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March 2020
1
Each Week:
Sundays 10 AM ............................ Holy Communion
Wednesdays 10 AM ... Holy Communion & Healing
Wednesdays Noon ............................... Staff Meeting
1st Sundays 1 PM .................... Area Recovery Group
Mondays 7PM ............................................... Alanon
Wednesdays 3:15 PM ........................ Choir rehearsal
Thursdays 6:30 PM ............................................. NA
March 3 .............................. Liturgy Committee 5:30
March 5 .................................. Lent Bible Study 5:30
March 7 ........................... 1st Saturday Supper 4 PM
March 8 ......................................... Jeff—Choir Tour
Daylight Savings
March 12 ................................ Lent Bible Study 5:30
March 17 .......................................... Vestry 5:30 PM
March 19 ................ Kyle—United Churches 10 AM
Kyle—Library Board 12 noon
Clericus 2 PM
Lent Bible Study 5:30
March 21 ................ Presbyterian Home Bingo 1 PM
March 23 ........................................... Daffodill Days
March 31 .............................. Litugy Committee 5:30
April 2 .................................... Lent Bible Study 5:30
April 4 .......................................... 1st Satruday 4 PM
Pride Fest in Lounge 2 PM
April 5-12 .......................................... HOLY WEEK
April 7 ................................... Weeping Tree Cantata
The Messenger
Happy Birthday to Brian Mitchell ........................... 3/14 Patricia Miller ......................... 3/15 Ann Morrison ................................ 3/19 John Matter ..................................... 3/21 Michael Mechtley ............ 3/30 Todd Benner ...................................... 3/30 Veronica Chappell ................. 3/30
&
Grant us, gracious Father, the grace to observe a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on your holy Word. Grant that we may remember that though we are dust, and to dust we shall return, that we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
March 2020
2
Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith. 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 pp 264-5)
21 February 2020 Dear Members of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania,
In just a few short days, we will gather in churches across our diocese on Ash Wednesday to hear words from
our Book of Common Prayer inviting us to the observance of a holy Lent.
We will transition from the season of light and glory- Epiphany- in to the season of prayer, fasting, and reflection-
Lent- and, working through a process of discipline, study and introspection, reconcile ourselves before the Lord and
prepare for the paschal feast of Easter.
Lent offers us a time for deep soul work: We are given the opportunity to look with compassion at parts of us that
are broken, to seek understanding, and to ask God to give us the tools to make us whole again; we are given the
grace of time to focus on changes that we would like to make in order to live more harmoniously with our creation,
each other, and our Creator; we are invited to draw from the well of Holy Scripture to find ancient wisdom for our
modern lives; and we are really blessed to have this “time apart” to dwell on the gifts that God has given us and to
pray for new insights for how to best use them.
Adopting new spiritual disciplines or refreshing old spiritual practices are important features of Lent. We may take
on a new prayer practice, choose to read a book of the Bible that is new to us, give up a favorite food or activity,
devote ourselves to service or mission- but these are not ends in themselves. The spiritual practices that we take on
at Lent are vehicles of devotion for us to attain a deeper understanding of God and our relationship with God and
each other. 1
This Lent, I will devote myself to fasting on one day of the week answering the call of our Presiding Bishop to join
him in this spiritual practice as we pray for the “soul of our nation” https://episcopalchurch.org/posts/
publicaffairs/lent-2020-call-prayer-fasting-and-repentance-leading-action, I will shift my morning spiritual practice
from reading Morning Prayer to engage a period of Contemplative Prayer, and I will study in two areas: I will
investigate the work of the Poor People’s Campaign, a revival of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that is
moving across our country and sounding a “national call for moral revival” https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/,
and I will participate in the study group offered by Mrs. Lisa Work and The Rev. Deacon Marsha Roscoe on the
book by Mary Bea Sullivan, Living the Way of Love. For more information on the virtual group that is forming,
click on this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WayOfLoveLentenBookGroup/
An additional resource that we are offering this year through our diocesan leadership is a daily reflection on the
themes of our diocesan wide initiative Shaped by Faith: Change, Discovery, Experimentation, Collaboration,
Creativity, and Faith. These reflections will be posted daily on our diocesan Facebook page and on our diocesan
website.
