Memorial Day
May 30, 2011
Youth Group Update
May 25, 2011
Jennifer Goodman announces the following Youth Group schedule changes:
This Week
Youth Group will not meet this Sunday, May 29th because we will be camping at Guadalupe River State Park.
For Sunday, June 19th
Youth Group will not meet on Sunday, June 19th, but youth are encouraged to join the evening Koinonia fellowship.
God Works Through Koinonia by Robyn Tate
May 24, 2011
Ever get a song stuck in your head? Sometime it’s a good thing and sometimes, well…not so much. One way that we at All Saints Anglican Church encourage people to reflect on God and feed our minds on things that are true and worthy of praise (Phil 4:8) is through the Christian music played at Koinonia. Since it’s all about Jesus, it’s always positive, uplifting, and a great way to start the week off right!
But do you ever wonder why the same songs heard elsewhere don’t always sound the same or have the same “power” that we experience at Koinonia? Someone asked me that very question recently, so I thought it would be worth sharing with you all.
Here’s a hint…even though we have an excellent band (that we love dearly!) the “power” we experience in Koinonia has nothing to do with the musicians or vocalists.
The “power” this person was referring to is the awesome power of God’s Holy Spirit. It is the Presence of the Holy Ghost among us as we sing praises to God (see Ps 22:3 KJV) and bless His Holy Name. It moves us to lift holy hands (Ps 63:4; Ps 134:2), moves some to tears and prompts others to their knees, and ultimately it deepens our love for Jesus as we sing out in praise, thanksgiving, and adoration because of how awesome and wonderful our God is!
But how can we be deep in love with God? Shouldn’t that kind of love be saved for our spouses? That is a question someone asked at Koinonia one night after we sang Michael W. Smith’s song “Deep in Love with You.” And while researching the different meanings of the four Greek words used for the word love (agápe, éros, philía, and storg!) might help to explain this, I think the best answer comes from Jesus himself. In Mark 12:30 Jesus says that the first of all the commandments is this, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This means we are actually commanded to love God with our everything…our whole being….down to the very core of our being. Yes, that deeply!
But how do you fall deeply in love with God? Ironically, the way to fall deeply in love with Jesus is the same way we would fall in love with our mates, and that is by spending time with God in prayer, listening to Him, pouring our hearts out to Him, reading His word, and by obeying His commandments (Exodus 20:6). The closer we get to Him (James 4:8a), the more we will be able to see how very much He loves us (Rom 5:5; 1 John 4:16), and the more deeply we will “fall in love” with Him. So seek Him daily in prayer and Bible study and regularly in worship and fellowship with His people…and if you haven’t been to Koinonia lately or have never been at all, I strongly encourage you to join us at 6pm on Sunday evenings in Ballard Hall to Praise the Lord!
I look forward to seeing you there, and in the mean time….keep singing your heart out to the Lord and praising Him!
To God alone be all the glory, honor and praise!
Liturgy Lesson for the Fourth Sunday after Easter: Incense
May 22, 2011
Incense used in Divine Worship has been, from very early times, throughout the whole Church. Enjoined by God Himself, offering incense was part of the daily morning and evening services in the Jewish Temple, and was also part of the ceremonial on the Day of Atonement—the Jewish day of national repentance—and was among the most closely-held privileges of the Levitical Priesthood. Other Levitical ceremonies passed away, but this, honoring the Sacrifice, has been retained and become one of the spiritual tools of the Universal Christian Church. It can claim our Lord’s sanction, not only from His connection with the Temple worship, but from the facts (1) that the moment Zachariah offered incense marked the time God began to establish the New Covenant; (2) that it was among the gifts offered to Jesus by the Magi. At All Saints, we regularly burn it in worship at our highest holy days, before our regular worship, and during Evensong. Because of its roots in ancient worship of our God, it retains the element of the sacrificial nature of our lives in Him, holding special significance for us as a symbol of our repentance and the sweet savor of our prayers rising to God. Furthermore, according to ancient custom, it is also part of spiritual warfare, when used in conjunction with the liturgy or in prayers beforehand. Because of the manner we bless it for the Church’s use, its fragrant smoke, while rendered to God’s worship, is also component to repelling the Enemy of Our Souls, much as our repentance robs him of his freedom in our lives. May our prayers rise, then as the incense—and the lifting up of our hands be as the Evening Sacrifice!
