Special Thanks edition for Sunday's celebration and birthday brunch.

A colorful community for a colorful room at Legacy

Welcome this Sunday: Catholic Mass with coffee & juice, and pastries, some bought, some home-made. 

Time: 9:30; Celebrate with the Community  & John Cade, Mike Carrell,  &  Stack  

Place: Legacy Charter School,  601 Accent Drive, Plano, TX 75075

WOW!  Where to begin.

We have heard that people discover that the Blog has stopped coming.  Typepad tends to drop people for no reason.  So if this happens to you, just sign up again by going to www.johnstackministries.com

I would like one of each, please.

Readings:

Malachi, 1-4,  I am sending my messenger to prepare the way.

Psalm 24.  Who is this king of glory?  It is the Lord.

Hebrews 2, 14-18,  He was able to help.

Luke 2, 22-40, The Presentation

Thanks, Jackie, for The Best Cake.

Activities:  

ROMEO MEET: Friday, January 31, 2020,   Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in.  

Better hurry up before it is all gone!

JULIETS

Lunch with the Juliets

Hi Ladies

We all are looking forward to a great Valentines Luncheon Friday, February 7th at 12:30.  We will meet at Cafe Amoire 600 N. Coit Road Richardson (Coit and Arapaho) It is a BYOB.  

Please let me know who will be joining us. Looking forward to celebrating Valentines Day.  Per the owner, reservations are required.

Have a good day,  Marilyn

972-491-7068

Anything left?

True?

60 MIGHT BE THE NEW 40, BUT 9:00 IS THE NEW MIDNIGHT…   (and 80??)

Kenny, did you eat all the guacamole?

What's up in Ye Old Catholic Church?  Like…

Francis is dragging the Church into the new century,

https://international.la-croix.com/news/francis-is-dragging-the-church-kicking-and-screaming-into-the-20th-century/11521

Here comes trouble!

Swap Sunday, February 16th, "It's still good, but I don't want it, you can have it".  Gather all your good stuff that you can't use anymore and bring it with you on 2/16.  Everything's free.  

See you Sunday, J.S.

214-783-0443

Anybody know these characters?

JSM Mission-Faith Statement: 

 Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for and challenges spiritual and total growth.

Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged and make the world we live in a better place to live.

And the banner says, Aged to Perfection.  No laughter, please.

Readings:

Nehemiah 8, 2-10,  Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks.

Psalm 19,  Your words, Lord, are spirit and life.

1 Corinthians 12, 4-11, Now, the body is not a single part, but many.

John 2, 1-11, He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor and liberty to captives.

Ready to begin.

 For those who don’t have a decent Bible or a book of the readings, here are two links that I use, The Bible at Your Fingertips (http://st-luke-church.org/bible-at-finger-tips.php) and USCCB, The New American Bible (http://www.usccb.org/).  

The difference?  The first is Protestant more or less, and the second is officially Catholic and has the 12 little books in between the O.T. & N.T., called Deuterocanonical or Apocrypha. 

Both are good translations.  

Cupcakes of The Week, Mike, John, Sir Charlie, Rick, and Michelle and Torri standing in for Randolph.

Nehemiah

 The book of Nehemiah takes place at the end of the Babylonian captivity.  Three main characters play roles, though the first two are not mentioned in today’s reading.  Cyrus is the benevolent ruler who defeated the Babylonians.  Then he gives the Jews permission to return to their homeland and Jerusalem.

 Nehemiah is the Jew Cyrus puts in charge of restoring the city of Jerusalem and the temple.  It was Cyrus who appointed Nehemiah the governor of the new Jerusalem.  Nehemiah was not a prophet, but a governor. 

 Ezra, the central character of today’s reading, is a priest & law scholar. 

We arrive on the scene after Nehemiah has established Jerusalem.  The people have assembled in the town center and asked Ezra to read to them the law that orders their new lives.  We hear part of the reading, a part that emphasizes rejoicing.

 This the only time in the 3 year church cycle of readings that we have a selection from Nehemiah.  Did he do something wrong? 

Meredith

1 Corinthinians 12

 During the time of Paul, the Greek city of Corinth was almost as significant as Athens.  Paul had established a community there and in his letter he is offering his advice to the people. 

 Chapter 13 is Paul’s famous letter about love being kind & patient.  Chapter 12, our reading today, offers an almost amusing analogy of the community to a body.  We are parts of the body and consequently we are important, making our unique contributions.  

