Parish Breakfast
September 10
9:00 a.m.
If you would like to help please call
Debbie (226-0306) or Dale (228-0249)

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"WITHOUT GOD MAN CANNOT; WITHOUT MAN GOD WILL NOT"

I cannot remember the source of the above statement, but it has described throughout the history of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church the relationship between God's grace and mankind's free will:  Without God's grace, man cannot be the creature he is meant to be; without man's free will, God will not be able to "seduce" us into becoming all He created us to be.

Grace is God's unlimited and unmerited love for us.  Grace is the power of God working in us.  Whenever we participate in any of the sacraments, that which is imparted to us is God's grace:  in Holy Baptism to regenerate us; in Holy Communion to cleanse us with Jesus' Body and Blood.  God gives us His grace in prayer as well.  Further, as He is God, He can impart such grace to us whenever and wherever He might choose, even when we are unaware.  We might, apart from God's grace, be able to perform such deeds as the world may deem "right", but apart from that grace, we cannot do that which God deems "good". This fact was brought home to us in the collect a few weeks ago in the phrase:  "Grant to us the spirit to think and do always such things as are right, that we who cannot do anything that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will."

Theology makes a distinction between prevenient grace and cooperating grace.  Prevenient grace is the spirit of God moving toward us and turning us to Him and His will.  Such grace is what makes us aware of God, seducing us and inspiring us even when we are unaware of it.  It "goes before" our doing the good.  The older version of the familiar collect:  "Direct us O Lord in all our doings..." reads "Prevent us O Lord in all our doings":  "prevent" not meaning "to stop", but "to go before" - hence, prevenient.

Cooperating grace keeps us on God's track, as in continuing the above prayer: "Prevent us O Lord in all our doings, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name...."  God is the source of everything good we manage: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and from the Father of Light." (St. James 1)

Nevertheless for God's creature to "work the work", God must not only give us His grace.  We must work with that grace by contributing the gift of our will:  "Without Man, God will not."  At the beginning of Genesis we read that God created man in His own image.  We have casually described being created in God's image as meaning that we are able to "love God freely", or to return His love freely with our will.  The far more accurate and correct description is that God created us with the potential to return freely His love.  When we speak of ourselves as free, we mean that we are the ultimate and responsible authors of our own conduct.

Most of us interpret freedom as being able to do whatever we want to do, right or wrong and good or bad.  And yet whenever we are confronted with the decision to do good or bad, whatever wavering we produce no matter how slightly in making that decision, shows in fact we are not truly free, but in bondage.  Only when I am able instantly to will and to perform the good am I truly free; and we as God's creatures in order to be truly free must use our God given ability to choose the good over the evil, blending and cooperating our will with God's grace.  Such is what it truly means to be created in the image of God.

One might find it helpful to consider the consequences of not appreciating this seminal spiritual fact that "without God man cannot and without man God will not".  To believe that our good works are controlled solely by God, is to believe a form of Calvinism:  to believe in an extremist sense Paul's words in Romans (and also part of our Burial Office)  "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."  Some versions translate "the called" as "the elect".  The extreme Calvinist would understand that "the elect", once part of the elect, cannot fail to go to Heaven, even if he should persist willfully in evil.  Once called or once part of the elect, they cannot falter - at least so they believe.  And yet, such a belief even on a very elementary basis does not seem terribly just.  In the words of E. J. Bicknell, "Calvinism forgot and allowed men to forget that God is essentially love rather than power."

The opposite extreme is to indulge the heresy called Pelagianism, named after the British monk Pelagius.  Basically Pelagius believed that the Fall of Adam and Eve did not necessarily affect the rest of us, and that mankind really was truly free to serve God.  There was no need to rely on God's grace because men and women had the power not only to do the right but to do the good.  If one failed to do the good, he just wasn't really trying hard enough.  However anyone who has ever struggled with a besetting sin knows that "there is no health (wholeness) in us".  That is, we cannot on our own, simply will the will of God whenever we choose.

