Saints' Alive!
March6, 2013 ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH Volume 94, Issue 3
the gospel without neglecting the others.
The Lenten season is that time in the liturgical calendar when we focus our attention on the gospel response – we do so by “self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.”
To be sure, our response to the gospel is not the gospel. The gospel is the offer of forgiveness and new life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, a response of trust and repentance is needed in order to enter into that new life and a continuing response of trust and repentance is needed to enjoy that new relationship which God has freely given to us through his Son and which he maintains through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Several aspects of our gospel response which the Book of Common Prayer mentions are self-examination, prayer and repentance. How do we go about examining ourselves? And why is repentance so important?
First, one way to focus on our gospel response is by reading and praying through the 10 Commandments. The commandments begin with the gospel (I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery) and call for a response. They were given to help a redeemed people live out their lives as God’s people. As J.I. Packer has put it: The way to be truly happy is to be truly human, and the way to be truly human is to be truly godly. The 10 Commandments lay out for us what a godly life looks like.
Australian evangelist John Chapman recalls a conversation with a woman who claimed she lived “by keeping the 10 commandments.” Chappo said, “You mean – the ones that say ‘you shall no other God before me?” She immediately responded, “Is that one of them?” Ignorance of the commandments is common place.
As we look at each of the commandments, we need to ask the Lord to help us examine our own lives, and as we do, we will see how far we have departed from the life which pleases the Lord and which makes us ‘truly human.’
Take the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me.” It’s easy to say, ‘well, no I haven’t.’ But let’s examine this commandment a little more carefully. Several questions emerge as examine ourselves. Do I love God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength? Is following God my absolute top priority? Do I give my worship exclusively to the true and living God? Am I zealous for God’s glory?
If not, (and who has loved God consistently in this way), then we are called to repentance (turning away from sin) and trust in Jesus Christ (accepting that in Christ we are forgiven). Repentance is a marvelous gift which means that we, by God’s grace, can turn back and that we can make progress in living as God’s people.
The Lenten season invites such self-examination. So, if we read carefully through Exodus 20.1-17 (the 10 Commandments), and begin a time of honest self-examination, we will find areas where we need to repent, and we also can experience the forgiving and liberating grace of our Lord.
Sunday, March24th, 8:15 & 10:45 a.m.
Palm Sunday – Holy Communion
Wednesday, March27th, 12:15 p.m.
Holy Communion
Thursday, March28th, 7:00 p.m.
Maundy Thursday Service
Friday, March29th
12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Good Friday Service
5:15 p.m.
Stations Of The Cross
Sunday, March31st
9:00 a.m. Holy Communion
10:30 a.m. Flowering Of The Cross
Children’s Service
11:15 a.m. Solemn High Holy
Communion
Sunday, March 10th, 2013
Daylight Savings
Time Begins
Sunday School & Youth Choir will not meet Sunday, March 10th.
It will resume on Sunday, March 17th.
March 2013 Special Dates
- Daylight-Saving Time Begins, March 1, 2013
- Palm Sunday, March 24, 2013
- Maundy Thursday, March 28, 2013
- Good Friday, March 29, 2013
- Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013
Practice On Saturday,
March30that10:00 a.m.
If you are interested in making palm crosses for the Palm Sunday services please bring your own scissors to The Elliott Room on Saturday, March23rd at 1:00 p.m. Contact Ginny Sears for more information.
Easter Flowers
If you would like to make a contribution towards our Easter flowers, please call the Church Office byMonday, March 25th, 2013, indicating your name and if the donation is in memory or honor of a loved one, or as an expression of thanks for inclusion in the Easter Sunday Bulletin.
All flower money and above information may be placed in the collection plate. Indicate in your check memo block the donation is for “Easter Flowers”. Cash donations should be enclosed in an envelope annotated “Easter Flowers” along with your name.
Please call Ginny Sears, 333-4147 (home), if you have any questions concerning Easter Flowers.
The sign up sheet for 2013 is located in the church narthex. Flowers are provided with donations from those parishioners that sponsor the altar flowers each week. All Saints’ is charged $75 weekly for the flowers.
APRIL 2013Sunday, April 7th
Sunday, April 14th
Ginny & Glenn Sears
Sunday, April 21st
Sunday, April 28th
BIRTHDAYS
March 2nd, Hannah Flaherty
March 3rd, Morgan Bloom
March 4th, Penelope Channell
March 16th, Charlotte Hollinger
March 16th, Annie Margeson
March 19th, Bill Bowers
March 21st, Mitch Kehr
March 23rd, Ginny Sears
March 25th, Tim Jones
March 25th, Sophia Wilcox
March 29th, Pete Nolan
March 29th, Keith Winkle
ANNIVERSARIES
March 17th, Shannon & Jim Hanley
All Saints’ Episcopal Church
Friday, March 29th, 2013
12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Introduction:
The Rev. James A. Basinger, Rector
All Saints’ Episcopal Church
First Word:
The Rev. Rob Riopelle, Pastor
AsianBibleChurch
Second Word:
Mr. Brian Jensen, Area Director
YoungLife
Third Word:
Lt. Col. Keith Muschinske, Chaplain
JBER Installation
Fourth Word:
The Rev. Dan Walsh, Pastor
Church In The Wildwood, EagleRiver
Fifth Word:
Mr. Biff Gordon, Elder
Church In The Wildwood, EagleRiver
Sixth Word:
The Rev. Greg Vaughn, Associate Pastor
Church In The Wildwood, EagleRiver
Seventh Word:
The Rev. David Terwilliger, Associate
All Saints’ Episcopal Church