St. Martin's Newsletter
   Weekly E-News March 11, 2016

Worship Schedule

Sunday  
   8:00am  Holy Eucharist
   8:45am  Bible Study 
   9:15am  Nursery
   9:30am  Holy Eucharist with choir
and sermon
 
     10:45am   Christian Formation
 
Wednesday-Friday
9am Morning Prayer in the Chapel
Wednesday
7am service with Holy Eucharist

**Morning Prayer on Tuesdays is cancelled through Lent.
It will begin again on March 22nd. 
Today...
 
Calling Hours/Service for Peggy Amatore

At the request of the Amatore and McKenna family a Celebration of Life service for Peggy is planned for today, Friday, March 11th at St. Peter's by-the-Sea (72 Central Street, Narragansett, RI). Calling hours will be held at St. Peter's from 2-4 p.m. followed by a service at 5 p.m.
Tomorrow, Saturday, March 12...  
   
Altar Guild meeting at 10am 
+
 
The Prayer Shawl Knitting Ministry will meet 12:30-3:30pm  
in the Stearns Room. 

                                           
                                           Spring Ahead!


Don't forget to set your clocks ahead by one hour Saturday evening.


The Weekly Epistle  
 
For me, there is some sense of consolation in tiredness being the happy result as people continue to commit with energy to our spiritual learning this Lent. This coming Tuesday we will hold our last 2016 Lent Program evening. We have the task of condensing Phases 5 & 6 in the workbook into one session with the major emphasis on allowing for enough time for us to write our rule of life.

As modern people our culture has sensitized us to feelings. When supported by the way we feel we are able to perform many things. Yet, lack of feeling, or by the wrong kind of feeling, easily discourages us and so we avoid many other things that might also be helpful and good for us.
 
As a culture, we are in many ways still in a kind of adolescent reaction against the excessively rule bound approach to life characteristic of previous generations when duty and doing one's duty was the thing that mattered most. So, it's difficult to find ways to speak about the necessity of developing a rule of life without conjuring up images of being rule-bound.
 
Yet, managing the ups and down of mood, along with the incessant demands of modern life and work underscores the urgent need to develop a spiritual rule of life. The Rule of the Society of St John the Evangelist notes:
 
Each individual is in some way a miniature community, subject to internal and external pressures to avoid or neglect some aspect of her or his wholeness ....
 
The rule continues to identify the nature of wholeness. It's the experience of being whole through being in relationship with Christ. In short, a rule of life is the essential foundation for not only a creative work-life balance, for stability in our emotional relationship to self, others, but is essential to grow in our capacity to be open to the power of love in our lives. For Christians, all manifestations of love are encounters with God.
 
Whether attending the group or working the program at home, please give some thought to the task outlined in Phase 6; Create a Solid Garden Plot. Give some time before Tuesday to meditating on the video questions at the bottom of the opening page of Phase 6. Remember that your rule has four sections covering your relationship with God, with self, with others, and with creation. Each section can be viewed from the three perspectives of seasonal, weekly, and daily practices.
 
I look forward to many among us engaging with writing our own rule of life; a prospect that is both challenging as it is exciting. And remember:
 
A rule of life is not a rigid law that makes daily life into the working of a machine. Rather, it is a kind of constitution or bill of rights that makes sure that all the different elements of a Spirit-filled life in Christ are valued and given their due place in the whole. 
Rule of the Society of St John The Evangelist.
 
You can now visit Easter 2016 at http://www.stmartinsprov.org/holy-week/.
See you for your weekly spiritual practice in Church, this coming Sunday.
Mark+
 
READINGS THIS WEEK


Isaiah 43:16-21 (OT)
 Philippians 3:4b-14 (NT) 
 John 12:1-8 (Gospel)
Click here for this Sunday's readings.
     THIS SUNDAY
8am 
Holy Eucharist in the Church
8:45am 
Bible Study
  
9:15am  Nursery 
+
9:30am Holy Eucharist with choir and sermon 
+
10:30am
Hospitality Meeting in the Stearns Room
10:45am
Christian Formation 
Gluten Free Hosts available at the altar rail + 
Healing Prayers are offered every Sunday during communion
+
Coffee Hour this Sunday is hosted by Parker Smith.
MORNING PRAYER
    
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+

*Please note: Tuesday Morning Prayer has been cancelled through Lent
and will resume
Tuesday, March 22nd.

**Morning Prayer on Wednesdays-Fridays at 9am.
Biblebox
(Weekly Bible Study) 
John 12:1-8
 
 
For Your Attention... 

