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The Rev. Paul J. Stephens
Rector
608 Jefferson Street
Tupelo, MS 38804
(662) 842-4386 Fax 842-0204
www.allsaintstupelo.org
E-mail:
PALM SUNDAY, APRIL 17
8:30* & 10:30 a.m.*
The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, with Liturgy
of the Palms & Holy Eucharist Gather in the Madison
Street parking lot.
MONDAY, TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK APRIL 18, 19 & 20
7:00 P.M.
Holy Eucharist in the Chapel
6:00 p.m.*Agape Feast in the Parish Hall followed by Holy Eucharist, Foot Washing,
& Stripping of the Altar in the church + + +
The Watch at the Altar of Repose (throughout Thursday night
and Friday until Noon in the Chapel)
GGGGOOD OOD OOD OOD FRIDAY, APRILFRIDAY, APRILFRIDAY, APRILFRIDAY, APRIL 22222222
The Watch at the Altar of Repose continues until Noon
The office closes at Noon
12:05 p.m. Holy Communion from the Reserved Sacrament & Veneration of the Cross
7:00 p.m.* Evening Prayer with Veneration of the Cross
Both services in the church
10:00 a.m. (Church) Liturgy of the Word
9:00 p.m.* (Church) The Great Vigil of Easter
The Lighting of the Paschal Candle
A reception follows in the Parish Hall Please bring a heavy hors d’oeurve to share
8:30 a.m.* Holy Eucharist 9:30 a.m.* Christian Formation 10:30 a.m.* Holy Eucharist
4th
& 5th
SUNDAY IN LENT, PALM SUNDAY AND EASTER SUNDAY ~~ APRIL 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2011
FROM THE OFFICE For more information visit our website at www.allsaintstupelo.org
The office will close at Noon on Good Friday and reopen
on Tuesday, April 26.
OPERATING BUDGET PLEDGES Budgeted Received Over/(Under) % Rec’d. FEB. 29,000 37,134 8,134 128% YTD 78,600 69,429 (9,171) 88%
EXPENSES Budgeted Expended Over/(Under) FEB. 36,779 38,998 489 YTD 80,965 78,484 (2,481)
Pre-Paid Pledges used: 8,000 Pre-Paid Pledges remaining: 31,205
On January 1, 2011, All Saints’ had a projected deficit budget of $54,010 based upon pledges of $416,000. But since then we have received pledges of $23,000 more for a total of $439,925. The deficit budget is now just $20,060 after adding intended gifts non-pledge revenue, plate offering etc. New and increased pledges have done much to offset decreases and discontinued pledges that are an inevitable part of life in a healthy parish. Your vestry continues to be stewards of your gifts as our financial journey unfolds. For our journey forward, Thanks be to God!
--Albert White, Treasurer
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN Outstanding Building Loan Principal Balance 2,496,647.16
INCOME (Includes gifts received as honorariums/memorials)
FEB. CAMP-T-D
Pledges/Donations received 2,845 2,205,591 Pledges/Donations received – Hope 5,557 584,311 Interest Income 57 22,809 Net Proceeds from financing (6,670) 2,496,648 Total Income 1,789 5,309,359
EXPENSES FEB. CAMP-T-D Building Cost & other expenses -- 4,454,866 Columbarium 1,807 7,834 Interest 12,192 689,212 Total Expenses 13,999 5,151,912
FEBRUARY-174 YTD-FEBRUARY-146
JANUARY-122 Our next opportunity for baptism will be Saturday (night), April 23 at the Great Vigil of Easter service. If you desire baptism for
yourself or your child, please contact the church office at 842-4386. A baptismal counseling session is required in
preparation.
We’d like to offer a big thank you to Sally
Gray, Tricia Edmonson and Joy and Ken Johnson for organizing and hosting the Newcomer’s gathering held at the Johnson’s home on February 26. We had a wonderful time visiting with and getting to know the newest members of All Saints’! Thank you for welcoming us and sharing your gifts and hospitality with us!
The April Vestry meeting has been moved to Tuesday,
April 26.
