2007 Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

Today was the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity. The morning temperature at Mount Olympus was 63°F with a light Santa Ana condition. Down the hill, winds were calm and skies clear and bright. With almost perfect weather, we had 26 people present.

Today’s customary pre-service class was replaced by a briefing from Father Acker on the meeting this past week of first ever Common Cause Council of Bishops was held in Pittsburgh from 25-28 September 2007. Common Cause members have come from both the now Episcopal Church (TEC) and the continuing church. Our Anglican Province of America is a member, as is the Reformed Episcopal Church, with whom we are currently unifying with. Common Cause has been around a long time and has claimed to be a force for truth and biblical “strict construction” in the church, but until now has done nothing. For the first time they are actually doing something, not just talking. Even more amazing, the Common Cause TEC bishops are leading their flocks.

The Common Cause members voted to establish a Council of Bishops, which will meet every six months, as a first step in forming a unified national church entity for the United States. The Council of Bishops then adopted a plan of action to make a new national church a reality. The Anglican bishops of Common Cause came from eleven jurisdictions and organizations and represented more than 600 Anglican congregations.

They laid out a timeline for the path ahead, committed to working together at local and regional levels, agreed to deploy clergy interchangeably and announced their intention to, in consultation “with those Primates and Provinces of the Anglican Communion offering recognition under the timeline adopted,” call a “founding constitutional convention for an Anglican union,” at the earliest possible date agreeable to all of the partners.

“We met deeply aware that we have arrived at a critical moment in the history of mainstream Anglican witness in North America. God has led us to repentance for past divisions and opened the way for a united path forward. To Him be the glory,” said Robert Duncan, convener of the council and a TEC bishop.

It remains to be seen how the TEC bishops will handle their clash with TEC, but this is a momentous first step. Like the sky-diver’s first step, they cannot back up. Congratulations to them for their courage.

Stephanie Boyd read the Epistle for today, which came from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians beginning at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter. Paul calls us to act in a manner worth of the life to which we have been called by Christ. He asks us to put God first in our lives, to put ourselves last. He reminds us, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” The key to a successful life is to put the important things at the top of your To Do List. And, notice it is a To Do List, not a To Think About or To Wait a While List. What is more important than God?

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, for-bearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.



Today’s Gospel came from the Fourteenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, beginning at the First Verse. The Gospel starts out reminding us the Law was designed to be flexible. The goal is to do God’s will, not to “follow the letter of the law” as the Pharisees were so keen on. They brought before Him a man in need of healing as they sat to eat on the Sabbath Day. They watched to see what He would do. Putting the monkey on their back, He asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day?” Wishing to be in a position to criticize rather than answer, “they held their peace.” He healed the man, then asked them, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath Day?” They would not respond; for the answer was obvious.

Then “He put forth a parable to those” who had been invited to dine with him, after He had seen them joust for the seats of honor. “When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Do we put God first and let others raise us up, or do we put ourselves first and let others put us down?

It came came to pass, as Jesus went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things. And he put forth a parable to those which were bid-den, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Sermon - Vocation is doing
God calls on us to act, to do, to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. He calls on us to

live the life he has set out for us, to live a life that measures up to the standards He set when He called on you.

He asks us to be:

• Humble
• Gentle
• Patient
• Understanding

To show tolerant love

To live in unity of the Spirit in peace with those around us, to live our lives in oneness with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus set the example for us to follow. While we may fall short, we will never hit our target if we aim low. In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals the man with dropsy on the Sabbath, He does not just talk about healing him, or think about it; He does it. In the Gospel, He points out the big picture reasoning and asks the questioners what they would do. If you understand the general picture, you know what to do.

The Epistle and Gospel come together to tell us that Christian life is about doing, not about contemplation. While contemplation has its place, it is really only in preparation for doing. We are asked to act as one to spread the Word.

