March 8, Second Sunday in Lent
The Holy Eucharist, 8 a.m., Rite I
The Holy Eucharist, 10 a.m., Rite II
Fr. Ben Hankinson, officiating
Church School 10 a.m. | Child Care 9:45 a.m.
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The Collect:
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
This week’s lessons: Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17
Epistle
“For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.” Romans 4:3-4
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The Gospel |John 3:1-17
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you,
no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.
”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
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Schedule
for the Week of March 8
Sunday, March 8, 2:30 p.m., Requiem Eucharist for Harold Strangeman
Tuesday, Julian of Norwich Prayer Group, 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, Noonday Prayer and Lenten Study, 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Lenten Study and Evening Prayer, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 14, ECW Women's Retreat, 9:00 a.m.
Looking Ahead
Sunday, March 15, Fr. Pence officiates at his last Sunday at St. Andrew's. A farewell reception follows the ten o'clock service.
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The Season of Lent
+Weekly Lenten Studies and Services Continue March 11
The Lenten Study Series, centered around our Holy Week journey from Palm Sunday to Easter with a focus on the liturgy and symbolism of what we do and why, continues on Wednesday, March 11. Classes are 45 minutes and offered at 1 and 6 p.m. covering the same material. The 1 p.m. class begins with Noonday prayer and wraps up by 2 p.m. The 6 p.m. class is followed by Evening Prayer at 7 p.m.
+ECW Women's Retreat March 14
ECW will hold a Women's Lenten Retreat, Saturday, March 14, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The speaker is Sarah Price. Attendees should bring a Bible and a notebook. The theme is "Practicing Your Call: Realizing Your Purpose and Vocation." Parish women are asked RSVP to Mary Jane Helsel if you will be attending. Also, let Mary Jane know what dish you are bringing to share
No admission charge.
+Reconciliation of a Penitent
Have you considered Reconciliation of a Penitent, aka Confession, as we begin Lent? If you would like to discuss Reconciliation, see some preparatory materials, or schedule a Confession, please contact Fr. Ben.
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Another Successful Fabric Art and Quilt Show Concludes March 7!
There’s still time to see vintage quilts and traditional fiber art works on display in St. Andrew’s parish hall, cloister walkway and nave. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Three Quilts of Valor will be presented on Saturday at 12:30 to local veterans, an expression of thanks for their service, sacrifice and valor and a highlight of the show.
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St. Andrew’s and “The Big One” (Part I)
World War II was arguably the most intense national experience in 20
th
century American history, but parish records for that period are disappointingly sparse. That may be due to the disruption of normal church activities resulting from the demands and distractions of the war. The very sporadic vestry minutes that survive note the holding of a “silver tea” by the women’s Guild on May 14, 1942 in celebration of the 101
st
anniversary* of the founding of St. Andrew’s, with proceeds to go to the Army and Navy Commission, and the purchase of a “service flag” in honor of parish members serving in the armed forces.
Unfortunately, we’ve found no record of the number and names of parishioners serving in the armed services during the war, but close to 1,000 Edwardsvillians out of a 1940 population of 8,000 donned uniforms, and there’s no reason to doubt that St. Andrew’s congregation was proportionately affected. As noted in last week’s article Fr. Milligan’s successor, Fr. Michael R. Becker, departed in November 1942 for duty as a chaplain in the U.S. Naval Reserve, leaving our church in the hands of Fr. William Hay.
The most revealing wartime records thus far discovered in our archives are the minutes of meetings of the women’s Guild, although our holdings, with the exception of the minutes of a January 24
th
, 1942 meeting, don’t begin until January 1944. Meetings were opened with a “litany and prayer for servicemen”, beseeching God “for the granting of courage, faith and patience for our boys in the national service.” “Parish letters” were prepared for mailing to parishioners serving in the armed forces and to Fr. Becker.
For Christmas of 1944, copies of a book containing “A Soldier’s Dedication” were included with the letters. Seventy-six pounds of clothing and bedding were collected for shipment to those overseas who had “lost through war practically all of their material possessions.” Some women volunteered to roll bandages for the Red Cross, and altar linens were donated for the use of Army and Navy chaplains. A “sewing program” was undertaken to “help the Filipinos.”
