From the Vicar... It's time to go mountain climbing Just before the beginning of Lent, every year the church goes mountain climbing. The Transfiguration story, which is always the Gospel for the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, is a glimpse of glory. We go, like Peter and James and John did, following Jesus. On the mountain height we see him as he really is. By him and with him and in him the glory of God shines. But why? Why do we climb to see this light? Why do we take valuable time away from our busy lives and devote ourselves to climbing the mountain where God's glory is revealed? Aren't there hungry to be fed? Jobs to be done? Aren't there bills to be paid? Children to be fed and clothed? Sick to be healed? People in grief or pain to be consoled? Why does Jesus take this time away from his mission? Why do we? Mark Twain once said: "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." We climb the mountain of Transfiguration each year before Lent begins for the same reason Moses climbed Mount Pisgah: - to get a glimpse of the Promised Land
- to see where we ourselves are headed.
When Jesus arrived at the mountain top his figure changed and the outside of him, which had been ordinary and like us, shone as if he was not like one of us. Jesus shone with the glory that caused Moses to shine that day on the mountain of Sinai, when the holy law from heaven came down. He shone with the glory that carried Elijah up to heaven's height - gone from this world - but alive in the next. He shone with the glory of his own baptismal day, when his Father's voice from above was heard to say: "This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased" - and indeed those words first uttered at the river are repeated on the mountain top. In the weeks to come we will be reminded that our Lord did not go straight from his baptism to heaven. He went out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He walked the path of suffering for us, he prayed for us, he fought the spiritual fight for us. He bled and died for us. In Lent we remember that God has made the way of the cross to be the way of life and peace, and that our destiny is joined to Christ's destiny. As we prepare to bring ourselves into the disciplined walk of faith and devotion during the fast of Lent, we hold in remembrance the glory revealed in this Sunday's Gospel. We do not let go of the mountain of Transfiguration even as, with Jesus, we walk in the way of the cross. A mountain stands at Lent's threshold. An empty tomb stands at its culmination. Easter is the end of Lent, its goal. Everything we do in Lent brings us a step closer to the joys of Easter. On the holy mountain of Transfiguration, we taste those sweet eternal joys. We take strength from them, Christ's strength, as we prepare to walk our Lenten journey together - blessed be his Name, now and forevermore. In Christ, Fr. Chip Notes from the February Bishop's Committee meeting After a one-week snow delay (our second in three months), the February meeting finally got underway on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Christ Church. After an opening reflection by Lynda Swartz of Christ Church and some sharing of celebrations and concerns, the two Bishop's Committees met individually to consider matters pertinent to each congregation. The Christ Church group talked about our next steps in preparing for the Capital Campaign to be conducted during the Easter season. There remain some decisions to be made about the scope of the campaign (should it include needs beyond the repayment of the boiler loan?) but some of the background work can proceed while the final answers to those questions are sorted out. There were also some updates on Little Blessings and work that is being done to (at long last) repair the Christ Church sound system. The Trinity Church delegation expressed concerns about the financial position of the Village Pre-School, which has been behind in meeting its donations to the church. The Senior Warden, Treasurer, and Vicar plan a meeting with the school's director and board to see if some mutual understandings can be worked out to resolve matters. There was also a decision to update the office computer, which is nearing an end of its useful life. After returning to joint session, much of the remaining portion of the meeting was devoted to follow-up on the goals set at the Bishop's Committee retreat on Feb. 8. At Christ Church, there are efforts underway to reach out more effectively to the Little Blessings parent and child community. At Trinity, a goal of a 10% increase in weekend attendance has been set, and tasks are being planned in follow up to Come and See to help accomplish that goal. Both churches are looking for new and more effective ways to utilize their buildings. Task groups in both churches are being convened to work toward that end. In other business: - An update was provided on the joint photo directory, which is proving a more involved process than originally thought.
- Annual Parochial Reports to the Diocese were approved for both churches.
- The Wardens provided an update on the Fair Share adjustment process. We should know by our March meeting was consideration our two churches were given.
- Bishop's Committee members were urged to attend the upcoming Evangelism Forum in Laconia (see separate article elsewhere).
- It was noted that the next local Safe Church training session will be on March 29 in Dover.
Full meeting minutes will be posted as they become available. The March meeting will be held on Mar. 18 at 7 p.m. at Trinity Church.
