I realize that we are now somewhat removed from Easter but I hope that it is not too late to thank all those who had a hand in making the celebration of Holy Week and Easter wonderful. Becky Hunt and the Altar Guild did a marvelous job preparing the sanctuary for each celebration. There are, of course, hours of behind the scenes preparation for the services. Thanks to each and every one of the Altar Guild for their participation. Secondly, thanks to Paula Blaha, Amy Crandell and the choir for their musical contributions all during Holy Week. Music is such a great part of our liturgical celebrations and the music has continued to improve over the years. I am grateful for all the time and effort that goes into practice and performance by our musical contributors. Our worship would not be what it is without them. Our Lay Readers and Ushers are also there to assist in our services and are rarely acknowledged. That's my fault. Finally, I'm sure that everyone knows that our worship aids do not simply appear out of nowhere. When we moved from West 9th and stopped using our Prayer Books and Hymnals, it became necessary to expand our handouts on Sunday to a full service program. Amy Crandell who was already doing pew sheets for the service stepped right in and made it possible for our worship to go on smoothly. This, too, takes a lot of time and effort and I am grateful to Amy for going above and beyond to make our service programs useful and usable.
Early in April, Bishop Iker sent a letter to Bishop Millsaps asking him to clarify his position on what the “unresolved issues” are between our parish and the EMC. As of this writing I know of no response that has been made. I appreciate the fact that Bishop Iker has taken the initiative to get this matter resolved and will let you know when I know something. Since Bishop Iker has taken the lead on this I believe that we should wait on his direction.
Thursday, May 14, is Ascension Day, a day of obligation on our liturgical calendar. I will celebrate the Holy Communion service at 12:00 noon on that day and all are encouraged to attend. Because of the great feasts that surround the Ascension, namely Easter and Pentecost, this feast doesn't get the attention it deserves. Jesus' ascension into heaven makes possible the sending of the Spirit and the birth of the church. It has also occurred to me over the years that the reunion of the Father and the Son must have been an extraordinary affair. I don't suppose that we can comprehend what it was like for Jesus to return to His Father or even comprehend the real significance of it. But the church celebrates it so that we can at least meditate on yet another mystery of our faith.
On Sunday, April 19, almost half of the congregation was still in the hospitality area at 11:00 am when the service was due to begin. Please try to watch the time so that we are all ready to begin the service together.
The younger class will begin its final unit of the Sunday school year, titled
In The Spirit. The Bible verse for this unit is Micah 3:8: "
But me! I am filled with power, with the spirit of the Lord." This unit is all about the Holy Spirit. The teacher's guide provides this description:
The Holy Spirit is the source of all of our diverse gifts - the gift of understanding, the gift of wisdom, the gift of teaching, the gift of knowledge, the gift of healing, the gift of prophecy, the gift of performing miracles, the gift of understanding. These gifts come from God and are to be used for the betterment of the Christian community.
Spiritual gifts are special abilities given by the Holy Spirit to help Christians grow stronger in their relationship with God. In this session, the kids will discover the various kinds of spiritual gifts that are given by God when a person is filled with the Holy Spirit. They will also understand that they are called to use these gifts to serve God and to serve their fellow human beings.
This unit will conclude on Trinity Sunday, May 31st, and this will be the last Sunday School class before we take a break for the summer. We will resume classes on September 6th.
Doug and I have loved teaching your kids this year! They have learned a lot and gotten along wonderfully and we hope have had some fun. Looking forward to next fall!!
Anglicans for Life
Phoebe Hughes
In April, Anglicans for Life was delighted to present a check for $400.00 to The Austin Pregnancy Resource Center to help cover the cost of much needed computers. We continue to collect diapers for them, sizes 3, 4 &5, and are happy for contributions from anyone interested in helping.
We will have our next meeting on Sunday, May 17, after the 11:00 service. All are welcome.
