Please help MaRIH Crisis Pregnancy Center. In the latter part of this e-letter is an updated list of needs for MaRIH Crisis Pregnancy Center. No clothing is being accepted at this time but there is a critical need for certain sized diapers, baby wipes and more.  Your help is needed.  You can also donate to MaRIH Center by clicking on donate button after Fr. Chris Fish's message and then use drop down box to go to Charity & Mercy once you are on the donation page.
 
The Anglican Way -- Church Polity in Scripture
 
With our recent Diocesan Synod and election of Bishop-Elect Johnson, it's timely to examine what Scripture has to say about Church Polity.  Per New Testament teaching, there are four orders that are necessary for proper Church governance: laity, deacons, priests, and bishops. The laity are called “saints,” “faithful,” and “brethren” throughout the New Testament.  The laity (from the Greek laos) are the people of God (1 Pet 2:4-10).  Originally, the laity included the clergy, but our modern understanding is that the laity are those members of the Church who are not ordained.  Of course, we should always remember that it is the laity who produce the three other orders. 
 
As you read in 1 Timothy, deacons are considered servants of the Church and must meet high expectations. Besides serving the material needs of the people, deacons play a crucial role in the liturgical life of the Church. The priesthood was established, as the early Church grew, to “rule,” “labor in the world,” and teach true “doctrine” in the local congregation at the behest of the local bishop (1 Tim 5). We view our priests as joined to our High Priest, Jesus Christ, “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 5:6). As such, Anglican Catholic priests are ministers of a New Covenant that supersedes the Old Covenant and the priesthood of the Old Testament.

The bishop is the “overseer” of the clergy and congregations in a given geographic area, and is considered the head of the elders of the Church.  The bishop is the leader within the Church, is the icon of Jesus Christ, and is the “shepherd and overseer” of our souls (1 Pet 2). The Twelve Apostles were the first to hold the office of bishop.  We know that St. James was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and St. Peter was the first Bishop of Antioch and later the Bishop of Rome.  
 
Further credence to the early presence of this four-fold Church organization can be seen in the writings of St. Ignatius (AD 67-107), also a Bishop of Antioch, who wrote of “Christians (laity) at one with the bishop and the presbyters (priests) and the deacons.”  It is important for all of us to remember that Church leadership does not consist of one or more of the four orders functioning without the others. A common metaphor for the healthy governance of the Church is one where it is conducted like a symphony orchestra.

The whole Church is a family, the Body of Christ, where all members in their respective offices work together in harmony.  Nowhere is this more evident than the way our Diocese elects a bishop: with both the House of Laity and the House of Clergy having equal say.  An episcopal candidate must win 2/3 of the votes in both Houses to be elected. So at this time, as we await the consecration of our newly-elected Bishop Johnson, let us give thanks to God for the gift of the four-fold structure of the Church where ALL of the faithful have their important parts to play.
 
-- Fr. Chris Fish

All things come of thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee
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SERVICES & EVENTS
 
Sunday Services, 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM, & 11:15 AM (for online participation for the services go to: https://www.facebook.com/saintsofscotland) 

Nursery in undercroft for 9:00 AM & 11:15 AM services

Sunday School in recess until September

Wednesday, 12 noon, Holy Communion and anointing for healing, (for online participation for the service go to: https://www.facebook.com/saintsofscotland)

Wednesday 7:30 PM Bible study with Father Bragg, "The Gospel of Saint Mark in the World of Saint Mark" in church undercroft

Next Vestry Meeting, September 23, 7:30 PM

SAVE THE DATE: Sunday Oct. 13, Parish Picnic at Fort Hunt Park following combined 10 AM Service, more details to follow
 
UPDATED: MaRIH Center (crisis pregnancy center) Needs Our Help

MaRIH Center with its all volunteer staff provides help to mothers-to-be and mothers in need.  Please provide some of the items that are needed.. (You can leave the donations where the food for the food bank is collected on the pew in the undercorft.)

Especially Needed
 In Bold are a critical need.

Diapers (sizes newborn, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6)
Lovies
Baby wipes
Diaper rash ointment
Baby shampoo
Baby blankets
Bibs
Formula: Simulac Advance Formula
Formula: other but not recalled
Wash clothes
Hooded towels
Grocery gift cards


Food Donations: Help Feed the Hungry
Please help this month with a food donation if you are able. Christ House is very thankful for the food we provide to them each month. Please also buy low sugar cereals (and not the kid's types that have lots of sugar).  Current needs include the following:
• canned meats (chicken, corned beef, spam)
• peanut butter
• jelly
• tuna
• canned vegetables (corn, green beans - (regular and low sodium)
• individual fruit cups (low sugar)
• canned fruit (low sugar)
• boxed cereal (low sugar) and instant or old fashioned oatmeal (18 oz or 42 oz)
• pasta (regular and gluten-free)
• instant potatoes
• Macaroni & cheese kits
Soups: Chunky or Progresso; Chicken broth
• Coffee, cooking oil, flour, sugar
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St. Andrew & St. Margaret of Scotland
1607 Dewitt Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301-1625