If you see something—or if you hear something—do something: Springfield, Ohio 2024

Since we moved to Greencastle in May 2022, Chris and I have kept in touch with Springfield, Ohio, where we lived for 22 years. We had heard that old friends were upset that recent civic growth and optimism had been hurt by increasingly vitriolic attacks on Haitian immigrants who had made their home in Springfield. They were working at businesses and factories that had not been able to find workers until they arrived, which had had many positive effects. After a tragedy involving one immigrant, biweekly City Commission meetings saw a surge in extremist talk, including non-Springfielders who were taking the mic at meetings to spew hatred. We heard about the challenges that the surge in the Haitian population had caused, but also about a vibrancy their presence brought, a vibrancy that had not been seen by Springfield for a long time. The city has worked so hard to grow, against so many odds–and now that growth was being threatened.

On Saturday, September 14^th as I was making final preparations for my sermon, I began to get messages on my phone from Wittenberg, the university in Springfield where I was a professor for two decades. These texts warned about potential violence and advised people to seek shelter until further notice. These text messages—and more threats of violence—continued for two weeks. Wittenberg moved to on-line learning and members of the college were often warned to seek shelter. K-12 schools in Springfield closed several days. After lies repeatedly voiced by JD Vance and Donald Trump the previous week, Springfield was– ablaze in threat, hatred, and a domestic terrorism that is as bewildering as it is vicious.

The assigned psalm on September 15^th was Psalm 19, which exalts in the glory of our powerful and mighty Creator God—a perfect psalm for our inspiring Lake Eucharist at Raccoon Lake. The Gospel and the Epistle readings described other kinds of power. James’ letter warns about the power of speech: that the tongue is so powerful that it “can set a forest on fire.” And in the Gospel for that Sunday, Jesus describes the power of following the right path—but also the vulnerability and consequences for doing so.

It has been a surreal 20 days for Chris and me. Every news article we read about Springfield features a friend or colleague, or reports from the elementary school our daughters walked to and where Chris organized Field Day for seven years, or pictures of empty classrooms at the college where I was a professor for more than 20 years, or comments from city and civic leaders we know well. Officials in Springfield on both sides of the political spectrum have asserted again and again that the claims made about the Haitian community are bald lies, that these lies are hurting all of Springfield, and have begged those lying to stop damaging the community. Republican mayor Rob Rue held a press conference to challenge the lies so destructive to the city he leads. The Republican governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine, wrote a remarkable op-ed piece for the NYT to defend the community against the lies that are destroying gains that are so hard won.

In my head and heart, I hear over and over again the lessons of the Bible from September 15^th, the Sunday Springfield came under siege:

• watch your mouth: what you say can be the source of major destruction (James 3:1-12)
• follow Jesus and do what is right, even when doing right comes with negative consequences (Mark 8:27-38)

As Christians in America, 2024, our Biblical call looks like this: if you hear something false about Springfield, Ohio, say something.

To let lies persist is to endanger others. In the case of Springfield, the lies endanger legal immigrants, school children, those who work and learn on a college campus, small businesses, a rust-belt city on the rise. Of course, challenging lies spoken by popular leaders comes with consequences, no matter whom you support. People may be angry with you, may see you as a traitor to your political commitments, or may just respond with disbelief and derision. But this is Jesus’ Way. It is a Way that he walked and embodied, and a Way that he calls us each to follow. In fact, this is always our call and our Way, whether the lies endanger a small Midwestern city that happens to be in the rector’s heart, or whether the lies are about archrivals and enemies.

Yours in praying for clarity—and then strength and courage—

Jen+

Let’s Talk About Angels

If you like British novels and detective stories, you may have heard of Michaelmas and wondered what it was…Michaelmas is the short version of the Feast (aka “mass”) of Saint Michael and All Angels, which falls on September 29^th every year. In England, leases for homes used to start and end according to major feast days, with Michaelmas in the autumn and nother Whitsun in the spring. Whitsun is Pentecost, “White Sunday” to invoke the dove of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The universities of Cambridge and Oxford still mark school terms this way. The three terms at Oxford are Michaelmas, Hilary (dated by the feast day of Saint Hilary of Poitiers) and Trinity, (which coincides with Trinity Sunday, eight weeks after Easter). The three academic terms at University of Cambridge are called Michaelmas, Lent, and Easter.

I know, I know, I am SUCH a church nerd, but I just love Michaelmas, partly because one of my daughters was born on this feast day, partly because my father’s name was Michael and my grandson’s name is Gabriel, and partly because I think we should reconsider angels as often as possible. Since I have to wait until 2030 to have another chance at a Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels, let’s do a little angelology, shall we?

Our word for “angel” comes from the Greek word aggelos. Both the Greek aggelos and the Hebrew equivalent malak simply mean “messenger”—nothing about wings, halos, or harps here. Angels are simply messengers sent by God. Although they have come to be depicted as gorgeous creatures that could be Vogue models with wings, or cute chubby toddlers with wings possibly up to no good, these images of angels came a lot later. Abraham does not recognize the angels as angels when he and Sarah show them unexpected hospitality (“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”) In other parts of the Bible, the first words spoken by angels to most people are “Be not afraid!” which suggests that they look a little scary, not ethereal.

