12 Steps

Today the Church remembers a clergyman who was a co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Rev. Dr. Sam Shoemaker, DD, STD (1893-1963). He was an Episcopal priest who was instrumental in the Oxford Group and founding principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. Fr. Shoemaker was the rector of the Calvary Church in New York City, which was the United States headquarters of the Oxford Group. Bill Wilson attended Oxford Group meetings at the Calvary Church and Fr. Shoemaker was instrumental in assisting Bill Wilson with the writing of the book Alcoholics Anonymous (nickname: The Big Book). Bill acknowledged this linkage when he wrote in the book, A.A. Comes of Age (page 39):

In 1917, Sam Shoemaker had been sent to China to start a branch of the YMCA and to teach at the Princeton-in-China Program. There, in 1918, feeling discouraged, he first met Frank Buchman who told him of the four absolutes, honesty, purity and unselfishness and love. Later, Shoemaker would speak of the meeting as a major influence for the start of his ministry, that being the time when he decided to let go of self and let God guide his life.

Bill Wilson, in 1955, would later give credit to Sam Shoemaker whom he referred to as a co-founder of AA:

It was from Sam Shoemaker, that we absorbed most of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, steps that express the heart of AA's way of life. Dr. Silkworth gave us the needed knowledge of our illness, but Sam Shoemaker had given us the concrete knowledge of what we could do about it, he passed on the spiritual keys by which we were liberated. The early AA got its ideas of self-examination, acknowledgement of character defects, restitution for harm done, and working with others straight from the Oxford Group and directly from Sam Shoemaker, their former leader in America, and from nowhere else.

The Rev. Shoemaker wrote over 30 books, at least half of which were circulating before A.A.’s 12 Steps were first published in 1939.

Let us pray: Holy God, we thank you for the vision of Samuel Shoemaker, priest and co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous; and we pray that we may follow his example to help others find salvation through knowledge and love of Jesus Christ our Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Bishop Harrison will be with us this Sunday for Confirmations! Come join in the celebration and remember that rather than doing our traditional breakfast, we will do a pot luck instead. Wear red!

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Faith in Times of Doubt

Today’s Epistle for the daily prayer of the Church is taken from Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews. He talks about “faith”:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and ‘he was not found, because God had taken him.’ For it was attested before he was taken away that ‘he had pleased God.’ And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, ‘as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.’ (Heb. 11:1-12).

The central theme in today’s reading is “faith.” We use the word “faith” a lot. We refer to what we believe as “the faith.” Sometimes people have a “crisis of faith.” But what is faith? The Greek word used in this passage repeatedly is πίστις (pronounced “pistis”) which has the following meanings: faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness. The definition in the Letter to the Hebrews is a good one, a practical one: “faith is he assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” In this definition, there is an aspect of faithfulness, one of the original meanings of the word πίστις. To be faithful even in those times when we are no longer sure of what is true or what we believe, when doubts creep in, even when we feel that we are in darkness, that is faith. That is what all of the characters mentioned in the passage did; they were faithful even when they were not sure of it themselves.

In 1946 and 1947, Mother Teresa of Calcutta experienced a profound union with Christ. But soon after she began her work among the destitute and dying on the streets of Calcutta, she experienced a spiritual darkness that would remain with her until her death. In a way, it is difficult to know what is more to be marveled at: that Mother Teresa commanded a worldwide army of charity was a visionary contemplative at heart, or that she should have persisted in radiating invincible faith and love while suffering inwardly from the loss of spiritual consolation. In letters written during the 1950s and 1960s to her archbishop and her spiritual director, Mother Teresa disclosed feelings of doubt, loneliness, and abandonment. God seemed absent, heaven empty, and bitterest of all, her own suffering seemed to count for nothing, “. . . just that terrible pain of loss, of God not wanting me, of God not being God, of God not really existing.” Nevertheless, she was faithful, always faithful to what she perceived her call to be, to love the poor as Christ did.

Are there times that you feel like that? If you do, you are in excellent company.

Let us pray: O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Bishop Harrison will be with us this Sunday for Confirmations! Come join in the celebration and remember that rather than doing our traditional breakfast, we will do a pot luck instead. Wear red!

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List.

Your servant in Christ,

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

"The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee, preserve thy body and soul into everlasting life."

