Nativity Notes
February 22, 2019
Jesus said, “I say to you that listen. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who afflict you.” Luke 6:27-28

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”
Oscar Wilde

“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”
Abraham Lincoln

“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.”
Mahatma Gandhi

“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies. (from "Loving Your Enemies")”

Adult Forums:

 Feb. 24 Marcella Kraybill-Greggo: Lectio Divina on The Gospel of Thomas. As a community we will engage in the Spiritual Practice of Lectio Divina, contemplating together a text from The Gospel of Thomas. Together we will contemplate this sacred text, utilizing the intelligence of our heads and hearts, while noticing in sensation how the text ‘lands in us’.
Mar. 3 Pancake Breakfast
Sunday Bulletin For those of you worshiping with us via Livestream, below please find the Sunday bulletin.
Past & Present is TODAY Friday, February 22 at 11 AM. With our new Interim Assisting Clergy onboard, we thought it would be a good opportunity for many to meet and welcome him. And, we are grateful that he was happy to make the time for us. Join us when The Rev. John Marcantonio will tell us a bit about himself and how he came to join us. As always, lunch at noon will follow. 
Pancake Breakfast On Sunday, March 3 rd , the Cathedral will be holding a Pancake Breakfast from 8:45 – 10:15. (8:45 AM 321 Worship will take place!) Come be filled with food, fellowship and fun as we prepare for the Lenten season. There will be games for young and old alike. Test your knowledge of Lent trivia with a Jeopardy type game displayed on the big screen. You won’t want to miss “Pancaking the Dean”! It’s not just a game for kids…
Wednesdays in Lent!  A Journey with Luke  Featuring E-resident The Rev. Dr. Tim Luckritz Marquis. Join us Wednesday evenings in Lent for a Journey into the good news as told in the Gospel of Luke. We will welcome Dr. Tim Luckritz Marquis, New Testament Biblical Scholar as our e-resident, and presenter for some of our sessions. You come along for the journey as well with a resource book from forwardmovement.org, A Journey with Luke: The 50 Day Bible Challenge . A combination of scholarly presentation, personal study and reflection, and group conversation will lead us deeper into the discovery of God’s Love and inspiration for our own lives.

Join us March 13 through April 17.
Wednesday in Lent Format:
5:45 p.m. Holy Eucharist and Simple Chants (Cathedral)
6:15 p.m. Covered Dish Supper (Bring something to share)
7-8 p.m. A journey with Luke.

Book: Order through the office, $15 check payable to the Cathedral. Also available for your own download on Kindle, Nook and iTunes. To register, email teisenreich@nativitycathedral.org or call the church office at 610-865-0727.
Holy Dodgeball! Nativity will be hosting an evening of dodgeball, pizza, and ice cream on Saturday, March 9 from 6-8:30 pm. All youth are invited to attend. Doors will open at 5:45 pm and pick up is no later than 8:30 pm. Please RSVP through sign up genius or text 570-881-7909 no later than March 8 so we may plan for the food and fun!  
Organ Birthday Recital  with Erik and Anna Meyer, organ and flute, offering some recent compositions by Erik, and other brilliant compositions for the combination. Sunday, March 17, 4 p.m. Suggested donation of $10 or more.
Thrift Shop Donations Needed  The Better Buy Thrift Shop is in need of men’s winter coats.
The Way of Love: Life Transformed - A Workshop Led by The Rev. Dr. Hillary Raining, Saturday, March 2, 9 AM-3 PM, at Episcopal Church of the Mediator, 1620 W. Turner St., Allentown.

Session I
Introduction to The Way of Love and Rule of Life
TURN : Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ (Romans 6:3-11)
 
Session II
PRAY: Israel’s deliverance at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:10-15:1)
LEARN : Learn Wisdom and Live (Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6)

Midday Worship and Lunch (free will offering)
Session III
BLESS : A New Heart and a New Spirit (Ezekiel 36:24-28)
REST : The Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
 
Session IV
WORSHIP : The Gathering of God’s People (Zephaniah 3:12-20)
GO : The Empty Tomb (Luke 24:1-12)

Concluding Worship and Commitment Service

The event is free, but registration is required. Register by emailing mail@episcopalmediator.org or calling 610-434-0156 by February 22. The Rev. Dr. Hillary Raining is Rector of St. Christopher’s Church, Gladwyne, and founder of the online wellness and spirituality community, The Hive . She serves on many diocesan and national church ministries, including the Presiding Bishop’s Way of Love Committee.
Lenten Quiet Day Retreat with author Barbara Crafton will provide insights and inspiration at a time when many Christians seek to deepen their understanding of Jesus and what it means to live a Christian life. Saturday, March 30, 2019 from 9 AM - 3 PM at St. Francis Center for Renewal 395 Bridle Path Rd, Bethlehem, PA 18017. Seating is limited and cost is $25.00 covering workshop materials and a light lunch. It is sponsored by Trinity Episcopal Church of Easton. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling the church at 610-253-0792.
Emergency Shelter Season 2018-2019

Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering: at Christ UCC Church, 75 E. Market Street. We will be covering the odd numbered Thursdays as we did last year, and will be using SignUp Genius for online registering of volunteers. The dates are December 1 through March 31 as we've done in the past. You can also contact either Deacon Rodney ( rodneyconn@icloud.com or 484-232-6122) or James Reader ( jim_reader@hotmail.com or 610-417-7418) should you need assistance in signing up, or if you have any questions.

