LIVING WITH AMBIGUITY
Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

In St. Matthew's gospel (4:17) we find, Jesus' first statement of His public ministry:  "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."  It remains the most distinct declaration of the place where Christians find themselves in the time between the "Christ Event", and the future consummation of His Kingdom.  That is, should we ever wonder why 2,000 years after the Crucifixion and Resurrection that we continue to do battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil, it is precisely because our Lord told us that the Kingdom of Heaven is "at hand".

The late beloved Professor of Theology at Virginia Seminary, Charles Price, used to liken this phrase to the process of taking an aspirin to "vanquish" (pardon the pun) a headache.  Assuming the aspirin will work properly, one's headache is "defeated" the moment we swallow the aspirin, and yet we continue to feel the pain from the headache for some unspecified time before the ache completely dissipates.  We are left with the present reality fulfilled (the aspirin is swallowed with the ache "in theory" already gone), while we await the future fulfillment of the aspirin’s "mission" to do away entirely with the pain.  Christ's Body the Church holds us in that same tension:  the powers of hell have been vanquished in Jesus' Crucifixion, and yet we continue to suffer the devil's torments:  "Rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell therein; woe unto you upon the earth, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Revelation 12)  The devil is alive, but he is not well; like the headache that he is, he knows his days are numbered.

The failure of many Christians to appreciate what it means for God’s Kingdom to be "at hand" continues to cause more "hand-wringing" than necessary.  Indeed perhaps the biggest difference between the present Book of Common Prayer and its predecessors is that the current book contains what theologians call a more "realized" eschatology.  That is, the current thinking, especially in the service of Holy Baptism could lead one to believe that "we have it all right now -- everything we need to live comfortable and wholesome lives"; that once we're in the Church, we're safe from any kind of physical or spiritual harm.  The traditional service on the contrary makes clear that Baptism is the beginning of journey, perhaps even an arduous one, with the new Christian having "manfully to fight against sin, the world, , and the devil, [continuing] as Christ's faithful soldier and servant until his life's end."

Sooner or later the Episcopal Church will revise her prayerbook.  My prayer is that she would remove at least some of the passages which present such a fully realized eschatology, and restore to the book more of the theology which reminds us that the Kingdom of Heaven truly is and remains "at hand":  that as wonderful as it is to live with the knowledge of our present redemption, that does not mean that there isn’t a great deal more to come, and that we may have to suffer some rough seas before we reach the destination of our heavenly home.

In his poem East Coker, T. S. Eliot reminds us of the Church's duty to hold before her children the fact that sin remains an ever-present reality, and therefore of our continued duty to repent:

Our only health is the disease (man's sin)
If we obey the dying nurse (the Church)
Whose constant care is not to please
But to remind of our, and Adam's curse,
And that, to be restored, our sickness must grow worse.

Freud once wrote:  "Neurosis is the inability to tolerate ambiguity."  As we approach Holy Week and Eastertide, let us remember that one of the glories of Christ's Resurrection is that it bestows upon us the grace to live with this very real ambiguity:  the knowledge that the Kingdom of Heaven consists not just here and now in the present, but in its future fulfillment as well.  As Chaucer exhorts: 

Here is no home, here n' is but wilderness:
Forth pilgrim forth! Forth beast, out of thy stall!
Know thy country, look up, thank God of all.

Let us rejoice:  "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."                  FAB


ALL SAINTS CONTINUES SUNDAY 8:00 AM SERVICE DURING LENT

Throughout the Sundays of Lent, excepting Easter Day, we will have a Sunday morning Holy Eucharist (without sermon) in the church at 8:00 AM.  The schedule for the other two services on Sunday will remain the same.

LENTEN WEEKDAY SERVICES

Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:30: Evening Prayer & Holy Communion
Tuesday at 10:00AM:  Morning Prayer &Holy Communion
Thursday and 12:15 PM:  Morning Prayer & Holy Communion
Fridays at 8:30 AM:  The Great Litany & Holy Communion

LENTEN SUPPERS WITH PROGRAM

On February 27, our guest speaker will be our own Fr. McQueen. 