National Day of Prayer, May 7
http://nationaldayofprayer.org/
The 64th annual National Day of Prayer, May 7, 2015, will have profound significance for our country. It is an unprecedented opportunity to see the Lord's healing and renewing power made manifest as we call on citizens to humbly come before His throne.
The theme for 2015 is
Lord, Hear Our Cry, emphasizing the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to place their faith in the unfailing character of their Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities, and men. To further highlight our theme, I Kings 8:28 has been selected as the Scripture for this year: “
Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.”
For the May 7th observances, Dr. Jack Graham, the 2015 Honorary Chairman, wrote a special prayer to be simultaneously read throughout the nation at noon (EDT).
Heavenly Father, We come to You in the Name that is above every name—Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our hearts cry out to You. Knowing that You are a prayer-answering, faithful God—the One we trust in times like these—we ask that You renew our spirits, revive our churches, and heal our land. We repent of our sins and ask for Your grace and power to save us. Hear our cry, oh God, and pour out Your Spirit upon us that we may walk in obedience to Your Word. We are desperate for Your tender mercies. We are broken and humbled before You. Forgive us, and in the power of Your great love, lift us up to live in Your righteousness. We pray for our beloved nation. May we repent and return to You and be a light to the nations. And we pray for our leaders and ask that You give them wisdom and faith to follow You. Preserve and protect us, for You are our refuge and only hope. Deliver us from all fears except to fear You, and may we courageously stand in the Truth that sets us free. We pray with expectant faith and grateful hearts. In Jesus' name, our Savior. Amen.
This recitation will create a huge wave of prayer, flowing from one coast to the other, illustrating the unity of God's people and acknowledging His dominion over the circumstances facing us. Millions of people will gather to pray at thousands of events facilitated by our volunteer coordinators and people just like you! We hope you'll join with our staff again as we seek to bring more communities than ever before together in prayer.
There are prayer events around the Austin area on May 7:
Noon on Capitol South Steps
- Praise and Prayer begins at 11:45. Public invited
Cedar Park National Day of Prayer Ceremony
- 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
- Place: Cedar Park Police Station
- 911 Quest Pkwy Cedar Park, TX 78613
Georgetown 24th Annual National Day of Prayer Event
- 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
- Georgetown High School Football Stadium, 2275 N. Austin Ave, Georgetown, TX 78628
Leander Prayer Breakfast
- 6:45 to 8:00 a.m.
- Leander Police Department The event will be held in the parking lot in front of the new Leander Police Department building.
Round Rock City Wide NDP celebration
- Noon until 1pm.
- Texas Baptist Children's Home and Chapel
Seven Centers of Prayer for the National Day of Prayer
http://www.ndpaustin.org/
Use this prayer guide for your own personal prayers:
GOVERNMENT - "When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice." 1 Kings 3:28
· Government officials to recognize God's authority and rely on Him for wisdom (James 1:5)
· Our country to stand strong on the principles of our Founding Fathers (1Corinthians 3:11)
· Our leaders to make wise decisions rather than succumbing to special interest groups (Luke 22:2)
· Righteous judges and judgments in every court (Isaiah 1:26)
· Our upcoming elections (1 Timothy 1:1-4)
· Our Officials, Cabinet Members, Supreme Court Justices, State and Local Officials
MILITARY - "He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them ...and encouraged them with these words: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of the flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles." (2 Chronicles 32:6-8)
· Courage and dependence on God (Psalm 91)
· Perseverance to endure hardship (Isaiah 43:2)
· Divine protection from the enemy (Romans 5:1-5)
· Wise leaders who inspire respect from those under their command (Romans 13:1)
· Confidence and vision to persist in the face of negative publicity (Psalm 18:31-29
· Protection and support for the families they have left behind (Romans 1:8-10)
· Chaplains who are divinely appointed to deliver hope and spiritual strength (Proverbs 4:11)
MEDIA - "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is
right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)
· The decision makers within the media to realize they can make profit by producing family-friendly projects (Proverbs 8:10-1)
· Christians in media to find favor and be filled with creative ideas that bring kingdom principles and life-giving messages to the public (Proverbs 2:1-15)
· Celebrities to be provided with repeated opportunities to hear and receive salvation (Proverbs 8:35)
· All media personnel would report what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable as well as the hard news with truth and honor.
