9 am Eucharist and 11am Morning prayer on a day that started out rainy and ended up a clear day. We had 10 at 9am and an even 40 at 11am. We welcomed Jim and BJ Anderson back from Texas during the winter but were disturbed to hear about his experience with hail in the winter.

Morning Prayer featured a sermon by Jackie Collins on her experiences with Young Life in King George. Young Life is an interdenominatal group of students who discuss religious issues as they affect young students.  

In particular she belongs to the campaigners subgroup that features more Bible reading and discussion.

Using two chairs she described the role of sin and then reconciliation with God.

She then went into then challenge of dealing with Tyler's near death experience while keeping her faith. Young Life obviously helped deal with the ordeal. 

The Gospel deal with sherpherding and obviously the adult leaders of the organization provide an example of that with the youth.

The children's choir also performed "Jesus showed us God’s Love" at the offertory. The words were printed in the bulletin . They were accompanied by Catherine Hicks and Becky Fisher. Nancy Long is also involved in their training.  The children's choir meet three Wed a month for song, fellowship and other activities. 

Catherine also recognized Tierra Carter for her donation of a Bald Cyprus tree and Nancy Wick for some Lenten Roses. The tree show above was planted near the river and the roses in back of the sacristy
 

The joint ECW/Evening ECW luncheon was held at Lynn's Tavern after church. 14 attended. They resolved to share meeing minutes with each other to improve communications between them. Marian above is welcoming to the luncheon

The scripture readings revolved around Jesus as shepherd and recognizing the role of a shepherd in the other readings.

People in Jesus time knew sheep. Even they made their living as a carpenter or fisher, they knew or watched the shepherds all of the time, moving the sheep and goats from the pens to the fields. They drank the milk of those animals, turned that milk into cheese, and eventually ate the animals. Those animals provided not just daily nourishment, they were essential for important religious rituals.  

The scripture this week is part of the task written in the Gospel of John to understand who Jesus was.  Over and over again people were trying to understand who Jesus was and where he came from. "Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? . . . Who do you claim to be?" (John 8:53) Then, after being driven out of the temple, Jesus passed a blind man begging. As a sign of who he was, Jesus explained that the man's blindness was not caused by his sin or the sin of his parents. Rather, "he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him" (John 9:3).

The good shepherd decides who is in the sheepfold, we do not. "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold." (John 10:16) The Pharisees and the disciples alike thought that they knew who the chosen ones of God were. But this shepherd is telling them, and telling us, that there will be "one flock, one shepherd" and it is God, in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, not we, who bring together that flock Jesus' lengthy exploration of what it means to be and who is the good shepherd is a response to a group of Pharisees. 

What does it mean to be a sheep of Jesus' flock?  As the sermon states "This good shepherd provides for our needs, revives us, guides us, accompanies us through the shadowy places in our lives, disciplines us, comforts us, sets a table for us, and anoints us with his goodness and his mercy."  

It means that we enter through his gate. Jesus is the way to salvation. We know his voice and follow him. He cares for us, keeping us safe. And when we wander away, which we know we do all too often, he comes searching for us. It's an up close, personal relationship.

The sermon proposed another "I AM" for Jesus.  "I AM the bridge. Jesus is like that for us-- a bridge between this life and the next.  The voice of Jesus never changes—Jesus calls us now, and someday, each one of us will hear that familiar and loving voice calling us across the bridge that carries us over the valley of the shadow of death into new life.  Jesus laid down his own life to become the bridge under our feet—as we sang last week"

"Jesus is also the bridge that connects each one of us with the other.  When we listen to his voice, we hear his voice telling us to love one another...  And so, even though we cannot see the destination across the bridge that those we love travel as they cross over the valley of the shadow of death, we know that they are still in the one flock in which we abide.  They have entered into the communion of saints, and they aren’t far away at all. "

The sermon is here. The readings are published as well as the bulletin for 9am and 11am.

Today was the culmination of Easter week. For St. Peter's, the fourth service this week and of course the one celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. 

What a wonderful Easter! The weather was sunny, crystal clear with spring alive all around us. 64 worshipped here today.  Here's an Easter photo gallery

Lots of variety. Marilyn began a 15 minute prelude with "Morning is Broken" followed by a solo by Nancy Long and a concerto by Helmut accompanied by Paige Martindale. The bulletin is here.  The readings for this Sunday are here.

Next was the lighting of the Paschal fire outside the Church and eventual lighting of the Paschal candle. The flame of the Paschal candle symbolizes Christ as light of the world and his presence in the midst of his people.   The congregation re-entered the Church for the procession.

The procession was notable as it was made up one young adult, Justin and the remainder of the children in the parish  - Tierra and Cheyenne, Kimberly and Tucker. We are truly blessed with their presence.   

Brad picked a wonderful group of hymns - "Jesus Christ is Risen Today", "We know That Christ is Raised and Dies no More" and "The Day of Resurrection." 

Mark's Gospel is the shortest resurrection account of all the Gospels. In the end Mark's Easter Gospel has 3 women coming to the tomb ready to anoint Jesus' body, confronted by a male angel who said he was not there but had been raised, requesting they tell the disciples that they will see him Galilee.  

Catherine's sermon touched on the idea of the abrupt nature of the ending of Mark in contrast to the beginning - "The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ. " The women are left alone in the tomb instructed to tell Peter of the news of the Resurrection. Instead they are afraid and do not. 

"And that’s precisely why I love the gospel according to Mark, with its abrupt ending, because the good news of Easter is that God will meet us, especially in the dark and empty silences when we can’t see God or hear God or feel God’s presence."

