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The First Sunday of Lent - February 17, 2013
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COLLECT OF THE DAY
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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CLICK HERE to listen to sermons from previous weeks
CLICK HERE for Bible study resources. |
Bob and Donna Weber, Yasso Herath, Peter Lubeck, Catherine Lubeck, Al and Carol Lalli, Teri Caserto, Janet, Thomas Humeston, Barbara Harris, Elaine MacPhee, Bob Williams, Tankert Mahler, Harte Mahler, Anne Huntington, Marie Haynie, Tim Brady, Marie, Marianne Kagan, Ron & Pat Mapstone, Fran F., Henry Austin, Jack Seeman, Evelyn, Irv Kleiner, Andrew W., Tasha, Phil Bunton
REST IN PEACE
The prayer list is refreshed monthly please call the office to add a name, or to request that a name be carried forward. There is a book in the narthex where -- before the service begins -- you may add names to be read during the Prayers of the People for the day.
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"Once upon a time," an ancient story tells, "the master had a visitor who came to inquire about Zen. But instead of listening, the visitor kept talking about his own concerns and giving his own thoughts. After a while, the master served tea. He poured tea into his visitor's cup until it was full and then he kept on pouring. Finally the visitor could not bear it any longer. 'Don't you see that my cup is full?' he said. 'It's not possible to get anymore in.' 'Just so,' the master said, stopping at last. 'And like this cup you are filled with your own ideas. How can you expect me to give you Zen unless you first empty your cup?'"
A monastic Lent is the process of emptying our cups. Lent is the time for trimming the soul and scraping the sludge off a life turned slipshod. Lent is about taking stock of time, even religious time. Lent is about exercising the control that enables us to say no to ourselves so that when life turns hard of its own accord we have the spiritual stamina to say yes to its twists and turns with faith and hope. . . . Lent is the time to make new efforts to be what we say we want to be.
From The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages by Joan Chittister (Crossroad, 1996)
Sign up for the annual Ecumenical Lenten Carbon Fast -- receive daily email reminders with the day's suggested carbon-reducing activity.
Lent Madness has begun -- vote for your favorite saints and learn a bit more about some to learn about the women and men comprising the Church's Calendar of Saints.
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Are you on the worship ministry schedule this weekend? CLICK HERE
to find out.
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CALENDAR FRIDAY, February 15 2-4:00pm RPCC Toddlers (Classrooms) 3:30-6:00pm - Amazing Grace Circus School (Memorial Hall) SATURDAY, February 16 1:00pm Tackett memorial (Garden) 9:00pm Helping Hands (Memorial Hall) SUNDAY, February 17 8:00am/9:30am/11:00am Holy Eucharist 10:10 Church School Community Activity (Memorial Hall-no church school classes) 10:10am Parish Forum: table discussion (Patterson Hall) 2:30 - 6:00pm Amazing Grace Circus Youth Troupe rehearsal (Memorial Hall) 9:00pm Helping Hands (Memorial Hall) MONDAY, February 18- Grace Church Office is Closed. 9:00pm Helping Hands (Memorial Hall) TUESDAY, February 19 10:00am Staff Meeting (Patterson Hall) 7:30pm Vestry (Patterson Hall) WEDNESDAY, February 20 8:00am Holy Eucharist (Bradley Chapel) 6:15pm Lenten Program (Memorial Hall) THURSDAY, February 21 3:30-6:00pm - Amazing Grace Circus School (Memorial Hall) 7:30pm Choir FRIDAY, February 22 2-4:00pm RPCC Toddler Group (Classroom) 3:30-6:00pm - Amazing Grace Circus School (Memorial Hall) SUNDAY, February 24 8:00am/9:30am/11:00am Holy Eucharist 9:00am - 12:30pm CYSM Breakfast Bar (Memorial Hall) 10:00am - 1:00pm Welcome Brunch (Rectory) 10:10am Church school classes 2:30 - 6:00pm Amazing Grace Circus Troupe rehearsal (Memorial) 6:30pm Senior Youth Group (Fenton Room)
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LITURGY IN LENT
During the season of Lent, you'll notice some changes. The 8:00am service will be essentially the same. At 9:30am (for Lent only), we'll begin the worship service with a simple confession but otherwise the worship will also be essentially the same. At 11:00am, this week we'll begin the service with the Great Litany sung in procession. When this occurs, both the confession and the Prayers of the People are omitted from the service. However, in subsequent weeks, we'll begin the spoken part of the worship with confession. It will then follow the customary order of a Sunday morning Eucharist.
