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A Prayer for Autumn Months

O God of Creation, you have blessed us with the changing of the seasons. As we welcome the autumn months, may the earlier setting of the sun remind us to take time to rest. May the brilliant colors of the leaves remind us of the wonder of your creation. May the steam of our breath in the cool air remind us that it is you who give us the breath of life. May the harvest from the fields remind us of the abundance we have been given and bounty we are to share with others. May the dying of summer's spirit remind us of your great promise that death is temporary, and life is eternal. We praise you for your goodness forever and ever.

- Author Unknown


Let Evening Come
BY JANE KENYON

Let the light of late afternoon
shine through chinks in the barn, moving
up the bales as the sun moves down.

Let the cricket take up chafing
as a woman takes up her needles
and her yarn. Let evening come.

Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
in long grass. Let the stars appear
and the moon disclose her silver horn. 

Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
Let the wind die down. Let the shed
go black inside. Let evening come.

To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
in the oats, to air in the lung
let evening come.

Let it come, as it will, and don't
be afraid. God does not leave us
comfortless, so let evening come.

Jane Kenyon, "Let Evening Come" from Collected Poems.
Copyright ©2005 by the Estate of Jane Kenyon.


Please join us for one of our two services of Holy Eucharist this Sunday.

Rite I at 8:00 and Rite II at 10:30

  • Everyone is invited to enjoy coffee and fellowship between services and after the 10:30 service downstairs in Sengel Hall.
  • If you are not able to attend one of these services, the 10:30 service will be streamed on Facebook.
  • A copy of the service booklet, prayer requests, and weekly schedule can be downloaded by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.
  • For October Birthdays & Anniversaries, click the link at the bottom of this page.


Arkansas Youth Event (AYE)

AYE, the fall weekend retreat open to 6th–12th graders, will be held Sept. 30–Oct. 2, at Camp Mitchell. It is an excellent kick-off to the new school year, and a chance to spend time with old friends and make new friends from all over the state. AYE is open to all youth across the state and costs $130. Register at eycarkansas.org/aye.

 

Adult Forum - September 25, 2022

In Chapter 4: "The Drama of Desire", McLaren invites us to explore what the story of Adam and Eve (and stories of their descendants) reveals to us about God's relationship with humankind, what is revealed about human nature, and how do these foundational narratives inform our lives today.

  • Genesis 3:1-13
  • Psalm 32
  • Philippians 2:3-11

 

Wednesday Book Study

Wednesdays, at 1:00, Fr. Brandon invites you to read and discuss in a group setting Barbara Brown Taylor's book, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith.

 

"Taylor reveals meaningful ways to discover the sacred in the small things we do and see, from simple practices such as walking, working, and prayer. 

Something as ordinary as hanging clothes on a clothesline becomes an act of meditation if we pay attention to what we're doing and take time to notice the sights, smells, and sounds around us...As we incorporate these practices into our daily lives, we begin to discover altars everywhere we go, in nearly everything we do. With Taylor's excellent guidance and delicate, thought-provoking prose, we learn to live with purpose, pay attention, slow down, and practice reverence."

Our discussion group will meet each Wednesday at 1:00pm in the Gathering Area. This will be a ten-week study, and here is the schedule of readings:

  • 9/14: 1 The Practice of Waking Up to God: Vision. and 2 The Practice of Paying Attention: Reverence. pp. 1-34
  • 9/21: 3 The Practice of Wearing Skin: Incarnation. pp. 35-52
  • 9/28: 4 The Practice of Walking On Earth: Groundedness. pp. 53-68
  • 10/5: 5 The Practice of Getting Lost: Wilderness. pp. 69-86
  • 10/12: 6 The Practice of Encountering Others: Community. pp. 87-106
  • 10/19: 7 The Practice of Living with Purpose: Vocation. pp. 107-120
  • 10/26: 8 The Practice of Saying No: Sabbath. pp. 121-140
  • 11/2: 9 The Practice of Carrying Water: Physical Labor. pp. 141-154
  • 11/9: 10 The Practice of Feeling Pain: Breakthrough. pp. 155-174
  • 11/16: 11 The Practice of Being Present to God: Prayer. and 12 The Practice of Pronouncing Blessings: Benediction. pp. 175-209

Church Yard Work

Special thanks to Mike Bryson, Wayne Whitney, John Scott, Terry McCormack, Len Wade, Lee Clark, and Michael Henryson who gathered on September 17th to tidy up the church grounds . We cleared the Columbarium of pine needles and branches, trimmed bushes in the front and back of the church, cut down dead trees and overhanging branches, and did some garage cleanup. We’ll let you know when the next clean-up event is scheduled. It makes such a great difference in the general appearance of St. Theodore’s. 

