- Jul 30, 2020
- 4 min read

"The Curate" August 2020

Updated: Jul 31, 2020

Rector's Corner

St. Philip’s Parishioners,

As you read this, I will probably be on the tail end of some much needed time away from my work at St. Philip’s as your Rector. To say that the last four and a half months have been exhausting and trying is an understatement that I’m sure many of you can identify with. I keep thinking that Lent was supposed to end on April 11th at sundown! Of course, Lent did end there and we went on to celebrate the glorious resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ for the Great Fifty Day season of Easter culminating in the Feast of Pentecost, our first Sunday of re-gathering for in-person worship. And so, we find ourselves in the long, green season after Pentecost, aptly called “The Season After Pentecost.” You can check page 32 of The Book of Common Prayer and verify that. The color green that I wear and that we adorn our Altar and Ambo, fancy word for a raised piece of furniture that serves the dual purpose of a lectern and a pulpit for us currently, with all speaks to this season we find ourselves in.

Why green? Green is the color that we typically associate with life and growth. This season we find ourselves in right now is about life and growth. Frankly, I have been challenged to grow more that I ever really intended to this season as we seek reasonable ways forward as a body of believers in Christ amidst the continuing pandemic. I’ve been reflecting on how it’s made me feel at times. We’re social beings made for social interactions, some of us more than others. Of course, I believe our being created for community stems from being made in the image of a Triune God that itself is the perfect community, you may remember that from my Trinity Sunday sermon. Feelings of isolation, lack of effectiveness, loneliness, and lack of confidence are common when we are cut off from one another. It may feel as if we’ve entered a dry desert and we are parched.

Some early Christians, who felt a strong pull to grow in Christ, would often make a decision to retreat into a physical desert, cutting themselves off from the world around them to do battle with the spiritual demons that haunted them so that they might better know who they were in Christ. This meant confronting the demons intentionally. I believe our times of isolation have brought about our own desert experiences, whether we wanted them or not, and now more than ever we are called to press into the grace and mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

We may each be feeling growing pains as we find it challenging to continue to be the Body of Christ during a pandemic, when isolation is real. I’m reminded over and over by God, when I find myself feeling as though I’m in the desert, that it is there where I must rely not upon myself, but upon my Lord and my God and I hear these words from Psalm 23, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Do not give in, do not turn around, press in and growth is around the corner. I believe the green season is more than appropriate for us now!

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Fr. Justin Briggle

No in person meeting in August.

No meetings during the summer. The next SMG meeting will be September 21st at 6:00 p.m. (tentative)

No meetings during the summer.

The next ECW meeting will be

September 8th at 9:45 a.m. (tentative).

August Birthdays

2 Curt Winkler

4 Cathy Summers

5 Beverly Beck

7 Jamie Ward

11 Phillip Morton

12 Bobby Jayne Nemer

13 Cynthia Dickey

16 Frank George

19 Mike Knippers

20 Jesus Garcia-Castillo

21 Leo Mizell

23 Wanda Grimes

25 Scott Nicholson

30 Ann Davis

31 Carla Cubstead

31 Pat Redding

August Anniversaries

7 Robert & Merry Blackwell

8 Sparky & Barbara Kolstad

13 Clinton & Susan Taylor

14 Jerry & Kathryn Fagalde

20 Norwood & Carol Brenneke

29 Chris & Sharon Gouras

Ushers - August 2020

Curt Winkler.

Ushers - September 2020

To be decided.

Now that we are meeting again for in person worship, please consider contributing for Altar Flowers on a Sunday morning in Thanksgiving for an anniversary, birthday, or other blessing or in memory of someone. To give please call Nancy Waggoner at 903-727-2030 or the Church Office at 903-729-4214.

Altar Guild:

Aug 1— Aug 7 --------- Team 4 Sara Minton, Kathy Stites, Hilda Garcia-Castillo

Linens: Jeanette George

Aug 8—Aug 14-------- Team 1 Nancy Waggoner, Sherry Snow, Lucie Broyles

Linens: Joanne Evans

Aug 15—Aug 21-------- Team 2 Becky Myers, Cathy Summers, Julie Law

Linens: Kristern Knippers

Aug 22—Aug 28-------- Team 3 Alex Nemer, Vicki Mayberry-Winkler

Linens: Vicki Mayberry-Winkler

Aug 29—Sept 4 ------- Team 4 Sara Minton, Kathy Stites, Hilda Garcia-Castillo

Linens: Jeanette George

Lay Minister Schedule:

August 2020 Reader/Server

Sun. 8/2 10:30 Phillip Morton

Sun. 8/9 10:30 Scott Nicholson

Sun. 8/16 10:30 Pat Redding

Sun. 8/23 10:30 Barbara Kolstad

Sun. 8/30 10:30 Sparky Kolstad

Father Justin leading us in Evening Prayer virtually. Join us online at www.fb.com/stphilipspalestine on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. We are also streaming our Sunday morning service at 10:30 a.m. in addition to our in person gathering. You do not need to have a Facebook account to join in the online services.