Readings News & Announcements August 28 - Sept 4

Volunteer Schedule September 2011

http://christchurchsmithfield.blogspot.com/p/volunteer-schedule.html

 

News and Announcements:

Sun     Aug 28               Early Quiet Service – 7:45am

                                    Celebration Service – 9:00am

                                    Sunday School; all ages – 10:00am

                                                Traditional Service – 11:00am

Mon    Aug 29               Evangelism Committee 7:00-8:00pm                   

Wed    Aug 31              Bible Study 4:00pm

                                    Mid Week Eucharist 5:00-6:00pm

                                    Celebration Band 6:30-7:15pm

Thurs Sept 1                 Worship Committee 7:00-8:00pm

Sun    Sept  4                 Early Quiet Service – 7:45am

                                    Celebration Service – 9:00am

                                    Sunday School; all ages – 10:00am

                                                Traditional Service – 11:00am

The flowers on the altar are given to the Glory of God by Bud & Joyce Gill in loving memory of Jack Gale

 ‘Homeland’

Let us remember September 11, 2001, those who died and their families, our first responders and the men and women of our Armed Forces.  Enjoy The Smithfield Community Chorus's presentation of "Homeland", a montage of songs about our country's roots, heritage and freedom.  The concert is free, open to the public and will be held at the Smithfield  High School on September 11th at 7:30 p.m.

EfM ~Education for Ministry begins in September!
Christ Church has a wonderful program for adult Christian formation called Education for Ministry -- EfM for short. EfM is a program from the Episcopal Theological Seminary at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.   You must register for the program in advance.  Classes are small -- usually between six and eight folks.   There is homework and a two and a half hour class each week.  You register for a year at  a time, but the program is a four year program.  Year one focuses on the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament).  Year two focuses on the New Testament.   Year three focuses on Church history and year four focuses on theology and planning your future life in Christ.  If you think you might be called to dig deeper into your faith journey with a tool like this, speak with Father Gary or any of a number of EfM graduates and students at EfM.  We would like to have registration by September 1.  The course costs $310 per year, and some scholarship is available. 

Sunflowers 
This painting was inspired by
one of the many beautiful gardens
in the Smithfield, historic district.

A group of local artists will be painting at St. Luke's Church on  Sept. 12 beginning at 8:30 AM. Anyone interested in trying "plein  air" painting (outdoor landscapes created on location) is welcome to  participate. For more information, please contact Stephanie Faleski  at 610-360-7623 or send e-mail to fineart@calico-studios.com.

Finances at Christ Church
We are going to begin printing the expenses verses the income here at church as a tool to help you all with your stewardship.  The income this year is behind expenses by a fair bit even though we have been able to keep most expenses to a minimum. 
As of August 1, 2011,

our year to date expenses have been:  $104,060.77  (about $3000 below budget)
our year to date income has been:      $85,465.54    (about $21,000 below budget)
A complete budget and financial report is available on the hallway bulletin board at church.   Thank you all for your generous giving of self and funds to God's Kingdom. 

9:00am Reading

Reader:  A reading from the book of Romans [9-21]

Paul exhorts the Christian community at Rome to outdo each other in loving behavior, and to strive to overcome evil with good.

Reader: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church

People: Open our ears to hear your Word.

Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

Reader: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

People:  Open our ears to hear your Word.

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7:45 &11:00am Readings

+The First Lesson: God calls to Moses from a burning bush, directing him to return to Egypt and lead the chosen people out of slavery.

A Reading from [Exodus 3:1-15]

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up." When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." He said further, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the LORD said, "I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" He said, "I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain."

But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM Who I AM." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you':

This is my name forever,

and this my title for all generations."

Reader: The Word of the Lord                                                                                           People: Thanks be to God  

Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26,45c Page 738, BCP

Give thanks to the LORD and call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the peoples.

Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvelous works.

Glory in his holy Name; *
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

Search for the LORD and his strength; *
continually seek his face.

Remember the marvels he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,

O offspring of Abraham his servant, *
O children of Jacob his chosen.

Israel came into Egypt, *
and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham.

The LORD made his people exceedingly fruitful; *
he made them stronger than their enemies;

Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people, *
and dealt unjustly with his servants.

He sent Moses his servant, *
and Aaron whom he had chosen.

Hallelujah!

+The Second Lesson: Paul exhorts the Christian community at Rome to outdo each other in loving behavior, and to strive to overcome evil with good.

 A Reading from Romans [12:9-21]

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Reader: The Word of the Lord

The People Respond: Thanks be to God

Prayers of the People III BCP page, 387