Everything We Need Is Given To Us

Today’s Epistle reading is taken from the first Second of Peter. It is a short letter with a dual purpose: (1) to discuss Christ’s second coming (a good Advent theme), and (2) to warn against false teachers. Although tradition has it that Peter wrote it, even the Church Fathers in the first few hundred years of Christianity thought that it was written not by Peter but by someone who was taught by Peter. This type of writing and attribution was common during that time, and the Church recognizes that it has the authentic stamp of apostolic teaching. Today we read:

Simeon 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 Pet. 1: 1-11).

The core of today’s message is found in the beginning: “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.” Not just some things that we need, but everything that you and I need to live holy lives is given to us by Christ. What more do we need but to follow where Jesus leads us? During this third week of Advent that is something to rejoice about as we prepare our hearts to rejoice Jesus who gives us all that we need.

Let us pray: Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE SATURDAY’S BBQ FUNDRAISER AN UNMATCHED SUCCESS! Thank you to Neil Strawder who came home to help and who brought all of his BBQ buddies with him, and thank you to each and every one of you who made this work. St. Augustine is blessed with people who are filled with the Holy Spirit and who work to build God’s Kingdom in our part of the world. Melva will have the final accounting, but from the initial numbers, it appears that St. Augustine’s has outdone itself! Here is a link to the Houston Press article on the event and St. Augustine’s:
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2010/12/neil_bigmista_strawder_returns.php

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Christmas Eve Eucharist: 24 December at 5:00 p.m.

Adult Christian Formation: The Advent series continues next Sunday.

Bishop’s Committee Meeting: Next Sunday.

Please remember everyone on our prayer list, especially, Cindi, Carol, John and Lee.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Do Not Fret; Trust in the Lord; Delight in the Lord; Commit Your Way to the Lord; Be Still, and Refrain from Anger.

One of the appointed Psalms for today is Psalm 37:

Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers,
for they will soon fade like the grass,
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make your vindication shine like the light,
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land,
and delight in abundant prosperity.
The wicked plot against the righteous,
and gnash their teeth at them;
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that their day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to kill those who walk uprightly;
their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
Better is a little that the righteous person has
than the abundance of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will abide for ever.

The Psalmist offers wise advise for the holidays as many of us get stressed out over all that “has to be done” as you battle parking lots, angry shoppers, and demanding family members. The Psalmist tells us:

do not fret;

trust in the Lord;

delight in the Lord;

commit your way to the Lord;

be still, and

refrain from anger.

So take some time today to rest in the Lord. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for all that Jesus has done for you. Remember the reason for the season is Jesus Christ.

Let us pray: Gracious Father, as we prepare for the coming of Your Son, send the Holy Spirit to still our hearts so that we may revel in the joyous wonder of the Incarnation, remembering that You loved us so much that You sent Your only begotten Son to be one of us in every way. Amen.

THE BIG MISTA BBQ FUND RAISER FOR THE COMMUNITY GARDEN IS SATURDAY!

Welcome home Neil!

It is almost here—the BBQ fundraiser for the Community Garden, Saturday, 11 December. Melva Pope has tickets, so please pick some up for friends and family. So far we have orders for 19 whole briskets!

We will also have cards of the Church available (great to use as Christmas cards), and shell Christmas wreaths.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Please remember to sign-up for Sunday Fellowship.

Adult Christian Formation during the weeks of Advent at 11:00 a.m.: “Looking Back, Looking Forward and at the Present: Christmas, the Final Judgment and Prophets”.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Cindi Clack and Carol Freeman.

Your servant in Christ,

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

St. Ambrose

Today the Church remembers St. Ambrose who was instrumental in St. Augustine of Hippo’s life. James Kiefer writes:

Ambrose was governor of Northern Italy in the capital of Milan. When the Diocese of Milan fell vacant, it seemed likely that rioting would result, since the city was evenly divided between Arians and Athanasians. (Note: St. Athanasius taught that the Logos or Word (John 1:1) is fully God in the same sense that the Father is. There was a group that thought that the Word (the Second person of the Trinity) was the first being created by the Father. They are known as Arians. East Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Reformed, Baptists, Methodists followed St. Athanasius.)

