Volume 3, Issue 5 The Ministry May 2019 · 2019-05-02 · Regular Parish Activities May Food Pantry...
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Sundays 8:30 AM Holy Eucharist 9:15 AM Coffee Hour 9:30 AM Choir Practice/Sunday School 10:30 AM Holy Eucharist Tuesdays 9:00 AM Education for Ministry 6:00 PM Education for Ministry Wednesdays 12:45 PM Prayer Shawl Knitters 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist 5:45 PM Parish Supper 6:30 PM Choir Rehearsal Thursdays 8:30 AM Bible Study Fridays 10:00 AM Busy Bees Playgroup Office Hours Monday - Thursday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Friday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Contact us 3831 35th Avenue • 39305 601.483.3959 Clergy & Staff The Rev. Morris Thompson, Rector morris@mediatormeridian.org Katy Watkins, Youth Director katy@mediatormeridian.org Paige Brooks, Parish Administrator [email protected] Lora Tucker, Organist/Choirmaster [email protected] Michael Barney, Sexton The Great 50 Days The Ministry Volume 3, Issue 5 May 2019 We all know about the forty days of Lent. Those forty days of fasting, self-denial, and meditating on God and his Holy Word. In our church, we talk a lot about these days of simplicity, but what we often neglect are the days that follow. Eastertide is the season between Easter Sunday and Pentecost. It is a season of fifty days in which we celebrate the risen Lord. So for forty days we fast, then for fifty days we feast! A professor of mine once noted, “if the sabbath, that day where we celebrate the feast of the Risen Lord, comes once a week, then Eastertide is the sabbath season of the year!” Indeed the great fifty days is a seventh of the calendar year. For an entire season we are called to celebrate daily, in thanksgiving and prayer, the gift of grace and love which God has bestowed upon us by His resurrection. Corporately we do this in our worship. We change our hymnody to reflect the triumph of Christ’s victory over death. We say, “Alleluia!” as frequently as possible. This is actually the time in which we put special emphasis on that celebratory phrase which is why I like to use it more sparingly in the other seasons of our church calendar. Finally, we change the service by omitting the confession through the Easter season. This is in response to the Lenten season where we focused on confession and repentance. Now that we are in Easter, we focus on grace and Christ’s victory over sin and death. I hope that you are able to feel the changes within our liturgy. I hope that you may find your own daily celebration of God’s grace. And I hope that they inspire you to live deeply into the joy of Christ’s resurrection. Alleluia Christ is Risen! Morris +
Transcript of Volume 3, Issue 5 The Ministry May 2019 · 2019-05-02 · Regular Parish Activities May Food Pantry...
Sundays 8:30 am Holy Eucharist 9:15 am Coffee Hour 9:30 am Choir Practice/Sunday School 10:30 am Holy Eucharist
Tuesdays 9:00 am Education for Ministry 6:00 pm Education for Ministry
Wednesdays 12:45 pm Prayer Shawl Knitters 5:30 pm Holy Eucharist 5:45 pm Parish Supper 6:30 pm Choir Rehearsal
Thursdays 8:30 am Bible Study
Fridays 10:00 am Busy Bees Playgroup
Office HoursMonday - Thursday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Contact us 3831 35th Avenue • 39305 601.483.3959
Clergy & Staff The Rev. Morris Thompson, Rector [email protected]
Katy Watkins, Youth Director [email protected]
Paige Brooks, Parish Administrator [email protected]
Lora Tucker, Organist/Choirmaster [email protected]
Michael Barney, Sexton
The Great 50 Days
The MinistryVolume 3, Issue 5 May 2019
We all know about the forty days of Lent. Those forty days of fasting, self-denial, and meditating on God and his Holy Word. In our church, we talk a lot about these days of simplicity, but what we often neglect are the days that follow. Eastertide is the season between Easter Sunday and Pentecost. It is a season of fifty days in which we celebrate the risen Lord. So for forty days we fast, then for fifty days we feast!
A professor of mine once noted, “if the sabbath, that day where we celebrate the feast of the Risen Lord, comes once a week, then Eastertide is the sabbath season of the year!” Indeed the great fifty days is a seventh of the calendar year. For an entire season we are called to celebrate daily, in thanksgiving and prayer, the gift of grace and love which God has bestowed upon us by His resurrection.
