Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
July 12, 2020

Jan Brueghel the Elder , Harbour Scene with Christ Preaching
(London: National Gallery, 1597), oil on copper. Dimensions: 26.4 x 35.7 cm.

 COLLECT
O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving­kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 The readings may be found here .
Communion Hymns
Holy Ground (A3#117)

Step by Step (A3#154)





Recessional Hymn     

Rector's Update - July 10th
Greetings to the saints of St. Paul’s,

The summer heat makes it easier to stay home, and that makes worshipping online a little easier to take. We heard a lot of good points made about protecting physical health by physical distancing, and I appreciate the intent. I’d also propose that we need to consider other aspects of our health.

Physical health via exercise, sleep, and proper diet remain as important today as ever. Likewise, our mental health needs attention through social contact. Social media has its place, and so does making telephone calls to family and friends. Those who wait for someone else to call them may wait a long time. I am concerned about all those areas, and as the Rector, I’m also concerned about the spiritual well-being of parishioners. St. Bonaventure said, 'In the way of virtue, there is no standing still; anyone who does not daily advance, loses ground. To remain at a standstill is impossible; one who gains not, loses; one who ascends not, descends. If one does not ascend the ladder, one must descend; if one does not conquer, one will be conquered.'

While we’re in a time of not meeting physically, we have other ways to grow in our walk with Jesus. St. Paul’s offers interactive Noonday Prayer on Wednesday, and a Friday morning Bible study. Many free or low cost online courses are readily available (e.g. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org , http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mcgrath/ , http://peterkreeft.com / , https://gospelinlife.com/ ), not to mention the wealth of Christian writings. Those who want to grow spiritually during this time have more resources than ever before. Please avail yourself of some of these opportunities!

Remote Eucharist continues, and a couple parishioners are helping me to distribute the Eucharist to parishioners’ homes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please let me know by email if you’d like to receive the Holy Sacrament remotely. The best way to contact me is fathernickfunk@gmail.com .

Here’s St. Paul’s news for the week:
  • Our Sunday services are available live at 10:25 am (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCmlrRFxbQF7CSAnFS8H9FA) and Facebook (https://facebook.com/stpaulsepiscopalgreenville). Our recorded Sunday service is broadcast on the GEUS community Channel (Channel 34) on Wednesdays at 8 am and 6 pm. Previously recorded services may be accessed anytime on our Facebook and YouTube pages. The recorded sermons may be found on our website as MP3s.
  • The Parish office remains closed, but is checking voicemails and emails regularly.
  • The St. Paul’s Zoom Meeting may be found at https://zoom.us/j/9037772020. Our Meeting ID is: 903 777 2020. To call in, use one tap mobile: +13462487799,,9037772020# or to dial: +1 346 248 7799.
  • We are offering Noonday Prayer on Wednesdays at noon via a Zoom meeting, and upload it live if Zoom and Facebook work together (about 75% success rate).
  • Friday morning Bible Study continues at 8:00 via Zoom. We’re studying 1 Corinthians.

Peace,
Fr. Nick
A Morsel for Meditation
“None of us has the luxury of choosing our challenges. Fate and history provide them for us. Our job is to meet the tests we are presented.”
Fed Chairman Jay Powell, speaking at the Brookings Institution on April 9, 2020
 
“There is often more wisdom to be found at the edges of life than in its middle. Life-threatening illness may shuffle our values like a deck of cards. Sometimes a card that has been on the bottom of the deck for most of our lives turns out to be the top card, the thing that really matters. Having watched people sort their cards and play their hands in the presence of death for many years, I would say that rarely is the top card perfection, or possessions, or even pride. Most often the top card is love.”

Rachel Naomi Remen, My Grandfather’s Blessings
(New York: Riverhead Books, 2000), 280.

Giving

You can make your checks payable to "St. Paul's Episcopal Church" and mail them to:

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
8320 Jack Finney Blvd. 
Greenville, TX 75402
You can also make your donations at http://stpaulstx.org/giving/ to make a donation using your credit or debit card via PayPal or Tithe.ly.
Opportunity to Serve or Be Served
Needed Teachers & Office Workers
St. Paul's School is looking for afternoon teachers to work from 2-6pm
and office workers.

Please contact Chelsie at 903-455-8775
Hydrate Our Heroes

Police Officers are out on the streets working hard to protect the community and there are times when a major incident occurs and we have to ensure that they are hydrated. A new initiative we would like to start with your support is called Hydrating Our Heroes
Explore the Diocese
The Stanton Center for Ministry Formation
Equipping lay and ordained leaders to fulfill the baptismal call to ministry
  • Are you discerning a call to the diaconate, or to service as a lay minister? 
  • Are you already serving, but want to be better equipped to know, proclaim, and live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ? 
  • Do you want to go deeper as a disciple of Jesus and learn more about the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, the Anglican tradition, the Christian life, and more? 

Classes at the Stanton Center may be for you.  Continue Reading
Pray for the Church, the Body of Christ
Please pray for those on our prayer list this week:

Hospitalized, Rehab, Recovering at Home : CJ Cathey, Peggy Cole,
Dolores Miltenberger,
Dana Medford, Judy Shaddox

 Paula Reeves, Father Gordon,
J orn Jamieson, Chris Bynum,
Lily Stipe, Chris Wiltz,
Allen Clegg Sr., The Clegg Family, Jo Dodson, Elaine Hodge,
Beverly Gish, Mike Lavigne,
Faye Hamann, Dana Medford,
Bob Lanier, Alice Cooney,
Cyndi Sehr,
Wayne and Lillian McHenry,
Eileen Jenkins, Dru Ann Jamison,
 We also pray for our Daughters of the King Ministry as they bring their strength and service together by praying for friends and for the people.

You may add people to the list by filling out a DOK confidential prayer card and putting them in the blue box located in the Narthex.
Contact our church office to add a name to our prayer list: 903-455-5030. Names remain for one month unless renewed or canceled.
DOK PRAYER REQUESTS & BOX

The Daughters of the King support your prayer needs and wishes. Each Sunday a prayer team will be available to pray with you after the Worship Service in the choir area after the 10:30 service. If you would like additional information, please see a DOK member.

They also have a intercessory prayer box on the table in the Narthex to deposit prayer requests. Prayer request cards may be found in the pews and beside the box in the Narthex. Daughters pray daily. All prayers are confidential. Each person is prayed for one month. If you wish for continued prayers, please complete another request card or contact a Daughter.

You may call the church office (903-455-5030) and specify it is for the DOK intercessory prayer list. You can hand the card to a Daughter (she is always wearing her cross).
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