February 16, The Sixth Sunday After Epiphany

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!  You Now Access God Online!

Daily Morning and Evening Prayer available on Ipad, Smartphone, or computer. 

The Episcopal Church has two liturgies for its ongoing worship.  The first one is the Sunday Eucharist with which we are all familiar.  The second one is called The Daily Office which consists of two services:  Daily Morning and Evening Prayer.  In the bulletin insert we include the Daily Scripture readings which is the Lectionary for Daily Morning and Evening Prayer.  Unlike the Sunday Lectionary which is a three year cycle of Scripture readings, the Lectionary for Daily Morning and Evening Prayer is a two year cycle.  The readings are sequential and if one follows the Daily Lectionary one can read the entire Bible in the space of two years.

Daily Morning and Evening Prayer is similar to the Liturgy of the Word, the first half of the Sunday Eucharist.  In the Liturgy of the Word we hear four readings from Scripture: The Old Testament, a Psalm, The New Testament, and the Gospel.  We also sing hymns whose texts are often paraphrases of Scripture, closely related to the Scriptures we’ve just heard.  In addition we recite the Nicene Creed and have a set of prayers.  We end at the Peace and then proceed to the Liturgy of the Eucharist where we consecrate the Bread and Wine and receive the Risen Christ through them.  

Daily Morning and Evening Prayer does not include the Eucharist.  It is essentially an encounter with God through an ongoing reading and reflection on God’s word to us in the Bible.   Like the Liturgy of the Word at the Eucharist, Daily Morning and Evening Prayer includes a reading from the Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament and the Gospel.  In addition to these, it also includes what are called “Canticles,”  these are portions of Scripture set a worship and praise functioning the in the same way as the hymns we sing at the Eucharist.   Daily Morning and Evening Prayer also includes a recitation of the Apostle’s Creed, which we say at baptisms, as well as some prayers and a General Thanksgiving.  

The reciting of Daily Morning and Evening Prayer is an obligation for anyone who is ordained.  However, the genius of the Book of Common Prayer was that it made the sources of Christian identity and worship accessible to all the members of the Church.  Everyone, clergy and lay could have a practice of ongoing reading and reflection on the Scripture.  There many lay people in the Episcopal Church who make this a part of their spiritual practice.  

Up to now, doing that required that one have two books: a Book of Common Prayer and a Bible.  To find one’s way through, one would need ribbons or bookmarks to find the lectionary, the psalm, the table of canticles, and the prayers.  You would shift back and forth from the Prayer Book to the Bible.  

Well, now all of this has been made available on line.  There is a website called Daily Office West  It is sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis.  Going to the website you can get both Morning and Evening Prayer with everything in its proper sequence and participate in it using your computer, IPad or smartphone.   You can sign up on the website and then you will get an email message in the morning and afternoon and you can jump in to the Daily Morning and Evening Prayer when it is convenient for you.  Instead of jumping from pages and books, you simply scroll down through it.  The site also provides photos of other Episcopalians doing the liturgy and pictures that illustrate the themes of the readings.  

So this may be something you might like to try.  

You can Google “Daily Office West,” or go directly to their website at dailyoffice.org

Altar Guild Meeting:   Saturday February 15, 8:30 a.m. at Pam Irwin’s home

The Altar Guild will gather to enjoy each other’s company and to do some planning for the Easter Season.  Fr. Bob will give a presentation from Catechesis of the Good Shepherd on the Liturgical Year and how to think about Altar Service in that larger context.  All Altar Guild members are urged to come.  People interested in helping with the Altar Guild are also welcome as well.  Speak to Pam Irwin.

Secret Handshake Class  This Sundays  9:00 a.m.  Parish Hall Living Room

This Sunday February 16

Sacred Scripture.   The Story of Anglicanism  This is a movie filmed at COA and narrated by Michael York giving the history of Anglican Christianity. 

Other Subjects to be covered on subsequent Sundays.

A tour of the Church  (What the architecture means) Holy Baptism  (What does it mean to be a Christian) The Book of Common Prayer  (The secret to understanding the Liturgy)The Church as a body and an institution (How we're organized) 

At each class there will be time to ask any questions you may have and for the discussion to in directions that you are interested in. 

