Emmanuel E-News & Sunday Bulletin: Feb. 6

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Service, Holy Friendship, Growth in Christ

Deacon's Corner

My morning routine is usually about the same. I awake around 5:15, stumble down the hall to plug in the coffee, stumble back to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. Then with a fresh cup of coffee I set down and pray Morning Prayer. It has become a habit that soothes my soul and helps set the tone for the day. A few days ago, the gospel reading was from Mark. We have heard it many times. Jesus returns to Nazareth, his hometown, with his disciples and on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue and those who heard him were astounded by his wisdom and what he said and all the works he performed. But instead of being impressed and wanting to hear more of his teachings, they discount everything because they knew him. He was a local kid whose family they all knew. He was a craftsman who had lived and worked around them for 30 years. Now he comes as a rabbi with disciples proclaiming the Kingdom of God. It was too much for them and we are told they “took offence at him”, and “he could do no deed of power there”. Even though he was teaching with great power and wisdom they could not get past their bias. They hated him because he was not who or what they expected him to be. We are told he was amazed at their unbelief and left because the atmosphere was not conducive to healing or teaching.

It is difficult to deal with people who because of some bias or belief or plain stubbornness are not willing to listen, or even discuss an issue. I see this all the time in the mediations that I conduct. The New Testament scholar William Barclay puts it this way:

There can be no peace-making in the wrong atmosphere. If those gathered have come together to hate, they will hate. If they have come together to refuse to understand, they will misunderstand. If they have come together to see no other point of view but their own, they will see no other. But if they have come together, loving Christ, and seeking to love each other, even those who are most widely separated can come together in him.

In a world that suffers from all types of afflictions and hurts, where reconciliation and peace- making is so needed, I offer this prayer For the Human Family from the Book of Common Prayer.

Oh God, you make us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which inflect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Deacon John

A Minute with the Text - By Bill Burke

Join us for this weekly section by our own Bill Burke

from a passage from last weeks Daily Office readings

New Testament Reading

Mark 8:11-30

v 29-30 "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Our reading today is a part of a section which “bridges the story of Jesus' public activity in Galilee to his final week in the traditional capital of his homeland.” This section covers 8:22 – 10:52 and is bracketed with two stories of blind men regaining their sight. This middle section of the gospel is about “seeing” - “seeing that following Jesus means following him from Galilee to Jerusalem.” This section also revels who Jesus is, his destination and what it means to follow him; in other words “the way.”

This section also provides the first recognition that Jesus is the Messiah. We see two stages in this exchange between Jesus and his disciples. In the first stage Jesus asks, “Who do people say that I am?” Their response indicates that he was viewed as a prophetic figure. In the second stage Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, “the Messiah,” and is rebuked by Jesus. In the context of first-century Judaism the Messiah was one anointed by the Spirit of God and would be a decisive figure in Israel's history.

In verse 30 Jesus orders the disciples not to tell anyone about him. His identity was to be a secret, according to the author of Mark, Jesus as the Messiah was not to be proclaimed by Jesus himself but only after Easter. The only affirmations in Mark that Jesus is the Messiah occur in private, none in public.

In the coming weeks we will begin the slow march with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem. I am not clear as to how aware his disciples were of how this journey would end, but we know, and look to it's triumphant ending on Easter morning.

Information Video about Worshipping online with Emmanuel

VIRTUAL SANCTUARY: Sundays at 11:00am & Wednesdays at 8:00pm

Servers for Sunday - February 7

...8:00 am:

...Reader - George Moore

...Greeter/Usher - Gerhard & Danielle Laule

...9:30 am:

...Reader - Rusty Williams

...Greeter/Usher - Serita Bell

.11:00 am:

...Reader - Holly Wilson-Byrd

...Greeter/Usher - Janna Wilson-byrd

Sunday's bulletin: Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

The bulletin above will be used to follow along

on Facebook, YouTube, or the website.

The service will be live this Sunday at 11:00 am (new time) on Facebook

and will be posted to YouTube and our website on Sunday by 1:30 pm.

Jan. 31 sermon:

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

All Saints Youth & Family

Chapel Dedication

Refrigerator Sheet

The purpose of the Emmanuel Refrigerator Sheet

is to prepare for the following Sunday's Gospel reading.

Click the button above and you'll be able to enlarge the sheet on your computer

or you can print the sheet out and attach it to your refrigerator for this week.

Announcement

I recently made the difficult decision to change the direction of Emmanuel’s Altar Guild. Rowdy Washburn has agreed to lead this ministry. I am thankful for his willingness to serve. If you are interested in joining this ministry or learning more about it I am sure Rowdy would love to speak with you. The Altar Guild is currently meeting at 5:30 pm on Thursday evenings.

The Altar Guild is an important part of the life of a parish. This ministry works behind the scenes preparing the Altar and church making sure everything is ready for Sunday morning worship and special feast days. It is a ministry of service that is also a perfect vehicle to educate parishioners about the liturgy and worship of the church. The Altar Guild, like every ministry of a parish, provides a unique way for parishioners to take part in the service of the parish and should ideally involve as many members as possible.

The Altar Guild is important in the wider community. Although often unnoticed, it is the face of the parish representing Emmmanuel to the larger community through services such as weddings and funerals that include many in our extended parish and community. Like every ministry of the church across the nation, Altar Guilds have struggled to adapt to our changing culture and the increasing lack of involvement in church.

Mel Beauchamp has served a long and dedicated tenure as Emmanuel’s Altar Guild Director. It is a difficult job. She kept the Altar Guild going through the pandemic, multiple transitions of clergy, and has even taught at the diocese Iona School for deacons and Bi-Vocational priests helping prepare clergy for working with Altar Guild. I am very grateful for her and also for her time of service to this ministry.

Fr. Tom +

We remember in our Prayers

Dona Adcock, Taylor Adcock, Kathy Stuart, Roger Flint, Shane, Bill & Linda Carpenter, Martha Lillard, Elise Treadway, Carla, Patsy & Larry Goetz, family & friends of Logan Deardorff & Shelby Johnson, Tom Austin, Thomas family, Hannah Mosma, John Howard, Tim Ford, Carol Birth, Fr. Art, Vickie Beal, Heather Todd, John Frisco, Peyton Greenwood, Steve & Rachael, Abby Newell, Molly Boland, Lanelda Carson, Ron Sales, Amy Jennings, Victoria Goller, Carolyn Thornburg, Garold, Joanne Cody, Eva Rogers, Carrie, Levi Newell, Cliff Lehmann, Kathryn Cripps, Jacob Rixie, Jack & Cathy Kinkade, the family of Janice Miller, Zona Storie, Betty Storie, Steve Webb, Rob & Shelley Autrey, Joyce Weston, Betty, Robert Henry, Jackie Bell.

In the Diocese cycle of prayer, we pray for Emmanuel in Shawnee,

St. Andrew’s and Mission Church in Tacuarembó, Uruguay

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If you know of anyone who needs our prayers,

please click below to add their name(s) to our list.