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The Season of Lent at St. Paul’s

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St. Paul’s Lenten Daily Meditation Booklet for 2015                                               This project is sponsored by Adult Formation. For five years it has inspired and encouraged those who have read it as they have committed their lives to a holy Lent. Plan to pick up your copy at St. Paul’s when you come for Ash Wednesday services. Written by members of St. Paul’s these daily readings help us know one another and share in our spiritual journey together.

Lenten Supper, Study, and Sharing 
When: Five Tuesdays, February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24
(The Sunday following is designated as a snow day.)
Supper (5:30 p.m.-6:15 p.m.) and forum with discussion (6:15 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)

Presenters:

2/24     The Rev. Carolyn Eklund (Ch. 1-2)Crazy Christians
3/3       Emily Levine (Ch. 3-5)
3/10     Jim Hornor (Ch. 6-9)
3/17     Jane Burke (Ch. 10-13)
3/24    Macauley Lord (candlelight reflection)

Our Lenten book selection is Crazy Christians: A Call to Follow Jesus, by Michael Curry, the Episcopal Bishop of North Carolina. This is a book about “radical discipleship.” He challenges the reader to change how we live our lives to become more like Jesus. That means no more settling into a groove and feeling comfortable. No more conforming to popular culture. His is a radical message!
Curry believes that to follow Jesus we have to be as crazy as Jesus was and is. And what exactly is so crazy about Jesus? How about “Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). And then there is “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 23:11). You’ll remember the Sermon on the Mount in which everything that the world calls wretched, Jesus calls blessed. Or this one: “Love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
Curry believes that if we seriously follow Jesus’ teachings, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our lives, we can “change the world from our nightmare into God’s dream.” His is a message of hope to transform the world. He says that those people who are crazy enough to pattern their lives on that of Jesus, who believe they can change the world, actually do. They are crazy enough to believe that God’s love is more powerful than anything, even evil and death. Radical maybe, but that’s the faith we are called to. If you want to “meet” the bishop whose book we will be reading, you can do so at http://day1.org/5236-bishop_michael_curry_crazy_christians

 

Blessing Our Children
When: Five Sundays at St. Paul’s: February 22, March 1, 8, 15, 22
10:15 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Facilitator: Linda Ashe-Ford
A parent’s blessing is vitally important to the health and well-being of his or her children. The Genesis story of Jacob and Esau—the story of how Jacob lied and schemed to steal from his brother their father’s blessing—shows just how vital that blessing can be.
This small group is designed especially for parents, grandparents, and caretakers of young children. The concept of blessing, or bestowing unconditional love, is at the core of our Christian faith and necessary for any child’s health and well-being. Not only will the whole concept of blessing be discussed in this group, but there will also be an exploration of the various ways in which we can bless our children. Five methods will be discussed: meaningful and appropriate touch, a spoken message, attaching high value to the child, picturing a special future for the child, actively committing to do everything possible to ensure that the blessing comes to pass. While your children are in Sunday school, please join Linda Ashe-Ford for a time of exploring this important topic. Coffee, tea, and simple snacks will be available for this adult time together in an informal setting.

St. Paul’s Newcomers’ Class held during Lent
Rector’s home, 43 Spring Street, Brunswick. Refreshments will be served.
There will be four classes for St. Paul’s Newcomers offered on Sunday afternoons in Lent.
Sundays, February 22, March 1, 8, 15.
If you are new to St. Paul’s, new to the Episcopal Church, exploring whether or not the Christian faith is for you, or just recently returned to Christianity, this class is for you. Even if you have been an Episcopalian for many years and wish to refresh your knowledge and discuss questions about the faith, this class is for you!
We will be reading the book, Episcopal Questions, Episcopal Answers: Exploring Christian Faith, by Ian S. Markham and C.K. Robertson.
ACTION: Please contact the Parish Office, stpauls@stpaulsmaine.org to register for the class and order your book.

Habitat for Humanity Build Day, Sponsored by Outreach Committee
When: March 7, 8:30am to 3:00pm
Contact: Madeleine Msall, mmsall@bowdoin.edu
St. Paul’s will be gathering to help a veteran build a home where he and his two daughters will live. Through our relationship with Habitat for Humanity, we have scheduled this build. We will need 8-12 volunteers to work on the Veteran’s Build on the Harpswell Road If you drive by, you can see the house is already framed, so we would be working indoors. If you are a veteran at St. Paul’s and want to support this build and wish to practice “loving your neighbor as yourself” this is the perfect Lenten practice for you.

Lenten Quiet Day at St. Paul’s “Mortify Our Wolves”
When: Saturday, March 14, 9:00am-Noon (with lunch to follow)
Led by The Rev. Mary Lee Wile
Gather with those who wish to spend time in silence and prayer as Mary Lee leads us in her wonderful Lenten reflections and quiet activities. Please plan to stay for lunch.