Love for the Stranger

“The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on-- since you have come to your servant." ~Genesis 18:1

Hospitality or offering welcome to the stranger is central to Christian practice and identity. Our Scripture tells us that welcoming the stranger in our midst is always one of God’s highest priorities.  In our story from Genesis on Sunday we find Abraham greeting the strangers at his tent as honored guests even before he knows anything about them. And in Leviticus 19:34, the Children of Israel are told, “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as a citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” Through these verses, we too are reminded that all of us have experienced times when we ourselves were in fact the strangers. God calls us to love the stranger in our midst.

Within the New Testament, the word for hospitality is the Greek word philoxenos. Philoxenos means to love the stranger (philos=love, xenos=stranger). So, to offer hospitality in the New Testament is by definition to show love for the stranger. Jesus is the exemplar of welcoming and is constantly extending hospitality himself. Jesus used table fellowship to show what the Kingdom of God should be like and then he shared the table with “tax collectors and sinners.” Finally, love of strangers is an important part of Jesus’ teaching. In the story of the “Good” Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), love for the stranger is seen as a form of love of neighbor.

The hospitality Jesus taught is not a simple social nicety. When we reflect on hospitality in the church, we think of ways to be warm and welcoming to guests and visitors who come through our doors, inviting them to coffee hour and such. And while this is very important, offering God’s hospitality is another matter altogether.

Hospitality to the stranger as practice of faith has far more to do with our response to those whom we view as other; those whose race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, social status, you name it, is very different from our own. Hospitality to the stranger asks us to see the needs of others unlike ourselves with an eye toward providing intervention and help and without any sense of reciprocity involved. Going further it asks us to see their particular needs and longings which may well be quite different than what we imagine. 

I remember a story that Henri Nouwen talks about an early experience in his ministry when he was asked to assess and respond to the needs of a local family on the margins of extreme poverty. He visited the family and observed that they had no shoes, that many children slept in one bed and that their clothing was very ragged. So, he provided the family with shoes, clothing and multiple sets of bunk beds and bedding. 

When he returned sometime later to check in on the family, he was dismayed to discover that they had sold the beds and shoes and used the money to throw their son an 18^th birthday party. When he asked why they had done this they responded that they tried to use the beds and shoes, but that the children were used to sleeping together and found it very frightening and difficult to sleep apart and none of them could adjust to the shoes. Nouwen said he discovered that what they really needed was the sense of dignity and joy that came with being able to observe a very important social rite of passage for their eldest child. He was dismayed to realize that he never asked them what they most needed from him. We might see a party instead of furniture and shoes as wasteful for a family in need, but their need for a sense of dignity at offering their child this important rite of passage was indeed a deeper need. Nouwen vowed he would never be so arrogant or assuming again.

Again, we see this most closely reflected in how Jesus lived. In Luke we read how a woman scandalizes a social gathering by approaching Jesus, weeping on his feet and then drying them with her hair before she bathes them in expensive oils. Instead of reproaching her as would have been expected by the other dinner guests, Jesus points out to those gathered that her hospitality in washing his feet exceeded that of his wealthy host (Luke 7:37- 47).

So as a matter of intent, the practice of hospitality that our faith demands is marked by respect, concern, and care for the other that they may share fully in the divine economy. As a matter of action, hospitality begins in meeting immediate needs and extends to provide the support necessary to live a life that sustains individuals and families that they may live with self-respect as participants in the broader household that ultimately embraces all people.

As a community of faith, we discover that we are good hosts when we meet the divine mystery of God’s love in our acts of hospitality. We find that when we truly welcome the stranger, we ourselves become beloved guests of God’s grace!

Love,

Mother Stephanie

The Assisting Bishop is Coming!

August 28, 2022

A Brief Guide to Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation

Assisting Bishop, Jay Magness is coming for a visit on Sunday, August 28th. This is a wonderful opportunity for you and/or your family to receive Confirmation, Reception, or to Reaffirm your faith in an intentional way. These acts are reserved strictly for the Bishop and it is always a day of joy when we gather and celebrate these wonderful Rites.

On that day we will have our One Service, One Body Celebration and I hope that we will turn out in great numbers to show our hope and excitement for our future.

REMINDER!  This is a brief outline of what each of these acts entails so that you might begin to discern your participation! Please notify Becky in the next week at office@stpaulwilkesboro.org and sign up to participate!

Confirmation

Confirmation in the Episcopal Church is a sacramental rite in which a baptized person makes a mature and public affirmation of the promises that are usually made at baptism by parents and godparents. After making these affirmations, a bishop lays hands on the candidate and prays a prayer of confirmation. (See the Book of Common Prayer for the promises made at Holy Baptism, pp. 299-308, and for the proceedings at the service of Confirmation, pp. 413-419.)

Adults and Young people can be Confirmed, and it is simply that moment, when you publicly say once again, “I still want to belong to God” and live my life accordingly!

Reception

In some dioceses, reception is reserved for those who have already been confirmed in another denomination by a bishop in apostolic succession. Apostolic succession means our bishop’s follow in a direct, unbroken line with the first Apostles whom Jesus chose to lead his Church (such as Roman Catholics or Orthodox). A more widely accepted understanding of reception is that it is a way of honoring anyone who has made a mature confession of faith in any other denomination by saying, in effect, we recognize and honor your spiritual journey in another fellowship, and we welcome you into the fellowship of the Episcopal Church, as you continue that journey. The bishop lays hands on the person being received and says, “We recognize you as a member of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church, and we receive you into the fellowship of this Communion” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 418). So, if you have not been confirmed or received by a bishop in apostolic succession, you may choose either confirmation or reception.

