Dear Friends in Christ,
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia! That is the Easter greeting and acclamation we use throughout the Easter season, which is fifty days long, continuing all the way to Pentecost – this year on May 20. The resurrection is the central fact and truth of Christian faith, and so this season of resurrection is celebrated with joy and blessing, not just the single day of Easter.
Having said that, a few thank yous are in order. Holy Week and Easter Day could not be celebrated with such meaning, depth, and joy without the efforts of our Choirs and musicians, Altar Guild, LEMs and Lectors, Acolytes, Ushers, Office Staff and volunteers, and this year to those who helped host the dinner and concert for the visiting Youth Choir…and all of you who come to pray, sing, listen, and worship our Lord in the company of the faithful; thank you all! I hope and pray that you found the week to be renewing and encouraging.
Take a look at the announcements below, especially:
Spring Fish & Chips by Argyle of Kearny, April 26 – 5:30-7:30 pm. This is our spring fund-raiser, and we’ll need a variety of help: setting up tables, decorating, selling tickets, making up plates, serving, working the door, helping with publicity, making desserts & drinks, clean-up. There is a sign-up poster in the Narthex. Tickets $18 for adults/$9 for kids. Ticket Sellers this Sunday after Church – 8 am: Sue Traub; 10 am: Laurie Gaulke. Or call the Parish Office 908-647-0067. Jackie Sullivan is the person to see with questions or to volunteer.
Rummage Sale – yes, it is on the horizon! September 29; Collection begins on August 5 (aka ‘The First Sunday of Rummage’). Look for more information from Kimberly Celeste, but put these dates on your calendar now!
FELLOWSHIP
“Co-op” Coffee Hour this week – bring your remaining Easter baked goods and treats to share with others (and get them out of your house!). We’ll have coffee and tea ready for you.
Seek and ye shall find; Ask and it shall be given: Team All Saints’ Scavenger Hunt; Saturday, May 5th. Team up with family, friends, fellow parishioners, or neighbors and head out to find, collect and discover our community! A fun way to Go Local. Teams can be created with all ages involved. How does this work? On Sunday, April 29, scavenger hunt clues will be given to each team, and you will have a week to collect all the items, information, and artifacts. Each clue will help you get to know our local community better. Then on Saturday May 5th we’ll gather in the Parish Hall in the late afternoon to share what was discovered and collected during the week. We’ll celebrate the winners, enjoy some delicious munchies, and award some prizes! Details and clues are coming soon. Questions? Speak to Laurie Gaulke or Suzanne Kosempel.
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Sunday School Classes meet this week, April 8.
Bible Study/Adult Christian Ed meets weekly at 10:15 am in the Rath House. All are welcome – those new to Bible reading and those with long-time experience. We are currently reading and discussing Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life, by Derek Olsen. We have some copies available on the table in the narthex. It is also available from Amazon or Forward Movement. Hope to see you there!
Communion Class – 2nd graders (and older children who may have missed it previously) are invited to join a 3-week class to learn more about the Eucharist, even if they have already been receiving Communion. We’ll meet Mondays 4/16, 4/23, & 4/30, 4-5:15 pm with Mother Vicki in the Rath House. On 5/6 the children who have completed the class will be recognized at the 10 am service. To enroll your child, please e-mail the Parish Office. If you want your child to participate but have a scheduling conflict, please speak to Mother Vicki. This is an important aspect of your child’s Christian education.
WORSHIP
Baptism this Sunday at 10 am – we’ll be celebrating the baptism of Isabelle Theresa Beyer, daughter of Nick and Amy Beyer. We’ll also be welcoming a guest musician for the day while our choirs have a well-deserved break: Jody Mullen. Jody is the soprano section leader at Grace Episcopal Church in Brooklyn. She and her family live in Gillette. Thank you, Jody!
DIOCESAN NEWS
Election of Our Next Bishop of Newark - The election will take place on Saturday, May 19. How does this work? The bishop is elected by the Diocesan Convention – the three lay deputies from every congregation, as well as all the clergy. In order for a candidate to be elected, he or she must have a majority in each “order”, i.e. a majority of lay votes and a majority of clergy votes on the same ballot. It usually takes at least several ballots to reach an election. When Bishop Beckwith was elected, there were three ballots; Bishop Croneberger before him took six ballots.
