The Rev. Gordon Thompson       From The Rector's Desk The Year of the Lord 2010 We, in the Anglican Parish of Chatham, believe ourselves to be a Bible believing and a Bible teaching church centered on the person of  Jesus Christ.  Our mission statement "To Know Christ and Make Him Known"  embodies what we, as part of the body of Christ, believe undergirds all of our ministry efforts.  We believe  that Jesus Christ gave himself for us and that we in turn need to give our all for Him - to know Him and make Him known. St. Paul ,writing to the church in Ephesus said ".....Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us...." (Ephesians 5:2 NIV ).  I discovered the following  words written by Holley  Gerth on the front of one of our Christmas cards:                          Jesus:           He came not to a throne,                    but to a manger.          He lived not as a king,                   but as a servant.      He chose not an earthly kingdom,                   but a cross.          He gave not just a little,                   but everything. These words seem to emphasize what St. Paul was getting at when he wrote the words of Ephesians 5:2.  In giving Himself up for us Christ gave, not just a little, but everything.  Theologian Helmut Thielicke once said: " (Jesus) rose up from the place where the kingdoms of the world shimmered before him, where crowns flashed and banners rustled, and hosts of enthusiastic people were ready to acclaim him, and quietly walked the way of poverty and suffering to the cross." Knowing what Christ sacrificed for us challenges us to examine ourselves to see what we are willing to sacrifice for Him. I leave you with the following prayer written by Ignatius Loyola:    " Teach us, Lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds,  to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do your will." Blessings in Christ to each of you, The Rev.  Gordon Thompson+ Priest and Rector

Thought for the Week When somebody needs a helping hand, he doesn't need it tomorrow or the next day.  He needs it now, and that's exactly when you should offer to help. Good deeds, if they are really good, should happen sooner rather than later.      -  Marie T. Freeman Readings For September 5, 2010 15th   Sunday After Pentecost Jeremiah 18: 1-11 Psalm 139: 1-5, 12-17 Philemon 1-21 Luke 14: 25-33 There will be one combined service each Sunday during the month of August  and on September 5th at St. Mary's Church at 10:00am.  Bible Study starts at 9:00am.  All welcome! Vestry Committee Reports are due to the Office by August 31st. September 12th - Regular service times resume. September 29th - Food Bank Sunday September 25th - Parish Turkey Supper September 26th - Welcome Back Sunday For more information on the above and other parish events, see the Events page. LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: What Roman soldier was lead to Christ by Peter? Cornelius   See: Acts 10:1 The QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What  common New Testament word means "teacher"?