From Father Tim

Good Morning, Nativity!

Today we are going to talk about Christian fellowship. Mainly because it leads into my announcement of “Dinners with your Priest”.

It is next to impossible to do Christianity in a vacuum; we cannot do it alone. Yes, Jesus would frequently retreat to a desolate place. He did this so that he could talk to His Father, align himself with God, before reentering fellowship with His apostles, disciples, and followers — the sheep of his hand. He had to know His sheep to be the good shepherd. And to know one’s sheep one must be amongst them, in fellowship with them.

There have always been ascetical practices where one removes oneself from all distractions. The Desert Fathers, such as St. Anthony of Egypt, lived lives as hermits often for many years. But even the desert fathers attracted followers and ended up as teachers of other hermits. And their lifestyles and practices eventually led to Christian monasticism, lives of authority and prayer lived in community, in fellowship.

One of Jesus’ last acts before His arrest and crucifixion was to eat a meal with his apostles. In that meal he shared food and beverages with them. He taught them. He listened to them. He even served them, washing his apostle’s feet. That is how important fellowship was to Jesus!

Being in fellowship with our Christian Brothers and Sisters is crucial. There are many opportunities at our church for fellowship: celebrations like our 4th of July cookout, coffee hours, Christian education, spaghetti dinners, morning and evening prayers, etc. We can find more ways if there is interest: pizza and movie nights, game days, football watching parties. The opportunities are endless.

A fellowship opportunity that I am introducing this fall is “Dinners with your Priest.” I will never get to know all of you in the brief moments after a service or in a group setting like a coffee hour. Some people may be able to do that, but I cannot. And in all honesty, there is little that I enjoy more than a delicious meal that ends with everyone sitting and talking around the dining room table. It is how we get to now each other. It is how we find commonality, how we experience different viewpoints and interests. It is how we build relationships and friendships. It is how and where we can safely share our journeys with Christ, so that we can be bolder in sharing them with the rest of the world.

As if that is not enough, at your baptism you made a promise to be in Christian fellowship when you replied, “I will, with God’s help” to the celebrant asking you, “Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?” (BCP 417). So read the announcement about “Dinners with your Priest” that comes later in this email. Sign up for a night. I am quite sure it will not disappoint.

In the Peace and Love of Christ.
Fr. Timtmac_84@yahoo.com
941-321-6376

FROM DEACON ROS Dear Nativity Family, It’s that time again! I am preparing to go to Lowell Correctional Institute for the Kairos ministry. The team and I will be in Lowell October 1 – 4. I ask for you to start praying now for women’s (and officer’s) hearts to be open to the gospel message of Jesus. Please pray for the team to fulfill the task at hand and that God will receive all of the glory. I will start collecting donations and names for the prayer chain this Sunday. Thank you for prayers and support for this important ministry. In His Service, Deacon Ros

This Week August 18, 2024 13th Sunday After Pentecost 8:00am Holy Eucharist (no music)10:15 Holy Eucharist (with music) Fr. Tim MacDonald Deacon Ros Hall

REGULAR SUNDAY SERVICE SCHEDULE: This Sunday, August 18, we will be returning to our normal Sunday morning schedule…………..8:00am no music, 10:15am with music.

