and worship him upon his holy hill; for the Lord our God is the Holy One."
--Psalm 99:9
Coming Up...
Zion Episcopal Church
www.zionepiscopal.org
(718) 225-0466
zionchurch11363@aol.com
The Rev. Lindsay Lunnum,
Rector
Mr. Guy Brewer,
Organist/Choirmaster
Mrs. Michelle Batson,
Parish Administrator
Zion's monthly ministry of worship and faith-formation for children and families with autism and other special needs is Saturday, March 4 at 5pm.
Pancake Breakfasts
in Lent
Sunday Mornings in Lent: 9am-10am
Adults: $4, Children: $2
Enjoy a hot pancake breakfast between the two worship services each Sunday in Lent!
If you'd like to help flip, serve, or clean up, please sign up in the Parish Hall
Our Newcomer Welcome Breakfast is March 5th at 9am and all are welcome.
Interfaith Community Organizing Group
will meet on March 7 at 7pm at Marathon Jewish Center. We are conducting research to discern the issues that need our attention. You are invited to fill out this survey to let your voice be heard by clicking HERE.
The Little Neck-Douglaston Community Organizing Group is comprised of members of the Community Church of Douglaston, The Community Church of Little Neck, Congregation L'Dor V'Dor, Marathon Jewish Center, and Zion Episcopal Church, under the guidance of Faith in New York of the Pico Network.
Suggestions for Observing a Holy Lent
It is traditional to take something on and give something up during Lent. Like exercise, daily spiritual practices will make us stronger. Lent is an ideal time to develop such a practice, which transforms us from the inside out, shapes our character and strengthens our faith.
Consider one or more of the following spiritual practices:
1. Attend church every Sunday in Lent, even when you are out of town or traveling. Give yourself a full day to rest in God, turn off electronics, read, walk, nap, cook a good meal and savor time with friends, family and God. You will wonder why you aren’t doing this every Sunday!
2. Attend our Wednesday morning Eucharist and Bible Study at 10am or go to the Flushing Deanery Lenten Series on Wednesday nights (7pm) and make spiritual formation a priority in your life. Locations for the Deanery series can be found on our website. The first one will be at Zion on March 8th.
3. Read a portion of Scripture each day. Consider slowly and meditatively reading through one of the Gospels.
4. Pick up a daily devotional and read it every day in Lent. Copies of Forward Day By Day can be found in the back of the church or on-line here.
5. Set aside 10 to 15 minutes each day to pray. There are many ways to go about this. Your rector would be honored to meet and discuss them with you.
6. Select five people to pray for each day. For yourself, select three traits to pray for daily, asking God to assist you in strengthening gifts such as faith, gentleness, integrity, patience, compassion, or humility.
7. Read a spiritual book. You know, one of those books you swear you are going to read one day. Check out authors such as Sr. Joan Chittister, Thomas Merton, C.S. Lewis, Esther de Waal, Margaret Guenther, Martin Smith, Barbara Crafton, Thomas Keating or Basil Pennington.
8. Go and receive confession. It’s awesome! Seriously, you feel spiritually lighter and unburdened after meeting with a priest for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It sounds scary, but it’s so worth doing.
9. Learn to say grace together as a family each night before dinner. It will help you savor the meal and add peace, substance and gratitude.
10. Call, write a letter, or send a card each day to a friend or family member with whom you have not been in regular touch. Resurrect 40 relationships by Easter. In this electronic age, surprise those you love with a heartfelt, old-fashioned message.
11. Give alms throughout Lent. Carry around lots of $1 bills and distribute them to those in need or make a special contribution to the church to care for the poor.
12. Tithe for Lent (give 10% of what you earn each day to God) for 40 days. It will transform your life and things will happen in your life that you never expected.
Things to consider giving up:
1. Look at what comes between you and other people. Chances are, it’s also a problem between you and God. Is it your phone? TV? Facebook? Let at least one thing go for 40 days that is getting between God and you.
2. Simplify your life and your home by collecting and donating forty items over forty days. Each day remove one item from your closet or home (or if it is still a good, usable item, put it in a box and save it to donate to Zion’s Strawberry Festival!).
3. Fast throughout Lent by missing one meal each day and eating lightly at other meals. Do it for spiritual reasons, not as a diet. You will be rewarded by greater clarity in prayer and ability to sense God’s voice and call in your life, as well as by weight loss and a feeling of being happier and healthier.
4. Give up alcohol for Lent. If you cannot give it up for 40 days, you probably should give it up for life.
5. Fast from gossiping. Do you like to keep in the know about other people’s lives, and do you call, email or tell others, thinking you are doing them a service? Perhaps your tongue is more dangerous than you think.
6. Give up going to Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts each day for coffee, save the money and give it to God or to a charitable cause at the end of Lent.
7. Fast from complaining and criticizing. The average parent criticizes a child 25 times a day before they get to school. Fast from negative words and criticisms. Transform relationships around by you bridling your tongue for Lent.
8. Give up dessert for Lent. It’s a small thing to do, but will keep you somewhat mindful of Jesus’ temptations in the desert. Do it for spiritual reasons.
9. Fast electronically, by limiting the time that you spend using electronic devices each day. Reduce the number of emails and texts you send. Make a few additional phone calls. Let people hear your beautiful voice.
10. Give up luxuries for Lent. Stop ordering from catalogues and shopping. More than half of the 1.2 billion people in India live on less than $2 a day.
11. Give up watching television for Lent. Read a book.Have a conversation. Give your mind and spirit a break from the almighty screen.
12. Fast from social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or Tumblr) for Lent. Go cold turkey on one of these.
13. Participate in a carbon fast for Lent, taking 40 small, achievable steps during the 40 days of Lent. Reduce your environmental footprint by cutting down on energy and water usage, waste and travel, and to consider the environmental impact of food. To learn more, visit The Carbon Fast for Lent is here or The Green Anglicans Facebook page.
This list was adapted from a list published by St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Whitemarsh, PA
