The Monthly Newsletter of St. John's Episcopal Church302 Green Street • Fayetteville, NC 28301 • 910.483.7405 • www.stjohnsnc.org

March 2014

ECW LentenLuncheons

Did you know that Lent is derived from an OldEnglish word, "lencten," which originally meant spring?Over time, lencten developed a new meaning as atranslation for the Latin term quadragesima, literally"fortieth." By the Late Middle Ages, as the vernacularreplaced Latin in English sermons, Lenten wasabbreviated to Lent and widely used to denote the fortydays of repentance preceding Easter. For Episcopalians,this period marks an important faith journey, a time ofreflection and repentance.

Enrich your journey using the following guide toLenten services, programs, and resources at St. John's.

Shrove TuesdayPancake Dinner6 p.m. Mar 4Before taking theimposition of ashes,come celebrate FatTuesday with St. John'sat our Annual PancakeSupper on Tuesday,March 4! The dinner ishosted by St. John'syouth. Plenty ofpancakes and freshfruit!

Ash WednesdayServicesNoon & 7 p.m. Mar 5Receive the impositionof ashes and sacramentof Holy Communion ateither of the followingservices: 12 p.m. AshWednesday liturgy andHoly Eucharist; 7 p.m.Ash Wednesday liturgyand Holy Eucharistwith music

St. John’s Gift Shop hasa trove of resources forLenten studies,featuring God for Us:Rediscovering theMeaning of Lent and GetOver Yourself; God’sHere! Visit the shopduring store hours orat their online store:stjohnsgiftshop.com.

Lenten Resourcesat the Gift ShopThe Episcopal ChurchWomen will begin theirLenten Luncheon serieson March 10. Eachluncheon is precededby a Bible study led byFr. Alves. Join themevery Monday at 10:30a.m. during Lent(through April 7). Allwomen are invited.

10:30 a.m. Mondays

Join the Daughters of the King for a Lenten Quiet Day.Lisa Richey, ObJN, will lead you through the psalms ofthe day, providing time and space for prayerfulreflection. Light lunch served. Contact Jean Moore,jean.moore@activatepromos.com, to register.

This year, the Wednesday Lenten Studies series willdovetail with the Exploring Worship at St. John's series,the latter of which began in Advent this past December.

Here's a look at the first few installments of the

Lean into Lent with DoK9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mar 8

Wednesday Lenten Studies6:45 p.m. Wednesdays

See Wednesday Lenten, page 4

ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH302 Green St • Fayetteville, NC 28301

Founded in 1817 in Fayetteville, NCand today a worshipping community ofmore than 700 parishioners.

2 THE EPISTLE

SUBMISSIONS AND DEADLINESWe rely on our parishioners fornewsletter content. If you have news orevents relevant to parish life, pleasecontact the appropriate Vestryrepresentative or the parish office. Thesubmission deadline for the Apriledition of The Epistle is March 15.

CLERGY, STAFF, & OFFICERSRector The Rev. Robert M. AlvesSr. Warden John HolmesJr. Warden Drew YoungClerk of Vestry Lenora ChandlerTreasurer Dohn Broadwell JrChoirmaster Patrick M. O'BriantAdministrator Brant BrockCommunications Anthony RamosBookkeeper Sue StricklandPreschool Director Donnie WinstonParish Cook Bob JenkinsSexton Donnell SimmonsSexton Lonnie PipkinSexton James Henderson

THE VESTRYJeff Baker • John Holmes • Judy Klinck •Patsy Politowicz • Glenn Chandler •Ricky Evans • Jean Moore • Drew Young• Dick Kells • Deborah Greene • ChristelHaworth • Robin Kelly

THE EPISTLEMonthly Newsletter

UPCOMING PROGRAMSMarch 2014

Exploring the Easter Triduum6:45 p.m. Mar 12The Easter Triduum—a three-day liturgy encompassing the celebrationsof Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil ofEaster—expresses in Word and Sacrament the central mysteries of ourChristian Faith. Join us for an evening of exploration of the history,traditions, and rubrics of these most profound celebrations which markthe apex of our liturgical calendar. Maj. Daniel Toven will lead thediscussion.

