Trinity Sunday

Today was Trinity Sunday.  Summer may be here. It was 72°F at sunrise on Mount Olympus and 95°F by the time church was over. Even though we got our members back from the zoo and some back from travel, we only ended up with 17 people present for the service:.

Trinity Sunday
The first Sunday after Pentecost is the Festival of the Holy Trinity. On this day, the church rejoices in the impenetrable mystery that God is triune (three-in-one) -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord is one God in three distinct persons. The inner relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in such a way that each of them is fully and equally God, yet there are not three Gods. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians accept this incomprehensible mystery as a fundamental article of faith.

Trinity Joke
Jesus said, “Whom do men say that I am?”

And his disciples answered and said, “Some say you are John the Baptist returned from the dead; others say Elias or other of the old prophets.”

And Jesus answered and said, “But whom do you say that I am?”

Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Logos, existing in the Father as His rationality and then, by an act of His will, being generated, in consideration of the various functions by which God is related to his creation, but only on the fact that Scripture speaks of a Father, and a Son, and a Holy Spirit, each member of the Trinity being coequal with every other member, and each acting inseparably with and interpenetrating every other member, with only an economic subordination within God, but causing no division which would make the substance no longer simple."

And Jesus answering, said, "Say what?"

Father Acker’s Pre-Service Class - Around the Bible in 140 days by popular demand

Today continued the twenty week tour of the Bible, 10 minutes of teaching each Sunday, beginning at 8:30am.  The class started with one of the Collects for the Day, applicable to the subject at hand, in this case the Second Sunday in Advent:

BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.          
Second Sunday of Advent BCPp92

Today we moved on to the Psalms – Songs of living with God. The Psalms were meant to be sung in Hebrew, showing what it is like to be living with God, they were:

• 150 poems—Songs to be sung
• 73 written by King David
• 77 written by various others
• Living with God
• Not a “spiritual exercise”
• Heartbreak and Joy

Like the rest of the Bible, they are timeless. Their meaning changes not, their application is universal. Written thousands of years ago they shine forth into our present. Take the 23rd Psalm, perhaps one on the most memorable:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Whether you are young soldier headed into battle or a person in their nineties, there is meaning here.

The Psalms were first made really available when they were translated into English, the language of the people, in the Great Bible. In the words of Henry the VIII, “"…one book of the bible of the largest volume in English, and the same set up in some convenient place within the said church that ye have care of, whereas your parishioners may most commodiously resort to the same and read it."

The Great Bible, which was the forerunner of the King James Version brought the Word of God to the people. The Bibles were placed in every church that the people might read and know the Word of God. This was a very big deal, as up to that time even priests might well have never actually been able to read the Bible. Until that time, the Word was what the Church said it was and often that was at variance with what the Bible actually said.

Jack Arnold read this morning’s Epistle, which was written in the Fourth Chapter of the Revelation of Saint John the Divine beginning at the First Verse:

AFTER this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. And the first was like a lion, and the second like a calf, and the third had a face as a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.

Today’s Gospel was written the Third Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John beginning at the First Verse:

THERE was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Sermon – Knowing the Persons of God

Our parish is named Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity. This is another way of saying the Alpine Anglican Church of God, for God is three persons, a Trinity, which comes from Tri (three) and Unity (one), three in one. Like the oil, there is nothing he can’t do.

Trinity Sunday is the eight day after the Feast of Pentecost, the Octave of Pentecost.

In Pentecost, Jesus makes it possible to have God be in your life. The Holy Ghost brings the understanding of God’s Word into your heart. Without Him, we have no comfort.

Three is often thought of as a complete number. Like a marriage, a man and a woman come together and, as the song goes, and baby makes three. A complete family. The three together make a complete family unit. We cannot come unto God except through our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost makes the necessary understanding possible. Then, with the Trinity, we can enter in to the family of God.

We are called to be the Family of God and worship, work and live together in peace and harmony. If you won’t come to church, you will never meet your family members with whom you are called to worship, work and live together in peace and harmony. If you come to church on Sunday and leave God behind, you will miss out on the joy of Christian fellowship with your family members with whom you are called to worship, work and live together in peace and harmony.

Develop the personal relationship with God and your fellow Christians that Jesus calls you to.

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

After Church Hospitality
Again like Bilbo Baggins Holly Lizak came back from her trip in time to bring snacks, there were egg salad sandwiches and curried chicken ones, too; grapes and some nice bar things and cookies. While the Beadle and Tim both tried to dissuade everyone from consuming the egg salad sandwiches, it was to no avail. Father Acker said not to worry, there were only 17 people present and there were clearly enough sandwiches. Sadly, he was wrong. The sandwiches were gone in a flash. True, a long flash, but a flash nonetheless.

