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St. Richard of Chichester Sundays @ + 9 am +
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Everyday Epiphanies
Epiphany of the Lord
An "epiphany" that YOU experience:
= “a sudden, intuitive perception
of the essential meaning of something,
usually initiated by
some simple or commonplace occurrence or experience.”
Epiphany is NOT at its core simply about an infant heir to a throne under a miraculously itinerant star with mythological kings bringing arcane gifts and then disappearing into the desert dust, never to be heard from or about again.
Epiphany is about YOU. . And Epiphany itself is the GIFT. The gift that keeps on giving because the needs keep on coming and we keep being hailed from the curb, from the margins of our comfort zones by “a sudden, intuitive perception of the essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple or commonplace occurrence or experience.” That guy at the traffic light with the "God bless" sign? -- a lazy bum and charlatan? or... there, but for the grace of God go I? Epiphany? or Annoyance?
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+You are SALT & LIGHT!+
NOTE: Homilies ARCHIVE: click: "Sunday&Sermons" (under the tab, upper left at the top of the site)
Feb 5, 2023 - EPIPHANY #5
Readings:
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/epiphany-5a/
Homily for Feb 5: "More!"
LOOKING AHEAD: February 12th - EPIPHANY #6
http://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Epiphany/AEpi6_RCL.html
+ + + + + ESPAÑOL + + + + +
EPIFANíA #5
5 febrero 2023
Lecturas:
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/es/lectionary/epifania-5a/
HOMILÍA 5 febrero: "¡ Mas !"
Próxima Semana - 12 de febrero: Epifanía #6
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/es/lectionary/epifania-6a/
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February 3
THE BEACON
Good afternoon, all!
Having reached a high of 52 degrees it seems nice and warm. In going to Stater Bros. there are what appear to be full timers with no jackets and visitors bundled up as if ready for the blizzard to hit at any moment. Most of us are accustomed to layering up and driving cautiously as the shaded areas may be covered in black ice...that which is there but we are unable to see.
Entering our 5th week in Epiphany many of us are waiting and looking for more enlightenment and greater understanding. In Father Gary's sermon last week harkening back to the Old Testament in the book of Micah 6:1-2 "Hear what the Lord says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord, and you enduring foundation of the earth for the Lord has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel." This was written in the 8th century BCE, and yet here we are asking the same questions.
We see the world through the media and know there are biases that color the commentaries and seek answers which we can both understand and perhaps even influence. As long as humankind has existed there have been those who want to have power and wealth; those who want to set the standards and expect others to toe the mark they have established as appropriate. In an effort to be the hands, feet, tongue and sight of Jesus Christ we ask what we should do, what we should say and what we should stand for. We are blessed to live in the mountains and perhaps during prayer and meditation we plead our case and wait for an answer.
Our concerns and our prayer to the Lord is much the same as centuries ago and the answers are much the same as they have always been. Even though the anger, violence, warring and financial disparities are present, they are somewhat closer and again due to media and technological advances we see our neighbors in Ukraine, North Korea, Russia and Norway and China in real time.
The Beatitudes describe people by their thoughts and actions; they describe the children of God. They do not speak of who has the most power or control nor do they speak to gloss and glamour; they speak to, I believe, the majority of the world population who daily live human qualities which should never be interpreted as weakness but as the common strengths we all share.
The closing remarks of Micah and spoken this past Sunday by Father Gary are quite direct and simple
"What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" These are not passive words but take strength and action...."Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
In our daily lives we can see more when we look closely, when we see beyond the surface and layer up with compassion, empathy, accountability and humbly walk with our God. Stewardship is not just financial but investing ourselves in our whole world.
Please pray for our Bishop's Committee, peaceful coexistence, reconciliation and our loving care of one another including all of our neighbors. Our prayers continue for Father Gary and Peg and healing of Father Michael Seiler.
Reminders: Our annual meeting has been moved to February 19th during our 9:00 a.m. service.
Our monthly potluck is to be February 12th following our 9:00 a.m. service
February 21st Shrove Tuesday Feast/Ash Wednesday Evening Service
February 22nd Ash Wednesday OR possibly joined with the Shrove Tuesday event on Feb 21 -- to be decided at the Annual Meeting!
Love and Blessings,
St. Richard's
A Blessed New Year of the Lord (Anno Domini) 2023
The name above all names: Jesus the Christ (i.e., the "Chrism-Anointed one)
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Help out!
The Mountain Homeless Coalition ministry all started four years ago, when St. Richard's little Outreach Committee, along with a couple of our local Presbyterian friends, formed a 501c3 and by the grace of God connected with the county Homeless Services.
We were awarded a $1.1 million grant to purchase 8 units in Big Bear for permanent housing for the homeless. We work now with 50 new requests for assistance monthly.
More info OR care to HELP?:
https://www.mountainhomelesscoalition.com
Facebook site:
https://www.facebook.com/MountainHomelessCoalition/
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St. John the Forerunner
I shall pass this way but once.
Any good therefore that I can do,
or any kindness that I can show
to any human being,
let me do it now;
let me not differ it nor neglect it,
for I shall not pass this way again
RAINBOW BRIDGE
The Rainbow Bridge Pet Sanctuary is this church's burial site for pets. Members and non-members are welcome to bury their beloved animals' ashes in our garden as well as place a brick marker engraved with the pet's name and dates of life with you.
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Thank You
Whether you help through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you. We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help of supporters like you.
[picture: McWhirter Memorial Garden for Burials of cremains of our Loved Ones.
Members and non-members welcome.]
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