Spirit of the Eagle – March 2016
Spiritual Tidbits for March from Father Tim
March has arrived, and a very holy March it is indeed. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on the 20th. Easter Sunday arrives on the 27th. There is no better time to bring lost sheep — family members, friends, and neighbors to Holy Church than Easter. Saint John Climacus wrote: We can offer to God no gift so acceptable as the bring Him through repentance souls made in His image. The whole world is not worth so much as a soul. Those we know in life who do not know Christ, those who are lost sheep, those even who possibly cause us grief and heartache, those are our gifts we should bring before God. If you know someone like this, and we all do, they are worth more than the entire world. How often do we think of them in this manner? If we are honest with ourselves, probably not nearly enough. Let’s make some serious extra effort this month, especially during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday, to gather our gifts and bring them to God where, as a family, we will present them as a holy offering. ~ Father Tim
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Once there was a troubled man who for 20 years suffered from unspeakable and blasphemous thoughts, and could gain no relief. Eventually he wrote the temptation on a piece of paper, went to a holy man and gave him the paper. After reading it, the old holy man said: “My son, put your hand on my neck. . . . Now let this sin be on my neck. . . . From now on, ignore it.” At once the troubled man was freed from the thoughts of blasphemy, nor did they trouble him subsequently. ~ St. John Climacus
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Lenten Soup & Salad
Our Wednesday evening services continue in March ending on the 16th. We will have Evening Prayer with alternating Stations of the Cross (Fr. Neuroth) and the Remnant Rosary (Fr. Butler). At 6:30 PM we will gather in the Parish Hall for Soup, Salad, and Bread. Last year we always had twice as many people for Soup & Salad than attended the Evening Prayers. This was very disheartening. While the fellowship at the meal is very important, we should not disappoint God by receiving His bountiful blessings without offering up our prayers and thanksgivings. Please do your best and attend Evening Prayer as well.
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Lenten Offering Folders
Please don’t forget to bring your St. John Lenten Offering Folders on Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday. The proceeds will be used for different outreach purposes. There are so many out in the world, broken, lonely, and in despair who do not know Christ. Let’s pray our Lenten offerings during this holy penitential season will help bring lost sheep back into the fold of the Good Shepherd. ~ Father Tim
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Please be sure to attend as many of our Holy Week services as possible! Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and the hope of the coming Messiah, but soon after a darkness begins closing in toward Good Friday that tests the strength of our faith. And just when the darkness reaches its blackest depth the morning of Easter Sunday suddenly erupts in charity with a brightness “no fuller on earth” could have accomplished. The old creation had died in the night. A new day has dawned. One again God walks in the garden (St. John 20: 15) in the semblance of a gardener, in the cool, not of the evening as He did with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3: 8), but this time in the cool morning dawn of a new creation. Please make every effort to attend Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Service times can be found on the attached Ordo Kalendar.
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March Spirituality Class
Please join us on the 20th of March after Holy Communion as we continue an in depth study of The Revelation of St. John The Divine. Many people today regard Revelation as the hardest book in the New Testament. It is full of strange, lurid and sometimes bizarre and violent imagery. As a result, many people who are quite at home in the Gospels, Acts and Paul find themselves tiptoeing around Revelation with a sense that they don’t really belong there. But they do! In fact, Revelation offers one of the clearest and sharpest visions of God’s ultimate purpose for the whole creation, and of the way in which the powerful forces of evil, at work in a thousand ways, can be and are being overthrown through the victory of Jesus the Messiah and the consequent costly victory of his followers. Please bring a friend to visit our parish!
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Ministry for Children
Savannah will have the Ministry for Children on the 20th of March after Holy Communion. It is designed for age 2 through 12 years. We have purchased new Sunday School curriculum that flows with the church year and the 1928 BCP. Please make every effort to bring all related children in your family for these fun and educational classes. The children will participate, enjoy, and learn the foundation and building blocks of the Christian faith through bible stories and created crafts. Savannah will bring the crafts and refreshments are provided.
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Confirmation Class
The Confirmation Class continues in March and all are welcome to attend. The third class will cover “What are Sacraments?” and “What is Prayer? What are Angels?”. There will be two opportunities to attend this class, 5:30 PM on the 9th of March or 12:00 PM on the 13th after the Mass. Each class will be 30 minutes in length. Please arrive promptly.
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In closing, please join Tom and Judy Hulsey at their home on the 19th of March for a Saint Patrick celebration starting at 6:00 PM. Their address is 1014 Gaskin Road, Cincinnati, OH 45245. Please bring a side dish and some drinks to share! ~Father Tim
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Church Sign Donation
The Vestry of St. John’s (and now our parishioners) would like to thank Jr. Warden Rick Hanson for having the church sign in our front church yard updated so quickly. Check it out if you haven’t done so already. We would especially like to thank Eileen and Rick Hanson for graciously covering the cost of the new sign.
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A.C.W. Barbecue Dinner on April 23rd
Instead of holding a spaghetti dinner, the St. John’s A.C.W. has decided to hold a Barbecue Dinner this year in our parish hall on April 23 from 6 – 9 p.m. Prices will be $3.50 (Children under 12) and $7.00 (Adults) and will include: Barbecue, Cole Slaw, Macaroni & Cheese, Drinks and Homemade Desserts. We will be needing donations of homemade desserts, so please let Judy Hulsey know if you can help out.
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St. Patrick’s Day Party
This year’s St. Patrick’s Day Party will be hosted at the home of Judy & Tom Hulsey. The main course will be provided by Judy & Tom; bring your own drinks as well as a covered dish or dessert to share. Directions: 275 East and take the Amelia exit and go towards Amelia. Turn right at Bennet Road, and then turn left on Gaskins. Their house is the fifth house on the left (yellow house with a large porch).
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March Birthdays & Anniversaries
Paul Hamilton – Birthday – March 6
Mary Ann & Fr. William Neuroth – Anniversary – March 13
Joanna Barnett – Birthday – March 16
Judy Hulsey – Birthday – March 28
Kay Matthews – Birthday – March 31
“Let There be Light”
We just wanted to let everyone know that starting Monday, March 28, we will be updating the electric wiring and adding new lights to God’s House. As a result, we will not be able to have church services upstairs for the first two Sundays in April. Father Butler will communicate alternate plans for church services to be held in the parish hall. More info to come……
PARDON OUR MESS, BUT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET THINGS BACK TO NORMAL BY THE 3RD SUNDAY.
Your Vestry