He is Alive!
Transcription
He is Alive!
Holy Eucharist Service Office Hours at All Saints Sunday 10:30 am 11:45 coffee hour and fellowship Mon. thru Thurs. 9:00 to Noon Adult Ed and Sunday School 9:30 am Office - 507-645-7417 419 Washington Street PO Box 663 Northfield, MN 55057 Email: office@allsaintsnorthfield.org Website: www.allsaintsnorthfield.org Evening Prayer Bible Study Tuesday 7:00 pm In Case of Emergency Gayle can be reached at Home 651-558-0238 Cell 651-269-0813 Morning Prayer/ Eucharist Wednesday 7:30 am March 2016 BLOOD ALLELUIA THORNS LAST SUPPER BETRAY PALMS JOHN BREAD BODY STONE PETER DISCIPLES He is Alive! PASSOVER PILATE CROSS WINE JUDAS DONKEY MARY PRAYER CROW March 27 HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE 10:30 am Eucharist 7:00 pm Liturgy Noon & 7:00 pm Liturgy 6:00 pm Stations of the Cross 10:30 am Eucharist WEPT Easter THOMAS March 20 March 24 March 25 RESURRECTION Palm Sunday Maundy Thursday Good Friday EMMAUS Rev. Gayle’s Corner Can you believe Easter is right around the corner? With Easter "coming early" at the end of March we are caught in the awkwardness of sharing Lenten focus alongside The Good News of Jesus bodily resurrection. We participate in Holy Week to amplify the joy of Easter Day and the fifty day season that follows. Participating in the Passion prepares us to participate in Resurrection. Here is a quote from a MP3 recording of The Cosmic Christ by Franciscan priest Richard Rohr. "If you had been present at the moment of the Resurrection, what would you have seen? If there had been a video camera outside the tomb, what would it have recorded? Perhaps there would have been a huge flash of light or a subtle glimmer of a dimension beyond our usual perception. At the Resurrection, we believe the historical body of Jesus moved beyond any confinement of space and time. The presence which was captured in finite form was revealed to be an infinite omnipresence. He moved from Jesus to Christ, which now includes in its sweep all of creation and even you and me. The texts all agree that this movement had a physical dimension to it, but it is a new kind of embodiment that is both of this world and yet not limited by it. Thanks to Einstein, we now know that matter and energy are convertible forces." Umm. What will it look like to be caught up in a sweep of new creation? What new life will be recorded in your journey beyond the tomb? What embodiment of Good News will take place inside All Saints as we hope and practice to become resurrection people? I look forward to finding out, don't you? Update on 410 Stafford Pam Middleton We are making some progress on the sale of our property at 410 Stafford in Dundas. An offer was made on the building on February 9th and the vestry voted to accept the offer at the meeting that night! We are in the middle of working on the purchase agreement and look forward to closing the deal as soon as we can. Because matters are not settled at this time, we are not reporting the conditions of the sale in case we encounter problems and have to start over. Please pray for all to proceed smoothly! The sale is contingent on the approval of the Standing Committee and the Bishop, who meet on February 24th. Many documents reviewing and outlining our situation were prepared and provided to the committee. Please pray for a positive outcome on this front as well! MARCH 13 Last seven words of christ Wom a My God, My God, why hast n, b I th eho ld thy irst . St. son! Joh St. J n1 ohn 9:2 8 19:2 5-27 It is finished. St. John 19:30 Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise. St. Luke 23:43 Father forgive them; Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. St. Luke 23:46 In case you haven't attended Lenten Simple Suppers yet on Wednesday nights followed by a conversation from 6:45-7:30 pm, here is a sample of our schedule for focusing on The Seven Last Words of Jesus and The Way of the Cross. The Seven Words of Jesus The four Gospel accounts and Latin phrases February 17: "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." (Lk 23:34) Pater, dimitte illis, quia nesciunt, quid faciunt February 24: "This day you will be with me in Paradise." (Lk 23:43) Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso "Woman, behold your son." (John 19:26-27) Mulier, ecce filius tuus March 2: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mk 15:34; Mt 27:46) Deus meus, Deus meus, utquid dereliquisti me "I thirst." (John 19:28) Sitio March 9: "It is finished." (John 19:30) Consummatum est "Into your hands I commit my spirit." (Lk 23:46) In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum The Way