Fourth Friday at St. John's: Fayetteville Cantate6:20 & 7:20 p.m. Mar 28Exciting news! St. John's has just joined the Downtown Alliance! As adowntown parish that has remained a pillar of the Fayettevillecommunity for nearly 200 years, we are supportive of the Alliance'sefforts to strengthen the vitality of downtown Fayetteville.

As a new member, St. John's will open its doors on March 28 forFourth Friday as host to a performance by the Fayetteville Cantate!Cantate's Fourth Friday concert will be a smorgasbord of styles. Theywill sing a little sacred music, a few standards, show tunes, and folkstunes. Tours of St. John's will precede each concert on the hour. Plus,they will give you a preview of their "Celtic Cantate" Concert at 4 p.m.June 1 at St. John's. Don't miss it: there's something for everyone!

It goes by several names: Holy Communion, the Eucharist (whichliterally means "thanksgiving"), mass. But whatever it’s called, this is thefamily meal for Christians and a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Assuch, all persons who have been baptized, and are therefore part of theextended family that is the Church, are welcome to receive the breadand wine, and be in communion with God and each other.1

Join Fr. Alves after the parish dinner and examine the liturgy of theEucharist in the tradition of the Episcopal Church.1Reprinted from the Episcopal Church's website.

Exploring the Holy Eucharist6:45 p.m. Apr 2

RECTOR'S CORNER

THE EPISTLE 3

Several people have asked me about the following prayer that I often use beforethe sermon:

Come Holy Spirit; come.Come as the light and reveal.Come as the wind and cleanse.Come as the fire and burn within us.Make us whole and holy and wholly thine,And then use us as thy wiltAnd always for thy purpose. AmenI was first introduced to the prayer by a nun from All Saints’ Convent in

Baltimore. She used the prayer at a Lenten quiet retreat held at the parish Iserved in Roanoke Rapids, NC. I have been unsuccessful in tracing the originalsource of the prayer.

The words of the prayer draw our hearts, minds and sprits deeper into ourspiritual journey. The prayer also serves us well as a centering prayer during ourLenten journeys as we invite God to search our hearts and cleanse our hearts thatwe might be restored and empowered for ministry.

This year our Lenten journey will provide the opportunity to focusintentionally on our life as a diocese as we prayerfully consider the ministry towhich God is calling us and the gifts offered by the nominees who have openedthemselves to be considered for service as the VIII Bishop of the Diocese of EastCarolina. I also invite each member of our parish to consider how you might becalled to serve Christ through the ministry of our parish. Your vestry will beseeking leaders for various activities in the coming weeks. I hope that you willagree to serve if you are asked. The whole congregation is encouraged to gatherfor lunch on Sunday, May 4 to help us chart the course for the mission andministry of our parish in the upcoming year. This luncheon meeting will providethe opportunity to review the draft calendar, offer new ideas for ministry and todiscern where God might be calling you the serve.

The season of Lent calls us into the intentional work of self-examination andreflection as we open the darkest corners of our life to the light of Christ that wemight be cleansed and restored. Holy Week invites us to engage fully the divinemystery that Jesus Christ embodied the boundless love of God as he died on thecross that our sins might be forgiven. Then we experience the complete andcleansing joy of the resurrection on Easter Day. Thus we are made whole andholy and we are empowered for life in the service of our lord.

As you read the March Epistle, I hope that you will find plenty of food forthe journey and opportunities to engage in the life of our community. TheLenten journey begins on Wednesday, March 5 as we gather for the AshWednesday Liturgy and hear the words:

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to theobservance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance;by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading andmeditating on God's holy Word. And, to make a right beginningof repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us nowkneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.

