Ash Wednesday Services

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Dear Friends,

Today we walk once again the pilgrim way of Lent, our primary season of self-reflection and repentance before the great Feast of the Resurrection on Easter. In a normal year, we take on a spiritual discipline, a practice that disrupts our normal patterns of behavior and puts us in mind of God. During this Lent, however, we will mark the anniversary of all our lives being completely upended. For almost a full year now, we have been deprived of some of the basic joys of life, not to mention the sickness, grief, and suffering that have stricken so many in our community. We have been observing a Lent of sorts this entire time against our will.

I would like to suggest that this Lent is not a time for mortification or extreme austerity. Instead, I invite you to a Lent spent intentionally resting in God's grace and love. The key word here is "intentionally;" if you are looking for a discipline, may it be the intentional and daily acceptance of grace--celebrating small miracles, giving thanks for constant friends and simple pleasures, saying a plain word of prayer. Jesus says, "come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). Perhaps this Lent is the time for us to discover a deeper faith in Jesus' promise of rest and renewal.

There are many ways for you to find spiritual renewal this Lent, from our Lenten StorySharing program to exploring the Black Church in our weekly Sunday Forum. Please take a look at the many resources All Saints' is offering and perhaps pick something new that looks refreshing to you. But whatever you choose to do this Lent, may your faith continue to keep hope alive for yourself and those around you.

In Christ,

Ash Wednesday
All Saints' will mark the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday liturgies today, Feb. 17 at noon (spoken, in-person only) and 7pm (with music, in-person and livestreamed). Attend either service in person or worship with us online at 7pm on Facebook Live or directly on our website. Because of Covid restrictions, there will be no imposition of ashes.

StorySharing this Lent

This Lent, we have a very special opportunity to deepen our spiritual relationships with one another and confront racism with All Saints' StorySharing. Through a series of four guided peer discussions beginning in mid-February, we will tell our own stories and learn about the experiences of others. All parishioners and others with connections to All Saints' are encouraged to participate in this deep and transformative program. A variety of meeting times will accommodate any schedule.
Sign up for StorySharing this Lent HERE

Want to get an idea of what our Lenten StorySharing series will look like? Watch our Sunday Forum from last week here where we begin our discussion of the series.

The Black Church

In celebration of Black History Month, our Sunday Forum series during Lent is devoted to the history of the Black Church. Each week we will discuss aspects of the documentary "The Black Church," hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on PBS. You can view "The Black Church" on Feb. 16 and 17 at 9pm or stream it on the PBS website. For more information, please visit https://www.pbs.org/weta/black-church/

Way of the Cross

This Lent, join with Episcopalians from across our deanery as we pray the Way of the Cross each Friday at 12:30pm via Zoom. Also known as Stations of the Cross, this meditative liturgy is a traditional Lenten devotion. All are welcome.

Link to Friday Way of the Cross: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82300040778

Lenten Meditations from Episcopal Relief & Development

Lenten meditations from Episcopal Relief & Development have gone online for 2021. Visit https://www.episcopalrelief.org/church-in-action/lent/ or downloadable PDF booklets and to sign up for a daily meditation email.

Giving at All Saints'
A friendly reminder that even though we are not able to hold regular services on Sundays there are still multiple ways to
continue to give at All Saints' Church

1. You can set up a secure online donation through PayPal
2. You can set up a recurring payment with your bank
3. You can mail checks to:

All Saints' Church
286-88 Seventh Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11215

For more information on giving online you can go to our website: http://www.allsaintsparkslope.org/giving.html

All Saints’ is proud to stand as an inclusive community that embraces and celebrates our diversity in response to biblical teaching: “The Lord God has told us what is right and what He demands: “See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God - Micah 6:8 (CEV). We reject hate and injustice in all forms. We are committed to examining the history of the Church, identifying racial inequities, developing inclusive programming, promoting culturally diverse leadership, and creating mentoring opportunities for youth. We provide a safe space that ensures our actions foster racial equality and social justice. We pledge to support organizations that are social justice focused and welcome all voices from our community and beyond to share their lived experiences.

We promote and solidify our anti-racist and social equity platform by educating and challenging our community to work, grow and create through:

● Forums, book/film discussions for adults and youth addressing areas of systemic racism and social inequity (i.e. police brutality, discriminatory practices)

● Participating in social justice events

● A relaunch of the Health Ministry with a focus on racial health disparities

● Recommitting to participation in civic coalitions (e.g. criminal justice reform; Black Lives Matter movement)

We seek to ensure a fair and inclusive future by:

● Examination of racial integration at All Saints’ with a commitment to intentionally

participate in our cultural activities

● Celebration of exemplary figures by holding up their witness and adding religious icons of color

to our space (e.g. Absalom Jones)

Holy Eucharist
Sundays at 10am
broadcast on Facebook Live

**You can follow along with the service using your own copy of The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), or download a PDF copy here.
Download Readings here

Virtual Coffee Hr & Sunday Forum
Sundays at 11:15-noon
Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 893 1036 0221

5pm Holy Eucharist
Sundays, 5pm in person
Please download Bulletin on your device prior to attending the service.
You can find bulletins here.

Tuesday Bible Study
Tuesdays at 10:30-noon via Zoom
Zoom Link:
Meeting ID: 960 3882 5681
(Bible Study will resume Jan 26)

Mid-Week Holy Eucharist
Thursdays in the church at 12:15pm
Zoom Link:
Password: 934890

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