Please sign-up on Sunday:
To watch for an hour in the Gethsemane Garden in the Chapel  
and also 
To read one of the Palm Sunday Passion Readings 
The clipboards with sign-up sheets are at the back of the church. 
and 
Episcopal Charities 
Episcopal Charities will once again be manning a table in the Great Hall
after both services this Sunday.
Please speak with Kurt Loell, Elke Moonan or Jennifer Potter to join! 
Final Tuesday Night Lenten Program

                                                      This coming Tuesday 
                                                                March 15th                                                       
                                                  5:30pm Stations of the Cross  
                                                    followed by Holy Eucharist 
                                                      6:15pm Simple Supper
                                                    7-8:15pm Program:  
                                                        Growing a Rule of Life
                                                       8:15-8:30pm Compline

For more information on the program Growing a Rule of Life please visit  

The Hospitality Committee needs helpers for both the Easter Vigil and Easter Day services
to provide all things chocolate for the Vigil and two-dozen cupcakes for Easter Morning.
Please sign up in the back of the church or contact Jane Taylor at 480-4601   

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE 2016
 
Sunday, March 20

Monday, March 21
Tuesday, March 22        

Wednesday, March 23


Thursday, March 24
 
 
 

Good Friday, March 25    
 
 

Saturday, March 26
 
Sunday, March 27              
 



Palm Sunday services at 8am & 9:30am
Christian Formation at 10:45am 
Evening Prayer at 5:30pm
Morning Prayer at 9 am
Evening Prayer at 5:30pm
Holy Eucharist at 7am
Morning Prayer at 9am
Stations of the Cross at 5:30pm
Morning Prayer at 9am 
Maundy Thursday Service with foot washing
     at 7:00pm
The Watch: 9pm to midnight (Thur)
                     5:30am-8:30am (Fri)
Morning Prayer at 8:30am
Good Friday Walk at 9am
Stations of the Cross at 12noon
Good Friday Choral Service 7:00pm
Easter Vigil Service with Baptism at 7pm  
      followed by Champagne & Chocolates
Easter Services with choir and brass
      ensemble at 8am & 10am  
*Special reception following both services


Coming Up...  
   
Friday, March 25th

Good Friday Walk with Hot Cross Buns and fellowship!  

Walking together for a cause has been a traditional Good Friday observance at St. Martin's for many years. The 38th Annual Good Friday Walk for Hunger is a fundraiser that benefits PICA, 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 parishes throughout the state at 8:30am and "step out" at 9am. We will walk to the State House for an 11:15am rally and refreshments to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness. Return transportation is available.
 
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. Sponsor sheets and envelopes are available at the back of the church. The website has information on the organization, which is tax-exempt. Please see John
Lawlor, Bill and Mary Hollinshead, Cynthia Shattuck or Chris Izzo for more information.   
    
Lenten Discipline to benefit St. Mary's Home for Children
 
St. Mary's Home was founded in 1877 in the Rectory of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in East Providence to house orphans and other needy children. In 1928, the home was moved to its present site in North Providence. It is still an Episcopal entity supported by the Episcopal Charities Fund. Bishop Knisely is the Chairman of the Board and Fr. Mark sits on the Governing Council. With preservation of the family as the goal, St. Mary's has initiated innovative and highly successful programs that combine residential treatment with outpatient counseling and in-home services for the care of abused and neglected children. The facility also provides on-campus classroom education.

As part of your Lenten discipline, will you consider making a contribution to St. Mary's of items used routinely for celebration, therapy, rewards and incentives? The staff offers these suggestions: colored pencils, brushes, small bottles of tempera paint, washable markers, construction paper, craft sets, playing cards, stickers, posters (animal, cartoon characters, cars), lanyards, stress balls, silly putty, Wii games (old or new), sour candy, scented lotions, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, hair brushes, hair accessories, make -up, deodorant, cosmetics, beads, tickets to the zoo or a museum and all local movie theatres, gift certificates in the $5-$25 range to the Providence Mall, Warwick Mall, Target, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Newport Creamery, Friendly's, Chelo's, Chili's, Applebees, Papa Gino's, Pizza Hut and general use cards.

There is a collection basket at the back of the church labeled St. Mary's Home.


We will be collecting items through Easter. Questions? Please speak with Jennifer Kiddie or call the office.



The Thrifty Goose is in need of donations, especially women's clothing.
Housewares are also welcomed.

Drop-off can be M-F 9am to 3pm, as well as during the Thrifty Hours of Wed. and Sat. from 10am to 2pm. Please call ahead if you would like assistance from the sexton.
Ministries
March 13, 2016
March 20, 2016
Reading link
8am
David Brookhart
9:30am
Readers 
Elke Moonan (OT)
Walter Cotter (NT)
Pat Nolan (Prayers)
Altar Guild
8am
Linda Brookhart
9:30am
Susan Rodgers
Tom McDonnell
Eucharistic Ministers
Linda Griggs
Jim Kelliher
Hal Conner (C)
Acolytes
Rebecca Loell
Oliver Parker
Erin Welshman
Ushers
Peter Dennehy (H)
Peter Lofgren (H)
Waylan Tucker
Peter Gray
Healing Prayers
Kurt Loell
Greeter
Chris Dennis
8am
Dwight Phillips
9:30am

Readers 
Paul Parker (OT)
Gordon Partington (Prayers)
Altar Guild
8am
Karen Bracken
Arline Walker
9:30am
Lisa Ballou
Brooke Hammerle
Eucharistic Ministers
Linda Griggs
Jim Kelliher
Denny Scott (V)
Elke Moonan (C)
Acolytes
Elizabeth Blake
Diana Blake
Laura Blake
Ushers
David Brookhart (H)
Linda Brookhart (H)
Bill Hollinshead
Irving Sheldon
Healing Prayers
Kathy Good
Greeters
The Kostas Family



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