Layreader March 2015 by Heavenly Rest

March 2015

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3

Potluck Suppers and Lenten Program on the Eucharist

Wednesday Evening Healing Services During Lent

Make plans now to attend Heavenly Rest’s special Lenten program on the Holy Eucharist each Wednesday night in Wednesday Healing Service March. Our evenings begin with a Potluck Supwill take place at 5:15pm per in the Parish Hall at 6:00pm and we invite instead of 5:30pm through you to bring your favorite “covered dish” to March 25th so all of our share with the congregation. Food for children parishioners may enjoy the will be provided. A special presentation on the dinner and teaching programs Eucharist will follow at 6:30pm and there will of our Lenten Series. be activities for children in the lower level of the Parish Hall. Speakers, in order, include Philip LeMasters, Orthodox priest and head of the Religion Department at McMurry University; the Rev. Cliff Stewart, pastor of First Central Presbyterian Church; Bruce Lampert, chaplain at Hendrick Medical Center; and Mother Susanna Cates. Check the Heavenly Rest website regularly for the latest details.

Fat TuesdayFun!

Many thanks to all the volunteers, cooks and singers that made our Mardi Gras celebration so fun!!!

HEAVENLY REST SERVICES Sundays 8:00 a.m. Rite I with Holy Eucharist in the nave

9:15-10:15 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Rite II with Holy Eucharist in the nave 1:00 p.m. Morning Prayer in Swahili

Weekdays

Pictured at Right: Courtney Bryant, Camie Garvey, Mindy Morrison, Lauren & Jason Long, Dawson Bryant, Diane & Josh Stearns Below, left to right: Moreen & Rick Mansell and Connie Collier; Becca Kello and Nora Goolsby; and Pat Garren.

8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer in the chapel

Wednesdays

5:30 p.m. Healing Service, Holy Eucharist in the chapel

Theological Education Sunday, March 8th The School of Theology at the University of the South, Sewanee is sending a special guest to the Church of the Heavenly Rest to preach on Sunday, March 8th. Justin Briggle is in his second year of seminary at Sewanee, and will be our preacher at both 8:00am and 10:30am services, offering a special emphasis on theological education in the church today. Justin is Postulant for Holy Orders in the Diocese of Texas and is from Marshall, Texas. He and his wife have two young children. Please make plans now to support theological education in our seminaries by attending. OUR MISSION As a community of faith centered in God through liturgy and Christian Practice, the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest exists to: CARE for members of all ages and stages of life; SHARE God’s inclusive and healing love with all people;.CREATE opportunities to grow in Christ; SERVE the church, the community, and the world.

Service liturgy is from the Book of Common Prayer.

Care. Share. Create. Serve. • March 2015

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

(Please check our website for the latest news and updates.)

Palm Sunday, March 28: Blessing of the Palms and reading of the Passion Gospel at both services. March 29-April 1: Noon Holy Eucharist on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in All Saints Chapel. At the end of each service the Sacrament of Reconciliation, commonly called Confession, will be available to all who desire it. A light lunch will be served in the Parish Hall following each service.

Wednesday evening, April 1: Passover Seder meal, hosted by Mother Susanna in the Parish Hall. This Jewish meal recounts the night Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. For Christians, it prefigures God’s redemption in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. RSVP is requested: scates@heavenlyrestabilene.org. Maundy Thursday, April 2: 7:00pm Service of Foot Washing, Holy Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar. Mother Susanna will be our preacher and our service will conclude by candlelight in the Chapel of Repose. Anyone who wishes to remain all night in watchful vigil is invited to stay. Security is provided.

Good Friday, April 3: 8:00am and Noon services. Reverend Amanda Watson will preach at the early service when the reserved sacrament will be consumed. Father Luke preaches at the noon service and Dr. Wes will provide special music. All are invited to observe the Stations of the Cross in the Nave following the service.

Abilene Interfaith Council Presentation Tuesday, March 3 Abilene Interfaith Council will present “Buddhism 101” on Tuesday, March 3, at 12:00 noon in Parish Hall. History of the religion and varieties of Buddhism will be discussed by Noel Singleton and Craig Thompson. A potluck lunch will be served and pizza will also be available. Event questions: (325) 692-3353.

