The Messenger

Christ Memorial Episcopal Church

February, 2018

Sundays at Christ Memorial 8 am – Holy Communion – Rite 1, Chapel of St. Anne

9:15 am – Christian Formation

10:30 am – Holy Communion – Rite II, Main Church

Christ Memorial Episcopal Church 401 Washington Avenue Mansfield, LA 71052 318-872-1144

❖ Visit our Facebook Page ❖ E-mail us at christmemorialepiscopal@gmail.com ❖ Our website: www.christmemorialmansfield.org

Head of the church

Jesus Christ Our Bishop - Rt. Rev. Jacob Owensby

Priest in Residence – Rev. George Gennuso, Jr. Christ Memorial Vestry

2019 Malisa Laffitte

2020 Rhys Burgess

Yvonne Osborne

Kimberly Winfree

2021 Bill Calvert

Jean Calvert David Maroski

Senior warden Tabatha Sparks

Junior warden Jeff heard

Church secretary Mary Vay Cobb

Altar Guild Captain Kimberly Winfree

Brother Lawrence Brenda Fleniken

Karen CalvertChurch TreasurerECW President

Malisa Lafitte

The Christian Barber here was a barber that thought that he should share his faith with his customers more than he had been doing lately. So the next morning when the sun came up and the

barber got up out of bed he said, "Today I am going to witness to the first man that walks through my door." Soon after he opened his shop the first man came in and said, "I want a shave!" The barber said, "Sure, just sit in the seat and I'll be with you in a moment." The barber went in the back and prayed a quick desperate prayer saying, "God, the first customer came in and I'm going to witness to him. So give me the wisdom to know just the right thing to say to him. Amen." Then quickly the barber came out with his razor knife in one hand and a Bible in the other while saying "Good morning sir. I have a question for you... Are you ready to die?

Prayer and Intercession List

O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to your servants the help of your power, that his sickness may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP p. 458)

Sonny Stone Al Bechner Nell Platt Dollye Villena Kermie Valentine Reed Laffitte Hazel Brown Susan Ruffin Ally Duval Bill and Pat Lawhorn Lynn Crocker Grace Gennuso Mary Margaret Ryan Gennuso Ritchie Dickson Julian “Toot” Cloud Brandi Trejo Rodney Cobb, Sr. Marietta Jones Jack Justice Steve Osborne Dr Milton Finley Jeanne Christian Stephanie Sewell Martin

Military Service Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our

armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCP p. 823

Eric Travis Darrel Dylan Nick Jake Blake Darren Daniel Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP. 823)

Someone wants a visit and/or Home Communion ….

LET ME KNOW!!! IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO IS HOMEBOUND OR IN THE HOSPITAL AND WOULD LIKE A VISITAT ION AND COMMUNION, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. CALL THE CHURCH OR SPEAK WITH OUR SENIOR WARDEN, TABATHA SPARKS!!!!

LET’S BRING THE CHURCH TO THEM!

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

— Memphis, 1939.

Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard

their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their

mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force.

Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty. — Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiance, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family's long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country.

***** Great Lion of God by Taylor Caldwell

Born a veritable great lion of God to a devout Jewish family, Saul of Tarsus is raised by his parents to embrace their love of humanity.

Dogged by what he perceives as a lack of true faith, he embarks on a journey to save his people from sacrilege. But on the road to Damascus a vision of the resurrected Jesus changes the course of his life. Converting to Christianity,

the newly christened Paul transforms from persecutor of blasphemers

into apostle to the gentiles, becoming one of the supreme influences on the Cath olic Church and the Western world.

Great Lion of God paints a unique and very human portrait of Saint Paul, one of the most

passionate, dauntless, and complex figures of early Christianity —Pharisee, lawyer, theologian, and above all, a “man like ourselves with our own despairs, doubts, anxieties and angers and intolerances, and ‘lusts of the flesh.’”

IF YOU NEED A RECOMMENDATION BY A MEMBER ABOUT THIS BOOK, TALK TO MARIETTA JONES, TAYLOR CALDWELL IS ONE OF HER FAVORITE AUTHORS.

Mark your calendars

February 10 at 2 pm Convocation Meeting St. Mark’s Cathedral

February 17 The Meire Baptism - 10:30 Service

February 24 “Praise Band” from Shreveport

Will lead us in music at the 10:30 service.

February 24 at 5 pm Convocational Ultreya will meet at Christ Memorial

All you “Cursillistas” join in the celebration

March 6 at 6pm Ash Wednesday Service

March 9 Diocesan Convention

March 10 Lenten Study Begins

“JESUS HIMSELF CHOSE THE NAILS” God has penned a list of our faults. The list God has made, however, can’t be deciphered. The mistakes are covered. The sins hidden. “He has forgiven you all your sins: he has utterly wiped out the written evidence. . .and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 Phillips).

He knew the price of those sins was death. He knew the source of those sins was you, and since he couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, he chose the nails. The verdict behind the death was not decided by jealous Jews. With a flex of the biceps, Jesus could have resisted. Jesus himself chose the nails. He knew that

the purpose of the nail was to place your sins where they could be hidden by his sacrifice—nailed to the cross; covered by his blood.