March 6, The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at 10:18AM Daily Scripture Readings; bookofcommonprayer.net/daily_office.php
See the different options. There is full morning and evening prayer. There is also the option of the readings only. There is also an app for receiving the daily readings by email, or on a mobile device
Sunday Scripture Readings: bookofcommonprayer.net/lectionary.php
Set it for 1979 Contemporary, and the Bible version used in Church is Revised Standard Version
Coffee Hour Needs:
We need people to volunteer for Coffee Hour on the following Sundays:
10:15 Liturgy March 6
Coffee Hour Sign Up for March and April will be on the Coffee Table this Sunday
Anglican Rosary: Saturday, March 5, 9:00 a.m
The Anglican Rosary devotional group meets Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. in the Church. Everyone is welcome.
Emmaus Road
Emmaus Road resumes it’s reading of Marilynne Robinson’s book, The Giveness of Things, on Monday, March 7. , in the Parish Hall Living Room. Anyone is welcome to join in. The book is readily available at Vroman’s in Pasadena. For Monday March 7, we will read chapter7, “Fear”
At the Emmaus Road Group last Monday, one participant commented, “We’re having conversations that many people in the congregation would enjoy.” That’s right. Anyone is welcome to come and sit in an contribute. Reading the book is fun, but not absolutely necessary. Everyone’s contribution be they questions or reflections adds to the experience. Please consider joining in.
Community Emergency Response Training
Church of the Angels will be the host for the Community Emergency Response Training, sponsored by the San Rafael Neighborhoods Association and the Pasadena Fire Department. SRNA meets the first Monday of the month in the Parish Hall.
This event will be held in the Parish Hall, Saturday March 12 from 8-12. Any member of the Parish is welcome to attend.
This is a great opportunity that goes along with our ongoing Emergency Preparedness planning. Fr. Bob took the training several years ago as did parishioner Elizabeth Bergholz. It is great fun and get to learn some very helpful skills.
San Rafael Neighborhoods Association
SRNA
sponsors
Disaster Response Skills
and
Building a Neighborhood Response Network
Pasadena Fire Department Training
COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS (CERT-Overview)
Learn what to do to and how to do it when professional “first responders” are unable to respond to you, your family and neighborhood.
(Neighbors and children 12 and older welcomed!)
***********************
Saturday, March 12th
8am-12pm
Church of the Angels
Church Hall
1100 Avenue 64
Pasadena 91105
(Avenue 64 and Church Street, south side)
Street Parking
Please Plan to Arrive Promptly at 8:00 am
Coffee and Pastries Served
Easter Sign Ups
Sundays for the remainder of Lent, the sign up sheets for the various Easter Activities will be on the table outside Church. These will be sign ups for:
Church Decorations for Easter
Reflective Dinners in Holy Week
Holy Saturday Preparations
Easter Day, Easter Breakfast
Reflective Dinners in Holy Week
This year we will both keep things the way we normally do them, and change something as well.
What we always do: Meal Teams needed for each evening, Monday, Tuesday Wednesday.
The Meal Time collaborates on preparing a meal with a appetizer, salad, main dish, bread, drinks, and dessert. Many hands make light work!
What we’ll do differently.
Fr. Bob and Kelly Brandt are changing roles this year. This year Fr. Bob will do the readings during dinner and Kelly will read from the Last Supper Discourses from the Gospel of St. John.
Fr. Bob will be reading from Pope Francis’ new book: The Name of God is Mercy.
Sign up for the dinners and to help with the meal. Below is a more detailed descripton
What Else We’ll Be Doing in Holy Week
Maundy Thursday
March 24, 7:00 p.m.
Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Paschal Triduum, otherwise known as the Three Great Days of Jesus crucified, buried, and risen. The of “Maundy” comes from the word Mandatum which means commandment. According to the Gospel of John, at the Last Supper, Jesus, after washing the disciples’ feet gives them the “new commandment” that they should love one another as he has loved them.
Maundy Thursday commemorates the last meal Jesus had with his disciples prior to his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. The Gospels differ on whether the meal was a celebration of the Jewish Passover, which is what the synoptic Gospels hold, or was a special ceremonial meal prior to the Passover as held by the Gospel of John. In either event, at the end of the meal, Jesus does something completely new. He bestows upon his disciples a means whereby he will always remain present to them. Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, blesses it, and distributes it to them and says, “This is my Body.” Afterward he takes the cup of wine and distributes it to them and says, “This is my Blood.” He tells them to “do this in remembrance of me.”