"Without God man cannot; without man God will not."  Such a mindset not only preserves God's sovereignty as Creator but also as the progenitor of grace.  It makes Jesus' sacrifice not only real but meaningful.  Perhaps more important, it reminds us that our salvation, no matter how good or how bad we really are, is totally and thoroughly God's gift to us.  Again from our Burial Office:  "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out...but shall raise him up at the Last Day."  (St. John 6)  Likewise, it preserves the dignity of God's creature as being able to make choices:  preventing the human race from being an autonomous race of robots.  God has predestined each of us to salvation, that is, He has a plan for the salvation of humankind.  Yet each of us must give our will to that most gracious offer - as in the Collect for Easter Day:

"Almighty God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end."       FAB

                              No Evening Service September 3
 
OUR CHILDREN - AND OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL

A recent article and subsequent letters in the Wall Street Journal argued the place of children in our society.  Most of the writers agreed that children have never occupied so much the center of our society and life as they do today.  The opinions differ however, as to what really constitute parents and other adults making them truly that center.

The Church these days, rightfully, directs that we spend a great deal of time learning how to protect our children in various situations both public and private, hence our diocese's seminar at All Saints last October on "Protecting Our Children" which many of us attended.

The point we wish to make in concert with some of those Letters to the Editor, is that we can and do perform a great deal to protect and defend our children – again quite rightfully.   And yet, there is a great deal more we all can do for our children than simply indulging them, or seeing they are occupied every minute of the day.

I remember as a child weekends spent literally in the presence of my parents doing their best to impart something of themselves to me.  Obviously on many of those occasions they might rather have been doing something else important, like repairing something in the house or just the two of them getting re-acquainted.

I can't help but contrast this to my own experience as a parent where on weekends Kathy and I spent time shuttling our children back and forth to various activities to keep them "busy" from one hour to another.  Any number of those times could have been better spent by our sitting at home and reading to them.

What we're getting at, is that if children really are at the center of our lives, we adults (and we mean each of us who does or who does not have children of Sunday School age), ought to be more than interested in the spiritual welfare of every child at All Saints.  We go out of our way to protect them from physical harm and to keep them busy so they will get into college.  Should we not spend as much energy regarding their spiritual formation and education.  Further, do we not think that each of us adults (again no matter how old), has something of spiritual benefit to impart to our children.

Your Rector, Wardens, and Vestry cannot emphasize enough how much your involvement in Sunday School at whatever level will benefit not only yourself but our children.  Nor must we forget that no matter how much we think we know, we can always learn more - which is why we continue to have adult classes.

When called upon, we urge every adult at All Saints to do his or her best to answer that call and spend a few weeks in Sunday School with our children.  Better yet, don't wait to be called.  Talk to Jenny Ladson, or Liz Parvey, or Nan Myers, or Elizabeth Young, or Ashley Jackson (Can't help but notice a lack of male names!)  No one will have to "create" a lesson out of nothing - although one certainly may should one desire.  The material is there for us simply to use and to help impart.  We promise that the time you give will not only help secure the spiritual foundation of our children, but that you and All Saints Episcopal Church will be the ultimate beneficiaries.  More important, we truly will be placing our children at the center of our lives, and not just indulging them - or ourselves.
(The Rev.) Frederick A. Buechner, Rector
Mr. Thomas S. Simmons, Senior Warden

ADULT INQUIRERS / CONFIRMATION CLASSES

These will begin in October on Monday evenings at 7:30 P.M. in the Parish Hall Library.  Bishop Louttit will be here for Confirmation on the Second Sunday of Advent, December 10.

This month's schedule:

October 2    (Introduction to the Episcopal Church)
October 9    (Overview of the Bible)
October 16  (Jesus - His teachings, His significance and uniqueness)
October 23  (The Genesis and Rationale of the Book of Common Prayer
October 30  (The Church Calendar and Lectionary;  Morning Prayer in detail)

Anyone in the parish or outside the parish is welcome to attend any or all of these sessions.   FAB

BIBLE CLASS

Fr. Buechner will teach a Bible Class on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, beginning Wednesday September 20 from 4:00 to 4:45 PM in the Parish Hall Library

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS ON THE REFORMATION

It will be our pleasure and privilege to hear Mr. David Grooms, professor of history at Brookwood, do a series of five classes on the Reformation.  It was the period known by that name which gave birth to the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion as we know it.

David’s topics will be:

September 10   Part 1: The Causes of the Reformation
September 17   Part 2: Luther's role in the Reformation
September 24  Part 3: Calvinism and other Protestants
October 1  Part 4: Henry VIII and the English Reformation
October 8  Part 5: The Catholic or Counter Reformation

David will be using material from his Advanced Placement Modern European History Class, as well as Diarmaid MacCulloch's book on the Reformation.

