Sword Points

Transforming
Lives
Through
Jesus
Sword Points
www.saintpaulsbrookfield.com
July 19, 2012
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(203) 775-9587
† St. Paul’s Vacation Bible School Is Flying High!
ach morning this week our youth are learning that “Everything is possible with
God.” The
sky is the limit and our kids are learning to trust God at our
VBS, which is
loaded with incredible Bible-learning experiences where they
see,
hear, touch and even taste. Drop by if you have a chance
and witness for yourself the team-building games, cool
Bible songs and other activities that help the kids discover
how to see the evidence of God in everyday life.
† This Week at St. Paul’s
Thu., July 19
Fri., July 20
Sat., July 21
Sun., July 22
Mon, July 23
Tue., July 24
- 9:00 am - Vacation Bible School
7:00 pm - Healing Team, Guild Room
- 9:00 am - Vacation Bible School
- 7:30 am - Men’s Prayer Breakfast, Parish Hall
10:00 am - St. Paul’s Quilters, Parish Hall
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
8:00 am - Traditional Eucharist & Healing
9:15 am - Adult Christian Education, Guild Room
10:30 am - Contemporary Eucharist & Healing
St. Mary Magdalene
- 9:15 am - Ladies Bible Study
7:00 pm - Grief Group, Guild Room
Wed., July 25
St. James, the Apostle
10:00 am - Holy Eucharist and Healing
SAVE-THE-DATE
St. Paul’s Beach Blast
Join the St. Paul’s
Family on SUNDAY
AUGUST 5TH
AT THE BEACH ON
CANDLEWOOD LAKE
More details to come
FUN TIMES IN THE
SUMMER TIME!!!
E
† Happy Birthday to You!
lvi Burr & Lorine Hodge celebrate today! Friday is the big
day for Christopher DeAnzeris & Michael Kirner. Sue Balla
will be expecting your card on Saturday. Wendy VonEgidy will be
another year older and wiser on Sunday. Alice Brown & William
Mullen will celebrate Tuesday. Michael Crisalli will be blowing
out candles on Wednesday. Have a blessed day each one of you!
T
† Adult Christian Education
his Sunday continues Ingrid Pruss’ three-week focus on “Redemption.”
Ingrid received her Ph.D. with high honors from Vanderbilt University in British
Renaissance Studies with a secondary specialty in lyric poetry. As a student, she spent ten
years teaching conversational ESL, in Nashville, Tennessee and in Lafayette, Louisiana and
almost twenty years as a freelance technical writer. Dr. Pruss’s scholarly/
creative work has been published in The George Herbert Journal, JAISA,
Violence Against Women, and Quay. She has presented papers at the
Shakespeare Association of America and addressed the college section of the
NCTE (2006) about creative scholarship. In addition to her love of
Renaissance Literature, Dr. Pruss’s intellectual interests/specialties include:
twentieth and twenty-first century memoirs by women; twentieth and twentyfirst century poetry; feminist theory; cultural studies; critical theory; and Old
Testament studies.
We are blessed to have such an accomplished scholar in our church
community and Ingrid’s teachings are always well attended. We hope to see
you this Sunday at 9:15 a.m. in the Guild Room for this series on
“Redemption.”
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VBS Photo Album
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VBS Photo Album
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VBS Photo Album
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For more information on the work of Stephen Ministers at St. Paul’s,
contact the Parish Office or Fr. Joe Shepley or Barbara Cappiello.
6
† This Date on the Church Calendar
July 23rd
St. Mary Magdalene
M
ary of Magdala near Capernaum was one of several women who
followed Jesus and ministered to him in Galilee. The Gospel
according to Luke records that Jesus “went on through cities and villages,
preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the
Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil
spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons
had gone out ... ” (Luke 8:1–2). The Gospels tell us that Mary was healed by Jesus,
followed him, and was one of those who stood near his cross at Calvary.
It is clear that Mary Magdalene’s life was radically changed by Jesus’ healing. Her
ministry of service and steadfast companionship, even as a witness to the crucifixion, has,
through the centuries, been an example of the faithful ministry of women to Christ. All four
Gospels name Mary as one of the women who went to the tomb to mourn and to care for
Jesus’ body. Her weeping for the loss of her Lord strikes a common chord with the grief of
all others over the death of loved ones. Jesus’ tender response to her grief - meeting her in
the garden, revealing himself to her by calling her name - makes her the first witness to the
risen Lord. She is given the command, “Go to my brethren and say to them, I
am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John
20:17). As the first messenger of the resurrection, she tells the disciples, “I
have seen the Lord” (John 20:18).
In the tradition of the Eastern Church, Mary is regarded as the equal of an
apostle; and she is held in veneration as the patron saint of the great cluster of
monasteries on Mount Athos.
July 25th
St. James, Apostle
J
ames, the brother of John, is often known as
James the Greater, to distinguish him from
the other Apostle of the same name,
commemorated in the calendar with Philip, and also from James
“the brother of our Lord.” He was the son of a prosperous
Galilean fisherman, Zebedee, and with his brother John left his
home and his trade in obedience to the call of Christ. With
Peter and John, he seems to have belonged to an especially
privileged group, whom Jesus chose to be witnesses of the
St. James the Greater - The
Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and
patron of Spain and of pilgrims.
the agony in the garden.
He is mentioned as the first of
Apparently, James shared John’s hot-headed
the disciples to go on a missiondisposition, and Jesus nicknamed the brothers,
ary journey. The three escallop
“Boanerges” (Sons of Thunder). James’ expressed
shells refer to pilgrimage.
willingness to share the cup of Christ was realized in
his being the first of the Apostles to die for him. As the Acts of the Apostles
records, “About that time Herod the King laid violent hands upon some who
belonged to the Church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts
12:1–2).
According to an old tradition, the body of James was taken to Compostela,
Spain, which has been a shrine for pilgrims for centuries. Among the Spaniards,
James is one of the most popular saints. In the Middle Ages, under the title of
Santiago de Compostela, his aid was especially invoked in battle against the Moors.
7
† Israel 2012 
By Pam Szen
Masada
T
his morning we enjoyed a special treat. We were able to sleep in…no 6:30 am
wake up call! But we still have a busy day ahead which begins with a visit to
another UNESCO World Heritage Site: Masada (pronounced Metzada), one of the most
exciting and visited places in Israel. Here we learn about a story of perseverance and power,
faith and surrender, ambitions and a tragic end. Masada is a place where battles
were waged with rocks and flaming arrows, as well as battles of the human spirit.
Masada is situated on the top of a mountain with steep sides and a flat top
ra
Joe & Ta
r.
F
r
a
overlooking
the desert panorama to the west and the Dead Sea to the east. The story
e
y
ast
ctor
re
r
u
of
the
site
reveals
the courage of the defenders of Masada and their battle against the
o
d
an
d
ker toure
c
ro
conquering
Romans.
The story, related against the background of the ancient
C
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emeritus
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Masada was filmed in 1981
age to Isra
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2013
parish for
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Masada is extremely high
a
g
tin
Pam is wri
rd Points. (1,300 feet on the eastern side),
o
w
S
in
y
e
their journ
and can be ascended on foot by
the winding "snake path" or by a cable car
that runs from the tourist center at the foot
L
of Masada to the top. Three brave souls, our
group leader, Peter Scalzo, and his children,
Spencer and Pearl, set out up the mountain by
foot along the snake path. The rest of the
group braved the cable car!
King Herod built the fortress of Masada in
the year 30 BCE. Its architectural feats have
left their mark throughout the country. At the beginning of the great revolt against Rome in
the year 68 BCE, the site was conquered by a group of Jewish zealots, and Masada became
their last stronghold. About the year 72 BCE, after the destruction of the Second Temple,
the Romans besieged Masada and succeeded in reaching the steep fortress after constructing
a huge earthen ramp on its western side. The 960 Jewish zealots living at the top of Masada
(Continued on page 9)
8
(Continued from page 8)
Masada
at this time chose to make a suicide pact
rather than fall into the hands of the
Romans (who numbered 5,000) and
become their slaves. The saga of the
Jewish zealots is remembered as one of
courage, heroism, and martyrdom.