DINNERS WITH YOUR PRIEST As I announced last Sunday, I plan to have “dinner parties” at my house through the fall and into the new year with 6-12 guests at a time. This is a good opportunity to get to know each other. A priest must know his people to pastor them well. And I want to pastor well. There are sign-up sheets on the One Stop Sign Up board. The proposed dates are: – Friday, 9/13/2024, 5:30 – 8:30pm – Friday, 9/27/2024, 5:30 – 8:30pm – Friday, 11/8/2024, 5:30 – 8:30pm – Friday, 11/22/2024, 5:30 – 8:30pm – Friday, 12/13/2024, 5:30 – 8:30pm – Friday, 1/17/2025, 5:30 – 8:30pm – Friday, 1/31/2025, 5:30 – 8:30pm I do not yet know the menus for each date because I tend to shop the weekly sales flyers. A few ideas of what might be served, however, are: – Beef Tenderloin, Baked Potato, Asparagus – Churrasca con Chanchito (Chilean Grilled Pork Tenderloin), blackbeans, and rice – London Broil, Oven Roasted Potatoes, Grilled Squash/Zucchini – Cedar Planked Salmon, Rice Pilaf, Green Beans – Shrimp, Steak, and Squash Skewers, Rice I will accommodate special dietary needs (e.g., gluten free, shrimp/seafood allergies); just write that down on the sign-up sheet. I will also do my best to cook to the doneness (rare to well done) preferences of each guest. For now, I would like to keep this to those attending Nativity and their significant others/family. Later, however, I can see expanding this with you all inviting friends from outside of the church; food and fellowship is a wonderful evangelism tool!

WEDNESDAY SERVICE: On Wednesday, August 14, we will be returning to Holy Eucharist and Healing Service at 10:00am.

BASEBALL ANYONE? MON (Men of Nativity) is organizing a visit to Lecom Park for a Marauder’s baseball game on Tuesday, August 27, at 6:30pm. Everyone is invited!! Sign up at the One Stop Sign Up board. If needed, carpooling can be arranged, meet at church at 6:00pm. If driving there yourself, parking is at Maintenance Too Paper Co. across the street from the Stadium. More details to follow.

JUNE CAROL HINES: For those “old timers” in our congregation who remember June Carol Hines, she passed into the arms of our Lord on July 20. Funeral service for her will be at Church of the Holy Spirit in Osprey on August 28 at 10:00am.

STUDY GROUP: Sunday morning study group has resumed in the Library after the 9:15am service. There are still more Screwtape Letters to digest!

DAILY OFFICE: Morning and Evening Prayer are now being offered in the church. Morning Prayer at 8:30am Mon-Thurs; Evening Prayer at 4:00pm Mon-Thurs.

FRIDAY BIBLE STUDY: There will be NO Bible Study on Fridays during the month of August. It will resume on September 7. In September we will be using the study guide “Fascinating Bible Studies on Every Parable” by Dr. William Marty. If you would like more information, please email Judy Haywood at: judyhay@aol.com.

ESTATE PLANNING: Have you remembered Nativity in your Will or your Estate plans? Our Endowment Committee is happy to assist. Please call the Parish Office to make a connection.

Good Morning, Nativity!

I am going to try to get my mini sermon out of the way in the Nativity Now posting rather than at the Sunday Service. I just cannot leave David’s story alone. I hope that my mini sermons from the previous two weeks fit together. David clearly did evil. David clearly broke multiple commandments. David’s integrity was in admitting his fault, his truly evil behavior, and repenting when called out by the prophet Nathan. Despite his brokenness he was still a man of God and a man of integrity. He turned back to God. And God still loved him.

Honestly, that should give all of us hope!

But here is the thing. David’s sin could not go unpunished. David repented and God, ever merciful, forgave him, saying to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” (2 Sam 12:13 ESV). David did not escape punishment; God told him through Nathan, “now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me” (2 Sam 12:10 ESV). David scorned God, despite God having given him blessings in abundance. David’s focus was on the temporal, a woman, and he did evil things. Through Nathan, God warned David that he would suffer for his sins: “Thus says the LORD, ‘behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house.’ ” (2 Sam 12:11 ESV).

In this Sunday’s Old Testament reading we get just a small taste of the evil that befell David because of his sin; really this Sunday’s reading culminates a series of calamities that impacted David’s family. From within David’s “own house” rebellion arose. Absalom, his third son, revolted against him and tried to seize the throne by force. In the war that followed, David pleaded with his generals to have mercy on Absalom. Absalom, however, was killed. And David once again lamented — this time he lamented the loss of his son.

Sin leaves a mark. Sin has cascading side effects. The effects may not appear for years, or even decades. And the impacts of sin can carry over to multiple generations: “visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7 ESV). Even after repentance, the impacts linger, for through sin, we despise God and set terrible things into motion.

