Holy Week

Here are some of the things you need to know about this week at Christ the Redeemer:

Maundy Thursday (April 2) begins at 6:00 pm with Dinner and the Foot Washing in the Fellowship Hall and then transitions into the Sanctuary for the Eucharist and the Stripping of the Chancel. Note, there will be child care provided for our youngest members during the Eucharist if needed. If you have not yet RSVP’ed for the dinner please do so TODAY (nilegomez@gmail.com).

Good Friday Service begins at 6:00 pm on April 3. We gather to reflect on the Seven Last Words from the Cross and to pray. Child Care for our youngest members will be provided during the service.

Holy Saturday: If you are able to help set up for Easter Sunday (putting up banners; arranging the lilies; rearranging the Fellowship Hall; etc.) then please come to the church at 10:00 am on April 4 and lend a hand.

Easter Day: Invite a friend to join you in worship on Easter. Plan to come early and to bring some cut flowers from your garden (if you have any growing!); the children will begin the service by using them to ‘Flower the Cross’. The day will include an Easter Egg Hunt after worship and a time to fellowship and celebrate together.

Tuesday of Easter Week (April 7) Jennifer Brown is organizing a group to meet at Five Loaves Food Pantry on Tuesday, April 7th at 9:30. All ages are welcome! We will be passing out food and helping to organize for their Tuesday night meal. We should be done by 1:00 and there is pizza afterward. Brother Tim has a mini lesson for the kids on God’s provision. The address is Olivet Christian Church, 14425 Old Courthouse Way, Newport News 23608. It would be great if we could get some kind of head count for who will be able to go. Please let Jennifer know if you can make it (brownie7506@yahoo.com). It will be a great time to bless others and be blessed in return.

New Members and/or Confirmation: If you are wanting to explore membership within Christ the Redeemer or become confirmed within the Anglican Communion please speak to Brian+ or email him (revbriancampbell@gmail.com).

Save the Date:

  • Compassion Sunday is set for April 26.
  • ‘Rwandan School Project’ Lunch and Information day is set for Sunday May 17 after worship.
  • Vacation Bible School is set for June 29- July 3 this summer.

Looking forward to a great Holy Week.

Brian Campbell

The Week we have been waiting for is almost here!

Here are some things to be aware of this week:

Holy Week:

  • The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday begins our Holy Week celebrations. We will gather in the Fellowship Hall for the Blessing of the Palms and then process together into the sanctuary joining our voices in singing ‘Hosanna’ to the King of Kings. This is not the week to be late for worship! Please plan on arriving by 9:45 am at the latest, prepared to enter into worship with joy and expectation.
  • Maundy Thursday, April 2 begins with dinner in the ‘Upper Room’ (Fellowship Hall) promptly at 6:00 pm. If you have not yet RSVP’ed for the dinner please note that the deadline to do so is Tuesday evening. Please let Nile know at nilegomez@gmail.com
  • Good Friday finds us focusing on the Seven Last Words from the Cross beginning at 6:00 pm.
  • Easter Day, please bring some cut flowers from home to help the children ‘Flower the Cross’ and plan on arriving early to make sure you do not miss the glorious entry into the sanctuary. There will also be an Easter Egg Hunt for our younger members following the service.

Save the Date:

  • ‘Rwandan School Project Presentation’ takes place after worship on Sunday May 17 over a catered lunch! Mark your calendars now and make sure you are there to hear about this exciting project.
  • ‘Vacation Bible School’ takes place this summer from June 29- July 3. Again, please mark your calendars now and be praying as to whom you will invite to participate in this fun outreach event.

Membership and Confirmation: Bishop Steve Breedlove will be with us in September for our Ten Year Anniversary Celebration. If you are interested in exploring Membership within Christ the Redeemer and/or Confirmation within the Anglican Communion, then please speak with me at your convenience (revbriancampbell@gmail.com). We will be scheduling a ‘New Members/Confirmation Class’ sometime in May and June this spring.

Looking forward to a great Holy Week with all of you.

Brian Campbell

Rector of Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church

VBS Call for Volunteers

Dear CTR family,

As I mentioned on Sunday, I am in the beginning stages of preparing for our VBS program this summer.  VBS will be held the week of June 29th through July 3rd from 9 until 12.  We will be registering kids from ages 3 through 5th grade.  I am looking for volunteers in all kinds of areas so you don’t have to be available during the VBS time frame to be of help.  I will also be putting up a bulletin board after Easter that will let the congregation know what items we need donated.  I have listed below the VBS committees that I have.  Please consider volunteering in some capacity and be prepared for a personal invitation from me.  You can email me or call me with any questions or to sign up.

