Saint Francis Journal March, 2020 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord! “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” That is the phrase we use during Ash Wednesday service during the imposition of ashes (when a leader makes the form of a cross on your forehead with ashes). That chalky black mark symbolizes the beginning of Lent. Lent is a season of repentance and keen observation of our basic belief as Christians: Christ came from Heaven in human form to live as one of us, and die as one of us, and to show us the Way to abide in God through the resurrection. There really is something Baptismal about the imposition of ashes. The ashes not only mark the beginning of Lent but can also harken to our own Baptism as it is outlined in our current prayer book. You see when I make the ashes, that are from burning previous Palm Sunday palms, I add oil to help it “stick” and not fall off as easy. It is also with oil that following the Baptism with water we mark a sign of the cross on the forehead of the baptized and say, “N., you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own for ever. Amen.” With the ashes and oil we are once again marked as Christ’s own visibly. More importantly, since oil is not actually mentioned, with the ashes we are reminded of our own mortality in this world. While we have an eye towards Easter, and Resurrection, we remember that we are saved by Christ’s grace, but not yet taken up to abide in God. In the 1979 Book of Common Prayer on page 265 there is a paragraph in the Ash Wednesday liturgy that invites us to, “observance of a holy Lent, by self- examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditation on God’s Holy Word.” This year at St. Francis there are several of these methods for observing a holy Lent. There is a weekday 7am Eucharist where prayer, self-examination, and the discipline of getting up early, allowing observance of Lent in a special way. There is the Fasting Fund where the money one would spend on a meal is given to a local charity instead of spent on food. There is the “Living Well Through Lent 2020” booklet from Living Compass where one reflects on the Bible Texts and self-reflections, either alone or in groups. The Episcopal Church defines fasting as, “abstaining wholly or partially from all or certain foods, for physical or spiritual health.” The Book of Common Prayer list fasting days as Days of Special Devotion where “the days are observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial.” Those days being Ash Wednesday, the other being weekdays of Lent and of Holy Week, with the exception of the feast of the Annunciation (March 25 th ). Also, beyond Lent, every Friday with the exception of Fridays in Christmas and Easter Season, and any Feasts of our Lord which occur on Fridays, are days of fasting. No matter how a person marks the Lenten season, from Ashes to Go to Good Friday, with fasting or self-denial, always remember that we are mortal. That the day we have is today and during Lent we mark this day with dust, devotion and repentance to a loving God. It is God that makes life and redeems all creation. Remember we cannot save ourselves. “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Peace, Mitch+ A Loving Community, Serving God’s Kingdom “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - Matthew 6:21 NRSV When it comes to stewardship we all pledge the time, talent, and treasure that we know we can give. For what you and I pledge to support the min- istries of St. Francis, we are thankful. Please continue to give an extra $5- $10-$20 in the offering plate for I do believe it has been an integral part of sharing out of our abundance. So bring a friend: George, Abraham, Alexander, Andrew, Harriet, and some of their friends. Together we can continue to fully support the ministries of St. Francis! Peace, Mitch+ https://episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/fast 1979 Book of Common Prayer, pg. 17.
Transcript
Saint Francis Journal
March, 2020
Grace and peace be yours in abundance
through knowledge of God and Jesus
Christ our Lord!
“Remember that you are dust, and to
dust you shall return.”
That is the phrase we use during Ash
Wednesday service during the imposition
of ashes (when a leader makes the form
of a cross on your forehead with ashes).
That chalky black mark symbolizes the
beginning of Lent. Lent is a season of
repentance and keen observation of our
basic belief as Christians: Christ came
from Heaven in human form to live as
one of us, and die as one of us, and to
show us the Way to abide in God through
the resurrection.
There really is something Baptismal
about the imposition of ashes. The ashes
not only mark the beginning of Lent but
can also harken to our own Baptism as it
is outlined in our current prayer book.
You see when I make the ashes, that are
from burning previous Palm Sunday
palms, I add oil to help it “stick” and not
fall off as easy. It is also with oil that
following the Baptism with water we
mark a sign of the cross on the forehead
of the baptized and say, “N., you are
sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and
marked as Christ’s own for ever. Amen.”
With the ashes and oil we are once again
marked as Christ’s own visibly. More
importantly, since oil is not actually
mentioned, with the ashes we are
reminded of our own mortality in this
world. While we have an eye towards
Easter, and Resurrection, we remember
that we are saved by Christ’s grace, but
not yet taken up to abide in God.