Barista Don Patton was on hand making great coffee. Father Acker managed to get up early enough to make his famous low carb lemonade.

Our Snacko, Jan Macauley asked that the upcoming after church goodies providers be listed in the Beadle’s Report to make it easier to remember:

Date Name
25 May 2008 Fran Dexter
1 June 2008 Alice Acker
8 June 2008 Stephanie Boyd
15 June 2008 Jan Macauley
22 June 2008 Martha Stevens
29 June 2008 Opportunity Open
6 July 2008 Holly Lizak
13 July 2008 Opportunity Open

New Nametags
We had no new nametags today.

People in our Prayers - http://www.blessedtrinityprayerteam.blogspot.com/
Prayer is an extremely important activity.
It is not that God knows not our needs, for He surely does.  Yet, Jesus commanded us to ask God for those same needs.  In addition to the obvious of asking God for help, offering thanksgiving and the like, prayer helps us focus our thoughts on how we might do God's work.

The Prayer Team of the Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity was established to help our members and fellow Christians pray for those in need and to give thanks as well for the blessings we have been granted.

What is the commitment from the prayer team?
Each member of the team will pray for the desired outcome at last once per day.

How do I get myself or someone else on the prayer list?
You can email one of the prayer team leaders: Greg - gnchase@cox.net or Dru - dru@descansorodents.com, or call the church office at (619) 722-1772 or fill out a prayer card at church.

What should I ask for?
Depends on what you want.  Some people merely want God to be asked to heal their ills and be mentioned by their first name, others want a specific outcome and / or have more of their personal information known to the team.  Ask for what you want.  It is your desire and need for prayer the team is attempting to meet.  For typical examples, see the list below.

Updating the Team
If you are on our prayer list, or if you have submitted a person that you have asked us to pray for, please update one of the team members or Father Acker in person, by telephone or email.  It helps to be able to pray specifically for these individuals including their specific needs; plus if they get better, it is nice to give thanks!

Please note that on the green or orange cards at church, you can ask that those to be prayed for have their names disseminated to the "prayer team".  Those names will be said in church and appear here.  Or, you can ask that their names and purpose be kept confidential, then only Father Acker will know to pray for them.

Travel
Ken is on travel this week.
Traci and Warren are on travel already and Aaron is traveling to join them this week.
Don, Sandy and Nick are on travel this week.

Repose of the Soul
Angelina Torres – passed away week before last as a result of congestive heart failure. Please pray for the repose of her soul and comfort for her family members left here on earth.

Healing
Caroline (age 10 leukemia reoccurrence), Betty, Annie (diabetes), Salvador (cancer), Betty, Marge, Uni, Bethany (collision), Greg (shoulder surgery), Karl, Kathy, Christian, Marie, Wanda, James (diabetes), Frank+ (brain tumor), Sarah, Tina, Mark, Lois, Jennette (altzhimers), Gary, Delores, Anna, Ruth, Theresa, Don (post surgery), Melanie, Connie, Tom, Crystal, Thomas, Hadley, Diane, Norm, Gregory, Terri, Mary, Edward, Bert, Carmen, Yolanda, Jodi, Ken, Sheila, Nancy, Leucrecia (cancer), Michele, Marybeth (broken foot, stroke), Bill (infection), Teiko, Ernie, Ray, Tamara, Betty, Hazel, Richard, Bruce (heart attack), Susanne, Paul (stroke), Ralph+ (eyes hip), Allison (kidney), Bill (ETOH poisoning), Fran (cataracts), Jerry (allergy attack), Muriel (cold)

Al had a heart attack on Friday. He was in Grossmont Hospital and has been released from the hospital. There was no vessel blockage and no heart muscle damage. He still feels very poorly, but is thankful to be home with no more heart damage. Please pray for his safe and successful recovery and also for his family.

Mary Parker has congestive heart failure. She and her family ask that you pray for no further deterioration of her heart muscles and that medication and diet will allow her to lead a productive, long, active and enjoyable life here on earth to His honor and glory. They also ask help and guidance for them all.

Kay Denton (Mrs. Kay) – Hospitalized with heart, kidney and lung difficulties with fluid buildup on the lungs and what may be a form of septic arthritis. Please pray for the fluid to dissipate and for her heart to regain regularity. Also, please pray for her to regain her positive attitude. As always, she retains her trust in the Lord, she is just a bit down on things of this earth. Pray also for Mrs. Kay’s family and her close friend Len who are under great stress that they might also keep their trust in the Lord.

