Our Annual Congregational Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, November 21 after services. Please plan to attend as we will be approving a budget for next year, voting on amending the by-laws, and electing new members to the Mission Committee. After the meeting we plan to eat pizza and decorate the sanctuary for Advent!
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"Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." Matthew 9:22
Fr. Scott's sermon discussed the Gospel lesson for the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity (Matthew 9:18-26 BCP p. 224), which describes both the healing of a woman with a bleeding disorder and the healing of an ill/dead daughter of a local ruler. These incidents are found in all three of the synoptic Gospels with each Gospel writer including different details. Mark's account calls the father by the name Jairus and defines him as a synagogue ruler. Therefore, Jairus was ending his religious career by coming to Jesus. Luke's account describes Jairus's daughter as a young girl about 12 years old. Luke also describes the large crowds pressing in on Jesus and his disciples as they go with Jairus. In the crowds is the woman who has been afflicted with an undefined blood issue for 12 years. According to Jewish Law she is therefore ritually unclean and must separate from her community and not be touched. She was taking a huge risk by being in the crowd and could have been killed for violating the uncleanness laws by touching Jesus. Luke records the woman was trembling and fell down at our Lord's feet when Jesus turned to her. Our Lord, who constantly challenged the social norms of the cleanliness laws, did not mind that she had touched Him and told her that her faith had made her whole.
Arriving at Jairus's house, the servants assure them that the daughter has died. The servants even laughed at our Lord when He suggested otherwise. Again our Lord challenged the cleanliness laws by taking the dead girl's hand. She was restored to life and our Lord's fame grew throughout the land.
These stories enhance each other more than if they were recorded as separate stories. Please note, Our Lord has more than enough grace for whatever comes His way. He didn't refuse those without appointments or those that interrupted Him. Remember we are His mission! You are never bothering our Lord as you meet Him on the road, in the Church, at the behest of someone else, or even when you are not looking. He will come to you. Next note, the little girl had been alive only 12 years before rapidly declining while the woman had suffered for 12 years with both her health and her isolation. Therefore, no matter where you find yourself with your concerns and suffering, whether the problem has just come upon you or you have carried your burden for decades, you are not forgotten. No matter where you are God wants to have an encounter with you. As you come to the Altar of God, imagine the gift of access we have been given to our Lord and feel the power of Christ come into your life; may it be of good comfort for you as your faith makes you whole.
Please find Fr. Scott's complete sermon at the 22:11 minute mark at the following link:
Thank you Fr. Scott for the wonderful sermon.
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During Christian Education this Sunday, Fr. Scott reviewed information about the Season of Advent. Advent is the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. The first Sunday of Advent is considered the beginning of the new Church year. The purposes of the Advent season are to experience the time before Christ as the people of the Old Testament did and as a time of preparation leading up to a major feast. The color of Advent is purple, mirroring Lent and Advent is known as the Little or Lesser Lent.
Christian practices during Advent include Advent wreathes (originally a Lutheran practice), nativity scenes (St. Francis was first to do a live nativity scene), Advent Fairs, and Advent Trees (left mostly bare until Christmas Eve). During Advent we also remember St. Nicholas (precursor to St. Nick or Santa Claus) on Dec. 6 and St. Lucy (3rd century martyr who had her eyes gouged out) on Dec. 13.
The 'O Antiphons' are used on the last 7 days leading up to Christmas:
O Sapientia (Wisdom)
O Adonai (Lord)
O radix Jesse (Root of Jesse)
O clavis David (Key of David)
O oriens (Morning Star)
O rex Gentium (King of Nations)
O Emmanual
These are given to us most famously in the hymn O come, O come Emmanual!
Traditional services include Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve - all feasts have an 'Eve' because they begin at Sundown the day before. Also, the Feast of Epiphany on January 6, known as Three Kings Day, was originally when gifts were given.
During our conversations about Advent, we thought it would be fun to share pictures of our at home Advent wreathes. If you have an Advent wreath you would like to share, please send me a picture during Advent! More information to follow!
