This Sunday at St. John’s…
we have many things happening!
- Godly Play for the kids! Come a little early and bring your children upstairs to the Godly Play Room. They will join the larger congregation in the Sanctuary for communion after their lesson is finished.
- Every third Sunday is Healing Sunday. We will have a Healing Minister stationed at the back of the Sanctuary to offer healing prayers during communion.
- Bring your palms! Every year we are given palms at Palm Sunday. They are blessed and we use them to participate in our Palm Sunday liturgy. Most people then take them home as a reminder of the lesson of Palm Sunday. But we need them back now! Every year on Shrove Tuesday we burn last year’s palms to create this year’s ashes for Ash Wednesday. There will be a large basket in the Sanctuary to collect your palms this Sunday. If you’re not able to bring them Sunday, be sure to bring them to our Shrove Tuesday celebration on February 21 from 5:30-7:30.
- Outreach Project! After worship this Sunday please join us in the parish hall for an outreach project. We will be bagging all the toiletries from our Advent collection so we can give them to the Ulster County Warming Center. All hands are needed!
2023 Seasons of Lent and Easter at St. John’s
Feb 21: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper: Games and pancake supper. Suggested donation is $15 and all proceeds go to support our Family Ministries Program. 5:30-7:30 pm
Feb 22: Ash Wednesday: Holy Eucharist with Distribution of Ashes at 12:00 noon or 7:00 pm. Ashes-to-go for the Kingston Community 7-9 am and 4-6 pm.
Feb 26: Forum: Acolytes, Ushes, and Lector… Oh, my! Come and learn more about the various worship leader roles at St. John’s and sign up for training. After worship.
Mar 5: All Ages Worship – The Curiosity of Nicodemus
Angel Food East Mac-n-Cheese Bakeoff Returns! Come for food and fun in support of our feeding ministry. Begins at 2:00 pm at Keegan Ales.
Mar 12: How We Pray: Worship in the Episcopal Church. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
Mar 19: Godly Play for kids, Healing Sunday
Mar 26: Purple Sunday! The Alzheimer’s Association will offer a forum about Alzheimer’s and dementia. After Worship.
Who We Are: History / Structure of the Episcopal Church. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
Apr 2: Palm Sunday All Ages Worship
What We Believe: The Creeds of the Church. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
Apr 6: Maundy Thursday – soup supper, Eucharist, foot-washing, cleaning of the Altar. Begins at 6:00 pm
Apr7: Good Friday – Prayer service at 1:00 pm with the reading of the Passion. Stations of the Cross at 7:00 pm.
Apr 8: Holy Saturday – Reflection and prayers followed by Work Party at 9:00 am. Easter Vigil begins at 8:00 pm
Apr 9: Easter Sunday: Festive Choral Eucharist followed by Community Brunch and Egg Hunt for the kids
Apr 16: Godly Play for kids, Healing Sunday
Apr 23: How We Read Scripture I: The Hebrew Scriptures. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
Apr 30: Forum – Topic TBA
May 7: All Ages Worship
How We Read Scripture II: The Greek Scriptures. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
May 21: What We Do: Ministry and the Baptismal Covenant. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
May 28: The Feast of Pentecost
Preparing for Lent
As most of us probably know, Lent is a time in which we are called to give something up or take on something new. The idea is that we take these 40 days to develop a new discipline that will better support life, something that will help us physically, psychologically, or emotionally because ultimately those things all help us spiritually.
We often think of this as “fasting.” All religions have periods of fasting as a part of the larger practice. Muslims have a month of fasting and prayer called Ramadan. Jewish people have fasting days throughout the year such as Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av. And both Hinduism and Buddhism utilize the discipline of fasting around particular holidays or life events.
For you, perhaps Lent could be a time of exploration in which you consider learning something new or challenging yourself to understand a different viewpoint than yours. You could decide to embark on a daily routine of some kind that nourishes your body and your soul. It can be literally anything – singing, eating (or not eating) chocolate, refraining from criticizing others, working at a food pantry, walking, reading affirmations, praying, refraining from self-criticism, reading scripture or a particular book that you’ve been meaning to read, drinking more water, learning about the Episcopal Church, or participating in our Deanery Lenten Conversation Series (you can register here: CTKBBCLent.)
Whatever it is that you decide to do (or not do), I hope that you’ll see it as a way to deepen your relationship with God, with yourself, and with one another. Because the act of fasting or taking on a discipline is really meant to be a formative one. It’s not the fast itself that matters, it is about how it forms you as a disciple of Christ.
In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle
Announcements for February 19
The Last Sunday After the Epiphany
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper: Tues, Feb 21 5:30-7:30 join us for pancakes and games in the parish hall and help us raise money to support our Family Ministries Program. Suggested donation is $15/person. After dinner, stay as we burn our palms from last year for this year’s ashes.
Ash Wednesday: Wednesday, February 22
Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes: 12:00 noon or 7:00 pm
Ashes-To-Go (for the Kingston Community): 7-9 am and 4-6 pm
NEXT WEEK! Acolytes, Ushers, and Lectors… Oh, my! Rev. Michelle will offer a forum after worship on February 26, an opportunity to learn more about different liturgical and worship duties and be invited to register for training. We’ll talk about Lectors, Sacristans, Acolytes, and Ushers – all of whom are important to our common worship at St. John’s. People from age 6 to adult are welcome to consider these ministries.
Social Hour Hosting: You are invited to sign up on the bulletin board in the Vestibule to be a social hour host! Talk with our Hospitality Coordinator, Barbara Johnston for more information.
Calling all bakers! Do you like to make things in the kitchen? Our Communion Bread recipe is easy and quick. You bake one batch, deliver the bread to the church, and we keep it in the freezer until we use it. Sign up to bake for a month (or two) this year. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the Vestibule and so is the recipe.
Pledge Envelopes Are Here: If you made a pledge to St. John’s for 2023, your pledge envelopes are available. You can find a set with your last name on the box where you pick up your bulletins near the lectern. If you’re new to using them or have any other questions, speak with Lynn Dennison.
Page Turners Book Club Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month at 2 p.m., in the parish hall. Here’s what we selected for the next few months: March 2: Inside the O’Briens, by Lisa Genova. If we have bad weather during the winter, we will switch to a Zoom meeting. Interested? Talk with Lynn Dennison.
Angel Food East is in need of drivers! Drivers deliver meals on Thursdays. Meals are ready by 11 a.m., and most routes take about an hour. Substitute drivers are also needed so if you can help out as an on call driver, you are needed! Speak with either Rev. Michelle or Lynn Dennison if you can help.
St. John’s Office Hours
Mondays from 11:00-4:00 pm and Thursdays from 1:00-3:00 pm
Phone: 845-331-2252
Email: stjohnskingston@aol.com
Please note: Rev. Michelle’s Sabbath Day is Friday.