At this point in the sermon, Father Acker recalled his best and worst teachers from school. He told us he learned the most from those who were patient and caring, those who took an interest in him. That is how God wants us to act. That is how we can be most effective in spreading the Word. But, your Beadle would point out that Father Acker learned something from even the least competent of his teachers. He learned far more from the worst than from those who would not teach. It is better to teach poorly than to sit on your hands and do nothing.

Let the Holy Spirit direct your life. Ask him first, “What do you want to happen here?”

Listen for the answer, then act. Reach out not only to those in our fellowship; but to those outside. Bring them in and they will be part of our family.

Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported birthdays or anniversaries today.

After Church Hospitality
Today Alice Acker brought the goodies, but not the table cloth. To make things worse, she had taken the “Emergency Spare” out of the supplies box to wash it. Not to worry, Jan Macauley had one in her trunk!


Alice brought home baked ginger-like bread, with lo-carb whipped topping, and sugar-free flat cake, which was augmented by chocolate chip cookies and nuts left over from Ashley Chase’s wedding yesterday. All excellent!

Tim’s House of Coffee provided the drinks under the careful supervision of Command Master Chief Brewer Macauley. Once again, Father Acker got up early enough to make his famous low carb lemonade, a sacrifice much appreciated by your Beadle.

In response to a request from a parishioner, Jan Macauley graciously typed up the recipe for last week’s Raspberry Almond Bars which she got from a cookbook her sister the Friday before church. Looking in her cupboard, she found she had all the ingredients on hand (including the almonds that she had tucked away in her freezer) and we were the beneficiaries. She did suggest that for easier cleanup you line pan with aluminum foil and either grease or spray foil with Baker's Joy.
 
Raspberry Almond Bars
from Best of Country Brownies and Bars
©2007 Reiman Media Group, Inc.
 
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 package (10 -12 ounces) vanilla or white chips, divided
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds
 
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Remove from the heat; add 1 cup chips (do not stir).  In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy; gradually add sugar.  Stir in chip mixture and almond extract.  Combine flour and salt; add to egg mixture just until combined. 

Spread half of the batter into a greased 9-in.square baking pain.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  In a small saucepan, melt jam over low heat; spread over warm crust.  Stir remaining chips into the remaining batter; drop by teaspoonfuls over the jam layer.  Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.  Cut into bars.  Yield: 2 dozen (or one Beadle serving)

New Nametags
We had had three new nametags today. Evelyn Hunt, who has been on our prayer list for many months, joined us today with her daughter Kathy. This was quite a treat for us. Kathy is going to be bringing Evelyn to church once or twice a month. We look forward to seeing both of them. In addition, the Reverend Callum Matthews joined us again. We look forward to he and his wife joining us regularly.

Travel
Patty and George are on travel.
Chris is on travel this week.

Sick or in need of healing
Betty Cooke
Diane Chase
Muriel Pappin
Fran Dexter
Martha Stevens

Victor – Donna Dingwall’s husband, is recently out of the hospital and is in need of prayer for increased strength. Please pray for his rapid recovery.

Marie “Rede” Acker – Father Acker’s mother broke her good shoulder on 14 July 2007. She is back home with her husband Jack. Please pray for her rapid recovery.

Annie Springer had to go back in the hospital due to problems with both her kidney infection and problems stabilizing her diabetes medication. She is due to be released on Monday. The problems with her vision preclude her from driving right now. Your prayers are asked for her recovery from the infection and the stabilization of her medications, as well as improvement of her vision. In addition, please pray for strength for the Springer family. Imagine the stress they are all under and pray the God will give them help to work together to overcome all the problems Annie’s illness has brought on them.

The Springer family is an inspiration to your Beadle; they should be to each of us. Mike has been working nights and Annie clearly does not feel well. Yet, they are at church almost every Sunday worshipping and learning. Mike with his always happy smile and Annie with her quiet and cheerful countenance. Emilie quickly picked up the Lending Library setting out job. Alex is right there setting up the chairs and putting out prayer books and hymnals. When the Beadle is dragging, he thinks, if the Springers can do it, so can he.

