Friday, 11 March 2016

 
Welcome to St. Stephen’s Anglican Parish Blog
for Sunday, 13 March 2016
 
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WORSHIP THIS WEEK

Sunday, 13 March 2016
THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT

8:00 am            St. Stephen’s, Chester            Holy Communion
9:15 am            St. George’s, East River         Holy Eucharist    
     11:00 am            St. Stephen’s, Chester           Parish Family Worship
4:30 pm            All Saints’, Canaan                 Holy Eucharist   
                                                            
Readings: Isaiah 43: 16-21; Psalm 126, Philippians 3: 4b-15,
John 12: 1-8
 
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

SEDER SUPPERat 4:30 – 6:30 pm on Sunday, 20 March in Tuck Hall.
If planning to attend, please sign the list at the back of the church
or call or email the Parish Office.  
A suggested donation of $10 (or what you can afford)
would be helpful to cover costs.

FOOD BANK:  Anything you give will be gladly received.

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‘Invited’ Lenten Series
Tuesday, 15 March from 6:30-8:30 pm.
St. Mark’s, Martin’s Point

Light snack provided.

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THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

MUSICAL FRIENDS  -  (Vintage Voices, Band, Tuneful Tots) on Mon, 14 March, from 1:00 - 4:30 pm
 
BIBLE TALK - on Wed, 16 Mar, from 10:30 - 12:00 pm in the Tyler Grant Room.  All Welcome! 

LENTEN LUNCHEONS:  at 12:00 pm on Wednesday 16 Mar – Surprise Speaker.
   The last lunch of the series – bring a friend!  
                                                                               
CHOIR PRACTICE - on Thurs, 17 Mar, 7:30 pm in Tuck Hall.


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WORSHIP NEXT WEEK
Sunday, 20 March 2016
PALM (PASSION) SUNDAY

8:00 am            St. Stephen’s, Chester            Holy Communion
9:15 am            St. George’s, East River         Holy Eucharist    
     11:00 am          St. Stephen’s, Chester            Parish Family Worship

***4:30 pm          St. Stephen’s Chester               Seder Supper *** 
                                                      
Readings: Isaiah 43: 16-21; Psalm 126, Philippians 3: 4b-15,
John 12: 1-8

*** Please contact the Parish Office if you plan to attend the supper ***


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Food for Thought

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace -- only that it meets us
 where we are but does not leave us where it found us.
Anne Lamott

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HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Thursday, 24 March

(Maundy Thursday)
INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST
WITH HAND WASHING AND
STRIPPING OF THE ALTAR

St. Stephen’s, Chester              7:00 pm           Holy Eucharist
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Friday, 25 March

GOOD FRIDAY

St. Stephen’s, Chester             11:00 am          Holy Eucharist
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Saturday, 26 March

VIGIL & THE LIGHTING OF THE NEW FIRE

All Saints’, Canaan                  6:00 pm           Holy Eucharist


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Last Lenten Learning – The Nard
The “nard” referred to in the Gospel for today was a thick fragrant oil made from a plant of the Valerian family, Nardostachys jatamansi. The plant grows only at high altitudes in the Himalayas of Nepal, China and India.  That makes it now, as in Jesus’ time, quite rare and expensive to obtain.  In addition, it is only the roots (rhizomes to be accurate) that are used to make the perfume.  These are crushed and distilled into a very aromatic amber oil.  The oil is and was used as perfume, incense, as a sedative and as a herbal medicine.  Nard is also called spikenard. 
In ancient Greece, lavender from a species grown in the Syrian city of Naarda was used to make a perfume they called nard.
Anointing with nard is mentioned in today’s gospel from John, and in different setting in the Gospel of Mark (14:3-9) where a Mary (no surname or other identification) pours nard on Jesus’ head at a meal in the house of Simon the leper in Bethany.  The disciples all rebuke her, and Jesus defends her actions in the same way as in John’s version.
Nard or spikenard in also mention in Song of Songs 4:13-14 as a sensuous perfume. 


 
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