Today was the Fifth Sunday in Lent. Sunrise temperature on Mount Olympus was a warm 44°F under a high thin overcast. It was about the same down the hill at church, but a bit warmer at about 73°F by the time the service ended. It appears Anglicans think of high thin overcast as better church weather than clear crisp blue skies as we had 16 people show up for the service.
Pre-Service Songs
Today, as is the usual custom, Father Ironhand, Nick Patton and Jack Arnold played the welcome songs:
• Wondrous Cross
• Lord I lift your name / Amazing love
• Here I am worship
If you have not actually attended one of our services, you may not really appreciate the musical selection. The gathering or welcome songs, are a bit more modern and trendy, the remainder of the songs are from the Hymnal and more traditional. All of them are singable and their theological message is quite clear. They are more than just, “He loves me, yah, yah, yah.” While a good message, there can be more and you will find it here. Come some time and see what they are about. We are confident you will really enjoy the music.
Father Acker’s Pre-Service Class – Propitiation
Today Father Acker supplied his own summary of the class, so you can see just what he was trying to get across:
10 Minute Teaching
Propitiation
Hear also what Saint John saith.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
and he is the Propitiation for our sins. 1 St. John ii. 1, 2.
Propitiation refers to the sprinkling of blood on the Mercy Seat of the Ark and means “to make favorable.” The reality is our unrighteousness has no place in God. God desires and acts to remove unrighteousness. This action is the wrath of God. But God's wrath isn’t self-concerned, a loss of self-control, or some emotion of anger. (Doctrine in the Church of England). We need to know that a god of thunder bolts zapping the wicked, isn’t the biblical, isn’t Christian teaching.
We do remember what we read in holy Scripture. John & Paul certainly didn't teach us that God was so angry he gave His only Son! Not what we read is that God loved the world so much that He gave His Only Son! The Church from ancient days saw this propitiation in terms of God’s work of love.
Jesus' self-offering turned away the wrath of God from our unrighteousness by removing our sin from us and taking the wrath, the just action against unrighteousness, to His person. As happens so often the one takes on the role for the whole; Jesus takes on Himself the sin of the world.
When Jesus explained his coming sacrificial death to his disciples, he didn’t want to give them a theory, he gave them a meal. In 1 Corinthians, the earliest description of that meal, Paul insists we understand what we are about to share in. The Passover lamb, the breading of the bread of affliction, not just of slavery but of sin, and the cup of Elijah marking the Messiah having come establishing a new Covenant in His Blood. But it is still a meal, not an understanding (+NT Wright), the meal transmits the meaning.
God dealt with the evil of the world and of humanity, in his representing Israel, the people of God, the people by whom God the creator would bring salvation. The cross was the means by which God dealt with his people’s sins and their consequences.
In Romans 5.8 (God’s wrath against sin) is the founded on God's mercy and forgiveness. God isn’t indifferent to sin or the sinner! He cared enough to come in person that we might have a means to obtain the righteousness, the holiness, for which God desires and for which we were created.
Rom3.24-26
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
Love of God is condemning sin and working to restore and remake the sinner. We see it in +Thomas Cramner's crafting of the Book of Common Prayer and in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, cornerstones of our Anglican heritage. "The Cross is a satisfaction for sin in so far as the moral order of the universe makes it impossible that human souls should be redeemed from sin except at a cost. Of this cost the death on the Cross is the expression...Thus the Cross is a “propitiation” and “expiation” for the sins of the whole world." (Doctrine in the Church of England, p92)
Bishop NT Wright puts it so well, "If God is love, he rejects, and deals with, all that pollutes, distorts and destroys his world and his image-bearing creatures." Propitiation is made for us, for our sin, that we might find favor with God by the Blood of our Savior on the Mercy Seat of our heavenly Father.
What the Beadle thought he heard:
Propitiation may not be a word we use every day, but it is used every Sunday in The Comfortable Words:
Hear also what Saint John saith.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the Propitiation for our sins. 1 St. John ii. 1, 2.