The best course of action is to avoid sin. But we live in a fallen world, and we will sin. The next best thing is to repent of our sin immediately. Do not let sin cascade as David did. Do not wait to be called out for sinning by a friend as David did. Taking inventory each night before shutting down and asking for God’s forgiveness where we have fallen short is a wonderful routine. And we should ask God to strengthen us so that patterns of sin can be broken.

I am going to end this Nativity Now with a paragraph from “An Exhortation” (BCP 317) that is sometimes used during the Penitential Order (Rite 1). It nicely summarizes and expands upon the above.

Examine your lives and conduct by the rule of God’s commandments, that you may perceive wherein you have offended in what you have done or left undone, whether in thought, word, or deed. And acknowledge your sins before Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life, being ready to make restitution for all injuries and wrongs done by you to others; and also being ready to forgive those who have offended you, in order that you yourselves may be forgiven. And then, being reconciled with one another, come to the banquet of that most heavenly Food.

That is so beautiful. And it even ties into the Bread of Life discourse (heavenly food) from my sermons the last several weeks!

In the Peace and Love of Christ.

Deacon Tim

tmac_84@yahoo.com

941-321-6376

Good Morning, Nativity!

The Gospel reading this Sunday is Mark 6:1-13. Mark’s Gospel is all about brevity and immediacy. Leading up to Chapter 6, the ministry of Jesus was still a very new thing. Jesus had done some healings, most notably the double healing we read about last Sunday (the hemorrhaging woman and the daughter of Jairus); he had challenged the religious authorities; he had taught the people using his favorite medium — the parable; and he had demonstrated his authority over nature. Jesus had been recognized as a man of God and a man of power, as the synagogue leader Jairus admitted when he fell at the feet of Jesus to beg for his help (Mark 5:22). But Jesus had not yet been revealed as the Messiah; that happens in Chapter 8 when Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” and Peter answers, “You are the Christ.” (Mark 8:29, ESV)

In this Sunday’s reading, Jesus returned to his hometown. He preached in the synagogue and astounded those listening. And yet, despite being astounded, they doubted him. They knew him and they knew his family. Familiarity had led to a lack of faith: “How are such mighty works done by his hands?” (Mark 6:2, ESV) “His hands”, can you not just feel the disgust, doubt, and maybe fear dripping from those words! Because of this lack of faith in his hometown, Jesus “could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.” (Mark 6:5 ESV)

Many readers would point to the lack of faith as the important thing in this passage. I would suggest instead that we focus on the pockets of faith that must have persisted in his hometown. For there must have been faith among and/or surrounding those few who were healed. Pockets of faith, such as that, can change the atmosphere within a community and can go forth into other communities to spread the good news, as happens in the subsequent scripture passage. (Mark 6:7-13)

I would like to end with a prayer of faith for this pocket of Christ’s faithful at Nativity:

Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(The Collect for the Confession of St. Peter, celebrated on January 18; BCP 238)

In the Peace and Love of Christ.
Deacon Tim
tmac_84@yahoo.com
941-321-6376

THIS WEEK

July 7, 2024
7th Sunday After Pentecost
9:15am Holy Eucharist (with music)

Bishop Michael Garrison
Deacon Tim MacDonald

4th OF JULY CELEBRATION: REMINDER!! Come one, come all to our 4th of July cookout. Where: Parish Hall; Time: 3:00pm for fun and games, 5:30 for hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, dessert. When you may ask? Tomorrow, the 4th of July, of course! :-)))

VESTRY: July’s Vestry meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 9, at 7:00pm, in the Library.

A NIGHT OF WORSHIP: Healing and Praise night will be held at Church of the Holy Spirit in Osprey on July 5 at 7:00pm. If you are interested, please speak to Deacon Tim for more information.

DAILY OFFICE:

A new addition to our week here at Nativity. Morning and Evening Prayer are now being offered. Morning Prayer at 8:30am Mon-Thurs; Evening Prayer at 4:00pm Mon-Thurs.

