11:00 am       CHORAL  EUCHARIST

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

6:00 pm       Evening Prayer 
6:30 pm       Holy Eucharist     

Last Monday, 15 September (at 5:13 a.m. EDT), the reddish orange color of the Harvest Moon was upon us yet again. The full moon nearest the autumnal equinox  makes the moon's light last well into the night, allowing farmers some much  needed light to harvest there fall crops.  Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night,  but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the moon seems to rise at nearly  the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later  for much of Canada and Europe. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and  wild rice — the chief Indian staples — are now ready for gathering.

The atmosphere reduces visible light  on celestial objects near the horizon, which is why they are always brighter  overhead. The atmosphere scatters blue light in the spectrum causing this. This  reduction of blue light allows us to look at the setting sun, yet keeps us from  looking into the sun during midday. The orange reddish color in the  moon will be prevalent until the moon starts moving directly overhead away from  the horizon at which point it will resume its normal white  color. The harvest moon often makes the  moon look larger, yet this is an optical illusion. By simply taking pictures of  the moon near the horizon and taking pictures of it in the sky and comparing the  photos, the illusion will be revealed, assuming you use the same camera  settings. There's quite a bit of heated debate as to which hypothesis of why  this occurs is true. 
 

BOOK  CLUB MEETS THIS WEDNESDAY, 24  SEPTEMBER

The  Christ Church Book Club is currently  reading by Ken Follett, Paperback,  976pp. ISBN 10: 0451207149,  Publisher: NAL Trade, List  Price $24.95, Amazon.com Price $16.97 (also available used  from $3.87) . The discussion notes and a review of the book are on the leaflet  table. We will meet THIS WEDNESDAY, 24 September, 7:30  p.m., at Judy  and John Sheldon’s house, 32 Bergen  Street (under the  stoop), between Court and Smith Streets, for a meal  and a lively discussion of this book and others you may be reading this  summer.  If you plan to attend please RSVP (718)  852-4839

CHRIST  CHURCH  FOR KIDS - a.k.a. SUNDAY  SCHOOL “CASTING  CALL”

Interest in  religious education for children has be expressed by a number of people over the  past several months.  We have, in the past, had a series  program that is based on the Church Year, the Bible, the Saints, and Moral and  Ethical Living.  We would like to do this again, beginning 11  October.   We need two teachers each for two classes, one for small children, and  one for older children.  The program is easy and takes only a  small amount of preparation time.  The “school year is divided  into three sections, so you only need to commit to a 10 week period at a  time.  YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A PARENT TO DO THIS! ­   Please seriously consider helping with this important part of our  ministry and mission.   If you are  interested, please speak with Father Lau or ring 1718-624-0083.

LOOKING  AHEAD
NEXT  SATURDAY – SUNDAY, 27-28 SEPTEMBER

ANNUAL  CHRYSANTHEMUM SALE
 
On  the sidewalk on Clinton Street, to Benefit the Garden Fund

SUNDAY,  5 OCTOBER

FEAST  OF THE DEDICATION OF THE CHURCH
Bishop  Walker’s Visitation
Annual  Blessing of Animals
Cobble  Hill Community Opportunity Fair
Choral  Evensong

REFLECTION

Jesus could  hardly have chose a more provocative example of the reign of God than the  landowner who pays the same amount to all the workers regardless how long they  worked.  It goes against every notion of just wages, fair  treatment or business ethics. What we get for our labor is a matter of personal interest.  Even the disciples understand this.  Just before Jesus  tells them this parable, the ask him what they might expect, since they have  abandoned everything to follow him.  Jesus’ answer seems to  reward their efforts – they will receive “a hundredfold.”  Then Jesus tells this parable. Why is the reign of God like this landowner?  What  values does the landowner uphold?  First, he cannot bear to  see anyone idle.  When he goes out even at the end of the day,  he asks the people he meets about their idleness.  Second, he  believes he dan do as he wishes with what belongs to him.  Thus he chooses to give the same wage to all the  workers. The reign of heaven, like the landowner, has room for more workers.

The  invitation is constant; the reward is consistent.  As workers  in God’s field, we agree to eternal life with God.  How could  there be more or less than that?  Eternal life cannot be  divided or diminished for those who work less than others. But in our  belief that our pay reflect our worth, we think that God’s wage must conform to  a human expectation of justice.  Some workers must get less  than others because they are not worth as much or have not worked as  long.  It is hard to grasp that our worth is shown in God’s  love for us, and not in our reward for anything we have done.  “The last will be first and the first last” expresses our equaity before  God as we share in the work that needs to be done.  When we  are given eternal life, why would we think about what anyone else is getting at  all?
Have you ever felt that you did not get what you deserved?  How did you respond to that feeling?  Is God capable of  giving you less than you deserve?  Can we use this story as an  excuse to ignore God’s call on the premise that it’s never too late and we’ll  get the same reward anyway?

AUTUMNAL  EQUINOX

Fall begins  tomorrow: Monday, 22 September, at 11:44:18  a.m. EDT.  In the north, the changing colors of the leaves herald the coming of cold  and darkness.  As we approach the end of the liturgical year  the gospel readings are stern, reminding us that life is serious  business.  For many, fall is a time of reflection on the  transitory nature of life.  Use this time to take stock of  your life and how your faith shapes the way you live.

THE USUAL DAILY WAGE.

The workers  who worked for a full day in the heat had hoped for more than the agreed-upon  wage, when they noticed that the last hired were getting the full  amount.  The daily wage was not great, but  adequate.  Those who had stood around in the town all day were  not idle by choice, and they certainly had the option to refuse the work offered  so late in the day.  After all, it would have yielded so  little money, they might as well have gone home empty-handed.  But through generosity, they went home with enough to buy food for their  families.  Greed can masquerade as hope when we “hope” for  what we do not need or deserve, and when we are jealous of generosity shown to  others.  Gratitude is the antidote to greed.  We need to look not at what others have been given through God’s  generosity, but what we have been given, also through God’s  generosity.

THE LAST WILL BE  FIRST. 

The word  charity has always carried a negative connotation for me.  “She’s a charity case.”  “Helping those people is a  mater of charity.”  It has always struck me as an insipid  word, with a hint of arbitrariness – you can practice it or not.  It’s above and beyond the call of duty, therefore it’s  optional.  Justice, on the other hand, is a strong  word.”  “Our God is a God of justice.”  “God  will rain down justice on the earth.”  Justice sounds like  something demanded by the Almighty as part of God’s original plan of  creation.  It helps me understand the true meaning of charity  when I hear this parable in which the landowner asks, “Are you envious because I  am generous?”  Charity surpasses justice because it  goes beyond what is due.  We must redefine charity so that it  is just as str

Church:

Sunday summer schedule  
Summer Eucharist in the Garden 11:00 AM
                          
Parish House:

27 Monday - Weekday

28 Tuesday - Augustine of Hippo, 430

Parish House:
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM

29 Wednesday - The Beheading of John the Baptist

Church:
Evening Prayer 6:00 PM

Parish House:

COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM

30 Thursday - Weekday

Parish House:

AA - 6:30-7:30 PM

31 - Friday - Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, 651  
Day of Special Devotion:  Abstinence

SEPTEMBER
1 Saturday - Weekday
                   
Parish House:
AA - 7:30-8:30 AM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 10:00 AM-12:45 PM

2 Sunday - THE FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 17)

Church:

Sunday summer schedule  
Summer Eucharist in the Garden 11:00 AM

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

SUMMERTIME, AND THE LIVIN'S EASY

Church Members are reminded that church expenses do not take a summer break . . .  so please keep your pledge to your church up-to-date as you take your own summer vacations.  The Treasurer recently sent-out statements…check yours!

WE NEED YOUR HELP - HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

Help is Needed in the Garden.   As summer progresses, so do garden chores, especially weeding!  We are also preparing the ANorth Forty@ (the Kane Street Garden) for a major make-over next year.  If you can give an hour or more, please call Haigo on 718-875-3144

CHRIST CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP

The Book Reading Group is reading Sovereign by C. J. Sansom.  I.S.B.N. 13: 978-0670038312..  $16.00 – please speak with the Vicar if you want a copy!  A full description with some questions is available on a hand-out  on the table by the entrance to the church.

The third book in the brilliant Shardlake historical crime series.  Lawyer Matthew Shardlake is caught up in the mysterious murder of a local glazier, an event which turns out to be linked to work he is undertaking for the King.  Set in the reign of Henry VIII, Sansom's vivid writing style will have you believing you've been sent back in time.  Great stuff!

