Twenty-sixth Sunday After Pentecost November 21, 2021
8am & 10:30am
(10:30 service available live online @ http://stpaulstx.org)
Worship
Nikolay Gay, Quod est Veritas? [What is Truth?]
(Moscow, Russia: The Tretyakov Gallery, 1890), oil on canvas.

Collect
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The readings may be found here
Processional Hymn
Meharry Gospel Choir

Gospel Hymn

Offertory Hymn
Communion Hymns
(A3# 139)




Recessional Hymn    
Vestry Highlights
At the November Vestry meeting, the Vestry

  • Discussed Kevin Martin’s Parish Leadership Guide for the New Normal and ways to engage Stewardship throughout the year.

  • Was praised for engaging with new folks.

  • Heard that Fr. Nick was elected as Clergy Trustee from the Diocese to the University of the South (3-year term).

  • Reviewed that our Advent Series (Andy Stanley ‘Why in the World?) is an event to invite others to attend (e.g. our school).

  • Expressed concern over the condition and maintenance of Clardy Hall.

  • Heard that St. Joseph’s Guild will meet on Saturday, November 20, 2021 to install a sliding screen door on the Bell Tower.

  •  Heard that St. Joseph’s Guild will seek to address the sidewalk and lighting on the south side of parking lot.

  • Heard that St. Joseph’s Guild will get bids for painting the yellow ceiling tiles in the Parish Hall.

  • Heard that St. Joseph’s Guild will seek to address the HVAC issues in the Parish Hall.

  • Decided to purchase a coffee bar to replace our current table and coffee cart.

  • Heard that the Outreach Committee is collecting cans/funds for the FISH food drive in conjunction with our school.

  • Heard that the Stewardship video is in production and will be played during the Stewardship Supper.

  • Approved allowing some decorations in the Bell Tower. The Columbarium Policy is amended to say, “Flowers, natural or artificial, and miniature flags can be placed/removed only by family members, Columbarium committee members, or church Altar Guild and only in the tubes provided in the bell tower.”

  • Heard that the Rector’s appointment for the Sr. Warden for 2022 will likely be via a sealed envelope that will be opened at the Annual Meeting.

  • Heard that we have three candidates: Jo Dodson, David Gish, and Beth Lachnitt. We still need to elect candidates for Delegates.

  • Decided that every fifth Sunday will be a St. Paul’s Parish-wide potluck (as distinct from a Vestry sponsored potluck).

  • Decided to give the teachers and staff of the parish and school hams/turkeys for Christmas.

  • Heard that the October income was $39,628 and expenses were $18,713 thus we had a positive cash flow of $20,915.

  • Heard that the YTD income was $250,660 and expenses were $168,863 thus we had a positive cash flow of $80,301.
for The Stipe Family


Anyone who can provide a meal for 2 adults and 1 child can signup at the Meal Train page for The Stipe Family. Thank You!

MealTrain.com simplifies the process of organizing, giving and receiving meals and more.
WEDNESDAYS
10:30am - Morning Prayer
10:30am - Online Morning Prayer via Zoom (see http://stpaulstx.org ).

7-8pm - BIBLE STUDY
Join David and Lisa Gish and
NEW - Kids Bible Study: Rita Woods and Jacob Faunce
for Wednesday Evening Bible Study in Clardy Hall.
Pizza provided to feed the body; Word of God to feed the Soul

Saturday, November 20th
8:00am - St Joseph's Guild: Breakfast, prayer followed by installation of sliding screen door in the Bell Tower.
9:00am - DOK, Daughter's of King

Sunday, November 21st
Pledge Sunday - The Stewardship Committee is providing a lunch after the 10:30am service, everyone is encouraged to stay!


Thanksgiving Food Drive Benefiting FISH
St. Paul's Episcopal Church and School are partnering in a food drive to benefit Hunt County Shared Ministries (FISH). Our goal is to collect the items FISH uses to compile Thanksgiving baskets, although all donations are welcome and encouraged! Click to view list of itemsWe are collecting donations until Sunday, November 21st. Please drop off donations in the box in Clardy Hall. Thank you! "
ADVENT SERIES COMING!
December 2, 9, 16 and 23
6:00-6:30 – Dinner; 6:30-7:30 – DVD & Discussion
Dinners hosted by Vestry member

coffee_croissants.jpg
Join us for
coffee hour
November 21-
Stewardship Day- food sponsored
November 28 -
Bring your favorite chips
or veggies and dip
A Morsel for Meditation
Fr. Zossima said, “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestially in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself. The man who lies to himself can be more easily offended than anyone. You know it is sometimes very pleasant to take offense, isn’t it? A man may know that nobody has insulted him, but that he has invented the insult for himself, has lied and exaggerated to make it picturesque, has caught at a word and made a mountain out of a molehill – he knows that himself, yet he will be the first to take offense and will revel in his resentment till he feels great pleasure in it, and so pass to genuine vindictiveness.”
Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Constance Garnett,
The Brothers Karamazov (Saint Petersburg, Russia: Palmyra, 2017), 51.

