Weekly parish news and Sunday service information
Jesus Cleansing the Temple (Image from Gravin, Inc.)
Sunday, March 7
The Third Sunday in Lent
Masks and social distancing required for in-person attendance.
Holy Eucharist Rite I, 8 a.m.
In-person attendance for up to 25 worshippers
No advance signup required.
Facebook Live audio also available.
Holy Eucharist Rite II, 10 a.m.
In-person attendance for up to 25 worshippers
Please sign up in advance here.
Facebook Live at 10 a.m.
Worship Notes, Sunday, March 7
Fr. David Boase, Celebrant

Coffee Hour via Zoom, following the 10 a.m. service.

No communion station at 12 p.m.
Readings for March 7

  • Old Testament - Exodus 20:1-17
  • Psalm 19
  • Epistle - 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
  • Holy Gospel - John 2:13-22
Drawing of the Temple in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. (Click image for more information.)
The Holy Gospel | John 2:13-22

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”

His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Make Your Offering!
Schedule for the Week of March 7

  • Fr. Ben away until Wednesday evening class at 6 p.m.
  • Fr. David Boase will celebrate Holy Eucharist, Sunday, 8 and 10 a.m.
  • No communion station on Sunday at 12 p.m.
  • Quilt Guild Challenge results display continues on website Event page.
  • Evening Prayer, Sunday, 7 p.m.+
  • Keeping a Holy Lent Class via Zoom, Wednesday, 6 p.m. (Link)
  • Noonday Prayer, Thursday, 12:05 p.m.+
  • Morning Prayer, Friday, 9: a.m. +
  • Stations of the Cross, Friday, 12 Noon (Repeats until Good Friday)+
  • Book Fair, Friday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Week-End Update Newsletter, Saturday
  • Book Fair, Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
+ Designates a Facebook Live service
Looking Ahead
  • Vestry Meeting, March 18, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.
  • Palm Sunday, March 28, services at 8 and 10 a.m.+
  • Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, April 1, 2, 3.+
  • Easter Sunday, April 4, services at 8 and 10 a.m.+
  • Annual Meeting, first or second Sunday in May (tbd)
Lenten Observance: Palm Sunday
Fr. Ben Hankinson
 
Whoa now, Fr. Ben. We are not even halfway through Lent, and you're talking about Palm Sunday?
 
In the past years, it has struck me just how much is crammed in such a short time frame during Holy Week. Trying to digest it all in 8 days is a bit like trying to get a sip of water from a fire hose. Sure, you might get some water, but you just as easily get blown away in the process. So, I'm starting early, not to rush through Lent but to help us prepare to savor the deep moments when they each come in due time.
 
Palm Sunday begins with the blessing of palms and our procession into the church. Palms are quite appropriate for the occasion of Jesus's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, as they were a sign of victory brought out to welcome the victor. Many think the Messiah is come to overthrow the Roman oppression and restore the glory of the Temple like unto the days of David and Solomon. Jesus has come to do that, just not as they were anticipating.
 
Jesus fails to meet their expectations, and in the days which follow, we see the mob turn on the Lord as those who shouted "Hosanna" soon cry out "Crucify him." In the course of our service, we see this link as we transition from the Liturgy of the Palms to solemnity of the Passion narrative. Victory seemingly gives way to defeat.
 
There is more than meets the eye in the story of Palm Sunday though. In Revelation 7:9-10, we hear:
  • “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”
 
The fullness of the Gospel shows us that the triumphant entry foreshadows the ultimate victory that will occur just one week later. Jesus has indeed come to triumph over the oppressor, overthrowing an even greater enemy than Rome in his victory over sin and death. And he has indeed bestowed a new glory on the chosen people of God, not in the form of a building, but on those who rightly worship God as he makes them a Temple of the Holy Spirit.
 
Let us not rush through the events of Holy Week on a tear towards Easter, because as we hear each Friday in Morning Prayer, the “most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain and entered not into glory before he was crucified.” So too must we slow down as we approach the resurrection that we may see and hear anew the cost of this great victory. We are to remember once more the fullness of the Passion of our Lord.
 
