Dear Saints, Season s Greetings in the name of our crucified, risen and ascended Lord and coming Savior Jesus Christ!

Transcription

1 St. Matthew s Staff Rev. Orin Cummings Rector Sherry Minzey Admin. Assistant Ron Stockton Music Director Jim Minzey Sexton Officers PATTI MCGILL Senior Warden Linda Gerding Junior Warden David Macey Treasurer Linda Gerding Secretary Dave Chullino George Miller Clerk of the Works Service Times 8:00 a.m 11:00 a.m. Sunday Service RITE II Christmas Eve celebrated at BLUE RIDGE TRINITY 7:00 p.m. Monday December 24 Dear Saints, Season s Greetings in the name of our crucified, risen and ascended Lord and coming Savior Jesus Christ! He was a good student or, so he thought up until that day when playing a group game of Jeopardy his teacher pulled him aside and asked, Why did you throw the game? Jules Verne made you think of Vern, right? I knew it! Everyone knew Vern smelled, wore big work boots and torn shirts every day. He wasn t smart. When Jules Verne came to mind, he laughed uncontrollably at the idea of Vern writing a book. Vern doesn t deserve to be treated that way, his teacher insisted. What makes you think he s so unlovable that he doesn t deserve simple respect? In John 18, Pilate asks Jesus if he is king of the Jews, and Jesus curiously responds, Why? It was obvious to many that Jesus is king. Gentiles seek him out, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him (Matt. 2:2). Nathanael confesses, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel (Jn. 1:29). With palm branches in hand, his people proclaim, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord (Jn. 12:13). Yet, Jesus authority is not derived from human beings, but divine. He does not rule by force but by love. He said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And, the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:36-40). Jesus reveals that God is interested in winning hearts. Oft-times the heart is spoken of as the whole person; one s feelings, desires, thoughts and will. God sent the King of Hearts not to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (Jn. 3:17). Jesus mission is to win hearts for God. Continued on page E. 65 th Street, Raytown, Missouri Phone: stmart@sbcglobal.net 1

2 Continued from page 1 Returning to where I began, the young man felt embarrassed and one word stuck with him: UNLOVABLE. He kept thinking about all the unlovable people and the list included idlers, alcoholics, addicts, prostitutes, drifters, and outcasts like Vern, bullies, irritating people, unruly neighbors, and vagrants among others. Clearly, he thought there were more unattractive and undesirable people in the world to be avoided, but he was WRONG. The celebration of Christmas reminds us that God values love, compassion, inclusion and truth. If God loves a sinner like me that He gave His only Son for my salvation, and through baptism makes me a child of His kingdom, then surely it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me (Gal. 2:20). As we await the coming of the King of Hearts, we live by his creed: LOVE THE UNLOVABLE. These are the lowly, despised, abused, addicts, outcasts, oppressed, exploited, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, people with disabilities and from cultures other than our own. We find them in our neighborhoods, schools, places of work and in the construction business on our roofs or in our homes and yards, grocery and retail stores, restaurants, at the car wash and movie theaters, filling stations and rest areas, major intersections and parks, in airports and on flights, in libraries and on buses, in resorts and across borders. They are everywhere. This Christmas, make them the object of your affection and by the power of the Holy Spirit, strive daily to become a king or queen of hearts. As you do, pray that the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20). A blessed Christmas and New Year to you, Fr. Orin From the Sr. Warden Hoping you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. In the midst of so many deaths, illnesses and trouble in the world, we really do have much to be thankful for, and this wonderful holiday just brings that to life. Fr. Orin's sermon on Sunday, November 18 really spoke to me in a personal need to be reminded that if we turn to God with our feelings of hopelessness, we will find hope, and our faith will grow. It did me all kinds of good to be reminded of this. As winter approaches, I ask us all to be mindful of all that we can do at the church to preserve our heat and electric energy. As many of us have experienced personally, the church has had a large increase in our level payment plans with the gas and electric company. Please practice what I'm sure you do at home: add clothing instead of bump up the heat, make sure you turn lights off in a room that you have been using when you leave and use as little electricity as you absolutely need. It's hard to regulate a building as large as St. Matthew's but we can all do our part to save energy. I look forward to celebrating Advent and the Christmas season with you all. I'll be away Christmas Eve but back in time to celebrate Lessons and Carols, one of my favorite celebrations, with you. Also, the new year. May we all have peace in our hearts and love for each other. Your's in Christ Patti McGill/Sr. Warden 2

