Come with us to “Strong Foundation” of Jesus Christ
February 28, 2011
Come join us for All Saints’ next continuing outreach effort at Strong Foundation Ministries, Thursday, March 31, 2011, 7:00 pm-9 pm at 414 N. Hackberry, San Antonio, TX 78202. We need volunteers to assist our Men’s Group and their wives with child care of Strong Foundation’s kids while their parents are in evening programs.
Come out and spend some time with their kids and support this ministry of assisting families get out of homelessness through the “Strong Foundation” of Jesus Christ.
You can meet the group there or Bill Wimp (outreach@allsaintsanglican.net) will be at the church parking lot at 6:30pm for anyone needing a ride or wanting to follow someone else.
Liturgy Lesson for Sexagesima: Pre-Lent
February 27, 2011
The Pre-Lenten season is a period of about three weeks directly preceding Lent, extending from the last Sunday in Epiphany to the beginning of Lent itself. The early Church fathers designed this season as a transition time from the gaiety and celebration of our Lord’s nativity to the quieter, more focused time of examen and fasting in Lent. This time, marked by Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima count us back, in round numbers from the seventieth, sixtieth, and fiftieth days, respectively, before Easter and herald an excellent opportunity for us to begin review our spiritual lives in our Lord—what we are, and what He is calling us to be in His Body, the Church. Like our Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem just prior to His crucifixion, it’s a time when we begin to prepare ourselves for our own Gethsemane in the wilderness of Lenten devotions and growth.
Shrove Tuesday Dinner
February 25, 2011
This is an invitation to be part of a wonderful time of food, fellowship and fun that raises funds for our building program, and honors a time-tested custom of the Church…the Shrove Tuesday dinner. In true south Texas fashion, we add our own unique flavor to that tradition of preparing little cakes (tortilla in Spanish) by adding fajitas!
Please be part of this great time of feasting before the Lenten fast begins on Ash Wednesday. So, let’s invite everyone we know…and here’s an electronic flyer to do just that(Click on the link below). We’ll be handing out hard copies at church—take them home, post this everywhere, and send to our entire address books. Supersize thy life! http://allsaintsanglican.net/ShroveTuesdayFlyer.pdf
Christian Assistance Ministry Update
February 23, 2011
All Saints delivered another donation of clothing and miscellaneous items to Christian Assistance Ministry today. Thanks to everyone who donated and for all those that support this ministry. Your prayers are appreciated.
Make sure to mark your calendar and participate in our All Saints volunteer day at CAM’s downtown location at 110 MccCullough on Saturday, March 12, 2011 from 8:00 am-12 noon.
Liturgy Lesson for Septuagesima: Farewell to Alleluia
February 20, 2011
Three weeks prior to Ash Wednesday, on the day before Septuagesima Sunday, the ancient Church would chant a bittersweet hymn bidding farewell to the word “Alleluia”: “We do not now deserve to sing the Alleluia forever; Guilt forces us to dismiss you, O Alleluia.” Known as the Depositio of the Alleluia, this ceremony ushered in Septuagesima, the roughly seventy days prior to Easter that help us make the transition from the joy of Epiphany to the penitence of Lent—a season so important to ancient Christians that they actually had a separate season to prepare for it. Thus, the day after Septuagesima Sunday, they would begin a period of voluntary fasting that would grow more restrictive as it approached the fuller, obligatory Lenten fast. They would eat less, and the consumption of certain “pleasure” items, such as butter, milk, eggs, and cheese, would gradually be abandoned. Starting on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, they would abstain from meat. Thus the name for this seven-day period before Ash Wednesday is “Carnival,” from the Latin carne levarium, meaning “removal of meat.” Finally, within the week of Carnival, the last three days (prior to Lent) would be reserved for personal confession. This period, ending on Shrove Tuesday, is known as “Shrovetide” from the old English word “to shrive,” which means to have sins forgiven through absolution. In today’s Church, we mark this period of examen by putting away the alleluias, then the Gloria—a liturgical fast paralleling the physical one, using all as devotional tools to help us open our hearts to the Holy Ghost, so He can show us where we need His help, healing, and restoration to fully celebrate the Resurrection life of Easter in Spirit and Truth. May the season work in us God’s purpose to be fit clay for the Master’s Hand!
YG Tough Questions
February 16, 2011
10 Common Objections to Christianity
Does what I believe matter?
Aren’t all religions basically the same?
How can anyone say they know the truth?
How can anyone say what’s right and wrong?
How can Christians believe in God when evolution is a proven fact?
If God exists, why is there so much wrong with this world?
How can Christianity be true when Christians have caused so much injustice?
Why be a Christian when there are so many hypocrites in churches?
If God loves everyone, how can he send some people to hell?
When life hurts, does God care?
