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Rector's Message: Saturday, January 15, 2022
Updated: Jan 22, 2022
Sunday, 16 January
The Second Sunday After the Epiphany
A Scripture Verse for the Week:
A Message from the Rector
All four lessons for this week, including the psalm (Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 36:5-10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11), speak of dramatic transformations.
The lesson from Isaiah is part of an extended, rapturous promise of the renewal of the people of God. The time of the punishment of the nation for its rejection of God and his ways has been completed; it is a time of forgiveness and new strength. “You shall no more be termed Forsaken … for the Lord delights in you.”
The psalm provides an image of the new world, transformed at the end of time with the coming of God’s Kingdom. And the people feast at the heavenly banquet prepared for them. “They feast upon the abundance of your house; you give them drink from the river of your delights.”
Likewise, the lesson from Paul’s letter to the people of Corinth describes a people transformed by God’s power and initiative. The Corinthian Christians are reminded of their pagan past when they worshiped unresponsive and impotent idols, and then are called to contrast that former way of life with their newness in Christ, in which they are filled with many demonstrable spiritual gifts.
Finally, in the Gospel Jesus transforms ordinary water into the best wine of the marriage feast. Along with the account of the visitation of the wise men and the baptism of Christ (both events celebrated last week), the miracle at Cana is one of the three great themes of the Epiphany season – the manifestation of Jesus to the world.
Today’s lessons teach that this manifestation is not for Jesus’ sake, but for the world’s sake. Whenever the grace of God enters into the life of an individual or a people, that grace comes in power to transform from weakness to empowerment, from alienation to loving acceptance, from misery to joy. When God transforms an individual or a people, it is rarely, if ever, merely for the sake of those who are transformed, but that they may be a means of blessing others. In the week ahead, ask yourself: How has my life been transformed by my relationship with Christ? How am I intentional in sharing that blessing?
O God, our times are in your hands: Look with favor, we pray, on these your servants as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
rd. Amen.
Brian Kaelin
Shawn Zelner
Cathy Wallace
Brett Baker
Ellie Kriebel
John Bergin
Gary Pickell
Clinton Ely
VISIT THE WEBSITE: Here you can find a video of the Sunday service as well as the bulletin and the sermon. https://www.messiahgwynedd.org/
VIEW THE CALENDAR
OFFICE HOURS
Monday through Friday 9:30 to 2:30
IN CASE OF A PASTORAL EMERGENCY AFTER HOURS
Should you have an urgent need to contact the Rector outside of Church Office hours, please use his cell phone: 215-692-2667.
Dine and Donate
Monday, January 31st
4:00pm-9:00pm
Harvest Seasonal Grill
1460 Bethlehem Pike, North Wales, PA 19454
RECTOR'S BIBLE STUDY
GENESIS – PART II
After taking a break for the month of December, the second half of the GENESIS Bible Study will resume on Wednesday, January 12th. We will meet each Wednesday evening via Zoom at 7:00pm for six weeks (1/12-2/16), covering the events of Noah and the Great Flood through the Tower of Babel. If you would like to join us, please contact the Rector to receive the weekly readings and Zoom invitations.
JOIN OUR BOOK DISCUSSION
If God is Love, Don’t Be a Jerk
Finding a Faith that Makes Us Better Humans
By John Pavlovitz
“Imagine for a moment what the world might look like if we as people of faith, morality, and conscience actually aspired to this mantra. What if we were fully burdened to create a world that was more loving and equitable than when we arrived? What if we invited one another to share in wide-open, fearless, spiritual communities truly marked by compassion and interdependence? What if we daily challenged ourselves to live a faith that simply made us better humans? John Pavlovitz explores how we can embody this kinder kind of spirituality where we humbly examine our belief system to understand how it might compel us to act in less-than-loving ways toward others.”
These words from Amazon invite us into a book discussion unlike any other. Will you join us?
Via Zoom – Thursdays February 3 – March 10, 2022 at 2 p.m. The book may be purchased at Amazon – paperback $14.49; kindle $7.98 Please contact Rev. MaryJo Melberger at revmjmelb@verizon.net to join.
HELP NEEDED: Messiah Meals from Home
We need your help making 100+ meals for Caring For Friends!! Since we cannot meet in person right now, we are asking people to pick up supplies and make the meals from home.