Thank you Fr. Scott for that fun lesson!
Please note - next Sunday there will not be a Sunday school class.
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After services, Rose Marie and Carole served a wonderful lunch of tacos, fruit salad, and homemade cake!
Thank you both for the wonderful food!
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Earlier this week, St. Peter's welcomed Deborah, Matt, and their children to East Tennessee. We brought food and helped them unload their moving truck.
Matt's brother joined them for the drive out from California and the unpacking!
Confirming this is indeed 'a small world', Dan and Laurel went to church with Deborah at an Anglican Church in California before she got married!
Thank you to everyone for all the help with both the food and the unloading!
As we were leaving, Diane went over to introduce herself to Deborah and Matt's neighbors.....
They seem very stoic!
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Before going to help with the moving, Lynn, Rose Marie, Carole, Sue, and I met in the Parish Hall to do some rearranging. We wanted to make the most of the space we have! We moved benches, bookcases, and the coffee table.
Thank you all for all your help! I think we came up with a good solution - come check out the final layout and let us know what you think!
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This Christmas St. Peter's is supporting the Marine's Toys for Tot's program. On Sunday, Nov. 28 at 11 am - just before the start of services, several marines in dress blues are coming to pick up our collection boxes! So be sure to have your gifts in the collection boxes before then!
Below is a link to the Johnson City Toys for Tot's FAQ's. They do not provide a list of recommended toys, instead ask us to use our judgement in selecting toys for 5 -12 year old children.
The toys must be new and unwrapped.
Thank you for all your generosity!
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The Symphony of the Mountains is having their 'By The Fireside' Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 4 at 3 pm at the Meadowview Marriott Resort in Kingsport. Rose Marie and Earl have invited us to their house for appetizers and refreshments before the concert, starting at 12:30. Please let Rose Marie know if you are coming and what appetizer you plan to bring. Ticket prices for the concert are $25 each (checks payable to The Symphony of the Mountains). Please let Scott know by Sunday, Nov 21 if you are interested in attending so he can reserve the tickets.
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Sue continues to lead our weekly online prayer group on Tuesday at 11:30. Thank you so much Sue for taking the time each week to lead our prayers! If you have a special prayer request but cannot join us, please send your request to Sue. Please contact me (Rosalind) if you would like to join us on Discord.
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Many of us do our holiday shopping at Amazon. Please remember to go to:
smile.amazon.com
and select Saint Peter the Apostle Anglican Catholic Church as your charity to generate donations for Saint Peter's. (Please note the church location will be listed as Blountville as that is where St. Peter's was incorporated.)
There is no additional cost to you but we receive a small percentage of each purchase when we are selected!
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November Activities
Tues., Nov. 16 11:30 Online Prayer Group
Sun., Nov. 21 11 am Holy Communion, Fr. Scott
(cash plate to Fr. Scott’s discretionary fund)
noon - Annual Congregational Meeting
1 pm – pizza lunch / decorate church for Advent
Tues., Nov. 23 11:30 Online Prayer Group
Sun., Nov. 28 10 am Christian Education, Fr. Scott
11 am - Marines picking up Toys for Tots
Holy Communion, Fr. Scott
Tues., Nov. 30 11:30 Online Prayer Group
December Activities
Sat., Dec 4 12:30 pm Appetizers at the Dunn’s
3 pm The Symphony of the Mountains
‘By The Fireside Concert’
Sun., Dec. 5 10 am Christian Education, Fr. Scott
11 am Holy Communion, Fr. Scott
Tues., Dec. 7 11:30 Online Prayer Group
Sun., Dec. 12 10 am Christian Education, Fr. Scott
11 am Holy Communion, Fr. Scott
Tues., Dec14 11:30 Online Prayer Group
Sun., Dec. 19 11 am - Lessons and Carols Service, Fr. Scott
Symphony of the Mountains String Quartet
Refreshment & Appetizers
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