St. Paul's Episcopal Church Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
MESSENGER
"Making friends while serving God"
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The Week of August 17-23, 2021
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Our Constant Hemorrhaging
Dr. Samuel Weinstein is the chief of pediatric cardio-thoracic surgery for the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. In May of 2006, he traveled to El Salvador with Heart Care International in order to provide life-saving operations for less-fortunate children. However, it would take more than his expertise and advanced equipment to save the life of 8-year-old Francisco Calderon Anthony Fernandez.
Dr. Weinstein and his team began operating on Francisco's heart shortly before noon. Twelve hours later, the procedure took a deadly turn. "The surgery had been going well, everything was working great, but he was bleeding a lot and they didn't have a lot of the medicines we would use to stop the bleeding," Weinstein said. "After a while, they said they couldn't give him blood because they were running out and he had a rare type.'' In fact, Francisco's blood type was B-negative, which-according to the American Red Cross-is present in only 2 percent of the population.
As it was, the only other person in the room with a blood type of B-negative was Dr. Weinstein. Knowing what he had to do, he stepped down from the operating table. As his colleagues continued their precision work, Dr. Weinstein set aside his scalpel, took off his gloves, and began washing his hands and forearm. Then, in the corner of an unfamiliar operating room, the prestigious doctor from one of the most advanced hospitals in the world sat down to give away his own blood.
When he had given his pint, Dr. Weinstein drank some bottled water and ate a Pop-Tart. Then-20 minutes after stepping away from the table-he rejoined his colleagues. After watching his own blood begin circulating into the boy's small veins, Dr. Weinstein completed the operation that saved Francisco's heart-and his life.
David Slagle, Atlanta, Georgia and Sam O'Neal, St. Charles, Illinois; Source: Jim Fitzgerald, "Doc Stops Surgery to Give Own Blood to Patient," LiveScience.com (5-26-06)
The only way you make it to the next day is through him.
Getting to the Main Dish
An Armenian Christian says that Westerners do not understand what Jesus was saying when he said, "I am the Bread of Life." You see, in the Middle East, bread is not just something extra thrown in at a meal. It is the heart of every meal. They have those thin pieces of pita bread at every meal. Those strict people would not think of taking forks and putting them in their mouths. To put an object in your mouth defiles it. You certainly would not take a fork out and put it in again and go on defiling yourself like that. Instead, you break off a piece of the bread, pick up your food with it and eat it. Indeed, the only way you can get to the main dish, he said, is with the bread. Jesus was saying that the only way you can come to life is through him.
Pushing the Empty Gauge
Seneca
We are always complaining that our days are few and acting as though there would be no end of them.
-- Seneca, Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 1.
Postlude
Henri J. M. Nouwen
I often think: "A life is like a day; it goes by so fast. If I am so careless with my days, how can I be careful with my life?" I know that somehow I have not fully come to believe that urgent things can wait while I attend to what is truly important. It finally boils down to a question of deep and strong conviction. Once I am truly convinced that preparing the heart is more important than preparing the Christmas tree I will be a lot less frustrated at the end of a day.
-- Henri J. M. Nouwen in the New Oxford Review (Nov. 1986). Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 18.
From Scot Wright at Faithline Sermons
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To be redirected to the Lectionary Page and get a digital copy of the readings
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1 Kings 8:[1, 6, 10-11], 22-30, 41-43; Psalm 84;
Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-6
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The Sunday Sermon
John 6:51-58
If we follow Jesus’ teachings carefully, we see that he appears to have a keen interest in bread. Perhaps, in part it may have something to do with the place where he was born, Bethlehem, which translated means “the house of bread.” During his ministry we can take for instance the miracle of the feeding of many thousands of hungry people with just five loaves of bread. We can also take note of the final meal he had with the disciples and the importance of bread at that event. And then in today’s gospel Jesus tells the reader that he is the living bread that came down from heaven.
When I think about the feeding of the 5000, I am reminded of the story of a pastor who preached on that particular text, and asked the congregation, “Who here can feed 5 people with 5,000 loaves of bread and 2 fish?” A person in the front row dared to raise her hand. The preacher was surprised, but ignored her and went on with his sermon. After the service he asked the woman, “How in the world do you think you can feed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish?” The woman quickly pointed out the pastor’s error, “You asked if I could feed 5 people with 5,000 loaves and 2 fish. That, of course, shouldn’t be too hard.”
