24 March 2016

The Holy Three Days begin tonight

Maundy Thursday Liturgy, 3/24 @ 6:30pm

Agape Meal, Footwashing, Eucharist, Stripping of the Altar

Maundy Thursday Overnight Watch, 3/24 @ 8:30pm - 3/25 @ 10:30am

Jesus said, "Can you not watch with me for one hour?"

Good Friday Liturgy, 3/25 @ Noon & 6:30pm

Passion Gospel, Veneration of the Cross, Communion

Holy Saturday Liturgy, 3/26 @ 9:30am

Remembering Jesus in the Tomb,

Recitation of the creed by our catechumens to be baptized,

followed by decorating for Easter. All are invited!

Great Vigil of Easter, 3/26 at sunset (7:22pm)

Story of Salvation, Holy Baptism and Renewal of Baptismal Vows with our Bishop,

Easter Eucharist, and Festive wedding banquet reception

This is the pinnacle worship celebration of the year.

Don't forget to bring a bell or noisemaker!

If you are bringing food for the Easter Vigil party,

remember that we will have many guests.

Please be generous with your quantities & remember

that we need nicely plated, savory hors d'oeuvres that require no utensils!

Feast of the Resurrection Liturgies, 3/27 @ 8, 9 & 11am

Children's Egg Hunt @ 10:15am

The Easter Alleluia

This excerpt by St. Augustine (354-430) is from his Discourse on the Psalms. It is a wonderful explanation of the joy of the Easter Season. Just as Lent was a season of penance, so the fifty days of Easter is a season of praise, an anticipation of our future age in heavenly glory.

Our thoughts in this present life should turn on the praise of God, because it is in praising God that we shall rejoice forever in the life to come; and no one can be ready for the next life unless he trains himself for it now. So we praise God during our earthly life, and at the same time we make our petitions to him. Our praise is expressed with joy, our petitions with yearning. We have been promised something we do not yet possess, and because the promise was made by one who keeps his word, we trust him and are glad; but insofar as possession is delayed, we can only long and yearn for it. It is good for us to persevere in longing until we receive what was promised, and yearning is over; then praise alone will remain.

Because there are these two periods of time - the one that now is, beset with the trials and troubles of this life, and the other yet to come, a life of everlasting serenity and joy - we are given two liturgical seasons, one before Easter and the other after. The season before Easter (Lent) signifies the troubles in which we live here and now, while the time after Easter Day (Eastertide), which we are celebrating at present, signifies the happiness that will be ours in the future. What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life; what we celebrate after Easter (Day) points to something we do not yet possess. This is why we keep the first season with fasting and prayer; but now the fast is over and we devote the present season to praise. Such is the meaning of the Alleluia we sing.

Both these periods are represented and demonstrated for us in Christ, our head. The Lord's passion depicts for us our present life of trial - shows how we must suffer and be afflicted and finally die. The Lord's resurrection and glorification show us the life that will be given to us in the future.

Now therefore, (brothers and sisters), we urge you to praise God. That is what we are all telling each other when we say Alleluia. You say to your neighbor, "Praise the Lord!" and he says the same to you. We are all urging one another to praise the Lord, and all thereby doing what each of us urges the other to do. But see that your praise comes from your whole being; in other words, see that you praise God not with your lips and voices alone, but with your minds, your lives and all your actions.

Nine considerations for Church Members this Easter

Easter will be one of the highest attended days of the year for your church. It may be the highest. There will be some people you don't know. Some of them are guests. Others are members who attend infrequently.

You have an opportunity to make a gospel impression on these people with a few simple acts. Indeed, you have an opportunity to make an eternal difference. Here are nine servant actions for you to consider.

1) Pray as you enter the property. Pray for the guests. Pray for the services. Pray for the pastor and the sermon.

2) Park at the most distant spot available. Save the closer parking places for guests.

3) Greet people. They may be guests. They may be members. It's okay to introduce yourself to either.

4) Look for people to help. You know the place well. Many others will not. Be a guide. Help someone who looks like he or she needs help.

5) Sit as close as possible to the front in worship. Save the back rows for guests and late entrants, so they don't have to walk past so many people.

6) Sit in the middle. Don't claim that aisle seat where people have to walk over you or past you.

7) Sit closely. Your worship center may be packed. If so, be willing to sit cheek to cheek.

8) Volunteer to serve. As the number of attendees increase, so does the need for

volunteers. The parking team, kids ministry, and church greeter ministry are a few of the areas that will need more volunteers to help serve and minister to members and guests.

9) Pray as you leave. The Holy Spirit is likely working in many persons who attended. Pray for God's continual work of conviction and comfort.

These are simple acts. They are acts of service. And if you survive doing these acts of kindness and service on Easter, you just might be able to do them on other days of worship as well.

