Ascension Day
On Ascension Day, we had six members present for the 1815/1830 Evening Prayer and Holy Communion Service at Victoria Chapel. The service was over by about 1900 (for those of you not yet used to the 24 hour clock, that would be 6:15 pm to 7:00 pm and for our Air Force friends, that would be two hours and fifteen minutes past Happy Hour to three hours past Happy Hour). Ascension Day commemorates the return to heaven, the ascending of our Lord. This is a day filled with joy, one where we get to recall fulfillment of promises.
The Ascension Day service always brings a lot of happiness and fun, being one of those days.
If you did not make it, resolve to come next year. The parish will buy your dinner afterwards if it is your first time to the service.
The Ascension Day Propers
The Collect
GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. ¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.
For the Epistle. Acts i. 1.
THE former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
The Gospel. St. Luke xxiv. 49.
JESUS said, Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.
The Sunday after Ascension Day
Today was the Sunday after Ascension Day. We slightly warmer than usual for this time of year. Sunrise temperature on Mount Olympus was 54°F, by the time church ended the mercury had climbed to 82°F, all under bright blue and clear skies. With numerous our members on travel or working, we ended up with 18 people present for the service.
Gathering Songs
Father Ironhand and Jack Arnold played the usual gathering or welcome songs for the service.
•
Lord I lift your name
• Amazing Grace
• Humbly I adore Thee
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!
Once again, the gathering songs did their magic. When they started playing we numbered 11, by the time the service ended, we had 18!
Pre-Service Class
Today’s pre-service class today continued the Book of Luke from the Twenty-Eighth Verse of the First Chapter, discussing the Annunciation or announcing to Mary that she would bear Jesus and that her cousin would bear John, who would be known as John the Baptist.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
The story is fairly straightforward; the implications are great. In this time of flexible morals when fully 20 percent of all children are born out of wedlock, this might not be such an event. But consider the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 22.23):
23 ¶ If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;
24 Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.
Luckily, it worked out.
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 179-180, with the Collect first:
The Sunday after Ascension Day.
The Collect.
O GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us un-to the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
The Collect for Ascension Day, found on Page 177, is also read due to the rubric:
The Collect for The Ascension Day.
The Collect.
GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.
Greg Chase read this morning’s Epistle, which written in the Fourth Chapter of the First Epistle of Saint Peter beginning at the Seventh Verse. James tells us we are the pinnacle of God’s creation, destined to be the stewards of His world, His representatives, thus we should be considerate of what we do and let ourselves become open to His Word:
THE end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Today’s Holy Gospel was written in the Fifteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John beginning at the Twenty-Sixth Verse:
WHEN the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the Holy Ghost will be coming to bring understanding to us. He is to bring our hearts the ability to understand Jesus’ message from the Father, He is to bring us comfort. Thus, the third element of the Triune God, the Holy Ghost goes by differing names, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, The Comforter. All are the same, the names change depending on the speaker’s preference or the situation. As the man says, “Is all da same fella!”
Sermon - The Main Thing
Father Acker provided a summary of today’s sermon so you can see what he was trying to get across:
Today's Message: The Main Thing
Today’s epistle is from First Peter: “The end of all things is at hand.”
Peter reminds us that Time is running out. Things are coming to an end, a deadline.
Yesterday, I was listening to a rerun of Gilmore Girls. Paris Geller, the sarcastic and rarely at a loss for words editor of the Yale student paper, has a melt-down, and Rory Gilmore steps in to the chaos meet the printing deadline. With help she, things get done and the paper is published.
Things be hectic and out of control in our lives and in the lives of people around us. However, God doesn’t want us hectic and out of control; God doesn’t want chaos. God orders all things. As Christians we need to live knowing we’re at the “end times” and that God is in control. This life, this world is time limited. Life is too short.
As followers of Jesus, we look to what Jesus taught. Jesus’ ministry was all about proclaiming the coming of God’s kingdom. So Jesus taught his disciples to pray...thy kingdom come.
Peter reminds us today how to live in expectation of the kingdom as a cooperative friend of Jesus.
Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers
He was saying “Keep the main thing the main thing.” If you know Jesus is the Son of God, you know God has a plan for you. If you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have a place in God’s kingdom. If you believe the Christian faith, God’s plan makes sense of your life and the world around you.
So everything you do and what you think about needs to be in that perspective. Keeping the main thing the main thing will allow you to pray, to ask God to be present in those things that truly matter. You won’t be wasting your time. You won’t be asking God into things that aren’t terribly important in the end. So be focused in Jesus. Be clear minded in Christ.
Peter tells us how to make this Kingdom living a part of our daily life:
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly
If we are to be like Jesus we will stretch out our hands in love.