We need people to help register guests, get them their bunk assignment, prepare and serve meals, chaperone through the night and coordinate clean up in the morning. The shelter will open its doors to guests at 5:00 pm and all guests will be out of the building by 7:00 am. This year there will be at least two paid staff members on site from 4:00 pm until 8:00 am.

YOU ARE INVITED TO A SPECIAL ART EXHIBIT!
 
Hope in Hard Times:  Prisoners' Art for Social Justice
March 1-April 7, 2019
ArtsQuest’s Banana Factory Arts Center
23 W. 3rd St., Bethlehem

Mondays – Fridays 8:00am-9:30pm
Saturdays & Sundays 8:30am-7:00pm

The Moravian Church’s Eastern District and the Moravian Seminary in Bethlehem invites you to consider how art might engage us in justice and advocacy questions for our time; how do we see the prisoner, and follow Jesus’s call to see him in the lives of the incarcerated? 

 In this effort, we have partnered with Art for Justice ( www.artforjustice.org ), a non-profit committed to using thought provoking art from certain prisoners in Pennsylvania to promote public dialogue and find ways to reform the criminal justice system.  Our hopes are that this art exhibit will remind us of our shared humanity, incarcerated and free, while asking where our own struggles for reform and justice can be found .   

We are proud to also partner with and bring this exhibit to ArtQuest’s Banana Factory for free viewing anytime the Banana Factory is open ( www.bananafactory.org ) March 1 - April 7.  You are also invited to attend the following special events:

March 1 and April 5, 6 - 9 p.m., First Fridays at the Banana Factory . Special speakers, projects, and engagements.

March 19, 7 p.m., Lecture at Moravian College’s Prosser Auditorium
Speaker: Tyrone Werts, Soros Fellow, PA Lifer commuted by Gov. Rendell.
We encourage you to register for this free event at the following site: www.moravianseminary.edu/academics/continuingeducation
 
March 24, 2 - 4 p.m., Vigil for Hope in the Criminal Justice System at the Banana Factory . Our keynote speaker, Chester Hollman, Jr. tells the story of his son Chester Hollman III’s wrongful conviction and sentence of life without parole in PA.     

More information? Or if you are interested in special curriculum for your small group, youth group or congregation as a way to engage further in the art, please contact the Rev. Janel Rice at janelrice3616@gmail.com , 610-435-6881.  
Inclement Weather Information  Service cancellations and updates can be found on WFMZ Channel 69 or www.wfmz.com , voicemail at Nativity Cathedral Office 610-865-0727, our website: nativitycathedral.org , and our Facebook Page: facebook.com/nativitycathedral 
Parishioners in the Hospital  If a family member is hospitalized, please contact either the clergy or leave a message with the parish office (610-865-0727) informing us of who is in the hospital and at which hospital.
Cathedral Schedule


Friday, February 22
10:00 AM Nativity Staffs the Thrift Shop
11:00 AM Past & Present Luncheon - Dining Room, Kitchen

Saturday, February 23
9:00 AM Altar Guild Prep – Cathedral
10:00 AM Thrift Shop Open Until 1 PM
4:30 PM Order of St. Luke Centering Prayer - Good Shepherd Chapel
5:00 PM Celtic Spirituality Night – Cathedral

Sunday, February 24
8:00 AM Holy Eucharist - Cathedral
8:45 AM 321 Contact Worship Service - Sayre Hall
9:15 AM Confirmation Parent Meeting - Sayre Hall
9:20 AM Sunday School & Adult Forum
10:30 AM Holy Eucharist - Cathedral
11:45 AM Camp Meeting - Good Shepherd Chapel

Monday, February 25
9:00 AM Flower Arranging for Hospital Visitations - Sacristy
3:45 PM Homework Club - Welcome Place

Tuesday, February 26
1:00 PM Al-Anon Meeting - Room 21
3:00 PM New Bethany Ministries Staff Meeting - Room 22
3:45 PM Homework Club - Welcome Place
6:30 PM Private Meeting - Dining Room
7:00 PM Yarns of Love - Good Shepherd Chapel

Wednesday, February 27
9:00 AM Holy Eucharist | Healing Service - Good Shepherd Chapel
9:30 AM EfM - Room 22
10:00 AM Nativity Staffs the Thrift Shop
1:15 PM Yarns of Love - Dining Room
3:15 PM Private Tutoring - Dining Room
3:45 PM Homework Club - Welcome Place
4:30 PM Cathedral Choristers Rehearsal - Choir Room
6:30 PM EfM - Goodwin Room
6:30 PM New Bethany Ministries Parenting Class - Good Shepherd Chapel, Nursery
7:00 PM Choir Rehearsal - Choir Room

Thursday, February 28
9:00 AM Clergy Day - Sayre Hall, Dining Room, Kitchen & Cathedral (11:45 AM Holy Eucharist)
10:00 AM Nativity Staffs the Thrift Shop
3:45 PM Homework Club - Welcome Place
7:00 PM Cathedral Handbell Choir Rehearsal - Bishop Gray Room
7:00 PM S-Anon - Room 21

Friday, March 1
10:00 AM Nativity Staffs the Thrift Shop



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