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Dear People of St. John’s:
If you were to watch one film in Lent for preparation for Easter, my recommendation would be Waste Land. It is billed as a documentary about the artist Vik Muniz who created a world acclaimed art show from his depiction of the garbage pickers of Rio de Janeiro’s giant landfill. Yet fifteen minutes into the film, it becomes a heart gripping and very perceptive drama about these people who are largely invisible to most of us. It is a film made for perceptive adults, and it was nominated for an Oscar last year. It would be an excellent springboard for a Sunday adult discussion group about the meaning of human dignity and Easter if the film were not an hour and a half long. Who says they don’t make some great “ intelligent” movies for people of faith any more?
As we all know, it has been an unusually long and extended cold winter. The small surplus we had at the end of the year was soon expended by the end of January. We are counting on a higher than normal Easter offering this year. When spring comes, we will begin a complete replacement of the kitchen and guild room roofs. We had some funds set aside, but the winter utility bill really put a dent in our budget, as I’m sure it did in yours too.
Lastly, despite the weather and world news of tragedy and bloodshed, it’s been a very full and stimulating Lent. We’ve not slacked off or hibernated, and we have shared many, many gifts with each other. Thank you, thank you for making this a wonderful time of year. As St. Paul once reminded the church in Ephesus, we are called to be light. During this Holy Season, may we all be strengthened to shine in the world’s grim darkness.
Sincerely,
Philip W. Snyder, Rector
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Youth Group News
The St. John's Youth Group has been a busy crew already this year. Our core group of about six youth have attended a couple of regular meetings, enjoyed serving and decorating responsibilities at the Mardi Gras dinner, and chipped in at two baking events - one for fellow parishioners on Valentine's Day and the other most recently to support the Youth and Children's Choir's fund-raising event. All of these have been great fun and in some cases - quite delicious! We also enjoyed a night out at the Hanger Theater with Running to Places' production of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which featured two of our own members.
We'll meet next as a group in the Youth Room on April 17th (Palm Sunday) to put together care packages for Dani Wassink's daughter and her group of Armenian pupils that she's teaching while overseas with the Peace Corp. Currently we have 30 each of small LEGO sets, toothbrushes, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, and ponytail elastics. However, we'd certainly be thrilled if members of the congregation would like to contribute more items. If so, apparently stickers, glow-in-the-dark icons, and small pads of paper (such as sticky-notes), etc. are a real treat for these children who view pencils as real luxury items. Miniature game cards and new water bottles also top our wish list for the care packs so if you or anyone you know has access to those items, please don't hesitate to let me know.
Also - keep your eye on Saturday, June 11th, the date of the 2nd Annual Pentecost Slumber Party. Last year, more than 20 youth in grades 6-12 attended the sleep-over, which culminated with a group breakfast and a service, dressed in red in honor of the new liturgical season. All St. John's youth in Jr. High and High School are more than welcome to attend.
For more information about the Youth Group or our calendar of events, please feel free to contact me at (607) 229-9792 or email me at mindy_and_brett@yahoo.com
Mindy Oakes, Youth Director |
St. Simeon's Guild
St. Simeon's Guild is continuing to read and discuss Rowan Williams's Silence and Honey Cakes: The Wisdom of the Desert during Lent. The remaining discussions will take place on the Sundays of 3, 10, 17 April after the 10:30 service and should last about an hour. We would like to welcome interested members of St. John's outside the usual age range of St. Simeon's Guild to join us. The book is available from Amazon and other online used booksellers.
There will be a service every Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m. during Lent. |
Information for reservation for the re-enactment of a Seder meal
6 p.m. Palm Sunday evening, April 17th
For inquirers, those wishing to be confirmed, and those who want to deepen their understanding of Holy Week and the Last Supper: Reservations are required. Please use the sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the parish house hallway or phone in your reservation to the parish office by Wednesday, April 13th
It has been a custom of St. John's to offer on Palm Sunday evening, the beginning of Holy Week, a re-enactment of a traditional Seder meal, as Jesus would have eaten. This meal is part of the Passover celebration of God's deliverance of the people of Israel from slavery. The last supper Jesus had with his disciples on Maundy Thursday was probably this special meal of Passover. We do know that Jesus made his final journey to Jerusalem during Passover and wanted to celebrate Passover with his closest disciples. (A pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover in the Holy City was always a desirable priority for the faithful.) Our Eucharist has the Passover meal as its foundation and all the Gospels assume the knowledge of the original connection. We invite all who wish to partake, young and old. We try to be sensitive to the spirit of the Passover as well as acknowledge that the actual holiday is very sacred to our Jewish neighbors, and is not part of our present tradition like it was to earliest Christians who also considered themselves Jews. Our time together is an educational experience and devotional occasion as well as a full meal with roast lamb. There is no charge, but we will not refuse donations.