Ambrose went to the meeting where the election was to take place, and appealed to the crowd for order and good will on both sides. He ended up being elected bishop with the support of both sides. He gave away his wealth, and lived in simplicity. By his preaching, he converted the diocese to the Athanasian position, except for the Goths and some members of the Imperial Household.

The Emperor was enraged by a crowd who defied him, and he ordered them all killed by his soldiers. When the Emperor next came to Church, Ambrose met him at the door and said, "You may not come in. There is blood on your hands." The Emperor agreed to do public penance and to promise that thereafter he would never carry out a sentence of death without a forty-day delay after pronouncing it.

Ambrose was largely responsible for the conversion of St. Augustine. In fact, Bishop Ambrose baptized Augustine.

Ambrose died on 4 April 397, but because this date so often falls in Holy Week or Easter Week, he is commonly remembered on the anniversary of his consecration as bishop, 7 December.

St. Ambrose is regarded as one of the Eight Great Doctors or Teachers of the Church. The list includes four Latin or Western Doctors: Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great, and four Greek or Eastern Doctors: Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, and Gregory of Nazianzus.

The collect for the day: O God, who gave your servant Ambrose grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and faithfulness in ministering your Word, that your people may be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

THE PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH WILL VISIT ST. AUGUSTINE’S TO CELEBRATE THE EUCHARIST ON SUNDAY, 16 JANUARY 2011.

“Who could believe what we have heard, to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Is. 53:1-2). I think that was everyone’s reaction when we heard the news, but yes, the Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, will visit the Island and celebrate the Eucharist with us. What a blessing this is to not only our faith community at St. Augustine, but to everyone on the Island.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY

During this Advent Season and as the Spirit moves you, please consider offering your assistance to these three organizations: (1) Lord of the Streets needs warm men’s clothing; (2) St. Vincent’s House needs food for its pantry, and (3) Ronald McDonald House needs food for those who stay at the center while their children are undergoing treatment. You can bring the goods for these organizations to St. Augustine’s and we will distribute them.

PEARL HARBOR DAY

Please remember in your prayers today everyone who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor on this day.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Please remember to sign-up for Sunday Fellowship.

Adult Christian Formation during the weeks of Advent at 11:00 a.m.: “Looking Back, Looking Forward and at the Present: Christmas, the Final Judgment and Prophets”.

It is almost here—the BBQ fundraiser for the Community Garden, Saturday, 11 December. Melva Pope has tickets, so please pick some up for friends and family.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Cindi Clack and Carol Freeman.

Your servant in Christ,

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

God Hears the Cry of the Afflicted

One of the appointed Psalms for today is Psalm 9:

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
When my enemies turned back,
they stumbled and perished before you.
For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.
You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;
their cities you have rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.
But the Lord sits enthroned for ever,
he has established his throne for judgment.
He judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with equity.
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
Declare his deeds among the peoples.
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
Be gracious to me, O Lord.
See what I suffer from those who hate me;
you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
so that I may recount all your praises,
and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
rejoice in your deliverance.
The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish for ever.
Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.
Put them in fear, O Lord;
let the nations know that they are only human.

One of the major Old Testament themes is found in Psalm 9: “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” God makes it clear that He is concerned for the poor, the stranger, the widow and the orphan. God is their protector and God expects us to take up His cause. The Psalmist reminds us this morning that God “does not forget the cry of the afflicted.”

Not only during Advent when we are particularly watchful for the Lord not only in the future but in the present, you and I have the opportunity to be God’s champions for those in need. You and I can minister to the people who call Lord of the Streets home, or to those who seek food and medical care at St. Vincent’s House, or to those who need a place to rest at Ronald McDonald House when a little one is under serious medical care. During this Advent and after, be mindful of those in need. And if you are able, please place a can of beans or a bag of rice in the boxes provided. Be the ears of Christ to hear the cry of the afflicted.

THE PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH WILL VISIT ST. AUGUSTINE’S TO CELEBRATE THE EUCHARIST ON SUNDAY, 16 JANUARY 2011.

