Our Lenten season got off to a very busy start this past week and continues this Sunday with a visit from Bishop Grundorf! Lots of information and pictures to follow.
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We started with a Pancake dinner at Perkins on Shrove Tuesday. Wonderful food and wonderful company!
Lots of Thank You's to Daryl for helping with the pictures. While going through his pictures, I realized we have another mystery!
Fr. Scott saw "it"!
Rose Marie and I saw "it" too. And we didn't like "it" - not one bit!
But Scott thought "it" was OK!
Now if I just knew what "it" was!
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Fr. Scott led a beautiful Ash Wednesday Service.
The service included the Blessing of the Ashes, the Penitential Office, the Imposition of Ashes, and Holy Communion. Fr. Scott's sermon reminded us there are two themes to Lent - 1) remembering our own death and 2) the symbolic preparation of ourselves for the Lenten season of fasting and repentance. The CV-19 illness during the last year has done an excellent job of reminding us all how fragile life is and how suddenly death can come to us. He reminded us God is gracious, slow to anger, and will turn away the evil of sin if we repent. If we run into obstacles holding us back from repentance, the church offers the Sacrament of Confession. Give this 40 days of Lent to God. Keep a Holy Lent and may God find us prepared when we meet. Fr. Scott's full sermon is at the link below starting at the 29:50 mark.
Thank you to everyone who came on a Wednesday afternoon!
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On Friday, we celebrated the first of our weekly Lenten Stations of the Cross services. Thank you so much to Sue and Scott for organizing these services and the food for after service dinner!
Sue and Scott described the service and handed out the booklet with the lessons and the prayers.
After the service...
Followed by dinner ...
Thank you Sue and Scott for the delicious soup, bread, pies, and fruit tray! Thank you Rose Marie for the wonderful salad.
Our next Stations of The Cross service is this Friday at 5 pm.
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We observed the First Sunday in Lent this past Sunday.
Prior to services, Fr. Scott returned to the history of the BCP with particular emphasis on the Holy Communion Service picking up with Thomas Cranmer's 1549 version of the BCP (essentially an English translation of the Latin Mass). In his later versions and the 1662 version the church service is crafted as a skeleton (the Ordinary) with Propers (Collect of the Day, Epistle, & Gospel) selected for each service. The restructuring of the BCP allowed for the separation of Morning Prayer, the Litany, and Holy Communion. Thank you, Fr. Scott for a very informative lesson and all your patience answering our (mostly on topic) questions!
After Sunday School, Fr. Scott led our Holy Communion Service. His sermon discussed the temptation of Jesus as described in the Gospel lesson. This wonderful sermon tied this Gospel lesson about temptation to the currently popular idea that we are too busy and distracted in this current world for quiet reflective time. We would be wise to seek quiet time to reflect on our relationship with God. Also, remember to keep a Holy Lent. Fr. Scott's complete sermon can be found at the 25 minute mark at the following link.
Ming continues to bless us with his beautiful piano playing during our services!
Thank you so much Ming!
A few of us got caught up in the color of the season!
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The Most Rev. Walter H. Grundorf, D.D. serves as the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Province of America and bishop of the Diocese of the Eastern U.S (DEUS) to which St. Peter's belongs. Bishop Grundorf will visit St. Peter's on February 28, 2021. During his visit, he will baptize Audree, Fr. Scott & Maryl's beautiful baby girl. We look forward to worshiping with Bishop Grundorf, showing him the many improvements to St. Peters since his last visit, and introducing him to Fr. Scott!
We will host a luncheon for the Bishop and his wife after the service on Feb. 28. Rose Marie is organizing sandwich fixings from Jersey Mike's (some day after CV-19 we can return to wonderful home cooked feasts!). We will also have individual bags of chips, soda, water and iced tea. Rose Marie & Carole are making individual bags of cookies (if you can help please contact them).
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Also on Friday, Feb 26 at 2 pm, we will meet for a spring cleaning of the church before the Bishop's visit. Please come help make the church look wonderful, stay for The Stations of The Cross!
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Sue continues to lead our weekly online prayer group on Tuesday at 11:30. Thank you so much Sue for taking the time each week to lead our prayers! If you have a special prayer request but cannot join us, please send your request to Sue. Please contact me if you would like to join us but are not on Discord.
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The Stations of The Cross
Scott and Sue have taken on a wonderful Lenten project - they will open the church every Friday evening in Lent for a Stations of the Cross service. The next service will be on Friday, Feb. 26 at 5 pm. Thank you so much, Sue and Scott, for all your work and support of St. Peters!
The fourteen Stations of the Cross allow us to walk with Jesus Christ during His final day before the Crucifixion using fourteen scripture readings interspersed with prayer. Each station represents one event that happened along the way. We can join in with early Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem who walked the Via Dolorosa, which is the path walked by Jesus to Mount Calvary. Come join us in this ancient tradition remembering Christ's Passion.
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FEBRUARY ACTIVITIES
Tues., Feb 23 11:30 am Online Prayer Group
Fri., Feb 26 2 pm, church cleanup for Bishop’s visit
Fri., Feb 26 5 pm, Stations of the Cross
Sun., Feb 28 10 am Church preparation
11 am Holy Communion & Baptism
Bishop Grundorf & Fr. Scott
(cash plate will go to the Bishop)
noon reception for Bishop Grundorf
MARCH ACTIVITIES
Tues., Mar 2 11:30 am Online Prayer Group
Fri., Mar 5 5:00 pm, Stations of the Cross
followed by light dinner
Sun., Mar 7 10 am Christian Education, Fr. Scott
11 am Holy Communion, Fr. Scott
Tues., Mar 9 11:30 am Online Prayer Group
Fri., Mar 12 5:00 pm, Stations of the Cross
followed by light dinner
Sun., Mar 14 10 am Christian Education Fr. Scott
Liturgy of the Word
11 am Holy Communion, Fr. Scott
noon Mission Committee
Tues., Mar 16 11:30 Online Prayer Group
Fri., Mar 19 5:00 pm, Stations of the Cross
followed by light dinner
Sun., Mar 21 10 am Christian Education Fr. Scott
Liturgy of the Sacrament
11 am Holy Communion, Fr. Scott
(cash plate to Fr. Scott’s discretionary fund)
Tues., Mar 23 11:30 Online Prayer Group
Fri., Mar 26 5:00 pm, Stations of the Cross
followed by light dinner
Sun., Mar 28 10 am Christian Education Fr. Scott
Liturgy of the Palms
11 am Holy Communion, Palm Sunday, Fr. Scott
Tues., Mar 30 11:30 Online Prayer Group