December Calendar and Rota

December's Calendar and Rota are available on the sidebar to the right. The Calendar is also available above on the Calendar Tab. Both will be sent our shortly with the December edition of The Banner.

Local World AIDS Day Remembrance

Father Whit will say prayers and lead the call to remembrance. The event is sponsored by GO CARE, our local HIV/AIDS service provider. Father Whit serves on the board of directors.

Advent Begins

This Sunday, December 1, is the first Sunday of Advent. Come and join us at 8:30 or 10:30 a.m. for Holy Eucharist as we prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord.

Thanksgiving 2013

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Thanksgiving Eve Holy Eucharist

Another Advent Resource

Digital Advent Calendar beginning December 1, visit each day during Advent. Each day a window will reveal a special Advent word, meditation and beautiful image from The Society of Saint John the Evangelist. An embeddable calendar is available here: http://www.ssje.org/adventresources

Thanksgiving

Join us on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 27 at 6:00 p.m. for Holy Eucharist as we count our blessings!

We have beautiful flowers...

Advent Calendar

Here is the link to a printable Advent Calendar for your family. Each day in Advent, your family can color in the day, look up the verse and talk about the drawing to prepare our hearts as we count down to Christmas! This came to me from a friend at seminary!

Enjoy!

Here is the original source - http://thomasmousin.wordpress.com/

A Sermon from our Bishop

Our Bishop's latest sermon...

Love For The Clueless

soundcloud.comProper 29C Luke 23:33-43

Monday Morning

A wet and cold fall day at St. Alban's...

Sr. EYC

"What NOT to do in Advent" with the Sr EYC after Compline, milk and cookies. Brrrrrr!

Christ the King

Join us for the Last Sunday after Pentecost - Christ the King on Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m..

Stewardship - Pledge Card Sunday

Just a reminder that we have asked that all pledge cards be turned in this Sunday, November 24, 2013. We picked the Sunday before Thanksgiving as a way of saying thanks. This also allows to develop our 2014 budget prior to our annual meeting.

Miss this Sunday? - Don't worry, we will gladly take your pledge card at a later date!

New from Church Publishing

Take the Season of Waiting wherever you go with It's Advent!

Walk, don't run, through Advent with It's Advent!  This new daily devotional app is suitable for all ages and features the artwork of renowned cartoonist, Jay Sidebotham. Scripture readings and the Sermon on the Mount bring the anticipation of Advent to life. Email the daily messages to friends and family, or post to your favorite social media feeds. A handy built-in journaling feature allows you to collect your thoughts throughout the season of Advent.   It's Advent! is compatible with all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices    running iOS 7.0 or greater. .

Jr. High EYC

Eating Orange Leaf beneath the orange leaves with Jr. EYC! We meet on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. and rotate between St. Alban's, St. Thomas' and Grace. Join us...

Bishop Jake on Politics and Religion One

Thanksgiving Eve Holy Eucharist

St. Alban’s will have a Thanksgiving Eve Holy Eucharist on November 27, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. The Book of Common Prayer has readings and a collect appointed for Thanksgiving. Join us the night before Thanksgiving to count your blessings!

Note: This liturgy will take the place of our regular 5:30 p.m. Eucharist for the that night.

November Banner?

If you haven't noticed, the November 2013 editon of The Banner is late. You can find the current calendar on the tab above. The calendar and rota are available on the sidebar too.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

New Diocesan Website

Take a look at the new Diocesan website - http://www.diocesewla.org/

Lots of new features and a great new look. Spend some time exploring...

Veterans Day

For Heroic Service, The Book of Common Prayer, page 839

O Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Does God Believe in You?

