The Messenger, May 2024

Dear Friends,
I would like to begin this month by once again expressing my thanks to all who worked somhard to make St. Raphael’s Holy Week and Eastermobservances so beautiful and meaningful this year.  As always, it is very much a group effort, and Iwant each and every one of you to know how much I truly appreciate all that you did and continue to do.  And speaking of group efforts, with the arrival very shortly of the month of May, ourmattentions have turned once again to our second-annual St. Raphael’s Ice Cream Social, scheduled for May 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As you are probably aware, there are sign-mup sheets posted in the Parish Hall for the many
jobs that need to be done to ensure the Social’s success. If you haven’t already done so, please take a look at the lists and see how YOU feel called toparticipate this year. (If you find that for some reason you will be unable to attend the Social this year, please consider making a monetary donation to help defray costs.). hile we’re on the subject of “Springtime activities,” on Sunday, May 5, we will once again be observing Rogation Sunday. Traditionally, the three “Rogation Days” are those three days before Ascension Day, which falls this year on May 9. The term “Rogation” is taken from the Latin rogatio, for “asking.” On Rogation Days it was formerly the custom in many parishes to sing or say the Litany -- that which we know now as the Great Litany -- in procession as an act of intercession. In England, these days became associated with the blessing of the fields at planting, when the local vicar would "beat the bounds” of the parish, processing around the fields while reciting psalms and the
Litany.
We will have a special service on that Sunday during which we will bless the gardens and
flower beds of the church, and I encourage all you gardeners to please bring representative samples (or really, as many as you’d like) of what YOU will be planting to receive a blessing. O God, who hast given each one of us the.   
chance to share in the cultivation of the land: give us
also such skill and patience in digging and sowing
and planting that fruit and vegetables and flowers
may gladden our hearts by their usefulness and
beauty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Heavenly Father, as you have taught us to
pray for our daily bread and to recognize our
dependence on your bounty, so we ask your blessing
on the sowing of the seed and the labors of those who
work on the land; that the earth may yield its full
harvest and the needs of all men may be supplied;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God, by whose blessing the earth
brings forth abundantly all that is needful for the
life of man: prosper the work of farmers and those
engaged in agriculture; that with thankful hearts
they may reap the fruit of their labor, and we and
all mankind may rejoice in your great goodness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Be well,
Be safe,
Be thankful,
for we have been richly blessed.

Fr. Tom+

Outreach

Episcopal Relief and Development 

Cumberland Good Samaritan 

The Men’s Group Breakfast
The Men's group will meet on Wednesday, May 1 at 8:00 am at The Country Kitchen. Join us for a hardy meal and camaraderie.
~~ Jeff Moler,
Jr. Warden

 SAVE THE DATE!
The St. Raphael’s Ice Cream Social will be held on Saturday, May 18th from 11:00am to 3:00pm. In addition to sundaes with all the toppings, there will be a book sale, jewelry sale and bake sale. Sign-up sheets for helpers are posted in the Church
 
DAUGHTERS OF THE KING: Daughters of the King (DOK) will be having their monthly meeting
on May 16 at 1:00 pm. We welcome all women of the church to join us. [The Order of the
Daughters of the King (DOK) is a spiritual sisterhood of women dedicated to a life of Prayer,
Service, and Evangelism. As members, they have made a commitment to Jesus as their Savior and follow His teachings. The DOK holds monthly meetings where they come together to pray, serve, and support one another in their faith journey.]
Please consider joining Daughters of the King, an order of prayer and one that has a long history of service to St. Raphael’

 
From the Rectory
The last several weeks have been increasingly hectic for me: I thought Easter was the pinnacle of “Spring Busyness” but I was wrong! Between lessons, meeting, and rehearsals, I feel like my days are fuller now than before I “retired.” I think I need a moment (or two) of unscheduled leisure. But I digress. Recently, while on an outing between errands,appointments, rehearsals, etc., Tom and I managed to have lunch together at a local eatery. What a blessing on so many levels! On this particular day, I had the privilege of meeting a delightful woman, her husband,
and her guide dog. Brenda and Phil were enjoying a quick lunch between their errands and appointments, and were accompanied by David Ortiz, her beautiful American Labrador and Golden retriever cross (named for the Boston Red Sox former professional baseball designated hitter and first baseman, who is dealing with impaired vision himself, and who,advocates for the Guide Dog Foundation). Miss,Brenda's David Ortiz trained in Morristown,,Tennessee, to guide her through activities of daily living. Brenda also contends with visual impairment.(Phil joked that he was not trainable, ergo, David Ortiz.)
The first litter of Seeing Eye puppies in 2014 were born to Netta and Duke.
So many things about this encounter appealed to me, reminders of the many blessings we receive, and of the potential obstacles in our paths. During the lunch hour, there were many customers coming in and out of the restaurant; there was the hustle and bustle of servers weaving between tables, taking orders, fetching drinks, and carrying out dishes of delicious-smelling food; the noise, the movement ,the odors — none of this fazed David Ortiz one bit.
He maintained a calm focus despite the chaos all around him, waiting for his master's command,
request, or correction. It reminded me that we can experience a similar focus as we prepare our hearts and minds for worship. As we enter the sanctuary, we observe a respectful quietness, perhaps taking a beat to offer silent prayers, or to reflect on our blessings, or to simply let the pre-service music fill our empty heartswith God's love and His peace that passes understanding. In those moments before the processional begins, we can share a private, quiet,moment with the Lord as we wait for His command,mHis request, or His correction. This would be ideal, of course, to ignore the distraction the world offers. Yet, can we honestly say we aren't distracted by all the activity around us?

