Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Service Bulletin for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

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Feast of the Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Collect -

Almighty God, heavenly Father, we remember in thanksgiving this day the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and we pray that we all may be made one in the heavenly family of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Feast of Macrina

The Collect -

Merciful God, you called your servant Macrina to reveal in her life and her teaching the riches of your grace and truth: May we, following her example, seek after your wisdom and live according to her way; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Emmanuel Elects the Rev. R Christopher Heying as Rector

Dear Emmanuel Family and Friends:

 

We are pleased to announce that the vestry of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Chatham, has elected the Rev. R Christopher Heying to be our rector and that with the Bishop's approval Chris has accepted this call.

 

We ask your prayers and thanksgivings for the successful completion of this process begun in the summer of 2012, and the sharing of your prayers as we move forward together.

 

Gratefully and respectfully yours,

 

Beth Coles, Warden                            Charles Williams, Warden

 

 

Service Bulletin for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

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Homily for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - What is a Parable?

Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

Homily by Fr R Christopher Heying

In this season after Pentecost, we mark time according to whatever the number of Sundays there are after the Feast of Pentecost, today being the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost.

This is the longest season of the church year, what the church refers to as “ordinary time,” a time focused not on the great events of Jesus—his birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension—but on following him as Lord, on growth as Christians, growth even symbolized by green being our liturgical color. 

During ordinary time our focus is discipleship, following Jesus as Lord, living day by day in the Spirit of God that has been poured into us so that we may move further and further into “the kingdom of God,” that time and space—or better, that arena and sphere—of God’s presence and activity, where God’s rule is established and God’s will is done even here on earth even as in heaven.

To grow as disciples of the Lord Jesus we gather near him as our teacher.  The scriptures show that, like the rabbis of his day and great teachers since, Jesus often taught by telling odd and perplexing stories which we call “parables.”

Today, the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, we begin a few weeks of such stories, these which happen to be in the narrative and theological center of Matthew’s gospel for they are parables on the kingdom of God, a “kingdom” not as something that exists somewhere over there beyond the grave but a kingdom that is drawing nigh, breaking in, in the life of Jesus Christ and in the life we have as Jesus’ disciples.

Service Bulletin for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

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Service Bulletin for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

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