thethe crown crowncrown · feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by...
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Co-Rectors Michael Monnot [email protected]
Betsey Monnot [email protected]
Deacon Virginia McNeely
[email protected] Priest Associate Virginia Hummel
Organist-Choirmaster
Scott Nelson [email protected]
Vestry
Jill Joseph (Senior Warden) [email protected]
David Jurkovich (Junior Warden ) [email protected]
Ingrid McCord [email protected]
John Miller [email protected]
Beth Miller [email protected]
George Snyder [email protected]
Sandra Takagi [email protected]
Doni Blumenstock [email protected]
Tom Moisuk [email protected]
Stephanie Seery-Murphy [email protected]
Crown Editor
Alexandra Londahl [email protected]
Happy Birthdays
Worship
Every Sunday 8:00am and 10:00am
Holy WeekHoly WeekHoly WeekHoly Week
Palm Sunday 8 & 10am April 13
Tenebrae 7:00pm April 16
Maundy Thursday 7:00pm April 17
Watchnight 8pm Thurs. to 12 noon Fri.
Good Friday 12 and 7pm April 18
Easter Vigil 8:00pm April 19
Easter Day 8 & 10am April 20
Upcoming EventsUpcoming EventsUpcoming EventsUpcoming Events
Work Day 10:00am April 5
Spring Event 5:00pm May 4
2076 Sutterville Rd. Sacramento, CA 95822 916 455-0643 www.allsaintssacramento.org
TheTheTheThe CrownCrownCrownCrown March/April 2014
W atch over your children O Lord, as their days increase; bless and guide them wherever they may be. Strengthen them when they stand;
comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful; raise them up if they fall; and in their hearts, may your peace, which passes all understanding, abide all the days of their lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
March Birthdays
Joan Calkin 5th Carolyn Sutton 12th Marianne Lesbirel 12th Mary Moran Irwin 19th Scott Nelson 27th
April Birthdays:
Gary Kent 1st Page O’Connor 9th Carolyn Johnson 13th William Monnot 16th Marie Duff 23rd
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www.allsaintssacramento.org/holy-week-2014
We’re Fundraising with Sees
Orders are Due in Church by April 6
for a Palm Sunday delivery. See the
enclosed order form.
Questions: e-mail Beth Miller <[email protected]>
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From the RectorsFrom the RectorsFrom the RectorsFrom the Rectors: : : : Revs. Betsey and Michael Monnot
...You bid your faithful people cleanse their hearts, and prepare with joy for the Paschal feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by your Word and Sacraments, they may come to the fullness of grace which you have prepared for those who love you.
- Eucharistic Prayer, Second preface for Lent
As a child, I remember that Lent was a time to give things up. Pick something you like to eat, and then don’t eat it for forty-five days (or forty, if you don’t count the Sundays). Or decide that there is something that you really like to do...and then don’t do it until sometime during the day on the day before Easter. Whatever it is you do, make sure that it makes you just a little - not too much, but a little - less happy.
When I was a little older, my practice was ‘improved’. This was the age of Lenten self-help. Do something that you have been meaning to do for a while that makes you a better person. Give up fatty foods. Be nice to the obnoxious neighbor. For forty-five days, or until the day before Easter. Then you’re done!
Now, I am not going to argue against becoming a better person; nor am I going to say that there is never spiritual value to giving up something that you enjoy. But if we do these things, we need to really be doing them. The only reason to resolve to be more virtuous is to, well, become more virtuous. We can’t do that for a limited time and assume that we are done; we have to do it for good. And giving something up is only valuable if it somehow reminds us of our connection to God.
My point is that at the bottom of it all, Lent is not about self-inflicted pain, or even the mild lessening of one’s happiness. Lent is about
reflection, truth-telling to one’s self, and as necessary, repentance. All of this can, indeed, be something we would prefer not to do; it can, in the moment, certainly be painful. Taking a hard look at ourselves is something we may not really want to do. But discomfort itself is not the point, and, though the process may sometimes be uncomfortable, we are in the end almost certainly better off seeing the world and ourselves as they really are.
But this also does not mean retreating into self-absorption. More than anything else it is about recognizing our connection to God and our relative place in the world. Good spiritual awareness is not about crushing ourselves with guilt or despairing over our weakness; but it does involve understanding that we are not the greatest things in the universe. It means seeing as best as we are able, what our true location in all of this really is. Repentance can mean both steering ourselves away from seeing ourselves at the center of everything, and from failing to see ourselves as fully-loved children of God.
In the end, I think, this is a path that leads directly to the joy of Easter: the opportunity for resurrection and the hope of renewed life...even if it can be a little bumpy on the way.
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"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20)
It is with a spirit of both deep gratitude and a
bit of trepidation that I begin this year as your Senior Warden at All Saints. I certainly look forward to the opportunity to get to know many of you much better and to work more deeply with Michael, Betsey, and the Vestry. But I am also very aware of the fact that I am still something of a newcomer among you and have much to learn about the parish and its rich history and many activities. I am deeply impressed by all that we have recently accomplished (the roof! the growing Sunday school! our new deacon!), by the ongoing commitments of so many individuals and groups, and by ways in which this parish is growing into a spirit-filled future. I'm also aware that because I attend services at 8 AM on Sunday and because of my comparatively busy travel and work schedule, there may be times I am less present than I would like to be. I will count on each of you to reach out to me as you wish to express your hopes and visions both for yourself and for our parish family.
