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| |  | BOOK STUDY GROUP
| | | Wednesday morning book study is at 9:00 am. We are studying The Return of the Prodigal Son. |
| | | SUNDAY SCHOOL CONTINUES
| | | Adult Sunday School classes are Sunday at 9:30. |
| | | Click Here for August Calendar | | | August Calendar |
| | | Click Here for Lay Ministry Schedule | | |
August Lay Ministry Schedule |
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The Margarita
St. Margaret's Episcopal
Church & School
August, 2011
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And now, a word from our Vicar:
While I was on vacation, I was reading an article in the local paper about the current state of funerals. There is evidently a new website started by a man in Ontario, Canada called mysendoff.com which according to its creator aspires to be the Facebook for funerals (whatever that means). The man who started it is named Colin Firth (not The King's Speech guy) and in the article he stated that, "We're in this generation where people want to make a statement about who you are, or who you were" at their funeral. And that "Funeral directors are becoming event planners as much as death-care providers," Which of course begs the question, is this what a funeral is to be all about, is it just one more party that you get to plan? Thinking of funerals as parties to be planned brought me in mind of the line in Dickens' A Christmas Carol when one of the characters upon discussing whether or not he will attend a funeral states, "I don't mind going if lunch is provided."
It seems somewhat strange that people are trying to make statements about who they were at their funerals, for after all they are not really there to know if the statement was made correctly or not. But furthermore, is the funeral really only about the deceased? If you look through the Episcopal funeral service, there are of course numerous prayers for the deceased, but there are also prayers for those who still live. These prayers concentrate mainly on consoling those who mourn and that those who still live would be prepared when their time comes. A funeral is, of course, about the individual who died, but in many ways it is about something bigger, it is about all of those who have died or will die and most importantly it is about being with God for eternity.
I do not want to be a wet blanket about these destination funerals (or whatever they are calling them), but in many ways they can turn into one more exercise of narcissism in an overly narcissistic society. Yes, a funeral is about the person who died, but it is about something bigger than you or me. It is about God and what he did in Jesus Christ by destroying death. Our prayer book offers one service for a burial (well two, but it is a difference of language not intent) and it is the service you get whether you are rich or poor, famous or of no account. The reason is because we are all God's children and Christ died for all of us - not one more than the other. So, if funerals become competitions for who is the host with the most it seems we will lose something. We will lose the fact that we are all equal in the eyes of God and that those of us who live need consolation and we need to be prepared for when our time comes. The grandeur in a funeral should come because of the grandeur of God, not the party favors.
This does not mean that we cannot make our wishes known before we die; it simply means that we must never lose track that God is the center of the universe and our funeral should reflect that sentiment.
+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 12,265 14,600 (2,335)
May 12,645 14,600 (1,955)
June 12,452 14,600 (2,149)
July 15,550 14,600 950
Total 102,454 102,200 254 |
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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, August 28th after the 10:30 service.
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Lawn Mowing Schedule
Weekend of the 6th: Hollis W
Weekend of the 13th: Mike G
Weekend of the 20th: Rell F
Weekend of the 27th: Brotherhood work day (all invited)
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Jake Hill Concert
On Sunday August 28th at 3:30 St. Margaret's will be hosting a concert by Jake Hill. Some of you may be familiar with Jake when he served as Choir Director at St. George's here in San Antonio although he now resides in Nashville where he continues to pursue his passion for music. Admission is free, but an offering will be taken at the conclusion of the concert. Below is a brief biography of Jake:
Composer, studio engineer, vocalist and world class keyboard player, Jake studied piano, organ, voice, recorder and music theory as a young boy. By the age of 12, he was performing in the company of Arthur Fiedler of the Boston Symphony, Seiji Ozawa, Michael Tilson Thomas of the Philadelphia Philharmonic and The Boston Opera Company to name a few. He received scholarships from The Boston Archdiocese Choir School and The New England Conservatory of Music, attending N.E.C. and Boston College High School at the same time, all by the age of 18. Although Jake is spending most of his energy writing and recording his own projects in Nashville, TN, he is involved in studio work via email and is available for concerts around the country, as well as solo and fill-in keyboard player here and abroad. Thousands of hours in studio time, writing his own material for film, pop music and digital music for web, make Jake a dynamic, precision live player. He is known affectionately as One Take Jake! |
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Food Pantry
As most of you know we support the Calvary Temple Assembly of God Food Pantry both through donations of food and time. The summer months are especially critical times for needy families with children because many of them were receiving aid through their schools. During the school year in Bexar County 168,394 free or reduced price lunches are served every day, but in the summer that number drops to 35,119. Food Pantries like the one we support are essential to fill that gap. You can help by bringing food to St. Margaret's and we will see to it that it gets to the Food Pantry.
We would, however, like to try something new. One of the items that is much needed and often in short supply is cereal. In a given month the food pantry uses about 120 boxes of cereal. Of course, if you really had your heart set on baked beans you can get those, but cereal is the preferred item. Also if you happen to come across coupons for cereal please bring those as well and we will use those to pick up additional supplies.
Finally, if you are interested in volunteering at the Food Pantry on the second and fourth Saturday of every month please talk with Bonnie Cole or Jo McCartney.
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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.
October 13-16 Cursillo #254 will be at Mustang Island Conference Center. The Rector is Elizabeth Neally, St. Andrew's, Port Isabel. Spiritual Director is Rev. Richard Speer, Grace, Weslaco, and assistant Spiritual Directors are the Revs. Tom Turner, Advent Alice, and Robert McAllen, Epiphany, Raymondville.
October 21-23, Food for the Soul. From Friday's wine pairing dinner through Sunday's brunch enjoy fine food while praising God. Learn favorite Mustang Island Conference Center recipes alongside Kathy and Sandra, chefs. Learn a variety of new skills, hints, and tricks. Register online by clicking on the mouse graphic above. Each person, including spouse, must register individually. Cost is $248 per person for double occupancy and $295 per person for single occupancy, if available. Questions? Contact Lynn Corby at lynn.corby@dwtx.org or 361-749-1800.
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Ladies Night Out
Ladies Night will be held at Salt Grass Steak House 16910 US 281 North at 6:30 on August 9, please let me know if you can make it; 831-3069 or wendy@mhi-tx.com |
World Missions
The Diocese of West Texas is blessed to have a wonderful World Mission Department. Recently they put out a list of what a $10 donation would buy. Below is that list:
Two Blankets for the poor in Mexico
A pair of shoes for someone in Honduras who has no shoes
Diapers for handicapped orphan children in Mexico
A school uniform for a Ugandan child
Five Bibles in Spanish for a Vacation Bible School
School supplies for a student in Ecuador
A first time visit to a doctor or dentist in Mexico
Immunization shots for a family in Uganda who cannot afford this protection
A month's bus transportation for a disadvantaged student
A warm sweater or scarf for a Russian or Belarussian orphan
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