Category: Announcements

Update on Expansion of Church – exciting news

To:Congregation of COS
From:Building Committee and Vestry
Subject:status of construction project (exciting news)
Date:April 15, 2020
  

If you have been by the Church in the last week, you would have seen construction fencing surrounding the perimeter of the Church.  That’s right, the long-awaited remodel of our Church has started!  The building permit application has been filed with Navajo County.  We expect review by the County will take 3-4 weeks.  Certain work can proceed prior to receiving the building permit.  That’s what is occurring currently. 

We have our General Contractor in place and he wants to start major work on remodel as soon as building permit is approved.  An estimate of building costs by our Contractor reflects costs of approximately $180,000.  The Building Committee expects this amount may rise as we review the needs of the Church once full construction has started.  The good news is that the current estimate includes a contingency for sprinkler fire suppressant system that is being required.

The Congregation has truly gotten behind this project.  To date we have approximately $164,000 in the bank.  In addition, we have approval for a bridge loan from the Diocese.  Pledge amounts for the construction continue to come into the Church.  Thank you all for your generous gifts to the exciting Church expansion.  While it is important that we continue to meet our day to day obligations of the Church, if you find you are able to add to the building fund it would be immensely appreciated.  You can contribute online by indicating your gift is for the building fund.

While this is indeed a very difficult time in our Nation’s history as we continue to shelter in place, and have Church services on-line, it does allow construction to begin without interrupting our normal services.  Please contact any member of the Building Committee or the Vestry with questions.  Again, thank you for your generous support of this project.

Leroy Johnson, and The Building (Expansion) Committee

Love God, love your neighbor, love yourself – Weekly Meditation from Presiding Bishop Curry

An invitation for you, from Presiding Bishop Curry:

Habits of Grace
As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, I invite you to join me each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ A new meditation will be posted on Mondays through May. 

March 30, 2020:  Love God, love your neighbor, love yourself

Last week I was reading in Matthew 22 and I noticed something that I hadn’t seen before. Matthew 22 is Holy Week, it’s smack dab in the middle of Holy Week. The conflict in Jerusalem is escalating. Jesus knows this and it’s at that point that he’s tested by, clearly someone who probably was trying to entrap him. He knows that. It was the guy who came up and said, “What is the greatest law in the entire legal edifice of Moses?” And Jesus responds, drawing on what Moses taught in the Hebrew scriptures, in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, “You shall love the Lord your God with all yourself, all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” And then he says, “On these two, hang all the law and the prophets.”

It hadn’t occurred to me that when Jesus said that, he was actually talking about how you live in an uncertain period of time. About how you live in any period of time. But how you navigate in particular in uncertain territory and tough territory. He was in uncertain territory in Holy Week, and it was tough territory. It wasn’t a pandemic. It was a passion. And he said, “Love God with everything you got. Love your neighbor in the same way. Love yourself.”

And so I decided last week that I was going to make sure every day I did three things very simply, or at least thought about them. How can I love God today? Very simply, nothing complex. How can I love my neighbor, others? How can I love myself? And it occurred to me that just sometimes asking the question, you may or may not have an answer, but you may figure out an answer for that day. That sometimes just asking the question can help in times of uncertainty, in days of pandemic, and in times when the days are just going to keep going on and on and on.

How can I love God today? How can I love my neighbor today? How can I love Michael today? One thing I’ve started doing in my prayer list, is keeping a list of groups of people to pray for. And I’ve been praying for first responders, folk who work in hospitals, the folk who keep the grocery stores open, the pharmacies, police officers, firefighters, ambulance folk. People we can’t even see. People who keep the Internet going. I mean all sorts of folk. And so, I would offer this prayer for all of them.

All of the people we don’t see, but who help to keep life livable, even in time of pandemic.

Keep watch dear Lord with those who work, or watch, or weep. And give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ. Give rest to the weary. Bless the dying. Soothe the suffering. Pity the afflicted. Shield the joyous. And all for your love’s sake. Amen.

Love God, love your neighbor, and love yourself, day by day.

God love you, and you keep the faith.

Habits of Grace: Love God, love your neighbor, love yourself Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs Posted Mar 30, 2020 Back to Press Releases

Dec 1 – 7 Happenings

Sunday, Dec 1 – 1st Sunday of Advent Special Prayers and coffee hour dedicated in memory of Electra Brooks. Her private committal will be held at St. Philips in the Hills in Tucson on Saturday, Nov 30

Friday, Dec 6 – Ladies Of the Lake at Mr. Zeke’s at 11:30 (All ladies are welcome to attend)

Friday, Dec 6 – The Way of Love, 12:50-2pm, Brown Bag Lunch Series. (This is 20 minutes later than normal due to LOL

Saturday, Dec 7 – Christmas Potluck, 2pm at Bill and Marcy Schlaufman’s

November 2019 Happenings

Thursday, Nov. 21 – Men’s Group, 5:30 at Pinetop Brewery

Friday, Nov. 22 – Altar Guild Work Day, 9am

Friday, Nov. 22The Way of Love, 12:30-2pm, Brown Bag Lunch Series.

