CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF GUILFORD
  • Home
    • Our History
  • Calendar
  • Who We Are
    • What We Believe
    • Who Belongs Here
    • Clergy & Staff
    • Church Vestry
    • Annual Meeting Reports >
      • 2024 Annual Report
      • Christ Church By-laws
  • What We Do
    • Christ Church Livestreams
    • Services & Liturgy
    • Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals
    • Children & Youth Ministry >
      • Vacation Bible School
    • Music Ministry >
      • Choirs >
        • Annunciation Evensong singers page
      • Organ Music
    • Parish Ministry Committees
    • Outreach
    • Fellowship >
      • Episcopal Church Women's Group
  • Stewardship & Giving
  • Visit Us
  • Connect with Us

Christ Church Weekly Announcements

Fr. Harrison's Letter for May 27, 2018

5/27/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Dear Hearts,

On Memorial Day, the Guilford High School Voices will offer a joint choral concert with the select choirs of Ledyard High School at 4 p.m..  Given the excellent acoustics of Christ Church, Voices' director Kevin Buno said our nave was the first choice for this event.  Several Christ Church young people are among the Voices, including a graduating senior or two; so this Memorial Day concert is a special opportunity to hear some great ensemble singing.

A profound bow of gratitude to our Sunday School children, youth readers and their directors, Miss Laurie and Mr. Sullivan, on last Sunday's effective telling ot the Pentecost story.. The children sang their parts with spirited conviction; the readers did not balk on the challenges of place names like Cappadocia, Pamphylia and Phrygia, and the congregation sounded off the concerns of those who gathered in Jerusalem on that first day of Pentecost -- "What does this mean?" and, "They are filled with new wine!" -- with the appointed gestures.  It was a day to dream dreams and see visions again, just as St. Peter said, all those years ago.

As part of our observance of the Pentecost weekend, Jennifer Huebner and I were honored to present Christ Church's candidates for Confirmation at Camp Washington on Saturday, May 19.  As you may recall, it was a damp and foggy day, but all nine of our candidates, and their family members, joined the other 46 candidates and their families from other parishes for the service in Kenyon Hall.  In a message to the newly confirmed and their families, I wrote, "You adapted creatively to the situation; a sure sign of letting the Holy Spirit take charge.  I hope you’ll hold onto what Bishop Laura had to say about breathing in God’s Spirit, and then breathing it out to share God’s love in tangible ways in your daily lives.  Also hope you remember the experience of Bishop Laura’s hands on your heads as she prayed for each of you: 

Strengthen, O Lord, your servant, …, with your Holy Spirit,
empower them for your service; and
sustain them all the days of their lives.  Amen.
  
 
Please join me in thanking Jennifer Huebner for her assistance in leading our Monday evening confirmation discussions, and chaperoning youth participation in Chapel on the Green, The Big Sleep Out, Nightwatch/NYC Overnight, and Dinner with our Bishops!  I think Jennifer was as proud of Alex, Hannah, Lauren, Keelyn, Matthew, Megan, Michael, Olivia, and Sabrina as any of the proud parents!

As appropriate for Pentecost, we received an update on what the Holy Spirit is up to in Malawi during Coffee Hour.   Seminarian Derek Stefanovsky returned with news about the mission and work of St. Peter's School and Anglican Cathedral on Likoma Island in Lake Malawi, and challenges of providing education, health care and spiritual care in the Anglican Diocese of Northern Malawi.   As requested, Derek has developed a secure and accountable means of putting gifts to their appointed use.  Please look on the Ushers' Table and in the Parish Hal for  the description sheets he provided.

Many conversations this week included favorite moments from last Saturday's Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.  There were certainly many such for me, but right up there with the look of open-mouthed delight on the face of one of the Mulroney twins at the sound of the herald trumpet, was the sermon by +Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.  The Episcopal News Service has provided two ways to watch the sermon, as well as its text here. Bishop Michael's inspiring message about the unselfish, sacrificial "Way of Love" to redeem and transform "this tired old world" seemed to catch many by surprise.   Many of us who have heard him preach before were thrilled, but not surprised.  He certainly made the rounds of morning television.  Here he is on ABC, the View, and NBC. One of the breakout moments in any interview, surely came from +Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, when he threw up his hands to a question about the wedding being unconventional:  "There's nothing conventional about Christianity!" replied the Archbishop.  That was part of a SKY news  interview following the wedding; you can see it here.

Wherever you are this Memorial Day weekend, let us all take time to remember and give thanks "for those who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy..." (For Heroic Service, BCP, p. 839)  On Sunday, we will sing of 

"...heroes proved in liberating strife,
who more than self, their country loved,
and mercy more than life!"


In faith, hope and love,
Harrison+
YFNR
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    We feature various authors from around our parish, commenting on topics of interest to our community.  Enjoy!  Comment if you are so moved!

    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

We Would Love to Have Yo​u Visit Soon!
11 Park street, guilford ct 06437


Hours

Office Hours
Monday-Friday
9am-12pm

Telephone

203-453-2279

Email

[email protected]
  • Home
    • Our History
  • Calendar
  • Who We Are
    • What We Believe
    • Who Belongs Here
    • Clergy & Staff
    • Church Vestry
    • Annual Meeting Reports >
      • 2024 Annual Report
      • Christ Church By-laws
  • What We Do
    • Christ Church Livestreams
    • Services & Liturgy
    • Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals
    • Children & Youth Ministry >
      • Vacation Bible School
    • Music Ministry >
      • Choirs >
        • Annunciation Evensong singers page
      • Organ Music
    • Parish Ministry Committees
    • Outreach
    • Fellowship >
      • Episcopal Church Women's Group
  • Stewardship & Giving
  • Visit Us
  • Connect with Us