All Saints’
Parish SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013
FOLLOW JESUS INTO EASTER JOY: BREAK THROUGH TO NEW LIFE
Break Through to New Life Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and the other women approached the tomb with spices to anoint the body of Jesus for burial. Their minds were focused on death, and their hearts were heavy with grief. Moments later, they came out of the tomb bursting with hope and overcome with amazement. Their experience in the tomb transformed their feeling from hopeless sorrow to overwhelming joy.
Nurture Your Soul When your day gets filled to overflowing with responsibilities and obligations, spend some time with God’s Word. If it’s been a while since you’ve read your Bible, try starting out by reading 1 Thessalonians; its filled with lessons the Apostle Paul used to encourage new Christians. You might also enjoy using Forward Day by Day, a daily devotional you may pick up in the church office. Finally, there are many books online and in our church library that can help you nurture your soul and grow your faith.
In raising Jesus from the dead, God offers this same breakthrough to you and me. Like the women, we bring the spicy trappings of our orientation to sin and death. From that very place of defeat, God invites us to follow our risen Lord out of the tombs that entrap us. We see Jesus Christ even from within the darker habits of our hearts. He stands triumphant at the entrance of
the cave, silhouetted by the sunshine, ready to lead us into the brilliance of Easter morning. We follow Jesus once more into God’s new life, leaving behind hopeless sorrow. Simultaneously, we embody resurrection life for the sake of others.
Leave Behind the Old Habits of the Heart
Highlighted Events
Often we must enter the tomb before breaking through to Easter joy. What habits of the heart would you like to leave behind in the tomb? What attitudes stifle your joy?
APR 1
Church office closed
APR 1
Le Salon des Artistes
I suggest you choose one or two of the habits that entrap you, and offer them to the risen Lord. Then envision Jesus standing at the mouth of the cave inviting you to leave behind that old self and follow him into new life.
APR 3
Vestry meeting
APR 26
I-Help Dinner; volunteers and guests welcome
MAY 3
Small Bites for Big Hunger, fundraising event
MAY 6
Le Salon des Artistes
MAY 11-12
Youth group overnight
MAY 17
Music at All Saints’ presents Balázs Szokolay
On Easter Jesus leads us into new life by showing us how much God believes in us. At the same time, Jesus serves as the great Exemplar, showing us how to respond with faith. Further, when we fall short of his example, as we surely will, Jesus makes up the difference. For life in Christ is always open, expansive, and transcendent.
Easter Joy Infuses our Relationships The women experienced the joy of an Easter breakthrough by encountering the messengers in the tomb. They also experienced God’s new life together, as friends. Subsequently, they shared the astonishing news with Peter and the others disciples. Afterward, they celebrated the resurrection in community with those who came to believe through the stories they told. In the morning the women saw the two angelic messengers, and that evening they encountered their risen Lord. These experiences so transformed them that they were seen differently by others. No doubt their experience on Easter morning also transformed how they perceived other people. That is, their relationships were changed forever. From our Easter perspective, we approach each relationship as a gift from God. Perceiving relationships through the perspective of new life can enrich and deepen our love for family and friends, for strangers and enemies.
Announcements Adult education is offered each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Rector’s study. Youth schedule—The Salt: youth in grades six through twelve meet in the youth room on Sundays from noon to 2:00 p.m. for lunch, activities, fellowship, discussion, and an opportunity to deepen their faith. Junior high (Limitless) and high school (The Elements) groups meet separately once a month for an outing (i.e. movies, bowling, etc.). Contact Robin Denney at redenney@gmail.com or 805-835-8538. Midweek Bible study is offered each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in Grant Hall. We are currently studying the Book of Acts. Evensong, a traditional Anglican service of music, prayer, and reflection, will be offered next Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
Translating Easter Joy in Society The darkness of the burial cave probably evoked fear in the women. Indeed, fear precipitated Jesus’ crucifixion. The Romans feared an uprising, the Jewish leaders feared Jesus’ popularity, and the disciples feared for their own lives. The darkness of the tomb is a reminder of fear and the violence it can engender. We hear much talk about ending gun violence. The urgency to stem violence hit home earlier this month, when a young man of our diocese was chased by five other youth and stabbed to death in Watsonville. Along with the grief I feel for Felipe’s family and for his church, I grieve that high school students wield weapons. At the same time,
this stabbing reminds us all that simply removing guns will not restore hearts darkened by fear and hatred. The resurrection of Jesus Christ addresses the violence we deplore, and can inform the political solutions we advocate. The breakthrough of Easter changes our hearts and calls us to practice peace, motivating us to respond to the violence celebrated at many levels within our society. For the Peace of God that converts the hearts and hands of people is ours this Easter day. It is our joy and duty to give it away.
Follow Jesus into Easter Joy Sunday Services at 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. April 7 April 14 April 21 April 28 May 5 May 12
Break through to Faith Break through to Courage Break through to the Truth Break through into Wonder Break through to God’s Healing Break through to Freedom in the Redeemer
Earth Day Celebration—On Sunday, April 21, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Interfaith Outreach of Carmel will host “Joining Hands to Heal and Protect God’s Earth.” Gather with others at the Community Church of the Monterey Peninsula (4590 Carmel Valley Road, just one mile from Highway 1). The updated 2013 church directory is now available. Please stop by during regular office hours to obtain a copy. Names added to the parish prayer list will remain on the list for one month. If you wish to have the name(s) remain on the list after that time, please add them again or call the office 624-3883. Our church communications continue to increase and diversify to include print, web, and social media. We need five to ten volunteers to serve as editors, and writers. If you would like to be part of the communications team, please contact Greg Troxell in the church office or at gtroxell@allsaintscarmel.org. Interfaith Outreach of Carmel's Joining Hands Benefit Shop is in need of volunteers to work a few hours a week. To learn more about Joining Hands, talk to Sofia Osborne or Nancy Jones after church, or contact Sofia at 620-2147 or osbornesofia@gmail.com. Thanks to Trader Joe’s in Pacific Grove for donating 300 bags to our food pantry. Sunday handout deadline—To be included in next Sunday’s handout, your announcement must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on the preceding Wednesday. Contact Andrea Matters at andreamatters@gmail.com or 624-3090.
The Church Leads People into the Joy of Easter The risen Lord greets us today through the Holy Spirit of God. The domain of this new Easter life overlays the old order that we sometimes refer to as our fallen state. Because the two kingdoms overlap, we find ourselves in a condition of already-and-not-yet. The creative tension of living in the world, but not living by the values of the world, characterizes our Christian life.
Kingdom. The risen Lord touches our individual hearts, bringing forgiveness, peace, joy, and hope. Our personal relationship with Jesus Christ leads us into fellowship with others who stand with one foot in each world. As a community of faith we commune with Christ through sacrament and celebration, and we simultaneously become Christ’s body in the world.
By standing in two worlds at once, we fulfill our purpose of helping to usher in God’s
Please pass this on to your family members and friends. Read more news online: WWW.ALLSAINTSCARMEL.ORG | 831-624-3883
All Saints’ Episcopal Church PO Box 1296 CARMEL, CA. 93921
OUR MISSION:
Disciples Glorifying Christ And Serving Others