CURSILLO ULTREYA: On Saturday, July 20, a Cursillo Ultreya will be held at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Lakewood Ranch from 10:00am to 3:00pm. See Deacon Tim for details.

PARISH DIRECTORY: The Parish Directory has been updated. You can pick up a copy on the Baptismal Font in the Church. If your listing is wrong or missing information such as date of birth/anniversary, etc, or if you are not in it at all, please call me in the office Mon-Thurs 9am – 2pm. Thank you.

SERVICE SCHEDULE CHANGES: Deacon Tim’s ordination is not until August 10 so we will be having supply priests for the month of July and August 4. Accordingly we will have only one service at 9:15 for all of those dates. Deacon Tim has requested a 9:15am service for August 11 so his first service with us will be with our whole community together. Again, mark your calendars so you don’t show up either early or late for service or miss Deacon Tim’s first service with us. :-))))))

FRIDAY BIBLE STUDY: There will be NO Bible Study tomorrow, Friday, July 5. We will start again on July 12. If you would like more information, please email Judy Haywood at: judyhay@aol.com.

ESTATE PLANNING: Have you remembered Nativity in your Will or your Estate plans? Our Endowment Committee is happy to assist. Please call the Parish Office to make a connection.

From Deacon Tim

Good Morning, Nativity!

I enjoyed serving at Nativity for the first time as Deacon-in-Charge this past Sunday. It simply felt good and right to be up there serving our Lord and Savior and you, his faithful followers. I loved meeting and getting to know many of you just a bit. I look forward to getting to know each of you much better in the coming weeks, months, and years. Please remember to wear your name tags; that will help me out!

Last week my Nativity Now section focused on thanks. That theme of thanks is continuing this week as we step into the last Sunday Service with Fr. Michael as Priest-in-Charge of Nativity. I thank him for his skilled, joyful, and spirit filled leadership during this two year period. His love of our Lord and Savior naturally flows from him and is infectious. I have stepped into my new role incredibly indebted to him for that leadership. Nativity is in excellent condition (spiritually, materially, and financially) because of his dedicated service. That thanks extends to his wife, Bonnie Jean; they are truly a team! Please join me in showing Fr. Michael and Bonnie Jean our thanks.

I will end this Nativity Now with a suggestion that we pray “The General Thanksgiving” (BCP 101) this week with a special focus on how thankful we are for the Durning’s leadership, guidance, and friendship in the past, present, and future!

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory, and, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lies, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

In the Peace and Love of Christ.
Deacon Tim
tmac_84@yahoo.com
941-321-6376

Please join us this Sunday, June 30, after the 9:15am service in celebrating Fr. Michael’s retirement from our Church. I am sure he will pop up somewhere else and they will be blessed to have him. We want to give Fr. Michael and Bonnie Jean a warm and loving farewell so join us in the Parish Hall for brunch.

From Deacon Tim

Good Morning Nativity!

This past Monday morning, I started as your Deacon-in-Charge. The first thing I did upon arriving was step into our beautiful Sanctuary and pray Morning Prayer. The appointed reading was Romans 1:1-15, which includes the following verse (Rom. 1:8, ESV): “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, …”

As St. Paul thanked God for the Roman Christians, I genuinely want to thank God for you. Thank you for your courage and faith in selecting me to be your Deacon-in-Charge. I am honored and overwhelmed by that choice. Mostly, however, I want to thank you for your unwavering faith in, and love of Jesus Christ, especially during these past two years as you have searched for someone to shepherd this flock. I also want to thank you for the love that you have already shown me. A love that I hope you feel emanating from me to you as well. Thank you and God bless you!

St. Paul ended Monday morning’s scripture reading with, “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome” (Rom. 1:15, ESV). Exchange “Sarasota” for “Rome” in that verse and those words could me mine. I could not be more excited to explore with you all what God has planned for us!

The words from this upcoming Sunday’s Collect seem like a fitting prayer to end my first Nativity Now (BCP, pg. 230):

O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In the Peace and Love of Christ.

Deacon Tim