The Ascension and Pentecost

Transcription

1 May 2013 The Messenger OF ST PAUL S ANGLICAN PARISH The Ascension and Pentecost This month, we conclude our look at the teaching tool of the Church Year with a look at the Feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost, and the long season of ordinary time that follows. As the Season of Easter carries on, the Paschal Candle continues to burn in all of our services, calling our attention to the reality of the Resurrection. The sanctuary continues to be adorned with white, the color of celebration. The Bible tells us that forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus Ascended to heaven. He [Jesus] said to them: It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1:7-9) On Thursday, May 9 th, the Church commemorates the Feast of the Ascension. The Ascension, though, is not so much about Jesus disappearing from the disciples sight as it is about His return to the Father s side where He is seated to rule over the universe. The Ascension is about Jesus ascension to the throne of heaven. The Ascension also draws our attention to the fact that the Feast of Pentecost is coming shortly. When Jesus ascended to the Father, He instructed His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the coming gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift that would allow Jesus people to live as His witnesses in the world. The Feast of Pentecost, often called the birthday of the Church, reminds us that the Old Testament promise of the Holy Spirit being poured out on all flesh has come to pass. The color of the sanctuary changes to red for the tongues of fire that rested on the disciples. People are encouraged to wear red that day! But we need to move beyond the memory of that day into the critical importance of what it means for our lives today. As we said in last month s article about Easter and the Resurrection, we are called to live transformed lives in the power of the Resurrection. Resurrection power is made real in our lives by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In many ways, we could say that the point of Easter was Pentecost. Jesus didn t just die on the Cross so that we could be saved when we die; He died and rose in order to pour out the Holy Spirit upon the Church so that we would be able to finally live into everything He would have us be and accomplish everything He has given us to do. Eucharistic Prayer D puts it this way: To fulfill your purpose he gave himself up to death; and, rising from the grave, destroyed death, and made the whole creation new. And, that we might live no longer for ourselves, but for him who died and rose for us, he sent the Holy Spirit, his own first gift for those who believe, to complete his work in the world, and to bring to fulfillment the sanctification of all. BCP, p. 374 The Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us in order to empower us to live for Jesus, to finish His Mission, and to be made holy. This is the importance of Pentecost! It should come as no surprise, then, that the longest season of the Church Year follows this important Feast. Everything has been leading to this point. The promise of Advent, the gift of Christmas, the manifestation of Epiphany, the preparation of Lent, the glory of Holy Week and Easter all to give us what we need to live for Jesus, finish His Mission, and be made holy. The rest of the Church Year continued on page

2 To Serve you is Perfect Freedom This phrase comes from the Collect for Peace out of our Morning Prayer service. It seems rather odd, from a cultural standpoint that is, to say that service brings freedom and peace. And yet like the Good News of the cross of Christ, serving God and others reflects His wisdom rather than the world s (Mark 10:45; 1 Cor. 1:18-25). This is because when we pour out ourselves in love and service we are nourished by God s grace. This school year we have been discussing God s grace an unearned gift given by God and the means through which He dispenses it into our lives. We have reflected upon the means of grace found in the Word and Gospel Sacraments, prayer, community, and now we conclude with service. In many ways loving service flows naturally from being nourished by God s grace (1 John 3:16-17). In gratitude for the love and grace of God, we move outward to share it through serving others. God is clear that He expects us to care for those in our midst, especially the folks we tend to want to overlook. Jesus even goes so far as to say that if we do not try to care for those who are on the margins of our society, it is questionable whether we really are united to Him (Matt. 25:31-46). This is not to say that we must serve the marginalized in order to be right with God. That would eliminate the grace of Christ that binds us as the Church. The point Jesus wants us to grasp is that He is present amongst the downtrodden. Through faith we have been united to Christ and His Spirit now dwells in us (Gal. 4:4-7). Thus the new life naturally moves toward serving Christ in our neighbors. All of God s grace that we receive is designed to equip, motivate, and move us outward in grateful, loving service. And in turn, service is a means of grace whereby God grows our faith, extends our love, and brings us joy and peace (B.H. Cosby). We have many opportunities as a church family to reach out in loving service to our neighbors, such as Flood, the Mission of Kern County, and Senior Sack. We also have the opportunity to share the source of our gratitude that spurs our service, and that is our hope in Christ. Please pray about joining the My Hope project. It is designed to give you a simple, nonthreatening way to share the love of Christ with people in your own home. In Christ s Love & Service, Mark + Sunday School (10AM) Parent Connection aims to assist you in building upon what your children are learning in Sunday school. It is available on our website under Growing in Christ. 5/26 Year-end Celebration at Pioneer Village Youth Group (Sundays: 5:30-7:00 p.m.) 5/5 Teaching What is a Disciple? 5/12 NO YG Mother s Day 5/19 Serving at Parish BBQ 5/26 Teaching The Assurance of a Disciple Contact Fr. Mark with? s at mark@stpaulsbakersfield.org SUNDAY SCHOOL End of Year Celebration at Pioneer Village Sunday May 26th at 10am Come worship in the historic St. John s Chapel, followed by a picnic, fellowship, and time to explore the park. YOUTH GROUP Year End Trip to MAGIC MOUNTAIN...continued from page 1 Friday, May 31st 9am - 7:30pm Cost $45 Covers admission, transportation,& lunch continues in the color of green, the color of growth, as we live out the Mission of making disciples of all nations. The Church Year teaches us as it brings us, again and again, into the full sweep of God s story of salvation. But it also teaches us the important balance between penitence, celebration, and work. Indeed, we spend the majority of our time working for the spread of the Kingdom, seeking to be faithful servants of our Resurrected Lord Jesus, so that, as we celebrate on the last Sunday of the Church Year in the Feast of Christ the King, we may be found ready when He comes again. 2 Yours in Christ, Fr. Karl+