The appointed Epistle for today is a portion of Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews; we read:

And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, ‘he sat down at the right hand of God’, and since then has been waiting ‘until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.’ For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds’, he also adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb. 10: 11-25).

The Temple in Jerusalem was a place where the Jewish people believe heaven and earth met; it was the “dwelling place of God.” So they came to worship and to offer sacrifice. In the person of Jesus, heaven and earth meet. Jesus is the new Temple replacing the old Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus offered the sacrifice of himself, of his very life, thereby making us holy. And heaven and earth meet again every time you and I celebrate the Eucharist; Christ comes to dwell with us in a sacramental manner. So as the Church gathers this Sunday all around the world to celebrate the Eucharist, let us be cognizant that heaven and earth meet at the Eucharistic Feast.

Let us pray: Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

INSTRUCTED EUCHARIST, THIS SUNDAY. “What is an instructed Eucharist?” During the service, I will explain why we do what we do. It is a way for us to be able to better appreciate the rich liturgical tradition of the Church.

CONFIRMATION CLASS on Sundays starting at 10:50 a.m. If you want to be Confirmed when Bishop Harrison visits us on Sunday, 5 February, you will need to participate in the Confirmation class. Please come!

ART WALK AT ST. VINCENT’S HOUSE on 28 January 2012 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it. We will discuss it during the announcements this Sunday.

PLEASE REMEMBER everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill 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

Timothy, Titus & Silas: Paul's Compansions in Ministry

On the day after the conversion of St. Paul, the Church remembers Paul’s partners in ministry, Timothy, Titus and Silas.

Timothy is mentioned in Acts 16-20, and appears in 9 epistles either as joining in Paul's greetings or as a messenger.

Additionally, Timothy has two New Testament letters addressed to him, and Titus one. From these three letters (the Pastoral Epistles), we know that Paul had commissioned Timothy to oversee the Christian community in Ephesus and vicinity, and Titus to oversee that in Crete. Therefore, Timothy is the first bishop of Ephesus and Timothy is the first bishop of Crete.

Titus is mentioned as a companion of Paul in some of his epistles (2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6,13,14; 8:6,16,23; 12:18; Gal. 2:1-3; 2 Tim. 4:10).

Regarding Silas, James Kiefer tells us that he is remembered as Paul’s companion who was arrested with Paul at Philippi (Acts 16:19-40). They were beaten severely and confined in the inner prison, with their feet in stocks. There they sang hymns in the night, and an earthquake shook the prison, and released them. As a result, the jailer and his household became believers.

The first mention of Silas is earlier. Paul and Barnabas went on a missionary journey (Acts 13:1-5), taking with them John Mark, who (for unspecified reasons) parted from them and went home in the middle of the journey (A 13:13). Paul and Barnabas completed their mission and returned to Antioch. They had made many Gentile converts on their mission, and the question arose whether a Gentile could become a Christian without also becoming a Jew, being circumcised if male, and undertaking to observe the Law of Moses (A 15:1). The congregation at Antioch referred the question to the Apostles at Jerusalem, and Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to present their case. A council of apostles and elders at Jerusalem judged that, with a few specified exceptions, the Law of Moses was not to be imposed on Gentile Christians, and they sent two men from Jerusalem back to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas to convey their reply. The men were Judas Barsabbas (not otherwise mentioned) and Silas (Acts 15:22).

Eventually Paul and Barnabas undertook to visit again the congregations they had founded on their previous journey, and Barnabas wished to take John Mark with them, but Paul thought this unwise, and so they determined to travel separately, Barnabas taking Mark, and Paul taking Silas (Acts 15:36-40). And so Paul and Silas (joined in progress by Timothy and by Luke) went through part of what is now Turkey and then crossed over into Europe and preached at Philippi (where they made converts and were arrested as described above), and went on to Thessalonica and Berea, being the center of riots in each place (Acts 17:1-13), after which Paul went on to Athens and then to Corinth, and was soon joined there by Silas and Timothy (Acts 18:5).

Let us pray: Just and merciful God, in every generation you raise up prophets, teachers and witnesses to summon the world to honor and praise your holy Name: We thank you for sending Timothy, Titus and Silas, whose gifts built up your Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Grant that we too may be living stones built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

INSTRUCTED EUCHARIST, THIS SUNDAY. “What is an instructed Eucharist?” During the service, I will explain why we do what we do. It is a way for us to be able to better appreciate the rich liturgical tradition of the Church.