In the 1979 Book of Common Prayer on
page 265 there is a paragraph in the Ash
Wednesday liturgy that invites us to,
“observance of a holy Lent, by self-
examination and repentance; by prayer,
fasting, and self-denial; and by reading
and meditation on God’s Holy Word.”
This year at St. Francis there are several
of these methods for observing a holy
Lent. There is a weekday 7am Eucharist
where prayer, self-examination, and the
discipline of getting up early, allowing
observance of Lent in a special way.
There is the Fasting Fund where
the money one would spend on a
meal is given to a local charity
instead of spent on food. There is the
“Living Well Through Lent 2020” booklet
from Living Compass where one reflects
on the Bible Texts and self-reflections,
either alone or in groups.
The Episcopal Church defines fasting as,
“abstaining wholly or partially from all or
certain foods, for physical or spiritual
health.” The Book of Common Prayer list
fasting days as Days of Special Devotion
where “the days are observed by special
acts of discipline and self-denial.” Those
days being Ash Wednesday, the other
being weekdays of Lent and of Holy
Week, with the exception of the feast of
the Annunciation (March 25th). Also,
beyond Lent, every Friday with the
exception of Fridays in Christmas and
Easter Season, and any Feasts of our
Lord which occur on Fridays, are days of
fasting.
No matter how a person marks the
Lenten season, from Ashes to Go to Good
Friday, with fasting or self-denial, always
remember that we are mortal. That the
day we have is today and during Lent we
mark this day with dust, devotion and
repentance to a loving God. It is God that
makes life and redeems all creation.
Remember we cannot save ourselves.
“Remember that you are dust, and to
dust you shall return.”
Peace,
Mitch+
A Loving Community, Serving God’s Kingdom
“For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.” - Matthew 6:21 NRSV
When it comes to stewardship we all pledge the time, talent, and treasure that we know we can give. For what you and I pledge to support the min-istries of St. Francis, we are thankful. Please continue to give an extra $5-$10-$20 in the offering plate for I do believe it has been an integral part of sharing out of our abundance. So bring a friend: George, Abraham, Alexander, Andrew, Harriet, and some of their friends. Together we can continue to fully support the ministries of St. Francis! Peace, Mitch+
Lent has always been about reflection, reconciliation,
compunction, and denying oneself. Our Gospel reading for Ash
Wednesday specifically describes three practices: Alms giving,
prayer, and fasting. This year I ask that we come together in
denying ourselves through a particular practice of fasting. During
Lent there will be a basket placed by the organ console in the
sanctuary. That will be a place for an offering – an invitation for
giving.
The offering asked is what it would cost you to go out to eat one
meal. Just one meal. Whether it is from the dollar menu or an
upscale restaurant, whatever the amount, the offering would be
placed in the basket. This signifies giving up a meal, just one, in a
practice of virtual fasting. Fasting is a way of opening ourselves to
the presence of God in our lives by giving up a meal and to take
the time to reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Thus in giving up a meal we are offering ourselves to the
life changing presence of the Holy Spirit.
The invitation is that you may suggest where the proceeds of this
offering goes to. During Holy Week, the week before Easter
Sunday, we will place slips of paper by the basket where you may
suggest a local need that the proceeds of the Fasting Fund we
collect will go. We will announce the list of beneficiaries after
Easter Sunday.
No matter what your personal practice is this year I invite you to
participate in our communal offering to the local community
through our Fasting Fund. Denying ourselves through the giving
of the cost of a meal will open us up to the loving presence of God
in a new way. Not only is it fasting but it is also a way of
almsgiving. And we can complete the three practices spoken in our
Ash Wednesday Gospel reading by praying about what we might
offer and who we may want to give to in our local community.
Last year there was $1,798.00 donated to the fasting fund and that
was split between these local charities:
The Salvation Army Pets Fur People
Church Under the Bridge Boot Campaign
St Jude Children's Hospital F or the Silent
Angel Layettes Nicholas Pet Haven
SPCA of E Tx/Smith County Alzheimer’s Alliance
Boys & Girls Club St Francis Episcopal
Have a Blessed, Holy, and Peaceful Lent,
Fr. Mitch+
ANGLICAN ROSARY
March 4th @ 5:45 pm
Open to all. Rosaries will be provided.
OUT TO LUNCH BUNCH
March 3rd @ 11:30 at Javi’s
Old Jacksonville Hwy south of Fresh
Everyone is welcome!
