St. Paul's Episcopal Church   Poughkeepsie, NY


MESSENGER
"Making friends while serving God"

The week of June 29-July 5, 2015

 

 St. Paul's summer picnic at Germania

 






 

 

"Lots of Singing, Swinging, Dining & Dancing, in the rain

 A cold but "Cool" Church Picnic." 

--Photos by Carol Anderson

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Our summer celebration at Germania had us dancing and singing and eating fine picnic fare. We congratulated two new high school graduates, Christiana Prater-Lee and Kym Williams, and we bade farewell to Nathesia Wethington and Shamara Mizell as they prepared to move to Connecticut.

 

 

Faith made manifest

Ezekiel 2:1-5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13

 

We have been reading Gospel lessons lately which emphasize acknowledging faith, whether it's ours or someone else's. Last week the woman who felt compelled to touch Jesus' robe, believing it would heal her, had to admit it, so immediate was her healing. This week Jesus is essentially rejected in his home town, proclaiming, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house."

bible.jpg
This week's
 lessons

 

 his healings and other acts of mercy he was driven out of Nazareth. He was unable to perform some acts of healing due to the contempt of his former neighbors.

Reflecting on this Jesus advises his followers how to take their ministry into the world. He warns them to leave behind those who reject their faith:  "If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them."

We believe Jesus did not intend to return contempt for contempt. Rather, he was warning his followers to save their energy for those who believed or sought belief. He recommended wiping clean the memory of those who couldn't be bothered to believe or try to believe.

We face situations like this every day. We have friends and family members who really don't understand faith and the desire for faith. It is rather mysterious. But our lives are the testament we offer to our faith. As in our psalm Sunday, we plead, "Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy, for we have had more than enough of contempt."


 

A big haul

for St. Paul's
food pantry

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Diane Wood-Miller and Kurt Bastian from First Lutheran Church delivered this major load of groceries for our food pantry Monday morning. Many thanks to our Lutheran neighbors for helping us feed the hungry in Poughkeepsie!

 


 


 

Read any good books lately?

I read the newspapers, follow Facebook, talk with friends, and there has been a lot of talk out there about things that are in the Bible. All sorts of people, including T.V. personalities and politicians seem to "know" what is in the Bible. But, the more I

Pete Bedrossian

hear the more I get the impression these have not actually read the Bible. Now I am sure they may own one (well, some of them at least) but still, I have that nagging suspicion they would not know the Pentateuch from Proverbs. Worse there are many people who take what these folks say as "gospel" (sorry, I couldn't resist). Well, with Saturday being Independence Day, I thought it might be an opportunity to suggest how we all can become "independent" from some of those who use the Bible for purposes other than those for which it was intended.

How do we do this? We do it by reading the Bible. We find out for ourselves what is in those 66 books. There is a lot in there, a lot more than we encounter in our weekly lessons, and it is all there for you and for me to explore. It is a gift of enormous value, and when you read the Bible, you become empowered.

Now, I can say that I have read it, cover to cover twice in my life. But that was a while ago. Maybe it is time to get back in the practice of reading it again. Who knows what I will find this time. Care to join me in reading a good book?

--Warden Pete Bedrossian

 

Second round of Bike N Build visitors

 

The second team of cross-country bikers this year spent Sunday night at St. Paul's enroute to the West Coast from Providence, RI. Aleen Josephs-Clarke and Maria Bell joined Shawn Prater-Lee in supervising the arrangements. After a day of riding in the rain Sunday they were greeted by sunny weather on Monday as they headed west.

 

 

 

 

THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR  

 

 

 

July 1             12:15 pm Healing service; 2 pm River Valley service

July 4              Independence Day

July 5             8 am Rite I; 8:45 Bible study; 9:30 choir rehearsal;

   10 am Rite II Traditional Service; anointing and laying on of         hands; 11:30 coffee hour, Men's Club, Youth

 

 
 

 

 


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