The Christ Church Book Group meets monthly, more or less, for a meal and to discuss themes, a book at a time.   It is a great way to both get-together and to learn something about our faith as reflected in literature.  We meet next on Wednesday, 29 August, at 7:30 p.m.  Please plan to join us for a gala meal, generous drink, great discussion and good fellowship!

DOG DAYS

The phrase Dog Days or the dog days of summer conjures up the hottest, most sultry days of summer. They are a phenomenon of the northern hemisphere where they usually fall between July and early September but the actual dates vary greatly from region to region, depending on latitude and climate. Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant.

The term "Dog Days" was coined by the ancient Romans, who called these days caniculares dies (days of the dogs) after Sirius (the "Dog Star"), the brightest star in the heavens besides the Sun.

Popularly believed to be an evil time "when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies" - Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813.

The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose just before or at the same time as sunrise, which is no longer true owing to precession of the equinoxes. The ancients sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that that star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather. Its easier to turn on the air conditioner or the fan! 

REFLECTION

As a theological doctrine, universalism claims that all of us will be saved, or restored to holiness and happiness. The biblical version of universalism is more complicated. It says that while God wants us all to be saved, we all must work at finding a place in God’s kingdom.

One of the questions put to Jewish religious teachers in Jesus’ time concerned the number of persons who will be saved, that is, will share in the great banquet in God’s kingdom. The occasion for Jesus’ teaching about biblical universalism in today’s text from Luke 13 is the question, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Jesus does not answer that question. Instead he issues a series of sayings and parables that emphasize the difficulty involved in entering God’s kingdom, and he stresses the need for constant fidelity and vigilance throughout our lives. Thus Jesus reminds us that even though God wants all of us to be saved, we all need to work at it. Entry into God’s kingdom is not automatically granted, and we cannot presume on God’s mercy and do nothing by way of response to God’s invitation.

Jesus goes on to present a positive picture of people from all the nations of the world joining Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the great banquet in God’s kingdom. Note the pivotal role played by historic Israel, as represented by the patriarchs in the scene. This vision is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. Today’s reading from Isaiah 66 provides a good example. That great book ends as it began, with a vision of all the peoples of the world streaming toward Jerusalem and acknowledging and praising the God of Israel. Likewise, today’s responsorial psalm (117) issues the call, “Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples.”

In Jesus’ vision the goal or destination of all the nations is the kingdom of God rather than the Jerusalem temple. While the destination has changed, the dynamic is similar. When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we ask that all peoples may come to recognize and celebrate the absolute sovereignty of the God of Abraham who is the father of our lord Jesus Christ.

Will only a few persons be saved? The answer to that question remains hidden with God. The two great attributes of God in the Bible are justice and mercy. Which will prevail at the last judgment depends on God. Meanwhile we have to be satisfied with the guidance provided by Scripture. Today’s excerpt from Luke 13 offers at least the biblical version of universalism. It affirms that God wants all persons to enjoy eternal life with him. It insists on the pivotal role of historic Israel as God’s chosen people. And it reminds us that entry into God’s kingdom is not automatic. Rather, it requires faith in God, firmness of purpose and sharpness of focus and appropriate actions and constant vigilance. While the invitation to God’s banquet is extended to all, we all have to act upon it. How many will be saved in the end is a decision that rests with God.

• What must we do to be saved? Do we earn salvation? Or is it a gift?

• How do you envision the kingdom of God? What kinds of persons do you expect to find there?

• What problems might the biblical version of universalism pose in interreligious dialogue today? How do you deal with them??

PRACTICE OF FAITH: HEARLDING. This week the church remembers Saint Monica (27 August), Saint Augustine (28 August) and the beheading of St John the Baptist (29 August).  Many people have come to faith in Jesus and the church through these three people.  Monica and John worked tirelessly to point others to the life of Jesus in the church.  They met their own deaths with confidence in the mission of their lives.You can do the same for others.  Volunteer to help the children of our church by helping to lead a class in our Sunday School, Christ Church for Kids!  Or bring a friend to the Book Reading Group meeting this Wednesday, 29 August. Recall John the Baptist:  “I am not the Christ; I have been sent before him to prepare his way.  He must increase, and I must decrease.”

PRACTICE OF HOPE: DOORS AND LOCKS.  That’s it.  I’ve had it.  I’m going to bold my front door for good.  The only people who ever show up are solicitors, investigators and missionaries.  I don’t want to see them.  They can file a written complaint or send junk mail.  As a matter of fact, I’ll have a brick wall built behind the front door.  I’ll hang up a sing:  “Depart from here, ye sons of b ….” so that if they force the door they’ll be surprised, and they can gnash their teeth all they want.  ‘Cause, you see, all my real friends know the back way.  They come through the alley, across a few narrow doorways and through the wintergarden right into the kitchen. That’s where we sit and have a good time talking over coffee or tea.  Seems like I’m crazy, because I always leave the back door unlocked….

  
PRACTICE OF CHARITY: FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.  A Palestinian girl said, “I live across the street from the hospital in Jerusalem, where they take the bodies of the dead and dying after bombings.  Sometimes they are Israelis, sometimes Palestinians.  They all come in pieces.  I don’t want to see the blood flow.  Maybe I can make a difference.”  For three weeks at a camp in Colorado, Israeli and Palestinian teens talked, shred meals and slept in the same tents.  For the first time in their lives, the “enemy became human.  An Israeli girl said, “What the camp taught us about people is not to generalize but to seek out the human side, not the fearful and hating sides of our hearts.”  Join with us as we participate in the Dialogue Project’s “Talking Across Differences”.  Brooklyn has the largest concentration of Muslim and Christian Arab citizens and non-citizens in New York City, living alongside residents of many other ethnicities and faith traditions, predominantly Irish, Hispanic and Italian Roman Catholic and Jewish.  This group gets our neighbors together to talk and to listen:  to dialogue.  Join us!  Contact:  http://thedialogueproject.org

Church:
Summer Eucharist in the Garden 11:00 AM
       
Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

20 Monday -      Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, 1153

21 Tuesday -     Weekday

Parish House:
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM

22 Wednesday - Weekday

Church:
Evening Prayer 6:00 PM
 
Parish House:
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM

23 Thursday - Weekday

Parish House:
AA - 6:30-7:30 PM

24 Friday - SAINT BATHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE 
Day of Special Devotion:  Abstinence

25 Saturday - Louis, King of France, 1270

Parish House:
AA - 7:30-8:30 AM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 10:00 AM-12:45 PM

21 Sunday - THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 16)

Church:
Summer Eucharist in the Garden 11:00 AM

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

SUMMERTIME, AND THE LIVIN'S EASY

Church Members are reminded that church expenses do not take a summer break . . .  so please keep your pledge to your church up-to-date as you take your own summer vacations.  The Treasurer recently sent-out statements…check yours!

WE NEED YOUR HELP - HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

Help is Needed in the Garden.   As summer progresses, so do garden chores, especially weeding!  We are also preparing the ANorth Forty@ (the Kane Street Garden) for a major make-over next year.  If you can give an hour or more, please call Haigo on 718-875-3144

CHRIST CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP

The Book Reading Group is reading Sovereign by C. J. Sansom.  I.S.B.N. 13: 978-0670038312..  $16.00 – please speak with the Vicar if you want a copy!  A full description with some questions is available on a hand-out  on the table by the entrance to the church.

The third book in the brilliant Shardlake historical crime series.  Lawyer Matthew Shardlake is caught up in the mysterious murder of a local glazier, an event which turns out to be linked to work he is undertaking for the King.  Set in the reign of Henry VIII, Sansom's vivid writing style will have you believing you've been sent back in time.  Great stuff!

The Christ Church Book Group meets monthly, more or less, for a meal and to discuss themes, a book at a time.   It is a great way to both get-together and to learn something about our faith as reflected in literature.  We meet next on Wednesday, 29 August, at 7:30 p.m.  Please plan to join us for a gala meal, generous drink, great discussion and good fellowship!
 
 

FROM UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS …or  “ONLY IN NEW YORK”

While reflooring the Parish Hall a 1904 newspaper was found.  In it was the following article:  

HUGE RAT STARTS BROADWAY FIGHT, KICKED BY MAN, RODENT LANDS ON WOMAN – HER ESCORT ATTACKS THE KICKER.

Upper Broadway was thrown into a fit yesterday by a huge rat.  It came from a restaurant at No. 1281 Broadway and, seemingly dazed by the bright lights, quietly sat in the middle of the sidewalk.

