Weekly Notices - July 28, 2021

FROM THE DESK OF THE RECTOR

We talk a lot about the “peace that passes all understanding.” An excerpt from the book “God Calling,” a daily devotional I’ve used for years had a helpful passage recently. Interested? Read on…    

"God Calling”  July 23rd
My children, that Peace does truly pass all understanding. That Peace no person can take from you. No person has the power to disturb that Peace, but you yourselves can let the world and its worries and distractions in. You can give the entrance to fears and despondency. You can open the door to the robber who breaks in upon, and destroys, your Peace.

Set yourselves this task to allow nothing to disturb your Peace, your heart calm, with Me. Stop all work, stop all intercourse with others – until this is restored. Do not let those about you spoil your peace of heart and mind. Do not let anyone without, any trouble, any irritation, any adversity disturb it for one moment.

Look on each difficulty as training to enable you to acquire this Peace. Every work, every interruption – set yourself to see that none of it touches the harmony of the real you that is hid with Me in the Secret Place of the Father.  

Church re-opening:  August 15 at 10am on the occasion of the Matronal Feast Day of St. Mary.  
An informal poll indicates a full house which is wonderful!  Selinde is looking forward to speaking to a church full of faces rather than into a camera.

A few points to note:  Please please please wear a mask. We have many vulnerable members in this parish community and even two jabs of the vaccine does not mean total immunity. Selinde has friends in Zimbabwe who had a double dose of the vaccine and still contracted COVID. They are struggling, not very successfully, with the Delta variant.

The bishop has asked that everyone continue to mask up. A number of parishioners have said that if anyone arrives without masking up, they will leave. Let’s continue to be safe and create safety for others for the time being. Thank you!

We will physically distance. And when it comes time for communion, only the bread will be administered.  As last summer when we re-opened, the sidespeople will direct the flow of people moving through the church.  And, during the peace, we will share that peace with a bow or wave or nod, remaining in place. We will not be singing; not yet.

The new and improved 2021 PARISH DIRECTORY will be available August 15th.  This year cost is by donation.  

There are several opportunities from the Diocese,  see the attached two files for all the information.  

Many thanks to the people who responded to my request for help last week.  We will also be needing some help with SIDESPEOPLE on Sundays before services starting Aug. 15, plus someone to schedule/coordinate our Sunday Coffee Roster in the Fall.  Contact Sue G for more Sidespeople information (another easy peasy) and Selinde for the Sunday Coffee Roster information.    

 REVENUE EXPENSE FIGURES, JUNE 1 - JUNE 30      

TOTAL INCOME                                                              $12,624.71
TOTAL EXPENSES                                                          $12,212.74
NET ORDINARY INCOME/LOSS                           $      411.97

ELECTRONIC PLATE OFFERINGS                                 $   7,908.33
GENERAL ENVELOPE OFFERING                                 $   1,980.00
Budgeted monthly amount of General Envelope Offerings $   4,836.00
St. Mary’s received less than 50% of the accepted general offering amount budgeted at the AVM.      

   YOUR AUGUST READINGS    

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost August 1, 2021
2 Samuel 11:26 - 12:13a          Psalm 51:1-12     Ephesians 4:1-16        John 6:24-35

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost August 8, 2021
2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33       Psalm 130        Ephesians 4:25-5:2      John 6:35, 41-51

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost & our Matronal Day August 15, 2021
1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14       Psalm 111       Ephesians 5:15-20       John 6:51-58

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost August 22, 2021
1 Kings 8:(1,6,10-11), 22-30, 41-43       Psalm 84       Ephesians 6:10-20       John 6:56-69

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost August 29, 2021
Song of Solomon 2:8-13          Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9        James 1:17-27          Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23      

AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

David S                          Aug 5
Mihai D                         Aug 10
Luis Miguel Q               Aug 12
Felicity S                        Aug 15
Jean R                            Aug 18
Rose C                            Aug 22                      
Marg D                           Aug 27
Margo W                        Aug 30  

AUGUST ANNIVERSARY

David and Maria S         Aug 10