Saturday, April 14, 2007
Christ Church Vestry Retreat: April 2007
Our meeting room at Holy Spirit during one of our sessions together.
Janet Murry led our process sessions with Andy Tomat and Lynn Kious. As you can see, the vestry did engage in a full review of our strengths, weaknesses, challenges, opportunities, and vision.
The mustard seed is Jesus. Christ Church is one of the mustard trees that have sprung up to be the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino will be the future location for vestry and parish retreats. Would you like to go on retreat?
As our final session ended, we gathered for this photo. The grounds at Holy Spirit Retreat Center are beautiful and help create the space and time to allowed God to be with us as we looked to the present and future needs of our parish family.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
EASTER FESTIVITIES
Thanks to Gary Kious for the photographs from Easter Sunday. Bob+
"Those April Showers..." Blessed water was sprinkled on the congregation at the end of the service to remind us of our baptisms into the body of Christ.
The Easter Egg Hunt brought giggles and laughs from parents and children alike.
Tenderness for children among our young adults is a sign of our life as a community.
Jesus said: "Blessed are the children, for their's is the Kingdom of heaven."
Father Bill marked the sign of the cross on our foreheads during Holy Communion as a reminder that in our baptism, "we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ's own forever."
"Christ our passover is sacrificed for us!"
Birthdays and anniversaries were celebrated on Easter Sunday at the 10:00 AM service. There were well over 170 worshippers present at this service to celebrate the resurrection and the new life in Christ. The Easter Vigil started in the dark and ended in the light with brilliant meditations by our EfM group offered after each reading of one the readings from the Old Testament. These meditations will be posted here in the near future.
"Those April Showers..." Blessed water was sprinkled on the congregation at the end of the service to remind us of our baptisms into the body of Christ.
The Easter Egg Hunt brought giggles and laughs from parents and children alike.
Tenderness for children among our young adults is a sign of our life as a community.
Jesus said: "Blessed are the children, for their's is the Kingdom of heaven."
Father Bill marked the sign of the cross on our foreheads during Holy Communion as a reminder that in our baptism, "we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ's own forever."
"Christ our passover is sacrificed for us!"
Birthdays and anniversaries were celebrated on Easter Sunday at the 10:00 AM service. There were well over 170 worshippers present at this service to celebrate the resurrection and the new life in Christ. The Easter Vigil started in the dark and ended in the light with brilliant meditations by our EfM group offered after each reading of one the readings from the Old Testament. These meditations will be posted here in the near future.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Holy Week and the Renewal of Vows at St. John's on Adams
HOLY WEEK began with Passion Sunday. Thank you to the Flower Team and the Altar Guild for the beauty of the sanctuary during this very special week. We did celebrate in the beauty of holiness.
From Passion Sunday, we were invited to attend Holy Eucharist at 6:30 AM on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week offered by Father Bill. We had a very good attendance all three days and we will continue to offer Holy Eucharist every Wednesday and on those Major Feast Day throughout the rest of the year. Worshippers were also invited to join together in a breakfast at C.J's, our neighborhood eatery.
The beautiful black and white photos below were taken by a priest of our diocese, Father Wilfredo who is an exceptional artist with a camera. Here is his website for any of you who would like to see other of his works. Very much worth the trip. Father Bob+
www.BenitezRivera.com
Tres Compadres prepare for Maundy Thursday celebration.
GOOD FRIDAY is a powerful moment in the life of a Christian. We hear the story of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus; pray for our world; venerate the cross and pound nails into it to offer to God all of those things which we find separate us from one another and God. This separation we call, "sin."
The night before Good Friday, the church was completely stripped of ornamentation and the altar was washed by the altar guild. The remaining "baskets of bread" and cruet of wine were placed in the chapel for us to receive Holy Communion on the day we bear witness to Christ's death on the cross.
After the 10:00 AM Good Friday service, the church was opened to anyone who wished to come and pray. Father Bob offered prayer from the Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle at 12noon, 1:00 PM, and 2:00 PM, after ringing the bell on each of these hours.
The photos below show the beauty of our world and our Christ Church grounds and some of the symbols of our Faith.
W
On Holy Saturday, Father Bill led us in a very moving early morning worship experience. In the midst of the darkness of Christ's death, God was doing a new thing to deliver us from the power of darkness that calls violence peace. We are brought into God's marvelous light and peace. The peace of God that passes all human understanding.
Peace, not as the world makes peace, but as God gives us his peace.
The Peace of the Lord be always with you!
From Passion Sunday, we were invited to attend Holy Eucharist at 6:30 AM on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week offered by Father Bill. We had a very good attendance all three days and we will continue to offer Holy Eucharist every Wednesday and on those Major Feast Day throughout the rest of the year. Worshippers were also invited to join together in a breakfast at C.J's, our neighborhood eatery.
The beautiful black and white photos below were taken by a priest of our diocese, Father Wilfredo who is an exceptional artist with a camera. Here is his website for any of you who would like to see other of his works. Very much worth the trip. Father Bob+
www.BenitezRivera.com
Tres Compadres prepare for Maundy Thursday celebration.
GOOD FRIDAY is a powerful moment in the life of a Christian. We hear the story of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus; pray for our world; venerate the cross and pound nails into it to offer to God all of those things which we find separate us from one another and God. This separation we call, "sin."
The night before Good Friday, the church was completely stripped of ornamentation and the altar was washed by the altar guild. The remaining "baskets of bread" and cruet of wine were placed in the chapel for us to receive Holy Communion on the day we bear witness to Christ's death on the cross.
After the 10:00 AM Good Friday service, the church was opened to anyone who wished to come and pray. Father Bob offered prayer from the Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle at 12noon, 1:00 PM, and 2:00 PM, after ringing the bell on each of these hours.
The photos below show the beauty of our world and our Christ Church grounds and some of the symbols of our Faith.
W
On Holy Saturday, Father Bill led us in a very moving early morning worship experience. In the midst of the darkness of Christ's death, God was doing a new thing to deliver us from the power of darkness that calls violence peace. We are brought into God's marvelous light and peace. The peace of God that passes all human understanding.
Peace, not as the world makes peace, but as God gives us his peace.
The Peace of the Lord be always with you!
