Monday, May 31, 2010

The Visitation

Today the Church celebrates and remembers the visit of one family member to another. In the Gospel according to St. Luke, he tells us that after the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her that she was to become the mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mary went from Galilee to Judea to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth, soon to be the mother of John the Baptiser. Elizabeth greeted Mary: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Mary responded with that beautiful prayer that we call the Magnificat:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Luke tells us that John the Baptiser, still unborn, leaped for joy in his mother's womb. These two women embraced, one too old to have a child, but who will give birth to the last prophet of the Old Covenant, and the other woman, a young girl who to all appearances looked not to be ready to have a child, but called to give birth to the Word made flesh who was the beginning of the New Covenant, the age that would not pass away.

Collect for the day:

Father in heaven, by whose grace the virgin mother of your incarnate Son was blessed in bearing him, but still more blessed in keeping your word: Grant us who honor the exaltation of her lowliness to follow the example of her devotion to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially for all of those who gave their lives in the service of the United States of America, for all of those serving and are in harm's way today, especially those from St. Augustine Angela Lemons' son in the Army and Bill and Tammie Taylor's son in the Navy, for all those with health concerns, including Tammie Taylor and Liz Mack, and for the new interns working at the Diocese of Texas Disaster Relief.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

1 June at 7:00 p.m. at the Church: meeting for the Community Garden.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Memorial Day Weekend: Take Time to Remember

Even though people generally think of Memorial Day as the start of summer fun, we should be mindful that on Memorial Day we remember all of those who served in the Armed Forces amd died in the service of this Country. We cannot take for granted those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Three years after the Civil War ended, on 5 May 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans, the Grand Army of the Republic, established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on 30 May.

The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the Grand Army of the Republic made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

So this weekend, remember in your prayers all of those who died for this Country, and for all of those still in harm's way who are serving today, especially those from St. Augustine, especially Bill and Tammie Taylor's son who is serving in the Navy and Angela Lemons' son who is serving in the Army.

Let us pray: Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Friday, May 28, 2010

"Come with me into the fields."

Today’s Epistle reading from the First letter to Timothy focuses on Church leadership.

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching; for the scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain’, and, ‘The laborer deserves to be paid.’ Never accept any accusation against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest also may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels, I warn you to keep these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing on the basis of partiality. Do not ordain anyone hastily, and do not participate in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

No longer drink only water, but take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

The sins of some people are conspicuous and precede them to judgment, while the sins of others follow them there. So also good works are conspicuous; and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden. (1 Tim. 5: 17-25).

“Do not ordain anyone hastily.” The Episcopal Church takes this seriously. During this process, people who may believe they are called to ordained ministry discover, sometimes to their surprise, that they are not.

Today the ordination process starts at the local parish level with a Discernment Committee, under the leadership of the rector with at least three other persons, which meets with the person who believes he or she is called and with their spouse.

If the Discernment Committee believes that the person is truly called, they send their recommendation to the Diocesan Commission on Ministry. Many do not make it past the Discernment Committee.

At that juncture, the person completes an entire life history, a spiritual autobiography, financial disclosures with financial history as well as all assets and liabilities, agrees to a background check, produces all academic transcripts, and undergoes a series of psychological examinations and testing (this is done at the start of the process and prior to ordination). If this is accomplished, then the person has a series of meetings with the Commission on Ministry, and if approved, then meets with the Bishop.

Only then does the person start seminary, and that only begins three more years of evaluation, review and periodic meetings with the Commission and Ministry. During that time, in accordance with the Canons of the Church (Title III, Canon 7, Section 5a), a candidate must be examined and show proficiency in: (1) the Holy Scriptures, (2) Church History, including the Ecumenical Movement, (3) Theology, (4) Ethics and Moral Theology, (5) Studies in Contemporary Society, including Racial and Minority Groups, (6) Liturgics and Church Music, and (7) Theory and Practice of Ministry.

At the end of the three years, the person becomes a candidate for Holy Orders and goes through the psychological battery of examinations again and presents an updated spiritual autobiography. If that is successfully accomplished, then the person meets with the Commission on Ministry and the Standing Committee of the Diocese. If the candidate is approved, the Examining Chaplains meet with and examine the candidate to determine whether the candidate is proficient in the seven areas outlined above. If the candidate passes the examination, then the Bishop will "take order" for the ordination.

During the summer, candidates from Episcopal seminaries will be ordained to the diaconate, and six months later to the priesthood. Please remember to pray for them as they begin their lives of service to faith communities everywhere.

