Inside this

issue:

Letter from Father

Paul

2

Changes to Saints

Alive

3

Thrift Shop 3

Soup Suppers 4

Acolyte Training 4

Lent 5

Email Update 5

Adult Forums 5

Flower Dedications 6

Scripture Readings 6

Birthdays 7

Quick

Reminders

7

Prayers 8

Fr Paul’s thoughts for Lent 2015.

This year Ash Wednesday comes early—on February 18! Whether we

feel ready or not, this day marks the beginning of the Church’s ob-

servance of the Lenten season—six weeks that are set apart for the pur-

pose of drawing closer to God and seeking him with greater intensity.

Unfortunately, the Lenten season often gets reduced to the rather basic

question, “What are you giving up for Lent?” This is a fine question,

but it can only take us so far. The real question of the Lenten season is,

“How will I repent and return to God with all my heart?”

This for me begs an even deeper question: “Where in my life have I

fallen away from God, and what are the disciplines that will enable me

to find my way back?”

Ash Wednesday initiates this season in which we are called to be as

honest as we are able about the ways we have “left” God and slipped

into a form of spiritual mediocrity. “You desire truth in the inward be-

ing,” so Psalm 51 points out, “Therefore teach me wisdom in my secret

heart.”

As God gives us wisdom and insight about our true condition, we can

choose spiritual practices that are uniquely suited to help us return to

God in the places where we have strayed or to renew our passion where

our hearts have grown cold. The Scripture readings for Ash Wednesday

(which are the same for Cycles A, B, and C) provide a good introduc-

tion to some of the concrete disciplines that have the potential to loosen

the grip of sin and distraction in our lives—prayer and fasting, hidden-

ness, self-examination and repentance, forgiving others as we have

been forgiven, and storing up treasure in heaven by giving generously

to others.

Left to ourselves, we probably would not choose to devote a whole sea-

son to such rigorous and demanding disciplines, but God knows we

need it. As we receive the symbolic gesture of the imposition of ashes

on our foreheads, we acknowledge our human finiteness and mortality.

No matter who we think we are, receiving the ashes reminds us that,

“You are dust and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). This is not

meant to be morbid; it is just meant to limit our grandiosity and help us

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to stay in touch with the real human condition we all share.

The ashes marking our foreheads carry the same meaning contained in the Old Testament prac-

tice of covering oneself with ashes. They are a graphic reminder of our sinfulness, an outward

sign of inward repentance and mourning as we become aware of our sin. This, too, is good for

us because we live in so much denial. With as much openness as we can muster, we invite God

to search us and know us and (eventually) lead us into resurrection life.

The purpose for engaging in Lenten disciplines is that we would become more finely attuned to

our longing for God so we can seek him with all our hearts. Disciplines of fasting and other

kinds of abstinence help us face the hold that our sin patterns have on us so we can somehow

let go of our attachment to anything that is not God. As we wrestle with a more realistic aware-

ness of the grip our attachments have on us, we enter into the godly grief that leads to repent-

ance, and then forgiveness and freedom.

Serious as the Lenten season is, it is also a time of great hope as we experience God’s steadfast

love for us, even in the midst of whatever sin we are acknowledging. In the shadow of Christ’s

cross and impending resurrection we are assured that there is forgiveness and cleansing for all

who turn to him. In him there is the power to pass from death unto life in the places where we

ourselves are in need of resurrection.

As we move from Ash Wednesday into Lent, take some time to reflect on the place in your life

where you feel distant from God. What has distracted you from cultivating your relationship

with God more intentionally?

Begin your Lenten journey by saying something honest to God and reflecting on what you

might “give up” or rearrange in order to create more space and passion for this most important

relationship.

“Lent is the time for trimming the soul and scrapping the sludge off a life turned slipshod. Lent

is about taking stock of time, even religious time. Lent is about exercising the control that ena-

bles us to say no to ourselves so that when life turns hard of its own accord we have the stami-

na to yes to its twists and turns with faith and hope…. Lent is the time to make new efforts to be

what we say we want to be.” Quote found in Sister Joan Chittister's book, The Rule of Bene-

dict: Insight for the Ages.

Use Lent wisely and creatively,

Fr Paul.

March 2015 Page 3

Changes to the Saints’ Alive

After prayerful consideration, we are changing the way that we communicate information at All Saints’. We are going to rely more on two methods of communication that are working well (the announce-ments in the bulletin and the weekly eNews) and are going to cut back the publication of the Saints’ Alive newsletter from monthly to quarterly. There are many contributing factors that go into this decision. As part of the budget process, we have been evaluating all expenses; reducing the newsletter to four editions a year will save us on paper, ton-er, and postage expenses. In addition, fewer groups at All Saints’ have been submitting information to be published in the newsletter. The next edition of the Saints’ Alive will be published in June. The deadline for article submission is May 10th. If you have information to publish in the weekly eNews, please email Margie Harrison-Smith at muggyhs@aol.com. If you have information for the bulletin, please email Marci Penner at ASECsecretary@gmail.com. We invite everyone to continue to read the weekly announcements in the service bulletin. If you are not signed up for eNews, please email Margie Harrison-Smith. If you would like review the church cal-endar, please visit our website: www.episcopalchurchredding.org. If you have any questions or con-cerns, please contact Fr. Paul.

