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May

2016 Journal

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St. Francis Sunday School Formation: Discovery Series

Beginning Sunday February 14 we are going to start a new formation series geared to:

Exploring Episcopal Worship (Three Classes offered in July)

Understanding the basics of Christianity (Four Classes offered July - Aug)

Becoming Spiritually Mature (Four Classes offered April - May)

Identifying our Spiritual Gifts (Two Classes offered May)

How to reach out to others with God’s Good News (Three Classes offered June)

Due to the length of the courses, 2 – 5 Sunday School Classes each, the entire course will be offered twice before the Bishop’s Visit on November 20. This is so that those willing to be Baptized, Confirmed, or Received into the Episcopal Church by the Bishop will have time to take the class. Those seeking Confirmation are those Baptized individuals that are Episcopalian and have not yet been Confirmed or Received already. Being Received is for those baptized in other faith Traditions in the name of the Holy Trinity that desire to be a part of the Episcopal Church. Baptism is for those that have not been baptized before.

Please sign up so that we know how many booklets to make.

I am looking forward to this course and the conversations to be had about God and our faith. Remember this course is not only for those desiring Baptism, Confirmation, and Re-ception, but also for those that desire to be refreshed, formed, and informed in their jour-neys as Christians.

Peace, (See chart on next page.) Fr. Mitch+

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Sunday School for Formation

Session

1 Session 2

Episcopal Worship

FOCUS: history, traditions and unique practices of the Episcopal

Church. Participants will explore who ministers are, the Sacra-

ments, rites and ceremonies of the Church, The Book of Common

Prayer and Episcopal Church governance. Participants will also

experience an Instructed Eucharist.

1. The Roots of Ministry 14-Feb 03-Jul

2. Episcopal Worship 21-Feb 10-Jul

3. An Instructed Eucharist 28-Feb 24-Jul

Course One: A Journey of Faith

FOCUS: understanding the basics of Christianity - not only what

we believe, but why we believe and how we enter the community of

faith through Baptism.

1. Your Spiritual Journey 06-Mar 31-Jul

2. The Great Commandment and The Great Commission 13-Mar 07-Aug

3. What We Believe 20-Mar 14-Aug

4. The Baptismal Covenant 03-Apr 21-Aug

Course Two: A Path to Spiritual Maturity

FOCUS: rule of life and explaining how our faith is a living, grow-

ing part of us that changes through our experiences.

1. Spiritual Maturity 10-Apr 28-Aug

2. Prayer 24-Apr 04-Sep

3. Bible Study 08-May 11-Sep

4. Action 15-May 18-Sep

Course Three: Our Spiritual Gifts

FOCUS: gaining perspective for how God wants us to live our lives

- looking at our God-given talents, our personality and our experi-

ences. How to use our gifts for ministry.

1. What Does God Want From Me? 22-May 25-Sep

2. Getting in SHAPE for Ministry 29-May 09-Oct

Course Four: The Great Commission

FOCUS: learning how we reach others with God's good news. Par-

ticipants will experience a variety of exercises designed to help rec-

ognize, approach and communicate with those seeking a closer rela-

tionship with God.

1. What is Mission? 05-Jun 16-Oct

2. Spreading the Good News 12-Jun 23-Oct

3. My Life's Mission 19-Jun 30-Oct

Make up 26-Jun 06-Nov

Make up none 13-Nov

Bishop's Visit 20-Nov

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Read the Bible in a Year

It has begun. I have the first three weeks ready for you. If you have not been keeping up

these first three weeks will be a huge help. Come on and join us as we are at the begin-

ning of reading through the Bible together.

There is a reading schedule posted outside of my office, and one on the front page of our

website: http://www.stfrancistyler.org/

May God bless you in your reading. (Lessons begin on next page.)

Peace,

Fr. Mitch+

Other News Since the Last Journal:

Lenten Program on Wednesday nights, ROCKED! Palm Sunday! Holy Week: Tenebrae, Maundy Thursday, Vigil, Way of the Cross, Good Friday, Easter

Vigil, and Easter Sunday! The 10:45am Easter Day Service was the largest attendance at a given service in over

13 years! (161) Easter Day reception! Handbell practice. We received a large anonymous grant for the Kitchen and ministries of the church! Men’s Breakfast. Church Under a Bridge prep and delivery. Daughters of the King meeting. Anglican rosary. Started reading the Bible in a year as a congregation. Quiet Day: A day spent on identifying our Spiritual Gifts! Serendipity at the Camps! Wednesday Noonday Brown Bag Bible Study. Bible with Fr. Bob. Plus much, much more!