The SpiritualJourney of Lent

The Rev. Robert Alves

xx

The season of Lentcalls us into theintentional work of self-examination andreflection

4 THE EPISTLE

Join the St. John's volunteer team and servebreakfast to our homeless neighbors. We servefrom 7-9 a.m., but feel free to jump in for anyamount of time that you can help.

Operation Inasmuch Breakfast7-9 a.m. Mar 6

OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES

Salvation Army Love Lunch11:30 a.m. Mar 17Join our Love Lunch team this month and helpour local Salvation Army (220 East Russell St.)provide hot meals to over 100 homelesscitizens.

Blitz Day: Stop Hunger Now9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Apr 5For 19 years, Operation Inasmuch Blitz Day hasbeen a day of service in the Fayettevillecommunity. This year, however, Blitz Dayextends beyond the borders of Fayetteville tohelp stop hunger world-wide. OperationInasmuch is organizing a city-wide, meal-packing event for Stop Hunger Now, a NorthCarolina-based non-profit that provides food indisaster situations and to internationaldevelopment programs such as schools, medicalclinics, and nurseries. For more information onhow you can volunteer, contact Judy Klinck atjbklinck@aol.com. More details forthcoming.

Holy Week ServicesApr 13-20Palm Sunday

8aLiturgy of the Palms & Holy Eucharist I

w/ Passion Narrative10:30a

Liturgy of the Palms & Holy Eucharist IIw/ Passion Narrative

Wednesday5:15p

Holy Eucharist and Healing

Maundy Thursday7p

Holy Eucharist Rite II

Good FridayNoon

Stations of the Cross (At St. Joseph’s)7p

Good Friday Liturgy

Saturday8p

The Great Vigil of Easter

Easter Day8a

Holy Eucharist Rite I w/ music10:30a

Holy Eucharist Rite IIseries, which will run until the week beforePalm Sunday. On March 12, Maj. Daniel Tovenwill lead a forum covering the Easter Triduum(described on page 2). On March 19, Fr. Alveswill discuss the discernment process for thebishop search. On March 26, see and discuss theshort film Celebrate What's Right with the World.And on April 2, join Fr. Alves for an explorationof the liturgy of the Holy Eucharist (describedon page 2).

Additional events will be announced soon.

Wednesday Lenten, continued from front

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DIOCESE WARDEN'S NOTES

On Friday, May 2, we will havethe privilege of hosting theQuestion and Answer sessionfor the candidates to be the nextBishop of the Diocese of EastCarolina during their “Walk-about” of the Upper Cape FearDeanery. The event will be ouropportunity to make a positivefirst impression on the newBishop and will be attended bymembers of Episcopal churchesthroughout our Deanery.

We need volunteer supportfor the evening of the event andin the days leading up to it toshowcase our parish facilitiesand demonstrate our hospital-ity. Help will be needed forsetting up the interview venuesand for guiding visitors aroundour facilities. More details willbecome available in the comingweeks.

If you’d like to help supportthis event, please contact DickKells at 910.860.5628 or emailrkells@earthlink.net. If you’recontacted and asked to help insome way, please be preparedto say “yes.”

Walkabout Q&AVolunteersI was delighted to have served as one of your delegates to 131st AnnualConvention of the Diocese of East Carolina. It was an exciting time to be togetherwith our brothers and sisters in Christ from across eastern North Carolina. Thebusiness of convention this year was fairly routine building up to the big climaxon Saturday with the introduction of four outstanding candidates to be the nextbishop of the diocese. We give thanksgiving for the work of the SearchCommittee and our own Jean Moore in this effort.

