April 4, 2024

SUNDAY SERVICES

8:00 and 10:00 am

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Last Sunday's Service

Easter Sunday

Sunday Sermons

If you would like to read Rev. Dave's recent sermon,

please click the link below

Sermon: Who Will Roll Away the Stone, Easter Sunday 3.31.24

PRAYERS

A Prayer for Peace Among the Nations (BCP 816)

Let us pray in this time of conflict for peace in Israel, Palestine and Ukraine.

Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world

into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them

that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become

the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer invites you to pray with them, every day, at 8 am, wherever you are. When you enter into prayer at 8 am (Eastern), you will know that others are praying at the same time. 

We Pray for our People

Breathe your healing and peace on all those who suffer, especially Downs IV, Holden, Anne, Victoria, Kim, Michael, Barbara, Lorraine, Maria Christine and Caitlin. We pray for those who receive the care of skilled nursing, especially Timothy, Barbara, Kim and Lou. We pray for those recovering from surgery, especially Josh and Philip. We pray for those going through cancer treatments and those in remission, especially, Margaret, Downs III, Victoria, Alex, Connie, Douglas, Frank, Gerta, Lauren, Jennifer, TJ, Jim, Stephanie, Cara, Todd and Nancy (Deming). We pray for those in Hospice, especially Mary Jo.

A BRIDGE BETWEEN ALEX AND DAVE

Podcast: A Bridge Between



Episode 70: Faith Over Fear

Also available on Spotify:

Spotify: A Bridge Between

PARISH ACTIVITIES

Choir News

• Choir meets every Thursday (October – May) at 10:00 am – ALL are WELCOME!
• Bell Choir meets every Thursday (October – May) at 11:15 am – ALL are WELCOME!

Save the Date 

Thursday, April 11th:

 Spring Fling

Sunday, April 14th:

Artist reception following the 10:00 am church service

Christine Hales, Iconographer

Book Drive

Thank you for your generosity: Children First received159 books, donated by All Angels.

Gallery Artist

Our featured artist for April is iconographer Christine Hales. Please stop by and enjoy the work of this talented local artist. Checks should be written to All Angels by the Sea. 

Men's and Women's Discussion Group

Next week's article is written by a self-identified atheist who suggests that America needs more people attending Church (or a synagogue or mosque). He writes: 

Maybe religion, for all of its faults, works a bit like a retaining wall to hold back the destabilizing pressure of American hyper-individualism, which threatens to swell and spill over in its absence.

The author also highlights that, for as much as the American public has tried, there is no substitute for the communal connections religion makes (again, from an atheist writer). 

I'd like to know what you think. 

One more thing: some have asked for a copy of the WSJ article about why women are sadder and happier than men. The free link to the article is below the Zoom link. I'd like to use that piece the next time we have a combined meeting. 

For those in person, I'll have the coffee ready. For those on Zoom, here's the link: https://zoom.us/j/5955701807

WSJ link -Why Are Women Both Sadder and Happier Than Men?

To read the article, click the link below:

The True Cost of Not Attending Church

Coffee Hour Hosts Needed

One of the most important things we do is gather after the service for coffee hour. If you are interested in hosting, the sign up sheet is on the Gallery table. If you would like help, sign up and we will find someone to show you how it is done. 

Online Giving

If you would like to give to the offering plate electronically, you can find the online giving link on our All Angels website by clicking the link below:

AllAngelsLBK.org

REFLECTION

Solomon’s Gift

Heidi Haverkamp in her article, The Wisdom of Not Knowing, wrote, “An infinite, all-inclusive buffet for the mind is now spread before us online. We can find out just about anything we have ever wondered about, at any time, and at almost any place on earth.” This was our discussion group article and to start the conversation, I read from the Bible about the young King Solomon (who took over from his dad, King David). In a dream, God asked Solomon what he wished for. The response: Please give your servant a discerning mind in order to distinguish good from evil, because no one is able to govern without your help. God granted him a discerning mind and now Solomon is known for his wisdom.

Discernment is different than knowledge. While it is probably true that we live in an infinite, all-inclusive buffet for the mind, it won’t give us wisdom or discernment – especially knowing good from evil. If anything, that buffet-for-the-mind makes discerning good from evil all the more difficult.

A parishioner on Tuesday responded to a popup on her computer from Microsoft. It said that her computer was vulnerable to attacks. She called the phone number on the screen and a helpful person answered almost immediately. He asked for permission to take over her computer. Once it was granted, he discovered that she had been hacked. When he asked for her home address and information off her credit cards, she backed away from the conversation. Thankfully, at the same time, the internet on Longboat Key went dead – it was a helpful coincidence. After the encounter, she asked me if I thought it was legitimate. I did this Google search: “Does Microsoft alert me if I have been hacked?” The answer: No, that’s a fake so-called Tech Support scam. Real error messages from Microsoft, or other big tech companies, never include phone numbers.

One of my neighbors is a skilled tradesman from a family of law enforcement in New Jersey. The other day, he asked if I received a phone call from the power company about changing out our meters. I had not and asked what happened. He said he was out on a job, ankle deep in hydraulic fluid, and his phone rang. Thinking it was his boss, he answered it and it was “the power company”; they were at his house and needed to reset the meter so they could install a new one. They asked him to verify information. He did, and even gave them his social security number. I said, “You did what?!” He dropped his head, said some unpublishable words, and then walked inside to make some phone calls to his bank and other institutions. I’m telling you this because if the scam happened to him, it can happen to any of us.

The most common crime you’ll encounter is white collar. At the same time, it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish good from evil. This means we need to be wise, like Solomon, and ask for a discerning mind to help us navigate this all-inclusive buffet for the mind.

I will never send you an email, a text, or a voice mail that asks for money or gift cards. At the same time, All Angels asks for contributions because we depend completely upon the generosity from our congregants and friends of the church. If at any time you think you may have received something from us, but you are not sure, please (please please) ask. Also, remember these two things: 1) Good will remain; evil is impatient. If there is someone at your electric meter, he’ll wait while you verify. Evil, on the other hand, will not wait for you to verify, it’ll move on to the next potential victim. 2) Wisdom and discernment happen when two or three are gathered together. If at any time, you receive a popup, a text, an email, a phone call and are wondering if it is good or evil, be sure to ask someone else.

- Rev. Dave