April 24, 2014

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Services for this coming Sunday, April 27th, The Second Sunday of Easter, will be at 8 and 10 am. We hope you will join us for worship and fellowship as we continue our celebration of the Paschal Feast!
Readings for this Sunday: Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31.

It has been a remarkable week!
Special Holy Week and Easter thank yous: 
to the members of the Altar Guild for their tremendous attention to detail in preparing our church for seven very different liturgies; to Debra, for keeping up with the office demands of the past week and providing our many bulletins; to the the lectors and servers for your willing, frequent participation; to the Bunker family for facilitating a special Good Friday gathering for children; to the Choir afortheir splendid support of our congregational singing, and especially for their exquisit offering of Wondrous Love as the anthem; to Bernice for her splendid organ; to The Stone Church Chancel Players for their wonderful Vigil offering from the Book of Daniel depicting  Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego in the Fiery Furnace; to the Deery/Micciulla family for their gift to all of us of their baptisms that so enriched our Easter celebration; to the providers of hospitality for our Easter coffee hour; to Carol, George, Patti, and David for hosting a wonderful Easter Feast at Dinner Bell that was enjoyed by many from the parish as well, to all you who offered flowers and special Easter gifts in memory or thanksgiving, and to all of you who blessed all of us and almighty God by your engaged and joyfull presence. The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In case you missed one of the liturgies, or just want to relive them, don’t miss the vast photo gallery below!

It is with sadness that I share with you the news of the death of Charlie Worcester, son of long-time summer affiliate member Barbara Worcester. Charlie died unexpectedly of natural causes in his home in Chocorua on Palm Sunday. Please keep Barbara in your prayers.
Barbara’s winter address is:
244 Brattle St., #22,
Cambridge, MA 02138

Food for thought in Eastertide…
By inviting us to work with him, we become wonder workers with Jesus. He helps us achieve the impossible. And in cooperating with him energies and abilities are released in us we never knew we had. Br. Eldrige Pendelton, SSJE

Remember, the Easter celebration of the Risen Christ in our midst continues for 50 days!

See you in church.
Easter Blessings,
Heidi+

PHOTO GALLERY

 

PALM SUNDAY:

 The Blessing of the Palms for the triumphal entry into Jerusalem

 and the Sunday of the Passion

MAUNDY THURSDAY:

Stripping of the altar

 

 

 GOOD FRIDAY

 

 

EASTER VIGIL

 

Kindling the New Fire



"Rejoice now, heavenly hosts, and all the choirs of angels
and let your trumpets shout salvation!"



A Reading from the Book of Daniel:
Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego
in the Fiery Furnace and King Nubuchadnezzar

Aspirging with the waters of baptism

The First Eucharist of Easter

EASTER SUNDAY WITH BAPTISM

The Baptism of Gina, Tommy and DJ
"We welcome you into the household of God!"

 EASTER DINNER

 

 



 

April 17, 2014

Holy Week, and Easter Services

 

²  Good Friday, April 18^th . Church open all day for prayer.
Noon to 2 PM: Meditations on the Seven Last Words. Come and go as you are able.
2 PM: The Stations of the Cross.

²  5 PM: Stations of the Cross for Children
7 PM:  Good Friday liturgy with solemn collects
         and communion from the reserved sacrament

²  Holy Saturday, April 19^th : A day for solemn reflection and preparation
8 PM: The Great Vigil of Easter with the kindling of the new fire, vigil readings, reaffirmation of baptismal vows, and the First Eucharist of Easter

²  Easter Sunday, April 20^th : The Day of Resurrection
ONE service only at 10 AM: Festival Eucharist with hymns, choir, and organ

We hope you will be with us for worship, celebration, and fellowship!

Coming to the Easter Vigil? Following the vigil readings, one of which will be enacted by the Stone Church Chancel Players, the turning point of the liturgy comes at the moment of the Easter acclamation, which is accompanied by much jubilant and raucous bell-ringing. So please bring your bells so that you can join in the excitement!

The Triduum has begun, the three holy days that enfold us now – from the foot-washing and Institution of the Last Supper, through the solemnity of Good Friday, until the breaking-in of the Easter acclamation at the Vigil that “He is risen!” We are invited to think of this time as one single service in the midst of which we will live and move and pray and weep and sing and have our being until the dismissal at the close of the Easter Vigil. And then, we will be charged to live fully, in the world, as Easter people – people of the resurrection.

