St. Andrew’s Anglican Church Sunday, March 24, 2019

Please turn to the inside

Services now being livestreamed on Twitter as outreach to othersAs another way to reach out to our community with the Good News of God in Christ, we are now livestreaming our 11:15 a.m. service (and sometimes our 9 a.m. service) on our Twitter account—twitter.com/standrewsnet. This is a wonderful opportunity to share the music, message, and rich tradition of Anglican worship with folks who might not be able to attend church. Whether they’re traveling, or unable to get out because of illness, disability or lack of transportation, this is a way that we can invite them to join with us in worship.

Furthermore, it’s a way for us to reach out to younger generations, and help them stay connected with the

Holy VirtuesDeadly SinsQ

Lenten Study Programsoup & salad supper • tuesday, march 19 • 6:15 - 8 p.m.

Deadly SinsQ

Our 2019 Lenten Study Program continues into its third week this coming Tuesday, March 26, from 6:15 to 8 p.m. If you’ve not yet had an opportunity to attend, please join us this week, when we’ll be taking a look at the sin of wrath, and its contrary holy virtue, patience. See inside for details about the Tuesday evening program, as well as opportunities for women on Thursdays and Sundays.

— • —We need folks to sign up to bring soups and salads this Tuesday! Please check the sign-up sheet at the Information Desk in the Gathering Area to see what’s still needed.

— • —Have you missed a session of the Lenten Study program? Catch up by downloading the weekly outline and study questions from our website, standrewspolaris.org. You’ll find them by selecting “News” under the “Know” drop-down menu.

Above, Emily Fieger helps in the kitchen at the Common Ground Free Store in Delaware when St. Andrew’s served there last Saturday; and at right, leprechaun Larry Cooper strikes a pose before taking up his post at the check-in desk where he greeted shoppers in full St. Patrick’s Day regalia—complete with a flashing shamrock.

Prayers for the ChurchAnglican Church in North America: Archbishop Jonathan Hart, consecrated as archbishop and primate earlier this month, and the clergy, religious, and people of the Anglican Province of West Africa.

Missionary work in West Africa began in Ghana in 1752. In 1951, five dioceses (Accra, Lagos, and Niger in Nigeria, along with Sierra Leone and the Diocese of Gambia and Guinea) joined together to form the Church of the Province of West Africa, with the consent of the Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1977, the Diocese of Liberia joined the province. In 1979, the province split into the Province of West Africa and the Church of Nigeria. Since the division, the Province of West Africa has grown most rapidly in Ghana, which now contains 11 of the 17 dioceses in the province, with the remaining six dioceses in the nations of Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Ghana has now achieved the status of an internal province and is planning to become a fully autonomous province of the Anglican Communion.

The province now numbers over one million (in a total population of 35 million). Christians are often a minority in areas of considerable civil and ethnic strife. A businessman from Cameroon, who is an immigrant to Columbus, recently shared that his 90+-year-old mother had had to flee into the bush and remain there for weeks to escape the strife. Happily, she is now back in her home, safe for the time being, as she refuses to leave her home country.

Please pray especially for continued growth and evangelism, and for peace. (Sources: Anglican Communion News Service, Wikipedia, Anglican Ink.)

Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes: Fr. David Simmons and the people of Crossroads Anglican Church, Brighton, Michigan.

Parish Cycle of Prayer: Donna Gough; Ana and David Grum; the Sunday Morning Apostles small group; and the Prayer Shawl Ministry.

The Daily LectionaryWeek of the Second Sunday

in Lent • March 17-23

Sunday, March 24 — A.M.: Psalm 59; Exodus 31; Matthew 26:31-56 P.M.: Psalms 63, 64; Proverbs 22; Ephesians 4:17-32

Monday, March 25 (Feast of the Annunciation) — A.M.: Psalms 113, 138; Exodus 32; Luke 1:26-38 P.M.: Psalms 131, 132; Proverbs 23; Ephesians 5:1-17

Tuesday, March 26 — A.M.: Psalms 61, 62; Exodus 33; Matthew 26:57-75 P.M.: Psalms 65, 67; Proverbs 24; Ephesians 5:18-33

Wednesday, March 27 — A.M.: Psalm 68:1-18; Exodus 34; Matthew 27:1-26 P.M.: Psalm 68:19-36; Proverbs 25; Ephesians 6:1-9

Thursday, March 28 — A.M.: Psalm 69:1-18; Exodus 35; Matthew 27:27-56 P.M.: Psalm 69:19-38; Proverbs 26; Ephesians 6:10-24

