LITURGY OF THE WORD AND WEEKLY READINGS

Sunday, November 27, 2011: First Sunday Of Advent

First Lesson: Isaiah (64:1-9)

Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18, Page 702, BCP

Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (1 Corinthians 1:3-9)

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark (13:24-37)

Suggested Readings For The Week

Monday Matthew 21:1-11; Tuesday Matthew 21:12-22; Wednesday 1 Corinthians 4:1-16; Thursday Matthew 21:33-46; Friday Matthew 22:1-14; Saturday Matthew 22:15-22.

Sunday, November 20, 2011: Last Day After Pentecost

First Lesson: Ezekiel (34:11-16, 20-24)

Psalm 100, Page 729, BCP

Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (Ephesians 1:15-23)

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (25:31-46)

Suggested Readings for the Week

Monday 1 Peter 1:1-12; Tuesday 1 Peter 1:13-25; Wednesday 1 Peter 2:1-10; Thursday John 6:26-35; Friday 1 Peter 3:13-4:6; Saturday 1 Peter 4:7-19.

Sunday, November 13, 2011: Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost

First Lesson: Judges (4:1-7)

Psalm 123, Page 780, BCP

Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (25:14-30)

Suggested Readings For The Week

Monday Revelation 20:7-15; Tuesday Revelation 21:1-8; Wednesday Revelation 21:9-21; Thursday Revelation 21:22-22:5; Friday Revelation 22:6-13; Saturday Revelation 22:14-21.

Sunday, November 6, 2011: All Saints' Day

First Lesson: (Revelation 7:9-17)

Psalm 34: 1-10, 22, Page 627, BCP

Second Lesson: John's Epistle (1 3:1-3)

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew ( 5:1-12)

Suggested Readings For The Week

Monday Revelations 18:1-8; Tuesday Revelations 18:9-20; Wednesday Revelations 18:21-24; Thursday Revelations 19:1-10; Friday Revelations 19:11-16; Saturday Revelations 20:1-16.

NEWS AND EVENTS

Welcome From The Rector

Directions To Saint Monica's

The Rector's Desk

Our Second Annual International Thanksgiving Day will be on Sunday, November 20, 2011. There will only be one service, at 9:30 a.m. Please see Marva Brito for more information. November 27, 2011 is the First Sunday of Advent. Please remember that there are no flowers on the alter or celebrating weddings during advent.

This year Christmas Day and New Year's Day will be on Sunday. We will have our usual Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve Services at 11 p.m. On Christmas and New Yea's Day we will have one service 9:30 a.m. Holy Innocents Day is Wednesday, December 28, 2011; we will have a service for children and youth at 6:30 p.m.

A Note of Thanks From Marion Hanson

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, thank you for your kind expressions of concern for me during my recent illness from major knee surgery. Your cards, calls, visits are much appreciated. Thank you for being a community of faith that sustained me in which you reached out in love and your prayers for my healing and strength. I have a ways to go, progress is slow. Again my thanks. Hope to be with you all again soon when the knee can tolerate driving. God's blessings to all.

Food Pantry

We always need non-perishable food to provide healthy meals for the families who come to our food Pantry. Please bring food or money to the altar every Sunday for the pantry.

Weekly suggestions: Sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, canned green vegetables, evaporated milk, instant mashed potatoes, boxed dressing, canned and/or packaged gravies.

Turkey Distribution

On Monday, November 21, 2011, turkeys will be distributed at Saint Monica's Church at 6:30 p.m. If you know of any families who may need a turkey for Thanksgiving, please contact the Church Office so that we can determine the number of turkeys needed. We thank the Caribbean Trade Association for sponsoring this project. Saint Martin's Episcopal Mission-Outreach and Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church have been invited to participate.

Veterans Day

Saint Monica's Episcopal Church extends its appreciation for the sacrifice of all veterans and those currently serving in the military.

Vestry Projector

The vestry now has its own projector. We will continue to use our PowerPoint presentation. It is obvious that we need others to be trained and be willing to help Bates Lyons who so far has done a marvelous job. The PowerPoint presentation saves us from having to print the service and the lessons. We hope you appreciate the effort being made by the vestry as we seek to use wisely the finances you give on a weekly basis for the operation of our parish.

Rescheduling Meetings

Fr. Davidson needs our cooperation if we wish to reschedule a meeting on Monday or Wednesday between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Fr. Davidson schedules interviews and pastoral counseling either before or after Prayer Meetings on Monday. He may also schedule interviews and pastoral counseling on Wednesday. He schedules events when there is no Bible Study. As a courtesy, please call Fr. Davidson to verify if he has anything scheduled.

Activity Calendar

Weekly: 1) Mondays-Prayer meeting at 6:30 p.m.; 2) Wednesdays-Bible Study at 6:30 p.m.

Special Days (Weekly): 1) Wednesdays and Fridays-Food Pantry opens 10:00 a.m. to noon.