Thom Rainer

Miscellany

Christian Formation for all ages is on break for Easter Sunday (3/27). Christian Formation will resume on the Second Sunday of Easter (4/3).

The Parish Office will be closed on Maundy Thursday (3/24), Good Friday (3/25), and Easter Monday (3/28).

Can you feed our Pilgrims on April 7? During each Baptism at St. John's Church, we vow to "do all in our power to support these persons in their life in Christ." One of the tangible ways you can do this is by preparing and serving a meal for the 20 participants in our Pilgrims in Christ process. Bob McBride is our Meal Coordinator this year and he reports that we need a meal for April 7. If you have availability to prepare a simple meal (like soup, salad, and bread) and bring it to Chisholm Hall to serve at 6pm, please call or email Bob (757.618.8885).

Content deadline for St. John's eNews is Wednesday at noon before publication.

In our Prayers this Week

For the Church

Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury; Michael, the Presiding Bishop; Francis, the Bishop of Rome; Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople; Holly, our Bishop; Derek, our rector; Heidi, Russ, & Amanda, our missionaries; and our parish staff, wardens and vestry

For those to be Baptized

Catechumens Stephanie Brown & Charles Burlingame; Chris Emery & Addie Brown (Great Vigil of Easter, 3/26)

For Justice and Peace

Peace in the Middle East; for an end to mass violence and racial divides in this nation; for Barack, our president; Terry, our governor; Ken, our mayor; for the city of Portsmouth; for Clint Carlson, Kevin Carrigan, Erin Elliott, Carolyn Higgins, George Lang, Dakota Neel; Thomas Smetanka; Jessi Staley, Dariana Torres, and Shaun Tuttle who are serving our country overseas or away from home; for the Coast Guard Personnel on watch and on patrol from Coast Guard Base Portsmouth

For those in any Need or Trouble

In our Parish: Elaine Baker; Mary Colby; Virginia Cooke; Bill Edwards; Ron Fritz; Andy Gray; Al Gregg; Mavia Hudgins; Franklin Marzullo; Dody Mason; Cody Miller; Martha Ann Oast; Arlene Peterson; Carol Phipps; Anne Barbour Schwab; Barbara Stearns; Fran Taylor; Sue Taylor; Claudia Tomlin; Peggy Tuthill; Patricia Viera; Ruth Waldo; Bobby Wilkerson; Sonny Wilkinson; Joy Young

Related to our Parish: Barb & Frank (friends of Clare Harbin); Cameron (friend of Miles Harbin); Eddie (step-father of Martha Rush and step-grandfather of Della Stearns); Sherri (sister of Gina Fremeau); Pam (friend of Cassie McBride); Verlene (sister of Carolyn Colon); Kim (friend of Claudia Tomlin); James (friend of Steve & Sharon Buell); Vern (friend of Emily Schultz); Nancy (mother of Andy Gray); Marie (mother of Joshua Brown); Tom, Patti & Kelly (family of Dody Johnson); Mary Jane (friend of JoAnn Rose); Tim (friend of Andy Graham); Lynn (Cindy Carlson's sister-in-law); Mary (friend of Claudia Tomlin); Michael & Kelsey (children of Allison Foytik); Jacob (friend of Scott & Nancy Johnson); Tyrone (friend of Mick & Linda Kauffman); Patients at the Naval Hospital & EDMARC hospice for children

Thanksgivings

For the gift of new life made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus

Departed

Phil (friend of Mick Kauffman, Linda Kauffman, and Taylor Pules)

Stewardship of God's Resources

Week of 3/20

Ministry/Worship Attendance: Sunday 8am (13), 9am (70), 11am (98)

Worship Offering: $5,006

Income needed for ministry expenses each week: $6,778

This Sunday in Worship

Sunday of the Resurrection, 3/27: I Corinthians 15:19-26 & John 20:1-18

Herman Hollerith, IV, bishop

J. Derek Harbin, rector

Keith Byers, bookkeeper

Taraleigh Casteen, bandleader

Courtney Devers, staff chef

Bob Gilman, assisting priest

Philip Goodrich, sexton

Clifford King Harbin, associate to the rector

Rebecca Mina, creation atrium coordinator

Christopher Rusk, organist/choirmaster

Claudia Tomlin, organist emerita

Justin Young, publications

Welcome to our Sunday Worship Services

Contemplative Eucharist, Rite I at 8:00am
Contemporary Eucharist at 9:00am
Classic Eucharist, Rite II at 11:00am

Wednesday Healing Eucharist, 6:30pm

Holy Days as Announced

You'll find us at 424 Washington Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704 or by phone at 757.399.4967

Our office hours are 10am - 1pm M-F. We look forward to seeing you!

Quick Links:
www.diosova.org
www.episcopalchurch.org
www.anglicancommunion.org