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February 12, 2021
Dear Family in Christ,
When you close your eyes and say “Lent” what is the first thing that comes to mind? Frequently, most people think of: penance, purple, fish, ashes, fasting, sacrifice, no movies, and no candy. However, maybe when we think about Lent we should first and foremost think about our baptism.
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The more we see a link between “Lent” and “Baptism” the more we will understand the church’s selection of readings and symbols during the Lenten season. The season of Lent is meant to refocus our vision on the sacrificial life, death, and glorious resurrection of Jesus. It is meant to clarify our vision of what is truly important in our lives, that is, our conversion to Christ through the community of the church.
We will begin our Lenten season on Wednesday, Feb.17th, Ash Wednesday. We will hold an in-person simple said prayer book service of ashes at 6:30 pm. This service will be Live-Streamed via Facebook and placed on our website for your viewing.
As of today our Daily Case Rate of COVID 19 here in Cape May County is 43.1, still above Dioceasan recommendation; however many congregations have opted to begin services once again. Please be advised, Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of obligation. You are invited to join in person but by no means should you feel obligated to do so. If you feel you are at risk, I encourage you to worship from home. If you would like a sprinkling of ashes and choose to stay home, please call me and I will bring ashes to you.
I pray that our Daily Case Rate continues to decline and we may together observe a Holy Lenten Season.
May the love and peace of God be with you+
Blessings,
Mo. Allison+
551-697-6133
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ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE
FEB. 17th 6:30 pm
In Person and Live on Facebook
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LENTEN BIBLE STUDY
"Walking with Jesus"
Wednesday
2/24, 3/3, 3/10, 3/24
at 6:30 pm
Copies of the study have been printed and are available in the chapel for pick up or we will be happy to mail a packet to you.
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Easter is at the heart of the Christian faith and its most important festival, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after his death – three days that changed the world. The basic story is familiar not only to those who call themselves Christians and many who do not but picked up the basics through education or as a child taken to church.
However, the days leading up to and beyond the Cross are, in the gospel stories, busy ones for Jesus and his followers. There is a potentially dangerous journey to make to Jerusalem for the Passover celebrations and a waiting Cross and later, following the Resurrection, another from Jerusalem to Emmaus.
In-between are several incidents and opportunities for Jesus to teach that are maybe not so well known but important in the bigger picture. On our own journey through Lent it is a good time to see how these stories, big and small, shared by the writers of the gospels, feed into our understanding of who Jesus is and what Easter means for us.
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If you missed the Congregational Annual Meeting on Jan. 31st, the Report is available for download here. Copies have also been printed and are available in the Chapel. If you would like a copy mailed to you, please let the church office know. 609-368-5922
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Please join us this weekend for worship ONLINE |
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The Daily Case Rate in Cape May County is now 43.1 and headed in the right direction. Our building will remain closed this weekend and will reopen for Ash Wednesday. Prayerfully we will remain open for Lent.
Please watch us live on Facebook at 9:00 AM or check us out after 11:00 AM on our Website.
Blessings and Stay Well+
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The website to pre-register for the vaccine is live now, click here. To make an appointment by phone, call 855-568-0545 during the hours of
9 AM - 9 PM.
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Dear Friends,
For this Sunday's offertory, Cheryl and I will play Chant d'Amour by James Robert Gillette. Gillette was an American composer from the mid-nineteenth century. He was known as a great proponent of concert band music, and wrote numerous symphonies tailored for such orchestration. Gillette's music is stylistic of the period, but not limited to any single genre. His Chant d'Amour, for example, was greatly influenced by European salon music, rather than the domestic trends which dominated his orchestral works.
Enjoy the music and stay well!
David
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Ellie Markle on February 14th,
Fr. Ken Gorman on February 15th, and
Elizabeth Hamilton celebrating her 104th birthday on February 15th!!
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If you are planning to make a purchase on Amazon, consider shopping at AmazonSmile. Same products, same prices, same services as the Amazon you know. The difference is that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchase to The Branches.
Thank you!
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Day by Day devotional booklets for February, March and April 2021 are now available in large print and small. Copies are in the Chapel if you would like to stop by, or we would be happy to mail one to you.
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Altar Flower Chart for 2021 |
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A new Flower Chart for the upcoming year is posted in the church narthex. Although the church is currently closed, you can still sign up to remember a loved one on a special date. Just call the church office or email jultaylor9425@gmail.com. Please know that if you signed up last year for flowers during the time we were closed - April to September - your dates have been carried over to the 2021 chart.
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Wednesday Music with David & Cheryl |
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Wednesday concerts have resumed on Facebook Live at 3 pm
with David and Cheryl. Plan to join us!
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A Church Directory for the new year will be sent by mail this week. If you have not filled out "official" membership forms and are therefore not in our data base but would like to be, please let the church office know. Please email jultaylor9425@gmail.com or call 609-368-5922. |
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Lectionary Text for The Last Sunday after the Epiphany |
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