Many of us are concerned about the economy, and with good reason.  There is no credit.  The price of commodities has skyrocketed, while the value of our personal assets has taken a nosedive.  Businesses have tightened up their belts and are getting leaner and meaner through job cuts and fewer services rendered.  A lowered sense of job security, along with higher prices, has strained the household economies of most consumers.  I am no economist (thanks be to God!), but it doesn’t take an MBA to see that our massive economy is in shambles.  This is a very fearful and lonely time.

Fear is the great killer of faith.  Our faith in God involves a simple trust extended on credit.  When we are afraid to trust, then we avoid risk and plant ourselves within the limits that give us the illusion of control and security.  Some fears are good and healthy, such as avoiding the flu or deciding not to take a walk at midnight.  These fears serve us well because they protect us. They force us to acknowledge and work within our limitations.  Then there are times when our fears threaten to overwhelm us and discourage us from the adventure of faith.  This is when we sacrifice what is best for ourselves and others for the lesser good of a presumed safety.  These are unhealthy fears.  These are the fears that paralyze us and keep us from attaining the happiness that God has planned for us.

Being aware of these fears, however, is the largest step in overcoming them.  The awareness of these fears helps us to seek out opportunities so that we can be more open to the presence of God, even in the hardest of times.  That is not to say that having a faithful relationship with God will magically transform our economic or job situations.  However, what faith can do for us is to help us overcome our paralyzing fears.  With prayer, we can not only seek answers for our own situations, but we can lift up those who suffer the most.  We pray that hope and trust will help them through the troubled times.  It is our responsibility as Christians to offer up our prayers.

As we quote our Jesus, “Do not be afraid.”  Do not be afraid. This is what the angel said to the women at the empty tomb.  This also speaks to us today as we find our circumstances changing.  When our expectations are not met, then we become utterly shattered, or we become paralyzed in our fear.  Whether the world is upside down or right side up, it is imperative for us to remember that the world remains in God’s hands.

In the economy of God, nothing is more valued than the simple faith of God’s presence.  The truth of the matter is that we are not in control of what’s happening or of world events.  We never have been in control.  However, we can be in control of how we serve each other and live in this world.  We can be in control of how we witness the peace of Christ in a world scared to death of the future.

I guess the more important question to ask is, “What controls us: faith or fear?”  We can control who has control over us - Christ or a world that seeks to dominate by fear.

So, do not be afraid.  Be of good courage, and embrace the faith in Jesus Christ that enables us to release our control issues so that we can embrace the life that Christ has planned for us.  The greatest killer of faith is not our loss and what dies while we live; the greatest killer of faith is what dies in us while we live.

Your faithful servant,
Margie

Traditions Surrounding the Easter Vigil
by Jim Lee

This year, with the celebration of the Easter Vigil, All Saints will continue some of the most ancient and venerated customs of the Church—the lighting of the Paschal Candle and the singing of the Exsultet.  Both of these traditions have endured in all churches which claim to be in apostolic succession- especially Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches despite the many reforms and schisms that have occurred over the last 2,000 years. 

The origin of the paschal candle is uncertain, but the most likely origin is that it derived from the Lucernarium, the evening office with which early Christians began the vigil for every Sunday and especially that of Easter.  In turn, this rite was probably inspired by the Jewish custom of lighting a lamp at the conclusion of the Sabbath. The paschal candle therefore has its roots in the very beginning of Christianity.  In the Lucernarium, the light destined to dispel the darkness of night was offered to Christ as the splendor of the Father and the perfect light. This Sunday rite was logically carried out with greater solemnity during the Easter Vigil.

The use of the candle has varied over the centuries. Initially, it was broken up after the Easter Vigil and its fragments given to the faithful. From the 10th century forward, the use prevailed of lighting it every Sunday until the feast of the Ascension, and, later, until Pentecost, as is now the practice.  After Pentecost it is left near the baptismal font but lit only for specific services.

The paschal candle is usually blessed at the beginning of the Easter Vigil ceremonies and is placed on a special candlestick near the altar.  Five grains of incense representing Christ's wounds are inserted in the form of a cross on the face of the candle. An alpha above the cross and an omega below (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) indicate that Christ is the beginning and end of all. The current year is traced on the four sides of the cross.

