Honoring the Sanctity of Life Through Service

By Missions & Evangelism Life Core Captains, Elizabeth Carrouth & Ann Wong

Faithful parishioners,

We begin our year celebrating the birth of the most precious baby in history, our Lord Jesus. It is only fitting, indeed, that January be set aside as Sanctity of Life month. It is a time when we particularly honor the great gift of life–beginning with babies and ending with ceasing earthly life and entering into a heavenly one.

The following is a narrative fondly called The Red Cap, written by one of our very own Life Core Captains, Elizabeth Carrouth, that captures Jesus’ power and love through volunteering.

It was this young woman’s first visit to the Belly Boutique...a sweet place where women come for support and needed baby items. (after they’ve been to A Women’s Pregnancy Center’s Main Campus and learn they are pregnant). I will call her Rose. I was reading through her chart and there was a bolded note that read 'Undecided.' “Rose, I don’t understand. What does this mean?”

Rose told me she had gone to AWPC and when her pregnancy test came back positive, she was terrified. She was determined to have an abortion or give the baby up for adoption. Her counselor of course prayed for her, along with thousands of prayer warriors who were notified from prayforbabies.com/AWPC. Before Rose left, her counselor gave her an encouragement bag filled with small items that women love...hand cream, mints, tissues, and a handmade card with a prayer. It also included a hand-knitted baby cap.

Later, Rose told me she took the cap and placed it on top of her dresser. Every time she walked by and saw the cap, she thought of her baby. Her baby was real. It was her baby. And Rose said that she knew then that she would keep this baby and never look back. Her boyfriend had been out of town and when she told him, he was adamant that she have an abortion. She never for a moment wavered and there she was, with her best friend, telling me this story and blessing me like Christmas and Easter and Baptisms all in one day. Rose shared that she had been estranged from her family for years, but was now feeling a closeness with her mother as never before. Rose couldn’t contain her joy and kept going back to the knitted cap on her dresser. She was thrilled.

I met with Rose again last week and this time her boyfriend was by her side. He thanked us for loving and supporting Rose and told us he was "all in.” I just want to thank You, Heavenly Father, and St. Peter’s, for touching my heart and letting me be a part of this sweet and tender Kingdom work.

Oh, and the encouragement bag that was given to Rose that day was sewn and filled with loving hands by two precious parishioners! And the Red Cap? Knitted by a beautiful young girl in our Church!

As servants of Christ in this critical area, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you, St. Peters! The outpouring of your love and effort with the Missions & Evangelism Life Core this past year has been overwhelming…weekly transporting of items between the ministry sites and locations, knitting, sewing, writing cards of encouragement, providing gift bags (that have been blessed by the clergy) to new moms, prayer vigils, Walk for Life, and, most recently, the outpouring of Advent Tree donations to support for babies and moms alike. We’ve never seen the Belly Boutique so stocked! There’s a place for everyone at this table… so, please join us in celebrating Life and being part of the Lord’s Great Commission in sharing His Gospel and His love of life!

Cherishing This Abundant Life

By The Rev’d Canon Bill Krizner, Canon for Missions & Evangelism

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
–John 10:10

January is Life Month at the Cathedral and we are asking that each and every parishioner join us in both praying for and celebrating the many wonders of this abundant life that the Father has provided. As Christians, we proclaim that all human life is a precious gift from God that is to be both treasured and protected. As recipients of such a gift, Christ calls us to live into the responsibilities that accompany it. At St. Peters Anglican Cathedral, we believe that life should be protected and nurtured from the moment of conception until our final earthly breath. While much of our focus rightfully centers on advocacy for the unborn, we must also stand beside people in the midst of war, hunger, injustice, and other social issues that directly affect and challenge the dignity of human life. Moreover, we also treasure the beauty of the lives within our own parish, as we continually minister to the sick and the dying.

At St. Peters, we celebrate life outside the walls of the Cathedral through our Missions & Evangelism ministry. Within Missions & Evangelism, our Life Core works diligently with local pregnancy ministries, such as A Women’s Pregnancy Center and The PHI Center, as well as end-of-life ministries such as those offered at Big Bend Hospice. The same team loves on new mothers and children through our partnership with the Making Miracles Group Home. And through our Under-Resourced and International Cores, we serve countless people facing hunger and homelessness throughout the world.

We also greatly treasure the precious lives of our members at St. Peter’s Cathedral as they face illness and death through our Pastoral Care ministry. Our newly appointed Director of Pastoral Care, Father Jeff Trostle, has been working diligently to strengthen our Stephen Ministries, GriefShare offering, Healing Hearts Library, and LEM-V ministries. Our clergy and staff make weekly calls and visits to the sick and to the dying and welcome visits to discuss end-of-life planning with parishioners and families.

God is indeed pro-life, as He both creates and sustains it at every stage–the pre-born, infancy, adolescence, maturity, and old age. At St. Peter’s, we do indeed stand strongly against abortion and euthanasia and we will take time to consider both on Sanctity of Life weekend on January 22nd and 23rd with both a prayer service and a special visit from local life ministry leaders. However, we also remain committed to protecting human life at every stage and believe that God calls us to cherish and celebrate the abundant life that He promises throughout Scripture to all people. Please take time this month to give God thanks for such life and pray about ways to join St. Peter’s in cherishing and protecting it.