2) Every other Thursday-Pro's and Con's Task Force at 6:30 p.m.

Special Days (Monthly): 1) First Thursday-Stewardship Committee at 6:30 p.m.; 2) Second Thursday-Vestry Meeting 6:30 p.m.; 3) Third Tuesday-Women of Valier; 4) Third and fourth Saturday opens at 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.; 5) First Saturday-Episcopal Church Women (ECW) at 12:00 noon

PowerPoint Ministry

We are currently looking for persons interested in the ministry of presenting PowerPoint during the service (8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.). Requirements:

1. Must have a laptop computer.

2. Must have a working knowledge of PowerPoint.

3. Must have access to the internet.

4. Must be reliable.

If you are interested give you name, email address and/or phone number to the Office. A. Bates Lyons will contact you to participate in a training session.

Calendars

Once again we are selling 2012 religious calendars for $10.00 each. Please consider buying these as gifts for you family and friends. See Euna Farrell or Arlette Hurdle to purchase calendars. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Birthdays and Anniversaries in November

Happy Birthday to: Darryl Burke 1st; Cyril Burke and Patricia Nelson 3rd; Evelyn Green 4th; Carmen Brown 5th; Scott Thorton 9th; Marcus Clark 11th; Rory Elliot and Lucy Fuentes 13th; Denzil Samuda 14th; Hylton Cooke 15th; George Jordan 19th; Bates Lyons 20th; Carol Anderson 24th; Blondell Thornton 25th; Andrea Branch 26th; Austin Tagbo 27th; Verona Francis and Kenneth Lambert 29th.

Happy Anniversary to: Mr. and Mrs. Freeman Davis 1st.

In Memory For November

Carlton Airey, Gwendolyn Elison and Mary Jackson 1st; Michael Mitchell, Jr. and GErtrude Smith 6th; Milicent Benjamin and Fitz T. Hickmon 7th; Macheek Jennings 8th; Milton Rice 9th; Dorothy Wiggins 11th; Frank Davis and Solon Taylor 12th; Rosalee Bracey, and Adolphus Giffin 15th; Dorothy Cunningham 17th; Edith Duval 19th; Mitchell Walter 21st; Zulietta Burke, Elizabeth Davis, Sydney Lopez, and Elizabeth Taylor 22nd; Robert Camby 24th; London Duval and Mary Winfield 25th; Pedro Hester 26th; Louis Camby 27th; Gladys Brown and John West 29th.

Condolences

We record the death of Mildred Hunter. We extend our sincere Christian sympathy to her family and friends. May she rest in peace.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

I Wonder

This is an occasional column that answers interesting questions.

I wonder why there is a bank of small candles in church and why occasionally some of them are lit?

The small candles are votive or prayer candles. "Votive means that something is given or offered in fulfillment of a vow. So if a candle is a votive candle it would have meant, originally, that it was dedicated to fulfill someone's vow. Many Anglican churches have provisions for the lighting of votive candles as a means of offering prayer, without their being associated with devotion to individual saints. The candle, from being an offering in fulfillment of a vow made in prayer, has become symbolically the prayer itself, a simple act of devotion."

To go to the site where this information was found CLICK HERE

Clergy

The Rev. Charles Davidson

Vestry Members

Carol Anderson, Cyrus Aimey (Junior Warden), Veronica Airey-Wilson, Joyce Asiedu, Walter Benjamin (Senior Warden, Nora Brown, Terry Brown (Treasurer), Marie Brown-Harvey (Secretary),Evelyn Green, Shannon Holder, Bates Lyons, Joe Noel, Peter Marsele Terrie Thomas, Herbert Bowen (Hon)

Music

Rochelle Holder - Youth Choir

Nathaniel Baker - Music Director/Organist

Rector Emeritus

Canon Cyril Burke

Email

monicahartford@gmail.com

THE BOOK CORNER

The China Study

By T. Colin Campbell

I love juicy steaks, delicious cheese, and big bowls of ice cream. I love to eat out at nice restaurant. And I really like eating without thinking about the operations and consequences of our dietary industrial complex. But I don't get to enjoy these things any more because I read The China Study. Like Neo in the Movie The Matrix, you have a choice, take the blue pill and believe what you want to believe, take the red pill and you will be exposed to the reality of the world we live in.

This is a fascinating book on the capitalism, politics, and human behavior that drives the food industry. It is also frighteningly insightful into the health consequences of an affluent societies' diet. I am not a scientist so I don't know if this is good science. But I did work ten years ago as a government attorney on the USDA dietary guidelines and was surprise by the political influence and acceptance of what the author would call scientific reductionism. I also worked for a man who lived and worked until he was 100 years old, and he had a dietary regime very similar to that recommended by The China Study: not vegan nor vegetarian, but largely based on plants and whole foods rather than animal based foods. So I found this book very persuasive - in fact, too persuasive. It scared me straight so I eat healthy now and that's good for the long term...but I don't enjoy it like I use to.

Review by P. Pinkerton