If you look up propitiation in Webster’s you find two definitions:
1. The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person; the act of making propitious. [1913 Webster]
2. (Theol.) That which propitiates; atonement or atoning sacrifice; specifically, the influence or effects of the death of Christ in appeasing the divine justice, and conciliating the divine favor. [1913 Webster]
Through Christ, we are accounted as perfect before God. It is not that Christ makes us perfect, though following Him heads us that way with the help of the Holy Ghost.
We, of ourselves, can never be perfect. We need help. God sent the Holy Ghost to guide us, but that is not enough. We need the sacrifice of the one perfect sacrificial lamb, one time for all mankind: Jesus. To quote Paul in his letter to the Romans:
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Rom 3.24-26)
Through Christ we are accounted as perfect, now we need to do our best to live up to what we have been given.
Passion Sunday
Passion Sunday is the fifth Sunday in Lent, and the first Sunday in Passiontide, the last two weeks of Lent, beginning on Passion Sunday and ending on Holy Saturday (the Saturday before Easter).
All crosses, pictures, images are covered with opaque purple veils and Gloria Patri is omitted during this period. Passion Sunday is so-called because in the gospel for that day (John 8: 46-59) Jesus begins his sufferings by being stoned out of the temple. Under the old calendar, Passion Sunday was also known as Judica Sunday, after that day's Introit: "Judica me, Deus" ("Judge me, O Lord") from Psalm 42 (43), and was called Black Sunday in Germany. This alternate name originates from the fact that after Passion Sunday, the Judica Psalm was not said again until Easter; the German title comes from the old practice of veiling the crosses and statues in the church on that day.
In the calendar reforms of the Second Vatican Council, which abandoned many traditions and traditional practices, the Roman Catholic Church has completely suppressed Passiontide and eliminated Palm Sunday. They now refer to Palm Sunday as “Passion Sunday.” Traditional Catholics still observe Passiontide as well as its rites and ceremonies. Passiontide is observed in the Anglican Communion.
Propers
Each Sunday there are Propers: special prayers and readings from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding. The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. If you have a hard time remembering, “Do I read the Collect from last Sunday or next Sunday during the week?” Remember Sunday is the first day of the week. There are also two Bible readings, the Epistle and the Gospel. While they are “lessons”, they are not the First Lesson and the Second Lesson, they are the Epistle and the Gospel. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect is said by the priest as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the priests and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained priest.
The propers are the same each year, except if a Red Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead. Red Letter Feast, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days. Most of the Red Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saints instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent.
The Propers for today are found on Page 132-133, with the Collect first:
The Fifth Sunday in Lent, commonly called
Passion Sunday.
The Collect.
WE beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And due to the rubric, the Collect for the Day is followed by the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which is found on Page 124:
The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.
Jan Macauley read the Epistle for today, which came from Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, starting at the Eleventh Verse of the Ninth Chapter. Paul summarizes the symbolism as well as the substance of the Lord’s sacrifice on our behalf, “Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”
CHRIST being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
This morning’s Gospel comes from the Gospel of Saint John, starting at the Forty-Sixth Verse of the Thirteenth Chapter and tells the story of Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees in the temple. Jesus asked them, “Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?” In a point central to Christianity, he went on, “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.”
JESUS said, Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
Sermon - Holy Lent and the Power of the Passion
Today Father Acker supplied his own summary of the sermon, so you can see just what he was trying to get across:
The Message
As Passiontide shifts from our alienation from God to God’s solution
The Passion has no power in our lives unless we
1. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God;
2. Have this Faith lived out in our life; and
3. Know and are known by God.
In short, we need the Power of God to touch us.
What Jesus do you believe in?
In His Passion, Jesus willingly to be executed as a criminal, to offer himself, and be the sacrifice for sin. Importantly we note that Jesus is both the sacrificial offering and the priest who offers the sacrifice. It is this Jesus who says: “Before Abraham was ‘I AM.’” If I went around saying “I am God.” You’d think the Padre’s gone off the deep end.
What Jesus was saying to the Jews leaders in the Temple wouldn’t have been mistaken either. Yes, it was a declaration of his divinity.
But who do you say that I am? is the question today's Gospel asks of us. Who is this Person of Christ “to offer Himself without blemish to God.” Hebrews 9.14. Yes, we are to recognize and place ourselves in the hands of kinsman redeemer which we read in the story of Ruth and Boaz (Book of Ruth). Jesus is able to make the redemption because He is without sin; He has the ability to take all sin; He can make propitiation at God's Mercy Seat.
You may have trouble thinking what would take to have a God who is without sin. Of course the real challenge is that to have a god who has sin means we are worshipping something less that God. It would be an idol of our own making; a god who we've made to look like ourselves. Instead our God created us to look like Him--made in His image.
The right challenge for us is to realize that this holy God would choose to have all sin placed on Himself--He became sin, who knew no sin. 2Cor5.21 Will we allow the Power of His Passion to enter in? Will we Believe?
To live by Faith is to have the reality of Jesus taking your sin and restoring favor to transform your life. Faith is this reality made visible in our hands, our hearts, our minds--the sacramental reality of redemption, living witnesses of God's extreme love for us.
This Passiontide we need to ask for an increase of the Holy Spirit. We have the opportunity to yield up our life, our selves, to God's will and purpose; to be used by Him. How? Not by greater adherence to the Law, the Tabernacle, but by allowing God to do what we are not able to do--to make the perfect sacrifice for sin. The Power of Jesus' Passion comes when we offer the whole of our life to Jesus. Jesus take, blesses, breaks, and gives by join our life to His perfect offering and brought to the Mercy Seat of heaven. Holy Spirit, take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord to thee; with all my heart, my soul, and my mind.
We prayed the ancient Collect of the Church for this Passion Sunday, “by thy great goodness [we] may be governed and preserved evermore.” There is an expectation, a hope for the future.
We must not think that all of our Lenten preparation, our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, are the real object, the purpose. You may spend time getting cleaned up, trimmed up, and dressed up, but the party is the real purpose, not the getting ready. The real purpose of a Holy Lent is to know God and be known by Him. Our life is to be touched by God, in union with God, and lived in the love of the Blessed Trinity.
We ask the Holy Spirit to make that love a living reality present and we are sanctified and made holy to the Lord.
We look to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, that by the leading and guiding of the Spirit, we might come to know the reality of Jesus being the way, the truth, and the life.
We have our sins forgiven and favor bestowed as Jesus brings His blood into the holy of holies on our behalf.
Yes, “I’ll never know how much it cost, to see my sins upon that cross--I am here to worship.” Lord, I am here to be touched by Power of Your Passion!
What the Beadle thought he heard:
If you are to be a Christian, you must believe in Christ. What does that mean? It means you say you believe, you actually believe, then you actualize those beliefs. That is how you know God. To say you believe, to claim to believe, is meaningless without the actualization of the beliefs; that is putting them into action. Jesus came to this world not to bring us into subjugation, but rather alignment with God’s purpose or plan. He came as that perfect sacrifice or propitiation for our sins that we might be accounted as perfect before God. The Jews had 613 laws, which told them what not to do. 613 laws which they could not keep. Jesus left us with two laws, which told us what to do. Two positive laws may be harder to keep, but more useful:
THOU shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
As the Jews found keeping 613 laws impossible, so we have similar difficulty with two. To help us over that hump, God sent two, Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins, a single perfect sacrifice, made one time, for all mankind, for all time and the Holy Ghost to give us understanding, insight and inspiration.
As we enter into Passiontide, reflect on what God has given us and at what cost:
So God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. St. John iii. 16.
New Nametags
We had no new nametags today.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
No anniversaries today. We celebrated Aaron Huber’s 36th birthday in absentia, Commander Huber being at Camp Leatherneck and us being here! Warren and Traci stood in for Aaron and all was accounted for.