The Journey to Discipleship

The Rev'd Canon Dr. Michael W. Petty, Canon for Adult Formation

It is time to think about the next stage of our journey to discipleship! If you have not picked up a copy of the Spring Discipleship Opportunities Catalogue, please do so today. Once again, your Adult Formation Committee has planned a bountiful slate of classes, all of which are designed to guide us on the journey to discipleship. For the spring of 2022, the Adult Formation Committee has chosen to focus class offering on helping the parish live into the Parish Rule of Life. You can find information about the Parish Rule of Life on the website under the 'Resources' tab.

I would like to highlight a few of the classes being offered:

• Archbishop Bob will be offering a class aimed at introducing us to the apostles and the great saints of the Church. (Tuesday evenings)

• Fr. Matt and Daniel Halladay will help you to use the Book of Common Prayer to enrich your daily prayer life. (Wednesday evenings)

• Fr. Jeff will introduce you to the fruit of the Spirit. (Wednesday evenings)

• Fr. Marcus will lead you on an exploration of the Gospel of Mark. (Wednesday evenings)

• Fred Thomson will help you to begin to appreciate the riches of Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (Wednesday evenings)

• Fr. Andy Miller will introduce you to the basics of healing prayer. (Thursday evenings)

• The Charles Simeon Lay School of Theology will offer a class on the faith of the New Testament. (during the Easter Season)

These are just a few of the discipleship opportunities that will be offered in the spring. To learn about others, pick up a copy of the Spring Discipleship Opportunities Catalogue or visit our website.

Space in each class is limited, so please register now!

I look forward to this next stage of our journey to discipleship.

-Fr. Michael+

The Truth of Christmas Carols

By The Very Rev’d Marcus A. Kaiser, Dean & Rector

Some traditions and institutions have been around so long we think that they’ve been around forever. For example, it was thirty-two years ago that the irreverent cartoon The Simpsons first aired, and it has been an inextricable part of western culture ever since. The show is so much a part of our societal background that it even has had a thing or two to say about Christmas. In one holiday episode a few years ago, the nasal matriarch, Marge, silences a group of carolers, telling them that, “Christmas carols only have one verse!” She then admits, “Well, they may have more, but the second verse is where they get all weird and religiousy.”

For most of us, the carols we sing in this season are one of the highlights of Christmas. Music has a way of transporting us through time and gets worn into our bones with a familiar comfort. With respect to the Simpson family, this year I encourage you to do more than let these tunes play in the background like a music box. Pay attention to those 'weird and religiousy' second and third verses, for they contain some of the most profound truths humanity can proclaim. In this season, we don’t only sing about herald angels, we proclaim, “veiled in flesh the God-head see; hail the incarnate Deity!” We not only bid each other, “O come, all ye faithful,” but we proclaim that Jesus is “God from God, light from light eternal.” 

And while we attend to these second verses, I invite you to linger just a bit past today. For the Church, Christmas has just begun. The world may now move on from Jingle Bells and Rudolph, but just like those second verses, it’s about to get all weird and religiousy here at St. Peter’s.

For most of Christian history, Christmas Day has been only the beginning, leading us through the twelve days to Epiphany where we celebrate the revelation of God to mankind. For us, this isn’t about a safe and distant child from whom we can so easily turn, but about a savior so committed that he chose to take on our flesh to save us from ourselves and from hell itself. In these days some come because the rituals and songs feel so comfortable, but we must ask ourselves–do we really believe what we sing or is it all just a sweet dream of a distant fairy tale?

My friends, no matter how sweet, how familiar, how safe this time in the church may feel, and I hope it is all those things, let us not forget the weird and religiousy–and wonderful–truth. God came to us from Heaven to save us, and it is for that reason that we can joyfully say, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr. Marcus+

What Is Confirmation?

by The Rev’d David Marten, Youth & Young Adult Minister

Confirmation is, perhaps, one of the most significant moments of the life of a Christian. For those unfamiliar, confirmation is sacramental, an outward physical sign of an inward spiritual grace. The outward sign is the laying on of hands; the inward grace is receiving gifts of the Holy Spirit for newness of life and ministry. A significant part of this is a public confession of the faith as one's own. For adults, this means publicly entering into the community of believers. For students, it marks taking ownership of the faith as his or her own. Here, in brief, is the confession that every confirmand is making today:

The bishop will have the confirmands make three renunciations:

1. Do you renounce the devil and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?

2. Do you renounce the empty promises and deadly deceits of this world that corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?

3. Do you renounce the sinful desires of the flesh that draw you from the love of God?

Then, he has them make three promises:

1. Do you turn to Jesus Christ and confess him as your Lord and Savior?

2. Do you joyfully receive the Christian Faith, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments?

3. Will you obediently keep God’s holy will and commandments, and walk in them all the days of your life?

Finally concluding by confessing their faith using the words of the Apostles Creed.

