You Know Not When

Our daily appointed readings this Advent continue with Peter’s second letter wherein he writes:

This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles. First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!’ They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.

But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. (2 Peter 3: 1-10)

Peter echoes a theme from the Gospel taken from Mark that we heard on the first Sunday of Advent: the day of the Lord will come, but no one knows when it will come. To be sure, throughout history, people have tried to determine when Christ will come again. We’ve witnessed that recently when Harold Camping claimed that Christ would return on 21 May 2011. When it did not happen as he predicted, he claimed that he got his calculations wrong. He re-did them and came up with 21 October 2011 as the day. Yet the Gospels are clear, and Peter reminds us today, no one knows the day or the hour. Rather than try to figure out when Christ will come again, we should live our lives in the anticipation that Christ will come again. As one priest friend of mine once said, “when Jesus comes, I want him to find me busy doing his work.” Advent reminds us that Christ will come again. Advent also reminds us that we have to live for Christ in the present, and part of that requires that we reform our lives, forsake that which separates us from the love of God, others and self, that being sin, and believe in the Good News, that Christ has already come to redeem us.

Let us pray: Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Hope, Peace, Joy and Love: The Advent Adult Education Series, Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor behind the sacristy. Join us as we explore the Advent themes on our Advent banner.

Organ Extravaganza at Trinity Episcopal Church in Galveston, Saturday, 3 December: 6:30-7:15 p.m.—Self-guided tours of the historic sanctuary. 7:30-8:00 p.m.—Performance by The Sons of Orpheus. 8:00 p.m.—Pipe Organ Extravaganza, Ronald Wyatt, concert organist. Following the performance—Reception with refreshments in historic Eaton Hall. Stained glass jewelry from the Tiffany window will also be on sale. Tickets are $10.

Galveston Heritage Chorale, Barbara Tucker and A Chosen Few will hold a concert Sunday, 4 December at 6 p.m. at Moody Methodist Church. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially for the family of Carrie Walpole, a young woman of 35 who died suddenly of a brain aneurysm; we pray for her husband, Daryl, and their sons, Billy and Tommy, as they mourn the loss of wife and mother; we pray for those seeking work, for the ill, for the poor, the hungry and those of who have no one to pray for them.

“Your accumulated offences do not surpass the multitude of God's mercies: your wounds do not surpass the great Physician's skill.” —Cyril of Jerusalem (c.315-386)

Your servant in Christ,

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

The Faith Handed Down from the Apostles

In today’s Epistle selection, we continue with Peter’s second letter where he writes:

Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1: 12-21).

Peter knows that he will die soon. It is because he knows that his death is imminent that Peter wants to reinforce what he taught to those early Christians. Peter reminds them that he was an eye witness to Jesus’ ministry, to his life, death and resurrection. By way of example, Peter recounts what he himself experienced with James and John at the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain top that we read about in the Gospel. Peter reiterates the importance of what he witnessed and what he has passed on to them and to us. The Apostles’ experience of Christ is contained in Scripture. That experience is also handed down to us through time by tradition and teaching stemming all the way back to the time of the Apostles and to the Apostles themselves. This is done through the Church, the community of believers. One cannot be a Christian in isolation; rather, faith must be live out in community, and this community finds its roots in the teaching and preaching of the Apostles. We are a Church of the Apostolic succession.

Let us pray: Almighty Father, who inspired Saint Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Hope, Peace, Joy and Love: The Advent Adult Education Series, Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor behind the sacristy. Join us as we explore the Advent themes on our Advent banner.

Organ Extravaganza at Trinity Episcopal Church in Galveston, Saturday, 3 December: 6:30-7:15 p.m.—Self-guided tours of the historic sanctuary. 7:30-8:00 p.m.—Performance by The Sons of Orpheus. 8:00 p.m.—Pipe Organ Extravaganza, Ronald Wyatt, concert organist. Following the performance—Reception with refreshments in historic Eaton Hall. Stained glass jewelry from the Tiffany window will also be on sale. Tickets are $10.

