The Meaning of Holy Week

Transcription

1 Epiphany Episcopal Church April 2012 Episcopal Church of the Epiphany 1101 Sunset Drive P. O. Box 116 Guntersville, AL Editor, Rusty Ogden Palm Sunday April 1-8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion Maundy Thursday April 5 7 p.m. Last Supper Commemoration Washing of Feet and Stripping of Altar Good Friday April 6 12 noon & 7 p.m. Traditional Good Friday Service A Powerful prayer service. To make this service even more meaningful, observe by fasting (if medically okay to do so) Living Stations of the Cross April 6 5:30 p.m. An Epiphany tradition. Walk along the lake front as we follow the last steps of our Lord leading to His Crucifixion. Holy Saturday and Easter Eve April 7 Easter Egg Hunt and hot dog lunch 11 a.m. Easter Vigil and Baptism at 7:30 p.m. The Light of Christ returns into the World and it happens right in front of your eyes! Then participate in the First Eucharist of Easter. EASTER SUNDAY April 8 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. THE TRIUMPHANT DAY OF HIS RESURRECTION!! Even at the 8am service we sing! BRING YOUR BELLS to ring out the Good News! Easter Sunday Reception after the 10:30 a.m. service. The Meaning of Holy Week Palm Sunday Last Sunday of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. The day commemorates Jesus triumphal procession into Jerusalem and is marked by a blessing of palms and a procession of the whole congregation into the church, followed by a reading of the passion gospel and a Eucharist that is penitential in tone. (Please assemble in front of the church for the procession) Maundy Thursday The day on which the church remembers Jesus institution of the Eucharist and the washing of the disciples feet. The Maundy Thursday Eucharist is also the only one celebrated between Wednesday in Holy Week and the Great Vigil of Easter. (Washing of the feet is a personal choice and is optional) Good Friday The day when Christians have traditionally remembered and meditated upon the crucifixion of Jesus through fasting, penance, and special devotion. It consists of the Liturgy of the Word, Veneration of the Cross, the Solemn Collects, and may include communion from the reserved sacrament. No Eucharist is celebrated on the day. Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil Day before Easter commemorating the resting of Christ s body in the tomb. As on Good Friday, the altar is bare and there is no celebration of the Eucharist. (This is also a traditional day of baptism.) Sunday of the Resurrection, Easter Day The central and most ancient feast of the church year, celebrating Christ s resurrection from the dead. The date of Easter varies every year according to the lunar calendar; it is the first Sunday on or after the first full moon of spring. The Easter cycle of the liturgical year encompasses everything from Ash Wednesday through Pentecost, but its core is the Great Vigil of Easter. Easter Day begins the Easter season, which runs for fifty days until the Feast of Pentecost.

2 Epiphany Star Page 2 Stations of the Cross The Hospitality Committee is hosting the Living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, April 6, at 5:30 P.M. on the walking trail across from the church. We need volunteers to read at each station and to be the "freeze" actors. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the hallway as you come out of the church or just show up at rehearsal. Andy Hunter will once again be our "guide". We will rehearse with him on Wednesday evening, April 4, in Sanderson Hall at 6:00pm. Pizza and drinks will be served. EASTER EGG HUNT APRIL 7, 11AM SHARP! Remember! Remember! All children newborn through 5 th grade are eligible. A Golden Egg will be hidden for each age group. More eggs filled with candy than you can ever imagine! Hot Dogs, chips, lemonade, and candy for lunch! Bring your children. Bring your children s children. Bring your neighbor s children. Bring a basket for each child. Bring Bells Easter morning to ring in the joyous news of Christ s Resurrection. 12th Annual Cheap Champagne Easter Hoo Rah! All parishioners are invited by Bill and Rita Winters to celebrate Easter. The celebration will begin on Easter Sunday, April 8, at 4pm at the home of Roger and Joyce Rehfeld at 2005 Signal Point Lane, Guntersville. (Signal Point Ln. is a left on the first street after passing the marina on Signal Point Rd). Please bring something to snack on if you like. You might bring some beer and wine if you desire, but plenty of Champagne will be on hand to celebrate the big day. Remember, the key to this is Cheap Champagne Hoorah! This gathering is extremely informal. If it s warm enough wear shorts! There is plenty of parking. It has been warm this year which means we have plenty of spring flowers in bloom in our yards or perhaps your neighbor's yard. Bring flowers to church Easter morning to flower the cross. Blooms should be cut and have a stem length of three to four inches. This is a beautiful way to symbolize the new life that emerges from the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday. Children and adults may participate and may walk to the front of the Nave and place your flowers on the cross when you arrive but before the processional. The flowering of the cross has been traced back to the 6th century. It is an especially striking and beautiful way to symbolize the new life that emerges from the death on Good Friday. The entire cross is covered with flowers and is placed prominently at the front of the church to symbolize the new life in our risen Lord to all the worshippers present on Easter Sunday morning. It dramatically and visually represents the new life that we are celebrating after witnessing the very instrument of death and endings transformed by Christ's rising.