Reaffirmation

It is my hope that many of you will explore Reaffirmation! Reaffirmation is for people who have already been confirmed in the Episcopal Church. Some people presented to the bishop during the service of Confirmation are there to “reaffirm” their Christian vows. These might be people who have been away from the church for a period of time and want to make a new beginning. Others might be people who sense that they are at a new stage in their spiritual life and want to affirm this in ritual. Periodically, a spouse, fiancé or parent who is already a confirmed Episcopalian will go through reaffirmation as a way of honoring his or her family member's decision to become a confirmed Episcopalian, saying in effect, “We are in this together.” We all go through many changes in our life’s journey, and reaffirmation provides a rite for those who want to take stock of their religious and spiritual life anew. It is my hope that among those who will be Confirmed and Received that many of you will also seek Reaffirmation.

If you are interested in exploring any of these sacramental paths, please contact me and I would love to speak with you about it. It is my hope, in preparation for the bishop's visit, that we will have a number of you who seek to celebrate these wonderful rites. 

After I hear from those who might want to pursue this path, I want to offer a multi-generational exploration and study before and after in preparation for the bishop's visit. 

This will be a wonderful event for our community and an excellent way to share fellowship! For those interested please be prepared to stay after the 10:30 service on August 14^th and 21^st.

 It will be a fun and informative experience even for those who will not be participating in any of the Rites.

Grace and Peace,

Mother Stephanie

Upon entering from the exterior downstairs entrance, Mother Stephanie's office will be on the left. The wall has been re-located to allow for a larger (wider) entry way. Also, note the large opening which will be glassed in to provide safety for staff and visitors. Another glassed opening will be installed directly across on the other wall which will be the administrative office. Having both glassed openings will allow for direct line of vision between the two offices.

Beginning demo of NEW All Purpose Meeting Room/Youth Room

New All Purpose Meeting Room/Youth Room after new wall installed.

Stay tuned for more photos as the construction progresses!

Commemorative Bricks!

Did you know?

• The first order for bricks has been placed with

   Tri-County Monuments

• 34 Bricks have been purchased and approximately $12,175.00 collected

All Brick Orders Must Be Processed by

JULY 31st!

Some of you have asked, "where are the bricks going to go?"

The Commemorative bricks will be placed on the first level of the Gathering Plaza replacing the ones that are currently there

(See above photo)

Summer Sundays

One Body

One Service

9:30 AM

July 24, 2022

August 28, 2022

With Confirmations, Receptions and Reaffirmations with the Assisting Bishop!

Scripture for the upcoming Sunday Service

First Reading                                                 Genesis 18:1-10a    

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on-- since you have come to your servant." So, they said, "Do as you have said." And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

They said to him, "Where is your wife, Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son."

The Response                                                                        Psalm 15

Domine, quis habitabit?

Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? *

who may abide upon your holy hill?

Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, *

who speaks the truth from his heart.

There is no guile upon his tongue;

he does no evil to his friend; *

he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.

In his sight the wicked is rejected, *

but he honors those who fear the Lord.

He has sworn to do no wrong *

and does not take back his word.

 He does not give his money in hope of gain, *

nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things *

shall never be overthrown

Second Reading                  Colossians 1:15-28                  

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him-- provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.

I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

The Gospel                                  Luke 10:38-42                 

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so, she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

***Outside These Walls***

YTHE DICK UNDERWOOD BOOKCLUB: New Book 

After two years of covid it is time to resurrect the Dick Underwood book club, dedicated to discovering the history of Christianity in general and anything else we decide on as a group. We've read everything from a third century pagan novel to C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" to Gary Wills' "Lincoln at Gettysburg." 

To start again we will read "The Bible with and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently." I hope it will lead to an exploration of both our Christian faith and its Jewish background.

We will meet at Dot Beamon's house on alternate Tuesdays starting in August at 5:30 or 6:00, (exact time and first meeting to be determined.) 

You are cordially invited to join us. For details, please contact Scott Jessee at jessees1949@gmail.com. All are welcome. 

Scott Jessee

MASKS ARE OPTIONAL IN WORSHIP



Masks are optional for inside worship and other inside activities for the foreseeable future.

Please help us put an end to this Pandemic by getting vaccinated.

Love yourself, love your neighbor, get vaccinated!

Please remember in your prayers: All who are ill or unemployed and those who are on our prayer list.

Short-term

Julian Family, Jackie Foster, Estelle Gille, Juanita Phillips, Rebecca Carroll, Althea Johnson

Long-term

Lisa Wingler, Dot Beamon, Joyce Wheeling, David Temple, Ken Asel, Doug Merritt, Julius Parks & Family, Esther Eller

Armed Forces

Let us pray for the safety of all our troops, especially Micha Duerk, Faith Lankford, Cole Griffith, Zach Necessary, Walker Pardue, Philip Southwell, Mark Stone, Jason Westmeyer, and all others who serve throughout the world.

Please send to the church office the addresses of troops with connections to

office@stpaulwilkesboro.org, especially those abroad.

Prayer Requests

Prayer requests can be made by using the app under "contact us" and then the "prayer request" tab, by emailing the office at office@stpaulwilkesboro.org, or calling the office during regular office hours.

Bulletins are printed on Thursday mornings and requests submitted after that time will not be in the printed bulletin for that week, but may still be spoken. Prayer requests received by noon on Wednesday will be included in the weekly e-newsletter.

Serving in July

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

AND

YOURSELF!

GET VACCINATED AND BOOSTED!!!

PROTECT YOUR COMMUNITY!