The First Reading: Isaiah 58:9b-14
Isaiah urges those who will hear to let their concern be for others, for the well-being of neighbors, family, and friends, trusting that God himself will quell any needs that we have and provide any salve for which our soul long.
The Psalm:
103:1-8
, page 733, BCP
The Second Lesson: Hebrews 12:18-29
The gift which God offers is deeper and more full than what can be seen or touched, more than a mountain, more than a city. May we long for God's eternal kingdom.
The Gospel:
Luke 13:10-17
Jesus's healing and sign of wonder captured the hearts and the imaginations of those in the synagogue; may we stand in awe of the wonderful things God does, no matter where or when we encounter them.
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CHILD CARE IS PROVIDED IN THE NURSERY
(Rm. 205)
During the Service
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JOINT SUNDAY SCHOOL: 10:30 - 11:30 AM
Each week, St. John's children join with our Ministry Partners:
Wellspring UCC & Grace Baptist Church
Room 207/208
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St. John's Sunday School
class for ages 2-4, Room 215
Meets the first Sunday of each month from 9:50 - 10:45 AM
(will not meet in June, July or August)
Our first class in September will meet on September 8 to avoid the Labor Day weekend.
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THE ADULT LECTIONARY FORUM
MEETS EACH SUNDAY IN THE LIBRARY, FOLLOWING THE SERVICE
FROM 10:50 - 11:50 AM
The Saint of the Week for Forum Discussion:
Rev. Denzil Angus Carty
was an Episcopal priest and civil rights leader who fought against discrimination in Minnesota—particularly in St. Paul--while serving as rector of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church for 25 years (1950-1975). Born March 30, 1904 in St. John’s, Antigua, he received a B.S. from the City College of New York and a B.Div. from New York’s General Theological Seminary (where he later received an honorary doctorate). Graduating from there in 1934, he initially worked in three New York parishes: All Souls, St. Philip’s, & St. Luke’s. Carty served as a chaplain for the 512th Port Battalion during World War II & then as a principal at Weber Elementary School in Baldwin, Michigan before becoming rector of St. Philip’s. During his long career in Minnesota, he headed several organizations & provided leadership on many boards. An outspoken advocate for equality, Carty fought against discrimination in housing, education, & employment. In 1961, he lobbied the Minnesota legislature to pass the Minnesota Fair Housing Act, led efforts to establish a state Fair Employment Practices Commission and fought to desegregate St. Paul public schools. As director of the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity, Carty established training centers for black & white civil rights leaders aimed at combatting racism. He brokered an agreement between St. Paul construction trade unions & employers to increase the number of blacks in construction jobs in the 1970s. A founder of the Christian Social Relations Department in the Minnesota Episcopal diocese, Carty served as its vice chair & director. He was also president of the Minnesota branch of the NAACP; director of the St. Paul Urban Coalition; director of the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity; president of the St. Paul Urban League; & president of the Minnesota Council for Civil and Human Rights. If that were not sufficient, Rev. Carty served as chaplain of the American Legion & sat on the boards of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center & the Children’s Home Society. In 1964, he led a “prayer intercession” of about 300 people at the Minnesota State Capitol to garner support for what would become the landmark Civil Rights Act that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin in voting, public schools, employment, and public accommodations. Rev. Carty died August 24, 1975, two months after announcing his retirement. In 2007, Episcopal Homes opened Carty Heights, an affordable senior apartment building that is also named in his honor. Carty Park in St. Paul’s Summit-University neighborhood is named after him. Carty insisted his devotion to human rights was simply part of his Christian duty--the only thing worth doing, he contended, was helping people.
