Dear Friends in Christ,
What is Lent? It is the season that Christians use to prepare for our celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter. It starts on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18 this year) and lasts forty days, not including Sundays. It is a time to focus inwardly, on our habits of thought, attitudes, and behavior, in light of Scripture and Christian teaching. Lent is spiritual spring cleaning!
The traditional ways of “keeping” Lent are increased prayer, alms-giving (donating money, time, effort to the poor), and fasting (refraining from certain foods or drink). All Lenten disciplines are intended to remind us that we are finite human beings, and that we depend on God’s grace and goodness.
This coming Sunday, at the end of the 10 am service, we will process the Alleluia banner out of the Church and put it away for Lent. During the season, we will refrain from saying “Alleluia;” and both of our Sunday services will follow the Rite I form of the liturgy. In the announcements below find some of the ways All Saints’ will be keeping Lent this year. We invite you to keep Lent along with us.
Please note these particular items:
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper ~ see Events
Ash Wednesday Services ~ see Worship
Compline ~ see Worship
Finance Note ~ see Stewardship
If there is snow and/or ice on Sunday, please check your e-mail in case there is a cancellation. You can also check the parish Facebook page, and listen to the church answering machine for an update.
+ + + + + + + + +
EVENTS
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper – Tuesday, February 17 from 5:30-7:15 pm (continuous servings). Cost is $5 per person (Kids under 3 eat free); maximum $20 per household; in the Lower Room of the Parish House. Pancakes, sausage, applesauce….yum! Come and join in this traditional meal that ends the Season after Epiphany before the start of Lent. Sign up on the sheet in the Narthex so we know to count you in! And middle school/high school youth are asked to set tables, decorate the room, and serve the meal. Please let Mother Vicki know if you can help: allstsmill@hotmail.com.
WORSHIP and MUSIC
Special Needs Worship - All God's Children Service, at 12 noon on the 3rd Sundays of the month. Designed for children and families with a range of special needs – including anyone who has a hard time sitting still! A 30-minute service, no segment is longer than 3 minutes each; optional Communion. Pass the word to friends and neighbors who can benefit from this. Our next All God’s Children Service is February 15. Contact Mother Vicki for details.
Ash Wednesday is February 18th. Services are at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm. There will be Eucharist and Ashes at both services, with music at the evening service. Come and start your Lenten journey to Easter.
Compline, Thursdays: February 19 & March 19; 9:00 pm. A peaceful candle-lit service of sung prayer, chant, and meditation ~ the ancient “bed-time prayer” of the Church. Led by members of our Choir, you are invited to join the singing, or you may simply join the prayer by listening. The Church will be open for private prayer and meditation at 8:30 pm. The service lasts about 30 minutes.
Scout Sunday will be celebrated on March 1 at the 10 am Family Service. All Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts & Boy Scouts and their families are welcome. Wear your uniform and come participate in the Scout liturgy during the service!
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Lenten Daily Devotions – Lent starts on February 18, and this year’s daily devotional is Good Lord, Deliver Us, a series of short meditations based on the Great Litany. It is written by the Revs. Len and Lindsay Freeman, who live in Minnesota, and with whom our Rector used to work! The booklets are available in the Narthex and are free.
Lent Madness - A fun way to learn more about the great Saints of the Church. Each day read two short bios of Christian saints on the Lent Madness website, and vote for one. The winner will be announced at the end of each day. By Holy Week, the field will have been narrowed to just a few brackets. What is it that speaks to you in a saint’s life – Her holiness? His commitment to serving the poor? The great learning or deep wisdom of a person? Take a look at the website and play along: www.lentmadness.org (brought to you by the good folks of Forward Movement).
Women’s Book Group – has been cancelled for February, because of Ash Wednesday. It will resume on March18 at 7:30 pm in the Rath House. The book for discussion is Deep Down Dark: the Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle that Set Them Free, by Héctor Tobar. Come for an evening of fellowship and learning.
February Retreat Day – a day retreat will be offered in February by Fr. Peters Krebs, S.T. of Sacred Thread Ministries. The date is Friday, Feb. 20 from 9:30 – 3:30 pm. The retreat will be held in the Lower Room of All Saints’ Parish House, and lunch is included. Topic: “Lent: The Grace-filled Journey” Every day we tumble into the mystery of death and resurrection but do we seek, desire or even expect the grace of these moments. Join with others to reflect and discover the hidden treasures. For registration and further info see www.sacredthreadministries.org.
