The Episcopal Church
of the Resurrection
1433 NW R.D. Mize Road, Blue Springs, MO
Weekly e-mail
Saturday, August 14, 2021
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday, August 15, 2021

Holy Eucharist Rite I at 8:00 am
Holy Eucharist Rite II at 10:30 am



Server Schedule (Please check website for updates)


Capital Campaign for Narthex Addition
PLEDGES DUE BY SEPT. 1

Senior Warden Bill Carle presented the results of Resurrection's Feasibility Study for an addition to the Narthex along with the construction of a lift and renovated stairway on Sunday June 27. The presentation may be viewed using this link.

The Feasibility Study indicated strong support for the expansion of the Narthex but a need for much more financial support in order to proceed with the project.

Based on feedback from the congregation, the Vestry authorized a formal Capital Campaign to determine if enough funds can be raised to complete the project. A mailing with the project description and pledge cards was distributed to parishioners and friends of the parish this week. Information about the project can also be found on our website, including the ability to make a pledge on-line. Click Here.

Pledges are due by September 1. Based on commitments received, the Vestry will make a determination whether to move forward with construction.
Every Friday at 7:00 pm at Church
ALTERNATING BINGO, GAMES AND MOVIES

Bring a snack to share and beverages will be provided. Invite friends and family to enjoy the evening together!  
Attend National Grand Ultreya
HOSTED BY EPISCOPAL CURSILLO MINISTRY
 
August 21, 2021
1:00 p.m. EST
 
The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry will give the opening address.
 
This meeting will be on Zoom. Pre-registration required at:
On deck for August - mark your calendars!
UPCOMING DATES

8/17 Tuesday: 1:00 pm Book Club
8/19 Thursday: 11:30 am Lunch Bunch at Los Cabos by Bass Pro in Independence
8/22 Sunday: 10:30 am Harmony Handful and blessing of backpacks; Ice Cream Social following
Bible Study Wednesdays at 1:00 pm
STUDYING THE BOOK OF GENESIS

Please join us every Wednesday afternoon for Bible Study from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm. Our focus is the book of Genesis and includes a program guide called “Engaging God’s Word”. All are welcome to attend any and all sessions..
Returning to in-person worship
SAFETY PREVAILS

Precautions: Welcome back to all who are returning to in-person worship. The remnant of safety prevails with considerations for wearing masks, using hand sanitizer and washing of hands for those who have concerns while being in closer proximity to others. We encourage all to be vaccinated and ask that appropriate pandemic precautions to be taken if you are not. 

With the rise of the Delta Variant and a significant number of people yet unvaccinated, please wear a mask. 

Attendance and Prayer Request pages are still in place on the table in the narthex. Please check off your names on the spreadsheet. As we are still technically following pandemic guidelines it is important to have accurate means of documentation and communication should an exposure be identified. The Register for Visitors is also back on the table for those attending.

Communion will be served in the traditional manner with bread from the priest and wine from the chalice for those who desire to do so. The “hour-glass” packet of bread and wine will still be readily available for any one still not ready for the common cup. To indicate how you would like to receive communion please use your hands in the following manner:

• Palms up to receive bread as in the traditional manner
• Palms down to receive “gluten free” bread
• With your fingers chose the “hour glass” with bread and wine
• Cross your chest with your arms to receive a blessing only

  • Please note that receiving communion of ONE kind (bread or wine) represents FULL communion in the Episcopal tradition.
  • Intinction (dipping the wafer in the chalice) is NOT preferred as it raises concerns for cross-contamination.

The communion rail will once again be available for those who choose to kneel to receive the sacraments and standing to receive is also appropriate.

Offering Plates return. Ushers will move throughout the nave during the offertory to collect offerings. Alms basins will once again be used to collect the offerings on Sundays and other services. Thank you for your gifts.

Fellowship returns to gathering in the Undercroft for reception and conversation following services. The monthly breakfast is still on hold as we reconsider how to safely re-establish this fellowship. Our hospitality ministry will need support for those willing to contribute to Sunday fellowship after both services. Please contact Janeece Buckner and/or Janet Woodward if you can participate in this ministry and sign up on the bulletin board in the narthex.
The "I am" statements by Christ
FROM FATHER DAVID

As we continue to hear from the Gospel of John in our Sunday scriptures, read more about the seven “I am” statements made by Christ. Perhaps you will recognize one of those statements from the sanctuary window behind the altar.

Please enjoy this written study from Jack Kelly at gracethroughfaith.com

1. The Bread Of Life
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)
Jesus had recently fed the 5000. Incredibly some were still asking for a miraculous sign to help them believe He was who He claimed to be. They brought up the manna their forefathers had eaten in the wilderness (Exodus 16:13-18), and that established the context for this statement.  I believe Jesus was saying the manna was meant to be a model of the Messiah. Whoever partakes of Him will never again know spiritual hunger. Like the manna, everyone who seeks Him will find Him (Matt. 7:7-8), but each of us has to find Him for ourselves. No one else can receive Him for us, nor can we receive Him for anyone else. We all get an amount sufficient for our salvation. No one is lacking, none of Him is wasted.
As for our thirst, remember how Jesus told the woman at the well that the water He offered would cure her thirst forever. Pointing to Jacob’s well, before which they were standing, He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
And then on the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. (John 7:37-39)
The Psalmist wrote, As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. (Psalm 42:1) In Jesus, our spiritual hunger is satisfied, and our spiritual thirst is quenched. Once we have the Holy Spirit, our search for spiritual fulfillment comes to an end, and we never need any other sustenance. The God-shaped hole in our heart is finally filled.

