The Clarion. The Important Stuff. by Catherine Hylands

Transcription

1 The Clarion Vol. 46, No. 3, April S. John Redditt Drive, Lufkin, Texas stcyprianschurch.org The Important Stuff by Catherine Hylands Rufus Duncan spoke to us last month about following Jesus example and building our Outreach Church by participating in church activities and volunteering in the community. His point was that we should strive to overcome the noise and clamor of daily life and focus on following Him and doing His work. Great idea, but how do we find the time and energy to commit to these activities? How do we set an example for our children? Rufus message reminded me of a children s sermon I heard years ago in England. Our minister called a little boy to the front of the church to help him demonstrate his point. The little boy s job was to pour a bag of sand into a tall glass cylinder on a table. Then he was asked to fit several fist-sized rocks in the remaining space at the top of the cylinder. Try as he might, the little boy was defeated by the task. The sand took up too much space and there was not enough room for all the rocks, however he rearranged them. The minister encouraged him to try harder! Harder! But no luck. There was simply not enough room. The minister then pulled out an identical cylinder and an identical bag of sand. This time the little boy was encouraged to START with the rocks. They were carefully placed in the bottom of the cylinder, then the sand was poured on top. Amazing! There was plenty of room for both! The sand sifted around and under the rocks, and the whole congregation could see through the glass that the cylinder was full, but not overflowing. The cylinders represented our lives, our minister explained. The rocks are important things, things that God knows will give our lives meaning and fulfillment. These things are God s plan for us love, service, worship, commitment to His kingdom. The sand is everything else the trivial, the temporary, the things we may like doing but that don t enrich our lives. If we start with these things, there may not be room for everything we want in our lives. But if we focus on what is important if we START with the rocks everything else will fall into place and there will be plenty of time and energy left for the rest. May God help us to remember what is truly important, that we may delight in His will, and walk in His ways, to the glory of His Name! Mission Statement We are a Parish called by God to be a growing family of Christians who serve Jesus Christ by demonstrating His love through our daily lives, service, and worship.

2 Page 2 The Clarion, April 2017 Easter Lilies for the Altar Every year our sanctuary altar is decorated with beautiful lilies on Easter in memory of or in honor of the special people in our lives. If you would like to donate an Easter Lily, please fill out the form below and deliver (or mail) it to the church office with your check. The cost of each Easter Lily is $35. Please print. The deadline is April 10th. in memory of In honor of Given by Palm Crosses Saturday, April 8th, 10am, Parlor We need willing hands to make the palm crosses handed out on Palm Sunday! Come spend an hour or so weaving the crosses. There will be instructions and all are welcome! This is always a fun family activity. Easter Vigil Please sign up on the poster in the Narthex for a one hour Easter Vigil gift of your time between the end of the Maundy Thursday evening service and the beginning of the Good Friday Service (April 13-14). Contact Laura Logan at llogan@suddenlink.net. Palm Sunday, April 9th Eucharist at 7:30 and 10 AM The Parish Photo will be taken after each service. Maundy Thursday, April 13th 7:00 PM Prayer Vigil immediately following Good Friday, April 14th Good Friday Service at 12 Noon Stations of the Cross at 5 PM Easter Sunday, April 16th Eucharist at 7:30 and 10 AM Easter Egg Hunt after 10 AM Service

3 Page 3 The Clarion, April 2017 Music Notes by Greg Simmons, Music Director Sometimes the most beautiful music is the music that takes a while to resolve. Have you every listened to a piece of music that seemed to be so dissonant, but when it came to the end all of dissonance, seemed to resolve in just the right way? The beauty of the music is not necessarily found in the resolution of those nasty sounding harmonies but in the journey that the dissonance took so that it could resolve. This approach in music is much like Jesus Christ s journey through the desert. For 40 days, he experienced hardship, then the tension built with his crucifixion and death, but on the third day the final resolution is heard and a beautiful cadence is found. Beauty is found in contrast. We know what ugly music sounds like because we know what beautiful music sounds like. We know that Beethoven s 9th Symphony (Ode to Joy) is joyous music because we know that Chopin s Funeral March (you probably remember it from the cartoon Tom & Jerry) is sad music. We know that Jesus s resurrection is a joyous event, because we know ourselves and the trials and tribulations that he went through while on this earth. This Easter, remember to be thankful for the season of Lent, because it is part of how we can see a more beautiful Easter season. Remember that the beautiful music you hear on Easter Sunday tells the salvation story with every dissonance and every resolution. CD Release Party Saturday, April 22nd, 7pm, Parish Hall St. Cyprian s will release their first CD on April 22nd, There will be a celebration in the Parish Hall, beginning at 7:30pm. Everyone is invited and encouraged to come. This will be the first opportunity anyone will have to purchase one of our CD s. On this CD you will find fourteen great hymns from the 1982 hymnal and two anthems that come from the English Anglican Choral tradition. There will be a short presentation on how the CD was made, followed by the premier of our second music video. Refreshments will be provided. There were over 100 people involved with this project, and we hope you will join us to celebrate more than a year s hard work. Kitchen Towels It would be wonderfully helpful if the people who used the kitchen would take home and wash the kitchen towels used for cleaning and drying. Just bring them back the next time you are at church! This small act of service contributes a lot to the whole over time! Treasurer Report February is typically a high income month due to some who paid their entire annual pledge in January. $45,679 of the YTD Income was pre-paid pledges. The current cash reserves are sufficient to cover normal cash flows and emergency contingencies. February YTD Actual February YTD Budget YTD Budget Variance Income 137,503 93,040 44,463 Expenses 98,057 93,040 5,017 Margin 39,446 39,446