After Church Hospitality
Sandy Patton brought world class snacks today; deviled eggs, cinnamon rolls, snack squares, nuts and really cool pretzel paddles, with chocolate and M&Ms! Great job Sandy!
After church goodies providers as currently signed up:
Date Name
28 March 2010 Greg and Diane Chase
4 April 2010 Easter
11 April 2010 Holly Lizak
18 April 2010 Jan Macauley
25 April 2010 Alice Acker
2 May 2010 Dru Arnold
16 May 2010 Opportunity Available
23 May 2010 Jan Macauley
30 May 2010 Holly Lizak
6 June 2010 Opportunity Available
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.
Who can be on the list?
Do I have to be a member of the Blessed Trinity Church to be prayed for? No! The only qualification to be on the list is that you want our prayer team to pray for you. We are Christians and are happy to pray for you, no matter who you are. If you want help from God, you are our kind of people.
What is the commitment from the prayer team?
Each member of the team will pray for the desired outcome at least 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 on the yellow (maybe green or orange, if you get an old one) 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 their names and purpose be kept confidential, then only Father Acker will pray for them.
Prayer List Notice – If you have someone on the prayer list and their needs have changed, please let us know. We are loathe to just stop praying, yet some of the entries are a bit long in the tooth. We don’t mind praying, at all. We just want to be praying for what is needed!
Anniversary
Jan and Tim Macauley celebrated their 44th anniversary week before last.
Dru and Hap Arnold celebrated their 23rd anniversary week before last.
Birthday
Aaron Huber celebrated his 36th birthday this week.
Alice Acker celebrated her 56th birthday last week.
Travel
Dru and Jack are on travel for the next three weeks to Germany and the UK to visit friends.
Ryan is on travel throughout Southeast Asia until May 2010. He is in Vietnam and is keeping his parents updated.
Peter is traveling in China.
Departed
Justus "Buck" Humphreys, a priest of our Diocese of the West, passed away this week having had cancer for a long while. Father Buck was a priest in Texas arm of our diocese
Peaceful Transition
Beatrice
Ruth is in home hospice care.
Mona's grandmother
Healing
Marge, Karl, Christian, Lois, Jennette (Alzheimer’s), Ruth, Connie, Tom, Crystal, Thomas, Hadley, Diane, Norm, Gregory, Nancy, Bill (infection), Ernie, Ray, Hazel, Bruce (heart attack), Susanne, Ralph+ (prostate cancer; the doctors are at a loss on the decreasing cancer cell count except prayer; please add your thanksgiving to the prayers for healing.), Allison (kidney), Bill (ETOH poisoning and gout), Kai, Jay, Tim, Diane, Amy (Thyroid cancer), Evelyn, Debbie, Lona (shoulders), Paul (stroke), Doris, Charles, Marie (sprained ankle), June (cancer surgery), Susan, Jeff, David (leg injury), Judy, who suffers from mental illness, is undergoing tests for cancer, Greg, June (cancer), David (leg sprain), Cheri, Ben, Walter (skin cancer), Gabriella (surgery), Curtis, Doyle, Martha, Richard, Ralph+, Jeffrey, Rod, Gary, Mark, Jeffery, Amy (staph infection), Jennifer, Curtis, Steve (cancer), Paula, Ashton, Marjorie, Mike G, Dave (knee surgery), Karl (shoulder surgery), Jeffrey (testing), Gary (sepsis; diabetic), Jim (stomach cancer), Eunice, Jeanette (Alzheimer’s), Kathleen (breast cancer), Mrs. Alvord, Angie, Madge, Betty (Healing from cancer. Betty has completed her chemotherapy after her surgery), Jeannie (testing for breast cancer), Ed, Betty, Karl (Healing of his shoulder injury, but not having surgery), Phil (Thanksgiving for his having received a pacemaker. Phil is suffering from renal failure and other complications), Dave (We had been praying for healing from a tumor. It now may require surgery), Jacque (Healing of her rare form of cancer. It is her second recurrence), Jeannie (cancer tests), Sarah, Stephen, Curtis; Angie, Madge, Veronica, Carmen, Alice, Dave (surgery recovery), Ed S (liver failure), Greg D (leg injury. Greg is making good progress still using a knee brace; Thanksgiving for the progress and requests continued healing) John (prostate cancer surgery), Martin, Pauline, Pat A (Alzheimer’s: things are stable); Charles A (Alzheimer’s: slight improvement in general awareness that he is disappointed not being allowed to drive), Maurice (in ICU with a congenital disease), Susan, George (reoccurrence of cancer); Maggie (surgery the week of 28 Dec 09), Lillian, Rob, Ken, Marlene, Emma W (Brain tumor), Vivian, Kelly (undergoing test unexpectedly), Maya (tonsillectomy)
Phyllis Chase is scheduled to be released from Alvarado Hospital on Tuesday.
