| This Weekend's Readings | The Third Sunday after Pentecost
Click HERE to view this weekends readings.
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This Weekend's Preacher
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The Reverend Canon Jonathan Sams (Saturday)
The Reverend Dr. William J. Danaher, Jr. (Sunday)
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6/11 Thursday
| 8:30 AM - Morning Prayer
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6/12 Friday
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8:30 AM - Morning Prayer 9:30 AM - Al-Anon Meeting 11:30 AM - Women's Spirituality Group
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6/13 Saturday
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9:00 AM - VBS Set Construction 5:00 PM - Holy Eucharist: Rite II
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6/14 Sunday
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8:00 AM - Holy Eucharist: Rite I 9:00 AM - Rector's Forum
10:00 AM - Holy Eucharist: Rite II 10:00 AM - Summer Sunday School 11:30 AM - Docent Tour 11:30 AM - High School DR Trip Youth Meeting 5:30 PM - DR Trip Dinner 6:00 PM - Sunday at Six Evensong
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6/15 Monday
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8:30 AM - Morning Prayer 7:00 PM - Vestry Meeting
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6/16 Tuesday
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8:30 AM - Morning Prayer 6:00 PM - Safeguarding Training
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6/17 Wednesday
| 7:00 AM - Holy Eucharist: Rite II 7:30 AM - Bible Study 8:30 AM - Morning Prayer 9:30 AM - Adult Children of Alcoholics Meeting 6:00 PM - Stewardship Meeting
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6/18 Thursday
| 8:30 AM - Morning Prayer
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| Why You Should Not Consider Attending The "Daily Office of Morning Prayer" | | |
Every weekday morning at 8:30 AM, a bell rings over St. Paul's Chapel to indicate that Morning Prayer is about to commence, so consider yourself warned. Whatever you do, you do not want to get involved with this twenty-minute worship activity that is derived from 2000 years of Christian monastic practice! Why not?
- It will almost certainly be "good for you" spiritually. You will feel closer to God and more aware of how God is active in the lives of people like yourself, which will make it harder for you to ignore the feelings of other people and is bound to complicate your life.
- From the short Bible selections that are read each day and from the commemorations of "holy men and holy women" you will gain a greater familiarity with the Bible and the experience of the church down through the ages, which will make you less able to plead ignorance when your fundamentalist relatives tell you the Episcopal Church "doesn't believe in the Bible".
- The periods of intentional silence will make it harder to distract yourself with noise and chatter, and you may suddenly become aware that "hey, I exist! How did that happen?" Too much of such awareness could cause a dip in cell phone activity and hurt the economy.
- The congregation, which averages about 7, are an eclectic group who are eager to welcome newcomers and help them find their way through the simple rituals of sitting and standing, and often finds reason to laugh out loud at whatever amuses them during the service. You might get to like them and then when they move away you will miss them, so why take a chance? Look at Jesus' disciples after his exaltation into heaven... they missed him so much they just had to start the church, which led to all sorts of problems, as we know.
- It's called an "office" from the Latin officium, which means "duty", or "service", or "job." The "Daily Office of Morning Prayer" is an intentional, organized to ensure that everything happening in connection with Christ Church Cranbrook is begun, continued, and ended in conscious relationship to God. In other words, it can be habit forming.
As you can see, there are ample reasons to avoid the Daily Office of Morning Prayer, but if you just cannot resist the temptation to live dangerously, listen for the bell to ring right before 8:30 AM and join the people gathering in St. Paul's Chapel. But don't say you weren't warned.
- The Reverend Canon Jonathan Sams
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| This Week's Intercessions | | |
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| Vacation Bible School (VBS) | | |
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
SET CONSTRUCTION
Please join us this Saturday June 13 from 9:00 AM - Noon, to build our beautiful back drop and set for Vacation Bible School. We are going to make mountains. God did it in one day and with your help we can too! Wear clothes you don't mind getting messy or covered with paint. Please email (enable link) Jessica Neeper know if you are able to attend.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Please pray for Vacation Bible School, it's mission and the children we will serve. A special thanks to the 96 individuals giving their time and talents to make VBS the best week of the year!
