Loading...Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Collect for Proper 15, pg. 232, Book of Common Prayer
Our Collect this Sunday is above and asks for God to give us the grace to follow Jesus daily. All week, the hymn, "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" has been coming to me. Here is a link to a version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2TwhEL2EPc
The hymn's words are:
I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me. No turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back.
Given all of the events in the world, in our nation, in our community and in our lives, it seems like more than ever, this hymn is our guide. The confirmation students will be talking about the "creed" of the world, based upon the messages we receive from many types of media. What is the world calling us to? What are the beliefs of the world? Contrast these with following Jesus.
As this hymn says, sometimes following Jesus Christ is rather lonely...sometimes no one goes with us. Yet, we will persevere and continue to follow Jesus Christ. We will continue to love God and love our neighbor. We will continue to live into our baptismal promises.
No turning back.
Blessings as you finish your week.
Love, Rebecca+
At Church of the Nativity
Godly Play and Parlor People will resume September 10.
Choir Practice will resume September 13.
This Sunday we will have a Blessing of the backpacks. Teachers and students are invited to bring their backpacks to be blessed.
Taize’ Tuesdays, 4:00pm. Twenty minutes of Centering Prayer followed by a Taize’ service.
Upcoming Meetings
Today, 11-Noon, Confirmation Class
Wednesday, August 23, 10:30am – Meeting with Vergers
Wednesday, August 23, 6:30-8:30, Diocesan Eliminating Racism Task Group
The September 3 service will be held at St. Stephen’s in Thompsontown.
Men’s & Women’s Breakfast, Wednesdays, 9am, Espresso Yourself Café.
Baking needs and chocolate items available through Equal Exchange. See the cart in the parish hall. We are a wholesaler for Equal Exchange, a company that supports small farmers who use sustainable practices for chocolate, cocoa, coffee, tea, nuts, olive oil and other baking items. A price list and basket are available to pay for the items you choose to buy. Also, be sure to write down what you’ve purchased to help us maintain our inventory. A catalogue is also available. If there’s an item you’d like us to order, please see Jane.
Suggestions for Giving To Others (GTO) Funds. If you have a new recommendation for GTO funding, please contact Lynne Mitchell by September 1. We are planning to give away $20,000 once again. For a list of previous donations, go to
//s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/3 28746/Labyrinth_Dedication_10-23-16.pdf
Please pray for our confirmands. O God, you prepared your disciples for the coming of the Spirit through the teaching of your Son Jesus Christ: Make the hearts and minds of Ethan, Lily and Sophia ready to receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit, that they may be filled with the strength of his presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Book of Common Prayer, p. 819.
Please say yes if Lily, Ethan or Sophia asks to interview you during coffee hour today. They will ask the following questions: When you were little, what church did you go to? Where and how often? When did you start going to church? Why do you think church is important? Why do you worship God?
Honor or Remember a loved one or a special occasion with flowers on the altar! Flowers help make our worship space more beautiful and remind us of the blossoming life we have in Christ. Please consider sponsoring the flowers in memory of a loved one, or to celebrate your thanksgivings. Flowers are $30.nLet Michele know by email – chnatss@pa.net or phone, 717-567-6514.
Community Events and Opportunities for Service
Volunteers needed for Newport and Greenwood Release Time. Volunteers are needed for Central PA Youth Ministry’s Release Time for elementary school children. It’s once a month from October through March for an hour. Please let Rebecca know if you’d like to volunteer.
Central PA Youth Ministries Adult Fundraising Dinner, Sunday, October 1, 6pm, Newport Family Life Center. Let Rebecca know by September 13, if you’d like to attend this dinner to support this ministry in our area. Rebecca and Sue Beamer assist with Newport Release Time, which is one of the ministries sponsored. We support this program each year with Giving To Others (GTO) funds. A free will offering to support the program is taken at the end of the meal.
Creepy Crawlers: Bugs you don’t want biting you, Presented by Dion Lerman, MPH, Wednesday, September 6, 6-7pm, Newport Public Library. Come learn how fleas, lice, scabies, ticks and bed bugs survive, grow, reproduce and how to control pests safely. Hosted by the Newport Public Library and The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy. Questions? Call the Library at 567-6860.
7th Perry County Family Fun Fest and Wellness Day, Saturday, September 23, 10am – 2pm, Newport Life Center Many local Human Service Agencies with free and fun activities for all ages. Free healthy snacks provided. Other foods are available for purchase from The Tin Cup Food Truck. Free car seat inspections. Sponsored by the Perry County Family Center, 582-3656.
Team Joining Hands for Jeri’s 7th Annual Charity Auction,
September 23, 10:30am, Otterbein UMC, Duncannon Michele is the Team Leader for ‘Joining Hands for Jeri’. The team will participate in their 12th Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk this October. ‘Joining Hands for Jeri’ has donated nearly $40,000 over the last six years, with most of the funds raised through the auctions. Check out our Facebook page, Team ‘Joining Hands for Jeri’, to see all the great items that will be up for bid! Hope you can come out and join us! The team is also accepting donated items to be auctioned off at the event. If you have an item you’d like to donate, please contact Michele.
From the Diocese
Donations of backpacks are being collected for refugee
children in the Harrisburg area. This is an on-going project as children arrive throughout the year. If you have backpacks or monetary donations, please see Rebecca.
Strengthen your faith through online courses offered by The Stevenson School for Ministry. Registration opens September 1 with courses beginning September 22. Learn more at:
//www.diocesecpa.org/formation/stevensonschoolforministry
A flyer with course descriptions is on the bulletin board in the parish hall. Here is a list of courses: Meeting God’s Call, Module II – A Discovery of Gifts, Conversations in Celtic Spirituality, Church History I, Hebrew Scripture Survey Course, New Testament Survey Course, Prayer Book Studies I, Theology I, and The Deacon’s Path. Also, let Rebecca know if you’re interested in a course. We could form a group to take a course together.
ECW Retreat, September 15th – 17th, 2017 “Sacred Ceremonies of Everyday Life: Exploring the Divine through Food, Song, Poetry, Nature and Meditation”, Claggett Retreat Center, 3035 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown, MD 21710. Presented by Reverend Rowena Gibbons, St. James Episcopal Church, Mansfield PA. Brochures are available here: //bit.ly/2r0kX08 . Online registration is available here until September 1: //bit.ly/2raunVW
