The Weekly Word

November 5, 2006

To Know Christ, Grow in Christ, and Share Christ’s Love.

*Items marked with an asterisk (*) are run for the first time today.

*Today is the day we honor our newest members at the Parish Get Acquainted Luncheon.  Even if you have not reserved a place, come on over to Huffman Hall after the 10:30 a.m. service and join the festivities.  The luncheon is catered and free of charge to members.  There will be, however, a love offering basket by the door should you feel the urge to make a contribution to the cause! 

*CURSILLO EVENTS FOR NOVEMBER.  TODAY, Closing for Cursillo # 214 at Camp Allan, All Saints Chapel, 4pm.  Catch a bite to eat with returning candidates at the Cattle Company, Elgin, 7:30pm.  Nov. 12th, Convocation Ultreya, 6pm at ETSS.  Child care always available. Join in on the special evening with the Seminary community. Submitted by Dyke Miller

U2charist Service at the UT Student Center

Date: Sunday, Nov. 12th

Time: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Who: SR. HIGH STUDENTS ONLY

Where: Meet at Youth Building parking lot for carpooling to and from

Dinner: provided by UTSC

Prayer for the Parish, on October 23, the Vestry approved the use of this Prayer for the Parish at weekday services, on Sundays. We invite you all to include it in your daily devotions, too.  Copies may be found at the Welcome credenza in the Commons.

*ECW Story Circle:  Please join the Women of St. Matthew's after the 10:30 service November 12 for the Women's Story Circle with speaker Beth Ann Sikes. Hear about Beth Ann's faith journey.  A light lunch will be served for $5. Childcare is available if requested with reservation. RSVP to Carol Mynes at cmynes@austin.rr.com or 343-6801.

*November is UTO (United Thank Offering) Month! The Ingathering at St. Matthew’s will be Sunday, November 12^th. Members of the ECW will pass around the blue collection baskets during the 10:30 a.m. service. You may, however, turn in your UTO offerings at any time during the month of November. Please remember to note "UTO" on the memo line of your check as you give generously to this worthwhile cause.

*Acolyte Meeting and Training:  On Saturday, November 11^th at 10:00Am in the Sanctuary there will be a meeting and training for all Acolytes and all young people aged 11 and older who wish to become Acolytes.  The meeting will be conducted by Father Merrill Wade and Scott Telfer.  If you are an existing Acolyte or a young person who wishes to participate in this important ministry please contact Scott Telfer at nmallory@austin.rr.com or at 257-0735 to confirm your attendance.

*All of our saints honored today -- including deceased friends and family of St. Matthew's members.  This partial list includes all names received through 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31.  bcm
The list is enclosed in the Sunday bulletin and is also online in this week’s Prayer List.

*Centering Prayer to Return on Thursday evenings – in response to renewed interest, an initial meeting to work out details will convene on November 9 in B-14, 5:30 pm.  Call Jim Williams (345-4614) if you are interested but cannot attend this meeting.  See announcement in monthly Word and on the website, www.stmattsaustin.org.  If you participated in Centering Prayer at the Parish Round-up and would simply like to know more about it, call Jim Williams.

The St. Matthew's ECW 2007 Annual Women's Retreat will be held March 2-4,2007 at Camp Allen.  Registration began Oct 1st and will run through Jan 15th.  Registration forms are available in the Commons or Church Office.  You may also  download the form from the www.StMattsAustin.org website.   Please contact Debbie Marshall at 926-5424 or Janie McMahan at 341-7432 if you have questions.

*Care for the Caregiver is pleased to have attorney Marilyn G. Miller as our guest speaker on November 9 @ 9:30-12:00 in B-19. Ms. Miller is an Elder Law and Taxation specialist. After a short presentation, she will be available to answer your questions and concerns, as well as provide written material that you may find useful. Please join us for coffee, free legal advice and, of course, free chair massage. If you have any questions or if Respite Care is needed, please contact Gidget Fisher @ gid92get@yahoo.com or 328-2088.

