Thoughts to Ponder...A Week called Holy
A great deal of preparation goes into to planning and executing the numerous events of this week called "Holy." Choir, Altar Guild, Musicians, Church Staff, Refreshments providers, Easter Egg Hunt folks are all busy, scurrying around making sure their responsibilities are carried out.
And for us clergy, it means multiple sermons to write, bulletins to proof, liturgies to think through one more time to make sure everything is in place.
Getting ready for this week called "holy" can be so exhausting for so many!
Yet, there is a wonderful event (do we dare add one more?) that takes place in the Episcopal Church. It is at this time, this week called "holy," that the clergy gather with the Bishop and renew our ordination vows. Yesterday Dorothy Brown and I went to the Cathedral in Portland for the service; the event will be offered again today in Eugene for clergy in the southern part of the Diocese.
I always find this service a "re-grounding" in the midst of a very busy time. It seems so counter-intuitive to ask clergy to take the time, drive the distance and spend an hour in worship during this week. And yet I wouldn't miss it for anything.
It is a re-grounding in the midst of what is often chaos; an opportunity to sit and reflect on just what I am doing in answering God's call on my life. It is truly a gift; a re-charging; a remembering of the presence of God in all things.
So, most of you reading this are not clergy. Yet I encourage each of you, in those very busy times of life (and in the not-so-busy times) to discover something that re-grounds you. Something that makes you stop your frenetic life and remember what this life is all about. It's not just about this week called "holy;" it is about this life called "holy;" a life each of us is called to live every day of our lives.
I do hope to see you this week...
Let's stay in touch,
Betty+
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UPCOMING EVENTS...
Our 40 hour prayer vigil begins at the close of Maundy Thursday's liturgy and concludes at noon on Holy Saturday. If you would like to participate, please sign up no later than Close of Business today so that we may post the schedule. One hour is all you are asked to "watch and pray." Sign up here.
Passing of the parish bylaws. St. Barnabas has new bylaws passed by the Vestry that are in accord with National and Diocesan canons. The congregation must ratify these bylaws for them to be in effect. We will do this at a specially called Parish Meeting on Sunday, April 16 just after the service (and before our festivities.) This will be the ONLY matter of business. Please read the bylaws here and send any comments to Betty.
Last Sunday festivities! April 16 is Betty and Jim's last Sunday with us as Interim Rector and Clergy spouse. Come join in our worship and then plan to stay for a wonderful potluck brunch downstairs in the Parish Hall.
April Book Discussion and Dinner will be on Saturday, April 22 from 5 - 7 p.m. The book to read is The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. Ms Erdich is considered one of the most gifted, prolific, and challenging of contemporary Native American novelists. Born in 1954 in Little Falls, Minnesota, she grew up mostly in Wahpeton, North Dakota, where her parents taught at Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. Her fiction reflects aspects of her mixed heritage: German through her father, and French and Ojibwa through her mother. The Sentence was a nominee for Best Fiction 2021.
Watch for other activities and events as we continue to strengthen and build our community! Have an idea? Talk to a member of the Vestry or the Interim Rector.
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 Getting out into the community...
April is: SAAM (Sexual Assault Awareness Month) From parishioner Linda O’Hara, who among her many volunteer efforts, volunteers with Henderson House. Henderson House has served survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Yamhill County since 1981. There are many activities in April supporting Henderson House. To see more and support this important community ministry click here.
Blue Lights and Pinwheels remind us that April is also National Child Abuse Prevention Month. In 1983, April was designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Juliette's House along with national and local organizations come together in April to raise awareness, inspire collective action, and work together to protect children from abuse. Discover more about Juliette's House here.
 A giant Rabbit right here at Eastertime! Gallery Theater is currently presenting the play Harvey by Mary Chase, directed by Steve Cox. Elwood P. Dowd insists on including his friend Harvey in all of his sister Veta’s social gatherings. Trouble is, Harvey is an imaginary six-and-a-half-foot-tall rabbit. To avoid future embarrassment for her family—and especially for her daughter, Myrtle Mae—Veta decides to have Elwood committed to a sanitarium. At the sanitarium, a frantic Veta explains to the staff that her years of living with Elwood’s hallucination have caused her to see Harvey also, and so the doctors mistakenly commit her instead of her mild-mannered brother. The truth comes out, however; Veta is freed, and the search is on for Elwood, who eventually arrives at the sanitarium of his own volition, looking for Harvey. But it seems that Elwood and his invisible companion have had a strange influence on more than one of the doctors. Only at the end does Veta realize that maybe Harvey isn’t so bad after all. Performances at 7:30 p.m. on April 7, 8, 14, 15. Performances at 2:00 p.m. on April 9 and 16. More info and tickets here.
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Thank you's to...
- those who participated in the Palm Sunday drama
- all those who made our Palm Sunday crosses
- Laurie for a wonderful Lenten worship with icons
- our Wednesday night chefs who fed us so well during Lent
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Schedule for March 29 - April 5
Soup Kitchen serves dine-in, sit down meals Monday through Friday, 4-6 p.m.
Spy Wednesday, April 5: Office hours, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- 7 p.m. Tenebrae Service
Maundy Thursday, April 6: Office hours, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- 10:00 a.m. Contemplative Prayer
- 11:00 a.m. Hymn Pickers
- 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday liturgy
- 8 p.m. 40 Hour Prayer Vigil begins.
Friday, April 7: Office hours, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- 12 noon Liturgy of the Day
- 7 p.m. Liturgy of the Day
Saturday, April 8
- 7 p.m. Lighting of the New Easter Fire and the First Eucharist of Easter
Sunday, April 9: Easter Sunday!
- 9:30 a.m. Glorious worship! Bells! Choir! Incense! Flowering of the Cross! Coming to the altar rail for communion!
- Festive refreshment time with Easter Egg Hunt!
- 7 p.m. AA (Parish Hall)
Monday, April 10: Office hours 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- 7 p.m. NA (Parish Hall)
Tuesday, April 11: Office hours, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- 5:30 p.m. AA
Wednesday, April 12: Office hours, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
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Here are some links that you might find interesting:
- Join the St. Barnabas "Parish Talk" group here
- Follow us on Instagram here.
- Join our Soup Kitchen at St. Barnabas Facebook page here.
- Join our Friends of the Soup Kitchen Facebook page here.
- Stay informed of what is taking place by checking in here at the Episcopal News Service...or joining their email list.
- The Episcopal Cafe here offers timely and interesting articles about our church. Join their email list and enjoy.
- The St. Barnabas website is up...and "bare bones." Please review and send your thoughts/ideas/comments to Laurie.
- The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon
- The Episcopal Church in the USA
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In case of an emergency, Betty can be reached at 202 207 5463 or rector@stbmac.org.
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The Vestry (Parish Leadership)
Interim Rector/Presider: The Reverend Betty S. McWhorter
Senior Warden: Susan Huffman
Junior Warden: Matthew Meador
Clerk: Tara Rich
Treasurer: Nan Cramer
Other members: Art Bradley, John Cramer, Charlene McCreight, JacE Macy, Laurie Muench, Wendy Tibbetts
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St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
822 SW Second Street
PO Box 539
McMinnville OR 97128
503 472 5831
admin@stbmac.org
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From Susan Huffman, our Senior Warden...