During our journey through Lent toward both the awe-full cross and astonishing resurrection, I know that we each in our own way seek a deeper relationship with the One Who Calls Us by Name, with our triune God. Certainly this season invites us into deeper awareness and offers traditional practices of prayer, fasting or abstinence, and justice-making - all offered with deep gratitude.
Through the centuries, Christians have also turned to one another and the fellowship of small groups to express, to support, and to deepen their lives of faith. Some of you may already have experienced such small group gatherings in previous parishes. Such intimate groups can provide an opportunity to listen to one another and appreciate the diversity of our faith journeys. They can provide support for the daily task of incarnating the vocation to which each of us is called. They can be a vehicle for collectively addressing some task, be it getting together to provide "spring cleaning" for building and grounds or to help us consider how to express our personal wishes about we would like our lives to end.
From the Senior Warden Dr. Jill Joseph
The Vestry and clergy would like to open dialogue about the potential value of such small groups at All Saints. In doing so, there are questions we need to think about, such as:
1. Would the groups be solely for faith-
sharing VERSUS assuming/identifying a “mission” or responsibility to which it is called (e.g. support of the Sunday School, outreach to our seniors)?
2. Would the groups coalesce around existing parish groups (ECW, choir) VERSUS bringing together individuals across existing groups?
3. Would the groups follow a common pattern regarding how they are convened VERSUS each establishing its own format?
4. Would the groups meet for some limited period of time (e.g. the season of Advent) VERSUS meeting without a planned stopping date?
There are probably many other questions
and I suspect there will be diversity of opinions. Discuss this possibility with your family and with your “church family”. The Vestry, Michael and Betsey, and I welcome your thoughts and questions. Please seek us out to share them with us.
But in some sense the results of this dialogue may be less important than the discussion itself. If undertaken in a spirit of reflective thoughtfulness, pondering the possibility of creating small fellowship groups can provide each of us a chance to listen again to the astonishing promise:
"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20)
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From the Junior Warden David Jurkovich
Since I am your Junior Warden for this
year, I would ask everyone to let me know if you see a problem with our building and grounds. In the first two months of my “reign”, our building required two repairs to our roof which were covered under warranty; and two other repairs totaling $800 (donations will be gratefully accepted as these were not budgeted): one repair involved the plumbing in the kitchen (the grease trap was totally plugged and the main drain required snaking about 30 feet to clear another clog), and the other repair was to the heater for the parish hall (the copper condensate drain pipe had to be replaced with “pvc” pipe and the line cleared). If you want more details on any of these repairs, feel free to ask me. Those repairs were caused by delayed maintenance (too long delayed) but we now know how to properly maintain both the grease trap and the condensate line. A few other problems that were brought to my attention by obser-vant parishioners have been corrected: the drippy kitchen faucet is fixed (two washers were replaced), the garbage disposal is now working (the reset button needs to be de-pressed for at least 15 seconds for it to work), the broken kneeler was reattached (missing screws were replaced), and the front gate was repaired (broken bolt was replaced).
Hopefully before Holy Week, we need to put the banner poles back up – I need a few “good men” to dig holes and lift the heavy poles, and our “Spring Cleaning” needs to be done. Right now I’m looking at Saturday, April 5th from 8:30am to 11am for the “Work Day”. More information will be forth coming in the Sunday bulletins. Please help me make a list of needed “jobs” – both inside and out.
One last item: the skylights for the hall-way are still in the works. We need the roof to be dry and the temperature to be warm enough to allow the new flashing to properly cure. At least this expense is already covered in the roof budget.
Daughters of the King By Carolyn Sutton
The season of Lent is here with much to study and meditate on. Thank you, Scott and choir mem-bers, for beginning it with your Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. The pancakes were as tender as ever and the sausages tasty. It’s great to say, “I’ll have just one more" and not feel guilty.
The service on Ash Wednesday reminds us of the importance of Lent and sends us off to incorporate in our busy lives study, meditation, and fasting. Reading the booklet from Episcopal Relief and De-velopment is always an addition when meditating. This year it focuses on the empowerment of women who earn incomes to support their families. Also, the new Bible challenge began on Ash Wednesday. The Book of Common Prayer, (BCP) is a treasury of prayers and information. And—instead of fasting, you can always remember the Food Bank with addi-tional items.
The Daughters’ chapter has chosen to read and discuss The Good Book, by Peter J. Gomes. It was a good choice. The author is acclaimed as one of America’s most compelling preachers. His writing is both witty and wise. At this month’s meeting we will discuss the first three chapters: “What It’s All About,” “The Matter of Interpretation,” and “The Bi-ble in America.” For those taking the Bible chal-lenge, this might be a helpful tool as you study.
