October 28, 2012

 Good morning and welcome to St. Mary’s Church

Many thanks to all who contributed to the clergy Discretionary Fund at last Saturday’s Un-birthday party for Jim White. $622.00 was raised.  This will help immensely but the need is ever with us to help on an emergency level those in need. If you are so inclined, donations will still be accepted.

The vestry will meet for its monthly meeting at noon after the 10:am service, All are welcome.

Final space discussions Sunday Nov. 4, after the 10: am service. The response was so helpful on Oct 7, it was felt we wanted to include a few more voices, so in the undercroft during coffee hour. Please join us!

In Search of Sunday Saints. We are in need of forming a proper AltarGuild to help in preparing the Sanctuary for Sunday Services and in the maintenance of the Church’s liturgical property. If you are interested in helping, please see Father Tom. We also need more lay liturgical assistants.  Again, if interested see Father Tom.

 The Feast of All Saints will be celebrated on Sunday November 4th,after both 8:am and 10:am services. This traditionally is a time when we remember the Saints who have already enter the kingdom. We will acknowledge all those who have preceded us, in that days bulletin, and all those who have passed into the nearer presence of the Lord in the last year in the liturgy itself.

If you would like someone remembered please fill in the form below and give it to Father Tom.

Bulletin announcements: If you need an announcement listed in the bulletin for the next Sunday, please email Gwen at allowances1@gmail.com by 5: pm Wednesday.

  All Saints Sunday November 4th, 2012

Those who have died in 2012,________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Those who have died in previous years. _____________________________________________________________

 

Commentary on the Readings by Arthur Cash

First Reading: Job 42: 1- 6, 10 – 17

     In today’s reading, we have Job’s reply to God, who has been screaming at him for three chapters. Look at what I am and have done! God has been saying. Who do you think you are! Job’s reply is heart-breaking. Like a tragic hero, he has persisted in saying the truth, that God has been unjust. His miserable “comforters” present every man-made argument that he is wrong; but Job will not change his mind. Then God shows up in a whirlwind and lets out this long blast against him. The text doesn’t say it, but Job had to be scared out of his wits. What would you do if God showed up in a whirlwind yelling at you? You would do what Job does. He says you’re right, God. “I despise myself.” It’s heartbreaking.

Then God is again proud of his servant Job. He heals his sores and gives him a new ranch and new herds and new children. I personally think God can’t undo damage he has done.  It’s nice to get a new family, but they cannot banish the grief for beloved children who have been violently taken away. Nevertheless, Job loved his three replacement daughters and gave them each an inheritance along with their brothers (the only place in the Bible where such thing is done). Yet one cannot but wonder if there is some meaning in the names he gave to these (yes, let us have peace.)  The next he named Keziah, meeting cinnamon. (That’s nice.) The youngest he named Keren-happuch, which means eye shadow.

Second Reading: Hebrews 7:  23 – 28

In our final reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews, the author draws two lessons from his presentation. Christ holds his priesthood forever and is able generation after generation to “save” those who ask for his intercession with the judge, who is God. These Individual intersession will not be sacrificial, for there is no further need of the cult practices. Christ our high priest, in sacrificing himself, had done away with any need for sacrificial offering. In practical terms, this meant that Christian colonies had no need of the sacrificial cult. Since in Hebrews the allusions to the cult practices are to the tabernacle rather than the Temple. I wonder whether certain Christian Jews, having fled Jerusalem as the walls and Temple were destroyed by the Romans, might not have revived the practice of their ancestors and set up tent tabernacles in which they continued the cult. If so, Hebrews would probably have been addressed to them.