WEEKLY RECTOR’S MESSAGE – November 21st – Fr. Thomas
“If it feels good, do it. Who’s it going to hurt, anyway?” so says our secular culture. This is not news to anyone, but it became abundantly clear to me whilst teaching theology to high school students over thirty years ago. In the minds of many people, of all ages, whatever you do, for good or bad, is acceptable as long as you don’t get “caught.” Call it “Moral Relativism,” but the prevailing belief is that morality is entirely a matter of one’s personal opinion and choice. Clearly, the freedom to think should leave some space for respectful and intelligent debate, but are there no moral “absolutes” anymore?
Yes, it’s one thing to live a decent and moral life; but another thing to commend (and live out) the Faith that is in us. What the Church must do is encourage people, young and old alike, to progress from a conviction of “Doing the right thing because I ought to do it,” to “Doing the right thing because I want to, and understand why.” As we come to the close of another year in the liturgical calendar, celebrating the Kingship of Christ this coming Sunday, let us also reflect on the responsibility which all Christians have, to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God, and its transformative effect on life at every level. In the words of 19 th c. Bishop Phillips Brooks, “Duty makes us do things well, Love makes us do things beautifully.”
—-
Sunday’s Worship – We are open for live worship on Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. We also “live-stream” our 10 a.m. service.
Video Viewing Options for Sunday’s mass. There are three different ways to view our videos: 1) our church website; 2) our Facebook page; and 3) our YouTube channel. See the links listed below.
Opportunities for Giving – there are several options that safely and efficiently expedite your generous donations: electronic bank transfers or automatic bank transfers via personal accounts or credit/debit cards; personal checks delivered by USPS; and our favorite through joining our giving family online through our website or at https://www.myEoffering.com with our secure vendor Church Envelope Budget Company, who provides you with yearly offering envelopes. Please do NOT leave any envelopes with checks/cash unattended at church mailboxes.
Sandwiches for St. George’s: There will be no sandwich pick up on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25th.
Hospitality Hour is scheduled after the 10:00 a.m. mass – Hosted by Daughters of the King.
Shop with Scrip: Gift card fundraising is the best way to raise money. Start giving back to St. David’s the moment you buy a gift card with the RaiseRight mobile app today! You can join the program by downloading the app on your phone or go to www.ShopWithScrip.com on your computer. The enrollment code to set up your free family account is BB6656B177722. For more information, please pick up a flyer in the narthex, or email Kimberly Joy Castellotti-Ward at choiceplusrealestate@gmail.com
Altar Flowers and Candles: We will have a bag on the credenza to collect all flower and candle donations for upcoming Sundays. If you would like to donate for altar flowers for memorials and celebrations, please put your check for $40 with a request showing the date you want altar flowers and the reason for your donation into the bag. If you want to donate candles, please put your check for $20 and request showing date and reason for donation. Do not put flower and candle requests in offering plates.
Vases for Flowers: The flower delivery ministry is in need of vases to be used weekly to put flowers in to be delivered to people. If anyone has any medium to large size vases, please bring in and place in Ladies Room of the church. Thanks. Linda McKeown.
Sunday School: No Sunday school on November 21st. Classes will resume on November 28th, the First Sunday of Advent.
Forward Day by Day brochures for the next quarter are now available in the narthex. Donation $3.00.
Tuesdays: Holy Eucharist 8:30 a.m.
PLEASE PRAY: For the sick: Alice, Assad, Baldwin, Barbara, Beth, Carol, Carolyn, Donna, Doug, Grace, Jacob, Jayden, Jeanne, Norma Jo-Jo, Joaquin, Kenzie, Manuel, Max, Michael, Miguel, Mike, Parker, Susan, William. For birthday celebrations: Gloria Legister, Carol Sneade, Wally Hernandez, Sara Webber, Joy Noe, Matthew Hogan, Beatrice Deshommes-Sauerbier. For our expectant mothers: Ana, Meghan, Priya, and Ryan.
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzWRA9VxChBQd5l6rf3kF3A
WEEKLY RECTOR’S MESSAGE – November 14th – Fr. Thomas
This past Thursday was, of course, Veteran’s Day, marking the conclusion of military action in Western Europe at the end of WW I. Coincidentally, in the liturgical calendar, it is also the commemoration of St. Martin of Tours, the patron saint of soldiers. Martin was originally from what we now know as Hungary; he served in the Roman army in the 4th c. and then settled in France and became a monk. The story is told that while early on in his Christian faith, Martin was approached by a beggar. Martin removed his cloak, cut it in two pieces, and gave half to the poor man. The following night Jesus appeared to Martin in a vision wearing the same torn piece of cloth, and acknowledged his generous act. Later on he reluctantly accepted the position of Bishop of Tours, (Southwest of Paris,) in 372 AD and went on to become a popular and respected leader of the Church. He also sent missionary bishops to England; hence the popularity of his name amongst a number of Anglican parish churches.
