Christ the King Sunday

This Sunday we will celebrate the Feast Day of Christ the King which is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Episcopal Churches on the last Sunday of the liturgical year. It celebrates Christ’s messianic kingship and sovereign rule over all creation.

For some of us who have ben appropriately and joyfully brought to our knees in awe of the power of the divine goodness to shape our lives, these titles for Christ of King and Lord make sense to us, because we gladly give Christ’s love and mercy dominion over our lives.

For others, for whom this has not been their experience of God, they may bristle at these terms of Lord and King, which often mean to them and much of our world power, authority and intentional domination of one’s individual interests, desires, or will. I encourage us all to listen closely to the words from our lessons today, especially Jeremiah, to hear the true nature of the Lord of lords, King of kings, who loves us tenderly and fiercely as shepherd of his flock.

The Ordination of Dina Carter Ishler

to the Sacred Order of Deacons

December 11, 2022

Please join us in this celebration of Dina's Ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacons, which will be on December 11, 2022 at 4 p.m. at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Harrisburg. If you want to go and would like to carpool, just let Mother Barbara know and we'll work on getting everyone up there.

Since there will be a reception following the service at the Cathedral, Dina asks that you sign up through this link with Sign Up Genius.

This will be a glorious day for Dina and for the church -- and for our parish, who was once her home parish and was most recently her internship parish. She will carry a bit of us with her in all the many ways and places she will serve Christ's church, shepherding God's people into a deeper place of love and acceptance of all.

If you would like to contribute to a parish gift to Dina, please make your contribution to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, and in the memo line, write Dina's Ordination Gift -- or put your contribution in an enveope appropriately marked. Thanks!

We were blessed by our bishop's presence last Sunday. It was a truly remarkable day, with the church filled at the 10 a.m. service, with 10 confirmands proclaiming their faith, and all of us witnessing to the power of Love which gathers us together in the name of Christ. The reception was full and glorious and our time with the bishop at our vestry meeting was meaningful and moving. We give great thanks for the gift of our bishop and her presence here with us, not just on these special days, but in heart always.

This week, Bishop Scanlan asks the question, "What are you reading right now?" She shares with us several great books from her current reading list. Watch below.

We invite you to come to the Shippensburg Community Thanksgiving Service which will be held the Sunday before Thanksgiving -- 11/20. It is always a wonderful service where people from many churches in our town gather to give thanksgiving to the God who loves us all and to whom we offer praise and thanksgiving.

And this year -- after I was able to share with the clergy group the exciting and faithful work that is happening in our neighborhood -- the group decided to dedicate the collection at the Thanksgiving service to Grace Place Ministry Center!

This is such a generous move on the part of our religious community -- and we are very grateful. Their support of our ministry center which will offer free mental health counseling and a free clothing bank means the world to us-- and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts!

Please come and worship with folks from all around our community who are supporting our emerging ministry in heart, prayer, and through financial contributions.

Please click here to download a Gratitude Calendar, with prompts that are appropriate for families, but also all of us. Turn your heart toward God and one another as you reflect upon all God's blessings in your life.