Friday, October 29, 2010

Worrying About the Economies of Nations

In today’s Gospel reading from the Daily office, we hear how God cares for us:

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.”

He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (Lk. 12:13-13).

You and I can’t control the stock market. We can’t control the rise and fall of the U.S. dollar. You and I can’t control the economies of nations. So when we worry about these things, we accomplish nothing. God has a way of taking care of things. Jesus tells us to look around, not at the economies of nations, but at the lilies of the field. They are beautiful. They thrive. In the scheme of creation, the lilies are small ordinary things, yet, God takes care of them. Won’t God take care of us? After all, you and I are made in God’s image. God sent His Son to live and die for us. Jesus tells us to put our trust in God. God will be with us and take care of us no matter what the economies of the world may do.

Let us pray: Gracious and loving Father, we put our hope and trust in you. In your infinite love, you sent Your Son to be Immanuel, God with us, in the person of Jesus Christ. When things feel out of control, when we don’t understand why things are happening, be with us, guide us and remind us of your love for each us. Amen.

JOINT OUTREACH PROJECT BETWEEN HOLY SPIRIT AND ST. AUGUSTINE
On Saturday, 6 November, the Youth Group from Holy Spirit in Houston will team up with St. Augustine to make 300 "breakfast bags" for the volunteers at the Texas Episcopal Disaster Relief at William Temple, the food pantry at St. Vincent's House, and also for the parishioners at St. Augustine of Hippo to take and deliver to those in need. We will provide the goods for the bags and Holy Spirit will provide the manpower. The “breakfast bags: will contain a water bottle, a breakfast bar, a fruit bar (or something similar) and will be sealed with a sticker with St. Augustine’s address and service time.

REMEMBER TO SIGN UP FOR FELLOWSHIP:
Jo and Jim have sent the sign-up sheet for our Sunday morning fellowship. Please be sure to sign up.

WE ARE OPENING UP OUR FACILITIES TO THE COMMUNITY:
The Galveston Heritage Chorale is practicing in Sutton Hall
The Boys and Girls Club

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Join us every Sunday in Bright-Davies Hall at 11:00 a.m. as we study the Gospel according to Mark.

Trick-or-Treat on Sunday, 31 October in Sutton Hall—bring the kids!

All Saints Sunday, 7 November 2010.

Art Classes begin in November.

Big Mista BBQ event benefiting the Community Garden will be Saturday, 11 December 2010.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST!

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

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