St Thomas Times April 2022

1. St. Thomas Times
St. Thomas Episcopal Church | 124 East Main Street Abingdon, VA 24210 | 276.628.3606 | saintthomas@bvu.net
April 2022
What’s Inside
Page 2 Folks You Should Know: Weeze and Ken
Parker
Page 3 Local History cont.
Page 4 Garden Day Photos
Page 5 Thoughts for Holy Week from Rev. Boyd
Page 6 The Word of the Lord
Page 7 Lenten Ideas
Page 8 Financial Report
Local History: Sinking Spring Presbyterian Cemetery
Throughout 2022 Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church is celebrating its 250th
An-
niversary. Each month during their Sunday service they are presenting a short 5
minute program on some aspect of their History. Recently Rick Morgan, our
church historian, was asked to present a historical review of Sinking Spring Cem-
etery. The first church structure was located on a small knoll in front of where the
relocated Cummings log cabin is situated.
What follows here in the Newsletter is Morgan’s presentation to the Presbyterian
congregation. He assumed the role of “spirits” of the early settlers and many of
the early Abingdon citizens.
“Good Morning. I am representing the spirits of the good souls buried at Sinking
Spring Cemetery. Please join me for a walk around the Sinking Spring Presbyteri-
an Cemetery.
The first Presbyterian Meeting House was built here on a knoll in 1772; thus you
are celebrating the 250th
Anniversary of the church. As a loyal Presbyterian spirit
I have chosen the cemetery to introduce you to a few other spirits.
First is the grave of Henry Creswell who was killed in 1776 by Indians and the
first to establish these sacred grounds as a cemetery next to the meeting house.
Cont. Page 3.
Photo: Rev. Charles Cummings, Pastor,
Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church,
1773-1795. Born 1732 and died 1812.
Revolutionary War Veteran.

2. 2

3. 3
Prev. Page 1
Near Creswell is the monument to Rev Charles Cummings who was the first parson for Sinking
Spring Presbyterian Church. The first meeting house was a large log structure 40 feet by 80 feet
built to protect the congregation from Indian attacks. Rev Cummings often brought his gun to the
pulpit. Cummings served the Presbyterian Church until 1795 and he died in 1812. Parson Cum-
mings’ restored log cabin was moved to the cemetery in 1971.
Another important Presbyterian buried nearby is Rev James
McChain. He was parson for 25 years and much loved by your
congregation. He came here in 1843 and served until death in
1869. He is the longest serving parson and is buried on the site
of the church which already been moved from the cemetery to
Main Street at the current site of the Barter Theatre.
There are some 3,000 individuals buried here in Sinking
Spring Cemetery over the last 246 years ; they are not all Pres-
byterians as a few other Christians were able to sneak in here
at night. I will note that there are numerous Abingdon Veterans
from several wars buried here. There are spirits of 10 Revolu-
tionary War veterans buried here. There are spirits from the
Civil War as well, including a General, colonel and even a confederate naval officer. We also have
the spirits of several Governors of Virginia – David Campbell and John B Floyd.
The “Mound” is also an attraction. John Henry Martin is buried there. The Mound was used to
temporarily hold the body of General John Hunt Morgan after he was killed in 1864 during the
Civil War and just prior to his memorial service here in Abingdon.
There is also a memorial to some 30 “Unknown Confederate” soldiers. Several were killed when
two troop trains collided here in town. Rev McChain was one of the first on the scene and helped
save many injured soldiers.
I also need to call your attention across Russell Road to the Afro-American Cemetery. It was used
to bury slaves of early settlers and free persons of color.
A noted individual there is Landon Boyd whose mother was a slave of Gov. Wyndham Robertson
at the Meadows. Many prominent citizens owned slaves, including Rev McChain and Rev Cum-
mings. It was not uncommon for parsons to have slaves as house servants.
The Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church conveyed the his-
toric Cummings Cabin and the cemetery grounds to the town
of Abingdon in 2006.
As a spirit, I am pleased to report that the Historical Society
of Washington County and Sinking Spring Presbyterian
Church soon will initiate a program to restore, repair, and
clean up Sinking Spring Cemetery. They will also host edu-
cation programs for care of our monuments and hold special
events throughout the year. We spirits endorse these efforts
and urge you all to help and participate.
As noted, the Sinking Spring Cemetery Committee is initiat-
ing a revitalization program for clean up and repair of the older monuments that are illegible or
damaged. The Town, which owns the cemetery, requires us to get approval from the heirs of an-
cestors buried at the cemetery before we do any restoration work on the monuments. Anyone in the
congregation with ancestors in Sinking Spring Cemetery is asked to contact Rick Morgan about
giving permission to clean family monuments.” Top Photo: Marker for Henry Cresswell, first person
buried in Sinking Spring Cemetery, killed by Native
Americans in 1776.
Bottom Photo: Courtesy of Visit Abingdon. Head-
stones in front of wood cabin. See visitabingdon.com
for walking tour information.

