Author: administrator

Dear Members of the Episcopal Church in Central PA,

Today, Bishop Scanlan invites us “to hold fast, hold fast to God, hold fast to each other, hold fast to our plan, and we will know the love of God and the truth of God.”

In the Way of Love,

The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan

XI Bishop

Dear parishioners,

Today’s email is going to focus on a new and exciting ministry we are commencing tomorrow – Virtual Evening Prayer!

An Invitation to All!

Please join us for our virtual service of Evening Prayer, on Zoom, commencing TOMORROW, Friday, May 15^th at 7:00 PM and every Friday at that time, led by our choir director, Patrick Ishler.

Ever wonder, what is Evening Prayer in the Episcopal Church?  Here is a little history from episcopalchurch.org library:

One of the principal Daily Offices. Evening Prayer has been the title for the Evening Office in Anglican worship since the 1552 revision of the Prayer Book. Evening Prayer may begin with an opening sentence of scripture and with the confession of sin. The Invitatory may include the canticle Phos Hilaron, an ancient hymn praising Christ at the lighting of lamps at sunset. The office continues with a selection from the Psalter, readings from scripture followed by canticles (typically the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis), the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, a set of suffrages, one or more collects, and the dismissal.  Evening Prayer may also include an office hymn or anthem, the General Thanksgiving, a Prayer of St. Chrysostom, and a concluding sentence of scripture.

We will be showing the text on screen to make it easy to follow along. We have also provided a simple pdf to follow by clicking here.   And, if you have a Book of Common Prayer, you may start on page 115.

We invite you to end your week with the experience of Evening Prayer.  By simply clicking on the link below and adding the join code, you will be engaged in the service with ease.

Welcome to Evening Prayer!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87496043790

Join Code:  874 9604 3790

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A few important reminders of upcoming ministries:

Soles4Souls:  Beth Lynch reminds us that they are still collecting shoes, as the deadline was extended through June.  So, if you have shoes, please bring them by the church.  You can leave them by the table near the front red doors and we will bring them in.  It would be best to bring them by between 10-5 during the day.

June Scepter:  If you have stories, photos, graduation announcements, ministry meeting announcements, or thoughts to share, please submit to Mac Miller at: [email protected] by Wednesday May 20^th. Thank you.

Bible Study:  We have been putting forth the announcements for the next session of Bible Study, led by ministry leaders, Bill and Yvonne Gasperetti.  The new session begins next Wednesday, May 20^th and will meet every other Wednesday via zoom.  Please connect with Bill or Yvonne for details.

Virtual Coffee Hour:  Don’t miss our zoom coffee hour, hosted by Joe and Christina McLaughlin each Sunday at 10:00 AM.  The Zoom info is included in every Friday and Saturday email with the service information for Sunday.

New Member Ministry Meeting:  Saturday, May 16^th at 10:00 AM.  The group looks forward to getting together, but we extend the meeting to anyone NEW who would like to join us.  Here is the information to join us: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83781865179?pwd=aVkxL0pNaHlxeEFaYWRPeHA5bm9BUT09

Join Code:  837 8186 5179

Pass Code: 170862

And here is a link to some material we will be discussing:

https://sainteds.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dont-Lose-Your-Online-Guests-PUBLISH-4-15-20.pdf

Enjoy your evening!

Michelle

Dear parishioners,

Happy Wednesday! Two reminders of upcoming ministries that will be ramping up on Zoom that you may want to take advantage of.

On Saturday, May 16^th at 10:00 AM, Mike Patrone and Mary Snyder, Co-Chairs of our New Member Ministry, will be holding their first ever “Zoom meet-up.”  The New Member Ministry was a fantastic revitalized ministry that came from several Adult Forum sessions that covered this very topic, last fall.  The ministry’s mission statement is:  “Our culture as a community of faith makes us all part of God’s children and we welcome everyone to become part of our church family.”  The group would welcome anyone to attend the Zoom meeting to share ideas and learn more about this very important ministry of authentic welcoming and hospitality.  It’s funny, if you scroll down and read the meditation for today, where they speak of “The Art of Neighboring” this seems like the perfect ministry to engage with!  Join us!

Here are the details:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83781865179?pwd=aVkxL0pNaHlxeEFaYWRPeHA5bm9BUT09

Join Code:  837 8186 5179

Pass Code: 170862

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Consider joining our upcoming new session of Bible Study on Wednesday evenings, led by Bill & Yvonne Gasperetti.  Here are the details:

The Wednesday evening Bible Study is progressing well, and we will soon finish our study of the book of James.  The next session with new study material will begin Wednesday, May 20th, continuing at 6:30 in the evening.  We will meet every other week, beginning May 20th, rather than weekly.

