St. Paul's Episcopal Church   Poughkeepsie, NY


MESSENGER
"Making friends while serving God"

The week of December 25-31, 2017         


"The word became flesh"
 


Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Psalm 147:13-21
Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7; John 1:1-18


The first eighteen verses of the Gospel of John are certainly well-known-"In the beginning was the Word." But this passage can seem too floaty, too esoteric, too obscure, abstract, and idealized. It's poetry, yes, but it's not particularly helpful poetry, and when we read the Bible, most of us like to gather some sort of concrete idea of what to do in our lives on an everyday basis.
bible.jpg

This Week's Lesson

 
But if John thought poetry was the best way to introduce Jesus and encourage us to encounter Jesus, why was that?

This text reveals that we need to think differently about who we are. It's very easy as we go about our daily lives making our daily mistakes to get very down on ourselves, to believe we are constantly disappointing God and everyone else. And while it's important to never lose sight of our feet of clay, the fact is that God created us but a little lower than the angels, and sometimes we need to rise into the stratosphere with John and live into that a bit.

What can we learn about what Jesus wants us to be from what we learn about who Jesus is in John's prologue? John says, "All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being." You were part of a process much greater than your parents creating a biological exchange. Jesus Christ himself, the great and eternal Word, was the vehicle of your creation, was the medium and the messenger that spoke a unique word into the universe that never was before and never will be again. That's you.

You might not believe little old you could be that special or important. But John says it himself: "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God." You are a child of God born of the will of God.


 
 
From everyone at St. Paul's we want to wish you a Happy & prosperous New Year!
 



 
PARISH NEWS
 
 
 
 
     CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE 2017  
St. John's Strings accompanied St. Paul's choir for the Christmas Eve prelude conducted by Maris Kristapsons.
 
Father Tyler preaching his sermon.     


   

NEWS FROM THE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE
The Stewardship Committee will meet Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 6:00.  Please bring ideas for fund raising. All welcome!!


 


 

REMINDER!
CHURCH CALENDAR AND LECTIONARY GUIDE

  
There are a number of ways to figure out what is coming up (or for that matter what happened last Sunday) in church. Probably the best and most convenient is the Ordo Kalendar. These handy calendars reveal what the readings are throughout the year, what the liturgical colors are, which famous (or noteworthy) church person is commemorated on various days, what the major feast days are and numerous other details of church life that otherwise might go unnoticed.
 
Rose Marie Proctor, Altar Guild Matron, has calendars for sale for $5 each. The calendar sales are a fundraising effort by the Altar Guild to generate money for the church and to partially offset the expenses of our Altar Guild.
 
In addition to being a useful tool, the Ordo Kalendars make interesting and useful gifts for those involved and/or interested in deepening their knowledge of what is going on in church.



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St. Paul's Episcopal Church-Poughkeepsie
 
 
THIS WEEK'S HYMNS

1982                 102       Once in royal David's city

1982                 99         Go, tell it on the mountain

1982                 112      In the bleak midwinter

1982                 93         Angels from the realms of glory



THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR
December 25-31 2017

MON 25          7:30am AA Meeting;                          
                        10am Christmas Day Service;                
                                                                                                                    
TUE 26            Office, Food Pantry, Small Blessings Thrift Shop CLOSED
                                                                                      
WED 27            7:30am AA Meeting;  
           10am-2pm Office, Food Pantry, Small Blessings Thrift Shop;
                                                      
THUR 28          10am-2pm Office, Food Pantry, Small Blessings Thrift Shop;   
                              
FRI 29               7:30am AA meeting;                    
                                                                                                                           
SUN 31            8am Rite I;
                         8:45am Lessons Discussions;
     9:30am Choir practice;  
           10am Rite II; The Rev. Ellen O'Hara
           10am Sunday School;
           11:15m Coffee Hour


YOUR NEWS BELONGS IN ST. PAUL'S  MESSENGER

Help us get the word out by submitting news of parish activities. Send submittals to stpaulpk@verizon.net or call 845 452 8440

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