News items and stories
Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent are almost here
Is it Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Supper?
Well it is all three, actually. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is commonly known as "Mardi Gras" or "Fat Tuesday." Because of the Lenten fast, the day before Ash Wednesday was a day to consume animal fat. In some places it was a day of celebration and indulgence before the discipline of Lent. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is also known as "Carnival," which literally means the removal or putting away of flesh (meat). Butter, flour and sugar are also used up and typically not consumed during Lent. That is why Episcopal churches hold a parish pancake supper. Many parishes also burn the palms from the previous Palm Sunday to provide ashes for Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday service to be held at St. James'- Dexter, Feb 17 @ 7pm
The congregation of St. Barnabas will join its sisters and brothers of St. James'-Dexter for Ash Wednesday. Click "Read more" for details.
The Rev. Carol Mader, Vicar of St. James, will be the celebrant, attended by Deacons David Glaser and Bill Stech from St. Barnabas.
There's still time to join our Lenten Series
Tuning in to God's Call
Ever wonder if God is calling you to do something and you're just not getting the signal? This is a common problem. However, there are ways to improve transmission. During Lent, we will be discussing the important work of seminary professor, Ben Campbell Johnson, "Hearing God's Call: Discernment for Laity and Clergy." You don't have to buy a copy of the book. We will have handouts and a PowerPoint presentation or two. However, if you want your own copy, the book is available at abesbooks.com.
Lent, what's it all about?
Do you ever feel like you would like to slow life down a bit? Our culture does not encourage time away from work, noise, bad news, and hectic schedules. Since the beginning of Christianity, communities of faith have understood the need for reflection and contemplation.
Our New Deacons!
It all started about four and a half years ago. After much hard work and dedication, on January 30th, our congregation began a new chapter with the ordinations of Bill and David to the Sacred Order of Deacons. The Laying On of Hands in the Apostolic Succession was made by The Right Reverend Wendell N. Gibbs, Jr., before a packed house. Our ministry changed in character on that day as we move another vital step closer to the day they are ordained as priests. They were ordained to the transitional deaconate, meaning that ultimately they will be ordained as priests at least 6 months from now. Deacons perform a number of roles and are especially entrusted with helping the poor, the oppressed, and the sick.
The deacon represents the Gospel to the congregation, and in fact one of the most cherished deaconal duties is that of Gospeler. The Gospeler proclaims, or reads, the Gospel for the people. The deacon literally walks the Gospel Book into the midst of the congregation to read it.
Episcopal-RC Haiti Outreach Mission
For 10 years, volunteers from The Episcopal Church and The Roman Catholic Church have joined forces to help the community of Mirebalais Haiti through Haiti Outreach Mission (HOM). Located about 30 km northwest of Port-au-Prince, Mirebalais was minimally affected by the earthquake. It is estimated that prior to the earthquake, the ratio between people to physicians was 30,000 to 1.
HOM was founded in 1998 after Dr. Dominique Matthews and her husband Roger visited her native land on their honeymoon, and decided that they wanted to do something to help alleviate suffering in Haiti.
On January 25, 2010, we received the very sad news that Roger died unexpectedly. We invite your prayers for his family and the future of Haiti Outreach Mission without his excellent presence.
Deacon Ordinations January 30th!
Ordination is a sacramental rite of the church by which God gives authority and the grace of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by bishops to those being made bishops, priests, and deacons (Book of Common Prayer [BCP], pp. 860-861). The three distinct orders of bishops, priests, and deacons have been characteristic of Christ's holy catholic church. Bishops carry on the apostolic work of leading, supervising, and uniting the church.
Presbyters (often known as priests) are associated with bishops in the ministry of church governance, along with the church's ministry of missionary and pastoral work, in preaching of the Word of God, and in the administration of the sacraments.
Deacons assist bishops and priests in all of this work, and have special responsibility to minister in Christ's name to the poor, the sick, the suffering, and the helpless (BCP, p. 510). The BCP provides rites for the ordination of bishops (p. 512), priests (p. 525), and deacons (p. 537).
St. Andrew's-Ann Arbor hosts benefit for breakfast program
Our sister congregation will host the following event, “BREAKFEST 2010” CONCERT
TO HELP FEED THE HUNGRY IN ANN ARBOR
All-acoustic show at The Ark to span American and Scots-Irish traditions
Christmas and Epiphany, what do they mean?
While these seasons are two of the shorter liturgical periods in the church year, they are vital to Christian worship and reflection. Want to learn more about them? Go to http://stbarnabaschelsea.org/liturgy-christmas-and-epiphany
Join us.
Centering prayer and Lectio Divina sessions Continue in Epiphany
On Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 6pm, members of St. Barnabas gathered to practice centering pray as a group. Centering Prayer (CP) is a form of silent prayer, where one empties the mind, and sits with God for about 20 minutes. Each person chooses a "sacred word", usually one or two syllables, to use silently when the mind wanders. This is the primary tool in centering oneself during breaks in concentration. The great mystics call this wandering the "monkey mind," and we all suffer from it in varying degrees. Some CP sessions are better than others. It is best to commence the sessions without expectations. One can have a wonderful CP experience even though one's day was challenging, for example.
