Dear Friends in Christ,
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Rector away: Mother Vicki will be in California attending a family event from 5/9-5/12. That means that both the Wednesday Bible Study and the Thursday morning Eucharist are cancelled for the week. During that time any pastoral emergencies will be covered by the Rev. Susan Sica at St. Gregory’s, Parsippany. Her number is (973) 887-5879.
* * * * * * *
Here are this week’s announcements:
PARISH VISITATION
THIS SUNDAY, May 13 - Bishop Mark Beckwith will be with us for his last parish visitation at All Saints’. He will be the celebrant and preacher at the 10 am service, and at the Peace he will also have a children’s homily. Children go to Sunday School first, and then come upstairs at the Peace for a brief homily with the Bishop; he has something special prepared for them! During Coffee Hour he will lead an Adult Forum (child care will be provided), after which Bishop Beckwith will meet with the Vestry and deputies to Diocesan Convention.
The Coffee Hour will be a festive reception/lunch. Please bring finger foods – sandwiches, appetizers, fruit, cheese & crackers, cookies, etc.
Bishop Beckwith has asked us to be thinking ahead of time about the following questions:
What do you do as a congregation that Jesus would recognize and love?
What is your congregation’s purpose?
What are your challenges? What gets in the way of living out your mission?
What would you like to ask me or want me to know so that the Diocese can be of assistance in supporting your mission and ministry?
Please plan to be here and offer him our great All Saints’ hospitality!
FELLOWSHIP
Team All Saints’ Treasure Hunt Results – Here are the big prize winners who collected the most artifacts and information about the communities of our parish: First Winners - Randy Gaulke & Fikirte Peterson; Second Winners – Kerrie Stepko, Steve Kowalik, Barbara Barbeau, & Janice Lettieri; Third Winners – Carol Berry & Janet Mansfield. We all had a great time getting to know one another and our communities better. Thanks to Laurie Gaulke and Suzanne Kosempel for organizing this! What’s next? How does a Murder Mystery & Dinner sound? Stay tuned.
Parishioners on the Move – in the last six weeks two parish families have moved out of the area. Pam and Gary Mehes sold their house in Millington in the last week of March and moved to Savannah, GA, where they can play golf year round! Alison Temple moved last week from her home in Chatham to a continuing care community in Hamilton, NJ where she will be close to her son Dan and his family. We miss them and are grateful for their presence here at All Saints’. But we know that God’s goodness and mercy shall follow them all the days of their lives.
HELPING HANDS
Veterans Community Dinner, May 19 at 5:30 pm - Vets and their families from our local community and from the V.A. in Lyons will be invited for fellowship, conversation, and friendship...and a wonderful home-cooked meal in All Saints' Parish House at no charge. How can you help? Set up, clean up, serving, cooking (side dishes, salads, desserts). And please get the word out and invite any Vets you know! A sign-up sheet for volunteering will go out soon. This ministry is a partnership with our friends in the Christian (Catholic) Community. For more information speak to Kerrie Stepko.
Food Ministry Grant from ShopRite – All Saints’ has received a $500 grant from our local ShopRite in Stirling through their Partners in Caring program for support of our food ministry with the Veterans dinners and other food pantry needs in our community. Thank you, ShopRite
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Save the Dates – Sun., June 24 – Thur., June 28 for Vacation Bible Camp: “Wizards and Wonders –A Hero’s Journey with Harry Potter.” This will be an inter-generational experience for kids, adults, and families...and at a new time: 6:00-8:30 pm (Sun-Thu), starting with a simple dinner. This is something to invite friends and neighbors to. Flyers are on the table in the Narthex.
Bible Study/Adult Christian Ed will not meet this week, May 9. We’ll resume on May 16 at 10:15 am in the Rath House. We are currently reading and discussing Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life, by Derek Olsen. Starting in June we’ll be back to focusing on a book of the Bible. Which one would you like to learn more about? Let Mother Vicki know, and join us, even if you have never done any Bible study before! Hope to see you next week!
WORSHIP
Pentecost is May 20, the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and one of the major feast days of the Church year. Please plan to be here for worship!
DIOCESAN NEWS
The election for our new Bishop will take place Saturday, May 19. The three candidates for our next Bishop are: the Rev. Carlye Hughes; the Rev. Lisa Hunt; the Rev. Canon Scott Slater. The deputies from All Saints’ who will vote in the election: Tom Day, Jean Kimak, and Ellen Lewis; as well as Mother Vicki. Please be in touch with them about your questions, observations, reactions, insights concerning the candidates. Here is their contact information: Tom Day tmdjr@aol.com, 973-615-1341; Jean Kimak jckimak@gmail.com, 908-672-4966; Ellen Lewis ellenblewis20@gmail.com, 201-280-3893. Please keep them, and the diocese as a whole, in your prayers.
