The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

A statue of Saint Peter near the Church of the Holy Nativity in Bethlehem

As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

-- Saint Paul to the Church in Colossae

Lessons for Sunday, July 29th

Proper Twelve

Genesis 18:20-33
Colossians 2:6-15
Luke 11:1-13
Psalm 138

[Acts 20:17-24 With a special focus on the role of an overseer]

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; 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 20:17-24 (ESV 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"

Next Sunday's Lessons
(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

The Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

You who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him-- provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.

Saint Paul to the Church in Colossae

The Lessons for Sunday, July 22nd
Proper Eleven

Genesis 18:1-10a(10b-14)
Colossians 1:21-29
Luke 10:38-42
Psalm 15

[Acts 20:7-12]

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Announcements

• Pray for those who are going to Camp H2O this week

• Today’s Sermon will focus on Acts 20:7-12 (ESV Pew Bible pg. 929).
  

Next Week's Lessons
Proper Twelve

Genesis 18:20-33
Colossians 2:6-15
Luke 11:1-13
Psalm 138

[Acts 20:17-24 With a special focus on the role of an overseer]

The Awakening

On Sunday I referred to the book "The Awakening" by Friedrich Zuendel, who chronicled the struggle of Pastor Johann Christoph Blumhardt in Germany in the 1800s. I presented Pastor Blumhardt's story in comparison to Paul's ministry to the spiritually starved Ephesians in Acts 19.11-20. While the story begins with a very sensational incident, which might remind you of the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", the story moves to events in the life of a small country parish that any Christian could relate to. The title of the book is completely appropriate, since it describes how God grabbed the attention of a lethargic parish and moved them through repentance and into a lively faith. This is one of the most inspiring true stories that I have ever read and highly recommend it.

The book is out of print but it is available FREE as a pdf (Adobe Acrobat) file here:EBOOKS You will find many other free e-books at that web site: www.plough.com

My sermon for last Sunday (July 15, 2007) was recorded and can be E-mailed or recorded to an audio CD, by request. That's also free!

The Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

- Saint Paul to the Colossians

The Lessons for Sunday, July 15th
Proper 10

Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Colossians 1:1-14
Luke 10:25-37
Psalm 25 or 25:3-9

[Acts 19:11-20]

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Announcements

• Sunday’s Sermon will focus on Acts 19:11-20 (ESV Pew Bible pg. 928)

• The Bishop's Committee meets this Sunday following "Coffee Hour"

Next Sunday's Lessons

Genesis 18:1-10a(10b-14)
Colossians 1:21-29
Luke 10:38-42
Psalm 15

Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit

The San Diego Natural History Museum Exhibit:
June 29 - December 31, 2007

"The San Diego Natural History Museum's exhibition Dead Sea Scrolls is the largest, longest, most comprehensive ever assembled in any country. Spanning two floors and 12,000 square feet, 27 Dead Sea Scrolls - 10 exhibited for the first time ever - will be on display over the course of the exhibition.

The six-month exhibition brings together materials never before exhibited together: Dead Sea Scrolls from Israel and Jordan reunited for the first time in sixty years, never-before-exhibited ancient Hebrew codices from the Russian National Library, medieval manuscripts from the British National Library, and stunning modern interpretations of the texts. Tracing the scrolls and their meaning through time, the exhibition connects the ancient world to the modern.

The Dead Sea Scrolls - objects of great mystery, intrigue and significance - are widely acknowledged to be among the greatest archaeological treasures ever discovered. Learn more about the history of the scrolls here."

- Excerpt from http://www.sdnhm.org/scrolls/index.html

See this fascinating video on the Dead Sea Scrolls: Video

The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

- Saint Paul to the Galatians

The Lessons for Sunday July 8th - Proper 9

Isaiah 66:10-16
Galatians 6:(1-10)14-18
Luke 10:1-12,16-20
Psalm 66 or 66:1-8

[Acts 18:24-28]

O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Saints Aquila and Priscilla July 8th

God of grace and might, we praise you for your servants Aquila and Priscilla, to whom you gave gifts to make the good news known. Raise up, we pray, in every country, evangelists and heralds of your kingdom, so that the world may know the immeasurable riches of our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Announcements

• We continue our Summer teaching series on the Acts of the Apostles. This Sunday we will be focusing on Acts 18:18-19:10
• The Bishop's Committee meets next Sunday, July 15th following "Coffee Hour"
  

Next Sunday's Lessons - Proper 10

Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Colossians 1:1-14
Luke 10:25-37
Psalm 25 or 25:3-9

[Acts 19:11-20]

Easter 2007

This is a photograph of our Sunday School children on Easter morning during their Easter Egg hunt. Why don't the adults get to do fun stuff like this?

Better late than never: Due to problems with my E-mail this did not get posted during Easter Season, as it should have been. Thank you to Jerry and Kay McKinzie for the photo and for not giving up on my stubborn E-mail! (Hey, you can click on the photo to see bigger smiling faces!)