Two young men discovered it.  One kicked it.  The rat went sailing in the air and landed on a woman leaning on the arm of a young man.  She screamed and her escort attacked the kicker.  In a moment several persons were engaged in a fierce mix-up without knowing what it was all about.
A dozen policemen stopped the row.  The rat escaped.
    

REFLECTION

Luke’s Gospel has been called the most beautiful book ever written. It contains most of what has become the Christmas story, as well as the sermon on the plain, the parables of the good Samaritan and the prodigal son, the story of Zaccheus and much more. Even Luke’s passion narrative portrays Jesus as a brave hero and the best example of his own teachings. Luke may well be the most beautiful book ever written. It is also, however, a challenging book.

The Gospel reading for this Sunday presents three initially puzzling sayings of Jesus. He proclaims that he has come to light a fire on earth, to undergo a baptism of death and to bring division rather than peace. What happened to angels singing about peace on earth and Jesus the prince of peace?

The fire that Jesus came to light was the kingdom of God. Jesus was convinced that in his own person and mission a new phase in God’s plan for the world was beginning. Through his teachings and miracles, and especially in his passion, death and resurrection, Jesus was igniting a fire that will culminate in the fullness of God’s kingdom. The fire that Jesus lit still burns brightly in the people of God.

The word “baptism” can refer to a bath, immersion or even death by drowning. In Christian baptism we first die with Christ and then rise with him. Jesus, of course, had already received John’s baptism. The baptism to which he looked forward was the “baptism” of his death on the cross. Jesus recognized that he was engaged in a controversial and dangerous undertaking. If God is the only real king (as Jesus proclaimed), the Roman emperor cannot be the real king. By his preaching about God’s kingdom and his role in inaugurating it, Jesus was challenging the claims of the religious and political leaders of his time much as Jeremiah did before him. Jesus very likely intuited that his mission would result in his death. In this context his future “baptism” refers to his shameful death on the cross (as today’s reading from Hebrews 12 emphasizes). Nevertheless, he continues his journey toward Jerusalem that would lead to his death.

Jesus’ saying about bringing divisions even in families has been understood against the background of his commitment to proclaim God’s kingdom. Jesus lived in a society in which family ties were very important, much more than in the 21st-century United States. One’s loyalty to the family was primary, and one’s identity and importance were closely linked to one’s place within the family. Against this background Jesus says that he may well bring about division within a family. Why? Because for Jesus God’s kingdom is more important than even one’s family. Family ties, family honor and family obligations are subordinate to God’s kingdom. While these can and should exist in harmony, there may be tensions between them. The saying is not so much an attack on the family as it is an indirect and extreme way of highlighting the supreme importance of God’s kingdom. 

• What evidence do you see that the fire set by Jesus is still burning?

• What might Jesus’ saying about his “baptism” add to your appreciation of the sacrament of baptism?

• Has your Christian commitment ever been a source of tension or division within your family? 

Alternative Seasons

Leaves fall early in the autumn wind.                  
Butterflies are already yellow with August            
A pair flies over the grass of the West garden.              
Seeing them hurts my heart.                                                

— Li Po, Chinese poet of the 8th century,                               
“The River Merchant’s Wife: A Letter”

The beauty of spring,
the brightness of summer,
the plenty of autumn,
the rest of winter.
— St Thomas Aquinas

Americans are accustomed to dating the beginning of a season from the solar holidays. We say that Autumn begins on Autumn Equinox. But in medieval England, autumn actually began on Lammas (August 2).

The clearest evidence for this ancient system of dividing the year comes from the old names for Yule and the summer solstice. The Christmas feast in England was always known as the Midwinter feast. Likewise, June 23 was called Midsummer's Eve, because June 24 was Midsummer's Day. If June 24 is the middle of the summer, then the summer must begin at the start of May. This makes August 2 the first day of autumn, November 1 the first day of winter and February 2 the first day of spring. There is good evidence for these older seasonal markers as there are clusters of ancient religious and political holidays that occur around these dates.

PRACTICE OF FAITH: KNOWING.  ”Those who know God’s love will love more easily.”  This is from Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (20 August).  Children find it easy to know and love simultaneously.  Adults sometimes need to know the difference and want to consider each aspect separately.  Adults dismiss loving and feeling as silly compared with knowledge.  Bernard attempted a rejoinder of what some have separated.  Bernard is inviting us to behave as children in holding the knowing and loving together

Let the children in your life remind you that “to know me is to love me.”  Let the children in your life remind you that to know God is to love God, and to know God is to love others.

PRACTICE OF HOPE: WHAT FIRE? What is the fire like, my Lord, that you will cast upon the earth?  Is it a raging brushfire, blazing through ancient forests, making space for new growth to come?  Is it the sleeping fire of the earth that suddenly bursts forth and covers the land with flames and ashes, making fertile the very ground it torches?  Is it the fire of some alchemist’s furnace that melts down the old iron, divides metal from metal, and changes lead into gold?  Or is it like the fire in my lover’s eye that seeks to consume me, and consuming desires to be consumed?  Lord, your fire is the fire of love – that mad love which, uniting, divides only to unite again.  It is the flame within that bids me love my neighbor, the flame above that bids me love my enemy.

PRACTICE OF CHARITY:BEATEN BY WAVES.  Over the past several years, we have become more aware of the number of teens who run away from home and find themselves alone, desperate and living on the streets.  Covenant House was founded to respond to the needs of runaway teens with food, clothing, shelter, medical attention, education, training and counseling.  Find out about Covenant House and how you can help with their work:  Covenant House, JAF Box 2973, New York, NY 10116-2973; 1.800.388.3888 or  on the internet:  http://www.covenanthouse.org/

14 Sunday THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Church:

Christ Church for Kids 10:15 AM
Morning Prayer 10:30 AM
Choral Eucharist 11:00 AM
Evening Prayer 5:00 PM

Parish House:

AA 7:30-8:30 AM

15 Monday - Weekday Martin Luther King Holiday

Church and School Office Closed
Playspace Closed

16 Tuesday - Weekday

Parish House:

LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM
MUSIC TOGETHER - 3:30-5:00 PM
ACTORS WORKSHOP - 5:15-7:30 PM

17 Wednesday -  Antony, Abbot in Egypt, 356

Church:

Evening Prayer 6:00 PM
Holy Eucharist 6:30 PM

Parish House:

LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM
MUSIC TOGETHER - 3:30-5:00 PM
ACTORS WORKSHOP - 5:15-7:30 PM

18 Thursday - THE CONFESSION OF SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins today.

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
GYMSTARS - 3:00-4:00 PM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-3:15 PM
AA - 6:30-7:30 PM

19 Friday - Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, 1095 Day of Special Devotion: Abstinence

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon

20 Saturday - Fabian, Bishop and Martyr of Rome, 250

Parish House:
AA - 7:30-8:30 AM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 10:00 AM-12:45 PM

21 SUNDAY -  THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Church:
Christ Church for Kids 10:15 AM
Morning Prayer 10:30 AM
Choral Eucharist 11:00 AM

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

YOUR PLEDGE CONTRIBUTION
For 2006: Please make sure your pledge for the year is up-to-date and PAID! You MUST get your check to the office by this TODAY if you want it to reflect a contribution to your church for tax purposes for this year!

For 2007: Please continue to use your current envelope number and mark it on your check, or put cash in a plain envelope with the date and your envelope number on the front. You will receive your new envelopes in early January, together with Stewardship information for 2007.
We are revising our accounting system and getting it ready for the computer so that we can give you information about your contributions to Christ Church more easily. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we will all find that the new system will work more smoothly in the near future.

CHRIST CHURCH WARM CLOTHING DRIVE
Part of Christian education is learning to put our faith to work in practical, every-day, ways. Again this year, we have decided to try this and involve the entire parish and neighborhood. We will be collecting winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves for distribution through CHIPS on 4th Avenue and Carroll Street. Please take this opportunity to go through your closets and What is an clothing o you, will keep someone else warm this winter! We also need XXL T-Shirts!!!

CHRIST CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP
THE CHRIST CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP is reading a quick and exciting book, Ultimate Prizes, by Susan Howatch. Fawcett Books; ISBN: 0449218112. The book is out of print, but is available from Amazon.com for 1 cent! This is the third in Howatch’s series about the Church of England in the 20th century; it’s a measure of her achievement that, besides telling a fascinating story boldly and well, she illuminates often quite abstruse religious and ecclesiastical questions. Here, Neville’s ministry to captured Germans in a local prisoner-of-war camp leads to the discussion of Christian–ethical, moral–behavior during war, a topic that can never be out of date. We will meet Wednesday, 14 February 2007, for a great meal and a lively discussion. If you are interested, please speak with the Vicar TODAY!