Have you been thinking about joining us?  This would be a great time to come on board.  We will be studying St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians.  The study guide is Blackaby’s Encounter With God series, Philippians, which is available on-line with Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  Consider placing your order right away, since Amazon tells us it could be up to 3 weeks for delivery.

If you want to join, but don’t get your book quickly enough, just let us know.  We will help to ensure you can join the sessions.

Until restrictions are lifted, we will continue to hold these sessions on-line by way of Zoom.  Contact Bill at [email protected], or Yvonne at [email protected], for instructions.

We are looking forward to continuing our study, and hope you will join us.

God Bless,

Yvonne Gasperetti

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Today, we offer you a wonderful site to explore our American history.  It is chock full of something for everyone and allows us to experience ‘History at Home.”  It is filled with Live Webcasts, Video Libraries, Colonial Recipes, a History Happy Hour (!), Stories, Hands-On Demonstrations, and much more.  Visit the Jamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum at Yorktown!  https://www.historyisfun.org/at-home/

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Today’s Meditation from Forward Day by Day: 

WEDNESDAY, May 13                  Frances Perkins

Leviticus 19:18b You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Although I am not a biblical literalist, I wonder if this is one passage we are meant to take quite literally.

I’ve been reading about the Art of Neighboring, an initiative that asks neighbors to move beyond platitude to authentic relationship. The program challenges people in the pews to fill out a sheet that looks a bit like a bingo card, with the free space being their own home. They add the names and contact information for their actual neighbors—next door and across the street and catty-corner.

For most people this requires a visit to their neighbors—an introduction and a conversation beyond a friendly wave. The process also takes a bit of courage, especially if you’ve lived in a place for a while without knowing your neighbors—at least, that’s my situation.

In the gospels, Jesus is clear that the commandment to love our neighbor is second only to loving God. He also tells us that our Lord knows us by name. The least we can do is know the names of our neighbors as well.

MOVING FORWARD: Invite a new neighbor to coffee.

PRAY for the Dioceses of Lahore (Pakistan), South Western Brazil, and Southeast Florida

Ps 72 * 119:73-96 | Leviticus 19:1-18 | 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 | Matthew 6:19-24

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We’ll end with a funny note from an email I was sent today from Curt and Mary Ann Franck with some “Church Ladies with Typewriters” of actual sentences that have appeared in church bulletins.  We gotta love our “church ladies”!!

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

Pot-luck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM – prayer and medication to follow.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM .. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Michelle

Dear parishioners,

Today, we started to pull together our service for Sunday.  It starts with Father Rick recording our musical components.  This week, we feature soloist, Jamie Alton, with Karen Waddill as his accompanist.  As the week unfolds, we will record the service, sermon, and the individual readers, before all the parts get edited together.

We also had our restoration crew come in to start the kitchen project and that should be finished in 2 weeks!

We are thinking of ways to get our ministries together, via zoom, to connect on future ideas.  We start this week with the new Member Ministry. The group will hold a meeting Saturday at 10:00 AM.  The parish office will be setting up the meeting link and if anyone would like to be included to attend, please connect with Mike Patrone.

As always, if you have a hymn, or a prayer, or a thought to share in our Daily Message, please send it along to the parish office. We are always looking for content from parishioners.

Today, we offer to you Habitats of Grace from Presiding Bishop Curry.  These are wonderful weekly meditations and are relevant to what we are experiencing in this time of pandemic.  We hope you enjoy this week’s message.

Michelle

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Habits of Grace, May 12, 2020: An invitation for you, from Presiding Bishop Curry

As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, I invite you to join me each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ A new meditation will be posted on Tuesdays through May. These meditations can be watched at any time by clicking here.

May 12, 2020:  Our time is in God’s hands

Hello to everyone who is kind enough to watch and listen to Habits of Grace. I just wanted to give you an alert, not a spoiler alert, but just a simple alert that when you listen to this video you will hear in the background the sound of construction at the elementary school on the other side of our backyard. We’ve listened to the video and you can hear it. But I just wanted to let you know that that noise that you hear is remodeling a school so that little children can go to a school that is modern and nice and meet and right so to do. God love you and you keep the faith.