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| Special Rector's Forum | |  It's All Greek To Me: An Entertaining Exercise in Bible-Speak
Presented by The Reverend Roger Ferlo, Ph.D., President, Bexley Hall Seabury-Western Theological Seminary Federation
Sunday, June 21, 9:00 AM - Hospitality Center
It is sometimes a revelation to people that the Bible was not written in King James' English. What would it be like to experience the Bible like one of its first Greek-speaking readers? Come find out. No knowledge of Greek required, expected or even desired! Just an open mind, a sense of humor, a love of learning, and a desire for God. |
| Rector's Forums | | Bowing to popular demand, the Sunday morning Rector's Forum will continue at 9:00 AM in the Hospitality Center throughout the summer. The preacher for each Sunday will discuss that day's Scripture readings as they connect with current events and Christian practice. This Sunday's Gospel will be Mark 4:26-34, the parable of the mustard seed. Fr. Bill Danaher will lead the discussion and preach. On Sunday, June 21, we welcome guest preacher, the Rev. Dr. Roger Ferlo, President of Bexley Seabury seminary. The forum is entitled "It's All Greek to Me: an entertaining exercise in Bible-speak."
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| Farewell to Jeffrey Smith | | As many of you know, Jeffrey Smith is moving on to become Interim Director of Music at Church of the Ascension in Chicago, IL, where he began his duties on May 14th. Jeffrey is a gifted musician and liturgist, and he has been a blessing to us at Christ Church Cranbrook. His tenure as Interim Music Director allowed us the opportunity to step back for a year to reflect on the wider role of music at CCC, and he was a valuable resource for the Music Task Force and the Search Committee. Finally, Jeffrey led the revival of evensong on Sunday evenings, a foundation we will continue to build on this Summer and in the Fall. For his gifts and faith, we are grateful to God. We wish him well in his new interim position at Ascension. |
| 87th Annual Summer Carillon Series | | The 2015 Summer Carillon Series - our 87th at Christ Church Cranbrook - features an exciting roster of carillonneurs bringing their skills to the church's beautiful 50-bell carillon. The series runs Sundays at 4 PM., July 5th through August 9th.
Margaret Pan of Toronto, Canada opens the six-program series on Independence Day weekend. An astrophysicist, this will be her first recital at Christ Church Cranbrook. Other newcomers include Sally Harwood of Williamston, Michigan on July 19th and Olesya Rostovskaya of Moscow, Russia on August 2nd. Ms. Rostovskaya will play a unique program that includes music of the Russian church, Russian classical music and her own compositions. This is a must-attend afternoon.
On July 12th, carillon duo Janet Tebbel and Lisa Lonie will delight the audience with their energetic four-handed musicianship. Sue Bergren of Naperville, Illinois returns to Christ Church Cranbrook on July 26th, and Culver Academies carillonneur John Gouwens concludes the busy season with a challenging program on August 9th.
Tower tours will be offered on several Sundays following recitals. A CCC docent will be in the sanctuary an hour before each program to answer questions and conduct brief tours, and plans are under way for some pre-recital preludes to add to the interest and enjoyment of the afternoon. Carillon series programs are free and open to the public and include printed programs and refreshments at the hospitality tent. |
| One Bread Ministry | | How would you like to be an ambassador... for Christ, and for Christ Church Cranbrook? We invite you to do this with a simple commitment. HERE'S HOW:
You make contact by phone with a first-time visitor to ask if you might deliver a gift of welcome from the church. The visitor's name, address and phone number will be supplied to you. Once successful, you would then deliver a pre-packaged artisan loaf of bread to the visitor's home, at a time that is convenient. There will be a supply of loaves stored in the church kitchen.
This kind gesture would be accompanied by your invitation for them to return to Christ Church Cranbrook and to contact you for any information they would like to have. You do not have to know the answer to every question asked - just point them in the right direction to someone who can, like a member of clergy or staff.
"Yes, sign me up"... Please contact J. J. Benkert at bbjjb3@gmail.com or 248.642.7790 to become an ambassador for this warm and welcoming new ministry.
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| Do You Need a Ride to Church? | | Do you or someone you know need a ride to the 10:00 AM service on Sundays? We now have a shuttle running from Fox Run retirement community in Novi to CCC every Sunday for the 10:00 AM service. The shuttle leaves Fox Run at 9:15 AM and will make stops between there and Christ Church Cranbrook. If you or someone you know lives in Farmington Hills, W. Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Beverly Hills or Birmingham and would like a ride to church, please contact Mr. Don Canavesio at 586.747.6587.
