LITURGY OF THE WORD AND WEEKLY READINGS

Sunday, July 25, 2010: Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist

Venite page 82, BCP

Psalm 85, page 708 BCP

First Reading: Hosea (1:2-10)

Song of Zechariah page 92, BCP

Epistle: Paul's Letter (Colossians 2:6-15)

You Are God Te Deum Laudamus page 95, BCP

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke (11:1-13)

Suggested Readings for the Week

Monday Mark 1:14-20; Tuesday Matthew 27:32-44; Wednesday Matthew 27:54-55; Thursday Matthew 27:55-66; Friday Matthew 28:1-10; Saturday Matthew 28:11-20.

Sunday, July 18, 2010: Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist

Venite page 82, BCP

Psalm 52, page 657 BCP

First Reading: Amos (8:1-12)

Song of Zechariah page 92, BCP

Epistle: Paul's Letter (Colossians 1:15-28)

You Are God Te Deum Laudamus page 95, BCP

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke (10:38-42)

Suggested Readings for the Week

Monday Matthew 26:36-46; Tuesday Matthew 26:47-65; Wednesday Matthew 26:57-68; Thursday Mark 15:47-16:7; Friday Matthew 27:1-10; Saturday Matthew 27:11-23.

Sunday, July 11, 2010: Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist

Venite page 82, BCP

Psalm 82, page 705 BCP

First Reading: Amos (7:7-17)

Song of Zechariah page 92, BCP

Epistle: Paul's Letter (Colossians 1:1-14)

You Are God Te Deum Laudamus page 95, BCP

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke (10:25-37)

Suggested Readings for the Week

Monday Matthew 25:1-13; Tuesday Matthew 25:14-30; Wednesday Matthew 25:31-46; Thursday Matthew 26:1-16; Friday Matthew 26:17-25; Saturday Matthew 26:26-35.

Sunday, July 4, 2010: Sixth Sunday After Pentecost

First Reading: 2 Kings (5:1-14)

Psalm 30, page 621 BCP

Epistle:Paul's Letter (Galatians 6:7-16)

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke (10:1-11, 16-20)

Suggested readings for the Week

Monday James 5:7-10; Tuesday Matthew 23:13-26; Wednesday Matthew 23:27-39; Thursday Matthew 24:1-14; Friday Matthew 24:15-31; Saturday Matthew 24:32-51.

SAINT MONICA'S NEWS

Thought For The Week

1 Peter 5:8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Let us not become agents of sharing misinformation but let us truly listen to each other and share that which is edifying and good for the building up of the church. Paul Romans 14:19, 1 Corinthians 14:26 Let all things be done for building up.

Father Davidson

Father Davidson will be away next Sunday, August 1,2010. Father Tom Beck will celebrate both services.

Laurie Sealy's Estate

We received a check for $2,388.38 from the estate of Laurie Sealy.

Your Comments and Contributions

Your comments and contributions are important. Please let us hear from you.

1. Send your emails to: monicahartford@gmail.com

2. Comments can be made on the blog.

3. See me (Floyd Wyche) in church. I attend the 8:00 a.m. service.

Entering Worship Space

Members are reminded that they can enter the worship space only during the singing of a hymn once the liturgy is in progress. The Bulletin has the notation You may enter, which is a friendly reminder of the appropriate times to enter once the liturgy is in progress.

A Reminder of the Rector's Schedule

The Rector is in office on Monday and Wednesday. Tuesday is set aside for meetings in the Diocese or with other individuals. Thursday is set aside to visit the sick and shut-in, those in hospitals and nursing homes. His Sabbath Day/Day Off is Friday. On Saturday he works from home and uses the day to prepare for Sunday worship. The Rector is always available by appointment except on his Sabbath and Sunday.

Summer Schedule

The times of our Sunday services will remain the same throughout the summer. The format of our services will change to Morning Prayer and Eucharist beginning Sunday, July 11, 2010 and will continue until the last Sunday in August (August 29, 2010). Some members of our congregation will be asked to lead Morning Prayer during this time. Our Canons now allow us to appoint Worship Leaders who are not ordained. Of course our rubrics have always stated that in the absence of an ordained person to lead worship 'all that is appointed through the Prayers of the People, except the blessing may be said by a Lay Reader'; Worship leaders have replaced Lay readers. For more information please see pages 406-407, BCP.

The Annual Parish Picnic

The Annual Church Picnic was held Sunday, July 11, 2010, starting at 2:00 p.m. It took place at St. Monica's Ground, 3575 Main Street, Hartford. There were lots of fellowship, food, and refreshments.

Friendly Reminder: Food Pantry & Saturday Feeding

This is a friendly reminder that the food and supplies in the Food Pantry storage area are for the Food Pantry and Saturday feeding use only. We have signed a contract with Food Share stating that we will only use these items for the Food Pantry and Saturday Feeding. All organizations are reminded to purchase their food and supplies. Plan ahead to insure that you will have what is needed for your activity. Please do not ask anyone with a key to open the Food Pantry. They are are not authorized to do so. Thank you for your cooperation.

Gospel Trip to Philadelphia

The Parish Committee is sponsoring a gospel fundraising trip to Philadelphia. The bus leaves Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 6:00 a.m. sharp from St Monica's parking lot. There will a two hour all you can eat luncheon on the ship Spirit of Philadelphia. Later, there will be a professional guided heritage tour of Philadelphia. Donation of $125 includes bus trip, boat ride and guided tour. All deposits are due ASAP. See any member of the Harvest Committee for more information.

