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| Thank you, Val, for enriching our worship last Sunday with your harp playing. |
There will be two services this
coming Sunday, April 10 and the Third Sunday of Easter, one
at 8 am and one at 10 am. We hope you will join us for worship and fellowship.
Readings for Sunday: Acts 9:1-6 (7-20), Psalm 30, Revelation 5:11-14,
John 21:1-19
New Directory edits…A updated draft copy of a new Parish Directory will be available on the refreshment table at coffee hour. Please take a look at your entry and make any corrections in red ink. Final copies will be available for everyone at the end of the month.
Murder
on the Dis-Oriented Express!!! Our
5th Annual Murder Mystery Dinner is this coming Friday, April 15, at
6 pm (this year with a sound system). Reservations are
required and advance purchase of tickets is appreciated. Call the office
(323-8515) and leave a message with your reservation and phone number. David
will return your call to confirm. Or purchase your tickets at coffee hour this
Sunday. Once again there will be delicious food (Thank you Carol & Jen.)
and an intricate, baffling plot, involving all your favorite “Stone Church
Players,” plus some wonderful new additions to the cast! You won’t want to miss
it! Spread the word and invite your friends!
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| Sanctus Bells |
Saint Andrew’s has had this lovely
set of Sanctus Bells for years, but they have never been used
liturgically in anyone’s memory. When we had them out to use along with the
ringing of lots of bells during the
Easter Vigil at the time of the Easter declaration (Alleluia, Christ is
risen!), it occurred to me that we might put them to proper use for the Easter
season. When we did, their wonderful sound appropriately attracted much
surprised attention and many post-service comments!
So
what are Sanctus Bells? They are
bells that sound at specific times during the eucharist to focus people’s
attention, which is exactly what it did on Easter morning! Typically, they are
rung at the beginning of the Sanctus
(Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts…), at the words “Do this in remembrance of
me,” and at the ending of the Invitation “the Gifts of God for the People of
God. Take them in remembrance…” In days
when the Eucharist was said in a language that the people were unable to
understand (usually Latin), they served an extremely important function: When the bells sounded, one knew to look up and pay
attention, because something visually clear was taking place that no one should
miss!
While
sanctus bells are not common in most Episcopal Churches, I first encountered them when I
was in seminary serving my “field education” parish in Watertown, Massachusetts, home
of Perkins School for the Blind. Because of Perkins, we had a significant
number of blind members of the parish, and using the bells (even in this very “low church” parish) was an
important way to give the Eucharistic prayer special attention for folks that
were unable to see what was taking
place at the altar.
So
when you hear the bells, lift up your head and open your eyes!
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| Val, always happy to introduce young people to the harp! |
Greetings from Deacon Kevin,
our “summer deacon,” who winters in St. Petersburg, Florida. He sends his warm
Easter good wishes to us at Saint Andrew’s and is looking forward to being back
with us in June.
Debra Hoyt, our office manager, is on
vacation with her husband visiting
family and friends in Florida. She will return to the office on April 26.
In the meantime, the office will be understaffed. If no one picks up the phone
when you call please leave a message
and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks go to David Manley who
will be handling the bulletins, and to George Rau and Tom Huckman who will be
taking care of “dump runs.” I will be out of town this afternoon and tomorrow. If you have an urgent pastoral need, please call my cell phone; 413-374-8938.
Of pastoral concern: Please keep Andrea and Davis Dassori and their
family close in your prayers. (123 Main St., Hingham MA 02043). Healing prayers
also for Ellie McLaughlin (38 Nekal Lane, Randolph NH 03593 and Hettie Buck
(currently at Huggins), and continuing prayers for Judy and Larry Grace as Larry returns home.
Food for thought in this Easter
season from John Dear, Roman Catholic peace activist, born in
1959…
Easter invites us to spend our lives breathing in the spirit of resurrection peace, becoming people of resurrection nonviolence, sharing resurrection agape, manifesting resurrection forgiveness, speaking resurrection peace to the world, and embarking anew on the path of life with the risen Jesus. In response, we learn a new vocabulary, beginning with that great ancient word: “Alleluia!”
Easter invites us to spend our lives breathing in the spirit of resurrection peace, becoming people of resurrection nonviolence, sharing resurrection agape, manifesting resurrection forgiveness, speaking resurrection peace to the world, and embarking anew on the path of life with the risen Jesus. In response, we learn a new vocabulary, beginning with that great ancient word: “Alleluia!”
Easter
blessings,
Heidi+
Heidi+