of the Cross: Experience different interpretations on Wednesdays, March 9 and March 16. On Good Friday, March 25th, The Stations will be at 6:00 pm prior to the 7:00 pm Good Friday Liturgy. The Way of the Cross, developed after religious pilgrimages to the Holy Land, ended with military occupation of Jerusalem in the Middle Ages. The Way of the Cross arose during Lent as a movement prayer retracing the Passion, Crucifixion, and Death of Jesus. Eight have scriptural bases (indicated by *) The fourteen Stations of the Cross: (1) * Pilate condemns Jesus to death (2) *Jesus takes up the Cross (3) Jesus falls the first time (4) Jesus meets his afflicted mother (5) * The cross is laid on Simon Cyrene (6) A woman/Veronica wipes his face (7) Jesus falls the second time (8) *He consoles women of Jerusalem (9) Jesus falls a third time (10) *Jesus is stripped of his garments (11) *Jesus is nailed to the cross (12) *Jesus dies on the cross (13) Mary cradles Jesus’ body (14) *Jesus is laid in the tomb Senior Warden Pam Middleton Junior Warden - Maggie Odell Looking back and looking forward. It seems that we were just celebrating the birth of Jesus and Epiphany, and all of sudden we are into the season of Lent, moving towards Easter. The week of Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday witnessed All Saints at its best- worshipping and celebrating together as a tight knit community, yet welcoming to those who enter our doors for the first time. In February’s Connections, Marshall Hansen reported on the ECMN’s 2016 mission focus on encouraging each congregation to take practical steps toward reducing our carbon footprint. The ECMN goal is intended to encourage lasting change, in the sense that each congregation is encouraged to take two steps in each of three areas: practical action, spiritual practice, and systemic change. In February, the vestry began to take one of those practical steps. At Marshall Hansen’s encouragement, we have been reviewing our energy usage, and have been working toward developing a heating and cooling policy that balances our goals of hospitality with our concern to be good stewards of energy resources. We agreed to set the thermostats during the winter to 68 degrees in the new building from 8 am to 8 pm, and to lower the temperatures significantly at night. We also agreed to purchase two new thermostats to replace the older thermostats in the undercroft and the sanctuary. With the new thermostat in the sanctuary, it is our hope that we can be even more aggressive in saving energy in that part of the building. On Sunday, February 7th, we gathered together after church to say thank you to Al Gramstedt who has had a ministry of love for many years, sending birthday and anniversary cards as well as always inquiring about our lives and those of our loved ones. Glenn Olson, and his son Chris and Chris’ friend Cassie, and Lori Pearson and her children hosted one of the yummiest, fun “Coffee Hour” lunches I have ever witnessed. The cake provided by Laura Kay Allen was the perfect way to finish off the lunch! The love that was palpable throughout the Commons made me feel privileged to be a part of this community. Just the day before, Rolf and I had participated in the Vestry Retreat put on by ECMN. I wished that they could have been at All Saints on Sunday to witness the very energy and life that they are working to help all faith communities achieve. Two nights later, on Shrove Tuesday, the men of the church, led by John Hall cooked up a delicious pancake supper to keep us going through the season of Lent, beginning the following day. Rev. Gayle led us in prayers of gratitude before the children helped to bury the Alleluia. Of course, fun was had the entire evening with the Dixieland band led by Marshall, along with bead necklaces and the King Cake - we will all remember that it was Liam King who got the piece with “the baby”! These community events happened before we inhabited our new space, but the new space makes all of our events in some ways much easier - a kitchen on the main floor, equipped with the Hobart dishwasher, and clean, modern bathrooms for example. While last year was still a year of transition, this year promises to be one of stabilization. Rev. Gayle is working with the vestry to lay down strong foundations in terms of operations and communications. The remaining boxes are being unpacked, and files re-organized. Part of this effort is to help with the passing on of leadership roles and the handing over of those responsibilities. We are making a lot of progress and are excited about moving into the future! If you have ideas to help with these efforts please speak with me or other members of the vestry. As you move from Lent in to the Easter Season, let us all celebrate our new life. I am grateful to Bob Rowe for following through on our decisions. Bob took the time to talk with Keith Pumper, who installed our HVAC system, to learn more about how the system was designed to work. Bob also met with Pumper’s technician Jeremy on Monday February 15, who moved one of the thermostats to the undercroft and reset all of them to reflect our new policy. We’ve learned a great deal over the last couple of months. We’ve learned, for example, that our heating zones were not designed to be sharply regulated. Instead, they were designed to heat the building both evenly and efficiently by providing heat when it is needed in specific zones. We have also learned that setting the thermostat any lower than 60 degrees at night does not necessarily save energy. We are fortunate to have a building as efficient as it is. Thanks to Marshall’s leadership during our fundraising campaign, we were able to double the insulation in the building. The last two years have been relatively warm; even so, we have already seen a significant reduction in the use of fuel compared to our usage in the old buildings. There is more to do; but for now we have taken that first practical step. Office Angels Pam Middleton For the first six months of 2016, we are experimenting with using volunteers to manage our office functions. These “Office Angels” will each have their own “duties” to perform, while also serving as the friendly face of welcome during the church’s Office Hours (currently the office is open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 9:00 until noon). Rev. Gayle is present on Monday and Wednesday mornings, Bonnie Sherman covers Tuesday, and I cover Thursday. Vicki Harper will be joining the team soon, and others have expressed interest as well. Rev. Gayle is also in town at times other than the Office Hours. Some typical office functions have been carried out by volunteers for some time. Mark Heiman has been producing the bulletin for years, and is the go-to person whenever there is computer/copier or other technological challengesthank you Mark. I have been preparing the lay ministry schedule and sending reminders for several years as well. The Connections Newsletter, previously part of Rhonda’s duties as the Office Manager, will continue to be produced by Rhonda- now in her Office Angel role- thank you Rhonda! If you have any interest in being a part of this new Office Angel ministry, please see Pam Middleton. The more that we can have our doors open to the community, the more we are able to carry out our mission of welcome and hospitality. Northfield Reads announces 2016 program The community of Northfield and surrounding areas is invited to read and discuss $2 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America, by Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer. The book $2 a Day chronicles families living in extreme poverty in a way that is engaging, informative and inspiring. It informs the complex social, political and economic factors underlying the situation. The number of Americans surviving on $2 a day (about the cost of a gallon of gas and less than a latte) has more than doubled in the last twenty years placing 1.5 million households and 3 million children in this extreme economic situation. This is about one of every 25 families with children, a startling statistic. Northfield does not have statistics based on the concept of $2/day. We do have statistics indicating that low income households are increasing; 15% of Northfield residents live in poverty. “Few families in $2-a-day poverty are disconnected from the workforce. Most are workers who fall into extreme poverty only when they can’t manage to find or keep a job. . . . And even when working full-time, these jobs often fail to lift a family above the poverty line. . . . One in four jobs pays too little to lift a family of four out of poverty.” (From $2 a Day) Northfield Reads offers events to encourage discussion. $2 Dinner: Thursday, March 10, 6:00 pm, United Church of Christ. Includes a meal typical of this income level, activities, and speakers about homelessness, area food resources. Cost: $2 or what you can afford. RSVP f.corinne.smith@gmail.com Book Discussion: Thursday, March 17, 6:45-8:00 pm at Content Bookstore. Video: Follows four low-wage workers: Thursday, March 29, 7:00-9:00 pm, Dittman 305, St. Olaf Campus. Community Gathering: Sunday, April 10, 7:008:45 pm, St. John’s Lutheran. Music by Broke Folk and a one act play by Northfield High School students, with testimonials, discussion and ways to address this concern. Reading the book is helpful, but not necessary. Do come with an open mind, ready to listen and to share. Books are available at Content Bookstore and Northfield Public Library. Northfield Reads is a collaborative project, brought to you by: Human Rights Commission, Northfield Public Library, League of Women Voters, Community Action Center, Thrivent Financial, Northfield High School One Act Plays, Content Bookstore, Carleton College Center for Community and Civic Engagement, and St. Olaf College Department of Social Work and Family Studies and supported by Northfield Clergy. If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness. Isaiah 58:10 Northfield’s food shelf needs our help! During this month of March please make a donation to our CAC food shelf by putting a check (labeled “food shelf” on the memo line) in the offering plate or by placing healthy food items in the baskets at the back of the Sanctuary. Canned or boxed food is good, but cash is better. This is be- cause the Food Shelf can purchase bulk food wholesale at much lower prices than we can. Our CAC food shelf staff has over 30 years of experience at stretching funds and resources to best meet the needs of our town’s less fortunate members. March is the only month when matching state funds will proportionately magnify our gifts to the CAC food shelf. The MinNow is the time to donate, because nesota FoodShare Campaign has addressed hunger in our state every March for 34 years by organizing churches, businesses, and individuals to get to know and actively restock their local food shelves. Whatever we do (or fail to do!) in March affects the food shelf for the rest of the year. Northfield’s CAC food shelf provides groceries and encourages basic home-cooked meals and family togetherness for over 400 low-income families each year. In 2014, almost 15% of kids in Minnesota lived below the poverty line. Young children and the elderly are the ones most likely to go to bed hungry and poorly nourished. Hunger adversely affects learning, school performance, and job performance—which adversely affects our society as a whole. Please give generously to the food shelf this month! If you have any questions about the March campaign or the CAC food shelf, ask Marshall, Rhonda, or Pam, or call Darla Neufeldt at the CAC. Make us worthy, Lord, to serve those throughout the world who live and die in poverty or hunger. Give them, through our hands, this day their daily bread; and by our understanding love, give peace and joy. Amen” ---Mother Teresa of Calcutta SHROVE TUESDAY All Saints Vestry and Contacts SR. WARDEN JR. WARDEN TREASURER AT LARGE AT LARGE AT LARGE AT LARGE CLERK Pam Middleton Maggie Odell Val Britton Rolf Tollefson Vacant Skip Edmonds Richard Crouter Rhonda Rowe YOUTH/SUNDAY SCHOOL CANTERBURY PRIEST-IN-CHARGE ORGANIST For assign. Mark Heiman Rev. Gayle Marsh Ben Kerswell CONNECTIONS TEAM Pam Middleton Mary Jones Rhonda Rowe WEBSITE DESIGN & MAINT. Mark Heiman MARK YOU CALENDARS 2 9 13 16 20 24 25 27 31 6:00 pm Simple supper and study 8:30 am Outreach 6:00 pm Simple supper and study DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS 6:00 pm Simple supper and study Palm Sunday 7:00 pm Maundy Thursday Liturgy Noon and 7:00 PM Good Friday Liturgy Easter Thursday’s Table Regional Confirmation will be April 16 at Cathedral in Faribault. If you are looking to be confirmed, or have questions regarding confirmation, please see Rev. Gayle. March 31 is All Saint’s next opportunity to serve at Thursday’s Table. Please watch for the sign up sheet on the bulletin board. Articles for the Apr Connections are due in the office by March 21 . Thanks! REMINDER Choir rehearsal is on Wednesday’s at 5:00 pm during Lent. Readings for March EASTER FLOWER TIME! 3/6 Hebrew: Joshua 5:9-13 Psalm: Ps 32 Epistle: 2 Cor 5:16-21 Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 3/13 Hebrew: Is 43:16-21 Psalm: Ps 126 Epistle: Phil 3:4b-14 Gospel: John 12:1-8 3/20 Hebrew: Is 50:4-9a Psalm: Ps. 31:9-16 Epistle: Phil 2:5-11 Gospel: The Passion 3/27 Hebrew: Acts 10:34-43 Psalm: Ps. 118:1-2; 14-24 Epistle: 1 Cor 15:19-26 Gospel: Luke 24:1-12 Forms can be found in the Commons area. Please fill out and return ASAP. You may put the form and your check in the offering plate or put on the desk in the office. Happy Birthday! 3/8 3/11 3/13 3/14 3/16 3/19 3/23 3/24 3/25 3/31 Bob Will Carolyn Dilley Bob Neuhaus Greg Gudbjartsson Anthony Rudd Sunny Leonard Marshall Hansen Sasha Garcia Rolf Tollefson Linda Gleason Happy Anniversary! No anniversaries are recorded in March