The Scoop - January 13

"How did we get here?"

Dear St. Luke's friends,

I just listened to an interview today with Ed Stetzer, the head of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. In the interview he asks rhetorically, "How did we get here?" Stetzer raises the question, and he also offers a thoughtful and compelling answer. The "we" in his question refers to America and the "here" concerns our country's situation, compete with an assault on our democracy, a deadly invasion of the congress, and a state of affairs that defies the American dream.

We need a reckoning, he says.

Stetzer laments that Christians, especially evangelicals, have played a part in all this--following conspiracy theories and selling out on beliefs and moral standards to follow a leader who betrays Christian values.

These are pretty strong words, courageous words, but Stetzer finds strength to speak out from his faith...and he knows his scripture. He knows that reckoning is the work to which God calls us, throughout our sacred text. The words of reckoning ring out in Luke's gospel and Paul's letters, in Isaiah's call to the people of God and with poor Job, who cries out, "What will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?"

When we call ourselves Christian, we give our allegiance to Christ; no other leader should lure us. Our fidelity is to Jesus who gave us a way to pray, modeled for us a way of healing and inclusion, and showed us pure love. Discipleship demands our constancy--only remember how Jesus reprimanded his disciples when they argued about who was the greatest, and commanded his followers to leave their old lives behind.

Stetzer named it: this is a time of reckoning in our world. Accountability is a part of that reckoning and the only way to the truth. If Isaiah were here, I daresay he would have LOTS of warnings for us. We are just as susceptible to the promises and suspicions of charismatic leaders as God's people in days of old, and like them, we too need to be reminded that we are called by a God of truth. Moreover, we Christians claim to follow the One we know to be the Truth, the Way, and the Life. May we be courageous enough to stand up for truth, speak out against violence and hatred, and follow the Way of Christ.

Yours in the faith, Polly+

Sunday, January 17th
The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Image above: painting by He Qi "Calling Disciples"

Join us Sunday for Morning Prayer online at 10:15 a.m. Our wonderful new seminarian, Mike Harber is preaching.

Download the bulletin for this Sunday, January 17 here.
You will find the link to our service on YouTube on our website.

Save the Date: January 31st
St. Luke's 144th Annual Parish Meeting

We plan to hold our very first ZOOM annual parish meeting this month. Please make plans to attend. Download ZOOM here (and please update your Zoom app if you already have the app.) You'll hear reports from committees and vestry members, vote to approve the budget, and elect two new vestry members.

Nominations for Vestry are now open. Please be sure to check with the person you nominate before putting their name up for nomination. You may nominate someone by emailing Margie at the office: office@stlukesscottsboro.com.

Please find the vestry nomination form here.

Join your St. Luke's family after church January 24th.

Our next Pantry is on Saturday, February 6th.
Thanks to the generous donation of a community member, given in remembrance of her mother, we will have family size packages of chicken breasts to complement our pantry offering next month.
We are collecting cans of green beans, fresh potatoes or boxed instant potatoes, and soup, if you'd like to help fill the pantry for Valentines.

YOUNG ADULT BOOK STUDY

Please help us share an exciting new opportunity for the Young Adults of the Diocese! A new Book Club begins via Zoom on February 1 at 6:30pm and we will meet bi-weekly on Mondays at 6:30pm, until we finish our discussion. The book we will be reading together this time is called Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness by Stephen Mitchell.

7:00 pm - AA Meeting (Basement)

Wednesday, January 20
10:00 am - Painting Class (Bradford Hall)
5:30 pm - Evening Prayer (live on Facebook)

Sunday, January 24
10:15 Holy Eucharist with communion kits
11:00 Coffee and Conversation on Zoom

The ARC of Jackson County continues to meet in Bradford Hall, Mondays-Tuesdays and Thursdays-Fridays each week. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Watch over your children, Margie and Barbara, O Lord, as their days increase; bless and guide them wherever they may be. Strengthen them when they stand; comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful; raise them up if they fall, and in their hearts, may your peace which passes understanding, abide all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our parishioners: Stan Schmoller, Brevy and Kathy Cannon, Bob Brown, Sherry Holland, John Robinson, John Will White, and our parish loved ones and friends: Mack Cox, Tommy Watts and family, Alan Davis (friend of Ann Moody), Richard Caldwell, Carolyn and Wayne Staton (Tim Haston's mother and step-father), Lannie Bryan (Melody Reed's dad), Mike Porter (Everett Reed's uncle), Jameson Wangbickler (son of Jim and Linda Wangbickler), Charlotte Talley (friend and neighbor of Stan Schmoller), Cherri Baker (friend of Tim Sanders), Ruth Hamer (friend of Joyce Morriss), Julia Brown (friend of Stan Schmoller), Elisa Rosemarie Whitehead (Cindy Butler's sister), Tom George (Classmate of Charles Heath).

The lectionary readings can be found here:
SCRIPTURE READINGS for SUNDAY, January 17
First Lesson:1 Samuel 3:1-20
Second Lesson:1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Psalm:139:1-5, 12-17
The Gospel: Mark 2:1-12

The Scoop
St. Luke's Episcopal Church Newsletter

Prayers for our country with Bishop G

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
Sunday, JANUARY 17

The Scoop St. Luke's Episcopal Church Newsletter

Prayers for our country with Bishop G

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY Sunday, JANUARY 17

The Scoop
St. Luke's Episcopal Church Newsletter

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
Sunday, JANUARY 17