Al Addington

Food Pantry

We have been approached by St. Andrew‘s Episcopal Church in Rogers to assist with their food pantry. They have a well-established program dealing with food insecurity that serves 35 to 45 families every Tuesday from 9 AM to 11 AM. Their food comes from bakeries, private donations and the USDA with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. However, with supply chain issues, food availability has decreased and costs have risen to a point that they could use some help. The Outreach Committee and Vestry felt this was a good opportunity and want to switch our food collection efforts from Helping Hands to the St. Andrew’s pantry. Contributions will still come to St Theodores and be transported as needed to St. Andrew’s.

The following are the most frequently needed items:

1.      spaghetti noodles
2.      spaghetti sauce
3.      peanut butter
4.      canned tuna
5.      canned soups
6.      canned vegetables
7.      canned fruits
8.      ramen noodles
9.      dried pinto beans
10.  rice
11.  canned beans
12.  plastic grocery bags to distribute the canned goods 

Let’s also remember to continue to bring items for our small pantry on Kingsland Road. If you have questions, contact Al Addington 479-531-6199

 

Live Streaming Volunteers Wanted

Our video ministry is looking for a couple volunteers who would like to help with live streaming our 10:30 Sunday Services. This ministry is as easy as clicking a remote.

  • Volunteer commitment involves one Sunday every month or every other month (we’re flexible). 
  • No experience necessary. Training and support provided. 
  • Volunteers do not need to belong to St. Theodore's. Volunteers can be students wanting to earn volunteer hour credits.

If you are interested or know someone who might be interested please contact the church office (479) 855-2715, or Colleen Whitney (479) 866-9430.

 

Coffee Fellowship

Hosts are needed for coffee after the 10:30 service. There is a sign-up sheet for September, October and November on the bulletin board. All that a host needs to bring are simple treats, i.e. a plate of cookies, coffee cake, fruit, etc. Everything else is provided.

Questions? Call Renée Goodrich, 479-866-9540 

 

Emergency Clean-up Buckets 

Following the several destructive weather events that have occurred recently in this country and elsewhere in the world, the need is once again great for the buckets of cleaning supplies provided by Church World Services to areas most affected by these disasters. We supply the buckets, fill them here with the necessary supplies and deliver them to a distribution center in Central Arkansas to be sent wherever the need is greatest.

Below is the list of specific items needed to fill the buckets. These are listed by month to help you space out your shopping if you prefer to do that. Any of the items may be brought to the church at any time to be stored here until we have enough of all the requested items to fill the buckets.

Please pay close attention to the specific descriptions of each item, as the full list is designed to fit into a 5-gallon bucket. If you have any questions, contact Sharon Moravits or Al Addington

"Bucket List"

 

Treasurer's Helper Needed

The Treasurer’s office is looking to add an additional person to our team. If you have an interest in joining our team, please contact Jerry Schaefer. He can be reached at jerry21schaefer@gmail.com or

479-321-0010. This is an opportunity to help serve our church. Anyone with limited bookkeeping skills or more are welcomed.

 

Brown Bag Bible Study

During the month of September we will wrap up our final four Brown Bag lectures on Christian Theology. Please join us each Tuesday, in the Gathering Room, at 11:30 a.m.

Each lecture will be presented by Phillip Cary, Ph.D. as he continues to discuss the History of Christian Theology. Bring a brown bag lunch and stay for the lecture and discussion. 

September lectures include:

September 6th        Catholic Theologies of Grace
September 13th      Catholic Mystical Theology
September 20th      From Vatican I to Vatican II
September 27th      Vatican II and Ecumenical Prospects

 

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15th Sunday after Pentecost
September 18, 2022 - 55 views

In-Person Attendance
8:00 - 13
10:30 - 66
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