As we continue in our diocese to discern how we are “Shaped by Faith,” working with our convocations to explore
our vitality and to search for new ways that God is calling us to be Church, I pray that our own inner journeys
during Lent will bring up in us the boldness and courage that we need to do this important work of re-shaping our
diocese. I pray that our spiritual walk in the desert of Lent will yield an Eastertide for our diocese that is wildly
abundant, fresh, and brimming with new life.
Join me. Join our diocese in a holy, holy Lent. Commit to a practice that will lead you into deep soul work, and
allow God’s loving hand to shape you- shape us- by faith.
In the Way of Love,
The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan
XI Bishop
Please see the Bishop’s
other letter on page 9.
March 2020
3
Dear Friends, Approximately one billion people each year observe
the season of Lent. Abstaining from meat on Fridays,
and giving up something that we love; food, drink, or
Facebook are some of the most common fasts
associated with the forty day-long season. By giving
something up, the Faithful hope to remind themselves
of Christ’s sacrifice and put themselves in the mind
of penitence and repentance.
In my adulthood, I abandoned the practice of giving-
up and decided I wanted to make Lent a time to take
on. I tried new ways of praying. I would pray more
often or volunteer extra time at an organization,
basically any way I thought I might be able to serve
God in a new way.
This Lent however, I have decided to do nothing and
I might encourage you to consider doing the same.
This is not out of laziness nor have I run out of good
ideas. Instead, this practice of doing “nothing” is way
to take time to sit with the Lord.
Author Jenny Odell describes our world as one where
“every last minute” ends up “optimized” by
advertisements, social media, technology or taking
something new on. I often hear people say, and
admittedly I say this too, “I don’t know how to slow
down”. It seems when these rare slow moments
come, we are overwhelmed by them.
Instead of optimizing our Lent, or testing our will
power and stamina in new ways, why not take some
time each day (or more time if you already do this) to
let God wash over you? Allow yourself to marvel at
the ways God is at work in your life and in the world
around you. No agenda, no task list, no expectations,
no nothin’! Just you and God.
Perhaps, in this time of nothing, with noises quieted,
distractions put aside, idle fretting ceased, a less well-
documented social media presence, we may just
make some space to experience our Lord; the peace
that world cannot give (John 14:27).
So, this Lent if you do anything, do nothing.
Remember, the Prophet Elijah seeks the voice of God
in the great wind, in a rock-splitting earthquake, and
in a fire but God was in none of those. Scripture tells
us there was the “sound of sheer silence and when
Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and
stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a
voice…”
Let those with ears to hear, listen.
Kyle+
Dear Friends, I commend to your reading the Exhortation to a Holy
Lent on page 2. This was traditionally read before the
first service on the first Sunday of Lent, but has fallen
out of favor in recent years. I think this is due to our
society’s emphasis on the avoidance of any
uncomfortable feelings of guilt that might inhibit
one’s “self-esteem.”
Now, I believe in the value of self-esteem; we are
created in God’s very image, and so have a holiness
within our very DNA unlike that of any other
creature.
This intrinsic goodness does not counteract the fact
that we are also fallen creatures of the Kingdom.
Thus, it is a good and necessary thing that we, from
time to time, take an honest evaluation of our
position relative to God’s desire for us. The
exhortation details such a process in words more
eloquent than I could say.
If you have troubles burdening your minds, troubles
in the past or the present, Lent is the perfect time to
do the spiritual work that may put those troubles to
rest. Both Kyle and I are available for confession
and/or spiritual counseling—just give either of us a
call for an appointment.
Lent is also the perfect and traditional time to try new
spiritual disciplines or to resume those that have been
abandoned though busyness and sloth.
If you have been lax about attending church, make a
Lenten commitment to give that one hour each week
to God; you will most likely discover that by Easter
you are back in the good habit of regular attendance.
Weekly Holy Eucharist is the central sustenance of
our Christian lives; let this be the time you rediscover
its beauty and value.
God requires so little of us—that we love and
worship God, and love each other. With that in mind,
may you have a most blessed Lent.
