Church of the Holy Communion




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Reaffirming our Faith

The New Year is upon us. Let us celebrate this new beginning by recommitting ourselves to the Lord's will and by reaffirming our faith.

Lord,
We pray that You give us the strength to do all that You command from this day forth. And if we should fail, we pray that You will lift us up to bask in Your Goodness and point us to Your Cross, so that we may never despair or descend into hopelessness.
Amen.

 



Father Glen

From the Vicar's Pen:


Silent Night, Holy Night. Babs and I were able to spend three days during Christmas week at "the farm". We were surprised at how little snow there was, and I had forgotten how quiet it is 'in the bleak midwinter, earth as hard as iron, water like a stone.' Yes, the quiet made quite an impression on me and so did the darkness. We do have electricity, but we often use what was once "high tech" kerosene lamps to light the table and the sideboard near it. It doesn't take much darkness to swallow the light up however, so the nighttime atmosphere in the room is one of peace and quiet. It occurred to me that it was probably like that in the manger on that most holy of nights. No city lights, no distant radio or television to be heard or seen. There would have been just a quiet peaceful darkness that few of us are able to experience today. I looked out the window and saw only the soft cast of blue moonlight on the snow.
There was no wind and the trees stood as silent sentinels as if they were guarding the animals in the forest.
Advent is a soft quiet time of preparation. Christmas in our modern society is a festival of light and singing.
Lights burn on our trees and along the streets and the radios play an unending stream of carols. Then we reach the great liturgies of all churches on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.
The weather was good to us this year. It was good to see an almost full church for the 5 o'clock service. The church decorations and flowers this year were particularly beautiful. The organ playing and congregational singing were spirited. We also had very special treats of a beautiful violin descant during the singing of "Silent Night" and a duet of

"0 Holy Night". The church took on a more medieval and intimate nature as the hours turned to midnight and the magic of candlelight took over. The carillon rang "Silent Night" as a light snow was falling and the people left to go home. It seems like the magic of Christmas always comes, no matter what.

This comes to you with every good wish for the New Year.

Fr. Glen




 Thoughts of the Vicar's wife

Having taught the earth sciences for thirty seven years, I am acutely aware of the myriad faces of Mother Nature. I am also of the opinion that most of us, out of ignorance of the complexity of nature, make the mistake of assigning a value judgment to nature dependent on how we are affected by her actions. Having said this, I am now going to do exactly that. All the Gospel accounts of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem and the events of Holy Week take place in a hot, dry, sunny location. Western New York was cold, snowy, and gray this Easter season. At first this seemed almost as bad as Christmas without snow. I knew this was the wrong attitude to start the Lenten-Easter season with, so I personally worked very hard at looking for the silver lining and adjusting my attitude to where it should be during this season.

Lent began in February, a time when us non-skiers begin to give up hope of ever being warm again or of ever experiencing a sunny day again. I worked at deciding that this rather dismal weather was perhaps appropriate for the penitential nature of Lent. Why should I expect to be ebullient about the weather? Perhaps the weather could help me focus on the "gray" areas in my life and allow me to address them in a helpful manner. The visual warmth of the honey-scented candles, the beauty of the music, and the solemnity of the service all served to make the Stations of the Cross and Benediction very meaningful and totally independent of the weather outside. Independent that is except for when weather forced us to cancel the service.

The earliness of Daylight Savings Time threatened to flood the church with too much sunlight during the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil services, but Western New York's gray weather carne to the rescue, helping to darken the church and thus heighten the drama of these services, especially when the "New Light" was brought to the altar during the Vigil.

I think this was the coldest Easter Sunday I have ever experienced. Easter finery consisted of warm coats, mittens, and woolen hats. It was cold, but the sunlight was magnificent. So brilliant that I was forced to either wear sunglasses during the 8 o'clock service or to change my seat, and we all know what creatures of habit we are, so on went the glasses. Our church's lack of stained glass windows actually helped to enhance the joyful feeling this much welcomed sunlight offered us. Bright and cold to me isa better combination than warm and gray on Easter Sunday.

I was very happy on Easter and I think most of the congregation was also. The pews were quite full and the congregations' singing filled the church. All my senses seemed heightened. Susan played better than ever, the choir sang with such gusto that they sounded much bigger than they are, and Adrienne's violin descant was "the icing on the cake". The small sounds of the children in the pews spoke of the future in a positive way. The smells of various spring flowers and of leftover incense and beeswax candles made me glad I don't suffer from sinus problem.

Easter Sunday for me, and I hope for you, was wonderful and will be a reminder throughout the year, when I need it, of God's love. It was indeed a "day the Lord hath made". I rejoiced and I was glad in it.

Thoughts of the Vicar's wife

 


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Warden Laura Steinke.
Warden Laura Steinke.

From the Warden:

 

Thanks to everyone who helped to make our visitation by Bishop Michael a special day. After a beautiful service, we enjoyed a reception of plentiful and good food and fellowship.

Two of our major concerns this year have to do with maintaining the integrity of our building. We are still experiencing occasional water leakage in our undercroft which is causing damage to our tile floor. Also, the cedar siding on the front of the church is in disrepair and allowing water to slowly but surely seep into the front basement area. The council is awaiting final bids on these projects.

On Saturday, April 12th, Father Glen and your Council attended the Deanery Vestry meeting that was held at St. Peter's in Eggertsville. Rev. Victoria Duncan spoke on the responsibilities of a vestry (or council) and then everyone attended a workshop on Stewardship.

Our Deanery Convocation Meeting will be held at Holy Communion this year on Wednesday, May 28th at 7 PM. This year the focus will be on our Episcopal Community Presence and Evangelism Project. All are welcome to attend this meeting. It is an opportunity to see your church in action as a member of it's local deanery and a chance to have some input into the issues at hand.

Refreshments will be served.

Your Council will be meeting on Sunday, May 4th after the 10 o'clock service to finalize plans for our Chicken & Ribs Barbecue which will be held on Saturday, July 12th. Anyone interested may attend this meeting. Feel free to share ideas and offer suggestions for this major Fund Raiser.

Spring is in the air. It's time to tend to the garden areas and to clean up the litter that has accumulated on the grounds during this exceptionally windy winter. There is work for all to do whether young or old, fast or slow, strong or less strong. Beginning at 10 AM on Saturday, May 3rd those able and willing will gather at church to do what they are able.

Refreshments will be served.

Honor God in your work.

Faithfully, Laura, Steinke, Warden



Sunday School:

 

There will be classes on December 23rd and 30th. If there is a change, I will send a note home with the children.

lam looking for someone to take over the dasses in the Fall of 2008. If you are interested and feel called to this very important ministry, please speak to fro Glen early in the new year.

Thank you, Barbara Biddlecom


"Remember that a good example is the best sermon" Jay Phillippi has sent us information about youth activities in the Diocese. Check the Bulletin Board in the Narthex. Questions: call Jay at 483-6405 or email jayphillippi@episcopalwny.org.

Barb Biddlecom





Daily Bible Reading

Isaiah 13:1-2
 This is the message that I was given about Babylon: From high on a barren hill give a signal, shout the orders, and point the way to enter the gates of Babylon's proud rulers. (more)



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