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April 1 - 30, 2002 St. John’s Episcopal Church 404-761-8402 SPECIAL EVENTS
EACH WEEK WE OFFER
APRIL BIRTHDAYS
WORK DAY IN MARCH On March 23, we cleaned, waxed, polished, and made the place shine like new money, all for Easter Sunday. The brass and wood looks great! Many thanks to all who helped. And we had fun! ESCALERA ADOPTION Jane and Emile Escalera leave on March 30 for the first of two trips to Russia to meet their new son, Yuri. The Epstein School, where Jane is employed, is having a garage sale on April 14, 8 am - 3 p.m., and we are all invited. There is a list on the Bott Hall Bulletin Board of acceptable items which can be donated. Larger items can be picked up if need be. If you can help in any way, the Escalera’s will be most appreciative. The address of the school is: 338 Colewood Way Atlanta, GA 30338. Call Jane for directions. TRANSITIONS Love and sympathy to the family of Lillie English who died in March. May the souls of the faithfully departed rest in God’s nearer presence. Please make this change in your parish directory: Sue & Bill Johnson, 653 Adams Road, Fayetteville, GA 30214 - 678/364-8874. Congratulations to Chad and Erin Henson on the birth of a son, Brady Christopher. Mother, baby, father, and sister (Hailee) are all fine. MUCH LOVE AND CONGRATULATIONS!!! Elizabeth Daniell now holds the title "Ms. Christian City 2002." She is eligible to go on to compete in the "Ms. Georgia Nursing Home Contest" in May. Though not at all surprised, we are proud of you, Elizabeth. HUSTLE FOR HOSPICE Southwest Christian Hospice will sponsor "Hustle for Hospice," a 5K Run/Walk, Senior Stroll, Fun Run and Tot Trot on May 4th at 8:30 am. Registration before April 22 is $15; on race day, $20. Call (770) 969-8354 for applications. A PLEA FROM OUR PARISH LIFE COMMISSION It is our pleasure to serve on the Parish Life Commission, and we all enjoy each event in which we participate. We are convinced you enjoy them also, in that most everything we do as a parish is well attended. It is our prayerful desire that this good attendance continues. However, we need your help. We had a meeting of this commission right after the 10:30 service on February 24th, and issued an invitation to everyone. We put invitation inserts in the bulletins, as well as on all the bulletin boards around the church. Other than the three of us, only two parishioners attended the meeting. This was disappointing to us. We need your help in all areas of Parish Life, i.e., planning, setting up, taking down tables and chairs, cleaning up, and lots of other areas. Unless we get more people to help, we might have to eliminate some Parish Life activities (such as Second Sunday Brunch), which we would really be sad to see happen. We ask that you prayerfully consider joining this commission. You can join permanently and will be most welcome (we are a fun-loving group and would love to have you), or join in on a "one event only" basis. Please give any one of us a call to tell us you’ll be here to help keep this wonderful ministry alive. God Bless. Your Parish Life Commission (Jeanne Condrey, Jane Escalera, and Ernie Radaker) These folks have been working hard for a long time. Let’s give them some help! "Many hands make light work." Jim ADULT CONFIRMATION CLASS TO START There will be a Diocesan Confirmation Service at the Cathedral of St. Philip on Saturday, June 2 at 4:00 p.m. The Rector will start a class on April 7 for those who would like to (1) be confirmed, or (if you are already confirmed) (2) renew their baptismal vows, or (3) are just interested. Confirmation is for those who are baptized and are prepared to make a "mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and to receive the laying on of hands by the bishop." (BCP p. 412). (You must be confirmed to serve on the Vestry, be a Lay Reader , or be a Lay Eucharistic Minister (I or II)). If you wish to get confirmed, you will need to attend the class regularly, or be a graduate of DOCC and attend specified classes. Whether you plan to be confirmed, want to know more about it, or just want to sit in, come check it out! THANKS! From Jackie Berlin I want to thank you for the many prayers, good wishes, beautiful cards, phone calls, and gifts you sent my way after my recent surgery. You are indeed the very best people ever. Without all those good vibrations during my hospital stay and recuperation, I would have been truly miserable. It is hard to thank each of you individually, so I am taking this opportunity to do it through the Eagle Notes. I really think my life would be blah without St. John’s and all of you. You can’t know how much I thank God each day for my St. John’s family.
FROM THE RECTOR Stewardship is a way of life You will find enclosed with this Eagle Notes a statement from your Vestry and me regarding stewardship. During our retreat in January, we worked with Angela Emerson, chair of the Commission on Stewardship for the Diocese. It was fun, interesting, exciting, and inspiring, and out of it came the enclosed statement. Your Vestry and I hope you will read it carefully and prayerfully and accept our invitation to join us in our journey toward greater commitment to God. The Shape of the Liturgy Each week our worship retells, in brief form, the dramatic story of creation, our rebellion, God’s sacrificial action, and our inclusion at the Table as a sign of God’s love and Christ’s resurrected Spirit among us. Good liturgy is also good drama, and our liturgy is designed to build momentum from the beginning of Great Thanksgiving (after the peace) until the breaking of the bread (the only time silence is required) and reception of Holy Communion. That dramatic flow, however, is disrupted by our rather showy presentation of our offerings, during which we sing the Doxology as our gifts of money are brought forward. As stated in Prayer Book Rubrics Expanded (and echoed in every other reference on liturgy I consulted):
(pp. 128-29). In order to honor the shape of our liturgy and reflect the best liturgical practices in our church, we will make a change at the 10:30 service (we’ll see how it goes before discussing it with the 8:00 folks). The ushers will be asked to bring the money forward as soon as they have collected it (during the anthem or hymn). When that music stops, we will move directly to the Great Thanksgiving. I know that any change in our worship will upset some folks, and I’m genuinely sorry about that (and I’m bracing myself!). But what better time than Easter season to make adjustments intended to keep us focused on the Breaking of the Bread and Holy Communion? Please give it a try.
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Eagle Notes