News & Announcements, Readings Sept 25-Oct 2

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News and Announcements:

Sun     Sept 25               Early Quiet Service – 7:45am

                                    Celebration Service – 9:00am

                                    Sunday School; all ages – 10:00am

                                    Traditional Service – 11:00am

Mon    Sept 26              Popcorn Theology/Seekers Bible Study

                                    Gridiron Club – at The Station 6:30pm with meal or 

                                    7:30pm (please email or call Wayne Willis if you  

                                       would like to attend)

Wed    Sept 28              Bible Study 4:00pm

                                    Mid Week Eucharist 5:00-6:00pm

                                    Celebration Band 6:30-7:15pm

Sun     Oct 2                  Early Morning Prayer – 7:45am

                                    Morning Prayer – 9:00pm

                                    Morning Prayer – 11:00am

Feast of St Francis ~ Blessing of the animals – 2:00pm St Lukes

                                    Sundays at 4 – Christ Episcopal Church

                                    J2A Picnic – 4:00-6:30pm Bridget Luhan’s House

The flowers on the altar are given to the Glory of God by Don & Barbara Neely in loving memory of Charles & Elisabeth Johnson.
 ***Would you like to dedicate flowers in honor or memory of a loved one?
*Flower dates available October 2,16,23, & November 13*

                                                     Please contact Judy Cutler 757 357 5133.

Souper Saturday

October 8^th 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church,

201 Cedar Street

in downtown Smithfield  Featuring home-made soup and desserts prepared by volunteers from local churches, this popular annual event is a fundraiser for the Christian Outreach Program's heating assistance program.

Cost for all-you-can-eat soup, ham biscuits, dessert and drinks

is $5 for adults and $3 for children age 12 and under.

Live music throughout the day!

We are looking for volunteers to provide soup and desserts, please see sign up sheet in CEC hall. Further information- contact Pam Glanville

SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, October 2 – Blessing of the Ani-mals and Celebration of St. Francis at St. Luke’s at 2 pm. Bring Rov-er, Puss, Cleo, Mr. Ed or any other of your furry, scaly, feathery friends for the celebration!

A Rockin' Comedy Fundraiser!
Saturday, September 24 · 8:00pm - 11:30pm Smithfield Little Theatre
Laugh & Rock for a good cause!!!!
Hosted by HOWARD MARCHANT!
Laugh with comedians JIM SEWARD HATTON JORDAN) & COACH TOM HOLADAY! Rock with local band

HONKYTONK HIGHWAY

All proceeds go to PAUL CHAPMAN. Paul has Parkinson's Disease and can no longer work, unfortunately his medical benefits will not start until January or February. Please come out and support a local friend!

Tickets are only $5.00 and can be purchased at The Christmas Store

-108 Main St., Smithfield

& IOW Tourism at

319 Main St.

or at the door.

Finances at Christ Church
Pledges and plate at Christ Church have been very low in recent months, so that -- although we have continued to tighten our belt on expenses -- we have a negative budget income verses expense of nearly $20,000 for the year as of September 1.   If you have pledged and not been able to keep up on your promise, please try to catch up.  If you have pledged and plan to give a larger gift near the end of the year, please let our treasurer, Bob Amato, know that.   If you did not pledge this year, please consider giving more for the ministry of Christ at Christ Church.  If you are able, consider an extra gift.   Thank you.   

AUGUST

BUDGET         ACTUALS      VARIANCE  

13,925.00          6,717.00          (7,208.00)      

YEAR TO DATE

BUDGET      ACTUALS       VARIANCE       

 111,400.00     92,182.54         (19,217.46)

Sep 18 -- SUNDAY OFFERINGS

BUDGET      ACTUALS       VARIANCE       

3481.25           2338.00              -1143.24

  

  

Sundays at Four…………..

  ‘The Belle of Amherst Revisited”

    The Life of Emily Dickinson in Word, Song and Poetry

October 2 at Christ Episcopal Church

Selected poems by Emily Dickinson about Nature, Life, Love, Time, and Eternity. Such poems became the lyrics for composers Copland, Persichetti, Hoiby, Duke, and others which will be performed by soprano, Georgeann Paddock; pianist, Millie Andrews Young, Elizabeth Wiley, drama professor at The College of William and Mary will take on the persona of Emily Dickinson, and Marj Tongue will provide commentary...an overview of the life of one of America’s finest poets.

 A reception follows the program. For information, call 757-375-9140.

Series tickets (three concerts) $45 Adults, $20 Students. Individual tickets at the door: $20 Adults, $10 Students.

 

9:00am Service September 25

Reader:  A reading from Phillipians: [2:1-13]

Paul praises Jesus for his willingness to be a servant even though he was God's Son. For this reason, Jesus’ name is to be honored above all names.

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

People:  Open our ears to hear your Word.

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

Rejoicing Together

What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.

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

People:  Open our ears to hear your Word.

Readings 7.45 & 11am

+The First Lesson: The Israelites’ bitter complaints continue, so at the Lord’s command, Moses strikes a rock and water flows forth for the people.

A Reading from Exodus [17:1-7]

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?" But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried out to the Lord, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." The Lord said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"

Reader: The Word of the Lord                                                                                           

People: Thanks be to God  

Psalm 78:1-4,12-16  Page 694, BCP

Hear my teaching, O my people; *
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable; *
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.

That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us, *
we will not hide from their children.

We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, *
and the wonderful works he has done.

He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers, *
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

He split open the sea and let them pass through; *
he made the waters stand up like walls.

He led them with a cloud by day, *
and all the night through with a glow of fire.

He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink as from the great deep.

He brought streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushed out like rivers.

+The Second Lesson: Paul praises Jesus for his willingness to be a servant even though he was God's Son. For this reason, Jesus’ name is to be honored above all names.

A Reading from Philippians [2:1-13]

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death--

even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Reader: The Word of the Lord                                                                                           

People: Thanks be to God