THE SUNDAY SPIRIT - The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter

Jesus said, "I will send you
another comforter from the
Father, even the spirit of
truth." John 14:16
THE SUNDAY SPIRIT
February 22–28
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE HOLY COMFORTER
2701 PARK ROAD, CHARLOTTE, NC, 28209 • 704.332.4171
WWW .HOLYCOMFORTERCHARLOTTE. ORG
Lent is here. W hat advice does the Church offer
for structuring a Lenten discipline?
A fundamental metaphor of Lent is one of a journey into the
wilderness, to a place where we might move closer to God by removing
the distractions and misdirections of everyday living. Thus, approach
Lent with a heart for renewal. Do not view the season as merely a set of
external rules to be followed. Rather, embrace it internally as an
opportunity for new growth.
The Church suggests four basic areas of Lenten devotion. Why these
four? They are rooted in scripture, and they have been known for
centuries to be effective when approached intentionally and with a
heart open to change. Here are the areas, with suggestions for 2015:
1. Scripture: read, mark, and learn the word of God.
o
Pick one Gospel and read one chapter, patiently, a day.
Repeat Gospel as needed.
o
Read the Psalms in an unfamiliar translation. (Consider the
new Common English Bible, or the King James Version.)
2. Prayer: listen for how God might be speaking to you.
o
Join a CMCP site at least once per week.
o
Pray the Jubilate (Psalm 100) every morning, and/or the
Lord’s Prayer (BCP 97) every night.
o
Make time for silence, not for merely entertainment or
sleeping, but for intentional stillness. Listen for God’s “still
small voice.”
3. Service: take on a new practice that stretches you beyond
your comfort zone.
o
Serve the Church on Sunday morning: cook breakfast, host
coffee hour, sign up to be a host, lector, or other minister. If
you already serve in one way, try another.
o
Serve your community: Volunteer at Room in the Inn. Give
blood. Clean a street or stream near your home. Mark the
interconnectedness of all people.
o
Give to a special fund of the Church, or to a new charity.
4. Fasting: practice self-denial.
o
Give up a food, drink, electronic device, or other activity that
has become comfortable or routine in your life, and note its
impact on the choices you make (or do not make).
o
Refuse luxury goods. Wear simple clothes, eat simply, drink
simply. Curb consumption; share your savings with others.
o
Fast on Fridays, especially Good Friday.
It is preferable to follow just a few disciplines that will stretch you-rather than draw up a laundry list of tasks to exhaust and deflate you.
Remember, a “successful Lent’ is, like a “successful life,” not about
following rules to perfection. It is about yearning and trying, about
reaching beyond yourself and toward a life closer to the purposes of
God.
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Today at Holy Comforter
Nursery Care for children 3 and under,
7:45 a.m. – noon
Holy Eucharist with The Great Litany,
8 – 8:50 a.m.
Breakfast in Henry Hall, 8:45 – 9:15 a.m.
The Hour Community and Education
offerings for all ages, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m.:
o
Nursery Care continues
o
Sunday School for children ages
3 to fifth grade
o
Youth Group for sixth through
twelfth graders “Friendship
Nine: Then
and Now”
o
Foundations
of the Faith:
What Every Episcopalian Ought to Know
About Our (Awesome!) Church
o
Adult Class: “The Sweet
Potato Challenge”
Choral Eucharist with The Great
Litany, now with Sunday School
continuing through the Peace, 10:30 –
11:45 a.m.
Church Tour following the 10:30
a.m.service
Lemonade in the Lobby, 11:45 a.m. –
12:15 p.m.
La Misa en Español, 12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
What is a litany?
A litany is an ancient form of prayer, offered
privately or by a congregation, that includes
repeated refrains among the petitions. Psalm 136
is an example of a litany that’s over 2500 years old.
Today we again mark the start of Lent by
praying The Great Litany, a time-honored
devotion of the Church known for its breadth,
scope, and humility. We offer this great prayer in
solemn procession and in traditional plainchant.
Hence our prayers today are particularly
“unusual,” and that is precisely the point. The gift
of Lent is one that shakes us out of the usual and
mundane. It sharpens our senses and focuses us
upon our deep need for the mercy, grace, and
hope of the living God.
Sunday Morning Faith Formation features two offerings during
Lent. Our annual Foundations of the Faith: What Every Episcopalian Ought to
Know About Our (Awesome!) Church class returns and is open to everyone
curious about The Episcopal Church. In the Sweet Potato Challenge, we’ll
familiarize ourselves with the journey our food takes and the hands it
passes through as it goes from farm to table. We’ll explore the
conditions in which farmworkers and their families (including children)
live and work.
Always wanted to know what’s where at Holy Comforter? Then
attend a fun, informal church tour this Sunday after the 10:30 a.m.
service. Meet at the front of the church near the lectern after worship.
