The Church Bell
Vol. I, no. 3
We're having a baptism on November 26th!
Pearson Neal Garner, age 17, will be baptized on Sunday, November 26th, during the 11:00 service.

You are invited to witness this beautiful event and remember your own baptism as well. We are reminded again and again that any baptism in the church involves all of us in the entire congregation!   In other words, our faith commitment is being renewed as well. 

The service will be led by Bishop Lambert and by Father Wise. A lasagna luncheon will be provided by the Pearson's for everyone to enjoy after the service.
Advent Sunday School Series
"Jesus' Second Coming"
by Nicholas Caccese

Dec 3, 10, and 17
10:00 am in the parish hall
We often associate the season of Advent with our anticipation of the birth of Jesus.

But this is only one aspect of this rich season which, historically, looks forward to three different advents of Christ: his first coming in Bethlehem, his coming into our hearts, and his second coming at the end of history.

Most of the readings during Advent focus on Jesus's second coming "to judge the quick and the dead," so we will follow this lead and look at the Four Last Things (death, judgment, heaven, and hell) in light of our lectionary readings.

The purpose of thinking about these issues is to ensure that we respond appropriately to Jesus's first coming, by fixing Christ deep in our hearts, so that we are ready for his second coming in glory.

I invite you to join us in the Parish Hall during the 10:00 Sunday School hour on:

  • December 3rd
  • December 10th, and
  • December 17th

See you then!

Nick

Nicholas Caccese, Resident Seminarian
Diocese of Southern Virginia
The Church of "Today"
by Jarod Pearson
When my nephew made the decision to get baptized, my mind went back to the days when he first started attending St. Agnes'. He and his big sister Abby attended our children's Sunday school class all the way back to the Year 2004.

As the years have gone by, I'm amazed and humbled by the way that St. Agnes' views the presence of young people in the congregation.

Churches frequently refer to children as the "church of tomorrow". At St. Agnes', we have always believed that kids are the church of today!

You know me - I'm always looking back. And one of my favorite memories of Abby, Dalton, Pearson, and other kids is seeing them in church kneeling with a prayer book in their hands.  When kids worship with us and join us in prayer, they are definitely part of the church today!

Every day we spend in ministry is a day that we identify as the church of today, regardless of how old or young our members may be!

Jarod 
Big Goings On
Nov. 25th Tree Lighting
The town of Cowan will hold a Christmas lighting ceremony on Saturday November 25th in the railroad park at 5:00 p.m. This will be a time of prayer and song to coincide with Small Business Saturday and the shopping season. 
December 1 & 2 - Parade and Marketplace
St. Agnes' will, once again, staff the coloring booth at the Cowan Christmas Market on Friday evening, December 1.  We will need some workers to help make this a success! We use this event as an opportunity to share the one true Joy of the Season!
December 24th Christmas Eve Service - 4:00 p.m.
The highlight of the season is our candle lit Christmas Eve Service on December 24th, 4:00 p.m. Bring the entire family plus a friend or two and enjoy a most meaningful time of worship. "O Come, Let us Adore Him, Christ the Lord." 
December 24 Fr. Werlein Memorial Christmas Reception
Following our Christmas Eve service we invite everyone to a pleasant evening of fellowship in the parish hall. We will have lots of good refreshments, hot cider, and gift bags for the kids. See you then!
Winter Birthdays
November 27 - Shelia Robertson Leitzel

December 4 - Dalton Brewer
December 16 - Jonathan Scott
December 19 - Lee Glenn
December 31 - Frances Weddington

January 4 - Jason Paton

"O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on thy servants as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
We Remember in Prayer
Lee Glenn, Fran Perry, Joe Ed Williams, Kimberly (Pat's daughter), Brian Masters, The Mantone Family, Fr. Stephen, Gay and Rick Hayslett, Lamar Davis, Kirkland Leonard, Jimmy Moss, Bill Keller, Howard Gene Eslick, Karen Piper, Jenny Ledbetter, Benny and Betty Haney, Linda Milligan, Karen McCallie, and Subamma (our sponsored child).

We pray continually for Christians around the world in grave danger and for those in our armed services.

We pray for our nation in light of recent incidents. We especially pray for our neighbors at Greenhaw Baptist.

We pray continually for the recent victims of hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires. We pray especially for Ted and Felicia Ladd who lost their home and belongings to a fire.