Thanks go out to the many volunteers and donors that make these things happen!

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Bible in a Year - Week 1 Genesis 1-3: Creation 1, Creation 2, Man and woman eat the forbidden fruit, man and woman

cast out of the garden. Genesis 4-6: Cain and Abel, interesting story about Lamech, Seth is

born, Genealogy from Adam to Noah, Sons of God and the Nephilim, Noah found favor in the

sight of God, and construction of the ark. Genesis 7-9: The flood, the rainbow, and the curse of

Canaan. Genesis 10-12: Genealogy of Noah’s sons Japheth, Canaan, and Shem. Story of first

hunter, Nimrod. Tower of Babel. Genealogy from Shem to Terah, father of Abram. Abram lis-

tens to God and moves with Sarai and Lot. Famine causes Abram to go to Egypt and he claim

Sarai as his sister to for protection. Genesis 13-15: Abram leaves Egypt. Abram and Lot split

up. God Promises Abram Land. Kings conquer the region and take Lot. Abram builds an army,

defeats kings, frees Lot, and is blessed my Melchizedek. God promises descendants to Abram

and covenants with him. Promise of land again. Genesis 16-18: Sarai in unable to conceive,

Abram has Ishmael with Hagar. Sarai drives Hagar away. Angel comes and saves them and

promises Ishmael will be a great nation. God makes covenant with Abram, now Abraham,

about having offspring. The rite of circumcision begins as a sign of the covenant. Sarai be-

comes Sarah and bear a son Isaac, with whom the covenant will continue. Ishmael will have a

great nation too. Visited by three strangers. Prediction of Sarah to have child. Abraham tries to

protect the righteous from the destruction of Sodom.

Psalm 1: Be like trees planted by streams of water, not chaff that the wind drives away. Psalm

2: Happy are those that take refuge in the LORD. Psalm 3: God the great deliverer! Psalm 4:

Put your trust in the Lord. Psalm 5: You bless the righteous, O Lord. Psalm 6: The Lord has

heard my supplication.

Matthew 1: Genealogy, Angel informs Joseph about Jesus, Emmanuel “God is with us” Mat-

thew 2: Wise men from the East, Herod want to know where the new king is, the wise men visit

Jesus, Joseph flees to Egypt, death of the Innocents, Herod dies and Joseph returns to Naza-

reth. Matthew 3: John the Baptist, Repent, Jesus is Baptized. Matthew 4: Devil tempts or tests

Jesus. John the Baptist is arrested; Jesus proclaims the kingdom is near. Calling of Peter, An-

drew, James and John. Jesus teaches, proclaims, and cures, gathering great crowds. Matthew

5: The Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes. Salt and light. Come not to abolish the law but to

fulfill. Murder = hate. Adultery = lust. Divorce. Yes = Yes, No = No. Turn other cheek. Love your

enemies. Matthew 6: Do not boast. Give alms in secret. Pray in secret. Jesus teaches the

Lord’s prayer. Fast in secret. Where your treasure is… Be full of light. Serving two masters. Do

not worry.

Bible in a Year - Week 2 Genesis 19-21: The two men go to Lot and stay with him. They save Lot and Lot’s wife and

daughters. The wife turns to a pillar of salt. Abraham watches the destruction from afar. How the

Moabites and Ammonites came into existence. (Lot’s daughters) Another story around Abraham

claiming Sarah to be his sister for safety. Sarah gives birth to Isaac. God’s promise to Abraham

is fulfilled in Isaac too. God saves Hagar and Ishmael and again promises that Ishmael will lead

a great nation. Abraham and Abimelech make a covenant. Genesis 22-24: Abraham tested to

sacrifice Isaac. Promise of descendants. Buz and more children born. Sarah has died and is

buried in land purchased by Abraham. Isaac and Rebekah are married. Genesis 25-27: Abra-

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ham has more children. Abraham dies and is buried by Isaac and Ishmael with Sarah. Ge-

nealogy of Ishmael. Genealogy of Isaac. Isaac and Rebekah give birth to Esau and Jacob.

Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Famine Isaac goes to a land and pro-

claims Rebekah as sister for protection. Isaac becomes rich. Isaac resettles. Isaac to be

blessed with offspring. Isaac makes peace with powerful neighbors. Esau marries Judith

and they make life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob steals Esau’s blessing from Isaac.