Pray for the Church, the Body of Christ
Please pray for those on our prayer list this week:
Please Pray for those on
our prayer list this week:

Marie and Ken Gunter,
Ginger Higgins, Bob Lanier,
Jimmy Herring and Family, Dana Medford, Elaine Bottone, Father Gordon, Julia Gibson, Beverly Gish,



Contact our church office to
add a name to our prayer list: 903-455-5030. Names remain
for one month unless
renewed or canceled.
We also pray for our Daughters of the King Ministry as they bring their strength and service together by praying for friends and for the people.

You may also add people to the list by filling out a DOK confidential prayer card and ptting them in the blue box located in the Narthex.
PRAYER REQUESTS & BOX

The Daughters of the King support your prayer needs and wishes. Each Sunday a prayer team will be available to pray with you after the Worship Service in the choir area after the 10:30 service. If you would like additional information, please see a DOK member.

They also have a intercessory prayer box on the table in the Narthex to deposit prayer requests. Prayer request cards may be found in the pews and beside the box in the Narthex. Daughters pray daily. All prayers are confidential. Each person is prayed for one month. If you wish for continued prayers, please complete another request card or contact a Daughter.

You may call the church office (903-455-5030) and specify it is for the DOK intercessory prayer list. You can hand the card to a Daughter (she is always wearing her cross).

Thanksgiving Quotes and Trivia
“The simple act of practicing gratitude, consistently, is your invitation to a new life. Accepting the invitation is now up to you.” — Josie Robinson

The Wampanoag, Native American tribe celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims in 1621.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” John F. Kennedy.

Congress approved the First National Thanksgiving Proclamation, written in Samuel Adams' hand, which established Dec. 18, 1777, as the day of observance for thanksgiving and praise to recognize the Continental Army's badly needed win against the British in the Battle of Saratoga, N.Y.

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” — Maya Angelou

President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a permanent national holiday in 1865.

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” — Denis Waitley

President Thomas Jefferson refused to celebrate Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

“Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted—a paved road or a washing machine? If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” — Rabbi Harold Kushner
Stewardship

You can make your checks payable to "St. Paul's Episcopal Church" and mail them to:

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
8320 Jack Finney Blvd. 
Greenville, TX 75402

Giving for Jesus
You can also make your donations at http://stpaulstx.org/giving/ to make a donation using your credit or debit card via PayPal or Tithe.ly.

Living for Jesus
Streaming
Streaming:
Since we’re doing so much online our Google, YouTube, Facebook reviews are particularly important. Please take the time to give us a 5-star review! : https://g.page/r/CfEFxlXVrQvbEAg/review

  • Our Sunday services are available live at 10:25 am (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCmlrRFxbQF7CSAnFS8H9FA) and Facebook (https://facebook.com/stpaulsepiscopalgreenville). Our recorded Sunday service is broadcast on the GEUS community Channel (Channel 34) on Wednesdays at 8 am and 6 pm. Previously recorded services may be accessed anytime on our Facebook and YouTube pages. The recorded sermons may be found on our website as MP3s.
  • Remote Eucharist continues, and a few parishioners are helping me to distribute the Eucharist to parishioners’ homes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please let me know by email if you’d like to receive the Holy Sacrament remotely. The best way to contact me is fathernickfunk@gmail.com.
  • The St. Paul’s Zoom Meeting may be found at https://zoom.us/j/9037772020. Our Meeting ID is: 903 777 2020. To call in, use one tap mobile: +13462487799,,9037772020# or to dial: +1 346 248 7799.
  • Morning Prayer on Wednesdays at 10:30 via a Zoom meeting.


God is what we yearn for, whenever we yearn for anything.

You might think that the things your heart is set on are not proper things to pray for, and so you might edit your prayers. The late Victor White O.P. (no relation) would teach that the reason so many of our prayers don’t go anywhere is that we are praying for what we think we ought to pray for, rather than for what we in fact desire. But if we pray for what we really want—however pathetic it may be—God can use that to draw us into his love and transform us. But if we never tell him the truth, we are almost impervious to his approach (almost, but never completely).

This is literally true. If you are yearning for ice cream, that is a desire that will lead to God. If you are yearning for a certain person to love you, the truth in the center of that desire is a desire for God. You might want a car, a job, an end to back pain, or even to see your competitor lose out: dig deep enough into that desire, and you’ll find it is, however twisted or concealed, a desire for God.

Which means it’s okay to ask God for whatever you really want. God can work with that.

On the Web: The Stead Center has published another essay by me on fear, this one occasioned by crippling acts of weather, such as last February’s deep freeze. People were blaming everyone—except God. That strikes me as odd. https://www.steadcenter.com/instead/fear-and-anger/
Episcopal Diocese of Dallas Podcasts
Daily podcast from the clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas offers a reflection on scripture from the Old Testament Reading of the Daily Office Morning Prayer.

Every day throughout the year we’ll be bringing you an audio
scripture reading from the Old and New Testament.

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