News from All Saints’ Thrift Shop Thank you for offering All Saints’ Thrift Shop your donations. We appreciate clean, usable items that can be sold in our thrift shop. We offer only the best items for sale and discard stained, dirty, torn or broken items. We do "recycle" clothing to Empire Recovery Center and the HOPE Van. When you donate, we will offer you a receipt for tax purposes. Please bring your donations to our back door and a volunteer will go with you to the warehouse which is within walking distance of the shop. While you are there, why don't you visit our shop? You never know what treasure you might find. Spring will be arriving soon and appropriate clothing will be going out for sale. All our winter sweaters, jackets and coats are half off. Come by and find a bargain. On February 26th, Easter will arrive in the shop. We will have bunnies everywhere. Have you priced baskets in the stores? They are very expensive. We will have lots and lots of baskets for sale at reasonable prices. Look for a table of Lenten/devotional reading material. Remember most of our books sell for 50 cents to $1. If you like to iron, please come by and pick up a bag of ironing. We appreciate those of you that do ironing for us and we can always use more ironers. Thank you.

LENTEN SOUP SUPPERS

Lenten Soup Suppers begin on February 24, 2015 at 5:30 PM. We meet in Memorial Hall for good food and fellowship. Look for the sign-up sheets on the table in Memorial Hall toward the end of January, and bring your favorite pot of soup and bread to share. There are five soup supper nights this year and you won’t have to cook!!! The soup or bread does not have to be home made, and you don’t need to bring soup to come and enjoy the fellowship. Please plan on joining us and bring the kids. We always have a good time. Mark your calendars for Soup Supper Tuesdays during Lent, followed by the Celtic Eucharist and Homily in the Sanctuary.

Acolyte Training on March 7 We will be hosting our first acolyte training with Fr. Paul on Saturday, March 7 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. All acolytes are encouraged to attend. We will be discussing the changes to how we serve and discuss some exciting upcoming events. Our gathering will also feature a pizza lunch and fellowship.

If you, or anyone in your household have ever considered being an acolyte, this is a good opportunity to come and learn about what the acolytes do, why we do it, and see if serving with us would be the right fit for your family. We welcome children as young as 8 and we also welcome adults. If you have any questions about the acolyte ministry, please feel free to contact Margie Harrison-Smith at muggyhs@aol.com or 244-4454.

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Email Addresses Update

We will no longer check the old sbcglobal emails at the Church Office and Finance Office as of March 1st. Please update your records to use ASECsecretary@gmail.com to contact our Secretary Marci Penner and ASECfinance@gmail.com to contact Helen Bonnett in the Finance Office. We'd hate to miss your emails!

March 2015

Adult Forums:

February 22nd, March 1st, March 8th, March 15th, March 22nd, Our 2105 Lent Course

is based on the story and movie Les Miserables and will take place at the 9:15 AM

Adult Forum.

Through discussion of some of the themes and principal characters of this epic nar-

rative, the course explores the grace of God and our own fallen state and opportuni-

ty for redemption, and helps us to reassess what we can do with our lives and for those around us.

The course is based around five weekly group sessions:

• Fantine and Cosette

• The Bishop of Digne

• Jean Valjean

• Javert

Redemption and Salvation

We shall be using excerpts from the movie and discussion questions that examine sin, redemption and

salvation based on the characters of the story.

Lent 2015

Tuesdays in Lent – Soup Suppers at 5:30 PM followed by Celtic Eucharist and homily at 7 PM.

Fridays in Lent – All Age Stations of the Cross at 5:30 PM starting March 6th.

Thursday Morning Lenten Eucharist with address at 9:30 AM.

Page 6 March 2015

Flowers for 2015

Is there a family birthday you would like to honor? Is 2015 an im-portant anniversary for you? Would you like to honor someone for their hard work? Would you like to offer a memorial to someone who has gone to heaven? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, consider signing up on the Flower Chart for 2015.

The flower chart is available for sign ups in the Narthex near the door to Memorial Hall. Each week a member of the congregation underwrites the flowers for the Altar. After church, those flowers are taken to members of the congregation unable to make it to church that weekend. We ask a minimum donation of $35 for the flowers.

If you have any questions, or would like to sign up over the phone, please call Heidi Heiman at 547-3853.

The alter Flowers during February were given by:

Dan and Melanie Dodson in celebration of their anniversary and family birthdays,

Dennis and Heidi Heiman in celebration of Mary, Bridget, and Claire’s birthdays,

Bill and Liz Benage in honor of Riley’s upcoming 8th birthday.

