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Saint Christopher’s Lantern
Inside this issue:
Church Staff & Birthdays, Invitatory 2-3
News 4-5
More News 6-7
Even More News 8-9
Prayers and Servers/Readings in March 10-11
March 2016
Helen Bach
Monthly Reminder: Please remem-ber to wear your name tag each week (we also have name tags for our youth). Kids….remember to wear yours! If you have been around St. Christopher’s for a while, there are those who would love to know who you are. It is helpful to put a name with a face. If you don’t have a name tag or you are a new member and don’t have one yet, contact Nancy Killough after the service and she will make one for you.
If you are a visitor, please let the ushers or our priest know. Our ush-ers will give you “Welcome Bag”. And don’t forget to complete a “Visitor” card located in your pew and place it in the collection plate so we can welcome you. Please join us over at the Parish Hall for coffee and fellowship so we can introduce ourselves to you.
St.Christopher’s Episcopal Church
7900 W. Lovers Lane
Dallas, Tx. 75225
214/363-2792
Website: StChristophersdallas.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Under the same management for over 2000 years
PRIEST IN CHARGE - Rev. Dr. Jeremy W. Bergstrom
Cell: 214-842-2959
ORGANIST/CHOIR DIRECTOR – Becky Peal-Sconce
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR - Nancy Killough
TREASURER - Devana Jackson
CLERK OF THE VESTRY - Susan Sorrells
THE VESTRY
Senior Warden - Madalyn Wells
Junior Warden - Randy Norman
Mary Barker
Cathy Candler
Lydia Goebel
Malcolm Lorang
Sharon McGlothlin
Phil Mein
Becky Meyerson
OUR DIOCESAN DELEGATES
Barbara Ramsay and Bill Maddox
DAUGHTERS OF THE KING
Kathy Steele and Jan Echard
COFFEE SERVICE COORDINATOR
Lisa Maddox
WEBSITE & BULLETINS
Morris Evans
NEWSLETTER PUBLICATION
Rusty and Kim Mitchell
EVENTS COORDINATOR
Kim Mitchell
Page 2
“THE MONTHLY NAG”
April Newsletter Deadline!
Are you heading up any St. Christopher’s Parish or Montessori School Events/Activities in the month of
March OR do you have any family news or pic-tures you’d like to share with us? If so,
The deadline for getting articles into the April Newsletter is March 15th.
Please E-mail your information to: Rusty and Kim Mitchell at:
The monthly newsletter will be placed on the table in the narthex on the first Sunday of each month.
Check out our website at: www.st.christophersdallas.com
Also, check out the St. Christopher’s Mon-tessori School’s website at:
www.stchristophersmontessori.com
March Birthdays
Beatriz Bossio 3/1
Adam Mein 3/8
Iris Hawitt 3/9
Robert Gutierrez 3/12
Mike Krankota 3/12
Heather Hobbs 3/13
Tillie Johnson 3/16
Rusty Mitchell 3/19
Phyllis Lorang 3/20
Danny Atkinson 3/22
Pat Giles 3/26
Alice White 3/27
George Wheeler 3/30
Jack Barker 3/31
Cover: Mario Balassi, Noli me tangere c. 1632
Happy Ordination Anniversary
Fr. Jeremy!
March 18
Fr. Jeremy's Massive Monthly Missive for March
The farther I go in Lent, the more I despair of my ability to live up to its standards. Christ bids us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him; and yet most days I’d rather indulge myself, take up a cheeseburger, and watch Netflix. How do we keep ourselves from treating the Lenten season like a bunch rules to be endured for a few weeks? If we’re being honest, I suspect most of us would admit that it feels a bit legalistic for the Church to insist that we limit our freedom and curtail our pleasures.
I believe in order to make sense of Lent, we need to get behind the rules to understand why they’ve been established. A great spiritual teacher from the 4th Century, Evagrius of Pontus, has this to say:
“Why do the demons want to produce in us gluttony, fornication, avarice, anger, and resentment, and the other passions [vices]? So that the mind becomes thickened by them and unable to pray as it ought; for when the passions of the irrational part have arisen, they do not allow it to be moved in a rational manner and to seek the Word of God.” (Chapters on Prayer, 50).
