This Week at St. Bart's

June 1, 2016

A Message from the Reverend Andy Dunks

On Praying and Meaning It

One of the things I mentioned on Sunday was the value of "praying the news" - not just reading or listening to the news, but praying with heartfelt compassion for those whose sufferings we learn about. It is real work to engage the mind and the emotions, and it requires from us both the energy to empathize with those for whom we pray, and also the faith to believe that our prayers will make a difference for them, even if it is one which cannot easily be discerned.

In one of my readings this morning, I learned the other half of the equation: that in prayer we should be emotionally engaging God as well:

"Prayer itself is the piercing of our hearts by pious feelings towards God, one after another - feelings of humility, submission, gratitude, doxology, forgiveness, heart-felt prostration, brokenness, conformity to the will of God, etc.

All of our effort should be directed so that during our prayers, these feelings and feelings like them should fill our souls, so that the heart would not be empty when the lips are reading the prayers... but that there would be some qualitative feeling, some striving toward God.

When these feelings are present, our praying is prayer, and when they are absent, it is not yet prayer."

- St. Theophan The Recluse

So truly being an intercessor is a labor, and a labor of love, and not (at least in the moment) necessarily a pleasant or relaxing thing. In other words, loving through our prayers is just like loving through our actions. That makes sense, doesn't it?

Lastly, since we don't just want to pray for our veterans on public holidays like Memorial Day, but regularly, I think it is not too late to share a beautiful prayer for vets and their families which was posted on one of my blogs over the weekend:

O God and Father of us all, we praise thee in sincere gratitude for all those who, at their country's call, have met the rude shock of battle, and have surrendered their lives amid the ruthless brutalities of war. Forbid that their suffering and death should be in vain. And we beseech thee, that, through their devotion to duty and suffering, the horrors of war may pass from earth, and that thy kingdom of right and honor, of peace and brotherhood, may be established among all. Comfort, O Lord, all who mourn the loss of those near and dear to them, especially the families of our departed service members. Support them by thy love. Give them faith to look beyond the trials of the present, and to know that neither life nor death can separate us from the love and care of Christ Jesus, in whose Name we pray. Amen.

Mission

Our mission is to seek, serve, and celebrate Christ in every person.

We invite the community to worship with us, to share our gifts, and to grow in Christ's love.

In This Issue

Rector's column

This Sunday

Spring Clean Up

Financial Information

Coffee Hour Sign-up

Spiritual Formation Group

Food Donations

Fundraiser

Devotionals weekly readings

St. Bart's Youth Group

Prayer Request/Answered

On the Horizon

Web Site

www.stbartsrichmond.org

Email

stbartsrva@gmail.com

Phone

804-740-2101

Street Address

10627 Patterson Ave.

Henrico, VA 23238

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 29626

Richmond, VA 23242

Father Dunks's

contact information

Cell: 804-937-7145

dunks.andy@gmail.com

This Sunday

8:30 AM Holy Eucharist, Rite I
9:30 AM Adult Sunday School

10:30 AM Holy Eucharist, Rite II

5:30 PM Sudanese Service

Spring Clean Up Day!

This Saturday, June 4th. We will start at 8:00AM and will work to complete
as many tasks as possible. We will be working outside and inside so there
will be something for everyone.

Here is a list of tasks we would like to complete mostly outside:

Replace two thermostats. Mike Andrews will provide new thermostats and
tools needed.

Clean off garage roof (and gutters if there are any). Mike will bring an extension
ladder, leaf blower, and push broom.

Clean roof and gutters of church building.

Cut down branches hanging over church roof, and dead branches on property.

Mike will bring a 14' extendable poll with saw on end and a chainsaw.

General cleaning around the grounds of tree branches and leaves.

Tools to bring: rakes, we will have one wheel barrow, but can always use another
one. We can use another leaf blower and any other favorite yard tools you may
want to bring to help with any of the tasks above.

Mike would like to remove the kid's play set outside due to the level of repair
needed. I have a wooden play set given to me by my neighbor to replace it. The
only question is will we have time to handle this task Saturday. I have all of the
tools and saws necessary to remove the old one. I will have a trailer to haul it
away as well.

We have some cleaning supplies but feel free to bring any of your favorites. The
jobs inside are mostly general cleaning and cleaning the windows.

Stay as long as you can. Let's get our "spring cleaning" done and make our
building and surroundings beautiful for the summer season. This is also an
opportunity for fellowship and getting to know others a little better.

Hope to see you there!!

