Transformed lives, transforming our community.

Transcription

1 The Christ Life The Newsletter of Christ Church, Schenectady Lent/Easter Edition 2014 Ph (518) Fx (518) Your Redemption is Drawing Near Transformed lives, transforming our community. Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, The Random House Dictionary defines redemption as follows: 1. the act of redeeming or state of being redeemed. 2. deliverance from sin. Its one of those big churchy words that we don t hear very often, but as a local car dealer says, ITS HUUUGE!! You may not think about it on a regular basis, but God is all over it 24/7/365. He can always be caught in the act of redeeming and all who are in Christ are in the state of being redeemed (not to be confused with the state of New York). Deliverance from sin was handled once and for all on the cross. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. (Colossians 1:13-14) Lent is all about our redemption. It s why we observe this season every year a reminder that we have a great need for a Savior and a great Savior for our need. Without God s redeeming work on the cross, we re dead literally, spiritually, and eternally. With out redemption, we cannot know God and we are separated from Him forever. We worship a Redeemer God who has the ability to redeem our most foolish choices and take away all our sins. Like I said, redemption is HUUUGE! I invite you during this season of Lent to consider your redemption. As you think about the forgiveness of your sins and prepare your heart for a holy season of drawing near to God, welcome Jesus into the deepest part of you. Let the Holy Spirit cleanse you and renew your strength in the assurance of God s redeeming work. As the hymn says, Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates; behold the King of glory waits! The King of kings is drawing near; the Savior of the world is here. Redeemer come! I open wide my heart to thee: here Lord, abide! Let me thy inner presence feel: thy grace and love in me reveal. In addition to the redemption messages that are inherent in the Scriptures we ll read throughout Lent, we will be offering some movie nights featuring films that have a redemption theme. On Friday nights throughout Lent we will have the Stations of the Cross at 6:00pm in the church, followed by a soup dinner in the undercroft. On March 14 th, 28 th and April 4 th and 11 th, we invite you to stick around after dinner for some outstanding and redeeming movies. May you have a holy and blessed Lent! In Christ,

2 More blessed Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35) NEW TESTAMENT GUIDELINES FOR GIVING 1. Give. 2. Give Generously 3. Give Regularly 4. Give Deliberately 5. Give Voluntarily 6. Give Sacrificially 7. Give Excellently 8. Give Cheerfully 9. Give Worshipfully 10. Give Proportionately 11. Give Quietly In previous issues, we looked at the first eight guidelines for giving. We continue with guidelines nine through eleven from the above list: 9. Give Worshipfully Our giving is a reflexive response to God s grace it comes out of the transforming work of Christ in us. Giving is worship, every bit as much as praying or singing a hymn. 10. Give Proportionately When there was an impending famine, the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea (Acts 11:29) God says when it comes to giving, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income (I Corinthians 16:2). Believers, as they sense God s direction, can increase the proportion of their giving as God blesses them financially or as they learn to trust him more. 11. Give Quietly Jesus says, Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven (Matthew 6:1) When you give to the needy, he says, don t announce it, as do the hypocrites, who want to be honored by men. Instead, give quietly, not telling anyone, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:4). (Money, Possessions and Eternity, Randy Alcorn, pp ) No matter what the dollar amount you give, when you align your giving with God s principles as outlined above, it will be the right amount. In other words, when you give generously, regularly, deliberately, voluntarily, sacrificially, excellently, cheerfully, worshipfully, proportionately, and quietly, you can be pleased knowing that God is pleased with your offering. In so doing you will be more blessed. In Christ, Fr. Brad

3 Health Ministry Decrease While HE Increases Clergy Challenge Our clergy have agreed to lose weight for their Lenten penance. To support their endeavor, please come to the kick-off weigh-in on Shrove Tuesday, March 4 th, 6:00-8:00 pm Pancake Supper. The contest will end Easter morning, April 20 th, with a weigh-in and numbers calculated (no breakfast provided). There is no cost for the pancake supper, but please make a love offering. The money will be deposited into each clergy discretionary account proportionately to the weight each person has lost. Virtually the only healthy way to lose weight and keep your weight at a healthy level is to eat right and exercise -- not by starving yourself and putting in 3-hour workouts a day for three weeks, but by adhering to healthy lifestyle principles for a lifetime. According to Live Science, these diet tricks will actually help you keep off the pounds: 1. Avoid corn syrup Science shows that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is bad news. One study showed that rats who drank HFCS-sweetened beverages gained significantly more weight than rats consuming the same amount of calories in sugar. 2. Keep away from junk food -- It's Addictive Junk food can affect your brain in ways similar to drug abuse. 3. Structure meal times Long stretches without food make people crave energy-dense snacks, which can make healthy choices difficult. 4. Satisfy your body -- especially at breakfast A proteinrich breakfast leaves you less hungry for the rest of the day. Some fat in the meal can help, too. 5. Favor foods closer to nature Favoring whole fresh foods over processed ones will naturally optimize the healthiness of your food choices. 6. Change your environment Altering your food environment -- whether this means using smaller plates or keeping seconds out of immediate reach -- can help you lose weight. 7. Enjoy your food Food that is eaten mindlessly is neglected food. When you pay attention, you are satisfied in a deeper way. Taken from Dr Mercola.com Sheila Smith, Chris Dussault, & Vivette Ram March Birthdays 1 Heather Kaminsky 8 Chuck Baumgartner 10 Natasha Wright 12 Elizabeth Hundley 14 Chris Yost 16 Dcn. Margaret Teetz 17 Landon Henges 20 Joe Popa 21 Jacqueline Benn 21 Mark Chesnut 21 Glen Parks 21 Chuck Rinaldo 25 Larry Hubert 26 Andrew Carlson 26 Ben Carlson April Birthdays 2 Mia Petersen 2 Ray Rockwell 7 Flo Duheme 8 Cathie Gibbons 8 Evan Santiago 9 Michelle Diaz 9 Rev. Peter Schofield 18 Rita Michalec 29 Joshua Kaminsky 30 Hugh Vandeyar March Anniversaries 1 Doris and Dave Carlson 10 Bridget and Dick Peters 15 Elaine and Tom Carrubba 21 Deborah & John Preston April Anniversaries 17 Janet and Ken Johnson 20 Donna and Chuck Baumgartner 24 Hilda and Chris Hardy 29 Linda and Nason Richmond