Rebekah urges Jacob to flee to her brother Laban until Esau cools down. Rebekah once

again rails against Hittite women. Genesis 28-30: Jacob leaves and Esau takes another

wife. Ladder to heaven. Mention of the tithe, one tenth offering. Jacob works seven years for

Rachel. Laban switches Leah for Rachel. Jacob agrees to work another seven years for Ra-

chel. Rachel becomes Jacob’s wife. Leah give birth to the first four of Jacob’s sons: Reu-

ben, Simeon, Levi, Judah. Rachel is unable to have children and forces Jacob to become

husband to her maid, Bilhah. Rachel’s maid, Bilhah, bears the next two children: Dan,

Naphtali. Leah was then unable to have children so she gave Jacob her made, Zilpah, as a

wife. Zilpah gave birth to two more children: Gad, Asher. Rachel bargained for Reuben’s

fruit allowing Leah to be with Jacob again. Leah gave birth to three more children: Issachar,

Zebulun, Dinah. Rachel finally gives birth to Jacob’s eleventh son, Joseph. Jacob asks to

leave, and Laban does not want him to because Jacob has made him rich. They both plot

against each other to keep what they have. Genesis 31-33: Jacob, Rachel, and Leah flee

with all they have gained. Laban pursues. Rachel stole Laban’s gods. Laban and Jacob

make a covenant. Laban leaves. Jacob then goes to meet Esau. Jacob prepares to meet

Esau by supplying gifts. Jacob wrestles with the God. Jacob and Esau meet. All is well. Ja-

cob resettles. Genesis 34-36: Revenge for defiling Dinah, daughter of Jacob. Jacob told by

God to settle in Bethel. Jacob is renamed Israel. Great nation and land promised to Jacob.

Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. A list of the twelve sons of Jacob. Isaac dies. Genealo-

gy of Esau. Esau settles in Canaan, Edom. List of Kings that ruled in Edom. List of clans of

Esau

Psalm 7: O Lord my God, in you I take refuge. Psalm 8: What are human beings that you

are mindful of them? Psalm 9: You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm

10: O Lord, will you hear the desire of the meek? Psalm 11: The upright shall behold His

face. Psalm 12: Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly.

Matthew 7: Do not judge. No pearls to swine. Ask and knock. Narrow gates. Beware of false

prophets. Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom. Build your house on a

rock. The crowd was astounded! Matthew 8: Jesus chooses to heal a leper. Healing of cen-

turion’s servant from a distance. Healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. Son of man has no place

to lay his head. Let the dead bury their own. Calming of the storm. Demons cast into swine

herd. Matthew 9: Healing of a paralyzed man. Calling of Matthew. “I have come not to call

the righteous, but the sinners.” New wine is put into fresh wineskins. Healing of the little girl

and the hemorrhaging woman. Healing of two blind men. Healing of mute demoniac. “The

harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few.” Matthew 10: Jesus gives power to and names

the twelve disciples. Jesus sends the twelve out into the world. “Be wise as serpents, and

innocent as doves.” All will be made known in the end. Are you of more value than spar-

rows? Do not think I have come to bring peace. “Those who find their life will lose it, those

who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Giving a cold cup of water to Jesus’ disciples.

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Matthew 11: John the Baptist send his disciples to Jesus. Jesus proclaims John the Baptist as

Elijah, the one who prepares the way of the Lord. Who is this generation like? Woes. Thanks

the Father for hiding things from the wise and revealing them to the children. “Come to me, all

you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 12: Lord of

the Sabbath. Healing man with shriveled hand on Sabbath. Prophecy of Isaiah, “he will not

break a bruised reed.” Healing of blind, mute, demoniac. A kingdom divided cannot stand.

“Whoever is not with me is against me.” Trees are known by their fruit. The sign of Jonah. Evil

spirits look for empty, tidy, homes to occupy. Who is my mother and brothers?

Bible in a Year - Week 3

Genesis 37-39: Jacob settles in Canaan. Joseph loved by father, hated by jealous brothers.

Joseph dreams about ruling over his family. The brothers plot against Joseph. Joseph sold to

slave traders. Jacob is shown the blood stained remnants of Joseph’s outfit, while Joseph is

sold to Potiphar in Egypt. Potiphar an official of Pharaoh. Story of Judah and Tamar. Even

though slave of Potiphar, Joseph became a successful man for the Lord was with him. He was

pursued by Potiphar’s wife. She framed Joseph and Joseph was sent to jail. Joseph became

successful in jail for the Lord was with him. Genesis 40-42: The cupbearer, the baker, Joseph,

and Pharaoh. Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams. As a result, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge

of preparing for the famine. Giving him status so high that only Pharaoh is above him. Joseph

has two sons with Asenath: Manasseh and Ephraim. After the years of plenty came the famine

and the whole world looked to Egypt. Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to by grain. Joseph holds

his brothers captive. Joseph sends them back, keeping one brother hostage, so that the other

brothers will bring back the youngest. They get home and find that their gold is in the bags, and