CONFIRMATION CLASS on Sundays starting at 10:50 a.m. If you want to be Confirmed when Bishop Harrison visits us on Sunday, 5 February, you will need to participate in the Confirmation class. Please come!

ART WALK AT ST. VINCENT’S HOUSE on 28 January 2012 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it. We will discuss it during the announcements this Sunday.

PLEASE REMEMBER everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill and those who have no one to pray for them.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Churhdc

Galveston, Texas 77550

Jesus Takes Us Where He Finds Us, But He Doesn't Expect Us to Stay There: Just Ask St. Paul

Today the Church celebrates the conversion of St. Paul. In the Acts of the Apostles we read:

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ All who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?’ Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah. (Acts 9: 1-22).

Jesus takes us where he finds us, but he doesn’t expect us to stay there. Jesus expects us to grow. Paul is a prime example of that. Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. Paul was breathing threats against the Christians, but Jesus didn’t expect him to stay there. No, Jesus expected him to change his life, to turn it around, to convert. Paul did! You an dI can too.

Jesus expects the same from you and from me. Jesus meets us where we are in our lives, but he doesn’t expect us to stay there. Now is the time; turn your life around.

Let us pray: O God, who by the preaching of your apostle Paul have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

INSTRUCTED EUCHARIST, THIS SUNDAY. “What is an instructed Eucharist?” During the service, I will explain why we do what we do. It is a way for us to be able to better appreciate the rich liturgical tradition of the Church.

CONFIRMATION CLASS on Sundays starting at 10:50 a.m. If you want to be Confirmed when Bishop Harrison visits us on Sunday, 5 February, you will need to participate in the Confirmation class. Please come!

ART WALK AT ST. VINCENT’S HOUSE on 28 January 2012 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it. We will discuss it during the announcements this Sunday.

PLEASE REMEMBER everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill 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

The First Woman Ordained in the Anglican Communion

Today the Church remembers the first woman who was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church, Florence Li Tim-Oi. She was ordained a priest by Bishop Ronald Hall of Hong Kong in 1944, primarily because of difficulties occasioned by the Japanese occupation of China. A storm of protest after the war forced her to refrain from exercising her role as a priest; however, toward the end of her life, she emigrated to Canada where she was able to resume her priestly duties. She died in 1992.

It is fitting, therefore, that tonight Bishop Doyle will install the Rev. Gena Davis as the vicar of Grace Episcopal in Houston. She follows in the footsteps of Florence Li Tim-Oi. Tonight, Gena will be surrounded by friends and family, including, no doubt, a number of her fellow clergy, the Rev. Tom Bain and myself included. Please pray for Gena and all of those who serve in ordained ministry.

Let us pray: Gracious God, we thank you for calling Florence Li Tim-Oi, much-beloved daughter, to be the first woman to exercise the office of a priest in our Communion; By the grace of your Spirit inspire us to follow her example, serving your people with patience and happiness all our days, and witnessing in every circumstance to our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

INSTRUCTED EUCHARIST, THIS SUNDAY. “What is an instructed Eucharist?” During the service, I will explain why we do what we do. It is a way for us to be able to better appreciate the rich liturgical tradition of the Church.

CONFIRMATION CLASS on Sundays starting at 10:50 a.m. If you want to be Confirmed when Bishop Harrison visits us on Sunday, 5 February, you will need to participate in the Confirmation class. Please come!

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it. We will discuss it during the announcements this Sunday.

PLEASE REMEMBER everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill 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

Preaching the Word: Phillips Brooks

On this 23rd day of January, the Episcopal Church remembers Phillips Brooks, Bishop of Massachusetts from 1891 to 1893. He was born in Boston in 1835 and was educated at Harvard University where he graduated in 1855 and then he went to the Virginia Theological Seminary where he graduated in 1859. Brooks was ordained deacon by Bishop William Meade of Virginia. In 1860 he was ordained priest, and in 1862 became rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia, where he remained seven years, gaining an increasing name as preacher and patriot. During the Civil War, he championed the abolition of slavery.

