Accessibility Project at All Angels

We are pleased to announce that construction has begun at All Angels to improve our accessibility. We will eventually have three ramps - one through the terrace, one next to the angel fountain, and the other next to the memorial garden. For church this Sunday, please do not use the door next to the memorial garden as that access will most likely be blocked. Also, please go to the right side of the fountain when entering the church. Or, feel free enter through the Gallery door. 
Stay tuned for more information about this exciting project! 
Indoor Worship and Holy Communion

Holy Communion will be available at both the 8:00 am and 10:00 service.
Seating is available on a first come first serve basis.

If you attend in-person, please note:
Masks are required indoors - please wear the mask over your mouth and nose. 
The service will be about 45 minutes.
After the service, feel free to stick around outside and welcome those you have not seen in a while.  

Drive-in Church - drive up, tune your radio to 107.5 FM
Walk-up Church - bring a chair/bike/beach blanket, stay six feet from your neighbor in our garden and grassy area, and listen to the service live.
Live-stream - go to AllAngelsLBK.org, click on the listen live button, and you will be routed to our YouTube channel. 
Zoom - go to https://zoom.us/j/5955701807 and watch and listen live. Be sure to stick around after the service for our coffee hour chat-with-your-neighbor time. 

The bulletin can be found on the All Angels Website: AllAngelsLBK.org
or at the following link: Bulletin for Sunday, October 11
Creating a Sacred Space
While Worshipping God On-Line

Starting this Sunday, All Angels' 10 am service will begin with the lighting of the altar candles. If you are participating at home, you are invited to light a candle with us to create a sacred space of worship at home. 
From the City of Longboat Key

The indoor mask requirement continues to be in effect. Before the requirement, the city had 36 confirmed cases of Covid-19; there have been 5 cases since then. 
Veteran's Day Event

The Rotary of LBK is hosting a pandemic- sensitive “drive-by” veteran recognition on Veteran’s Day, November 11, at 1100 in front of Temple Beth Israel. And, the Rotary is conducting a fundraising campaign in support of these three local non-profits who help veterans: Turning Points Yellow Ribbon Project, the Fisher House Foundation, and SRQ Vets. There is a matching gift up to $10,000. To join the “Support those who Served” campaign visit the Rotary’s website, www.longboatkeyrotary.org, or send a check to Rotary LBK Charitable Fund, P.O. Box 8351, Longboat Key, FL 34228.  
Online Giving
All Angels now has an electronic offertory plate! You can find the online giving link on our All Angels website by clicking the link below:
Discussion Group Readings

We are going to talk about the science, or lack-thereof, of near-death experiences. Here are two articles talking about the subject. The primary text, Understanding Near-Death Experiences, gets into the neurology behind the phenomenon and brings up the subject in saying it can be simulated, perhaps, by a particular drug. The other article, which is not required reading, is from an MD who had her own experience and believes it is beyond scientific understanding. 
There are many more articles about this so, if you are so inclined, feel free to do your own reading and let the group know what you found. 
Many blessings to you this week,
- Dave

Here is the website address for the discussion group: 
Book Study

On Wednesdays at 10 am, we will be studying the book St. Benedict's Toolbox

The weekly class will be available on Zoom:

Here is the handout for Class 4 of our Book Study, Wednesday, October 14.

The video of the third class can be found below:
Angels All Around Us Video

After the Benedict's Toolbox class, the main camera had difficulty focusing on the stained glass window. Here is what it looked like:
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. 
Prayers for our People

The Lord is with me, his rod and staff comfort me. Comfort especially: Downs IV, Holden, Heidi, Cynthia, Nikolai and Brian. Grant healing and recovery for all who have gone through surgery especially Jim Thomas who received a new hip. Give peace and strength for those going through cancer treatments, especially John, Victoria, Andres, Ginny, Alex and Colleen. Visit and comfort all who are under the care of skilled nursing, especially Bob, Ruth, Timothy, Don, Barbara and Mike. Be near to all who are in hospice care.
Thank You of the Week

To the anonymous donors who have paid for our chalices to be refinished. Jesus said to bring out treasures new and old for the Kingdom of Heaven!
Gallery Artist

The artist for October is Linda Loen. Please stop by and enjoy the work of this talented artist.  

All checks should be written to "All Angels by the Sea."
All previous services, discussion group readings and Bible study classes may be found on our website:
Reflection
A Garrison of Peace

If you have seen my liturgical style, you may have noticed that I do not pray the Eucharistic prayer by memory. Some clergy recite it from memory, but, I choose not to. Some of this style has to do with being an underwriter in a corporate culture that insisted one is not to memorize the insurance policy; but rather to read it. It didn’t matter if we had read a particular section hundreds of times, we must read it when making a determination. In college, I studied a Supreme Court case that decided whether a police should read or recite the Miranda rights. The court ruled that the arresting officer must read the rights, not recite it from memory.

In seminary, we were advised to memorize two parts of the service – the absolution and the benediction. In the bulletin this Sunday, the benediction isn’t in print, it just says, “The Blessing”. I don’t memorize stuff well; in fact, some have made fun of me for not remembering the lyrics to the most common Christmas hymns. But, for the benediction, I will be just fine as long as I remember these words: the peace of God. If I can remember those words, I can recite the rest from memory – “[the peace of God] which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The words of the benediction came from Sunday’s reading — chapter 4, verse 7, of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. This past Tuesday, I was reading the chapter in Greek. Normally I’d speed through the words I already know but something made me stop and look at them in verse 7. Wouldn’t you know, I saw something that I’ve never seen before. The word that stuck out for me is the verb “to keep”. The Greek word Paul used is phroureo; it means to keep, to guard, to set-a-garrison. The transliterated Greek reads this way: the peace of God which exceeds all thought set-a-garrison-around your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Upon reading that, my mind was blown. I had never imagined God’s peace setting a garrison/fortress around my heart and mind in Christ. Visually speaking, the peace of God for me had always looked like a tranquil lake, or an orange setting sun over a blue ocean, not a stone wall. In fact, when I think of the verb to-keep, I think of it in in a possessive transaction; like keeping something. But, medieval architecture shows a keep is a strong tower. Here I was thinking that God’s peace keeps-transactionally our hearts and minds in Christ. Where, in Paul’s day and time, he wrote that God’s peace sets a garrison or a strong tower to hold our hearts and minds in Christ. Now, that certainly does pass all understanding!

-Fr. Dave