How can Christians believe in God when evolution is a proven fact?
As Rob and I prepared to talk about evolution with the Youth we became very aware of their interest in the topics of creation & evolution. We’ve chosen to adjust our “10 Common Objections to Christianity” schedule to include the following creation mini series from Ken Hamm in the middle of our unit. We will spend February and March studying what the bible says about creation and then continue on with our last few questions from the Common Objections series. Information on the mini series can be viewed at the following site:
Creation Mini Series published by Answers in Genesis (2002)
A six-part series of Ken Ham’s most powerful talks, challenging the church to uphold the authority of the Bible in a scientific age. Ideal for classrooms, Sunday schools and home Bible studies. (Ages: 12 & up)
http://www.answersingenesis.org/PublicStore/product/Creation-Mini-Series,4728,229.aspx
Youth Group Schedule
13 February- Where Did God Come From? Defending Creation in a Scientific Age
20 February- Koinonia (President’s Weekend Holiday)
27 February- The Six Days of Creation: A Young Earth Is Not the Issue
06 March- The Bible Explains Dinosaurs: The Real History of Dinosaurs
13 March- Koinonia (Spring Break)
20 March- Only One Race: The Scientific and Biblical Case Against Racism
27 March- Why Won’t They Listen? The Power of Creation Evangelism
02 April- Genesis: The Key to Reclaiming the Culture
09 April- If God exists, why is there so much wrong with this world?
16 April- How can Christianity be true when Christians have caused so much injustice?
23 April- No Youth Group (Easter)
30 April- Why be a Christian when there are so many hypocrites in churches?
07 May- If God loves everyone, how can he send some people to hell?
14 May- When life hurts, does God care?
21 May- Unit Closure
28 May- Koinonia
Liturgy Lesson for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany: Apostles’ Creed
February 13, 2011
The Apostles’ Creed is our most ancient summary of the Faith, frequently linked to the Apostles themselves. In this “Cliff’s Notes” of Christianity, there has always been questions about the statement “He descended into Hell,” referring to Christ’s entry to the nether regions after His death on the Cross. To some, the descent into hell represents the physical agony of death upon the Cross. To others, the word hell means Hades or Sheol, the collective abode of the dead, divided into Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom—the state of God-fearing souls—and Gehenna, the state of ungodly souls. Thus the descent into hell suggests the Son conveyed the sins of the world to hell; or preached the Good News of deliverance to the godly dead such as Lazarus the beggar and the repentant thief. A third-century Syrian Creed speaks of Jesus, “…crucified under Pontius Pilate and departed in peace, in order to preach to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the saints concerning the end of the world and the resurrection of the dead.” Still others believe the descent provides God’s justice by providing an opportunity for all mankind—in eternity as well as in time—to hear the message of redemption from the Word Himself. Whatever interpretation we accept, we should study the Scripture this teaching derives from closely. Some of the standard texts are Job 38:17; Psalm 68:18-22; Matthew 12:38-41; Acts 2:22-32; Romans 10:7; Ephesians 4:7-10; 1 Peter 3:18-20, and 1 Peter 4:6. However we approach it, we must remember the outcome—Christ came forth, leading captivity itself captive, and holding the keys of Death and Hell. He is our victory and life—and will never leave us!
Salt & Light Begins Feb. 26th
February 7, 2011
The next Salt & Light course will begin Saturday, February 26th, following Morning Prayer.
Classes will be held from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM every Saturday.
Anyone who has not taken the course, also known as Anglicanism 101, or who hasn’t taken the course recently is welcome. If you were confirmed recently and have not attended Salt & Light, you should attend this session.
Contact the office, admin@allsaintsanglican.net or 210-344-1920 to register.
The Only Source of Happiness
February 7, 2011
“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” ~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Liturgy Lesson for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany: Confession and Absolution
February 6, 2011
We speak a great deal about the central act of worship in our tradition—the Holy Communion. One of our most important spiritual duties in it—the confession and absolution—rightly precedes reception of the Lord’s own spiritual nature in the consecrated elements of bread and wine. When we confess, it’s VERY important to ask God the Holy Ghost to assist us in searching our own hearts for any unresolved sin, large or small—whether it’s a recurrent sin we purposely commit or a more passive sin, such as unforgiveness or bitterness toward our brother or sister in Christ. Whatever the issue, we must spend time in devotion before the service, inviting the Holy Ghost to show us our hearts and help us make an authentic confession, with the intention of real repentance—setting our wills to the effect of turning away from whatever the shortfall in our lives in Christ might be, so that we can fully receive the Lord’s absolution and then partake at the Lord’s Table in a worthy manner—redeemed by His Blood, which we accept by exercising our wills to live Godly lives before Him. When we do this, we open the windows of Heaven up for God to bless us fully. Thanks be to God!