Nicole Ethridge - age 27, mother of two - Has a form of liver disease which is causing her liver to shut down. She is near dialysis and would like you to pray for her disease to go into remission so that she can keep off dialysis and avoid a liver transplant. She asks that you pray for her continued faith and good spirits, as well as strength to take care of her children.


Greg Chase – Cold and flu.

Guidance

Lloyd & Jennifer, Bob to be guided to church
Ashley, Breyana, Vie, Asha, Cory, Heather, Holly, Ken, Maruja, Stella, Shelly, Jerry, Martha, Matt, Marci, Nicholas, Carmen, Mary, John, William, Joe, Alexander, Jonathan, Phil, Sandy, Larraine, Brad, Brian, Cindi, Uni, Jennifer, Greg, Ed, Ruthie, Margie, Phyllis, Walter, Doris-June, Rick, Carol, Susan, Curtis, Stephen, Donny, Chris, Eric (job), Andrew, Keith (job decision), Jeff, Penny, Sara, Mark

Economic Guidance and Assistance
St. Andrew’s Academy (Lake Almanor, CA) Father Brian Foos (headmaster) – Please pray for help and guidance for the school which is under severe pressure from economic down turn.
 You can pray and turn your heart towards this problem. If you can do something concrete to help them, contact Father Acker.



Homebound/Aged and Infirm

Mary, Donna, Betty, Noko, Adelaide, Evelyn, Lorraine, Ellie, Walter (skilled nursing)

Armed Forces & Contractors

Tillman, Patrick, Justin, Tim, Evan, Jim, RJ, Matt, Phillip, Tim, Oscar, Julian, Steven (US Army – Bagdad, Iraq) 


Needs Employment

Stephen Pappin is looking for a job in the electronic power supply field and asks you pray for him to be guided to an opening where he can fit in, do well and help them prosper.

Thanksgiving

Fran gives thanks her eye problems are now down to only relatively mild cataracts and those appear to be operable.

Completion of military service for Jason & Matt

RJ and his entire unit returning from Iraq without casualties

Greg Chase gives thanks for the grace God has given him and his family. His rib injury is almost healed, he feels better and gives thanks for the improvement.

Back Door Lending Library
The Back Door Lending Library is happy to announce the availability of 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.

The Lending Library is a resource you need to use.  Most of the books are short, understandable, but very powerful.  Also, if you have any books you would like share, please bring them in.

Personal 1928 Books of Common Prayer
While not strictly part of the Front Door Lending Library, we have some personal 1928 Prayer Books.  A church in Florida disposed of a nice quantity of personal hardback 1928 BCPs in excellent to new condition, which we were lucky enough to acquire.  There are some on the Front Table.  We have plenty, although we only put out a half dozen at a time.  They are yours to take home as your very own.  The only thing the parish asks is that if you ever go to the dark side, please return it.  Otherwise, it is yours forever.

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.

I’d like to get a different point across or announce something
If you have a different point of view, I would be happy to give you room to get your point across.  While this publication is my perspective on events, I recognize not everyone may agree and that some people would like to express their own opinion.

If want to write an article or make an announcement, please forward your item to the Beadle (with a note as to whether or not you would like editing help) to the following address:  thebeadle@mac.com.

Christian Fellowship Opportunity - Oblatum occasionem tene
We all go out to dinner on the odd occasion. Often we go by ourselves. Think of the opportunity for fellowship if you ask a fellow Christian. It can be someone from your church, another church or someone without a church home. You get a chance to talk about Christian things and become more involved with a fellow Christian, or even two. How much easier it is to worship, work and live together in peace and harmony with someone you know and like. Your Beadle is willing to bet you will have a great time.

Epistle Readers
We post the list of Epistle Readers in the Beadle’s Report each week so you can either plan your attendance or your pre-reading as the spirit so moves you.

Date Reader

25 May 2008 Jan Macauley
1 June 2008 Ben Lizak
8 June 2008 Holly Lizak
15 June 2008 Fran Dexter
22 June 2008 Alice Acker
29 June 2008 Tim Macauley – Saint Peter’s Day, the Fisher of Men, read by the fisherman himself!

The near future, as well as Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the First Sunday after Trinity and the start of the long season of green. Come next Sunday and find out what this means.

What about the pre-service class, will Father Acker lose his place or will he pick up where he left off? What about the sermon?  Are we still on the Trinity, back to the Holy Ghost or something all together different? Unless you come to the service, you will have to wait until you read the Beadle’s Report to find out.

See you next week on Sunday!

Alternate Sources of The Beadle’s Report
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 a single photograph and simple text is available at:
http://thebeadle.blogspot.com/

or with one photograph per issue and colorful text 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