Anglican Church of Saint Paul  e Newsletter
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February 15, 2018 

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"By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
 for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Genesis 3:19


We have now officially begun the season of Lent. We had ashes smudged on our foreheads to remind us of our mortality. And then, to prevent us showing our piety in public, we quickly washed the reminder away.

That simple scene works as a parable for the way we treat all reminders of our mortality - we erase them as soon as possible.

Our culture has an obsession with youth and beauty and an abhorrence of any reminder of aging and death. According to one source, Americans spend $8 billion dollars annually on cosmetics and a ccording to a recent  report  by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2016, Americans spent $16 billion dollars on surgical and non-surgical cosmetic enhancements.

From the moment of our birth, death and the resulting dust that comes from it is the enemy. Because it is our enemy, we fear and avoid it at all possible costs. We don't want to be reminded of it. We prefer to stick our heads in the sand and hope it will never find us.

But there is a better way.

Instead of fearing death, we can embrace it as a continuation of life. Our bodies will die, but because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we have nothing to fear. Paul, speaking to the church in Corinth said,  "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" Because of Jesus' victory on the Cross, death is simply a transition from life to life.  

This Lent, immerse yourself in the whole gift of life! Give God thanks for your time on this earth and the legacy you will leave behind. But also, give God thanks that this life is not all there is. There is a new life, hidden by a transitional veil that is called death. The new life is glorious and there is nothing to fear.

HEAR SUNDAY'S SERMON
 Sermon
Weekly Sermon


Click Here to hear Fr. Brad's Sunday sermon.
LITURGICAL CHANGES FOR LENTEN SEASON
 
Beginning this Sunday, the first Sunday of Lent, our service will change a little bit.
Musically, it will be much drier. We will only have a song during communion. We will not sing the Doxology nor the Sanctus. Because of the scarcity of music, it will feel like we are entering a dry season. Good, because we are.
All of the brass candlesticks have been replaced with wood. The brass cross has been covered with purple cloth to partially veil it from our view. There will be no spoken or sung "alleluias".
All of this is done to prepare for the glory of the Resurrection which will come on Easter Sunday. We need a dry season in order to fully embrace the truth of Jesus' Resurrection. As those who often experience long droughts, when this season is over, we will feel like we are dancing in the rain of the Spirit of God when we proclaim that He is Risen.
BISHOP'S WELL BOTTLES AVAILABLE SUNDAY
 
Bishop's Well Invitation This Sunday, we will be distributing Bishop Well bottles to everyone. It is our church's Lenten tradition to take the bottles home and fill them with coins as we count our blessings. On Easter Sunday, we will return the bottles to church and place them on the altar.
The money will be counted and sent to Bishop Atwood and will be used to drill and maintain clean water wells in Africa.
Your spare change adds up and save lives.
WOMEN'S BREAKFAST FEBRUARY 24
 
The Women's monthly Bible study will be Saturday , February 24 at 8:30 am at Eggbert's on 116th Street North.


TWO SERVICE SCHEDULE - OWASSO
February 18, 2018                
First Sunday of Lent
Altar Guild T. Spears
First Lesson  J. Waters
Second Lesson  J. Lombardi
Chalice T. Spears
Prayers J. Ide
Acolyte N/A
Oblationers J. Ide/M. Martin
Greeter S. Parker
Refreshments J. Lombardi/C. Ide
Friday Devotional D. Roberts (Feb. 23)
Prayer Team J. Lombardi
Bread Ministry T. Spears
A/V Crew N/A
February 25, 2018               
Second Sunday of Lent
Altar Guild J. & K. Skelton
First Lesson  J. Skelton
Second Lesson  T. Spears
Chalice R. Anich
Prayers J. Lombardi
Acolyte N/A
Oblationers M. McLean/M. Martin
Greeter C. Sword
Refreshments M. McLean/M. Martin
Friday Devotional B. Van Deventer (March 2)
Prayer Team M. McLean
Bread Ministry T. Spears
A/V Crew N/A
TWO SERVICE SCHEDULE - BARTLESVILLE
February 18, 2018
First Sunday of Lent
Altar Guild J. Chamberlain
Lay Reader
G. Kane
Chalice
Y. Vaughan
Prayers of the People Y. Vaughan
Oblationer T. Chamberlain
Bread J. Gallery
February 25, 2018
Second Sunday of Lent
Altar Guild B. Garrison
Lay Reader
R. Smith
Chalice
R. Smith
Prayers of the People D. Gallery
Oblationer R. Smith
Bread J. Gallery
IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS REMINDER
        A
  • Potluck and Egg stuffing will be March 18 at Trinity House after the service. 
  • The Annual Easter Egg Hunt,  honoring the Owasso Fire Department, will be held March 24 at Rayola Park.
  • Palm Sunday is March 25.
  • Easter Sunday is April 1.
  • "Pennies From Heaven" Building Fund Project : Milan Anich brings his pickup truck each Sunday to pick up aluminum cans. When he has a sufficient number, he will take the cans for recycling and the proceeds will be deposited into the building fund.

Our Vision Statement Is:

The Anglican Church of Saint Paul will become a church united in love, growing spiritually through small groups of individuals studying God's Holy Word, praying for one another and the blessing of the church, and working towards the goal that the Lord's "salvation may reach to the ends of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6)

The following scriptures summarize our church's Core Values:  

 

OUR PRIORITY - First of all, seek God. "... seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)

OUR DIRECTION - Come out of the wilderness to the LORD and beckon others to join us. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

OUR PURPOSE - Be healed and become a place of healing and peace. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)

OUR REMINDER - In all things, it is the LORD who gets the glory. "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)

OUR REWARD - Keep our eyes upon the prize. "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it." (Revelation 2:17)