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The Mainsail

St. Simon Peter Episcopal Church March, 2016

Palm Sunday – March 20

Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday is the first day of Holy Week. On

this day we commemorate Christ’s entry into Jerusalem to

proclaim his messiahship. The color is purple or red. The veiling

of the cross symbolizes the shadows of betrayal, trial, suffering,

and death.

Good Friday – March 25

Good Friday, the darkest day of the Christian Year.

Services are held, often at noon, the hour of Christ’s

crucifixion, when the faithful mediate upon the cross and

upon the last hours and words of Christ.

Easter Sunday – March 27

The key to the Christian faith is found in

the fact Christ is Risen. Sin and death

have been vanquished and God’s power

over our spiritual enemies is

acknowledged and accomplished.

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Rector’s Corner:

Do you have a list, whether in written form or not, of things to be done “someday” maybe even “someday soon”?

Probably all of us do. Yours might include things like cleaning out the gutters, or in my case - think about getting

gutters. There might be items of a more personal nature, like making that doctor’s appointment or writing the

letter of apology that you have been putting off. In fact, for most of us the majority of the items on this list are

things that stay on the list because we really do not want to do them for one reason or another. Perhaps to do

them will be expensive, or will cause us some sort of pain, or make us admit something that we would rather

deny. We all have a list. Lent is the ideal time to deal with the list.

Did you know that by the rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer, (page 445), as the Minister of this Congregation

I am “directed” to “instruct the people . . . to make wills, while they are in health, arranging for the disposal of

their temporal goods, not neglecting, if they are able, to leave bequests for religious and charitable uses”? The

BCP says I must do this instruction “from time to time.” Most Bishops and priests view this as on an annual basis.

Again, this falls naturally into the Lenten Season.

Please do not feel like I am picking on you, or on anyone in particular. In fact, this is a case of “physician heal

thyself.” I have had - make a new will- on my own “list” for well over a year. Now that all of my children are

out of college, they are on a level playing field as it were. I no longer feel the need to provide for one more than

the others. Additionally, I live in a different state than I did when I wrote my last will, and I no longer own the

home I did then, and to top it off, I own a different one that is not referenced in the old will. I have more than

sufficient need to write a new will, not the least of which is that no one would know how or have authority to get

to my bank account should something unexpectedly happen to me. Plus, of course I want to remember St. Simon

Peter with a bequest.

I am willing to bet that I am not alone in being in this situation. And even if I am, I am willing to bet there are

other things on your proverbial list that, for reasons perhaps known only to you, are in just as much need of getting

done. What are you waiting for? If the reason is because the doing will be painful in some way, the pain is unlikely

to lessen over time so say a prayer. If the reason is because you are afraid, prayer helps, try it and you will see.

Or if the reason is because you do not want to admit, even to yourself, that whatever it is really needs to be done,

well prayer will help then too.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Mollie+

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Children’s Sunday School - 11:00 until 11:30 a.m. Adult Spiritual Formation Class - “Not In God’s Name” by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Come join us in the Garden Room!

Community Holy Week Services St. Simon Peter has promised to provide 150 sandwiches for the Community Holy Week Service at the First Methodist Church on Tuesday, March 22. Your help in honoring this promise is appreciated. The sandwiches should be brought to the parish hall no later that 9:30 a.m. They will then be delivered to First United Methodist. Note: Please do not add mustard or mayonnaise to the sandwiches as these condiments will be provided by First United Methodist. Thank you in advance for your help.

Lenten Soup and Salad Suppers continue on Wednesday evenings throughout the Season of Lent. Supper is served at 6:00 p.m. followed by a round table discussion of the book by Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. – “Near the Cross, A Lenten Journey of Prayer”. Please plan to join in for a delicious supper plus lively and thought provoking discussions. There are three more suppers for this year – March 2, 9 and 16. No supper is scheduled for Holy Week. (Meals are provided by volunteers. If you can help out, please sign up on the sheet posted on the kitchen door.)

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Isn’t this lovely? A special thanks to Mother Mollie for the extra hours she invests to make the Education for Ministry Class (EfM) an inspiring experience. All set for a Seder Dinner.

Tax Preparation at St. Simon Peter: The tax filing program

begun this year has been very well received and appreciated by the Pell City community. It is free and was set up to help lower income and elderly taxpayers. “We believe this program is very much needed in our area and are most pleased to wholeheartedly support free tax preparation”, said Mother Mollie.

Also volunteering: Worth Barham, Wayne Wilcox, Marilyn Atkins, John Rickards, Ellen Mayer, Lloyd Yonkers, Jean Yonkers,

Rita Barham, Vickie Yaeger, Stan Atkins Billie Cardwell, Myra Williams, Debbie Clearley, Sarah Deese, Jenna Patterson, Christine Watson *************************************************************************************

50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration

Congratulations to Marilyn and Stan Atkins

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The Christian Love Pantry – A Community Working Together to Feed the Hungry

Located in downtown Pell City, co-located with the Community Action Agency and the Red Cross,

the Christian Love Pantry is open for clients Monday – Friday from 9:00 a.m. -12:00 Noon. It is

currently the only full time provider of emergency food service in St. Clair County. Clients are

referred by Community Action Agency, Department of Human Resources, churches, and individuals.

