Friday, February 3, 2012

LITURGY OF THE WORD AND WEEKLY READINGS











Sunday, February 26, 2012: First Sunday In Lent
First Lesson: (Genesis 9:8-17)
Psalm 25:1-9, Pages 614-615, BCP
Second Lesson: (1 Peter 3:18-22)
The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To Mark (1:19-25)
Suggested Readings For The Week
Monday Mark 1:1-13; Tuesday Mark 1:14-28; Wednesday Mark 1:29-45; Thursday Mark 2:1-12; Friday Mark 2:12-22; Saturday Mark 2:23-3:1-6.


Sunday, February 19, 2012: Last Sunday After Epiphany
First Lesson: (2 Kings 2:1-12)
Psalm 50:1-6, Page 654, BCP
Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (2 Corinthians 4:3-6)
The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To Mark (9:2-9)
Suggested Readings Readings The Week
Monday Mark 12:1-12; Tuesday Mark 12:13-17; Wednesday Matthew 6:1-6; Thursday Luke 9:18-25; Friday John 15:1, 6-16; Saturday Luke 5:27-32.

Sunday, February 12, 2012: Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
First Lesson: (2 Kings 5:1-14)
Psalm 30, Page 621, BCP
Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To Mark (1:40-45)
Suggested Readings For The Week
Monday John 9:1-17; Tuesday John 9:18-41; Wednesday John 10:1-18; Thursday John 10:19-30; Friday John 10:31-42; Saturday John 11:1-16.

Sunday, February 5, 2012: Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
First Lesson: (Isaiah 40:21-31)
Psalm 147:1-12, 21c, Page 804, BCP
Second Lesson: Paul's Epistle(1 Corinthians 9:16-23)
The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According To Mark (1-29-39)
Suggested Readings For The week
Monday John 47:37-52; Tuesday John 7:53-8:11; Wednesday John 8:12-20; Thursday John 8:21-32; Friday John 7:33-47; Saturday John 7:47-59.
NEWS AND EVENTS











From the Desk Of The Rector
We can sing We've Come This Far By Faith. What a blessed year we have experienced; the good certainly outweighed the bad and God was and is with us at St. Monica's We come together today to acknowledge that and to give God thanks for His many blessings and guidance. GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING!

Our thanks to everyone for what you do for your Church on a daily basis. The strength of a Church comes from the commitment of every member being engaged in ministry and mission and "being of one mind." Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The year ahead can be an exciting and rewarding one for all of us. Your vestry continues to work towards becoming a team and hopefully our example will help our church struggle to be "of one mind." We must understand that if we we will make it to the end we all must "die to self so that the mission of the church can be what God wants it to be." There is no "I" in the word team. The eye cannot say to the hand "I have no need for you." Together we must work so that God will always be glorified and pleased with our work.

We say farewell to our parish secretary. I will not be employing anyone to fill that position. I will give my time and talents as I did for close to two years in managing he office. We are not a busy parish and with the technology, we can do more now than before.

Maureen Evans and Exercise
Do you want to exercise but think it is boring and you do not know how to start? Now is the time! Maureen Evans will work with a group of interested people in the parish hall on days and times that are convenient to all. A small fee of $5.00 per person will help cover the costs. Please contact Maureen for more information. Let us please God during 2012 by learning how respect our bodies, make healthier choices and have fun while doing it.

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.

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

Birthdays and Anniversaries in February
Happy Birthday to: Gladstone Cooke 2nd; Jeanette Walker 3rd; Lisa Powell 4th; Keith Martin 6th; Shauntelle Barnaby and Sharon Walters 7th; Racine Fairweather and Daniel Ricketts 8th; Camry Brown 9th; Robert Nelson 12th; Norma Morris and Terrie Thomas 14th; Steve Lightfoot 23rd; Monica Oliphant 25th; Barbara Lindo 26th; Evelyn Rhule and Richard Krausz 28th.
Happy Anniversary to: Bob and Stephanie Lightfoot 26th.

In Memory For February
Ena Sterling 5th; Warren Fuller, Jr. and Walter Mitchell 6th; Edward Hicks, Jr. 7th; Uris Cooks, Inez Rhule and Barry Washington 8th; Louis Brewster 9th; Cyril Crooks 11th; Robert Jones, Cassandra Wells and Dian Wells 12th; Alfred Leckey 13th; Harriet Parker and Prince Reid 15th; Walker Wiggins 16th; Jennie Calloway and Verl Samuda 17th; Mabel Jones 18th; Albert Gaines, Michael Holder, Clara Luster, Martin Smith and Gladys Stephenson 22nd; Emma Wimbish 23rd; Lovenzo Rowe, Seth Sharp and Hortense Sofin 24th;Paul Mikell and James Willis 26th; Lillian King and George Bell 27th; Lilla Carlozzo 28th; Charles Allen 29th.

Condolences
We extend our sincere Christian Sympathy to Joyce Samuels on the death of her husband, Richard Samuels. May he rest in peace.

ITEMS OF INTEREST












I Wonder
This is an occasional column that answers interesting questions.

I wonder why Episcopalians read their prayers?

"When the disciples came to Jesus and asked him how they should pray, He didn't suggest that they make it up as they go along. He offered them a well thought out form of prayer that we call the 'Our Father'.

Episcopalians, like many Christian, believe that when we write our prayers down we carry forward an ancient tradition of order and structure suggested in Jesus' instructions to the disciples. After all, worship in Jesus' day was a highly structured affair, with written prayers for just about every occasion. One of the biggest collections still in use is the book of Psalms.

Episcopalians find that written prayers allow for common prayer. Our prayers allow us to partake more deeply in a shared experience of offering up something we agree on. Most of our prayers are pretty old and have stood the test of time regarding the beliefs they express and the clarity with which they state them. When we pray them we are uniting with generations of believers who have prayed the same prayers. Just think of the billions of people who have prayed the popular written prayers like the Our Father, The Agnus Dei ('Lamb of God...') or the Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy...')."

Source: The Episcopal Handbook (New York, NY: Church Publishing 2008) p. 40.

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



BOOK CORNER
Sea Of Poppies
By Amitav Ghosh

In Sea of Poppies, Amitav Ghosh spins an amazing story, set in 1838 India, that explores the lives of a polyglot of peoples whose lives and interests collide over the growth of opium poppies bound for China. American sailor Zachary Reid is a noble soul ensnared in an ignoble business. Deeti is an addict's wife destined to a life of misery. Paulette is a French scientist's daughter taken in by a business tycoon. Other characters and settings round out this complex and intriguing tale: a foul-tempered British river pilot, and impoverished raja, heavily guarded opium factories, embattled farmers, pidgin-spewing boat crews, a vicious first mate and lovers on the run. Sea of Poppies uncovers the mix of racism, greed, cast-consciousness, superstition and hypocrisy that combined when enormous fortunes were at stake. It also shows the resourcefulness of people courageously attempting to escape the hand that fate has dealt them.

The book's language is fascinating. Ghosh has captured the varied accents of the 19th century American, British and Lascar sailors, the vulgar bellowing of the colonizers and the refined tones of the aristocracy. The story is heavily peppered with Hindustani words that make sense in context. The effect is of a culture mongrelization that is as intoxicating as it is perplexing. The light that Ghosh throws on the dirty story of the British opium trade shows just how much civilized "Christian" Victorian England was dependent on the exploitation of not one but two Asian societies.

A great rollicking read, stormy as a ship's ride on the Indian Ocean.
Review by Jean E. Pouliot