Update on Rector’s Downtown Women’s Group

At this point I have received positive responses from 9 women who will gather with me weekly at Paul Williams office located near 12^th and Nueces.  This is a "bring your own lunch" event and Paul will furnish coffee and cold drinks.  We will meet at the 509 West 12th Building on the southeast corner of 12th and Nueces, with parking on 12th Street on the east side of the building in a small lot available to us for this purpose. Those who attend come together as available between 11:30AM to 12 Noon to eat and the class begins promptly at Noon with Noonday Prayer and ends at 1:00PM sharp.  We will meet six consecutive Mondays beginning November 13 through Monday, December 18.  In our first meeting I will make a presentation on stress management (as if I have this subject figured out!) based on Dr. Gerald May’s work,
Addiction and Grace. Please email me at Merrill@stmattsaustin.org if you are interested in this gathering

The Flowers on the Altar are given to the Glory of God

by Jeri and John Muhich in memory of

their infant daughter, Carrie Rose Muhich,

on the 15^th anniversary of her death.

If you have not already

Please Submit your pledge card for 2007

Financial Summary for Operations---October 31, 2006

For Global Good

Presiding Bishop invites Church to widen ‘shalom’ by taking up U.N. Millennium Development Goals

In this octave of the Feast of All Saints, at this time of remembering the interconnectedness of communion and community, Katharine Jefferts Schori has begun her ministry as the Episcopal Church’s 26th Presiding Bishop. Here she encourages each Episcopalian to care for all creation by living a local life for global good.

        by Katharine Jefferts Schori

The Episcopal Church adopted a set of mission priorities at its General Convention in June. First among them is justice and peace work, framed by the Millennium Development Goals. We understand this work as a visible sign of the work of building the Reign of God. A vision of the Reign of God lies behind the ancient Hebrew concept of shalom, which means far more than simply peace. Shalom has to do with the restoration of all creation to right relationship with God, so that the hungry are fed, the grieving comforted, the ill are healed, and prisoners set free. The mission of the church, according to our Catechism, is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ (Book of Common Prayer, page 855). That work of restoration and reconciliation frames all our ministry as Christians, whether we are students, parents, legislators, or farmers. We cannot be at one with our neighbors if some are starving or living in slums. The work of achieving the Millennium Development Goals is intimately wrapped up in the promises we make in the baptismal covenant to engage in God’s mission.

The other priorities adopted by our General Convention include work with young adults and youth, congregational transformation, reconciliation and evangelism, and partnerships within the Anglican Communion and with other faith communities. The first priority has important connections and impacts on the others – for example, partnerships in developing countries, often through Anglican churches, are essential and intrinsic elements of addressing most of the MDGs, and our youth and young adults will experience part of their formation as Christians in service to others.

The Millennium Development Goals seek to end the deep poverty that limits human flourishing. Achieving them would provide concrete examples of the abundant life Jesus insists is the reason he came among us – “I came that you might have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

The Millennium Development Goals:

• Eradicate the poverty that sends one-third of the world’s people to bed hungry each night
• Ensure universal primary education for girls as well as boys
• Promote gender equality and women’s empowerment Improve maternal health
• Reduce childhood mortality
• Prevent diseases such as AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis
• Ensure environmental sustainability (including clean water and adequate sanitation)
• Develop partnerships for development

Some Episcopalians understand the mission of the church as solely focused on evangelism; others would see outreach work as primary. The baptismal covenant addresses both, and this first priority of the Church is the kind of deed-based evangelism that shows the world the good news of God’s love through the actions of Christians. We can neglect neither, but we cannot speak much in the way of good news to people who are starving or dying of preventable disease. We must begin by doing good news with those who are most vulnerable. In and through both, God is glorified, and all creation can begin to experience the shalom for which we were created.

For More on the Millennium Development Goals:

Helpful books include Sabina Alkire and Edmund Newell’s What Can One Person Do? (New York: Church Publishing Inc., 2005). Online resources include:

    The “One Episcopalian” initiative,
        http://www.episcopalchurch.org/eppn

    Episcopal Relief and Development,
        http://www.er-d.org

    Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation,
        http://www.e4gr.org

    The United Nations,
        http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals