The Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Lessons for Sunday, August 26, 2007
Proper 16

Isaiah 28:14-22
Hebrews 12:18-19,22-29
Luke 13:22-30
Psalm 46

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Announcements

• Sunday, August 26th – Holy Eucharist at 9:00AM
• Sunday’s Sermon will focus on Acts 22:30, 23:1-11, (Pew Bible pg. 932).
  
• Casual Bible study at the McCalister’s house on Wednesdays from 7:30 – 8:30PM (Book of Revelation)

Next Sunday’s lessons: Proper 17
Ecclesiasticus 10:(7-11)12-18
Hebrews 13:1-8
Luke 14:1,7-14
Psalm 112

Psalm 23 - from a child

Diana Benedetti sent this. It is a wonderful video that will put a smile on your face.

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

The Lessons for Sunday, August 19th 2007
Proper 15

Jeremiah 23:23-29
Hebrews 12:1-7(8-10)11-14
Luke 12:49-56
Psalm 82

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Announcements

• This Sunday’s Sermon will focus on Acts 22:1-11, (ESV Pew Bible pg. 931).
• Casual Bible study at the McCalister’s house on Wednesdays from 7:30 – 8:30PM (The Book of Revelation - Chapter 2)
• Micro-Enterprise presentation at St John’s, Tulare on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 7-9PM, RSVP 559.686-8048
• Next Sunday’s lessons: Proper 16
  

Isaiah 28:14-22
Hebrews 12:18-19,22-29
Luke 13:22-30
Psalm 46

Jeremy Taylor

JEREMY TAYLOR August 13
Bishop of Down, Connor, and Dromore, 1667

Jeremy Taylor, one of the most influential of the "Caroline Divines," was educated at Cambridge and, through the influence of William Laud, became a Fellow of All Souls at Oxford. He was still quite young when he became chaplain to Charles the First and, later, during the Civil War, a chaplain in the Royalist army.

The successes of Cromwell's forces brought about Taylor's imprisonment and, after Cromwell's victory, Taylor spent several years in forced retirement as chaplain to the family of Lord Carberry in Wales. It was during this time that his most influential works were written, especially Holy Living and Holy Dying (1651).

Among his other works, Liberty of Prophesying proved to be a seminal work in encouraging the development of religious toleration in the seventeenth century. The principles set forth in that book rank with those of Milton's Areopagitica in its plea for freedom of thought.

Despite Taylor's unquestioned literary genius, he was, unfortunately, not asked to have a part in the Prayer Book revision of 1662. The first American Prayer Book, however, incorporated one of his prayers, part of which has been adapted to serve as the Collect of his commemoration; and another has been added in the present Prayer Book.

Taylor's theology has sometimes been criticized, most bitingly by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who claims that Taylor seems to "present our own holy life as the grounds of our religious hope, rather than as the fruit of that hope, whose ground is the mercies of Christ." No such complaint, however, was ever made about his prayers, which exemplify the best of Caroline divinity, blended with great literary genius.

In later life, Taylor and his family moved to the northeastern part of Ireland where, after the restoration of the monarchy, he became Bishop of Down and Connor. To this was later added the small adjacent diocese of Dromore. As Bishop, he labored tirelessly to rebuild churches, restore the use of the Prayer Book, and overcome continuing Puritan opposition. As Vice-chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin, he took a leading part in reviving the intellectual life of the Church of Ireland. He remained to the end a man of prayer and a pastor.

1994 Lesser Feasts And Fasts

The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

The Lessons for Sunday, August 12, 2007

Genesis 15:1-6
Hebrews 11:1-3(4-7)8-16
Luke 12:32-40
Psalm 33 or 33:12-15, 18-22

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Announcements

This Sunday's sermon will focus on Acts 21:27-36
The Bishop's Committee Meets this Sunday

Fr Mark Lawrence of Bakersfield Re-Elected Bishop

South Carolina Re-Elects Mark Lawrence as Bishop

By Mary Frances Schjonberg and Matthew Davies, Aug 04, 2007

The Very Rev. Mark Lawrence was re-elected as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina August 4 at a special electing convention held at St. James Church on St. James Island, South Carolina. Lawrence was the only candidate in the election since no petitions to add other names to the slate were received by the July 11 deadline.

A majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan Standing Committees must now consent to Lawrence's ordination as bishop within 120 days of receiving notice of the election.