HOLY WEEK Suzanne Woolston-Bossert, a contributor to the recently published Feasting on the Word, writes:
Despite its universally famous conclusion, Holy Week is a flickering collage of colliding images and
mistaken identities. Despite the way Easter Sunday has grown into a colorful arrangement of lilies and
trumpets, pastel eggs and new white Sunday school gloves, underneath it is fed by a dark compost of blood
and bone and mystery. Like the Russian nesting doll, the bright painted face of the resurrected Christ is but
a final exterior.
Indeed! Holy Week is nothing short of a multi-scene drama that begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. During the week we dramatize the last week of Jesus’ life:
• On Palm Sunday, using the Passion Narrative as our script, we reenact the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem by waving palms over our heads as we take part in the procession as pilgrims ourselves.
• The propers for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week help us trace the steps that Jesus took early in the week that led to his death.
• On Maundy Thursday we recall and dramatize the Last Supper, the meal that recalls the story of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and memorializes the “saving history” of God that sets the stage for our understanding of God’s action in our lives to this day. The gospel reminds us of the humble act of Jesus as he washed his disciples’ feet and beckons us to a life of servanthood. Overnight, as we keep watch with the Reserved Sacrament we recall Jesus praying in Gethsemane and the high drama that will soon unfold.
• On Good Friday we dramatize the death of Jesus. We come to the darkened church and recall the suffering of Jesus on the cross. The Passion Narrative is again read, this time with a somehow different intensity. As we venerate the cross, we identify with Jesus’ suffering so that we can identify with his eternal power made known to us in his resurrection.
• On Holy Saturday, the day that “the whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep,” we recall through Scripture and prayer the burial of Jesus. The church remains darkened; the starkness of the bare altar and sanctuary are vivid reminders of the events of the week and of yesterday. • The drama reaches a climax as darkness descends Saturday evening. As we gather for the Great Vigil of Easter, “the keystone about which the rest of the church year is built,” the words of the Exsultet ring in our ears: “This is the night, when Christ broke the bonds of death and hell, and rose victorious from the grave.” We are invited to participate, through word and action, in the Passover of the Hebrews from the bondage of slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land, in the Passover of our Lord Jesus Christ from death to new life, and in our own Passover from the bondage of sin and death to new life in Christ Jesus. • As the light of the new morning shines brightly on Easter Sunday, we gather to find that the stone has been rolled away from the tomb. “Jesus Christ is risen today. Alleluia!” This is indeed “our triumphant holy day.” Things are no longer the same. Not only has God entered the world as one of us, “but God has overcome the meanness that we did to the Incarnate One” and in doing so has led us through our own darkness, death, and guilt to a new understanding of forgiveness and life in the resurrection. I invite you to take part in this powerful and life changing drama. There are lead roles for everyone! No previous experience is required, just a willingness to enter into the drama. Casting begins on Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday and continues each day during Holy Week.
Paul +
Paul +
THE PASTOR’S PAGE
PARISH MINISTRIES
DAUGHTERS OF THE KING SPRING RETREAT April 1 & 2 Gray Center
The Daughters of the King will host their annual spring retreat, with Brother Vincent Ignatius of St.
Joseph's Monastery in Natchez leading the retreat. This event is open to all women who wish to attend.
For more information, please contact Virginia
Montgomery at [email protected]
SUNDAYS 8:30 a.m.* Holy Eucharist Rite I (Church)
9:30 a.m.* Christian Formation
10:30 a.m.* Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church)
5:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist (Church) Using Eucharistic Prayers throughout
our rich Anglican tradition
MONDAYS 7:15 a.m. Morning Prayer (Chapel)
TUESDAYS 5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer (Chapel)
WEDNESDAYS 12:05 p.m. Holy Eucharist w/Anointing (Chapel)
5:45 p.m.* April 6 & 13 Lenten Supper/Meditation (Parish Hall) Visit www.allsaintstupelo.org for menu
THURSDAYS 7:15 a.m. Morning Prayer (Chapel)
12:00 p.m. Community Lenten Luncheon/Program April 7 – Calvary Baptist Church
April 14 – Lawndale Presbyterian Church
FRIDAYS 5:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross (Church)
*Nursery provided
Easter is right around the corner, and it's the perfect time to start
singing with the Adult Choir! This choir is open to choristers from high
school through adulthood and we could always use extra voices. Our spring choir retreat will be on Saturday, April 9, and will include a workshop and a rehearsal to polish anthems for Holy Week and Easter. Make plans now to join us!