Financial Information

Year to date 1/1/2016 - 4/30/2016

Actual Budget Difference

Pledges $38,252.00 $42,910.04 -$4,658.04 89.14%

Total Income $41,074.75 $46,189.60 -$5,114.85 88.93%

Total Expenses $43,857.44 $48,205.55 -$4,348.11 90.98%

Net Income -$ 2,782.69 -$ 2,015.95 -$ 766.74

Pledges are still behind so far this year. It would be great if everyone would try

to catch up their pledges before the summer gets here.

Expenses are still under budget so the bottom line does not look too bad.

Coffee Hour

Please consider signing up to sponsor coffee hour after a 10:30AM service. All

you have to do is bring goodies to share, stay and enjoy the company and then

clean up afterwards. This time gives us the opportunity to get to know other
members and welcome visitors.

There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board.

Spiritual Formation Groups

Starting within the next few weeks, most of our small groups will

begin new series.

This would be a great time for you to join if you'd like to experience
learning, prayer and fellowship with other church members. Feel free
to bring a friend too!

Monday Night Group (at St. Bart's)

The Monday Night group meets at the Church from 6:30-8:00pm.

This group will begin a video series, Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus in which
a Biblical scholar takes us on a tour of the Holy Land sites mentioned in the
Gospels.

Wednesday Morning group (at St. Bart's)

The Wednesday Morning Group meets at the church for prayer and study from
10:30-11:30AM.

The Wednesday 10:30am group and Sunday School (9:30am): Will discuss "what
would happen to you if you died having neither been a particularly bad person,
nor a particularly good one? C.S. Lewis answers this question through a delightful
and thought-provoking novel, The Great Divorce.

First Sunday Food Donations for the Hungry

We continue to collect food donations on the first Sunday of each month.
If you forget that scheduled collection date, just add your donations
to the box to the right of the door anytime. We are currently delivering
the food to the Lamb's Basket Food Pantry in the Lakeside neighborhood. While
they accept any canned or packaged, food, items they regularly distribute to
each family the following products:

Pasta sauces

Soups

Beans

Vegetables

macaroni and cheese boxes

dry pasta

fruit (they have a goodly supply of fruit right now.)

In addition, they offer choices of juices, staples such as cooking oil, condiments
and a shelf of toiletries, detergents and paper goods. On my last delivery, they
mentioned they were low on baby food.

They would also like to have a steady source of fresh eggs. Due to our storage
constraints, I purchase eggs on the way to deliver the food. If anyone wants to
donate cash for eggs, I would be happy to add that to my donation.

Thank you for your support of this outreach project.

Fundraiser - Save the Date!

Ladies Night Out! @ St. Bart's

Wednesday June 8th 6:30- 9:00 p.m.

A Fundraiser Event with proceeds going to the Mike Oglesby Shrine Mont
Scholarship Fund and the Mary Nugent Scholarship Fund.

Premier Jewelry Party- awesome and fun jewelry - half of the proceeds
donated from that night's Sales. You should be receiving your invite on line
and in the mail in the next couple of days! If you don't let Cindy Reynolds
know.

Tickets- $5. Bring a friend! RSVP Cindy Reynolds at 804-502-5661. Spirited
drinks and light fare provided.

Come have fun and help raise money for a worthy cause!!

Family Bible Devotionals

June 5 - June 11

Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15).

Jesus Storybook Bible, N.A.

E100, #78.
Bible Story Handbook, N.A.

Memory: Acts 2:8-9

St. Bart's Youth Group

Calling all youth 13 years and older to join our youth group. The meetings
will be held on Sundays at 6PM. We will continue to meet twice a month on
the second and fourth Sundays. Together we will explore the bible and see
how it can apply to our daily life. We will also be talking about how we can
help the church and community.

We would like to provide dinner for the youth group on the Sundays
we meet. Please call Marlaina Knowlton at 804-897-1495 if you could
help with dinner any Sunday. We will place a sign up sheet on the
bulletin board. Please consider helping by signing up. Thanks.

Prayer Request and Answered Prayers

Prayer Requests:

This week we are praying for: Arlene, Autumn, Audith, Betty Sue, Betty P.
Betty W., Bill, Carole, Carolyn, Carter, Cathy, Christy, Cierra, Clara, Claudine,

Diana, Dorothy, Don, Donna, Ethan, Frank, F.G., Ginny, Harlow, Hayden, H.B.,
Jane, Jeanne, Jennifer, Jimmie, Joyce, Julia, Kathy, Kelly, Kent, Klaire, Kym,
Laura, Lexie, Lilliam, Linda, Maggie, Martin, Michael, Mindy, Molly, Nick, Okpil,
Paige, Paul, Rob, Robert, R.W., Sarah, Sebastian, Terry, Thomas, Tony, Tukie,
Vonie.

On the Horizon