) Doctors (Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Pope Gregory the Great), and four Greek (Eastern) Doctors (Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, and Gregory of Nazianzus — not to be confused with Gregory of Nyssa, the brother of Basil).by James Kiefer

 
In much of the world last weekend was all about
St. Nicholas.

The commemoration of St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, December 6, is not included on the Episcopal Church calendar this year because December 6 is a Sunday, which takes precedence over any such feast. That doesn’t change the way the rest of the world honors the Bishop of Myra!

Saint Nicholas (270 – 6 December 346) is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra (Demre, in Lycia, part of modern-day Turkey). Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose English name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as is common for early Christian saints. In 1087, his relics were furtively translated to Bari, in southeastern Italy; for this reason, he is also known as, Nicholas of Bari.

The historical Saint Nicholas is remembered and revered among Catholic and Orthodox Christians. He is also honoured by various Anglican and Lutheran churches. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, and children, and students in Greece, Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro. He is also the patron saint of Barranquilla, Bari, Amsterdam, Beit Jala, Siggiewi and Liverpool. In 1809, the New-York Historical Society convened and retroactively named Sancte Claus the patron saint of Nieuw Amsterdam, the Dutch name for New York City. He was also a patron of the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emperors, who protected his relics in Bari.

For his help to the poor, Nicholas is the patron saint of pawnbrokers; the three gold balls traditionally hung outside a pawnshop symbolize the three sacks of gold. People then began to suspect that he was behind a large number of other anonymous gifts to the poor, using the inheritance from his wealthy parents. After he died, people in the region continued to give to the poor anonymously, and such gifts were still often attributed to St. Nicholas.

A nearly identical story is attributed by Greek folklore to Basil of Caesarea. Basil’s feast day on January 1 is considered the time of exchanging gifts in Greece.

 Saint Nicholas Saves Three Innocents from Death (oil painting by Ilya Repin, 1888, State Russian Museum).

In late medieval England, on Saint Nicholas’ Day parishes held Yuletide “boy bishop” celebrations. As part of this celebration, youths performed the functions of priests and bishops, and exercised rule over their elders. Today, Saint Nicholas is still celebrated as a great gift-giver in several Western European countries. According to one source, medieval nuns used the night of December 6 to anonymously deposit baskets of food and clothes at the doorsteps of the needy. According to another source, on December 6 every sailor or ex-sailor of the Low Countries (which at that time was virtually all of the male population) would descend to the harbour towns to participate in a church celebration for their patron saint. On the way back they would stop at one of the various Nicholas fairs to buy some hard-to-come-by goods, gifts for their loved ones and invariably some little presents for their children. While the real gifts would only be presented at Christmas, the little presents for the children were given right away, courtesy of Saint Nicholas. This and his miracle of him resurrecting the three butchered children, made Saint Nicholas a patron saint of children and later students as well.

Where our Clergy are trained – and our Rector’s seminary connection.
Some of us know something about the seminaries of the Episcopal Church, and how and where our clergy receive their training. We should be especially aware of this right now, though, because our rector. Fr. Goldsborough, is the president of the Alumni/Alumnae Association Executive Committee at Virginia Theological Seminary, and as such, is also a member of the seminary’s Board of Directors. That is an august position! Of our Christ Church clergy in recent years, the Rev’d Messrs. Goldsborough, Hill, and Backus are Virginia graduates, as well as Fr. Bob Graves, Dr. Levenson, Gena and Wallace Adams-Riley, and J. T. Thomas, as well as Bishop Duvall.

Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, is the largest accredited Episcopal seminary in the United States. Founded in 1818, VTS is situated on an 80-acre campus in Alexandria, Virginia,  just a few miles from downtown Washington, DC.

History

A small group of dedicated men committed themselves to the task of recruiting and training a new generation of church leaders following the Revolutionary War. Francis Scott Key (the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner”) was one of this group which, in 1818, formed “An Education Society” and five years later opened the “School of Prophets,” to become the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia. When the school opened in Alexandria with two instructors, 14 students were enrolled. During the Civil War, the school was occupied. After the war, two professors and 11 veterans reopened the Seminary on a campus that had been used to house 1,700 wounded Federal troops and to bury 500 soldiers.

