This Sunday is the First Sunday of Lent. To emphasize the dramatic change in our church year/season – moving into a penitential time of prayer, fasting, reflection as we spend a substantial amount of time pondering our lives and relationship with our Lord – we change colors, music, and our service.
Last week we buried the ‘Alleluia.’ This week we begin our Sunday with the chanting of The Great Litany. A bit of history for you … Litanies are simple, ancient forms of prayer that use repeated statements in response to petitions, praise, intercessions, praise or blessings. They are used in public liturgical services and in private prayer. A litany can be a prayer for help, praise, forgiveness, thanksgiving or blessing.
The Great Litany was the first original-English liturgical rite published in 1544. The rubric printed at the top gave the instruction “to be read to the people in every church afore processions.”
The 1549 First Book of Common Prayer contained the Litany printed as an appendix to the Eucharist. It was to be said or sung kneeling on Wednesdays and Fridays before the liturgy of the word.
The Great Litany has been contained in each successive Book of Common Prayer, 1662, 1789, throughout the 19th century revisions, 1928, and all the way to 1979, where it was named The Great Litany to differentiate it from a number of other litanies in the book.
This great supplication prays for literally everyone and everything, from Adam and Eve to the president and Congress…. The significance of The Great Litany is deep: It is our oldest original English language rite, it is all-encompassing and focuses our prayers for ourselves and for the world, and it is the strongest way to begin “keeping a Holy Lent.” (St. Francis Episcopal Church, San Francisco)
Next Wednesday Noon Zoom Book Study is February 21st & 28th. Our book for discussion has been changed and will be Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
Our March book is The Tender Land a coming-of-age adventure novel by William Kent Krueger, published in 2019. As historical fiction, the novel follows four central characters on a physical and spiritual journey through the Depression-era Midwestern United States. Krueger describes This Tender Land as a companion novel to his 2014 novel, Ordinary Grace, though each can be read independently.
Our Wednesday Night Zoom Bible Study is February 21st. Our scripture for study will be Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Our Lenten Series this year will be a four-week class on The Grace of Le Miserables. A beloved movie by many, the primary characters represent different forms of grace. We will spend time understanding what grace is and the role it plays in our ethical and moral decisions. What is justice and grace in terms of social issues? Class will be on four Tuesday evenings beginning February 27th. Dinner at 6:00pm with class beginning at 6:30pm.
Looking ahead . . .
. . .March 3 at 4:00pm Documentary Screening of The Philadelphia Eleven
In 1974, there was a dramatic breakthrough of the so-called “stained glass ceiling.” At a church in Philadelphia, a group of 11 women were ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in violation of the constitution and canons of the Episcopal Church – which at the time stated that only men were eligible for ordination. This story is told in a compelling new documentary The Philadelphia Eleven. The documentary explores the lives of these remarkable women who succeeded in transforming an age-old institution despite the threats to their personal safety and the risk of rejection by the church they loved.
The film’s director, Margo Guernsey, is not Episcopalian. She reminds others, “this is a story for all of us. It is about how to break down barriers with grace and be true to oneself in the process. This story reveals ways in which voices that are inconvenient are often buried. It also provides a vision for what a just and inclusive community looks like in practice.
The feature documentary film will screen here in East Lansing on Sunday, March 3rd! The screening will start at 4 p.m. at Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, East Lansing, MI.
The event is free and open to the public. A discussion will follow the screening of the film.
…Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED Certification: Our Red Cross certified instructors will be holding a class on Saturday, March 9th in the Choir Room from 10am-3pm. This class is for anyone who wants to be certified/re-certified in adult and/or pediatric First Aid or CPR/AED. Please sign up in the Merrifield Room. Questions? Please contact John David Hawkins h012T@comcast.net.
. . . March 16th a three hour workshop on planning for your loved one’s funeral/memorial service. What are the things you need to know legally about cremation? What pre-planning will be most helpful for your family members? Questions you might have about working with a funeral home. We will have forms to assist you in your planning and I will be joined by one of the owners of Estes-Leadley to lead the workshop. I know it is not easy to talk about death yet it is one of the few things we cannot avoid. Plan to join us from 9:30am – 12:30pm.
An Afternoon with Kitty Donohoe – Save the Date: Ann Arbor based Singer, Songwriter and Author Kitty Donohoe, will perform a free concert at St. Paul’s on Sunday, April 7th at 3:00pm. Kitty has wonderful music and stories to tell drawn from her Irish heritage and American roots. Kitty is an Emmy recipient for her heartfelt song “There Are No Words” written after the 911 tragedy. Her performance at the 911 Memorial Dedication is available on YouTube at
…May 8th – Author Jim Wallis will join us at St. Paul’s at 7:00pm to discuss his new book, The False White Gospel – Rejecting Christian Nationalism.
May 11th – Bed Build!!!! You will hear much info in the future but put the date on your calendar. We will build beds for the smallest in our community so that no children goes to sleep at night bed less.