April 3, 2015 - StPaulsWoodbury.org
Transcription
April 3, 2015 - StPaulsWoodbury.org
E-Connections April 3, 2015 © 2015 St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 294 Main Street South, Woodbury, CT 06798 • (203) 263-3541 • [email protected] † The Season of Easter In This Issue: Pg 2 - Schedule & Readings Pg 3 - Easter Breakfast Needs Pg 4 - Godly Play Pg 5 - ECCT Bishops’ Message Pg 6 - Bishops’ 5K Pg 7 - Presiding Bishop’s Message Pg 8 - Participating E aster is full of stories: braves stories of disciples witnessing to their new faith in the risen Jesus; mysterious, wondrous, and challenging stories of an empty tomb and Jesus alive, bringing joy and courage to friends who had denied him, who were fearful and disheartened. “Peace be with you.” “I have seen the Lord.” The Lord has risen indeed!” “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (John 20:18-19; Luke 24:34; Matthew 28:19). Early on the first day of the week, Jesus comes to Mary, who at first mistakes him for the gardener. “Mary!” he says to her, and she recognizes her risen Lord (John 20:11-18). Later that day he is a wayfarer opening the scriptures for Cleopus and another disciple who are on their way to the village of Emmaus, where he will be known to them in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:1335). Then Thomas cannot believe unless he sees and touches the marks of the nails and the wound in Jesus’ side. A week later Jesus stands among them and invites Thomas to reach out and touch. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas responds (John 20:24-29). Several weeks afterward, disciples are fishing on Lake Galilee (or Tiberias) when, just after daybreak, there is Jesus standing on the beach, though at first they do not recognize him (John 21:114). There are yet more stories of Jesus’ appearing to his disciples. Paul tells of an appearance to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once (1 Corinthians 15:6). Sometimes they are frightened and doubting, thinking they may have seen a ghost, before their fears are overcome and they are filled with new hope and joy (Luke 24:36-43). These are, indeed, wondrous and challenging stories in which Jesus is at first often not recognized. But there must have been something in the timbre of his voice. They see his scars. They know him in the breaking of the bread - in the sharing of the bread and wine. The Spirit of Jesus is alive among them! God’s love overcomes even the mighty power of death. The disciples can tell his stories again and then eat of the bread and wine with him. They can again tell of the inbreaking kingdom of God and proclaim the Lord Jesus who now is King of the realm of God’s ways. He not only spoke the words of God to them, he himself is God’s Word of new life to all people. They have joy to share, a witness to offer, a service to render. Fear and guilt in their lives have been replaced by peace and a new faith, and we are now called to retell their stories and help bring peace, renewed faith, joy, courage, and love to the world. Friday THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL’S Apr 3 Good Friday 12:00 pm 7:00 pm Good Friday Liturgy Ecumenical Good Friday Service at Woodbury United Methodist Church Saturday Apr 4 Holy Saturday 11 am - 2 pm Youth Pre-Easter Gathering 5:00 pm Great Vigil of Easter Sunday Apr 5 7:00 am 8:30 am 10:30 am Monday Apr 6 Tuesday Apr 7 Wednesday Apr 8 6:15 pm 4:00 pm 7:30 am 12:00 pm 7:30 pm Sunrise Ecumenical Service at St. Paul’s Holy Eucharist Easter Bruch Between Services Holy Eucharist Easter Egg Hunt Christian Yoga Executive Committee Holy Eucharist Men’s Lunch, Charcoal Chef House Church at Fr. Fred’s This Weekend’s Readings He Is Risen! Acts 10:34-43 n this lesson Peter realizes that the good news of the gospel is meant for all people, and he proclaims the crucified and risen Jesus. Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Festival hymn sung in procession in praise of the Lord’s salvation and deliverance from death. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Paul reminds the Corinthians of his basic proclamation concerning the Lord’s resurrection. All these things happened according to the scriptures.. John 20:1-18 Our gospel tells of the discovery of the empty tomb and Jesus’ appearance to Mary Magdalene. While it is still dark, Mary comes and finds that the stone used to cover the tomb has been moved away. She runs and brings Peter and another disciple whom Jesus loved. Although no human eye catches sight of Jesus’ rising from death, these first witnesses see the discarded grave wrappings and the other disciple perceives and believes. Mary remains weeping at the graveside and talks with a man she assumes to be the gardener. He speaks her name, and she knows her Lord. I 2 Assist with Easter Breakfast W Easter Breakfast Menu 9:15 to 10:15 am April 5, 2014 Carmel French Toast Garden Fresh Egg Casserole Deviled eggs Sausage links Strawberry Shortcake Banana Shortcake rolls Hot Cross Buns/ cinnamon Orange Juice e are planning to have breakfast between the services on Easter Sunday, April 5th. We need your help to continue the tradition of serving a free breakfast for guests and parishioners. Some of you may be able to come and set up, prep, serve, or clean up. Some of you may volunteer to bring some of the items listed. We need help from everyone to make this happen. Please e-mail St Paul’s Church at [email protected] to volunteer. If you need the recipe for making a casserole, please e-mail Barbara Elmore [email protected] or Betty Lou Bowles [email protected]. Thank you for your help. The Welcoming Committee Betty Lou Bowles, Mieke Weggeman, Renee Mulligan, Maureen Well, Judy Ferris, Connie Baldwin, Pam Lehman, Connie Baldwin, Betty Lou is still in need Erin Pasco, Barbara Elmore, Heidi Szobota, people to prep,Syombathy serve and& Kathy Gadosh. Barbara of cleanup. Contact her at Donations Needed [email protected]. Help Needed To set up on Easter Eve 9:15 am Saturday April 4 (5 people needed) To prep on Easter morning arrive at 7:30 am (5 people needed) To Serve 9:00 to 10 :15 (5 people needed) To clean up 10:30 til finished (5 people needed) 4 Carmel French Toast Casserole ** 5 Egg & Sausage Casserole ** 3 dozen Deviled Eggs (1 dozen makes 24) 25 lbs frozen precooked sausage links 12 quarts of Strawberries - PLEASE bring them ready to serve-thank you 6 large bunches of bananas (8 in a bunch) 15 packages of shortcake 5 large cans of whipped cream 11 doz hot cross buns or cinnamon rolls 3 gallons of orange juice ** Please bring the HOT casseroles at 8:45 thank you Men’s Group - Each Wednesday at noon the men’s group, a growing and informal gathering of men, has been meeting for lunch at the Charcoal Chef. Please join us next week! "O n this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it." What a wonderful reminder that the Lord we have committed to follow as stewards, disciples, and apprentices is alive and well. Alleluia! Alleluia! 3 Easter Fun O n Saturday, April 4th from 11 am 2 pm, the Youth Group and Church School will be enjoying Easter activities in the Parish Hall. In preparation for Easter, they will be filling Easter Eggs for the Hunt on Sunday, making crafts, making Easter cards for our shut-ins, and enjoying an altar dressing activity with our Altar Guild. Godly Play for 3, 4 & 5 Year Olds O n April 26 and May 17 we will be holding Godly Play classes for 3, 4 and 5 year old children. The classes will be held in the nursery and led by Kim Culkin and Deb Rising. For 3 year olds, we would like the parent (s) to join them for the initial transition. The program is geared for 4 and 5 year olds but we'd like to give the 3's the opportunity as well. Please call or text Wendy Brazauskas 203-206-4397 or email at [email protected] with your interest and commitment for all of some of those dates. 