You Are Special

In today’s Gospel the blind beggar, Bartimaeus feels shame about his affliction. He is shunned because of his blindness. As a beggar coins are tossed to land on his cloak where he must feel for them. Passersby don’t want to get too close for fear they will be stricken by whatever has caused Bartimaeus’ blindness.

There is a difference between guilt and shame. Guilt is a remorseful feeling a person has when he knows that he has done wrong.
Shame involves the constant influx of negativity. The person is made to feel that he is wrong yet he has no idea as to why. Shame can extinguish self-esteem in a monumental way. In earlier times it was felt that a sin had been committed by the parents if a child was born with a disability. Because of his blindness Bartimaeus was treated this way.

When Bartimaeus heard all of the commotion about Jesus leaving Jericho, he began to shout out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Probably embarrassed by his plea for mercy, those stand round try to quiet Bartimaeus. He doesn’t yield to their reprimands. Obviously, Bartimaeus has heard of the miracles of Jesus and wants him to restore his sight.

Jesus tells them to call him over. They tell Bartimaeus to go to Jesus to which he does.
Jesus asks him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Bartimaeus tells Jesus he wants his sight restored.
Jesus restores his sight, tells him to go on his way and that his faith has made him well.

Because of this miracle Bartimaeus’ life is forever changed. When God calls, it is to spring up out of an old life and into a new one.

Live in true joy of what it means to be people made in the image of God.
This is who we are, and by the power of Christ’s love at work in us this is who we can call others to be as well.



SCRIPTURES


Jeremiah 31:7-9


Psalm 126
Hebrews 7:23-28


Mark 10:46-52





ANNOUNCEMENTS


+Herman Sutton, husband of the late Mary Sutton, passed away October 27th. Funeral arrangements are pending.



+Many thanks to Paul Stroud for completing the painting on the outside of the rectory. Eaves, gutters and trim have all been painted.

+Daughter2Daughter will kick off on November 7, 2009 from 9:00 am-1:00 pm. Press releases, flyers, and possible media coverage is being used to inform the public of this valuable mission. For more details visit http://www.daughter2daughter.webs.com/

+This month the children have been studying saints. For the October 25th lesson, Mamie Hymes told of a saint she has known. Mrs. Mamie told about Mrs. Lucille Pinkard an early member of St. Mark’s who played a huge part in the early Sunday School. Mrs. Pinkard would collect the children by car from their homes on Sunday mornings and take them to Sunday School. Mrs. Mamie recalled the cherished times they had as Sunday School teachers at the early St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

click image to read more about Mrs. Pinkard

+November 1st is All Saints Day. You are urged to invite a guest (s) to next Sunday’s covered dish lunch featuring your favorite Thanksgiving food. Remember these special occasions in our life together are wonderful opportunities to invite friends and family to enjoy our fellowship. Save the date and ask a friend to save the date too. Marietta Cameron will be calling to remind you to bring the dish you have chosen.



+++++What makes this feast so important that the Church celebrates both the night before All Saints and the day after it?
The Church has always honored those early witnesses to the Christian
faith who have died in the Lord. During the first three hundred years Christians
were severely persecuted, often suffering torture and bloody death -- because
they were faithful . They refused to deny Christ, even when this denial might
have saved their own lives, or the lives of their children and families.

Many of those especially holy people whose names and stories were
known, the Church later canonized (that is, the Church formally recognized that
the life of that person was without any doubt holy, or sanctified -- a "saint"
who is an example for us.) The Church's calendar contains many saint's days, In
order to honor the memory -- and our own debt -- to these unnamed saints, and to
recall their example, the Church dedicated a special feast day -- a sort of
"memorial day" -- so that all living Christians would celebrate the lives and
witness of those "who have died and gone before us into the presence of the
Lord". excerpted from Women for Faith and Family taken from www.wff.org/AllSaints

+Processional Hymn “Blessed Absalom” LEV #44
Absalom Jones (1746 – February 13, 1818), was an African-American abolitionist and clergyman. After founding a black congregation in 1794, in 1804 he was the first African-American ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church of the United States. He is listed on the Episcopal calendar of saints and blessed under the date of his decease, February 13, in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer as "Absalom Jones, Priest, 1818". from wikipedia

VISITOR
St. Mark's welcomes visitor, Bonnie Krebs. Please worship with us again.

YOU ARE SPECIAL was a book mentioned in today's sermon.
This review is from: You Are Special (Max Lucado's Wemmicks)
This book shows how true freedom for us comes by not being enslaved to the opinions of others. Max Lucado tells the story to communicate to children (and most DEFINITELY to adults as well) that by taking time to experience and remember God's love for us, we can have a deep joy that isn't contingent upon whether people bestow praise (represented by gold stars) or insults (grey dots) upon us. This is a book that I think everyone should read .This simple story illustrates a truth that is essential to our peace, yet so hard for us to keep hold of.
This review done by Bethany McKinney at www.Amazon.com

CHURCH HUMOR


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