So the next week the preacher stepped into the pulpit and said, “I understand that last week I really made a huge mistake in my sermon with my opening question. So this week, I’ll try again. Who can feed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish?” The same woman raised her hand. He couldn’t believe what he saw. However again he ignored her. After the service the pastor approached her and emphatically stated, “I said it right this time. How are you going to tell me you’ll feed 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish?” The woman replied, “I’d use the left-overs from last week.
Bread, bread and more bread, an important dynamic in our Lord’s ministry, and an important staple in our lives; we can find bread in one form or another in virtually every home throughout the world. Most of our ancestors baked bread on a regular basis. I remember my mother always baked coconut bread on Saturday afternoon and it would be on the dinner table on Sunday, the Lord’s Day. I used to have the enjoyable task of breaking open the coconut with a hammer and then I would grate it. The good part about this was that I got to eat the left-over little pieces of coconut. And my mother would look at me and say, “Coconut got a lot of iron, make you strong like a lion!”
But beyond the nourishment of raw coconut and delicious coconut bread, I was being nourished by a part of my mother’s self, a part of her energy, a part of her life-blood, because into that bread went her hard work. Into that bread went her hopes and dreams for her family’s nourishment, her family’s lives, her family’s future. To eat mom’s bread was more than just having my stomach filled, it was being cared for and loved.
When Jesus began to speak of being the bread of life, the religious folk of the time got upset. They couldn’t grasp the concept that Jesus was nourishment, that Jesus was in fact life giving. Even though he had referred to it time and time again in his ministry, when he said that by his very life, by his suffering, his death and resurrection, he would fill all of us with new life, they just didn’t understand.
They were so turned off by the strange imagery of his giving us his flesh to eat, that they were unable to recognize the miracle of redemption as it was being presented to them in this morning’s gospel reading. It’s kind of like the father who is unable to see the love that his potential son-in-law may have for his daughter because, perhaps the young man is of another race or another social standing. It is, perhaps, like the difficulty any of us might have being able to experience the presence of God in the house of worship of another denomination, because the style of worship may be radically different to ours. We can be repulsed by that which is foreign to us, we can be so repulsed by the apparent awkwardness of a particular tree, that we are unable to see the beauty, the magnificence of the entire forest.
I feel very sad sometimes when I think of the ways the Church is splintered into so many denominations. And the one major thing that separates us is the one thing that should unite us, the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper and our different understandings of what happens during that central act of Christian worship. One Church talks about transubstatiation, another Church talks about consubstantiation. We Anglicans, use the term real presence, while other Churches speak about the symbolic presence of Christ in the bread and wine.
Christ used bread, a food that we all share in common, to help us as family recall the mighty acts of love through which our salvation is wrought. And we have pushed ourselves away from each others ecclesiastical table, we have walked away from that which we share in common because we question our being nourished by Christ at a table which is strange to us; how sad a commentary on us, the splintered Body of Christ.
Jesus wants to be sustenance, wants to be a staple for all humankind. He wants us to let him live within us. He wants to become part of us, to flow through all of what we are and do. He wants to be one with us. He wants us to be one with each other. He is the bread of life. He is that divine source of energy that is here and able to feed us through what we call the Blessed Sacrament of the altar, so that we in turn may feed our brother and sister in need.
When next you look at a piece of bread, be it in church, at your family table or at the table of someone else, please utter a prayer of thanksgiving and please dedicate the energy derived from that bread to bringing the new life of the gospel of Christ to the world.
--Fr. C. Allan Ford
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HELP NEEDED!!
We’re thinking of having a Chicken BBQ Take-out either Sept 18th or 25th as a fund raiser. WE NEED A GRILL, A PICKUP TRUCK TO GET IT HERE, AND WORKERS in order for this to take place. If you are willing to help us out and can commit to one of those days PLEASE SPEAK TO JANET, DEBBIE P., ROSE MARIE OR BOBBIE BY SEPT. 5.
--Bobbie Gordon
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OUR SEARCH FOR A NEW PRIEST
We are well in to our process for finding a new Priest in Charge for St. Paul's Church. While the Vestry is charged with this task, it is something that involves the whole Parish. So let us all pray for this task and our future. Please add the prayer below to your prayers. We will also pray this together during the Prayers of the People.
