Why do we read what we read when we read it? - St. Saviour's, Bar Harbor, Maine
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St Saviour’s Voice - Issue 195, January, 2018
Why do we read what we read when we read it?
One of the real blessings of our current model of shared ministry among the
parishes of MDI is the opportunity for congregations to hear multiple different
preaching voices from month to month (Actually, I’m a little jealous of you in
that regard: I only get to hear preaching from my talented colleagues on Fifth
Sundays, and sometimes I get a little tired of the sound of my own voice).
The lectionary, however, provides a thread of continuity from week to week
and among congregations. The lectionary is more than just a reading list. At
best it can be an interpretive tool that encourages us to juxtapose passages of
scripture that we might not otherwise, and to participate in conversations
among the different voices of scripture. At worst, it can allow us to skip over
difficult or uncomfortable passages, or encourage anachronistic or even anti-
Jewish interpretations of the Hebrew Scripture.
The idea of a set scripture reading for each week goes back at least to the exile
of the sixth century BC when the writings of the Torah were being compiled and when the pattern of syna-
gogue worship was being established by the Scribes. Early Christian congregations adopted and adapted the
Jewish synagogue practice, adding the reading of open letters among congregations (the Epistles) and later
the retelling of stories and sayings from the life and teaching of Jesus (the Gospels). While consensus devel-
oped around the canonical books of scripture in the Western Church in the third century, the scripture read
each week varied widely from diocese to diocese until quite recently, especially during the “Ordinary” sea-
sons of Epiphany and Pentecost.
Our current three-year lectionary is largely a product of the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic
Church (1962-1965). Prior to this point, most lectionaries for worship repeated every year, and included only
a small portion of the Bible, with the assumption that Christians were reading the Bible systematically on
their own at home. Goals of this new Mass Lectionary were to encourage the reading of more of the Bible in
worship, and to ensure reading from the different parts of the Bible each week: Old Testament, Psalm, Epis-
tle, and Gospel. Each of the three years in the cycle is organized around a semi-continuous reading of one of
the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), with readings from John’s Gospel incorporated mostly into
Lent, Easter, Advent and Christmas.
A version of the Catholic Mass Lectionary was included in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The current
Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) was adopted with minor modifications by the Episcopal Church for trial
use in 1994, and as the official lectionary of the church as of the first Sunday of Advent, 2007. It is used by
many mainline Protestant denominations, and it is good to know that many of our Christian brothers and sis-
ters are reading and responding to the same scriptures as we are each week.
One noticeable difference between the RCL and earlier lectionaries is the option of two different tracks
through the Hebrew Scriptures during Ordinary Time. The track which was included in the 1979 BCP is
driven by the Gospel reading for the day; readings from the Old Testament are chosen specifically to comple-
ment typological themes and images from the Gospel. The newer track is a more nearly continuous reading
through big chunks of the Hebrew Scriptures from week to week. The advantage of the “complementary”
track is that it (theoretically) makes preaching easier, as readings are already grouped around a theme, but at
the cost of chopping up the Hebrew Scriptures into out-of-context snippets and more or less forcing the inter-
pretation of Jewish scripture through a Christian lens. The advantage of the “continuous” track is that it al-
lows the Old Testament stories their own integrity, but it makes connections less tidy. The intention is that a
parish pick one track and stick with it throughout the cycle, as it doesn’t make much sense to have a continu-
ous reading if you are dipping in and out of it. At St. Saviour we have followed the continuous track for the
last several years.
(Rector cont’d page 2.)
Page 2 St Saviour’s Voice - Issue 195, January, 2018
(Rector cont’d from page 1)
Finally, a note of caution. Even with the three year, multi-track lectionary, there are huge parts of the bible
that we don’t ever read week to week. It can be argued that some passages are not particularly edifying (long
genealogical lists, fine points of the purity code, chronicles of forgettable kings). Other passages, though,
seem to have been left out because they are troubling: violent, misogynistic, nationalistic, or otherwise telling
a story we’d prefer not to hear. For a fuller picture of humanity’s relationship with God, I invite you to check
out the parts we leave out: the verses before and after the appointed readings, and especially any “holes” cut
out of the middle of passages. And then ask yourself, “Why do you suppose we don’t read that?”