During the year it is lit during all baptisms and funeral services; the candle is traditionally placed next to the casket during the funeral Mass. In this way it symbolizes baptism as a death and resurrection in Christ, and also testifies to Christian certainty in the resurrection of the dead as well as to the fact that all are alive in the risen Christ.

The origin of the Exsultet is intimately connected to that of the Easter candle.  There is clear evidence that this solemn rite began no later than the second half of the fourth century. For example, the use of singing a hymn in praise of the candle and the Easter mystery is mentioned as an established custom in a letter of St. Jerome, written in 384 to Presidio, a deacon from Piacenza, Italy.  Sts. Ambrose and Augustine are also known to have composed such Easter proclamations. The poetic and solemn text of the Exsultet now in use originated in the fifth century, but its author is unknown.  Singing the Exsultet is a proper function of a deacon, although the priest may also do so. If this is not possible, another cantor may sing the Exsultet.

The Exsultet concludes with this prayer:

Holy Father, accept our evening sacrifice, the offering of this candle in your honor.  May it shine continually to drive away all darkness.  May Christ, the Morning Star who knows no setting, find it ever burning—he who gives his light to all creation, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen.

Much of the source material for this article may be found at www.zenit.com.

Episcopal Church Women

I hope everyone who came to our March meeting had as much fun I as did. I enjoy seeing everyone with more time to circulate. Our next meeting will be Wednesday April 8^th, and I look forward to David’s good food. What a week that will be.  Hopefully I will get to see you all a lot. The Board meeting will start at 10:15 in the Mullen Room. At 11:30 we will have Holy Eucharist in the church, followed by our meeting and the program. Then back to the parish house for socialization and lunch.

This is the month that we will also host the Rocky Mount ECW convocation meeting.  Do plan to come to that on Tuesday April 21st. We will open the event in the parish house with coffee from 9:30 – 10:05. The branch presidents and representatives will meet in the Mullen Room at 9:40-10:05. We will then all go to the church for the convocation meeting which will start at 10:15. Our speaker is The Reverend Velinda Hardy from Calvary and St. Luke’s, Tarboro. A break is planned for 11:20-11:30, followed by Holy Eucharist by the Rev. Dr. Marjorie Holm. Lunch and displays are planned in the parish house at 12:00. The branches’ response is at 12:30, with dismissal after that.

David will cater this event. We do need card tables for the displays that will be set up under the windows near the alley, so please see what you have that the ECW may borrow for this event  and let me know on April 8^th. We need someone to do the nametags and some extra hands and bodies to be available for this event. We would like to have a good showing from All Saints’. Deedie will be serving as our treasurer for this event. We will make final plans at our meeting on the 8^th.

See you April 8^th.

Sisters in Christ,
Ruthie G.

Congratulations to John and Charlotte Moss
on the birth of their granddaughter,
Taylor Brannon Moss,
born Wednesday, March 25, 2009.

The Land of Marvels
By: Barry Unsworth, Nan A. Talese, 2009

This is a fantastic book for historians as the setting is in pre-World War I Mesopotamia (eventually Iraq) and centers on an archaeologist who is trying to excavate the remains of an ancient Assyrian tomb and palace.  This book is full of drama, conflict, deceit, betrayal, love, and affairs.   It is good reading, and you don’t have to be a fan of the Babylonians and Assyrians to enjoy it!

Songs of the Missing
By: Steward O’Nan, Viking, 2008

This is a story that takes you into a nightmare of loss, as O’Nan gives a portrait of a family and town that is simultaneously united and torn apart by the disappearance of a college-bound teenager.  The author takes us right into the living room of hope and despair.  He also has a terrific way of avoiding the subjunctive. The effect is simultaneously jarring and deeply absorbing.

