1504 Myrtle Street (P.O. Box 381)

Calistoga, CA 94515

Gospel: Luke 16:1-13

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Collect from Sunday, September 111

Heavenly Father,

Our world has made tremendous strides with respect to advancements toward efficiency, productivity, and gain. Yet, when it comes to humanity’s ethos, little progress has been made. Like scarcity in water for our arid land, lacking are the values of gratitude, humility, and willingness.

Lord, whose work shows the way, transforms the heart, blesses, and transcends the soul. Grant us wisdom and grace in receiving the fruits of Thy redeeming work. Help us to perform Thy Will in daily life, with utmost faith, sincerity, and thanksgiving; as we endeavor to quench the spiritually parched, with peace, love, and goodwill; in following the steps of the Holy One, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

As you may know, York and Elizabeth Wong have been writing weekly Collects for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church since the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020. We're reprinting them because they are worth re-reading.

Weekly Announcements

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CCAT Bingo

Saturday, Sept. 17

Fifteen people have signed up for the upcoming Cat Bingo and another 15 or more are needed to help the Calistoga Cat Action Team of Napa & Sonoma Counties meet their goal of raising $3,000 to $5,000.

The event will be held from 4-8 p.m., Saturday, Sept.a 17 in the parish hall at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 1504 Myrtle St. in Calistoga. It includes dinner with wine, refreshments, prizes and a live auction. Tickets are $48 a person and available at calicat.org, click on the purple Donate button. Checks also may be mailed to CCAT, P.O. Box 952, Calistoga, CA 94515.

Connie Schellenger, Calistoga resident and CCAT board president, said the non-profit group had spayed and neutered about 100 cats in the past year and the need is increasing. Additionally, the group’s volunteers – more are needed – feeds cats that are part of feral colonies, traps them for spay and neutering services, and relocates them to rural homes, barns or wineries from Knights Valley to Mt. Veeder. Money raised also assists with veterinarian costs.

Schellenger said two dedicated volunteers feed the feral cats in colonies and other “angel” volunteers are responsible for cleaning pet cages and doing laundry, since two sheets, one on the top, one on the bottom cover the cages in the summer. In the winter, blankets cover the cages for warmth, during the one-month transition period. After the month is over, the cats still need daily care – food and water – but not litter cleaning.

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According to the website, calicat.org, donations and volunteers are always needed. Currently, the group needs:

--Blankets, Towels, and small throw rugs

--Cat Food (Purina Cat Chow)

--Cat Litter, Litter boxes (just the pan), & scoops

--Toys

--Cat Beds

--Gas cards for transporting animals

--High Efficiency Laundry soap.

Kristin Casey founded CCAT in 2006 and Schellenger said when she took it over 10 years later, it became a non-profit organization, with four board members. For more information on CCAT, its mission, wish list and how you can help, please visit the website, calicat.org.

Altar Flowers

If you’re celebrating a birthday or wedding anniversary, providing altar flowers is a great way to mark the occasion.

Please send a donation of any amount to the church, P.O. Box 381, Calistoga, CA 94515 and mark it for “Altar Flowers.” Or donate below.

Donate

CaliCat.org

Pay online at www.calicat.org

Proceeds help with trapping, spaying, neutering, assisting with vet costs and relocating feral cats to rural homes and wineries from Knights Valley to Mt. Veeder, as well as daily feeding of colony and community felines in Calistoga, Knights Valley & St. Helena.

Community cats are an asset to our community.

October is pet month

We will feature your pet in the weekly newsletter.

Email us pictures of your beloved animals. Let's guess the owner.

elaine@elainejennings.com

St. Luke's Episcopal Church History

OUR HISTORY

Earlier this year, St. Luke's Episcopal Church celebrated the 75th anniversary of the building of the church. But the congregation is much older than that, having first gathered in June 1917 for an Episcopal service in Calistoga.

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