Sylvia

Dear Parishioners,
Have we got the right focus? It’s easy to get your eyes off God and onto the people around us.
Onwards & Upwards,
Ian & Sue
Eyes Front
In the military, when on parade, soldiers are told to keep their eyes to the front. They will be
reprimanded if they look around at other soldiers not concentrating on the job at hand. Alternatively, if a drill-instructor catches a soldier watching him, the ‘drilly’ will probably yell: ‘Don’t eyeball me, soldier – keep your eyes front.’
As Christian Soldiers, we should never focus our eyes on people, (either in judging or the opposite – blind devotion). We should keep ‘eyes front’, looking directly at God and discipline ourselves to not be distracted by other Christian Soldiers. If we focus on what they’re doing instead of what we should be doing, it won’t be long before we get out of step in our spiritual life. We should simply execute our orders to the best of our ability without worrying if the soldier next to us is doing the right thing. Any drill-instructor (teachers of God’s Word) seeing one of their soldiers (in the congregation) resting their eyes on another (judging) should gracefully remind
that soldier to keep their eyes to the front and look squarely at God (Rom. 2:1).
Remember: as Christian Soldiers the world is watching us – we’re on parade. Let us not get out of step with gossiping, judging, or idolising. When we all do our jobs as unto the Lord, keeping our eyes (minds and hearts) focused squarely on Him, the result is a synchronized procession of grace that exhibits the traits of Christ and brings eternal glory to God.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may seeyour good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16.

Before I Was Myself, You Made Me, Me
Before I was myself you made me, me
With love and patience, discipline and tears,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,
Allowing me to sail upon my sea,
Though well within the headlands of your fears.
Before I was myself you made me, me
With dreams enough of what I was to be
And hopes that would be sculpted by the years,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,
Relinquishing your powers gradually
To let me shape myself among my peers.
Before I was myself you made me, me,
And being good and wise, you gracefully
As dancers when the last sweet cadence nears
Bit by bit stepped back to set me free.
For love inspires learning naturally:
The mind assents to what the heart reveres.
And so it was through love you made me, me
By slowly stepping back to set me free.
-- Copyright by Nicholas Gordon

ON THIS DAY
Thirty -three years ago, I was on my way to themhospital before the crack of dawn to deliver my
bundle of joy, as we drove toward Holy Family Hospital all I could think was soon I would meet my baby face to face; the fear of my first surgery was all loomed in the way. You see, my baby was breech.My doctor informed me a week earlier that the baby had decided to squat down and not move from its comfortable position in my womb. Dr. Brach asked me when I wanted to have the baby, and I remember looking befuddled because I keptthinking the baby is not due until May. So Dr. Brach decided my baby would arrive early on April 25thwith some help from him and his staff. Once at the hospital, the next few hours were a blurnas they prepared me for my first surgery and then proceeded to open me up. A short time later anbeautiful baby boy emerged to greet the day! Ryan arrived, with some major tugging from the doctor, to fill my life and cup to overflowing!
As a single woman, with no experience in the care of children, the next few months were not without concern at my ability to manage the care of such a small precious package.
Now as I reflect back on those challenges I am awestruck at how God guided me and placed just the right people in my life to make raising Ryan a success…
Today, as he celebrates his 33rd birthday 2,500 miles way,I am struck by the fact that he has turned out to be a positive reflection of all that my grandparents wished for me.
Faith, family, and a sense of purpose is what I see when I talk to and hear how Ryan is faring in this life.
At the crazy age of 16 years old Ryan was immersed in his schooling, busy with his church group, and on fire with his belief in Jesus Christ. I vividly remember the day he came home “on fire” with the love of awakening in Jesus died for his sins and through him, he had eternal life. Ryan was so excited and anxious to go to school and share his new-found faith with his friends.
In no time, he had been baptized at the brand new Lutheran High School which was part of our parish community. He stayed faithful to his beliefs until traveling around the world for twelve
years in the Marines. He seems to have had a change of heart having adopted a new culture while stationed in Japan. I pray he still stays strong as a Christian, and know that human nature will have a strong pull on his heart, but pray that God will continue to guide his
steps.
Have you wandered from the true path? In the past? Or present? I, too, wandered and found the road to be rugged, hard, and not spiritually friendly.
Thankfully, I had family and friends who kept a vigil for me and remained strong in their own walk with Christ.
I am blessed to say that I took the path most traveled and then found a nice green path with the
word friend posted at the crossing. Since taking thatmpath the world has become so much more
meaningful and fulfilling. Thank you Jesus!
If you are in need of a reminder of how important the green path is, just take a short walk or drive to church and join in the Sunday service to see what you are missing.
Your thirst will be quenched and you soul fed from this walk.
This I know.
~ your parish secretary,
Vandy Fink