Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Transitions. Aren’t they like the root canals of life? While we know it is damaging not to do anything, we also know that doing something about it will be painful too. But doing something about it will promote healing and a healthier life. The dynamic of transition is not new to us individually or collectively.

Over two thousand years ago, the resurrection faith of the early church was not just happenstance. Nor was it a myth based on the loving memories of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is a radical transition that caught everyone off guard. One important thing the resurrection shows is that clinging to the past inhibits our growth. The resurrection of Jesus is not the continuation of the past; it is a new creation. The women at the tomb, like all of us, do not get it.

The church had a hard time embracing this type of new faith. Only with the gift of the Holy Spirit, did Christians find what it meant to have a risen Lord. The resurrection of Christ is not bringing back the dead, or simply recalling the Holy Week events. It is the reign of God breaking into the world of sin and death to transform it. We call it good news because the Lord is still breaking through to transform us.

It seems that with all the world events going on, transition is all around us. The bad thing about transition is that it leaves us stuck in the pain. Personally, I hate change. The main reason I don’t like change is because I have no control over the new things that healing might bring. We all like to have control in our lives, and when we don’t, then we regress to the mentality of it’s never been done that way before. However, transition can be a powerful tool as we wander into unknown territory with the faith that change can be the opportunity for healing to experience new things.

Transitions. Life is full of them – good ones and bad ones; anticipated ones and unexpected ones; joyous ones and sad ones. Although the list is endless, as well as universal, each transition has special meaning. Each transition shapes part of our spiritual formation as our lives take on a different dimension.

We need to remember that all transitions are infused by the presence of the living God who escorts us along the way. As All Saints’ is in a time of transition, so are we all. This isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. That’s the thing about transition; we never know how or when it will happen. It just does. Theologically, we call this God’s divine providence. It means that no matter where we are spiritually, God is always there beside us, always there to guide us.

As we transition to the tomorrow of uncertain territory, let us go forward in hope. Let us move toward past the discomfort and into the healing that passes all understanding…

May God continue to keep and bless you,
Margie +
 

The butterfly is a symbol of Christ’s Resurrection. The beautiful butterfly rising from its old cocoon reminds us of the new life that is ours in Christ.

Maundy Thursday, April 5- Service at 7:00 PM

“Praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

He who in His great mercy gave us new birth;

birth unto hope which draws its life from the resurrection

of Jesus Christ from the dead . . .” (1 Peter 1:3)

   FLOWERING OF THE CROSS
Easter Sunday, April 8 at 10:00 AM

    EASTER LILIES

Over the past few months it has come to my attention that some church members have loaned to the church personal property such as furniture, artwork, decorations and other items. We do appreciate all these kind gestures but as we are trying to sort out what the church actually owns versus what has been loaned and may need to be returned, we would kindly ask if there is an item that you or your family has loaned and wants to have it returned, that you within the next month, reclaim those items or, if you would like, donate the items permanently to the church. Over the years as vestry members have changed it has become very difficult to identify which items belong to the church and which items have been loaned. If there is something at the church you own but wish to donate please notify Vickie or me. If there is something you would like returned also please let us know. If you wish to donate any items to All Saints we will be happy to provide you with a letter of receipt for tax purposes.

In the interest of making All Saints as visually appealing as possible, I have asked Mary Tillery and Sally Pierce to work together to evaluate the church buildings & make recommendations about those areas that are in need of re-painting, decorating, or rearrangement of furniture currently owned by the church. If any of you have any suggestions or recommendations about this contact Mary or Sally. Thank you.

If anyone has any comments, questions, or concerns please contact me or another vestry member so they may be brought to our attention at a future vestry meeting.

I always teach my writing students that starting an essay with a paradox is a good way to get your reader’s attention. The paradox makes the reader wonder, “How is this writer going to get out of this one?” With that said, here is your paradox, dear reader: Easter is around the corner and it’s time to sing carols.

Carols are not just for Christmas; any song that tells a story and ends with a repeated refrain is a carol by definition. So we have Epiphany carols about the three kings and other manifestations of Jesus’ divinity to go along with our more familiar Christmas carols. But we have Easter carols that tell the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

My favorite Easter carol is “Now the Green Blade Riseth.” It doesn’t have a lot of pomp and circumstance and isn’t very good for marching, so we usually don’t sing it on Easter Sunday. It usually gets snuck into the service as a communion hymn in the Sunday or two after Easter. It tells the story of the three days’ Jesus spent in the tomb, but tells it in an allegory of wheat that has been buried and will come to life in the spring. Another great thing about the carol is that it is arranged to an old French Christmas carol tune that we sing at Christmas as “Sing We Now of Christmas.”

In keeping with the technical “carol,” it has a short, simple refrain: Love is come again like wheat that springeth green. Wheat was not chosen as the springing grain by accident, for wheat is the essence of the communion bread, the body of our Lord. The carol ends with a promise of redemption and healing that makes it feel like a Christmas lullaby. As we sing the traditional songs of Easter, listen for the little carols stuck in between. You will be richly rewarded for your efforts.
 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
The Right Reverend Canon Michael Hunn, Canon to the Ordinary for Program and Pastoral Ministry
will be at All Saints’ on Sunday, May 6 2007. Rev. Hunn will preach at the 11 am service and then have fellowship with our parish in the parish house after the service. More info tba

Margie’s Bookshelf

Conversations with Scripture – The Parables
By William Brosend, Morehouse Publishing, 2006

Streams of Mercy: A Meditative Commentary on the Bible
By: the Rev. Ann Kristin Haldors Fontaine, Authorhouse, 2005

Do You Believe? - Living the Baptismal Covenant
By: Nancy Ann McLaughlin, Morehouse, 2006

QUESTIONS (Answers are found below)

Tally your points and multiply by two to get your score out of 100.

Source: “Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know – and Doesn’t” by Stephen Prothero, published by Harper San Francisco, March 2007 (as quoted in USA Today article “America Gets an ‘F’ in Religion” by Cathy Lyn Grossman)

I want to thank Sally Pearce, Renate Ingram, June Long and June Whitaker for taking care of the meal amenities for our March meeting and remind you that our April meeting will be on the 18^th. The board meeting is planned for 10:45 am and the General meeting for 12 noon. Deedie Moncure, Pat Barnes and Betty Harris will take care of the meal amenities for the April meeting and Margie Musgrove will present the program. We enjoyed the program very much at our last meeting, thanks Margie for your dedication.

We have received a very nice thank you note from the Reverend Phil Byrum for our gift to St. Mark’s in Wilson. You might remember that we sent ¼ of our Food Fair money to them because of the fire that occurred there recently. Deedie Moncure, Pat Barnes, Tony Short, Rev. Holm and I attended the Rocky Mount Convocation meeting on March 27th.

For the month of April the Saint Frances Guild committee consist of Kathy Mitchell (captain), Val and Tony Short and Joanne Parrett. Please check with Vickie to receive the list for visitations.

If you would like to take an Easter Lilly with you on your visit after April 8th, please contact Pat Barnes.

I hope to see you on the 18^th and maybe before.
Ruthie G.
 

Please bring your gloves, trimmers, shovels etc..
Saturday, April 7 at 9 am to help our make our grounds look their best before Easter.
We are in GREAT NEED of helpers!!! Young and old are welcome!!!!

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This month the Good Samaritan Mission is in need of
Canned meats

Please clip this coupon and add it to your grocery list, then place your donated item(s) in the basket at the back of the church on Sunday.

Your donations are greatly appreciated.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!

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