On March 12, we have a guest, Robin Thompson, whose subject will be the "Illegal Trafficking of Women", which has been a very serious problem for centuries.  The guest and dinner will be sponsored by the ECW.

Supper will begin at 6:00, followed by the program at about 6:45.  We should be finished no later than 7:45. 

The nursery will be staffed, and a special meal will be available for the younger children.

ON THE PARISH WEBSITE:  allsaintsthomasville.org 

A number of text as well as audio sermons are now on our website.  We invite your comments.

 
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

In addition to the children's classes, remember that Fr. McQueen's class continues on St. Matthew, and Fr. Buechner leads the Jr. High group on an overview of the Bible.

Also, Fr. McQueen's Bible class continues to meet Wednesday at 9:00 and again at 4:00.

Fr. Buechner's class on Dante's Divine Comedy meets Tuesdays at 4:00, but not on March 11.

HOLY WEEK

It may be that part of the reason we have as many young children attending the Ash Wednesday service is the visual and physical aspect of having the ashes placed on their [our] heads.  If you want your children to understand the events of Holy Week, a picture speaks a thousand words and the visual and dramatic aspect of these services (Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Eve) is profound.  Further, the gradual darkening of the Church and the sound of the "earthquake" during Tenebrae (Monday -- Wednesday 5:30 p.m.) carries its own drama.  No matter their age, your children will learn, and Easter Day will be more meaningful for you and them.

Good Friday (along with Ash Wednesday) are the two major fast days of the year.  We generally understand this to mean, for those who are healthy, coffee or juice and a donut, i.e. a very light breakfast, and then a light meal after sundown.

Please see the Holy Week schedule elsewhere in this newsletter, and place it on your refrigerator door, or wherever you keep the other "reminders"  FAB

OFFICE CLOSING
 
The office will be closed on Friday, March 21 in observance of Good Friday, and Monday and Tuesday, March 24 and 25 in observance of Easter.
MAUNDY THURSDAY VIGIL

Following the 10:00 a.m. service on Thursday, March 20, we will hold the traditional Maundy Thursday Vigil in the chapel until 7:15 p.m.  The vigil stems from Jesus' words to the apostles, "Could you not watch one hour with me?"  A 30 minute segment schedule is in the office and will be in the Church this week.  Please call the office or sign up for one or more slots in order that we have at least one person in the chapel between 10:30 and 7:15.  The Stripping of the Altar and Reading of the Passion will follow the 7:30 p.m. Eucharist in the Church.  FAB

EASTER LILIES

Those of you who would like to give memorial and thanksgiving lilies for Easter, please call the Church office before Tuesday, March 11.

VESTRY MEETING

The Vestry will hold its meeting this month on Sunday, March 16 at 8:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall Library
 

FLOWERING OF THE CROSS

Remember to have your children bring a flower to Church Easter morning so we can "flower" the Cross at the Offertory.

SHROVE TUESDAY SILENT AUCTION

The silent auction on Shrove Tuesday netted over $800 for the charitable work of the ECW.  Our thanks to Jinanne Parrish for spearheading this, as well as to all who helped, bought, etc.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMENS BOOK CLUB NEWS

The ECW Book Club will meet on Wednesday, March 12 at 11:50 a.m.  This month's sponsor is Asun Ellis -- the book is:  Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller.

CHILDREN'S CHURCH PARENTS

Please check your calendar and sign up for children's church parents.  Parents are needed for the following dates:

March 23 (Easter)
March 30
April 6

Thank you,
Alston Watt

ST. CECILIA AND ST. DAVID CHOIR NEWS

The St. Cecilia and St. David Choirs will sing on Sunday, March 9.  There will be no choir rehearsal on Wednesday, March 19.  Welcome new St. Cecilia choristers Marley and Hardy Davis.