Flower Minister Needed to deliver flowers from the altar to parishioners after Church on Sunday, once a month. This ministry brings hope and encouragement to people all year through. If you are interested, please speak to Mother Vicki.
STEWARDSHIP
From the Finance Committee – During the month of January we’ve had some bad weather which has kept people home from Church, and on one Sunday we had no worship at all, due to the ice storm. That has had a negative effect on our January income. While we know that parishioners will make up missed pledge payments during the year, it will be very helpful if you can do so in February when our heating costs are high. Thank you!
COMMUNITY HOSPITALITY
A (Diocesan) Gathering of Wardens – Thursday, February 19, 2015, 7:00pm - 8:30pm, All Saints’ will host a reception in the Parish Hall for Wardens from other Episcopal parish in districts 3 & 4 of our Diocese. This will give them an opportunity to network with each other and have some conversation with the Bishop and senior staff from Episcopal House. Our job is to provide coffee, tea, and some simple refreshments (cookies, cheese and crackers, fruit). If you can help with refreshments or hosting (set-up, clean-up) please sign up on the sheet on the Narthex table. Thank you!
Did You Know? During the month of February we have provided space for the following activities and events in our facilities:
AA weekly meetings (7), Friday night meeting for 20s/30s.
Irish Step Dancing Classes (4)
Kings & Queens Youth Chess Club (4)
Christian Community (Catholic) Worship (5)
Tai Chi Classes (4)
Pilates Classes (8)
Musikgarten Classes (12)
Piano Lessons (4 afternoon sessions)
Jewelry Sale Fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation
Girl Scout Troops (11); monthly LHT Leaders’ Meeting
Cub Scout Dens (5)
Boy Scout Troop Committee Meeting
Sacred Thread Ministries Retreat Days (2)
In our ministry of Community Hospitality we offer the love and welcome of Christ.
+ + + + + + + + +
PARISH CALENDAR THIS WEEK
2/17 Vestry 7:30 pm, Rath House
2/18 Ash Wed. Worship 9:30 am, Church
Bible Study 10:15 am, Rath House
Ash Wed. Worship 7:30 pm, Church
2/19 HE & Breakfast 7:00 am, Church
Junior Choir 5:00 pm, Choir Room
Wardens’ Gathering 7:00-8:30 pm, Parish Hall
Adult Choir 7:30 pm, Choir Room
Compline 9:00 pm, Church
And please check the calendar on our website for the full listing of groups and events in our buildings.
+ + + + + + + + +
For All the Saints – February 17, Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda, and Martyr, died 1977
Janani Luwum was born in 1922 at Acholi in Uganda, near the Sudanese border. After his early years as a teacher and lay reader in Gulu, he was sent to St. Augustine’s College, Canterbury. He was ordained priest in 1956 and returned to Uganda to assume responsibility for twenty-four congregations. After several years of service that included work at a local theological college, Luwum returned to England on scholarship for further study at the London College of Divinity.
In 1969 Luwum became Bishop of Northern Uganda, where he was a faithful visitor to his parishes as well as a growing influence at international gatherings of the Anglican Communion. In 1974he was elected Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga-Zaire.
Luwum’s new position brought him into direct contact and eventual confrontation with the Ugandan military dictator, Idi Amin, as the Archbishop sought to protect his people from the brutality of Amin’s regime. In August of 1976 Makerere University was sacked by government troops. With Archbishop Luwum as their chair, the Christian leaders of the country drafted a strong memorandum of protest against officially sanctioned rape and murder.
In early February 1977 the Archbishop’s residence was searched for arms by government security forces. On February 16 President Amin summoned Luwum to his palace. He went there, accompanied by the other Anglican bishops and by the Roman Catholic cardinal archbishop and a senior leader of the Muslim community. After being accused of complicity in a plot to murder the President, most of the clerics were allowed to leave. However, Archbishop Luwum was ordered to remain behind. As his companions departed, Luwum said, “They are going to kill me. I am not afraid.” He was never seen alive again. The following day the government announced that he had been killed in an automobile accident while resisting arrest. Only after some weeks had passed was his bullet-riddled body released to his family for burial.
Early in his confrontation with the Ugandan government, Archbishop Luwum answered one of his critics by saying, “I do not know how long I shall occupy this chair. I live as though there will be no tomorrow ... While the opportunity is there, I preach the Gospel with all my might, and my conscience is clear before God. ~ Holy Women, Holy Men
Question for reflection: What causes you to be fearful? What gives you courage?
And on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, a quotation from his Second Inaugural Address......
