March 13, 2014
News from the Shared Ministry 
of Christ Church Portsmouth & Trinity Church Hampton
In the Episcopal Diocese of NH
Lent 6
    
 
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Worship Services
The Rev. David "Chip" Robinson

Vicar 

 

All people of faith are welcome to receive Holy Communion at the Lord's Table 

 

Christ Episcopal Church 

1035 Lafayette Road

Portsmouth, NH 03801

Rite II at 10:30 am
Coffee Hour follows
 
Clergy office hours 
Tues & Thurs 9am-12noon  
200 High St.
Hampton, NH 03842
Saturday Rite l at 5pm
Rite II at 8:45 am
Coffee Hour after the service
 
Clergy office hours
Mon & Wed 9am-12 noon
 
Pastoral Care/Stephen Ministry Leaders
 
Jean Shula
Linda McVay

603-430-9888 (home)
603-988-9755 (cell)
Links

Little Blessings Child Care Center at Christ Church Portsmouth  
Little Blessings Child Care Center
Village Preschool at Trinity Church, Hampton

Village Preschool

Episcopal Churches on the Seacoast
 
Seacoast Convocation
 
Christ Church,Portsmouth
St. John's, Portsmouth
St. Thomas, Dover
St. George's, Durham
Ministry Schedule

 

Christ Church
 

 
If I could not speak, would people still be able to tell that I was a person of faith? If I could not write, would they know how much I believe? Could they tell just by watching me? Could they see the light of kindness in my eyes, the depth of compassion in my touch? Would I truly be an outward and visible sign, even if I had no way to communicate save by my actions? I pray that the answer would be yes. Yes, for you and for me, yes to a life lived so clearly in devotion that no words would be needed to proclaim the simple truth of its love.

 
The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

 

 Shared from 

Steven Charleston's 

facebook page.

Going into the hospital?

 

Due to privacy laws, churches are no longer routinely informed if you or a loved one is admitted to the hospital.  Please be sure you let us know when and where you will be a patient so we can be in touch with you and include you in our prayers and healing ministry. Don't assume the Vicar knows - he would much rather hear from several people than from no one!

 

From the Vicar...

"How can anyone be born after having grown old?"

 

When I was little, the small country church I went to in rural Delaware had a big emphasis in Sunday School on memorizing Bible verses. Every week we'd spend some time going over verses, and in the older classes, we'd actually get a nickel for every verse we could memorize.

 

Today we don't focus so much on memorizing verses, which may be just as well. A single verse taken out of context can lead to wrong conclusions when you don't know the rest of what's happened in a passage. So we tend today to focus more on teaching whole stories, rather than memorizing single verses.

 

Nonetheless, you probably still know a verse we'll hear this coming Sunday by heart - John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." Now, even though we know that verse pretty well, here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about: do you know the context? How does Jesus come to say these words? As we continue our Lenten journey, this Sunday we meet up with a man named Nicodemus.

 

Nicodemus is a Pharisee, indeed, a leader among the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the scholars and interpreters of the law with whom Jesus was most often in conflict, because the Pharisees, Jesus argued, tried to put too many rules and regulations on the people for being "good Jews," while managing to miss the heart and soul of it - that is, being in a relationship with God.

 

Nicodemus starts his inquiry of Jesus by acknowledging Jesus' legitimacy: "no one can do these signs apart from the presence of God," he says. But Jesus pushes him: "Truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."

 

Nicodemus can't seem to understand what Jesus is getting at: "How can anyone be born after having grown old?" he wonders. Can you enter the womb again and be born? But Jesus explains that he means that we have to be Spirit-born as well as born in flesh, and wonders how one who is a teacher of Israel can't get it.

     

I wonder sometimes if we, who can look upon this encounter in hindsight rather than the immediacy of that moment, still don't get it. Many Christians think being "born again" refers to some dramatic and emotional religious experience, a moment in time when the message of forgiveness first really dawned on them and they experienced a renewal or a resurgence of dedication to God. Now I do not want to belittle or diminish these experiences and when people do have a powerful spiritual awakening, I am thankful for it. But that is not the same thing as being born again and it is not necessarily what Jesus is referring to here.

 

So, if that's not it - what is? Jesus himself answers this question. He says no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he or she is born of water and the Spirit. Here you can see Jesus equates being "born again" with being "born of water and the Spirit." Recall that this encounter is not long after Jesus himself has been baptized. It would seem Jesus is making a baptismal reference here: We enter the Kingdom of God through baptism.