The Good Friday Offering for the Church in the Holy Lands:  It is the tradition of the church to give special attention and prayer to the church in the lands where Jesus walked, a place torn by struggles, in which the Episcopal Church is a strong and active presence, not just for Palestinian Christians, but for people of all faiths. Envelopes are available at church.

Cherry blossoms and Easter greetings
from John McGowan
(in DC and back soon)

The needs of our Food Pantry do not stop just because it’s Easter. Please keep in mind that your food contribution money can go farther if it is provided as a check; the Food Pantry buyers will be able to use it to purchase food at significantly discounted rates (compared to your buying the same items at the store). That said, there are certain non-food necessities that are in high demand and which cannot be bought with Food Stamps. The pantry is establishing a new system with a request schedule:
Holy Week: Laundry detergent
Easter Week: Dish detergent
Week of April 27: Shelf-stable Milk or Dry Milk
Week of May 4:  Paper Towels

Just imagine: If everyone in the parish brought in just ONE assigned item each, what a difference it would make to those in need. Let’s talk this up! A part of your Easter offering, bring a bottle of dish detergent! (Copies of the list are now in the Parish Hall. Keep it with your grocery list.)

Food for thought as we look ahead to Easter Day and the power of the Resurrection from the 4^th century Archbishop of Constantinople, Gregory of Nazianzus …

Today is the day of salvation for the world … Christ is risen from the dead; arise with him. Christ returns to himself; you also must return to him.  Christ has come forth from the tomb; free yourselves from the fetters of evil. The gates of hell are open and the power of death is destroyed. The old Adam is superseded, the new perfected. In Christ a new creation is coming to birth: Renew yourselves.”

Easter and baptism go together. Along with being renewed ourselves, we will have the joy of a triple baptism this Easter Sunday – Gina and Tommy Deery, and Gina and Dan’s son DJ. It will be our pleasure and responsibility to be with them as we witness their vows and to pledge our support for them in their life in Christ. Each of them will be symbolically drowned in the waters of baptism from which they will rise to newness of life to be sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own for ever. Another 4^th century Assyrian writer (Narsai), speaking of the ones being baptized, reminds us that “sin and death are put off and cast away at baptism, after the manner of those garments which our Lord departing left in the tomb.” Peg Cade, Carol Tubman, and David Manley are to be their sponsors and godparents, making this an especially welcome celebration because not only the baptism, but also the ongoing active formation of Gina, Tommy, and DJ’s life in Christ will be in our midst. By it, we will all be touched and changed. Happy Easter!
Blessings in the Holy time,  
See you in church,

Heidi+

   April 10, 2014

 

At long last, spring comes to Saint Andrew's (by-the-Lake)!

 

One Service only at 10 o'clock for this coming Sunday, April 13, Palm Sunday: We will gather in the Parish Hall for the Liturgy of the Palms, with the Blessing of the Palms and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and then process into the church for the Passion Liturgy and Holy Eucharist. We hope you will join us for worship and fellowship as we begin this holiest of weeks together.

Our Holy Week and Easter Services Schedule is below, at the bottom, after the photo gallery.

Readings for this Sunday: Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:36-27:66.

Our Wednesday 5:30 Simple Lenten Suppers continue: On Wednesday of Holy Week, April 16, we will enjoy our supper, as we have been throughout the season, but we will eat during our viewing of the film The Way, starring Michael Sheen. Sheen plays an irascible American doctor who comes to France to deal with the tragic death of his son. Rather than return home, he decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage “The Way of St. James” (also known as “El Camino de Santiago) to honor his son’s desire to finish the journey. Through unexpected and often amusing experiences along “The Way,” Tom discovers the difference between “the life we live and the life we choose.” We will follow the film with a brief discussion. Since this is a two-hour film, our ending time may be as late as 8:15. If you would like to come but need a ride, please call Carolyn Boldt (767-0533).

Ten of us gathered last night for delicious soups and fresh-baked bread as we listened to passages from Jennifer Lash’s book, On Pilgrimage, in which she reflected on her time at Rocamadour, a convent and pilgrimage site in France on the way to Compastela. The readings led to some thoughtful conversation, appropriately whetting our appetites for this week’s film. We closed with an informal table eucharist. Please join us!

Special thanks to the participants in last Sunday’s chancel drama of the The Raising and Unbinding of Lazarus: Chris Boldt, Christine Mills, Marty Cloran, Gretchen Behr-Svendsen, Patti Rau, Carolyn Boldt, George Rau, and Lisa Thompson. There is a picture gallery posted below.