Liturgy Lesson for the Third Sunday after Easter: Study
May 15, 2011
The Church Fathers, keeping with ancient Jewish tradition, included the Offices of Instruction in our prayerbook to provide a basic framework for teaching children and other candidates for Baptism and Confirmation Christian essentials. But that’s not their only purpose. The entire congregation needs to revisit them regularly. Called catechism—this instruction by word of mouth, especially questioning and answering—is a Scriptural concept, found in St. Luke: “That thou mayest know the verity of those things in which thou hast been instructed.” In Acts, 28:25, Apollo is “instructed [katechemenos] in the way of the Lord”. St. Paul uses the word twice: First, in 1 Corinthians 14:19, “I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct [katecheso] others also,” and then, in Galatians 6:6, “Let him that is instructed [ho katechoumenos] in the word, communicate to him that instructeth [to katechounti] him, in all good things” Clearly, we must be trained—not passively, but actively involved—in this case, responding to queries. But this doesn’t meet our need for Christian training but only the barest rudiments. St. Paul wrote to St. Timothy for him to “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” This means, if we are to be effective, we must develop our spiritual skills—in real, structured Christian training, beyond simple catechism, with God’s people and Him, learning His Word and what it means to our lives. If we are not in Sunday School or Bible study—time to start!
The Problem in the Church Today
May 14, 2011
“The problem is not that professing Christians are retreating from the world, spending half their days reading Scripture and the other half singing about their pleasures in God all the while indifferent to the needs of the world. The problem is that professing Christians are spending ten minutes Scripture and then half their day making money and the other half enjoying and repairing what they spend it on.” ~ Sam Storms, The Hope of Glory: 100 Daily Meditations on Colossians
All Saints Work Day at Daily Bread Ministries, May 21
May 12, 2011
When: Saturday, May 21 · 7:00am – 10:00am
Where: Daily Bread Ministries, 700 W. Houston Street, San Antonio, TX 78207
What: All Saints Outreach in action. Daily Bread Ministries is a Christian Food Bank. We need volunteers to assist with sorting food and loading trucks for other Christian ministries that will be taking the food to all the corners of San Antonio and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Why: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” ~ Matthew 25:40
Contact for more information or to volunteer: Bill Wimp, outreach@allsaintsanglican.net.
See a video about Daily Bread Ministries.
Crashing the Party by Jason Dass
May 12, 2011
I’m crashing the party, ladies. (See testimonies from Ellen and Tracy.) APPARENTLY I’m supposed to give my testimony. So, with a few caveats, here it is.
OK, so God’s been riding me to do this for awhile. Luckily, I’m stubborn, or it’d be done by now. 
A few things about my writing style:
1- I start, and I neither edit nor delete anything when I’m telling a story where details matter, like this one.
2- Mine simply won’t be as hard-hitting as most you’ve seen already. Some parts will be funny, others sad, but I’ve had it easy.
3- I will be honest, but I will leave some parts out in the interest of not hosing myself. If you find that you are curious, I will answer your questions face-to-face.
4- Enjoy, I don’t do this often.
Some lady: “Who gave birth to that tank!?!?!”
My Mom: *raises her hand* “I did.”
I was the only boy born in that hospital in Banning, CA on that day. I was 10 lbs. 4 oz. and 22” long. My mother was 5’3” and petite. She was in labor for 48 hours, or some ridiculous number similar to it. I was always a happy kid, excepting the few circumstances where I did something foolish and got hurt. My first memory is my temperature being taken after they put me in a baby scale. With a rectal thermometer. Yes, I remember it.
Family first.
Long story short: Life was good as a kid in SoCal. I went to a Baptist private school. I remember one day where the fog was so thick, I could only see a foot or so in front of me. I sprinted into it full tilt until I felt like stopping. Then I walked around until I found my way out.
Smart? No.
Fun? Heck yes!
Well, as things progressed, my Dad was into drugs a bit. A lot. I don’t remember much of this. All I remember is that he and my Mother loved me. Well, that and my Mom coming in covered in McDonald’s milkshake, crying. Now, don’t get me wrong, my Dad wasn’t abusive, toward us kids anyway. My sister and I were always well-loved. My Mom…. Well, we’ll get there.
My parents divorced. That was when my world shattered. Everything came apart. I don’t really remember much. I know my parents separated. I remember living in the back of some old lady’s house. We had enough to eat. We even went out to Taco Bell once a month or so. Life was good. I had friends, but more importantly, I had my sister.
