April 12, 2006 

Full Moon

Tonight a beautiful full moon rose in the eastern sky just before sunset.  Ever since my childhood, when I witnessed this country's amazing journeys to the moon, this beautiful celestial body has had a mesmerizing effect on me.  In fact, during our recent journey to Washington, DC, we spent a lot of time in the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum looking at program Apollo's space hardware from the 1960s and 1970s.  Everyone even had a chance to touch a moon rock.

Beginning with nightly readings of Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon, our five-year-old daughter, Clare, has also been enchanted with the moon.  A couple of years ago, in response to her question, "When is Easter?" I shared that this feast always occurred when the moon is full in springtime.  As many of you know, Clare is not particularly fond of our family's Lenten discipline of no candy, gum or dessert.  So as we were driving home on Tuesday evening, Clare looked out the window and gasped with delight:  "Look Papa!  The moon!  Easter is coming!"

For four thousand years the Hebrew people have remembered their deliverance from slavery in Egypt at an appointed full moon.  For two thousand years, Christians have remembered Jesus' Passover from death to life at sunset on the Saturday after the first full moon that follows the Spring Equinox.  That moon rose tonight.  Come join with people of faith throughout the ages.  Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us.  Let us keep the feast.

J. Derek Harbin, priest

The Holy Three Days (Triduum)

One worship celebration, broken into three different parts,

makes up the Holy Triduum (tri-déw-um).

Maundy Thursday...April 13^th @ 7pm:  "Maundy" is an English derivative of the Latin word mandatum (commandment), referring to Jesus' words on this night recorded in John 13:34:  I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  As young and old sit and feast at tables at an Agape (love) Meal in our worship space at Community House Middle School, we hear these words of the Savior, follow his servant example by washing one another's feet and share in the Eucharist, the sacred meal Jesus instituted on this holy night. 

Following our worship, opportunity is given to follow Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane where he asked his disciples, "Can you not watch with me for one hour?"  From 9pm-midnight on 4/13 and 6am-9am on 4/14, the Blessed Sacrament will be present in Beloved Garden, providing any and all an opportunity to pray with Jesus during this time of waiting and trial before his crucifixion.  For the Watch, a sign-up sheet will be available at the altar on Thursday night. 

Good Friday...April 14^th @ 7pm: The Good Friday Celebration is the second part of the Liturgy for the Holy Triduum.  Using scripture, ancient prayers, song and multimedia images, we walk the journey with Jesus to the cross.  A large wooden cross is brought into the worship space with opportunity for any and all to come forward to touch and experience the awesome love of our God through a loving sacrifice that truly makes this day "good."  Finally, the Blessed Sacrament is brought into the worship space from the Watch, and Jesus' Body and Blood is offered as strength for our journey to Easter.

Good Friday is a fast day; those who are physically able are encouraged to abstain from food.  (Remember that children and those with other physical needs can observe a medically appropriate modified fast.)

Holy Saturday / Resurrection night...April 15^th: During the daylight hours of Holy Saturday, we remember that Jesus' body lay dead in the tomb and contemplate how empty the world would be without the presence of the risen Jesus.  According to the Gospel accounts, the resurrection of Jesus occurred during the night of the third day (which begins at sunset on Saturday night).  At 8pm we begin the third part of the Liturgy of the Holy Triduum with the Great Vigil and First Eucharist of Easter, the most ancient feast of Christianity that celebrates with all our senses the central truth of the Christian faith: that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.  Bring a bell or noisemaker to use as we proclaim the Lord's resurrection.  We begin outside with the lighting of the new fire of Easter and process by candlelight into the worship space.  We hear the story of God's salvation, renew our baptismal vows (when we died to ourselves and rose to new life in Jesus) and feast on the risen Jesus' Body and Blood.  For those who love a great party, this worship and the festive reception that follows, is a not-to-miss opportunity!  Beloved supplies punch, wedding cake, shrimp and tenderloin; the wonderful cooks of the Beloved community supply the rest of the non-dessert hors d'oeuvres!

Easter morning...April 16^th @ 9:30am:  Beloved will host another resurrection celebration at our regular Sunday morning worship time.  For those who would like a sunrise worship opportunity, Fr. Derek has been asked to preach and lead worship for the 7am ecumenical sunrise Easter worship service at the Harris YMCA outdoor chapel.

Alleluia!  Our Easter song is more than a word.  It is,

as St. Augustine tells us, a way of being "from head to toe."

Christ rises in every particle of our being

and through baptism we are part of him:

limbs and members of his risen body and ministers

of his deathless, reckless reconciling love.

May we be given the grace to embody our Easter song

for the sake of the world.

Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold

Serving at God's Altar on Maundy Thursday...Volunteer Angel Army Team @ 4pm; Acolyte: Sarah Stone; Reader: Anna Moore; Presenters: The Copeland/Sanders Family; Eucharistic Ministers: Anna Moore and Bud Moore; Offertory Basket Passers: Ceci Atwood; Clare Harbin; Madelyn Ricket; Emily Scheppegrell; PowerPoint: Mitchell Harbin

Serving at God's Altar on Good Friday...Reader: Betsy Fox; Eucharistic Ministers: Betsy Fox and Kris Leinenkugel; PowerPoint: Forrest Boylston

Serving at God's Altar at Easter Vigil...Acolytes: Caley, Jake and Emily Scheppegrell; Raquanza Miller; Readers: Tony Hodgson, Janis Conlon, Miles Harbin; Mitchell Harbin; Susan Miller; Presenters: The King Family; Eucharistic Ministers: Wes Nichols and Al Krantz; PowerPoint: Kevin Krantz

Serving at God's Altar on Easter Sunday...Angel Army Team 5 (Captain: Steve Todd; Pastor and Temporary Convener: Mary Reid); Acolytes: Miles, Mitchell and Clare Harbin; Daniel Gibbs; Reader: Brian McCarthy; Presenters: Frank and Mary Reid; Eucharistic Ministers: Anna Moore and Bud Moore; Offertory Basket Passers: Hannah Friend; Benjamin and Jeremy Lamb; Joseph Duty; PowerPoint: Cyteria Knight

In our Prayers...for Machelle Yearwood as she grieves at the death of her father...for Jennifer Sanders who is recovering from multiple fractures of her arm...for Richard, Ginger Leppert‘s father who has returned to the hospital...for Jessie Powell, Reid Gibbs, Janie Lownes, Dan Blackwood who are recuperating from surgery or hospital stays...for those serving in Iraq, especially Scott, Dan Hood's brother...for Nancy and Tony Hodgson's granddaughter, Emily...for Marilyn Doyon, Marie Duty and Jennifer Marsico who are expecting babies this upcoming year...for Dorothy, Mary Reid's sister who is fighting lung cancer...for Ruth, Shana Blake‘s cousin...for Ed and Jean, Dick Reif's parents who are in declining health in Oklahoma...for Bill, Lee Frickhoeffer's uncle who has terminal cancer...for Brian McCarthy and Lauren Skrobot as they continue medical testing.