In preparation for this public confession, each confirmand has been working diligently. They have studied God’s word and learned the Nicene Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and 10 Commandments.

In light of all this, I encourage you to pray for everyone being confirmed today. For peace of mind and for the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Here’s the confirmation prayer in the 2019 Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty and everliving God, we beseech you to strengthen these your servants for witness and ministry through the power of your Holy Spirit. Daily increase in them your manifold virtues of grace: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and true godliness, and the spirit of holy fear, now and forever. Amen.

True Happiness in an Uncertain World

An Invitation to the Advent Quiet Morning

The Right Rev'd Neil G. Lebhar, Bishop of the Gulf Atlantic Diocese

In the preparation season of Advent, it is helpful to set aside time to consider the key questions that we can easily ignore in the busyness surrounding us.

And we live in an uncertain moment. No one knows what the post-pandemic world is becoming. The political tensions not eased, economic pressures are mounting, and around the world are painful crises. It is the right time to revisit how the Christian life is to be understood and shared with others.

Anglican Bishop J.C. Ryle wrote an evangelistic tract entitled “Are You Happy?” in the nineteenth century. In a culture searching for stability, happiness, personal identity, and fulfillment, we will consider Ryle’s still pertinent reflections on true Christian happiness in the midst of competing visions. We will alternate between brief teachings and times of meditation and prayer.

Advent Lessons and Carols: What is it?

By The Rev’d Canon Matthew Wilkins, Canon for Worship

The service of Nine Lessons and Carols began all the way back in the year 1880. It was started by Bishop Edward White Benson (Bishop of Truro in Cornwall) as a way to attract the crowds of Christmas revelers around the city away from the pubs and into the Church. This new idea was a smashing success, with the first formal service of Lessons and Carols drawing a crowd of over 400! 

After Bishop Benson was appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1883, the service began to gain wide popularity around England, but thanks to King's College Cambridge, Lessons and Carols has become popular the world over, even outside of Anglicanism. In 1918 the Dean of King’s College Chapel, Eric Milner-White, employed the excellent Chapel Choir to offer the service every year. In 1928, the BBC began broadcasting the service annually on the radio, and later in 1954 began to televise the service, making Lessons and Carols a tradition not just in England but across the world. 

Here at St. Peter’s Lessons and Carols has long been a part of our Advent and Christmas traditions. In the service, where Scripture, hymns, and choir anthems work together to tell the story of the coming Messiah, our hearts are prepared to welcome our newborn King at Christmas. For me, Lessons and Carols is one the most moving services of the entire Church year, and one of my favorites. 

I also find that Lessons and Carols is one of the easiest services of the year to invite people to come to (be it those who go to other churches or those who are not Christians). Though the world continues to change, there’s still something about the Advent and Christmas season that even the most staunch skeptics are still receptive to. When you combined the Good News of Jesus as heard in Scripture and song with the always incredible reception that follows the service, you get a perfect opportunity to bring someone along with you! Maybe it’s a neighbor, maybe it’s a longtime friend, or maybe it’s someone who isn’t too sure about Jesus or the Church. If it’s the latter, invite them so they can see how good Jesus is, and that we church folks aren’t all that weird.

So come to Lessons and Carols to prepare yourself for the coming King, but also think and pray about who God might be asking you to bring along with you that evening.

I Need Someone To Talk To...

I’m So Grateful for Stephen Ministry!

By a man who received care from a Stephen Minister

Fourteen months ago, I was at a point where I needed someone to talk to about the struggles in my life. My pastor recommended I consider meeting with a Stephen Minister–another man, trained as a caregiver, who would walk with me during this difficult time. Trusting someone with personal information about my life was something I feared at first, but my pastor reassured me that everything was confidential, so I agreed to give it a try. I’m so glad I did!

Soon after meeting my Stephen Minister, I quickly sensed I could trust him. Part of that trust came from knowing he was trained to help people through their problems. He made me feel comfortable by not prying for information, but instead just letting me share what was on my mind. Any questions he did ask fit our conversation appropriately. Probably the best thing he did for me was not judge me for my past decisions; rather, he was there to help me move forward.

I think another significant trust-building factor was being able to talk with someone who was not in my regular circle of friends. My friends certainly continued to have a very important place in my life, but I also needed someone who could see me objectively. That helped make it easier to share personal parts of my life. Also, knowing my Stephen Minister would be there for me “next week” (we usually met for an hour each week) gave me confidence. I see now how much I needed regular encouragement as I rode the roller coaster of emotions that came during this period of instability in my life.

I really appreciated our time together. Our weekly visits were more than just meeting to talk. They also helped keep me accountable between times, to carry through with the changes I said I wanted to make. My Stephen Minister often went out of his way to help me in my struggle.

My life experience during the ten months I met with my Stephen Minister was not always one of progress. It took courage for me to honestly share when I had my failures and setbacks too. Even then, my Stephen Minister was there for me. He encouraged me not to give up, but to pick up and keep going forward.

