This Sunday, January 29th, is the Annual Meeting of the Parish. The breakfast potluck begins at 8:00AM and the meeting will begin promptly at 8:15AM. This year, the theme for the meeting is "Growing with God."

To preview the Annual Meeting Packet, please click here.

Mary Margaret Smith

Candidates for Vestry
(Three people, 3-year term)

Byron Barth

William Brown

Morris Wise

 

David Crocker

Mary Schulz

*Three additional candidates will be needed from the floor.*

Throughout Epiphany All Saints' is offering a sermon series entitled, "God Dwells In Us."  In this series, we explore Paul's belief that our faith is lived in community, which makes our relationships vital to our Christian lives-our relationships with God, our faith community, and the world beyond. Paul contends that if we embrace God's presence in our lives and allow ourselves to be shaped by Christ's love, our lives, our community, and the world are profoundly transformed.

 

The reading for this Sunday is 1 Corinthians 1:18-31:

18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, 

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. 

26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

On the 5th Sunday of a month, the entire 'Ohana comes together for both The Word and Sacrament. This Sunday, January 29th, there will be no Sunday School at the 9:30AM service. 

The Keiki are invited to fully participate in the service. God blessed keiki with the ability to wiggle. The joyous sounds, movements, and curiosity of keiki are gifts from God. We want God's keiki to be comfortable. During the celebration of Eucharist, keiki will be invited to move closer to the altar or to stand on the pew to see what is going on. The nursery will be open in Memorial Hall.

 

Mark 12:31: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Leviticus 19:34: "The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt."

Numbers 15:15:  One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord."

Deuteronomy 10:19: "Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt."

 

On Saturday, the Washington National Cathedral hosted the National Prayer Service for the President, Vice-President, their families, and those who will be taking on the grave responsibility nominated to cabinet posts. Religious leaders from many traditions joined their voices in prayer and song, and while we shared our most sacred scriptures, we prayed for wisdom for all those who serve our nation. I affirm those prayers, and ask that our leaders listen to the powerful call to serve those who are most vulnerable in continuing to welcome refugees from around the world.

As Christians, we are asked to pray: for our leaders, for our loved ones, for our enemies, and for those who are suffering. Our work does not end with prayer: we also offer assistance to those who are fleeing persecution. We find homes for those who have been forced out of their homes. We feed those who are hungry. The refugees who enter the United States do so after experiencing violence and persecution undeserved of any human being, and they come to the U.S. with hopes to build new lives. 

Refugee resettlement is a form of ministry, and one that we, and many other churches and faith-based organizations, cherish. The work of Episcopal Migration Ministries is God's work, and we show the face of God through the care and compassion in that work. I ask President Trump to continue the powerful work of our refugee resettlement program without interruption, recognizing the long wait and screening process that means refugees wait months and sometimes years to enter the country. We ask that we continue to accept as many refugees as we have in the past, recognizing the need is greater than ever. We ask that refugees from all countries receive consideration to come to the U.S. and not to ban those who come from countries most in need of our assistance.

Our Book of Common Prayer asks for God to "look with compassion on the whole human family;" to "break down the walls that separate us and unite us in bonds of love." On Saturday, we prayed for God our Father to look with compassion upon the widowed and orphans, outcasts and refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger. We pray to love one another as God loves us. I echo that prayer now, and ask that we may work together to build a more grace and compassion-filled world. 

Top photo courtesy of Episcopal Cafe.