Feedback? I hope you will call or e-mail me to continue the conversation.
Yours in Christ, Tim
Our sanctuary—beautiful as every year
with the efforts of Sue Blaisdell, Gail and
Rick Leiser, and everyone who helped
Eucharist on Wednesdays at
noon in the Chapel
In a simple, non-musical
service, we commemorate
saints and seasons using the
church’s published calendar,
as well as focusing on healing
for ourselves and for the
world.
St Saviour’s Voice - Issue 195, January, 2018 Page 3
Milestones we celebrate Prayer List:
at St. Saviour’s!
Birthday Greetings We pray for the families of Homer Lawford, Joanne Cantwell
January 1 Charlie Lyons and Steven Moon, departed this life; for Rachael, Don Allen,
January 4 Christina McKay Alex, Robert Phipps, Suzanne Lee, Ted Tibbetts, Bradley
January 12 Lee Garrett Seavey, Sean Killian, Jim Salisbury, Janet Flood, Kendra
January 17 David Cuthbertson Riley, Hannah Schuller, Bob Frazier, Rev. Joan Preble,
January 28 John Stewart Andrea Horner, Gretchen Lane, Mimi, George Swanson, Lydia
January 29 Eve Erikson Thayer, Malcolm Hughes, Charlie, Sarah B., Dickie, Barbara
Sonia Erikson Purtell, Wesley and Lucinda Dudley, Tristram Colket, Sarah
January 30 Marjorie Walls Cleaves, Anne Cleaves, Pauline Hartin. (Please let the office
January 31 Connie Hartley Brush know of any updates.)
February 1 Geoffrey Schuller
Scripture Readings for January
Date Psalm 1st Reading 2nd Reading Gospel Celebrant/Preacher
1/7 29 Genesis 1:1-5 Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11 Rev. Timothy Fleck
1/14` 139:1-5 1 Samuel 3:1-20 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 John 1:43-51 Rev. Charles Bradshaw
1/21 62:6-14 Jonah 3:1-5,10 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20 Rev. Timothy Fleck
1/28 111 Deuteronomy 18: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28 Rev. Timothy Fleck
15-20
2/4 147:1-12 Isaiah 540-21-31 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39 Rev. Timothy Fleck
Obituary for Bill Voorhies from Marilyn
William Roberts Voorhies of Branford, CT, formerly of West Tremont, Maine, died Thursday, December
14, 2017 at Connecticut Hospice. He was the beloved husband of Marilyn Saunders Voorhies for 64 years.
Bill was born June 27, 1927 in Mendham, NJ, son of the late William S. Voorhies and Ferieda Roberts
Voorhies. He served as an underwater demolition expert with the U.S. Navy in World War II. He was a reg-
istered nurse, working for the VA Hospital in East Orange, NJ for many years and then Sonogee Rehabilita-
tion and Living Center in Bar Harbor, ME.
Besides his wife, he is survived by his children, Veronica Voorhies of Branford, Janet Voorhies of Talent,
OR and William S. Voorhies of Berkeley Heights, NJ; a sister, Elizabeth McNulty of East Greenbush, NY;
six grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. He was an avid hiker, motorcyclist and private pilot. He was
also a church organist and played at many churches on MDI. His twenty years as a hospice volunteer will be
remembered by the families he helped. His family celebrate his love of nature and music, his quirky sense of
humor and his kindness and compassion which he shared so abundantly.
Memorial donations may be made to the Sierra Club, Doctors Without Borders or a charity of your choice.
A memorial service and burial will be private. (Please contact the office for Marilyn’s contact information)
Page 4 St Saviour’s Voice - Issue 195, January, 2018
From the organ bench!
The basis of this article is the one that I wrote as my last in a long series
for my parish in Atlanta (the Church of Our Saviour). In it I tried to sum
up what had been the foundational principle for my several years of musi-
cal leadership there; and now I offer it to you at the beginning of my ser-
vice in your parish.
