July 20, 2009

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

We continue to keep the children and staff of the El Hogar Orphanage in prayer during this time of political turmoil in Honduras. Please visit the El Hogar website for up-to-date postings about the situation in Tegucigalpa.

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THE EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

In the reading from 2 Samuel, David is enamored with Bethsheba and sends her husband to die: "It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, 'This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.' So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her ... Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, 'I am pregnant.' ... In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, 'Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die.'" (2 Samuel 11:1-15)

Psalm 14 may be a commentary on King David's sin: "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' All are corrupt and commit abominable acts; there is none who does any good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God. Every one has proved faithless; all alike have turned bad; there is none who does good; no, not one. Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers who eat up my people like bread and do not call upon the LORD? See how they tremble with fear, because God is in the company of the righteous."

The epistle to the Ephesians is a prayer that the believer might understand the strength of God's love: "I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-21)

The Gospel from John contains the story of a young boy who became the hero in the feeding of the five thousand: "When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, 'Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?' He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, 'Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.' One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 'There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?' Jesus said, 'Make the people sit down.' Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted." (John 6:1-21)

At the Holy Eucharist, Christ continues to feed our hunger of soul and spirit. I invite you to be fed with the bread of heaven and nourished with the cup of salvation at the Holy Eucharist this Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 10:30 am.

Sincerely,

David A. Killian
Rector

Worship Services for

The Eight Sunday After Pentecost
July 25-26, 2009
Saturday, July 25, at 5:00 pm — Preacher: Mr. Tim Trussell-Smith
Sunday, July 26, at 10:30 am — Preacher: Mr. Tim Trussell-Smith

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