Lona Walsh (Wanda Michaelis' mother) surgery has been put off.

Miney Farrell is doing great and should be in church next week according to Greg Chase.

Lorraine Winkles is still battling the shingles. She hopes not to set records for the most persistent case. She appreciates our praying for her on Sunday mornings.

Donna Dingwall is doing well enough that she and her family were able to do a bit of travel. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

Rest in Peace
On Friday, 14 September 2007, Helen Lizak, Ben’s mom who has been in nursing care for several years, passed away. Please pray for Ben and his family as the mourn her passing and for the repose of her soul.

On Saturday, 15 September 2007, Barbara Emrich passed away. There likely will only be a memorial service at Victoria Chapel. Father Acker will provide details as available.

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let light perpetual shine upon them.
May their souls, and the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.

Back Door Lending Library
We have some new Amazing Grace books of several flavors, in addition, there are still several sets of the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, as well as some background books on the series. There are plenty of sets, so don’t be shy. There are also Annotated Holy Communion Books. These books have the Prayer Book Holy Communion service on the left page and an explanation on the right page. They are a great way to learn about the service. Pick one up when you come in and use it for the service, if you like.

Personal 1928 Books of Common Prayer & Bibles
During his many travels and general rooting around, your Beadle has come across some very nice personal 1928 Prayer Books, including a couple with Hymnals attached and leather bound Bibles. If you would like one, please contact him directly.

Isn't the doctrine of the trinity just the worship of three gods, rather than one God?
In a word, NO. Christians believe that the three persons of the Trinity are all one God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 states, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!"

He is a super-person, so to speak, His nature being so much more complex than our own that we cannot describe Him as a single "person." The doctrine of the trinity is perhaps the most difficult and perplexing to explain, since we are trying to describe the nature of the infinite God, which finite human beings are incapable of comprehending.

What is the trinity?
Definition: "Within the one Being that is God, the exists eternally three co-equal and co-eternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

The term trinity describes a relationship not of three gods, but of one God who is three persons. Trinity does not mean tritheism, that is, that there are three beings who together are God, but the word trinity is used in an effort to define the fullness of the Godhead both in terms of His unity and diversity.

The term trinity is never used explicitly in Scripture, but the concept is there from the beginning and specific passages such as Matthew 28:19, "baptizing them in the name [singular] of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit", refer explicitly to there being three "persons". All three persons of the trinity make an appearance at Jesus's baptism, as recorded in Mark 1:10-11, "As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'" The "he" who saw this may be either Jesus or John the Baptist, who later testified about this event (John 1:32-34).

The church has rejected from the beginning heresies of modalism and tritheism.

Modalism is the denial of the distinction of persons within the Godhead, claiming that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are simply three "modes" of God expressing Himself.

Tritheism reaches to the other extreme, that of falsely declaring that there are three beings who together make up God. The term "person" does not mean a distinction in essence, but a difference in subsistence. Jesus is different in subsistence from the Father or the Holy Spirit, but he is the same essence in terms of being. The Christian definition of God asserts that the three persons of the Godhead share the same essence, the same co-eternal existence, and the same will, but not the same mind, the same position, the same role, or the same relationship. All the persons in the Godhead have all the attributes of deity.