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”
Blessings,
Vicki McGrath+
What is Lent? It is the season that Christians use to prepare for our celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter. It starts on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18 this year) and lasts forty days, not including Sundays. It is a time to focus inwardly, on our habits of thought, attitudes, and behavior, in light of Scripture and Christian teaching. Lent is spiritual spring cleaning!
The traditional ways of “keeping” Lent are increased prayer, alms-giving (donating money, time, effort to the poor), and fasting (refraining from certain foods or drink). All Lenten disciplines are intended to remind us that we are finite human beings, and that we depend on God’s grace and goodness.
This coming Sunday, at the end of the 10 am service, we will process the Alleluia banner out of the Church and put it away for Lent. During the season, we will refrain from saying “Alleluia;” and both of our Sunday services will follow the Rite I form of the liturgy. In the announcements below find some of the ways All Saints’ will be keeping Lent this year. We invite you to keep Lent along with us.
Please note these particular items:
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper ~ see Events
Ash Wednesday Services ~ see Worship
Compline ~ see Worship
Finance Note ~ see Stewardship
If there is snow and/or ice on Sunday, please check your e-mail in case there is a cancellation. You can also check the parish Facebook page, and listen to the church answering machine for an update.
+ + + + + + + + +
EVENTS
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper – Tuesday, February 17 from 5:30-7:15 pm (continuous servings). Cost is $5 per person (Kids under 3 eat free); maximum $20 per household; in the Lower Room of the Parish House. Pancakes, sausage, applesauce….yum! Come and join in this traditional meal that ends the Season after Epiphany before the start of Lent. Sign up on the sheet in the Narthex so we know to count you in! And middle school/high school youth are asked to set tables, decorate the room, and serve the meal. Please let Mother Vicki know if you can help: allstsmill@hotmail.com.
WORSHIP and MUSIC
Special Needs Worship - All God's Children Service, at 12 noon on the 3rd Sundays of the month. Designed for children and families with a range of special needs – including anyone who has a hard time sitting still! A 30-minute service, no segment is longer than 3 minutes each; optional Communion. Pass the word to friends and neighbors who can benefit from this. Our next All God’s Children Service is February 15. Contact Mother Vicki for details.
Ash Wednesday is February 18th. Services are at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm. There will be Eucharist and Ashes at both services, with music at the evening service. Come and start your Lenten journey to Easter.
Compline, Thursdays: February 19 & March 19; 9:00 pm. A peaceful candle-lit service of sung prayer, chant, and meditation ~ the ancient “bed-time prayer” of the Church. Led by members of our Choir, you are invited to join the singing, or you may simply join the prayer by listening. The Church will be open for private prayer and meditation at 8:30 pm. The service lasts about 30 minutes.
Scout Sunday will be celebrated on March 1 at the 10 am Family Service. All Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts & Boy Scouts and their families are welcome. Wear your uniform and come participate in the Scout liturgy during the service!
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Lenten Daily Devotions – Lent starts on February 18, and this year’s daily devotional is Good Lord, Deliver Us, a series of short meditations based on the Great Litany. It is written by the Revs. Len and Lindsay Freeman, who live in Minnesota, and with whom our Rector used to work! The booklets are available in the Narthex and are free.
Lent Madness - A fun way to learn more about the great Saints of the Church. Each day read two short bios of Christian saints on the Lent Madness website, and vote for one. The winner will be announced at the end of each day. By Holy Week, the field will have been narrowed to just a few brackets. What is it that speaks to you in a saint’s life – Her holiness? His commitment to serving the poor? The great learning or deep wisdom of a person? Take a look at the website and play along: www.lentmadness.org (brought to you by the good folks of Forward Movement).
Women’s Book Group – has been cancelled for February, because of Ash Wednesday. It will resume on March18 at 7:30 pm in the Rath House. The book for discussion is Deep Down Dark: the Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle that Set Them Free, by Héctor Tobar. Come for an evening of fellowship and learning.
February Retreat Day – a day retreat will be offered in February by Fr. Peters Krebs, S.T. of Sacred Thread Ministries. The date is Friday, Feb. 20 from 9:30 – 3:30 pm. The retreat will be held in the Lower Room of All Saints’ Parish House, and lunch is included. Topic: “Lent: The Grace-filled Journey” Every day we tumble into the mystery of death and resurrection but do we seek, desire or even expect the grace of these moments. Join with others to reflect and discover the hidden treasures. For registration and further info see www.sacredthreadministries.org.