Veronica
March 2020
4
@ Christ Church Dear Christ Church Family,
I am very excited about our upcoming cantata,
The Weeping Tree. Trinity Episcopal Jersey
Shore, Trinity Episcopal Williamsport, St.
Mark’s Lutheran, and Messiah Lutheran’s choirs
and clergy are all participating. Almost 40
singers are registered. A small orchestra will
accompany the 45-minute work. Please mark
your calendars for Tuesday, April 7th at 7:00
PM. Bring friends and family! It will be a
powerful and prayerful way to begin Holy Week.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there!
Prior to the Cantata, the Lycoming College choir
will be traveling to Washington D.C. March 7 –
12. Stops include the historic St. John’s Lutheran
near the White House, and the beautiful
Epiphany Episcopal. On the way down we are
stopping at one of our choral scholar’s churches
in Damascus, MD; Sydney Fennington is one of
the anchors of our soprano section and I am
looking forward to meeting her home church
family. Wednesday evening, we are taking the
students to see the National Opera perform
Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Kennedy Center.
During the day the students will visit local high
schools as well as take tours of the monuments
and visit the Smithsonian.
Donna Elkin will substitute for me on Sunday,
March 8th. She enjoys visiting and leading
worship on our beautiful organ.
Blessings for a Holy Lent.
Jeff
Saturday, March 21 Doors open 11:30 Games start 1:00
$20 pre-sale $25 at door Carole Smith & Veronica have pre-sale tickets
March 28 @11:30
Johnson’s in
Montoursville
All are invited to this time of casual fellowship; please sign up so we can make a reservation.
We are looking for additional
Altar Guild members; men and women alike!
Please join us for training:
March 14 10—2 Lunch provided
We are NOT able to park
in the Lycoming College lot
behind the church at any
time. You will be ticketed.
March 2020
5
Worship Stations of The Cross .............................................................. Fridays, 6:00 PM
Stations of The Cross with Music ....................... Feb. 28 & March 27, 6:00 PM
Holy Communion with Healing Prayers .......................... Wednesdays, 10 AM
Sunday Service .......................................................................... Sundays, 10 AM
Spiritual Enrichment Bible Study: From the Garden to the Grave ...................... Thursdays, 5:30 PM
Lent Madness ............................................................................................... Daily
Music “The Weeping Tree” Cantata .................................................... April 7, 7:00 PM
From the Garden to the Grave During the course of this six-week Bible study, we will study the Passion Narratives of all four gospels,
seeking to discover the image of Christ through each evangelist’s perspective and what it means for our
faith and lives as disciples. Join us Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 PM beginning February 27.
Lent Madness Lent Madness began in 2010 as a fun engaging way for people to learn about the women and men who
have inspired generation of Christians. Rev. Tim Schenck came up with this unique daily Lenten
devotion, combing the love of sports and the passion of the lives of the Saints. Thirty-two saints are
placed in a tournament-style single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for twenty-four hours,
and people vote for their favorite saints. The winner is awarded the coveted “Golden Halo”. Pick up your
saintly scorecard in the office and visit www.lentmadness.org to vote. Check our the bracket in the
parish hall for daily updates.
Stations of The Cross Every Friday, we will gather for Stations at 6:00 PM in the sanctuary. Join us twice in Lent for two
special services of Stations of the Cross with music. The object of the Stations of the Cross is to help the
Christian faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ. The
stations imitate the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, which is believed to be the actual path Jesus walked to
Mount Calvary.
The Weeping Tree Please join us on Tuesday, April 7 at 7:00 PM as we come together with our fellow Episcopal and
Lutheran choirs to present “The Weeping Tree,” a musical service for Holy Week. This event is free and
open to the public.
March 2020
6
WHO WILL WIN?
The format is straightforward: 32 saints are
placed into a tournament-like single elimination
bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set
period of time and people vote for their favorite
saint. The first round consists of basic
biographical information about each of the 32
saints.
Things get a bit more interesting in the
subsequent rounds as we offer quotes and quirks,
explore legends, and even move ino the area of
saintly kitsch.
Books with the saint’s biographies and
instructions are in the hallway outside of the
office. We hope you’ll participate fully this Lent
and vote with reckless abandon! (Once — this
isn’t Chicago).
