Committed to living a faith journey that is sacred, intentional, compassionate and inclusive. Calendar Sunday, April 2 9:30 a.m. Sunday, April 9 Palm Sunday 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 13 Maundy Thursday 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 14 Good Friday Noon & 7:00 p.m. Saturday, April 15 Celtic Easter Vigil 7:00 p.m. Sunday, April 16 Easter Sunday 9:30 a.m. Sunday, April 23 9:30 a.m. Friday, April 28 Soul Kitchen 5:30 p.m. Sunday, April 30 9:30 a.m. From the Priest-in-Charge The Rev. Elaine H. Breckenridge During this season of Lent, many of us have been focusing on spiritual practices. Whether you have ordered and read the books, Strength for the Journey by Renee Miller, or The Soul of a Pilgrim by Christine Valters Paintner, or attended the Wednesday evening or Sunday morning class; I hope you have all been enriched by your Lenten journey this year. Many thanks to the teachers who have helped with our classes, Kathleen Bell, Pat Fehling, Carol Foote, Colleen Hurley, and Suzanne Kasich. Of course, corporate worship is also a spiritual practice. As we end the season of Lent, the church gives us all the opportunity to experience the premier spiritual practice and that is the Journey to Jerusalem with Jesus during the season of Holy Week. Holy Week is an important week for Christians. Attending the services gives us the experience of feeling all of the high or lows not only of the life of Jesus but of our lives too. We experience the joy and majesty of Palm Sunday, the intimacy of friendship on Maundy Thursday, which quickly gives way to sadness and agony, loss, betrayal, humiliation, pain and suffering, dying and death. Walking this Way with Jesus is a reminder that God has entered into these moments and ours. When life leads us through the valley of the shadow of death in our own lives, having shared (practiced) Holy Week with others prepares us to meet our own trials with equanimity. We experience and expect that beyond every loss and death, resurrection life is waiting for us. The practice of Holy Week makes Easter Sunday all the more poignant. Descriptions of the various services can be found in this newsletter. Some of the services are traditional some more innovative or experiential. I invite you to make an effort to attend at least one extra service during the week. It is my prayer for each of you and for our congregation that yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. May God continue to bless us with strength for the Journey. Elaine
Holy Week April 9-16, 2017 Sunday, April 9 Palm & Passion Sunday 9:30 am Procession & Passion Reading Thursday, April 13 Maundy Thursday 7:00 pm Eucharist & Stripping of Altar 8 pm to 8 am Garden of Gethsemane Watch Friday, April 14 Good Friday 12 Noon Passion & Prayers 7:00 pm The Cross: Love Set Free Saturday, April 15 A Celtic Easter Vigil 7:00 pm Festive Party Follows Sunday, April 16 Easter Sunday 9:30 am Festival Eucharist & Reception & Children s Egg Hunt Page 2 St. John s Episcopal Church
Holy Week SUNDAY, APRIL 9: PALM SUNDAY 9:30 a.m. Palm Procession & Passion The liturgy begins on a triumphal note, outdoors as all participants are handed palms to wave, just as the crowds did who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem. The Eucharist is received in a joyful spirit. The mood of the service then changes as the congregation joins in the narrative reading the Passion story. THURSDAY, APRIL 13: MAUNDY THURSDAY 7:00 p.m. The Night Before Jesus Died The story of the Last Supper is told in a traditional celebration of the Eucharist with hymns and a choir offering. Following the Eucharist, we hear the story of the betrayal of Jesus. All adornment is removed from the altar and church commemorating the stripping of Jesus. A solemn procession leads the congregation to the narthex which is set up with the Garden of Gethsemane where we are invited to watch and weep with Jesus. Please note there will be no foot washing ceremony this year. 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Garden of Gethsemane Watch The church will be open all night for prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane created by the Designer Guild in the narthex. People are invited to sign up to pray one hour, reminiscent of Jesus vigil on the night before he died. FRIDAY, APRIL 14: GOOD FRIDAY 12 Noon Passion & Prayers A traditional service from the Book of Common Prayer with music is held in the church and features a reading from the Passion Gospel, sermon, prayers of intercession, and the Veneration of the Cross. 7 p.m. The Cross: Love Set Free (New!) This service features silence, scripture and readings interspersed with sung chants focusing on the Passion of Jesus and the meaning of the cross. The rite includes the Taize ritual of participants placing votive candles on the cross. SATURDAY, APRIL 15: A CELTIC EASTER VIGIL 7:00 p.m. Vigil and Eucharist This liturgy is rich with meaning as we celebrate in word and action three Passovers: the Passover of the Hebrew people from their bondage in Egypt, the Passover of Jesus from death to life and the Passover of Christ s People as we celebrate our awakening to resurrection life. It includes the Renewal of Baptismal Vows and Celtic prayers. The first Eucharist of Easter is celebrated. A festive potluck snack reception follows the service. Please bring something to share. SUNDAY, APRIL 16: EASTER SUNDAY 9:30 Festival Eucharist Reception and Easter Egg Hunt April 2017 Page 3