On June 3, 1953, Virginia Seminary merged with The Bishop Payne Divinity School, a distinguished African-American institution started by Virginia Seminary in 1878. Since 1950, 22 new buildings have been added to the campus, including five dormitories, the refectory and Scott Lounge, 15 faculty homes, a recreation building, and a day-care center for young children. In 1993, the Addison Academic Center opened, with classroom space, the Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Auditorium, the seminary bookstore, and the student lounge.

Mission

The seminary’s primary mission is to form men and women for lay or ordained leadership and service in the ministry of the church. Out of its evangelical heritage and its missionary tradition, it emphasizes the life of prayer, worship and community, the ministries of preaching, teaching, pastoral care and social justice. It seeks to prepare its students as servants of Jesus Christ to equip the people of God for their vocation and ministry in the world. It also provides continuing theological education for clergy and laity of all denominations.

The seminary believes that theological education leading to ordination normally requires full-time study and full participation in its common life and worship. It also believes that theological education is greatly enhanced when it is done within an ecumenical, international and cross-cultural context. 

Dr. Currin in the news!

If you missed Troy Moon’s blog entry in the News Journal about the re-issue of Dr. Matt Currin’s book “Search for the Lost Rectors,” go the pnj.com, scroll down the page to “Featured Staff Blogs,” click on Troy’s picture (bottom, right column of pics), when you get Troy Moon’s page, scroll down to “Recent Activity” and click on “Blog Entry: Father Currin and The Lost Rectors.” Troy also has some kind words to say about our rector emeritus! We’d post the article here, but we suspect that would be a copyright violation!
AN EPISCOPAL HISTORY LESSON: REMEMBERING SAMUEL SEABURY

Each year on November 14 the Episcopal Church remembers the consecration and ordination in 1784 of Samuel Seabury as the first Bishop of Connecticut and first Episcopal Church bishop in the United States of America. Looking today at a sketch or painting of Seabury, one might not associate this portly and respectable Yale-educated clergyman with controversy. But in his day Seabury fought the good fight against odds that would have made a less determined and committed man retreat. Like many clergymen of the Church of England, Seabury, who served several congregations in the colony of New York, was a Loyalist during the Revolutionary War, siding with the British. He even wrote pamphlets denouncing the rebellion that so angered local patriots that they had him imprisoned for some six weeks. Once freed, he took refuge behind British lines in New York City and was chaplain to a Redcoat regiment. Loyalty to the British crown came naturally to many Anglican clergymen; when they were ordained-always in England, for there were no bishops in the colonies-they took an oath of obedience not only to the Church, but to the English monarch, who was (and is) head of the English Church. Breaking with England meant breaking that oath, which some clergymen refused to do. When the war ended, Anglican clergy and parishioners-now citizens of the United States of America-found themselves in a most difficult position. The theology and practice of the Church required clergy. Clergy must be ordained by bishops. But bishops in the Church of England were barred by law from ordaining any person who had not sworn fealty to the king whose rule the former colonies had rejected. It became clear to American church leaders that they must have their own bishops in order to continue in the succession handed down from the first bishops, the apostles of Jesus, and to assure a supply of clergy for their new church. A group of clergy in Connecticut elected Seabury, the former Loyalist, but “a man Portrait of Samuel Seabury by Raalph Earl (1751-1801) is part of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery collection. Samuel Seabury First bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States of great good sense,” as a contemporary put it, to become the first bishop of their diocese. Seabury sailed for England to seek ordination. But Seabury could no longer swear the loyalty oath. Bishops of the Church of England refused his application. In ever-rebellious Scotland, however, the Episcopal Church was not the established church, and bishops were not bound by any political oath. Three bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church ordained Seabury at a church in Aberdeen. Back in the United States, Seabury met further resistance: some former Anglicans refused to accept his ordination, since it did not come directly from the Church of England. But the 1789 General Convention of the new Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America affirmed his consecration. In time, the Church of England, realizing the advantage of keeping close ties with the Church across the sea, persuaded Parliament to drop the loyalty oath requirement, making possible the consecration of additional bishops, including William White, Bishop of Pennsylvania, who was the new church’s first Presiding Bishop, serving for one year in 1789. He was followed by Seabury, who led the Church from 1789 to 1792. Seabury faced the challenges of a church reforming itself to meet changed circumstances, and had a great influence on its structure and polity. He helped establish the House of Bishops. He preached, taught, and wrote books. He actively advocated for an American prayer book based on the Scottish rite. He is said to have confirmed 10,000 Episcopalians during his years in the episcopate. He also continued to serve as rector of St. James’ Church, New London, Connecticut, and was buried in a chapel there upon his death on February 25, 1796.