Brooks was an imposing figure standing six feet four inches tall. Perhaps that helped him as a preacher. He was shy, spoke rapidly, had a stiff sermon delivery and terrible eye contact -- usually staring at the sounding board above his head. Nevertheless, people thronged to see him. His effectiveness resulted from several factors. One was his careful preparation and study of the text. He spoke with a sincerity and intensity that overcame his shyness. Still another element was his pastor's heart.

This is taken from one of Phillips Brooks’ sermons:

Righteousness is at the bottom of all things. Righteousness is thorough. It is the very spirit of unsparing truth. Any reform or salvation of which the power is righteousness must go down to the very root of the trouble; must extentuate and cover over nothing; must expose and convict completely, in order that it may completely heal. And this is the power of the salvation of Christ. It makes no compromise between the good and the evil, between Judah and Edom. Edom must be destroyed, not parleyed with; sin must be beaten down and not conciliated; good must thrive by the defeat and not merely by the tolerance of evil.

Bishop Brooks died in Boston in 1893 at the age of 57. More than 20,000 mourners gathered to lament the loss of one of the greatest orators of the American pulpit.

Let us pray: O everlasting God, who revealed truth to your servant Phillips Brooks, and so formed and molded his mind and heart that he was able to mediate that truth with grace and power: Grant, we pray, that all those whom you call to preach the Gospel may steep themselves in your word, and conform their lives 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.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

CONFIRMATION CLASS on Sundays starting at 10:50 a.m. If you want to be Confirmed when Bishop Harrison visits us on Sunday, 5 February, you will need to participate in the Confirmation class. Please come!

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

PLEASE REMEMBER everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill 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

St. Fabian, Bishop & Martyr

Today the Church remembers a long forgotten Bishop of Rome, Fabian. Upon the death of Bishop Antherus in 236, a council was convened in Rome to elect his successor. In the crowd was Fabian (Fabianus), a layman from another part of Italy. According to the historian Eusebius, a dove flew into the building and landed on Fabian's head. The people immediately interpreted this to be a sign from God that he should be the next bishop, and they unanimously acclaimed Fabian as bishop!

Fabian turned out to be an excellent leader. He organized the parish structure of the Church that is in use to this day.

In 239 the Emperor Decius instituted a persecution of Christians. This was the first persecution to be waged throughout the entire Empire instead of just locally. Fabian was captured and brutally executed. The courage with which he went to his death was an inspiration to thousands who followed him in martyrdom. You can still see Fabian’s broken tombstone in Rome, and there are 3 barely legible words on it: “Fabian ... bishop ... martyr.”

Let us pray: Almighty God, you called Fabian to be a faithful pastor and servant of your people, and to lay down his life in witness to your Son: Grant that we, strengthened by his example and aided by his prayers, may in times of trial and persecution remain steadfast in faith and endurance, for the sake of him who laid down his life for us all, Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

CONFIRMATION CLASS on Sundays starting at 10:50 a.m. If you want to be Confirmed when Bishop Harrison visits us on Sunday, 5 February, you will need to participate in the Confirmation class. Please come!

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

PLEASE REMEMBER everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill and those who have no one to pray for them.

“It is the Bible that must judge the culture. Where a conflict results, the cultural element must give way.”—Dr. Byang Koto, a Nigerian evangelical theologian (1936-1975)

Your servant in Christ,

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

The Promise Keeper

The appointed Epistle for today comes from Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews. We read:

When God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and multiply you.’ And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Human beings, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute. In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Heb. 7: 13-20)

You can bet that the source of all truth and goodness, God, will keep His promises! God made a covenant with Abraham; God promised to bless him and to multiply his descendents. God did that through Jesus, His Son. By Jesus’ response to God, by Jesus saying “yes” to the Father and by Jesus giving his all as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, Jesus brought us back into relationship with God the Father so that not only Israel, but all people are Abraham’s descendents. God kept his promise to Abraham, swearing by himself, and more fully, by giving of Himself in His Son, Jesus, who is the Christ.

Let us pray: Glorious Father, through your Son, Jesus Christ, you gathered from every race, nation and language a people for yourself, making us one family bound together in unity by the Holy Spirit. Give us grace to live lives worthy to be your sons and daughters, we ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

CONFIRMATION CLASS on Sundays starting at 10:50 a.m. If you want to be Confirmed when Bishop Harrison visits us on Sunday, 5 February, you will need to participate in the Confirmation class. Please come!