5. 5
Notes for Holy Week
From the Rev. Boyd Evans
As Jesus makes his way into Jerusalem riding a colt, many line the route from the top of the Mount of
Olives down into valley below shouting, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace
in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!” (Lk 19:38-40). As he makes his way, he looks across to
view the city and weeps, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that
make for peace!” While the people celebrate the works of power that Jesus has performed throughout
his ministry (19:37), he mourns their inability to recognize the ideals and practices that he has taught
and preached throughout his ministry which promote peace (19:42).
I wonder what Jesus would make of the state of affairs in our world today with the tremendous evil un-
folding in Ukraine, the rampant gun violence and mass shootings in our own country, and the suffering
triggered by wildfires, hurricanes, and tornados in a society too complacent to face the reality of climate
change. Most troubling to me recently, however, are Vladimir Putin’s insinuations over the use of nuclear
weapons against those that might assist the Ukrainians. Aren’t nuclear weapons supposed to promote
peace through assured mutual annihilation? Now they seem to be a reason for increased violence and
aggression or as a means for one person to hold the world hostage. Even worse, they seem a justifica-
tion for complacency by those capable of coming to the aid of those targeted by tanks and missiles.
As we begin to make our way towards Good Friday, I reflect upon the violence in our world and envision
the nails being driven in to the hands and feet of Jesus. I see the blood flowing from the crown of
thorns, and his cross being elevated to the vertical position. The wounds of Christ are ever so fresh. If
only all of us together might recognize “the things that make for peace.”
As we enter Holy Week, we lament the violence we
perpetrate on one another and the many other ways
we fall short of Jesus vision of new family and the
presence of God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heav-
en, and we realize our deep need for salvation. We
recognize our many failed attempts to bring about a
better world by our own efforts.
Yet as Christians, we realize that hope is never lost.
We worship the God who makes highways through
the wilderness (Isaiah 40:3). We know that the God
who has been with us through the challenges of past
World Wars is still beside us today. We know that on
that first Easter morning, death, violence, and human authority did not have the last word.
If there is a lesson in the current Russian conflict, it is that true suffering and pain are the result of sepa-
ration from God and one another. In the incarnation, Jesus enters into the difficulties of our world and
heals them all. As God, he takes on, experiences, and subjects himself to our fears, the many ways we
betray and abandon each other, and our violence. On the cross, Jesus takes on all the sadness, grief,
death, pain, suffering, and betrayal of our world–past, present, and future–and redeems it. He takes it
upon himself that we might no longer need place the pain which we all carry on each other along with
the promise of a time when all will be redeemed, and he will wipe every tear from our eyes and mourn-
ing, death, crying, and pain will be no more (Rev. 21:4).
Keep the faith!
Fr. Boyd