Collect for Ordinations to the Diaconate:

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquillity the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were being cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, and this week especially for those who were baptized, for Betty Head and her family, Cotele Singleton who is in the hospital, for Tammie Taylor, and for all of those who are travelling, especially Bill Taylor.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

12 June: Gospel by the Sea.

11:00 a.m. every Sunday in the nave, Adult Christian Formation: Heaven and Hell: Angels With Harps, Demons With Pitchforks? Or Maybe Something Else?

Your servant in Christ,

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

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The First Book of Common Prayer

Today we commemorate the first Book of Common Prayer. It came into use on Pentecost in 1549. It was primarily the work of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1533 to 1556.

At the time of the Reformation, even though the Eucharist was celebrated only in Latin, there was no uniform liturgy. Although they all did it in Latin, different parts of the world did it their own way.

Cranmer wanted to bring a certain uniformity to the liturgy, to celebrate the Eucharist in the language of the people, and to introduce to the laity the Liturgy of the Hours, or the Divine Office, what we know as Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, which at the time, was exclusively prayed by monks and the clergy.

Cranmer’s principal sources were medieval Latin service books of the Use of Sarum (Salisbury), the enrichments from the Greek liturgies, certain ancient Gallican rites, and the vernacular German liturgy prepared by Martin Luther, and a revised Latin liturgy of the reforming Archbishop of Cologne, Archbishop Hermann. Lesser Fasts and Feasts, p. 230 (1980). Cranmer also included all of the Psalms in the Book of Common Prayer, a revolutionary concept in his day, because the people did not have access to Scripture, especially in their own language. And the beauty of it, it was all in one book.

There is an old maxim in theology: what we pray is what we believe. Our Book of Common Prayer is based on Scripture; therefore, what we pray every Sunday is rooted in the Bible.

We often take it for granted, but some of the most beautiful use of the English language is found in the Book of Common Prayer. For example, the words used in the Rite of Marriage which are so familiar to everyone are from the Book of Common Prayer: “Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. … In the Name of God, I, (name), take you, (name) to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.”

For me, the Book of Common Prayer gives me the tools for prayer especially during those times when I cannot or do not know how to pray.

Collect for the Day:

Almighty and everliving God, whose servant Thomas Cranmer, with others, restored the language of the people in the prayers of your Church: Make us always thankful for this heritage; and help us so to pray in the Spirit and with the understanding, that we may worthily magnify your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, and this week especially for those who were baptized, for Betty Head and her family, Cotele Singleton who is in the hospital, for Tammie Taylor, and for all of those who are travelling, especially Bill Taylor.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

12 June: Gospel by the Sea.

11:00 a.m. every Sunday in the nave, Adult Christian Formation: Heaven and Hell: Angels With Harps, Demons With Pitchforks? Or Maybe Something Else?

Your servant in Christ,

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

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

St. Augustine of Canterbury

Today the Church remembers St. Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

Lesser Feasts and Fasts tells us that Christianity existed in Britain before the invasion of the Angles and Saxons in the 5th century. In 596, Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, decided to send a mission to the Anglo-Saxons, and he selected a group of monks led by Augustine to go. They arrived in Kent, England in 597, carrying a silver cross and an image of Christ painted on a board. King Ethelbert tolerated them and allowed them to use an old church east of Canterbury dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain. Bede, who we remember yesterday, wrote that “they assembled to sing the Psalms, to pray, to say the Mass, to preach and to baptize.” That church, St. Martin, is still in use today.

Around 601, King Ethelbert became Christian, becoming the first Christian king in England. At that time, Augustine was ordained bishop and named Archbishop of the English nation, and Canterbury became the seat of the archdiocese.

We have correspondence between Gregory and Augustine, one of which tells Augustine: “If you have found customs, whether in the Roman, Gallican, or any other Churches that me be more acceptable to God, I wish you to make a careful selection of them, and teach the Church of the English (Ecclesia Anglicana), which is still young in the faith, whatever you can profitably learn from the various Churches. For things should not be loved for the sake of places, but places for the sake of good things.”

Augustine died on this day in 605.

Collect for the day:

O Lord our God, who by your Son Jesus Christ called your apostles and sent them forth to preach the Gospel to the nations: We bless your holy name for your servant Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury, whose labors in propagating your Church among the English people we commemorate today; and we pray that all whom you call and send may do your will, and bide your time, and see your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, and this week especially for those who were baptized, for Betty Head and her family, Cotele Singleton who is in the hospital, for Tammie Taylor, and for all of those who are travelling, especially Bill Taylor.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

12 June: Gospel by the Sea.

11:00 a.m. every Sunday in the nave, Adult Christian Formation: Heaven and Hell: Angels With Harps, Demons With Pitchforks? Or Maybe Something Else?