As always, if you have any questions or need more information, don't hesitate to contact me through the church office.
Peace, Jessica
is a time of private meditation and prayer, where the Reserved Sacrament will be kept in the Chapel. Jesus said, “So could you not watch with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40) The Watch at the Altar of Repose begins after the Maundy Thursday service on April 21 and will be kept until Noon on Good Friday. Please sign up for one hour time slots, or come
whenever able. A security guard will be on duty from 10:00 p.m. Thursday night until 6:00 a. m. Friday morning.
At their March meeting, the Vestry approved the appointment of Chris Winders as chair of
the Landscape Committee. Welcome aboard Chris! Our thanks to Mary Lou Parks for chairing this committee and for the work they have done in keeping our grounds beautiful
and well maintained! Job well done!
65 boxes ordered for March! We will be taking orders for April on
Saturday, April 9 10:00 – Noon or online at:
www.angelfoodministries.com
DISTRIBUTION DAY
for APRIL ORDERS
Saturday, April 23 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Guests served in February! 99 people volunteered in February (an average of 5 volunteers per day)
We are in need of the following items: tub or stick margarine, sugar, coffee, Sunny D orange juice, 5-oz. plastic cups, refill size containers of salt and pepper, sugar free maple syrup, gallon size 2 percent or skim milk, and 409 Cleaner. Your help with any of these items or monetary donations is greatly appreciated.
PARISH MINISTRIES
Please support this organization with your prayers and attendance! We will have a brief meeting and then attend the Lenten Supper and program in the
Parish Hall. In other ECW news, gather your treasures for the ECW
WINE & CHEESE / PARISH PRE-SALE
(for All Saints’ parishioners only) BEGINS ON FRIDAY, MAY 13!
Be good stewards of what you possess and consider de-cluttering your life as one of your Lenten disciplines. We will begin taking donations on Saturday, May 7.
Registration forms are in the office for the ECW Spring Conference
April 8 & 9 at Gray Center Registration is from 3:00 to 5:30 on Friday and the conference will conclude at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Registration deadline is April 4.
ECW MEETING
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 5:15 p.m. in the Parlor
There will be a reception immediately following the Great Vigil of Easter service, Saturday (night), April 23 in the Parish Hall. Please bring a heavy hors d’oeurve to share.
THE LAST WEEK
A Fresh Perspective on Mark’s Account of the Last Week in
the Life of Jesus
During Lent, concluding on Easter
Sunday in the north breakout room of the Parish Hall
JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE
South breakout room of the Parish Hall
Join Fred Page and class as they journey their way through I Kings
On April 1-3, the
EYC will be participating in the Camp Bratton-Green cabin renovation in cooperation with St.
Peters’ EYC! We will dismantle bunk beds, pull out and replace flooring, paint, and replace some hardware and fixtures. We’ll meet after school Friday and leave at 4:00 p.m. and will return midday Sunday. Our recent fundraisers allowed us to contribute $1,000 toward this project! Thank you to everyone who has given food, money and time!
If you signed up to work the Up, Up, and Away Hot Air Balloon Festival, that has been
scheduled for April 8 and 9. Working two hours earns you a free day pass on the day that you work!
Hill T.O.P. will be April 15 and 16 ONLY this year. The work weekend will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday at the THS gym and conclude on
Saturday at 10 p.m.
We will not have EYC on Palm Sunday or
Easter. Peace, Stacy
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
All levels of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd will
dismiss at 10:20 a.m. on Palm Sunday, April 17 and Easter Sunday, April 24. Parents, please pick up your children from the atria at that time. Our Nursery will be open for children 5 years of age and younger during both services..
