All Saints’
The Weekly WWW.ALLSAINTSCARMEL.ORG
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost • July 14, 2013
Loving in the Power of the Spirit By The Rev. Rick Matters The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) not only demonstrates what it means to love one’s neighbor, it also demonstrates God’s love. For Jesus placed himself in the position of the the beaten traveler, as well as in the position of the Samaritan. Last week I spoke about the pattern of sainthood: gathering, being sent out, returning, and being sent again. We gather in order to be renewed, only to be sent back out. Sometimes we focus so much on the cross that we engage only one half of love, ignoring the victory of the empty tomb and the healing power of the Holy Spirit. We mistakenly think that giving is all that there is to love. The parable of the Good Samaritan shows us that loving in the power of the Spirit echoes God’s pattern of giving and receiving.
Scripture Lessons Today Isaiah 66:10-14 Psalm 66:1-8 Galatians 6:1-16 Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Scripture Lessons for Next Week Genesis 18:1-10a Psalm 15 Colossians 1:15-28 Luke 10:38-42
Recommendation:
Morning Prayer By The Rev. Rick Matters
I urge you to make Morning Prayer a holy habit. You can follow the outline below, come to the 9:30 Bible study on either July 21 or 28, or contact me for private instruction. Start by looking up the psalm(s) and lessons on page 974 of the Book of Common Prayer. The psalm(s) are listed above the Old Testament lesson.
Invitatory (p. 80) Venite or Jubilate (p. 82) Psalm(s) Lesson 1 (Old Testament or Epistle) Canticle (choose one; pp. 85– 95) Lesson 2 (Epistle or Gospel) Canticle The Apostles’ Creed The Prayers The Lord’s Prayer Suffrages (say both the versicle and response if you are alone) Collect (choose one; pp. 98–100) Collect for mission Intercessions (freely offer or use our prayer list) The General Thanksgiving Closing (p. 102)
All Saints’ • The Weekly
Being the Good Samaritan to Yourself By The Rev. Rick Matters
Highlighted Events and Meetings JULY 13-19
Sr. High Sierra Service Project
Our interior life includes recognizing that part of our self which is lying by the side of the road, half dead. Our wounded person might be the child within, or the adult who did a stupid thing that still mortifies us each time we remember it.
JULY 15-19
Bach to the Future, Session I
JULY 16
Finance meeting
JULY 17
Foundation Trust Fund meeting
JULY 17
Friends of St. Benedict
We all have those naked and beaten persons within, the ones we would just as soon walk around, pretending that we do not notice. Sometimes it’s easier to cross to the other side of the road, because to approach and lovingly care for the wounded person evokes pain.
JULY 22-26
Bach to the Future, Session II
JULY 22
Strategic Planning Meeting
JULY 24
Vestry Meeting
JULY 25
CCT Board Meeting
Jesus comes to us as the Good Samaritan, binding our wounds, carrying us to safety, and personally paying the cost of healing. As we know, sometimes God uses other people to bring hope or to heal. In the case of loving ourselves in the power of the Spirit, God asks us to start by being the Good Samaritan to ourselves.
JULY 26
I-Help Dinner at All Saints’
JULY 29AUGUST 4
All Saints’ Camp out at Santa Lucia
AUGUST 3
All Saints’ Annual Picnic at Santa Lucia
AUGUST 13
Buildings and Grounds Meeting
What Made the Samaritan Good? By The Rev. Rick Matters
The most vivid memory of my visit to the slave-fort at Cape Coast, Ghana, was the rings on the prison walls. The rings bound the wrists of those who had been taken from their homes and snatched from their fields. The silent rows of empty rings marked countless untold stories of desperation and loss. In today’s parable, two prominent citizens walked around their fellow citizen who had been robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Their unwillingness to be in relationship contrasts starkly with the actions of the despised Samaritan. His own status in the eyes of the Jews intensified that contrast, because he was considered to be subhuman, like the captured Ghanaians. God continuously asks us to unbind ourselves from the shackles of prejudice. We begin by recognizing that we, like all humans, harbor prejudice. Then we allow Jesus to pour healing wine and oil onto our prejudices. For what made this Samaritan good was that he looked beyond his own prejudices, as well as the prejudices of others, and saw another human being to befriend.
