ST LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH! JULY 2013

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Message from Fr. JohnDear Family in Christ,! What a blessing my first month with you has been! Although it is summer and many are traveling, I have still had the opportunity to meet many others in the congregation. I am cer-tainly not wishing summer away, but I am looking forward to when we are all back together and able to worship and fellowship with one another. In the meantime, that doesn’t imply that we don’t have other opportunities to get to

know one another. I am available to meet with you in the office all day Monday through Wednesday and on Thursday mornings or to make a visit to your home or office. It is best to call first and make an appointment in case I’m out, but please feel free to pop-in for a cup of coffee and if I’m there, I’ll be happy to join you.

Also, it is my desire to be able to serve you during those times of personal or family crisis; however, in order for me to be avail-able to you, you or someone else must contact me. For example, the HIPPA (privacy) laws are such that I can’t simply call up the hospital and ask to see who might be admitted. Unless you tell me, I won’t know, so please keep me informed should you need or want pastoral care during these times.

How do you reach me? The best and easiest way is to call my cell phone: 406.876.1165. You can leave a message at the church office, but it may be several days before I get the message, especially if you call over the weekend. I also text and email, so feel free to use either of those as well.

May the Lord bless you all as you enjoy this fine Montana summer!

Wednesday MassPlease remember that

on Wednesday, July 3rd we will begin having the mid-week Mass at 12:15 in the Chapel.

The service will last approx-imately 30 minutes which will allow those who work the opportunity to join. If you would like more information on this service, please feel free to contact the office.

Voice of the Patron

www.stlukesbillings.org rector@stlukesbillings.org

ST LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH! JULY 2013

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MEDITATIONS ON THE EUCHARIST - PART I

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God;It is right to give him thanks and praise 

“For we do not receive them as ordinary food or ordinary drink; but as by the word of God, Jesus Christ our Saviour took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also, we are taught, the food blessed by the prayer of the word which we received from him, by which, through its trans -formation, our blood and flesh is nourished, this food is the flesh and blood of Jesus who was made flesh.”

Justin Martyr (100 – 165 AD) , one of the most noted Christian apologists wrote the above statement in his First Apolog y.   It was written to emperor Antoninus Pius and “stresses the manner in which Christianity brings to fulfillment the insights of classical Philosophy.”

On the day of the celebra-tion of our Lord’s resurrection, we dutifully and solemnly stand in line waiting our turn to receive the Eucharist from the Celebrant. In the moments leading up to those words, “The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in everlasting life,” what are we doing or thinking? Perhaps we are attempting to present a wrong attitude of piety or maybe we are simply noticing the worn out clothes of the person standing in front of us or is it the organist’s new hairstyle that has caught our attention. Perhaps, it is something internal that has drawn our attention away. As C.S. Lewis might ask, have we

turned our gaze away from Him and towards ourselves? Instead of falling into the trap of those situations or any remotely similar, perhaps we should be praising God not only in our hearts but also with our voices. Perhaps the attitude of our heart should be one of “leaping and dancing before the LORD” (2nd Samuel 6:16) as David did before the Ark of the Covenant. Or perhaps it should be a spirit of true repentance, for it was our sin that spilled the blood and wounded the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ.

If we were only standing in line to go to the movie or a ball game, the distractions of

the wor ld around us a re of no importance. In fact, they are hardly

distractions at all, but simply part of the experience. However, the moments leading up to receiving the most Precious Body and Blood should be filled with nothing but Him. Interest-ingly enough, it will be during this time that those small distractions seem to pull at our attention the most. Why? Because if the enemy can keep our focus away from the real reason why we are there, then the enemy has won that

particular battle. The victory has been achieved through

Christ, but by losing the battles we can find ourselves in a position

where, to a degree, we are separated from God and unable to fully take

part in the gift that He is offering.Fortunately for us, those having gone before

have fallen into this same snare and we can rely on their experience to help save us. Take for example that Rock of the Apostles, Peter: “But when [Peter] saw the wind (the organist new hairstyle), he was afraid (he became distracted) and, beginning to sink (taking his eyes off of Jesus), cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught

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BUT I HAVE STILLED AND QUIETED MY SOUL.

-- PSALM 131:2A

him.” (Matthew 14:30-31) As Justin Martyr states, it is “no ordinary food or ordinary drink” that we take part in, so the time leading up to this gift from our Lord should not be ordinary either. If the world becomes too much of a distraction and the enemy draws your attention away, then do as Peter did, call on the name of Jesus and He will immediately reach out His hand and save you and draw you near to Him.

Meditation (continued from p. 2)

This life grinds and roarsAbout me like

A great machine. OftenI rest in you, Lord,

Until your presence turnsOff the machine. My center

Is quiet andI am yours.

 Sharie Pyke

(member of St. Luke’s), from "Grace and Angels"

Would you like to write an article for the Voice of the Patron? Pleasesubmit to Fr. John by the 20th of the month.

ST LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH! JULY 2013

July Calendar

Vestry Meeting

16th at 6:30

Wednesday Eucharist

12:15 p.m.

Saturday Eucharist

5:00 p.m.

Sunday Eucharist

10:00 a.m.

Mission Sandwich Making

7th & 21st following service

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

119 N. 33rd St.

Billings, MT 59191

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St. Luke’s Episcopal Church119 N 33rd StreetBillings, MT 59102

Non-profit Org.US Postage P A I DPermit #294Billings, MT

Downtown, Corner of 33rd Street and 2nd Avenue Northp: 406.252.7186

:H�&HOHEUDWH�&KULVW�:RUVKLS�6FKHGXOHSaturday – 5 pm � Sunday – 10 amWednesday – 12:15 pm

e: info@stlukesbillings.orgwww.stlukesbillings.org