St Francis Men’s Group
Monthly Breakfast
Saturday - March 7th @ 9:00AM
Lee Barnes (3/2) Jacquelynne DeOrnellas (3/7) John Glenn (3/8) Laurie Barham (3/14) Nancy Earls (3/14) Gay Barron (3/16) Ginnie Boudreau (3/19) Frank Barat (3/21) Ann Bush (3/21) Jim Warren (3/22) Macy Cabell (3/22) Joe Hayes (3/25) Jana Blevins (3/26) Betty Holmes (3/28) Todd Lestage (3/29) Judy Kovic (3/29)
Derik & Courtney Gray (3/14) Terry & Jana Blevins (3/29)
Fr. Mitch
Elected to EDOT
Executive Board
At Diocesan Council this year, Fr. Mitch was elected to
the Executive Board of the Diocese of Texas. The Execu-
tive Board is responsible for exercising all powers of the
Council between meetings. It oversees long-range plan-
ning for the diocesan ministries. The Executive Board
works with Church Pension Group and Insurance Agen-
cy, approves and presents budgets and changes to the
Constitution and Canons to be voted on by the Council
as well as supervises and directs several boards and
foundations of the Diocese. This will be Fr. Mitch’s sec-
ond time serving on the Executive Board. He is honored
and looking forward to serving as a member of the
board. It is good for St. Francis and East Texas to have
representation in the councils of the church as our needs
are different from the needs of the large cities in our dio-
cese. If you have questions, feel free to ask Fr. Mitch.
From the Vestry…
Dear St. Francis members,
Join us for the Town Hall meeting that will be held immedi-
ately following the late service on March 1, 2020. The meet-
ing will be held in the Parish Hall, and lunch will be provid-
ed. The meeting is scheduled to last only one hour.
Over 80 of our members participated in the Holy Cow as-
sessment and we thank you for taking the time to do that.
Based on your responses, we have three top priorities that
you would like to see addressed:
1. Make necessary changes to attract families with chil-
dren and youth to our church.
2. Provide more opportunities for Christian education and
spiritual formation for every age and stage of life.
3. Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to
reach new people and incorporate them into the life of
the church,
The Town Hall meeting is an opportunity for you to tell the
Vestry your ideas about addressing these three issues. What
do you see as the most important steps in reaching our de-
sired outcomes, and how can we achieve those outcomes?
It is important that you provide input, and we are eager to
hear your ideas as we move forward this year. Please join us
and share your wealth of acquired wisdom!
This is a great opportunity for you to plan the future of the
church we all love!
If you plan to attend, please sign up on the clipboard list in
the hallway, or contact the church office, so we can have an
accurate count for lunch.
Nursery and lunch will be provided for children.
Thank you for allowing us to serve you.
Your Vestry members.
Meanwhile down at
The Well is a Missional Community
Hub of St. Francis that is funded by
a grant through the Episcopal
Diocese of Texas. If you would like
to contribute to The Well, checks
may be made payable to St. Francis
Episcopal Church with The Well in
the memo line. If you would like to
support just one community at The
Well, simply write that
community’s name in the memo
line of your check.
Check us out at
www.thewelloftyler.org
Worship at The Well every Sunday
evening at 6pm beginning March 1st.
Join us for evening prayer complete
with singing and a Sermon! We will
also be looking for volunteers to be
readers and/or greeters.
Please consider visiting any of our
loving communities to see what is really
going on.
Evening Worship
every Sunday 6pm
Every Monday
7pm – 9pm (meal
provided)
Every
Wednesday 2pm – 3:30pm
Every Thursday
7pm – 8:15pm
Check bulletin board for
event dates and times
Peace be with you
Robby Jerger, Missioner
CHURCH UNDER THE BRIDGE
MINISTRY
Join us on Saturday , February 29th at 10:00 a.m. as we prepare 125 sack lunches to help feed the men, women and children in Tyler who are hungry & thirsty. These lunches will be de-livered to them Sunday , March 1st @ 9:15 a.m. Please join us in continu-ing this ministry and showing God’s presence in the world today.
Daylight Savings Time
March 8th @ 2 am
Move clock to 3 am
Or you will miss church!!
Are you Irish!?! Doesn’t Matter!!
Everyone is on St. Patrick’s Day!!
* Serendipity Dinner * March 14th * 6-8p * Parish Hall *