A word about our altar set up for the season of Lent.....Prior to the development of the "new" Book of Common Prayer, the altar was located on the (liturgical) East wall of the church. For most of the Great Thanksgiving, the celebrant's back was to the congregation. With this worship style, the priest was understood to be the lead voice of the congregation, who were all lifting up their prayers to God in thanksgiving. The movement of altars away from the wall was intended to signify the community of the church gathered around the table. However, in most churches, because altars were not moved out into the midst of the congregation, what happened instead was a sense of the altar party functioning as performers whose actions were watched, and many in the congregation perceiving their role as audience.
This year, we will enter the solemnity of Lent by experiencing this more contemplative form of worship as we all face in the same direction to lift our prayers and voices to God. You are encouraged to remain standing or kneel after the Sanctus as is your custom. Once the gifts are presented, the congregation will come forward to the altar rail to receive communion as directed by the ushers. |
LENTEN PROGRAM BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY
Please plan on joining the Adult Education and Spiritual Formation Commission's Lent program which will begin on Wednesday, February 20. As in past years, we'll meet for a light supper, followed by a program. This year, supper will begin at 6:15pm. Watch for more information to follow soon. To help with planning our meals, please let us know if you plan to attend. |
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Parish Forum/Fellowship Time 10:10 - 10:55am
The time between the 9:30 and 11:00am worship services provides an opportunity for those attending either of the services to gather for programs and conversation. Scheduling these events to meet the needs of those who want to socialize and those who want a planned forum is a challenge, given the shortage of available spaces to meet on Sunday mornings.
In an attempt to serve both needs, the Adult Education and Spiritual Formation Commission works to provide a balance by scheduling two forums a month and providing opportunities to socialize and have an extended coffee hour on the other Sundays. We hope you will join us for one or both of these events in the time to come. Here's the schedule:
For February please join us for:
Feb. 17 Forum - small table discussion of Luke 4:9-12 (Patterson Hall)
Church School Community Activity: Lenten Giving Project - Gifts for Life (Memorial Hall)
Feb. 24 Church Youth Service Mission trip (CYSM)fundraising breakfast
The Senior Youth Group will be in Memorial Hall throughout the morning (8:45am -12:30pm), serving up a hearty breakfast for a suggested donation of $5/person. A variety of fair trade items will also be available for purchase. Proceeds all go to benefit this year's Church Youth Service Mission Trip to Beard's Fork, West Virginia
Looking ahead to March: Mar. 3 Forum - small table discussion of Exodus 3:7-11 Mar. 10 Forum - small table discussion of Luke 15:11b-32 Mar. 17 Easter Fair/hospitality Mar. 24 Palm Sunday No Forum or Hospitality Mar. 30 Easter Sunday No Forum or Hospitality |
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WEDNESDAY MORNING EUCHARIST IN BRADLEY CHAPEL
Our regular weekly Wednesday morning service has resumed. Join us at 8:00am in Bradley Chapel for Holy Eucharist and Healing Prayers.
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Desert Places
by Robert Frost
Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast
In a field I looked into going past,
And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,
But a few weeds and stubble showing last.
The woods around it have it - it is theirs.
All animals are smothered in their lairs,
I am too absent-spirited to count;
The loneliness includes me unawares.
And lonely as it is, that loneliness
Will be more lonely ere it will be less -
A blanker whiteness of benighted snow
With no expression, nothing to express.
They cannot scare me with their empty spaces
Between stars - on stars where no human race is.
I have it in me so much nearer home
To scare myself with my own desert places.
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GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
130 First Avenue.Nyack.New York.10960.845-358-1297
The Reverend Alon White, Interim Rector
Brandon Beachamp, Interim Organist and Choirmaster
www.gracechurchnyack.org |
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