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May

2017 Journal

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED WITH THIS PROJECT!!

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Peace and Grace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord!

The Great Fifty Days refers to the period from the Great Vigil at Easter until the day of Pentecost, fifty days later. In ancient times the whole fifty-day period was seen as an extended Lord’s day with no fasting and no kneeling. The tradition of the Great Fifty Days comes from the Hebrew Feast of Weeks which extends for a week of weeks or 49 days. The fiftieth day was the Hebrew Shavuot or Pentecost.1 For Hebrews it was the day recognized as being given the Torah or Law. For Christians it represents the time after the death and resurrection of Christ.

During this time, we celebrate the Ascension 40 days as mentioned in Acts 1:3, and then the de-scending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost - the fiftieth day - which this year is on June 4. The liturgi-cal colors for these days are white until the day of Pentecost when the color becomes red, red being the color of the Holy Spirit. Also, the paschal candle, the tall candle on the brass stand, remains lit during services throughout the season of Easter through the day of Pentecost.

During this season we make up for the lack of alleluias during Lent in our services from the opening acclamation to the dismissal. Where the opening acclamation the celebrant says, “Alleluia. Christ is risen,” and the people respond, “The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.” And the dismissal is at the end where we repeat the alleluias. (“Alleluia, Alleluia!”)

Take this time to reflect on the resurrection of Christ as what it means to you personally, and to the greater church outside our walls and even our denomination. Think on what it might mean for us to extend and work towards excellence in our existing ministries to the church and the greater commu-nities.

I have mentioned reading the Bible in my sermons. Last year we started to read the Bible in one year. Once again We are starting it today. If you started last year, begin where you left off. Do not worry about being on time, just keep going even if you miss some days and fall behind. I will have a schedule posted outside of my office.

We do A LOT here at St. Francis and I am thankful for everyone! We might not be the largest church but we are doing our best to discern God’s call and live into our motto, “A loving communi-ty, serving God’s kingdom.”

Peace, Mitch+ 1Leonel L. Mitchell, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and the Great Fifty Days: A Ceremonial Guide (Cambridge,

Mass.: Cowley Publications, ©1996), 111-112.

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Read the Bible in a Year

The Center for Biblical Studies has designed a one year reading schedule to help those who

commit as individuals or as members of a church, a church school or a diocese to read suc-

cessfully through the entire Bible in a year’s time. The CBS intentionally focuses on reading

the entire Bible, reading the books of the Bible in sequence and ensuring that a psalm and a

portion of the New Testament are read each day in order to provide strong spiritual daily

content to sustain readers working through the entire Bible.

You can start this schedule on any day of the year that you like. This schedule works ideally

if you begin on a Monday because we encourage readers to read portions of the Bible Mon-

day through Saturday and assume that on Sunday they will be in church hearing the Scrip-

tures read aloud. The Bible is best understood in the context of a faith community and by

persons who are committed to following the teachings of Jesus and obeying the Word of

God in their daily life. Merely hearing the Scriptures read aloud on Sunday, however, is not

enough to know and to experience the living, life-transforming Word of God.

We encourage you always to put yourself in the presence of God before you begin reading

the Scriptures. Read with a desire to understand and follow the teachings of Scripture so

that your life might be transformed by the Holy Spirit working within you as the Word of God

is revealed to your heart, mind and soul. We wish you every blessing in your faithful daily

Bible reading.

We offer this prayer written by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1549 The Book of Common

Prayer as you begin your spiritual journey and The Bible Challenge.

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For more information: http://thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org/read-the-bible-in-a-year/

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Prayer Shawl Ministry

Dear Lord, please bless these hands.

In November of 2009, our first prayer shawl was given to a St. Francis parishioner who

was ill. Since then, almost 100 shawls have been gifted to people in need of healing

living around the states.

Beginning in May, the Prayer Shawl Ministry group will meet on the first and third

Thursdays at 4:00 pm at St. Francis. Praying and knitting together creating shawls for

those in need is incredibly rewarding. Psalms 139:13 says - “For you created my in-

most being: you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

Attending meetings is not mandatory, and shawls can be knitted or crocheted in the

comfort of your home. There is no particular rule on what the shawl needs to look

like, and sometimes the color and design is created for someone special in mind. The

shawls are blessed by Father Mitch, often during a church service, and attached with

a prayer note card before delivery.

Currently in need for the Hospice programs around the city are our Pocket Prayer

shawls. These are small 3”x 3” knitted or crocheted squares that fit into a person’s

pocket. They are also blessed and adorned with a tag explaining that prayers and

God are only a pocket away.

Please join this rewarding and important work for Christ. Everyone is welcome.

STEWARDSHIP

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

- Matthew 6:21 NRSV

When it comes to stewardship we all pledge the treasure that we know we can give. For what you and I pledge to support the ministries of St. Francis, we are thankful. We are so close to eliminating our deficit I believe that if we begin to give an extra $5-$10-$20 in the offering plate we would reduce, if not eliminate, any deficit for 2017.

So bring a friend: George, Abraham, Alexander, Andrew, Harriet, and some of their friends. Together we can fully support the ministries of St. Francis!

Peace, Mitch+

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REAL SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS!

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DOK ACTIVITIES

March/April was a very special time for DOK ministries. Members got to cook, serve,

and cleanup four Lenten lunches. We had a little help from the Barrons with some de-

licious gumbo on the fifth lunch. If you have an easy, quick lunch menu you would like

to see included in the Lenten lunches next year, please share with us your ideas and/

or recipes. We received many positive responses this year but, as they say, "Variety

is the spice of life".