In other words, our appetites and compulsions tend to overwhelm and therefore cloud the mind, which keep it busy—not busy meditating on the truth and love that comes from God, but instead they habitually force the mind to other, lesser concerns like bodily pleasure and pain, or social reputation and standing. Not that these things don’t deserve some attention, but our tendency is always to focus on those things alone. There’s no getting around it, that’s just what we humans do! The problem is, our wisdom tends to grow very thin indeed, and our hearts grow cold, because our hearts are concerned with ourselves rather than on God, who is himself wisdom and love. This is how people become shallow and cold-hearted.
So what are we to do? Lent bids us to take a step back from our usual ways, to realize just how focused we are on the little stuff, to the exclusion of what really matters. What good is a life full of cheeseburgers and Netflix, if we don’t care about our neighbor? What good is a nice house if it isn’t filled with love? What good is mastery of our trade if we end up dying alone? These are the sorts of questions humans ask, not animals. These are what make us rational rather than irrational beings.
Problem is, I can’t help myself. Even when faced with the call to remember what the rational, human, Chris-tian life looks like, I inevitably fail. I choose food over love; I choose reputation over wisdom. Etc., etc. etc., again and again and again…
Christ, however, managed to succeed where we fail. He chose wisdom over foolishness. He chose love of God over love of self. He chose life over death. In a traditional Scripture for Holy Week, Christ speaks to us through the prophet Isaiah: "I have trodden the wine press alone, and from the peoples no one was with me” (Is 63.3). Christ did it, where I fail to do it. He did it without any of us, he did it alone. And in so doing, he ushered in the beginning of the age when he will enable us to do it, too. And so we pray and we wait, asking for the grace to follow Christ to the Cross, in the sure and certain hope of finding glory on the other side.
Fr. Jeremy +
Page 3
Page 4
CYRIL OF JERUSALEM
BISHOP AND THEOLOGIAN MARCH 18
Cyril was born in Jerusalem around 315, and became bishop of that city in about 349. The years between the Council of Nicea (325) and the Council of Constantinople (381) were troubled years, in which the Church, having committed itself at Nicea, over the strenuous protests of the Arians, to the proposition that the Son is "one in being" (homo-ousios) with the Father, began to backtrack and consider whether there was some other formula that would adequately express the Lordship of Christ but not be "divisive." Experi-ence with other ways of stating what Christians believed about the Son and his relation to the Father finally led the Church to conclude that the Nicene formulation was the only way of safe-guarding the doctrine that Thomas spoke truly (John 20:28) when he said to Jesus, "My Lord and My God!" But this was not obvious from the beginning, and Cyril was among those who looked for a way of expressing the doctrine that would be acceptable to all parties. As a result, he was exiled from his bishopric three times, for a total of sixteen years, once by the Athanasians and twice by the Arians. He eventually came to the conclusion, as did most other Christians of the time, that there was no alternative to the Nicene formula, and in 381 he attended the Council of Constantinople and voted for that position.
Cyril is author of the Catecheses, or Catechatical Lectures on the Christian Faith. These consist of an introductory lecture, then eighteen lectures on the Christian Faith to be delivered during Lent to those about to be baptized at Easter, and then five lectures on the Sacraments to be delivered after Easter to the newly baptized. These have been translated into English (F L Cross, 1951), and are the oldest such lectures surviving. (It is thought that they were used over and over by Cyril and his successors, and that they may have undergone some revision in the process.)
Every year, thousands of Christian pilgrims came to Jerusalem, especially for Holy Week. It is probably Cyril who instituted the liturgical forms for that week as they were observed in Jerusa-lem at the pilgrimage sites, were spread to other churches by returning pilgrims, and have come down to us today, with the procession with palms on Palm Sunday, and the services for the fol-lowing days, culminating in the celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. We have a de-tailed account of Holy Week observances in Jerusalem in the fourth century, thanks to a Spanish nun named Egeria who made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and kept a journal which is a historian's delight.
~ by James Kiefer
* Cyril of Jerusalem is Fr. Jeremy's patron for priesting
Page 5
UPCOMING INFORMATION/EVENTS FOR MARCH
Spring Forward - Don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour before you go to bed Sat., March 12th.
