Alleluia! Christ is Risen! We’re starting to compile a collection of photos from our Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday. If you have photo from Easter or any other service or event, please e-mail them to Fr. Scott Looker.
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Photos from the Easter Egg Hunt
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! We’re starting to compile a collection of photos from our Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday. If you have photo from Easter or any other service or event, please e-mail them to Fr. Scott Looker.
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Don’t Forget: New Liturgical Responses Begin Palm Sunday
As was announced two weeks ago, this Sunday, Palm Sunday, we will begin using a new (to us) response to “The Lord be with you.” Now, since Church of the Messiah has been using “And also with you” for as long as there has been a Church of the Messiah, and many of us have used it for years, if not decades, before that, a little bit of explanation is reasonable. The explanation of the change is two-fold.
First, at a recent conference Fr. David attended, Archbishop Craig Bates, the Patriarch of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church said, “Change it.” Since all of your priests and deacons have taken vows of obedience to their bishops, that just about settles it on our end.
Secondly, for those who have not taken vows of obedience, the fact is that the new response of “and with your spirit” is an infinitely better translation than what we are using now. In the 4th century, when St. Jerome first translated the Bible into Latin, the phrase “Dominus Vobiscum” appeared in Ruth 2:4 and II Chronicles 15:2. The phrase was picked up and included in the Latin liturgies along with its response, “Et cum spiritu tuo,” which, of course, spread throughout all of Europe.
In the very first Book of Common Prayer ever was written in 1549, English scholars and priests very accurately translated the response as “And with thy spirit.” The translation is simple, clean, and straightforward. That usage continue in the Anglican and Episcopal Churches for 430 years! It is still in use today in the Rite 1 or traditional language of the current (1979) Book of Common Prayer.
In 1963, when the Roman-Catholics convened the Second Vatican Council, known as Vatican II, one of their decisions was to update their liturgies by translating them into the language of the people. That is when the Latin Mass fell out of common usage. In order to do so, they established a body called The International Commission on English in the Liturgy or ICEL. When ICEL translated the liturgy into English, they decided “Et (and) cum (with) spiritu (spirit) tuo (your)” should be rendered “And also with you.” They believed, I assume, that their translation captured the spirit of the phrase better than a direct translation.
Sixteen years later, when the Episcopal Church in America revised the Book of Common Prayer, the editors of the new prayer book decided they would follow the Roman-Catholic usage. Episcopalians in America have been using “And also with you” ever since 1979.
Starting with the First Sunday of Advent in 2011, the Roman-Catholics revised their liturgy again in order to render the translation more faithful to the original. The correction has spread and is finding wider usage.
In essence, we have been doing a poor translation for as long as we have been doing it and this Sunday, along with a large portion of the broader Church Catholic, we will start translating the line more faithfully.
Or, we are doing it because the Patriarch told us to do so. Take whichever explanation works for you.
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Bishop John Holloway to celebrate his 59th birthday on March 18th
Dear Friends of Bishop John Holloway.
As you may know, it will be six years this coming June since Bishop Holloway suffered a debilitating stroke. Bishop John was the first bishop of what was then the Missionary Diocese of Georgia, then the Diocese of Georgia, and eventually, the Diocese of the Mid-South. He is now Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of the Mid-South.
He will have a birthday on March 18. He will be 59. If you would like to send a card (which would lift his spirits greatly), his address is:
Bishop John Holloway, 107 McEthel Drive, Griffin, GA 30224
Thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness.
.
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2013 Men’s Retreat–“Be The Man of God!”
Church of the messiah is proud to announce the 2013 Men’s Retreat coming this April 12th-14th. This year, once again, the retreat will be held at the beautifully historic Epworth-By-The-Sea in St. Simon’s Island, GA. Fr. Scott Looker will be leading the retreat and the theme for the retreat will be “Be The Man of God!”
What kind of men do we want our sons to be?
What kind of men do we want our daughters to marry?
How will our daughters know what a Man of God looks like?
In order for our sons to grow into Men of God
And our daughters to marry Men of God,
We Must Be Men of God!The world gives our children thousands of bad examples.
If we expect the next generation to be any different,
We ALL must be different.
We Must Be Men of God!This is a legacy building message relevant to all men of the Church. Whether you have sons or daughters, children or grand-children, nieces or nephews, or no children at all this message pertains to all of us. Church of the Messiah is “The Church with the Heart of the Family” and there are children in our family looking to us for examples. Come, join us on the retreat to hear a message that will affect the Church for generations to come. Also enjoy fellowship and free-time at the scenic Epworth-by-the-Sea. The cost is $280 for a single occupancy room and $185 for a double occupancy room. Contact Greg Looker or James Luck for registration details or for more information.