4 "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here." The Gospel of Mark tells us that Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to the tomb to prepare the body of Jesus for a proper burial. But when they arrived, the stone that had sealed off the tomb had been rolled away. We can imagine that they were perplexed, confused, and scared of what they might find in the tomb. Had the body of Jesus been disturbed, or perhaps even desecrated? Could the horror of the cross get any worse? An angel in the empty tomb spoke into the women's confusion and fear. "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here." And then added, "Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." "Do Not Be Afraid" He Qi © 2014 All Rights Reserved What stones of disbelief, unknowing, and fear need to be rolled away from the tombs of our own lives? What hinders us from believing the reality of Jesus' resurrection? What constrains us from telling the world that Jesus is alive? What are we afraid of? The truth of Easter morning is that God will not leave us alone in our confusion and fear. The risen Lord always goes ahead of us, calling us to live in the fullness and possibility of God's love for us, and for the whole world. So let us leave our empty tombs behind. Let us go forth heralding and participating in the new life of Jesus' resurrection. Let us sing our hallelujahs and recommit to restoring all people, and all creation, to unity with God and each other in Christ. There can be no greater Easter joy. Faithfully, The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas 5 Stewardship Reflection “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” - Colossians 3:2 n this day we thank God for His Son, Jesus, who died and rose for us. We celebrate and sing “Alleluia.” Let’s try to keep the joy of this Easter season in our hearts throughout the year! Pray daily and listen for God’s response on how we should use our gifts to fulfill His plan. O Name Tags - Especially during the Easter season, please be courteous to newcomers, guests and fellow parishioners, by extending a warm welcome to them and by wearing your name tag. And remember to wear them to coffee hour as well. For more info on this memorable trip talk with Nancy Twinem or Ed Hord W Bishop’s 5K Is Coming! hile it's hard to think about spring when there is so much winter around us, it'll be here before you know it. And if you're a runner or walker, that means getting ready for a road race or two. Whether you're an experienced runner or aiming to compete in your first race, you should not miss is The Bishop's 5K. Why? One reason is that the proceeds from the race go to the Bishops' Fund for Children, which provides grants to organizations which benefit at-risk children throughout Connecticut. Another is that it's a smaller race with lots of prizes and team spirit, so it's a good "first 5K" for less experienced runners. The Bishop’s 5K is on May 9 in West Hartford, so you have plenty of time to prepare. It's open to all, so ask your friends, family and fellow parishioners to run with you or be there to cheer you on! 6 7 Participating in the Services Saturday, April 4th 5 pm Ushers Lectors Chalicer Barbara Grant, Heidi Szobota Lis Blum, John Dransfield Karen Nash Saturday, April 11th 5 pm Ushers Lectors Chalicer Sunday, April 5th 8:30 am Ushers Lector Chalicer Intercessor Marianne Daly, Mathew Daly Lehman Thayer Daly Lehman, Pam Lehman Gaby Drews Sunday, April 12th Judie Ferris, Joan Wilson Brenda Weir Beverly Deickler Dick Leavenworth 10:30 am Ushers Julie & Tom Calkins Lectors Duke Breon, Ed Hord Chalicers Ed Hord, Lois Zane Acolytes Anna Culkin, Chris Culkin Intercessor Isobel Moore Counter Ron Roberts Altar Guild: Helen Burdick, Lynda Jones, Wrey Trompeter Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Mike Davies, Brenda Weir 8 am Ushers Lector Chalicer Intercessor Colin Harley, Dick Leavenworth Bonnie Leavenworth Dory Holmes Lynda Jones 10 am Ushers Connie Baldwin, Heidi Szobota Lectors Tom Calkins, Ed Hord Chalicers Mieke Weggeman, Amy Williams Acolyte Maille Kimble Intercessor Susan Suhr Counter Dawn Ericson Altar Guild: Helen Burdick, Lynda Jones, Wrey Trompeter Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Bonnie Leavenworth, Nancy Twinem Please remember to arrange for your own replacements and to keep the office informed of any changes at [email protected]. COFFEE HOUR HOSTS Apr 5th - Easter Breakfast Hebrews 13:2 - Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. St. Paul’s Church 294 Main Street South Woodbury, Connecticut 06798 Office: 203-263-3541 [email protected] Website: stpaulswoodbury.org 8