Muriel Pappin’s back has really been causing her a lot of pain and limiting her mobility; it seems to be getting better. Please pray a prayer of thanksgiving for the initial horrible pain is over and pray for her continued improvement.
Rede Acker, Father Acker’s mom, is recovering from her broken leg, just above where she had a knee replacement. Rede has been progressing well. Here is a note from her husband Jack, from Friday 19 March 2010:
Today Rede went to Kaiser Orthopedics for her monthly checkup, X-Rays and Dr. Chiang, who did the leg surgery repair. He told us everything looked in place and was normal, and that we could start the therapy on the left leg ( which was broken above the knee), and she could also put weight on the leg (weight bearing). The first step toward walking again. Just excellent news for us to hear. Rede will remain at the Broomfield Skills and Nursing Center for some time to come. All your prayers have been most helpful.
Bless you all,
Rede & Jack Acker
Please pray for Rede’s continued physical recovery and that both Rede and Jack will keep their great faith and trust in God’s help.
Don Patton’s knee injury has improved some so that he is off crutches. No word on actual damage yet.
Wanda M is still out work due to her Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Please pray for her complete and rapid recovery, as well as her to keep her spirits up while she gets better.
Debbie Hunter has had a tumor in her chest for some time. Recently it has grown considerably. Apparently the tumor is in Debbie’s abdominal cavity and pressing on her lung causing shortness of breath. There are also tumor cells growing in her breast. There is good news in that it is believed this type of tumor does not tend to spread to other parts of the body. And, Debbie qualifies for a clinical study focused on this type of tumor that does not use IV, but rather oral (pills) which is a relief because it will allow her to maintain a more normal semblance of life. Debbie asks that you pray the clinical study works and that the skin on her chest remains healthy. Please pray also Debbie, her husband Todd and their children Jonathan and Carol might let God carry their worry and concern.
Vince (age 13), reoccurrence of cancer, recent testing found a nickel sized tumor in his lungs. The doctors are consulting with a specialist in Houston. Please pray for guidance for the medical team and for peace of mind for Vince and his family.
Brett (age 11) is hospitalized in Los Angeles, as the result of complications of a cochlear implant which has resulted in leaking spinal fluid. Please pray for guidance for the medical team and for peace of mind for Brett and his family.
Matt Alcantara, age 15, has Osteosarcoma (bone cancer), a very rare and often lethal form of cancer with limited treatment options.
Matt’s recovery seems to be going well. He is up to 100 pounds and now has a Driver’s License Learner’s Permit! Two major milestones! His attitude is great, he and his family faith is great. Pray they continue to put their trust in God as the time passes. The stress is great and His help sufficient.
The latest from Matt’s parents on Sunday 21 March 2010: Monday morning, heads to Houston for scans and doctors appointments. Tuesday and Wednesday are scans all day. Then we will meet with the doctors late afternoon on Wednesday to hear the report.
We would appreciate your prayers, healing thoughts, and good vibes for clean scans for Matt. Also for our other friends battling osteo: Keaton, Lindsey, Todd, Vince, Lexi, Jake, Bryce. As a very wise friend of mine says, God knows what each of them needs. So, if you could just hold their names in your hearts and prayers, we would so appreciate it.
