 St Alban’s Episcopal Church Bolivar, Missouri Monday, April 11, 2022 Palm Sunday pictures Monday in Holy Week Another birthday   A perfect day yesterday! We began Holy Week happily – using the new Palm Sunday liturgy approved by our two Missouri bishops, which allowed us to fully embrace and preach about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and put the Passion Gospel at the end, after Communion, to stand as the beginning of the rest of the week. We welcomed Shannon and Cheryl Kruse, who have just moved to Bolivar from – be still my heart – my beloved South Dakota – where the skies are huge, and the prairie wide and the river runs deep! Afterwards we enjoyed two kinds of soup, hot cross buns made by Janet Wray, lots of conversation outdoors in the warmth, and the new paschal candle was decorated by Eve and Eleanor Woosley, while Cora Whatley and others made suncatchers for Easter. Ruth Lewis reminded us how to make palm crosses, And Michael Elliott, recently returned from vacation in Belgium, brought us all chocolate to share! Then all afternoon, Gale Roberts and Marcus Cox planted and marked the last of the more or less 700 baby trees. Why 700? You thought we ordered 500 from the Missouri Dept of Conservation? We did. But some of them weren’t available. So we ordered some different ones. Then they got the ones we had really wanted – including wild plum and rough leaf dogwood – so well, we got those too! And there may still be some persimmon coming. All is well. Many of the ones we got are small under-story plants, and the neighborhood deer have already discovered that snacking on tender new tree seedlings makes for a decent breakfast. And some will die for their own reasons. We will lose some for sure. But in a year or two or three we should have a decent beginning of the reforested areas on three sides of the back property. And some are already budding! And then Stephen Grainger and Ryan Williams got the equipment used to move the sheds and to scrape down the old raised beds out of the mud where it had gotten stuck overnight, cleaned up and returned to the rental place. Sometimes getting to beautiful requires making a mess first! Soon those sheds will be emptied of whatever is in them and the gardening equipment and tools put in them so they will be more easily accessible to the gardeners. And so the back patio will be more user-friendly for Sunday mornings or for week-day classes.      Happy birthday today to Minda Cox Everyone knows Minda – She’s the first to welcome newcomers, the first to bring goodies for coffee hour, artist, author and sweet young woman!  Monday in Holy Week Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord… Isaiah 42:1-9: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit on him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up hos voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice on the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it; I am the Lord. I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, not my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.” Notice this: As in yesterday’s reading for Palm Sunday, it is clear that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was seditious. And deliberate. Jesus proclaimed in that action, hailed by his followers with “hosannas!”, that God alone is the Lord – his glory he gives to no other – not to any king, or emperor, or president – or governor; not to any nation or political party, not to any ideology or to any media campaign. God alone is Lord. And he is all about bringing forth justice for the oppressed, the frightened, the weak, those who are imprisoned in “darkness”, and those who are helpless.If you want to know whose “side” God is on look there. The Gospel for today is one we have recently read – and discussed – but here is an image to accompany your own reading of it today. Mary “wastes” expensive perfume on Jesus – The treasurer objects -and Jesus’ response? “Leave her alone.”John 12:1-11  Finding beauty where it is – Don’t wait! A week ago our star magnolia at the corner of the church by the columbarium was filled with sweet-smelling white blossoms. Yesterday morning, this is all that was left after the winds on Friday and Saturday.Take time, literally, as well as figuratively, to smell the flowers and to see loveliness wherever it can be found – which is everywhere.  News If you are not following us on Facebook, you are missing a lot of good stuff. Bishop Diane Bruce posts almost every day, and whenever she visits one of our congregations, she takes many photos. This is amazing for everyone in West Missouri, because most of us have never been able to visit more than a few of these. It is so good to see what our fellow Episcopalians are doing all across our half of the state.You will also find pictures, music and reflections from across the whole Episcopal and Anglican world – and often beyond. You can also find all the old newsletters and sermons by any of us on our website – stalbansbolivar,org. Lowell Korber’s burial service will be held at St Alban’s at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, May 11. I will send more information later, but please mark this date and plan to be here if you are able Lowell and Jerri were members of St Alban’s since 2003, and dear to us all. He will be interred in our columbarium. We are not doing service of Tenebrae, or “shadows” this year. It is lengthy, and for that reason, plus the fact that we’d have to do it late in order to be in literal darkness, it isn’t very child-friendly. However, St James in Springfield is doing it – Wednesday night at 6:30 pm. You would be welcome to join them. Holy Thursday Eucharist and foot washing will be held at 6 pm here at St Alban’s. Children do love this – both washing some other’s feet and having their own washed. They do get it. Good Friday services at noon or at 7 pm. Both will have music and time for quiet. Easter Day – We will begin at 10:30, since, again to do the Vigil well we would have to start really late Saturday night to get the church dark, and our little children can’t handle that. Nevertheless, we will incorporate the most dramatic parts of the Vigil by starting with the church still empty silent, and everything covered in black as it is on Good Friday. After the announcement of the Resurrection, all the lights will come on, and the music will begin, the singing, and every child and adult who wishes to participate will bring in the flowers, the candles, the bread and wine, and rip down the black hangings – and of course we will hear the dramatic, short, congregation-participatory sermon of St John Chrysostom, which is absolutely our long-time tradition here. You really don’t want to miss that! Please bring flowers – lilies or any other flowers to any of the services this week or on Sunday morning – potted or cut – ones form the store or taken from your yard or field – wild or “tame.” All of then proclaim the beauty of Easter.  |
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