Don’t Forget: Lessons and Carols Wednesday
December 13, 2010
Choral Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 7:15 PM
Liturgy Lesson for the Third Sunday in Advent: Needing Redemption
December 12, 2010
Because Advent is a time of longing for redemption, we should use the season to help us find places in our lives that need to be redeemed—identifying whatever seems to be holding us in its power: In our devotions, invite the Holy Ghost to come, then, make a list entitled, “Powers that hold me in their grip.” Then, jot down everything from which you’d like to be set free: bad habits, ungodly relationships, a repressive job environment, anger, jealousy, envy, or dishonesty—any blockage to living in the Fruits of the Spirit. Commit whatever is on the list to prayer, asking our Lord—who sets prisoners free—to come into your life to take this problem up into Himself. Purpose this earnestly in your heart—and pray it in the power of the Holy Ghost, then watch how God changes your life in this season!
Hey! Did You See That? Come and Take a Look! It’s Neat! By Fr. Ed Morgan
December 9, 2010
One of the very first things we all do when we have an exciting or unique event in our life is to invite someone else to come and take a look. When a baby is born, we take a picture and show it to everyone who walks in front of us. When the baby is baptized, we want all our family and friends there to share the event with us.
Remember the day you bought your first car? You went to your best friend’s house to show it off and to invite him or her to take a ride to check it out.
When you asked that special someone to marry you and they said yes (notice, ladies, that I gave you the option of taking the initiative!), you spread the news to everyone you could find. Talk about excitement—the wedding was the crucial turn of events for everything that your life represented, and everyone knew about it!
What about the day you accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour of your life and you surrendered your life to the Holy Spirit? Who did you tell? Did you tell anyone?
When you found the church that was preaching the Gospel, did you tell anyone? Did you get them and force them to come for a test drive, like you did with your car? Why not? I want you to become excited and offer “a test drive” to those you know and love.
Let’s talk up the Christmas Eve Service. This is one of the most exciting worship experiences of the entire year. Those who are lost or gone astray can identify with Christmas. Even the most recalcitrant know something special happened at this time of the year and are more open to an invitation to “come and see” (the Lord). They want to feel the fullness of life that is amiss in their lives, and you have the power to help them! They want to feel the miracle of God in their lives; they only need you to invite them.
This Christmas, become as one of the Apostles, excited and reaching out to family, friends, and strangers, saying, “Come and see. I have found the Lord, the Messiah.” Let them come and worship at the feet of Jesus and hear the Angels proclaim the Good News to the world. You come with joy and abandon feelings and intellect, and worship with all that you are, unrestrained in the love of God.
Choral Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
December 8, 2010
Choral Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 7:15 PM
Prepare for Christmas with beautiful Christmas music and Scripture readings. Our magnificent choir and readings from God’s Word make this is a very special service.
Stewardship: Part of Your Christian Duty
December 7, 2010
In times of sadness and physical or spiritual need, we are glad to have our parish family to support us. All Saints is our spiritual home, but like our physical home, All Saints needs our support of money, time, and talent to keep it strong so it will be there when we need it.
You have read in the bulletin over the past few weeks, and you have heard from the vestry and Father Chip, about tithing and giving of your talent and time to our parish. You have learned what the monetary needs of our parish are if it is to continue to do the Lord’s work on earth. You have learned how your gifts of time and talent help the vestry make the budget go further. Soon you will receive this year’s stewardship pledge materials. As you are considering how you will help All Saints in the coming year, we ask you to remember what you have learned about tithing:
- Is tithing optional? No, and if you do not tithe (traditionally this means giving a tenth of all you have), you are only cheating yourself. Malachi 3:8-10 asks “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse. For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”
- Does tithing have to be a burden? No, and it shouldn’t be. We often save for something we want…a new car…new clothes…a flat screen television. Why not do the same for God? In Corinthians 16:2 it says, “On the first day of every week each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper so there will be no collecting when I come.”
- Is tithing just about giving money? Yes and no. Giving of the time and talents that the Lord has blessed you with can also be a part of your tithe, or you can give of your time and talents in addition to your tithe. Additionally tithing should not be viewed as a “tax” but as another way we worship God. Through our tithes we recognize that God actually owns all we have.
Ultimately what you decide to do is between you and God. All we ask is that you prayerfully consider how much God has blessed you in your life. The Lord has many more blessings in store for you, but when you give Him less than what is His by right, He cannot give you all that He wishes for you.
As the Bible clearly enjoins us:
Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And you vats will overflow with new wine. —Proverbs 3:9-10
Christmas 2010 Worship Schedule
December 7, 2010
2010 Fall Festival Gallery 1
December 6, 2010
Liturgy Lesson for the Second Sunday in Advent: Advent Spirituality
December 5, 2010
Over the centuries, the liturgy of the Church has developed spirituality particularly for Christians during Advent. Both the Sunday liturgies and the daily Scripture readings direct our journey into the Advent experience of the mystery of Christ. Our parents in the faith have chosen Scriptures to accent three Advents: the Advent of Christ coming into our lives, the Advent of Christ’s physical birth, and the Advent of his second coming at the history’s end. In all these Advent devotions, we’re called to a vital, personal encounter with Christ through the Holy Ghost—not just “filling our squares” for God. To achieve this, we should, then, call on the Holy Ghost to empower our growth in the same manner…moving past just the bare essentials of simply accepting Christ as Savior, to being actually reborn in victorious lives, as the new creatures He was born to make us, and finally, growing in the Spirit and making His Kingdom purpose first in our lives, so, at the Day of His Second Coming, we may be found to be faithful servants about our Master’s business. That is real Adventus—the coming of our new lives, past the first works of repentance, to lives changed by, then dedicated to His Kingdom. If we really seek lives changed and lived this way, we need not fear what our Lord will tell us on the Great Day of Judgment—He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Intercessory Prayer Training
December 4, 2010
Intercessory prayer training is scheduled for January 8, 9 AM – 1 PM. The training is based on the book, The Sword of the Spirit, The Word of God: A Handbook for Praying God’s Word by Joy Lamb, which will be available for purchase.
Everyone is welcome to participate in the training: members of the intercessory prayer team, people interested in becoming part of the intercessory prayer team, those desiring to know more about what the intercessory prayer team does, and anyone who wants to enrich their personal prayer life.
Even if you have attended the training in the past, you can deepen your prayer life by participating again.
Call the parish office at 210-344-1920 or e-mail admin@allsaintsanglican.net to sign up.
Daughters of the King Quiet Day
December 2, 2010
We will be observing our Order of the Daughters of the King Quiet Day this Saturday Dec. 4 beginning just after Salt & Light, approximately 10:30am. We will share a quiet time of prayer and meditation 10:30-12:00. We will enjoy a quiet (not silent) brown bag lunch 12:00-1:00. We will have our second time of prayer and meditation 1:00-3:00.
This is a wonderful way to pause and catch our spiritual breath as the Advent and Christmas seasons pick up speed (Selah). Please try to attend some or all of this special day of fellowship.
We invite our parish family to come and join us as schedules allow.