That genuine acceptance spoke to me the most; not to accept failure, but to confess, turn, and receive forgiveness. Having someone assure me of that biblical truth was really encouraging and was exactly what I needed.

My Stephen Minister walked with me through a really dark part of my life, pointing me to the truth and love that is in Christ. I thank the Lord for my Stephen Minister who did not try to solve all my problems but lovingly, as a Christian brother, walked along with me through this valley in my life. 

If you are dealing with some type of crisis or difficulty in life, I encourage you to meet with a Stephen Minister. You won’t regret it!

Stephen Ministers care for those dealing with grief, divorce, job loss, hospitalization, financial struggles, loneliness, convalescence, terminal illness, and many other life difficulties.

Please contact us (StephenMinistries@StPetersFL.com) if you need someone to talk to.
Testimony taken from StephenMinistries.org

Our Spiritual Worship

By Jennifer Nicholson, Worship Ministry Intern & Master of Worship Studies Candidate

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” –Romans 12:1

Did you know we have a Worship Ministry Intern at St. Peter’s? Maybe you noticed in the worship section of the Keys several weeks ago that an analysis of Sunday service music was being offered, and you wondered, “What’s that about?”

St. Peter’s has graciously provided me a space to complete a Worship Internship under Fr. Matt Wilkins. I’m a graduate student at the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, an innovative, hybrid program that allows students to learn directly from a ministry context while taking classes. Imagine the Charles Simeon Summer Fellowship here at the Cathedral, but expanded to an entire degree program open to anyone involved in worship. Part of my degree requirements is to complete a nearly 8-month internship of 10 hours a week, which I started at the end of July.

So what falls under worship, and what have I been doing this whole time? In all of my internship areas, I try to get to the heart of worship, namely God’s story: Creation, Fall, Covenant, Incarnation, Crucifixion, Redemption, Resurrection, and New Creation. When we worship, we are rehearsing God’s grand story and what he has done for us, on a personal and congregational level. 

We have many fantastic worship opportunities at the Cathedral, some of which were highlighted at Connections Sunday. I started here in music ministry as a section leader singing on Sunday mornings, but worship is much more than music. I have attended Evening Prayer, a beautiful spoken service that ends the day in praise to God, consistently every week at 4:30pm. I have been trained as a LEM-V and taken Communion to those unable to come to the Sunday service. I have been writing canticles, songs of Scripture, based on translations from our 2019 Book of Common Prayer. I co-lead an Engage group for 9th and 10th-grade girls, where I create lessons, teach and encourage the next generation in their faith and understanding of worship. I’ve been leading devotionals for the choir on Sunday mornings, analyzing the songs and our purpose in the service. 

You don’t have to be a worship intern to participate and grow in worship. Regularly attending the Sunday service is a great start, but our worship is meant to remind us of who we are as the Body of Christ, to praise God for who he is and what he has done, and to shape our hearts in service to Christ. Jesus leads the way; let’s worship as he does!

Come To Prison With Us!

by Chuck Lang

St. Peter's Missions & Evangelism Ministry's Core focus in the month of November is Prison Ministry

I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you visited me.
–Matthew 25:36

Why should any Christian do prison ministry? If you had asked me that in my early 20s I would have told you two things that were wrong. First, I would have said I was a Christian. Second, that we should put all criminals in prison and throw away the key. Fast forward 10 years, when a few years after I received Christ, Bobby Carrouth stood up during announcements and reminded us that Jesus told us to visit those in prison.

He was right, so I decided to go on one Kairos weekend even though it was out of my comfort zone. I could check the box. I signed up and to my relief, the volunteers received great training and we all became better friends, almost like that was the plan. Long story short, the prisoners were a blast to hang out with. My job was mainly to sit at a table and enjoy the program. You can imagine the kind of upbringing most of them had–very little love or affirmation. They receive more love, freedom, and respect during one Kairos weekend than they typically have experienced in years. The encouragement they received was contagious. By the end of the second day (3.5 day weekend), the Holy Spirit was bouncing off the walls and into all of our hearts.

By the end of the weekend, ALL lives were changed. Many heard the full story of Jesus and His good news for the first time and received Him as their Lord and Savior. They realized they could be forgiven and began to forgive others for the first time. Tough men broke down and shed tears as the walls they built up were broken down through the love of Christ.

Volunteers’ lives are changed too. We experience the love of Christ unlike anywhere else I know. We don’t take Jesus to the inmates; He is sitting there waiting for us. The Holy Spirit flows through the volunteers and the inmates. We are blown away by the love they receive and then share. The first few Kairos weekends I went on, I patted myself on the back for loving the inmates. Then, I realized it was God loving them, not me. VERY humbling that he could use forgiven sinners to love others. We serve a mighty big God. I hope and pray that you can come and see Him in action. I believe the devil does all he can to make prison ministry 'unpopular' and thereby to steal blessings God planned for you.

Why should you do prison ministry? To experience the love of Christ in a powerful way. To be obedient to Jesus (Matthew25:31-46). To get out of your comfort zone and closer to brothers in Christ and the Lord.

How do I participate? Just show up at the team meetings. See page 2 of The Keys for dates. If you can’t come to the first one or two reach out to Jason White, Bobby Carrouth, or me. There is a background check that takes a little time.

I am unable to go on this weekend; how else can I participate? Pray for the inmates and team members, write letters, make posters, come to some of the team meetings to learn more.

A tribute to our prison ministry spiritual leader. God called Bobby Carrouth to prison ministry many years ago and gets all the credit. God then used Bobby to bless and call many, many men and is like one of King David’s mighty men–A true warrior for the Lord.

Other prison ministries. We focused on Kairos in this article due to the upcoming weekend. St. Peter's also brings Celebrate Recovery to prison and is working to expand our re-entry partnerships with the Good Samaritan Network and Good News Outreach. Let us know if you might be willing to help in some of this work that will include construction, fellowship, and other work together.

In God’s Great Power,

Chuck Lang

Root and Grow

The Rev'd Canon Bill Krizner, Canon for Missions & Evangelism

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”   –Jeremiah 17:7-8

It has been an exciting month at St. Peter's, as we have explored a renewed vision together as a Church. The launch of the Parish Rule of Life now challenges each and every one of us to reconsider our relationships with Jesus Christ through four differing but interrelated lenses: our daily reading of Scripture, our pattern of prayer and worship, our role in building up the Church, and, as we are exploring today, our call in going out to share the Good News with the world around us. As each of the Canons has shared in their respective sermons, the Parish Rule of Life is not about “doing more” but instead encouraging and challenging us to “live more.” In other words, it serves as a great invitation to come closer to the God of the Universe and grow deeper into a more intimate relationship with Him.

The wonderful news is that each of the four areas prepares our hearts, minds, and souls to explore our place with Christ in each of the others. By studying God’s Word, experiencing Him in worship, and growing closer through service together at St. Peter’s, we are being formed to more boldly go and share the rich gift of Faith within the midst of the darkened world around us. The image of Jeremiah’s tree in the passage above reminds us of the importance of such grounding–strong roots provide us with the courage to stand strong and bear fruit even in the midst of complete opposition. Moreover, this image also brings forth another critical opportunity–the need for each of us to assume the role of seed bearer–evangelists and missionaries going forth from the strength of the Church, reflected in the image of this mighty tree, and then planting seeds in the hearts of others.

Missions & Evangelism have exploded within the past year at St. Peter’s, with so many of our parishioners giving greatly of their time, treasure, and talents throughout both Tallahassee and the world beyond. We have built a structure, focused within our 8 Cores, that has intentionally opened far greater opportunities so that every single parishioner can live more fully into their missional design. Going forth and sharing the love of Jesus with those that do not know Him is part of what it is to be a Christian.

We have some very specific mission-centered ways in which you can take the next steps in your relationship with God. With this in mind, we invite you to spend time exploring all that is happening on the new interactive diagram on the Missions & Evangelism tab on the St. Peters website. You can also reach out to me directly at Bill@StPetersFL.com or any one of our amazing Core Captains who are boldly leading the work within the 8 areas of Missions & Evangelism.

Sharing the transforming power of the Gospel with the world is a call upon each of our lives and opens the door to a much richer relationship with Christ. Come join us in His work!!!

Connections Sunday

What is Connections Sunday? Really, it's every Sunday, but today especially, as we delve deeper into a Parish Rule of Life, it's an opportunity to re-engage with the various ministries of St. Peter's both within our walls and beyond these walls in the world. Each of us is encouraged to seriously consider what it means to be living into the Parish Rule of Life. On the two previous Sundays, we heard about two of the four components of a Parish Rule of Life: Worship & Prayer and Discipleship. Today’s sermon covers the third component, Community, and next Sunday we will hear a sermon on the fourth component, Missions.

So today... today is Connections Sunday!

Connections Sunday is especially focused on helping us all live into the Community and Missions components, which can be described simply as:

'Building up the Church'

&

'Sharing in God’s mission to the world'

Community ministries are centered on a commitment to sharing in the common priesthood (service) of St. Peter’s for the purpose of building up Christ’s body in this place. Each of the ministries within this realm has a display set up in the North Transept.

Missions ministries are centered on the commitment to sharing in the common priesthood (service) of St. Peter’s for the purpose of sharing in the mission to which God has called us in the world. Each of the ministries within this realm has a display set up in the South Transept.

Please walk through the displays with the purpose of discerning where and how God may be calling you to new service of Him in the life of our parish. If you are already involved in a Community ministry, consider looking for a place of service in a Missions ministry. If you are already involved in a Missions ministry, consider looking for a place of service in a Community ministry.

Each ministry has a way through which you may indicate your interest. This is not a sign-up or commitment form, rather a means of providing further information to aid in your discernment! If you leave your name, someone from that ministry will contact you to help discern your involvement. Please walk through the transepts and see where God might be calling you to serve!

Thank you for the many ways in which you are already serving! Please continue to serve as you are called, even as you seek to further your commitment to Christ's body in this place and God's mission in the world.