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

PLEASE REMEMBER everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill 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

Upon this Rock

Today the Church remembers the confession of St. Peter when he acknowledged that Jesus was in fact the Son of God as recounted in the Gospel according to Matthew:

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.’ (Mt. 16: 13-19).

This is what Bishop Tom Wright, one of the foremost Biblical scholars in the world today, says about this passage:

‘Who do you say I am?’ ‘You are the Messiah, son of the living God!’ ‘Right: this is the rock we build on; this is where God’s people will find their city; so it’s time to go on pilgrimage, up the dusty road to the beautiful city that sits upon its rock. … (I should say, just for the record, that the idea that Peter himself, rather than his faith in Jesus as Messiah and Lord, was the rock on which the church would be built, and that this was to be passed on to his successors as Bishops of Rome, was an exegetical innovation in the counter-Reformation period of the late sixteenth century, when you get those remarkable settings of the Latin text of Matthew 16, ‘Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam’, ‘You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church’.) … The point is this: when you confess Jesus, crucified and risen, as God’s Messiah, and Lord of the world, you are taking your stand upon the rock to which Jesus himself, and Peter himself in his first letter, refer, the rock where the true city of God is being built, even though the gates of hell roar their anger against it and do their best to distract us from the hot and tiring pilgrim journey by which we must come to it at last.

In short, the "rock" upon which the Church is built is not a person, but the faith in Jesus as the Christ and as the Son of the Living God, Peter's and ours as well.

Let us pray: Almighty Father, who inspired Simon 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, 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.

Please remember in your prayers all of the people of Cathedral of Faith Market Street Baptist Church; their 73 year old pastor emeritus died today while conducting a funeral.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

CONFIRMATION CLASS on Sundays starting at 10:50 a.m. If you want to be Confirmed when Bishop Harrison visits us on Sunday, 5 February, you will need to participate in the Confirmation class. Please come!

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

PLEASE REMEMBER everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill 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

"For God So Loved the World..."

The appointed Gospel for today is a well known passage, and one that is in the news today because of Tim Tebow:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God. (Jn. 3: 16-21).

Media controversy has surrounded Tim Tebow for his public display of faith. For example, recently “Saturday Night Live” parodied Tim Tebow’s relationship with Jesus. Bill Maher, an avowed atheist, tweeted an obscenity after the Bronco’s loss to the Buffalo Bills on Christmas Eve. The tweet concluded with the following: “Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler ‘Hey, Buffalo’s killing them.’” There is a great deal more on football blogs and even network morning television.

I cannot say that I am surprised. If you read the rest of the Gospel for today, John tells us that there are those who love the darkness, do evil and hate the light. I believe that these negative responses to those who publically admit their Christian faith are born out of darkness and anger. Jesus still invites them to his table because as John reminds us: “God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Let us pray: Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

CONFIRMATION CLASS on Sundays starting at 10:50 a.m. If you want to be Confirmed when Bishop Harrison visits us on Sunday, 5 February, you will need to participate in the Confirmation class. Please come!

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

PLEASE REMEMBER everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill and those who have no one to pray for them.

“Where there is Love and Wisdom, there is neither Fear nor Ignorance. Where there is Patience and Humility, there is neither Anger nor Annoyance. Where there is Poverty and Joy, there is neither Cupidity nor Avarice. Where there is Peace and Contemplation, there is neither Care nor Restlessness. Where there is the Fear of God to guard the dwelling, there no enemy can enter. Where there is Mercy and Prudence, there is neither Excess nor Harshness.”—St. Francis of Assisi

Your servant in Christ,

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

The Principles that Undergird Our Society

Today, we as Americans remember the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The nation as a whole stops to remember the values that undergird our society, namely that all people are created equal and possess certain inalienable rights. Few nations are based on such principles. Today we stop to consider what that means.

Today’s appointed Epistle reading (for the saints of the day) is taken from the fourth chapter of the First Epistle of John who writes:

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4: 7-12).