Friday, March 29 — A.M.: Psalm 66; Exodus 36; Matthew 27:57–28:19 P.M.: Psalms 70, 72; Proverbs 27; 1 Timothy 1:1-17

Saturday, March 30 — A.M.: Psalm 71; Exodus 37; Mark 1:1-13 P.M.: Psalm 73; Proverbs 28; 1 Timothy 1:18—2:15

Next Sunday, March 31 — A.M.: Psalm 74; Exodus 38; Mark 1:14-31 P.M.: Psalms 75, 76; Proverbs 29; 1 Timothy 3

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Next Sunday’s LectionaryMarch 31 (Lent 4, Year C)

First Reading: Joshua 4:19–5:1-12Psalm 34:1-8 Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21Gospel: Luke 15:11-32

Encouragement for your prayer time with GodGod’s mercy and unfailing love will pardon and forgive you. “Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.” (Psalm 6:4) “ ‘… but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,’ says the Lord your Redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:8b) — From the St. Andrew’s Prayer Ministries Team

Food Ministry seeks volunteers; food available now to those in need The St. Andrew’s Food Ministry is looking for volunteers to help prepare meals on Fridays, as well as people willing to deliver meals.

Our growing food ministry has meals ready for distribution to those who need them. They’re ideal for people living alone, going through a time of financial hardship, recovering from surgery or illness, or who have had a death in their family. Rachel Cherubini, Food Ministry coordinator, is also working with local schools and organizations to distribute meals through those channels.

To volunteer to help with the ministry, to request a meal for yourself or others, or if you know of organizations that could benefit from the Food Ministry’s services, please contact Rachel at cherubinirachel@yahoo.com or 740-548-5112, ext. 1.

“I was in prison and you visited me.” — Matthew 25:36

Please see the flyer at the Information Desk to learn how we can support the Kairos #50 team and our own Pat Linder as they take the love of Christ into the Ohio Reformatory for Women March 28-31. Please note that this is the last week for contributions.

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An opportunity to support the Kairos prison ministry

Church. Judah and Chelsea Smith, lead pastors of Churchome—a thriving multi-site church based in Washington State and Los Angeles—cite a recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, which reveals that “in the United States just about 60 percent of people ages 18 to 29 with a Christian background have stopped going to church, more than one-third seldom or never attend religious services, and only two in 10 believe attending church is important or worthwhile.”

Earlier this month, Fr. Shane Tucker, associate rector for Youth and Family Life, posted to our Facebook page an opinion piece by the couple titled “If churches want to get millennials to enter their doors, they need to do THIS.” In the article, which first appeared on Feb. 10 in the Faith and Values section on foxnews.com, the Smiths point out that, at the same time, many of these young people believe that their spiritual life is important. “Considering that nearly 70 percent of people worldwide are mobile phone users, and a whopping 86 percent of millennials have a smartphone, this means engaging them on their mobile devices on a 24/7/365-basis,” they say.

Livestreaming is a tool that we can use to reach young adults where they are, which a lot of the time is online, through a medium that is relevant to them. The Smiths are quick to point out that while “online church” is not a substitute for gathering regularly in Christian community—engaging people in person at regular worship services, in small groups, and through other events is still important—it is a way to reach those who might feel disenfranchised from the church. “Indeed, technology does not isolate people from church; it allows church to reach those that are isolated and to do so in new and exciting ways,” they say.

We first “test drove” livestreaming at the 8 p.m. Christmas Eve service, when we also recorded the service for residents of the Inn at Bear Trail, an assisted living facility less than a mile from the church on South Old State Road, to view on Christmas day. Currently, we’re using simple recording technology to livestream to our Twitter feed, where you can also view the services afterward, but improvements and enhancements from our Tech Services Ministry are coming.

Watch for the “Livestreaming” signs in the windows on each side of the doors to the Sanctuary to know when we’re recording.

LivestreamingContinued from the front

Sins and virtues topic of Lenten Study ProgramOur annual parish-wide Lenten Study Program continues on Tuesdays through April 9. This year adults are exploring the seven deadly sins and seven holy virtues.

Thus far, we’ve identified the seven deadly sins, and looked at how they can disrupt spiritual growth and lead us away from holiness. Likewise, we’ve considered the seven holy virtues as the antidote to the seven deadly sins, and learned how they facilitate spiritual growth leading to holiness.

We’ve looked at the sins of lust, gluttony, sloth and greed, and their contrary virtues of chastity, abstinence, diligence and generosity.

This coming Tuesday, we’ll look at wrath, and its contrary virtue of patience.

We meet from 6:15 to 8 p.m., starting each evening with a simple supper of soup and salad, followed by a teaching by Fr. Ron Baird, and discussion in small groups.