EACH DAY, CLICK ON: HTTPS://WWW.LENTMADNESS.ORG/ TO VOTE!
THE TRIDUUM—WHERE DID THOSE NAMES COME FROM?
A triduum is a religious observance lasting three days.
The best-known example today is the liturgical Paschal Triduum (the three
days from the evening of Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday).
Maundy Thursday – According to John’s gospel, Jesus washed the
disciples’ feet at the last supper, and the name for this day may come from
the Latin word mundo which means “wash.” However, most scholars think
the name comes from the Latin mandatum (like the English word mandate)
referring to John 13:34 where Jesus gave the disciples a new
commandment, to love one another.
Good Friday – This may seem a rather odd name for the day on which Jesus
died. A common folk etymology incorrectly analyzes "Good Friday" as a corruption of "God Friday"
similar to the linguistically correct description of "goodbye" as a contraction of "God be with you". In
fact, "Good Friday" comes from the obsolete sense "pious, holy" of the word "good". In Old English, the
day was called “Long Friday” ,and is still used in Scandinavian languages and Finnish.
Easter –The general assumption is that Easter comes from the old English Eastre who was a pagan
goddess of spring, symbolized by a rabbit; hence the Easter bunny. Some scholars, however, believe that
the word comes from the German eostarun meaning “dawn,” recalling the time of day that the women
went to the tomb and the fact that Jesus’ resurrection bring a new dawn.
In Eastern churches – Ukrainian, Russian, Greek Orthodox, and others – Easter is referred to as Pascha,
coming from the Hebrew word for “Passover” because the first Easter occurred at the time of and in the
context of the celebration of Passover. Many people see parallels between Passover and Easter, both being
times of God’s amazing and miraculous intervention in human history.
March 2020
7
1ST Saturday March 7 Mac & Cheese
Please sign up to work.
The sign up sheet for the April meal is also up.
SOUP COOKING DAY THURSDAY, MARCH 5 10 AM
Many people from the community have donated
dried beans to Christ’s Cupboard. So, we are
going to make some ham and bean and black
bean soup. We will freeze containers of the soup
and it will available for patrons of Christ’s
Cupboard. Some of the Ham and Bean Soup
will be donated to United Churches Campus
Ministry for their soup sale.
THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME
My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE - "If you're going to kill each other, do
it outside. I just finished cleaning!"
My mother taught me RELIGION - "You better pray that will come out of the carpet!"
My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL - "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into
the middle of next week!"
My mother taught me LOGIC - "Because I said so, that's why!"
My mother taught me MORE LOGIC - "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not
going to the store with me!"
March 2020
8
UNITED CHURCHES NEWS
CHURCH WOMEN UNITED OF LYC. COUNTY
CELEBRATES WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
Friday, March 5 1:30 PM
First Church of Christ (Disciples)
1250 Almond Street in Williamsport.
The theme, “Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk”
was chosen by our sisters in Zimbabwe and is
based on Jesus’ encounter with a lame man who
although positioned for healing, had not acted
upon the opportunities given him.
SUPPORT UNITED CHURCHES
Please help us continue to provide hope to so
many in our community through the many
ministries including....
• The Shepherd of the Streets
• Food Pantry and
• Campus Ministry
• 900 Nursing Homes & Prison Services
• Weekly Editorials and Daily Devotions
• Newsletters, Podcasts, and Lunches
• Interfaith Dialogue Commission that helps us
all learn how to better live together in a more
diverse world.
You can look at information about each
organization now by visiting
https://raisetheregion.org ; you will be able to
make donations from 6 pm on March 11th to
11:59 pm March 12th.
EARTH WEEK CLEAN-UP
The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (SGP)
is organizing a cleanup for the week of Earth
Day, taking place April 18 - 26. SGP will
register groups with Keep Pennsylvania
Beautiful and obtain and provide gloves, safety
vests and garbage bags for them. They ask
groups to self-organize teams, and then share
with them their weight of litter, number of
volunteer hours, and area of litter collection.
Interested? There is a sign-up in the parish hall;
if we get interest, we’ll assemble a team.