The Young Person’s Guide to Love and Wealth Management  Sunday February 16

Bill & Rebecca Woods and Fr. Bob will once again offer their Young Person’s Guide to Love and Wealth Management  following the 10:15 Liturgy on Sunday February 16.  We’ll gather for lunch in the Parish Hall.  

Following lunch, Bill will give a presentation on basic financial skills, considering such things as “good debt, and bad debt.”  He’ll show how without too much difficulty, a minimum payment on a credit card bill used for consumer goods, can lead one to the same place as Tennessee Ernie Ford so eloquently sang about,  “16 tons and what do get, another day older and deeper in debt.”   We’ll look at budgeting, student loans, and long term planning.  

In the subsequent meeting Rebecca Woods and Fr. Bob will give a presentation on relationships that hopefully lead to life long love and marriage.  

The Young Person’s Guide to Love and Wealth Management is intended for the young adults in the congregation and also for those who are seniors in High School and preparing to go to college in the fall.  Veterans of previous Love and Wealth Management meetings are welcome to join in as well.  

For information speak to Fr. Bob or Rebecca Woods

Coffee Hour:

The Sign Up Sheet for Coffee Hour will be outside Church on Sunday.  It is also attached to By Way of Reminder.  You can sign up by Email. 

Emmaus Road

Emmaus Road  will meet Monday, February 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall Living Room.  The group continues its reading of No Ordinary Men, the story of Dietrich Bonehoffer and Hans von Dohnanyi.

Episcopal Visitation:  Sunday February 23.

We are privileged to have Bishop Diane Bruce with us on Sunday February 23.  Bishop  Diane is one of the Bishop Suffragans (Assisting bishops to our Diocesan Bishop Jon Bruno)   Bishop Diane will be here for both the 7:45 and 10:15 Liturgy. 

 Episcopal Visitation:   Conversation with Bishop Diane  9:00 a.m. Sunday February 23

Between the services at 9:00 a.m.  Bishop Diane will participate in a conversation with parishioners.  In her previous life Bishop Diane was a banker, and so we thought it might be fun to have a conversation on matters economic and how Christian people seek to integrate those aspects of life with their Christian faith. 

 Episcopal Visitation:  Rite of Confirmation, Reception, and Renewal  Sunday February 23

Bishop Diane will also administer the Rite of Confirmation, Reception, and Renewal as part of the Sunday liturgy

 The Rite of  Confirmation:    If you were baptized as an infant, this is a chance to claim those promises for yourself.  The bishop lays hands on you and asks for an increase of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that you received at baptism. 

 The Rite of Reception:  If you were confirmed or some sort of adult recognition in another Christian body, you can be received into the Episcopal Church.  The bishop offers you a welcome.

 The Rite of Renewal:  If you are baptized and confirmed, and simply want to renew these promises, the bishop has a special prayer for you. 

 If you are interested in any of these speak to Fr. Bob.

 Episcopal Visitation:   Parish Potluck and Reception for Bishop Diane Sunday February 23

 Following the 10:15 Liturgy we will have a Parish Potluck and Reception for Bishop Diane.   We had great fun at the Annual Meeting.  Here’ s another chance to show off our parish’s amazing culinary skills.   Chris Ortiz is coordinating the potluck.  The Sign Up sheet will be outside Church on Sunday.  You can also email in what you’d like to bring.  The Sign Up list is attached to the email.

 Food For Thought

On the Food For Thought Table on Sunday an article from Philosophy Now, Does God Exist?   This current issue of Philosophy Now  is devoted to “The God Question.”  We’ll put out other articles in the coming weeks.  This article proposes that God provides a better account of the world than naturalism.  See for yourself.    

 Twenty One Shopping Days till Lent!

Shrove Tuesday:  March 4

 We will once again have our Annual Shrove Tuesday Dinner at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. 

 Ash Wednesday March 5

The Ash Wednesday Liturgy will be 7:00 p.m. with the Imposition of Ashes and the Holy Eucharist.