palmachaplain

Dear Members and Friends of St Philip and St James, As we stand at the threshold of a new year, I am filled with gratitude and joy as I reflect on the journey we have shared throughout 2024. On behalf of my family and myself, I want to express our heartfelt thanks for the immense support we have received from you, the members of our church. Your kindness, prayers, and encouragement have been a source of strength and inspiration to us. I also want to extend my deepest gratitude to our dedicated church leaders. Your unwavering support for the ministry of St Philip and St James, particularly through your volunteering, has been invaluable. From coordinating events to guiding our initiatives, your efforts have been the backbone of our mission. Thank you for your tireless dedication and servant hearts. One of the most beautiful aspects of our church community is the spirit of welcoming that you have all embraced. St Philip and St James has become a place where everyone feels at home, a...

De ar Friends and Supporters of St Philip and St James Anglican Church, As we approach the end of another year, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to all who have supported our church through your time, talents, and financial resources. Your generosity has been the cornerstone of our ministry, and we are deeply grateful. I would like to share an important aspect of our chaplaincy with you. Unlike many other dioceses, chaplaincies in the Diocese in Europe, including ours, are entirely self-funding. This means that we do not receive financial support from the Church of England. All the ministry and activities of St Philip and St James Anglican Church rely on the contributions of our members and the goodwill of well-wishers. The reality we face is that the church has been experiencing significant financial challenges for some time. We have been operating at a deficit for years, which has resulted in the depletion of our reserves. Several factors have contributed to th...

  A Call to Care for God’s Creation Ocean Sunday Today we gather to celebrate “Ocean Sunday,” a day where we turn our hearts and minds toward the vast, life-giving waters of the Earth’s oceans.  The ocean, in all its grandeur and mystery, tells a story—a divine narrative of God’s creative power, care, and presence.   In the Bible, water is often used as a symbol of life, renewal, and transformation.  The oceans hold a unique place in this sacred story, offering lessons of depth, beauty, and even stewardship Quiz  How many Oceans are in the world? Could you name them?  Oceans of the World   Historically, there are four named oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific , Indian , and Arctic . However, most countries - including the United States - now recognize the Southern (Antarctic) as the fifth ocean Explaining today’s Gospel Reading Today’s gospel reading situates us to the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret  This is not an ocean but a very large body o...

  Theme  Resting  Text Mark 6:30-34; 53-56 3 0  The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.   31  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them,  “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”  32  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.   33  But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.   34  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 53  When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.   54  As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.   55  They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to where...

 Mission Work Checklist  Mark 6:1-13 Today is the seventh Sunday of the Trinity season and I would like to commence my sermon by a conversation on Traveling Checklist. As you can see the majority of us are not here because some are on vacation and have travelled outside the Island. On the other hand we also have visitors who are here with us today because they are also on vacation in the Island. Whenever we plan to travel there is a checklist that we go through for our trip to be successful. Let us say we are travelling for a vacation to an Asian holiday destination, for example, Bali in Indonesia, how will plan your trip? Which are the things needed for the trip?  Travel Checklist: Essential Items 1. Passport and other additional IDs and Photocopies 2. Visa 3.Traveling Insurance   4. Debit/Credit Cards/Cash 5. Clothes  6. Toiletries  7. Assorted Accessories  Why are we talking about traveling checklist? In today's gospel,...