Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP)
This month we will move from the season of Lent into Resurrection. Soon Holy Week will be upon us beginning with Palm Sunday. As we head further into Holy Week, I encourage you to join in the journey of the liturgy of the Triduum: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil (at St. James’ Amesbury). These three holy days that lead us into Easter morning is a special time of both community worship as well as personal devotion. Experiencing Holy Week through these special services makes Easter Sunday all that more glorious. “Welcome Happy Morning” indeed! Until then, please keep checking out our new website: www.stpaulsnorthandover.org for updates on sharing a Palestinian meal together on Maundy Thursday, the Easter Egg hunt on Easter Sunday, and all of the Holy Week offerings. For now, I’d like to share a parable:
A PARABLE
Once upon a time there was a town that was built just beyond the bend of a large river.
One day some of the children from the town were playing beside the river
when they noticed three bodies floating in it.
They ran for help and the townsfolk quickly pulled the bodies out of the water.
One body was dead so they buried it.
One was alive, but quite ill, so they put that person into the hospital.
The third turned out to be a healthy child,
which they placed with a family who cared for it and took it to school.
From that day on, every day a number of bodies came floating down the river and, every day,
the good people of the town would pull them out and look after them – taking the sick to the hospitals, placing the children with families and burying those who were dead.
This went on for years. Each day would bring its bodies. The town began to be shaped by this daily event. Careful schemes of transportation, medical care and education were developed.
Some people devoted their lives to this extraordinary ministry of compassion.
The town acquired a deserved reputation for its generosity
and became a model for caring action that was studied and copied in many places.
However, despite all that generosity and effort,
nobody thought to go up the river, beyond the bend that hid from their sight what was above them,
and find out why, daily, those bodies came floating down the river.
From “The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality,”
by Ronald Rolheiser
“Church is the gift of a community of Christians in which we rehearse and
orient ourselves in the practice of resurrection.
It is never an abstraction, never anonymous, never a problem to be fixed,
never a romantic ideal to be fantasied.”
Practice Resurrection,
by Eugene Peterson
In the Love and Peace of Christ,
Sarah+
The next vestry meeting is an all-day retreat on March 13 In between vestry meetings, feel free to contact any member of the vestry with any concerns. (see list at the end of this newsletter.)
SUNDAY SCHOOL
The Easter Egg Hunt will be after the service on
Easter Sunday.
Elise Gorzela
Interim Director of Spiritual Formation for Youth, elise.gorzela@gmail.com
Thank you to everyone for the huge cooperation in getting the Collation together for Father Paul, Cindy and her family on February 13. The Memorial Service was beautiful, the memories, service by Father Paul and the music were all one could ask for in our beautiful St Paul’s Church. The family has also extended many thanks to everyone for all the work and cooperation that they did to make this a beautiful memorable day.
– Thank you so much for everyone’s generous donations for the People’s Pantry for the month of February. I delivered the items to the Pantry today and because we had so many personal care items they will be able to make it it’s own category at the next pantry (each guest will have the opportunity to choose an item). The soups and hot chocolate were also much appreciated. We ended up with a large box and three large bags of personal care items and a box and about 4 bags of soup and hot chocolate. Everyone’s donations to make this collection such a success are much appreciated!!!!
“Reach Out and Touch Someone”
Outreach Committee Meeting
Sunday, March 13, 2015
at 11:30 am
in the French Memorial
All are welcome!
It’s UNDIE SUNDAY time again!
Most needed items: diapers and pull-ups of all sizes and NEW children’s underwear in small sizes. Please bring your donations to church each Sunday in Lent.
Monetary donations (and coupons dated after April 1, 2016) are also welcome.Checks should be made out to “Communities Together” (with “diaper and underwear drive” written on the memo line) and mailed to:
Communities Together, Inc.
P.O. Box 428
Lawrence, MA 01842
The collection will be distributed by Communities Together to approximately 10 social service agencies that serve needy families locally.
Starting Sunday, February 14th, please place your donations of diapers, underwear and socks in the vestibule at Church in the basket labeled “Undies Sundays”, thank you!
THE GIFT OF “TIME”
Become a Friendly Visitor Volunteer through the Senior Center and spend a couple of hours a week brightening the life of a home bound &/or lonely senior. Seniors have a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and stories to share. Make a new friend; someone to talk to, laugh with and share interests.
For more information, please contact Joanne McCay, Friendly Visitor
Program Coordinator, North Andover Senior Center at (978)688-9560
or jmccay@townofnorthandover.com
Manos Felices~Happy Hands at Hancock Birthday-in-a-Box:
Most of us have happy memories of our childhood birthdays, but many of the children attending Manos Felices had never had a birthday party or cake until Communities Together started Birthday in a Box. Imagine a child having to watch his or her birthday come and go, with no celebration to mark the day?
St. Paul’s is the proud, annual March supporter for Birthday-in-a-Box! If you would like to donate one or more of the following items for their Birthday Box, please contact Cheryl Means, Outreach Committee Chair, who will collect the items for delivery to their party March 18th. We thank you for your support of this important program.
(Please note that we plan on 20 children in attendance at the party)
*sheet cake or cupcakes
*Hoodsie ice cream cups
*paper plates, napkins, plastic forks
*juice boxes
*one box of birthday candles
*one bag of balloons (not inflated)
*one plastic table cover (6 foot table)
*two large garbage bags
*one boy birthday card (age11)
*one girl birthday card (age 9)
*one small party favor (not to exceed $1. per child)
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our Outreach Ministry~
Cheryl Means, chair
threemeans@aol.com
978-387-6170
The Columbarium
Last spring, the Columbarium volunteer group gave the garden a facelift. Margaret Legal gave a dogwood tree and various others donated from their own gardens to put a new look on this very special spot. The plan is to do it again this spring. The columbarium, formally known as the Roland B Hammond Memorial Garden is maintained by a volunteer group, headed by Sue Johanssen, and each month a family agrees to keep the area neat and tidy. Volunteers are always welcome. If you’d like to be a part of the care or the spring update program, contact Sue.
The Columbarium, established in 1992 in memory of Roland Hammond, for the inurnment of St Paul’s community, is an excellent location and popularly priced option for where to spend eternity. You couldn’t find better company. If you are interested contact the office and more detail will be supplied.
Collaborative
All are welcome to be part of the Combined Choir for Collaborative Easter Vigil on March 26. Even if you don’t regularly sing with your parish choir, you are welcome to be part of this special worship. You are invited to practice with any of participating parish choirs – in your own parish or in a neighboring congregation. Let me know if you need the rehearsal schedule and/or a robe! There will be one Combined Choirs rehearsal before the Vigil on March 26 at 5:15 at St. James Amesbury.
Chili Cook-off
Please mark your calendars
Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 5 p.m.
Send your chili and cookie entries to Leslie Kalafarski – lpkalafarski@verizon.net
Looking for judges who like to sample many varities of chili
