FamilyOfFaithSpiritVoice_March1997.pdf
- Title
- FamilyOfFaithSpiritVoice_March1997.pdf
- extracted text
-
Property of the Cenif•r
·J
March 1997
AN OUTREACH TO MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OFF AMIL Y OFF AITH MCC
WEEKLY
PRAYER LIST
Sundays
- Carol and Family, who
are dealing with AIDS
9:15 am Adult Ed.
11:00 am Worship Service
- MCC of Greater
Tulsa's pastoral search
Wednesdays
6:30 P.M. Bible Study
7:30 P.M. Choir
- Family of Faith's
pastoral search
Thursdays
7:30 P.M. Co-Dependency
Group
MONTHLY
- - -I
WISH LIST
A Pop Machine
-I
-I
Piano
Sound System Floor
Monitor
CD Player
Cards & Stamps
- - - Family of Faith MCC
5451-E SoutrrMingo
1st Sunday of Month
Potluck •
-•
I
-•
1st Friday of each Month
SAFE HAVEN
(ages 18-30)
2nd Sunday of each Month
Board Meeting
(open to all)
10th of each Month
Newsletter Articles Due
3rd Wednesday of each
Montli
Newsletter Mailing
5:30PM
Tulsa, OK
622-1441
Presented by the
Family of Faith Choir
Easter Sunday,
March 30, 1997
11:00AM
Join us in
worshipping
God through
song!
Reprintedwith Permission,Rev.StevenHorelica
CathedralNews• PL..i, Cathedralof Hope MCC, DallasTexas
Journey to Galilee
~ev. Steven 1foreEica
As early as the third and fourth centuries, the Lenten season provided a time of
preparation for baptism. Traditionally it was usually a period of fasting and instruction.
(Baptism was typically held on Easter Sunday in order to symbolize spiritual death and
resurrection). The length of lent has varied through the ages. At one time it was 36
days, being a "tithe" (10%) of the 365 days in a year. In the 6th century and continuing
to this day, it was lengthened to 40 days not counting Sundays. In addition to being a
time for the baptismalcandidate, Lent also becamea time of penitencefor those who had
been temporarily excommunicated from the church and who had to do public penance.
Eventually Lent became an occasion of confession and repentancefor all believers. Ash
Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. Its name comes from the medieval custom of
imposing asheson the heads of penitents. The use of ashesas a symbol of humility and
repentance has a long and honored place in Jewish and Christian Traditions. (Job 2:8,
Jonah 3:6, and Matthew 11:21).
Lent is a seasonof reflection; a time to reflect on our own discipleship- to plunge
beneath the surface and examine who we really are-not who we pretend to be. As we
begin this new liturgical season,we should remind ourselves that Lent is not simply the
long haul towards Easter, but a journey worth taking in and of itself.
When I was a teenager, my father took me deer hunting in the
mountains of Colorado. On the first day we decided to hike up the
mountain. In preparingfor this, I got my back pack and filled it to the top.
You could barely zip it, "You're bringing to much," my Dad said. I told
him I might need all this stuff. He just smiled and say okay. For about
the first mile I did good, but them my backpackwas starting to get heavy
and weigh me down. My Father and Uncle did suggest that I leave some
things behind, and we could pick them up on the way back. I refused.
"I can make it." I insisted. To make a long story short, it was a struggle
climbing that mountain. Eventually, I did have to leave things behind.
I also realizedthat I should have brought some things that I didn't. It was
a struggle, unpleasant at times. But when we stood at the top of that
mountain and looked across the valley, I knew the journey was
worthwhile. Difficult at times, but worthwhile. The journey taught me a
lot about myself and about those around me. And it taught me a lot
about my father.
Lent is a similar journey. A journey in which we learn a lot about
ourselves and about God, our parent. Lent is a journey that isn't
promised to be easy, but one than to be worthwhile. It's a journey
in which we may have to get rid of some things. A journey in
which we may have to struggle with some things.
Lent Season
FeLruary12th, L\shWednttsday:
9,1.atthew6: 1-6, 16-21
FeLruary16th, FirstSundayoF Lent:
9,1.arn_,1:9-15
FeLruary23rd, SecondSundayoF Lent:
John 2:13-22
March2nd, Third SundayoF Lttnt:
John 2:13-22
March'1th, FourthSundayoF Lttnt:
John 3:14-21
March 16th, FiFthSundayoF Lttnt:
John 12:20-33
I encourage you to take the Lenten journey.
Not because
it will be easy, not because it will show others how "holy" you
are, not because we won't have to be honest with ourselves-but
because you will benefit from doing so.
My prayer is that this Lenten season becomes for you a time of self-reflection and spiritual growth.
Reprintedwith Permission,Rev.StevenHorellca
CathedralNews• Plw, Cathedralof HopeMCC, DallasTeus
Journey to Galilee
<.R.,ev.
Steven J-fore{ica
HolyWeek/Eaiter
HolyWeekis the week beforeEasterin which the churchparticipatesliturgicallyin the last
days of the life of Jesus. The componentsof Holy Week indude PalmSunday(alsocalled
Passion Sunday in some traditions, passion being an ancient word for suffering),
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter.