DIOCESAN NEWS
ROOTED IN GOD: SHARING OUR STORIES Saturday, May 30 Camp Mt. Luther
EVERYONE in the diocese is invited to join us
on Saturday, May 30, at Camp Mt. Luther for a
special Shaped by Faith event, Rooted in God:
Sharing Our Stories. The event will include
Diana Butler Bass as keynote speaker and
workshops on ways to celebrate your parish’s
stories. There will be no charge for this event.
CLERGY RENEWAL OF VOWS SERVICE
Mar. 31, 11 a.m. St. John’s, Bellefonte
IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES
FUNDRAISING WORKSHOP
Saturday, March 14
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
St. Andrew’s in the Valley, Harrisburg
This fun, fast-paced day featuring Lori Jacobwith
from Ignited Fundraising will be filled with
opportunities to learn tools to help catapult
fundraising and exponentially raise awareness of
your organization’s mission and purpose. Carole
Smith is attending this—check with her if you
want to go too.
STAR WARS MASS
May 4, 2020
St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Harrisburg
May the force (or fourth!) be with you.
March 2020
9
Dear Clergy and Members of the Episcopal Diocese of
Central Pennsylvania,
The arrival of the Coronavirus in the United States has
prompted several of you to inquire about implications for
our common life and worship in the Church. I have
consulted with our Diocesan Disaster and Emergency
Preparedness Coordinator, Mr. Ed Robertson, and also
with our Canon for Communications, Mrs. Alexis Guszick,
who is in regular contact with her colleagues across the
wider Church on this matter.
Here are facts about the Coronavirus (Covid-19):
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory
illness that can spread from person to person. The virus
that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first
identified during an investigation into an outbreak in
Wuhan, China. In recent weeks, the virus has spread from
China to other countries.
Symptoms of the disease are fever, cough, shortness of
breath. If you are experiencing these symptoms, call your
doctor immediately. Symptoms may appear between two
to 14 days after exposure to the disease. It is spreading
rapidly with cases developing in many countries around
the world.
The disease is new so there is no vaccine at this time.
Health professionals are still learning all of the ways that
the disease is transmitted and who is most susceptible.
There is little information about how the disease impacts
pregnant women or the child in their womb.
It is best to take precautions, especially if you have a
weaker immune system, a history of respiratory issues or
are over 70 years old. If identified early, the survival rate
for this virus is high.
(from episcopalrelief.org)
At this time, common sense precautions are recommended-
the same precautions that are in place during the cold and
flu season:
• If you are sick, please stay home and take care of
yourself. Call your church to let them know that you
are ill and if you need any assistance during this time.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water,
scrubbing for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Episcopal Relief & Development (episcopalrelief.org)
offers these additional guidelines for church communities
and when we gather together for worship:
Encourage clergy to wash hands with soap and water
before services and use hand sanitizer before distributing
communion; also provide hand sanitizer for congregational
use:
a.) Communion: those who are ill should stay home;
those who are concerned may abstain from
communion or receive “in one kind” (host only); use
of the common cup with proper purificator procedure
presents relatively low risk;
b.) intinction should be avoided (see this document from
the Diocese of New York during the SARS epidemic
for more information on intinction and other liturgical
practices)
c.) Sharing of the Peace: waving is perfectly acceptable in
place of shaking hands or hugging.
d.) If desired by the congregation, adapt rituals to
minimize personal contact.
e.) Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles for
use.
f.) Say a prayer during service for people who are ill and
mail prayer cards to their homes.
g.) Perform routine environmental cleaning in the
sanctuary, kitchen hall, and other spaces where people
gather.
h.) Bolster outreach ministries to prepare to help low-
income hourly workers who must call out of work.
Encourage those who may consider going to work for
the sake of income to stay home because you can offer
assistance.
If the virus becomes more widespread in our area, we will
offer recommendations for alterations to our common
practices that include gathering for worship and meetings,
care of the vulnerable among us, and sacramental nurture
during isolation. We will also address the role of the
Church in society during a pandemic and best practices for
serving as a community resource. Please know that our
Diocesan Disaster and Emergency Preparedness
Coordinator, Ed Robertson, is in regular contact with
officials at Disaster Information Management Research
Center at the National Institutes of Health and the
National Voluntary Organizations Active In Disaster
(VOAD) and he is prepared with plans for Continuing of
Operations and procedures in the event of a large scale
quarantine.
