ST. PAUL'S

EPISCOPAL CHURCH

GREENVILLE, TX

The Second Sunday After Christmas

January 5th, 2025

William Holman Hunt, The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple

(Birmingham, England: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, 1854/1855),

oil on canvas. Dimensions - Height: 857 mm (33.74 in); Width: 1,410 mm (55.51 in)

MORSEL FOR MEDITATION

There was a gift for each of us left under the tree of life 2000 years ago by Him whose birthday we celebrate. The gift was withheld from no man. Some have left the packages unclaimed. Some have accepted the gift and carried it around, but have failed to remove the wrappings and look inside to discover the hidden splendor. The packages are all alike: In each is a scroll on which is written, “All that the Father hath is thine.” Take and live!

-Unknown

And during the New Year may you have:

enough happiness to keep you sweet – enough trials to keep you strong,

enough sorrow to keep you human – enough hope to keep you happy,

enough failure to keep you humble – enough success to keep you eager,

enough friends to give you comfort – enough wealth to meet your needs,

enough enthusiasm to make you look forward to tomorrow, and

enough determination to make each day better than the day before.

-Melvin Newland

RITE 2 Worship Booklet

The Liturgy of the Word

• Jeremiah 31:7-14
• Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a
• Luke 2:41-52
• Psalm 84

BULLETIN

SUNDAY WORSHIP

10:30 a.m. Live Stream

Sunday Services

on Youtube and Facebook

Repeat of Sunday services can be seen on GEUS Channel 34

Wednesdays

8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Parish Leadership Day 2025

9:30a.m. - 2:30p.m., January 25 at St. Matthew's Cathedral

Join us for Parish Leadership Day where we come together as a Diocese to share in our work and to learn from experts and each other. This event is scheduled for January 25 at St. Matthew's Cathedral, with doors opening at 8:45 a.m., and morning prayer beginning at 9:30 a.m, we provide lunch, and the day wraps up around 2:30 p.m. The Rt. Rev. Joseph Wandera, bishop of the Anglican Diocese in Mumias, Kenya will serve as homilist for morning prayer. The Keynote speaker is the Rev. Dr. Hannah Lucas Mirfield, who is the author of "Sensing the Sacred: Recovering a Mystagogical Vision of Knowledge and Salvation." 

The day's programming includes several breakout sessions of which folks can choose two to attend. The full list of workshops and registration information will be published soon. For more information contact Erica at elasenyik@eod.org

AROUND THE DIOCESE

BISHOP'S BLOG - JIMMY CARTER RIP

I remember, as a 21year-old youth worker at the Episcopal mission to the Arapaho in Ethete, Wyoming, hearing about the candidacy of Jimmy Carter for president. There was such excitement about a self-consciously Christian leader of moral integrity. Obviously his popularity, and so his stature as a political figure, declined in the subsequent years. (I do still think, however, that a legacy of Middle East peace, a balanced budget, and environmental awareness will age well).



But none of this is what I want to praise in this obituary blog. Carter suffered a humbling defeat in 1980. But it was what, by the grace of God, he did with defeat that was so remarkable. Peace envoy/ Habitat advocate/ leader in global health: he leveraged his prior station in a final career of diakonia. He has been called ‘the greatest ex-President’. Even his time in hospice became a witness for others. This one thing Jimmy Carter did is this, to forget what lay behind and to press on toward ‘the goal of the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 3:14). We are indebted to him for his example.

DIARY of a THEOLOGIAN - God Says Yes to Humankind - by Canon Victor Austin

CLASSES STARTING IN JANUARY AT THE STANTON CENTER

• Bowen Theology
• Evangelism Class
• Christian Ethics
• Homiletics