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October 30, 2020
Dear Family in Christ,
Lisa and I are looking forward to sitting out on 3rd Avenue in front of the church on Saturday to meet and greet some of our neighbors.
Halloween or All Hallows Eve is a more accurate moniker when we look ahead to the next two days on the Church calendar. As we enter the month of November, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of all Saints on the 1st. Hence, Saturday is the eve of “all saints” day.
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One saint we all know well, of course, is Saint Paul. Writing from prison, and in real danger of death, he tells the Philippians that he is not sure if it would be better if he died soon, or somewhere further down the line. There are countless martyrs who have accepted death in the name of Christ without fear, but none of them left the insight Paul did in Philippians 1:18b-26 – openly considering with his community the ramifications of his imprisonment.
He did not fear death; he feared only being put to shame. Dying soon and meeting Jesus would be best for him, he thought, but continuing his discipleship might be better for the Churches he served. His greatest concern was: “Which of these would give greater glory to God?”
This fearlessness in the face of death comes from the hope and joy Paul expresses. "For to me life is Christ and death is gain," he tells us. As people of faith, this is also our hope and joy, for we are striving for eternal life with Christ. Truth be told, though, although that’s our goal, most of us deep inside likely are saying, “just not today.”
While preparing for the day when we are to meet Jesus face to face, it will be to our advantage to heed the message Jesus gives us in the Gospel of Luke 14:1, 7-11 to live our lives with humility. The one who humbles himself will be exalted, Christ says. Seek not the place of honor (exalting of self) but of dependence and need (humbling of self). Approaching life this way acknowledges that everything we have comes from God [the host], and not from ourselves. We align ourselves with all who depend on God, who recognize our need for God's grace. We have the opportunity to serve, rather than be served. Just as Paul did.
And just as Paul did, may we, too, face death without fear, when it comes; may we, too, have a sense of healthy detachment as to what the world might offer, versus what God is asking of us and offering to us. And as we move into the month of November, dedicated to praying for all the faithful souls who have departed before us, let us look at our own lives and dedicate ourselves to being humble servants of the One who may, upon our death, say, “My friend, move up to a higher position”... and enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
Next week, November 2nd-6th, I will be visiting with my sons and away from Stone Harbor; however I am invited to participate in a Prayer Vigil with the EpiscoPeers, the Youth of our Diocese on Wednesday November 4th. I am including the link and sign up information in this email. Please pass this information along to any youth and young adults you feel may be interested.
May God's Peace be with You+
Blessings,
Mo. Allison+
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Post-Election Prayer Vigil to Promote Healing and Reconcilliation |
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Post-Election Prayer Vigil
Wed., Nov. 4 - 8:00 p.m.
At a time when we as a nation are as divided as we've ever been, the forthcoming election is bringing many feelings of stress and turmoil. When the election is over, whoever wins, we will need healing and prayer. It is a time to put aside partisan differences and come together as people of the Living God.
The Episcopeers—a group of young adults in the Diocese of NJ that meets every Sunday evening—is sponsoring a post-election prayer vigil to move us toward reconciliation through the grace of God.
On November 4, we will gather via Zoom to praise God at 8 pm. God is with us in these difficult times. It’s possible we won’t even know who the president is yet, but let’s comfort each other.
Join Bishop Stokes and clergy and lay leaders from across the diocese as we pray together for our state, for our nation, and for one another.
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Stewardship "United in Love" |
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United in Love:
Where is your Hope?
As part of our stewardship theme United in Love, we focus today on the virtue of hope.
Webster’s Dictionary states that hope is “a person or thing on which one may base some hope.” Our world tells us that hope for a happy and successful life can be found in the accumulation of things. We are told that more is better. We hope that, with wealth and status, we will not only enjoy life now, we will also have a secure future.
In contrast, Jesus called the wealthy farmer whose only hope lay in his earthly possessions a “fool.” With equally strong words, Paul wrote that all things were “rubbish” unless they helped him gain Christ (Philippians 3:8). Paul also wrote, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:7-8). The writer of Hebrews wrote, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ ” (Hebrews 13:5).
Where is our hope?
Is our hope in the world and what the world offers, or is our hope in Jesus? In order to answer that question, let’s consider Jesus’ words from Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Our treasure is where we commit our time, money, energy, and thoughts. Our treasure becomes our life and the hope for our future. If God is our treasure, we will be faithful in our church attendance, in our prayer life, in our Bible reading, and in our giving. God wants all of us to understand that our earthly treasures cannot compare to “the hope that is stored up for [us] in Heaven” (Colossians 1:5). Through faith, we will see that things of this world don’t last. Things will get lost, rust, or become obsolete. God enables us to make God our treasure and to place our hope and security in him. God’s blessings as you Worship, Pray and Discern your pledge. May we do so with an abundance of Hope, United in Love.
God Bless.