CCC has contracted with Don to drive our van to pick up parishioners. If a ride is needed, you need to contact Don by Saturday at Noon for a ride for the next day. Seating is limited so rides are on a first come-first served basis. There is no charge for this service. |
| Item of the Month | | Collecting SHOES in June! This month we will be collecting footwear for our brothers and sisters of the Dominican Republic which will be delivered during the Mission Trip in July. Here is what we need:
School-age children and teenagers
- BLACK SHOES (any size for children or teens of school age)
- BLACK SNEAKERS (any size for children or teens of school age)
Non-school purposes, children, teens and adults
- CROCS (any size for anybody in any color)
- FLIP FLOPS (any size for anybody in any color)
The Dominicans are so very grateful for what we are able to bring. Thank you for supporting this important ministry.
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| Sunday at Six - Evensong | |  MOST OF THE TIME, Christ Church Cranbrook is a busy place, with meetings, classes, concerts, tours, and worship services filling every available space with wholesome noise and blessed activity. THERE ARE TIMES, however, when a stillness descends, and, as the Book of Common Prayer says, "...the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done." ONE SUCH TIME occurs "Sundays at 6", when a (usually) small congregation gathers in the choir pews for the traditional Anglican service of Evensong. Sundays at 6 is not a carefully rehearsed choral effort, but rather a "do-it-yourself" offering of psalms, readings from scripture, and prayers, lasting about 25 minutes. The service is chanted, using repetitive melodies that have been sung in monastic communities for more than a thousand years. ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO SING WELL, or be musically inclined, to participate meaningfully in such worship. In a semi-darkened church, in the company of other spiritual pilgrims like ourselves, the ancient words emerge from silence almost of their own volition, and the wordless intervals between phrases point to God as eloquently as the sacred writings and chanted prayers. CONSIDER ATTENDING SUNDAYS AT 6. And, even if you don't, consider making space in your life when you can sit quietly and pray along with Psalm 62 which says, "For God alone my soul in silence waits." |
| Hospitality Hour after 5:00 PM Service on Saturdays | | | Our Hospitality Hour after the 5:00 PM service on Saturdays is a huge hit! Your help is needed to continue this welcoming ministry. Come about 20 minutes before the service to set everything up and then clean up afterward. If you are willing to help out, please contact Debbie Moore at dmoore@christchurchcranbrook.org or at 248.644.5210, Ext. 35. |
| Children and Youth Ministry at Christ Church Cranbrook | | |
Summer Sunday School
It is time for Summer, praise God! Summer means fun and relaxation, same with our Summer Sunday School! Children, preschool - 6th grade, meet in rooms 201-202 at 10:00 AM for Christian formation, fun and prizes.
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High School Mission Trip Meeting
| | The high school youth meeting for those in grades 10-12 will be on the second Sunday of the month at 11:30 AM in the hospitality center. Lunch will be provided. We will be working on plans for the next group outreach project. We will also be discussing the high school mission trip to the Dominican Republic and close our time together with a reading and some reflection time. We may even work a little on our Spanish.
- June 14 - Parent Meeting: Parents please attend this Q & A with Youth Leaders - 11:30-12:30 in the Room 202
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| Are you interested in assisting the acolytes with their service? | | We are recruiting a group of adults who would be willing to be with a group of 4-8 young people before and during the Sunday 10 am service. They are trained in the basics of their roles and have leaflets individually marked with their responsibilities. You would have a "master" leaflet showing who does what at each point in the service. All that's involved is reminding them of what needs to be done beforehand, helping to organize the processional, and then sitting with them during the service to help with lighting torches as needed. You would be scheduled-as the acolytes are-based on your availability. A monthly commitment would be terrific, but it's not necessary. Please contact Edie Wakevainen at wakevainene@macomb.edu or 248.892.5003 if you're interested. We'll schedule an informational/training meeting in the next few weeks. Please note that Safeguarding God's Children training is required and we can help you schedule that training.
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| Fact and Fiction Fun | | | Fact and Fiction Fun will meet again on Monday, June 29, 2015 in the Conference Room of Christ Church Cranbrook from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. The selection this month is Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. Far From the Madding Crowd (1874) is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and his first major literary success. It originally appeared anonymously as a monthly serial in Cornhill Magazine, where it gained a wide readership. In Thomas Hardy's first major literary success, independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, the soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy, and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community. One of his first works set in the semi-fictional region of Wessex, Hardy's novel of swift passion and slow courtship is imbued with his evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes, and with unflinching honesty about sexual relationships. Best to read the book before seeing the movie. Hope to see all of you there. |
| Can you run a Video Camera? | | We are going to begin live streaming the 10 AM service every Sunday and need to recruit a team of people to work the video camera. It's quite simple and training will be provided. Depending on the number of people who volunteer, the commitment will be no more than one Sunday a month. Please contact Peggy Dahlberg at pdahlberg@christchurchcranbrook.org or 248.644.5210, Ext. 12 to volunteer or for more information. |
| Parish Health Nurses | | 1. To provide First Aid to children at Vacation Bible school June 22-26 9 AM - Noon.