On Maundy Thursday, (April 21st) beginning at 6 p.m. it has been the custom to have a simple soup and bread supper before the service. We will have several varieties of soup, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian for you to try. Sign up sheets will be on the bulletin board. |
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Notes on Holy Week & Easter
Sunday of the Passion, Palm Sunday
There are two distinct and ancient customs for this Sunday: "The blessing and procession of palms, and the reading of the Passion. Our present prayer book formally added a blessing for the palms (even though most parishes had done it for years), and incorporated the two themes with the title Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday. The blessing of the palms and the commemoration of Jesus' procession into Jerusalem combine joy with irony. Hence the service on Palm Sunday begins with a parade atmosphere of greeting, hope and expectation of God's new commonwealth. After the procession is over, the atmosphere becomes somber as we recall what lies ahead.
The greeting "Hosanna, blessings to those who come in the name of the Lord", was a greeting used by pilgrims to each other as they went up to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. The Seder meal is a main part of the Passover celebration and it was probably a Passover Seder that Jesus had wit his disciples at the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday. (Details on our re-enactment of a Seder meal on Palm Sunday evening are printed elsewhere in this issue of the Eagle.)
Maundy Thursday Liturgy (7:30 p.m.)
Stripping of the Altar, and vigil, is also a bittersweet service. It commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and is a foretaste of God's grand banquet. The "best" Altar frontal and appointments are used, as one would for a thanksgiving feast. Passover is not only a celebration of God's deliverance in the past, but also an affirmation of God's spirit of liberation and hop for an era of peace in the present
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and future for all people. For Christians, Maundy Thursday is a celebration of God's continuing presence and pledge of continuing grace. (An ancillary tradition ofthis evening has been the washing of feet, based on Jesus' action before supper, and his command for us to mutually love one another as He has loved us.) The festive nature of the occasion is but short, as Jesus goes to pray and later is arrested. The stripping of the altar parallels Jesus' loss of dignity and freedom. The long night vigil in the choir stalls following the service remembers Jesus' praying and the disciples' anxious waiting before Good Friday morning. (sign-up list for the vigil will be on the bulletin board.
Good Friday
We will offer the Good Friday Liturgy and Stations of the Cross at 7:30 Friday evening. This has become a popular service over the past few years, especially with the larger community. The readings and meditations will be read from various places in the church. We will begin in the church, but we end with a very poignant conclusion in the parish house.
For Christians, Easter became the fulfillment of the Feast of Passover. In almost every language except English where the word is possibly a derivative from the name of the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess, the word for Easter and Passover is the same. The deliverance from slavery in Egypt, crossing over the Red Sea, and entrance into the Promised Land became associated with Jesus as the victorious Passover lamb. Baptism into a redeemed community, and entrance into a new type of life became associated together. Hence the symbols of the blood of the Lamb and the water of new life in baptism became important early Christian Symbols.
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HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
Palm Sunday
8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Blessing of the Palms and Holy Eucharist
6 p.m. Seder meal re-enactment
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: Eucharist at 5:30 p.m.
Maundy Thursday
6:00 p.m. Simple soup supper
7:30 p.m. – Liturgy & Vigil
Good Friday
7:30 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy & Stations of the Cross
Easter Sunday
* 5:30 a.m. A vigil before Easter
8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Festal Eucharist
*THE VIGIL BEFORE EASTER WILL CONSIST OF THE SERVICE OF LIGHT, THE LITURGY OF THE WORD, AND THE RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL VOWS. |
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| The Warden and the Rector "All Decked Out" |
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| Mindy Oakes and members of the Youth Group at Mardi Gras |
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| Parishioners enjoying the festivities |
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| Penny and Charlie Ciccone were enthroned as King and Queen of Carnival with all the rights, privileges, appurtenances, and appliances of the court! |
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Bishop Adams will be visiting St. John's on Sunday morning, October 16th for confirmation. Hence, we will be forming a class to be presented at that time. If you will be in at least eighth grade next fall and baptized, you are welcome to be part of this class. Please let the parish office know as soon as possible. For confirmation instructions, we will be assigning you a mentor who will be working with you in the months before confirmation. |
Lisa Tatusko, our Seminarian at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts was not able to be with us in early April as planned. However, she is looking forward to being with us and preaching on a Sunday after Easter! |
Outreach: A great way to support the Kitchen Cupboard:
During April, any food or monetary donations to Ithaca Kitchen Cupboard will increase the Cupboard's share of the Feinstein Million-Dollar Challenge. This will stretch your donations even farther!