It is important to give it all you have while you have the chance. –Shania Twain
CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
LEVEL I ADULT FORMATION TRAINING April 1-3 in the Parish Hall
Sixteen participants (4 from All Saints’!) will continue their journey, led by Mary Howard King, Certified Formation Leader, exploring the theory
and praxis of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Please keep this group in your daily prayers.
The deadline for submitting information for the next newsletter is Friday, April 15.
ALL SAINTS’ FAMILY
April 19 Marrion & Chris Winders April 20 Tricia & Will Edmonson April 21 Lanelle & Charles Van Horn Betty & Vernon Davis
In Memory of: Fred Bush From: Jamie & Ernie Joyner M.M. Winkler & Assoc. PLLC Ray & Shirley Goodman Martha & Bobby Dale Corrine Massey Jean S. Magee
A tree has been dedicated in memory of Katie & Fred Bush by Joan D. Jones,
Jason, Lisa & Matthew.
In Memory of: Bettie Lockett-Jones & Ralph Hershfelt From: Betty Lee Marshall (Building Fund)
Edward Alexander on the death of his father, George Edward Alexander, Jr.
Heath Hershfelt on the death of his grandfather, Ralph Hershfelt, Sr., on March 6.
Thom Saunders on the death of his sister, Beth Stanford.
Mary Lou Parks on the death of her sister-in-law, Marjorie Parks Valentine.
Kamme Riddle on the death of her grandmother, Janie Toole.
The family of Tom Hastings on his death March 25th.
“Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.”
April 1 Charlie Alvis April 2 Joy Johnson Marlin McFate April 5 Cathy Sparks Jeff Berry Destini Hester Margaret Anne Robbins April 7 Maribeth Kirkpatrick
April 8 Ken Murphree, Daniel King, Cooper & Drew Edmonson April 9 Asa White, Paul Stephens, Charlie Langford April 10 Ben Harrell April 11 Anderson Hillen, Laura L. Colatrella April 12 Mandy Atkins, Billy Walton April 15 Bill Mathews, Fran Shutiok April 17 Josephine Orrick April 21 Joellen Murphree, Will Harper April 23 Polly Stroup April 24 Catherine High, Kathryne Kyle April 25 Michael Pate April 26 Wil Oakes April 27 Rosemary Bryan April 28 Ben Alford April 29 Katelyn Alford, Jamie Joyner April 30 Rhea Anna Rogers, Arnold Jones
In Memory of: Butch Bastion & Bettie Lockett-Jones
from Fran Shutiok
Fred Bush, Freddy Christopher Corbitt, & Mary Sue Hunter
From Ray & Shirley Goodman
Gifts were received for Saints’ Brew from Tom Evans, Suzy Strain, and Margaret Barshaw.
OUR LOVE & SYMPATHY TO . . .
GIFTS RECEIVED
GIFTS RECEIVED FOR SAINTS’ BREW
Thank you for your recent donation to the National Council of Alcoholism & Drug
Dependence of Northeast Mississippi. Your gift will provide help to those in need of recovery assistance. Executive Director, Dody Vail
The weekly intercessory prayer list on our website has been adjusted so that it will print on one 8 ½ X 11 sheet of paper. To view and / or print the prayer list please visit http://allsaintstupelo.com/prayerlist.pdf.
Congratulations to Kathryn, Paul & Francis Watkins on the birth of a new son/brother (Paul Acker Macpherson
Watkins, Jr.) on March 26.
AFRICAN TEAM MINIAFRICAN TEAM MINIAFRICAN TEAM MINIAFRICAN TEAM MINISTRIESSTRIESSTRIESSTRIES
Crafts and Jewelry SaleCrafts and Jewelry SaleCrafts and Jewelry SaleCrafts and Jewelry Sale
SUNDAY, MAY 1SUNDAY, MAY 1SUNDAY, MAY 1SUNDAY, MAY 1
After both servicesAfter both servicesAfter both servicesAfter both services
Parish Hall LobbyParish Hall LobbyParish Hall LobbyParish Hall Lobby
Proceeds will serve theProceeds will serve theProceeds will serve theProceeds will serve the Church in East AfricaChurch in East AfricaChurch in East AfricaChurch in East Africa
(Great gift ideas for Mother’s Day!)(Great gift ideas for Mother’s Day!)(Great gift ideas for Mother’s Day!)(Great gift ideas for Mother’s Day!)