Now, this one always makes my Mom cry. One time, we cleaned out someone’s garage, and my Mom gave me $30 for helping. Keep in mind, this was 1987 or so. That was a pile of cash to a 6 or 7-year-old kid. And the first thing I bought was a VHS tape of Two Men and a Baby for my Mom. I probably got ripped off, but I didn’t care.
Fast forward a few years, and…
My parents get together again. We move to an apartment in Oregon (great place, BTW, you should go there sometime). Then we move into a house. My Dad introduces me to the NES. Great stuff. We played Mario Brothers games together for a bit. I was always the fat kid in school. I never worried too much about it. Not that I remember. I did stupid, childish things and got away with them. Nothing much to talk about here, really.
In high school, I got picked on a lot. Until people realized that I was bigger than them. And I informed them in no uncertain terms that if they were to fight me, they’d better kill me. Because if I lived, I would find them later with a blunt object and beat them until they were unrecognizable. Now you’re asking yourself, where’s the nice guy I know? Same guy. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t believe it either.
I got a couple girlfriends starting at 17. Stephanie was my introduction to wicca, which I wouldn’t follow up on for a few years yet. Then I met Julie. Beautiful girl. Crazy as the day was long. Well, I cheated on Stephanie with Julie. Never could admit that before. And in case you’re wondering, that was the skirt I chased into a church.
A church without a spine.
So, I started going to church. I was amazed. These were some of the weakest people I had ever seen. They talked about the Jesus in those kid’s pictures. Soft, weak, gently holding a lamb or a child or something. Disgusting. Not that I was much different, I was just a bit more aggressive than they were.
Fast forward again… Julie’s pregnant, tells me that the only option I have is to move in with her parents. I tell her that I would sooner shoot them. Or something to that end. We don’t get married. She hated me for awhile. Probably with good reason. I was a jerk. I was around David (my son) every time she would stop hating me long enough to let me near. I taught him to effectively break rules without getting caught. The best lesson? No. But it’s what I knew.
Spirituality without substance.
So I got into paganism. Joined a coven of witches even. I went seeking something supernatural. What did I get? Other than some helpful lessons in visualization… Not much. I saw energy flow a couple times. Some friends who eventually turned on me. Oh, and a host of evil spirits that plague me to this day.
Don’t believe in the supernatural? I would stop reading now. It just gets better from here. “Odin” chose me. And I accepted him as my patron “god.” Wacky, right?
Giving up on life.
So, after the falling out with the coven, I met a girl named Lisa. Great girl. She really was. Gentle, caring, kind. I had stopped caring about life at this point. I just kept working to buy guns and go shooting. It was the only thing that I really enjoyed.
And Lisa was caught in the middle of this. Nothing much needs to be said about her, really. Just a nice girl.
“I’ll never trust a two-timing woman again.”
I said that. It was at MCT (Marine Combat Training), and I had just been dumped over the phone by Lisa. Now, one thing I have found to be generally true. Women don’t move on without finding someone else first. So I assumed I knew what had happened. I just wasn’t around. No biggie. But I swore on that day to never trust again. I could trust my Marines, but no one else. And y’know what? My Marines never betrayed me.
Now… Why would a girl like Lisa leave such a wonderful, caring, likable guy like me? *snorts* I wouldn’t marry her. I watched my parent’s marriage fall apart. I watched it shred my family. Apparently a patch of my hair fell out during the divorce. Never grew back.
After that, I would meet women in bars, and they would ask me to buy them a drink. Now, they could get all the free drinks they wanted by just being hot. But they asked me. To get my attention.
My response? “Heck no! You people are too expensive!”
Whoa! Where’d the nice guy go? I don’t know. He came back from time to time.
Semper I.
So, I was in Monterey, CA. I was getting my training. All I did was drink, really. And somewhere between drinks and the clanking of bottles, I graduated A School. My drinking slowed down at my B School. And it stopped (for the most part) after I met my wife in 2008.
How hot can it get here?
So, here I am in San Antonio. This place is retarded. The heat, the humidity. Gah! Who would voluntarily live here? I came across this chick’s profile on MySpace or Facebook or something. About as cute and hot as they get. *screeches to a halt* She’s got a kid? Hmm… I always swore I would never date a chick with a kid… *feelings of apprehension disappear* Ah well, she’s cute. Why not?
I found out later that God was working to bring us together. How? I asked Him. Ha!
