Christ Episcopal Church - Martinsville, VA

Andrew Nicholas Burke Hull

Born February 23, 2019 • 8 lbs 5 oz. 22"

My March article:

Baby is here. No more sleep.

Article - Haiku

Blessings, Fr. Nick

An Experiment, Let's Give it a Try!

Dear Christ Church,

Ever since I have arrived as your rector there has been talk about combining services on Sunday morning. There are many very valid reasons why we should take this idea seriously. Worshipping together as one community is an inherently good thing. We have so many wonderful people in our Church, and we have much to gain by getting these wonderful people together.

For every potential advantage to consolidating there is another reason to keep two services. What if someone simply cannot come to worship except for 8:00 on Sunday? Would we have more to gain if we added services than consolidating them?

The fact of the matter is we simply do not know what the outcome will be. Right now you may have a hunch of what you think combining services will be like, but you may enjoy it in ways you have not considered, or it could be disastrous in ways you have not considered.

The fact of the matter is that right now we are only guessing how others will react to consolidating our worship on Sunday, and how we will feel if we go to Church at a different time, so in order to get more information we are going to try an experiment. The success of the experiment is not based on whether or not people like what we are doing, rather its success is based on if we learn something. If everyone stays home in protest the experiment will fail, because we will not know what Church would have been like with them present. So, regardless of whether or not you think this is a great idea, please come and learn something new with us.

Our experiment will last all of April, and we will have one service at 10:00. Adult Sunday School will be at 9:00 in the Parish House. On Easter the breakfast will be at 9:00 in the undercroft. At the end of the experiment I am interested in hearing what you learned, and in the meantime please take this opportunity to enjoy seeing new people in Church, and experiencing the fullness of our Church!

Blessings,
Nick

Pope Francis' Words

Do you want to fast this lent?

Fast from hurting words and say kind words.

Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.

Fast from anger and be filled with patience.

Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.

Fast from worries and trust in God.

Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.

Fast from pressures and be prayerful.

Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy.

Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.

Fast from grudges and be reconciled.

Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.

Feed your soul in the beauty of silence and candlelight and music. Take on the Lenten discipline of Wednesday evening Evensong, and be fulfilled.

Lynn Gardner, Organist/Choirmaster

Spring Forward this Saturday, Lenten Programs

Turn your clocks ahead before turning in this Saturday, Daylight Savings Time returns!

In April the book club will be discussing "I've Been Thinking" by Maria Shriver on the 3rd at 6:00 in the Parish House Library. Click here to see the interesting selections.Loaves and Fishes will be served on Wednesday, March 27 from 5:30 to 6:15PM. Each month a free community meal is prepared for our guests under the skillful direction of David Cole. Your help is needed and appreciated in all aspects of meal preparation from cooking to serving to washing dishes. Come enjoy a delicious meal while serving others.

There are many Lenten offerings, from ecumenical luncheons with a program on Tuesdays to evening services on Wednesdays followed by soup suppers and Evensong during Holy Week; make this a part of your Lenten discipline. Look at the Lent and Holy Week Calendar for details.

Check the nonthly Calendar for all Services and Programs during the month of March.

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311 E. Church Street
Martinsville, VA | 24112 US

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