Friday, Nov. 22 – Women’s Study Group 2pm, at Donna Hockersmith’s house 3022 Greenleaf Dr. Lakeside

Sunday, Nov 24 – Special Thanksgiving Day Service

Sunday, Nov 24 – $5 4th Sunday Breakfast

Sunday, Nov 24 – Greening of the Church

The sign-up sheet for Thanksgiving food boxes is on the bulletin board- it is 6 pages long with all the selections related to gathering in foods and delivering to 10+ families.  There is a chance that, like last year, we will be asked to deliver prepared food to a few individuals who can’t cook so if you can help prepare a Thanksgiving meal on Tuesday 11/26 for delivery that day, that will be great. Tables will be set up in Polycarp Hall for the foods – please leave your gifts in the designated sections on these tables. We will deliver all the Thanksgiving food boxes and prepared Thanksgiving meals the afternoon of Tuesday, 11/26. Questions? Call Barbara Stone 928-242-3202.  Blessings and thanks for making Thanksgiving special for some needy people on our mountain.

Thoughts on Prayer

There is this judge, Jesus says, who has neither decency nor conscience, a corrupt public official interested only in his own advantage. A widow appears in his courtroom. She is a poor and powerless woman, somebody not noticed by the movers and shakers in her town. She has no money to bribe this crooked judge; she cannot afford a lawyer to speak up for her. So she speaks up for herself: “Defend me from my adversary! Defend me from my adversary! “Defend me…” To spare himself of further annoyance, he grants her justice.

Jesus tells us this story to encourage us to continue in prayer and not to lose heart. But what is the point? Is the unscrupulous judge, who does justice to spare himself annoyance, a portrait of God? Though that is how some people look at the practice of prayer, that is not the message of this story.

Some people paint a picture of God as an unscrupulous judge or petty bureaucrat or an arbitrary boss…or an abusive parent. With such a picture before them, it is startling that they ever pray at all. God is not like that! Instead, the Lord is the author of all justice and compassion.

Many people have trouble with prayer or even give up the practice. The primary effect of prayers is not on God, but on us. God’s love is already unconditional; his justice perfect; his compassion without limit. He recognizes our needs even before we do. It is not God who needs to change, it is up to us to get in line with God’s program and prayer is a large part of how that comes about.

Prayer is our declaration that we do not want to be a closed universe, dependent only on ourselves and our own solutions. Prayer is our desire to be open to God.

In our prayer, the Holy Spirit speaks in the voice of the poor widow who demanded justice from the unscrupulous judge. The miracle of prayer is that the judge’s resistance breaks down and for once he does what is right and may even do so again in the future.

That widow would not have succeeded that she not been persistent, confident, and unconcerned with what others thought of her. She had what is known in Yiddish as chutzpah. Our prayers need to have chutzpah! Not because God is deaf, but because opening our hearts to God is no easy matter.

There are things in each of us that can keep God out. Self interest is not the only obstacle. Attitudes of mind may keep the door shut and bolted. We may doubt that God hears us. We may consider ourselves unworthy. We may think God has better and more worthy things to do… These attitudes can be driven out by persistent prayer. Just like the voice of the widow who refuses to take no for an answer.

There is a wonderful story about a girl who watched a holy man praying at the riverbank. Once that man had finished his prayer, the girl approached him and asked, “Will you teach me to pray?” The holy man studied the girl’s face and agreed to her request. He took her into the river. The holy man instructed her to lean over, so her face was close to the water. The girl did as she was told.

Then the holy man pushed her whole head under the water. Soon the girl struggled to free herself in order to breathe. Once she got her breath back she gasped, “Why did you do push and hold me under water?” The holy man said, “I gave you your first lesson.” “What do you mean?” asked the astonished girl. He answered, “When you long to pray as much as you long to breathe, then I will be able to teach you how to pray.”

May each of us long to pray, and learn to pray, and persist in our pray. Not so we can change God, but so that God can change us to enjoy the fullness of life that he intends for us.

AMEN

The Reverend Brian Couvillion, October 20, 2019

August 2019 Happenings

  • Thursday, August 1, Beef and Brew Evening Gala Doors open at 5:30 and Prime Rib served at 7:30 p.m. The Fat Chance Dance Band will be the featured entertainment. Wine and beer from the Pinetop Brewers. Enjoy bidding on themed baskets and auction items. Its a night not to miss! Proceeds from this event support Meals on Wheels and the White Mountain Homeless Coalition, and expanding the Church of Our Saviour’s ability to host community outreach ministries.
  • Sunday, August 4, First Fruits Sunday. Please bring canned goods and toiletries for the SAFE House.
  • Sunday, August 18, Sunday at the Park. 9 to 2 p.m. Church Service outside and picnic afterwards.
  • Sunday, August 25, Annual Meeting after service

    July 2019 Happenings

    • Sunday, July 7 – Visitation by The Rt. Rev. Jennifer A. Randall, Bishop of Arizona
    • Sunday, July 7 – First Fruits Sunday Please bring canned goods and toiletries for the SAFE House, see list of needed items in the hall.
    • Thursday July 11, 11:30 AM – LOL (Ladies Out to Lunch) at the Show. Low Cafe
    • Saturday, July 13 12:30 PM. BBQ Picnic. Information about purchasing a ticket is available at coffee hour or contacting office. Maps are available in hall.
    • Thursday, July 18, 6:30 PM  Campfire Party!  Join us for an evening of music and storytelling.  Bring snacks, drinks, dessert to share and your lawn chair!  5685 Scotts Drive Lakeside
    • Friday, July 19, 9 AM – Stitches in Faith in Parish Hall
    • Thursday, July 25, 5:30 PM – Men’s Group BBQ at the church hall.  Bring your own protein for the grill.
    • Starting Wednesday, July 31, 10 AM – AWE & Wonder:  Lifellong Learning Series.  Exploring how life’s anecdotes are connected to life’s deepest questions.  This is the inaugural session – future days and time will be decided!