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Dear friends,

There’s something about Ash Wednesday. Every year it happens: people who don’t come to church regularly—or, sometimes, ever—show up on that first day of Lent to be marked with ashes. Sometimes they come to the Ash Wednesday service; sometimes they show up at a different time of day altogether to seek that ashy cross. I’ve brushed aside thick hair and wispy bangs to make room on foreheads for those two crossed lines that form our central Christian symbol; I’ve marked smooth hairless heads of infants and wrinkled bald heads of old men. It is holy, every time. It is somber and humbling and holy. 

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Yes. Ash Wednesday—and indeed all of Lent—is about remembering our frailty and our worth, our sinfulness and God’s love for us. In the prayer book liturgy for Ash Wednesday, the priest says, I invite you … in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. As your priest, I invite you to the observance of a holy Lent. And I invite you to begin that observance at one of our three Ash Wednesday services so that you can receive again the grainy gray reminder of God’s love for fragile, fallible you.

Blessings. -Anne

February 23, 2020

Coffee in the lobby all morning

Nursery open 10:15 until 11:45

8:00 - Holy Eucharist, Rite One

9:15 - Adult Formation

10:30 - Holy Eucharist, Rite Two

Children's Chapel

11:30 - Coffee Connect for Newcomers

Noon - Youth Group (EYC)

4:00 - Parishioners Against Gun Violence

Scripture Readings

Service Participants/Weekly Calendar

Christian Formation - February 23

The Adult Forum will meet at 9:15 AM in the choir loft. Brad Norris will lead an exploration of music for the season of Lent. Lenten texts cover such a wide range that, depending where we are in life, each year can take on new meaning. On this Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the hope is that our hearts and minds will be prepared for “the observance of a holy Lent”.

Children’s Chapel meets in the youth house during the 10:30 AM service immediately following the reading of the gospel.  

The Episcopal Youth Community (EYC) will meet this Sunday after the 10:30 service in the parish hall.

Kairos informational get together is this Sunday evening

Anyone who is interested in learning about Kairos Prison Ministry is invited to the Dellers’ house at 300 Park Pl on Sunday evening, 23 Feb., from 5-7 P.M. Join Brad and Matt to talk about the ministry and enjoy some food and refreshments. The Kairos mission is to bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals and their families. Please RSVP to Matt Deller at (757)812-9852 if you would like to attend.

Thank You

The family of John Edelblute wishes to express their appreciation to the St. Andrew’s family for the expressions of love, prayers, cards, calls, and food during John’s illness and the continued expressions of the same and sympathy after his passing.

Shrove Tuesday – Fat Tuesday – Pancake Day

On Tuesday, February 25, the Fishermen, our men’s outreach group, will be hosting our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper in the parish hall. Pancakes will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. The cost is only $5.00 per person with a $20.00 family maximum.

Why is Shrove Tuesday called Shrove Tuesday? The word shrove is a form of the English word “shrive” which means to obtain absolution for one’s sins by way of confession and penance. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the custom for Christians to be “shriven” before the start of Lent, which they would do by attending an Ash Wednesday service the next day.

So, why is Pancake Day on a Tuesday? There is no exact yearly date for Shrove Tuesday, as it changes every year depending on the date of Easter Day. The other deciding factor for Shrove Tuesday is the date each year for Ash Wednesday, which begins the 40 days of Lent before Easter Day.  Thus, Shrove Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday.

Why is it sometimes referred to as Fat Tuesday and why are pancakes eaten on Shrove Tuesday? The pancake tradition is celebrated around the world along with other traditions called “Mardi Gras” (Fat Tuesday in French) where there may be parades and extravagant parties. Fat Tuesday was the last chance before Lent to “fatten up”! The tradition says this was the last day to use up eggs, butter and fat, thus making pancakes, because people wanted to use up the tempting food items they were giving up for Lent. In some religions, the people knew they would also be fasting one day a week, usually Friday, during Lent.

We look forward to seeing you on Shrove-Fat-Pancake Tuesday!

Bill Wilds

The 40 days of Lent 

Ash Wednesday begins the forty-day period prior to Easter Day, during which Christians repent, ask for God’s forgiveness, and recognize that God’s forgiveness comes at a price – the death of Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf. On this day, the historic churches mark the beginning of this period with special services explaining the season, calling the people to repentance, signifying repentance with ashes, by which a cross is marked on the forehead of penitent Christians.

And thus the 40 days of Lent begin, excluding Sundays. Sundays are not included because they commemorate Christ’s resurrection on “the Lord’s day.” There are several significant meanings of the “forty” days of Lent: it rained for 40 days and nights during the Flood, for 40 years the Jewish people wandered in the desert after fleeing from Egypt, Moses was on Mt. Sinai for 40 days and night, for 40 days Jesus was tested by the devil in the desert, and there were 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.

The final week of Lent is called Holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday (April 5) and includes Maundy Thursday (April 9) and Good Friday (April 10).

Bill Wilds

An invitation to a Lenten practice of Stillness

Dear friends,

Lent is a gift. The Church gives us this season to prepare ourselves for the miracle and glory of Easter. In our corporate worship, we forego flowers; we refrain from saying “Alleluia;” our music is more somber; we adorn the altar in purple. We do those things to remind ourselves of the season we have entered, the Church’s time of solemn preparation for the joy heading our way.

