Catered Parish Lunch
ALL SAINTS SUNDAY
This Sunday, November 2
If you would like to help please call
Debbie (226-0306) or Dale (228-0249)

AN ALL SAINTS MEDITATION

In 1899, Sir Edward Elgar set to music a portion of a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning called Sabbath Morning at Sea (see below).  “Sabbath” is the English translation of the Hebrew word “Shabbat” meaning “rest”.  It’s what our word “sabbatical” means:  a good long rest.  In Browning’s poem, an exquisite meditation on the theology of All Saints Day, it refers not only to a Sunday morning but to one’s joyful rest in death in our Lord’s arms. 

In the first stanza, the speaker has either died or is about to, while the ship could possibly be the Church, or her part of the Church – or even the boat in Dante’s Divine Comedy which ferried souls in the Church Expectant to the base of the island of Purgatory.  What we can clearly discern is her despair and ennui:  “I bowed down weary in the place; / For parting tears and present sleep / Had weighed mine eyelids downward.”.

The second stanza sees her begin to perk up.  She remembers her friends who remain behind in the Church Militant who continue to gather at her local church on Sunday mornings, singing the old familiar hymns and kneeling where she once used to kneel.  She senses some encouragement from that thought but wants to hear more, because – most likely due to her despair, she’s been having trouble hearing them now as well as she’d like.

Before long, she’s out on the sea, remembering how God’s Spirit at the beginning of Genesis brooded upon the face of the deep:  subduing the chaos and bringing light and order upon it.  The thought comforts, to the point that rather than allowing her eyelids to weigh downward – she determines in a very climatic way to look higher, to “where keep the saints with harp and song their endless endless Sabbath morning.”  We feel her soul is safe.  Despair has been turned into hope and confidence – and even joy.  But even that isn’t the last word.  What crowns the beauty of this scene is that while she looks up, the saints in Heaven and now part of the Church Triumphant, look down to her “on that sea commixed with fire, and oft drop their eyelids raised too long / To the full Godhead’s burning.”

That is, the Church Triumphant sits between the full burning Godhead and this soul attempting to make her way to join them, but the saints have been basking in this “Glorious Light” for almost too long.  Now they look down:  they drop their eyelids to that sea commixed with fire.  A soul looks up, and the saints in heaven leave off harp and song, and look down – and presumably, she moves up.  In the All Saints Day collect we pray about being “part of the elect, knit together in one Communion and Fellowship”, and Browning’s words present a perfect picture of that relationship.

All Saints Day then, is our annual reunion not just with each other in this community.  It is our reunion with all Christians, especially those in the Church Triumphant: the souls of our loved ones who even now would turn aside from the “full Godhead burning” and drop down their eyelids to the fiery sea of our world.  What a joy and comfort to remember that they pray and fight not just on our behalf now in the Church Militant, but on behalf of the Church Expectant -- the faithful departed now making their way toward the Church Triumphant, such as the soul in Browning’s glorious poem.  FAB

Sabbath Morning at Sea

The ship went on with solemn face;
   To meet the darkness on the deep,
      The solemn ship went onward.
I bowed down weary in the place;
   For parting tears and present sleep
      Had weighed mine eyelids downward.

The new sight, the new wondrous sight!
   The waters around me, turbulent,
      The skies, impassive o'er me,
Calm in a moonless, sunless light,
   As glorified by even the intent
      Of holding the day glory!

Love me, sweet friends, this Sabbath day.
   The sea sings round me while ye roll
      Afar the hymn, unaltered,
And kneel, where once I knelt to pray,
   And bless me deeper in your soul
      Because your voice has faltered.

And though this sabbath comes to me
   Without the stolèd minister,
      And chanting congregation,
God's Spirit shall give comfort. He
   Who brooded soft on waters drear,
      Creator on creation.

He shall assist me to look higher,
He shall assist me to look higher,
   Where keep the saints, with harp and song,
      An endless [endless] sabbath morning,
      An endless sabbath morning,
And, on that sea commixed with fire,
And that sea commixed with fire,
   Oft drop their eyelids raised too long
      To the full Godhead's burning.
      The full Godhead's burning.             

                          --Elizabeth Barrett Browning

VESTRY

The Vestry will hold its regular monthly meeting November 16 at 8:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall Library.

DANTE’S “PURGATORIO”
 
Beginning Wednesday November 5 Fr. Buechner will begin a study of Dante's "Purgatorio".  This is the second of the three "canticles" which comprise Dante's "Divine Comedy".  The book describes the author's journey to the top of Purgatory, a seven-tiered mountain where on each tier he is cleansed (purged) of one of the seven deadly sins and made fit to travel through Paradise (Paradiso), the third and final canticle.
 
You do not have to have read the "The Inferno" to appreciate this wonderful book.
 
We will meet in the Parish Hall from 4:00 to 5:00.
 
FAB

THANKSGIVING DAY SERVICE

The annual Thanksgiving Day service will be held Tuesday, November 25 at All Saints’ at 5:30 p.m..   The Rev. Nancy Mills will be the preacher.

EPISCOPAL YOUTH AND CHILDREN’S SERVICES

The Episcopal Youth and Children’s Services is a committee of Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese of Georgia that benefits the youth in our Diocese.  It assists young people who have financial needs with college or vocational school tuition grants, medical problems or emergencies as well as scholarships to the Diocesan camp at Honey Creek.  Hopefully, each of you has received an envelope in the mail.  We encourage you to bring that to church on Sunday, November 23rd and place the envelope in the offering plate.  EYCS is the finest program in our diocese and has, over the years, helped many of our own children.  I urge your generosity.  FAB

VESTRY NOMINATIONS AND ANNUAL MEETING

Please make your nominations in writing to any member of the Nominating Committee:  Clay Sewell, Chip Bragg, Brad Jackson, Lee Mitchell, Ram Singletary, Amos McMullian, or Fr. Buechner.  We will elect three at the Annual Meeting on November 23.

IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN AT THE CHURCH ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS:

Wednesday Afternoons during Knitters' Guild and Choir hours (4-6 pm), All Saint's has childcare staff on the playground (or in the movie room during inclement weather).  If you use this service, please sign your child in and out for the caregivers there to know who and where they are and leave a contact number and who will pick up.  If you have a carpool or sitter pick-up, let them know the new procedure, too.  We have a list of all the choirsters and they can just tell the caregivers their names and if they are in from or off to choir.  It is just safer than counting heads on the playground.

Many thanks,
Ashley Jackson

EYC FOR NOVEMBER

Nov. 2              EYC to follow HC Dr. Melissa Bruhn and possibly Steve Kelley                        atty. will discuss issues pertaining to human sexuality
Nov. 9              Vashti Rec. Night Details to follow regarding time and location
Nov. 16            EYC to follow EP Program on character building/bullying
Nov. 23            No EYC Thanksgiving break    
Nov. 30            New Year’s Party on Advent I Ring in the new Church Year with
                      a party!
As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me. 

Blessings,
WNM

ECW NEWS

The ECW Book Club met on Wed Oct 8. Our leader was Philip Faulk and the book was The Eighth Day by Thornton Wilder. We had a great turnout with several guests.  Many thanks to Philip. We will meet again on Nov 19 at 11:50. The book is the The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. The discussion will be led by Robin Enright. Robin suggests the movie if you don't have time to read the book. Lunch will be served. Reservations appreciated, but not required. All welcome.

The ECW met on Oct.8. There was a lot of discussion of the upcoming Auction, Nov.12 and the Bazaar, Jan 28. These are the two events that raise the funds for our wide-spread community outreach. We encourage all to participate in any way you can. Join us for the fellowship of being together in these topsy turvy times. We will meet again on Wed Nov 5.at 5 pm. Please bring a recipe (with a few samples if possible) of a freezable hors d'ouvre. We all love to have something handy for tea or cocktails. We will also distribute needs and wishes for the several families We adopt at Christmas. Please join us.

The ECW Book Club will meet on Dec.10 at 11:50. ECW will meet on Dec.10 at 5 o'clock.All welcome, please join us.

Lee Chubb
Lee Mitchell

 
EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN AUCTION NEWS

The Auction is on Wednesday, November 12.  So please remember:

a) Make your reservations and give Nikki any names of invitees we may not  have on our list.
b) Donate auction items or join our band of Angel Underwriters who help  insure the success of the evening.    An Angel is an Angel -- give whatever you can.  These dollars defray the cost of our bar, dinner  and purchased auction items.  Please deliver your auction items to Nikki  as soon as possible.
c) Sign up for one of our committees.  Men are more than welcome.            

Auction Co-chairs and Live Auction:   
Jenny Ladson
Margret Brinson 

Dinner Chairs:                                       
Jenny and Bill Ladson
Henri & Ebe Walter

Appetizers:                                            
Sandra Hall
Carey Sewell

Silent Auction Chairs:                          
Elizabeth Young
Robyn Enright
Robyn McQueen

Bar:      
Raleigh Rollins

Table Decorations Chair:                     
Sugar Blount 

Room Set-up:                                        
Carol Singletary
Margaret Sibley
Beth Sibley

Catalog Chairs:                                     
Gini Miller
Alston Watt
                                  
Accounting Chair:                         
Ashley Jackson

The auction and bazaar enable the ECW to support 20 worthy charities within our community and our vestry, as it betters the life of our parish.

--Jenny Ladson and Margret Brinson

ST. CECILIA AND ST. DAVID CHOIRS

Both choirs will sing Sunday, November 16.  There will not be any rehearsals on Wednesday, November 26. Please remember that even though it is cooler, the choir loft and choir vestments are warm. Dress lightly with no turtlenecks (closed-toe dark shoes preferred) when we sing on Sunday.                 -- Kathy Buechner

TRANSITIONS:

Happy birthday in November to:
Chip Sanders    11-2-89
David C. Chubb   11-5-93
Harrison Jackson   11-7-04
Preston Chubb    11-8-92
Reid Myers    11-9-00
Christopher Bragg   11-11-91
Wilson Young    11-14-05
Ethan Myers    11-20-02
Robert Taylor Bragg   11-20-93
Alex Carico    11-22-95
Hardy Davis    11-26-02
Lolo Mason    11-26-88
Addison Faith Kelley   11-29-02
Kinsey Grace Kelley   11-29-02
Carsyn Trace Kelley   11-29-02

Happy birthday in December to:

Marley Davis     12-8-99
Abbie Leverett    12-12-02
Jonathan Wood   12-15-89
Anna Price Olson   12-28-91
Elizabeth Olson    12-28-91
Maria Olson    12-28-91
Cynthia Funk    12-29-93

Deo Gratias

Rebecca Sanford announces the safe delivery of a grandson,
Luther Beachton Chastain on September 11, 2008.

Marriage:

Nicholas Carlton Williams and Sally Kate Jackson
were united in Holy Matrimony on October 18, 2008.

Jackie William Johnson and Kristen Alexis Barden
were united in Holy Matrimony on October 25, 2008.