REFLECTION

One of the purposes of the gospel of John was to invite Greek-speaking Jews to convert to Christianity. This conversion required the convert to replace long-held ideologies with new, often difficult, notions of how life is to be lived. It is through the power of Jesus that people find the strength to convert. Today’s gospel highlights Jesus as an agent of change. This change is suggested in the reference to the jars used “for Jewish rites of purification” and through Jesus’ words to his mother. The common Jewish rite of cleansing is replaced by the purification Jesus will accomplish on the cross. Jesus tells his mother that his “hour has not yet come,” which is a hint of the greater hour of Christ’s revelation on the cross. The cross is the ultimate image of change; conversion in that death becomes the gateway to new life. Just as Christ replaced the old purification rites with messianic cleansing at the crucifixion, he renews the world in which we live even today. It is interesting that this passage is introduced with the phrase “on the third day.” This phrase is much more than just a calendar reference; it is an important theological reference. The third day is the day of victory, a day of newness: as we say in the Creed “on the third day he rose again.” Remember, also, that various Old Testament events involved some sort of a revitalization on the third day (for example, Jonah was spewed onto the shore on the third day). What areas of your life need to experience conversion? What role does Christ play in your conversion? People are often fearful of change. How do you feel about changes in your life? How can the Lord comfort you in times of change?

PRACTICE OF FAITH: THERE WAS A WEDDING. Though there is no guarantee that the marriage will be smooth, we gather around a couple and celebrate their wedding as if heaven has come down to earth. And in a sense it has. When baptized people marry, their union is a sign that points to and makes present the love that Christ has for us. When the names of those to be married at a parish are read (the “banns”), make a note of the names. Pray that Christ will come as a guest and as a gift to the wedding. When you attend a wedding, participate fully in the liturgy. Sing the songs and make the responses – don’t waste your time fussing with cameras and video recorders!

PRACTICE OF HOPE: A CROWN OF BEAUTY. Most of us will never know what it is like to wear a crown. Unless you are born into a royal family – or marry into one – that kind of headgear just does not figure into everyday life. For us commoners, our hair is our crown. But even this is not an option for children who are suffering hair loss due to chemotherapy or other medical conditions.
A not-for-profit organization called Locks of Love strives to return that bit of dignity and hope to these children through custom-fitted hairpieces. Donations of money and hair make this possible. Officials note that 75 percent of the donors are children. The recipients get the hairpieces without charge, or pay according to a sliding scale. The smiles of those who receive these gifts are priceless. To learn more about the Florida-based organization, visit www.locksoflove.org or ring 1-561-963-1677 that doesn’t stop God. We give and receive hope by being Christ for one another.

PRACTICE OF CHARITY:I WILL NOT KEEP SILENT. Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the birth of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, in 1929. His refusal to be silent about racial injustice in the United States marks him as a prophet for all times. Despite many victories, Dr King’s work to promote racial justice is yet unfinished; people of color continue to struggle with racism in its myriad forms. While Christ Church has a fantastic mixture of races and cultures and the Episcopal Church, since the 1960’s, has championed racial equality and justice, this was not always the case. The book, Episcopalians & Race [The University Press of Kentucky, ISBN0-8131-2149-3], by the Reverend Gardiner H. Shattuck, Jr, explores this aspect of our church from the Civil War to Civil Rights. Buy a copy, or get your local library to get one, and read about the ambivalent relationship between black communities and the predominantly white leadership of the Episcopal Church since the Civil War. The book analyzes the impact of the civil rights movement on church life, especially in southern states.

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

16 Monday:  Weekday

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
GYMSTARS - 12 Noon - 3 PM
       

17 Tuesday:  Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, and Martyr, c. 115
Holy Eucharist  9:00 AM *   

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM
MUSIC TOGETHER - 3:30-5:00 PM
ACTORS WORKSHOP - 5:15-7:30 PM

18 Wednesday:  SAINT LUKE THE EVANGELIST
Evening Prayer 6:00 PM

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon

19 Thursday:  Henry Martyn, Priest, and Missionary to India and Persia, 1812

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
GYMSTARS - 3:00-4:00 PM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-3:15 PM
AA - 6:30-7:30 PM

20 Friday:     Weekday  Day of Special Devotion:  Abstinence
Holy Eucharist  9:00 AM *

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon

 
21 Saturday:  Weekday

Parish House:
AA - 7:30-8:30 AM
COBBLE HILL BALLETm - 10:00 AM-12:45 PM

22 SUNDAY:  THE TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 24)
Choral Eucharist & Sermon 11:00 AM
Childcare provided (Coffee & Conversation follows)

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

*  At Saint Andrew's House, 199 Carroll Street, between Court and Clinton Streets

THE CHRIST CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP is currently reading GILEAD by Marilynne Robinson is published by Picador USA; Reprint edition (January 10, 2006) at $14.00 (available from Amazon.com starting at $5.70); ISBN: 031242440X. 247  pages.
 
The discussion notes and a review of the book are on the leaflet table by the church entrance. We will meet this Wednesday, 15 November for a good food and drink,  and a lively discussion of this book following the 6:30 p.m. Mass.  If you are interested in joining us, please R.S.V.P. on 718-625-2919, or speak with the Vicar.

CHRIST CHURCH FOR KIDS: SUNDAY SCHOOL

Our Sunday School, Christ Church for Kids, meets at 10:15 a.m. for planning and scheduling courses and teachers for our Sunday School.  You do not need to have a child in the Sunday School to be a teacher.  The commitment is for 10 weeks.  Please consider this as something YOU can do for your church!

CHRIST CHURCH COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Can and Will You Help with our outreach ministry? We want to schedule a meeting to plan for the future of this work, including applying for grants and working more closely with Family Consultation Service to distribute food, clothing, school supplies, campers supplies, toys, etc. and adopting a family year-round — and working with Cobble Hill Nursing Home to provide on-going visits to residents. CHIPS (Christian Help in Park Slope) feeds the hungry and provides counseling and clothing to those in need. Please consider this outreach of our Christian community to our wider community!

WHAT CAN I DO:  LET US KNOW

Christ Church, Cobble Hill, is made up of people from many countries and a variety of cultures, backgrounds and languages — but we are all one parish family.  God has given each one of us gifts and talents.  Today, the anniversary of the dedication of the church, we are having a Talent Fair:  not a show where you are asked to get up then and there and perform, but an opportunity for you to volunteer some of your time and gifts and talents to your parish.  We obviously need acolytes, lay readers, altar guild members, but, there are many other opportunities for you to help build this church.

REFLECTION

The annals of the saints provide innumerable stories of men and women who have achieved great things for God. Many times they have performed acts of inspiring heroism. There was 86-year-old Polycarp who, in 156, was exhorted by the Roman governor as he stood in the arena to renounce Christ and save his life. Polycarp simply responded, “Eighty-six years have I served him and he never let me down. How can I deny my king who saved me?” There was Frank Weston, Bishop of Zanzibar from 1907 to 1924, who worked miracles. He brought rain by prayer when a heathen chief implored him for rain, and prayed for a woman far gone in death and recalled her soul, after which she confessed her sins and was absolved, then died. There was Gladys Aylward who, at about the age of 28, spent her life savings on a one-way ticket to China after being turned down by a missionary organization as being unsuited to missionary endeavor. She became one of the most valiant and effective missionaries of the 20th century.

Few Christians have opportunities for such epic witness, but all believers are called to manifest the greatness of Christ in the many ordinary things of each day. Though comparatively unexciting, it is in daily life we are constantly challenged to show Christian virtue in such plain behaviors as avoiding a complaining attitude, showing generosity in giving, or treating those who bore or offend us with charity.

How does the psalm (Psalm 90) for today expand on the theme presented in Amos and Mark?

In the context of today’s lessons, what does it mean that, “with human beings it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God”?

PRACTICE OF FAITH: TERESA  OF  JESUS:   DOCTOR   OF   THE   CHURCH.       Today, 15 October, is the feast of the Carmelite writer, teacher and mystic Teresa of Avila.  Let us honor her passion for prayer in our prayer this week and pray with her:

Love’s whole  possession I entreat,Lord, make my soul thine own abode,And I will build a nest so sweet. It may not be too poor for God. O soul in God hidden from sin, What more desires for thee remain,Save but to love and love again, And, all on flame with love within.  Love on, and turn to love again.

