Thursday, November 28, 2019

Thanksgiving




The General Thanksgiving

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Advent Calendar, by Rowan Williams




Advent Calendar
He will come like last leaf’s fall.
One night when the November wind
has flayed the trees to bone, and earth
wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud’s folding.
He will come like frost.
One morning when the shrinking earth
opens on mist, to find itself
arrested in the net
of alien, sword-set beauty.
He will come like dark.
One evening when the bursting red
December sun draws up the sheet
and penny-masks its eye to yield
the star-snowed fields of sky.
He will come, will come,
will come like crying in the night,
like blood, like breaking,
as the earth writhes to toss him free.
He will come like child.
Rowan Williams, was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Monday, November 18, 2019

St. Nicholas visited St. Mary's yesterday

St. Nicholas visited St. Mary's yesterday and nickels were collected for the children of the Diocese of Jerusalem!

A wonderful occasion!

St. Nicholas (another of our wonderful children) will join us again next Sunday!













Friday, November 15, 2019

Nickels for St. Nicholas!

For the next three Sundays, our children will collect nickels from our congregation which will then be sent to the children of the Diocese of Jerusalem.  Please join us on Sunday, and bring your nickels!

"St. Nicholas" will be here among us, and we will hear the story of St Nicholas, and at the offertory, the children will ring the bell and collect nickels.



Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The highest gift




A billion times God has turned man
Into Himself
You stand in line for the
Highest gift
For his generosity cannot end.
But best to bring an instrument along
While waiting in the cold desert
And make some dulcet sounds
To accompany the palms’ swaying arms
That are casting silhouettes
Against the sky’s curtain
From our fire
Remind the Friend of your desire
And great patience.
A billion times God has turned man
Back into Herself.
We all stand in line
For the highest
Gift.
–Hafiz, The Gift, translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Thank you, Earl, for your service!


Anniversary of the birthplace of the US Marine Corps


Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Feast of All Saints


Collect of the Day: The Feast of All Saints

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you: through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Friday, November 1, 2019

All Saints Day





For all the saints


For all the saints who from their labors rest,
who to the world their steadfast faith confessed,
your name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

You were their rock, their refuge, and their might:
you, Christ, the hope that put their fears to flight;
'mid gloom and doubt, you were their one true light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Still may your people, faithful, true, and bold,
live as the saints who nobly fought of old,
and share with them a glorious crown of gold.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Ringed by this cloud of witnesses divine,
we feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
yet in your love our faithful lives entwine.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
then hearts are brave again, and faith grows strong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Tune: Sine Nomine
Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906