  • Decorating Committee
  • Snack and Food Committee
  • Teaching Committee
  • Teacher’s Aid Committee
  • Games/Recreation Committee
  • Music Committee

I am also asking that everyone be praying for this week.

Thanks,

Jennifer

To live and lead without fear of shame!

Person enjoys to the sun at sunsetLet not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord God of hosts. Let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel. Psalm 69:6

A bishop I much respected once told me he had this verse made into a plaque and placed it in a prominent place on his desk. That simple statement resonated within me then, and it does even more today! This prayer lies at the center of every leader’s heart, because it expresses the substance of every leader’s fear- that their own brokenness will one day sabotage their leadership and betray the ones they love and lead

The reason for David’s cry becomes obvious from the context of the verse. He is once again in trouble, his circumstances have become overwhelming (v 1-3; v 14-15).  He describes them as a ‘flood’ and his predicament as ‘having no foothold’, no firm place to stand. He is being falsely but viciously slandered by an overwhelming number of enemies. It is not that he is guiltless (v. 5), but he is NOT guilty of what he is accused of.  To make matters worse, he has become isolated and universally disdained. His own family has disowned him (v. 8), and both the elite (‘those who sit in the gate’) and the ‘drunkards’ in the streets mock him (v.12).

And why has this fate befallen him? It is for your sake (O Lord) that I have borne reproach… For zeal for your house has consumed me… (v 7, 9).

And where is God in all of this? He is hidden and silent (My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God v 3, Hide not your face from your servant v 17).

And what does David do in the midst of those devastating circumstances?  He prays (Save me O God v 1, Deliver me… v 14, Answer me, O Lord v.16) and he vents (v. 22-28)!

It is the venting that troubles us! In fact the folks who put together the lectionary encourage us to skip it altogether!

But this, it seems to me, would be a massive mistake. To comply with it would almost surely lead to the ‘putting to shame’ of those we ‘lead’. How is this so? To ignore our desire for vengeance (and that is what David expresses), to pretend it does not exist, does not make it go away! To push it down into the dark, rather than bringing it out into the light, almost assures that we will act on it; we will respond to our circumstances fueled by this (warped and fallen) desire, and thus fail the ones who look to us!

Psalm 69 was an important text for the early church. It helped them understand the horror of the cross and the astonishing love of Jesus. Here was David’s ‘Greater Son’ enduring the greatest of all travesties (the ‘sinless one’ bearing the sin of the world), absolutely alone (My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?), crying out to the Father, not for vengeance, but for forgiveness (Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do).

When we ‘vent’ to this One in prayer, and then go on to ask him for the courage and the wisdom NOT to act on the ‘venting’ but to renounce it—in the midst of the difficult circumstances—we place ourselves in the position to receive his grace.

And it is that grace, and that grace alone, that can enable us to live and to lead— in the midst of our circumstances—without the fear of shame!

Week of March 18 of Lent

This Weekend at CTR:
Saturday:

  • Men’s Group meets this week beginning at 8:30 am. Hank Thompson will lead us through a discussion of the 9th Chapter of Peter Walker’s book The Jesus Way. All are welcome!
  • Wisdom and Wonder: concludes this Saturday, 10:00 – 11:30 am. The focus will be on the ‘Art’ and ‘Reflections’ being prepared for our Good Friday service.

Sunday:

  • ‘Listening For God: Learning to Read and Meditate on Scripture’ concludes this Sunday beginning at 9:00 am

Holy Week Preparations:

  • Maundy Thursday Service takes place on April 2 beginning with dinner at 6;00 pm. If you have not yet RSVP’ed for dinner (or have not had a chance to sign up to help in the preparation) please email Nile Gomez (nilegomez@gmail.com)

Mission Opportunities:

  • ‘Eating Out for Education’ takes place on Tuesday, March 24 at participating restaurants. This is a great way to support the work and mission of Park Place School. Click here for more information.
  • Ghent Area Ministry Clothes Drive is taking place during Lent. As you are cleaning out your wardrobe be sure to set aside gently used clothing and bring them to church. We will make sure they get to GAM.