Galveston Heritage Chorale, Barbara Tucker and A Chosen Few will hold a concert Sunday, 4 December at 6 p.m. at Moody Methodist Church. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially for all of those who are traveling this week, for Nikki and Luke who had their marriage blessed last Sunday, for those seeking work, for the ill, for the poor, the hungry and those of who have no one to pray for them.

“Now may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the eternal high priest himself, the Son of God Jesus Christ, build you up in faith and truth and in all gentleness and in all freedom from anger and forbearance and steadfastness and patient endurance and purity.” —Polycarp of Smyrna (69-156)

Your servant in Christ,

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

Keeping on the Right Path

The appointed Epistle in the daily prayer of the Church is taken from Peter’s second letter, and he gives us sound advice about keeping on the right path to a deeper relationship with God:

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants in the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you. (2 Peter 1: 1-11).

In his second letter, Peter gives excellent counsel to church communities. He gives us the steps to keep on the right track toward a deeper relationship with Christ: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection and love. Peter is quite frank by telling us that if we lack these things, we are “short-sighted” and even “blind”. But rest assured in the knowledge that God gives us His grace to keep on the right track—just follow the steps laid out for you and live in Advent hope for the coming of Christ.

Let us pray: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Hope, Peace, Joy and Love: The Advent Adult Education Series, Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor behind the sacristy. Join us as we explore the Advent themes on our Advent banner.

Galveston Heritage Chorale, Barbara Tucker and A Chosen Few will hold a concert Sunday, 4 December at 6 p.m. at Moody Methodist Church. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially for all of those who are traveling this week, for Nikki and Luke who had their marriage blessed last Sunday, for those seeking work, for the ill, for the poor, the hungry and those of who have no one to pray for them, and in thanksgiving for all of God's blessings.

“Prayer and sacrifice can touch souls better than words.” —Sister Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)

Your servant in Christ,

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

Suffering for the Sake of Conscience

On this day after Thanksgiving, Peter gives us sound counsel about doing what is right:

Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. (1Peter 3: 13-22)

Peter equates your suffering for doing good with Jesus’ suffering on the cross for the sins of the world, including your sins. We participate in Christ’s suffering when we when we suffer for the sake of conscience and doing God’s will. That is good company to be in.

Let us pray: O God our Father, whose Son forgave his enemies while he was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer for the sake of conscience; when they are accused, save them from speaking in hate; when they are rejected, save them from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them from despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be cleansed and strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our merciful and righteous Judge. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Advent begins next Sunday. The liturgical color changes to purple and we will use Rite I.

This Sunday we will bless the marriage of Nikki and Luke Blount.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially for all of those who are traveling this week, for Nikki and Luke who will have their marriage blessed this Sunday, for those seeking work, for the ill, for those who are recovering from surgery, especially Duane, for the poor, the hungry and those of who have no one to pray for them, and in thanksgiving for all of God's blessings.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Happy Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Each of us has so much to be thankful for. On this day especially, remember to give thanks to God from whom all blessings flow.

Let us pray: Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we beseech thee, faithful stewards of thy great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Your servant in Christ,

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

St. Clement of Rome

Today the Church remembers one of the early Bishops of Rome, Clement. He is the third bishop of Rome, and his predecessors were Linus and Cletus (or Anacletus, or Anencletus), about whom almost nothing is known. They are simply names on a list.

James Kiefer tells us that Clement is a little more than a name on a list because he wrote a letter to the Corinthians, which was highly valued by the early church, and has been preserved to the present day. The letter itself does not carry his name, but is merely addressed from the congregation at Rome to the congregation at Corinth. However, a letter from Corinth to Rome a few decades later refers to “the letter we received from your bishop Clement, which we still read regularly.” Other early writers are unanimous in attributing the letter to Clement. One story about Clement is that he was put to death by being tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea. Accordingly, he is often depicted with an anchor, and many churches in port towns intended to minister chiefly to mariners are named for him.