Kathy Buechner

Upcoming EYC events:

 3/2        EYC meeting following church
 3/9        EYC meeting following church
 3/15      Meet at parish hall at 10:00 to make palm crosses for Palm Sunday, lunch, and then game time
 3/23     Easter Sunday -- No EYC enjoy time with the family
 3/30     Dinner and a movie at the McQueen’s…meet at
  5:30 -- 111 Nottingham Dr.
  

REMINDERS:

7:00 a.m. Tuesdays Men's Group Meets
9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Wednesdays Bible Class

ATTENTION PARENTS OF SUNDAY SCHOOL CHILDREN:

Mark you calendar now for a dinner at the church on Wednesday, April 23, at 6:00 p.m.  This will be an informal gathering of all parents who have children in any of our Christian Education classes.  Please make every effort to attend so that you can hear what we have done this year in Sunday school, and have time for food and fellowship together.  In order to have an accurate count, please be sure and call Nikki to RSVP.

WNM

EYC NEWS

President's Day weekend turned out to be a great one for our EYC.  We had 18 youth and 4 adults depart from the church headed toward Highlands, NC.  We stopped off in Atlanta for lunch and to pick-up Lauren Hancock from Georgia Tech, and then made the final leg of the trip to Highlands.  Our sincerest thanks go out to Robert Hancock, Chip's brother, who graciously allowed us to use his cabin for the weekend.  After a smorgasbord of pizza Friday night, we tried not to stay up all night, for we had a busy day of snow tubing planned for Saturday morning.

We left Highlands, and headed down to Scaly Mtn. for snow tubing Saturday morning, and all had a great time.  Be sure and ask any EYCer who went about the last run down the mountain.  There will be photos floating around soon.

After tubing, we headed back to Highlands for lunch, and caught up with Charles, Lib, Maria, and Elizabeth Olson who drove up Saturday morning.  If you are counting, that brought our total group size up to 27.  After lunch in Highlands, we headed to the Lanigan's cabin for hiking, canoeing, and climbing the waterfall.  Yes, there are pictures of that too.  After a few hours, it was time to head back to the Hancock cabin for dinner, and a movie.  Since everyone read Fr. Buechner's column a few months ago, the consensus was to try out the Wizard of Oz with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon playing in the background.  Everyone was thoroughly intrigued by the what they saw and heard

Sunday morning came and it was time to pack up to head home.  We had a beautiful service of Holy Communion in the cabin with an altar setup in front of a large window looking out over the valley.  With the fog and drizzle starting, we knew it was time to head south.  After a delicious meal at the Varsity, we arrived in Thomasville around 6:00 to the pouring rain.  Thankfully, the gas station next door was closed so we could utilize their canopy, unload our vehicles, and get everyone headed home. 

I look forward to another opportunity to take a group like this on a trip soon.  Be on the lookout for another outing in the near future.

WNM

"The Donkey"  
      by G.K. Chesterton

  When fishes flew and forests walked
      And figs grew upon thorn,
  Some moment when the moon was blood
   Then surely I was born.

  With monstrous head and sickening cry
   And ears like errant wings,
  The devil's walking parody
   Of all four-footed things.

  A tattered outlaw of the earth,
   Of ancient crooked will,
  Starve, scourge, deride me:  I am dumb,
   I keep my secret still.

  Fools!  For I also had my hour;
   One far, fierce hour and sweet:
  There was a shout about my ears
   And palms before my feet.

 
A "NOTE" ON LENTEN SACRIFICE

Over my 10 years at All Saints a number of parishioners have joined the choir as a Lenten sacrifice.  Asun Ellis, Eddie Davis, Lee Mitchell, to name a few, turned their 40 days sacrifice into a year long commitment perhaps to better their singing ability or perhaps to minister to the needy congregation.  When we diet for 40 days and then go back to our old ways we put on the "old weight".  I truly admire those who give their time to do for the church during Lent and then continue to sacrifice for the rest of the year and sometimes years. 

