A Message from our Seminary Intern:
At our recent Advent Lessons and Carols we celebrated the special service as a practice of the season, focused on anticipation, hope, and God’s promise of a Messiah. When we did this, we used a different English language translation for each reading – even a children’s Bible! While this was a fun way to prepare for Jesus Christ’s birth, we did it intentionally as a way for us as a congregation to engage in the text in a different way.
The Book of Common Prayer reminds us that the Bible is the Word of God because God inspired the human authors of Holy Scripture. (BCP, page 853) We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation — but we also see the human fingerprints upon scripture.
There are many ways people tell a story. There are also many ways to tell the same stories when translated between languages and time. Generations of people through the ages have worked to find the right words when translating stories to best reveal and express their holy truth. Different translations capture emphases and details that may alert us to the need for a deeper dive into various meanings of challenging vocabulary.
In the translation of Christian scripture there are two main schools of thought. One focuses on the meaning and the thoughts of a passage (“dynamic equivalence”); the other strives to translate scripture as literally as possible, matching word-for-word equivalence, (called “formal equivalence’”). Each style has its good points and its drawbacks.
Because language is always changing there are hundreds of different translations of the Bible in English. Hundreds! We must always remember that every translation is a specific and unique interpretation of God’s Word.
Thankfully, the Episcopal Church does not believe that there is only one “true” Bible translation. Our church most widely uses the New Revised Standard Version Bible (1990), which was revised from the Revised Standard Version Bible (1952), and most recently again revised into the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (2021). It is commonplace for Episcopalians reading and studying the Bible to have many different translations–and we don’t stop learning and looking for new ways to express God’s Holy Scripture!
This is important: When we read God’s Holy Word for ourselves, we engage with God’s story through the Holy Spirit. We engage our own imagination – and are reminded that it is our story as well. We become a part of God’s continuing work in the world. What a great reminder and practice as we encounter Jesus in this season of Christmas as Immanuel – God is with us.
May God’s Word be spoken and may God’s Word be heard.
In peace,
Meghan McConnell, Seminary Intern
Connect With Us
Rector’s Office Drop-In Time
Rev. Jen has set her office drop-in day as Wednesday of each week from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. for anyone who would like to stop in and visit. You are always invited to make an appointment for a time convenient for you. Mondays are her Sabbath day.
The Second Sunday After Christmas
In-Person Sunday Morning Worship Service, January 4, led by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Oldstone-Moore,10:15 a.m.
You can stream the service via St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Greencastle, Indiana Facebook Page. Click on this link to view the Live Stream. We will start the Live Stream 5 minutes prior to the start of the service.
Click here for the service booklet for January 4.
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Advent and Christmas 2025 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
Christmastide at St. Andrew’s
The twelve days of Christmas include two Sundays this year. Join us on Sunday, January 4th for Holy Eucharist.
The Latest Updates
ST. ANDREW’S ANNUAL MEETING 2026
Please mark your calendars! St. Andrew’s annual meeting will take place on Sunday, February 22, 2026 immediately following the church service. The annual meeting will be preceded by an explanation of our finances on Sunday, February 15 by St. Andrew’s treasurer, Dennis Knuth. Please plan to attend.
NEW VESTRY MEMBERS NEEDED
Vestry members wanted! Serving on the Vestry is an opportunity to help with important decisions concerning the budget and overall workings of St. Andrew’s. Working closely with other Vestry members can lead to making new connections and meeting new people while learning more about the Episcopal Church. St. Andrew’s needs four new Vestry members – two for one year terms and two for three year terms. The terms will begin in February, 2026. Please let a Vestry member or Rev. Jen know if you are interested in serving on the Vestry. St. Andrew’s current Vestry includes: Karen Hirt Mannon, Jim Ensley, Pam Smith, Dennis Knuth, Page Cotton, and Skip Sutton.
HEALING PRAYER
Most Sundays our intern Meghan will be offering anointing and healing prayer at Sunday services during communion. Meghan will set up a station in the narthex; meet there for general or specific prayers for healing.
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
The Book and Bible Group has begun again, meeting at 4:30 p.m. most Tuesday afternoons with Evening Prayer celebrated at 4:00 p.m. The next one will be Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. You will find the Gospel passages and links to these commentaries on the St. Andrew’s website, last selection under the Connect tab entitled “Book and Bible Group”. All are welcome.