ALL SAINTS’ MISSION STATEMENT:
To equip ourselves for Christ’s service by gathering for worship, fellowship, prayer, and study;
To minister to and support each other, and to welcome all who walk through our doors;
To act as responsible stewards of God’s gifts to us; And to do God’s work
in the world by seeking and serving Christ in all persons.
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
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TUPELO, MS
608 Jefferson Street, Tupelo, MS 38804
(662) 842-4386 Fax (662) 842-0204
www.allsaintstupelo.org
Email: [email protected]
Return Service Requested
April 6 12:05 p.m. Holy Eucharist w/Anointing
April 13 12:05 p.m. Holy Eucharist w/Anointing
April 20 7:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist
April 27 No service
“X” Marks the Spot
The email arrived late Monday night and began with these words:
“Paul, I found an "X" under my seat and I have no idea what to do with it.”
The parishioner was referring to my sermon on Lent II. [If you missed it, I suggest you stop reading and go to
http://allsaintstupelo.com/podcasts/2011-03-20-LentII-sermon.mp3 where you can listen to a recording of the sermon. When you finish
listening, please come back and read the “rest of the story”].
His email to me continued:
[The slip of paper on which the “X” was written] makes a fine if disturbing bookmark in The Last Week. [That’s the book
describing the last week of Jesus’ life which Les Alvis is using for his 8 week-long adult Sunday School class]. It's disturbing
because I can't read about Jesus disrupting the Temple without holding it in my other hand and thinking that I am not
doing enough to disturb mine.
In a story on MPR today, it was stated that an average of more than 9,000 people in Mississippi are homeless and that over
700 are in Jackson alone. I suspect that number to be short of the truth. I have no idea how many are here.
As I write this note sitting in the comfort of my church office, I need only look out my window to see a homeless person asleep on the handicap ramp leading to the Parish Hall. Based on my observations, the size of the homeless population in Tupelo is increasing. Multiple factors are at work: many months of unemployment in excess of 10%; substance abuse; mental health issues. The “reasons list” is endless; the “whys” limitless.
He recounted a story I had recently shared in another sermon:
of the smoke rising from beneath the Gloster Street bridge next to Wendy's. Fires built under that bridge helped some
people survive (an over exaggeration of that word) for another frigid night. For the vast majority of us, me included, I
would not survive a moment in that fearsome bleakness.
This past winter, Tupelo’s homeless huddled where they could seeking shelter from the below freezing temperatures, biting wind, frozen rain and record snowfall. And if we have another summer like the one in 2010, Tupelo’s homeless will once again be fighting soaring temperatures and record heat index numbers along with West Nile infested mosquitoes and other pests. The picture conjured in my mind is very troubling.
I continued reading the email:
As you played the game show host among that squirming congregation Sunday, I found the 'X' under my chair that made
me, along with the rest of the congregation a player in that TV game show. The name of the place hit me in that moment. I
thought of “The Bridge.” We could call [the homeless shelter we would begin] “The Bridge.” It could be a bridge between
what the Salvation Army can provide and the next step in support of it. It might be a bridge between the last night of
homelessness and the next morning of finding a way to 'move in' instead of 'move on'. It could be a bridge between the
churches and synagogue of Tupelo to share in mission at home. It might be a link to the Tree of Life Clinic or Helping
Hands or the Hispanic ministries or Saints’ Brew.
As I reflected on the parishioner’s emotive and eloquent email, I remembered something Teilhard de Chardin, a paleontologist and Jesuit priest, had written years ago: “Christianity does not ask us to live in the shadow of the cross, but in the fire of its creative action.” Indeed! As we continue our Lenten Journey toward the cross and resurrection we must always remember that our faith is not static, inert or passive; rather, it is a call to action, to change, to transformation. We gather strength from God’s saving act for all of humanity. It is that strength which enables us to dare tackle the daunting, pressing and urgent need of assisting the homeless in new, creative and inspired ways.
The parishioner concluded:
You started this discussion. I am trying to find a way to keep the discussion going.