3 REAP CHRISTMAS STORE This is REAP s 31 ST Annual Christmas Store helping families in the Raytown Community. The final day to bring gifts is December 10 th. Checks or cash are needed to buy gifts for older children and teenagers. Wrapping paper is also needed. As you do your shopping for Christmas dinner, won t you please pick up an extra item or two for donation for the Loaves & Fishes Sunday. A few suggestions might be: Canned Sweet Potatoes Cranberry Sauce Canned Pumpkin Any Vegetable Jello Canned Fruit Instant Potatoes Dressing Mix Evaporated Milk Canned gravies or Mix Pudding Mixes Paper goods Cash or checks payable to REAP may also be donated by using the available envelopes in the narthex. A list of NEW ITEMS for donation to the Christmas Store could include: TOYS ALL AGES ADULT GIFTS HOUSEHOLD Action Toys Infant Toys Costume Jewelry Can Opener Stuffed Animals Dolls & Clothes Bill Folds Cookware Building Toys Small Radios Purses Towels, All Sizes Books Puzzles Toiletries Sheets Balls Games Cosmetics Blankets Cars & Trucks Caps Men s Belt & Gloves Decorative Items Gloves Mittens Writing Tablet Crockpots Pens Coffeemakers House shoes Slipper Socks Watches Calculator As we all count our blessings this Holiday season, let s not forget those who are less fortunate. Have mercy on us, O God. Teach us to receive your gifts with gratitude and joy. Strengthen us to use your gifts to the glory of your name and expand the well-being of your people, so that all your children may know the abundance of Life that is your will for us all. (taken from The ONE Campaign) Linda Gerding & Christina Brooks Service & Outreach Commission 3

4 REAP THANKSGIVING FOOD DISTRIBUTION Two days before Thanksgiving, from 3:00pm-6:00pm, REAP distributed food from their Birds & Baskets program. From grant money and donations, REAP had purchased about 300 frozen turkeys to give to their clients who turned in a voucher. As client s cars drove through the parking lot at REAP, volunteers would give them a turkey, a sack full of fixins (canned sweet potatoes, dressing, green beans, fresh carrots, mushroom soup, fresh potatoes, and a jar of gravy) and a dessert. 270 vouchers had been given out to clients asking for help with a Thanksgiving meal. Cars lining up to drive through Handing out turkeys & desserts Piles of bags of potatoes & carrots Turkey helpers handing out turkeys 4

5 REAP S BOY SCOUT FOOD DRIVE OCTOBER 27, 2018 REAP held their Fall Boy Scout Food Drive on Saturday Oct. 27 th. It was beautiful weather this year which enabled the unloading and sorting to be done outside. Linda Gerding joined other community volunteers to help unload and sort food items donated by local residents. This food drive in the Fall helps re-stock the shelves just before Thanksgiving. Over 9,000 items were donated. Again, thank you to St. Matthew s Parish helping each month to make a difference in the lives of so many in our local community. Linda Gerding Service & Outreach Commission 5

6 Stewardship Is Heart Work On Sunday November 11, 2018 (Veteran s Day) Rick Roberts, Stewardship Chair, gave his Commitment talk to the congregation. Every pledge packet that had been delivered included a special heart sticker that could be affixed to a poster board to show the progress of the campaign. Rick asked that everyone give careful thought to their commitment of Time, Talent, and Treasure and then to pray about it. With God s help, we will remain a parish family to worship, pray, and grow in Christ. Thank You! To everyone who turned in their Commitment Card and Time & Talent. Now we can prepare our budget for Rick Roberts Stewardship Chair ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL The homeless animals in the kennels at Wayside Waifs need clean, used towels and blankets for bedding to keep warm in winter. Other items on their wish list include kitty litter, treats, large stuffed animals, cat and kitten toys, dog and cat treats, ball and rope toys, Kong toys, and newspapers. Please bring these items to the Narthex Cloak- Room and place them in the appropriate boxes. Thank you for your compassion for these animals. 6

7 FROM NAMIBIA Dear Friends: From Yael: Beci and I celebrated one full year as official, sworn-in Peace Corps volunteers on Oct. 18. What a year it has been! With the help of our friends at St. Matthew's as well as others throughout Kansas City, we are building better libraries at our two elementary schools. Friends have sent almost 1,000 books to Namibia to help hundreds of our learners! (In the photo, Yael's library has expanded since May from only 250 English fiction books to almost 1,000 English books!) Beci and I are planning what we would like to do in the 2019 school year. We both hope to teach art. We hope the many art projects we could do with the learners would help them to think more for themselves. Beci and I will be in Kansas City over the December holidays. We plan to hold a "Books for Namibian learners" event at St. Matthews on the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 16. We would invite people we know on social media in Kansas City to come by, talk to us and perhaps drop some books off for us to take back to Namibia. We understand St. Matthews already has lots of books for us! We miss all of you at St. Matthew's, but we are looking forward to seeing you at Christmas time! Yael and Beci 7