Beat the Reaper
By: Josh Bazell, Little, Brown & Company, 2009

This is a fast-paced book that grips you from the first sentence.  The story is about a young doctor who took an unusual road to the Hippocratic oath: he was a hit man in his younger years.  After he saw the error of his ways, he became a doctor as penance.  This is a great book with a deep and intriguing character analysis.  The author, Josh Bazell, has just finished his medical residency in psychiatry.  In reading this book, you can tell that he knows medicine… and the human mind.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Mark your Calendar               June 21 – 25, 2009
5:30—8:00 P.M.

 This year we are hosting Vacation Bible School at All Saints’. 
We will be networking with the First Presbyterian Church.  Lori Gowen is the coordinator.

 Come and share your gifts!
We are looking for volunteers to help with:
Teaching, Music, Cooking, Crafts, and Fellowship
Please give Lori (535-3424) a call if you would like to participate and support our Vacation Bible School. 
You can also call or email the church office. 

Outreach Sponsors Gifts for Life Campaign in April

 It is difficult for us to conceive of a world without food, clean water, healthcare, opportunity, and hope.  Unfortunately, there is such a world for many families and young children in developing countries, and All Saints’ Outreach Committee is providing an opportunity for you to make a difference.

 During the month of April, you will have an opportunity to give a gift that will grow exponentially, sustaining individuals, families, and communities for years to come. Through the Episcopal Relief and Development Gifts for Life program, our parish can make a tremendous impact on hunger, poverty, health, and income for those in need throughout the world.

 A donation to the Gifts for Life program can provide families with a cow, pig, or goat to ensure a steady food supply and income; help communities build and maintain clean water and sanitation systems; prevent disease by supplying mosquito nets, medicine, and health services, or restore communities that have been devastated by disaster.

 There are Gifts for Life that can fit any budget. Here are some examples:

· $12 will buy a mosquito net that will protect a family from malaria.

· $35 will purchase a duck or a goose that will produce eggs and offspring that will provide a sustainable source of food and income for a family.

· $15 will buy a share in a fish farm that will provide a source of high quality protein and a top-selling community staple.

· $25 will purchase a share in a flock of chickens ($135 will purchase an entire flock of chickens) that will include a rooster and hens to produce a daily supply of eggs and a perpetual source of income.

· $80 will purchase a goat that can provide milk, cheese, and manure for farming.

· $50 will pay for post-natal care for a newborn child.

· $150 will provide a loan to provide training, tools, and supplies for a woman to start a business that will give her enough earnings to support her family.

 On Sunday, April 12, all loose offering from the collection plate will be used for the Gifts for Life program.  We will also accept checks, made out to Episcopal Relief and Development, throughout the month of April. Checks can be placed in the collection plate any Sunday in April or sent to the Parish Office. Please specify on your check the type of gift you would like to purchase. For more information about the many giving opportunities through the Gifts for Life program, please call Val Short at 537-2649.

As we approach Easter, we must still approach the grave.  Death is never an easy thing to grasp.  Change…  The finality of a loved one being gone…  Living life in a different way…  No one speaks closer to the heart on that topic than Mary Magdalene.  “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they laid him.”  Later, Jesus says, “Do not hold me for I have not yet ascended…”  the meaning of his words would soon become known to Mary.  She desperately wanted to hold the One who had set her free, who had loved her like no one had before.  Of course she wanted to hold tight.  We were not made to let go of things easily.  Such death is unnatural.  In the beginning there was not death, only the tree of life.

 At Easter, we find Mary weeping, her closure incomplete.  We weren’t meant to say goodbye forever.  It is hard to let someone go.

Let us remember those who have died
The Reverend Delia (Dee) K. Higgins, Edna Baker, Marie Brock, and
Anna Maradiaga.

May their souls, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.

EASTER LILIES
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor University of Vermont

We can thank the two world wars for most of the world production of the Bermuda lily--better known as the Easter lily--in this country.

Native to the Ryukyu islands of southern Japan, this lily (Lilium longiflorum) was discovered by the famous plant explorer Carl Peter Thunberg in 1777 and sent to England in 1819.  Missionaries and sailors further carried it to Bermuda in 1853.  Much commercial bulb production was in Bermuda during the late 1800’s, hence the other name for this bulbous plant.  When a virus destroyed this crop there in 1898, production moved to Japan, where it continued until the outbreak of World War II.