Theobservanceof Holy Weekcan be traced backto fourth-centuryJerusalem.There,the
eventsof Jesus'lastweekwere reenactedat or nearthe sitesof their actualoccurrence.Palm
Sundayis a joyful andtriumphantcelebrationof the entryof Jesusinto Jerusalem.It wasonce
calledHosannaSunday (not until the 20th centurywas renamedPalmSunday).
Theterm MaundyThursdayis derivedfrom the phrase MandateThursday(the Latinword
is mandatumor CommandThursday)signifyingthe night on which Jesusgavehis disciples
a new commandment,that they love one anotheras He loved them. He demonstratedthe
conceptof unconditionallove by washingtheir feet, thoughthat was routinelythe work of a
servant(John 13:l-20). After that example,He led his disciplesin the Passover(Paschal)
meal,againusingthe opportunityto teachthem aboutself-giving,self-sacrificinglove.
Christians must rememberthat Jesus actually died, and Good Friday is the worship
occasion to emphasizethat reality. With our tendency to skip to Easterand to Jesus'
resurrection,we are prone to forget that Good Fridayactuallymeantthe deathof Jesus. The
term Good Friday evolvedfrom "God's Friday''. The hour of three o'dock p.m. on Good
Friday,being the hour of the death of Jesus,has alwaysbeena time of importancein the
ChristianTradition.
The resurrectionof Jesus(Easter)dominatesthe Christiancalendar. Peoplewho attend
churchoncea yearwill maketheir annualpilgrimageto a churchsanctuaryto worship. In biblicaltimes,the celebrationof Eastergrew into a
weeklyfestival. Evidenceexistsas far backas the secondcentury of a two day annualobservanceof Jesus'resurrection. In the ancient
church,somedebatefocusedon whetherto continueto baseEasteron the JewishCalendar,in which caseEastermightfall on a day other
than Sunday.A compromisedecisionwas madeat the councilof Nicaea(325 C.E.)when it wasdeterminedthat Easterwould be on the first
Sundayafter the first full moon after the vemalequinox(thetime when the sun crossesthe planeof the earth'sequator,makingnightand day
of approximatelyequallengthall over the earthand occurringabout March2 l ).
A smallgirl was not exactlyhappyaboutgoing to churchon Eastermoming. Her
dresswas new, her hair fixed nicely,and shewasquickto noticethat the weatherwas
beautifulas shewas "coopedup" in the car on the way to church. As shesulkedin the
backseat,her parentsheard her say, "I don't know why we haveto go to churchon
Easter,anyway;they keeptellingthe samestory,and it alwaysendsthe same.• Maybe
we, like the little girl, musthearthe story yearafter yearto be remindedof an important
truth and of our calling. The truth is that it's not just Mary Magdalenewho can meet
the RisenChrist-You and I can also.
How do we? We do so by boldly steppingout into the world and taking up the
earthy ministry of Jesuswhere He left it Our calling is to go to every •Galilee"that
exists. Galilee doesn't mean some special, sanctified space in some holy land
somewhere.Jesus' work and mission were in his own backyard,among his own
people,amidst the common,everydayencountersof life. When we enter our own
Galileewith the intent of "loving othersjust as God lovesus."when we helpothersor
feed the hungry or give to the needy;then we start to spreadthe Eastermessageof
hopeand resurrection.
March23rd, PalmSunday:
9rtarft14: 1-15:47
March27th, MaundyThunday:
Jolin 13:1-17, 31-35
March28th, GoodFriday:
Jolin 18:1-19:42
March30th, Eaiter:
Jolin 20: 1-18
More importantly,we, like Mary,meetthe RisenChrist "Justas you do it to the leastof these,you do it to me." (Matthew25:40)
My prayerfor you this Easteris that you will be touchedin sucha way that your life becomesfor othersa beaconof hopeand resurrection.
'
.
1997
-r,.
...,.-.....
A"""'T-
~
,,r--y..
A"'"'Y-,
❖•
-:~,1v-::a:;;_~""':l--
~
Mon
Sun
Tue
T/,u
Wed
Sat
Fri
1
.. y
3
'~ 2
~
4
11:00
~ Worship
7:30
Practice
1 .APotLuck!
~ :Y9
11
10
11:00
.. ) Worship
Newsletter
Due
17
18
I
19
6:30
Study
25
24
11:00
, ~-)Worship
26
6:30
Study
7:30
Practice
Easter
7
6
Bible 7:30
CoD e p e n d e n c y Safe Haven
Mtg
Choir
8
14
13
Bible 7:30
CoDe pend ency
Mtg
Choir
15
21
22
27
28
Bible 7:30
CoDependency
Mtg
Choir
29
20
7:30
Practice
Children'5
{ ,~Ministry
J
23
12
6:30
Study
7:30
Practice
1 ••1 Articles
~-•,·16
11:00
~ ,~Worship
5
6:30
Study
Bible 7:30
CoDep e n d e n cy
Mtg
Choir
31
t··J
11:00
, -~Worship
....
..............
....
--C-'.:
,,,,....__
,•.•
_........_,__
.,:
..-,--r❖.
,,...__
.-:
,,...__
❖.
-
---
.-:--~~;-;,-
-
I.·.·
Family of Faith MCC
P. 0. Box 382
Jenks, OK 74037-0382
Herlandof OKC
Pat Reeves
2312NW
39th Street
OKLAHOMA
CITY,OK73112
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
POST AGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 145
JENKS,OK