Worship and Prayer

By The Rev’d Canon Matthew Wilkins, Canon for Worship

We were made to worship...

The word “worship” comes from the same Saxon root as the word “worth." This means that to worship someone (or something) is to give that person (or thing) the honor that they are worth. As Christians, when we talk about worship we are talking about God and giving God the honor that is due his name (see 1 Chronicles 16:29). But worship is far more than just a thing we do, in the greatest sense, worship has to do with who we are.

From the very beginning, God created us to live in a relationship with Him, a relationship that I would argue is best described, at least from our side of it, as one of worship: where we know God’s incomprehensibly great mercy and love towards us, and are moved to offer back to Him not only thanks and praise but our very lives.

And even though sin entered creation and broke this worshipful relationship with God, the desire to worship still lives within each of us but is now distorted by sin. This means that we often point our desire to worship at things other than God, bundling our lives around those things in the process. As pastor/scholar/author Timothy Keller often points out, our problem isn’t whether or not we worship, but rather what it is that we worship.

This is why worship is one of the key components of the Parish Rule of Life. Worship is essential to a life of following Jesus because when we come to worship God we are reminded of what is true about ourselves, about the world around us, and about God. We are reminded of our brokenness and our deep need for God’s mercy, we are reminded that the world around us is not as it should be and that we are citizens of Jesus’ Kingdom, and we are reminded again and again of who our God is: a God of grace who week by week offers us pardon and feeds us both through His Word and in the body and blood of His Son Jesus.

There are two ways of thinking about our prayer and worship when it comes to the Parish Rule of Life.

The first is our corporate worship. This is where we gather every Sunday to sing and pray, to meditate on God’s word, and to gather around the Lord’s Table together. It’s the chance for us who have been wearied by the demands of life to come and find rest in the goodness of God, to hear the good news of what God has done for us and to offer ourselves back as a living sacrifice to Him, and then to be fed and replenished for the week that’s ahead.

Individual worship is what we do between these weekly gatherings. Our own daily pattern of prayer and worship keeps us connected to God and in relationship with Him as we go through the week. Some people read scripture and pray and journal. Some use the daily services provided in the Prayer Book like Morning or Evening Prayer, or the shorter Family Prayer services. No matter what form or which resources you use, the main point is finding a way to regularly be in God’s presence in the midst of life so that our worship (and our lives) are directed toward him.

My prayer as we begin to think about the Parish Rule of Life is this: that God will use it as a tool to draw us all into a deeper relationship with Him and into a more intentional life of following Jesus.

A Parish Rule of Life

by The Rev'd Canon Dr. Michael Petty, Canon for Adult Formation

Let’s begin with two questions: First, how much time each week do you spend watching television and/or using social media? Second, how much time each week do you spend reading the Bible? According to survey data from the Pew Center for Religion and Public Life, the answer given to the second question by many American Christians is not encouraging (many were unable to name all four Gospels). It is possible to draw all sorts of conclusions from this data, but I think it needs to be said that generally speaking, we American Christians have an undisciplined approach to the Bible and the media we consume has a greater influence on our lives than the Word of God.

One of the things that the Parish Rule of Life calls all of us to is a regular (daily) and intentional discipline of reading and studying Scripture. There is really only one reason for such a discipline. A daily encounter with God’s Word is a daily encounter with God, who seeks to shape us into his faithful people. In other words, we read Scripture for both information (to understand it) and for transformation (to be changed by God speaking to us).

Many of us have heard 2 Timothy 3:16 quoted partially to support the authority of Scripture (“All Scripture is breathed out by God”). Yes, all Scripture is “breathed out” or inspired by God! But the verse goes on to say, “and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” Scripture was inspired by God for the purpose of making us competent as his people. Without immersion in Scripture, we do not simply remain ignorant of some doctrines, but we remain incompetent Christians. God wants us to be competent so that we can serve him faithfully!

Developing a discipline of reading Scripture takes commitment but having proper resources helps. As you seek to spend more time in God’s Presence, consider the following:

1. Begin to pray the Daily Office in the Book of Common Prayer. This pattern of prayer and Scripture reading will take you through the whole Bible in one year. For an easy to use online version of the Daily Office, go to www.dailyoffice2019.com

2. Subscribe to Encounter With God. This publication will give you a Scripture reading for every day of the year and commentary to go with each reading. To subscribe, go to www.scriptureunion.org

3. Begin using St. Peter’s one-year Bible Reading Plan. These can be found in the Narthex of the church.

4. Form a Bible study group with other members of the St. Peter’s family. If you are interested in doing this, please let me know at MPetty@StPetersFL.com

Remember Romans 15:4– "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."