Here are the opening lines of Clement’s letter to the Corinthians, and from the 16th chapter of the letter Clement’s discussion of Christ’s humility:

The Church of God which sojourns at Rome, to the Church of God sojourning at Corinth, to those who are called and sanctified by the will of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you, and peace, from Almighty God through Jesus Christ, be multiplied. …

For Christ is of those who are humble-minded, and not of those who exalt themselves over His flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance, although He might have done so, but in a lowly condition, as the Holy Spirit had declared regarding Him. … He is a man exposed to stripes and suffering, and acquainted with the endurance of grief: for His countenance was turned away; He was despised, and not esteemed. He bears our iniquities, and is in sorrow for our sakes; yet we supposed that [on His own account] He was exposed to labor, and stripes, and affliction. But He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; [every] man has wandered in his own way; and the Lord has delivered Him up for our sins, while He in the midst of His sufferings opens not His mouth. He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before her shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away; who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. For the transgressions of my people was He brought down to death.

Let us pray: Almighty God, who chose your servant Clement of Rome to recall the Church in Corinth to obedience and stability: Grant that your Church may be grounded and settled in your truth by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and may evermore be kept blameless in your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Advent begins next Sunday. The liturgical color changes to purple and we will use Rite I.

This Sunday we will bless the marriage of Nikki and Luke Blount.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially for all of those who are traveling this week, for Nikki and Luke who will have their marriage blessed this Sunday, for those seeking work, for the ill, for those who are recovering from surgery, especially Duane, for the poor, the hungry and those of who have no one to pray for them, and in thanksgiving for all of God's blessings.

“Who can describe the bond of God's love? Who is able to explain the majesty of its beauty? The height to which love leads is indescribable. … In love the master received us, Jesus Christ our Lord, in accordance with God’s will gave his blood for us, and his flesh for our flesh, and his life for our lives.” —St. Clement of Rome (c. 96)

Your servant in Christ,

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

Give Thanks Even in Troubled Times

In this last week of the liturgical year, we hear from the First Letter of Peter. He begins his letter:

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated, when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look! (1 Pet. 1: 1-12).

Peter speaks of difficult times and holding fast to the faith. In today’s world, there are many who are undergoing difficult times. Many are out of work; others are making less than they did before. Moreover, the holiday season is upon us and the culture around us places a secular, a materialistic value on the Thanksgiving and Christmas Seasons. Peter reminds us what Thanksgiving is truly about: “Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

So this week, remember and give thanks for the gift of salvation, for “by his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Now that is something to be thankful about.

Let us pray: Gracious Father we give you most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits received through the life, death and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, send Your Holy Spirit to sanctify our thanks and all that we do. Amen.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE OUR THANKSGIVING LUNCH SUCH A WONDERFUL FEAST! The food and the fellowship were wonderful! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Advent begins next Sunday. The liturgical color changes to purple and we will use Rite I.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially for all of those who are traveling this week, for Kelly and Andy who were married on Saturday, for those seeking work, for the ill, for those who are recovering from surgery, especially Duane, for the poor, the hungry and those of who have no one to pray for them.

Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing... a grateful heart!” -- George Hebert (1593-1633)

Your servant in Christ,

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

The One Lost Sheep

In today’s appointed Gospel reading from Matthew, we read about how God seeks out the one lost sheep:

‘Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. (Mt. 18: 10-14).

You may ask, “What shepherd in his right mind would leave the 99 behind to find the one last sheep? Isn’t the shepherd exposing the other sheep to the wolves?” God does not view things the way we do. The 99 that the Shepherd leaves behind did not stray. They remain because they trust the Shepherd; they are in the enclosure of the Shepherd’s divine love. However, the one that has strayed is outside the enclosure; he is the one who is exposed to the wolves. We, the sheep of God’s fold, stray from time to time, and I for one am glad that He comes looking for me.

Let us pray: O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people; Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Friday night adult art class - this Friday the 18th, from 6 pm to 8 pm with wine and snacks. It is a group project: a banner for Advent. This class is free.

Saturday morning art class, we will be making Christmas ornaments on Saturday the 19th from 10 am to noon. This class is free and open to ages 10 and up. Come help make ornaments for the church tree, a few for your home and some to give as gifts.

