We will celebrate St. Francis
Day at our 9:00 service on Sunday with the Blessing of the Animals. All animals
are welcome! They should either be on a leash or in a carrier until time for
the Blessing, which will occur in the middle of the service, just before the
Peace. Val is bringing treats! I look forward to meeting your pets!
I will be at the Diocesan
Clergy Retreat Monday – Wednesday of next week. We gather at St. Methodios Faith
and Heritage Center in Contoocook, a center of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of
Boston. It’s a beautiful setting with hiking trails and small lakes, and good
food. This year our retreat will be led by Br. James Koestler of the Society of
St. John the Evangelist. I’m looking forward to a few days of retreat.
Please call our Sr. Warden,
Patti Rau, in the event of a pastoral emergency while I’m away.
Blessings, Caroline
The remaining Sundays at 8:00 and 10:00 AM
This Sunday-October 3rd
19th Sunday after Pentecost
at 9:00 a.m.
The
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you are
always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either
desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those
things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for
which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of
Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
The
First Lesson Job
1:1; 2:1-10
In our first
lesson we hear the beginning of the story of Job: the plight of a righteous
man. Satan appears in God’s heavenly
court and charges that Job is upright only because of the many blessings that
are his. God permits Satan to test Job
greatly through terrible and tragic trials.
Then, through dialogue and poetry, the book of Job explores the problem
of human suffering and faith in God’s ways with unflinching honesty and
feeling.
Psalm
26
A plea for justice by one who serves
the Lord well.
The
Second Lesson Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12
The author of the Letter to the
Hebrews teaches that Jesus, the exact imprint of God’s being and the pioneer of
our salvation made perfect through suffering, is superior to all the angelic
order. God inspired the prophets but has now spoken through a Son, the heir of
all things, and through whom the worlds were created. For a while made lower than angels, he now
through his death sanctifies all whom he calls brothers and sisters.
The
Gospel Mark
10:2-16
In the gospel Jesus, asked about
divorce, reaches back to the creation story to set before his hearers the ideal
of the marriage relationship, and then blesses children. In Jesus’ lifetime there were many views on
divorce, some strict and some more lenient.
In one sense, Jesus is the strictest of all: what through natural union
God has made one cannot be separated by human action. Yet, in another sense, Jesus’ answer refused
to deal with the question in the way it is asked. Instead he honors the solemnity and purpose
of marriage. Anything less is sin, which
cannot be dismissed by human regulations.
His disciples seem surprised by this teaching and also by his embracing
of children.
Updating the Prayer List
Please let Deb know if you need someone added to the prayer list. Thank you.
Save the Date!
Sat. October 9th 9am – 12pm
Tamworth Farmers’ Market
St. Andrew’s-in-the-Valley Pie Sale
As with last year, we will not be sponsoring our Harvest Dinner and Pie Auction due to Covid-19. Instead, we will be offering pies (and other goodies) for sale at The Tamworth Farmers’ Market!
Calling all bakers! Please consider your favorite recipes….the more pies we have, the more we can sell!
Reminders:
--you can use aluminum pie plates, if you so choose
--pies and pie plates will be sold together
--there is a sign-up board in the Parish Hall to help plan on the type and
quantity of pies. Please stop by and add your pie!
Tina, Lin and Jean DeThomas
Contemplative Practice on Zoom
Tuesdays from 9:00-10:00am
Teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.
Psalm 90:12
The pace with which we move through our days can cause our hearts to be weary and distracted. We can feel disconnected from our lives. Making room in our life to pause, sit in silence, and simply be can help us reconnect and strengthen our hearts.
Each Tuesday morning our session will draw upon the Christian contemplative tradition, monastic spirituality, Buddhist meditation, and self-compassion practices. Our time together will include prayer, guided meditation, contemplative sharing from the heart, conversation, and fellowship. Newcomers are welcome at each session.
If you would like to learn more or have questions, contact Christi Humphrey at cchumphrey@comcast.net.
Christi offers a Tuesday evening contemplative practice, virtually, through Bethany House of Prayer, Arlington, MA. If you are interest in this offering visit https://www.bethanyhousearlington.org/contemplative or contact Christi.
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me
an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine
Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Next Food Pantry:
 |
Here is Gretchen with her first grand nephew, Cedar
Robert Behr, born July 16, 2021. |
 |
Gretchen with Cedar’s blanket presented to her for Cedar
on Sunday, September 12, from the Prayer Shawl group. |