We give you thanks, O Lord our God, for your goodness in bestowing upon this Church the gift of the episcopate, which we celebrate in this remembrance of the consecration of Samuel Seabury; and we pray that, joined together in unity with our bishops, and nourished by your holy Sacraments, we may proclaim the Gospel of redemption with apostolic zeal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. —Lesser Feasts & Fasts

 

On Sunday, Nov. 8,  we distributed red poppies to the congregation, to wear in acknowledgement of Veterans’ Day on Wednesday, November 11. We made a contribution to the VFW for our poppies, which became a symbol of Veterans’ Day, largely because of this poem, which many of us learned in school.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lt. Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


The Voice from Out There.

One of the things that happens with the web is that we connect with “previous pieces” of our lives. We have an e-mail from Anthony W. Carter, who notes that our website brought back some nice memories of when he was an acolyte here in the 60’s. Now a retired police detective in Atlanta, Anthony’s communication was a reminder of the power of the web. So, the 60’s were late in Dr. Hodgkins’s rectorate, or early in Dr. Currin’s. Anyone out there remember Anthony Carter? And we’ve asked Anthony if he remembers any of his acolyte team-mates, which back then did not include ladies!!  Shoot us a “Contact Us!”

Broadening our Anglican View, Part I:

There are wonderful resources available online to broaden our appreciation and understanding of the Anglican Communion, of which we are a part. One of them is Anglicans Online, an independent website created and written by British, American, Canadian, and Australian Anglicans, with a wonderfully broad view of Anglican life. Between now and Sunday, you can read this week’s essay, a delightful look at last Sunday’s closing hymn, “I sing a song of the saints of God.” The website’s front page changes each weekend, and is always a read worth the time! The links at http://anglicansonline.org/ provide endless fascinating information about the Communion.

In the “Who We Are Department,” the Rector recommends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ_lUoloW4M&feature=related

Parish joins Dr. Matt Currin in Anniversary Celebration

Sunday, the parish joined with Dr. Matt Currin in celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, November 1, 1959, All Saints’ Day, in Richmond, VA.

Dr. Currin preached, recounting the trials and joys of his long years of ministry, and recalling fondly the many people who, he said, “have taught me so much”

After the Peace, a resolution from the Vestry of Christ Church was read by Senior Warden Rod Magie, congratulating Dr. Currin on his fifty years of priesthood.

The congregation joined Matt and Eleanor Currin at a beautiful reception provided by the Parish Hospitality Ministries and the Reception Committee. Thanks to all, and thanks to Dennis Majewski for his fine photographs, which are found all over this website.

 

 Ministries Spotlight

During November, as we complete our annual Stewardship campaign, we call to mind some of the “Blessings of Belonging” at Christ Church, as the Daily WEBChronicle spotlights various parish ministries that are  vital to our parish life, but of which you may not even be aware! 

TODAY: Ministries for, of, and by women at Christ Church. It has often been observed that while the Episcopal Church, through much of its history, has appeared to be a male-dominated organization, little would have been accomplished without the devoted efforts of women. A great truth, that!