Love covers a multitude of sins
Giving of ourselves, doing for people we love. You go to work so you can get a pay check. But in Christ, do you go to work so that those people might know and see God’s love in your life, that you might share what God has done for you. It is to be more than the pay check. You do school work or volunteer work--it isn’t just getting the grades or your being satisfied in you service.
We are to make the love of God known and seen. “Keep loving one another earnestly” because you care about your family, your friends, your co-workers, people you meet. As friends of Jesus we are continually meeting people in chaos, people in need of know God, knowing his love.
Discipleship has a cost--love covers a multitude of sins. The image is Jesus stretching out his hands in love upon the Cross. Jesus warned his disciples “You’ll be thrown out of “proper church”; You’ll be put to death by people thinking they are doing Good.” True discipleship is “Keep the main thing the main thing.”
Seven habits of highly effective people??>
So what is the “main thing” for us as Christians? You might recognize it in these three questions:
“Do you believe in Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God?
“Do you accept him, and desire to follow him as your Savior and Lord?
“Do you believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith as contained in the Apostles’ Creed?
They were the questions asked at our baptism into the Body of Christ. They are the foundation for being a disciple, for being a friend of Jesus.
As friends of Jesus, as his disciples, at this Ascensiontide, we mark another point in the coming of God’s kingdom--Jesus returning to the right hand of the throne of glory with our heavenly Father. The power of the Holy Spirit to enter into their lives. They used the gifts they were given. It was in their speaking, in their hospitality, in their service. Not necessarily speaking as in great preaching, but the gift to some was quiet speaking of encouragement. The woman who would quietly speak of her getting through breast cancer to women diagnosed with breast cancer.
So we are each given gifts by God, God’s help to carry out, to stretch out our hands in love,
In order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ
The end is at hand. Things are being drawn to a final point. And as Jesus friends, his disciples, we glorify God in our “keeping the main thing the main thing.” We are stewards, Jesus’ co-workers, in making God’s love known to a world that is passing away. This week you bring the love of God to people whose lives are out of control in your “loving one another earnestly.”
New Nametags
We had no new nametags today.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
There were no reported anniversaries today. We did get to celebrate Tom Collins’ 66th birthday with him and his lovely wife Karen.
After Church Hospitality
Fran Dexter brought the snacks today; a lovely low carb cheese and meat platter, water biscuits and pineapple, with a nice group of dessert empanadas. Very nice! Thanks, Fran and Walt.
After church goodies providers as currently signed up:
Date Name
16 May 2010 Fran Dexter
23 May 2010 Alice Acker
30 May 2010 Opportunity Available
6 June 2010 D-Day - Opportunity Available (FTGC Sunday)
13 June 2010 Brunch at the Lizaks’ house
20 June 2010 Jan Macauley
27 June 2010 Betsy and Marianne Lane
4 July 2010 Opportunity Available
11 July 2010 Opportunity Available
18 July 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
Diane and Greg Chase celebrated their 39th anniversary week before last.
Birthday
Tom Collins celebrated his 66th birthday this week.
Travel
Keith is on travel this week.
Traci and Warren are on travel for the next few weeks.
Don, Sandy and Nick are on travel this week.
Jan is on travel this week.
Ryan is on travel throughout Southeast Asia until May 2010. He is in India (dot, not feather) and is keeping his parents updated.
Departed
Caroline (age 12) passed away the morning of Thursday 29 April 2010 from complications of leukemia which she had battled so bravely for several years. She has been on our prayer list about two of those years. Caroline is fine now, please pray in particular for parents Carmen and Jeff and little sister Jane, as well as those who cared for her and loved her.
David Waller, father of Ann Fortune who does such a wonderful job on our signs and banners, passed away suddenly on Wednesday 28 April 2010, of a massive heart attack. There are no worries about David who is with our Lord and all who have gone before, but please pray for comfort for his family who remain behind and will miss him so; Linda, his wife; their children Ann, Mitchell and Annette; as well as his grandchildren; family and friends.
Peaceful Transition
Beatrice
Ruth is in home hospice care.
Healing
Marge, Karl, Christian, Lois, Jennette (Alzheimer’s), Ruth, Connie, Tom, Crystal, Thomas, Hadley, Diane, Norm, Gregory, Nancy, Bill (infection), Ernie, Ray, Hazel, Bruce (gall bladder surgery this month; waiting for heart transplant), 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, Jennifer, Curtis, Steve (cancer), Ashton, Marjorie, Mike G, Dave (knee surgery), Karl (shoulder surgery), Jeffrey (testing), Gary (sepsis; diabetic), Jim (stomach cancer), 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), 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, undergoing chemotherapy), Lillian, Rob, Ken, Marlene, Emma W (Brain tumor), Vivian, Kelly (undergoing test unexpectedly), Veronica, Irith, Shirley, TP, David, Mark, Doris, Mary, Ken, Rick
Greg Chase asks that you pray for his family:
Diane, Greg’s wife, to see some positive physical signs for the ongoing treatment of her ulcerative colitis.
