This Week at the Red Door     Sunday, May 20   8:00       Morning Prayer, spoken. 9:00       Nursery and playroom open. 10:15     Morning Prayer, with music.              Children’s Christian Education. 11:30     Worship & Music Commission    Monday, May  21 Noon     No Bible Study 5:00           5:30       Centering (Silent) Prayer.    Tuesday, May 22   11:30    Women’s Luncheon  11:30   Downtown Council of Churches                 Wednesday, May 23   5:15       No Evening Prayer 7:00       Choir    Thursday, May 24   4:00       Creative Expressions    Friday, May 25 7:00       Tunes at Twilight at Common                 Pleas Gazebo—Free   Saturday, May 26   8:00—Noon  Riverfront                       Farmers’ Market   1:00-3:00      Red Door Kids’ Club  Swimming at SEMO   Sunday, May 27: Feast of Pentecost   8:00   The Holy Eucharist, spoken 9:00   Adult Christian Formation 10:15  Sunday School (last day) 10:15 Holy Baptism andy Eucharist. 11:30  Agape Team meeting 4:30   The Red Door Community Meal 6:00   The Serenity Mass   Monday, May 28 - Memorial Day 7:00 a.m. Morning Prayers at Entrance to Memorial Park 6:00 Kids' Club goes to the Circus     +++ The busy tribes of flesh and blood, With all their lives and cares, Are carried downwards by the flood, And lost in following years. Time, like an ever rolling stream, Bears all its sons away; They fly, forgotten, as a dream Dies at the opening day.  +++  Like flowery fields the nations stand Pleased with the morning light; The flowers beneath the mower’s hand Lie withering ere ‘tis night. Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be Thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home. +++

Pastor's Angle  on  Memorial Day and National Day of Prayer  National Day of Prayer: “One nation under God.”    Psalm 33:12         Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord! *happy the people he has chosen to be his own!  I did not attend the so-called National Day of Prayer early in May.  It is a nationalistic observance, one which reeks of idolatry.  It is designed to co-opt the piety of faithful people for the purposes of the principalities of power and the masters of war.  The website for this event shows a rampant American eagle.  It bids prayer at every turn for the military.   I ardently pray for those who serve in our military, that they come home with soul and body, that they use their conscience and strength, their courage and discipline for God’s purposes, and when they seem to have no other choice than to add to the net suffering of the world, that having grown up in our country, they will have received a clear enough vision of the Living God that they know to whom to turn in penitence and supplication for new life upon their return.   I didn't attend because in this troubled and faithless generation, the source of genuine hope is in the God, not of our nation, but in the God over all nations, who calls with equally urgency upon all nations and peoples, tribes and countries to turn away from their idols of power and wealth, to beat their swords to plowshares, to gather as God’s people.       I struggle with the the translation of Psalm 33 (see above) which headlines the National Day of Prayer, which is sadly used our own Book of Common Prayer.  I urge you to look instead to the old “Coverdale” translation used in former editions of the Book of Common Prayer.  12  Blessed are the people, whose God is the Lord Jehovah *  and blessed are the folk, that he hath chosen to him to be his inheritance. 13  The Lord looked down from heaven, and beheld all the children of men *  from the habitation of his dwelling he considereth all them that dwell on the earth. 14  He fashioneth all the hearts of them *  and understandeth all their works. 15  There is no king that can be saved by the multitude of an host *  neither is any mighty man delivered by much strength. 16  A horse is counted but a vain thing to save a man *   neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength. 17  Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him *  and upon them that put their trust in his mercy; 18  To deliver their soul from death *  and to feed them in the time of dearth. 19  Our soul hath patiently tarried for the Lord *  for he is our help, and our shield. 20  For our heart shall rejoice in him *  because we have hoped in his holy Name. 21 Let thy merciful kindness, O Lord, be upon us *  like as we do put our trust in thee.  This is prayer, and it is not about nations and armies, but people and folk.  It is about people entrusting themselves to the Lord.  It acknowledges that military and political power (kings and horses) are not the same thing as goodness, justice, mercy, and they cannot deliver folk from death or dearth.  I prayed elsewhere on the National Day of Prayer because I think the big event is a trumped up political power play.  It is also a religious redundancy.  These United States have had a national day of prayer ever since in the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November to be the National Day of Thanksgiving.     We have more than any other people on earth.  All we have is a gift, or we stole it.  It is a day for cease-fire, confession, and for humble gratitude. And we have Memorial Day, also a legacy of the tragedy of the U. S. Civil War.  Memorial Day was formerly known as Decoration Day, and is a time of prayer and reflection held in cemeteries.  The last thing we need is another flag draped holy day with big triumphalist songs.   We need more people who will keep God’s day holy and who refuse to sell it out for idols.  Pray on this, beloved, from Isaac Watts’ original lyrics (1719) to the sweet, sad hymn “O God our help in ages past.”  Join me at 7:00 a.m. on Memorial Day at Memorial Park, on May 28 to pray “in the dawns early light” and  quietly sing this hymn amidst the avenue of flags.            Faithfully,    Bob +  The reverend Robert Arthur towner  Look left in the blue column for two stanzas of this hymn