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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
The Vicar's sermons can be found by clicking on the link for either church and going to the Worship page.
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(603) 431-1809
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at Trinity Church, Hampton
(603) 929-7349
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Episcopal Churches on the Seacoast
Seacoast Convocation
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Ministry Schedule
Christ Church
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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!
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From the Vicar...
What matters most?
At one point in Jesus' ministry a thoughtful, dedicated man asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment. There are so many different principles, rules, and priorities in the Bible, and he, I think wisely, used his brief time with Jesus to ask him, "What matters most?"
Now, if your child, or some other person whose spiritual health is important to you, came up to you and asked you, "Of all that you know and have learned, what matters most?" What would you say?
When Jesus answers, he does not make up a new formulation, he does not turn a clever new phrase, he is neither original nor creative: Jesus just quotes the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18). The thrust of his response is to remind his questioner of what he already knows, and, in effect he says, "You know this, now I want you to think about it and really take it seriously - don't just recite it by rote, but think about how you and your life would change if you actually took this, well, to heart."
And so, to the question of what matters most, Jesus replied with something like this: "What matters most is that you love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. Everything else basically hangs on these two principles."
We quote this passage near the beginning of most Rite I Eucharist services (regrettably, the editors of the Rite II liturgy did not include this memorable and concise summary, even as an option, unless it is part of the Penitential Order). In the Rite I service, this summary is followed by a short confession: Lord, have mercy upon us. Because, if we are honest, we know we have not loved God and our neighbor, and, because we think being honest about our failings is the first step towards recovery, healing, and becoming better, we don't pretend to be better than we are.
We do not say, for example, "By and large I've been reasonably attentive to you God. Of course there's my family, my work, my other commitments, and I don't want to seem like some sort of extremist with my nonreligious friends, but when it comes to religion, count me in with you. I try, within the reasonable limits of my situation, to be a good person and I'm nice to others when I can be, and certainly a lot nicer than some that you and I could both name."
But look at the vocabulary Jesus uses: love...all...all...all...love. Jesus does not suggest balance, proportion, moderation, or checking in with God from time to time. To get our lives right requires an orientation of our whole character and identity towards the person and the will of God, and then the living out of that identity with ordinary people day to day.
If we understand this expectation, and take it seriously, what else could we say but "Lord, have mercy"? Why does this God-centered perspective matter most? Why do we need to devote all our heart, and all our soul, and all our mind? Good questions for us to ponder as we consider "what matters most."
Fr. Chip
Our Shared Ministry Cycle of Prayer
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...
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Oct. 11
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Concluding Collect for our Shared Ministry
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Oct. 18
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Christ Church's choir; Clayton & Beverly Dearth of Trinity Church; Betty Raitt of Christ Church
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Upcoming dates |
October
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Sun., Oct. 18
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10:30 a.m.
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Renewal of Wedding Vows at Christ Church: Tanya and Freddy Miranda invite their Christ Church friends to help them celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary!
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Mon., Oct. 19
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5:30-7:00
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Family Night Out at Trinity Church
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Sat./Sun.,
Oct. 24/25
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at all services
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Fall stewardship campaign gets underway: four weeks, concluding Nov. 15
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November
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Sun., Nov. 1
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12 noon
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Stewardship Celebration Brunch at Christ Church: be watching for your invitation!
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Gifts for ChIPs
ChIPS may very well be the most important outreach program of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire because it touches the lives of the people society would prefer to forget: incarcerated parents and their children. When these parents return to their families they find that there are stronger bonds because of the yearly program that provides them with the opportunity to be givers and not just takers. Last year we provided over 700 gifts for the parents who are in the New Hampshire state prison system.
What the program provides is a book and a present that the parents choose to give to their children at the annual holiday party. It is the one time of the year where the incarcerated parents can actually provide for the children they leave behind when they are sent to serve time. However, it is up to us to provide those presents.
A quick background for those of you who are new to the ChIPS program: The Episcopal Church's Prison Concerns Committee is in its 38th year of helping to provide gifts for Children of Incarcerated Parents (ChIPS). Charities bloom and fade, but the ChIPS program continues to thrive because of your generosity.
If you would like to make a donation for the ChIPs Christmas giving there will be a special collection box at each church on Oct. 18 & 25 and Nov. 1.
Gift Guidelines
- We group gifts according the following age groups: infants; ages 2-4; ages 5-7; ages 8-11; and ages 12-15
- Gifts should not exceed $20 (original retail value).
- One $20 gift is preferable to four $5 gifts as it is difficult to group item together to equal a $20 gift.