Lawrence, 56, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Bakersfield, California, in the Diocese of San Joaquin, was first elected September 16, 2006 to be South Carolina's 14th bishop . . .

[Read the full story here]:

SOUTH CAROLINA: Diocese re-elects Mark Lawrence as bishop

Abp. Venables' Three Teachings at ACN Meeting

August 02, 2007

[Here, in one place are the three transcripts I made of Bible Studies by Abp. Greg Venables, The Southern Cone. I believe this is an essential word for the Biblically orthodox NOW. Please use and distribute. Cheryl M. Wetzel]

#1: Settling into the podium, the archbishop began with prayer: “Most Gracious Lord, In your goodness and your Grace, in your love you have set apart this time for us to be together. We feel honored and feel a holy awe that you have called us together and you have a purpose for your people at this time.

We are so aware of our frailty and sinfulness. But also aware of your purpose and desire to work special ways in our lives. Set your guards around this place today and tomorrow and protect those we love and who love us. Send your Holy Spirit do in us what needs to be done so we can go from this place to do the things we are to do. We need to hear your voice clearly. Speak to us. We ask in the name of only Lord and Savior that we have: Your Son Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Please read the rest of Abp Venables' talks here:

Abp. Venables' Three Teachings at ACN meeting

Transfiguration - August 6th

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. – Saint Peter

Transfiguration: (metamorpho) to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure

Consider how Peter's understanding of Jesus' Transfiguration changed from the moment that he saw the preview of Jesus on the mount as Christ glorified Luke 9:28-36 to how he understood it 30-35 years later 2 Peter 1:13-21

How is our view of Jesus similar to Peter's two perspectives? What was the transfiguration that Peter experienced personally between the gospels and his epistles? Is our relationship with Jesus more similar to that of Peter's view in Luke, or what he wrote in his second letter? How are you being transformed by your encounters with Christ?
[See 2 Corinthians 3:18]

O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

A view of Caesarea and Herod's harbor, along the coast of the Mediterranean. Herod's Hippo-stadium is visible in the center with the crusaders' fortress on the horizon.

"On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him." [Acts 21:8]

The Lessons for Sunday, August 5th

Proper 13

Ecclesiastes 1:12-14;2:(1-7,11)18-23
Colossians 3:(5-11)12-17
Luke 12:13-21
Psalm 49 or 49:1-11

[Acts 21:7-15]

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Sunday’s Sermon will focus on Acts 21:7-15, (Pew Bible pg. 929).
• Next Youth Group Meeting is Saturday, August 11th at the McCalister's in Tulare, beginning at 5PM
• Bishop's Committee meets on Sunday, August 12th following "Coffee Hour"
  
• Casual Bible study at the McCalister’s house on Wednesdays from 7:30 – 8:30PM (Book of Revelation)
• “Up With People” coming to Corcoran Aug 27 – Sept 3. Please call the Chamber of Commerce (992-4514) if you have a room available.
  

Nihilism or Resurrection?

The nihilist observes that nothing that can be known outside of ourselves, and that all moral and theological ideologies are fantasies invented by either weak-minded people looking for comfort or strong-willed opportunists seeking to control the weak-minded; that human existence is useless and pointless.

This conclusion must be true, if we are merely animals. For animals, reason, goal and purpose is simply survival and procreation. A higher purpose for life - a moral and elevated purpose beyond animal appetite can come only from a source beyond that which is animal - a source outside and beyond that which is corrupt.

Saint Anslem observed that the fact that we even have such an awareness of something greater than ourselves, is an awareness that can come only from outside of ourselves and is proof that something or someone greater than what we can conceive of exists.

In other words, if we are merely animals, how is it that we aspire to such lofty goals: poetry, architecture, painting, music, worship - love? The question from Anselm might be, "Are we so delusional with pride that we think we can achieve a divine ascendency from animal appetites?" Does a rock dream of being a tree? Even an animist believes in spirits but even their "spirits" do not rise above animal nature.

Dare we hope in anything greater than animal nature, which is certain death and nothing more?

Saint Paul, who was accustomed to having conversations with philosophers of his day who were dealing with the same questions [Acts 17:16-21, wrote the following to Christians living in Corinth:

[1 Cor. 15:12-28] "Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13] But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. [14] And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. [15] We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. [16] For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. [17] And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [18] Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [19] If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
[20] But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. [21] For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. [22] For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. [23] But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. [24] Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. [25] For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. [26] The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [27] For " God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. [28] When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.