The deputies from All Saints’ are the same people who attended Diocesan Convention in January: Tom Day, Jean Kimak, and Ellen Lewis; as well as Mother Vicki. The deputies vote according to their conscience and (we hope and pray!) the prompting of the Holy Spirit. However, it will be very helpful for them to hear from each of you. Please read the statements of each of the three candidates: the Rev. Carlye Hughes; the Rev. Lisa Hunt; the Rev. Canon Scott Slater. Follow this link for short bios of each person, and their answers to questions put to them. Please also consider attending one of the “walk-abouts” on May 4, 5, and 6 - public meetings to hear from all the candidates and ask questions. Look here for details. And then talk with one or more of the deputies from All Saints’. Your input and prayers are important!
SAVE THE DATE
Sunday, May 13 for Bishop Beckwith’s last visitation with us before his retirement.
PARISH CALENDAR
4/9 Pilgrim Group Rath House, 7:00 pm
4/10 Finance Committee Rath House, 7:30 pm
4/11 Bible Study Rath House, 10:15 am
4/12 Holy Eucharist Church, 7:00 am
Junior Choir 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 PRACTICES
Easter Gardens
Did you see All Saints’ Easter Garden on the table in the Bell Tower it was made by parish Administrator Susie Harris. On Good Friday it was placed on the table, with the stone covering the tomb. After the Easter Vigil, the stone was moved to reveal the empty tomb.
Easter Gardens can be made and displayed in homes and churches. Here is an article about them:
“Just as St. Francis' live Christmas tableau developed into the Christmas crèche, a model stable with small figurines, rather than live actors, the medieval Easter play and Easter sepulchre have also developed into a more stylized form, the Easter garden. Easter gardens may be found in churches, gardens, and homes, and may be small and quite simple or large and very elaborate. They may be a focal point in either church or home. Sometimes they have figures to represent the people in the story, but more often they are simply gardens. An Easter garden has three essential features: a mound with at least one cross to represent Calvary; a stone or stone structure to suggest the empty tomb; and lots of live greenery and flowers.
The simplest Easter gardens are made in a shallow pot or dish. This is an ideal project for children to make and to keep in a prominent place at home throughout the fifty days of Easter…. Just 4 Kids Magazine has detailed instructions for a children's Easter garden.
An Easter garden may be very simple or quite elaborate. Some gardens include figures of the risen Lord, the soldiers who guarded the tomb, the women who came to visit the tomb, etc. … [in an Easter garden we are] not creating an exact replica of some moment in history. Rather, we are creating focal points that aid us in remembrance. Just as the Eucharist is not a recreation of the Last Supper, but a remembrance (Greek: anamnesis) which allows us to participate in the mystery of the Bread which came down from heaven, so an Easter garden should be a symbol that points to the meaning of events, rather than a precise model of the place where they happened. Thus, a single stone or a mound of modeling clay can suggest the tomb, and flowers never seen in Palestine can represent the garden.
If an Easter garden is set up in a church, it is appropriate to visit it and bless it in the same way that the Christmas crèche is visited and blessed. If there is a procession at the beginning of the principal Eucharist on Easter Day, the procession should stop at the garden. Prayers may be said and the garden may be blessed with holy water and incense.
Station at an Easter Garden
V. This is the day the Lord hath made.
R. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
V. Let us pray.
Almighty and everliving God, whose Son Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in a garden and called her to be the first witness of his Resurrection: we beseech thee to bless this humble garden wherein we have a remembrance of the mighty acts by which we have been saved; grant that all those who see it may ponder and adore the glory of the Cross and the mystery of his Resurrection and may sing with joy the victory hymn; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
All: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tomb.”
~ From the website www.fullhomelydivnity.org
Easter blessings, Vicki+
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia! That is the Easter greeting and acclamation we use throughout the Easter season, which is fifty days long, continuing all the way to Pentecost – this year on May 20. The resurrection is the central fact and truth of Christian faith, and so this season of resurrection is celebrated with joy and blessing, not just the single day of Easter.