Corporately we do this in our worship. We change our hymnody to reflect the
triumph of Christ’s victory over death. We say, “Alleluia!” as frequently as possible. This is actually the time in which we put special emphasis on that celebratory phrase which is why I like to use it more sparingly in the other seasons of our church calendar. Finally, we change the service by omitting the confession through the Easter season. This is in response to the Lenten season where we focused on confession and repentance. Now that we are in Easter, we focus on grace and Christ’s victory over sin and death.
I hope that you are able to feel the changes within our liturgy. I hope that you may find your own daily celebration of God’s grace. And I hope that they inspire you to live deeply into the joy of Christ’s resurrection.
Alleluia Christ is Risen!
Morris +
Upcoming Events
YOUTH SUNDAY!!Join us this Sunday, May 5 as we celebrate our youth, Chloe Johnson and Sean Shelton, who are 2019 graduates. We will have youth participants as readers, ushers, music, and Chloe will be preaching! We will honor our graduates with a special blessing as well as gifts for each. Breakfast before the service.
Wednesday Night Cook-outThe Mediator Youth and Fr. Morris will grill hamburgers, hot dogs and all the fixin's on Wednesday night May 22. We will even bring out the water slide for our little ones!
Upcoming Baptism DateThere will be a baptism on Father'sDay, June 16, during the 10:30 service. If you know someone who is interested in this sacrament please contact Father Morris.
Pentecost SundayDon't forget to wear your RED on June 9 for our celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Birth of the Church, the festival known as P ENTECOST SUNDAY!
Priest’s Book ClubThe book club will meet Wednesday, May 8, after the Parish Supper to discuss the first half of Richard Rohr's new book The Universal Christ. Copies of the book are available in the bookstore.
Episcopal Church WomenECW is meeting Monday, May 20 at 6:00 pm for our final meeting this semester. Alice James has offered to host at her house in town. Please bring your favorite pot luck dish to share with everyone. All women of the church are invited. The Mediatorbus will leave the church parking lotat 5:45 pm. Due to limited parking at Alice's house, you are encouraged to carpool or ride the bus.
One Final Wednesday Night This is your last chance to help us cook a Wednesday night meal before the summer! We do not have a cook for May 15, so please gather your team and contact the office with your menu!
Upcoming Movie NightsFriday, May 17, at 5:30 PM we will host a movie night in the Parish Hall. Pizza, drinks, and popcorn will be provided. The movie will be "Aladdin". Then, on Friday, June 21 we will host a movie night featuring the movie "Up!" All are welcome!
EYC Rafting the Ocoee River(Must be 12 years of age or older) EYC will travel July 14 – July 17. Cost: $200 per person. There is limited space. Contact Katy ASAP if interested in going. Deadline to sign up is May 22. A $100 deposit is due at this time.
Camp Bratton Green StaffSay hello to summer with Sabrina Solomon at CBG! She has been selected to join Camp Bratton Green's permanent staff this summer. She will be working in the kitchen as a member of Permanent Grease! Don't forget to look for her while you're at CBG.
Mediator Mama Mia! Cast MembersCongratulations to Mediator’s own Chloe Johnson, Emma Grace Johnson, Jill Johnson, Claire McCraw, Hayley Shirley, and Sarah Paige Shirley for being cast in Meridian Little Theatre’s production of Mamma Mia! Way to go ladies! The play will run May 9-14 at 7:00 PM nightly and 2:00 PM on Sunday. Break a Leg!
Mediator in the News
DOY CouncilCongratulations to Lauren Kirchhefer and Sarah Paige Shirley who were selected to serve on The Diocese of Mississippi's Division of Youth Council! They will help design and lead retreats for Episcopal youth throughout Mississippi!
Regular Parish Activities
May Food Pantry ItemsMay 1 canned or dry beansMay 8 canned meatMay 15 canned assorted soups/
package of crackersMay 22 canned yellow vegetablesMay 29 canned green vegetables
Wednesday Night SuppersJoin us every Wednesday night at 6 for a parish supper. $5/person or $15 max per family. Activities for children and youth follow the meal. Available date to cook in May is the 15th. Our last Wednesday Parish supper will be May 22.
Adult Sunday SchoolCome check out our current Sunday School series: Animate: Bible. Animate: Bible is a video series that invites conversation around Christianity’s most holy texts. Come dig deeper in to the Bible and how it came to be!
Wednesday Night EucharistHoly Eucharist is offered every Wednesday night at 5:30 and is followed by our Parish Suppers. Every second Wednesday is Holy Eucharist with Healing. May 22 will be the last weekday Eucharist of the school year and we will resume in August.
