St. Paul s Epistle The Newsletter of St. Paul s & Trinity Parish Tivoli, New York January 2019

Transcription

1 St. Paul s Epistle The Newsletter of St. Paul s & Trinity Parish Tivoli, New York January 2019 Vicar: The Rev. Masud Ibn Syedullah, TSSF Church Phone: Church info@stpaulstivoli.org St. Pauls & Trinity Parish 39 Woods Rd. P.O. Box 68 Tivoli, N.Y 12583

2 New Year s Day: The Feast of the Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ I am writing to you on the morning of New Year s Day, also known on the Church s calendar as The Feast of the Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In times past, this day was known as the Feast of the Circumcision because in Jewish law male children were to be circumcised and officially named on the eighth day following their birth, dedicating them to God. New Year s Day is eight days after the celebration of the nativity of our Lord thus, the feast day. That the child was officially named on that day is of particular interest to me, because in the ancient culture of Israel, names conveyed meaning. What a child was named represented what the parents hoped for the child. The child was dedicated to God with the meaning of the name in mind. The parents prayer was that the child would grow into the character of the name. In Jesus s case, his name in Hebrew meant savior, deliverer a champion of the people. In truth, this child Jesus would grow up to be a champion far beyond his earthly parents imagination. What a wonderful thing it is that the Church begins the year in the Name of Jesus. It is a way of dedicating ourselves to express through our life together and by the ways we engage those around us, God s life-giving, life-saving blessings. The care, concern, and attention we offer each other, as well as the care, concern, and attention we offer to our surrounding community, demonstrate the character of Jesus. Scripture tells us that as Jesus matured, he went about healing the sick, proclaiming justice for the poor, and binding up the broken hearted. That is to be our work in our time and place, and in the ways appropriate to our situation. We, in the Name of Jesus, are called to be agents of God s healing, blessing, reconciliation to those among us and to those around us. In the Name of Jesus, we are called to model and cultivate a Beloved Community one that demonstrates and expresses the life-giving, life-affirming Presence and Love of God to each other and to all within the reach of our influence. God blessed us in this past year to grow further in our capacity to reach out beyond ourselves offer God s the goodness to those around us. We did this through Taking it to the Streets, supply-filled back-to-school backpacks, Thanksgiving and Christmas gifts to those in need, invitations to the surrounding community to share worship with us, the launching of a recovery/healing ministry, the on-going work of the Carrousel, and numerous other ways as well. As we move forward into 2019, let us do so in Jesus Name, further dedicated to being agents of God s Good News (including actions) of blessing, healing, reconciliation, and a beloved community for our sake and for the sake of God s people around us. Let us go forth in the Name of Christ! Thanks be to God! Yours, in the work of Christ and his Church, MIS+ The Rev. Masud Ibn Syedullah TSSF, Vicar

3 Recovery Ministry Started St. Paul s kicked off our Recovery Ministry on Advent II with its first annual Recovery Sunday. Father Syedullah celebrated the Holy Eucharist and preached at the healing service designed for everyone in need of healing, including alcohol and drug addicts and those who love them. A reception and discussion about the ministry followed the service, which was well attended. Larry Hough began the program by singing Angels Among Us. Our key note speaker was Cara Mia Bacchiochi, herself an addict but has been sober for a number of years and is now a Recovery Coach with the Council of Addiction Prevention and Education of Dutchess County (CAPE). She shared her experiences living on the streets and the importance of faith in her recovery. Another speaker was Robert Pezzolesi who works across the US and internationally to advocate for just alcohol policies. Robert has a deep faith background and recently completed Wesley Theological Seminary s Heal the Sick Health Ministry certificate program. Our next program will be held during Lent conducted by Dr. Mary Cody who is a Clinical Nutritionist with over 25 years in private practice. She will lead a discussion of the importance of a healthy nutritional diet to maintaining good health and staying sober. This program is geared for everyone interested in instilling good dietary habits that will serve them well for a lifetime, especially individuals who have a history of drug abuse or poor eating habits. Heavy use of alcohol and drugs, or poor diets often inflict damage to the body, particularly the digestive system and interferes with the efficient use of whatever nutrients are consumed. It also results in a variety of problems including increased risk of osteoporosis and brain impairment. The program is designed to help one overcome any malnutrition caused by past alcohol or drug use and lead them to optimum health. Submitted by Fernando Soto St. Paul s & Trinity Parish Events: 1/20/2019 Annual Church meeting following our Sunday service.. Presentation of annual reports, discussion of plans for 2019, election of wardens and vestry. 1/21/2019 Vestry meeting at 6pm. On-Going: Prayer & Healing Service 1st Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Pledge envelopes for 2019 are here and available in Memorial Hall. If you haven t picked up your s yet, please do so at your next convenience. Any questions about pledging or envelopes, please see Audrey Smith.

4 Christmas 2018 As I thought about how to describe the activities that took place at St. Paul s & Trinity during Advent and Christmas this year, it came to me that the story could best be told through all the wonderful pictures I received this year. BK Caroling at the Tivoli Village Tree Lighting Festival Evan s Expert Decorating Preparing Gifts for the Homeless

5 Helping People in our Community Gifts for the Kids (and some big kids too!) Our Christmas Eve Community Candlelight Service

6 To all the members of St. Paul's and Trinity Parish, Thank you for all your support in all our outreach projects this past year. Because of your kind hearts, we continued our efforts in healing those whose lives are more difficult than our own. We helped clothe the homeless. Small children received the school supplies they needed to start their education. We have helped feed the hunger by participating in the annual Northern Dutchess County Crop Hunger Walk and by collecting food and monetary gifts weekly in our church. We collected food for five Thanksgiving food baskets for local families. We adopted three families at Christmas time, and we continue sending cards to our shut-ins, reminding them that even though they can no longer join us for Sunday worship we still think and pray for them. God bless you all, and may 2019 be filled with good health, love, and joy. Co-chair chair of Mission and Outreach, Leigh Knickerbocker Opportunity to Help Our new recovery program was launched in December. When we think of recovery, more often than not we think of teenagers through adults. Let's not forget the very youngest victims of addiction, new born infants. Vassar Hospital has a Cuddler Program for babies born to moms who have a Substance Use Disorder. These babies often stay in the hospital for several weeks after their birth while withdrawing from medications. If you or anyone you know would like to learn more about or participate in the Cuddler Program, please call Nancy Sheehan at and ask for the volunteer office. The nurses and moms truly appreciate volunteer Cuddlers. Submitted by, Leigh Knickerbocker WE WELCOME ARTICLES FOR OUR UPCOMING NEWSLETTERS: If you have something that might be of interest to your fellow parishioners, please send them on to Barry Knickerbocker at bknickerbocker2@hvc.rr.com. Hand delivered paper copy is welcome as well.