Ladies Bible Study – The group meets Sundays at 4:00 pm. Please feel free to attend whether or not you have met with this group in the past – you will be welcomed!

Would you like to host breakfast one Sunday? There are Sundays available on the schedule for November and December if you are interested in hosting breakfast fellowship. Just sign up on the calendar posted in the kitchen and include your phone number. Questions? Talk to Jo Bremer, 409 621-6153.

Thanksgiving Day Pot Luck Lunch-Sunday, 20 November after the service. Please bring a dish to share. We will also have a brief Bishop’s Committee meeting.

Trinity Episcopal Church in Galveston is very happy to let you know that they are once again holding our Organ Extravaganza on Saturday, 3 December beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially the family of Benita Willey who was buried today, Catherine and Walter who were married on Friday, Luke and Nikki who were married on Saturday, and Kelly and Andy who will be married this Saturday, all of those seeking work, the ill, those who are alone, and those who have no one to pray for them.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Are You a Stumbling Block?

The appointed Gospel reading for today is taken from Matthew’s Gospel and it is an admonition to those who profess to follow Jesus:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling-block comes! (Mt. 18: 1-7)

Children are trusting. To be a follower of Jesus means that we must place our trust in him. This is difficult for adults who may be calloused and cynical; nevertheless, Jesus asks you and me to put our trust in him even when it may be difficult to do so. It requires humility. Then Jesus issues a warning to those of us who profess to be his followers. When we fail to put our trust in Jesus, and place our trust in ourselves and our institutions, we can become a stumbling block to others. When we put ourselves ahead of Jesus, we can cause scandal to others. Sometimes those of us in the Church who profess to be Jesus’ followers fail to provide an example of trust. How have we failed; how have we been a stumbling block to non-believers?

Let us pray: Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Friday night adult art class - this Friday the 18th, from 6 pm to 8 pm with wine and snacks. It is a group project: a banner for Advent. This class is free.

Saturday morning art class, we will be making Christmas ornaments on Saturday the 19th from 10 am to noon. This class is free and open to ages 10 and up. Come help make ornaments for the church tree, a few for your home and some to give as gifts.

Ladies Bible Study – The group meets Sundays at 4:00 pm. Please feel free to attend whether or not you have met with this group in the past – you will be welcomed!

Would you like to host breakfast one Sunday? There are Sundays available on the schedule for November and December if you are interested in hosting breakfast fellowship. Just sign up on the calendar posted in the kitchen and include your phone number. Questions? Talk to Jo Bremer, 409 621-6153.

Thanksgiving Day Pot Luck Lunch-Sunday, 20 November after the service. Please bring a dish to share. We will also have a brief Bishop’s Committee meeting.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially the family of Benita Willey who was buried today, Catherine and Walter who were married on Friday, Luke and Nikki who were married on Saturday, and Kelly and Andy who will be married this Saturday, all of those seeking work, the ill, those who are alone, and those who have no one to pray for them.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Queen Margaret of Scotland (1045-1093)

Today the Church honors Margaret of Scotland. Margaret was an English princess who had sailed to Scotland to escape the king who had conquered their land. King Malcolm of Scotland welcomed them and fell in love with the beautiful princess, and they were married.

As queen, Margaret changed her husband and the country for the better. Malcolm was good, but he and his court were, to say the least, very rough. When he saw how wise his wife was, he listened to her good counsel. She softened his temper and led him to a virtuous life. The couple provided a wonderful example to everyone by the way they prayed together and cared for the poor.

Margaret had six sons and two daughters; the youngest boy became St. David.

Let us pray: O God, who called your servant Margaret to an earthly throne that she might advance your heavenly kingdom, and gave her zeal for your church and love for your people: Mercifully grant that we who commemorate her this day may be fruitful in good works, and attain to the glorious crown of your saints; though Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Friday night adult art class - this Friday the 18th, from 6 pm to 8 pm with wine and snacks. It is a group project: a banner for Advent. This class is free.

