a welcome beside the uncaring rush of traffic."
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HOLY WEEK AND EASTER 2002 "Theodore Rex" is the new and intriguing biography of the Republican Roosevelt, still one of Arnerica's most fascinating presidents—after all, he's up there on Mount Rushmore with Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. Reading "Theodore Rex" included a constant awareness of how different things were "then." Really, it is not so long ago—1900 to 1908—but so much is thought differently and done differently in every part of the country and in every aspect of life. And, as you may have noticed, things change in the church as well. One of the changes for the better is that we have a richer road to the great event of Easter. Today , we are invited to savor the flavors and moods of Holy Week. That is, we have a cycle of invitations rather than separated memories lacking a framework for organization and involvement. Holy Week begins with the double event we call Palm Sunday. We begin with much happiness, we end in silence. We salute what God is doing, we repent of what we have done. This year, St. Nicholas begins its Palm Sunday with the last of the Lenten Saturday programs. Bishop Anderson is our guest for fellowship, dinner, and study. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will offer Evening Prayer at 7:30 PM. Maundy Thursday will have a music-rich celebration of our Lord's creation of the Eucharist at 7:30 PM. The traditional Stripping of the Altar will precede the Watch at the Altar of Repose in the All Saints Chapel. Donations of white flowers for the Altar of Repose are encouraged and should be at the church by 11:00, March 28. Good Friday will offer time before the Cross beginning at 12:00 noon. The highpoint of this liturgy is the opportunity to venerate the Cross, to offer spiritual surrender in a way that completes the cycle of repentance and search that began on Ash Wednesday . New to some but valuable for all is the ancient observance of Easter Eve. This is a remarkable time in which Scripture opens a horizon f1lled with God's love and action over centuries. The service offers a chance to repeat our Christian affirmations with a Renewal of Baptismal vows. Moreover the use of light and darkness is a dramatic reminder of the power and permanence of Christ's victory, a victory that not only includes us but also welcomes us. The form of the liturgy is adapted from its origin in the Jerusalem of the Fourth Christian Century. Easter Eve begins in the Parish Hall at 7:30 PM and moves on the church itself. Easter Day is when it all comes together. It is The Sunday, the "royal day" of praise and Thanksgiving. Our two services will re-state our Resurrection faith with joyous traditional music and ceremonies. Flowering of the Cross will be part of the 10:00 Eucharist. Our Lent has been rich because it points beyond itself to a great feast. Please give yourself the fullness of Holy Week. Yes, it is a little strenuous—but Theodore Roosevelt would approve of this wonderful time of spiritual muscle flexing, this week focused on the deep wonders of the Living God. JEF† LUNCH BUNCH MEETS EACH MONTH Looking for a fun group, which combines fulfilling work along with conviviality and a satisfying lunch? Look no further! Each month, we gather in ones and twos in the Parish Hall to prepare sandwiches for a free lunch, which will be served at a Los Angeles AIDS clinic the next day. Our volunteers arrive at 11:00 AM, ready to carry out their assignments. With spreaders in hand, and an assortment of ingredients before them, the crew prepares over 120 sandwiches in an incredible variety of flavors. From the humble egg salad to the exotic ham and cheese, from the flavorful tuna salad to the soul-satisfying turkey and cheese, from the simple cheese and cheese to the down-home peanut butter and jelly, the sandwiches roll off the gustatory assembly line. Each sandwich half is individually wrapped in its own plastic bag, and is carefully packed into a storage container for shipment. Later in the day, the load of fresh sandwiches is hauled to St. Jude's Church in Burbank, for overnight refrigeration and Friday distribution at USC/County Medical Center. "Just sandwiches?" you ask. An emphatic "NO!" We also send with them: salad, dressing, assorted chips and cookies, fresh fruit and chilled juices. This full lunch menu costs a mere $1.50 per serving, thanks to the donated services of our dedicated volunteers. As the last sandwiches are bagged and boxed, the group provides quality control by sampling the assorted products of their efforts. Often, soup is served as well, providing a hearty lunch combination for our crew. Afterwards, all hands pitch in to provide a quick cleanup of the kitchen and sandwich assembly area. We then go our separate ways, satisfied with the results of our efforts. New volunteers are always welcome. Look for the AIDS Lunch Preparation announcement in your service bulletin at the beginning of each month. You'll be glad you did! |
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| MUSIC NOTES "FROM THE LOFT...." | ||
| "Our first evensong in the Music at Saint Nicholas series was quite an event. A good-sized crowd came to worship in this uniquely Anglican format and we were blessed with excellent preaching by our rector and officiating by Fr. Mark Kowalewski, Canon for Theology, Formation, and Deployment in the Diocese of Los Angeles. "Following the short organ recital, many stayed for the festive reception which followed. My thanks to all who participated to make this event the success that it was! And if you missed this one, please mark your calendar for Sunday, May 26, our next installment in the Music at Saint Nicholas series. With Holy Week upon us, the choir is busily preparing for the battery of services which mark this most important period in our church calendar. There is much to note, with a broad range of music from plainchant through the late twentieth century. However, I would like to draw your attention to the music for Easter morning when the choir will present two movements from Mozart's Missa Brevis in Bb, KV 275 as part of the mass ordinary for that morning. They will be accompanied by a Mozartean "church trio" of two violins and double bass. If you would like to help defray the cost of instrumental music for this feast day, please use the forms located in the narthex. Your help is greatly appreciated! |
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