The Episcopal Church
of the Resurrection
1433 NW R.D. Mize Road, Blue Springs, MO
Weekly e-mail
Friday, March 4, 2022
First Sunday in Lent

Sunday, March 6, 2022

Holy Eucharist Rite I at 8:00 am
Holy Eucharist Rite II at 10:30 am
Lenten Schedule
WEDNESDAYS IN LENT
Join in fellowship with our ecumenical sisters and brothers in-person or on-line on Wednesday evenings beginning at 7:00 pm March 9 through April 6. Look for a flyer later in the newsletter and posted in the narthex.

The theme is “Facing the Future”. The schedule is as follows:
o  3/9 Pastor Cliff Caton (First Christian Church) at First Christian Church
o  3/16 Pastor Sarah Pierce (All Saints Lutheran) at Chapel Hill Presbyterian
o  3/23 Fr David Lynch (Resurrection Episcopal Church) at First Christian Church
o  3/30 Pastor Virginia Pych (Good Shepherd Christian) at Chapel Hill Presbyterian
o  4/6 Pastor Andrew Florio (Chapel Hill Presbyterian) at Chapel Hill Presbyterian 

FRIDAYS IN LENT
12:00 noon: The church will be open and if Fr. David is not present, a self-guided program for Stations of the Cross will be available in the narthex on the table where bulletins are found. “Stations” is also recorded on Facebook and can be viewed and prayed anytime (https://www.facebook.com/bsresurrection)

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
Palm Sunday: 8:00 am and 10:30 am Holy Eucharist
Holy Wednesday: 7:00 pm Tenebrae
Maundy Thursday: 6:00 pm Agape Meal
Maundy Thursday: 7:00 pm Foot Washing and Holy Eucharist; all night prayer vigil at the reserved sacrament until 6:00 am 
Holy Friday: 7:00 pm Veneration of the Cross and Holy Eucharist
Holy Saturday: 7:00 pm Great Vigil of Easter
Easter Sunday: 8:00 am and 10:30 am Holy Eucharist
From Father David +
A FORTY DAY JOURNEY

Lent is a season of the Church Year that calls Christians to focus on repentance and personal devotion in light of the coming celebration of Easter. The forty-day period of Lent connects with many Scriptural events important in the history of salvation: the forty days of the flood, the forty years of Israel’s wilderness wanderings, Moses’ forty days on Mount Sinai when he received the Law, and Jesus’ forty days of temptation in the desert.

The season of Lent is decidedly somber. In the Church’s worship, a penitential tone is expressed in various ways, both liturgically and visually:

  • Vestments are changed to purple, a color associated with mourning.
  • Ornate crosses and other adornments are veiled in the church and all floral decorations are removed. (Crucifixes are left uncovered.)
  • The shout of praise “Alleluia” is eliminated from all acts of worship.
  • The Eucharist begins with an acclamation that acknowledges our need for mercy. The Celebrant says, “Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins,” and the people respond, “His mercy endures forever.”
  • The Gloria (“Glory be to God on high”) is neither sung nor said, and the service music changes to more penitential settings.
  • The Decalogue (The Ten Commandments, see The Book of Common Prayer, page 317) is read or sung at the beginning of Sunday Eucharists.
  • The priest’s final blessing over the congregation is replaced with a solemn prayer focusing on the Lenten journey.
 
AN INVITATION TO A HOLY LENT
The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday, the day on which the faithful gather to receive ashes on their forehead as a sign of their repentance and mortality. In this service, the priest addresses the people, saying:

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. (BCP, 265)

Ash Wednesday takes its name from the Old Testament custom of placing ashes on the forehead as a sign of repentance and an acknowledgement of our mortality. God said to Adam after the Fall, “You are dust and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19) The priest uses these words on Ash Wednesday to remind us that “the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23a)

At the same time, ashes are imposed on the forehead in the shape of a cross, reminding us that “….the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23b)

We see in this invitation that there are six specific ways in which Christians are called to deepen their devotion in this season:

  1. Self-examinationThis means setting aside time to intentionally reflect upon one’s thoughts and actions, acknowledging the ways in which we fall short of God’s goodness and love.
  2. Repentance. To repent means to have “a change of heart” and to “turn around” from actions and attitudes contrary to God’s will. This means honestly confessing our sins to God and receiving his forgiveness.
  3. PrayerThis calls us to take part in the Church’s corporate acts of worship as well as the setting aside of time for personal prayer.
  4. Fasting. To fast is to abstain from certain foods or all food for a period of time. The reasons for fasting are listed below.
  5. Self-denialDenying oneself in Lent means giving up certain luxuries, even legitimate pleasures, in order to focus oneself spiritually.
  6. Reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. In Lent, believers are especially called to read and reflect on Scripture in a daily way.

Lent puts into practice the words of Jesus: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (St. Matthew 16:24) Lent is a time for cultivating spiritual disciplines—whether giving something up or taking something on—that foster spiritual growth.
This growth happens through corporate activities at church as well as personal commitments at home. The purpose of these practices is to help you and your family choose Lenten disciplines that will make these forty days a purposeful and meaningful season. The goal is that by the time Easter arrives, you will have grown in your knowledge and love of Christ and your identity in him.
St. Patrick's Day Dinner
MARCH 26 AT 6:00 PM

Enjoy good fellowship and a traditional St. Pat's dinner of corned beef and cabbage, potatoes and carrots, salad, rolls, dessert and beverage on Saturday, March 26 at 6:00 pm.

Hot dogs and chips are also available for the little ones and non-Irish attending.

Even though we are in Lent, God allows us to celebrate in a fashion that honors a Saint, as well as one that honors Christian fellowship!

Adults: $20, Children 5 - 12: $5, Under 5: Free
All proceeds go to church projects

Please sign-up in the Narthex or call Diane Gerlach to register in advance!

Blessing Bags available
PICK UP AT CHURCH

Annie Scott has made a dozen more Blessing Bags and delivered them to church. Please take one or more and give it to someone in need you may meet somewhere soon.

THANK YOU, Annie for your tireless support of our Outreach ministry!
In case of an emergency
PLEASE PROVIDE US YOUR CONTACT INFO

If something happens to you and someone needed to be contacted on your behalf in case of emergency, who should we call? We have a registration sheet in the narthex for you to list a contact phone number and e-mail in case of an emergency.
Bible Study every Wednesday
1:00 PM AT CHURCH

The focus of current study are the books of the Torah. The five books making up the Torah are Be-reshit, Shemot, Va-yikra, Be-midbar and Devarim, which in the English Bible correspond to Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Please come and join us!
Friendly reminders
WEAR YOUR NAME TAG
Help us remember who you are and make it easier for folks to identify you! Please wear your name tags, located next to the hallway windows in the narthex.


COVID PRECAUTIONS
We encourage anyone who is not vaccinated to observe appropriate pandemic precautions. You may wish to wear a mask. Resurrection will not mandate mask wearing and want all to be aware of the potential for spread of the covid variants.