Saturday morning art class, we will be making Christmas ornaments on Saturday the 19th from 10 am to noon. This class is free and open to ages 10 and up. Come help make ornaments for the church tree, a few for your home and some to give as gifts.

Ladies Bible Study – The group meets Sundays at 4:00 pm. Please feel free to attend whether or not you have met with this group in the past – you will be welcomed!

Would you like to host breakfast one Sunday? There are Sundays available on the schedule for November and December if you are interested in hosting breakfast fellowship. Just sign up on the calendar posted in the kitchen and include your phone number. Questions? Talk to Jo Bremer, 409 621-6153.

Thanksgiving Day Pot Luck Lunch-Sunday, 20 November after the service. Please bring a dish to share. We will also have a brief Bishop’s Committee meeting.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Samuel Seabury: First Bishop in the United States of America

Today the Episcopal Church remembers Samuel Seabury (1729-1796) who was the first bishop consecrated on this day in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1784 for the young United States of America.

He was born in Groton, Connecticut in 1729. His father, also Samuel Seabury (1706–1764), originally a Congregationalist minister in Groton, was ordained deacon and priest in the Church of England in 1731, and was a rector in New London, Connecticut, from 1732 to 1743, and in Hempstead, Long Island, from 1743 until his death.

Samuel Seabury (the son) graduated from Yale in 1748, and studied theology with his father. He studied medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland from 1752 to 1753 and was ordained deacon by the bishop of Lincoln and priest by the bishop of Carlisle in 1753. Seabury was rector of Christ Church, New Brunswick, New Jersey from 1754 to 1757, rector in Jamaica, New York from 1757 to 1766, and of St Peter's, Westchester, New York from 1766 to 1775.

After the Revolutionary War, Seabury was consecrated to the Episcopate by the Bishop and the Bishop Coadjutor of Aberdeen and the Bishop of Ross and Caithness, becoming part of the unbroken chain of bishops that links the Church today with the Church of the Apostles.

Seabury promised the Bishops of Scotland that he would do his best to persuade the American Church to use the Scottish Book of Common Prayer which was taken largely unchanged from the 1549 Book of Common Prayer.

Let us pray: Eternal God, you blessed your servant Samuel Seabury with the gift of perseverance to renew the Anglican inheritance in North America: Grant that, joined together in unity with our bishops and nourished by your holy Sacraments, we may proclaim the Gospel of redemption with apostolic zeal; through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Friday night adult art class - this Friday the 18th, from 6 pm to 8 pm with wine and snacks. It is a group project: a banner for Advent. This class is free.

Saturday morning art class, we will be making Christmas ornaments on Saturday the 19th from 10 am to noon. This class is free and open to ages 10 and up. Come help make ornaments for the church tree, a few for your home and some to give as gifts.

Ladies Bible Study – The group meets Sundays at 4:00 pm. Please feel free to attend whether or not you have met with this group in the past – you will be welcomed!

Would you like to host breakfast one Sunday? There are Sundays available on the schedule for November and December if you are interested in hosting breakfast fellowship. Just sign up on the calendar posted in the kitchen and include your phone number. Questions? Talk to Jo Bremer, 409 621-6153.

Thanksgiving Day Pot Luck Lunch-Sunday, 20 November after the service. We will also have a brief Bishop’s Committee meeting.

“By everything true, everything holy, you are your brother's keeper.”—Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury (1801-1885)

Your servant in Christ,

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

Who Do You Say that I Am?

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, in today’s Gospel reading, we hear the question that Jesus asks all of us, “Who do you say that I am?”

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. (Mt. 16: 13-20).

Who do you say that Jesus is? What is your relationship with Jesus? Are you distantly acquainted with Jesus or are you very close? In today’s reading, Peter comes up with the right answer, but he did not come up with it on his own. Rather, it was through God’s grace that Peter came to know that Jesus was the Messiah. You and I come to Jesus through the grace of God. We have to be open to God’s grace. Being open to the grace of God deepens our relationship with Jesus. Who do you say that he is?

Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially all of our Veterans on this Veterans Day, for those seeking work, for those who are ill, for the lonely, for those fighting addictions, and for those who have no one to pray for them.