The remains of the fortress of Masada
are well-preserved and have been
reconstructed in an effort to pay homage
to the site and its heroic inhabitants.
There was a casement wall around the
top of the plateau with many towers. The
fortress included storehouses, barracks,
an armory, the palace and cisterns that
were refilled with rainwater. The most
impressive structure on Masada is King
Herod's northern palace.
The beautiful embossments and
murals that were discovered on the walls
of buildings on Masada were restored by
Italian
experts to
preserve
them for
years to
come.
This is the
largest and
most
complete
Roman
siege camp
that remains today.
While we were atop Masada, we also had
an interesting opportunity to observe a Jewish
scribe copying the Torah scrolls.
The chilling story of Masada and the
archeological remains contribute to the unique
atmosphere of the site, and preserve its
magnificent past.
Flights and hotels have been finalized
for our St. Paul’s trip to Israel
in April, 2013.
If you would like to be part of this lifechanging spiritual journey, contact
David or Pam Szen or send an e-mail to
[email protected].
9
† Teach Your Children (Well)
By Bill Miller
“Can you hear and do you care and
Can’t you see we must be free to
Teach your children what you believe in
Make a world that we can live in.”
Teach Your Children, Graham Nash
“Direct a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he
will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
I
’m still learning important lessons about abundance, sharing, and generosity, but I
learned the core truths when I was a child, thanks to one particular adult who cared
enough to demonstrate how it is done. Other than my own father, the person who had the
greatest influence on me was my second mother. Her name was Rosemary, and she lived
across the street from my childhood home. She and her husband Hank had three teenage
daughters, so when I came along as the “son they never had,” I was immediately adopted.
Between the ages of 3 and 12, I spent every Friday evening and
most of Saturday with Rosemary and Hank. My parents were
more grateful than I was! Without my many and varied
experiences with Rosemary, I would not have had the breadth
and depth of life experiences that shaped me as a human being.
Here in Hawaii we would call her my hanai mom – not
biologically related, but she assumed more than her share of
child rearing responsibilities.
I grew up in a tee-totaling, fundamentalist Protestant
household. Rosemary and Hank were good Roman Catholics
from Eastern Europe who knew how to party. Rosemary taught
me how to bowl, golf, drink beer, and appreciate the liturgical
calisthenics of a more liturgical tradition. She used to tap me
on the shoulder half way through each mass to indicate that I had done more than my share
of protestant penance and could stop kneeling! In my own home, we were not allowed to eat
cookies or consume soft drinks unless it was Christmas or the rapture was imminent. At
Rosemary’s house, she always stocked my three favorite kinds of cookies on my very own
“cookie shelf,” and when we went on vacation together every summer, there were magic ice
chests that never ran out of every flavor of soda ever invented.
But the cookies, soda, and beer are not what made the biggest impression. Every
evening after Hank, Rosemary, and I had chowed down on whatever delicious delicacy we
had enjoyed for dinner, Rosemary served up an extra plate. She would pick up the phone
and dial the older woman who lived next door. Her name was Maureen; she was in poor
health and her husband, when he was employed, drove a truck so he could be away for
months at a time. I would hear her sweet voice say, “Maureen, this is Rosemary. Meet me
at the fence.” Rosemary would take the plate with the home-cooked meal out back and pass
it over the fence to Maureen. My hanai parents were not at all wealthy, but they always had
enough for me and for anyone in need. I never forgot that lesson - blessings abound when
they are shared.