 Sources: Good News Bible

Kate Banzhaf, age 26

Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain

Rose Banzhaf and the family put a note on Kate’s bulletin that says, “Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.”  I would like to talk about this in relation to events I saw at Kate’s funeral.   While the events were tragic and tearful, on at least five occasions I saw dancing in the rain.  These are the occasions.

Emil talking about Kate.

At the viewing on the Wednesday afternoon before the Thursday funeral, I was standing at the door of the funeral home, opening the door, and welcoming the people arriving.

At one point, I see Emil and his two oldest children, two boys about 6 and 4.  He also has a little girl and another son on the way in March.  Emil was leading his boys up the aisle to visit Kate.  I followed them up, put my hand on Emil’s back, and heard something like the following.

Emil invites Kate's 3rd grade class to sit around Kate.

“My sons, we have here the body of Kate.  Her spirit is not here because it is with God in his house.  Kate is happy in God’s house.  Without doubt she misses the opportunity to play with you two.  She is also delighted that someday your spirits and all those of the family will be with her.  She says you may touch her, if you would like.  Her body is cool, because her spirit is now at God’s house.  Thanks for coming to visit me.  I love you.”  A jewel of an event.

The kids were beautiful.

All of us can fear death, even from our childhood.  Emil was normalizing death for his sons and letting them know they don’t have to fear it.

Also at the viewing, I witnessed George not only sharing his own tears, but consoling his older son, Simon, who was grieving intensely for his aunt Kate.  Instead of telling Simon to shut up and be a man, George encouraged Simon and embraced him.  Another jewel of an event.

George saying he will dance if they will smile at him. They did and he did. Emil holds Charlotte, his youngest of 3 for the moment.

The next day at the funeral all four of the Banzhaf siblings spoke together.  Pete shared beautifully at the start when Emil could not begin because of his tears.

When Emil began he invited all the 3^rd grade kids in Kate’s class to come up and sit on the floor around Kate.  Then he read the St. Francis Prayer that starts out, “Make me a channel of your peace.”  Another jewel of an event.  Will those kids not remember that moment forever!

George holds Simon.

Then George talked and picked up on a habit Kate had of dancing for her kids when a kid had a good answer or did something that delighted her.  Even the kids were invited to dance occasionally.  Guess what George did through his tears.  Yep, you guessed it.

In honor of Kate's memory of dancing for her kids, Kim invites the whole crowd to stand and dance for 30 seconds. Emil is caught in the act.

He invited all the teachers from Kate’s school to stand up.  About 30 were there.  The kids were still sitting around Kate.  George says to them, if you smile at me, I’ll dance for you.  They did and he did.  Another jewel.

Pete with Emil, the oldest and youngest sons.

Then, to top it off, Kim.  After a delightful sharing of her feelings and life with Kate, her twin sister, guess what.   Yep, Kim says, “In honor of Kate, who was really not a great dancer but had great passion in her dancing, Everybody stand up and let’s dance for 30 seconds.”  And they did. 

How do you dance in the rain?

Rose and Wally with Charlotte.

Readings: 2 Samuel 12, 7-13; Psalm 32, Lord, Forgive the Wrong I have done: Galatians 2, 16, 19-21; Luke 7, 36-8, 3.

Sunday Homily 6-13-10, 11^th Ordinary Time

Preliminary observations:

The First reading today is from the Second Book of Samuel and it is about King David.  The Jewish people had reached a time in their history when they wanted to be just like their neighbors, who all had kings!! 

The prophets viewed it as not a good thing but basically we find Yahweh saying “let them have their king”, and so Saul is the first king and he is followed by David.  David is one of those huge figures in the Old Testament, and even gets mentioned frequently in the New Testament since Jesus was from the house of David. 

King David was a very interesting character, very human and very much loved by Yahweh.  The time frame for this is about the year 1000 BCE.  Before we listen to today’s reading I need to set it up.  The Book of Samuel, if it were being reviewed today by those who do those things would get an “Adult Only” rating.  I don’t want you to let your kids read this book, it is full of sinning and murder and other bad stuff!!

One day David is out walking around on the roof of his palace and he sees Bathseba bathing.  He takes a fancy to her, but she is already married.  No problem if you are the king.  He simply has her husband Uriah sent to the front lines of a battle where he is killed.  Getting a woman to be your wife this way is not good, even if you are the king, and God gets a little upset!!  Now just before our passage today we have the following piece in the Book of Samuel and I want to read it to you.