St. Monica's 106th Anniversary & Recognition Ball

This is a fundraiser to help retire the debt on our building. It will be held on Saturday, September 11, 2010 at the Hilton Hotel located at 315 Trumbull Street, Hartford. Ticket are $75 per person. Cocktails will be 7:00 p.m.-8: p.m. Dinner, program and dancing will be 8:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. For ticket information see Ms. Synfoni Green, Mrs. Arlette Hurdle, Mrs. Gloria Marsele, or Mrs. Paul Scott.

Walk Against Hunger

Saint Monica's Church members had a very successful Walk Against Hunger. The Walk earned $5,0963.70 for the Food Pantry and Out Reach Ministries. The committee thanks the fifty-eight members who walked and/or donated money toward the Walk. A special thank you and recognition to Jeremy Ifill, Kirby Lewis and Denzil Ricketts who each raised over $1,200.00.

Birthdays and Anniversaries in July

Happy birthday to: Cindy Jones and Joyce Lindsey 3rd, Michael Rose 4th; Winsome Barnaby 5th; Marie Harvey 6th; Leslyn Clark 10th; Coleen Wilson 11th; Vickena Webb 15th; Gloria Marsele and Benoni Asamoah 16th; Cisalee Harrell and Jordan Jones 20th; Shirley Freeman and Courtney Haughton 22nd; Enid cooke and Euna Farrell 24th; Clarence Tuning and Robert Lightfoot 25th; Carl Harrison 26th; Natalie Wimbish 27th; Melvin Johnson, Joyce Asiedu, Agnes Rose and Victoria Webb 30th; Hazel Weather 31st.

Happy anniversary to Mr & Mrs. Cyrus Aimey 5th; Mr. & Mrs. Robert Nelson 7th; Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Tuning 24th.

Condolences

The Bailey and Green families wish to extend our sincere appreciation to our St. Monica family for all of their expressions of sympathy on the passing of our loved one Richard Bailey. We extend our deepest Christian sympathy to the family and friends of Ms. Ruth McBean.

DIOCESE AND ITEMS OF INTEREST

I Wonder Why?

This column answers interesting questions.

Ever wonder why parishioners do certain things when they enter church and during the service?

1. Praying. Medieval Christians knelt through most of the service because penitence was so strongly emphasized, and the service conducted in Latin which few understood. But the first Christians spent much more time on their feet because praise was their primary focus. So today, as we attempt to find a better balance between penitence and praise, we are moving back toward the behavior patterns of the early church, kneeling less and standing more. page 28

2. Standing. Standing is the posture that expresses honor and praise. We stand when the Gospel is read and when a procession of clergy and others come into the church to begin the service. We also stand when the Creed is recited. It is equally natural to stand for hymns, because most of them are expressions of faith and praise. page 29

3. Gestures. Some Episcopalians bow their heads when a processional cross is carried by or when they hear the name of Jesus in a prayer or in a hymn. Church members also commonly bow to the cross before entering their pews or when passing in front of the alter. Others genuflect (kneel briefly on one knee) at such times. Such behavior is very biblical: St. Paul wrote that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bend" (Philippians 2:10). page 30

4. Sign of the Cross. To trace the cross on yourself by moving your hand from your head to your heart, and then from your left shoulder to the right, is a way of making a physical response to the end of the Creed (sealing the Creed to ourselves with the cross), and to the absolution and blessing. It's a way of taking that benediction to ourselves, saying "Amen" to it in an outward way. page 30

5. Upraised Hands. Praying or singing with an upraised hand or hands is another gesture often seen in Episcopal services. The holding up of hands in prayer can be seen in ancient frescos depicting Christians at worship. In fact, in one of his letters St. Paul speaks of "lifting up holy hands" in prayer (1 Timothy 2:8). The gesture is very similar to that used by many priests as they preside at the Eucharist and seems to be a natural way for lay people to express their own priesthood. pages 30 &31

Source:Welcome to Sunday: an Introduction to Worship in the Episcopal Church by Christopher L. Webber.

THE BOOK CORNER

The Reluctant Parting

by Julie Galambush

The Reluctant Parting illuminates the Jewishness of the "Christian" New Testament by pointing out that the individual book - including seemingly anti-Jewish books such as Hebrews and Matthew - were written about a Jew, by Jewish authors, for a mostly Jewish audience, in a Jewish context, and with Jewish goals. Hebrews, for instance, was "intended for Jews who had left or were tempted to leave the Jesus sect in favor of "safer" forms of Judaism. Dr. Galambush argues that the Jesus movement, which was originally a prophetic movement within Judaism, later emerged, unintentionally and unwillingly, as a different religion. Her argument clarifies why books such as Hebrews and Matthew are simultaneously Jewish and anti-Jewish. She makes insightful observations about the contexts - religious, political, social, etc. - in which the New Testament was written and discusses each book sufficiently and succinctly.

Three things set this book apart from the plethora of other books on Christian Origins: 1) While most of them accentuate the Jewishness of Jesus, this one goes further to highlight the Jewishness of the New Testament authors and their works as well, 2) This book situates the New Testament not only in light of the complexities within first century Judaism, but also in light of the complexities within the Jesus movement itself, and 3) The author consistently bases her arguments on concrete evidence rather than on mere hypothesis.

Dr. Galambush has written an insightful, lucid, engaging, and enjoyable book that is accessible to the initiated and the uninitiated alike. The scope of the book is impressive and its treatment of issues is in-depth. In short, this is page-turner that is quite enlightening.

Review by Rajnadella