Loading...O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Collect for Third Sunday in Easter, BCP p. 224-225.
In our Gospel this Sunday from John 21:1-19, Jesus' disciples have relocated from Jerusalem back to the Sea of Galilee (Tiberias). They have returned home to a place where much of Jesus' ministry had occurred. They have returned to fishing, which for many was their work prior to following Jesus.
I've been to the Sea of Galilee. I thought it was a most beautiful place. I'm not sure I'd call it a Sea...it's more like a fairly large lake. I even rode in a re-created fishing boat and ate fish called "Peter's Perch."
The water was clear and blue and I was amazed at all of the egrets and herons. I was used to seeing them along the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers and along our east coast, but hadn't realized they also lived on Galilee! I marveled that when Jesus lived along the Sea, he saw these wonderful birds that we also see.
I understand why the disciples returned to this beautiful place and to the life they knew before Jesus. It was coming home. It was a respite and a rest.
We all need those times, especially when we've been through trauma and grief. A time of rest. A time of returning to a place where we were loved and where the routine is familiar. A time of returning to a place of beauty.
Yet, as we'll see in the rest of the Gospel lesson, Jesus appears to the disciples and calls them back to work. Jesus opens their eyes to the work that is ahead.
Yes, we can rest awhile and Jesus will show up, open our eyes and show us the way to some new work.
Many blessings as you finish your week!
Love, Rebecca+
Parlor People
This week we welcome Wade Meck who will talk about the challenges of growing up in Perry County and living here as a young adult.
Here is a summary of last week's session by Jane Hoover. Our guests were from The Perry County Literacy Council:
Our Easter Season survey of important topics within our community began with quite a punch. Dawn Beaver wears several hats at the Perry County Literacy Council, but last week she related of how God had led her to develop and lead a faith-based re-entry program for young men ready to be released from the Perry County prison. The program offers a mixture of faith filled support and development of skills needed in the outside world, such as interview skills, good work habits and help finding jobs. She is confident that God is using her to bolster young men who otherwise would find themselves with nothing but a plastic bag of clothing as they walk out the door. She brought along Doug, a graduate of the program who allowed himself to be totally vulnerable and open to our love as he described his daily struggles to remain sober and law-abiding. We were all moved by their words and the recognition of just how tough life can be for some in our community.
Godly Play is this Sunday, April 10.
Centering Prayer and Taize', Tuesdays, 5:15pm. Join us for twenty minutes of centering prayer, followed by an evening Taize' service.
Men’s Breakfast - each Wed., 9am, Espresso Yourself Café.
Women’s Breakfast - April 13 and 27, 9am, May’s Railside.
Roadside Cleanup, April 16, 9:00am. Meet at athe church. We'll clean up our section of Little Buffalo Road. See John Cramer if you'd like to help.
Upcoming Meetings:
Wednesday, April 13, 11:00am - Environmental Stewardship Meeting
Wednesday, April 13, 6:00pm - Finance Committee Meeting with Ken Quigley, Episcopal Church Foundation. All are invited.
Thursday, April 14, 9:30am - Program and Mission Committee
Wednesday, April 27, 6:30pm - Vestry
Choir will practice April 13 and April 27, 10:30am (after womens and men's breakfasts)
Feed My Sheep Canstruction 2016, Friday, April 22, Capital City Mall Volunteer for a 3-hour shift (70-10am, 10-1, or 1-4) online or call 717-422-1780. Canned foods donated by Giant Food Stores for the build will be donated to local food pantries.
The Vestry has approved changes to the by-laws. Final approval will occur at the April Vestry meeting. Changes include limit Treasurer to six years and then at least one year off; removal of written nominations process for elected positions; voting by voice; removal of Order of Business for meetings, updating references to various Canons of The Episcopal Church; allowing non-Vestry members to serve on committees; putting Junior Warden on Property Committee; requiring committees to make reports for the Annual meeting.