Sometimes we need to be reminded of Jesus’ words, “What you did for the least of these my brothers, you did it unto Me.” Martin’s immense faith and humility is an example for all leaders in our social, political, and ecclesiastical life – all of whom need our continuous prayers. As we remember with fondness those members of the military who have gone on in the peace of Christ, and those who continue the pilgrimage with us, we offer this prayer –
Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCP, p. 823
—-
Sunday’s Worship – We are open for live worship on Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. We also “live-stream” our 10 a.m. service.
Video Viewing Options for Sunday’s mass. There are three different ways to view our videos: 1) our church website; 2) our Facebook page; and 3) our YouTube channel. See the links listed below.
Opportunities for Giving – there are several options that safely and efficiently expedite your generous donations: electronic bank transfers or automatic bank transfers via personal accounts or credit/debit cards; personal checks delivered by USPS; and our favorite through joining our giving family online through our website or at https://www.myEoffering.com with our secure vendor Church Envelope Budget Company, who provides you with yearly offering envelopes. Please do NOT leave any envelopes with checks/cash unattended at church mailboxes.
Sandwiches for St. George’s: Please bring your sandwiches to St. David’s west side paring lot each Thursday morning from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Hospitality Hour is scheduled after the 10:00 a.m. mass – Hosted by the Congregation. Please bring a dish and or dessert to share.
Bunco continues on Saturday, November 13th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Loads of fun and super easy for newcomers! The more the merrier, so please bring a friend, a bite to share, and your favorite beverage! Cash prizes awarded – even if you lose! $10 per person.
Shop with Scrip: Gift card fundraising is the best way to raise money. Start giving back to St. David’s the moment you buy a gift card with the RaiseRight mobile app today! You can join the program by downloading the app on your phone or go to www.ShopWithScrip.com on your computer. The enrollment code to set up your free family account is BB6656B177722. For more information, please pick up a flyer in the narthex, or email Kimberly Joy Castellotti-Ward at choiceplusrealestate@gmail.com
Altar Flowers and Candles: We will have a bag on the credenza to collect all flower and candle donations for upcoming Sundays. If you would like to donate for altar flowers for memorials and celebrations, please put your check for $40 with a request showing the date you want altar flowers and the reason for your donation into the bag. If you want to donate candles, please put your check for $20 and request showing date and reason for donation. Do not put flower and candle requests in offering plates.
Vases for Flowers: The flower delivery ministry is in need of vases to be used weekly to put flowers in to be delivered to people. If anyone has any medium to large size vases, please bring in and place in Ladies Room of the church. Thanks. Linda McKeown.
Sunday School is still in operation with the necessary protocol in place.
Forward Day by Day brochures for the next quarter are now available in the narthex. Donation $3.00.
Tuesdays: Holy Eucharist 8:30 a.m.
Wednesdays: Holy Eucharist and Rosary 6:30 p.m.
PLEASE PRAY: For the sick: Alice, Assad, Barbara, Baldwin, Beth, Carol, Carolyn, Donna, Doug, Grace, Jacob, Jayden, Jeanne, Joaquin, Kenzie, Manuel, Max, Michael, Miguel, Mike, Norma Jo-Jo, Parker, Susan, William. For birthday celebrations: Yashieka Blount, Elizabeth Philistin, Jan Dwyer, Kimberly Gardner, Claudette Wray, Predrag Maksimovic, Oliver Schubert, Yvonne Elliott, Jerry Frenz. For our expectant mothers: Ana, Meghan and Priya, Ryan.
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzWRA9VxChBQd5l6rf3kF3A
WEEKLY RECTOR’S MESSAGE – November 7th – Fr. Thomas
Richard Lederer is a prolific and popular writer, speaker, and educator. For twenty-seven years he was a teacher at St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Concord, New Hampshire. I had the pleasure of meeting him back in the late 80’s when he visited St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton where I was on the staff. He’s especially known for his books on the English language and on word play, puns, oxymorons, and anagrams. “Let’s face it,” he writes – “English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren’t invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that the quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.”
