Weekly Update 10 October 2025

Reflection

John Okerman

John Okerman

Obedience, Gratitude, Faith

On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee, when ten lepers approached Him.  Ten lepers approached Jesus and asked Him for mercy.  Jesus said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”  As they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.  One of the ten who was healed turned back praising God in a loud voice, laid down at Jesus feet and thanked Him.  Jesus told this Samaritan, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”  What was not stated in this reading is that Samaritans and Jews did not like each other and Jesus had to travel through Samaria from Galilee in order to reach Jerusalem.  Jesus focused on loving His neighbors, included the despised Samaritans and shunned lepers.  Jesus saw ten lepers asking for mercy and healing.  He showed mercy and healed them.  Only one leper showed his gratitude.

The story of Jesus and the ten lepers teach us that obedience, gratitude, and faith belong together.  Our journey at Christ Church often begins with a simple obedience – showing up for a Sunday Eucharist.  Over time, simple obedience is often transformed into something deeper and more meaningful when gratitude and faith shape our participation.

Christ Church Anacortes is a growing congregation with a huge heart.  Our obedience, gratitude, and faith have enabled us to follow Jesus and observe the presence of God in our congregation and the wider Anacortes community.  The love Jesus showed for the ten lepers is reflected on a daily basis for the love we show for each other. Our congregation consistently ministers to one another.  I’m confident that if I face difficulty, friends at Christ Church will come to my rescue.

The love and concern we have for each other spreads to our neighbors.  We follow the example of Jesus through our management and participation with the Red Door Thrift Shop.  Last year the Red Door Was able to give over $50,000 to improve the lives of people in need in Anacortes and Skagit County.

At Christ Episcopal Church, our Total Common Ministry is a living expression of generosity and shared calling. You serve faithfully on the Bishop’s Committee and the Building and Grounds team, helping to steward our space and guide our mission. Others among us offer their gifts as lay preachers, eucharistic ministers, and worship leaders, enriching our liturgy and deepening our spiritual life. Thanks to your dedication, we gather each week surrounded by beautiful flowers and enjoy a warm, welcoming coffee hour that reflects the love and care of this community. Every contribution—seen and unseen—makes Christ Church a place of grace, hospitality, and shared purpose.

Just as Jesus said to the grateful Samaritan, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well,” we too are invited to respond to God’s grace with gratitude and action. At Christ Episcopal Church, the abundance we experience—in worship, in community, in care for one another—is shaped by obedience, thanksgiving, and faith. Now is the time to prayerfully consider how God is calling you to make a pledge of financial support, as a living expression of that same faith and gratitude. Your commitment helps sustain the love of Christ and the witness of His words in our church and throughout Anacortes.

Thank you for your obedience, gratitude, and faith as we follow the path of Jesus and show our love for our neighbors and for each other.

Thanks be to God.  

Sunday Services

Sunday, 12 October 2025
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Year C Proper 23

Chandler’s Square Holy Eucharist
9:15 am
Chandler’s Square Retirement Community
1300 “O” Avenue, Anacortes
Presider: The Rev. Keith Axberg

Christ Church Holy Eucharist

10:30 am
Christ Church Sanctuary
1216 Seventh Street, Anacortes
The service is also available on YouTube.

Servers
Presider: The Rev. Keith Axberg
Deacon & Homilist: The Rev. Vicki Johnson
Eucharistic Minister: Ed Barton
Altar Guild: June Cook, Kris Whitely
Bread Ministry: Jerlyn Caba
Readers: Tom Young, Sharman Badgett-Young
Ushers: Jerlyn Caba, Geoff Holmes
Organist: Lynne Berg
Eucharistic Visitor: Maggie Collinge
Coffee Hour Hosts: Tom Young & Sharman Badgett-Young

Readings
2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c
Psalm 111
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Luke 17:11-19
Readings may be found in the Episcopal Lectionary.

Hymns
H 1 - Father, We Praise Thee
H 493 - O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
H 655 - O Jesus, I Have Promised to Serve Thee
H 314 - Humbly I Adore Thee
WLP 740 - Wade in the Water

Bulletin Link: 12 October 2025
YouTube Sunday Service Link

Coffee Hour
Coffee Hour follows the service.
All are welcome.

Adult Faith Formation: Zimzum Discipleship
12:15 pm
Parish Hall Conference Room
Zimzum discipleship focuses on intentionally making space to live as a faithful apprentice of Jesus.
All are welcome.

Announcements

A Joyful Noise October 2025

Find all the October news at A Joyful Noise October 2025.

An Invitation: Ecumenical Hymn Sing

Our friends at Westminster Presbyterian Church have invited us to join them for a Hymn Sing!

Sunday, October 12
2pm
Hosted by Westminster Presbyterian Church & Anacortes Lutheran Church
Held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1300 Ninth Street, Anacortes

When you arrive you’ll be invited to write the names of your favorite hymns on slips of paper and place them in a basket. If your hymn is drawn, we’ll all sing it! Laurie Julius-Carver of Anacortes Lutheran and Bev Bowen of Westminster will provide the music.