With the outbreak of this war, bulbs were of course scarce, so the price increased greatly.  The few with bulbs in this country who were growing them more as a hobby began growing “White Gold”, as they were called, for business.  World War I also was integral to this bulb production on the southern Oregon coast, as it was Louis Houghton, a soldier in this war, who first brought a suitcase of these bulbs there to his friends.

This area along the California-Oregon border is often called the “Easter Lily Capital of the World” because it produces about 95 percent of all the bulbs grown globally for the potted Easter lily market and virtually all used in this country.  After World War II, there were about 1,200 commercial bulb growers in this area.  Today, the 10 growers of the Pacific Bulb Growers Association produce more than 65,000 boxes of bulbs, shipping them to commercial greenhouses in the U.S. and Canada.  Almost 600 acres are planted to produce Easter lily bulbs, worth about $7 million a year for these bulbs alone.  To help solve bulb production problems, these growers even have their own research station.

Most all Easter lilies are the cultivar (cultivated variety) ‘Nellie White’- selected by a grower and named for his wife.  Bulb production begins in the fall, when scales or bulblets are planted.  The lily bulb is actually composed of many scales—specialized leaves below ground that store food.  These can be separated and planted.  Bulblets are mini-bulbs produced along the underground stem which can be removed and planted.  Both bulblets and scales will form new bulbs.  Each fall bulbs are dug, the largest packed to sell, and the smallest planted back to grow another year.

So how did the Easter lily, a plant that naturally blooms in summer in most of this country, become such a symbol of Easter?  For this we can thank Ms. Thomas Sargent, a woman visiting Bermuda in the 1880s.  She loved the flowers blooming naturally in Bermuda in the spring, so she brought some bulbs back home to Philadelphia.  A local nurseryman there, William Harris, began growing them, forcing them into spring bloom, and selling them to other florists.  Many began buying this flower for Easter, as we do today, with it symbolizing the Resurrection.

So how are Easter lilies forced, or “tricked”, into bloom in time for Easter?  Once greenhouse growers receive bulbs in the late fall, the bulbs are potted and placed in non-freezing cool temperatures.  The bulbs must receive about 1,000 hours of such moist cold in order to bloom, although additional light after they sprout can substitute for some cold.

Once the lily bulbs sprout, they are closely monitored by growers in order to time them for Easter.  This can be difficult, as Easter can vary from March 22 to April 25.  Temperature is used to speed up or slow down the crop.  As each plant can respond a bit differently, many plants traditionally have been moved back and forth between warm and cold greenhouses, so are sometimes called a “wheelbarrow crop.”  Growers track growth using such techniques as “leaf counting”, in which the rate of leaf unfolding is recorded.

When buying a lily, look for a plant with flowers in various stages of bloom from buds to open or partially opened flowers. Foliage should be dense, rich green in color, and extend all the way down to the soil line (a good indication of a healthy root system). Look for a well-proportioned plant, one that is about two times as high as the pot. You should also check the flowers, foliage, and buds for signs of yellowing (improper culture), insects, or disease.

At home, keep your lily away from drafts and drying heat sources, such as appliances or heating ducts. Bright, indirect light is best with daytime temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees F. Water the plant  only when the soil feels dry to the touch, but don’t overwater. To prolong the life of the blossoms, remove the yellow anthers (pollen-bearing pods) found in the center of each flower. If you get this staining pollen on fabrics, don’t rub it off, but remove it with sticky tape.

If you have cats, especially those that like to chew on leaves, keep your lily away from them.  Any part of this lily, as with many of its relatives, can cause kidney failure in cats.  Eating even one leaf can be fatal to a cat, starting with them stopping eating, vomiting, and becoming lethargic.  If you think a cat has eaten a leaf, call a veterinarian immediately as prompt treatment often can be successful.

EASTER LILIES

The Easter Lily may be offered in memory of or in honor of a special loved one and may be ordered through the Altar Guild for $15.00.  You may take your Easter Lily home after the Easter Day Service, April 12, 2009, or leave the Lily for the next two Sunday services, then donate your lily to a home-bound member of the church and friends of the parish.