For example, in the Torah, Moses asks God who is sending him and God replies: "I am that I am" (Exodus 3:14). Jesus lays claim to this same statement throughout the New Testament, most noticeably in John 8:58 "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am'" This is the same "I am" as stated in the Exodus passage. In John 10:30 Jesus explicitly states, "I and the Father are one." In Mark 12:35-37, Jesus lays claim to His deity, tying together both the Hebrew Scriptures (Psalm 110:1) and the New Testament. Lastly, there is the simple fact that Jesus was executed for claiming equality with God and he did not once deny the claim before his accusers (Mark 14:62 "Jesus said, 'I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.'") The Holy Spirit's role, while active throughout creation (Gen. 1:2) and in the Hebrew Scriptures (Judges 3:10, 13:25, 1 Samuel 16:13), has the specific role to live in the hearts of Christians after Jesus departed the Earth (Mark 13:11 "for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit", Acts 2). Throughout, there is an emphasis on the pre-existence of both Son and Holy Spirit. God did not at some point become three persons: the Son existed before he came to earth as Jesus, the Spirit existed before the Pentecost. God has always been the trinity: He is three persons and one God.

The trinity does not refer to "parts" of God and unfortunately human analogies fall short. True, you can point to one man who is a father, son and husband, or water in its three phases (ice, liquid and vapor). These are both modalist explanations which fail to capture the mystery of the Godhead. A more accurate but still faulty analogy may be found in ourselves, however. Human beings are composite creatures. Physically, we are trillions of cells working together to form the body, millions of neurons firing simultaneously to produce thought, two distinct hemispheres of the brain which "think" in different ways. Psychologically, we are a mess of conflicting emotions and ideas, each vying for primacy in our psyche. Spiritually, we are creatures of both soul and body, an uncomfortable mix filled with the strife between the physical and spiritual parts of our nature. Ultimately, one human person has less internal unity than the three persons of the trinity. And yet we never think of ourselves as more than one being.

The following is a traditional explanation for the roles of the three persons of God, taken from C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity:

God is a Being which contains three Persons while remaining one Being, just as a cube contains six squares while remaining one body. But as soon as I begin trying to explain how these Persons are connected, I have to use words which make it sound as if one of them was there before the others. The First Person is called the Father and the Second the Son. We say that the First begets or produces the Second; we call it begetting, not making, because what he produces is of the same kind as Himself. In that way the word Father is the only one to use. But unfortunately it suggests that He is there first--just as a human father exists before his son. But that is not so. There is no before and after about it... The Son exists because the Father exists: but there never was a time before the Father produced the Son.

We must think of the Son always, so to speak, streaming forth from the Father, like light from a lamp, or heat from a fire, or thoughts from a mind. He is the self-expression of the Father--what the Father has to say. And there never was a time when He was not saying it... All these pictures of light or heat are making it sound as if the Father and the Son are two things instead of two Persons. So that, after all, the New Testament picture of a Father and a Son turns out to be much more accurate than anything we try to substitute for it... Naturally God knows how to describe Himself much better than we know how to describe Him. He knows that Father and Son is more like the relation between the First and Second Persons than anything else we can think of. Much the most important thing to know is that it is a relation of love. The Father delights in His Son; the Son looks up to His Father...

The union between the Father and Son is such a live concrete thing that this union itself is a Person. I know this is almost inconceivable but look at it thus. You know that among human beings, when they get together in a family, or a club, or a trade union, people talk about the "spirit" of that family, or club, or trade union. They talk about its "spirit" because the individual members, when they are together, do really develop particular ways of talking and behaving, which they would not have if they were apart. It is as if a sort of communal personality came into existence. Of course, it is not a real person: it is only rather like a person. But that is just one of the difference between God and us. What grows out of the joint life of the Father and Son is a real Person, is in fact the Third of the three Persons who are God.

This third Person is called, in technical language, the Holy Ghost or the "spirit" of God. Do not be worried or surprised if you find it (or Him) rather vaguer or more shadowy in your mind than the other two... Perhaps some people might find it easier to begin with the third Person and work backward. God is love, and that love works through men--especially through the whole community of Christians. But this spirit of love is, from all eternity, a love going on between the Father and the Son.