Easter Flower Memorials There are no flowers on the Altar during Lent. We are now headed toward Easter and will adorn our Altar with beautiful Easter lilies. If you wish to make a donation toward the Easter flowers to memorialize or honor a loved one, or just give thanks to God, fill out one of the Flower Memorial envelopes enclosed in the worship bulletin with the names of those you want to honor either in Memory or Thanksgiving and return it with your check or cash.
Please place your envelope with the information and donation in the Alms basin by Palm Sunday, March 20th.
St. Patrick's Day Parade Parking Event
Sat. March 19th
Come up and join in on the fun at our Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parking Event. Volunteers help direct the Greenville Ave. Parade “goers” to parking spots in our church parking lot. Dress up in your crazy St. Paddy’s day garb, get ready to “chow down” on Randy Norman’s world famous Smoked Bar BQ, share a few beers and enjoy the fellow-ship among your fellow “family” parish-ioners.
This is always a really Fun event for all!
A sign up sheet will be posted in the breezeway for those who want to help
with the parking.
Making of the Palm Sunday Crosses We will be making the crosses for our Palm Sunday Service in the Parish Hall at 3 pm, after the St. Patrick’s Day Parking Event.
Any amount of time you could give us would be so appreciated! Contact Nancy Killough at: [email protected]
“Many hands make less work”.
Plastic Filled Easter Eggs Needed for
Children’s Easter Egg Hunt
(Non-melting candy please)
(Box for eggs is located in the Parish Hall Breezeway)
Deadline is Palm Sunday, Mar. 20th
(So “the SC Bunny” can pick them up before Easter.)
The Children's Easter Egg hunt will be at 11AM on Easter Sunday!!
FLOWERING OF THE CROSS ON
EASTER SUNDAY
All children are invited to “flower the cross” on Easter Sunday in the
Narthex.
This is always a very beautiful way for our children to begin their morning before our Easter service. We will have cut flowers in an Easter basket that the children
can pick and place on the cross. The flowered cross is then placed in the altar area for all to
enjoy on this glorious day!
Please arrive between 9:30 and 9:40 AM to allow enough time to flower before the 10:00 service
begins.
Page 6
Passion/Palm Sunday and Blessing of the Palms
(March 20th - 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM)
Palm Sunday and Blessing of the Palms, the final Sunday before Easter Sunday, marks the be-ginning of Holy Week. Christian churches distribute palms (and sometimes pussy willows) on Palm Sunday to commemorate Christ's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, when palm branches were placed in His path. ( We will all process from the Parish Hall over to the church)
Maundy Thursday Eucharist/The Great Watch
(Thursday, March 24th - 7:00 PM
and Stripping of the Altar)
Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday, is a Christian holiday that is celebrated the Thursday before Easter. This holy day celebrates the washing of the feet, Maundy, and the Last Supper between Jesus and his Apostles before going out to the Garden of Gethsemane. It is the 5th day of Holy Week.
Following the Maundy Thursday service, the Gethsemane (Great Watch/Vigil) will begin, which is an ancient Christian tradition in which the community takes turns spending an hour or more in silent prayer and vigil as our Lord asked his disciples to do in Gethsemane. It is a powerful spiritual discipline. The watch lasts from the end of the Maundy Thursday service beginning at(8:00 p.m.) and ending the morning of Good Friday at (8:00 a.m.) Please sign-up for a time on the sheet in the Narthex. More than one person can sign up for any particular time. Doors will remain locked during the watch for our safety.
Good Friday - March 25th
Good Friday is the day on which we commemorate the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, the act that brought salvation to all who believe. It is the culmination of Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday, and it takes place two days before Easter Sunday.
Stations of the Cross - (Friday, 11:30 AM)
The beginning of the Stations of the Cross at 11:30 a.m. marks the end of the Gethsemane Watch. We will physically move along the side walls of the nave where the small plaques are located. The object of each Station is to help us to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditation upon the chief scenes of Christ’s sufferings and death.
