Greetings!

In this issue of The Weekly News:

Bring Last Year's Palms to Church for This Year's Ashes  

Do you know where the ashes used at Ash Wednesday services come from? The ashes used are made from the burning of palms blessed in the previous year's Palm Sunday celebration.  

Of the connection between Palm Sunday and Ash Wednesday, someone wrote this in a 2015 blog: "It’s helpful to link Palm Sunday and Ash Wednesday like this. Palm Sunday might also be called “Irony Sunday,” because the same crowds that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem would be calling for his crucifixion five days later. Ash Wednesday ash on our brow isn’t just a reminder of death and sin—it’s a reminder of Holy Week’s disingenuous praise. On Day One of Lent, the season calls into question the Christian’s devotion and piety, taking the memory of last year’s joyous celebration and quite literally rubbing it in our faces. It is a tangible metaphor of the weakness of our spirituality: one moment a blaze of glory, the next without trace of burning ember."

If you have palms from last year (or any previous year), you are invited to bring them to church with you no later than Sunday, February 11—the Last Sunday after the Epiphany. They will be burned, and the ashes that result will be used at Ash Wednesday services on February 14. 

Ash Wednesday Services

Three services of Holy Eucharist and the Disposition of Ashes will be held on Wednesday, February 14: 6:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 7:00 p.m. All will be held in the Sanctuary. The evening service will include choral music.

Adult Christian Development Classes

Interested in learning more about our faith? Pick out one of the interesting, inspiring, and informative classes offered through our Christian Development program. Click the picture of the potter's hands to visit the Adult Christian Development webpage and the interactive catalog of classes.

Inquirer's Class

Why do we worship the way we do? What do Episcopalians believe and how did we get there? Come explore the basics of our faith and Episcopal tradition. This class is for you if you are curious, or if you would like to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church. Father Stephen will facilitate this class. Registration is not required and there is no cost to attend.

Six Sundays, February 11 to March 25, (omitting February 18)

11:30 in the Parish Hall on February 11 only;

thereafter 11:30 a.m. in the Conference Room

Reading the Bible in Larger Portions 

Bibles at the ready? Once again, we will read larger portions of scripture during the season of Lent. Choose a daily calendar that gets you through the Gospels, the General Epistles and Revelation, or the Minor Prophets during Lent, or even the entire Bible over the year. St. Christopher's will gift you with a Bible of your own when you sign up. Paper calendars on the round table in the Narthex.

A Word About the "Day of Discovery"

Once again, thank you to everyone who attended the Day of Discovery or has since submitted input to the Search Committee questions. We’re still taking input until this Sunday, February 11. If you have had additional thoughts following the main session on January 28 or have not had a chance to give us your input, you may do so dropping off input at the church office, giving your input to one of the search committee members or sending an email to the Search Committee. If you need the questions, click the Discovery Questions button below.

[email protected]

The Examen Prayer as Reflective Practice

Join The Daughters of the King on Saturday, February 10, 2018, to learn about The Examen that was popularized by St. Ignatius between 1522-1548. This discipline of daily spiritual self-review is used as an experience of deeper connection to God. Understanding the steps of The Examen and creating your own Examen prayer beads will be part of the study experience led by Dorinda Dick.

All materials will be provided and refreshments will be served between 9:45 and 10:00 am. The program will be followed by the regular business agenda of The Daughters of the King. All are welcome to attend one or both of these sessions! 

Saturday, February 10, 9:45 a.m. refreshments

10:00 a.m. The Examen program in the Parlor (upstairs)

Shrove Pancake Breakfast Throwdown

This Sunday, February 11

There will be two seatings for your dining pleasure: an early throwdown seating after the 7:45 a.m. service and a second seating after the 10:00 a.m. service. Tickets, $5 per person or $20 per family, will be available on Sunday at the breakfast.

Come support the youth’s fundraiser for a future mission trip! Root for your favorite team: Father Stephen or Mother Jenny! May the best pancake win!

Do You Want to Make a Difference?

Are you interested in outreach and being of service to others? Please join us for a Service to Others (S2O) meeting on Sunday, February 11, after the 10:00 a.m.service. Get your pancakes and bring your ideas! We'll meet in the Andres Library.

The "Cleaning Out the Church” Sale

On February 11, as you enjoy the Shrove Pancake Breakfast hosted by our youth, you also can shop for treasures from the recent cleaning of the church closets Various and sundry items await your selection. Items selected await any donation you wish to contribute to benefit the Chicago Urban Mission Trip and other Youth Ministries of our St. Christopher’s Youth. The sale table will be available after both services in the Parish Hall.

St. Christopher's 4C (Christopher’s Casual Communion Crew)

All men are welcome to join the St. Christopher's 4C meeting to be held on Monday, February 12 at 6:30 PM. The meeting will be at Rackz BBQ (5790 East Main Street, Suite 140, Carmel, IN 46033) located at the intersection of Hazel Dell and Main Street.

St. Christopher's 4C is a group formed in an attempt to get to know one another better and to also promote service. We meet once a month on the second Monday of the month at a local restaurant. Meetings are an opportunity to share casual conversation but also discuss personal issues if desired. Another aspect of the group is a call to service. We feel there is strength in numbers. We can accomplish a lot when we have 8–12 people who can help with service projects. In the past year we have helped with several Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank events, the outdoor playground, packing up the totes for the Mary Rigg Center, and we also helped a parishioner with some landscaping. Please consider joining us and supporting each other and church projects.

We are willing to help wherever needed and would like to do one service project a month. In addition, we have extended an olive branch to St. Matthew's to help them with some landscape issues this spring.

Questions? Reach out to Kevin Price at [email protected]

Important Dates for Your Calendar

The  Save the Date page  of St. Christopher's website is updated weekly. Check this resource for new information. You also may want to review the insert in the Sunday bulletin, as it provides the schedule for the coming week. 

February 11, 11:30 a.m. | Anti-racism Group

February 18, 7:45 & 10:00 a.m. | Bishop Jennifer's Visit

February 22, 5:30 p.m. | Lent Series Begins

February 25 | Butter Braids Sale begins

February 28, 11:30 a.m. | Young at Heart

Church office hours

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.

The deadline for announcements, news, and articles for  The Weekly News  is Monday Noon each week. Email announcements to the church office at  [email protected] with a copy to [email protected]

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