4 Page 4 The Clarion, April 2017 LAY MINISTER SCHEDULE FOR APRIL 2017 Ministry April 2 Palm Sunday April 9 Maundy Thursday April 14 Good Friday April 15 Easter April 16 April 23 April 30 7:30am Acolytes K Jones J Bell C Westbrook C Logan R Temple 10am Acolytes Cr Matthew L.. Cl Matthew H. Ca Jacob W. Ca Nick H. Gb Wyatt P. Cr: Christian R. Cl: Avery S. Ca: Sarah R. Ca: Alex H. Gb: Madison G. Cr: Charlotte P. Cl: Josh S. Ca: Autumn S. Ca: Morgan W. Gb: Hayne E. Cr: Joseph M. Cl: Priscilla G. Ca: Austin G. Ca: Gabriel L. Gb: Grace L. Cr: Sara R. Cl: Morgan W. Ca: Madison G. Ca: Alex H. Gb: Millie H. Ushers Blanks Geist Franks Minshaw Volunteers Volunteers Blanks, Preston Hineman, Logan McDonald Picou Alvis Enos Altar Guild MM Riley M Benson C Hylands A Moss D Brittain S Treadwell C Riley N DeVore A Treadwell C Blanks All teams strip the Altar. Team 1 set up communion. Good Friday to be set up after the Maundy Thursday service by S Short and any volunteer helpers. S Short M Ellis T Love B Geist MM Riley M Benson C Hylands A Moss D Brittain S Treadwell C Riley N DeVore A Treadwell C Blanks V Dobrec D Hineman D Temple S Mettlen Breakfast Teams T Squyres F Preston B Love C Hineman C DeVore B Killam R Blanks G Temple C Grumbles R Vann T Hill A Moore B Moore Jeff Todd S Ross R Holmes R Loggins C Logan J Freeman T McDonald J Havard M Todd P Medford K Jones P McCurry M Hineman J Hannah Coffee B Preston L Logan J Greak B Preston R Blanks Lay Readers 7:30am J Bell S Griffin Lay Reader N Muir S Griffin B Brown C DeVore Lay Readers 10am I Buschemeyer C B Geist R1 D Hineman R2 C Blanks I C DeVore C B Ray R1 J Peterson R2 T Gonzalez LEM C DeVore C C Riley LEM/C D Hineman I K Frost C L Squiers R1 B Killam R2 J Deitz I S Alvis C B Geist R1 N Muir R2 Buschemeyer I B Estes C B Ray R1 Youth R2 Youth Vestryman Picou Moore G. Frost Stover Frye Hylands Loggins Enos Duncan L Frost Yard Team April 8 Team 1 R Temple April 15 Team 2 M Picou April 22 Team 3 B Love April 29 Team 4 R Loggins

