St. Luke's Presbyterian Church

The Wednesday Word

August 19, 2015

August 23, 2015
21st Sunday
in Ordinary Time

Pastor
Rev. W. Scott Harbison

Sunday School
9:00 a.m.

Classes for all ages

Worship
10:00 a.m.

Refreshments & Fellowship
11:00 a.m.

SERVING ON SUNDAY

Head Usher for August
Brian Heins

Liturgist
Rev. Dr. Bill Wade

Time for Young Disciples
Rev. W. Scott Harbison

AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

Randall Bardin
Wesley Bias
Keaton Cooper
Killian Cooper
Melissa Cooper
Catherine Jacoby
Ellis Jacoby
Iris O'Dell

IN OUR PRAYERS

HEALTH CONCERNS

Fifi Roberts
Debbie Harbison
Eloise Avina
Carol Kershaw
John White

Katie Gaspard
Mike Arcos
Ann Keyes
Melissa Cooper

Anne Nicholson
Jonah, Bill Wade's grandson.
Jayne Manry's sister, Patricia
Liz Bell Harding
Dot Cowan
Marge Biggs
David Shell

Jewel Molten
Ann Dragoo

HOSPICE

Art Biggs
Rosalie Woodworth

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Rev. Harbison on Twitter

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CCSC

Presbyterian Church U.S.A

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Presbytery of New Covenant

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The Wednesday Word

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Rev. Harbison

It was a bittersweet morning as Debbie and I dropped off Olivia to begin third grade. For those of you who don't remember, Olivia was baptized here 9 months old. Cassie officially begins middle school next week and when we began here she was in Pre-K. It also rained today. For the first time in many weeks. These seemingly different events all serve to remind me that things change.

We all want to go back to the glory times of the 1960's and 70's when churches were built in neighborhoods and filled to capacity in months....but things change. Change is a scary word, especially in churches. There is comfort in knowing that each and every day we will be greeted with certainty and routine yet things change. Each and every day things change.

We can deal with this change because of two things. One is to understand that change is good. When times are tough, there is hope. When the routine becomes boring, there is a new day. When our faith begins to wane, there is a sunrise in the morning. I always remember a biology teacher once explaining that if we are not changing or growing we are dying. Change is good. The other way we can deal with change is to know that one thing doesn't change, God's love for us. In Romans Paul reminds us that there is nothing that can separate us from God's love. No sin we commit, no doubt we harbor, no pain we fee\l, can separate us from God's love. His love doesn't change and is with us always.

Kids grow up, they're supposed to; we grow older, we're supposed to; weather changes, stock markets rise and fall. Everything around us changes, yet God's love never does.

Love,

RAFFLE DRAWING - WE HAVE WINNERS!

Last Sunday before worship we celebrated the completion of our Youth Raffle with breakfast and our raffle drawing.
Here are our winners:

1st Prize - 50 inch Vizio Smart TV
Winner: Joanie Havlick

2nd Prize - $200 VISA gift card
Winner: Todd Montgomery

3rd Prize - $75 gift certificate at Monogram Makers
Winner: Esther Bender

4th & 5th Prizes - $50 gift certificates at Postal Express Center
Winners: Steven Rivera & Art Parker

6th Prize - A gift certificate to Boston Market
Winner: Joann St. Martin Cerda

Thanks to everyone who bought a ticket, sold a ticket, and solicited prizes. Half the proceeds will go toward the ministry of St. Luke's and the remaining half will go toward an air conditioner for the youth room.

Longfellow Teacher Luncheon August 21

LongfellowLunch2012 For eight years St. Luke's has opened it's doors to our neighborhood school for teachers and staff to have lunch together and kick off the fall semester. The people of St. Luke's are pleased to honor the teachers and staff as a way to say thanks for everything they do for the children in their care during the school year.

Call the church office if you would like to help honor the teachers and support our Evangelism Committee in this project. Volunteers are needed to host a table, serve food, set up and clean up on 8/21, or provide school supplies to decorate the tables (given to the teachers for their classrooms).

Food Sunday/Every Sunday

Non perishable food items are collected every Sunday for Christian Community Service Center's two food pantries. Drop your donations off on Sunday morning in the narthex or in the red grocery basket in the Cookie Room.

Seeking Bilingual Volunteers

Last year, Christian Community Service Center's Emergency Services -Southwest location served thousands of local Houstonians in need. More than 75% of clients served claimed Spanish or Arabic as their primary language. CCSC needs more bilingual volunteers who can effectively communicate with their continuously changing demographic. If you would like to volunteer (shifts available on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.), please call 713.961.3993, X211 or volunteer@ccschouston.org.

Don't Miss This!

1. Longfellow Teacher Luncheon
Friday, August 21 at noon

2. World Communion
Sunday, October 4 @ 10:00 a.m.

3. Jazz Communion II
Sunday, October 18 @ 10:00 a.m.

A Closing Prayer

Singer of Songs:
when we have lost the melody of your hope,
you reshape the notes of our hearts;
when we can find no resting place,
you are the lap that cradles us;
when we are held captive by our complaints,
you free us for praise.
Seed Planter,

you only did what you ought to have done:
traveling the empty roads of our world;
listening to our midnight cries;
overtaking us to shoulder our burdens.
Spirit of Love,
as you enter our hearts to ease our loneliness:

may we not forget who our protector is;
may we remember the faith which has been gifted to us;
may we be stewards of the good treasure that is ours. Amen.

by Thom M. Shuman, Bearers of Grace and Justice

Contact . . . . .

Mary Ann White (mawhite@stlukespres.org) with any questions or comments about The Wednesday Word.
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