Players wanted for the Easter Vigil production of the Deliverance from the Fiery Furnace!!! This will be a seven-minute dramatization of Chapter 3 from the Book of Daniel (in the Bible). It will require only ONE rehearsal, has no lines to memorize (they will be read), and will feature only minimal costuming. Both adults and young people are welcome. Talk to Heidi or Lisa. The Easter Vigil begins at 8 PM on Saturday, April 19… And it’s guaranteed to be a lot of fun.

Reflections from the Rector, as we prepare for Holy Week and Easter…

Who doesn’t love Easter morning, with it’s hymns, fragrant flowers, and sunshine? But that is an incomplete Christian Easter. We need the liturgies of Palm and Passion Sunday and the days of Holy Week, with their stories and messages, to fully enter into the resurrection joy of Easter. You’re correct if you think these are provocative accounts, but please don’t turn away from them. They work together to hold and support us through “the hard stuff,” and give meaning and power to the empty tomb and the resurrection.

Henri Nouwen in his book, Life of the Beloved, speaks of God’s foundational call to each of us to love and be loved:  "To be chosen as the Beloved of God is something radically different [from our culture’s usage of the word which involves comparisons]. Instead of excluding others, it includes others. Instead of rejecting others as less valuable, it accepts others in their own uniqueness. It is not a competitive, but a compassionate choice. Our minds have great difficulty in coming to grips with such a reality. Maybe our minds will never understand it. Perhaps it is only our hearts that can accomplish this. Every time we hear about 'chosen people', 'chosen talents', or 'chosen friends', we almost automatically start thinking about elites and find ourselves not far from feelings of jealousy, anger, or resentment. Not seldom has the perception of others as being chosen led to aggression, violence, and war. But I beg you, do not surrender the word “chosen” to the world. Dare to claim it as your own, even when it is constantly misunderstood. You must hold on to the truth that you are the chosen one. That truth is the bedrock on which you can build a life as the Beloved. When you lose touch with your own chosenness, you expose yourself to the temptation of self-rejection, and that temptation undermines the possibility of ever growing as the Beloved.” (p.46-47) 

The message that Jesus leaves with us as we walk these coming days of Holy Week together is one of our own belovedness and the call that we should love as He loved. The Maundy Thursday liturgy calls us deeply into that love: After he had supped with his disciples and had washed their feet, Jesus said to them, “Do you know what I … have done for you? I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done… I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples [John 13:12-13, 34-35].

For many of us (and this may surprise you, especially if you have never attended on Maundy Thursday), this is a favorite liturgy of the church year. Its gentle warmth and intimacy – whether or not you choose to have your feet washed and to wash those of another – brings us into the circle of friends with Jesus at his last meal. It is with joy that we then share the Eucharist together. And, as Jesus and his disciples headed for the Garden of Gethsemane, with great love we strip the chancel of everything that is not bare wood, reserving only enough of the consecrated bread and wine for consuming on the evening of Good Friday. Those who wish are welcome to remain for a period of candle-lit reflective prayer. I invite you to venture out and join us at 7 on Thursday evening.

Blessings in this holy season,
Heidi+

The Picture Gallery of the Raising and Unbinding of Lazarus follows [John 11].

Jesus said, “Lazarus is dead… Let us go to him.

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him.

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.”

When Mary came to Jesus, she knelt at his feet, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

“Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth.

“Unbind him,”

“And let him go!”

 

Holy Week and Easter Services 2014

Palm Sunday, April 13 - ONE service only

10 AM Blessing of the Palms,

            the Passion Narrative & Holy Eucharist

Wednesday, April 16

9 AM A service of Morning Prayer

5:30 PM Supper and film viewing of The Way,

            followed by discussion.

Maundy Thursday, April 17

7 PM Liturgy of the Day with foot washing,

            Holy Eucharist, and the stripping of the altar

Good Friday, April 18

Meditations on the Seven Last Words

12-2 PM– Come and go as needed

2 PM  Stations of the Cross

7 PM Liturgy of the Day with hymns and

            communion from the reserved sacrament

Holy Saturday, April 19

8 PM The Great Vigil of Easter, with kindling of the

            new fire, Vigil readings and

            the First Eucharist of Easter

Easter Sunday, April 20 - ONE service only

10 AM Rite II Festival Eucharist with

             hymns, choir and organ