ALTAR FLOWER CALENDAR
An altar flower calendar is posted in Hamilton Hall. Sign up to sponsor the altar flowers to commemorate a birthday or anniversary, remember a loved one, or in thanksgiving for an important event. We ask a donation to help offset the cost of the altar flowers and other worship expenses. Be sure to tell the office your dedication so that it can be printed in the bulletin. Please make checks payable to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and in the memo field please put this information: Altar Flowers, person’s name, occasion, Sunday date you’d like for the flowers to be on the altar.
VESTRY MEETING MINUTES
If any of you are interested in what your Vestry is doing, there are two copies of each month’s minutes on the music stand in Hamilton Hall. Feel free to read and return!
SHOPPING LIST FOR NON-FOOD PANTRY
Please add razors, shaving cream, laundry detergent, spray cleaner, and toilet bowl cleaner to your shopping list for the NFP for the month of January. Meals and conversation in Hamilton Hall are going well. Patrons are now able to pick out items they most need. Your contributions help our budget go farther in helping meet the needs of those in Putnam County. The next Non-Food Pantry will be Saturday, January 31 from noon – 2:00 p.m. If you can help with this ministry in any way, please contact Harriet Moore or Carl Huffman.
KROGER COUPONS
If you have any unwanted Kroger coupons, please bring them to Hamilton Hall and place in the window ledge near the “Little Library”. We would like to make them available to our Non-Food Pantry recipients so that they might be able to take advantage of them to help extend their food budget. Thanks in advance!
FREE DAILY DEVOTIONAL
We have some large print Day by Day daily devotionals in the sanctuary that you are free to take home for your personal devotions–and if we know that people would like copies, we can order the right amount. Many of you may also appreciate the on-line version of Day to Day. Click here.
ON-GOING COVID PROTOCOL
We continue to respond to both our county’s current CDC designation and to the current variant. Masking is optional. Decisions on COVID policy have moved from the Reconvening Committee to Rev. Jen and the Wardens.
Prayers and Reflections for This Week
We have heard that the daily reflections and scripture readings provided during Lent were appreciated. The meditations are written by persons from Gobin UMC and Beech Grove UMC. They will be in the newsletter each week. Whether you enjoy these every day or as the Spirit moves you, may this resource continue to bring you spiritual food for the journey. Blessings!
Click here to view the readings and accompanying links.
Non-Food Pantry Latest
Saturday, January 31
• Noon to 2:00 p.m.
There will be a distribution in Hamilton Hall and light lunches will be served inside. We are grateful for all those who have worked so hard to obtain supplies for the Non-Food Pantry. Items are having to be purchased from a variety of sources making it much more expensive. Donations to help offset this extra cost will be gratefully accepted!
Top 3 Needed Items
Your prayers are asked for:
Haile Bane, grandson of Joanne Haymaker
Beth Benedix, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Jennifer Clarke, friend of Patti Harmless
Diane
Angela Evans
Katie Gleichman, relative of Jim & Cathryn Ensley
Tom Kaiser, friend of Jen+ & Chris
Lynda, friend of Sarah Finlay-Black
Warren Macy
Hansford Mann, friend of Joanne Haymaker
Teresa Masten, friend of Karen & Jim Mannon
Sally Motsch, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Mary Mountz
Sarah Oldstone, sister-in-law of Jen+
The family of Martha Ovall, sister of Ralph Earle
Elizabeth & Natalie Sheffler, daughter & granddaughter of Page & Narda Cotton
Deloris Smith, friend of Emily Knuth
Luke Smith, son of Mark Smith
Skip Sutton
Larry Taylor, former member of St. Andrew’s
Donald Voermans, father of Nick Voermans
Dwight Ziegler, uncle of Stephanie Gurnon
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: Trinity Church, Bloomington: The Rev. Matthew Seddon, The Ven. Connie Peppler.
Our companion dioceses: The Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil: The Most Rev. Mauricio Jose Araujo De Andrade, Primate of Brazil and Bishop of Brasilia. The people and Diocese of Haiti and Saint Andre’s Parish and school in Mithon.
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Church of the Province of Central Africa.
Birthdays: Connie Macy, January 4; David Crout, January 6; William Harmless Torrence, January 7; Chris Torrence, January 8.
Anniversaries: None.
Special Events and Services
