Lilacs in full bloom at Saint Andrew's









Saint Andrew's-in-the-Valley
Thursday MEMO
May 26, 2011

Services for this coming Sunday, May 29th, the Sixth Sunday of Easter and Rogation Sunday, will be at 8 and 10 AM, with coffee hour following each service and child Care available at 10. We hope you will join us for worship.

Summer altar flowers: Thank you to those who have already signed up to provide for altar flowers from your garden this season. Please consider whether you will have flowers to offer -- in memorial, in thanksgiving, or in honor of of someone. If you would like to arrange them yourself, we welcome that; however, if you prefer to just supply the flowers let that be known and we will have someone to arrange them. They need to be on the altar by 7:45 on Sunday morning but can be delivered on Saturday if that is more convenient. The sign-up list is posted on the door to the left of the Parish Bulletin Board.
Thanks go to Gretchen, Betsy, Jenny, and Lynne for their contributions of flowers during May.

Consider joining us on Tuesday evening at 6:30 in the church for a service of Evening Prayer. A small congregation gathers monthly for Evening Prayer in advance of the meeting of the Liturgy Committee, but the service is open to all.

Reading for Sunday: Acts 17:22-31, Psalm 66:7-18, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21

The June Lakes Region Convocation Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 7th, at Saint Andrew's. Anyone who is interested is invited to come for a forum presented by the Diocesan Bishop Search Committee. They will be bringing us in on the details of how the search process will proceed and how you can participate in that process. The hopes and opinions shared in this and other forums around the diocese will assist in the creation of our diocesan profile.The business meeting begins at 7 PM, with the special presentation starting at bout 7:30, but you are welcome to any time after 6:30 to enjoy refreshments and sociability before the meeting begins.

A bit of history and explanation of Rogation Days: Rogation Days are prescribed special days of prayer which, on our calendar, are associated with the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day (the Thursday before the 7th Sunday of Easter). The word "rogation" comes from the Latin rogare, to ask, and these days have long been associate with intercessions for the harvest -- particularly for preservation of the crops from mildew! An injunction in 1559 by Queen Elizabeth I ordered the perambulation of the boundaries of each parish during "Rogationtide." I've often thought it might be interesting to organize such a "perambulation," but it would be a significant hike, since the bounds of our parish extend to the bounds of the adjacent Episcopal churches, which would mean walking the line between us and Wolfeboro, Meredith, Ashland, North Conway, and our nearest Episcopal Church neighbor in Maine! But the black flies are fierce this year, so such a walk is not in the plans!

I do encourage you to find a breezy moment when the black flies are at bay, to go out into your own neighborhood, fields, gardens, to immerse yourself in gratitude for the beauty and richness of the world around us and pray the following collect for Rogation Days:

Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth: We humbly pray that your gracious providence may give and preserve to out use the harvests of the land and of the seas, and may prosper all who labor to gather them, that we, who are constantly receiving good things from you hand, may always give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Psalm appointed for Rogation Day is 147.
Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God!

Blessings in this season of abundant new life!
See you in church.
Heidi+