I hope I am visibly demonstrating to the children at my church, my godchildren, and any
other child I have contact with, that abundance, sharing, and generosity are all part of the
process of being blessed. The blessings flow in as they flow out and flow out as they flow in
and cannot really be enjoyed unless we make a plate for others. If you are a biological,
adoptive, or hanai parent, Sunday school teacher, youth sponsor, godparent, uncle, aunt, or
just a member of the family of God, teach all your children well the principles of abundance
and blessing. They will remember for the rest of their lives.
10
† Scholarly Speaking
Counting Hairs
S
ome of you will remember that when Bryan Bywater first came to St. Paul’s as a
summer intern, Fr. Andy urged us to think of ‘Coffee Hour’ questions for him. I am
reminded of mine as it was actually based on Wednesday morning’s Gospel (Matthew 10:26
-31). It was simply, “If all the hairs of our head are numbered, then what happens if one
falls out and is replaced by another - does the replacement hair get a new number or is the
old number reassigned to it?” I don’t recall that Bryan ever got
back to me with an answer, and I more or less forgot about it
except for the two or three times a year when the text came up
again in the readings or in some other discussion.
My own tentative answer was that the number probably was
assigned in the follicle and so would be the same for hairs from
the same follicle, but I could only speculate as to how the
number might be imprinted – perhaps with a very tiny laser
Hair growing in follicle.
beam? Then a year or so ago I read an article by
Perry Marshall (available here) that argued for the existence of God on the
basis that the actual design of living beings is encoded in DNA; that DNA is
itself a biochemical language with its own identifiable vocabulary, grammar,
and design; and that design requires an intelligent designer/creator. (I have
certainly over simplified his argument, but I think this captures the essence of
it.) Still later I heard DNA described as a numerical code, and this suggested
a different approach to hair numbering: The hairs do not have individual
numbers at all; rather every hair carries (in its follicular end – at least I got
that part right) a number (DNA) which uniquely links it to the individual
person on whom it grew.
Suddenly then, what appeared to simply be a nice metaphor of God’s care for
each person, has become a scientific statement that God (or nowadays anyone with the
proper equipment) could actually identify a person using only a single hair. Amazingly, this
was written nineteen hundred years before anyone (presumably even Jesus in his human
form) had ever heard of DNA. Does this mean that someday we can expect to find a literal
(if unexpected) truth behind every statement in Scriptures? I doubt it, but I do find here one
more indication that we should never simply dismiss a Biblical statement as merely a figure
of speech, or as somehow unscientific.
A final excursus: As I was preparing this column, I ran across an article (available here)
by Peter Bluer which purported to trace close numerical
connections between Genesis 1:1, John 1:1, and DNA, based
on numerical values assigned to the letters of the Greek and
Hebrew alphabets and to the various possible combinations of
proteins in DNA. The use of alphabetical numerology can be
traced back at least St. Augustine and perhaps to the New
Testament itself where 666, the number of the beast, probably
represents the numerical value of a personal name or title (the
Greek for Nero revived would give this value, but other
candidates have also been suggested). His discussion is
interesting,
but
more
o you have a question you
technical in some cases than I can follow, and I do note
would like answered by our that he ignores well established conventions in
assigning numerical values to special forms of some
Scholar-in-Residence? Send your
letters in both alphabets. In all, I wonder if he might be
ecclesiastical, liturgical, doctrinal,
stretching the data to fit his theory.
historical or other inquiries to:
- Fr. Bill Loring, Scholar in Residence
[email protected].
D
11
ST. PAUL’S CHURCH
WELCOMES
GUEST SPEAKER & AUTHOR
VICKI ROSE
ON SATURDAY,
SEPTEMBER 29
Join us for Tea and Fellowship
Beginning at 3:00 p.m.
Vicki’s heart and passion is for women to be content and victorious
in their lives and/or marriages through a deep and intimate personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.
A free will offering will be taken.
† Official Prayer of the Sword Points Editorial Board
A
lmighty God, keep us, we pray thee, from thinking of ourselves more highly than
we ought to think, and ready at all times to step aside for others, that the cause of
Christ may be advanced; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some have unwittingly entertained angels.
