14 March 2008

The Experience

Church of the Beloved lives into a liturgical life revolving around the sacraments that have been a part of the Christian heritage for centuries.  No where is this more obvious than the liturgy offered during the Triduum or the “three days.”  Beginning with worship on Maundy Thursday, March 20 and concluding with the last “Alleluia” Saturday, March 22 we experience in a most tangible and real way the presence of our Lord through the sacramental acts given to his bride, the Church.  “Maundy” comes from the word “mandate” indicating the new commandment given to us “to love one another as I have loved you.”  Jesus shows us this love in two forms, the servant-like washing of feet and the offering of his body and blood, literally at the Last Supper, and figuratively, a day later on the cross.  At Church of the Beloved, we will gather at 7pm to eat a Middle Eastern Feast, wash each other’s feet (no, you don’t need to make an appointment for a pedicure before removing your shoes and socks!) and bless and receive the bread and wine given to us for the first time at the Last Supper.  At the conclusion, in silence, the extra consecrated (blessed) Body and Blood is carried from our worship space to a garden area set up in Beloved Garden so that this community, like the disciples, can watch and wait with our Lord until dawn.  The Watch at Beloved Garden runs from 9pm to midnight and 6am-9am on Friday morning.  Sign up in the hospitality area after worship on Sunday for a time slot for you and/or your family.

 

To make a Maundy Thursday reservation, click here or sign up in the hospitality area on Sunday. 

 

 

On Good Friday, we again gather at 7pm to acknowledge the sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ as we venerate (“show devotion to”) the cross, that instrument that now is revered because it, on the other side of Easter, is an instrument of our redemption.  Many who have attended this worship service before will tell you what a powerful experience it is to honor the cross by kissing it, kneeling before it, touching it, or even laying prostrate before it on the cold, hard floor of our worship space.  The prayers offered on this evening, called the Solemn Collects, reflect one of the oldest prayers passed down to Christians over the centuries.  They, along with the Gospel narration acted out with the congregation representing the crowd, offer us a time to reflect on our personal responsibility and accountability as those who helped hang Jesus on the cross. 

 

Saturday morning, we gather at 10am to offer prayers to remember the time that Jesus was in the tomb and then decorate our worship space for Easter.  At sunset on Easter Eve (7:37pm), we begin outside around a new fire laid to light the new Paschal Candle from which we all, as followers of Jesus, the bearers of the Light of the World, light our hand candles and process into the worship space to listen again to the love story of God and his people, beginning with the people of Israel and ending as we all stand at the throne in the heavenly city wearing our white robes and singing praise to our Father.   Daniel Henry Anton will be baptized and become our newest brother in Christ.  The Great Alleluia proclaiming, “The Lord is Risen!” is shouted as we make a great noise to let the Devil know that Jesus has triumphed.  Bring a bell or noisemaker to worship this night.   We will feast on Christ’s Body and Blood and end with a festive wedding banquet celebration in the hospitality area.   

 

Each household is invited to bring a wedding reception hors d'oeuvres (finger food) that will serve at least a dozen people to be added to the pork tenderloin sandwiches, shrimp cocktail and wedding cake provided by the Sacramental Receptions Team.  (Please note:  this is not a wedding dinner nor is it a potluck “Super Bowl Party” buffet.  Please do not bring desserts, potluck casseroles or chips and dip.  It is wedding reception finger food.)  Please do bring a favorite “hors d’oevre” that you would serve when the “boss comes to your home to offer a promotion!!”  If you have any questions about what to bring or would prefer to contribute cash for the team to purchase something on your behalf, please contact Janie Wooten or Michele Nichols here.  The Easter Vigil reception food sign up list will be available in the Hospitality Area this Sunday. 

 

For those of us who celebrate these three days, we experience in a most particular way the living reality of Jesus present among us, a recreation of events that memorializes what occurs over and over again, sacrifice and redemption, as we follow the one who gave us the ultimate sacrifice to achieve the ultimate redemption. 

