August 25, 2010

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Welcome to the All Saints Weekly, your weekly spiritual resource. The Weekly provides a preview of the Scripture readings for the coming weekend and information about programs of interest. We provide links to spiritual resources that you may access on the All Saints website, such as sermons and prayers. For For Daphne Zhao's sermon on August 22, please click here.

Many of you have spoken to me about my Study Tour to Israel July 26-August 3. Participants continue to add reflections to the blog that chronicled our visits to ancient holy sites and our meetings with Israeli and Arab leaders about prospects for peace. To visit the blog, please click here.

As we look forward to the fall, I call your attention to the mini-course "Learning to Pray" that Peter Stringham and I will present on Thursdays September 16 and 23 at 6:45 pm. To download the flyer for this course, please click here. Peter and I will lead an ongoing Meditation Group every Thursday at 6:45 pm, starting September 30. You can download the flyer for the Meditation Group by clicking here. A course, "Spiritual Guides for All Seasons" will begin on September 30 at 7:30 pm. To download a flyer, please click here.

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND

In the Book of Jeremiah, the prophet calls the people to account for their unfaithfulness: "Therefore once more I accuse you, says the LORD, and I accuse your children's children. Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has ever been such a thing. Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water." (Jeremiah 2:4-13)

Psalm 81 accuses the people of being unfaithful: "And yet my people did not hear my voice, and Israel would not obey me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts, to follow their own devices. Oh, that my people would listen to me! that Israel would walk in my ways!"

The Epistle to the Hebrews enjoins the blessed community to offer hospitality to strangers: "Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.' So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches that we should avoid personal advancement and instead seek honesty and humility: When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, 'Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Luke 14:1, 7-14)

Please 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 Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, August 28-29, 2010
Saturday, August 28, at 5:00 pm: Preacher: The Rev. Laurie Rofinot
Sunday, August 29, at 10:30 am: Preacher: The Rev. Laurie Rofinot

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