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!

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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

I began my ministry as an acolyte when I was ten years old, in my local parish church in suburban Northern Kentucky, but when I was in my teens, I was also a regularly scheduled server at the Convent of the Transfiguration in Glendale Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. The nuns “imported” boys from local parishes to serve at the Sunday morning mass at 7:30 a.m. God bless my great uncle who would make the thirty-five minute drive across the river once a month or more, then transport me back to our home parish for the weekly 10:00 a.m. mass, until I got my own driver’s license and car.

The Sisters of the Transfiguration is a religious order in our Church founded in 1898 by Eva Marie Proctor – yes, a daughter of the Proctor family, as in Proctor and Gamble. In fact, the convent grounds and chapel were built directly across the road from the family estate where the young Proctor descendent had grown up. (The convent also operates a prestigious middle school to this day.) Whenever I see the company name on one of the various products in our house, I wonder what thoughts must have crossed Eva Marie’s mind on a regular basis to gaze across the road and speculate on what “might have been,” if she’d remained under the roof of the immediate family and an heiress to the family fortune.

God doesn’t call everyone to follow the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; but those who accept the call are examples in some ways of what God expects all followers of Christ to do: not necessarily to “give up something,” but to take on something. As I’m fond of saying, if one has drinkable water, food for three meals a day, access to medical care and education, and a place to live; that person is rich in the eyes of two thirds of the world. Toys R Us is not simply the name of a store, rather it’s a way of life for many people, particularly when luxuries become necessities. But the Christian Gospel reminds us that “No one is so poor that they have nothing to give; and no one is so rich that he or she has nothing to receive.” As Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

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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 Caribbean Congregation.

Caribbean Sunday: Please join us for our 1st Caribbean Sunday service on Sunday, October 24th at 10 a.m. We will have steel pan music with a Caribbean reception following the mass. St. David’s in-the-Pines remains committed to the health and safety of all who enter our sanctuary. We continue to follow the protocols set by the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida. Guests are strongly encouraged to wear facial coverings that covers the nose and mouth.

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.

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: Assad, Barbara, Beth, Carol, Donna, Doug, Ginny, Jacob, Jayden, Jeanne, Joaquin, Manuel, Max, Michael, Miguel, Mike, Parker, Rosalind, Susan. For the departed: Slobodanka. For birthday celebrations: Violet Henry, Henry Marshall, Callie Hawk, Fay Ishmael, Iann McCree. For our expectant mothers: Meghan, Priya and Ryan.

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

The telephone rang in a noted surgeon’s home on the outskirts of a large city. It was in the early hours of the morning. When the surgeon answered it, he heard the voice of a staff doctor at the hospital where he worked calling him to come immediately. A child was violently ill and the only answer was surgery.

He quickly got dressed, grabbed his doctor’s case, and drove toward the city. At the first traffic light at the bare edge of town, he had to stop when the signal turned red. Then it happened: the passenger side door opened, and a man entered and seated himself down. He was dressed in an old brown corduroy coat with a shabby brown cap on his head. When the light changed, the surgeon started to pull away only to have a gun poked into his ribs, and the passenger said, “Stop the car!” What would the doctor do? He stopped, and when the man said, “Get out!” what else could he do. He got out; and the man took over the car and sped away.

The surgeon walked with his case to the nearest gas station, which was quite a distance ahead, very upset over what had happened. As soon as he reached the gas station, he called for a taxi which was late in arriving. Eventually he arrived at the hospital. “Too late!” They told him; the child had died. “If only he had been there on time,” he thought. Then the inevitable and difficult question: “Would you speak with the child’s family?” Of course, he consented, wondering what to say. When he entered the room, there was only one person present: the very man in the brown corduroy coat and shabby brown cap who had stolen his car! The thief had forced out of his life the only person who could have saved his child’s life!

Apparently this is a true story; and sadly, too many people often force God out of their life, particularly at those moments when they need God’s presence and saving grace the most. Regular sacramental worship, reading the scriptures, saying one’s prayers, and where possible, ministering to those in need of our kindness, will help keep us on the right path, and prevent those people and moments from evicting the very person who can help us the most – Jesus Christ our Lord, by the power of His Holy Spirit.

