July 14, 2016
News from the Shared Ministry 
of
Christ Church, Portsmouth  & 
Trinity Church, Hampton 
In the Episcopal Diocese of NH
 
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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
Rev David Robinson
 
The Vicar's sermons can be found by clicking on the link for either church and going to the Worship page.
Links

Little Blessings Child Care Center at Christ Church Portsmouth  

Little Blessings Child Care Center 

(603) 431-1809 

at Trinity Church, Hampton

Village Preschool
(603) 929-7349

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
 

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...
Choosing the better part
 
This Sunday, we will hear about Martha. She has an important guest - a very important guest. Jesus has come to her home. Think about that for a moment. Jewish teachers don't come to the home of a woman to teach, yet he is there and he is teaching. This is very important. Martha wants everything to be just right. The house, the food, everything should be perfect. She may never have this chance again.
 
Of course, this Sunday we will also hear about Mary. This is an important chance for her as well. Jesus is in Martha's home. And Mary sits at his feet soaking in his teaching. Sitting at his feet. Listening to his teaching. This is what the men do. But Jesus is not like other teachers. For Jesus it doesn't matter whether you are a man or a woman. Either way you are a child of God. Both men and women can listen to his teaching. She listens intently as Jesus teaches in Martha's home. She may never have this chance again.
 
Then comes trouble. Martha is upset. What is Mary doing? What can she be thinking? There is so much to do. The work will never all get done and there Mary sits. Doesn't she see all that needs doing? Can't she help? Martha has no choice. She interrupts Jesus. He'll remind Mary to help her sister and then everything will be right again.
 
But what does Jesus do? Jesus tells Martha that she, Martha, is too busy, too distracted to see what really matters. Jesus says, "There is need of only one thing." Mary understands that. Mary chose the better part.
 
Jesus challenges Martha to not get so lost in the many distractions of her life that she lose sight of what really matters to her. Martha should set aside the work for a time and sit at Jesus' feet to listen and learn. Sitting, listening and learning sound great, but there is one big problem. Sooner or later, everyone, Jesus included, is going to get hungry and somebody has to make dinner.
 
If you find yourself busy with many things, but never making time to read the Bible and pray, then the story of Mary and Martha should be speaking to you. The things that busy your life may be good and necessary, but should they have your top priority? What comes first for you now? Job, friends, family, relationship with God, mundane tasks. All of these demand time. How much time do you have to give to each? Many people say that their family and faith are most important, but it's a challenge to put those priorities into action. What do you want to be first in your life? The story of Mary and Martha is a wake up call to look at your priorities.
 
As our summer continues, take the time to decide what the main things in your life are and then give them your best time, your best energy, then the rest of the things you need to do will get the rest of your time not the best of it. After all, the day-to-day stuff does have to get done, but you really have need of only one thing. Choose the better part.
 
Fr. Chip


Rockin' for a reason! Cold Spring Harbor
to perform at Hobbs House
 
Cold Spring Harbor, a Billy Joel tribute band, will perform live at the Hobbs House Community Center, 200 High St. in Hampton, on Sat., July 16 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. This is a family-friendly show for all ages, and a portion of the proceeds will go to Hampton's End 68 Hours of Hunger project. Great evening, great music, free hot dogs and a chance to do some good!
 
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Be watching for advance tickets in the next week or so. For more about Cold Spring Harbor, go to www.coldspringharborband.com.


Outdoor Eucharist and cookout at Trinity
Sunday, July 31 at 11 a.m.
 
On Sunday, July 31, Trinity Church will host an outdoor Eucharist and cookout (members of both churches welcome). The service will be at 11:00 a.m. in the shaded courtyard beside the church. The cookout will follow on the lawn. Bring your lawn chair and a side dish or dessert to share. Hot dogs, hamburgers and beverages will be provided. Please RSVP indicating how many from your household are coming to [email protected]. This will help our food and set-up crews in their planning. Oh, and as for a rain date...we won't need one. It never rains on our cookouts! (If, ahem, it does, we'll come inside.)
 
For those of you who cannot (or prefer not) to come to the outdoor service, there will be a brief celebration of the Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church at the usual 8:45; Morning Prayer will be offered in the Christ Church chapel at 10:30.
 
 
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...
 
July 17
The Website ministry of our congregations; Anthony Mozelak; Howard & Nancy Stiles
 
July 24
Our music director, Alexis Zaricki; Chuck & Susan Ott; Roy Thomas

Women Singing Out! to host summer yard sale at Christ Church

WSO! (Woman Singing Out!) is having a yard sale at Christ Church,
Sat. July 16 (rain date July 30) form 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. Come and find some great bargains, or if you wish to donate things for WSO! sell, drop them by the church that morning. Or if you have a lot to sell and would like to rent a 10' x 10' space (bring your own table) for $35, call 603-749-6656
 and leave a message and someone will get back to you. 

You can also contact Betty Lane or Suzanne George for more information.  Since Christ Church is providing the space, WSO will give Christ Church a space for free, but someone will have to organize the effort and set up a table. This table can be for anything--food, plants, yard sale items, or whatever you wish.


Our summer schedule
 
Sat., July 16
7:00 p.m.
Cold Spring Harbor concert at Trinity Church
July 16 & 17
 
The Rev. David Plank celebrates Eucharist at both churches - normal schedule
 
July 23 & 24
The Rev. Bill Gannon celebrates Eucharist at both churches - normal schedule
 
Sun., July 31
8:45 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
 11:00 a.m.
Said Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church
Said Morning Prayer at Christ Church
Outdoor Eucharist and cookout for members of both churches - Trinity Church 
 
 Saturday 5 p.m. services will continue throughout the summer at Trinity  Church.

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