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SAINTS Alive! THE NEWSLETTER OF THE PARISH All Saints’ Church Chelmsford, MA April 2006
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From the Rector
This is the night!
The Great Vigil of Easter, which we will be celebrating on Saturday night, April 15th, at 6:30 PM, is the first celebration of Easter. We begin the service outside with the lighting of a fire. From that fire the Paschal or Easter candle is lit and brought into the dark church. We then sing an ancient hymn called the Exsultet (see the Book of Common Prayer p. 286-287).
The Exsultet begins with rejoicing: for the victory of our mighty King, for darkness being vanquished, and with the gladness and praises of God’s people. It then proclaims:
This is the night when you brought our fathers, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt, and led them through the Red Sea on dry land.
This is the night when all who believe in Christ are delivered from the gloom of sin, and are restored to grace and holiness of life.
This is the night, when Christ broke the bonds of death and hell, and rose victorious from the grace.
In the Easter Vigil, I am struck that we are not remembering or memorializing something that happened long ago. Rather, we are participants and witnesses to events happening before our eyes. I pray that this Holy Week and Easter we all may all participate in the mighty work of God and rejoice that earth and heaven are joined and humans are reconciled to God.
Peace,
Tom
Update on the Rector’s Sabbatical
As we prepare for Holy Week and Easter, I will admit that my mind is more and more on my sabbatical and trip to Kenya. I will be gone from May 15, 2006 to September 5, 2006. I was especially pleased to have Nancy and Gerry Hardison worship with us last month. I will be staying with them while I am in Kenya.
Welcome to the Rev. Ray Bronk
We are pleased to announce the Rev. Ray Bronk will be serving as our interim priest. Ray worked as a professor of Philosophy and Study of Religion at U-Mass Boston until he retired in 1992. Since then he has been supporting his wife, the Rev. Joyce Caggiano in her ministry and working as a supply or interim priest. In the last dozen years they have lived in Massachusetts, Italy, Germany, Michigan and most recently Lake Placid, New York.
Tom’s Schedule
May 17 to July 20—travel to Maseno, Kenya
July 20 to August 14—retreat time to reflect and write about my experiences
August 14 to September 4-- family vacation
Study Topics
While I am in Kenya, I will be spending time learning how Anglican churches in Kenya build Christian community, teach and form their members, and join God in God’s mission. I hope to use this knowledge to help me better understand how we here do the same things. My time back in the United States will be to help process, understand and talk about what I have learned.
Finally, I want to thank the people of All Saints’ Church again for allowing me this opportunity to go on sabbatical. I pray that it will be a fruitful time for both the parish and for me.
SCHEDULE OF HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES
Grant us with thee to suffer pain that, as we share this hour, thy cross may bring us to thy joy and resurrection power. Hymn 164, vs. 4
Monday 4/10 – Saturday 4/15 – Morning Prayer at 7 a.m.
Wednesday 4/12 – Holy Eucharist with the laying on of hands for healing at 12 noon in the chapel
Maundy Thursday 4/13 – Agapé dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall followed by Holy Eucharist with footwashing and the stripping of the altar in the sanctuary at 7:30p.m.
Good Friday 4/14 – Adoration of the cross, 12 noon – 3 p.m., chapel. Reading of the passion and solemn collects for the first hour, then quiet reflection after. Individuals are welcome to attend part or all of the service, as we observe the time that Christ died upon the cross.
Good Friday 4/14 – Stations of the cross, 7:00p.m., Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 242 Boston Road, Chelmsford.
The Great Vigil 4/15 – 6:30p.m. in the sanctuary. This service is referred to as the “Queen of Liturgies” and we are celebrating with our brothers and sisters from Trinity Lutheran, Chelmsford and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Westford with combined clergy and choirs.
Easter Sunday, 4/16 – 7:30a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in the chapel, 9 a.m. Festival Holy Eucharist in the sanctuary with brass, handbells, children’s, junior, and senior choirs, and 11 a.m. Festival Holy Eucharist with brass and the senior choir.
PRELUDE TO HOLY WEEK
Palm Saturday, 4/8, 9:30a.m. – 1:00p.m. – an All Saints’ tradition, and a chance for children of all ages as well as other family members to prepare for Holy Week with games, activities, stories, and song.
Palm Sunday, 4/9 – 8a.m. Holy Eucharist in the sanctuary with the distribution of palms and the reading of the Passion Gospel.
10 a.m. – outside procession with palms and drumming followed by Holy Eucharist in the sanctuary and the reading of the Passion Gospel. If the weather is good, the service will begin outside.