Having said that, a few thank yous are in order. Holy Week and Easter Day could not be celebrated with such meaning, depth, and joy without the efforts of our Choirs and musicians, Altar Guild, LEMs and Lectors, Acolytes, Ushers, Office Staff and volunteers, and this year to those who helped host the dinner and concert for the visiting Youth Choir…and all of you who come to pray, sing, listen, and worship our Lord in the company of the faithful; thank you all! I hope and pray that you found the week to be renewing and encouraging.
Take a look at the announcements below, especially:
- Baptism & Guest Musician (Worship)
- Co-op Coffee Hour (Fellowship)
- Team Saints Scavenger Hunt (Fellowship)
- Argyle Fish & Chips (Fun & Fundraising)
- Communion Class (Christian Formation)
Spring Fish & Chips by Argyle of Kearny, April 26 – 5:30-7:30 pm. This is our spring fund-raiser, and we’ll need a variety of help: setting up tables, decorating, selling tickets, making up plates, serving, working the door, helping with publicity, making desserts & drinks, clean-up. There is a sign-up poster in the Narthex. Tickets $18 for adults/$9 for kids. Ticket Sellers this Sunday after Church – 8 am: Sue Traub; 10 am: Laurie Gaulke. Or call the Parish Office 908-647-0067. Jackie Sullivan is the person to see with questions or to volunteer.
Rummage Sale – yes, it is on the horizon! September 29; Collection begins on August 5 (aka ‘The First Sunday of Rummage’). Look for more information from Kimberly Celeste, but put these dates on your calendar now!
FELLOWSHIP
“Co-op” Coffee Hour this week – bring your remaining Easter baked goods and treats to share with others (and get them out of your house!). We’ll have coffee and tea ready for you.
Seek and ye shall find; Ask and it shall be given: Team All Saints’ Scavenger Hunt; Saturday, May 5th. Team up with family, friends, fellow parishioners, or neighbors and head out to find, collect and discover our community! A fun way to Go Local. Teams can be created with all ages involved. How does this work? On Sunday, April 29, scavenger hunt clues will be given to each team, and you will have a week to collect all the items, information, and artifacts. Each clue will help you get to know our local community better. Then on Saturday May 5th we’ll gather in the Parish Hall in the late afternoon to share what was discovered and collected during the week. We’ll celebrate the winners, enjoy some delicious munchies, and award some prizes! Details and clues are coming soon. Questions? Speak to Laurie Gaulke or Suzanne Kosempel.
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Sunday School Classes meet this week, April 8.
Bible Study/Adult Christian Ed meets weekly at 10:15 am in the Rath House. All are welcome – those new to Bible reading and those with long-time experience. We are currently reading and discussing Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life, by Derek Olsen. We have some copies available on the table in the narthex. It is also available from Amazon or Forward Movement. Hope to see you there!
Communion Class – 2nd graders (and older children who may have missed it previously) are invited to join a 3-week class to learn more about the Eucharist, even if they have already been receiving Communion. We’ll meet Mondays 4/16, 4/23, & 4/30, 4-5:15 pm with Mother Vicki in the Rath House. On 5/6 the children who have completed the class will be recognized at the 10 am service. To enroll your child, please e-mail the Parish Office. If you want your child to participate but have a scheduling conflict, please speak to Mother Vicki. This is an important aspect of your child’s Christian education.
WORSHIP
Baptism this Sunday at 10 am – we’ll be celebrating the baptism of Isabelle Theresa Beyer, daughter of Nick and Amy Beyer. We’ll also be welcoming a guest musician for the day while our choirs have a well-deserved break: Jody Mullen. Jody is the soprano section leader at Grace Episcopal Church in Brooklyn. She and her family live in Gillette. Thank you, Jody!