Central to the ministries for women in any Episcopal parish is The Episcopal Church Women (ECW). The ECW is a national organization (http://ecwnational.org/)  of all Episcopal women who are a part of the life and work of Christ Church and the Episcopal Church of the United States of America. No invitation is needed and there are no prerequisites to membership, except a desire to help further the work of the church. Central to the ongoing work of the group are the monthly luncheon meetings, held on the first Tuesday, from September to May, with the exception of April this year, with guest speakers. Check out the ECW page at Episcopal Church Women / Daughters of the King._

That is not all there is to ECW, however, not by any means. The organization helps facilitate its own fund-raising events for parish projects and for community outreach, and is called upon for assistance with all sorts of parish functions. There are also three smaller groupings in the ECW, called chapters: St. Andrew’s, St. Luke’s, and St.Simon’s, which also hold monthly meetings with informative and enriching programs.

In addition, the ECW annually undertakes some major projects for the good of parish and community. Certainly the foremost project each year is the Christ Church Antiques Show and Sale, which takes place in February. An enormous amount of effort goes into this event, well-known as one of the finest antiques shows in our area, and the results are always evident: great planning, endless hours of volunteer effort, and a beautiful final execution make the show a signal event not only for the parish, but for the whole Pensacola community as well.


 

This year the ECW is also taking on the funding of the much-needed restoration of the parlor, the parish’s “living room,” whose furnishings and carpeting have become careworn and in need of the tender, loving care the ECW ladies bring. The upcoming November fashion show is the first of several planned fund-raisers for “The Year of the Parlor.” Pictured here are Mia Jerrems and Gloria Taylor at a previous ECW fashion show.

Another function of the ECW is taking care of the nuts of bolts of our parish involvement, twice a year, in the United Thank Offering, a nationwide ECW program that supports worthy projects in communities, parishes, and dioceses around the Church.

That’s the Episcopal Church Women in a nutshell. Next we’ll examine other Christ Church ministries largely inhabited by women, including the Daughters of the King, the Caring-for-Others Prayer Shawl Knitting Ministry, and several Christ Church prayer ministries.

 

 

THE COMPLETE Music at Christ Church season has been posted on this site this week, with pictures of the artists. Check out what the season has to offer, and we hope you’ll join us for some performances of great music in our great space.

WE’RE LISTENING Part A – We received a suggestion that the website would be improved with a map of the Christ Church complex, with the names of rooms clearly labeled. We’ve added that page here (Parish Complex Map) and linked it to several introductory pages (About Us, Who we are, New to the Church?). The same correspondent suggested that we keep undefined acronyms to a minimum, also a worthwhile suggestion, lest someone think EFM stands for “Episcopal Frequency Modulated” or ECW stands for “Episcopal Country & Western.” We’ll work on this, and in the meantime, it is safe, in almost every case, to assume that E does indeed stand for Episcopal.

WE’RE LISTENING Part B – A contact expressed interest in some of the topics mentioned in this week’s Chronicle article,“This Web’s for YOU.” That material is available in the “Archives” link you see to the right of this article.

WE’RE LISTENING Part C – We received a suggestion that our homepage should perhaps include a more conspicuous link for Episcopal Day School, often described as Christ Church’s “oldest and largest outreach ministry.” Agreed. Done.  

The Christ Church Facebook Fan Page now has 108 friends, including old friends who have moved away, college students linking to their home parish, and all sorts of folks who are friends and fans! Dick Smith, now of Asheville, NC, left this comment on the page: “Beautiful website, wonderful people, reflects our most loving Lord.”

Who knew? A representative from J. Wippell and Co., Ltd, (the British firm that is the world’s leading Anglican “outfitter”) when consulting with clergy, vergers, and altar guild leadership about the restoration of the large parish processional cross, noted that because of the uniqueness of the piece, and the quality of the handwork, the insurance for shipping should be $20,000. The cross, acquired during the restoration of the church in the mid-fifties, needs some signifcant brass restoration, which will take place in New York City.

 CHRIST CHURCH, EDS, and MANNA!

