Saint Paul's Anglican Church, Monte-Carlo a community of Light on the Côte d'Azur
St Paul's Church Community Newsletter 27 March 2018 .
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A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
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It was Prime Minister Harold Wilson, I think, who said: 'A week is a long time in politics.'' Well, what Christians annually observe as Holy Week, beginning on Palm Sunday and continuing through Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to Easter Day, is not so much
'a long time' as the whole of time compressed into just eight days: it's the hinge of history on which the dramatic story of creation and redemption turns, enacted in time and yet originating from before and beyond time to all eternity.
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There are three key words which might help to guide us through Holy week :
Palm Sunday - it was Hosanna: Good Friday it's Crucify and Easter Day - Alleluia.
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But popularity is precariously short lived as it was for Jesus, and crowds are notoriously fickle, because just five days later virtually the same crowd who had shouted Hosanna, shouted Crucify. But Easter day is quite another matter: then it's just a small bunch of very ordinary men and women - mainly women - who catch on to the reality of it all, namely that neither death nor the tomb have the last word. However dark that Friday which we paradoxically call Good Friday was, nevertheless we now know with hind-sight, for those with eyes to see, that 'light shines and the darkness, and the darkness has not' and never will 'overcome it'. (John 1: 5) 'So don't come 'looking for the living among the dead, he is not here: he is risen,' said the angel to the terrified women at the tomb that first Easter morning. (Luke 24: 6)
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We live at a dark time in history with much foreboding of what is yet to come on the earth. But Christians who have walked the way of the Cross of Christ solidly from Palm Sunday to Easter Day, through the darkness to the light, begin to perceive the world from a very different perspective; through the lenses of hope - the perspective of that new life that always comes out of death; new hope issuing out of despair. As Roger Schultz said: 'Christians are a resurrection people and alleluia is our song.''
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And once you begin to see the whole world from the perspective of the Easter event and the resurrection to abundant eternal live, not just once upon a time but for all time, then despair, fear and defeat could never again have the last word.
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As C. S. Lewis wrote: 'I believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead in the same way that I believe the sun rose this morning: not only because I can see it, but now because I see everything else in the light of it.' So yes, indeed the last word is neither 'Hosanna', or 'Crucify' but Alleluia in time and for eternity.
 
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory!    
                                                                                                  Bishop Michael Marshall
Fr. Soon Han Choi

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Since the road to Easter, to new and abundant life passes right through the darkness and pain of the world as it did for Jesus that first Holy Week, each year in Holy Week those of us who call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ, seek to walk the way of the Cross with Him, who is the Way, to that ultimate fullness of life which Christ came to
the world to share with us.
  
It's such a pity when Christians just hop from Palm Sunday straight to Easter day without passing through the events of Maundy Thursday celebrated in the Liturgy of that day; through the Liturgy of Good Friday and then on Easter morning, ready to rise with the sun we greet our Risen Lord, the Son of God. It's like hopping from the First Act to the Last Act of a drama, missing out on the Second Act and therefore the subtle significance of the whole story.
  
Let us try this year to make time for the Liturgy of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday as part of our whole Holy Week pilgrimage.

MAUNDY THURSDAY, March 29th
Liturgy of the Last Supper at 6.30pm
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GOOD FRIDAY, March 30th
Stations of the Cross with Holy Communion 6.30pm
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EASTER DAY, APRIL 1ST
8.00am : Holy Communion (Traditional Rite)
10.30am : Easter Sunday Sung Eucharist
with the Annual Easter Egg Hunt for the children
 
Note, There is no Healing Service on Wednesday 28 March
Eco Logo Competition Deadline Looms: Act Now! 
 
This is a reminder about the competition to create the new St Paul's ECO logo that will be used to support our Eco Church campaign to achieve bronze, silver and gold awards for our environmental performance. This competition is open to all parishioners of all ages so let your creativity flow and email your designs to
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A very cool prize will be given to the person (be they young or less young) who designs the winning logo. The closing date is thisThursday 29th March and the winner will be announced at the Easter Day service.

Sunday Club Easter Day
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 Youth and children, do come to share the fun of the annual Easter Egg Hunt to be
      held during Sunday Club time, on Easter Day. As usual, the youth hide the eggs 
      for the children. Mothers are asked to bring chocolate eggs to hide or give them
      to Mirella before the service. This is a joyful time for all. Don't miss it!
Sunday Club Easter Play
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April 8 First Sunday of Easter,The Sunday Club will perform
a play as the children's contribution to Easter worship.
Children interested in participating should contact Mirella.

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The donation of Books for the library suspended
 Please do not bring or drop of any more book's
for the library until November 2018
Volunteer Rota 2018
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Time to organise the next Rota for  Sunday Volunteers
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  For the month of May 2018
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Thank you all for your continuing willingness
to serve the church.
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Please include in your reply the dates that you are
available to serve along with a brief indication of the
roles you are willing to fulfil.
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If you would like to join us as a Sunday Volunteer please contact us
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Thank you for your help in planning the next
Rota  for Sunday Duties at St Paul's 
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please reply to this message at
rota@stpaulsmonaco.com
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Weekly Services
Sunday Mornings
Holy Communion (traditional language) at 8:00 a.m.
Family Communion at 10:30 a.m. with Sunday Club for Children
Wednesday Healing Service with Holy Communion 6:30pm

Saint Paul's Church, Monte-Carlo
Chaplaincy +377 93 30 71 06
      Mobile  06 43 91 69 58 
Email:    chaplain@stpaulsmonaco.com
  Website :  www.stpaulsmonaco.com