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Weekly news & announcements
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Thank you to those serving this weekend!
Lector: Amy Sweeney
Ushers: Phil Bergen and Tedi Eaton
Digital Verger: Jack Barrett
Coffee Hour: Nancy Sterling and Christine Ruddy
Altar Guild: Nancy Stern, Debby Rempis, and Tedi Eaton
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Sign up to help with worship here. |
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Greeting Siblings in Christ,
It was a long day but a beautiful Ash Wednesday. It began with meeting the 6:16am and 7:16am trains at Hersey and connecting with a number of enthusiastic receivers of ashes; then a 7:30am service in the Chapel for early risers. It ended with a peaceful service at 7:30pm also in the Chapel, where more faithful souls received the sign of our mortality before retiring for the evening.
In the middle was a wonderful visit from Bishop Gates. He held our Wednesday Bible study rapt, engaging their questions arising from their study of the Book of Acts, grounded in his own prayerful study and pastoral experience. He then preached and presided at the Ash Wednesday service in the Chapel at noon.
His powerful homily is found here.What moved me most were these ideas: whenever we come to the altar, seeking Jesus, Jesus is already there, waiting for us. When we come to the altar, we do not have to leave the same as when we came in. Invite Jesus in, and he will do the rest. We do this not only as individuals, but as a community.
As I heard Bishop Gates, Ash Wednesday and Lent are an Altar call, invitations to all of us to come and be changed by Jesus, together. Join us for worship this Lent; take part in any of the many activities taking place at the Church, or bring some home. We do not have to stay the same.
Faithfully and affectionately,
Nick+
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Bishop Gates with Wednesday Bible Study.
Click on the image to enlarge.
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Seven Times Salt: A Brave Barrell of Oysters Performance this Sunday, February 26 at 4pm in the Chapel |
Perhaps the English language’s most famous diarist, Samuel Pepys was a prosperous civil servant and bon vivant in Restoration London. The diaries he kept from 1660-1668 provide a fascinating glimpse of life during the reign of the “merry monarch” Charles II. An enthusiastic amateur musician who sang and the lute, viola da gamba, and flageolet, Pepys chronicled his experiences making music with the best (and the worst) musicians in town. STS brings this bustling, bewigged, and bawdy London to life with readings from Pepys’ diaries along with music by his many friends including Blagrave, Young, Locke, and others.
Sunday, February 26 at 4pm in the Chapel
$20 general seating. Masks required.
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The Visitor: Lent and Easter 2023 |
Fresh off the presses - The Visitor: Lent and Easter 2023! Thank you to our publisher extraordinaire Donna Vello, editor Harding Ounanian, and all those who submitted articles!
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CityReach is on March 10 and March 11 |
As in prior years, a group of teens are doing a March 10 and 11 CityReach service project to learn about and serve the homeless community in Boston. It is a great way to practice neighbor love, as Jesus teaches. The first step in this project is collecting donations of the homeless' most-needed clothing and personal hygiene items from our Church community. The teens will then help distribute these items to the homeless directly at Common Cathedral in downtown Boston on March 11. Warm jackets & raincoats, sweatshirts & sweaters, casual shirts and pants, comfortable boots & shoes, new socks and underwear, and travel-size toiletries are among the most-needed items (think of the clothing one would bring camping), as many homeless must survive the elements night after night. Beginning immediately, you can drop these items off in Upper Parish Hall. Please contact Kevin Ruddy at kruddy@ptc.com if you have any questions. Finally, if you wish to simply make a monetary donation to be spent on these items, you can Venmo Kevin Ruddy directly at @Kevin-Ruddy
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Lent-To-Go 2023: "Teach us To Pray," now available in the UPH |
If you have ever found yourself looking for the right words to pray, you needn’t look any further than the Psalms. These songs explore the full range of human emotion, and this Lent we’ve selected four to pair with a range of activities with hopes that they will deepen your Lenten devotion.
This year you’ll find your Lent-To-Go materials in a pizza box, equipped with what, in Godly Play, we call an underlay (a piece of material that goes beneath things), a candle, a finger labyrinth, and a booklet of devotional ideas for people of all ages to go along with the themes of these Psalm “anchors.”
Here’s the key to using these materials, care of Traci Smith, author of the Faithful Families series: the goal shouldn’t be and can’t be to do everything. Instead, look through the devotional guide with your family and pick a few practices that resonate deeply with you, that anchor you in this season, or take turns choosing practices to try. You’ll find resources drawn from a range of sources, including Illustrated Ministry, Smith’s Faithful Families for Lent, Easter, and Resurrection, and Godly Play trainer Sally Thomas’s Wondering Together Project.
Lent-To-Go kits are still available. But they're going quickly!
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Resetting the Prayer List in Lent |
The first Sunday in Lent is February 26. To keep the prayer list fresh and intentional, we will reset it this Sunday. Please email your prayers to office@ccneedham.org by Monday, February 20, or any time after to be included on the list going forward.
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MANNA Needs Volunteers for March and April |
MANNA/Monday Lunch moves forward to March and April. We need:
March 12: 1 baked good
April 12: 2 casseroles & 3 baked goods
Click on the picture to enlarge it.
L to R: Ron Dennenberg, Nancy Stern and Amy Sweeney help driver Rich Gatto load food for MANNA to be delivered to cathedral on January 8.
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Coffee Hour Ministry - Volunteers Needed!! |
The weekly Coffee Hour ministry continues each Sunday morning, as Nick says, as an extension of the Eucharistic table. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to host coffee hour in the fall/early winter months and has extended hospitality, a warm drink, and delicious refreshments to our congregants. We would love to see church members who have not yet hosted coffee hour volunteer to do so. There are plenty of openings available through mid-June. The hosting duties are straightforward and are always shared by two people. The goal is to make the process as easy and timely as possible. There is a standard list of food items that are served. Coffee is always available to be brewed. Cleanup is simple. If you are looking for an opportunity to enrich friendships with fellow congregants, both new and old, and serve others through the sharing of food and coffee please contact either Linnea or Barbara. We would love your participation and helping hands.
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Anyone who would like to explore the choir is invited to come to a rehearsal. This means rising 7th graders, people who sing in the shower, people who used to sing, and people who want to learn to sing. Everyone is welcome. The Choir is not an exclusive club. Singing is for everyone, and Mary will teach you to match pitch and read music. We will have four section leaders that you can rely upon, and we can also start at different levels. Start by singing hymns with us, and once you are comfortable, we will add you in on the Anthems. You can also start by making a small commitment by liturgical season. Sing for Epiphany, or Lent or Easter, or join us for an Evensong. Rehearsals are on Thursdays 7:30pm-9pm. Email Mary if you would like to join.
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HELP UKRAINIAN FAMILIES
Your immediate support will help Episcopal Relief & Development and other Anglican partners provide humanitarian assistance to people fleeing the violence in Ukraine. Donate here today.
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HELP FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN TURKEY/SYRIA
Episcopal Relief & Development is mobilizing with long-term partners after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria on Monday, February 6, 2023. The earthquake killed over 11,000 people and caused widespread damage across the region. Working through Action by Churches Together Alliance (ACT Alliance), Episcopal Relief & Development will rapidly respond to the disaster through existing networks by providing supplies including winterization kits, hot meals and other food, medicine and emergency support. The organization is also in contact with other local partners as they assess the needs of their communities.
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If you or someone in your family is in the hospital or in need of pastoral care, please call the church office so that our clergy or the Pastoral Response Ministry team may be notified and tend to the need.
The office number is (781) 444-1469, and you can reach Nick at ext. 113.
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