Christ Episcopal Church Guilford, CT

Holy Week Announcement

acdinoto — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:33:30 +0000

Holy Week

at

Christ Episcopal Church

Passion Sunday March 28

8:00 am – Liturgy of the Palms
The Passion Gospel
Holy Eucharist Rite I

10:00 am – Ecumenical Liturgy of the Palms
on the Guilford Green
Procession to Christ Church
The Passion Gospel
Holy Eucharist Rite II with
The Rt. Rev’d Laura Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan

Wednesday in Holy Week March 31

7:30 pm – A Service of Tenebrae

Maundy Thursday April 1

7:30 pm – The Liturgy for Maundy Thursday
Ceremonial Foot Washing
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Reservation of the Sacrament
Solemn Stripping of the Altar

Good Friday April 2

12 Noon – Good Friday Liturgy
Distribution of Reserved Sacrament
Veneration of the Holy Cross

7:30 pm – Good Friday Liturgy with organ and choir
Distribution of Reserved Sacrament
Veneration of the Holy Cross

Webcast from Trinity Wall Street

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:41:17 +0000

Ray Suarez 10.25.09

This principal Sunday liturgy at Trinity incorporates worship, preaching, and ceremony in the best Anglican/Episcopal tradition. The liturgy is highly participatory with congregational hymns and prayers. Music is provided by the professional Trinity Choir, with regular participation of the Parish Choir and the Trinity Choristers. The service is webcast live every Sunday and archived for later on-demand viewing. Children are invited to join the opening procession to a Children’s Church service. They join the larger congregation after the sermon.

Houses for Haiti

acdinoto — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:55:47 +0000

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:25:44 +0000

I have no doubt that if the members of the Episcopal Church were polled about how they would like to be remembered after death, almost 100 percent would affirm that they would like to be remembered as a people with a generous spirit. No one wants to be seen or remembered as being a stingy or self-centered person. Yet the statistics make it quite clear that, as a people, we are not particularly generous. Those of us who pledge to the mission and ministry of the Church (a frightening percentage to not) give less than two percent of our income to the Church. Oh yes, most of us do give to the United Way and other charities, but even if we add all giving together very few Episcopalians are tithers. We also know from IRS statistics that the more money Americans earn, the lower is the percentage they give away. In other words, the most generous people 9in America re the poor, not the middle class or the affluent. We should also remind ourselves that the vast majority of Episcopalians are in the top 10 percent of the wealthiest people on Earth. Even those of us on a fixed income are wealthy by world standards, and how blessed we are to have a “fixed income.” Most of the people of this earth would love such security. How is it that a people to who so much has been given fall so short of the generous spirit they espouse as their goal?

Let me acknowledge that this is not a problem only for Episcopalians. It is a human problem. However, I am a lifelong Episcopalian and the people I serve are Episcopalians. As a community we have been more richly blessed than other people on Earth. And scripture reminds us that “to those wo whom much has been given, much is expected.”

As I grow older I have become aware that the primary block to generosity is fear. From infancy to death we all deal with fear. At night we have nightmares or anxiety dreams. During the day we worry and fret about our health, our children, the stock market, the weather, etc., etc. Jesus tells us not to be anxious about what we will eat or wear, but that is a lot easier said than done. How do we overcome our fears and anxieties and become a generous people?

First we do this be deepening our sense of thanksgiving. Almost everything important about our lives is a gift. Life itself is a gift. The created world, the Gospel, the Church, children, grandchildren, friends, all are gifts. We will become less fearful if we become more thankful. All healthy spirituality is rooted in thanksgiving.

Second, we must, through self discipline, learn to let go of our security blankets. We all have security blankets. Young children have bottles, blankets and pacifiers; adults have status symbols, vocational roles and bank accounts. There is nothing inherently evil about any of those things, but when they become the symbols of our security, they become idols. Our only ultimate security is that we are God’s. “For if we have life, we are alive in the Lord, and if we die, we die in the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s possession.” The only way we can become free of our false gods (securities) is by learning to let go of them. We need to let go of our money for our own spiritual health. This can only be accomplished by discipline. Pledging and planned giving are spiritual disciplines which will not only benefit the communities and causes to which we give our money, but will also help to move us from fear to generosity. Decisions we make about money are the most spiritual decisions we make because they get to the heart of our spiritual journey. “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Above all, God desires our hearts, but as Jesus boldly proclaimed, “You cannot serve God and money.”

- The Rt. Rev’d William G. Burrill, 6th Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester.

Help Haiti

acdinoto — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:08:06 +0000

– Donate to Episcopal Relief and Development

A letter from the Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut:

Dear Friends in Christ,

The news of the massive earthquake in Haiti has been breaking over us today, and specific reports have been coming in to us at Diocesan House from many sources, both here in Connecticut and from throughout The Episcopal Church.

Our diocese has come to know Haiti through our former Companion Relationship with dioceses in the Caribbean. Many of our parishes have long-standing relationships. A major living connection with Haiti is through l’Eglise de l’Epiphanie in Stamford. In addition, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich has maintained a multi-pronged mission presence in Haiti for almost a quarter century.

The extent of the damage to Haiti and its people is yet to be known. The news reports so far leave no doubt that the earthquake has been devastating and its effects widespread. Port au Prince has been hit especially hard.

There will be many channels through which we will be able to offer monetary aid. Episcopal Relief and Development already is engaged, and I encourage donations to be made through their website, www.er-d.org.

This afternoon we committed $5000 from the Emergency Relief Funds of the Diocese of Connecticut as a starter from Connecticut in the relief effort. I urge our parishes, our clergy, our members, to join in the work of providing support to the people of Haiti and to the Diocese of Haiti so they can begin the massive effort which is required to care for their people and begin the rebuilding of the nation.

Do keep the people of Haiti, and those working to provide relief, and those outside Haiti who wait for news of family and friends, in your prayers each day. May God open our hearts and push us to respond to their needs!

Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith
Bishop of Connecticut

Massachusetts Priest Elected 15th Bishop of Connecticut

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:36:50 +0000

The Rev’d Dr. Ian T. Douglas, 50, of the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA was elected on the 2^nd ballot as 15^th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut at the church’s annual diocesan convention at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford. One of four candidates presented by the diocesan nominating committee, Bishop-Elect Douglas out-polled The Rt. Rev’d James Curry, Bishop Suffragan by 90 votes (169-79) in the clergy order and by 77 votes (150 to 73) in the lay order, achieving the necessary plurality on just the second ballot. Election of a candidate from outside the Connecticut diocese is virtually unprecedented in the nation’s oldest Episcopal diocese.

Bishop-elect Douglas will be consecrated and installed on April 17, 2010 at the cathedral by the Most Rev’d Katherine Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, U.S.A.