High School students are encouraged to attend.

The class will meet in the Parish Hall library at 9:30 AM.

VESTRY MEETING

The Vestry will hold its regular September meeting on Sunday, September 17 at 8:00 A.M. in the Parish Hall Library.

ACOLYTE APPEAL

Any child nine years of age or older is encouraged to serve as an acolyte.   An acolyte assists the minister in the performance of liturgical rites.  If you are interested in joining in this important service, please contact Fr. Buechner or me.  I will be scheduling a meeting soon for all new acolytes and as a refresher to current acolytes.

Ram Singletary

ECW KNITTER'S GUILD

The Knitting Guild will resume it's regular fall schedule on Wednesday, September 6  at 4:00.  We will begin our Christmas project to knit scarves and other items to fill the ECW gift stockings for Thomasville families.  All knitters are welcomed to join us.  Some of our present experienced knitters were beginners at this time last year.  If you would like to learn to knit, this is your opportunity to learn and at the same time enjoy the company of other women of all ages. 
Carol Singletary

ADULT CHOIR NEWS

The Adult Choir will begin choir rehearsals on September 10.  Choir rehearsals are at 9 o'clock Sunday morning.  We look forward to having the choir back to lead the congregational singing as well offering the weekly anthems.  We can always use more voices.  Please consider joining us.  When you sing you pray twice.  
 
May God bless you,
Margit Miller
 

EPISCOPAL YOUNG CHURCHMEN NEWS

All eligible teenagers are invited and urged to attend the first meeting of All Saints' EYC on Sunday, September10 after Morning Prayer for lunch and an organizational meeting to elect officers and discuss our new year.
 
Thereafter, the EYC will publish a calendar with dates and topics of meetings from September through December.
 
Thank you so much!
Andrea and Chip Hancock

ST. CECILIA AND ST. DAVID CHOIRS
 
Come Join Our Jubilant Song!

The St. Cecilia and St. David Choirs will begin rehearsals Wednesday, September 6. St. Cecilia Choir members are Kindergarten (or 5 in the Fall) and meet from 4:00--4:45 p.m.  The St. David Choir is composed of 3rd through 8th Graders and meets from 5:00--6:00 p.m.

If you like to sing (and would like to sit up in the choir loft once a month) please join us. If you took a "leave of absence" from the choirs and left us for a while, please return -- we‘ve missed you! The choirs will sing Sunday October 1 so we will begin rehearsing the anthems, hymns and service music.

Welcome back Choristers and welcome to our new voices. Come Join Our Jubilant song!

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The office will be closed Monday, September 4
in observance of Labor Day.
 

EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN - GUEST SPEAKER

Our first fall meeting will be held, Wednesday, September 13 at 5:00 p.m.  Please plan to attend; we will be discussing the upcoming Bazaar which is Wednesday, October 11 and the Auction scheduled for Wednesday, November 8.  It is not too early to bring in any items you wish to donate.  Start going through your cabinets and closets today! 

Our speaker and program this meeting will be Dr. Jake Wheeler.  Dr. Wheeler is the retired Dean of Hollin’s College in Roanoke, Virginia.  In addition to his duties as Dean, Dr. Wheeler was Professor of Political Theory.  His topic for us will be:  "Issues with the First Amendment--Freedom of Religion." 

Food, refreshments and nursery/playground attendants will be provided.

Jenny Ladson
Liz Parvey

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Sunday School Reminder
Sunday School starts September 10

USHERS FOR SEPTEMBER

September 3    
Robert Balfour  
Ben Grace

September 10
John Brinson
Don Bruhn

September 17    
John Daniel     
Charles Deal

September 24
Jim Funk
John Glenn

 
TRANSITIONS:

Happy Birthday in the month of September to:

Richard Lyons   9-4-88
Mary Eleanor Hand   9-5-95
Melissa Funk   9-6-90
William Buechner   9-9-84
Preston Young   9-11-99
Parker Watt   9-13-00
Riley Harper   9-16-05
Sara Jo Grooms   9-17-88

Happy Birthday in the month of October to:

Elaina Kavouklis   10-5-94
Alisha Kavouklis   10-5-94
Ali Hall    10-20-95
Roy M. Lilly, III   10-23-86
Mary Lawrence Lilly   10-25-84
Caroline Buechner   10-26-86
Michael Gorman   10-28-85
Eleanor Stubley   10-30-95