Church Rummage Sale, June 10-11, 8am-2pm each day. Collect items for this rummage sale and bring them to the church with prices marked.
Team 'Joining Hands for Jeri' Fundraising Dinner sponsored by the Ranch House Restaurant. Michele’s Team ‘Joining Hands for Jeri’ will donate 100% of all ticket sales and tips to the event. Tickets are being sold in advance.
Thursday, April 21, seating hours of 5, 6 or 7 pm. $15 / adult, $7 / child (ages 4 - 12), Free / ages 3 and under
Each meal includes choice of dinner entree, side salad, dinner rolls, drink and a dessert. See Michele for tickets or check their Team page on FB for more info.
Perry County Literacy Council 22nd Annual Race for Reading, Saturday, May 7, 6:00pm, Little Buffalo State Park. If you're interested in attending this event, please see Miguel Gonzales. more information is available at www.perryliteracy.com.
Join Hands items of the month are cleaning supplies and Similac Sensitive formula. Bleach, bathroom/toilet/sink cleaner, and laundry soap.
Help People in Need when you buy your Groceries! See Gail Shull or Pat Szabo to purchase cards in various amounts to use at Giant, Mutzabaugh's, or Weis Stores. 5% of the cost of each card stays with the church and is used for outreach and mission projects.
Honor or Remember a loved one or a special occasion with flowers ont he altar! Flowers make our worship space more beautiful and remind us of the blossoming life we have in Christ. Please consider sponsoring the flowers in memory of a loved one, ot to celebrate your thanksgivings. If you have a special kind of flower you'd like to see on the altar, please be in touch with Kay Cramer at least two weeks prior to the date. Flowers are $35. A sign-up chart is in the Undercroft.
Connect with us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEpiscopalChurchOfTheNativityStStephen
Twitter: @ChnatssChurch
Instagram: https://instagram.com/chnatss/
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/
Stirring the Waters, April 17, 1:30pm - 8:15pm, Various locations in Harrisburg. In preparation for Earth, Lutheran Advocacy has designed a number of events from hiking in Wildwood Park, Paddling along the Susquehanna, planting trees on City Island and blessing the waters. The event ends with dinner in the Capitol Rotunda. To register and for more details, see //www.lutheranadvocacypa.org/event/april-17-2016-stirring-the-waters/
Support Child Nutrition Reauthorization.
The Episcopal Church has long supported federal nutrition initiatives, and we are committed to ensuring that child nutrition programs are reviewed, improved, and reauthorized for kids today and kids tomorrow. Contact your members of Congress today and ask them for a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization!
Here is a sample of the letter that will be sent. You can change it around, too. Take action by clicking here.
As an Episcopalian in your state, I am deeply concerned about mitigating child hunger in my community. One powerful way to address this pressing issue is through government feeding programs, and this year, you have a special opportunity to strengthen child nutrition legislation that expired on September 30th, 2015. With summer just around the corner, now is the time to take action to strengthen key programs that children depend upon for meals throughout the months of school vacation.
The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act serves millions of low-income children on a daily basis, offering them access to free or reduced-price meals that improve their health, educational achievement, and physical development. The Act encompasses a number of federal programs (including the Summer Food Service and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) that The Episcopal Church supports. The reauthorization process grants you the opportunity to review and improve the policies contained within the Child Nutrition Act, and I ask that you act swiftly to strengthen nutrition and school meal programs for our children today and for generations to come.
As you work to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act, please ensure that funding for these nutrition programs does not come out of other important human needs programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In addition, I ask that you work to make these feeding programs more accessible to low-income children, children in preschool and childcare, and youth who are out of school on holiday breaks. Finally, please ensure that the services provided in each feeding program are based on strong nutrition standards grounded in scientifically-reviewed data.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. As one in five children is at risk of hunger in the United States, I urge you to act swiftly to strengthen and reauthorize this legislation so that our children have the nutrition that they need to thrive.