If your birthday or anniversary is not listed or is incorrect, contact the office, 677-2091. Blessings are given at both morning services: Birthday Blessings, March 1 Anniversary Blessings, March 8 Children’s Blessing: March 15

Holy Saturday, April 4: 9:00am - Liturgy for Holy Saturday in All Saints Chapel. 10:00am - Holy Saturday Children’s Events begin with an Easter Egg hunt for all ages on the east lawn of the church, followed by a great story time inside the church. The morning concludes at 11am with a special visit to the tomb. 7:00pm - Holy Saturday Easter Vigil and Striking of the New Fire. This service begins in the Columbarium at Heavenly Rest and moves into the Nave as the Light of Christ brightens the darkness around us. Dr. Doug Thomas will be our preacher and each member of the Confirmation Class will be recognized and honored at this service. Easter Sunday, April 5: Special service times will be 9:00am and 11:00am. Brass musicians will accompany our Easter music program. Father Luke will be our preacher. Easter Brunch, 10-11:00am, will be served between services in the Parish Hall. A special gift awaits each child within the gates of the Columbarium. Join us as we participate in the overwhelming joy of Easter resurrection!

Happy Birthday March 1 March 8 March 15 Joshua Back Katlyn Deneé Dick Orsini Simon Back Moore Linda Pinkston Nolan Kelley March 9 March 16 March 3 Letha Morris Sharlyn Garoutte Emma Morris Joy Ramsey March 17 March 5 March 10 Quentin Garcia Kathleen Jackson Bob Beckham Stephen Suttle Lauren Fulenwider March 6 March 19 Eleanor Rockett Molly Henson Tom Agerton Justin Marderosian March 12 Rob Beckham Dian Stai Laura Langford March 7 Rick Willis Helen Chaney March 13 Meredith Back March 20 Cash Cockerell Archer Fulenwider

Happy Anniversary March 29 Lindsay and Jay Hardaway

MarchCelebrations March 21 March 26 Connie Boyd James Wagstaff Caitlyn West March 27 March 22 Amy Edington Hattie Willard March 28 March 23 Robin Dennis Jan Henson Kathy Huston Ann Lobdell March 29 March 24 Carolyn Barnett Terri Cress Nicholas Procopio Karrie Partin Mark Puckett Greg Yost Gene Sherman March 25 March 31 Ron Rathbun Perry Fincher

http://www.heavenlyrestabilene.org

YouthInAction

Building On Our Heritage of Faith, Hope and Love: Construction Planning

Marian, Robin, and Michael enjoying the Mardis Gras party

Highlights from the Diocesan Midwinter Middle Youth Retreat Heavenly Rest middle schoolers who were able to attend had a great time at the Midwinter Retreat at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Odessa Texas. One of the many high points was when our girls from the Alleluia choir sang during Eucharist– they did such a great job! (see back page) Pictured below right are Beatrice, Riziki, Pascalina, and Penina joining in the singing earlier that weekend. Below are Michael Scarborough, Sam Mehaffey, and Parker Eddington, also having fun at the Midwinter Retreat.

Youth Group Events in March

SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 17-19, • 5-7:00pm on Sunday, March 29: a Scavenger 2015 PRIMARY YOUTH EVENT Hunt for both youth groups combined, JEYPs and EYC.

For youth currently in second-fifth grades, location to be announced later!

• Each Wednesday night there will be a special program for youth. After eating with everyone in the Parish Hall at 6:00pm, we will go to the youth house until 7:30 to discuss our Lenten topic on Eucharist. I promise it’s going to be a lot of fun– see you there!

• Quarterman Sr. (completed grades 7-12) June 7-14 at Cathedral Ridge in Colorado • Quarterman Jr. (completed grades 2-7) June 28-July 4 at Ceta Glen near Happy, TX

DIOCESAN YOUTH CHURCH CAMPS THIS SUMMER:

Children’s Program during Lent The children at Heavenly Rest will be learning about Holy Eucharist throughout the Lenten season. On Wednesday evenings following the potluck supper, the younger children will gather to discover a bit more each week about the sacrament and its meanings. This new knowledge will be put into practice as they prepare for a special event the final week: an actual Holy Eucharist church service that they will work together with the youth groups to create...a very special event for all.

Above, Davis Goolsby and Lucy Hardaway display the results of another project at Heavenly Rest - they made themselves into stained glass windows with the colorful arched crowns they created.