Our Bishop's latest sermon... Does God believe in you? That wasn’t a slip of the tongue.  I didn’t mean to ask, “Do you believe in God?” Admittedly, that is the more common question.  But I want you to consider this one instead. Does God believe in you? My reason for asking this question is simple.  A distressing number of people labor under the misimpression that God does not believe in us unless and until we believe in him. They think that God is just assessing whether or not to believe in us.  Deciding whether or not our behavior and our beliefs warrant heaven or hell, divine blessing or neglect, answered prayers or wasted breath.   The message God sends us in Jesus is precisely the opposite.  Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection show us that God believes in us because that’s who God is, not because of what we’ve done or might do. Eric Fischl's "So She Moved into the Light" That’s precisely what Jesus teaches us in his debate with the Sadducees.  The Sadducees want to show Jesus just how wrong he is about the resurrection of the body.  But Jesus quickly shows us—even if he doesn’t convince the Sadducees—that the real issue is their, and our, concept of God. Let’s briefly recall the exchange.  The Sadducees present what philosophers call an argument ad absurdum.  If you believe something that leads to an absurdity, then what you believe is itself absurd.  In their view, the resurrection is just such an absurdity. Here’s how they argued.  The Old Testament law required a brother to marry his brother’s childless widow.  Now imagine that a man died and his brother did his duty, marrying his brother’s widow.  This brother in turn dies, so his brother marries the woman.  And this gets repeated four more times.   Does the woman have seven husbands in heaven? Of course not, they argue.  It’s absurd.  And the same thing goes for the idea that leads to such an absurd conclusion.  So, the Sadducees conclude, there cannot be a resurrection of the body. Jesus initially points out that resurrection life is an entirely different order of being.  Since you can’t die, you don’t need to have children, so marriage as we know it doesn’t apply.  But that’s just his initial response.  Jesus is just warming up. John William Waterhouse's "I am Half Sick of Shadows..." The central argument revolves around the identity and character of God himself.  Jesus reminds his listeners of God’s conversation with Moses from the burning bush.  When Moses asks God what he should tell the Hebrews in Egypt, God says, “Tell them I sent you.” God gives his name this way, “Tell them that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sent me.”  Now these patriarchs were long dead by Jesus’ day.  But in some fundamental way, they are still living.  They are living because of who God is. Jesus said, “He is God not of the dead, but of the living.”  (Luke 20:38; emphasis added) Or, to put it in the terms we’re considering today.  God believes in them, just like he believes in you and me.  And that makes all the difference. Let me explain. Read more »

More S'more Sunday

Great night with the EYC at S'more Sunday! Thanks Ms. Dee!

Roasting and talking...

The whole gang...

 

I like mine burnt!

S'more Sunday

Both the Jr.and Sr. E.Y.C. groups will meet tomorrow, Sunday, November 10 at 4:00 p.m. at the Cagle's home for S'more Sunday. This is always a fun event and marks the coming of cool weather...

Ms. Dee always outdoes herself with a great spread of S'more makings and the spot just over the levee is a perfect outdoor gathering area.

Join us for fun, fellowship and - of course - S'mores.

Thank You Note!

Did you ever get a thank you note from a trick-or-treater? Well, we did. Last week, when we had our Church Porch Treat Night, one of our visitors gave us a hand drawn thank-you note!

You know who you are - but we wanted to say thanks too!

Surprise in the Mail

Last week, a very plain envelope arrived in the mail addressed to me and marked personal. Inside, hidden between two Post-It notes, was fifty dollar bill.

Thanks to the mystery donor! This money will go into my Ministry Fund and help someone else.

Interfaith Accountability Session - Thursday

Northern and Central Louisiana Interfaith will host an Accountability Session Thursday, November 7, 7 - 8:30 p.m., at the new Family Life Center at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church on 18th St. between Washington and Louisville Avenues.

Members of the Monroe City School Board and our regional representatives to the Louisiana House and Senate will attend. Interfaith will tell stories of our recent successes and present our current slate of priority concerns. These are public education, higher education and mass incarceration, which Interfaith's analysis shows to be deeply interconnected.

Interfaith leaders have met with each of the elected officials in advance to inform them of our agenda and our plan for the meeting. At the Accountability Session, the elected officials will be given an opportunity to take the mic for a brief response and to sign a pledge to work with us in addressing our concerns.

Although the run-off candidates for the 5th District Congressional Seat, Neil Riser and Vance McAllister, will not be present, they will send representatives.

Just as a reminder, Interfaith is strictly nonpartisan. Our purpose is never to "choose sides" or endorse candidates. Rather we seek commitments from public officials to work with us to solve the problems of our communities in ways that enhance the quality of life for everyone.

One exciting new development: Interfaith and the ULM Faculty and Staff Senates have been developing a relationship. The presidents of the two senates will announce the relationship and will speak to the issue of higher education at the session.

Fr. Whit will co-chair the session and Archdeacon Bette will speak to the faith basis of Interfaith's work using the story of Nehemiah from the Hebrew Bible.

Our Bishop has called us to missional faith. Interfaith is a response in that we cross the historical divisions in our community to come together to listen to each and work together for the common good. Come. See! Participate!

All Saints' Day

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.