God Loves A Cheerful Giver

by Mary Carolina Mica

Each Fall during Stewardship Season, the old Sunday School song “God Loves a Cheerful Giver” comes to mind. It is a playful song that I remember singing as a young child and perhaps you do too. Its catchy tune is so simple yet such a truthful reminder as we approach giving our pledge each year. The lyrics of the song are based on 2 Corinthians 9:7 which states,

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

The practice of tithing has been instilled in both my husband and me since we were young. We watched our parents tithe and teach us what it meant. Now that we are parents, we are starting to discuss with our children the meaning of giving cheerfully to our church. It is not for our joy, but for His Kingdom. Most importantly, we want our children to know that we give God back what is ultimately His and in doing so, we praise Him in this act of worship. One example is what we do with our children’s full piggy banks. Last year, when our son’s piggy bank was full, we told him he could empty it out and buy something on an upcoming trip, but first, he had to set aside a portion to give to the church and some to put in savings. Basic principles of stewardship applied even on his level, and it brought incredible joy to us to see our young son begin to understand these principles.

When David and I first got married, submitting our pledge to St. Peter’s was something we both felt very strongly about. We wanted to start our marriage and future family by giving to our church. While the amount has varied over the years, we have intentionally tried to increase it each year. Some years it has been a true leap of faith! But each year as we see the Lord’s generosity in our lives and in this Cathedral, we are overjoyed and encouraged to do more.

Our family is grateful for the ministries of St. Peter’s and shares in the desire to increase our missions and external spending. As Father Michael shared with us in his sermon at the beginning of our stewardship season, “Stewardship is the spiritual discipline which enables us to become generous and so reflect the generosity of God.”

As we all work to make stewardship a spiritual discipline in our lives, may you find joy in being a cheerful giver!

The Harvest is Plentiful

by The Rev'd Canon Bill Krizner, Canon for Missions & Evangelism

As many times as I have read Matthew 9, I am still left wondering “why?”

Why are the laborers so few? Knowing Christ’s compassion for the crowds, why has the Church so often failed to respond to this call by praying and acting? Why has the harvest grown so greatly in our very own city and the number of laborers decreased?

In short, self-absorption…we can become so preoccupied with our own interests, situation, and desires that we lose sight of our primary call as Christians – namely, loving God and then our neighbors with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

We find ourselves in a new season of ministry at St. Peter’s Cathedral. It is a time when the Holy Spirit is breaking hearts and opening eyes for those who have yet to call Jesus Christ both Lord and Savior. We have been working diligently to build a far greater capacity for ALL our parishioners to give of their time, talents, and treasures to work in many critical areas of ministry – upholding the sanctity of life, ending human-trafficking, international partnerships, school campus outreach, under-resourced outreach, and prison outreach. We have changed our approach from simply “doing good things” to expressly sharing the saving name of Jesus Christ as we go about Kingdom work. We are identifying and building up the laity and trusting them– trusting YOU to use your God-given talents to envision and lead this Gospel-centered work. In short, we are growing hungrier to be a Gospel proclaiming church that genuinely reflects the call of the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.

You see, a spirit of missions and evangelism is the very heart of Christianity, and it can only be effective as a result of each and every one of us partnering to help the advancement of the Gospel. Giving faithfully for such purposes is, quite simply stated, Biblical stewardship. As the “Pac Man” graph in this year’s stewardship booklet so vulnerably reveals, we have a long way to go in directing more of our resources to the advancement of the Gospel. However, we believe that, through both faithful prayer and faithful giving, St. Peter’s will continue becoming a church that is truly centered in the proclamation that Jesus Christ came to save all people from the bondage of sin, as it shares this Good News with the world outside the walls of the Cathedral.

The harvest is truly plentiful, friends…Won’t you join Christ, and St. Peter’s, in the fields?

Why One Family Tithes from North Carolina

By Sean Jecko

Have you ever felt like the Sunday morning drive to St. Peter’s is a bit overwhelming? I know my family and I often feel that way…but our drive is 635 miles one-way and takes nearly 10 hours to complete–assuming I-95 in South Carolina isn’t backed up…again!

Let me explain.

We are the Jecko family – Sean, Christine, Ann Elizabeth, and Jonathan. We live in Durham, North Carolina, and are regular attenders of St. Peter's (usually online, but we do visit-in-person throughout the year). But more than long-distance attendees, we are financial supporters of the cathedral – we give joyfully through a regular monthly tithe to St. Peter's.

You might be wondering what would make a family like ours “attend” and support a parish that is so far away…especially considering that we have at least four other Anglican churches within close proximity to our home.

Well, it’s complicated.

Part of it is that we’ve tried other local churches (Anglican and otherwise) and have found their worship to be lacking. They just don’t measure up to the worship at St. Peter’s.

Another part is that we have deep roots in the St. Peter’s family. I was on staff at St. John’s in the late ‘90s and I met and married my wife, Christine, in that historic church. More recently, though, both my father and father-in-law were buried in St. Peter's, and my mother-in-law, who was just elected to the vestry, is an active member of the church. These are all good things, but these reasons are tenuous at best.

When I asked my family why St. Peter’s feels like it is our home church, their answers were clear and consistent – there’s just something different about this church.

The leaders and the people of St. Peter’s are committed to scriptural authority. The leaders and people stand boldly and steadfastly in a cynical and changing world. The church is authentic and real when so much of our society is not. Even as the leadership has changed over the years, the church’s focus and commitment have not. St. Peter’s is a rock, and that’s precisely the kind of faith that my wife and I want modeled for us and for our children.

