Hymn of Praise – “Praise to the Living God”
Sequence Hymn – “What wondrous love is this”
Gospel and Sermon – Rev. Tom Hughes
Prayers of the People
Communion
Concluding Hymn – “On Christ the solid rock I stand”
2023 Sun July 23
Bulletin, Pentecost 8, July 23, 2023
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Lectionary, Proper 11, Pentecost 8, July 23, 2023
I.Theme – Conquering fear and uncertainty
"Parable of the Wheat and Tares" – Lucas Gassel, 1540
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Isaiah 44:6-8
Psalm – Psalm 86:11-17 Page 710, BCP
Epistle –Romans 8:6-11
Gospel – Matthew 13:24-30,36-43
These texts speak eloquently to the problem of fear, and fear is what many people are currently experiencing. We are confronted with fear in our jobs, our homes and our world. It is ever present and diverts us from productive activities. Despite our increasing knowledge and interconnectedness, fear is very much a part of our world and maybe even more in the last generation. We look to someone, something for security.
So what causes the fear ? There is an “enemy” in each of these readings – Isaiah – Babylonians since the Jews were in captivity, Psalm – by a force that nearly killed the writer – Romans – “flesh” Gospel – “Devil” . In the latter we can be our own worst enemy by our propensity to judge others. The truth is that none of us are qualified to judge, only God has that privilege! The Gospel also emphasizes that it is often difficult tell the good from the bad and separate them. The Psalm indicate our enemies cause us to turn from God. We feel the absence of God’s grace and we petition for this to return.
The readings emphasize that God is with us in all the things of our lives and is involved with us throughout our lives helping through his Spirit to maximise our potential. We will not be abandoned!
Celebrating the legacy of James the Apostle, July 25
Cathedral,Santiago Spain where James is buried and celebration on July 25 with swinging of the a giant censer.
We celebrate James the Apostle on July 25. With his brother, John, the Gospels (Matthew 4, 21-22; Mark 1, 19-20; Luke 5, 10-11) record that they were fishermen, the sons of Zebedee, partners with Simon Peter, and called by Jesus from mending their nets beside the sea of Galilee at the beginning of his ministry
Jesus nicknamed them ‘the sons of thunder’ – perhaps justified by the story (Luke 9, 51-56) that they once wished to call down fire from heaven to destroy a village which had refused them hospitality.
They made it to key events in Jesus life – the Transfiguation, Gethsemene and at various healings and miracles – Peter’s mother-in-law and raising of Jairus’s daughter. Obviously, James was of Jesus closest followers.
He is known as James the Great to distinguish him from James the Less, or James the brother of the Lord.
The movie, The Way celebrates the wonderful cathedral in Santiago where his remains lie and pilgrimage that grew up around St. James life, routes that have been followed for 800 years. Read more about James and the Santiago Cathedral …
Recent Articles, July 23, 2023
Focusing on those who handle their fears with their indominable spirits. Several examples – Raoul Wallenberg, Stuart Scott, Jim Valvano and even William Wilberforce.
Pentecost 8, July 23, 2023
Lectionary for Pentecost 8
Commentary for Pentecost 8
Celebrating the Human Spirit
Other Voices with the Human Spirit
Celebrating the Human Spirit – Stuart Scott
Syndi Scott -“My Dad died of cancer but he beat it by how he lived.”
Willian Wilberforce – anti-slavery activist
Vanderbilt Visual Lectionary
Summer Films
It’s Butterfly time!
Anything but Ordinary! Ordinary Time
Village Harvest, July 2023 – A Quick Analysis
CLIENTS
For the first 7 months average clients are done from 88 to 79, a 10% reduction.
Clients increased from June from 65 to 72 in July.
Total clients served is 552 in 2023 vs. 617 in 2022, a 11% reduction.
FOOD
Total food is down from 8,844 pounds for first 7 months in 2022 to 7,576 in 2023, a 14% reduction.
Food at 1,206 was over June at 949. It was the second largest supply in 2023.
Pounds per person is 13.7 in 2023 first 7 months vs. 14.3 in 2022 for 7 months.
Considering just June to July, pounds per person, rose from 14.6 to 16.75, the second highest figure in 2023.
FOOD TYPES
In terms of supply, there was a smaller percentage of produce 41% in July vs. 45% in June. However, it was a larger percentage than a year ago in July, 2022. In July, 2022, it was 34% produce.