Hebrews 13:2
The Youth Group work day is coming up next Saturday, July 28th. We have three
projects to work on, so plan for a full day of serving. We'll meet at the church at
8am and work through the day. Please let us know if you're attending by emailing
[email protected]
St. Paul’s OWN
July 28th - Youth Work Day
Aug 12th - Youth Group 5-7pm
Aug 26th - Mini-Golf & Ice Cream 2-4 pm
The Bible attracts people because it is an unchanging truth in an ever changing world.
Make sure to use it's full power
12
: The
Please Note
arena
popular Mac
mide
song from th
not
1990’s was
Macrina.
named after
† Saints of God
July 19th
Macrina
Monastic & Teacher, 379
M
acrina (340–379) was a monastic, theologian and teacher. She
founded one of the earliest Christian communities in the
Cappadocian city of Pontus. Macrina left no writings; we know of her
through the works of her brother St. Gregory of Nyssa. In his Life of St. Macrina, Gregory
describes her as both beautiful and brilliant, an authoritative spiritual teacher.
Macrina persuaded her mother Emmelia to renounce their wealthy lifestyle and to help
her establish a monastery on the family’s estate. Macrina’s ideal of community emphasized
caring for the poor and ministering to the wider community. She literally picked up young
women who lay in the road starving. Many joined her order.
Gregory credits Macrina as the spiritual and theological intelligence behind her siblings’
notable careers in the Church. Gregory, and their brothers St. Basil, St. Peter of Sebaste, and
Naucratios went to her often for theological counsel. Macrina frequently challenged her
celebrated brothers. She told Gregory his fame was not due to his own merit, but to the
prayers of his parents. She took Basil in hand when he returned from Athens “monstrously
conceited about his skill in rhetoric.” Under her influence, Basil and Peter renounced
material possessions and turned away from secular academia to become monks and
theologians. Basil and Peter wrote a Rule for community life, ensuring that Macrina’s ideas
for Christian community would have lasting authority. Basil, Gregory and Peter all became
bishops, in no small measure because of Macrina’s influence, and became leading defenders
of the Nicene faith.
Gregory visited Macrina as she lay dying on two planks on the floor. He relates
Macrina’s last words as a classical Greek farewell oration imbued with Holy Scripture. In
both his Life of St. Macrina and in his later treatise of The Soul and Resurrection, Gregory
presents Macrina admiringly as a Christian Socrates, delivering beautiful deathbed prayers
and teachings about the resurrection.
Adelaide Teague Case
Teacher, 1948
A
delaide Case was born in Missouri in 1887, but her family soon moved
to New York. She received her undergraduate education at Bryn Mawr
and her graduate degrees from Columbia University. By the time she
completed her doctorate a position had been created for her on the faculty of
the Teachers’ College at Columbia and she quickly rose to the status of full
professor and head of the department of religious education. She is
remembered for advocating a child-centered rather than teacher-centered
approach to education.
In 1941, while her professional accomplishments were at their height, the Episcopal
Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was able to convince her to leave her
distinguished and comfortable position at Columbia and join the faculty as Professor of
Christian Education. Although other women had taught occasional courses in the seminaries
of the church, Adelaide Case was the first to take her place as a full-time faculty member at
the rank of Professor. Although Case spoke well of her time in Cambridge, her early years
there were difficult. She continued to teach at ETS until her death in 1948.
Students and faculty colleagues remember her contagious faith in Christ, her deep sense
of humanity, and her seemingly boundless compassion. Although she carried herself with
style and grace, Case had struggled with health issues her entire life, but those who knew her
testify to the fact that in spite of those challenges she was spirited, energetic, and fully
(Continued on page 14)
13
† Transforming Stewardship
“…come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest
awhile.”
(Mark 6:31)
D
o you spend time listening to the Lord? Most of
the time, He speaks in soft whispers. Open your
heart and hear the Lord. You can give generously when
you trust the Lord will provide all that you need.
