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The Word
Greetings
in the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ!
The Epistle lesson for
our first service in September includes the memorable phrase, “Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13.8). We do well to remind ourselves that God is in
no wise “relative”. When Jesus tells
each of us “Follow me,” the Way He shows and is remains the same; His Truth is
unchanged, and He invites us to the same Life everlasting. If we ever feel that God is in some way
different, this is because of change in ourselves. When God seems distant or diminished, this is
because of how we have kept Him out of our lives. When His love is more manifest, it is because
our hearts and minds have allowed Him to enter.
In other words, we are always “relative” to God, with the degree
of relationship being defined by how we respond to His unchanging and boundless
love.
How we
respond to God’s love is defined both in how we can “Be still, then, and know
that [God is] God” (Ps. 46.11) and in how we respond to His call to know Him,
love Him, and serve Him in how we love each other, with “each other” being
understood to include people within and without the congregation. When Jesus says, “Follow me,” He wants us to do
something, and that involves how we express His love to all persons. No matter how different we may be from each
other and from those around us, the differences between persons are of no
account whatsoever when compared to the difference between the fallen state of
any one of us and the perfection of God; “... the same yesterday and today and
forever.”
What we are
called to do in serving God is defined in our Baptismal Covenant (Book
of Common Prayer 304–5), and includes service to those in need. This congregation has been and remains
generous in giving, and our parish remains one of the very few sources of aid
and hope amidst hardship in the community.
Your gifts have allowed us to continue to help in feeding those without
food, providing medicine to the sick, and clothing to those in need. We are now going to have a Church Annex (the
former Dobson House) available for use in service projects, are looking into ways
this annex can be used to allow us to better reach out in the community. Ideas being mooted include the provision of
meeting space for community service and youth groups, a clothing bank, and an
after-school tutoring center intended to address the high drop-out rate in the
schools. The Vestry will study these and
other ideas in detail, and you are encouraged to offer your own ideas and
input.
In addition to the changes in the Church
Annex, the public face of Incarnation will change with a building project
designed to improve parking, access, and the playground area. This will be a multi-phase project. At the luncheon on 9 September, design
drawings will be available for your review.
September 9 marks the kick-off of a full Fall schedule, with Sunday School and Adult Education restarting. In addition, this Fall sees us beginning an EfM (Education for Ministry) group on Tuesday
nights, a monthly Monday night men’s fellowship dinner (beginning in October),
and, of course, a full schedule of worship.
As we worship, learn, and serve
together; as we care for each other and those around us in need; let us keep
ever in mind that in all we do we are to proclaim the Good News of God in Jesus
Christ, who was and is, and is to come:
“...the same yesterday and today and forever.” And let us in doing this continue to work in
that abundance of Spirit in which we exclaim with
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Grace Notes
The Church calendar begins September with the
remembrance of Bl. David Pendelton
Oakerhater, the first Native American canonized in
the Episcopal Church. Oakerhater was a
September
ends with the feast of
Our hymnody
in September demonstrates the strength of our hymnal in including new and old,
and musical sources from many traditions.
The old Bavarian folk tune Es flog kleins Waldvögelein (“There
flew a small woods bird”) starts the month in hymn 616, Hail to the Lord’s
Anointed. Turning to
English music
obtains for hymn 480, sung to the tune Kingsfold,
a folk tune adapted by the twentieth century English composer Ralph Vaughan
Williams, contrasted with the old German tune
Yours in Christ Jesus,
DIOCESAN
YOUTH EVENTS
Senior High DOY, for 9th – 12th graders, will be held at Camp Bratton-Green September 21-23. Junior High DOY, for 6th – 8th graders, will be held at Camp Bratton-Green November 2-4. These weekends will be full of faith, fun, getting messy, and just being yourself! They are planned and led by the Division of Youth Council, made up of high school students and several adult advisors. If you love camp in the summer, come love it in the fall!
New Beginnings,
for 7th -9th graders, are special weekends for young
teenagers to look at all the most important relationships in their lives –
family, friends, and God. There are lots
of chances to play, sing, laugh, share, and get to know other folks who are
asking some of the same questions you are about faith and life. New Beginnings #14 will be held October 5-7
at
Happening weekends are
full of faith and fun, as well as taking much deeper looks at being yourself
and being a follower of Jesus Christ. Happening #66 will take place November
9-11 at St. Peter’s-by-the-Lake Episcopal Church in
VESTRY
HIGHLIGHTS
TREASURER’S REPORT: $10,659.89 Operating Account, $$44,751.96
Capital Account. The Capital Account
balance reflects the payment of the cutting down of the pine tree.
WARDEN’S REPORT: Bill Sugg, Junior Warden advised the Vestry
he had a good quote on repairing and covering the stained glass windows over
the altar. The company is from north
Betty Trulove
gave the Vestry an up-date on construction at the Church Annex. The walls, bathroom, and kitchen remodeling
is taking place. Chalkboard wallpaper
will be in one of the rooms, it is writable and washable. The color of the trim on the Church will be
the color of the Church Annex.
Kristen Stevens of the 20/20
committee and Project Manager advised the Vestry the existing plans showing the
paving, covered walkways, playground, fencing etc. will be available for view
by the congregation Sep. 09. We are
awaiting bids on the project.
RECTOR’S
REPORT:
Men’s
Monday Fellowship night meeting once a month will be re-started in October.
The Adult Education Sunday
School is in need of a teacher. Please
see Karl if you are interested in teaching the class.
The Vestry discussed the use
of the Church Annex in line with Outreach of the Church of the
Incarnation. Karl asked the Vestry to
prayerfully and thoughtfully consider all options. Multi-use facility with service programs,
church and community, were suggested for the utilization of the Church Annex.
Vestry
Highlights submitted by the Church Clerk,
Marion
E. Kohut