Jacob will not send Benjamin back. Genesis 43-45: The famine was so bad that Jacob called

his sons together to send them back to Egypt to get more food. After some discussion, the

sons returned to Egypt with the youngest, Benjamin. Joseph set up a banquet for the sons, still

not revealing his identity. Then Joseph sends them home but has a servant place a silver cup

in the bag of the youngest. When the steward caught up to the men he found the silver sup in

Benjamin’s bag and says the others can go free, but Benjamin must stay as a slave. Judah

pleads with Joseph. Joseph then reveals himself to his brothers. Joseph sends his brothers

home to get Jacob and bring the whole family back where they will not perish from the famine.

Genesis 46-48: God reassures Jacob that he will be a great nation and that God will be with

him in his travels to Egypt. All moved to Egypt. Genealogy of Jacob and sons. All of the family

travel to Goshen in Egypt. Joseph presents his family to Pharaoh. The family settles. Joseph

saves the people of the land from famine, collecting all the money and cattle and people as

slaves. He sets up a system where one-fifth of crops go to Pharaoh. Jacob has Joseph prom-

ise not to bury him in Egypt. Jacob blesses Joseph’s children, Manasseh and Ephraim. Gene-

sis 49-50: Jacob blesses all of his sons. Jacob dies. Jacob requests that he be buried where

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah. Joseph takes Jacobs body and buries Jacob there. Jo-

seph’s brothers become afraid because they fear now that Jacob has died there is no one to

protect them from Joseph because of what they did to him. Joseph reassures them that he

loves them and will not harm them. Joseph tells his brothers to take his bone back to where

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were buried. Then Joseph died. Exodus 1-3: Short genealogy.

Egyptians, fearing the Israelites, enslave them. Story of the midwives that are to dispatch Isra-

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May Birthdays

Julia Gray 5/1

Peg Corrie 5/8

Roy Lee 5/9

Mike Barham 5/15

Christine Miller 5/17

Benjamin Rocha 5/22

Linda Gray 5/23

Ken Orr 5/24

Hugh French 5/27

Rob Jerger 5/29

May Anniversaries

Michael and Christina Matthews 5/21

Melinda and Keith Pozzuto 5/26

Bob and Linda Gray 5/30

elite boys at birth. Pharaoh commands all Israelite boys to be thrown into the Nile. Phar-

aoh’s daughter finds baby floating in Nile and names him Moses. Moses, now grown, kills

an Egyptian that was beating a Hebrew. Moses flees to Midian. Moses fends off shepherds

to water a priest’s flock. Given Zipporah in marriage, bore a son named Gershom. God

hears the groaning of his people in Egypt. Moses, working for his father-in-law Jethro, en-

counters God in the burning bush. God tasks Moses with freeing his people and predicts the

plagues and the freeing of his people.

Psalm 13: How long, O Lord? Psalm 14: Fools say in their hearts, “there is not God.” Psalm

15: Those who do these things shall never be moved. Psalm 16: The Lord is my chosen

portion and my cup. Psalm 17: When I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.

Psalm 18:1-20: I love you, O Lord, my strength.

Matthew 13: Sower and the seeds. Jesus explains why parables. Jesus interprets the sower

and the seeds for the disciples. Kingdom like sowing seeds. Kingdom is like a mustard

seed. Kingdom is like yeast. Jesus interprets the parable of the sowing seeds for the disci-

ples. Kingdom like a treasure hidden. Kingdom like merchants looking for pearls. Kingdom

is like a net. The disciples say they understand. Jesus visits his home town. Matthew 14:

How John the Baptist died at the hands of Herod. Feeding of the five-thousand. Jesus walks

on water, Peter tries. People healed even by touching the fringe of Jesus’ cloak. Matthew

15: The Pharisees question Jesus about his disciples eating with unwashed hands. Jesus

heals the daughter of the woman that tells him, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from

their master’s table.” Jesus heals many people. Feeding of the four-thousand. Matthew 16:

Pharisees and Sadducees ask Jesus for a sign. Beware of the teachings of the Pharisees

and the Sadducees. Peter acknowledges Jesus as Messiah. First passion prediction. Cost

of discipleship. Matthew 17: The Transfiguration. Elijah has already come. Jesus heals epi-

leptic that the disciples could not. Second passion prediction. Fish with coins in their

mouths. Matthew 18: Who is the greatest? Do not be a stumbling block to one of these little

ones. What to do if someone sins against you. Forgive, always. The kingdom is like a king

settling accounts with his slaves.