The clients’ circumstances are wide ranging and include job loss, fire, unusually high utility bills or unexpected

home repairs that left no money for food. In some cases, a relative has unexpectedly had to take in minor children

and needs temporary food assistance until other government benefits are in place.

Based on household size, clients are provided at least a week’s worth of canned, bottled and dry food products

from a list approved by a nutritionist in addition to fresh bread and pastries donated daily from a local grocery

store. In 2015, also added were snack food items for school children thanks to a grant provided by Honda for that

specific purpose.

This is a 100% volunteer organization with minimal operating expenses. Approximately 110 volunteers interview

clients, purchase, stock, and distribute food. The City of Pell City pays for the facility space through a grant. The

Pantry purchases about 33% of its food through the Community Food Bank. The remainder is purchased locally

or donated by individuals, schools, churches, businesses, and civic organizations.

In 2015, the Pantry provided over $182,000 worth of food to 3,240 clients, which included 9,337 people in St.

Clair County, 34% of which were children. $88,000 were spent on groceries. Not only does the Pantry receive

donated food but is also able to purchase through the food bank and usually spends .35 cents on the dollar. St.

Simon Peter donates peanut butter. Many other community churches provide an item that is included in every bag

of groceries that goes out.

The Christmas Meal Give Away that St. Simon Peter was instrumental in getting started and continues to support

has feed almost 2,000 people in St. Clair County this year. The youth of St. Simon Peter handed out breakfast

bars to the people waiting in line at Lakeside Park and helped in the distribution of 350 boxes or food weighing

over 35 pounds each. The Gideons handed out bibles. The Seventh Day Adventists handed out toys for kids.

This is truly a community effort.

Please, continue with the peanut butter collection….Help with the Christmas Meal Give Away….Help with

Tablescapes. These are all fund raisers for the Christian Love Pantry.

Submitted by: Debbie Clearley

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You may be interested in attending:

To Everything a Season

– something ends

and something new begins

Spiritual Retreat April 15-17, 2016

Bethany Village at Camp McDowell

To register online: http://bit.ly/dioala_retreat

or contact Kathy Graham, Coordinator of Lifelong Christian

Formation, kgraham@dioala.org

***************************************************** March Calendar March 10 Episco-Chicks – Home of Jo King (5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

13 Daylight Savings Time Begins 19 DOK, Men’s Group, Beans and Rice 20 Palm Sunday (Weather permitting, service begins outside) 22 Sandwiches to First Methodist Church (Deliver to parish hall by 9:30 a.m.) 23 Maundy Thursday (Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar) – 6:00 p.m. 25 Good Friday (Stations of the Cross and Eucharist of Reserve Sacraments) – 4:00 p.m. 26 Holy Saturday (Short Prayer Service and Decorating of Church for Easter) 9:30 a.m. 27 Easter (Sunrise Service at the Murrays’) – 6:30 a.m. (Easter Service including Baptism at Church) 9:30 a.m. (Easter Egg Hunt and refreshments to follow service)

Note: Regularly Scheduled Weekly Activities Are: Tuesday: Cursillo – 10:30 a.m. - EfM (Education for Ministry) 5:30 p.m. Wednesday: Holy Eucharist – 10:00 a.m. Needlework Guild – 11:00 a.m. Chair Yoga – Noon Lenten Wednesday Evening Program – 6:00 p.m. (March 2, 9, and 16) Thursday: Choir Practice

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March Birthdays: 1 Opal South 20 Belinda Allinder 3 Garrett Brown 21 Kirsten Lewis 6 Mark Engelbrecht 25 Rodney Holland 9 Marilyn Windham 27 Jim Barnes 10 Conni Hollis 28 Kathleen Petznick 11 Amy Walker 29 Judy Glenn 11 Patricia Hennessy

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PSST….LIFE IS NOW – DON’T MISS IT!

How can we live gratefully?…By becoming aware that every moment is a given moment…It’s a gift. You haven’t earned it. You haven’t brought it about in any way. You have no way of assuring that there will be another moment given to you, and yet, that’s the most valuable thing that can ever be given to us…with all the opportunity that it contains. If we didn’t have this present moment, we wouldn’t have any opportunity to do anything or experience anything, and this moment is a gift.

“Want to be happy? Be grateful. Be grateful in each moment, even the tough ones!”

(David Steindle-Rast, a Benedictine monk. This is his secret to living joyfully.)

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Did You Know?: If you missed or would enjoy hearing one of Mother Mollie’s sermon again, they

are available on the St. Simon Peter website. You can access them from your PC, IPad, or smart phone. Share this information with your friends and family.

stsimonpeter.org Worship - Sermons

St. Simon Peter Episcopal Church “Our Mission as the Body of Christ” To know our faith…. To live in truth and love….. To serve the needs of all people.

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