I don’t know about you, but one of the things that has been a bit confusing during this pandemic has been sort of a discombobulation or a confusion about what time it is and what day it is. I found myself on more than one occasion just asking someone, “What day is today?” There’s a Psalm in the Hebrew scriptures, Psalm 31. It’s actually quoted in the service of Compline, which is a late-night prayer service, and it’s also quoted by Jesus on the cross. It says this:

In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;

         let me never be put to shame:

         deliver me in your righteousness.

And then it goes on and says,

(Lord) Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,

         for you are my crag and my stronghold;

         for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me. . .

Into your hands I commend my spirit,

         for you have redeemed me,

         O Lord, the God of truth.

On the cross Jesus quoted this psalm as he commended his life into the hands of the father. Into thy hands I commend my spirit. But as the psalm goes on, later on in the psalm it says, “My times are always in your hand.” It may well be that if we have little reminders as the day goes on, we will have a sense of time not determined by a clock but determined by God.

In Psalm 55 the Psalmist says, “In the morning, at noonday and at evening I cry out to you, oh Lord.” Maybe a little habit of grace during this time may be a moment of prayer in the morning, another one at midday, and another in the evening, whether using a prayer book or just a moment to pause and be silent. Whatever way you do it take a moment – morning, midday, evening. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit. For my times are always in your hand.

In 1931 a man named Thomas Dorsey composed a hymn, the words of which and the song have been a long-standing favorite with many people. Lyndon Johnson, President Johnson asked for it to be sung at his funeral. Martin Luther King asked that it be sung at his funeral. Mahalia Jackson sang it. Aretha Franklin sang it. B.B. King played it and sang it. Tennessee Ernie Ford sang it. Johnny Cash sang it. It was composed by Thomas Dorsey living in a time when his times were very much discombobulated. His wife died in childbirth, both she and the child died. In his time of grieving he wrote the words of the hymn that say just simply, “Precious Lord take my hand.”

My times are in thy hand, oh Lord. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit this morning, in noonday, and in the evening.

God love you. God bless you. May God hold us all in those almighty hands of love.

Dear parishioners,

We hope everyone had a lovely Mother’s Day!  The weather was nice and it was lovely to take a “break,” whether virtually or with the right social distancing, to honor the women of our world with good wishes for being there in ways that have nurtured us through our lives.

We also want to share a message to our St. Edwardians from Bishop Scanlan regarding some “news” that was put forward over the weekend about Lancaster County.  The note is detailed and explains our stance on when it is safe to reopen and the guidelines our parish will follow.  We hope this puts to rest any conflicting reports you may have heard.

From Bishop Scanlan:

I heard through the course of the weekend that the leadership of several of our Central PA counties were choosing to advance their local areas from the “red” phase of the Governor’s “Re-Opening Pennsylvania” plan to the “yellow” phase.  I am writing to you because your congregation is in one of these 8 counties who have, of their own accord. (and with what considerations?) moved their regions out of ” red” and into “yellow.”

As you know, I have said that when counties achieve a” yellow” status under the Governor’s plan (not individual county leadership decisions) then parishes will be eligible to begin considering their Return to Church Buildings. At this time, the counties of Huntingdon, Franklin, Perry, Cumberland, Adams, York, Dauphin and Lancaster are still red.

Thank you for your attention to this.

Audrey

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It is a cold and gloomy day today, so I leave you with a virtual tour and a meditation to ponder.  Until tomorrow. . . .

Michelle

Today we visit Greenland (Because it is YouTube, there will be ads that run prior to the video.  If you look in lower right corner, after about 5 seconds you will see a button that reads “Skip Ad” to click).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7hbWvHKns0

The Episcopal  Church is very much attuned to our environment and having us all be aware of how important it is to be good stewards of our planet.  By sharing these wonderous adventures of natural spaces and the wildlife creatures that inhabit them, we hope this reminds us all of our:

EPISCOPAL COVENANT TO CARE OF CREATION PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

In Jesus, God so loved the whole world. We follow Jesus, so we love the world God loves. Concerned about the global climate emergency, drawing from a range of approaches for our diverse contexts, we commit to form and restore loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with all of Creation.

LOVING FORMATION For God’s sake, we will grow our love for the Earth and all of life through preaching, teaching, storytelling, and prayer.

LIBERATING ADVOCACY For God’s sake, standing alongside marginalized, vulnerable peoples, we will advocate and act to repair Creation and seek the liberation and flourishing of all people.

LIFE-GIVING CONSERVATION For God’s sake, we will adopt practical ways of reducing our climate impact and living more humbly and gently on Earth as individuals, households, congregations, institutions, and dioceses.

