| Dear ones, This Sunday April 10th marks the beginning of Holy Week. Our services this Sunday and on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are the church equivalent of Memorial Day or Veterans Day. We observe them out of respect and gratitude for the sacrifices of another on our behalf. The worship is designed to bring some of the intense passion of those few days into our lives for a few moments. The climax is our Easter Sunday celebration. Jesus’ resurrection is the lasting declaration that suffering, evil, and death will never have the final word. We encourage you to come in person if possible and to join us online if not. Much love to you all, Fr. Paul and the Christ Church staff Parish News We heard this past week that the Rev. Al Narvaez, rector at Christ Church from 1993 to 1998 passed away on March 30. His family asks that any memorial offerings go to the Laredo Habitat for Humanity ministry. Parish Luncheon this Sunday This coming Sunday, Palm Sunday we also gather after church for a parish luncheon after the 11 am service. Bring a dish, dessert, appetizer, etc to share. We will provide lemonade, ice tea, and water. Join us for an opportunity to get to know other members of the parish. Holy Week Schedule Sunday - Palm Sunday 8 & 11 a.m. Tuesday - Stations of the cross 12 noon Thursday - Maundy Thursday 7 p.m. Friday - Good Friday 7 p.m. Sunday - Easter services 8 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Easter Sunday Details: Lilies, Flowering the Cross, Cascarones… We have ordered lilies. If you would like us to put a memorial note in our Easter Program please let us know by this coming Monday. And we welcome a contribution toward the cost of the lilies. If you or your kids would like to help decorate a cross with flowers as our service starts on Easter Sunday at 11 a.m. please bring flowers with you and plan to be there before 11 as we do that at the beginning of the worship service You may bring candy filled plastic eggs and or cascarones. We will “hide’ them on the front lawn during the 11 a.m. service so that kids can come out and collect them, break them, etc. immediately after the service. |  |
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Gathered together....when, where, and how
The New Testament books were all first written in Greek. And the Greek word New Testament writers use for church is ecclesia which means a gathering of people called together. Since our very beginnings when Jesus gathered a group of disciples who regularly met, prayed, worshipped, and ministered together, part of our very fabric is being together.
We had very few people attend in person this past Sunday, January 9th. I had to look back in our records to February 2021 to find a Sunday with as few folks able to attend. It felt like the bad old days of Covid, prior to vaccinations. But when I got home after church and turned on the TV to watch part of the games of the last of the regular season it hit me that things ARE better. Yes, the Omicron variant is a problem. Yes, folks are still getting Covid, and some are seriously ill, and some have died. But looking at the stadiums full of fans, in contrast to last year when teams competed in empty stadiums, I realized things ARE better. Vaccinations are helping, medical treatments have improved, and we have learned that masks can help. But one big challenge with Covid has been and continues to be gathering. Being together is not the only part of what it means to be the church, but it is and always will be an essential part. John’s vision of heaven in the book of the Revelation depicts a gathering of people all joyfully worshiping God together. As this year begins, I hope that we can gather safely, to worship, to get reacquainted, to share stories, fellowship, jokes, and prayers together. I believe we will do so in person and online. We have learned that online is a helpful tool. But it’s hard to hug someone online. I love talking with many of you on the phone, am glad to see folks in online bible studies and meetings, but I am also missing seeing us together in person. So, let's continue to pray for our current situation to improve. May God who will ultimately gather all things to himself, enable us to joyfully gather without the fear of illness. |
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April 2022
AuthorFrom our Pastor and Church Secretary
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