Meet and Greet

We have one new member to Greet this week:

Sophia She has this to say about her blog and herself: Theologian, spiritual director, preacher; wife and mother of four children (two here, two in heaven); ENFJ, Enneagram 2, and AKV. Welcome Sophia!

And, continuing the spirit of All Saints' let's share something about our favorite Saint. In the Episcopal Church we have a black book, called Lesser Feasts and Fasts, updated every three years following General Convention, with the Saints whose lives we celebrate. Many Episcopal churches choose to celebrate the life of a saint during their week day service. For example, in the Episcopal Church today is the Feast for Richard Hooker, THE theologian who established what it means to be Anglican.



Now I will spare you all the details of my google search for Richard Hooker from a few years back...but suffice it to say that I was glad I was on my home computer and the not the church's.

Richard Hooker was born in 1553 in Heavitree, near Exeter. In 1567 he was admitted to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he became a Fellow in 1577. He was ordained an priest in the Church of England and married in the year 1581, while living in Buckinghamshire. Later he served parishes in Boscombe, Salibury, and Bishopsbourne near Canterbury.

During the controversey with a noted Puritan led Hooker to write a comprehensive defense of the Reformation settlement under Queen Elizabeth I. This work, called the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, is grounded in Aristotelian thought with a strong emphasis on the idea that God is active and alive in all creation. Hooker is credited with designing what Anglicans call the "Three Legged Stool" - using Reason, Scripture, and Tradition, to understand life, God, faith, scripture itself. Book Five of the Laws defends the Book of Common Prayer (the foundation of Anglican worship, prayer, and belief) against the Puritan's. Richard Hooker died in 1600.

Another favorite Saint is

Brigid

whose feast day is celebrated on February 1 in TEC. Brigid is an Irish saint born in Fauchart sometime in the middle of the fifth century. She is said to have been raised in a Druid household, the daughter of poet to King Loeghaire. Brigid founded a nunnery in Kildare, in 470. The surrounding country side was deeply pagan and worshiped a pagan goddess of sacred fire. Brigid successfully blended the pagan culture into her Christianity. She cared for needy and poor and is known for being a healer. Some say she was consecreated a Bishop. There are some fabulous folk stories about Brigid and her profound, inclusive ministry.

One more favorite is

George

Herbert, whose feast day is February 27. Born in 1593 Herbert was a member of an ancient family and the cousin of the Early of Pembroke. Herbert was was a priest in the Church of England, dying in 1633. He is famous for his poetry and prose, many of which have been set to music and sung as hymns in church. Here is the text for my favorite:

Love

LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack'd anything.

'A guest,' I answer'd, 'worthy to be here:'
Love said, 'You shall be he.'
'I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on Thee.'
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
'Who made the eyes but I?'

'Truth, Lord; but I have marr'd them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.'
'And know you not,' says Love, 'Who bore the blame?'
'My dear, then I will serve.'
'You must sit down,' says Love, 'and taste my meat.'
So I did sit and eat.

George Herbert

In the sermon today the guest preacher spoke about his great grandmother, who was affectionately described by one decendant as her "sainted grandmother." This despite the fact that she used to cheat at poker in order to win back grocery money her husband had lost to his friends in their weekly poker game.

Do you celebrate the lives of saints in your worship? Who are the saints in your life? Are they formally recognized saints or do you think about the lives of parishioners, family, and friends as saints?