"That’s the blessing of Easter, that even in our worst endings is a new beginning, the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the crucified and Risen Son of God. "

She baptized  Holly Davis, the daughter of Johnny Davis' gradson, Johnathan  Catherine later presented the family with a wooden cross newly made by Helmut.  He is intending a cross to go to all newly bapitized and newcomers. (He has made 11).

After the service, Eunice and Catherine played Easter bunny with candy distributed to the children. Old friends met together as they have done for many Easters:

So we have had three services this week plus Easter. What does it all mean ?

It's been a long week from Palm Sunday, through Tennebrae and Jesus suffering, Maundy Thursday with the Last Supper and arrest, Good Friday with the trial, crucifixion and death of Christ and the resurrection today. 

What is the significance of the Resurrection ? Marcus Borg writes the following in his book Last Week:

"The first, in a concise phrase, is Jesus lives. He continues to be experienced after his death, though in a radically new way. He is no longer a figure of flesh and blood, confined to time and space, but a reality who can enter locked rooms, journey with followers without being recognized, be experienced in both Galilee and Jerusalem, vanish in the moment of recognition, and abide with his followers always, "to the end of the age..." 

Borg points to the idea of us upholding Jesus' concept of the Kingdom of God

"So there is powerful personal meaning to Lent, Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter. We are invited into the journey that leads through death to resurrection and rebirth. But when only the personal meaning is emphasized, we betray the passion for which Jesus was willing to risk his life. That passion was the kingdom of God, and it led him to Jerusalem as the place of confrontation with the domination system of his time, execution, and vindication. The political meaning of Good Friday and Easter sees the human problem as injustice, and the solution as God's justice... His passion was the kingdom of God, what life would be like on earth if God were king, and the rulers, domination systems, and empires of this world were not."
 

We had 31 at St. Peter's for a traditional Maundy Thursday service.  It is the beginning of the three days surrounding Easter Sunday. "Maunday" means commandment. The bulletin has these words - Dennis Michno explains that this service “initiates a time of watching, waiting and contemplating, as we enter into the commemoration of the mystery of our redemption. The gift of love in the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood is the focus; the demonstration of self-giving in the washing of feet is a fitting symbol; the watch through the night and the continuations of this liturgy in that of Good Friday is the timelessness of silence, the silence of God.”  A photogallery can be found here.

The four readings demonstrate that Maundy Thursday is a combination of many traditions - the the Seder supper of Lamb from Passover, the Last Supper and first Eucharist and the events of Gethsemane with the arrest foretold in the stripping of the altar as well as the betryal of Judas. Catherine focused on the events of Last Supper and the role of Judas in her sermon "Leaving the Porch Light On" and so we did not have footwashing.  

The Choir augmented with Tom Guthrie did a magnificent job on "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." Marilyn provided a meditative opening on "Cyndee's Farewell."  Helmut accompanied most of the hymins on his violin. 
 

Sunday was overcast on the cooler side in the high 40's. Spring progresssed over the week with new tulips, hyacinths and other flowers. The leaves have appeared on the dogwood and magnolia. Spring has matured - and so has  Lent. 

We had 9 people at the 9AM Eucharist Rite 1 and 34 at the 11am Morning Prayer.  Those "snow birds" the Everetts, Woody and Cherry returned since they left after Christmas. We had another 9 at Adult Christian Ed for delving into the concept of suffering in the New Testament. The bulletin is here as well as the readings.

We celebrated a number of birthdays - Arthur and David Duke, Caroline Upshaw and Bill Smith. Bill Smith, a former Vestry member, was here for the birthday prayer.  We also wished the ECW Evening a happy 1 year anniversary. Catherine also mentioned the new jail ministry (second session this week). 

This is the last Sunday before Palm Sunday, the end of the Lent.

The sermons have considered covenants during Lent. This week Jeremiah in the Old Testament  forecasts the covenant of the New Testament. It is beyond simply knowing the Lord but working toward true forgiveness.

Accepting forgiveness can only be found in humility. One has to acknowledge one's own sins and shortcomings to receive the forgiveness that is offered by God or any other person. The text from Hebrews illustrates Jesus' humility to us, and he sets for us a model of how we are called "to lose our lives" in humility and forgiveness.

In John this week Jesus says "Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. "

 The sermon addreses Jesus' question - “How shall we choose to live the rest of our lives, starting here and now?”  

"Like that grain of wheat Jesus talks about, we grasp the courage to bury ourselves in the rich earth of God’s mercy and love, so that we can germinate, and grow, and, with God’s help, bear much fruit.

"Jesus could have avoided death, continued to do his good works on earth of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, forgiving sinners, healing the sick, and casting out demons-- and people would have continued to benefit from his presence.  

"But Jesus knew that he must not hoard up and save who he was, as good as that seed was.  
"Instead, he says that he has come to “this hour,” the hour of his death, the time that we will enter into with him during Holy Week.  

"Jesus chooses to bury himself in what he knows to be God’s gracious love and mercy, which has the appearance of a lifeless wooden cross. "

Jesus understood the power of forgiveness, both our being forgiven of our transgressions and of our forgiveness of others. Holding forgiveness locked inside of ourselves causes our hearts to become like stone, harden by the burden of vengeance that steals away our life. This is the holding-tight to our lives that can cause damage to our souls as we protect against the messiness of relationships that can nourish our spirit with love and grace.

As the sermon concludes "Jesus lifts us, and all of creation, into the infinite compassion and creativity and new life that God longs to give each one of us, starting here and now.  "

God has called us, the Church, to reflect Jesus' glory in and to the world. The blessing of Jesus' forgiveness of us is both to be received and given away. This is our call to be stewards of forgiveness. In this we find the abundance of the blessing and the gift of life.