PRACTICE OF HOPE: THOSE  WHO  HAVE  RICHES.    Serving God and not material possessions is the way to freedom, peace and life with God.  Concern about the spiritual welfare of our children, teaching them to share their riches and not hoard them in selfish ways, is of the essence.  Teaching young people to share begins with setting a good example:  Adults must show children how to give.

A helpful pamphlet is Teaching our Youth to Share, by Father Joseph Champlin.   It can be obtained from the Liturgical Press in Collegeville, Minnesota, and will help guide your children. They can learn that they need not go away sad if they give away a percentage of what they have. As a matter of fact, doing so can bring them true joy. 

PRACTICE OF CHARITY: N  HER  HANDS UNCOUNTED  WEALTH.   Women’s work is never done.  That old saying holds true in ecclesiastical circles, too.  For centuries women have been at the center of a variety of ministries:  education on all levels,  health care, visiting the sick, cleaning and cooking for church events, leading prayer,  and so on.  Mary’s Pence financially supports the ministries of Catholic Women in  projects that benefit women and children; it is inspired by Teresa of Avila, who was able to raise  funds for her works despite formidable opposition.  You might gather a group of women for a prayer service and support session on.  You might also consider supporting various Episcopal AIDS ministries in our city, which directly help women and children in the New York City  area. For more information and to find out how you can help, telephone the parish office on 1-718-624-0083. 

8 SUNDAY:  THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 22)
 Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM
Childcare provided. (Coffee & Conversation follows)

St Francis Festival & Blessing of Animals  12:30 PM 

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

9 Monday:  Robert, Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, 1253
Columbus Day

Parish & School Office Closed
School Closed

      
10 Tuesday:  Weekday
Holy Eucharist  9:00 AM *  
BOOK READING GROUP 7:30 PM, The Vicarage

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
COBBLE HILL BALLET  1:00-2:30 PM
MUSIC TOGETHER - 3:30-5:00 PM 
ACTORS WORKSHOP - 5:15-7:30 PM

11 Wednesday:  Philip, Deacon and Martyr
Evening Prayer 6:00 PM

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon

12 Thursday:  Weekday

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
GYMSTARS - 3:00-4:00 PM
COBBLE HILL BALLET -  1:00-3:15 PM
AA - 6:30-7:30 PM

13 Friday:     Weekday  Day of Special Devotion:  Abstinence
Holy Eucharist  9:00 AM *

        
Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon

14 Saturday:  Samuel I. J. Schereschewsky, Bishop of Shanghai, 1906

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 10:00 AM-12:45 PM

15 SUNDAY:  THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 23)
Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM. (Coffee & Conversation follows)

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

*  At Saint Andrew's House, 199 Carroll Street, between Court and Clinton Streets

THIS TUESDAY- CHRIST  CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP

The Christ Church Book Reading Group is currently reading Motherless Brooklyn  by  Jonathan Lethem is published by Vintage Books at $13.95 (available from Amazon.com starting at $2.94); ISBN: 0375724834. 336  pages. The discussion notes and a review of the book are on the leaflet table by the church entrance. We will meet this Tuesday, 10 October, at the Vicarage for a good food and drink,  and a lively discussion of this book following the 6:30 p.m. Mass.  If you are interested in joining us, please R.S.V.P. on 718-625-2919, or speak with the Vicar.

CHRIST CHURCH COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Can and Will You Help with our outreach ministry? We want to schedule a meeting to plan for the future of this work, including applying for grants and working more closely with Family Consultation Service to distribute food, clothing, school supplies, campers supplies, toys, etc. and adopting a family year-round — and working with Cobble Hill Nursing Home to provide on-going visits to residents. CHIPS (Christian Help in Park Slope) feeds the hungry and provides counseling and clothing to those in need. Please consider this outreach of our Christian community to our wider community!

WHAT CAN I DO:  LET US KNOW

Christ Church, Cobble Hill, is made up of people from many countries and a variety of cultures, backgrounds and languages — but we are all one parish family.  God has given each one of us gifts and talents.  Today, the anniversary of the dedication of the church, we are having a Talent Fair:  not a show where you are asked to get up then and there and perform, but an opportunity for you to volunteer some of your time and gifts and talents to your parish.  We obviously need acolytes, lay readers, altar guild members, but, there are many other opportunities for you to help build this church.

REFLECTION

In all of the thousands of chapters found in the books of the Bible, only the first two chapters of Genesis present an image of the human race before we fell into sin and became subject to evil and death. The introductory chapters of the Bible’s first book are among the most theologically profound and sophisticated of any in scripture. Their subject matter is well known even in the secular world, though easily misunderstood and underestimated.The rest of scripture presents the relationships between human beings and their God as tragically marked by violence, exploitation, severe disappointment, and anguish, but there is also a deep and insistent memory of a pristine time that the human race has lost, and longs to experience again.There are few occasions in life that are virtually guaranteed to be marked by exultant happiness, but weddings surely must be among them. One may well ask, as one sees the tragically high divorce rate, why does the promise of love that is so strong and hopeful at the wedding fail so often to fulfill its potential?  Even the Pharisees, so proud of their moral rectitude,

begin at the wrong end. Instead of asking Jesus, “How can a husband and wife realize the fullness of God’s promise in their marriage?” they ask, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

The question means, “Is there a way we can permit divorce  without going against the law?” i.e., “Is there a loophole?”Reflect on how Psalm 128, one of the options for today’s readings, puts the teaching about the permanence of marriage into a context of blessedness and joy.

Where are the escape hatches in the marriage vows? See the Book of Common Prayer, page 427.

PRACTICE OF FAITH: NIGHT PRAYER.   Night prayers, important as they are, cannot always be a family ritual.  Bet we can tailor the bedtime routine to the needs and ability of the people who pray together.  A father can talk with his child as he helps put toys away.  A mother can rub her ten-year-old’s back as the child tells here the events of the day.  Together
parent and child can form this evening talk into prayer.  Children need to be brought back to a state of peace at the end of a busy day.  Many parents discover that bedtime rituals are the most intimate, precious minutes they spend with their children.  The problems and feelings heard and blessed bring families closer to each other and to the Lord. [ more ]

PRACTICE OF HOPE: ONE FLESH.  It has become popular for dioceses to arrange an annual celebration for married couples who have celebrated significant anniversaries.  Cathedrals fill with couples celebrating three, four, five and more decades of life together.  These gatherings of couples, family members and friends are an annual highlight in the life of the church. And equally good for the live of the church in that in recent years more and more couples per year have celebrated the sacrament of marriage in their parishes.

PRACTICE OF CHARITY: HEALING OUR MOTHER.   What comes to mind when you hear the word “habitat”?  It means more than just house or apartment.  Our habitat goes beyond the walls that give us shelter to include land, trees, water and air around us.  Last Monday, 2 October, was World Habitat Day, a day to consider how well we are caring for our planet.  It is essential to care for our natural environment.  We cannot stand by while rainforests are harvested and plowed under, the earth is poisoned and air and water are polluted.  Save the Rainforests, Greenpeace, the Wilderness Society and Sierra Club are just a few of the organizations committed to our habitat – planet Earth.  Find out more about these groups and learn what part your can play to improve our world! [ more ] 

17 SUNDAY: THE FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 19)

Sunday Summer Schedule

Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM. In the garden, weather permitting. (Coffee & Conversation follows)

ATLANTIC ANTIC  32th Anniversary Celebration 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Atlantic Avenue between Hicks Street and Fourth Avenue. RAIN OR SHINE!!!

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

18 Monday: Edward Bouverie Pusey, Priest, 1882

Parish House
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon GYMSTARS - 12:Noon-3:00 PM

19 Tuesday: Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury, 690
Holy Eucharist 9:00 AM *

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM
MUSIC TOGETHER - 3:30-5:00 PM
ACTORS WORKSHOP - 5:15-7:30 PM

20 Wednesday: John Coleridge Patteson, Bishop of Melanesia,and his Companions, Martyrs, 1871

Evening Prayer 6:00 PM
Holy Eucharist 6:30 PM
BOOK READING GROUP 7:30 PM

Parish House
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon

21 Thursday: SAINT MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST

Parish House
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
GYMSTARS - 3:00-4:00 PM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-3:15 PM
AA - 6:30-7:30 PM

22 Friday: Weekday Day of Special Devotion: Abstinence

Holy Eucharist 9:00 AM *

Parish House
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon

23 Saturday: Weekday

Parish House
AA 7:30-8:30 AM COBBLE HILL BALLET - 10:00 AM-12:45 PM

24 SUNDAY: THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 20)

Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM (Coffee & Conversation follows)

Parish House
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

* At Saint Andrew’s House, 199 Carroll Street, between Court and Clinton Streets

BISHOP’S COMMITTEE MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The Bishop’s Committee will meet MONDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2006, at 6:30 p.m. Committee reports and agenda items must be submitted by Monday, 18 September, to be considered at this meeting.

ANNUAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SALE

The Annual Chrysanthemum Sale will take place on next Saturday, 23 September and next Sunday, 24 September. Please speak with Mary or Norman Fox or Haigo Salow for more information. We need volunteers to help sell plants on Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon!

CHRIST CHURCH FOR KIDS: SUNDAY SCHOOL

We will have an organizational meeting next Sunday, 21 September at 10:00 a.m. for planning and scheduling courses and teachers for our Sunday School. You do not need to have a child in the Sunday School to be a teacher. The commitment is for 10 weeks. Please consider this as something YOU can do for your church!

CHRIST CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP

The Christ Church Book Reading Group is currently reading Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom is published by Penguin Books at $14.00 (available from Amazon.com starting at $1.37); ISBN: 0143036432. 512 pages. This book is a is the next in the series after Dissolution, our last selection. The discussion notes and a review of the book are on the leaflet table. We will meet this Wednesday, 20 September, for good food and drink, and a lively discussion of this book following the 6:30 p.m. Mass. If you are interested in joining us, please R.S.V.P. on 718-625-2919, or speak with the Vicar.

CHRIST CHURCH COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Can and Will You Help with our outreach ministry? We want to schedule a meeting to plan for the future of this work, including applying for grants and working more closely with Family Consultation Service to distribute food, clothing, school supplies, campers supplies, toys, etc. and adopting a family year-round — and working with Cobble Hill Nursing Home to provide on-going visits to residents. CHIPS (Christian Help in Park Slope) feeds the hungry and provides counseling and clothing to those in need. Please consider this outreach of our Christian community to our wider community!

SUMMERTIME, AND THE LIVIN’S EASY

Church Members are reminded that church expenses do not take a summer break . . . so please keep your pledge to your church up-to-date as you take your own summer vacations.

REFLECTION

HOLY CROSS DAY

September 14, is Holy Cross Day, or the feast of the Triumph of the Cross, previously called the Exaltation of the Cross. Christians have celebrated this feast on this day since the first half of the fourth century. According to an Eastern text, the empress Helena discovered the Lord’s cross on September 14, 320. Fifteen years later, on September 13, two churches on Golgotha in Jerusalem were consecrated (the Church of the Cross and the Church of the Resurrection). On the following day, the relic of the cross found by Helena was solemnly exposed for public veneration. An annual commemoration began in Jerusalem, and churches in other cities that had relics of the cross brought them forth this day for veneration by the faithful. The ceremony was called the exaltatio (lifting up). What follows are some words our ancestors in the faith have used to describe the mystery, glory and power of the cross of Christ.

May I never boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through it, the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.

Galatians 6:14–16

Faithful Cross, above all other,
One and only noble tree,
None in foliage, none in blossom,
None in fruit your peer may be;
Sweet the wood and sweet the iron
And your load, most sweet is he.

Bend your boughs, O Tree of glory!
All your rigid branches, bend!
For a while the ancient temper
That your birth bestowed, suspend;
And the King of earth and heaven
Gently on your bosom tend.
—Venantius Fortunatus, 6th century

An entry for the Everyday Matters Challenge #34. Autumnal equinox. I think I like Fall the best. It’s a bit gray and rainy, but it always feels cozy. I know that time moves in constant speed everyday, but somehow it feels like it moves faster in Fall. Probably it has something to do with the fact that the days are shorter. So it is now already the end of September. October is coming this weekend. Before I know it, it’s time again to plan a Thanksgiving dinner in Amsterdam (note: I don’t cook the dinner, but someone else. I just plan, arrange, etc). Then Sinterklaas and his Zwarte piet will be hailed here from Madrid (or was it Turkey? I can’t seem to get this fact right). Time for chocolate letters, yum yum I love dark chocolate letters. It’s amazing that letters such as Q, X, and Z are never sold out. Eating chocolate letters is a good way to wait for Christmas to arrive. After that it will be New Year again and I am so certain that by that time, time will move slower again….at least that’s how I will feel.

AUTUMN: A SENSE OF THE SEASON

All of our days are numbered. Now that Christ has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, we count down the days until he returns in glory to judge the living and the dead. Ordinary Time is “ordinal” time: numbered days, days in which we lay out the scriptures and the prayers to bide our time until Christ returns.

Although the church makes no official distinction between the days of from Pentecost until Advent, in our lives we experience the subtle shift from the relaxed days of summer to the increasingly active days of autumn. For some of us, the shift comes with the end-of-summer holiday or the beginning of school. Others see work activities shift, from tending to harvesting, from stocking shelves to increasing sales, from cashing out an old fiscal year to digging into a new one. For all of us it comes at 12:03 AM EDT, this Saturday 23 September 2006, when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, from north to south; enters the constellation Libra and Autumn officially begins.

The church’s calendar contains some subtle shifts, too. 14 September we celebrated the Holy Cross Day, and the waning of the natural world around us points us to the mystery of suffering and redemption. At the end of September (29th) we invoke the holy angels and archangels to guard us in the encroaching twilight. And if we listen closely to the scriptures in October, we begin to hear talk of the last days and the final things. These thoughts reach their culmination with the great festival of saints and souls, November 1 and 2. And we spend November remembering the dead, preparing for the end and celebrating Christ, the firstfruits harvested of the new creation, the firstborn from the dead. This is the extraordinary opportunity that Autumn’s “ordinary time” opens to us.

PRACTICE OF FAITH:THE WOOD OF THE CROSS. Last Thursday we celebrated the feast of Holy Cross Day. The cross is probably the most recognizable sign of our faith. While on its face the cross is an instrument of pain and capital punishment, Christians proudly wear, display and honor crosses. That is because the cross is a sign of the redemption Christ won for us. In the light of the resurrection, the cross is a sign of love and sacrifice as well as a promise of a glorious eternity.

Celebrate the cross as the tree of life by decorating one this week with flowers, greenery or ribbons. Place it in an accessible place and use it, accompanied with candles, as a focus for prayer this week. For dinner or dessert, score your baked goods with the sign of the cross as a reminder that we are fed by the crucified and risen Christ.

PRACTICE OF HOPE:NEIGHBORS. Who, exactly, are our neighbors? The folks who live next door? The family down the street?

What about a tribe of Native Americans trying to prepare a field for the return of a buffalo herd, or Hispanic children in a Bible School hundreds of miles away? Nearly 1,000 teens from all over the country would tell you that they are neighbors , and more, thanks to Dr Tom Bright. He is founder of “Young Neighbors in Action,”  a program that puts teens into diverse cultural experiences to help them understand their role in promoting justice.

“When we talk about evangelizing, we talk about what Jesus said. But it’s my belief that the stronger tool is doing what Jesus did,” says Bright. “It’s a sign of hope for me that they (the young people) didn’t just come and have a good time but were committed to continuing things when they return home.”

PRACTICE OF CHARITY:ENMITY NO LONGER. Forgiveness and reconciliation do not come easily for individuals or for groups that have suffered wrong. Yet we are called to live as Jesus did, forgiving the evil done to us. As we work for reconciliation, we must also give attention to the ways we can prevent the next generation from continuing the prejudices we have learned. One group trying to do this is the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation under the leadership of Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa. Another, closer to home is the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama. They have a classroom program called “Teaching Tolerance,: which is designed to help the next generation accept the differences that exist among people. For information about this program, write: Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery AL 36104; or call 334.956.8200.

