The first week of Journey to Easter was a wonderful success! The kids began by putting together the story of Jesus’s life and ministry — they took seven illustrations of Jesus’s life, wrote captions to describe the scene, and arranged them in order. There are some examples below – and the full story board is hanging on the wall downstairs at church. (Each week, we’ll add a new piece to the story, all the way through Easter and Jesus’s post-Easter appearances to the Disciples.) Ms. Heather then led us in some wonderful songs, including “Jesus Loves Me” and “He’s Got the Whole World.”
If you know a child who would like to be part of the fun, please spread the word! All are welcome, whether or not they were present for the first week.
Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul an ecumenical gathering
Wednesdays in Lent, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
This week (March 8), we gather at Trinity Episcopal Church to discuss chapters 2 & 3 of Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul. Next week, Wednesday, March 15, we will meet back here at TCP, and discuss chapter 4 of the book!
Note that you do not need to come every week – so all are welcome, whether or not you were able to participate in this first gathering, happening this evening!
Weekly Meditation
“The people quarreled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’”
-Exodus 17:2
“A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’”
-John 4:7
“The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty…”
-John 4:15
This third Sunday of Lent is a thirsty one. In the book of Exodus, we find the Israelites, wandering the desert with Moses, demanding water to drink. Moses takes their complaint to God, who makes water flow from a stone. The peoples’ thirst is quenched: their actual thirst and, perhaps, a deeper thirst for assurance that God has not forgotten them. In John’s Gospel, Jesus is on his way to Galilee. He’s sitting at a well, waiting for his disciples to return from a trip into town to buy food. A Samaritan woman comes by, and Jesus asks her for a drink. Walking through arid lands is thirsty work. A conversation ensues, and Jesus says to her that he is a source of living water: drink of it, and never be thirsty again. The Samaritan woman asks for a drink of that water.
Underneath the thirst, there’s a deep vulnerability on display in these texts. The Israelites, the Samaritan woman, Jesus: they’re all asking for something they need. The Israelites need a watery reminder that God is still with them. Jesus, sitting at a well without a bucket, needs a stranger’s help to draw him a drink. The Samaritan woman hears about this living water – water that becomes an inner spring, Jesus says — and yearns towards that promise. They all have a need. For water and, deeper still, for each other: listen carefully, and these stories about water reveal themselves to be stories about connectedness, about the thirsts underneath our physical thirst.
I hear, in these stories, questions for us: what am I thirsty for? Where are the parched places in my soul? Those are vulnerable questions, but we ask them trusting that God knows our deepest need, God is waiting for us in the parched places. Here’s a prayer to illuminate your seeking this week.
Gracious God, we thirst for you like travelers in an arid land. Meet us in our places of deepest need. Pour grace upon the parched places of our souls. Bring us, God, into fullness of life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Andi
~ Reminder ~
Don't be late to Church on Sunday!
Sunday Worship Services
We gather for worship in person at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays in the Main Street Church.
In addition, all of our worship services are live-streamed to our YOUTUBE channel.
Contact the church if you need assistance in receiving this ministry in your home.
* The Church Council continues to recommend following Maine CDC guidance. Mask wearing is optional, but remains advisable for individuals at higher risk for serious illness. Those with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure should follow CDC recommendations for isolation and masking.
Click the links above to read the Scripture passages.
Seeking Donations
of Non-Perishable Food Items
Food insecurity is a daily reality for many of our neighbors. One way to help is through donations of non-perishable food items. You can bring items to church on Sunday - or anytime the office is open - and leave donations in the baskets in the entryway. We'll collect the food and deliver it to a local food pantry. Thank you for your help!
Mar 8 4 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
Mar 8 6 p.m. Lent Gathering at Trinity
Mar 12 Daylight Savings Time starts (spring forward)
Mar 12 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship (in person & streaming)
Mar 13 1 p.m. Shawl Ministry
Mar 14 9 a.m. Bible Study (Zoom)
Mar 14 4 p.m. Board of Deacons meeting
Mar 14 4 p.m. Kids Journey to Easter
Mar 15 4 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
Mar 15 6 p.m. Lent Gathering at TCP
Mar 16 5 p.m. Church Council
Mar 19 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship (in person & streaming)
Mar 21 9 a.m. Bible Study (Zoom)
Mar 21 4 p.m. Kids Journey to Easter
Mar 22 4 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
Mar 22 6 p.m. Lent Gathering at Trinity
Mar 26 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship (in person & streaming)
Mar 27 1 p.m. Shawl Ministry
Mar 28 9 a.m. Bible Study (Zoom)
Mar 29 4 p.m. Kids Journey to Easter
Mar 31 2 p.m. No Neighbor Left Behind
If you’re interested in providing flowers, or serving as an usher, or bringing coffee hour refreshments, or spending time in the Children’s Corner with the littlest members of our community, please visit the Sign-Up Genius:
or sign up on the clip-boards downstairs in the Vestry.
We are looking for ushers for Feb 26. March is wide open, so sign up online or in the Vestry for any task that you'd like to take on!
Weekly Bible Study
All are welcome to join an ecumenical Bible study, co-hosted by TCP and Trinity Episcopal Church, every Tuesday at 9 a.m. Each week, we read and discuss the texts for the upcoming Sunday - as appointed by the Revised Common Lectionary. The coming week's texts can be found above. (Wondering what the Revised Common Lectionary is? Read more here!)
This Bible study happens over Zoom, so folks can (and do!) join from far and near. Here’s the Zoom information, which will remain unchanged week to week.
If you or someone you know is in need of our prayers, either individually or during our time of congregational prayer in Sunday worship, please let Pastor Andi know, using her contact information below.
For non-emergency pastoral care needs or visits, please contact Andi by e-mail or telephone below, using the contact information below. For emergency pastoral care needs that arise outside of regular church hours, please call or text Andi on her cell phone: (802)-989-1448.
Share the Good News
Click on the links below to share this newsletter with your family and friends.
“The people quarreled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’”
Scripture for Sunday
If you or someone you know is in need of our prayers, either individually or during our time of congregational prayer in Sunday worship, please let Pastor Andi know, using her contact information below. 