2021 Stewardship packets have been mailed.
Please prayerfully consider your pledge to the mission and ministry of
St. Mary's and return your Pledge Certificate to the church office or place it in the offering plate by November 4th. If you did not receive a packet and would like one, please let the church office know. Thank you!
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Sunday is All Saints' Day |
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We will celebrate All Saints' Day with Prayers of Remembrance at both the Saturday and Sunday Services. |
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Holding on to HOPE, November 1st |
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Holding on to Hope: A National Service for Healing and Wholeness will be live streamed on November 1, 2020, from the Washington National Cathedral at 4:00 p.m. EST. The service will create a common space for us to come together to mourn, confess, and seek guidance as we look not only to our own interest but to the interest of our neighbors and country as well. Read more here.
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Don't forget to Fall Back ! |
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Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend.
Remember to set your clocks back 1 hour before you retire on Saturday night!
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Get Their NAME
A Leadership Retreat
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Calling all Leaders...
Want-to-be Leaders...
Curious seekers and more!
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NOV. 21
11:00 am - 2:00pm
Based on the book Get Their Name by Farr, Kotan and Anderson together we will explore in practical terms how to change the habits of leaders and entire congregations, so that invitation is natural, constant, systemic, genuine, and easy.
Get Their Name equips us to share our faith in a way that is effective, biblical, and transformational.
Purchasing the Book is not required but recommended and can be found HERE.
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After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
PS. Don't forget to invite a friend!!!
ALL WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE!!!
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Advent Study: The Incarnation, Dec. 2 |
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His parents gave him the name Jesus. But the prophets, the shepherds, the wise men, and the angels addressed him by other names. They called him Lord, Messiah, Savior, Emmanuel, Light of the World, and Word Made Flesh.
In "Incarnation: Rediscovering the Significance of Christmas", author Adam Hamilton examines the names of Christ used by the gospel writers, exploring the historical and personal significance of his birth.
Mo. Allison will facilitate our study for Advent based on Adam Hamilton's new book beginning Wednesday, December 2nd, and continuing on the Wednesdays of Advent via Zoom at 6 pm.
You may purchase a copy of Incarnation on Amazon HERE.
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Brian & Corine Reynolds on October 31st,
Mary and Ken Vavrek on November 2nd,
and Clyde & Dee Pettit on November 7th!
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Lawrence Schmidt on November 1st, Linda Hendee on November 3rd,
Ruth Maiden, Matthew Dowling, Jr., Sarah Langston, & Timothy Schellenger on November 6th, and Elizabeth Hauch & Adelina King on November 7th!
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Large and small print issues of the Forward Day by Day for November, December and January are in the church narthex and chapel. You may pick up a copy or we will be happy to mail one to you. Call or email the church office.
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Good news from The Branches |
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Grateful thanks to -
Duckies Farm Market for the wonderful produce, St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, Ocean City, for an abundance of microwave Hormel meals, Lazarus House in Wildwood, Rosemary and Ed from St. Brendan the Navigator for a carful of supplies, Chris from Ocean Isle Campground for donations collected from the folks at the campground, Vietnam Veterans, Chapter 602, for an amazing amount of gift cards, and The Avalon Lions for a very generous $6000.00 check in support of our mission!
NEEDS: We are in desperate need of men’s sweat shirts and sweat pants. Our supply is low and it’s getting cold. We are also in need of Chef Boyardee, canned beef stew, juice, diapers of all sizes and wipes.
We could not do what we do without YOU. Thank you for helping us serve those without. We are blessed beyond measure. Sandra & Terri
To keep up with news from The Branches, hours for donation drop off, or to make a donation, see their website: www.thebranchesoutreach.org
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Dear Friends,
This weekend the church will observe All Saints’ Day. To celebrate, Dina will sing the hymn For all the saints by English composer Ralph Vaughan-Williams (1872 - 1958).
Vaughan-Williams was born to an affluent English family that had strong values and progressive social views. He sought to be of service his entire life, and believed that making music available to everyone was an important part of that mission.
English composers of this era bore a heavy mark on their music, as Germanic influences had dominated their style for more than a generation. With the help of French composer Maurice Ravel, Vaughan-Williams was able to break free of this mold. He is remembered for numerous symphonies and concert works, and for a style which many consider quintessentially English.
Enjoy the music this weekend - and until we meet again, take care and stay well!
David
A special All Saints' Day concert of Gospel music presented by David and Cheryl was enjoyed by many this past Wednesday. If you missed the concert, you can listen to it here.
Great music from David and Cheryl comes to you every Wednesday afternoon at 3 pm on Facebook Live. Join us!
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Please Help the Altar Guild |
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If you are feeling called to this important ministry, please contact Janice Haines, jbhaines1@verizon.net
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Lectionary Text this Week |
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Saturday 5:30 PM in the Sanctuary
Sunday 9:00 AM in the Sanctuary
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