Fast forward almost 3 years. We had a lot of good times. We both fell in love within 24 hours of our first date. We’d gotten to know each other online for a good bit before that. Now, the real fireworks begin…
What the heck? She’s dumping me? What the heck did I do? At this point, I almost punched her. I came so close… Ugh. Anyway. Then I asked the fateful question…
Did you sleep with him?
She replied: “I don’t think you need to know that.”
I repeated the question.
She replied: “Yes.”
Here, I almost went full tilt into her. Violence like most people couldn’t imagine. I (Not likely, probably God) restrained myself (me). Now, if you’ve only met me recently, you’re asking yourself: Who is this guy?
Let me explain. The only people outside of her that I trusted were my Marines. They didn’t betray me. Betrayal. To a Marine, especially one like me, this was the most awful, soul-crushing thing you could do. I loved her. Openly and honestly. And she did THAT!?!?!?!?
Oh yeah, I did it too. Yup. You read that. And a year and a half or so before she did. Then I lied to her about it. And to my friends. To my Marines. To myself even. I couldn’t stand the fact that I’d done it. It made me physically ill to think about it. So I lied. What a jerk, right?
Yup. I agree. Difference: I did it once. She did it repeatedly, while I was taking care of her child. And after I asked her not to, she went back, and did it again. The whole time she was thinking: “I hope this hurts him.” Well, it did.
Now, don’t get stupid. I’m married to that woman. You say the wrong thing, I will teach you a lesson. Just something to keep in mind.
This ain’t hell, but you can see it from here.
I didn’t eat, or really sleep for 3 days.
He’s waiting to die as he sits all alone
He’s a man in a cell who regrets what he’s done
He utters a cry from the depths of his soul
“Oh Lord, forgive me. I want to go home”
Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside
And it said “I know you’ve murdered
And I know you’ve lied
And I’ve watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you’re listening I’ll, I’ll tell you that I…”
I will love you for you
Not for what you have done or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love, the love that you never knewJJ Heller, What Love Really Means
Huh? What is this nonsense? This is where I almost ended up. Seriously.
What does the giving end of a .45 ACP taste like?
Nasty. It tastes nasty. I didn’t pull the trigger, though. That little girl I love so much, she wouldn’t get out of my head. The thought wouldn’t leave me alone. So I put the .45 away. I didn’t think about anyone else. All I could think about was how much it hurt. And this wasn’t the first, or the last time I would find myself with my .45 in hand, wondering if I’ll do it this time. I guess I just didn’t want it bad enough.
I’ve had 2 friends commit suicide. Yes, I knew what it would do to others. I didn’t care. But that little girl. That little girl. All God had to do was keep me thinking about her. And He did. I couldn’t leave her. Forget everybody else. But I couldn’t hurt her. Not her. She saved me.
Ripples.
So, a friend of mine was counseling me. He pointed out that this was affecting not just myself and Ellen, but so many people all around us. I looked at him and said “This stinks of the hand of God.” I also got support from her family. And I got good advice (more or less) from friends.
“Leave her.”
“Sounds like it’s time for you to do you.”
“Once a cheater always a cheater.”
I mean, that kind of advice works in this world, right? It makes sense to most people. Not me. I loved her. I couldn’t bring myself to ask her to marry me for the reasons noted earlier, but she was family. I had actually decided to ask her while she was playing in Arizona and Dallas. Wild, huh?
You NEVER give up on family. Now, I knew the risks. All she had to do was say no and find someone else. She is a gorgeous woman. It wouldn’t’ve been hard. But I knew where she’d come from. She’d die there. And I wouldn’t have her or my daughter getting sucked back into that lifestyle. So I fought. I made a decision that hurt. I fought. And she would call him when she was mad at me. And she was mad a lot. It felt like I was getting gutted every second of every day. But I kept going. I loved her. I’d give up when I was dead.
Who’s that old guy?
Turns out, it was Fr. Chip “The Padre” Harper. I walked into this church Ellen had suggested months before. All I hear is: “Now, you have to give up all occultic things..” Or something like that. In a stern, commanding tone. Discipline. He demanded discipline. I might just like this guy.
Now, it turns out, he was a retired officer. Air Force, no less. What? How? I thought these guys were all chubby gimps…. I was wrong. And Fr. Ed “Fred” Morgan, former Marine. Was this place made for me? Kinda.