This discussion won’t die. It is only beginning and in fact is already gathering momentum. I invite you to join me on Wednesday evening, April 13th, at 5:45 p.m. as we discuss homelessness in our city and begin brainstorming about how we and the broader Tupelo community might address this issue in our city. See you then! Oh, and remember: bring your “X” with you! --Paul +
VESTRY & STAFF ESTABLISH GOALS AND PRIORITIES AT RETREAT
The Vestry and Staff gathered on Friday and Saturday, March 4th and 5th, to examine data, review programs
and activities and begin establishing goals and priorities for the coming year (and beyond). While we touched on
many areas of our common ministry (leadership development, communications, spiritual development, etc.), much of
our time was spent focusing on membership development, especially membership growth, retention and
transformation. We also examined recent research concerning “Emerging Adults,” that group between the ages of 18
and 30 years of age, and how All Saints’ might attract more EAs.
Our first task was to identify what All Saints’ is currently doing to recruit new, retain existing and transform
members’ lives. The lists generated were long: sharing our space with community groups; holding special services
which appeal to the broader community (such as Blessing of the Animals); Wednesday Night Suppers and Summer
Brunches; our beautiful liturgy; Sr. & Jr. EYC; EfM; Saints’ Brew; and Catechesis (to name just a few).
After a lengthy discussion of what we’re doing, we shifted and then focused on what All Saints’ should be
doing to recruit new members, retain existing members and transform the lives of members (new and not so new).
Once again, the lists were extensive and creative: create a Wi-Fi zone/hot spot so the community could gather in our
beautiful outdoor space and work/play; build a meditation garden and/or labyrinth; direct mail campaign; train
greeters; offer special programming to groups such as Episcopal Single People, disc golf, book clubs; parents’ night
out; day/preschool program; re-energize/revise/reform family groups; deliberate engagement of newcomers into
committees/ministries; local mission work; Bible study; and Rector’s Forum (again to name just a few of the ideas
generated). And once again, we discussed these ideas at length.
The Vestry then narrowed the list of “what we should be doing” by prioritizing the ideas on the list. The
following priorities emerged from our discussions:
Recruitment of Members
• Training of greeters, ushers and others re “extending invitations and welcoming”
• Community Events in Parish Hall
• Parents’ Night Out
Retention of Members
• Revise/revamp family groups
• Sunday School offerings targeting Emerging Adults
Transformation of Members
• Local mission work
• Instructional Eucharist
• Adult Catechesis
• Small in-home study groups
Vestry members then “voted with their feet” by choosing two priorities for which they would be willing to assist in
the development of action plans and the launching of projects. In the coming weeks you will hear much more about
these priorities and the plans to move them “off paper” and into action.
I applaud the Vestry and Staff for their focused work and engagement at the Retreat and thank them in
advance for making these plans become reality in our faith community.
Paul +
THE JOURNEY
In Great Lent, Alexander Schmemann writes that “even though we are baptized, what we constantly lose and betray is precisely that which we received at baptism. Therefore Easter is our return every year to our own baptism, whereas Lent is our preparation for that return—the slow and sustained effort to perform, at the end, our own ‘passage’ or ‘pascha’ into the new life in Christ. . . . Each year Lent and Easter are, once again, the rediscovery and the recovery by us of what we were made through our own baptismal death and resurrection.”
The hinge that connects Lent and Easter is the very heart and soul of the Christian faith. That period of time from Sunday-to-Saturday is called “Holy Week,” since it is during those days that we enter the events that accomplished our salvation. Above all others, this is the time when Christians are to be most faithful in responding to God through worship.
These services come to us from the practices of the earliest Christians. The liturgies form a sacred journey, by which we prepare ourselves for the greatest of all celebrations: Easter. Indeed, these several services are actually one protracted liturgy, and for full meaning we must go from start to finish. We cannot truly know the surpassing joy of Easter without taking part in those shattering events that led to Christ’s death and burial.