The heart of the matter is worship. This is a word that is more abused than
used in our time. Strange though it seems, the Bible reveals very little
about what worship is or how Christians should do it. There are instruc-
tions in the Old Testament for sacrifices and such, but they were super-
seded by the “one sacrifice once offered;” and in any case, the worship of
the Temple ceased in A.D. 70, when the Temple was destroyed by Roman
legions. And the New Testament offers little. Jesus tells the woman of Sa-
maria that true worshipers will worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4: 23
-24), but that does not tell us much about what that entails. Paul gives a
few clues: there is the singing of “Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5: 18-20), which tells us
that singing is a significant part of it. And in chapter 11 of his first Epistle to the Corinthians, he implies that
the Lord’s Supper is a normal part of the gathering of the church.
In the chapters 4 and 5 of the Revelation to John there are two scenes depicted which tell us something about
worship. In chapter 4 there is first a “picture” of angelic beings surrounding God and declaiming “Holy, ho-
ly, holy is the Lord God Almighty” — which recalls the parallel picture found in the sixth chapter of Isaiah,
which is in turn the hymn of praise which we sing every week as part of our Communion liturgy. For the
purposes of this article, the thing to notice in both books, Isaiah and Revelation, is that the activity is directed
toward God.
Later in Revelation 4 and then in chapter 5, we are shown first the twenty-four elders who are later
joined by myriads of angels singing (not saying) “Worthy art thou, O Lord our God, to receive glory and
honor and power,” and then “Worthy art thou … for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for
God,” and finally “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor….” The first and most notable aspect of these songs is their beginning “Worthy art thou.” The
English word “worship” is directly derived from this — “worth-ship.” Here then, is the clearest expression in
the New Testament of what worship is: it is declaring to God that He is worthy of praise and honor, just as
we sing every Sunday “we praise Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy
great Glory.” And it further makes clear that God is worthy, first because He made all things, and secondly
because He is the Lamb who was slain. This establishes clearly the centrality of the Eucharist in Christian
worship. The second notable aspect is that these praises are not spoken or even shouted, but sung. Singing
God’s praises is an essential part of worship, not just an ornament; one might go as far as to suggest that eve-
rything that can be sung in our worship should be sung.
A third aspect that we can glean from these two chapters is that worship is directed toward God. In
chapter four, just before the twenty-four elders sing their song of praise, they fall down before the throne of
God, and they cast down their crowns before Him (do you recall the second verse of the popular hymn
“Holy, holy, holy”: “casting down their golden crowns around the crystal sea”?). And in the fifth chapter, at
the very end it says that the elders “fell down and worshiped” using a Greek verb that means, literally, to kiss
the ground. Here is a model for our worship that seems outmoded, even barbaric, to our modern sensibilities
— and yet there it is. And so it is that we bow down, and that we kneel before the Lord our Maker (as it says
in Psalm 95, which is recited at every Morning Prayer).
(Cont’d on page 5)
Page 5 St Saviour’s Voice - Issue 195, January, 2018
(Music Director cont’d from page 4)
The Liturgy, the act of public worship, is (to borrow Richard Wagner’s term) a Gesamtkunstwerk
— or, to use a late 20th-century expression, a kind of “performance-art” which combines poetry, theater,
music, choreography, sculpture, color. And it is intended for an audience of One, the Lord God, Creator
and Redeemer of the universe. The congregation are not the audience (although a regrettably large pro-
portion of 20th- and 21st century churches seem to think that they are); the congregation are actors in the
liturgical drama. That is why, for instance, applause is not ever appropriate, even after a Postlude. That is
why, in my own professional opinion, the church choir should be at the back of the nave, or if in the sanc-
tuary then facing across it, or if it must be at the front then discretely behind a screen as we do at Our
Saviour; but not facing the congregation as if the latter was an audience to whom the choir is singing. It is
why some of the actors in this ecclesiastical “theater” put on costumes (the vestments worn by ordained
ministers and their lay assistants, and by the musicians). Just like actors on stage, or on the little screen or
the big silver one, they must get into character — which means setting aside to some extent their own per-
sonality and put on that of the character: the Celebrant, the Deacon, the Sub-Deacon, the Crucifer, the
Thurifer, the Cantor, the Choir, and the People. We call the event of worship a service (Martin Luther
called it Gottesdienst, the service of God). That is precisely what it is: we are His servants, and we fall
down before Him to glorify him and declare His worth.