The Feinstein Million-Dollar Challenge is the brainchild of Alan Shawn Feinstein of Rhode Island. For the past eight years, Feinstein has been giving away $1 million each year to anti-hunger agencies throughout the country. For every donation a participating charity receives, Feinstein will add more money from that $1 million grant. Last year, Ithaca Kitchen Cupboard received $368.80 fro this challenge.
Kitchen cupboard needs, other than cash donations, include:
Canned or packaged dinners, canned fruits and vegetables; packaged desserts/snacks baking supplies; egg noodles; packaged rice; canned meat or fish; pasta with sauce; soups--canned or dried; crackers, peanut butter, jelly, cereal; beverages (fruit juices, tea bags, coffee packets); powdered milk, hot cocoa; baby food - small jars; baby cereal; diapers (also store coupons) bath soap, toilet paper, tooth brushes/tooth paste; shampoo.
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| Members of the youth choir, selling refreshments at the Silent Movie on Sunday, March 27th. |
Easter Flowers, If you wish to give flower contributions for Easter Day, please use this form so we can include your loved ones' names on the list of those memorialized. You may enclose this in the offering plate or mail to the church office to be received by Tuesday, April 19th at the latest to be published in the bulletin.
$___________ given for Easter Flowers in memory of:
Please GIVE FIRST AND LAST NAMES of those to be memorialized. |
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Musical Notes
The first quarter at St. John’s has been busy! We had an Epiphany evensong, a benefit concert for our choir room piano, a silent movie event to benefit music programs in 2012, and two vocal master classes. Now we’re on the ‘home stretch.’ We’re more than half way through Lent, and Easter is only a few weeks away. Soon the 2010-2011 program year will be behind us, and I’ll be looking forward to next year. First, though, we have several things planned. And, as so often happens, flexibility will be the key to our successfully completing our year!
Historically, our children’s choir and youth choir have sung on Palm Sunday because Easter fell in their break. This year, though, Easter is so late that the Ithaca school break begins the Friday before Palm Sunday. Several of our young singers will be away on Palm Sunday, so the groups will sing an anthem together. The adult choir will be in the stalls, too, so we will have plenty of choral music on Palm Sunday.
As you know, St. John’s has a few services during Holy Week and on Easter, and most of them have music. The youth choir has asked to sing on Maundy Thursday again, so we will be blessed by their music. The newer quartet will also sing; they’ve been working on a very pretty Twila Paris song. Nancy Siemon will play oboe, too. The bells will ring at the Good Friday evening service, and we will have choral music, too. The adult choir will sing at both services on Easter, and the bells will ring at the later service. The adults have been working hard on Bach’s Christ lag in Todesbanden, a beautiful |
cantata written for Easter. We will hear some duets and a solo from this work some time during the Easter season. (I will schedule as much as I can for Easter, but Communion only takes so long!)
Many thanks from all of the musicians at St. John’s for your continued support of our program. We all work very hard, and your kind words and financial contributions mean a lot to us. Our fundraising efforts are ongoing – restoring the choir room piano, in particular, is a costly endeavor. You may have heard that the pedal mechanism fell off the piano last week during rehearsal. The tuner successfully reattached it, but it was a clear reminder that the instrument needs work! We have about 10% of the funds needed for the restoration.
Our other fundraising effort will benefit putting on another show (like Godspell) in 2012. The silent movie brought in almost $280, which is about the cost to get a licensed script. We are having another event to raise money for this: a talent show! It will be on June 11th, so watch future Eagles for details.
The music program will begin to wind down in May, but there’s still time to join us. This is particularly true for children who want to go with us to camp in August. Now would be a perfect time to get know everyone before we break for the summer.
Thanks for your support!
Nancy Radloff
Director of Music
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Nancy Radloff is the guest artist on Friday, April 8th for the 1st Presbyterian Church's "Organ Music and Soup at Noon" Lenten series. You are invited to hear Nancy on the Presbyterian Church's new organ, and enjoy a bowl of soup afterward. |
| St. John's continues to search for a studio size piano to use for performances and special programs in the parish hall. If you know of anyone who has one they would like to donate, please contact Fr. Snyder or Nancy Radloff or the parish office with that information. |
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