Weekly, May 24, 2023
St. Michael’s Weekly News - Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Dear People of St. Michaels,
It’s hard to believe a woman who lived in the 300’s could do actions that could change the world, that could shape the Christian Church, but she did.
I paid nearly no attention to Helena, Mother of Constantine (the Roman Emperor) until our pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2014. Her date of commemoration is May 21 (she died in 330), just a few days ago. She was a devout Christian woman who became wife of the Roman Emperor and then mother of the famous Emperor Constantine, who declared the Roman Empire to be a Christian Empire. She had a strong influence on her son and one of her missions in life was to understand more about the region Jesus lived and died in. In later life, the Empress Helena made a lengthy visit to the Holy Land, where she expended large sums of money for the relief of the poor and other works of mercy. She also helped to found churches on the sacred sites connected to the life of Jesus. These included the Mount of Olives, sites in Bethlehem and then encouraged honoring the site of the crucifixion and burial site of Jesus. Since the end of the fourth century her name has been associated by Ambrose and others with the discovery of the cross on which Christ died, which was found buried close to the hill of Calvary.
She started the beginning of the first Church of the Holy Sepulcher complex in Jerusalem in the 300s that was not completed when she died. It includes both the hill of Calvary and the site of Jesus tomb. We have other descriptions of its use later in writing from the female pilgrim Egeria, who also made a pilgrimage there and descriptions especially of the Holy Week practices in Jerusalem at that time. Without Helena’s visit, work and designations, many of the sacred sites in the Holy Land now would probably not exist or be protected as diligently as they are.
When we visited there, as matter of fact Westerners, we wanted to know for sure, that each of these sites WAS where Jesus was born, was crucified, buried, etc. That is our bias. Our guide explained that if the mother of the all powerful Roman Emperor came to Bethlehem or Jerusalem looking for these sites of great importance to the faith, what would your response be? Would you not tell what you knew to the history and tradition that you knew? Would you not offer the fullest truth you had to the Emperor’s own mother? So although we do not have iron clad proof that each of these sites is the exact spot, we venerate them (and have over the centuries) trusting that Empress Helena and those that guided her back in the 300’s got it right. We still make the pilgrimages to these sites to remember, to contemplate scripture and catch for ourselves, in these sites, what this Holiest of Lands could have been like back then. We have Helena to thank for preceding the whole Church in claiming and venerating these places that mean so much to our faith and the life of Jesus.
In Christ,
Pastor Randy Knutson+
Four week class in Really Excellent Listening at Fort Bragg Presbyterian Church in May
During our Ecumenical Lenten Services, one of our local partners approached me about letting people know they were offering a free, four week class in “Really Excellent Listening”.
The Facilitator is Bea Strickland and there is a flyer about this on the table in Larsen Hall.
The Days are May 3, 10, 17 and 24 and the class meets 10-11:30 am.
You can sign up with her at BeaStrickland@aol.com and 408-502-1896.
New Website
When you can, check our new website: https://www.stmichaelfb.com/
You can now make online donations to St Michael’s through the website.
Online Worship Information
This Sunday we will offer in-person worship and at the same time offer the online broadcast of our service at 10:45 am in the ways posted below:
Our Sunday Service will be on St. Michael’s Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/StMikesFtBragg
https://www.facebook.com/StMikesFtBragg/videos
It will also stay there on the Facebook Pages and you can watch it later.
You can also watch it on this YouTube Channel later that day as well.
This is a NEW St. Michaels YouTube Channel and also on our website!
https://www.youtube.com/@st.michaelsepiscopalfortbragg
May Birthdays –Donna Withers, Jim Britt, John Cinnamon, Ian Blanton, Alan Mitchell, Shelbie Liljeberg, Kathe Charters, Sandy Liljeberg, Rick Bondor, Bryna Turner, Nancy Wallace-Nelson, Jeff Charters, Scott Smith, and Jim and Marcia Water’s 61st Anniversary.
Monday’s - Trinity Sack Lunch Ministry: Help prepare at 9:30 am, or serve from 12:00-12:30
Bible/Book Study Continues, Thursdays, at 10:30 am
Our Shared Ministry Bible Study continues to meet on Thursdays, at 10:30 am either in St. Veronica’s or on Zoom, live, at the same time.
Office Hours:
The office is open Tuesday through Thursday mornings
Sarah Fogg may be reached at her email: slmf95437@comcast.net or phone: 964-5625 and 357-1277.
Rev. Randy A. Knutson, 209-327-1870 (cell/text) and 707-964-1900 – Office
Or email him directly at ranknut@gmail.com
Church email for all: stmike@mcn.org
Blessings,
St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church
707-964-1900
--
In Christ,
The Rev. Randy A. Knutson
ranknut@gmail.com
209-327-1870 (Cell/text)