Agapé Meal on Maundy Thursday: Please join us for a meal as a parish family on April 13 at 6:30p.m. in the parish hall. This is a simple, potluck, meatless meal that is to remind us of the meal that Jesus shared with his disciples. According to The Book of Occasional Services, “a meatless meal is to be preferred. The setting should be austere and the foods sparse and simple. Appropriate foods include soup, cheese, olives, dried fruit and bread.”
If you have questions about what to bring, please contact Maggie Marshall at (978)251-1296 or e-mail at: maggie@ccc.com. If you know what you are bringing, please let Maggie know that, too.
Buildings and Grounds
And here is April!
Writing this before the big Landscaping Days of April, I sure hope those turned out OK. A ‘recent theory’ advanced the thought that a nice clean place uplifts the spirit, and an uplifted spirit keeps the nice clean place. (cit. Hemingway through Giuliani). Thank you to all who helped with this important task.
Contact any of the ‘Landscaping
Committee’ (Carol Douglas, Oliver Chamberlain, etc.) if you have an idea or
desire for a donation in our ‘Meadow’.
Contact Matt Hickcox or Steve Grillo if you are interested in Parish Hall
acoustics.
Many have asked: The Church and Chapel trim work is Benjamin Moore “Burgundy” (on file at Color Works on Summer Street). This standard color was chosen as being between a traditional church ‘red’ and the earth tones of our stonework. This matched an ‘original’ color from an old chip. We have contracted the ‘high’ trim and have the paint for the rest of it, which we can reach on short ladders ourselves.
In May, we will resume our 3rd Saturday Volunteer Day program.
SATURDAY APRIL 1st 8:30 AM- Noon,
SUNDAY APRIL 2nd 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM,
SATURDAY APRIL 8th 8:30 AM- Noon,
SUNDAY APRIL 9th 1:30PM - 4:30 PM
Think Spring – Flowers and Trees!
Think Spring! It’s time to start thinking about the Memorial Garden. This is specifically the area outside the Narthex. The spring effort starts with people donating funds to buy flowers for this garden. The Garden Committee selects what fits the current design and buys them.
In parallel, the Landscape Committee will be continuing their landscaping effort both in the lower garden area, the area between the Parish Hall and the Chapel which we are calling the Meadow, and in front of the church. These efforts, while related, are funded separately. This effort also needs funding but primarily for larger items such as trees, shrubs, water treatment, benches etc. There is a master plan in place for this effort from which you can chose the items you may want to donate.
Contributions to either fund can be sent to the church office. However, please indicate on the memo area of your check which fund, Garden or Landscaping, you want the donation to go to. All checks should be made out to All Saints’ Church. In either case, your contribution will be acknowledged along with the person you intend to memorialize.
If you have questions, please contact:
Oliver Chamberlain
Joy Chadwick
Joan Clement
Carol Douglas
Marilyn Livingston
Piano Request
We are having “issues” with our pianos. The donated spinet piano that had been in the choir room is unable to hold its tune, and has problems with sticking keys. We have demoted it to the meeting room for the time being, and moved the old upright back into the choir room. Although this piano has a decent tone, it is impossible for me to play and direct from this piano since I have my back to everyone. If there is a baby grand or good spinet piano sitting unused in your home, we would love to have you consider donating it to All Saints’.
Maggie Marshall, Minister of Music
Host Families Needed
As many of you may know, the Cole/Marshall household has been heavily involved with the Chernobyl Children Project, a Boston-based medical and “fresh air” project that brings 125 children from the Chernobyl region (parts of Russia, Belarus, and the Ukraine) each summer. This year, the children will arrive on June 21 and depart on July 20. Host families take two children for this time period and incorporate them into their daily life as well as involve them in Project activities.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, and although the children in the project were not born at the time of the accident, their daily lives and health are still affected by breathing the contaminated air, drinking the contaminated water, and eating foods grown in contaminated soil. Although clean food and water are available, many people in this very poor region are not able to afford it.
These children arrive with a variety of health issues, although the children needing more medical care are usually located in homes closer to the Boston hospitals. Host families are responsible for some driving to medical and dental appointments. The Cole/Marshall crew is very excited because one of their Belarussian children, Sergey Furs, is returning for a visit from April 23-30. As part of the commemoration, Sergey and another CCP success story are being flown over for a press conference and “grand rounds” at the hospital. CCP has saved lives as well as enhanced lives. Statistics show that every month spent in the US adds two years to a child’s life.
With our emphasis on mission this year, this is just another example of an opportunity to serve. For our family, it has been a life-changing experience and one that has made our lives richer. Please speak to either Clem or myself if you have any questions.