 

All well and good - but we have done something to baptism that Jesus likely never imagined or envisioned. We've turned it into a rite of passage - a ritual that we perform. We reduce it to the symbolic, rather than allow it to have the power in our lives it had for those who went to the Jordan River.

 

That places upon us the need to "translate" what Jesus is saying into our time and experience. We need to recall for ourselves that baptism is not merely symbolic. It is a miracle. In baptism, God is actively doing something. God is washing us in the blood of Jesus, cleansing us of all our sin, and filling us with the Holy Spirit.

 

The ancient Church looked upon Lent as a time of preparation for the baptisms that occurred at the Vigil of Easter. In some sense, we have lost that connection. We don't think of Lent in terms of baptism. But the fact is, that is what is meant by observing this season of penitence, prayer, and scripture study. It is a time for us to ask our own Nicodemus questions - and to have Jesus respond with his own reminder that God so loved the world, God wanted us to have eternal life. It is time for us to be re-steeped in the reality that, yes, we are born from above - and to reflect deeply upon what that means for us. 


In Christ,

Fr. Chip

 

 

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. 16

Pastoral Care ministries of both congregations; Leo & Lori Gagnon of Christ Church; Barbara Hall of Trinity Church

Mar. 23

Online Prayer Ministry of Trinity Church; Suzanne George, Daniel Paul, and Amanda Paul of Christ Church; Gordon Lane & Diana Jodoin of Trinity Church            

 

 

 

"Via Media" Lenten program continues

 

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. in Hobbs Hall, beginning with a simple soup and bread supper followed by the video and discussion.

 

At Christ Church, Portsmouth...

Sessions will be held Sundays at 12:00 noon. 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.


This week and next...                                                       

 

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


 

Healing ministry

 

Each month, both of our churches offer the Laying on of Hands with Anointing for Healing. At Christ Church, this occurs at the conclusion of the Eucharist on the first Sunday of the month. At Trinity Church, it is an integral part of the Saturday evening liturgy the third weekend of the month. Our next such service is this Saturday at 5:00 at Trinity. The next healing liturgy at Christ Church will be on April 6th.

 

 

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.

 

 

"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.

 

 

Sunday Ministers needed at Christ Church

 

Christ Church would like to have more people share in the various ministries for Sunday morning. We would especially like to have more crucifers and torch bearers, whether young people or adults. If you are interested in serving, speak with Fr. Chip. Training will be provided. 

 

 

Upcoming Weeks' Calendar

 

 

 

March 15      Second Sunday in Lent

 

  5:00 p.m.

Holy Eucharist, Rite One, at Trinity Church

 

 

 

March 16

 

  8:45 a.m.

Holy Eucharist, Rite One, at Trinity Church

 

10:30 a.m.

Holy Eucharist, Rite Two, at Christ Church

 

12:00 noon

"Via Media" - Session Two at Christ Church

 

 

 

 

 

March 18

 

  7:00 p.m.

Bishop's Committee at Trinity Church

 

 

 

 

 

March 19

 

  6:00 p.m.

"Via Media" Session Three at Trinity Church

 

 

 

 

 

March 22      Third Sunday in Lent

 

   5:00 p.m.

Holy Eucharist, Rite One, at Trinity Church

 

 

 

March 23

 

  8:45 a.m.

Holy Eucharist, Rite One, at Trinity Church

 

10:30 a.m.

Holy Eucharist, Rite Two, at Christ Church

 

12:00 noon

"Via Media" - Session Three at Christ Church

 

 

A note of appreciation

 

Last Saturday, a gentleman who receives rides from TASC (Transportation Assistance for Seacoast Citizens) came for the first time to the Trinity Church pantry. He subsequently shared with TASC's director his appreciation for how warmly he was welcomed and made to feel at home by the Pantry volunteers. With so many of our low income citizens facing "nameless, faceless bureaucrats" in their efforts to seek assistance, it's nice to know our volunteers come across so warmly. It brightened his day!



Spring FUNdraisers...

 

April Prize Calendars

The April prize calendars are available for sale at $10 each.  Every entrant has the ability to win every day of the month since winning entries are added again to the hat for selection. If you have not yet taken at least a couple of calendars to sell to your neighbors or co-workers, please take some this Sunday - and be sure to buy one yourself!

 

Yankee Candle Sale for Mother's Day at Christ Church

Catalogs will be available for Yankee Candle purchases until April 4. This will allow ample time for the delivery to reach Christ Church by Mother's day.

