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In the fourth chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses proclaimed to Israel, “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you.”  We now possess the land which the LORD  God of our fathers has given us!  As of 10:45 this morning, Fr. David, acting in  consensus with his Rector’s Council, purchases 4.95 acres of property on St. John’s Bluff Road North.

While praying about whether to buy an already established building or undeveloped land, the word of the LORD came to one of the members of the Rector’s Council who said,”The LORD wants to do a new things with us.  He is tired of us always having someone else’s leftovers.  This is a new thing.”  In fact, the land is so new that it has never been assigned a street address!  The land is on St. Johns Bluff Road North in between Oak Crest Drive and Craig Drive and opposite Craig Municipal Airport.

Having possessed the land, we know turn our attention to occupying the land.  We are beginning the process of clearing the land so that we may gather on the property and worship their together.  Our Parish Council will also begin to serve as a Buildings Committee to begin the development of our property.  Of course, this also means that we address our building fund in earnest.

We thank all of those who have prayed, fasted, and interceded for Church of the Messiah in this process.  Please continue to pray for the growth and development of the Church of the Messiah.  We are not quite out of the Cave of Adullam (I Samuel 22:1-2) just yet, but we now know where David is leading his mighty men.

This Friday and Saturday many of our people will be traveling down to the Chapel of Divine Mercy to participate in the first of two training sessions for the upcoming Tres Arroyos weekends.  This time around Kevin Paysinger is the Rector of the Men’s Weekend and Cathie Shimp is the Rectora for the Women’s Weekend.  We have a lot of people who are involved as team members and several who will be going as candidates.  Please keep Kevin, Cathie, all of the team members, and the candidates in your prayers.

Fr. Looker wants to send an article to the Diocese of Florida web-page regarding this Sunday’s Confirmations.  In order to do so, he needs some photos.  If you were taking photos of the Confirmands this weekend, please send your photos to Fr. Looker.  Thanks!

With deepest regret, Bishop Simpson announced this morning that Fr. Morgan Speer departed this life around eleven o’clock Sunday night.  Father Morgan was a member of the Bishop’s Council, the Diocesan Chancellor, a long-time friend of Church of the Messiah, a husband and father of two young sons.  No further arrangements have been made public at this time.  Please pray for the family during their time of grief.

Give to the departed eternal rest, O Father.

May light perpetual shine upon him.

Time is growing short to reserve your spot at the 2011 Church of the Messiah Women’s Retreat.  The deadline to sign up is THIS SUNDAY, September 4 (Labor Day weekend), and payment is due in full by the following Sunday, September 11.  There will be sign up in the back of church each Sunday.  Click here to view the Flyer for the 2011 Women’s Retreat.  Don’t miss out on what promises to be an incredible event!

After wrapping up our Summer hiatus, we will start our Sunday morning Bible Studies again.  This series will be “The Lives of the Saints in the New Testament.”  We will discuss each of the Apostles, St. Paul and his missionary companions, and those men and women in the Bible who became pillars of the earliest Church.  Join with us as we investigate what Scripture has to say about this part of that “great cloud of witnesses.”We will meet in the Student Building at 9:15 and finish by 10 to head back to the Sam R. Marks Chapel where will will once again be having coffee and refreshments prior to service.   Everyone is welcome.

Come together with the people of Church of the Messiah this Saturday, August 27, from 11am to 4pm, as we celebrate the anniversary of the founding of our parish.  The Church will provide barbeque so you just need to bring a side dish and a dessert to share.  The party will be in the Woods Community Clubhouse (Here’s a map!).  Just give your name at the gate and they will let you in.  It’s going to be a great time of celebration and fellowship, so be sure to bring your whole family and celebrate our Church Family.

The September Newsletter

The September Prayer Calendar

Late Monday night, the founding bishop of the ICCEC, Archbishop Randolph Adler was admitted to a hospital in Selma, AL, for congestive heart failure.  Since his retirement in 2007, Archbishop Adler and his wife, Betty, have left San Clemente, CA, and settled in Selma.  When news of Archbishop Adler’s hospitalization reached the Provincial Council meeting in Georgia, the leadership of the Southeastern Province immediately adjourned and returned to Selma to surround our first patriarch in prayer.  Please pray for Archbishop Adler, Betty, and the extended Adler family.