Flower Minister Needed to deliver flowers from the altar to parishioners after Church on Sunday, once a month. This ministry brings hope and encouragement to people all year through. If you are interested, please speak to Mother Vicki.
STEWARDSHIP
From the Finance Committee – During the month of January we’ve had some bad weather which has kept people home from Church, and on one Sunday we had no worship at all, due to the ice storm. That has had a negative effect on our January income. While we know that parishioners will make up missed pledge payments during the year, it will be very helpful if you can do so in February when our heating costs are high. Thank you!
COMMUNITY HOSPITALITY
A (Diocesan) Gathering of Wardens – Thursday, February 19, 2015, 7:00pm - 8:30pm, All Saints’ will host a reception in the Parish Hall for Wardens from other Episcopal parish in districts 3 & 4 of our Diocese. This will give them an opportunity to network with each other and have some conversation with the Bishop and senior staff from Episcopal House. Our job is to provide coffee, tea, and some simple refreshments (cookies, cheese and crackers, fruit). If you can help with refreshments or hosting (set-up, clean-up) please sign up on the sheet on the Narthex table. Thank you!
Did You Know? During the month of February we have provided space for the following activities and events in our facilities:
AA weekly meetings (7), Friday night meeting for 20s/30s.
Irish Step Dancing Classes (4)
Kings & Queens Youth Chess Club (4)
Christian Community (Catholic) Worship (5)
Tai Chi Classes (4)
Pilates Classes (8)
Musikgarten Classes (12)
Piano Lessons (4 afternoon sessions)
Jewelry Sale Fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation
Girl Scout Troops (11); monthly LHT Leaders’ Meeting
Cub Scout Dens (5)
Boy Scout Troop Committee Meeting
Sacred Thread Ministries Retreat Days (2)
In our ministry of Community Hospitality we offer the love and welcome of Christ.
+ + + + + + + + +
PARISH CALENDAR THIS WEEK
2/17 Vestry 7:30 pm, Rath House
2/18 Ash Wed. Worship 9:30 am, Church
Bible Study 10:15 am, Rath House
Ash Wed. Worship 7:30 pm, Church
2/19 HE & Breakfast 7:00 am, Church
Junior Choir 5:00 pm, Choir Room
Wardens’ Gathering 7:00-8:30 pm, Parish Hall
Adult Choir 7:30 pm, Choir Room
Compline 9:00 pm, Church
And please check the calendar on our website for the full listing of groups and events in our buildings.
+ + + + + + + + +
For All the Saints – February 17, Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda, and Martyr, died 1977
Janani Luwum was born in 1922 at Acholi in Uganda, near the Sudanese border. After his early years as a teacher and lay reader in Gulu, he was sent to St. Augustine’s College, Canterbury. He was ordained priest in 1956 and returned to Uganda to assume responsibility for twenty-four congregations. After several years of service that included work at a local theological college, Luwum returned to England on scholarship for further study at the London College of Divinity.
In 1969 Luwum became Bishop of Northern Uganda, where he was a faithful visitor to his parishes as well as a growing influence at international gatherings of the Anglican Communion. In 1974he was elected Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga-Zaire.
Luwum’s new position brought him into direct contact and eventual confrontation with the Ugandan military dictator, Idi Amin, as the Archbishop sought to protect his people from the brutality of Amin’s regime. In August of 1976 Makerere University was sacked by government troops. With Archbishop Luwum as their chair, the Christian leaders of the country drafted a strong memorandum of protest against officially sanctioned rape and murder.
In early February 1977 the Archbishop’s residence was searched for arms by government security forces. On February 16 President Amin summoned Luwum to his palace. He went there, accompanied by the other Anglican bishops and by the Roman Catholic cardinal archbishop and a senior leader of the Muslim community. After being accused of complicity in a plot to murder the President, most of the clerics were allowed to leave. However, Archbishop Luwum was ordered to remain behind. As his companions departed, Luwum said, “They are going to kill me. I am not afraid.” He was never seen alive again. The following day the government announced that he had been killed in an automobile accident while resisting arrest. Only after some weeks had passed was his bullet-riddled body released to his family for burial.
Early in his confrontation with the Ugandan government, Archbishop Luwum answered one of his critics by saying, “I do not know how long I shall occupy this chair. I live as though there will be no tomorrow ... While the opportunity is there, I preach the Gospel with all my might, and my conscience is clear before God. ~ Holy Women, Holy Men
Question for reflection: What causes you to be fearful? What gives you courage?
And on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, a quotation from his Second Inaugural Address......
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”
Blessings,
Vicki McGrath+
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