6. 6
The Word of the Lord
by Rhonda Kindig
A Christian tradition for Good Friday is to reflect upon the “seven last words of Christ”,
which are, in fact, a compilation of the final sayings of Jesus taken from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John. Each evangelist offers a different perspective and different “words” from the cross. Some-
thing all gospels have in common, however, is the fact that Jesus was crucified between two
“others” (John), “criminals” (Luke) or “bandits” (Mark). That comes as no great surprise, since Isai-
ah 53:12 proclaims: “The righteous one, my servant…was numbered with the transgressors”.
Isaiah prepares us for the idea that God’s “suffering
servant” would not be one of the upright religious folks of the
community, not one of the elite, not one of the ruling class.
No, the suffering servant was counted as a bad element. In-
deed, the crucifixions took place outside the walls of Jerusa-
lem, not anywhere near the palace, not in the vicinity of the
Temple, not in the neighborhood of decent folks.
Luke tells us that one of Jesus’ fellow victims cries to
him, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your king-
dom!” (Lk 23:42) What good would that do, you may wonder.
If that malefactor was a Jew, then he probably grew up with
the tradition that upon death you went to Sheol (literally the
“pit”, a shadowy place where the dead “slept”); your hope of
“immortality” came from being remembered by your family!
If this dying individual was a fellow Jew, then he might also be
thinking about how the word remember is a characteristic of
God’s activity throughout salvation history. Our Old Testament is filled with examples of God’s
zakar (remembering)—God remembers Noah and the animals; God remembers barren women,
such as Rachel and Hannah; God remembers Abraham and his covenant. Whenever the future ap-
peared to be at a dead-end, God remembered.
The great thing about zakar is that it is not just an awareness or recollection of something
in your head. No, zakar has a focus on action! Zakar is not about using your brain to recapture a
memory; zakar employs your hands, your feet, your lips, your very being, to engage in action.
Jesus’ death is not just for the civilized folks, the decent folks, the religious folks. Jesus’ re-
ply to this outlaw, this co-crucified criminal is, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus’
remembering is not just a recollection, it is the very power by which the unsalvageable may be
saved right along with all the elements of humanity, those we expect and those we don’t begin to
expect. “Today…!” Thanks be to God!
Photo: “The Crucifixion” by Bramantino, 1510-1511

7. 7
The following article is from the weekly newsletter of the Church of the Good Shepherd
(Episcopal/Lutheran) in Galax, Virginia.
LENTEN IDEAS
Many years ago, our own Fr. Stan McGraw offered a Lenten service in which he challenged
the congregation to take something on for Lent rather than give something up. To paraphrase:
You don't have to give up Chocolate to experience a meaningful Lenten season. The idea is to
remember Christ's introspection and temptation in the desert--to be intentional and be mind-
ful as you make yourself and your world better. It was an inspiring message and one that was
entirely new to us. So, in the spirit of Stan's message, we are sharing 20 suggestions for your
Lenten activities. Some are additions and some are subtractions. If you have additional ideas,
please share them.
1. Bake cookies for a neighbor, EMS unit, law enforcement office, or hospital nurses' station.
2. Call a shut in, neighbor, or a long-lost friend.
3. Write a handwritten note of news and/or thanks to someone.
4. Pick up a pencil and draw something – no talent required, just quiet.
5. Reach into your past and say or write a thank you to someone for helping or changing
something in your life in some way: neighbor, teacher, minister...
6. Pay for something for the person in line behind you: groceries, toll, fast food...
7. Buy personal care items: shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant for clients of
CARES or Food Independence [or your local agency].
8. Buy a bag of dog food for a local animal shelter.
9. Spend one week saying something positive to everyone you encounter.
10. Tip someone as you pick up your order at the drive through; they rarely get thanked, let
alone tipped.
11. Post on the fridge a list of things for which you are thankful of or the good things you've
experienced so you can remind yourself daily of just how blessed you are.
12. Give up one driving trip a week – consolidate errands.
13. Plant a tree, shrub, flower, pack of seeds – but not in your own yard.
14. Do nothing silently for 15 minutes each day. Listen for (and to) God.
15. Sing something – anything - once a day for a week (in the shower
or backyard is fine). Make a joyful noise.
16. Read a different translation of your favorite scripture passages.
17. Instead of throwing away or composting fruit skins, old veggies, or bread, toss them into
your backyard for the critters. They aren't fond of coffee grounds or egg shells :)
18. Forgo news reports for a day, if you can manage it.
19. Genuinely forgive (and try to forget) the wrong someone has done to you. Let it go, or ask
for forgiveness from someone you have wronged (done or left undone)
20. Carry a pair of plastic gloves and a plastic bag from the grocery store with you in your
car. Use them to pick up and throw away someone else's trash from a walk or a parking lot.

8. 8
Caregivers’ Group
On Monday, April 25th at 1:00pm, a
group of people who are caregivers to
loved ones will have an opportunity to
meet and talk about a support group
for St. Thomas’ People. This will be
an organizational time to iron out the
particulars of where, when, how, etc.
Please pray and consider if you are
meant to be a part of this group.
Bring your thoughts, ideas, and
calendars. If you have questions,
please text or call Mary Tackney at
276-274-6249. Peace!