The March 15th scheduled meeting found members copying and composing prayers

to be folded and inserted into the plastic Easter eggs for the children's Egg hunt on

Easter Sunday. Our goal was to make these prayers available to be read by parents or

the children themselves as often as possible. We can all incorporate more prayers in

our lives.

The Watch in the Garden of Repose was our next challenge as we scheduled some

seventeen hours of quiet time in the sanctuary in His presence. A DOK member was

present each hour as parishioners came to sit and meditate.

For our scheduled April 19 meeting, Sandra Dugan has invited Anne Patullo, a fellow

master gardener, to present a program on "The Flowers of Mary". Many pictures show

Mary among flowers and Anne will enlighten us on this topic.

If you haven't noticed all the beautiful blooming plants surrounding St. Francis, you

should take time to do so. With time and effort from members who have such talents,

we have lovely grounds.

Please take time to say Thank You to the DOK members as they continue to fill the

calendar with many activities For His Sake.

The Daughters of the King is an organization of women who incorporate prayer, ser-

vice, and evangelism into a variety of activities. This coming fall we will conduct an-

other training session for anyone interested in becoming a DOK member.

Respectfully submitted, Gipsy Schneider

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Other News and Happenings Since the Last Journal:

Other News and Happenings Since the Last Journal:

Wednesdays: (All are invited – Lent) 11:30am Healing Service– A contemplative yet participatory service where we have laying

on of hands and anointing of oil to foster and pray for physical and spiritual health for each other and our community.

Noonday light lunch and Bible Study – A casual setting where we have a light lunch and we can explore the Bible together.

Choir Practice – Lift your voices and sing songs of praise! Speaking of Wednesdays in Lent the program set up by Lee Banes was incredible! Kathy and

Dwayne Dunn delivered a light supper and then we had guest speakers: Paul Streufert, Edward Tabri, Linda Gray, Cameron Rose, and Lisa Kraus all delivered insightful perspectives and better informed our Lent! Thank you all very much!

Of course what would lent be without the soup at lunch time! Thanks you DOK for organizing and delivering such a succulent and light menu! Thanks also for all of the cools that not only made the light lunches but also set up and cleaned up. What a great ministry!

Hand Bell Practice! – All are invited. It is a great group of folks that come together and make the bells sing!

Your vestry met and discussed the finances, grounds, and future of St. Francis. Thank you for your service vestry members, and clerk!

We had some ministry talks and trainings: Readers, Choir, and the Wednesday Night Healing Ser-vice! Thanks to all that spoke for these ministries and for the training as well. Participation was high! Thank you all.

Continued Monday 3pm Bible study at the Hamptons! There was a Men’s breakfast. – All are invited to go and if you are lucky you get to be there for bis-

cuits and sausage gravy! SOOOOOO filling! Thank you men’s group for expanding your ministry last month.

Church Under a Bridge Prep – Here all are invited to help make 225 sandwiches and bags in prepa-ration for taking them to the Church Under a Bridge on the following Sunday. The Church Under a Bridge is a community that holds worship for the homeless under the Gentry bridge. We pro-vide lunch for that community once a month.

Church Under a Bridge Delivery – On the first Sunday of the month there is a faithful few that deliver the meals prepared the day before to the Church Under a Bridge. Some have been known to stay and worship with our homeless neighbors. Which from personal experience is quite power-ful.

The OTLB (Out to lunch bunch) met at Chuy’s this month. Everyone is welcome, it is simply yet an-other opportunity for St. Francis folk to mingle. Bring a friend!

The Anglican Rosary happens on the first Wednesday of the Month. Everyone meets and if you have not prayed with an Anglican Rosary before you are brought up to speed. It is a very power-ful way to pray.

Fr. Bob DeWolfe’s Bible classes! A classroom type environment where there is deep diving into the Biblical text.

We Had a wonderful Palm Sunday to kick off our busy Holy Week! Tenebrae, Maundy Thursday, Watch in the Garden of Repose, Way of the Cross, Good Friday Ser-

vice, and the Great Easter Vigil! We ran out of booklets most of those services! It is so awesome to see people participate in the various liturgies that bring us out of Lent into Easter!

Easter Sunday went very smoothly! It was a wonderful day! THANK YOU!!!! All of you in the Altar Guild, Choir, all of the Worship ministries, and hospitality min-

istries! Without your hard work our Holy Week would not have been so smooth nor as wonderful as it was. Thank you!

AND the gardens look so nice! (Thanks gardening angels! If you are reading this you can be one too!)

Plus much, much more!

Thanks go out to the many volunteers and donors that make these things happen!

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW… Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper 2/28

Ash Wednesday 3/1

Palm Sunday 4/9

Easter Sunday 4/16

Pentecost Sunday 6/4 Blessing of the Animals 10/7

St. Francis Feast Day 10/8

Bishop's Visit 11/12

Thanksgiving Turkey Lunch 11/19

Christmas Eve Service 12/24

MAY BIRTHDAYS

Julia Gray 05/04

Leonard DeCarlo 05/05

Cezanne Barnes 05/08

Peg Corrie 05/09

Roy Lee 05/15

Mike Barham 05/17

Will Armstrong 05/17/

Christine Miller 05/22

Benjamin Rocha 05/23/

Linda Gray 05/24

Ken Orr 05/26/

Melissa DeCarlo 05/27

Hugh French 05/29

Rob Jerger 05/29

MAY ANNIVERSARIES

Michael & Christina Matthews 05/21

Tom & Monalee (Kuehn) Camp 05/24

Bob & Linda Gray 05/30

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St. Francis Episcopal Church

3232 Jan Avenue

Tyler, TX 75701

Telephone: 903-593-8459

Fax: 903-526-7756

Email: office@stfrancistyler.org

Web site: www.stfrancistyler.org

www.facebook.com/StFrancisTyler