Holy Week is a real “roller-coaster,” and is emotionally draining (which is just how it should be!). It is a time when – mystically – you become part of what happened during those last fateful days of Jesus’ earthly life. From that, you will come to experience more meaningfully your sharing in His Resurrection. Quote from Alexander Schmemann, Great Lent (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1969).
THE SUNDAY OF THE PASSION: PALM SUNDAY
April 17 Holy Eucharist 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Today’s liturgy is in two parts. The Liturgy of the Palms celebrates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of the week of his Passion. After we hear Luke’s account of that event, the celebrant gives thanks over the branches which we carry. In many congregations a procession with branches then moves into the church building, with festive songs of “Hosanna in the highest!” as we enact the event which led directly to Good Friday. The second part of today’s liturgy changes from triumph to tragedy as it focuses on thesuffering and death of Jesus. The account of the Lord’s Passion is a dramatic reading from Luke’s Gospel, so that we may have a fuller sense of sharing with him in his redemptive acts of dying and rising for our salvation. Today we enter into the celebration of the mighty acts of God which brought about our redemption. During this week, we will rediscover what God has done for us, rediscover the meaning of our Baptism and rediscover the meaning of our sharing in the Eucharist. From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 1998 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York
MONDAY, TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK
April 18, 19, and 20 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel
The days between Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday are known as Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday. Special Eucharistic propers and proper collects mark each day. The Gospels of these days recount several events that focus us on the themes of anointing and cleansing (Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with costly perfume); salvation (Jesus soon to be glorified for the benefit of all); and betrayal (at supper with his disciples, Jesus predicts his betrayal). As we move ever closer to the shadow of the cross, these days invite us to acknowledge the impurities which fill us; to recognize God’s plan for our eternal salvation; and by our acts and omissions, not to betray our Lord.
MAUNDY THURSDAY
April 21 Agape Feast at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall followed by Holy Eucharist, Foot Washing &
Stripping of the Altar in the Church
Tonight’s Eucharist—on the eve of Good Friday—begins the Sacred Triduum, or Three Sacred Days, of our redemption. This is a celebration: a celebration of our Lord’s institution of the sacrament of his Body and blood; but it is pervaded by the shadow of the cross. Jesus gathered with his disciples in the context of the greatest of all events in Israel’s redemption—the exodus and the Passover. Yet the normal joy of such an evening was muted by betrayal, the failure of his friends to understand what he was doing, and his own fear of what was to come.
It was at a farewell dinner that Jesus, by washing his disciples’ feet, sought to illustrate one final time the character of love and ministry which is central in the life to which he calls us: self-giving love to the point of dying for one’s friends. Through scripture, we hear the ancient instructions for celebrating the Passover, Paul’s account of the institution of the Eucharist, and John’s account of the moment when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. After Holy Communion tonight, the liturgy will not end. It continues tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday, when it comes to its conclusion. We will take the Sacrament which remains tonight and place it on the Altar of Repose at the chapel next door to the church, where it will be available for Holy Communion on Good Friday at the 12:05 p.m. service. You are invited to keep vigil there in response to Jesus’ question, “Could you not watch with me for one hour?” From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 1998 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York
GOOD FRIDAY
April 22 Good Friday Service with Holy Eucharist 12:05 p.m. Evening Prayer with Veneration of the Cross 7:00 p.m.
Today’s liturgy is the second part of a complex series of rites which cover the Three Sacred Days of our redemption. This liturgy began last night and will be concluded on Sunday. We will engage in intense intercessory prayer for the church and for the world. It was on the cross that Jesus made his full intercession for us, and we are united with him through Baptism in that intercession. The final portions of this liturgy take place before a cross, where we praise Christ for his love, which he demonstrated on the cross. At the end of the liturgy, the church is left in silence and darkness, as we prepare for the final act, which begins at the
Great Vigil on Saturday night. It is as though the church has died and now waits silently to be resurrected out of the baptismal font at the Great Vigil of Easter. Today we hear John’s account in Holy Scripture of the Lord’s trial, suffering, and death.
From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year.Copyright © 1998 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.
HOLY SATURDAY
April 23 Liturgy of the Day 10:00 a.m. “Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.”