Twice each year, Fall and Spring, the Service-to-Others Committee asks us to participate in a special drive to assist our primary community food-assistance program, MANNA FOOD PANTRIES. Along with the food contributions you bring each week, these bi-annual drives go a long way to help Manna realize its mission in our community.

Manna, who began feeding the needy in our area in 1983, served 30,000 clients in 13,500 famillies in 2008, distributing more than 563,000  pounds of food. Almost completely dependent on the volunteer service and gifts of the private sector, Manna’s ministries involved more than 390 donors, and volunteers logging more than 21,000 hours fulfilling the group’s motto: “Leave no one unfed.”

And Bag-it-for-Manna is only one of the ways Christ Church assists this important community ministry. The Service-To-Others Committee will donate $9,500 to the organization this year; and the Episcopal Day School, one of Manna’s “business partners,” collected a remarkable 18,119 pounds of food for Manna with weekly student collections during the 2008-2009 school year.

So, back to the original question: are your Manna bags ready? If you didn’t pick up a bag one of the last two Sundays, you’re in luck. You can use any bag, and here’s what Manna really needs: cereals and breakfast foods, canned vegetables, pasta and rice, powdered milk, canned meat and fish, canned fruit. soups and stews. dried beans and rice, and rice and pasta meals. STO will also gladly receive contributions to Manna by cash or by check.

“Feed My Sheep”

 

 

If you haven’t checked this site for the last several days, here’s what you’ve missed:
•Dr. Matt Currin reports (from Pawley’s Island), Monday afternoon, that he has an e-mail from the secretary at St. Paul’s, Richmond, noting that Gena and Wallace Adams-Riley have a new baby boy, named Fin M’Coul Adams-Riley, who joins four-year old Nelson in the family. Wallace became rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at Capitol Square in Richmond in October 2008.

October is an important month in Christ Church history. The Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida approved the Incorporation of “Christ’s Church in Pensacola” on October 14. Governor William P. Duval signed the Act of Incorporation two days later on October 16. In Pensacola, a lot was purchased on what is now known as Seville Square. The General Missionary Society sent the Rev. Addison Searle to be in charge of the new parish as the first Rector of Christ Church. He remained only a few months and was succeeded by the Rev. Benjamin Hutchins of Philadelphia, the 2nd Rector.

  • As we heard in Deacon Tim’s sermon on Sunday, James and John would have discovered that sitting at the right hand and left hand of Jesus in his glorious Kingdom would be about joining Jesus in serving: “Here’s a mop, here’s a bucket.” So it is for us, and the opportunities this month are great. Right now, at this very moment, we are in the middle of our twice-yearly “Bag it for Manna.” Bring your filled bag next Sunday and meet the vans in front of EDS or in the Belmont St. parking lot.
  • We are also in the opening stages of our annual Stewardship campaign, “the Blessings of Belonging.” If you haven’t received your stewardship information in the mail, be sure to phone the business office at 432-5115.

  • As we approach Thanksgiving, we can assist with the YAF Thanksgiving Homeless Community Meal by visiting the TURKEY TREE in the Parish Hall and sponsoring a turkey or a side-dish.

     

  • The Episcopal Church Seal  

    The familiar Episcopal Church flag and seal, adopted by the General Convention in 1940, display the same symbols. The red cross which divides the white field into four rectangles is the cross of St. George, the patron saint of England. The colors red, white, and blue are the colors of the flags of both the United States and England. The blue field to the upper left, contains a cross made of nine crosslets. The composite cross is of St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. Each of the nine crosslets which make up the cross of St. Andrew represent one of the nine dioceses which met in Philadelphia in 1789 to form the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. The cross of St. Andrew remembers the fact that Samuel Seabury, first bishop of the Episcopal Church, was consecrated by bishops of the Anglican Church of Scotland. The nine crosslets represent the founding dioceses of Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia and South Carolina. The flag and seal thus reveal the heritage of the Episcopal Church with its origins in both England and Scotland.

 

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WEBChronicle 9.7.10

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

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