My purpose in these articles will be to help us to understand the things that we do in our worship,
the reasons for doing them — or, to continue with the theatrical metaphor, to help them learn their part, to
understand the script. This is very important, because when any one of us has to stop and wonder “what
comes next” or “why am I doing this” then that person has stepped out of character and is directing atten-
tion to him- or her-self and not toward God. Similarly, when the worship-leader (celebrant, officiant,
priest, minister, whatever label one might use) stops the action of the drama for greetings or announce-
ments or the like, attention is shifted from God to us, and then effort is required for everybody to get back
into the drama. And a drama it certainly is: if there is any event in the long story of the Creation, then the
entry of God into the world and His death and resurrection and consequent redemption of the cosmos
must be the most dramatic; and we re-enact it every week. One of the major responsibilities of a parish’s
rector, with the aid of the assistants whom he appoints (like myself) is to ensure that the script flows
properly, that the events take place in an order and in a manner that makes the Work of the People (i.e.,
the liturgy) mean more than simply the sum of its constituent parts.
There is, of course, feedback. God speaks to us through the worship, and we must be listening as
well as acting. Our script changes somewhat from week to week: there are different songs, different parts
of the story. Each week we experience a slightly different aspect of the God who is so far above us that
we can never totally comprehend, and experiencing that different aspect shines new light on our own per-
sons as well as expanding our knowledge of Him. And the worship-leader and his assistants take care that
the various elements in the drama work together for our benefit as well as for God’s glory.
My aim as Music Director, in the time which God might grant me to serve you, will be to realize
this understanding of worship, to encourage you all to take part more and more fully in the liturgy, the
Work of the People, to serve God in praising Him. I leave you with one more picture, this time from the
book of Job (chapter 38). When God finally answers Job, speaking out of the whirlwind, He asks, “Where
were you when I laid the foundations of the earth…when the morning stars sang together and all the sons
of God shouted for joy?” One day out of every seven we should be joining our voices in the song of the
morning stars and shouting joyfully with the other sons of God, in eager anticipation of the time when we
will be doing it every day of our lives.
Daniel Pyle
Music Director
Page 6 St Saviour’s Voice - Issue 195, January, 2018
COFFEE’S ON!
All MDI Senior Citizens are welcome to Coffee, Conversation and Music
the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 9:30 to 11:30 am at the
YWCA 36 Mt. Desert Street, Bar Harbor. This program is sponsored by
Island Connections, so if you would like more information, please call
288-4457!
Pledge Update
36 pledges totaling $66,571 have been received so far with 33 more expected soon.
Last year our 67 pledges totaled $91,948. The Vestry needed to pass a budget in December before many
pledges were in, and have budgeted $92,000 for 2018, so we are well on our way!
Thank you to those who have responded (see below), and if you have not received your
stewardship mailing, please let Muffet know.
We are also grateful to those who do not fill out a pledge form so their names don’t appear here, but who
continue to give regularly!
Whether you pledge or not, if you would like a box of contribution envelopes, they can be obtained in the of-
fice during office hours.
Ellie Batchelder Debbie Kiley
Sue Blaisdell Rev. Vesta Kowalski
Tammy Bloom Rick & Gail Leiser
Windy Brown Charlie & Marsha Lyons
Sarah Cleaves Sandra Paine
David Cuthbertson Allan Pappas
Jack & Betsy Drake Carolyn Reed
Wesley & Lucinda Dudley Roger & Patricia Samuel
Rev. Tim Fleck & Bob Schmeler Geoffrey Schuller
Sarah Flood Sue Seavey
Linda Foster Mary Smith
Spencer and Rena Fulweiler John Stewart
Edwin A. Garrett IV Lucy Triplett
Daniel Gatti Jim & Eliza Vallette
Carmen Greene John & Marjorie Walls
Glenn & Nancy Davis Griffin Gretchen Westphal
James Harris Ruth Westphal
Clyde (Buck) Jardine Susanne Weast WheatPage 7 St Saviour’s Voice - Issue 195, January, 2018
Reaching out from St. Saviour’s!
