Dearly Beloved,
We have come to Passiontide. The relentless march toward Good Friday and Easter Day now takes on a greater urgency. We will come into the church on Sunday and all the crosses will be veiled. In a significant way, the veiled crosses signify for us, as St. Paul says, that “we see through a glass, darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12). It gives us the time to ponder more completely what the Cross actually means. We know there is a profound truth about the Cross and yet something about it bothers us. Do we truly understand the great mystery the Cross holds for us? If we are honest, the answer must be “No.” Can we really comprehend what our Savior accomplished on that Tree? Again, we must answer, “No.” And so the crosses are veiled, to give visual emphasis to our ignorance of the true depth of the mystery contained there.
And yet, there is something that shines forth from those veiled crosses. For it is there, as Isaac Watts wrote over 300 years ago, the “Prince of Glory died.” (Hymn 337) The Prince of Glory, the Light of the world, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Despite the veils, His Glory still shines forth. The divine Love, which gave everything for the redemption of mankind, still radiates through the veils. It is because of His divine Love we can at least glimpse the great truth the Cross holds for us in the redemption of mankind. So the veiled crosses remind us that, at present, “we see through a glass, darkly” while there is the promise of the divine Love that we shall see “face to face.” And that is the time we shall know fully the great wonder and mystery of the Cross.
Welcome
We welcome into our parish Fran Sandfort. Fran has been worshipping with us since this last fall. You will usually see her at the 11 AM Holy Communion on Sundays. Welcome, Fran! We are so blessed to have you with us as we follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Lenten Fish Fry
Our Lenten Fish Fry last Friday was an incredible success. This is one event that just keeps getting bigger and bigger. We served 277 meals and all of our guests were extremely satisfied with all the good food they received. I want to say thank you to all of you who participated in any way. It really takes a lot of people to make this a success. There is the prep crew who gets all the portions divided for take-out, the breading crew who breaded 140 pounds of fish, the kitchen servers who box and plate all the meals, the front of the house gang, led by my wife Kathy, including our young people and Classical Scholars students who provided table service, the dessert room caretakers, and don’t forget the dishwashers, who keep it all clean as we go. And, of course, there is my whole fry crew getting the food cooked and into the parish hall. Fantastic job everyone! Next up—Fall Fish Fry, October 13. See you there! I have plugged in some pictures below.
Lenten Projects
Ladies and Men, don’t forget our Lenten projects. We are very close to done so we will see you tomorrow morning. Morning Prayer is at 8 AM, followed by breakfast.
News of Note
Last week, Richard Cole had surgery to remove a rapidly growing melanoma on his back. The worry was that cancer had traversed into his lymph nodes. You all prayed…and, thanks be to God, all tests came back negative for any spreading of the disease! Richard and his wife Carol wish to thank all of you for your intercessions for him at the Throne of Glory.
News of Note #2
Bill Fishburne’s foot surgery was deemed a success. He is looking forward to wearing a walking boot so he can be a bit more mobile. He can’t drive for at least 3 more weeks so Barbara is being chauffeur extraordinaire for him. Please continue to pray for his speedy recovery.
The Passing of an Era
We are sad to report to you that our dear friend Gilbert, who has been our janitor for 12 years, had his last day with us yesterday. Gilbert was unable to keep up with the growing demands of cleaning our buildings. We will certainly miss him, as dear and sweet a Christian man as you will ever meet. Our own Ashley Johnson, who has been a member here since her birth and is a vestry member, will be taking over the janitorial responsibilities.
Holy Week and Easter
Holy Week and Easter are now upon us. Seems as if they just snuck up on us! Check out the entire schedule below.
Much is happening here. Be sure to read your announcements below so you do not miss a thing at All Saints Church. And keep on praying!
Blessings,
Fr. Erich
Announcements
Annual Easter Dinner
· It is our tradition to have an Easter Dinner after our 11:00 a.m. celebration of the Holy Communion on Easter Day. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. See what we need, sign-up, and then show up!
Easter Flowers
· Envelopes have been placed in the pews for Easter Flowers. Your gift in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving for a blessing will be noted in the Easter Day bulletin, April 16. The suggested donation is $25.00 and allows us to purchase lilies and special flower arrays for Easter Day, the Queen of all celebrations for Christian people.
Parish Workday
· Next Saturday, April 8, beginning at 9:00 a.m., we will have an outdoor parish workday to spruce up our church for the holiest and most joyous time of year. We certainly could use everyone’s help. The Men’s and Ladies’ Lenten Projects will also be finishing up. The kids will be joining us and palm crosses will be made. Saturday will be a very busy day!
