Sunday, April 25, 2010

Third Sunday after Easter

Today was the Third Sunday after Easter.  Sunrise temperature on Mount Olympus was 41°F under thin wispy clouds.  By the time church ended skies were clear and the mercury had climbed to 78°F.  Quite a contrast in weather, on Thursday morning, we had snow on Mount Olympus and it was almost summer this morning.  Anyway, the weather was incredibly beautiful.  Almost as nice as our organist! With several of our members sick or on travel, we ended up with 21 people present for the service.

Gathering Songs
Father Ironhand, Nick Patton and Jack Arnold played the gathering songs as usual: 

Joyful joyful, we adore thee (Instrumental) 
Amazing Grace
In Christ Alone
When the saints come marching in
In the secret

We do the gathering songs for a number of reasons.  It allows people a chance to “drift in” without being late.  It gives us a bit of variety in our music.  We can have more contemporary music before the service and still have organ music in the service, thus having something for everyone.  It also a hit with our guitarists who love to play!

We had 11 when they started and 21 when they finished.  Great job!

Pre-Service Class
Today Father Acker continued talking about the Books of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, both written by Luke, the Physician; the two are really a single book, divided into two parts.  The Gospel of Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.  Certain popular stories on these themes, such as the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan, are found only in this gospel. This gospel also has a special emphasis on prayer, the activity of the Holy Spirit, and joyfulness. 

Luke starts out with the origins of John the Baptist:

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.   And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

Being a priest in those days was much like the National Guard and Zechariah was on his annual tour in Jerusalem.  Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

These had as their appointed duty in their service to come into the house of the Lord according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord.  And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.  And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

When the son was born, Elizabeth called him John and at that moment Zechariah spoke!
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, except in a White Season, where it is put off.  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 173-174, with the Collect first:

The Third Sunday after Easter.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who showest to them that are in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant unto all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion, that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.
Greg Chase would have read this morning’s Epistle, but he forgot.  The Epistle was nonetheless read and came from the Second Chapter of the First Epistle of Saint Peter beginning at the Eleventh Verse.  Peter tells us to live a good life, to follow the directions Jesus left us, to make ourselves positive examples of citizen to others, to be leaders of our community, drawing people towards God.  To live out the life Jesus commanded, to do nothing to draw ill repute on the Word of God.  To be truly free and follow freedom to where God wants us to be, not to Donkey Island, where false freedom takes so many. 

DEARLY beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Today’s Gospel started in the in the Sixteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John beginning at the Sixteenth Verse: 

JESUS said to his disciples, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Sermon  - Life of Righteousness
Today Father Acker provided a summary of his sermon so that you can see what he was trying to get across.  He got the summary over to the Beadle after the Beadle had gone through his memory banks to determine what recollection he might still exist of the sermon.  Here is the summary from Father Acker; the Beadle left his summary in the report right after this one.  You can compare and see if the Beadle had any idea what the minster was trying to say!  Who knows, maybe you will think they were two different sermons and you will get credit for reading both!

Today's Message: Hope: be a Cooperative Friend of Jesus
Earth Day has gotten to be bigger than ever. Green is the religion of today. However Christians are called to be Stewards of Creation, that is it has been given for our use and our care. Creation in general isn’t to focus of God’s purpose and we know God will make a new heaven and a new earth. The focus of God’s love was on people. God sent his Son to men and women. God reaches out to us knowing our need.
In Jesus’ preaching he said, “Blessed are the Poor in spirit, for they shall inherit the earth.” You may have noticed we have no one lining up to be poor! Our kids don’t say, “I want to be poor when I grow up.” Reality is we have lots of poverty. Even in a country that is materially of great wealth. 
The Poor are a sacramental sign of our inward need for God help. We are self-sufficient, self-reliant, and self-centered from the Garden of Eden to the 21st century. We are not able to climb up to heaven; eternity is out of reach; being whole and satisfied is not something we can make for ourselves. We are poor in spirit. And the more we have the harder it is to see.
Mother Theresa came to New York City and said she had never seen such poverty. Worse than the vast material want of the streets of Calcutta, the loneliness and isolation of people was a much worse poverty.
Jesus has a heart for the poor and says they will inherit the Kingdom. We care about the widowed, the hungry, and the homeless as God cares about people. We care about the lonely because God cares about people. Jesus asks us to have a heart for people, for the poor.
Poverty is a more that no having enough money for food, clothing, and shelter. More money won’t solve Poverty.  The vast amounts of money thrown at the Recession has not fixed the problem. Large amounts are put into schools. Social welfare has been funded, but the poverty persists. At the heart it is a spiritual problem, not just a material one.
Jesus came to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, and to proclaim this is the time. Jesus came to make a difference in the lives of people, in their communities, in their families, and their emptiness. The poor are not insignificant to God.



Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him.   Psalm 41.1
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1.27

The way of righteousness, to which Jesus leads us, is to see empty people around us, at our work, at our schools, in our communities and in our own families. We are the means by which Jesus brings the hope of relief. True Religion is what we prayed for--that our lives might look like Jesus and his care for people. 
If we are to have our lives look like Jesus, we need to do what Jesus did and to do what Jesus asks us to do. So we begin by asking God to whom are You sending me? Of the people around me, with whom do you want me to start? Going to our work we need to ask, “Whose life are you wanting to touch?”  Our Lord knows their hearts. He knows your coworkers, your boss, and your customers. We ask God to be part of what He is doing in the lives of these people. We ask “God, how can I love these Poor people?” Our schools have lots of lost, lonely people. The people of our neighborhood are people to whom God has a heart and a desire that they might know the depth of His love.
Knowing to whom we are sent, be have to be their friend. The last thing we want is a stranger imposing themselves into our lives and our problems. Most people do want the help of a friend. Jesus make an effort to be among the poor. To know them, to befriend them not to change them, but because you really care for them, for the person. This isn’t something you do in mass production--it needs to be real friendship, one person to another. You will discover they are “orphans and widows in their affliction” when you’re their friend, when you are with them in their affliction.
Having ask God to lead us, and having made a real friend, we are then able to contribute to their necessity. Not a handout, but hands stretched out in love because we too care for these people as Jesus cares for them.

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 19.17
With the eyes of Christ we look on those in need and give as Jesus gave, not because we expect we’ll get it back, but knowing we have been invited to share God’s plan of salvation. As so nicely put by, Todd Hunter, the new missions bishop on the West Coast, we are to be “Cooperative Friends of Jesus.” We are to share in what Jesus is doing and bring about in the lives of the poor who are all around us. Jesus says to each of us, “Come be part of what I’m doing. I want you to make a difference. Come mend the broken, empty, and lonely lives with me.”
The life of righteousness which we share in our risen Lord is to bring hope. Jesus said, “In a little while you will see me...You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.” We live anticipating the joy of seeing our Lord as lives are touched, and changed. We bring that hope that in a little while, those to whom we are sent, who have become our friend, to who we give ourselves, might see Jesus and their sorrow turned to joy. 


Beadle’s Summary of the Sermon
What is it that Jesus calls us to do?  He calls us to follow Him.  What does that mean?

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world

Reading the passage above from the First Chapter of the Epistle of Saint James, one better understands the message behind the quote from GK Chesterton, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”

Following God can be as simple as ABC:

Ask God what He wants you to do.
o A sub-thought, if you would like to hear Him laugh, tell Him your plan!
Be a friend.  Jesus made an entire career of being a friend and savior to people who needed Him.
Contribute.  Consider the words of Saint Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter Six, Verse 21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  Put your effort, not only your money, but your time, where your heart and soul are.  Help those in need, don’t just point out their faults.  Help them find their way to a workable solution.  God put us there to be a hand up to others, not a hand out.

Remember, your eternal life has already started.  You don’t get eternal life when you die, then it is too late.  You have it now. God gave His son that you might have eternal life starting NOW, not later.  Use it or lose it.

New Nametags
We had no new nametags today. 

Birthdays and Anniversaries
Today we celebrated Ben and Holly Lizak’s 9th anniversary today and Walt Dexter’s 82nd birthday!
             
 After Church Hospitality
Dru Arnold brought snacks today, with help from Greg Chase.  First and foremost were the dognuts from the dognut store down the street.  Then, we had marcona almonds, chocolate coated espresso beans, wasabi peanuts and celery with dip.  Greg brought some very nice cookies, which he maintained had no carbohydrates.

After church goodies providers as currently signed up:

            Date Name
2 May 2010 Alice Acker (FTGC Sunday)
9 May 2010 Opportunity Available (Morning Prayer)
16 May 2010 Fran Dexter
23 May 2010 Jan Macauley
30 May 2010 Holly Lizak
6 June 2010 D-Day - Opportunity Available (FTGC Sunday)

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
Holly and Ben Lizak celebrated their 9th anniversary this week.
Birthday
Holly Lizak celebrated her 64th birthday last week.
Travel
Danielle and her family are traveling through Monday.
Ryan is on travel throughout Southeast Asia until May 2010.  He is in Laos and is keeping his parents updated.

