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| |  | BOOK STUDY GROUP
| | | Wednesday morning book study is at 9:00 am. We are studying Mere Christianity. |
| | | SUNDAY SCHOOL CONTINUES
| | | Adult Sunday School classes are Sunday at 9:30. Please note there will be no Sunday School on July 10th and 17th. |
| | | Click Here for July Calendar | | | July Calendar |
| | | Click Here for Lay Ministry Schedule | | | July Lay Ministry Schedule |
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The Margarita
St. Margaret's Episcopal
Church & School
July, 2011
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And now, a word from our Vicar:
At the end of John Keats' poem Ode to a Grecian Urn we hear these lines:
Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all
Ye know on earth and all ye need to know
I thought about this the other day because we seem to live in a rather ugly time. I do not mean just the things that immediately pop in our mind like landfills, construction zones and urban blight, but things that used to strive for beauty that have recently begun to neglect it. Take for example art. Art used to mean things like Monet's Water Lilies or Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. Yes, of course, not all paintings of the past were beautiful or strived for beauty, but they were not opposed to it either. Today art has come to consider beauty as somehow beneath it. Art tends to be appreciated more for its edginess and political statements rather than any attempts at being lovely. Christianity, of course, has not been immune. Churches used to be designed for their transcendence, but now are more likely to focus on the comfort of the chairs rather than in beauty and wonder that the building may inspire. One would hope that on some level art would aim for something higher than showing people's nose hair and church design for something more than your tushie being comfortable.
Twice in the Psalms we hear the phrase "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" (Psalm 29:2 and 96:9). There is a link between God, holiness, truth and beauty. Beauty is not something that is simply a feeling but rather in its purist form is something of a revelation of God. So it would seem that as a society begins to lose their love for beauty they begin to lose some of their love for God.
One of the remarkable things about Christianity, which attests to the truth of its message is that it understands who we are. The God that Christians profess understands a how multifaceted we are. To put it in popular terms, Christianity is not simply a religion of the head or of the heart; it is a religion of our whole being. And if we lose some of that balance, some of the appreciation of God's whole creation, we lose part of God's revelation. God has chosen beauty as one way in which he relates to us. When you walk into a gothic cathedral or gaze upon Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son it is hard not be drawn into its beauty and as a result be drawn closer to God.
Beauty is something that delights the senses and without it we miss something of God and of his creation.
+Fr. Philip
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Prayer Team
Just a reminder that there are now blue cards in the pews for you to fill out with your prayer requests. You can place your completed cards in the communion plate and they will be added to the Parish Prayer List. The prayer team will be praying specifically for the individuals that you submit. In addition, we will continue to pray for those on our prayer list during Sunday Worship (unless you specify otherwise). Furthermore, on Sundays after Communion, there will be members of the prayer team available to pray for any specific needs you may have.
Thanks to all of the individuals who have volunteered for this most wonderful ministry. |
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Budget News - Pledges
Actual Budgeted Difference
January 28,054 14,600 13,454
February 10,594 14,600 (4,006)
March 10,894 14,600 (3,706)
April 14,265 14,600 (2,335)
May 12,645 14,600 (1,955)
June 12,452 14,600 (2,149) |
Total 86,903 87,600 (697) |
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St. Margarets Camp Capers Retreat
If you are interested in attending the St. Margaret's retreat at Camp Capers it will be September 30 - October 2. There is a sign up sheet in the Narthax. We need at least 20 signed up so that we can go. The costs are as follows:
Room (per night)
Singles: $27
Family: $68
Board (per meal, per person)
Breakfast: $7
Lunch: $9
Dinner: $13
* If we do our own cooking there is a $150 a day charge for use of the facilities in addition to whatever we might purchase to cook. | |
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Prayer Team Meeting
The Prayer Team will meet Sunday, July 3rd after the 10:30 service.
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Fifth Sunday Luncheon
We will have one service on Sunday, July 31st at 10:00. Afterwards there will be a luncheon. We will have a cookout with hamburgers and hot dogs. If everyone could please bring a salad or home made ice cream, it would be much appreciated.
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Notes from the Diocese
The World Mission Symposium will be held at the Bishop Jones Center (111 Torcido Dr. San Antonio, TX 78209) from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on August 20. A Mission Potpourri: Strengthening the Ministry. This year's World Mission Symposium will focus on five critical issues: expectations, fundraising, empowerment, evangelism, and cross-cultural ministry. The forum will encourage open exchanges between facilitators and participants. The cost is $20, which will include lunch, snacks, and materials. Click the mouse icon to the right to register online. Contact: Marthe Curry at 210/888-824-5387 or by email at mcurry09@sbcglobal.net. Facilitators include: Bishop Reed, Rev. Chalk, Rev. Ripp Hardaway, Elizabeth Allen, Maria Valdez, Patricia Perea, and Marthe Curry
The diocesan Department of World Mission will host a welcome back party at the Bishop Jones Center for Alison Barfoot, our Ugandan missionary, on Friday, September 9, from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served. To RSVP, contact Chris Dohoney by September 1 at seedohoney@sbcglobal.net or 210-259-5282
There will be a father son retreat at Camp Capers September 9-11. It is for sons ages 6-18 and their dads or other male figures in their lives. To view flyer, click here.
Wednesday, September 7, from noon to 6 p.m., Christ Healing Center, San Antonio, will offer an open house for people to come to explore and learn about classes for prayer ministry, upcoming mini-conferences, and various workshops. Class materials will be available to preview or purchase, facilitators will be on hand to visit, and the new bookstore will be open for purchase of healing books and gifts. For more information, visit their website at www.christhealingcenter.org or contact the center at 210-930-7760 or by email at christheals@sbcglobal.net. To view the flyer, click here.
September 15-20 - Les Petits Chanteurs, the 40-person men and boys choral delegation from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is in the process of planning another trip to Texas from September 15-20, 2011. The tour is designed to raise money and awareness for the continuing needs in Haiti as well as share the richness of Haiti's musical tradition. The Holy Trinity Cathedral complex was completely destroyed during the January 2010 earthquake, and many efforts are needed to help rebuild. All funds raised during the tour will be used to help rebuild Holy Trinity Music School. The school is currently looking for churches, schools, and other organizations to host a concert. For questions about hosting, contact Jennifer Wickham at jwickham@saintgeorgeschool.org or by calling 210-492-1283.
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Ladies Night Out
Ladies night will be held at BJ's Brewhouse (Stone Oak); 22410 US Highway 281 North on Tuesday July 12th at 6:30 pm. Please call Wendy at 831-3069 or wendy@mhi-tx.com if you will be attending. |
Summer Camps
If you are looking for something to do this summer the Diocese provides wonderful camps for children and families. Follow the links below to learn more.
Camp Capers
Family Camp at Mustang Island
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Brotherhood of St. Andrew
The July meeting will be July 12th. |
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