November Lay Ministry
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Episcopal Church of the Nativity The Window Volume 23, Issue 2 February 2016 From the Curate Observing a Holy Lent Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lords passion and resurrec- tion, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith. I invite you, there- fore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fast- ing, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on Gods holy Word. Second preface for Ash Wednesday, BCP p. 264 Have you ever had the experience of purposing in The liturgical season of Lent makes use of ritual your mind to change an unhealthy spiritual habit, or practices of prayer and self-denial to bring us back to sinful behavior, only to find that after a period of a state of sober self-assessment. Notorious sins are not time you had slipped back into old habits? Have you the only things that keep us from holding our relation- ever found yourself, like the Apostle Paul, not doing ship with God as the first priority in our lives. We may the things you wanted to do, but instead doing the become busy and distracted in the many responsibili- very things you did not want to do? The answer to ties of our daily life; sometimes we simply become all these questions is yes for every one of us, be- lazy. As we meditate on Jesus Christs Passion, we are cause we are human. We are prone to the same for- reminded that he first sacrificed himself for us, setting getfulness that we read about in the Old Testament the example of what it means to love. As we consider when the people of Israel would forget God and end our Lords resurrection, we are reminded that we are up in bad circumstances. Our own lapses might seem called to repentance for a purpose. small in comparison, but they still keep us from liv- If we are in Christ, our acts of repentance do not ing into the fullness of all that God calls us to be and leave us burdened with guilt and regret; we are called do in our lives. to new life in Christ. Jesus never said, your sins are One of the great benefits of our liturgical calendar forgiven, now go home and immerse yourself in feel- is that it anticipates our human tendencies, our weak- ings of guilt, and be paralyzed with regret over lost nesses and frailties. God in his wisdom and mercy in- time and resources. Jesus said, Go your way, and stituted covenant observances first for the people of from now on do not sin again. (John 8:11b) The Israel, and later these disciplines of observances and Apostle Paul counseled the Corinthians, For godly rituals became part of Christian tradition. There is no grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and escaping our human tendency to fall into bad habits brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death (2 if we are not living intentionally, and Lent is about Corinthians 7:10). May your Lent be one spent in bringing us back to living with intentionality in our godly grief, preparing your heart for the joy of new relationship with God. Lent is about honesty and life Easter will bring! having an annual come to Jesus liturgical season The peace and grace of our Lord be with you always with our God. Mother Linda Suzanne + Febrary 9 February 7 February 14 Ash Wednesday Noon & 6 p.m. Altar Guild: Tammi Holman, Libby Altar Guild: Didi Cody, Mary Alford, Altar Guild: Didi Cody, Mary Alford, Harper, Cathy Orr, Karen Pittman & Carol Julana Harrison, Kathi King & Christine Julana Harrison, Kathi King & Christine Vaughn. Floyd Floyd Acolytes: Robert Clark, David Clark, Acolytes: Noon Hugh Wheelless, Olivia Acolyites: Mary Grant Hall, Preston Hall, Olivia Harper-Collins,Will Gholson & Harper-Collins & Stuart Ibberson; 6 p.m. Mitchell Barbaree, Will Owen & Hugh Tallulah Randolph David Deal, Mary Blake Zeron, Will Wheelless Breakfast Chefs: William Griggs, Andy Owen & George Zeron Breakfast Chefs: William Newton, Doug Armstrong, Mike Owen & Heath Phillips Creel & Dan Johnson Eucharistic Ministers: 7:30 a.m. Susan Eucharistic Ministers Noon: Elizabeth Eucharistic Ministers: 7:30 a.m. Bill Henderson Welch & Stuart Ibberson; 6 p.m. Susan Elliott 10:30 a.m. George Dennis and Dan Henderson & Karen Jackson 10:30 a.m. Harry Hall & Karen Jackson Johnson Flowers: Sue Epsy & Lara Wright Flowers: N/A Flowers: Nelda Northcutt & Gina Medley Greeters: Charlie and Nelda Northcutt Greeters: TBA Greeters: Franklin Skinner Lectors: 1st Stephanie Gibson; 2nd Lectors: Noon: To Be Announced; 6 Lectors: 1st Jeff Crittenden; 2nd Anthony Wittenborn; POP Mary Alford p.m., 1st Lara Kosolapoff Wright; 2nd Mark Carter; POP Karen Jackson Anthony Wittenborn; POP - Mark Carter Ushers: 7:30 a.m. Bill Elliott Ushers: 7:30 a.m. Charles Allgood 10:30 a.m. William Griggs & Web 10:30 a.m. Bob Orr & Mike Cody Gholson Refreshment Table: Ianuzzi Ushers: TBA Refreshment Table: Gayle Vestry Lockup: Johnny Turner/Suzanne Vestry Lockup: Father Peter Wong Vestry Lockup: Elizabeth Welch/Trista McMahan Howell February 21 February 28 Altar Guild: Libby Planz, Melissa Altar Guild: Regina Taliaferro, Kathy Gholson, Brenda Ortega, Lynda Salisbury Brown, Suzanne McMahan, Traci Newton & Liz Smyth & Becky Taylor Scott If you are Acolytes: Mary Blake Zeron, George Acolytes: Amber Somma, Edde Somma, Zeron, Anthony Wittenborn, Gavin Sylvia Somma, Sam Middleton, Alex Wittenborn, Sarah Taton & Stuart Ibberson Middleton & Mark Carter unable to Breakfast Chefs: John Welch, Jeff Breakfast Chefs: David Jackson, Kaz Crittenden, Bill Mallis & Lee Scott Espy & William Holman serve on Eucharistic Ministers: 7:30 a.m. Susan Eucharistic Ministers: 7:30 a.m. Kathi your sched- Henderson King 10:30 p.m. Collier Epsy and Stuart 10:30 a.m. David Deal and Elizabeth Ibberson Welch uled date, Flowers: Linda Fisher & Kathi King Flowers: Sam Flowers & Caroline Marler please find a Greeters: Web and Melissa Gholson Greeters: Mike and Didi Cody Lectors: 1st Carol Rheingans 2nd Lectors: 1st Elizabeth Welch; 2nd Lee replacement Willie Fisher; POP Johnny Turner Scott; POP Stuart Ibberson Ushers: 7:30 a.m. Hank Vaughn Ushers: 7:30 a.m. Wendell Switzer; and let the 10:30 a.m. Gary Rheingans & Bill Owen 10:30 a.m. Jerry Wright & Merritt Holman Refreshment Table: Medley Refreshment Table: Ibberson Office know. Vestry Lockup: Carol Vaughn Vestry Lockup: Kathie Buntin February 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 6:45 a.m. ± 0HQ¶V%LEOH study and breakfast EYC ± Mardi Gras Parade and cookie sale (2:30-4:30 6:15 p.m. ± Monday 10 a.m. ± Healing Service 6 p.m. ± :RPHQ¶V)LUVW 6 p.m. ± Mardi Gras Party p.m.) Midrash Wednesday 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist 6:45 a.m. ± 0HQ¶V%LEOH ASH WEDNESDAY Rite I study and breakfast Noon and 6 p.m. 10:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist 6:15 p.m. ± Monday Rite II Midrash 10 a.m. ± Healing Service No EYC 5:30 p.m. -- EYC Pancake Supper 14 ERD Sunday 15 16 17 18 19 20 7:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist 6:45 a.m. ± 0HQ¶V%LEOH 7 a.m.- 6DLQW-RVHSK¶V Rite I study and breakfast Guild 10:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist Rite II 6:15 p.m. ± Monday 10 a.m. ± Healing Service 6-8 p.m. -- Lenten Supper Midrash and Program 3 p.m. - Outreach visit to Dothan Rescue Mission 6 p.m. ± Vestry Meeting 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 7:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist 6:45 a.m. ± 0HQ¶V%LEOH Rite I study and breakfast 10:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist 6:15 p.m. ± Monday 6-8 p.m. -- Lenten Supper Rite II Midrash 10 a.m. ± Healing Service and Program 9-10 a.m. ± Daughters of the King (Parlor) 28 29 Notes: 7:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist Unless otherwise noted, Sunday service s: Rite I 7:30 a.m. ± Holy Communion Rite I 10:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist 6:15 p.m. Monday 8:30 a.m. ± Breakfast ± 9:15 a.m. ± Sunday School in Parish Ha ll Rite II Midrash Please email items you would like included in the calendar section to [email protected]. Lenten Music Notes ..... Welcome, dear feast of Lent . So begins and octave leaps in the pedal that represents George Herberts well-known poem. Christs Body hanging on the cross. During the Lenten season, music is often re- Hymns and choral music will begin with Forty strained with traditional elements such as the days and forty nights, but will begin to point Gloria in Excelsis and all Alleluias not being more directly toward the Cross during mid-Lent sung, leading to comments that worship is color- and as we near Passiontide focus directly on the less and drab.