Departed
Justus "Buck" Humphreys, a priest of our Diocese of the West, passed away at the end of March having had cancer for a long while. Father Buck was a priest in Texas arm of our diocese.
Tom Strouse passed away unexpectedly the morning of 22 March 2010.  They had attended our church with their grandchildren for much of this past year.  Please pray for the repose of Tom’s soul and for comfort for his wife Ginger and the rest of his family who remain behind.

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), Veronica, Irith, Shirley, TP

Carl, Susanne Barrett’s dad had chest pains while visiting Hawaii.  They found his arteries so badly blocked that a stent procedure was not successful.  On Friday, he underwent a successful double by-pass, just after noon Pacific Time, with no complications.  Although the surgery went well, all was not yet well.  There were post surgical complications, which required a second mid-night surgery.  It seems that went well, so in the end all is well.  Well enough that Carl was able to call home today and talk to Susanne.  Please give thanks for the successful surgery and for a full and rapid recovery. Pray for peace of mind for Carl and his wife Judy.  Carl believes he is self-made man who thinks he has always been able to do everything himself. Perhaps even more important, please pray for Carl to see the Hand of God in his life.

Michelle Cannariato (a former student of Susanne Barrett) has what appears to be a benign tumor in her heart.  Michelle married Nick Cannariato this past Saturday; that evening, after they arrived at their hotel, Michelle had a stroke. She had a stroke, in a deep part of her brain, affecting her right side.  The doctor termed the size of the stroke as "medium." As you may imagine, as much as a stroke for a 20 year old is very unusual, so the golf ball sized tumor in the heart is also unusual.  Anyway, as soon as Michelle recovers from the stroke, they will do open heart surgery at Scripps-La Jolla.  Right now she seems to be doing very well.  She can move her right side, but not yet her left.  They are waiting for the left side to show signs of movement before they do the surgery.  Please pray for peace of mind for Michelle and Nick and guidance for the medical team. 

Jan M is having outpatient surgery on Tuesday.

Louis had surgery last Monday for facial reconstruction after an assault, which went well, with a full recovery and little expectation of scarring.  Please give thanks for the successful surgery. Please pray for God's guidance and direction for Louis, as well as continued recovery in the weeks ahead.
Karl is in ICU with a ruptured colon.
Carol and Rick, Muriel Pappin’s daughter and son-in-law, were in a motorcycle accident. They were banged up, but are now both home and healing. Please pray for their continued recovery and also give prayers of thanks that they were not more seriously injured.
Emma Langstaff thought she had a kidney stone, which might interfere with her upcoming trip to the UK with her family.  Turns out that she did not have one; but three, two in one kidney, one in the other! Two of the three passed, she is in the UK heading for Rome.  Please pray this one too shall pass for a total of three.

Phyllis Chase is home from the hospital and making a pretty good recovery.

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 made a very smooth transit to a new rehabilitation facility.  Things are going great.  Rede is walking on the parallel bars, the transition to the walker should be even easier. She is now very enthusiastic about making progress and getting walking again. Please pray that her spirits remain high and she makes a smooth transition back to her own home.  In Rede’s position, attitude is 100 percent of the game, pray for continued positive attitude.  The whole family appreciates your prayers, thank you.

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 had his final chemotherapy session Friday!  Thanks be to God.  And, after months of looking forward to the end, he got a new puppy!  All is well.  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.

His family asks for your prayers for Matt and we ask you to pray also for his family in this time of great stress. 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 stitches.  Please 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 continues to take day by day, and had a wonderful uplifting week, when his youngest son, Obra Gray, wife Shamim and three grandchildren, visited him over the Eastertide.   Please God give Obra the peace in his heart he needs, and pray for him to believe the almighty Lord will hold onto him, and not let go until he is in the Lord's arms.  Obra needs security of what lies ahead of him, and only the Lord can grant the solace to answer his prayer.

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, and father in law of Commander Gray for whom we prayed for while he was deployed in Iraq, and on various carrier deployments, has been blessed with the Lord's breath of life to stay on this earth for the time being.  Bashir has not left his house for the past six months, and would love for the Lord to give him strength to move freely enough so he can leave his four walls, and once again enjoy the freedom of what lies outside his current domain.   We also pray Bashir is not upset when he loses his mental faculties, and is unable to understand what is happening to him.  God has a plan for everyone, and please pray Bashir is part of God's blessed plan. Finally, please also pray for Bashir's wife, Sorraya, who spends her entire day and night time, taking care of her partner, despite suffering from terrible arthritic pains to her hands and legs.  Sincerely, without our Lord, we would be lost.  Shamim keeps her faith in the Lord.  Above all, pray for his entire 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 is still having difficulty with her medication. Please pray that the doctor might find the right medication and doses for her treatment.