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Forward Day by Day Meditation for MONDAY, May 11

Matthew 6:1 Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them.

On my birthday, I hoped the lectionary would give me some sweet passage, the kind that turned easily into a Hallmark card or inspirational meme. Instead, we start with atonement sacrifices in Leviticus and end with this stern warning against swagger and preening in Matthew.

As a child, I learned the books of the Bible in exchange for gold stars and a lilac bookmark. As an adult, I still enjoy a reward (or at least acknowledgment) for a job well done. Don’t we all?

Perhaps there’s little wonder that I am called to sit with this verse and discern my way through it. Often I find comfort and hope in scripture but today reminds me that there is also challenge. Sometimes scripture should make us squirm, especially when it lays bare places that need new growth.

God always knows what I need to hear—even if I don’t want to listen.

MOVING FORWARD: When has scripture laid something in you bare? What steps did you take to work on those areas?

PRAY for the Diocese of Lafia (Nigeria)

Ps 56, 57, [58] * 64, 65 | Leviticus 16:1-19 | 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 | Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Dear Parish Family,

Coming onto our campus early each morning, I find myself both spiritually fed and helpfully grounded in the essential reminders inscribed upon the banner in front our of church.  Two short declarative statements: Christ is alive and We’re all in this together, provide for me the simple and concise framework for the work that we engage together here at St. Edward’s.  And on a gloomy and an unseasonably cold day, I trust that the warmth and the light generated from our shared commitment to being Christ’s Body alive in the world clothes us in the power of a Spirit that truly provides us with all the tools that we need to thrive during this season of pandemic.

The first reminder, that Christ is alive, orients us toward the appropriate joy that we are invited to rest in when circumstances challenge us.  And it feels meet and right that something of the blessing of God’s own incarnation in Christ Jesus can be comprehended in the celebration of the nurturing and creative forces that have given birth to each of us.  As we wish those who have loved and shaped us a Happy Mother’s Day this weekend, we inherently acknowledge that the creative force at the root of our being IS indeed…LOVE.  Though many of us will feel the sting of sadness, not being with our own mothers on this physical plane any longer, our Gospel assures us that nothing (not even death) separates us from the love that has given us life and to which we return as God’s own.  Just as Christ has conquered the grave, the connections that we share with those who no longer travel with us in physical form, transcend the mortal domain.  And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (I Cor 13:13)

In the second reminder, that We’re all in this together, I take profound comfort in the knowledge that we ARE doing church and faithfully engaging our senses of call as disciples.  From our robust stewardship and outreach to our online worship and virtual gatherings, the inter-connectivity and the relationships that define St. Edward’s appear largely unfettered by our circumstances.  Yes, we long to be face-to-face together in our sanctuary.  Yet, in every phone conversation and through each selfless gesture of ministry, I can feel the presence of our living God in the Christian character of our parish.  And as we approach relaunching in-person worship here this summer, I trust that we will move forward non-anxiously together through what may feel, at first, a bit restrictive and inorganic for many of us.

Just yesterday, our diocese released a detailed, eighteen-page document penned by The Task Force on Operations with the specific protocols that we will need to comply with in order to gather again in our churches.  In conjunction with the phased plan for the re-opening of businesses issued through Governor Wolf’s office, we will be able to meet in groups of 25 for in-person worship after the Governor has lifted the stay at home order for our county.  While we have no clear indication of when this will take place, we are making preparations now for obtaining the supplies that we will need in order to ensure that our sanctuary is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each and every gathering and that we’ve got the masks and sanitization stations necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our parish.

As we continue to exercise patience in our wait, I give thanks for the Spirit-filled life and energy steering innovation, cooperation and collaboration here at St. Edward’s.  In the following weeks, we’ll be leaning into our sense of inertia through an enhanced rhythm of community life through a virtual program including: Wednesday Evening Bible Study, Friday Evening Prayer, Weekend Worship, and Sunday Morning Virtual Coffee Hour.  In conjunction with our daily communications, it is our heartfelt prayer that this pattern of worship, formation, and fellowship will continue to sustain us as we rise to the call to serve as ambassadors of Christ in challenging, new, and exciting ways.  May the blessings of our loving and merciful Lord blanket each of you this weekend.  Happy Mother’s Day,

Father Rick+

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Join us for worship this Sunday, the Fifth Sunday of Easter, online!  Please check your email tomorrow, Saturday, May 9^th in the afternoon for the link to the service and the bulletin to download.  There will also be a link in the post, if you choose to give via online donations, to enable you to do that.