After a successful fund raising process we have begun organizing for the construction phase of the capital campaign. The construction period could take two years and we hope to begin this summer. The Vestry has appointed Mike Denny as chairman of construction, and he has been working closely with our architects, church leadership and staff to implement the goals of the Parish. There will be four committees formed to handle various phases of construction. The four committees authorized by the Vestry are: • Great Hall Committee Nolan Kelley, chair • Sacred Music Center Committee Judy Godfrey, chair • Parish House Committee Kim Snyder, chair • Furnishings Committee Jill Bishop, chair Other committees will be formed as needed. If you are interested in participating in the work of any one of these committees or have any questions, please contact a committee chair or member of the Vestry. Please continue to pray that God would carefully and graciously guide the mission of the Church of the Heavenly Rest.

Care. Share. Create. Serve. • March 2015

ParishStewardship Together We CAN Pack the Pantry! Our Lenten Season Food Drive has begun, and we hope that we can Pack the Pantry by Easter! Just one donation from each one of us for the seven weeks of Lent would make a significant difference in the lives of others. Little by little, person by person, we can Pack the Pantry.

Heavenly Rest Chamber Music Concert Series Mark Ackerman, oboe Martha Saywell, piano Sunday, March 15, 5pm Mark Ackerman was the principal oboist of the San Antonio Symphony since 1975, and just recently retired that postion. He studied with Rhadames Angelucci at the University of Minnesota and Marc Lifschey at the San Francisco Conservatory. He has collaborated with pianists John Browning and Warren Jones, the Emerson Quartet, and is the artistic director of the Olmos Ensemble. He has served on the University of Texas at Austin faculty and currently serves Trinity University, Texas State and Texas Lutheran University faculties.

On March 15th, Mark will be collaborating with Dr. Martha Saywell of Angelo State University and will be performing works by Schumann, Mozart, Schwantner and Brahms.

The students at St. John’s Episcopal School agree. They were given the goal to collect 1800 items by Easter. This seemed like an impossible number to them, but then they learned if each student brings just one donation each week of Lent, they can reach this amazing goal. The result: 203 nonperishable goods were collected in the very first week...thank you, St. John’s students and families! We are also extremely fortunate to have the United Supermarket on Buffalo Gap Road join our effort in packing the pantry. The team members at United will be collecting nonperishable items through Easter, and all donations received will be delivered to the church. Why Pack the Pantry? If you ask any of the 23 Heavenly Rest volunteers why they work in the Food Pantry, you will get all kinds of stories, each different but equally inspiring– they are the reasons they give their time so freely. Clearly, great things are happening in our Outreach basement. We are grateful for the efforts of these volunteers and the generosity of members of our church and community which allow us to serve others as we share God’s love.

Outreach Committee Report

A “hand huddle” by St. John’s students wearing their yellow wrist bands that remind them to Pack the Pantry.

As you may know, each year, for the past few years, the Vestry has increased our church budget for outreach. For 2015, the total budget for the Outreach Committee is $60,000. This is a $12,000 increase over last year’s budget. Such a commitment to the care of those in need would not be possible without the generous support of this congregation. It is because of you that we are able to respond to people’s needs. Let’s see how much good we can do for others. One of our strategies is to provide financial assistance to a variety of human service agencies in our community, many of whom I have mentioned in past reports. In January, 2015, Peggy Beckham and I attended a luncheon at Global Samaritan Resources and were impressed with what we learned. They collect donations and store material goods such as: • medical, hygiene, building, and educational supplies • furniture, mattresses, blankets, and baby beds • shoes, clothing and dehydrated food The organization then acts as a clearing house and distributes these goods to individuals and families in our community [including some from our church] as well as to other cities, states and nations. They have a network of connections across the United States and around the world. For example, when we were there they were preparing to load a food shipping container with medical supplies that will be shipped to Africa for Ebola relief. They truly are a Global enterprise, and in helping them Heavenly Rest participates in a world-wide mission. It is especially remarkable that they accomplish this with only four paid employees– the majority of their work is achieved through volunteers. If you would like to know more about their work or would like to be involved (continued next page)

http://www.heavenlyrestabilene.org

as a volunteer at Global Samaritan Resources, contact Myra Dean at 325-676-9991. On the home-front, our committee also subsidizes discretionary funds for our clergy. Our priests and deacon have frequent contact with people from our community who have personal, family and emergency needs. Their discretionary funds allow them to combine personal assistance with pastoral care: the gospel in action. Over the coming months I will keep you appraised of the work of your Outreach Committee. At the same time, we want to hear from you. Our goal is to glorify God by providing relief to human suffering. Let us know if you are aware of someone to whom we can provide practical assistance; contact us if you know of a human service agency that has a specific need to further their work. And remember,“…happy are those who provide for the poor.” Proverbs 14:21b

