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Weekly E-News March 20, 2015
Happy Spring!
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Worship Schedule
Sunday
8am and 10am
Holy Eucharist
9:45am Nursery
Tuesday-Friday
9am Morning Prayer in the Chapel
Wednesday
7am service with Holy Eucharist
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The appreciation of beauty and form are amongst the highest of human aspirations. But does beauty just pop out of nowhere? Not in my experience. Beauty and perfection of form flow from human creativity. But human creativity needs a vehicle through which expression can flow into the world of the senses. The visual artist masters their technique; the musician's expression of beauty flows through their skill in using an instrument lovingly built by another kind of artist, the artisan; the singer trains and disciplines his or her vocal production - I could go on. Spirituality like the creation of beauty and perfection of form requires a disciplined vehicle. This Lent, I've been exploring the traditional spiritual disciplines of fasting and self-denial; meditation on God's holy Word; and self-examination and repentance. My central theme has been that spirituality flows through practices that discipline the human heart. Spirituality needs a vehicle or instrument for expression. Today I turn my attention to the spiritual practice of worship. The Episcopal Church is a liturgical church. We are not the only one, yet what distinguishes us even among other liturgical churches is the beauty of our worship and the importance we place on its form. But what does this mean? It means that our worship emerges from a structured process akin to the production of beauty and perfection of form. Worship is an art form, and it properly belongs among the dramatic arts. Worship is the expression and celebration of our community's relationship with God. Like all art, worship is a disciplined process. We refer to the discipline of worship as liturgy. My Easter Letter will soon arrive through your mailboxes. In it, I use another approach. I use the metaphor of the train and a train journey to explain a little of how the liturgy carries us on our journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Like the train, which is a vehicle of conveyance, liturgy as a vehicle conveys us into, and through, sacred time. I define sacred time as the eternal now of God. It's only in our exposure to sacred time that we find the soul nourishment necessary for fruitful living. Our communal celebration of relationship with God, like the creation and expression of beauty and perfection of form, does not pop out of nowhere. It also emerges from a disciplined process that gives expression to the deep cry of the human heart. We cry-out in our longing for connection with God. Worship brings us into the company of others and together we journey into the encounter not only with God, but we also find ourselves reflected in our encounter with one another. Worship brings us to the cross, in the sense of an intersection between the vertical and the horizontal dimensions of our lives. It requires discipline of form but also the discipline of participation. So, see you all at worship, this coming Sunday! Mark+ |
Message from the Director of Christian Formation
Calling all LEGO owners! Next year we will be incorporating LEGO play into our KidZone curriculum, adapting a program based upon Emily Given's book, Building Faith Brick by Brick: An Imaginative Way to explore the Bible with Children. To make our program a success, of course, we will need LEGOS's...lots of them! If your young ones have outgrown their LEGOS and you are looking for a good home for them (the LEGOs, not your children), or if you know of great sources of inexpensive LEGOs, please think of the KidZone and contact Linda Griggs. Many thanks!! |
From the Hospitality Committee: Our heartfelt thanks to all who so graciously contributed refreshments for the Evensong service reception and/or helped with set-up and clean-up.
Many hands lightened the task! Jane Taylor and Ianthe Hershberger
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From Episcopal Charities: Many thanks to those of you who have already contributed to the 2015 Episcopal Charities Campaign. We are still about $7,000 short of our goal of $22,000. Please consider making a gift today.
Love to all from Kurt Loell (Chairman) and the Episcopal Charities Committee.
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Tonight and Tomorrow.....
March 20-21: Scholar in Residence Weekend at Temple Beth-El
featuring Dr. Joel M. Hoffman.
On Friday, March 20 starting at 6:30pm Dr. Hoffman will speak on the "Three Answers to Good and Evil That Were Cut from the Bible".
On Saturday, March 21 at 9am, Dr. Hoffman will speak on "Reading Scripture through the Lens of our Shared Heritage".
Please call Temple Beth-El at 331-6070 for more information.
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LAST Wednesday Evening Lenten Supper Program
March 25th: LAST Wednesday Evening Lenten Supper Program at 5:30pm in the Great Hall.
Worship comprising Stations of the Cross with Holy Communion, followed with a simple vegetarian meal at 6:15pm in the Great Hall. Study and discussion will be from 7:00pm - 8:30pm. The evening will end with the short and beautiful service of Compline (Night Prayer) taking us to 8:45pm. In our 2015 Lent Program, we will explore the Rule of
St. Benedict structured around the very user-friendly book: St.Benedict's Toolbox by Jane Tomaine. Participants are asked to purchase this book at Amazon here.
More information on Lent can be found on our website at www.stmartinsprov.org/upcoming/
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Hebrews 5:5-10 (NT)
John 12:20-33 (Gospel)
Click here for this Sunday's readings. |
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THIS SUNDAY
Intergenerational Service at 10am
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Hospitality Meeting in the Stearns Room following the 10am service
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Casting for roles in Palm Sunday Passion and also for time slots for the Gethsemane Vigil. Sign up sheets in back of the church.
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Gluten Free Hosts available at the altar rail.
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ECC brochures at the back of the church
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**Coffee Hour host this week is the Hollinshead family.
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It is my practice to endeavor to say Morning Prayer in the Chapel of the Church at 9am on Tuesday through Friday each week I look forward to seeing you there! Mark+ |
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Good Friday Walk
Walking together
for a cause has been a traditional Good Friday observance at St. Martin's.