 

Please consider supporting one or both of these important fundraisers.

 

SAFE CHURCH TRAINING

 

The Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire has revised the Safe Church Policy during the summer of 2013. The curriculum for Safe Church Training now consists of three hours of online training and three hours of class training. On-line Modules must be completed prior to attending any Safe Church Class.

 

Anyone in need of refresher training is asked to take the new Initial Safe Church Training. Refresher training is required every three years vs. five years. Please contact your Safe Church Minister to verify when you are due to take your refresher training.

 

Please register with your Safe Church Minister. You may register anytime. Even if you plan on attending a class this fall you may register now and complete your online training whenever is convenient for you between now and the fall. For Christ Church, contact Patsy Tremblay at [email protected]or call 603-205-2195. At Trinity Church, contact Patrice Wood at [email protected].

 

Training classes for this spring are offered the following Saturdays from 8:30am to noon except as noted on May 22nd below:

 

March 22, 2014 - Church of the Good Shepherd, Nashua

March 29, 2014 - St. Thomas, Dover

April 26, 2014 - All Saints', Littleton

May 22, 2014 - Trinity Church, Meredith, 6pm to 9pm, Thursday

May 31, 2014 - Trinity Church, Claremont

 

Training classes for the fall are offered the following Saturdays from 8:30am to noon except as noted on October 7th below:

 

September 13, 2014 - Trinity Church

September 20, 2014 - St. Thomas, Dover

October 4, 2014 - St. Barnabas, Berlin

October 7, 2014 - Church of the Good Shepherd, Nashua, 6:30pm to 9:30pm, Tuesday

November 15, 2014 - St. Thomas, Hanover

November 22, 2014 - St. Paul's, Concord

A new ministry at Sanctuary Care in Rye

 

This month, Christ Church is beginning a new ministry at Sanctuary Memory Care on Route One in Rye. On the fourth Thursday of each month, an ecumenical service for residents will be offered at 11:30 a.m. Fr. Chip will provide the general leadership. It is hoped volunteers might take an interest in assisting, either by offering readings, assisting residents with their service booklets, or - if we have any among us who have this ability - playing the piano for the hymns. If you are interested in helping us with this ministry (from either church), speak with Fr. Chip

 

 

Music Ministry

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Please consider joining one of our choirs.  Trinity Church's choir meets in rehearsal on Sundays at 8 a.m.   At Christ Church, the rehearsal follows the 10:30 a.m. service.  

 

Every voice is welcome; every voice is special; every voice is needed.

Church Ministries
  • Saturdays: Food Pantry at Hobbs House Trinity. 10:00 am - noon  year round (Sandi Nickerson, Gordon Lane & Thelma Hutton) 
  • 1st Saturday of the month: Portsmouth Salvation Army Suppers, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Susan Ott) 
  • 1st Sundays of the month: Pastoral Visit to the Oceanside Rehabilitation Center, Hampton (Bob Main & Belinda Wilkes)

Hobbs House at Trinity Church

  
Providing transportation assistance to eligible seniors and others with medical mobility issues. Currently serving the NH seacoast communities of Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Kensington, North Hampton, Rye, Stratham and Seabrook.  Contact:  603-926-9026

 
Dress4 School Success

Contact Amanda or Aidan at Dress4 School Success for clothing donation drop off or clothing needs 603.918.6816 or email  [email protected]. during the school year.  All requests are confidential.

    

If your ministry is missing from this list please send an email to [email protected]  

 

 Content Submission Guidelines 

The Shared Ministry E-News is an electronic newsletter for members of Trinity Episcopal Church, Hampton and Christ Episcopal Church, Portsmouth. It is published weekly on Thursdays. We welcome submissions that have a connection to the ministry of these churches. Inclusion of submissions is at the discretion of Reverend Robinson.


Please email submissions to [email protected] or mail to the office at Trinity Church, 200 High St, Hampton, NH 03842 or Christ Church, 1035 Lafayette Rd, Portsmouth, NH 03801. Entries should follow the Submission Guidelines.

 

NOTE: The deadline to send a submission is Wednesday at noon.  

 

Contacts
The Rev. David "Chip" Robinson, Vicar
Christ Episcopal Church, 1035 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, NH 03801
phone: 603-436-8842
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-Noon

Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 High Street, Hampton, NH 03842
Shared Ministry Administrator: Nita Niemczyk
phone: 603-926-5688
Office hours: Monday-Friday from 9:00-1:00