So, while we don’t get to participate in the daily life of the church as much as we’d like, we want to ensure the church has the financial means to continue its mission of serving and supporting the Tallahassee community and the world as Christ commanded. That is why we pledge our support and tithe to St. Peter's.

Sean, Christine, Ann Elizabeth, and Jonathan Jecko

Annual Stewardship Campaign Begins

by John Wood & Mac McNeill, Treasurer & Chair of Finance Committee

Today at St. Peter’s Cathedral, we begin our annual Stewardship Campaign. As Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee, we are writing on behalf of St. Peter’s requesting your pledge of support to our beloved Cathedral and its missions for the upcoming year.

For those new to St. Peter’s and the Anglican process of stewardship, we do not simply draw up a budget based on our financial requirements of salaries, mortgages, utilities, missions, spiritual priorities, etc., and then hope gifts will match our budget. We ask our members to prayerfully consider their financial investment and then we construct our annual budget from the total of the funds pledged.

God has certainly blessed our development and growth at St. Peter’s as we have been blessed financially with balanced budgets each year. We have suffered through great turmoil, and to borrow from a biblical parable, God has pruned our vines back a bit. Additionally, we have endured a worldwide pandemic, and yet, we have remained financially strong with good and prudent stewardship of our resources and finances.

St. Peter’s Cathedral has a bright and brilliant future! As a parish, we should all be excited about where we now are and where we are being led by our Dean and Rector, Fr. Marcus Kaiser. At the recent Annual Parish Meeting, Fr. Marcus shared his vision of St. Peter’s as a ‘Working Ranch Church’ –working to do God’s will in our church, our community, and wherever else God leads us!

Through your gifts, we sustain, grow, and pursue excellence in worship, missions, music, and Christian education, as well as maintain our beautiful Cathedral and property, which is a tremendous blessing to our congregation and community. More importantly, through your generosity people come to know the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ and follow him as disciples. We are called to give to the church with a cheerful heart because Christ has given so much. Please pray for God’s work within the St. Peter’s family and within your lives as you discern the role you will play in supporting our Stewardship Campaign.

Consider the words of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, and yes, to us at St. Peter's as well:

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." –2 Corinthians 9:6–8

Sincerely,

John & Mac

Stephen Ministers: The After People

By The Rev’d Dr. Jeff Trostle, Director of Pastoral Care

People often ask, “What exactly is a Stephen Minister?” One way to put it is that Stephen Ministers are the 'After People!'

Stephen Ministers are there:

• …after the phone call you hoped you’d never get.

• …after the funeral, when everyone has left and the emotions you’ve held at bay come crashing in on you.

• …after the relationship falls apart and the bottom falls out of your life.

• …after the doctor delivers news you hoped you’d never hear.

• …after retiring, when you realize the changes in your life are more than you expected.

• …after the last child honks the horn, waves, and drives away – and the house suddenly seems so empty.

• …after the baby arrives, demanding more of you than you ever dreamed possible.

• …after you find a pink slip with your final paycheck.

• …after your family and friends have heard your story one too many times, but you still need to talk it out.

Stephen Ministers are the 'After People.' They are ready to come alongside you – or someone you may know in our parish – and provide comfort, support, and a listening ear for as long after as needed.

Stephen Ministry is a confidential, one-on-one ministry to those suffering from life’s challenges. Please reach out if you need someone to trust, someone who will listen, someone who will care. Our Stephen Ministers are ready to help.

Contact Donna Trostle: StephenMinistry@StPetersFL.com

Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
-Galatians 6:2

Cathedral Choristers

by Debbie Garven, Music Associate

The graded choral program at the Cathedral is what we call “Choristers”, but what even IS a chorister? 

Technically, a chorister is anyone who sings in a choir. Many Chorister programs in cathedrals around the world are made up of singers from the school on campus or in the nearby community. Most of the choristers at St. Peter's are parishioners of the Cathedral but some participate from other churches because of the unique training and opportunity it offers.

Our Chorister program is actually made up of children and youth from 5 years of age all the way through high school. The youngest choristers spend time rehearsing and learning about being part of a choir team and learning about music and worship. They sing several times throughout the year for Evensong.

The senior-most choristers sing about once a month at Choral Evensong on Sunday evenings. Singing in this program is an exceptional opportunity for musical growth in a healthy Christian environment as well as spiritual encouragement through leading worship. I do encourage you to attend the next Chorister lead Choral Evensong (you should attend Evensong regularly anyway as it is a wonderful and different service from the morning).

In fact, a small ensemble of our choristers will be leading this evening's Choral Evensong at 5:00pm.

As the writer of Hebrews wrote: "Let us not give up meeting together and encouraging one another," especially our younger brothers and sisters, in the corporate worship of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you have an interest in your child or grandchild being a part of our Chorister Program, please contact Debbie Garven at Debbie@StPetersFL.com. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 4:00pm for grades K-4th and at 5:00pm for 5th-12th grades, beginning September 8.