E-News from Emmanuel Episcopal Church 5/12/22

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EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH

203 S. KENSINGTON AVENUE

LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS 60525

(708) 352-1275

(866) 668-2086 (FAX)

www.emmanuel-lagrange.org

May 12, 2022 Emmanuel's E-News

Greetings from

Emmanuel Episcopal Church!

Greetings!

This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Easter.

Origin and Significance of Easter Observance

Prior to the fourth century, Christians observed Pascha, Christian Passover, in the Spring of the year. Adapted from Jewish Passover, Pascha was a festival of redemption and commemorated both the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as the vehicle for God's grace. Gradually by the fourth century, with an increasing emphasis on Holy Week and Good Friday, Easter moved into a distinctively Christian celebration of the Resurrection, with Good Friday commemorating Jesus' crucifixion and death.

Easter, like Passover, is a movable feast. That is, the date of Easter (and Passover) is not fixed but is determined by a system based on a lunar calendar. The date for Easter was adapted from a formula decided by the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. In this system, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the Spring equinox (the day when the sun's ecliptic or apparent path in the sky crosses the equator, thus making days and nights of equal length). This usually occurs on March 21, which means the date of Easter can range between March 22 and April 25 depending on the lunar cycle.

Since Jewish Passover is calculated differently, the dates for Passover and Easter do not correspond, although often the first Day of Passover falls during Holy Week. Much of the calendar of the Church year is determined by the date of Easter.

Adapted from Dennis Bratcher, CRI / Voice, Institute

Children's

Church

Have a wonderful Summer!

We look forward to seeing everyone in the Fall.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Kathleen, Mrs. Katherine, Mrs. Danielle

Formation Discussions at Emmanuel

May Formation: Slaying Your Goliaths

Think you learned all there is to know about this story in Sunday School? Think again! Join us in Beaudway Hall or on Zoom this Sunday, as the Rev. John Ohmer leads us (via video) through a contemporary interpretation of the ancient tale of David and Goliath, delivering timely and time-honored lessons on overcoming life's "giant" challenges.

These programs will be conducted in person after the service or over Zoom at approximately 11am. Click HERE to participate via Zoom.

SPECIAL FORMATION ON MAY 22

Emmanuel will be working with Exodus World Service to collect a "Welcome to America Pack" for a family of refugees arriving in Chicago this summer. Need to know more? Click HERE for details.

Worship at Emmanuel

Sunday Mornings: in-person

Holy Eucharist continues:

8:00am Said Holy Eucharist

10:00am Choral Holy Eucharist

Sunday Online options

9:45am to 10:00am: Social time on Zoom
10:00am to 11:00am: In-person worship will follow at Emmanuel
10:00am service will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube
Click HERE for Sunday worship bulletin

Tuesday and Thursday mornings- Contemplative Prayer (a time of Scripture and quiet prayer)

Beginning at 7:30am. Please join us for a time of centering. Click HERE to join us on Zoom on your computer or tablet.

Thursday Evenings: Compline

Fellowship and check-in time begins at 7:30pm and prayer begins at 8:00pm. Click HERE to join us on Zoom on your computer or tablet.

"Celebration of New Ministry and the installation of Rev. Dave as the 14th Rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church".

June 25 at 3 pm with a party featuring music by El Rando afterwards - outside if weather permits.

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Wishing the following a

very Happy Birthday

for this week in May:

Adam H, Pearl B

And we wish Elizabeth & Matt V, and Perry and Nancy R a very Happy Anniversary!

Saint of the Week:

Gregory of Nazianzus

9 May 389

There is a traditional list of eight great Doctors (Teachers, Theologians) of the ancient Church. It lists four Western (Latin) Doctors and four Eastern (Greek) Doctors, including Gregory of Nazianzus. Gregory of Nazianzus, his friend Basil the Great, and Basil's brother Gregory of Nyssa, are jointly known as the Cappadocian Fathers (Cappadocia is a region in what is now Central Turkey).

Gregory lived in a turbulent time. In 312, Constantine, having won a battle that made him Emperor of the West, issued a decree that made it no longer a crime to be a Christian. After his death in 336, he was succeeded by various of his relatives, one of whom (Julian the Apostate, Emperor 361-363) attempted to restore paganism as the religion of the Empire.