8 The Twelve Days of Christmas The most common theory of why the song The Twelve Days of Christmas was written, dates back to when it was illegal to practice the Catholic faith in England ( ). England was Anglican and if a person was in possession of Catholic materials or practicing Catholic faith, they would be punished. The song was written to help young Catholics remember the tenets of their religion. The true love in the song is referring to God and the me refers to any baptized person. 1. The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus upon the Cross. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge. A mother partridge would pretend injury to decoy a prediter away from her nestings. She was even willing to dir for them, as Christ did. 2. The two turtle doves refers to the Old and New Testiments. 3. The three French hens stand for faith, hope and love----the three gifts of the spirit that remain no matter what happens. 4. The four calling birds refers to the four apostles who wrote the Gospels Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. These four books tell the story of salvation through Jesus Christ. 5. The five golden rings represents the first five books of the Bible, also called the Jewish Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. 6. The six geese a-laying is the six days of creation. 7. The seven swans a swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and the fear of the Lord. 8. The eight maids a milking are a reminder of the eight Beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount. 9. The nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galations 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. 10. The ten lords a -leaping represents the Ten Commandents. 11. The eleven pipers piping refers to the eleven faithful Apostles. 12. The twelve drummers drumming were the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles Creed. Wishing you a Merry Christmas of peace, beauty, love and joy. Linda Batson The Light of Christ DOK Chapter 8

9 FLYING SOLO Flying Solo met for our October third Saturday event for a movie at the Glenwood Arts Theater in Mission, followed by dinner at O Neill s Irish Pub, just across the street. Ron Stockton, Bill Noone, Zella Forsythe and Judy Taylor attended. Our movie starred Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek in The Old Man and the Gun. Our November event featured a flick at B&B Theater in Lee s Summit. We saw A Star is Born, starring Lady Gaga and handsome Bradley Cooper (who has a surprisingly great voice!) We followed with dinner at Pie Five in Independence. Bill Noone, Zella Forsythe, Mary Cease, Charles Cease, and Judy Taylor attended. Join us for our next event on December 15th! Three hurricanes sent me home a couple weeks early from my fall trip. 1. Gordon came up from the Gulf and flooded me out at Noah's Ark in northern Kentucky. (By the way, the Ark is a fascinating place, well worth the miles and money. What about us taking a field trip up from St. Matthew's to see it in the spring?) 2. Florence cheated me out of a week at the beach. Boo, hiss! The devastation was intense. All of the roads were closed in North Carolina because of flooding and debris. Thousands of fish washed up on the highways and had to be power washed off. It was too slick and yucky to travel for days and days. 3. Michael's eye was headed exactly for Augusta when I was supposed to visit my nephew. That's when I decided to head over the mountains and home for safety. In between the hurricanes, there was calm and time to visit my brother, niece, and other sisterin-law. The week in Williamsburg was great fun, especially when we got to sit in George Washington's box for Sunday service. I bought a T-shirt in the gift shop there listing the Top 10 Reasons for Becoming an Episcopalian (according to Robin Williams, that is). My niece's husband was featured on the cover of the Colonial Guide when the family was participating in a re-enactment of the revolution. More great fun! But there's no place like home! St. Matthew's is very dear to me. Each Sunday I marvel at the love I see in the pews for each other and the Lord. Thank you for letting me be a part of such a caring congregation. Love, Zella 9

10 May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rain fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand. An Irish Blessing Memorial Goodbye A memorial service for Patricia (Pat) Madgett was held on November 19, 2018 at St. Matthew s. Pat was a longtime member of St. Matthew s and served faithfully for many years on Altar Guild. Thank you, to all those who helped with the reception held after the service. April 28, 1930 November 16, 2018 CHRISTMAS MEMORIAL FLOWERS If you would like to make a special offering for plants and flowers for Christmas, please use the Christmas Flower Envelopes that are available on the Narthex table. The thanksgiving or memorial designation will be printed in the Christmas Eve service leaflets, and the names of all donors will be listed in the January Messenger. Please send in your envelopes as soon as possible. The last day to assure that names will be listed in the Dec. 30 th bulletin, and Messenger, is Sunday, December

11 United Christmas Eve Service will be held at Blue Ridge Trinity Lutheran Church Monday, December 24 th 7:00 p.m. Special Christmas Offering envelopes will be available in the December 16 Sunday bulletin and in the Christmas Eve bulletin. United Service at St. Matthew s 11:00 a.m. Sunday, December 30 There will not be an 8:00 a.m. service. CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED DEC. 25 th & JAN. 1 st 9-12:00 P.M. DEC. 24 th & DEC. 31 st 11

12 The Hanging of the Greens will be Saturday, December 8 th at 9:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome to join in the festivities. Questions, contact Kay Chullino JANUARY MESSENGER/CALENDAR DEADLINE DECEMBER 19 th Women of St. Matthew s December Luncheon at Lee s Summit Grill December 15 th at 11:30 a.m. Please contact Nancy Anderson For reservations 12