Developmental News:

  • Georgia Maas has become our new Administrative Assistant and will officially begin next week. This is a part-time position, and once Georgia and I establish our working routine we will post the new ‘office hours’ in the days ahead. Please pray for Georgia as she takes on this important task.
  • Lauren Gyorfi has accepted my invitation to become our (volunteer) ‘Lay Ministry and Small Group Coordinator’. Lauren’s passion is helping to build Christian community and she will be looking to assist, develop, and multiply our existing groups as well as helping individuals find their ‘place’ for service and community. Please pray for Lauren as she takes on this vital task on our behalf.

Looking forward to worshiping with you on Sunday.

Brian Campbell

Week of March 13 of Lent

Here are some of the things you need to know as we continue our Lenten Journey towards Easter:

Wisdom and Wonder: Exploring Beauty and Faith for Artists and Amateurs‘ continues this Saturday, March 14 from 10 – 11:30 am. If you need the readings for the session please email Emily at ’emilyzimbrickrogers@gmail.com’.

Lenten Ministry Opportunities:

    Ghent Area Ministry is hosting a ‘Clothing Drive’ for their Clothes Closet. Gently used, clean clothing (especially for men) may be brought to the church throughout Lent (Collection box is near the coat racks in the hallway)
    Park Place School is sponsoring a fundraiser on Tuesday, March 24 called ‘Eating Out for Education’. Plan now on eating out at one or more of the six participating restaurants that day and a portion of your bill will be donated to the school (see link or posters at church for further details).

Holy Week Preparations:

    Holy Week Schedule – please check out our Calendar for dates and times for all the services for this week of weeks.
    Palm/Passion Sunday – if you would like to participate in the Multi-voice Passion reading, please contact Nile Gomez (nilegomez@gmail.com)
    Maundy Thursday Dinner – if you would like to help with the set-up, food prep, and clean-up for our dinner that night, please contact Nile Gomez (nilegomez@gmail.com)
    Easter Lilies– if you would like to contribute towards the purchase of our Easter Lilies this year please make your checks out to CtR and put ‘Easter Lilies’ on the memo line.

Lectionary Readings for Fourth Sunday of Lent:

    Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3,17-22; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21

Looking forward to worshiping with you on Sunday.

The Surprising ‘Reign’ of God!

Michelangelo-Creation-Hands-SMFor if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through the one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

Paul’s Epistle to the Church in Rome is without doubt his greatest and most profound work – but that  also makes it his most complex and dense letter! If you have been faithfully reading through the Daily Office you will know exactly what I am saying. I encourage you to press on in your reading and your reflecting despite the complexities.  There are many wonderful and awe-inspiring surprises waiting for us if we do. Consider today’s text:

We have arrived at chapter 5 and Paul’s great contrast between ‘Adam’ and ‘Christ’ (the ‘Last Adam’).

Paul argues that ‘sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned’ (5:12).  And the effect of all of that? ‘Death reigned….’(5:14). There is the horror of the ‘Fall’; through humanity’s folly evil – personified as ‘Death’- not only slips into the creation, but takes over! ‘Death’ usurps the Creator’s rule!

BUT, praise be to God, ‘the free gift is not like the trespass’, because the ‘Last Adam’ is not like the ‘first’!

Note the contrasts Paul highlights:

  • As Adam’s faithlessness led to the ‘death of many’, so Christ’s faithfulness leads to the ‘abounding of grace… for the many’!  (5:15)
  • As Adams’ faithlessness led to God’s ‘judgement following one trespass (and) brought condemnation’, so Christ’s faithfulness led to God’s ‘free gift following many trespasses (and) brought justification.’ (5:16)

This is truly marvelous news, but then comes the last and great contrast; one which is a glorious surprise!

Paul again states that ‘Death’ reigned through Adam’s folly- (‘For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man…’) –  leading us to expect a counter-balance of ‘Life’ or ‘Christ’ reigning in its stead; but that is not what Paul says:

‘much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.’

Do you hear what Paul is saying?  It is ‘those who receive the abundance of grace’ through the gospel that will be enabled to ‘reign in life’ – and this, instead of ‘death’ – and all of this ‘through the one man Jesus Christ.’

The glorious result of the ‘free gift of the grace of God’ is the ‘restoring and renewing of the Steward of God’, the restoring and renewing of humankind – the new humanity! –  who then are enabled to ‘reign in life’—and all of this  ‘through the one man Jesus Christ’,  the one who is God’s ‘Last Adam.

I would encourage you to carve out some time today and let Paul’s words sink deep down into your soul.

Allow the Spirit of God to confirm this truth to your spirit.

And then go and live your life this day in the light of it.