Gregory of Nazianzus was born about 330. He went to school in Athens with his friend Basil, and with the aforesaid Julian. He and Basil compiled an anthology, called the Philokalia, of the works of the great (but somewhat erratic) Alexandrian theologian, philosopher, and scholar of the previous century, Origen. Later, he went home to assist his father, a bishop, in his struggles against Arianism.

Meanwhile, his friend Basil had become Archbishop of Caesarea. Faced with a rival Arian bishop at Tyana, he undertook to consolidate his position by maneuvering Gregory into the position of Bishop of Sasima, an unhealthy settlement on the border between the two jurisdictions. Gregory called Sasima "a detestable little place without water or grass or any mark of civilization." He felt "like a bone flung to dogs." He refused to reside at Sasima. Basil accused him of shirking his duty. He accused Basil of making him a pawn in ecclesiastical politics. Their friendship suffered a severe breach, which took some time to heal. Gregory suffered a breakdown and retired to recuperate.

In 379, after the death of the Arian Emperor Valens, Gregory was asked to go to Constantinople to preach there. For thirty years, the city had been controlled by Arians or pagans, and the orthodox did not even have a church there. Gregory went. He converted his own house there into a church and held services in it. There he preached the Five Theological Orations for which he is best known, a series of five sermons on the Trinity and in defense of the deity of Christ. People flocked to hear him preach, and the city was largely won over to the Athanasian (Trinitarian, catholic, orthodox) position by his powers of persuasion. The following year, he was consecrated bishop of Constantinople. He presided at the Council of Constantinople in 381, which confirmed the Athanasian position of the earlier Council of Nicea in 325.

Having accomplished what he believed to be his mission at Constantinople, and heartily sick of ecclesiastical politics, Gregory resigned and retired to his home town of Nazianzus, where he died in 389.

Condensed from Justus.anglican.org

Mark your calendars! The LT Varsity Choir will be at Emmanuel on Wednesday, May 18th at 7pm.

Garage Sale

Emmanuel will again be having our garage sale on August 26th and 27th. The garage sale has always been a great contributor to the parish budget and a fun time to work together as a community.

Please start saving items to be donated. We will begin accepting donations soon (we will let the parish know when the space is available). We encourage the following donations: Furniture in good condition, good quality housewares, working appliances, yard tools, rugs, puzzles, games, books, jewelry, linens, bikes, toys, tools, crafts and holiday decorations.

This year we are not accepting: Plush animals, clothes, shoes, sets of china, dolls, ice skates, sports shoes of any kind, helmets, skis, entertainment centers, TVs, stereo equipment, and large bookcases.

Thank you, in advance, for your support of this important Emmanuel Ministry. Please contact Penny L at (708) 275-5028 or Ellen B at (708) 354-5847 with any questions.

Vestry Meeting May 17, 2022

Listen to Emmanuel Sunday Sermons Online

If you were truly inspired by any of the sermons you hear, don't forget you can listen again to the sermons from Emmanuel. They are normally available on our website within a few days of the Sunday service.

Short Takes

Send us your news! We would like to celebrate achievements made by you or members of your family. Was your child accepted by the college he/she wanted to attend? Did your child make the honor roll? Is your child about to perform in a concert or play? Have you or your spouse been promoted or received accolades at work? Let us know so your church family can celebrate with you.

Vestry Minutes

Click on the dates below to view the minutes of the respective Vestry meeting:

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Emmanuel Weekly Schedule

Tuesday

7:30am: Contemplation & Meditation

Thursday

7:30am: Contemplation & Meditation

Thursday

8:00pm: Compline

Sunday

8:00am: Said Mass Rite II

10:00am: Choral Mass Rite II

Planning an Event?

All event dates MUST be sent to the Parish Administrator so that they can be entered on the website calendar.

This is the master calendar.

If you are planning an event, click on the calendar graphic to find out if your event conflicts with other activities.

Emmanuel COVID-19 Policy

Wearing of masks is now optional at Emmanuel
People may share the Peace in whatever way is comfortable for them
Socially-distanced seating will still be maintained in the rear one-third of the church
The distribution of Communion will continue for now as it is currently being practiced: at stations with disposable cups
Please click HERE to view updated comments on the Emmanuel policy