3 Epiphany Star Page 3 Outreach Committee SPRING INGATHERING APRIL 22 The Outreach Committee will be handing out brown paper bags April 15 for you to fill. A list will be on the bag and they will accept the full bags back on April 22. Some items requested are toiletries, paper products and baby supplies. Items will be distributed to: Best Start Maternity Care Program Salvation Army Home Place Mission Team Spotlight for April The Mission Team committee is going back to meeting every first Sunday of the month. The mission team is purchasing 30 swim suits for children attending the Sawyerville Day Camp this summer. They are asking for money so they can buy the suits in the proper sizes. Checks can be made out to Epiphany with (swim suit) noted on the memo line and brought to the office. Any extra monetary donations, above the cost of the suits, will be sent to Sawyerville to be used as needed. Your donations are due by April 15 th. EPIPHANY EATS OUT My Dear Parish Family, As most of you know, I have had pneumonia. I continue under my doctor s care and I am responding. I would probably come to work more often, but my warden here at home keeps me from doing too much too quick. I am told that I need to conserve my energy for Holy Week which is next week. With all this down time I tend to be a bit reflective. While I am not sure why this illness has come upon me, I do know that through Christ there is resurrection and Easter will come. I want each of you to know that though I have not been able to function at full capacity, I do keep each of you in my heart and prayers. I continue to be amazed at how strong Epiphany is and how you have come together during my absence. I was crushed not to be able to officiate at Joy Cranford s funeral, but Rob Iler I know did a great job, assisted by all of you. I thank Mary Groff for working with me on such short notice a few weeks back. My thanks also go to Lamar Auman, Susan Armstrong and all those who did so much this past Sunday. All of this should remind us that ultimately we are family, and when one member is down we do our best to fill in the pieces. I was so thrilled that I even received calls from people volunteering to do hospital visits. What a blessing! Please keep our staff in your prayers during this time. When someone is out of the office, it takes everyone doing double work to keep the wheels turning. I love you all and I hope I will be able to give each of you a hug during each of the Holy Week services beginning this Sunday, Palm Sunday. Make a rickety old priest happy come to church. My warm love to each of you, Happy Easter! Faithfully, Bill On April 19, we will meet at Sebastian s at 330 Hwy 75 North Albertville, AL tel at 5:00 p.m. for food, fun and fellowship. Dutch Treat from the menu. PARISH RETREAT AT CAMP MCDOWELL AUGUST 24, 25, 26

4 Epiphany Star Page 4 WE NEED HELP FROM ALL MEMBERS FOR A SUCCESSFUL GOLF TOURNAMENT This year s tournament will be at Gunter s Landing in Guntersville. Included in tournament fees is a lunch which begins at Noon; Tee Time is 1:00pm. Our Annual Golf Tournament is close at hand, we need your help in the following ways, even if you do not play golf. This is our second biggest fund raiser of the year, so we need everyone possible to help. The following four ways are where we need people to help. We need people (male, female, and teens) who will play golf. If you don t have a team we will try to set you up with one. The tournament is a best ball scramble. So you don t even need to golf that well just a willingness to go out and have some fun. Ask your friends or family who play golf to get a team together and participate. We need people and businesses to sponsor holes. Sponsorship is $100 and each sponsor gets their own personal sign at one of the 18 tees. Oh what a marvelous advertising tool. Just sponsor a hole. Do it now! We could have 400 hole sponsors. Wouldn t that be something? On the day of the Tournament we will need members to help greet golfers; collect tournament fees; drive the beverage cart; collect money for Closest to Pin contest; place and pick up signs. Format 4 Person Scramble. $75.00 Per Player ($ Per Person Team). $5.00 Per Mulligan (2 Total Per Person). $5.00 Per Red Tee Blast (1 Total Per Person). Prizes 1st Place $ st Place $ Prizes For Closest To Pin On Three Par 3 s. Prize For Longest Drive. Prizes For Chipping/Putting Contest ($5.00 donation). Raffle For Chance To Win Additional Door Prizes such as a convection oven, binoculars and more. For further information, call Hollis Babb at or the church office at TRASH TO TREASURE SALE APRIL 14 Rusty Ogden and Susan Foster are once again heading up the annual Trash to Treasure Sale to be held inside Sanderson Hall. We need your GOOD unwanted items so start your Spring cleaning now. Popular items are appliances, baby items and toys, electronics, furniture and household items, sports equipment and tools. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT STAINED, TORN OR UNUSABLE CLOTHES. Clothes must be in excellent condition with the size available. Electronics, lamps, fans or anything electrical must be in good working order. If you have items to donate, or would like to assist with the sale, please call Rusty in the church office, WE WILL START ACCEPTING ITEMS APRIL 11. We also need workers to help set up on Thursday and Friday and to work the sale on Saturday, April 14, from 7am to 2pm. You do not have to work all day. A couple of hours would be appreciated. There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board outside the Nave or call Rusty in the office. They say that one person s junk is another person s treasure. And sometimes, one person s junk is just junk. PLEASE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