Holy Saturday, also called the Holy Sabbath and the Great Sabbath, is an empty day, the day when Christ rested in the tomb and all creation awaited the resurrection. The Book of Common Prayer has contained propers for a Liturgy of the Word on this day since 1549. With the church still bare, as on Good Friday, the people gather in silence to hear the propers appointed for the day, including the conclusion of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John, followed by the anthem “In the midst of life” from the Burial Office. All leave the church in silence. Quote from an ancient homily, Office of Readings Holy Saturday Roman Rite, reprinted in A Triduum Sourcebook (Liturgy Training Publications, 1983) Adapted from Leonel L. Mitchell, Lent, Holy Week, Easter and the Great Fifty Days (Cowley Publications, 1996).
THE GREAT VIGIL OF EASTER
April 23 The Great Vigil of Easter 9:00 p.m.
We gather in the darkness of the night on which Jesus rose from the dead. This service is unlike any other service in the year. It is the Christian Passover feast, in which we celebrate the Passover of Jesus from death into life and our own passover from death into life in Holy Baptism. The service has four parts. The Service of Light We gather to kindle a fire to drive away the darkness, and from the new fire a large candle is lighted, called the paschal candle. As it is carried into the midst of our assembly the priest sings out “The light of Christ,” and we respond “Thanks be to God.” From this candle, the people light their own small candles, and the church is filled with the light of Christ. Then another singer sings the ancient hymn known as the Exsultet, which praises God for this night in which the ancient people of Israel were delivered from Egypt at the Red Sea, in which Christ rose from the dead, and in which we are baptized into his death and resurrection. The Vigil We then settle down, and with music punctuating the readings, we hear a number of passages from the Old Testament which cover the major events of salvation history. Each reading is followed by a collect which relates the reading to our salvation and our Baptism.
Renewal of Baptismal Vows By reminding us of our sacred story, the readings have reaffirmed our identity as the people of God, the Body of Christ. Now we initiate a new member into the church by water and the Holy Spirit. It is in the rising of the newly baptized from the waters of Baptism that the Resurrection of Christ is renewed in our midst. When we, the members of his Body, stand in prayer, the Body of Christ is risen and made visible to the world. Holy Eucharist This is the Eucharist of the year—the one of which all our other Eucharists are repetitions. In this Eucharist, Paul reminds us that in Baptism we have died with Christ in order that we may be raised with him, and we hear Luke’s account of the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee bringing spices to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, only to be told that Jesus was risen from the dead. In sign and Sacrament, holy story and song, the dying and rising of Jesus in the midst of the people is once again enacted. Sharing in the holy gifts of the altar, we find ourselves made one with Christ and rejoice in this foretaste of the glory of God’s kingdom. From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 1998 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.
THE SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION: EASTER DAY
April 24 Holy Eucharist 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Today the church completes its three great days of celebrating redemption. Since Maundy Thursday, we have been involved in an extended liturgy which will be brought to its conclusion today. This is the celebration of the Passover of Christ from death into life. Martin Luther captured the true meaning and spirit of this day of celebration when he wrote: “Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bonds for our offences given; but now at God’s right hand he stands and brings us light from heaven. Wherefore let us joyful be and sing to God right thankfully loud songs of Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” Throughout the Great Fifty Days of Easter, the preferred first reading on Sundays is from the Acts of the Apostles rather than from the Old Testament. These weekly readings from Acts describe the life of the first Christians and their proclamation of Christ’s resurrection. So today we hear a portion of the sermon Peter preached to Cornelius, the first Gentile Christian and in the passage from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians a summary of the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection. Both of these two readings are classic examples of kerygma, the very essence of the earliest Christian apostolic preaching. The Gospel is John’s account of the resurrection, in which Mary encountered our Risen Lord at the empty tomb. As we rejoice in our new life in the risen Christ on this day, he comes among us and is made known to us in the breaking of the bread. We are sent forth to tell others of his resurrection. Please feel free to join us in this celebration of God’s victory over death. May you find in this gathering the assurance that God is even now raising you to new life. Adapted from The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 1998 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.
ALL SAINTS’ EPISCOPAL CHURCH LAY MINISTRY SCHEDULE APRIL 2011