So, I came to know Christ here. I’d kinda met him before, but all I was interested in was getting laid. But now I know the guy. Turns out he’s known me the whole time. Always been there, watching over me. I just ignored him. Well, I’m glad that’s over.
Oh, and the Ellen thing… Sorry guys, almost forgot. Well, God told her to try again with me. Yup. He opened her heart in a way all of my stubbornness and bullheadedness never could. Oh, and get this… She told me that she wanted to try again. But I had to coax it out of her. She was gonna tell me on Christmas. When I was in Oregon. And I wouldn’t be able to kiss her. OK, so I’d love the gift, but really? When I’m 2500 or so miles away? Who does that? My wife. My beautiful wife.
So, now I know God. And Christ. And the Holy Spirit. And all it took was the Enemy tripping me up, and kicking me in the teeth so hard that I had no one else to turn to. I’m still learning the specifics, but I’m almost there… Kinda. Apparently God has changed me. I was driving along, and I was wondering what I would do in the event that I was bleeding out and only had a minute or so. So, without thinking about it, I asked: “What would I do?” And God, as usual, poked His head in where I hadn’t expected it. He showed me.
Acts 2:16-18 (New American Standard Bible):
16 – but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
17 – AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says,
‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;
AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY,
AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS,
AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;
18 – EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,
I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT
AND THEY SHALL PROPHESY.
So, I would pray. I would pray that my death wouldn’t destroy Ellen. That God would protect her and Aislyn. That was it. All of a sudden, the road was all blurry. And I must’ve suddenly become tired, because my eyes were all grainy or something. But I didn’t expect that. I argued with God. Makes sense, right?
“That’s not me, God.”
“Yes, it is.”
“What? No. Huh? Nah… Can’t be, God. I’m a jerk.”
“Really?”
“Sorry Lord…”
“It’s you, Son. You’re more than you give yourself credit for.”
“Well, I’ll take your word for it…”
Well, I still don’t see it, but apparently it’s there. I’m still learning, and I’ve got a long way to go. I hope this helps some of you. God was getting irritated that I hadn’t written it yet. So…
Peace of the Lord be with you, friends. I love you all.
And if you’ve read this, and think it may help someone, feel free to share it.
Wednesday Night Supper Club by Melissa Crawford
May 10, 2011
Went to Wednesday Night Supper Club, and I was very surprised at how few people were there! The buffet table was full and I looked around waiting for more people to show up! Not too many. It was awesome to say the least. Father Chip not only delivers the verse but you come away knowing a deeper meaning of what the Lord has to say. When you break it down, simple words, they take on a whole new meaning. I can fit another word or short phrase in place where the original word was. Then the bell goes off with understanding as my prize.
What’s not good about spending quality time with those you love? My husband Daryell, who by the way, is much better—thank you for your prayers and my beautiful daughter Nikki, bless her heart, who was trying to write down the information from the screen, but Fr. Chip flipped it too fast! There is my extended family at church—you all know who you are, love you and bless you.
We are fed a grand buffet of (for the most part) homemade vittles. We gain insight into the mystery of the Lord. We share ideas and learn a little more on how to survive this plain of existence and prepare for the final journey home. We go together into the chapel giving praise and prayer to the Lord. Fr. Chip leads us into Evensong with melodic overtones of song and chant that drift you to the heavens above. We hear stories from the Bible—just enough to pique your interest and want to hear more. At the end, we hear the fatherly teachings and take Communion from Fr. Ed.
The whole evening is like going home to a big family. You have supper together, you talk and hear what’s going on, then you pray together. You are told a bedtime story. Your tucked into bed with fatherly love and you are now safe to dream. You are fed, taught, safe and loved. The family who prays together stays together. I repeat my question: ” What’s not good about spending quality time with those you love?” I hope next week more of my family will be there; I miss you when you are gone.
National Day of Prayer
May 5, 2011
Tomorrow is the 60th annual observance of the National Day of Prayer.
The mission of the National Day of Prayer Task Force is to mobilize prayer in America and to encourage personal repentance and righteousness in the culture.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ 1928 Book of Common Prayer
Click here or on the image below to hear Day of Prayer events live from Washington, D.C. The program is available Thursday, May 5, 2011, 9:00am – 12:00pm ET and 10:00pm – 1:00am ET; Friday, May 6, 2011, 2:30am – 5:30am ET; and Saturday, May 7, 2011, 3:30pm – 6:30pm ET.
