Zion Episcopal Church

The Season of Lent and Easter

                        At the heart of the Christian faith is our participation in the life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ as Lord. We proclaim that, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us‟ (John 1:14). Jesus Christ was born into human history in the fullness of time for our salvation. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are delivered from sin and death, and by the Holy Spirit we are born into eternal life with God. This is the faith we are called to live in our lives and to continually renew in our worship.

                        A whole range of meaning is associated with the death and resurrection of Jesus. The New Testament made the Passover lamb a central symbol of redemption, especially John‟s gospel and the writings of St. Paul. “Our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the festival” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). The Passover recalls the deliverance of the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt into the promised land. In Christ this is given new meaning so that we are liberated from slavery to sin and death and delivered into eternal life. This is often referred to as the Paschal Mystery. In Lent and Easter, the Christian community dramatises the narrative story of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus and identifies itself in that story. Easter proclaims the reality and power of the risen Christ present in the sacraments and in scripture, so that Jesus‟ death and resurrection opens up a continuing experience of a living relationship with the risen Christ.

                       The seasons of Lent and Easter are, therefore, laden with a richness and power that leads God‟s people to a deeper personal commitment to Christ and to a deeper sense of what it is to be church, the people of God. In these seasons God‟s entire story with God‟s people is brought into focus. By entering into and proclaiming the redemptive work of God in Christ through the seasons of Lent and Easter, we are formed in the pattern of his death and resurrection and his life-giving Spirit.

Lent

                      The origins of Lent lie in this time being a focus for evangelism and true conversion; a time for journeying with Christ to the cross and beyond. Since Easter is the time when the church celebrates God‟s most definitive redemptive acts, Lent is a time for intentional growing into God through deep reflection on scripture, fellowship together, prayer, and reflection on our baptismal covenant from which we derive our identity as Christian people. Preparation for sharing in and “doing the story” of Jesus‟ death and resurrection is basic, for all this leads to a renewal of our baptismal faith in the season of Easter.

                        The observance of Lent was first undertaken by those undergoing their final preparation for initiation into the Christian community through baptism. In preparing to worship in this season, therefore, we do well to explore the meaning of baptism as entry into a lifelong process of being transformed into the life and holiness of Christ. As reflected all through scripture, this is a journey or pilgrimage that is bigger than the private experience of an individual. This journey engages the whole Christian community and it is the heartbeat of the church‟s mission and worship.

                        The meaning of Lent is made clearest when each mission and ministry unit intends to prepare new Christians and members for initiation, whether that be baptism, confirmation, or renewal of baptismal vows. In doing so the whole community of faith is thereby engaged in a common process of renewal and reliving their experience of coming to faith. The processes of searching the scriptures, engaging in Lent study groups, prayer and fellowship, reflecting on Christian discipleship, of taking seriously the need for reconciliation and repentance, is all seen in the light of true conversion of heart.

                      The season of Lent is a time when the church seeks a new pace for itself. We should avoid exhausting ourselves with “busyness”, sprinting through a series of events only to get to Easter Day and collapse with tiredness. Lent should be a time of refreshment so that the season helps the community of faith see more clearly how to live a balanced Christian life, so that they can give authentic witness for the rest of the year.

                        The popular idea of „giving things up‟ in Lent, however inadequately that is often understood, has its liturgical expression in the stark simplicity of Lenten worship. In part this is to express a spirit of penitence. But it is also to provide a striking contrast with the joyful celebration of Easter. This “giving up‟ traditionally includes the omission of the „Glory to God in the Highest‟ in the Eucharist, the absence of flowers from church or perhaps the use of purple flowers, the restrained use of instruments to accompany worship, and the careful selection of texts to avoid the use of the word „Alleluia‟ and similar expressions of joy which will greet the resurrection on Easter Day. These are examples of how a distinctive atmosphere can be introduced into the worship of the season.

From “Ashes to Fire”  New Zealand Anglican Church Booklet  http://www.anglican.org.nz/

A New Year Prayer

Holy Father,

God of our yesterdays, our
today, and our tomorrows.

We praise You for Your
unequaled greatness.

Thank You for the year
behind us and for the year ahead.

Help us in Your new year,
Father, to fret less and laugh more.

To teach our children to
laugh by laughing with them.

To teach others to love by
loving them.

Knowing, when Love came to
the stable in Bethlehem,
He came for us.

So that Love could be with
us, and we could know You.

That we could share Love
with others.

Help us, Father, to hear
Your love song in every sunrise,

in the chirping of sparrows
in our backyards,

in the stories of our old
folks, and the fantasies of our children.

Help us to stop and listen
to Your love songs,

so that we may know You
better and better.

We rejoice in the world You
loved into being.

Thank You  for another new
year and for new chances every day.

We pray for peace, for
light, and for hope, that we might spread them to others.

Forgive us for falling short
this past year.

We leave the irreparable past in your hands, and step out into the unknown new year knowing You will go with us.

We accept Your gift of a new year and we rejoice in what’s ahead, depending on You to help us do exactly what You want..

I say it again, we rejoice!

