St Peters ENews

Ticket includes admission for entire day and a meal (hotdog or hamburger, chips, drink). There is no admission fee for children under 2. St. Peter's will have a designated area to meet in the Park from Noon until 5:00 p.m., but the park is open until 8:00 p.m.

Scholarships are available.

For more information, contact Ashley Hart.

Tickets go on sale Sunday, July 27th in the Narthex.

Fr. David Breakfast On The Beach

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." - Romans 15:7

St. Peter's Episcopal Church exists in order to provide a safe, loving environment for spiritual growth which enables us to reach out in service to the community and to share the love of Christ with the world.

Does the above sound at all familiar? It might if you visit the web site for St. Peter's. On the entrance page, the above words are prominently displayed. The latter part serves as the mission statement of St. Peter's. It's what we are supposed to be about. But our mission statement is not simply something that we at St. Peter's came up with on our own. It is firmly rooted in the former, Paul's reflections on the nature of life in Christ.

First, let me back up a little and remind us all of what is happening in Romans. In this letter, Paul is writing to a Christian community whom he has never met. He is writing a brief letter of introduction, telling them of his eagerness and longing for his upcoming visit. By way of introduction, he writes a brief summary of the Christian faith as he understands and preaches it. But it is not a general introduction given to introduce the Christian faith to those who may never have heard it. Rather, he is fully aware of recent developments in their life, and wants to make sure that they can see the central message of the Gospel is directed exactly to folks in situations like theirs.

The Christian community in Rome had formerly been made up of two groups, Jews who received the Gospel with gladness, as God's calling of the all of the people of God into fellowship; and Gentiles who embraced with joy their inclusion in the new Israel. However, like all groups of people, some discord had arisen between the groups. Even more ominously, however, the Jewish population of Rome has been expelled by the civil authorities. Jews who had become Christians, and those who had not. Now the Gentile portion of the Christian church is having some trouble finding their own identity.

Part of that identity, Paul reminds them, is that in the new community, there is love and concern for one another. The Christian community is not merely rooted in acceptance, but that acceptance is a manifestation of Christ's acceptance of us. This Summer, as we are off to vacation or to any of the various places that Summer takes us, let us all recall that we are still a community which cares for one another, and that this concern for each other, is the very model of Christ's care for us.

This Week & Next @ St. Peter's

Calendar

Tuesday, July 15
Growing Older & Wiser Bible Study - PH, 9:30 am

Wednesday, July 16
Youth Summer Refuge - YH, 4:00 pm

Thursday, July 17
PAWS - Aviator (Splash), 9:30 am

Saturday, July 19
Community Garden - Holy Family, 11:00 am

Sunday, July 20 (Pentecost X)
Holy Eucharist, Rite I - Nave, 8:30 am
Holy Eucharist, Rite II - Nave, 10:00 am
Jr. High Summer In The City - St. Matthews'

Monday, July 21
Jr. High Summer In The City - St. Matthews'
Ren's Hens - San Miguel's, 6:30 pm

Tuesday, July 22
Jr. High Summer In The City - St. Matthews'
Growing Older & Wiser Bible Study - PH, 9:30 am
Cursillo Reunion - PH, 6:00 pm

Wednesday, July 23
Jr. High Summer In The City - St. Matthews'

Thursday, July 24
Jr. High Summer In The City - St. Matthews'
PAWS - Old Settlers', 9:30 am

Friday, July 25
Jr. High Summer In The City - St. Matthews'

Sunday, July 27 (Pentecost XI)
Holy Eucharist, Rite I - Nave, 8:30 am
Holy Eucharist, Rite II - Nave, 10:00 am
Vestry Meeting - PH, 11:20 am

Tuesday, July 29
Growing Older & Wiser Bible Study - PH, 9:30 am

Petrine News

Summer Refuge
Join us, Wednesday, July 16, at the Youth House from 4-6 p.m. Rumor has it that you might want to wear clothes that can get wet.... All 5th-12th (completed) grade students are welcome to attend!! Friends are also always welcome! Come out and play with your friends, make new friends, and plan to have fun!!

Summer In The City
Summer in The City begins on Sunday. All 6th - 8th grade students are invited t attend this fun week at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Dallas! Come play, worship, and learn with us! Contact Janice Auch for reservations and more details.

Saturday Labyrinth Walks Cancelled
All Saturday Labyrinth Walks for June, July and August have been cancelled. We will however, still host our Thursday Evening Walks on July 3rd and August 7th at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall.

Contribution Statements
Please pick up your 2nd quarter contribution statements, located on the table in the Narthex. They will be there through next Sunday. Any statements not picked up after the services on Sunday (July 20), will be mailed on Monday the 21st. If you have an questions, please contact Mariana Pearson at the office.

Meals On Wheels
Meals on Wheels is in need of 2 new volunteers. They need you to start in August and it will be the second Thursday of each month. You will find it a very rewarding experience. Please contact Sharon Childers at the office for more information.

Cursillo
The next Cursillo will be held September 18-21 at Lake Texoma's All Saints Camp. Fr. David will be the Spiritual Director. This will be well attended and an early reservation is advised. If you have ever wondered about Cursillo or have had an interest in attending Cursillo, we would like to invite you to a Group Reunion on August 12th at 7:00 pm. We will meet at Vicki Cobb's house. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Please contact Steve Powell at 972-542-4097 if you are interested in attending Cursillo or the informational Group Reunion.

Lambeth Conference
Remember the Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops from around the world. The Episcopal church in the US has been asked to dedicate a day of prayer for the conference on the 22nd of June. Remember that this conference has been asked not to make decisions, but to spend time in prayer and study. Especially, our Bishops hope to pray for discernment and guidance.

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Cycle of Prayer
This week in the Diocese of Dallas prayer cycle we pray for:
Executive Council

Summer Schedule Pentecost X (Proper 11)

July 20, 2008

OT: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19

Psalter: Psalm 86

NT: Romans 8:18-25

Gospel: Matthew 13:24-36

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dar not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Summer Schedule Pentecost XI (Proper 12)

July 27, 2008

OT: I Kings 3:5-12

Psalter: Psalm 119

NT: Romans 8:26-34

Gospel: Matthew 13:31-49

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church