2. The Light Of The World
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Literally, this means that those who join Jesus as one of His followers will not be ignorant of spiritual matters but will have the power of understanding especially of the spiritual truth that brings eternal life. When we take the time to learn and apply these truths in faith, we discover that the old adage is true. Whatever the spiritual question, Jesus is the answer.
Are you feeling downtrodden or discouraged? Overcome by the worries of life?
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:4-7, 19).
Do you carry a burden of guilt because of your sins?
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
Do you have money problems?
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38). “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Cor. 9:11)
Or health problems?
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:14-16).
I’ll say it again. Whatever the spiritual question, Jesus is the answer.

3. The Gate
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. (John 10:9)
This is a reference to the Kingdom and recalls the words of  Psalm 23:2, “He makes me lie down in green pasture.” Salvation is found through Jesus, He is the gate to the Kingdom, and no one can enter except through Him (John 3:3, John 14:6). Having entered through Him, we will have the freedom to come and go as we please, dwelling in a state of peace in the midst of plenty. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).

4. The Good Shepherd
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
No one expects sheep to be responsible for themselves. Owners hire shepherds for that purpose. A shepherd’s job is to accept responsibility for the safety and well-being of his flock. Most shepherds only take that to the point where it would threaten their personal safety, rightly deciding that their life is worth more than that of a sheep. A few would be willing to risk their lives to protect their sheep, but our Shepherd knowingly and willingly died to save us, because there was no other way.

5. The Resurrection And The Life
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)
This is an amazing statement. The Lord had already said that whoever believes in Him would not perish but would have eternal life (John 3:16). Here he provided more detail, saying that even though a believer experiences physical death, he will still have life. He was referring to the resurrection of those who die in faith. And then He said there would be some would never die, but would pass from this life directly into the next one. If we didn’t already know about the rapture, we wouldn’t see this, but since we do we can understand that He was talking about that one generation who will be alive when He comes for the Church, and will receive eternal life without dying first. And once again the Lord confirmed that the single qualification for eternal life is to believe that His death paid the entire price for our sins.

6. The Way, The Truth, And The Life
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
There is no other way into the presence of God than by accepting the Lord’s death as payment in full for our sins. As Peter said, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Jesus is the only remedy God has provided for man’s sin problem. He is the only way to eternal life. This is the truth of God’s Word.

7. The Vine
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
It’s important to understand that salvation is not a fruit bearing event, so in this statement, Jesus was talking about our life after we’re saved. Of course, a non-believer cannot bear fruit, and even after we are saved, believers are not automatically fruitful. But if we yield our life to Him, (Romans 12:1-2) and respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit He sent to guide us (John 14:26) we can bear much fruit.
If not, our lives will be unfruitful, because without Him we can do nothing of spiritual value. We’ll still be saved, but we’ll be of no more use to the work of the Kingdom than the unfruitful branches the gardener discards at pruning time. Paul confirmed this in 1 Cor 3:12-15. The unfruitful believer will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Fruitfulness is not a matter of success or failure from a worldly standpoint. It’s a matter of motive. Many of us will see some of our greatest accomplishments burn in the fires of judgment because we achieved them with wrong motives, like self-satisfaction, or recognition from others, or even a desire to “make points” with God. Only those things that are prompted by the Holy Spirit and where our only motive is gratitude for all we’ve been given will survive. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. (1 Cor. 4:5)

In summary, let’s put each of these seven “I am” statements in capsule form.
  • Statement 1 tells us that Jesus is the One who spiritually sustains us.
  • In statement 2 we learn that through Him we gain spiritual understanding and wisdom for living.
  • Statement 3 explains that He has given us free and unlimited access to His Kingdom.
  • Statement 4 shows how He did this by paying our entrance fee with His life
  • In statement 5 we learn that whether we die before the rapture or are taken live in it, He has guaranteed our eternal life with God.
  • Statement 6 explains that He is the only one who can do this for us, and
  • Statement 7 reveals that for the balance of our life on Earth, the things we do in His strength, out of gratitude for what He’s done for us, are the only things that matter.

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Please volunteer!
CALL DIANE GERLACH TO SERVE AS A LECTOR OR EUCHARISTIC MINISTER

We need lectors and eucharistic ministers. Please call Diane Gerlach at 816-896-2875.
CONTACT LISA TWITTY TO ACOLYTE

If you want to serve as an acolyte, please contact Lisa Twitty at 913-485-7150.
SEE ANNIE SCOTT TO HELP WITH UPLIFT

We need volunteers for a once a month commitment for about 3 hours to help with preparing a meal for Uplift. Meal prep usually starts about 10:30 am and is finished by 1:30 pm.  
CONTACT JOHN BIGGS TO BE AN USHER

We also need ushers for both the 8:00 and 10:30 am services.

Ushers no longer provide security, which will be handled separately. Please contact John Biggs to volunteer.