“The LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he came to him, he said: "Judge this case for me! In a certain town there were two men, one rich, the other poor.  The rich man had flocks and herds in great numbers.  But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He nourished her, and she grew up with him and his children. She shared the little food he had and drank from his cup and slept in his bosom. She was like a daughter to him. 

Now, the rich man received a visitor, but he would not take from his own flocks and herds to prepare a meal for the wayfarer who had come to him. Instead he took the poor man's ewe lamb and made a meal of it for his visitor."

David grew very angry with that man and said to Nathan: "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this merits death!  He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he has done this and has had no pity." 

Then Nathan said to David: "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I anointed you king of Israel. I rescued you from the hand of Saul.  I gave you your lord's house and your lord's wives for your own. I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.  Why have you spurned the LORD and done evil in his sight? You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you took his wife as your own, and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.  Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.'”

Our Second Reading is Paul to the Galatians, and Paul is very upset.  Remember first that Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles.  Initially in the early community the thinking had been that when someone who was a Gentile became a Christian all they had to do was be baptized, then the requirement to become a Jew was added, namely circumcision. 

Paul had come to the opinion, based on his revelation of the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, that baptism was all that was needed.  There was a whole lot of friction between Paul and the Church in Jerusalem who felt that Sabbath Observance, Dietary Laws and Circumcision were required.  In today’s reading we hear a phrase from Paul, “justified by works of the Law” that meant obeying the Torah law.  For Paul, having Christ in him was all that was needed, namely having a relationship with Christ.

Eleventh Sunday – Homily

The message today is primarily about forgiveness, but I want to begin before forgiveness with a session on sin, which I am an expert on!!  Because the practice of frequent confession seems to have disappeared there is a danger that we could lull ourselves into thinking that sin too has gone away, and I’m afraid that this would be a big mistake on our part.  Lets start with what sin is. 

Any action, which damages our relationship, either with God or another person, is sinful.  Now that kind of statement is pretty sterile on its own, so lets try to put some flesh on it.  Imagine you have someone in your life who loves you very very much.  Now you have done something, which hurts them, accidentally or not, it doesn’t ever matter.  Imagine how you would feel. 

The problem with our sins is that I’m afraid we don’t realize how much we are loved by God, for some reason it just doesn’t really sink in enough, because if it did, then sin would devastate us.  It seems to me that woman in our Gospel was very aware of what her sins were doing.  For some unexplained reason, maybe listening to Jesus speak somewhere, and it hit her.  We clearly see her response. 

David has a clear vision of his sin.  Paul is taking the position that if Christ is living in us, than we are alright, we are forgiven, and we don’t need to be doing extra things.  The hard piece for us to understand is that God’s love for us is so great that we are forgiven, even before we ask for forgiveness.  That doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for sin.  We know there are.  David’s son died because of his father’s sin, the woman in the gospel story was an outcast in her society. 

The lesson for me in today’s liturgy of the word is how closely am I aware of my sins, and the need to change sinful behavior?  Just because I am forgiven thru God’s love doesn’t mean I can just continue to sin.  If I truly love someone, would I want to continue hurting them just because they readily forgave me?

Picture 1:  Mass Begins, welcome!

Picture 2:  Communion, Tony, Richard Baack & Richard Froebe

Picture 3:  Communion, Tom Fleming & Teresa Read

Picture 4:  Fred & Maureen

Readings:

1 Baruch 5, 1-9, Put on the splendor of glory from God.

Psalm 126, The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

2 Philippians 1, 4-6, 8-11, My prayer, that your love may increase ever more.

Luke 3, 1-6, The word of God came to John.

Grandmom Claire with Kayla, JuJu, and CC

Baruch:

    What: One of the little books (only 5 chapters) of the extra books.  That is, it is not one of the big 3, nor one of the 12 little prophetic books, nor part of the N.T.  It is part of a dozen small books in between.  Most Protestant churches  don't recognize these little books.

     Author:  Baruch was Jeremiah's secretary. Maybe he wrote some of the material, but it was not put together.  Remember, he & Jeremiah lived before & during the Babylonian Captivity.  There are 4 little discourses.  Compilation of the total work seems to have taken place later.  Most likely some anonymous person or persons a few centuries after Jeremiah put it together. 

Noah at 16 today lighting the 2 candles for Advent 2

     Date of composition: maybe during the Maccabees' revolt ca. 100 before Christ.   If so,  the little book intends to strengthen resistance of the Jews during the Macabeean Revolt, using the Babylonian model to encourage the people.