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Holy Week Schedule!
It is only the first full week of Lent, but it not too soon to have the Holy Week Schedule available. Holy Week starts on March 24 this year and our special services are:
Palm Sunday: Celebrate the Triumphal Entry of Our Lord into Jerusalem and hear the re-telling of the Passion of Jesus Christ. Sunday, March 24, 10:30am at the Sam R. Marks Chapel at Jacksonville University.
Maundy Thursday: Join with us as we celebrate the Institution of the Last Supper in our annual service which includes the washing of the feet and the stripping of the altar. Thursday, March 28, 7:00pm at the Sam R. Marks Chapel at Jacksonville University.
Good Friday: Observe the three hours Our Lord hung upon the Cross by hearing meditations from our clergy on the Passion of Jesus Christ. Friday, March 29, Noon-3pm at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
Easter Sunday
Sunrise Service: Join us as we rise early to greet the sun on the dawn of the first day and celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord. Sunday, March 31, 6:30am at Church of the Messiah’s property on St. John’s Bluff.Family Service: Celebrate the glory of Resurrection of Jesus Christ with the full pageantry of Easter Day. Sunday, March 31, 10:30am at the Sam R. Marks Chapel at Jacksonville University.
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This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday!
Wednesday, February 13, is Ash Wednesday. Church of the Messiah will be celebrating Ash Wednesday at 7pm in the Sam R. Marks Chapel at Jacksonville University. The service will include the Litany of Penitence, Imposition of Ashes, and Holy Eucharist.
Ash Wednesday is the traditional start of the season of Lent, the forty days of prayer and fasting which both commemorates Our Lord’s forty days in the wilderness and helps Christians prepare for the celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord on Easter. Ash Wednesday is an especially beneficial way to begin Lent for a number of reasons. First, the Litany of Penitence reminds us how “we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Second, the Imposition of Ashes reminds us of the inevitability of our own death, judgement and the need to repent. Third, in the Holy Eucharist we have the opportunity to exchange our failings and sinfulness with the victory and sinlessness of Our Lord Jesus Christ so that we can, by His grace and mercy, overcome our sins.
This Wednesday, we invite you to join us at 7pm in the Sam R. Marks Chapel as Church of the Messiah begins their observance of a Holy Lent with the annual celebration of Ash Wednesday.
Lord, Have Mercy!
Christ, Have Mercy!
Lord, Have Mercy! -
Correction
Correction to the February E-News the Ash Wednesday service correct date is February 13, 2013. The service will be held at the Sam R. Marks Chapel on the Jacksonville University Campus at 7 pm.
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Updated: February Prayer Calendar and E-News Are Available
After a brief winter sabbatical, Church of the Messiah’s Prayer Calendar and E-Newsletter are back with their February installments. Click below to download!
UPDATE: Here are two points of clarification to the February Daily Office readings on Page 4 of the E-News. First, the New Testament reading for Ash Wednesday is Hebrews 12:1-14. Second, on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent, Psalm 95 in its entirety is used to introduce the daily reading of the Psalms as opposed to “The Venite” (which is Psalm 95:1-7) found on page 82. I apologize for the confusion. sjl+
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Lenten Bible Study Begins February 10
Beginning February 10, Church of Messiah will resume our Sunday Night Bible Studies with 24 Hours That Changed the World, a landmark Bible Study by Pastor Adam Hamilton. The study covers in extensive detail the period of time from the Last Supper to Our Lord’s Crucifixion.
The Bible Study groups will meet every Sunday night beginning February 10, the Sunday night before Ash Wednesday, running through March 24, Palm Sunday. We will not be meeting on Easter but, in the weeks that follow, we will meet once more to discuss the Victorious Christ. Participants are not required to purchase anything, but several products are available.
Participants may purchase the book 24 Hours That Changed the World in either hardback, paperback or electronic editions. Those looking for additional daily devotional reading throughout Lent may also purchase 24 Hours That Changed the World–40 Days of Reflection. Neither of these books are required to participate in the Sunday Night Bible Studies, but they will enrich your experience.
For more information, contact the parish office at 904-721-4199.
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ICCEC to Celebrate Life on Worldwide Feast Day
Dear Brothers,
I hope you are experiencing a fruitful time of reflection and anticipation as we move from the Christmas season and into Epiphany. This coming Sunday (January 20), as always during the Epiphany season, we will celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lord the Giver of Life. This Feast Day is unique to our own Communion, a day set aside to celebrate and stand in wonder at the gift of Life bestowed upon us by our loving Father. It is a joy and an honor to celebrate such a day with each of you.
