From the Vicar...
Christ Church to experience South India liturgy during Epiphany
I do not often use this column to speak of something that is happening in one of our congregations and not the other - but I'm making an exception this time as we are trying something significant at Christ Church this Epiphany that I don't want to get "lost" among the announcements below.
Starting this coming Sunday, and continuing throughout the Epiphany season, Christ Church is using the Eucharistic Liturgy of the Church of South India, one of our partner churches in the Anglican Communion. The Church of South India was inaugurated in 1947, and is the only Province of the Anglican Communion that has its roots in the ecumenical movement, with congregations whose origins are not only Anglican but Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed as well.
In largely non-Christian India, this unique partnership strengthened the overall presence of Christianity and has allowed the Church to flourish where formerly it was splintering. Organized into 24 dioceses, each under the spiritual supervision of a bishop, the Church of South India has its own liturgy, drawing from several sources. The union, especially in its reconciliation of the Anglican doctrine of apostolic succession with the views of other Christian communions, is often cited as a landmark in the ecumenical movement.
Being the largest Christian church in India, the Church of South India (CSI) celebrates her life with Indian culture and spirituality and she also raises her voice for the voiceless on matters of justice, peace and integrity of creation. Sharing the love of Jesus Christ with the people of India through proclamation of the Good News of Jesus, the CSI has a remarkable record of responding to human need through institutional and emergency relief work; through community development projects and skill training programs for the marginalized and disadvantaged.
The question you may be asking is, "Why are we offering this particular liturgy?" The answer is simple: We are doing it to remind ourselves of the great, spreading Light of the redeeming Christ, which shines not only in our own time, place and culture, but in the cultures of many peoples around the world. This Epiphany liturgy, which Betty Lane experienced at Christ Church, Andover, MA, last year, develops that theme beautifully.
The Liturgy uses the symbol of Light to present what probably is the most compelling Epiphany theme of any liturgy in our Communion. Opening with a lamp-lighting ceremony as the Hymn of Praise is being sung, the liturgy's Confession and sharing of the Peace come early in the service. The Liturgy of the Word follows, leading directly into the Eucharistic liturgy without the "halftime break" the Peace tends to become in the American Prayer Book liturgy. There is beautiful music associated with this liturgy, and we will introduce at least some of it in our offering of it this season.
You are invited to enter into this Liturgy with an open heart for how Christ might speak to you through it. My thanks to Betty for bringing it to us - and to Alexis for her cooperation in introducing the music.
Fr. Chip
Official Notice of Annual Meetings
Know all persons by these presents that the Annual Meeting of Trinity Episcopal Church will be held on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 at 10:15 a.m. in Hobbs Hall at Trinity Church and that the Annual Meeting of Christ Episcopal Church will be held on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 12:00 noon in the Christ Church Undercroft.
The purpose of these meetings shall be to receive the Reports of the Officers and Organizations of the Congregations; to elect Officers and Delegates for the terms specified for their offices as stated in the By-Laws of the Congregations; and to conduct such other business as may lawfully come before these meetings.
Any baptized person, sixteen (16) years of age or older, who acknowledges in writing the authority of the By-Laws of the Congregation her or she attends and who declares his or her intention to aid in maintaining public worship therein by regular attendance at such worship and who is a contributor of record, is entitled to voice and vote.
Craig Davis, Warden, Christ Church Patrice Wood, Senior Warden, Trinity Church
Suzanne George, Clerk, Christ Church Diana Jodoin, Clerk, Trinity Church
Annual report deadline is Friday
Annual Meetings are coming up in both of our churches this January with Trinity Church going first this year (Jan. 24) and Christ Church's meeting following on Jan. 31. Annual Reports are due from all ministry chairs and coordinators no later than this Friday, Jan. 8. Please e-mail your report (if at all possible) to Nita in the Shared Ministry Office: trinity55ad@gmail.com. Written reports can be mailed in or dropped by the office at 200 High St., Hampton, NH 03842 for either church.
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...
|
Jan. 10
|
Christ Church Altar Guild; Graeme Boyd; Mary Lou Barrett; Jess Byron
|
|
Jan. 17
|
Concluding collect for our shared ministry
|
