March 16, 2009
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Lent is the time of year when Christians are especially asked to reassess their day-in, day-out relationship with the world they live in. In a year when that world is putting all of us under the kind of stresses and strains that we have not had to face all together for a very long time, it seems to make special sense that we should spend some time together looking at the things that are troubling us, and asking God to help us respond to them.
To that end, the Stewardship Committee and the All Saints representatives to the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization have organized house meetings in which parishioners can talk with each other about the impact on their lives of the economic turbulence now assailing us. In these meetings we can share concerns about ourselves, our families, our organizations, and our community. We can also look to the Bible and the life of Jesus, not only for strength and encouragement, but for ideas about appropriately Christian responses to the challenges we face. In particular, we hope we can identify some ways in which we can take better care of each other. For more information about the house meetings and a schedule of locations and times, please click here.
THEME FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
Today's Gospel contains one of the most famous sentences in the Bible: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." This central teaching reminds us that we were created for a divine purpose, union with God in eternity. In the Collect we pray: "Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."
The reading from the Book of Numbers tells the story of Moses placing a serpent on a pole as a sign of healing. "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.' So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live." (Numbers 21:4-9)
Psalm 107 is a prayer of thanksgiving: "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, and his mercy endures for ever. Let all those whom the LORD has redeemed proclaim that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe ... He sent forth his word and healed them and saved them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his mercy and the wonders he does for his children."
The epistle to the Ephesians extols God's grace: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." (Ephesians 2:1-10)
In the reading from John, Jesus is compared to the serpent that was lifted up: "Jesus said to Nicodemus, 'Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." (John 3:14-21) Jesus is given to us as healing and light. Jesus is Emanuel, God-with-us, the mercy and goodness of God in human form.
All are welcome to worship with us Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 10:30 am.
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Sincerely,
David A. Killian |
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For the Collect of the Day, Scripture Readings, and Psalm, 
For Story from this Sunday's Gospel by Becky Taylor, Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministry, worship services for
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 21-22, 2009
Saturday, March 21, at 5:00 pm — Sermon: The Rev. David A. Killian
Sunday, March 22, at 10:30 am — Sermon: The Rev. David A. Killian
Events at All Saints Parish
HOLY WEEK & EASTER — please click here for the schedule of worship services for Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter.
Renewal is a series of award-winning films related to the Millennium Development Goals. The series concludes on Friday, March 20 at 7:30 PM with Silent Killer, a one-hour documentary about the curse of hunger, and the possible cure for it. For more information, click here.
Taizé Holy Eucharist will be offered on the Wednesdays of Lent March 4 - April 8 at 6:15 pm. For more information, please click here.
Men's Group will meet next Saturday, March 21 at 8:00 am to discuss Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. For more information click here or email Peter Stringham.
Women's Reading Group will meet next on Saturday, March 28 at 9:00 am to discuss Christ of the Celts by J. Philip Newell. For more information email Anne Harrington at anneharringtontechwriter@yahoo.com.
Author and columnist James Carroll will read from his new book, Practicing Catholic, on Sunday, March 29 at 7:00 pm. Click here for more information.
Journeys in Faith meets on Mondays at 7:00 pm. Click here for more information.
Centering Prayer Retreat on the theme of Holy Week on Saturday, April 4, 3:00 - 4:30 pm. For information, please email Martha Bullock at marthasbullock@gmail.com.
website resources
For "All Saints Smiles" and news about events, activities, programs, ministries and the staff of our parish, please click on the All Saints web site: www.allsaintsbrookline.org.
For a Schedule of Worship services, please click here.
For information about our Church School for pre-school to grade 12, click here.
For information about Adult learning opportunities, click here.
For information about the Beacon Street Fellowship for those in their 20s and 30s, please click here.
To see the current issue of Saints Alive, our newsletter, please click here.
To browse past issues of the All Saints Weekly, click here.
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