March 7, 2024

Daylight Savings Time begins

Sunday, March 10th at 2:00 am.

Set your clocks forward one hour.

SUNDAY SERVICES

8:00 and 10:00 am

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Last Sunday's Service

Sunday Sermons

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

please click the link below

Sermon- One Night Imparts Knowledge to Another:

A Discussion About Suicide 3.3.24

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

Bring health and hope to all who suffer, especially: Downs IV, Holden, Anne, Victoria, Kim, Michael, Barbara, Lorraine, Maria Christine, Josh & Mary Jo and Caitlin. For those recovering from surgery, especially Philip. 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 and Todd. Visit and comfort all who are under the care of skilled nursing, especially Timothy, Barbara, Kim and Lou. Be near to all who are in hospice care especially Jean.

A BRIDGE BETWEEN ALEX AND DAVE

Podcast: A Bridge Between



Episode 66: The Sign of Jesus

Also available on Spotify:

Spotify: A Bridge Between

MARCH BOOK DRIVE

PARISH ACTIVITIES

Community Open House

Stop by and visit All Angels during the first ever Community Open House at the Town Center Green. Saturday, March 9th from 10am - 2pm. Free for everyone participating and attending this new annual event. 

We hope to see you there!

There will be a free, drive-through shredding event on Friday, March 8th at Town Hall from 9am - 12pm. Click here for details.

Tour of Turning Points

The New To You Art Sale has been completed. This very successful project has been the result of many people working together to raise funds to donate to a local charity called Turning Points. It provides free services designed to assist individuals and families on their path to financial stability and independence.

You are invited to mark the occasion when the proceeds of the Art Sale are given to Turning Points during a tour on Friday, March 15th at 1:30 p.m. Turning Points is located at 701 17th Avenue West in Bradenton. Parking is available in front of the building, but it would be best to carpool. We hope that you will be able to join us, no RSVP is needed, to see the good work that is being done there. If you have an All Angels name tag, please wear it.

Easter Offerings

If you would like to make an Easter offering to All Angels in thanksgiving for or in memory of a loved one, please fill out the card found in the Tidings & drop it off in the church office. You may place it in the collection plate, deliver it to the office in person, or email it to Linn at lt@allangelslbk.org. Please return your cards and donations by Sunday, March 17th.

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 

Friday, March 15th:

Turning Points Tour

Thursday, April 11th:

 Spring Fling

Gallery Artist

Our featured artist for March is Jill Krasner. 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 Groups

I can't believe we're going to talk about it but there was an interesting opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal about hell. My thinking is this: if the WSJ can talk about it, why can't we. 

As is our Lenten tradition, I'll be offering a short Scripture reading to meditate on. Also, as is our tradition, I expect to have a lively, deep and uplifting conversation (about what is most likely the darkest of subjects). 

For next week, and those in person, I'll have the coffee ready.

For those on Zoom, here's the link: https://zoom.us/j/5955701807

To read the articles, click the links below:

How We Think About Hell

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

Yada & Rafah

I’d like to get two pieces of Scripture to have a conversation: Psalm 46:10 and John 13:12. I would also like to read them in light of the prayer I pray over the congregation every Sunday in Lent, which is this: Grant, most merciful Lord, to your faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve you with a quiet mind. 

Here are the passages:

‘Be still, and know that I am God!

   I am exalted among the nations,

   I am exalted in the earth.’

Psalm 46:10

Jesus asked, “Do you know what I’ve done for you?”

John 13:12



Psalm 46 was most likely written by descendants of Levite priests a little more than a century after Solomon’s Temple was destroyed (around the year 700 BCE). It is believed to be written as a reassurance that God is their savior and deliverer when they call on him in difficult times. Around 732 years later, Jesus was at a table with his friends. He took off his robe and washed their feet. Sometime later, John 13 was written to remind people of what Jesus said during what is now called the Last Supper. After he washed their feet, he put on his robe, sat down, looked at them all, and asked: Do you all know what I’ve done for you?

At this point, these two don’t seem to have much to say to each other, but let’s listen in a little closer.

“Be still” in Hebrew (the language the psalm was written in) is “rafah”. A rather popular word in the Old Testament, rafah can mean to become limp, to let one’s hands fall at one’s side, to relax. As used in the sentence, “Be still and know that I am God,” it is a command. A hypnotist could command people to rafah, or go limp/relax, but for everyone else, it is something that we have to make an intentional decision to do so. That is what I believe this psalm is trying to convey to its readers – relax, let go, let your hands fall and know that I AM is here. The word that follows rafah is “know”; which in Hebrew is yada and is one of my favorite Hebrew words. What I take from this passage is that we can relax and know that God is I AM; or, conversely, learning to know that God is I AM will help us to let go, to relax, or let our minds go limp for a little while.

Jesus’ question at the Last Supper, “Do you know [yada] what I have done for you?” reminds me that from the manger, to the cross, to the empty tomb it is nearly inconceivable to know the totality of what Jesus has done for us. Yet, in Aramaic/Hebrew, his question could be read this way: “Are you learning (yada) what I have done for you?” Reading it that way, I’d say the question is much easier to answer yes to. I’d say, we are yada (learning) what he has done for us.

If Psalm 46:10 could talk to John 13:12, I’d hear them saying that knowing I AM, and beginning to learn what Jesus has done for us, will make us relax.

Each week in Lent, I earnestly pray over the congregation that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve the Lord with a quiet mind. I believe this is the purpose of both rafah and yada – to know is to relax and to relax is to know. The end result is a quiet mind. Perhaps the command, “be still” is a command not of our physical body but that of our mind. I am still learning (yada) what Jesus has done for me. One lesson is that Jesus, the one who washes feet, participates in the process of cleansing which can result in a quiet, peaceful mind. 

-Rev. Dave