Please keep those who are sick across our world in your
prayers, and those who care for them:
For the Sick
O God of heavenly powers, by the might of your command
you drive away from our bodies all sickness and all
infirmity: Be present in your goodness with your servants
that their weakness may be banished and their strength
restored; and that, their health being renewed, they may
bless your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen. (BCP pg. 458, adapted)
For Doctors and Nurses
Sanctify, O Lord, those whom you have called to the study
and practice of the arts of healing, and to the prevention of
disease and pain. Strengthen them by your life-giving
Spirit, that by their ministries the health of the community
may be promoted and your creation glorified; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP pg. 460)
In the Way of Love,
The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan
XI Bishop
March 2020
10
March Ministry Schedule
FORGIVING SIN
When Jesus appeared to the disciples in the
locked room he told them, “If you forgive the
sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven; if you do
not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (John
20:23). Isn’t it intriguing, of all of the issues that
Jesus could have raised with the disciples, he
chose forgiveness. In the paraphrase The
Message, Eugene Peterson translates this verse:
“If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for
good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you
going to do with them?”
When Christ was in pain,
we were in pain.
All creatures of God’s creation
that can suffer pain suffered with him.
The sky and the earth failed
at the time of Christ’s dying
because he too
was part of nature. - Julian of Norwich
O holy Father, as we enter
another season of Lent,
draw our hearts and
minds away from the
things of this fleeting
world. How often have we
neglected to speak to Thee
in prayer and devotion!
Keep us from falling asleep spiritually. Keep us
watchful at all times that we may not make the
same mistakes that the disciples did. In all
crosses and afflictions of this life, let us be able
to say with Jesus, “Thy will be done.”
O Lord Jesus, we will ponder now on Thy holy
Passion. Let our thoughts be centered on Thy
cross and the price Thou didst pay that we might
not be cast away forever, but be enabled to live
with Thee in glory.
O blessed Spirit of the Lord, enter into our
hearts with Thy life-giving warmth, that we may
be closer to Thee in prayer. Open our hearts and
minds that there may be a new awakening among
us, that our faith in Christ may burn brighter,
and that we walk as children of God should walk
— closer to Thee.
O holy Triune God, hear us and bless us for the
sake of the bitter sufferings and death of our
dear Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. -Harry Shiley, Pastor
Date Lector Acolyte Ushers Coffee Host Altar Guild
3/1 C Ellis T Hanner J Porter & J Smith L Desmond P Miller & J Blum K
3/8 A White M Yaw D Ickes & B Mitchell D Mechtly J Lowery & L Desmond V
3/15 B Folk C Ellis A & P Girven C Smith J Forster & D Packard K
3/22 C Lamade P Girven S & J Lowery P & S Rider L Desmond V
3/29 D Ambrose T Hanner J Porter & J Smith B Mitchell P Miller K
March 2020
11
On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years." The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?" So, God agreed...... On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span."
The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?" And God agreed......
On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years."
The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"
And God agreed again......
On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years."
But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"
"Okay," said God. "You asked for it."
So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.
Life has now been explained to you.
Wisdom from a 90-year-old Life isn't fair, but it's still good. When in doubt, just take the next small step. Life is too short to waste time hating
anyone... Pay off your credit cards every month. Your job won't take care of you when you
are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found
himself in the women's locker room. When he
was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with
ladies grabbing towels and running for cover.
The little boy watched in amazement and then
asked, "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen
a little boy before?"
Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark. 1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built
the Ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone
may ask you to do something really big.
5.Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job
that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails
were on board with the cheetahs.
9. When you're stressed, float a while.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs;
the Titanic by professionals.
11. No matter the storm, when you are with
God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
March 2020
12
The Messenger The Messenger is the monthly newsletter of Christ Episcopal Church, Williamsport,
in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania.
The Rev. Veronica Donohue Chappell, Rector The Rev. Kyle Murphy, Curate
570-322-8160 christepchurch@gmail.com
We Worship Sunday: Holy Communion, 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday: Holy Communion with Healing, 10:00 a.m.
«Mailing_Name»
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«Zip_Code»
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426 M
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