Your servant in Christ,

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

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Bede the Venerable, Priest and Scholar

Today the Church remembers Bede the Venerable, a priest and scholar, who was born in England. He entered the monastery at the age of seven, and Bede spent his entire life in that same monastery. He was ordained a deacon at the age of 19 and a priest at the age of 30.

Bede was the greatest scholar of his time. He wrote: “I have devoted my energies to a study of the Scriptures, observing monastic discipline, and singing the daily services in church; study, teaching, and writing have always been my delight.”

Bede was the first person to write scholarly works in English. He translated the Gospel of John into English. Bede is most famous for his book The History of the English Church and People which gives the history of Britain up to 729.

Bede died on 25 May 735.

Collect for the day:

Heavenly Father, who called your servant Bede, while still a child, to devote his life to your service in the disciplines of religion and scholarship: Grant that as he labored in the Spirit to bring the riches of your truth to his generation, so we, in our various vocations, may strive to make you known in all the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, and this week especially for those who were baptized, for Betty Head and her family, Cotele Singleton who is in the hospital, and Tammie Taylor.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

12 June: Gospel by the Sea.

11:00 a.m. every Sunday in the nave, Adult Christian Formation:
Heaven and Hell: Angels With Harps, Demons With Pitchforks? Or Maybe Something Else?

Your servant in Christ,

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

Monday, May 24, 2010

"The Aim of Such Instruction Is Love that Comes from a Pure Heart, a Good Conscience, and Sincere Faith"

Today the Daily Office begins the First Letter to Timothy. This letter is known as a “pastoral” meaning that its purpose is to instruct its reader on the proper governance and direction of a faith community. Timothy, you may recall, was Paul’s associate in ministry, who was mentored by Paul, and who became an episcopos (Greek for overseer, a bishop).

Here is the opening of the letter:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, my loyal child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.

Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. This means understanding that the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers, fornicators, sodomites, slave-traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Tim. 1: 1-17).

Paul tells Timothy to watch out for teachers of false doctrine in his community, those who occupy themselves with something other than God’s Word. The aim of instruction, he tells Timothy, “is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.” For Paul, the knowledge of God’s deep love came from the experience of his own conversion. Paul says that he was “formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence.” Then he encountered the living Christ, and “received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” He realized that he could not attain salvation of his own, and that despite all of his failings, God still loved him and forgave him welcoming Paul as his own. For this Paul is thankful.

Today let us pray in thanksgiving for God’s saving grace given to each and every one of us. Let us pray: Gracious Father, we thank you for the gift of your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose from death in order that we might live. Send your Holy Spirit to make us ever thankful for the gifts you have given to us, even when times may be difficult. Amen.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially for Betty Head and her family, Cotele Singleton who is in the hospital, for Tammie Taylor, and for all of those who are travelling, especially Bill Taylor.

WHAT A JOYOUS PENTECOST YESTERDAY! "Come Holy Ghost our Hearts Inspire!" Please remember to pray for the newly baptized, their Godparents and their families.


CALENDAR REMINDERS:

12 June: Gospel by the Sea.

11:00 a.m. every Sunday in the nave, Adult Christian Formation: Heaven and Hell: Angels With Harps, Demons With Pitchforks? Or Maybe Something Else?

Your servant in Christ,

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

Friday, May 21, 2010

A Blueprint for Life

Today’s epistle reading from the Letter to the Ephesians gives those who follow Christ a blueprint for daily living:

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be associated with them. For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— 9for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph. 5: 1-20).

Paul says it plainly and clearly; nothing else needs to be said. The hard part is living it out, but with God’s grace, all things are possible. We should strive to live as Paul has outlined. If people lived like that, imagine what a place Galveston would be.

Let us pray. Lord God, in Your Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, you have taught us how to live as humans fully alive. Give us grace through the Holy Spirit to live as imitators of Christ following in Your Holy Word given to us in the Letter to the Ephesians. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE FEEDING THE VOLUNTEERS AT WILLIAM TEMPLE SUCH A WONDERFUL EVENT. As usual, St. Augustine put out a great spread. There were few leftovers, and our volunteer workers were thankful.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Pentecost is this Sunday, so please wear red.

Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the nave Adult Christian Formation. In our next series, which will start Sunday, 23 May (Pentecost), we will explore Heaven and Hell.

12 June: Gospel by the Sea.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially all of those who will be baptized on Pentecost, all of those with health concerns, especially Tammie Taylor, and for all who are traveling, especially Bill Taylor, and in thanksgiving for the results of Pat Tate’s medical testing and for Lee Runion’s safe return.

You can now get the daily reflection for the growing Church website: http://www.staugustinegalveston.org/

Your servant in Christ,

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

Thursday, May 20, 2010

St. Alcuin

Today the Church remembers and honors St. Alcuin who was born in England around the year 730. He was educated by Bede who wrote a history of the Church in England.

Alcuin was ordained a deacon and became head of the cathedral school at York around 770. Later in 781, Emperor Charlemagne asked Alcuin to be his minister of education. Alcuin accepted the challenge and he established schools at many cathedrals and monasteries.

Alcuin established “scriptoria”, dedicated to the copying and preservation of ancient manuscripts. The fact that we today have the works of many of the classic Roman writers is due to Alcuin’s efforts at their preservation.

Alcuin was also involved with the revision and organization of the liturgy, and the development of plainchant.

In 796 Alcuin was in his 60s, and he hoped to retire, but Abbot Itherius of Saint Martin died and Charlemagne put Alcuin in charge of the abbey with the understanding that Alcuin should be available if the king ever needed his counsel.

Alcuin died on 19 May 804, some ten years before the emperor. He was buried at St. Martin’s Church under an epitaph that partly read:

Dust, worms, and ashes now...
Alcuin my name, wisdom I always loved,
Pray, reader, for my soul.

Collect of the day:

Almighty God, who in a rude and barbarous age raised up your deacon Alcuin to rekindle the light of learning: Illumine our minds, we pray, that amid the uncertainties and confusions of our own time we may show forth your eternal truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Pentecost, this Sunday, wear red.

Today, 20 May at 6:00 p.m. we will feed about 10 volunteers at William Temple.

Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the nave Adult Christian Formation. In our next series, which will start Sunday, 23 May (Pentecost), we will explore Heaven and Hell.

12 June: Gospel by the Sea.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially all of those who will be baptized on Pentecost, all of those with health concerns, especially Pat Tate and Tammie Taylor, and for all who are traveling, especially Bill Taylor and Lee Runion.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

You Are Not In This Alone

Sometimes we can feel as if the whole weight of the world is on our shoulders. We run around thinking that there is so much to do, and so little time to do it, and that we are the only ones who can do it. No one else can do all that we have to do. We become fatigued. We can feel overwhelmed and under appreciated. We feel alone. We become self-centered. We start to lose our way.

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, the appointed reading for today, is a welcome relief:

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. . . . The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Eph. 4: 1-16)

The truth of it is we are not alone. God has given each of us a gift and the grace to accomplish what God has called us to accomplish. We do not have to do everything. In fact, today’s passage tells us that we cannot and should not think that we can. When we think that the weight of the world rests on our shoulders alone, we become susceptible to be “tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness and deceitful scheming.” We are in fact one body with many members with Jesus Christ as our head, and you and I should be thankful for the gifts given to our brothers and sisters. I don't know about you, but for me that is welcome news indeed.

So today, please offer a prayer of thanksgiving for everyone in your life who lets you know that it does not all rest on your shoulders, but that your life is shared in common with everyone who is doing what God has called them to do.

Let us pray: Gracious Father, we thank first and foremost for your Son, Jesus Christ, who gave himself to us an offering and sacrifice in his life, death and glorious resurrection. We thank you also for those who share our lives with us,for those who help us carry the load, our spouses, our children, our brothers and sisters, our parents, our friends and other family members, and for our Church family at St. Augustine. We thank you also for the gift of your Holy Spirit which we will celebrate this Sunday at the feast of Pentecost. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Pentecost, this Sunday, wear red.

This Thursday, 20 May at 6:00 p.m.: We will feed about 10 volunteers at William Temple.

Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the nave Adult Christian Formation. In our next series, which will start Sunday, 23 May (Pentecost), we will explore Heaven and Hell.

12 June: Gospel by the Sea.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially all of those who will be baptized on Pentecost, all of those with health concerns, especially Pat Tate and Tammie Taylor, and for all who are traveling, especially Bill Taylor and Lee Runion, and for all of those whose livelihoods are disrupted by the oil spill.

Your servant in Christ,

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