- If you don't want to purchase a $20 gift, any monetary donation will be gladly accepted.
- Books are a separate category and our goal is to provide each child with a gift and a book. (both hard cover and paperback books are appropriate)
- If you purchase a gift that requires batteries, please purchase those as well and attach them to the gift. It's so discouraging to receive a gift with no batteries.
- Consider buying a gift that would be appropriate for both boys and girls such as balls or board games.
- Don't forget the older children. It is often easier to buy gifts for younger children. There is always a shortage of gifts for older children.
- No used items, homemade items, or gift cards can be accepted.
- The following items are NOT acceptable: jewelry, balloons, crayons, play dough, glue, bubbles, make up, long sticks, knitting needles, crochet hooks, or paint brushes, glass items, clothing, sharp tools or toy weapons of any kind.
United Thank Offering Ingathering
Oct. 17/18 and 24/25
The United Thank Offering of the Episcopal Church supports projects that address poverty of women and children; that make significant impact; that demonstrate new and innovative work; and that are a part of a planned diocesan/provincial mission strategy.
Grants made this year total nearly $1.4 million. The awards range from $1,250 for the Diocese of Maine to support the Portland Emergent Missional Community; to $40,040 for the Diocese of Liberia to create mobile laboratories for science studies in Episcopal secondary schools; and $136,750 for the diocese of Jerusalem, to renovate and equip critical service departments of St. Luke's Hospital in Nablus, Palestine, including the intensive care unit, the neonatal and pediatrics departments, and the pharmacy.
UTO works because women, men and children of the Church use a UTO "blue box." As we recognize and name our many daily blessings, we put a small offering into the box. We develop a habit of giving thanks to God, perhaps using the UTO prayer:
Gracious God, source of all creation, all love, all true joy: Accept we pray, theseoutward signs of our profound and continuing thankfulness for all of life. Keep each of us ever thankful for all the blessings of joy and challenge that come our way. Bless those who will benefit from these gifts through the Outreach of the United Thank Offering. This we ask through him who is the greatest gift and blessing of all, Jesus Christ. Amen.
There are UTO boxes on the Guest Book tables at both churches. Take one home; make it a daily habit. We will have a UTO collection on the weekends of Oct. 17/18 and 24/25, and we will add it to other congregations' offerings during the annual Diocesan Convention, this year on Nov. 7.
Count your blessings and make your blessings count.
It's official: Bishop signs three-year extension to our Covenant
The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, Bishop of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, has now signed the recently adopted three-year extension of the Shared Ministry Covenant between Trinity Church, Hampton and Christ Church, Portsmouth. The current two-year Covenant expires as of the end of November, and now has been extended through Nov. 2018. Our thanks to the Bishop for his confidence in our ministry - and to all in both congregations who have worked hard to support our Shared Ministry.
Seacoast Convocation initiates Ditty Bags for Seafarers appeal
Here on the Seacoast of New Hampshire we are surrounded by the ocean and the world that comes to us by sea. For more than 150 years The Mission to Seafarers has brought compassion and care to seafarers in desperate need around the world.
Founded in 1856 by Rev. John Ashley after he began visiting ships in Bristol, England and was struck by their isolation and need. Ashley's work soon inspired Anglican ministries in other ports, and it was decided in 1856 that there should be one organization to coordinate and expand this service to seafarers, called The Missions to Sea-men. This became The Mission to Seafarers in 2000, to reflect its role as a society which cares for all seafarers, regardless of rank, gender, nationality or faith.
Between now and Nov. 15, members of our Seacoast Convocation parishes are asked to donate items for what our seafaring friends call a "ditty bag."
What is a "ditty bag"? It is a small "care package" of items that may be needed and useful during a voyage at sea. Each church in our Convocation has taken on one aspect of collecting items for the bags: Christ Church will be collecting toothbrushes and toothpaste (full-size tubes, please - not travel size). Trinity Church will be collecting disposable razors and shaving cream (again, full-size, not travel size).
Items being collected in other congregations are combs, playing cards, puzzles, soap, and shampoo. Anyone in any congregation can add one or more of the more expensive items needed: plain white tee shirts (smaller sizes preferred - many seafarers are small in stature)and wool knit caps. All items should be new, and, in the case of the tee shirts, in their original packaging to assure that they are new.
We are also looking for a few folks who can make fabric drawstring bags in which to place the items collected (see instructions online at www.neseafarers.org or decorate a shoe box with wrapping paper). These and all other items need to be in to your church's office by Sunday, Nov. 15.
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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
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