This explanation helps to illustrate a number of things. For one, the term "Word" applied to the Son in John 1 begins to make sense when we consider the Son as the "self-expression of the Father." Perhaps more importantly, it illustrates what is meant by 1 John 4:8, which declares that "God is love." We tend to minimize this, saying it means that God is loving. But throughout the Bible, the refrain is that God loves us because His very nature is love, and it would be unlike Him not to love us. But before humans and angels, what was there to love? What besides God is eternal? Love requires an object; the word is meaningless otherwise. Love could not be part of His eternal nature if He has not had some eternal object for His love. Instead, it would be something God learned to do once He had created someone to love. Only the trinity offers an explanation of how love can be a facet of the eternal nature of God, since contained in the three persons of the trinity are the subject, object, and expression of love. The three persons of the trinity are defined primarily by the relationship shared among them.

It is hoped this helps shed some light on what the Trinity is, don't worry if you don't feel you fully understand it. Count it as amazing that, finite as we are, we mortals have been given the revelation and the insight to grasp even this much.

In short, the trinity is described by the following:

• It affirms the triunity of God.
• It is not a contradiction: God is one in essence and three in person.
• The Bible affirms both the oneness of God and the deity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• The trinity is distinguished by the work assumed by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The doctrine of the trinity sets limits of human speculation about the nature of God.

Question that only you can ask
What would you like to know about our history, what we believe, what we do or how we operate? Father Acker is looking for material for the continuing education class and the Beadle is looking for Thought for the Day material. Help us help you. Please send your question to the Beadle so we all can get an answer. Just because you don’t know the answer to your question doesn’t mean you are the only one who doesn’t know. But, if you don’t ask, no one will know.

Missionary Diocese of Viet Nam
If you did not get the initial briefing on the Anglican Missionary Diocese of Vietnam, please look at the Beadle’s Report for 22 July 2007.

Forward in Faith, NA has fallen by the wayside. They are of no help, but at least so far no hindrance as they appear to move towards irrelevance.

Funding for the initial phase is complete.


Phase I Funding
Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity (APA) $2,000.00
Diocese of the West (APA) 3,500.00
St Michael’s by the sea, Carlsbad CA (ACN) 2,000.00
Total Cost $7,500.00

The planning phase is over, the operation is underway. Father Joseph Mai leaves Monday and Bishop Richard Boyce leaves Tuesday for Vietnam to meet and train the twelve candidates:

• Nguyen Huu The
 • Nguyen Ly

• Huynh Ngoc Thien • Ynien Apor
• Nguyen Quang Dang • Nehermi Apor
• Nguyen Van Thanh • Le Khanh Tan
• Nguyen Binh An • Pham Ngoc Hue
• Bui Quang Trung • Name yet to be released

When Bishop Boyce and Father Mai return from Vietnam, we will have a better sense of what is needed going forward. We will need to revise our Phase II plan and start solicitations for funding this second phase. We note that there is no Book of Common Prayer currently available in Vietnamese. This will be a priority, in addition to funding the new priests and deacons.

We are pleased Father Larry Bausch informed us Holy Trinity Ocean Beach (Diocese of Argentina) will contribute at least $3,000.00 and perhaps $4,000.00 from their Mission Fund towards Phase Two of the project. Also, the American Anglican Council of San Diego (AAC) has pledged $250.00 towards Phase Two.

Phase One is complete, more money will be needed for Phase Two. This is the most cost effective way your Beadle has seen to spread the Word. There is ZERO Overhead, One Hundred Percent or more of what you contribute goes to the end user. Your Beadle is in front of this project and trusts you will follow him with your heart.

Archbishop Chew the Province of Southeast Asia and Bishop Ackerman are planning to meet in November to discuss possible cooperation on the Missionary Diocese of Vietnam.

We invite you to join in the prayers we have been praying each night that:

• The people of Vietnam will not lose their ardor for the church;
• The people here will provide the support they can;
             and where prayer is most needed:
• The church hierarchy will not place roadblocks in the way of the Lord's Work.

Please also pray for a safe and successful mission for Bishop Boyce and Father Mai and the candidates.

