Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina | | |
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Lenten Reflection
Attending to the Spiritual Wisdom of Children
I once cared for two small children. Both under the age of one, they took turns cutting teeth with all the feverish foul tempers and floods of tears that new teeth bring. One day I tried taking them on a walk in the woods in a double stroller. They were not having it. I flipped on the breaks, and gathered each little one up in my arms, one on each hip. The wailing stopped. Unsure of what to do I stepped into the woods, a warm, recovering baby firmly pressed against each side. They each held on tightly as I walked, and we came upon a huge pine with deeply notched bark, tinged rust-red in the cracks and stippled with glazed pearls of sap. Little ants moved carefully and quickly along the ridges as we watched in rapt attention. One baby reached out a hand, not to touch the ants, but to be closer. I shifted my hip and swung them toward the tree. They reached out again, put their little hand on the ancient bark, and then looked back at me with a slight smile. We watched until my arms became tired.
Written by the Rev. Erin Maxfield-Steele, rector of St. John's, Sylva.
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View the weekly checklist of important upcoming dates and deadlines for clergy, wardens, and staff. | |
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The sounds of chainsaws, leaf blowers, and laughter rang out at Lake Logan this weekend as about 80 volunteers showed up to help with improvement projects at Lake Logan and Camp Henry.
"It's a great chance for a lot of adults and a few kids to go back to Camp for the weekend. Just sing songs and play and have fun and get some work done," said Michelle Minks, a weekend volunteer and parishioner at Trinty, Asheville.
Major projects included cleaning up the burn pile near the Alpine Tower, organizing the maintenance shed, getting the Boojum ready for camp this summer, clearing a sight line to the Lake from the main office, along with several other projects.
"A really important focus of this (and all future) volunteer weekends was the intentionality of making connections between Camp Henry campers, staff and alumni, and our Lake Logan folks. We had volunteers from 8 years old to 81 and every age in between. It was really fun to witness everyone sharing their love of this truly amazing place by giving back and working alongside each other. The Saturday night bluegrass band and square dance really capped the weekend with tons of laughter and good times. We look forward to seeing everyone back at the Lake for our next Volunteer Weekend in November," said Lake Logan Director Laura Elliot.
See more photos
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Take a tour at one of our diocese's oldest churches, St. John in the Wilderness, Flat Rock. The historically significant churchyard contains graves of un-unamed 19th century people who were enslaved as well as distinguished political figures and local citizens. Tours will take place the first Saturdays March–December and first and third Saturdays during the summer.
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Resources for the Conflict in the Holy Land
The Office of Government Relations in The Episcopal Church has released a webpage of resources to follow the conflict in Gaza, Palestine, and Israel. The page includes ways to take action to support the citizens affected by the conflict, statements from leaders, partner resources, prayers, social media, and a list of press releases. The page is being updated as the situation develops.
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Events around the Diocese | |
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We love your submissions! To be placed in this section, you must email the details of your event and a photo to Rachel, rcarr@diocesewnc.org, for consideration. This space is reserved for diocesan, parish, and conference center events.
View submission guidelines
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Clergy Renewal of Vows
All clergy are invited to join Bishop José for the annual Clergy Renewal of Vows service on Thursday, March 14, at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville. In the midst of the busy season of Lent, this service is an opportunity to pause, slow down, and gather in fellowship, prayer, and mutual support, remembering the vows we took in ordained ministry. Please register if you plan to attend so we can plan for lunch.
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Lenten Evensong
A service of quiet reflection during Lent
| Sunday, March 3 |
3 p.m. | St. Mary of-the-Hills, Blowing Rock | |
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Lenten Art Series
Anna Diemer performs "Man! A Gender-Swapped Recital"
| Sunday, March 3 | 4:30 p.m. | Cathedral of All Souls, Asheville | |
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Violin & Cello Recital
Dierdre Hutton, violin & Christopher Hutton, cello
Sunday, March 3 |
5 p.m. | St. James, Hendersonville
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General Convention Lunch and Learn
Meet the Diocesan delegation to General Convention for TEC
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Wednesday, March 6 | Noon | Trinity, Asheville
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Wednesday, March 6 |
5:30 p.m. | St. John's, Asheville
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Ecumenical Lenten Program
Multiple dates to watch The Gospel of John
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Wednesday, March 6 | 5:30–7:30 p.m. | Holy Family, Mills River
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Sacred Paths
A Lenten Experience | |
Saturday, March 9 |
9 a.m.–3:15 p.m. |
St. Peter by-the-Lake, Denver
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High School Spring Retreat
A weekend of formation, fun, and fellowship for high schoolers
March 15–17 |
Camp Henry
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The Divine Mercy
Lenten Day Away
Saturday, March 16 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Good Shepherd, Hayesville
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It's not too late to set your lenten intention. Share yours on social media and tag #diownc! | |
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Registration Opens for Visitors to TEC General Convention
Online registration is now open for visitors wishing to attend the 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church, which will take place June 23 – 28, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Visitor registration fees for the entire convention are $150 in advance, or $180 at the site. The cost for day visitors is $50 per day. Youth ages 12 to 18 will pay $50 for the convention. Access to the exhibit area only is $20 per day.
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Parochial Report App Aims to Help
The parish register app allows users to track aspects of every liturgy that takes place in their congregation and then adds that data to the church’s parochial report, the Rev. Molly James, deputy executive officer of General Convention, told Episcopal News Service. Every congregation in The Episcopal Church is required to complete the parochial report annually. This year’s report based on 2023 data is due March 1.
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