B.Y.O.Bible!

Things are getting exciting around St. Barnabas this October!  Starting on Sunday, we have several initiatives that will be happening simultaneously.
   1)      Year of the Bible
In order to get better acquainted with our sacred Scripture, rather than have a bulletin insert with the Scripture readings for the day, we are encouraging people to B.Y.O. B – Bring Your Own Bible!  Get to know your Bible by finding the Scriptures when they are announced.  Or you can prepare ahead of time and look up the Lectionary for the day and note the readings.  If you are more technology savvy, you can use your smartphone to look up the Scriptures on the web or in a Bible App.
Some Resources
a)      We use the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible for our Scripture readings on Sunday, so if you decide to buy or bring a Bible, that is the best version to have.
b)      You can look up the readings on www.lectionarypage.net.  This is the easiest way to find the readings in one place, although it will not help you become more familiar with the Bible.
c)       There are many Bible Apps.  Two that I like are Olive Tree (many versions of the Bible are both free and available for purchase) and You Version Bible.

   2)      Creation Season
As “the season after Pentecost” or Ordinary Time continues to stretch out in front of us, it is a wonderful opportunity to focus intentionally on the wonder and beauty of God’s Creation.  Through our music and liturgy, we will remember that we are part of this planet and called to be good stewards of this gift.  Indeed it is our holy obligation to support and sustain “this fragile earth, our island home.”  We hope this will be an opportunity to think about how we, as Christians, can be proactive in caring for our environment and planet. 

   3)      Stewardship
Speaking of being good stewards, we begin our annual Stewardship campaign with a series of reflections and testimonies about “God the Giver.”  Each week in the St. B’s News there will be a link to a new reflection about how God gives us so much and asks for so little in return.  How can we, as good stewards of all that God gives us, order our lives to give back to God?  We will also hear from each other about how God is at work in our lives – we would love to hear from you! If you are interested in offering a testimony, please talk to Alison Lynch or me.  We will celebrate our commitment to God on Commitment Sunday, November 15th with a catered lunch following the 10:30 AM service.  We hope you will join us.
And if all of this weren’t enough, we will be going back to Trenton Psychiatric Hospital on Thursday, October 15th for their Thursday Evening Fellowship.  We would love to invite you to come and be a part of this wonderful ministry and see the great work being done for “the least of these.” 
There is also a St. Brunswick Community Walk Against Violence that will be held on Saturday, October 17th at 8 AM, starting at the Wetherhill Plantation on Georges Road.  It is an important witness for our community to stand up in the face of violence, especially domestic violence, the most prevalent form of violence in South Brunswick.  No one should be harmed by another, especially in the guise of love.
October is a busy month and we hope you will take the opportunity to participate in these ways to show and share our love for God and our neighbor.  See you in church, if not sooner!
In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+   

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