If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,”
and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
James 2:15-17
Encouraged to Act
I dropped a big word in the sermon Sunday. I apologize for doing it, but those who were there probably remember I had completely re-written my homily after the Kabul bombing. I needed a good dose of the Letter of James and its “Paraenesis”.
We’ve all experienced the teacher who says, “… as you know …” it’s a common device to remind people of commonly shared ways of acting. The teacher is not introducing a new concept, but instead offers a moral exhortation in which someone is advised to pursue or abstain from something. In Moral Philosophy, this is called Paraenesis.
The readings for the next few weeks from Proverbs & James are full of this kind of practical teaching. We will hear from Proverbs “The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all.” James will tell us that words are not enough when our neighbor is hungry. My grandparents would call this common sense.
The Letter of James is full of Paraenesis. There are more than 50 imperatives that instruct the reader on what we should be doing. James points out that faith must be lived. Only when action is connected to our words do our words have any meaning.
Three centuries after the Letter, Gregory of Nazianzus was Bishop of a small community in Eastern Turkey near the border with Syria. He was a powerful thinker and helped shape the Nicene Creed (which we recite every Sunday). But for Gregory, words were not enough. He also prayed:
“May God preserve me from being rich while others are indigent, from enjoying robust health if I do not try to cure their diseases, from eating good food, clothing myself well and resting in my home if I do not share with them a piece of my bread and give them, in the measure of my abilities, part of my clothes and if I do not welcome them into my home.”
This is a tall order, but its worth asking, is my faith dead or alive? Like the collect for Sunday says, confide not in your own strength, but boast in God’s mercy as you act in trust!
Peace,
Mark+
Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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This Sunday's Worship Service
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Serving Chart
Serving In Person for Sunday, September 5th
Lectors: Sally Lewis, Bob Seitz
Eucharistic Minister: Emerson Patti
Ushers: Bob Seitz, Jeff Pike
Greeters: Dottie Wilson, Bob Thompson
Altar Guild: Sherry Lissitz, Lois Rys, Dot Deren, Cara Fehrenbacher
Counters: Dottie Wilson, Bob Thompson
Recording the Online Service
Eucharistic Ministers: Charlie Mead & Liza Hamill
Serving In Person for Sunday, September 12th
Lectors: Keith Fulmer, Kathy Sells
Eucharistic Minister: Ruthanne Herold
Ushers: Maria Jones, Sally Lewis
Greeters: Lois Vanderbok and Toinette McDowell
Altar Guild: Betsy Sipes, Tom Christensen, Lynne Shand, Patti Snyder
Counters: Judy Peppel, Anna Sisson
Recording the Online Service
Eucharistic Ministers: Dick Sells & Lois Vanderbok
If you are unable to serve, please find a replacement
and contact the Parish Office.
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Please pray for: Robin Pender, Camilla Parrott, Anna Sisson, Dian Rowe, Danny Brown, Scott & Lynn Clark, Sharon McCain, Lynne Benton, Susan V., Kayla, Bill & Margie Campbell, Kevin Parks, Chalk Jewell, Tommy Pham, Michel Sipes, Susan Fralic, Juan Mendoza, Susan Fralic, Jack Wright, Bob Dean & Family, Bob Hutchison, Carol Holland (RIP)-Caroline Aland & Family, Bob Willis, Chris, Deny, Wes Sawyer (RIP), Shirley Grail, Mary Coursey, Kathy Blodgett, Mark Mangin, Kevin Soibel, Chris Tracy, Ron Ingham (RIP), Lisa Pike, Joe Morella (RIP), Nancy King (RIP)-Jean Travis & Family, Rev. Bea Billups (RIP), The Sartwell Family, Verna Downey, The Fraser Family-Todd, Susan and Ashton, Karen & Jim, Afghan Refugees, Steve Daniels, Neil Brayton
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Camp Wright Sunday
September 12, 2021
Please join us at Camp Wright for a 10:00 worship service in the amphitheater, followed by DIY picnics! Our beloved pot luck lunch is not feasible this year, so we are inviting everyone to bring their own picnic and enjoy fellowship and fun. Outdoor games and activities for children will provide many smiles!
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The Return of our Music Ministry-Mark Your Calendars!
Gary Van Essen, Minister of Music
I am excited to let you know that we are planning for a full return for our Music Ministry this fall. Highlights include:
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The return of our Praise Band beginning on Camp Wright Sunday, 9/12. After Camp Wright Sunday, the Praise Band will continue to lead worship services approximately once a month!
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The return of our Parish Choir, beginning on Sunday 9/19. The Parish Choir will lead worship services each week!
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Special concerts and events, including a Broadway Cabaret (Saturday, 10/16/21 at 7 p.m.), the return of the Westminster Ringers (Saturday 12/11/21 at 7 p.m.) and a concert by a Tyler Canonico, a phenomenal young organist (Friday 3/25/22 at 7 p.m.). You can get more information about these concerts by visiting the concerts page (under “ministries” then “music”) on our website!