† Nursery Care Provided
S
t. Paul’s offers nursery care as well as a
speaker in the parish hall where the sermon
can be heard. Please be mindful of those around you
should your little one become disruptive during the
sermon.
It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. - CS Lewis
(Continued from page 13)
Adelaide Teague Case
devoted to her work. “She was a true believer in Christ and you saw him living in and
through her,” is an oft-repeated accolade.
Case believed that the point of practicing the Christian faith was to make a difference in
the world. As an advocate for peace, she believed that Christianity had a special vocation to
call people into transformed, reconciled relationships for the sake of the wholeness of the
human family. She is said to have discovered these things not in theology or educational
theory, but in a life of common prayer and faithful Eucharistic practice.
† Where Did You Go to Church Last Week?
W
hile visiting my son in Middletown,
RI, I spotted this darling little
church. The sign out front said
"Church of the Holy Cross Episcopal - Service Sunday 9:30
am.
It didn't take me long to decide
that was where I was going to
worship on Sunday morning.
This little church was built in
1845 and seats about 90 people.
There were about 20 people in
attendance, including the little
choir.
The celebrant was Fr. George Chapin, an incredible, loving, gentle man of 89
young years! His sermon was inspirational and delivered with much feeling
and even humor. After service Fr. George graciously welcomed me and
invited me back any time and told me that if he wasn't the celebrant, he would
be singing in the choir! I definitely will return.
- Joan Boehm
14
† Choir Practice for Sword Points Readers
(click on the red links below to begin your personal practice)
Opening Hymn
Gradual Hymn
Offertory Hymn
Closing Hymn
Be Thou My Vision
Shepherd of Souls, Refresh and Bless
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
The Church’s One Foundation
Do you know your (specific) hymns?
When you go to Church this weekend be sure to smile as you go through your Hymnals!
Dentist's Hymn
Crown Him with Many Crowns
Weatherman's Hymn
There Shall Be Showers of Blessings
Contractor's Hymn
The Church's One Foundation
The Tailor's Hymn
Holy, Holy, Holy
The Golfer's Hymn
There's a Green Hill Far Away
The Politician's Hymn
Standing on the Promises
Optometrist's Hymn
Open My Eyes That I Might See
The IRS Agent's Hymn
I Surrender All
The Gossip's Hymn
Pass It On
The Electrician's Hymn
Send The Light
The Shopper's Hymn
Sweet Bye and Bye
The Realtor's Hymn
I've Got a Mansion Just over the Hilltop
The Massage Therapists Hymn
He Touched Me
The Doctor's Hymn.
The Great Physician
AND for those who speed on the highway - a few hymns:
45mph
God Will Take Care of You
65mph
Nearer My God To Thee
85mph
This World Is Not My Home
95mph
Lord, I'm Coming Home
100mph
Precious Memories
Beauty is God’s handwriting. ~ Charles Kingsley
† Sermon Shorts
F
r. Shepley continues his series on the life of King David last Sunday, focusing on
his worship of God through the Ark of the Covenant. Borrowing inspiration from
our Epistle reading from Ephesians as well, this sermon addresses how to glorify God with
singleness of purpose. To replay or watch sermons follow this link for The Sunday
Sermons each week.
† Curried Chicken Salad
Directions:
In a medium bowl,
Ingredients:
stir together the
3 cooked skinless, boneless chicken chicken, celery,
breast halves, chopped
mayonnaise, and
2 stalks celery, chopped
curry powder.
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
Chill. Makes 6
2 teaspoons curry powder
servings
Pepper to taste
15
I
† Your Prayers Are Requested For…
t is such an intimate time when praying for the health and well being of others and
such a privilege. The people that we lift up to The Lord are part of our hearts for all
time. Please pray for…
…..St. John’s, Salisbury; St. John’s, Sandy Hook; Trinity, Seymour; Christ Church, Sharon.
…..Dot Blake, convalescing from a stroke at Filosa in Danbury.
…..Sue Jennings, healing and strength.
