March 8, The Third Sunday in Lent
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 3:30PM The Third Sunday of Lent, Sunday March 8, also Day Light Savings Time. Set your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday Night
Civic Involvement: Vote Early, Vote Often
Pasadena City Elections, Tuesday March 10
Our newly painted Parish Hall will play host as a Polling Place for the City of Pasadena Elections on Tuesday March 10. The City of Pasadena has also reserved the Parish Hall for the run off election scheduled for Tuesday April 21.
Music with the Angels: Saturday March 14, 4:00 p.m.
Sweet Temperament Baroque Ensemble presents an exciting program of Baroque music that highlights the temperaments of early music. Katina Mitchell (soprano), Arthur Omura (harpsichord), Frédéric Rosselet (baroque cello), and Amelia Tobiason (soprano).
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: “Level 4”
Sunday, March 8, 9:00 a.m.
Last week we looked at the Eucharistic Prayers as an enlargement of the story we are enacting when we do the Eucharist. It’s the next level up from Christianity in 10 words. We explored how the Eucharistic Prayer is able to condense hundreds of pages of the Bible into a few sentences. We also looked at how we use different Eucharistic prayers in the other seasons of the Church year to emphasize the what that Liturgical season is saying to us. This week, we’ll go into an even larger circle: The Church Year itself.
Heads Up for Holy Week and Easter: March 29 – April 5
Reflective Dinners in Holy Week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 6:00 p.m. Parish Hall
The Reflective Dinners in Holy Week are a tradition unique to Church of the Angels. They had their beginning as an outcome of one of my annual 8 day retreats many years ago. In that time I made my annual retreats at the Camaldolese Hermitage south of Big Sur, and my favorite part of the day was at the end of the Evening Prayer Liturgy. We would go from the monastic choir into the Rotunda where they celebrated the Eucharist. We would stand along the outside wall, and then one of the monks would bring out the Sacrament from the Tabernacle and place it on the Altar with a single candle. Then we would all sit or kneel in silence for a half hour. Inside the Rotunda it was absolutely silent. We stayed that way until one of the monks range a Tibetan Singing Bowl, and then we would prostrate ourselves. The bowl would be rung again and we’d stand and a monk would take the Sacrament back to the Tabernacle in an adjoining Chapel.
As I said, this was my favorite part of the day. During the silence various things would emerge in my mind. At one point many years ago an idea emerged, “What if we combined The Song of Solomon with the Gospel of John during Holy Week? Later the idea of three evenings took shape. I came home and asked Phil Holmes if he would take on the meditations and he did, and so the Reflective Dinners were born.
Standing behind all this is St. John’s account of the Last Supper. It begins with Jesus washing the disciples feet in Chapter 13. Then in Chapter’s 14, 15, and 16, Jesus talks with his disciples about what their life in the world will be on the other side of his Resurrection. The Last Supper concludes with Jesus High Priestly Prayer in Chapter 17 where he prays for his disciples. The key to understanding all this is to realize that Jesus is not speaking to those original disciples only, but that he is talking to disciples in all times and all places until the Parousia. His description of Post Resurrection life to them, has resonance with our lives as disciples now. He gives the clue when he says “I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” In other words the truth of Christ and what he means will unfold and deepen over the whole course of our lives and in fact the whole course of human history. So, the Reflective Dinners in Holy Week bring us into this same place where Jesus speaks with us about our lives in him now and always.
To make this happen, we set it up in a special way. We set up the Parish Hall with tables and chairs forming a U and we sit around the outside. The tables have many, many of the IKEA Tea Lights that we use at Pentecost as well as other candles. As we gather, depending on the time of year, the light in the Parish Hall dims with the setting of the sun and the candles glow brighter. A team prepares a simple meal, usually soup or casserole, salad, bread, wine, and a desert. Once the meal has been served, a parishioner reads to us as we eat in silence. Over the years many parishioners have presented Christian authors from across the centuries all talking about the Christian life, what it means, and how it is lived. When finished, usually when we’re about done with the meal, I read one of the Chapters from St. John’s account of the Last Supper, one chapter each evening. At the conclusion of that, I read 1/3 of the High Priestly Prayer. Then we do Eucharist together around the table using bread and wine from the meal. We share the Sacrament among each other. We finish with the Blessing.
After this there is desert and conversation. Then we clean up and prepare for the next evening.
Our presenter this year will be Kelly Brandt who will be reading from Abiding, The Archbishop of Canterbury's LENT BOOK 2013 by Ben Quash
"This is a reflection on where to find our centre of gravity. Ben Quash diagnoses with great sensitivity the different ways in which we can misunderstand our need for continuity and security - by resorting to inflexible habits or expectations in a world where things naturally change." +Rowan Cantuar
The Reflective Dinners are a wonderful event. Some people come to all three, some make one or two. It doesn’t matter, there is much to be gained either way. Once again this year we look forward to a rich experience during the first three nights in Holy Week. If you’ve never been to a Reflective Dinner, you might want to try it, and see for yourself.
We will begin the Sign Ups for the Reflective Dinners this coming Sunday.
Emmaus Road
Monday, March 9, 7:00 p.m.
Emmaus Road begins reading Christ Actually, by James Carroll. It is available at Vromans or from Amazon. We will read the Introduction and Chapter 1
Out Reach Committee: Mission Giving
As was said in the article above about Lent:
Significantly, the popular idea of “giving things up for Lent” was always balanced in the ancient Church by the requirement to give to the poor:
Episcopal Relief and Development: Lent 2015
We invite all Episcopalians (and their friends) to gather on February 22 and through the Sunday’s in Lent to pray for those living in poverty or without the basics of life, for victims of conflict and natural disasters, and for all those around the world utilizing local resources and expertise to counter scarcity and imbalance.
2015 marks the 75th anniversary of Episcopal Relief and Development’s shared ministry with Episcopalians and friends as the healing hands of Christ in the world. ERD works with local partners in almost 40 countries. You can support this work by contributing to ERD with the response form that will be provided through Lent or online at
Global Hands of Hope, Uganda
Dear Friends,
I am still missing sponsors’ names for seven students. These are the students that I don’t have down as sponsored, though someone took their paper, so if you see your student, please let me know. If you want a student, please let me know J
Students still missing sponsor’s names: Joel Wandera (male, Top Class), Kenneth Ssejemba (make, Top Class), Lukia Nantale (female – Primary 1), Misi Kaweesa (male – Middle Class), Hubaider Wesonga ( Male – Middle Class), Prossy Nanyanzi (Female – Top Class), Asuman Bando (Male, Top Class).
Thank you so much for all of your help!
Sincerely,
Tracy Gaestel
Aj575@lafn.org
Eldercare Gathering Saturday, March 21 4:30 p.m.
Taking advantage of Global Warming along with the onset of Day Light Savings Time, Fr. Bob and Tracy will host a barbecue at the Rectory for people who are at some stage in the process of caring for elderly loved ones. This includes people in the middle of the process, those who have recently seen the process through to the death of a loved ones, and those for whom this task is on the horizon. For information, speak to Fr. Bob
Coffee Hour Sign Up March and April
It is time to sign up for bringing treats and hosting the coffee hour after both the 7:45 and 10:15 liturgies. It is really not difficult. Fr. Bob sets up the tables and makes the coffee before the 7:45 service. All the hosts need to do is bring some snacks and to help take down the arrangement after the 10:15 liturgy. All Sundays for March and April are open. You can sign up at Church, or email in your sign up.