Prayers For the Election of a Bishop or other Minister (BCP p. 818)
Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a Priest in Charge, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen
--Pete Bedrossian,
Search Committee Chair
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IN-PERSON SUNDAY SERVICES
As more and more people are getting vaccinated against COVID 19 the Bishop has eased some of the restrictions that have affected our worship. Given this the Vestry has decided that all services (10:00am), except for the second Sunday of the month, will be in person and will include singing. We also hope to be able to broadcast the in person service live on our YouTube channel.
At our Vestry meeting we changed our church mask policy to be that vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks.
For unvaccinated individuals, the mask rule remains that anytime you are moving from your pew that you have your mask on. When you are seated you may take off your mask if you choose to do so. If you are singing please put on your mask. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.
The second Sunday of the month will be on Zoom (see below for Zoom link). This allows us to have the coffee hour discussions and to retain those parishioners who are able to only be with us remotely.
We hope to see you on Zoom on Sunday and in person whenever you can make it in.
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ZOOM CHURCH LINK FOR ALL SERVICES
All services except for the second Sunday (on Zoom) of the month, will be in person at 10:00am and will include singing.
Our Zoom connections remain the same and are
Meeting ID: 823 3911 5280
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,82339115280# US (New York)
+13017158592,,82339115280# US (Germantown)
Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
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ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YOUTUBE CHANNEL
We now have a YouTube channel.
To get there PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
or search on YouTube for St. Paul's Poughkeepsie.
We hope to put copies of all of our online services there.
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A NOTE FROM THE TREASURY TEAM
The total deposits will be reported on a monthly basis going forward. Please watch for it at the end of the month.
A reminder - Please remember to either mail in your pledge or drop it off through the mail slot any day during the week. The correct address is: 161 Mansion St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
ST. PAUL’S THANKS YOU!!!
--Bobbie Gordon
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GRACE CHURCH MILLBROOK GOLF TOURNAMENT & GALA DINNER FUNDRAISER
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--The Rev. Dcn. Julett Butler
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_4 Owen Tucker
_5 Owen Scarlett
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15 Adrianna Babb
23 Marlene Taylor
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Please keep those on our parish prayer list in your minds and in your prayers, especially at this time of separation and isolation.
Intercessions
AUGUST 2021
Our prayers are asked for:
Rose; Donna; Steven; Salvator; Barbara; Tish; Mary Ann; Tommy; Carol; Chris; Sandra; George, Norm; Janett; Kay, Katherine, Renate; Food Pantry Volunteers, victims of Human/Sex Trafficking; Burton family; Lillian, Matthew, Sasha; Joe, G.J., Aleta, Plain family, Melius family; Ibadan Diocese, All Saints' Church, Oni family; Gary, Legend; Rhonda, Joe, Ann, all Teachers, Parents, Students, Theodore, John, Paul, Kathy; Sharon Greene, Owen, Agnes, Norma; McLauren family; Graham family; Wood family; Braxton family; Lori, Steven, Jim, Seth; Phil; All essential workers; Beryl & Glen, Vincent family; George; Daniel Mizell and family; Fr. Allan and family; St. Paul's Vestry; Darien family; Sherow family; Edna Clarke, Michelle, Kathy B.; Carola and Violet; Whitman, Medical Reserve Corp. of Dutchess County, The Laken family; All Parishioners; Kairos International, Catherine, Michelle, Yamily; Matthew, Lillian; Lynita, Perry, Melius family, Sasha; Stacey; Tucker family, Branch family, Atkinson family; Alison, McGhan, Sterling, Unah, Avonel, Kim, Santos family, Madeline, Bramble, Charlie, Cynthia, Gencia, Val, Joanne, Janet, Corkey, Pelaez, Josephs-Clarke family, Dixon family, Paulette, Jarah, Mertlyn; Adam, Paul, Andrew & family, Douglas family, Ron, Dave, Liz; Jill, Lana, Andrew, Susan; Schneider family, all in need; Susie; Sherry, Claudia
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Please "Like" our page to stay up to date with all services and events.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church - Poughkeepsie
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'In Service to God & You'
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Our food pantry volunteers are in active service at St. Paul's these days. We give thanks to them and thanks to God for their willingness to help us by helping others.
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THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR
August 17-23, 2021
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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
Give us a call today!
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St. Paul's Episcopal Church 161 Mansion Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
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