Dear Siblings in Christ,

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is a great joy to be back in the saddle this week after a restorative two weeks of rest. Now reaching August, it is that time in the year when we look to organize ministries, activities, and programs for the Fall. That work is well under way with youth ministries, fellowship ministries, formation programs, community outreach, various group activities, and a bishop search thrown in to boot. I invite you to discern where you would like to invest your time, energy, and gifts to the life of our congregation and grab on as we plunge into the season ahead. Please reach out with any questions, ideas, or concerns as we look forward to the coming weeks and months.

Yours in Christ!
Robert+

Dear Friends,

I am considering adding an additional digital service to our worship profile. One aspect of this consideration is stepping outside of the typical inclusion of a homily or sermon and instead responding to a question. If you have questions that have been stirring for you about church history, theology, Christian ethics, liturgy, or other aspects of church life or ministry, please send those to me by email. If this idea comes together, I will get more information out soon. In the meantime, sharing your questions with me will help me get to know you better, plan formation topics, instigate conversation, or help form a new way of holding worship. My email address is: robert@saintmarysavl.org. I look forward to hearing from you.

Robert+

The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, August 9

Altar Flowers are given to the glory of God in thanksgiving for Gideon’s 8th birthday by Randi Sacrison, Joe Martone and Randall Sacrison.

Mass Servers: (8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.)  Celebrant and Preacher – The Rev. Dr. Robert Wetherington (11:00 a.m.) Servers – H. Teahan, J. Weikel; Lectors – E. Wetherington, A. Maynor; Ushers – ; Hospitality – L. Bullock; Counters – R. Sacrison, A. Maynor (Vestry persons of the day)

Click here for Service Bulletin and August 9 Insert

Adult Forum: Our focus on Saint Mary continues in preparation for our celebration of her feast day on August 16.   

Matronal Feast is August 16. 

Lectionary readings, Lectionary study resources

Prayer for Bishop Search:  Almighty God, giver of every good gift: send forth your light and your truth, that they may lead us in discerning who we are as Christ's church now, and who God is calling us to be in our next season of shared ministry; so guide the hearts and minds of those who shall choose a bishop for this diocese, that we may receive a faithful shepherd, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM)

ABCCM has many ways you can help to provide individuals an opportunity to grow, mature and express their faith through fellowship and service for the joy set before us in Christ.  You can learn more  HERE.  ABCCM operates seven ministries that provide emergency needs and longer term efforts to help individuals heal and be restored. You can be a part of this. CLICK HERE 

Each One Teach One Through Food, Inc. (E1T1)

Keylani, Matt, Will, Anthony, Gus and Jean, Hayes, Derek, Tom, Melinda, all those deployed in harm’s way at this time, Taunya, Julie, Joanne and Family, Bryce and Family, Brian & Devon and Family, Margaret, Mary, Brendan, Bill & Debbie, Julia, Hanna, Gigi, Huston, Sam, Kent, Andrew and Family,  Jane, David, Carol, George, Susan, Kevin, Linda, Mike, Kathy, Gideon, Maurice, Edith, Taylor, Karl, Florence, Stephen, Ellen, Trish, Diann, Nellie, Sharon, Susan, Nicki, Sandy

Welcome:  Please welcome Colin Rice to the Saint Mary's staff! He will be serving as our youth minister to all youth in our deanery who choose to participate. He is on staff here at Saint Mary's for the larger work of building up and supporting the community of Episcopal youth. 

Adult Forum: Our focus on Saint Mary continues in preparation for our celebration of her feast day on August 16.   

Matronal Feast, August 16th, will be celebrated at both services and with fellowship in the form of a cookout after the 11am service. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided. There is a sign up sheet for the rest of the “fixin’s” and to let us know how many to plan for.

ECW meets every 3rd Tuesday – next meeting August 18 at 6:30pm. 

Asheville Tourist Baseball Game Church Outing was a great success and folks had a wonderful time. Please submit your payment of $11 per ticket if you have not done so.

Greetings Youth and Families,

I am honored to now be serving as your youth minister in collaboration with our neighboring parishes. Some of you all may already be acquainted with me from my time as an EYC volunteer or from being a counselor at Camp Henry. For those of you who I haven’t met, I eagerly anticipate getting to know you and walk alongside you on your faith journey. Father Robert and I have discussed a myriad of ways to maintain the special connection that our youth have built in the past year. We are primarily aiming to build upon this momentum through weekly meal and fellowship gatherings, occasional outings, and service-learning projects. If you are willing to volunteer on a semi-regular basis, please reach out and we will send you the Safe Church resources. Lastly, If you have any extracurricular events where you would like me to support you or cheer you on, please let me know so that I can get it on my calendar! I am looking forward to a great year. 

Cheers, 

Colin Rice

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is arguably the most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century. His autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, has sold over one million copies and has been translated into over fifteen languages. He wrote over sixty other books and hundreds of poems and articles on topics ranging from monastic spirituality to civil rights, nonviolence, and the nuclear arms race.

Thomas Merton was born in Prades, France. His New Zealand-born father, Owen Merton, and his American-born mother, Ruth Jenkins, were both artists. They had met at painting school in Paris, were married at St. Anne's Church, Soho, London and returned to the France where Thomas Merton was born on January 31st, 1915.

After a rambunctious youth and adolescence, Merton converted to Roman Catholicism whilst at Columbia University and on December 10th, 1941 he arrived at the Abbey of Gethsemani, a community of monks belonging to the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists), the most ascetic Roman Catholic monastic order.

The twenty-seven years he spent in Gethsemani brought about profound changes in his self-understanding. This ongoing conversion impelled him into the political arena, where he became, according to Daniel Berrigan, the conscience of the peace movement of the 1960's. Referring to race and peace as the two most urgent issues of our time, Merton was a strong supporter of the nonviolent civil rights movement, which he called "certainly the greatest example of Christian faith in action in the social history of the United States." For his social activism Merton endured severe criticism, from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, who assailed his political writings as unbecoming of a monk.

During his last years, he became deeply interested in Asian religions, particularly Zen Buddhism, and in promoting East-West dialogue. After several meetings with Merton during the American monk's trip to the Far East in 1968, the Dalai Lama praised him as having a more profound understanding of Buddhism than any other Christian he had known. It was during this trip to a conference on East-West monastic dialogue that Merton died, near Bangkok, on December 10, 1968. The date marked the twenty-seventh anniversary of his arrival at Gethsemani.

Thomas Merton painting by Jim Nally hangs in Corpus Christi Church, New York City

Join us for Sunset Paddling Tours, Fridays 6-8pm and Snorkeling Tours, Saturdays 1-3pm from June through mid-September. 

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Bishop Transition Webpage

The Landscape Survey is now launched and ready for you. Please use the button below to take the survey. Your responses will help us discern who we are and the qualities we hope for in our next Bishop. We want to hear from as many people from our diocese as possible and we are grateful for your feedback and time. 

If you have any questions, please email BishopSearch@diocesewnc.org.

The Bishop Search Committee

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