      Our passage: a message of optimism, hope, peace, and a new day.  The passage reflects 2nd Isaiah's message (chapter 40), which is likewise quoted in Luke's gospel for today.  The famous 2nd Isaiah: Luke uses this source to build his nativity narrative.  See also the lyrics of Handel's Messiah.

Sources:  Good New Bible.

Emma

Love for the Kids

I would like to talk today, folks, about God leading his people in Joy.

I saw it happen yesterday.  I feel like I climbed the mountain and walked in the kingdom.

Christine, Ed, Cara, and Sean on his 7th birthday today.

This is what happened.  A couple of times a year there is a picnic thrown for kids at a big ranch in Flower Mound.  Rosemary & I and others in our community have been part of this picnic 3, 4, 5 times.

In the spring the picnic is for handicapped kids.  In the fall the picnic is for underprivileged kids.  The spring picnic has about 1,000 kids.

Cupcake of The Week to Patricia for 2 years no smoking

Yesterday around 4,000 kids showed up at the Circle R ranch for hot dogs, chips, horseback riding, gunny sack races, obstacle course runs, face painting, and visits with Santa, Super Man, and various other celebrities.  The kids are given all sorts of little souvenirs which they put in the plastic bags furnished by the picnic. 

There must have been 60-70 yellow DISD school buses.  There were so many buses they had bus gridlock getting them all in around 10:00.  It took an hour.  There were more buses this year than last. 

Here they come, High 5 to all.

There are numerous memorable moments, but for me, one moment stands out.  As the kids come off the buses they are herded into a wide path that heads toward the main entrance of a sprawling one story, rustic building that has a stage, bunches of circular tables for eating, and the food distribution area. 

As the kids approach the building entrance, they are met with a lane of maybe 100  volunteers who are cheering, clapping, singing Christmas carols, and high fiving each kid, saying Happy Christmas, Hi, Welcome, or whatever is fitting the kids. 

The Welcome Lane

This is my favorite activity of the whole picnic.  I always get into the lane.  The kids come in beaming, smiling, shy sometimes, giving high fives, receiving compliments, and being showered with attention and affection.  I am so touched by the faces.  Some are like pre-K, cute little boys & girls. 

My thought is that at least some of these kids will remember their whole lives the experience of walking through that lane of welcome, affirmation and joy.

Did somebody mention buses?

A second event touched me this year.  The volunteers.  Both our Bona Responds team and the teachers and parents accompanying the kids on the buses. 

Bill Hammond told us all that we had to register on line ahead of time.  So Thursday I went onto the web site.  Registration is closed, it said.  I am stunned.  I call Bill.  He says get a phone number off the web site and call.  I do.   A lady says, no problem.  They shut down the registration because by Wednesday they had 750 volunteers.  She says, however, that any others can come, too.  Later one of the coordinators said over 1,000 volunteers finally registered.  I feel so privileged and blessed to be part of this marvel.

"He fed 5,000."

Folks, I saw yesterday God leading his people in joy, his little people especially and his big people, too, leading us all in joy.

How is God leading you in Joy?  Who is one person you are helping God to lead in Joy?

Two of our clowns from Bona Responds, Bill and Jerry

"Welcome in, Everybody," says Cody with Olivia and Ben.

Readings:

Job 7, 1-4, 6-7,  Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?

Psalm 147,  Praise the Lord who heals the broken hearted.

 Corinthians 9, 16-19. 22-23,   I have become all things to all.

Mark 1, 29-39, They brought to him all who were ill.

And, Welcome in to you, Judy.  So nice to see you.  You look beautiful.

Job 0bservations:

What: A comment on The Universe.  No book in the OT or NT has less known about it.  Called the most profound book of the OT.    It deals with the problem of evil, personal justification, and why bad things happen to good people.   Job himself could be historical, a literary creation, or a combination of the first two.

Author: Unknown. 

Date: It is guessed to be before the time of Moses and Egypt, i.e., earlier than 1300 before Christ.

Structure: 3 poetic dialogues preceded by a prose introduction and ending with a prose conclusion, an epilogue judged to have been added sometime later by another person or group of persons.

Emma, your smile makes my day.  Thanks to you and your little friend.   By the way, your other little friend that you loaned us still rides in our car above the mirror.

Psalm 147 observations:

The message is beautifully optimistic.   Is it naive?   We all die.  What about the Jews who entered Auschwitz?   My JCC friend from Poland?  85 members of his family liquidated.  

