Readings, News & Announcements October 23

The Bishop is Coming!Our bishop, the Right Rev. Holly Hollerith, will be with us this Sunday.  We will have one service at 10 a.m. that will include confirmation and a reaffirmation of our Baptismal vows.   After the service we will have a reception and also a forum time in which the Bishop will address the community.  If you can, please bring some kind of finger food to share at the reception.  The stewardship committee also plans to have a powerpoint presentation on the ministries of Christ Church to watch at the reception.   Come get to know our spiritual leader, Bishop Holly, and celebrate our diocese and our church with him.   The loose offering this Sunday will go to our Bishop's discretionary fund, so be generous!  

News and Announcements:

Sun     Oct 23                10:00am Combined Service – Bishop’s visit

Mon    Oct 24               Popcorn Theology/Seekers Bible Study 7:00-8:30pm

Wed    Oct 26               Bible Study 4:00pm

                                    Mid Week Eucharist 5:00-6:00pm

                                    Celebration Band 6:30-7:15pm

Turs    Oct 27               Choir Practice 7:00pm

Sun     Oct 30                 Early Quiet Service – 7:45am

                                    Celebration service – 9:00pm

                                    Traditional Service – 11:00am at St. Luke’s

The flowers on the altar are given to the Glory of God by Ruth Johnson in clebration of her husband Dean’s 89^th Birthday on the 25^th October.

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

Faith Sunday is set for November 6
You will be receiving a Faith Pledge Card in the mail soon asking you to consider your grateful gift to God for the coming year, 2012.   We will receive these cards and bless them at a joint November 6 service. 

Readings: October 23 10:00am

The First Lesson: The Lord allows Moses to see the Promised Land from a mountain top before he dies. When the period of mourning ends, Joshua becomes the people’s new leader.

A Reading from Deuteronomy [34:1-12]

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain-- that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees-- as far as Zoar. The LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, `I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there." Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, at the LORD's command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

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

Psalm 90:1-6,13-17;  (Page 717, BCP)

Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another.

Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born, *
from age to age you are God.

You turn us back to the dust and say, *
"Go back, O child of earth."

For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past *
and like a watch in the night.

You sweep us away like a dream; *
we fade away suddenly like the grass.

In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is dried up and withered.

Return, O LORD; how long will you tarry? *
be gracious to your servants.

Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *
and the years in which we suffered adversity.

Show your servants your works *
and your splendor to their children.

May the graciousness of the LORD our God be upon us; *
prosper the work of our hands;
prosper our handiwork.

  

The Second Lesson: Paul recalls his zeal and perseverance in proclaiming the gospel to new disciples. Because they are dear to him, he was able to endure even in the face of persecution.

 A Reading from I Thessalonians  [2:1-8]

You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to

declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Reader: The Word of the Lord                                                                                          

 People: Thanks be to God