4 Spreading the Fire A NEW YEAR -- "LETTING GO AND GOING DEEPER" Each New Year's Eve, we enjoy a meal together in the Undercroft and then spend time in the Lord's presence--worshipping and seeking Him for guidance for the New Year. What came out of this time is the following: 1) "LET GO"--We need to let go of extra baggage. Many of us have distractions that hinder and keep us from entering into the new things He has for us. If you can relate to this, then it's time to take inventory of our "things"---both time and possessions. He will give us the grace we need for this task, as we submit to his leading. Psalm 90:12---So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 2) "GO DEEPER INTO THE WORD"--The Lord desires intimacy with us and will reveal more of Himself as we spend time with Him. Protect your time with Him. Psalm 119:162--I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure. 3) "RECEIVE HIS PEACE"--He is JEHOVAH-SHALOM--that is, He is our Peace. Many of us are tired and weary. Be restored and renewed as you spend time with Him. Psalm 46:10--Be still, and know that I am God. Our "King's Party" is always a special time of food, fun and fellowship. We conclude our time by celebrating the Eucharist together. Join us next year! Louise Popa Joe Popa and Benjamin Carlson Christmas Eve 2013

5 Friday Nights in Lent Beginning at 6:00 pm Friday, March 7 - Stations of the Cross, Soup Dinner Friday, March 14 - Stations, Soup Dinner, Movie Friday, March 21 - Stations, Soup Dinner, FLAME Friday, March 28 - Stations, Soup Dinner, Movie Friday, April 4 - Stations, Soup Dinner, Movie Friday, April 11 - Stations, Soup Dinner, Movie He has risen, just as he said. Matthew 28:6 Bottle Returns for Youth Ministry First and foremost, thanks to all who have contributed refundable bottles to support this Youth Ministry Fund over the last 11 years. We have raised $267 in 2011 and $288 in 2012, and $283 in As a reminder, only those items that are redeemable for refund can support this ministry. Milk jugs, juice and wine bottles, ice tea cans and the like, do not require a deposit and do not add revenue. Items missing labels or those crushed where the bar code cannot be scanned are also not redeemable. Most importantly, please rinse containers so as not to attract insects into the kitchen, especially with the approach of warmer weather. Thank you. Your support is vital to the success of this ministry. Chuck Rinaldo EASTER FLOWERS Flowers and plants may be given in memory/honor of a loved one(s). A form is included below. In order for the names to appear on the Flower list for the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday, the form must be returned to the Church Office no later than Monday, Monday, April 6 th. The form may be placed in the offering plate or mailed to the Church Office. The flower offering will be used for Easter flowers and plants and other Altar Guild expenses. EASTER OFFERING The Easter Offering will go to Capital Improvements. A form for special Easter giving is included below. Please use the form provided or simply mark Easter Offering in the memo section of your check. The form may be placed in the offering plate or mailed to the Church Office. Name: Amount for Easter Offering: Amount for Easter Flowers: Memory: Honor:

6 April 13 8:00 am Procession of Palms and Holy Eucharist 10:30 am Procession of Palms and Holy Eucharist HOLY WEDNESDAY April 16 12:10 pm Holy Eucharist April 17 7:00 pm Maundy Thursday Liturgy followed by Garden Vigil April 18 Noon Public Stations of the Cross 7:00 pm Message of the Cross and Holy Eucharist HOLY SATURDAY April 19 9:00 am Liturgy of the Word 8:00 pm Easter Vigil EASTER SUNDAY April 20 10:30 am Easter Sunday Service

7 Christ Church 970 State Street Schenectady, NY Transformed lives, transforming our community. The Rev. N. Bradley Jones, Rector The Rev. Peter Schofield, Priest Associate The Rev. Larry Hubert, Deacon The Rev. Howard Smith, Deacon The Rev. Margaret Teetz, Deacon Ms. Carol Yezzo, Treasurer Mrs. Louise Popa, Banner Mrs. Hilda Hardy, Organist Mrs. Patricia McCrossan Vestry: Dave Carlson, Senior Warden Dick Peters, Junior Warden Debbie Bisner Ben Carlson Linda Davis Christine Dussault Michelle Diaz Dave Hart Terry Hurlburt Osileke Osipitan Marilyn Wessels