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Bunco continues on Saturday, October 9 th at 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Loads of fun and super easy for newcomers! The more the merrier, so bring a friend. Cash prizes awarded – even if you lose! Bring a bite to share and your favorite beverage – $10 per person.

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.

Blood Drive: The Big Red Bus will be at St. David’s on Sunday, October 17th, from 8:30 am to 12 pm. To donate please register at https://donor.oneblood.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/1045955. Be sure to eat a good breakfast. Remember, you can save lives by donating. Thank you, Joyce Parker 561-312-2719

Caribbean Sunday: Please join us for our 1st Caribbean Sunday service on October 24th at 10 a.m. We will have steel pan music with a Caribbean reception following the mass. Volunteers and donations are welcomed! For more information, please contact Howard Barrett at 917-837-2675

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.

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: Assad, Barbara, Beth, Carol, Donna, Doug, Ginny, Jacob, Jayden, Jeanne, Joaquin, Manuel, Marlene, Max, Michael, Miguel, Mike, Parker, Rosalind, Susan. For the departed: Mickey Lohrmann. For birthday celebrations: Jean DeLeon, Joanna Morlu, Judy Bennett, Laurie Cohen, Theo Falco. For anniversary celebration: Robert and Theresa Falotico. For our expectant mothers: Lauren, Meghan, Priya and Ryan.

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

There’s a place for healthy disbelief in life, and a place for trust and acceptance. St. Thomas the apostle, understandably, had trouble moving from one to the other. Ice-hockey hall of farmer Phil Esposito experienced the same difficulty. He was one of a number of North American ice-hockey players who went to Moscow to play the Soviet team in the early 1970’s, during the height of the Cold War. Assigned to a hotel room, the Americans suspected the place might be “bugged.” Esposito recalls, “We searched the room for microphones. Finally, we rolled back the rug, and found a funny looking round piece of metal imbedded in the floor. We figured we had found the bug. We dug it out of the floor, then heard a loud crash beneath us. We had released the anchor to the chandelier in the ceiling below.”

Yes, there is a place for healthy disbelief in life, but it can also lead to paranoia. As we’ve often heard, “You just can’t live your life that way!” The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; while the optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.

Blessing of the Animals: This Sunday in Honor of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi at 11:00 a.m. (Please be sure to leash or cage your beloved pets, thank you.)

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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.

St. George’s Center: There is very good news to share about St. George’s Center! They are merging with St. Mark’s in Palm Beach Gardens and will be able to replace their old buildings with a new facility. St. Mark’s will own the facility and lease it to St. George’s for a nominal fee. The new facility will allow the Center to offer more services to the clientele in Riviera Beach. While the construction is underway during 2022, the Center will operate from a temporary facility yet to be determined. I will share more info as it becomes available. Joyce Parker 561-312-2719

Lay Weeders: The “Lay Weeders” will gather again this Saturday, Oct 2nd at 9:00 a.m. to help maintain the landscape.

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

Bunco continues on Saturday, October 9 th at 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Loads of fun and super easy for newcomers! The more the merrier, so bring a friend. Cash prizes awarded – even if you lose! Bring a bite to share and your favorite beverage – $10 per person.

Blood Drive: The Big Red Bus will be at St. David’s on Sunday, October 17th, from 8:30 am to 12 pm. To donate please register at https://donor.oneblood.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/1045955. Be sure to eat a good breakfast. Remember, you can save lives by donating. Thank you, Joyce Parker 561-312-2719

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

Caribbean Sunday: Please join us for our 1st Caribbean Sunday service on October 24 at 10 a.m. We will have steel pan music with a Caribbean reception following the mass. Volunteers and donations are welcomed!

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.

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.
Wednesday: Eucharistic Adoration 6:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: Holy Eucharist and Rosary 6:30 p.m.

PLEASE PRAY: For the sick: Assad, Barbara, Beth, Carol, Donna, Doug, Ginny, Jacob, Jayden, Jeanne, Joaquin, Manuel, Max, Michael, Miguel, Mike, Parker, Rosalind, Susan. For the departed: Dorothy Hays. For birthday celebrations: Daniel Anzures, Gavin Elmquist, Julian Belden, Evelyn Bartley, Tim Sauerbier, C. Douglas Richardson, Laurel Coore, Ginny Elliott, Carolyn Schmiedl. For our expectant mothers: Lauren, Meghan, Priya and Ryan.

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