Sister Monica Clare will take her final vows as a fully-professed Sister in the Community of St. John Baptist in Mendham on Friday, June 8 at 10:30 am – and we are all invited! Sr. Monica spent several years with us, singing in our choir and doing pastoral visiting when she first came to the Community. This is both a solemn and joyful event – a blessing to CSJB and the whole Church. If you plan on going, please RSVP to the Convent so they can plan for lunch, etc., 973-543-4641. If you need a ride, please speak to Mother Vicki to arrange a carpool.
PRAYER & SPIRITUAL LIFE
Evangelism Matters Video – recently Mother Vicki and two other clergy from our diocese (the Revs. Bill Allport and Miguel Hernandez) recorded a short video about their experience at the Evangelism Matters Conference they attended. Take a look, and then if you have questions or comments, or would like to have a conversation, or would be interested in being part of a prayer effort for the work of evangelism (i.e. sharing what you love with those you love), please speak to Mother Vicki. https://dioceseofnewark.org/content/report-evangelism-matters-2018-conference
Thy Kingdom Come - In the days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost (May 10-20), the Archbishop of Canterbury has called us to join with Anglicans (Episcopalians) and other Christians throughout the world to pray for God’s kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven” as Jesus taught us. That means praying daily for people in your life (individuals or families) to know the love of God in Jesus, as well as praying for a blessing of the common good of our communities, that they will reflect God’s wholeness, peace, and justice. At our Pentecost celebration on Sunday, May 20 we will highlight these prayers, writing down the names of those for whom you have been praying, and offer them to God.
PARISH CALENDAR
5/9 Junior Choir Choir Room, 5:15 pm
Adult Choir Choir Room, 7:30 pm
5/13 Bishop’s Visitation Church/Parish House, 10:00 am
5/15 Vestry Rath House, 7:30 pm
5/16 Bible Study Rath House, 7:30 pm
5/17 Eucharist & Healing Church, 7:00 am
Junior Choir Choir Room, 5:15 pm
Adult Choir Choir Room, 7:30 pm
5/19 Bishop’s Election St. Peter’s, Morristown, 9:00 am
Vets Community Dinner Parish House, 5:30 pm
For a full schedule of our buildings check the website calendar www.allsaintsmillington.org.
CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
The Feast of the Ascension – is one of the seven principal feasts of the Church year, but it always falls on Thursday, because it is forty days after Easter. This means that many churches skip over it or give it a nod on the following Sunday. Here at All Saints’ we’ve always had two Ascension Day services – one at 7:00 am (our regular Thursday), and one in the evening. Sometimes the later service has been Eucharist, sometimes it has been Evensong.
This year, because I will be in California, there will be no service, but do look for the Daily Prayers for Ascension Day. And in the meantime, here’s a bit more about it, from the website Full Homely Divinity:
“The nine days from Ascension Day to the Eve of Pentecost are the original novena--nine days of prayer. Before he ascended, Jesus ordered the disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. After his Ascension, they returned to the upper room in Jerusalem where they devoted themselves to prayer. These last days of the Great Fifty Days of Easter can be a time for us to prepare for the celebration of Pentecost. As we anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit, this can be a time to pray for renewal in the Spirit and a time to reflect on the gifts which the Spirit bestows on the Church. The prayer for the newly baptized, p. 308, in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer is the traditional prayer for the seven gifts of the Spirit, based on the prophecy of Isaiah 11:2-3. This prayer could be the basis for daily reflection on the gifts of the Spirit in the days between the Ascension and Pentecost and the following adaptation of it could be used daily as a simplified novena."
Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sin, and have raised us to the new life of grace in your Son Jesus Christ. Sustain us, O Lord, in the gifts of your Spirit: an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen.
And Thursday, Ascension Day, is the time the Archbishop of Canterbury has asked us to join in Thy Kingdom Come prayer effort – to pray for God’s kingdom to come in the lives of people we know, love, and care about, and to pray for them by name on a daily basis. I hope you’ll take this prayer project on.
Here is a lovely anthem for Ascension Day by Gerald Finzi, “God is gone up with a shout” https://youtu.be/Y_67yfaroek
Easter blessings, Vicki+
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Rector away: Mother Vicki will be in California attending a family event from 5/9-5/12. That means that both the Wednesday Bible Study and the Thursday morning Eucharist are cancelled for the week. During that time any pastoral emergencies will be covered by the Rev. Susan Sica at St. Gregory’s, Parsippany. Her number is (973) 887-5879.
