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Just in Time for Spring Cleaning
Easter 2004
...the women were terrified and bowed their faces
to the ground, but the men said to them,“Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here, but has risen...”
Peter Gomes, the minister of the Chapel at Harvard
University, tells us that the resurrection of Jesus
is God’s way of getting our attention. We are
asked to listen up, to look and to live. God is showing
us not to be afraid. (Or as I like to say: show up,
pay attention, tell the truth and don’t get
hung up on results.)
In each of the Gospels the witnesses to the empty
tomb are terrified and afraid and then they are told, “do
not be afraid,” “you have nothing to fear,” “give
up being terrified.” That is the first message
of Easter: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and
is not to be found where the dead are. He is out ahead
of us, and our job is to spread the news that he lives,
and by the way relax, stop worrying, stop being afraid
and stop thinking that it all depends on you.
But Gomes points out what we already know; everybody
is fearful. We are terrified by some private or public
demon. There is some terrible unnamed fear that gnaws
away at us even in the midst of our joy, some cloud
that hangs over our heads or in the recesses of our
spirit. It is fear that keeps us from being whole.
Fear, not sin is the great curse. Fear that I will
be recognized for the fraud that I am. Fear that I
will fail or succeed. Fear that I will hurt or be
hurt. Fear that the things that I most believe and
trust are not so.
But life begins when God gets our attention. Life
begins when we can hear what God has to say to us
and then act upon it and live it. Life begins we take
hold of what God has given to us and run with it.
Life begins when we realize that we don’t have
to die to live. We can begin right now, right here.
Be not afraid, you have nothing to fear. these are
the empowering words of Easter. The achievement of
the resurrection is freedom from fear—not freedom
from death. Death is the incarnation of our fears,
so to defeat fear is to defeat death. Because Jesus
lives, we too may live and the Christ goes before
us so we need not fear. He went to the cross, so we
need not fear the cross; he went to the grave, so
we not fear the grave; Christ inhabits our life, so
we need not fear life.
Life begins, friends, as we discover these things
for ourselves and act on them.
May Easter bring you the freedom that Christ brings
to live life to the fullest.
David +
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The
Altar of Repose
The Altar of Repose is a custom based on the idea of spending
time with Jesus the Christ in the Garden of Gethsemene. This
can be a powerful and profound experience.
Here’s what will happen: when we strip the altar at the
7 pm Maundy Thursday service, the Sacrament will be taken to
the Altar of Repose in the Chapel and left there until an 8 am
service of Tennebrae on Good Friday morning. We hope that someone
will accompany the sacrament at all times, and therefore are
providing a schedule — you are invited to sign up to spend
one hour or more in silent prayer at the Altar of Repose. You
may, of course, spend time there without being on the schedule.
We would like at least two people to stay overnight, and sleeping
arrangements will be available at the church.
The Altar of Repose should be a sweet garden of flowers. Please
contribute spring flowers (daffodils, tulips, etc.) either in
pots or cut. For those who not wish to participate by sitting
in prayer, a contribution of flowers would be most welcome.
Tenebrae, a one-hour Holy Week
service of Gregorian chant, will be held in the chapel at 9 am
Maundy Thursday, 10 am Good Friday, and
11 am on Holy Saturday
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Youth
Religious Education
This semester has been the start of new programs.
We started a kid’s newsletter with fun ideas
and information by and for the youth of Christ Church.
We hope to publish it every month. It will contain
literary, artistic and silly contributions from the
kids, but its most important function will be as a
contact point for the youth of our community.
On February 28, we had a very successful “lock-in” at
the Church. Eight youths and two adults spent the
night at Christ Church from 7 pm Saturday to Sunday
morning. They awoke to breakfast and Church and all
had a great time. We hope to have more “lock-
ins” in the future.
We are earnestly pursuing youth group meetings at
the Church on every other Saturday from 7-9 pm. Kids
4th grade and up are welcome. Call about specific
dates.
On March 27, 9-10:30 am, we had a story time and Lenten
activities for Pre-K thru Kindergarten kids.
The first Sunday of each Month, Corrie and Amelia
Wilcox will be teaching dance steps to the little
ones. They will be meeting downstairs in the Nursery
during coffee hour. Eventually, the dancers will perform
for the brunch.
On May 16, we will be celebrating Recognition Sunday.
This year the youth of our community will be leading
the Church service.
As summer approaches, I would welcome any suggestions
for programs and activities in efforts to keep the
youth involved and interested in the Church community.
In Christ,
Elizabeth
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Just
in Time for Spring Cleaning!!
The Annual Christ Church Rummage Sale, Silent Auction & Barbeque
has been scheduled for Saturday, June 12.
Anyone with items to donate is asked to pleae call
Kate Henne (244-1261) or Bonnie Kynoch (223-1623)
to make arrangements. People, as always, will be needed
to help set up for the event, work the stalls and
help with the food concession.
Our event last year
was a wonderful success thanks to all of you—we
know we can raise those needed funds again this year!
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