In this context, the word “remember” does not mean to recall an event that is simply in the past and is no more. The biblical sense of remember means to make present. When the Jewish Seder is done, it is not that the participants think of something that happened a long time ago. Instead, the event that liberated them from slavery and made them God’s own people is a present and contemporary reality. It is not then, but now. The same is true in the Eucharist. You might say with both the Passover and the Last Supper, the events themselves and what they accomplish are simply too big for the chronological time they occurred. You might say that both the Passover and the Eucharist, tear the events from their place in chronological time and bring them into ours.
One of the 20th Century’s foremost scholars of Christian Liturgy, Dom Gregory Dix wrote about Jesus words to “Do this is remembrance of me.” He said, “Of all the things that God every told people to do, this is the one thing we’ve carried out most faithfully.” He then went on to describe all the times and places, and events in which we celebrate the Eucharist, “doing this in remembrance of me.” It happens every Sunday of course, but also at baptisms, weddings, and funerals. It happens in grand cathedrals and humble shanty chapels. It happens on ships, it happens on battlefields, it happened in Dachau and the Gulag. It happened on the slab which was all that was left of an Episcopal Church after Hurricane Katrina hit Gulfport Mississippi. Dix concludes by asking, “Has any commandment of Christ been as faithfully carried out as ‘Do this in remembrance of me?’”
So Maundy Thursday commemorates the institution of the Eucharist. A corollary of that is that Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Christian priesthood.
There is also something else. Jesus washes the disciples feet. St. Peter is scandalized. But Jesus says to him that unless you let me love you in this way, you have no part in me.
As part of the liturgy, I remove the vestments and wash the feet of those parishioners who are willing. It is a profound moment for me and I’m sure for them.
Finally, after Communion, we begin the process of stripping the altar as Jesus and his disciples leave the upper room and go the Garden of Gethsemane. The choir chants Psalm 22 and as the members of the Altar Guild empty out the Sanctuary, the lights in the Church grow dimmer and dimmer. The Sacrament has been placed on the site altar which is surrounded with flowers. This is called the Altar of Repose. The Sacrament will remain there until it is consumed on Good Friday.
The last thing that happens is that the Altar Cross is draped in black. The light on the Resurrection window is turned off. The choir leaves their robes behind and walks out of the Church in silence.
Maundy Thursday is an incredibly powerful liturgy. It really is not to be missed.
Das Boot From Eric Jones
Just an update. Yesterday, I finished securing the loose bench in front of the church, but as I was finishing up, I noticed that another bench has one corner that is unsecured. Although it isn't a problem with someone stealing the bench, it may be a minor safety issue if someone uses it incorrectly. I bought another anchor and will put it in next week.
Also, I installed two new light fixtures. One is in the soon to be Contemplation Room. It replaced a bare socket. Although it may not be ideal, we can keep it until a better option is available. Right now it also has an LED bulb that is a little too large and dim, but I'll replace it next week.
The second fixture is in the basement bathroom. It replaces a utilitarian style fixture that I have temporarily put in the store room under the basement stairway. If you get a chance to wander down there, please take a look and tell me if it's satisfactory. It's nickel and although new, it's in an antique style.
Food For Thought
On the Food For Thought Table this Sunday and interesting article from The American Scholar: Awakenings.
“During the 19th Century, the advent of new religions and brimstone frontier preachers led to fierce debates that persist to this day.”
Getting Ready for Easter
Below is the schedule for Holy Week and Easter. This is to give you a heads up as to what will be happening.
Liturgies for Holy Week and Easter 2016
March 20 Palm Sunday 7:45 & 10:15 a.m. Liturgy of Palms and Holy Eucharist
March 21 Monday in Holy Week 6:00 p.m.
Reflective Dinner: and Gospel of St. John: Parish Hall
March 22 Tuesday in Holy Week 6:00 p.m.
Reflective Dinner: and Gospel of St. John: Parish Hall
March 23 Wednesday in Holy Week 6:00 p.m.
Reflective Dinner and Gospel of St. John: Parish Hall
March 24 Maundy Thursday 7:00 p.m.
Maundy Thursday Liturgy, Foot washing and Holy Eucharist
March 25 Good Friday 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Good Friday Liturgy Mass of the Pre-Sanctified
March 26 Holy Saturday 8:30 a.m. Altar Guild and Friends Prepare Church for Easter
Other Times Set up Parish Hall, Prepare Easter Breakfast, Prepare Easter Eggs
March 27 Easter Day 5:45 a.m. The Great Vigil of Easter
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Easter Egg, Hunt Parish, Easter Breakfast
10:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist
