The Mouse for
November 14, 2021
"I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."

— Heb. 10:17
Proper 28
Sermon: "Believers have a future"

Sunday's readings talk about the future, and the fact that the followers of Christ have a future worth believing in. That hope is rooted in the second coming of Jesus the Messiah.

For many, the past is the present feeling of remorse, that sometimes chokes any present feeling of hope. Thus, how we live in the now depends on our understanding of this simple framing of past and future.

Is your past a land of unfinished business, remorse, and regret? If so, then your "religion" will be one of shadowy rituals that signify an unfinished atonement.

Come hear (or live stream) this Sunday's sermon to hear how, if your past has been blotted out by Christ's finished work of atonement, your conscience can be at peace in the present, and your faith rooted in hope for a future with Christ.

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Holy Communion, 8 a.m.
Morning Prayer, 9:30 a.m.
Coffee Hour, after church.
Vestry meeting, 11 a.m.

Youth Acolyte, Readers, Coffee Hour, and Ushers schedule here.
Catechism Corner

The Vicar continues his weekly exposition of the Catechism, found in the Book of Common Prayer, pp. 845-862.

God the Son (pp. 849-850)
 
Q.       What is the significance of Jesus' resurrection?
A.       By his resurrection, Jesus overcame death and opened for us the way of eternal life.
 
Even though the resurrection of all the dead was foretold by Daniel (12:1-2), the topic was still hotly debated among the Jews of Jesus' time. Among Jesus' interlocutors were the Sadducees, "who say there is no resurrection" (Mark 12:18). In the narrowest sense then, the significance of Jesus' resurrection proves Him right and His opponents wrong.
 
At stake was a battle for the heart and soul of Judaism. Can God be vindicated, despite there being evil and death in the world, or is there no answer to the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" In Jesus, a very bad thing happened to a very good man, and His resurrection signifies that evil and death cannot—and do not—have the last word.

—JWD.
Sermon transcripts available on the website

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Flowers at St. Peter's

The floral guild is always grateful for donations. If you are interested in dedicating flowers in memoriam or for a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary, please send an email to stpeterschurch@optonline.net with the date and the name(s) to whom you would like to dedicate the arrangements.

You can either send a check to St. Peter’s (PO Box 1502, Millbrook, NY 12545) or put the check in the weekly offering with "flowers" on the memo line. You may also add a dedication in the bulletin or leave it anonymous.
Online Giving

St. Peter's is pleased to offer the convenience of online giving via our website. You may make a pledge payment or a one-time gift either by ACH or credit card. From the website menu, click on Serve > Make a gift online, or click here.
History Highlight

Highlights from Henry Chadwick's The Early Church (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1967), selected by the Vicar. Chadwick was the sometime Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge.

THE DEFENCE OF THE FAITH

"It inhered in the nature of the church's existence that from the start it was engaged in debate with critics, and that the formulation of its doctrines was hammered out in an intellectual dialogue, both within the church itself and also with those outside it. Its first critics were orthodox Jews, and for a surprisingly long period the discussion between church and synagogue occupied the attention of Christian thinkers. It is no accident that the most substantial extant work by a second century Christian is the Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, written by Justin Martyr about 160. This is the longest example of an extensive genre of literature, principally concerned with the Christian claim to be the universal religion to which the Old Testament prophets had looked forward, and dominated by detailed arguments from particular prophetic texts. Naturally enough, the orthodox Jews resented the church's assumption of its continuity with the past history of the elect people of God, and rejected as sophistry the allegorical interpretations of the Mosaic laws enjoining the observance of circumcision, sabbaths, sacrifices, and food laws. To the orthodox Jews, the Christians were dangerous trimmers, adjusting the unalterable religion revealed to Moses to make it more palatable to Gentile prejudices. In Christian eyes the intense particularity of Judaism was incompatible with its own monotheistic principles: was not their God the God of the Gentiles also?" (p. 56)
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Collect for Proper 28

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them; that, by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Text or call the Vicar at (845) 745-8160, or email him at jdell@stpeterslithgow.org, for prayer or a pastoral visit.
To remember St. Peter's in your estate plans, please consider joining The Lithgow Society. To find out more, click here.
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stpeterschurch@optonline.net

The Mouse is compiled and edited each week by the Vicar. He asks that submissions to The Mouse be made by the Wednesday prior to Friday's edition. Please send submissions to jdell@stpeterslithgow.org. Thank you.