Palm Sunday, triumph to tragedy.
Easter Sunday, tragedy to triumph.
Bishop Curry:
Pray for the Soul of Our Country

In a February 20 interview with the Episcopal News Service (ENS), Bishop Michael Curry describes his experience with weekly fasting but also calls for Lenten prayer: "So that’s why, I mean, I’m almost pleading with Episcopalians – get on your knees. And if your knees can’t take it, if you just had a knee replacement, get on a metaphorical knee and pray. And if you’re not the kind of person who’s comfortable praying off the cuff, that’s why I took a prayer right out of the prayer book. There are some good prayers in there! God’s not looking for you to put on a show. He just wants you to pray. Take this Lent and really pray for the soul of our country. Not that we will be greater than anybody else – pray for the soul of our country."
March 12-13 Book Fair News

If you haven’t signed up to shop for books, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl albums next weekend, you can still contact me at cynreinhardt@gmail.com. Most of Friday’s shopping slots are filled. Saturday has more openings. We are grateful to have a full complement of volunteers.

Emily, the Book Fair’s on-line sales agent, sent a check on March 3rd for $767.96 which included the sale of a book for over $500! Emily gets to keep half of all sales because, well, she earns it. She's been in the book business for 40 years and knows what books are worth. This one, she originally listed at $800. A buyer called her and they negotiated. We don't send books to Emily unless we think they'll sell for above $20. Often they are titles we have little to no chance of selling in-house, i.e. regional titles that are not regional to us, etc. 

Finally, a fellow who lives in St. Clair County recently telephoned to confirm the address for the church because he saw the Book Fair advertisement and wanted to send us a donation!
-Cindy Reinhardt
2020 Virtual Annual Report

Unfortunately, we were unable to have our annual parish meeting in January this year but the vestry is still planning an all-parish outdoor gathering in May if the weather cooperates. The Vestry still determined that it was important to gather information on 2020 happenings to share with the parish now and to preserve for the future. After all, someone will surely want to know "What did the parish do during the time of the pandemic?

With the help of the Rector, four parish officers, and 20 ministry leaders, a virtual report was created and emailed to the parish a week ago. It was put together by Marian Smithson with proofreading support from the Weingartners and is still available here. Among the many valuable reports, the reports of the Rector and parish officers are especially important.
Creativity Challenge!
The Quilt Guild's display of Challenge creations is on the parish website Events page. Be sure to visit and see what our Guild artisans created from a uniquely cut quarter yard of fabric! Link
Did You Know?
Recent information shared in the 2020 Parish Communications Report:
  • 131 active parishioners, including 25 children, on record in Realm;
  • 19 are 17 and under;
  • 3 are 18-24;
  • 14 are 25-39;
  • 25 are 40-59;
  • 53 are 60-79; and
  • 15 are 80 and above.
Some of the 131 are not in the age groups as no birthday information is on record. It is important to note that 68 of the 131, better than half of the parish, are 60 years of age or older.
News: The Episcopal Diocese of Springfield
  • The Mass of Chrism will take place in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 27. At this mass, clergy will renew ordination vows and the blessing of holy oils will take place. The mass will be live-streamed on the Cathedral’s Facebook page here.
  • The Epiphanytide issue of The Current was recently mailed to households in the Springfield Diocese. If you did not receive it, you can view the issue by clicking here. St. Andrew's is also sending an up-to-date listing of parish households to Hannah Dallman, Diocese Communications Coordinator, so that Diocese staff can update addresses and add new families.
News: St. John's, Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.
  • St. John's reports to The Living Church that the protective fence around the church and the boards on the windows are being removed. As readers will remember, these protections were put in place last summer during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations. More information here.
St. Andrew's Communications
Communications Coordinator and Newsletter Editor-in-Chief, Marian Smithson
Newsletter Editor, Jane Weingartner | Newsletter Editor, Marianne Cavanaugh