This Lenten season Sandra Hall and Melissa Funk have joined the choir.  They couldn't have joined at a better time.  For the last few weeks we've had the pleasure of singing under the direction of Raymond Hughes, former Metropolitan Opera Chorus Director!  His gifts that he is sacrificing this Lenten season are priceless.  We appreciate his time, effort, and expertise. 

If you haven't had the opportunity to hear his preludes and postludes I invite you to arrive early for the next church service and stay after the recessional hymn to listen and reflect during this season of Lent.  You won't regret it!

As for Sandra and Melissa, we hope their 40 days of Lent leave a lifetime lasting impression.

My heartfelt thanks goes to the rest of our dedicated choir as well as to Raymond Hughes.

Respectfully,
Margit Miller
Choir Master and Organist 

 
USHERS FOR MARCH:

March 2   
Don Bruhn   
Charlie Deal   

March 9
Jim Funk
John Glenn

March 16   
John Hand  
Ben Grace

March 20
C.B. Grubbs

March 21   
Paul Gurley 

March 22
Chip Hancock
Philip Watt

March 23   
Doug Harper   
Courtney Houston  

March 30
Bob Jackson
John Kavouklis

TRANSITIONS:

Happy Birthday in March to:

Raleigh Rollins    3-2-01
Stephen Stubley   3-16-92
Sarah Kathryn McQueen  3-21-07
Lauren Hancock   3-23-89

Happy Birthday in April to:

William Thomas Bragg   4-1-98
Michael Houston   4-1-93
Caroline Sewell    4-2-96
Olivia Enright    4-4-02
Elizabeth Anne Rollins   4-14-03
Annalee K. Jackson   4-28-96
John Treadwell (Jack) Josey, Jr.  4-29-07

 
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Palm Sunday, March 16
8:00 a.m. Holy Communion
10:30 a.m. -- The Blessing of the Palms
Reading of the Passion and Holy Communion

6:00 p.m. -- Holy Communion

Monday--Wednesday, March 17-19
5:30 p.m. -- Holy Communion and Tenebrae

Maundy Thursday, March 20
10:00 a.m. -- Holy Communion
(Vigil in Chapel to follow)

7:30 p.m. The Commemoration of the
Institution of the Lord's Supper,
Holy Communion, the Stripping of the Altar,
and the Reading of the Passion

Good Friday, March 21
12:00 Noon -- 1:00 p.m. Ante-Communion, the Reading of the Passion,
an Address, and the Reproaches

6:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross

Easter Eve, March 22 -- 8:00 p.m.
The Easter Vigil, Holy Baptism, and The Holy Eucharist
(the First Service of Easter)

Easter Sunday, April 8
9:30 a.m. -- Easter Egg Hunt
10:30 a.m. -- The Holy Eucharist
No 8:00 a.m. or Evening Service

 
From the Holy Sonnets

Thou hast made me, and shall thy work decay?
Repair me now, for now mine end doth haste;
I run to death, and death meets me as fast,
And all my pleasures are like yesterday.
I dare not move my dim eyes any way;
Despair behind, and death before doth cast
Such terror, and my feebled flesh doth waste
By sin in it, which it towards hell doth weigh.
Only thou art above, and when towards thee
By thy leave I can look, I rise again;
But our old subtle foe so tempteth me
That not one hour I can myself sustain.
Thy grace may wing me to prevent his art,
And thou like adamant draw mine iron heart.

-- John Donne

Mock on! Mock on!

Mock on, mock on, Voltaire, Rousseau:
Mock on, mock on: 'tis all in vain!
You throw the sand against the wind,
And the wind blows it back again.

And every sand becomes a gem
Reflected in the beams divine;
Blown back they blind the mocking eye,
But still in Israel's paths they shine.

The atoms of Democritus
And Newton's particles of light
Are sands upon the Red Sea shore,
Where Israel's tents do shine so bright.

--William Blake