Worship Assisted Listening System By Jan Cariati At our annual meeting, Mother Elaine had me introduce the Assistive Listening System we are interested in purchasing for the church. The system consists of a transmitter connected to our existing sound system and wireless receivers. The size of the receiver is about 3 3/4" by 2" by 3/4" somewhere near that of a small cell phone. There will be a charging rack on the table by the kitchen with a sign out sheet next to the receiver. The neck strap on the receiver has an easily cleanable ear speaker which simply hangs on the outside of the ear. For those with T-coil enabled hearing aids, the receiver and neck loop will automatically connect to the hearing aid. At the end of the service, simply return the receiver to the rack, we will wipe off the speaker, and they will be ready for the next service. If you would avail yourself of this service, please let Mother Elaine or Penny Wilson in the church office know. Before we make this purchase we want to be clear that it will in fact be used. Garden of Gethsemane Watch, Thursday, April 13 to Friday, April 14, 8 p.m.-8 a.m. People are invited to sign up to pray one hour, reminiscent of Jesus night vigil. Sign up is on the ministry table. The church will be open all night for prayer in the Meditation Chapel which will be set up to look like the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent his last night in prayer. Page 4 St. John s Episcopal Church
Worship Flowers and Special Music for Easter Our Easter liturgies are adorned with memorial flowers and special Easter music. Please pick up a form from the ministry table to fill-out if you are interested. Also on the ministry table is a list of those who participated in the Flowers and Special Music for Easter last year. Please review your listing. If it is how you want it, please initial and place your donation in the collection plate (or give to the office) with a note saying Easter Flowers. If you would like to change your listing, please fill out the form on the ministry table. A donation of $25 or more is suggested. The deadline to turn in your form is April 5. Your adornment will appear in the Easter bulletin. Easter Egg Hunt Eggs Needed! Our annual Easter Egg Hunt for elementaryschool age children and younger will be held on the west lawn after the 9:30 am service on Easter Sunday, April 16. Donations of plastic eggs, small toys, and candy are welcome and may be turned in to the church office. Volunteer helpers are also welcome. Please don t hesitate to include your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or any other beloved child who may attend church with you on Easter. We ll gather near the west doors before the hunt begins! April 2017 Page 5
Education and Spiritual Renewal Adult Forum Sunday, Adult Forum, Sacred Journeys continue April 2, Praying with the Body Folding hands, making the sign of the cross, bowing and genuflecting are all ways we use our bodies in prayer and worship. We will also learn about movement, dance, walking and yoga as spiritual practices. Elaine Breckenridge+, presenter April 9 & 16 The adult forum will not be held on Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday. April 23 & 30 The series on Spiritual Practices will continue. Watch the Sunday bulletin for emerging details. Other Programs The Soul of a Pilgrim Book Study Continues Group gatherings are on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm: April 5, 12 & 19 The final session April 19 will include a celebration of the Eucharist and party. People of Faith, Hospitality Room, Mondays, April 10 & 24, 10:00 a.m. This month s topic is Ruth from the Uppity Women of the Bible, series published by Living the Questions. All are welcome. Contact Ruth Diekman for more information. Page 6 St. John s Episcopal Church
Parish Life Soul Kitchen Friday, April 28 at 5:30 pm "Soul Kitchen" takes place the last Friday of each month. Dinner is served from 5:30-7:00 pm. This is a great way to reach out to our community. Please join us. If you have questions you may contact the office. April Vestry Meeting The vestry meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 18 at 7 pm. Special Thanks Many thanks to all who shopped, cooked, decorated, cleaned for The Mardi Gras celebration and the three Sunday Soups! St. Petersburg Men s Ensemble Returns Sunday, May 28 at Noon The St. Petersburg Men s Ensemble is an a capella quartet founded in 2003 which includes the talents of Kirill Sokolov, Sergey Shapinskiy, Vadim Smantser, and Andrei Volikov. This talented group expands the limits of generally accepted perceptions about singing groups and choir performances. The group s repertoire encompasses various periods and styles from ancient Russian chants and chorals of Western European masters, to modern, contemporary musical techniques. Perfect harmonies! Enchanting music! Classics and folk tunes! The group will be singing at Sunday service! Don t miss it. April 2017 Page 7
Outreach Food Basket Ministries You are invited to bring the following items for the food basket ministry. The Salvation Army continues to appreciate donations of soup, peanut butter and jam. Yellow Blessing Bag Ministry Remember to bring your spare change to church for our ministry to the homeless Park and Walk Consider parking further away from the church to allow the elderly and infirm access to closer spots. Coffee Cup Ministry Bring your own coffee cup to church and take it home to wash each Sunday to help us save on paper products. Love Lodi, Coming April 29, 2017 Please mark your calendar for the Love Lodi event on April 29. This is a day of service to others when most of the church and other community members in Lodi form teams, have a morning celebration and then go out into the community to do service projects. The Web site is up so check it and see all of the great projects that will be conducted that day. I have historically cleaned the alleys on the Heritage side of the town with teams of youth and other interested parties. A new project may be found for this year. I invite members of St. John s to join me for this day of working together for our community. The day ends with a BBQ at Hale Park and music!! Page 8
Easter Flowers Flowers at Easter Our Easter liturgies are adorned with memorial flowers. If you remembered loved ones and blessings last year at this time and would like to repeat your memorial message, please initial the list on the ministry table and put your donation of $25 or more in the plate during the offering. If you have not participated in this ministry before and would like your memorial included, please fill out the form below and return it to the office. The deadline to turn in your form is April 5. Your adornment will appear in the Easter bulletin. Check here if you participated last year and want your entry to remain the same. Fill in only your name on this form. Finally, put your donation money and this form in the offertory plate or mail to the parish office. Check here if you want to change last year s wording, or if you are doing this for the first time. Please fill out this form completely, place it and your donation money in the offertory plate or mail to the parish office. A minimum donation of $25.00 is requested. All paid adornments will be published in the Easter bulletin. Thank you! ADORNMENT FORM FOR EASTER Adornment in thanksgiving for / in honor of / in memory of: (circle one) Given by: (print clearly): Your phone number: April 2017 Page 9
Adornments We are grateful for these donors whose gifts adorn our worship in April Apr 16 Patricia Fehling in loving memory of her husband, Don for his birthday, April 19. Apr 16 Kenneth & Lucy Deak in loving memory of his mother, Rose Deak. Apr 23 Peter & Diane Burkett in celebration of their wedding anniversary, April 21. If you would like to dedicate flowers in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving, please call the parish office at 369-3381. Easter Offering In thanksgiving for the gift of resurrection in your life, consider making a special Easter gift to the Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist. Easter offering envelopes are in the pews and you may contact the church office if you would like one sent to you! Your gift is fully tax deductible. If you choose not to use the enclosed envelope, think green and return the unused envelope to the church office. Page 10 St. John s Episcopal Church
April Celebrations 3: Liam McLaughlin 4: Peter Collins Penny Goehring 5: Brandon Cook Deborah Denney 9: Janie Williams Andrea Tanjuatco 10: Tristan McLaughlin Catherine Berman 13: Kimberly Kinser 14: Payton Luiz 16: Melanie Geist Matthew Kafton Lila Smith 17: Robert Hoffman 18: Suzanne Collins Ryan Urban 20: Annika Knutson 24: Maxwell Osborn 25: Nicholas Denny Gwin Paden 26: Sylvia Patten Caroline Ramonda 27: Amanda Sager 29: James Ledbetter Antonio Lima 30: Christina Mullikin Soria 21: Diane and Peter Burkett 23: Jan and Steve Manildi 25: Aleathea and Dennis Langone April 2017 Page 11
The Episcopal Church of Saint John the Baptist 1055 S. Lower Sacramento Rd. Lodi, CA 95242 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Lodi, CA Permit No. 161 Phone: 209-369-3381 E-mail: stjohnslodi@sbcglobal.net Return Service Requested We re on the web www.stjohnsoflodi.org What s happening in April Sun. 2nd 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist 9:00-12:00 Nursery care provided 11:00 a.m. Adult Forum Wed. 5th 7:00 p.m. Soul of a Pilgrim Sun 9th 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist 9:00-12:00 Nursery care provided Mon. 10th 10:00 a.m. People of Faith Wed.12th 7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal 7:00 p.m. Soul of Pilgrim Sun 16th 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist 9:00-12:00 Nursery care Provided 11:00 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt Wed. 15th 7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal 7:00 p.m. Soul of Pilgrim Sun. 23rd 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist 11:00 a.m. Adult Forum 9:00-12:00 Nursery care provided Mon. 24th 10:00 a.m. People of Faith Wed. 26th 7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal 7:00 p.m. Discernment Meeting Fir 28th 5:30 p.m. Soul Kitchen Sun 30th 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist 11:00 a.m. Adult Forum 9:00-12:00 Nursery care provided Tues. 18th 12:30 p.m. Bridge Group 7:00 p.m. Vestry Meeting