Ash Wednesday, March 5
On Ash Wednesday, March 5th, Holy Eucharist, with the Imposition of Ashes, will be offered at 12:15 p.m. at Christ Church and at 6:00 p.m. at Trinity Church. The latter will be followed by the first session in Trinity's Lenten series, Via Media (see details below). Our Ash Wednesday services invite us to reflect on our lives and relationship with God, to bring renewal in our lives. The Imposition of Ashes reminds us of our mortality. The Eucharist reminds us of Christ's sacrifice for us and our new life in Christ. All baptized Christians (including children) are expected to attend one of these services. This is why we offer it in both churches, and invite "cross-attendance" based not on location but on convenience to the worshiper's schedule. Our Shared Ministry Cycle of Prayer this week and next Each week, in both of our churches, we pray for one ministry we share and one or two households in each church. About once every six weeks, we will instead using the Shared Ministry Collect we prayed throughout the opening months of our Shared Ministry. In our prayers the next two weeks, we give God thanks for... |
Mar. 2
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The Bishop's Committees of both congregations; Ken, Lisa and Kayla Armstrong of Christ Church;Ayyad Erian and Dorothy Flynn of Trinity Church
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Mar. 9
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(we will use the Collect for our Shared Ministry)
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Looking beyond "Come and See" Join us for our "Via Media" Lenten program Via Media is a 6-week education series  open to anyone who is curious or interested in the Episcopal/Anglican tradition. Each of the Via Media sessions begins with a meal and then a short video about some aspect of our faith. A portion of our time together is dedicated to open discussion and conversation as well. All people are encouraged to ask questions and to learn how to answer their own questions of faith . At Trinity Church, Hampton... Sessions will be held Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. beginning Ash Wednesday, March 5. That evening, the program will begin with the Ash Wednesday liturgy in the church, followed by video and discussion in the adjoining Narthex. Subsequent sessions will be in the parish hall, Hobbs Hall, beginning with a simple soup and bread supper at 6:00 followed by the video and discussion. At Christ Church, Portsmouth... Sessions will be held Sundays at 12:00 noon beginning Sunday, March 9. Each session will begin with a soup and bread lunch in the Marshall Room (the room where coffee hour is held), and will continue with video and discussion in the classroom next door. Schedule of Sessions... Session 1: Anglican Way of Being Christian Mar. 5 in Hampton; Mar. 9 in Portsmouth Session 2: The Abundance of God's Goodness Mar. 12 in Hampton; Mar. 16 in Portsmouth Session 3: God in Jesus: An Incarnational Faith Mar. 19 in Hampton ; Mar. 23 in Portsmouth Session 4: God the Holy Spirit: The Breath of New Life Mar. 26 in Hampton; Mar. 30 in Portsmouth Session 5: The Word of God for the People of God (The Bible) Apr. 2 in Hampton; Apr. 6 in Portsmouth Session 6: So What? What does it mean to be a Christian today? Apr. 9 in Hampton; Apr. 28* in Portsmouth
* skips Palm Sunday/Easter at Christ Church We are looking for Via Media discussion leaders for each church (two or three per church should meet our needs). If you can help, please speak with Fr. Chip. Training will be provided. The Rite of Reconciliation - a Lenten opportunity Lent is a time of seeking right relationships with God and other people. Some people find that it is a good time to use the Reconciliation of a Penitent (pp. 447-452 in the Book of Common Prayer) to let go of past hurts, or take an inventory of their lives and sort of get a fresh start. Although we regularly have a General Confession in our services, the opportunity to use this form of private confession, to speak out loud to a priest (or another person) the things we have been holding in our hearts and to hear words of counsel and absolution, can be a gift to renew us. You are assured that anything shared in this Rite of Reconciliation will always remain confidential. If you would like to learn more about the Rite of Reconciliation or would like to schedule a time to do the rite, please contact Fr. Chip at 926-5688. Upcoming Weeks' Calendar |
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March 1 Our third "Come and See" weekend
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5:00 p.m.
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Holy Eucharist, Rite One, at Trinity Church
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March 2
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8:45 a.m.
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Holy Eucharist, Rite Two, at Trinity Church
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10:30 a.m.
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Holy Eucharist, Rite Two, at Christ Church
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March 4 Shrove Tuesday
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6:00-8:00
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Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
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March 5 Ash Wednesday
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12:15 p.m.
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Ash Wednesday Liturgy at Christ Church
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6:00 p.m.
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Ash Wednesday Liturgy at Trinity Church
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7:00 p.m.
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"Via Media" - Session One at Trinity Church
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March 8 First Sunday in Lent
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5:00 p.m.
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Holy Eucharist, Rite One, at Trinity Church
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March 9
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8:45 a.m.
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Holy Eucharist, Rite Two, at Trinity Church
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10:30 a.m.
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Holy Eucharist, Rite Two, at Christ Church
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12:00 noon
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"Via Media" - Session One at Christ Church
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After the welcome...
Diocesan Evangelism forum to focus on how we include
and incorporate new members after they've "come and seen"
On Saturday, Mar. 15, the 2014 Diocesan Evangelism forum will be held at the Lake Opechee Inn in Laconia. The topic of the day will be including and incorporating new members into the church's ministry once they have been initially welcomed and shown a desire to belong.
Several members of our Bishop's Committees have already expressed an interest in attending the 10 a.m.-3 p.m. forum. If you would like to join our team, you may register (free!) at www.nhepiscopal.org/evangelism-forum. See the recent Episcopal News for further details.
"Road to Repeal" vigil set for Hampton on March 23
On Sunday, March 23, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Hampton will serve as the starting point for a "Road to Repeal" vigil to express the support of local faith communities for the death penalty repeal bill now making its way through the state Senate. The New Hampshire Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is the prime sponsor, with support from the N. H. Council of Churches and the N. H. Board of Jewish Clergy co-sponsoring. The Seacoast chapter of the NAACP is also a sponsor. Trinity Church will be one of the stops on the march. For details, see the recent New Hampshire Episcopal News and the Coalition's website:
www.nodeathpenaltynh.org
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Christ Church Announcements
Crossroads House, the homeless shelter just about across the street from us, can use your donations of non-perishable food, - personal toilet items, and clothing items such as sox, gloves, hats, sweaters and coats, or most anything else. Bring items and leave in the basket marked "Crossroads near the front door Intercessory Prayer Book: Do you have a prayer concern that you would like the people of Christ Church to pray for? If so you may add it to our Intercessory Prayer Book which is located in the chapel below the sculpture of the Good Samaritan. If you have an urgent concern, please contact the Vicar at the church office phone number or email. Adelynrood: If you are looking for a place to have a private retreat or attend a spiritually enriching program, Adelynrood Retreat and Conference Center in nearby Newbury, MA offers an inviting space and a group of wonderful programs. To see additional information, click here or talk to Betty Lane at Christ Church. Seeking women who like to sing: Women Singing Out, a chorus which practices and preforms here at Christ Church, welcomes any woman who likes to sing and would like to join us. Our rehearsals this semester begin Wed. Feb. 19, 2014 from 7-9 PM. For more information, see Betty Lane at Christ Church, or checkout our website at www.womensingingout.org | 