New Potential Anglican Church Structure for the United States of America
As you are all well aware, with the loss of the Episcopal Church to the devil, as people noticed the water getting hotter and hotter, they got out of the pot and formed their own churches. This movement led by the people and some priests, with absolutely zero leadership exhibited by bishops of the various Episcopal iterations, resulted in the formation of a fragmented Anglican presence in the country. Given the national nature of the Anglican model, this has presented a problem. In addition, it has adversely affected our once clear “brand recognition”, greatly impacting our ability to “Spread the Word.” People did not know what to expect from each of the Anglican presences in the country.

While the “Episcopal” bishops to date had provided zero leadership, the continuing church, as it has been called, had bishops who were not afraid to lead. While there was some “turf protection”, many of the bishops were able to see the light and lead their people towards it. The continuing church has begun the coalescing needed.

In addition, there were a few “conservative” bishops in the now TEC who have been claiming to follow the Lord and “had a plan”, although they never were able to share it. They participated in “Common Cause” with the bishops of the continuing church.

With the 30 September 2007 deadline from the Worldwide Primates looming, the Common Cause bishop met in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for what would be the last time if they did not act.

In what is the miracle of the past 100 years of Anglicans in the United States, the bishops of Common Cause acted, including those conservatives of TEC. Not just talked meaningless and mindless drivel, but actually committed themselves in writing to action! They have committed to establishment of an Anglican Confederation, which should eventually form a new Anglican Church of the United States of America.

Dear readers, this is really remarkable. For the first time in 100 years, a few bishops of the TEC are leading their flocks, not wondering where they went. They have taken the first steps towards truly fulfilling their ordination vows. They have put the Word ahead of the World and broken with the collegial traditions of the bishopric. They are to be congratulated.

Father Acker’s News Flash follows:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
            Although it will take some time for us to adjust, we have a new structure for faithful Anglicans. The 51 Bishops representing over 600 congregations have come together to move forward for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can read the full story here:

http://www.acn-us.org/archive/2007/09/anglican-bishops-take-first-steps-to-new-structure.html

            While not all the details are worked out, it is clear that we work together presenting the faith once delivered to the saints. We must be about our mission of making Jesus Christ known. I think we can expect leading primates of the Anglican Communion to give formal recognition of the new structure over the coming weeks. The worldwide community of Anglicans is now looking for us to demonstrate faithful gospel witness and mission. We must live as faithful disciples, individually, as congregations, regional federations of parishes, and in our constituent Partner organizations (ours being the Anglican Province of America).

            I hope you will rejoice not only in thanksgiving, but rejoicing in word and action to make the love of Jesus known in the lives around you. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday morning!

Epistle Readers
In response to requests from the congregation and the readers, we will be posting the list of Epistle Readers in the Beadle’s Report from henceforth. This way, you can either plan your attendance or your pre-reading as the spirit so moves you.

Date Reader

7 October 2007 Alex Boyd
14 October 2007 Greg Chase
21 October 2007 Holly Lizak
28 October 2007 Ben Lizak

Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. The pre-service class is back. Father Acker is going to be taking up Death from the Christian Perspective. No one wants to talk about dying, even less to they want to die. Yet, the one condition of coming into this world is that we must leave. Death has no hold over a Christian, death is not to be feared. Through Christ we conquer death. This is going to be an interesting class series. Your Beadle thinks you will find it far more comforting and enjoyable than you think. Don’t miss it! Come to church so you won’t want to wait for the Beadle’s Report to find out what happened.

See you next week on Sunday!

Father Acker posts a .pdf version of the current Beadle’s Report on the church website:

http://alpineanglican.com/BeadleReports.htm

An alternative version of the Beadle’s Report without photographs is available at:

http://web.mac.com/thebeadle/iWeb/BeadleBlog/Blog/Blog.html

All back issues of the Beadle’s Reports are available on request from:

thebeadle@mac.com