Maggie Marshall and Clem Cole: (978) 251-1296
Upcoming Formation Events
Apr 8 Palm Saturday in Parish Hall
9:30-1:00PM
Apr 9-15 HOLY WEEK
Apr 16 EASTER
May 7 Bishop Tom Shaw visits
From the Associate for Adult Christian Formation
The calendar of formation events is short this month, not because there is so little going on, but because we are coming up on two months that are simply packed with vital events here at All Saints’. First and foremost, there is the observance of Holy Week and the celebration of Easter. The more you are able to enter into the events and services that are part of our remembering the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, the more you may experience participating in those events. In the Jewish and Christian traditions, we understand ourselves to be doing much more than mere observing or remembering; we become part of God’s story and God’s story transforms our own stories. I hope you will take advantage of the many opportunities to enter deeply into Holy Week and to prepare yourself for the joy of Easter by joining us for:
· the intergenerational experience of Palm Saturday on Saturday, April 8 which walks us through the events of Holy Week and Easter in an engaging, hands-on-- and is not only for children.
· Palm Sunday/ Passion Sunday on April 9-- Holy Week begins with remembering Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem
· Morning Prayer in the chapel at 7:00 AM, Monday April 10 through Saturday April 15
· Healing Service at noon Eucharist on Wednesday, April 12
· Supper and service for Maundy Thursday, April 13-- we remember Jesus’ last meal with his disciples and the institution of the Eucharist
· services for Good Friday, April 14-- Morning Prayer at 7:00AM, noon service in Chapel, and evening service at Aldersgate United Methodist Church
· Celebration of the Easter Vigil service with Trinity Lutheran and St Mark’s Episcopal churches joining us here at All Saints’ on Saturday evening, April 15
Life after Easter doesn’t particularly slow down for us this year. On May 7, Bishop Shaw will visit us and on May 14, our rector Tom will be with us for the last time before leaving for his four month sabbatical.
Big events and much to celebrate! It is certainly an exciting time to be part of this parish. I urge you not to observe from afar, but to come and be a part of all that is happening during this energized and energizing time.
in peace,
Amy Hunter
Associate for Adult Christian Formation
An Update from the Learning Team
Once again, the ASC Learning Team offers its thanks to the many parishioners who have supported our work and shared their responses to our work. Nearly 150 people responded to the national survey made available on March 12, which is a wonderful level of participation for such a project. The team looks forward to getting back the information about our parish.
We followed the survey with a luncheon and a sharing of the team’s growing sense of what possibilities are ripe, how the parish may be ready to take action, and what our response to God’s call might be. We identified those areas of ripeness, readiness and response as: leadership development, meeting and keeping newcomers, mission focus, and offering small group opportunities to help members live their faith and to build community. We hope you will check the parish’s website for the whole report, R to the Third Power: Ripeness, Readiness and Response or pick up a copy in the narthex.
The next step for the team is to gather together on April 1 for a day of prayer, conversation and discernment, out of which we hope to emerge not with commandments on stone tablets, but with suggested next steps the parish might take. Please keep us, our work and the whole parish of All Saints’ in your prayers.
from your Team,
The Reverend Tom Barrington, Derick Gates, Melanie Hickcox, Amy Hunter,
Lynne McSheehy, and Anne Whitaker
Outreach in the Lower Church School
The Heifer Project
The Heifer Project is a non-profit agency committed to ending hunger and caring for the earth. They are a great organization that you can learn much more about by visiting www.heifer.org Our church school has set a goal of raising $300 towards this outreach project. With the bake sale last month we raised $110. Some children have started to save change and bring money in for this project. Any donations help, but they mean more if the kids can contribute from their work. We are planning on starting a Read-a-thon to raise money. Cindy Dussault, our Outreach Coordinator, is working on getting this ready. If you are interested in helping, please contact Cindy, or one of our Christian Education Directors, about it.
Books for Maseno, Kenya
Nancy and Gerry Hardison, missionaries from Maseno, Kenya – where Tom will be spending his sabbatical – have told us that used books are a valuable resource for them and it would be helpful to get them. So we invite you to look through your library shelves and bring any books you would like to donate to church. We will be shipping them off in 65 lb bags – which the Hardisons tell us get through Kenyan customs with a high degree of success. We will be building on this relationship with churches in Kenya next year, as Tom comes back and shares his experience with us. Sending books seems to us to be a good first step in getting involved. If you would like to help with coordinating this outreach, please
e-mail us with your willingness.
