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The week of October 26-Nov. 1, 2015
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All Saints: a great cloud of witnesses
For all the saints, known and unknown
All Saints Day falls on a Sunday this year. We are invited to reflect on the saints, known and unknown, and to honor them and pray for them.
The saints are not only those who are named or commemorated in the Bible. Each of us maintains a list of individuals we have known or perhaps learned about who have helped us along the way in our lives. One might be an aunt or uncle, a grandparent or friend of the family. Another might be a teacher or someone about whom we learned in school who guided us in making our way in life. One might be a person who has suffered and struggled and maintained a faithful and productive life. There are no real criteria for the informal list of saints.
Sunday we will have the opportunity to name the saints who have populated our lives. Likely many will name the saints we proclaim as holy in the church. We can expect to hear the names of many familiar figures. We may also hear the names of those who played large roles in the life of our church. And then there will be names of people we don't all know. When their names are called we can identify their role in our lives as we bless them.
When we join together Sunday we will bless that great "cloud of witnesses" who have enlightened and informed and led and loved us throughout our lives. Let us bless them all!
Consecration Sunday Is Coming
Congregations that approach financial stewardship from a biblical perspective do not view the money Christians give to their church merely as a way to pay its bills. Rather, such congregations see financial contributions as a way to help people grow spiritually in their relationship with God by supporting their church's mission and ministry with a percentage of their incomes.
Our congregation's leadership has selected the New Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program as a way to teach the biblical and spiritual principles of generous giving in our stewardship education emphasis this year.
New Consecration Sunday is based on the biblical philosophy of the need of the giver to give for his or her own spiritual development, rather than on the need of the church to receive. Instead of treating people like members of a social club who should pay dues, we will treat people like followers of Jesus Christ who want to give unselfishly as an act of discipleship. New Consecration Sunday encourages people toward proportionate and systematic giving in response to the question, "What percentage of my income is God calling me to give?"
During morning worship on Consecration Sunday, we are asking our attendees and members to make their financial commitments to our church's missionary, benevolent, and educational ministries in this community and around the world.
Every attendee and member who completes an Estimate of Giving Card does so voluntarily by attending morning worship on Consecration Sunday. We urge people to attend who feel strongly opposed to completing a card. The procedure is done in such a way that no one feels personal embarrassment if he or she chooses not to fill out a card.
We will do no home solicitation to ask people to complete cards. During morning worship our guest leader will conduct a brief period of instruction and inspiration, climaxed by members making their commitments as a confidential act of worship.
We will encourage participation in Consecration Sunday events through the Consecration Sunday team and governing board members. Since we will make no follow-up visits to ask people to complete their cards, we will make every effort to inform, inspire, and commit everyone to attend Consecration Sunday worship.
Thanks in advance for your enthusiastic participation in Consecration Sunday events.
Parish New Consecration Sunday Team
Outreach Committee to increase
the number of holiday food baskets
At the October meeting of the Outreach Committee, the members unanimously agreed to change the way in which the Food Pantry serves its clients at Christmastime in order to be of service to more people. Instead of the annual holiday party, which served only 20 families, this year we will aim to provide all the food needed for Christmas dinner for 50 families. In past years, requests for holiday food baskets far exceeded 20, and we had to turn down many Food Pantry clients.
We will not be holding a party, as we have in past years, and we will not be providing gifts for children. We are a Food Pantry, and we will concentrate on providing food. We will be offering everything needed to prepare a turkey or ham dinner; as before, the clients will be able to choose which they prefer. With turkey will come stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, cake mix, and icing. Those who choose ham will receive corn bread mix, sweet potatoes, green beans, applesauce, cake mix, and icing. If our funds allow, we will also include a bottle of sparkling cider for each family.
This year, parishioners will be asked to bring in a special treat -- something yummy to eat -- for each holiday dinner. Suggestions are mixed nuts, chocolates, Christmas cookies, gingerbread men, and the like. An "angel tree" will be set up in the parlor, and the name of the family that will be receiving the holiday basket will be written on the angel along with the number of people in the family. As before, parishioners will take an angel and write his/her name on the sign-up sheet. The treats should be returned to the church along with a holiday card addressed to the family.
Parishioners may also want to donate a turkey or ham or cash to be used to buy food for the holiday baskets. If you want to do this, please see Molly, who will be assembling all the food. Those who want to help put the holiday baskets together will meet on Saturday morning, December 19. The baskets will be distributed that afternoon.
We often hear the phrase: "God willing" or "God willing and the Creek don't rise," or in the Muslim world "Insh' Allah." The latter means 'if God wills it.' It often is used in the context that something may or may not happen, because we are not in control, but that God is in control.
We are indeed told to put our trust in God, but this phrase is NOT a "get out of jail free" card allowing us to forego responsibility for our actions. Sometimes it seems like folks use the concept of "God willing" to dodge responsibility: To basically say "it is out of my hands". This is often the case when a difficult, unsavory or hazardous condition occurs. Or when there is something we are not comfortable doing or do not want to do.
The other version of this is to say that 'God will take care of it." Very nice, but we are not here on the Earth as mere puppets of our Creator. If that were the case, we would not have any need for Church, or rules etc. because everything would be done for us!
We are here to do God's work, not to be mere non-thinking tools in the hands of the Creator. Make no mistake, we do need to rely on God, but we also need to take our share of responsibility. We all have gifts which God has given us, and we are here to use them. God is still there for us, but we also need to be there for God.
I am asking you to think about what you have been given, both in the way of attributes and assets. What you are going to do with your gifts? How grateful are you to be able to share those gifts with the world around you?
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THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR
Calendar for Oct. 26-Nov. 1, 2015 From the St. Paul's bulletin
26 6 pm Worship Committee and Altar Guild meeting 7 pm Evening Prayer 7:30 pm Vestry meeting 27 6 pm Special meeting of the Evangelism Committee: website orientation 28 12:15 Healing Service 6 pm Special Finance Committee meeting
Nov 1 8 am Rite I; 8:45 Bible Study; 9:30 Choir; 10 am Rite II
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