Sunday Summer Schedule
Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM.  In the garden, weather permitting
(Coffee & Conversation follows)

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

11 Monday:  Weekday
Fifth Anniversary of 9/11/01

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
GYMSTARS - 12:Noon-3:00 PM

         
12 Tuesday:  John Henry Hobart, Bishop of New York, 1830

Holy Eucharist  9:00 AM *  

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
COBBLE HILL BALLET
MUSIC TOGETHER - 3:30-5:00 PM
ACTORS WORKSHOP - 5:15-7:30 PM

 
13 Wednesday:  Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr of Carthage, 258.

Evening Prayer 6:00 PM

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon

14 THURSDAY:  HOLY CROSS DAY

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
GYMSTARS - 3:00-4:00 PM  
COBBLE HILL BALLET  1:00-3:15 PM
AA - 6:30-7:30 PM

15 Friday:     Weekday  Day of Special Devotion:  Abstinence

Holy Eucharist  9:00 AM *

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noo

16 Saturday:  Ninian Bishop of Galloway, c. 430

Parish House:
AA - 7:30-8:30 AM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 10:00 AM-12:45 PM

17  SUNDAY:  THE FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 19)

Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM
(Coffee & Conversation follows)

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

*  At Saint Andrew's House, 199 Carroll Street, between Court and Clinton Streets

BISHOP’S COMMITTEE MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The Bishop’s Committee will meet SUNDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2006, following the 11:00 a.m. Sung Eucharist. Committee reports and agenda items must be submitted by Sunday, 17 September, to be considered at this meeting.

ANNUAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SALE

The Annual Chrysanthemum Sale will take place on Saturday, 23 September and Sunday, 24 September.  Please speak with Mary or Norman Fox or Haigo Salow for more information.  We need volunteers to help sell plants on Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon!

CHRIST CHURCH FOR KIDS: SUNDAY SCHOOL

We will have an organizational meeting on Sunday, 21 September for planning and scheduling courses and teachers for our Sunday School.  You do not need to have a child in the Sunday School to be a teacher.  The commitment is for 10 weeks.  Please consider this as something YOU can do for your church!

CHRIST CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP

The Christ Church Book Reading Group is currently reading Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom is published by Penguin Books at $14.00 (available from Amazon.com starting at $1.37); ISBN: 0143036432. 512 pages. This book is a is the next in the series after Dissolution, our last selection. The discussion notes and a review of the book are on the leaflet table. We will meet this Wednesday, 20 September, for good food and drink, and a lively discussion of this book following the 6:30 p.m. Mass. If you are interested in joining us, please R.S.V.P. on 718-625-2919, or speak with the Vicar.

CHRIST CHURCH COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Can and Will You Help with our outreach ministry? We want to schedule a meeting to plan for the future of this work, including applying for grants and working more closely with Family Consultation Service to distribute food, clothing, school supplies, campers supplies, toys, etc. and adopting a family year-round — and working with Cobble Hill Nursing Home to provide on-going visits to residents. CHIPS (Christian Help in Park Slope) feeds the hungry and provides counseling and clothing to those in need. Please consider this outreach of our Christian community to our wider community!

SUMMERTIME, AND THE LIVIN’S EASY

Church Members are reminded that church expenses do not take a summer break . . . so please keep your pledge to your church up-to-date as you take your own summer vacations.

REFLECTION

 The main event of the reading from the Gospel of Mark is the healing of the deaf man with a speech impediment, but the passage also has an odd verse that reveals something important about the close study of scripture.  Mark writes that Jesus “returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee”  Turn to a map of Israel, ancient or contemporary, and find these places – Tyre, Sidon (both along the Mediterranean coast, and the Sea of Galilee (slightly southwest).  You will see that Jesus would not go “by way of Sidon” from Tyre to the Sea of Galilee.  It is in the opposite direction and many miles out of the way!

The occasional fallibility of the authors of the many books of the Bible can, in an odd way, be a consolation to us.  As people who also make mistakes, with various degrees of consequence, we can trust that in spite of our limitations God loves us and uses us to incarnate gifts to others.  Can you think of mistakes of your own that have had surprisingly beneficial consequences?

 
 
“ … the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down … ” (Psalm 146:8)
 
 
In our Gospel Lesson Jesus heals the deaf man with the speech impediment. We are familiar with this miracle and with other healings in the Gospels. A story we never read in the Lectionary is one in the Gospel of Luke (13:10f.) of Jesus’ healing of the “bent-over woman.” Is it perhaps too threatening—or too obviously subversive? But it’s such a lovely story that I’m sharing a commentary on it that I couldn’t resist. It’s not about the Gospel reading for today—or is it? I’m getting by with sharing it, since it can be seen with reference to the Psalmist’s reminding us how God lifts up those who are bowed down:
“ … When she was straightened up, she began at once to praise God in the midst of that congregation.” I can almost hear her shouting: “Praise God! Thank you, Jesus! Hallelujah, Lord! Thank you, Jesus!”

At that point the leader of the synagogue, seeing that a formerly bentover woman was straightened up— seeing that a person who had been weighed down for 18 years had suddenly in his own synagogue had her vivaciousness revived—himself became so thankful and so enthusiastic that he, too, began to sing and dance and shout, saying: “Praise God! Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus!” Is that the way the story went? No, that’s not the way the story went.

Instead of rejoicing, the synagogue leader began to grumble and grump. He began to construct some elaborate arguments about the synagogue not being the place or the Sabbath not being the day. …

“And Jesus, seeing his fearful fussing, just looked at him and said, ‘Since it was the Devil himself who bent her over, what better place than the church and what better day than the Sabbath to have her stand up?’ The synagogue leader didn’t like that because he didn’t know how to deal with women who were standing up; but the common people heard Jesus gladly and together began to rejoice that the Bent-Over Woman had finally heard the liberating Word of God and straightened up.”

That’s not quite the end of the story. As Luke tells it, Jesus then said, “Therefore.” Jesus said, “Therefore, let me tell you what the kingdom of God is like.” This is not the sudden insertion of a new teaching. What Jesus is about to say is connected to the story by “therefore,” and is a way of summarizing what the story means. “The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that falls into the ground and takes root.” Or, “The kingdom of God is like a lump of leaven within the loaf that eventually causes the whole loaf to rise.” Or, “The kingdom of God is like telling a Bent-Over Woman that she is free to stand up, for lo, every now and then a Bent-Over Woman actually hears the Word and does stand up! And when one Bent-Over Woman stands up, that’s like leaven in the loaf, and causes another and another and still another Bent-Over Woman to stand up—until all the Bent-Over Women are standing up.”

What is the kingdom of God like? It’s like more and more Bent-Over Women standing up. How can we know if the kingdom of God is actually coming? Why not look around and see if there are any formerly Bent-Over Women standing up?

The message of the story seems to be in two parts—or is it two directions? Brother, if you ever see a Bent-Over Woman beginning to unbend and to straighten herself, at the very least you had better give her a little standing room, because that isn’t just another Bent-Over Woman standing up. That’s your sister rising to her full stature—and that’s God’s kingdom cranking up! And, sister, if for whatever reason you are still bent over and weighed down, and you think that that’s the way it was intended to be or must always be, then know that you have been given divine permission to straighten yourself fully and to stand up. And know, too, that since it is Satan who wants you to be a slave, only the Devil himself would say that now is not the time or that this is not the place. If your spirit is bent over, you are free to rise up! Let it be so, brothers and sisters! Again and again and again, let it be so!—In Through the Eyes of a Woman, Wendy S. Robins, ed., World YWCA, 1986.
 
Though not
A contest
Life
Is
The reward
& we
Have
Won.

 —Alice Walker, novelist, poet, and “straight-backed” woman

 
PRACTICE OF FAITH: GOD HAS CHOSEN THE POOR.   Today's reading from James is a good reminder of the feast of the Birth of Mary (8 Sept) this past Friday.  We know and revere Mary as Mother of God and Queen of Heaven.  But to have known her as a girl would probably have been to dismiss her.  James points out that we say "to the poor person in shabby clothing . . . ‘sit at my feet" and become "judges with evil thoughts."  As we pray with the gospel reading from Mark, let us ask Jesus to heal us.  Let us ask that our ears be opened to hear and our mouths be opened to proclaim that God has indeed "chosen those who are poor in the world (like Mary) to be rich in faith and heirs to the dominion promised to those who love God."

PRACTICE OF HOPE: BE STRONG, FEAR NOT.  In one parish I regularly held Mass at a local nursing home.  About ten of the residents there are Episcopalian. The daily Mass participants from the parish joined-in, and as folks arrived they move freely around the room and shook hands.  There was much kidding and laughing.

The presence of outside guests warmed the hearts of the residents.  That presence gave them the assurance that we had not forgotten them and that they could risk being open to God working in their lives even in their old age.  Might this be a time for you to visit someone you know in a nursing home and bring them, through the gift of your presence, the hope which surmounts all fear?  Consider our Community Outreach!

