That time of the year to dig deeper; To reach wider; To love stronger.
The season of Lent
That time to embrace death; To walk towards the cross; To humble ourselves
To pray, fast, and give our lives in service.
The season of Lent
A time to give up or to take on; A time to contemplate life and death
A time to face the realities of our broken world; A time to dance with the darkness.
The season of Lent.
In these days be with us.
Walk with us. Inspire us.
Call us. Motivate us.
In these days be with us.
To serve our neighbors. To sing in community.
To wrestle with your Word. To sit in the silence.
O Lord, here we are again.
I pray for your kingdom to come; For peace to rule the day.
For wholeness to emerge.
I seek this peace for the world and pray I’ll find it in me.
I know the days will seem long and the nights even longer.
But you persisted for 40 days in the wilderness, And so, too, will I persist.
As you relentlessly love, may I relentlessly seek you.
For this season of Lent and forever more.
Come, Lord Jesus. I am here.
Waiting. Hoping.
Loving. Seeking you.
Amen
As we enter the first full week of the Lenten season I wanted to let you know a little bit about what we have planned for Lent and Holy Week. During Lent, we will gathering together each Thursday night at 8:00 pm on Zoom for Compline, this service is also known as Night Prayer. Compline service is relatively short, about 10 minutes long, and is a beautiful way to wind down your day and offer your concerns of the day to God. Another opportunity to pray together during Lent is at the Taize service that St. Ann’s Church in Woodstock will be hosting on April 3rd at 5:00 pm. If you have never been to a Taize service, I invite you to attend. Taize is a beautiful prayerful and meditative service.
In addition, we will be offering a series of adult education classes that focus on what it means to be part of the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement. We will be discussing the Book of Common Prayer, The Arts in the Episcopal Tradition and exploring Holy Week. Each discussion will be on Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm on Zoom and will last about 60 minutes. Classes start on March 23rd so please mark your calendars.
The three Episcopal Churches in McHenry County (St. Mary’s, St. Ann’s and St. Paul’s) have been working closely to provide multiple opportunities to celebrate Holy Week together. The following Holy Week Services will be celebrated together: Maundy Thursday with an agape meal at St. Mary’s, Stations of the Cross at noon on Good Friday at St. Paul’s in McHenry, Liturgy of Good Friday at St. Ann’s in Woodstock and Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at St. Ann’s. We will be publishing a full Lenten and Holy Week schedule with times and dates in the newsletter and in the bulletin in the coming weeks.
I am hopeful that you will use these opportunities to help you in your observance of a “holy Lent, a time of self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and mediating on God’s holy Word.” (BCP p. 265)
Your brother in Christ,
Deacon Mike
Altar Guild Update
Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest in St. Mary's Altar Guild. We will be having our first meeting this Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 9:20 am. We will be meeting in St. Mary's sacristy.
Please contact Deacon Mike if you have any questions.
The Season of Lent
Compline Prayer Continues Tonight (Zoom)
You are invited to join us at 8:00 p.m., every Thursday in Lent, for Compline, which began March 3. The dates and Zoom link are listed below. The link will remain the same every week.
To participate by phone only: 312-626-6799; meeting ID: 848 2838 6833. If you are participating by phone, you may view/print a copy of the service here.
Save the Dates:
Lenten Learning Series
Mark your calendars for the following dates, when St. Mary's, St. Ann's, and St. Paul's will co-host a Lenten Learning Series. Each session will be 60 minutes long and will be accessible on Zoom. The Zoom link will be published in the newsletter, bulletin, and on the website the week before the first session.
Wednesday March 23rd, 6:30 pm
Opening The Book Of Common Prayer
Wednesday March 30th, 6:30 pm
Arts in the Anglican/Episcopal Tradition
Wednesday April 6th, 6:30 pm
Holy Week Explained
Taizé Prayer Service
Join us on Sunday, April 3, at 5:00 p.m., for a Taizé Prayer Service, hosted by St. Ann’s Episcopal Church. If you are new to Taizé, you are invited to experience this beautiful, prayerful and meditative service. St. Ann’s in located at 503 W. Jackson St., in Woodstock.
Lent Devotional Resources
Copies of The Living Compass's Lenten booklet, Living Well Through Lent 2022, to download from the Living Compass website. The booklet is designed for use as an individual reflection, or for group study, providing a foundation for a deeper Lenten experience, in preparation for the true meaning of Easter. There are also additional opportunities on their website, including:
A small group facilitator’s guide is available for those doing group study
You may sign up to receive each day’s readings via email
Join the private Facebook discussion group moderated by some of the contributors
Purchase the booklet as an e-book from Amazon (.99, or free with Kindle Unlimited)
There is also a Lenten Meditations booklet available from Episcopal Relief and Development. You may access the booklet, and other Lenten resources here.
Mask Mandate Update
Per the Diocese of Chicago, masks will no longer be required in the building, although they are recommended, especially for the vulnerable or unvaccinated. We ask that you please be respectful of any individual who chooses to continue to wear a mask. Coffee Hours and any receptions with food/drink can begin to be scheduled as volunteers become available.
Crisis in Ukraine – How You Can Help
Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with Anglican agencies and other ecumenical partners to provide humanitarian assistance to people fleeing the violence in Ukraine. You can help by donating to the Ukraine Crisis Response Fund. Your support will help meet critical needs for people who have been displaced, including food, cash, blankets, and hygiene supplies. The easiest way to donate is online. If you would rather send a check, there are forms available on a table in the Narthex. Thank you!!
A Prayer for Ukraine
God of peace and justice, we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.
We pray for those with power over war or peace,
for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions.
Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear,
that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
Services for This Sunday, March 13
8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Eucharists - Fr. Jimmy Swarthout, Presider / Preacher
Parishioners: Ruth, Kristi, Cindy; Edward, John, John, and Matthew.
Family/Friends: Sue, mother of Rick Noe; Leo, brother of Dn. Mike Choquette; Sigrid, dear friend of Karen Meter; Steve Szalaj, friend of the parish; Ted, brother-in-law of Jane Helmboldt, and his wife, Ginny; Barbara, friend of Jane Helmboldt; Andi, friend of Carissa Nyberg Stanich; Chris, colleague of Rick Noe; Frances, aunt of Catherine Carroll; Brent; Eric; Ashton; Sherri; Laura; Dawn; Betty; Jean; Don; Millie; Nick; John; Pamela; Susan; Ted, Jeff, Tom, Nicholas (infant) and his family; Mark, Chris, Sarah, Douglas, Mark, Andi, Greg, Wayne, Scott, Sue, Sarah, Dave, Brynn, Neil and Des, Kyle, Rick, Sylvia, Jess, Joanne, Kay, Brian, Sarah.
Those Who Have Died
Maury, friend of Rick Noe
Sherri, step-daughter of Roseann Gilbertson
Those Who Mourn
Rick, and and the family of Maury
Roseann and the family of Sherri, including Bob, Charlie, and Kayly
