The LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.
I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.
2 Samuel 7:11-13
You are the household of God, built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a
dwelling place for God.
Ephesians 2: 19-22
8:00 AM - Holy Eucharist Rite I
9:30 AM - Holy Eucharist Rite II with Music
The Bulletin for the Pentecost 9 is available HERE.
Bishop Hughes on faithful responses to the Trump rally shooting
"Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." (BCP p 100)
Dear Companions in Faith,
The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was a shock to all of us. The country and the world have been appalled and saddened that political life in the United States has become characterized by violence.
The first days after a violent act are a critical time for law enforcement agencies to develop a more complete picture of any incident. Gathering evidence takes time and is crucial to prosecution and prevention. Meanwhile, others have used this time to spread misinformation and deliver hurt and blame, all the while fueling a dangerous situation.
This circumstance is intolerable. Our current political life endangers politicians, their families, their staffs, and average Americans caught in the crossfire. We reject this violence, but what are we to do?
Start where you are. Remember that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ and being a disciple shapes your responses:
Pray for healing for former President Trump, and those hurt during the attempt.
Pray for the participant who died and his family.
Decide to be a voice for unity and common good. Look for the ways God guides you to bring peace and unity in your own community.
Refuse to blame or denigrate those you disagree with. Learn how to be in conversation across differences. Take the Civil Discourse Online Training being offered next month. Click here to register.
Speak often about your hope for a violence-free election season.
Renew your efforts to reduce gun violence.
Speak openly about your faith and how it leads you to proclaim God’s love.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to see Christ in every member of humankind, and to treat everyone as precious in God's sight. Our lives are guided and governed by a loving God who is always near to us. With God's help, each of us can transform this election season into a time of unity and hope for the future. We are not alone, nor are we helpless. We are ever walking in God's sight.
Grace and peace,
Bishop Hughes
Photos from Mission Trip
Seven of us returned this past Saturday from a week long mission trip co-ordinated by group missions in Erie, PA. There were 170 youth from 13 churches from 9 states.
We were divided into 29 work crews working at 26 job sites in Erie & Northeast (the town, not the direction), PA and Ripley, NY. The work varied from rebuilding decks and stairs, accessibility ramps, front steps, skirting, painting and staining, clean-up and weeding. Below are BEFORE & AFTER photos from just one example.
All the work was fully completed. Each day began and ended with worship devotion and at lunch midday devotions were held in our work crews. After evening worship, singing and dance we had a nightly chance to meet in our youth groups to catch up and close the day with a prayer and then onto some games. There were some pretty competitive rounds of Rummy in the cafeteria and Knockout on the basketball court.
On Wednesday, our youth groups had a half day together and we from St. Peter's managed to go bowling, take a swim in Lake Erie and eat dinner on the lake shore.
We had a great trip. The kids we met were wonderful and we made many happy memories. And guess what? They want to go back next year!!
Liz and I, Alexandra, Tommy, Stephanie and Matthew are headed Down Under. We will have a few days in Sydney, a week in the Gold Coast with my sister and her family and a week at home with Mom and Dad in Darwin. God willing, I will be back in the parish on Monday, August 12.
In the case of any pastoral emergency please contact Rev. Deacon Nancy Hansen. In the meantime...G'day mates!
Sunday Schedule over the next few weeks
Sunday, July 28 - Liturgy of the Word with Communion - Presider & Preacher: The Rev. Deacon Nancy Hansen.
Sunday, August 4 - Holy Eucharist - Presider & Preacher: The Rev. Geoff Curtiss (See announcement below)
Sunday, August 11 - Holy Eucharist - Presider: The Rev. Geoff Curtiss; Preacher: Peeka Trenkle
The Rev. Geoff Curtiss, retired priest from the Diocese of Newark, will be joining us again this summer on two Sundays in August. Recently he has been working on the issue of Human Rights with two Episcopal based organizations. He currently serves as VP on the Board of Cristosal. Cristosal, for the last 20 years, has served the most vulnerable communities by defending human rights and contributing to long lasting positive social change in northern Central America. The second organization is FOSNA (Friends of Sabeel North America) he is a member of the organizing committee for New Jersey. We recently hosted a four day event with Jonathan Kuttab and are planning one with Rev. Dr. Munther Issac, a Lutheran Pastor from Bethlehem in mid-August. Geoff would be interested in meeting with interested people talking about human rights concerns in the Diocese of Jerusalem and in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala between the two services over coffee.
News from the Wider Church
Hear from our Diocese's General Convention Deputies
Near the end of the 81st General Convention in Louisville, KY, five deputies representing the Diocese of Newark shared their experiences and reflections. (Time: 4:56)
One of the 5 sharing their reflections is our friend, The Rev. George Dredden.