Our newsletter contains Rev.Caggiano’s message for this week which contains the live Zoom link for Saturday’s service.

You will also find a link for the Order of Service.

https://emmanuelwr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Emmanuel-Newsletter-1042020-Final.pdf

https://emmanuelwr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Online-communion-Oct-4-2020-rev1.pdf

Our newsletter contains Rev. Caggiano’s weekly message and the live Zoom link for 9/26/2020 service.  Newsletter Sept 27

Order of Service PDF for 9/26/20 Zoom service and YouTube recorded video. Online communion sept 27

Dear Friends of Emmanuel,

The cooler weather has arrived.  The smell of Autumn is in the air and children are getting ready for school.  Who of us thought that we would still be struggling with the COVID pandemic at this time?  And yet here we are.  I’d like to relate our present situation in the pandemic with the lessons assigned from our lectionary this week.

In the Old Testament we read the story of Jonah [Jonah 3:10-4:11] who got angry with God when God changed his mind and did not destroy the city of Nineveh. Jonah is frustrated and angry. Then God demonstrates to Jonah by taunting him by providing the shelter of a fig tree that God then destroys leaving Jonah suffering in the searing heat of the day.  Jonah is so discouraged that he said, “please take my life from me.”  This anthropomorphic God, a God that has human characteristics responds, to Jonah’s complaint, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” A simple thing that is not significant? Certainly, the great city of Nineveh is more worthy of concern than a fickle bush.

(Continue reading)

Emmanuel Newsletter 09192020 Final

Dear Friends of Emmanuel,

I hope that you were able to take advantage of a beautiful long weekend, Labor Day.  I was indeed fortunate that the weather held so that my travel to upstate New York went well.  Thank you all for your prayers.

The Gospel of Matthew 18: 21-35 for this week is a challenging one.  Peter asked Jesus; how many times am I to forgive someone who offends me? Seven times? Jesus replies; no, seventy-seven times! And then Jesus tells a parable. It is the story of a slave of the King who is forgiven his debt after begging for forgiveness. The same slave goes to those who owe him and does not offer the forgiveness he himself received! When Peter asks Jesus, “are we to forgive as many as seven times”? He has already gone way beyond what was accepted practice.  In Rabbinic code of the day, one is to forgive until the fourth time.  After the fourth time they should not forgive. The context, then, for Jesus’ response: “no, we should forgive seventy-seven times” is a hyperbolic exaggeration to indicate – always. (continue reading…) https://emmanuelwr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/online-communion-sept-13.pdf

Newsletter Sunday, August 9, 2020

Dear Friends of Emmanuel,

Rev. Joyce is taking a much-deserved vacation and will be back with us in two weeks, Saturday, August 22.

We will, however, be having a Morning Prayer service live at our regular time, 3:00 pm, Saturday, August 8 via Zoom, with a scripture dialogue discussing the readings for this week:

                                     Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
                                     Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b
                                     Romans 10:5-15
                                     Matthew 14:22-33

We will learn more about Jacob’s family. The Gospel story recounts Jesus’ walk on water and faith. A virtual Coffee Hour follows immediately after the service.

Click below for more:

https://emmanuelwr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Emmanuel-Newsletter-08092020.pdf

Dear Friends of Emmanuel,

In Genesis this week, we read the story about Jacob struggling in the night with the angel.  And the angel says to him, you shall be called Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed.  At this point we struggle to find our footing.  Many of us have been thrown off balance because of circumstances not under our control.  God asks us not to avoid the struggle but to overcome it.  To become striven means to work through the unfortunate events of our lives knowing that we are held in the arms of the God who loves us.

(Click below for more)

https://emmanuelwr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Emmanuel-Newsletter-0802020-Final.pdf

https://episcopalchurch.org/habits-of-grace?wchannelid=u3mbmc7c0r

Newsletter Sunday, July 19, 2020

Dear Friends of Emmanuel:

As we continue to work on our online liturgy, we invite you to join us.  Learn how in this week’s newsletter:

https://emmanuelwr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Emmanuel-Newsletter-7192020-Final.pdf

God Bless you.

The Rev. Dr. Joyce Caggiano

Newsletter Sunday, July 12, 2020

Dear Friends of Emmanuel,

In the Collect for Sunday, July 12, we pray that we may know and understand what things we ought to do and ask for the grace and power to accomplish them.  It is a lofty request of God.

Jesus after all did not live in the midst of this pandemic!  Jesus did not have the racism, ageism, and sexism, etc. to deal with what we are facing today.  Or did he?  If we believe that God has provided guidance for all these modern things by giving Jesus to live and die as one of us, then where do we find help for today’s problems?

Actually, we can if we put our minds to it.  If we pay attention.  If we open our minds and hearts, the answer is there.  Remember the Samaritans, the tax collectors, the lepers? Those were the communities that were discriminated against.  Remember the lepers that no one wanted to go near?  Remember the woman who was about to be stoned?  And the woman who came to wash his feet with their hair? Remember Zacchaeus and Lazarus the rich man and many other characters in our scriptures.

Let us not be like the seed that has fallen on the rocks and turn away. Let us embrace the blessings and the challenges that are before us in 2020 as God would have us do.

The Lessons for us this week focus on seed and “sower.”  Timeless images for those of us who garden or even remember from our grade school science class know about the need for water, sunshine, and good soil in order to receive a good harvest.

The analogy is simple. Everyone and everything needs to be nourished with the soil, water, and sunshine of life. When we nourish our souls and hearts, we receive the joy and peace needed to accomplish what God has for us to do.

Isaiah 55: 12-13 says, “the mountains and the hills” will burst out in song…and it will be an everlasting sign. God calls us to be safe, be comfortable, care for ourselves, and pray that God will give us the knowledge our task.  And “we shall go out with Joy and be led forth with peace.”  Surely peace and joy are a priceless precious gift from God.

Be well, be safe,

The Rev. Joyce Caggiano

View the taped service anytime via our website:

https://emmanuelwr.org/sermons/

New this week on our website: Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has posted a new “Habits of Grace”

Reflection.

https://emmanuelwr.org/news-events/

Hydrangeas at Emmanuel

(photo by Terri Halliday)

 We may not be there—but the flowers bloom at our beautiful church. Taken on July 7, 2020.