January 28, 2016

Why is there a zebra in our parking lot?
Is that Sammie about to make a get-a-way?
(Hint: See gallery at the end!)
This coming Sunday, January 31 and the 4th Sunday after the Epiphany, we will have services at 8 and 10 AM. This will be the third in our three-part instructed Eucharist series – the Liturgy of the Table – with a time for questions and conversation during coffee hour for those who are interested. We hope you will join us for worship and fellowship.

Annual Reports are ready! In preparation for our annual Meeting on February 7th, you are urged to pick up your copy of the fresh-off-the-press 2015 Annual Report. This document is a very informative presentation of the life and work of this parish. Committee chairs have done a wonderfully thorough job of their write-ups and we hope that you will take time to read through it in advance of the meeting.

The Readings for this Sunday: Jeremiah 1:4-10, Psalm 71: 1-6, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 4:21-30

This coming Tuesday, February 2nd, is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord at the Temple, also known as Candlemas. We will be transferring our observation of this Holy Day to Wednesday, the 3rd, at 9 AM with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist in place of our regular service of Morning Prayer. Please join us.  And if you would like to have your household candles for the coming year blessed, by all means bring them along!

Annual Meeting Reminders:
The current list of voting members is posted on the Parish bulletin board in the Parish Hall. Please check it, and if your name is NOT there and you'd like it to be, talk to Rev. Heidi this Sunday.
Jen
The Annual Parish Meeting will be next Sunday, February 7th. The service will be at 9:00, followed by a pot-luck brunch. (Everyone is invited to bring something for the table.) The meeting will follow. You won’t want to miss the presentation and discussion of our "Master Plan" involving exciting renovation possibilities to our facility.
Please remember that we are required by our by-laws to have a quorum of members in order to hold the meeting, so your presence is very strongly urged! It will also include the election of new Vestry members and representatives.  All are welcome.


The Slate for 2016 presented by the Nominating Committee:
Junior Warden:   Sally DeGroot
Clerk:  Jen Huckman             
Treasurer:  Bob Seston
Vestry members-at-large:
Kaitlyn Marshall, Pat Adams, Hettie Buck
Convocation/Convention Delegates:
Gretchen Behr-Svendsen, Carol Tubman 
Alternate Delegate to Convocation/Convention:
Lisa Thompson

Heads up! Lent and Easter are early this year!
Our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will be held on Tuesday, February 9th at 6 pm. Spread the word! The men of the parish are encouraged to contact George Rau if you can lend a hand. 
Ash Wednesday follows, on February 10th, with Morning Prayer at 9 AM. At noon and 7 PM, there will be services of Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes.
Tamworth’s 250th ...   Ideas, anyone? We received the following invitation from the Tamworth 250th Planning Committee: "We are having a calendar of events and would like to have something special from Saint Andrew's.” Our participation in the September “Ordination Rock” service with the other churches is one possibility, but is there something more specific and uniquely us that we might offer?
Weekend Fun this Saturday: The Tamworth Traditional Arts Fest is just a few days from now, this Saturday, January 30.  Shape note singing 9-11, community dance with Dudley Laufman 12-2, and the farmers' market downstairs 9-1.  You can join in for any of it, or just come and listen!  More info on the whole thing at tinyurl.com/ttaf2016.
Food for thought…
Because of our Instructed Eucharist last Sunday, we didn’t take time to delve into the Gospel (Luke 4:14-21), the account of Jesus returning home, being called up to read at synagogue from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor and sent me to proclaim release to the prisoners (or captives, depending on the translation).”
It’s tempting to hear that as a depiction of violent criminals being turned loose on society. You might find the following clarification helpful. It comes from Gretchen Pritchard, editor of The Sunday Paper, a weekly hand-out we now provide to children and their parents.
She explains the “captives” and “prisoners” to which the New Revised Standard translation of the Bible is here referring were not violent criminals sentenced and incarcerated for the protection of society; they were political prisoners and hostages, taken extradiciously and held in the course of civil unrest or war. The distinction is an important one, but I would also remind all followers of Christ that the words and images are not mine, but Isaiah’s (and Christ’s). The genuine scandal of God’s lavish forgiveness, even of criminals and others doers of real harm, is a live issue in the Gospel of Luke, and we will continue to confront it all through this lectionary year. So… stay tuned! Forgiveness, inclusion, and abundance are all hallmarks of Luke’s Gospel!

See you at church!
Blessings, Heidi+

Photo Gallery

Eleanore's Project:
Packing wheelchairs and parts to ship to Peru

The hardworking team!

Tim

Loaded!

Ready to roll!

