St. Paul's Announcements

Dear St. Paul's Congregation,

As we wind up our prayer sermon series this Sunday, you might appreciate taking a peak at what God did to unite Christians in prayer in Boston while we were deeping our prayer here at St. Paul's. 6,000 people gathered at the end of 10 Days Boston in a huge prayer service. One of the St. Paul's Seminary Students led the team effort.

Dear St. Paul's Congregation,

What about them Cards? The game on Thursday night had to be, without exaggeration, the most exciting baseball game I have ever watched. The Cardinals have taught us all a great lesson in life: Never Give Up! Even when the odds are stacked against you, Never Give Up! This is also a metaphor of our life in Christ. Even though we experience setbacks here on earth, we know that at the end, God's team will win. The score can look ever so bleak, but God holds the final victory in his hands.

Dear St.

Dear St. Paul's Congregation,

It is with sadness that I must share with you the loss of two dear souls, Dorothy Litzinger and Rev. Kenneth Klingerman. I have included their obituaries below. Grace to all of you! Pastor Mark Friz.

Litzinger, Dorothy K. (nee Kick), passed away, Sunday, October 23, 2011. Beloved wife of the late Lester W. Litzinger. Loving mother of Phil, Mark (Tammy) and Guy Litzinger. Grandmother of Miki (Mike) Fountain, Jamie, Kristy, Jackie and Sam Litzinger.

Dear St. Paul's Congregation,

Pastor Dan and I have been hearing some very positive comments about our prayer emphasis at St. Paul's, and also the prayer sermons. We hope that your discussions in the small groups have also been helping you to integrate the hope of "deeping prayer ministry" into your personal lives.

This Sunday, Pastor Dan and I together will tackle the "Mary and Martha" scripture from Luke 10:38-42.

Okay, St. Paul's,

Two weeks ago, I asked you for big answers to prayers. Last week, I asked you how you slow down to pray. This week, I would like to know how you listen to God. Listening isn't something we're very good at in prayer. It brings us into the realm of being quiet, of something called contemplation. How do we know whether we are really hearing God's voice, or simply hearing our own will speaking to us?

Dear St. Paul's,

If anyone has a kerosene lantern with an old fashioned cotton wick that really works, I would love to use it for a sermon illustration tomorrow.

I would need to get it before the first service. Sorry for the late notice. The one I was planning to use is leaking.

Blessings,

Pastor Mark Friz

Dear St. Paul's Congregation,

Thanksgiving. What beautiful weather we're experiencing. On top of that, the Cardinals are ahead in the play offs. At times like these, we see how God not only takes care of "our daily bread," but adds blessing upon blessing.

Feast of Tabernacles. Beit Tefilah has set out the booth, reminding us that this is the time of year when our Jewish friends celebrate the feast of Tabernacles. It is a time when they thank God for all that he has done--somewhat similar to our thanksgiving services. They celebrate the harvest, and spend many days in celebration.

Join Us at 9:45 a.m. Let's not forget that we are all invited to a special presentation between services tomorrow, when Rabbi Lynn will meet us in the Sukkah (Booth) on the North Side of the parking lot, and explain what this feast is all about. You are welcome to attend. In fact, I encourage you to attend. She is doing it especially for our confirmation class, but all are welcome.

Psalm 131. Tomorrow the sermon is based on Psalm 131. It is a very short Psalm, but most of us are a very long way from experiencing it, including myself. It talks about a quieted heart. David had ways to quiet his heart, even with all the pressures he endured. Hopefully, we will learn something about David's secrets tomorrow.

Invite Your Friends. Invite your friends to join you in worship tomorrow. If you're friends are not getting these email messages, invite them to set up a web account. If they need help, have them call our church office for help.

"Let us press on to know the Lord." That is an admonition from the book of Hosea. Looking forward to seeing you all in worship tomorrow.

Grace, mercy and peace to all!

Pastor Mark Friz

Dear St. Paul's Congregation,

During the next two weeks in our prayer series, Pastor Dan and I are going to be talking about ways that we slow down in our busy culture to connect with God. I would be happy to know what works for you.

• The title of this week's sermon is: Slowing Down to Pray (Psalm 131)
• The title of next week's sermon is: Tuning In to God's Voice (Luke 10:38-42)

This Sunday, I will be talking about ways that the internet keeps us more busy and distracted than ever.

George Prsha, father of our member Katie Prsha, passed away on Monday, October 10, 2011.  His funeral will be Saturday, October 15 at 10:00 am, at the St. Joseph Catholic Church, Manchester.   Please hold Katie and her family in your prayers during this time.