All Saints’
Parish The Sixth Sunday of Easter May 5, 2013
Healing: From How to Who By The Rev. Rick Matters Today we celebrate the healing power of God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In today’s Gospel we enjoy two accounts of Jesus healing. Revelation offers a grand vision of the healing of nations, and the lesson from Acts portrays the healing of Lydia through her openness to the Gospel. Like the man who waited thirty-eight years to be the first in the pool, we often get caught up with the how of healing. After all those years, he must have devised many techniques for attempting
to be first. Jesus diverted the man from the how to the who of healing, and with simple authority commanded him to stand up and walk. Our Easter breakthrough is to trust that Jesus heals. Healing might come through surgery, counseling, mediation, or seemingly without a cause. No matter how healing takes place, it is always the case that Jesus is the one who heals.
Recommended Exercise By Robin Denney We know that exercise is a cornerstone to healthy living, and that being active in anyway for 30 minutes a day drastically reduces your risk for everything from heart disease and diabetes to cancer, and yet many of us find it difficult to find the motivation. This year I have been trying to be more healthy, and recently I took up running (the last time I had run a mile was high school PE!). In fact you won’t see me in the pews today because I’m running a 10K as part of a triathlon relay with my family. Starting to seriously exercise has given me an amazing amount of positive energy through the day, and I feel great. Though the exercise is hard, the benefits are well worth it!
Today’s Lectionary: Acts 16:9-15 Psalm 67 Revelation 21:10, 22–22:5 John 14:23-29
Healing Within By The Rev. Rick Matters True healing is oneness with God. This oneness was brought to perfection in Jesus Christ, who is both fully divine and completely human. This oneness is the source of Jesus’ healing power. He healed the man by the Sheep Gate, and he continues to heal today. For God surrounds us with love and showers us with forgiveness. Often the healing we most seek is within ourselves. My personal demon is worrying about things that are not worth worrying about. I experience this fretting as a dis-ease. Knowing that Jesus can heal my inner tension, I present myself to him for healing. The better I am able to present myself to God, the more completely I trust and let go. At times I experience that peace which passes understanding. Such oneness with God is true healing. We have partaken of this healing in the Holy Communion today.
Do You Want To Be Made by The Rev. Rick Matters Well “Do you want to be made well?” Jesus asked the invalid who waited by the pool. Being made well has to do with body, mind, and spirit, and it is not done to us, it is something we participate in. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. After a long and grueling treatment, she is in the process of being made well. As my sisters, stepdad, and I have supported my mom with love this year, we also asked ourselves the question, “Do you want to be made well?” Seeing mom work with great courage for her health this year, we decided to work for our health too, with exercise, rest, and healthy eating, not alone but as a team. Some days are harder than others, but Jesus is there, and there is joy in the path to wellness, especially when two or three are gathered.
Follow Jesus into Easter Joy Fifty days of Easter – April 1 through May 18 Follow the entire series on Sunday at 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Coming up: May 12 Break through to Freedom in the Redeemer
Pentecost begins on May 19, 2013. We encourage you to participate each Sunday and especially if you or a loved one are searching for the power to overcome challenges in life, seeking forgiveness, healing, the courage to serve, or become a stronger Christian – for “all things are possible with God” (Matthew 19:26).
Highlighted Events MAY 6
Le Salon des Artistes
MAY 9
Ascension Day Services
MAY 11-12
Youth group overnight
MAY 17
Music at All Saints’ presents Balázs Szokolay
MAY 19
Pentecost Sunday
MAY 24
I-HELP Dinner
MAY 27
Memorial Day Church office closed
Announcements Today: Evensong, a traditional Anglican service of music, prayer, and reflection, will be offered today at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday: Midweek Bible study is offered each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in Grant Hall. We are currently studying the Book of Acts. Thursday: The Feast of the Ascension will be observed with Eucharists at noon a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on May 9. The updated 2013 church directory is now available. Please stop by during regular office hours to obtain a copy.
Healing in the Public Discourse By: Robin Denney The current political climate of our country is more divided than it has been in many years. The information age allows us access to more information than we can ever process, and the ability to filter out everything we don’t want to hear. When the two sides shout and do not listen there is no public discourse. So how do we allow God’s healing to break forth into our midst? Anglicanism from it’s founding has found a middle way between two sides (ask a member
of the youth group if you don’t know about this, we’ve been studying the origins of the church!). Divides are healed by opening the heart, recognizing God in the other, and prayerfully listening to that person. One by one, we can choose to listen, and contribute to healing the public discourse.
Sierra Service Project—Nine All Saints’ youth and two adults will be going on the SSP mission trip this summer! Can you help them raise the $5,060 they will need? Write a check to All Saints’ and note “SSP” on the memo line. Interfaith Outreach of Carmel's Joining Hands Benefit Shop is in need of volunteers to work a few hours a week. To learn more about Joining Hands, talk to Sofia Osborne or Nancy Jones after church, or contact Sofia at 620-2147 or osbornesofia@gmail.com. Names added to the parish prayer list will remain on the list for one month. If you wish to have the name(s) remain on the list after that time, please add them again or call the church office at 624-3883. Sunday handout deadline—To be included in next Sunday’s handout, your announcement must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on the preceding Wednesday. Contact Andrea Matters at 624-3090 or andreamatters@gmail.com.
Engage with others in these joyful and transformative experiences.
Three Opportunities: June 7-9 The Gift of Poverty & Abundance September 23-26, and 27-29 Exclusion & Embrace - Living in Community
Witnessing to the Healing Power of Love By The Rev. Rick Matters Last week two Syrian bishops were kidnapped in that war-torn country. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, issued a statement unreservedly supporting the Christian communities “rooted in and attached to the biblical lands, despite the many hardships.” He urged churches worldwide “to bear witness to their faith in the power of love in this world.” Others, including Muslim clerics throughout Beirut, also denounced the kidnappings.
Bearing witness to the healing power of love in this world is our duty and delight. We bear witness to the power of love, and our witness is a direct response to the crisis in Syria and elsewhere. Join Archbishop Welby and me in praying for a political solution in Syria that will recapture its tradition of tolerance rooted in faith and respect for faiths living side by side.
Please pass this on to your family members and friends. Read more news online: WWW.ALLSAINTSCARMEL.ORG | 831-624-3883
All Saints’ Episcopal Church PO Box 1296 CARMEL, CA. 93921