We thank God for Annabelle Audet’s ninety-nine years, and to have been able to honor her life at her memorial service.
Holy Wisdom Chapter meets on the second Mon-day night of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the church workroom. Women of the church are lovingly in-vited to come and study with us
On-Line Reflection Group Coming Soon
Living our Faith in Scripture
Coming this Easter season a new on-line scrip-ture reflection. Each Monday, starting April 21st we will post a piece of scripture from the coming Sun-day along with three discussion questions which in-vite you to reflect on how scripture influences your faith journey. You can share their reflection on one or more of those questions and engage with others who are doing the same. This forum will be open throughout the week so you can participate when it fits in your schedule. We hope that this will be a re-source for those whose busy schedules make it diffi-cult to meet in person. Look for this wonderful spiri-tual opportunity coming to AllSaintsSacramento.org Easter week.
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Report on Empty Bowls
The 11th annual “Empty Bowls” event in support of River City Food Bank was held on March 10 and 11 at the Sacra-mento Convention Center. It’s still too early for final figures, but the RCFB staff and volunteer committee are calling it a “Souper” Success. They feel that they did reach their goal of raising $125,000. Many thanks to everyone who came and supported this very important fundraiser. If you were unable to come this year, you can still make a donation to RCFB through their se-cure web site (rivercityfoodbank.org) or by mailing your check directly to River City Food Bank at P.O. Box 160204, Sacra-mento, CA 95816. Donation envelopes can also be found on various bulletin boards in or near the parish hall.
Fellowship
There’s a fellowship table in the parish hall with information and sign-up sheets
for upcoming events. Here are some activities in the coming months:
Easter Vigil Champagne Reception~~Saturday, April 19th
After the Easter Vigil service on Saturday night
Easter Potluck Brunches after Each Service~~Easter Sunday, April 20th. Sign up
for what you’d like to bring to share.
Spring Event~~Saturday, May 3rd
“Saints In Harmony” at 5:00 p.m.
This is a wonderful event for our church family with children’s activities, deli-
cious food, and prizes. There are wonderful opportunities to donate your time
and talent for this event that is not only fun, but a great fund-raiser for the par-
ish. Bright blue event packets, including raffle tickets, have been distributed. If
you did not receive one or want extras to share with special others, they are
available in the narthex or by contacting Sara Chatfield at
Trip to Ashland, Oregon~~August 6th – 9th
Activities are in place and tickets ordered for All Saints’ encore trip to Ashland.
Some extra tickets have been reserved for most shows, so if you wish to attend,
it’s not too late to join the fun! Doug Chatfield has all of the information and
can answer any questions you may have. Doug can be reached at
[email protected]. Payment in full for all tickets is due June 29.
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SPRING EVENT:
Saturday, May 3rd is the date of our “Saints in Harmony” spring event. There are
many opportunities to use your time and talents to help out in the weeks be-
fore, the week of, and during the event. Sign-up sheets are at the fellowship
table in the parish hall.
Raffle Prizes
All money that is used for raffle prizes has been generously donated to the par-
ish—no money from the sale of raffle tickets is used. If you’d like to make a fi-
nancial contribution, please contact Gladys Snyder. All raffle prize gifts have
also been generously donated or purchased with donated funds. This means
that ALL MONEY FROM THE SALE OF RAFFLE TICKETS IS PROFIT to the church! Ex-
tra raffle tickets are available at the fellowship table or the narthex if you’d like
extras to sell to friends, family members, or work colleagues.
Silent & Live Auction
Silent and Live Auction items are always welcome. Many local businesses help
by contributing items for this event. If you have a business that you regularly
support, consider asking them for a donation. Donation letters are available
on the fellowship table. If you have a nice item that is new that you’d like to
re-gift to the church, please let us know.
Special Events
We have a wonderful tradition where people offer to prepare and host a meal
for others in their home. The hosts get a great opportunity to join in fellowship
with wonderful people from our congregation. Spots for these events are pur-
chased as a part of the Spring Event with the silent auction items. If you’d like
to consider hosting something, please sign up. If you have other talents you’d
like to share, those are welcome as well (dance class, art class, computer
help, etc.)
Cake Auction
New this year will be a cake auction! We’ll have several cakes lovingly baked
(or otherwise lovingly provided) by our parishioners that will be available for
dessert. You can join with your fellow tablemates to bid on a cake to share or
get one for yourself! Anyone who would like to bake a cake for this, please
sign up.
Most of all, we’d love to see you at the event. It is a lot of fun and a chance to
meet others and win fabulous prizes! Please send your reservations and raffle
tickets with your payment to the church. Remember to put your name and
phone number on each raffle ticket.
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All Saints Episcopal Church
2076 Sutterville Road
Sacramento, CA 95822
916 455-0643
www.allsaintssacramento.org
Non-Profit Organization US Postage Paid Permit No 1085 Sacramento, California
March/April 2014
Y ou bid your faithful people cleanse their hearts, and prepare
with joy for the Paschal feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by your Word and Sacraments, they may come to the fullness of grace which you have prepared for those who love you. Eucharistic Prayer, Second preface
for Lent