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| March/April, 2010
Volume XVII, #95 |
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 The Wearin' of the Green
I know that this is "ancient" history but I remember when, for many of us, March held just one much anticipated respite in the Lenten journey. Maybe it was only in my home, but I can remember looking forward with great anticipation to March 17th and the celebration of St. Patrick's Day. If the great day fell on a weekday, we Catholic school children were allowed to wear some green addition to our school uniforms. If we didn't wear green, there was sure to be a pinch waiting. It seemed like everyone was Irish on St. Patrick's Day whether Irish was your actual lineage or not. Everyone was Irish, that is, except my wonderful grandpa who had strong English roots. Grandma and Grandpa lived with my family - - or we lived with them. Anyway. . . we all lived together. My dear, gentle grandpa would take great delight, once yearly on the day reserved for the "wearin' of the green", to sport his bright orange tie. We'd all laugh and celebrate the day anyway. Every year my parents would go to the big Irish ball held at a downtown hotel. When my husband, Mike, and I were first married, we too would get all dressed up (in green, of course) and celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the local ball. Even though those days are past and March now holds many events, including the Final Four, Spring Break on the slopes or at the beach, and, of course, baseball spring training, I still send my kids St. Patrick's Day cards in honor of the day.
Perhaps it was because of St. Patrick's Day that I first learned that God was much bigger than I imagined. My wonderful grandpa was not only not Irish, he was not Catholic. And while it was pretty much accepted wisdom in my Catholic school that only Catholics were going to heaven, I knew in my heart that my grandpa would be in heaven too. God began to nudge me early to "think bigger."
I pray that your Lenten journey reveals a new facet of God's love and grace and perhaps a bit more of God's "bigness" as well.
Irish Blessings,
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So How Did You Get To Be A
Small Church Community?
The basis of the Christian community is not the family tie, or social or economic equality, or shared oppression or complaint, or mutual attraction . . .but the divine call. The Christian community is not the result of human efforts. God has made us into his people by calling us out of "Egypt" to "New Land," out of the desert to the fertile ground, out of slavery to freedom, out of our sin to salvation, out of captivity to liberation. All these words and images give expression to the fact that the initiative belongs to God and that he is the source of our new life together. By our common call to the New Jerusalem, we recognize each other on the road as brothers and sisters.
Christ Our Hope: Daily Lenten Devotions Henry Nouwen
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A Hands-On Lenten Outreach
Haiti
Thanks be to God, there has been an extraordinary outpouring of financial assistance from all around the world for the Haitian people. Now there is an opportunity for Small Church Communities (and any others you many want to include) to help in a very hands-on manner. Thanks to Norma Gomes who shared this outreach with the small communities of which she is a part and thanks to Reverend Valerie Odin of Arvada United Methodist Church, who is allowing us to "piggy-back" on their project. Here's the scoop. . .
Haiti Emergency Relief Health Kit
Place these items inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag:
1 hand towel (15"x25" up to 17"x27"; (no kitchen towels)
1 wash cloth
1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
1 nail file or finger clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
1 bath-sized bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
1 toothbrush (single brush only in orginal wrappers, no child-size
brushes)
6 adhesive plastic stip sterile bandages
$1.00 to purchase toothpaste (NOTE: UMCOR [United Methodist
Committee on Relief] is purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be
added to health kits.)
Important Kit Assembly Information
What to Do with Completed Kits!
Kits need to be dropped off at Arvada United Methodist Church, 6750 Carr St., Arvada, 80004 (303-421-5135) Monday - Friday, 8:30 - 4:30. The kits will be transported to a central depot in Salt Lake City for distribution through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief.)
Kits Must Be Completed and Delivered to Arvada United Methodist by Thursday, April 15th!
Do Not Bring Kits to Spirit of Christ!!!
Thank you for sharing your love with our sisters and brothers in Haiti.
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Welcome New SCC Members |
Phil Morgan
Jocelyne Tucker
Indy Blaney
Barb Martinez
Maureen Allen
Raya Novak
Dan Connell
Berta Gurule
Alan Trenary
Devin Siems
Connie Ulibari
Arabella Ribera
Ron and Cathy Grassi
Scott Limoges
Jennifer Verhey
Roseann Faris
LouAnn Scholl
Chuck Crowe
Allen and Carolyn Shanot
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FEATURED
SCC Resource Available in the Parish Resouce Library in the SCC Materials exact Location shown [IN BRACKETS]
or by contacting the SCC Office |
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Mudhouse Sabbath: Seven Ways of Christian Formation Inspired by the Jewishness of Jesus [SPIRITUALITY] DVD (7 Sessions) Paraclete Press
This series helps SCC members encounter the Jewish context that nurtured Jesus. Those practices include hospitality, mindful eating, even mourning.
Check out hundreds of other SCC Resources:
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It was a great evening!
Annual SCC Mass and Potluck
February 3, 2010
See "Haiti" to put that love into action! |
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| Want to Learn About Angels? |
Sister Georgeann Quinlan, BVM presents the program titled Angels Everywhere. "The awareness of angels being everywhere can change our personal world around us! It brings us HOPE!" If your Small Church Community would like to find out more about this presentation, please contact Sr. Georgeanne at 303-420-8949 or SGQBVM@comcast.net .
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Fr. Steven and Dave Runyon from Foothills Community Church will present the next S.O.N. evening on Tuesday, March 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the Spirit Center Middle. Their topic is "That Protestant/Catholic Thing." | |
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