5 Epiphany Star Page 5 CHILDREN'S VEGETABLE GARDEN On April 22nd we will celebrate Earth Day by planting a garden. We are asking children to bring starter plants to plant on that day. Each child can tend to their plant during the course of the spring and summer (with a little help from parents & helpers). To start, we are asking for plants that grow UP (tomatoes and peppers for example). We will plant during Sunday school & Children's Church on April 22nd. Please have the children wear clothing they can "play in the dirt" in. We are planning to enclose the garden with fencing to keep the critters out. If you have extra chicken wire or other appropriate fencing that you are willing to donate please contact Shelly Hardin in the office. Mark your calendars! May 20th - Youth Sunday and End of the School Year Party! Youth Sunday will be celebrated at the 10:30am service and will be lead by our children and youth. We will be recognizing graduating seniors. Please plan to attend to support our children and youth in their spiritual journey. Jesus said "Let the children come to me. Don t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children. Immediately following the 10:30am service, join us for a cookout and picnic. We will have a giant water slide, moon walk, dunking booth and more. So bring your lawn chairs and plan to enjoy an afternoon of fellowship Money and Spirituality By Rosemary Williams The CJR Forum on Spirituality will have a seminar on April 27 and 28 in Woodall Commons. The cost is $25 and is limited to 50 people. Although her focus has been on women, men and young adults will find this seminar very useful. There is a sign up sheet on the nave bulletin board. Financial choices carry consequences because there is energy and power in them. This seminar will explore how we use the financial power inherent in our money. By identifying the: money myths we carry, family money patterns that influence us, feelings we have about our financial resources, alignment of our resources with our faith, spiritual call in our souls and connections between our financial and spiritual power. Rosemary Williams, director of Women s Perspective, is a leading voice on the topic of women, money, and spirituality. Her focus is squarely on the issues that confront today s woman: how do you understand money and how do you manage your resources while remaining true to your core beliefs and inner spirit. A former banker and personal financial planner, Rosemary understands the process and choices of money management. As a leader in encouraging transformation, she combines her deep faith with her financial know-how to help women explore and strengthen their connection between spirituality and money. She helps women unmask their powerful, and often conflicting or outdated, money messages and replace them with new ideas that center on financial and spiritual unity. In addition to her speaking engagements, she is the author of The Woman's Book of Money and Spiritual Vision: Putting Your Financial Values into Spiritual Perspective.

6 Epiphany Star Page 6 Mountain Convocation Spring Meeting April, 25, 2012 Church of the Epiphany Registration Fee of $8 (which includes lunch) to be sent to : Cheri Blair, 110 Cordell Drive, Horton, AL by April 18, blair110@earthlink.net Our meeting will be held in Epiphany s new Woodall Commons Building located behind the church, 1101 Sunset Drive, Guntersville AL. Registration and Fellowship 9:00 am Presentation on Hospitality by Rev. Bill Winters, Rector - 9:30 am Business Meeting 10:30 am Eucharist 11:30 am Lunch 12:15 All events will take place in the new building and hopefully the weather will allow us to be outdoors on the patio for registration and fellowship. Sign up sheets are available in the office. Name Phone Number Vegetarian Meal Y N ALTAR GUILD Daughters of the King Daughters of the King will meet Tuesday evening April 17 at 6:30 p.m. for our quarterly potluck supper. This will be our only meeting in April. FHS Sue Beiter Mother s Day Altar Flower Dedications Mother s Day is Sunday, May 13 and the Altar Guild is currently taking dedications for Mother s Day. This dedication is a beautiful way to remember those who mean so much to us; your wife, your mother, your grandmothers, sister, a favorite aunt, or a special friend. A dedication form is on the counter in the church office. Each dedication is $5.00. If you have any questions please see Marsha Babb or call her at