As individuals, we often mark Lent by changing our habits: giving something up (chocolate? Facebook? negative speech?) and/or by taking on a new practice (daily Bible reading? additional worship? meditative walks?). Whatever we choose, the purpose is to draw us closer to God by refocusing our attention and making more space in our lives and our hearts.

One way to make more space for Jesus in our lives and in our hearts is to hold still and simply listen. But in our busy lives and noisy world, those things can be hard to do. This Lent, therefore, I invite you to join me in a practice of keeping silence together in our sanctuary prior to Sunday morning worship. Let us offer ourselves and one another the gift of peace and stillness, making space for private prayer and reflection in those quiet moments. 

In I Kings 19, Elijah stands on the mountain waiting for God, whom he finds not in the wind or earthquake or fire but only after sheer silence. May our intentional hush of silence prior to worship this season be a place where we, too, will encounter God.  Blessings. -Anne

Name Tags - a gift of welcome for Marc Vance

Do you have a St. Andrew’s name tag? The Rev. Marc Vance will be joining us on March 1 and it would be great if we all were wearing our name tags to help welcome him. There are forms available in the pew racks and at both entrances to the church for you to place an order – they are only $10.00. Please make your check payable to St. Andrew’s with “Name Tag” in the memo section.

Lenten Evening Study:  Toxic Charity

Seven years ago, a clergy colleague highly recommended to me the eye-opening and compelling book Toxic Charity, but I didn’t get around to reading it until last year. Since then, I haven’t stopped thinking about Toxic Charity and wondering how to apply its message to our ministries here at St. Andrew’s. I encouraged the members of our Outreach Team to read it, and after doing so they suggested that I offer a book study of Toxic Charity for the whole parish. So our Lenten Wednesday evening program this year will be a 5-week book study of Toxic Charity, co-led by Marc Vance and me. 

The book’s subtitle is How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It). The author, Robert D. Lupton, is a Christian community developer who has lived and worked in inner-city Atlanta for 40 years. He persuasively questions the effectiveness of most well-intentioned “outreach” efforts—including basically everything that I have ever participated in as both a lay person and a member of the clergy!  Christianity Today’s review of Toxic Charity includes this quote: “Lupton says hard things that need to be said… If we accept rather than resist his critique, the poor and non-poor will both be better off.”

Lent is certainly a timely season for us to engage in hearing and discussing hard things that need to be said—and to the kind of self-reflection that will make us better ministers to those in need. This book study will offer opportunities for both.

We have some copies of Toxic Charity available in Rachel’s office. You can also purchase it on amazon.com for about $11. Our study will run from 7 to 8:30 on five Wednesday nights, from March 4 through April 1. I very much hope that you will join us for this thought-provoking discussion. I promise that you will not be bored!  --Anne

Vestry Liaison Update – Outreach

I cannot think of a better way to show God’s love than through outreach. Jesus said “You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”  Inspired by Jason’s sermon, and being a new member of the Vestry, whose focus is on Outreach, I could not help but think how this directly applies. Outreach can be defined as “the extending of services or assistance beyond current or usual limits”. These services or assistance can certainly be in physical form as in feeding the hungry and housing the homeless, but also in spiritual form as we engage and relate with others.

The St Andrew’s community has several opportunities and activities to engage in outreach, but we are working to develop more. The Engaging the Climb team is developing and implementing projects/new ideas outside of the doors of our church with a goal of developing new Christian community for people who are currently, nor may ever be, parishioners of a traditional church. The Building Implementation Team is developing the practical and logistical pieces involved in turning our former school spaces into a multi-use community outreach facility – a portion of the facility will be used to serve those in need or those who are underserved.

If you are interested in helping with PORT – a project of Newport News LINK that provides meals and overnight accommodations at host churches for the homeless in our community - St Andrew’s will have volunteers for this March 24-25 (Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning) at Denbigh United Presbyterian Church. Please reach out to Matt Deller (812-9852 or [email protected]) for more information.

Remember that God calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Be the light of the world! --Dawn Edquist

Lent Madness 

Lent Madness (a saintly take-off on the annual March Madness of college basketball) is a fun, engaging way for people to learn about the men and women comprising the Church’s Calendar of Saints. The format is straightforward: 32 saints are placed into a tournament-like single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set period of time and people vote for their favorite saint. Sixteen saints make it to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen; eight advance to the Round of the Elite Eight; four make it to the Faithful Four; two to the Championship; and the winner is awarded the coveted Golden Halo. In the process you'll learn biographical info, quotes and quirks, and legends of the Saints!

If you would like to participate, go to www.lentmadness.org. If you would like to have a booklet of the slate of saints, you can order The Saintly Scorecard: The Definitive Guide to Lent Madness 2020 at www.forwardmovement.org.

Plastic film recycling update and thanks

A special thank you to those who have been helping our environment and bringing your “plastic” items to the recycle box. Over 500 pounds of materials have already been brought, so one bench has been earned and we are starting on earning the second bench. Once the bench has been delivered and assembled, it will be placed temporarily outside the Main Street Library.