God’s essence is life giving love. God’s created all that is out of infinite life giving love. God’s love is infinite; it knows no bounds. Since God’s love is infinite, God loves everyone equally. It makes no difference if one is rich or poor, short or tall, thin or a little plump, handsome or not so good looking, black or white, male or female, brilliant or not so smart, God loves each of us infinitely, and therefore, equally. On the day we as a nation remember the role that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. played in our nation’s history, we should keep in mind what St. John says in his letter—God loves us all equally. If God loves us all equally, how can I shun one that God loves?

Let us pray: Almighty God, by the hand of Moses your servant you led your people out of slavery, and made them free at last: Grant that your Church, following the example of your prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the name of your love, and may secure for all your children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

CONFIRMATION CLASS ON SUNDAYS starting at 10:50 a.m. If you want to be Confirmed when Bishop Harrison visits us on Sunday, 5 February, you will need to participate in the Confirmation class. Please come!

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill and those who have no one to pray for them.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” – The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Your servant in Christ,

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

The Season of the Epiphany

This is the season of Epiphany which means “manifestation.” The season focuses on the manifestation of who Jesus is and what his mission is about. It began last Friday, the 6th, with the Feast of the Epiphany when Christendom recalled the visit of the Three Kings, or Magi, to Jesus, and it became manifest that Jesus was not simply called for the Jewish people, for Gentiles also. On Sunday we celebrated that Baptism of Our Lord when the Father manifest that Jesus was His son, in whom He was well pleased.

The Epiphany theme is carried on in our reading for today from the Daily Office which comes from the Letter to the Hebrews where we were read:

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say: ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you’? Or again, ‘I will be his Father, and he will be my Son’? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’ Of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire.’ But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever, and the righteous sceptre is the sceptre of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.’ And, ‘In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing; like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing* they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.’ But to which of the angels has he ever said, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’? Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? (Heb. 1: 1-14).

Jesus is the Son of God. He has been anointed as king, lord of all creation. Jesus came to initiate the Kingdom of God. During this season of Epiphany, look for Christ made manifest in your life; let all you are and all you do reflect Jesus’ glory as King of your life.

Let us pray: O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

DISCOVERY SERIES FOR CONFIRMATION: On 15 and 22 January 2012 we will study the Discovery Series in preparation for Confirmation on Sunday, 5 February with Bishop Harrison.

ART CLASSES on 13 and 14 January with Lee Runion. Back by popular demand, we’ll be making Stepping Stones! Friday will be “Art Class and Wine Glass.” The Saturday session begins at 10 a.m.

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year in February. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill and those who have no one to pray for them.

“If we Christians would join the Wise Men, we must close our eyes to all that glitters before the world and look rather on the despised and foolish things, help the poor, comfort the despised, and aid the neighbor in his need.” —Martin Luther

Your servant in Christ,

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

The Victory Is Ours!

In today’s Epistle selection, we hear from the sixth chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Paul uses an image that the readers of his letter were well familiar with, the gear of the Roman soldier. Paul writes:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. (Ephesians 6: 10-20).

Sometimes the struggles we endure in life, especially against forces that we cannot see, feel like a battle. Paul’s imagery is vivid; one can picture in one’s mind’s eye arming for battle against all that which is evil and tries to invade our lives. But you are armed with the power of the living God to defeat evil. In fact, our captain, Jesus, has already won the war through his death and resurrection. Christ has faced the enemy and prevailed. Now, we are faced with the clean up skirmishes. Rest assured, the victory is ours in Christ.

Let us pray: O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

ANNUAL MEETING: Sunday, 8 January 2012 in Sutton Hall after the Eucharist. We’ll review 2011 and see what’s in store for 2012. We will also elect new members for the Bishop’s Committee and a representative and an alternate to the 163rd Diocesan Council.

DISCOVERY SERIES FOR CONFIRMATION: On 15 and 22 January 2012 we will study the Discovery Series in preparation for Confirmation on Sunday, 5 February with Bishop Harrison.

ART CLASSES on 13 and 14 January with Lee Runion. Back by popular demand, we’ll be making Stepping Stones! Friday will be “Art Class and Wine Glass.” The Saturday session begins at 10 a.m.

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill and those who have no one to pray for them.