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After you worship, join us for our VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR: 

Consider joining the virtual coffee hour, hosted by Joe and Christina McLaughlin.  Here are the NEW details (We are now hosting on the St. Edward’s Zoom account so that our time will be unlimited – SO PLEASE NOTE NEW LINK AND DETAILS IN YOUR FRIDAY DAILY MESSAGE):

Don’t forget to join Christina and Joe McLaughlin, hosting a weekly “Virtual Coffee Hour.”  This is all new to us, so take a chance, set up zoom and see how it all goes!  It will be fun to connect and whether you want to stay on for 5 minutes or the full session, grab your cup of coffee or tea, pull up a chair, and say hello to your fellow parishioners.

Here is a link of step-by-step instructions to set up zoom, that Christina put together.

https://sainteds.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/St-Eds-Coffee-Hour-Invite-and-How-To.pdf

And, if you have any questions, Christina has offered to please give her a call and she can help!  Her number is 717-415-7043.  DATE:  SUNDAY, MAY 10TH

TIME:  10 – 10:45 am

PLACE:  Wherever you are comfortable with your computer in your home environment!

WHAT TO BRING:  Your coffee and something interesting to share with others!

** This join code and passcode will not be posted on the public website of Facebook.

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Please visit our website and on the home page under “News and Posts” you will find, on Fridays, a video message from Bishop Scanlan.  We encourage you to take the time to view these weekly messages of prayer, encouragement, and sharing of ideas and diocesan resources you may find interesting to connect with.

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If you are engaged in connecting with a “buddy” – the system that Meredith Westgate had initiated back in March, this is a gentle reminder to keep reaching out!  Everyone is very appreciative of the connections.  Even if you are not assigned a “buddy” it would be great to give a fellow St. Edward’s parishioner a call to say “hello!”  Thank you!  As Father Rick says, “We are all in this together!”

Dear Members of the Episcopal Church in Central PA,

Bishop Scanlan shares a message to the diocese about returning to church, watch below.

If you have questions or would like to review the plan, visit: https://diocesecpa.org/returning-to-church/.

In the Way of Love,

The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan

XI Bishop

Dear parishioners,

Today, we offer a wonderful musical offering from fellow parishioner and choir member, Peter Weber.  We also offer a daily meditation from Forward Day by Day.

Please make certain you check your Daily Message email tomorrow as there will be important information and messaging from Father Rick, as well as the NEW login for virtual coffee hour (we will start to use our St. Edward’s Zoom account), information about our Sunday service, and weekly updates/messages from Bishop Scanlan.  Important news you will want to know as we approach the weekend!

Thank you.

Michelle

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For this season, which has lasted more than 40 days, I commend The Beatitudes music by Liszt Ferenc, otherwise called Franz Liszt.

Beatitudes, Christus Oratorium, movement No. 6, Baritone, Chorus and Organ

by Liszt Ferenc, 1866

(English translation from the Latin)

Blessed are the poor in spirit:

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek:

for they shall possess the land.

Blessed are they that mourn:

for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are they that hunger

and thirst after justice:

for they hall have their fill.

Blessed are the merciful:

for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart:

for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers:

for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they that suffer persecution

for justice’ sake:

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

(Matt. 5, 3-10)

There is a recording online, with Miklos Forrai, Conductor, and the Hungarian State Orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV2hlE7S-GI

Has anyone else heard or sung or played this superb music?

Peace,

Peter

—

THURSDAY, May 7

Colossians 3:16-17 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

From the Archives: April 1, 1946

“Serve” is one of Christ’s own words. And where shall his servants serve? Right where he is, at home, those nearest him, his neighbor.

Today we look upon a most woeful world. It seems burst like a fragmentation bomb. Is there any earthly hope of these warring factions coming together? Not much. But there is a heavenly chance.

Let us stand by statesmen, arbitrators, and conciliators, as they seek to bring warring factions together. They work like frantic seamen pumping out a leaky ship who trust the ship will hold together.

What can save us is God’s mercy and the Divine impulse that knits millions of little families together in the service of mutual love—and that other family, the Church.

MOVING FORWARD: Reach out to someone from whom you’ve been estranged.

Read the contemporary reflection here.

PRAY for the Dioceses of Kitigi and Kwara (both in Nigeria)

Ps 50 * [59,60] or 114, 115 | Exodus 34:1-17 | 1 Thessalonians 2:12-20 | Matthew 5:21-26