The war ended without mention in Guild minutes. It appears that, while not uninvolved in the war effort, the Guild was not preoccupied with it, as was most of American society. Its records make clear that the health of St. Andrew’s and the promotion of its Christian mission remained the Guild’s primary focus. (Part II next week.)
-Jim Weingartner
*Why a 101
st
anniversary celebration instead of a 100
th
? Had it been inadvertently overlooked the previous year? Did other demands on the church’s resources preclude it at that time? Surviving records provide no answer
.
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Attend Church Camp This Summer!
At this year's camp, June 28 to July 4, children and volunteers will gather at East Bay Camp in Hudson, Illinois to dive deep into learning how to Amplify the name of Jesus through a life of worship and praise.
This year, the Episcopal Church Camp of Illinois will operate within two sessions:
- Alphas: Children entering grades 2-6 will join together in the Woods Camp at East Bay, sharing cabins with one another and engaging in meaningful conversations about Christ in their lives. This session will be led by Carol McCrary (St John’s, Centralia), with Fr. Ben Hankinson (St Andrew’s, Edwardsville) serving as Spiritual Director.
- Omegas: Children entering grades 7-12 will gather in Pilchard Lodge at East Bay, sharing a common lodge as they work to better know God and His will for their lives. This session will be led by Lauren Acton, with Fr. James Muriuki (Church of the Redeemer, Cairo) serving as Spiritual Director.
The week of camp is never short on laughter, as campers enjoy a “Raft Regatta” in the swimming pool, challenge each other in “Human Hamster Balls” (a sight that has to be seen to be believed), compete in a roaring game of the “Dutch Auction”, race to the top of an iceberg in the lake, eat copious amounts of s’mores, design one-of-a-kind tie dye shirts and even try their hand at archery, among other fun activities.
At the same time, each individual who enters camp engages in meaningful discussions of faith, being enriched by the time of Christian community.
The Episcopal Church Camp of Illinois welcomes all students entering 2nd-12th grade to join us for a week of fun and fellowship.
First-time campers from churches within the Diocese of Springfield will automatically receive a scholarship for 50% of the registration fee.
If you are interested in attending camp, contact Fr. Ben!
(Information from the Diocese of Springfield website.)
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Don't Be Late for Church!
Love it or hate it, our annual ritual of early March -- daylight saving time -- is coming this weekend. At 2 a.m. Sunday, the few analog clocks still around must "spring forward" an hour, turning 1:59:59 a.m. into 3 a.m.
Since most of our computers and smart phones do it automatically, it's not as much of a chore as it used to be. We'll reset our clocks again on Sunday, November 1, when we return to standard time.
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March 15th Farewell
to Father Pence
Fr. Pence will preach at both services on his final Sunday at St. Andrew’s before moving to Florida. We will have our last chance to thank him for the many ways he has enriched our life at St. Andrew’s and to wish him Godspeed in his travels and his new home.
St. Andrew's Changes to Spectrum
for Phone and Internet
Andy Mills, Vestry member, worked with Spectrum on February 28 to effect a change from ATT to Spectrum for our telephone and internet services. The primary phone number for the church remains 618-656-1929, but the secondary phone number has changed. Further information on the second line change and internet connections will be shared in an email this coming week.
Coffee Hour
Two volunteers are needed for March 29.
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Pick Up 2019 Contribution Statements this Sunday
You can help St. Andrew’s cut postage costs by picking up your 2019 contribution statement. You’ll find statements in the parish hall on the glass case near the Scrip table.
Holy Laughter
The Alton Little Theatre on 2450 North Henry Street in Alton is presenting
Holy Laughter
, at 7:30 p.m. March 20, 21 and 23 and at 2 p.m. March 22 and 29. "All communities have their eccentricities, but none more hilarious than St. Michael’s Church. A young female Episcopal priest and her congregation manage to find joy amidst the strife of daily life and the struggling congregation finds new comic heights when they embrace the changing waves of faith.” Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online. Pat Rudloff is going Sunday, March 22, and invites others to join her.
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The St. Andrew's Week-End Update
, a weekly emailed newsletter, is designed to update parishioners on church activities. Please send news items to Jane Weingartner
by 11 a.m. on Tuesday to have them appear in the following Friday's newsletter.
Newsletter Editor Jane Weingartner
Newsletter & Bulletin Editor Marianne Cavanaugh
Newsletter Design Editor, Marian Smithson
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