Words from the Well January 2019

Transcription

1 CHURCH OF OUR FATHER PO Box 186 HULLS COVE, MAINE Words from the Well January 2019 The Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane, Bishop of Mae The Rev. John Allison, Rector Over the next ne Sundays we will celebrate the season of Epiphany. While the Feast of the Epiphany itself is celebrated on January 6th and is generally associated with the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus, bearg their gifts of gold, frankcense, and myrrh, the season of Epiphany contues the theme of God s revelation through Christ. The length of the season of Epiphany varies from year to year as it is dependent on the date of Easter, and the Gospel from which the readgs come varies from year to year as well. Last year we had six Sundays after the Feast of the Epiphany and Mark was our primary source; this year there are ne Sundays and all but one of our Gospel readgs will come from Luke. The Gospel readgs for each of the eight Sundays after the Feast of the Epiphany will focus on particular events the life of Jesus that reveal him as the Son of God, begng on January 13 with Luke s account of Jesus beg baptized the River Jordan (3:15-17, 21-22). The Sundays that follow will draw from the Gospels accordg Luke and John and will present a range of experiences that pot us to an understandg of just who Jesus is. The season The Rev. John Allison culmates on March 3 with Luke s account of the Transfiguration, which Jesus ascends the mounta with Peter, James, and John and is transfigured before their eyes (9:28-43). As we reflect on these stories, it is important to consider how each reveals an aspect of God Christ. More specifically, we might consider how Epiphany vites us to a way of seeg, of recognizg God's carnate love here among us. In this season we are remded aga and aga of God's presence among us, remded that as disciples, as followers, we are called to see God's image the world around us, one another. In our Baptismal Vows we affirm that we will "seek and serve Christ all persons." We say, yes, with God's help. I will. But how? What gets our way? It's certaly not always easy. This word Epiphany is one of those distctly theological terms that has taken on a common meang that some ways is only a pale shadow of how we use it the Church. In common usage, it means a sudden realization, often of a mundane nature. For me, comg from a faith background that didn't emphasize the liturgical seasons, that really didn't recognize them at all, for much of my young life that's what I thought epiphany was. It wasn't until college, where I was an English major, takg a class on James Joyce that I realized the deeper dimensions of the word. Ironically, it was through Joyce's use of the word that it began to reflect meang outside of the church; ironic because, though Roman Catholic, Joyce had a very uneasy relationship with the church, and ironic because his work, a tangential way, had a great bearg on me fdg my way back to the church. But his use of the word epiphany was anythg but trivial. Or perhaps a better way to put it is that for Joyce there were moments that one could observe, some seemgly quite trivial nature, that shone with a radiance that reflected some greater truth. As a writer he believed his task was to illumate those moments. He did that certaly his novels and short stories but also his journals were filled with such moments, epiphanies that he collected, seventy-one all. These were written snapshots of real-life events that poted to somethg larger, somethg so powerful and dicative of a higher reality, that they take on the character of a mystical vision. Good art does that. It pots us to somethg shg with beauty that is not always easily seen. That's what poetry does. And most importantly, that s what scripture does. It touches us deeply, pots us to somethg beyond the page. We see it the Psalms and Jesus' parables, and the accounts of his miracles. We are witness to it ourselves, witness to these shimmerg moments, if, to paraphrase Jesus the Gospel of Matthew, if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. (cont d page 2)

2 2 (Rector, cont d from page 1) Jesus' Baptism, which we recognize on January 13, was such a moment. And not just the Baptism but the very person of Jesus. That's what John the Baptist shows his followers; that is what he shows us. He pots us to Jesus. The people who followed John were lookg for the Messiah, the Christ. And we might say they had certa expectations as to what that meant, expectations that Jesus often confounded, and that is part of the nature of Epiphany--surprise, wonder. And there lies one of the crucial differences between epiphany as depicted art, as conveyed through artifice, and Epiphany as experienced, experienced through Christ particular. I expect to be moved when I read James Joyce or when I look at a Rembrandt patg. In some ways we've been traed to see those little epiphanies but it's not always so convenient when the epiphany is manifest our everyday experience. Are we awake to God s epiphany Christ? Beg awake was the theme of Advent as we prepared for the comg of Christmas, of the Incarnation. Watch! Be alert! Every week the readgs urged us aga and aga to be watchful. And it's still worth askg, are we awake? Can we see Christ when he shows himself? It may not always be what we expect, but are we ready anyway? Are we ready to fd and serve Christ all persons? Those we least expect? Fr. John+ A few photos of a very successful Christmas Fair! Thank you to Mary McEnroe, Gail Leland, Marj Dahl, Sue Olson, Joanne Sousa,??????????????????????

3 3 Above: Sue Olson has been very, very busy bakg for the fair! Left: Take a look at the church s spectacular Christmas Cactus bloom! CoOF Annual Meetg will be after 9 am service on Sunday, January Fr. John s Regular Office Hours are: Tuesday, 11 am-2pm Wednesday, 9 am Noon Thursday, Noon-2 pm Friday, Noon-2 pm and by Appotment Call fr.jallison@gmail.com Fr. John Will be out of the office Jan Mike Bullard may be reached at mbullardiii@msn.com, the Rev. Kathleen Killian at , Please send us your address if you would like to receive Father John s Publication of a Weekly Update Via -shalomcoof@gmail.com Available to view onle at or on our Facebook Page

4 4 Left: The stunng crèche front of our altar, welcomg Jesus, our Christ! Right: Our beautiful Altar with the fill effect of the perfect decorations of the flower guild, settg off the crèche perfectly! Left: Sunday, January 6, another beautiful crèche at the back of the Sanctuary, complete with the 3 Kgs welcomg our new Messiah!

5 5 Birthdays we Celebrate! (Please let Muffet know if we may add yours) 1/6 Ann Zaslau 1/8 Amy Hodgson 1/11 Margie Sweet 1/22 Joel Lscott 1/25 Rachel Libitzki-McCabe 2/1 Nancy Salisbury 2/2 Ursula Heiger 2/3 Fr. John Allison 2/5 David Dawson Frank Gray (Please let Muffet know if we may add Saturday, January 19, there will be a Walkabout at Gracie Theater on the Husson College Campus Bangor from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. This will be your opportunity to meet and hear the 5 candidates for Bishop of Mae. The event will also be live-streamed by the Diocese from their website. For more formation, click <here> or check out their website at To carpool to the event, contact our delegates: Larry Johnson, Marilyn Kitler or Sue Olson. Christmas Out Reach 2018 Thank you! With a theme of providg Hope the name of Jesus, the Christmas Outreach committee of 2018 thanks all who gave generously providg gifts to children of the Emmaus Center and the men of the Mt View Development Facility. Gifts to the Fuel fund were also appreciated. May the generosity of COOF contue to Christmas Outreach committee Barbara Lscott, Nancy Salisbury, Nancy Lombardi, Jane Adams, Carol Johnston, Mary McEnroe, Barbara Craighead, Gail Leland, Chris Krenicki, Brad and Kate Berry

6 January 2019 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday December 30 Christmas 1 10 am With all 4 MDI churches 31 Newsletter articles and photos for January due Annual Reports due January 1 Fr. John away 2 8 am Holy Eucharist & Fr. John away 3 Fr. John away 4 Fr. John away 5 6 Epiphany 8 am & 10 am Fr. Chuck Bradshaw 7 9 am FINAL day for Annual Report submissions! 8 Fr. John away 1 pm Men s Bible Study St. Saviour s 9 8 am Holy Eucharist & Fr. John away Epiphany 1 8 am & 10 am Fr. John 16 8 am Holy Eucharist & 9-12 Fr. John Fr John at Diocesan Council 19 Walkabout at Gracie Theater on Husson College Campus 1:30-4:30 20 Epiphany 2 10 am Annual Meetg 21 Labors of Love Schedule for February due Fr. John 23 8 am Holy 8 am & 9-12 Fr. John :30 am Acadia Senior College here 26 MDI church supper Schoolhouse 27 Epiphany 3 8 & 10 am 28 Newsletter articles and photos for February due Fr. John 30 8 am Holy Eucharist & 9-12 Fr. John 31 Feb. 1 2

7 Intercessory Prayer for our Friends, Family, Military, Prison Mistry: Pray for Isabel Cordova, Haji, Avila, Beth Kidder, Ga Farnsworth, Nancy Salisbury, Fr. Bob Raymond, Bill Kirk, Stacey Aust, Donna Cardillo, Cdy, Roger Evans, Carl Hatch, Christa Heiger, Ursula Heiger, Helen, Cameron Knable, Kim and Jean Lasater, Gary Lyons, Ronald Olson, Tony & Shawn Smoker, Bob Theriault, Lloyd Woods, Anne Zaslau, the Mistry of Hospice and the Bar Harbor Food Pantry. Our Military: Pray for those who serve the armed forces, of the USA. Prison Mistry: Pray for peace our prisons. Diocesan Cycle of Prayer 6 January ~ Epiphany Because of the mystery of the Word made flesh, you caused a new light to she our hearts. Help us to be a light of peace to the world. (Preface for Epiphany) For the spread of the Gospel to all the world 13 January ~ Epiphany 1 For the candidates, members of the diocese, Transition Committee, and staff for next weekend s Walk-Abouts with candidates for the Tenth Bishop of Mae 20 January ~ Epiphany 2 For church leaders everywhere durg this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, that they may work together and promote unity among Christians 27 January ~ Epiphany 3 The congregations of St. Andrew and St. John, Southwest Harbor St. Saviour s, Bar Harbor Church of Our Father, Hulls Cove For those who advocate for the poor, the lonely and the oppressed Sunday, 6 January 2019 Pray for the Anglican Church Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia The Most Revd Philip Richardson - Bishop of Taranaki and Primate The Most Revd Don Tamihere - Pihopa o Aotearora and Primate The Most Revd Fereimi Cama - Bishop of Polynesia and Primate Sunday, 13 January 2019 Pray for the Anglican Church of Australia The Most Revd Philip Leslie Freier - Archbishop of Melbourne & Primate of Australia Sunday, 20 January 2019 Pray for the united Church of Bangladesh The Most Revd Paul Shishir Sarker - Moderator, Church of Bangladesh & Bishop of Dhaka Sunday, 27 January 2019 Pray for the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil The Most Revd Naudal Alves Gomes - Primate of Brazil & Bishop of Curitiba

8 CHURCH OF OUR FATHER P.O. Box 186 HULLS COVE, MAINE Office (GPS location: 91 State Hwy 3, Bar Harbor) Church of Our Father : Sunday 8 and 10 am Wednesday 8 am Words From The Well January 2019 IN THIS ISSUE P. 1 Fr John Allison P. 2-5 Around the campus P. 6-7 Calendar/Birthdays/Anniversaries/ Prayers