The packaging supplies and directions will be available in the church kitchen for pick up Tuesday-Thursday from 10:30-2:30, beginning January 12th. Packets of supplies will be available until all 100 meals are taken. All you will need to do is pick up the supplies, make your favorite recipe, and fill and freeze the containers. Then return them to the church freezer by Jan 31st. Supplies will be packaged in groups of 10. If you want to make more than 10 meals, take a few packages. If you want to make less, let us know and we can set aside a smaller number of supplies. Don’t have a favorite recipe? Check out some of the ones that have been posted on Messiah’s Website. Worried about what to include? We give suggestions. Still hesitant????? We have a great group that would be happy to answer any questions. You can contact Diana at dimulroy1@gmail.com or 267-4816091 or contact Amy Korman at Korman.amy@gmail.com or 215-280-2872
HAT AND GLOVE DRIVE FOR MITZVAH CIRCLE
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, join the outreach committee in collecting hats and gloves for Mitzvah Circle. Mitzvah Circle is an organization in Norristown that was created to fill the gaps, to provide items that are not covered by government assistance. You can purchase hats and gloves to donate (Walmart, Amazon or Target will ship right to your house if you don’t want to go out), or you can offer ones you have knitted/crocheted. Please drop off all items to the church before January 31st. There will be a bin labeled Mitzvah Circle. You can also include a handwritten note of encouragement!
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TREES ALONG THE DRIVEWAY?
Driving between the church and Parish House, you may have noticed that the trees that used to line the windows outside the Guild Room have been reduced to stumps. What happened? And why?
Unfortunately, the trees had to be removed to protect and preserve the integrity of the Parish House building. This summer, the Guild Room windows sills had to be replaced due to severe wood rot. In the course of that project, it was found that the stucco on the exterior wall all along the Guild Room was loosening and molding. Further investigation uncovered the fact that during rainstorms, once the building became wet, the trees prevented the wall from receiving adequate sunlight and airflow to thoroughly dry. The result was damage to the wall, the stucco, the windows and sills. It was thus advised that the trees be removed, a task accomplished last week.
The stumps have been left to weather through the winter months, making it easier to pull them out in the spring. At that time, a new landscaping plan will be installed along the length of the driveway, both preserving the Parish House building and beautifying the grounds of our lovely campus. And as a bonus, the light into the Guild Room through the large windows has been dramatically increased.
Online Rummage Sale
Do you have items in your home that you no longer need or want? If so, please consider donating them to Messiah. We will post them online on Facebook marketplace and will arrange for the sale. All proceeds will go towards achieving our annual fundraising goal. Items that tend to sell online are furniture, clothing lots, shoes, accessories, books, seasonal products, home goods, sports and fitness equipment, electronic appliances, etc. If you have any of these items that you wish to donate, reach out to Jennifer Marsh at jhmarsh21@gmail.com with a detailed description of your item as well as photographs of the item from different angles. Jennifer will post the item on Facebook and will communicate with interested buyers to arrange for a sale at the best price. Once a sale is made we will coordinate with you to bring the item to the parish hall (either Jennifer will pick it up from your location or you may drop it off). If an item is too big (like a large piece of furniture) Jennifer will meet with the buyer at your location at a time that is convenient for you. The buyer is fully responsible for lifting and transporting large items from your location.
LOCAL JOB OPPORTUNITY:
The church office shared by St. John's and Church of Our Saviour seeks a part-time Office Manager capable of providing administrative support through a range of responsibilities including parish communications, publications, and schedule coordination. Ideal candidates will have at least 3 years of experience working in an office environment, strong interpersonal and organizational skills, an ability to multi-task, and a high level of attention to detail. Familiarity with Office, Publisher, and Quickbooks preferred--experience in a church office is a plus! Prospective applicants are invited to contact the church at stjohnshvoffice@gmail.com or 215-947-3212.
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology and the hard work of several parishioners, we are able to offer a variety of ways to participate in Sunday services:
IN-PERSON – In-Person Services are temporarily paused for the month of January due to the rising number of Covid cases
LIVE-STREAMED - the service will be broadcast on YouTube – follow the link posted on the church website (messiahgwynedd.org)
WEBSITE – at the close of the service, a video will be posted to the parish website (messiahgwynedd.org) for viewing at a time convenient for you
Ministry Opportunity:
We are in need of intercessors for our prayer chain ministry.