OTHER
Cookie bought can openers for those who requested them. We are keeping a list of those who requested to make sure sure they will get them if they were not there in July.
The Free Lance-Star had an additional article recently on other food sources. We have had our “Grab and Go” meals list plus a texting method of finding summer meals
Moving speech from Stuart Scott in 2014 in winning the JimmyV perseverance
Stuart, an ESPN host since 1993, was recognized towards the end of the ESPY awards show for his efforts in sports journalism. He has been battling a rare form of cancer for 7 years. He won the JimmyV Perseverance Award.
For Scott, giving up is not an option; he has refused to backdown. He has not allowed the disease to dictate how he lived. Fighting is winning and not quitting.
He has continued his work as an announcer with ESPN through it all doing what he loves and remaining a devoted father at the same time.
Here is his story and speech this week. We keep him in our prayers.
He died in early 2015.
Jim Valvano’s acceptance speech in 1993 in accepting the inaugural Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award is moving now as it was then. He died only months later.
Valvano was a legendary coach at NC State and later announcer. His speech at the 10th anniversary of that institution’s university’s 1983 NCAA championship stressed the importance of hope, love and persistence, and included his famous "Don’t give up, don’t ever give up" quotation.
Other Voices of the Human Spirit
"The greatest achievement of the human spirit is to live up to one’s opportunities and make the most of one’s resources."- Luc de Clapiers
" Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit."- e. e. cummings
" Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us." -Wilma Rudolph
" It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated… it is finished when it surrenders." – Ben Stein
Celebrating the Human Spirit
Remembering Raoul Wallenberg and the "Righteous Gentiles"
July 9th is the anniversary to the day of Raoul Wallenberg’s arrival in Budapest in 1944 to begin a rescue mission that would result in his saving 100,000 Jewish lives. On that day in 2014, Wallenberg received posthumously the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award of the US.
Links:
1. More about the "Righteous Gentiles"
2. Congressional Luncheon honoring the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation
3. US Holocaust Museum article on Wallenberg
Sunday Links, July 23, 2023, Pentecost 8
Summer splendor
A Busy Tues, July 18, 2023
Everyone was trying to stay out of each other’s way!
1. Preparing the Village Harvest for Wed, July 19- removing food from the truck, organizing it and bagging them. We have canned goods, fresh corn, both white and sweet potatoes, premium white chicken as well as frozen chickens. Some good stuff!
2. Painters were continuing to paint the outside of the Parish House.
3. Workers eradicating termites in the church. Catherine was working with them.
4. Later in the day we took 95 packs of notebook paper to Caroline Middle School for their School Supply Give-Away on July 29, sponsored by Caroline’s Caroline’s Promise. Thanks to all who contributed.
“My dad, Stuart Scott, died of cancer. But he beat it by how he lived.”
Even though my dad’s fight ended and I still miss him all the time, I look back on those days with gratitude.
From USA Today
From Stuart Scott -“When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live”
By Sydni Scott, daughter of the late ESPN commentator Stuart Scott. She is a Rhodes scholar after graduating as a student-athlete at Columbia University.
“At 23 years old, I’m already sick of being in hospitals. I’m unsettled by the familiar murmuring hum of the fluorescent ceiling lights and I dread the stomach-turning response I get whenever I encounter the powdery smell of blue latex-free gloves.
“I spent most of my childhood sitting in lobbies, anxiously waiting for news about my dad, Stuart Scott.
Summer films
1. The Letter
Interfaith Power and Light is partnering with the Laudato Si’ movement to bring the documentary film about climate change, “The Letter,” to congregations this summer.
The Letter tells story of the Laudato Si’ environmanals encyclical letter by Pope Francis issued in 2015, through the eyes from frontline leaders battling the ecological crisis across continents. Laudato Si means “Praise be to you” which is the first line of a canticle by St. Francis that praises God with all of his creation.
Featured in the film are a variety of speakers on the topic: Arouna Kandé, a climate refugee in Senegal; Cacique Dadá, an environmental defender and leader of the Maró Indigenous territory in the Brazilian Amazon; Ridhima Pandey, a youth climate activist from India; and Greg Asner and Robin Martin, biologists studying coral reefs in Hawaii.
The film features exclusive footage from their encounter with Pope Francis, alongside the personal stories and scientific findings throughout the documentary.
2. Sabbath