First Friday Kids on Saturday!
· April’s All Saints Youth activity will be on Saturday, April 8. We will be helping with the outside parish workday and making palm crosses. We begin with Morning Prayer at 8:00 a.m., a hearty breakfast at 8:30, and then off to work! See Cynthia Hensley or Rebekah Byrd for more details.
Palm Crosses
· Next Saturday morning, April 8, at 10:00 a.m., some of the women of the church will gather to make palm crosses for Palm Sunday. While the Ladies Lenten Project will be ongoing, this is your chance to participate in a somewhat less physical activity! Join us.
Food Bank
· Interfaith Assistance Ministry here in Henderson County is this month’s recipient of our in-gathering of food stuffs.
Men of All Saints
· The men of the parish are gathering every Saturday in Lent for Morning Prayer, Breakfast, and Projects starting at 8 AM. The men are fixing and doing cosmetic updates to the main restrooms in the church. Come and pray, eat, and give a little time in helping fix up our church. We anticipate they will finish the bathroom projects by next week.
Ladies of All Saints
· The ladies of the parish are also gathering for their own Lenten project—the thorough cleaning and refurbishing of the nursery. This also will be every Saturday morning in Lent. So all ladies, come on out and join the men for Morning Prayer & breakfast starting at 8 AM and then off to work we go! Next Saturday is the last day to complete this project.
Maundy Thursday Watch
· One of the most hallowed traditions of Holy Week is the keeping of a Watch by the Blessed Sacrament as we remember Christ’s Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. This Watch begins directly after (about 8:30 p.m.) the Altar is stripped after the Holy Communion on Thursday evening. A sign-up sheet is available to commit yourself to one hour of “Watch time,” following our Lord’s question to Peter, “Couldest not thou watch one hour?” The Watch will last until Midnight.
Tuesday Lenten Study
· Our Lenten Study will finish this coming Tuesday at 11:00 a.m., we are viewing and discussing a video series called The Mission of Jesus. The final episode is Pentecost: God Changed His Address. As these episodes of this series can stand alone in content, come on out and join us, even if you have not before.
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
· Bible study moves into Chapter 18 of the Book of Revelation this week.
Annual Lenten Appeal
· Our national church’s appeal this year is for Domestic Missions. Go to www.anglicanprovince.org and read all about it.
Holy Week & Easter Schedule
Easter Schedule 2017
Easter Sunday, April 16
8:30 AM Holy Communion with Music
10:00 AM Easter Egg Hunt
11:00 AM Festival Celebration of Holy Communion
12:30 PM Parish Easter Dinner
Easter Monday, April 17
12:00 PM Holy Communion
Easter Tuesday, April 18
12:00 PM Holy Communion
Easter Wednesday, April 19
6:00 PM Holy Communion
The church office will be closed all Easter Week (April 17-21)
Holy Week Schedule 2017
Palm Sunday, April 9
8:00 AM Morning Prayer
8:30 AM Holy Communion & Blessing of Palms
9:45 AM Sunday School
11:00 AM Holy Communion & Palm Procession
12:15 PM Fellowship Lunch
5:30 PM Evening Prayer
Monday in Holy Week, April 10
8:00 AM Morning Prayer
12:00 PM Holy Communion
5:30 PM Evening Prayer
Tuesday in Holy Week, April 11
8:00 AM Morning Prayer
12:00 PM Holy Communion
5:30 PM Evening Prayer
Wednesday in Holy Week, April 12
8:00 AM Morning Prayer
5:30 PM Evening Prayer
6:00 PM Holy Communion
6:45 PM Meatless Supper
7:00 PM Bible Study
7:00 PM Choir Practice
Maundy Thursday, April 13
7:00 AM Holy Communion
8:00 AM Morning Prayer
12:00 PM Holy Communion
5:30 PM Evening Prayer
7:00 PM Solemn Holy Communion (incense used)
8:30 PM The Watch ‘til Midnight
Good Friday, April 14
8:00 AM Morning Prayer
10:00 AM Divine Liturgy
12:00 PM 3 Hour Meditations
4:00 PM Confessions
5:30 PM Evening Prayer
7:00 PM Stations of the Cross
Easter Eve, April 15
8:00 AM Morning Prayer
5:30 PM Evening Prayer
6:00 PM Easter Vigil