January 21, 2016,


Saint Andrew's-in-the-Tundra!
This coming Sunday, January 24th and Third Sunday after the Epiphany, we will have services at 8 and 10 AM, with coffee hour following both services. We hope you will join us for worship and fellowship.  
Discussion; Instructed Eucharist Part 1
In place of a more conventional sermon, this week I will be offering Part 2 of our three-part Instructed Eucharist. Part 2 will focus on the Liturgy of the Word, with the presentation during the standard sermon time slot, with time set aside during coffee hour for questions and conversation.
On January 31st, Part 3 will focus on the Liturgy of the Table and the Dismissal. This series is really designed for everyone. Whether you’ve been an Episcopalian all your life, or found this branch of the church more recently, my hope is that you will pick up some things that will make your worship more meaningful. Printed copies are available in the Parish Hall.
The readings for this Sunday: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21.
It's Girl Scout Cookie Sale time! Melissa is our parish Girl Scout and, like all enterprising Girl Scouts, she will be selling cookies again this year! The actual cookies won't arrive until early March, but instead of doing pre-orders, we can count on her to bring a wide assortment for us to purchase. So, if other Scouts approach you in the mean time, don't forget to hold out to purchase some at church! Thanks.

Altar flower update: The season for our poinsettias has almost passed. If you would like to take home one or more of them after the services on Sunday, please do. And it would enrich our worship to have flowers donated for January 31 and February 7. Please sign up on the flower calendar on the Food Pantry Door in the Parish Hall. (Note: We do not use altar flowers during Lent.)
Two weeks until Annual Meeting! On February 7th, please plan on attending both the 9:00 service and the all-parish Pot-luck Brunch that follows. The rector will share her reflections on the past year at the time of the sermon. Brunch will follow, with the meeting being called to order at 11 o’clock. The meeting will include a presentation by the Building Committee of the “master plan” for possible improvements to our facility and a time for questions and answers. We will also elect new Vestry members and Delegate to Convocation and Convention.
Who is eligible to vote at Annual Meeting? Anyone 16 years of age or older who has actively attended during the past year and whose name and date of baptism has been registered in our Parish Registry. A list of eligible voters will be posted on the bulletin board by this coming Sunday. Please check the list for accuracy and if your name is not listed and you would like to be register at Saint Andrew’s, please talk to the rector. In any case, whether or not you are registered, we hope you will attend and participate in the meeting.
Gabriele's submittal to the Mosaic Project
Mosaic project for Tamworth’s 250th: What images capture the essence of Saint Andrew’s church and our life? This is the last week for us to submit ideas to the Tamworth Art’s Council. (Due date is January 28.) They are happy to receive photos, design ideas or sketches – in either case, please include a brief explanation of your visual. For more details on the project, see http://artstamworth.org/
Food for thought…
Generosity takes many forms: we may give our time, our energy, our material possessions, our love. All are expressions of caring, of compassion, of connection, and of renunciation (the ability to let go). The beauty of generosity is that it not only brings us happiness in the moment – we feel good when we give – but it is also the cause for happiness to arise in the future.
                –Joseph Goldstein, The Evolution of Happiness


See you in church!
Epiphany blessings,
Heidi+

January 14, 2016

An acolyte readies the altar for the liturgy.
 This coming Sunday, January 17th and Second Sunday after the Epiphany, we will have services at 8 and 10 AM, with coffee hour following both services. We hope you will join us for worship and fellowship.
The procession begins.
In place of a more conventional sermon, this week I will be offering Part 1 of a three-part Instructed Eucharist. We will explore the Entrance Rite. This portion will begin promptly at ten o'clock, but before the worship service actually begins, so that the information conveyed will not interrupt the flow of the liturgy. At coffee hour following the service, any who are interested are invited to gather to ask questions and explore the topic in greater detail. Next Sunday (January 24th), Part 2 will focus on the Liturgy of the Word, with the presentation during the standard sermon time slot, and on January 31st, Part 3 will focus on the Liturgy of the Table and the Dismissal, both with time set aside during coffee hour for questions and conversation.
This series is really designed for everyone. Whether you’ve been an Episcopalian all your life, or found this branch of the church more recently, my hope is that you will pick up some things that will make your worship more meaningful.

The readings for this Sunday: Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 36:5-10, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11.

Martin Luther King Day will be celebrated Monday, January 18th. A community observance with plenty of singing will take place at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in Tamworth at 6:30. All are welcome.

Annual Report Preparers: The due date is tomorrow (Friday, January 15th). Deb needs to put the full report together next week.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Baptism of Jesus and explored together through a dialogue sermon something of what it means to be baptized. Perhaps the high point was when we all considered the notion that our shared last name is Christ!  Click here for a lively video of our whole conversation!

Our regular Wednesday 9:00 Service of Morning Prayer is cancelled for next week, January 20th, due to a variety of conflicts. But we will be back on track on the 27th. On Wednesday, February 3rd, in place of Morning Prayer, in celebration of the Feast of the Presentation we will have a service of Holy Eucharist.

Altar Flowers, an update: Our Christmas Poinsettias are still doing well, but looking ahead, we expect to need altar flowers for January 31, and for February 7th (Our Annual Meeting Sunday). Ash Wednesday is February 10th and marks the beginning of Lent, when we use only simple bare branches. We will, of course, have palms for Palm Sunday (March 20th), then lilies for Easter and the Sundays that follow. But our 2016 Altar Flower Chart (posted on the Food Pantry closet door) stands open, awaiting flower contributions given in memory, in thanksgiving, or in honor of someone or something. They can be ordered from the florist or you can provide them directly. The details are on the flower chart. Think about whether you might like to remember someone special in this way.

Easter is early this year, making for a short Epiphany season:
February 7: Last Sunday after the Epiphany (and the last Alleluias)
                    and Annual Meeting after the 9:00 service
February 9: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at 6 PM
February 10: Ash Wednesday services at noon and 7 PM
February 14: Lent I
March 20: Palm Sunday, one service at 10 AM
March 24: Maundy Thursday service at 7 PM
March 25: Good Friday services at noon and 7 PM
March 26: Holy Saturday. Easter Vigil at 8 PM
March 27: Easter Day. One service at 10 AM



Food for thought, 
from a book of poetry I received for Christmas -- Felicity, by Mary Oliver . . . 

The World I Live In

I have refused to live
locked in the orderly house of
reasons and proofs.
The world I live in and believe in
is wider than that. And anyway,
what's wrong with "Maybe"?

You wouldn't believe what once or
twice I have seen. I'll
just tell you this:
only if there are angels in your head will you
ever, possibly, see one.

Blessings in this season of returning light!
See you in church.
Heidi+

January 7, 2016






Don't miss the gallery at the end of this MEMO.

Services for this coming Sunday, January 10th and The Baptism of Our Lord, will be at 8 and 10 AM. We hope you will join us for worship and fellowship.

Reading for this coming Sunday: Isaiah 43:1-7, Psalm 29, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22.

Parents and Kids: Don’t forget to pick up your copy of The Sunday Paper from the bulletin stand. The first three sides are coloring-book material on the Gospel story and an engaging reflection question. The last side is a helpful “Note to Parents,” designed to help an adult go deeper with a child, but it’s good material for anyone – after all, we’re all children at heart and before God. Interested? Take one of  the extras.


Women’s Lunch bunch will meet this coming Wednesday, January 13th, at noon at the Mountain View Station Restaurant in Center Ossipee. These gatherings are open to all women, whether you come once in a while or every month. If you have questions or need a ride, call Dale Appleton at 539-3761.

Don't miss this reading of Genesis 3.
You will never hear this familiar passage
the same way again!
  CLICK HERE for the video clip.

Special thanks to Val May, Ginger Heard, and their Sandwich recorder ensemble for their wonderful contributions to last Sunday’s service of Lessons & Carols. And thanks, too, to our readers – Chris and Carolyn Boldt, Andrea and Davis Dassori, Sammie Wakefield, David Manley, and Dale Appleton.    And for Lisa and Val’s profound and beautiful musical setting of the poem by Hungarian poet George Szirtes, “The Flight.” 

Annual Report and Meeting Reminder: If you are someone with responsibility for writing a Committee Report, please get it to Debra by January 15 – electronic form preferred. Our Annual Meeting, which everyone is encouraged to attend, will be held on Sunday, January 7 – following the single 9:00 service and brunch.

Annual Report and Meeting Reminder: If you are someone with responsibility for writing a Committee Report, please get it to Debra by January 15th – electronic form preferred. Our Annual Meeting, which everyone is encouraged to attend, will be held on Sunday, January 7 – following the single 9:00 service and brunch.

A request for participation from the Arts Council of Tamworth: In honor of the town’s 250th, a mosaic mural is to be created celebrating the things people love about Tamworth. They have sent a special invitation to churches encouraging us to participate. What would you like to see represented – about Saint Andrew’s or about the town. They are looking for images in the form of pen or pencil drawing, photos, or just ideas, with encouragement to think symbolically! A mural artist is coming to town to work with the designs that are contributed, then two collaborative mural-building sessions are scheduled for late March. There are sheets with full details available on the bulletin board table in the Parish Hall.

 Coming up on Sundays January 17, 24, and 31: A three-part Instructed Eucharist: Why do we do what we do?  In place of a sermon, on each of these coming Sundays, we will explore one section of our standard Sunday worship service. I’ve received numerous requests over the years here to do this and think I have worked out an approach that will maintain the integrity of the worship experience (There’s a big difference between a liturgy and a lecture!) and allow for a strategically placed ten-minute instructional block. On January 17th we will focus on the entrance rite, on the 24th on the liturgy of the Word, and on the 31st, the Great Thanksgiving and the dismissal. Following each service, I invite anyone interested to gather for questions and deeper consideration.


Food for thought and prayerful reflection…A poem, The Flight, was commissioned for the 2015 Christmas Eve King’s College Chapel’s Service of Lessons and Carols, written this year with reference to the current refugee crisis and the account of the Holy Family’s own flight into Egypt and status as refugees, fleeing for their own safety in the face of a cruel and oppressive regime. The poet himself fled his native Hungary in 1956 so draws on that personal experience as well.

How are we, and how might we – as a parish and as individuals  – respond to the current refugee crisis?

For the text of the poem, please return to the email that announced this Thursday MEMO.

Photo Gallery from Lessons and Carols Service on January 3rd 





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