5 Please refer to the calendar link on St. Cyprian s Church s website for more extensive and up-to-date information. Page 5 The Clarion, April 2017 April Birthdays 2 Ann Matthews 9 Jaelynn June 19 Susie Shands 24 Marie Nickle 3 Len Medford 10 Blake Cherry Julianne Greak Gavin Richardson Sophia Reed 11 Brennen Peterson Patrick Haney 25 Allison Moss 4 Thomas Gibbs 13 Ellen Jean McGuinness Luke Owens 26 Amy Loggins Victoria Viet Dyson Nickle, Jr. 20 Ron Haney Halle DeVore 5 Gerry Powell 14 Kae Richert Andrew Peterson 27 Jennifer McCall 6 Ruby Moore Jay Shands 21 Leelana Orr Claire Inselmann Ella Taylor Rachel Inselmann 22 Cynthia Gonzalez Ryan Rasmussen 7 Jim Bell 16 Charlie Brittain Nick Fajen Thatcher Shadden 8 Debbie Lloyd Greg Gibbs Matthew Logan 28 Robert Ramsey Karen Peterson Lauren Leedy Samantha Havard 30 Jackie Franks Will Foster Patrick Gordon 23 Todd Raines 9 Tricia Fajen 17 Wanda Leary Michael Mays Sophie Glover 18 Theresa Fain 24 Sherry Simmons April Anniversaries 3 Claire and Tom McLaurin 17 Emily and Jeff Havard 26 Deanna and Charlie Brittain 6 Sara and Kyle Mettlen 21 Deborah and Jerry Huffman 27 Susie and Jay Shands 15 Betty and Fred Preston 24 Sally and Max Alvis 29 Eleanor and Robert Estes 16 Suzi and Gerry Powell 25 Kristi and Cooper Buschemeyer Event Date Time Location Stitch In 4/1 11:00am Parish Hall DAR Meeting 4/4 1:00pm Parish Hall Vestry meets with Bp Harrison 4/5 4:00pm Parlor Bp Harrison meets with Confirmands 4/5 5:30pm Parlor Confirmation Service 4/5 6:00pm Sanctuary Meal with Bishop & Confirmands 4/5 7:00pm Parish Hall Bayou Bash 4/7 6:00pm St. Cyprian's School Yard Workday 4/8 8:00am Church Grounds Palm Crosses 4/8 10:00am Parish Hall Palm Sunday Parish Picture 4/9 8:15am and 11:15am Courtyard Maundy Thursday Service 4/13 7:00pm Sanctuary Office Closed 4/14-4/17 Good Friday Service 4/14 12:00pm Sanctuary Stations of the Cross 4/14 5:00pm Sanctuary Godtel Easter Dinner Prep 4/15 11:00am Kitchen Easter Rite I Worship 4/16 7:30am Sanctuary Easter Rite II Worship 4/16 10:00am Sanctuary Vestry 4/17 5:30pm Parlor Children's Movie Night 4/21 6:00pm Parish Hall CD Release Party 4/22 7:00pm Parish Hall Men's Fellowship 4/27 6:00pm Behind Church Thomas Gibbs Wedding 4/29 Sanctuary EYC BBQ Fundraiser 4/29 10:00am School Drive Through Youth Sunday Service 4/30 10:00am Sanctuary

6 Page 6 The Clarion, April 2017 It is that time of year again! Life is starting to pick up and get busy. We are coming down to the end of the school year, which usually means family vacation, summer, and mission trips are almost here. Have you gotten all those details squared away yet? If not, don t forget to incorporate the mission trip into that planning. For now, let s slow down a little bit, because before we get to our summer vacations we have to get through April first, and there are a lot of important dates to remember in this month. First off we have our huge annual BBQ Fundraiser coming up on the 29th of April. This fundraiser will raise all of the money that we need to fund our mission trips this summer. Our goal is to sell 500 plates at $10 a plate. Each plate contains a chicken leg quarter, beans, potato salad, bread, and sides such as onions and pickles. It will be over at the school s parking lot. You won t even have to get out of your car! All you will have to do is pull up through the drive-thru and the kids will hand the plates into your car. The chicken is cooked by none other than Mr. Charlie Grumbles, so you know it will be delicious. You can get your tickets from any of our teenagers or by calling the church office at April 30th is Senior Sunday where we recognize all of our seniors who will be graduating. Following the service, there will be a reception in the parish hall where each senior will have a table decorated with past accomplishments and future plans. This is also an opportunity for you to give our kids a graduation gift if you would like. You can leave those gifts on their tables in the parish hall. Serving a gracious God, Jordan Dietz All youth volunteers and events are coordinated through our Youth Minister, Jordan Dietz at youth@stcyprianschurch.org.

7 Page 7 The Clarion, April 2017 Easter Eggs Needed! We are in need of donated and filled plastic Easter eggs for the Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday. Please drop off the eggs at the church office before Easter Sunday, so we know if we have enough for the hunt. You can designate the eggs to be for 3 and under or 4 and older, or we will choose. Movie Night Friday, April 21st *** 6-9pm Bring your friends and a sleeping bag, have supper and enjoy a movie! VBS Planning Meeting April 30, 11:15am Parlor Everyone interested in helping with planning VBS is invited to attend (RSVP for nursery). APRIL EVENTS 9th Palm Sunday Parish Picture after each service 13th Maundy Thursday 7:00pm Service 14th Good Friday Stations of the Cross at 5pm 16th Easter Sunday Flowering of the Cross Egg hunt after service 21th Movie Night 6-9pm Parish hall Supper and movie 30th VBS Planning After the 10am service in parlor Contact Mrs. Lena at (936) or lnickle@lufkinisd.org.

8 St. Cyprian s Episcopal Church 919 S. John Redditt Dr. Lufkin, TX THE CLARION, (USPS ), published monthly by St. Cyprian s Church, 919 S. John Redditt Drive, Lufkin, Texas Periodicals postage paid at Lufkin, Texas. Address Service Requested. Confirmation with Bishop Dena Harrison Wednesday, April 5th 6pm Confirmation Service 7pm Celebratory Parish-wide Dinner for the Confirmands and Bishop Dena Come help us honor our nine adult confirmands!