“A heavenly light more brilliant than all others sheds its radiance everywhere, and he who was begotten before the morning star and all the stars of heaven, Christ, mighty and immortal, shines upon all creatures more brightly than the sun.” —Hippolytus of Rome (c.170-c.236)

Your servant in Christ,

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

Leo the Great: Leadership in a Time of Crisis

Today the Church remembers Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome in the 5th century. He was bishop there at a time of upheaval in Rome and he provided leadership at a time of great distress, a time when barbarian armies were ravaging the once mighty Roman Empire. The old Roman Empire was in total political and military collapse and there was a vacuum of political leadership. Leo filled the void and became the advocate for the temporal as well as spiritual needs of his flock. Leo even negotiated with Attila the Hun convincing Attila to abandon his plans to sack Rome and to withdraw his forces beyond the Danube river. Leo once again was the spokesperson for the Romans in 455 when the Vandal barbarians swept into Central Italy, securing concessions from them.

He was also instrumental in his teaching regarding the nature of Jesus Christ (Christology) and his being true God and true man.

Let us pray: O Lord our God, grant that your Church, following the teaching of your servant Leo of Rome, may hold fast the great mystery of our redemption, and adore the one Christ, true God and true Man, neither divided from our human nature nor separate from your divine Being; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and or ever. Amen.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially those looking for employment, for the ill, for those who are alone, and for those who have no one to pray for them.

“For all, regenerated in Christ, are made kings by the sign of the cross; they are consecrated priests by the oil of the Holy Spirit, so that beyond the special service of our ministry as priests, all spiritual and mature Christians know that they are a royal race and are sharers in the office of the priesthood. For what is more king-like that to find yourself ruler over your body after having surrendered your soul to God? And what is more priestly than to promise the Lord a pure conscience and to offer him in love unblemished victims on the altar of one's heart?”—Leo the Great (391-461)

Your servant in Christ,

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

Setting Aside Our Prejudices

The Gospel section for today is taken from Matthew’s Gospel and we read about the persistence of a woman who approaches Jesus:

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:21-28)

The Canaanites and the Jewish people did not get along. For the Canaanite woman to approach Jesus, she must have put aside her prejudices against the Jewish people. Imagine how she must have felt when Jesus responded the way he did when he said: “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” Wow! Yet, the Canaanite woman did not revert to her prejudices; rather, she said: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” What was Jesus doing? Was Jesus being mean? Was he testing her? His response was one of love: “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly. Sometimes you and I have to set aside our prejudices when we approach Jesus. Sometimes our prejudices keep us away from Jesus. The example of the Canaanite woman is a strong one for those of us who find it difficult to come to Jesus because of something we refuse to let go of.

Let us pray: Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

“Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.” —Jonathan Edwards

Your servant in Christ,

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

The vine the Lord has planted is spreading.

One of the appointed Psalms for today is Psalm 80, and the Psalmist prays:

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!
Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it. …
You cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches;
it sent out its branches to the sea,
and its shoots to the River.
Turn again, O God of hosts;
look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
the stock that your right hand planted.
They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down;
may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
the one whom you made strong for yourself.
Then we will never turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call on your name.

All around continental Europe and England, the Church is certainly not what it was in years past. Many churches are near empty. People are turning away from their Christian faith in high numbers. In fact, the BBC had a documentary on that very topic yesterday.

So yesterday I wanted to go to a regular neighborhood parish. I worshipped at Christ Church in Spitalfields, London. It was built from 1714 to 1729 when the Church of England had a “build 50 churches program” for London because there was a concern that those living on the fringes of London would be un-churched. The parish is in a mixed neighborhood including Bengali immigrants and steps away from the financial district. The parish describes itself as follows: “Christ Church Spitalfields is a diverse, growing Anglican Church, full of passionate disciples, discovering the difference that a relationship with God through Jesus Christ can make in our lives, as we reach out to the local community around our beautiful church.” It’s true! There were young and old, and people from different cultural backgrounds. It is a parish dedicated to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and implementing the Gospel in their lives. People were welcoming. The worship service was contemporary; the music was a mix of old and new. Children were about the place. The preaching was authentic and moving. The parish is reaching out to the community around it. It is the living Church!