How we worship says something about our faith; and what we say says something about ourselves. Words, in and of themselves, are only as important as the credibility of those who speak them. What we say to God in our own personal time is hopefully supported by the words we say together in our common worship in church week by week. Old timers reading this will remember the “Language Wars” after the changes in the liturgy forty some years ago. Even though we may not completely know what the words mean, the fact that we’re familiar with them makes them more desirable than something “unfamiliar.” To put things into perspective, when I was on the staff of St. Mark’s Church and School in Ft. Lauderdale back in the mid-80’s, we had a deaf congregation for whom the rector and I said mass on alternate months. It was an “eye-opener” for me to be the only person, other than the “signer,” who had the ability to speak and hear. Words are important, but only to the extent of the sincerity and ability to transform and mold us into the likeness of Christ. As the Prayer Book collect says, “May the words we speak with our lips be grafted inwardly in our hearts to the glory of your Name and the spread of your kingdom. Amen.” So, in order to “save face”, sometimes we need to keep the lower half shut!
—-
Daylight Saving Time Ends: Please remember to set your clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 7th at 2:00 a.m.
Sunday’s Worship – We are open for live worship on Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. We also “live-stream” our 10 a.m. service.
Video Viewing Options for Sunday’s mass. There are three different ways to view our videos: 1) our church website; 2) our Facebook page; and 3) our YouTube channel. See the links listed below.
Opportunities for Giving – there are several options that safely and efficiently expedite your generous donations: electronic bank transfers or automatic bank transfers via personal accounts or credit/debit cards; personal checks delivered by USPS; and our favorite through joining our giving family online through our website or at https://www.myEoffering.com with our secure vendor Church Envelope Budget Company, who provides you with yearly offering envelopes. Please do NOT leave any envelopes with checks/cash unattended at church mailboxes.\
St. David’s School: This Sunday we celebrate Episcopal Schools Sunday at St. David’s. We’re proud to be one of over 1,200 Episcopal Schools nationwide and to be celebrating our 26th year with a record number of students, totally 102 from pre-school up through 2nd grade. God bless our staff and families on this special observance.
Youth Group meeting on Sunday, 11/7 after the 10 a.m. service in the large classroom. Pizza lunch will be provided.
Sandwiches for St. George’s: Please bring your sandwiches to St. David’s west side paring lot each Thursday morning from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Hospitality Hour is scheduled after the 10:00 a.m. mass – Hosted by Maria Scher.
Bunco continues on Saturday, November 13th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Loads of fun and super easy for newcomers! The more the merrier, so please bring a friend, a bite to share, and your favorite beverage! Cash prizes awarded – even if you lose! $10 per person.
Shop with Scrip: Gift card fundraising is the best way to raise money. Start giving back to St. David’s the moment you buy a gift card with the RaiseRight mobile app today! You can join the program by downloading the app on your phone or go to www.ShopWithScrip.com on your computer. The enrollment code to set up your free family account is BB6656B177722. For more information, please pick up a flyer in the narthex, or email Kimberly Joy Castellotti-Ward at choiceplusrealestate@gmail.com
Altar Flowers and Candles: We will have a bag on the credenza to collect all flower and candle donations for upcoming Sundays. If you would like to donate for altar flowers for memorials and celebrations, please put your check for $40 with a request showing the date you want altar flowers and the reason for your donation into the bag. If you want to donate candles, please put your check for $20 and request showing date and reason for donation. Do not put flower and candle requests in offering plates.
Vases for Flowers: The flower delivery ministry is in need of vases to be used weekly to put flowers in to be delivered to people. If anyone has any medium to large size vases, please bring in and place in Ladies Room of the church. Thanks. Linda McKeown.
Sunday School is still in operation with the necessary protocol in place.
Forward Day by Day brochures for the next quarter are now available in the narthex. Donation $3.00.
Tuesdays: Holy Eucharist 8:30 a.m.
Wednesdays: Holy Eucharist and Rosary 6:30 p.m.
PLEASE PRAY: For the sick: Alice, Assad, Barbara, Beth, Carol, Carolyn, Donna, Doug, Jacob, Jayden, Jeanne, Joaquin, Kenzie, Manuel, Max, Michael, Miguel, Mike, Parker, Susan. For the departed: Marina Valdes. For birthday celebrations: Dennis South, Judy Devonish, Desmond Chambers, Cecil Wray, Pearl Saunders, Cynthia Thompson. For our expectant mothers: Ana, Meghan, Priya and Ryan.
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzWRA9VxChBQd5l6rf3kF3A