Good Friday Liturgy - (Friday, 12:00 PM)
Easter Vigil (Easter Eve)- Saturday, March 26th - 7 PM
Easter Day - Sunday, March 27th
Holy Eucharist at 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM)
Sunday, March 27th, Flowering of the Cross - 9:30-9:40 AM
(Children’s Easter Egg Hunt following the 10:00 AM Service)
Easter, the greatest feast in the Christian calendar. Easter morning, we will celebrate the rising of the Son, and God’s ultimate victory over the forces of death and darkness.
Alleluia!! Christ has Risen !!
Page 7
SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE SUPPER
AND TALENT SHOW A big “thank you” to our Pancake makers (The Daughters of the King) and all our talented
St. Christo-folk!
A great time was had by all!
Our “Rock of Aged” band rocks us out!
Our Daughters of the King worked so very hard,cooking the pancakes /sausage!
Cathy Candler..don’t we all wish we could
move like that? Wally Wheeler , beautiful
solo, beautiful voice!
Randy Norman... Contact Becky P-S. for audition in the choir!
Maya Pearson performs “Funny Girl”… We knew
her when….
Fr. Jeremy, singing and feeling right at home in Texas !!
Page 8
Saturday, February 27th SCMS hosted their 14th
Annual Silent Auction, Live Auction and Tapas It is always a wonderful night! When we join forces, the children aren't the only winner - we all win, since our church family will also use the retreat!
Lenten Suppers Canon Rene provided a Lenten program about “Forgiveness” which was very thought provoking.
Fr. Jeremy leads us all in
a prayer
What an awesome dinner!
Becky M. and Iris T. welcoming all at the Registration Table!
So many great things to bid on! Some of our St. Christo-folk!
All enjoying a meal together before our Lesson
Canon Renee leads us in a lesson about
“Forgiveness”
Page 9
Resurrection Garden
The kids made Resurrection Gardens on February 7th while the grown-ups attended Fr. Jeremy's Bible class. Madalyn Wells, Becky Meyerson, Sharon McGlothlin and Denise Goldman chipped in to help all “God’s little children”.
REMINDER:
The Daughters of the King
Maintain their own very long list of those whose situation merits our prayers for more than four weeks. If anyone would like to add their or another’s name to that list, you may contact: Kathy Steele at: [email protected]
Page 10
WEEKLY TUESDAY MEDITATIONS
A TIME TO GET QUIET AND LISTEN TO GOD
Meditation quiet-time in the Church Sanctuary, is on Tuesdays from 10 to 10:45 am weekly.
Anyone may join us, and may enter prior to (or following) the open-ing bell at 10 am, and may leave prior to (or following) the closing bell at 10:45 am.
ALSO KEEP THESE IN YOUR PRAYERS
Our Diocese, our Church, Our Growth, Our Finances, Our
School, Our Youth, Our Families, Our Health, Our Safety, Our Safe Travel, and all
those suffering from disasters.
Pray for victims, volunteers and our military to restore and keep peace.
In our prayers, let us also not forget to pray for the various organizations and working groups
that are not mentioned but do so much work for the church.
And also, for all those of us who, in this transi-tory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity, especially Tim Green and
his family.
The Healing Order of St. Luke The Healing Order of St. Luke is available at the back of the Sanctuary to pray for healing during Communion at 10:00 services on Sundays.
Volunteers Needed for Coffee Hosting On
Easter Sunday!!!
We are in need of volunteers to help with the coffee hosting on Easter Sunday! A couple of folks to just help in the kitchen would be great to see that there
is enough coffee going and snacks are set out.
IN NEED OF VOLUNTEER
USHERS and COFFEE HOSTS
FOR MARCH
We’re in need of Volunteers! If you can help out, we would appreciate it so much!!
Take a look at the sign up sheets on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall and see where and when you can help !!
And kids, don’t worry about ushering,
you’ll have an adult working with you. It’s easy and fun and everyone appreciates all you do !!!
“All Church” Volunteers Needed To Provide Snacks/Finger Foods /Beverages for
Easter Sunday !! Would you be able to bring a snack or a finger food to share for
Easter Sunday’s Coffee Hour?
Anything that you’d like to bring that is not a lot of trouble for you would be appreciated.