In many ways, it is like our own St. Augustine in Galveston, a community of faith where people from different backgrounds and walks of life have a common life of faith being transformed by the love of God through Jesus’ death and resurrection, living in the Holy Spirit and working to build the Kingdom of God where we live. In recent weeks we have invited those on the Island to our 3rd Annual Art Show, the Community Garden project continues to build, we have prepared snack packages for the clients of St. Vincent's House, and Carol Freeman is taking high school students to a leadership conference at Texas A&M. We continue to celebrate God's work in our lives through our Eucharistic Services with our contemporary music and traditional jazz services.

So despite the empty pews in some churches, and the drastic news from the BBC, the vine the Lord has planted remains and it is spreading its branches. Preaching the Gospel of Christ and living out our relationship with Christ in the world around us is life giving. We shout: "Give ear o Shepherd of Israel and lead your people. Water the vine which you have planted."

Let us pray: Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE SATURDAY A GREAT SUCCESS! With your wonderful work, we are able to help the victims of the wildfires in Texas, the Community Garden and our major maintenance fund for the church structure.

You can always check out the Daily Reflections at http://staugustineofhippogalveston.blogspot.com/

“Who can describe the bond of God's love? Who is able to explain the majesty of its beauty? The height to which love leads is indescribable. … In love the master received us, Jesus Christ our Lord, in accordance with God's will gave his blood for us, and his flesh for our flesh, and his life for our lives.”—St. Clement of Rome (c. 96)

Your servant in Christ,

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

Living at the Whim of Others: An Empty Life

In today’s Gospel for the Daily Office (the readings for morning and evening prayer), we hear about peer pressure:

At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus; and he said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.’ The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus. (Mt. 14: 1-12).

John the Baptizer speaks truth to power. He caused a problem for Herod and his new wife, but Herod was afraid to dispose of John because he was “afraid of the crowds.” But when it came to what his friends thought, Herod gave in and executed John. When we read this, no doubt many of us think to ourselves: “Herod was a weak man? He was supposed to be a powerful ruler, but in the end, he was afraid of what people thought of him.” What about us? How easily are we pushed by what others, especially our friends, may think of us? Sometimes we do or say things simply because we are afraid that if we don’t join in, we may suffer rejection. But living at the whim of others is an empty life. On the other hand, standing up for what is right, even if others reject us, is what God calls us to do. Sometimes the outcome may hurt, just ask John the Baptizer, but it is the right thing to do and you live a life of integrity.

Let us pray: O God our Father, whose Son forgave his enemies while he was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer for the sake of conscience; when they are accused, save them from speaking in hate; when they are rejected, save them from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them from despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be cleansed and strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our merciful and righteous Judge. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS & UPCOMING EVENTS

THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS, Sunday, 6 November, where all of those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and who witnessed to us the Risen Christ will be remembered.

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY: Sundays at 4:00 p.m. in Sutton Hall. Please join Jillian Bain for this prayerful study of Scripture.

THE FISH FRY & YARD SALE: Saturday, 5 November 2011, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (proceeds for Church renovation/maintenance), and we are raffling a 32 inch flat screen TV (for the victims of the wildfires in Texas). We are starting to collect items for the yard sale benefiting the Community Garden so bring in your items. Dinner tickets are $7.50 each and the raffle tickets are $2 each of $5 for 3. The Yard Sale is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations for the yard sale can be brought to the church on Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or you can contact Karen at 409-762-0316 to arrange other times.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST especially Hugh who is recovering from surgery, all of those who are traveling, all of those seeking work, everyone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, for all who are alone, for those who have no one to pray for them, all parishes with search committees as they seek new rectors, for all of those suffering from the wildfires, and in thanksgiving for all that God has done for us.

“All the ways of this world are as fickle and unstable as a sudden storm at sea.” —The Venerable Bede (673-735)

Your servant in Christ,

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