 Please look for an order form to mailed to you.  If you have not received an order form contact Pat Barnes at 535-2605 or use the one below.  If you wish to purchase your own Lily, you need to have it at the church by Good Friday morning, April 10.  Please contact Vickie in the Parish Office with the names of your loved ones by Wednesday, April 8, if your bringing your own.

 Ordered by:  ________________________________ Number of Easter Lilies

 In memory of:  ______________________________ _______________

  In honor of:      _____________________________

    Total # Lilies:  ____________

    Total amount enclosed $ ____________

 Please check:  ____________ Donate my Easter Lily

 Please mail form with check (memo—Lily) to:

All Saint’ Office
635 Hamilton Street
Roanoke Rapids, NC  27870

Our New Altar

 Our new free-standing altar is almost finished and will be placed in the church on Good Friday.  It is being built by Jonathan and Nathan Davis.  This will be the third altar for All Saints’.  The first altar was built by James Lyerly, Sr. in 1916.  It was replaced in the early 1950’s by his son, James Lyerly, Jr.   The Priest in Charge in 1916 was the Reverend Henry Clark Smith.  The Altar that was built by James Lyerly, Jr., will be removed from the church and placed in the conference room and used for special services.

I am reminded of the Hebrew scripture about the story of the Passover (Exodus 12:1-14).  This Scripture establishes a new beginning, a time to be remembered.  This is a day to be remembered.  This a time of a new beginning for us, it is the marking of time, a time that will be etched in our hearts.  It is also a time when we are called to take up our responsibility.  The mantel of James Lyerly, Sr. and Jr. and all those who have gone before to prepare a place for us to worship is now placed upon our shoulders.

When we gather around our table we join James, Sr., James, Jr., Reverend Henry Clark Smith, and those vestry members who faithfully contributed and served as well as the names of countless others we never knew.  We know Christ in the hearing of the word and in the breaking of the bread.

With this new altar we are remembering our past story while at the same time beginning a new chapter in our wonderful and rich history.  It is time for us to begin to write the next story for All Saints’.

We are all called to pray, to give our resources of time, talent, and money, and to worship because we know the Lord in the hearing of the word and in the breaking of the bread.

Now it’s time for us to accept our responsibility to care for and to be good stewards of what has been given to us. It is time for a new beginning; this is a day to be remembered.

New Chalice and Paten

You might notice on Easter Sunday that we will have a new chalice and paten.  The chalice is the silver cup from which we take the wine.  The paten is the silver plate from which the bread is given.  The current chalice and paten are not large enough to hold the wine and bread to serve you.  As we are growing at All Saints’, it was decided by the vestry and me that we need to make accommodations for the wonderful growth and change that is happening within our church family.

The current chalice and paten will be alternately used for our smaller, 8:00 am service on Sunday’s and for special services.

All Saints’ Schedule of Services during Holy Week

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

6:00 p.m.         Evening Service

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

11:30 a.m.      Holy Eucharist, Rite II, ECW Meeting, and Luncheon

6:00 p.m.         Holy Eucharist, Rite I

Maundy Thursday, April 9, 2009

6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II, with Foot Washing followed by Stripping of the Altar

Good Friday, April 10, 2009

2:00 p.m. Hot Cross Buns

5:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross  (In the Parish House)

6:00 p.m. Good Friday Service

Saturday, April 11, 2009

7:30 p.m. Easter Vigil Service

Easter Sunday, April 12^th, 2009

 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I

 9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II, Children’s Service and Flowering of the Cross

10:00 a.m. Egg Hunt in the Dunn Garden

10:45 a.m. Coffee and light refreshments in parish house

11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II

12:00 Noon Coffee Hour

HOT CROSS BUNS
Good Friday at 2:00 PM

Traditionally, hot cross buns are made on Good Friday and shared with family and friends.  In olden days, people believed that buns brought good fortune if they were baked on Good Friday. Today these buns, marked with a cross, remind us of the death of Jesus.  If you would like to participate, please bring 2 large bowls and your own stirring spoon and call Joanne Parrott at 537-4638 or the parish office at 537-3610 so that we can purchase the ingredients that will be needed.

