"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
1 Corinthians 10:13
__________________________
This Sunday's sermon by Fr. Scott focused on the Epistle Lesson from St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians as recorded in 1 Corinthians 10. He reminded us that all of Paul's letters were guided by the Holy Spirit and recorded for our instruction. Paul takes the Corinthians back to the time of Moses, relating God's actions during the Israelites's journey to the promised land to Jesus's actions on earth. Paul also parallels the bad actions of the Christian Corinthians with the bad actions of the Israelites. Both Paul and Fr. Scott close by reminding us God is faithful, will receive us back, and help us fight off temptations.
Please find his complete sermon and the service on our YouTube channel:
Thank you Fr. Scott for that very thoughtful sermon!
____________________________
After services, we all went outside to help Earl decide where to place the name plaques in the Memorial Garden!!
Thank you Earl for all your hard work (and patience) as we worked out the best location!
He only looks a little tired after all that decision making!
After all that hard work, we enjoyed our monthly potluck lunch!
I think Anne particularly enjoyed lunch!
Thank you to everyone for bringing food to share! It was all wonderful!
___________________________
On this past Saturday, Fr. Scott opened our congregational meeting with a prayer and opening remarks.
Our Senior Warden, Scott, led us through several questions including 'Who are we now?' and 'What does God want us to be'?
Thank you to everyone who came out on a Saturday morning and shared their thoughts about the future of St. Peter's!
____________________________
Regular adult Christian Education will resume on Sunday, August 21 at 10 am.
____________________________
Scott and Sue received the following note from Ming!
"I’m writing to invite you and everyone at St. Peter's to a piano recital I’ll be giving at my home church, Central Baptist in Johnson City, on the 21st, 4PM. I’ll be playing primarily Bach’s Partita No. 4 and Beethoven’s Sonata Op.110, but I may also throw in some hymns and short pieces by Arvo Pärt, especially because we’re trying to inaugurate the new Estonia concert grand that the church purchased recently. It’s handmade, and has an extraordinary sound!"
Also, while Ming is in town, he will join us for services both on Sunday August 21 and Sunday August 28. Such a treat to hear Ming play both in a recital and at St. Peter's again! Also, looking forward to hearing about his seminarian studies and his plans for the future!
_____________________
Dan sent these beautiful pictures from his recent trip to Panama!
He also shared the following about 'Panama hats' as told to him by one of his tour guides:
What we call the Panama hat was because of Theodore Roosevelt getting a little hot when he visited Panama during the canal’s construction. When Roosevelt requested a hat to shade himself from the hot sun, he was given a hat that was readily available. The hat he was given was really an Ecuadorian hat. But, since Teddy was in Panama and was wearing a new and different hat given to him by Panamanians, that style of hat became known outside of Panama as the Panama hat.
The true Panama hat is made in a small area near Chitre. They are a unique type of striped sombrero that is handmade by a small number, maybe 100, of artisans. Their trade is generational.
One hat takes many days to make and more than one maker can contribute to one hat. Hats range in price from around $50 to $300 depending on the quality of craftsmanship, specifically the tightness of the weave, the number of rows and the alignment of the band on the inside of the hat.
The hat is more than protection from the weather. It is a form of communication in this culture. Men typically have three hats; one for daily wear, one for work, and one for special occasions.
How the hat brim is turned communicates to others what the wearer wants to convey.
- Brim turned up front and back: successful peasant
- Front down, back up: intellectual
- Front up, back down: womanizer
- Rim flat all the way around: just sun protection
- Rim flat, hat tilted over the eyes: sadness, mourning
Believe it or not, when Steve (a tour friend) and I were walking through the pueblo of Las Tablas near where these hats were being sold, a young man, maybe late teens, briskly walked by me brushing me on the left side. As he passed me I noticed that he was wearing a Panama hat like above. I also noticed that the brim was turned up in the front and turned down in the back. Hmmmm, I think I know what that guy is hunting for. Before I could get my Spanish language bearings together to ask him to stop so that I could take a picture of him, he was down the sidewalk a ways, definitely on a mission.
Thank you, Dan, so much for sharing your pictures and your experiences! It is wonderful to have you back and thanking God for your safe travels!
________________________
Dan also sent me the following information about the daughter and son-in-law of their friends, Travis and Gay, who visited St. Peter's earlier this year. It is a lovely article about the recovery of the area from the devastating Dixie fire in 2021 and starting a flower farm to bring beauty back into the area! Also, it shows some of the beautiful area that Laurel and Dan lived in.
__________________________
The Mission Committee has scheduled a maintenance day to complete some yard work around the church for Saturday, Sept. 17 @ 9:00 am. The work includes preparing a path from the lower lot staircase to the front porch, trimming bushes, picking up trash around the property, pulling weeds, and generally sprucing up the yard.
Please join us as we keep the church looking nice! Please bring your garden tools (shovels, hedge trimmers, clippers, weed wackers, rakes, etc...).
________________________