“Who could believe what we have heard, to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Is. 53:1-2). I think that was everyone’s reaction when we heard the news, but yes, the Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, will visit the Island and celebrate the Eucharist with us. What a blessing this is to not only our faith community at St. Augustine, but to everyone on the Island.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY

During this Advent Season and as the Spirit moves you, please consider offering your assistance to these three organizations: (1) Lord of the Streets needs warm men’s clothing; (2) St. Vincent’s House needs food for its pantry, and (3) Ronald McDonald House needs food for those who stay at the center while their children are undergoing treatment. You can bring the goods for these organizations to St. Augustine’s and we will distribute them.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Please remember to sign-up for Sunday Fellowship.

Adult Christian Formation during the weeks of Advent at 11:00 a.m.: “Looking Back, Looking Forward and at the Present: Christmas, the Final Judgment and Prophets”.

The day is drawing near, Big Mista BBQ fundraiser for the Community Garden, Saturday, 11 December. Melva Pope has tickets, so please pick some up for friends and family.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Cindi Clack and Carol Freeman.

Your servant in Christ,

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

We Are Called to Become Holy

Today’s Epistle reading is a continuation of the First Letter to the Thessalonians where Paul writes:

Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you knows how to control your own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one wrongs or exploits a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly towards outsiders and be dependent on no one. (1 Thes. 4: 1-12).

Paul’s message is this: God desires that you and I become holy. We can never fully get there in this life, and Paul realizes that. He tells us that we need to live in love toward our brothers and sisters and “to do so more and more”. Life is a journey; it is a process of growth. You and I are called by God to become more and more Christ like. Each day is another step in that process. With the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit, let us make each day a holy one.

Let us pray: O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY

During this Advent Season and as the Spirit moves you, please consider offering your assistance to these three organizations: (1) Lord of the Streets needs warm men’s clothing; (2) St. Vincent’s House needs food for its pantry, and (3) Ronald McDonald House needs food for those who stay at the center while their children are undergoing treatment. You can bring the goods for these organizations to St. Augustine’s and we will distribute them.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Please remember to sign-up for Sunday Fellowship.

Join Lee Runion who will offer an art class on making Christmas decorations this Saturday, 4 December, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. He is a wonderful teacher and it is a great opportunity to be creative even for those of us who may be challenged in that area. Bring the kids; they will have a wonderful time!

Adult Christian Formation during the weeks of Advent at 11:00 a.m.: “Looking Back, Looking Forward and at the Present: Christmas, the Final Judgment and Prophets”.

The day is drawing near, Big Mista BBQ fundraiser for the Community Garden, Saturday, 11 December. Melva Pope has tickets, so please pick some up for friends and family.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Carol Freeman, Jo and Karen as they travel home and Pat Tate.

Your servant in Christ,

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

A Special Relationship

In today’s Epistle selection from Thessalonians, we hear about Paul’s great love for those he ministered to and their love of him:

Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we decided to be left alone in Athens; and we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for. In fact, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer persecution; so it turned out, as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith; I was afraid that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor had been in vain.

But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love. He has told us also that you always remember us kindly and long to see us—just as we long to see you. For this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith. For we now live, if you continue to stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. (1 Thes. 3:1-13).

From the context of the letter, we can see that persecution is in the air. Paul is concerned for those he ministered to and he sends Timothy to minister to them. Timothy comes back with encouraging news for Paul: his former congregation is strong in the faith! Paul is elated.

There is a special relationship between a congregation and its minister. It is a relationship bound in Christ’s love and in prayer. From the minister’s perspective, there is nothing greater than to have a congregation that is filled with God’s love living out Jesus’ call to discipleship. I believe that all Episcopal priests pray earnestly for those whom they serve. We pray that those in our care may find joy and fulfillment as sons and daughters of God saved by Jesus Christ and live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is an awesome responsibility. In the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, at the ordination of a priest the Bishop would charge the ordinand: “Have always therefore printed in your remembrance, how great a treasure is committed to your charge. For they are the sheep of Christ, which he bought with his death, and for whom he shed his blood. The Church and Congregation whom you must serve, is his Spouse, and his Body. And if it shall happen that the same Church, or any Member thereof, do take any hurt or hindrance by reason of your negligence, ye know the greatness of the fault, and also the horrible punishment that will ensue.” What a powerful reminder to us who serve as your clergy.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY

During this Advent Season and as the Spirit moves you, please consider offering your assistance to these three organizations: (1) Lord of the Streets needs warm men’s clothing; (2) St. Vincent’s House needs food for its pantry, and (3) Ronald McDonald House needs food for those who stay at the center while their children are undergoing treatment. You can bring the goods for these organizations to St. Augustine’s and we will distribute them.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Please remember to sign-up for Sunday Fellowship.

Adult Christian Formation during the weeks of Advent at 11:00 a.m.: “Looking Back, Looking Forward and at the Present: Christmas, the Final Judgment and Prophets”.

Join Lee Runion who will offer an art class on making Christmas decorations on Saturday, 4 December from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. He is a wonderful teacher and it is a great opportunity to be creative even for those of us who may be challenged in that area.

The day is drawing near, Big Mista BBQ fundraiser for the Community Garden, Saturday, 11 December. Melva Pope has tickets, so please pick some up for friends and family.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Carol Freeman, Jo and Karen as they travel home and Pat Tate.

Your servant in Christ,

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

Nicholas Ferrar & Family

Today the Church remembers Nicholas Ferrar who lived from 1592 to 1637. He was a man of prayer, a scholar, a business man, a family man, and the founder of a religious community. He was ordained deacon in the Church of England.

The Ferrar family was deeply involved in the London Virginia Company. His family home was often visited by Sir Walter Raleigh, half-brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert.

In 1626 Nicholas Ferrar and his extended family left London and moved to the deserted village of Little Gidding in Huntingdonshire. The household was centred on the Ferrar family: Nicholas's mother, his brother John Ferrar (with his wife Bathsheba and their children), and his sister Susanna (and her husband John Collett and their children). They bought the manor of Little Gidding and restored the abandoned little church for their use. The household always had someone at prayer. They tended to the health and education of local children, and Nicholas and his family produced harmonies of the gospels that survive today as some of the finest in Britain.

Nicholas Ferrar died on 4 December 1637, but the family continued their way of life without him, and the religious life only ended in 1657 on the deaths, within a month, of John Ferrar and Susanna Collett.

The Puritans criticized the Ferrars’ way of life as being “monastic”. However, the Ferrars never lived a formal religious life: there was no Rule, vows were not taken, and there was no enclosure. In this sense there was no “community” at Little Gidding, but rather a family living a Christian life in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer according to the Church’s principles.

Nicholas and his family serve as an example for us today. They were an ordinary family whose lives centered on living a life of prayer as a family. This life of prayer led them to care for the community around them.

The collect for the day: Lord God, make us so reflect your perfect love; that, with your deacon Nicholas Ferrar and his household, we may rule ourselves according to your Word, and serve you with our whole heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY

During this Advent Season and as the Spirit moves you, please consider offering your assistance to these three organizations: (1) Lord of the Streets needs warm men’s clothing; (2) St. Vincent’s House needs food for its pantry, and (3) Ronald McDonald House needs food for those who stay at the center while their children are undergoing treatment. You can bring the goods for these organizations to St. Augustine’s and we will distribute them.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Today is World AIDS Day. There are activities a the Island Community Center on Broadway from 1 to 5 p.m. today.

Please remember to sign-up for Sunday Fellowship.

Adult Christian Formation during the weeks of Advent at 11:00 a.m.: “Looking Back, Looking Forward and at the Present: Christmas, the Final Judgment and Prophets”.

Join Lee Runion who will offer an art class on making Christmas decorations on Saturday, 4 December from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. He is a wonderful teacher and it is a great opportunity to be creative even for those of us who may be challenged in that area.

The day is drawing near, Big Mista BBQ fundraiser for the Community Garden, Saturday, 11 December. Melva Pope has tickets, so please pick some up for friends and family.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Carol Freeman, Jo and Karen as they travel home and Pat Tate.

Your servant in Christ,

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