There are four angels with specific names in the Bible:

Saint Michael is in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Book of Revelation, he is said to lead God’s armies and sent by God to fight and defeat the Evil One at the end of time. You will recognize him in art (and our stained glass window) because he often carries a sword and is killing a dragon, who is Satan.

Saint Gabriel is also in both Testaments. He is especially important for Christians as the messenger bringing news of the coming births of John the Baptist and Jesus. He often holds a lily, a traditional representation of the Annunciation and his message to Mary.

Saint Uriel is mentioned in the book of Esdras; a part of the Apocrypha, which is an official part of our Bible, but neither the Old and New Testament. Uriel is sent to the prophet Ezra, the prophet who led the Hebrew people out of exile in Babylon back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Some early Christians believed that Uriel was the angel sent to guard the gates of Eden.

Saint Raphael, too, is in the Apocrypha, in the book of Tobit. Raphael is a messenger bringing God’s healing.

Cherubim and Seraphim
Other heavenly beings described in the Bible are cherubim, who serve at God’s throne, and the seraphim, who have fiery wings. Our beloved Maureen Carkeek’s favorite hymn, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, has this verse:

At His feet the six-winged seraph, cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the Presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry,
“Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, Lord Most High.”

You can see from these various possibilities of encounters with angels—being mistaken for an ordinary human, a terrifying manifestation, two wings, six wings, no wings—that God’s messengers come in a number of guises. The Bible says that angels are definitely different from human beings though, so the idea that we become angels after death is not based in the Bible.

Last pondering: are there guardian angels? This is a question that is gets mixed up in part because of angels in Hollywood movies, Precious Moment figurines, bumper stickers, and a great hopefulness that many have that we are personally watched over. Remember, then, that whether or not a messenger of God is assigned to each of us, we are always in the presence of the Holy One, from now and into eternity. And consider this: in the Talmud, which helps to explain the meaning of the Hebrew Bible, it is said that every blade of grass has an angel behind it whispering, “Grow, grow!!”

Purple Michaelmas daisies growing in my yard – they are always blooming on September 29, the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels. Perhaps there is a whispering angel behind every blossom, “grow, grow, grow!”

Yours in peace,

Jen+

Rev. Jen has set her office drop-in day as Wednesday of each week from 9:00 – 11:00 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. NOTE: No drop-in hours today, October 2.

DEVOUR

Please join us as we take a walk down Seminary Street this Saturday, October 5^th. We’ll start at the Murray’s at 514 East Seminary for hors-d’oeuvres at 5:00. Moving on, we will make our way across the street to the Oldstone-Moores’ at 601. Our St. Andrew’s group will then head up the street to the Glessner’s (609 East Seminary) and finally to Martha and Carl’s (707 East Seminary) for dessert.

Unlike some of our get-togethers, there is nothing you need to bring, except your appetites and good cheer. We’ll be spending an average of 30-45 minutes at each stop. Please leave a message with Renee at the church office by October 3rd if you will be able to join us.

FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1:00 P.M.

Join us for our observance of the Feast of St. Francis in the Blessing of the Animals. Pets and owners will father in the sanctuary at 1:00 this Sunday for a lovely and brief service. Please keep your pet’s temperament and comfort in mind, space out the seating in the pews, and step outside if your pet is agitated; Ref. Jen will also bless animals in the Memorial Garden directly following the service. You may also bring a photo or an object representing your pet if your pet does not travel or socialize well.

ATTENDER SURVEY

Church has changed a lot in the past few years–as you may have noticed! The Episcopal Church is part of a nation-wide survey that is assessing how church has changed so that we can know how to be church in the future. Could you please take 10-15 minutes to complete the survey? FYI, St. Andrew’s will receive a $200 gift card for congregants completing this survey, as well as the date from the study. If you have already filled out the Attender Survey, thank you: There is no need to do it a second time. Click here for the survey.

HELP NEEDED

A spouse of a Waters resident would like to hire someone to help her husband at mealtime. Particularly needed is assistance for the evening meal (5:00-6:00 p.m.), and lunch on the weekends; noon meals are also available through the week. For the job posting, please click here.

SACRED POETRY GROUP

Our Sacred Poetry group will gather again beginning this fall. We will be reading the sacred poetry of George Herbert and John Donne. Please let Jen+ know if you are interested and we will find a time that suits all!

TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY

The Book and Bible Group has begun again, meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays with Evening Prayer celebrated at 4:00 p.m. We are currently reading Sara Miles book “Take This Bread”. Our next meeting is October 8. After finishing Take This Bread, we will read “Sabbath” by Abraham Joshua Heschel.

BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, AND EXPLORATION OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

Our Confirmation class begins this Sunday, October 6. It is for those interested in baptism, confirmation, reception – and those who are curious! We will meet on the 2nd floor in Murray Suites about 15 minutes after the service. Please let Jen+ know if you are thinking about Baptism or Confirmation.

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 top of the piano in Hamilton Hall. Feel free to read and return!

THIS WEEK’S SHOPPING LIST FOR NON-FOOD PANTRY

Please add razors, Stain Remover Sticks, and shaving cream to your shopping list for the NFP for the month of October. 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, October 26 from noon – 2:00 p.m.

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.

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.

Your prayers are asked for: