Dear Friends in Christ,
The end of the Season after Epiphany is upon us, when we have heard and sung and prayed in ways that have revealed Christ to us in new ways. This coming Sunday, at the 10 am service, will be the final use of the Enriching our Worship Eucharistic Prayer and the contemporary form of the Lord’s Prayer. We’ll process the Alleluia banner out as a reminder that in Lent we have no Alleluias.
All that, of course, means Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday are not far behind. They are next week! A brochure with all of our Lenten offerings is available in the Narthex of the Church.
Please take a look at the announcements below, especially:
Pancake Supper (Events)
2016 Statement of Contributions (Stewardship)
Scout Sunday (Worship)
EVENTS
This Week – 2/28, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper in the Parish House Lower Room, 5:30-7:15 pm (continuous servings); pancakes, sausage, applesauce. Cost is $5 per person; kids under age 3 free; $20 maximum per household. This year’s dinner will include our festive piñata for the kids (held over from Epiphany). Come and have a good time with your fellow parishioners in a relaxed, casual setting; invite a friend or neighbor. There’s a sign-up sheet in the Narthex – both to RSVP for dinner, and sign up to help. Thanks! We need some help with kitchen set-up & clean-up, and middle school and high school kids to set tables, put up decorations and serve.
Save the Date! Spring Fish & Chips by Argyle of Kearny. April 27 – 5:30-7:30 pm
LENT
Lenten Daily Prayer in Virtual Community – all the details are in the brochure in the Narthex – also a reading schedule for the Gospel of Matthew during Lent. Sign up for this on the sheet in the Narthex, and/or send an email to allstsmill@hotmail.com.
Lenten Devotional Booklets – this year we have a variety of booklets from Forward Movement and from Episcopal Relief and Development. Please take one for your Lenten preparation.
Pilgrim, a Course for the Christian Journey: The Commandments. Monday nights at 7 pm, six sessions, starting 3/6. A foundation for our love and duty to God and neighbor, the Ten Commandments are the topic of this six-week series. Sign up on the sheet in the Narthex or e-mail to reserve a book ($10) and let us know if you’ll come for a simple soup supper at 6:30 pm.
Pathways of Faith Coloring Evening, Wed. 3/15 – using a Biblically-themed coloring book published by forward Movement, we’ll spend a reflective evening in the Church – 7:30 – 9 pm.
“The Road to Character” Book Discussion, Wed. 3/29, 4/5. Join us for this 2-part discussion of David Brooks’ important book (available through the library or Amazon). It highlights a variety of different notable people and the way they developed traits such as honesty, goodness, altruism, loyalty, courage, and faith.7:30- 9 pm in the Rath House.
There are sign-up sheets for these events in the Narthex.
WORSHIP
Ash Wednesday - Lent starts this week on March 1. There will be two services: 9:30 am and 7:30 pm. Both will include the Ash Wednesday Liturgy with Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes. New this year – if you are unable to come to either service, ashes and a prayer will be available in the Church between 11:45 am and 12:30 pm that day.
Scout Sunday – Next Sunday, March 5 at the 10 am service we will recognize all Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and their leaders. Scouts should wear their uniforms to Church. All Saints’ is the chartering organization for BSA Troop 56 and Cub Pack 56; we are also the host site for the monthly LHT Girl Scout Leader meetings, as well as many Den and Troop gatherings. If you know a Scout family, invite them to Church that day. All are welcome!
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Bible Study – Wed. at 10:15 am, in the Rath House. We are reading through the Book of Acts; this week, 2/8, we’ll discuss Chapter 23.
The Celtic Heart @ All Saints’
Irish singer/songwriter Carmel Boyle returns to New Jersey to share her spiritual tradition with original spiritual songs, stories and rituals inspired by the Celtic tradition. Her mystic voice touches the heart and opens it to prayer and healing. There are two opportunities to hear Carmel.
Concert ~ The Singing Heart
Sunday, Mar. 5, 7:30 pm –9 pm: Goodwill offering
A night of song and spirit; bring a friend and be refreshed at the start of Lent ~ in the Church.
Retreat Day ~ The Open Heart
Wednesday, Mar. 8, 9:15 am– 2:30 pm: $50/hot lunch
Be enriched by Carmel’s unique presentation of the Celtic Christian Tradition that offers inspirational and creative ways of prayer. Broaden your spiritual life by connecting with this ancient tradition ~ in the Parish House.
To register for the retreat call Pat Hughes: 908-608-3160.
Carmel comes to us through the kindness of Sacred Thread Ministries and the Christian Community.
HELPING HANDS
Our Next Night to Make Sleeping Mats for Homeless is March 8th at 7:30 pm in the Parish Hall. We make “plarn” (plastic bag yarn) out of used grocery and newspaper bags, and then crochet a 3’ x 6’ mat out of it. Friends and neighbors are invited to be part of the effort and fellowship Questions? Speak to Susie Harris.
Flower Ministry – we are looking for a person to deliver Altar Flowers to those who are ill or at home after church one Sunday a month, starting after Easter. If you are interested, speak with Mother Vicki.
Winter Soup is available to take home after Church on Sundays during coffee hour ($5 quart/$3 pint – frozen). It is also available to take to sick or shut-in parishioners. If you buy soup, please write your name on the sheet posted on the Parish Hall fridge, and leave your payment into the box in the freezer. Thanks.
Twelve Baskets Food Ministry - Please remember to check out the Food Pantry donation display in the side hallway in Church. Pick an envelope with the type of food you would like to contribute; put cash or a check in the envelope; put the envelope in the offering plate to help purchase food from the Community FoodBank for distribution in our community and at the food pantry in Dover. Thank you!
STEWARDSHIP
2016 Year-end Statements of Contribution for tax preparation are in sealed envelopes with your name in a box on the Narthex table. Please pick yours up today. Thanks for your support of God’s mission through All Saints’!
PARISH CALENDAR
2/26 Guiding Team Meeting Parish House, 11:30 am
3/1 Ash Wednesday Worship Church 9:30 am
Bible Study Rath House, 10:15 am
Distribution of Ashes Church, 11:45-12:15 pm
Ash Wednesday Worship Church, 9:30 am
3/2 Holy Eucharist Church, 7:00 am
Small Saints’& Jr Choirs Choir Room, 5:15 pm
Adult Choir Choir Room, 7:30 pm
For a full schedule of our buildings check the website calendar www.allsaintsmillington.org.
CHRISTIAN SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Preparing for Lent (aka “What Not to Give Up”)
Lent is sometimes referred to as a pilgrimage or a journey. Very few people set out on any kind of journey without packing a bag. What are the things that we need to include in our Lenten luggage? The invitation to the observance of a holy Lent in the 1979 Prayer Book provides a packing list. The list may not be exhaustive, but it is a good start:
Here are some ideas for items for a Lenten Rule:
Self-examination and Repentance: Commitment to a specific discipline regarding food and other resources: a true fast from all food, if physically able, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday; abstinence from meat on Fridays in Lent and abstinence from particular foods daily in Lent; a more frugal use of other resources inasmuch as possible. (Note: Sundays are never fast days. They can be exempt from the fasting rules of Lent, but should still maintain the spirit of Lent and should not be occasions merely to break the rules.) Additionally, ending the day with a review of one’s attitudes and actions, and asking forgiveness and making amends where needed. If an opportunity for private Confession with a priest seems useful, please call Mother Vicki to schedule a time.
Prayer, Fasting, and Self-Denial: Commitment to feed the hungry by contributing to local charities such as food pantries and soup kitchens. Commitment to aid the needy throughout the world by contributing to agencies that address those needs. Commitment to active support of particular efforts to end injustice and establish peace.
Reading and Meditating on God’s Holy Word: Commitment to daily reading of Scripture and to a modern book on Christian themes.
The Prayer of Saint Ephrem the Syrian - from the Orthodox Christian tradition
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency, lust of power, and idle talk; But grant rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.
– adapted from www.fullhomelydivinity.org
Blessings,
Vicki+
The end of the Season after Epiphany is upon us, when we have heard and sung and prayed in ways that have revealed Christ to us in new ways. This coming Sunday, at the 10 am service, will be the final use of the Enriching our Worship Eucharistic Prayer and the contemporary form of the Lord’s Prayer. We’ll process the Alleluia banner out as a reminder that in Lent we have no Alleluias.
All that, of course, means Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday are not far behind. They are next week! A brochure with all of our Lenten offerings is available in the Narthex of the Church.
Please take a look at the announcements below, especially:
Pancake Supper (Events)
2016 Statement of Contributions (Stewardship)
Scout Sunday (Worship)
EVENTS
This Week – 2/28, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper in the Parish House Lower Room, 5:30-7:15 pm (continuous servings); pancakes, sausage, applesauce. Cost is $5 per person; kids under age 3 free; $20 maximum per household. This year’s dinner will include our festive piñata for the kids (held over from Epiphany). Come and have a good time with your fellow parishioners in a relaxed, casual setting; invite a friend or neighbor. There’s a sign-up sheet in the Narthex – both to RSVP for dinner, and sign up to help. Thanks! We need some help with kitchen set-up & clean-up, and middle school and high school kids to set tables, put up decorations and serve.
Save the Date! Spring Fish & Chips by Argyle of Kearny. April 27 – 5:30-7:30 pm
LENT
Lenten Daily Prayer in Virtual Community – all the details are in the brochure in the Narthex – also a reading schedule for the Gospel of Matthew during Lent. Sign up for this on the sheet in the Narthex, and/or send an email to allstsmill@hotmail.com.
Lenten Devotional Booklets – this year we have a variety of booklets from Forward Movement and from Episcopal Relief and Development. Please take one for your Lenten preparation.
Pilgrim, a Course for the Christian Journey: The Commandments. Monday nights at 7 pm, six sessions, starting 3/6. A foundation for our love and duty to God and neighbor, the Ten Commandments are the topic of this six-week series. Sign up on the sheet in the Narthex or e-mail to reserve a book ($10) and let us know if you’ll come for a simple soup supper at 6:30 pm.
Pathways of Faith Coloring Evening, Wed. 3/15 – using a Biblically-themed coloring book published by forward Movement, we’ll spend a reflective evening in the Church – 7:30 – 9 pm.
“The Road to Character” Book Discussion, Wed. 3/29, 4/5. Join us for this 2-part discussion of David Brooks’ important book (available through the library or Amazon). It highlights a variety of different notable people and the way they developed traits such as honesty, goodness, altruism, loyalty, courage, and faith.7:30- 9 pm in the Rath House.
There are sign-up sheets for these events in the Narthex.
WORSHIP
Ash Wednesday - Lent starts this week on March 1. There will be two services: 9:30 am and 7:30 pm. Both will include the Ash Wednesday Liturgy with Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes. New this year – if you are unable to come to either service, ashes and a prayer will be available in the Church between 11:45 am and 12:30 pm that day.
Scout Sunday – Next Sunday, March 5 at the 10 am service we will recognize all Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and their leaders. Scouts should wear their uniforms to Church. All Saints’ is the chartering organization for BSA Troop 56 and Cub Pack 56; we are also the host site for the monthly LHT Girl Scout Leader meetings, as well as many Den and Troop gatherings. If you know a Scout family, invite them to Church that day. All are welcome!
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Bible Study – Wed. at 10:15 am, in the Rath House. We are reading through the Book of Acts; this week, 2/8, we’ll discuss Chapter 23.
The Celtic Heart @ All Saints’
Irish singer/songwriter Carmel Boyle returns to New Jersey to share her spiritual tradition with original spiritual songs, stories and rituals inspired by the Celtic tradition. Her mystic voice touches the heart and opens it to prayer and healing. There are two opportunities to hear Carmel.
Concert ~ The Singing Heart
Sunday, Mar. 5, 7:30 pm –9 pm: Goodwill offering
A night of song and spirit; bring a friend and be refreshed at the start of Lent ~ in the Church.
Retreat Day ~ The Open Heart
Wednesday, Mar. 8, 9:15 am– 2:30 pm: $50/hot lunch
Be enriched by Carmel’s unique presentation of the Celtic Christian Tradition that offers inspirational and creative ways of prayer. Broaden your spiritual life by connecting with this ancient tradition ~ in the Parish House.
To register for the retreat call Pat Hughes: 908-608-3160.
Carmel comes to us through the kindness of Sacred Thread Ministries and the Christian Community.
HELPING HANDS
Our Next Night to Make Sleeping Mats for Homeless is March 8th at 7:30 pm in the Parish Hall. We make “plarn” (plastic bag yarn) out of used grocery and newspaper bags, and then crochet a 3’ x 6’ mat out of it. Friends and neighbors are invited to be part of the effort and fellowship Questions? Speak to Susie Harris.
Flower Ministry – we are looking for a person to deliver Altar Flowers to those who are ill or at home after church one Sunday a month, starting after Easter. If you are interested, speak with Mother Vicki.
Winter Soup is available to take home after Church on Sundays during coffee hour ($5 quart/$3 pint – frozen). It is also available to take to sick or shut-in parishioners. If you buy soup, please write your name on the sheet posted on the Parish Hall fridge, and leave your payment into the box in the freezer. Thanks.
Twelve Baskets Food Ministry - Please remember to check out the Food Pantry donation display in the side hallway in Church. Pick an envelope with the type of food you would like to contribute; put cash or a check in the envelope; put the envelope in the offering plate to help purchase food from the Community FoodBank for distribution in our community and at the food pantry in Dover. Thank you!
STEWARDSHIP
2016 Year-end Statements of Contribution for tax preparation are in sealed envelopes with your name in a box on the Narthex table. Please pick yours up today. Thanks for your support of God’s mission through All Saints’!
PARISH CALENDAR
2/26 Guiding Team Meeting Parish House, 11:30 am
3/1 Ash Wednesday Worship Church 9:30 am
Bible Study Rath House, 10:15 am
Distribution of Ashes Church, 11:45-12:15 pm
Ash Wednesday Worship Church, 9:30 am
3/2 Holy Eucharist Church, 7:00 am
Small Saints’& Jr Choirs Choir Room, 5:15 pm
Adult Choir Choir Room, 7:30 pm
For a full schedule of our buildings check the website calendar www.allsaintsmillington.org.
CHRISTIAN SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Preparing for Lent (aka “What Not to Give Up”)
Lent is sometimes referred to as a pilgrimage or a journey. Very few people set out on any kind of journey without packing a bag. What are the things that we need to include in our Lenten luggage? The invitation to the observance of a holy Lent in the 1979 Prayer Book provides a packing list. The list may not be exhaustive, but it is a good start:
- self-examination and repentance
- prayer, fasting, and self-denial
- reading and meditating on God's holy Word.
Here are some ideas for items for a Lenten Rule:
Self-examination and Repentance: Commitment to a specific discipline regarding food and other resources: a true fast from all food, if physically able, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday; abstinence from meat on Fridays in Lent and abstinence from particular foods daily in Lent; a more frugal use of other resources inasmuch as possible. (Note: Sundays are never fast days. They can be exempt from the fasting rules of Lent, but should still maintain the spirit of Lent and should not be occasions merely to break the rules.) Additionally, ending the day with a review of one’s attitudes and actions, and asking forgiveness and making amends where needed. If an opportunity for private Confession with a priest seems useful, please call Mother Vicki to schedule a time.
Prayer, Fasting, and Self-Denial: Commitment to feed the hungry by contributing to local charities such as food pantries and soup kitchens. Commitment to aid the needy throughout the world by contributing to agencies that address those needs. Commitment to active support of particular efforts to end injustice and establish peace.
Reading and Meditating on God’s Holy Word: Commitment to daily reading of Scripture and to a modern book on Christian themes.
The Prayer of Saint Ephrem the Syrian - from the Orthodox Christian tradition
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency, lust of power, and idle talk; But grant rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.
– adapted from www.fullhomelydivinity.org
Blessings,
Vicki+
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