Third Week of Great Lent

  This Week's News and Thoughts
The Orthodox devotion to the Cross probably seems strange to outsiders. It might seem strange to some Orthodox as well, unless we understand certain aspects of the Orthodox "mind." Most modern Christians tend to think in very historical terms. Things happen as events and nothing more. We may think of them, remember them - but those events are closed to us, removed in space and time. 

In our Orthodox faith, as taught in the Scriptures and the Fathers, certain events have a more "cosmic" aspect. That is to say, that certain events transcend their moment in history and have a timeless quality, and a quality that transcends the limits of space and location as well. 

Among the most beloved of such events is the Cross of Christ. The Cross is obviously an event in time. And yet, the Scriptures refer to Christ as the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." The Cross has this "cosmic" aspect. It is both a space-time event, and also a timeless, eternal event. More than that, we believe that this very self-same Cross dwells in every Cross. Each Cross, including the one you're wearing, participates and makes present that One True Cross of Christ. 

Recognizing this, the Church honors the Cross as the very throne of God, the "Judgment Seat of Christ." It is the "Weapon of Peace." On this Third Sunday of Great Lent, the Cross is brought into the center of the Church and is there for our veneration. Prostrations are made before the Cross with the hymn:

Before Thy Cross, we bow down and worship, O Master!
And Thy Holy Resurrection, we glorify!
Schedule for Third Week of Lent
Wednesday, March 15 - Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at 6:30 pm
Bread and Soup after Liturgy - Lenten Lecture Series during the Meal
Friday, March 17 - Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts - 8:00 am
Saturday, March 18 - Divine Liturgy for the Departed (Soul Saturday) - 9 am
Saturday, March 18 - Great Vespers with Confession following - 6:30 pm
Sunday, March 19 - Divine Liturgy - 9:30 am
Check Out Our New Website!
  Jason Rathburn has done a wonderful job designing a new website for the parish. It gives greater ease of use, a more up-to-date feel, and greater compatibility with mobile phones. Many thanks for his great work.

If you have things you wou ld like to see added to the website, let us know!

New Website
Spring Wildflower Outing
This coming Saturday, following the morning Liturgy, there will be a parish outing to the Savage Gardens, in Rocky Top, TN (formerly Lake City). Weather permitting, we will leave from the Church about 11 am (or you can meet us at the Gardens at 11:30 am). The tour of the Gardens will last about an hour. 

Savage Gardens (formerly owned by the Savage family) is a wooded area with amazing, huge free-standing  rock formations, and an abundance of spring wild flowers, some even growing all over the rocks. There are trails through the woods.

The outing is suitable for any age. Bring a lunch and a drink.

The address is 318 Savage Garden Road, Rocky Top, TN. If you use Mapquest, you need to use the old name of the town: Lake City.

If you have questions, email Lynne Attaway, Lynne4@gmail.com.

St. Basil the Great - Protector of the Poor
A Lenten Project
 
During Lent, the youth from the Theotokos class in our Sunday School are collecting items for Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC). These items will help disabled and elderly people, and the working poor in our area.  These necessities cannot be purchased with food stamps. Please bring the following items to leave in the large plastic bin in the parish hall:

Shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, bar soap, razors and shaving cream, deodorant, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, baby diapers (especially medium & large), disposable wipes, laundry detergent, dishwashing soap, cleaning supplies

(Please no travel size items as ADFAC has an abundance of those already. Cash donations are welcome also. Make checks payable to St. Anne and put "ADFAC" on the memo line.)

Many blessings on their efforts! 

Remember to Support St. Anne
Now you can donate to St. Anne through Paypal.