“Expect great things from God! Attempt great things for God!” —William Carey (1761-1834)

Your servant in Christ,

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

Live In Love as Christ Loved Us

We have more good counsel from Paul as we begin this New Year of 2012 from his Letter to the Ephesians. He writes:

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— for 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. (Ephesians 5: 1-20).

The bottom line of the entire passage is the opening line: “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.” If we lived in love as Jesus loved us, then the rest will follow, or put another way, if we live as Paul admonishes us to, then we will live in love as Christ loved us.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of this redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

ANNUAL MEETING: Sunday, 8 January 2012 in Sutton Hall after the Eucharist. We’ll review 2011 and see what’s in store for 2012. We will also elect new members for the Bishop’s Committee and a representative and an alternate to the 163rd Diocesan Council.

DISCOVERY SERIES FOR CONFIRMATION: On 15 and 22 January 2012 we will study the Discovery Series in preparation for Confirmation on Sunday, 5 February with Bishop Harrison.

ART CLASSES on 13 and 14 January with Lee Runion. Back by popular demand, we’ll be making Stepping Stones! Friday will be “Art Class and Wine Glass.” The Saturday session begins at 10 a.m.

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill and those who have no one to pray for them.

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

Your servant in Christ,

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

Conversion Means Change

In this first week of the New Year, St. Paul continues in the fourth chapter of the Letter to the Ephesians where he reminds them and us what conversion is all about:

For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4: 21-32).

Conversion is about change. It is about turning one’s life around, going in a different direction. Paul tells the Ephesians: “Don’t lie, but speak the truth. If you’re a thief, give up stealing and do an honest day’s work. Don’t tear down people when you speak; instead build them up, be a blessing when you speak. Don’t keep your anger; forgive others just as Christ has forgiven you.” To be sure, changing one’s ways is not easy, especially if we have gotten into the habit of evil ways. But change we must if we are to be followers of Christ.

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.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

ANNUAL MEETING: Sunday, 8 January 2012 in Sutton Hall after the Eucharist. We’ll review 2011 and see what’s in store for 2012. We will also elect new members for the Bishop’s Committee and a representative and an alternate to the 163rd Diocesan Council.

DISCOVERY SERIES FOR CONFIRMATION: On 15 and 22 January 2012 we will study the Discovery Series in preparation for Confirmation on Sunday, 5 February with Bishop Harrison.

ART CLASSES on 13 and 14 January with Lee Runion. Back by popular demand, we’ll be making Stepping Stones! Friday will be “Art Class and Wine Glass.” The Saturday session begins at 10 a.m.

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill 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

New Year's Resolutions

Here we are at the start of 2012, a time for New Year’s resolutions. On television, we see ads for all sorts of weight reduction programs followed by ads for exercise centers. If you want to make a New Year’s resolution, look to see what St. Paul has to offer from today’s appointed Epistle lesson for the daily prayer of the Church:

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. Therefore it is said, ‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.’ …

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. (Ephesians 4: 1-8, 11-16).

This New Year try speaking the truth in love growing in every way into Christ forming one body building itself up in love. That’s a New Year’s resolution worth living into. Try it and see what happens.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your Incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

ANNUAL MEETING: Sunday, 8 January 2012 in Sutton Hall after the Eucharist. We’ll review 2011 and see what’s in store for 2012. We will also elect new members for the Bishop’s Committee and a representative and an alternate to the 163rd Diocesan Council.

DISCOVERY SERIES FOR CONFIRMATION: On 15 and 22 January 2012 we will study the Discovery Series in preparation for Confirmation on Sunday, 5 February with Bishop Harrison.

ART CLASSES on 13 and 14 January with Lee Runion. Back by popular demand, we’ll be making Stepping Stones! Friday will be “Art Class and Wine Glass.” The Saturday session begins at 10 a.m.

SACRED PLACES TOUR: St. Augustine will be on the tour this year. It is a wonderful opportunity to share our faith history with others. Please plan to be a part of it.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially those who are chronically ill, the lonely, the depressed, the unemployed, the ill and those who have no one to pray for them.

“In former times, God, who is without form or body, could never be depicted. But now when God is seen in the flesh conversing with men, I make an image of the God whom I see. I do not worship matter; I worship the Creator of matter who became matter for my sake.”—St. John of Damascus (676-749)

Your servant in Christ,

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