FLOWERING OF THE CROSS
Easter Sunday at 9:00 AM

The Flowering of the Cross is a long-standing tradition at All Saints’.  This year’s Flowering of the Cross will begin at 9:00 AM in the Church.  For many years the congregation has gathered between the Easter morning services of Holy Eucharist while the children place flowers on the cross. Children are encouraged to bring flowers from their yards to adorn the cross.  During this service we sing, tell the story of the resurrection and adorn the cross with flowers.  The cross adorned with flowers is a symbol of new life and resurrection.

AN EASTER EGG HUNT
ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH GROUNDS
Easter Sunday at 10:00 AM

On Easter Sunday, remember to bring an Easter basket for hunting eggs.  Also, please bring 2 dozen plastic eggs to the church, the parish house or the parish office by Thursday, April 9.  The eggs should have candy or treats in them and be taped shut to keep them from prematurely popping open. 

What Happens During Holy Week

Inside this edition of the Messenger, you will find a page containing the dates and times of all our Holy Week and Easter worship. Please remove it and place it someplace where it can be easily read.  

Please allow me to offer a description below of what we will be doing during Holy Week, along with the readings.

Palm Sunday: The Sunday of the Passion  April 5, 2009

Palm/Passion Sunday – This day commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The gospels record the arrival of Jesus riding into the city on a donkey, while the crowds spread their cloaks and palm branches on the street and shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David" and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” to honor him as their long-awaited Messiah and King.  We will enter from the Dunn Garden and receive blessed palms (weather permitting).  By walking in his followers’ footsteps, as Christians have done since the 3rd century, we realize how we, too, often welcome Jesus into our hearts, only to reject him when our hopes and desires are not fulfilled in the way we prefer.  The inclusion of the Passion in the service previews the events of the days ahead and thereby constitutes our final Lenten preparation for the Great Three Days at the end of the week.

Monday of Holy Week April 6, 2009

Tuesday of Holy Week April 7, 2009 Evening Prayer Service at 6 pm

Wednesday of Holy Week April 8, 2009 Holy Eucharist at 11:30 am & 6 pm

Maundy Thursday April 9, 2009 Holy Eucharist with foot washing at 6 pm

Maundy Thursday—This ceremony will be a Holy Eucharist with the washing of feet, the stripping of the altar, and our sudden departure in silence.  The homily will be sparse, for if ever actions speak louder than words, the Maundy Thursday service so speaks.

Good Friday April 10, 2009
Stations of the Cross at 5 pm, Good Friday Service of Solemn Prayers at 6 pm
The Stations of the Cross In the Parish House

The Great Vigil of Easter April 11, 2009 Holy Saturday at 7:30 pm

Holy Saturday - During the daylight hours, the church will be open, and we encourage you to take a some time to come into the church for prayer and reflection. There is a remarkable variety of worship that occurs throughout Holy Week; indeed, several these are very special services, most of which we only do once a year.  Each of them takes us on a journey with Jesus that retraces the week-long events that led up to his crucifixion – and ultimately, his glorious resurrection.  I hope you can make the time to join us for these incredibly meaningful liturgies. They remind us again of who we are as Christians, and, most importantly, whose we are.

Easter Day April 12, 2009
8 am HE I, 9 am HE II, Flowering of the Cross, 11 am HE II

Easter Day – We will offer a service of Holy Eucharist Rite I, at 8:00 am.  At 9:00, we will have a special children’s Eucharist with the Flowering of the Cross.  Make sure to bring your flowers for this service.  This service will be followed by an Easter Egg Hunt at 10:00 am  and light refreshments at 10:15 am in the Parish House.  At 11:00 am, we will offer a Holy Eucharist, Rite II.  At this service we will also baptize Caroline Elizabeth Wellman.  Alleulia!

The Second Sunday of Easter April 19, 2009

The Third Sunday of Easter April 26, 2009

The Fourth Sunday of Easter May 3, 2009

                   Resurrection Rolls

Ingredients:

 • 1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
 • 8 large marshmallows
 • Melted butter
 • Cinnamon
 • Sugar

Directions:
 1.  Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.
 2.  Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ.
 3.  Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and
     spices the body was anointed with upon burial.
 4.  Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.
 5.  Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams)
 6.  Bake according to package directions.
 7.  Cool.
 8.  Break open the tomb and the body of Christ is no longer there!!
 9.  Celebrate God's love!