BUSINESS - "I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him
great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working." (Exodus 31:3-4)
· Integrity among Christian workers so that they win the right to be heard (1 Chronicles 29:17)
· Impartation of ideas and resources to open principled businesses, especially in areas that need an economic boost (Psalm 131:15)
· Christian workers to display Christ-like humility and service to the co-workers (Philippians 2:3).
· Leaders and business owners will plan no evil and do no evil that our nation's economy might be viable and strong. That every Christian leader in America would do business God's way.
EDUCATION - "and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will
understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 1:9)
· A return to truth and Judeo-Christian ethics (Psalm 1:1-2)
· A safe atmosphere conducive to learning
· Excellence in educators (Exodus 18:30-21)
· Equal opportunities for every student o achieve their full potential (Philippians 1:9)
CHURCH - "So then just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy. which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." (Colossians 2:6-8)
· The church would find a new zeal and commitment to the mission and purpose of Jesus Christ (Matt 22:37)
· Unity with and among churches that reveals God's love to the world (John 17:23)
· A return to the absolutes of God's Word (Psalm 1:1-3)
· Integrity - that God's people look and act differently than the world (1 Peter 2:11; 1 Corinthians 12:6)
· A holy fear of the Lord released in the heart of God's people (Proverbs 9:10)
FAMILY - "If a house is divided against itself, that
house cannot stand." (Mark 3:25)
· Unity and love in individual family units that reaches out in hospitality toward others (Romans 12:9-13)
· The re-establishment of relationships between parents and children (Malachi 4:5-6)
· A return to family values that serve the nation as a whole (Job 22:21-22)
· A return to the biblical mandate to train their children at home in the fear of the Lord and not leave the responsibility to others. (Proverbs 22:6)
Psalm 33:22 "May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."
May Birthdays
1 Amy Crandell
4 Cathy Stevenson
9 Mark Stevenson
10 Michael Presley
May Anniversaries
7 Dwight and Julie Davis
15 Mark and Cathy Stevenson
21 Michael Adams and Kerry Manning
23 Chaille and Missy Bernard
28 Greg and Joy Smith
31 Keith and Gayle Harrell
Ben and Shirley Ellis
Calendar
Sundays
- 9:30 am, Holy Communion (said service)
- 9:30 am, Sunday school for Youth
- 10 am, Choir Practice
- 11 am, Holy Communion with music. On the first Sunday, this service is sung Morning Prayer with Holy Communion.
Tuesdays
- 12:00 pm Noon, Anglican Rosary
Thursdays
1st Friday, May 1
1st Saturday, May 2
2nd Monday, May 11
Ascension Day, Thursday, May 14
- 12 pm Noon, Holy Communion
3rd Sunday, May 17
- 12:30 pm, Anglicans for Life
3rd Thursday, May 21
- 12 pm, Noon, Mothers' Prayer Group
Sunday, May 24, Pentecost Party
5th Sunday, May 31
- 3:30 pm, Hymn sing at the Retirement and Nursing Center
Readings for Upcoming Services
5/3 4th Sunday after Easter
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 66:1-8
1 John 3:14-24
John 14:15-21
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5/10 5th Sunday after Easter
Acts 11:19-30
Psalm 33
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:9-17
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5/14 Ascension Day
Acts 1:1-11
Psalm 47
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:49-53
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5/17 Sunday after Ascension Day
Acts 1:15-26
Psalm 47
1 John 5:9-15
John 17:11b-19
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5/24 Pentecost
Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 104:25-37
1 Cor. 12:4-13
John 20:19-23
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5/31 Trinity Sunday
Exodus 3:1-6
Psalm 93
Romans 8:12-17
John 3:1-16
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