Dear Friends of Emmanuel,

Rev. Joyce will be off again this week, as she is undergoing physical therapy at a rehab facility in Braintree which specializes in vestibular vertigo. She is in good spirits and is optimistic about her treatment. We hope she will be back with us next week.

Our service this week will therefore be Morning Prayer with a Scripture Dialogue. The readings include:

Exodus 3:1-15
Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28

(continue reading…)  https://emmanuelwr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Emmanuel-Newsletter-08292020-Final.pdf

Newsletter Sunday, August 23, 2020

Dear Friends of Emmanuel,

I am just back from a ‘staycation’.  It was a welcome relaxed time with many enjoyable outings.  Being back among you (metaphorically) is a good feeling!  I look forward to our weekly dialogue based on the readings for Sunday.

This week in our lessons (Exodus 1:8-2:10) we meet the story of Moses and his deliverance from death at the hands of his clever mother.  I hope you get a chance to read it carefully.  Here is what I gleaned from it.  The Pharaoh was afraid of being overrun with Israelites, so he made a law and instructed all the midwives to kill all the male babies born to Hebrews.  We can only imagine the dilemma that this presented to the women who worked so hard to birth children.  To be asked to end the life of one just birthed was unthinkable to these life-giving women. The story continues and tells us of the way that the order of the Pharaoh is subverted.  Clever women save at least one little baby boy and, of course, that is Moses. (continue reading) Emmanuel Newsletter 08222020 Final