THRIFT HOUSE: Creating Moments of Joy Why don’t you put some time into Heavenly Rest’s Thrift House Ministry? Quick… what’s your first-impulse reply? If you said “too busy,” “scary place,” or “what exactly is it that they do there?” you’re among the Parish majority. If pushed for more information, you might add, “I work full time,” “I’m already over-committed to other ministries here,” or “I think we could be doing better things with our Outreach ministries than messing with old clothes.” So, why did God put us up to this Thrift House thing in the first place? How can we justify Jesus’ command to “feed my sheep” in a store filled with old stuff? This is what I think: Jesus knew exactly what he was doing when he pushed those ECW ladies into starting a thrift store almost 60 years ago. The secret is: it’s not the stuff! It’s creating moments of joy in the lives of others. Thrift House is a community that includes everyone who passes through its doors. It works like a beehive. Every member contributes to the well-being and growth of the others. We all arrive feeling stretched thin from the stress in our personal lives, trying to cope with too much to do in too little time. The fabric of people’s lives has become threadbare from economic uncertainty even as we see the market soar. This tension has become another form of unquiet that robs us of God’s peace. Thrift House creates a safe haven where people who have lost their dignity, who grieve for losses, and who wither from isolation ask only to be loved. Every one of us has been empowered with God’s peace. Help us create moments of joy with your time and talents by volunteering with us. We are located at 761 Walnut Street and our hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9:30am–4:30pm. We accept consignment clothing, jewelry, and household items by appointment during store hours. – Jean Seymore PS: We’ve started painting the inside of our building on weekends. Sure could use some help here!

Miracles on Walnut Street Wonderful things happen at Heavenly Rest’s Thrift House on Walnut Street. Not only are we able to provide clothing and household goods to struggling families in our community, but we are also able to witness beautiful acts of kindness. Please read the following interactions reported by the ladies who work and volunteer at Thrift House. “Two young ladies with a baby came into the store. They really needed clothes for the baby but did not have enough money. A woman in the check-out line behind them offered to pay the difference for them. The grateful young women remarked that some day they would help someone else and pay this act of kindness forward.” “A woman came to the Thrift House who was getting ready to move to Hawaii. She needed a dress for one final event before moving, but she did not bring cash with her– only a credit card. She really loved the dress and thought it was perfect. Once again, a woman behind her in line overheard her predicament and paid for her dress, asking for nothing in return.” “There was a woman who came in who had just moved to Abilene, obviously from a bad situation. She said she was so happy to find the Thrift House because, despite being down and out at the moment, she could still maintain her dignity in the well cared for items placed for sale. We assured her that we also knew what it was like to struggle at times, and agreed about the importance of looking nice to help build confidence. While visiting with her we were able to encourage her and assure her that good things will happen.” These are just a few examples of what this outreach ministry means to so many people in our community. Please consider becoming a part of the Thrift House. Any time that you can share with this ministry is greatly appreciated in so many ways. Contact Shirlene (672-3812) at the Thrift House for more information. Stay tuned for more “Miracles on Walnut Street.”

Care. Share. Create. Serve. • March 2015

MarchCalendar

• Weekly Schedule at Heavenly Rest - Holy week schedule can be found on page 2...

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

8:00am Rite I Holy Eucharist

5:30am B.O.B.S

8:00am Morning Prayer

9:15am Sunday School

8:00am Morning Prayer

10:15am Adult Choir*

6:30pm Curate’s Study

9:30-11:30am Hands-on Outreach

8:00am Morning Prayer SJES Chapel

10:30am Rite II Holy Eucharist* 1:00pm Morning Prayer in Swahili 5:00pm Change Ringers 5:15-7:00pm JEYPs grades 6-8

Sunday Servers

10am Staff mtg 6:00pm Change Ringers 6:15pm - EFM

9:30-11:30am Hands-on Outreach 5:30pm Healing Service Holy Eucharist* (5:15pm on Feb. 25) 6:15-8:00pm EYC grades 9-12 7:30pm Adult Choir

9:30am Bible Study with Mother Susanna 9:30-11:30am Hands-on Outreach 7:00pm Bagpipes

SATURDAY

Childcare is available every Sunday, 7:30 a.m-Noon, unless otherwise noted. *childcare will be available for this event **childcare can be arranged upon request

• Scheduled on Alternating Weeks 2nd & 4th Tuesday, March 10 & 24 Centering Prayer (Bishop Mayer Room), 4:00pm 1st & 3rd Tuesday, March 3 & 17 St. Margaret’s Guild, 6:30pm

For an up-to-date calendar of events, please visit the church website at heavenlyrestabilene.org. Looking for the monthly schedule for Sunday duties? Go to the website, and click on this:

ParishFellowship Pucketts’ Performance to benefit the Philharmonic The prodigious piano-playing Pucketts are performing at the Paramount on March 28 to benefit the Abilene Philharmonic. Mark, Lauren and Halle Puckett will perform a highly entertaining, eclectic concert on two grand pianos with Maestro Itkin joining them to perform a quartet.

