WEEKLY RECTOR’S MESSAGE – February 20th – Fr. Thomas

hanks to an anonymous author for recognizing that. . .There is no egg in an eggplant, no ham in a hamburger, no pines nor apples in pineapples. English muffins were not invented in England and French fries were not invented in France. We sometimes take the English language for granted, but if we examine the paradoxes we find that quicksand takes you down slowly; boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Why do people recite at a play, yet play at a recital? We park in driveways and drive on parkways.

Having said all that, the way we speak also says something about the way we worship. “Old timers” will remember the upheaval over forty years ago when the “new” Prayer Book was issued. The issue was not simply changing the words of familiar prayers, but a subtle change in the piety and character behind them. Over time, people become comfortable with the words they’re familiar with, regardless of how close the translation is to the original Latin, Greek, Hebrew, or Elizabethan English. Words are a medium to express what sometimes is impossible or difficult to express. As English Bishop Michael Marshall used to say, “Theology is no good unless you can pray it.” And I would add, “Unless you can liwve it.”

Speaking of “talking,” I’m reminded of St. Mark’s Church in Ft. Lauderdale where I served in the mid-80’s. We had a deaf congregation which had a monthly mass at which the Rector and I alternated as the celebrant. I do not have the skill of sign language but we did have an interpreter who stood next to me during the sermon. I recall fondly how the Passing of the Peace could take as long as five minutes, even though there was total silence the entire time. So the message here is clear; it’s not what we say that’s most important; it’s how we act. Compassion is language the deaf can hear and the blind can see. And as the 20th c. poet, Edgar Guest once noted, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I’d rather one should walk with me, than merely show the way.”
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Evensong for the Feast of St. David of Wales, our patron Saint. Sunday, February 27, 4:00 p.m.

Quiet Day with Meditations. The theme will be the gifts of Faith, Hope, and Love. Saturday, March 12, 2022, 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon, sponsored by the Daughters of the King. But open to everyone, male and female.

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: Beginning this week, please note we will be collecting sandwiches on Wednesdays instead of Thursdays. Please bring your sandwiches to St. David’s west side parking lot each Wednesday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. We will also be collecting soup and other nonperishable items for St. Georges with our annual “Souper Bowl” through February 13th. Once we know the teams we will label the boxes but for now we just want to collect as much as we can.

Hospitality Hour is scheduled after the 10:00 a.m. service – Hosted by Daughters of the King.

Our “Souper Bowl” played out to be a great success. The ending score showed a win for the Bengals so fans can take pride in knowing they won at St, David’s. The final score was Bengals 37 and Rams 33 for a total of 70 items collected for St. George’s. Joyce Parker delivered our donations on Wednesday along with our sandwiches. Thanks for the great participation.

Evensong for the Feast of St. David of Wales, our patron Saint. Sunday, February 27, 4:00 p.m.

Quiet Day with Meditations. Saturday, March 12, 2022, 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon, sponsored by the Daughters of the King. But open to everyone, male and female.

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.

Sunday School is back in operation with the necessary protocols in place.

Forward Day by Day brochures 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, Anthony, Austin, Baldwin, Barbara, Beth, Carol, Carolyn, Donna, Doris, Doug, Edna, Grace, Jacob, James, Jayden, Jeanne, Jill, Joaquin, Kenzie, Manuel, Michael, Miguel, Mike, Parker, Patricia, Sharon, Susan, Violet, William. For birthday celebrations: Jedidiah Kalphat, Dennis Wright, Howard Barrett, Anne Guillaume. For our expectant mothers: Ana and Ryan.

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzWRA9VxChBQd5l6rf3kF3A