7 Epiphany Star Page 7 New address Fr. Bill Bill@EpiphanyGuntersville.org Martha Martha@EpiphanyGuntersville.org Shelly EpiphanyYouth@EpiphanyGuntersville.org Rusty Rusty@EpiphanyGuntersville.org Fax #: rusty@epiphanyguntersville.org Church: church@epiphanyguntersville.org Fax #: To hear the Sunday Sermons go to the church web site home page Click on Worship tab on right Click on Recorded worship sub tab under Worship Left click on the date of the Sunday you wish to hear. You will hear the complete 10:30 a.m. service. You may move the slider to fast forward ahead. We are saddened by the loss, March 16, of one of our members, Joy Cranford, of Guntersville. The Epiphany family extends its most heartfelt sympathy, love, prayers and support to her husband, Larry, and their children, Chuck, Kathy and Dan and all the Cranford and Alves family. Rest eternal grant to her, O Lord SILLY SOCK SUNDAY We continue the celebration of Easter with one of Fr. Bill s favorite events of the year SILLY SOCK SUNDAY on April 15. After each service, please gather in the parish hall to show your socks. The person with the silliest socks at the 8:00 a.m. service will win a prize. At the 10:30 a.m. service the following will receive a prize. Silliest adult socks Silliest teen socks Silliest child socks A breakfast for MS is April 15 following the 8:00am and 10:30am services. Donations benefit the Alabama Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. If unable to attend, donations can be made to the AL Chapter NMSS, with (Paula Dabney) on the memo line, and left at the church office or given to Paula. The MS Walk will be in Huntsville and will offer a one mile, two mile, and three mile route option for all participants. Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m. and the walk will begin this year with a shot gun start at 9:30 a.m. The celebration will continue after the walk at the Botanical Gardens with refreshments, announcements, awards, and entertainment. Please let me know if you are interested in walking with me. Are You Graduating? Are you graduating from college or do you have a child graduating from college? Please let us know by contacting the church office or Shelly Hardin at epiphanyyouth@epiphanyguntersville.org by April 30. Please let us know their full name, college/university and degree earned so they can be recognized and congratulated on Youth Sunday, May 20th. High school seniors should include college you will be attending or career you are starting Velma Atkins, Bill Winters, Cal and Paula Dabney and Kelly Auman at 2011 Cullman Walk for MS

8 Epiphany Star Page 9 APRIL CODE: BSA Brotherhood of St. Andrew; CC Children s Church; CP Centering Prayer; DOK Daughters of the King; DG Dream Group; ECW Episcopal Church Women; HC Holy Communion; HE Holy Eucharist; SS Sunday School; Birthdays in italics Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Palm Sunday First Sunday Discretionary Fund Mission Team 9:30am Taizé Service 5pm Martha Ross 2 Glenn Beiter 3 CJR Forum meeting 7pm 4 Stations of the Cross rehearsal 6pm 5 Maundy Thursday service 7pm David Jarmon Macelee Vass 6 Good Friday OFFICE CLOSED Service 12pm Stations of the Cross 5:30pm Service 7pm Lamar Auman Giselle Hembree 7 Easter Egg Hunt 11am Easter Vigil 7:30pm Altar Guild decorates 9pm Jackson Moore 8 Easter Day Outreach 9:30am Easter Reception 12pm Easter Hoo Rah 4pm Joseph Adair Ann Marie Batts Amy Meredith 9 OFFICE CLOSED John Burrows Rita Winters 10 Hospitality 6:30pm 11 HC & Healing Service 11:30am and 5:30pm Dinner 5:45pm Programs and Choir 6:30pm Kathy Cooke Emily Houston 12 DG 12pm CP 6:30pm Bob Hembree Bob Moses 13 Cursillo #182 Jackson Adair Rita Hayes 14 Garden Work Day 7pm Trash to Treasure Sale 7am 2pm BSA 8am William Black 15 Silly Sock Sunday MS Fundraiser Breakfast 8:45 & 11:45 EYC 5pm Hollynn Jarmon 16 Fr. Bill s Study Group 10:30am Sid Ross 17 DOK Potluck 6:30pm Vestry mtg 7pm Richard Grass 18 HC & Healing Service 11:30am and 5:30pm Dinner 5:45pm Programs and Choir 6:30pm Harold Henneman 19 DG 12pm CP 6:30pm Epiphany Eats Out at Sebatians5:30pm Jim King Art on the Lake Penny Moses 22 Outreach Spring Ingathering Breakfast 8:45 EYC 5pm 23 James McAllister ECW Convocation 9am HC & Healing Service 11:30am and 5:30pm Dinner 5:45pm Programs and Choir 6:30pm Jerry Ann Holt 26 DG 12pm CP 6:30pm Holy One Golf Tournament 12pm 27 Money and Spiritual Vision Seminar 6:30pm Dawn Alves 28 BSA 8am Money and Spiritual Vision Seminar 9:00am Debra Keller Barbara Noble Hootie Woodall 29 Breakfast 8:45 EYC 5pm 30 May 13 Mother s Day 20 Youth Sunday and Year End Party 25 Last Day of School 28 Memorial Day 17 Father s Day June 25 Special Sessions at Camp McDowell