Please take time to thank your Sunday Servers. They work hard to make each service run smoothly. The server schedule can be found on the website at www.heavenlyrestabilene.org, where it will be updated with changes over the course of the month and e-mailed to the servers at the beginning of each month. If you would like a hard copy of the server schedule, please call the office at 325.677-2091.

The Pucketts are often leading the cause of musical education in our community. This past year, the Philharmonic’s education program provided materials and concerts for 6,000 school-aged children. Underprivileged children also received free tickets to attend concerts, which included over 350 for the Holiday Pops concert this year. These deserving and appreciative children had the opportunity to experience highly accomplished musicians, meet vocalist and Super Bowl Champion, Ben Utecht, and complete their experience with a visit from Santa Claus. This is a wonderful opportunity for the Parish to support not only the Pucketts, but music education in our community. The Pucketts bring honor to our church family and to our community. Donations are accepted, but not required. Tickets are $30, and for $40 guests experience the performance and also a reception following the event to congratulate the Pucketts.

Appreciation Event for Peter Kent & Family Peter Kent, our Parish Administrator, will soon depart for his job with the Headquarters of the United States Air Force in Europe. An appreciation event is planned for Peter, Sandra, Rachel and Colin on Sunday, March 15, in the Parish Hall following the 10:30am service. Sandra and the children will remain in Abilene until the end of the school year, when they will join Peter in Germany. Please join us as we celebrate and bless the Kents as they make this important transition.

BackPage†

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Dear Friends, All the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not unscramble Humpty-Dumpty! How can any mortal heal a broken heart? Reuniting body and soul requires returning our hearts to the One that created us. This is how Lent is spent. When a baby is conceived in the womb, heart development begins before the formation of the brain stem. As we mature, it is very common to give priority to our brainy ideas and lose our ‘heart-awareness.’ As adults, we usually put brain first and heart second, reversing God’s development intention. Thus, we often misunderstand love— and mess up a lot of relationships, both divine and human.

Many thanks to the Abilene ReporterNews for photos of the Ash Wednesday service.

Jesus told a parable about the hypocrite praying in the temple. He does not need God’s forgiveness because he is independently righteous. This Pharisaic mind is ‘hyper-active’: I can create in my head a full courtroom scene where I present the evidence against my adversary and prove that my negative behavior is justified. I can focus on super-villains, like ISIS, and without doing anything good, be a righteous hero— my moral superiority is achieved by mere mental comparison to some greater, horrendous, evil.

The parable also tells us about a publican, heartsick over his sins, who passionately cries out for God’s forgiveness. We share with this ancient sinner, ‘we have not loved God with our whole heart!’ We are shattered into a multiplicity of sins– mine, yours, ours and theirs. This is the overwhelming immensity of the sin of the world... the sin in which we are active, culpable, separated and alienated participants. Lenten labor prays out, breaths out, and cleanses out the hard, cracked, sharp pieces of self-righteousness which isolate our hearts. On Good Friday we see the full horror of our failed love– but we also feel the tender, tenacious, passionate love that endures our rejection and can make us whole. On Easter Sunday we realize with joy God’s power and love, totally sufficient to overcome all that would separate our souls from our Divine Lover. Keep a humble and holy Lent! It is from the bottoms of our hearts, that we gain access to the heights of our souls. Faithfully,

Luke+

A full-to-overflowing Parish Hall at the Mardi Gras dinner– another positive sign of a growing need for a new Great Hall. Read about construction plans on page 3 of this Layreader.

10 Years of Service Heavenly Rest would like to express appreciation to Lucy Marak who is retiring from the nursery after ten years of dedicated service. She recently recieved a beautiful bouquet of flowers at a Sunday service and further acts of appreciation are being planned. Lucy has done an excellent job of caring for the children of this congregation, including the Swahili Morning Prayer congregation. She has been a pleasure to work with and has taken excellent care of our nursery facility. In retirement, Lucy plans to spend more time with her family… the only child care she plans to do, is for her grandchildren!