2. To promote and raise awareness of health including the body, mind and spirit in our congregation.
Contact Pastor Joyce Matthews 248.644.5210, Ext. 15 or email jmatthews@christchurchcranbrook.org |
| CCC Community Gardens Needs Helpers | | The three vegetable beds near the Church's south door are ready to be planted! Volunteer gardeners are needed to weed, water, harvest, and deliver vegetables. No previous gardening experience is needed. We will plant tomatoes, lettuce, kale, collard and mustard greens, string beans, zucchini and eggplant. There will be an herb garden too with parsley, basal, mint, and cilantro. Our fresh produce goes to the weekly "Farmer's Market" at our sister parish of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Pontiac. Please help by signing up today. Contact Coco Siewert e.siewert@wayne.edu to sign up or if you have any questions. Join the fun and we will work around your summer vacation, work, and play schedule.
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| Women's Spirituality Group | | Women's Spirituality Group meets on Fridays for a sack lunch at 11:30 AM and a one hour program at 12:00 PM in Rooms 201-202. This lively, conversational group addresses a wide range of topics relevant to Christian women today. For example, we have discussed Celtic Christianity, the Books of Common Prayer across the Anglican Communion, Spiritual Gifts, Lenten hymns, Interfaith Understanding and more. Come when you can!
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| Calling for Vergers and Thurifers | | Christ Church Cranbrook would like to increase the number of people in the Verger and Thurifer Corps. Vergers lead the procession for services, including funerals. Thurifers disperse the incense at the first Saturday of the month at Evensong and occasionally at other services throughout the year. Scheduling is according to your schedule and training is provided. Please consider being part of this important CCC worship ministry. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Chas Kipp at CKipp@mbssecurities.com or 248.633.4546. |
| Help Wanted! | | Christ Church Cranbrook needs help answering phones three mornings a week. If you are able to help out on Monday, Wednesday or Friday mornings, please contact Kathy Doyle at kdoyle@christchurchcranbrook.org or 248.644.5210, Ext. 11.
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| Interfaith Question of the Week | | |
As a way of learning about our neighbors of different faith traditions, we will be providing a link to the Question of the Week on the InterFaith Leadership Council (IFLC) of Metro Detroit's website. Please feel free to submit our own questions to IFLC for consideration to be featured.
This week's question is: Why is Islam the world's fastest growing religious group?
The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit is a faith-based civic organization made up of visionary religious and lay leaders of many faiths whose shared values compel them to work toward a community that lives together in harmony.
Our Goals:
BRING TOGETHER, encourage and nurture interfaith groups and networks
SUPPORT CONCILIATION between and among religious groups as well as the community at large through active conflict resolution
PROMOTE INTERFAITH EDUCATION so that the metropolitan Detroit community can benefit from the synergies and creative benefits that knowledge and understanding can provide. |
| CCC Services Live Streamed | | Christ Church Cranbrook is now live streaming our 10:00 AM Sunday service! No matter where you are you don't have to miss a service. To view services, please click HERE. Videos of previous services are archived on this page as well.
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| Planned Giving | |  Did you know that ... - You can make a gift or pay your pledge using appreciated securities and realize larger tax savings than if you had used cash?
- You can make a gift that costs you nothing during your lifetime?
- You can make a gift that pays you income for life?
- You can preserve your estate for your children and deliver years of income outreach at Christ Church?
- You can donate your house, take a tax deduction, and continue to live in it rent-free?
- You can turn surplus life insurance coverage into a gift?
Please call our Parish Administrator for more information 248.644.5210 |
| Online and Text Giving - It's Easy! | | |
Contributions can now be made online and by text messaging. Please click HERE and see how quick and easy it is.
We invite you to consider our new electronic "Online Giving" program as a way to automate your donations to Christ Church Cranbrook. Read more
We encourage you to consider these new giving opportunities.
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