* * * * * * *
Here are this week’s announcements:
- Reception for Bishop & Reflection Questions (Parish Visitation)
- Veterans’ Dinner (Helping Hands)
- Pentecost (Worship)
- Parishioners on the Move (Fellowship)
PARISH VISITATION
THIS SUNDAY, May 13 - Bishop Mark Beckwith will be with us for his last parish visitation at All Saints’. He will be the celebrant and preacher at the 10 am service, and at the Peace he will also have a children’s homily. Children go to Sunday School first, and then come upstairs at the Peace for a brief homily with the Bishop; he has something special prepared for them! During Coffee Hour he will lead an Adult Forum (child care will be provided), after which Bishop Beckwith will meet with the Vestry and deputies to Diocesan Convention.
The Coffee Hour will be a festive reception/lunch. Please bring finger foods – sandwiches, appetizers, fruit, cheese & crackers, cookies, etc.
Bishop Beckwith has asked us to be thinking ahead of time about the following questions:
What do you do as a congregation that Jesus would recognize and love?
What is your congregation’s purpose?
What are your challenges? What gets in the way of living out your mission?
What would you like to ask me or want me to know so that the Diocese can be of assistance in supporting your mission and ministry?
Please plan to be here and offer him our great All Saints’ hospitality!
FELLOWSHIP
Team All Saints’ Treasure Hunt Results – Here are the big prize winners who collected the most artifacts and information about the communities of our parish: First Winners - Randy Gaulke & Fikirte Peterson; Second Winners – Kerrie Stepko, Steve Kowalik, Barbara Barbeau, & Janice Lettieri; Third Winners – Carol Berry & Janet Mansfield. We all had a great time getting to know one another and our communities better. Thanks to Laurie Gaulke and Suzanne Kosempel for organizing this! What’s next? How does a Murder Mystery & Dinner sound? Stay tuned.
Parishioners on the Move – in the last six weeks two parish families have moved out of the area. Pam and Gary Mehes sold their house in Millington in the last week of March and moved to Savannah, GA, where they can play golf year round! Alison Temple moved last week from her home in Chatham to a continuing care community in Hamilton, NJ where she will be close to her son Dan and his family. We miss them and are grateful for their presence here at All Saints’. But we know that God’s goodness and mercy shall follow them all the days of their lives.
HELPING HANDS
Veterans Community Dinner, May 19 at 5:30 pm - Vets and their families from our local community and from the V.A. in Lyons will be invited for fellowship, conversation, and friendship...and a wonderful home-cooked meal in All Saints' Parish House at no charge. How can you help? Set up, clean up, serving, cooking (side dishes, salads, desserts). And please get the word out and invite any Vets you know! A sign-up sheet for volunteering will go out soon. This ministry is a partnership with our friends in the Christian (Catholic) Community. For more information speak to Kerrie Stepko.
Food Ministry Grant from ShopRite – All Saints’ has received a $500 grant from our local ShopRite in Stirling through their Partners in Caring program for support of our food ministry with the Veterans dinners and other food pantry needs in our community. Thank you, ShopRite
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Save the Dates – Sun., June 24 – Thur., June 28 for Vacation Bible Camp: “Wizards and Wonders –A Hero’s Journey with Harry Potter.” This will be an inter-generational experience for kids, adults, and families...and at a new time: 6:00-8:30 pm (Sun-Thu), starting with a simple dinner. This is something to invite friends and neighbors to. Flyers are on the table in the Narthex.
Bible Study/Adult Christian Ed will not meet this week, May 9. We’ll resume on May 16 at 10:15 am in the Rath House. We are currently reading and discussing Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life, by Derek Olsen. Starting in June we’ll be back to focusing on a book of the Bible. Which one would you like to learn more about? Let Mother Vicki know, and join us, even if you have never done any Bible study before! Hope to see you next week!
WORSHIP
Pentecost is May 20, the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and one of the major feast days of the Church year. Please plan to be here for worship!