In Jesus name,

Amen

-      From halife.com

Christmas Pageant (Rehearsals are Dec. 10, Dec. 17 at 10 am

Final dress rehearsal is Dec. 22 at 6 pm)

Christmas Caroling (Dec. 18 at 6:30 pm)

Greening of the Church (it is now December 21 at 10 am)

Christmas Eve services (6 pm and 11 pm) Carol Sing at 10:45 pm

Christmas Day Service (10:30 a.m.) with brunch in the Parish House following the service

Christmas Memorial Flowers (due in office December 19th)

Blue Christmas Service on December 11 at Charles Town Baptist Church  (Ecumenical Service)

The Rev. McCarley, and her daughter, Hannah (17 years old), recently returned from a Mission Trip to our Companion Diocese of Colombia.  Most of their time was spent in the capital city of Bogota, where they visited with members of the Diocese, and their respective churches, to build relationships and ascertain ways in which our Diocese of West Virginia can be of assistance.  Rev. McCarley, Hannah and other members of the Mission Team lived with parishioners of various churches in Bogota.  The trip was a cultural immersion experience, and enabled them to understand the political, theological, economic and ecological challenges facing the country.  The hope of our Companion Diocese Committee is to sponsor Episcopalians from Colombia to visit our Diocese.  In the next year or two we hope to return to Cartehena (on the coast) to see another side of the country.  It was a wonderful experience to have the opportunity to worship with Episcopalians in South America.  Colombia is part of The Episcopal Church (Province IX), and is under the jurisdiction of Bishop Duche and The Rt. Rev. Katherine Jefferts-Schori.

For our joint  service at St. Phillips this Sunday Nov 13th 2011,at 9:00 AM, included is some history of the church.

The vision for St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Charles Town, first originated in the late 1860s. In 1876, it was reported that $200 had been secured for a building “for work among the colored people.” The chapel was built in 1887. Until the chapel was completed, the “colored” Sunday School, directed by its first superintendent, Bushrod Washington, met on the second floor of the town hall, a building still standing on the corner of Washington and George Streets. The church also served as an emergency community hospital during the smallpox epidemic in the early 1900s.

When the first West Virginia legislature met in 1863, it agreed to educate ‘‘free colored children,’’ but the proposition was left unfunded. With the condition that white and black children should not be taught in the same schools, West Virginia’s second constitution in 1872 affirmed the state’s commitment to the education of African-American children. Although most school boards cooperated, court action sometimes had to be undertaken or threatened to force some to provide the needed support for black education. Among the major difficulties was the dearth of teachers. In the beginning, whites served, as did black teachers from neighboring states, particularly Ohio. The first formal effort to train black teachers in West Virginia came at Storer College in Harpers Ferry. The college was begun in 1865 by the Freewill Baptist Church. In 1881 the state agreed to contract with Storer to train African-American teachers. Until the state’s black land grant college, West Virginia Colored Institute (now West Virginia State University), was founded in 1891, Storer College was the only institution in the state preparing blacks for the teaching profession. Later, Bluefield Colored Institute (now Bluefield State College), established in 1895, joined the other two in this mission. These institutions also provided secondary education In addition to black public education, several private educational efforts were attempted. Storer College continued in Harpers Ferry until 1956; St. Phillips Academy was operated for a time by St. Phillips Episcopal Church in Charles Town; the Baptist State Association operated a school at Hilltop in Fayette County; and Catholics operated St. Peter Claver in Huntington. In 1919 the state created the position of state supervisor of Negro schools and appointed a Negro Board of Education. In 1933 assistant superintendents of Negro education were appointed in counties having 50 or more black teachers. In addition to the push for more voice in the operation of their schools, blacks also struggled for adequate buildings and materials, for equal salaries for teachers, and for a full nine-month school year.

Living Waters

LIVING WATER: BAPTISM AS A WAY OF LIFE
SUNDAYS 9:30 A.M. – 10:15 A.M. – MASON HOUSE PARLORS
Learn what it means to incorporate baptism not simply as a once-in-a-lifetime event, but as an ongoing means of living into our Christian Vocation. If you’ve ever wondered about the sacrament of Holy Baptism, this is the opportunity you have been waiting for. Each session stands on its own, so you are free to come and go as your schedule permits.
September 4th“ Remember your baptism and be thankful!”
September 11th “Do you believe?
September 18th “Will you continue in the Apostles’ Teaching?”
September 25th “Will you persevere in resisting evil?”
October 2nd NO ADULT FORUM –
DIOCESAN CONVENTION
October 9th NO ADULT FORUM –
REV. MCCARLEY AWAY
October 16th “Will you proclaim the Good News?”
October 23rd “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons?”
October 30th “Will you strive for justice and peace?
November 6th “Living Water”

Zion Episcopal Church

Zion  Episcopal Church will  hold special memorial services on Sunday, September 11th at 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM  to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11 and to honor the victims, their families and the first responders who lost their lives.  8:46am, was the time the first plane struck the north tower of the World Trade Center. The services will include a time of silence, special prayers, music and Holy Eucharist.  The Homily will be delivered by th Very Reverand Melanie McCarley, Rector

In the bulb there is a flower, in the seed, an apple tree;

In cocoons, a hidden promise; butterflies will soon be free!

In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,

Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

There’s a song for every silence, seeking word and melody;

There’s a dawn for every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.

From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,

Unrevealed until its season something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;

In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity.

In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,

Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see

“Promise” -Natalie Sleeth

This year’s Vacation Bible School offers our children the opportunity to celebrate biblical festivals from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It will be set in an exciting restaurant and kitchen environment. Please plan to pre-register your child/children. Registration forms can be found in the narthex of the church, in the church office, or here on our website.

Shake It Up Café
July 25—July 29
“Where Kids Carry Out God’s Recipe”

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