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 who just celebrated her 88th birthday, is recovering from an outpatient cancer removal from the side of her head. This is the second time she has had growth there. But the arthritis and all the other things to consider, "I'm not doing too bad," said Lorraine.

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 (12 year old whose leukemia returned two years ago) is still really struggling with the Graft Vs. Host Disease (GVHD), 

From Caroline's mom, Carmen:

It has been a whirlwind the last ten days.  Just as we thought we were going to get in here [City of Hope] and get Caroline better, her situation has actually become much, much worse.  After she stopped breathing on Tuesday, she ended up in the ICU for several days, but we are now back in a regular room.  We have not seen the response we wanted/needed to see from the changes in medication. As Dr. Rosenthal said, this GVHD is relentless.   Dr. Rosenthal is now giving her everything he knows about in the hopes of getting some relief.  All the doctors are shocked by the rapidness of the progression of GVHD.  She is putting everything she has into recovery, and we know she has incredible strength; however, this GVHD is like no other.  Dr. Rosenthal said that in the 500 pediatric cases that have gone through City of Hope in the last 30 years, there has only been one other case that he has seen similar to Caroline's....

Dr. Rosenthal said he was going to try to get approval for more frequent photopheresis treatments.  He had always said we had to stick to 4 treatments a month, and now he is supporting 12 a month!  

We are trying to keep her in optimal strength for her situation while the treatments kick in.  Just as Dr. Rosenthal has never seen such aggressive GVHD, I have never known anyone to respond as much to prayer as Caroline does.  We truly appreciate your prayers for her. Carmen
Please keep Caroline, her sister Jane, and her parents Carmen and Jeff in your prayers--they so appreciate your dedication to praying for Caroline over the years.

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), Rachel, Stephen, Paul

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), Stuart (USMC-Afghanistan), Airman Donny Patton (RAF Mildenhall, UK), Bob (USCG), Josh (USCG), Rachel Ziegler (USAF – Deployed to Southwest Asia), Aaron Huber (USNMC – Deployed to Southwest Asia with USMC),

Thanksgiving
Steph B has significantly less back pain. Please offer your thanksgivings.

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.
Free Teen Guitar Class Plays Tree Town in Alpine!
Saturday, the Free Teen Guitar Class played for the Alpine Women’s Club Tree Town at the five way stop from 1130 to 1330 (11:30 am to 1:30 pm).  Following their fearless leader, Father Ironhand were Zach, Jonathan, the Dynamic Duo – Bryana and Cassidy and Jack.  

These community jam venues are really fun, the kids get to play songs they are familiar with and that people know.  They get a chance to actually entertain the public and find out how much fun it can be giving of their time so that others might have a good time.  The kids had a really great time and had an opportunity to meet a number of people in the community, so did we.  If you were there, you know how much fun we had and how sunburned we got.  If you weren’t make it next 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 
2 May 2010 Dru Arnold
9 May 2010 Tim Macauley
16 May 2010 Greg Chase
23 May 2010 Jan Macauley
30 May 2010 Holly Lizak

The near future, as well as Next Sunday
You can go on line here and see our church calendar.  There is also a link to subscribe.  If you have problems finding this page, due to the typing requirement, go to the Beadle’s Blog or email the Beadle at thebeadle@mac.com for an emailed link.


http://ical.mac.com/WebObjects/iCal.woa/wa/default?u=rodentking&n=Blesssed%20Trinity%20of%20Alpine.ics
Also, if we can get just five more members on our church Facebook Group page, we can have a name instead of a number.  Help us get a name for go here and sign up for free:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=316981576902
Or, email the Beadle at thebeadle@mac.com for an emailed link.

Friday
30 April 2010 – Free Teen Guitar Class Jam Session at Starbucks / Albertson’s Parking Lot – 1830 – 2000 (6:30 pm – 8:00 pm).   Blues Jamming, Manañas afterwards to talk it out!  Maybe somewhere else, but food for sure!

Sunday
2 May 2010 – The Fourth Sunday after Easter and Free Teen Guitar Class Sunday - Service start time 1000 (10:00 am); welcome or gathering songs before the service starting about 0945 (9:45 am).  Time 1000 (10:00 am); Location – Alpine Elementary School Auditorium – 1850 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine, CA

See you next week on Sunday!