Phyllis, Greg’s mom, to gain physical strength to overcome her frailties after her recent "small" stroke.
Ed, Greg’s cousin, after a long history of heart issues (two open heart surgeries) to gain physical strength that continues to decline due to a series of other debilitating health issues.
Billy Zoe, Greg’s cousin, was admitted to the hospital Friday 30 April 2010, for a probable ruptured colon.
Sunny, Greg’s sister, to continue her recovery from a broken ankle.
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 left 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. She is in rehabilitation, the left side is still unresponsive and she has sustained some brain damage, if all goes well Michelle will have surgery to remove the tumor later this month. Please pray for peace of mind for Michelle and Nick and guidance for the medical team.
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 back home after a volcanically successful trip. Please pray this one too shall pass for a total of three.
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 made great progress; she is walking with leg support. So long as things go as well as they have, she should go home on Tuesday, 18 May 2010. 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.
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.
Matt Alcantara, age 15, has Osteosarcoma (bone cancer), a very rare and often lethal form of cancer with limited treatment options.
Matt has completed his chemotherapy. All looks good for now. Thanks be to God. 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 Oc
tober 2009. She has moved to a rehabilitation facility specializing 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.
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.
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, 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), 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, Tamera (her house is being taken by eminent domain and is in settlement phase; pray for a fair settlement), Rachel, Stephen, Paul, Seth C, Alan P (to control his feelings), Cris, Louis R (Court date)
Joan had just started her recovery from two back operations when she was given bad news, which she was unable to deal with on top of her physical problems. She has tried hard to deal with the issues on her own and was unable to completely get them under control. Things are looking up now. She is home and happy to be there. She has a new granddaughter, Eli, for whom she is grateful. Please pray Joan will look to God for the help He can give her, to help her accept those things she cannot change and change those things she can. Pray also for her husband Bob, that he might keep his mind clear to help Joan.
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.
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.
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.
Stephen, 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, Ray (Alzheimer’s Disease)
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),
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.
Thanksgiving
Please join us in praying a prayer of thanksgiving for the recovery of Mona’s grandmother who was near the point of departure and has gotten well.
Lise is in remission from a cancer, which resulted in multiple surgeries and chemotherapy. Please join us in prayers of thanksgiving, not only for the good result but the wisdom and guidance granted to all of her medical providers. Lise appreciates your support and prayers.
Louis seems to be recovering very well from surgery for facial reconstruction. Please give thanks for the successful surgery. Please pray for God's guidance and direction for Louis that Louis might see God’s outstretched hand to him, as well as continued recovery in the weeks ahead.
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.
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
23 May 2010 Jan Macauley
30 May 2010 Holly Lizak
6 June 2010 Sandy Patton (D Day)
13 June 2010 Don Patton
20 June 2010 Greg Chase
27 June 2010 Ben 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.
Calendar Location
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:
Or, email the Beadle at thebeadle@mac.com for an emailed link.
Sunday
23 May 2010 – Pentecost, commonly known as Whitsunday – Come learn about the Third God Guy - Service start time 1000 (10:00 am); welcome or gathering songs before the service starting about 0945 (9:45 am). For those of you who participate in the Burrito Ministry, it will likely be back at Manañas this week. Time 1000 (10:00 am); Location – Alpine Elementary School Auditorium – 1850 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine, CA
23 May 2010 – Free Teen Guitar Class Recital - Time 1300 (1:00 pm); Location – Alpine Elementary School Auditorium – 1850 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine, CA
Friday
28 May 2010 – Free Teen Guitar Class Jam Session at Albertsons / Starbucks in Alpine, CA - Time 1830 (6:30 pm); Location – Alpine Albertsons - 2955 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine, CA
Sunday
30 May 2010 – Trinity Sunday – Come learn about the Holy Trinity and Memorial Day from a Christian perspective - 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
Sunday
6 June 2010 – First Sunday after Trinity – Free Teen Guitar Class Sunday, guitar music for the whole service! - Come learn about the Green Season, remember D-Day 66 years later - 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
6 June 2010 – Hymning the Homebound – After the service, most of the congregation will be traveling to three or four of our homebound congregation members homes to bring their favorite hymns to them. Time 1100 (11:00 am); Location – Alpine Elementary School Auditorium – 1850 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine, CA
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
29 June 2010 – 1 July 2010 – Diocesan Synod or Meeting will be held at Mesilla, New Mexico, at the Holy Cross Retreat Center. The actual location is almost downtown Las Cruces, New Mexico. Representatives for each parish in the entire diocese get together to talk. It may be worthwhile if you have time. The Beadle has been to one, it was unique. If you would like more details, please contact the Beadle offline.
See you next week on Sunday!
No comments:
Post a Comment