PRACTICE OF CHARITY: SHOW NO PARTIALITY.  The Letter of James challenges us to act without discrimination in our personal lives — a worthy task indeed.  Let us strive to treat everyone with respect and give even greater deference to those in simple attire or who clearly have little.  In addition, we must strive to apply these words globally and bring justice to all nations without discriminating against the poorest or those who think or act differently.  Consider a donation to the International Rescue Committee, 386 Park Ave. South, New York, NY l0016; (212) 679-0010.  Designate it for use in a country that has been marginalized politically or economically, a country whose people you may have difficulty accepting.  Perhaps a country of the Middle East or the Far East with which the United States has strained relations or lacks diplomatic relations, or in Africa or South America.  Search your heart; then be generous.

Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM. In the garden, weather permitting. (Coffee & Conversation follows)

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

4 Monday:  Weekday
Labor Day
Parish/School Office CLOSED

Parish House:
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE CLOSED

5 Tuesday:  Weekday
Holy Eucharist  9:00 AM *   

Parish House:
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:00 PM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-2:30 PM

6 Wednesday:  Weekday
Evening Prayer 6:00 PM

Parish House:
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:00 PM

7 Thursday:  Weekday

Linden Tree Preschool Opening Day

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 1:00-3:15 PM

8 Friday: The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Day of Special Devotion:  Abstinence

Holy Eucharist  9:00 AM *

Parish House:
LINDEN TREE PRESCHOOL - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon / 12:30-3:30 PM
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE - 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon

9 Saturday:  Constance, Nun, and her Companions, 1878

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM
COBBLE HILL BALLET - 10:00 AM-12:45 PM

10  SUNDAY:  THE FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (Proper 18)
Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM.  In the garden, weather permitting. (Coffee & Conversation follows)

Parish House:
AA 7:30-8:30 AM

*  At Saint Andrew's House, 199 Carroll Street, between Court and Clinton Streets

CHRIST CHURCH FOR KIDS: SUNDAY SCHOOL

We will have an organizational meeting on Sunday, 21 September for planning and scheduling courses and teachers for our Sunday School.  You do not need to have a child in the Sunday School to be a teacher.  The commitment is for 10 weeks.  Please consider this as something YOU can do for your church!

CHRIST CHURCH BOOK READING GROUP

The Christ Church Book Reading Group is currently reading Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom is published by Penguin Books at $14.00 (available from Amazon.com starting at $1.37); ISBN: 0143036432. 512 pages. This book is a is the next in the series after Dissolution, our last selection. The discussion notes and a review of the book are on the leaflet table. We will meet this Wednesday, 20 September, for good food and drink, and a lively discussion of this book following the 6:30 p.m. Mass. If you are interested in joining us, please R.S.V.P. on 718-625-2919, or speak with the Vicar.

CHRIST CHURCH COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Can and Will You Help with our outreach ministry? We want to schedule a meeting to plan for the future of this work, including applying for grants and working more closely with Family Consultation Service to distribute food, clothing, school supplies, campers supplies, toys, etc. and adopting a family year-round — and working with Cobble Hill Nursing Home to provide on-going visits to residents. CHIPS (Christian Help in Park Slope) feeds the hungry and provides counseling and clothing to those in need. Please consider this outreach of our Christian community to our wider community!

SUMMERTIME, AND THE LIVIN’S EASY

Church Members are reminded that church expenses do not take a summer break . . . so please keep your pledge to your church up-to-date as you take your own summer vacations.

REFLECTION

"I have a coffee mug with a picture of Moses on it, coming down the mountain with the Ten Commandments. One of those gathered below says, "Not another mission statement!"

We can smile at that kind of statement. It seems that there are many people who try to inspire us to do better. God is the one we should be listening to with the most intention. What a treasure, to be gifted with the law! It provides a great checklist for us. When we're breaking the commandments chances are that we're on the wrong path. Then it can be easy for us to identify where the trouble lies and make some changes. When we're following them, chances are that our lives are going pretty well. It's likely that we're as content with ourselves as others are.

It's not easy to follow the law, though. We walk that road the best when we are in good spiritual condition. Then it becomes natural for us to follow the law, just as if that law were implanted within us. When we are comfortable and confident within ourselves and with what God has given us it's not necessary for us to prove anything. We can easily treat others justly and notice and respond to the needs of those around us. We can easily love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves.

There are other times though, when it isn't so easy. It usually begins when we try to follow our own way. Someone treats us badly and we begin to scheme at how we might get back at them. Our resentment takes more and more time and energy. Before long we aren't sleeping well. We begin to take it out on those we love the most. Before long our sense of well-being is gone. We have fed that resentment and find that we've wandered far from the path God would have us follow.

We can look at those around us and the things they find important. We can become jealous and strive to have what they do. Before long we stop showing appreciation for what we have. Even the loving people in our lives don't seem to be enough. We have fed that jealousy and find that we've wandered far from the path God would have us follow.

When our spiritual defenses are down we can become quite judgmental. We can look for the flaws of those around us and begin to criticize and gossip. Perhaps if we make others seem a little less they won't be as likely to notice the flaws in us. That kind of negativity feeds on itself and before long we can feel a little dirty. Gossip can become a habit and we can find it difficult to see ourselves clear of it. We can find that others trust us less too, sensing that when their backs are turned we'll be talking about them as well.

Our lack of respect and honesty are signs that we're on the wrong path. We can conclude the same things when our actions no longer match our words. We can go on in this state as long as we wish. But when we've decided that we've suffered enough, God will be waiting for us to help us pick up the pieces.

We're offered the Penitential Order, a General Confession or Sacrament of Reconciliation. We can say "I'm sorry," and "I forgive you." We can look again at the wonderful law God has given us. We can try to open ourselves to such and extent that God can write it within us. It's so easy to believe that we should seek our own way. The truth is though, that we'll never be happy or fulfilled until we follow God's way.

This week we can look for areas in our own lives where we don't fully live God's law. We can open ourselves to God and ask God to write that law within us. We can know God's great love for us and open the door that can lead to happiness, peace and a fuller life. Have a good week!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

"What great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?" Why should the Israelites have felt blessed and privileged to have received God's law?

"One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord." Is it possible to observe God's law and not do justice?

"Be doers of the word and not hearers only." Think about growing up. When are some times we were confused when the behavior and words of adults didn't match? How would we react if our own children or grandchildren pointed out that discrepancy in us?

"This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition." This is the kind of confrontation that was brought about because Jesus' disciples didn't scrupulously was their hands before eating. What point was Jesus trying to make? Do you think those present really "listened" to what he had to say?

How are these Scriptures comforting? Challenging?

 PRACTICE OF FAITH: WISDOM CONSEQUENCES.  In the Book of Jeremiah we hear of the internal chaos that plagues the prophet.  After being made the object of ill-humored jokes and even hatred, Jeremiah feel quite the fool.  He not only feel that he was duped by God but feels foolish for having let himself be duped — lured in by promises that turn up empty time and time again.

Suffering, pain and misunderstanding, however, are part of the life of a disciple.  It's not that God's message is a hollow trick — it is a message of life and growth.  And wherever there is the expectation of life and the exhilaration of growth, there will be suffering and pain.  Jesus himself said so to his disciples:  Those who want to follow him into life must take up their cross.

Suffering does not mean that the Christian message is a sham.  Nor does anyone who suffers do so alone.  Christ is our pattern here:  As Christ's suffering led to the glory of the resurrection, our suffering can also lead to new life.  And in our pain, confusion or search for meaning, we have the companionship of Christ to support us. [ link ]

PRACTICE OF HOPE: THAT YOU MAY REFRESH YOURSELVES.  Members of Church Women United living around Waterbury, Connecticut, feel honored when people refer to them as Meatloaf Ladies.  Once a month these women deliver between 40 and 60 two-pound meatloaves to a soup kitchen at St John's Episcopal Church in Waterbury.  The church feeds 250 people every day, so regular and dependable donations of food are much appreciated.  Suzanne Pinard, who initiated the idea of meatloaf deliveries, says of the project, "It's something a lot of people can be involved in without much effort.  It you just put the word out, it multiplies.  People are very willing to help." [ link  ]

PRACTICE OF CHARITY:  A BURNING FIRE.  With the help of psychologists, we have come to see that anger, one of the seven capital (deadly) sins, is neutral until we act on it.  When anger leads to violence or to injustice, it is sinful.  But anger that moves us to action on behalf of peace or justice is not sinful;  it is an important emotion.  We know from the gospels that Jesus used his anger to condemn the unjust practices of his time.  Is there a fire burning in you about some injustice?  Use the fire of that anger to light a path of action for you to follow, a guide to fruitful and grace-filled response to the injustice you see.       [ link ]