Thank you, kind friends....
His family asks for your prayers for Matt and we ask you to pray also for his family in this time of great stress. Their friends set up a donation account to help defray travel and other expenses not covered by insurance. You can look at http://www.mattalcantara.com for information. If you want to follow Matt's progress, look at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mattalcantara.
Danielle’s neck surgery to remove her lymph nodes and damaged tissue was successful. A recent CT Scan, blood work and examination have given her a clean bill of health so far. Danielle will be following up monthly. Please pray a good outcome and peace of mind for Danielle and her family.
Lee Thomas fell and required a trip to the ER with a 5 inch gash on his head with many staples and stitchesPlease pray for Lee, his family, and the care staff. Please pray for Lee, Sandy and their children to maintain their trust in God and to look towards Him for guidance. Pray also for the medical team treating Lee that God might guide and direct their assessment and treatment.
Vicky developed a brain aneurysm, which ruptured the morning of 28 October 2009. She has moved to a rehabilitation facility which specializes in brain injury patients and seems to be making progress. Please pray for Vicky’s recovery and for peace of mind for her family, that they might keep their trust in the Lord.
Obra is doing considerably better and looking forward to a visit from his family at Eastertide. Please pray he will keep his trust and faith in God and turn his heart outward to the world, remembering God put him here to make a difference; that he will let his heart be open to God’s grace.
Cerrus, daughter in law of Hy, has had a relapse of her cancer. Please pray for a successful treatment and remission.
David is suffering from shingles and asks that we pray for a remission of the symptoms and a return to normalcy.
Jimmy had a stroke along with triple bypass heart surgery. Miney Farrell asks you pray for his recovery and positive frame of mind during his recovery.
Annie S has experienced some return of her hearing. She was unable to take one of the medications, so the recovery is slow. She continues receiving dialysis as she awaits a kidney transplant. She has been added to the kidney transplant wait list. Please pray for healing of her diabetic condition causing complications.
Jackie was involved in a rollover car accident, her passenger was not injured, but she sustained a serious head injury. She has regained consciousness and is up and walking. Pray for the medical team treating her that they might do their best. Pray for her and her family who are very worried about her.
Bashir Ahmed, father of Shamim Gray, father in law of Commander Obra Gray for whom we prayed while he was deployed to Iraq and on various carrier deployments, is gravely ill. Bashir lives in London. Please pray God will deliver a miraculous recovery for Bashir; if that not be God’s will, a departure in peace to His world for him. Please pray God will extend His Grace to Bashir and his family and that they will accept. Shamim keeps her faith in the Lord. Above all, pray for his family to open their hearts to accept all God’s love will bring them.
Lise, originally diagnosed with "peritoneal cancer", has undergone multiple surgeries and chemotherapy. Lise's doctors hope she is in remission, but are uncertain and do not know if she will be with us for more than a year. Her friend requests you please pray for continued healing and full remission for Lise; and, and please pray that God might give wisdom and guidance to all of her medical providers. Lise appreciates your support and prayers.
Jan has just recovered from her fifth cancer surgery. Her friend asks you pray for Jan's continued healing and complete remission; and, please pray God might give wisdom and guidance to all of her medical providers.
Mary Parker is recovering from bronchitis. "I'm going to surprise everyone one of these Sundays," Mary said, by making it to our Sunday morning service.
Evelyn Hunt still needs prayers of guidance in adjusting her medication. She still has pain in her neck and leg. She would appreciate your prayer as she changes her part time care giver.
Miney Farrell had a couple more falls, but nothing as dramatic as a few weeks ago. Being sore and hurting has just slightly dampened her enjoying life on ninety-plus. One of the big pluses are her two doxies and the good folks at the board and care.
Lorraine Winkles has severe arthritis pain in back, legs, and ankles. Please pray she will get relief from the pain which so limits her mobility.