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Safe Church

From The Rev. Carol Petty, The Canon for Wellness and Pastoral Care in the Episco-

pal Diocese of Texas (EDOT). This year’s Oscar for Best Picture went to Spotlight.

Spotlight is an extraordinary film describing the Boston Globe’s investigation into child

molestation and the systemic pattern of its cover-up in the Catholic Archdiocese of

Boston. If you haven’t yet seen it, I recommend it to you. The film invites us into the

disturbing reality of abuse in the Church. The subject matter is handled delicately and

while it does not shun the subject matter, it is not graphic. I promise you this: You will

leave the theater thanking God for EDOT’s commitment to Safe Church.”

The Episcopal Diocese of Texas is committed to ensuring that its churches, schools,

and institutions live out our Baptismal promises by providing an environment free of

abuse, exploitation, and harassment. Through the ministries of Safe Church, The Dio-

cese of Texas provides resources to ensure that every person’s dignity is respected

and protected. Prevention is what Safe Church is all about. Thanks to the safeguard-

ing certification process (screening and training) EDOT is helping to prevent abuse of

children in our care, as we intentionally establish and nurture a culture of safety and

protection across the diocese: in schools, parishes, and among families.

Safeguarding God’s Children certification provides screening and training for all

those who work with or around children, as well as all employees of any diocesan enti-

ty, whether they work with children or not. Safeguarding God’s People- Exploitation

certification provides screening and training for those leaders who have pastoral rela-

tionships with adults.

Here at St. Francis, Safeguarding God’s People training is scheduled for May 14 at

9 a.m. Bob Gray is the trainer. Safeguarding God’s Children training is scheduled

for May 21 at 9 a.m. Gay Barron is the trainer. There is an online registration process

that must be completed before taking the class. If you have any questions, please feel

free to ask Bob or Gay. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for both clas-

ses.

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We will be hosting a reception honoring our High School Graduates on Sunday May 22nd following the 10:45 a.m. service.

Daisy Cruz is graduating from Bishop T.K. Gorman High School. She will be at-tending Tyler Junior College and plans on becoming a dentist.

Morgan Ellis is graduating from John Tyler High School. She will be attending col-

lege here locally and plans on becoming a teacher.

Julia Gray is graduating from Whitehouse High School. She will be attending the University of North Texas and plans on becoming a music teacher & choir direc-tor.

Please join us as we celebrate their accomplishments and wish them the best in their future endeavors.

SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER!!!

WHO:

CHILDREN FROM PRE-SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL (BRING YOUR NEIGHBOR,

BRING YOUR FRIEND, BRING YOUR NEIGHBOR’S FRIEND)

WHAT:

END OF SCHOOL YEAR CELEBRATION!!!!!!

WHERE:

FRONT LAWN OF SAINT FRANCIS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

3232 JAN AVENUE, TYLER

WHEN:

SATURDAY JUNE 4TH (TIME NOT YET DETERMINED)

WHY:

BECAUSE YOU DESERVE TO CELEBRATE!!!!

HOW:

SHOW UP… EAT SNACKS… PLAY GAMES… HAVE FUN

More details will be given in upcoming Sunday Morning announcements and on our website

at www.stfrancistyler.org

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Shirley and Marcy

A mother was concerned about her Kindergarten son, Timmy, walking to school. He

didn’t want his mother walking with him. She wanted to give him some independence,

and yet know that he was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a

neighbor if she would please follow Timmy to school in the mornings, staying at a dis-

tance, so he probably wouldn’t notice her. The neighbor said that, since she was up

early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise,

so she agreed.

The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as

he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew. She did this for the whole

week.

As the two kids walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy’s little friend no-

ticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Fi-

nally she said to Timmy, “Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week?

Do you know her?”

Timmy nonchalantly replied, “Yeah, I know who she is.”

The little girl said, “Well, who is she?”

“That’s just Shirley Goodnest” Timmy replied, “and her daughter Marcy.”

“Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us?”

“Well,” Timmy explained, “every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my

prayers ‘cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, ‘Shirley Good-

nest and Marcy shall follow you all the days of your life,’ so I guess I’ll just have to get

used to it!”

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May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy follow you all the days of your life!

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St. Francis Episcopal Church

3232 Jan Avenue

Tyler, TX 75701

Telephone: 903-593-8459

Fax: 903-526-7756

Email: office@stfrancistyler.org

Web site: www.stfrancistyler.org

www.facebook.com/StFrancisTyler