Over the next few months, it is incumbent upon the delegates and other EastCarolina Episcopalians to take advantage of the opportunity to familiarizeyourself with the candidates and to pass along your thoughts to our delegation.For starters, you can go to the webpage that has been set up for the searchwww.eastcarolinabishopsearch.com or you can follow the link from the regulardiocesan webpage. Here you will find in-depth candidate profiles, and more onthe selection process. The search will culminate in a week of five “Walkabouts”across the diocese starting Monday, April 28 in Greenville and continuingnightly with the final Walk About here at St. John’s on Friday, May 2. This willbe your opportunity to meet each of the candidates face to face. Melene Hatcherserves on the Walk About committee and Dick Kells has agreed to serve as St.John’s host for that evening. You will be hearing more about this in the weeks tocome.

The convention then reconvenes on Saturday, May 17 at Christ Church inNew Bern where the lay and clergy delegates will elect the 8th Bishop of theDiocese of East Carolina. Delegates to this convention are John Holmes, SeniorWarden; Drew Young, Junior Warden; Richard Alligood; and Mary Zahran.Our youth delegate is Robert Britton.

I could not help but be proud that St. John’s is represented in so many areasof diocesan leadership today, and frankly that has not been the case in yearspast. For starters, our rector, Robert Alves, was elected president of the StandingCommittee of the Diocese, which is the most important of the many importantcommittees that run the diocese. The president of this committee stands in ashead of the diocese in the absence of the bishop. Robert was also re-elected to theBoard of Trustees of Sewanee and will serve as an alternate delegate to GeneralConvention in June 2015. Melene Hatcher is serving on the Executive Committeeof the diocese as the representative from the Lower Cape Fear Deanery. She isalso serving with Bill Orr on the Transition Committee for the election andconsecration of the VIII Bishop of East Carolina which will take place onNovember 8, 2014 in Greenville, NC. Jean Moore continues her diocesaninvolvement on the Finance Committee, Richard Alligood is serving on theDisciplinary Board, and I am serving on the Personnel Committee.

Finally, I ask that you mark your calendar for Sunday, May 4. After theservice we will gather together with the Vestry for a time of visioning and inputfrom the congregation as we plan our next program year. These are excitingtimes to be at St. John’s and in the Diocese of East Carolina as we look to thefuture. God bless you all.

BY JOHN HOLMES, SR. WARDENOur Call to Leadership in the Diocese

BY DICK KELLS

6 THE EPISTLE

CALENDAR ROUNDUPECW Lenten Planning10:30 a.m. Mar 3Join ECW for a presentation on an ancientNative American legend by Marty Baldwin. Themeeting will also focus on finalizing Lentenluncheons, the first of which is March 10,preceded by a Bible study led by Fr. Alves at10:30 a.m.

March

1 Melene Hatcher 2 Lenora Chandler • Joshua Walker• Caleb Merton 3 Ron Bryant • Sheldon Reece • BrianChandler 4 Janet Robinson 5 Linda Lewis • EdwinaKyle 6 Susan Brown 7 Jane Stewart • Sherry Bryson 8Richard Alligood 9 Henry Holt • Dean Barrett 12Lynn Breeden 14 Charlie Halsey • Judy Klinck • JimHaugh • John Britton 15 Margaret Godwin-Caviness •John Anderson • Charles Stewart 16 Su Vick 17Laurie Byrd • Sunday McHenry • Janet Beyer 18 AllenGradnigo 19 Robin Kelly • Ken Creasey 21 DudleyMiller 22 Bob Caviness 23 Patricia Schaefer 24Sherri Broadwell 25 Ramon Yarborough • DicksonSchaefer 26 Dell Holstein • Scott Privette 27 Carol Orr• Chatham Dawson 28 Charles Broadfoot • MeredithBryson 29 Anita Kyle

anniversaries

birthdays

3 Carolyn & Frank Stout 7 Judy & Fred Klinck 28Leigh Anne & Jim McLean Jr.

celebrations

Fr. Alves (far left) with our Convention delegates — MaryZahran, John Holmes, Richard Alligood, and Drew Young

Nancy Owens discussed iconography as an art formestablished during the Byzantine Empire at ECW'sFebruary meeting.

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