All are welcome.

Worship Team Meeting

Monday, October 13
3pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room & Zoom

Pastoral Care Ministry Meeting

Thursday, October 16
4:30 - 6pm
Parish Hall Gathering Room

Eucharistic Minister Training

Friday, October 17
5pm
Christ Church
Facilitator: The Rev. Vicki Johnson

Fall Book Study: The Four Vision Quests of Jesus

Sundays, October 19, November 2, 16, and 30
Following Coffee Hour
Parish Hall Conference Room
Facilitators: Maggie Collinge & Melissa Simonsen

All are welcome to join in a thought-provoking exploration of The Four Vision Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston, Episcopal bishop and member of the Choctaw Nation.

Weekly Prayer Services

Maggie
Collinge

Centering Prayer
Weekly on Wednesdays
1:15 - 1:45 pm
Christ Church Sanctuary
All are welcome at this short, simple service: a scripture reading, 20 minutes of silence, an intercessory prayer, and the Lord’s Prayer. 
Questions?
Please contact Maggie Collinge, 360-202-5588.

Sharman
Badgett-Young

Evening Prayer
Weekly on Wednesdays
6:00 - 6:30 pm
Christ Church Sanctuary
All are welcome.
October 15 Presider: Sharman Badgett-Young
Questions?
Please contact The Rev. Vicki Johnson, 509-302-7364.

The Rev. Eric
Johnson

Men’s Group

The Men’s Group meets weekly on Fridays.
9:00 – 10:00 am
Parish Hall Gathering Room
Questions? Please contact The Rev. Eric Johnson.
All are welcome.

The Red Door Thrift Shop

Dawn Jex

Dawn Jex, Red Door Manager

Hello Everyone,
Right to business this morning - I have quite a few shifts available so I want to start there. 

Shifts Available:
-A fill in cashier for Thursday or Friday afternoon this week. 12:30-3pm.
-One morning volunteer (clothing or hard goods) for Thursday mornings on 10/9, 16 and/or 23rd. 10am-12:30pm
Please let me know if one of these works for you.

Donation Center Procedures
T Shirt "Rag" Bin. I was working in donations last week and was confused by what I saw in the t-shirt rag bin. This bin should only have cotton T-shirts. We should not be putting other fabrics (polyester or nylon or lycra) in there as they do not work well as cleaning rags and that is what we advertise on the bag. If you have miscellaneous clothing to get rid of (sweaters, kids clothing, athletic wear) please place them in the Pacific Northwest bin. Athletic t-shirts that have the Nike or Adidas symbols on them CAN come into the shop to be priced and sold. 

Proposed Schedule Change for January
As we move closer to the new year I am thinking about ways to improve things at the shop. I want us to be well organized, safer from theft and for us to make more money. Moving into the new building will help with organization as we move everything over from the garage. Debbie and I have ideas for better inventory control and how we will be setting up the current back room as retail space. Al Silva is currently working on a new security camera system that he can install in our retail spaces after we move into the new building. This new system will help us keep an eye on every corner and outside! And If we can make more money we could pay off our construction loan faster and also have more to give away to our community at the end of the year.

I think the best way for us to make more money is to be open Saturdays. For us to accomplish this Debbie would be in charge on Monday and Tuesday and I would slide my schedule to work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I would be off Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. To make this work we will need a few folks to work on Saturdays. One in the morning and one in the afternoon and maybe someone to open donations? If we want that?

This is not something I want to start right away. If we get enough people to volunteer I propose that we give it a try in January. This would give us time to get moved into the new building, set up the retail spaces and make it through the holidays before making any changes. At this point, I'd like to hear from you. What do you think? Open Saturdays? Can you help? Do you have any other ideas to share? Let's have a conversation and see where it goes. 

With Love and Admiration for all of you and what you are already doing to make the Red Door such a great place to be,
Dawn

Christ Church’s Red Door Thrift Shop is located at 1019 Seventh Street in Anacortes.
Red Door Thrift Shop
360.202.9966

Red Door Shopping Hours:
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 10am – 3pm

Red Door Donation Hours:
Monday & Wednesday: 10am – 1pm
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 10am – 3pm

Profits generated at the Red Door Thrift Shop fund Christ Church’s Community Support program.
Shoppers, Volunteers, & Donations are always welcome!

Day by Day

Day by Day daily devotions may be accessed at the following link:
Day by Day Daily Devotion.

Prayer List

Please offer prayers of thanksgiving for the life of Bob Reiten and keep his wife, Gaylene, in your prayers.
Carleton
Veronica
Shelley
Mary
Diane
Rev. Rilla & family
Linda, sister-in-law of Lynne
Creamy
Myrna
Arra, aunt of Carol
Sandy
Dale
Zoanne
Linda
Tom
Karen
Leslie
Diana
Val
John
Foundation for Academic Endeavors
Pete & Charlene, O’Donnell Family, Brendan, and Sandy, family & friends of Mary

Next
Next

Weekly Update 3 October 2025