January 30, 2025

2025 Pledge Card

Help support All Angels by filling out, or renewing, your pledge card. 

All Angels is grateful for your support of God’s loving Church as it provides a sanctuary where all may worship in peace and tranquility.

Click here to access the Pledge Card through our website.

SUNDAY SERVICES

8:00 and 10:00 am

The flowers for Sunday, February 2nd

are given by Daphne Walker,

in loving memory of Bill Walker.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Last Sunday's Service

Sunday Sermon

If you would like to read Rev. Dave's recent sermon,

please click the link below:

Sermon: Water into Wine

FEBRUARY CELEBRATIONS

PRAYERS

We Pray for our People

Shed the light of your healing love on all who are sick in body, mind, or spirit. We pray for those with chronic illnesses, especially Downs IV, Holden, Victoria, Kim, Barbara, Maria Christine, Caitlin, Dennis, Angie, Amy Jo, Carling, Michael, Joan, and Alyssa. 

For the victims of wildfire, flood and wind, especially Denise and Joe.

Send your healing light and joy on those who receive the care of skilled nursing, especially Timothy, Barbara, Kim, and Lou. 

Send healing and peace to those going through cancer treatments, and those in remission, especially, Margaret, Downs III, Victoria, Alex, Connie, Douglas, Frank, Gerta, Lauren, TJ, Cara, Todd, Valerie, Violet, Joan, Nancy, George and Denise. 

Be near to all who are in Hospice care, especially CJ, Anne and Jeanne.

A BRIDGE BETWEEN ALEX AND DAVE

Podcast: A Bridge Between



Episode 111: Presented to God



Also available on Spotify:

Spotify: A Bridge Between

PARISH ACTIVITIES

Confirmation Classes

Confirmation Classes are starting soon If you are interested in seeking confirmation and learning about the Episcopal Church, please let Fr. Dave know. All are welcome.

Vestry Member Nominations

Vestry Member Nominations are now open. If you are interested in serving on our governing board, please see Barbara Pickrell or Fr. Dave. 

Dates to Remember 

Annual Meeting at Sarasota Yacht Club 

February 9, 2025  

11:30am immediately after the 10:00 church service.  

Sign up sheet on the Gallery table. 

Kaleidoscope 2

A musical journey from the Romantics to Today & Beyond

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

3:00pm

Featuring: The Peace That Follows by Dr. R. Michael Daugherty

with Tasha Robinson, Harp

Free Will Offering 

New to You Art Sale

New to You ART Sale - First Look on Sunday! 

Hours:

Mondays - Thursdays 9-1 (through February 27th)

Sunday 12-3

Saturday Feb.22 10-4

Sunday Feb. 23 12-4

We are now accepting your Old Art. Our February sale depends on donations from our parishioners, your friends, and your neighbors. We accept gifts of Art, Jewelry, Knick Knacks, Carvings, Statues and all forms of good old Art.

100% of sales will be donated to Turning Points in Bradenton., an amazing organization that helps people not become homeless. Drop off items to Linn or Nancy in the office.

Choir News

Chancel Choir rehearsals are on Thursdays at 10 am.

Handbell Choir rehearsals on Thursdays 11:15 am.

New members are always welcome! Please feel free to join us!

Men's and Women's Discussion Groups

Last week, I talked about how I think one of the meanings of life is learning how to manage transitions. Following that line of thought, Arthur Brooks wrote a piece about how major life changes happen on a regular basis - how we deal with them, however, is what can make all the difference. I'd like to know what you think. 

For those in person, I'll have the coffee ready. For those on Zoom, here's the link: https://zoom.us/j/5955701807

To read the article, click the link below:

The Regularity of Major Life Changes

Coffee Hour Hosts Needed

One of the most important things we do is gather after the service for coffee hour. If you are interested in hosting, the sign up sheet is on the Gallery table. If you would like help, sign up and we will find someone to show you how it is done. 

Online Giving

If you would like to give to the offering plate electronically, you can find the online giving link on our All Angels website by clicking the link below:

AllAngelsLBK.org

Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer invites you to pray with them, every day, at 8 am, wherever you are. When you enter into prayer at 8 am (Eastern), you will know that others are praying at the same time. 

REFLECTION

To Be Seen

A VA chaplain I worked with, named David, went to Vietnam in 1969. He returned home without sight. His disability led him to see his call to ordination. Speaking in his thoughtful Alabama drawl, he said, “It was hard for me, a blind man, to be ordained. I can’t see the altar, the Bible, or even if my clothes match. But the hardest part was how others judged me for being blind. They’d say, ‘If Jesus wanted you to be a priest, why hasn’t he restored your vision.’ I’d tell them this: I can see a lot more as a blind man, spiritually speaking, than you can with your eyesight.” David can sense the presence of angels and the Spirit. After a while, he could identify us chaplains by the “sight” of our guardian angels.

American culture sees illness and disability as a biological problem to be solved. Unfortunately, this belief has pervaded organized religion. But that’s not how Jesus saw healing. To him and his community, healing was first and foremost about restoring relationships. Occasionally, the restoring of relationships would include a biological phenomenon (miracle).

Take for example the paralytic man whose friends broke open the ceiling of a house in which Jesus was teaching. They lowered the man down so he could be seen. Jesus smiled, and said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven!” Many people back then did not have the dignity and respect to look at, or talk to, a disabled person. But Jesus did. Sin, in this case, was a fracturing of relationships. Jesus restored/healed him because he saw him – and so did everyone else. Yet today, whether consciously or not, many have taken that passage to mean it is a sin to be disabled (and to remain in that so-called condition).

Rabbi Kushner, author of the book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, wrote that when his young son died from progeria (a degenerative disease), many thought that the rabbi was not suited to be a religious leader because God did not heal his son. Kushner instead believed that God provides solace to those who have illness and those who suffer. God sees us even when bad things happen and, because we are seen, God will help us through bad times. Seeing is God’s healing and restorative act which brings love, community and belonging.

We all have spiritual gifts. We have impairments too. David’s was more obvious than others, but we all have them. Jesus doesn’t see us as our impairments. He asked this question numerous times: What can I do for you? One day, he said it to two men who were blind. People laughed – wasn’t it obvious what they wanted? No, not to Jesus. He sees us for who we are; not for what we are unequipped to do.

Eyesight, hearing, taste, and all sorts of other abilities tend to diminish over one’s lifetime. It’s accelerated because of overuse or disuse, injury and disease. Yet, that’s not how God sees us. We are seen as God’s children. All of us. For my friend David, who has the ability to see into God’s kingdom on earth, he has been restored and healed to those who originally thought poorly of him. They now see him for who he is. May we all take a moment to look at each other in the same way. 



- Fr. Dave