The Sacred Hills Beacon

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Maryville, Missouri

The Sacred Hills Beacon - January 2012

Services of the Sacred Hills Regional Ministry

Sunday, 1/1:
New Year’s Day, Holy Eucharist at St. Paul’s and St. Mary’s

Friday, 1/6:
Feast of the Epiphany (NO services)

Sunday, 1/8:
Holy Eucharist at St. Paul’s and St. Oswald’s;
Morning Prayer at St. Mary’s

Sunday, 1/15:
Morning Prayer at St. Paul’s and St. Mary’s (Fr. Sid out of town)

Sunday, 1/22:
Holy Eucharist at St. Paul’s and St. Oswald’s;
Morning Prayer at St. Mary’s

Sunday, 1/29:
Holy Eucharist at St. Paul’s and St. Mary’s

Other Dates to Remember

January is the time for Annual Meetings with elections and discussions of budgets and other matters of importance. The dates for these meetings in Sacred Hills are:
St. Paul’s -- TBA
St. Mary’s -- TBA
St. Oswald’s – Sunday, January 8, after the service

Since there has been continuing discussion in all three congregations about advantages and disadvantages of the proposed inclusion of Sacred Hills in a new Northern Regional Ministry under Fr. Fasel, these annual meetings will have special importance this year. Please attend if you possibly can. St. Paul’s Annual Meeting traditionally includes pot-luck brunch.

At St. Paul’s, the Christmas greens will come down after the service on Sunday, January 8, the Sunday following the Epiphany.

Flowers

If you would like to contribute to the purchase of the Christmas Poinsettias as a gift or memorial, it is not too late to give the information and contribution to Diana.

First Sunday Offering

St. Paul’s First Sunday Offering for January is again designated for Local Energy Assistance to help people in need heat their homes during the winter. Please remember to label your offering for First Sunday or Energy Assistance.

January Special Days

January brings a new year in our secular world, and although the church year began at the beginning of Advent, the Feast of Epiphany on January 6 marks a blossoming and expansion of God’s gift as the baby Jesus born in Bethlehem is revealed as the Christ-child to the larger world.

Writing for the e-Beacon

If anyone would like to contribute congregational news, a seasonal reflection or a bit of history to the Beacon, send it either to Louise Horner at lhorner@cebridge.net (to avoid possible duplication) or directly to Diana Taylor at stmop@embarqmail.com before the last week in the month. Due to costs, long articles will be sent via e-mail but not included in the printed version, so keep them short if possible.

Want to read news from around the diocese? Check out the E-Spirit.

Sacred Hills Days of Celebration

Birthdays

Bruce Litte 1/6 St Paul’s

Saralynn Richey 1/8 St. Mary’s

Mike Cazel 1/9 St. Mary’s

Betty Wilson 1/11 St. Paul’s

Lauren Hall 1/23 St. Mary’s

Nancy Baxter 1/29 St. Paul’s

The Letter from Jesus

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:

Dear Ruth:
I’m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. 'Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer.'

With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.
'Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner.'
She reached for her purse and counted out its contents, five dollars and forty cents. 'Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.'

She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk, which left Ruth with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

'Hey lady, can you help us, lady?'

Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans; she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.

'Look lady, I ain't got a job, you know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us. Lady, we'd really appreciate it.'

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

'Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.'

'Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.'

The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.

'Sir, wait!'

The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them.

'Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest.'
She handed the man her grocery bag.

'Thank you lady. Thank you very much!'
'Yes, thank you!' It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering

'You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one.'
Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.

'Thank you lady! Thank you very much!'

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.

'That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day.'

Dear Ruth:
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always,
Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.