WWW.ALLSAINTSCARMEL.ORG
All Saints’ • The Weekly
Friends of St. Benedict July 17
Our aim is to integrate the wisdom of monastic life and spiritual theology into our everyday lives as Christians. We meet the third Wednesday of every month, and all are welcome. For more information about the Friends of St. Benedict, please contact Claudia Ward by calling 831-373-5069.
Respect the Dignity of Every Human Being By Robin Denney
Once, when I was living in Juba, I was walking home, and came across a man who had been beaten unconscious and lay by the road bleeding. People walked past without a glance, and I walked past too. As I walked away I felt in my heart the conviction of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. I was the priest and the Levite. So I stopped, bought a bottle of water, and walked back to the man. I tried to wake him with words “My brother, there is water here for you.” But he only groaned. Others began to stop when they saw me there, and they told me he had been beaten by police for being drunk. Once a group was gathered, talking about what should be done with the man, I walked away. I did not show the man the kind of love Jesus describes of the Samaritan, but in that moment of stopping, speaking to him, and touching him, I had the opportunity to affirm and respect his humanity in the face of inhumane circumstances. That is the power of love, by the Spirit working in us, which causes us to reach out even when we don’t think we can, and say to the world, “no, I do not accept your standards; I respect the dignity of every human being.
They Will Know We are Christians by our Love By Robin Denney
“And they will know we are Christians by our Love…” The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of many of Jesus’ teachings about how we ought to love each other. It is a radical kind of a love, shown not only to other Christians, but also to strangers, and even to enemies. We should be, and we are, different because we have chosen to follow Jesus. We have the power of the Spirit and a love in our hearts which does not come from us. We figure out what that love is like as we come to Church weekly to be a part of a Christian community, to learn from the scriptures, to be nourished by the Eucharist, and to be filled with the awe of worship. And then we are sent out into the world each week to live our lives changed by that love, reaching out to others, and loving them as Jesus calls us to love. Day by day we are part of changing the world.
WWW.ALLSAINTSCARMEL.ORG
Announcements
All Saints’ ’
P.O. Box 12 Carmel, Ca
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Ninth and Dolores PO Box 1296 Carmel, CA 93921 Phone: 831-624-3883 Fax: 831-624-1459 www.allsaintscarmel.org
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All Saints’ Episcopal Parish
The updated 2013 church directory is now available. Please stop by during regular office hours to obtain a copy. 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 andreamatters@gmail.com or 624-3090.
Disciples Glorifying Christ and Serving Others
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Parish picnic at Santa Lucia: The annual parish picnic in Big Sur will be held this year on Saturday, August 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Games and activities will complement the potluck lunch at noon, with a barbecued main dish provided. The parish campout will be held at our Santa Lucia campground from July 29 to August 5, with the regular Sunday Eucharist offered at Santa Lucia at 11:00 a.m. 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 office (624-3883).
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Wednesday: The Friends of St. Benedict will meet this Wednesday, July 17, in the library from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. for study and prayer. Our aim is to integrate the wisdom of monastic life and spiritual theology into our everyday lives as Christians. We meet the third Wednesday of every month, and all are welcome.
Episcopal Church Women—On Saturday, August 17, the diocesan ECW presents Our Gifts & Joy from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s, Salinas. Bishop Mary will lead a celebration of all the women of the diocese, both lay and clergy. The day will include Holy Eucharist, a drama presentation, a catered lunch, fellowship, the 2013 Honored Woman awards, and a blessing of the women of the diocese by Bishop Mary. Mark your calendar and be sure to be part of this wonderful celebration, sponsored by the Diocesan Executive Board of Episcopal Church Women. For more information, contact Diane Lovelace at 408-263-8945 or DiLovelace@aol.com.
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Wednesday: Bible study from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. in Grant Hall.
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All Saints’ Episcopal Church All Saints’ Episcopal Day School Epiphany Lutheran & Episcopal Church Center for Christian Transformation Santa Lucia Mission