Atrium News
We have been having a very peaceful Lent in the Atrium. The children heard the story of the last supper this past week. We continue to teach them about geography, (the map of Israel and the locations of Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth), with the intent of helping them to understand the context of the Easter celebration. There is a wonderful work in the Catechesis curriculum called the “City of Jerusalem” that would be ideal for this time of year, but we don’t have the resources to get it yet. If you are a woodworker and you would like to learn more about this project, we would love your help.
A quick note to those parents who might be feeling that it has been too long since they have come to church, and that maybe their children might be out of synch with the Sunday School – please know that you are always welcome and that one of the beauties of the Catechesis curriculum is that it is very individualistic – children do work at their level and pace. Come join us anytime- we have an atrium class at 8 am and 9:30 am.
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Stations of the Cross
One way to commemorate Good Friday is through remembering the Stations of the Cross. One listing of these follows:
- Christ is condemned by Pontius Pilate.
- The Cross is laid on Jesus.
- Jesus falls for the first time.
- Jesus meets his mother.
- Simon of Cyrene is compelled to carry the Cross.
- Veronica wipes the face of Christ.
- Jesus falls for the second time.
- The women of Jerusalem lament over Jesus.
- Jesus falls for the third time.
- Jesus is stripped naked at Calvary.
- Jesus is nailed to the Cross.
- Jesus dies on the Cross.
- The Descent from the Cross.
- Jesus is laid in the tomb.
Here, in a nutshell, is our redeeming sacrifice, made by Jesus for us all. Think, and pray, around these Stations this Lent.
Outreach Prayer
Lord, help All Saints’ Church to do your will in the wider world around us.
Strengthen us in our efforts to help those who are poor or vulnerable and to remember that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for you.
We ask that you give us the wisdom and courage to help each other discern, define and act upon God’s mission for us to be Christ’s representatives to all nations. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Outreach
After Lent, the Outreach Team will be engaging church members to listen to what you feel is the Mission of All Saints’ and to hear what Outreach programs you would like to see put into place. We will also be seeking ideas on how the parish should respond to the openings for Outreach presented by Tom Barrington’s sabbatical. Please take advantage as much as you can of these opportunities to learn about Outreach and to help the parish discern its Mission.
For the Outreach Team, Dave Kuzara
The Yard Sale is Coming,
The Yard Sale is Coming!
The annual All Saints' Yard Sale will be on Saturday, April 29th. That doesn't give us much time to plan, so we need your help. We need people to do set-up, clean-up, selling, publicity, and of course collect stuff. YOUR HELP IS DESPERATELY NEEDED! Please contact Lois Freeman with any ideas or questions. The world famous (okay, locally famous) All Saints' Plant Sale will be on that date as well. Please contact Carol Douglas re: the plant sale.
Current Vestry Members
David Cahill Beth Anne Economou Derick Gates
Steve Grillo Doug Hausler Lois Freeman
Joe Sala Sally Warren Anne Whitaker
Adrienne Spear, Senior Warden
Melanie Hickcox, Treasurer
Meredith McElroy, Clerk
Thank You
I would like to thank everyone for their support at the time of my mother’s death. I appreciate you coming to the wake or funeral, the cards and notes, kind words, and donations to the memorial fund. Many people told me something special they remembered about Emma. Everything you did was appreciated more than you know. It is another reminder of how much the All Saints’ community cares.
Ann Kirk and family
Parish Contact List
(All phone numbers are area code 978 unless indicated)
Church Office...................................... 256-5673
Senior Warden....... Adrienne Spear
Junior Warden........ Ron Cannistraro
Treasurer............... Melanie Hickcox
Clerk..................... Meredith McElroy
Acolyte Director.... Clem Cole
Adult Education...... Amy Hunter
Altar Guild............. Liz Landers
Buildings and…….. Rich Jerome
Grounds
Christian School..... Laura Marshall
Michelle Thomas
Elizabeth Danieli
Coffee Hour.......... Cindy Dussault
Endowment ........... to be filled
Environmental Stewardship
Committee............. Liz Marshall
Fellowship.............. to be filled
Finance.................. Clem Cole
Music Minister....... Maggie Marshall
Outreach............... Dave Kuzara
Pastoral Care......... Joy Chadwick
Saints Alive............ Patrick Blumeris
SaintsAlive e-mail: saintsalive@yahoo.com
Stewardship........... Steve Grillo
Thrift Shop............. Carol Cannistraro
Youth Group.......... to be filled
Webmaster............ Richard Coles
Web site................ www.allsaintschelmsford.org
Submission 
… for the May 2006 Saints Alive! is
April 23rd, 2006
Please leave your articles in the Saints Alive! mailbox in the church office, or send them via email to SaintsAlive@yahoo.com
Thanks.