Kay Denton (Mrs. Kay) is still home and doing pretty well considering the bones in her neck and hands are degenerating as a side effect of her kidney failure. Her thumbs are not particularly useful any more. Mrs. Kay asks everyone who is praying for her know how grateful she is for their prayers. As always, she retains her trust in the Lord and her positive attitude.
Caroline just celebrated her 12th birthday earlier this month. Although she remains free of leukemia after her bone marrow transplant in July 2008, the side effect of the transplant, graft vs. host disease (GVHD), is so bad that she can barely walk and at times cannot even hold a pencil because her joints are so stiff and swollen. Caroline is quite depressed; please pray for her and for an improvement in her condition.
Natalie (age 10, leukemia recurrence) has not responded to any treatment since her relapse. Please pray for God’s grace for Natalie and her family to give them peace of heart, soul and mind.
Guidance
Adam, Tom, Mary, Lloyd & Jennifer to be guided to a church
Breyana, Vie, Asha, Cory, Heather, Holly, William, Phil, Rick, Susan, Curtis, Donny, Chris, Andrew, Keith (job decision), Sara (God's grace and His patience), Mark, Alexandra, Perlita, Lewis, Susie, Dru, Jack, Tina, William, Christina, Tuck, Jeff, Christiana (God’s grace), Tara (divorce), Patricia & her family, Errin, Elizabeth, Brandon, Steven, Nelson, Ashley, Betty who is considering moving into an assisted living home, Nick, Pat, Caroline, Stephen, Greg (vocation guidance and training for the diaconate), Stephanie, Richard, Daniel,, Sheryl, Edward, Jeannie, Rachel, Mikaela, Patrick, Mary (adoption); Ashley (job); Curt; Angelina & Ron C; Steven (strength); Vanessa H (trust), Jackie (God's grace), Sandy (Relief from stress; Her husband has severe medical problems), Jennifer, Margie, Phyllis, Sam (guidance on direction of his business), Tara (divorce), Virginia, Darin & Brian (mom’s health issues), Jeanie (upset over her husband's cancer problems), Curt (Still providing care for his wife, Jacque, who is undergoing chemotherapy), Alex, Emilie, Stephen, Daniel S, Jan, Sean (court case), Tamera (her house is being taken by eminent domain and is in settlement phase; pray for a fair settlement)
Jack A (making choices for the health care for his wife)
Ali is searching for spiritual meaning; may the Holy Ghost guide those around her to help her in coming to Christ.
Jacquie to open her heart to God and accept His Love and Grace.
Noriene for God's comfort as she mourns her mother and for her turning to God for His healing.
Paul S asked everyone to give thanks that his doctor is adjusting his medication for severe schizophrenia.
Hap asks you to pray that he might be able to trust God will help him make the right decisions at the right time and not to worry uselessly and that he will open his heart to the Holy Ghost.
Guidance and Protection
Christina, Sarah
Economic Guidance and Assistance
Keith has been unable to find any full-time work since his custom home drafting business of 25 years really dropped off last year. He is working as a handyman, doing tile work, painting, home repairs, etc. Their family has a great deal of debt from Susanne’s medical needs. Pray also for God's peace to comfort them and for His leading and wisdom to be very evident to them.
Mark’s business is very very slow, he asks that God point him to new markets and give him guidance in following God’s will that his business might survive and his employees not lose their livelihood.
Toni is applying for a promotion and asks God’s guidance.
Please give thanks for Kevin in the UK who has found a job. Please continue to pray he will find a position that will maintain his family and where he can use his talents to make a positive impact on the world. Please pray also for his family, in particular his wife Beverley, that they might open their hearts and minds to God’s guidance.
To Find Employment
Father Keith is looking for additional employment to supplement his part-time stipend at Blessed Trinity. Keith believes his expertise lies in web site development and guitar teaching, both of which he is clearly good at. Please pray the Holy Ghost will enter into his heart and give him inspiration and guidance to lead him to a job which will use his considerable skills to support his family, bless the company he joins and further God’s Work, all together.