Children move into Room 102 off the Gathering Area after the meal, where they are studying the seven sacraments of the Church—Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Reconciliation (also known as Confession), Holy Unction (Anointing for Healing), Ordination, and Marriage.

After an overview of the seven sacraments in Week 1, the children looked specifically at Baptism and Confirmation last week. This Tuesday they’ll talk about the sacrament of Holy Communion.

Our youth meet in the Gathering Area with Fr. Shane Tucker for their own Lenten reflections.

The annual Lenten Study Program is one of the most effective ways we offer to connect with other members and experience a taste of small group life. If you’ve not yet had an opportunity to attend, please join us this coming Tuesday!

Two women’s groups studying Lenten seriesIn conjunction with the Lenten Study Program, this year we invited folks who are unable to attend on Tuesdays to consider facilitating a small group of their own for Lent. Two groups for women are taking advantage of this opportunity to study the same materials, including a video of Fr. Ron’s teaching, the outline, and discussions questions

Roshini Abraham is facilitating a Women’s Lenten Study Small Group on Sunday afternoons, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., at her home in Westerville. If you’re interested in participating, please download the directory from the Member Connection of our website at standrewspolaris.org, or contact Judy Baird at jbaird@standrewspolaris.org or 740-548-5112, ext 3, for address information.

In addition to the Sunday afternoon group, the Sisters in the Spirit small group is also studying the Lenten series at their meetings at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays at the Parish House. This group, facilitated by Janet McNelis, invites other women to join them.

Have a prayer request?Email your prayer requests to prayerchain@standrewspolaris.org, fill out the online form at standrewspolaris.org, under the “Scripture & Prayer” drop-down menu, or place them in the prayer box in the Narthex.

7521 S. Old State Rd. • Lewis Center, OH 43035 • 740.548.5112 • standrewspolaris.org • mail@standrewspolaris.org

By Fr. Ron BairdThe sacrament of Penance, called the Reconciliation of a Penitent, is undoubtedly one of the least used sacraments available to Anglicans. Many rumors and innuendos have circulated in the Church about this sacrament, none of which have been good. For some it evokes memories of old Roman Catholicism and forced confessions. Others ask, “Why do I need a priest to confess my sins? Why can’t I confess directly to God?”

It is obvious that we not only can, but should, confess our sins directly to God on a regular basis. I encourage and practice daily confession of sin to God, as well as the general confession we use on Sundays. What I hope to do here is not to coerce you into going to confession, but rather to help you see private confession as a channel of God’s grace. I hope you will see it for what it is—a sacrament for you.

I have made private confession because I have discovered in it the incredible power of reconciliation to God. Often, during Lent, I take the time (or make it) to examine my life; to look closely at the direction in which it is heading. Am I being obedient to God’s call in my life? Am I even asking what it is? What things have I done contrary to that call?

The point of confession is not to berate yourself in front of another person. It is to look at your life and your obedience or disobedience to God in order to be restored to newness of life in him, and to be empowered to turn away from sin, which leads you away from God in disobedience. That is the power of the sacrament and is the reason why you “need a priest.”

The seal of the confessional is absolute. A priest may not mention your confession to anyone else, or even to you ever again. In fact, the priest is best served by trying to forget it altogether once it is finished. This is because the priest’s role in the confession is to be a mediator of the sacrament, not to sit in judgment of the penitent.

Very few of us take the time to actually confess our sins. We are good at acknowledging that we are sinners, but we rarely get specific about what our sins are, not only with others, but with ourselves. The sacrament provides us the opportunity to really discover our own sinfulness and the incredible power of God’s love and forgiveness in our lives. Sometimes we may need to avail ourselves of the sacrament because the burden of guilt is too great to bear. But we also can discover the power of God by making an appointment to make our confession on a regular (perhaps yearly) basis.

Holy Week, this year April 14-20, is an especially appropriate time to make a private confession. If you would like to make a sacramental confession during Lent, please contact me at 740-548-5112, ext. 2, or see one of our other priests.

Private Confession a channel of God’s grace during Lent

Above, Rachel Cherubini, coordinator of our Prayer Shawl Ministry, teaches Christine Brill the basics during a knitting workshop at her home last Saturday; center, Carlo Cherubini busts the stereotype that knitting is a women’s

art only by doing his part in this ministry that takes the love of Christ to those in need in the form of a prayer shawl, a warm scarf or cap, or other cozy gift; and Carlo and Rachel’s daughter joins in the fun.

Contact Rachel at cherubinirachel@yahoo.com or 740-548-5112, ext. 1, to learn how you can be a part of the Knitting Ministry!

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