Jelly Bean Poem

Red is for the blood He gave.
Green is for the grass He made.
Yellow is for the sun so bright.
Orange is for the edge of night.
Black is for the sins we made.
Purple is for His hour of sorrow.
Pink is for our new tomorrow
An egg full of jelly beans, Colorful and Sweet
Is a prayer, a promise, A loved one’s treat!
Charlene Dickensen, 1997

"Here is an idea for Easter Eggs for toddlers. Use spray bottles with color water & let the toddler spray the eggs. Eggs can either be white or already dyed. This way, they can participate as well. The eggs turn out beautifully." 

How to make a Hard Boiled Egg
(just in case you didn’t know)

· Lay eggs on bottom of the pot 

· Try not to stack your eggs (it's better to do it in batches than overfill your pot) 

· Fill with water so it's an inch over the eggs 

· Put on high heat and bring to a rapid boil 

· Let boil for 12 minutes 

· Remove from heat 

· Remove the eggs immediately from the pot (I use a slotted spoon) and plunge them into cold water until you can pick them out of the water without burning your hands (a bit under a minute)

Food Coloring Dyed Easter Eggs

This  method is easier and cheaper than the store bought tablets.  It is also cleaner than some of the varieties that they sell now.

Materials:

hard boiled egg(s)

vinegar (plain white)

small bowls, cups or empty margarine containers

water

food color drops

Directions:

Fill containers about 1/2 to 2/3 full of water.  Don't full TOO full or when you put the eggs in it will overflow.  I like using cups because it's the most frugal. *Grin*

Add 1 tsp of vinegar for every 1 cup - ish of water.  We don't need absolute measurements here, but if you're using a gallon ice cream pail you'll need more vinegar than if you're using a teacup.

Add drops of food coloring until you're happy with the hue.  I usually get happy with the hue and then add 2 more drops... I find that tends to make the eggs the color I was originally happy with.

Put hard boiled eggs in the cups. I use a Tbsp to put them in and take them out

Let dry.  Wipe with vegetable oil with paper towel or a rag to make a glossier egg

NOTE:  Cover your work surface with newspaper so the dye doesn't get on your kitchen table.  If it does get on furniture, wipe it off with a rag immediately.  This goes for the store bought package, too.

Saints’-On-Wheels Tour Schedule

Saints’-On-Wheels provides an opportunity for church members and friends to explore God’s creation….the  beautiful world around us… with fun and fellowship.  To register, you must call Vickie in the church office at 537-3610 and if you need to be picked up, let her know.  If we do not have at least 7 people to call in two days before the trip, then we must cancel.  Cost per trip will be $10 to cover the cost of gas.  Meals, drinks, admission fees, and other personal purchases will cost extra. Parents must accompany their children.  Please sign up for one or all of the following trips….

Visit the Planetarium in Chapel Hill Saturday April 18, 2009  (Note: Parish Office will be closed the week prior to this trip, so please call Tony Short at 537-2649 to sign up for this trip).

We’ll leave about 9:00 and eat an early lunch then head over to the Planetarium and see a show or two. Admission $6 adults or $5 seniors (60+) additional shows are $2 each more.

http://www.moreheadplanetarium.org/

Hillsborough Visit Saturday May 16^th

We will leave at 9 am and visit Hillsborough.  They will be having their Downtown Hillsborough Spring Sidewalk Sale.   In conjunction with that is the Spring Garden Tour, the Downtown Merchants along Churton Street and King Street will showcase sale items along the sidewalks. Many of these items will be related to gardening, plants, cooking, and springtime. The Spring Garden Tour will be 10am-4pm on Saturday, May 16th.

http://www.historichillsborough.org/calendar/

Tentative plan for June is the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh

 P.S. Our trip to Williamsburg was much fun.  If you have an idea for a trip, please let Vickie or Tony know.