Dear Friends in Christ,
Lent has begun. I hope and pray that this season will be one in which you can keep closer company with God, whether you do that through meditation or prayer or exercise or music or simply slowing down and being more attentive to the Holy Spirit at work within you and around you. One offering that may be a blessing to you is the monthly service of Compline (this is new for us), that begins tonight! Please see the full description below under Worship and Music.
There are also our ongoing offerings of our Thursday morning Eucharist at 7 am, and Wednesday Bible study at 10:15 am (in the Rath House).
Self-examination and repentance are an important part of Lent. The Episcopal Church makes provision for private confession and spiritual counsel, if that is helpful to you. If you would like more information about making a confession, please e-mail or call me: allsaints_rector@verizon.net; 908-647-0067.
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.We try to have the information go out by 6:45 am.
Please be sure to connect with us on Facebook through the week! Like our page: “All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Millington, NJ”
+ + + + + + + + +
WORSHIP and MUSIC
Compline, TONIGHT! 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 25 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!
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 March 15. Contact Mother Vicki for details.
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Lenten Daily Devotions – Lent has started, 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. The booklets are available in the Narthex and are free. And there will be opportunity to reflect on-line about the days’ entry via the parish’s Facebook group, All Saints’ Millington Reflections.
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 will meet 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.
STEWARDSHIP
From the Finance Committee – During this winter 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 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 soon when our heating costs are high. Thank you!
+ + + + + + + + +
PARISH CALENDAR THIS WEEK
2/25 Bible Study 10:15 am, Rath House
2/26 HE & Breakfast 7:00 am, Church
Junior Choir 5:00 pm, Choir Room
Adult Choir 7:30 pm, Choir Room
And please check the calendar on our website for the full listing of groups and events in our buildings.
+ + + + + + + + +
For All the Saints – February 24, Saint Matthias, Apostle
In the nine days of waiting between Jesus’ Ascension and the Day of Pentecost, the disciples remained together in prayer. During this time, Peter reminded them that the defection and death of Judas had left the fellowship of the Twelve with a vacancy. The Acts of the Apostles records Peter’s proposal that “one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken
up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection” (Acts 1:21–22). Two men were nominated, Joseph called Barsabbas who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. After prayer, the disciples cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias, who was then enrolled with the eleven.
Nothing further is told of Matthias after his selection. According to tradition he was an exemplary Apostle, but we know nothing more. Matthias seems an appropriate example to Christians of one whose faithful companionship with Jesus qualifies him to be a suitable witness to the resurrection, and whose service is unheralded and unsung. ~ Holy Women, Holy Men
Question for reflection: When has the “lot” fallen to you in your service to God? How did you respond?
LENT@ALL SAINTS’: DAY 2
LORD, thou hast given me this space for prayer:
fill it with thy gifts of grace;
fill it with the shewings of thy truth,
with holy counsels and inspirations,
with the communion of peace;
Occupy it with the work of love, --
to beg thy mercies upon them I love,
upon all mine acquaintance,
upon all in need,
upon all whom thou lovest.
Overshadow me with thy Spirit,
with the light that is THOU;
Banish distraction, inattention, coldness;
Make mine eyes to s, mine eyes to hear,
my tongue to speak, my soul to be still;
And then be merciful to my prayer,
and to me, a sinner;
for Christ’s sake. Amen. ~ Eric Milner White
Blessings,
Vicki McGrath+
Lent has begun. I hope and pray that this season will be one in which you can keep closer company with God, whether you do that through meditation or prayer or exercise or music or simply slowing down and being more attentive to the Holy Spirit at work within you and around you. One offering that may be a blessing to you is the monthly service of Compline (this is new for us), that begins tonight! Please see the full description below under Worship and Music.
There are also our ongoing offerings of our Thursday morning Eucharist at 7 am, and Wednesday Bible study at 10:15 am (in the Rath House).
Self-examination and repentance are an important part of Lent. The Episcopal Church makes provision for private confession and spiritual counsel, if that is helpful to you. If you would like more information about making a confession, please e-mail or call me: allsaints_rector@verizon.net; 908-647-0067.
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.We try to have the information go out by 6:45 am.
Please be sure to connect with us on Facebook through the week! Like our page: “All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Millington, NJ”
+ + + + + + + + +
WORSHIP and MUSIC
Compline, TONIGHT! 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 25 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!
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 March 15. Contact Mother Vicki for details.
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Lenten Daily Devotions – Lent has started, 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. The booklets are available in the Narthex and are free. And there will be opportunity to reflect on-line about the days’ entry via the parish’s Facebook group, All Saints’ Millington Reflections.
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 will meet 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.
STEWARDSHIP
From the Finance Committee – During this winter 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 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 soon when our heating costs are high. Thank you!
+ + + + + + + + +
PARISH CALENDAR THIS WEEK
2/25 Bible Study 10:15 am, Rath House
2/26 HE & Breakfast 7:00 am, Church
Junior Choir 5:00 pm, Choir Room
Adult Choir 7:30 pm, Choir Room
And please check the calendar on our website for the full listing of groups and events in our buildings.
+ + + + + + + + +
For All the Saints – February 24, Saint Matthias, Apostle
In the nine days of waiting between Jesus’ Ascension and the Day of Pentecost, the disciples remained together in prayer. During this time, Peter reminded them that the defection and death of Judas had left the fellowship of the Twelve with a vacancy. The Acts of the Apostles records Peter’s proposal that “one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken
up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection” (Acts 1:21–22). Two men were nominated, Joseph called Barsabbas who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. After prayer, the disciples cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias, who was then enrolled with the eleven.
Nothing further is told of Matthias after his selection. According to tradition he was an exemplary Apostle, but we know nothing more. Matthias seems an appropriate example to Christians of one whose faithful companionship with Jesus qualifies him to be a suitable witness to the resurrection, and whose service is unheralded and unsung. ~ Holy Women, Holy Men
Question for reflection: When has the “lot” fallen to you in your service to God? How did you respond?
LENT@ALL SAINTS’: DAY 2
LORD, thou hast given me this space for prayer:
fill it with thy gifts of grace;
fill it with the shewings of thy truth,
with holy counsels and inspirations,
with the communion of peace;
Occupy it with the work of love, --
to beg thy mercies upon them I love,
upon all mine acquaintance,
upon all in need,
upon all whom thou lovest.
Overshadow me with thy Spirit,
with the light that is THOU;
Banish distraction, inattention, coldness;
Make mine eyes to s, mine eyes to hear,
my tongue to speak, my soul to be still;
And then be merciful to my prayer,
and to me, a sinner;
for Christ’s sake. Amen. ~ Eric Milner White
Blessings,
Vicki McGrath+
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