Lending a hand is easier than ever! Every
fourth Thursday from March through October,
Holy Comforter folks cook at the Charlotte
Rescue Mission. Thanks to the generosity of
parishioner Jim Stewart, the food will now be on
site each week, so all our volunteers have to do is
arrive at the Charlotte Rescue Mission at 3:30 p.m.
and then cook and serve to our neighbors in need.
Email
Deacon
Deb
at
[email protected] to sign up for a
date – or several!
Common Morning, Common Prayer is in full swing! For your
convenience, we’ve included the reading of the day and CMCP
locations here. You may find the complete schedule in the Lent flyer
arriving in your mailbox this week.
Room In The Inn: Cold Weather Shelter
hosted by Holy Comforter
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Monday: John 2:1-12; 10 a.m. Caribou Coffee, 4327 Park
Road, Charlotte 28209, All Saints’ CMCP, 7:30 a.m. Starbucks,
corner of Country Club and Concord Parkway.
Tuesday: Acts 20:17-35; 7:30 a.m. Common Market, 1515 S
Tryon Street, Charlotte 28203, 8:00 a.m. Nova’s Bakery, 1511
Central Avenue, Charlotte 28205, 11:15 a.m., Atria
Merrywood, 3600 Park Road, Charlotte 28209, All Saints’
CMCP, 7:30 a.m., Dilworth Coffee, 5151 Poplar Tent Road,
#140, Concord.
Wednesday: John 2:23-3:15; 7:30 a.m. Wells Fargo Atrium,
301 South Tryon Street, Charlotte 28265. Join All Saints’ at
7:30 a.m. IHOP, 800 Cloverleaf Plaza, Kannapolis.
Thursday: 3:16-21; 9:00 a.m. Southminster Retirement
Community, 8919 Park Road, Charlotte 28210. Join All Saints’
at 7:30 a.m., Libby’s Pit Stop, 1801 N. Cannon Blvd.,
Kannapolis.
Friday: 3:22-36; 7:00 a.m. Holy Comforter, Room 207 Van
Every; and 8:30 a.m. Las Delicias, 4405 Central Avenue,
Charlotte, NC 28205. Join All Saints’ at 7:30 a.m., new Panera
Bread near All Saints Church.
Saturday: 4:1-26; 9 a.m. Spanish Holy Comforter, Library;
and 10:00 a.m. Just Fresh, 14136 Rivergate Pkwy #400,
Charlotte 28273.
Would you like to receive Daily Lenten Daily Meditations from
Holy
Comforter
sent
to
your
inbox?
Email
[email protected] to get on the list!
Easter Lilies: It’s time to purchase lilies to decorate the Sanctuary for
the Great Vigil of Easter and Easter Day. This is such a beautiful way
to remember loved ones at this most meaningful time of year. Lilies can
be purchased through the Altar Guild at a cost of just $15.
The Cubans are coming! Camerata Sine Nomine, a nine-voice male
choir from Cuba, will make a stop at Holy Comforter during their tour
of the southeastern U.S. in March. We are fortunate to be able to host
these talented young men on Wednesday, March 4, for a 7:00 p.m.
concert, which is sponsored by the Alden Music Fund. A free-will
offering will be taken during the concert. There will be a family night
dinner before the concert starting at 6 p.m. Please RSVP for the dinner
by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 2, to Patrick Pope at
[email protected] or 704-332-4171 ext. 212. The
cost of the dinner is $7 per person or $20 family maximum.
Volunteers Next Weekend,
Sat. Feb. 28 – Sun., March 1
Set-up: The Green and Binns families
Transportation: Vicki & Tom Bott – we need
drivers for both Saturday night and
Sunday morning
Cook and serve: Ministerios
Hispanos, Karen
Crane. Help needed Sunday morning
Overnight hosts: Joanne
Clean up: Help needed
Weekend Coordinator: Beth Hardin & Geoff
McLaughlin
Can you help? Contact Paula Kay Bickings
at 301-325-4735
Share Your Blessings, Change a Life
Spruce up your yard at the Boy Scouts’ 15th
Annual Pine Needle Sale on March 7. Visit our
homepage for details and an order form.
What are your ideal “Rhythms of Work and
Rest?” Find out during Holy Comforter’s
annual Women’s Retreat. This year, we will
offer a full day of fellowship, reflection, creativity
and fun featuring Nicole Greer and Caroline
Brown, all right here in our own backyard on
Saturday, March 14, at Starette Farm in Troutman.
2015 Altar Flower dates are filling up! Remaining
dates are: June 7, 14 & 28; August 30; Sept. 6, 20 &
27; Oct. 4 & 11; Nov. 15 & 22; and Dec. 20 & 27.
Contact Elaine Wood at 704.529.1711 or
[email protected].
Holy Comforter Weekday School Registration
is now open to all. Forms will be available
online, on the bulletin board, or from the HCWS.
Are you or do you know a woman over 23 who
needs tuition assistance? ECW and the Diocese
of North Carolina are accepting applications for
the 2015/16 Lex Mathews Scholarship, which
helps women seeking to upgrade their skills or
advance career opportunities with a variety of
educational options. The deadline is March 15.
Applications are available on our website.