Celebrate

The Weekly Bulletin of
St. Joseph of Nazareth Anglican Church
725 Provencher Blvd. Brossard, QC J4W 1Y5
450-671-6481 / stjofn@gmail.com

July 22nd, 2018

********

This Week

Wednesday July 25 – 9:30 a.m…………Men’s Bible Study
Friday July 27 – 10:30 a.m………..S.H.E. Ladies

********

Bible Readings

TODAY
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
Psalm 23
Ephesians 2:11-22
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Next Sunday
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Psalm 145:10-18
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21

********

Intercessions and Prayers

Prayer for Today
Almighty God, Your Son has opened for us a new and living way into Your presence. Give us pure hearts and constant wills to worship You in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Prayer for the Worldwide Anglican Church
We pray for the Episcopal Church in the Philippines

Provincial Prayer Care
We pray for the Diocese of Fredericton: Bishop David Edwards

Diocese Prayer Care
We pray for Other Christian Communities: Roman Catholic – Most Reverend Christian Lépine (Montreal)

Prayer for our Church Family
Gracious Father, we lift our hearts in praise to You. You created us in Your own image and likeness. We are ever so grateful for all the blessings You have bestowed upon us. We thank You for the blessed assurance that in the next life You will be there with us. Teach us how to spread this message to others. We ask this in the precious name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen

Prayer Team
For those who wish to pray with someone, a prayer team is available after the Service in the left-hand corner of the Sanctuary The Prayer Team scheduled for today is: Susan & Christopher

********

Birthdays & Anniversaries

To those celebrating, Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary

********

I Saw Him in Church for the First Time (Author Unknown)

Click here to view story on original website
I saw him in the church building for the first time on Wednesday. He was in his mid-70′s, with thinning silver hair and a neat brown suit. Many times in the past I had invited him to come to church. Several other Christian friends had talked to him about the Lord and had tried to share the good news with him.

He was a well-respected, honest man with so many characteristics a Christian should have, but he had never accepted Christ, nor entered the doors of the church. “Have you ever been to a church service in your life?” I had asked him a few years ago. We had just finished a pleasant day of visiting and talking.

He hesitated. Then with a bitter smile he told me of his childhood experience some fifty years ago. He was one of many children in a large impoverished family. His parents had struggled to provide food, with little left for housing and clothing. When he was about ten, some neighbors invited him to worship with them. The Sunday School class had been very exciting!

He had never heard such songs and stories before! He had never heard anyone read from the Bible! After class was over, the teacher took him aside and said, “Son, please don’t come again dressed as you are now. We want to look our best when we come into God’s house.”

He stood in his ragged, unpatched overalls. Then looking at his dirty bare feet, he answered softly, “No, ma’am, I won’t – ever.”

“And I never did,” he said, abruptly ending our conversation.

There must have been other factors to have hardened him so, but this experience formed a significant part of the bitterness in his heart. I ‘m sure that Sunday School teacher meant well. But did she really understand the love of Christ? Had she studied and accepted the teachings found in the second chapter of James?

What if she had put her arms around the dirty, ragged little boy and said, “Son, I am so glad you are here, and I hope you will come back every chance you get to hear more about Jesus.”

I reflected on the awesome responsibility a teacher or pastor or a parent has to welcome little ones in His name. How far-reaching her influence was! I prayed that I might be ever open to the tenderness of a child’s heart, and that I might never fail to see beyond the appearance and behavior of a child to the eternal possibilities within.

Yes, I saw him in the church house for the first time on Wednesday. As I looked at that immaculately dressed old gentleman lying in his casket, I thought of the little boy of long ago. I could almost hear him say, “No, ma’am, I won’t – ever.”

And I wept.

Let’s be careful of our words and our judgments.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSE…. just for YOU!
“Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed.” Psalm 25:3

********

Rector – Reverend Christopher Belle – 450-672-4549 / stjofn@gmail.com / padrebelle@gmail.com
Rector’s Warden – Diane Allen – 450-466-5112 / deedee-one@sympatico.ca
People’s Warden – Janice Candlish-Freeman – 514-235-7809 / janice.freeman@gmail.com

https://stjosephofnazarethanglican.com
www.facebook.com/St-Josephs-Church-Brossard

Our Vision
To be a beacon of light and truth in our community
inviting all people to receive God’s promise of salvation through
Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.