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I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."
Psalm 122:1
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:1
"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalms 118:24
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And he shall direct your paths."
Proverbs 3:5
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Rector's Study
Τεκνί́́άμου,
“That’s Greek to me,” you may say; and I’d add, “It is to me too.” I was trying to think of a warm form of address to you who are so dear to me. Having shared our life and ministry in Christ for over twelve years now, the fond, affectionate regard that I hold for you is deep and abiding. I am thankful to believe that this love is mutual.
So I addressed you in Greek, because these words were used by St. John as a form of address in what is to me one of the most affectionate epistles of the New Testament, I John. They literally mean, “my little children.” The apostle refers to his disciples in this way because, as he put it, “Beloved, we are God’s children.” We who are children of the Heavenly Father, loved by him as his own, are joined together in an eternal bond of love. Again, the words of the saint are inspiring, “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God.”
So, my beloved children in Christ, as we enter into the busy schedule of the fall, let us all be reminded that all we do and say is to be guided by divine love. This is particularly important, because many of our ministries and activities will be using the same spaces and materials. At times it may feel as if one program gets in the way of another. We will need to learn ways of patience, ways of mutual support, ways of cooperation.
I hope everyone will make every effort to be present between services (9-10:15 a.m.) on Commitment Sunday, September 9. We will be introducing new and familiar educational, fellowship, and service opportunities and beginning our fall programs.
You will notice that our weekly calendar is not complete. We are prayerfully trying to discern the best times for the addition to the schedule of a celebration of Holy Eucharist on Monday and/or Tuesday. I used “and/or” because, though we desire to return to the practice of daily Mass that had become our custom, we may add only one service at a time to try to establish a degree of stability and routine that enables regular attendance.
Other activities besides daily worship will be scheduled during the month of September. Please pay special attention to the schedule provided each Sunday in our pew sheet. We want everyone to be as involved in the life of our parish as fully as is possible.
Finally, let’s all be praying about and seeking opportunities to invite new people into the life of the church. Maybe you know someone who is not yet interested in attending worship but might like to explore faith in the Coming Into Christ program that will be offered on Sunday mornings. You have received a brochure concerning our musical offerings. Inviting others to attend these occasions can be an important introduction to this parish and the faith in Jesus Christ that we hold and express.
I am very hopeful and encouraged about what lies ahead. As we love and serve the Lord together and grow in godly regard for one another, I am confident that God himself will pour upon us the abundance of his blessing.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Timothy P. Perkins  , SSC
Previous Issues:
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
Summer 2006
June 2006
Lent 2006
Advent 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
Summer 2004
Easter 2004
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Epiphany 2004
Advent 2003
Easter 2003
Lent 2003
February 2003
Epiphany 2003
October 2002
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