***

"O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayer, and grant to your servants the help of your power, that their sicknesses may be turned into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
From Bishop Lambert
The Feast of Christ the Holy Baptism
The Rt. Rev. Paul E. Lambert

By the time most of you read this we will be preparing of the Season of Advent which begins on Sunday, December 3, 2017. (I know, it’s hard to believe it’s already here!) As is the custom in the Anglican world, and other catholic denominations, we end the liturgical year with the celebration of The Feast of Christ the King Sunday, the week before our Advent journey begins. For us at St. Agnes we also have the happy opportunity to have a Baptism so I thought it would be a good idea to use our time this month to reflect on these two events.

To begin the feast of Christ the King was established in 1925 by Pope Pius XI to fall on the last Sunday in October, the week before All Saints Day. He ordered “every year, on this very day, Christians are to renew the consecration of humankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” (Before you get too upset, the Episcopal Church and other like denominations, Church of England etc., have for the most part, adopted the liturgical days of the Roman Church) Pope Pius XI was upset, to say the least, the “deluge of evils submerging humankind” and blamed, “the apostasy of a great number of people who have banished Christ and his most holy law from their individual and familial lives and from public affairs.”(Hmmm, sounds familiar. Nothing seems to change and we should not be surprised!) It wasn’t until Pope John XXIII and Vatican II (1962-1965) the church changed the date from the last Sunday of October to the Sunday preceding the First Sunday of Advent, the Sunday we commemorate Christ the King.

So in short, Christ the King Sunday is the day we are to re-consecrate ourselves to following Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It is too convenient for us to forget this responsibility and trundle along in our day-to-day lives. It is appropriate, I think, that we are fortunate enough to have a Baptism for this Sunday in that we are given the opportunity to renew our own Baptismal Covenant of Faith. So what does this mean?

When we are baptized we “are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.” We belong to Christ, not the world. We are set apart in Baptism to continue the work of Christ as his Body the Church. It is important to remember that in Baptism we are not the ones “doing something” but it is God doing his will. We are recipients of his most gracious love and our baptism is our guarantee of God’s grace in all that we do. The promises he made to us in Christ are realized and authenticated in our baptism.

The Book of Common Prayer defines a Sacrament as” and outward visible sign of an inward spiritual grace.” Water is the outward visible sign in baptism, and our dying to sin and being born anew in Christ Jesus is the inward spiritual grace. We are no longer enslaved by sin and the fear of death because in Christ we share in the victory over these. Our Baptism assures us of sharing in this victory. In this day and age we need all the assurance we can get to overcome the “world, the flesh, and the devil..” Unfortunately for us Pope Pius XI was right to be concerned for the world, it is no less true today than it was in 1925. It is imperative for the Church to rise up new disciples of Christ to share in the reconciling work of Jesus Christ in the midst of a troubled and broken world. Our Baptism is the beginning of our new life of re-presenting Christ to the world.

Beloved of the Lord, as we anticipate the feats of Christ the King let us do so with a view to re-consecrating our lives to him and Renew our promises made at our baptism to follow him and build up his Church.

God bless and keep each of you.
Bp. Paul

The Rt. Rev'd Paul Lambert
Bishop Suffragan (Resigned), Diocese of Dallas
Pastor and Celebrant, St. Agnes' Church, Cowan, Tennessee
Service Schedule
Sunday, November 26
Holy Eucharist ~ 11:00 a.m.~ Bishop Lambert & Fr. Wise

Holy Baptism - Pearson Garner
Sunday, December 3
Holy Eucharist ~ 11:00 a.m. ~ Bishop Lambert ~ sermon by Nick Caccese

First Sunday in Advent
Sunday, December 10
Holy Eucharist ~ 11:00 a.m.~ Bishop Lambert

Second Sunday in Advent
Sunday, December 17
Holy Eucharist ~ 11:00 a.m. ~ Bishop Lambert ~

Third Sunday in Advent - "Stir-Up Sunday"
Sunday, December 24
No 11:00 service on the 24th

We will gather at 4pm for Christmas Eve mass.
Sunday, December 24 (eve)
Holy Eucharist ~ 4:00 p.m. ~ Bishop Lambert ~

Christmas Eve: "The Nativity of Our Lord"
Sunday, December 31
Morning Prayer ~ 11:00 a.m. ~
L. Jarod Pearson

First Sunday of Christmastide
Sunday Service ....................................11:00 a.m.
Sunday School .....................................10:00 a.m.

Location/Address: 105 England Street E., PO Box 356, Cowan, TN 37318
Telephone: (931) 636-6313
The Rt. Rev'd Paul Lambert...............................Pastor and Celebrant

The Rt. Rev'd John C. Bauerschmidt................Bishop

The Venerable Martin Odidi...............................Visiting Priest

Nicholas Caccese..............................................Resident Seminarian

L. Jarod Pearson................................................Lay Reader