DIOCESAN NEWS
Election of Our Next Bishop of Newark - The election will take place on Saturday, May 19. How does this work? The bishop is elected by the Diocesan Convention – the three lay deputies from every congregation, as well as all the clergy. In order for a candidate to be elected, he or she must have a majority in each “order”, i.e. a majority of lay votes and a majority of clergy votes on the same ballot. It usually takes at least several ballots to reach an election. When Bishop Beckwith was elected, there were three ballots; Bishop Croneberger before him took six ballots.
The deputies from All Saints’ are the same people who attended Diocesan Convention in January: Tom Day, Jean Kimak, and Ellen Lewis; as well as Mother Vicki. The deputies vote according to their conscience and (we hope and pray!) the prompting of the Holy Spirit. However, it will be very helpful for them to hear from each of you. Please read the statements of each of the three candidates: the Rev. Carlye Hughes; the Rev. Lisa Hunt; the Rev. Canon Scott Slater. Follow this link for short bios of each person, and their answers to questions put to them. Please also consider attending one of the “walk-abouts” on May 4, 5, and 6 - public meetings to hear from all the candidates and ask questions. Look here for details. And then talk with one or more of the deputies from All Saints’. Your input and prayers are important!
SAVE THE DATE
Sunday, May 13 for Bishop Beckwith’s last visitation with us before his retirement.
PARISH CALENDAR
4/9 Pilgrim Group Rath House, 7:00 pm
4/10 Finance Committee Rath House, 7:30 pm
4/11 Bible Study Rath House, 10:15 am
4/12 Holy Eucharist Church, 7:00 am
Junior Choir 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 PRACTICES
Easter Gardens
Did you see All Saints’ Easter Garden on the table in the Bell Tower it was made by parish Administrator Susie Harris. On Good Friday it was placed on the table, with the stone covering the tomb. After the Easter Vigil, the stone was moved to reveal the empty tomb.
Easter Gardens can be made and displayed in homes and churches. Here is an article about them:
“Just as St. Francis' live Christmas tableau developed into the Christmas crèche, a model stable with small figurines, rather than live actors, the medieval Easter play and Easter sepulchre have also developed into a more stylized form, the Easter garden. Easter gardens may be found in churches, gardens, and homes, and may be small and quite simple or large and very elaborate. They may be a focal point in either church or home. Sometimes they have figures to represent the people in the story, but more often they are simply gardens. An Easter garden has three essential features: a mound with at least one cross to represent Calvary; a stone or stone structure to suggest the empty tomb; and lots of live greenery and flowers.
The simplest Easter gardens are made in a shallow pot or dish. This is an ideal project for children to make and to keep in a prominent place at home throughout the fifty days of Easter…. Just 4 Kids Magazine has detailed instructions for a children's Easter garden.
An Easter garden may be very simple or quite elaborate. Some gardens include figures of the risen Lord, the soldiers who guarded the tomb, the women who came to visit the tomb, etc. … [in an Easter garden we are] not creating an exact replica of some moment in history. Rather, we are creating focal points that aid us in remembrance. Just as the Eucharist is not a recreation of the Last Supper, but a remembrance (Greek: anamnesis) which allows us to participate in the mystery of the Bread which came down from heaven, so an Easter garden should be a symbol that points to the meaning of events, rather than a precise model of the place where they happened. Thus, a single stone or a mound of modeling clay can suggest the tomb, and flowers never seen in Palestine can represent the garden.
If an Easter garden is set up in a church, it is appropriate to visit it and bless it in the same way that the Christmas crèche is visited and blessed. If there is a procession at the beginning of the principal Eucharist on Easter Day, the procession should stop at the garden. Prayers may be said and the garden may be blessed with holy water and incense.
Station at an Easter Garden
V. This is the day the Lord hath made.
R. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
V. Let us pray.
Almighty and everliving God, whose Son Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in a garden and called her to be the first witness of his Resurrection: we beseech thee to bless this humble garden wherein we have a remembrance of the mighty acts by which we have been saved; grant that all those who see it may ponder and adore the glory of the Cross and the mystery of his Resurrection and may sing with joy the victory hymn; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
All: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tomb.”
~ From the website www.fullhomelydivnity.org
Easter blessings, Vicki+
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