The next Outreach meeting will be on Wednesday, February 7 at 4:30 pm
in the Rectory Library. Everyone is the Outreach Committee at St. Saviour’s, so come find out
what is coming up and see how you can help. Perhaps you have some suggestions!
As you do your shopping, consider putting an extra jar of peanut butter, a can of soup,
tuna, chicken or vegetables in your cart for the Bar Harbor Food Pantry box at the back of the
church. The need is still great!
Bar Harbor Food Pantry Needs Volunteers! Free Meals in our community.
Rather than rotating church-by-church,
Mondays from 3-6 pm Everybody Eats —
month-by-month, through the calendar
year, the Bar Harbor Food Pantry is taking In the Parish Hall of St. Dunstan’s Church, 134
a new approach based on feedback from the State Street , Ellsworth. Enjoy the fellowship and
community at large and church congrega- warm hospitality. ALL are welcome!
tions. Very soon, the Pantry will launch a
Wednesdays from 3-6 pm –
volunteer sign up page, so you can pick days
that work for you throughout the entire Welcome Table - First Congregational Church -
year. We'll let you know when it's up and 2 Church Street, Ellsworth
running. If you are not computer savvy, Thursdays:
please let Muffet or Jim Vallette (home: 244- Common Good Café at Noon starting Novem-
3106) know that you are interested in volun- ber 7, 19 Clark Point Road, Southwest Harbor.
teering, and the dates you would like, and
we'll pass your information along to the
Food Pantry. Thanks to the many St. Sav-
iour's parishioners who have volunteered at
the Bar Harbor Food Pantry over the years!
Kid's Care Free Meal Packing Program! On January 19 from 12-6 and 20 from 9-1
St. Saviour's will take part in the two day food packaging event at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 175
Downeast Highway in Ellsworth. This is a great opportunity for people of all ages to come together and
package healthy non-perishable meals that are distributed to food pantries in Washington and Hancock
Counties. A quarter pays for one serving; $1.50 for a package that feeds 6 people. Out goal is at least
40,000 meals - $10,000 . We are looking for monetary donations! However, we also need lots of volun-
teers on the 19th and 20th! Our goal is at least 4 assembly lines working - which is 40 - 48 people at any
given time. Some people work the whole day; some work for an hour or two. There are jobs for heavy lift-
ers and for those who need to sit. Children who are tall enough to stand at a table and follow simple direc-
tions to do a repetitive task are welcome and encouraged to participate. We are accepting donations now
and until the end of the day on January 20.
Checks can be made payable to St. Saviour's Parish and put in the offering plate or mailed to 41 Mt.
Desert Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609. Be sure to mark Kid's Care Meals in the memo section.
For more information call 667-7641 or check St. Andrew's website: standrewme.orgSt Saviour's Episcopal Parish
41 Mt. Desert Street
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Telephone (207) 288-4215
email: info@stsaviours.me
web site: www.stsaviours.me
In Memory Of
Joanne Cantwell, Homer Lawford
and Bill Voorhies
Weekly Services
Morning Prayer
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 am
in the Rectory Library
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Holy Eucharist
Sundays at 10:00 am
Wednesday at Noon in the Chapel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contemplative Prayer
Fridays at 12 noon in the Rectory Library
The mission of St. Saviour’s Parish of Bar Harbor is to put Jesus Christ first in our lives, to spread the Good News of salvation
through worship, education and ministry, building on the gifts and
heritage of our congregation, and to provide a welcoming atmosphere of love and compassion.
The Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop
The Right Reverend Stephen Lane, Bishop of the Diocese of Maine
The Rev. Tim Fleck, Rector Tim@mdi-episcopal.org
Daniel Pyle, Music Director
Margaret Stewart, Parish Administrator
St. Saviour’s uses 100% gluten free bread and de-alcoholized wine.
The Sanctuary and Parish Hall are handicap accessible
Senior Warden: Jim Vallette; Junior Warden: Wayne Parlee; Treasurer: Sarah Flood; Acting Clerk: Linda Foster; Ves-
try Members: Dan Gatti, Lee Garrett, Carolyn Reed, Geoff Schuller,
Seasonal: James Harris, Diane Zito.You can also read