3 In The Parish Family Congratulations to Dick Giles & Anne Arnold, who were married on April 10th. Bryan Williams & Karen Elizes, who were married on April 27th. Chad & Kristin Savage, who gave birth to Luke Everett, on April 19th. Jerry Hoos, who became on Great Grandmother for the 4th time on April 18th. Andrew Chaffee Aria Poon Kresten Carroll Chris Hoss Jim Darling Jeff Roberts Milton Pope Elsie Bergman Bettie Clark May Birthdays Roxanne Starbuck Aubrey Young Bob Trainor Maxine Chesney Stephanie Faulk Shelby Nommensen Bentley Willis Steven Brown Mira Landucci Destiny Studer Sympathy to Jack Salter Ken Pitchford Hugh Smith on the death of his father last month. Dear Members, Thank you to all who provided meals to the Fair Family Memorial. Our family at All Saints Church suffered a deep blow when Jared Fair passed.. Though only a young man of 13, Jared daily demonstrated God s love and helped everyone he knew, feel it. His smile was infectious and his heart was great. He will be missed in our church family. All Saints rarely has receptions as large as Jared s. Approximately 500 friends attended the memorial to remember him. Earlier that week, when I call St. Paul s for help with donations for the reception meal, it seemed we began with on 2 fish and 5 loaves. I was happily shocked with the response that came. We had enough food to feed all the attendees and then send some home with the Fair Family to feed them and their guests. Because of the charity of St. Paul s, I am truly honored to say that I am an Anglican. I pray that this will be the beginning of many more All Saints and St. Paul s Family unions. Thank you, again, for all of your help and all of your love. May each and all be abundantly blessed through the Grace of our Lord land Savior. Sincerely, Cyndi Ozuna-Bomar 3 Benita Chase Sharon Spear Joseph Dunwoody Mike Chase Patty Page Thomas Smith Julia Zervis Share your Life, Open your Home, Share your Hope in Christ Training on Saturday, May 11th at 8am KERN DEANERY GATHERING An opportunity for worship and fellowship Morning of Saturday, May 11th Anglicans from across the county are invited to join together in a time of corporate worship and fellowship. More details coming soon. Mark your calendars now!

4 ACW RUMMAGE SALE Saturday May 4, 2012 You have the opportunity to support and participate in this project. The sale enables the Anglican Church Women to help fund their on-going programs for St Paul s Parish. You may not bring your donations to the church at this time. As the time draws near, you may bring your items on Sundays only. People wishing to help out with this worthy cause, or who if you have any questions, may contact Lynne Hall at TICKETS $5 for food tickets at Jastro Park May 19, :30 to 3 p.m. ST. PAUL S ACW (Anglican Church Women) Guest Speaker All women are invited to the May ACW meeting on Thursday, May 17th, at 5:30 p.m. Vicki Moore will be our speaker. Please join us for this interesting evening. Our annual Church BBQ will, once again, be at Jastro Park. This year, we will begin at 11:30 a.m. There will be no 1928 service that day. Many hands are needed to make this a joyful success. A sign-up sheet is available if you would like to lend a helping hand. All are invited! Desserts Needed All women or men are encouraged to bake some home-made goodies for our BBQ, which is on May 19th. Many desserts are needed, so please help support our BBQ by making pies, cakes, brownies, cookies, etc. If you have any questions, please call Debbie Gibson. We reached 6,252 hours of love & service to our community. 4

5 St. Paul's Anglican Parish th Street Bakersfield CA th Street Bakersfield, CA Office Fax check us out on Facebook! WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday Rite I - 8 a.m. Rite II - 10 a.m. Sunday School at 10 a.m Service - 12 noon Thursday Healing Eucharist 10 a.m. in the Chapel The Messenger 5 May 2013 Our Clergy The Rev. Karl E. Dietze, Rector The Rev. Mark Hall, Assistant The Rev. John M. Wilcox, Retired The Rev. John LaMar, Deacon Our Staff Sue Wagner, Director of Music Tara Michaels, Office Manager Kendi Miller, Bookkeeper Sheri Sorkhi, MOM s Preschool Director