As always, new members are welcome in our Parish Choir and Praise Band. We are working within health guidelines and the recommendations of the CDC and American Choral Directors Association to ensure everyone’s safety, so some parts of our Music Ministry might look a little different this year but our praise will remain the same. Feel free to contact me ([email protected]) if you have any questions or suggestions.
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Sacred Ground: A Path to Becoming Beloved Community
Last fall, a group of Christ Church parishioners joined the approximately 13,0000 people, in 838 locations, who have participated in the Sacred Ground program developed by the Episcopal Church.
Sacred Ground is a 10-session program composed of outstanding videos and readings that walk participants back through history in order to peel away the layers that brought us to today, reflecting on family histories and stories, as well as important narratives that shape the collective American story. The program is intended to begin the work of Becoming Beloved Community where all people are honored and protected and nurtured as beloved children of God. You can learn more about the program at www.episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground/.
Participants in the program last year divided into small groups to discuss the videos and readings and share personal stories. Participants were uniformly enthusiastic about the quality of the materials and enjoyed getting to know each other’s stories. One participant said “The Sacred Ground course taught me facts about the history of our country that I never knew before. As a result, I have a new perspective on the current divisiveness and upheaval in the nation and how I might respond, and I am interested in learning more.”
We plan to offer the Sacred Ground program again this fall on a day, time and method (Zoom or in person) that works for the most people. On Wednesday, September 22nd at 7 p.m. we will have a short Zoom session to explain more about the program and discuss meeting dates and times. If you are interested in participating, please let Father Mark or Dottie Wilson know, or email office@ccpki.org
Meeting ID: 843 1830 8478 Passcode: 236386
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,84318308478#,,,,*236386# US (Washington DC)
Dial by your location +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
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Ways to Support Christ Church
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Electronic Giving: Click Here
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Text to Give by texting CCPKI to 73256
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Bank: Have your bank send a check or make an ACH transfer
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By Check: CCPKI 830 Romancoke Rd. Stevensville MD 21666
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Episcopal Migration Ministries –
Supporting Afghan Allies
The deteriorating situation in Afghanistan is a humanitarian crisis that has left upwards of 550,000 Afghans internally displaced in the country since the beginning of the year, in addition to 2.9 million Afghans already internally displaced at the end of 2020. Episcopal Migration Ministries, the refugee resettlement and migration ministry of The Episcopal Church, is currently working in partnership with the U.S. government to assist Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders with resettlement and direct services through a network of 12 affiliates across the U.S.
For more information, and if you want to donate, please go to:
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Blessing of the Animals
Sunday, October 3rd
10:00am Worship Service
We will celebrate all of God’s creatures, great and small! Bring your pet or a photo of your pet to church for a special blessing.
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African Team Ministries Sales
Returning to Christ Church
October 3rd, 10th & 17th
Serving the Church in East Africa
Through Sales of Crafts and Jewelry
African Team Ministries is a Christian ministry working as an intermediary between African and American churches. With help from Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Anglican denominations, we provide funding for orphan and refugee relief missions and evangelism in East Africa.
Providing in Episcopal Churches:
CLEAN WATER
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MEDICAL CARE
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TRAINING FOR THE LAITY
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Pause, Ponder and Pray Returns
Tuesday Night Bible Study
It’s time to open our Bibles and listen to God’s Word. Beginning Tuesday, September 14, Pause, Ponder, and Pray will be offered weekly from 7:00 to 8:00 pm in person in the Church Narthex. All levels of Bible study experience are welcome, beginners to advanced. We even have Bibles to share. The gathering will give us a chance to be together in community and encounter the Scripture we will hear proclaimed on Sunday. Bring a friend!
Daily Evening Prayer has Resumed in person
For more than 30 years I have marked the end of my workday with Evening Prayer. During COIVD, I went back to praying alone; but I now believe I can safely offer prayer in church again. We’ll meet in the Church Narthex (the gathering space just inside the church doors). Come in through the church doors under the awning.
If you have a smart phone, please download the free app from Mission St Clare. It’s really easy and will allow us to share prayer without books. If you prefer, bring your own BCP or I can loan you one of ours.
Hope to see you Monday to Thursday at 5:00 pm for Daily Evening Prayer.
Also, Compline Returns on Facebook
In March of 2020, confronted with the shut-down of the building, I started praying the service of Compline on Facebook live. Compline is the last service of the monastic day, a sort of “now I lay me down to sleep” offering of our day to God.
I will resume the practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 7:30 pm beginning September 1. You can find the service on Facebook on the Christ Church Kent Island page. I use the service prepared by the Anglican Province of New Zealand because it offers more options for prayers and responses.
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To Help Sow the Seeds of
HOPE!
We need Volunteers at our NEW Location!!
Join our team of Volunteers to make a difference in our community by spending just a few hours greeting customers, sorting donations & general store upkeep in our new beautiful location on Kent Island!
- Make a difference
- Use your skills & talents for good
- Meet others in the community
- Work for a cause you believe in
- Help others
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Our Daily Thread Thrift Store is a revenue source for Haven Ministries. The profits from sales help fund all of the Haven Ministries’ programs including Shelter, Food, Clothing & Support.
Contact Liz Bazzell for more info at 410-353-0455
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