The Bell Tower

MARCH 17, 2023

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God.

The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

Deuteronomy 7:6

ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Sunday Services @ 8:00am & 10:30am

Grace and Peace,

Sunday is Laetare Sunday, a slight reprieve in our otherwise austere Lenten journey. Vestments are traditionally rose colored for this Sunday, as is also true of Gaudete Sunday during Advent. We don’t lose sight of where we are on the journey, but as the Latin word Laetare translates, we can rejoice, and take a deep breath.

This is a good time to look back at our Lenten journey, and look towards our Easter celebration. Are you where you wish to be on the journey, do you need a reset or redirection? A few weeks ago, in this space I wrote that our journey closer to God is not confined to the 40 days of Lent, when you start, or restart, this journey will be the perfect time for you.

An activity that you may wish to consider is the Prayer Vigil offered from 9pm until Midnight on Maundy Thursday. On the night before he died, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John saying “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” We will offer time in our prayer room, to remain silently in prayer with Jesus, if even for just one hour; a signup will be available soon.

In the remaining weeks of Lent is there anything you wish to do differently? In the remaining weeks of Lent is there something you might try so that you can be closer to God? Rejoice this Sunday and take stock of where you are, and where you wish to go.

Peace

Fr. Henry+

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Sunday, March 19th | 9:45-10:15am in the Parish Hall

Pray the Stations of the Cross using Easter eggs with Bill & Pam Fleming

EASTER EGG HUNT VOLUNTEER SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Sunday, April 9th

Help is needed on Easter morning to scatter Easter Eggs before the Easter egg hunt as well as in the Parish Hall to run the carnival games. Please contact Mo. Shivaun if you are interested in helping with egg scattering or carnival games.

CASSEROLE CLUB MEETING | Sunday, March 19th at 12pm

Safe assembly of grievers open to anyone experiencing the loss of a loved one.

Drop-ins welcome!

EASTER FLOWERS & MUSIC

We once again offer Parishioners the opportunity to donate EASTER FLOWERS to adorn the altar during worship and the opportunity to donate towards the special FESTIVE MUSIC played during our services. Flower and Music forms can be found in the solarium or downloaded HERE. Deadline to submit forms is Sunday, April 2nd.

LENTEN EVENING PRAYER & Soup Supper

Wednesday Evenings

Soup & Bread Supper @ 6:15pm | Evening Prayer @ 7:30pm

TENEBRAE SERVICE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5th

Soup @ 6:15pm | Evening Prayer @ 7:30pm

A meditation on Christ’s suffering,

tracing His passion, pathos and that momentous day.

Tenebrae service provides an extended meditation upon, and a prelude to, the events in our Lord’s life between the Last Supper and the Resurrection. The somber mood of Lent is punctuated as we prepare for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday with the gradual extinguishing of candles and other lights in the sanctuary until only a single candle, considered a symbol of our Lord, remains, and by its light all depart in silence.

RESURRECTION STORIES & HYMNS

Please join us for an Easter season fellowship celebration on Sunday, April 16th at 4pm. Begin the afternoon with worship, the music of Easter and readings of the Resurrection. We end in the Parish Hall with a barbecue themed potluck. Sodas and water will be available. Please bring a few flowers to contribute to table centerpieces as well as to the flowering of the cross. Please RSVP HERE and let us know what you intend to bring.