 

Clifford King Harbin

Pastor  

A Christian Witness for Good Friday…If your child’s school is in session on Good Friday, I encourage you to keep them home.  Absences for a Religious Observance in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are always excused and in fact, the high school exam schedule was changed to accommodate those students who would be observing Good Friday.  Just make sure, in addition to your fast, that you find a way to help them set aside the time from 9am to 3pm in a special way to remember the period our Savior hung on the cross.  For adults and those teens who are old enough, we will offer a viewing of the Passion of the Christ beginning at noon at Beloved Garden.  Invite your classmates and neighbors to join us.  Water bottles will be available to compliment your fast.  Finally, don’t forget to join the Beloved Community for our Good Friday Liturgy at 7pm! 

 

J. Derek Harbin, priest

 

 

Around Beloved…This Sunday is Palm Sunday!  At 9:30am we will have a parade while we wave our palms; after worship we will enjoy Shari Wynn’s delicious hot cross buns during hospitality time.

 

 

Tonight (Friday, March 14) Beloved’s own Shana Blake will be performing live at the Evening Muse in NoDa.  Shana and the Swizzlers are scheduled to perform beginning at 8pm!

 

 

To assist with other behind the scenes preparations for Holy Week, including the volunteer Angel Army Team on Thursday at 4:30pm and Friday at 5:30pm, click here.

 

 

Beloved is accepting donations for Easter season flowers.  These flowers may be given in memory of, or in thanksgiving for, a loved one or a special event.  Please either mail your donation to the Development Office or place it in a sealed envelope in the offering plate.  Please be sure to indicate who or what the donation is given in memory of or in thanksgiving for.

 

 

Are you purchasing ferns for your porch or yard this year?  If so, would you be willing for Church of the Beloved to use them during our Easter celebrations?  Click here if you can help.

 

 

Seven Men of Beloved (MOB), along with two young men, had an opportunity to serve dinner to the 100+ men at the Charlotte Rescue Mission on Friday, 3/7.  It was an encouraging experience for all involved.  The men agreed to try to make this a regularly scheduled event going forward.  Look for an update on this soon.

 

 

We now have openings for bread bakers on the 4^th and 5^th Sundays of each month.  Anyone interested can come to Catherine Atwood‘s house to watch her make bread on Saturday, April 5^th.  Interested?  Click here.

 

 

 

If you are an Offering Basket Passer or a substitute on the passing schedule, be watching for a postcard reminding you of a practice after Hospitality Time on Palm Sunday, March 16 instead of Christian Formation. 

 

 

The Beloved Advisory Team received and accepted with regret the resignations of Harris High and Bud Moore at their meeting on February 26 and unanimously called for a special election to fill these two vacancies (one position will carry a two-year term and the other a three-year term).  Serving on the Advisory Team is a significant ministry, one that requires dedication and faithfulness to the worship, fiscal health and mission of Beloved and a willingness to work openly and cooperatively with others for the good of the entire Beloved Community.  Those eligible who are willing to be considered for this selection are: Catherine Atwood, Todd Atwood, Ann Calandro, Ben Copeland, Tony Hodgson and Liz Wilson. Pray earnestly in the days ahead, that God will reveal this duo to us when we gather in worship this Sunday.  To learn more specifics about this selection process, click here.

 

 

Sunday, March 30 is another Kairos Cookie Sunday!  Kairos is a ministry that shares the love, grace and forgiving mercy of Jesus Christ with those men and women serving time in prison.  Cookies should be normal in size, contain no fruit or nuts and cannot have sprinkles or sugar on top. 

 

  

Beloved eNews normally publishes each Thursday.  News and calendar information should be submitted via email by Monday.

 

 

March 9…Attendance: 84; Worship Offering: $1,734.  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 March 9…Philippians 2:5-11 & Matthew 2:1-11

 

Serving at God’s Altar on March 9…Complete setup/complete teardown: Angel Army Team #2; Acolytes: Elizabeth Nichols, Jackson Widener, Lauren Widener, Paige Wilson; Offering Basket Passers: Elizabeth Davis-Ball, Ben & Owen Heckmann, Allie Seidel; Presenters: Elsie Jobin, Rose-Ann Jobin; Altar Bread Baker: Kris Leinenkugel; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Wes Nichols & Penny Crawford; PowerPoint: Miles Harbin; Reader: Jan Floyd

 

 

In our Prayers…click here

 

Upcoming Calendar…click here