As all of you know, I was raised in the Anglican Communion. Hence, for all of my youth and for a significant part of my ministry, the Episcopal Hymnal was a deep part of my spiritual discipline. I grew up under a Pastor who was a retired Ensign in the United States Navy. Like every male adult I knew as a youth, he served in World War II. He was also deeply influenced by the ministry and writing of Dietrich Bonheoffer. As a result, so were all the members of his congregation.
Dietrich Bonheoffer had to confront directly the moral issue of his day – the rise of fascism, particularly National Socialism. It was the moral issue of my father’s generation and so, as a youth, I also heard a clear message that there really was such a thing as evil, and that it incarnated itself in the men, particularly Hitler, who attempted to rule Europe and enslave millions of people. In that War it is estimated that somewhere between 62 and 78 million people died either in military service, civilian casualties, or in the concentration camps. One hundred and thirty-five thousand, five hundred and six American military personnel were killed in action between D-Day and V-E Day.
My father and every veteran I knew talked of the horrors of war and their desire was that their sons would never have to go to war. Yet, they knew there was evil, and that evil was to be confronted, even if it meant giving your life – the greatest sacrifice.
My Pastor and my father also taught me that there was good and righteousness. There was right and there was wrong. They believed that virtue and all that was good was found in Christ Jesus and so, we, along with all the kids I grew up with, went to Church.
Today, the battle we face between good and evil is no longer contained within some foreign land; it is across the globe and against a very prevalent culture of death. Whether we live in America or Africa, the battle for freedom, religious liberty, the inalienable rights of all persons, and the traditional and God-ordained pattern of marriage and family is being fought in our own back yards.
There can be no compromise on these issues. There can be no compromise on the right to life for all people – born and preborn. The murder of preborn children at the rate of 115,000 a day worldwide is wicked, and those involved in this holocaust are wicked. This is not a political issue, it is a battle between good and evil, light and darkness, righteousness and wickedness, and life and death.
In 1845, James R. Lowell wrote a poem protesting America’s war with Mexico. It was set to music by Thomas J. Williams and placed in the Episcopal Hymnal, until it was removed in 1982, along with “Onward Christian Soldiers”, for questionable theology. My Pastor had us sing this song at least once a month to teach us the importance of not remaining silent in the face of evil.
“Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ‘twixt that darkness and that light.“Then to side with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and ’tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.“By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, They bleeding feet we track,
Tolling up new Calv’ries ever with the cross that turns
not back; New occasions teach new duties, time make ancient
good uncouth, They must upward still and onward, who would
keep abreast of truth.“Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is
strong; Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the
throne be wrong; Yet that scaffold sways the future, and
behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow,
keeping watch above His own.”We will be victorious in the fight to end abortion. I believe a generation of young people is being raised up in the international communion of the CEC who are not only committed to ending abortion in their own nations, but are Pro Life because they have a radical and passionate love for the Risen Lord Jesus.
We can and should give to all types of Pro Life activities, from Pregnancy Centers to Post Abortive Counseling. We should also be Pro Life from conception to natural death, which means we need to support ministries to the homeless, single mothers, fatherless children, and drug/alcohol victims. The Lord loves a cheerful and, might I add, generous giver. Yet the Lord, from the founding of the Charismatic Episcopal Church and through consensus of the Bishops and Patriarch’s Council, established CEC for Life as our voice in the Pro Life Ministry.
We agreed, in consensus, that every year Parishes, Missions, and Clergy should renew their memberships for CEC for Life. We agreed, in consensus, that we should encourage all of our parishioners to give annually to CEC for Life. We also agreed that the Lord directed us to establish the Feast Day of Our Lord the Giver of Life, to be celebrated every January with a special Sunday service during which each parish would take up a special offering to be given to CEC For Life. This year that Feast Day will take place on Sunday, January 20th.
Times are tough. Many of our nations are currently facing extreme economic crises, even here in America. Some see this as a reason for cutting back on giving; I see it as a time to increase my giving.
We can give lip service to being Pro Life. We can even vote Pro Life. But the end to abortion will not happen until the Church is mobilized and called to apostolic action. And any mobilization will require the sacrificial giving of time, talent, and treasure.
On Sunday, January 20, please encourage your clergy to take part in this important offering. Bishops must take the lead. Your voice has influence in the lives of your sons in the Lord.
Be assured of my prayer and affections.
Under His mercy,
The Most Rev. Craig W. Bates,
Patriarch, ICCEC
Primate, CEC-NAFor more information on the Feast Day of Our Lord the Giver of Life, please contact Fr. Terry Gensemer through the Office of the Patriarch at frterry@cecforlife.com.
