St. Andrew’s Shield

“...above all taking the Shield of Faith ...”   Ephesians 6:16

Volume 51, Number 15                                                                                                                                                                August 9, 2006

From the Pastor‘s Heart

Pick a text!  That’s right, pick a text – pick any text!   I’ll soon be taking a week to plan my sermons for the coming six or ten months, and I’d like your input.  For the last umpteen years, I’ve chosen one of the Lectionary scriptures, except for the times I’ve gone a different direction with a series on a topic like “The Seven Deadly Sins” or “The Seven Living Virtues.”   Now I’m thinking about a different kind of series – “The Difficult Texts of the Bible.”

Many of these difficult sections of the Bible never get read during worship, much less have a sermon based on them.  Which of those sections make you wonder?  Which of those sections stir your interest?  Now, I realize that many of these stories would probably be given an X rating if made into a movie, and ours is a family church, so I will use caution if you suggest any that are not suitable for innocent ears.

In this issue of The Shield you will find an “entry form.”  If you would like to submit a troubling text, or a rarely-acknowledged topic, fill it out and send it to me.  Who knows, you might pick the next sermon!

                                                            Pondering together!

Pastor Ann

Mariners

I SCREAM, you SCREAM, we all SCREAM for . . . well, you know!  Mark your calendars -- Friday, August 25 at 6:30 is the Mariner's Annual Ice Cream Social.  As always, everyone even vaguely associated with St. Andrew's is invited!  So, if the heat's got you down, come cool off with ICE CREAM!  Don't worry; we'll be done in plenty of time for those who wish to attend the "Cotton Patch Gospel" right across the hall at 7:30.

Cotton Patch Gospel, here and there.

Tulsa Repertory Musicals will be presenting Cotton Patch Gospel this August with two opportunities for audiences to hear the bluegrass retelling of the greatest story every told.  Friday, August 25, will find Matthew and all the other characters from this particular book of the Bible onstage at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and Saturday, August 26, the cast will move up the turnpike to the Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma and share a toe-tappin’, foot-stompin’ evening of music and old-fashioned story telling.

Cotton Patch Gospel will be performed at 7:30 pm both evenings, August 25 and 26.

This program is St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and the Tulsa Repertory Musicals fund raiser for our adopted school Waite Phillips.

Helping "The Least of These"

On Monday, July 24, the Ross and Leslie Families fed the homeless a tuna & noodle dish from the donations of everyone who brought a can of tuna.  To the best of my calculation, it takes 22 cans per cooker equaling 44 cans per meal which is only 3 oz. per person served.  I would like to continue collecting cans of tuna so that I can treat the homeless once again with a tuna casserole.

Thanks to everyone for your help!

Beverly

Hello to All Bunko’ers!!  

Mark your calendar for August 22 at 7:00 p.m. to come and play Bunko in Fellowship Hall.  Emile and Mari are hosts this month. 

Name that sermon!

Biblical Text _____________________________________________________________

Topic ____________________________________________________________________

What puzzles me about the text or the topic: _____________________________

 __________________________________________________________________________

What I’d like to know about the text or topic ____________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Name (Optional; for use only if there is a question)

_________________________________________________________________________

Fill out this form, bring it or mail it to the church office, or put it in the offering plate.

EASTERN OKLAHOMA PRESBYTERY

Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery is planning to hold four regional meetings to present information on actions taken by the 217th General Assembly.  The presentation will take about an hour, and we have scheduled about an hour for discussion and questions.  Some of those who attended General Assembly will be present.  Everyone is invited!  If you are not able to come to the meeting that is closest to you, please come to any of the other meetings.

A LETTER FROM OUR PARTNER IN MALAWI

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St. Andrew’s Special Prayers and Concerns…

Please call the Church office if you know of someone who needs to be added to or removed from our Prayers and Concerns list.

Presbytery Prayer List

Please remember these friends in your daily and weekly prayers…

Aug 13  –  Aug 19, 2006

The Council Meeting, Tahlequah 1^st First Church in Poteau and the Presbyteries of National Capital, New Castle, New Hope, Peaks, Salem and Shenandoah.

Aug 20  – Aug 26, 2006

The Luksokla Church in Wright City and the First Church in Broken Arrow as well as the Presbyteries of Western North Carolina, Giddings-Lovejoy, Heartland, John Calvin, Missouri, and the Synod of Mid-America.

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE

Please make a note of these future events…

Aug 10              6:15p.m.    Prayer

                          7:00p.m.    Session Meeting

Aug 13              9:00a.m.    Sunday School

                        10:00a.m.    Worship Service

                        11:00a.m.    Fellowship Time

Aug 20              9:00a.m.    Sunday School

                        10:00a.m.    Worship Service

                        11:00a.m.    Fellowship Time

                          2:00p.m.    Regional Information Meeting

                                             at John Knox

Aug 22              9:30a.m.    Early Learning Center Returns

                          7:00p.m.    Bunko Night

Aug 23                                 SHIELD PUBLISHED

                          7:00p.m.    Sanctuary Choir

Aug 25              6:30p.m.    Ice Cream Social (Fellowship Hall)

                          7:30p.m.    Cotton Patch Gospel Performance (Great Hall)

Aug 27              9:00a.m.    Sunday School

                        10:00a.m.    Worship Service

                        11:00a.m.    Fellowship Time

Aug 28              5:30p.m.    Homeless Feeding