Want to go to communion?  See Jan, she will fix you up.

The Story of Job

I would like to tell you this morning the story of Job.

Once upon a time there was a good man named Job who lived in the land of Uz.  He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, a sign that he was especially blessed.  He not only had sons, but he had the special number of 7. 

One day Yahweh was walking around heaven talking with his buddies when he ran into the devil.  "What have you been doing?" he asked.  "I have been walking around here and there," the devil responded. 

"Have you noticed how good my man Job is?"  "Yes,' says the devil, "but I bet he will curse you to your face if you stop protecting him and take away all his goodies."  "It's a bet," says Yahweh, "Just don't hurt him."

Leo, our Candle Man of the Week, at work.

So a few days later while all of Job's 7 sons and 3 daughters where having a feast with their families, a storm blew up killed them all.  A messenger runs to tell Job of the horrible news. 

Another messenger had raced in and saying lightening has just killed all his sheep and the shepherds.   Other messengers likewise run in saying Job's livestock have been rustled by robbers who killed all the farm hands.

Job is devastated, of course, but responds with the famous statement: "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing.  The Lord gave, and now he has taken away.  May his name be praised." 

Jackie reading the Blessing of the Candles.

So Yahweh wins his bet.  But, when Yahweh and the devil meet up to settle their bet, the devil raises the stakes by saying that he bets Job will curse Yahweh if the devil is allowed to hurt his body.  Not death, just hurt.  "Bet," says Yahweh.

The next day Job comes down with sores all over his body, like leprosy, and he has to go outside of town where the lepers go.  He sits in the town dump.  His wife now comes and his friends.  They all grieve. They also encourage Job to see what he has done bad.  Has he cursed Yahweh?  Confess and repent.  Job proclaims his innocence.  But he is depressed and discouraged. 

Note the cosmic vision here: God punishes the evil and blesses the good.  So, Job, what bad thing is God punishing?

So sorry, Brent, not even a cupcake for you this week.

(In East Africa I used to celebrate Mass for a small community of lepers

Finally, while not cursing Yahweh, he cries out his anguish saying (chapter 3): 

"Oh, God, put a curse on the day I was born; put a curse on the night when I was conceived!  Turn that day into darkness, God." (verses  2-4) 

"I wish I had died in my mother's womb or died the moment I was born.  Why did my mother hold me on her knees?" (verses 11-12) 

"Why let men go on living in misery?  Why give light to men in grief?" (verse 20) 

"Everything I fear and dread comes true.  I have no peace, no rest, and my troubles never end." (verses 25-26)

The Offertory Team, Nina & Kerry, Judy & Mike.

After some time in this situation, Yahweh comes along and speaks with him:

"Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words?  Stand up now like a man and answer the questions I ask you.  Were you there when I made the world?" (verses 2-3)

"Job, have you ever in all you life commanded a day to dawn?" (verse 12)

"Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea?  Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? "(verse 16)

"Have you been to the place where the sun comes up or the place where the east wind blows?" (verse 24)

Communion Team ready to begin.

After hearing all the numerous ways Yahweh reminds him of how insignificant he is, Job apologizes to Yahweh and promises to be a good boy and not complain from now on. 

In an epilogue, which is considered a late addition, Yahweh restores his wealth and gives him 7 more sons and 3 more beautiful daughters.  He lives another 140 years a prosperous and happy man.

Ever feel like Job?  How do you handle the feeling?

Lynda & Tom getting ready to run Hilton Head next week end and Jan is blessing them on their way.   I am envious.

Rosemary's Blessing:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

Taken from IN FLANDERS FIELDS
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 
during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

Thanks to the Team

Music, Shonda & Ben

Readers, Richard & Brent, Deacon Mike, & Buddy, the candle blessing

Eucharistic Prayer, John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike & Ben & Becky 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Readings:

Acts of the Apostles, 1, 12-14, All devoted themselves to prayer

Psalm 27, I believe I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

1 Peter  4, 13-16,   Rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ.

John 17, 1-11, I pray for them. 

Remembering……….        This was taken in Yosemite ca. 2003-2004.   A bunch of convicts on a week parole.   The good old days.  Quality went south after this trip: we went co-ed.  We were invaded by sorts like Rose, like Beth, & Nicole.

See pix of new rectory at bottom of blog.

 Reading 1

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles       

When they were together for the last time they asked, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?  Is this the time?”  He told them, “You don’t get to know the time.  Timing is the Father’s business.  What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit.  And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”  These were his last words.  As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud.