The Annual Good Friday Walk for Hunger is a fundraiser that benefits the Providence
In-Town Churches Association; South Providence Neighborhood Ministries; and a dozen smaller causes, including our own Epiphany Soup Kitchen.
On Good Friday, walkers will register at St. Martin's (and other sites) at 8:30am and "step out" at 9am with police escort. We will walk to the State House, via Amos House, for an 11:15am rally to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness, The organizers will provide transportation back to the stepping out site.
Contributions large and small will be gratefully accepted at registration, and the organizers also gratefully accept donations at www.GoodFridayWalkForHungerRI.org, which is secured by PayPal. The website has information on the organization, which is tax-exempt.
Please join us for the 37th year!
For more information, please contact John Lawlor at johnlawlor405@gmail.com.
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+Easter Sunday Coffee Hour...
will hosted by the Church School and Hospitality Committee: You won't want to miss this...the Great Hall will be decked out in colorful festive cupcakes.
Coffee and punch will be served.
If you would like to contribute 1-2 dozen cupcakes, please see Jane Taylor
or call the church office.
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+Special Lenten Collection
As a part of your Lenten discipline, the St. Martin's Outreach Committee is asking you to donate to homeless shelters, Harrington Hall and The Providence Rescue Mission. During this unusually cold winter, the shelters are staying open around the clock for the protection of their guests. This has greatly impacted the shelter's budgets.
Therefore, we are collecting non-perishable food snacks (individually wrapped items such as peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers, protein and granola bars, and trail mix) and monetary donations to cover utility bills. Please drop off food items in the designated basket at the back of the church. Checks payable to St. Martin's with "homeless" in the memo may be put in the offering plate or mailed to the church office. Any questions, please contact Mary Gray at mary@whydata.com or call the church office.
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In Your Neighborhood...
Lifelong Learning Collaborative
Lifelong Learning Collaborative (LLC, formerly BCLIR)is an independent, not-for-profit, peer-run organization in Rhode Island. Their mission is to provide a diverse population of mature adults with varied opportunities for lifelong learning - seminars, lectures, cultural events and social activities - in a pleasant, accessible environment at a reasonable cost. To register and find out more about their workshops please visit www.lifelonglearningcollaborative.org or call 270-2556.
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Save the Date!
March
Wednesday, March 25
LAST Lenten Supper Program
5:30pm Eucharist
6pm soup
Compline at 8:15pm
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Palm Sunday, March 29th
LAST Directory Photo shoot in the Stearns Room after both services
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Saturday, May 9th
Diocesan Confirmation at 10am
St. Barnabus, Warwick, RI
If you would like to be confirmed, received, or affirmed, please contact Father Mark or the church office.
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Holy Week Schedule 2015
Sunday, March 29
Palm Sunday services at 8am & 10am
Monday, March 30
Evening Prayer at 5:30pm
Tuesday, March 31
Morning Prayer at 9am
Evening Prayer at 5:30pm
Wednesday, April 1
7am Service with Holy Eucharist
Morning Prayer at 9am
Stations of the Cross at 7:30pm service
Thursday, April 2
Morning Prayer at 9am
Maundy Thursday 7:30pm service
Gethsemane Vigil 9pm to midnight
Good Friday, April 3
Morning Prayer at 8:30am
Good Friday Walk 9am
Gethsemane Vigil 5am to 9am
Good Friday Choral Service 7:30pm
Saturday, April 4
Easter Vigil Service at 7:30pm with Baptism, Champagne and Chocolates
Sunday, April 5
Easter Services with music at 8am & 10am
Coffee Hour following both services
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We need.....
donations for Saint Martin's Thrifty Goose and The Cloak closet. All donations are tax deductible. At this time of year, we ask for any extra coats and gently used warm clothes you may have to give. Cloak volunteers contact Mary Gray at mary@whydata.com; Thrifty volunteers contact Karen Bracken at kwb429@msn.com.
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Coffee Hour Hosts: We have a lot of open slots. Please consider hosting Coffee Hour
one Sunday. Sign up in the Great Hall on the flipchart.
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Participants in Worship|
March 22, 2015
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| 8am:
Reader/EM: Joe Handly
Altar Guild: Pat Knowles | 8am:
Reader/EM: Dwight Phillips
Altar Guild: Al Howes | 10am:
Readers:
Susan Allen (OT)
Melissa Calhoun (NT)
Ben Loell (Prayers)
Altar Guild:
Susan Rodgers
Tom McDonnell
Eucharistic Ministers:
Meg LoPresti (Verger)
Denis Moonan
Linda Griggs
Acolytes:
Elizabeth Blake
Diana Blake
Gabrielle Ellicott
Greeters:
Jane Danek
Sasha Plaw
Misha Plaw
Ushers:
Charlie Bodell
Sarosh Fenn
Stephen Ellicott
Emily Hollenbeck
| 10am:
Readers:
Jane Dennison (OT)
Bill Hollinshead (NT)
Allen Dennison (Prayers)
Altar Guild:
Jane Taylor
Beth Ellis
Eucharistic Ministers:
David Whitman (Verger)
BG Goff
Hal Conner
Acolytes:
Robin McGill
Alex Potter
Olivia Gray
Greeters:
Lynne Burke
Raya Goff
Ushers:
David Brookhart
Linda Brookhart
Irving Sheldon
Parker Smith
Bill Hollinshead
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Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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