When someone has a need or concern, they can be placed on our prayer chain. That person is prayed for daily and the concern lifted before the Lord. If you want to join this crucial ministry, please contact Ciara Prezuhy at 215-353-1343 or cprezuhy@gmail.com.
Thank you!
SUPPORT FOR MANNA ON MAIN STREET
We Continue to Collect & Deliver Non-Perishable Items
As you do your weekly shopping, please pick up some non-perishable food items, toiletries and cleaning supplies. These donations can be left on the back pew of the church or left outside the Rector’s office door. These will then be delivered to Manna to stock their shelves for distribution to meet clients’ needs.
RECTOR'S BIBLE STUDY
GENESIS – PART II
After taking a break for the month of December, the second half of the GENESIS Bible Study will resume on Wednesday, January 12th. We will meet each Wednesday evening via Zoom at 7:00pm for six weeks (1/12-2/16), covering the events of Noah and the Great Flood through the Tower of Babel. If you would like to join us, please contact the Rector to receive the weekly readings and Zoom invitations.
JOIN OUR BOOK DISCUSSION
If God is Love, Don’t Be a Jerk
Finding a Faith that Makes Us Better Humans
By John Pavlovitz
“Imagine for a moment what the world might look like if we as people of faith, morality, and conscience actually aspired to this mantra. What if we were fully burdened to create a world that was more loving and equitable than when we arrived? What if we invited one another to share in wide-open, fearless, spiritual communities truly marked by compassion and interdependence? What if we daily challenged ourselves to live a faith that simply made us better humans? John Pavlovitz explores how we can embody this kinder kind of spirituality where we humbly examine our belief system to understand how it might compel us to act in less-than-loving ways toward others.”
These words from Amazon invite us into a book discussion unlike any other. Will you join us?
Via Zoom – Thursdays February 3 – March 10, 2022 at 2 p.m. The book may be purchased at Amazon – paperback $14.49; kindle $7.98 Please contact Rev. MaryJo Melberger at revmjmelb@verizon.net to join.
Church School will be meeting virtually at 10:30 Sunday mornings for the month of January. A meeting link will be sent out on Saturday evening.
Due to the rising numer of Covid cases, YOM meetings and events are temporarily suspended for the month of January.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS YEAR'S CALENDAR OF MEETINGS AND EVENTS
NOTE: Barbara Stevenson continues to need recipes and craft ideas to pass along to the parish through the weekly email messages. You can send your submissions to Barbara at bebstevenson@yahoo.com.
Winter is here! We can all feel the chill in the air. When this weather arrives, I find myself looking for tasks that I can get done while cuddled in warm, soft and very comfortable clothes! I also look for meals I can prepare that are comforting. I have prepared these two that fit the bill!
Enjoy,
Barbara
Pot Roast
2 Tablespoons canola oil
Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic salt (generous)
3 - 4 lb beef chuck roast
2 large onions, sliced
3 - 4 large carrots, peeled, chunked
4 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine
(For slurry)
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water
Place oil in bottom of Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium-high. Season beef well with salt and pepper, onion salt and garlic salt to taste. Place roast in pan and let cook for 4 - 5 minutes or until the bottom is well browned. Carefully flip the roast over to the other side and brown that side well for another 4 - 5 minutes. Place sliced onions and carrots, beef broth and red wine in the pan with the roast. Cook at 275 degrees I oven for 2 - 3 hrs. Then increase heat to 325 degrees until roast reaches 200 degrees internal temperature and is fork tender. Cook to temperature, not time. When roast is done, remove from heat. Carefully remove roast and vegetables from pan and set aside, covered tightly. Strain out or spoon most of the grease from the drippings and then bring the rest of the drippings to a simmer. You need 3 cups of liquid, so you may need to add more broth. Mix together cold water and cornstarch. Whisk into the gravy mix and reduce heat to low on stove and stir until thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles. (8 servings)
Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Gravy
4 large, thick pork chops
1 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 1 ounce packet onion dip mix
1 .87 ounce packet pork gravy mix
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 Tablespoons water
Add the soup, onion mix, gravy mix, pepper and chicken broth to slow cooker and mix together. Add pork chops to slow cooker. Pour gravy mix over pork chops. Cover slow cooker and set on 8 hours. In 7 1/2 hours mix cornstarch and water. Add to slow cooker. Replace cover and cook for 30 minutes more. Remove lid and use fork to pull apart pork chops. Remove bones, discard. Add pork to mashed pittance cover with gravy.
(8 servings)