…..Gerry Mullen, strength and freedom from pain.
…..Parish office volunteers
…..Doug Azzarito, healing of blood cancer.
…..Paul Estok, healing of his broken leg.
…..Linda Pendergast pray for full healing and
strength.
…..those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of
work.
…..Cy Dennerlein, recovering from a fall.
…..Barbara Kast, continued healing of her back.
…..Peggy Bauer, a miracle of healing.
…..Ginny Beck for continued healing and strength.
…..Shirley Jessup, healing and comfort for her
back.
…..Barbara Hock, healing of her back.
…..David Palmer, strength and peace as he recovers.
…..Bill Mayers’ daughter, Kathleen for recovery from a heart condition.
…..Walter Biscardi, a miracle of healing, the Lord's loving presence to surround him and
his family.
…..Kelly & Tim Malloy, their children and their team, safety in Jos, Nigeria.
…..Tom Balash, strength and mobility.
…..Nigerian Christians as they continue to be under attack.
…..a job for Mary Ellen.
…..Kay Tucker who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, a miracle of healing.
…..Michael for-protection in Afghanistan, in the service.
Isaiah 26:3 "He will keep in perfect peace all those that trust in him.”
Vespers
During the summer
Vespers will be held
on the 2nd Sunday
of the month and
will include Holy
Communion.
16
† This Sunday’s Readings
Jesus’ Compassion and Mercy
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
n our Hebrew Bible lesson the enemies of David have been subdued and David
returns his thoughts to building a temple to the Lord. Through the prophet Nathan,
God declares to David that the constructions of an earthly temple is not among
the purposes for which God as anointed David. God has chosen David from
John 7:42
among the lowly, a mere shepherd boy, and given him victory over his enemies.
Has not the Scripture said Now God will make of David a great house, securing the hopes of the people of
Israel. David’s throne shall be established forever, the prophet declares.
that the Christ comes from
Psalm 89:20-37
The Lord is praised for faithful love and mighty justice. As a Father, God
the offspring of David, and
promises to the anointed servant David an everlasting kingdom.
Ephesians 2:11-22
comes from Bethlehem, the
This passage is a celebration of the new community of a unified humanity
village where David was?”
which God has formed and built up through Christ Jesus. Before this time
Gentiles lived a life distant from God and the hope of God’s promises. Now
through the sacrifice of Christ, the power of the law to separate and the wall of hostility are
broken down. Former strangers have found peace and become fellow citizens who share in
the Lord’s spiritual temple.
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
In our gospel lesson the apostles return from their first mission and are summoned away
by Jesus to a place of solitude and restoration. There is such urgent need among the people,
however, that Jesus and his disciples are met by large crowds everywhere they go. Jesus is
a compassionate shepherd and responds to the need of the multitude in teaching and healing,
and all who come to him find solace.
I
† Pick Up Your Copy Today!
† Photo Contest for August Sword of the Spirit
C
alling all photographers! We are looking for a cover photo for our
next monthly Sword. The August issue covers the Pentecost
season, summer, VBS. Have fun. The deadline is July 23rd. Send
your pictures to [email protected].
17
Just For Fun !
A
(And Christian Fellowship)
little boy opened the big
family Bible. He was
fascinated as he fingered
through the old pages.
Suddenly, something fell out of
the Bible. He picked up the
object and looked at it. What
he saw was an old leaf that had
been pressed in between the
pages.
† It Takes An
'Mama, look
Editorial Board
Contributors to this what I found,' the
Weeks Sword Points:
boy called out.
Debbie Barackman,
'What have you got there, dear?'
Joan Boehm, Drew
With astonishment in the young boy's
Crocker, Lynne
Donnelly, Jen Falci,
voice, he answered, 'I think it's Adam's
Bill Loring, Beth
underwear!'
Miller, Patrick
O’Connors, Linda
Pendergast, Kirsten
Peterson, Joe Shepley,
David Szen, Pam Szen
& Don Winkley.
18