Freddy is looking for a job in the San Diego area and asks for your prayers for him during his search and interview process which he starts on 8 March 2010.
Obra, known to us as Commander O, has retired from the Navy after 20 years and now must find employment to support his family. Please pray for him to find a position which will use the skills he has and the training he got from the Navy to support his family and make his new employer more successful.
Jack has been laid off from his job as a construction manager in East San Diego County; due to the economy jobs in the field are hard to find. Please pray that Jack will find a job, not necessarily in the construction, that will allow him to use his considerable skills and talents to make his new employer more successful; guide him and his family is this difficult time.
Brad, Brian, Russell, Kris, Keith and Kevin each to find a job that will allow them to use their skill and talent to make their new employer more successful.
Homebound/Aged and Infirm
Mary, Donna, Betty, Noko, Adelaide, Evelyn, Lorraine, Ellie
Armed Forces & Contractors
Tillman, Justin, Evan, RJ, Matt, Phillip, Julian, John Kelly (USN - USS Ronald Reagan), Evan (USMC-Afghanistan), Eric (USN-Afghanistan), Stuart (USMC-Afghanistan), Airman Donny Patton (RAF Mildenhall, UK), Eric (USN-Afghanistan through May 2010), Bob (USCG), Josh (USCG), Rachel Ziegler (USAF – Deployed to Southwest Asia), Aaron Huber (USNMC – Deployed to Southwest Asia with USMC),
Persecuted
Around the world, Christians are under attack, not only in the Muslim world, but from Hindus and others in India. Also, they are under continual attack in the name of “Separation of Church and State” in the western world as it becomes actively atheist or pro-devil buddy. Please pray for God’s guidance and protection for all persecuted Christians and those around them.
Various Special Requests
Please pray for the earthquake victims in Haiti and Chile and ask God to guide relief efforts there. Pray for God to enter into the hearts of the people there and for the Holy Ghost to guide those attempting to provide relief for the suffering.
We ask that you pray, please ask God that the Holy Ghost might give you insight into how you might make the lives of your friends and family better. Remember helping others is not just those who you don’t know!
Please join us in praying for God to fill us with the Holy Ghost, even if (or maybe particularly if) we need Him shoved down our throats, to provide inspiration to grow our little church to the glory of God. Our numbers are static, we need God’s inspiration to figure out the next step. Please pray that we will open our heart to the gentle prodding of the Holy Ghost; and not do what we have always done expecting a different result.
Please join us in praying that the Free Teen Guitar Class will be an opportunity for God to work in the lives of the kids and their families. Please ask God to guide the class to new opportunities to make Him known to others. Help us to let the love of our Lord shine through us into their lives, putting Him first, so that He might enter in to their hearts and lives.
National Prayer Time - If Christians really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. During WWII an advisor to Churchill organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace? This thought has been taken up here and now, if you would like to participate, pray every day at:
9:00 pm 8:00 pm 7:00 pm 6:00 pm
Eastern Time Central Time Mountain Time Pacific Time
Stop what you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens and for a return to a Godly nation. It won’t work unless you participate. Encourage others to join us.
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 you want to write something, please forward your item to the Beadle (with a note as to whether or not you would like editing help) to: thebeadle@mac.com.
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
28 March 2010 Greg Chase
The near future, as well as Next Sunday
Next Friday
26 March 2010 – Free Teen Guitar Class Jam Session at Albertsons – Starbucks Parking Lot – 1830-2000 (6:30 pm – 8:00 pm), meet at Manañas afterwards to talk it out! Location – Albertsons Parking Lot – Alpine, CA
Next Sunday
28 March 2010 – The Sunday next before Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday – Time 0830 (8:30 am); Location – Alpine Elementary School Auditorium
See you next week on Sunday!
All back issues of the Beadle’s Reports are available on request from: thebeadle@mac.com
Church is serious business!
If you don’t believe it, come and find out!
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