News & Notes 3/11/2010
Lenten greetings to you, my Friends,
As we’re working through Lent, that means we’re getting closer to Holy Week, so I thought I’d begin this issue of “News & Notes” with a listing of the worship services for Holy Week and Easter:
Sunday, March 28th - Palm/Passion Sunday (we’ll call it “passion Sunday” ’cause we’re going to trace Jesus’ footsteps through the events of the whole week - including his death and burial) - at both services: 9 and 10:30 AM.
Maundy Thursday, April 1, at 7 PM - Men of our congregation will reenact Leonardo DaVinci’s painting “The Last Supper”; which will be followed by receiving communion in a unique way.
Good Friday, April 2, at Noon at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church; and at 7 PM, a Tenebrae Service (service of shadows) at St. John’s
And on Easter Sunday we begin with “First Fire” - a lighting of the Christ Candle - at the outdoor chapel at 6 AM!! This ends as we process to the music of the bagpipes into the sanctuary for the “Sunrise Service” (led by our youth) at 6:30 AM. Easter breakfast will be served by the United Methodist Men at 7:30 AM. And we’ll continue with our two large Easter Celebrations in the sanctuary at 9 and 11 AM (notice the later starting time for the second service).
This season is the highpoint of the church year - and a terrific time to invite someone who might be “searching” relative to their faith - or new to this area - or simply someone who doesn’t have a church home - to join you for one or all of these special services. Won’t you pray about whomever it is that God may be calling you to invite?
There is sad news that Rev. Bob Ervin (retired rectory of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Dover) died yesterday morning. Please hold Susan Ervin and their family in your prayers for comfort and peace. Visiting hours will be on Friday, from 2-4 and 6-8 PM, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. The funeral mass will be on Saturday at 11 AM at the church.
Brenda Borchers wrote to me, asking, “Can you please ask everyone to keep the youth in their prayers for a spiritually uplifting, safe and fun weekend at Snow Camp in your N&N? (in that order, too) Thanks!” They’ll all leave our church on Friday afternoon. God bless you, kids!!
Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour when you go to bed this Saturday evening!! Daylight Savings Time begins, and we don’t want anyone to arrive late for church!!
This Sunday is “One Great Hour of Sharing.” In our tradition, we will receive a special offering which goes toward the day-to-day operating expenses for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) - the United Methodist relief agency. It’s because of the monies received on One Great Hour that 100% of our gifts for special appeals make it to their intended target. We’ve taken advantage of UMCOR allot recently - with our own mission trips to Louisiana, the special appeals for Haiti and Chili. UMCOR is there all the time, and enables you and me to be in mission in real ways - in real time! I hope you’ll be generous with your gifts. Special envelopes will be included in the bulletin.
We’ll be blessing a prayer shawl this Sunday - for Jinny Scott, who - as many of you know - has been diagnosed with cancer. So that the Sunday School children and teachers can participate, we’ll be doing this earlier in the first service than we normally do. Jinny has been running like a one-armed-paper-hanger over the last two weeks - for tests and doctors appointments and chemo treatment, etc. Today she’ll receive her second go-round of chemotherapy. Please hold her in prayer.
Next Wednesday is our fundraiser at UNO Chicago Grill - at Week’s Crossing in Dover - between 11:30 AM and 11 PM. Check out the March issue of “The Bell-Wether” for all the details as well as the coupon that you’ll need to give your wait-person in order for St. John’s to receive a portion of your tab. If you can’t find your coupon, there’ll be more at church this Sunday.
Looking ahead, don’t forget that the Healing Team is offering a Spiritual Touch Healing clinic in Hartford Hall on Sunday, March 21st, from 2-4 PM. You can check out the article in “The Bell-Wether” on that, too, for the details.
Lookin’ around the church this week, there have been several “church mice” doing behind the scenes work. Karen Schutt has been making a gazillion phone calls, working out the details for us to donate to Habitat for Humanity a piece of the land left to us by Russell Newell. Carol McCabe has come to clean and straighten the kitchen. Guy Eaton quickly addressed three relatively minor - but significant — issues that popped up during a periodic Fire Department inspection. And Gorham Rowell is completing the clean up of the blue spruce tree that we blown over in the storm of two weeks ago. It’s great when folks see a need and work on it - or are asked to address a need and cheerfully take it on!! Thanks very much folks.
BENEFIT CONCERT TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAITI
On Saturday, March 27 at 7 pm the storytelling community of New England, under the auspices of Massmouth and the League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling (LANES) will present an extravaganza of storytelling, dance, and music at the Arlington Street Unitarian Universalist Church in Boston, corner of Arlington and Boylston Street, at the Arlington T stop. The suggested donation is $20 and all proceeds go to Partners in Health and Eritaj, a Haitian foundation supporting local ties to Haiti. Audience members choose which organization to donate to at the door. At intermission food and drink will be available and audience members can peruse tables of Haitian arts and crafts and storytellers’ CDs. This performance is suitable for adults and for children over eight years old. For more information, Contact Lani Peterson, lani [at] lanipeterson [dot] com or 978-387-5990
I was in the waiting room of my doctor’s office the other day when the doctor started yelling, “Typhoid! Tetanus! Measles!” I went up to the nurse and asked her what was going on. She told me that the doctor liked to call the shots around here.
That’s all the news for today. See you in church! Peace, Mark