DIOCESAN NEWS
The election for our new Bishop will take place Saturday, May 19. The three candidates for our next Bishop are: the Rev. Carlye Hughes; the Rev. Lisa Hunt; the Rev. Canon Scott Slater. The deputies from All Saints’ who will vote in the election: Tom Day, Jean Kimak, and Ellen Lewis; as well as Mother Vicki. Please be in touch with them about your questions, observations, reactions, insights concerning the candidates. Here is their contact information: Tom Day tmdjr@aol.com, 973-615-1341; Jean Kimak jckimak@gmail.com, 908-672-4966; Ellen Lewis ellenblewis20@gmail.com, 201-280-3893. Please keep them, and the diocese as a whole, in your prayers.
Sister Monica Clare will take her final vows as a fully-professed Sister in the Community of St. John Baptist in Mendham on Friday, June 8 at 10:30 am – and we are all invited! Sr. Monica spent several years with us, singing in our choir and doing pastoral visiting when she first came to the Community. This is both a solemn and joyful event – a blessing to CSJB and the whole Church. If you plan on going, please RSVP to the Convent so they can plan for lunch, etc., 973-543-4641. If you need a ride, please speak to Mother Vicki to arrange a carpool.
PRAYER & SPIRITUAL LIFE
Evangelism Matters Video – recently Mother Vicki and two other clergy from our diocese (the Revs. Bill Allport and Miguel Hernandez) recorded a short video about their experience at the Evangelism Matters Conference they attended. Take a look, and then if you have questions or comments, or would like to have a conversation, or would be interested in being part of a prayer effort for the work of evangelism (i.e. sharing what you love with those you love), please speak to Mother Vicki. https://dioceseofnewark.org/content/report-evangelism-matters-2018-conference
Thy Kingdom Come - In the days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost (May 10-20), the Archbishop of Canterbury has called us to join with Anglicans (Episcopalians) and other Christians throughout the world to pray for God’s kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven” as Jesus taught us. That means praying daily for people in your life (individuals or families) to know the love of God in Jesus, as well as praying for a blessing of the common good of our communities, that they will reflect God’s wholeness, peace, and justice. At our Pentecost celebration on Sunday, May 20 we will highlight these prayers, writing down the names of those for whom you have been praying, and offer them to God.
PARISH CALENDAR
5/9 Junior Choir Choir Room, 5:15 pm
Adult Choir Choir Room, 7:30 pm
5/13 Bishop’s Visitation Church/Parish House, 10:00 am
5/15 Vestry Rath House, 7:30 pm
5/16 Bible Study Rath House, 7:30 pm
5/17 Eucharist & Healing Church, 7:00 am
Junior Choir Choir Room, 5:15 pm
Adult Choir Choir Room, 7:30 pm
5/19 Bishop’s Election St. Peter’s, Morristown, 9:00 am
Vets Community Dinner Parish House, 5:30 pm
For a full schedule of our buildings check the website calendar www.allsaintsmillington.org.
CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
The Feast of the Ascension – is one of the seven principal feasts of the Church year, but it always falls on Thursday, because it is forty days after Easter. This means that many churches skip over it or give it a nod on the following Sunday. Here at All Saints’ we’ve always had two Ascension Day services – one at 7:00 am (our regular Thursday), and one in the evening. Sometimes the later service has been Eucharist, sometimes it has been Evensong.
This year, because I will be in California, there will be no service, but do look for the Daily Prayers for Ascension Day. And in the meantime, here’s a bit more about it, from the website Full Homely Divinity:
“The nine days from Ascension Day to the Eve of Pentecost are the original novena--nine days of prayer. Before he ascended, Jesus ordered the disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. After his Ascension, they returned to the upper room in Jerusalem where they devoted themselves to prayer. These last days of the Great Fifty Days of Easter can be a time for us to prepare for the celebration of Pentecost. As we anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit, this can be a time to pray for renewal in the Spirit and a time to reflect on the gifts which the Spirit bestows on the Church. The prayer for the newly baptized, p. 308, in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer is the traditional prayer for the seven gifts of the Spirit, based on the prophecy of Isaiah 11:2-3. This prayer could be the basis for daily reflection on the gifts of the Spirit in the days between the Ascension and Pentecost and the following adaptation of it could be used daily as a simplified novena."
Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sin, and have raised us to the new life of grace in your Son Jesus Christ. Sustain us, O Lord, in the gifts of your Spirit: an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen.
And Thursday, Ascension Day, is the time the Archbishop of Canterbury has asked us to join in Thy Kingdom Come prayer effort – to pray for God’s kingdom to come in the lives of people we know, love, and care about, and to pray for them by name on a daily basis. I hope you’ll take this prayer project on.
Here is a lovely anthem for Ascension Day by Gerald Finzi, “God is gone up with a shout” https://youtu.be/Y_67yfaroek
Easter blessings, Vicki+
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