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April | 2007
When Worship
I’ll bet you didn’t know this. It’s kind of interesting. On any given Sunday, approximately 40% of a congregation’s members attend worship. 40%. Less than half. Wow. Kind of sad, isn’t it? Now, you and I know there’s all sorts of ways to manipulate the numbers to change that figure, but it gets at a basic fact. We don’t attend worship every Sunday any more. If the 40% figure is even close to accurate, we’re only talking about every other week, twenty-six times a year. And let’s face it, it’s not like this is news for Episcopalians. We’re the people who believe even God takes vacation during the Summer. After all, the canonical minimum standard for a communicant in good standing is attendance at principal worship three times a year. Three! If that’s not ridiculous, I don’t know what is. Of course, there’s two clear ways in which to view this forty percent. We can stare out over the congregation on Sunday morning, noting who is absent (You do realize, don’t you, that by sitting in the same place each week you alert me to your presence, or lack thereof?) and wondering why. Or we can gaze over the gathered body and give thanks for those present, regardless of the reason. I used to think if we made worship good enough people would come. Good preaching, effective liturgy, attractive music. Well, I’ve done all that, here and in other places, and I no longer believe that to be true. Now I think worship attendance has mainly to do with what I wrote in last month’s article. We worship in response to what God has done and is doing in our lives. The simple reality of our world is that we make time only for that which is important to us. We have allowed ourselves to become so busy that we no longer have time for the superfluous. Thus, when we do not or can not discern the active presence of God in our lives we are less likely to attend worship. The question revolves not around God’s presence. God is present, more real and essential than the air we breathe. God’s mercy presses upon us like gravity. God’s grace washes over us as continually as the waves breaking upon a beach. God’s love flows through us in our very blood. No, the question is not God. The question lies within us. Our ability to notice God’s action and presence. How do we do this? How do we live as those who have eyes to see and ears to hear? Well, there’s a bunch of ways, but I’ll give you three. Bible. Prayer. Community. When we spend time in and with God’s Word, we learn more readily who God is and how God acts. The image we gain of God in His Word allows and enables us to recognize him more clearly in the world about us, and in our own lives. When we spend time with God in prayer, not just speaking but listening, we again learn more fully who God is. We also give ourselves the chance to ask God to reveal Himself to us, and more importantly, to open our eyes to see His revelation. When we live in community, instead of our societally self-imposed isolation, we gain further opportunities to recognize God’s work. It is sometimes, if not often, easier to see things in the lives of others than it is in our own. We also gain surety that God is at work, because we can touch it in the skin of another. Easter is right around the corner. One of the two times a year when everyone and his mother’s dog comes to church. The challenge I offer you is not to come to Church on Easter. The challenge is to look for Easter on other days, in other ways, in your life. Reach for resurrection, find the forgiveness, examine the empty tomb. And when you do – and you will, it’s already there – when you see God, come and worship. ~Father Jay
Honduras & World Missions BBQ and Auctions a Big Success...
Thank you St. Andrew’s for all of the hard work, support, and prayers for this year’s Honduras & World Missions fundraising event! The coliseum was packed full, and the people from our community and the surrounding area really came out and supported the mission. Net proceeds from the event so far are over $21,500! We have seen God’s hand in the missionary work that has been done in the past, and we trust that God will expand His work in future mission trips. Many opportunities to serve in this ministry are available. Our hope is that you will consider joining our team in a very meaningful way to serve the Lord. If you have questions about becoming a member of the Outreach Committee, call Geri Donegan (303-5212) or Angie de los Santos (303-2922). From all of the Honduras & World Missions Team, thank you, and God bless you! ~Geri Donegan, Communication Coordinator
Special Thanks
Kudos to all of you for presenting a community-wide event to benefit our missions program! Thanks to your commitment and hard work, we hosted several hundred attendants at the coliseum, served a delicious meal, offered great items for the live and silent auctions, and raised enough funds to purchase needed supplies for the Manos, Medical/Dental, and Veterinary and Public Health Teams. Special thanks to Kelly Yoemans, Cristin Ledbetter, Dennis Lynn, Mark Keddal, Marty and Donnie Keil, Anne and Frank Galaway, Scott and Karen Hahn, Henry and Joan Moore, Geri Donegan, Lynn and Bill Campaigne, and Rebecca Van Buren for their leadership. To the church of St. Andrew’s, thank you for cooking, slicing, serving, writing, typing, selling, printing, stapling, and most of all...for the encouragement.