Busy Bees PlaygroupThe Busy Bees Playgroup meets every Friday morning from 10:00-11:30 AM at the church playground and nursery. Infants through preschoolers and their caregivers are invited. Join us, rain or shine!
Prayer Shawl KnittersAll are invited to experience the prayer, fellowship, and joy of knitting at our weekly prayer shawl knitters' group. The group meets Wednesdays at 12:45 PM in the parlor room. Come join this rowdy crew. Beginners welcome!
Bible StudyCome join our Thursday morning Bible study in the EfM room. This faithful group meets every Thursday morning from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM to read through and discuss scripture.
AnnouncementsNo Newsletter in JuneWith Summer in full swing and a lot of our members out for the month, there will be no Ministry Newsletter sent out in the month of June. This will make July's edition EXTRA sweet!
Ministry and Music FestivalDon't forget to go out and support St. Paul's Music and Ministry Festival on Saturday, May 4 from 10AM to 2PM. There will be great fried fish, music, and fellowship. Tickets cost $10 at the door. All proceeds benefit Care Lodge and Love's Kitchen.
Diocesan News
Lay Readers' ConferenceSt. Pierre's, Gautier will hold a Lay Reader Training on June 1, 2019. Registration will start at 8:00 AM The conference begins at 8:30 and concludes at 1:00 PM following lunch. The cost is $30 and includes lunch. This will count as the annual continuing ed credit for Lay Readers. Contact Morris for more information.
Camp Bratton GreenNow is the time to sign up your child for Camp Bratton Green! Contact the office if you are in need of a scholarship. The camp is also looking for counselors and cabin parents. Contact Morris or visit the Gray Center website for more information.
Gee's Bend Quilting RetreatDon’t miss this opportunity for a weekend retreat at Gray Center quilting with China Pettway and Mary Ann Pettway of the Gee’s Bend Quilting Collective in Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The retreat is scheduled for Sunday, August 18 until, Thursday, August 22. For more information and to register, please go to:www.geesbendquiltingretreats.com
Vestry Highlights• The remaining lights in the sanctuary have been changed to
LEDs. Lights in the Chapel will be changed after Easter.
• Katy Watkins has begun working as part-time interim Youth Director.
• The new niches for the columbarium will be delivered in either May or June..
• Fr. Morris was chosen to participate in the Congregational Leadership Initiative and he and Ceil Bunyard will attend a conference at Kanuga in June.
Notes from LoraSpecial thanks to our choir for being generous with their time and talents during this busy season. It takes many hours of rehearsal and planning to prepare for Holy Week and Easter. Guest instrumentalists contributed to our celebration too. Many thanks to the brass quartet and timpani player from MCC. A big note of thanks also to our own Sue Shoffiett. How very fortunate we are to have her. Thank you all for adding to the beauty of our Holy Week and Easter.
Members
Sr. Warden, 2020Bill Scaggs
Jr. Warden, 2021Jim Quick
Class of 2020 Class of 2021
Alice James, Treasurer Ann Glazar, Clerk
Class of 2022Ceil Bunyard
Winky GloverLou Rawson
Beth CalderonPat DowneyJames Weems
Brenda EasterwoodRoss Goodin
Fred Wile
Morris Thompson, Chair
FOLLOW US ONLINE
www.mediatormeridian.org
@mediatormeridian
facebook.com/mediatormeridian
Episcopal Youth Activities
May 5 EYC @ Mediator May 22 Youth help grill on Wednesday Night with Fr. Morris
EYC's May Schedule
Sunday, May 5th during the 10:30 serviceYouth Sunday
The Ministry (USPS) 984580 Periodical Postage Paid at Meridian, MS 39301 Published by Church of the Mediator PO Box 3400 Meridian, MS 39303 Monthly Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Ministry PO Box 3400 Meridian, MS 39303 Volume 3 No. 5 Issue Date May 2019
PO Box 3400 · Meridian, MS 39303
May 5 Youth Sunday June 9 Pentecost June 24-28 Vacation Bible School @ St. Paul's July 14-17 EYC Rafting the Ocoee River
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
VacationBible SchoolJune 24 – 27
9:00 am – 12:00 noonSt. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Ages: 3 years through 5th grade
Volunteers are needed, youth and adults. Contact Claire Hasselle at 601-938-2171
Whitewater Rafting on the Ocoee RiverDucktown, Tennessee
Sunday, July 14 – Wednesday, July 17(Must be 12 years of age or older)
Accommodations are in Blairsville, GeorgiaCost: $200 per person covers all expenses)
Deadline to sign up is May 22. A $100 deposit is due at this time.
