July 6, 2009

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

On July 4th a group of young people and adults from our parish planned to leave for a mission trip to the El Hogar Orphanage in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. On July 1st, we received a call from the Rev. Rich Kunz, Executive Director of El Hogar, instructing us to postpone our mission trip because of the recent unrest unfolding in the capital city as Jose Manuel Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti vie for the presidency. The mission team, Vestry, and Mission & Outreach Committee hope that within the year All Saints Parish will be able to send a team of adults and young people to El Hogar.

In the meantime, we remain committed to supporting El Hogar as it seeks to provide a loving home and education in a Christian environment for abandoned, orphaned and hopelessly poor children in Honduras. We are hopeful that the situation in Honduras will be resolved peacefully and that safe travel to and within Tegucigalpa will again be possible. Rich Kunz will be the guest preacher at All Saints on the weekend of October 10-11. He is eagerly looking forward to building a friendship with our parish. In the meantime he sends this message to us: "Please convey my deep thanks for your group's courage and willingness to stand with us in this time of uncertainty." Please keep the staff and children at El Hogar in prayer and visit the El Hogar website for up-to-date postings about the situation in Tegucigalpa.

The 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church meets July 8–17 in Anaheim, California. Please keep the bishops and deputies in your prayers. For information about the convention, please click on www.ecusa.anglican.org/gc2009.htm.

 

THEME FOR THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The reading from 2 Samuel tells the story of David dancing before the ark of the covenant: "David danced before the LORD with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. They brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the LORD." (2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19)

Psalm 24 speaks of God entering the holy temple: "Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 'Who is this King of glory?' 'The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle.' Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in."

The epistle to the Ephesians calls us God's adopted children and heirs: "He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved ... In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:3-14)

The Gospel of Mark recounts the story of the death of John the Baptist: "But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, 'Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.' And he solemnly swore to her, 'Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.' She went out and said to her mother, 'What should I ask for?' She replied, 'The head of John the baptizer.' Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, 'I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.' The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother." (Mark 6:14-29)

All are invited to join us for the Holy Eucharist Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 10:30 am.

Sincerely,

David A. Killian
Rector

Worship Services for

The Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
July 11-12, 2009
Saturday, July 11, at 5:00 pm — Preacher: The Rev. Cristina Rathbone
Sunday, July 12, at 10:30 am — Preacher: The Rev. Cristina Rathbone

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