August 30, 2007

The Fifth Gospel

 

Everyone knows that the Bible contains four Gospels that tell the story of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 

 

What many people don’t realize is that it is possible to experience the story of Jesus, make it intimately a part of you forever, through the fifth gospel…a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

 

 

Hear the words of pilgrim Margaret Dallas Jackson:  “I am, for all intents and purposes, hopelessly spoiled.  I no longer peruse eagerly the slightly upscale travel brochures that make their way through my mail slot by virtue of a number of trips made, what seems now, a lifetime ago.  For I have, twice, traveled on pilgrimage.  The first difference between pilgrimage and tour is purpose.  Most folks go on tour to see famous places, to have a bit of adventure.  For the pilgrim a place is significant, usually, because a (particular, holy) person at one point trod there.  To tread in that person’s footsteps is, for the pilgrim, a brief, soul-altering encounter.”

 

In each congregation I have served as a priest, I have had the blessing of going on pilgrimage.  In our last congregation before coming to Beloved, Clifford and I hosted forty pilgrims, from teens to seniors, in a pilgrimage following the footsteps of Jesus that changed our lives forever.  We knew when we came to Charlotte, pilgrimage would be a part of our ministry here.

 

This year Beloved launches a three-year process for 15-18 year olds to assist them in preparing for Christian adulthood.  I am really excited that we have reached this point in the lives of these young people and the life of our young congregation.  Those teens completing the first two years of Beloved Pilgrimage will be eligible, as Juniors or Seniors in High School, to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

 

We will see the place where the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she would bear God’s Son.  We will celebrate Eucharist in the Shepherds’ Fields of Bethlehem and touch the cave floor where Jesus was born.  We will hike to the waters of the Jordan River and get in them as we renew our Baptismal vows.  We will walk the route Jesus took into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and will walk with him to the site of the crucifixion and resurrection.  We will float in the Dead Sea as if we were sleeping on a mattress.  And so much more.  Through taste, touch, smell and experience, the Holy Spirit will transform us as we experience the Fifth Gospel and walk in the footsteps of Jesus.  The reputable agencies that will coordinate this pilgrimage, in coordination with the Israeli government, will work to daily insure that we are safe and secure while on this spiritual journey.

 

Now here’s some even better news: you are invited!  Beloved’s Pilgrimage to the Holy Land is open to any adult who would like to go!  The maximum cost is extremely reasonable (estimated $2500 double occupancy from Charlotte) and includes all expenses except a few lunches, tips and spending money for gifts.  Click here to view the draft itinerary.  (If you save approximately $90/month from September 2007 until the pilgrimage, the trip is paid for…and the more participants we have, the lower the cost will be for each of us!)

 

We can take up to forty pilgrims.  Won’t you join Clifford and me as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus from December 26, 2009 to January 4, 2010?  For questions or to indicate initial interest, click here.

 

J. Derek Harbin, priest

 

 

Christian Formation News

Registration for all 2007-2008 Christian Formation offerings will be held after worship on Sunday, September 9.  As our congregation grows older, so does our ability to offer more opportunities for spiritual formation!  This year’s offerings are quite extensive, so we encourage you to take the time in the next ten days to familiarize yourself with the upcoming year’s opportunities in advance of the September 9 signup event.  

Most Sunday and Weekday Christian formation opportunities for all ages will begin the weeks of September 9 or 16.  Please call (704.752.8988) or email the Development Office with any questions you have.  We are happy to help you in any way that we can!

To view Sunday morning Beloved Beehive opportunities for children 14 and under, including curriculum descriptions of content covered in each level over a three-year cycle, click here.

Applications for FaithQuest, Beloved’s primary Christian Formation opportunity for children ages 3-15, are now being accepted for the 2007-2008 school year.  This (very minimal) fee-based faith formation experience occurs weekly in 1½ hour sessions at Beloved Garden.  Fall term for those 3-9 begins the week of September 9; for those 9-15 it will begin on Sunday, September 16.  Click here for session days, times and fee schedule.  Call or email Miss Clifford at Beloved Garden (704.752.8989) if you would like to enroll your child before September 9.

 

Youth Groups for all ages will begin in September.  Click here for descriptions of these groups.  

If you are 15-18 years of age, click here to learn about the exciting new formation, fellowship and pilgrimage opportunity being launched this year to assist you in your transition out of your home into the world of being an adult Christian.  This pilgrimage described above is the culmination of this process!  An important teen/parent information & question session with Fr. Derek and Miss Clifford will be held at Beloved Garden on September 9 @ 6pm.  Click here to reserve your spots for the information & question session.

Adults have an incredible array of opportunities to nourish their spiritual lives this year!  Short-term and long-term opportunities abound throughout the week.  Access complete descriptions, costs, group leaders & dates for all offerings (through June of 2008) by clicking here.

 

Around Beloved…Want to serve at God’s altar carrying the cross, torch or Gospel Book?  Sign up to be an acolyte in 2007-08 by clicking here, speaking with Miss Susan at church, or signing up during Beehive registration on Sunday, September 9.  New teams and a schedule will be posted to begin on Sunday, September 16.  

Thanks to Kris Leinenkugel, who forwarded this GodTube video set to the music we have used in worship: Lifehouse “Everything.”  Take five minutes and click here to remind yourself about Jesus’ love for each of us and his ultimate power over the lures of the world, the flesh and the Devil. 

 

Carol Myers, faithful sister in Christ Jesus and Beloved Advisory Team Member since 2000, died of lung cancer last Wednesday night.  Her funeral will be held at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church (on Park Road in the Dilworth community) on Sunday, September 9 at 2pm.  Please make every effort to attend.  Please also pray for her brothers and all of us who grieve her loss and may our Lord Jesus grant her eternal rest.  May her soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Beloved eNews publishes each Thursday.  News and calendar information should be submitted via email by the Monday preceding the publication date.

 

 

August 26…Attendance: 131; Worship Offering: $2,213.  Income needed for ministry each week: $5,500 (fully funded) à $4,400 (requiring other funding sources i.e. fundraising events).  The financial goal of Church of the Beloved is to reach self-sufficiency (i.e. pay all expenses without income from outside sources) by 12/31/2008.

 

 

Scripture Readings for September 2…Sirach 10:12-18 & Luke 14:1,7-14

 

Serving at God’s Altar on September 2…Complete setup/complete teardown: New Angel Army Team #4; Acolyte volunteers: Garreth and Victoria Floyd and Joseph and Elizabeth Nichols; Offering Basket Passer & Presenters: Volunteers; Altar Bread Baker: Catherine Atwood; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Bud Moore & Frank Reid; PowerPoint: Kevin Krantz; Reader: Betsy Fox; Offering Counters: Craig Doyon (Head Counter) & Janis Conlon (Assistant)

 

 

In our Prayers…Click here 

 

 

Upcoming Calendar…Click here