The View From Here
I think I’ve been a collector my whole life. My mother used to call me a packrat, but really, what kind of person could part with a whole box full of interesting rocks, or a whole cabinet full of old stamps? As I’ve gotten older, I’m still a collector, but the nature of the kinds of thing I collect has changed. In fact, some of my most cherished collections are actually intangible—which is great, because they take up no space and never collect dust. For example, I collect beautiful views. There’s no photo album or scrapbook filled with snapshots that I can show you. But at any given time, I can call to mind a triple rainbow over Colorado’s Estes Valley, or an old metal barn rising out of a thick fog in a field of green, or the sun setting on the Guadalupe River where I grew up. One of the things I love about living in the country, on a hill, is that I have beautiful views in every direction. From one spot, I can see all the lights of town twinkling on the horizon every night. From another, I can look over a huge tank where cattle graze peacefully every morning. But there is one view I love the best. There is a spot along our back fence line, and almost every day, my walk takes me past it; and every time, I have to stop and lean into the fence and just look beyond, across an open meadow that falls and then rises into distant hills. Whenever I pass that spot, I wish the fence would go away and I could just keep walking out into that amazing view. There are places in the world where people feel closer to God, and this, for me, is one of those places. A wave of gratitude washes over me when I stand there, and if I am still enough, I can see and hear God all around, in the wind rustling the leaves, in the sweetness of newly-bloomed agarita blossoms, in the beauty of creation. A few days ago, I was standing in this spot, holding onto the fence and gazing at this view. I closed my eyes for just a moment to listen, and was surprised at what I heard. Two words. Two words, as clear as day, like a gentle whisper in my ears. “Turn around.” So I turned my back to the beautiful far-off expanse, and was pleasantly surprised by another view. The mesquites and post oaks were touched on every branch with that shade of new green that only comes in the spring. White, yellow and purple wildflowers were sprinkled across the grassy ground. It was every bit as beautiful as the distant view I’ve admired day after day, but with one important difference: I could keep walking. This was my side of the fence. I could walk right into the beauty of holiness. Think of all of the times in life when we are so busy focusing off into the beyond of what we can’t have, what we don’t possess, what we wish we’d accomplish, that we forget to stop, turn around, and see the astounding beauty of the life God has for us right here, right now. If we could really understand the enormity of that blessing, it would be overwhelming. Stunning. And far more satisfying than all of the out-of-reach things we’ve fooled ourselves into believing we need in order to be happy. Abundant life is attainable. God is right here. I’m going to keep my collection of beautiful views. But finally understanding the miracle of what lies right here in my midst, in my home, in my hands… That is the sight that takes my breath away. ~Tracy Aubin, Editor
Easter Lilies As many of you know, the Easter Lilies that adorn our church every year are given by members of our parish family. There is an added dimension of meaning in the flowers, because they are given not only to celebrate on this, the most joyous day of the year, but also in thanksgiving for our blessings and in memory of our loved ones. If you would like to donate altar flowers or Easter Lilies this year, call the church office at 372-4330. Altar flowers are $25, and Lilies are $12.50. Be sure to specify what or whom you wish to honor with the flowers. But get your requests in quickly—time is running out!
Say Hello to Our New Children’s/Program Minister! Next time you stop by St. Andrew’s, be sure to give a big welcome to our new Children’s/Program Minister—our own Lesli Herzog! Lesli officially joins the staff April 1st, and will divide her time between developing Children’s Ministry and wrangling the details of all other programs and events. It’s a huge job...and Lesli is the perfect person to tackle it!
Food for Thought (a prayer to start your day) “The light of God surrounds me. The love of God enfolds me. The power of God protects me. The presence of God watches over me. Wherever I am, God is.” (James Dillet Freeman)
Holy Week Service Schedule Sunday, April 1st Palm Sunday 8:00
& 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 6th Good Friday Service noon Stations of the Cross 4:00 p.m. Sunday, April 8th Easter Sunday 8:00 a.m.—Rite I in the Chapel 9:15 a.m.—Rite II in the Church 11:00 a.m.—Rite II in the Church
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