So they left the mountain called Olives and returned to Jerusalem.  It was a little over half a mile.  They went to the upper room they had been using as a meeting place.  All of them agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the men and women alike.

Our word for today.

Across Camellia from our house on Tulip Lane 3 homes have been bulldozed including the big one owned by the hockey player, Tyler Sagan.  We should be out of our house in two months and into our new house (see below).  Our old house will be visited by the bulldozer.

Reading 2

A Reading from the First Letter of Peter

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job.  Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced.  This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. 

If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate.  It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you, that brought you to the notice of others.  If they’re on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that’s a different matter.  But if it’s because you’re a Christian, don’t give it a second thought.  Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name!

Our word for today.

3 homes demolished on this one corner of Tulip Lane & Camellia.

The Lord be with you.       A Reading from the Gospel of John  

Raising his eyes in prayer, Jesus said: 

Father, it’s time; display the bright splendor of your Son,

So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor.

You put him in charge of everything human,

So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge.

And this is the real and eternal life:

That they know you,

The one and only true God,

And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.

I glorified you on earth, by completing down to the last detail,

what you assigned me to do.

And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor,

The very splendor I had in your presence

Before there was a world.

I spelled out your character in detail

To the men and women you gave me.

They were yours in the first place; then you gave them to me,

And they have now done what you said.

They know now, beyond the shadow of a doubt,

That everything you gave me is firsthand from you,

For the message you gave me, I gave them;

And they took it, and were convinced that I came from you.

They believed that you sent me.

I pray for them, not for the God-rejecting world;

They’ll continue in the world, while I return to you.

Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life

That you conferred as a gift through me,

So they can be one heart and mind, as we are one heart and mind.

The Good News of John.

Observations by Deacon Mike

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the words and actions of Jesus Christ come alive to us within the written gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

It is there that we become aware that the gift of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within our hearts, calls us to forgive others as we have been forgiven; to bring love to others as we have been loved.

In our gospel from last Sunday, Jesus invited his disciples, and us, to follow his way, his truth and his life; so that we can come to be in him as he is in his Father. 

We celebrate the Holy Spirit coming upon the Church

In the Feast of Pentecost; to begin the Church’s mission to the whole world; to Jew or gentile, slave or freeman, male or female, Catholic or Methodist, Baptist or Lutheran.

The Church today places a different emphasis in its selection of readings; they will now begin to come from primarily Luke’s Acts of the Apostles.

So we end our readings this morning that we have taken from primarily the John gospel during this past Easter season this way: “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent me so I send you.

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. 

I will talk to the Father, and he will provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone who dwells with you and in you.  This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. 

The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him; but you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will continue to do so! 

Then, Jesus said to his disciples, “I will not leave you orphaned.  I’m coming back for you.  In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me, because I am alive and you are about to come alive with me.

At that moment you will know absolutely that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.  

The Good News according to John

Please Remember these special people:

For all the medical personnel struggling to treat the tsunami of sick people, in particular, locally, Cindy's staff at Presby, Dallas and at Frisco Presby, the mother of Harper and Betsy, Kendle, working in labor & delivery;  ;  For Frank having hernia surgery this week;  For Joe Hogan with cancer,  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;   For Ryan, Rosemary's nephew, who had surgery; For Bill Hammond,    For Sydney;  & For Sir Charlie;  Shonda's mom;   For Gilberto:  for Michelle;  For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free.;    For Hue;  For John O'Donnell;    For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini; 

Birthdays: Ray (80), Christi Occhipinti (45), Zaile Ekes, Shonda, Brent (13, AA), & Mabel (88!)

Community Finances, May 24, 2020

Expenses: $230.00

Outreach:  $120.00  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

Welcome!  Our New Home, the New Rectory

Address 7017 Helsem Lane, same zip code, 75230,  Hillcrest Villas,

2.2 miles from 6107 Tulip Lane (to be bulldozed by the present owner, a former SMU student & basket ball player), S. of LBJ, north of Churchill, rustic motif in the whole subdivision (ca. 120 homes), car ports rather than garages. 

We are blessed with a corner lot, slab vs pier & beam, ca. 2000 sq. ft. (1900 at Tulip Lane, & so much for downsizing). 

The couple selling us their house said that Rosemary' personal letters letting people know we were interested in buying their house really decided them to call us.  A very  nice couple with 3 grown kids.

Happy Memorial Day from Helsem Way!