Weekly E-pistle
Fourth Sunday Advent
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Corbert Gauthier, Mary and Baby Jesus, (2010), oil on canvas, detail. Dimensions18” x 24”. Permission for use granted by the artist on December 11, 2015
COLLECT - Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
READINGS
Micah 5:2-5a
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
Psalm 80:1-7
Processional Hymn
Savior of the nations, come! (Nun komm der Heiden Heiland) H#54
Gospel Hymn
Come, thou long-expected Jesus (Stuttgart) H #66
Watch Skit Guys illustrate how all of history culminates in the birth of Jesus
Offertory Hymn
Ye who claim the faith of Jesus (Julion) H# 268
Communion Hymn
We Fall Down (A3 #185)
The King Of Glory (A3#163)
Recessional Hymn
Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord (Woodlands) H #438
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Morsel for Meditation
Distinguishing tolerances. “It is very easy to tolerate the opinions of others if we have no strong opinions of our own. But we should not acquiesce in this easy-going tolerance. We need to distinguish between the tolerant mind and the tolerant spirit. Tolerant in spirit a Christian should always be, loving, understanding, forgiving and forbearing others, making allowances for them, and giving them the benefit of the doubt, for true love 'bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things' (1 Cor. 13:7). But how can we be tolerant in mind of what God has plainly revealed to be either evil or erroneous?” John R.W. Stott, Christ in Conflict: Lessons from Jesus and His Controversies (2013), 19.
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Pray for the Church,
the Body of Christ
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Please pray for those on our prayer list this week:
Marie and Ken Gunter, Ginger Higgins, Bob Lanier, Jimmy Herring and Family, Dana Medford, Mike Lavigne, 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.
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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 an 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).
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STEWARDSHIP
Giving for Jesus
Living for Jesus
You can make your checks payable to "St. Paul's Episcopal Church" and mail to:
St. Paul's
Episcopal Church
8320 Jack Finney Blvd.
Greenville, TX 75402
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.
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Wed. Dec. 22 - 7pm
Please join us for this special service.
Dating back to the late 19th century, this service of nine Scripture lessons and song recount the Fall, the promise of a Messiah, the Incarnation, and the Great Commission to preach the Good News. Each lesson is followed by a carol or other song that reflects on the lesson’s message and a brief prayer.
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ADVENT SERIES
THURS., DEC. 23
6:00pm Dinner
6:30 - 7:30pm
DVD & Discussion
Hosts: Marie Aughtry
Thank you to all
who attended!
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WEDNESDAYS
NO Morning Prayer This Week
10:30am Morning Prayer click for streaming instructions.
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BIBLE STUDY
Will Resume January
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SUN. DEC. 19th
Greening of Church
after 10:30 service
ECW Shut-in Basket Delivery
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WED. DEC. 22nd
7pm - Lessons
and Carols
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FRI. DEC. 24th
Christmas Eve
7pm (in-person & streamed)
10:30pm - Carols
(inperson only)
11pm Midnight Mass
(in-person only)
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SAT. DEC. 25th
No Christmas
Day Services
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Coffee Hour Christmas Competition
Show us your best Christmas Cookie for this week's challenge.
Dec 28: Christmas Breads
Congratulations to Linda Conley winner of last week's Chili challenge!
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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
Sunday services are available live 10:25am YOUTUBE and FACEBOOK
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| Thank you Diaper Drive participants! Fourteen boxes totaling 828 diapers, plus wipes were delivered to Raffa Clinic. |
The Acolyte Ministry has openings. This wonderful ministry assists the celebrant in a religious service or procession in addition to lighting the altar candles.
Please contact Debbie Shaffer after the service or email her at: debbie.shaffer@L3harris.com
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Mary was played by Delia, daughter of our chruch secretary, Angela and William Dryer and granddaughter of Rev. Bill and Judy Shaddox. | |
St. Paul's School Christmas Pagent
Thank you to John Shasteen and Joyful Noise, our church choir, who sang beautifully! (you may notice in the picture they even turned the heads of a few of the angels)
Debbie Shaffer reported on this joyful event that families began arriving at 5:15pm for the 6:30pm program. The sanctuary was packed and folding chairs were in the aisles.
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A sincere Thank You to all those who helped make the reception following the Christmas Pageant a great success! I will start with John Bradley for the beautifully crafted manger that we will enjoy for many years to come. Then, special thanks to our cookie bakers – Mary Comey, Eileen Jenkins and Mary Ramsey. Our hot chocolate makers Christi Wolff and Beatrice Duku (better known as “Ms. B” to our school children). Thanks also to Rita Woods who volunteered to help! A special thank you to Brenna Sylvia, the school’s cook, who worked setting up, serving, and cleaning up last nightThe entire evening was a huge success and we couldn’t have pulled it off without you, and the rest of the St. Paul’s teachers who so generously gave their time and energy to help.
Debbie Shaffer, School Board President
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While the Bible offers a wide variety of genres and emphases over a millennium, it has a clear narrative, the story line of humanity with God. It begins at the beginning and ends with the end (which is a beginning of its own). A similar metaphor is that of a drama, perhaps like one of Shakespeare’s historical plays, but with a much wider period attended to (the theologian Kevin Van Hoozer has written, for example, of The Drama of Scripture). And others have emphasized that throughout the main actor is God Himself, even when He remains off-stage (for example in the narratives of the Israelite kings). And of course the main inter-locutor is Israel, God’s people, both in their faithfulness and their rebellion. They celebrate the promised land, are railed at by the prophets, go in exile, hope for their Lord’s decisive return, etc. (continue reading)
The Rev. Canon Dr. Victor Lee Austin
In Losing Susan I wrote about something that happened to me at a point when Susan was in a nursing home. I interpreted it via the interlude that Saint Luke puts into the healing of Jairus’ daughter. As Jesus heads to Jairus’ home, a woman in the surrounding crowd touches his body. She has been ill for a dozen years. She figures that Jesus’ body itself has healing power, and so she touches his garment from behind. She experiences immediate healing.
(continue reading)
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"Christ dwelt for nine months in the tabernacle of Mary's womb.
He dwells until the end of the ages in the tabernacle
of the Chruch's faith.
He will dwell forever in the knowledge and love
of each faithful soul."
St. Issac of Stella, Sermon 51
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