A simple snack/finger food to share with your fellow parishion-ers and children would be welcomed. Examples/ideas might be some fruit, veggie/dip, chips/dip, finger sandwiches, coffee cake or donuts. We could also use sweet tea, unsweeted tea and any kind of juice or lemonade. If you’re able to help, please sign up on the “Sign up Sheet” in the Breezeway so we won’t have too much of the same things. Thank you All St. Christo-folk!!!
DATE O. T. LESSON PSALM EPISTLE GOSPEL
2222 LE
ENT22222
Joshua 5:9-12
32
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3,11b-32
5 Lent
Isaiah 43:16-21
126
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8
Pentecost
Palm Sunday
Isaiah 50:4-9a
118:1-2, 19-29
31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Luke 19:28-40
Luke 22:14-23;56
or Luke 23:1-49
Acts 10:34-43 or
Isaiah 65:17-25
114
118:1-2,14-24
Romans 6:3-11
1 Corinthians 15:19-26
or Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 28:1-10
John 20:1-18
or Luke 24:1-12
DATE
LECTORS
LAY EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS
ACOLYTES
ALTAR GUILD
ALTAR
FLOWERS
USHERS
COFFEE
HOSTS
Mar 6
1st Reading - Becky Meyerson
LEM - Sallie Crotty
Maya Pearson
Reita Hardeman
Kim Mitchell
No Flowers
In Lent
Volunteers
Needed
Anita & Earnest Rager
Mar 13
1st Reading - Mark Pearson
LEM - Morris Evans
Cole Hobbs
Devana Jackson
Nancy Killough
No Flowers
In Lent
Keith & Dale Reddick
Reita Hardeman
Mar 20
1st Reading - Nancy Settegast
LEM - Irma Gutierrez
Madelyn Barker
Anita Rager
Sherri Harris
Palms
Volunteers
Needed
Lisa Maddox
May 27
1st Reading - Kim Mitchell
LEM - Jeffrey Hill &
Kim Mitchell
Cole Hobbs
Alice White
Nancy Settegast
Brandi Spencer
Volunteers
Needed
All Church
Parishioners
Page 11
4 Lent
WORSHIP SERVICES
SUNDAY
8:00 AM Holy Eucharist: Rite I
10:00 AM Holy Eucharist: Rite II (Rite I - 4th Sunday)
10:00 AM Children’s Chapel (Age 3 through 2nd grade)
WEDNESDAY
10:00 AM Holy Eucharist: Rite I (with Discussion afterwards)
“Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.”
- Matthew 11:28
Tues 1 - 10:00 Meditative Prayer
Wed 2 - 10:00 Eucharist Rite I w/ discussion
Sunday 6 - 4 Lent (Instructed Eucharist at the 10am service) Tues 8 - 10:00 Meditative Prayer
6:30 Lenten Supper/Lessons/Taize
Wed 9 - 10:00 Eucharist Rite I w/ discussion
Sunday 13 - 5 Lent
Tues 15 - 10:00 Meditative Prayer
6:30 Lenten Supper/Lessons/Taize
Wed. 16 - 10:00 Eucharist Rite I w/ discussion
Fri 18 - Fr. Jeremy's Ordination Anniversay
Sat 19 - St. Patrick’s Day Parade Parking Event/
Making of Palm Crosses @ 3 pm in the Parish Hall
Sunday 20 - Palm Sunday
Tues 22 - 10:00 Meditative Prayer
Wed 23 - 10:00 Eucharist Rite I w/ discussion
Thurs 24 - 7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday/Great Watch (8 pm - 8 am Fri.)
Fri 25 - 11:30 am Stations of the Cross - 12:00 pm Good Friday Liturgy
Sat 26 - 7: 00 pm Easter Eve Vigil
Spring Cleaning of the Church - 9 am
Sunday 27 - 9:30-9:40 am - Childrens “Flowering of the Cross”
11 am - Children’s Easter Egg Hunt-
Tues 29 - 10:00 Meditative Prayer
Wed 30 - 10:00 Eucharist Rite I w/ discussion
MARCH CALENDAR NOTE: Fr. Jeremy will be offering
Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist at 7:30 AM Monday-Thursday and
Evening Prayer at 4:30 PM
Happy Easter
Welcome !! We’re Glad you’re
Here