March 1st

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Psalm 22:22-30 Romans 4:13-25 Mark 8:31-38

March 8th

Exodus 20:1-17 Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 John 2:13-22

March 15th

Numbers 21:4-9 Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 Ephesians 2:1-10 John 3:14-21

March 22nd

Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 51:1-13 or Psalm 119:9-16 Hebrews 5:5-10 John 12:20-33

March 29th

Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 Mark 14:1-15:47 or Mark 15:1-39, (40-47)

Scripture Readings

2. Riley Cannaday

4. Fr. Paul Blanch

4. Kathy Hart

7. Les Melburg

8. Alden Bailey

9. Paul Siefer

11. Sylvia Pritchard

13. Jim Komar

14. Marliegh Ostrum

15. Doris Bailey

16. Kathy Wilson

22. Patrick Harding

24. Judy Howell

25. Mickey Louge

25. Elizabeth Duranty

25. Ellen Wilson

26. Bernard Yim

26. Rod Stephens

27. Anne Russ

29. William Cooper

Birthdays

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Quick Reminders

March 2015

March 3, 10, 17, 24 5:30 PM Soup Suppers (Memorial Hall)

March 7 10:30 AM—2:30 PM Acolyte Training

March 14 8:30 AM Men’s Breakfast (Memorial Hall)

March 15 Saints Alive Articles Due

March 29 Palm Sunday

March 31 7 PM Holy Week Eucharist and Devotional Address

OTHER DATES TO KEEP IN MIND:

April 1 7 PM Holy Eucharist and Devotional Address

April 2 Maundy Thursday

7 PM The Mass of the Last Supper

April 3 Good Friday

10:30 AM The Way of the Cross for Children

7 PM Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday with Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion

April 4 7:30 PM The Great Easter Vigil

April 5 Easter Sunday

8 AM Holy Eucharist

10:30 AM The Festal Eucharist of Easter Day

Anniversaries

17. Meurig & Mary Lou Davies

25. Nick & Amy Cavalleri

As a community of God’s faithful , we have an obligation to pray for one another in time of

need. Your intercessions are requested for:

For People in need of Healing—

Rachel (mother-in-law of Bob Place) Dick Bidwell (member)

Melissa (daughter of Fr. Charlie & Evelyn Poole) Robert (friend of Trudi Davis)

Charlie (brother of Dick Duperly) Kathy Hansen (member)

Steve Bonnett (member) Katheryn (friend of Stuart & Kathy Neblett)

Bill Leuckert (Diocesan Auditor) Marian Petersen (member)

Mike (friend of Dennis & Heidi Heiman) Maria Forman (member)

Alisa Bratt (daughter of Larry & Charlene Bratt) Gary Caswell (member)

John & Leslie Gentile (friends of the Parish) Jan (sister of Lydia Reed)

Hert Family (friends of Maria Forman) Shyrle De Haven (member)

Gladys & George (friends of Bob & Kathy Wilson) Katie (sister of David Focht)

Julie (daughter-in-law of Nel Jones) Gail O’Brien (member)

Erin, Cody & Family (family of Bill & Liz Benage) Larry Bratt (member)

Mark, Robin, & Bubba (friends of Joyce Steinke) Harold Reed (member)

Francia, Gayle, and Larry (friends of Ken Westrick)

Shannon & Ronnie (daughter & son-in-law of Maria Forman)

Mitch & Julie (grandson & granddaughter of Fr. Charlie & Evelyn Poole)

This public Healing Prayer List is refreshed monthly. Please contact the church at any time to add anyone to this

list. Last names are published only with direct permission. We include the relationship that each person has with

All Saints’ Church for the encouragement and support we can share in times of need.

For People at Care Facilities—

Russ Livingston (friend of the Parish in Sierra Oaks) Kenneth (brother of Shyrle De Haven)

Pat Wilkinson (friend of the Parish in Canyonwood) Rachel (sister of Maria Forman)

Betty (mother of Melinda Kashuba)

Elinor Statton (mother of Bev Statton at Willow Springs)

Anne Reed (member at Sundial—formerly Kirkwood)

Janet Espil (mother of Wendy Little at Hallmark House North)

For Our Troops and Their Families—

Bruce Bailey (nephew of Ken & Linda Matias) Brenton Dunaj (friend of the Parish)

Ryan (nephew of Shyrle De Haven) Jay Glazebrooks (son of Mary Cardin)

Shawn Sparling (son of Jerry & Nikki Sparling) Duane Couts (friend of Helen Bonnett)

Nick Banducci (nephew of Ken & Linda Matias) Sean Martin (friend of Bill & Liz Benage)

Steven Matias (grandson of Ken & Linda Matias)

Rest in Peace—

Jannie (friend of Eileen Patton)

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